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Friday, 30 december, 2016 i 30 rabi-ul-Awwal, 1438 i rs 20.00 i Vol Vii no 181 i 20 Pages i lahore edition
We are sticking to our word on CoD: PM
Ceasefire deal brokered by Russia and Turkey
Syria army, opposition confirm truce from midnight STORY ON PAGE 09
US slaps sanctions on Russia, expels 35 diplomats
STORY ON PAGE 05
NSG membership to India g
Terms those parting ways from the agreement as ‘incurable’ STORY ON PAGE 02
Pakistan terms Grossi’s proposal ‘clearly discriminatory’ g
Progress on war on terror
Violence in Pakistan down three quarters: The Spectator g
Terrorists defeated, Pak in consolidation phase now: COAS STORIES ON PAGE 03
India won’t be able to change demography of IOK
STORY ON PAGE 02
Fazl slams the extension of military courts STORY ON PAGE 02
All ProVinciAl heAdquArterS to Get mASS trAnSit rAilwAyS under cPec
STORY ON PAGE 03
02 NEWS
Friday, 30 December, 2016
STICKING TO THE AGREEMENT
PM says he still adheres to Cod TERMS THOSE PARTING WAYS FROM THE AGREEMENT AS ‘INCURABLE’ MUZAFFARABAD App
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RIME Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on Thursday said he still adheres to the Charter of Democracy (CoD), and termed those who wanted to part ways from the agreement as ‘incurable’. “Being a signatory of Charter of Democracy, I still stand by it. However, if someone pursues a policy of denial, you can do nothing about it,” the Prime Minister said in his remarks at the 53rd budget session of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Council here.
The Charter was signed in May 2006 by Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan Peoples Party’s then Chairperson Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto for restoration and strengthening of democracy in the country. The statement comes at a time when PPP’s Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari has just returned to the country after 18 months and announced to take part in active politics and join parliament, along with his son Bilawal Bhutto. Bilawal, on the other hand, has announced to launch a long march in protest to government’s failure to meet his four-point demands. The Charter paved way for the return of both Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto back in military dictator Pervez Musharraf’s regime. But before Benazir could taste the fruits of CoD, she was assassinated in a shooting-andbombing incident in late 2007. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said tolerance and mutual understanding was the basis of democracy, which his
party was following in letter and spirit. He said Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) believed in running the affairs of government with mutual understanding with other political parties, adding the governments in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, AJK and GilgitBaltistan were examples to the fact. He said PML-N received an overwhelming mandate by the people of AJK and urged upon the elected members of AJK Legislative Assembly to come up to the expectations of their voters who reposed confidence in them. The Prime Minister said the government was steadfast in achieving its objectives of development in the country and would fulfill its commitment of ending power load shedding by 2018. He said there existed immense potential in AJK for hydroelectric plants due to availability of abundant water resources. He invited the local people to invest in power projects in AJK and assured of support by federal govern-
ment. Nawaz Sharif said China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was an exemplary project which would bring positive outcome for Pakistan in diverse sectors. tWo MeMBers oF aJK leGIslatIve asseMBlY taKe oatH: Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on Thursday administered oath to two newly-elected members of the Azad Kashmir Legislative Assembly. Abdul Khaliq Wasi and Chaudhry Muhammad Siddiq took oath of their office at the 53rd budget session of AJK Council. AJK President Masood Khan was also present. Fateha was also offered for the martyrs of Indian Occupied Kashmir. Earlier, the PM arrived here to attend the 53rd budget session of Azad Jammu Kashmir Council. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Minister for Kashmir Affairs and GilgitBaltistan Barjees Tahir, Commerce Minister Khurram Dastagir and Senator Pervaiz Rasheed accompanied the PM.
NSG MEMBERSHIP TO INDIA
Pakistan terms Grossi’s proposal ‘clearly discriminatory’ ISLAMABAD MIAN ABRAR
Pakistan on Thursday described the Grossi proposal “clearly discriminatory” for Indian membership to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), with Foreign Office spokesman Nafees Zakria saying an exemption to India would contribute nothing in terms of furthering the non-proliferation objectives of the NSG. During a weekly briefing, Nafees Zakria said Grossi’s proposal, according to media reports, seeks to propose the 2008 NSG exemption for India as a requirement for NSG membership. “This would be clearly discriminatory and would contribute nothing in terms of furthering the non-proliferation objectives of the NSG,” he said while responding to a question. He said that the Grossi proposal was an internal
document of the NSG which has not been shared with us. “We understand that the NSG countries are still discussing the document and there is no consensus on it within the NSG. Pakistan seeks criteria-based and non-discriminatory approach. We have consistently highlighted its strong credentials that meet NSG criteria. Our efforts towards our application for membership are continuing.” He said Pakistan continues to stress the imperative for a non-discriminatory criteriabased approach for NSG membership of non-NPT states in a non-discriminatory manner. “Only such a criteria-based approach will further the non-proliferation objective of the NSG as well as the objective of strategic stability in South Asia,” he observed. He said no NSG member has opposed Pakistan’s principled position for a non-discriminatory criteria-based approach. “In fact, there is growing trac-
tion for Pakistan’s position. We are reaching out to all NSG members who are increasingly acknowledging the merits of our argument for stronger standards for IAEA safeguards and other non-proliferation measures, which can plug the loopholes left in the 2008 exemption for India.” IndIan atrocItIes In IoK: About Indian efforts to change demography of the Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK), the spokesman said the occupying forces, joined by the terrorist organisations such as RSS, Vishwa Hindu Prasad, Shiv Sena, Bajrang Dal and other terrorist elements, were engaged in the drive to change the demography in Indian Occupied Kashmir. UnIlateral actIon on IWt: About Indian threats to revoking the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), Nafees Zakria said Pakistan is closely monitoring the situation and will respond accordingly.
Fazl slams the extension of military courts PesHaWar: Calling the military courts a disgrace to the civil judiciary, Jamiat-eUlema-Islam (F) chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman, said that the National Action Plan has still not produced the desired results. Addressing a news conference in Peshawar on Thursday, he said that if the safety of judges was the issue when it came to dealing with terror cases, then it would have been better for the army to provide the judges with security rather than for the military to take over the act of adjudication itself. The JUI-F chief’s statements come in the context of the expiry of the sunset clause of the Protection of Pakistan Act, 2014. The interior ministry has already prepared a draft that would merge that bit of legislation with the Anti Terror Act, 1997, effectively extending the tenure of the said military courts. JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman also urged the politicians not to make ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor controversial. He said the CPEC was a vital for development of the country. The JUI-F chief said the reforms should be introduced in FATA in accordance with the wishes of tribal people. He welcomed return of PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari to the country from abroad, and hoped Zardari would play an active role in the national politics. Referring to PTI’s politics on Panama Papers issue, Maulana Fazl said the party was confused and oscillated between the parliament and the court for probe into the matter. StAff RepoRt
Khan wants killers in Karachi penalised, not spared KARACHI App
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan on Thursday lamented that killers in Karachi are not brought to justice due to which people have lost confidence in the police department. Speaking to media after condoling family of PTI activist Fazal Raheem, who was murdered in Patel Para a few days ago, Khan said Raheem was killed in a targeted attack and the police should have identified his killers by now. “Investigators should use CCTV footages to help track down the killers,” he said, warning of a protest if his murderers were not ar-
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rested. The PTI chief also called for the case to be tried by a military court. Prior to this, Khan arrived in Karimabad to inaugurate party office in Karachi’s district East, but returned without breaking the ground in the wake of disorder. GroUndBreaKInG For tHIrd sHaUKat KHanUM HosPItal: Earlier in the day, Khan performed the groundbreaking of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre at DHA City Karachi on Thursday. In his address at the groundbreaking ceremony, Khan said approximately 75 per cent patients were treated at the Shaukat Khanum hospital without any charges. He estimated that around 90 per
cent patients in the country could not get treatment for cancer ailment because it was so costly. Khan said Pakistan was created as an Islamic welfare state but “we had diverted from the same path”. KHan condoles FaMIlY oF JUnaId JaMsHed: The PTI chief also visited late evangelist Junaid Jamshed’s residence and offered condolences to his bereaved family members and relatives. Earlier upon his arrival in Karachi on a three-day visit, Khan was received by party leaders Faisal Vawda and MPA Khurram Sherzaman. Over the next two days, Khan will also visit the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Friday, 30 December, 2016
NEWS terrorists defeated, Pak in consolidation phase now: Coas raWalPIndI: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa said Thursday Pakistan has successfully defeated terrorism and is now in consolidation phase. The army chief was visiting Bahadur Ranges near Attock where he witnessed Pak-Jordan joint exercise ‘Fajr-ul-Sharq 1’, according to an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement. ‘Fajr-ul-Sharq 1’ is a two-week joint counterterrorism training program that seeks to share the experiences of both armies. Speaking on the occasion, the army chief said that the nature and character of war had changed, with direct conflict now becoming a less preferred means of waging war. “Our armed forces are fully trained and ready for response to [the] full spectrum [of] threats, [and] our achievements in counter terrorism operations are being taken as successful case studies,” averred Bajwa. He said that conducting joint exercises helped improve the army’s professional expertise in conducting counterterrorism operations. “Such engagements are a source of mutual sharing, learning and benefit,” he added. The army chief also thanked the Jordanian army and their contingent for their participation in the first collaboration between the special forces of the two countries and expressed his desire to continue the engagement. General Bajwa also congratulated the participants on the successful conduct of the exercise and appreciated the professional competence displayed by the troops. StAff RepoRt
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THE SPECTATOR REPORT
Pakistan has Made treMendous Progress in its War on terror THE BRITISH JOURNAL SAYS VIOLENCE IN THE COUNTRY IS DOWN THREE QUARTERS ISLAMABAD App
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ITH Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif calling an end to Pakistan’s culture of violence in 2013, it (violence) has come down by three quarters in the last two years. “Violence has not just dropped a bit. It is down by three quarters in the last two years. The country is safer than at any point since George W Bush launched his war on terror 15 years ago,” said a report carried by The Spectator, a British weekly magazine. “Until a few years ago, Pakistan was one of the most dangerous coun-
tries on earth…. It would be foolish to claim that Pakistan’s security problems are over. But something extraordinary and unexpected has certainly happened. Since it fails to fit the established narrative of Pakistan as a dangerous nation, it’s gone unacknowledged in the West,” the report observed. According to the report, “The change can be dated to a special cabinet meeting called by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in Karachi in September 2013. At this meeting Sharif called an end to Pakistan’s culture of violence….” The Spectator, quoting former Major-General Bilal Akbar, directorgeneral of Sindh Rangers, said, “In 2013 there were 2,789 killings in Karachi. In the first 11 months of 2016 there were 592. In 2013 there were 51 terrorist bomb blasts. Up to late November this year, there were two.” “Three years ago, Karachi suffered from an orgy of kidnapping for ransom. There were 78 cases in 2013, rising to 110 the following year. This year, there have been 19.” “Some 533 extortion cases were re-
ported in 2013; in 2016, only 133. Sectarian killing is sharply down: while 38 members of the Shia minority... were killed in 2013, that figure was down by two thirds in 2016.” Major-General Bilal told The Spectator: ‘We have apprehended 919 target killers from the militant wings of political parties since September 2013. They confessed to over 7,300 killings. The daily homicide rate in the city is less than two now. It used to be 10-15, and during ethnic clashes we could lose 100 lives a day.’ “Just three years ago, according to the Numbeo International Crime Index, Karachi was the sixth most dangerous city in the world. Today it stands at number 31 – and falling,” the report noted. “Six months after he ordered the Rangers into Karachi, Nawaz Sharif took an even more momentous decision,” the report said, adding, “…He sent the army into North Waziristan, the Taliban stronghold on the Afghan border.” In June 2014, General Raheel Sharif took charge of a massive military offensive, Zarb-e-Azb. “Taliban groups responded with a series of atrocities of
which the most grotesque was the attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar, in which a reported 141 children and staff were killed,” the report said. “That stimulated the National Action Plan in January 2015, hailed by Prime Minister Sharif as the defining moment in the fight against terrorism. It established special military courts and outlawed terror groups…..” “At the same time, the army stepped up its operations. According to official figures, it has killed about 3,500 Taliban fighters, destroyed 992 hideouts and cleared 3,600 square kilometers of territory. Nearly 500 soldiers have died,” The Spectator report added. The Taliban has been gravely weakened. The Spectator quoted Bakhtiar Mohamed, Director of the National Counter Terrorism Authority as saying, ‘The army has gone very deeply into every nook and corner of the tribal areas. There is no possibility of any revival of extremism.’ The report also noted as a “cheering development” the recent passage of a bill by the Sindh Assembly to prevent forced conversions of Pakistan’s Hindus.
Provincial headquarters to have mass transit railways under CPEC ISLAMABAD MIAN ABRAR
With an ambition to make China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) a national project, the sixth meeting of the Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) gave principle approval to Mass Transit Railway Projects in all the four provincial headquarters which would bring about a public service revolution in the country. The JCC, tasked to monitor and implement the multi-billion-dollar CPEC, on Thursday culminated its sixth meeting in Beijing, expressing satisfaction over the progress attained yet. A source privy to the details of the meeting told Pakistan Today that the
Mass Transit Railway projects would include Greater Peshawar Mass Transit Project, Karachi Circular Railways, Quetta Mass Transit Railway and Orange Line Metro Project. This agreement is set to scuttle all the controversies attributed to the CPEC. The meeting noted with satisfaction that most of the early harvest projects were in advanced stage with the start of the power projects of around 800 megawatts. “It was noted that 10,000 megawatts of electricity would be added to the national grid by the end of year 2017. Out of the 10,000 megawatts, CPEC related projects would contribute 5000 megawatts,” the source added.
The source said that China and Pakistan had also signed the Transmission Service Agreement. Under the agreement, the work would be immediately started to install a nationwide transmission line which would help include the power generated from the power projects working in the southern parts of the country. The official said that a group had been formed to help ensure progress of work on the Diamer Bhasha Dam to be built on the Indus River. Moreover, it was also agreed that the progress of work on two major infrastructure projects i.e. Havelian-Thakot and Multan-Sukkur Motorways was satisfactory. The meeting also agreed to restore the 136-milometers long Karakorum-Thakot-
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Raikot Highway. The Khuzdar-Basima highway project was also approved while DI Khan-Zhob dual road has also been approved. Moreover, provincial projects like Keti Bandar Seaport, Naukandi Mashkhel, Chitral-Chkadara and MirpurMansehra roads have also been approved. The meeting also agreed to accelerate work on major projects in Gwadar. Especially, the master city plan and the related projects which are likely to bring socioeconomic stability in the Gwadar would be pushed for early completion. The meeting also signed an agreement for 300 MW power project to be started soon. The pace of work on Gwadar water supply project, Gwadar Hospital and technical institute projects was also reviewed
during the meeting. It was stressed that the timely completion of these projects would ensure a positive message of hope and support to the local people in Gwadar. The meeting also approved Special Economic Zones proposed by provincial governments and regions. Those approved included Rashakai Economic Zone, China Economic Zone Dhabeji, China Economic Zone Sheikhupura, Bostan Economic Zone, Gilgit-Makhandas Economic Zone, and Islamabad Economic Zone. A proposal to construct Industrial Park on the land of Pakistan Steel was also approved while Bhimber Industrial Zone was also identified. The feasibility study would also start on Quetta Water Supply Scheme and Steel Mills Complex Chiniot.
04 NEWS
Friday, 30 December, 2016
Islamic centre in Netherlands allegedly torched in arson attack A building belonging to the Association of Islamic Communities (AIC) in Culemborg, Netherlands caught fire late Wednesday night. The firefighters struggled for several hours to put out the intense fire. Media reports citing the police indicated that the fire spread over the entire building, which was formerly a public swimming pool, but had recently been bought by the AIC for the purpose of turning it into a religious and prayers centre. Local security authorities mentioned that the blaze seemed to be an alleged attack by an arsonist. The fire also spread to two neighbouring buildings, which were stocked with the heat-resistant mineral, asbestos. Although, it is not yet clear if the building served entirely as an Islamic centre, although it did have a prayer room at the back of the building. It could also not be gauged from media reports whether there was anyone inside the building when fire engulfed it. No arrests have been made so far, nor have any injuries been reported. Europe has seen a spate of attacks against Muslims recently. Earlier this month, a man burst into a Muslim prayer hall in the Swiss city of Zurich, shooting and injuring three. NEWS DESK
Youth slaps PTI MNA on stage aBBOTTaBaD APP
A youth slapped Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) MNA Dr Azhar Jadoon during a ceremony held at Jalal Baba Auditorium here on Thursday. According to police sources, the incident took place when a provincial Minister for Health was distributing Sehat Insaf Cards among deserving persons. Youngster Zain, hailing from Mansehra, went up to stage and started slapping Dr Azhar Jadoon. Watching this, member Tehsil Council Nawan Shehr and his supporters also rushed to the stage and started beating the young boy. Police rescued the youngster from the supporters of Dr Azhar Jadoon and shifted him to Cantt Police Station.
ObAMA jusT MAde IT hArder fOr TruMP TO creATe A MuslIM regIsTrY
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HE Department of Homeland Security will take apart the vestiges of a controversial program that was used to register and track visitors from Muslim-majority countries, a move which will make it more difficult for Donald Trump to instate a registry system for Muslims once he takes office next month. The change, which comes just four weeks before the end of President Obama’s last term, removes the skeleton of a program that hasn’t been in use since 2011. When it was active, the “special registration” program— the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System, or NSEERS—had two parts, and applied only to people from 25 countries named by DHS.
Twenty-four of them were Muslimmajority countries. One half of NSEERS was a domestic “call-in” registration program that required men ages 16 and up living in the U.S. to report regularly to immigration officials. The other half was an entry and exit tracking system, which limited the airports, seaports, and land borders that registrants could use to travel, and required them to register before leaving and after arriving. NSEERS began in September 2002. The domestic call-in program was ended in December 2003, and the remaining entry and exit program was suspended in 2011, when DHS removed all 25 countries from the list of required participants. At the time, civil-rights groups asked the Obama
administration to remove the regulations entirely, to prevent the program from being resurrected, and had intensified their calls recently, after Trump suggested using “watchlists” or “registries” to surveil Muslims in the U.S. The complete dismantling of NSEERS doesn’t prevent Trump from creating a new program to track people from Muslim-majority countries. But nor is it only a symbolic rejection of similar programs from the outgoing president. Leaving the program in place would have given Trump a turnkey registry in waiting. “DHS ceased use of NSEERS more than five years ago, after it was determined the program was redundant, inefficient and provided no increase in security,” a spokesperson for
the agency said Thursday. “The intervening years have shown that NSEERS is not only obsolete, but that its use would divert limited personnel and resources from more effective measures.” A 2012 report from the DHS inspector general found that the program used buggy technology, relied on faulty databases, and cost the government $10 million per year to run. The inspector general recommended dismantling the program entirely, but the agency declined to follow that recommendation at the time. On Friday, when the government’s official notice will be printed in the Federal Register, the regulations behind the special-registration program will no longer exist. – Courtesy The Atlantic
Nine more infants die of malnutrition in Thar NEWS DESK At least nine more children died of malnutrition and outbreak of various diseases in Tharparkar district of Sindh province during the past two days, taking the death toll to 476 this year. Independent accounts and estimates put the toll around 606, however. Those who lost their lives in the last two days include six-month-old Mehesh, one-month-old Gulab Megh-
war, nine-month-old Handesh, twomonth-old Hajan, one-year-old Abdul Sattar and Naseema Noutyar. They all breathed their last in Mithi’s civil hospital. Separately, three newborn babies died in a taluka hospital of Diplo. The parents of the ailing kids, talking to local journalists, complained about the lack of facilities in hospitals of Tharparkar district. District Health Officer Dr Chandal Lal claimed that sincere efforts were being made to provide maximum facilities in all the health units of the
district, and held early-age marriages responsible for most of the deaths. CEO of Health and Nutrition Development Society (Hands) Dr Shaikh Tanweer Ahmed urged the government to focus on the nutrition of kids and pregnant women in Thar to avoid more fatalities in the vulnerable region. He said that malnutrition had been the major issue of the arid zone of the country. He also urged the government to provide basic healthcare and nutrition programmes at the
grass-root level. He said that they had no details of those kids referred to Hyderabad and Karachi for the better treatment from Mithi Civil Hospital. Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, PML-N’s MNA from Thar, has flayed the Sindh government for its alleged apathy over the unabated deaths of the minor kids. He said that most of the health units and dispensaries in the remote villages of the desert were still lying closed despite the tall claims of the provincial government.
Environment Protection Department failed to perform its duties in 2016 PUNJAB GOVERNMENT’S EPD IS BEING RUN ON ‘LOOK BUSY, DO NOTHING’ MODEL LaHORE SAMIULLAH RANDHAWA
Another year has ended with the failure of Punjab Government’s Environment Protection Department (EPD) as it remained reluctant to deal with environmental issues prevailing in the province. It remained mired in internal politics and nepotism, particularly in EPD’s regulatory Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) throughout the year. Following the steps of 2015, the affairs of the department remained in the hands of inefficient officials who followed the centuries-old bureaucratic trick o f ‘looking busy and doing nothing’. The officials kept on wasting public money without any progress. After the Climate Change Conference (COP21), held in Paris in Dec 2015, all member countries vowed to mitigate the challenges of climate change and other environment related issues, but no concrete efforts can be seen by authorities concerned in the Punjab province. National and international institutions and other agencies working on environ-
ment have warned time and again about the rising pollution level in Pakistan, where it has already exceeded the international levels. While the three provincial and the federal EPAs have not show any progress, the EPA of country’s largest province, Punjab, failed miserably to measure the rising levels of various air pollutants, blaming it on unavailability of sufficient equipment. Punjab EPA keeps on demanding more funds to updates its labs despite having laboratories and all necessary equipment provided by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). And yet, it has been unable to maintain data of various air pollutants for the past many years. Year 2016 was the year when EPA plunged in litigation as several departmental issues were sub judice in different courts for various reasons. One of them was the removal of EPA Director General Javed Iqbal whose appointment was challenged in Lahore High Court. Chief Justice Mansoor Ali Shah of LHC ordered his removal from his office. Dr Javed Iqbal was appointed as DG EPA against
the EPA rules. According to information available with Pakistan Today, a lack of competent staff caused EPA to lose almost all cases in Environmental Tribunal. Administratively, Secretary EPD is responsible to keep the department up to the mark but he also failed in performing his duties which resulted in his transfer from the department by Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif. The department was also caught in an array of cases of alleged corruption. In June 2016, the EPA procured equipment called Inductive Couple Plasma (ICP) for Rs18 million to test metal in environmental samples despite the fact that it already had Atomic Absorption Spectrometres available at its Lahore and Multan laboratories for the purpose. This new equipment was not used till November. The ICP was later used in the wake of smog but no result was shown to media., following which a complaint was also lodged with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). The issue is now under investigation. One of EPA’s main functions is to collect the data of air pollutants from different areas in the province. These pollutants can be created by industry, vehicles or other sources. The collected data is then analysed in its laboratories, and a strategy on how to deal with them is formulated based on the results of those
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analyses. For the said purpose, EPA has established its laboratories in seven districts of the Punjab other than its main lab in Lahore. Interestingly, during the year it failed to operate any of its laboratories in all districts including the one in Lahore. This means the authorities were blind to the actual situation of pollution in the province. The department also failed to keep functional its Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (AAQMS) throughout the year. It has three AAQMS: two earth bound and one monitoring. It appears the EPA has kept this costly equipment only to rust. The department failed to maintain and its laboratories and could not make any significant progress. The EPA also failed to resolve the matter of issuing NOCs to privately operated environmental lab. This inaction resulted in the suffering of those wanted to initiate their businesses. Thousands of other NOCs also remained unapproved. The department also failed in concluding several inquiries a 90-day time limit to conclude them. The EPA also failed to recruit staff on its vacant seats. It worked without five regular directors and seven deputy directors. The posts of senior inspectors, lying vacant since year 2011, were yet again not filled in 2016.
Vehicular pollution remained uncontrolled, especially in big cities. In May, Environment Minister Zakya Shahnawaz directed to action against vehicles involved in air pollution, but the drive was stopped for reasons best known to the authorities concerned. Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif also expressed dissatisfaction with the environment department over its laxity in setting up of a proposed agency for environment protection and failure in its timely activation. He also said that the EPA should be restructured to improve its efficiency. This year in November Lahore observed the worst smog in history. Experts say that the EPD should have been ready for it and predicted it so timely action could have been taken to tackle it. However, the EPD put some efforts in handling polythene bags, dengue and hospital waste. A spokesman of the EPA while talking to Pakistan Today said that EPA is well aware with of the environmental issues in the province. However, he was of the view that despite taking several measures the department could not perform up to the mark. He was optimistic for the next year however as the new Secretary EPD, he said, was more vigilant concerned about the situation of pollution in the province.
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Friday, 30 December, 2016
NCHD To ESTAblISH ovER 12,000 SCHoolS IN CouNTRy: CHAIRPERSoN ISLAMABAD
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ATIONAL Commission for Human Development (NCHD) would establish over 12,000 schools to promote the primary education in the country. This was stated by NCHD Chairperson Razina Alam Khan in the meeting of Senate Standing Committee of the Functional Committee on problems of the less developed areas. The meeting was held at Parliament House under the chairmanship of Muhammad Usman Kakar. The senators including Samina Abid, Dr Jehanzeb Jamaldini, Gianchand, chairperson of NCHD and others attended the meeting. She said that 70pc schools would be established in the less developed
Rangers apprehended 446 ‘target killers’ this year: report KARACHI
areas of the country and the body recommended that NCHD should establish schools in Dera Bugti, Kohlo, and Sherani Districts. The senate body recommended the expansion of financial resources for education and literacy keeping in view the fundamental need of the people. The senate body also showed concern over the performance of NCHD and establishment of schools in the developed areas of the country. The chairperson of NCHD informed the committee that in the surrounding areas of the capital the ratio of education is very low. Karachi city is also included in the less developed areas of the country and 16 schools of NCHD are active there, she added. Chairman Committee Usman Kakar said that “if Karachi city is included in the list of less developed
areas of the state than which city of the country is developed?” 1649 schools were established in Punjab but only 200 schools in Balochistan, 24 schools in Tharparkar, while 505 schools were established in Nawab Shah, which is clear cut discrimination with the less developed areas of the country, Usman added. Usman Khan said that NCHD has facilitated only the developed areas of the country and ignored the deserving regions of the state. To a question, Razina replied that in the less developed areas of Balochistan there is no middle-class female teacher available for the post of teaching. NCHD has been facing problems to hire teachers in Balochistan, Razina said, and NCHD was already providing the equipment and tools for the promotion of special education to disabled children in the far flung
areas of the country. She said that in Chitral the government has established a basic health unit for the treatment of disabled children. She said that UNICEF is also providing technical and instruments in the different schools; but the annual budget has been reduced which was creating problems due to the lack of funds and monitoring system. NCHD would provide the training to promote the home grown vegetables, poultry farming in the less developed areas of the country. NCHD is working, with the vision of 2025, to increase the ratio of education across the country while collective efforts were needed to promote the education across the country. NCHD had inked an MOU with Hashoo Foundation in order to join hands to achieve SDG 4 in the country.
US slaps sanctions on Russia, expels 35 envoys US President Barack Obama has imposed sanctions on Russian officials and intelligence services in retaliation for Russia’s interference in the US presidential election by hacking American political sites and email accounts. The State Department also has kicked out 35 Russian diplomats from its embassy in Washington and consulate in San Francisco, giving
them and their families 72 hours to leave the US. The diplomats were declared persona non grata for acting in a “manner inconsistent with their diplomatic status.” Obama said Russians will no longer have access to two Russian government-owned compounds in the United States, in Maryland and in New York.
Russian officials have denied the Obama administration’s accusation that the Russian government was trying to influence the US presidential election. US intelligence agencies concluded that Russia’s goal was to help Donald Trump win an assessment Trump has dismissed as ridiculous. AGENCIES
STAFF REPORT
The Sindh Rangers apprehended a total of 446 ‘target killers’ in 2016, mostly belonging to ‘militant wings’ of different political groups, states a report released by the paramilitary force on Thursday. According to the report, the Rangers conducted 1,992 operations in the city across the year in which more than 2,847 suspected criminals were taken into custody. A break-up of the numbers shows that of the 446 target killers arrested by the Rangers, 348 belonged to various political groups, 87 had links to Lyari gangs, while 11 were affiliated with different sectarian groups. The report detailed that 26 criminals involved in kidnapping for ransom were also apprehended and 13 of their abductees were safely brought back. The Rangers also claimed that murders and targeted killings in the city hit an all-time low in the year, with 87 people falling victim compared to 199 in the preceding year. About weaponry recovered during the year, the report says that at least 1,845 arms, including machine guns, light machine guns, sub-machine guns, rocket launchers, detonators, pistols/revolvers and explosives, were confiscated in the year. A total of 194,579 rounds of ammunition of different calibres were also recovered, the Rangers statement said.
UN expert calls 2016 as worst for civilians in Syria UNITED NATIONS APP
After a promising start, the year 2016 has been the worst for civilian casualties in the war in Syria, according to the head of a United Nations-mandated human rights inquiry into the Middle Eastern country. “If we compare the year 2016 that happily is ending in a few days, I think that it was the worst in terms of attacks against the civilian population; that is, you have an escalation in terms of the military involvement by all sides against the civilian population,” Chairman of the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria, Paulo Sergio Pin-
heiro, said in a statement. “It was a tragic year for the civilian population.” Pinheiro pointed to the first three months of the year as offering “plenty of hope,” which was subsequently followed by “plenty of frustration.” He credited Staffan de Mistura, the UN envoy for Syria, for “moments of hope,” as the UN Special Envoy for Syria built possibilities for “a real negotiation” between all of the conflict parties. Pinheiro expressed optimism in the election and appointment of Antonio Guterres as Secretary-General, calling it “a new element” in helping to end the Syrian conflict. “I think that with his large experience, we’ll be able to see new
initiatives concerning the very difficult path towards negotiation and peace,” he added. Established by the UN Human Rights Council in August 2011, the Commission has been investigating and recording all violations of international law in Syria since March that year. It has conducted interviews with more than 1,400 witnesses and victims, exposing human rights violations committed throughout the country. Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General-Designate Antonio Guterres said that the Syrian conflict “has become a cancer on a global scale”, hoping Washington and Moscow overcome their differences to help end the crisis.
PM inspects bus targeted by Indian army MUZAFFARABAD APP
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday inspected the bullet-ridden civilian bus in which nine passengers were killed as they were targeted by the Indian armed forces along the Line of Control (LoC) on November 23. The Indian Army targeted the civilian bus in Neelum Valley near Dhud-
nial on November 23. The unprovoked attack also injured nine passengers. The prime minister was accompanied by Azad Jammu Kashmir Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider and AJK President Masood Khan. He also met injured driver of the bus. Pakistan had strongly protested against the attack and Indian Deputy High Commissioner JP Singh was summoned and handed over the de-
marche on the unprovoked ceasefire violation. Pakistan said the Indian army “intentionally targeted” the civilian bus, resulting in martyrdom of nine innocent civilians and injuries to nine others. Pakistan pointed that “deliberate targeting” of civilian populated areas, villages, ambulances and civilian transport was deplorable and below human dignity.
Terrorists to appear in court through video uplink DERA ISMAIL KHAN: In a move that will put many at ease and make delivery of justice a bit swift, the government has introduced video uplink system in district’s central jail to help the courts hear cases of hardcore terrorist who are locked up there but whose transportation poses a security risk. Superintend Central Jail Bin Yamin told media that the video system had been uplinked with anti-ter-
rorism court to hear cases of under trial terrorists whose transportation to courtroom was ‘a big security risk’. He said the system was well equipped with modern technology and had been fixed at a special room on the premises of the central jail, adding the facility was fulfilling all formalities which were required for a trial in law of court. The officer said, “The transportation of hardcore
terrorists to court was a major security threat and needed elaborate security arrangements in addition to so many other measures to bring situation under control to avoid any possible untoward situation.” But the new system will resolve all these issues and terrorists would appear before a judge without any problem. He said the strict security measures had been put in place to en-
sure complete peace in the jail’s vicinity, adding steps had also been take to improve hygiene conditions for jail inmates. He said there were no more cramped conditions for the prisoners who had been serving jail term for different nature of crimes, adding the jail administration was fully observing legal requirements and providing proper facilities to prisoners as per relevant laws and rules. APP
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Marriyum regrets Imran’s politics on SKMC hospital ISLAMABAD APP
Minister of State for Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage Marriyum Aurangzeb said on Thursday that Imran Khan’s politics on Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital was regrettable. In a statement, the minister said that in 1990 when Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was chief minister of Punjab, he gifted land of the hospital to Imran Khan. Moreover, she said that Nawaz Sharif made arrangements for waver of duties from the machinery imported for Shaukat Khanum Hospital while duties were paid on machinery imported for Sharif Hospital in Lahore. She said, ‘If Imran cannot thank Nawaz Sharif for the favour, at least he should not try to twist the facts’. The minister said that Imran Khan could not change the history and facts by telling lies to the nation. She said that the hospital has been named after Imran’s mother who was a good woman and had Imran stayed in her company, he would have become a better human being. The minister said that Shaukat Khanum Hospital was a pride for Pakistanis and a gift from Nawaz Sharif.
Have no mercy for those maligning state institutions, ministry tells FIA ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
The Interior Ministry on Thursday directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to initiate a probe against those running fake pictures and baseless rumours on social media regarding important officials of the government and judiciary. The ministry stated that it had obtained a court order allowing it to probe against those running negative campaigns on social media against state institutions. Following the court order, the ministry has contacted several social media groups to share information related to the matter, read a statement issued by the ministry. “FIA has been directed to initiate a probe on a fast track basis against those maligning the state institutions,” it said.
ECP disqualifies PPP MPA Halepoto ISLAMABAD ONLINE
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has disqualified Pakistan People’s Party member of Sindh Assembly Bashir Ahmed Halepoto. Chief Election Commissioner Sardar Raza Khan chaired the meeting that heard applications against violations of election code of conduct during the local government elections. The applicant in his application said that Bashir Ahmed Halepoto violated the electoral code of conduct by running campaign for the candidates of his party on the occasion of local government elections. The ECP cancelled Sindh Assembly membership of Bashir Ahmed Halepoto. PPP’s Bashir Ahmed Halepoto was elected as Member of the Provincial Assembly from PS-55.
06 LAHORE
Friday, 30 December, 2016
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Say no to drugS
drive to be LaunCHed to Save CoLLegeS, varSitieS From menaCe oF drugS LAHORE
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IGHER Education Provincial Minister Syed Raza Ali Gillani said that steps would be taken to save colleges and universities from the menace of narcotics. He said this while addressing a seminar over the menace of drugs at Aiwan-e-Iqbal on Thursday. The gathering was organised under the aegis of
an NGO Youth Council for Anti-Narcotics. The seminar was also addressed by Syed Zulfiqar Hussain, Director Aiwan-e-Iqbal Anjum Waheed, representative of Anti-Narcotics Force Fatima Bhatti and others The provincial minister said, “We are committed to providing healthy, conducive atmosphere to the students for their studies.” In the address, the minister said that all sorts of narcotics are injurious
to health and smoking often leads to the use of other harmful drugs. He urged parents to keep an eye on their children and promote the feeling of disgust against the use of drugs. Islam has prohibited the use of drugs; media, religious scholars and teachers should also play their role in this regard, he added. The minister said corruption and narcotics are equally detrimental and the government is doing utmost efforts to eradicate the
menace of drugs. He also advised the foreign-qualified students to return back so that their own country could benefit from their education and experience. He informed that the vicechancellors of public sector universities have been given the roadmap to improve their institutions’ academic standards according to the international level. Later, the minister distributed certificates among the speakers.
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Police issue traffic plan for new year eve LAHORE STaff rEPorT
Lahore Traffic Police has issued the traffic plan for the new-year’s eve. According to the traffic plan, 3 SPs, 11 DSPs, 97 Inspectors, 290 patrolling officers and 2900 traffic wardens will perform duty to manage the traffic flow. Lahore Traffic DIG Syed Ahmad Mobeen said that the city traffic police has made very comprehensive traffic plan for the new- year’s eve. The traffic wardens will not only stop citizens from any violation but also keep an eye on the suspects considering the National Action Plan, he added. He said that all the SPs, DSPs and circle officers will give briefing to all traffic wardens about duty on their points and the vacations of all officers have been cancelled and traffic wardens will be deployed in two shifts. One wheeling and hooting on roads will not be tolerated on the eve of newyear and special traffic squads will be deputed for crackdown against one wheeling, he concluded.
oPC’s initiative: 3 suspects arrested in murder case LAHORE STaff rEPorT
Due to the efforts of Punjab Overseas Pakistanis Commission (OPC), three accused in the murder of a brother of an overseas Pakistani has been arrested. OPC Commissioner Afzaal Bhatti informed that over the complaint of an overseas Pakistani, Muhammad Shoaib, the action was taken and the investigation was transferred to the CIA and, three suspects were arrested. During the investigation, suspects confessed and also disclosed the location of the dead body. Afzaal Bhatti said that the expat has thanked the OPC for extending cooperation in the investigation.
Fog disrupts flight operations in Lahore, Karachi LAHORE aPP
LAHORE: A cyclist moves past a mural in Faisal Town on Thursday. Zubair MahfooZ
LHC stops payment of adhoc relief allowance to regular lecturers LAHORE oNLiNE
Lahore High Court (LHC) has ordered to stop payment of adhoc relief allowance to the lecturers who were regularised in 2016. The court has also sought reply from the parties concerned on February 18. The petition filed by lecturer Arshad Hussain and other lecturers was taken up for hearing by Justice Jawad Hassan of the LHC on Thursday. The petitioners took the plea that adhoc relief allowance was being deducted from the salary of the lecturers who were regularised in 2016. Therefore, the orders for deduction of adhoc relief allowance from their salary should be set aside, they prayed. The government lawyer pleaded that adhoc relief allowance was being deducted under protection rules. The lecturers who are regularised are not entitled to adhoc relief allowance, he argued.
CS lauds Punjab’s zero polio year LAHORE STaff rEPorT
Punjab chief secretary has directed the deputy commissioners in Punjab to continue the momentum of good work in polio eradication, especially by enhanced surveillance of high-risk migrant and mobile population in all districts in Punjab. The chief secretary chaired the quarterly Provincial Task Force meeting which was attended by the additional chief secretary, provincial secretaries, deputy commissioners, Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department officials, EPI technical team, UNICEF, WHO and Gates Foundation representatives. As per National Emergency Ac-
tion Plan for Polio Eradication, the provincial task force meets quarterly under the chair of the chief secretary to review progress on polio eradication and routine immunisation. The additional chief secretary appreciated that Punjab did not report any polio case in the year 2016, emphasising that the good work must continue and surveillance must further improve especially in areas having large population movement from polio affected districts. The additional chief secretary took note of districts showing suboptimal performance in routine immunisation. In the meeting, the introduction of a pay-for-performance package in persistently weak
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union councils was also discussed. EPI Director Dr Munir Ahmed presented an analysis of weak union councils for which the chair issued directives for remedial measures. The chief secretary said that only by improving supervision, monitoring and accountability, can Punjab keep the momentum of good performance reflected in a zero polio year and improvement in routine immunisation coverage. The EPI director also informed that even though Punjab has achieved NEAP targets of LQAS, the campaign quality still needs improvement in Lahore and Rawalpindi. The chief secretary also directed the deputy commissioners to ensure accountability of peer performance.
Dense fog on Thursday engulfed various areas of Punjab and disrupted the road and air traffic. The visibility was recorded 50 m at Allama Iqbal International Airport and zero at the motorway and national highway. According to details, heavy fog in Karachi affected smooth traffic flow near the university road, airport and Malir area and, fog continued to cover the entire walled city and major parts of Punjab disrupting the traffic and daily-life activities. Motorway Police has warned people across Punjab to avoid unnecessary travel and directed the use of fog lights to avoid any road mishap.
urs of Hazrat Shah Jamal to begin tomorrow LAHORE aPP
The three-day 389th annual Urs celebrations of Hazrat Shah Jamal will begin tomorrow (Saturday). Punjab Auqaf Secretary Nawazish Ali will inaugurate the urs celebrations with the traditional ceremony on the grave of the saint. Auqaf officials and a large number of devotees will participate in the inaugural ceremony. A Mehfil-e-Sama will be held during the urs days in which renowned qawwals would present mystic poetry of religious poets.
LAHORE 07
Friday, 30 December, 2016
dr uzma murder case: Son testifies against father MONITORING DESK
LAHORE: Farmers head to their fields on a foggy Thursday morning. STaff PhoTo
e-LibrarieS, PLaygroundS muSt For Promotion oF HeaLtHy aCtivitieS among KidS: Cm LAHORE
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UNJAB Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif presided over a high level meeting, on Thursday which reviewed progress on programs of setting up of e-libraries and construction of new playgrounds especially cricket grounds in the province. The chief minister accorded approval to constitution of sports steering committee headed by Hanif Abbasi. Addressing the meeting, Shehbaz Sharif said that youth is the bright future of Pakistan and Punjab government has taken revolutionary steps for their empowerment. He said
that youth commission has been established in the province and he will preside over its first meeting. He said that Directorate of Youth Affairs should also be activated at the earliest. He said that cricket and playgrounds are being constructed for the promotion of healthy activities among the youth of the province and work is going carried out on the project of construction of 92 cricket and playgrounds throughout the province including Lahore. He directed that construction work of cricket and playgrounds should be completed soon and a comprehensive plan should be evolved for providing cricket playing facility in the existing playgrounds. He said that arrangements for playing cricket at night should be made in
the schools of the province which have big grounds. He said that floodlight arrangements should be made in newly constructed cricket grounds for holding tournaments at night and survey of the schools be conducted and cricket grounds be identified in this regard. The chief minister said that setting up of cricket and playgrounds is necessary for motivating the youth towards healthy activities. He said that sports endowment fund has also been established in the province and sports academies will be set up at district and divisional level. He said that e-libraries program will have to be forwarded speedily with innovation. Ten e-libraries will be established at all costs during the current years, he added.
Shehbaz Sharif took strict notice and expressed displeasure over delay in setting up of cricket grounds, playgrounds and e-libraries during last year and directed to constitute an inquiry committee headed by chief minister’s inspection team chairman. DG Punjab Sports Board gave a briefing regarding progress on the programs. Provincial Ministers Malik Nadeem Kamran, Mansha Ullah Butt, Jehangir Khanzada, secretary sports and concerned authorities attended the meeting while leader of Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) and former MNA Hanif Abbasi from Rawalpindi and Secretary Communication and Works from Bahawalpur participated in the meeting through video link.
Child accused of picking pockets at marriage functions gets bail NEWS DESK Local police on Thursday produced a child accused of picking pockets at marriage functions before a local court, but failed to identify the culprits using minors for committing crimes. A video of a group of minors surfaced on Wednesday in which some children were seen committing thefts and picking pockets at marriage func-
tions in different areas of Gujranwala. Police had caught a minor red-handed from a marriage hall, while three other children are still at large. The court ordered to hand the accused child over to the Child Protection Bureau in case of non-deposition of security bonds of Rs50,000. As the news flashed on media, mother of the accused child also reached the court, where she said
Muhammad Huzaifa, her only son and brother of three sisters, was missing for the past one month. She said she had got her son admitted to a boarding school in Sialkot. On the other hand, police have not yet succeeded in arresting six culprits, depriving masses of valuables using minor children, while one suspect rounded up from Kamonki was also not produced before a court.
“An uncle took me to his home, when I ran from school,” the child told a private media outfit, adding, “Some other children were also kept therein”. “We would get Rs1000 to 1500 for each theft,” he said. But, the question here is as to why have not the police apprehended real culprits who brainwash innocent children to get their ulterior motives fulfilled.
An eye-witness for German doctor of Pakistani origin Dr Uzma Khan who was allegedly killed by her husband for ‘honour’ in Jhelum has emerged. He happens to be her 14-year-old son. In a statement recorded to the police, the son Ammar said that his father first fired in the air and then shot his mother dead. “I tried to stop him but he did not listen to me,” he said. Police also recovered a pistol used in the crime. Ammar had earlier given a different statement to police in which he said he asked his father to teach him how to use a pistol and when his father was teaching him to fire shots, one of them accidentally hit his mother. On Wednesday, Shahbaz allegedly killed his wife Dr Uzma who practised medicine in Germany. On a recent visit to Pakistan, Shahbaz brought his wife to Jhelum from her family’s house in Kharian and killed her. He was planning to escape after the murder, and had also bought a ticket to travel abroad. The couple had married 16 years ago and this was Dr. Uzma’s second marriage. She had divorced her first husband and married Shahbaz, an investigation officer said. Earlier, three people including Dr Uzma’s husband, son and head of a college were apprehended in the murder case. Victim’s sister Qamar-ur-Nisa said that the couple had contracted love marriage, however Uzma’s husband used to have arguments with her over domestic issues. She said that the deceased was also tortured a day before she was killed. The police have registered a case and arrested Shahbaz, owner of a private college, and Navid, son of the deceased. Investigation into alleged murder case is underway.
youth commits suicide over domestic dispute FAISALABAD aPP
A youth on Thursday ended his life by consuming poison over a domestic issue. A spokesman of Allied Hospital said that a 25-year-old man named Mehmood of Chiniot swallowed poison pills and ended his life over domestic dispute.
LUMS holds seminar to discuss Pakistan’s national water policy recommendations LAHORE PrESS rELEaSE
The Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) on Thursday hosted a panel discussion for the launch of Hisaar Foundation’s Report ‘Recommendations for Pakistan’s National Water Policy Framework’ for the consideration of the government. The event was a culmination of two years of consultations, including discussion sessions with various water stakeholders across the spectrum, as well as two international water confer-
ences that focused on water cooperation and water security. The recommendations are part of the first report of Hisaar Foundation’s Think Tank on Rational Use of Water. The recommendations focus on five main areas for further action. These include improving water access for the poor and landless, financing the urban and rural water value chain, safeguarding the Indus Basin and its infrastructure, improving water institutions and their management and governance, and finally building a base for science, technology, and social as-
pects of water. The goals of the recommendations for Pakistan’s national water policy framework call for extending irrigation system to arid districts of Pakistan. It also calls for creating new storages and enhancing existing storages at different levels. The policy framework calls for improvement in water efficiency by 10 per cent. It also calls for increasing productivity in agriculture. The policy framework recommends preserving, repairing and maintaining the existing water infrastructure. The policy framework calls
for control in groundwater withdrawals as well as generation of additional indigenous hydropower. The recommendations also call for increased coordination between water, agriculture, and industry for maximum benefits. Finally, it calls for making investment in water infrastructure and hydropower a core part of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The policy framework was presented by former finance minister Dr Salman Shah and think tank on Rational Use of Water member.
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Seeshan Ali Khan, CEO Zameen.com is presenting a solivenir to Aburauf Alam, President FPCCI.
08 FOREIGN NEWS
Friday, 30 December, 2016
Oman JOIns saudI-led IslamIC allIanCe: GulF sOurCes Tunisian suspect in Germany truck attack freed BERLIN: A 40-year-old Tunisian man held on suspicion of being an accomplice of extremist Berlin truck attacker Anis Amri has been freed, prosecutors said Thursday. Investigations have shown that the man detained Wednesday “is not the suspected contact of Anis Amri,” said a spokesperson for the prosecution. “He has therefore been released from detention.” “He has therefore been released from detention,” the spokesperson, Frauke Koehler, told a press conference. She confirmed that shortly before Tunisian Amri steered a lorry through a Berlin Christmas market in an attack that killed 12 people, he had sent a mobile phone voice message and a picture to a contact – but said this was not the man who had been detained. “The investigation into further accomplices or possible people who knew… will continue at full speed,” Koehler said. She also said that a video message released four days after the December 19 rampage, in which Amri is seen swearing allegiance to the head of the Islamic State group, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, had been judged authentic. And the pistol Amri used to fire at an Italian police officer before he was shot dead in Milan last Friday had the same .22 calibre as a bullet that was fired inside the cabin of the lorry. Investigators were still checking whether it was fired from the same handgun. The spokeswoman added that the exact cause or time of death of the truck’s registered Polish driver, Lukasz Urban, still could not be determined, but that it was “shortly before” the market attack. The autopsy report was expected in early January, she said, while denying media reports that his corpse bore stab wounds. Koehler confirmed media reports that the 40-tonne truck came to a rest after 70-80 metres (230-260 feet) thanks to its automatic braking system that activates when impacts are detected. AGENCIES
Prominent Turkish journalist says detained over tweet
ISTANBUL: Prominent Turkish journalist Ahmet Sik on Thursday said he was being detained by authorities over a Twitter statement he made while an opposition lawmaker who spoke to him said the reporter was being accused of terrorist propaganda. At least 81 journalists are imprisoned in Turkey, according to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), with more than 130 media outlets shut since a failed coup attempt in July. Journalists and writers are largely facing charges of terrorist propaganda. “I am being detained,” Sik said on Twitter. “I am going to be taken to the prosecutor’s office over a tweet.” Baris Yarkadas, a lawmaker for the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), said on Twitter Sik had told him he was being accused of terror propaganda. Turkish prosecutors could not be reached for comment but the state-run news agency Anadolu said Sik was also being accused of insulting the Turkish state, its judiciary, military and police through several Twitter posts and his work on the Cumhuriyet newspaper. The scale of the media crackdown since July has alarmed Turkey’s Western allies and foreign investors. Human rights groups and opposition parties say President Tayyip Erdogan, who traces his political roots to a banned party, is using the coup as a pretext to muzzle all dissent in the nation. AGENCIES
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MAN has watched with concern as the rivalry between Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia and Shi’ite Iran has spread across the region. Riyadh and some other members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), of which Oman is a member, believe Tehran is using sectarianism to interfere in Arab countries and build its own sphere
of Middle East influence. Riyadh has backed groups opposing Iranian proxies in unrest or outright war in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Bahrain and Yemen, and has persuaded most of the GCC to close ranks against Tehran. Oman has sought to distance itself from that effort. It facilitated secret US talks with Tehran that led to a 2015 deal on Iran’s nuclear program which
Riyadh regarded with deep suspicion. While other GCC countries gave money and political support to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein in his 1980-88 war with Iran, Oman maintained relations with Tehran and helped to mediate a ceasefire that ended the fighting. The Sultanate, which sits on the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway between Iran and the Arabian
Peninsula through which flows 40 percent of the world’s seaborne crude oil, has a history of constructive relations with Tehran and sees itself as a mediator in a turbulent region. Islamic State has pledged to overthrow the monarchies of the Gulf and has also mounted a series of attacks on Shi’ite Muslim mosques and security forces in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. AGENCIES
India party picks new chief after Jayalalithaa’s death
Corbyn accuses May of acting like Henry VIII over Brexit Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May is acting like Tudor King Henry VIII in refusing to commit to giving parliament a vote on the deal to leave the European Union, opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said. May told lawmakers earlier this month parliament would have “ample opportunity” to discuss her plans for Brexit but she stopped short of promising lawmakers a vote on any final agreement. Corbyn told the Guardian newspaper on Thursday that any deal thrashed out between the British government and the 27 remaining countries in the European Union had to be endorsed by parliament. “It would have to come to parliament. She cannot hide behind Henry VIII and the divine rights of the power of kings on this one,” he said. “The idea that on something as major as this the prime minister would use the royal prerogative to bypass parliament is extraordinary - I don’t know where she’s coming from.”
Henry VIII, who ruled from 1509 to 1547, is best known for his six wives and making himself head of the Church in England after breaking with Rome. The British government is able in theory to take executive decisions without the assent of parliament using the “royal prerogative”, a concept originating in the personal power of the monarch to rule on his or her own initiative. However, under Britain’s unwritten constitution, the scope of the prerogative is difficult to define and its use in specific cases has been decided by the courts. May’s government is fighting a challenge to its decision to use prerogative powers to trigger Britain’s exit from the European Union. The Supreme Court said earlier this month it would decide as quickly as possible whether May can lawfully invoke Article 50 without parliament’s assent, the first step in the process of leaving. AGENCIES
‘No explosion’ on board crashed Russian plane: military MOSCOW AGENCIES
Russian officials probing the crash of a Syria-bound military plane said Thursday that there was no explosion on board, but the equipment was functioning abnormally when it plunged into the Black Sea. “There was no explosion on board, I can say that for certain,” said Sergei Bainetov, head of flight safety for the Russian airforce. “But an act of terror is not necessarily an explosion, so we are not discarding this version.” Transport Minister Maxim
Sokolov said the probe has established that the plane was not working normally but will not issue any conclusions before January, cautioning journalists not to jump on any theories. “It is obvious that the equipment was functioning abnormally. Why that happened is up to experts to work out,” he said at a joint press conference on the crash which killed all 92 on board, including scores of performers from a feted Red Army Choir troupe. The Soviet-era Tu-154 plane went down shortly after takeoff from the Sochi airport Sunday morning, after stopping to refuel on its way to Syria.
The party of Jayalalithaa Jayaram, a powerful Indian politician who died earlier this month, picked one of the former leader’s closest aides to succeed her on Thursday, ending weeks of speculation. The death of Jayalalithaa — a former film star popularly known as “Amma” or mother to her followers — aged 68 on December 5 sparked a massive outpouring of grief across southern Tamil Nadu state, with huge crowds lining the streets to pay tribute to her coffin. It also plunged the state into political uncertainty, leaving observers in doubt over whether potential successors to the leadership of the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) party could command the mass loyalty she enjoyed. On Thursday, the AIADMK announced on Twitter that it had elected her close friend, VK Sasikala, a 59-year-old former video cassette seller, as its new chief. Although Sasikala has never held any official position in the AIADMK or the state government before her election, she has long been known as “Chinnamma” (aunt) to the party because of her friendship with Jayalalithaa. The two women met in the 1980s, kicking off a decadeslong friendship dogged by corruption scandals and intermittent spells of bad blood. They fell out briefly after Jayalalithaa lost power in 1996 when both were arrested on massive graft charges. But Sasikala rejoined the party later to become an influential confidante of Jayalalithaa when she returned to power in 2002. In 2014, both were jailed for four years for corruption but were later acquitted by court. Sasikala’s ascent is said to mirror Jayalalithaa’s own rise in Tamil politics when she declared herself as the political heir to her mentor and popular film actor M. G. Ramachandran following his death in 1987. She became the state’s first female chief minister in 1991. But unlike Jayalalithaa, a threetime chief minister who inspired a devotion that verged on the religious, Sasikala lacks popular support in Tamil Nadu where critics say she has yet to prove her mettle. AGENCIES
Four people shot dead after attack in China’s Xinjiang Authorities say police shot dead four people who detonated explosives at a Communist Party office in the far west region of Xinjiang in an attack that killed one person and injured three others. The report in Tianshan Net, a news portal run by Communist Party officials in Xinjiang, says the incident happened Wednesday afternoon in Moyu county. It says that four attackers drove vehicles into the county’s Communist Party courtyard and detonated homemade explosives, killing one person and injuring three others. It says police shot the four dead at the scene and called it a “terrorist attack”. The region of Xinjiang has seen violence against civilians in recent years that authorities have blamed on radicals among the mostly Muslim Uighur ethnic minority seeking independence from Beijing. AGENCIES
US set to announce response to Russian election hacking: sources WASHINGTON AGENCIES
The Obama administration plans to announce on Thursday a series of retaliatory measures against Russia for hacking into US political institutions and individuals and leaking information in an effort to help President-elect Donald Trump and other Republican candidates, two US officials said on Wednesday. Both officials declined to specify what actions President Barack Obama has approved, but said targeted economic sanctions, indictments, leaking information to embarrass Russian officials or oligarchs, and restrictions on Russian diplomats in
the United States are among steps that have been discussed. One decision that has been made, they said, speaking on the condition of anonymity, is to avoid any moves that exceed the Russian election hacking and risk an escalating cyber conflict that could spiral out of control. One example of an excessive step might be interfering with Russian internet messaging. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Central Intelligence Agency and Office of Director of National Intelligence agree that Russia was behind hacks into Democratic Party organizations and operatives ahead of the Nov. 8 presidential election. There is also agreement, according to US officials, that Russia sought to intervene
in the election to help Trump, a Republican, defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton. Russia has repeatedly denied hacking accusations. Trump has dismissed the assessments of the US intelligence community. Obama, in an interview earlier this month with NPR, said, “We need to take action and we will” against Russia for interfering in the US election. Trump seemed to suggest the United States should not impose sanctions on Russia. “I think we ought to get on with our lives,” Trump told reporters in Florida on Wednesday when asked about remarks by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who said Russia and President Vladimir Putin should expect tough sanctions for the cyber
attacks. Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, promised retaliation on Wednesday against Washington in the event of new economic sanctions. Jim Lewis, a cyber security expert with the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, said further sanctions may be an effective US tool in part because they would be difficult for Trump to roll back and because Russia “hates” dealing with them. “For the rest of the world, it’s like having ‘scumball’ stamped on your forehead,” Lewis said. How to respond to the growing problem of cyber attacks carried out or sponsored by foreign powers has bedeviled Obama, whose eight years in office wit-
nessed a torrent of major hacks against the US government and private organizations that were attributed to China, North Korea, Iran and Russia. In past cases, administration officials have decided to publicly blame North Korea and indict members of China’s military for hacking because they decided the net benefit of public shaming – and increased awareness brought to cyber security – outweighed potential risks. But determining an appropriate response to Russia’s actions has proven more complicated in part because Russia’s cyber capabilities are more advanced and due to fears about disrupting other geopolitical issues, such as the civil war in Syria.
FOREIGN NEWS 09
Friday, 30 December, 2016
syrIa army, OPPOsITIOn COnFIrm naTIOnwIde TruCe FrOm mIdnIGhT DAMASCUS
Israel’s attorney-general orders criminal probe against PM Netanyahu Israel’s attorney-general has ordered police to open a criminal investigation in two unspecified matters involving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s Channel 10 television said on Wednesday. A Justice Ministry spokeswoman said in a statement that checks in the matter “are still ongoing and this is neither confirmation or denial of what has been alleged”. “The attorney-general, the police and prosecutors are working in close cooperation and a public announcement will be made in due course about the investigation,” she said. There was no immediate response from Netanyahu’s office to a Reuters query on the report. Netanyahu has in the past denied wrongdoing in the purchase of submarines from Germany, where media have reported a potential conflict of interest involving his lawyer. The Channel 10 report said Attorney-General Avihai Mandelblit had authorized police to question Netanyahu under caution, and that a date for the interrogation would be set in the coming days. It said the more serious of the two cases that Mandelblit had been examining had not yet leaked out to the public. AGENCIES
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YRIA’S army said Thursday it would halt all military operations from midnight, under a deal brokered by Russia and Turkey, with the opposition National Coalition announcing support for the agreement. Earlier, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin announced the deal, saying the Syrian regime and “main forces of the armed opposition” had signed on. “The general command of the armed forces announces a complete halt to all hostilities on Syrian territory from the zero hour of December 30th,” Syria’s army said in a statement carried on state television. It added that the halt excluded combat against the Islamic State group and the former Al-Qaeda affiliate previously known as Al-Nusra Front, now rebranded the Fateh al-Sham Front. Syria’s leading opposition National Coalition body, a political entity based in Turkey, confirmed its support for the
truce. “The National Coalition expresses support for the agreement and urges all parties to abide by it,” spokesperson Ahmed Ramadan said. He said key rebel groups including the powerful Ahrar al-Sham and Army of Islam factions had signed the cease-
Iraqi forces launch fresh advance against IS in Mosul
australia nets biggest cocaine bust on record A major cocaine ring has been dismantled in joint operations with Tahiti, Australian police said Thursday, with a record 1.1 tonnes of cocaine worth hundreds of millions of dollars seized. Police listed 600 kilogrammes (1,320 pounds) of cocaine intercepted by the French navy off Tahiti, 500 kilogrammes seized on Christmas Day in Sydney and 32 kilogrammes of heroin in Fiji — all destined for the Australian market. “The size of that seizure collectively — 1.1 tonnes — makes it the largest cocaine seizure in Australian law enforcement history,” said Australian Federal Police acting Assistant Commissioner Chris Sheehan. The street value of the cocaine, shipped from South America to the South Pacific, was estimated at Aus$360 million (US$260 million). “The criminal syndicate that we have dismantled over the past few days was a robust, resilient and determined syndicate,” he said. “It’s a significant hit... the entire group has been taken out,” added NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Jenkins. “It’s quite a chunk out of the cocaine economy... over one tonne of drugs has been prevented from reaching the streets ... and harming the community.” AGENCIES
fire deal, though there was no immediate confirmation from rebel officials. The agreement comes after Syria’s government recaptured the country’s second city Aleppo from rebels, in the worst blow to opposition forces since the war began. The ceasefire will be
Iraqi security forces launched a fresh advance on Thursday against militant Islamic State (IS) group fighters in several southeastern districts of Mosul, where the fight had been stalled for about a month, Interior Ministry officials said. “Our troops now are advancing. In the first five or 10 minutes they took 500 meters. Just now they are starting to shoot,” said an officer from
the rapid response forces, an elite Interior Ministry unit. Those forces were advancing in Intisar district, while thousands of federal police troops redeployed from Mosul’s southern outskirts two weeks ago were expected to push into a nearby area, he said. The battle for Mosul, involving 100,000 Iraqi troops, members of the Kurdish security forces and Shia militiamen, is the
biggest ground operation in Iraq since the US-led invasion of 2003. Elite Iraqi soldiers have retaken a quarter of Mosul, the militants’ last major stronghold in Iraq, but their advance has been slow and punishing. They entered a planned “operational refit” earlier this month, the first significant pause of the campaign. The upcoming phase appears likely to give US military advisers, part of an international coalition fighting IS, a bigger role as they embed more extensively with Iraqi forces. Mosul, the largest city held by IS anywhere across its once vast territorial holdings in Iraq and neighbouring Syria, has been held by the group since its fighters drove the US-trained Iraqi army out in June 2014. Its fall would probably end the group’s ambition to rule over millions of people in a self-styled caliphate, but the fighters could still mount a traditional insurgency in Iraq, and plot or inspire attacks on the West. AGENCIES
the first nationwide halt in fighting since a week-long truce from September 12-19 that collapsed after several incidents of violence. A previous truce was implemented in February, with both of those deals organised by Russia and the United States. Today’s agreement is the first nationwide ceasefire brokered with the involvement of Turkey, a backer of the Syrian opposition. Russia is a key supporter of Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad and began a military intervention in support of his government in September 2015. Despite backing opposing sides in the conflict, and a souring of relations after Turkey shot down a Russian warplane last year, Ankara and Moscow have worked increasingly closely on Syria. They jointly brokered a ceasefire for Aleppo this month that allowed the last remaining rebels and civilians in the city’s east to leave to opposition territory elsewhere. More than 310,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began in March 2011 with protests against Assad’s government.
Twin Philippine bombings wound 33 at boxing match At least 33 people have been injured in two separate bomb attacks in the Philippines, authorities said Thursday. In the first incident, two bombs exploded late Wednesday in the central island of Leyte, wounding 27 people who were watching a boxing match in Hilongos, police said. Another unexploded bomb was also found in the town, which is about 620 kilometres (385 miles) south of Manila, said the town’s mayor Albert Villahermosa. A bomb went off on a highway on the southern island of Mindanao barely an hour later, wounding six people, the military said. “A lamppost was catapulted from the impact of the explosion,” said Lieutenant Colonel Edgar Delos Reyes. The blast in Aleosan, hundreds of kilometres south of Hilongos, was close to the site of a Christmas Eve church bombing that injured 13. Police said it was too early to say if the Wednesday bombings were connected or what the perpetrators’ motives might be. Mindanao has been wracked by bombings and other forms of violence carried out by militants who consider the region as their ancestral homeland, leading to separatist conflicts with the majority-Christian government. These militants have also been blamed for bombings outside Mindanao, such as the discovery of a bomb near the US embassy in Manila in November. In the deadliest recent such attack, 15 people were killed in an explosion in President Rodrigo Duterte’s hometown of Davao in Mindanao in September. AGENCIES
Kerry warns Israel settlements threaten democracy In a stern parting shot, US Secretary of State John Kerry warned Israel on Wednesday that building settlements on Palestinian land threaten the country’s very future as a democracy. Less than four weeks before President Barack Obama leaves office, Kerry accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of allowing Israel to slide towards a “perpetual occupation.” With President-elect Donald Trump taking office on January 20, and already urging Israel to “stand strong” in the face of international pressure, it was not clear what impact Kerry hopes to have on the peace process. But his comprehensive and at times angry speech laid down parameters for a peace deal — two states within their pre-1967 frontiers and with a shared capital in Jerusalem — that he hopes will outlast Obama. Washington officials have refused to say what they might do next, but Israel fears the administration could attempt to codify these principles in a UN resolution or statement by the Middle East diplomatic quartet. And they were quick to reject Kerry’s rebuke, which Netanyahu said showed that Washington’s chief diplomat was biased towards the Palestinian cause. “For over an hour, Kerry obsessively
dealt with settlements and barely touched upon the root of the conflict — Palestinian opposition to a Jewish state in any boundaries,” he complained. - TImE To chooSE Kerry’s speech did not depart from US policy of many years, nor from his warnings in recent months, but critical and supportive observers alike noted his detailed breakdown of the problem as he sees it. “Today, there are a similar number of Jews and Palestinians living between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea,” he told an audience of diplomats. “They have a choice. They can choose to live together in one state, or they can separate into two states. “But here is a fundamental reality: if the choice is one state, Israel can either be Jewish or democratic -– it cannot be both -– and it won’t ever really be at peace,” he argued. Kerry was speaking against the backdrop of a diplomatic firestorm that was triggered last week when, on Obama’s instruction, US diplomats opted not to veto a UN Security Council resolution criticising Israel, instead of abstaining. The resolution backed unanimously by the rest of the 15 powers on the council, effectively declared Israel’s settlements in areas of east Jerusalem and the
West Bank beyond its 1967 border illegal. Kerry said that the resolution was allowed to pass as a warning that Israeli settlements are harming efforts to revive peace talks, not in an effort to prejudge the final status of the territory. But, in welcoming Kerry’s speech, Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas made it clear that he regards the resolution, UNSC 2334, as an element of the in-
ternational law that would underpin future negotiations. In a statement, Abbas said the Palestinians are ready to resume talks “the minute the Israeli government agrees to cease all settlement activities... on the basis of international law... including UNSC 2334.” Netanyahu, whose right-wing coalition is backed by the settler movement and who has insisted the home building
is no threat to peace, was furious and accused Obama and Kerry of orchestrating the Security Council vote. - DISDAIN AND DISRESpEcT Trump, who has picked a future US ambassador to Israel who strongly supports settlement building, was also angered, tweeting: “We cannot continue to let Israel be treated with such total disdain and disrespect.” But Kerry was undeterred, insisting the US could not “in good conscience” have vetoed a resolution it broadly agrees with and piling on more criticism of Israel in his landmark speech. “The vote in the UN was about preserving the two-state solution,” he declared. “That’s what we were standing up for: Israel’s future as a Jewish and democratic state, living side by side in peace and security with its neighbours,” Kerry said, warning that such a solution is now in “serious jeopardy.” Kerry warned the “settler agenda” was leading Israeli policy and imperilling prospects for peace. “Trends indicate a comprehensive effort to take West Bank land for Israel and prevent any Palestinian development there,” he said. And Kerry added: “The settler agenda is defining the future in Israel. And their stated purpose is clear: They believe in one state: greater Israel.” AGENCIES
10 COMMENT
Friday, 30 December, 2016
A persisting lack of focus And a lack of action on the ‘No Action Plan’
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he two year tenure of the military courts set up to try “jet black terrorists” will end next month. A legal void would be created in case a new arrangement is not in place to try the hundreds of terrorists awaiting trial. The Senate has already fulfilled its responsibility by passing an anti-terrorism bill and the Witness Protection Bill to fill the gap. The two bills piloted by the leader of the house and the leader of the opposition have already been sent to the National Assembly. The slow moving Interior Ministry has belatedly prepared the draft of a new law, integrating the Protection of Pakistan Act and Anti-Terrorism Act, and has sought opinion of the law ministry on it. how much time the bureaucratic process will take is not clear. The task should have been finished last month so that a legal measure was in place before January 7 after debate in National Assembly. equally important is to urgently implement the National Action Plan which has suffered mainly due to the negligence of the Interior Ministry. The report of the Justice Faez Issa Inquiry Commission set up by the Supreme Court exposes the serious lapses in the execution of the NAP which has led the critics to call it ‘No Action Plan’. The Ministry of Interior was required to play a central role in the execution of the plan by determining who would be responsible for implementing its different components, monitor progress (or the lack thereof), and in the case of failure to achieve compliance through follow up action. The Government failed to fix time frames for achieving the 20 goals spelt out in NAP, immediately activate NACTA (which was to prepare a counter-narrative) and initiate a deradicalisation programme. With no clear cut duties assigned to officials, nobody was held responsible. As the Inquiry report puts it: “The aforesaid discrepancies show that at the highest levels of government the subject of terrorism and combating it is epitomised with confusion”. The government needs to be fully focused on what happens to be an existential issue for Pakistan.
The force of circumstances Political realism induces IK to mute barbs against Zardari and PPP
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OMe say that the force of circumstances is the most powerful force in the world. It is certainly the most uniting one. This appears true at this point in case of the PTI leader. Never one to let go a simple question on Asif Zardari without caustic comments in the past, he exhibited tact in his latest jousting with journalists. Sidestepping, by a harmless cricketing metaphor, a query on the elder Zardari’s decision to enter parliament, Imran also concurred on joining a grand alliance against the government with the once taboo PPP. In Imran’s case, the binding force or moving spirit is and remains the Panama Leaks scandal, which is not getting anywhere fast, according to his lights. On this issue, the PPP (or at least some part of its leadership) and the PTI are ostensibly on the same page. Whether this common cause will lead to a meaningful grand alliance against the staunchly entrenched Nawaz Sharif, or will only turn out to be a brief honeymoon period, remains to be seen. Imran Khan also generously opined that Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and the Punjab PPP had played the role of a genuine opposition. Both parties now realise they cannot go it alone and still taste success. The PPP is also in a mellowed and receptive mood. Its bashing by the PML-N in the recent by-elections in Punjab has revealed the mood of its disillusioned and indifferent vote bank and that too with the general elections approaching fast. The friendly opposition card has backfired badly in this key province. The Jhang byelection was particularly disturbing as the campaigning of its top leadership could muster just a bit over 3,000 votes. Whatever the binding catalyst, the opposition leaders ought to work together especially in the parliament as a check on governmental excess, which is its true role. The PML-N too should meet the opposition half-way and settle all issues in the house. But for that, attending the Assembly sessions regularly is imperative for the prime minister.
Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami
Arif Nizami Editor
Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad Joint Editor Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965
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Years of occurrences and achievements Looking back at the War on Terror to attack the US Navy Fleet in the Arabian Sea. 10 militants were killed in the ensuing operation to recapture the ship. 14 October 2014: Nine people were killed in blast in Taunsa Sharif District, D G Khan. 16 December 2014: At least 132 children among over 141 killed by Taliban militants who stormed an army-run school in Peshawar city. Seven militants were also killed during the SSG rescue operation. 18 December 2014: At least 3 paramilitary soldiers died in a roadside bomb blast in Bajaur. 18 February 2015: 3 people were killed and several injured in an explosion at Qasar-e-Sakina Imambargah on Kuri road, rawalpindi. 24 February 2015: Bomb killed at least one and another 8 were injured in Chaman district, Balochistan. 15 March 2015: TTP bombers targeted two churches in the Christian neighborhood of Yuhanabad, Lahore, as worshippers were gathering for Sunday mass. At least 14 people were killed and another 70 were injured. 20 March 2015: 2 people were killed and 7 wounded after a bomb planted on a motorcycle exploded outside a mosque in Karachi. 11 April 2015: Militants gunned down 20 laborers and injured 3 others in Turbat, Balochistan. 29 May 2015: 35 people were forced off a bus by the United Baloch Army men; 23 of those passengers were killed. 18 September 2015: 29 people, including an army Captain, were killed as militants attacked a Pakistan Air Force base in Badhaber, Peshawar. 29 December 2015: 26 were killed, 56 injured in suicide blast at NADrA office in Mardan. 20 January 2016: At least 20 people were killed and 60 wounded
mehr IspahanI anD saIma ghaZanfar
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he War on Terror had a major impact on Pakistan after the 9/11 attacks in 2001. Pakistan Armed Forces had to face the threat of the al-Qaeda and Taliban militants who fled from Afghanistan and started targeting the state buildings, civil and military facilities as well as high-profile figures. Several operations were conducted against the terrorist groups located in Waziristan, Bajaur, Swat and other areas. As a reaction, Pakistan faced suicide attacks on hospitals, schools, government installations, infrastructure, men, women and children. A broad-based counterterrorism policy, taking the issue holistically, came into being in 2014. The attack on the Army Public School that killed more than 145 children and adults proved to be a turning point for Pakistan’s counterterrorism policy. Zarbe-Azb was thus launched on June 15, 2014, which has remained a very successful operation so far. Pakistan has remained the target of different terrorist organisations for years. Different militant groups emerged during the US-led war in Afghanistan. Pakistan, being the ally of the US in WOT, had to face serious challenges both from inside and outside of the country. Waziristan and KPK for its proximity with the Afghan border had to face several attacks from different militant groups, mostly from across the border. 6 September 2014: Pakistan Navy frigate PNS Zulfiqar was attacked and briefly captured before being recaptured by Pakistan Navy forces. The attack was intended to use the Zulfiqar’s anti ship missiles
after gunmen opened fire inside Bacha Khan University. 27 March 2016: 74 people were killed and 338 others were injured in a suicide bombing that hit the main entrance of Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park, one of the largest parks in Lahore. 8 August 2016: A bomb blast outside a hospital where lawyers had gathered to mourn the death of a prominent lawyer killed at least 70 people in Quetta. 24 October 2016: Three militants stormed a police training centre in Quetta and took between 200 and 500 cadets hostage. Two of the attackers blew themselves up while the third attacker was killed. At least 60 people were killed and more than 190 people were injured. 26 November 2016: Two FC personnel were killed and 14 others injured when 4 suicide bombers attacked a camp in Mohmand; all 4 attackers were killed. Under such circumstances the Pakistan Army launched operation Zarb-e-Azb and with an active support of the entire nation achieved unparalleled successes in the war against terrorism. The government and the military leadership took a number of difficult steps during the last few years. Pakistan is the only country that has rendered more sacrifices than any other country in this costly and protracted war. The above graph shows a gradual decline in the incidents of terrorist attacks during the last three years. Moreover, under the National Action Plan, NACTA and COIN, a well thought out plan was envisaged especially to de-radicalise the society, especially in FATA and KPK. Though heavy price was paid in terms of the killing of Dr Farooq, the head of De-radicalisation Plan, yet this programme remained successful and hundreds of youths, who had been earlier hired by TTP for suicide bombing, recovered from South Waziristan and elsewhere where their handlers had been training them, were brought out from the brainwashed mindsets. extremist ideologies were countered through launching of ulema, intellectuals, psychologists, psychiatrists, TV programmes, workshops, seminars and by bring-
ing in necessary changes in the curriculum. A moratorium on the death sentence put during the Zardari regime was lifted. The government hanged a number of terrorists and extremists, including the killer of Punjab’s Governor Salman Taseer. Special Army Courts were also set up, which also hanged a large number of terrorists and where the cases are still under trial. The government of Nawaz Sharif right at the outset launched development projects of metro bus service, orange line train service, green bus service, roads network, bridges, hospitals, and other infrastructure programmes. Despite opposition’s dharnas and agitations, the government succeeded in securing a historic mega project called CPeC with the Chinese government and the Pakistan Army as well the Pakistan Navy took direct responsibility of providing security for this project. A two divisions of armed force was raised and trained, deployed along the Corridor lines, which resulted in the passing of first 250-truckloads of convoy from China to Gwadar onwards. Due to successes and gains in the Zarb-e-Azb operation, the world not only acknowledged Pakistan, but world leaders also started visiting Pakistan and GhQ for extending and getting help in the expertise as to how to quell terrorism in their respective countries. Despite unprovoked firing on the Line of Control, instigative statements by the Indian leadership, the government and armed forces handled both external and internal threats. The Indian drama of surgical strikes was also exposed and the world recognised this fact that India has no capacity to launch such strikes. These positive steps will help make the entire region stable and prosperous and it is all due to the tireless efforts and sacrifices of Pakistan in the war against terror. Operation Zarb-e-Azb has achieved its military and security objectives and that is how it will be remembered. The new Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa with his profile and vigor will follow his predecessor’s footsteps and will complete the task Gen raheel Sharif started.
Big day at the United Nations What will the consequences be?
Washington Watch
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Dr James J Zogby
here was considerable drama leading up to the passage of the United Nations Security Council resolution 2334 (UNSCr 2334) reaffirming the illegality of Israeli settlements. It began with all hell breaking loose on Thursday morning when it became clear that the egyptians would submit their resolution on Israeli settlements for a vote at the Security Council and that the Obama Administration would support the effort, either by voting in favor or by refusing to veto it. On Wednesday, there had been a hint that something was up. The White house spokesperson appearing on a cable TV news program referred to Israeli settlements as illegal - the first time that had happened since the Carter Administration. While he later attempted to “clarify” his remarks, the point had been made. This was followed by an announcement that Secretary of State John Kerry would make a policy address on Thursday in advance of the UN meeting that was to consider the resolution. President-elect Donald Trump sprang into action by tweeting: “The resolution being considered at the United Nations regarding Israel should be vetoed”. This was echoed, minutes later, by a nearly identical tweet from Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It has been reported that both leaders made direct calls to egypt’s President Abdul Fattah el-Sisi pressuring him to withdraw the resolution. egypt folded and pulled the resolution from consideration. Kerry’s speech was abruptly cancelled. Late Thursday, New Zealand, working together with Malaysia, Senegal, and Venezuela,
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with the support of the PLO, issued an ultimatum to egypt to either immediately introduce the resolution or they would do it themselves. When egypt did not, the New Zealand-led group followed through and a vote was scheduled for Friday afternoon. In response to this development, the threats from the Israelis,the President-elect, and Members of the US Senate increased in intensity. At 2:00 pm, the Security Council convened. Members spoke and then voted - 14 in favor, none opposed, with the United States abstaining, thereby, guaranteeing the resolution’s passage. Adding to the day’s drama, following the passage of UNSC 2334, the usually staid Security Council chamber broke into sustained applause. President-elect Trump, ever the bully, responded with an ominous threat: “As to the UN, things will be different after Jan. 20th”. Senator Lindsey Graham, Chair of the committee that oversees foreign operations’ funding called the resolution a “provocative action” that “must be dealt with sternly and forcefully” and threatened to cut US support for the United Nations. For his part, Netanyahu reacted hysterically terming the vote “shamelessly anti-Israel”, accusing the Obama Administration of “ganging up” against Israel”, and declaring that Israel would not be bound by any of the terms of the resolution. Looking at the text of Security Council resolution 2334, itself, one might wonder: why all the drama and overreaction? It is, in fact, largely a restatement of decades of US policy toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The resolution reaffirms well-established principles of international law regarding the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by force and the applicability of the Fourth Geneva Convention to the occupied territories. Seen in this light, the resolution declares that Israel’s confiscation of land, construction of settlements, and the transfer of their population into the occupied territories are violations of international law. The resolution goes on to remind both the Israelis and Palestinians of commitments they
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have made to the international community citing the Madrid peace conference and the Quartet’s roadmap—specifically noting how the settlement enterprise endangers the possibility of a two-state solution and a peaceful negotiated resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, while reminding the Palestinians of their responsibility to condemn all acts of violence against civilians and incitement to violence. There are those who may dismiss UNSCr 2334 as just another resolution without teeth that will be ignored. But last month’s 156-3 vote in the UN General Assembly in support of a similarly worded statement and now this Security Council vote establish a growing world-wide united front against Israel’s aggressive annexationist policies, threatening to further isolate Israel and a Trump-led United States in the international community. What the reactions of Trump and Netanyahu make clear is that, despite their hollow words to the contrary, they have no intention of supporting a just resolution to the conflict and apparently don’t give a damn about what the rest of the world may think. This is what we may have expected but we now see it playing out in real time a month before the new Administration takes office. Bullying and threats of temper tantrums might have intimidated egypt, but they did not dissuade the nations of the world from speaking in one voice. Moving forward, this is something that both the future Trump Administration and Israel’s Netanyahu must consider. As Israel continues to advance legislation “legalising” illegal outposts; as Trump considers flaunting law and world opinion by moving the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem; and as the Senate decides whether to make good on threats to cut or reduce US dues to the UN - they run the risk of international outrage, fraying ties with allies, and even sanctions. These are consequences to consider. This drama will continue to play out in the New Year - and it all began on December 23rd, a big day at the United Nations. Dr James J Zogby is President, Arab American Institute. I
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COMMENT 11
Friday, 30 December, 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
Baloch men should be recruited by PCB IN Balochistan many talented Baloch cricket players aim to play in Pakistan’s national cricket team. But unfortunately, they are not being recruited, which is disappointing, particularly for the future of the game. I would thus like to request the Chairman of PCB to look towards recruiting Baloch players for Pakistan’s cricket team. Thus they can also become a part of a rising Pakistan. WASEEm murAD Turbat
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India’s new chariot of fire: Agni V Implications for the region
sultan m halI
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NDIA tested its Agni-V intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in its final operational configuration from Wheeler Island off Odisha on December 26, 2016, paving the way for its eventual induction into the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) after user-trials, reported Times of India (TOI). The nuclear-capable Agni-V, according to Indian media, quoting Defence research and Development Organisation (DrDO) officials, can even reach the northernmost parts of China with its strike range of over 5,000-km. AgniV, was test-fired from its canister on a launcher truck. The DrDO official claimed that “All the test parameters of the missile, which was tested for its full range, were successfully achieved and the missile splashed down near Australian waters.” TOI also reported that this fourth and final experimental test of the three-stage Agni-V, comes after a gap of two years due to minor technical tweaking required in the ballistic missile as well as the need for India to exercise some strategic restraint when it was seeking entry into the 48-country Nuclear Suppliers Group (which was thwarted by China) and the 34-nation Missile Technology Control regime (which India joined earlier this year). The triService SFC, established in 2003 to manage India’s nuclear arsenal, will have to conduct at least two user-trials before the 50-tonne missile is produced in adequate numbers for induction. Indian media reports that while the 17metre tall Agni-V was tested in an “open configuration” in April 2012 and September 2013, the third test in January 2015 saw it being fired from a hermetically sealed canister mounted on a Tatra launcher truck. DrDO claims that the missile’s canister-launch version makes it even deadlier since it gives the armed forces requisite flexibility to swiftly transport and fire the missile from anywhere they want. Apparently this is a requirement for India’s much touted “Cold Start Strategy”, which has already been successfully countered by Pakistan by developing lethal battlefield tactical nuclear weapons. Analysts opine that once the Agni-V is inducted, India will join the super exclusive club of countries with ICBMs (missiles with a range of over 5,000-5,500km) alongside the US, russia, China, France and the UK. Apart from the shorter-range Prithvi and Dhanush missiles, the SFC has inducted the Agni-I, Agni-II and Agni-III missiles. While these missiles are mainly geared towards Pakistan, the Agni-IV and Agni-V are specifically
meant for deterrence against China. Beijing, of MBT. Tejas, DrDO’s Light Combat Aircraft course, is leagues ahead in terms of its missile (LCA), plagued by various disasters, became and nuclear arsenals. obsolete even before it entered service. But the Indian defence establishment bePakistan has expressed concerns over lieves the Agni-V is sufficient to take care of India’s mad race to acquire weapons of mass existing threat perceptions. Indian media also destruction but going by Indian record of masclaims that DrDO has also done some work on sive technical failures, there is little to worry developing “maneuvering warheads or intelli- about. According to Indian analysts, the Pakgent re-entry vehicles” to defeat enemy ballis- istani missile arsenal is at least a decade ahead tic missile defence systems, as well as MIrVs of Prithvi and Agni. (multiple independently targetable reentry veCorruption, sleaze and demanding kickhicles) for the Agni missiles. An MIrV payload backs by Indian defence planners have sullied basically means a single missile is capable of the Indian defence acquisition process to an carrying several nuclear warheads, each pro- alarming extent. Former Indian Air Force grammed to hit different targets. Chief, Air Chief Marshal SP Tyagi - who sufSocial media savvy Narendra Modi, the In- fered the ignominy of recently being arrested dian Prime Minister, tweeted gleefully: “Suc- by the Indian CBI for alleged corruption in the cessful test firing of Agni V makes every Indian rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopvery proud. It will add tremendous strength to pers deal - is just the tip of the iceberg. Inour strategic defence.” duction of defective weapons in all three Amidst the entire services has led to unnecchest thumping and back essary casualties. readslapping, gloating with ers may recall some of claims of huge success, the major scams like the India is losing sight of 1948 Jeeps scam, 1987 two important aspects. Bofors scandal (involvApart from the Firstly, as reported by ing former Indian Prime shorter-range Prithvi TOI, on December 21, Minister rajiv Gandhi), nirbhay missile, touted 1999 Kargil coffins and Dhanush missiles, to carry nuclear warscam, Barak Missile heads to a range of scandal, 1999 the SFC has inducted the 1,000km, failed for the Tehelka.com sting operaAgni-I, Agni-II and Agni-III fourth time. It had been tion (in which then detested four times since fence minister George missiles. While these March 2013 but failed to Fernandes was indicted), missiles are mainly geared achieve the set paramethe 2009 Sudipta Ghosh ters. Not only it was uncase and the 2012 Tatra towards Pakistan, the successful in yielding Trucks Scam are but a the expected results, the few of them. Agni-IV and Agni-V are missile had to be deThe second aspect, specifically meant for stroyed in the air as it which Indian planners had deviated from its should concern themdeterrence against China. path and was termed as selves with is the mass ‘utter failures’. poverty in India, which is nirbhay, which had causing a high suicide been in the making for alrate; the poor housing famost a decade, was meant cilities leading to teeming to provide the Indian millions residing on sidearmed forces with nuclear-tipped land-attack walks for generation, the lack of medical servcruise missiles (LACMs). If it had been a success, ices and absence of medical amenities. India would have been in a position to counter the If Narendra Modi, in his blind hatred for much dreaded Pakistani Babur LACM. Pakistan and China and mad desire to establish DrDO, tauntingly called “Dodo” by its India as a major world power at the cost of the own officials and media, was set to be over- much needed welfare of his people, then the Inhauled in 2005 by then Indian Prime Minister dian media should be grilling him. Modi beDr. Manmohan Singh to clear it of hubris, cor- lieves that through his belligerence against ruption and the DrDO’s own bureaucratised Pakistan, testing weapons of mass destruction culture, which are to blame for its constant fail- and trying to run with the big boys of the ures, as well as its penchant for needless pub- world, he can make Indians forget their mislicity and reinventing the wheel. Apparently eries. Indians themselves should question the there has been no change. megalomania of Modi in painting China and Uncritical and downright wrong-headed Pakistan as arch enemies of India, whereas media coverage leads to the DrDO getting both countries have extended India the olive credit for even missiles like the workhorse sur- branch to peace and have invited India to join face-to-air missile Trishul and Akash and the in regional development projects which will nag anti-tank missile, which were to have en- uplift the quality of life of Indian masses rather tered service in 1993-94, and were delayed by than squander scarce resources in amassing decades. In an era in which unmanned aerial weapons of mass destruction. aircraft play such a key role, all that the DrDO has to boast about is the Lakshya, a minor aerSultan m hali is a retired Group Captain ial vehicle used simply as a target for air-to-air and author of the book Defence & Diplomacy. missiles. The nishant UAV is being kept alive Currently he is a columnist, analyst and Tv through artificial life-support, as is the Arjun talk show host.
PUNJAB, predominantly known for its agricultural output, is one of the most fertile regions in Pakistan. For centuries, here the land records used to be maintained manually on papers through an intricate system involving several tiers of administration. Consequently, the land record services became a fearsome demonic entity rather than a service delivery. Keeping this in mind, the Government of Punjab felt the need of modernising the existing system of land records management making it more efficient and responsive service delivery system through digitisation. Land records Management & Information System (LrMIS) is a revolutionary project to digitise the paper based land records and to create an automated system of management of land records in the province. With the introduction of LrMIS, a reliable, efficient and transparent system for maintaining the land records and providing access to these records has been ensured. Since sanctity of data is as important a matter as land records management therefore, the Government recently inaugurated state-of-the-art “Data Centre” of LrMIS. The move calls for applause as it will help strengthen the facilitation of services through uninterrupted service delivery, enhanced centralised control over entire data and last but not the least data security to mitigate vulnerabilities. The computerisation of land records has certainly brought greater transparency to land records management and improved the quality of services being provided to the general public. It is hoped that LrMIS contribution in the empowerment of individuals and stabilising community would rise with each passing day. AhSAn JAvED Burewala
A good decision The decision by the provincial government to set up Medicine Supply Chain Management with the help of Turkish health Ministry is welcoming. The move calls for applause as it will help establish robust and modern system to maintain quality of medicines. In addition, modern warehouses will also be set up to stock the medicines at the recommended temperature and its transportation to the hospitals. In this regard, the government is going to benefit from the experience of Turkish experts and as per local needs, the model of Turkish system will be replicated in Punjab. It is hoped that the government would remain sincere in its efforts to serve the ailing community as nothing is more important than the health of the people. ShEhAr BAno SyED Lahore
Child labour in Pakistan PAKISTAN is regularly near the top of the list of the countries where child labor is common. You need to take drastic measures to end the problem. On 14 July, Punjab government enacted an ordinance prohibiting employment of children and defined strict rules for the use of teenagers between 15 to 18 years. The implementation of the restriction of the Use of Children Ordinance 2016 is a daunting task and so on Friday, the government of Punjab plans to provide subsidies for workers children to work in factories and workshops to be registered with them in schools announced. Child workers will be offered enrollment in school or skills training to the Punjab Vocational Training Council (VBAC), which has already trained 69,000 children from 14 to 18 years to develop. In an effort to eliminate the children in brick kilns, the provincial government is rs1000 per child available; While the three sectors identified - auto repair shops, fuel pumps, hotels and restaurants - the amount expected to double. Is a good step to give incentives for parents and employers to take children to school. Selected employers of young workers because they can pay them less for the same work and can be exploited more easily. Meanwhile, many children are forced to enter the labor market early because of poverty. employers and minors, therefore, gaps because the choice is going to school who can not or medical facilities. For many children, this is not the choice of education and work, between sitting useless in poor schools or some work experience or cash. In addition, a successful market for labor and child trafficking in Pakistan and more likely than adults to become involved in your network. Technical education is employment opportunities might be available, but much of the country’s industry, especially SMes, under controlled conditions and for work comply with labor laws. Machines and information. Laws can not change much, at least some of the side of the children. The solution is quite simple, which can produce bright students so that the opportunity cost of time spent in class small compared to the economic results after the education establishment. however, this is something that does not make for good political mandates, or for shocking headlines in the media. This question is left on the edge, like children picking up trash on the streets, exposed to malnutrition, abuse and trafficking. WAqAS mIrZA Islamabad
12 WORLD VIEW
Friday, 30 December, 2016
Obama’s weak defense Of his recOrd On drOne killings HIS CHOICES MADE UNJUST STRIKES PREDICTABLE AND INEVITABLE—AND WITH DONALD TRUMP POISED TO TAKE POWER, THE PRECEDENTS HE SET ARE ALL THE MORE ALARMING ATLAnTic CONOR FRIEDERSDORF
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HeN my colleague Ta-Nehisi Coates interviewed President Obama for his recent article, “My President Was Black,” the discussion briefly turned to lethal drone strikes. Obama had already spoken about the strengths and weaknesses of Black Lives Matter, LGBT activists, and activists objecting to the deportation of undocumented immigrants, remarks I suggest reading in full. “Sometimes it’s useful for activists just to be out there to keep you mindful and not get complacent,” the president concluded, “even if ultimately you think some of their criticism is misguided.”That’s when he brought up critics of lethal drone strikes. “The truth is that this technology really began to take off right at the beginning of my presidency,” he began. “And it wasn’t until about a year, year and a half in where I began to realize that the Pentagon and our national-security apparatus and the CIA were all getting too comfortable with the technology as a tool to fight terrorism, and not being mindful enough about how that technology is being used and the dangers of a form of warfare that is so detached from what is actually happening on the ground. And so we initiated this big process to try to get it in a box, and checks and balances, and much higher standards about when they’re used.”Let’s pause there. That narrative gets at least one thing right: The Obama administration’s approach to drone killings was much worse early on than after his concerted efforts to reform it.But the narrative is misleading, too. Shortly before Obama took office, leaving his job as a United States senator, a CIA drone strike on a funeral in Pakistan killed as many as 41 civilians, an incident that apparently wasn’t enough to cause him to rethink the wisdom of the U.S. approach. President Obama presided over a drone strike for the first time shortly after taking office, on January 22, 2009. The strike missed its target, and Newsweek reported that Obama was made aware almost immediately that innocents died in the attack. By the end of 2009 the CIA had already conducted its 100th drone strike in Pakistan. The following year, a significant escalation in the drone war occurred not because “this technology really began to take off,” to repeat Obama’s construction, which seems to assign responsibility for targeted killings to drones themselves, but in part because of a deliberate response to a suicide attack on a U.S. outpost in Afghanistan that killed multiple CIA officers, prompting an unnamed official to tell The Guardian, “This attack will be avenged through successful, aggressive counterterrorism operations.” Many were cross-border drone strikes targeting the Taliban. As the Bureau of Investigative
Journalism later reported in its retrospective timeline, “2010 was to be the bloodiest year of drone strikes in Pakistan.”Many innocents were killed. It is impossible to know exactly when Obama recognized the need to get the drone program “in a box” and to introduce “checks and balances,” as he put it, or how he ever imagined the earlier status quo could end in anything but excessive killings. In any case, Obama chose to allow the CIA, a secretive entity with a long history of unjust killings, to carry out strikes; he chose to keep the very fact of drone killings classified, deliberately invoking the statesecrets privilege in a way guaranteed to stymie oversight, public debate, and legal accountability; and he chose to permit killings outside the greater Afghanistan war zone, in countries with which the U.S. was not at war. Those choices made more unjust killings predictable and inevitable. That should have been obvious to a former senator and constitutional law expert who knew, among other things, that the CIA had recently run an illegal torture program. The CIA then got carried away with the power to kill in secret in multiple countries.Obama couldn’t foresee that?Many others could. That more checks and balances were needed from day one was a no-brainer. Yet reporting by the New York Times suggests that Obama was directly complicit all along in efforts to obscure the true costs of drone strikes to innocents. As the newspaper put it on May 29, 2012, in a major investigative article:Mr. Obama embraced a disputed method for counting civilian casualties that did little to box him in. It in effect counts all military-age males in a strike zone as combatants, according to several administration officials, unless there is explicit intelligence posthumously proving them innocent… The newspaper went on to speculate that “this counting method may partly explain the official claims of extraordinarily low collateral deaths. In a speech last year, Mr. Brennan, Mr. Obama’s trusted adviser, said that not a single noncombatant had been killed in a year of strikes. And in a recent interview, a senior administration official said that the number of civilians killed in drone strikes in Pakistan under Mr. Obama was in the ‘single digits’—and that independent counts of scores or hundreds of civilian deaths unwittingly draw on false propaganda.” The absurdly low figures cited by Obama administration figures were lies. Along with Orwellian word games that his White House played, inaccurate death tolls helped to obscure a death toll that was a predictable consequence of Obama’s actions:In Pakistan, Mr. Obama had approved not only “personality” strikes aimed at named, high-value terrorists, but “signature” strikes that targeted training camps and suspicious compounds in areas controlled by militants. But some State Department officials have complained to the White House that the
criteria used by the C.I.A. for identifying a terrorist “signature” were too lax. The joke was that when the C.I.A. sees “three guys doing jumping jacks,” the agency thinks it is a terrorist training camp, said one senior official. Men loading a truck with fertilizer could be bombmakers — but they might also be farmers, skeptics argued. Later, a whistleblower provided The Intercept with a cache of documents detailing the U.S. military’s drone killings in Afghanistan, Yemen, and Somalia. One campaign, Operation Haymaker, took place in northeastern Afghanistan. “Between January 2012 and February 2013,” The Intercept reported, “U.S. special operations airstrikes killed more than 200 people. Of those, only 35 were the intended targets. During one five-month period of the operation, according to the documents, nearly 90 percent of the people killed in airstrikes were not the intended targets.” That’s one campaign of many in just one country where drone killings happen. Reforms to drone policy in subsequent years much reduced the number of innocents killed. Today, given significantly reduced casualties, Obama is on much firmer ground defending his drone policy, which he did in his interview with Coates. “The truth is that, in trying to get at terrorists who are in countries that either are unwilling or unable to capture those terrorists or disable them themselves, there are a lot of situations where the use of a drone is going to result in much fewer civilian casualties and much less collateral damage than if I send in a battalion of marines,” he said. Of course, many targeted killings were carried out in circumstances where a battalion of marines would not have been sent in absent a drone strike. Obama continued:And I think right now we probably have the balance about right. Now, you wouldn’t know that if you talked to Human Rights Watch or Amnesty International or some of the international activist organizations. Certainly you wouldn’t know that if you were talking to some of the writers who criticize our drone policy. But I’ve actually told my staff it’s probably good that they stay critical of this policy, even though I think right now we’re doing the best that we can in a dangerous world with terrorists who would gladly blow up a school bus full of American kids if they could. We probably have got it about right. But if suddenly all those organizations said, “Okay, the Obama administration’s got it right, and we don’t have a problem here,” the instinct towards starting to use it more, and then some of those checks and balances that we’ve built up starting to decay—that’s probably what would happen. So there’s an example of where I think, even if the criticism is not always perfectly informed and in some cases I would deem unfair, just the noise, attention, fuss probably keeps powerful officials or agencies on their toes. And they
should be on their toes when it comes to the use of deadly force. International activist organizations would be justified in taking exception to that account. Obama’s defense of his targeted-killing policy as it exists today still proceeds as if the ratio of bad guys killed by drones to innocents killed is the only concern.In his telling, get that right and “the balance” is “probably about right.” But a focus on “balancing” legitimate kills and innocents killed sidesteps one of the most potent critiques of Obama’s approach: that many aspects of targeted killing policy are on dubious legal footing, and that Obama has set hugely dangerous precedents. Obama administration officials have variously argued that targeted killing with drones is a state secret or a so-called political question that isn’t properly justiciable. In 2013, I noted that the Supreme Court in Israel, a state with national-security challenges greater than ours, grappled with whether judges have any role to play in targeted killings. They didn’t see it as a close question. They saw their role as determining “the permissible and the forbidden” in combat that implicates “the most basic right of a human being—the right to life.” They affirmed that “nonjusticiability cannot prevent the examination of that question.” I suspect James Madison would find their approach more prudent than what the Obama administration suggests. The administration asked Americans to believe not only that it was empowered to kill an American in secret, but that after the fact, courts should refrain from judging whether such killings violated the right to life of the target. Thanks to Obama’s actions, Donald Trump will be inaugurated into an office that presumes the authority to secretly order the extrajudicial killings of American citizens. Was the particular way that Obama targeted Anwar al-Awlaki worth that price? Trump will also be inaugurated into an office that construes its mandate to kill with drones broadly, encompassing strikes in countries with which America is not at war and targeting groups and individuals that had nothing to do with the September 11, 2001, attacks. In effect, Obama has construed the 2001 Authorization to Use Military Force so broadly that it’s now hard to discern any meaningful limit. Obama himself is well aware of these critiques. At times, he has even seemed to agree with them. “The critique of drones has been important, because it has ensured that you don’t have this institutional comfort and inertia with what looks like a pretty antiseptic way of disposing of enemies,” he told Jonathan Chait earlier this year. “I will say that what prompted a lot of the internal reforms we put in place had less to do with what the left or Human Rights Watch or Amnesty International or other organizations were saying and had more to do with me looking at sort of the way in which the number of drone strikes
was going up and the routineness with which, early in my presidency, you were seeing both DOD and CIA and our intelligence teams think about this. And it troubled me, because I think you could see, over the horizon, a situation in which, without Congress showing much interest in restraining actions with authorizations that were written really broadly, you end up with a president who can carry on perpetual wars all over the world, and a lot of them covert, without any accountability or democratic debate.” The White House press secretary later clarified that Obama was speaking only about drone policy in his first term, before he introduced various reforms. But most of Obama’s improvements on drone policy can be undone with the stroke of Donald Trump’s pen. As Naureen Shah of Amnesty International told The Intercept, “What’s so interesting is that President Obama acknowledges this problem—that future presidents will be empowered to kill globally, and in secret. What he doesn’t acknowledge is how much of a role his administration had in making that a bizarre normal … What we’ll be left with from the Obama administration is a far more dangerous precedent of secret, global killings than what we started with.” Relative to the actions of his predecessor, George W. Bush, and the reckless rhetoric of his successor, Donald Trump, Obama’s foreign-policy record is a model of prudence. He did not initiate a catastrophic war of choice that cost trillions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of lives while making the world a more dangerous place. He has not started a trade war with China, or ordered U.S. troops to seize foreign oil fields or to perpetrate acts of torture or to kill family members of terrorists. And elsewhere in his interview with Coates, Obama gives thoughtful, nuanced accounts of his domestic policy, and why he chose to make various, difficult tradeoffs. A more frank, less defensive grappling with drone policy would, I suspect, make me more sympathetic to Obama, though I doubt I would ever agree with the course that he chose. He might touch on the difficulty of stepping into a “war on terror” midstream, the institutional power of the CIA and other parts of the national-security state, the complicated calculus of dealing with allies in the Muslim world, threat assessments to which we’re not privy, and a dozen matters besides. Perhaps I’d have done no better or even much worse than Obama in his place.I certainly do not envy it. One day, I hope Obama explains his targeted killing policy more forthrightly, so that the public can benefit from his insights, mistakes, and contested actions. But presently—as in previous speeches on targeted killings during Obama’s tenure—the narrative he’s setting forth to Americans on drones is an evasive insult to their intelligence. And given Trump’s flaws, I fear his apologia comes at the worst possible moment.
WHAT WAS THE POINT OF JOHN KERRY’S ISRAEL LECTURE? TELEGRAPH, UK When a US Secretary of State interrupts the holiday season to make a passionate, more than hour-long speech on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the world sits up to listen. John Kerry did just that, explaining the background to America’s controversial abstention in a recent United Nations vote condemning the construction of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. Normally, America vetoes such resolutions on behalf of its ally. Mr Kerry set out the reasoning for the US change of heart. He explained his fear
that the two-state solution – long the basis for peace plans – is at risk. He set out his concern that Israel was moving towards annexation of the West Bank land that has traditionally been seen as the basis of a future Palestinian state. If that was to occur, Mr Kerry noted, and the two-state solution was replaced with a “one-state solution” in which Israel expanded to the Jordan river, what would happen to the 2.5 million Palestinians living on the territory acquired? The upshot, he insisted, would that this new, greater, Israel would be either Jewish or democratic, but it
could not be both. To conclude his speech, Mr Kerry set out the terms for what a new peace deal might look like. In normal times this would have been a profound and dramatic intervention, setting the agenda possibly for years to come. But in just 22 days Kerry and Barack Obama will be out of a job and the administration of Donald Trump – already tweeting his disagreement and disapproval – will take over. As result Mr Kerry’s intervention seemed as vain, in every respect, as it was long. He may have been in earnest, but parting shots from lame duck administrations change little.
LEISURE 13
Friday, 30 December, 2016
aries
taurus
gemini
You may be known for your ability to act spontaneously rather than planning ahead; nevertheless, you can also be quite patient if you want something badly enough. Although your current desires are strong,
People frequently lean on you because you seem as steady as a rock. You're clear about what you want and most likely have a plan in mind as to how to get it. There's not much that can alter your course.
You find an ironic kind of pleasure in being so practical now because you want everyone to acknowledge your emotional stability. You are often the one who pipes up with a witty comeback or a clever answer.
cancer
leo
virgo
Although working closely with others today sounds like a good idea, participating in group activities is complicated by dynamic emotional entanglements. Your sense of loyalty to your friends and colleagues.
You could be counting your chickens before they hatch, even if you're not receiving much positive feedback today. You have temporarily stepped off the emotional roller-coaster and you're finally getting.
Your nerves may be on edge if your day doesn't unfold according to your well-conceived plans. Even if there is still time to finish your work, a nagging concern gnaws away in the back of your mind. You.
libra
scorpio
sagittarius
You're tempted to let your colleagues know that you're annoyed when they act as if they know everything. Unfortunately, expressing your irritation probably won't improve the situation today. You could.
Setting a steady pace while doing chores today offers you the best chance of achieving your short-term goals. Hopefully, you understand that you can't force anyone to move any faster than they're already.
You might be content with your current accomplishments, but true satisfaction requires that you complete any projects you start. However, you may have to leave some work undone as you approach the holiday.
capricorn
aQuarius
pisces
Although this could be an auspicious day, it might not seem out of the ordinary as you go about your business. The steadfast Taurus Moon aligns favorably with four planets in your ambitious sign, indicating.
Your peers might see you as brimming with holiday spirit today, especially if you keep the most serious issues buried deep inside. However, you are more practical than sentimental now, empowering you to.
The temptation to escape from your obligations is difficult to resist, especially if you are looking forward to this evening's festivities. You know what you should do, but could suddenly be distracted..
crossword
ACROSS 1 cereals (4) 3 cat's coat (anag) — clipped (8) 9 notwithstanding (7) 10 country house (5) 11 anglo-saxon magistrate — female bird — pass (a rope) through a hole (5) 12 without difficulty (6) 14 offensively inferior (5,3,5) 17 buddy (6) 19 hit it off (3,2) 22 momentary flash (5) 23 invertebrate sea creature with three hearts (7) 24 absence of light (8) 25 takes steps (4)
word search
DOWN 1 stubbornness (8) 2 flavour (5) 4 understanding finally dawns (3,5,5) 5 lives in makeshift shelters (5) 6 ring-shaped structure (7) 7 belong to us both (4) 8 abandon (4,2) 13 sleeplike state induced by suggestion (8) 15 rare lie (anag) (7) 16 nullify (6) 18 have a meal at home (3,2) 20 subject (5) 21 elderly (4)
hagar the horrible
dilbert
garField
baldo
chess ahead balloons bells better bright champagne church clock count days evening expectatio ns family fireworks friends future gather last
midnight
White tO PLAY AND MAte iN three MOVes 8
music
7
news
6
party
5
remember
4
sadness 3
sorrow 2
take 1
whip year
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
Today’s soluTions
bridge KilliNg leads 3
sUdoKU crossword solution sudoku solution
1.Nc6 Qxe2 [1...Qxd1+ 2.Qxd1 rxe3 3.Qc1 rxc6 4.Qxe3 is best but leaves white with the advantage] 2.Nxe7+ Kf8 3.rxe2 * chess solution
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.
14
Friday, 30 December, 2016
ARTS
Obama praises pakistani schOlar nasir hunzai On 100th birth anniversary
u
AGENCIES
NITeD States President Barack Obama has congratulated renowned Pakistani scholar and poet Professor Allama Nasiruddin Hunzai on his 100th birth anniversary and hoped that his scholarly work will further broaden the vision of people in the years to come. In a letter from the White House, President Obama wrote to centenarian Hunzai, “we are pleased to join your family and friends in wishing you a happy 100th birthday.” Obama said, “As you celebrate this extraordinary milestone, we hope you reflect on the many memories you have made over the past century. Your generation has shown the courage to persevere through depression and war, and the vision to broaden our liberties through changing times.” We are grateful for your contributions to the American society, and we wish you all the best for the coming year, he added. Nasir Hunzai born in village Hyderabad of Hunza valley in 1917, is the author of over one hundred books on
various aspects of the Quranic wisdom mainly on spiritualism and sufism. In recognition of his extraordinary literary services, the government of Pakistan had conferred upon him Sitara-eImtiaz in 2001. Sixty of his books have been translated into english by scholar Dr Faquir Hunzai and Rashida Hunzai. “Book of Healing, the Wise Quran and the World of Humanity and Balance
Pokemon Go, Trump top Google trend list AGENCIES The past year was a big one for Donald Trump, but also for Pokemon Go. According to Google’s global trends report released Wednesday, the augmented reality game from Nintendo was the most-searched item online in 2016. Trump was number three among the mostsearched topics for the year, behind the iPhone 7 and ahead of rock icon Prince, who died in April. But Trump topped the list of the mostsearched people for the year, ahead of his campaign rival Hillary Clinton, Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, Trump’s wife Melania and gold medal gymnast Simone Biles, Google said. Google publishes its global list each year along with trends from different countries, offering insights into the interests of internet users around the globe. The top news item searched on Google was the US election, followed by the Olympic Games in Rio, Brexit, the deadly nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida and the Zika virus. Among celebrities who died in 2016, the most searched-for was Prince, followed by David Bowie, slain US singer Christina Grimmie, British actor Alan Rickman and boxing legend Muhammad Ali. In consumer technology, the iPhone 7 topped the search list, while number two was Freedom 251 — the smartphone offered for sale in India for 251 rupees, or less than $4. In global sports events, internet users searched most for the Olympics, followed by the baseball World Series, the Tour de France, Wimbledon and the Australian Open tennis tournament. The most searched-for movies were “Deadpool,” “Suicide Squad,” “The Revenant,” “Captain America: Civil War” and “Batman v Superman,” according to Google. Among US users, the most-searched item was the Powerball lottery, which delivered a record $1.6 billion jackpot in January.
of Realities, have got attention in research institutions of the western world. Other books are: What is Soul, Rubies and Pearls, Healing through Knowledge, Thousand Wisdoms, Fruit of Paradise and Ganj-e-Giranmaya etc. Nasir Hunzai has composed first alphabets for Burushaski, an isolate and very old language of human kind spoken in Gilgit-Baltistan and Pakistan besides authoring Burushaski Deewan, first of its
kind of this language. It is indeed a source of spiritual inspiration for the people of various cultures. Half of this Deewan has been translated into english, titled “Flowers of Paradise.” He has also compiled first Burushaski Urdu dictionary jointly published by Karachi University and Burushaski Research Academy in three volumes. He is also the recipient of titles Hakimul Qalam, Lisan-e-Qaum and Baba-e-Burushaski conferred by Government of Gilgit-Baltistan and other social organisations. He is also co-author of first Burushaski-German dictionary, published by Hydel Berg University Germany and co-author of book “Hunza Proverbs” compiled by Professor Tiffu, a Canadian researcher. He has written several articles on women folk for enhancing their status. Being a reformer, he introduced the concept of volunteers for the first time in Hunza and established first volunteer organisation in village Hyderabad of Hunza in 1957 besides establishing first girls school on self-help basis in the village.
Baby boom after China ends one-child rule BEIJING AGENCIES
As soon as China abandoned its onechild policy a year ago, Zheng Xiaoyu and her husband started trying for a sibling for their nine-year-old son. Their efforts bore fruit with another boy — one of a million extra births this year. “The traditional Chinese thinking is that more children bring more blessings,” Zheng said, recovering from the birth at a luxury convalescent home in Beijing. For years the couple dreamed of a second child to keep them company in their twilight years. “Neither I nor my husband is the
only child in our families. We grew up in the company of our siblings,” she said. “Before the change, we questioned why we couldn’t have a second child, why they had to limit everyone’s desire to have children.” Since the late 1970s, strict measures in the world’s most populous country restricted most couples to only a single child, with fines for violators and even forced abortions. Zheng and her husband were employees of state-owned enterprises and faced losing their jobs if they violated the ban. Officials say it was a key contributor to China’s economic boom. But concerns over an ageing population, gender imbalances and a
shrinking workforce pushed authorities to end the restriction and allow all couples a second child from January 1. Now China is undergoing a minor baby boom, with almost one million more newborns expected this year, National Health and Family Planning Commission deputy director Wang Pei’an said according to official media reports. More than 17.5 million births were expected in 2016, he told a conference in November — which would reverse a decline last year and be the highest figure since 2000. But while the end of the one-child policy swayed Zheng and her husband, it is unclear how much it contributed to this year’s baby boom.
Why deaths related to heart disease go up around Christmas NEWS DESK Deaths related to heart disease spike up around Christmas and not because of the cold winter season, when death rates are usually at a seasonal high, says a study. Debunking the belief that the rise in deaths during Christmas is mainly due to the cold weather, the study said that people tend to hold back from seeking medical care during the holiday season, a factor that could probably explain the rise in such deaths. “Spikes in deaths from natural causes during Christmas and New Year’s Day has been previously established in the US,” said study author Josh Knight, from the University of Melbourne in Australia. “However, the Christmas holiday period (December 25th to January 7th) in the US falls within the coldest period of the year, when death rates are already, seasonally high due to low temperatures and influenza,” he added. In this study, researchers analysed trends in deaths in New Zealand, where Christmas occurs during the summer season and death rates are usually at a seasonal low, thereby allowing researchers to separate any winter effect from a holiday effect. The study, published in JAHA: Journal of the American Heart Association, found a 4.2% increase in heart-related deaths occurring away from a hospital from December 25 to January 7. During the 25-year study, the average age of cardiac death was 76.2 years during the Christmas period, compared with 77.1 years during other times of the year. Although more research is needed to explain the spike, the researchers suggested one possibility may be that patients hold back in seeking medical care during the holiday season. “The Christmas holiday period is a common time for travel within New Zealand, with people frequently holidaying away from their main medical facilities. This could contribute to delays in both seeking treatment, due to a lack of familiarity with nearby medical facilities and due to geographic isolation from appropriate medical care in emergency situations,” Knight said.
Trump regrets complications in 'age of computer' PALM BEACH, UNITED STATES AGENCIES
US president-elect Donald Trump lamented complications from “the age of computer” Wednesday, as he responded to questions about Russia’s alleged hacking of the US election. Asked about possible sanctions against Moscow, Trump said “I think we ought to get on with our lives,” before waxing lyrical about the impact of computing technology. “I think that computers have complicated lives very greatly,” he told reporters at his Florida holiday home, Mar-a-Lago. “The whole age of computer has made it where nobody knows exactly what is going on. “We have speed, we have a lot of other things, but I’m not sure we have the kind the security we need.” He refused to be drawn on proposals to sanction Russian President Vladimir Putin personally for trying to influence the election. Trump has shocked the US establish-
ment by challenging intelligence assessments that Putin sought to not only influ-
CMYK
ence the November 8 election but tilt it against Trump’s rival Hillary Clinton.
He has also shocked Republicans by suggesting that Washington should build better ties with its Cold War rival. Last week, Trump released what he said was a “very nice” letter from Putin calling for a thaw in ties between the rival powers. Putin’s letter, according to a translation released by Trump’s office, said: “relations between Russia and the US remain an important factor in ensuring stability and security of the modern world.” And “it called for real steps to restore the framework of bilateral cooperation in different areas.” Trump responded by declaring: “A very nice letter from Vladimir Putin; his thoughts are so correct. “I hope both sides are able to live up to these thoughts, and we do not have to travel an alternate path,” Trump said, a day after both he and Putin vowed to boost their country’s nuclear arsenals. Relations between Washington and Moscow are at their worst since the end of the Cold War, and President Barack Obama has imposed sanctions over Russia’s interventions in Syria and Ukraine.
Friday, 30 December, 2016
ARTS
Hollywood icon and carrie FisHer's mom debbie reynolds dies d
AGENCIES
EBBIE Reynolds, the "Singin' in the Rain" actress who tap-danced her way into American hearts as a star of Hollywood's Golden Age, died, grief-stricken over daughter Carrie Fisher's death a day
earlier. The 84-year-old suffered a stroke at son Todd Fisher's Beverly Hills home after telling him "I miss her so much, I want to be with Carrie," he was quoted as telling celebrity news website TMZ. Reynolds made a name for herself as the girlnext-door lead of a string of hit musicals in the 1950s after being discovered by MGM studio bosses at a beauty contest in southern California, going on to earn her lone Oscar nomination for playing the title role in 1964's "The Unsinkable Molly Brown." She is best remembered as sweet but shy voice artist Kathy Selden in "Singin' in the Rain" (1952) and holding her own despite being cast opposite tap-dancing superstar Gene Kelly, who was more than twice her age. Off-screen, she was known as the wronged party in one of Hollywood's most notorious scandals, when her husband, singer Eddie Fisher, left her for her friend and fellow screen icon Elizabeth Taylor. Reynolds' daughter Fisher, who catapulted to worldwide stardom as rebel warrior Princess Leia in the original "Star Wars" trilogy, died in Los Angeles on Tuesday, four days after suffering a heart attack on a transatlantic flight. Media reports said Reynolds had been at her
son's house to discuss funeral arrangements when she became ill. Reynolds, who received the Academy's Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award last year, was just 19 when she got her big break in "Singin' in the Rain," which celebrates Hollywood's transition from the silent era into "talkies." Her 2013 autobiography "Unsinkable: A Memoir" detailed the highs and lows of her rocky personal life and a career which was still going strong into her 80s as she performed her one-woman stage show. "'Singin' in the Rain' and childbirth were the hardest things I ever had to do in my life," she wrote in an earlier autobiography entitled "Debbie." Known at one time as the foremost collector of Hollywood memorabilia, Reynolds married singer Eddie Fisher in 1955 and had two children, Carrie and Todd. The couple divorced in 1959 after
Hrithik roshan on holidays with ex-wife susanne Khan, sons ENTERTAINMENT DESK
he fell for Taylor. Taylor's "Cleopatra" headdress and Marilyn Monroe's billowing "Seven Year Itch" frock would become part of the 4,000-piece haul costumes, props and furniture, most of which Reynolds eventually auctioned for more than $25 million. - Wholesome heroine Born Mary Frances Reynolds on April 1, 1932 in El Paso, Texas, the second child of railroad carpenter Raymond Francis Reynolds and his wife Maxine, she came to the notice of Hollywood studio MGM after winning a California beauty contest at age 16. Now synonymous with the tap, Reynolds had never danced professionally, according to the Internet Movie Database, when picked to star in classic musical "Singin' in the Rain." Several more MGM musicals followed, with Reynolds typically cast as a wholesome young heroine, before she turned to more serious screen acting, as well as a career on Broadway. Married three times, Reynolds once said she had more luck selecting restaurants than men. First, she had to overcome the humiliation of losing Fisher to Taylor, although the two women remained close until Taylor's death in 2011. In another turn of misfortune, Reynolds's second husband, shoe magnate Harry Karl, gambled away most of her savings. Her third marriage to real estate developer Richard Hamlett in 1985 wasn't much more successful, ending in divorce in 1996. To support the family, Reynolds performed at her casino in Las Vegas, where she housed her memorabilia collection until it shut in 1997.
One Last Time: Carrie Fisher to appear in next Star Wars ENTERTAINMENT DESK Carrie Fisher may be dead, but fans will still get to see her last work in the next Star Wars. According to Variety, the Star Wars actor had wrapped up shooting for Star Wars: Episode VIII, (sequel to 2015's The Force Awakens) in July,
reprising her role of Leia Organa. The film is in post-production and set for release in December 2017. Fisher was also supposed to be in the third instalment of this trilogy (and ninth movie in the series). Star Wars creators LucasFilm has yet to release a statement about how they will make up for Fisher's loss. While Fisher is
most known for her work in the Star Wars franchise, there are several other series that have to cope with her passing. In adult sitcom Family Guy, Fisher voiced Angela, the boss of lead character Peter Griffin. Two upcoming episodes will feature her voice-acting. Fisher also had a recurring role in Amazon UK's Catastrophe where she
15
played Mia, mother of Rob Norris, played by Rob Delany. She will appear in one episode in the third season. We're sure fans of the Aderaan princess have some idea how her loss will be addressed in Star Wars Episode IX. And it's good to know that we still have a lot from Carrie Fisher to look forward to!
It has been over two years since celebrity couple Hrithik Roshan-Susanne Khan separated but the duo has been an exemplary example of the perfect parenthood all this while, giving all adults major parenting goals.Despite their personal differences, they have never shied away from their responsibilities towards their sons Hridhaan and Hrehaan. According to Hindustan Times, earlier this month, Hrithik was spotted at a restaurant having a family dinner with his kids and former wife. Susanne shared a picture on her Instagram account late on Wednesday, suggesting that they are holidaying together as a family. Hrithik and Susanne are in Dubai to celebrate the New Year. Talking about her kids, Sussanne had told Hindustan Times earlier, “We are very committed to our children. We are respectful towards each other. When children are involved, it’s important to put our differences aside and protect them.” The couple got divorced in 2014 after living separately for 10 months. Meanwhile, Hrithik’s upcoming film Kaabil, opposite Yami Gautam, will hit the theatres early next year.
ram Gopal Varma praises aamir Khan’s dangal, slams other Khans MUMBAI AGENCIES
Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has lauded Aamir Khan’s Dangal saying unlike other superstars, his films don’t make India “look like a regressive country.” Varma, who has directed Aamir in Rangeela, took to Twitter to rant about how other superstars in the country doesn’t look beyond wanting to look forever young in films. He praised Aamir, in a series of tweets, for not hesitating to play a father of two grown up daughters in the sports drama which is based on the life of Mahavir Singh Phogat and his wrestler daughters. The director said he is impressed to see how Aamir does not think the audience to be dumb and respects their intelligence. Taking a jibe at other Khans of the film industry, Varma wrote, “Aamir Khan’s films force the world to take India seriously and the other Khan’s films make India look like a regressive country,” he added. “Which star of Bollywood since Alam Ara would have taken a decision of putting on weight to look like a father of grown up daughters ?”
2 songs of Raees shot in Morocco
Malaika Arora demands INR100-150m from Arbaaz Khan
Have JLo, Drake confirmed their romance?
ENTERTAINMENT DESK
ENTERTAINMENT DESK
LOS ANGELES
Raees has been making headlines, after the controversial ban on Pakistani actors in India regarding its release. The recently-released trailer of the film shattered all records and generated great buzz. What a sight it was to see our very own Mahira Khan in all her glory. Now, word has it that we will be getting to see much more of the ethereal actor in the film. Recently, DNA reported that Shah Rukh Khan and Mahira visited Morocco to shoot two Raees songs. “It was only for a couple of days as the team didn’t want people in India to know that they have shot the film there,” an insider revealed. “It was a small team along with the two actors. They were to shoot in Abu Dhabi but decided against it as too many people know Shah Rukh there. Now, only some patchwork is left that will be managed without Mahira in Mumbai,” the source went on to add.
From Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie to Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, some celebrated Hollywood couples called it quits this year. Same was the case with Bollywood, where a number of celebrity duos parted ways. But, the most shocking of them all was the divorce of Arbaaz Khan and Malaika Arora after 17 years of marriage. Here’s some shocking news. If reports are to be believed, Malaika has reportedly demanded an eye-watering sum as alimony. According to Miss Kyra, the Munni Badnaam Hui star has been demanding INR100 million to INR150 million in connection with their divorce proceedings. “That’s quite an amount no doubt, but Rs10 crore minimum is what Malaika wants. And she will not settle for anything lesser,” a source told the website. On a side note, rumours of Malaika’s alleged romance with actor Arjun Kapoor’s alleged have been doing rounds for some time now. In fact, their proximity was cited as one of the main reasons behind her split with Arbaaz.
A new photograph featuring superstar singer-actress Jennifer Lopez and rapper Drake striking a cosy pose has been generating much of late. Could this be a confirmation that they are dating each other? The photograph appeared on both of their Instagram pages on Wednesday morning, reports Dailymail. Lopez, 47, was the first to post the intimate photograph, which sees Drake, 30, wrapping both arms affectionately around her neck with one eye staring down the lens of the camera. Lopez, nestled in his grasp, seems more restful and is captured with her eyes closed. Rumours of a relationship emerged earlier this month when Drake attended two of Lopez’s Las Vegas concerts back-to-back and hosted an exclusive gathering that she went to. According to E! News, Rihanna – who happens to be Drake’s ex – recently hit Lopez with the dreaded unfollow on Instagram, causing many to believe the latter went against girl code and romanced her friend’s ex-boyfriend. AGENCIES
16 BUSINESS
Friday, 30 December, 2016
OGRA WORkS Out up tO RS6.93 hike in pOL pRiceS fOR JAn ISLAMABAD
WB’s regional advisor for South Asia meets Shehbaz Sharif
LAHORE: World Bank’s Advisor Regional Economic Corporation for South Asia, Haroon Sharif met Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday. Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, economy has been strengthened due to economic reforms of present government. International institutions are acknowledging the strengthened economy and increasing growth rate of Pakistan, he added. Shehbaz Sharif said that present government has adopted policy of zero tolerance against the corruption. He said that the effective steps have been taken for the eradication of corruption during the tenure of Nawaz Sharif, due to which, visible decrease has been noticed in the corruption which has been appreciated at local and international level. The chief minister said that culture of standard, speed and transparency has been promoted in the projects and national resources of billions of rupees have been saved; and they are being spent on the provision of quality facilities to the masses. He said that Punjab government has computerised land record of 55 million rural populations and the assistance of the World Bank is appreciable in this regard. Land Record Authority has also been set up to facilitate the process while Punjab government is also launching computerisation programme of the urban land. STAFF REPORT
AHMAD AHMADANI
t
HE Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has worked out an increase of up to Rs6.93 per liter in the prices of petroleum products, Pakistan Today learnt on Thursday. Sources disclosed to this scribe that the regulator (OGRA) has forwarded a working paper regarding oil prices for the next month to the ministry of petroleum and natural resources and recommended upward revision in the prices of petroleum oil and lubric a n t s (POL) products. However, final decision will be
taken by cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif before the start of the New Year. According to OGRA’s working paper, the sources said the price of petrol, mainly used in cars, may face a hike of 31paisa per litre, while the consumers of the High Speed Diesel (HSD), which is mostly used in the transport and agriculture sectors, may witness a hike of Rs 3.94 per liter, and the price of kerosene oil (SKO), used for cooking purposes in remote areas, to rise by Rs6.93 per litre in the next month. Similarly, the price of light diesel oil (LDO), mainly used for industrial purposes, may record an increase of Rs3.48 during the next month of January, they added. “Viewing political pressure, it is expected that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government will not approve hike as OGRA works
out in its working paper,” sources said, adding, “ The government has the capability to absorb the impact of the proposed increase in oil prices by adjusting tax rates on petroleum products”. Official sources on the condition of anonymity said that oil marketing companies (OMCs) have repeatedly asked the government to jack up the prices of petroleum products (POL) apparently to earn inventory gains. The finance ministry after getting consent from the premier will announce the future prices of POL products on 31st December, they added. Moreover, CNG prices have been increased by up to Rs3.5 per kg across Sindh – the first hike following the government’s decision to deregulate the country’s CNG market. CNG prices in Karachi as well as the rest of Sindh have now climbed to Rs 70-71 per kg following a hike of Rs 2.5-3.5 per kg. Earlier this month, the Ministry of Petroleum had issued a notice stating that C N G prices were now free from the OGRA regulation.
Admore geared to continue impressive growth trend KARACHI STAFF REPORT
A massive turnaround for Admore Gas (Private) Limited was planned and successfully executed in 2016, which included induction of highly qualified and experienced staff, optimisation and development of retail outlet network and the supply chain, up-gradation of existing storages, construction of new storage facilities and improved financial management. As a result, Admore Gas (Private) Limited displayed phenomenal growth in 2016, achieving a volume growth of a highly impressive 461pc, as the volumes in 2016 reached 174,000 metric tons as against 31,000 metric tons for the year 2015. Furthermore, in less than a year, Admore paid around Rs1 billion out of total defaulted legacy liabilities of Rs 2 billion, thereby clearing half of its financial liabili-
ties in a very short period of time. The company also undertook major capital expenditure to comprehensively build its storage capacity in the North and Southern regions of the country. It has extensively upgraded its Machike storage terminal in Punjab and is currently building its own storage facility in Daulatpur, Sindh, to cater to the retail network requirements in Upper Sindh and Baluchistan. The Daulatpur facility is scheduled for completion by January 31, 2017, the facility will have storage capacity of 3,200 metric tons with additional expansion capacity in future. Admore CEO Nadeem Jafarey commented on the company’s performance and future outlook that “Due to the Admore team’s dedicated efforts and our firm commitment to operational excellence, we have achieved many vital milestones this year. I am certain that as
SBp mops up Rs150 billion from market KARACHI: State Bank of Pakistan on Thursday mopped up Rs 150 billion from money market for one day through its open market operation. The rate of return accepted is 5.55 percent per annum, said SBP statement. APP
we continue to consistently implement our comprehensive development plans, we are fully geared to meet our business objectives and reach even greater heights in the coming year.” Admore plans to begin the New Year on a high note, and launch a complete ‘brand refresh’ on January 01, 2017, to reflect its new progressive outlook and updated identity. This endeavor will effectively communicate the company’s evolved brand vision, and provide greater value and a superior brand experience to its customers and stakeholders. The brand refresh includes the introduction of highly modernised and sophisticated branding material and equipment, which encompasses a brand-new visually aesthetic logo, an innovative look and design for the retail network and the launch of a new customer-centric website, newsletter and social media. The modernised look and design will be launched at 10 to 15 retail outlets nationwide, which will be progressively introduced throughout the 450-plus Admore retail sites over a period of time. The ‘brand refresh’ endeavor highlights Admore’s commitment to its core values of ‘ingenuity’ and ‘high performance’. Admore is focused on achieving sustainable growth in Pakistan through continuous efforts to provide world-class products and services to customers and building strong relationships with all the stakeholders in the industry.
WApDA to enhance Mangla generation capacity to 1310MW LAHORE: Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) is implementing Mangla Refurbishment Project with an approved PC-I cost of Rs 52.224 billion. During visit to Mangla dam on Thursday, WAPDA’s Chairman Muzammil Hussain said that the project, on its completion, would enhance generation capacity of the hydel power station from 1,000-megawatt (MW) to 1310-MW, thus registering an increase of 310-MW. According to a press release, the chairman had a detailed visit of the main dam, spillway, and the hydel power station. He also visited Khaliq Abad in the suburban area of Mirpur to check the reservoir rim, where project authorities have carried out rehabilitation work to strengthen the reservoir rim. The chairman said that the dam had been playing a pivotal role for socio-economic development of the country since its completion in 1967 by releasing the stored water for agriculture, mitigating floods and providing low-cost hydel electricity to the national grid. Referring to the refurbishment project, he said that WAPDA had devised a two-pronged strategy for optimal utilisation of hydropower resources. Under the strategy, WAPDA is not only initiating new hydropower projects but also rehabilitating and upgrading its existing hydel power stations to maximise the ratio of environment friendly and low-cost hydel electricity in the national grid. He directed the officials concerned to complete the project within the stipulated timeframe. APP
Gwadar’s master city plan to bring economic stability: Ahsan BEIJING APP
Minister for Planning, Development and Reform Ahsan Iqbal on Thursday said that master city plan and other developmental projects would bring socio-economic stability in the Gwadar. Addressing the 6th meeting of Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC), the minister highlighted the significance of Gwadar projects in the economic development of the country, said a statement received on Thursday.
He said that agreement on 300 MW power project has been signed and the project would be started soon. He also highlighted Gwadar water supply project, hospital and technical institute projects and stressed upon the timely completion of these projects to bring positive message of hope and support to the locals. Ahsan Iqbal appreciated the Chinese commitment to help and start the mass transit railway project in the provincial headquarters which will provide relief to the millions of people in the country.
The minister also appreciated the consideration and inclusion of projects proposed by the provinces in infrastructure and energy to harness different opportunities and development in various parts of Pakistan to pass on fruits of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to all the provinces and regions. He further said that one industrial zone in each province has been identified and selected on the basis of their market attraction and principles of business. Ahsan Iqbal said that three
years ago when China and Pakistan started the journey of the CPEC, there were many doubts about covering so much ground in very little time. He said that with the support of political leadership, hard work of officials of both countries, the CPEC has become the biggest project of regional connectivity in the world. The minister said that the CPEC has added more value to the friendship of China and Pakistan, adding that CPEC has improved the friendly relations between both countries.
BUSINESS 17
Friday, 30 December, 2016
KARACHI
p
ARSHAD HUSSAIN
AKISTAN Stock Exchange (PSX) performed well in 2016 and posted a gain of around 44 percent touching all times high KSE-100 index to 47,563 level mark yesterday, but closed at 47,666 points after adding 242 points on Thursday. There is a day of trading sessions left (Friday) about to close 2016. Despite net foreign selling of $327 million year to date (YTD), the market generated above average return due to ample local liquidity. Benchmark KSE-100 index outperformed MSCI Frontier Market that decreased by 2 percent in 2016 to date. “Autos has remained top performing sector posting market cap gains of 70 pc,” the analyst at Topline brokerage house said. Auto sector remained a key beneficiary of rising sales led by increased consumer demand, low gasoline pump prices, improving macros and multidecade low interest rates, he said. Pakistan has one of the lowest cars per 1000 (13 cars per thousand) consumption as compared to the regional peers. This will gradually increase to 20 cars per 1000 people by the end of 2021. Cement remained
pSX: AutO, ceMent BeSt SectORS in 2016 the second best performing sector posting return of 61 percent. Rising domestic demand and lower energy charges kept cement sector in the limelight. In 2017, this sector is likely to benefit from increased infrastructure spending on power projects, motorways and initiation of several private sector construction and housing projects. Oil and Gas Marketing (OMCs) also posted strong return during the period growing by 61 percent, mainly driven by strong oil sales led by low gasoline prices and rising auto sales. The analysts expect OMCs to remain in limelight in 2017 on the back of rising auto sales and increased oil demand. Oil sales will also likely to grow at a 3-year (FY2017-19) CAGR of 9 percent as compared to last 3-year average growth of 7 percent. Increasing investment in LNG infrastructure will also drive the profitability of gas
distribution companies, he added. Index Oil & Gas Exploration Sector (E&Ps) also remained in limelight on the back of sharp increase in international oil prices during the year. In 2016 to date, WTI crude prices have risen by 45 percent to $54/bbl. Pharmaceutical sector performed in line with benchmark index, rising sales in consumer division and improving margins have led to increased profitability of the sector. Banks having weight of 24 percent in KSE-100 index remained under performer as the sector posted gain of 29 percent. Major maturity of high yielding Pakistan Investment Bonds (PIBs) and decline in interest rates kept profitability and performance of the sector in check. The analysts expect interest rates to rebound from 2018, which will drive future profitability of the sector. Fertilisers sector posted a loss of 6 percent due to weak sector dynam-
ics as the sector continues to be plagued with weak demand and high inventory levels. The sector could remain under pressure going forward in the presence of high inventory levels, low international fertiliser price and weak farmer economics. If the government allows export of fertilisers, it could help to reduce inventory levels of the sector and which would help in cost savings but this is subject to the government’s approval, the analyst said. The analyst said “we have an ‘overweight’ stance on cements, consumers, autos, oil & gas marketing, and steel sectors for the next calendar year. These sectors would be the prime beneficiaries of rising domestic demand and expansion activities led by CPEC in 2017. Meanwhile, the banks and insurance companies will continue to benefit from the increased economic activity in 2017, he added.
KOHAT: A vendor roasts corn grains on Thursday to earn livelihood. ONLINE
CORPORATE CORNER nBp makes significant strides in pMYBL scheme as disbursements soar to Rs15 billion KARACHI: Loan disbursements of the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) under the Prime Minister Youth Business Loan (PMYBL) scheme rose to approximately Rs.15 billion with total number of borrowers exceeding 14,700 by December, 28 2016. “NBP effectively improved its internal processes for disbursement, and as a result we have witnessed significant growth in loan figures disburse under the PMYBL scheme,” said the NBP spokesperson. “Last year, the total portfolio of PMYBL Scheme of NBP was Rs. 6.25 billion and the total numbers of borrowers were 6,791.This year with 140 pc increase in loan portfolio size, a significant and impressive growth is witness in PMYBL scheme roll out through NBP. PRESS RELEASE
plan international pakistan provides platform for youth empowerment: imran Shami ISLAMABAD: A Conference on Opportunities and Challenges for Sindh in Vision 2025 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) “Making Youth Part of Policy Making Process” was organized by Plan International Pakistan in collaboration with SDG Watch Coalition Sindh Chapter. The objective of this conference was to create opportunities for young people to be involved in influencing, shaping, designing and contributing to policy and the development of services. This conference brought together Donors, CSOs, Policy makers, Policy practitioners and Youth representatives, who collectively showed their commitment towards achieving the sustainable development goals in Pakistan by 2030. “Young people have experiences unique to their situations, and they have views and ideas that derive from their experiences. They are social actors with skills and capacities to bring about constructive resolutions to their own problems”, said Imran Yusuf Shami, country director Plan International Pakistan in his message. Pakistan requires prioritizing of SDGs to articulate step-by-step advancement over the course of 15 years. The government has to develop SDGs national plans with national targets, integrating economic, social and environmental aspects to achieve sustainable development. PRESS RELEASE
MULTAN: A vendor arranges oranges to attract customers. ONLINE
Major Gainers COMPANY Unilever Foods Sanofi-Aventis Wyeth Pak Ltd Hinopak Motor Rafhan Maize
OPEN 5932.00 2720.00 4699.00 1650.00 8400.00
HIGH 5932.00 2720.41 4750.00 1731.69 8500.00
LOW 5932.00 2719.00 4699.00 1650.00 8400.00
CLOSE CHANGE TURNOVER 5932.00 282.00 20 2720.41 129.54 1,150 4725.00 119.24 520 1731.69 82.46 6,340 8480.00 80.00 200
4470.00 9100.00 2650.00 1230.01 925.00
4470.00 9000.00 2650.00 1230.00 925.00
4470.00 9000.00 2650.00 1230.00 925.00
-230.00 -145.71 -102.08 -60.00 -45.00
11.53 18.48 9.35 45.21 40.80
10.45 17.40 9.21 43.10 38.69
11.52 18.40 9.30 45.21 40.51
0.99 0.84 0.05 2.15 1.50
OMD wins pakistan Media Agency of the Year
Major Losers Bata (Pak) Nestle Pakistan Philip Morris Pak. Sapphire Tex. Sapphire Fiber
4470.00 9100.00 2650.00 1230.00 925.00
20 40 120 200 300
Volume Leaders Dost Steels Ltd. B.O.Punjab K-Electric Ltd. Fauji Cement Dewan Cement
10.60 17.69 9.25 43.10 39.00
Interbank Rates USD GBP JPY EURO
PKR 104.8549 PKR 128.5731 PKR 0.9007 PKR 109.7779
Forex Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar China Yuan Euro Japanese Yen Saudi Riyal U.A.E Dirham UK Pound Sterling US Dollar
BUY
SELL
76.75 79 15 112.25 0.88 28.7 29.5 132 108.25
77.55 79.85 15.15 113.45 0.91 28.9 29.75 133.75 108.55
40,103,500 35,027,500 28,457,000 21,396,000 19,969,000
new Year celebrations at Bahria town LAHORE: In line with its tradition, Bahria Town is arranging New Year Celebrations simultaneously at Bahria Town Icon near Abdullah Shah Ghazi Karachi, Eiffel Tower Bahria Town Lahore and Trafalgar Square Bahria Enclave Islamabad. These three events will feature beautiful fireworks, music and games to celebrate the arrival of 2017. The event at Eiffel Tower Lahore will include a special music concert featuring Humaira Arshad and other famous singers. Located on Shahrah-e-Firdousi, the 62-Storey Bahria Town Icon is the tallest and the most modern structure in Karachi. Eiffel Tower Bahria Town Lahore is the symbol of Bahria Town’s success. The Tower is the latest tourist attraction in Lahore. Owing to its unique concept and unrivalled amenities Bahria Enclave Islamabad is evolving into the most desired lifestyle destination all over Pakistan. Anticipating a huge response from Bahria Town residents and nonresidents Bahria Town administration is making special arrangements to facilitate the people to enjoy every moment of this New Year eve, at Bahria Town. PRESS RELEASE
KARACHI: OMD Pakistan, a part of the Omnicom Media Group, on November 30, 2016 won the title of ‘Pakistan Media Agency of the Year’ at the Campaign Asia-Pacific Agency of the Year Awards 2016. This is OMD Pakistan’s third consecutive award, but the first time as a winner of the Gold. OMD Pakistan achieved the accolade by demonstrating a strong business performance in 2016 - obtaining numerous top tier clients, whilst retaining 100% of its existing client base. The team takes pride in their creativity, innovation, service, transparency and commitment to its clients. Omnicom Media Group’s Asia Pacific CEO, Cheuk Chiang, said, “OMD Pakistan is a very strong force in our region and we couldn’t be prouder of their performance and growth this year”. OMD Asia Pacific CEO, Stephen Li, said, “OMD Pakistan has done it again and this time bagged the top, enviable title. We couldn’t be happier to raise the bar for ourselves every year. The award not only is a reflection on the agency’s performance but also mirrors the strong support of all their clients allowing them to indulge beyond the regular and deliver fearless creativity”. CEO OMD Pakistan, Dara Bashir Khan, commented, “Winning the Gold this time goes to show the trust and confidence our clients have in our abilities. PRESS RELEASE
18 SPORTS
Friday, 30 December, 2016
Pochettino flying high as sPurs sink 10-man southamPton SOUTHAMPTON
t
AGENCIES
OTTENHAM Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino is hoping that his latest victorious return to Southampton will have a similar effect on The Lilywhites’ season to the previous one. Spurs came back from behind on Wednesday to win 4-1 at St Mary’s and move to within a point of Arsenal in the fourth place. Pochettino, who left Saints to take over at Spurs in May 2014, saw his side beat his former employers 2-0 in December last year. That was the start of a sequence of results that saw Tottenham win eight of their next 10 Premier League games and lose just once, to eventual champions Leicester City, and therefore, Pochettino was hopeful that this victory would act as a springboard for another surge up the table. “Why not?” he said. “It has been a very good year for us, we have got 71 points over it and we are still fighting for
the big things. “It was an important three points for us. All the big sides above us all won their games and it was important to get the three points to keep our position in the table and have the possibility to move on.” Southampton took the lead after just 69 seconds through defender Virgil van Dijk but Dele Alli equalised in the 19th minute against the run of play. Harry Kane made it 2-1 from a corner seven minutes into the second half and Saints were reduced to 10 men soon after when Nathan Redmond was sent off for impeding Alli in the box. Kane missed the resulting penalty but late goals from substitute Son Heung-min and Alli added up to an emphatic victory. “In the first 10 minutes, we struggled to manage the game but we started to show our character and in the second half we were much, much, much better,” said Pochettino.”The win says a lot about our character and personality. I am very pleased, not only because we won but the character we showed coming back from 1-0 down so early.
“I don’t know if the sending off was a key action that changed the game because at that moment we were dominating the game and creating a lot of chances. It was difficult to see if it was a penalty or not but it was a very fair result.” Pochettino was also in charitable enough mood to forgive Kane for ballooning his penalty over the bar, with the England striker claiming the turf had subsided beneath his footing. “Harry Kane’s penalty was an accident, he put his left foot close to the ball and it went up, it was unbelievable,” Pochettino said. The result left Southampton in eighth and manager Claude Puel was not happy with referee Mike Dean for reaching for the red card to punish Redmond. “For me, from the bench it was just two players fighting for the ball and the red card changed the game,” he said. “We started with a very good opening 25 minutes. We could have scored another goal but after we had difficulties recovering the ball. “We tried at the start of the second
MatCh-fixers target young aussie stars on soCial Media
half to win the ball and have more opportunities but we conceded the second goal and after the red card it was not possible
to come back for us. “The red card was difficult to accept. It was a little hard.”
Jeetan Patel added to New Zealand squad for third ODI NEW ZEALAND AGENCIES
New Zealand offspinner Jeetan Patel has been added to the squad for the third ODI against Bangladesh in Nelson on Saturday. Keeping in view the sluggish nature of the Saxton Oval track and the presence of three left-handers in Bangladesh's top five, New Zealand coach Mike Hesson said Patel's was a horses-forcourses selection. Patel last played an ODI in 2009 - the Champions Trophy final at the Supersport Park. New Zealand's captain Kane Williamson had admitted that Patel was not on the radar of the selectors at the start of the season, but a side strain to Mark Craig in India in September 2016 paved the way for Patel's Test comeback after more
than three years. He claimed six wickets in two matches and found the optimum pace at Eden Gardens. In the same Test, he made a run-a-ball 47 to haul the team past 200. Right after the Indore Test, Patel took a match haul of seven wickets in Wellington'ssixwicket win over Auckland in the Plunkett Shield. He followed it with 11 wickets in the next three Plunkett Shield matches. So far, he has taken six wickets in eight games in the ongoing Super Smash at an economy rate of 7.51. "He has been bowling very well for the Wellington Firebirds in the McDonald's Super Smash and will be a welcome addition to the squad," Hesson said. Patel, who will join the team on Friday, will be the second front-line spinner in the squad alongside Mitchell Santner. New Zealand have already wrapped up the three-ODI series with a 67-run victory on Thursday.
Collapse was unexpected on flat wicket, says Mashrafe COURTESY ESPN AUSTRALIA AGENCIES
Australian cricketers are being approached on social media by international match-fixers looking to groom them. Cricket Australia says illegal foreign bookmakers and betting syndicates have begun targeting players online in attempts to corrupt the game here. Scores of rising young cricket stars, male and female, have been contacted via their social media accounts this summer by shady figures believed to be linked to the offshore fixers. Cricket Australia’s head of integrity, Iain Roy, said players in all formats of the game had been warned about match-fixers and spot-fixers preying on them. “We’ve had a number of approaches made on social media to players already this season,’’ Mr Roy said. “These include Twitter approaches asking for information about team selection, pitches and that sort of thing. “It seems that there has been an elevated level of approaches made to players on social media,’’ he said.
In-form Aussie cricketers vying for national selection or on the brink of Big Bash League careers have become a particular focus of the corruption push. Mr Roy revealed cricketers in all forms of the game had been briefed not to reply to suspicious online approaches and report the behaviour to the game’s governing body. “It’s a wide range, really, but the vast majority are essentially state players who might play in the Big Bash League this year,’’ he said. “The worst possible scenario would be that social media ¬approaches are being used by corrupters to try and groom players into doing favours for corruption groups outside Australia.’’ Cricket Australia would not say how many players had been approached, but said even promising juniors had also been sent messages via Facebook and Instagram. Cricket chiefs hold serious concerns about ¬illegal foreign bookmakers ¬operating here, especially in the Big Bash League, after a string of scandals in similar Twenty20 competitions overseas. “Match-fixers, spot-fixers and those people just want to receive
inside information so they can manipulate betting markets, it’s a big mess,’’ Mr Roy said. It is believed “pitchsiders” — who take advantage of time delays to feed match information overseas and manipulate live betting markets — are sending information to illegal bookmakers. “They are actually reporting it back up the chain to people who we think are involved in illegal bookmaking operations overseas, on the Indian subcontinent and in the United Arab Emirates,’’ he said. Wanted posters of suspected pitchsiders will be handed to security at Melbourne matches for the remainder of the summer, with staff trained to identify them in the stands. Any suspects will be handed over to the authorities. A man was ejected from an AustraliaNew Zealand one-day international in Canberra for pitchsiding this month. To further combat the problem, regulated Australian bookmakers such as TAB and CrownBet have linked with Cricket Australia to provide ¬information on any suspicious bets being laid.
Mashrafe Mortaza was left almost speechless after he saw Bangladesh's fifth batting meltdown of the year. The latest one, losing seven wickets for 56 runs in 14 overs, resulted in their 67-run loss to concede the series to New Zealand. Chasing 252, Sabbir Rahman's run-out in the 23rd over ended his 75-run second-wicket stand with Imrul Kayes, before Lockie Ferguson's yorker left Mahmudullah with little time to bring his bat down in time. The next three of the four wickets fell to the part-time offspin of New Zealand captain Kane Williamson; Shakib sliced a catch to short third man, Mosaddek handed one straight to mid-off and Tanbir Hayder was stumped. Mashrafe said that set batsmen like Kayes and Sabbir should have carried the innings more towards the target, but there was still hope with Shakib starting to get settled before he fell for 7. "Teams from the subcontinent who tour New Zealand look for the sort of opportunities that we got today," Mashrafe said. "In the first game we were in the game even
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though we had given away 40 runs too many. Today the batting collapse was unexpected because we were showing how flat the wicket was. We have let go of a big chance, and had we taken it, we could have played the next match comfortably. "Even after the run-out we had some of our successful players in the middle. But they couldn't click today. I wouldn't say we gifted them the wickets. I think we were hurrying to score runs but I think the batsmen can give you a better explanation. I think we could have been a lot more patient, especially after Imrul and Sabbir were getting into a flow. So there was a case of settling down again after spending a bit of time in the middle." The same theme had un-
folded recently in October when Bangladesh, placed comfortably at 271 for 4 chasing 310 against England in the first ODI, lost their last six wickets in 38 balls to fold for 288. Nine days earlier, Bangladesh had slipped from 138 for 4 to be bowled out for 208 in thesecond ODI against Afghanistan, who won the game by two wickets. In the first and third ODIs too, Bangladesh collapsed from positions of strength even though they ended up winning both games. These five collapses could be seen as a bug in the system that was first installed during the World T20 game against India in Bangalore, when needing two runs off the last three balls, they ended up losing by one run.
SPORTS 19
Friday, 30 December, 2016
PcB divided over kamran akmal’s inclusion in odi squad
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AMRAN Akmal may have impressed the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) selection committee with his outstanding domestic performances, but he is yet to convince the team management for his inclusion in the ODI squad for the Australia series next month. It has been reported in the media that the selection committee, headed by former captain Inzamamul Haq, has recommended players for the forthcoming five-match series in which they have put weight behind out-of-favour Kamran, who has not played for Pakistan since 2014 World T20 in Bangladesh. However, the team management has shown reluctance to include the seasoned cricketer. “The team management in Australia is opposing Kamran’s selec-
tion,” an official close to the matter was quoted as saying Wednesday. “They don’t see Kamran in their plans at the moment. With wicketkeeperbatsman Sarfraz Ahmed in great form and the top-order batsmen also performing well, the management doesn’t feel the need to include Kamran in the squad.” The selection committee, meanwhile, wants to reward Kamran for his brilliant performances in domestic cricket. He was the top scorer in the Quaid-eAzam Trophy, scoring 1,035 runs at an average of almost 80 runs per innings. The wicketkeeper is also showing good form in the ongoing National One-day Cup in which he has scored 244 runs, including a century and half-century from five
games. “The selection committee is still pushing for Kamran’s inclusion and they want him in the squad. The discussions are still under way and the decision is yet to be taken. Coach Mickey Arthur is not fond of recalling senior players and instead wants to try youngsters, a fact which may go against Kamran,” added the official. Kamran, 34, has been questioning his snub from the national team despite showing consistent performances in domestic cricket. The wicketkeeper reportedly also appealed to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to look into his case and ensure merit in the team’s selection. Meanwhile,
the selection committee has also recommended the names of fast-bowlers Mohammad Irfan, Junaid Khan and Sohail Tanvir for the series and one of them is likely to travel to Australia for the series. “Irfan is showing signs of good fitness in the National One-day Cup and the team management feels he can be effective in Australian conditions. Junaid and Tanvir’s selection is also under consideration by the team management after recommendations by the selection committee,” he added. Mohammad Hafeez, who has returned as an all-rounder in the ongoing National One-day Cup after getting the International Cricket Council’s clearance to bowl again, is also under consideration by the team management after getting go-ahead from the selection committee. The five-match series between Pakistan and Australia will start in Brisbane on January 13.
azhar ali, yasir shah undergo routine dope test ex-manchester city striker carlos tevez joins shanghai shenhua LONDON AGENCIES
Ex-Manchester City and United striker Carlos Tevez has signed for Chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenhua, the club confirmed on Thursday. Shanghai have signed the Argentina forward, 32, from Boca Juniors but no details were given over the contract. Shanghai, coached by ex-Brighton boss Gus Poyet, are reported to have agreed a deal worth £40m for Tevez including a salary in excess of £310,000 a week. Boca Juniors said: "Good luck Carlitos. You will always be in our hearts." Tevez played for seven years in the Premier League and won the title with both Manchester clubs. He also lifted the Champions League trophy with United in 2008 before joining Juventus in 2013, where he won two Italian championships.On 23 December Chelsea agreed terms with Shanghai SIPG for Brazil midfielder Oscar, 25, in a move that is estimated to cost £60m.
SPORTS DESK Double centurion Azhar Ali and leg-spinner Yasir Shah underwent dope tests during the third day of the second Test in Melbourne on Wednesday. According to Director Media of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the dope tests conducted on the players by the International Cricket Coun-
cil (ICC) are part of a routine and a report will be ready in two weeks. In December 2015, the ICC had charged Yasir Shah with an anti-doping rule violation after the leg-spinner tested positive for a prohibited substance. Yasir was handed a three-month suspension by the ICC after he pleaded guilty to breaching the ICC's Anti-Doping Code.
i tried to kill myself several times, says ricky hatton LONDON AGENCIES
Ex-world champion Ricky Hatton says he tried to kill himself on several occasions in a battle with depression. The Briton also talked about the need for boxers to get more help after retiring, when he appeared on BBC Radio 4's Today show, guest edited by Olympic boxing champion Nicola Adams. "I tried to kill myself several times," said Hatton, 38, who retired in 2012. "I used to go to the pub, come back, take the knife out and sit there in the dark crying hysterically." Manchester's Hatton, who previously spoke to the BBC in 2011 about attempted suicide and depression, won the world light-welterweight and welterweight titles. Hatton was stripped of his licence to box in 2010 after admitting using cocaineand retired the next year before fighting once more. He is now a promoter and trainer. He continued: "There were times when I hadn't had a drink for days and I'd still come home and if something went through my mind I'd start pondering something. It was the same outcome whether I was having a drink or wasn't having a drink. "But in the end I thought I'll end up drinking myself to death because I was so miserable. "I was coming off the rails with my drinking and that led to drugs. It was like a runaway train." 'More should be done to help boxers' Former world champion Barry McGuigan told BBC Radio 5 live in October that boxing authorities should fund a new foundation to help fighters with mental health issues. And Hatton feels "more should be done for boxers" with depression, with ex-world champions Tyson Fury andFrank Bruno among other Britons to have suffered with the illness. "Footballers have an agent who looks out for them and a football club that gets behind them. The Football Association and the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) can also be there," added Hatton. "Whereas boxers, it's like once your time has gone it's 'on your way' and move on to the next champion coming through. "The thing is with boxers, we don't come from Cambridge and places like that, we come from council estates. So in boxing it's very, very hard. If boxing had a professional boxing association or something like that, I think it would be a better place. "It seems to be happening more with boxers. It's an individual sport so you get in the ring on your own and then when you retire you tend to spend the rest of your life on your own." 'What Fury said was heartbreaking' Fury vacated his WBO and WBA world heavyweight titles in October to deal with his "medical treatment and recovery".
lyon hasn't bowled 'at his best', says sMith COURTESY ESPN Australia's captain Steven Smith has declined to name Nathan Lyon a certain starter for the Sydney Test, declaring that Australia needed greater consistency from the offspinner. Lyon is the most experienced member of Australia's current Test side and the country's most prolific Test offspinner of all time, yet this summer he has struggled for impact and has taken nine wickets at 66.66 during five Tests so far. In Pakistan's first inningsat the MCG, Lyon took 1 for 115 from 23 overs, his figures ballooning as Pakistan chased quick late runs on day three. "I'm not sure. That's up to the selectors," Smith said when asked if Lyon was an automatic selection for the Sydney Test. "He obviously hasn't bowled at his best in this game. It's always difficult bowling to lots of right-handers. "And they [Pakistan] play spin pretty well. It's never easy bowling against subcontinent players when the ball isn't doing a lot off the wicket as well. I guess we're
just looking for Nathan to be a little bit more consistent in the way he bowls." Although the SCG has offered significant turn in some Sheffield Shield matches this summer, it is actually Lyon's worst Test venue in Australia in terms of his bowling average. In five Tests in Sydney, Lyon has picked up 13 wickets at 54.15. His overall first-class record at the ground does not make for pretty reading either, with a total of 14 wickets at 64.85 from seven games. Australia are expected to name their squad for the Sydney Test on Friday, after the conclusion of the Melbourne Test, and Smith said there was "a good chance" that more than one spinner would be included. Left-armer Steve O'Keefe would appear the logical candidate for a recall, with Jon Holland currently sidelined by an ankle injury. It is not out of the question that the selectors could consider a spin-bowling allrounder, with Ashton Agar and Glenn Maxwell potential contenders, although the more likely scenario is to again include a seaming allrounder. Hilton Cartwright was 12th man for the Boxing
Day Test, and could yet be considered for a debut in Sydney. That decision may in part come down to how the fast bowlers, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood especially, fare after the Melbourne Test. Both men have sent down more than 200 overs during the home Test summer and the short turnaround between Melbourne and Sydney could enter the thinking of the selectors. "They have done some bowling," Smith said. "It's obviously been a pretty big summer for them as well - six Test matches is always a lot. They've done some yards, which is a little concerning. But I think they're pretty confident in their bodies at the moment that everything's going okay. "At the end of this Test match is another opportunity for us to sum up where they're at. They might not end up bowling much, or at all, tomorrow. We're going to have to sum that up and see how they pull up after this Test match to see what happens in the next Test match. "We're going to have to weigh that up. We've got Hilton here. We had him in
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here as cover for those quicks who had a big workload last week. They were confident this week of being able to get
through and get the job done. It's going to be about summing it up and seeing where they're at after this Test match."
SPORTS Friday, 30 December, 2016
MELBoURNE
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USTRALIA skipper Steve Smith scored his 17th Test century on Thursday before a storm stopped the play on day four of the second Test against Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Smith cut Sohail Khan for three through the off-side to bring up his fourth Test hundred of the year and help build a 22-run lead over the tourists when the early tea was called. He was unbeaten on 100 with Mitchell Starc not out seven in Australia’s 465 for six. The umpires took the players from the field just before a storm lashed the MCG, as no further play was possible in the day. Under pressure after scores of 0, 1 and 4 in his three Test innings, Maddinson advanced down the wicket but failed to get to the pitch of the ball and was cleaned up. Wicketkeeper Wade again missed out, this time he was caught in the slips off a slash outside off-stump on the bowling of Sohail Khan for just nine. Wade, like Maddinson, has struggled for runs since his recall in the Test squad last month and has scores of 4, 7, 1 not out and now 9 in his four innings this season.
Storm haltS auStralia'S CHARGE AGAINST PAKISTAN Azhar Ali, who scored an unbeaten 205 in Pakistan’s first innings, was fielding close in at short leg when he received a fearsome blow on the helmet off Wade’s full-blooded pull shot and was taken from the field for observation. Usman Khawaja was dismissed on 97 for the second time this season when he played away from his body and edged Wahab Riaz to wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed. He faced 12 balls for two runs Thursday before he was out in the day’s fifth over and left the ground with his head bowed. Khawaja also missed out on a century against South Africa in the second innings of the last month’s first Test in Perth. Peter Handscomb claimed his third
half-century in his three Tests to push along the Australia scoring. He was dropped off a sharp caughtand-bowled chance by Mohammad Amir on 51, but three runs later he found Sami Aslam at point off Sohail. Handscomb, playing on his home pitch, added 92 runs with Smith off 141 balls. Paceman Riaz continued to have problems bowling noballs and has overstepped 12 times in the 27 overs he has bowled so far. The hosts lost the wickets of underpressure pair Nic Maddinson and Matthew Wade in the middle session. Maddinson, fighting to nail down his Test spot, failed again as he was deceived by leg-spinner Yasir Shah’s flight and was bowled off-stump for 22 off 55 balls.
Broom'S maiden odi ton azhar ali suffers nasty blow on helmet
leads New Zealand to 67-run win over Bangladesh
SpoRtS dESk Pakistani middle-order batsman and first innings hero Azhar Ali suffered a nasty blow on his helmet while fielding at shortleg during the fourth day of the second Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Thursday. The incident took place in the 109th over of the Australian innings, as the first innings double-centurion was hit off a pull shot by wicketkeeper Mathew Wade, after which he fell on the ground and were taken off the field for further treatment. Azhar became the first Pakistan to score a double century on Australia soil in the first innings, whereas he also became the first Asian to score double-ton at the MCG. He also became the first foreign player to score a double-ton at the venue in more than three decades.
Basit ali allegedly slaps ex-cricketer over tV criticism
SpoRtS dESk Former cricketer Basit Ali has been accused of slapping a fellow former cricketer Mahmood Hamid in alleged retaliation over some criticism directed at him during a recent TV show. Hamid, the complainant, has claimed that he had questioned Basit’s selection policy on TV, at which Basit got so enraged that he slapped him when the two crossed paths during the National One-Day Cup match between SNGPL and SSGC at the National Stadium in Karachi. In a video message, the victim says that if Basit disagreed with his viewpoint, he should have presented his rebuttals on TV instead of getting physical with him. “The SNGPL coach Basit Ali is a thug; he can criticise anyone, but when his own conduct is questioned, he can’t take it,” said a visibly upset Hamid. “Attiquz Zaman is witness that he raised his hand on me when the only thing I did was question his selection criteria,” he added. “I did not retaliate because I am an educated person, but I will take up this matter with PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan and I will also ask him why he has appointed a person who has a tainted past and can’t handle criticism.”
NELSoN AGENCIES
Neil Broom’s maiden century and the self-belief of Kane Williamson gave New Zealand a 67-run victory over Bangladesh to take the second one-day international and the series in Nelson on Thursday. Bangladesh suffered a dramatic meltdown when they were cruising towards what should have been a comfortable victory after Broom’s unbeaten 109 was the only significant score in New Zealand’s 251. The tourists reached 104 for one in the 23rd over and were all out for 184 by the 43rd, losing their last nine wickets for 80 runs. The win, following New Zealand’s 77-run victory in the first match, gives the home side an unbeatable 2-0 lead with one match remaining, which will also going to be played in Nelson on Saturday.
With New Zealand’s frontline bowlers struggled for consistency at the start of the Bangladesh innings, skipper and part-time spinner Williamson put himself into the attack as the seventh bowler and claimed three for 22 with his looping off-breaks. It was the breakthrough New Zealand needed after Imrul Kayes, Tamim Iqbal and Sabbir Rahman had given Bangladesh a solid start to their chase. Tamim produced a quick 16 and Imrul (59) and Sabbir (38) kept the scoreboard ticking over at a constant rate. But after Imrul brought the 100 up with a huge six off Jimmy Neesham, Sabbir was run out in bizarre fashion as he turned back going for a single and both batsmen raced for the non-striker’s end. Imrul believed he lost the race and headed for the dressing room only to be recalled when television
replays showed Sabbir had grounded his bat second. It was the start of the Bangladesh downfall with Lockie Ferguson, who dropped a sitter from Imrul on 45, bowling new batsman Mahmudullah for one with a yorker. Williamson then entered the attack to remove Shakib Al Hasan (7), Mosaddek Hossain (3) and Tanveer Haider (2). Debutant Nurul Hasan, standing in for injured wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim, dragged the innings out with 24 before being the last wicket to fall. Bangladesh, in an unorthodox reaction to losing the first ODI, injected three debutants into their side. Along with Nurul, who capped his game with the smart stumping of Neesham and two sharp catches, speedster Subashis Roy took the wicket of Mitchell Santner and Tanveer took a catch to remove New Zealand’s Luke Ronchi for 35. Ronchi was the second best performer for New Zealand in the batting department and featured in a 64-run stand with Broom for the sixth wicket. New Zealand were sent into bat after Bangladesh captain Mushrafe Mortaza won the toss and decided to make early use of heavily overcast conditions. By the time the clouds dispersed, the New Zealand top order with the exception of Broom, were already out and the tail struggled to pick up the pace. Mashrafe Mortaza led the Bangladesh bowling figures with three for 49.
Karachi gets its first high performance cricket academy SpoRtS dESk PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan and Executive Committee chairman Najam Sethi on Thursday inaugurated Karachi’s first-ever PCB-owned cricket academy in the vicinity of the National Stadium of Karachi. Named the Hanif Mohammad High Performance Sports Centre as a tribute to the deceased legend, the academy in Shaharyar’s own words is a ‘state of the art’ facility, which he claimed is even better than Lahore’s National Cricket Academy. “Today is a big day as it was my lifelong dream to have an academy in the country’s biggest cricketing city. The accommodation room, gym and swimming and media centre here are befitting of Karachi’s size and stature,” said the PCB supremo. “Like Lahore and Multan’s, this academy can also accommodate foreign players, which is important as we expect international cricket to return to Pakistan in 2017.” Shaharyar continued: “This is just the beginning as we plan on setting up similar high performance centres in other major cities such as Bahawalpur, Peshawar and Rawalpindi next year. He further revealed that plans to launch mobile academies — a brainchild of NCA director Mudassar Nazar — is also in the works, with Nankana Sahib likely to be its first beneficiary. Sethi’s talk, meanwhile, revolved mostly around the Pakistan Super League (PSL), saying that the infant league should be safeguarded from controversies as it is a national asset. He disclosed that the plans to hold the 2017 PSL final in Lahore hasn’t been shelved and that interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has promised that Pakistan Rangers will be deployed during the final to ensure security. Sethi also debunked the circulating theory that the PSL will in the future be turned into a separate entity, reiterating that the league will continue to be owned by the PCB.
FORMER WORLD NO 1 ANA IVANOVIC RETIRES SERBIA AGENCIES
Former world No 1 Ana Ivanovic on Wednesday announced her retirement from tennis, admitting that the physical toll of the circuit had proved too much. The 29-year-old Serbian held the top spot for 12 weeks in 2008, the season when she claimed her sole Grand Slam success by winning the French Open. "I've decided to retire from professional tennis," announced Ivanovic after a 13-year career. "It has been a difficult decision, but there's so much to celebrate." The Serb added: "I was ranked number one in the world and won Roland Garros in 2008. I've seen the highs I never dreamt of achieving.
"I won 15 WTA Tour singles titles, I played in three Grand Slam finals and a Fed Cup final and played so many memorable matches. "But seeing those 'highs' in any professional sport requires
top physical form and it's well known that I've been hampered by injury. "I can only play if I can perform up to my own high standard and I can no longer do that so it's time to move on."
Published by Arif Nizami at Qandeel Printing Press, 4 Queens Road, Lahore.
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Ivanovic's last outing was a firstround loss at the US Open in September, a result that saw her drop out of the top 50 for the first times since 2010. She announced at the time that she had taken the decision to stop playing until 2017 on medical advice over a recurring wrist injury, with a problematic toe also needing surgery. WTA chairman Steve Simon called Ivanovic a "true champion and a great ambassador for the sport of women's tennis". "She has contributed greatly to the entire sport, both in her home country of Serbia and across the globe," Simon said. "She will certainly be missed on our tour as she is not only one of a very select few that achieved the WTA No 1 ranking but is also one of the most respected players on Tour."