e-paper pakistantoday 16th september, 2012

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Rs 22.00 Vol iii no 80 19 pages islamabad — peshawar edition

Sunday, 16 September, 2012 Shawwal 27, 1433

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US special representative asks for CIA-aide doctor’s release Pakistan protests release of anti-Islam movie with Grossman President repeats call for end to drone attacks ISLAMABAD ShAIq hUSSIAN

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AkiSTAn on Saturday said the imprisonment of Dr Shakil Afridi was an “internal matter” and he would be dealt with in accordance with the country’s law, while repeating its opposition to drone attacks in the tribal areas.

United States’ Special Envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan Ambassador Marc Grossman, who reached islamabad on Friday, held important meetings on Saturday with President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf and held formal talks with Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani at the Foreign Office.

“During the course of these negotiations on Saturday, Ambassador Grossman raised the issue of Dr Shakil Afridi and appealed for his release. However, he (Grossman) was told that it was Pakistan’s internal matter and Dr Afridi’s issue would be dealt with in ac-

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf shakes hands with US special envoy Marc Grossman. cordance with the law of land,” a diplomatic source said, seeking anonymity.

Dr Afridi was arrested soon after the killing of bin Laden on May 2, 2011 in a covert raid by Special US Forces in Abbottabad and he was blamed for arranging a fake vaccination campaign of Hepatitis-B to assist the CiA in tracking the former al Qaeda chief.

A US embassy statement issued at the end of

Grossman’s two-day visit to islamabad also mentioned briefly that Dr Afridi’s issue was taken up by the special US representative with Pakistani officials, but it did not say anything beyond that and there was no mention of Pakistan’s response. “Ambassador Grossman raised the case of Dr Shakil Afridi,” it said.

According to the embassy’s statement, Grossman also discussed the issue of the anti-islam movie

with Pakistani authorities.

“Ambassador Grossman also addressed the video circulating on the internet that has led to protests in a number of countries. Ambassador Grossman stated very clearly, as Secretary Clinton did, that the United States government had absolutely nothing to do with the video,” the statement said. Grossman said, “We absolutely reject its content and message.” “in difficult times like these, the United States relies on its partnership with the government and people of Pakistan to ensure that divisive actions by individuals do not harm the safety of Pakistanis and Americans alike,” he said.

At the Foreign Office, Grossman and Foreign Secretary Jilani held detailed talks on the revival of stalled bilateral strategic dialogue that was suspended by the US last year owing to strained bilateral ties. “Discussing the Afghan reconciliation process, the two sides agreed to work on the mechanism of providing safe passage to Taliban leaders willing to participate in the peace dialogue,” a Pakistani diplomat said while requesting anonymity.

Briefing about the meeting between Zardari and Grossman, president’s spokesman Farhatullah Babar said Pak-US bilateral situation, fight against militancy, regional situation, drug trafficking and drone attacks were discussed during the meeting. The president said it was important for the two countries to work for greater engagement in all fields and to revive mutual confidence to move forward in pursuit of mutual interests and in the interest for peace and stability.

The president expressed the hope that the foreign minister’s forthcoming visit to Washington would help jumpstart the bilateral strategic dialogue.

Thousands marooned as water inundates dozens of villages in Balochistan, Sindh QUETTA/JAFFERABAD AGENCIES Dozens of villages were inundated after floodwater entered Jacobabad and Kandhkot on Saturday, while flooding in Balochistan has left at least half a million people marooned, besides destroying over 2,000 houses. According to reports, floodwater entered Jaffarabad, Naseerabad and Kandhkot from areas of

Lehri and Chattar, inundating dozens of villages and trapping thousands. Rescue operation was jointly being conducted by the Pakistan Army, FC and the local administration. Three bodies were recovered from a stream which was overflowing due to rainwater in Naseerabad. Torrential rains and flash floods in Naseerabad and Jaffarabad districts have caused damage, destroyed standing crops on thousands of acres

completely washed away road network.

“Dera Allah Yar, Dera Murad Jamali, Sohbat pur, Manjopur, Manjoshori areas are still under two to six feet of water, increasing the plight of the thousands of families living in these areas,” Balochistan Chief Secretary Babar Yaqoob Fateh said.

Yaqoob said that he had contacted his counterpart in Sindh and asked him not to divert water from Jacobabad towards Balochistan as it would worsen the

situation in the country’s largest province. Epidemics have gripped various areas of Balochistan as flashfloods and rains have destroyed water supply lines and people have to resort to drinking contaminated water. Three children have died in Kandhkot after contracting deadly gastric diseases. Hundreds of floodaffected families, having taken shelter along the National Highway, do not have access to fresh food and medical aid.

Continued on page 04

No blanket immunity from contempt proceedings: SC g

SC strikes down Contempt of Court Act 2012 in detailed verdict ISLAMABAD StAff REPoRt

The Supreme Court on Saturday categorically stated that no protection was available to any of the state functionaries from contempt proceedings.

“Clearly, considering the language employed in Article 204, no protection is available to any of the State functionaries mentioned in Article 248(1) from contempt proceedings… unless an amendment…of the Constitution,” the SC said in its detailed verdict on the Contempt of Court Act 2012.

The court also said the growing tendency of not obeying the judgments of the courts by the state functionaries will reduce the judgments of the courts to just paper decrees and render the whole system of administration of justice ineffective consequently leading to anarchy. “Though the courts, exercising judicial restraint, have always used their power to punish for contempt sparingly, Continued on page 04

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02 News CArToon

foreign newS

Today’s

Brahimi meets Syria’s Assad, warns of world threat

infoTAinMenT Public fooled into believing ‘iPhone 4S is iPhone 5’

Quick look

Page 11

Story on Page 09

ANP rules out alliance with PPP in general election PESHAWAR: Senior Awami national Party (AnP) leader Senator ilyas Bilour has said that there was no possibility of an alliance with the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in the upcoming general elections. Talking to reporters on Saturday, Bilour said the AnP respected President Asif Ali Zardari, but his party had no interest in alliance with the PPP in general polls. However, he refused to unveil the reasons and said once the polls were over, the AnP could support the PPP for formation of a coalition government. To a question regarding seat adjustment with any political party in elections, Bilour said the AnP leadership would take any decision in this regard after detailed consultations within the party. INP

Musa Gilani files petition against ANF personnel over arrest ISLAMABAD: MnA Ali Musa Gilani, son of former PM Yousaf Raza Gilani, on Saturday filed a petition in the Supreme Court against personnel of the Antinarcotics Force (AnF) for committing contempt by arresting him outside the apex court. Ali Musa, an accused in the ephedrine scam case, said carrying out an arrest on the Supreme Court’s premises was tantamount to committing contempt of court. His petition said he was coming to the court but he was forcefully arrested and taken away. The MnA added that his arrest was deliberately carried out in order to humiliate an elected representative of the people. Ali Musa requested the court to take strict action against AnF personnel involved in his arrest. On Friday, the former PM’s son was picked up by the AnF at the gates of the Supreme Court building, roughed up, frisked and then brought back by the force’s personnel for his eventual release on bail by the court. The SC granted him bail before arrest until September 25 on submission of two surety bonds of Rs 500,000 each. The manhandling also invited public criticism, with Pakistan Bar Council member Advocate Chaudhry Ramzan saying approaching the Supreme Court for any cause was an established fundamental right and it could not be denied. StAff REPoRt

PPP founder of country’s nuclear programme: Kaira ISLAMABAD: information Minister Qamar Zaman kaira on Saturday said the PPP was the founder of the country’s nuclear program, which guaranteed its defense and security. in his comments on Dr Abdul Qadeer khan’s allegation that nuclear technology was transferred on the orders of Benazir Bhutto, kaira said Zulfikar Bhutto had given nuclear technology to the country while Benazir gave it the missile technology as a part of their efforts to make the country’s defense impregnable.

“Benazir Bhutto is not alive and leveling such an allegation against her

by Dr AQ khan is not fair,” kaira said.

He said both the father and the daughter had made strenuous endeavors for peace, development and prosperity in the world, especially in the Muslim countries while the present PPP government was also following in their footsteps in promoting and strengthening ties with the world. APP

Sunday, 16 September, 2012

Story on Page 14

Taliban urge Muslim youths to rise up ISLAMABAD AfP

The Taliban on Saturday issued a call to young Muslims worldwide and within the country to rise up against an anti-islam movie. Hundreds of people demonstrated in cities across Pakistan on Friday to denounce the low-budget film, but there was none of the violence that left several dead in other parts of the Muslim world. The movie, “innocence of Muslims”, portrays Muslims as immoral and gratuitously violent. A mob stormed the US consulate in the Libyan city of Benghazi on Tuesday, killing the US ambassador and several other staff. “We invite... especially youth of Pakistan to stand up in defense of their religion and its sanctity,” Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan said in an email.

“You are no less than the lads of Benghazi... stop looking toward your tyrant rulers that they will do something, as they have accepted a life of humiliation,” the spokesman said. He added that “atrocities” against Muslims were rising across the world. “Zionist and crusader enemies of islam are insulting the signs of islam everywhere,” the Taliban spokesman said. Pakistan on Thursday blocked access to the video on the internet and beefed up security around US diplomatic missions, following attacks on American consulates and embassies in Libya, Egypt and Yemen.

DERA GHAZI KHAN: A flood-affected family sits in a makeshift arrangement on Saturday. OnlIne

AQ Khan accused Benazir to wash his own guilt: PPP Scientist had claimed in an interview that Benazir Bhutto had named two countries which were to be assisted in nuclear technology g

ISLAMABAD

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StAff REPoRt

POkESPERSOn PPP Senator Farhatullah Babar has strongly rebutted Dr AQ khan’s assertion that he transferred nuclear materials and technology to two countries on the orders of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

The assertion of AQkhan is a belated and desperate attempt to wash the guilt of proliferating nuclear weapons by associating the name of Benazir Bhutto to lend a semblance of respectability to a crime that brought huge embarrassment and inflicted incalculable damage to Pakistan, Senator Farhatullah Babar said in a statement.

Farhatullah Babar said that public memory was not so short as to forget the public apology tendered by AQ khan on national television in February 2004 in which he acknowledging nuclear proliferation also admitted his

guilt thus: “i have much to answer for it”.

Expressing “the deepest sense of sorrow, anguish and regret” over what he had done Dr khan had also admitted in his infamous TV appearance, “The investigation has established that many of the reported activities did occur and that these were inevitably initiated at my behest”.

Senator Farhatullah Babar said that the so-called disclosure by Dr khan at this point of time was a futile attempt to wash his guilt by seeking to associate Benazir Bhutto in his crime. it is disgusting that almost a decade later Dr khan should be seeking to restore his image by laying the blame at the door of Shaheed Bibi when the latter is no longer alive, Senator Babar said. But while one may pity the twists and turns of a guilt-laden conscious it should not be forgotten that the stern laws of nature seldom pause for pity, the senator said.

Dr khan would do well to re-read his February 2004 public statement on national tele-

vision and remember that the words and sentences he uttered on that fateful day can never be recalled, he added. in an interview to a private media group, Dr khan had alleged that Benazir Bhutto had asked for the transfer of nuclear technology to two countries that she had named.

Responding to different questions, khan said that the transfer of nuclear technology was not so easy that one could put it into his pocket and hand it over to another country.

“At least 800 people are used to supervise the process. The then prime minister Benazir Bhutto summoned me and named the two countries which were to be assisted and issued clear directions in this regard,” khan said. “i was not independent but was bound to abide by the orders of the prime minister, hence i did take this step in compliance with her order. The prime minister would have certainly known about the role and cooperation of the two countries, mentioned by her, in our national interest,” he explained.

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News 03 ArTS & enTerTAinMenT

BuSineSS

SPorTS

I am comfortable in my world: Katrina

Wall Street ends at multi-year highs on fed

Dar unlucky to get 4th award in a row

ediToriAl Murder will out:

How long will the MQM act as if nothing is wrong with it?

CoMMenT humayun Gauhar says; Exceedingly exceeding: Of Muslims and their feelings being hurt on a daily basis.

Saad Rasool says; Free speech vs blasphemy: One must be protected, the other actively discouraged.

hassan Naqvi says; Talibanization and politics: The turbulent Pakistani politics continues to deal with mishmash and Talibanization. The fear of Taliban is on the up.

Story on Page 13

Story on Page 19

Story on Page 15

Articles on Page 14-15

PTI’s tsunami to end rule of tyranny: Imran CHITRAL

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Thar coal power generation project not workable: Ahmad Mukhtar ISLAMABAD: Minister for Water and Power Ahmad Mukhtar on Saturday said power generation from Thar coal had not been workable so far. in an interview with BBC, he said Dr Samar Mubarakmand was trying to generate electricity through Thar coal with highly advanced technology, but his efforts had not yielded desired result. “We have decided to import coal and produce cheap electricity from it to overcome the power shortfall and reduce the overall cost of power production. We cannot wait for ever for electricity, we need it immediately, however, Dr Samar has not given any breakthrough so far,” he added.

Asked why so much time and money was spent on Dr Samar’s project, the minister said only Samar could reply to the question. He stated he had obtained approval from President Asif Ali Zardari in respect of a project for overcoming power crisis. Power load shedding could be scaled down to three hours within a year through this project, he remarked. Giving details of the project costing $4 billion, he said coal worth $1 billion would be imported and an agreement had been signed to import generators from China to produce electricity.

“These generators will reach Pakistan within a few months.

They will produce 2,200 megawatts of electricity,” he said.

“One billion dollars will be spent on reducing the circular debt and improvement will come in power generation process this way,” he added. He pointed out that a special police force was being set up to stop power pilferage. oNLINE

AGENCIES

AkiSTAn Tehreek-e-insaaf (PTi) chairman imran khan on Saturday said his party aimed to recreate a new Pakistan on the foundations of justice and once in power, it would end the rule of tyranny in the country.

Addressing a public rally in Chitral, he said that the people wanted to get rid of corrupt politicians.

The PTi chief said that taking part in America’s “war on terror” had destroyed Pakistan, adding that the PTi was due to lead a peace rally to Waziristan on October 7.

“The PTi will also take along foreign journalists so that they can be shown and informed of the region’s ground realities,” imran added.

He said families of those killed in drone attacks were now taking up weapons in order to avenge the deaths of their loved ones. “no other party is courageous enough to go to Waziristan nowadays, but the PTi will go there,” he said.

The PTi chief said the springs in Chitral could yield up to 3,000MW of electricity.

He said the PTi tsunami would end the system of injustice and replace it with a new, just system.

“The public demands a change and the creation of a prosperous Pakistan,” imran said, adding that his tsunami would end the era of oppression He said that the youth wanted to get rid of old politicians and assured the people of Chitral that he would complete the work on Lowari

tunnel when he formed his government.

Slamming the PPP and PML-n, he said nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari would never come to Chitral. “Zardari and nawaz would

have had a heart attack if they had traveled through the Lowari Tunnel,” he said.He said the people of Chitral had to move through Afghanistan to reach other parts of Pakistan.

Protests continue against blasphemous film Imran changes PESHAWAR/QUETTA StAff REPoRt

Demonstrations were staged by the political parties and school children against the blasphemous film on the life of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) in various cities of the country, including Peshawar, khyber Agency, Quetta and many others on Saturday calling upon the government to break diplomatic and economic relations with United States and appeal to Muslim Ummah to boycott Jews/American products. in Peshawar, strongly condemning the US and Jewish lobby for sacrilegious film, the infuriated protestors asked the government to sever diplomatic ties with America and raise the issue at international level in the United nation’s summit. The religious parties including Jamiat itehadul Ulama (JiU) Jamaat-e-islami (Ji) Ulema Wing, Pakistan Rah-e-Haq (PRH) party and Jamiat Ulama-e-islam (JUi) held separate protest demonstrations in Peshawar.

The Ji Ulema Wing and JiU kP chapter took out a procession from Al-Markaz islami and staged a protest at main GT Road. The protestors were led by JiU provincial chief Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali. Qari Ahmad Saeed, Maulana Ghulamur Rahman, Haroonur Rashid and israrullah advocate were holding banners and placards inscribed with anti-US and antiisrael slogans. Amid sloganeering the activists were waving off their party flags.

Addressing on the occasion, JUi provincial Ameer Maulana Abdul Akbar said that the US and its Jewish lobby through its mean tactics and heinous acts of mocking the Holy Prophets and the divine religion islam, hurt the feelings of millions of Muslim across the world. He said that it was not the first time the US and its allies had insulted islam and

the Holy Book, he added.

He asked the international community to play their role and immediately block the contemptuous film and hang the culprit down for this heinous crime. He also asked the US to apologize to the Muslim Ummah for this act; otherwise, the US embassies and consulates across the world would be unsafe. He also urged the Pakistani government to expel the US ambassador and cutoff diplomatic relation with the US. The protestors also set on fire the US national flag as a protest and vowed to render all kind of sacrifices to protect the sanctity of the Holy Prophet and religion islam. Meanwhile, dozens of activists of Pakistan Rah-eHaq Party, the former banned Sipah-e-Sahaba, group took out a rally from Landi Arbab and reached nauthia Phatak. The participants of the rally led by its central president ibrahim Qasmi and Aminul Haq were holding protesting banners and chanted slogans against the America and israel.

Addressing the protestors they said that it was time for the Muslims to wake up and render sacrifices for the sake of religion and the last Prophet of Almighty Allah. He also regretted that today our own Muslim army was safeguarding the Americans in the US consulate at Peshawar. The government should expel the US diplomats forthwith. “Making this blasphemous film is not the first attempt,” he said, adding earlier they had also burnt the Holy Quran as well.

He asked the government to halt the nato supply route for American and its allied forces in Afghanistan. Similarly, in a separate statement, the AnP provincial Senior Minister Bashir Ahmad Bilour, and Muslim Doctors’ Wing provincial president Dr noor khaliq Wazir strongly condemned the controversial film, urged to block the film and execute the culprit.

stance frequently, alleges Hoti ISLAMABAD oNLINE

khwaja Muhammad khan Hoti, who recently left the Pakistan Tehreek-e-insaf, has accused party chief imran khan of changing his viewpoint a number of times a day.

Hoti said imran had promised to give Marvi Memon an important position in the party but later refused, adding that he had the complete record on it and would show it to the people in a press conference.

He said imran had been a member of the national Assembly for five years but had not presented a single resolution against corruption.

Referring to imran’s claims that he would get a dam constructed in 90 days, Hoti said “the feasibility of a dam cannot be prepared in 90 days, let alone a complete dam”. “imran launched a campaign against the MQM and went to Scotland Yard but did not utter a single word against oppressions of the MQM at the PTi gathering in karachi,” he said, adding that this was so because MQM people were present in the gathering and not those from the PTi. He said leaders had started leaving the PTi, adding that the Leghari brothers would also leave PTi soon. He said that iftikhar Gilani was also about to leave imran and there would be no big name with the PTi in kP in the coming days.

Sunday, 16 September, 2012

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04 News

Alleged anti-Islamic film-maker briefly questioned by police LOS ANGELES AfP

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ISLAMABAD: President Asif Zardari in a meeting with US special envoy Marc Grossman.

AC stops Sharifs’ corruption cases’ hearing after LHC stay order RAWALPINDI StAff REPoRt

Acting on a stay order from the Lahore High Court (LHC), an accountability court on Saturday adjourned until September 29 a hearing into the revival of corruption references filed against Pakistan Muslim League-nawaz (PMLn) leaders nawaz Sharif and his brother Shahbaz Sharif.

The Rawalpindi Accountability Court was hearing the case for reopening three references – Hudabiya Paper Mills, ittefaq Foundaries and Raiwind assets reference – in which nawaz, his brother Punjab Chief Minister Shah-

baz Sharif and other family members are allegedly involved. During Saturday’s hearing, the counsel for the Sharif brothers appealed to the court that the high court had ordered an injunction on further proceedings. The court also accepted an application by khawaja Harris Ahmed advocate to represent the petitioners in place of Akram Sheikh advocate.

Last Thursday, khawaja Harris had told the LHC Rawalpindi bench that a division bench of the same court on October 18, 2011 passed an interim order in which it restrained the accountability court from proceeding in the

references until further orders. Haris said due to some clerical mistake, the respondent no 3 (accountability court) was inadvertently typed as respondent no 1 (federal government) and the mistake could be corrected under Section 152 of the Civil Procedure Code (CPC).

According to him, the mistake had come to the petitioners’ notice during the course of arguments, before the Rawalpindi Accountability Court, on an application by the national Accountability Bureau for the cases’ revival. The nAB, after deciding to proceed with the references as the restraining order

No blanket immunity Continued fRom page 01

but at the same time they have a reciprocal expectation from the persons against whom the same were issued for implementation, execution of the judgments, orders and directions,” read the court judgment referring to the ongoing contempt proceedings against Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf.

The court highlighted that under Article 190, the constitution maintains that all executive and judicial authorities throughout Pakistan shall act in aid of the Supreme Court. The prime minister is, therefore, dutybound to give effect to the decisions of this court, the judgment said.

Justice khilji Arif Hussain in his separate note said that the authors of the constitution

considered contempt of court so serious an offence that they have not left it to the legislature to change it by simple majority by defining what act constitutes contempt.

The court’s judgment also countered government’s intentions to snatch the CJ’s bench formulation administrative powers, saying that the provision of Section 8(3) is directly relatable to the power of the chief justice in the matter of constitution of benches, which aspect has already formed the subject matter of discussion by this court in a large number of cases.

The court also held that “in view of Article 68 of the Constitution read with clause (c) of sub-rule (2) of Rule 248 of the national Assembly Rules, the Speaker is obliged not to allow a member to discuss the conduct of any judge

of the Supreme Court or a high court in the discharge of his duties and if a member does it in violation of the above provisions, the Speaker is expected to take any of the actions envisaged under rules.”

The judgment further said that a perusal of said debates shows that the bill was tabled in the national Assembly on July 9 by suspending rules of procedure of the national Assembly and as per the record of the nA, The proceedings were completed the same day. After having complied with the codal formalities, it was then tabled before the Senate on July 11 and on completion of the proceedings, the President of Pakistan assented to it the same day and Act of Parliament was published in the Gazette of Pakistan on July 12 as Contempt of Court Act, 2012.

only extended to the federal government and there was no legal bar on the bureau, issued notices to the Sharifs on July 28 to respond to the application for reopening the corruption references against them. Last year, the LHC Rawalpindi bench temporarily restrained nAB from proceeding in the case.

The court ordered nAB authorities to submit record of the cases on the next date of hearing and adjourned the matter until July 28.

The references had also been adjourned in September 2007 for an indefinite period because the Sharifs were in exile.

Would-be suicide bomber dies in Kohat KOHAT INP

A suspected suicide bomber died when the explosives he was about to use in an attack went off while he was busy preparing for it on Saturday.

According to details, the blast took place in a room located in Dhoda area of kohat where the would-be suicide bomber was making arrangements to leave for the attack.

The explosives suddenly went off killing him on the spot.

Police have gathered evidence from the scene and have started investigation.

HE alleged maker of a provocative antiislamic movie that has sparked violent protests across the Muslim world was briefly taken early Saturday to a California police station for questioning by his probation officer. nakoula Besseley nakoula was “given a ride” by sheriff’s deputies from his Cerritos, California, home shortly after midnight to the interview, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Don Walker told AFP. A local nBC news affiliate reported that the man later emerged from the station wearing a coat, hat, scarf and glasses.

Officials said federal officers wanted to find out whether nakoula had violated his probation in an alleged bank fraud conspiracy.

But according to Walker, the questioning of nakoula did not take long. “He left the area a while ago,” the spokesman said.

There was no word what conclusion, if any, the probation office had reached during the interview. in February 2009, a federal indictment accused nakoula and others of fraudulently obtaining the identities and Social Security numbers of customers at several Wells Fargo branches in California and withdrawing $860 from them.

Given the relatively small amount of money involved,

Afghan parliament approves top security officials KABUL AfP

Afghan lawmakers on Saturday endorsed a controversial new spymaster, accused of torturing detainees, and two other security chiefs who will likely play a key role as kabul takes on increasing powers as nATO troops withdraw over the next two years.

President Hamid karzai had last month nominated Asadullah khalid, the outgoing borders and tribal affairs minister and two-time former provincial governor, to head the national Directorate of Security (nDS) despite strong criticism from Western human rights groups.

The nomination was part of a cabinet reshuffle, which has been interpreted as karzai’s effort to secure his powerbase before anointing a successor to stand for election in 2014. khalid, who is fiercely anti-Taliban and close to the karzai family, secured a comfortable majority among the 241 lawmakers present, winning 143 votes — well clear of the minimum threshold of 121 — in an open vote broadcast live on state TV. it is expected that he will have to work closely with the CiA in his new position. in a speech before the vote, khalid promised a clean leadership but made no mention of the accusations against

him. “i will try to make the nDS a home for all AFghans. it will not be politicised and will remain impartial. There will be no toleration of those who are against the nation.

We will foil terrorist activities in their sanctuaries,” he said.

Parliament narrowly approved as defence minister the outgoing interior minister Bismillah Mohammadi with 124 votes, and his former deputy, Mujtaba Patang, as interior minister with 129 votes.

But Haji Din Mohammad, a former commander who fought against Soviet troops in the 1980s, failed to secure the requisite majority to become borders and tribal affairs minister.

Amnesty international had urged parliament to delay the vote, asking lawmakers to investigate claims of khalid’s “involvement in numerous alleged acts of torture and other grave human rights violations”. The London-based rights group said he has been linked to numerous cases of torture and unlawful killings over the past decade, while serving as governor of Ghazni province from 2001-05 and of kandahar from 2005-08. it also said there were credible allegations that khalid was involved in the bombing of a vehicle that killed five Un workers in kandahar in April 2007.

he was put on probation as a result. nakoula also served a year in jail after pleading guilty to possession of meth with the intent to manufacture it in 1997. nakoula had agreed to the interview prior to the deputies arriving at his home and that the move was “entirely voluntary,” nBC news reported.

The film sparked a wave of anti-American protests that have cost several lives and saw mobs burn US missions, schools and businesses.

At least six protesters died in Egypt, Tunisia, Lebanon and Sudan on Friday as local police battled to defend US missions from mobs of stone-throwers, and Washington deployed Marines to protect its embassies in Libya and Yemen.

Bomb kills 11 women and children in Afghan south KANDAHAR AfP

A bomb attack killed 11 women and children from two families, destroying their vehicle in southern Afghanistan, officials said Saturday.

The device planted on the side of the road struck their minivan on Friday afternoon in Gereshk district of Helmand province, one of the toughest battlegrounds in a 10-year Taliban insurgency.

“Five women and a child from one family, and four women and two children from another family were killed in the blast,” the Helmand governor’s spokesman, Daud Ahmadi, told AFP. Ahmadi later clarified that eight women, not nine, were killed, along with two children aged seven to 12, and a third child under seven.

He identified a 12th victim as a young man in his 20s who was driving the minibus.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but Ahmadi blamed enemies of Afghanistan for the blast, a term used by Afghan officials to refer to Taliban insurgents.

Farid Ahmad Farhang, Helmand police spokesman, confirmed the death toll.

US snubbed on Afridi, drone attacks Continued fRom page 01

On Afghanistan, the president said the peace and stability of Pakistan depended on peace and stability of Afghanistan and Pakistan would continue to assist the international community in search for an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process.

“We share common objective to defeat al Qaeda and terrorism and it could best be achieved through coordinated actions across

Sunday, 16 September, 2012

the border,” the president said.

On terrorism, the president said Pakistan had been extending full support to the international fight against terrorism and would continue to do so in the future as well.

The president also reiterated his call for an end to the drone attacks, calling them counterproductive in the fight against militancy.

“We need to discuss alternatives to drone attacks,” he said.

Zardari said the goal of establishing a long-term, sustained and

durable Pak-US equation would remain elusive until the issue of trust deficit was addressed in an effective manner. He also expressed grave concern and condemned the anti-islam film produced in the US that has sparked protest demonstrations in a number of countries.

He said rationality and tolerance was fast eroding and stressed the need for collective action to stop inflaming religious sentiments of any community or people of any faith. in his meeting with Ambassa-

dor Grossman, Prime Minister Ashraf said Pakistan had suffered the most, both in men and material, “but this cannot weaken our resolve to fight terrorism and extremism”.

“We have no other option but to fight it out” so that we have peace and tranquilly in the region, he said.

The PM said, “Being a political government, we are sensitive to public opinion. We have succeeded in mobilizing the people and making them realize that terrorism is a threat to our country.”

He said Pakistan was facing energy crises and the US could help it in overcoming it.

The prime minister said there had been a “sea change” in relations with Afghanistan.

Ashraf said, “We need a peaceful and stable Afghanistan in our neighborhood. We cannot leave our children at the mercy of terrorists.”

Ambassador Grossman agreed with the prime minister that it was of fundamental importance to build a relationship based on mu-

tual respect and interest.

He said that both the countries shared common objective to fight terrorism. Referring to energy crises in Pakistan, Ambassador Grossman said the US had made a promise of $200 million for the construction of Diamer-Bhasha Dam and was ready to participate in the project.

Ambassador Grossman said future relations between Pakistan and United States should be based on market access and trade.

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News 05 Protest held in Bradford over drone ‘injustice’ in Pakistan BRADFORD: A well-known journalist and peace activist on Saturday told hundreds of people that they were showing the world that Bradford “cares about injustice” in a city centre protest against drone attacks in Pakistan. Yvonne Ridley, who was captured and imprisoned by the Taliban in Afghanistan weeks after the 9/11 attacks, was speaking at the peaceful protest organized by the Bradford Global Justice Movement in Centenary Square outside the town hall. The protest was designed to highlight civilian killings in Pakistan

due to the use of unmanned aerial vehicles. Ridley, 54, told the crowd that drone attacks authorized by the US in Pakistan were the main reason for an increase in the number of suicide bombings in the country and claimed there was a correlation between the two. “it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out how to stop the suicide bombings – stop the drone attacks,” she told the crowd. “By turning up today, you are showing the world you care about the injustices raining down on the people of Pakistan.” INP

Caretaker setup and the X factor newS AnAlySiS PEShAWAR: Supporters of religious parties protest against the US during a demonstration against an anti-Islam film on Saturday. InP

TI urges CAA to probe alleged PPRA rules violation ISLAMABAD

T

StAff REPoRt

RAnSPAREnCY international Pakistan has drawn Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Director General Capt nadeem khan Yousufzai’s attention to a complaint of an alleged violation of the Public Procurement Rules 2004 by the CAA regarding designing and construction of shopping promenade in front of Terminal Building, AiiAP. in a letter addressed to Capt nadeem, TiP Adviser Adil Gilani stated that the international watchdog had received a complaint against the CAA about an alleged violation of the Public Procurement Rules 2004 for awarding designing and construction of shopping promenade in front of terminal building AiiAP, Lahore, to M/S Gizelle Communication, based on a “Request for Proposal”. The complainant alleged that the CAA had approved the award of contract to M/S Gizelle Communication (Pvt) Lim-

ited without inviting open tenders from the public in violation of Rule 20 “Principal Method of Procurement”. “it is also noted that the subject RFP is not available on the websites of Public Procurement Regulatory Authority and CAA, which is a violation of Rule no 12, Methods of Advertisement and PPRA’s directives issued vide notification no 2(21) DD(M& iMP)/PPRA/iMP. Rules/ 09 dated 07th September 2009,” added Gilani.

He requested the CAA DG to look into the matter and confirm whether the complaint was correct and genuine. “in case the complaint is found to be genuine, you are requested to immediately order the cancellation of contract and invite tenders in accordance with the Public Procurement Rules 2004,” Gilani said.

He also referred to the judgments passed by the Supreme Court in Rental Power Plants’ case on March 30 and Safe City case on August 23, according to which unsolicited proposals cannot be awarded by any public procuring agency, including the CAA.

NADEEM SyED

Opposition Leader Ch nisar is either over-smart or too simple if he believes that selection of upcoming caretaker prime minister will be as simple as he tries to convey to the people in his rocky public appearances: he will propose the name, as if it is child’s play and that’s it: PPP will have to comply with his wish list wily nily.

He is over-smart here. isn’t he?

After all the idea of making the PPP leadership led by maestro Asif Zardari bite the dust by forcing them to sign on the dotting line is quite a tempting one for a ranking opposition leader. So he continues to harp on the same tune in total disregard to what the PPP has up its sleeve, as if he will be able to exploit the constitutional catch that binds the government to indulge in meaningful consultation with the opposition to his favor.

The PPP government is going slow and steady, not at all interested right now to put their cards on the table too early with months left to complete its tenure or respond to posturing on the part of PML-n leader. Of late, jialas are least bothered or pushed by the doings of nisar, knowing that he is more interested in making personal points when his own party leaders from Lahore are not in any great hurry to wrap up the issue. Anyway, they are more interested in talking with their buddy ishaq Dar. But if he is showing disregard for the government what about other big players without which you cannot accomplish much in Pakistan. What about the big players like army and America?

Would they play the role of silent spec-

tators with government and opposition allowed to do their pick and choose or enter an expected deadlock if the PMLn continues following its opposition leader? if this is the party line of action then it sounds pretty naïve diplomacy.

Who knows that the powers that be have some hidden agenda to accomplish this time around? And who knows upcoming democratic transition is their big chance to fulfill this agenda having fed up by the political class and the mess they have created in the country in the last over four years, letting down everybody. After all, speculations are already rife that the stage is being prepared for a technocratic order in the country with the blessing of army and judiciary. Anything could happen out of the blue to extend the mandate of the coming caretaker setup. Even if we do not give weight to these conspiracy theories even then we all knows nothing is possible in this land of pure without the consent of the guardians of our national interests.

As if our local guardians are not enough, what about our foreign guardians if not guarantors, especially the US government. How can it be so indifferent when Pakistan is heading for an important change coinciding with the US government’s controversial pull-out from Afghanistan?

As such more knowledgeable political circles in Lahore and islamabad do not attach much importance to the outings of nisar outside parliament. instead they have set their eyes on what the GHQ is up to, often hand-in-gloves with the US on such issues. Moreover, the names proposed by Ch nisar in his last public appearance are hardly the ones that could be acceptable to the military with their anti-establishment mindset. in fact, GHQ is in search for staff ready to respond to their calls and

take their ownership as well.

Already nisar, it seems, has hashed up the whole undertaking by his party.

This is evident from the response from the Atta Mengal on his nomination by the PML-n. it must be embarrassing if not shocking for the PML-n leadership when the elderly Mengal declared the whole exercise as “non-serious” and his nomination a big joke.

The other day i came across a small news item. it was about two brothers, sons of retired army general, one working for PML-n and other attached with PTi. The report was all praise for them as sound economists. A little inquiry into the report revealed that the news was already doing rounds in power circles in islamabad and these Omar brothers are already hot favorites for the upcoming caretaker setup there, acceptable to not only presidency, but also to GHQ. Even former commando Pervez Musharraf is ready to return if they are the future caretakers. if this is so then we find that forces that be are way ahead of Ch nisar and the likes of him with stakes in the present setup. But these are not good signs for the political forces with stakes in the continuity of the political system in Pakistan after the general elections they themselves deemed as mother of all elections and a turning point in Pakistan. Procedures laid out in the 20the constitutional amendment calls upon the stakeholders to engage with a positive and constructive mindset for the selection of caretaker setup to oversee the future elections and not the mindset exhibited by nisar that would surely land them in a deadlock.

Any deadlock on the issue would not only let the initiative slip from the hands of political leadership but would also help out forces outside the parliament to achieve their ends.

Sunday, 16 September, 2012

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Sunday, 16 September, 2012

Livelihoods fall victim to unplanned urbanization RAWALPINDI

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AGENCIES

HOPkEEPERS, traders and residents have expressed grave concern over the diversion of traffic from the Benazir Bhutto Road (BBR) due to the construction of the Sixth Road flyover project.

The administration had blocked the road from Rehmanabad to Double Road that had affected the business activities in the shopping malls and plazas on both sides of the road.

While talking to agencies, the shopkeepers said that the mega project costing Rs1.88 billion would definitely benefit the masses but the administration should have taken the traders in confidence before starting the project as their in-

come had come down to near zero.

They said shoppers could not reach the shops due to severe traffic gridlocks and preferred to go to other shopping centers in the city.

The shopping malls affected by the project included Dubai Plaza, Midway Centre, Aladdin Plaza, Rabi Centre, Gulf Centre, Royal Centre etc. The shopkeepers of the plazas said that the items in their shops would be out-fashioned after three months and could not be sold which would cause losses of millions of rupees to them.

Chairman of the market committee of the area Habib noor said that hundreds of daily wagers were working in the plazas and they would go unemployed due a halt in the business activity in the area.

Meanwhile, president of the

Traders say near zero business activity because of Sixth road flyover project causing major losses

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traders union of Rabi Centre Muhammad ibrahim said that the time between Ramazan and Eid-ul-Azha was the peak time for business and they waited for the three months during the whole year. The blockage of the BBR had ruined their business season which had caused heavy losses to them, he added.

When contacted, the city traffic police said that the department de-

USAID urges students to adopt energy-saving habits ISLAMABAD StAff REPoRt

Students and faculty members of a leading school of the federal capital on Saturday have been urged to develop energy saving habits with an objective to sensitise the civil society on the energy crisis and were asked to adopt energy-saving measures to combat the energy crisis in the country.

The USAiD Energy Policy Project in collaboration with Roots College international Millennium Campus conducted an interactive seminar on the energy crisis in Pakistan and the effective energy saving habits for its students at the Roots Millennium Campus. The seminar was aimed at creating awareness among the students about the dynamics of the energy sector and to

60 foreigners held for carrying heroin ISLAMABAD StAff REPoRt

islamabad Police on Saturday arrested 60 persons including 16 Afghans and 10 nigerians from different areas of the city in the ongoing operation against anti-social elements, police sources said.

According to details, the police raided a house in i-10/1 and arrested six nigerians while also recovering 500-grams of heroin from their possession. in another raid of a house in the same sector, police arrested 4 other nigerians and recovered one kilogram of heroin, 24 bottles of beer and 2 wine bottles from their possession.

educate them on effective energy saving and conservation habits.

The students and parents were given an overview of the energy sector, including the sources of electricity generation in Pakistan, the demand and supply statistics, and the electricity consumption patterns.

USAiD Energy Policy Project Advisor Salahuddin Rifai informed the students about the role of efficient lighting in energy conservation.

The students were also given an orientation about the project and its initiatives as well as the contributions made to Pakistan’s energy sector by USAiD. “The purpose of conducting this seminar is to educate the younger generation about the energy situation in the country and make them better informed citizens so that

they can contribute, even in the smallest of ways, in alleviating the energy crisis.” said Rifai.

Roots Millennium Schools CEO Faisal Mushtaq and Principal Safia Farooqi also spoke at the seminar and encouraged the students to contribute towards energy conservation by adopting those methods and habits that saved energy.

Roots College international Millennium Campus provided a wide range of opportunities for students to gain insight in the areas of management, technology, medical, disaster risk management, marketing, banking and finance through conferences, seminars, workshops, talent competitions, entrepreneurial forums, language and training courses, social and environmental events and other related opportunities.

NAB finally vacates RMC girls’ hostel after finding space elsewhere RAWALPINDI AGENCIES

The national Accountability Bureau (nAB) on Saturday finally vacated the girls’ hostel of Rawalpindi Medical College (RMC) and ended the forced occupation of the building.

According to sources, the bureau had shifted its offices to islamabad while the accountability courts had been shifted to the District Courts Complex in Rawalpindi where the routine work had already kicked off.

The nAB had been illegally

occupies the hostel since 1999 and had not even paid the rents, as a result of which 600 girls students who were seeking hostel accommodation this year were denied boarding.

The Supreme Court (SC) took notice of the commotion and had directed the nAB to vacate the girls’ hostel of RMC by the end of August and to pay the rent to the RMC authorities.

A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was hearing the case and the next hearing had been fixed for September 17.

vised a traffic plan for the convenience of the commuters during the construction period of the flyover. He said 282 wardens and eight inspectors had been deployed in the area to control traffic, while four fork lifters would also be present to remove any hurdle in the way of the vehicles.

The traffic police spokesman said that the citizens could come to the area without any fear of the traffic

mess as alternative routes had been announced, while the BBR had been blocked from the Cricket Stadium Road to Chandni Chowk.

Direction boards and banners, and no parking boards were being installed in the area for the benefit of the citizens, the police informed, while appealing to the transporters and the residents to cooperate with them to ensure the smooth flow of traffic.

Dhok Jumma, Alipur become home to rampant crime RAWALPINDI StAff REPoRt

Growing street crimes in Dhok Jumma have become a source of perpetual agony to the residents of the area. “With the advent of evening, every street of our area assumes a deserted look as the fear of becoming a victim at the hands of any dacoit or criminal starts gripping every resident”, said a school teacher Muhammad Sharif.

A shopkeeper Ali Muhammad said that he would shut down his shop along with others in order to avoid a misadventure at the hands of the thieves as incidents of looting shops had become a common phenomenon in the area.

A group of ladies who were visiting the market complained that they could not go to market alone or even in the form of groups because they would be deprived of their purses and mobile phones in a matter of seconds in broad daylight.

They added that this state of affairs had confined them to the indoors and they could not move to the market even to buy vegetables and other basic commodities.

Every day some motor cycle or

a car was being lifted before our eyes and we could do nothing as the arms carrying criminals killed whosoever tried to intercept them, said a resident Muhammad Din. We were forced to shift from this area as we could not leave our children at the mercy of the criminals and robbers, said a local Shafiq Ahmad.

Residents demanded a police operation against the anti social elements, criminals and thieves in the area, and threatened to go on the roads to hold protest demonstrations against the menace if the authorities failed them. Similarly, the residents of Alipur protested against increasing robberies and street crimes in the city.

According to reports, they said that the criminals were enjoying the patronage of police to commit crimes without any fear of prosecution. “i was on my way back home from work when i was intercepted in my street by some criminal who snatched my wallet and mobile phone at gunpoint,” said Rashid a resident The residents have demanded from police high ups to transfer the patrolling staff out of the city and replace them with posting honest officers.

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Islamabad 07 Teachers refuse go to school, colleges on Sunday for dengue

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Say they are humans and need rest too ISLAMABAD StAff R EPo Rt

REMEMBERED IN DEAth: People light candles to mourn the death of those who passed away in the Karachi and Lahore fire tragedies. OnLinE

Health Dept: Where politicians are superior to dying humans RAWALPINDI AGENCIES

Appointment in the Rawalpindi Health Department on political basis is on the rise due to which the health delivery facilities have failed to provide relief to the poor masses.

Currently, there are three offices of the provincial government, the district Health Department, the district health officer and the executive district officer (health) in the

Rawalpindi district. Appointment of heads on all these positions was conducted on political basis which was openly violating the rules and regulations and the Health Act. Sources said that a senior officer of grade-19 was appointed as the district health officer in the divisional headquarters but in a blatant incident of disregard for rules, a junior officer of the same grade had been working on the post for the last five years.

Likewise, the EDO health was a grade-20 post, but a junior officer of grade-19 was appointed on it and had been on the post for the last eight years despite the fact that transfer after three years was mandatory. it should be mentioned here that non-transfer on the important position of DHO and EDO in the district health department after the completion of a tenure indicated political intervention which resulted in poor health delivery services in the city.

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UnJAB Teachers Unions and Punjab Schools Staff Association declined to work on Sundays.

Per details, the representatives of the unions said that teachers would not go to schools on Sundays to campaign against dengue. They added that if government were to take action against any educationalist, teachers would boycott from schools throughout the province. They said that barring from a holiday on Sunday was against all laws and the provincial government was behaving like a college gang.

“We cannot work seven days a week. it is inhuman. We need rest too. it is the Health Department’s job to fight dengue, not the teachers. We are forced to go for walks and to distribute pamphlets in houses. nations which do not respect their teachers cannot make any progress,” said Afia Majeed, a college professor.

“For the past 2 weeks we have not been getting our holiday on Sunday. The government does not pay us for working these extra days. Why should we show up?” said Farhanda Dogar, a lecturer.

“There are many female professors who are made to come on Sundays. How are they supposed to look after their homes if they will spend their entire week in their schools and colleges? This decision is ridiculous and we refuse to abide by it now,” iqbal Ahmed, a school teacher, said.

“There is a limit to our patience and things have crossed it now. The government cannot force us to work on Sundays against our will. The humidity is so high and just to achieve political leverage, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif is using us for his fake show of strength,” said Gul-e-Rana Asghar, a political science professor, adding “Sharif brothers always destroy the Education and Health departments when they come to power. We are never voting for them again.”

Food court to be established in Sector G-8 ISLAMABAD The Capital Development Authority (CDA) is set to build a food court in Sector G-8 to attract visitors who have abandoned the Melody Park.

CDA Chairman Farkhand iqbal briefed regarding the plan during his visit to the sector to inspect the state of cleanliness, road repairs and other facilities for the residents. All senior CDA officers were accompanying the chairman. He interacted with the residents and traders of the sector who registered their complaints regarding roads maintenance and lack of civic facilities including a food court.

The chairman also visited a foot-

ball ground in the sector and directed the Environmental Wing to pave a jogging track and ensure elimination of dengue larvae. To a question on encroachments, he said that the issue could easily be resolved if traders act as informers to the CDA staff.

CDA had undertaken a survey of government, semi-government and private buildings to examine whether they were fire proof and equipped with fire fighting equipments and emergency exits. iqbal said that despite facing a financial crunch, CDA had launched various mega development projects to address water shortages, public transport problems and power outages in the city.

govt bars unnecessary dengue fogging

Investigation officer beaten by druggie’s mother

StAff REPoRt

RAWALPINDI

RAWALPINDI

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The Punjab government has reduced the frequency of dengue sprays citing respiratory externalities for people as the reason.

Sources in government said that the diesel spray used to kill dengue larvae was harmful for crops, besides being found to be a cause of increased respiratory and throat infections.

District government was proactively eliminating dengue breeding sites as spraying pesticides and insecticides in the air without eliminating the breeding sites was both counter productive and sheer irresponsibility of the concernd staff, they said.

An investigation officer was beaten by the mother of an accused drug vendor.

Sher Zada, was arrested by the police on charges of carrying 100 grams of cannabis. He was produced before a judicial magistrate on Saturday. A brawl took place between police and family members of Sher at the court. Sher’s mother thrashed the investigation officer, accusing him of registering a false case against her son. She has also filed a complaint against him of not releasing her son despite taking Rs 30,000 as bribe bribe.

Sunday, 16 September, 2012

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wIll rAISe AwAreneSS on FundAMenTAl rIGhTS’ THE FRUIT OF HARD WORK: HEC Executive Director Dr Sohail Naqvi and IA Rehman awarding Civic Courage Award to Malala Yousafzai.

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educationists say fundamental rights’ problems in the country can only be solved by creating deep-rooted awareness and concern for others

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PEAkERS at the inaugural session of the “national Conference on State of Fundamental Rights in Pakistan” said on Saturday that there is a need to promote the culture of research and teaching as a fundamental right in all the educational institutions of Pakistan.

The conference was organized by the Centre for Civic Education Pakistan (CCEP) in collaboration with inter University Consortium for Promotion of Social Sciences (iUCPSS) and national Endowment for Democracy (nED). CEP Executive Director Zafarullah khan highlighted the objectives of the conference. iUCPSS Chairman Prof. Dr. Muhammad Mukhtar in his welcome remarks said that the consortium and CCEP would continue to work together over various social problems being faced by the Pakistani society.

Speaking on the occasion, renowned human right activist i.A Rehman said that the

educational institutions could undertake research over the human rights issues in Pakistan. “Since the establishment of Pakistan, we are still facing feudalism and denial to the rights of vulnerable segments of the society i.e. the minorities and women”, he added. He also underlined the importance of harmony between culture and human rights. He was of the view that without correcting the mistakes made in the past, we could not meet the challenges of the present and the future.

The guest of honor on the occasion Higher Education Commission (HEC) Executive Director Prof Dr S Sohail H naqvi remarked that Pakistan and other islamic countries were facing a similar human rights situation. He emphasized the proactive role of higher education institutions for improving the state of fundamental rights in Pakistan. “HEC will continue to work with the civil society organizations over the issues re-

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lated to civic education and for promoting the values of peace, tolerance and respect for fellow citizens”, he reiterated.

On this occasion, Civic Courage Award for the year 2012 was given to i.A Rehman, for 2011 to Miss Malalai Youafzai while the Civic Education Award was awarded to Baacha khan Trust Educational Foundation.

Malala Youafzai in her remarks, narrated the various challenges and problems confronted by the people of Swat during the Taliban occupation. She termed the pen as one of the most effective weapons to fight illiteracy and human rights violations. Civic courage award had been created by the CCEP to honor civic

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Brahimi meets Syria’s Assad, warns of world threat

Foreign News 09

DAMASCUS

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AfP

nTERnATiOnAL peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi warned after meeting President Bashar alAssad on Saturday that the worsening conflict in Syria poses a threat to the region and the world at large.

“The crisis is dangerous and getting worse, and it is a threat to the Syrian people, the region and the world,” said the newly-appointed Brahimi, who took over as envoy earlier this month from former Un chief kofi Annan. Assad, quoted by state television, said that dialogue between Syrians held the key to a solution and called for foreign countries to stop supplying arms to his foes.

“The real problem in Syria is that of combining politics with the work being done on the ground,” he said.

“The political work continues, in particular by calling for dialogue between Syrians based on the aspirations of all Syrians. “The success of political action is dependent on putting pressure on the countries that finance and train the terrorists, and which bring weapons into Syria, until they stop doing so,” he said.

Eighteen months into Syria’s deadly conflict and without an end in sight, Assad said his government would “cooperate with all sincere efforts to solve the crisis, so long as the efforts are neutral and independent.”

Brahimi, a 78-year-old veteran Algerian troubleshooter, has also met with Foreign Minister Walid Muallem and members of the officially tolerated opposition since he arrived in the Syrian capital on Thursday. The envoy called for a

MANILA: A man pushes his wooden cart near his flooded home on Saturday. AFP

united effort. “There is need for all parties to unite their efforts to find a solution for the crisis, given Syria’s strategic importance... and the crisis’s influence over the whole region,” he said. “The solution can only come from the Syrian people,” stressed Brahimi, who was to hold talks later on Saturday with Arab ambassadors and a European Union delegation.

Brahimi already warned on arrival that the conflict is “getting worse,” as underlined by the daily bloodshed.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which gathers information from a network of activists on the ground, said 132 people were killed in violence on Friday, including 100 civilians, 18 of whom died in the capital.

Brahimi held talks on Friday with Syrian opposition figures who said he was bringing “new ideas” to the peace effort, as blasts rocked Damascus and

Thousands protest at Japanese embassy in Beijing BEIJING AfP

Angry demonstrators attempted to storm the Japanese embassy in Beijing Saturday, state media said, as tens of thousands of people across China protested against Japan over a growing territorial dispute. Riot police armed with batons and shields struggled to contain the swelling crowd outside the embassy, where witnesses said at least 2,000 people had gathered, some of them throwing stones and plastic bottles at the building. A mob attempted to break into the embassy compound but were stopped by armed police, the state news agency Xinhua said. it estimated the crowd at several thousand at its peak. Meanwhile, there were online reports that protests were staged in at least a dozen cities across China, with Japanese-built cars and Japanese restaurants being attacked by angry crowds. Japanese media estimated 40,000 people took part in the protests nationwide. On China’s Sina Weibo, a microblog similar to Twitter, images were posted of protests in the southwestern cities of Chongqing and kunming. Rallies were reported in several other places including the eastern city of nanjing and Xian and Taiyuan in the north. Much of the information about the protests posted online appeared to have been removed by the afternoon by China’s army of internet censors — suggesting that Beijing is aiming to stop the row from spiralling further out of control.

regime air strikes targeted rebel areas in the northern city of Aleppo.

He met with opposition groups tolerated by Assad’s regime such as the national Coordination Committee for Democratic Change, which groups Arab nationalists, kurds and socialists.

The group said it was sending a delegation on Saturday to China, a key Damascus ally, to urge Beijing to “put pressure on the regime to stop the violence, free detainees and allow peaceful protests.”

Brahimi is on his first Damascus visit since his appointment to replace Annan who quit the post after a hardsought peace deal he brokered became a dead letter.

— Air strikes kill ‘12 civilians’ — On the ground, overnight air strikes killed at least 12 civilians and wounded around 60 in Al-Bab in northern Syria, doctors in the rebelheld town told AFP on Saturday.

US consulate attack was planned: libya assembly head BENGHAZI: The deadly attack on the US consulate in the Libyan city of Benghazi was planned and “meticulously executed,” the country’s assembly chief told AFP on Saturday. “i don’t want to talk about what happened in other countries but as for Libya, the operation was meticulously executed,” Mohammed al-Megaryef said of the wave of protests across the world over a US-produced film mocking islam. “There was planning. it was not a peaceful protest which degenerated into an armed attack or aggression. That’s how it was planned,” he said. US ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans were killed on Tuesday when suspected islamic militants fired on the consulate in the eastern Libyan city with rocket-propelled grenades and set it ablaze. “The attack itself and the manner in which the attack occurred ...confirms that this was planned and programmed to achieve a purpose,” Megaryef said. AfP

British royals sue Berlusconi group over Kate topless photos LONDON AfP

Prince William’s wife Catherine on Saturday faced growing embarrassment over topless photos after an italian magazine said it would follow its French sister publication in printing them. The British royals launched legal action on Friday against French magazine Closer — which is part of the media empire of former italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi — after it published paparazzi snaps of Catherine sunbathing with her husband. The royal family may have hoped to contain the scandal by swiftly suing Closer — but Chi, an italian weekly also published by Berlusconi’s Mondadori Group, announced late Friday that it plans to print a special issue on Monday devoting 26 pages to the candid pictures of the former kate Middleton. A royal spokesman on Saturday told AFP that no decision had yet been taken on the italian reports. The pictures were taken while she was on holiday with her husband, the secondin-line to the British

throne, in France this month. Closer’s editor Laurence Pieau was quoted by British tabloid The Sun on Saturday as saying her magazine had more pictures that it had not printed yet. “intimate pictures exist that we haven’t published and will not publish,” she told the newspaper.

“Probably other newspapers will choose to publish them.”

A version of the front cover of Chi showed some of the photos with the headline “The Queen is naked!”

“The fact that these are the future rulers of England makes the article more interesting and topical,” editor Alfonso Signorini told reporters.

“This is a deserving topic because it shows in a completely natural way the daily life of a very famous, young and modern couple in love,” he said. William and Catherine, both 30, are suing Closer for invasion of privacy over the pictures, which show Catherine sunbathing in just her bikini bottoms by a pool and William rubbing suncream into her bottom. The images evoked memories of the press harassment of William’s mother Diana, who died in a 1997 car crash as she was pursued through Paris by paparazzi.

Anti-Putin protestors mass in Moscow test of strength MOSCOW AfP

MOSCOW: Opposition activists and supporters take part in an anti-Putin protest on Saturday. AFP

Thousands marched through Moscow on Saturday to protest against the rule of Vladimir Putin in a test of the opposition’s challenge to the Russian president four months after his inauguration.

Waving nationalist flags, brandishing placards calling for early elections or wearing T-shirts in support of jailed members punk band Pussy Riot, the diverse groups of protestors marched with the chant “1-2-3, Putin go!” The protest was dubbed the “March of Millions” by organisers, who hope to show they still have the momentum created by initial demonstrations in December against fraud-tainted elections and Putin’s 12-year grip on power. Police said that 14,000 people had joined the protest, but organiser and far-left leader Sergei Udaltsov said the numbers were far higher — at least 150,000. “We do not know who taught him to count,” retorted a police spokesman. Split

between liberals, nationalists and the extreme left, the anti-Putin opposition has been struggling with its own divisions and accusations it lacks any coherent message beyond hostility to the kremlin. “Leftwing organisations on the left side of the boulevard!” police shouted through loudspeakers as the march got under way with the different political movements marching in separate files. The protestors converged to hear speeches on Sakharov Avenue, named after the great Soviet dissident and scientist Andrei Sakharov, who was sent into internal exile by the Soviet authorities. This protest has a bigger focus on social injustice than previous actions and for the first time the Russian Communist Party — the biggest opposition party in parliament — is represented. The march has been given extra impetus by the expulsion from parliament of anti-Putin deputy Gennady Gudkov over alleged conflicting business interests, in what the lawmaker’s supporters said was crude revenge for opposing Putin.

Sunday, 16 September, 2012

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10 Comment Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

exceedingly exceeding of Muslims and their feelings being hurt on a daily basis

Arif Nizami Editor Lahore – Ph: 042-36298305-10 Fax: 042-36298302 Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9 Fax: 021-35381208 Islamabad – Ph: 051-2287414-6 Fax: 051-2287417 Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Murder will out how long will the MqM act as if nothing is wrong with it?

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he investigation in imran Farooq’s murder has taken a turn that must be embarrassing for the MQM. When reporting on the murder in 2010, Uk’s Guardian had quoted intelligence sources who suggested that a rift within the MQM and Farooq’s decision to join a new party might have led to his assassination. Farooq Sattar immediately refuted this in a letter to the newspaper. He flatly denied any internal division in the MQM and maintained that Farooq was “a highly respectable member who was on good terms with senior party officials”. Similarly, Altaf Hussain accused the “enemies of the MQM” being involved in the murder and said they would try to kill him as well. The response from MQM’s otherwise loquacious spokesman Wasey Jalil this time indicates lack of earlier confidence. He said that as the investigation was going on, the MQM would not make any public statement.

While many in Pakistan had forgotten imran Farooq, Scotland Yard had continued to pursue the murder case doggedly. According to a report on Friday, the investigation agency has recovered 2,000 exhibits, collected 5,500 documents related to the case while it has also spoken to 3,200 people. The evidence has led Scotland Yard to conclude that the assassinated MQM leader who had amassed a large number of contacts on the Facebook two month before his death may have been building his independent political profile. The ace investigative agency has now issued a fresh appeal for information as they try to solve the murder case, promising a reward of £20,000 for anyone providing information leading to the identification, arrest, and prosecution of those responsible for Farooq’s murder. As Scotland Yard is widely known for maintaining high standards of professionalism, the results of the probe would be widely accepted in Pakistan and abroad.

The MQM has been accused in the past also of assassinations of some of its own dissenting leaders like Azeem Ahmed Tariq, Ahsan Tariq, Dr nishat Malik and khalid Bin Waleed. it was also accused of indulging in large scale violence in karachi at the behest of Pervez Musharraf on May 12, 2007, leading to the killing of nearly 40 people. The party has routinely denied involvement in the incidents.

Many had hoped that after joining the PPP-led alliance the MQM would act as a mainstream party bidding farewell to a past full of accusations of assassination and bloodshed. its participation in elections in AJk and Gilgit-Baltistan had strengthened the expectations. if the investigation by Scotland Yard was to confirm the suspicions that many have about its role in Farooq’s murder, this would alienate the party’s rank and file and inflict a lasting damage on its political standing.

By Humayun Gauhar

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averick the Monkey was back in the sort of mood that judges are in when they are about to hand down a judgment. “The situation is exceedingly exceeding,” was his verdict. i could imagine a wig on his head.

One is used to unintelligible sentences from judges, but from monkeys? it defeated me. “What the hell does that mean?” “it means that things have exceeded the limit by a long way – exceedingly. The world is in flux. irrationality reigns supreme. Systems are headed for collapse.”

“That’s how the world changes every now and then, my friend,” i said. “Usually after big wars. The process of change causes confusion, pain and conflict. They recede when a new synthesis crafts a new equilibrium, which is the new thesis. The new anti-synthesis is again begotten

by Man’s unending greed and stupidity that fuel the hegemony drive. When it goes out of control the world gets destabilized again and changes painfully, chaotically. And so it goes on.

“The world map changed after both world wars,” i went on, now getting into my stride. “new countries were made. it changed after the Cold War too. All these wars were fought between developed countries and largely on their own soil or on soil colonized by them. now it’s changing with the ‘War on Terror’ but because this is the first big war that is being fought largely on Muslim soil, so we feel the process of change more acutely. it also is the first big war that the American-British-European Combine has lost.

The ‘War on Terror’ brought the warts and oozing sores of western political and economic systems to the fore and ruptured them. Those systems are in a spin and will perforce change.”

“Yes,” said Maverick, “but while the West may have lost the ‘War on Terror’ Muslims haven’t won it either. There are no victors here, only destruction and suffering and great damage to islam. Of course the extremists will say that they have won, but which one of them? it’s an amorphous polyglot, each group different from the other, many at one another’s throats, which will cause more confusion.”

“What could be better?” i said. “Only when it collapses will the world see sense – hopefully. But there’s guarantee. They could go craft a worse world.”

“But will the Muslims see sense? Look how they fell into the trap over that ridiculous video blaspheming the Prophet of islam (PBUH).”

“it’s not as simple as that, Maverick. This man who made the video knew exactly what he was doing. Because he’s purportedly israeli we jump to the conclusion that israel was behind it. i’m not saying that it was and i’m not saying it wasn’t, not until there is proof. This man might just be a nutcase out on his own personal crusade by laying a trap for Muslims to go on the rampage and show to an already biased world that they are basically violent fiends. it was calculated to provoke this reaction and it did. Matters little to him how many people’s feeling he hurts or how many innocent people get killed. He was deliberately providing fodder to the mills of the extremists and they started grinding very fast.”

“Yes, but if you can see the trap, why can’t they?” “i told you, it’s not so simple. For one, there are religious zealot groups everywhere that pounce on just such an opportunity. Riots like this have to be organized and simple, gullible people fall for it. You have to realize that the prime collective underdevelopment of Muslims is of the mind. They have no world-class universities, schools or hospitals. They are poor.

And they are frustrated, very frustrated. They have been equally misled by their elite in thrall of everything western as by their self-appointed clerics masquerading as scholars embedded in the past. They are divided into myriad sects, Sharias, movements and schools of interpretation. Many extremist groups have been formed by our own and western intelligence agencies oftentimes hand-in-glove for their own limited tactical purposes. Many have gone out of their control. Like Al-Qaeda: it was once in the control of the CiA but when America abandoned it they went out on a solo flight. Many groups have been formed by extremist clerics. They not only go around killing non-Muslims, they also kill Muslims of different sects. They don’t realize that the wars they need to actually fight are against poverty and ignorance before they can regain their lost glory.

“The man who made the video knew that Muslims would not react like this if he was simply abusive of islam. But if he were abusive of the Prophet (PBUH) Muslims would be set afire and set fires. Blaspheming the Prophet of islam (PBUH) is calculated to make even the most moderate and educated Muslim very angry. And that is exactly what he did.”

Maverick didn’t look totally convinced. “Yes, but why do Muslims have to go on the rampage and kill innocent people? By all accounts the US ambassador to Libya was a good man.”

“As former US Secretary of State Madeline Albright callously said about iraqi children dying of hunger and disease due to US-imposed sanctions, ‘Collateral damage’. Your crimes against innocents come back to haunt your own innocents one day. The real criminals and perpetrators always sit pretty. The Bushes and their bedfellows are fine, father and son, but they have left behind many hundreds of thousands of dead innocents in their wake.”

“That still doesn’t explain the rampage to me,” said Maverick. “You don’t have to commit crimes just because they commit crimes against you.”

Free speech vs blasphemy one must be protected, the other actively discouraged

By Saad Rasool

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ometime in June of this year, a bigoted California individual produced a low-budget film titled ‘Innocence of Muslims’, which (reportedly) portrays Muslims as violent and immoral, and specifically makes blasphemous slants against the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

The film was screened at some Hollywood theater, and subsequently, clips from it started to appear on YouTube (dubbed in Arabic). naturally, in a sequence of events

Sunday, 16 September, 2012

that has become all too familiar in the recent past, street protests against this expression of religious bigotry and hatred erupted across the Muslim world.

While the Obama Administration has admonished the film for its social and political consequences, many in the US claim that the film was a permissible exercise of their constitutional guarantee of ‘freedom of expression’.

Let’s get the obvious out of the way first: we must all condemn this film, and the sentiment it depicts, with all our vociferous might. Such actions, by anyone in any part of the world, are barbaric to the fabric of human and religious sentiments. now, keeping politics and religion aside, the key legal question then becomes: do constitutional freedoms extend as far as debasing someone else’s religious sentiments?

Let’s start with an analysis of the American jurisprudence on the issue. in the US, the First Amendment protects freedom of speech and exercise of religion. But unlike the claims of those who defend this blas-

phemous film, these freedoms are not unfettered. They, for example, cannot be used as protection against inciting violence. And a clear demonstration of this principle can be found in the case of Chaplinsky vs New Hampshire (315 U.S. 568 (1942)). Justice Murphy of the United States Supreme Court, writing for the majority, held that “fighting words” are not protected by free speech. This, in the court’s opinion, includes words “which by their very utterance inflict injury or tend to incite an immediate breach of the peace.” Such words “are no essential part of any exposition of ideas, and are of such slight social value sass a step to truth that any benefit that may be derived from them is clearly outweighed by the social interest in order and morality”.

As a result, these fall outside the protection of the First Amendment. now who, in their rightful mind, can argue that (in the current geo-political paradigm) this film and its contents do not constitute “fighting words” towards the Muslim world?

Even in case the protection of free speech is awarded at the fringes to people

“Okay, Maverick,” i said. “Let me meet your problem head on. i said that Muslims are frustrated. What are they frustrated about most?

Poverty, deprivation, degradation… no, i think they are frustrated most by two things: western double standards and the impotence of their governments. if denying the holocaust can be a crime in Europe and America, why can’t blaspheming the Prophet of islam (PBUH) also be an offense? Double standards, what? Of course the holocaust took place, a very dark chapter in human history. Muslims didn’t do it, misled Christians of a certain kind did. But making its denial an offense while flinging ‘freedom of expression’ in the faces of others when they hurt their religious sentiments is a bit rich, don’t you think? All freedoms have limits and they have exceeded limits repeatedly – exceedingly – as Prince William and his wife kate will also now agree. Either those who deny the holocaust should be treated as nutcases or hurting the feelings of the people of every faith should be a crime. Don’t be selective.”

“That’s because the US is scared of israeli and Jewish power. if they displease them they lose elections.”

“That’s because Jews are the most intelligent and educated people in the world, just some 15 million of them against 1.5 billion ignorant Muslims. They have got America on the toe of their shoe. The Jewish vote in America doesn’t count because there are so few of them.

There are more Muslims there. no, it’s israeli and Jewish power in America that counts because the Jews are united and organized. They are masters of wealth and perception management. Palestine is not the only territory that they have occupied. They are also in occupation of Congress and the White House because they have occupied much of western banking and media. i’m using the word ‘occupied’ pejoratively, but as far as media and banking are concerned they have been able to do so because of their education, intelligence and unity. Muslims with all their petrodollars have no worldclass bank or press. What say you now?

“So, my friend Maverick, Muslims go on the rampage because their governments fail to react to iniquity. They fail to react because they are impotent. They are impotent because all Muslim governments with the exception of iran are stooges of America, and see how iran is being mistreated. That is why the OiC is such a toothless body. it’s a joke, really. When their governments fail to react and stand up for Muslim’s feelings, they feel that they have no option but to go on a rampage caused by frustration caused by impotence. Get it? Remove stooges and put nationalists in your halls of power and there will be no rampage.”

“So you agree,” said Maverick making to leave as it was beginning to get dark. “The situation is exceedingly exceeding.”

“Absolutely, my friend, absolutely” i said.

“You have taught me a new phrase. Come back more often. You are better in many ways than us humans.”

The writer is a political analyst. He can be contacted at humayun.gauhar786@gmail.com

who are, for all intents and purposes, simply employing hateful behavior, the United States Supreme Court has held in R.A.V. v. City of St. Paul (505 U.S. 377 (1992)) that expression of certain ideas (through speech or actions) “can be banned because of the action it entails”, even if the ideas expressed are protected under the First Amendment. Thus, if for no other reason (or religious sentimentality), then simply because of the violent consequences of making such a film, the same is not protected under the United States Constitution. in Pakistan, we have drafted our Constitution more carefully than others. Our freedom of speech and express clause (Article 19 of the Constitution), guarantees every citizen “the right to freedom of speech and expression” including press, subject to certain restrictions including anything that denigrates “the glory of islam”. i say we have drafted this constitutional provision carefully, because we have not protected anti-religion speech… only anti-islam speech. in essence, we have impliedly given ourselves the constitutional right (per the freedom of speech clause) to deface or insult any (and every) other religion; but should any religious minority say something back to our faith, it will be a constitutional violation.

This implied constitutional protection

(in Article 19) for hate-speech against religious minorities not only violates Article 20 of the Constitution (freedom of religion), but also militates against Article 14 (dignity of man). Speaking against some religious minority’s deeply held beliefs (which frequently happens during religious rallies and fanatic sermons in our land) necessarily demeans that minority, and is an offence against their human dignity. in a world where the inherent worth of a human being is fast becoming the focus of fundamental rights discourse, human dignity has taken its seat in the ‘basic human rights’ across the international community, and is being interpreted liberally. Our legal and judicial philosophy must also embrace a broad interpretation of this right to include a protection of religious sentiment.

As this saga continues to unfolds, i pray that we do not demean ourselves in the process by indulging in the same sort of religious offence and abhorrence that the producer of this film indulged in.

While using all our resources to bring the culprits to justice, already provided within the law, i hope that we do not take law into our own hands. After all, the Quran itself bears a warning to this idea: “Do not curse the idols they set up beside Allah, lest they blaspheme and curse Allah, out of ignorance.” (Surah 6, verse 108).

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Comment 11

Talibanization and politics the turbulent Pakistani politics continues to deal with mishmash and talibanization. the fear of taliban is on the up

By Hassan Naqvi

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he Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has threatened Muslim League-nawaz (PML-n) Chief nawaz Sharif and his brother Shahbaz Sharif, with assassination. Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Fakhar imam and the head of the Shia Ulema Council Pakistan Allama Sajid naqvi have also made it to the list of targeted ones.

Taliban are sprawling into more depths and stimulating the situation by threatening different sectors of the politics. One does not find ample reasons to understand that why some of the political parties fall fearful before Taliban when together a stance can be taken to bring the ship out of the desert.

Gazing upon certain incidents when the loyal becomes disloyal to his own royalties, Major (retd) Haroon Ashiq, a former Pakistan Army commando who played in the hands of Al-Qaeda and tricked out november 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, was later freed without any flies on him. The witnesses were also pushed to withdraw their testimony as they couldn’t bear the burden of consequences later.

Sadly, Major (retd) Haroon Ashiq, had spilled the beans regarding this strategy of Al-Qaeda to the journalist Saleem Shahzad.

The entire episode begun to shape up differently, Saleem Shahzad was reluctant to seal his lips up and penned down extensively about Haroon Ashiq. The journalist invited the dreadful fate and was mercilessly killed. Saleem Shahzad who once was spilling the beans became a riddle —- subject of inquiry himself.

Since the fear of Taliban has

made swift foray into the upcoming elections, many political parties have been busy in tightening their oars. Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) hasn’t buried the hatchet with PPP and AnP as it has killed many of their leaders. if not killed, TTP has surely tried to kill and threaten many of their leaders.

PML-n has flipped its policies lately after it has been clearly threatened to have its chairman nawaz Sharif and his brother get killed. PML-n is extending its olive branches towards a banned Sipah-e-Sahaba in Punjab for the security reasons. not only this, PML-n has enabled distance with organizations supporting ‘war on terror”. Lately, it has also been perceived that PML-n has embraced anti- Americanism to have extensive security.

TTP doesn’t seem to be ignoring imran khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-insaf (PTi) but by far no claims have been made up against the strategy of PTi. The sole reason to be stated is probably that PTi always burst up against US invasion into the territory of Pakistan and its invasion into the matters relating to Pakistan only. Also, PTi believes to have a ceasefire with Taliban in order to solve the prevailing issues and problems, but imran khan’s next rally in Waziristan is highly threatened by Taliban. imran khan must not be taking things regarding entering lion’s den easy peasy.

TTP has been sprawling its impact left right and center lately; it has unplugged the hold of PPP, AnP and MQM in karachi. it has inserted in its methodologies and took the complete charge and hold of major sectors of karachi. The ample reason begins to pop up as we are proceeding closer towards the elections 2013. The TTP will surely leave its mark on the coming election and it may have a less hostile attitude towards political parties who are revising their political strategies. Political parties which have been up in support for US and “war on terror” are backtracking to attain immunity by changing their entire stance on the episode of terrorism.

Seemingly, many people are forming their political teams thinking it’s a cake work to join in and win instantly. Amongst all, Dr A Q khan has delivered his new politi-

cal party in order to achieve the goals for the betterment of Pakistan and vice versa. There are sea of speculations flooding that TTP can kidnap Dr A Q khan to develop nuclear device, the device can be used against America and the rest of the world.

Taliban becoming a factor in Pakistani politics in general and elections in particular is owed to the gradual collapse of the outreach of the state. nothing short of a grand political consensus against terrorism – somewhat like the grand consensus against America – is needed before things get back to normal.

Taliban are swiftly moving towards accomplishment of their desired aims and objectives. By far it is the one to be feared extensively as all the political parties are bound to surrender before TTP. PPP, AnP and PML-n have seemingly flipped and discarded their previous policies where they were openly supporting Americanization and “war on terror”. With the recent threats doing the rounds, the ingredient of Taliban seems to be leaving its obvious mark. Leading political parties in order to be in a win-win situation are apparently falling obedient to the demands of the TTP. The element of Taliban is splashing out; it’s to no surprise that the impact of Taliban and its subsidiary TTP is hovering on the minds of leading political parties; imran khan must also take the threats regarding his rally in Waziristan not lightly.

Although, it is highly believed that imran khan will not conduct his rallies in the north and South Waziristan because it isn’t practically viable to take one hundred thousand people with you to Waziristan. Pakistan must prevail as a progressive society – a liberal Pakistan – and we must not fold up the actions taken on “war on terror” already. We have invested a lot of strength in demolishing the extremist mindset; enormous bloodshed should not end in vain. We must stand tall and strong to fight back the terrorism and should not fear Taliban.

The writer is a journalist based in Lahore and is working for South Asian Media Net.

Editor’s mail 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 should be addressed to Pakistan Today exclusively.

injustice with Saeed Ajmal As usual Pakistan cricket is in the eye of a storm with the PCB being showered with advice from all quarters. What is the issue? Saeed Ajmal’s name has been omitted from those being considered for the iCC Awards which on the face of it is blatant injustice. Ajmal’s record speaks for itself and no one in his right senses can dare deny it. But the politics of cricket at the international level has its own dynamics and is a force to reckon with.

Unfortunately, we are more often than not at loggerheads with the iCC. it is here that we have to mend our fences and improve our relations with the rest of the cricketing world. We must also realize that the iCC is dominated by india primarily because of its financial strength and india notwithstanding all the talk about “Aman Ki Asha” is no friend of Pakistan cricket.

Having said all this i would urge the PCB not to boycott the awards ceremony – we will only end up looking like sour losers. Ajmal’s performance is there for all the world to see and such awards will not make an iota of difference to what he has achieved. As for the former greats who are urging a boycott, all they are doing is making things difficult for a young and promising side. And one last question: why are the two Pakistanis who were amongst the selectors so quiet which is surprising considering that when they are on television they can hardly stop speaking?

PARVEZ MASUD Lahore

Admission of failure President Asif Ali Zardari has admitted as reported in a section of national English press that PPP govt was unable to overcome the prevailing power crisis that was a huge challenge. in the background of abject failure of PPP to solve the power problem how does it expect to face the voters for a better performance?

The PPP guru could not foresee that iPP’s and RPP’s was not the proper route to achieve assured power supplies. The proper route was of hydel energy from a mega hydroelectric dam like kalabagh dam which is the only shining star in the blanketing darkness engulfing the country along with water shortage. The escalating oil prices ought to have been foreseen to produce unaffordable power to masses. The thermal route instead of God-given hydel route was the bane of PPP. The real challenge was to achieve a consensus on kalabagh dam to which no serious effort was made by the PPP supremo and he

thus missed the golden chance to prove his capability that would have earned him a second term of presidency.

DR MUHAMMAD YAQOOB BHATTI Lahore

Tragedy in two cities The two heart rendering and tear compelling incidents of fire in factories at Lahore and karachi that devoured about three hundred lives have exposed the negligence, inefficiency, and inability of federal and provincial governments to avert any disaster. The magnitude of the tragedy is immeasurable, but the politicians belonging ruling parties as well as their opponents performs ritual of condolences and condemnation of the occasion. i wonder these whether these were factories or boiling caldron. After a few days of mourning, the political leaders, as usual will forget the event and try to find out and level some new allegation of corruption and financial mismanagement against each other. All these measures are tantamount to hoodwink innocent masses, divert their attention from real issues and miseries inflicted on them by these kind hearted politicians in the garb of democracy.

As regard fixing of responsibility about this tragedy, no one appears serious. The fire broke out in the heart of cities under the noses of governments and chief executives are unmoved, all claims of their good governance and rule of law sound hallow. The entire system of government consisting of labor, industrial, social security, electricity, home building departments have miserably failed to discharge their duties. Equally responsible are the social welfare organizations, nGOs, legal community, businessmen / traders, and people at large for not pointing out unlawful buildings being raised by the property mafia. instead of politicizing the issue, the federal and provincial governments ought to take drastic action against all culprits including owner of industrial units irrespective of their political affiliations. Moreover, all the existing factories and industries need to be surveyed to ascertain whether the owners have provided sufficient safety measures or not. Also, media need to create awareness among masses in this regard.

RAJASHAFAAT ULLAH Islamabad

The new caretaker setup There are reports that the government and the opposition are in search of a caretaker setup for the upcoming elections. There is no consensus between them so for. i think the caretaker setup should include persons from every segment of the country, like lawyers, ex-army men, expolicemen, ex-bureaucrats, retired judges, retired professors, columnists, economists, businessmen, minorities etc. Only 20 men and women should be taken from these segments. They would have total neutrality. They should be given the right to select a caretaker prime minister. Those writers who are in favor of the country and give suggestions without taking any compensation should also be included in the new setup. This practice will encourage all segments.

TARIQ HUSAIN KHAN Karachi

Sunday, 16 September, 2012

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12 i wish Saif-Kareena happy married life: Brad pitt

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RAD Pitt whose next film ‘killing Them Softy’ releases on October 5 talks about his film, character and also Bollywood’s most popular jodi Saif and kareena.

TELL uS ABOuT yOuR cHARAcTER IN KILLING THEM SOFTLy? i play Jackie Cogan, a professional enforcer who investigates a heist that went down during a mob-protected poker game. i am the smooth operator who is ‘hired to kill’ in this brutal crime drama full of bad men. The film is an adaptation of George V Higgins’ novel Cogan’s Trade, with the action from the 70s brought down to depict the 2008 financial crisis. So in that sense, Cogan belongs to the modern social setting.

HOW WAS IT WORKING WITH ANDREW DOMINIK ONcE AGAIN AFTER THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES By THE cOWARD ROBERT FORD? Andrew has become a great friend of mine and Jesse James remains one of my personal favorites. i thought it was one of the best movies Andrew has made till date. i am fortunate that he chose me to play the principal character of the infamous gang leader. it will always be a special film as i won the Best Actor Award at the Venice Film Festival for playing the legendary outlaw. We developed a strong bond since that film. For killing Them Softly,

he just had to lay out the story and we were done. i was hooked. This is our second gangster outing but this one is set against a political backdrop. “cOGAN’S TRADE,” THE BOOK THE MOVIE IS BASED ON, WAS WRITTEN IN THE 1970S. HOW DOES THAT MIx WITH THE MODERN SETTING? We are always looking for stories that say something about our time and who we are. if Cogan’s Trade is about the heists and hits of a criminal underworld written in the ‘70s; its story only reflects the criminality underpinning the US’s financial crisis and the “great divide” in today’s America. The film’s final scene takes place on the night of Barack Obama’s election victory, wherein my character Jackie bleakly assesses the state of the nation. America is not a country, it’s a business. i read the script at the height of the mortgage crisis, when people were losing their homes right and left. it was criminal. it was the political weight of the film that attracted me to the project. i certainly felt on reading the script that this was making a commentary. i felt i was reading a gangster film and then ... it coalesced that this microcosm was saying something about the macro-world. it is an honest reflection of real life. We live in a violent world. i certainly grew up hunting, which is a very violent act. i saw it as absolutely important to film.

HOW WAS IT WORKING WITH

yOuR cO-STAR JAMES GANDOLFINI & RIcHARD JENKINS IN THE MOVIE? it was a wonderful experience working with the two. Watching Jenkins, i felt like i was watching Peter Sellers, really, and i mean that. And then watching Gandolfini i felt like i was watching (Marlon) Brando. For an actor, you have respect for other actors when they do something that is under the skin and unexpected and something i would have never expected. You really enjoy it, and this was one of those experiences.

IS IT TRuE THAT yOu DO NOT FEEL “SAFE WITHOuT THE GuN”? ARE yOu MOTIVATED TO KEEP THE GuN AFTER WORKING ON KILLING THEM SOFTLy? America is a country founded on guns. it’s in our DnA. it’s very strange, but i feel better having a gun. i really do. i am very protective about my family and that is what motivated me to keep the gun. i have learnt to use the gun in a better way after working on killing Them Softly.

WHAT DO yOu THINK ABOuT THE BOLLyWOOD SAIFEENA PAIR AS MANy SEE THEM AND RELATE IT TO BRANGELINA? (Laughs) Well, they are a good looking couple! no two individuals in a relationship can be the same as another so i don’t know if it is correct to compare them to us. But i am glad they will soon be getting married and i wish them all the luck and a beautiful life ahead. CoURtESy toI

Lata’s voice missing Fan books theatre in Yash Chopra’s next for Sridevi’s comeback

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ASH Chopra’s soul sister, muse and self-proclaimed ‘Mata Saraswati’- reincarnated Lata Mangeshkar isn’t singing in the director’s new venture. in a conversation Yashji gushed, “Lataji has always been so kind to me. She can never say no to me. As long as i am there and she’s there she’ll continue to sing for my films”. Says the source, “Yash Chopra was adamant that Lataji sing. it’s a commitment he has made to her and to himself. Yashji’s new film’s music composer A R Rahman and lyricist Gulzar were also keen to bring together the Jiya jale jaan jale ‘Lataji-AR-Gulzar’ team together once again. But the rest of the crew felt Lataji’s voice didn’t match katrina kaif’s voice at all. They regretfully decided to make do without Lataji’s voice.”‘ When one touched base with Lataji on the matter she had no clue why she was not singing for the new Yash Chopra film . “i don’t now know what Yashji has in mind for me. if he calls me i will go without a second thought.” Some of Lataji’s memorabilia for Yash Chopra: n Jab bhi jee chahe nayi duniya

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basaa lete hain log - Daag Jo baat ishaaron mein kahi tum nahin samjhe - Joshila kabhi kabhi mere dil mein - Kabhi Kabhi Mere ghar aye ek nanhi pari - Kabhi Kabhie Tu mere saath rahega munne - Trishul Meri dooron se aaye baaraat - Kala Patthar Yeh kahan aa gaye hum – Silsila Om namah shivay – Mashaal Hum chup hain – Faasle Meri aankhen hain aapki aankhen – Vijay Tu saawan main pyaas piya – Parampara Tu mere saamne – Darr Dil to pagal hai dil deewaana hai - Dil To Pagal Hai Tere liye - Veer Zara.

CoURtESy toI

if you had forgotten the lengths a fan would go for his/her screen idol, a Sridevi admirer is setting a new benchmark. Rajan naidu, a resident of Andheri East, is proudly flaunting a receipt these days. Before you wonder, it’s his receipt for booking an entire screen much before his idol Sridevi’s English Vinglish releases. Last month, after watching the trailer of the actress’s comeback movie, the fan headed to make to get his tickets even before the advance booking starts early October. And not just a seat for himself, naidu has booked the entire screen in Maxus theatre for the 7.30 pm show. The theatre, located in Andheri East, has a seating capacity of 290 and naidu has even paid `5000 as advance payment, which almost entitles him to have a private screening of the movie English Vinglish. This screening is open for naidu’s friends and family. His favorite star Sridevi is making a comeback after almost 15 years and naidu considers it a big occasion to celebrate with near and dear ones. He has even put out an open invitation on his social networking and microblogging profiles for any Sridevi fan to join him at the screening. CoURtESy toI

MUMBAI: indian Bollywood actresses and sisters kareena (l) and karishma kapoor pose during a promotional event for a lifestyle magazine in Mumbai. AfP

i am ready for marriage: priyanka

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CTRESS Priyanka Chopra, who is looking forward to Saif Ali khan and kareena kapoor wedding, says that she is ready to settle down, but is unable to find her Mr. Right. “From the age of four i have been waiting to get married. i am ready for it. My mom, dad are also ready but the only problem is i am not getting Mr. Right. So that is a technical problem,” Priyanka told reporters when asked if she is planning to settle down too. Priyanka, who has turned a singer, was talking at an event to unveil her first single “ in My City”. Meanwhile, Saif and kareena are likely to tie the knot Oct 16, and expressing her happiness for them, Priyanka said: “it is a beautiful thing that she is getting married. i feel it is the most beautiful beginning of a new journey.

To me, Saif and kareena make a wonderful lovable couple. i am looking forward to their marriage.”

However, neither Saif nor kareena has confirmed their wedding date yet. CoURtESy toI

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I am comfortable in my world: Katrina

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ER phenomenal rise to super-stardom almost looks like a slice of celluloid dream. With an enviable determination, katrina kaif has pushed boundaries of excellence for herself and that has translated into mega hits, brand endorsements and a loyal fan following. Even though she started her tryst with cinema on a shaky ground following the debacle of her debut film Boom, she chased success with grit and hard work. Contrary to popular perception that she lived in the Uk in her growing up years, katrina along with her mother and siblings actually traveled from one country to another in her growing up years. So, how has life changed for her? She says, “now i do have a sense of security. There is an inner sense of calmness. i am comfortable in my world. i am self-sufficient. i am in Mumbai since i was 18 and that’s the longest i have stayed in a city. now i have a home here and i have work. So, in that sense i feel rooted.”

Today, she is considered as one of the top actors of B-Town. How would she dissect her success mantra? “For all that i have achieved, i would give 33 % each to hard work, passion and destiny.” She pushes her hair and adds with a laugh, “in that sense, i have credited all these three elements. i always feel one could be very hard-working but if destiny/luck doesn’t give him/her that edge then it’s difficult to get success.”

What keeps her going day after day putting on the make-up, remembering the lines and facing the camera? “i am really passionate about creating something beautiful. i love doing a film and creating something wonder-

ful for all times to come. i find films a very powerful medium. You can leave everything behind and walk into a theatre and experience

Salman, Shah Rukh and Aamir to come together for a cause

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OME november, Salman khan, Aamir khan and Shah Rukh khan will join hands for a fund-raising program for Film Federation of Western india Cine Employees (FWiCE).

President of FWiCE Dharmesh Tiwari said, “We are in discussion with these actors and many more film and television artistes for a show to raise funds for the welfare trust, which is meant for film and television workers and technicians of all the 22 crafts.” General secretary Dinesh Chaturvedi said, “A number of television actors like Shweta Tiwari and singers like Shaan will also be performing. if all goes well, we will be able to raise at least `6 cr with this show.’’ in 2010, about 52 actors from both film and television industries had performed to raise funds for the needy artistes. Tiwari adds, “Each association does its bit to support their members. A lot of big stars

Emma Watson shows Fallon her moves

like Sanjay Duttand Salman khan have come forward to support us.’’ CoURtESy toI

Charlie Sheen films love scene with Lindsay Lohan

a beautiful world,” she says.

For a long time, her lack of knowledge of Hindi was her liability. But she is not the one who would leave any stones unturned to claim her share of success. Ask her about her comfort level now in speaking in Hindi, she says, “i speak to my staff in Hindi. Yes, initial years i had a tough time. But then i was determined to learn the language. Even now, if i am going out in the evening and i have long dialogue for the next day shoot, i come back home and practice my lines.” in her career spanning a decade, the industry has undergone much transformation. How has the changes affected her as an actor? “The audiences have grown bigger. Today it’s a varied canvas. We have the freedom to do different kind of films. There is much more scope to try out things. i am yet to watch kahaani but the film has got such rave reviews and that kind of appreciation shows that there’s scope for films with an ‘individual’ touch,” says katrina who still feels overwhelmed by the response of her recent releases. in addition to her enviable professional success, her personal life has also been under a scanner? How does she take it all? “i don’t get bothered about all the talk about personal life. in the beginning, it used to bother me. But not now. i concentrate on my work and let the negativity keep away from me,” she says with a touch of firmness in her voice.

And in between shooting, endorsements and shows when she finds time, she finds “traveling, experiencing cultures and meeting people without trappings very beautiful and enjoyable.” CoURtESy toI

Lady gaga inked live at perfume launch Lady Gaga, known for her unique fashion sense, shocked guests at the launch party of her perfume Fame here when she sat down to get herself inked live in front of the crowd. Gaga arrived at the venue in a convertible car, before laying down inside a giant replica fragrance bottle. The singer called the show Sleeping With Gaga and invited guests to put their hands inside the space and touch her while she ‘slept’, reports contactmusic.com. She later emerged from the bottle wearing nothing but lingerie and then sat down to have a tattoo inked on the back of her head. Gaga recently shaved off the hair at the back of her head in support of her photographer friend Terry Richardson, whose mother died Sep 10. She got the space filled with a tattoo of a winged cherub. CoURtESy ht

Russell Brand’s bum deal

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HE may have bade farewell to Hermione, but Emma Watson can still cast quite a spell. The beguiling Brit’s latest victim is chat show host and comedian, Jimmy Fallon, who danced up a storm with the Harry Potter star on his show During Watson’s interview on Late night, Fallon, 37, showed footage of a dance rehearsal from her new movie The Perks of Being a Wallflower. This inspired him Fallon to ask her if she could teach him a few moves.

‘Yeah, for sure,’ Watson readily agreed, before asking: ‘Are you down?” Watson then led Fallon on to the stage and put him throw his paces with a number of musical classics. Talking about the

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movie recently, Emma said she is hoping it allows her fans to see a different side to her, rather than her Harry Potter alter-ego Hermione.

She said: ‘i hope what Harry Potter fans can see is that i am able to transform, that there are other sides of me that perhaps they haven’t

seen yet, and that they might allow me a little bit of room.

‘Just doing American really is different. People have said to me that they keep forgetting it’s me when they see the movie, which for me is more than enough. That’s a success in itself for me, really.’ NEWS DESK

ROUBLED stars Charlie Sheen and Lindsay Lohan filmed a love scene this week for `Scary Movie 5` and shared some playful pillow talk between takes. The script apparently called for Lohan to kiss Sheen, and also to slip into a kinky collar. Lohan had got cold feet about shooting the scene earlier but sources said she was a sport on the sets, reported new York Post. “Charlie and Lindsay filmed a love scene. The scene they were shooting for the movie

was of them in bed together. Lindsay was a great sport. “She was poking fun at herself, and she really got into it and seemed to enjoy it,” said a source. The two actors with Hollywood`s most infamous off-screen reputations even “shared some playful pillow talk during shooting,” the source added. “They were adlibbing,” the source said, and bonding over their reputations between takes. “They were joking that they`ve both had a lot of issues over the past couple of years.” NEWS DESK

iF Russell Brand isn’t picking up women at his yoga class, he’s helping the homeless.

The funnyman was feeling particularly charitable in LA. When leaving his stretching session, Russell came across a shirtless man lying in the street. The homeless guy asked him for a burger, but instead Russell took him back to his house for a bath and some decent grub. A source said: “This guy Thomas was in a bad way. He’d been lying on the floor and talking to himself. “On leaving the studio in his car, Russell noticed him there and was parked and out of the vehicle in no time to help. He asked the guy his name and what was wrong. “i heard him offer to take him for some food. Thomas said he wanted a burger, to which Russell replied, ‘You don’t want any of that cr*p, come to my house and you can have some proper food and a nice bath’.” NEWS DESK

Sunday, 16 September, 2012

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Infotainment 14 public fooled into believing ‘iphone 4S is iphone 5’

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DUNEDIN: A Springbox player kicks the ball during a nude rugby union match against the New Zealand Nude Blacks at the Alhambra-Union Rugby football Club grounds on Saturday. the match is a tradition before New Zealand takes on South Africa in a rugby union test match. AFP

An alpine marmot looks through a photographer’s unattended camera on the Grossglockner, Austria’s highest mountain. Stefan Meyers had been taking photos of marmots and walked away from his camera. he watched as one of them approached his camera, stood on its hind legs and appeared to look through the lens. Stefan quickly grabbed his friend’s equipment to capture the moment.

n the occasion of launch of the new Apple smartphone, a comedian took to the streets of Los Angeles to convince unsuspecting Americans that the iPhone 4S was the new iPhone 5.

Jimmy kimmel handed passers by the iPhone 4S telling them it was the new iPhone 5 and asked them what they thought of the new model. Those that were approached seemed genuinely taken in, despite the fact that the iPhone 5 is not available to customers until next Friday. According to the Telegraph, handling the phone one man said, ‘the new handset is a lot lighter than the last one and it is a lot faster as well.’ “it’s way better. it’s nice. i have the 4S so i’m always open to a new phone,” said another man. iPhone5, which does look a lot like the iPhone 4S, was unveiled by Apple on Wednesday.

The new phone is thinner by 18 per cent, and lighter by 20 per cent compared to the last iPhone. The screen is taller too, at 4-inches corner to corner, but the phone, held in portrait mode, is the same width. instead of a glass back, the iPhone 5 back and sides are made from a single piece of aluminum. NEWS DESK

10 tips for your picky eater CCORDinG to a recent study, nearly 2/3 of parents complain about their child’s eating habit. Picky eaters are normal and tend to get over it with age, but focusing too much on the problem doesn’t help with the issue. Here are a few tips that will help your child eat out of their lunch plate without worrying their food has touched.

DON’T FuSS: fussing about the number of times a child eats per day, or the amount of food ingested during lunch hour will not help with your picky eater. Monitor your child’s food intake per week rather than daily, just make sure they maintain a balanced diet that includes all food groups.

DON’T PuSH: don’t try to push a certain type of food (veggies for instance); let your child eat what they want to eat even if that means French fries for a whole week, they’ll get bored eventually.

OFFER PRAISE: a prompt reward is necessary upon trying new food even if it’s just a small bite.

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Teach your child to try new stuff and praise them instantly to encourage such behavior onwards.

MAKE IT cOLORFuL: decorate the plate with different kinds of beans and veggies to make the plate more appealing for your child to dig in to. Remember, fruits don’t have to be a whole nectar, they could be disguised into popsicles, smoothies, or even fruit yogurts.

LET THEM HELP yOu PREPARE IT! Whether it’s a plate of salad or a juicy fajita, encourage your child to help you cook so they can be encouraged to taste what they’ve learned in the kitchen today.

OFFER cHOIcES: giving your child options, whether plate colors or food options is always a good idea to end the “power struggle” between you and your child.

Just make it clear that options aren’t really available when you’re outside of the house to avoid getting into trouble next time you’re eating out.

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WAIT IT OuT: if your child rejects a certain food, wait a while before you offer it again to them. Give them time to forget about it and don’t be too pushy, eventually they’ll want to try it.

TASTE yOuR OWN POISON: enjoying your own cooking would encourage your kid to like eating your food. Eat together at the same time, have a nice meal at the dinner table to encourage their eating.

PLAN B: find alternatives. if they don’t like the way broccoli feels, or the texture of meat/ chicken, no problem then! Find another type of food that would have the same amount of protein for instance.

DISGuISE IT: veggies have been kids’ number one disliked food for ages. if you insist on slipping in a few bean sprouts, fine just hide it in their food.

Mash it up into pieces, cover it in teriyaki sauce, or even drizzle it with tons of dressing, your kid probably won’t notice it there.

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Judge weds couple then sentences groom to prison

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ALk about the old ball and chain. A judge sentenced an Oklahoma man to four years in federal prison on a firearm charge — then minutes later performed a marriage ceremony to wed the new inmate and his longtime girlfriend.

Thursday was a busy day for Larry Austin and Dustie Trojack. First they obtained their marriage license, then Austin pleaded guilty to the firearm charge and was sentenced by Oklahoma County Judge Jerry Bass. Shortly afterward, Bass married the happy couple who kissed before federal authorities whisked Austin away. Austin’s attorney, Scott M. Anderson, tells The Oklahoman that Austin had helped to raise Trojack’s two sons and he didn’t want to lose contact with them while he was serving time. NEWS DESK

NEWS DESK

police duty and Facebook!

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Researchers have identified four new species of horseshoe bats with large, strangely shaped noses in eastern Africa. Scientists had thought all four belonged to a single species, Hildebrandt’s horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hildebrandtii), first described in 1878. But reports of different echolocation frequencies recorded among the bats suggested there might be rifts in the species.

(Sonar calls are often used to identify different types of bats.) Researchers led by Peter J. Taylor of South Africa’s University of Venda found R.hildebrandtii indeed included four cryptic species with subtle differences in their sonar calls, skull shape and DnA. Cryptic species often cannot be distinguished by their physical features, putting the burden on genetics research to identify new creatures.

The horseshoe bat family is character-

ized by their intricately shaped flaps dubbed “noseleaves” around their nostrils. While most bats emit sonar from their mouths, these bats send out their echolocation signals from their noses. Previous research showed that grooves created by the horseshoe bats’ noseleaves help focus their sonar calls.

The newly identified species include Cohen’s horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus cohenae), found in South Africa’s Mpumalanga Province; the Mount Mabu horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus mabuensis), of the mountainous region of northern Mozambique; Smithers’ horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus smithersi), found across savanna woodlands of the Limpopo and Zambezi valleys; and the Mozambican horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus mossambicus), which likely lives across the savanna region of Zimbabwe and Mozambique, the researchers said. NEWS DESK

4 new bat species discovered

HE next time your boss catches you browsing Facebook while on the job, tell them you just may be helping to solve a crime. After all, the Tazewell County Sheriff’s Office used Facebook to track down a missing sex offender after his girlfriend “liked” the department’s page on the social networking site. Local CBS affiliate WJHL reports that Dyllan naecher, 29, is a convicted sex offender in Maryland. He was allegedly hiding out with his girlfriend Samantha Dillow, 22, in Virginia. We still don’t know exactly what motivated Dillow, but for some reason she decided to “like” the local police department’s Facebook page. Tazewell County police then used the geographic stamp left by Dillow’s “like” to pinpoint her residence. naecher was taken into custody and now faces charges in Virginia for failing to register as a sex offender. He could also face federal charges for crossing state lines. And if he’s given internet access in jail, don’t be surprised if one of his first activities is unfriending Dillow on Facebook. Dillow herself is also in trouble with the law, facing charges of obstruction of justice for harboring naecher. NEWS DESK

Sunday, 16 September, 2012

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Barthel advance at quebec tennis Page 18

BCCi terminates iPl team deccan Chargers

Dar unlucky to get 4th award in a row LAHORE StAff REPoRt

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AkiSTAn’S strongest candidate to win an award this year, Aleem Dar was unlucky to get the David Shepherd trophy for the Umpire of the Year 2012 for the straight fourth time during the iCC Awards function which was held in Colombo on Saturday night.

Aleem Dar lost the battle to fellow Sri Lankan umpire kumar Dharmasena who won the Umpire of the Year for the first time.

The other nominees were five-time winner Simon Taufel, new Zealand's Billy Bowden, England's Richard kettleborough and Australia's Rodney Tucker.

“This award means a lot to me, after playing cricket for 12 years. it's for the Sri Lankan umpires and the community who looked after my growth," Dharmasena said after accepting his award from Graham Gooch.

"Honestly, i feel i had a great year on and off the field and i feel having been a cricketer has helped me with my decision making as an umpire and to give better decisions."

The David Shepherd Trophy for iCC Umpire of the Year was voted on by the 10 current Test captains and the Elite Panel of iCC match referees and is partly based on the umpires' performance statistics. Dharmasena, who made his international debut as an umpire in 2009, joined the Elite Panel in May 2011. in the voting period he stood in seven Tests and 13 ODi’s.

NEW DELHI AfP

indian cricket authorities have terminated indian Premier League side the Deccan Chargers for failing to comply with a deadline for overdue player fees, the Board of Control for Cricket in india (BCCi) said Saturday. The decision, the BCCi said in a statement, was "only due to the absolute inability of the franchise to effectively run the team". The BCCi added due to the "stated position of the Deccan franchise to refuse to rectify the various defaults including payments to players... a decision was taken to forthwith terminate the Deccan Chargers franchise". Since May the board said it had "received repeated assurances that the overdue player fees would be paid; all of these promises have been unfulfilled". Deccan Chronicle Holdings, a media company that bought the team for $107 million before the inaugural iPL in 2008, sought to sell the cash-strapped Hyderabad-based team this week, having placed advertisements in newspapers inviting bids. it received just one proposal when bids opened Thursday, which it rejected "on the basis of the payment terms offered by the bidder", the BCCi, which owns the iPL, said at the time. The company has been ordered by banks to reduce its debts, according to indian media.

Among the leading players signed up by the franchise, which won the tournament in 2009 but finished second-last this season, are kumar Sangakkara of Sri Lanka, South African fast bowler Dale Steyn and Australian batsman Cameron White. The rapid disposal of the Chargers has been widely blamed on economic pressure affecting its current owners, but it also reflects the stormy history of the iPL. The BCCi threw the kochi Tuskers out of the league last year over their failure to meet financial requirements. A separate attempt to eject the Rajasthan Royals and kings Xi Punjab in 2010 over murky ownership disputes was blocked after a court battle. The iPL has become a major event in the international cricket calendar, attracting the world's most exciting players such kevin Pietersen to entertain large domestic audiences. But it has also been hit by a series of financial scandals, and its founder Lalit Modi was sacked in 2010 following allegations of corruption and money-laundering.

South African skipper feeling confident AB de Villiers admits his team has choked in the past but feels confident ahead of ICC World T20 COLOMBO AGENCIES

South Africa captain AB de Villiers acknowledged on Saturday that his side has ‘choked’ in previous global events but believes that his side will be competitive in a tournament that he believes is wide open in terms of potential winners.

Speaking to the world’s media, following his side’s arrival in Colombo on Friday, de Villiers believes that there are a number of potential winners for the iCC World Twenty20 2012, which begins on Tuesday.

“There are lots of favourites and lots of really good teams. As we all know, Twenty20 cricket takes one or two overs to turn a game around. i think all the teams stand a really good chance, but i do rate our chances of doing well at this tournament,” said de Villiers. “We have worked really hard

and we have come in with fresh minds and a lot of hunger to succeed in this tournament.” South Africa comes into

the iCC World Twenty20 on the back of a successful tour of England, although it drew a rain-affected T20i series 1-1, which de Villiers believes provided useful preparation, particularly as there is the potential for the weather to affect some of the games in Sri Lanka.

“The conditions are going to be very different and it has always been on our mind properly for this event.

The conditions weren’t ideal, except for the last game, which is close to what we are expecting here where the wicket was quite slow and it turned a lot,” said de Villiers. “it was really nice to have the opportunity to adapt under pressure as i think we could find ourselves in a similar situation in Sri Lanka.

“Twenty20 games are very fast paced games and you need to adapt and think on your feet and i think our tour of England had exactly that.”

Lara, Bakewell in ICC Cricket Hall of Fame Two further inductees to be announced later in the year COLOMBO AGENCIES

The international Cricket Council today announced that Brian Lara and Enid Bakewell will be inducted into the iCC Cricket Hall of Fame tomorrow evening at the LG iCC Awards 2012.

West indies’ Lara becomes the 67th male member of the Hall of Fame, while England’s Bakewell becomes the third woman to be inducted. Lara and Bakewell will attend the LG iCC Awards tomorrow evening at the Waters Edge in Colombo.

Two further inductees will be announced later in the year. The duo of Bakewell and Lara attended a special Hall of Fame cocktail reception on Friday evening to celebrate their inductions. The reception was attended by a variety of Lara’s former team-mates as well as the current West indies squad. Also attending

Tamim hails team spirit

the reception were members of the ireland squad, along with their coach and Lara’s former team-mate Phil Simmons,

as well as bowling coach Craig McDermott. Brian Lara was one of the West indies most prolific batsmen having represented the country for 131 Tests and 299 ODis in a career that spanned 17 years. He amassed some 11,953 runs at an average of 52.88. He scored 34 Test centuries and 48 half-centuries while his best performance with the bat featured against England in Antigua in 2004 when he scored 400 not out and to this day that total still remains the highest by any Test batsmen in an individual innings. in the 299 ODis that Lara played he scored 10,405 runs at an average of 40.48 that included 19 centuries and 63 halfcenturies and in 1994, when captaining the West indies, he led the team to victory in the iCC Champions Trophy in England.

Lara’s First Class career began in 1987 and when it ended in 2008 he had scored 22,156 runs with his highest score coming

in the English County Championship playing for Warwickshire against Durham when he hit an unbeaten 501 in 1994.

Lara said of the induction: “i think it’s a very humbling experience for me.

First of all, to be considered and then to be selected is a great moment. To be named alongside some of the great cricketers not just from West indies but from all around the world like Sir Garfield Sobers, the Three Ws, Sir Vivian Richards is a very special feeling.” “i had quite a few special moments in my career. i think our 2-1 series win in Australia in 1993 under Richie Richardson was very special. Then obviously winning the iCC Champions Trophy in 2004 under my leadership was also a very special occasion,’’ added Lara. Joining Lara in the Hall of Fame is one of England’s all time cricketing legends from the female game, Enid Bakewell.

COLOMBO AGENCIES

Bangladesh opener Tamim iqbal believes his side is in good shape going into the iCC World Twenty20.

The left-hander thinks the squad’s solid preparation will boost their chances of progressing when the tournament gets underway.

Tamim said: “i am very hopeful. We have really gelled as a unit and we have been playing a lot of Twenty20 matches. i cannot complain about preparation.

The team spirit is excellent and everyone is helping each other. if we can take that camaraderie on to the field and perform to the level we are capable of then i see no reason why we should not get our desired result.”

The big-hitting batsman featured in last month’s Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL) - an experience he believes will stand him in good stead at the iCC World T20.

Tamin said: “i believe i am much better prepared. i have played over 20 matches in the Twenty20 format during the last few months and i definitely have a fair idea of what is required.

The best thing is that i have tasted different conditions and playing in Sri Lanka (in the SLPL) was definitely good experience ahead of this competition. “i think it has raised my confidence level and that of my teammates who played in the competition,” he added.

“We have a better understanding of Sri Lankan conditions and know what to expect. it was a well-run tournament and i am happy for the experience.”

Bangladesh gave their prospects a further fillip when they defeated Zimbabwe by five wickets in a warm-up match on Saturday.

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Sports 16

PUnjAB YOUTH FeSTIvAl 2012

Participation in second phase reaches 300,000

LAHORE StAff REPoRt

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HE participation figure in the second level of the Punjab Youth Festival 2012 has reached near about 300,000 on day eight of the Union Council phase on Saturday. On the day alone approximately 75,000 youngsters took part in 669 sports and general events while 1543 Union Councils got involved in different activities throughout the province.

Looking at the overall figure of participation since the Festival started in the last week of August, it has touched 1.8 million.

The 55200 Sports and Youth Development Councils of the province first took part in the neighbourhood and Village level, which was the first phase of the festival while the Union Council level that followed at the second phase will continue till September 18 and then the third phase which is the Tehsil level would roll into action.

Lahore's nine towns saw 1961 people gathered at different venues from 18 UCs to compete in 57 events of sports and general category. in nashtar and Gulberg towns over 700 took part in nine events while 254 showed their abilities in Data Ganj Bax town while the other towns including Shalamar, Wagha, Aziz Bhatti, iqbal, Ravi and Samanabad towns showed an influx of over 150 youngsters each in their respective competition venues. in Shalimar town, Bilal and kamran defeated their rivals in the singles competitions while in doubles, kamran and Hafiz nabil defeated Bilal and Jalal 20-16. in the bodybuilding competition of Samanabad Town, Hafiz imran won the competition in his weight category. international referee Zubair Butt and imran Qureshi, Mr Pakistan were the chief guest on the occasion.

At nashtar Town, general category competitions in cooking were held under the supervision of Social Welfare Department in which 16 ladies and students took part. Aiysha nazim of UC 137 was the winner while UC 134’s Faiza naeem was second and UC 138’s Farhat israr was placed third.

Pathan bowls India to win in warm-up COLOMBO

in other warm-up games. The World Twenty20 starts on Tuesday.

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BRIEf SCoRES of ALL MAtChES

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RFAn Pathan grabbed five wickets as india prepared for the World Twenty20 with a 26-run victory over hosts Sri Lanka in a warm-up match in Colombo on Saturday. The paceman finished with 5-25 off four overs as india bowled Sri Lanka out for 120 after posting 146-5. He was superbly backed by fast bowler Lakshmipathy Balaji, who took three wickets for 28 runs. kumar Sangakkara top-scored for Sri Lanka with 32. india were struggling at 51-4 before skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (55 not out) and Rohit Sharma (37) propped up the innings with a 78-run stand for the fifth wicket.

Dhoni cracked three sixes and four boundaries in his 42-ball knock. india are in Group A with England and Afghanistan while Sri Lanka are in Group C with South Africa and Zimbabwe. The top two teams from each group advance to the Super Eights round. in another practice match in Colombo, Brad Hogg took three wickets to bowl Australia to a 56-run win over ri-

vals new Zealand. The 41-year-old spinner finished with 3-23 off four overs as Australia dismissed new Zealand for 83 after scoring 139-6.

Pacemen Shane Watson, Clint Mckay and Pat Cummins each bagged two wickets for Australia. Australia are in Group B with the West indies and ireland, while new Zealand are in Group D with Pakistan and Bangladesh. Bangladesh defeated Zimbabwe by five wickets and Afghanistan beat Sri Lanka A by 51 runs

india beat Sri lanka by 26 runs. india 146-5 in 20 overs (Mahendra Singh dhoni 55 not out, rohit Sharma 37; nuwan kulasekara 2-39) Sri lanka 120 in 19.3 overs (kumar Sangakkara 32, Jeevan Mendis 26, lahiru Thirimanne 24; irfan Pathan 5-25, lakshmipathy Balaji 3-28) Australia beat new zealand by 56 runs.

Australia 139-6 in 20 overs (Shane watson 27, Matthew wade 25 not out, david warner 24, glenn Maxwell 24; Adam Milne 2-27, doug Bracewell 2-31) new zealand 83 in 17 overs (ross Taylor 22; Brad Hogg 3-23, Clint Mckay 2-14, Shane watson 2-7, Pat Cummins 2-13) Bangladesh beat zimbabwe by five wickets. zimbabwe 134-6 in 20 overs (vusi Sibanda 40, Brendan Taylor 21; Abdur razzak 2-21) Bangladesh 135-5 in 18.2 overs (Mohammad Ashraful 38, Shakib Al Hasan 28, ziaur rahman 26 not out, Mohammad Mahmudullah 23 not out, graeme Cremer 2-10) Afghanistan beat Sri lanka A by 51 runs Afghanistan 209-7 in 20 overs (Mohammad nabi 51, Asghar Stanikzai 50, Mohammad Shahzad 48; kaushal lokuarachchi 3-16, nuwan Pradeep 3-43) Sri lanka A 158 in 18.2 overs (kosala kulasekara 63; dawlat zadran 3-22)

Similarly, at Ravi Town, Deputy Speaker Rana Mashhood Ahmed khan addressed a seminar where of 300 private and government schools for dengue awareness and active participation of the girl students in the Punjab Youth Festival 2012. Mian Marghoob MnA, iqbal Dogar were also among the guests while Dr irum Aziz, Ms Musawarat and Ms kaukab naseem Butt were also present on the occasion.

The other districts of the Provincial metropolis including Sheikhupura, kasur and nankana Sahib sports and other general category events went on unabated and with enthusiasm.

Assessing the participation divisionwise, Rawalpindi had the participation of 6786 youngsters in 82 events while 180 Union Councils remained active during the day. in Rawalpindi district 65 Union Councils registered around 2183 persons in 35 events of sports alone. interestingly in Gujjar khan Tehsil 464 took part in six events while Murree saw 300 taking part in eight events and over 200 displayed their talent in kahuta alone. Chakwal had 1974's participation while Attock got 1493 involved in different competitions.

At Sargodha division, Bhakkar registered 2714 people from 22 UCs in nine events while Sargodha city had the involvement of 1502 and Mianwali 1076 in around 80 competitions. Gujranwala again remained one of the most active Divisions where 15922 assembled for competitions in 99 events. They hailed from 391 UCs while the city of Gujranwala had 1977 participants in 35 events and in Sialkot where 100 UCs generated hectic activity among 9936 people in 22 events.

Another active division of the province turned out to be Faisalabad where 17333 took part in 94 events and out of the 280 UCs, 160 were involved in the Faisalabad city alone. Here 14476 displayed their competitive skills in 80 events.

Sahiwal had 3690 people participation while Multan's 168 UCs held competitions in 89 categories in which 7430took part.

The district of Vehari was more involved than other districts with the involvement of 3100 participants in 10 events.

Sunday, 16 September, 2012

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17 Sports

Champions Spain on final brink, Del Potro in tears PARIS AfP

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HAMPiOnS Spain edged closer to a sixth Davis Cup final in 10 years on Friday when they shrugged off the absence of Rafael nadal to open a 2-0 lead over the United States in the semi-finals in Gijon.

Five-time champions Spain are defending a run of 23 consecutive home victories in the tournament, a streak stretching back to 1999. World number five David Ferrer beat Sam Querrey 4-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 before nicolas Almagro won a four-hour slog against giant American John isner, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5. "it was a hard match, difficult at every moment," said 30-year-old Ferrer. isner saved three match points in the ninth game of the decider but buckled on a fourth when he went long with a weary forehand in the 12th game.

"That was really disappointing because i did such a good job the whole fourth and fifth set of just hanging in there and i just kind of gave it away at the end," isner said. in Buenos Aires, Argentina, who have yet to win the tournament, and were defeated by Spain in the 2008 and 2011 finals, were 1-1 in the other semi-final against the Czech Republic. Tomas Berdych recovered from two sets to one down, and 1-4 behind in the fourth set, to stun Juan Monaco 6-1, 4-6, 1-6, 6-4, 6-4 and pull the Czechs level.

With Argentine football legend Diego Maradona and former tennis glamour girl Gabriela Sabatini amongst the raucous

13,00-crowd inside Parque Roca, Berdych dug deep to claim a famous win. Berdych, who defeated Roger Federer on his way to the US Open semi-finals last week, won nine straight games to lead 5-3 in the decider. But Monaco stopped the rot for a break to trail 4-5 before Berdych broke again to seal victory.

Earlier, world number eight Juan Martin del Potro beat Radek Stepanek 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 to earn a comfortable first point. Del Potro was playing against medical advice after hurting his wrist at the US Open and

he broke down in tears as he gave his victory speech. "it was very difficult to play with a hurt wrist," said Del Potro. "But the crowd was fantastic. i am very passionate about playing for my country. i like to give them a good show." in the play-offs, where a place in the elite World Group will be assured for 2013, world number one Roger Federer and his 2008 Olympic gold medal partner Stanislas Wawrinka put Switzerland 2-0 up against the netherlands in damp and chilly Amsterdam. Federer eased past Thiemo de

Bakker 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 before Wawrinka defeated 50th-ranked Robin Haase 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/4). "it was important to get off to a good start and i played solidly in rainy and windy conditions," said Federer. in Hamburg, Florian Mayer saw off Lleyton Hewitt 7-5, 6-3, 6-2 as Germany finished the day at 1-1 against Australia.

Hewitt became Australia's most capped player with 33 Davis Cup appearances, but the 31-year-old, now ranked 100 in the world, was swept aside by 25th-ranked Mayer. Bernard Tomic had put Australia ahead with a 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) victory over left-hander Cedrik-Marcel Stebe.

Belgium are one win away from ending Sweden's 12-year stay in the World Group after opening a 2-0 lead in Brussels where Steve Darcis beat Michael Ryderstedt 6-3, 7-6 (7/3), 6-0 and David Goffin defeated Andreas Vinciguerra 6-4, 6-3, 7-5. in naples, Andreas Seppi beat Guillermo Hormazabal 7-5, 6-1, 6-2 to give italy a 1-0 lead over Chile before bad light halted the second rubber between Fabio Fognini and Paul Capdeville at 1-1 in the final set.

Japan and israel were level at 1-1 in Tokyo with Go Soeda beating Dudi Sela 62, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 and Amir Weintraub seeing off Tatsuma ito 6-3, 6-2, 6-4. ito was only playing because kei nishikori suffered a shoulder injury on Friday morning. in Astana, kazakhstan and Uzbekistan were level at 1-1. Canada were 2-0 up on South Africa in Montreal while Brazil took a 2-0 lead over two-time champions Russia in San Jose do Rio Preto.

drogba starts for Chinese side SHANGHAI AfP

obama fetes uS olympians, Paralympians WASHINGTON AfP

President Barack Obama was in his element as the self-styled "fan-in-chief" on Friday as he feted US Olympians and Paralympians at the White House.

"We could not be prouder of you," Obama told a crowd of athletes that included Olympic swimming superstar Michael Phelps and Paralympic swimming gold medallist Brad Snyder, a navy lieutenant who was blinded in 2011 by a bomb blast in Afghanistan.

"You gave us a summer that we will never forget," he added.

The sports-mad president poked fun at his fandom, saying he was jealous that his wife, Michelle, was able to attend the Games and that watching them on television spurred his own workout efforts.

Schoolboy breaks 200m breaststroke world record TOKYO AfP

Japan's precocious 18-year-old Akihiro Yamaguchi set a new world record in the men's 200-metre breaststroke on Saturday, then vowed to be the next kosuke kitajima.

The high-school student clocked two minutes 07.01 seconds, breaking the previous world mark of 2:07.28 set

by Daniel Gyurta of Hungary on August 1 at the London Olympics.

"To tell the truth, i targeted to clock 2:06:00s," Yamaguchi said after his record-breaking swim at the national games in Gifu, central Japan, adding that he was eager to show off his talent on the world stage. "i'm really looking forward to the world championships next year. i want to be a swimmer who can succeed kitajima, whom i admire a lot," he added.

Yamaguchi failed to qualify for the Olympic 100m and 200m races after he finished third over both distances in the national championships, which

were won by two-time double Olympic gold medallist kitajima.

However, kitajima, 29, did not win

a medal in the 100m and 200m breaststroke in London.

Yamaguchi came close to Gyurta's 200m world mark when he swam 2:07.84 at a national high-school meet on August 17.

"Since i started working under the wing of coach norimasa Hirai, i became stronger mentally and my body became bigger. i think i can compete against the world in the 200 metres. i also want to compete in the 100 metres," he said.

"At the moment i started the race, i felt 'i made it'. i felt i was fine during the warm-up, so i had thought i would be able to rewrite my personal best," said Yamaguchi, who started swimming at the age of four. "i'm really happy about it, but i was a bit disappointed that i couldn't cut the 2:07:00," he added.

Yamaguchi sprang to prominence when he rewrote the 100m breaststroke Japanese high-school record and then went on to take the 100m and 200m titles at the world junior championships in July.

Former Chelsea star Didier Drogba started for Shanghai Shenhua on Saturday, putting behind him weeks of speculation that he might be on his way out of China because of a boardroom row.

The futures of Drogba and team-mate nicolas Anelka were put in doubt last month when a Shanghai newspaper claimed that eccentric owner Zhu Jun, who pays the huge wages of the star pair, had threatened to withdraw funding.

The report said that Zhu was upset that he was not given a majority stake as previously agreed when he took over the club in 2007.

The Chinese club remained tight-lipped, with Drogba heading back to England during the recent international break, as speculation mounted that his Chinese adventure might be over after just a handful of games.

But the 34-year-old -- reportedly on one of the biggest salaries in world football - took to the pitch on Saturday for the ongoing clash with Liaoning FC. Shanghai coach Sergio Batista said at a pre-match press conference Friday that the boardroom dispute had been resolved and Anelka and Drogba would play if fit.

Crash, bang and wallop Comment MUHAMMAD BUTT Loud music, big hits, small boundaries and women in even smaller clothes can only mean one thing: the T20 World Cup is around the corner and with Sri Lankafresh from hosting the Sri Lankan Premier League-the venue for the carnival, the 2012 edition promises to be bigger and better than its predecessors.

Teams from the sub-continent have generally done well in the competition and with Sri Lanka as the hosts, the trend looks set to continue. The Lankan outfit, backed by their passionate crowd have to be one of the tournament favourites. Mahela Jayawardene has a well rounded team complimented by the all-round talents of Angelo Matthews and Thisara Perera who both pack a powerful punch with the bat and are more than useful with the bowl. Their fans will be hoping that their team goes the full distance this time round rather than falling at the final

Sunday, 16 September, 2012

hurdle like they have been doing in the past. Another team that knows all about being ‘nearly there’ are South Africa who come into the tournament after enjoying a largely successful tour of England but the conditions here would be much different and while they have a good blend of youth and experience, the lack of a quality spinner could hamper their chances of lifting the cup.

A team that is not expected to go the full distance though are defending champions England. With kevin Pietersen taking some time off to nurture his ego, the England batting line up appears considerably light and inexperienced with Eoin Morgan the only name standing out. Add to it the fact that they have a relatively inexperienced leader in the shape of Stuart Broad and one can imagine England having a tough time at the tournament. Besides, a T20 team doing well with Ravi Bopara in it is wrong on so many levels.

England’s archrivals Australia are not going great guns either and are in fact worse than ireland if the official rankings

are to be believed. Australia put their initial disappointments in this format down to intent (or lack of it) but results have not changed much even after that was rectified. However, like with every tournament, it would be foolish to write of the Aussies as they are always there or thereabouts and with the explosive batting talents of Warner and Watson in the side, they will be a tough proposition for most teams. On evidence of their recent series against Pakistan, they seem reluctant to use their spinners but it is a tactic they may have to adopt if they are to be successful on pitches which have historically favoured the slow bowlers.

Australia’s neighbours new Zealand usually head into tournaments as the underdogs but they could struggle on spinner friendly pitches after being placed in the Group of Death (Pakistan and Bangladesh being the other two teams).

With the kiwi’s potentially expected to underperform, it provides a chance for the likes of Bangladesh and West indies to come to the fore. While Bangladesh’s

fortunes will rest squarely on the shoulders of their inspirational all-rounder Shakib-ul-Hassan, the Windies have more than one ace up their sleeve. Gayle and Pollard will provide the muscle in the batting department while Sunil narine will add mystery and guile to the bowling unit. Dwayne Bravo can always be expected to make a contribution with either bat or bowl and provided that the Windies do not self destruct, they could be involved in the latter stages of the World Cup. This leaves us with the Asian giants india and Pakistan, winners of the 2006 and 2008 editions respectively. Like Australia, india is not very handsomely placed in the team rankings but they do not mean much in the shortest format of the game.

They are a good limited over side and will once again be hoping their strong batting line up lead by the talented and in form kohli propels them towards glory.

Pakistan on the other hand is not so blessed in the batting department and will be relying on their bowling unit to do

the business. Ajmal-ignored by the international Crooked Councils independent jury for their annual awards-will have extra motivation (not that he needs any) to bowl Pakistan to victory. The fielding and batting are perennial concerns but while the fielding will continue to be a thorn in our side, the batters could find it easier given the conditions are likely to resemble those at home. Pakistan will be buoyed by their T20 victory over Australia and will be looking to call on the success they have had in the past in this particular format and on their day will be a match for any side.

While the favourites are expected to dominate, the shorter format means that the associate nations will have a more realistic chance of causing an upset and ireland in particular will be looking to show that they can mix with the big boys.

Whatever happens though, we are in for an absolute treat over the course of the next two weeks or so as the players slog it out in their bid to become the next T20 international champions.

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Sports 18 COLOMBO: From L to R: Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor, South African captain AB de Villiers, Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Australia captain George Bailey, England captain Stuart Broad, Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene, West Indies captain Darren Sammy, Ireland captain William Porterfield, Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim, New Zealand captain Ross Taylor, and Afghanistan captain Nawroz Mangal, pose for an official team captains photograph with the ICC World Twenty20 trophy. AFP

watch it Live ESPN SPORTS CENTER 07:30PM

Play abandoned as typhoon lashed Taiwan

Barthel advance at quebec tennis

Indonesia take 2-1 Davis Cup lead over Philippines JAKARTA AfP

QuEBEc cITy: Mona Barthel surprised defending champion Barbora Zahlavova Strycova cruising to victory in straight sets 6-3, 6-4 in the quarter-finals of the WTA Tour's Bell Challenge tournament on Friday. The 22-year-old German third seed hammered four aces and had to overcome seven double faults in the 87-minute match on the indoor carpet at the PEPS Laval University facility. Czech player Zahlavova Strycova, who beat kiwi Marina Erakovic in last year's final, finished with four double faults and won less than half (42 percent) of her second serve points. Barthel advances to the semi-finals where she will face kirsten Flipkens of Belgium, who was leading Anna Tatishvili 6-2, 3-0 when the Georgian retired from their match. Flipkens upset top seed Dominika Cibulkova in the opening round. in other quarterfinals Friday, France's kristina Mladenovic routed American Melanie Oudin 6-0, 6-1 in just 63 minutes. AfP

JAkArTA: elbert Sie (l) and Christopher Benjamin rungkat (r) of indonesia shake hands during the final round of the men's doubles davis Cup Asia-oceania zone group ii final tennis match against ruben gonzales and Treat Conrad Huey of the Philippines at gelora Bung karno Tennis Stadium. AFP

indonesia established a 2-1 lead over the Philippines in the second day of the Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Zone Group ii final in Jakarta after winning the men's doubles on Saturday. indonesia's Christopher Rungkat and Elbert Sie defeated the visiting duo of Treat Huey and Ruben Gonzales 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 at the Gelora Bung karno tennis stadium. "i'm satisfied with my performance today. Elbert also played well.

We are both delighted to win this important match," Rungkat, ranked 292 in the world, told reporters at a press conference. in the opening singles match on Friday, Rungkat beat Francis Casey Alcantara 7-6 (7-3), 6-2, 3-6, 6-0 but in the second match, the Philippines drew level after doubles specialist Treat Huey saw off Elbert Sie 6-4, 6-2, 6-3. indonesian captain Bonit Wiryawan said he hopes that Rungkat will be able to defeat Treat Huey, ranked 39 in the world in doubles, in the first singles match on Sunday.

Andy Roddick: The ultimate competitor Comment SABA AzIz During this year’s US Open, on his 30th birthday, American tennis star Andy Roddick announces his retirement from professional tennis. As he draws the curtain on a career most would term as anything short of spectacular, one stops to ponder if he has called it quits a tad bit early. if there’s one thing i have learnt about this Texas native, is that he is either all in or all out, no half ways. So, if he has made a decision to close this chapter of his life, it is not without good reason.

“You know, just with the way my body feels, with the way that i'm able to feel like i'm able to compete now, i don't know that it's good enough. i don't know that i've ever been someone who's interested in existing on tour” explains Roddick when questioned about his decision.

As one looks at Roddick’s career over the years it is difficult to see where he fits in, amidst all the talk of greatness looming over Federer, the clay domination of nadal and the rise of novak

Djokovic. Ever since his first and, to date, only triumph on the Grand Slam stage, at the 2003 US Open, he has fallen victim to the tag of a “one slam wonder”.

Roddick’s apt reaction to this: “Well that’s one more than most”. Having seen success at an early age could pose as a disadvantage to most with the burden of expectations wearing them down. But Roddick was not one to complain. if anything, the guy thrived under pressure.

After the retirement of Pete in 2003 and with Andre’s career coming to a close, Roddick played the lead role in US men’s tennis as long as one can remember. For the major part of his career, he had been the lone flag-bearer for America at the business end of major tournaments. With the huge gap in the depth of American men players in the postAndre/Pete era, Andy wasn’t one to shy away from the spotlight and picked up where the likes of Courier, Chang left off.

Though these were big shoes to fill, he was eager to rise to the occasion and led the USA to a Davis Cup victory in 2007 after a lapse of 12 years.

The 2009 Wimbledon final has stuck

in the minds of most tennis fans, not only because of the historical numbers (longest fifth set in the men’s final, Federer breaking Sampras’ record of 14 Grand Slam titles) or the quality of tennis but more so due to how valiantly Roddick fought and persevered for the duration of that five-set epic. in his postmatch press conference when asked how he would bounce back after this, his answer was precise "What do you do? You keep moving forward until you decide to stop," Roddick said. "At this point, i've not decided to stop, so i'll keep moving forward." This epitomizes what Roddick truly is. A fighter, not a quitter and his entire tennis playing career is living proof of this.

Consistency is another word that comes to mind when one talks of Roddick. He finished inside the top 10 in end of year rankings for 9 consecutive years and maintained his record of capturing ATP World Tour titles for 12 straight seasons before retiring. Amassing a total of 32 singles titles and achieving his 600th tour-level match win in 2012, are numbers not to be taken lightly.

Hard work and perseverance were second nature to him. if ever Roddick were to lose a match, it can safely be said it wasn’t due to a lack of effort on his part. in an interview to the new York Times, Aussie Coach and former tour player, Darren Cahill rightly put: “i know there are better tennis players than Andy Roddick at the moment,” Cahill said. “But if i’m going to pick anyone in the world to come and represent my country, to provide a culture for younger players to look up to, to show a work ethic that is the standard for everyone, to fight for their country, and to win clutch matches, Andy Roddick would be just about the first person i would pick”. in a sport, where success is gauged by the number of Grand Slam titles a player amasses, one can easily overlook giving due recognition to the likes of Roddick. But, with his quick-wit, neversay-die attitude and a humble appreciation of his peers, Andy was the epitome of a true entertainer who won the hearts of millions in the process. And it can be said without a shadow of a doubt that the tennis world will miss his presence.

TAIPEI AfP

Play in the second round of the Yeangder Tournament Players Championship in Taiwan was abandoned on Saturday, as strong winds and rain caused by a passing typhoon lashed the island, organisers said.

The blustery and damp conditions at the Linkou international Golf and Country Club forced officials to reduce the US$500,000 event to a 54-stroke play tournament, the Asian Tour said in a statement.

"The extremely wet and windy conditions made it a challenge for play to continue today. The safety of our players going out to the course was also another priority," said Wanchai Meechai, the Asian Tour's tournament director.

"As such, we have taken the decision to abandon play for today," he said.

Play would resume on Sunday morning, when conditions were expected to be calmer, he said. "We are also not ruling out a Monday finish so that we can get all 54 holes played," added Wanchai.

Angelo Que of the Philippines holds the clubhouse lead with his first round seven-under-par 65 while American Jason knutzon, who was even-par through nine holes, took a share of second place alongside india's Gaganjeet Bhullar. Taiwan's Lin Wen-tang was in fourth place after an opening 67 while india's Anirban Lahiri was one back in fifth place on 68.

Singapore's koh Dengshan, who was one-over after three holes before play was abandoned, remained unperturbed by the weather conditions.

"This is expected of the weather in Taipei and before i came, i was already mentally prepared for these kinds of conditions. There's nothing much you can do except to go back there again and play your best when the weather conditions are much better," said koh.

dispute committee formed in lahore cricket LAHORE StAff REPoRt

The Lahore City Cricket Association has formulated a special scrutiny committee to resolve all disputes and constitutionals matters of the all cricket clubs, Lahore region and city cricket association.

The decision of the committee will be considered final. The committee consists of khawaja nadeem Ahmed (Chairman) while Javed Zaman khan, Syed Tauqi Alsi Shah and Shahid Hamid Butt its members.

Sunday, 16 September, 2012

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Sunday, 16 September, 2012

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UN mission arrives in Quetta amidst appeals for help g

Family members of missing Baloch persons stage sit-in outside Un group’s hotel seeking to draw their attention towards human rights abuses in province QUETTA ShAhZADA ZULfIqAR

T

HE United nations mission to review complaints of enforced disappearances in Balochistan arrived here on Saturday amidst protests by hundreds of family members of missing Baloch persons, seeking to divert international organizations’ attention towards human rights abuses in the province.

The Un team met Balochistan Chief Secretary Yaqoob Babar Fateh Mohammad

and Home Secretary naseebullah khan at the Balochistan Civil Secretariat. it also separately met delegations of the Baloch Republican Party (BRP), the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP), HRCP, Balochistan national Party (Awami), Hazara Democratic Party (HDP) and relatives of more than 100 missing persons, including women and children.

Later talking to reporters, VBMP’s nasrullah Baloch praised the Un group for taking an initiative for the Baloch missing persons, adding that the families of missing persons had provided the Un mission with a list 2,281 missing persons.

Balochistan High Court Bar Association President Zahoor Ahmad Shahwani said he had informed the group that they had lodged two petitions in the Supreme Court, adding that both petitions were still pending.

Shahwani said he had also apprised the group that some of the parties claimed that the number of the missing persons was more than 12,000 while some put it at 14,000. “The figure of the missing persons may vary but one thing is clear and that is that it is too high,” he said.

Shahwani said three things were emphasized in talks with the Un mission,

qUEttA: A woman holds a photograph of a missing relative during a protest on Saturday. adding that those were, the issue of missing persons, targeted killings and growing incidents of kidnapping for ransom.

He said he had informed the Un working group that the constitution of Pakistan provided protection to every citizen but no citizen was safe.

Talking to reporters, the leader of the BRP, Bashir Azeem said his party provided a list of 12,000 to 14,000 missing people to the Un group, adding that the list was jointly compiled by the BRP, Balochistan national Movement, and the Baloch Students Organization (Azad).

He said they put the number of those killed at 4,262 and had provided complete data of 2,652 persons to the Un working group.

The BRP leader said there were a number of no-go areas in Balochistan but still people went missing from those districts, adding, “We know the missing persons and their families but the state functionaries claim that they have left for Afghanistan or other places. it is the state’s responsibility that it should know where its citizens have gone or how they left the country, but for their families they have gone missing.”

Bostan Ali, the representative of HDP after calling upon Un group told the reporters that his party’s delegation told the Un group that more than 70,000 persons of their community had been killed and more than 2,000 had been injured in targeted attacks. Meanwhile, the relatives of the missing people, including women and children, staged a protest demonstration outside the Quetta Press Club and later marched to the hotel where the Un group was staying and staged a sit-in for several hours.

The protesters were carrying banners appealing to international organizations to take notice of the human rights violations carried out in Pakistan.

Two dead as Taliban target prince harry’s Afghan base KANDAHAR AfP

KARAChI: Protesters beat an effigy of US President Barack obama during a rally against an anti-Islam movie on Saturday. AFP

Petrol price likely to go up by Rs 6.82 ISLAMABAD StAff REPoRt

The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has forwarded a proposal to the Ministry of Finance seeking an upward revision in the prices of all petroleum products except diesel. it has been proposed that the price of petrol be raised by Rs 6.82 per liter while diesel be brought down by Rs 1.75 per liter with effect from September 17 (Monday), under the weekly mechanism to review prices of POL products.

The proposal seeks to increase the price of High Octane Blending Content (HOBC) by Rs 1.50 a liter and kerosene oil by 62 paisas. The Ministry of Finance will grant a final approval to OGRA’s proposal. A hike in international oil market prices, which rose by $2 a barrel from $113 to $115 recently, has been cited as the reason for the requested hike in local petroleum products prices.

The rates of compressed natural gas (CnG) are also expected to rise up, sources said. Only last Sunday, the government had approved a reduction in the

price of petrol by Rs 4.65 per liter, but had hiked the prices of other petroleum products, including diesel by Rs 3.39 per liter, kerosene by Rs 1.85 per liter and HOBC by Rs 3.27 a liter.

Earlier at the end of August, the government welcomed the new month by hiking up prices of petroleum products by up to Rs 8.14 per liter and raising CnG prices by Rs 7.11 a kilogram. The per liter price of petrol had increased by Rs 7.77 a liter, diesel by Rs 5.94, HOBC

by Rs 8.18, light diesel by Rs 5.54 and kerosene oil by Rs 5.86 per litre.

Taliban armed with suicide vests, guns and rockets stormed a heavily fortified airfield in Afghanistan where Prince Harry is deployed, killing two US Marines and attacking aircraft in a major security breach.

The militia, which is leading a 10-year insurgency against 117,000 nATO troops, said it carried out the assault to avenge a US-made film deemed insulting to islam that has sparked deadly riots across the Middle East and north Africa.

The attack on Camp Bastion in southern Helmand province, one of the toughest battlegrounds of the war, started at 10:15 pm (1745 GMT) on Friday and the base was cleared on Saturday morning, said US Army Major Adam Wojack.

Prince Harry was never in danger, officials confirmed. Although the Taliban have vowed to kill the third in line to the British throne, one of its spokesmen told AFP that the assault “had nothing to do with the prince”.

General Sayed Malook, head of the Afghan army in the south, said a suicide bomber blew himself up, blasting a hole in the perimeter wall and allowing insurgents to storm inside with guns and rocket-propelled grenades.

“As soon as they entered the base, fighting started. Afghan forces were not involved, they only helped to extinguish the fire,” Malook told AFP. A fuel reservoir and an aircraft hangar were set alight and it took until dawn to extinguish the blaze, he said. The US-led nATO forces said multiple aircraft and “structures” were damaged in the assault on the airfield, which is used by both American and British forces. Eighteen insurgents were killed — including the suicide bomber — and another was wounded and captured, said Wojack. They were dressed in camouflage, he said, but declined to

say whether it was Afghan army uniform.

A defense official in Washington said two US Marines were killed, while nATO’s US-led international Security Assistance Force said some personnel were wounded, but gave no details, in line with policy.

The British defence ministry described the attack, on the eastern side of the runway, as “significant”. it said personnel were afterwards subject to a “lockdown” as the base was secured.

The brazen attack is likely to raise serious questions about how insurgents managed to penetrate such a massive logistics hub in the desert, which in June Britain said was home to 28,000 soldiers.

A Taliban spokesman claimed the attack was waged to avenge a low-budget American YouTube film, “innocence of Muslims”, which has incited a furious wave of deadly antiAmerican violence in Yemen, Libya and Sudan, and protests in many other countries.

“A number of mujahideen fighters have carried out suicide attacks on Camp Bastion in Helmand in revenge for the insulting movie by the Americans,” spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi told AFP by telephone.

The Taliban this week vowed to kill Prince Harry, who is deployed at the base as an Apache helicopter pilot, and who celebrates his 28th birthday on Saturday. iSAF said it was assessing the extent of the damage to the camp, but the prince, who will spend four months at the base, was not affected.

“He was not in any danger,” said Master Sergeant Bob Barko of iSAF. in 2008 Harry was hastily withdrawn from Afghanistan when a news blackout surrounding his deployment on the ground directing aircraft in attacks on Taliban positions, was broken.

This time, however, the government released images of him in Afghanistan from the start, saying that any risk “has been, and will continue to be, assessed”.

US deploys forces as deadly Muslim anger spreads KHARTOUM AfP

Washington said it was deploying forces to cope with violence at as many as 18 different locations as deadly Muslim anger spreads over a US-made movie that mocks islam.

Two US marines were killed in Afghanistan when insurgents armed with guns and rockets stormed a heavily fortified air base late on Friday in an attack that the Taliban militia said was to avenge the film.

The attack on Camp Bastion in Helmand province, which continued until Saturday morning, was a major security breach at a base where Britain’s Prince

Harry is stationed and has been the target of specific death threats. it came after at least six protesters died in Egypt, Tunisia, Lebanon and Sudan on Friday as local police battled to defend American missions from mobs of stonethrowers. Symbols of US influence in cities across the Muslim world came under attack – embassies and schools as well as fast food chains – as protesters vented their fury at the low-budget American-made YouTube film, “innocence of Muslims”.

US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta said Washington was configuring its forces to be able to cope with widespread violence following its deployment of Marine

counter-terrorism units to Libya and Yemen and its stationing of two destroyers off the north African coast.

“We have to be prepared in the event that these demonstrations get out of control,” Panetta told Foreign Policy magazine.

He did not offer any specifics. But the magazine said that the Pentagon was discussing, but had not yet decided, whether to send a third platoon of 50 specially trained Marines to protect the US embassy in khartoum.

Guards on the roof of the embassy fired warning shots on Friday as the compound was breached by protesters waving islamic banners, after earlier ransacking

Published by Arif Nizami at Plot # 7, Al-Baber Centre, F/8 Markaz, Islamabad.

parts of the British and German missions in the Sudanese capital. in Friday night’s attack in Afghanistan, the assailants managed to penetrate the air base and damaged several aircraft although military spokesman Major Adam Wojack declined to say what type or how many. Wojack said 18 insurgents were killed – including a suicide bomber. Prince Harry was never in danger, officials confirmed. A Taliban spokesman said the attack was to avenge the YouTube movie.

Police in Sydney fired pepper spray to contain protesters trying to enter the building housing the US consulate on Saturday, as Australia became the latest focus Editor: Arif Nizami

of disturbances.

Bottles, shoes and other objects were hurled during the clashes with police that resulted in eight arrests, with six police officers injured as the unexpected protest brought parts of the city to a standstill.

Shoppers looked on in surprise as protesters, including children, shouted “Down, down USA” and waved banners such as “Behead all those who insult the prophet”. Hundreds also demonstrated in indonesia and the Maldives. in Somalia, the al Qaeda-linked Shebab militia, which controls large swathes of the country called on Muslims to launch revenge attacks on Western targets.