E-paper PakistanToday 15th August, 2012

Layout 19 pages ISB_Layout 1 8/15/2012 10:02 AM Page 1

Free and Fair: Saudi arabia to build a women-only city

Zardari likely to meet Obama in new York next month PAGE |19

indian model stumps Pakistani umpire with sex charges

PAGE |04

Rs 15.00 Vol iii no 50 24 pages islamabad — peshawar edition

PAGE |02

Wednesday, 15 august, 2012 Ramadan 26, 1433

PM urges Opp pakistan ready for NWa offensive to cooperate for smooth transition g

panetta says main target of new action might not be Haqqanis but pakistani Taliban WASHINGTON AGENCIES

ashraf hopes all state institutions will perform within their ambits g Only Seraiki province to be formed in South punjab g

US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has said the Pakistan Army recently indicated it would begin combat operations in North Waziristan Agency, which US considers as a haven for al Qaeda-affiliated militants.

Panetta on Monday night said Pakistan’s military leadership gave word of the planned operation in recent conversations with the top American commander in Afghanistan, Gen John Allen.

A week ago, some reports did take rounds that the joint operations had been discussed during Inter-Services Intelligence chief Lt Gen Zaheer Ul Islam’s meetings with Central Intelligence Agency and US

military officials during his Washington visit. A report said Gen John Allen, commander of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, also discussed the matter during a meeting with Pakistan Army chief Gen Ashfaq Kayani in Rawalpindi last week.

However, Pakistan’s military leadership declared all such reports baseless, saying it was not mounting joint operations with the US against Haqqani fighters holed up in North Waziristan and it alone would decide when to conduct campaigns within Pakistani territory.

“Coordinated actions on the respective side of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, being part of routine, should not be mistaken for joint operations,” the military official said. Panetta said he did not know when the Pakistani op-

eration would start, but said he understands it will be in the “near future”, and that the main target would be the Pakistani Taliban, rather than the Haqqani network.

Panetta welcomed Kayani’s ini-

tiative, even though the main target may not be the Haqqani leadership.

“They’ve talked about it for a long time. Frankly, I’d lost hope that they were going do anything about it. But it does appear that they in fact are going to take that step.”

Panetta also revealed that the US was providing additional military assistance to peacekeeping forces in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula in order to strengthen security in the region.

But he said that so far the Pentagon had not moved to send additional US troops to the Sinai. “We just want to make sure that we know how those forces are deployed in order to insure that we can more effectively go after those terrorists that would try to create an incident or terrorist act,” Panetta said.

ISLAMABAD TAyyAB HuSSAIN

Citing democracy as the solution for all of the problems facing Pakistan, Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf on Tuesday called on the opposition to cooperate with the Pakistan People’s Party-led government to ensure free and fair polls and a smooth transition of power.

“A strong democratic setup alone can resolve all the issues facing Pakistan and ensure the country’s progress and prosperity,” Ashraf said in his speech at the flag hoisting ceremony on the 65th anniversary of the country’s creation.

He said said the government wanted to promote cordial relations among all national institutions, including the judiciary. “We hope all institutions will perform their duties within their ambits,” he added.

The prime minister outlined major aspects of his government’s futuristic plan on a host of issues, including next elections, relations with neighboring countries and other important policy issues. Ashraf gave references to several steps his government had taken to improve situation and meet challenges. He rebuffed media speculations about a possible announcement of a cut-date for holding next general election and possible caretaker setup, leaving with him political space for holding a dialogue with the opposition parties over the issue. Ashraf, however, blamed India for using “delaying tactics” on Kashmir issue hinting that the PPP government was not happy with the cold response from Indian government in the talks’ process.

The PM made specific comments about the ongoing covert talks between his party and the Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz and said the opposition had an important role in any democratic system. “We believe in useful dialogue with the opposition on all issues of national importance, including the formation of a caretaker government, so that important national issues are resolved through consensus and the supremacy of democracy is ensured. We have extended the offer of dialogue to all political parties and hope that the political leaders will realise their national responsibility and cooperate with the government,” he said.

“We give importance to the positive role of opposition. For holding an impartial and transparent general election, we are taking the opposition into confidence, and for this we have taken a start with the consensus appointment of chief election commissioner.” He said his government wanted an impartial and transparent election, “so that transfer of power takes place in a democratic way, which would be a big success for the continuity of democracy in the country”. Ashraf hoped that all political parties would fully participate in the next general elections and would play their role for the continuity of democracy.

New ProviNces: About formation of new provinces, Ashraf again rebutted official announcements being made by the Presidency and said only one new province would be made – Seraiki province. He said south Punjab had been neglected in the past in terms of development due to which the area not only remained under-developed but it also created a sense of deprivation among the people.

“We believe that the best solution to eliminate the sense of deprivation among the people of this area lies in their autonomy. The establishment of a new province in south Punjab would fulfill the longstanding demand of the people of that area. We have taken practical steps in this respect by adopting a resolution in the National Assembly in the favor of Seraiki Province. Insha Allah, the longstanding demand of Seraiki people will soon be realized” the PM said.

Continued on page 04

WAGHA: Pakistani Rangers and Indian Border Security Force personnel perform the flag off ceremony at the India-Pakistan border checkpoint on Tuesday.

Pakistan celebrates its Independence Day on August 14 and India on August 15 afp

5 troops, 30 militants killed in Orakzai ORAKZAI

FILE PHOTO

AGENCIES

At least five army soldiers were martyred and 13 others injured in a clash with militants in a remote area of Orakzai Agency on Tuesday.

Military sources said 30 insurgents were also killed in army’s retaliation following the clash in the Dolnai area of Orakzai close to the Afghan border. “Eighteen security personnel were also wounded in the clash,” sources said.

The operation to drive the militants out from the area and retake control of important mountain heights had been successful, another official said. It was not possible to confirm the death toll independently because the remote district is inaccessible to media and aid workers.

Orakzai is one of seven tribal agencies in Pakistan’s semi-au-

tonomous tribal belt, where Taliban and al Qaeda-linked militants have carved out strongholds used to plot attacks on Pakistan.

Several militant groups are active in the northwestern semi-autonomous tribal regions, near the border with Afghanistan, including

the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), responsible for many of the bombings across the country in recent years.

Layout 19 pages ISB_Layout 1 8/15/2012 10:02 AM Page 2

02 News neWS

Health Dept plans special polio campaign in KP from 27th

Today’s

cARtoon

infotAinMent Things you don’t know about the Mighty Titanic

Quick Look

on Page 11

Story on Page 05

g

Minorities that formed five percent of the Pakistani populace in 1947 are now 3.5 percent

A

NEWS DESK

CCORDING to the first census held after the independence of Pakistan in 1951, five percent of the 34 million people residing in what now constitutes Pakistan (former West Pakistan) were minorities.

But in today’s population of 180 million, the country’s non-Muslim population, including Ahmedis, has declined to only three and a half percent, according to a BBC Urdu report.

This dramatic decline brings into one’s mind the question: how and why it so happened?

It is commonly held that more than around 1,500 Jews lived in Karachi and Peshawar in 1947, but within the next five years, all of Pakistani Jews migrated to Israel. At the time of partition, about 10,000 Parsi inhabitants lived in Karachi and Lahore, but it is almost impossible to find even 45 Parsis in Lahore nowadays, whereas those in Karachi are mostly above the age of sixty.

Owing to the ever-changing domestic situation, the younger generations of minorities have either migrated or are in the process of immigrating to the Europe or US. About 20,000 Goanese Roman Catholics lived in Karachi when the British left the subcontinent – they had migrated from Goa to Karachi. Education, office work, music and cooking were some of the fields these Goanese were skilled in and hundreds of them could be seen walking leisurely in Karachi’s Saddar area in the evenings.

But instead of their number going up,

Story on Page 14

only 10,000 of them are now left, and one is almost clueless where these 10,000 people now reside in the city of about 18 million.

The Hindus constitute the biggest nonMuslim minority in Pakistan. Notwithstanding this fact, Sikhs find a more polite and accommodative Muslim society than do the Hindus. Local Muslims take an interest in interacting with the Sikhs, their behavior towards them based on curiosity.

Although a feeling of insecurity was suddenly aroused among 20,000 Pakistani Sikhs when four Sikhs were kidnapped two years ago – two of whom were beheaded later – by the Taliban in Khyber agency, the Sikh community has generally had no major complaints living in Pakistan, with the exception of one or two cases of the majority’s claim over their property and lands.

A majority of the Sikhs lives in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Nankana Sahib, with most of them placed in the professions of the traditional medicine (hikmat), agriculture, small merchandise, etc. It is interesting to see, however, that some of them are even the media’s “poster-boys”.

Whenever a media channel has to make some report on the religious co-existence in Pakistan, the producers always make sure to include some footages of Member Punjab Assembly Kalyan Singh Kalyan or the first Sikh warden Gulab Singh of the Lahore Traffic Police or the first Sikh to be inducted in the Pakistan Army Harcharan Singh. A clip from the music album of pop-singer Jassi Layalpuria would also suffice for the creative appetite of such producers.

According to the most recent census, about three million Hindus live in Pakistan.

The Pakistan Hindu Council, however, takes the number up to more than seven million.

Ninety-four percent of the Pakistani Hindus live in Sindh alone.

The Hindu community has had to face serious problems since the partition, especially at four particular junctures due to specific events involving the Hindu-majority neighbor India.

During the 1965 war, more than 10,000

thousand Hindus migrated to India leaving all their properties and possessions in Pakistan.

During the 1971 war, and right after it, more than 90,000 Hindus were taken into the Indian refugee camps in Rajhastan from Tharparkar (Sindh) which had come under the Indian military’s occupation.

They were not allowed even to leave these camps until 1978. Many wanted to return to Pakistan, but the in-power Bhutto government, though it managed to gain the occupied territory back, never showed any interest in getting these citizens of Pakistan back.

Neither succeeding governments nor anyone else ever tried to impress upon the Indian government to allow those Pakistani Hindus living in refugee camps return.

Then, during the Babri Masjid tragedy, almost 17,000 Pakistani Hindus migrated to India owing to the bitterness which the incident ignited in Pakistan. This time, the majority of the migrants was from Punjab.

The Hindus who went to India during the 1965 and 1971 war were at last given the Indian citizenship in 2004, but those who left Pakistan in the consequence of the Babri Mosque incident were not so lucky to achieve the desired goal. Even today, more than 1,000 Hindu families in Indian Punjab are living with Pakistani passports, without ever abandoning their demands of getting the Indian citizenship.

Now, the Pakistani Hindu community has been cast under the shadow of fear with lawlessness in Balochistan, alarming rate of kidnappings in northern Sindh, confiscation of their properties, rise in religious fundamentalism and forced conversions of young Hindu girls to Islam.

The Christian community, the second biggest minority in Pakistan after the Hindus, consists of about quarter to two percent of Pakistan’s population. Nazir Bhatti, leader of an organization called the Pakistan Christian Congress, commenting on the Hindus leaving for India said while they (Hindus) could go to India, “where are we to go…”.

ISaf rules out operations Indian model stumps Pakistani umpire with sex charges Leena Kapoor says Asad Rauf promised to marry her but is now avoiding contact inside pakistan g

MONITORING DESK

KABUL NNI

The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) has rejected some Afghan media reports that NATO-led troops were planning to conduct joint operations with the Pakistani military inside that country.

“This is not true. ISAF, by its mandate, is only permitted to conduct operations inside Afghanistan,” said Brig Gen Gunter Katz, the spokesperson for multinational force.

Earlier, some media outlets, citing a recent meeting between Wolesi Jirga Speaker Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi and ISAF Commander Gen John R Allen, hinted at the joint cross-border offensive.

Wednesday, 15 August, 2012

Katz said the meeting was incorrectly reported. “ISAF continues to dialogue with the Pakistani military through the Tripartite Commission on ways to improve the security situation along the Afghan-Pakistan border.”

Part of this effort included discussion on coordinating ISAF and Pakistani military operations on their respective sides of the border, as well as establishing border coordination centers, he explained.

“But ISAF forces are not planning to conduct operations inside Pakistan,” the spokesman reiterated, saying Allen and Ibrahimi discussed recent cross-border fire in Kunar. They agreed that this issue must be brought to the Tripartite Commission.

An Indian model from a Mumbai neighborhood has accused Pakistani cricketer turned umpire Asad Rauf of exploiting her sexually for months after promising he would marry her, according to a NDTV report on Tuesday.

The model Leena Kapoor, in a written complaint to the police, alleged that she had met the former cricketer in Sri Lanka a few months ago after which they spent a few days together.

The complainant alleged that Rauf told her he would marry her and would also get her an apartment. She said that he did disclose his marital status and the fact that he had children but added that religion allowed him to have more than one wife.

As per the complaint, they met after that many times, including during the Indian Premiere League (IPL), after which he had, when asked about marriage, said that “it would happen soon”.

The complaint stated that when she called him a few days ago, he did not respond and around five days back, he refused to have any future interactions, allegedly saying he did not know her.

On the other hand, Rauf has denied the allegation, saying he did not have any sexual relation with the complainant.

He said that Leena Kapoor was making false accusations against her for “cheap publicity” and he was in consultation with his lawyer over the course of action in this regard.

Layout 19 pages ISB_Layout 1 8/15/2012 10:03 AM Page 3

News 03 ARtS & enteRtAinMent

iSLAMAbAd

SPoRtS

Pooja wants Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor for next

Gardeners finally get their salaries

olympic flag arrives in Rio, host of 2016 Games

editoRiAL I-Day introspections: Democracy is the way to go.

coMMent Dr Hasan Askari Rizvi says; August debates: Every year this month, we have the same arguments, the same reflections...

Kuldip Nayar says; Anna in politics?: He needs to be circumspect.

Story on Page

Story on Page 13

Story on Page 15

Articles on Page 14

Nation celebrates 65th Independence Day with fervour

KARACHI: Pakistan Navy cadets assume guard duties at the mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah on Independence Day on Tuesday. afp

ISLAMABAD NNI

Balochistan blocks cell phone services on Independence Day

World needs tolerance to overcome divisions: Sherry WASHINGTON SPECIAl CoRRESPoNDENT

F

qUETTA STAFF REPoRT

The Balochistan government blocked cell phone services in Quetta and its surrounding areas on Independence Day in light of the security situation in the province on Tuesday. Security sources said that services were blocked to cut off communication capabilities of “miscreants and terrorists”. Residents of the city and surrounding areas were reported to be facing hardships after services had been suspended early Tuesday. The provincial government has also taken strict security measures to maintain law and order. The Balochistan Constabulary and FC personnel have been deployed at sensitive sites and government buildings in the city. The provincial government had earlier shut down cellular services on March 23 (Pakistan Day) this year. Officials had then also claimed that the action had been taken to keep a check on militants in the province. Bomb blasts and attacks on security personnel and civilians are frequent in province. At least 12 people had been wounded in a blast near a restaurant where people had gathered to celebrate Independence Day in Quetta late Monday night.

OSTERING tolerance and mutual understanding will be the key to overcoming turmoil and frictions afflicting the world, Pakistan’s top diplomat in Washington emphasized to an unprecedented gathering of leading interfaith voices.

Speaking at the Iftar event, hosed on the eve Pakistan’s 65th Independence Day at the embassy, Ambassador Sherry Rehman also underlined Islam’s message of moderation and brotherhood and Islamabad’s commitment to Quaid-e-Azam’s ideals of coexistence and mutual respect.

The event at the Pakistani embassy was attended by leading Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, and Muslim religious leaders, with all of them wishing love, peaceful coexistence and understanding as they prayed on the occasion, drawing on humanist teachings common to all faiths.

The religious leaders included Rev. William Aiken, Rev. Dr. Carol Flett, Nepalese ambassador to the United State Shankar Prasad Sharma, Rev. William Sachs, Dr. Rajwant Singh, Rabbi Bruce Lustig, Dr. Mohamed Elsanousi and Imam Majid.

Also in attendance were members of American intelligentsia including think tanks, interfaith institutions, senior diplomats from the embassies of Italy and Sri Lanka, former US ambassadors including Ambassador Wendy Chamberlin, Amassador Howard and Teresita Schaffer, Ambassador John McDonald, and Emre Celik, President of Rumi Forum, representatives of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, human rights organizations as well as religious and community leaders.

In her speech, the Pakistani envoy said at this moment in human history, religion should serve as a binding force for post-modern societies, acting as a moderating, civilizing guide to public and private interactions.

Instead of being hijacked by

extremists, “our faiths should be the beacon of hope against crisis and brutality,” she said.

“For societies that uphold religion and the civilizing force it is meant to be, tolerance is the most needed value for a world pulled in multiple directions,” M s Rehman said.

The nation celebrated the 65th Independence Day on Tuesday with a pledge to working for the progress and prosperity of the country and strengthening democracy.

The day dawned with 31-gun salute in the federal capital and 21 gun-salute at all provincial capitals.

Special prayers were offered for the prosperity‚ integrity and solidarity of the country.

A smartly-dressed contingent of the Pakistan Naval Academy took over guard duty at a change of guard ceremony at Quaid-e-Azam’s mausoleum in Karachi in the morning. Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad and Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah were the chief guests.

In Lahore, a special flag-hoisting ceremony was held at Wagah border.

The Punjab Rangers unfurled the Pakistan flag. A large number of people attended the ceremony and chanted slogans and sang national songs to express their love for the country. Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif visited the mausoleum of Allam Iqbal to pay homage to the national poet.

In Peshawar‚ Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Amir Haider Khan Hoti hoisted the flag at Police Lines.

Several provincial minister‚ MPAs‚ civil and military officers and elite of the town attended the ceremony.

Armed forces celebrAte: With the rest of their countrymen, the Armed Forces of Pakistan celebrated the 65th Independence Day with zeal and fervor. According to a press release by the InterServices Public Relations (ISPR), a 31-gun salute was presented in the federal capital, and a 21-gun salute in the provincial capitals, Peshawar, Lahore, Karachi, Quetta, Gilgit and Muzaffarabad. Special prayers were offered after Fajar prayers for the progress, solidarity and prosperity of Pakistan in all the units of Army, Navy and Air Force. National flag hoisting ceremonies were held at the Joint Staff Headquarters, General Headquarters, Services Headquarters, all Corps Headquarters, Formations, Static Installations and all units of the Army, Navy and Air Force followed by singing of national anthem. Messages of the services chiefs were read out to all ranks.

PM reaches out to political leaders Ashraf calls Shahbaz, nisar, Asfandyar among others g Shahbaz assures PM of cooperation and help in finding solutions to problems facing common man g

ISLAMABAD AGENCIES

Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf held telephonic conversations with various political leaders of the country on the occasion of the 65th Independence Day. Ashraf telephoned governors and chief ministers of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, the chief minister of Gilgit-Baltistan, president and

prime minister of AJK, ANP President Asfandyar Wali Khan and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Nisar Ali Khan and exchanged greetings with them.

Talking to Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Ashraf said, “We have to put our heads together and work closely on matters of national importance.” He praised Shahbaz’s role in the formation of a committee for fair distribution of electricity among the provinces. The Punjab chief minister assured

the prime minister that he was ready to cooperate and help find solutions to problems facing the common man.

In his conversation with the governors and chief ministers of Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, Prime Minister Ashraf expressed hope that an increase in transfer of resources to the provinces as consequence of the 7th NFC Award should enable them to improve service delivery and the standard of living of the people of the

province. The prime minister also congratulated Sindh Governor Ishratul Ebad on being awarded the Nishan-e-Imtiaz.

Separately, Ashraf congratulated the leader of the opposition on the occasion of the Independence Day which was reciprocated.

Ashraf is contacting major political leaders as part of an initiative to maintain a congenial environment, as the nation approaches the general elections.

Wednesday, 15 August, 2012

Layout 19 pages ISB_Layout 1 8/15/2012 10:03 AM Page 4

04 News PM urges opp to cooperate for smooth transition Continued fRom page 01

Media freedom: He said freedom of expression and independence of media had always been a vital part of the manifesto of the Pakistan People’s Party.

“We consider media and democracy essential to each other. We have included the access to information as fundamental rights in the constitution. Today, media enjoys unprecedented freedom in Pakistan and we value and appreciate their positive role,” he said. foreigN Policy: Ashraf said the people’s representatives had been made part of the process of shaping foreign policy for the first time in the country’s history so that the foreign policy was reflective of aspirations of the people.

“We have opened Ground Lines of Communications (GLOC) for the NATO troops in accordance with parliament’s recommendations. In this regard we did not want to make the NATO countries, which include our brothers from Islamic countries, to remain indecisive, besides there was fear of damage to the ongoing war against terrorism in Afghanistan”.

He said the act would not only promote national interest but also improve our relations with NATO. Ashraf said it would also prove helpful in increasing our resistance against terrorism as well and reflect our policy and practical steps for maintenance of peace in the region.

“We have preferred signed agreements over verbal ones with the US and inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in accordance with recommendations of parliament,” he maintained.

He said Afghanistan was a brother Islamic country and an important neighbor for Pakistan. “We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our Afghan brothers in every critical juncture and are playing the role of a flag-bearer in efforts to maintain peace in Afghanistan.

We want a durable solution to the Afghan issue which has the full backing of the Afghan people”.

Ashraf said Pakistan wanted good relations with India for peace and prosperity in the region and desire to resolve all the disputes including the Kashmir issue.

“Let me reiterate Pakistan’s stance that we wanted the resolution of the Kashmir issue according to the resolutions of the United Nations and will continue political, moral and diplomatic support to the people of Kashmir. We hope that India while respecting the United Nations resolutions will avoid delaying tactics”.

Ashraf said talks were the best source of resolving the issues.

The PM said Pakistan wanted to maintain its ties with the US and European Union on the basis of mutual respect.

MANMOHAN GREETS ASHRAF: Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh felicitated Prime Minister Ashraf on Pakistan’s Independence Day. He hoped that Pakistan and its people would prosper in the years to come. Similarly, Ashraf greeted his Indian counterpart on his country’s Independence Day today (Wednesday).

Independence Day in KP sees rare peace PESHAWAR SHAMIM SHAHID

T

HE situation remained normal in almost all of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa (KP) and its adjoining Federally Administrative Tribal Areas (FATA) on the eve of Independence Day as compared to last couple of years.

The normal situation allowed not only the Chief Minister and Governor KP to attend functions arranged in connection with the Independence Day celebrations, but also Chief Of Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Pervez Keyani attended a colorful and impressive ceremony at Kakul Military Academy near Abbottabad. Likewise, civil and police authorities attended gatherings at district level while civil and

military officers joined each others in celebrations at agency level. In the recent past, due to militancy and terrorism the Independence Day celebrations were confined to government installations and people’s homes in most of the major cities of the country. Since 2005, violence and terrorism have been witnessed on the eve of I-Day celebrations, especially in the scattered areas of KP and adjoining tribal regions. This forced the law enforcing agencies to turn their focus on security arrangements rather than participation in the I-Day gatherings and celebrations.

Though the law enforcement agencies have been engaged in combating trends of militancy and terrorism for almost a decade now, it seems

militants in the rest of the country in general and KP in particular.

One must always remember the tremendous sacrifices made by people and security forces of KP in war on terror. The government and the people both should appreciate the sacrifices as they are the sole reason for the return of peace and tranquility throughout the region. However, the war is not over yet. Militants and terrorists still exist and from time to time they create problems with their terror activities.

Therefore the government, armed forces and law enforcement agencies need to remain alert. It is the high time for the armed forces to go ahead and crush the remaining elements hiding in scattered areas of the country particularly in mountainous regions of tribal belt.

lAHoRE: In a rare astronomical alignment, the Moon and venus line up in a pattern similar to the star and crescent on the Pakistani flag at 4am on August 14, 2012 – the 65th Independence Day of Pakistan. aLI ISLam GHaurI

Indian yoga guru ends anti-graft hunger strike

Free and fair: Saudi Arabia to build a women-only city RIYADH oNlINE

Continued fRom page 24

Wednesday, 15 August, 2012

and ordered the release of Maulana Sufi Mohammad along with other stalwarts of the banned Tehrik Nifaz Shariah Mohammadi (TNSM). But unfortunately such acts encouraged Taliban militants to attempt to expand their influence to adjacent Buner and Dir areas after Swat, once they came down from Matta Mountains. These acts of militants united the whole nation and who now unanimously voiced for a military action against them. The army, honoring the wishes and expectations of the people, not only uprooted militant’s network from Swat but also encouraged the KP Police, Frontier Constabulary and civil administration in chasing the militants to end. After waging a successful jihad against militants in Swat, the civil and military authorities went after the

HEAvENly FlAG

Zardari to meet obama next month He said the reopening of NATO supplies by Islamabad had led to the resumption of full-fledged diplomatic ties between the two states and in coming days, US Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan Marc Grossman was also likely to visit Islamabad. Another Pakistani official said President Zardari was likely to urge his American counterpart for the resumption of stalled ‘strategic dialogue process’ between Islamabad and Washington, so that bilateral cooperation in various sectors such as defense, economy and energy could be resumed. He said, “We expect the US president to come up with a strong demand for the North Waziristan operation during his talks with President Asif Ali Zardari.”

However, he refused to comment on what could be the response by President Zardari to that demand.

they have at last reached a point to control the situation well. The present government’s efforts since it came into power after the 2008 general elections in this regard are extraordinary.

The government, particularly that of the KP province, has declared a war on terror and has joined hands with the armed forces in this respect. The threetier formula, also known as the 3Ds (dialogues, deterrence and development) and which has helped a lot in bringing the situation under control, was adopted by the previous government but it was implemented practically by the present government.

The KP government, in pursuance of this formula, entered into dialogue with the militants headed by Maulana Fazal Ullah

NEW DELHI AFP

An Indian yoga guru on Tuesday ended a six-day hunger strike against corruption but vowed to use his public popularity to pile pressure on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Baba Ramdev, a maverick “holy man” who heads a wealthy international yoga organisation, sipped juice to break his fast as several thousand supporters cheered him in New Delhi. Ramdev had tried to lead an anti-corruption march to parliament on Monday but was corralled by police at a sports stadium in the Indian capital.

The prime minister “should show political will and honesty, and if he does not show it, he will be deemed as corrupt,” Ramdev, half naked and wearing saffroncoloured robes, told the crowds. “If he cannot remain politically honest then he should leave the post,” Ramdev said, claiming that the fast had achieved its aims and calling for the downfall of Singh’s ruling Congress party at general elections due in 2014.

It’s truly a no man’s land! Saudi Arabia is planning to build a city exclusively for women in a bid to encourage career oriented females within its strict Sharia law, Saudi media reported. The Saudi Industrial Property Authority (Modon) has been asked to bring the country at par with the rest of the modern world by building the all-women city, with construction to begin next year, according to a Saudi media report. The

new city will allow women’s desire to work without defying the country’s strict Islamic laws. Sharia Law is the moral code and religious law of Islam dealing with crime, politics, and economics, as well as personal matters such as sexual intercourse, hygiene, diet, prayer, and fasting.

Although Saudi Sharia law does not prohibit women to work, figures show that only 15% of women are represented in the workforce. The plan coincides with the government’s ambitions to get women to play a more active part in the development of the

country. Among the stated objectives are to create jobs, particularly for younger women. “I’m sure that women can demonstrate their efficiency in many aspects and clarify the industries that best suits their interests, their nature and their ability,” Modon’s deputy director-general, Saleh Al-Rasheed, said. “We are now working on a second industrial city for women. We have plans to establish a number of women-only industries in various parts of the kingdom,” the ‘Daily Mail’ quoted Rasheed, as telling Saudi daily newspaper al-Eqtisadiah.

‘Pak-US talks underway on cross-border attacks’ KABUL NNI

The new United States ambassador to Afghanistan, James Cunningham, has said talks between Islamabad and Washington were underway to delve into the issue of cross-border attacks.

Speaking at a press conference, Ambassador Cunningham said the

Afghan government needed to make reforms and fulfill its responsibilities in order to gain US political and economic support.

He stressed that the US would take necessary action to protect Afghan civilians. “There are reports about cross-border rocket attacks on Afghanistan’s bordering regions.

Our negotiations with Afghan and Pakistani officials are underway that

these attacks harm Afghan civilians, and we will do everything to continue these talks,” Cunningham said.

He also confirmed that a meeting would take place between Afghan officials and the Taliban’s top military commander, Mullah Ghani Bradar, who is in jail in Pakistan. James Cunningham replaced Ryan Crocker who resigned earlier this year due to personal issues.

Layout 19 pages ISB_Layout 1 8/15/2012 10:03 AM Page 5

05 PESHAWAR

F

SHAMIM SHAHID

OR the Afghan government, at present, nothing is more important than to bring the Taliban to the negotiation table and discuss the future of the country and lay down foundations for a lasting peace. As the latest media reports reveal, this is actually happening with meetings between the two sides having started clandestinely. Secret contacts between the Afghan government and Mullah Omar-led Taliban through Afghanistan’s former Foreign Minister Rangeen Dadfar Spanta and Taliban leader Mullah Biradar, currently under the custody of Pakistani authorities, have come to the attention of media and wider public.

Many have hailed this as a major breakthrough on the part of President Hamid Karzai in his peace efforts. The reports reveal that Mr Rangeen Dadfar Spanta, who is currently serving the Afghan government as Advisor to President Karzai on peace and security, had visited Pakistan secretly and held a meeting with Mullah Abdul Ghani,

commonly known as Mullah Biradar. Mullah Biradar is considered to be among the most confidential aides of Mullah Mohammad Omar. He was arrested in Karachi in 2010. Media reports say that Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rahman Malik has also confirmed the meeting between Mullah Biradar and an Afghan government official. Though details and any outcome of this breakthrough meeting couldn’t be ascertained but the Afghan circles have shown considerable interest, saying it was a milestone towards peace and stability in their war devastated country.

A high level Afghan diplomat in Pakistan, when approached by Pakistan Today, avoided further comments but with jubilant tone remarked, “It shows that the Taliban leadership was favoring reconciliation and opposing hostilities.” Mullah Biradar has served Tehrik Taliban Afghanistan as its top military commander and strategist, and is considered to be the number two in command after Mullah Omar. He is also related to Taliban supreme leader Mullah Omar. Biradar was arrested in January 2010 from Karachi.

His arrest, according to Pakistani officials,

was made in a joint action conducted by Pakistan and American secret agencies.

However, after his arrest, the Afghan officials had shown concern as Mullah Biradar was on a peace mission to Pakistan and was engaged in dialogues with fellow Taliban. Later, the Afghan government formally demanded Mullah Biradar’s extradition but the request was declined due to lacking of any treaty between Pakistan and Afghanistan in this respect. However, the Afghan government continued its efforts and has now succeeded in holding dialogues with Mullah Biradar through Rangeen Dadfar Spanta. These talks are the first ever direct contact between the Karzai government and Taliban.

Through some highly placed sources, Pakistan Today has learned that Afghanistan Peace Mission Chief Salahud-Din Rabbani was scheduled to reach Islamabad in the second week of August but he had delayed the plan. In fact, Rabbni, who is son of late Prof Burhanud-Din Rabbani intends to talk with the leaders and representatives of (Afghan) resistance forces in Pakistan.

For this purpose, he is seeking help of

his late father’s friends, like Qazi Hussain Ahmad, Maulan Sami-ul-Haq, Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman and several others.

Many of Pakistan’s religious figures and some of former spy officers have not only soft corner for Taliban but they also support resistance against President Karzai’s government. These resistance leaders enjoy a great deal of support and influence throughout Pakistan. For Salah-udDin Rabbani this is a litmus test trip for his peace efforts and to keep the name of his father flying high by returning gloriously from his first ever visit to Pakistan as the chief of peace mission. For him one of doing so could be by taking back with him Mullah Biradar. In fact, negotiations for this purpose between the high ranking Pakistan and Afghan authorities are in progress. The two sides are likely to ink a treaty in this respect very soon.

Earlier, in 2010, some in the Pakistani security circles were trying to link up extradition of Mullah Biradar with some of the Baloch nationalists sheltering in Afghanistan. But now majority of these Baloch nationalists has already flown to Western and European countries. How-

ever, improvement has been registered between Islamabad and Kabul, whereas both sides now favor an end to violence and terrorism in the region. How the Taliban will react to this dialogue process is anybody’s guess but on the government side one thing is clear: no one wants to see resistance against the Afghanistan government. A few groups and factions, developed and controlled by certain elements like Dad Ullah group, Tora Bora group, Kapisa group, Haji Lala group, also known as Peshawar group, and several others are engaged in guerrilla attacks on the government and security personnel. Similar is the strategy of Hizbe-Islami Afghanistan, headed by Engineer Gulbadin Hekmatyar.

It is crystal clear that Afghans, irrespective of their political, ethnic and ideological divisions, are unanimously in favor of an end to conflicts and hostilities in their motherland. Such emerging unity amongst the Afghans is also in Pakistan’s interests. Like Afghanistan, Pakistan has also badly suffered in the last three decades. Maybe it is time the peace loving Pakistanis cemented this reconciliation process in Afghanistan.

Health Dept plans special polio campaign in Kp from 27th PESHAWAR STAFF REPoRT

In the wake of the recent polio cases detected in four districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Health Department is planning a special vaccination campaign in the province from August 27. EPI Director Dr Janbaz Afridi told Pakistan Today that around 1.8 million children below the age of five, from 153 union councils, could be vaccinated during the special three-day drive, adding that recently four cases of polio were detected in Peshawar, Charsada, Mardan and Lakki Marwat. The children to be vaccinated belong to 48 union councils of Peshawar – 18 from Charsada, 33 from Lakki Marwat and 44 from Mardan and in this regard, meetings between senior officials of the Health Department and the civil administration were in progress. A total of 29 polio cases have been detected so far this year throughout the country. Of the 29, 21 cases are reported only in the Federally Administrative Tribal Areas (FATA) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Giving further details, Dr Afridi said 13 of these cases were from FATA and the remaining eight were from various districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“Whereas in rest of the country, three cases are from Sindh and Punjab each and only two are from Balochistan,” he said. In response to a question, Dr Afridi said so far 16,000 families from various districts of the province had refused to get their children vaccinated, adding that the civil administration had already been directed by the government to take legal action against the elders of such families. He said the government had already evolved Augmented National Emergency Action Plan aimed at interrupting the polio virus circulation in the country by the end of this year.

Beside Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the situation is alarming in various FATA agencies. Taliban have recently banned polio vaccination in North and South Waziristan agencies depriving more than 200,000 children in these areas of a polio-free life. This is in addition to Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency which has been inaccessible for vaccination teams since September 2009. Ten of the 13 polio cases in FATA this year have been reported from Bara. If the recently imposed ban on polio vaccination is not withdrawn and access in Bara is not gained, the goal of National Emergency Action Plan is at serious risk. The official data revealed that more than 150,000 families from all over Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency have already abandoned homes and are living as internally displaced persons (IDP’s) in Peshawar and its surrounding areas.

QuETTA: Activists of Pakistan Medical Association shout slogans during a demonstration on Tuesday demanding the recovery of kidnapped psychiatrist Dr Ghulam Rasool. INp

Zardari to confer civil awards on 192 distinguished people in 2013 ISLAMABAD APP

President Asif Zardari has conferred civil awards on 192 distinguished Pakistani citizens and foreign nationals for excellence in various fields of activities. The investiture ceremony will take place on the coming Pakistan Day, March 23, 2013.

The President has conferred a total of 192 Civil Awards including Nishan-i-Imtiaz (07), Hilal-i-Pakistan (01), Hilal-iIimtiaz (17), Sitara-i-Pakistan (01), Sitara-i-Shuja’at (03),Sitara-i-Imtiaz (45), President’s Award for Pride of Performance(24), Tamgha-i-Pakistan (01), Tamgha-i-Shuja’at (15), Tamgha-i-Imtiaz (76), and Tamgha-i-Quaid-i-Azam (02). following is the detail of civil awards conferred by the President: NisHAN-i-imtiAZ: Abdul Sattar Edhi (Social Service); Dr Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan (Public Service); Lt Gen (Retd) Khalid Ahmed Kidwai, DG, Strategic Plans Division (Public Service); Mehdi Hassan (Posthumous) (Art, Music); Saadat Hasan Manto (Posthumous) (Literature); Muhammad Irfan Burney, Chairman, NESCOM (Nuclear Science & Engineer-

ing); Munir Ahmed Khan (Posthumous), Ex-Chairman Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (Science).

HilAl-i-PAKistAN: Yang Jiechi (China) (Services to Pakistan).

HilAl-i-iimtiAZ: Fauzia Wahab (Posthumous) (Public Service); Ansar Burney (Social Service); Zia Mohyeddin (Art: Acting / Comparing); Abida Parveen (Singer); Shabbir Hassan Khan Josh Malihabadi (Posthumous) (Poetry / Urdu Literature); Anwar Maqsood (Literature); Fatima Suriya Bajia (Literature); Major Gen. Ausaf Ali (Public Service); Ansar Parvez, Chairman, Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (Science); Hafeez Kardar (Posthumous), Former Captain Pakistan Cricket Team (Sports: Cricket); Fazal Mehmood (Posthumous), Former Captain Pakistan Cricket Team (Sports:Cricket); Masood Khan, Pakistan Ambassador in China (Services to Pakistan); Ahmed Chinoy (Public Service); Khalid Abbas Dar (Art: Drama Acting / Comparing); Azhar Abbas (Journalism); Hamid Mir (Journalism); Maj. Gen. (Retd) Ahmed Bilal, Chairman, SUPARCO (Public Service). sitArA-i-PAKistAN: Dr. Rowan Douglas Williams Archbishop of Canter-

bury (British) (Services to Pakistan) sitArA-i-sHUJA’At: Maulana Muhammad Hassan Jan Shaheed (Gallantry); Shafique Ahmed Khan Shaheed (Gallantry); Raja Umer Khattab (Gallantry); sitArA-i-imtiAZ: Yusuf H. Shirazi (Public Service); Senator Haji Ghulam Ali, former President, FPCCI (Public Service) (Trade and Industry); Ramzan Chhipa, Social Worker/ Philanthropy (Public Service); Dr. Attiya Inayatullah (Public Service) (Social Development & Human rights Women Development); Taj Haider (Public Service: Social Service / Politician); Dr. Aamir Ali Syed (Health); Ghulam Ali (Arts: Singing); Ms. Jugnoo Mohsin (Journalism); Qazi Aslam (Journalism); Hashim Khan (Sports: Squash); Aleem Sarwar Dar (Sports: Cricket Umpire); Mrs. Shaista Zaid (Arts: News Caster); Air Cdre Muhammad Khalid Banuri (Policy Analysis); Lin Zouming (Services to Pakistan); Wang Guangya (Services to Pakistan); Mohsin Agha (Civil Engineering); Muhammad Jameel Rahi (Physics / Nuclear Engineering); Haris Ahmed Butt (Physics); Brig. (R) Sajjad Ali (Public Service); Shahzad Ali Malik (Public Service); Prof. Dr. Noshad A. Shaikh (Public Service); Arshad Sami

Khan (Posthumous), Former Ambassador of Pakistan (Public Service); Abdul Sami Khan (Public Service); Shujat Ali Baig (Public Service: Banking / Education and Promotion of sports); Saleem Ahmed Kharral (Public Service: Education); Syed Aqil Shah (Public Service: Promoting Sports); Dr. Qamar-ul-Haque (Science:Physics); Dr. Muhammad Ashfaq (Science: Agriculture); Prof. Dr. Ihsan Ali (Archaeology); Prof. Dr. Khan Bahadar Marwat (Agriculture Weed Science); Dr. Muhammad Aslam (Engineering: Nuclear); Dr. Sarfraz Khan Niazi (Engineering Science); Dr. Khalid Jamil Akhtar (Health: Rehabilitation for Disable person); Dr. Mohammad Ali Jawad (Medicine); Dr. Muhammad Altamash (Health); Dr. Wajid Ali Khan (Health); Dr. Shaista Masood Khan (Health); Dr. Nehal Masood, M.D. (Health); Hakeem Rizwan Hafeez (Health: Tib-e-Unani); Mohammad Haroon Rashid (Researcher); Aziz Latif Jamal (Research/ Education); AlHaaj Siddiq Ismail (Arts: Na’at Khwan); Sohail Ahmad (Arts: Drama Acting/ Comparing); Syed Ghulam Mohiyuddin Noor (Syed Noor) (Arts: Film Producer); Dr. Gopi Chand Narang (Literature).

Wednesday, 15 August, 2012

Layout 19 pages ISB_Layout 1 8/15/2012 10:03 AM Page 6

Wednesday, 15 August, 2012

Fiqah-e-hanFi

Fiqah-e-jaFria

iFtar

06:49

iFtar

07:09

Seher

03:58

Seher

03:48

GOVERNMENT WAKES UP TO

THE ENVIRONMENT Rs 300 million earmarked to control environmental degradation ISLAMABAD

A

APP

ROUND Rs 300 million have been set aside for environment sector projects to achieve targets of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and control environmental degradation.

The inability to address the environment challenges will result in high cost to economy in future, so it is necessary to improve the country’s capacity to achieve environmentally sustainable economic development to meet modern needs. An official at the Ministry of Climate Change on Tuesday said focus was being given on capacity building of environmentrelated institutions and human resource development-need projects during this year, which would help in effective implementation of Pakistan Economic Growth Framework (PEGF).

The PEGF which highlights environmental degradation as a significant contributor to GDP loss due to air and water pollution, soil degradation and deforestation is to be implemented at federal as well as provincial levels.

Listing the details of other projects to be pursued, the official said traditional hazards arising from poor water supply, sanitation and hygiene continue to be the predominant environmental risks to quality of life and health of the citizens, which would be addressed on urgent basis. Moreover, a holistic ecosystem approach of forest management

Gardeners finally get their salaries RAWALPINDI

also safeguards other functions, including water and soil conservation, wildlife protection and carbon sequestration. The target of forest cover of 6 percent by 2015, as committed in Millennium Development Goals would be advocated with a meaningful commitment of forestry development programmes by the provinces. He said climate change affects almost all the socioeconomic sectors of the society, particularly water resources, energy, health, bio-diversity, with a major impact on agricultural productivity. The institutional setup to tackle the climate change impact would be strengthened and added efforts would be continued to formulate and implement projects for the purpose.

Talking about environmental management issues, he said these had become vital not only globally but also in home situation. All major projects and programmes are being provided inbuilt environmental management plan and process for approval and implementation.

Provincial authorities have also prepared plans under different environment sector portfolios and allocated required amount for the purpose. The Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency, sometimes known as Pak-EPA, is an executive agency Government of Pakistan managed by the Ministry of Environment. The agency is charged with protecting human health and the environment by writing and enforcing regulation based on laws passed by Parliament. The Pak-EPA was proposed by the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, and it began operations in 1997 after Parliament passed a law to established a federal executive agency. The agency is led by an appointed director-general, who is appointed by the Prime Minister on the advice of the Minister for Environment. The current director-general is Asadullah Faiz. The Pak-EPA is not a Cabinet department, but the director-general is normally given the cabinet rank.

Fireworks light up

I-DAY CELEBRATIONS

STAFF REPoRT

The Punjab government has ordered payment of salaries for July to over 200 employees who were shifted to the Parks and Horticulture Agency (PHA) from the Rawal Town tehsil municipal administration.

The PHA was established in 2011 by merging the horticulture wing of the Rawal Town municipal administration and the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) on the directives of the Punjab government.

The Punjab government gave the administrative control of the new agency to the RDA, but the salaries of the employees were being paid through the accounts of the TMA. Rawal Town Administrator Saif Anwar Jappa said the TMA had written a letter to the local government secretary to issue clear directions whether the 200 gardeners would be

CHALLENGE

the employees of the TMA or the PHA and that who would pay their salaries during the next fiscal year. The Punjab Local Government secretary, in response to the letter, held that the 200

employees would be paid salaries by the PHA. The local government secretary, when contacted, confirmed the release of salaries of July to give relief before Eid to the poor employees.

RBISE to announce Liquor, alcohol class 9 result today seized from G-7/2 RAWALPINDI

ISLAMABAD

INP

APP

The Rawalpindi Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education will announce the result of Secondary School Certificate (SSC) Part-I (ninth class) today (Wednesday). According to Arslan Cheema, spokesman for the board, the SSC supplementary examinations will commence from Sept 25 admission forms for which can be submitted with single fee till August 15. The forms with double fee can be submitted by August 23 and with triple fee by August 30, he said.

The Crime Investigation Agency of Islamabad police raided a distillery in Sector G-7/2 and seized 144 bottles of liquor, 60 liters of alcohol, 6,000 stickers, lids, empty bottles of liquor and brewing equipment. On a tip off, the CIA police raided the distillery being run by Asif Masih. A liquor seller Sajid Munawwar was apprehended while his other accomplices managed to escape. The police are conducting raids to arrest the absconding criminals.

ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) on Monday night organised a colourful event here at F-9 Fatima Jinnah Park in connection with celebrations of the Independence Day. The fireworks display greatly attracted the people. A simple but attractive ceremony was also held at which famous singers presented national songs. Federal Information and Broadcasting Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira was the chief guest on the occasion, who appreciated the efforts of the CDA and its chairman Farkhand Iqbal for holding this colourful ceremony. A large number of people thronged the park along with families to witness the fireworks display.

The CDA chairman,

speaking on the occasion, said the authority had made comprehensive arrangements to celebrate the Independence Day in the capital. The colourful event in the Fatima Jinnah Park marked with display of the fireworks was attended by hundreds of thousands of people from Islamabad and other areas of the country, which reflects national unity, he added. He added that all the major buildings of the capital had been illuminated and the roads decorated with banners, streamers and other material, reflecting the national integrity and jubilation. He said the Independence Day calls for a commitment to work with more dedication and passion for making Pakistan a modern welfare state. He stated that the CDA management was focusing on revolutionary measures to make Islamabad a load shedding-free city by setting up a big powerhouse. APP

Layout 19 pages ISB_Layout 1 8/15/2012 10:03 AM Page 7

Islamabad 07 US wants Taliban to hate Pakistan: PEW

ISLAMABAD NNI

The Pakistan Economy Watch (PEW) on Tuesday said any action against Haqqani network at the behest of America would weaken Pakistan. “This is a conspiracy aimed at making different Afghan Taliban factions enemies of Pakistan,” it said.

Pakistan would lose goodwill among Afghan Taliban as well as ability to negotiate a deal if it took action against friendly Taliban groups, said PEW President Dr Murtaza Mughal. He said that Haqqani network was not as deadly as painted by the US and NATO and its capability of conducting operations was limited to three provinces. Dr Murtaza Mughal said the US had been asking the Pakistan Army to launch attacks against Haqqani’s sanctuaries, but it would neither seal the borders nor would it stop drone attacks. “Why Islamabad should take action against the groups that have never launched any attack on Pakistan?” he questioned. He said that Islamabad should take decisions in its own interest, rejecting the US pressure, adding any wrong move can make Afghan Taliban Pakistan’s enemies, which would hurt the country for decades. Dr Murtaza Mughal said that an operation in Balochistan would strengthen the country while the outcome of the operation in North Waziristan would not be different from the earlier operations conducted in FATA. He said: “We are proud of services and sacrifices of ISI without which Pakistan could not remain a stable and sovereign country.”

REMEMBERING BRoTHERS IN TRouBlE: Activists of civil society hold placards during protest demonstration against killing of Muslims in Burma outside National Press Club. INp

AIOU to construct Azadi Complex in Lahore: VC ISLAMABAD

T

APP

HE Allama Iqbal Open University will construct Azadi Complex to project rare photographs and documents to motivate the new generation to remember the great leaders who rendered unprecedented sacrifices during the Pakistan Movement and prepare them to translate its objectives into reality.

This was stated by the AIOU vice chancellor AIOU while presiding over a ceremony in connection with the Independence Day celebrations at the varsity on Tuesday. The entire cost for the con-

struction of the complex will be borne by the university while the National Archives of Pakistan will arrange a suitable piece of land for the complex.

The complex will be built at Wagha Border or near Minar-e-Pakistan where thousands of people go everyday to pay tribute to their leaders and expres their emotional attachment with the country, he added. The vice chancellor inaugurated the exhibition of the Quaid-eAzam’s documents, photographs and hundred-year old newspapers of the Pakistan Movement, arranged by the National Archives of Pakistan.

Archives Director General Habib Ahmad Khan was also present on the oc-

casion as the chief guest. The vice chancellor also announced to expand the varsity’s network to each nook and corner of the country to provide quality education to the deprived section of the society. A model study centre will be built in each district, where e-learning facility and a laboratory to facilitate the students for their easy access to the modern education system and the university’s programmes at their doorsteps. The vice chancellor also distributed special awards to dedicated and hardworking officers and employees of the university. The award consists of a certificate and cash prize in recognition of their meritorious services for the development of the university and

making best possible efforts to ensure access to quality education to the needy students all over the country. HE also hoisted a flag over the main campus to commemorate the Independence Day. A colourful variety show was also arranged on the occasion. The children of the AIOU employees residing in the university’s colony presented national songs and a tableau besides delivering speeches, highlighting the historic independence movement and sacrifices of their leaders. They pledged to follow the Pakistan Movement’s heroes and make the country prosperous. The tableau presentation was led by an AIOU employee, Faqir Hussain.

The ceremony was arranged by the Department of Pakistan Studies. Head of the Department, Dr Amanullah Memon, highlighted the role of the AIOU in communicating the message of Quaid-eAzam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and other leaders to the young generation. The vice chancellor lauded the services of heads of the university’s various departments, including Bashir Muhammad Chaudhry, Prof Dr Syed Abdus Siraj, chairman, Mass Communication Department, and Dr Rashid Naeem.

PAF CELEBRATES

IndEPEndEncE dAy

islAmAbAd: Pakistan Air Force (PAF) joined hands with the nation to celebrate the 65th Independence Day of the country with due fervor and dignity. The day commenced with offering of special prayers in PAF mosques all over the country after the Fajar prayers.

Officers, junior commissioned Officers, airmen and the civilian staff of the PAF, later assembled at their respective bases, units and headquarters to sing Pakistan’s national anthem.

Air Vice Marshal M Ashfaque Arain, hoisted the national flag at the Air Headquarters in Islamabad and read out the message from the chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt. The air chief in his message assured the nation that the PAF is committed and wellprepared to guard the aerial frontiers of our motherland as envisioned by Quaid-e-Azam. He further added that the PAF was relentlessly pursuing its modernization plans to attain the status of one of the best. Similar ceremonies were also observed at other PAF bases and establishments across the country.

Air chief attends Russian Air Force’s centenary celebrations islAmAbAd: Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt landed back after attending the centenary celebrations of Russian Air Force. The air chief was invited by his Russian counterpart to attend the celebrations that were held on Sunday with a mega air show at the famous Zhukovsky airfield. The airfield is globally known as the venue of the max air show which hosted aerial and static displays of vintage as well as fifth generation combat aircraft of the world. During his short stay, the PAF air chief held a formal meeting with his Russian counterpart and discussed various professional matters, including strengthening of relations between the two air forces. The celebrations also included an international military conference based on the theme, ‘The Sky for All’, in which air power-related topics were discussed. Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt was amongst the very few selected air chiefs who were given an opportunity to address the conference. In his address, the air chief highlighted PAF’s role in the ongoing operations of Pakistan in FATA”. The talk was widely appreciated by all the participants as it also elaborated the sacrifices given by the nation by becoming a bulwark against terrorism. The centenary celebrations of the Russian Air Force also provided a forum where Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt met with the air chiefs of other countries and exchanged views on professional matters. STaff rEpOrT

The head office of Pakistan’ largest integrated telecommunications services provider, Pakistan Telecommunications Company limited (PTCl) gracefully illuminated on the eve of 14th August 2012. pr

Rawalpindi: Pearl Continental Hotel had arranged a flag hoisting ceremony at the Hotel on Tuesday August 14, 2012 to mark the 66th Independence Day of the country. Seen in the Picture: Mr. Sheharyar Mirza along with Mr. Clive Webster Chief operation officer (Coo) Hotels Division, Hashoo Group raised the Pakistan Flag in presence of the Hotel Management and associates. pr

Wednesday, 15 August, 2012

Layout 19 pages ISB_Layout 1 8/15/2012 10:03 AM Page 8

08 Islamabad WeAtHeR uPdAteS

32 °c High

the day they were set free

26°c Low

Partly cloudy

tHuRSdAy

fRidAy

SAtuRdAy

34°c i 26°c

34°c i 27°c

32°c i 27°c

PRAyeR tiMingS fajr Sunrise 04:52 06:28

Zuhr 12:45

Asr 16:55

Maghrib 19:57

isha 21:27

city diRectoRy eMeRgency HeLP PoLice eMeRgency AMbuLAnce ReScue HiLAL-e-AHMeR edHi foundAtion boMb diSPoSAL fiRe bRigAde centRe civiL defence

15 115 1122 9250488 2827844 9270698 16 9262830

HoSPitALS MAHRoof int PiMS PoLy cLinic cdA SHifA inteRnAtionAL ALi diStRict HqS uLtRASonic cLinic HoLy fAMiLy

2222920 9261170 9218300 9221334 4603666 4444435 5556311-14 2824862 9290319

bLood bAnK PiMS bLood bAnK PoLy cLinic bLood bAnK

9261272 9209123

coMPLAint WAPdA Sui gAS

111-000-118 1199

RAiLWAyS city StAtion (enquiRy) ReSeRvAtion RAiLWAy PoLice

117 9273614 1333

AiRPoRt fLigHt enquiRy PiA ReSeRvAtion

114 111-786-786

BATURA TREK HUnZA VALLEy

cALLIGRAPHy EXHIBITIOn

dRUmmInG cIRcLE

coLLegeS / univeRSitieS inteRnAtionAL iSLAMic univeRSity 9260765 bAHRiA univeRSity 9260002 nuML 9257677 quAid-e-AZAM univeRSity 90642098 ARid AgRicuLtuRe univeRSity 9290151 fJWu 9273235 RiPHA inteRnAtionAL univeRSity 111510510 ncA RAWALPindi 5770423 PunJAb LAW coLLege 4421347 Wednesday, 15 August, 2012

Aug 03 - 16, 2012 iSLAMAbAd

JuLy 31 to Aug 31 SeRenA HoteL

dAte And tiMe: 05:00 PM, WeeKLy event venue: tHe centRe foR ARtS & cuLtuRe

batura is the fourth longest glacier stretches west from KKH for 56km. you will view around 14 high peaks during the trek with its exceptional scenery and are more then 7000mts high and huge ice floes, more then 4000mts from the batura wall to the glacier.

Satrang gallery is celebrating this spiritual month by exhibiting a wonderful calligraphy show. do join us as we present the work of ten exceptional artists. opening on tuesday , July 31, at 8:00 pm

our drumming circle is a (free!) ongoing event and is held every friday from 5pm to 6pm We are having a great time, and want to share the good time with you! our drumming circle has children ...

Layout 19 pages ISB_Layout 1 8/15/2012 10:03 AM Page 9

Foreign News 09 IRAN CONFIDENT ISRAEL WON’T LAUNCH ‘STUPID’ ATTACK TEHRAN

I

MANIlA: A woman holds her son affected with dengue as he shares a bed with another patient at the Quirino hospital on Tuesday. afp

australia set to send boatpeople offshore SYDNEY AFP

Australia’s parliament Tuesday neared agreement to transfer boatpeople seeking asylum to Pacific states, with Prime Minister Julia Gillard saying they could be processed offshore within a month.

Canberra has struggled to stem an influx of boatpeople who make the dangerous sea voyage to Australia, and on Monday said it would move to handle their refugee claims offshore to deter them from making the journey. “Within a month we would hope to see people processed on Nauru and Papua New Guinea,” Gillard said, adding that she had spoken to the leaders of both nations and they responded

positively to the idea. The government hopes that offshore processing will make asylum-seekers think twice about paying people-smugglers to bring them to Australia, knowing they could spend years waiting on a Pacific island before being resettled. Parliament began discussing the amended laws aimed at reinstating offshore processing — a practice abandoned by the Labor party when it won power in 2007. Immigration Minister Chris Bowen said the changes had been agreed with the conservative opposition, meaning they were expected to pass.

It follows an independent report by former defence force chief Angus Houston released on Monday that recommended reopening the shuttered camps used under

the so-called “Pacific Solution” of former conservative leader John Howard. Under the controversial scheme, boatpeople were processed on PNG’s Manus Island or tiny Nauru in Australian-funded detention centres but many languished on these remote outposts for years.

Gillard said that an advance team of Australians could be in PNG and Nauru as early as Friday to assess facilities, and that temporary structures such as tents could be used initially until the run-down centres were again usable. She could not say how long boatpeople would remain offshore, but said the Houston report recommended that those who arrived by boat should not be processed any quicker than those waiting their turn at refugee camps elsewhere.

Pro-Saleh troops 2 Iran quake survivors rescued attack yemen defence Ministry SANAA AFP

Yemeni troops from the elite Republican Guard force, led by the son of ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh, attacked on Tuesday the headquarters of the defence ministry, witnesses said. The forces laid siege to the ministry in Sanaa before attacking it with machineguns and rocket-propelled grenades, witnesses told AFP. The attack comes a week after new president Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi ordered a restructuring of army forces, reducing the number of units under the command of rival chiefs including Saleh’s son. The troops led by General Ahmed Ali Abdullah Saleh which blocked the roads leading to the ministry in central Sanaa came from the main base of the Republican Guard in Sawad, south of the capital, witnesses said. Other witnesses said that those forces exchanged fire with police on their way to the ministry. Yemeni army reinforcements were deployed around the residence of Hadi, who replaced Saleh in an Gulf-brokered peace deal that ended 13 months of protests against the veteran leader, witnesses said. Other reinforcements were stationed around the central bank where employees were evacuated, other witnesses said. In a presidential decree last week, Hadi ordered the formation of a “presidential protection” force which will include three brigades from the Republican Guard. The force will also include a brigade from the First Armoured Division led by General Ali Mohsen alAhmar who defected to the anti-Saleh opposition last year, Saba said.

teHrAN: Two people on Tuesday were pulled alive from the rubble of weekend quakes the destroyed villages in Iran’s northwest, state media reported — days after officials called a halt to rescue operations. The two were plucked from the smashed remains of their home after being detected by search dogs, IRIB state television and the official IRNA news agency reported, citing regional emergency service workers. IRNA said the pair, both in good health, were saved in a village near the town of Varzaqan, northeast of the city of Tabriz. The hamlet was one of hundreds decimated by Saturday’s twin quakes measuring 6.4 and 6.3 on the moment magnitude scale that killed 306 people and injured 3,000 others, according to an official toll. AFP

AFP

R A N on Tuesday said it is dismissing Israeli threats of an imminent attack against it, explaining that even some Israeli officials realised such a “stupid” act would provoke “very severe consequences.”

“In our calculations, we aren’t taking these claims very seriously because we see them as hollow and baseless,” foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told reporters in a weekly briefing.

“Even if some officials in the illegitimate regime (Israel) want to carry out such a stupid action, there are those inside (the Israeli government) who won’t allow it because they know they would suffer very severe consequences from such an act,” he said. Iran’s defence minister, General Ahmad Vahidi, was quoted by the ISNA news agency saying that Israel “definitely doesn’t have what it takes to endure Iran’s might and will.”

He called the Israeli threats “a sign of weakness” by “brainless leaders.”

The comments were a response to bellicose rhetoric from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Ehud Barak in recent days suggesting

they were thinking more seriously of military action against Iranian nuclear facilities.

“We are determined to prevent Iran from becoming nuclear (armed), and all the options are on the table. When we say it, we mean it,” Barak told Israeli radio last Thursday.

Israeli media have underlined the threat, reporting that a decision could be made within weeks. They have also highlighted opposition to the idea by current and former Israeli military officials.

The United States has recently multiplied visits by top officials to Israel in what appears to be an attempt to dissuade the Jewish state from targeting the Islamic republic. “We continue to believe there is time and space for diplomacy,” White House spokesman Jay Carney said on Monday. Israel insists that Iran is on the point of developing nuclear weapons, and says it reserves the right to act to prevent that. The Jewish state has in the past launched air strikes to destroy nuclear facilities in Iraq and, reportedly, in Syria to protect its own regional nuclear weapons monopoly, whose existence it refuses to officially confirm. Iran says its nuclear programme is exclusively for peaceful, civilian uses.

Two killed in shooting near Texas university WASHINGTON AFP

A policeman and another man were shot dead near a major US university on Monday before police shot the suspect and took him into custody, where he later reportedly died.

Assistant Police Chief Scott McCollum said three more police officers and a female civilian were wounded in the shooting, which took place in College Station near Texas A&M University, which has nearly 50,000 students.

McCollum said Constable Brian Bachmann had gone to a house a few blocks away from campus to serve an eviction notice when the suspect opened fire, leading the officer to call for backup before he succumbed to his wounds. Reinforcements rushed to the scene

after the first shots were fired and battled the gunman, eventually wounding him and taking him into custody, McCollum said at a press conference.

Local media later cited police as saying the suspect had died in custody. The police could not immediately be reached for comment.

McCollum said police were still looking into the motive behind the shooting and declined to provide details about the suspect’s identity, the firearm that was used or the circumstances behind the eviction notice.

“A situation like this is very chaotic. We have a lot of information that’s coming in, we have multiple crime scenes, and we ask the public to be patient as we try to understand why this tragedy has occurred,” he told reporters.

defecting PM says Syria regime collapsing ALEPPO AFP

Syria’s former prime minister, who defected last week, said Tuesday that the regime was collapsing and now only controlled about a third of the conflict-wracked country.

“The Syrian regime only controls 30 percent of Syria’s territory. It has collapsed militarily, economically and morally,” Riad Hijab told a news conference in the Jordanian capital.

Hijab fled to Jordan last week, the latest in a string of high-level defections from President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, which is becoming increasingly embattled as the 17-month conflict shows no signs of abating.

Rebels claimed Monday they had shot down a Syrian fighter jet and captured its pilot in what would be a major coup for the opposition as it battles escalating air attacks by government forces, particularly in the key northern city of Aleppo.

Assad’s autocratic regime was also dealt a major body blow last month when three top security officials at the heart of Assad’s Alawiteled inner circle were killed in a bomb blast in Damascus.

Hijab’s comments came as fresh fighting for control of key districts of Aleppo erupted while Syrian forces bombarded areas around Damascus and launched a new security opera-

tion in the capital.

With Assad’s regime facing mounting diplomatic pressure, a top presidential aide was dispatched to China, which has called for an immediate ceasefire and political dialogue to halt the bloodshed.

China and Russia are deeply at odds with the West over how to end the fighting, after both traditional Syria allies vetoed UN Security Council resolutions, leaving the international community deadlocked on the crisis.

Assad advisor Bouthaina Shaaban is to hold talks with Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and other officials, the foreign ministry said, adding that Beijing was also considering inviting members of the Syrian opposition to visit soon.

UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos also arrived in Damascus on a regional visit “to draw attention to the deteriorating humanitarian situation” and discuss ways of scaling-up relief efforts, her office said.

Over one million people have been displaced by the fighting and another 140,000 have fled to Syria’s neighbours, the UN says, many of them living in tent camps in sometimes miserable conditions.

Many areas engulfed in the relentless fighting in Syria are also facing a desperate plight, suffering from food shortages, power outages and lack of medical supplies.

Damascus is also facing pressure from fel-

more than 23,000 people killed in Syria: nGO beirUt: More than 23,000 people have been killed in violence in Syria since the outbreak of a revolt in March last year, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Tuesday. “As of August 13, 23,002 people were killed, including 16,142 civilians, 1,018 defectors and 5,842 soldiers,” Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP, adding that 2,409 people have been killed in the past 13 days alone. The civilian toll includes those who have taken up arms against the regime. The conflict became even bloodier after fierce fighting erupted in Damascus and Syria’s second city of Aleppo in July. “The total count does not include the shabiha (pro-government militiamen), thousands of detainees whose fate is unknown, or those who have been killed but whose identities have not been verified,” Abdel Rahman added. It is impossible to independently verify death counts out of Syria, and the UN has stopped keeping its own toll. AFP low Muslim states as the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meets in the Saudi City of Mecca to discuss a recommendation for Syria to be suspended from the 57-nation body.

But Iran — Damascus’s closest ally — is vehemently opposed.

“We certainly do not agree agree with the suspension of any OIC member,” Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said Monday.

“We have to look for other ways, means and mechanisms for resolving conflicts and crises.”

On Monday, the rebel Free Army claimed

it had shot down a warplane in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor and issued a video of a man it said was the captured pilot, a “staunch enemy of the revolution”.

If confirmed, it would be the first time the rebels — who have been demanding anti-aircraft weapons to combat escalating attacks from the sky — succeeded in downing a government plane since the conflict erupted.

State media said the plane had crashed after suffering technical problems and that the pilot had ejected.

Wednesday, 15 August, 2012

Layout 19 pages ISB_Layout 1 8/15/2012 10:03 AM Page 10

10 Comment Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami

august debates Every year this month, we have the same arguments, the same reflections...

Editor Lahore – Ph: 042-36298305-10 Fax: 042-36298302 Karachi – Ph: 021-34330811-3 Fax: 021-34330900 Islamabad – Ph: 051-2287414-6 Fax: 051-2287417 Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

i-day introspections Democracy is the way to go

F

ew would disagree with PM Pervez Ashraf regarding Pakistan’s future being tied to the continuation of democracy. One would also readily agree with the president that the institutions must strictly confine themselves to their respective spheres and none should try to stifle the parliament. One may only add that equally important for the survival of the system is to stem the tide of extremism and concentrate on eradicating the existential threat posed by the terrorist organizations. Thus, Gen Kayani’s resolve expressed at the Independence Day parade at Kakul to fight terrorism is welcome. Many will, however, keep their fingers crossed till they see how the objective is pursued.

It goes to Gen Kayani’s credit that he has owned the fight against extremism and militancy without ifs and buts. As Gen Kayani has put it, it is a most difficult task for the army to fight against its own people and this has to be done only as a matter of last resort. Military operations have been necessitated by the fact that the militants want to enforce a system of their own choice through the use of force and terrorist acts.

They have already killed thousands of civilians and military personnel, destroyed schools, damaged the economy and have thus destabilized the country. It was under these circumstances that the army had to be called in to establish the writ of the state in Swat. It is currently fighting the insurgents in several FATA agencies. The government now claims that it has abandoned the policy of strategic depth. The army and the civilian law enforcement bodies would have to target all militant groups operating from the country’s soil to prove that they have no favourites.

All institutions and organs of state have to work together to strengthen Pakistan. Kayani is only partially right when he says that the purpose behind the creation of the country was to establish ‘a welfare Islamic state, where foundation for a tolerant and modern society could be laid’. It makes one wonder why Kayani does not mention that the country was also conceived as a democratic state. Coming as it does from the COAS, the omission is likely to create suspicions. Many hold that repeated military interference in politics is responsible for the retarded growth of civil institutions. This explains the issue raised by Kayani regarding why the civil administration is not able to deal with terrorism without the army’s help.

What is needed is for every institution to strictly work within the limits imposed by the constitution. The tendency to encroach on others’ turf has to be strictly kept under check.

I

ndependence Day is an occasion to pay tribute to the leaders and the ordinary people who made enormous sacrifices for the establishment of Pakistan. It also provides an opportunity to review what has been achieved in the years of independence and where have we faltered?

Pakistan’s story is neither a total success nor a total failure. It is a mixed track record of some achievements that have kept the state going and the failures that often cause disappointment and a crisis of confidence among the people.

Right from the first Independence Day, Pakistan was subjected to the doom’s day scenario. There were a number of political and societal leaders in India and Great Britain who thought that Pakistan would collapse under the weight of its problems within a couple of years. The Congress Party of India thought that when the emotions of 1947 subside, the whole issue of division of India would be reviewed afresh and that Pakistan would return to India.

Though India also faced problems in the initial years, Pakistan encountered

By Dr Hasan Askari Rizvi far greater challenges because it was virtually setting up a new state system which lacked financial resources and trained human power to sustain the state. Its industrial sector was weak or non-existent in certain fields and the overall economy faced serious problems because of the negative impact of the partition and especially violence and disorder of the earlier years.

However, Pakistan has not only survived but created a viable state by coping with internal changes and cultivation of new international linkages. The industrial and business sector experienced much expansion and the same can

be said about education and healthcare if we compare the present situation to what it was in the first three-four years of independence.

Refugee rehabilitation was a cumbersome problem which of which was tackled in 20 years. The establishment of Pakistan provided new opportunities to its citizens.

The ideals and goals set out in the last phase of the independence struggle or the early years of independence have not been fully achieved. The greatest failure has been the non-realization of the shared destiny as visualized at the time of independence.

There is a lack of widely shared and enduring consensus as to why was Pakistan created and what type of political and economic order should be adopted?

An ideological and political confusion is being deliberately created in Pakistan on the nature of the Pakistani state and its future direction. Even what constitutes democracy is often challenged by different groups for different reasons. If there is no argument available to question the 1973 constitution and elections, the Islamic argument is brought in to delegitimize the existing system. For example, one favourite argument in Pakistan now-adays is that the people holding the key offices should do things, function as rulers and lead their lives in accordance with the life style and governance of the Khulfa-i-Rashideen. Why should President Zardari have constitutional immunity and maintain so much security around him when the earliest rulers of Islam did not have any of these things.

With this kind of argument you can delegitimize the modern stats system as it is different from the Islamic government of the earliest period. However, nobody would like to apply this rule on one’s individual life. Nobody makes the argument that we should not use electricity, modern means of communication and technologies because these did not exist in the earliest period of Islam.

Pakistan was established on a ‘homeland’ concept. It was a homeland for the Muslims to protect their socio-cultural identity, rights and interests from being overwhelmed by an unsympathetic majority in a united India. This insecurity was caused by the political experience of a large section of the Muslim League that converted their concerns into political demands.

Islam was invoked for political identity formation for the Muslims to distinguish them from the followers of other religions in the politics of India. It was also used for political mobilization for the attainment of the political goal of protection and advancement of the identity, rights and interests of the Muslims. The strategies of the Muslim League

to achieve this objective changed over time.

Ultimately, the Muslim League leadership adopted the strategy of a separate homeland.

It is erroneous to argue that Pakistan was created for implementation of Islam or in the name of Islam. It is a post-independence argument advanced originally by Islamic political parties to justify their role.

There is no resolution of the Muslim League in the pre-independence period that says that they wanted a separate country to protect Islam or implement Islam. There is no resolution of the Muslim League for making the Sharia the supreme law and constitution.

The slogans in the marches of the Muslim League and the election campaign, especially in the Punjab, NWFP and to some extent in Sindh are now being used to determine the nature of Pakistani state.

While emphasizing the identity, rights and interests of the Muslims, the Muslim leadership and especially the Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, always assured equal citizenship to non-Muslims that were to stay in Pakistan. The homeland for the Muslim was to be a multi-religion state where the rights and interests of every community were to be protected.

What we need to do most is to create a genuine democracy that pursues constitutional liberalism, civil and political rights, socio-economic securities for all, free education and healthcare and equal citizenship irrespective of caste, creed, ethnicity, region, religion, sect or gender.

Other independence related debates relate to the date of independence. Pakistan, like India, got independence on August 15.

For some years Pakistan used to celebrate its Independence Day on August 15. Later, it was changed to August 14, perhaps to distinguish it from India’s independence. During General Zia-ul-Haq’s rule, a large number of orthodox religious leaders wanted independence to be officially observed on 27th Ramzan. Some of them proposed that Islamic Kalma should be inscribed on Pakistan’s national flag in the tradition of Saudi flag. The Zia regime did not implement their demands. This year, some religious leaders plan to celebrate the Independence Day on 27th Ramzan.

We should not get involved in unnecessary debates so that we save time and energy for the tasks that will improve the quality of life of the common people. Pakistan’s salvation lies in addressing societal problems rather than political and religious leaders engaging in personalized and ego-driven debates.

The writer is an independent political and defence analyst.

anna in politics?

He needs to be circumspect

Border Crossings

By Kuldip Nayar

I

t is not the first time that the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has disclosed the government’s involvement in a scam. What is disconcerting this time is that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has been accused of keeping away the CAG report from parliament on coal bungling, running into Rs. 1.45 lakh crore.

The prime minister told parliament on May 23 this year that the CAG report was only a draft while the fact which has come to light is that the final report was received on May 11, both by the government and the President’s office. It means that there is nothing sacrosanct for the Congress-led coalition, even parliament privileges, much less

Wednesday, 15 August, 2012

transparency that one expected from a government headed by Dr Manmohan Singh.

The government is only a forwarding agency as far as reports by the CAG are concerned. He directly reports to parliament through the government as he did in the case of corruption in coal, a portfolio directly under the prime minister. How he rationalizes the delay—he is a master in doing so—will be something which I await.

Yet the corruption part is really serious.

Certain private parties and individuals are said to have been given benefits. They must have rendered service in kind and cash to the ruling party.

The sad part is that when a movement against corruption was needed the most, Gandhian Anna Hazare leading it, changes his strategy and thinks about contesting elections in 2014. Although he looked reluctant and expressed doubts in public, he seemed to have been prevailed upon by those who have always focused their eyes on the electoral politics. Some of them may well be members of the team which Hazare has now disbanded.

Yet abandoning a movement which had come to ventilate the resentment of civil society was leaving a job in the middle. True, the government was obtrusive and did not want to give a strong Lokpal (ombudsman). Equally true, the opposition parties were indifferent. This was all

the more reason why the movement for a Lokpal needed to be intensified.

With no immediate challenge on corruption, the government has blessed the move of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) not to go in appeal on the rejection of disproportionate assets case against former UP chief minister Mayawati. Even her 21 votes in the Lok Sabha are important for Manmohan Singh government to show a majority in the parliament. And it seems obvious that the Congress will stick to office for the rest of the term, roughly 22 months, even if it has to play false as it has done in the case of CAG report on coal and even if it has turned a blind eye to Mayawati’s assets which are unexplainable. She has reportedly amassed a wealth of Rs 116 crore since 2003.

Indeed, this is the best time for Anna to enter the political field. But can a party rise from the ashes of a movement which had swept the intelligentsia off its feet and had kept the media focused for 18 months?

In concrete terms, the movement has nothing to show. But the awakening of civil society is itself an achievement of sorts.

Whether Anna can convert the awakening process into voting process is yet to be seen? One thing which is in his favour is that he is being associated with an alternative to the Congress and the BJP, the two main political parties. People gener-

ally want a change and not either of the two at the helm of affairs again.

Gandhian Jayaprakash Narain (JP) was forced into a similar situation but accepted the Jana Sangh, the predecessor of BJP, after the Jana Sangh promised him to cut off relations with the RSS. He was betrayed but in the process the Jana Sangh got credibility of a non-communal setup.

A similar situation is faced by Anna when Baba Ramdev wants the two of them to join hands. Secularism and parochialism do not mix well. JP made the mistake and parochial forces gained from it. Anna should not traverse the same path. He has to stand alone when Baba Ramdev and his musclemen try to make a united stand.

Their culture is different and civil society is not willing to accept them.

The mantle of JP has fallen on Anna.

But JP traveled throughout India to awaken people to the need to have an alternative and defeat the rulers who have mutilated the very system to serve their purpose and sustain the status quo which gives them power and unfettered control.

I am not against Anna taking part in elections. He himself is having second thoughts. Yet it would have been far better if he had held wider consultations with activists like Medha Padkar and Aruna Roy. Such consultations did take place before Anna had begun stir against corruption.

He must string together the various movements, however small, which are visibly working at the grassroots. These activists will provide grist to the mill of change that Anna is contemplating.

Maybe, a political platform, instead of a party, may serve a wider purpose. Some can work with the people’s movements and some contest elections. They will help each other and together they will be a force to reckon with. Mahatma Gandhi had separated constructive workers from those engaged in the legislative field.

JP did not form the party till after winning at the polls. Yet he saw to it that his candidates would fight on one symbol.

What proved to be his Achilles heel was the wrong candidates he chose. They were not the people to effect changes. They used the system to benefit themselves. And then JP’s health failed and he could not reach out to the people.

Anna should be careful about his health and slowly but relentlessly harness support among those close associates who have the commitment and faith in basic values. He should take time. But he cannot afford to fail for the second time. Politics is not bad. Those who dominate it at this time have given it a bad name.

The writer is a senior Indian journalist.

Layout 19 pages ISB_Layout 1 8/15/2012 10:03 AM Page 11

Comment 11

Editor’s mail Send your letters to: Letters to Editor, Pakistan Today, 4-Shaarey Fatima Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan.

Fax: +92-42-36298302.

E-mail: letters@pakistantoday.com.pk.

Letters should be addressed to Pakistan Today exclusively.

Pakistan Zindabad?

Pakistan Zindabad! As 14 August approaches I hear more of these “so called” patriotic slogans being chanted by the “so called” enthusiastic Pakistanis. Many who have read my first line might be doubting my patriotism. But I believe that before I can call myself a true Pakistani, I shall do something for a better and progressive Pakistan and that I should prove my patriotism with actions, not words. When I achieve what I believe I will be a proud Pakistani.

Pakistan since it birth has been a beleaguered state. There have been only a few moments in history to be cherished and that one can be proud of.

We Pakistanis have always demanded other Pakistanis to take the lead and make the nation proud rather one himself rises and steps forward.

But the demographics of Pakistan are now changing. Pakistan with the passing of each day is becoming younger and it would be better if its future direction is more youthoriented. A large chunk of Pakistan’s population compromises of the youth which is a healthy sign but the youth is not mature and still needs to be polished and passed through different phases to be called “responsible”. So they can look after their country. The youth, sadly, is lost!

The youth is being fed on populist slogan. They are out in rallies but not studying and getting expertise in their respective fields. They chant slogan for change and yet are unaware that they are being played by the man showing them these dreams.

But I am optimistic that things will change and we shall as a nation rise.

We just need to develop the national feeling which is lost but certainly is there. We need to prioritize what is in better interest of Pakistan and how can “we” contribute for the betterment. In the end I appeal to the youth of Pakistan that it is high time for you to organize for real change then we all shall say Pakistan Zindabad!

MAJID TAMOOR Lahore

ogRA embezzlement The relative of a PPP jiyala, who owns hotels in Scotland, was appointed Chairman OGRA by the former PM, now disqualified by our Supreme Court. Such decisions have robbed this country of international credibility to an extent that even the IMF has demanded an endorsement of our plans by none other than the president, instead of just the minister for finance and his team.

The former Chairman OGRA embezzled Rs 83 Billion, was placed on the ECL, yet he managed to board a PIA flight for New York, in spite of being placed on the ECL. He could not

have done this without the support of immigration authorities, FIA, police or other security agencies who are tasked to do their jobs on tax payer’s money; yet they all seemingly collaborated with a criminal who had robbed the state. Had it not been for Supreme Court, the people of Pakistan would not even be aware of these endless daylight robberies.

What purpose does the NAB serve if it chooses to selectively act, based on whims of corrupt within corridors of power. In this case even the lawyer of Tauqir Sadiq, seems to be privy to information that his client had fled

the country. In any other country this crime which constitutes a conspiracy against the state, would have merited an uproar, and several heads would have rolled and property cum bank accounts of those involved frozen and red warrants issued. Where is the political vocal opposition, men like Nawaz Sharif, Imran Khan and others.

Perhaps too busy accusing each other, fighting their personal battle of inflated egos, not having time to focus on the problems of this unfortunate country and its 180 million citizens.

The National Assembly and Senate, if they truly represented the will of

Return to sender

Whither media ethics?

Most public servants and public representatives are all talk and no action. I have come to this conclusion based on my own experiences. The residential plot allotted to me in an Overseas Pakistani Housing Colony in Karachi along with thousands of other is occupied. Regarding the occupation of the plot, I filed a complaint in the Sindh Ombudsman after which asked the Police Department about the matter on 19 October, 2009. Since then in the past years, I have repeatedly written to the Sindh Ombudsman for looking further into the matter but it has been to no avail and I have gotten no response whatsoever.

In another incident, On 5 January 2012, I addressed the SECP with my complaint and I have every right to do so as a shareholder. The handling by the Secretary PIC was very dismissive. He scribbled “return to the sender” on my letter. Why? Any monitoring authority within the SECP has not taken note of this type of lethargic handling of public communication despite reminders.

To illustrate my point about apathy in public quarters, I will relate another anecdote. The Federal Insurance Ombudsman, as is usual in our country, said in an interview that he invited any aggrieved person to come knock on his always-open doors. I brought to his attention, the sufferings of two laborers, both of whom had valid State Life Insurance Policies. He told me that he cannot entertain complaints against State Life. He forwarded it to the Federal Ombudsman Islamabad from where nothing has been heard, despite my repeated reminders. I have sought a legal interpretation from the Secretary Justice & Law Division on this contention of the Insurance Ombudsman (as in the relevant clause of the Companies Ordinance, there is no mention at all of the words State Life/NLIC). Despite reminders, the Justice Division has not given even a single response.

The written rules makes it mandatory for every official in all the above quoted departments to immediately and invariably acknowledge receipt of a communication from any member of the public and follow it up by an appropriate response.

During all this long period of year(s) I have spent a lot of expense and time in reminding requests. Maybe if I, like Malik Riaz said, “attach wheels to my files”, they would move faster.

MUHAMMAD JAVED Karachi

Freedom comes with responsibility and efforts

by Hamid Mir and Absar Alam to restore credibility of our print and electronic media are a step in the right direction. When journalists get complimentary memberships of clubs like the controversial club built on land belonging to Pakistan Railways, eyebrows are raised, or they get expensive cars and SUVs free or at half market price, questions arise and it can be seen that there is a clear conflict of interest and gross financial irregularities.

Without an across-the-board self-scrutiny by the media, the fast eroding credibility will be dented beyond repair and harm the cause of democracy and freedom of expression in Pakistan. The assets acquired by prominent journalists and media house owners should be evaluated with their tax returns filed since they started their careers. A series of fixed interviews on electronic media or analysis and doctored reporting by our print media has exposed the black sheep within this vital fourth organ of state.

From the likes of Maulana Mohd Ali Jauhar to Maulana Shaukat Ali and icons like Hameed Nizami, Ahmed Ali Khan, etc, we now have men who have used this platform to serve as paid lobbyists, spin doctors and/or middle-men for the corrupt ruling elite and even brokering sale deals of banks on behalf of foreign investors and local cartels fleecing consumers.

A few have infiltrated the ranks of the land mafia by blackmailing landowners of their rented offices and residences to part with big chunk of their property in exchange for vacating rented premises. Scions of a few icons of our media, men who contributed to our freedom movement, are also involved in this mad rush to acquire assets through blackmailing and shady business deals including insider trading.

SHAHZAD KHALIL Sialkot

A reminder Every year in August, some liberal intellectuals try to remind their fellow Pakistanis of what the father of the nation, Quaid-e-Azam Mohammed Ali Jinnah, said on August 11, 1947 while addressing the first Constituent Assembly - “You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place of worship in this

people, would have taken the government to task and restored credibility and dignity of parliament, which has been reduced to a debating club. This is not failure of democracy, but proof if any were needed, that no system, however good it maybe, can deliver if criminals, thugs and self seeking opportunists dominate the corridors of power. This elected government has betrayed its oath of office and lost the right to rule this country and brought into disrepute democracy in Pakistan.

MALIK TARIQ ALI Lahore

state of Pakistan.” That was the Quaid’ vision for the new country; he promised equal rights to all of its citizens irrespective of their religious or sectarian affiliation, color, caste or creed. However, in today’s Pakistan, many people still are intolerant of difference and are preyed upon by reactionary forces and obscurantist elements. Therefore, 65 years after the country creation, the Quaid’s dream has not move forward while the country plunged into ethnic, religious and sectarian warfare.

We might have won the independence from the British in 1947 but unless we fulfill the Quaid’s dream of a progressive and enlightened Pakistan, Independence Day celebration on 14 August will be no more than a reminder of an incomplete task.

MASOOD KHAN Saudi Arabia

Respecting transgenders Transgendered people are a part of society but our society especially has entrenched biases against such people like eunuchs etc and it perpetuates these biases and these people are treated as secondclass citizens. They are discriminated against by “normal” people from the beginning and they are deprived of their elementary rights. So far jobs are not given to them and they have to resort to begging and dancing on the streets.

Society’s treatment of them is despicable and we must change these attitudes. Fountain House is an organization doing just that. Even though it is a mental health institute, it makes a special effort to deal with transgendered individuals in a congenial manner and provide basic facilities to them. They give money to elderly transgenders and also facilitate them with a grand dinner every month. In this holy month of Ramazan, they arrange iftar parties for them.

Even though the government has taken some steps to ease their difficulties like issuing these people CNICs, giving them jobs etc, it has not been enough and more should be done to take them out of the miserable state their community is in. Not just the government, we as individuals should also try to shelve our biases and try to help these people by including them in society, giving them jobs, facilitating them and ,above all, respecting them.

FATIMA GULL Lahore

Wednesday, 15 August, 2012

Layout 19 pages ISB_Layout 1 8/15/2012 10:04 AM Page 12

12 ileana d’Cruz to romance Shahid Kapoor

S

oUTH actress Ileana d’Cruz, who is making her Bollywood debut with Barfi, will next be seen romancing Shahid Kapoor in director Rajkumar Santoshi’s upcoming film. The film, tentatively titled Phata Poster Nikla Hero is a Bollywood masala entertainer. The film is to be directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, who has given hits like Ghayal, Andaz Apna Apna, Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani. The film will be produced by Ramesh Taurani’s Tips Films. “we have signed Ileana for our film. She is perfect for the role. She is a brilliant actress. we have seen her work down south,” Taurani told PTI. “I can’t talk about the role that Ileana and Shahid will be playing in the film,” he said. Talking about Phata Poster Nikla Hero, Taurani says, “This film is a full-fledged masala entertainer with elements of romance and action. It is an original story and not a remake.” The film will go on floors from November and will release next year.

Ileana’s debut film in Bollywood, the Ranbir KapoorPriyanka Chopra starrer Barfi directed by Anurag Basu, will release on September 14. HINDuSTAN TIMES

ASHTON KUTCHER

ORALNDO BLOOM

DAVID ARCHULETA

ELIJAH JORDAN WOOD

DANIELLE RADCLIFE

JUDE LAW

ICE CUBE

ROBERT PATTINSON

All time classy men’s cut you will love to have this summer.

the dark Knight rises rakes in $800 million globally

T

HRee weeks after its launch, the concluding chapter of Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy has grossed more than $800 million around the world. Since it hit North American theatres on July 20, The dark Knight Rises has raked in $834.4 million, which makes it the 30th most lucrative production of all time. It has grossed $445.3 outside of North America and $390.1 million in the US and Canada combined. The dark Knight Rises is living up to its name by soaring towards the success enjoyed by its predecessor The dark Knight (2008). The previous film of the trilogy boasts global box-office earnings of a billion dollars, which puts it among the dozen most lucrative productions of all time. NEWS DESK

GEORGE CLOONEY

TAYLOR LAUTNER

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE

Emraan gets intimate in angelina jolie, Brad Pitt order $1m rings for wedding

H

ollywood couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have reportedly enlisted the services of luxury jeweller Robert Procop to craft two custom-made matching wedding bands worth $1 million. Procop has been busy all year making the wedding rings, a source said. They are matching rose gold bands with a tablet-cut diamond in them and their vows to each other engraved in them, reports showbizspy.com. The rings are now reportedly ready after months of work at the Grand Hotel du Cap Ferrat in southern France. Pitt, 48, recently bought 37-year-old Jolie a $500,000 watch as a pre-wedding gift. NEWS DESK

Wednesday, 15 August, 2012

A

FTER a brief hiatus, Emraan Hashmi would be back to doing what he does best i.e. get intimate with his leading ladies on screen. Promos of Raaz 3 are out and there are enough indications of Emraan heating up the screen with both Bipasha Basu and Esha Gupta.

“Shanghai didn’t have any scope for him and Kalki to get passionate as there was hardly any love story between them. On the other hand, even though Jannat 2 had a love story being integral to the plot, the chemistry between him and Esha couldn’t be developed. Now with Raaz 3 featuring the duo again, the script has been worked around in such a way that diehard fans of Emraan won’t complain. There is quite some eye candy in store for them”, says a source attached to the film.

Though Emraan had followed a no-kissing policy for quite some time now and is only occasionally seen breaking the self imposed shackles,

it is expected that in Raaz 3 he would go all out again. “When you have Bipasha Basu in the film, you have to cater to adult audience as well”, adds an insider, “That has been taken care in the film and Bhatts managed to convince the actors that they have to cater to the gallery here.” A sneak peak into the trio getting into action would be out on screen soon. However there continues to be suspense around whether Emraan’s encounters with his leading ladies would be in separate settings or would it form a part of a single episode, reason being that sometime back there were talks around the trio indulging in an on-screen threesome. Vikram Bhatt, the film’s director, had shrugged off the rumour. “Yes, I am romantically involved with both Bipasha and Esha in the film.

There are love making scenes as well but there is nothing kinky about them. Beyond that I don’t wish to comment anything else”, says Emraan.

CouRTESy HINDuSTAN TIMES

LEONARDO DI CAPRIO

Layout 19 pages ISB_Layout 1 8/15/2012 10:05 AM Page 13

13

BEyOncE

opens up intimate family album for fans

B

DAVID BECKHAM

KEANU REEVES

SHAAN

EYONCE and husband Jay Z, who are famous for keeping their personal life out of the public eye, seem to have lost their shyness as new parents. The 30-year-old singer posted a bunch of pictures capturing intimate moments with her family on Tumblr. In one particularly endearing shot, the songstress totes baby Blue Ivy in her arms while feeding her from a bottle. The baby, born in January, is seen with her back to the camera, wearing a Watch The Throne shirt, advertising her father’s tour with Kanye West, the Daily Mail reported.

The shots provide the fans with a rare glimpse into Beyonce’s world.

They come as she is about to star in a new documentary film about her life and career, a large step for the stubbornly private singer.

Another picture shows the former Destiny’s Child singer screaming with laughter as the rapper pushes her on a swing.

She is seen wearing a long flowing pink maxi dress which billows up around her as Jay Z pushes, their dog at his heels.

Another off duty moment has her riding a bike through deserted streets.

While the setting is low key she looks like the pop star that she is with her bright lipstick, long toned legs, huge styled hair and designer boots.

Giving a glimpse into her privileged lifestyle the Hero singer also includes a few shots of her private jet, grinning with her all-female entourage as they strike pose in front of the building. Other images behind the scenes of her successful tour include the Grammy winner filling up at a food truck or on the scene of a music video. She has also posted a photograph of the sight that greets her onstage, with thousands of screaming fans all blurring into one impressive vista.

“T

He Bourne legacy,” the latest installment in the popular action series, dethroned the new Batman film to take the top spot in the North American box office, industry figures showed Monday. The fourth Bourne thriller — starring Jeremy Renner as a secret agent threatened by his employers, and not Matt damon as Jason Bourne — raked in $38.1 million in its opening weekend, movie tracker exhibitor Relations said. Another new release, the political spoof “The Campaign” starring will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis, brought in $26.6 million — good enough for second place in the weekend rankings.

“The dark Knight Rises,” the final installment of the Batman trilogy directed by Christopher Nolan, fell to third place with $19 million, after topping the chart each week since it opened last month. AFP

Salman to break aamir, SrK and hrithik’s BO records?

E

K Tha Tiger releases tomorrow and trade, industry as well as soothsayers have only one question on their lips - ‘will Salman Khan end up creating new records with this film?’ Such is the buildup of hype around the film that while it is a given that the film would cross the Rs.100 crores “To begin with, Salman is now all set to regain the opening day record that was created with Bodyguard last eid”, comments an insider, “It was tipped by Hrithik Roshan with Agneepath earlier this year but with expectation of nothing less than Rs. 30 crores opening day for ek Tha Tiger, not just Hrithik but even Shah Rukh’s Ra.one’s record of highest day ever would be smashed.”

Meanwhile bets are being placed on the number of days in which ek Tha Tiger would cross the Rs. 100 crore milestone. The record is currently held by Salman himself whose Bodyguard had managed this total in its extended week last year. Now for ek Tha Tiger it is expected that Salman would manage this huge moolah in five-six days flat. HINDuSTAN TIMES

Pooja wants Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor for next

A

LIA Bhatt did not want to make her debut with dad Mahesh Bhatt’s film.

Actress-turned-director Pooja Bhatt is keen to remake her own film Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahi with sister Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor in the lead. The 1991 film Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahi was directed by Mahesh Bhatt and featured Pooja Bhatt and Aamir Khan in the lead. “I would love to remake Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahi with Alia and Ranbir Kapoor in the lead. I think if there is anyone who could take my place in that film, then it is Alia. And as far as Aamir’s character is concerned I think Ranbir is the best choice,” Pooja told PTI. “I am dreaming about this. It is my dream to cast them,” she said.

In Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahi Pooja played

the role of a daughter of a rich shipping tycoon – Anupam Kher, while Aamir Khan played a reporter.

Meanwhile, Alia is making her debut in Bollywood with Karan Johar’s directorial venture Student of the Year. In this film, Alia stars opposite newcomers Siddharth Malhotra and Varun Dhawan, son of director David Dhawan. The film produced by Karan Johar and co-produced by Shah Rukh Khan, releases on October 19.

“Alia is fabulous. We are happy that she is making her debut with a film like

’Bourne’ bests Batman to top US box office

‘Student of the Year’. We have seen the trailer and it is amazing, Alia looks brilliant. Looking at it I feel a new star is born,” Pooja said.

NEWS DESK

Salman doesn’t need good luck wishes: Sonakshi

A

CTReSS Sonakshi Sinha is confident that her first co-star, Salman Khan’s forthcoming release ek Tha Tiger will do well at the box office. Nevertheless, she has wished him all the best. “I wish him all the very best. However, he doesn’t need any good luck wishes, his luck is already running very strong and I am sure even ek Tha Tiger is going to do very well,” the 25-year-old, who made her Bollywood debut opposite Salman in dabangg, said here. Meanwhile, Sonakshi is happy about the response to her item number Go go Govinda from the film oh My God. “It’s a great song. when I heard it, I started dancing automatically. So I think the general audience also likes such songs,” she said. “It came at the right time, just before Janmashtami, and I think it picked up.” Sonakshi is currently busy promoting her forthcoming film Joker and is also shooting for Son of Sardar, dabangg 2 and lootera. NEWS DESK

Wednesday, 15 August, 2012

Layout 19 pages ISB_Layout 1 8/15/2012 10:05 AM Page 14

Wednesday, 15 August, 2012

Kvitova outlasts Li for first title of season Page 16

Olympic flag arrives in Rio, host of 2016 Games RIO DE JANEIRO AFP

t

HE Olympic flag arrived Monday in Rio de Janeiro, which will host the 2016 Summer Games -- a challenge which authorities in Brazil say the city is prepared to conquer.

Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes stepped off a plane carrying the flag, accompanied by Carlos Arthur Nuzman, president of the 2016 Games Organizing Committee and Rio Governor Sergio Cabral, an AFP correspondent at the airport saw. "The arrival of the Olympic flag marks a period of transformation in the city," Paes told reporters. "This is a unique opportunity for Brazil -- a time of great celebration."

Also on board the plane were Brazilian athletes -- some with medals around their necks -- who competed in the London Games, which ended on Sunday in a blaze of music, fireworks and light.

"Arriving in Rio with the flag was a privilege for us, the athletes," said Robert Scheidt, who won bronze in Olympic sailing's Star competition with Bruno Prada.

"There is room for much improvement (in terms of the number of medals won) here in Rio," Scheidt added.

Brazil won a total of 17 medals in London -- three gold, five silver and nine bronze.

Hosting the Games will be a huge challenge for a city notorious for its traffic chaos, poor infrastructure and shanty town violence, but authorities say Rio -which also hosts the 2014 World Cup -will rise to the occasion.

On Tuesday, the Olympic flag will be flown to Brasilia for a ceremony attended

by President Dilma Rousseff and on Wednesday, Paes will carry it through Rio's northern Alemao complex of shanties -- known here as favelas -- as well as through the western district of Realengo, officials said.

On Sunday, Paes received the Olympic flag from London Mayor Boris Johnson during the ceremony that marked the close of the London Games and the countdown to the 2016 Summer Games, which will be the first held in

Rio de JAneiRo: Rio de Janeiro's city mayor eduardo Paes (L) waves the olympic flag next to the president of the brazilian olympic committee carlos Arthur nuzman, upon arrival from the London 2012 olympics, at the tom Jobim international airport. afp South America. On Monday, Brazilian deputy sports minister Luis Fernandes said in London that the 2016 Games would galvanize projects already in place across South America's largest country as well as in Rio, a city of 6.5 million people.

The plans in Rio include the extension of a metro line to the western Barra da Tijuca district. Four express lanes for buses and cars are also under construction. "The Olympics are an opportunity to invest a huge quantity of funds in infra-

structure, an amount that would normally take 15 or 20 years to invest," Fernandes told a press conference in London. "The Olympics give us an opportunity to concentrate resources to build this infrastructure a bit sooner," he

added. Brazilian Olympic Committee officials and Rio city authorities insist everything will be ready. Some of the venues will be used for the World Cup, but the Olympic Village and other event sites still must be built.

‘Pietersen will bounce back’ S. Korea attacks 'biased' judging at Games England can cope without Pietersen, says Swann

LONDON AFP

South Africa's Jacques Kallis believes Kevin Pietersen will bounce back after his dramatic omission from the England Test side for this week's series finale against the Proteas at Lord's.

England's selectors made their decision to drop Pietersen following reports he sent text messages to several South Africa players during the drawn second Test at Headingley that were believed to contain derogatory comments about captain Andrew Strauss and coach Andy Flower.

Pietersen made a superb 149 at Headingley and averages nearly 50 in Test cricket yet neither of these factors were enough to spare him the axe.

However, Kallis -- the outstanding all-rounder of his generation and whose Test batting

loNdoN: England off-spinner Graeme Swann has insisted the side will not be weaker for the absence of Kevin Pietersen for this week's third Test against South Africa at Lord's. Even though star batsman Pietersen scored a superb 149 in the second Test at Headingley, he was dropped after failing to reveal the contents of text messages allegedly sent to South African players during that match. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) told Pietersen his selection was contingent upon him either confirming publicly no derogatory texts about his team-mates had been sent to South African players or, if they had, to apologise for them. Pietersen has yet to respond to the ECB's request, amidst allegations the texts contained disparaging remarks about England captain Andrew Strauss. But Swann was adamant the furore would have no impact upon a Test starting Thursday that England must win to retain their world number one ranking in the five-day game. AFP average of 57.30 puts him among the all-time elite -- is certain this is not the end of South Africaborn Pietersen's international career.

"I'm sure they'll sort it out," Kallis said at Lord's on Tuesday.

"He's too good a player to stay out of the international scene. I've no doubts they'll come to an agreement and something will be sorted out.

"These sorts of things are going to happen throughout his career, a few things have happened. I don't think it'll affect him, I think he'll bounce back and I think he's still got a lot of cricket

ahead of him." Kallis, 36, said Pietersen's absence left England with a big hole to fill.

"He's a world-class player and he's proven that over many years and put in big performances for England so I'm sure he's going to be missed, but England's got some good players as well."

South Africa lead this threematch series 1-0, after a crushing innings and 12-run win at The Oval where Kallis scored an unbeaten 182 and now only need to avoid defeat at Lord's, where play starts Thursday, to replace England at the top of the world Test rankings.

SEOUL AFP

South Korea's sports minister on Tuesday took a swipe at the London Olympics over alleged cases of biased refereeing, vowing to step up Seoul's influence with international sports organisations.

Choe Kwang-Shik made the remarks in a speech at a disbandment ceremony for the South Korean delegation, whose last batch of 55 athletes returned home Tuesday.

South Korea finished fifth in the medal standings at the London Olympics with 13 golds, equalling its record for the most at a Games.

"I express heartfelt gratitude to the athletes who did their best and overcame all difficulties despite unfair refereeing," Choe said at the ceremony held at Incheon airport

and broadcast live on TV. "The government will make strong efforts in order to expand influence in international sports," he said.

Seoul will soon start working on "measures aimed to strengthen its position as the world's fifth largest sports powerhouse", he added, giving no details.

South Korean news media made a fuss about what they claimed were cases of biased judging that allegedly happened in women's epee semi-final, men's 66kg judo quarter-final and men's 400m freestyle swimming heat.

Park Yong-Sung, president of the Korean Olympic Committee, told journalists that the incidents made him keenly feel the "lack of (amiable) relations" between international sports committees and the South Korean sports committees.

S. Korea footballer escapes draft seoUl: A South Korean footballer will be excused military service as a reward for his Olympic performance despite controversially displaying a sign on a territorial dispute, an official said. Park Jong-Woo was barred from the medal ceremony after he held up a sign reading "Dokdo is our land" while celebrating his team's 2-0 win over Japan last Friday. The Seoul-controlled islands, known as Dokdo in Korea and Takeshima in Japan, are the subject of a decadesold territorial dispute. The row flared again Friday when South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak made a surprise visit to the islands in the Sea of Japan (East Sea), hours before the match. AFP

Layout 19 pages ISB_Layout 1 8/15/2012 10:05 AM Page 15

Infotainment 14 Accidents that lead to really amazing inventions Saccharin

The year was 1879 and Fahlberg was trying to come up with new and interesting uses for coal tar. After a productive day at the office, he went home and something strange happened. He noticed the rolls he was eating tasted particularly sweet. He asked his wife if she had done anything interesting to the rolls, but she hadn’t. They tasted normal to her.

Fahlberg realized the taste must have been coming from his hands — which he hadn’t washed. The next day he went back to the lab and started tasting his work until he found the sweet spot.

spilled a mixture of rubber, sulfur and lead onto a hot stove. The heat charred the mixture, but didn’t ruin it. When Goodyear picked up the accident, he noticed that the mixture had hardened but was still quite usable. At last! The breakthrough he had been waiting for! His vulcanized rubber is used in everything from tires, to shoes, to hockey pucks.

Plastic

duced X-rays after they had been left out in the sun. One problem - he was doing these experiments in the winter, and there was one week with a long stretch of overcast skies. He left his equipment wrapped up together in a drawer and waited for a sunny day. When he got back to work, Becquerel realized that the uranium rock he had left in the drawer had imprinted itself on a photographic plate without being exposed to sunlight first. There was something very special about that rock. Working with Marie and Pierre Curie, he discovered that that something was radioactivity.

Mauve

Smart Dust

Jamie Link was doing her doctoral work in chemistry at the University of California, San Diego, one of the silicon chips she was working on burst. She discovered afterward, however, that the tiny pieces still functioned as sensors. The resulting “smart dust” won her the top prize at the Collegiate Inventors Competition in 2003. These teensy sensors can also be used to monitor the purity of drinking or seawater, to detect hazardous chemical or biological agents in the air, or even to locate and destroy tumor cells in the body.

Vulcanized Rubber One day Charles Goodyear

In 1907 shellac was used as insulation in electronics. It was costing the industry a pretty penny to import shellac, which was made from Southeast Asian beetles, and at home chemist Leo Hendrik Baekeland thought he might turn a profit if he could produce a shellac alternative.

Instead his experiments yielded a mouldable material that could take high temperatures without distorting.

Baekeland thought his “Bakelite” might be used for phonograph records, but it was soon clear that the product had thousands of uses. Today plastic, which was derived from Bakelite, is used for everything from telephones to iconic movie punch lines.

Radioactivity Back in 1896 Becquerel was fascinated by two things: natural fluorescence and the newfangled X-ray.

He ran a series of experiments to see if naturally fluorescent minerals pro-

In 1856 Perkin was trying to come up with artificial quinine. Instead of a malaria treatment, his experiments produced a thick murky mess. But the more he looked at it, the more Perkin saw a beautiful colour in his mess.

Turns out he had made the first-ever synthetic dye. His dye was far better than any dyes that came from nature; the colour was brighter, more vibrant, and didn’t fade or wash out. His discovery also turned chemistry into a money-generating science making it attractive for a whole generation of curious-minded people.

sounds. He reached into a box for a resistor in order to finish the circuit and pulled out a 1-megaohm resistor instead of a 10,000-ohm one. The circuit pulsed for 1.8 milliseconds and then stopped for one second.

Then it repeated. The sound was as old as man: a perfect heartbeat.

Teflon After all the damage they’ve done to the ozone layer, chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs, are persona non grata.

Back in the 1930s, however, they were (pardon the pun) the hot new thing in the science of refrigeration. Young DuPont chemist Roy Plunkett was working to make a new a new kind of CFC. He had a theory that if he could get a compound called TFE to react with hydrochloric acid, he could produce the refrigerant he wanted. So, to start his experiment Plunkett got a whole bunch of TFE gas, cooled it and pressured it in canisters so it could be stored until he was ready to use it.

When the time came to open the container and put the TFE and hydrochloric acid together so they could react, nothing came out of the canister. The gas had disappeared. Only it hadn’t.

Frustrated and angry, Plunkett took off the top of the canister and shook it. Out came some fine white flakes.

Luckily for everyone who’s ever made an omelet, he was intrigued by the flakes and handed them off to other scientists at DuPont. MARK TWAIN

Cancelled lifeboat drill Originally, a lifeboat drill was scheduled to take place on board the Titanic on April 14, 1912 - the day the Titanic hit the iceberg. However, for an unknown reason, Captain Smith cancelled the drill. Many believe that had the drill taken place, more lives could have been saved.

Only seconds From the time the lookouts sounded the alert, the officers on the bridge had only 37 seconds to react before the Titanic hit the iceberg. In that time, First Officer Murdoch ordered “hard a-starboard” (which turned the ship to port — left). He

also ordered the engine room to put the engines in reverse. The Titanic did bank left, but it wasn’t quite enough.

The Titanic’s newspaper The Titanic seemed to have everything on board, including its own newspaper. The Atlantic Daily Bulletin was printed every day on board the Titanic. The newspaper included news, advertisements, stock prices, horse-racing results, society gossip, and the day’s menu.

Lifeboats not full Not only were there not enough lifeboats to save everyone on board, most of the lifeboats that were launched off the Titanic were not filled to capacity. For instance, the first lifeboat to launch, Lifeboat 7 from the starboard side) only carried 24 people, despite having a capacity of 65 (two additional people later

t

oKyo: Genetic mutations have been found in three generations of butterflies from near Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear plant, scientists said Tuesday, raising fears radiation could affect other species.

Around 12 percent of pale grass blue butterflies that were exposed to nuclear fallout as larvae immediately after the tsunami-sparked disaster had abnormalities, including smaller wings and damaged eyes, researchers said.

The insects were bred in a laboratory outside the fallout zone and 18 percent of their offspring displayed similar problems, said Joji Otaki, associate professor at Ryukyu University in Okinawa, southwestern Japan. The figure rose to 34 percent in the third generation of butterflies, he said, even though one parent from each coupling was from an unaffected population. AFP

Pacemaker

UK winners of record euro Millions jackpot turn to future

Greatbatch was working on making a circuit to help record fast heart

Things you don’t know about the Mighty Titanic

You may already know that the Titanic hit an iceberg at 11:40 p.m. on the night of April 14, 1912 and sunk just over two-and-a-half hours later, but do you know the following ten facts about the Titanic?

Fukushima caused mutant butterflies: scientists

transferred to Lifeboat 7 from Lifeboat 5). However, it was Lifeboat 1 that carried the fewest people only seven crew and five passengers (a total of 12 people) despite having a capacity for 40.

Only two bathtubs Although most passengers had to share bathrooms (only the two promenade suites in first class had private bathrooms), third class had it rough with only two bathtubs for more than 700 passengers.

sky (the distress flares sent up from the Titanic) and woke up their captain to tell him about it. Unfortunately, the captain issued no orders.

Since the ship’s wireless operator had already gone to bed, the Californian was unaware of any distress signals from the Titanic until the morning, but by then the Carpathia had already picked up all the survivors. Many people believe that if the Californian had responded to the Titanic’s pleas for help, many more lives could have been saved.

Another boat was closer for Two dogs rescued With the order for women and rescue children first into the lifeboats, plus When the Titanic began sending out distress signals, the Californian, rather than the Carpathia, was the closest ship; yet the Californian did not respond until it was much too late to help. At 12:45 a.m. on April 15, 1912, crew members on the Californian saw mysterious lights in the

the knowledge that there were not enough lifeboats for everyone on board the Titanic to be saved, it is a bit surprising that two dogs made it into the lifeboats. Of the nine dogs on board the Titanic, the two that were rescued were a Pomeranian and a Pekinese.

l

oNdoN: A British couple who scooped a record 190 million euros in the EuroMillions lottery said Tuesday that they would carry on running their music shop and try to give their children a normal upbringing. Adrian and Gillian Bayford, from Suffolk in eastern England, were the sole winners of the £149 million ($235 million) jackpot in Friday's draw. The euro conversion rate means that while the prize is a record in euros, it is worth slightly less in pounds than the £161 million won by a Scottish couple in the EuroMillions in July last year. Revealing their identities at a press conference on Tuesday, the Bayfords said they intended to lavish some of their winnings on friends and family who had supported them in their early years of marriage. AFP

Google social network adding verified accounts

s

AN frANcisco: Google on Monday announced that it will let users of its online social network have verified accounts with names or brands in a manner similar to that offered at Facebook and Twitter. Custom Google+ page addresses were rolled out to a limited number of profiles including the footballer David Beckham, actor Hugh Jackman, singer Britney Spears, and Japanese car maker Toyota, the company said in a blog post. "At first, we're introducing custom URLs to a limited number of verified profiles and pages," said Google product manager Saurabh Sharma. "But over time we plan to offer custom URLs to many more brands and individuals." Verified social network accounts with well-known names as Web addresses are intended to make it easy to find high-profile people or brands and avoid problems with imposters. AFP

Wednesday, 15 August, 2012

Layout 19 pages ISB_Layout 1 8/15/2012 10:07 AM Page 16

16 Sports federer will be ready for cement

CINCINNATI AFP

Roger Federer would have hoped for more than just the few days of pause he managed after the London Olympic final, but will take what he can get as the world number one prepars for his start on Wednesday at the Cincinnati Masters. The top seed said even his few days away to celebrate his 31st birthday with his wife and twin daughters was worthwhile for recuperation as he lays the groundwork for his final sprint of the abbreviated summer hardcourt season going into the US Open.

"The last few years we always had at least a two, three-week preparation for the hard courts," said the seven-time Wimbledon winner and Olympic silver medallist behind Andy Murray.

"But this time we've just had two and a half weeks more on grass, so obviously I don't think the preparation is as good as it's been in the previous years.

"I've had better preparations, there's no doubt about it, but it was definitely key for me to take some time off.

"I'm sort of in a tunnel vision right now from the French Open through Wimbledon, the Olympics. Until the US Open (starting August 27) I'm making sure I have enough rest, I play enough, and I stay injury-free." Federer owns four titles in Cincinnati, which he has played uninterruptedly since 2002. The Swiss expressed regret for the long-term knee injury absence of Rafael Nadal, who has not played for seven weeks since a Wimbledon second round loss and the flareup up his chronic knee problems. "I can't believe he's been out that long," said the Swiss world number one.

den boScH: An aerial view taken using an octocopter, a remote controlled helicopter, shows the ceremony honouring the dutch olympic team. the netherlands won 20 medals at the 2012 London olympic games, including six gold medals. afp

Kvitova outlasts Li for first title of season

old dog davydenko schools young pup dolgopolov CINCINNATI AFP

Old pro Nikolay Davydenko, a former top five threat, schooled Ukrainian young gun Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-1, 6-1 on Monday to get off to a rollicking start at the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Masters.

The 31-year-old Russian left Dolgopolov, eight years his junior, wondering what happened to the game which produced a title in Washington eight days ago on pre-US Open hardcourts.

Since beating German Tommy Haas for the final in the American capital, Dolgopolov has lost two matches, winning just four games in the process.

Davydenko, 2008 Cincinnati semi-finalist, said he wished he could roll back the years: "I am playing well but there is no way that I will get younger, it's to much to ask," said the Russian as he played for the first time since the London Olympics.

Davydenko, an eight-year veteran with an 11-8 mark at the tournament, also won the pair's only other match in the Barcelona first round in April, 2011.

Dolgopolov exits without having ever won a match in three Cincinnati attempts. In another men's match before light rain arrived as forecast, Italian Andreas Seppi beat Dutchman Robin Haase 6-4, 6-4.

In the women's draw, a pair of unseeded Germans advanced into the second round on the day in which world number 13 Ana Ivanovic was forced to withdraw after a foot injury suffered last week in Montreal.

Wednesday, 15 August, 2012

MontReAL: Petra Kvitova of the czech Republic serves to china's Li na during the final of the WtA Montreal Masters. afp MONTREAL

f

AFP

ORMER Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova claimed her first title of 2012 as she won a battle of ex-grand slam champions, beating China's Li Na 7-5, 2-6, 6-3 at the Montreal Masters on Monday.

Kvitova, the fifth seed, rode a roller coaster in the 62-minute opening set which featured 17 break points between the error-prone pair with a dozen of those saved.

"I hope this is good preparation for the US Open," said Kvitova. "I had some good matches here and hope to continue. But every tournament is different and every player is tough, so we'll see.

"It's great to have a good result in North America before the Open. I'm so glad I was able to play well here."

The momentum shifts were fast and frequent in the opener, with the 22-yearold Czech and her Chinese opponent, who won Roland Garros last season, exchanging the lead back and forth. Kvitova finally took the early lead on a fifth set point in a monster final game.

MontReAL: Petra Kvitova (R) of the czech Republic and china's Li na poses with their trophies after the final of the WtA Montreal Masters. afp Dropping the first set seemed to spur on Li, 30, who had come from 51 down in her semi-final win over Lucie Safarova, and the 2011 Paris champion won a break at the start of the second set and went on to win it and level the match.

The pair settled in during the third set, with Kvitova earning a break for 4-2 and eventually earned the trophy three games later on her first match point after two and a quarter hours.

She had six double-faults while losing her serve four times on the way to victory.

World number 11 Li has how finished runner-up three times in 2012. The final was scheduled for Monday night so as not to clash with the closing of the London Olympics on Sunday.

The pair now stand level at two wins each in their series which began in 2011.

Kvitova earned a personal best in North America as she played her first final on the continent after never advancing past a quarter-final before.

The 22-year-old won her 34th match of the season against 11 losses as she earned her eighth career trophy.

Layout 19 pages ISB_Layout 1 8/15/2012 10:07 AM Page 17

Sports 23 For US, it’s all one independence big Dream Team day Sports watch it Live

TEN SPORTS

SPORTS CENTRE 07:30PM

NEW YORK

d

REAM Team? Better make that several Dream Teams, because there was almost nothing keeping US athletes from medals at what one newspaper called an "astounding" London Olympics. From the pool to the wrestling mat to the soccer field and, in one of Sunday's closing events, the basketball court: this Olympics was a true American moment at a time of grim economic news and political division.

"Most medals. Most gold medals.

The US left no doubt at the Olympics," CBS Sports said Monday.

Facing a tense presidential election campaign, mass joblessness, and two recent mass shootings, Americans finally have reason to celebrate.

President Barack Obama has been quick to call and tweet his congratulations to athletes, and the women's goldwinning gymnastics team has been invited to ring the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday.

A presidential spokesman said he hopes there will be an Olympic reception at the White House too. Obama is "very excited" by the results, the spokesman said. So was the New York Daily News sports columnist on Monday. "This really was an astounding Olympics for the Americans, 46 gold medals and 104 medals overall," the paper said.

That tally put the US ahead of rising superpower China and bitter rival Russia, who were followed by host nation Britain and the traditionally strong sporting nation of Germany.

olympic effect hits british airport traffic in July: bAA loNdoN: Spanish-owned airports operator BAA said Tuesday that passenger traffic at Britain's main airports fell last month as many Britons stayed at home in order to watch the London 2012 Olympic Games. BAA, which is part-owned by Spanish transport infrastructure giant Ferrovial, said that it handled 9.6 million passengers in July at the group's five British airports. That marked a 4.1-percent decline from the same month of 2011, the group revealed in a statement to the London Stock Exchange. "The drop was more pronounced in the second half of the month and it is likely that the Olympics played a part, with UK passengers staying at home as well as nonOlympic visitors from overseas choosing to defer their journeys," BAA added. The London Olympics, which began on July 27, drew to a close on Sunday in spectacular closing ceremony featuring The Who, the Spice Girls, George Michael and Brazilian football legend Pele. AFP

british military will take 2 years to get over games: planner loNdoN: Britain's military will take two years to return to normal after it was called upon to provide 18,000 troops for the London Olympics, the chief planner warned in an interview published Tuesday. Wing Commander Peter Daulby also told the Guardian newspaper that planned cuts to the armed forces meant Britain would not in the future be able to deal with a "national strategic shock" such as the Games.

"It just shows you the dangers of pulling the military down," he said. "If we shrink the military, do we really understand what we are losing? Look at the speed with which we pushed up the throttle. It proves the military offers the country a huge amount of resilience." AFP

festival

AFP

LAHORE STAFF REPoRT

"MIDAS TOUCH" screamed the New York Post's main sports headline.

Time magazine crunched the medals numbers, musing on how to weigh the relative value of gold, silver and bronze, then said simply: "In London, however, no math needed. The US won the Olympics, hands down."

And while there were other winners, notably a plucky performance by often underperforming Britain and the astonishing feats of Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, the American stars were unmatched for the sheer variety and consistency of their achievements.

The NBA stars who squeezed past Spain on Sunday carried outsized reputations into London. But, unlike during the fiasco in Athens eight years ago, they showed they were patriotic, not prima donnas, when it came to a close game.

"It means more than my name on my back. It means everything to the name on the front," Miami Heat's LeBron James said of performing in his

USA jersey.

Michael Phelps, winning four more golds and becoming the most decorated Olympian of all time, arguably rivals Bolt as a mega-star.

Gabby Douglas captured hearts across America as the first black American to win the all-around women's gymnastics title.

Perhaps most eye-catching to Americans has been the general success of their women's squad, led by the gold medal soccer team.

"They dominated the US team in every way: More women than men made the American team, and they won far more gold medals than the American men," USA Today noted.

"The USA won 46 gold medals in the Games, more than any other nation. Women won 29 of them. Were US women their own nation, they would have finished ahead of every other country's total gold medal count except China."

The fourth Independence Day Sports Festival was organised on Tuesday here at the stadium of American Lycetuff Schools and Colleges to mark the Independence Day. The event was organised by Prof Faisal Fayyaz (international gymnast) in collaboration with Pakistan Sports Promoters (PSP), Punjab Aids Consortium (PAC), Pakistan Lions Youth Council (PLYC), Sports Promotion Society (SPS) and Human Antinarcotics Drugs Society (HANDS International).

Director American Lycetuff Nadeem Afzal and MPA Mian Umer Misbah-urRehman were chief guests at the inauguration ceremony and saw a colorful march past and aerobics demonstration on the occasion. This event comprised football, cricket, basketball, athletics events, gymkhana events, gymnastics and karate display.

MNA Yasmin Rehman and MNA Rohail Asghar were guests of honour at the concluding ceremony and distributed prizes among the winners. They also appreciated the efforts of Prof Faisal Fayyaz regarding promotion of sports.

M Ali was declared the best athlete of the fourth Independence Day sports festival 2012 while special souvenir was given to football team captain Syed Taimoor-ur-Rahim.

i-day Rugby

Mary Poppins kit for sale at London Olympics auction

LONDON AFP

Talk about legacy: London Olympics fans keen to own a part of the Games are snapping up souvenirs ranging from competition equipment to Mary Poppins outfits worn in the opening ceremony. The 2012 Games were meant to be all about sustainability and organisers hope to raise hundreds of thousands of pounds by recycling historic memorabilia in the online auction.

One of the priciest artefacts so far from the London Games is for the Olympic torch signed by gold medal-winning British cyclist Bradley Wiggins, which went to a bidder who paid a cool £13,000 ($20,000, 16,500 euros). Official athletics results sheets have sold for £4,030 and the basketball used in the men's gold medal final between the US 'Dream Team' and Spain went for £3,755. Bargains at the other end of the scale start with the Angolan opening ceremony placard, which was on offer on Tuesday with several hours still on the clock for just £80. Some of the items attracting the most bids were flags used in the opening ceremony, with the US Stars and Stripes securing a top bid of £3,735, followed by Canada on £1,315 and Bermuda on £716.

A javelin used in the Games drew offers of £2,010 while a two-metre (six-foot) model of London 2012 mascot Wenlock dressed as fictional detective Sherlock Holmes drew an offer of £4,040. Items from Hollywood director Danny Boyle's quirky opening ceremony featuring elements of British history and culture are also on offer. Bids for a costume worn by one of the performers playing magical nanny Mary Poppins start at £855 and a black Mary Poppins handbag costs £541.

A man's peasant outfit is a snip at £230. The most expensive items on offer however are from an altogether older vintage.

A bronze medal from the 1904 Games in St Louis has attracted bids of £20,000 with 18 days still to go.

LAHORE STAFF REPoRT

The Lahore Rugby Football Club (LRFC) Blacks outclassed DHA Greens by 26-7 in the festival rugby match organised by DHA Rugby Club to celebrate Independence Day on Tuesday.

A large number of spectators were present on the ground to witness the match despite rain in the city. In a 15aside match, LRFC Blacks took 12-0 lead in the first half with Shakeel Ahmad and Tahir scoring playing brilliantly scored tries. DHA Greens players played well in the second half and scored try but LRFC Blacks bounced back and performing superbly won the match easily by 26-7. Tahir scored try for the winners.

Before rugby match, DHA Rugby Club organised cricket, karate and basketball competitions as well to mark the Independence Day. DHA Rugby Club president Tariq Niazi appreciated the enthusiasm of the players and hoped that they would continue serving for the country in every field of life.

Thirty Eight new world records at London 2012 S.PERvEZ qAISER As many as 38 world records were set or equalled in the London Olympic Games.

The world record were set or equalled in Athletics, Cycling, Shooting, Swimming, Rowing, Archery and Weightlifting, compared 43 world records in eight disciplines at Beijing Olympic Games in 2008, 33 world records in six disciplines at Athens in 2004, 37 world records in five disciplines in the 2000 Olympic Games at Sydney and 26 world records in five disciplines in Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996. The highest number of world records at London Olympics were set in Cycling (10). Nine world records each were established in Swimming and Weightlifting. Four world records were broken in Athletics. The other world record were established in Rowing (1), Archery (2) and Shooting (3). The most of the records were set by Great Britain

NEW WoRlD RECoRD AT loNDIN 2012 EvENT

ATHlETE/TEAM

NEW RECoRD

olD RECoRD

Archery-Men’s individual Archery- Men's team Athletics-Men's 800 metres Athletics-Women’s 4×100 metres Athletics – Men’s 4×100 metres Athletics- Women's 20km Walk cycling-Women’s team sprint cycling-Women's team sprint cycling-Women's team sprint cycling-Men’s team pursuit cycling-Men’s team pursuit cycling-Men’s team sprint cycling-Men’s team sprint cycling-Women's team pursuit cycling-Women’s team pursuit cycling-Women’s team pursuit Shooting-Men's 25 m Rapid fire Shooting-Men’s 50-m rifle prone

im dong-Hyun (S.Korea) South Korea david Rudisha (Kenya) united States Jamaica elena Lashmanova (Russia) great britain china china great britain great britain great britain great britain great britain great britain great britain Alexei Klimov (Russia) Sergei Martynov (belarus)

699 points 2087 points 1:40.91 min 40.82 sec 36.84 sec 1:25:02 hrs 32.526 sec 32.447 sec 32.422 sec 3:52.499 min 3:51.659 min 42.747 sec 42.600 sec 3:15.669 min 3:14.682 min 3:14.051 min 592 points 705.5 points

696 points 2069 points 1:41.01 min 41.37 sec 37.04 sec 1:25:08 hrs 32.549 sec 32.526 sec 32.447 sec 3:53.295 min 3:52.499 min 42.914 sec 42.747 sec 3:15.720 min 3:15.669 min 3:14.682 min 591 points 704.8 points

(8) followed by China (7), United States (6) and Russia (four). Kazakhastan set

Shooting-Women’s trap Swimming-Men's100m breaststroke Swimming-Men's 200m breaststroke Swimming-Men's1500m freestyle Swimming-Women's 400m i.Medley Swimming- Women's100m butterfly Swimming-Women's 200m breaststroke Swimming-Women's 200m breaststroke Swimming- Women's 200m backstroke Swimming- Women's 4 x 100m Medley Rowing-Men’s coxless pair Weighlifting-Men: 62kg (total) Weightlifting- Men's 77kg (Snatch) Weightlifting- Men's 77kg (total) Weightlifting-Men's 94kg (clean & Jerk) Weightlifting- Men's 94kg (total) Weightlifting-Women's 53kg (c & Jerk) Weightlifting Women's'75kg + (Snatch) Weightlifting Women's'75kg + (total) Weightlifting Women's'75kg + (total)

three and South Korea two new records while New Zealand, South Africa,North

Jessica Rossi (italy) cameron van der burgh (S.A) daniel gyurta (Hungary) Sun yang, (china) ye Shiwen (china) dana vollmer (united States) Rebecca Soni (united States) Rebecca Soni (united States) Missy franklin (u.States) united States new Zealand un guk Kim (north Korea) Lu Xiaojun (china) Lu Xiaojun (china) ilya ilyin (Kazakhstan) ilya ilyin (Kazakhstan) Zulfiya chinshanlo (Kaz'tan) tatiana Kashirina (Russia) tatiana Kashirina (Russia) Zhou Lulu (china)

75 (99) points 58.46 sec 2:07.28 min 14:31.02 min 4:28.43 min 55.98 sec 2:20.00 min 2:19.59 min 2:04.06 min 3:52.05 min 6:08.50 min 327 kgs 175 kgs 379 kgs 233 kgs 418 kgs 131 kgs 151 kgs 332 kgs 333 kg

74(96) points 58.58 sec 2:07.31 min 14:34.14 min 4:29.45 min 56.06 sec 2:20.12 min 2:20.00 min 2:04.81min 3:52.19 min 6.14.50 min 326 kgs 174 kgs 378 kgs 232 kgs 412 kgs 130 kgs 149 kgs 328 kgs 332 kgs

Korea, Hungary, Belarus, Italy, Kenya and Jamaica established on record each.

Wednesday, 15 August, 2012

Layout 19 pages ISB_Layout 1 8/15/2012 10:07 AM Page 18

Sports 18 Australia reach Super League quarters U-19 WORLd cUP

LAHORE

d

STAFF REPoRT

EFENDING champion Australia sealed in a place in the Super League quarterfinal of the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2012 from Group A after registering a six-wicket victory over Ireland at Endeavour Park 2 in Townsville. Australia bowlers Alex Gregory (three for 13), Shane Cassell (three for 24) and Gurinder Sandhu (two for 35) shared wickets between them as Ireland was skittled out for 129 in 42.5 overs after electing to bat first. In turn, captain Will Bosisto (36 not out) and Sam Hain (26 not out) put on 59 runs for the unbroken fifth wicket partnership as Australia achieved the target with just under 10 overs to spare.

It was Australia’s third successive vic-

Pcb asks Stallions to select same players for champions League lAHore: The PCB has asked Sialkot Stallions to select the same set of players that represented the team in the National T20 and Super Eights Championships last season, during their campaign in the Champions League qualifying tournament in South Africa. It will be the first time that a Pakistani outfit will be appearing in the Champions League scheduled to be held in October. Sialkot Stallions which has been led by former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik for the last few seasons has to appear in the qualifying tournament to qualify for the main round of the Champions League also in South Africa. "Basically the squads can't include any guest player or change players for the Champions League. They have to go in with the same set of players that won them the domestic titles," reports quoting a source as saying. Sialkot which has been dominant in the domestic T20 competitions since they were launched five years ago include international players such as Malik, Rana Naved, Imran Nazir, Shakeel Ansar, Abdul Rehman, Reza Hasan and Qaiser Abbas, who played a Test against England in 2000. STAFF REPoRT

tory, which meant it is assured of a place in the last eight stage of the tournament which will be played in Townsville and will start on 19 August. The top two sides from all the four groups qualify for the Super League quarter-finals while the bottom two sides complete in the Plate Championship.

The winner of Thursday’s match between England and Nepal, which will be played at Tony Ireland Stadium will confirm which other side joins Australia from Group A in the quarter-final stage.

A l s o reaching the Super League quarter-final stage were Pakistan and New Zealand from Group B. New Zealand defeated Afghanistan by a narrow eight-run margin which meant Pakistan and New Zealand went through from their group.

However, Thursday’s match between New Zealand and Pakistan will confirm which

side tops the group and which finishes second.

In the other matches of the day, twotime former champion India defeated Zimbabwe by 63 runs despite Malcolm Lake’s 118 at Tony Ireland Stadium while South Africa’s Quinton de Kock (126) and Chad Bowes (115) smashed entertaining centuries to inspire their side to a thumping 209 runs victory over Namibia at John Blanck Oval in Brisbane.

New ZeAlANd overcomes A sPirited AfgHANistAN: Qualifier Afghanistan came desperately close to pulling off the first major upset of the tournament but fell just nine runs short of victory after being restricted for 190 for nine while chasing New Zealand’s 198. iNdiA boUNces bAcK witH victory AgAiNst ZimbAbwe: India bounced back from Sunday’s loss to the West Indies with a 68-run victory over Zimbabwe, despite a courageous century by allrounder Malcolm Lake. Lake clubbed 10 fours and five sixes in a 107-ball knock but his side was still dismissed for 198 after being set a 262 run target by India. soUtH AfricA’s de KocK ANd bower Hit ceNtUries: South Africa

showed little mercy against their smaller African neighbours Namibia at Peter Burge Oval in Brisbane, winning by a massive 222 runs margin.

SCoRES IN BRIEF GRouP A - Australia beat ireland by six wickets, endeavour Park, townsville ireland 129 all out, 42.5 overs (Ryan Hunter 31, tyrone Kane 21; Alex gregory 3-13, Shane cassell 3-24, gurinder Sandhu 2-35). Australia 133 for four, 40.3 overs (Will bosisto 36 not out, Sam Hain 26 not out, travis Head 25).

Player of the Match - Shane cassell (Australia) GRouP B - new Zealand beat Afghanistan by eight runs, Kev Hackney oval, buderim. new Zealand 198 all out, 50 overs (Robert o'donnell 69, Henry Walsh 52; Sayed Shirzad 4-34, yamin Ahmadzai 4-35). Afghanistan 190 for nine, 50 overs (najibullah Zadran 69, Afsar Khan 42; Matthew quinn 4-26, Jacob duffy 4-40). Player of the Match - Matthew quinn (new Zealand) GRouP C- india beat Zimbabwe by 63 runs, tony ireland Stadium, townsville. india 261 for six, 50 overs (unmukt chand 78, Prashant chopta 57, Hanuman vihari 31; campbell Light 3-22). Zimbabwe 198 all out, 44.1 overs (Malcolm Lake 118; Kamal Passi 6-23). Player of the Match - Kamal Passi (india) GRouP D - South Africa beat namibia by 209 runs, Peter burge oval, brisbane. South Africa 359 for six, 50 overs (quinton de Kock 126, chad bowes 115, gihahn cloete 36 n.o.; Zhivago groenewald 3-85, Andre engelbrecht 2-57). namibia

World Cup the focus as England, Italy meet again BERN AFP

England and Italy meet again in Bern on Wednesday, just 52 days after Roy Hodgson's side exited Euro 2012 following a penalty shoot-out defeat to the Azzurri in the quarter-finals in Kiev.

But this re-match, which also comes just three days before the start of the new Premier League season, is not about revenge.

Instead, England are looking to the future, with Hodgson taking an inexperienced squad with him for the encounter at the Stade de Suisse in the Swiss capital.

Wayne Rooney and captain Steven Gerrard were among the senior players left out for the game, along with centre-back John Terry, who was free to play despite being charged by the Football Association for using racially abusive language during a clash with Queens Park Rangers' Anton Ferdi-

nand at Loftus Road last year.

With Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and goalkeeper Joe Hart also pulling out because of injuries, only three of those who started against Italy on June 24 are in the squad this time.

There are four members of the Team GB Olympic football team, and while they -- like England this summer -- suffered a quarter-final defeat on penalties, Hodgson will hope the quartet of Jack Butland, Ryan Bertrand, Steven Caulker and Tom Cleverley can bring some of the post-Games feelgood factor that is sweeping the UK with them.

"I'd love to tap into the whole Olympic atmosphere," Hodgson said.

"I've been really impressed by our athletes in how they have won medals and embraced their victory."

Holding this match so close to the start of the new club season means it is seen by many as an inconvenience, but England are looking for a boost ahead of their 2014 World Cup quali-

fying campaign, which begins with a double-header in Moldova and at home to Ukraine in September.

And Hodgson -- whose late appointment allowed him to escape whatever criticism may have come his way at the Euros -- is looking to see just how wealthy his options are as he attempts to build a team capable of competing in Brazil in two years time.

One of those who could feature, against Italy and in the years to come, is Butland, the 19-year-old Birmingham City goalkeeper whose only club experience to date remains 24 games in a loan spell in the fourth tier with Cheltenham Town.

He and Norwich City's John Ruddy are the only available 'keepers after Hart withdrew with a back injury.

"It's what dreams are made of," he said. "Unfortunately it has come due to an injury but if I get the chance it'll be a dream come true. "If I get the chance then fantastic. I'm not going to put too much presssure on myself.

PoINTS TABlE GRouP A Teams Australia England Ireland Nepal

Mat 3 2 2 1

W 3 1 0 0

l 0 1 2 1

T 0 0 0 0

N/R 0 0 0 0

Pts 6 2 0 0

NRR 2.208 -0.041 -0.822 -4.24

2 2 0 0

0 0 2 2

0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0

4 4 0 0

1.853 0.47 -1.144 -1.17

2 2 2 2

2 1 1 0

0 1 1 2

0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0

4 2 2 0

2.007 0.514 0.41 -3.325

2 2 2 2

2 1 1 0

0 1 1 2

0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0

4 2 2 0

3.42 1.7 -1.08 -4.04

GRouP B Pakistan 2 New Zealand 2 2 Scotland Afghanistan 2

GRouP C West Indies India Zimbabwe PNG u19 Group D South Africa Sri lanka Bangladesh Namibia

150 all out, 46 overs (Pelham Myburgh 37, Zhivago groenewald 26, gerhard erasmus 21; theunis de bruyn 4-20).

Player of the Match – quinton de Kock (South Africa)

London 2012 organisers awarded olympic orders LONDON AGENCIES

Key people involved in the organisation of the London 2012 Olympic Games have been awarded Olympic Orders in recognition of their hard work and achievements over the last seven years.

Jacques Rogge, President of the International Olympic Committee, presented gold Olympic Orders – the highest award of the Olympic Movement – to Seb Coe, Chair of the London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG), and to Paul Deighton, LOCOG CEO. Sir Keith Mills, LOCOG Deputy Chair, and Colin Moynihan, Chairman of the British Olympic Association, received the silver Olympic Order, as did a number of other senior LOCOG staff who played a crucial role in delivering the London 2012 Games.

IOC President Rogge also presented Mayor of London Boris Johnson with the Olympic Cup as thank you to the people of London for hosting and supporting the Games.

BUILd UP TO PUnjAB SPORTS And yOUTH FESTIVAL 2012

SBP takes country’s independence into the air

LAHORE STAFF REPoRT

The Sports Board Punjab in its build up to the Punjab Youth Festival 2012, held a special Independence Day evening on the footsteps of Minar-i-Pakistan on August

14 and on the occasions model airplanes of different nature took the country’s flag into the air while fascinating the participants with unusual acrobats.

The function also featured characters like Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Fatima Jinnah and other heroes of

Pakistan’s independence struggle.

Apart from the SBP Director General Mr Usman Anwar several other dignitaries were present on the occasion which was also graced by Speaker Punjab Rana Mohammad Iqbal, Deputy Speaker Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan, secretary sports Haroon Ahmed Khan, DCO Lahore Noorul Amin and principal staff of the Chief Minister Punjab.

Small airplane models’ flight in the air above Minar-i-Pakistan attracted all the participants. These model planes carried the national flags into the air which made the occasion more charming and worth-watching. A number of school children also presented tableau creating an atmosphere of independence and sang national songs while they were attired in characters of the nation’s creators and father of the nation.

Speaking on the occasion, Rana Mashood reminded the participants about the main purpose of the formation of Pakistan and informed that his government is bringing the youth of the country to one platform through Sports and Punjab Youth Festival.

“We are giving them the purpose and direction to work for the country and implement their dream into reality,” he added. Speaking on the occasion, Usman Awar said that the main reason to organize the evening on the platform of the Punjab Youth Festival on this special oc-

casion was to give a message to the youth to dare to achieve their goal.

He further added that the Festival will roll into action from August 26 throughout the province in which apart from other sports competitions a number of social events will also be held.

Wednesday, 15 August, 2012

Layout 19 pages ISB_Layout 1 8/15/2012 10:07 AM Page 19

Wednesday, 15 August, 2012

Afghanistan attacks kill more than 40

President Zardari likely to meet Obama in New York next month

KANDAHAR

ISLAMABAD

AFP

Suicide attackers and a remotely-controlled bomb killed more than 40 people in Afghanistan Tuesday as the nation prepared to celebrate the end of the holy month of Ramadan, officials said. Three suicide bombers killed 36 people, mostly civilians shopping for Eid celebrations, in a bazaar in the capital of Afghanistan’s southwestern Nimroz province on the border with Iran, the provincial governor said. Hours later in the northern province of Kunduz, a bomb attached to a motorcycle killed up to 10 people in the market of Archi district near the border with Tajikistan, provincial spokesman Enayatullah Khaliq told AFP. “A bomb rigged to a motorcycle was remotely detonated in the market of Archi district this evening killing ten civilians and injuring more than 30 others,” he said. A police spokesman put the toll at nine adding that Taliban insurgents were responsible for the attack. The earlier attack on Zaranj city, capital of Nimroz, was the biggest in recent memory in the relatively peaceful province and one of the deadliest anywhere in the war-torn country this year. At least 66 people were injured.

Three suicide attackers out of an original group of 11 blew themselves up in separate areas of the city, one outside a hospital, police said. “This was a group of 11 attackers who wanted to conduct simultaneous attacks across the city,” deputy provincial police chief Mujibullah Latifi told AFP. “Security forces killed two of the suicide attackers last night and detained three others this morning. Three managed to detonate themselves while three others were gunned down. “We have a lot of civilian casualties because two of the attackers detonated themselves near a bazaar where many people had gathered to do shopping for Eid”, the Muslim celebration at the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, he said. “We have confirmation that 21 civilians and 15 members of the security forces have been killed in these attacks and more than 66 others injured,” provincial governor Abdul Karim Brahawi told AFP. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but similar attacks are usually blamed on Taliban insurgents fighting to overthrow the Western-backed government of President Hamid Karzai.

19

P

SHAIQ HuSSAIN

RESIDENT Asif Ali Zardari will hold a crucial meeting with his American counterpart Barack Obama next month on the sidelines of UN General Assembly (UNGA) session, for which the Pakistani president will reach New York on September 24 on a three-day visit.

The meeting between the two presidents would be the top level interaction between the two countries taking place after months owing to the prolonged tensions in relations between Islamabad and Washington that lowered a bit last month

when Pakistan reopened the NATO supply routes for the transportation of goods to Afghanistan.

Pakistan had closed down the NATO supply routes in retaliation to American aircraft’s strikes on a Pakistani border posts in Mohmand Agency in November that killed 24 soldiers. It was due to the tense ties between the two key states that President Obama did not meet Zardari at a NATO summit held in Chicago in May this year. However, an apology by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton last month over the killing of Pakistani soldiers in the American airstrikes led to the unblocking of NATO supplies by Pakistan, after which an upswing in the relations between the

two states is being witnessed. “The melting of ice between Islamabad and Washington and the thaw in relations has paved the way for the summit level meeting between the two countries next month (September) in New York when both the presidents would be there to attend the UN General Assembly session,” said a Pakistani diplomat on Tuesday, seeking anonymity.

He said it would be a crucial meeting between the two presidents and it would determine the nature of the bilateral relations in the days to come. ISI Director General Lt General Zaheer Ul Islam also made an important visit to the US early this month during which he met his counterpart in CIA David Petraeus and other

senior American officials. The US officials discussed the prospects of new military offensive in North Waziristan against the powerful militant outfit, “Haqqani network”, whereas the ISI chief asked for a halt to drone strikes in the Tribal Areas and refurbishment of Pakistan’s F-16s fleet, which he said could be used as an alternative to the drone program against the terrorist hideouts. “Before the visit of President Zardari to the US, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar is likely to proceed to Washington early next month to chalk out the agenda for the meeting between President Zardari and President Obama,” the diplomat said.

Continued on page 04

Afghan meeting with jailed Taliban leader in Pakistan denied

MAKKAH: President Asif Ali Zardari meets his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai on Tuesday. The two leaders discussed bilateral ties, regional situation and the peace process in Afghanistan. ONLINE

Afghans allege cross-border fire KABUL AFP

Authorities in Afghanistan said Tuesday that one of their border posts came under a shelling attack from Pakistan, prompting Afghans to return fire in a clash that lasted for more than two hours.

The incident, which reportedly caused no casualties, comes amid growing border tension between the neighbors, with Kabul alleging that Pakistani security forces have fired hundreds of rounds into Afghanistan in recent months. Pakistani officials were

not immediately available for comment but Islamabad has rejected similar allegations in recent past, saying Pakistani troops only respond to attacks from militants.

Afghanistan and Pakistan typically blame each other for violence by Taliban militants plaguing both sides of their border, known as the Durand Line.

Afghanistan’s interior ministry said Afghan border police and Pakistani security forces traded artillery fire in eastern Kunar province’s Dangam district on the frontline between the two countries, but there were no casualties. “One of our

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

border posts came under fire this morning from across the border. Our border police returned fire and the clash lasted for more than two hours,” Najeeb Nikzad, an interior ministry spokesman, told AFP. “No one has been hurt on our side and there are no reports of casualties on the other side either,” he added.

He said Pakistani forces fired about 50 rounds – 20 artillery and 27 mortar shells. Afghanistan’s parliament earlier this month dismissed the country’s defence and interior ministers over alleged security failures, including the shelling of Afghan soil from Pakistan.

Editor: Arif Nizami

islAmAbAd: The Afghan embassy in Islamabad on Tuesday denied reports that Afghan government representatives had met with a key Taliban commander imprisoned in Pakistan to discuss peace negotiations. “No such meeting has taken place. We completely deny any meeting between Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and Afghan officials,” Zardasht Shams, spokesman for the Afghan embassy in Islamabad, told AFP. A source close to Mullah Baradar’s family told AFP that Afghan delegates were not given access to Baradar in jail but family members had passed him a message from the Afghan government on reconciliation.

Baradar, a powerful Taliban military chief who has been described as the insurgents’ second in command was arrested in 2010 in Karachi. At the time, the Afghan government and the former UN envoy to Afghanistan said his detention had adversely affected efforts to talk to the insurgents in a bid to end the decade-long Afghan war. Mohammad Ismail Qasimyar, a member of Afghanistan’s High Peace Council, on Monday said Afghan government officials and members of the Afghan embassy in Pakistan held secret talks with Baradar in prison two months ago. A Pakistani security official confirmed Monday an official delegation from Afghanistan had made an initial contact with Baradar two months ago, but the Pakistani government later denied a meeting. afp