E paper pdf (28 4 2016) lhr

CMYK

Thursday, 28 April, 2016 I 20 Rajab, 1437 I Rs 20.00 I Vol VI No 300 I 20 Pages I Lahore Edition

Panama Leaks: Ministers tell PM this too shall pass

ISLAMABAD

T

MIAN ABRAR

he federal cabinet on Wednesday expressed full confidence in the leadership of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, labeling the allegations against the premier and his family in the wake of the Panama Leaks as “baseless” and a part of an “international plot” aimed at destabilising the development projects launched in Pakistan.

The cabinet, which met after more than

seven months, also passed a resolution expressing full confidence in Nawaz’s leadership. The resolution was moved by Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Pervaiz Rashid and was endorsed by all the cabinet members.

The cabinet members also denounced, what the ministers said was a vilification campaign launched by the International Consortium for Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) against the prime minister. The minister said the ICIJ had themselves acknowledged that they had committed a “journalistic mistake”.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 03

02 NEWS

Thursday, 28 April, 2016

INdIa realISeS dIalogUe IS tHe oNly way Forward, SayS aIzaz ISLAMABAD

F

STAFF REPORT

OrEIgN Secretary Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry said on Wednesday India has realised that dialogue is the only way forward to discuss all outstanding issues which hampered the ties between the two neighbouring countries.

“There is a realisation on part of India that dialogue is the only way forward to discuss all outstanding issues,” he told reporters a day after his visit to New Delhi where he attended a secretary-level meeting.

However, Chaudhry said there was no major breakthrough in his meeting with Indian Foreign Secretary S Jais-

hankar. “The two sides raised their respective concerns in cordial and forthright manner,” he added.

The meeting between the foreign secretary and Jaishankar on the sidelines of the Heart of Asia conference in New Delhi on Tuesday was the first formal contact between the two neighbours since the peace process was derailed as a result of a brazen militant attack on an airbase in Indian Punjab’s bordering Pathankot area.

Chaudhry said India had not given any date regarding the resumption of comprehensive bilateral dialogue but “Pakistan will welcome whenever India is ready to start the dialogue process”.

Terming Kashmir a core issue, he said the matter of the occupied land

Hazara University closed for two days ahead of Nawaz Sharif’s visit ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT Hazara University in Mansehra District has been closed for two days ahead of the prime minister’s visit to the area on April 28, it has been learnt. A notification to this regard was issued by Registrar Establishment-I announcing the closure of university on April 27-28, 2016.

In the notification it’s mentioned that Boys Hostel should be vacated by 4pm on Wednesday, April 27. It also said that residents of Girls Hostel should remain limited to their building from Wednesday’s evening till Thursday’s evening. However, the notification states that university offices will remain open during the mentioned days.

The bomb disposal squad has also been called in to check the university premises before the premier’s visit.

It is pertinent to mention that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will address a public gathering at the university on Thursday (tomorrow).

should be resolved in line with wishes of Kashmiris, and the resolution of United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

The foreign secretary said there was an agreement between both sides that people-to-people contact should remain intact irrespective of the situation, adding a consensus was reached to keep working on humanitarian issues.

Speaking about the Afghan peace process, Aizaz said Pakistan message was clear to the militants inside Afghanistan: stop violence.

“We strongly condemn the Kabul attack and will not accept such violent tactics. We urge all militant groups to shun violence and return to negotiating table,” the foreign secretary said.

Afghan Taliban confirm delegation visiting Pakistan for talks ISLAMABAD AGENCIES

Afghanistan’s Taliban have confirmed sending a high-level delegation to Islamabad for talks with Pakistani officials and hoped the visit will have fruitful results and will be ‘in the interest of both countries’.

A spokesman for Taliban militant Muhammad Naeem told VOA on Wednesday that the Taliban delegation has traveled from its political office in Qatar to hold the discussions in the light of close relations, long border and commercial transactions between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Diplomatic sources say the Taliban delegation is on a mission for exploratory discussions as part of Islamabad’s efforts to facilitate

peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban.

The Taliban’s political office in the Qatari capital of Doha is solely authorised to conduct political talks.

“The esteemed leader of Islamic Emirate (Afghan Taliban) has instructed the delegation to discuss issues regarding Afghan refugees, some recent problems related to the border provinces of Helmand, Nangarhar and Paktia,”, Taliban’s Qatar-based spokesman Mohammad Naeem said.

Afghan media reports have recently alleged that Pakistani border forces tried to establish outposts inside the Afghan territory in Helmand, Nangarhar and Paktia, the charges Islamabad denies.

Naeem said Taliban negotiators will particularly discuss with Pakistani authorities the release of Mul-

lah Baradar and some other prisoners.

When asked if reconciliation talks with the Afghan government would come under discussion, Naeem said the delegation will be holding talks on the issues that he has mentioned and there is nothing else on the agenda.

Mullah Baradar, former deputy chief of the Taliban leader, was detained by Pakistani intelligence officials in the southern city of Karachi in 2010 reportedly in a joint operation with American counterparts.

In 2013, Pakistan, at the request of the then Afghan government, released Baradar along with dozens of other Taliban officials from its custody to boost Kabul’s efforts to promote the Afghan peace and reconciliation process.

PTI leader Aleem Khan understated Rs430m offshore company as Rs2.9m NEWS DESK Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Aleem Khan has understated assets owned by his offshore company named in the Panama Papers by declaring property worth rs 430 million as only rs 2.9 million. Khan had earlier accepted that he owns four apartments in a posh London locality. A third-party report declares that the total worth of his offshore company is over rs 430 million. According to UK’s famous property website http://www.zoopla.co.uk, Aleem Khan’s Hexam Investment owns Flat No 1102 Balmoral Apartments, 2 Praed Street, London W2 1JN which was bought on 27th November 2006 for rs 153 million.

The company also owns 562 Park West, Edgware road, London W2 2rA which was bought for rs45.3 million on 11 October 2007 and is currently valued at rs73.1 million. Another property owned by the company is flat No142 Marble Arch Apartments, 11 Harrowby Street, London W1H 5PQ which was bought by Aleem Khan on 11 September 2007 for rs 44.1 million and the current price is rs 106.5 million. The fourth property owned by Aleem Khan’s offshore company is Flat 305 West End Quay, London W2 1JB which was bought on 19th October 2007 for rs61.1 million and currently valued at rs98.8 million. Talking to a media outfit, Aleem Khan admitted that the worth of his four flats is way above rs 2.9 million mentioned in his FBr papers but he justified understatement in his assets claiming that he only declared the initial capital of the company in his papers.

US to return smuggled Buddha sculpture to Pakistan ISLAMABAD APP

A Buddha sculpture that was smuggled from Swat to the United States in the 1980s will be returned to Pakistan on Thursday. According to some estimates, the rare sculpture is worth more than US $1.1 million. A ceremony pertaining to return of the smuggled artefact will be organised at the district attorney general’s office in Manhattan, New York on Thursday. The statue was put up for sale at an art exhibition in New York.

LHC accepts petition against JuD for running ‘Sharia courts’ LAHORE AGENCIES

A Lahore High Court judge has accepted a case against Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) for running unauthorised sharia courts in Lahore. The case against JuD was brought by a real estate agent, Khalid Saeed, who says the charity had summoned him in January to appear at its court in Lahore to resolve a property dispute with another man. Saeed told a foreign news agency that the JuD letter warned him if he failed to attend, “no excuse would be accepted and action will be taken according to Sharia”.

The judiciary has become increasingly assertive dealing with politicians, but the case could show how ready judges are to act against powerful Islamic organisations.

LHC Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan agreed to hear the case on Tuesday. He reserved judgment until a later date but told JuD’s lawyer that based “on facts, he (Khalid Saeed) has a point”. There was no hearing on Wednesday and it was unclear when the proceedings would continue. Court documents show the group is accused of organising and holding parallel Sharia courts, summoning individuals and deciding family, civil and criminal law cases in Lahore.

JuD officials deny having links to LeT or running a parallel court system. Instead, JuD said it holds “arbitration councils” chaired by religious scholars who mediate disputes and provide guidance in light of Islamic teachings.

During Tuesday’s hearing the JuD lawyer, Muhammad Aqeel, said the summons submitted by Saeed was forged.

A JuD representative, Nadeem Awan, said the group does not issue threats or summons. “If we had been summoning people or coercing them to attend the council or abide by the council’s decisions, then there would be thousands of complaints against us,” Awan said. “Yet, all you have is this one complaint.” Many people are frustrated with the

CMYK

formal judicial system, regarding it as flawed and slow, and they instead look for justice from parallel courts like panchayats, or village councils, or unauthorised Sharia courts. The man who asked the JuD to intervene in his dispute with the real estate agent said he had written to the group’s leader asking for help.

“A friend told me about these courts and how effective they are,” Muhammad Azam said.

Thursday, 28 April, 2016

NEWS

03

‘More oF tHe SaMe’ IS Federal cabINet’S Strategy For bUdget 2016-17 ISLAMABAD

P

APP

rIME Minister Nawaz Sharif Wednesday said the country’s economic policies were welfareoriented and aimed at ensuring that the benefits of economic progress were delivered to the masses. He was chairing a meeting of the federal cabinet at the Prime Minister’s Office to discuss the budget strategy for the financial year 2016-17.

In their first meeting in over seven months, the cabinet gave approval to the budget strategy paper 2016-17, according to an official statement. The prime minister appreciated the fact that the overall economic progress achieved during the last three years of the government had set the stage for further progress and development of the country.

PM ADMIRES LAURELS: He noted that the key economic indicators, which were at rock bottom three years ago, have improved remarkably and said it would lead to allocating more resources for the welfare of the poor and promoting the development agenda of the government.

The prime minister expressed satisfaction on the strategy for increasing revenue collection and emphasised that the taxation

system should be further strengthened by widening the tax-net.

The prime minister said the government has made efforts to lower the fiscal deficit to a reasonable level by inducting financial discipline in the public sector.

He appreciated the contribution being made by expatriate Pakistanis by sending their remittances to Pakistan and directed that steps should be taken to facilitate overseas Pakistanis to send remittances through banking channels. The prime minister also directed the Ministry of Commerce to gear up efforts to increase exports. The cabinet meeting took note that while benefits of mega projects in the pipeline would start unfolding from next year, immediate measures were needed to encourage investment by the private sector. The prime minister said that the current trend of gDP growth would continue to increase employment

opportunities for the youth.

He said that the Chinese Council has already approved $4.5 billion for projects of Sukkur-Multan and Havelian-Thakot motorways. He said that from 1999-2013 successive governments had failed to invest in the energy sector and that his government had initiated a number of energy projects for power generation. The $34 billion of energy projects under CPEC were investment and not loan, he added. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said the government would successfully overcome gas shortage within the tenure of this government. The prime minister said that efforts have been made for keeping the inflation rate under control and observed that average inflation during past three years had remained low.

He expressed satisfaction that the expected large scale manufacturing at a

growth rate of 4.35 % will be highest in the last eight years.

FINANCE MINISTER GIVES PRESENTATION: Earlier Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar and Secretary Finance Division Dr Waqar Masood Khan gave a detailed presentation to the cabinet members on the strategy being followed in formulating proposals for the next budget.

The finance minister, while briefing the Cabinet, said that the government was concentrating on major policy initiatives that were aimed at consolidating the economic gains achieved so far and spurring inclusive and sustainable growth, creation of job opportunities and reduction in poverty. The finance minister briefed the cabinet that when the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) government took the reigns of the government, the economy was weak and fragile and the growth rate averaged around 3 per cent while the inflation rate during 2008-13 was around 12 per cent.

The circular debt of rs 503 billion was crippling the power sector and the economy. The fiscal deficit was hovering at around 8.8 per cent and there were predictions of default. However, due to economic policies of the government, the economy is now performing well.

He said the fiscal deficit has been on target for closing at 4.3 per cent in the cur-

Tareen’s hands are clean, says Imran Khan LAHORE STAFF REPORT

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan took to Twitter on Wednesday to clear the air over accusations that his party’s main man, Jahangir Tareen had loans worth millions of rupees written off.

“JKT has given documentary proof of no loan write-offs [and] will be seeking legal action against those hurling false accusations against him,” Khan said. The PTI chief termed accusations on his party’s main man as a “typical Sharif strategy”, saying that “when their wrongdoings [are] exposed, they target political opponents through innuendos [and] blackmail”. Khan’s PTI and the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) are at the crossroads since May 2013 general elections, where the Nawaz Sharifled party came out victorious with a defining margin

and the PTI took to streets against what they called as “massively rigged elections in the country’s history”.

“Instead of clarifying their position [and] contradictions on off shore [accounts, properties], Sharifs using government machinery to blackmail political opponents,” Khan said.

“PML-N is the government [and] if they have evidence of wrongdoing against any one they should probe [and] prosecute not blackmail opponents,” he added. Khan, Pakistan’s cricket hero turned politician, accused the prime minister for diverting attention over Panama Papers — an unprecedented leak of 11.5 million files from an offshore law firm Mossack Fonseca.

“Sharif government has launched a massive media campaign on ‘development’ at tax payer expense…

Sharifs development is always at tax payer expense [and] more on media, especially TV ads, than on the ground,” the PTI chief said.

“Whenever Sharifs come to power the only [development] that takes place is in their bank accounts, businesses [and] nation’s human development plummets.”

Leaked confidential documents spanning over nearly 40 years that spell out the extensive use of tax havens by politicians, world leaders, and celebrities to launder money and evade taxes through one of the most secretive companies the Panamaian law firm Mossack Fonseca, has taken the world by storm.

Many Pakistanis have also been named in their revelations.

The documents identify many Pakistani business tycoons and politicians including late two-time Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto as well certain members of the ruling Sharif family (excluding PM Nawaz Sharif and his brother Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif) to have use tax havens to hide their wealth.

Ministers tell PM this too shall pass CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01 The ICIJ said Thursday that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had not himself featured in the Panama Leaks and while his family members did indeed have offshore companies, the prime minister’s name should not have been mentioned as being directly linked with such companies.

While there was never any confusion about who was actually being accused, this has not stopped the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders from trumpeting the ICIJ clarification as proof that the whole thing was an international conspiracy designed to derail the development agenda of the government. The meeting demanded that the consortium should “determine those responsible for the mistake and proceed to take immediate action against them”.

A source told Pakistan Today that one of the federal ministers expressed reservations about the mass contact drive launched by the prime minister, and urged the premier that those agitating were “rejected politicians” and the PM should not worry about them.

The minister referred to some recent incidents where a handful of opposition protesters had raised slogans of “go Nawaz go” during some recently held government functions, adding that a similar incident with the PM as chief guest may backfire and the entire media focus would shift to protesters rather than the prime minister, which would

fail the mass contact drive.

“The prime minister should hold a meeting of the parliamentary leaders of the PML-N. Since MNAs are the real representatives of the masses, the PM’s increased contact with the parliamentarians would help strengthen the parliamentary system and the parliament as well,” the source quoted the minister as saying. The cabinet expressed its resolve that the PML-N and the people of Pakistan will not allow “a few regressive opportunists to sabotage the stride of the country towards the destination of development and prosperity”.

BOTH SIDES ARE HURT: While the federal government has launched a new campaign saying that the ICIJ has offered a clarification and withdrawn the name of the prime minister from the Panama Leaks, the opposition has rejected the notion, saying that the prime minister’s name did not feature in the Panama Papers from day one.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Information Secretary Naeemul Haq has announced to move court against Information Minister Pervaiz rashid for launching a media campaign misusing the public money based on falsehood and blatant lies to shift the media focus from the prime minister’s family.

“The media cell set up in the PM’s House and run by Maryam Nawaz is running a slander campaign against the PTI leaders, misusing the public money.

The misuse of state exchequer for a slander campaign against the opposition leaders is unlawful by all means,” said

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan People’s Party leaders Senator Aitzaz Ahsan and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Khursheed Shah address the press along with Awami Muslim League Chairman Sheikh Rashid Ahmed after a meeting on Wednesday. Rashid told reporters that both sides had agreed that if all opposition parties unite then no one could save the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif from surviving the Panama Leaks scandal. He also said that he had decided not to criticize PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto zardari in his speeches as he was impressed by his ‘humble attitude’. INP

Naeemul Haq. The PTI leader also claimed to having sent a legal notice to Information Minister rashid seeking an apology for the false and fabricated claims against the opposition leaders.

In the legal notice, Naeemul Haq, through his counsel Salman Hamid Afridi, alleged that the information minister had used public money to launch a propaganda campaign against the PTI chairman and other leaders unlawfully using his authority as information minister. PPP leader Qamar Zaman Kaira also laughed off the claims of the federal government that the ICIJ had withdrawn allegations against the prime minister.

CMYK

“No media report ever claimed that the ICIJ had leveled allegations against the prime minister. Neither the media nor the opposition ever made a direct reference to the PM,” he added. “What the PM House is claiming is that the children of the PM made a mistake and the PM has nothing to do with it. But the nation wants an investigation into the scandal. We want a forensic audit to probe the money trail and the sources of income of the PM’s children,” he added.

“We need a fair investigation into the matter. The government shouldn’t try to confuse the issue. It wouldn’t help them,” Kaira said.

rent fiscal year. He briefed the cabinet on healthy improvements in the current account of balance of payment. The deficit in current account has been reduced from $ 1.9 billion in July-March 2014-15 to $1.6 billion during the same period of 2015-16.

He said that the FBr tax collection has increased during the last nine months by 19 per cent with historic high tax collection figures of rs 2.103 trillion. He said there has been a considerable increase in the number of taxpayers in the last three years.

He said in the medium term the plan was to gradually increase gDP to around 7 per cent and contain inflation to single digits – at less than 6 per cent. He said the government intended to bring down fiscal deficit to below 4 per cent in the next financial year 2016-17. The finance minister concluded that the gDP growth rate was projected to be 5 per cent this year against the target of 5.5 per cent mainly due to severe setback to the cotton crop. He said that the projected growth rate will be the highest in the last eight years.

He said it would be the fourth budget of the present government and with each year the reform agenda is being carried forward. “Our reform agenda with prudent fiscal policies will bring development and prosperity for the people of Pakistan in the coming years,” he said.

Panama Papers’ data to be made public on May 9 NEWS DESK In a major breakthrough in Panama Papers case, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) has announced it will reveal a “searchable database” with information on over 200,000 offshore entities, including names of over 200 Pakistanis, on May 9. The database which is likely to be the largest ever release of secret offshore companies and the people behind them, will become public on May 9, 2pm EDT, ICIJ reported.

The interactive database will also include information about more than 100,000 additional companies that were part of the 2013 ICIJ Offshore Leaks investigation.

While the database opens up a world that has never been revealed on such a massive scale, the application will not be a “data dump” of the original documents – it will be a careful release of basic corporate information, a statement on the website said. While there is a possibility that names of more Pakistanis may or may not appear on the database, ICIJ stated, it “won’t release personal data en masse; the database will not include records of bank accounts and financial transactions, emails and other correspondence, passports and telephone numbers.”

“The selected and limited information is being published in the public interest,” the statement added. governments across the world mounted sweeping probes into allegations made as part of a massive leak of front companies being set up by a Panama-based firm on behalf of several prominent global personalities and leaders, many of whom denied any wrongdoing.

The leak, dubbed ‘Panama Papers’ and comprising some 11.5 million documents covering four decades from the Panamabased law firm Mossack Fonseca, showed how some of the world’s most powerful people took their money offshore.

While several leaders, personalities and institutions, including Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, rejected allegations of wrongdoing, Iceland’s prime minister resigned earlier this month, becoming the first political victim of a mushrooming worldwide scandal over hidden offshore financial dealings exposed in the so-called Panama Papers.

Premier Nawaz on Friday said he would resign if any wrongdoing is proven against him before the commission formed to investigate offshore wealth in the wake of Panama Papers revelations. “I challenge those accusing me of wrongdoing to prove that before the commission and if anything is proved, I will step down without any delay,” Nawaz Sharif said while addressing the nation.

04 NEWS Indirect taxes are contrary to Islam’s teachings, says Maulana Sheerani ISLAMABAD

Thursday, 28 April, 2016

China pivotal to pakistan’s foreign poliCy: Maleeha lodhi ISLAMABAD

STAFF REPORT

Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) Chairman Maulana Mohammad Khan Sheerani said that indirect taxes are contradictory to the teachings of Islam and prohibited in Sharia.

“Taxes can be imposed only on income,” Sheerani said while addressing a press conference at the end of a two-day seminar on Islamic system of economy.

The CII chairman maintained that tax cannot be collected from the end consumers on the purchase of a product instead it should be collected from the industrialist and traders.

“The end consumer is the ultimate sufferer of indirect taxes,” Sheerani said adding that tax must be collected from industrialist and traders on sale of a product as they are the beneficiary who are earning from it.

Maulana Sheerani held that all the indirect taxes are prohibited in Islam.

The economic system based on paper currency is not strong enough and gold is the more acceptable medium, he added.

“The paper currency is only based on the power of the state has and no standing in the shape of a solid material,” he said.

“The gold dinar coin was used in the Islamic world from the 8th century onwards and survived in certain parts till 19th century,” Sheerani said.

The CII chairman said capitalism is about to fall after the collapse of communism and the world must opt for Islamic economic system to meet the challenges confronting the economy.

ied blast in Jaffarabad claims three lives QUETTA STAFF REPORT

Three persons were killed in an explosion in Jaffarabad district of Balochistan on Wednesday.

According to details, three people lost their lives in the IED explosion which took place at Tholu Bugti village in Jaffarabad, in the southeast of Balochistan.

Police stated that one person was injured in the blast as well.

p

APP

AKISTAN’S relationship with China is strategic, historic, trouble-free and pivotal to the country’s foreign policy, Ambassador to the United Nations Dr Maleeha Lodhi said during a talk at Harvard University on Tuesday.

Speaking at a programme called the “Future of Diplomacy” at the Kennedy School of Government, Lodhi set out Pakistan’s regional and global agenda and emphasised that this reflected national priorities and Islamabad’s role as a “critical state” in international affairs.

The national priorities she listed included economic revival, defeating terrorism and elimination of violent extremism in and around Pakistan, preservation of the country’s strategic capability and building regional peace and stability.

The latter, she explained, required an end to the conflict in Afghanistan, and normalisation of Pakistan-India relations on a durable basis.

She also named regional economic cooperation and connectivity as another key priority. This, she said, is being pursued through various trans-regional projects, which aim to enhance prospects of growth and development.

She cited the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as the most am-

bitious and potentially game changing example of regional economic cooperation.

Expounding on the Pakistan-China relationship, the envoy said the strategic evolution of this relationship has given the Sino-Pak partnership added significance at a time of a fundamental change in the global balance of power brought about by China’s rise as a global economic powerhouse.

In recent years, she said, bilateral ties have broadened and diversified from the traditional focus on defence and military cooperation towards a greater economic and investment orientation.

She described CPEC as a critical link

in China’s ‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative, as a manifestation of the direction this key relationship is taking.

“This project will bring greater prosperity to the people of the region and beyond,” she said.

Balancing relationship with Us:On how Pakistan will balance its relations with China with those with the United States, Lodhi said to those who ascribe a zero-sum nature to Pakistan’s relations with China and US, a recall of history would help to invalidate this notion.

Pakistan played a central role in one of the most dramatic episodes of

Pakistan’s youth population is expected to reach 50m by 2050: UNDP report NEWS DESK According to a recent United Nations Development Programme report, the population of Pakistan is expected to reach fifty-million.

The report also cites that South Asian countries have seen an unprecedented growth in their working class whereas the dependent class has receded sharply. The same phenomena occurred in Europe but it took a century whereas in these Asian countries, it took around thirty years. The reason for this working age population’s expansion is also due to the fact that birth rates are falling in these countries whereas the working age populations are exploding.

This population boom can also be

turned around by countries and used to their advantage. The report, entitled ‘Shaping the Future: How Changing Demographics Can Power Human Development’ has been compiled by representatives from more than twenty countries, also contains a set of recommendations which can be used to make the best use of the workforce to maintain growth and increase production.

“When countries have a greater share of people who can work, save and pay taxes, they have the potential to transform their economies and power investments in healthcare, education and other building blocks of future prosperity,” said Thangavel Palanivel, lead author of the report.

The report also outlines ‘9 Actions

for Sustainable Development’. Among the suggestions of the report include provision of jobs to cater to the growing workforce as well as equal employment opportunities for women. Also, countries must also find ways to turn savings into investments so as to reap maximum benefit.

“The window of opportunity to increase productivity, invest in growth and save for the future is between now and 2050,” said Haoliang Xu, UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Director for Asia and the Pacific. “If countries in Asia-Pacific do not create optimal employment conditions, the regional economy will begin to slow down by 2050 as the current working-aged population begins to retire.”

Greece sends 49 miGrants, includinG four Pakistanis, back to turkey ATHENS AGENCIES

Greece returned another 49 migrants, including four Pakistanis, to Turkey on Tuesday under a controversial EU-Turkey deal to reduce the influx, a police source said, three weeks after the first deportations.

The 49 sent back — taken from the islands of Kos, Lesbos and Chios to the Turkish ports of Dikili and Cesme — included 18 Bangladeshis, 12 Afghans and four Pakistanis. The group, who were accompanied by officers from EU border agency Frontex, also included nine people from Myanmar,

five Iranians, and a Jordanian.

The latest expulsions came as tensions flared at a migrants’ camp on the Greek island of Lesbos during a visit by Migration Minister Yannis Mouzalas.

A government source told AFP that a “misunderstanding” triggered a disturbance at the Moria camp on Lesbos, one of several Greek islands that have seen a massive influx of migrants setting sail from nearby Turkey. The unaccompanied minors section of the camp was particularly affected by the unrest, the source said.

Images posted on Twitter showed burning rubbish and parts of the camp

being evacuated. Other posts suggested that a police officer had struck a young male in the camp, although this could not immediately be verified.

The Moria camp became a closed detention camp when the EU-Turkey deal came into force on March 20. Around 3,000 people are currently being held there awaiting news of their fate. “They are anxious and frustrated, not knowing what is going to happen to them,” said Boris Cheshirkov, spokesperson for the UN refugee agency on Lesbos.

“Tension has risen in the camp in recent days, with a surge in violence,” he

CMYK

said, adding that the unrest had calmed down by the afternoon.

Under the EU deal, migrants who do not qualify for asylum face deportation back to Turkey. Two sets of deportations expelling some 325 migrants from Greece took place three weeks ago, mostly from Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Critics have accused the EU of sacrificing its values and overlooking Turkey’s growing crackdown on free speech in order to secure the deal, which will see Turkey receive billions of euros in aid, visa-free travel for its citizens, and accelerated talks on its EU membership bid.

the Cold War, the opening up to China by former US President Richard Nixon, because it enjoyed good relations with both China and the US, she said.

Pakistan intends to play the same role in the future and maintain good relations with both even as the two engage in global competition, she said.

With India, Ambassador Lodhi said, Pakistan seeks to normalise relations by finding political solutions to outstanding disputes.

While Islamabad has repeatedly urged Delhi to resume the broadbased, comprehensive peace process India has yet to agree and has instead signaled it is only interested in talking about terrorism. This, she said, does not make the prospects of diplomatic progress too bright.

On Afghanistan, she responded to a question about President Ashraf Ghani’s latest statement, by saying that advocating intensified military action against the insurgency seems to run counter to the firm international consensus, which is that a political solution is the only viable way to bring peace to Afghanistan.

This is what Pakistan has urged and recommended for the past decade or more, she said.

She reminded the audience that for the past 14 years, a military solution to the conflict within Afghanistan has proved elusive.

368 candidates pass css exam, 238 qualify for service ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

In a telling sign for the country’s dismal state of education, only 3.02 per cent of ‘potential’ candidates passed the competitive examination for the country’s civil service.

According to the results announced by the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC), only 379 candidates of a total 12,176 passed the CSS examination, a 3.02 pass percentage.

The FPSC’s official website stated a total of 20,717 candidates applied for the CSS written examination of which only 12,176 appeared to take the exam.

Of these 12,176 participants, only 379 candidates managed to pass the written examination but only 368 candidates qualified for viva.

Of these 368 candidates, 220 were male while 148 were female.

Those candidates, who had passed in the written examination, were made to undergo pre-selection schedules for medical examination, psychological assessment and viva voce.

The final list of candidates recommended for appointment

by FPSC after completion of pre-selection stages number 238, of which 132 are male and 106 female.

Thursday, 28 April, 2016

NEWS

05

RangeRs take oveR Clifton spoRts gRound, people wondeR why THE ONLY GROUND CATERING TO HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HAS BEEN TAKEN OVER BY RANGERS AS NO TIMEFRAME HAS BEEN GIVEN FOR VACATING THE GROUND KARACHI

C

AAMIR MAJEED

LIFTON residents have expressed dismay after the paramilitary Rangers took over Cantonment Board Clifton (CBC) Punjab Colony Sports Ground a few days ago. The troops of the federal force, along with over 200 cots, reached the ground a few days ago and set up camp. The paramilitary force took over the sports ground and directed the representatives of cricket, football and hockey clubs to pack up and leave.

The federal force appeared to have long term plans to stay in the ground after they started putting up makeshift arrangements.

The rooms allotted to the sports clubs were occupied after forced eviction of the officials concerned. Even a CBC camp office in the sports ground was vacated after the arrival of the paramilitary troops. The 4.9acre CBC Punjab Colony Sports Ground is located on the way to Sunset Boulevard from Punjab Chowrangi. This is the only ground that caters to the residents of Delhi Colony, Punjab Colony, Chandio Village, Gabol Colony and Madni Abad. The only other open space in the area, a ground in Delhi Colony, has been turned into a family park by the CBC. “At night, a heavy contingent of paramilitary force arrived in the ground and started off-loading luggage from their trucks,” a resident of Saira Apartment, located in front of the main entrance of Punjab Colony Sports Ground, told Pakistan Today on condition of anonymity.

“When I left home for office the next day, the Rangers had settled in their makeshift

arrangements,” the resident said. cbc haS tried to taKe oVer the Ground beFore: This is not the first time that someone has tried to take over the CBC cricket ground. In January 2014, the administration of CBC itself tried to turn the ground into a marriage lawn. The representatives of the three clubs fought the CBC tooth and nail and eventually saved their ground. The club’s representatives also held a protest demonstrations against CBC administration for its efforts to monetise the sports ground. The CBC moved court to get the ground vacated but the residents held on. The representatives of the clubs then sought the help of political parties to block the CBC’s move. Irfan Niazi, a representative of Modern Cricket Club, got in touch with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice President Asad Umar on twitter and sought his party’s help to prevent the CBC from turning the sports ground into a marriage lawn. Asad Umar connected him with PTI’s MNA from the same constituency (NA250) Dr Arif Alvi, who promised to stop the commercialisation of the sports ground. The clubs finally prevailed and the CBC withdrew their case from the court after six months. In a visit to the ground, Pakistan Today saw some masons reconstructing the broken walls under the supervision of the Rangers personnel. Some were painting the boundary walls of the sports ground. On the main gate of the ground, a few personnel of the federal force were seen monitoring the installation of a walkthrough gate. Anyone entering the ground is stopped and asked to produce credentials. When, NK Iqbal, the Rangers official checking the credentials, was asked about the Modern Cricket Club,

SOURCES SAY CBC ADMINISTRATION MAY HAVE A HAND IN THE TAKEOVER AFTER THEIR OWN FAILED ATTEMPT TO TURN IT INTO A MARRIAGE LAWN

Mohammedan Football Club and Popular Hockey Club, he said all the sports clubs have been removed from the ground. Modren Cricket Club Vice President (VP) Kamran Niazi said that the Rangers have put an end to their sports activities. “The federal force has deployed its personnel on the main gate of the ground and they don’t allow any club member or official to come inside. However, the Rangers have allowed the children to come inside and play,” Niazi said. “The paramilitary force has created a standard operating procedure whereby the three clubs have to get permission before holding a game in the ground,” Niazi said.

“Our club has been registered with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) since 1973.

We have been holding matches regularly since then, but now we would have to take permission.” a twiSt in the tail, ranGerS May haVe been inVited by the cbc adMiniStration: CBC Sports Committee Chairman and Mohammedan Football Club President Hameed Chandio when approached for comment, claimed that the representatives of the cricket, football and hockey clubs visited the Sindh Rangers

headquarters and requested them to vacate the ground and spare it for sports, but the Rangers officials claimed that they have been invited in the ground by the CBC. Chandio, who was also elected as councilor in the last local bodies elections, claimed that when he made contacts with the CBC higher-ups, they said that the Rangers had arrived there to accomplish their mission and would leave after that mission is completed. “We will hold a meeting with the CBC in the next few days and if the Rangers don’t vacate the ground, we will launch a protest against this illegal occupation,” Chandio maintained. ranGerS’ PreViouS eXPloitS, localS are not oVer reactinG: This is not the first time the Rangers have set their eyes on a prime spot to build their base. In fact, they have developed a reputation for being the camel, which got its nose in the tent. In 2006, the Rangers were given permission to adopt temporary residence in Karachi Development Authority (KDA) officers’ bungalows situated near the National Stadium. Later the paramilitary force was asked to vacate the bungalows, but they refused. Even the Sindh High Court (SHC) failed to get the Rangers to

Amendment in Sindh LG Act: Govt to ‘monitor’ local body representatives KARACHI STAFF REPORT

At least two amendments in the Sindh Local Government Act were passed by the Sindh Assembly on Wednesday despite protests and heavy sloganeering by opposition leaders. An amendment in the act called for monitoring of local government representatives by the Sindh government which invited the wrath of opposition leaders Khawaja Izharul

Hasan of the MQM and Sheheryar Mehr of the PML-F who argued that the move showed the government did not want to hold local government elections.

Sindh Local Government Minister Jam Khan Shoro however contended that monitoring of local government representatives was necessary to ensure that they did not engage in illegal activities.

Sindh Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Nisar Ahmed Khuhro tabled the amendments as members of the opposition

chanted slogans of “shame” and protested before the assembly speaker besides tearing copies of the bill.

The opposition accused the Sindh government of using the pull of the majority in the assembly to get the bill passed. A second amendment in the act passed into law was in accordance with an earlier Supreme Court’s verdict ordering election of local government representatives - including mayor, deputy mayor, chairman and vice chairman -

Education budget increased in all provinces but utilisation was poor: report ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Provinces earmarked more funds in their education budgets last year but they failed to effectively utilize the money, says a report on education sector issued by Institute of Social and Policy Sciences (I-SAPS) on Wednesday. Releasing the report during a national policy dialogue on “Public Financing of Education in Pakistan and Agenda for Education Budget 2016-17” at a local hotel, I-SAPS Executive Director Salman Humayun said that an analysis of previous federal and provincial education budgets reveals some encouraging facts. “It is heartening to see a visible increase in education budgets for all the provinces in 2015-16, with Balochistan registering an increase of 19 per cent, followed

by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) with 12 per cent, Punjab with 10 per cent and Sindh with an increased allocation of 7 per cent compared with previous year’s budgets.” “However, despite the improvements in allocations and expenditures in the education budgets, there is a need for improved utilisation of the money,” added Humayun. He said that analysis of the education budgets has shown that the budgetary allocations are generally not leveraged against major challenges like access and quality of education, showing a sharp disconnect between the two. Some of the considerable issues in this context include inadequate en-

gagement of legislature in the budget-making process, insufficient allocations compared with the actual needs, untimely fiscal flow, corruption, huge administrative expenditure, lack of transparency among other things. Also there is a weak link between policy provisos, education data and the budgetary allocations.

The report also presented the status of education in all four provinces of Pakistan.

Punjab: Punjab has a total of 52,695 public schools out of which 51 per cent are girl’s schools. Out of these schools, majority are primary schools (69 per cent) followed by 16 per cent middle, 12 per cent high and 1 per cent higher secondary schools. Overall enrolment in government schools is 10.9 million out of which 37 per cent are enrolled at primary level. The number of teachers working in Punjab is 321,064; 51 per cent of whom are female. According to PSLM 2013-14, net enrolment rate at primary level is 64 per cent while the literacy rate is 71 per cent for male and 52 per cent for female; showing vast disparity. Survival rate to grade 5 is 71 per cent and transition rate from primary to middle is 97 per cent. The number of out of school children of 5-16 years age in the province is 13.1 million which constitutes 47 per cent of the total population of the school-going age children4. 52 per cent of these out of school children are female.

Sindh: Sindh has a total of 46,039 public

schools out of which 15 per cent are girls’ schools whereas 62 per cent are mixed schools. Majority of the schools are primary (91 per cent), 4 per cent middle, 1 per cent elementary, 4 per cent secondary and 1 per cent higher secondary schools. Overall enrolment in government schools is 4.04 million out of which 65 per cent are enrolled at primary level. The number of teachers working in Sindh is 144,170; 31 per cent of whom are female. According to PSLM 2013-14, net enrolment rate at primary level is 48 per cent while the literacy rate is 67 per cent for male and 43 per cent for female; showing vast disparity. Survival rate to grade 5 is 45 per cent and transition rate from primary to middle is 57 per cent. The number of out of school children of 5-16 years age in the province is 6.2 million which constitutes 51 per cent of the total population of the school-going age children4. 54 per cent of these out of school children are female.

Khyber PaKhtunKhwa: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has a total of 28,319 public schools out of which 37 per cent are girls.

Majority are primary schools (83 per cent) followed by 9 per cent middle, 7 per cent high and 1 per cent higher secondary schools. Overall enrolment in government schools is 4.2 million students, of which 69 per cent are enrolled at primary level. The number of teachers working in KP is

CMYK

through secret ballot instead of a show of hands within 60 days.

The amendment was passed with consensus in the assembly.

Local government positions are hotly contested in Pakistan’s main financial hub. Since it swept the elections with 135 seats for six Karachi districts, the MQM appears poised to clinch the office of Karachi mayor and deputy mayor with Waseem Akhtar as the prime mayoral candidate.

118,754; 35 per cent of whom are female.

According to PSLM 2013-14, net enrolment rate at primary level is 54 per cent while the literacy rate is 72 per cent for male and 36 per cent for female; showing vast disparity. Survival rate to grade 5 is 67 per cent and transition rate from primary to middle is 82 per cent. The number of out of school children of 5-16 years age in the province is 2.5 million which constitutes 34 per cent of the total population of the schoolgoing age children4. 70 per cent of these out of school children are female. balochiStan: Balochistan has a total of 12,576 public schools out of which 28 per cent are girls schools. Out of these schools, 84 per cent are primary schools followed by 9 per cent middle, 6 per cent high and less than 1 per cent higher secondary schools. Overall enrolment in government schools is 1.1 million students out of which 50 per cent are enrolled at primary level. The number of teachers working in Balochistan is 43,620; 32 per cent of whom are female. According to PSLM 2013-14, net enrolment rate at primary level is 39 per cent while the literacy rate is 59 per cent for male and 25 per cent for female; showing vast disparity. Survival rate to grade 5 is 46 per cent and transition rate from primary to middle is 75 per cent. The number of out of school children of 5-16 years age in the province is 1.8 million which constitutes 66 per cent of the total population of the school-going age children4. 51 per cent of these out of school children are female.

end their occupation. The Rangers have occupied Karachi University boys’ hostel since 1989. The paramilitary force was called inside the campus to handle the prevailing law and order situation. Since then, however, they have occupied the boys’ hostel which accommodates at least 1,000 students. The federal force has now established a full wing on the occupied land. Rangers also took over a hostel at the NED University of Engineering and Technology for providing security to varsity; a compound at the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology Gulshan-e-Iqbal Campus; classrooms at the Dawood College of Engineering and Technology, Sindh Medical University, Dow University of Health Sciences as well as academic and hostel blocks at the Government College of Technology, SITE and Jamia Millia, Malir.

Apart from university dorms and rooms, Rangers have also occupied Mitha Ram Hostel which was built to accommodate students at the DJ Science College.

They have also taken over the Sir Leslie Wilson Muslim Hostel, better known as Jinnah Courts and use it as their headquarters.

In 2008, the Rangers were given permission to manufacture blocks on the ground of the University of Karachi (KU) by the varsity security adviser Prof Dr Khalid Iraqi for a period of six months.

They Rangers stayed on the ground, manufacturing concrete blocks, for eight years.

The paramilitary force intercepted the main water pipeline of Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) to use sweet water for manufacturing blocks. Due to this puncture in the KWSB water pipeline, the residents of Gulistan-e-Jauhar, residing opposite to KU, had to face acute water shortage for nearly eight years. CBC spokesman Amir Arab, when contacted for comment, said he has no information in this regard. Sindh Rangers spokesman Major Sibtain also said he did not know about the Rangers taking over the ground.

Uzair Baloch sent on 14-day remand to police custody Karachi: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Wednesday sent Lyari gang war leader Uzair Baloch on 14-day remand to police custody in an illicit weapons case. An administrative judge of the ATC sent Baloch into police custody, a day before his 90-day preventive custody at sub-jails operated by the Rangers was supposed to end. The case was recently registered against Baloch at Nabi Baksh police station as law enforcement officers recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition on his lead. Baloch was said to be nabbed from the city’s outskirts on January 30 while attempting to enter the city. The gang war leader is a proclaimed offender in about 50 cases including, murder, kidnapping and extortion among others. Later, the gang war leader was presented before the ATC as well.

A joint interrogation team was also formed to investigate him, and it was said the high-profile criminal revealed names of several key figures of the Pakistan People’s Party during the probe. STAFF REPORT

NADRA blocks 64,000 bogus CNICs iSlaMabad: The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has blocked at least 64,000 suspicious Computerised National Identity Cards (CNIC). The NADRA officials informed the sub-committee on electoral reforms on Wednesday that most of the blocked CNICs were suspicious and issued to foreigners pretending to be Pakistani citizens. NADRA officials further said that they are not investigating about the cards, however details could be provided to the committee in this regard. Convener of the subcommittee Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao has said that Pakistani citizens were also facing difficulties with blockage of cards. He added that details about how many CNICs are blocked in each province should be provided to the committee. Sherpao also sought details about the CNICs of those who got Pakistani citizenship. STAFF REPORT

06 LAHORE

Thursday, 28 April, 2016

WEATHER UPDATES

THURSDAY

380C 200C

FRIDAY

390C

190C

SATURDAY

410C 200C

SUNDAY

430C 210C

Punjab CM Too busy To aTTend asseMbly session Punjab asseMbLy Passed 11 biLLs, adOPTed 14 resOLuTiOns and heLd Pre-budgeT discussiOn during iTs 20Th sessiOn LAHORE

T

STAFF REPORT

HE Punjab Assembly passed 11 bills, adopted 14 resolutions and held pre-budget discussion during its 20th session that continued from March 30 to April 15, 2016. The session started a day after the terrorist attack in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park, Lahore and was underway when the issue of Panama Leaks surfaced. The house discussed both the issues and adopted resolutions on them.

According to FAFEN, the cumulative duration of 13 sittings held during the session was 35 hours and 31 minutes while each sitting, on average, started 69 minutes before its scheduled time and continued for two hours and 43 minutes. The chief minister did not attend any sitting while the leader of the opposition was present in 10 sittings. The speaker presided over 56 per cent of the proceedings, the deputy speaker 37 per cent, while a member of the panel of chairpersons acted as speaker for the remaining duration.

The legislative agenda brought before the house comprised 12 government bills and an ordinance. The house approved 11 bills related to local government, institutional development, natural resources’ management, meat-sale and transport. The ordinance providing relief to civilian victims of terrorism and another bill regarding setting up of agriculture, food and drug regulatory authority were sent to the relevant committee for further deliberations.

The house adopted 14 resolutions, six among them were private. Moreover, three private reso-

lutions were dropped after appearing on the agenda due to absence of the sponsors.

Among others, the house approved six resolutions seeking extension in the term of six ordinances promulgated by the Punjab governor.

Nine standing committees presented 11 reports on legislative proposals and privilege motions referred to them by the house. Moreover, the assembly granted extension in time for presentation of 18 reports, including a report of the public accounts committee.

The house also held discussion on the annual report of Punjab Bait-ul-Maal for the year 2013 during the last sitting of the session and the discussion will continue in the next session. The lawmakers raised seven calling attention notices drawing the attention of the government to matters of law and order. The minister for law and parliamentary affairs made statements on these notices on the floor of the house.

The house admitted 41 adjournment motions for discussion during the session. Of these, 21 were disposed off after the government’s response; one was referred to the relevant committee while 19 are pending. Pak-

Patients suffer as Mayo faces power cuts due to OLMT construction LAHORE HASSAAN AHMED

The construction of Orange Line Metro Train is making the patients, doctors and staff of Mayo Hospital Lahore suffer equally as electricity supply to the hospital was cut off from 9am to 3pm on Wednesday to enable the Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) officials shift transmission wires and poles to clear the passage for the orange train.

Malik Muhammad Afzal, an attendant of a patient told Pakistan Today that it is extremely difficult to sit in the ward without electricity. The patients who are critical cannot sit in open space but those with minor ailments prefer to spend most of the time in open space to beat the heat, he said.

A patient named Omer Farooq could not be operated upon due to non-availability of electricity at the orthopedic operation theatre on Wednesday. He was told to come next week for the surgery of his fractured arm. There were many patients like Farooq whose surgeries were delayed because of the power cut on Wednesday.

“I usually do ultrasound of 70 to 100 patients in routine but I could not do even a single ultrasound today because of nonavailability of electricity,” Dr Ali Khawaja from Radiology department told Pakistan Today. He was of the view that patients suffer badly every Wednesday as X-ray, CT Scan and many other tests are not possible without electricity.

Dr Salman Kazmi from East Medical Ward (EMW) of Mayo Hospital told Pakistan Today that several cases of electric-

ity breakdown were witnessed in the past three months in the hospital.

“It is the violation of Supreme Court’s order as the apex court has ruled that the hospitals must be exempted from any kind of electricity load shedding,” he said. He was of the view that there was complete blackout in the whole hospital except for the main emergency, which was being supplied power through generators.

A few days ago, a report was published in this newspaper in which it was discussed how ambulances have to take a longer route to reach the hospital because of construction work being carried out on Hall Road.

Dr Amjad Shehzad, Medical Superintendent (MS) of Mayo Hospital told Pakistan Today that the hospital has 16 generators but they were not enough to supply power to the entire hospital. “On Wednesday, we tried to make sure that the emergency must get uninterrupted power supply. Some operations were postponed while some were carried out when power supply was restored to the hospital,” he said.

Liaqat Ali, Assistant Manager Operation from LESCO’s Anarkali Sub-division, told Pakistan Today that electricity was suspended to four feeders for the construction work of the orange train.

“Electricity is shut down for the safety of workers as heavy wires and poles are being shifted from the route of train.” The hospital administration was informed a month in advance about the electricity breakdown so they had sufficient time to make appropriate arrangements,” he said.

istan Muslim Leaugue-N (PMLN) lawmakers submitted 21 adjournment motions, 12 were moved by Pakistan Muslim League (PML) MPAs while PTI and PPPP lawmakers submitted 8 and 1 adjournment motions respectively.

As many as 314 questions were listed for answers during the session, of which, 247 were starred and 70 unstarred. The rules require the government to answer a starred question orally as well as in writing while the unstarred questions are to be replied only in writing. However, only 98 starred questions were taken up and replied to on the floor of the house.

The assembly also held pre-budget discussion to solicit proposals for allocation of funds for upcoming financial year. 66 lawmakers shared their suggestions for the budget 2016-17 consuming 561 minutes.

Following the recent amendments to Rules of Procedure, the assembly now reserves last half an hour to raise the matters of urgent public importance. Two such matters were raised by a PML-N lawmaker during the session.

The lawmakers raised 72 points of order consuming 102 minutes of the session’s duration. The lawmakers discussed various issues related to the governance, security, development and business of the house.

An independent lawmaker and those belonging to the treasury submitted seven questions of privilege against public servants for misbehaving with the elected representatives.

All these questions were referred to the relevant committee for perusal. The opposition parties registered their protest against the prolonged absence of chief minister from the house and on the issue of Panama Leaks on six occasions during the session. Two of the sittings had to be adjourned due to the lack of quorum while once the required number was found complete upon counting, the customary bells were rung for five minutes.

LAHORE 07

Thursday, 28 April, 2016

PU students hold donkey rally to protest non-availability of transport facilities LAHORE STAFF RE PO RT

Punjab University (PU) students protested on Wednesday in a different yet weird manner by holding a rally on donkey carts. The demonstrators were protesting against university administration for lack of transportation facilities and imposition of parking fees.

ALEEM KHAN SAYS AFFIDAVITS DECLARED FAKE WITHOUT PROPER PROBE PTI LEADER SAYS NA SPEAKER AYAZ SADIQ’S COMPLAINT AGAINST HIM IS NOT MAINTAINABLE AS AFFIDAVITS WERE SUBMITTED BY VOTERS IN INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY LAHORE

P

STAFF REPORT

AkISTAN Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Aleem khan has submitted a written reply in the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) over complaints that he had submitted falsified affidavits.

In a tit-for-tat response, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has also submitted a similar complaint against

Speaker of National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq.

Aleem khan has said that the complaint by Ayaz Sadiq against him is not maintainable and should not be taken into consideration. He said that affidavits were being declared as falsified without any proper investigation.

He also said that neither the ECP nor the election tribunal had listened to them regarding the affidavits and that they were submitted by voters in their individual capacity. He prayed upon the

ECP to dismiss the complaint submitted

by Ayaz Sadiq.

The PTI has also claimed that the affidavits submitted by Speaker Ayaz Sadiq are falsified, said MPA Shoaib Siddiqui while speaking to the media.

The affidavits submitted by Ayaz Sadiq do not have any signature or stamp on them. He was informed by the ECP that they have started an inquiry into the validity of these documents.

Shoaib Siddiqui also said that Ayaz Sadiq should stop lying and lamented that ECP has not provided the details about the transfer of votes despite the passage of more than six months.

In responsible PML-N members Daniyal Aziz, Maryam Aurangzeb and other lashed out against the PTI. While speaking outside the ECP, Daniyal Aziz said that Aleem khan’s affidavits have been falsified from the onset. He said that the PTI had become a part of lies, conspiracies and fraud.

He accused Imran khan of lying to the public and said that there was a difference between his sayings and actions. He claimed that they had resorted to backdoor diplomacy against the government.

PUNJAB GOVT FORMS COMMITTEE TO LOOK INTO APNS WOES LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday formed a committee headed by Zaeem Hussain Qadri and comprising former PTV MD Muhammad Maalik, the secretary information and DGPR to resolve issues facing the newspaper industry.

Sharif made the decision following a meeting with a delegation of the All Pakistan Newspapers Society headed by its president, Sarmad Ali. During the meeting, problems faced by the newspaper industry and the country’s overall situation were discussed in detail. Expressing his views on the Panama Leaks revelations, Sharif said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has announced a commission for investigation into Panama Leaks and clearly said that if his name is included, he will leave his office. STAFF REPORT

The students arranged a rally from Islamic Centre to Vice Chancellor (VC)’s House and clashed with heavy contingent of police and security guards when they were stopped to advance towards the office.

Students then staged a sit-in in front of the VC’s house and the university administration was forced to consider students’ demands after negotiations.

08 LAHORE Several injured in clash between PPP, PML-N supporters RAHIM YAR KHAN STAFF REPORT

Several workers were injured as two groups belonging to Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-N (PMLN) clashed with each other after a dispute over local bodies election in Rahim Yar khan.

The PML –N group was associated with ticket holder for chairman slot Mureed khan Sarai and the PPP ticket holder for vice chairman slot Javed khan in the local bodies’ election at khanpur Union Council clashed with each other on Wednesday, leaving several workers injured. The PML – N ticket holder Chairman Mureed khan Sarai and PPP ticket holder vice chairman Javed khan are stated to be close relatives.

The injured were rushed to District Headquarters Hospital for medical treatment.

The clash resumed when the groups came to the hospital for medical treatment. The windowpanes of the emergency ward were also broken during the confrontation.

Police reached the site and took the workers to city police station for legal proceedings.

Lahore witnesses sharp rise in ‘sensitive areas’ LAHORE STAFF REPORT

Lahore police have inserted 1,000 more areas in its list of ‘sensitive locations’, in a move to enhance security across the capital, a local channel reported.

Police have also directed owners of these areas to beef up their security at the earliest.

According to the law enforcement agencies, number of sensitive areas has increased from 8,000 to 9,073, which are sub-divided into two categories – A and B. Most sensitive locations exist in Model Town division and are 2311 in number. In Saddar division, 2,076 such locations exist, followed by Iqbal Town where the number is 1,571.

Government and private buildings, petrol stations, imambargahs, and mosques are housed at all the sensitive locations.

On March 28, a suicide bomber had killed at least 74 people, mostly women and children, at a park in Lahore in an attack claimed by a Pakistani Taliban faction.

More than 300 other people were wounded in the deadly attack. The explosion occurred in the parking area of Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park.

2 dacoits, security guard killed in Kasur robbery attempt

Thursday, 28 April, 2016

Punjab govt committeD to ProviDing relief to farmers: shehbaz LAHORE

P

STAFF REPORT

UNJAB Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that Punjab government has given a historic package of Rs.100 billion for progress of agriculture sector and prosperity of the cultivators.

He said that implementation of this package will leave a positive impact on uplift of cultivators and promotion of agriculture within the next two years.

Every penny of the agriculture package will be spent on the welfare of the farmers, he added.

The chief minister said that the basic aim of the historic package of 100 billion rupees is to increase per acre production and reduce difficulties of farmers, adding that solid steps will soon be announced for prosperity of cultivators and development of agriculture sector and relief will be provided to the farmers at their doorstep under the agriculture package. He said that prosperity of farmers is the top priority of the government and all out steps will be taken for providing relief to the cultivators.

He expressed these views while addressing a high level meeting. The meeting reviewed in detail the steps proposed for implementation of Agriculture Package-2016 announced for the development of agriculture and prosperity of farmers.

Addressing the meeting, the chief minister said that farmers are his brothers who grow grain from soil, adding that the provision of relief to the culti-

vators and redressal of their difficulties is the responsibility of the government and for this purpose, a huge package of Rs.100 billion has been reserved. He said that with a view to promote agriculture and increase per acre production, decision has been made to increase subsidy on tractors from two hundred thousand to three hundred thousand rupees from next financial year. He said that interests of small farmers will always be protected and added that no compromise would be made on protection of their rights.

Shehbaz Sharif directed to take steps that could result in reduced production cost and increased cultivable area. While commenting on the proposal of provision of interest-free soft term loans to small farmers, Shehbaz Sharif said that provision of interest free loan will prove to be a great step for

small cultivators. Therefore, final recommendations should be presented at the earliest for implementing the proposal.

CM chairs meeting on health sector: Separately, Shehbaz Sharif has given approval to the steps for removing shortage of doctors and providing best medical facilities at rural and basic health centres in far-flung areas of the province under which, decision has been made for giving relaxation in age limit for recruitment of doctors in these centres. The same procedure will be adopted for the recruitment of consultants, he added.

The chief minister also gave approval to setting up of bio-medical workshop in South Punjab and constitution of health councils in hospitals and rural and basic health centres.

He was presiding over a meeting

LHC stops implementation of EOBI notification

KASUR STAFF REPORT

Two dacoits and a man were killed while four people including two policemen received injuries during a police encounter in Phool Nager area on Wednesday. According to the police, some robbers entered a private factory for robbery and upon resistance, opened fire at security guard and other workers of the factory, killing security guard Ashraf on the spot and injuring two workers.

Police official said that after receiving information, police contingent reached the crime scene and chased the fleeing robbers. Exchange of fire between dacoits and police occurred on Multan road bypass. According to police, two robbers were killed while two police personnel sustained injuries in the encounter and two other dacoits managed to flee. Rs.10 million of looted money was recovered from their possession.

LAHORE APP

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday stopped implementation of the Employees Old-Age Benefits Institution’s notification for an increase in employers’ and employees’ share of contribution.

The court also stopped the implementation of the Minimum Wages for Unskilled Workers Act 2016 in the province.

Justice Ayesha A Malik passed the orders on petitions filed by Masood Textile and other industrial units, challenging the EOBI notification for the increase in the employers’ and employees’ contribution.

During the hearing, the petitioners’ counsel, arguing before the court, submitted that the EOBI had increased the employers’ and employees’ share of contribution to Rs 780 per person per month.

The industrial units were further asked to deposit the outstanding dues from July 2013, as per the revised contribution, they added.

They mentioned that the EOBI took the step on the basis of revised minimum wages, amended through the Minimum Wages for Unskilled Workers Act 2016.

The counsel said that after passage of the 18th Amendment, the laws formed by the Federal Government were not applicable

in the provinces in this regard.

Accordingly, the Minimum Wages Act could not be implemented on industrial units, located in Punjab, they contended.

They pleaded to the court to stop implementation of federal minimum wages act in Punjab and set aside the EOBI notification for increase in employers’ and employees’ share of contribution or suspend implementation of it.

The court, after hearing initial arguments, stopped implementation of the notification and the minimum wages act in Punjab. The court also sought reply from the EOBI, federal and provincial governments till May 12.

ABDUCTED LADY TRAFFIC WARDEN RECOVERED IN UNCONSCIOUS CONDITION LAHORE STAFF REPORT

Lady traffic warden Afra, who was abducted two days ago, was recovered in an unconscious condition from Ring Road Lahore.

The lady warden was kidnapped while she was returning home from Shumali Chaoni area of Lahore after performing her

duty. The rescue team shifted her to kot khawaja Saeed Hospital where her condition was stated to be stable. The doctors have barred the police to record her statement.

According to details, she had a dispute with her in-laws over property after death of her husband. The police have registered an abduction case on complaint of her sister and arrested her brother in-law.

held to review progress of reformation programme continuing for the betterment of health sector today. The meeting reviewed various matters including provision of quality medical facilities to the people, removing shortage of doctors, provision of free medicines and transparency of process of procurement.

Addressing the meeting, Shehbaz Sharif said that provision of best medical facilities to the people is top priority of the government and a comprehensive strategy is being evolved for this purpose. He said that like big cities, people of far-flung areas also have a right to modern medical facilities and decision has been taken to take important steps for removing the shortage of doctors in rural and basic health centres so that medical facilities could be provided to the common man at his doorstep.

Death toll from consumption of poisonous sweet rises to 29 LAHORE STAFF REPORT

Another woman who had consumed poisonous sweets on Wednesday lost her life in Jinnah Hospital Lahore, raising the death toll to 29.

The woman named Nusrat, along with five other people, was shifted to Jinnah hospital late Tuesday night. She died in the morning while the other affectees are under treatment.

Dera Ghazi khan Director General (DG) Health has said that no antidote is available of the toxic used in the sweets. Sulfonylurea, an acid used in the amalgamation of roots, has been used as the toxic in the sweets the antidote of which is not available.

The poisonous sweets were distributed among people after the birth of a child in a family in Layyah.

The Punjab government has constituted a three-member committee to probe into the incident. The government has also issued directives to shift victims to Jinnah Hospital, Lahore.

The pesticide detected in the sweets is banned in Pakistan, and the shops are not permitted to sell it. The police have closed the shop from which the sweets were brought and two owners have been taken into custody.

Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif has finally taken notice of the incident and formed an eight-member team comprising the commissioner Dera Ghazi khan, Medico Legal Surgeon Punjab Dr Waseem Haider, king Edward Medical University’s Professor of Medicine and forensic agency experts to look into the matter.

FOREIGN NEWS 09

Thursday, 28 April, 2016

Trump rouTs rivals in norTheasT, clinTon carries Four sTaTes in us primaries PHILADELPHIA

i

over. As far as I’m concerned it’s over,” he declared at his victory rally in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York.

With Clinton’s four victories — she ceded only Rhode Island to Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders — she now has 90pc of the delegates she needs to become the first woman nominated by a major party.

Clinton kept her focus firmly on the general election as she spoke to supporters Tuesday night, urging Sanders’ loyal supporters to help her unify the Democratic Party and reaching out to GOP voters who may be unhappy with their party’s options.

“If you are a Democrat, an independent or a thoughtful Republican, you know that their approach is not going to build an America where we increase opportunity or decrease inequality,” Clinton said of the GOP candidates. She spoke in Philadelphia, where Democrats will gather in July for their nominating convention.

Trump’s victories in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware and Rhode Island were overwhelming, winning his closest race by just about 30 points. The businessman is the only can-

AGENCIES

N a front-runner’s rout, Republican Donald Trump roared to victory Tuesday in five contests across the Northeast and confidently declared himself the GOP’s “presumptive nominee”.

Hillary Clinton was dominant in four Democratic races and now is 90 per cent of the way to the number needed to claim her own nomination.

Trump’s and Clinton’s wins propelled them ever closer to a general election showdown. Still, Sanders and Republicans Ted Cruz and John Kasich, vowed to keep running, even as opportunities to topple the leaders dwindle.

Trump still must negotiate a narrow path to keep from falling short of the delegates needed to claim the nomination before the Republican National Convention in July. Cruz and Kasich are working toward that result, which would leave Trump open to a floor fight in which delegates could turn to someone else.

Trump was having none of that. “It’s

Four foreign climbers killed in himalayas KATHMANDU AGENCIES

Two European climbers have plunged to their deaths in China’s Himalayas while two Asian trekkers have died of suspected altitude sickness in Nepal’s Everest region in separate incidents, a tour operator and police said Wednesday. The Swiss and Austrian climbers were part of a team of nine mountaineers attempting to summit China’s 8,027-metre high Shisha Pangma mountain when they fell down a crevasse on Sunday. “The two climbers have died but the others are safe,” Subash Shrestha, manager of their Kathmandu-based operator, Active Holiday Nepal Treks, told AFP. Shrestha said he had received an email from the team leader confirming their cause of death, but had not been able to communicate with the climbers since then. Closed to Westerners until 1978, Shisha Pangma is considered a relatively straightforward peak to summit, although mountaineers have died in accidents in the past. Experts recommend that climbers attempt it as part of their training before turning to tougher mountains. In separate incidents, two male hikers — one Japanese and the other Korean — died on their way down from Nepal’s Everest base camp, a local police official said. The Japanese hiker passed away on Friday, while the Korean trekker died on Tuesday. “We suspect they died of altitude sickness. Their bodies have been airlifted to Kathmandu,” said the duty officer at the Solukhumbu district police headquarters. Altitude sickness strikes when people ascend heights too quickly, with the decreased atmosphere pressure causing headaches, fatigue and dizziness.

didate left in the three-person race who could possibly clinch the nomination through the regular voting process, yet he could still fall short of the 1,237 delegates he needs.

Cruz and Kasich are desperately trying to keep Trump from that magic number and push the race to a convention fight. The Texas senator and Ohio governor even took the rare step of announcing plans to coordinate in upcoming contests to try to minimize Trump’s delegate totals.

That effort did little to stop Trump from a big showing in the Northeast, where he picked up at least 105 of the 118 delegates up for grabs.

Despite his solid win in Pennsylvania, the state’s primary system means 54 of the delegates elected by voters will be free agents at the GOP convention, able to vote for the candidate of their choice.

Yet there’s no doubt the GOP is deeply divided by his candidacy. In Pennsylvania, exit polls showed nearly 4 in 10 GOP voters said they would be excited by Trump becoming president, but the prospect of the real estate mogul in the White House scared a quarter of

those who cast ballots in the state’s Republican primary.

In another potential general election warning sign for Republicans, 6 in 10 GOP voters in Pennsylvania said the Republican campaign has divided the party - a sharp contrast to the 7 in 10 Democratic voters in the state who said the race between Clinton and Sanders has energised their party.

UN chief says end ‘madness’ of nuclear weapon testing VIENNA AGENCIES

UN chief Ban Ki-moon called Wednesday for the US, China and other nuclear-armed states to end the “madness” of atomic testing by finally ratifying the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, which turns 20 this year.

“I call on remaining states, the eight remaining states, to sign and ratify the treaty without further delay,” Ban said in Vienna at an event marking the anniversary. “Nuclear testing poisons water, causes cancers and pollutes the area with radioactive fallout for generations and generations to come,” he said.

“We are here to honour the victims ... to ban and to stop nuclear testing. First and foremost we should teach the world to end this madness.”

The CTBT, which opened for

signature in September 1996, bans all nuclear explosions. It has been signed by 183 states and ratified by 164 including Russia, France and Britain, three of the nine countries which have or are thought to have nuclear weapons. But to enter in force, the treaty needs 44 particular “nuclear technology holder” states to ratify, eight of whom have yet to do so.

These eight include the other six in the nuclear club ─ the United States, China, India, Pakistan, North

Korea and Israel ─ as well as Iran and Egypt. The US, China, Egypt, Iran and Israel ─ the latter widely assumed to have nuclear weapons although it has never confirmed it ─ have signed but not ratified.

US President Barack Obama said in a major speech on nuclear weapons in Prague in 2009, shortly after taking office, that he would “immediately and aggressively pursue US ratification”. Seven years later, and Obama leaving office in January 2017 and the opposition Republicans controlling both houses of Congress, this step still has not happened.

There has, in fact, been an effective global moratorium in place, with no country except North Korea conducting a test since India and Pakistan in 1998. “The current voluntary moratorium against the testing will never substitute for the legally binding CTBT,” Ban said however.

Female suicide bomber wounds 13 in Turkish ciTy oF bursa ANKARA: A female suicide bomber wounded at least 13 people when she blew herself up near the main mosque in the northwestern Turkish city of Bursa on Wednesday, officials said, the fifth suicide bombing in a major urban centre this year. Photographs from the scene showed the severed torso of what appeared to be the bomber lying at the side of the mosque. Police ushered dazed passers-by out of surrounding streets as ambulances and forensics teams arrived. The local governor’s office said the woman was thought to have detonated a device she was wearing at 5:26 pm (local time) near the western gate of Bursa’s Grand Mosque.

Health Minister Mehmet Muezzinoglu said 13 people were injured, none critically. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. AGENCIES

TURKISH PM SAYS SECULARISM WILL BE IN NEW CONSTITUTION ANKARA AGENCIES

Turkey’s new constitution will retain secularism as a principle, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Wednesday, playing down comments from the parliamentary speaker who triggered a public uproar by calling for a religious national charter.

Speaker Ismail Kahraman said this week that overwhelmingly Muslim Turkey needed a religious constitution, a proposal at odds with the modern republic’s founding principles. He later said his comments were “personal views” and that the new constitution should guarantee religious freedoms.

“In the new constitution which we are preparing, the principle of secularism will be included as one guaranteeing individuals’ freedom of religion and faith, and the state’s equal distance to all faith groups,” Davutoglu said in a speech to members of his ruling AK Party.

Kahraman’s comments provoked opposition condemnation and a brief street protest, highlighting the schism in Turkish society reaching back to the 1920s when Mustafa Kemal Ataturk forged a secular republic and banished Islam from public life.

Davutoglu also said the government would seek a a “liberal interpretation” of secularism, as opposed to an

CMYK

“authoritarian” one.

President Tayyip Erdogan and the ruling AK Party he founded, their roots in political Islam, have tried to restore the role of religion in public life. They have expanded religious education and allowed the head scarf, once banned from state offices, to be worn in colleges and parliament.

The headscarf ban, widely seen by the millions of pious Turks who back the AKP as an authoritarian stricture, was overturned by the ruling party in 2013. The AKP is pushing to replace the existing constitution, which dates back to the period after a 1980 military coup. As speaker, Kahraman is overseeing efforts to draft a new text.

The exit polls were conducted by Edison Research for The Associated Press and television networks.

Democrats award delegates proportionally, which allowed Clinton to maintain her lead over Sanders even as he rattled off a string of wins in recent contests. According to the AP count, Clinton has 2,089 delegates while Sanders has 1,258.

russia asks un to list key syrian rebel group as ‘terrorist’ UNITED NATIONS: Russia has asked the United Nations to blacklist a major rebel group that is playing a key role in peace talks to end the Syrian civil war, its ambassador to the UN said. Mohammed Alloush, a leading figure in Jaish al-Islam (Army of Islam), is the chief negotiator for the High Negotiations Committee, the war-torn country’s main opposition group, at UN-brokered peace talks in Geneva. Russia, the key backer of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, has also asked that another rebel group, Ahrar al-Sham, be blacklisted. “The Russian delegation submitted to the UN Security Council’s Counter-Terrorism Committee a request” to add “two organisations: Jaish al-Islam and Ahrar al-Sham,” to a blacklist that includes the Islamic State group and al Qaeda, Russia’s ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin said in a statement Tuesday. Churkin said that the two groups are “closely linked to terrorist organisations, primarily the Islamic State group and al Qaeda.” The groups “both give (the IS and al Qaeda) and receive from them financial, material, technical and military support,” he said. An unprecedented ceasefire deal brokered by Moscow and Washington saw Syria’s government and rebel groups agree to halt attacks while pursuing peace talks. AGENCIES

iran’s khamenei says us lifted sanctions only on paper TEHRAN: Iran’s supreme leader and president accused the United States of hostility and bad faith on Wednesday saying the implementation of its nuclear deal with world powers was not being honoured. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei echoed other officials in Tehran who allege that Washington is creating hurdles for European financial institutions, more than three months after the agreement came into force. With nuclear-related sanctions lifted, US and European diplomats have said there is no bar on non-American banks doing business with Iran. But it is not happening in reality, Khamenei said. “On paper they say that foreign banks can do business with Iran but, in practice, they are fomenting Iranophobia to prevent relations.

“The United States creates disruptions and then asks us afterwards: ‘Why are you suspicious’?” Khamenei told workers in the capital. European officials have told AFP their bankers fear they could face fines or even criminal cases against their US subsidiaries if they rush back to Tehran. AGENCIES

10 COMMENT

Thursday, 28 April, 2016

Perils of confrontation Going toe-to-toe with the opposition

U

NWiLLiNG to accept the opposition’s offer for jointly formulating the TORs, the PMLN leadership is gearing up for a long and grueling fight which would be fought on the legal front, in media and other public forums as well as in Parliament. The government hawks have concluded that in view of the lack of unanimity in the opposition over a movement to overthrow the government, Nawaz sharif faces no imminent danger. however, the PMLN is concerned that the opposition’s propaganda barrage might affect its standing among its voters. The holding of the cabinet meeting after seven months was a part of the preparations to counter the opposition.

The government has decided to play on the front foot by holding public meetings and launching a vicious campaign against opposition leaders particularly those belonging to the PTi. The Law Minister has announced there will be no compromise on the TORs proposed by the government. Nawaz sharif knows that sooner or later he will have to personally answer the questions being raised in relation with the Panama leaks in the National Assembly. This could turn into a discomforting experience in the presence of an articulate opposition. The main purpose behind holding the cabinet meeting was to get is endorsement of the government’s policy on Panama leaks including the TORs for the judicial commission. The government has achieved the goal. The Cabinet has also passed a resolution expressing confidence in Nawaz sharif.

Despite the government enjoying a comfortable position in National Assembly seeking endorsement of its stand from the majority in a house comprising 342 members may not be as easy.

The government is unnecessarily ratcheting up the level of tension. Even now the opposition is willing to sit with the PMLN to jointly formulate the TORs. in case the government remains adamant, things can go out of the control of the more responsible elements in the opposition who want matters to be resolved strictly through constitutional means. in case of the confrontation getting prolonged there remains a likelihood of imponderables upsetting political calculations.

Punjab Operation Lacking clarity

F

ULL points to the military for making quick work of the Chotu gang yet the controversy surrounding the so-called Punjab Operation so far is far from settled. And a number of questions that should have been answered remain unanswered. One, is the Punjab government – and police – any wiser? Does the chief minister still believe his security apparatus is enough to carry out the operation in Punjab? his chief spokesmen clearly still think so, even though he has been quiet on the issue since the gang kidnapped a good two dozen of his elite police force.

Two, were there really TTP and Baloch elements in the Rajanpur area? The press was abuzz with such rumours just before the military went in. But there’s been no word since. surely such information must not have taken long being confirmed. so was there or wasn’t there a link? Three, what about all the fuss about some senior Punjab politicians controlling Chotu and the like?

No confirmation there either. And four, what now? is there any consensus between the government and the military about the way forward in Punjab? We have seen once what happens when PML-N drags its feet on issues of the utmost national importance.

There is, of course, the perception that the government was once again caught wrong-footed by this operation. And it cannot really be denied that the performance of the Punjab police, once tested, left a little to be desired. however, should the government now immediately initiate long overdue police reforms, and also step forward and take the lead of the operation from here, it could still take a share of the credit. There are always points to be won for bringing clarity to a confusing situation. And welcome as the advances in Punjab are, it cannot be stressed enough that the government must explain the situation in detail, especially what the operation will look like in the future.

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami Editor

Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad Joint Editor Lahore – Ph: 042-36375963, 042-36375965

I

The moral police The so-called custodians of Islam: focusing exclusively on sex

Rabia aHmed

F

ROM across the room the grouchy cat glares reproachfully at me. it is normally she who sits in this chair right under the sign on the window saying, ‘Beware of cat,’ staring at people walking along the street. That is her prerogative, and her chair, or so she thinks. instead, while Lahore resignedly switches on its air conditioners it is i sit who in that armchair at my son’s house in Denver, Colorado nursing my cup of hot tea, idly watching the occasional snow flake skim the heads of pedestrians as they walk their dogs, hurry to and from work, jog, bike, and otherwise go about their business.

Most people are wearing jackets against the cold, except one young woman stowing cartons in the boot of her car across the street. i watch as she goes into her house and comes out again and again to load her car. Because she is busy and houses are heated here she is wearing flip flops, shorts and a sleeveless shirt. This however is not why i mention her. i do that because of all the men passing her on the sidewalk as she moves between her house and her car not a single man stares or even looks twice at her. i sigh and leave the window and the cat immediately reclaims the chair. There’s nothing unusual about that, neither about the cat nor the lack of stares. in this country that we love to hate, whose morals we loftily denigrate, it is unusual for men to stare at women. You can leave that to the men who live in the land of the pure, encouraged in their actions by the clerics.

To rational persons who appreciate its common sense take on life, it is frustrating the way the self-styled custodians of islam mind the morals and sexual life of the world, or like the cat, they think it is their prerogative. What a woman may wear, how she may laugh, where she may go, what she may do, whom she may meet…their brand of islam revolves around such matters; for them the common sense take on life mentioned above does not exist. This pre-occupation with sex is an obstacle to progress, apart from being embarrassing and obscene, particularly given other, more pressing issues, such as the Panama leaks that have surfaced recently indicating corruption at every level, or Chotoo’s gang of thugs in the Punjab which says something about law and order in the country.

There were floods in Pakistan this year, again.

The Guardian newspaper reporting about the floods observes that ‘poorly built homes across the country, particularly in rural areas, are prone to collapse during the annual spring rains, which are often heavy. severe weather hits Pakistan annually, with hundreds killed and huge tracts of prime farmland destroyed.’ so we need proper houses and flood barriers, both natural and artificial.

The drought in the Thar Desert is in its third consecutive year. A report notes that this already hot and dry desert in Pakistan is set to become hotter and drier. Thar requires improved farming and animal husbandry systems, rainwater storage, greater attention to forest conservation, and access to water. somehow. illiteracy is probably one of Pakistan’s greatest issues, illiteracy rates among women even greater than among men. We need to educate everyone, men, women and children. We need schools, preferably ones with walls and a roof, effective teachers and a curriculum that needs to be overhauled from the ground up.

We badly need to focus on contraception, which, please note, is not the same as focusing

on sex. A smaller population would be less likely to outstrip the water supply in Karachi, or cause land erosion and floods. Perhaps we could manage enough schools to meet the needs of fewer people. ignoring all these matters requiring attention two male Muslim high school pupils in switzerland, no doubt influenced by conversations at home, chose to focus on shaking hands with female teachers, saying the practice runs counter to the injunctions of islam. They were therefore exempt from the practice by the school concerned. Can any argument prevail against such narrow minds? You cannot after all be forced to shake hands which is a valued custom in switzerland denoting respect. A cultural guide advises diplomats to shake hands with everyone present when in switzerland, with men, women and children, both when introduced and when leaving business and social meetings.

My sympathies are not against the people who commented angrily on the report in Western newspapers, recommending that migrants, if they could not bring themselves to honour their adoptive country’s customs, and teach their children to do so as well, they should go back home.

Muslim parents would be well advised to turn their children’s attention towards their own cultural shortcomings, to work towards resolving these and the immense problems that exist in the Muslim world, the corruption, the callousness, the devaluation of life and liberty.

Young Muslims need to be aware of the wide, wide gulf between the haves and have nots in the Muslim world and to marshal their energy towards ending it. And they must turn away from the influence of clerics who lead others into error with their bizarre interpretations of religion.

Most people are wearing jackets against the cold, except one young woman stowing cartons in the boot of her car across the street.

Rabia Ahmed is a freelance columnist.

Read more by her at http://rabiaahmed.blogspot.com

Why do men marry?

In praise of our sometimes bigoted society

Hasan aftab saeed

T

his is a tough one. Why women choose to marry is perhaps easier to answer, but that is not my topic today.

Recently, a clip from a TV play was widely shared on the internet. A mother, by way of imparting wisdom of life to the next generation, asks her daughter why she thinks a man marries when providing for a wife is bound to be more challenging than employing say, four maids. she goes on to answer her own question, in the process dashing the sky-high expectations of the audience, which is absolutely glued to the screen by now. A man marries, she explains, because it is in his very nature to provide for and, in return, be exclusively adored by his wife.

While pretty much par for the course for a Pakistani play, i am afraid the explanation leaves much to be desired.

What have the sages said about the issue?

‘By all means marry. if you get a good wife you’ll become happy; if you get a bad one, you’ll become a philosopher,’ one hears socrates from across the centuries. With due respect to the great man, i think the reason so many men get married must be more practical

Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9 Fax: 021-35381208

I

than this. Besides, most modern grooms have no idea socrates ever said this.

Talking about practical reasons, not too long ago in this very subcontinent it was impossible for a bachelor to get rented accommodation.

Where a married man was thought to be a picture of piety and restraint, a bachelor was seen by the society as the devil himself (usually the reverse is true; but that sermon is for another day). For apartment hunters then, being married was therefore a distinct advantage. But why do men marry now that the landlords are not that uncompromising?

The inimitable shafiq-ur-Rehman once famously remarked (my translation): ‘if love is blind, then holy matrimony is the eye specialist.’

Men getting heads over heels in love with fair maidens is not unheard of. it may be a sign of extreme weakness on his part, but it is understandable if a man gets married while he is incapable of rational thought. i like to think of it as the equivalent of temporary insanity defense in a murder case. But in a society where unions like this are still exceptions rather than the rule, how are we to account for the bulk of marriages?

As far as women are concerned, the desire for having children can be potent enough on its own to make them interested in marriage. While men are equally fond of their kids, few of them really think about children before the latter actually arrive. Children are a great reason to stay together, but for men they are seldom the reason to get married in the first place.

Our society – a familiar villain – is perhaps the single most important reason why so many men opt for marriage. The pressure it brings to bear can be in the form of ‘norms’ to which every man is supposed to conform; it can be an unrelenting insistence on the part of the parents for him to get married; or it can be the stigma associated with extramarital relations. in our neck of the woods therefore, forgoing marriage is sure

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

I

Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

to result in irrelevance, loneliness, and even disgrace if one is not careful. spare a thought for such a man. in the absence of family, no support structure is available to him. While there’s no arguing with his very real biological needs, he can’t be seen anywhere near a woman. All his male buddies have long been married. he is therefore stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Unless he is exceptionally high-spirited and has a transcendental passion, he won’t be able to handle it all. it is very rare for life bachelors to be completely sane. sanity wise, married men fare substantially better. in the West the social stigma of befriending women is non-existent. in many states, the government provides a good support structure as well. still, the West has not yet been able to completely do away with marriage. That’s because the state can neither remove the inherent risk of loneliness, nor can provide stability to extra-marital relations. in most men the need for stability ultimately trumps the desire for excitement and novelty.

This is therefore one issue where our society deserves praise. Unbeknownst to himself, by yielding to folk wisdom, the bridegroom makes the best decision of his life. Men need meaning in their lives, but with no real passion, no special talent, no possibility for a real legacy, it is not easy for most men to find any. A man can distract himself for a while, but before long the reality must dawn upon him; unless he has truly extraordinary goals and a superhuman determination to pursue them. For the ordinary man, a marriage can render life meaningful like nothing else can, for each of the perpetual challenges it presents is formidable without being insurmountable.

Newtons and shakespeares are of course made of different stuff, but for ordinary Joes marriage is an absolute Godsend.

Hasan Aftab Saeed is a connoisseur of music, literature, and food (but not drinks). He can be reached at hasanas@live.jp.

I

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

COMMENT 11

Thursday, 28 April, 2016

Editor’s mail

Send your letters to: letters to Editor, Pakistan Today, 4-Shaarey Fatima Jinnah, lahore, Pakistan.

Fax: +92-42-32535230 E-mail: letters@pakistantoday.com.pk letters should be addressed to Pakistan Today exclusively

PM’s speech and Panama

What is it all about?

Making sense of things post Panamagate them seem to have narrowed down the scope of across the board accountability, which they have been so vociferously crying for whenever it suited their interests, to only the accountability of the sharif family. The desirability of accountability and elimination of the all permeating corruption within the society, particularly among the rulers both military and civilians, undoubtedly needs top priority to winch the country out of the morass it is stuck into and to ensure good governance. But the question is, have the politicians and the military rulers ever made an earnest effort to tackle this menace by evolving a fool-proof and independent mechanism to check corruption among the public representatives? The answer unfortunately is an emphatic malik muHammad asHRaf NO. The slogan of eliminating corruption has repeatedly been used for witch-hunt of the politihE Panama Leaks have undoubtedly cal opponents and to hoodwink the people. it really sends shudders through my nerves created a commotion all over the world, particularly in those countries whenever i hear our politicians and military whose leaders have been identified as brass preaching morality. it invariably has had owners of off-shore companies. The sinister connotations in the past. Bertrand Rusopposition parties in those countries and media sell, a British philosopher, Logician, mathematiare all feverishly engaged in interpreting the cian, historian, social critic, political activist and revelations in line with their own pre-conceived Nobel Laureate said” We have, in fact, two notions and respective agendas, more so in kinds of morality side by side; one which we countries like Pakistan. The interesting feature preach but do not practice and another which of this mad race for gunning the governments we practice but seldom preach”. The hall mark in saddle is that nobody has even bothered to of the Pakistani politics has been the morality that we preach but do not practice. ascertain the authenticity of the Leaks itself.

Notwithstanding the fact that Panama Leaks it is interesting to point out that another Leak known as Wiki Leaks have thrown some only reveals ownership of off-shore companies light on how the Panama Leaks have surfaced, of 200 hundred Pakistanis including sons of the who is behind it and what its real motives are. Prime Minister and not any alleged wrong-doing According to Wiki Leaks the leakage of papers on their part, the Prime Minister has readily from the Panamanian legal firm Mossack Fon- agreed to have the issue probed and responding seca was orchestrated by the Us Organized to the demands of the opposition, particularly Crime and Corruption Reporting Project and the PTi has also written to the Chief Justice for the purpose was to target Russia, particularly Pres- formation of an inquiry Commission to be ident Vladimir Putin. it further revealed that the headed by him, with TORs which apart from project was funded by Us agency for interna- Panama Leaks a, have widened the scope of intional Development and George soros Open quiry to the corruption by the previous rulers as society Foundation. General (Retd) Aslam well as those who got their bank loans written Baig, a former COAs also believes that it is an off. The TORs notified by the government more international conspiracy to destabilize Pakistan. or less fit into the description of across the board accountability. There can According to him he was be difference of opinion suspicious of a foreign on the modalities to be design behind the revelaadopted to inquire into tions as some foreign the issues identified by forces were trying to exTORs but anybody honMQM is in a difficult ploit it for their evil plots estly believing in across in Pakistan. his observasituation due to Rangers the board accountability tion that india with Us collaboration was playing action in Karachi and new cannot take umbrage at the intent and the desired a dirty role in destabilizevidence emerging about scope of the inquiry. ing Pakistan to upset the There is almost a naprospect of CPEC, cannot its links with RAW. tional consensus on holdbe dismissed lightly. the public Similarly a number of PPP ing Nonetheless, the oprepresentatives accountposition parties and the stalwarts are allegedly able for any wrong doing polarized media in Pakthat they have done and istan have seized the opinvolved in a number of the elimination of corrupportunity to have a swipe cases of corruption. tion. Panama Leaks have at the government and the thrown open the best ever focus is particularly on opportunity to take an the family members of the honest initiative to idenPrime Minister. All of

T

His observation that India with US collaboration was playing a dirty role in destabilizing Pakistan to upset the prospect of CPEC, cannot be dismissed lightly.

tity, shame and punish the crooks irrespective of their attire, who have taken the nation for a ride. Unfortunately this is not what opposition parties have in mind for the reasons of their own. Their perception of accountability is only shooting arrows at the sitting government and to keep enjoying their own share of the booty.

Perhaps a cursory glance at the credentials of parties which are raising the hullabaloo about corruption and accountability of the sharif family would be of some interest to the people and their relevance to the issue at hand. PTiactually was a brain-child of late General hamid Gul, the man who was responsible for introducing and sustaining Jihadi culture. imran Khan was the staunch supporter of General Musharraf. if General (Retd) Aslam Baig, Javed hashmi and brother of shah Mehmood Qureshi are to be believed, PTi and PAT sit-ins at islamabad were part of a conspiracy to destabilize the government, a stigma which imran still wears. Reportedly imran Khan and Jahangir Tareen are also among those who got their loans written off during Musharraf regime. A news report in a national English daily on Tuesday 26 April 2016, reveals that Jahangir Tareen got his loans of well over Rs.99.6 million written off. The report includes a facsimile of a letter written by state Bank to ECP confirming the proposition.

MQM is in a difficult situation due to Rangers action in Karachi and new evidence emerging about its links with RAW. similarly a number of PPP stalwarts are allegedly involved in a number of cases of corruption. Arrest of Dr. Asim is also very worrisome for the party. The leaders of PML (Q) which was a King’s party also have a slew of skeletons in their cupboards and undoubtedly are beneficiaries of the corrupt practices of Musharraf regime. Their names also have often been cited among those who got their loans written-off.

Collaboration between them to target the sharif family is quite understandable in view of the foregoing facts. imran Khan, ostensibly, after having been disappointed by the failure of the conspiracy to dislodge the PML (N) , rejection of his rigging mantra by the Judicial commission and the routing of his party in the Local Bodies Elections, feels that his only chance of ever making to the corridors of power, is through fomenting political chaos in the country and forcing mid-term elections. The other parties probably want to put pressure on the government to back-off from action against their stalwarts involved in corruption. Therefore they would never support any move for across the board accountability. Their emphasis on accountability of only the sharif family explicitly tells us what this fuss is all about.

Malik Muhammad Ashraf is an academic.

He can be contacted at: ashpak10@gmail.com

ThE PM’s second address to nation within a month following Panama disclosure of Offshore companies owned by his children does not evoke any sympathy rather it reflects an image of betrayal. Coming from a very humble background, a small village in East Punjab, this country offered his hard working father numerous opportunities to rise from almost nowhere to a man of means, owning a steel mill ittefaq Foundry.

Agreed, that an individual named Gen Musharraf had no moral or constitutional right to force a Pakistani national, elected as PM, to exile, because there is no law on statute books that allows such an abuse. What Musharraf did was illegal. he abused the trust this country reposed in him, a trust which he has betrayed by abusing his powers and abandoning Pakistan after relinquishing power.

The PM must remember that it was Pakistan which offered his family abundance, because there are numerous others who faced greater hardships, sacrificed far more and may have worked as hard as sharif clan, but yet have chosen to live and die in this country with their assets and family located here. There are thousands who have sacrificed their lives for this country but their orphans did not abandon their motherland, because the bond between son and mother is very strong.

People die for either faith or country, because their commitment to both is strong and binding. You do not abandon your motherland on first sign of adversity, unless you consider Pakistan a convenient financial transit stop over, where you make loads of money, evade taxes, but yet justify transferring all your assets abroad and still consider it moral to seek an elected office, where you decide fate of millions who have chosen to live and die here, for better or worse, till death so that their bones are interred in this soil. Nothing can justify abandoning your motherland, especially when it has offered you so much in terms of financial growth and respect by electing you to highest office not once, but thrice. You sir, owe a lot of debts to Pakistan and the least that you can do is to transfer all your assets and force your family to move lock, stock and barrel, if you consider Pakistan to be your motherland.

Ali MAlik TARiq lahore

World Health Safety Day ThE World Day for safety and health at Work is observed every year on 28th of April by the international Labour Organization (iLO) which is a day to promote the prevention of occupational accidents and diseases globally. it is an awarenessraising campaign in order to focus international attention on emerging trends in the field of occupational safety and health on the magnitude of work related injuries, diseases and fatalities worldwide. According to iLO estimates, every year some two million men and women have lose their lives through accidents and diseases linked to their work. it is reported that, there are 270 million occupational accidents and 160 million occupational diseases each year, incurring Us$ 2.8 trillion in costs for the lost working time and expenses for treatment. The fatalities, accidents and illness at work are highly preventable and we have an obligation to act in order to eradicate them. so, the occupational safety, health culture is one of our right to a safe the healthy working environment and respected at all levels, where the governments, employers and workers actively participate in securing one of the safe and healthy working environment through a system of defined rights, responsibilities and duties in a nation.

S.P PHullAn Turbat

The NTS teachers of Balochistan iT’s painful to explain the miserable conditions of NTs teachers of Balochistan. it’s true that since 13 may of 2015 the NTs (National Testing service) has conducted it’s test in every area of Balochistan in order to select the best teachers of Balochistan for talented students. Further, from 12 of December in 2015, due to the great efforts of former CM of Balochistan, Dr Abdul Malik, teachers were required to start their duties in different villages or places.

Undoubtedly, they are playing their duties greatly, but the painful thing is that NTs has not given salaries to the selected teachers for almost 4-5 months they were deprived of their salaries and still they are suffering.No doubt, they are giving the duties on far places, the expense of transportations are indefinable and unaffordable for them.

Thus, today they need the extreme support of their government in order to resolve their problems. That’s why, i request the concerned authorities to take pragmatic steps to resolve the hurdles of new appointee teachers. nigAR kd Turbat

Wasting water EVERY morning when i go to college i see a sight that leaves me in misery. Good clean water is being wasted because the pipelines through which it is brought are damaged. This is indeed unfortunate as many areas of District Turbat are not receiving adequate water for their needs. What is even more dishearting is that less than a 140kms away, Gwader is facing an acute water crisis. i request the government to carry out immediate repair of the pipelines and take measures to ensure water supply for the citizens of Turbat city.

YAHYA BAdAl kech

12 WORLD VIEW

Thursday, 28 April, 2016

Junction 48: Sexual iS political HuffIngton PoSt

a

Slavoj ŽiŽek

S befits an old Communist, my choice of the best film of the last 12 months depends on ideologico-political criteria, so it is without a shadow of a doubt Udi Aloni’s Junction 48. The film (which deservedly triumphed at the last Berlin festival) deals with the difficult predicament of the young “Israeli-Palestinians” (Palestinians descending from the families that remained within Israel after the 1948 war) whose everyday life involves a continuous struggle on two fronts: against both Israeli state oppression and the fundamentalist pressures from within their own community. The main role is played by the well-known Israeli-Palestinian rapper Tamer Nafar who, in his songs, mocks the tradition of “honor killings” of the girls in Palestinian families.

A strange thing happened to Nafar during a recent visit to the U.S. After he performed his song protesting “honor killings” at the Columbia University campus in New York, some anti-Zionist students attacked him for dealing with this topic — their reproach being that in this way, he promotes the Zionist view of Palestinians as barbaric primitives (adding that, if there are any honor killings, Israel is responsible for them because the Israeli occupation keeps Palestinians in primitive conditions and prevents their modernization). Here is Nafar’s dignified reply: “When you criticize me you criticize my own community in English to impress your radical professors. I sing in Arabic to protect the women in my own ‘hood.’”

What Nafar does in real life, as an artist, coincides with the actions of his protagonist in the film:

neither of them is protecting Palestinian girls from family terror in a patronizing way. Rather, he is allowing them to fight for themselves, and to take the risk of doing so. (At the end of Aloni’s film, after the girl decides to perform at a concert against her family’s wishes, her two cousins wait for her in a car in front of her house to carry out her honor killing. Although the film doesn’t show what will happen, the impression is that the girl will be killed.)

Nafar is also engaged in an extremely important struggle that is going on in Palestinian social media, and is sadly ignored in the West. Two figures are at its center: Nafar and Mohammed Assaf, a pop singer from Gaza wildly popular not only among Palestinians but in all the Arab world and even in parts of Europe. Assaf is supported by Hamas in Gaza and by the Palestinian Authority, which proclaimed him the cultural ambassador of Palestine; he sings with a beautiful voice, tender love, and patriotic songs orchestrated in orchestral pop style. Politically, he is a unifying figure, above political divisions except for his support of Palestinian freedom. In March 2016, Assaf declared in an interview that as part of keeping “tradition,” he would not allow his sister to sing in public. Nafar responded to Assaf in this touching open letter: “If any other pop artist said: ‘According to our tradition women are not allowed to sing, and on a personal level I cherish these traditions so I cannot allow my sister to sing.’ I would protest and hurt him, but since it’s Assaf, our Cinderella from Gaza, saying these words, I still will have rage, but mainly I am hurt.

Like the Palestinians who were united for the first time in the streets of Gaza, the West Bank, the Diaspora, the Refugee Camps and inside of ‘48 to support Muhammad Assaf, we ask Assaf to join us

on the same streets to encourage that girl from Yemen, Gaza, Morocco, Jordan and al Lyd — that girl who is dreaming to sing, dance, write and perform in Arab Idol! We as Palestinians must fight the Israeli Apartheid and the Gender Apartheid. My dream is to march hand in hand, a woman holding a man’s hand against any separation wall. It is not reasonable to walk separately and ask for unity at the same time!

You want to talk about traditions? From personal experience, I used to be an angry kid in the ghettos of Lyd. I wouldn’t calm down unless my mom sang to me a Fairuz song. That is the tradition I want to cherish! So, my dear Arab sisters (Hawwa), sing as loud as you can, break the borders so we can calm down. Freedom for all or freedom for none!”

What is crucial is that Nafar is not crying for help from Western liberals. In Spike Lee’s film Malcolm X, there is a wonderful detail: After Malcolm X gives a talk at a college, a white student girl approaches him and asks him what can she do to help the black struggle. His answer is: “Nothing.” The point of this answer is not that whites should just do nothing.

Rather, they should first accept that black liberation should be the work of black people themselves, not something bestowed on them as a gift by the good white liberals, and only if they fully accept this fact can they do something to help the blacks. And herein resides Nafar’s point as well: Palestinians do not need the patronizing help of Western liberals; even less do they need the silence about “honor killing” as part of the Western leftist’s “respect” for Palestinian ways of life. These two aspects — the imposition of Western values as universal human rights, and the respect for different cultures independently of the horrors that can be part of these cultures — are the

two sides of the same ideological mystification.

A lot has been written about how the universality of universal human rights is twisted, how they secretly give preference to Western cultural values and norms (the priority of individual over his/her community, and so on). But we should also add to this insight that the multiculturalist anti-colonialist defense of the multiplicity of “ways of life” is also false: it covers up the antagonisms within each of these particular ways of life, justifying acts of brutality, sexism and racism as expression of a particular culture that we have no right to judge by foreign “Western values.”

So go and see Junction 48 — it does not only follow a correct political line, it is also beautifully shot and acted, as well as full of wonderful rap music. In the best Brechtian tradition, it combines learning with pleasure.

Slavoj Žižek is a Slovenian philosopher and psychoanalyst.

India-China competition across the Indo-Pacific Center for InternatIonal MarItIMe SeCurIty DaviD Scott

India and the People’s Republic of China are encountering each other across the Indo-Pacific, the predominantly maritime region spanning the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Harsh Pant’s prognosis in March 2016 is persuasive that “the turf war between the two navies, as both nations seek greater roles in regional [Indo-Pacific] dynamics, is set to grow.” Both countries are developing blue water long distance naval capabilities, and adopting Mahanian-style seapower strategies for power projection.

Implicit competition in what has been dubbed “a new great game for influence in the Indo-Pacific” between these two rising powers is the order of the day in the Indian Ocean, the South China Sea, the West Pacific, and the South Pacific.

India has long held an implicit view of natural regional pre-eminence, based on its central geographical location in the Indian Ocean, whereby the Indian Ocean should somehow be India’s Ocean, which was the title of David Brewster’s book, complete with the subtitle The Story of India’s Bid for Regional Leadership. The challenge, or “wake up call” (Kapila), for India is China’s increasing Indian Ocean presence on the military, diplomatic, and economic fronts. Militarily this is shown through the deployment of the Chinese navy into the Indian Ocean. Diplomatically this is shown through China’s pursuit of littoral states and its “cheque book diplomacy” among the micro-island states of the Indian Ocean basin. Economically this is shown through China’s recent Maritime Silk Road (MSR) initiative which it has pushed since November 2014.

These events have generated widespread fears for India of a so-called string of pearls drive by China, denied of course

by Beijing, to establish staging posts across the Indian Ocean. Pakistan’s port of Gwadar, now being run by the China Overseas Ports Holding Company Ltd (COPHCL), is one key irritant for India, as it provides a potential deep water berth for the Chinese navy. This growing Chinese presence across the Indian Ocean feeds into that other India strategic fear of encirclement, by a hostile China along its disputed northern border, ensconced in an equally hostile proxy state to its West in Pakistan, penetrating neighbours like Nepal, (previously) Myanmar,

Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, and deploying naval forces to its South. India’s counter has been multi-pronged: building up the Iranian port of Chabahar as a “checkmate” (Sakhuja) to China building up Gwadar, strengthening its own outreach to South Asian neighbours, strengthening its own outreach to Indian Ocean island states, pushing its own naval presence, and keeping China out of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS). Of further significance are India’s bilateral MALABAR exercises with the US operating in the Indian Ocean since the mid-1990s, which also included Australia and Japan in 2007, and which again also involved Japan in 2015 and 2016. These are indeed “aimed at countering growing Chinese military presence in the Indian Ocean”, with China denouncing them as dangerous. What can be called India’s maritime-led “counter-containment” of China can be seen elsewhere in the Indo-Pacific, through what has been dubbed India’s own necklace of diamonds network of maritime-centred security partnerships.

The next part of the Indo-Pacific where India and China come up against each other is in the South China Sea, where India’s Act East policy “meets” China’s southern drive. Whereas the Indian Ocean is India’s strategic backyard into which China is coming, the situation is reversed in the South China Sea which is China’s strategic backyard into which India is coming. The key feature here is that most of the sea is claimed as Chinese, supposedly from “time immemorial,”under China’s 9-dash line which encloses around 80% of the waters and includes the two groups of the Paracels and Spratly islands. The Paracels remain in dispute between China and Vietnam. The Spratlys (which mostly consist of atolls, rocks and reefs rather than proper “islands” as defined under UNCLOS criteria) remain in dispute between China (Beijing and Taiwan), Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei (waters) and Indonesia (waters).

The South China Sea serves as India’s “maritime gateway to the Pacific.”

While it has avoided taking any stance on sovereignty issues, India’s response to China’s increasingly assertive push in these waters has been six-fold. Firstly India continues to reiterate its support for adherence to international law and to open transit in regional forums like the

ASEAN Regional Forum and East Asia Summit (EAS). This has been an implicit criticism of China. Secondly, India has pushed this line on the South China Sea in bilateral security discussions with the US, Japan, and Australia, and also in the India-US-Japan and the India-Japan-Australia trilateral mechanisms set up in 2011 and 2016 respectively. China has rejected all such discussions as outside interference. Thirdly, India has reinforced security ties with the Philippines and above all with Vietnam. Although there is official denial by India that such security strengthening is related to China, in reality it represents a degree of tacit balancing by India and these partners with China in mind. India’s strengthening security links with Vietnam continue to have a strong maritime flavour as India has provided supplies to the Vietnamese navy and Vietnam has provided berthing facilities for India at Cam Ranh Bay. The logic here is a Vietnam card being played against China by India to match the Pakistan card playable against India by China. Fourthly, since 2011, India has signed agreements with Vietnam whereby India’s national state company Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has conducted explorations in various waters within the South China Sea controlled by Vietnam as well as waters such as Block 128 that are also claimed by China. This has attracted vociferous Chinese denunciations. Fifthly, India has carried out joint SIMBEX exercises in the South China Sea with Singapore on a biannual basis since 2005. Sixthly, the Indian navy has been deploying regularly into the South China Sea since 2000. All of these aspects of growing Indian presence in the South China Sea can be seen as a response to growing Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean. India may not be able to stop this growing Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean, but it can apply countervailing pressure through going into China’s own backyard.

China views the West Pacific through the prism of what it calls the “first island chain” (diyi daolian) running from Japan, the Ryukyu chain, Taiwan and the Philippines; and the “second island chain” (dier daolian) running down from Japan, the Bonin islands, the Mariana islands, and the US stronghold of Guam. Chinese maritime doctrine aims to achieve penetration of the first island chain and ulti-

mately the second island chain. Deployment of the Chinese navy beyond the first island chain into the West Pacific has become an increasingly common occurrence since 2004, and is of rising concern to Japan and the US, who have sought out India as a fellow security partner.

With regard to India, a key feature is that the Indian navy has also been deploying into the West Pacific since 2007, “to counter China.” Particularly significant have been bilateral naval exercises carried out in the Western Pacific by India with the US in 2007 and 2011, the bilateral naval exercise with Japan in JIMEX 2014, and the trilateral naval exercises with the US and Japan in 2009, 2014, and 2016. It is officially denied that such exercises are aimed at China, but in reality they represent another tacit degree of balancing.

Beijing’s initial interest in the South Pacific is competition with Taiwan for diplomatic recognition as the legitimate government of China, in which a “cheque book diplomacy” war has been in operation for the past few decades. The Pacific islands’ vast Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) also offer lucrative fishing grounds for deep sea fishing and seabed mineral resources. These waters are very distant for regular Chinese naval operations, although headlines were made when two Chinese warships visited Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, and Tonga in September 2010.

India is involved in a catch-up operation in the South Pacific, in part to “counter” China’s earlier established presence. China has been a Dialogue Partner with the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) since 1989, while India has been one since 2003. China set up the ChinaPacific Islands Countries Economic Development and Cooperation Forum (CPICEDCF) in 2006, while India set up its Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) in 2014. Narendra Modi’s visit to Fiji in November 2014 was not only predated by Wen Jiabao’s visit in 2006, but was also immediately followed

by President Xi Jinping’s own visit three days later. China enjoyed satellite tracking facilities at Kiribati from 1997-2008, which served a dual purpose of enabling spying on the American missile range at Kwajalein atoll in the Marshall Islands, some 600 miles away, while India more recently announced in 2015 that it was setting up a space research and satellite monitoring station in Fiji.

So far the China-India picture is one of competition, rather on the lines of the 2012 book by Raja Mohan entitled Samudra Manthan: Sino-Indian Rivalry in the Indo–Pacific. Are there any signs of cooperation? Not very much it would seem in the Indo-Pacific. India and China are both members of de facto Indo-Pacific bodies like the ASEAN Regional Forum and the East Asia Summit. However, in these venues India had generally expressed similar, though more obliquely expressed, concerns about Chinese policies in the South China Sea alongside Japan, Australia, and the United States.

There are some signs of China-India cooperation at the global level. Both states seek a multipolar international order, both powers seek reform of hitherto Western-dominated international institutions like the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, and both states have a similar environmental stance, of “differentiated responsibilities” on international obligations. However, competition is more evident at the regional level. Admittedly there is some convergence in the anti-piracy operations that both countries, along with others, have been carrying out in the Gulf of Aden since 2011. However, India is generally more concerned about Chinese intentions across the Indo-Pacific and about being encircled by China. In turn, China’s own continuing “anti-encirclement struggle” remains fraught in light of ever strengthening Indian security links across the Indo-Pacific with Australia, Vietnam, Japan, and the US in particular.

It is true that direct bilateral maritime discussions started between India and China in the shape of their Maritime Dialogue mechanism, which met for the first time in February 2016. However, with little recorded about the actual discussions there, let alone absence of tangible agreements on anything, this remains a mechanism still to prove itself in the long term as anything more than a diplomatic sop. Meanwhile ongoing Indo-Pacific maritime friction between China and India remains more probable in the short to medium term.

David Scott is an ongoing consultantanalyst and prolific writer on India and China foreign policy, having retired from teaching at Brunel University in 2015.

LEISURE 13

Thursday, 28 April, 2016

HaGaR tHE HoRRIblE

aries

taurus

gemini

You wish you were free enough to say whatever you want, but you realize that your chances of finding happiness are greater if you keep some things to yourself. You want to be accepted for who you are, yet your brusque manner could rub others the wrong way.

Gentle persuasion brings the results you seek without having to raise your voice or push anyone's emotional buttons. Hold your ground and wait for others to come to their senses and agree with your point of view.

You are reluctant to share your feelings now, but your quiet acceptance of a close friend or partner helps to create a more harmonious atmosphere. It's apparent there's nothing to be gained now by effusive rants or frantic melodramas.

cancer

leo

virgo

Someone might be secretly pulling the strings from behind the scenes to manipulate the current course of events. However, you aren't willing to give up your power now until you try to bend reality in your direction.

You can successfully push the edges of the current stability by taking a calculated risk now. Thankfully, decisions about money or love will likely turn out for the best as long as you remember to weigh your options carefully before making your move.

You possess a sharp clarity of mind today that breaks through the fog, allowing you to feel confident about an important choice you must make.

You can see your life unfolding and you know what to do to create the future as you envision it.

dIlbERt

GaRFIEld

libra

scorpio

sagittarius

Managing your relationships may require kid gloves today as you attempt to balance your need to express yourself with your desire to sidestep conflict. You want to be among friends now, but not at the cost of losing some facet of your self-identity.

It's apparent to you that a special relationship is more complicated than it seems to everyone else. You know what you need, but you may be hesitant to agitate things in a way that could disturb the status quo.

Your friends and relatives may grow weary of your avoidance tactics today because it's clear you don't want to be pinned down. Although you prefer to keep your options open, people are pressuring you to tell them your opinion without talking in vague generalities.

baldo

capricorn

aQuarius

pisces

Your desire to find pleasure today may not be obvious to everyone else.

However, your ruling planet Saturn is basking in the warmth of delicious Venus, encouraging you to share the sweetness of life with those you love.

You may be quite serious about relationships today as responsible Saturn trines romantic Venus in your 7th House of Others. Nevertheless, you still want to be seen as someone who knows how to have a good time.

You know more than you are saying today, but no one can get you to spill the beans while the Moon is hiding out in your 12th House of Secrets. Perhaps someone told you something in confidence, or maybe you haven't yet put your developing ideas into words.

cRosswoRd

sUdokU

woRd sEaRcH

ACROSS

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.

invasion march medic miserable moan moat neon north objective overlord plan rifle tanks train unload utah valor wound

Today’s soluTions

Ed's dEcEptIvE play

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...Nxe4 2.fxe4 Qxa5 *

1

sudoku solution

1,18 dessert served in a long glass (13,5) 8 belonging to us (3) 9 nickname (9) 10 tsars (8) 11 ladies' fingers (4) 13 goes after (6) 14 made soft through strainer or by blender (6) 16 see 4 17 remote (3-5) 20 philip larkin was one at hull university (9) 21 brace (3) 22 in an ostentatious way (13) DOwn 1 european currency (5) 2 unique (13) 3 small falcons (8) 4,16 founder of london's police force (6,4) 5 roman love poet (4) 6 hand-held weapon (7,6) 7 east midlands county (7) 12 deciding match in knock-out competitions (3,5) 13 falls over (7) 15 wild type (6) 18 see 1 across 19 taunt (4)

bane battleship belief bullets cliffs craft dawn decoy enemy eventual fairy faith fire general gliders goal gold hoof

14

Thursday, 28 April, 2016

ARTS

Women allegedly kicked out of cafe in california for being muslim COuRtESy HuFFINgtON POSt

a

Plants to charge phones now All sorts of ingenious little renewable charging devices are popping up lately, mainly since our energy consumption needs have shifted toward having to charge small gadgets, a task that can easily be handled by such devices. The so-called Bioo plant is one of the more ingenious offerings in this area. It is a potted plant that can generate enough juice to charge your smartphone up to 3 times per day. The Bioo plant pot was created by the Spanish company Arkyne Technologies. It is fitted with a 5V 1A USB charging port, which is connected to a ‘biological battery’ of sorts located within the base of the pot. The device is also very low maintenance, since all that is needed on the part of the owner is to water and care for the plant to keep it alive. In this way, for at least five years, the plant will continue to provide enough electricity to charge your gadgets during the day and night, and it will not suffer any harm in the process. Arkyne Technologies are currently raising funds via a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo.

Apart from the smaller version, they are also planning to produce a larger and more powerful version of the bio-battery. This so-called Bioo Panel, will measure 3.28 ft by 3.28 ft (1 m by 1 m) and will be able to generate up to 40 W of power, producing up to 280 kWh of energy per year. A Bioo plant pot can be reserved for a donation of $135 (120 EUR) and the units will be shipped in December of 2016. There are also other donation options available.

This is definitely a very clever idea, especially since the plant is capable of producing energy during both the day and the night, independent of sunlight. And a houseplant also has the added benefit of purifying the air, so let’s hope this projects gets off the ground. Agencies

group of women are considering legal action after they were kicked out of a chic California cafe last weekend for being Muslim.

In a Facebook post shared last Sunday, that has been shared thousands of times, Sara Farsakh accused staff at Urth Caffe in Laguna Beach, California of treating her and her friends with bias because they were wearing hijabs.

“What began as a night out with some friends ended as a painful and embarrassing reminder of what it is like to be visibly Muslim – even in liberal California,” Farsakh wrote. “By visibly Muslim, I mean women who wear the hijab, or headscarf.”

According to Farsakh, she and her friends arrived at Urth Caffe on Saturday around 7:15pm and sat at a table outside. Their food arrived 20 or 30 minutes later. After they were done with their meals some in the group went to the counter to order coffee and dessert.

“At about 8pm, an employee, Tino, came to our table and told us that we needed to leave the restaurant within

the next 10 minutes,” Farsakh wrote.

“Tino explained that they were anticipating a busy evening and needed to clear tables and that per their policy anyone that had been there for over 45 minutes was required to share or give up their table to other customers.”

The Urth Caffe policy in question states: “During our busy rush times, if you have already been at a table for 45 minutes or longer, please share or give your table to someone who is waiting.

If tables are available, you are certainly

welcome to enjoy Urth for as long as you desire.”

According to Farsakh, there were plenty of open tables both inside and outside the restaurant, she shared in a video which as been viewed over 250,000 times on Facebook.

“We told Tino that our orders had just arrived and that we couldn’t reasonably finish and leave within 10 minutes,” she wrote. “He said it didn’t matter and we had to leave.”

“The party on the table next to us

Top Indian lawyer ordered to inspect sexy condom packets

NEW DELHI Agencies

One of India’s most senior lawyers has been ordered to study condom and other contraceptive packets to determine if their pictures are too racy and should be banned, according to reports Wednesday.

Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh must spend six weeks pouring over sexy photographs — often of scantily clad women or couples in steamy embraces — promoting the products after the Supreme Court said they may breach India’s tough obscenity

laws. “Do you have any plan to regulate such advertisements?” a Supreme Court bench was quoted by the Indian Express asking Singh, the government’s third-ranked legal officer.

“You also have to tell us if such advertisements may constitute a penal offence,” the newspaper reported the bench as saying.

Singh’s office confirmed to AFP that the court issued the order on Tuesday, but declined to comment further.

Conservatives in deeply religious India often register complaints with police under the obscenity law,

which carries a maximum punishment of two years in jail and five years for repeat offenders.

Bollywood actors often find themselves slapped with such charges for their movies that some see as crossing the lines of decency.

Former porn star turned actor Sunny Leone was hit with an obscenity charge last year for her online movies and photographs.

Police are obliged to register a case when complaints are made.

The latest case came after condom manufacturers appealed against an earlier High Court order banning lurid pictures from their packets on the grounds that they were obscene and an affront to Indian culture.

The High Court was responding to a petition filed against the manufacturers. Last year, India was forced to reverse a controversial order banning hundreds of porn websites after accusations of heavyhanded censorship in the world’s largest democracy. Indian censors also blocked the release of the erotic film “Fifty Shades of Grey” in cinemas last year, even though a toneddown version of the film was supposed to be screened.

[a group of white women] overheard our conversation and were shocked,” Farsakh said, adding, “They told us they had been sitting far longer than we had but had never been told to prepare to leave.” According to a statement from CAIR on Tuesday, another group of women had been sitting at their table for nearly 4 hours and had not been asked to leave. However, the cafe’s staff insisted, and even called the police. Two police officers arrived at the café, reports OC Weekly.

Shallom Berkman, told Los Angeles television station KABC, “Everybody wants an outside seat. We have this policy to make things fair and accommodate everyone who wants to enjoy Urth Caffe.”

Further, the café owner added that the women were not asked to leave because they are Muslim. “My wife is Muslim and I’m Jewish,” Berkman said. “We like to say we’re a sign of world peace.”

“We’re very sorry that she has this feeling that this was something racist, but that is just not the case,” he added.

Berkman also said he’s offering Farsakh and her friends a free meal.

The Legend of Zelda delayed The Legend of Zelda Wii U delayed, the game won’t be releasing this year.

According to Nintendo financials, The Legend of Zelda will release in 2017 and it is safe to say it is coming to NX as well.

We haven’t seen The Legend of Zelda Wii U for a while and there were many rumors online citing different sources but sharing the same story; The Legend of Zelda Wii U won’t release this year. Now, all those rumors have been confirmed thanks to Nintendo’s own documents. A formal announcement is yet to be made but expect a word from the Japanese giant soon. Why the delay? Well, sources say that Nintendo is citing quality as the root cause of its delay and porting the game to NX is another one of their goals. Moreover, we were expecting NX to be at E3 2016 but it looks like this won’t be the case after all.

However, at E3 Nintendo will be focusing on Zelda. Finally, we have a release window for Nintendo NX. According to company financials, Nintendo NX is coming in March 2017. The Legend of Zelda NX could possibly be announced at E3 along with some new footage. Nintendo NX is a mystery and Nintendo intends to keep it that way for as long as possible.

Rumor has that it is slightly more powerful than PS4 and features a controller that will act is a similarly to PS Vita to stream gameplay anywhere. Agencies

APPLE REPORTS FIRST DROP IN IPHONE SALES SINCE ITS LAUNCH SAN FRANCISCO Agencies

Apple on Tuesday reported its first-ever drop in iPhone sales since launching the smartphone in 2007 as the tech giant’s long streak of rising revenue ended.

Apple said iPhone sales dropped year-over-year for the first time, slipping to 51.19 million units in the recently ended quarter compared with 61.17m in the same period a year ago.

Profits fell as well: Apple reported net income of $10.5 billion in the fiscal quarter to March 26 from $13.6bn last year.

With iPhones the main driver of sales for the company, revenue fell on a yearto-year basis for the first time since 2003: $50.6bn from $58bn a year earlier.

Apple shares dove more than 8 per cent to $95.90 in after-market trades that followed release of the earnings figures.

Sales of iPhones, the heart of Apple’s mobile age money-making machine, were down 16pc, according to the earnings report.

Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook said of the slump that “this too shall pass”. Analysts said it was not surprising to see the drop given the saturation of the global smartphone market.

“Following a rapid expansion into new markets over the years from 20072011, Apple was approaching saturation of the available distribution channels, and many of those already in the smartphone market who could afford to buy an iPhone had one or one of its high-end Android competitors,” said Jan Dawson at Jackdaw Research.

Dawson said Apple managed to boost sales in a slow-growing market with its large-screen models, but that it is unclear if it can regain momentum.

Boosting share buy-back Apple also announced that its board has authorized $35bn more to be spent on buying back shares, along with money for the dividend to be increased to 57 cents per share.

Apple has been making inroads into wearable technology with its Apple Watch and moving into services such as music subscriptions, but remains largely dependent on the iPhone for profit and revenue.

“While Wall Street was disappointed with Apple missing core revenue and earnings numbers, we aren’t talking about a company in trouble,” said Patrick Moorhead, president and principal analyst at Moor Insights and Strategy.

“Apple is still driving iPhone mar-

ket share in nearly every region, and we will shortly know if the iPhone SE enables continued market share gains in the mid-range.”

The analyst noted that Apple rivals Samsung, LG, HTC and Huawei have “dramatically amped up their smartphone games” and the effect of that should be seen in the current quarter.

Apple last month went small, cutting prices as well as screen size with the introduction of a new iPhone and iPad aimed at first-time buyers and customers in emerging markets.

Eye on India A new iPhone SE recently debuted at $399 for US customers without a contract subsidy, a significant cut from the price of Apple’s larger iPhones.

The iPhone SE did not launch in time for sales to be included in the quarterly earnings, but Apple executives said demand has outpaced supply.

The new iPhone model was seen as having strong potential in international markets beyond China, particularly in India. Even though the price tag is higher than low-cost Android handsets that dominate the market, it puts the cherished Apple brand within better reach to consumers in developing economies.

CMYK

Revenue from Apple sales in China were down 26pc to $12.5bn in a yearover-year comparison for the quarter, but up 56pc in India.

“China is not weak,” Cook said during an earnings call. “We may not have the wind at our backs that we want, but it is a lot more stable than what I think is the common view of it.”

Cook noted that the bulk of the revenue drop for Apple in Greater China was in Hong Kong, where currency linked to the strong US dollar crimped

sales while the company fared better on the mainland.

Cook saw tremendous potential for Apple in India, where he expected iPhone sales to accelerate with broader rollout of high-speed telecommunications networks.

“I think there is great opportunity there,” Cook said of India.

While Apple is the world’s largest company by profit and market value, it has been shifting its focus in anticipation of the slowdown.

16 BUSINESS CORPORATE CORNER Hussain dawood receives Lifetime Achievement Award by MAP

Thursday, 28 April, 2016

KCCI noT To SuPPorT Any Move To exTend offICeBeArerS’ Tenure BUSINESS AND INDUSTRIAL COMMUNITY WILL STRONGLY PROTEST AMENDMENT IN RELEVANT SECTION OF TOO 2013, SAYS SIRAJ TELI

KARACHI: Marketing Association of Pakistan has conferred the Lifetime Achievement Award 2016 to industrialist and ardent philanthropist, Hussain Dawood for his remarkable contributions in a broad range of sectors. The award was presented by Talib S. Karim, President, Marketing Association of Pakistan, and S. Masood Hashmi (Managing Director, Orient McCann Erickson) at their flagship event MARCON. Hussain Dawood, Group Chairman, Dawood Hercules Corporation, Engro Corporation and HubCo, while accepting the award said “It is a distinct honour to receive the MAP Life Time Achievement Award, and this year I am grateful to be its recipient.” PReSS ReleASe

Meezan Bank announces results for first Quarter 2016 KARACHI: The Board of Directors of Meezan Bank in its meeting, held at Karachi on April 26, 2016 approved the unconsolidated financial statements of the Bank and consolidated financial statements for the quarter ended March 31, 2016. Profit after tax increased to Rs. 1,337 million from Rs. 1,313 million earned in corresponding quarter last year despite the lower discount rate in the current quarter. The Earnings Per Share (EPS) increased to Rs. 1.33 from Rs. 1.31. The Bank’s other income registered an increase of 15% with fee, commission and brokerage income contributing 47% of total other income. The Bank’s deposits increased by 20% to Rs. 469 billion while its financing portfolio grew by 37% compared to corresponding period last year to Rs. 201 billion. Quality of assets is very good within NPL ratio of 3% and a comfortable NPL coverage ratio of 117%. PReSS ReleASe

KARACHI

T

STAFF RePORT

HE leadership of Businessmen Group and office-bearers of Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) said on Wednesday that Karachi Chamber, being the largest and premier chamber of Pakistan, is not in favour of extending the tenure of office-bearers of all trade bodies from one to two years.

While criticising the Directorate General of Trade Organisation (DGTO) over its move to seek proposal from chambers/trade associations about extending office-bearers’ tenure from one to two years, the officebearer of KCCI said that only those trade bodies/associations which were being run by unscrupulous elements will support such an unjust extension so that they could get maximum time to attain their personal goals.

DGTO Deputy Director Arshad Nawaz, in a communiqué, asked all trade bodies, in-

cluding chambers of commerce and trade associations across Pakistan, to give their feedback on a proposal received from different trade organisations to extend tenure of office-bearers from one year to two years.

Seeking feedback within seven days from trade bodies, the DGTO deputy director said that the proposed amendment in Sub Section (1) of Section 11 of Trade Organisations Act 2013 was required to extend the tenure of office-bearers of all trade organisations from one year to two years.

The KKCCI immediately submitted its deep reservations to DGTO in which they warned that in case the tenure of office-bearers was extended, experienced and dedicated persons will desist from holding this important office as nobody can afford to

Shandong Hi- Speed Group Ltd chairman calls on PM

Bank Alfalah earns profit before taxation of rs 3.794b for first quarter of 2016 KARACHI: Bank Alfalah’s financial results for the first quarter of 2016 remained positive, with the Bank registering profit before taxation of Rs. 3.794 Billion – a growth of 25percent, as against the corresponding period last year. The Bank’s Profit after tax was recorded at Rs. 2.467 Billion, a 24 percent increase as compared to the prior corresponding period. Despite interest rates being at their lowest, Net markup income of the Bank was reported at Rs. 7.095 Billion, improving by 4 percent over the corresponding period last year, while the overall net revenue earned by the Bank amounted to Rs. 9.216 Billion, a 11 percent increase over the corresponding period last year. Expense management controls were further strengthened during the period with growth in Administrative Expenses curtailed at 3 percent. Resultantly the Bank managed to further improve it’s cost to income ratio which now stands at 57percent. Earnings per Share improved to Rs. 1.55 at the end of the first quarter 2016 from Rs. 1.25 reported in March last year. PReSS ReleASe

KARACHI: Maliha Anwer Khan, Head of Wealth Management & NRP, UBL (left) speaking at the ‘Invest Wisely’ expert talk session held for the bank’s customers across Pakistan by UBL. Seated (L to R) are: Mr. Muhammad Hanif Akhai; Group Executive -Treasury; Mr. Mansoor Khan, Group Executive - Corporate, Institutional & Investment Banking; Mr. Zia Ijaz, Group Executive - Retail Banking and Mr. Syed Akbar Ali, Head of Research from UBL. PR

FAISALABAD: Allied Bank Limited recently inaugurated its Islamic Banking branch at Koh-i-Noor Road, Faisalabad. The inauguration was performed by Sheikh Mukhtar Ahmed, Director Allied Bank Limited, while Mr. Waseem Mukhtar, Director Allied Bank Limited, senior management of the Bank and many valued customers were also present at the occasion. PR

ISLAMABAD STAFF RePORT

Shandong Hi- Speed Group Ltd Chairman Sun Liang called on Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday.

Warmly greeting the chairman the premier appreciated his interest to explore investment opportunities in Pakistan. The PM invited the Shandong Group to invest in various projects especially in road, rail, power, dams, pipelines, airports and the financial sectors of Pakistan. We will provide all possible help to your investment plans, he said.

The prime minister said that the government’s economic team has worked assiduously during the last three years to achieve the economic turnaround which is being acknowledged by all the international

institutions. The GDP growth rate of our economy is rising and Inflation has been brought down to single digits. The stock exchange has shown considerable improvement and foreign currency reserves are the highest in history.

The premier said that CPEC is a symbol of the all weather friendship of Pakistan and China. He said it is not just a road and rail network but also includes investments in trade, energy, transport, infrastructure and industrial estates.

Sun Liang praised the economic policies of the government and attributed Pakistan’s economic turnaround to the sound economic vision of the PM and strict financial discipline of the government. Sun Liang expressed keen interest to explore new opportunities for investment in Pakistan.

Leisure Club celebrates 19 years LAHORE: Pakistan’s first, homegrown western wear brand – one that carved a trail in the retail market for so many others to follow, celebrates its 19th birthday this year.

With its ‘Made Of Pakistan’ core philosophy and drive to be Pakistan’s number 1 family fashion destination, Leisure Club has, arguably, become the most prolific, pioneering and patriotic brand to have come out of Pakistan. Across its 19 years on the High Street, Leisure Club’s values and retail practices have been of undeniable influence, working to shape the course and trends of the high street fashion retail industry; through its extensive, innovative campaigns, promotions and highly desirable, cross-generational fashion sensibilities, Leisure Club has set a high benchmark for what any respectable fashion retail brand should aspire to be. PReSS ReleASe

CMYK

hold the office bearers’ slots for an extended period of two years at the cost of their personal business activities.

Chairman Businessmen Group and former KCCI president Siraj Kassam Teli stated that the business and industrial community of Karachi would strongly protest the proposed amendment in relevant section of Trade Organisation Ordinance 2013 which will not be accepted at any cost. He said this was not the right way to make amendment in Trade Organisations Ordinance as the repercussions of such amendment should be extensively discussed by convening a meeting which must be attended by all stakeholders.

The BMG leadership and KCCI office-bearers pointed out that in the present circumstances, many capable businessmen were reluctant to spare even a period of one year for holding the office as it was a full-time job which interrupted/disturbed their personal business activities.

SBP not authorised to probe Panama leaks: deputy governor ISLAMABAD: State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Deputy Governor Saeed Ahmed has said that the Bank has no authority to probe the Panama Leaks; however it can assist any investigative body in this regard.

Giving a briefing to Senate Standing Committee on Finance, held with Senator Salim Mandiwala in the chair, he said there is ban on taking over $0.5 million abroad, adding that officials of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) have informed the committee that about 192 companies registered with the SECP have set up offshore companies. During the meeting, report about the privatisation of Heavy Electrical Complex (HEC), edited by the sub-committee, was tabled. It was rejected by the treasury members of the committee. Online

APTMA urges PM to release all pending refunds without delay KARACHI: All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) Chairman Tariq Saud said on Wednesday that the textile industry exports were yet under pressure in quantity terms due to a partial implementation of the 8-point textile industry package. He said the high cost of doing business and an unrealistic value of the local currency had also played a role in this regard. “No doubt, the textile industry has become partially operational with the availability of RLNG on a rate comparatively closer to the energy cost in region,” he said. “But non-payment of Rs 200 billion outstanding refunds on account of sales tax, income tax, rebates and previous policy initiatives is yet proving a major stumbling block in smooth running of the industry,” he added. He said the textile industry was not able to utilise resources due to sustained losses earlier and a liquidity shortage now,” he added. He said the industry was facing a liquidity crunch to produce exportable surplus while the government was reflecting the stuck up refund amounts in its revenue account which was not a fair practice. He urged the government for immediate liquidation of refunds to the industry for overcoming serious liquidity crunches, complete withdrawal of gas infrastructure development cess (GIDC) from entire textile chain, payment of drawback of local taxes and levies (DLTL) at 5 per cent to remove incidentals of taxes, cess, levies and duties on all textile exports. STAFF RePORT

BUSINESS 17

Thursday, 28 April, 2016

engro Corporation reports net profit of rs 3.7 billion KARACHI STAFF RePORT

The net profit of Engro Corporation Limited increased by 1.5 per cent to Rs 3.7 billion during January-March quarter of 2016, the company revealed in its financial report submitted to the Pakistan Stock Exchange on Wednesday. Pakistan’s largest private sector conglomerate reported an after-tax profit of Rs 3.7 billion or Rs 6.97 per share, down 1.5 per cent from Rs 3.63 billion or Rs 9.94 per share during the same quarter of 2015. The company also announced an interterm cash dividend of Rs 5 per share. “The result was above market expectations,” said Topline Securities. The company’s share price increased by Rs 5.37 or 1.7 per cent from the last day’s price (Rs 307.40) and closed at Rs 312.77 per share.

A total of 43,63,100 shares of Engro Corp were traded at the close of market on Wednesday. The company reported Rs 34.3 billion in revenues during the first quarter of 2016, a decrease of 16.8 per cent compared to Rs 41.2 billion it earned in sales during the corresponding period of 2015. Topline Securities attributed the dip in revenues to lower fertilizer take-off along with a dip in urea prices in case of Engro Fertilizers (EFERT). The gross margin of the company clocked in at 30.4 per cent, up 2.9 percentage points from 27.5 per cent of the same quarter last year.

“Week commodity prices reduced costs, which bode well for Engro Foods,” said Topline Securities explaining the increase in gross margin. “Also, the delivery of subsidised gas to EnVen plant supported margin expansion for EFERT.” Engro Corporation is a Pakistani public multinational corporation which was established in 2003. Engro Corp has subsidiaries involved in production of fertilizers, foods, chemicals, energy and petrochemicals.

SCB’s PBT grows by 15% to rs 4.9b KARACHI STAFF RePORT

Standard Chartered Bank (Pakistan) Limited has announced profit before tax of Rs 4.9 billion in January-March 2016 with a growth of 15 percent.

Administrative costs continue to be well managed through operational efficiencies and disciplined spending, thereby leading to a 5 per cent decrease from comparative period. On the liabilities side, the bank’s total deposits grew by 5 per cent since the start of this year. The continuous increase in low cost deposits has significantly supported the bank’s performance with current and savings accounts comprising 93 per cent of the deposits base. This has resulted in the bank having one of the lowest cost of deposits in the industry. On the advances side, there is positive momentum across all business segments and have grown by 10 per cent since start of the year. As the economic activity improves further, advances growth will pick-up.

Moody’S KeePS PAKISTAn eConoMy rATIng AT ‘B3 STABLe’ PAKISTAN’S B3 RATING REFLECTS STRENGTHENING GROWTH, PROGRESS ON STRUCTURAL REFORMS KARACHI

M

ARSHAD HUSSAin

oody’s Investors Service says Pakistan’s B3 issuer rating balances strengthening growth and progress on structural reforms against a relatively high government debt burden and political risks.

Moody’s conclusions are contained in its just-released Credit Analysis “Government of Pakistan — B3 Stable,” which looks at the country’s credit profile in terms of Economic Strength (assessed as “Moderate”); Institutional Strength (“Very Low “); Fiscal Strength (“Very Low (-)”); and Susceptibility to Event Risk (“High”).

These represent the four main analytic factors in Moody’s Sovereign Bond Ratings Methodology. The analysis constitutes an annual update to investors and is not a rating action.

Moody’s assessment of Pakistan’s “Moderate” economic strength encompasses the sovereign’s very low per capita incomes and the large size of its economy.

Economic output, previously anemic, has picked up in recent years and is now rising at a relatively healthy pace. GDP growth has edged up to an average of 4.1 per cent year-on-year since FY2014, from 3.4 per cent between FY2010-13. The implementation of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will likely support the activity further, and in concert with energy sector reforms will improve the operating environment for investment.

Moody’s assessment of institutional strength as “Very Low” reflects Pakistan’s weak but improving rankings on governance survey indices, specifically the World Bank’s Worldwide Governance Indicators. It also takes into account the central bank’s management of

inflation and monetary policy, and progress on reforms under the ongoing IMF programme.

Moody’s “Very Low (-)” assessment of Pakistan’s fiscal strength reflects the country’s moderately large debt burden and weak revenue base, which lower debt affordability relative to peers. The share of foreign currency debt to total general government debt has considerably declined in the last five years. But such borrowing still comprises about a third of total public debt, leaving government finances exposed in the event of exchange rate de-

KP govt worked on various reforms but economic side still neglected: FPCCI PESHAWAR STAFF RePORT

Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry Vice President Riaz Khattak said that work on different reforms had been carried out in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but economic side was still neglected for unidentified reasons which must be taken up with the consultation of FPCCI. Riaz Khattak led the delegation of FPCCI which called on PTI Chairman Imran Khan and Chief Minister KPK Pervez Kahttak at CM House. He said: “If we talk about the economic side of the province, we don’t see massive growth due to nu-

merous reasons. The KPK economy is based on agriculture, but unfortunately lack of infrastructure, interims of storage facilities, dedicated agriculture extension systems, basic facilities for fruits and vegetables growers are not available which needs to be addressed on priority.”

Secretary General of Businessmen Panel Senator Haji Ghulam Ali, Hattar Industrial Association Patron Malik Fareed, FPCCI Regional Standing Committee Chairman Ahmad Jawad, presidents of DI Khan Chamber, Mardan Chamber, Haripur Chamber, Tribal Area Chamber, Peshawar Chamber of Small Traders, Chitral Chamber and Kohat Chamber of Commerce and former vice presidents

of FPCCI Adnan Jalil, Fazal Elahi and Sultan Mohammad were also present.

Riaz Kahttak said the business community welcomed the new industrial policy by the provincial government but the FPCCI demanded that the government should provide the same concessions to the existing players which were allowed in recent policy for the new investors.

The FPCCI also wanted the provincial government to form a revise mineral policy with the consultation of the relevant stake holders, and lease process must be carried out in a very transparent manner across KPK and it should be given to those companies who have experience and required eligibility criteria.

Millat Tractors Limited net profit declines by 27pc KARACHI: The net profit of Millat Tractors Limited (MTL) declined by 27.3 per cent to Rs 482 million during January-March quarter of 2016, the company revealed in its financial report submitted to the Pakistan Stock Exchange on Wednesday. The firm’s net profit decreased by 27.3 per cent to Rs 482 million in the review period from Rs 608 million in the same period last year. This translated into earning per share of Rs 10.88 as compared to Rs 13.73 in the corresponding period. Analyst from Taurus Securities said that the results were above market expectations. The company’s share price increased by Rs 2 or 0.38 per cent from the last day’s price (Rs 520) and closed at Rs 522 per share. A total of 7,350 shares of MTL were traded at the close of market on Wednesday. The company reported Rs 4.6 billion in revenues during the first quarter of 2016, a decrease of 19.7 per cent compared to Rs 5.7 billion it earned in sales during the corresponding period of 2015. “Gross margins improved by 5.3 percentage points year-on-year to 20.7 per cent due to lower steel prices. Resultantly, bottom-line jumped by 51 per cent (quarter-on-quarter) to Rs 482 million,” said Taurus Securities. STAFF RePORT

preciation or financial market volatility.

Moody’s assessment of Pakistan’s vulnerability to event risks as “High” is driven by political risks, both domestic and geopolitical.

The government’s relatively large annual borrowing needs, in particular owing to large rollover requirements, are also a constraint. However, recent efforts to lengthen the maturities of domestic debt will likely contain these risks in the future.

At the same time, modest external financing needs limit external vulnerability risks.

govt reduces urea prices by rs 70 per bag ISLAMABAD: The government on Wednesday directed the fertilizer industry to immediately announce reduction of Rs 70 per bag of urea, however an official source said that the actual price reduction should have been Rs 250 per bag. The source said that urea manufactures have earned Rs 30 billion profit this year from farmers. They were allowed windfall profit even though the state owned National Fertilizer Marketing Limited had imported urea at very less price. Despite a glut in the market urea was sold at high price of Rs 1900 per bag. If NFML was allowed to sell its imported urea at the procure prices then the price of would have declined to Rs 1500 per bag. The landed cost of urea in September 2015 was Rs 1490 per bag. The total urea off take during Rabi 2015-16 declined by 413,000 tons due to higher prices. In October 2015, urea off-take was 197,000 tons against projected 400,000 tons whereas in November actual off-take was 623,000 against projected 500,000 tons. In December 2015, actual off take was recorded at 839,000 tons against projected 800,000 tons. In January and February 2016, actual off-take was 348,000 tons and 280,000 tons against projected 550,000 tons and 450,000 tons respectively. An official statement said the Finance Minister Ishaq Dar chaired a meeting today to take stock of Fertilizer off take and prices in the country.

The meeting was attended by the Federal Minister for Petroleum, the concerned federal secretaries and the representatives of fertilizer industry led by Managing Director Fauji Fertilizer Company. STAFF RePORT

TAX POLICY BOARD SHOULD HAVE OVERSIGHT ON FBR: ICAP KARACHI STAFF RePORT

The Institute of Chartered Accountants, Pakistan (ICAP), in its budget proposal, has given a roadmap for broadening the tax base, facilitating the already registered taxpayers, abolishing tax amnesty schemes and improving governance in the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).

A pre-budget seminar was organised by ICAP in Karachi. FBR Large Taxpayer Unit, Karachi Chief Commissioner (Inland Revenue) Syed Ayaz Mehmood was the chief guest on the occasion. With reference to direct taxation, FCA ICAP Taxation Committee Member Asif Haroon said that the ICAP has recommended that the tax policy board should play its role in formulating the fiscal policy as a support to legislative function; and act as an oversight over the performance of the FBR. Only the minister for planning from the cabinet should be the member of the Board whereas

the rest of the board should consist of representatives of major stakeholders including the FPCCI, economists and ICAP etc.

It was suggested that the tax structure should be reformed to ensure that there is no multiple taxation by the province and the federal government.

While talking about policy reforms in the appellate forum, Asif Haroon said: “Appeals should be brought under the administrative control of Federal Ministry of Law and the Appellate Tribunal under the control of the high court of the respective jurisdiction. No recovery of tax demand should be created till the decision of the commissioner of appeals while officers of the tax department should not be appointed as judicial members of the Appellate Tribunal. For policy reforms in governance, there should be speedy process of registration, particularly for non-residents as well as a speedy process for application of condonations.”

He said the government should make

a policy which discourages high handedness of the tax officer; exorbitant demands and coercive measures of recovery. In addition, excess taxes paid should be promptly refunded and amnesty schemes for non-compliant should be stopped. “The tax officer should be made accountable if orders do not stand the test of appeals,” he said.

“In order to broaden the tax base, industrial consumers of electricity and gas who are un-registered must be identified.

Withholding tax on natural gas consumption by industrial and commercial consumers should be introduced. Identification of unregistered wholesaler and retailers, service providers and real estate dealers and developers should be carried out in liaison with provincial governments who actually possess physical and business data of these sectors,” he added.

Likewise, the state should utilise data of tax withholdings (including ST withholding) of unregistered people or non-

CMYK

filers to register them.

“Permanent tax evasion and amnesty scheme provided under Section 111(4), if cannot be abolished, should be made conditional i.e., it should be restricted to remittances by an overseas non-resident Pakistani to a relative with monetary limits and for the purpose of investment in an industrial undertaking in Pakistan,” he added.

He further added: “Under-invoicing should be tackled on emergency basis.

Tax credit under section 65A available to manufacturers may be extended to other persons as well and tax credit should also be given on purchases if these are made from registered suppliers or service providers. Corporate tax rate needs to be reduced to 25 per cent in line with the rate applicable in the region. Tax on bonus shares should be abolished as the shareholder does not derive any income from the receipt of bonus shares. Tax credit of 20 per cent should be also allowed in two years after the year of enlistment. Corpo-

rate tax rate for banks of 35 per cent should be brought at par with corporate tax rate applicable to other companies to ensure a level playing field.”

Asif Haroon recommended that Dual Taxation should be avoided. Withholding tax on indirect taxes should be abolished. There should be a single indirect return with identification of federal and provincial head of account and direct deposit of share of tax of each province. Haroon said there should be a directorate of audit with representation from each province and the FBR. Talking about standard tax rate reduction, ICAP Taxation Committee Member Asif S. Kasbati said: “Lower tax rate will promote registration and documentation.” In order to promote registration and dealing with the registered sector, he recommended that extra incentives should be offered to registered persons or if they deal with a registered person. The incentive may be in the shape of fixed or variable tax credit(s) at the end of the year, as is the case in the IT Law.

18 SPORTS

Thursday, 28 April, 2016

Race Ruling leaves Jacques Kallis ‘embaRRassed’ to be south afRican New Delhi

Sri Lanka restores Jayasuriya as selection boss SportS DeSk Sri Lanka on Wednesday brought back former skipper Sanath Jayasuriya to be the chief of a new panel of cricket selectors, following the country’s abortive defence of the Twenty20 World Cup. The four-member panel was brought in to replace a previous ad-hoc committee headed by former Test player Aravinda de Silva, which was set up just hours before the team was due to leave for India. The World T20 tournament last month saw reigning champions Sri Lanka crash out at the group stages. Two selectors, Romesh Kaluwitharana and Ranjith Madurasinghe, have been retained in the new panel while the fourth man is Eric Upashantha, also a former player and selector. Jayasuriya previously headed the selection panel from January 2013 to March 2015. “The new (selection) committee will take office on May 1, 2016,” Sri Lanka Cricket said in a statement. Sri Lanka tours England in May and June and will play three Tests, five One-Day Internationals and one T20 match.

c

Agencies

RICKETING great Jacques Kallis has said he is “embarrassed” to be South African after the government banned four sports federations from bidding for international tournaments for failing to pick enough black players.

South Africa’s sports minister announced Monday he would veto any bid by the cricket, rugby, netball and athletics bodies to host multinational events as they had missed racial “transformation targets” designed to redress apartheid era inequalities.

While more than 90 percent of South Africans are black, they remain in a minority in the starting line-up for many national teamsmost notably rugby and cricket more than two decades after the end of whites-only rule.

But Kallis, who is himself white,

criticised the government for what he regarded as meddling in sport in a Tweet posted while he was coaching in India.

“So sad that i find myself embarrassed to call myself a South African so

No Ronaldo, no goals: Man City, Real Madrid draw in CL semi-fnal

Taylor replaces Malinga in Mumbai Indians IPL team

SportS DeSk

New Delhi Agencies

West Indies fast bowler Jerome Taylor on Wednesday signed for the Mumbai Indians, replacing Lasith Malinga who was ruled out of this season’s Indian Premier League (IPL) with a knee injury. The 31-year-old Taylor will join the Ricky Ponting-coached side for the rest of the T20 tournament after the required paperwork was completed, India’s cricket board said in a statement.

The Jamaican played just one match for the West Indies, in the group stages, during the World T20 earlier this month when the Caribbean side clinched the title for the second time, defeating England in the final.

Taylor has played in previous IPL editions, representing the Kings XI Punjab and the former Pune Warriors franchises. Sri Lankan veteran Malinga returned to Colombo after the first three IPL matches without having played in the tournament to recover from the lingering injury that also kept him out of the World T20 held in India.

often these days #no place for politics in sport,” said Kallis, who is currently coaching the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League.

The government’s veto, which will

Champions League top-scorer Cristiano Ronaldo was a frustrated spectator as his Real Madrid side played out a slow-burning 0-0 draw at Manchester City in Tuesday’s semi-final first leg.

Injury prevented the Portuguese superstar from adding to his 16-goal tally and in his absence the visitors were unable to convert the handful of chances they created, with a sensational late Joe Hart save to deny Pepe the closest either side came to a goal at the Etihad Stadium.

As an occasion, City’s first semi-final appearance in the competition was a let-down, but by preventing Madrid from notching an away goal the tie’s underdogs safeguarded their hopes of reaching the final ahead of next week’s return leg at the Bernabeu.

“We played a very intense game and defended well,” said City manager Manuel Pellegrini.

“This season we have played very well away. Now we go to the Bernabeu with the same attitude as playing at home.

“Real Madrid must attack a little bit more.

You cannot take too much from the first leg. We can see from the second leg who will go through.”

Pellegrini, though, will be without David Silva for the second leg after he was forced off by a hamstring injury, while his Madrid counterpart Zinedine Zidane was left sweating on the

fitness of Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, who went off at half-time.

“I’m happy with the game,” said Zidane, who expressed hope that both his ailing forwards will be fit for the return leg.

“We had the ball more in the second half, had a couple of chances. We’re a little bit disappointed, because we possibly deserved more.

“Before this game it was 50-50. I think it’s still the same, 50-50.”

City’s semi-final arrival was an event seven and a half years in the making for the club’s Emirati owners and there was a carefully stage-managed attempt to generate an atmosphere prior to kick-off, with fans given blue and silver foil flags and a flurry of streamers greeting the teams.

The star attraction, alas, was on the bench, glowering in a grey Real Madrid anorak. Ronaldo took his place among the visiting officials after failing a pre-match fitness test on a thigh strain.

Benzema, a pre-match doubt with a knee problem, was replaced at half-time by Jese and despite the touchline exhortations of Zidane, who split his trousers for the second Champions League match running, his side could not make the breakthrough. When they belatedly hit the target, Sergio Ramos hanging in the air to meet Toni Kroos’s corner from the right with a firm header, Hart saved comfortably.

And when they conspired to beat Hart, Jese looping a header towards goal from Dani Carvajal’s right-wing cross, the crossbar came to the England international’s rescue.

After Bale had given City a scare by curling narrowly wide from the edge of the box, Hart produced two demonstrations of the razor-sharp reflexes that have come to his side’s rescue so many times on big European nights. First, he stuck out his left boot to deflect away a downward header from Casemiro and moments later a starfish-style block prevented Pepe from snatching a late winner from point-blank range.

LIST OF FOREIGNERS AGGRESSIVELY VYING FOR PAKISTAN TEAM’S COACH JOB SportS DeSk It’s one of the toughest jobs in world cricket, but big overseas applicants are aggressively vying for

be reviewed in a year’s time, should not immediately affect South African cricket as the right to host a major tournament is not currently up for grabs.

However it could sink the rugby federation’s hopes of hosting the 2023 World Cup, with the process due to begin in a matter of months.

Although the national rugby body and the government have agreed that the Springboks team in the 2019 World Cup should be at least 50 percent black, only three black players regularly started in the last tournament in 2015.

Cricket South Africa is aiming to field at least seven players of colour in its starting elevens, which would include black Africans, mixed-race and players of Indian descent such as the leading batsman Hashim Amla.

While it has met that target in several one-day matches, it has never had more than five non-white players in a Test team.

the Pakistan coach’s post. Here is a list.

Peter Moores (england) After the disastrous ODI WC last year, Moores’ second stint with

England came to an abrupt end. He is the front-runner as he had interacted with the PCB in the past and has given a report on how to improve the cricket structure in the country.

Mickey arthur (south africa) With the experience of having coached both Australia and South Africa though with contrasting results the 47-year-old is widely rated as an intelligent coach. He has also coached in Pakistan Super League. Some of his past methods (homework gate for example), though, will be brought to the discussion again. dean Jones (australia) It was a surprise when Dean Jones threw his hat in the ring, considering that he has little experience coaching an international side. But his is a sharp cricketing

brain and he was appraised by Wasim Akram, who is in the selection panel. toM Moody (australia) Brings with him considerable experience of coaching in the subcontinent. His stint with Sri Lanka was particularly impressive and has had a largely decorated coaching career. Shares a good rapport with Ramiz Raja, a member of the panel.

JaMie siddons (australia) A largely untested coach at the international level, Siddons has had a moderately successful stint with South Australia, whom he had guided to Sheffield in his last season as coach. However, an ill-fated tenure with Bangladesh wherein Ashraful alleged he was involved in fixing will relegate him to an also-ran.

CMYK

FIFA boss wants NorthSouth Korea friendly SportS DeSk FIFA President Gianni Infantino said Wednesday he was willing to try and set up a football match between North and South Korea as a way of easing hostility on the divided peninsula. On a visit to South Korea which coincided with a recent upsurge in tensions between Seoul and Pyongyang, Infantino said such a match would highlight the spirit of football as a game “beyond borders” that can unify rather than divide. “We should bring everyone together around a football pitch I’m ready to help and assist in whatever way is necessary,” Infantino told reporters. Military tensions have been running high on the peninsula following North Korea’s nuclear test in January and a ballistic missile test staged a month later. Cross-border relations have sunk to their lowest level in years, with almost all official communications cut off. The two Koreas last held a friendly match in Seoul in 2005. Before that they played two consecutive games in October 1990, in Seoul and Pyongyang, under the title “Inter-Korea Unification” matches. Sporting exchanges pretty much halted, along with other ties, as relations soured.

“Sometimes imagination can come true. Sometimes dreams can come true. These things can become a reality,” Infantino said. The FIFA boss also defended moves to increase the number of teams participating in the World Cup to 40, beginning in 2026. “I believe that it’s important to increase the number of teams on the World Cup because we have to be more inclusive,” he said. “Eight more teams will be perfectly justifiable,” he said, adding he was considering six more berths for the Asia region.

Publish my drug test results, says Nadal SportS DeSk Rafa Nadal has asked the International Tennis Federation to publish the results of his drug tests following an accusation of doping by a former French cabinet minister.

The 14-times grand slam champion said on Monday he was suing Roselyne Bachelot, a former health, sports and social affairs minister, after she alleged the Spaniard had failed a drugs test. The Spaniard wrote to the ITF asking his drug test results to be made public, British media have reported.

“It can’t be free any more in our tennis world to speak and to accuse without evidence,” media reports quoted the 29year-old as saying. “Please make all my information public, please make public my biological passport and my complete history of anti-doping controls and tests. “From now on I ask you to communicate when I am tested, and the results, as soon as they are ready from your labs.”

Nadal has never failed a drug test. The ITF declined Nadal’s request but said the player was free to publish them himself.

Thursday, 28 April, 2016

Pcb accePts Younus’ aPologY, allows him to RetuRn to PaKistan cuP

t

HE Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday accepted Test veteran Younus Khan’s apology and allowed him to return to the ongoing Pakistan Cup. “In his response to the show cause notice, Younus has expressed regret over his conduct and has duly apologized,” read a press release by the PCB. “In view of his acceptance of the wrong-doing and consequent apology, PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan has decided to accept his explanation.”

The press release further stated: “Consequently, Younus may now join the KhyberPakhtunkhwa (K-P) squad should the team qualify for the final of the 2016 Pakistan Cup.” Shaharyar was also quoted in the notification where he explained the board’s decision to accept Younus’ apology.

“Younus has served Pakistan cricket for a number of years and he has developed a shining reputation in Pakistan and abroad. While this incident is unfortunate, I am glad to note that Younus has admitted his mistake,” said Shaharyar.

The 38-year-old was issued a show-cause notice on Tuesday by the PCB after he withdrew from

the tournament following a row with umpires which resulted in a fine this weekend.

The 38-year-old former national captain questioned umpiring decisions during his team Khyber Pukhtunkhwa’s (K-P) matches in the Pakistan Cup one-day tournament currently held in Faisalabad.

On Saturday match referee Azizur Rehman fined Younis 50 percent of his match fee and summoned him for a disciplinary hearing.

But Younus, Pakistan’s highest Test run-getter with 9116 in 104 matches, refused to attend the hearing and withdrew from the tournament in anger.

On Monday Younus called PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan and apologised for his behaviour, agreeing to play the remaining matches, a PCB statement said.

But the PCB, apparently after strong reaction from former captain Javed Miandad and umpires, stopped Younis from playing in the tournament and issued him a show cause notice.

It said the chairman wanted due process to be followed.

“For breaching the clauses of his central contract Younis has been served a show cause notice and has been asked to explain his

Pakistan CuP Fixtures 9TH MATCH BALOCHISTAN V ISLAMABAD AT FAISALABAD 15:00 LOCAL | 10:00 GMT

iPL Fixtures

24TH MATCH

MUM INDIANS V KKR AT MUMBAI 20:00 LOCAL | 14:30 GMT

position to the Board within seven days,” the PCB said. Chairman Shaharyar Khan said the decision to issue the notice against a quality player had been difficult.

“Younus has been a great servant of Pakistan cricket and a true role model for youngsters. I feel pained making this decision as we have to demonstrate that no one is bigger than the game,” he was quoted as saying in the statement.

Younus cancelled his flight for Faisalabad on Tuesday and refused to comment on the notice.

Pakistan cricket is marred by players’ discipline problems.

Local media said opener Ahmed Shehzad broke glass in the dressing room during the same tournament in Faisalabad on Monday while middle-order batsman Umar Akmal was involved in a brawl with a group of youths after a stage drama.

PCB said it was investigating both the incidents.

Batsman Miandad blasted the incidents on Monday and blamed the PCB for lenient action.

He said indiscipline should not be tolerated at any cost, “no matter how big a player”, as it sets a bad precedent. Agencies

Shanaka, Dhananjaya de Silva in Test squad SportS DeSk Rookie batsmen Dasun Shanaka and Dhananjaya de Silva have been named in Sri Lanka’s Test squad to tour England, in which Lahiru Thirimanne has also found a place. Also included are wicketkeeper-batsmen Kusal Mendis and Niroshan Dickwella. The 17-man squad features 10 batsmen, five pacemen and two spin bowlers.

Dhammika Prasad, Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Pradeep, Suranga Lakmal and Shaminda Eranga make up the pace battery, while Rangana Herath and offspinner Dilruwan Perera make up the spin complement. Batsman Kaushal Silva, who was recently hospitalised after being struck on the head while fielding, earns a recall to the squad after being dropped for the New Zealand tour.

De Silva, 24, earned his place via an excellent first-class season for Tamil Union, hitting 868 runs at an average of 54.25 in a victorious Premier League campaign. There is no place, however, for Premier League top-scorer Tharanga Paranavitana, who hit 953 runs at 79.41 in the season. The inclusion of Shanaka, 24, is more surprising, given he had not played in most of SSC’s Premier League matches in the recent season. However, he did hit a 108 in one of his five completed innings, and also claimed eight wickets with his part-time seam bowling

SPORTS 19

PCB conducting dope tests on ICC directives iSlamabaD Agencies

in the same match.

Shanaka had largely impressed in domestic T20s, where he struck two breakneck tons inside a week. He also played in the World T20,

making 15 and 20 not out in his two innings.

Shanaka has a first-class average of 38.12 across 38 innings, with his other two hundreds having come in the previous first-class season.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has started conducting dope tests of cricketers who have been showing consistent performances in the ongoing Pakistan Cup. According to a PCB official, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has directed the cricket board to keep strict check against the potential use of prohibited substances. Cricketers, namely Mohammad Irfan, Mohammad Sami, Khurram Manzoor, Sami Aslam, Bilawal Bhatti and Mohammad Hassan are on the lists for the dope tests along with six more Pakistan Cup participants. “Two players will be tested after every Pakistan Cup fixture,” said the official. Pakistan legspinner Yasir Shah, in February, was provisionally suspended by the ICC after he failed dope tests conducted by the ICC in December last year after Pakistan ‘hosted England for a full tour in UAE. His three-month-long suspension ended on March 27. The leggie is representing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the Pakistan Cup, which is being staged in Faisalabad and features five teams from the country’s four provinces and the federal capital.

MY SON HAS MADE ME A MAN I’LL WIN WORLD TITLE FOR HIM: KYREN WILSON SportS DeSk For a candid Kyren Wilson, the stress of the Crucible is child’s play compared to the pressure to be a good father.

Wilson who departed the tournement after a 13-8 loss to Mark Selby in the quarter-finals - has thanked one-year-old baby son Finley for putting” fire in his belly” during his glorious run in these part.

Wilson came through three rounds including a 10-6 win over Matthew Stevens to qualify for the sport’s biggest event before completing notable successes against seeds Joe Perry and Mark Allen in only his second appearance at the tournament.

CMYK

The Kettering player found world number one and 2014 champion Mark Selby a little too streetwise, but not before he recovered from trailing 6-0 amid setting the tournament highest break of 143.

“I’ll win this event in the future without a doubt. I believe in myself,” said Wilson in a media conference after departing the tournament.It is a view shared by the five-times champion Ronnie O’Sullivan who tweeted a similar sentiment earlier his week.

At the end of the 17-day green baize bonanza, Wilson is guaranteed a place in the world’s top 16 having started out here ranked 19th.

He lost 10-7 to Ricky

Walden in the first round of the World Championship two years ago here, but is a rapidly maturing figure. He was the lowest ranked professional then 54 in the game to lift a ranking event in 11 years when he carried off the Shanghai Masters with a glorious 10-9 win over Judd Trump last September, but has maintained his gait to finish the season with a flourish.

“The pressure of snooker is not bad..you want to get up to do a night feed at 3 o’clock into the morning,” said Wilson.

“It’s not easy being a parttime father, but I miss him like crazy when I’m travelling and he gives me the fire in the belly that I need.

SPORTS Thursday, 28 April, 2016

KP beat Sindh by 7 runS FaisalabaD

K

Agencies

HyBeR Pakhtunkhwa beat Sindh by 7 runs in the 8th match of the Pakistan Cup 2016 and also qualified for the final of

the event.

Ahmed Shehzad’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) team won the toss and elected to bat against Sindh led by star player Sarfraz Ahmed.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) set a total of 320 runs for Sindh in the 8th match of the Pakistan Cup 2016 being played at Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad, Skipper Shehzad played a sublime knock of 143 runs off 135 balls that included 15 fours and 2 sixes.

He was supported by fellow open Fakhar Zaman who scored 68 runs.

KP went on to score a massive total of 319 runs at a loss of 6 wickets.

Gujarat Lions survive Morris 82* in manic game

Delhi Agencies

It was IPL in a nutshell. A big name player Brendon McCullum bossed the game at the start so much that Gujarat Lions recorded the fastest hundred - in 54 balls - of the season. A helpless collapse followed, killing the prospect of a one-sided game. A total of 172 with dew gathering at Feroz Shah Kotla was not beyond Delhi Daredevils.

However, the home fans would have despaired when they slipped to 16 for 3. The game, of course, was not done playing with their emotions.

Out walked the million dollar man Chris Morris with 116 needed off 56 and walloped the third fastest fifty in IPL history, off 17 balls. The South African allrounder finally finished unbeaten with 82 off 32, but there was no smile on his face.

Those were on the faces of Praveen Kumar and Dwayne Bravo, whose pin-point yorkers gave away only 16 off the final two overs to pull off a one-run win for Lions.

Morris had come in at No. 6 and launched his second ball into the second tier of the stands behind long-off. Very few of his eight sixes and four fours were mistimed, but a lot of them came as a result of his being able to get under the ball.

Praveen did not allow that to happen in the penultimate over of the chase, when he conceded only four to leave Daredevils needing 14 off the final six balls. Bravo, bowling from around the stumps, hit the blockhole repeatedly to deny Morris’ sublime innings the status of match-winning.

Suresh Raina gave his frontline spinners - Ravindra Jadeja and Pravin Tambe only one over each and they cost a combined 31 runs. On top of trouble gripping the ball, they stood very little chance against Morris now armed with a crowd that was bellowing his name. His reach

helped, his balance at the crease pristine and his clarity of thought handling the required rate was above 12 was downright chilling.

Morris’ first two sixes dragged the equation down from 101 off 48 to 85 off 42. Two against Tambe in the 15th over brought it to 57 off 30. A hat-trick of them in the 17th over sealed his fifty and left Daredevils needing 29 off 18.

He wasn’t the only batsman who had fun at the Kotla though. McCullum smashed Lions’ fastest fifty and Dwayne Smith usurped him a few minutes later.

This batting line-up had beaten perhaps the best one in the IPL on Saturday, when a Virat Kohli century had not been enough.

Daredevils were looking at a target of 220, as a best-case scenario. But Morris did what Royal Challengers Bangalore’s bowlers couldn’t on Sunday; he had set plans and executed them very well. He dismissed McCullum and Raina in the 12th over; Lions were short-circuited and could only manage 55 runs in the remaining 48 balls.

Morris knew McCullum thrived on fast bowling, so he produced an offcutter that dipped under the bat swing and broke the stumps. He targeted Raina’s body and had leg gully in place to take the catch.

That gave the Daredevils spinners some freedom. Imran Tahir added to his reputation of being one of the best bowlers in T20 cricket with a spell of 3 for 24, the hallmark of which was his ability to vary the pace and time the googlies and flippers so they surprised the batsman. Where his slow-bowling partners Amit Mishra and Shahbaz Nadeem bowled flat in the hopes of containing the batsmen, Tahir backed his skill to confound them. He had Smith lbw with a ball that skidded through off the pitch and removed Ishan Kishan and Dinesh Karthik off successive balls in the 17th over.

Published by Arif Nizami at Qandeel Printing Press, 4 Queens Road, Lahore.

CMYK

Mohammad Amir, Rumman Raees and Bilal Asif picked 2 wickets each.

As a response, Khalif Latif played a massive innings of 168 not out off 129 balls, smashing 11 fours and 9 sixes. Fawad Alam was the other top scorer for Sindh as he scored 74 runs. However, despite scoring such big individual totals, Sindh was left 7 runs short of the huge total set by KP as Zia-ul-Haq bowled a splendid last over for KP as he conceded only 8 runs.

Zia picked 3 wickets for KP while Sameen Gul took 2 wickets.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa team, who have won two matches out of three played so far, stepped on the ground with enthusiasm while Sindh team players, who have also snatched two victories, are also ready to give tough time to the opposite side.

Proper arrangements have been ensured while the authorities have

also directed to monitor the whole tournament that will conclude on May 1.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa led by star batsman Ahmed Shehzad include Mohammad Asghar, Fakhar Zaman, Musaddiq Ahmed, Zohaib Khan and Faheem Ashraf. Pakistani leg-spinner yasir Shah will mark a return to competitive cricket as he prepares himself to play for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the domestic One Day tournament. Abdul Rehman and Kabir Khan are coaching the KP side.

Sindh is being captained by newly-appointed national T20 skipper Sarfraz Ahmed. Left-arm pacer Mohammad Amir was the first pick made by Sarfaraz. The team also includes Sohail Khan, Khalid Latif, Sohaib Maqsood, Fawad Alam, Imad Wasim, Anwar Ali and Sami Aslam. Tauseef Ahmed and Iqbal Imam are coaching the Sindh team.