CMYK
Sunday, 7 September, 2014
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Zul Qida 11, 1435
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Rs 25.00
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Vol V No 70
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92 Pages
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Karachi Edition
ailing democracy gets another dose of ‘reconciliation’ n
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Interior Minister Nisar decides not to retaliate against PPP Senator Aitzaz Ahsan’s charges for ‘sake of democracy and parliament’ Proposes judicial probe into allegations against him, tells PPP leader to choose the judges Says he will resign from office and leave politics if allegations are proved to be true Aitzaz welcomes Nisar’s decision, says truce has foiled ‘Plan D’ of anti-democracy forces
GOVTMASTERING THEARTOF POSTPONINGAN UNSCHEDULED VISIT
mQm decides not to resign from parliament STORIES ON PAGE 03
SHIA SCHOLAR KUMAILI’S SON, GUARD GUNNED DOWN IN KARACHI
PM ASSURES FULL SUPPORT TO CALAMITY-STRICKEN CITIZENS
STORY ON PAGE 02
STORIES ON PAGE 04
RAIN DEATH TOLL CLIMBS TO 115 AS FIVE MORE DIE ACROSS PUNJAB
Foreign Ministry adamant that Chinese president’s visit to Pakistan was postponed owing to PTI, PAT protests Chinese Foreign Ministry has already confirmed that it had never released President Xi’s visit to Pakistan officially STORY ON PAGE 03
02 NEWS
Sunday, 7 September 2014
Shia scholar Kumaili’s son, guard gunned down in Karachi ALLAMA ALI AKBAR KUMAILI AND HIS GUARD JUMMA KHAN WERE SHOT DEAD IN AN ARMED AMBUSH WHEN THEY WERE RETURNING FROM THE SCHOLAR’S ICE FACTORY IN AZIZABAD KARACHI
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AFARIA Alliance Pakistan chief Allama Abbas Kumaili’s son Allama Ali Akbar Kumaili was shot dead near Bhangoria Goth, Azizabad in Karachi on Saturday. According to a Majlis-e-Wahdatul Muslimeen (MWM) spokesperson, Akbar was going home with his children and a guard from his ice factory in Bhangoriaa Goth, Block-2 of Azizabad,
when unidentified armed men ambushed him near the factory. Akbar was shot twice in his chest and once in the abdomen, while his guard Jumma Khan was shot twice. They were rushed to Ziauddin Hospital in Nazimabad where doctors described their condition as critical. Both succumbed to their injuries during treatment. Allama Kumaili leaves behind a wife and three children. MWM leader Raja Nasir Abbas Jafri
condemned the incident and said that targeted killings of Shias was continuing unhindered in Karachi and the government has failed to control it. “Police and Rangers have failed to arrest the culprits behind the killings of doctors, scholars and teachers and lawyers belonging to the Shia sect,” he said, adding that the targeted killings have exposed the so-called targeted operation against militants in Karachi. Jafaria Alliance has called for three days of mourning. The call has been supported by the MWM. A protest demonstration is being staged at Numaish where Kumaili’s funeral prayers will be offered on Sunday afternoon. Kumaili’s murder was condemned by President Mamnoon Hussain, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain.
Sustained efforts needed to root out terrorism: COAS ARMY CHIEF SAYS TERROR-FREE PAKISTAN CAN ONLY BE ACHIEVED WITH CONCERTED NATIONAL EFFORTS RAWALPINDI APP
Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif on Saturday reiterated that elimination of terrorism is a national undertaking and the objective of terror - free Pakistan could be accomplished only with sustained focus of the entire nation. The army chief was on a visit to Mirali in North Waziristan Agency (NWA) where he celebrated Pakistan’s 48th Defence Day with the army troops who are busy in Operation Zarb-e-Azb. According to an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) release, the operation commander briefed the COAS on
the progress of the operation. The COAS expressed satisfaction over the achievements made by the army in NWA. Acknowledging the valour and sacrifices of the soldiers involved in Oper-
ation Zarb-e-Azb, General Sharif also appreciated the expertise and efforts of the aviation and intelligence authorities, whom he said “have contributed immensely in targeting terrorists and disrupting their command arrangements”.
“Planned with a clear end state and long-term objectives, the operation will eliminate terrorists from these areas and from across the country and will be followed by complete rehabilitation of the affected areas,” the general emphasised. The COAS directed the security forces not to allow terrorists and their affiliates to return to the cleared areas. Appreciating the special integrated security teams which have carried out pre-emptive operations in major cities and killed and apprehended hundreds of hardcore terrorists, the army chief called for the continuation of such operations. He paid tributes to the martyrs and the wounded “who have rendered supreme sacrifices for the country’s defence”. The army chief visited the temporarily dislocated people (TDP) at a camp in Bannu and spent time with the inmates where he was briefed on the relief operation and supply of goods to the TDPs. The army chief directed that conditions be created for the “safe and happy return” of the displaced persons to their respective areas as soon as possible.
Imran Khan to move SC for PM’s disqualification for ‘lying’ PTI CHIEF ACCUSES SHARIF OF TELLING LIES ON FLOOR OF HOUSE
RUBBISHES GOVT’S CLAIMS THAT PTI HAS ACCEPTED FIVE OF PTI’S DEMANDS
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Sharif offers Hashmi PML-N ticket for by-poll
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has said that his party will move the Supreme Court to seek the disqualification of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for “telling lies on the floor of the House”. Addressing the participants of ‘Azadi’ March at D-Chowk on Saturday, the PTI chief said that he will sit in the container and wait for PM Sharif’s resignation but PTI will approach the SC for Sharif’s resignation. Protesting once again at D-Chowk after a brief stint of staging a sit-in inside Islamabad’s Red Zone which led to violent clashes between the protesters and security personnel, Khan vowed not to call off the protest without the PM’s resignation. As the protest continued for the 24th day, the
PTI chief reiterated the allegation that Sharif is a fake prime minister who has come into power through massively rigged polls. Khan rubbished the government’s claims that it had accepted five of PTI’s six demands saying, “Not a single demand has been accepted by the government so far. All claims in this regard are lies.” 15 RIGGED CONSTITUENCIES: Addressing the PTI supporters, Khan said that 15 constituencies were opened for vote recount and in every constituency, approximately 30, 000 to 40, 000 bogus votes have been revealed. “Rigging has been established in Lahore’s NA128 in which 31, 000 votes were found to be fake,” he disclosed. The visibly-angry PTI leader lashed out at Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl chief Fazlur Rehman for making “abusive remarks” against women participants of Azadi March. iSlAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has shifted its sit-in venue to D-Chowk, while supporters of Pakistan Awami Tehreek chief Tahirul Qadri refused to vacate their sit-in venue outside Pak Secretariat on Saturday. INP
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has offered estranged Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Makhdoom Javed Hashmi a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) ticket to contest by-election from Multan. Hashmi has sought some time to consult the matter with his friends, a local news channel reported Saturday. Speaking in the joint session of Parliament, Hashmi had announced his resignation from the National Assembly seat to “seek a fresh mandate from the people”. The PM has offered Hashmi to contest byelection from NA-149 constituency on a PML-N ticket. Earlier, PTI Chairman Imran Khan had announced to “part ways” with Hashmi following Hashmi’s allegations that Khan is campaigning against the government on the behest of “hidden forces”. NNI
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Sikh trader shot dead in Peshawar PESHAWAR: A trader from Peshawar’s Sikh community was gunned down in Nothia in Gulberg Police precincts in Peshawar Saturday. Gulberg Police Station Station House Officer (SHO) Riaz Ali Shah said that unidentified men fired shots at the trader, a resident of Dabgari, while he was at his grocery shop in Nothia, Peshawar Cantonment, and fled. The body has been shifted to Lady Reading Hospital while police are investigating the crime, he added. On August 6, members of Peshawar’s Sikh community had come under attack with one killed and two injured in a firing incident. The attackers had targeted traders as they prayed bullets at three shops in a market in Hashtnagri. Last month’s attack had led to protests from members of the community who have demanded protection from the government. stAff rePort
10 injured as 4.5 magnitude quake hits Nawabshah NAWABSHAH: As many as 10 people were injured when a 4.5-magnitude earthquake hit Sindh’s Nawabshah district and its adjoining areas early Saturday. The victims have been shifted to the Peoples Medical College Hospital (PMCH) where an emergency has been declared. Although no death has been reported, casualties are feared. Fear and panic gripped the residents as they poured into the streets when the tremors struck the town. It may be noted that in 2013, a 7.7magnitude earthquake devastated several areas in south-western Balochistan, killing at least 376 people and leaving around 100,000 homeless. Similarly, in 2005, the country was hit by a 7.6magnitude earthquake that killed more than 73,000 people and left about 3.5 million homeless. NNI
Three security personnel injured in Hangu blast PESHAWAR: Three security personnel were injured in a remote-controlled Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast in Shenayari area near Dar Saman in Hangu ditrict. Sources said that the security forces’ vehicle was hit by a remote controlled IED, injuring one Naib Subedar and two other personnel. The injured personnel were shifted to a local hospital. Security personnel cordoned off the area as a probe into the attack went underway. Hangu borders the northwestern tribal region of Orakzai, one of Pakistan’s seven lawless districts on the Afghan border considered to be the hub of Taliban and al Qaeda-linked terrorists. stAff rePort
Sunday, 7 September 2014
NEWS
ailing deMocracy gets another dose of ‘reconciliation’ INTERIOR MINISTER DECIDES NOT TO RETALIATE AGAINST AITZAZ AHSAN’S CHARGES FOR ‘SAKE OF DEMOCRACY AND PARLIAMENT’ ISLAMABAD
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STAFF REPORT
ARRISTER Aitzaz Ahsan of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Saturday claimed that the “pro-democracy forces” had been able to thwart the “Plan D” of hidden forces bent upon sending the parliament home after Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan announced in a press conference earlier in the evening that he had decided not to retaliate to the allegations levelled against him and his dead brother by the PPP senator on the floor of the House, suggesting instead the formation of a judicial commission to investigate the charges. Addressing reporters, Nisar said that Aitzaz’s speech during the joint sitting of parliament should be considered as an “FIR” against him and the opposition leader should himself propose judges to hold an impartial enquiry. “I will not only resign from my post but also leave politics for good if even one per cent of allegations are proved against me,” the interior minister asserted. Nisar added that he was ready to accept Justice (r) Wajihuddin and Justice (r) Tariq Mehmood as the commission members. Nisar lamented that he was not given a
chance to respond to Aitzaz’s “personal attacks” on him, his family and his late brother. However, as per the desire of prime minister and senior leaders of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), he had decided to “ignore” the allegations, he said. “For the sake of Pakistan’s democracy and parliament, I have decided to set aside my self-respect and ignore Friday’s events,” the minister said. Nisar said that he got messages from across the country to show patience as Pakistan’s politics, democracy and parliament were passing through a critical time. “I am the biggest critic of Nawaz Sharif on his face and his biggest defender on his back. I have remained loyal with only one party ever since I joined politics. I act according to my conscience and do politics only to gain respect.” AHSAN PRAISES NISAR’S APOLOGY: Following Nisar’s press conference, Aitzaz praised the minister’s move saying that forgiveness was a significant step towards the country betterment. He also supported minister’s call to “forgive everyone” who levelled allegations during parliament’s joint session. In a statement, Aitzaz reiterated that he had the right to criticise the government, but added that the “truce” had foiled “Plan-D” of the government’s de-
tractors. “Plan A had failed when protesters could not bring a million people on the street,” he said. “Plan B was to bring a million people to D-Chowk, while plan C included an attack on Parliament House and Prime Minister’s House.” “Plan B and C were failed by calling the joint session of Parliament,” he added. Aitzaz further said that to criticise wrongdoings of the government was his right and vowed to continue doing so whenever he deem necessary. How things fell apart A much-touted unity of parliament against a siege by protesters threatening Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s government was thrown into disarray on Thursday when Nisar launched a tirade against Leader of Opposition in the Senate Aitzaz Ahsan, accusing the PPP senator of using “politics for business” and being “the representative and facilitator of (an unspecified) biggest land mafia of the country”. The PPP had demanded that Nisar apologise or be sacked. In an attempt to defuse the situation, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif apologised to both Aitzaz and NA opposition Leader Khurshid Shah on Friday, the fourth day of the joint sitting of the two houses. Nawaz’s apology was not however followed by an outright apology by Nisar on Saturday.
INTERIOR MINISTRY WEBSITE HACKED, DEFACED ISLAMABAD: Hactivists seem to have continued their week long campaign against the government, hacking and defacing the website of Interior Ministry on Saturday. The hacked website featured a short message for Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan that claimed “his hair was as fake as the May 2013 elections”. Counter to tradition, the hackers did not leave a note claiming responsibility for the hack. However, AnonOpPakistan tweeted to claim the hacking. In addition to the message, a three-minute long video by Ghori303 was also featured on the page titled “N-League Nooray”. It featured faces of Chaudhry Nisar, Abid Sher Ali, Khawaja Asif, Khawaja Saad Rafique and Rana Sanaullah pasted above other characters, to mock them. The hacking follows a week of hacking and distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks on a number of government and military websites by hactivists who identified with the hacking group anonymous and the hacking team of Pakistan Haxors Crew. Some media websites were also targeted. They, however, during the week, had apologised for targeting military websites, noting that it was done in error. STAFF REPORT
MQM decides not to resign froM parliaMent ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Chairman Altaf Hussain Saturday shelved the party’s decision to submit resignations of all its members having representation in parliament and the Sindh Assembly, on the request of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Fazlur Rehman. According to a statement, the JUI-F chief telephoned the MQM chief and exchanged views on the ongoing political crisis and the overall situation prevailing in the country. Rehman reportedly said that MQM has an important role in the political affairs of the country therefore the party should review its decision to resign from parliament. He also asked Hussain to direct MQM
members to express their views in the session of the parliament which is being conducted at a highly critical political juncture of the country. Hussain reportedly accepted the JUI-F chief’s request and put off the decision to submit the resignation of MQM-backed parliamentarians, besides assuring Rehman that MQM-backed parliamentarians would attend the joint session. Rehman concurred with Hussain that the sits-ins by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Pakistan Awami Tehreek should be postponed in view of the heavy rains and consequent floods. Both leaders expressed grief and sorrow on the losses caused by the rains and flooding and said that all political parties should make concerted efforts to helping the people affected by the natural disasters as well the internally displaced persons of North Waziristan.
AITZAZ WELCOMES NISAR’S DECISION, SAYS TRUCE HAS FOILED ‘PLAN D’ OF ANTIDEMOCRACY FORCES
SAYS HE WILL RESIGN FROM OFFICE AND LEAVE POLITICS IF ALLEGATIONS ARE PROVED TO BE TRUE
PROPOSES JUDICIAL PROBE INTO ALLEGATIONS AGAINST HIM, TELLS PPP LEADER TO CHOOSE THE JUDGES
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During Friday’s session, Aitzaz had appeared to be seeking Nisar’s removal by suggesting that the prime minister should reshuffle his cabinet. He also made references to Nisar’s alleged involvement in wrongdoings by Punjab revenue officials in Rawalpindi, and cited an alleged hesitation of a brother of the minister as defence secretary to notify the appointment of a new army chief on Oct 12, 1999. This Aitzaz said had given other generals time to lead a coup against Nawaz Sharif after he had sacked army chief General Pervez Musharraf. Aitzaz also indirectly accused the interior minister of betraying Nawaz, with
an eye on his job. PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari deplored the exchange between the two men, calling it “unfortunate”. However, he hastened to add that Ahsan was “justified” in his outburst, but the PPP would not make it a sticking point with the ruling party. During Friday’s proceedings, Nisar looked very agitated as the opposition continued to take potshots at him. The PM was seen repeatedly asking Nisar to stay calm as an enraged Aitzaz rambled on. His behaviour obviously disturbed the prime minister who called Nisar and urged him not to engage in this exchange any further.
GOVT MASTERING THE ART OF POSTPONING AN UNSCHEDULED VISIT FOREIGN MINISTRY ADAMANT THAT CHINESE PRESIDENT’S VISIT TO PAKISTAN WAS POSTPONED OWING TO PTI, PAT PROTESTS ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
While the Chinese Foreign Ministry made it clear on Friday that it never released any information about Chinese President XI Jinping’s visit to Pakistan officially, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry is adamant that the visit was scheduled and was later postponed owing to anti-government protests in the federal capital. With the protests by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) prolonging, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government ministers have been lashing out at protest leaders Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri on various fronts. Postponement of the Chinese president’s visit is one such blame that the government has pinned on the protesters – substantiated by statements of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Advisor to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz and Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal in the past two days. PML-N MINISTERS SAY PTI, PAT ARE TO BLAME: Supported by Aziz, Dar had claimed during the Parliament’s joint session that the cancellation of the Chinese president’s visit had jeopardised $35 billion Chinese investment in Pakistan while the Finance Ministry had also blamed PTI and PAT protests for causing political unrest in the country and thereby leading to a delay in
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CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY HAS ALREADY CONFIRMED THAT IT HAD NEVER RELEASED PRESIDENT XI’S VISIT TO PAKISTAN OFFICIALLY
the IMF tranche of $550 million. Sartaj Aziz had said that arrangements for the Chinese president’s visit were in place until Thursday and the government was trying to shift some of the meetings to Lahore due to the situation in Islamabad, as private TV channels had reported that the Chinese president was scheduled to pay a two-day visit to Pakistan on September 14-16. Ahsan Iqbal, in the meanwhile, had hit a sarcastic note in a tweet “congratulating” PTI and PAT for being responsible for the postponement of the Chinese president’s visit. FOREIGN MINISTRY JOIN PROTESTERS’ BASHING: On Saturday, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry “formally” joined the PML-N ministers’ claim by announcing the postponement of the Chinese president’s visit to the country, saying, “In view of the current political situation in Pakistan, the governments of China and Pakistan have mutually agreed to postpone the state visit of HE Xi Jinping, President of China, to Pakistan, which was scheduled to take place later this month.” The statement added that new dates for the president’s visit to Pakistan were being discussed through diplomatic channels. “Both countries underline that China and Pakistan are time-tested all-weather friends. Both sides attach high importance to the visit of President Xi Jinping to Pakistan, as early as possible, for promoting mutually
beneficial cooperation between the two countries,” the statement said. Furthermore, two more foreign heads have also cancelled their visit due to the ongoing protests in the capital by supporters of PTI and PAT, who have blocked the Constitution Avenue for the past three weeks. The media had earlier reported that a Chinese advance team did not give security clearance in a meeting with Pakistani officials in Islamabad. BUT THE PRESIDENT WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO COME ANYWAY: During a press conference in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Qin Gang said, “We never released any information about President Xi’s visit to Pakistan officially. So, it is baseless to say that the visit is being cancelled,” he added. “We have maintained close high-level exchanges. Both sides are in close communication on the next step of such exchanges. As for the current security situation in Pakistan, we hope relevant parties in Pakistan can work together while bearing in mind the fundamental interests of the state and the people and jointly safeguard national security,” Qin said. While Pakistan’s prime minister looks to resolve the political impasse by “politics of reconciliation” or a “blame game” on the paradox of Chinese dignitary’s visit, the Chinese president, however, will visit India and Sri Lanka as had been the plan.
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Sunday, 7 September 2014
Rain death toll climbs to 115 as five more die across Punjab TWO PEOPLE DIE IN LAHORE, THREE IN PASROOR AND ONE IN NAROWAL IN ROOF COLLAPSE INCIDENTS ON SATURDAY MET DEPT SAYS RAIN-GENERATING WELLMARKED LOW PRESSURE AREA OVER WEST RAJASTHAN (INDIA) HAS WEAKENED AND MOVED TO INDIAN PUNJAB LAHORE/SIALKOT
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STAFF REPORT/AGENCIES
T least five people were killed on Saturday in rain-related incidents in different parts of Punjab, Rescue 1122 said, taking the total number of deaths across the province in the last 72 hours to 115. On Saturday, a man and his daughter were killed when the roof of their house collapsed in Lahore’s Sabzazar area. In the Pasroor area of Sialkot, three people including a woman and a child died and, two others were injured when the roof of the house caved in. In Narowal, a young girl died in a similar incident. A government official confirmed to
Hired Pat deMonstrators not allowed to go back HoMe: rePort ISLAMABAD: The demonstrators of Pakistan Awami Tahreek (PAT) who were allegedly “hired” for Inqilab March are not being permitted to go back to their homes, BBC Urdu reported. A student of class 10th, resident of Bahawalpur’s Tamewali, who had come to the capital among “hundreds” others, on anonymity told BBC that the local PAT leader Tanweer Abbasi had told his family that he was leaving for Islamabad with ‘Inqilab March’ and would be back in three days. The boy said that his family was given Rs 6,000, adding that around 300 other youngsters from his area and nearby village were also brought to Islamabad on the same terms. He said battalions, each comprising 20 boys, had been formed and the in-charge of each battalion informed the organizers of the attendance of boys on daily basis. He said the boys, who suffered injuries in police skirmishes were also not allowed to go back to their homes and they had been put in the nearby areas. According to the report, the boy said that when the protestors asked the organizers that they wanted to return to their homes, they were issued dire threats. He said the organisers also tell them that their men were at bus stands of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, who would “kill them instead of letting them go to their homes” and their families would be informed that they had been killed in skirmishes with the police. According to Muhammad Aslam, a resident of Gujranwala, announcements were made on loudspeakers in a village in Gujranwala, inviting women to participate in the march. The women were also told that they would be paid additional Rs 3,000-5,000 if they bring with them infants and children aged less than 10 years. Before the Inqilab March, Tahirul Qadri had said that whosoever would come back from the revolution would be killed. However, he then explained that his statement was a joke. According to reports, about 100 women, most of them domestic workers, have been brought to Islamabad from Gujranwala and their families were being paid Rs 10,000 per month per head. APP
PM assures full suPPort to calaMity-stricken citizens
SIALKOT: Locals look at floodwater raging past their village on Saturday. INP
cattle and crops, especially in Sialkot and Gujranwala regions, due to swelling of nullahs and exceptionally high flood in Chenab and Jhelum rivers. In Lahore and Kasur, people were worried about the swelling of Ravi and Sutlej rivers, despite consolation by the Met Department that there was no such threat for now. Before the system causing heavy downpour dissipates by Sunday it is expected to produce another round of widespread rain, with isolated heavy falls over upper catchments of Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej rivers, along with Rawalpindi, Gujranwala and Lahore divisions. Scores of people have been killed in Punjab, Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa due to the heavy tor-
Pakistan Today that 110 people have died across the country in heavy monsoon downpours and flooding. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Meteorological Department said the rain-generating well-marked low pressure area over west Rajasthan (India) had weakened and moved to Indian Punjab. The contributing moist current from the Arabian Sea also lost its strength. The system is likely to dissipate by Sunday (today). But before that it was expected to produce another round of widespread rain, with isolated heavy falls over upper catchments of Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej rivers, along with Rawalpindi, Gujranwala and Lahore divisions. Reports from different parts of the country indicated huge losses to property,
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said that the death and destruction caused by rains and floods is a great loss for Pakistan and the government would leave no stone unturned to help those struck by the calamity. Chairing a meeting at the PM’s House on Saturday to review the rain and flood situation in the country and the resultant damage to life and property, the PM commended the efforts of Pakistan’s armed forces and provincial authorities in conducting relief and rescue operations. The PM directed ministers and parliamentarians to visit the calamity-hit areas and ensure that the relief activities are carried out smoothly. Issuing directives to open all highways for traffic by Saturday night, the PM ordered prompt evacuation of people and livestock from the calamity-struck areas. “Governments of Punjab and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) should coordinate with National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to start damage assessment for speedy rehabilitation of the affectees,” directed Sharif. STAFF REPORT
rential rain since Thursday. A number of cities have received over 130mm of rain and the National Disaster Management Authority has said it expects “exceptionally high flooding” in the Chenab and Jhelum rivers over the next few days. A high-intensity, late monsoon such as this is becoming a pattern now but according to experts the country is yet to learn from recent disasters. “Earlier we would have well distributed rains during the monsoon season. Now thanks to climate change, the monsoon is becoming more erratic. This sea-
Abdullah warns of unrest amid vote dispute KABUL AGENCIES
“Radicals” backing Afghan presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah could foment postelection violence if he isn’t given an equitable share of power, his spokesman warned Saturday ahead of a meeting with his rival aimed at resolving a monthslong election dispute. The camps of the two candidates — former foreign minister Abdullah and former finance minister Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai — said the two were expected to meet late Saturday or Sunday to negotiate a final deal on what powers should be given to a proposed chief executive position, the final sticking point of a national unity government. Ominously, a spokesman for Abdullah — the man most here believe is behind in the official ballot count — insinuated that the election could still end violently. In what appeared to be either a threat or a negotiating tactic, the spokesman said Abdullah’s powerful factional supporters are pressuring their candidate to not cede any
power to Ghani Ahmadzai. “If we agree and the terms of the agreement are providing an equal opportunity for both camps and defuses that tension, it might reduce the prospect of violence,” Mujib Rahman Rahimi, an Abdullah campaign spokesman, told The Associated Press. “But imagine if you have an agreement that insults one side and promotes the other side and each side firmly believes he is a winner — that could be a recipe for radicals to re-emerge and challenge the leadership and say this is not acceptable,” he said. Abdullah won the first round of the election in April but did not secure enough votes to avoid a June runoff. A preliminary count showed Ghani Ahmadzai winning the second round, but both sides alleged widespread fraud. Abdullah’s camp says it believes some 2.5 million votes out of a total 8 million cast were fake. US Secretary of State John Kerry helped broker an agreement this summer under which all 8 million ballots would be recounted, a process which was concluded on
Friday. On a parallel track, the two candidates have been trying to reach an agreement on a national unity government that would see one of them hold the as yet undefined position of chief executive of the government. A spokesman for Ghani Ahmadzai said the former World Bank official is committed to a national unity government, but he also said that giving the losing candidate chief executive power over cabinet ministers would violate the Afghan constitution. The international community had hoped for a smooth transition of power as most foreign forces withdraw by the end of the year. The United States wants the next Afghan president to quickly sign a security agreement to allow some 10,000 troops to remain to assist with counterterrorism operations and the training of Afghan security forces. President Hamid Karzai, who has been in power since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion that ousted the Taliban, has refused to sign the security accord. Both candidates have said they would sign it, but one of them must be sworn in first.
son the rainfall was largely below normal and now at the end of the monsoon we have a strong system with high intensity rainfall which is causing destruction,” explains Dr Qamar-uz-Zaman Chaudhry who has recently been appointed Special Envoy of the UN-World Meteorological Organisation on Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Services for Asia. Chaudhry is the former Director-General of the Pakistan Meteorological Department and also the lead author of Pakistan’s National Climate Change Policy (NCCP).
House-sized asteroid to buzz eartH today CAPE CANAVERAL AGENCIES
A recently discovered asteroid about the size of a house will make a relatively close pass by Earth on Sunday (today), flying just past the communication satellites that circle the planet, scientists said. NASA said the asteroid, known as 2014 RC, poses no threat, though at its closest approach it will be only about one-tenth the distance to the moon, or roughly 25,000 miles from Earth. Communications and weather satellites are generally located in orbits about 22,000 miles above the planet. “While this celestial object does not appear to pose any threat to Earth or satellites, its close approach creates a unique opportunity for researchers to observe and learn more about asteroids,” NASA said in a statement released on Tuesday. With a diameter of about 60 feet, Asteroid 2014 RC will be too dim to see with the naked eye, but amateur astronomers with small telescopes might be able to catch a glimpse as it zips by, NASA said. Asteroid 2014 RC is slightly smaller than the 65-foot diameter asteroid that exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia, last year. The shock wave from the explosion, estimated to have had 30 times more energy than the Hiroshima atomic bomb, blasted out windows and damaged buildings.
30,472 votes bogus, no record of another 21,493 votes in NA-128 LAHORE STAFF REPORT
The winning candidate of Lahore’s electoral constituency NA-128, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N)’s Malik Afzal Khokhar on Saturday expressed lack of confidence on the Election Tribunal (ET) judge as an enquiry committee revealed that 30,472 votes cast were bogus whereas there is no record of another 21,493 votes in the constituency.
The committee was constituted on a petition filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s candidate Karamat Khokhar before an ET headed by Judge Kazim Malik. Per the report, the returning officer (RO) had recorded an additional 30,472 votes in favour of the winning candidate. Furthermore, Patwari Raheel Asghar worked in the capacity of assistant presiding officer at Polling Station 11 and there is no record of ballots at that station. Presiding officers of more
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than 175 polling stations did not submit the record of ballots while at many polling stations the ballot papers were submitted to ROs in fertiliser sacks. Moreover, there is no record of how many ballot papers were used and how many were wasted. The winning candidate has expressed lack of confidence in the committee’s judge and has requested the transfer of the case to another tribunal which resulted in delay of verdict.
BUDAPEST: The ambassador and staff of the Pakistani mission in Hungarian capital Budapest cut a cake to mark Pakistan's 68th Independence Day. PR
NEWS 05
Sunday, 7 September, 2014
US claims Shebab chief slain in Somalia bombing raid SOMALIA’S PRESIDENT HASSAN SHEIKH MOHAMUD OFFERS SHEBAB FIGHTERS 45-DAY AMNESTY TO LAY DOWN THEIR ARMS AND RENOUNCE TIES WITH AL QAEDA WASHINGTON
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HE United States has claimed that it had killed the chief of al Qaeda-linked al Shebab militants in a bombing raid in Somalia, touting it as a model for an assault on extremists. The Pentagon confirmed that Ahmed Abdi Godane perished in the attack on Monday in which US drones and manned aircraft rained Hellfire missiles and laserguided bombs on an alleged gathering of al Shebab commanders. Godane had boasted that al Shebab was behind the siege at the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi last year, which killed at least 67 shoppers, staff and security personnel. President Barack Obama,
speaking in Wales after the NATO summit, seized on the results of the strike to give definition to his separate effort to combat another radical extremist group, Islamic State (IS), following days of criticism over his anti-terror strategy. “We are going to degrade and ultimately defeat (IS), the same way that we have gone after al Qaeda, the same way we have gone after the al Qaeda affiliate in Somalia,” Obama said. “We released today the fact that we have killed the leader of al Shebab in Somalia and have consistently worked to degrade their operations.” Obama has been under fire for admitting last week he did not yet have a strategy to combat IS in Syria, and has employed imprecise language about US goals — before settling Friday on the
phrase “degrade and defeat.” The killing of Godane allowed the president to fold the fight against Islamic State into what the White House says is a wider strategy to combat extremism, which has included efforts to take out leaders of militant groups. The Pentagon previously announced the raid in Somalia but had been unable to confirm Godane’s death before Friday. Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud thanked the United States, and called on al Shebab fighters to lay down their weapons. He also offered Shebab fighters a 45-day amnesty, calling on them to lay down their arms and renounce ties with al Qaeda. “One of the main pillars of the Somali war has gone, so there is no reason for Somalia’s youth to
continue with a war when its days are numbered,” he said. Shebab have refused to confirm or deny their leader’s death. White House spokesperson Josh Earnest said Godane’s demise represented “a major symbolic and operational loss to the largest al Qaeda affiliate in Africa and reflects years of painstaking work by our intelligence, military and law enforcement professionals.” US officials did not specify how Godane’s death was confirmed, but in similar cases in the
past, US intelligence agencies have tested DNA samples and used information gleaned from eavesdropping. The State Department had listed Godane as one of the world’s eight top terror fugitives and analysts said his death marks a crippling setback for Shebab. “It is too soon to declare the demise of al Shebab, but the group will now face difficult decisions about how to replace a brutal but effective leader,” said Joe Temin of the US Institute for
Peace. A top US intelligence official said there was no obvious successor in the waiting. “He was a strong leader of al Shebab .. and had basically taken care of rivals pretty effectively,” said Matthew Olsen, director of the US National Counter-Terrorism Center. The group is deeply divided and “there are a number of potential candidates” who could succeed Godane, Olsen told reporters. Godane, 37, who reportedly trained in Afghanistan with the Taliban, took over the group in 2008 after then chief Adan Hashi Ayro was killed by a US missile strike. Godane had overseen the group’s transformation from local insurgency to major regional guerrilla threat, after eliminating his fellow Shebab rivals. Under pressure in Somalia from African Union forces and having lost territory in the past three years, Godane had shifted the group’s focus from a mainly nationalist agenda to a global one.
Iran forces plane carrying Egypt charges Mursi with leaking state secrets to Qatar EGYPTIAN PUBLIC PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE SAYS SECRET PROBE HAS UNEARTHED ENOUGH Americans to land IRANIAN OFFICIAL SAYS PLANE WAS ASKED TO LAND BECAUSE IT WAS IN IRANIAN AIRSPACE AND THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH ITS ROUTE INFORMATION TEHRAN AGENCIES
A charter plane carrying 100 people, including Americans, out of Afghanistan was ordered to land in southern Iran because of errors in its flight plan, a Tehran-based official said Saturday. The rare incident prompted a flurry of reaction in the United States but the problem was solved and the aircraft headed on to Dubai, its original destination, after a few hours on the ground. “We realised that the flight information was incorrect and to be sure there was no problem, we asked to pilot to land,” said Mohammad Ali Ilkhani, head of the Iranian Airports Organisation. Flight FZ 4359, operated by Fly Dubai, landed at an airport in Bandar Abbas, a port city on the Gulf. The plane had earlier left Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, US officials said on Friday. The State Depart-
ment quickly refuted US media reports that Iran had scrambled fighter jets and forced the charter plane to land. Ilkhani said airport officials had not been aware that Americans were on board but the plane was asked to land because it was in Iranian airspace and there was a problem with its route information. “We interviewed the pilot and verified his flight documents. The pilot acknowledged there had been errors. He was then allowed to leave,” Ilkhani said. After several hours on the ground, the plane was back in the air, deputy State Department spokesperson Marie Harf said separately. Washington and Tehran have not had formal diplomatic relations for three decades, since the 1979 storming of the US embassy in Tehran and the subsequent 444day hostage crisis. In recent months, the two countries have been holding face-to-face negotiations on Iran’s suspect nuclear programme, but ties remain tense.
EVIDENCE OF ESPIONAGE TO CHARGE MURSI AND NINE OTHERS IN A CRIMINAL COURT CAIRO AGENCIES
Egypt charged ousted president Mohamed Mursi and nine others on Saturday with endangering national security by leaking state secrets and sensitive documents to Qatar, furthering a state crackdown on his outlawed Muslim Brotherhood. Relations between Qatar, a Gulf Arab state, and Egypt have been icy since July 2013, when Egypt’s thenarmy chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi toppled Mursi after protests against his rule. Qatar had supported Mursi, who is already in jail along with thousands of Brotherhood members, many of whom have been sentenced to death on separate charges. Security sources had said last month that Egypt was investigating Mursi in connection with documents they said were leaked to Qatar and its satellite news channel Al Jazeera. The Egyptian public prosecutor’s
office said on Saturday its secret investigation had unearthed enough evidence of espionage to charge Mursi and nine others in a criminal court. The maximum penalty if convicted is death. “The inquiries ... exposed humiliating facts and the extent of the largest conspiracy and treason carried out by the terrorist Brotherhood organization
against the nation through a network of spies,” it said in a three-page statement. The public prosecutor said Mursi’s aides were involved in leaking to Qatari intelligence and Al Jazeera, documents which exposed the location of and weapons held by the Egyptian armed forces and detailed the country’s foreign and domestic policies. The Qatari Foreign Ministry in Doha did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the accusations. Al Jazeera, which has been banned from Egypt, has denied any bias in reporting events there or any role in aiding the Brotherhood. The Brotherhood dismissed the charges as political. “Today is the start of yet another kangaroo trial... Mursi’s trials are politically motivated cases with trumped up charges and a corrupt judiciary presiding over it,” Abdulla El-Haddad, a Brotherhood spokesman based in Britain, said by email. Mursi faces trial in five other cases as well, on charges ranging from violence to insulting the judiciary.
Ukraine truce takes hold as West lines up Russia sanctions KIEV AGENCIES
Ukraine and pro-Kremlin insurgents appeared to be observing a truce on Saturday that could stem five months of bloodshed
but still failed to head off fresh Western sanctions against Russia and is unlikely to quell the separatist drive in the east. The 12-point pact signed on Friday in the Belarussian capital Minsk is the first to be backed by both the Kremlin and
Ukrainian army soldiers ride a tank on a road near where pro-Russian separatists fired heavy artillery, on the outskirts of the key southeastern port city of Mariupol, on Saturday.
Kiev since bands of Russian-speaking militias seized a string of government buildings across Ukraine’s industrial heartland in early April. Yet highly sceptical Western leaders nonetheless decided to punish Russian President Vladimir Putin for his efforts in supporting the rebels by beefing up sanctions on Moscow’s most crucial state firms. “The only reason that we’re seeing this ceasefire at this moment is because of both the sanctions that have already been applied and the threat of further sanctions,” US President Barack Obama said. But with the rebels winning notable gains in recent days and Russia outwardly defiant over the impact of earlier sanctions there was little sign the ceasefire would put an end to the eastern insurgency. The closely coordinated steps by Washington and the European Union target Russia’s cash-generating energy and defence sectors while taking aim at the overall economy by limiting Moscow’s ability to raise funds in the West. Obama said these measures were needed to ensure Russian “follow-through” on the peace plan. EU diplomats said their “agreement in principle on new sanctions” would be officially implemented in writing
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on Monday. And NATO also approved a sions as the rebels launched a lightning “spearhead” force of several thousand sol- counter-offensive that saw a dramatic rediers that would maintain a “continuous” versal of fortunes for the Ukrainian army. presence in eastern European nations that NATO says the rebels were bolstered by heavily-armed elite forces from Russia. view Putin’s intentions with dread. The deal brokered by the OSCE Euro“This decision sends a clear message — NATO protects all allies at all times,” pean security body will see both sides start alliance’s outgoing chief Anders Fogh pulling back their units from major flashRasmussen said at the conclusion of a points and exchanging prisoners on Saturtwo-day summit in Wales. The Kremlin day. Russia was also allowed to supply accuses NATO of concocting evidence stricken cities with humanitarian aid that about Russia’s involvement in the conflict Kiev had previously opposed out of fear the as pretext for expanding its own presence convoys could be used to smuggle arms. But the agreement leaves Poroshenko along Russia’s western frontier. exposed to charges of ‘Stealth RuSSian signing off on his governinvaSion’ The closely coordinated ment’s surrender and failThe peace blueprint on his May election — its initial terms unsteps by Washington and ing promise to reunify the naveiled by Putin this week after telephone talks with the European Union target tion of 45 million under a single banner of building his Ukrainian counterRussia’s cash-generating strong ties with the West. part Petro Poroshenko energy and defence Kiev had little room for — could leave sepaUkrainian ratists in effective consectors while taking aim at manoeuvre. Prime Minister Arseniy trol of a region that the overall economy by Yatsenyuk said the agreeaccounts for one-sixth of required US and EU Ukraine’s population limiting Moscow’s ability ment backing because Kiev and a quarter of its exports. It was drawn up to raise funds in the West could “not manage with Russia on our own”. during a surge in ten-
06 NEWS
Sunday, 7 September, 2014
Hindu hardliners unrepentant a year after riots in Muzaffarnagar MUZAFFARNAGAR
lence between majority Hindus and minority Muslims, including riots in 1992 over the razing of a N unrepentant Jasbir mosque at a disputed religious site Singh smirked as he in Ayodhya which killed more contemplated the than 2,000 people. Last year’s vichanges to his village olence was the deadliest in the in the year since hun- state since the Ayodhya carnage, dreds of Muslims fled a terrifying erupting just months before May’s wave of deadly communal vio- general election which was won lence in northern India. by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya “All the filth has now gone,” Janata Party (BJP). Singh said at a gathering with felWhile new Prime Minister low Hindu elders in the flashpoint Narendra Modi largely avoided Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar the topic of religion during his Pradesh state. More than 60 peo- campaign, many Muslims remain ple were killed, hundreds injured wary of a man who was chief and thousands were displaced in minister of Gujarat when Hindu and around Muzaffarnagar after a mobs went on a murderous ramdispute over the treatment of a page in the state in 2002. local Hindu girl spiralled into riots Modi is now one of Uttar on September 7 last year. Pradesh’s members of parliament, But while few of the victims along with two BJP lawmakers arhave been able to rested for their alreturn home — leged role in the many of them More than 60 people were Muzaffarnagar forced to eke out violence. One of a living in killed, hundreds injured them, Sanjeev squalid displaceBalyan, is a junand thousands were ment camps — ior government sympathy ap- displaced in and around minister. In an Inpears in short Muzaffarnagar after a dependence Day supply among speech, Modi dispute over the their former called for an end neighbours. Uttar treatment of a local Hindu to communal vioPradesh, India’s lence, which he most populous girl spiralled into riots on said was stunting state, has a long September 7 last year growth. But on history of viothe ground in
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Turkish govt wins vote of confidence in parliament anKaRa: The new Turkish government Saturday won a vote of confidence in parliament in capital Ankara. Turkey’s 62nd government won 306 votes from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) with 133 lawmakers from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) voting against it, Xinhua reported. The new government was formed by Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu of the ruling AKP. On Aug 28, newly-elected Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan designated Davutoglu to form the new government. Davutoglu has been Erdogan’s advisor from 2003 to 2009 when he was the foreign minister. AGENCIES
Displaced Indian Muslim villager Sanjida Ali with her child at a relief camp in Muzaffarnagar where more than 60 people were killed, hundreds injured and thousands displaced after a dispute over the treatment of a local Hindu girl spiralled into riots on Sept 7, 2013
Muzaffarnagar, resentment among Hindus towards Muslims shows little sign of abating, with many accusing the socialist state government of favouring Muslims to bolster their electoral support. Even the compensation paid to Muslims who lost homes during the two weeks of bloodshed is a bone of contention. “They lived in dirt cheap houses and are now getting so much more as compensa-
tion from this outrightly biased administration,” said Vinod Kumar, speaking at his home in Kutba village where at least eight Muslims were killed last September. Vinod’s younger brother Amit Kumar boasted how he had managed to dodge apparently halfhearted attempts by police to arrest him over his role in the riots. “I go to the fields each time they come looking for me at our
home,” the 26-year-old said. Fleeing in the middle of the night Muzaffarnagar is four hours’ drive from New Delhi, but its landscape of sugarcane fields and dirt roads feels a world away from the capital. Many villages still bear the scars of the violence — such as Lisad, where all the houses in a street which used to be home to more than a dozen Muslim families are now abandoned
and partially destroyed. The local mosque has also been abandoned, its doors swinging on hinges. For 35-year-old Sanjida Ali, the memory of the night she had to flee her home in the nearby village of Kakra is as raw as ever. “We had to flee in the middle of night into the forest next to our village, leaving behind all our belongings which are lost to us forever,” said the mother-of-six. The family made a run for it after hearing that Hindu neighbours, angered by reports of communal violence in a next-door village, were plotting to take revenge on them. “I don’t think we will ever go back,” said Ali, who lives in what was meant to be a temporary displacement camp in the Shahpur area of Muzaffarnagar. “But my husband, who is a mason, hasn’t had any regular work since the riots.” The Alis now live in a one-room makeshift hovel on the side of a road, along with a goat and a hen. Plastic sheeting precariously propped up by bamboo sticks has only limited success in keeping out the monsoon rains, while water is accessed from a nearby hand pump which they share with dozens of other families. Mehtab, a Muslim cloth-seller who uses only one name, said he was also struggling to make ends meet since fleeing his home.
Hate attacks against Muslims after beheadings of US journalists NEW YORK AGENCIES
Since the beheadings of two American journalists by the Islamic State (IS), Muslims living in Bay Ridge area of Brooklyn have been threatened by extremist hate groups, New York’s media reported the other day. On Wednesday two advocates of Arab civil rights were attacked by a
man who shouted anti-Arab epithets and threatened to behead one of them, reports say. A women interviewed on TV said some miscreants carrying Israeli flags attacked grocery stores belonging to Arabs and threatened them. On Thursday the New York police charged Brian Boshell with menacing and aggravated harassment as a hate crime and criminal possession of
weapon, the New York Daily News reported. Linda Sarsour, 34, the director of the Arab-American Association of New York, said that Boshell threatened her and threw a trash can at her and her deputy. “My deputy director and I were harassed and assaulted by a bigoted drunk who hurled hateful Islamophobic and anti-Arab epithets at us on 5th Avenue in Bay Ridge, (Brooklyn)
“Sarsour posted on Facebook.” He said, ‘you are cutting people’s heads off [you prostitute.] I’m going to cut off your head and see how your people will feel, you Arab bitch’ and plenty more after that.” She said that the police were initially slow to respond but later the “top brass” with the New York City Police Department “stepped up” and the suspect was apprehended, reports say.
Jamatul Ahrar welcomes new al Qaeda branch PESHAWAR AGENCIES
A new breakaway faction of the Pakistani Taliban has welcomed al Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri’s announcement of the launch of a South Asian branch of the terror network. Zawahiri announced the new “al Qaeda in the subcontinent” operation in a video message, saying it would take the fight to Myanmar, Bangladesh and India, which has a large but traditionally moderate Muslim population. Indian authorities said they were taking the move seriously and put several states on high alert on Thursday. Ehsanullah Ehsan, spokesman for the new Taliban bloc, named Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Jamatul Ahrar, hailed Zawahiri’s call. “We welcome the new announcement of the subcontinent branch of Al Qaeda. We believe that the branch will work hard for the achievement of the rights of Muslims in the subcontinent,” Ehsan said in a message posted on Twitter and Facebook. Ehsan said rights of Muslims in the region could only be achieved through Is-
lamic Sharia law and the establishment of a caliphate. Asim Umar, the head of the newlycreated South Asia branch of al Qaeda, is a Pakistani ideologue who has produced a number of online calls to jihad but has
a relatively low profile. Umar has appeared wearing a black turban and beard in several online videos produced by al Qaeda and the TTP. The TTP is now effectively divided into two factions, one headed by Mullah
Fazlullah, who was elected last November following the killing of ex-chief Hakimullah Mehsud in a US drone strike. The breakaway Jamatul Ahrar (freedom fighters group) group announced its split on Thursday and named Omar
Khalid Khorasani as its commander. Khorasani previously led a faction called Ahrarul Hind, which claimed several attacks during a ceasefire period between the government and Taliban earlier this year, including one on an Islamabad court complex that killed 12 people. Analysts believe Khorasani has strong links to al Qaeda and Zawahiri. The Pakistani military has been waging a major assault on TTP bases in North Waziristan tribal area since mid-June and says it has crippled the militants’ command and control structure. The TTP, a loose coalition of different militant outfits, was riven by infighting in the months leading up to the military operation. In May a faction of the Mehsud tribe cut ties with the TTP. The Mehsuds were widely seen as the most important group in the TTP and their loss was regarded as a major blow. In response to yesterday’s al Qaeda announcement, a foreign ministry spokesman said: “Pakistan has taken very resolute action against al Qaeda and its remnants. Our military operation against terrorists is still going on. It is all inclusive and across the board.”
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ONE PASSENGER DEAD, NINE INJURED AS COASTER OVERTURNS HYDERABAD: A passenger lost his life while nine others received injuries when a speedy coaster overturned near Detha Toll Plaza on Hyderabad-Mirpurkhas Road on Saturday. According to police, the incident took place due to slackness of the driver as a result of which one of the passengers of the coaster died on the spot. The identity of the deceased whose body was rushed to Civil Hospital Hyderabad could not be ascertained yet. The injured persons identified as Nazar Muhammad, Abdul Qayoum, Muhammad Hanif, Shahrukh, Tariq, Muhammad Bux, Noor Muhammad, Parkash and Mahesh have also been shifted to Civil Hospital Hyderabad where first aid is being provided to them. aPP
WOMAN KILLS TWO DAUGHTERS, COMMITS SUICIDE GHOTKI: A woman committed suicide after killing her two daughters over domestic dispute on Saturday. Police said the incident took place in village Chanali in the suburb of Ghotki where a woman after exchange of hot words with husband over domestic issues poisoned her two daughters to death and later consumed toxic syrup herself. The two girls, aged two and six years, and their mother died before they could be provided medical aid. The bodies were shifted to a hospital and later handed over to heirs after medicolegal formalities. Police have registered a case into the incident and investigation was in progress. INP
3 DACOITS KILLED IN ‘ENCOUNTER’ KARACHI: As many as three dacoits were killed in an alleged police encounter in Orangi town on Saturday. Rescue sources said the encounter took place in sector 11 of Orangi Town. Police claimed the accused were involved in robbery and extortion. ONlINe
CLOUDY WEATHER LIKELY IN CITY KARACHI: The Met Office has forecast a partly cloudy/cloudy weather for Karachi on Sunday with maximum temperature between 32 and 34 degrees centigrade. Hot and humid weather has also been forecast for Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Sukkur and Larkana divisions. On Saturday, the highest maximum temperature of 41.5 degrees centigrade was recovered at Turbat and lowest minimum of 15 degrees centigrade at Quetta and Kalat. PPI
PAF ASSUMES GUARD DUTY AT QUAID’S MAUSOLEUM KARACHI: The change of guards ceremony was held at the mausoleum of the founder of Pakistan, Quaid-eAzam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, on the auspicious occasion of Defence Day of Pakistan, September 6, on Saturday. A smartly turned out contingent of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Academy Risalpur took over the duties of guards. Air Marshal Asim Zaheer was the chief guest of the ceremony. PPI
Qaim launches 36 RECONDITIONED CNG BUSES KARACHI
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INDH Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah formally launched on Friday the people’s bus service which had initially a fleet of 36 reconditioned CNG buses. After the inauguration, the chief minister also took a short trip in a bus from Chief Minister House to the PIDC building along with journalists. The 36 buses were part of a fleet of 72 CNG buses launched by the city government during the tenure of Nazim Mustafa Kamal but the buses soon wore out for want of necessary maintenance and were consigned to the Surjani and Korangi terminals after plying for just a year or so. The Sindh government spent Rs 40 million to bring the buses back to roads in collaboration with the KMC which were to ply by the end of June but the project was delayed due some to technical problems. The chief minister said earlier at the launching ceremony at CM House that the launch of 36-bus fleet to be followed by another fleet within a month would provide improved transport service to one third of the commuters in the city. He said that city dwellers were facing great difficulties because of law and order conditions and lack of transport when they had to wait for hours at the bus stands to get transport to reach their workplace from their home and vice versa. He said
that other transport projects like BRT, Green Line, Yellow Line and Orange Line were also under process which would soon give the city a better transport system matching its status of being a mega city. The chief minister mentioned his recent visit to China along with PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari on the invitation of the Communist Party of China and said they took up the transport issue of Karachi and other parts of Sindh besides power generation projects. He said the Chinese had also shown interest in yellow line transport service and Karachi circular railway project which was to receive Japanese investment but in the last CCI meeting Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif informed the Sindh government that Japanese loan which was for 40 years on 0.4 per cent interest rate was no more available as the government had failed to take advantage of their offer. The chief minister appealed to people to take care of the buses which were being plied to mitigate
their sufferings. The government was also striving to address other civic problems besides the transport issue as per vision of the PPP leaders Benazir Bhutto, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Asif Ali Zardari. Sindh Minister for Transport Mumtaz Jakhrani said during the visit to China, the chief minister had signed three MoUs on transport and hoped these projects would bring about a transport revolution in Karachi in next three years. Minister for Local Government Sharjeel Inam Memon said it was the PPP which had always taken initiative in launching development work in Karachi, like the projects of flyover bridges, K-4 to improve water supply and S3 sewerage project and sanitation, improved medical services and other development projects. KMC Administrator Rauf Akhtar Farooqui also mentioned other development projects being executed in the city and said with the implementation of other transport schemes people would soon get a better transport system and get rid of Qingqi rickshaws.
SHC GIVES LAST CHANCE TO SECY EDUCATION, AG KARACHI PPI
The Sindh High Court (SHC) gave last chance to the education and literacy department secretary, director education and other officials to respond on a petition of a Sindhi language teacher seeking payment of salaries. The petitioner, Zulifqar Ali, approached the court citing education and literacy department secretary, director education Karachi and accountant general (AG) Sindh as respondents. In the petition, Zulifqar submitted that he was appointed at Government Boys Secondary School (GBSS), Bhitai Colony, Korangi Crossing, Karachi, in May 1999 but since then he was not paid salary by the AG. Back in 1999, appointments of Sindhi language and junior school teachers made during 1998 and 1999 were declared bogus by the AG who did not release their salaries but Sindh Service Tribunal declared their appointments valid in July 2007 after being approached them, said the petitioner. He submitted that following the judgment of the tribunal, not only did the education department regularize their services from date of their appointments but also ordered release of their salaries from July 2010 onward. The petitioner said that all his school colleagues, who were regularized along with him, were drawing their salaries but he was not being paid salaries by the AG despite the fact that he had got his salary bills approved from the education department, he added. The petitioner requested the court to order official respondents to release his salaries. When the matter came up for hearing, a division bench headed by Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi expressed displeasure on official respondents for their failure to file replies in the matter and gave them last chance to respond.
MINISTER TAKES SERIOUS NOTICE OF ‘MISSING EMPLOYEES’ KARACHI NNI
Taking serious notice of absence of employees in certain areas of the city during his surprise visit for overseeing rains emergency preventive measures, Sindh Minister Sharjeel Innam Memon on Saturday directed the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) administrator to prepare lists of absentees. The minister said the Sindh government had two days ago imposed rains emergency in the metropolis and hence there would be no respite in implementation of government’s plan to keep the people of the city safe and protected from untoward situations that might emerge from expected heavy rains. Sharjeel Innam Memon had paid surprise visit to many city areas including Clifton, DHA, Shahra-e-Faisal, Saddar,
Empress Market area, M A Jinnah Road, Lines Area, Old Numaish area, Guru Mandir area, Nazimabad, North Nazimabad, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulistan-eJauhar, Rashid Minhas Road, Ayesha Manzil, Water Pump area, Korangi and Landhi Saturday. The minister enquired about the
progress of cleaning of storm water drains and was irked to note that a lot of workers’ strength of district municipal corporations and KMC was not present on the spot. The absence of workers posed a serious threat to smooth functioning of municipal tasks and hence the minister directed the KMC administrator to imme-
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diately prepare a list of the absentees and seek report from DMC administrators and municipal commissioners. He said the Sindh local government department had with the imposition of rains emergency cancelled staffers’ vacations and leaves after which there should be no leniency. Stern departmental action should now be initiated against all those that remained absent despite clear instructions. The minister warned all KMC and DMCs strength to be punctual to their assigned official duties or be ready to face the music. Any miserable condition that might emerge due to sluggishness of KMC and DMCs would be dealt with as per law and those responsible would be taken to task because that manifest of criminal negligence might inflict unwanted suffering to the people of the city. Memon said the Sindh government had already released necessary funds to
the DMCs to diligently meet the expenses to be accrued on dispensing municipal jobs and hence there was no reason left to see the assigned task suffered due to lack of management and poor administration. He said all encroached sewage and storm water drains would be evicted for which the chief executive of the province Syed Qaim Ali Shah had already been updated with the eviction plan and in order to prevent any untoward situation during the process of eviction of public land, the law enforcement agencies had also been taken on board. The minister said the encroachers had converted the metropolis a backward town and ruined the sewage and storm water drainage system of the city. The encroachers had almost occupied 94 per cent of sewage and storm water drainage system while just 4 per cent was remained free from encroachment.
08 KARACHI
Sunday, 7 September, 2014
HYDERABAD: A disabled man stands beside the Azadi Special Train at Railway Station. ONLINE
Woman among seven killed in violence KARACHI
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HE violence and firing incidents claimed at least seven people including a woman in different areas of metropolis. Following a brief letup, the spell of targeted killings continued and a man, Syed Kashif Hussain, was killed when terrorists opened gunfire at an electric shop located near Urdu Bazaar in Nazimabad1. Some armed men gunned down two men - Yasir Tirmizi and Ahmed, in Malir’s Model Colony. In another firing incident, unidentified motorcyclists sprayed bullets at a shop near Water Pump, killing a man, Mohsin Raza Zaidi. Meantime, Lyari’s Nawa Lane also witnessed a flashpoint where a man was shot to death. The deceased was identified as Amanullah. Limb-tied body of a man was recovered from a stream near Old Sabzi Mandi. The man was shot to death after torture. Meantime, another body of a woman with torture marks was found from Gulshan-eMaymar. The deceased could not be identified yet.
SHC RESTRAINS LEASING OUT 6,300 ACRES OF FORESTLAND KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) ordered the secretary forest department, chief conservator forests and other officials to strictly abide by its interim order that restrained provincial authorities from leasing out 6,300 acres of forestland in Badin and Sujawal districts for farming purpose. A two-judge bench had given interim order on a petition filed by MNA Syed Ayaz Ali Shah Shirazi against illegal allotment of forestland. The counsel for petitioner submitted that the chief minister had approved a summary on May 14 leasing out 6,300 acres of forest land to Badin Agro Development Farm under Agro Forestry Lease Policy of Sindh Forest Department for agricultural and fish farm purpose. Subsequently, the chief conservator issued a letter dated May 30 to this effect. He said poor people living in the surrounding areas of the forest use them as grazing source for their cattle. These forests also produced timber which helped boost economy of the country, he added. “Deforestation by allotting forestland to powerful influential persons including M/s Badin Agro Development Farm for agricultural and fish farm purpose would not only force poor local people to leave the places and livelihood but also cause the loss of precious forest land to the province. The court was requested to declare the illegal allotment of forest land and suspend the operation of administrative letter leasing out land for farming.” During previous hearing, the petitioner filed a contempt of court application submitting that officials belonging to the forest department had violated court’s interim order by leasing out forest land and allowing lease holders to carry out farming. PPI
FIA INSPECTOR SUMMONED FOR NOT ACTING AGAINST LAND GRABBERS KARACHI PPI
The Sindh High Court (SHC) has summoned the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) inspector over his failure in taking action against sale of smuggled Iranian petrol at a filling station in Ghas Mandi area. The petitioner, Aslam Karimi, a businessman, had moved the court against FIA’s incharge crime circle Karachi and SHO Garden police station over their inaction against anti-social elements who illegally occupied his filling station and were selling smuggled petrol there. The counsel for petitioner submitted that his client had entered into a business agreement with the Pakistan State Oil (PSO) for selling petroleum products at his filling sta-
tion in Ghas Mandi area. He said during 2012, when lawlessness in the city was rampant, the petitioner continuously received death threats from land grabbers and was forced to shut down his filling station. After winding up his business, the petitioner left the city for some time and on return, he found his filling station having been occupied by land grabbers who were selling smuggled Iranian petrol, he added. The counsel told the judges that his client was not allowed to enter the filling station and was persecuted by them. He said that the petitioner approached the home secretary and the FIA’s incharge crime
circle Karachi seeking action against land grabbers and their illegal activities but all in vain. He also registered complaint with the Garden police station SHO but he also avoided action against
them. The counsel alleged that land grabbers were selling smuggled petrol under the supervision of law enforcement officers who did not take action against them. He requested the court to order LEAs to take action against them and stop their illegal activities at petitioner’s filing station in Ghas Mandi. During the hearing, the counsel informed judges that FIA’s inspector Fazal Muhammad Suriho had registered a complaint but no progress, whatsoever, had been made by him as the petitioner was still being harassed. At the request of the counsel, the court directed the FIA inspector to appear in court along with the progress report. Hearing of the case was adjourned till September 15.
208 sanctioned posts lying vacant at teaching hospital LARKAnA PPI
As many as 208 sanctioned posts of various categories from BPS-1 to 20 are lying vacant since long at the largest tertiary care teaching hospital of upper Sindh, PPI learnt on Saturday. Three sanctioned posts also include of BPS20 such as police surgeon, chief casualty medical officer and chief surgeon. Out of 40 posts of doctors of BS-19, only 32 are filled and eight are vacant. Out of 22 posts of specialists, three are filled and 19 are vacant. Out of 344 posts of doctors of BS-17 & 18 including registrars, medical officers, senior medical officers, only 278 are filled and 66 are lying vacant. Likewise out of 136 sanctioned posts of staff nurses, 86 are said to be filled (because other many employees are drawing monthly salaries from these posts) and 50 vacant since last over two decades and out of 1,049 sanctioned posts of paramedics 987 are filled and 62 are vacant. Overall, out of 1,591 posts 1,386 posts are filled and 208 are vacant from BPS-1 to 20 due to which the hospital working is suffering badly. At present one staff nurse is looking after
CMYK
more than 30 female patients of her ward which is very difficult to manage particularly in surgical and medicine wards. The Chandka Medical College Hospital serves 12 districts of upper Sindh, parts of Balochistan and lower part of Punjab as well but this hospital has been neglected as far as the recruitment of doctors and other required staff is concerned due to unknown reasons as 1,352 patients remain admitted at a time and night ward duties are performed by house officers or postgraduate students instead of proper doctors and nursing care services are rendered by student nurses instead of staff nurses. More posts of dialysis technicians should also be sanctioned along with office staff such as assistants and senior and junior clerks to further improve the working efficiency because medico-legal cases, court cases, house job matters, dispensers, OT technicians etc courses and nursing trainings are being carried out here since long and the hospital itself has expanded very much as many new wards have been opened but more proper staff has not yet been sanctioned which has created lot of work load over the existing workers.
The foundation stone of this district headquarters hospital was laid by Khuwaja Nazimuddin, the then governor general of Pakistan. It was upgraded in 1973 and renamed as CMCH. As many as 400 beds were added in 1975 for clinical and teaching purposes. UAE King Shaikh Zaid Bin Sultan Al-Nehyan inaugurated in 1974 the only women hospital in upper Sindh known as Shaikh Zaid Hospital for Women. Over half a million poor people of this downtrodden area visit OPD yearly, about 75,000 of them are admitted and over 14,000 major and minor operations are conducted annually in the hospital, it is further learnt. This hospital block buildings, bungalows, quarters and nursing hostels have become dilapidated and outdated which need repairs and renovation on emergency basis for which huge amount of M&R funds are required but the Sindh government has done nothing as yet to sanction the required budget for the same purposes. People of Larkana have demanded that all requirements of the hospital should be met without loss of further time for the benefit of people of this remote area.
BUSINESS 09
Sunday, 7 September, 2014
CORPORATE CORNER
UBL champions innovation in management practices at MAP Convention KARACHI PRESS RELEASE
UBL has always advocated best management practices, not just within the organization but also in relation to its customers across the country. The bank has consistently been an innovator, offering the most technologically advanced financial offerings in keeping with the demands of the time. In keeping with its stature as a frontrunner committed to positive change, UBL recently partnered with the Management Association of Pakistan (MAP), by becoming the lead sponsor of the 16th MAP Convention 2014 entitled “Re-Think Management” on September 1st & 2nd, 2014 at the Movenpick Hotel in Karachi. The convention’s objective was to encourage contemporary management practitioners to rethink and embrace the idea of being innovators in their professional settings. The convention featured prominent local and international business leaders and prominent speakers, including Tony Buzan, renowned author and educational consultant and proponent of the techniques of Mind Mapping. Wajahat Husain, President & CEO, UBL was especially invited for the convention, where he addressed the participants at the start of the event. Mr. Husain in his address touched upon UBL’s inroads into the traditional Pakistani banking landscape with technologically ground-breaking products. He also stressed on the fact that businesses need to think out of the box and come up with more innovative ideas and techniques to incorporate into their offerings while at the same time ensuring that internally they follow sound management practices. Ali Hasnain, Group Executive – Retail Bank, UBL was a panel speaker of a special segment in the convention. Many senior executives from the bank were also in presence at the event.
Economy crumbling as political standoff continuEs POLITICAL STANDOFF IN ISLAMABAD HAS NEGATIVELY IMPACTED ONGOING BUSINESS ACTIVITIES BESIDES SHATTERING THE CONFIDENCE OF FOREIGN INVESTORS
FDI SLUMPS 80 PC, STANDS AT $24M COMPARED TO $119M RECORDED IN 2013
KARACHI
t
ISMAIL DILAWAR
HE lingering political standoff between the government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) protesters in the federal capital has caused the postponement and cancellation of many business meetings scheduled in Pakistan by foreign shareholders, besides keeping foreign investors at bay. The dollar-hungry Pakistan has already witnessed a slump of 80 percent in the inflows of foreign direct investment (FDI) that, the State Bank said, declined to $24 million in July - the first month of Fiscal Year (FY) 2015-2016. In July 2013, the FDI was $119 million. Analysts believe that the slump could further shatter the confidence of the risk-averse foreign investors whose direct investment in neighboring India amounted to a whooping $28 billion in 2013. A recent survey conducted by Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI) during the first week of the current month has revealed that the investors’ confidence for attracting new FDI has been dented by the political impasse. OICCI is the collective voice of 195 major foreign investors in Pakistan from 35 different countries, operating in 14 different sectors of
local economy. Based on the feedback by OICCI's members, the survey states that after the terror attack on Karachi Airport in June, the political deadlock in Islamabad has negatively impacted ongoing business activities and future investment plans. "The recent events have caused the postponement or cancellation of scheduled business meetings in Pakistan with overseas shareholders and regional management," said more than half of those surveyed.
The survey further revealed that about a third of the respondents expected a fresh review of their planned new investment for the next three years. About half of the respondents expressed the opinion that such incidents affected their ability to retain critical talent in Pakistan. In terms of its immediate impact on the ongoing business operations and product distribution, 40 percent of the respondent expected decline in sales and profitability with resultant
reduction in tax payments. A majority, 62 percent, foresaw serious damage to the government’s fiscal targets while a small minority suggested that this might also impact on the recently launched Vision 2025 targets. THERE’S STILL HOPE: "We expect that the current uncertainty in the business environment would soon be stabilised and that the authorities, both at the federal and provincial level, would continue to address the key issues affecting business and investment," said President OICCI Asad S Jafar while commenting on the survey's findings. The key issues, the president outlined, include security, law and order, energy supply gap, serious concern on governance and policy implementations and need for a structured accountability on business and investment issues in line with Vision 2025. Reiterating OICCI faith in Pakistan, Jafar said that brief surveys like the one in question were not exhaustive but meant to reflect an immediate assessment of the foreign investors of the current events in Pakistan. Analysts believe that the slump in FDI shows that the federal government has failed to improve the country’s image and convince offshore investors despite the availability of bulk of unused liquidity in the international market.
CII TO ASSIST PAK IN SME SECTOR LAHORE APP
The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the largest private sector network, will enhance bilateral trade ties especially the promotion and strengthening of SME sector on modern lines between Pakistan and India to meet international export standards. The leader of Indian delegation Rajesh Menon, (Head of South and Central Asia), Confederation of Indian Industry, prior to his return to India after 3day visit to Pakistan told APP here Saturday that he had result-oriented and meaningful meetings with President Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), Usman Zakaria, Chief Executive, Trade Development Authority Pakistan, S M Munir, Chairman United Business Group, VP SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry Iftikhar Ali Malik at his residence along with corporate sector leaders. He said there was a need to address concerns relating to market access, tariff and non-tariff barriers.
The Pak-Indo trade leaders stressed the need for "Trust Building Measures” between private sectors of the two countries to boost bilateral trade, he added. Rajesh said that CII plans to host an international conference on "Global SME" soon and he extended invitation to private sector of Pakistan for participation and delivering research-based lectures. He said the main object of inviting Pak delegation was to share their views with international experts to improve and better SME sector, a back bone of the economy worldwide. He said the CII would extend support and training facilities to develop human resources in industrial sector on modern lines to meet the international standards of exports and modern trends in global marketing. He said SM Munir told him that "Pakistan wants a level-playing field for strengthening trade ties with India". He said FPCCI Chief Usman Zakaria had assured full co-operation and host Iftikhar Ali Malik gave undertaking for active collaboration and partic-
ipation in global moot on SME. The deputy leader of the delegation Pranav Kumar, Head of International Trade and Policy of CCI, said the CII would work out viable strategies and mechanism to promote bilateral trade between the two neighbours exclusively through SME sector. Iftikhar Ali Malik said, "Leaders from both sides were pushing the need to liberalise the visa regime between Pakistan and India to promote business linkage.” The trade leaders from either sides stressed the need for confidence building measures between private sectors of the two countries to boost bilateral trade and capacity building.
DAR FOR EARLY FORMULATION OF HYDEL POWER POLICY ISLAMABAD NNI
Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar on Saturday directed the WAPDA chairman to expedite formulation of a comprehensive hydel power policy in order to attract private sector investment. The finance minister stated while chairing a meeting to discuss issues related to financing of Diamer Bhasha Dam at the finance ministry. WAPDA Chairman Zafar Mahmood briefed the finance minister on a draft of hydel power policy which was being prepared and it would include all issues related to attract private sector investment in hydel power generation in the country. The policy will provide for upfront tariff to the international investors. He informed that the policy will also address environmental aspects in addition to technical and financial aspects. He further informed that the draft policy is
essential for attracting private sector investment in hydel power generation. He briefed the finance minister on the work done so far in connection with Diamer Bhasha Dam. The finance minister was informed that during the last 24 hours, Mangla Dam had absorbed two million acre feet of water from its catchments areas. He said the Mangla Dam raising project had brought immense benefits not only for conservation of water but also to control flooding. The finance minister observed that Indus River Cascade had an over 90,000 mega watts power generation capacity and had there been focus on hydel power generation, the country would not have shortage of energy or water. He emphasized that hydel-led energy mix could provide cheaper electricity to the people of Pakistan. He mentioned that with the construction of three gorges dam, China has placed a check on floods and built a
reservoir on which the whole country is benefiting. The finance minister underlined that the government would go ahead with both Dasu and Diamer projects at the same time and eventually phase out costly thermal power generation which had resulted in large import bill. He directed the officials of the ministry of water and power and WAPDA to plan for the international investors meeting to be held in Washington DC to attract donor agencies and US investors for construction of mega dams in Pakistan with special emphasis on opportunities available in Diamer Bhasha Dam Project. Miftah Ismail, Chairman BOI, Dr Waqar Masood, Finance Secretary, Saleem Sethi, Secretary Economic Affairs Division, Rana Assad Amin, Advisor to Finance Ministry and senior officials of the ministries of finance and water and power also attended the meeting.
10 LEISURE
Sunday, 7 September, 2014
HaGaR tHE HoRRIblE
aries
taurus
gemini
You're sure to get what you need today -as long as you're willing to ask for it! You may find that someone you work with closely is paying careful attention and waiting for the right moment to join your team.
Other people are getting pretty weird today -- so much so that you may start to get a little weird yourself. Shake it off, because they're just trying to get your goat. A little normality never killed anyone.
Your amazing social energy is attracting all sorts of cool people today -- and someone who's pretty far from the norm makes their first appearance in your life, too. Focus on them for now.
cancer
leo
virgo
Try to respond to this afternoon's big problem with your mind rather than your heart -though it may be tempting to lash out! A cool head is sure to help you make it through this weirdness.
You and your big brain are almost heroic today, coming up with one amazing idea after another until all your problems lie vanquished before you. Of course, tomorrow may bring new problems, but who cares?.
You need to deal with a situation that requires little more than an open mind. Fortunately, you can deploy that with aplomb today -- though it may require a little adjustment in your preconceptions.
libra
scorpio
sagittarius
You should find that it's much easier than usual to get along even with those whom you typically can't stand. It's a good time for you to step up and offer the olive branch of peace.
You are feeling the urge to shake things up at home -physically, at least. Maybe a new coat of paint, maybe a new set of furniture or maybe just a quick rearranging is all you need.
Your social energy is on top of the world today -- so get out there and mix it up with new people! You should find that your ability to make friends is greatly enhanced. Enjoy your life!.
dIlbERt
GaRFIEld
baldo
capricorn
aQuarius
pisces
It's time for incremental adjustments -- but nothing too extreme! Though others may be shaking up their lives from top to bottom, you'd rather take things one step at a time. Slow and steady!
You are in the best possible place right now -- so make sure that you're communicating! This is not the time to hide away from the world. People are sure to really listen when you speak.
You have got to take a break at some point -- your energy has had no time to recharge lately, and if you keep at it like this, you're sure to get sick or run into some other kind of trouble.
cRosswoRd
woRd sEaRcH
bRIdGE
How to play fill in all the squares in the grid so that each row, column and each of the squares contains all the digits. the object is to insert the numbers in the boxes to satisfy only one condition: each row, column and 3x3 box must contain the digits 1 through 9 exactly once.
ahead armor awns badge catch clean coast comfort countryside creek dame downpour drop environment fence field flood habitat heir
leadership matter mean operate paint pane penny power proven record spurt storm streak technology torrential veto
Today’s soluTions
wHat can Go wRonG?
cHEss black TO PlaY aND MaTE IN TwO MOVEs 8
crossword solution
7 6 5 4 3 2
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
chess solution
A
1...Qd1! 2.nxb6 [2.ne5 e2+ 3.kh1 Qxe1+ 4.Qxe1 bf2] 2...rc1 *
1
sudoku solution
ACROSS 1 korean martial art (3,4,2) 8 state of deep (often prolonged) unconsciousness (4) 9 deluged (9) 10 slide out of control (4) 13 egyptian god of the sun (5) 15 hearsay (6) 16 french naval base (6) 17 Zealous (6) 19 fractured (6) 20 bait (5) 21 branch — member (4) 24 persist in spite of difficulties (7,2) 25 italian sparkling wine (4) 26 repeating (9) DOwn 2 rule britannia composer (4) 3 monarch (4) 4 public speaker (6) 5 become extinct (3,3) 6 double (9) 7 horticulture (9) 11 1805 naval battle (9) 12 spontaneous (9) 13 muggy (5) 14 contrite (5) 18 deeply religious (6) 19 more daring (6) 22 turn to liquid (4) 23 piece of money (4)
sUdokU
Sunday, 7 September, 2014
ARTS
riDDle of bulging moon solveD at last
f
AR from being perfectly round, the Moon has a weird shape, with a highland bulge on the side facing the Earth and another bulge on its far side -- a riddle that has fascinated scientists for decades. In theory, the Moon should be a nice sphere, sculpted by rotational forces since its creation some 4.4 billion years ago. That round shape is indeed comfortingly familiar to us on Earth when we look at a full Moon. But if we could see the Moon from a different angle, it would look very slightly like a lemon, say astronomers. Those giant bulges on its topography would form nubbly tips, aligned in an axis towards Earth. How did they get there?
The answer, according to research published in the journal Nature on Wednesday, lies in mighty gravitational forces exerted by Earth during the Moon s super-heated infancy. Believed to be the result of an impact between a roving Mars-size planet and Earth, the Moon was initially a molten lump of rock before it started to cool and solidify. In the same way that lunar gravity causes sea tides, Earth -- with six times more mass than the Moon -- exerted powerful tides on its newborn satellite during this critical period. It squeezed and stretched the Moon, a flexing process that generated heat through friction, thus warming the semifluid body at a time when its surface was
also cooling. The heat from this dynamic process was not distributed universally, and the outcome had consequences for how the lunar crust formed. "Early tides heated the Moon s crust in different places, and those differences in heating in different areas gave the Moon most of its shape," explained Ian Garrick-Bethell, an astrophysicist at the University of California at Santa Cruz. "Later on, those tides warped the outside of the Moon while it was cooling, and it froze in that warped shape," Garrick-Bethell told a foreign news agency. "It also froze in a little bit of its rotational shape at the same time." The tidal forces gave the Moon "a slight lemon shape" that became locked
in after its crust cooled, according to the researchers. Lunar shape: The Moon s asymmetrical shape may be the key to understanding some of the unusual geological events that followed, Garrick-Bethell said. "For example, only one side of the
STANDING PREVENTS DNA AGEING, PROLONGS LIFE: RESEARCH
Don’t talk, pet him: Dogs prefer physical contact to vocal praise, stuDy claims What do dogs want, petting or being spoken to? According to a study it’s very much the former. Scientists found that dogs had a preference for petting, whether it was from a stranger or from their owner. And it was found that dogs will only respond to vocal praise when they are very familiar with an owner and their voice. The research was led by Dr Erica Feuerbacher from the University of Florida. In the study, coauthored by Dr Clive Wynne of Arizona State University, the scientists examined a variety of dogs and their responses to situations. They looked at shelter dogs, owned dogs with strangers providing interactions and owned dogs with their owner providing interactions. Across all groups they found the dogs had a preference for petting over vocal praise. Additionally they found that dogs never tired of being petted. When the dogs were petted they also preferred to stay in the proximity of the experimenter. But when only vocal praise was used they showed little proximity-seeking behaviour, on a similar level to when no interaction was initiated at all. ‘Overall, petting seems to be an important interaction between dogs and humans that might maintain inter-specific social behavior but vocal praise likely has to be specifically conditioned,’ the researchers write. Previous research this year from the same two scientists, however, found that petting wasn’t the be-all and end-all; the animals actually preferred food to being touched. When food was readily available the dogs preferred to eat than be petted, and when access to food was limited the dogs showed ‘sensitivity’. ONLINE
Standing on your two feet could be the key to longer life, as scientists discover it can prevent a person's DNA from ageing. A team of Swedish researchers found spending less time sitting down could be more important than exercise in extending a person's lifespan. Their findings, published in the British Medical Journal, showed less time on the sofa is strongly linked to the lengthening of telomeres, which sit on the end of chromosomes in cells - DNA storage units in the body. Telomeres stop chromosomes from fraying, clumping together and ‘scrambling’ genetic code. Scientists liken their function to the plastic tips on the ends of shoelaces, and say that lifespan is linked to their length. Professor Mai-Lis Hellenius, from Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm, warned that standing up for
longer might be more important than exercising.
She said: ‘In many countries formal exercise may be increasing, but at the
Bed rest during pregnancy could harm your baby: scientists Putting your feet up while pregnant could be harmful for both mother and baby, say scientists. Experts have warned that bed rest during pregnancy has few benefits – and can lead to depression, muscle loss, and a greater risk of blood clots and diabetes. It could also result in babies having a lower weight at birth. Issuing key guidelines, the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine in America said that around one in five women in the US is put on bed rest during pregnancy, often as a result of complications. However, it said, it no longer recommends routinely limiting physical activity. Co-author Anthony Sciscione, of the Delaware Centre for Maternal and Fetal Medicine, said: ‘There is no evidence bed rest improves outcomes. ‘However there is evidence bed rest can be harmful for moms, babies and families.’
Surveys show that obstetricians and gynaecologists often prescribe bed rest even though most do not believe it will do much to improve outcomes for women. It is prescribed for a variety of complications ranging from premature contractions or early labour to high blood pressure, potentially fatal pre-eclampsia, inadequate growth of the baby and for women who are at high risk of miscarriage. But the Society said bed rest has not been shown to reduce the chance of a premature delivery, either for women who are thought to be at risk or for those already in early labour. One study found premature birth actually became more common when at-risk women were placed on any type of activity restriction – either at home or in hospital. There is little data to show activity restriction is of benefit for any condition linked to pregnancy,
CMYK
Dr Sciscione said. For example, bed rest is often prescribed in an attempt to increase the blood flow to the placenta when the baby is not growing fast enough. But studies fail to show any benefit to this practice. At the same time, there are several potentially harmful side effects of bed rest. It is widely known that doing too little activity can result in muscle and bone loss. This ‘deconditioning’ can start after only a few days and there is a lack of information on its effect on pregnant women. Bed rest may also increase the risk of developing blood clots in the legs – and raise the chance that clots will move to the lungs, which can be fatal. Such clots are more common among pregnant women, so limiting physical activity may compound these risks. Lack of movement may also increase a woman’s risk of gestational diabetes. The Society said that being admitted to hospital for problems during pregnancy has been associated with a higher chance of this condition. It pointed to studies which have shown that patients who are put on bed rest when not pregnant tend to develop high blood sugar levels, a key risk factor for diabetes. Bed rest also increases the risk of anxiety and depression, perhaps because of the forced inactivity. It can lead to loss of income due to inability to work and has been linked to having a baby with a lower birth weight. COurtESy VIA MAIL ONLINE
11
Moon has extensive volcanic plains known as maria," he said. "Those are the dark parts of the Moon when you look at it at night. The other side, which you can t see without flying over it in a spacecraft, is largely devoid of such volcanism." AGENCIES same time people spend more time sitting. ‘There is growing concern that not only low physical activity but probably also sitting and sedentary behaviour is an important and new health hazard of our time. ‘We hypothesise that a reduction in sitting hours is of greater importance than an increase in exercise time for elderly risk individuals.’ Researchers looked at 49 overweight sedentary adults in their late sixties and measured the length of the telomeres in their blood cells. Half of them had taken part in an exercise programme that lasted six months, while the other half had not. Their level of physical activity was assessed using a diary and pedometer to measure how many footsteps they had taken each day. They worked out how long they had spent sitting down through a questionnaire. The study revealed that although people who did more exercise tended to be healthier, the most important factor for lengthening of telomeres was how much time they spent sitting down. Scientists found that the less time a person spent sitting, the longer their telomeres, and the greater their chance of living longer. COurtESy MAIL ONLINE
PILOTS, CABIN CREW ‘TWICE AS LIKELY TO GET SKIN CANCER’
Airline pilots and cabin crew are twice as likely to suffer from skin cancer because of regular exposure to harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun at high altitude, US researchers said in a study published earlier this week. Analysis of 19 studies which included more than 266,000 people found that incidence of melanoma was between 2.21 and 2.22 higher for pilots and 2.09 greater for flight attendants, or more than twice the rate of the general population. The incidence rate was attributed to ultraviolet rays filtering into planes at high altitude through cockpit windscreens and windows on the fuselage, the study’s author said. Doctor Martina Sanlorenzo, from the University of California at San Francisco, said the study had “important implications for occupational health and protection of this population.” The study appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association Dermatology. Researchers reported that at 9,000 meters (30,000 feet) above sea level, the cruising altitude of most commercial jets, carcinogenic ultraviolet rays were twice as powerful. AGENCIES
12
Sunday, 7 September, 2014
ARTS
TIGER SHROFF WOULD ‘LOVE’ TO WORK IN MICHAEL JACKSON BIOPIC
MEERA TO SAY YES IF KHAN PROPOSES ENTERTAINMENT DESK OLLYWOOD actress Meera has yet again made it to headlines with expressing an interest in marrying former cricketer and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan. In a news report by a local TV channel, Meera praises the politician for his good looks. “ If he ever asks me to marry me, I would definitely say yes,” she said while talking to the news channel re-
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Actor Tiger Shroff, who is known for his dancing skills and who has recently unveiled a dance video to pay tribute to Michael Jackson, says he would love to feature in a biopic on the late King of Pop. “It’s my dream to do that (to feature in a biopic on Michael Jackson). This has been at the back of my head for a long time, but let’s see,” the ‘Heropanti’ actor told a news agency. “I have done a lot of research on him. If at all I get an opportunity, I have to get into his body language and lose some weight. I would be more than happy to do this biopic,” he added. At an event here Thursday, Tiger had said that Jackson has been his inspiration. Tiger has his own fan following, but he considers himself a labourer. “I am not a celebrity. I just want to work hard. I consider myself as a labourer. I can only work hard,” he said. AGENCIES
porter at a fashion event in Dubai. The actress added that she would love to see Khan as the prime minister in ‘Naya Pakistan’. Meera also suggested the PTI chief to get his wedding attire designed from designer Riaz Ganji, for whom she was modeling at the fashion show. The politician had recently made a light-hearted statement during his speech to PTI supporters that he wants to create ‘Naya Pakistan’ as soon as possible so that he could get married.
CHRIS BROWN SAYS JAIL MADE HIM MORE MATURE Chris Brown claims his ''maturity level has risen'' since leaving jail. The 'Loyal' hitmaker, who was released on June 2 after spending 108 days behind bars for violating his probation after he allegedly made threats about using guns while seeking angermanagement treatment in rehab, admits it was ''a humbling experience'' and made him realise he is ''human like everyone else.''
PITT, JOLIE, KIDS SPEND HONEYMOON ON YACHT
The 25-year-old star told Billboard magazine: ''I'm just more appreciative of the things I'm blessed with and the things I do: music, being able to take care of my family, being able to see my friends and family.'' He added: ''[I had to feel] like this happened for a reason. There was a purpose. Maybe I was out of control too much. Or I needed something to humble me to the point where I get it.'' The singer, who was sentenced to time already served after pleading guilty to assault in Washington DC earlier this week stemming from an incident last October, says he spent much of his time in jail ''drawing, sketching most of the time, biding time.'' He added: ''I missed my dad and mom, all my cousins ... seeing people's faces and smiles ... seeing people who were just encouraging and positive.'' Chris, who has rekindled his relationship with Karrueche Tran, still considers himself a role model even though he admits he isn't perfect. He said: ''No one is harder on me than me. ''I have been moving forward and hope that I am not defined by just a few moments in my life but all of the moments that will make up my life.'' He added: ''As far as my mistakes in life, that's being a role model, because people can see my mistakes and learn from them.'' BANG SHOWBIZ
NO FINGER-POINTING IN 'WELCOME TO KARACHI': ARSHAD WARSI Newly married couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are reportedly on honeymoon with their six kids on a luxury yacht in Malta. The stars are staying on the Athena, a three-masted schooner, which at nearly 300 feet long is the fourth-largest sailing yacht in the world, reported New York Post. The fancy vessel can house up to 10 between its luxe master suite and four staterooms. The ship was originally built for Netscape mogul James H Clark around 2005, then reportedly listed for sale in 2012 for USD 95 million. Pitt and Jolie have been shooting their upcoming film ‘By the Sea’ — the first they’ve starred in together since they met in 2005’s ‘Mr & Mrs Smith’ — during their honeymoon. Its plot, written by Jolie, is being kept under wraps. AGENCIES
Actor-comedian Arshad Warsi, who will soon start shooting for his next film 'Welcome To Karachi', says the movie looks at political facts in a real, but lighthearted manner. "My character is that of an ex-navy man and he is accident prone. Somehow, he reaches Karachi without any documents or papers. So you can imagine what follows," the 46-year-old said here Friday at the 'mahurat' of the film. "It is a comedy with political facts, but they have been shown in a very light way. There is no finger-pointing. It is a very light and fun film, but the facts are real and not fabricated," he added. The film stars some Pakistani as well as American and Bangladeshi actors, and they will be shooting in London. To be directed by Aashish R. Mohan, Welcome To Karachi also stars Irrfan Khan. AGENCIES
JOAN RIVERS TO BE BURIED WITH RED CARPET
Joan Rivers will reportedly be buried with a red carpet. The comedian who died on Thursday (04.09.14) after being taken off life support after suffering a cardiac arrest during a routine operation on her vocal chords last week, will be laid to rest after a private funeral at Temple Emanu-El in New York City on Sunday. A source told UsMagazine.com that selected members of the 81-year-old comedienne's family, including her daughter Melissa Rivers, and friends will roll out the red carpet at the memorial and it will then be buried with the star. The insider added: ''A lot of celebrities confirmed [they will attend the funeral].'' Joan previously claimed she wanted her funeral to be a star-studded, glamorous event. In her 2012 memoir, 'I Hate Everyone... Starting with Me,' she wrote: ''When I die, I want my funeral to be a huge showbiz affair with lights, cameras, action.'' She added: ''I want Craft services, I want paparazzi and I want publicists making a scene! I want it to be Hollywood all the way. I don't want some rabbi rambling on; I want Meryl Streep crying, in five different accents. I don't want a eulogy; I want Bobby Vinton to pick up my head and sing 'Mr. Lonely.' I want to look gorgeous, better dead than I do alive. I want to be buried in a Valentino gown and I want Harry Winston to make me a toe tag. And I want a wind machine so that even in the casket my hair is blowing just like Beyoncé's.''BANG SHOWBIZ
GWYNETH PALTROW CONVERTING TO JUDAISM
MILEY, METALLICA, 1D AND EMINEM ADDED TO GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS What do Metallica, One Direction, Miley Cyrus and Eminem all have in common? Erm, not much, but they're all set to be immortalised in the new edition of The Guinness Book of World Records which comes out next week.
As reported by Billboard, the long-standing almanac of impressive achievements is adding the musicians for various reasons, Metallica's being they are the first band to play a gig on all seven continents. They completed this feat this year in fact, when they treated
some unusual guests to a show in Antarcita. James Hetfield spoke about the gig in a statement: "Seven continents in one year with Antarctica being the gig of a lifetime, yes, 120 scientists and competition winners. Not to mention the 300 very curious penguins!" Meanwhile, One Direction have been selected for managing to be the "First act to debut at No. 1 with first three albums". It's no secret that America is crazy for the X Factor pop stars, and their three albums Midnight Memories, Up All Night and Take Me Home all topped the Billboard chart. The boys have been travelling the world with their 'Where We Are Tour' tour since April 2014, and are set to finish in Miami on October 5th. In an announcement that will shock no one, Miley Cyrus will be awarded the dubious title of "Most searched-for Pop Star on the Internet" in a year that has seen her hit the headlines time and time again for both her off and on stage antics. Finally, Eminem is being recognised for "Most Words in a Hit Single" for his song 'Rap God' from The Marshall Mathers LP 2. The song clocks in at six minutes nine seconds, and during that time Eminem spits out a frenetic 1560 words. COURTESY CONTACT MUSIC
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Actress Gwyneth Paltrow is reportedly converting to Judaism. The Iron Man star has been practising Kabbalah, an offshoot of Judaism, for several years and is now looking to make a full transition into the religion, according to the New York Post. Paltrow has family ties to Judaism - in 2011, she discovered her ancestors came from a long line of East European rabbis on genealogy show Who Do You Think You Are? and her father, Bruce Paltrow, was a practising Jew. Her mother, Blythe Danner, is Christian and the actress was raised practising both religions. WENN
SPORTS 13
Sunday, 7 September, 2014
Brathwaite century
PUTS WEST INDIES IN COMMAND KingSTOwn
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Scoreboard WeST INdIeS 1st innings 64 cH Gayle lbw b Shuvagata Hom Kc brathwaitenot out 123 Ka edwards c Mominul Haque b Taijul Islam 10 dM bravo c Mahmudullah b Taijul Islam 62 S chanderpaul not out 1 4 exTraS: (b 1, lb 2, nb 1) ToTal: (3 wickets; 87 overs) 264 To baT: J blackwood, d ramdin*†, KaJ roach, Je Taylor, SJ benn, ST Gabriel Fall oF WIcKeTS: 1-116 (Gayle, 39.1 ov), 2-133 (edwards, 42.2 ov), 3-261 (bravo, 84.3 ov) boWlING: al-amin Hossain 14-7-30-0, rubel Hossain 16-0-55-0,
Petition against PcB constitution rejected
SPORTS DESK The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has rejected a writ petition against the PCB's new constitution, discouraging an attempt to push the Pakistan board into another legal tangle. The court has also fined the four petitioners Rs 1 million each for misguiding the court and concealing facts. Justice Athar Minallah, the High Court judge, rejected the petition after a first hearing and said: "The four petitioners' objection on the constitution was rejected as they tried to mislead the court by concealing facts." The four petitioners in the appeal are Nadeem Sadal, Aamir Nawab [a former PCB governing board member from the Abbottabad Cricket Association], Mohammad Rafiq and Ameer Haider. The court noted that none of the four petitioners, who had questioned the newly implemented constitution, were aggrieved parties and all of them were given heavy monetary sanctions which will be paid to the PCB directly. Incidentally, it was Sadal's petition in the Islamabad High Court in May last year that led to then-PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf's suspension after his election was termed "polluted" and "dubious". The decision triggered a leadership crisis within the PCB and the chairmanship rotated between Najam Sethi and Ashraf before the crisis was finally resolved following Shaharyar Khan's election as chairman. Sadal is a former official of the Army Cricket Club in Rawalpindi, and had earlier filed various petitions against the board. This is the third time that his appeal has been struck down by the court, which also questioned how Sadal's fundamental rights were affected by the functioning of the PCB. Sadal had briefly joined the board as a member of the organising committee of the 2013 National Twenty20 Cup in Rawalpindi and had backed down from legal proceedings during that period.
Mahmudullah 5-0-31-0, Shuvagata Hom 27-4-76-1, Taijul Islam 25-6-69-2 baNGladeSH team Tamim Iqbal, Shamsur rahman, Imrul Kayes, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur rahim*†, Mahmudullah, Nasir Hossain, Shuvagata Hom, Taijul Islam, al-amin Hossain, rubel Hossain MaTcH deTaIlS ToSS: bangladesh, who chose to field TeST debuTS: Shuvagata Hom and Taijul Islam (bangladesh) uMpIreS: M erasmus (South africa) and rK Illingworth (england) TV uMpIre: SJ davis (australia) MaTcH reFeree: rS Mahanama (Sri lanka) reSerVe uMpIre: N duguid
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RAIGG Brathwaite's quintessential Test innings, an unbeaten 123, directed West Indies towards early control of the first Test against Bangladesh at the Arnos Vale. A third rain break at exactly 5.00pm ended the first day's play with West Indies 264 for 3. It was Brathwaite's second century in the last three Tests, after his maiden Test hundred against New Zealand in Port-of-Spain in June. Despite the fact that he had not played much cricket since the series against New Zealand, Brathwaite maintained rigorous focus. West Indies lost a late wicket when Darren Bravo got out for 62 off 126 balls, just two overs before play was called off, getting too impish for his own good. He struck Taijul Islam for two consecutive fours over mid-off towards the end of the day but he tried to repeat the shot even after the bowler changed his angle and bowled around the wicket, resulting in a catch to Mahmudullah at mid-off. But that was one of the few bright moments for Bangladesh on a day when they picked only three specialist bowlers and put West Indies in to bat on what looked like, and later proved to be, excellent batting conditions. It was enough encouragement for Brathwaite, who hardly dithered from his known and trusted method. Brathwaite let Chris Gayle do all the scoring at first, before reaching his
fifty in the second session. West Indies lost two wickets quickly but Brathwaite remained unfazed, again letting his partner, Bravo, get the boundaries. Brathwaite went after only those deliveries that were too wide or two full or both, and hardly anything troubled him, except a few missed flashes and the odd ball from Rubel Hossain that jumped. When the opener hung back on his backfoot, the bowlers didn't bowl full enough, and Al-Amin didn't make him play enough, bowling a one-day line wide outside off stump. Some credit was also due to the Bangladesh bowlers, especially the two newcomers. Taijul, the left-arm spinner, and Shuvagata, the offspinning allrounder, became the 72nd and 73rd Test players for the country, and they had an eventful first day. The pair bowled the majority of the overs, picking up all three wickets. They looked lost at first, but soon they discovered the rewards of bowling proactively. They stuck to trusted lines, and gradually began to bowl like they would in domestic cricket. Gayle's wicket was Bangladesh's first success of the match. Having made 61 before lunch, he added just three runs off 21 balls after the break, with the two newcomers muffling his strokeplay. Both attacked his off stump, either spinning in or leaving him slightly. Eventually he missed a sweep off Shuvagata, but umpire Marais Erasmus denied the loud appeal. Mushfiqur took an extra second to call for the review, but it looked
straight and the replays confirmed it had pitched in line, struck Gayle's front pad in front of the stumps and was going on to hit middle stump. Gayle had played very well in the first session, reaching his fifty off 60 balls. He threaded the off-side field well, taking every chance to pick up runs as his opening partner remained circumspect. He struck most of his boundaries in front of the wicket, and got to his 37th fifty with a six over wide mid-on off Taijul. He survived two chances in the first session: a run-out appeal that had him just reach the bowlers' end to complete a second run. Just after reaching 50, Gayle was dropped by Rubel Hossain off his own bowling. After Shuvagata dismissed Gayle, it was Taijul's turn to take his first Test wicket. Kirk Edwards, batting at No 3 and under a bit of pressure after two low scores in the ODI series, attacked from the onset. He quickly got to 10 with a four and a straight six, but Taijul continued to toss the ball up, and took his leading edge in the 43rd over as he looked to work the ball against the turn. Mominul Haque took a sharp catch at silly mid-off, making it 133 for 2. Brathwaite and Bravo added 128 for the third wicket, with very few deliveries threatening them. There was one from Rubel that reared at Brathwaite but he looked unbeatable outside the off stump. With the inexperienced attack fading in the final session, he got plenty of bad balls to get to his second Test century.
serena far too strong for Makarova in semi-final SPORTS DESK World number one Serena Williams took no chances with the searing heat on Arthur Ashe Stadium court by racing to a 6-1 6-3 rout of Ekaterina Makarova to reach the U.S. Open women's final on Friday. Williams, winner of the last two U.S. Opens, came out firing, striking the ball with ferocious force and dazzling accuracy and needed only 60 minutes to advance against the 17th seeded Russian. The top seed's opponent in Sunday's final will be 10th-seeded former world number one Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, who advanced in abrupt fashion when China's Peng Shuai was forced to retire due to heat illness trailing 7-6(1) 4-3 after two hours four minutes on the court. Williams, who failed to reach the quarter-finals in any of the year's previous three slams, is aiming for her sixth U.S. title and an 18th slam singles crown that would tie her with Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova for fourth on the all-time list.
"It feels so good. I am so happy, you have no idea," Williams, 32, told the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd after reaching the final. Williams won 58 points to 33 for left-hander Makarova, who was playing in her first grand slam singles semi-final and had no answers for the brute power of the winner. Makarova held her first serve in the opening set and lost the next nine games before holding serve to trail 14 in the second set. With Williams serving for the match at 5-2, the Russian broke serve, but the top seed returned the favour in the next game to clinch victory. The hard-hitting American blasted 24 winners, including five aces, while Makarova managed six. "I know she's such an aggressive player," Williams said, "so I was just really focused. "I'm just so happy to be here in New York, in another final. I'm really excited." Williams said she and her friend Wozniacki had hoped for this match-up in the final before the tournament began. "She obviously wants to win and go for her first grand slam, and I want
Cavendish targeting tour of Britain stage wins
SPORTS DESK Mark Cavendish is relishing recommencing his battle with German sprinter Marcel Kittel at the Tour of Britain, but admits he’s still not in peak condition. The Manxman required shoulder surgery after
to win and try to make a little history," said Williams. "But regardless, I'm going to be happy with the outcome. "She's such a great person and a
crashing in the closing metres of the first stage of the Tour de France in Harrogate – a sprint won by Kittel Cavendish returned to action in last month’s Tour de l’Ain, finishing ninth in the opening prologue, but missed out on Omega Pharma-QuickStep’s team for the Vuelta a Espana. So the 29-year-old teams up with leadout man Mark Renshaw in OPQS’s lineup for the Tour of Britain, which departs Liverpool on Sunday – a race in which he won three stages in 2013. “Realistically you have to say that I am not in my best condition after the last few months I've had,” Cavendish said on tourofbritain.co.uk. “I'm racing this week because this is my national Tour, Britain's big race, and I always want to support it when I can. “It's always a treat racing on home soil in front of big British crowds. I'm just going to enjoy myself and see what the week brings.” Cavendish joins fellow Brit Bradley Wiggins on the startline, who is looking to defend his title from 2013. The 2012 Tour de France winner is joined by Ben Swift in the Team Sky lineup, another threat to Cavendish in the sprint stages. “It's a really strong field at the Tour this year, the best ever,” Cavendish continued. “It's going to make for really intense racing but I don't think it will change the nature of the race. “Looking at the route it seems to be bookended by the two sure-fire sprints but after that almost anything can happen and that
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great girl. We really looked forward to this since the draw came out, so we really hope we can have a lot of fun and enjoy it."
Perez criticism misinterPreted: ronaldo SPORTS DESK Cristiano Ronaldo has moved to clarify comments made about Real Madrid president Florentino Perez and the club’s transfer policy. Ronaldo suggested earlier in the week that if he was in charge at Santiago Bernabeu, he would have conducted business differently than sell Angel Di Maria and Xabi Alonso. The Portugal forward’s words were taken as an implied criticism of Perez, who responded by saying Ronaldo would never criticise the club in that manner. Writing on his personal Twitter account, Ronaldo has attempted to clear up what he meant. “My statements were misinterpreted. Yesterday I heard the president and I’m with him 100%,” AS reports Ronaldo as tweeting. “My new teammates are great! With them we have completed a great team. We’re going for it all! A hug and Hala Madrid!”
14 SPORTS
Sunday, 7 September, 2014
England abuse hints at deep malaise A COURTESY CRICINFO
FTER Moeen Ali gently chided those booing him and put the loyalties of British-born Indians under scrutiny - and with similar disappointments perhaps set to arise with British-born Pakistanis when Pakistan next tour - it is time again to consider the issues of identity and integration in modern, multicultural Britain, and look at how they arise in the arena of cricket. Alongside Enoch Powell’s “Rivers of Blood” speech, Norman Tebbit’s infamous “cricket test” is perhaps the most memorable political utterance about race relations in Britain. Controversially proposed by the former Conservative cabinet minister Tebbit nearly 25 years ago as a measure of immigrant assimilation, it was seen by its creator as uncovering the true identity of migrant populations through the medium of cricket. Targeting the large South Asian and West Indian population who had settled in Britain during the ‘50s and ‘60s, whilst emphasising the conduct of the former, Tebbit remarked: “Which side do they cheer for? It’s an interesting test. Are you still harking back to where you came from or where you are?” The manner of his comments, which taken in context seemed to hit out at a perceived disloyalty common among the British Asian community, was widely criticised by his opponents, some of whom went so far as to claim he ought to be prosecuted for inciting religious hatred. Despite this, the founder of what became known as the Tebbit Test stood by his comments, reigniting the controversy in the aftermath of the
AN ALARMING PORTION OF THE BRITISH ASIAN POPULATION NOT ONLY DOES NOT CHEER FOR THE ENGLISH TEAM, IT REJOICES IN ABUSING AND RIDICULING THOSE FROM THEIR OWN BACKGROUND WHO SUCCEED
7/7 bombings in London, by claiming a starker appraisal of assimilation in Britain based on his method could have prevented the terrorist attack on the capital. Such expansive claims aside, the debate around the test remains salient, particularly in the contexts of the India tour
of England. That India receive significant and vocal backing when playing in England is undeniable. And it is clear, having been to games, that the swathes of Indian fans are not comprised entirely of devoted fans from India, or even just first-generation migrants, but include plenty of indi-
viduals born and raised here in Britain. To the bemusement of those who sympathise with Tebbit, in the wake of the recent fracas between Jimmy Anderson and Ravi Jadeja, the counter-attacking batting of Jadeja (who was admittedly booed by the crowd on his way to the wicket) at Lord’s
was greeted with raucous chants in his favour. This was not the first time that a Lord’s crowd lived up to Tebbit’s prescriptions by any means. England’s hosting of the ICC World Twenty20 in 2009 saw their side booed heavily by Indian fans before their team were eliminated by the hosts. Such a reception at their traditional home (and indeed the home of cricket in general) caused a stir in the England ranks, with the captain at the time, Paul Collingwood, saying the hostile reaction was “strange” and “hurt a few people” and that it ultimately acted as a motivational boost for his side. And as a young, second-generation British Indian, who was once a keen cricketer and remains a massive fan of the sport, I feel this second case hits upon a trend that is a greater cause for concern: there seems to be a portion of the British Asian population that not only does not cheer for the English team, but rejoices in abusing and ridiculing them. Some of it is for comic effect, for sure, but only some. This trend becomes all the more alarming when you consider some of the players in the firing line. Nasser Hussain, a Chennai-born former England captain was commonly a pantomime villain for supporters of India, and has come out in the past to express his confusion as to why second- and third-generation fans do not get behind his team. Hussain’s confusion is perhaps easier to understand when you consider some other prominent names to represent the England team in my time: Mark Ramprakash, Vikram Solanki, Owais Shah, Monty Panesar, Sajid Mahmood, Samit Patel, Ravi Bopara, and now Moeen Ali.
STRETTLE STEERS SARACENS TO VICTORY VErmA looks to stop dEfErmEnt of BCCI AGm SPORTS DESK Aditya Verma, the secretary of the Cricket Association of Bihar and the petitioner in the IPL corruption case, has requested relevant authorities, like the Inspector General of Registration, Tamil Nadu, to stop the BCCI from postponing its annual general meeting (AGM). The BCCI elections, which are scheduled to be held during the AGM, need to be conducted before September 30, according to the board’s constitution rules. Doubts over the AGM emerged after a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court rejected Srinivasan’s appeal to be reinstated as BCCI president, which would have allowed him to chair the AGM and likely stand for a third term as BCCI president. The Court also approved a two-month extension to the Mudgal Committee’s probe into corruption during last year’s IPL and said Srinivasan could not be reinstated in keeping with an earlier order from the court which had said that he could resume office only at the end of the IPL investigation. Since the BCCI is registered as a not-for-profit organisation in Tamil Nadu under the Society Registration Act, its AGM cannot be postponed without prior approval of the Registrar. Verma has, therefore, filed a submission to the Inspector General of Registration in the Tamil Nadu government requesting the Registrar that the AGM should not be deferred. In his submission, Verma stated: “... It is anticipated that from your end the endeavour certainly will be in favour so that scheduled meeting of AGM be held in time in the interest and integrity of BCCI.” The BCCI is also set to approach the Registrar of Tamil Nadu for extending the AGM in the midst of the prevailing conundrum and is likely to buy more time to convene the AGM on grounds of non-completion of annual accounts. An informal meeting on Sunday could also decide whether the BCCI will look to convene or delay the meeting.
SPORTS DESK David Strettle’s controversial hat-trick try edged Saracens to a last-gasp 3428 Aviva Premiership victory over Wasps at Twickenham. Christian Wade’s two second-half tries helped Wasps run in 22 unanswered points to lead 28-27, only for Saracens to strike back at the death. Strettle’s final-minute score overturned Saracens’ one-point deficit, the try awarded by television match official David Sainsbury. Referee Andrew Small referred the decision on the score to the TMO, with Sainsbury eventually awarding the pivotal try. The decision left Wasps frustrated with replays seemingly suggesting Strettle knocked on while grounding the ball. Premiership bosses have told referees to take greater control of big decisions and refer fewer calls to the television officials, but once again another big call has been made by arbiters off the field. Saracens lost last term’s Premiership final due to a TMO call that awarded Alex Waller Northampton’s extra-time winner: at the dawn of the new campaign, the review system has swung in their favour. Tries from Chris Ashton and Strettle eased Saracens into half-time 20-9 ahead, only for Wasps to run in 22 unanswered points to lead 28-20. Strettle raced in for his second to squeeze Wasps’ lead back to one point, before the former Harlequins wing crossed again to steal victory. At the last, Saracens were able to shrug off the hangover from losing both the Heineken Cup and Premiership finals in eight days at the close of last term. Saracens dominated a lowquality first-half, enveloping what attacks Wasps could launch without real concern. Former England fly-half Hodgson’s creditable commitment to front-foot rugby yielded the game’s opening try. The ex-Sale playmaker forced two midfield loops, grubbering in behind the Wasps defensive line from the second - allowing Ashton to swoop home. Referee Andrew Small dished out
a soft yellow card to Saracens flanker Kelly Brown, who batted the ball out of Wasps scrum-half Joe Simpson’s hands. Goode posted the penalty to hand Wasps a scoreboard foothold, but even the numerical advantage could not galvanise any creativity from the Adams Park men. Hodgson and Goode traded penalties as the contest meandered along, Wasps unable to unlock Saracens’ unremitting defensive structure. Saracens pride themselves on capitalising on turnover ball counter-attacks, and pounced in typical fashion for their second try. The Men in Black pilfered possession in their own 22 to
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end a Wasps raid, Hodgson booted deep, and Strettle picked Wasps fullback Rob Miller’s pocket. Former Sale man Miller misjudged the loose ball, Strettle ghosted in, and doubled Saracens’ try-count. Goode’s scything midfield break raised Wasps’ hopes, but again impressive build-up play garnered scant reward. The ex-Worcester and Leicester out-half slotted his third penalty, leaving Saracens cruising to a 20-9 halftime lead. Wasps provided the perfect tonic to circumspect proceedings after the break, Hughes powering in for a fine try. The former Auckland Blues loose-forward set Simpson haring half
the field into the Saracens 22 from a scrum, before finishing the break on the next phase. Hughes thundered through Saracens’ forward pack again minutes later, teeing up another tryline assault. Goode’s smart reverse chip dribbled into the in-goal area, Wade outmuscled Ashton to the ball, and dotted down, for a try awarded via the television match official. Goode failed with the touchline conversion, but Wasps took the lead for the first time in the match. Wade quickly sneaked in for his second, again courtesy of another cute defence-turning kick - this time from flanker Ashley Johnson.
Sunday, 7 September, 2014
peng leaves in wheelchair as Wozniacki makes final C SPORTS DESK
AROLINE Wozniacki advanced to the US Open final in dramatic fashion when China’s Peng Shuai was forced to retire due to injury, putting the Dane one win away from winning an elusive Grand Slam title. Wozniacki was leading 7-6(1) 4-3 and closing in on victory when Peng suddenly grabbed her thighs and stumbled to the back wall of Arthur Ashe Stadium court with what appeared to be severe cramping. In obvious distress, the 28-yearold doubles specialist was eventually helped off the court. A valiant Peng, playing in her first career grand slam singles semi-final, refused to throw in the towel, returning 11 minutes later determined to continue. But after six points Peng was left curled up in agony on the baseline, her mouth open in agony before officials called the match. A tearful Peng, who was consoled by her opponent, was then lifted into a wheelchair and taken
from the court to a standing ovation. “It was very difficult (for Peng),” said Wozniacki. “You’re out here and you want to battle, and you want to finish it off. “I just feel sorry for Peng because she played really well out there. It was really hot here on court. “It’s just unfortunate that she fell ill and I hope that she will be ok.” On another hot and humid day at the US National Tennis Cen-
ter, the packed stadium had been enjoying a riveting baseline battle with Peng, one of the top servers at Flushing Meadows, going against Wozniacki, one of the game’s top returners. But the mood suddenly turned from excitement to worry as Peng, without warning was overcome by the heat. At first Peng appeared to be wracked with cramps, stretching
her legs as she stumbled backwards. Soon she was bent over unable to stand. As trainers came to her aid the Chinese player had to be helped to her feet with one official under each shoulder offering support. When Peng was taken from the court, there was confusion over whether the match had been stopped before an official medical timeout was announced by the chair umpire. Peng, who had not dropped a set on her way to the semi-finals, had looked capable of taking one more step to the final as she got the match off to a determined start. Twice Peng took the initiative in the opening set with a break but a relentless Wozniacki broke right back on both occasions, the second time at 6-5, to force a tiebreak. Wozniacki dominated the tiebreak, winning 7-1, to take the first set of the tournament from her unseeded opponent. Peng quickly regrouped and broke Wozniacki at the first opportunity to take control of the second set but again the Dane had an immediate response breaking right back.
Rooney targets winning start
SPORTS DESK England captain Wayne Rooney believes it is vitally important to start the European Championship qualifying campaign with a positive result in Switzerland. Just 76 days after their disastrous World Cup campaign came to an end, thoughts have turned to the Three Lions’ next major tournament in France. A failure of even more epic proportions than Brazil
looks necessary to make it out of Group E, although Roy Hodgson’s side face their toughest match first. Switzerland are ranked ninth in the world and are favourites at the bookmakers to win Monday’s encounter at St Jakob-Park - something Rooney knows they cannot let happen. “It is important to start the qualifying campaign off with a good result,” he said. “It is important to try and win the game, but I think not
to get beat and give Switzerland the upper hand from the first game is vital.” Understandably, there is a lot of doom and gloom around the England team in the wake of the World Cup. The public’s apathy was highlighted by the fact Wednesday’s 1-0 friendly win against Norway attracted Wembley’s lowest crowd for an international since the stadium’s opening in 2007. Furthermore, the 40,181 that did turn up were hardly wowed as the England display lacked inspiration and quality. However, Rooney is confident that good times are around the corner, pointing to the spirit and excitement brought by the performance in the World Cup opener against Italy, even if the game in Manaus ended in defeat. “It’s exciting times,” he said. “The Italy and Uruguay games were disappointing results, but I thought we did well in both games. “It could have gone either way, but we lost and we’re out. We played some great attacking football. “The lads who were at that tournament have gained vital experience from the tournament.” The pressure is now on such players to step up to the plate, with the retirement Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole compounded by a raft of injuries. Those problems have worsened further in recent days, with West Brom goalkeeper Ben Foster and uncapped Newcastle midfielder Jack Colback forced to withdraw from the squad. Things got worse still on Friday, when Daniel Sturridge sustained a thigh complaint in training. After a scan, the 25-year-old returned to Liverpool for treatment, further reducing their options for the match in Basle.
Supreme Hamilton surges to pole at Monza SPORTS DESK Lewis Hamilton stormed to pole position for the Italian GP, with bitter rival Nico Rosberg starting alongside him on the front row of the grid. The Briton clocked a best lap of 1:24.109 on his first attempt in the final qualifying session, outpacing Rosberg by over a quarter of a second. It raises the thrilling prospect of the two Mercedes drivers
going wheel-to-wheel into the first chicane at Monza. Tensions are high in the Mercedes garage after Rosberg collided with Hamilton at last month’s Belgian GP, forcing his team-mate out of the race. Mercedes themselves have attempted to downplay it and defuse the situation a little this weekend, tagging their tweets this weekend “#noSPArring” in a reference to the Spa track in Belgium and the need for the colleagues to work
together. Rosberg leads the drivers’ standings by 29 points with seven races left. Williams secured a lockout of the second row with Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa third and fourth. Kevin Magnussen and Jenson Button took fifth and sixth in their McLarens, with the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso starting seventh. The Red Bulls of Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo secured eighth and ninth.
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SPORTS 15
montEzEmolo sAys hE Is CommIttEd to fErrArI Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo addressed rumours about his future on Saturday by emphasising his continuing commitment to the Italian luxury sportscar maker and indicating he had no immediate plans to step down. Speaking to reporters on a brief visit to the Italian Formula One Grand Prix, Montezemelo recognised there was speculation about his possible exit from Maranello. “I’ve heard a lot of rumours regarding myself. This is often happening in the summer in Italy, maybe this time is a little bit too much,” he said. “I am working, I am here not to have a vacation, I am here because we are working very hard,” added the 67-year-old, who has been involved with Ferrari since the 1970s. “We have in front of us very important months, we will present a fantastic new car in the Paris motor show at the beginning of October,” he said. Montezemolo reminded the media that he had been re-appointed as chairman in March and had told shareholders and employees then that he was ready to serve three more years. “The women and men in Ferrari to me are the most important part of my life and I took a commitment with them,” he added. “We are preparing an historic record at the end of this year in terms of financial and economic results. Ferrari is facing a fantastic moment. “So that’s it. If and when there will be some news about me, I will be the first - I emphasise the first - to let you know.” Montezemolo had been talked of as the possible next chairman of Italian airline Alitalia when a tie-up with Abu Dhabi-based carrier Etihad is completed. However, Alitalia said on Friday it had designated Silvano Cassano as CEO of the new company when it is formed. Ferrari have had a troubled Formula One season, with their car outclassed by the dominant Mercedes. The sport’s most successful and glamorous team, and the only one to have raced in every season since 1950, replaced principal Stefano Domenicali with Marco Mattiacci in April. Previously Ferrari’s North America chief executive, Mattiacci is seen by some in the paddock as being closer to the bosses of Ferrari owners Fiat than to Montezemolo, who acknowledged on Saturday his affection for Domenicali. SPORTS DESK
VAndoornE dEfEAts pIC for thIrd WIn
McLaren Formula 1 protege Stoffel Vandoorne scored his third GP2 victory of 2014 at Monza, after a racelong duel with Arthur Pic decided by just 0.6 seconds at the finish. But Campos Racing’s Pic kept the Belgian in sight until they took their mandatory pitstops on lap 13. Pic rejoined 3.6s back, and then reeled Vandoorne back in towards the end of the race. He got to within 0.6s on a couple of occasions, including across the finish line on the last lap, but Vandoorne was always able to repel his advances for his first feature race win since the season opener in Bahrain. “Today was a good day,” Vandoorne said. “I had to push until the end, as I could see the gap was getting closer and closer, and Arthur didn’t give me a lot of breathing space.” The win meant Vandoorne consolidated his third position in the championship, as fourth placed Johnny Cecotto Jr only scored a solitary point. Mitch Evans finished a distant third for Russian Time, ahead of Stephane Richelmi of DAMS. Andre Negrao benefited from an early pitstop to vault up to fifth, but only after Daniel Abt crashed out following contact with Julian Leal at Lesmo 2. Title contender Felipe Nasr was a lacklustre sixth, but the star of the race was points leader Jolyon Palmer, who stormed from last place (after he failed to provide enough fuel for a sample after qualifying) to finish eighth. That means he starts Sunday’s reversed-grid sprint race from pole position. Palmer still leads by 30 points, losing just two to Nasr. They will start noseto-tail on the grid on Sunday morning. SPORTS DESK
SPORTS Sunday, 7 September, 2014
Steyn burSt, Du PleSSiS 96 Seal title for South africa SCorEboard
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OuTH AFRICA won a first-ever tournament final against Australia after a Dale Steyn bowling masterclass handed them the advantage and an anchoring innings from Faf du Plessis - which ended just four short of what would have been a fourth century in the series guided a composed chase. Steyn's four wickets, which included two in two balls, led a surge through the Australian middle-order in which South Africa plucked five wickets for 29 runs. South Africa paced the reply perfectly using du Plessis' purple patch as the pivot and winning with 9.1 overs remaining. On a pitch that had not been used in the tournament so far, Steyn found movement early on and reverseswing by the half-way stage. Australia could not muster anything similar, nor could they find a way to dislodge du Plessis who eventually fell searching for his milestone. Swing was on offer from the outset but it did not account for the initial breakthrough; Phillip Hughes' overeagerness to show aggression did. He hit the first ball of Steyn's third over hard but AB de Villiers had moved himself out of slip and to short cover, where he collected a stinger. Similarly, after Wayne Parnell's opening over cost nine runs, Steve Smith tried to take the left-armer on and topedged a pull that ballooned straight up for David Miller at mid-on. South Africa spinners then enforced a stranglehold as Aaron Phangiso found bounce and Imran Tahir used the googly to good effect. ultimately, it was Tahir's variation that accounted for George Bailey who chopped one on as he failed to pick the wrong 'un. Australia needed a batsman to partner Aaron Finch and Mitchell Marsh looked the candidate to do the job but the strike was seldom rotated. Finch reached his third fifty of the tournament and but Australia were stung when Steyn's second spell launched in full swing, literally. Finch's growing unease was exposed when Steyn ripped through the bat-pad gap and wrenched the
aUSTralIa J Finch b Steyn 54 pJ Hughes c de Villiers b Steyn 15 Spd Smith c Miller b parnell 10 gJ bailey b Imran Tahir 12 27 Mr Marsh b parnell gJ Maxwell lbw b Steyn 0 6 bJ Haddin lbw b Steyn Jp Faulkner c Miller b Morkel 39 6 Mg Johnson c phangiso b Morkel 29 Ma Starc not out 0 nM lyon not out 19 ExTraS: (b 4, lb 5, w 9, nb 1) ToTal: (9 wickets; 50 overs; 225 mins) 217 Fall oF WICKETS: 1-25 (Hughes, 4.1 ov), 2-49 (Smith, 8.5 ov), 3-82 (bailey, 18.6 ov), 4-115 (Finch, 28.1 ov), 5-115 (Maxwell, 28.2 ov), 6-132 (Marsh, 34.3 ov), 7-137 (Haddin, 36.1 ov), 8-144 (Johnson, 37.6 ov), 9-215 (Faulkner, 49.4 ov) boWlIng: dW Steyn 10-1-34-4, M Morkel 10-0-58-2, Wd parnell 10-1-40-2, aM phangiso 10-0-36-0, Imran Tahir 10-0-40-1 SoUTH aFrICa 51 HM amla c bailey b Smith 7 Q de Kock c bailey b Maxwell F du plessis c Faulkner b Johnson 96 Wd parnell b Faulkner 6 ab de Villiers not out 57 Jp duminy not out 0 4 ExTraS: (b 1, w 2, nb 1) 221 ToTal: (4 wickets; 40.5 overs; 188 mins) dId noT baT: da Miller, dW Steyn, M Morkel, aM phangiso, Imran Tahir Fall oF WICKETS: 1-14 (de Kock, 3.2 ov), 2-112 (amla, 21.4 ov), 3-126 (parnell, 26.4 ov), 4-217 (du plessis, 40.4 ov) boWlIng: Mg Johnson 9.5-0-52-1, gJ Maxwell 2-0-121, Mr Marsh 5-0-25-0, Ma Starc 4-0-27-0, Jp Faulkner 8-0-54-1, nM lyon 10-1-41-0, Spd Smith 2-0-9-1 MaTCH dETaIlS SErIES: South africa won the 2014 Zimbabwe Triangular Series UMpIrES: aleem dar (pakistan) and rb Tiffin TV umpire - TJ Matibiri Match referee - J Srinath (India) reserve umpire - o Chirombe
stumps from the ground. With his next ball, Steyn trapped Glenn Maxwell on the back foot to open Australia up. After a six off Tahir, Marsh's threat was also blunted when he inside-edged a Parnell delivery onto his stumps in the over before the Powerplay, leaving the lower-middle-order with a big job. They could not complete it after Steyn trapped Haddin and Morkel dismissed Mitchell Johnson. Australia were 144 for 8 with 12 overs remaining and in danger of totalling less than their lowest score of the series - 209 for 9 when they lost Zimbabwe - but James Faulkner had other ideas. His first task was to bat out overs and he employed an industrious approach with Mitchell Starc for seven overs in which they added only 23 runs. Once the last five overs dawned, the pair pushed. Starc cleared long-on off Phangiso, Steyn's final over cost 13 runs with Faulkner hitting him to cow corner and extra cover and Aus-
tralia inched over 200. Fifty runs came off the last five overs to give Australia's bowlers something to work with but they needed to dig holes in South Africa's line-up early and often. Australia had an early success as Glenn Maxwell, sharing the new ball, had Quinton de Kock caught at cover off a leading edge. That brought du Plessis in early again and gave him the time he needed to craft his innings. Du Plessis' touch was Midas-like as he drove through covers, swatted short balls to midwicket and skipped down the track to Faulkner to hit him for six and bring up a fifty with Amla, who was almost invisible. Du Plessis gave Australia an opportunity when he was on 34 as he skied one over long-off but Finch could not judge his position well enough to take the catch. After the let-off, du Plessis punished Lyon to reach his fifty off 45 balls, before Amla got to his, off 72 deliveries in the next over. Amla only added another run and then hit a
Smith long hop straight to cover. Wayne Parnell was promoted to No.4 in an experiment that did not work because it slowed South Africa down. His partnership with du Plessis lasted for 30 balls and yielded 14 runs to allow Australia to regain some control. Parnell chopped Faulkner onto his stumps but even at 126 for 3, South Africa's position was far from precarious. Normal service resumed when de Villiers joined du Plessis and they ate into the remainder of the target, patiently at first and then with more intent as Australia's bowlers grew frustrated. De Villiers became impatient as the 40th over began and decided to end things quickly. South Africa needed 23 runs and du Plessis nine to become the first batsman to record four centuries in an ODI series. De Villiers took two sixes and a four off Faulkner to reduce the target. South Africa team required six to win at the end over. Du Plessis needed eight.
ENGLAND SEEK SEASON-ENDING POSITIVES SPORTS DESK India like Edgbaston. They've won five of the eight ODIs they've played there, including their last three on the trot, and they enjoy feeling like the home team at a ground where they've always enjoyed massive support. Their biggest win in the ODI series came at this venue, and there probably isn't a better place for them to end a long, draining England tour. A win will do nicely for India, but you can't say they'll be shattered if they lose the one-off Twenty20. The format is such, and with the next World T20 two years away, there isn't too much riding on the result of this game. India's squad contains five players who are yet to make their T20 debut Stuart Binny, Dhawal Kulkarni, Ambati Rayudu, Sanju Samson and Karn Sharma but none of them was brought along as a specialist for the format. England, though, have a different captain for T20, and a squad full of players who didn't feature in the ODIs. With their 50-over blueprint under attack from all quarters, T20 games such as this one allow them to try new combinations, ease players back into international cricket, and see if new faces fit. And so England have a lot more plotlines to track over the 40 overs of this game. Jason Roy has had a storming season for
Surrey, topping their run charts in Division 2 of the County Championship, and topping the overall run charts in the NatWest t20 Blast. How will he deal with India's attack, and their two Ravis? How will England's Ravi respond in his first game back after being dropped from the ODI side despite having done fairly okay in that format? Will Eoin Morgan make the selectors wonder if he could take over the ODI captaincy from Alastair Cook? England's seam attack in the ODIs suffered from an overkill of samey, fast-medium types. Steven Finn, the one component who offered something different, improved his rhythm towards the end of the series, and put in an impressive display at Headingley. England will hope his return to international cricket continues progressing smoothly. Mohammed Shami made way for Mohit Sharma towards the latter half of the World T20, but he showed improved death-bowling skills during the Headingley ODI, and straight, fast yorkers are just as much of an asset in the slog overs of the shortest format. Tim Bresnan has been ruled out after failing to recover from a muscle strain in his right shoulder. England, therefore, have four seamers battling for three slots, with Chris Jordan looking the most vulnerable. With doubts over his fitness cleared, Jason Roy looks all set to make his England debut at the top of the
order, while there seems to be no place in the middle order for James Taylor. India didn't train or send anyone out for a press conference on the eve of the game, so their selection remains shrouded in mystery. Wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson, allrounder Stuart Binny and legspinner Karn Sharma didn't get a game during the ODI series, but it isn't clear if India will give any of them an opportunity. India's spinners enjoyed the conditions during the nine-wicket win in the fourth ODI, and they could do so again. The match will be played on a used pitch, immediately after the Women's T20 between England and South Africa. India have played the fewest T20 matches, 52, among Test teams apart from Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. Pakistan have played the most T20 games, 82, and England have played 73. Suresh Raina, on 922 international T20 runs, and Virat Kohli, on 906, have a chance of becoming India's highest run-getter in the format. Yuvraj Singh, who currently holds the record, has 968. England (probablE): 1 Jason roy, 2 alex Hales, 3 Moeen ali, 4 Joe root, 5 Eoin Morgan (capt), 6 Jos buttler (wk), 7 ravi bopara, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 James Tredwell, 10 Steven Finn/Chris Jordan, 11 Harry gurney IndIa (probablE): 1 ajinkya rahane, 2 Shikhar dhawan, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 ambati rayudu, 5 Suresh raina, 6 MS dhoni, 7 ravindra Jadeja, 8 r ashwin, 9 bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Mohammed Shami, 11 Umesh Yadav/dhawal Kulkarni
Published by Arif Nizami at Plot No 79, Sector 24, Korangi Industrial Area Karachi.
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RAMPRAKASH, ATAPATTU IN RACE TO COACH SL SPORTS DESK Middlesex batting coach Mark Ramprakash is among the frontrunners to become Sri Lanka's head coach, but he is also set to be in talks with the ECB about a possible role with England shortly. Ramprakash will be interviewed by SLC over the next few days, along with seven other shortlisted candidates. Interim coach Marvan Atapattu is also a candidate for the Sri Lanka job, having overseen Sri Lanka's Test and ODI series victories over England and Pakistan. Former Australia and South Africa coach Mickey Arthur, and former Bangladesh coach Jamie Siddons are among other high-profile names being considered. The ECB has been impressed with Ramprakash, and is set to consider a minor reshuffle in the coaching structure following the end of the team's international season. Graham Thorpe is England's current batting coach, but he is understood to be reluctant to tour. Ramprakash has already been seen in the nets with the England players this summer, in an unofficial capacity. While SLC is also excited by Ramprakash, the board could be unable to match the ECB's remuneration if England also offer Ramprakash a role. SLC has already been outcompeted by the ECB this year, when Paul Farbrace was offered the England assistant coach job in April. Since then, Sri Lanka have also seen some of their other coaches leave the local set-up to go to Bangladesh, in part for better salaries. SLC had received over 15 applications for the head coach role, with Atapattu believed to be the only local to have applied. An eight-member committee which includes chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya, SLC secretary Nishantha Ranatunga, and cricket committee chairman Ranjit Fernando has been appointed to conduct interviews and nominate the next coach. As it stands, a faction within this committee believes that Atapattu is the strongest candidate for the job, given his recent track record, his intimate knowledge of the local system, and because SLC can afford him. However, there are also strident concerns among key decision-makers, both in the committee and in SLC, that he is not yet ready for the position. If Atapattu does not get the job, Sri Lanka will have their eighth head coach - permanent or interim - in the last four years. A foreign coach will also have just a little over three months with the side before the World Cup begins in February. It is understood that SLC hopes to have a coach contracted at least six weeks before Sri Lanka's next international series at home, against England in November. That series is also England's next international assignment following the Twenty20 international against India on Sunday.