E-papaer PakistanToday 25th February, 2012

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Sherry to brief top leadership on progress on Pakistan-US ties

Auction of 3G Spectrum must be transparent, says prime minister

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Hameed Nizami Day special supplement

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INSIDE PAGES

Rs15.00 Vol ii no 239 18 pages islamabad — peshawar edition

Saturday, 25 February, 2012 Rabi-ul-Sani 2, 1433

Pakistan urges Taliban for Afghan peace talks g

Gilani says ‘it’s now time to turn a new leaf and open a new chapter in history of Afghanistan’ ISLAMABAD

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peshaWaR: policemen take position during a suicide attack on a police station on friday. Afp

4 cops killed in police station raid g

Three suicide bombers armed with assault rifles blow their way into Kotwali police station PESHAWAR afp

Suicide bombers armed with guns and grenades attacked a police station on Friday, killing four officers in the second attack in as many days in the northwestern city of Peshawar.

The three attackers first opened fire with Kalashnikovs, then used hand grenades to blow their way into the building before detonating their suicide vests, senior police official Yameen Khan told AFP. He said the station was targeted because it housed a large number of

officers in downtown Peshawar.

Pieces of human flesh and body parts, including the head of one of the suicide bombers, were scattered inside the police station, along with broken windows and chairs, an AFP reporter said.

“Four policemen have been killed and four others were wounded,” Khan said. “The attackers wanted to kill the maximum number of policemen, that is why they selected this station. Around 200 policemen reside here,” Khan told AFP. The attack came a day after a car bomb ripped through a bus station

SC to hear Asghar Khan’s plea on 29th ISLAMABAD Masood RehMan

A three-member Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry will resume hearing on February 29 on a petition filed by Air Marshal (r) Asghar Khan some 16 years ago against distribution of millions of rupees among anti-Pakistan People’s Party politicians by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to maneuver the 1990 election. The other members of the bench are – Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and Justice Tariq Parvez.

The petitioner will appear in person while Attorney General Maulvi Anwarul Haq will appear on notice. Senior advocates Abdul Hafeez Pirzada, Habibul Wahabul Khairi, Akram Sheikh and Salman Akram Raja will also appear in the case. The top legal brains as well as politicians believe that the case will have irrevocable effects on the forthcoming general elections, besides shaking everyone from top to bottom in the executive and military establishments.

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on the outskirts of Peshawar, killing 13 people, including two children, raising concerns about a new wave of violence in the city of 2.5 million.

The bombers struck at around 7:15 am when local residents in the congested Kotwali area were leaving home for work and school.

“The attackers first started firing on the gate of the police station and then used the hand grenades. Later they entered inside the police station,” Imtiaz Khan, a senior police official, told AFP. Witnesses said the attack happened as policemen came off the

night shift. “We were just trying to sleep after we finished night duty when we heard the blast,” said police constable Sayed Ali, who lives at the station. “We ran out of the building from the back door and then there were three blasts,” he told AFP. Officials said 15 to 18 kilograms (33 to 42 pounds) of high quality explosives were stuffed into the suicide vests, along with steel plates and ball bearings. Shafqat Malik, chief of the bomb disposal squad in Peshawar, said that the suicide bombers were aged between 18 and 22.

Govt takes up Baloch rebels’ activities with UK, Switzerland ISLAMABAD staff RepoRt

Notwithstanding Interior Minister Rehman Malik’s offer of amnesty and withdrawal of cases to Baloch nationalist leaders like Baramdagh Bugti and Harbiyar Marri, the government has raised the vital issue of their anti-Pakistan activities with the UK, some other countries in the European Union (EU) and Switzerland.

Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, who was in London recently, raised the matter of anti-Pakistan activities by Baloch separatist leader Harbiyar Marri, who lives in the UK, and his other aides with British authorities along with a strong protest in this regard.

“Similarly, other Pakistani diplomats have also spoken to Swiss authorities and EU offi-

cials on Baloch insurgents’ antiPakistan statements, lobbying against Islamabad and their other objectionable activities,” said a Pakistani diplomat on Friday, requesting anonymity.

Foreign Office spokesperson Abdul Basit also spoke about the presence of strong evidence of foreign interference in Balochistan at his weekly press briefing, saying intervention by some external forces was meant to destabilise Balochistan.

Asked whether he thought external forces were involved in creating law and order problems in Balochistan, he said: “There has been evidence about this.

The government is cognisant of the issues involved and trying to handle all the issues politically.”

He also dropped a hint at the foreign minister’s bid to raise anti-

Pakistan activities by Baloch leaders living in the UK with British officials. “The foreign minister did raise the issue of anti-Pakistan activities in some countries.”

Nonetheless, he refrained from accusing India of creating trouble in Balochistan. Despite a volley of queries pointing to Pakistan’s earlier stance that India had a role in destabilising Balochistan, Basit said the government did not want to engage in public recrimination at this juncture. Asked why Baloch separatist leaders had taken asylum in Europe when Pakistan had traditionally blamed India of supporting them, he said, “Without blaming any country, there has been evidence of foreign powers trying to destabilise Balochistan.

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shaiq hussain

AKISTAN on Friday made its first public appeal to the Taliban and other militant groups to participate in an intra-Afghan process for national reconciliation with Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, urging their leadership to take part in peace talks with the Afghan government.

This significant move by Islamabad was in response to a request made by the Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who recently visited Islamabad, to seek the help of Pakistani leaders in reaching out to Taliban fighters led by Mullah Omar for peace negotiations.

“It is now time to turn a new leaf and open a new chapter in the history of Afghanistan,” the prime minister said in a statement on Afghanistan. “It is time to now combine the strengths of the Afghan people in a true spirit of our noble religion – Islam, and in accordance with the glorious traditions of the Afghans to build peace and bring prosperity to Afghanistan,” he added.

As Gilani made the appeal to Taliban and other Afghan militant groups for peace talks with the Karzai government, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt General Ahmad Shuja Pasha called on him later in the evening. “The ISI chief discussed with the prime minister the security situation in the country. Afghanistan situation also came under discussion during the meeting. Foreign Affairs Secretary Salman Bashir was also present in the meeting,” said a brief statement issued by the PM’s office.

“It is our sincere hope that the Taliban leadership, Hizb-e-Islami and all other Afghan political leaders will respond positively to my appeal and agree to enter into direct negotiations in the framework of an intra-Afghan process for reconciliation and peace in Afghanistan,” the prime minister said.

He said that Pakistan on its part would support such an authentic Afghan process and was prepared to do whatever it could for the success of the peace process. “I would like to appeal to the international community to fully support the national reconciliation and peace in Afghanistan,” the prime minister said.

The Hizb-e-Islami is led by Gulbuddin Hikmatyar, who is a former Afghan prime minister and an important militant commander currently fighting the US-led foreign troops in Afghanistan.

The Taliban are yet to react to the prime minister’s appeal, but according to sources close to their cadres their senior leaders started deliberations soon after the statement by the Pakistani premier appeared. However, the Hizb-e-Islami welcomed the move by Gilani, saying it would help build peace in Afghanistan.

Dr Ghairat Baheer, Hikmatyar’s son-in-law, and the head of Hizb-e-Islami’s political affairs, said: “Our party welcomes the appeal by Prime Minister Gilani ... this is a positive move and it will augur well for peace and stability in Afghanistan.”

He said: “The Hizb-e-Islami has also proposed an intra-Afghan dialogue as peace in Afghanistan is possible only through talks between all Afghan groups, but Hizb-e-Islami will not accept any foreign interference in the dialogue between Afghans.”

In his statement, Gilani said: “Afghanistan is a brotherly country, close neighbour, with which Pakistan has multiple bonds of affinity. We value deeply our friendly and brotherly relations with the people of Afghanistan. Pakistan wishes to have the best of relations with Afghanistan. Stability, peace and national reconciliation in Afghanistan are indeed critical for regional peace and stability. We are mindful of the importance of ensuring that the processes of peace and reconciliation succeed and thus contribute to the welfare and well-being of the Afghan people.”

He said a sovereign and independent Afghanistan, well on the road to a peaceful and prosperous future, is indeed critical for Pakistan and for our region, as a whole.

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02 News

Saturday, 25 February 2012

ISlAmAbAd

Today’s

CARToon

10 more families join missing persons’ camp

Romantic rail that once used to be

Story on Page 05

Story on Page 06

Quick Look

PTI holds rally in Swat SwAT: Pakistan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party on Friday organized a large public gathering at the Grassi ground, in which provincial leaders participated. On this occasion, Ahsan Khan Shamkhel joined rally along a thousand supporters. A large number of PTI supporters were chanting slogans and demanding change in the region. Shamakhel announced that he had finally reached the conclusion that change was inevitable and only PTI should save Pakistanis from further despair. He said the only ray of hope left was Imran Khan and the menace of corruption could only be uprooted under his leadership. haRoon siRaj

Shalimar Express back on track!

LAHORE: After remaining static for months, Pakistan Railways’ Shalimar Express is back on the track. Federal Railways Minister Ghulam Ahmad Bilour inaugurated the Shalimar Express on Friday.

The re-launch of the train service was seen as a sign of the railway’s fear of being superseded by the private sector-run Pak Business Express, which started operating nearly a month ago. The newly launched Shalimar Express will leave for its first journey at 6am on Saturday (today) from the Lahore Railway Station. The Karachi-bound train will stop at six stations – including Faisalabad, Multan, Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Rohri and Hyderabad before arriving at its destination at midnight. Addressing the inaugural ceremony, Bilour announced salary bonuses for the railways officials who refurbished the wagons and locomotive of the Shalimar Express. He said despite experiencing difficulties, the railway officials were trying to keep as many trains as possible on the tracks. He stated that during the last three months, 25 engines had been made operational after necessary maintenance and another 16 engines were being renovated. He said these engines would join the fleet by the end of March. staff RepoRt

Products of edible oil to stay in negative list with India ISLAMABAD: The products of the edible oil industry will stay in the negative list of the items in trading with India, Senior Federal Minister for Industries and Defence Production Pervaiz Elahi said on Friday.

Elahi held separate meetings with the representatives of the Cement Manufacturers Association and Edible Oil and Ghee sector to resolve some significant issues of the two major industries. Taking note of the issue of transportation of the vegetable ghee and edible oil industry, the minister said the issue would soon be resolved with the support of the Ministry of Industries and the Ministry of Interior and the life and property of the mill-owners would be protected. Gni

SC moved to direct ERRA to provide correct information on funds ISLAMABAD: A petition was filed with the Supreme Court on Friday seeking direction to the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitate Authority (ERRA) chairman to provide correct information about the funds obtained for development projects and their allocation. The petition was filed by Marvi Memon, former member national assembly, under Article 184 (3), making ERRA and National Accountability Bureau (NAB) through their chairmen as respondents. The petitioner requested the court to direct ERRA to provide correct information about the number of development projects that had actually been completed in the affected areas of KP and AJK. She sought direction to the NAB to audit, inquire and investigate all claims, allocation of funds, statuses of projects, completed or not completed. She said the actions of ERRA had been in grave violation of the fundamental rights of the people of KP and AJK and particularly, ERRA acted in violation of Article 25 which provides for “equality of citizens”, Article 38 which provides for “promotion of social and economic well-being of the people and Article 19-A which provides for “right to information”. staff RepoRt

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ECP issues final list of Senate candidates

peshaWaR: activists of political and islamist parties set fire to an effigy of us president Barack obama during a protest on friday over the burning of the quran at a us-run military base in afghanistan. AFP

ISLAMABAD staff RepoRt

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday issued the final list of Senate candidates according to which nine have already been elected to Senate seats unopposed while 98 candidates will contest on 45 seats in the Senate elections. According to the ECP, the election for 45 seats will be held on March 2 in which 98 candidates will participate. From Sindh, Raza Rabbani, Saeed Ghani, Dr Karim Ahmad Khawaja and Mukhtar Ahmad Dharma (PPP), Colonel (r) Tahir Hussain Mashadi and Mustaf Kamal (MQM), Maghan Mangrio (PML-F) will contest for seven general seats of the Senate with Abdul Ghaffar Qureshi of Likeminded group contesting as independent candidate. On the two seats reserved for women in Sindh, Nasreen Jalil from the MQM, Mudassir Sehr Kamran from the PPP and Yasmeen Farrukh, an independent candidate, will contest the elections. PPP’s Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh and MQM’s Muhammad Farogh Naseem have already been elected unopposed on the two seats reserved for technocrats while two candidates will contest for the only minority seat from Sindh. In Punjab, eight candidates will contest for seven general seats while candidates for women, minority and technocrats seats were also elected unopposed. M Hamza, Sardar Zulfikar Ali Khosa, Muhammad Zafarullah Khan and Muhammad Rafique Rajwana (PML-N), former law minister Dr Babar Awan and Chaudhry Muhammad Aslam Gill (PPP) Kamil Ali Agha (PML-Q) and Mohsin Leghari of the Unification Bloc will contest on seven general seats. Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan (PPP) and Muhammad Ishaq Dar of the PML-N have been elected uncontested on the two seats reserved for technocrats. Nuzhat Sadiq of PML-N and Khalida Parveen of the PPP have won unopposed on two seats reserved for women while Kamran Michael of the PML-N has been declared successful uncontested on one seat reserved for minorities. However, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 15 candidates will contest for seven general seats, four candidates will contest for two special seats reserved for women and seven candidates will contest for two seats of technocrats.

Three candidates will contest for the only seat reserved for minorities in KP. From Balochistan, 19 candidates will contest for seven general seats, nine will contest for two seats reserved for women and five candidates will contest for the only seat reserved for minorities. Eleven candidates will contest for four general seats in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

From Islamabad, PPP’s Usman Saifullah has already been elected for the general seat from Islamabad and PML-Q’s Mushahid Hussain Syed has been elected unopposed on technocrats seat.

One killed, three injured in armed attacks across Balochistan QUETTA shahzada zulfiqaR

A man was killed and three others injured in separate incidents of firing in Pishin and Mastung districts on Friday.

According to reports, unidentified armed assailants opened indiscriminate fire on a person in Rodmullazai area of Pishin. As a result, he received multiple wounds and died before reaching the hospital. The deceased was named Asmatullah. The administration handed over the body to heirs after completing legal formalities and started investigation into the killing.

In another incident, two young men were injured in firing by unidentified men in Tera Mill tehsil of Mastung’s Dasht area. They were identified as Agha Wali and Hayatullah.

In Dera Allahyar, a member of peace force, identified as Muhammad Nawab sustained injuries at Pati Taj area when unidentified armed men attacked him with sophisticated weapons.

Mengal, Bugti agree to accelerate Baloch nationalist movement QUETTA: Mir Jawaid Mengal, a separatist leader met with Brahamdagh Bugti, the president of the Baloch Republican Party in Switzerland on Friday and agreed to accelerate the Baloch nationalist movement. According to BRP’s central spokesman, Sher Mohammad Bugti who was talking to a group of reporters on telephone, Mengal met his party head Brahamdagh and discussed the situation of Balochistan after the introduction of bill in the US Senate for the right of self determination. He said both separatist Baloch leaders agreed that all Baloch should be included in the movement. They were of the view that the ultimate goal of every Baloch was independence and sooner or later they would achieve their objective, he said. The BRP spokesman said both leaders invited all Baloch people who had still not joined the Baloch independent caravan to become part of their nationalist struggle for freedom. staff RepoRt In Dera Bugti, a pipeline supplying gas to Sui purification plant was detonated on Friday, 450kms southeast of Quetta. Reports said unidentified people had placed explosives near

the gas pipeline in Pir Koh area of Dera Bugti.

The explosives went off, damaging the pipeline and suspending gas supply to Sui purification plant from Well No 41.

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Saturday, 25 February 2012

News 03

FoREIgn nEWS

ARTS & EnTERTAInmEnT

SPoRTS

death toll rises to 23 from afghan anti-us protest

jK Rowling to release book for adults

Cricketers appeal rejected, aamir due back on 26th Call for apC

CommEnT The step might not have the desired effect.

talking to them Talking to Taliban is a different ballgame.

arif nizami says: Our foreign policy: It is still in the security establishment’s hands.

White lies: Word has it that when journalists went to meet the newly appointed Deputy Attorney General Syed Abdul Hye Gillani at his office in Lahore they were greeted with an interesting sight. On query they were told by black coats hanging around the premises that Gillani was trying to get rid of Babar Awan’s manhoosat (evil spirit).

Story on Page 15

Story on Page 09

Story on Page 16

Articles on Page 12-13

Sherry to brief top leadership on progress on Pak-US ties ISLAMABAD

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staff RepoRt

A K I S T A N ’ S Ambassador to the United States Sherry Rehman will be reaching the country today (Saturday) to brief the top leadership on her meetings with the US officials on the normalisation of relations between Islamabad and Washington, which got strained after NATO strikes on Pakistani border posts in November last year that killed 24 soldiers.

Sherry departed for Washington last month to take charge of ambassadorial slot after Hussain Haqqani resigned from the office of Pakistani envoy in US in the wake of surfacing of ‘memogate’, a scandal that created a stir across Pakistan as Haqqani was alleged to have sent a secret letter on behalf of President Asif Ali Zardari to Obama administration asking for

help to prevent a military coup in May last year.

Sherry, who is flying from London to Pakistan after being asked by the president to come back, will reach here on her first visit to Islamabad

SHC reissues summons for Musharraf in May 12 Karachi case KARACHI iMdad sooMRo

AnP, JUI-F main contenders for mardan by-polls MARDAN: Like several other districts and constituencies, by elections on the National Assembly seat from Mardan are being held today (Saturday). The seat was vacated by Khawaja Muhammad Khan Hoti a couple of weeks ago after he joined the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in December 2011. Soon after the 2008 general elections, Hoti developed differences with the Awami National Party and was eventually asked to step down from the federal ministry. In the by-polls, there is a contest between the ruling ANP’s Himayatullah Mayar and Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl’s (JUI-F) Shuja Mulk.

Mayar also has the backing of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), whereas most of the opposition parties, including the PPP-Sherpao and the factions of Pakistan Muslim League, are supporting Mulk. Despite the decision by the top leaders of the PTI and Jamaat-e-Islami, the local workers of these parties are also supporting Mulk, whereas the dissident workers of JUI-F are backing the ANP candidate. staff RepoRt

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Friday repeated summons for former president General (r) Pervez Musharraf in the May 12, 2007, Karachi carnage case.

A divisional bench headed by Justice Shahid Anwar Bajwa ordered that the summon notice be published in London’s newspapers. The hearing of the case will take place on April 3, 2012. The court also directed that a petition to constitute a larger bench be filed in the Sindh High Court. On May 12, 2007, at least 50 people were killed in attacks on the political workers of various parties gathered to welcome Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, who had been deposed by Musharraf, and

his arrival in Karachi had been opposed by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) which was loyal to the military ruler. Chaudhry was scheduled to address the silver jubilee celebrations of the SHC Bar Association.

The then opposition parties, including the Pakistan People’s Party, Jamaat-eIslami and Awami National Party, had organised a rally in his support to escort him to the SHC building.

The MQM had also announced a competing rally. The roads leading to the airport and SHC were blocked by shipping containers. Lawyers and journalists were maltreated by gun-toting goons, all in their teens, wearing caps, white shirts and jeans and riding in white cars. The then chief justice of the SHC, senior judges and others were prevented from entering the court’s premises by these men.

‘Harbiyar marri to be tried for murder of Justice nawaz marri’ g

baloch Youth Council says Harbiyar, barahamdagh RAW agents LONDON inp

Declaring to file a case of the murder of Justice Mohammad Nawaz Marri against Harbiyar Marri, the Baloch Youth Council London said a senior Indian diplomat had recently organised a meeting between Harbiyar Marri and Barahamdagh Bugti to remove their misunderstanding.

Addressing a meeting of the Central Council of Baloch Youth, Chairman Waja Mir Hazar Khan Baloch said during the meeting, Barahmdagh Bugti alleged that the person behind taking his grand father late Nawab Akbar Bugti to the cave was Balach Marri, brother of Harbiyar Marri. He said the cave came down due to a blast by remote control and Balach Marri was standing just outside the cave art the time.

Baloch said an officer of Indian intelli-

gence agency RAW was also present in the meeting between the two rebel leaders.

He said the Indian diplomat and intelligence officers persuaded both Baloch leaders to reach an understanding for a bigger cause and according to their information, Harbiyar wanted full independence to form a government in exile to which Baramdagh did not agree, because he claimed that he was an international leader. Baloch added that no one paid attention to the two Baloch self-styled leaders, so why was the Pakistani media giving them undue coverage. He said they were RAW agents and were fighting the war for their survival at the cost of the Baloch nation. He said how could a person who thronged night clubs in London and spoke against Islam become their leader.

Baloch said Interior Minister Rehman Malik could not decide the destiny of the Baloch people.

Harbiyar rejects Rehman Malik’s offer to retract cases ISLAMABAD: Baloch nationalist leader Harbiyar Marri on Friday rejected the government’s offer to retract the cases against him, as he witnessed situation going from bad to worse in the province. Talking to a private TV channel, Marri said he rejected Rehman Malik’s offer to withdraw cases against him, adding that he did not need permission to go back to Balochistan. He said Interior Minister Rehman Malik was not sincere and had no concern about the sufferings of Baloch people, as he deployed Frontier Corps (FC) personnel in the province for killing the Baloch people.

Marri said on directions of Malik, tortured and mutilated bodies of Baloch people were being recovered in various areas. Denying meeting Malik in the past as the interior minister claimed, Marri said he would never meet the killer of innocent Baloch people.

“Pakistan is calling me a traitor, but I am thinking for and a well-wisher of the Baloch nation, which is being deprived of their rights,” he said. The rebel leader said the government first remained silent on Balochistan and ignored fundamental rights of the people, but now that the international community had started raising its voice, the government had started paying attention to the province’s issues. inp

since she assumed the office and will give a detailed briefing to the president and the prime minister on what were the feelings in Washington on the current state of relations with its South Asian ally.

“Ambassador Sherry has been told by the US officials to convey to Pakistani leaders their request for early restoration of NATO supplies that were suspended in the wake of NATO attack on Pakistani border posts and she has also been told about the growing frustration among the policy makers in Washington over the delay in this regard,” said a diplomatic source seeking anonymity.

He said the ambassador had held meetings with top American leaders in the first few days of her take over as Pakistani envoy in Washington and she was in the best position to give her briefing to the country’s leadership on latest situation in the US capital and that was the case she had been asked to come to Islamabad.

US waiting for Pakistani review on bilateral ties WASHINGTON online

The Obama administration is waiting for the Pakistani parliament to complete the review of its ties with the US to address some of Islamabad’s concerns, a US official said on Friday.

“We are waiting for the end of this Pakistani parliamentary review. So obviously, once that has occurred, we’ll be able to hopefully address some of their concerns and move forward,” State Department spokesman Mark Toner told reporters at his daily news conference.

Responding to questions on the meeting between US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, Toner said the two leaders shared a good chemistry. “I think they have a very good chemistry. They’ve obviously met several times now and as we’ve said many times, it’s a very complex and wide-ranging relationship so there’s always a great deal to discuss.

“And obviously, given the events of the past month or so, that there’s a lot to address and also the need for us to try to look forward in the relationship,” he said.

Clinton and Khar had a very positive meeting in London.

“I think the key message to carry out of that was that it was a very positive meeting, constructive, and it was about looking forward,” he said.

“Obviously, recognition of the challenges to the relationship, the recent challenges being, of course, the November 24 incident, but also the need that we need to move beyond that, and the ways that we can collaborate with Pakistan moving forward and in essence, reinvigorate the relationship,” he said.

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Saturday, 25 February, 2012

Pakistan urges Taliban Continued FRom page 1 “It is in this context that Pakistan has been supportive of all efforts to promote peace, national reconciliation and development. I am happy to state that our relations with Afghanistan have witnessed important positive developments at all levels during the recent years,” he said. The prime minister said Pakistan firmly believed that respect for Afghanistan’s sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity as well as adherence to the principles of non-intervention and non-interference in the internal affairs of Afghanistan were of critical importance.

“We also believe that the process of national reconciliation must be Afghanled and Afghan-owned.”

SC to hear Asghar Khan’s Continued FRom page 1 In June 1996, a human rights petition was filed by Asghar Khan with the SC making the retired chief of army staff, General Mirza Aslam Beg, former ISI director general Lt Gen Asad Durrani and Younis Habib of Habib and Mehran Banks respondents.

In his petition, Asghar Khan had asked the then chief justice Sajjad Ali Shah to take appropriate action on the statement of then interior minister Maj Gen (r) Naseerullah Khan Babar in the National Assembly. “The ISI collected some Rs 140 million from the Habib Bank Ltd and distributed among a number of politicians prior to the 1990 elections with a view to manipulate the results in favour of the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI)”.

SC issues notices to federation, Ag on petition ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday issued notices to the federation as well as the attorney general on a petition challenging an office memorandum of October 4, 2011, pertaining to the allocation of 10 percent posts of deputy secretaries (DSs) for lateral induction from other services groups such as the provincials services and retired military officers. staff RepoRt

Shah was hearing the case when he was shown the door in November 1997 by his fellow judges following a mutiny, allegedly maneuvered by then Nawaz Sharif government.

Asghar Khan’s case, which is commonly known as Mehrangate scandal will particularly dent the political image of the PML-N. Besides, lawyers and politicians, civil society activists and even the military men also believe that the repercussions of Mehrangate scandal would be much reverberating and more pervasive having potential to shake everyone from top to bottom in the executive and military establishments. In his petition filed through Habibul Wahabul Khairi, Asghar Khan had sought punishment for all politicians who had received funds from the ISI. He had al-

US apology over Salala delayed by Afghan rioting MONITORING DESK The US had planned to offer an official apology over last November’s NATO strike on Salala checkpost, but the plan was upset by the explosion of violent rioting in Afghanistan over the alleged burning of Holy Quran by US troops at Bagram airbase, according to a report carried by New York Times on Friday. “Under a carefully coordinated plan, the [US] military had planned for Gen Martin E Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to make a formal apology for the American strike via telephone to Pakistan’s army chief, Gen Ashfaq Kayani, on Thursday,” according to a Defence Department official.

leged that Rs 140 million were distributed among politicians during the regime of president Ghulam Ishaq Khan to maneuver the 1990 elections.

The funds were only given to right-wing politicians, who would go on to form the IJI, an alliance pitched against the PPP. The IJI was the final nail in the coffin in ensuring the formation of the then PML government headed by Nawaz Sharif.

The affidavits and evidence submitted by respondents before the court and first-hand accounts from the beneficiaries so far substantiate the allegations that the ISI did give funds to elements within the IJI. However, the most important issue after ascertaining guilt is to figure out the options available to the Supreme Court to correct this historical wrong.

Questions that are being asked albeit in a hushed manner are if the court will bar all guilty politicians and parties from contesting future elections especially since many are still active in politics. What punishment will be given to the former military bosses, who were privy to this exercise and approved its formal operation? Lastly, what possible observation or ruling can the court come up with to deter the ISI and other intelligence agencies from this practice?

Most of the senior lawyers including Fakhruddin G Ebrahim, Khalid Anwar, Dr Khalid Ranjha, Justice (r) Tariq Mahmood, Hamid Khan, Barrister Zafarullah Khan and Ikram Chaudhry suggest that the court should form a high-powered commission not only to investigate the

particular incident highlighted by Asghar Khan, but also the other incidents in the history of Pakistan where ISI provided money to politicians.

They believe that it is essential for democracy and national security in future.

They said the case would certainly lead to embarrassment for the politicians. They said if it is proved that a certain politician received money from the ISI, the court can only pass an observation that it was an unbecoming act on his part, besides it can only ask institutions such as the ISI to stay away from politics in future.

Per details of the petition, payments of up to Rs 140 million were allegedly made under the alleged instructions of General Mirza Aslam Beg by the ISI via the owner of Mehran Bank, Younis Habib.

Intelligence funds were deposited in Mehran Bank in 1992 propping up what was an insolvent bank as a favour for its owners help in loaning

Govt takes up Baloch rebels Continued FRom page 1 At this stage, it is better not to engage in public recrimination because the government is working very hard to resolve our own internal problems politically.”

To a question whether the issue of Balochistan came under discussion during the meeting of Foreign Minister Khar with Secretary Clinton in London on Thursday, he said, “All issues of mutual interest were discussed. As far as the

draft resolution on Balochistan in the sub-committee of the Congress is concerned, this portrayed arrogance and ignorance on the part of a few individuals. Pakistan has made its position very clear. We would not brook interference in our internal affairs.” “A US Congressional delegation, which called on the prime minister on Thursday, reaffirmed that the tabling of a resolution was an act by a few individuals and cannot represent the will of the Congress. We are confident

Ijaz accuses Haqqani Continued FRom page 24 inform my contacts in Washington DC that if they (US) want their problems resolved in Pakistan, I was their man to get it done”. He said the purpose of his writing article in the Financial Times was to offer a policy description as to how to

handle the alleged ISI complicity in attacks against the US interests in the region.

He said Adm Mike Mullen in his testimony before the Senate Armed Serviced Committee on September 22 had made it clear that he had “credible intelligence” that ISI was responsible for

money to the ISI in 1990 that was used in the creation of the right wing alliance IJI and bankrolling the campaigns of many opponents of the PPP. In his written reply submitted with the Supreme Court during the tenure of Shah and reported by the media, General Aslam Beg had conceded that it had been a routine for the ISI to support the favourite candidates in elections under directives of the successive chief executives.

Afterwards, former ISI DG Lt Gen (r) Asad Durrani had conceded in an affidavit submitted with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) that his political cell had received Rs 140 million from Younis Habib to be distributed among anti-PPP politicians at the behest of General Beg. The 1990 election was subsequently won by the IJI led by Nawaz, who had allegedly received Rs 3.5 million from the ISI fund for his election campaign.

that this ill-advised and ill-considered moved by a few individuals will not gain any traction and will be rejected by an overwhelming majority,” he said. Commenting on desecration of the Holy Quran at Bagram base in Afghanistan, he said, “The government and the people of Pakistan condemn the desecration of the Holy Quran in strongest possible terms. The US has apologised at the highest level and assured of a full enquiry. This is absolutely important that such

utterly irresponsible and reprehensible acts do not recur.”

On Foreign Minister Khar’s meeting with the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, he said, “The meeting between Foreign Minister Khar and Secretary Clinton was positive and constructive from our perspective. You will agree with me that Pakistan-US relations are important and we are trying to make these relations transparent and predictable. We are waiting for the completion of our parliamentary process. We will proceed further in the light of parliamentary guidelines.”

certain attacks against US interests in the region. “In the article, I simply offered a solution to the problem,” he added.

Ijaz said within 30 minutes of appearing the FT article Haqqani messaged me, “This FT Op-ed of yours is a disaster.” Before I could read the message, he added, Haqqani called me at Monaco as he was at that

time back to Washington DC: “Please can you tell me which other senior Pakistan diplomat you knew in Pakistan, so that I could get the press hounds off his trail,” he asked me. “I told him he knew better than me who knows me in Pakistan,” he recalled as having responded to Haqqani. “He then abused me,” Ijaz further said.

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Romantic rail that once used to be PAgE 06

10 more families join missing persons’ camp ISLAMABAD staff RepoRt

Many of the missing persons’ families from Balochistan will join here on Saturday (today) the protest camp set up by Defence for Human Rights (DHR) against illegal disappearance of citizens.

Around 10 days ago, the DHR had established the protest camp outside the parliament house wherein aggrieved families of the missing persons had participated.

DHR chairperson Amina Masood Janjua on Friday told media that around 10 families of the missing persons, who were kidnapped from Balochistan, would join their protest against the government’s apathy towards the sensitive issue. “The entire world is surprised and asks us what happened with your loved ones but the only people who are indifferent to their problems reside in the castles right in front of our camp,” said Amina while pointing towards the president and PM house.

She appealed Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry to take notice of their protest before other loss of lives. Ex senator and senior lawyer Iqbal Haider also visited the camp.

While showing solidarity with the missing persons’ families, he said that ministry for human rights should provide some basic facilities to the protestors in their camps. He said if the governments wanted stability in the country, it had to look into the matter of missing persons.

CJCSC visits ormara naval base

islaMaBad: jui-f activists shout anti-us slogans during a protest against nato outside lal Masjid. STAff pHOTO

FIA drops probe into ZPI project g

CdA spokesman claims the investigation agency could not find any irregularity ISLAMABAD

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HE Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has stopped the probe into possible irregularities of multi-billion zero point interchange (ZPI) project as it could not find anything substantial during investigation of the said project. A couple of months ago, the FIA had seized record of the costly ZPI project to probe some possible irregularities which had increased the scope of its work by 100 per cent. The CDA spokesman said after exhaustive probe into the ZPI project of Capital Development Authority (CDA), the FIA con-

cluded the inquiry and intimated the CDA nothing could traced during investigation.

The estimate cost of the said project was Rs 2 billion at the time of its initiation but additional work on the said project doubled the cost to Rs 4 billion.

The work enhanced as construction of 16-km roads on the four sides of ZPI was included in the main project. Additional work of the project was also awarded to the same construction firm which was already executing the project launched in September 2008.

But what the controversy appeared in the award of additional work was that additional 16-km road (8 lanes road each from Peshawar Mor and 7th Avenue

crossing Zero Point) had to be constructed at the same rate (72 percent above the estimated cost) on which the interchange was being constructed. The additional work was awarded to avoid bottlenecks and traffic congestion on two sides of the under-construction interchange.

However, the statement issued by the CDA said that FIA started the subject enquiry some six months back for which complete record of the project was provided to the investigating agency by CDA. After a detailed scrutiny of all aspects of the project, engineering quality tests were performed by the FIA and results were confirmed from various independent testing laboratories, however,

no irregularity was found. On the directions of CDA Chairman Engineer Farkhand Iqbal, the concerned formation and officers of the authority vigorously followed the case leading to its culmination in favour of the authority, it added.

Amid lot of controversies arising out of the construction of national monument at a cliff near Zero Point crossing, the ZPI project was formally started in September 2008 and later in July 2011, Prime Minister Gilani had inaugurated the project. The Zero Point is one of the busiest traffic points in Islamabad and the project was started with a view to overcome increasing traffic pressure of almost 150,000 vehicles passing through the Interchange area daily.

ISLAMABAD pRess Release

Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Chairman General Khalid Shameem Wynne visited the Jinnah Naval Base at Ormara. He was briefed about the base, the developmental projects and the efforts exerted to promote civil-military relationship.

The chairman along with Pakistan Fleet Commander, later boarded Pakistan Navy Submarine HASHMAT for a trip, during which they observed the submarine’s operational and combat display and spent time with its crew.

He was also briefed on Agost 70 Submarine’s warfare capabilities. The chairman lauded the professionalism of the submarine crew and expressed his satisfaction at the combat readiness of the PN submarine force. Recording his remarks, he appreciated the high morale of the PN personnel and also paid rich tributes to its veterans for developing a formidable arm of the navy that is a significant contributor to national defence.

Realisation of dreams just matter of time: Lu Shulin g

Ex-Chinese envoy says construction of railway lines or energy pipelines between China and Pakistan to prove beneficial ISLAMABAD staff RepoRt

There is no doubt that construction of railways or energy pipelines between China and Pakistan are achievable. When it comes to the relations between these two friendly neighbors, realisation of dreams is only a matter of time, said Ambassador Lu Shulin, former Chinese ambassador to Pakistan.

This was stated by ambassador Lu accompanied by a Chinese delegation at a roundtable meeting organised by the Institute of Regional Studies (IRS) here on

Friday. He said the Chinese people viewed Pakistan as China’s brother, and that Chinese friendship with Pakistan was a time-tested all-weather friendship.

Ambassador Zhao Gang, another former Chinese ambassador to Pakistan, and head of the visiting delegation, said China’s relationship with Pakistan is a mutually beneficial partnership in which both the countries treat one another as equal partners.

Ambassador Lu called the Karakoram Highway (KKH) a symbol of Pak-China friendship, adding the Chinese government would do all that it could to resolve

the problems arising out of the blockade of KKH by Attabad Lake.

Ambassador Zhao saw great potential in Pak-China relations in the fields of energy and economic cooperation, and infrastructure development. “Roads, railways, energy infrastructure, and ports are a must for economic progress,” he said. He called economic development an important source of political stability.

The Chinese companies were interested in investing in Pakistan but remained reluctant due to security concerns of their personnel.

Ambassador Lu and ambassador Zhao

were strongly of the opinion that China and Pakistan needed to improve their relations not only at the political and strategic levels but also at the economic level.

Zhao stressed the need for implementation of the already concluded agreements and memorandum of understandings (MoUs) between the two countries.

On the subject of future of Afghanistan, Zhao said China wanted a peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan that would have friendly relations with all its neighbours including China and Pakistan.

He said China wanted to see good

Indo-Pak and Pak-US relations, as long as maintaining those good relations did not come at the cost of compromising Pakistan’s vital interests.

President of IRS Ashraf Azim was of the view that China and Pakistan needed to improve people-to-people contacts by promoting student and youth exchange programmes.

Senior Fellow at IRS Brig Bashir Ahmed stressed the need for enhanced cooperation between China and Pakistan in the fields of infrastructure development, urban planning, and bilateral trade.

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06 Islamabad

Saturday, 25 February, 2012

master trainers’ programme concludes at HEC ISLAMABAD staff RepoRt

The 17th master trainers faculty professional development programme (MT-FPDP) organised by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) concluded here at HEC secretariat on Friday.

As many as 27 faculty members from 19 public and HEC-funded private universities and colleges from across Pakistan attended the programme.

Minister for Higher Education, KPK, Qazi Mohammad Asad Khan, was the chief guest of the ceremony. HEC Chairman Dr Javaid R Laghari was also present on the occasion. So far, 496 faculty members have benefited from MT-FPDP in 17 batches. This eight-week programme is particularly designed to equip the teaching faculty with the latest pedagogical and research skills required for effective teaching and research.

Talking to the participants, the minister said HEC had revolutionised the higher education sector and it would continue its mission for uplifting the standard of higher education across the country. He congratulated the participants on successful completion of the programme and hoped they would further cascade the training to other teachers in their respective institutions.

The HEC chairperson said the prime objective of the teachers is to disseminate knowledge. “HEC is taking care of human resource development of the universities effectively through in-service capacity building programmes,” he said.

Earlier, Noor Amna Malik, Director General (Learning Innovation) HEC, briefed the audience about the objectives of MT-FPDP. She said the programme ensures professional development of the in-service university teachers.

The programme included 13 core modules and additional sessions on different important social topics. Recreational and study trips to different historic places were also arranged.

Japanese envoy calls on ghurki ISLAMABAD staff RepoRt

Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan Hiroshi OE called on Federal Minister for National Heritage and Integration Samina Ghurki and discussed many issues of mutual understanding with her.

The Japanese ambassador assured her of their cooperation for promotion of cultural activities in Pakistan. Samina Ghurki presented a shield to the guest.

islaMaBad: Kp higher education Minister qazi asad presents a certificate to a participant at the concluding ceremony of heC master trainers’ programme. STAff pHOTO

BD artist Jamal’s exhibition opens at Tanzara Gallery ISLAMABAD

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HE Tanzara Gallery opened a collection of 37 ‘acrylic on canvas’ paintings on Friday by leading Bangladeshi artist Jamal Ahmed. Bangladeshi High Commissioner Suhrab Hossain inaugurated the exhibition and spoke highly about Ahmed’s work.

While appreciating the artist’s work and the efforts of the gallery’s curator, Hossain said Ahmed belongs to a class of artists recognised internationally. He stated that art needed no boundaries and that the exhibition was an effort to promote bilateral relations between the two countries, especially between the artists of both the countries.

Extensively exhibited in

Bangladesh and abroad, Ahmed’s work has a distinct flair which sets him apart from the work of his contemporaries. His artistic development during the last few decades completely transcends that of other Bangladeshi artists. He is unparalleled in the verve with which he draws or how he paints with the unique human warmth that is his signature.

He approaches his subjects with great empathy and passion and immortalises them in his impressionistic style paintings with great skill and dexterity. His outlook is adventurous and he is a master of many techniques-be it the semi-nude female figure, the bearded fakir, magnificent riverscapes or a cluster of pigeons, his paintings are moving, lyrical and poised - as if one were approaching them in real life.

There is nothing stylised or static

about the portraits that represent human achievements.

Ahmed has painted semi-nude figures of dusky, ordinary women, who lead humble lives, but who have the elegance and statuesque figures that would put a duchess in the dark.

The artist has won local and foreign acclaim for his paintings of pigeons too, of which, there are some notable ones in the present exhibition too. The wonderful birds-presented in the simplest of colours-capture one’s imagination and lend repose to the onlooker.

Jamal Ahmed has exhibited his works at Japan, Poland, UK, USA, India, Pakistan and innumerable times in Bangladesh. He has won coveted awards and acclaim both at home and overseas.

The exhibition will remain open at the Tanzara gallery till March 3.

‘DeDH SADi Ki RAil’ lAuncHeD

Romantic rail that once used to be ISLAMABAD staff RepoRt

Romantic fascination and poor-friendly service is what had made the rail a symbol of lifeline of the country. It is neither romantically fascinating anymore nor is it able to provide the people with economical way out to reach their destinations. Both these aspects came under discussion at the launching ceremony of Dr Irfan Ahmed Baig’s new book “Dedh Sadi Ki Rail” arranged by Strengthening Participatory Organisation (SPO) under its Civic Cafe dialogue series.

While the book represents writer’s 40 years experiences of travelling in rails around the country in company of his father who worked for Pakistan railways at different stages of its evolution and emergence as a strategic asset of the country, the speakers of the event talked about the deterioration this important transportation system has gone through in recent times.

Prof Yonus Khalid said the book had

beautifully captured minor details of the rail, railway tracks and the life along both sides of these tracks. “There is definitely a story spreading over 150 years of Pakistan railways, as it had started on May 13, 1861, when the first railway line was opened to the public between Karachi and Kotri with a total distance of 105 miles”, he said.

Prominent poet and writer Haris Khaleeq said this book rotates around a triangle of writer’s love for his father who served the railway for years, rail itself and most importantly Pakistan. “This is story of history, glory and downfall of this very important institution of the country” said Haris Khaleeq. He appreciated writer’s academic detachment or objectivity which makes it a good research document in addition to being a great literary piece of work.

Prominent writer Najamul Saqib said Irfan Baig’s book not only talks about railways’ importance in public life but also traces the history of political movements and country’s development related to the life

of rail and railway tracks. He said Derh Sadi ki Rail can be a good reference document even for railways officials if they want to know about the reasons of its downfall.

SPO Chief Executive Naseer Memon connected the contents of this book with the development paradigm of the country that focused on snatching away the assets and opportunities from the poor. Memon left the audience with a question on why the poorfriendly services like railways was vanishing while a number of fancy cars were increasing day by day? He said state-owned enterprises were alleviating poverty all over the world, but in our country state enterprises were abrogating poor people’s services. “This book reminds us of the importance of railways being not only an effective and cheap source of transportation but also a beautiful picture of country’s landscape” said Naseer. Introducing the audience and the programme, SPO Chief of Programmes Zafar Zeeshan said the Civic Cafe is a space for all to discuss contemporary issues and developments.

ISSd and SdPI organise diabetes awareness lecture ISLAMABAD: Regular physical activity, healthy diet, controlled weight and regular blood pressure and cholesterol level checks can save people from diabetes.

This was stated by Islamabad Society for Study of Diabetes (ISSD) General Secretary Dr Arshad Mehmood while delivering a lecture at a health awareness camp jointly organised by ISSD and the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) on Friday.

The diabetes awareness and checkup camp was setup to conduct free diagnostic tests and to educate people on diabetes which is the fourth leading cause of death globally.

The trained ISSD paramedical staff conducted screening tests for diabetes, cholesterol and bone mineral density.

They gave useful precautionary and diet tips to combat the disease if diagnosed.

They observed that the common public often lacked appropriate information about the deadly disease and its subsequent effects which make them vulnerable to early deaths. staff RepoRt

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Islamabad 07 Arjumand Awan’s paintings on display at nomad gallery ISLAMABAD MahtaB BashiR

islaMaBad: a tailor makes sofa cover while sitting on a footpath at super Market. STAff pHOTO

PAl remembers Azhar Javed, Abbas najmi ISLAMABAD staff RepoRt

The late Azhar Javed will be remembered for his commitment to literature while the poetry of Abbas Najmi is unforgettable.

This was stated by eminent poetess Shabnam Shakil, while presiding over a condolence reference, organised by Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) in the memory of the late Azhar Javed and Abbas Najmi, under the title of ‘Yaad-e-Raftagan’.

Asar Chohan was the chief guest. Shabnam Shakil, Asar Chohan, Sultan Rashak, Sarfraz Shahid, Dr Abdal Bela, Mir Tanha Yousufi and Asghar Abid expressed their views on the lives and works of the departed souls. PAL Director Muhammad Asim Butt welcomed the participants of the reference while Ghulam Ali Yasir conducted the proceedings. Azhar Javed was a true and sincere personality. He introduced several newcomers to the field of literature through his literary journal ‘Takhleeq’, the chairperson commented. He was a selfmade personality with commitment, she added. The late Abbas Najmi was one of the best Punjabi poets and TV compares, she further said. The death of both the writers and poets was termed a great lost to the Urdu and Punjabi literature by the speakers of the reference. All the participants shared their grief with the bereaved families and prayed to Allah Almighty for rest and peace for the departed souls.

Women entrepreneurs display Spring Fiesta ISLAMABAD app

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OMEN entrepreneurs and rural women here Friday displayed a colorful Spring Fiesta with a variety of their handmade products and fashion accessories for women of all ages.

The 3-day show brought products created by the rural craftswomen with items related to women and children including dresses, handbags, home textiles, garments, nail art, jewellery, interior decors, herbal cosmetics, formal and casual wears to provide respectful earning for the rural class and create a perfect extravaganza for buyers in a colorful way.

The products have been created by the craftswomen while the exhibition was organized with the aim of empowering women and their communities by empowering them economically, said Lubna Shahbaz, organizer of the show. The crafteswomen are trained in vocational centers and some are self-taught with the skills of creating items according to the fashion needs in order to get better sales and income generation. “Such shows create better environment of earning for women who seem reluctant in selling their products through middle man and encour-

age employment for low income families in the field of garment making and traditional embroideries which are modernized into contemporary designs,” Lubna told APP. It is a way to improve the socio-economic development of needy women in Pakistan with the objective of creating and sustaining self-reliance among poor households, she said. Among the total of 27 stalls, display of precious stone jewellery, fashion dresses and embroidered fabrics is the main attraction for females.

3,395 pERSONNEL Of fC, RANgERS DEpLOyED IN ICT: Around 3,395 personnel of Frontier Constabulary (FC) and Rangers at present are deployed to ensure fool-proof security in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).

Of the total, there are 1,547 personnel of FC and 1,848 of Rangers who are deployed in Islamabad.

A senior official at Ministry of Interior while giving year-wise break up of expenditure said Rs 1.528 billion were incurred on the officers and personnel of Frontier Constabulary and Rangers deployed in Islamabad since 2007.

As per details, these expenditure are Rs 79.731 million in 2007, Rs 114.327 million in 2008, Rs 533.24 million in 2009, Rs 355.52 million in 2010 and Rs 445.66 million incurred during 2011 for the secu-

rity purpose. The official said a case for creation of 2500 posts in ICT police for performing security duties in place of FC and Rangers is also under process.

Giving details about the number of persons working in FC and coast-guards in Balochistan, he said these are 48928 Frontier Corps 2057 Pakistan Coast Guards personnel in the province and during last three years more than Rs 27 billion have been incurred on FC and Rs 1.6 billion on Pakistan Coast Guards.

ZAMURAD KHAN URgES pHILANTHROpISTS TO HELp ORpHANS: Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal Managing Director (MD) Zamurad Khan on Friday urged the philanthropists to come forward for helping orphan children of ‘Pakistan Sweet Homes’. He said the orphan children being taken into care in ‘Pakistan Sweet Homes” will change the destiny of the nation. As many as 2,800 orphan children have been taken into care by Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal (PBM) under its ‘Pakistan Sweet Homes’ project. The children are being provided all possible facilities with quality education, food and residence. He stated this while talking to media here in Cinepex Cinema where about 400 children of three ‘Pakistan Sweet homes’ of Rawalpindi and Islamabad watched a movie.

For many of us, Ahmed Faraz’s verse ‘Be-eitmadiyon ka dhooaan bhi sahi magar/ kuch geet bhi to shehar ki khamoshiyon mein hein’, depicts the disintegrated societal behaviour prevalent in the country, but Arjumand Awan, an artist, gave the verse a new dimension by making it the theme of his new painting collection.

Following the theme of ‘hope’, Arjumand Awan, a self-taught artist from Islamabad, put up 25 abstract and figurative images highlighting sociocultural to religo-political issues at the Nomad Gallery on Friday.

He said he read the famous verse with positive spectacles, saying the glass is not half empty but half full.

Awan’s solo exhibition depicts the journey of the human society in social, political and personal realms. Working with acrylics on paper, the artist gives the illusion of water colour and oil paints.

Known for his harsher style of painting realistic pictures, Awan diversifies his approach to address social issues by depicting his message in a softer manner with bolder strokes.

Talking with Pakistan Today, the artist said: “We live in turbulent times and my aim was to use my creativity and art to promote awareness about basic human rights and to defend them across the gender divide.”

Awan added that the collection was not only highlighting the issues in the federal capital, but also those prevalent across the country.

The artist’s thematic sensibility works well with the vision of Nageen Hyat, the owner of Nomad Gallery and who is also a social activist.

Hyat said the collection is experimental but aesthetically strong. “Awan’s second solo exhibition at Nomad delves further into the realms of soul searching and the reflection of contemporary society,” she added.

The artist revealed that he is a selftaught artist and is in the process of self-discovery. “I create my own world.

Painting is my language and it is my way of life,” he said.

The artist said his artwork takes a critical view of the social, political and cultural milieu. “Each project often consists of multiple works, in a range of different media, grouped around specific themes and meanings. During research and production, new areas of interest arise and lead to the next body of work,” Awan said adding that he is mostly influenced by everything he sees, feels and experiences.

Born in Peshawar in 1959, Awan said he has tried to use his creativity and art not only for the purpose of decoration but also to promote, raise awareness, demand and defend human rights.

The exhibition will remain open at the Nomad Gallery till March 5.

pCpC comes to the rescue of consumers ISLAMABAD staff RepoRt

The Punjab Consumer Protection Council (PCPC) has asked the local administrations of all the districts in Punjab to ensure display of price lists at business places to save consumers from overcharging. In response to a market survey by the Consumer Watch Pakistan (CWP), the PCPC has written a letter to all the DCOs in the Punjab districts that many grocers do not put price tags on grocery items. Most of manufacturing companies have given up the practice of printing prices on their products. A press release by the PCPC stated that this afforded retailers a chance to overcharge the consumers. The CWP had also observed variation in the prices of such items in different localities.

The CWP has contended that price codes/price bars are no alternative of price tags because consumers cannot ascertain prices before making a purchase decision.

This practice is in serious contravention to the Section 18 of the Punjab Consumer Protection Act 2005. This section clearly says, “Unless a price catalogue is available to a customer, manufacturers or traders shall display prominently at his shop or display centre a notice specifying the retail or wholesale price, as the case may be, of every item available for sale in that shop or display centre.” It was stated that the law gives powers to DCOs to impose a fine up to Rs 50,000 on the sellers if they fail to meet requirements of Section 18. There are, however, no incidents on record where DCOs have acted proactively on this issue.

islaMaBad: Government College for elementary teachers (GCet) h-9 principal farah Yasmin and azra Khanum present certificates to students at a function.STAff pHOTO

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08 Foreign News

Saturday, 25 February, 2012

‘Friends of Syria’ meet to push for relief access TUNIS

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ESTERN and Arab nations are to challenge Syria to allow in desperately needed humanitarian aid at a meeting Friday aimed at increasing pressure on President Bashar al-Assad to end his bloody crackdown.

More than 60 nations are gathering in Tunisia for the first “Friends of Syria” conference, amid continuing violence in the flashpoint city of Homs and a growing global outcry over the deaths of thousands of civilians. But the conference of Arab and Western foreign ministers will be marked by the absence of Russia and China — highlighting the difficulty in building an international consensus on Syria.

Both countries refused to attend and have frustrated efforts to rein in Assad’s regime, including by vetoing UN Security Council resolutions. An early draft of the meeting’s declaration said it could call for the Syrian government “to implement an

immediate ceasefire and to allow free and unimpeded access by the UN... and humanitarian agencies.”

The UN is stepping up its efforts to deal with the crisis and on Thursday named its former leader Kofi Annan as a joint UN-Arab League envoy for Syria. “I look forward to having the full cooperation of all relevant parties and stakeholders in support of this united and determined effort... to help bring an end to the violence and human rights abuses, and promote a peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis,” Annan said after his appointment.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Friday’s meeting was looking for “concrete progress on three fronts: providing humanitarian relief, increasing pressure on the regime, and preparing for a democratic transition.” “We hope to see new pledges of emergency assistance for Syrians caught in Assad’s stranglehold, and international coordination and diplomatic pressure on Damascus to allow it to get to those who need it most,” she told reporters in London. Bassma Kodmani, a spokes-

woman for main opposition group the Syrian National Council (SNC), repeated calls on Friday for the creation of three humanitarian corridors: one from Lebanon to assist Homs, one from Turkey to help Idlib and one from Jordan to help Deraa.

“What is absolutely urgent for us in Tunis is to ask for humanitarian assistance,” she told France Inter radio, adding that the opposition hoped “Russia could put pressure on the Assad regime” to accept aid convoys. The draft declaration demanded that humanitarian groups be allowed in to Syria to assess the need for aid and “be permitted to deliver vital relief goods and services to civilians affected by violence.” It threatened increased sanctions, including travel bans, asset freezes, a stop to oil purchases and the closure of foreign embassies in Damascus and Syrian embassies in other capitals.

The SNC has warned that military intervention might be the “only option” to end the crackdown, but Western and Arab nations have so far rejected the idea of a foreign mission similar to the operation

that helped topple the Libyan regime. The draft declaration also called for the Arab League to convene a meeting of the Syrian opposition and praised the SNC. But it did not appear to give the SNC exclusive recognition, calling it only “a legitimate representative of Syrians seeking peaceful democratic change.”

Activists say more than 7,600 people, mostly civilians, have died since Assad’s hardline regime launched a crackdown to snuff out a revolt that began with peaceful protests in March 2011. Monitors said 86 people were killed across Syria Thursday, 61 of them civilians. And at least two civilians were killed Friday as Syrian forces for the 21st day shelled a rebel-held area of Homs, where US reporter Marie Colvin and French photojournalist Remi Ochlik were killed on Wednesday.

Opposition supporters were expected to make a new show of force after Friday prayers. Efforts were being made to evacuate from Homs two wounded journalists — Edith Bouvier, a reporter for French daily Le Figaro, and Sunday Times photog-

rapher Paul Conroy. Britain said on Thursday Conroy was “on his way out” of the city, while Bouvier appeared in a video online asking to be evacuated quickly, saying she needed urgent medical attention.

French ambassador to Syria Eric Chevallier returned to Damascus after being recalled to France in response to the crackdown, the embassy said Friday.

It declined to comment on whether his return was related to the evacuation effort. UN investigators on Thursday submitted a list of Syrian officials suspected of possible crimes against humanity, saying they documented a widespread and systematic pattern of gross violations “in conditions of impunity.”

Amnesty International demanded Friday that aid agencies be given immediate access to Homs and other protest cities. “The accounts we are hearing from Homs are increasingly dire, with people lacking the most basic amenities,” said the interim deputy director of Amnesty’s Middle East and North Africa Programme, Ann Harrison.

Assad ‘not ready to resign’, says Russian Mp MOSCOW afp

Bashar al-Assad is not ready to resign and claims to feel strong support despite 11 months of deadly protests, a top Russian lawmaker who met the Syrian president in Damascus this week said Friday. “I met Assad and did not get the impression that this is a person who is ready to leave power tomorrow,” Alexei Pushkov, the head of the international affairs committee of the State Duma lower house, told reporters. “The protest movement exists, but it is not such that the president would feel everything crumbling around him — that everything is falling apart and he needs to resign,” Pushkov said. Assad’s ouster “is an absolutely artificial and far-fetched issue,” he said, adding that he talked to the Syrian strongman for more than an hour. This week’s four-day visit by Pushkov, a member of the ruling United Russia party and former television commentator, came after Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov flew to Damascus for talks with Assad earlier in the month. Lavrov secured a pledge to halt violence and quickly hold a constitutional referendum, and idea dismissed

la paz: a physically-disabled woman on her wheelchair clashes with riot police in the centre of la paz on friday. hundreds of physically disabled people arrived in la paz after completing a protest march of some 1600 km (994 miles) over a hundred days to demand that Bolivia's government offer support in the form of 3000 bolivianos ($434) to each disabled person. ReUTeRS

US, N. Korea talks end with little progress BEIJING afp

A US diplomat said Friday some progress had been made in the first talks between the United States and North Korea since the death of Kim Jong-Il, but there were no breakthroughs.

Glyn Davies, coordinator for US policy on North Korea, said he had a “better understanding” of North Korea’s position on the country’s controversial nuclear programme, but they had not achieved any “dramatic results” during the talks.

“The talks were serious and substantive ... I think we made a little bit of progress,” Davies told reporters at the end of the two-day meeting in Beijing.

“We have been able to illuminate the issues a bit better, gain a better understanding of their point of view, their rationale and their position.”

The talks were seen as a chance for Washington to clarify what policies North Korea’s untested new leader Kim Jong-Un plans, and to try to work with Pyongyang to resume six-nation talks on ending its nuclear weapons programme. The United States has been exploring a resumption of the negotiations, which are chaired by China and also include Japan, the two Koreas, Russia and the United States. Ana-

lysts say Pyongyang — which has said it wants to return to the six-party talks, albeit without any preconditions — may be eager to resume discussions with Washington to show the regime is operating as it was before Kim’s death. Davies said there was no “dramatic difference” in the way the North Korean delegation, led by veteran negotiator Kim Kye-Gwan, conducted themselves during the talks, which focused on denuclearisation, non-proliferation, nuclear enrichment, humanitarian aid and Japanese citizens abducted by the North.

Davies said the fact the two sides were able to have “this very in-depth, wide-ranging exchange” represented progress. “What we have to do is evaluate it ... and then consult with our allies and partners in the six-party process,” he said. North Korea abandoned the six-nation talks in April 2009 because of what it described as US hostility, and conducted a nuclear test the following month, to international condemnation.

This week’s talks between the North and the United States are the third since July. The two sides were scheduled to meet in December, but the plan was shelved after Kim’s death on December 17 and the subsequent transition of power to his son Kim Jong-Un. Davies said he had briefed his Chinese counterpart Wu

BeijinG: us special envoy on north Korea Glyn davies (l) speaks to the media after the second day of bilateral talks with north Korea in Beijing on friday. Afp Dawei on the talks, and would meet with officials in South Korea and Japan over the weekend before returning to Washington on Monday. China, North Korea’s

closest ally, has repeatedly urged a resumption of six-party talks. Washington and Pyongyang have not agreed on further meetings, Davies said.

Iraqis demonstrate for reforms in Baghdad BAGHDAD afp

Dozens of Iraqis demonstrated for reforms in Baghdad’s Tahrir Square on Friday, the eve of the first anniversary of mass protests in which 16 people were killed across the country. Security forces had a heavy presence in the square, with soldiers armed with wooden clubs, pistols and assault rifles surrounding the area where the demonstrators were gathered. Groups of policemen with Kalashnikov rifles were also deployed, as were various army and police vehicles mounted with machineguns. “The demonstration is to remind the government that the February Youth (protesters) and the youth of Tahrir Square still continue to protest as long as there are demands that are not realised,” said Muayid al-Tayyeb, who led chants at the protest. “A year has passed since the protests and the government has not made any effort to realise the demands of the protesters,” he said. The demonstrators’ requests include improvements in services such as electricity and fighting corruption, Tayyeb said. “But when the government faced these demands with repression, our request became new elections.” He said the demonstration began about 10:00 am (0700 GMT). It wound down around noon. On February 25 last year, 16 people died and more than 130 were wounded in clashes with police during demonstrations across Iraq.

Two days later, Prime Minister Nuri alMaliki gave his cabinet 100 days to improve the delivery of services to Iraq’s people or face “changes,” but no one was ever fired.

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Saturday, 25 February, 2012

Foreign News 09

Racy putin videos woo ‘first time’ Russia voters MOSCOW afp

Under the racy slogan “the first time is just for love”, Vladimir Putin supporters have posted a series of videos aimed at young voters in an increasingly intense presidential election campaign battle. The professionalquality videos initially seem to show young women worrying about losing their virginity before it turns out — in a heavy double entendre — that they are wondering for whom to cast their first time votes. And the answer is clear: “Putin — the first time is just for love.” “You know doctor — I am very scared, although my choice is one of love,” a girl, played by an actress, tells her doctor in one of the videos. “Of course I understand.

Everyone is afraid the first time,” the doctor replies. “The main thing is to trust your choice. Because trust is love. And your choice you can trust,” as the camera closes in on a picture of Prime Minister Putin amid romantic music. The girl is then shown happily walking to the polling station. In a second video, a doctor tells another girl: “The main thing is to be sure it’s safe.

Especially the first time.” But as the camera again finds a picture of Putin, he says: “With him, it will be safe.” Again the video concludes with the girl casting her vote.

Advertising agency Aldus ADV said it made the videos (www.perviiraz.ru) with the aim of “attracting a young audience to take part” in the March 4 presidential election that Putin is widely expected to win. The agency did not say who commissioned the ads.

Putin’s campaign team has never been shy of using sex as a weapon to attract young voters. Ahead of the December 4 parliamentary polls, his party United Russia issued a video which showed two young people meeting in a polling station, apparently making love in a polling booth and then casting their votes together. “Let’s do it together,” said the slogan, leaving little to the imagination. The raunchy videos come in a campaign where the Internet is playing a role unseen in previous Russian presidential elections, with all sides trying to outdo each other for supremacy on the net. Putin’s team enlisted A-list Russian celebrities to take part in a campaign called “Why I am voting for Putin”, but this was overshadowed by allegations that some stars felt obliged to participate because of their state-funded projects. Rumours have swirled that Chulpan Khamatova, one of Russia’s most admired actresses, only took part because she feared state funding for her children’s charity would be cut if she failed to do so. In response to that controversy, oppositioninclined Russian television and radio host and socialite Ksenia Sobchak posted a spoof video on YouTube where she initially appears to be also explaining why she is voting for Putin. “Now is not the time to rock the boat and we should rally round one leader. This is why I have taken this difficult decision,” purrs Sobchak, albeit looking considerably more battered than her usual glamorous self. When she finishes, a burly man pounces on her and winds duct tape round her mouth as Sobchak squeals. It is then revealed that she was tethered to her chair throughout and flanked by two armed guards. The spoof by Sobchak — the daughter of Putin’s late mentor and former Saint Petersburg mayor Anatoly Sobchak — has already won almost half a million views on YouTube.

MYitKYina: pro-democracy leader aung san suu Kyi is greeted by supporters on friday. suu Kyi appealed for unity among Myanmar’s disparate ethnic groups as she hit the campaign trail in the country’s conflict-riven far north. Afp

Death toll rises to 23 from Afghan anti-US protest KABUL

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afp

NTI-US protesters tried to storm a US consulate and march on NATO headquarters in Kabul on Friday as violent demonstrations over the burning of Qurans pushed into a fourth day, killing 23 people.

Afghan officials said five people died Friday, four of them in the usually relatively peaceful western province of Herat and another demonstrator in the northern province of Baghlan, where hundreds took to the streets. The Quran incident has fanned the flames of anti-Western sentiment already burning over abuses by the US-led foreign troops, such as the release last month of a video showing US Marines urinating on the corpses of dead Afghans.

President Hamid Karzai’s government and the US-led NATO mission in Afghanistan has appealed for calm and restraint, fearful that Taliban insurgents are trying to exploit the anti-American backlash.

But in Herat city, three people died as protesters surged towards the US consulate while four more were killed elsewhere in the province, provincial spokesman Moheedin Noori told AFP. “Seven people were killed and 50 others were injured — mostly in gunfire —

KaBul: afghan demonstrators shout anti-us slogans during a protest against quran desecration in Kabul on friday. Afp across Herat province,’ said Noori. A security official told AFP that demonstrators had tried to storm the consulate and that some had tried to grab guns from the police.

Another protester was shot dead and two wounded when demonstrators tried to overrun the Czech-led military-civilian provincial reconstruction team in northeastern Baghlan province, provincial governor Abdul Majeed said. Friday’s deaths bring to at least 23 the number of people killed since Tuesday at violent anti-US protests over the burning of Qurans at the US airbase of Bagram, north of the capital.

In Kabul, at least three people were

wounded in surging demonstrations in several different locations, an interior ministry spokesman said. The protests flared after Friday prayers, where mullahs condemned “Infidels” for the desecration of Islam’s holy book. “Those who have committed this crime should be identified and should be publicly executed,” said mullah Mohammad Ayaz Niazi at Kabul’s Wazir Akbar Khan mosque.

“You have not just betrayed a nation, but you have played with the faith and sentiments of 1.7 billion Muslims worldwide, and you have trampled their holy book,” he said, while urging that any protests should be peaceful.

Hundreds demand reopening of key palestinian street HEBRON afp

Hundreds of Palestinians protested Friday in Hebron to demand the city's main street be reopened after an 18-year closure by the Israeli military on security grounds. Shuhada Street was partially closed off to the Palestinian public some 18 years ago shortly after a Jewish extremist from a nearby settlement gunned down 29 Muslim worshippers at the Tomb of the Patriarchs, on February 25, 1994. Six years later, the street was completely sealed off to public access at the outset of the second Palestinian intifada, or uprising, which erupted in September 2000, with the military declaring it a "closed military zone." "This demonstration is part of an international campaign to reopen Shuhada Street which is the main road to the Ibrahimi Mosque and many other stores and homes that are closed in the heart of Hebron," organiser Issa Amr told AFP, using the Muslim name for the Tomb of the Patriarchs. An AFP correspondent at the scene said about 500 people had joined the march towards Shuhada Street, carrying Palestinian flags and huge banners reading "End the apartheid." But they were blocked by troops, who broke up the march by firing tear gas, sound bombs and a foul-smelling liquid known as "skunk," he said.

Five demonstrators were arrested and another injured, one of whom was ArabIsraeli MP Mohammed Barakeh who was hit in the leg by a stun grenade, witnesses and a statement from his office said.

World pledges new help for Somalia but rebels defiant LONDON afp

International powers pledged Thursday to boost aid for Somalia to tackle Islamist militancy, piracy and political instability, warning that failure to help now could hurt the rest of the world.

At a London conference attended by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, UN chief Ban Ki-moon and more than 50 other top figures, they issued a communique vowing action against anyone obstructing the peace process.

But even as the leaders discussed the Horn of Africa nation’s attempts to end the chaos that has reigned since 1991, So-

malia’s Al-Qaeda-allied Shebab insurgents vowed to “wage war” against any international peace drive.

British Prime Minister David Cameron said the problems faced by Somalia’s fragile transitional government, whose mandate expires in August, had global implications. “After two decades of bloodshed and some of the worst poverty on Earth, there are the first signs of fragile progress in Somalia,” he said.

“Supporting these efforts is not just right for the people of Somalia, it is right for the whole world. “Because when pirates are disrupting vital trade routes and kidnapping tourists and when radicalism is poisoning young minds and breeding

terrorism, it is in all our interests to support the Somali people in taking back their country.”

Clinton said the United States would push for sanctions, including travel bans and asset freezes, for those “standing in the way” of progress by the interim government in the impoverished nation. But she warned that the international community would oppose any move to extend its mandate, adding: “It is time to move forward to a more stable and unified era.”

Her language echoed that used in the communique, which called on the interim government to give up power on time, and called on Somalis to work towards the formation of a representative govern-

ment. “We agreed to incentivise progress and act against spoilers to the peace process, and that we would consider proposals in this regard” before a follow-up conference in Istanbul in June, it added.

The conference statement also backed the UN Security Council’s decision on Wednesday to boost the AU force in the country to 17,000. Somalia has had no central government since 1991 and in recent years the Shebab rebels and other groups have taken an increasing hold on large parts of the country, while pirates have caused chaos in the Indian Ocean.

But the situation has stabilised in recent months, with the AU force helping Somali troops push the Shebab out of

Mogadishu and as recently as Wednesday notching up another victory in the southwestern town of Baidoa. Somali Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali reiterated that he would “welcome targeted airstrikes against Al-Qaeda in Somalia” after reports that Britain’s government had considered them. Clinton however said that she had not seen any military justification for the strikes — despite reports that US drones based in Ethiopia have carried out a series of attacks. Ban meanwhile urged the world to build on recent progress. “We have opened a space for peace and stability in Somalia. It is a small space but it presents an opportunity we cannot afford to miss,” the UN secretary-general said.

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Saturday, 25 February, 2012

Editor’s mail 11

“The baloch grievance” Fahd Hussain in his latest article "The Baloch grievance" (23 February) has given a very gloomy picture and has said nothing new except blaming the government and the establishment.

The writer makes sweeping statements like khakis are still calling shots.

He further talks about the resolution on Balochistan by a US Congressman that has been denied by Washington. He criticises APC called by the government and calls it a futile exercise because APC on drone attacks did not produce desired results.

It is very strange when he says that there is neither the federal government nor the provincial government in Balochistan. The issue of Balochistan is not that serious as being depicted. So far, we have been hearing only one side and blaming then other side without hearing

Another petrol bomb them. It is very easy to throw blame on the establishment under the influence of propaganda launched by enemies of Pakistan. The writer has failed to give any solution except repeating old rhetoric.

The sardars living in self exile need to be taken into confidence along with others who matter. Unfortunately, our media is projecting the western point of view instead of countering it. We all talk about few mutilated bodies but forget the attack on FC posts, destruction of electric pylons, attack on military convoys and damaging gas pipelines.

The politicians are not interested in pulling the province from present crisis.

All the members of assembly have the status of ministers and there is no opposition in the provincial assembly. They are the ones who should have initiated dialogue with the Baloch nationalists but

no effort was made. Every MPA gets Rs 250 million annually for the development of his constituency but common man continues to suffer. How sad that the establishment is blamed for no rhyme and reason.

The issue of missing person was highly exaggerated and FC was blamed that only added fuel and a vicious campaign is being launched to distort the image of FC. We should not forget the role of FC in protecting the lives of common man from militants and their sacrifices.

The gesture of government withdrawing cases of Baloch leaders should be appreciated and a message carried forward so that the province returns to normalcy. We need to stop blame game as it never helps but only aggravates the situation. The common man in Balochis-

tan was suffering in the past and continues to suffer at present in the hands of elected representatives who are not at all pushed to address the common man’s problems.

Media has to play an important role as for as the issue of Balochistan is concerned, under no circumstances antiBalochistan feelings should be aired. We must rebut the western propaganda and expose the designs of anti-Pakistan elements operating in Balochistan and measures should be taken to persuade Baloch nationalists to come and discuss the issues without any preconditions. It is only dialogue that will help in reaching to a peaceful solution; short term measures can never substitute lasting solution.

MUKHTAR AHMED Bradford, UK

Plight of Kashmiris The people of Kashmir are facing the worst forms of brutality for the last more than six decades. The leaders of secular India ignore and turn a blind eye towards the physical and mental torture Kashmiris go through each day. The human rights organisations themselves witnessed torture and barbaric acts of Indian army. Reports published by them are an unbelievable narration that in today’s world such inhuman acts are possible.

Why Kashmir dispute is not being solved when there is a long list of solutions? There are suggestions of keeping the status quo, plebiscite, independent Kashmir and Chenab Formula. India never responds to any solution seriously and continues to use force.

One of the BBC reports titled ‘The Future of Kashmir’ indicated that there are 95 percent Muslims in Kashmir Valley.

Despite agreeing to the resolution of providing opportunity of self-determination to Kashmiris at the United Nations, Indian governments have never implemented it. All efforts are utilised by India to have control over Kashmir. The sufferings of Kashmiri people are increasing day by day as the frustrated and all powerful army is administering all methods of torture to silence the voice of freedom of the Kashmiris. The issue of Kashmir is a big question mark for the West and all those who believe in human rights and freedom.

ANWAR PARWEEN Rawalpindi

Cessna plane crash

act, and soldiers were trying to dispose off some religious texts and books which the imprisoned Taliban allegedly used to pass clandestine information among them.

It is obvious that such an apologetic behaviour is not sufficient to calm down the runaway sentiments which have already resulted in several deaths in Kabul and elsewhere. Such incidents are not helpful to win Afghans’ hearts and minds but on the contrary these are endangering what has been achieved in last ten years.

However, all this is not deterring a number of Americans making good bucks out of this war. As per media re-

ports, the value of contracts only to engage the interpreters for the US forces has reached $2.3 billion mark. Let’ forget those thousands of Afghans and hundreds of Western soldiers who have lost their life in this war on terror, at least a good number of high profile politicians and contractors in the US and Afghanistan have amassed their bank accounts with ordinary American’ tax money. Let’s forget the display of disrespect for other’s religion and its long term impact in the occupied lands; at least pockets and ego of some arrogant people are being filled to brim.

MASOOD KHAN Jubail, Saudi Arabia

A Cessna 150 crashed in H Block Model Town killing both pilots of this twin seated aircraft. It is time that CAA revises minimum educational qualifications for trainee commercial pilots so that a level of maturity is attained to avoid any immature handling of such aircrafts. The world has revised such minimum qualifications for those aspiring to qualify for CPL with an objective to join an airline. Air accident investigation in Pakistan is notorious for never reaching any conclusive results and mostly there is a cover up on part of CAA. When Walton and Lahore Airports were constructed, they were located far away from city, clear from highly inhabited congested areas. Similar was the situation in Karachi, Multan, Islamabad and Peshawar. Even the disastrous terrorist attack on PAF Drigh Road base which resulted in loss of lives and three expensive naval aircrafts has not deterred public access to this sensitive area by presence of commercial marriage halls constructed next the runway.

There was a vast area towards east of Walton which now comprises DHA and housing societies. Can somebody imagine if God forbid a passenger aircraft loaded with hundreds of tons of fuel were to encounter an accident on take-off, or approach path of either runway at Allama Iqbal International Airport.

Land mafia with an insatiable greed for real estate profits dominate powerful uniformed services and are so blinded with desire for quick bucks that they allowed hundreds of bungalows to be constructed on fence of this airport. As if this was not enough several marriage halls have been allowed on land reserved for a golf club, which has further enhanced bird activity that poses a potential life threat for all passenger and cargo commercial aircraft.

MIR TASSADAQ Lahore

They were perhaps not even consulted before embarking upon any programme for Balochistan or their people.

Gone are the days when the governments used to pacify these sardars by making false promises to them. Now the people are more aware and can assess the intentions or mindset of the government.

The sufferers are the best judge of the rulers. They know the ground realities vis-a-vis hollow slogans of the government. Billions of rupees are being sunk in Benazir Income Support Programme, Waseela-e-Haq and other PPP government sponsored welfare programmes for making tall claims. But the deserving poor people are still suffering and running from pillar to post to get such help.

They do not know whom to contact and how to get this help.

The government has never invited the rebel leaders to Islamabad to listen to their grievances. Doling out 250 million rupees to each legislator of Balochistan

Assembly would never solve their problem. They only talk of royalty of gas and other mineral resources which run into billions, as they claim. They must be explained the total distribution of these resources and its effects on the national economy. They must be convinced about their share and settled across the table.

On the same negotiating table, they should be given record of total development funds given to Balochistan government ever since 1947 vis-a-vis the utilisation of these funds by their leaders on any development done or misappropriated. It is a hard fact that all the funds given for the development of this neglected province were never used for the purpose these were allotted for. These leaders who got these funds lived a royal life, sending their children abroad, building palaces in Karachi and abroad, buying expensive cars and never bothered to alleviate the living standard of their tribesmen.

Some parliamentarians should go to the far flung areas of Balochistan to meet the people there. They would be horrified to see the living conditions there and they should also ask the poor tribesmen how much they have to pay to their sardars per annum because these sardars besides getting from the government, fleece their area people also.

They provide no facilities like education, health etc to them. Each sardar has his own justice system and maintains his private jails where people defying sardar’s orders rot for years like animals.

They must be told about these facts and consequences of such insurgencies.

The advice to the government is to close all the foreign missions and consulates except that of Iran immediately and ban entry of all foreigners to Balochistan even that of diplomats serving in Islamabad.

MUHAMMAD AZHAR KHWAJA Lahore

no to thar coal project It seems the government has just bought off Senators in order to get the 20th amendment cleared from the Upper House of the Parliament. Instead of funding the Thar coal project that could provide cheap and easily accessible energy, the government has chosen to fatten the pockets of some of its Senators, who incidentally are neither active in the national politics nor are they directly elected.

If that is the way to go about amending the topmost law of the country, the one it is entirely authorised to amend, imagine how lenient the government would be with the country’s less important rules and regulations.

SANIA SAFDAR Lahore

Allegations on musharraf The American apology Rehman Malik said that the government would ask Interpol to arrest exPresident Pervez Musharraf while briefing the Sindh Assembly about the Benazir Bhutto’s murder plot. Malik said the government would seek Musharraf’s arrest because he allegedly failed to provide adequate security to Benazir Bhutto.

Benazir Bhutto is a huge name and a sorely missed leader and it is true that the face of Pakistan would have been very different if she would have assumed power. That being said, such allegations from responsible people without proper proof are very dangerous for Pakistan’s image. The present government has always been hostile towards Musharraf even though their leader Benazir Bhutto made the NRO deal and then came back to Pakistan. It is also a fact that Musharraf did warn her and that BB and her advisors preferred to have their own security arrangements manned by a special PPP force.

No government in Pakistan has ever been successful in solving assassination cases. And why involve Interpol? The cause of the plane crash carrying Zia-ulhaq is still a mystery. We haven’t been able to solve our first Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan’s assassination yet.

Why doesn’t our interior minister pay same attention to the cases of hundreds of people who are murdered every month in Pakistan? In January alone, a total of 165 people were killed or murdered in Karachi, according to a report released by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. It has been 4 years since Benazir’s assassination and the PPP has been in power. Her husband is the President but the case has remained unsolved until now.

MASOOMA IMRAN Karachi

According to the reports, which were published on Thursday in all Urdu and English newspapers and also highlighted

by TV channels, another petrol price hike has become imminent by the end of this month.

By virtue of the upcoming increase, petrol price will be further nearing the “coveted” figure of Rs 100 per litre while diesel price has already got this “distinction” earlier this month.

With hike in every POL product’s price, it is becoming imperative that the motorists look for some innovative technology products, and there must be some in the market surely, for affecting reduced fuel consumption in their vehicles and also creating pollution free atmosphere with reduced smoke emission while going the usual long distances.

The federal and provincial government functionaries may not be so keen in this regard for they don’t have to pay from their pockets but the motorists in the private sector should not wait for any government initiative and go for fuel saving steps for their vehicles on priority basis. They’ve already suffered a lot on this account.

ABDUL SAMAD KHWAJA Karachi

First it was John Allen, American commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, who apologised over the burning of Holy Quran by the US soldiers at Bagram air base, then came the apology from Leon Panetta, Secretary of State for Defence.

Now it’s President Obama’ turn to help diffuse raging sentiments. Obama has sought apologies from Afghans in a letter being delivered to President Karazai. Why the Americans got up to here; why such a disregard of religious sentiments of Afghans? As expected, NATO has tried to hide behind the routine excuses: it was an act on the part of few individuals, it was an unintentional

The balochistan mix The PPP government has not realised the gravity of the Balochistan problem.

The ground reality is that Pakistan flag has disappeared from the province and the students no longer sing the national anthem in their schools. Anyone flying national flag on 14 August is killed the next day. The non-Baloch settlers are being killed as part of target killing. Our enemy agent are operating in full swing and pumping funds and providing weapons to the rebel leaders to accelerate their evil designs. Even USA Congress has passed a resolution to support the separatist movement in Balochistan, showing dual standards vis-a-vis Kashmir issue.

The government at centre perhaps think that coining a slogan of "Aghaz-eHaqooq-e-Balochistan" would satisfy the rebel Baloch sardars. But it is not so as nothing practically has been done by our government. Actions speak louder than words.

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.

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12 Comment Call for APC Yet another non starter

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fter announcing its Balochistan package with fanfare, the PPP-led government had presumed that it had done its duty to the people of Balochistan. The expanding cycle of violence, the calls for separation and the favourable response to the demand for self-determination from a section of legislators in the US have made Gilani realise that the package had failed to produce the intended results. While Gilani has issued a call for an All Parties Conference (APC) for making recommendations to pacify the people of Balochistan, Interior Minister Rehman Malik has announced the withdrawal of cases against the exiled Baloch leaders.

Both announcements indicate a disconnect with the situation on the ground. Baloch parliamentarians and other forces in Balochistan had rejected the APC way back in 2009.

They had instead demanded punishment for those responsible for Nawab Akbar Bugti’s killing, end of forced disappearances and custodial executions, rehabilitation of the Baloch displaced during the army and FC operations and a recognition of the Baloch as the rightful owners of the natural resources in their land. They had rejected the APC as a dilatory tactic indicating that the government was unwilling to accept their demands. With the passage of time other issues have been added to the list of grievances, Federal Minister Mir Israr Zehri has refused to attend any APC unless the killers of Brahamdagh Bugti’s sister and niece are arrested. The PML(N) has predicated its attendance on the prior arrest of Nawab Bugti’s killers and the release of those taken away by the agencies by force. How can the rebel leaders take Rehman Malik seriously when his credibility is challenged even by PPP leaders and allies? All the more so when not long ago he was talking about a Swat like operation in Balochistan. Among the first to reject the offer was Hairbiyar Marri who said no Baloch leader would ever talk to Rehman Malik who was involved in the killing of innocent Baloch and is thoroughly undependable.

The government has lost four years when it could hold an APC after due preparations and enter into talks with the Baloch militants. The only practical course left to it now is to agree to the demands put up by the Baloch leaders to facilitate the talks.

Saturday, 25 February, 2012

Our foreign policy Who decides?

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By Arif Nizami

Talking to them Imran Khan’s pet project

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s was expected, those advocating against the war on terror see a sort of vindication in the American desire to engage the Taliban in dialogue. “I told the world some eight years ago that there was no military solution to this problem as the only way out is to hold talks and settle it politically but at that time they called me ‘Taliban Khan’ but now they all agree with me as they could not win this so-called war on terrorism,” he said recently in the UAE. Rather than getting into ad hominem attacks about Mr Khan’s personal shift towards conservative religiosity late in life, as his detractors unfortunately take to, it would be correct to point out the incorrect analogy between the American efforts and the situation in Pakistan. It would also be the right time to critically analyse his offer to mediate with the Taliban upon a possible request by the government.

A comparative analysis between the two neighbouring countries: the Americans are a foreign occupation army in Afghanistan. The Pakistan army, though many would blame it for a number of sins, isn’t a foreign occupier in Pakistan.

The ISAF forces have tried their level best to rout out the insurgency in southern Afghanistan. The Pakistan army’s efforts have been accused of being half-hearted; ill-thought out treaties that serve to appease the militants and give them time to regroup have been the modus operendi since the Musharraf years.

But the most important difference between the two situations is political. Since there can’t be elections that will be respected and taken seriously by all who inhabit Afghanistan, the argument that the Taliban have the support of the Pushtuns of southern Afghanistan cannot be disproved (or, yes, proved.) Across the Durand in Pakistan, however, the Pushtuns overwhelmingly voted for the ANP, followed by the PPP, the country’s two most secular political parties. The moral argument for reaching out to unrepresentative forces of obscurantism is dicey.

Even if Mr Khan were to actually be voted into power, the idea of appeasing the Taliban in Pakistan in problematic.

Unlike the Baloch nationalists, who are demanding their just and due share, we have a zero-sum game in our conflict with the Taliban. An agreement with them will be a gift that keeps on taking.

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami 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

hile visitors form the US, like the CENTCOM Chief General James Mattis and Special Envoy to Afghanistan Marc Grossman were told to stay away, Foreign Minister Hina Khar has been able to wrangle a meeting with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in London on the sidelines of a conference on Somalia.

However, apart from exchange of platitudes and a bland assurance from Hillary Clinton that Pakistan was too important for her country to turn its back on, relations between Washington and Islamabad remain frozen.

Ms Clinton wants a resumption of a full range of formal contacts with Islamabad once the parliament completes the review of ties between the two countries.

No one knows when the review will actually take place. Officially, it is on hold till the Senate elections due early next month.

Islamabad is in no hurry for the socalled review as the real powers behind the throne would like Washington to stew in its own juice for the time being.

The perception, no matter how misplaced, is that the US needs us more than we need the US. The military would not budge unless a formal apology for the Salala incident which took place last November along the Durand Line and in which24 Pakistani soldiers were killed by US forces.

Washington, despite admitting its mistake and repeated Pakistani demands, is loath to apologise. Even if such an apology was forthcoming on the lines President Obama has sent to the Afghan president on burning of the Holy Quran by American troops, inexorable damage to relations has already been done.

US-Pakistan relations have been on the skids for more than a year now. The rot had started much earlier but it became more evident after the CIA contractor Raymond Davis was arrested for killing two Pakistani citizens in virtual cold blood January last year.

It reached its nadir after the killing of Osama bin Laden by US Navy SEALS at Abbottabad in May. There is an obvious disconnect between what the civilians really want should be Pakistan’s foreign

policy and the military’s world view and its peculiar strategic paradigm. The ruling coalition is weak and a majority of the parliamentary opposition too subservient to assert themselves. The review, whenever it takes place, is unlikely to break any new ground.

As if to ensure that the parliament does not deviate from the officially certified truth, a pressure group – the socalled Defence of Pakistan Council – largely composed of religious zealots, members of banned outfits and out of job politicians, has cropped up from nowhere.

It’s anti-US, anti-democracy and pro-jihadist agenda is quite blatant and transparent.

The Council’s leading lights include Maulana Sami-ul-Haq, Hafiz Saeed and Mualana Ludhianvi who are members of banned outfits now operating under different labels. In unison with the quintessential ideologue of the jihadists General (retired) Hamid Gul, they spare no moment to spread venom against Satanic America and the Indian enemies. The Balochistan resolution moved by a little known US Congressman, apart from waking up the federal government from its deep slumber, has provided grist to the mills of these elements.

Instead of taking stock of the criminal neglect of Balochistan by successive regimes, the issue is being dubbed as a diabolical conspiracy by the US administration to pressurise Islamabad to fall in line.

The government has announced amnesty for the recalcitrant Baloch nationalists and has proposed an All Parties Conference on the issue. But it is too little and too late, there are few takers.

Ironically, it is the Congress resolution that has bought the gravity of the Balochistan issue back into focus. It is a shame that despite the advent of democracy and paying lip service to the plight of the hapless people of the province, nothing has been done on the ground to alleviate their hardships. While its inept and corrupt provincial leaders conveniently look the other way, Balochistan continues to be controlled by the security and intelligence apparatus.

In a sense, it is a continuum of Musharraf’s rule in the province. Ironically, the former dictator and his rubberstamp prime minister both have absolved themselves of the ghastly and coldblooded murder of Akbar Bugti at the hands of the military.

The question that begs an answer is

whether the civilian government is really so weak and inept, or, is it simply taking the path of least resistance in order to survive? The Memogate affair is symptomatic of the thin ice it is treading upon.

Even if there is little or no truth in the maverick Mansoor Ijaz’s testimony against Husain Haqqani or rather against “the boss” (the president, of course) it does not put the military, and for that matter the civilian government, in a good light. General Kayani and his ISI Chief General Shuja Pasha have submitted to the apex court that the memo is a reality.

A beleaguered and weak government’s hapless ambassador to the US desperately appealing to its patron state for help to save its tottering hold on power from a meddlesome army. Obviously, all this is conjecture till the Memo Commission is investigating the matter. But inexorable damage has already been done.

With no smoking gun, perhaps the matter will fizzle out for lack of proof.

However, is it not time to ponder why successive civilian governments feel so harassed by the military and ultimately fall victim to its interventionist policies.

The present military dispensation is ostensibly the least interventionist and the ruling coalition on the surface is meticulously careful not to alienate it. Still relations between the military leadership and the president and the prime minister are hardly cordial.

Perhaps, if the government had delivered on vital issues like governance, economic management and was willing to bring some transparency in its dealings, it will not have to survive merely on its wits.

But even if it had delivered, would it have been allowed to reach out to India, cut a possible deal on Kashmir and end the present impasse with the US. Historically, with the military being considered to be the sole arbiter of the national interest, the answer is not hard to predict.

In the past, even governments that delivered on the economy and governance were shown the door when they deviated from the officially certified truth. Hence, to expect Hina Khar and the rest stop reading from the given script in the near future is like asking for the moon. Perhaps, a general election on the watch of a civilian government – another first if it actually happens – would bring the elusive dream of civilians asserting themselves somewhat closer to realisation.

The writer is Editor, Pakistan Today

whitelies W

by Ess Aich

e have heard of spring cleaning but recently somebody actually exorcised his office. Word has it that when journalists went to meet the newly appointed Deputy Attorney General Syed Abdul Hye Gillani at his office in Lahore they were greeted with an interesting sight. All the office furniture and equipment was lying outside, looking rather discarded.

On query they were told by black coats hanging around the premises that Gillani was trying to get rid of Babar Awan’s nahoosat (evil spirit).

Gillani of course denies having made any such statement but as his black coat admirers later said, “Well, if he did not say so, we do.”

T

he similarity between the statements made by one Atiq who claims to be the discarded husband of Meera, a Lollywood star, (not to be taken lightly because she has put in a stint in Bollywood) is uncanny. First, the backdrop to the story: Atiq claims that Mira and he are married but she refuses to acknowledge this “fact”. Meera denies it and is now engaged to a young pilot who is a US citizen. Now Atiq, who is already in court pressing his prior matrimonial claim to the star, is saying exactly what leaders of PML(N) and PPP are trumpeting about their former colleagues from every available

forum. He says she is a mercenary, a lota who switches loyalties for personal gain He adds that she is a floor crosser who is available to the highest bidder. She should, therefore, be punished by the judiciary. Well, that may be so but if Meera’s qualifications are anything to go by we have a perfect parliamentarian in the making. **************** pring is in the air but the summer “printed lawn war” is already raging in the big cities. The placards and billboards advertising the various brands are proliferating. Bollywood is here again to sell our

S

wares. Last year it was Sushmita Sen now it is Krishma Kapoor that flaunts one branded lawn. However, the twin leaders in the lawn war who over-reached themselves with a second series late last summer, have given the finishing touches to their new sales strategy.

We hear that they will create hype by sending “buyers” to their stockists the day their lawn collection is unveiled in the market. To add to the buying frenzy they have hired models to wear their prints and pose as buyers. Now if that does not create a lawn rush, they have other tricks up their sleeve. We wait and see.

For feedback, comments, suggestions and, most importantly, tips, contact us at whitelies@pakistantoday.com.pk

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14

Saturday, 25 February, 2012

Whitney Houston

IN LIMELIGHT

coffin photo incites anger among fans KARACHI: Tennis star Aisam-ul-Haque launched his book ‘lessons learnt from the Tennis Court’. pR Maham Nasir

Adnan Pardesy

LOS ANGELES

O

aGenCies

NE of America's best known tabloid magazines has caused a controversy after publishing a photo of Whitney Houston's body lying in a coffin.The image, on the front page of the National Enquirer, was thought to have been taken inside the private funeral home where the star's family gathered on the eve of her funeral. The picture, which hasn't been verified as genuine, shows Houston wearing a purple dress and a gold brooch. Houston died, aged 48, on 11 February. She was found in

the bath of her suite at the Beverly Hilton hotel, a day before the Grammy Awards, which she had been due to attend. Fans all across the globe were angered by the photos, saying they showed disrespect towards the singer. “That is invading her privacy. That is messed up,” said a fan.

Another fan, Halima Wimberly said, “I would like to see her, but not like that.

Whitney was a great person.” However, there were others who thought the photos were justified as Houston’s family did not hold a public funeral where fans could pay their respects to the star. Kevin Barnett, a huge Houston fan, said: “I think it's fair because they wouldn't let people go in and see for themselves.”

Hamid Zaman, Managing Director SEFAM

lAHoRE: guests attend the Kayseria’s Summer I Collection 2012 exhibition launch. pR

Mausummery summer lawn prints exhibited in Karachi NEWS DESK Lawn brand Mausummery held a celebratory Summer Lawn Prints Exhibition at Expo Center in Karachi and also marked their success by introducing 19 lawn prints at the Mausummery Summer Lawn

Imran turns to

singing

Prints Exhibition. Mausummery also celebrated its 15th anniversary and marked this historic occasion by launching their new logo. The lawn prints by Mausummery were very well crafted and drew large crowds of shoppers. Voila PR managed the exhibition and its PR.

MuMBai: Kishore Kumar, bharat bhushan, geeta dutt - singing actors took over the silver screen in 1950s and 1960s bollywood. The trend revived when Amitabh bachchan took to the recording studio to lend his voice to songs in his 1979 film mr natwarlal. many actors have followed suit in later years. After Aamir Khan, Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan, another Khan boy is ready to exercise his vocal chords. Thanks to filmmaker Vishal bhardwaj. Imran Khan has lent his voice to what is being referred to as the ‘street song’ in Vishal’s next project ‘matru Ki bijli Ka mandola’. The song penned by gulzar has been sung by Imran and his co-star Pankaj Kapur. In fact, it has already been picturised as well.

A unit member revealed, “Imran is extremely excited about working with Vishal. The filmmaker too is fond of Imran. While shooting this sequence between Imran and Pankaj Kapur, everybody felt that the dialogues could be turned into a song.” And that’s how the song was born. gulzar had already written the dialogues and Vishal simply added music to it. The song has now been titled ‘Jalegi Kaise’. A source close to Vishal confirmed the news and added, “Vishal loved the lyrics and the unit had a lot of fun shooting it. aGenCies

Areeba and Fauzia

Asma Mustafa

Big B back home,

upset with paparazzi’s insensitivity MuMBai: amitabh Bachchan is relieved to be back home after a 12-day stay at the seven hills hospital. however, the megastar says he had a tough time reaching his home thanks to “insensitive” paparazzi. “the paparazzi, though kept away from the premises of the hospital, were there at the entrance and throughout the journey home, blocking the movement of the car by standing in front and on top of the vehicle, which was disturbing. i have yet to see them understand the sensitivity of a situation such as this,” the 69-year-old posted on his blog bigb.bigadda.com. amitabh was operated upon feb 11 and was discharged thursday evening, and several still and video cameramen crowded around his car for footage. this disturbed the veteran star. “a patient just released from hospital needs to get back to his home and secure from the travel, to it, as soon as

possible, but i guess they (media) would rather get their exclusive photograph than have such consideration. a pleasant request falls on dumb ears and anything stronger than that shall be legitimate invitation to their wrath, of being manhandled,” added the actor, who feels his reaction to the media’s behaviour could spiral into another controversy. amitabh also posted a picture of the scenario outside the hospital, and wrote: “just an example of how media and paparazzi block my car.” for now, he is thankful for all prayers for his speedy recovery. “the surgery discomfort and soreness persists, but will take a while to finally erase itself from the pain glands, but in all, apart from a sluggish movement, God’s grace and prayers of the ef (extended family) have put me back on track again. My most gracious thanks to all,” he wrote. aGenCies

Sana Khan

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan normally charges Rs 1 lakh for lending his voice to songs. but not for the bhatts. Rahat, who remembers and respects mahesh and mukesh bhatt for supporting him when he needed it the most has sung for their upcoming film ‘blood money’ for free. The song, ‘Chahat’ is his way of paying back for their kindness, says the singer. According to a source close to Sony music, the song was recorded in dubai a few months back since Rahat at the time was unable to come to India.

“He had made it clear that he did not want any fee for the song strictly due to emotional reasons,” said the source.

Rahat confirmed the news and added, “bhatt saab supported me and gave me an opportunity when nobody really knew me in the industry. later, when I got embroiled in legal hassles, he was the only person to come forward and give me support. At the time, others were simply avoiding me since they did not want to get into trouble. Apart from that, bhatt saab has also played a major role in trying to rebuild Indo-Pak relations. I hold him in very high regard.”

Talking about his relationship with the singer, mahesh bhatt said, “When Rahat was caught in legal trouble, the people from the industry chose to stay away. I, however, believed that though he has broken the law, he couldn’t be termed as a terrorist. I defended him openly. It’s his way of saying ‘shukriya’.” neWs desK

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15 serbia snubs jolie's

Adele tops ‘The Boydguard’ album

chart record LOS ANGELES

A

CBs

ReuteRs

M

IAMI officials said they are investigating R&B singer Chris Brown, who is currently on probation for assaulting ex-girlfriend Rihanna, following reports that he may have been involved in the theft of a mobile phone. Celebrity news website TMZ.com reported that a 24year-old woman filed a police report in Miami Beach for “robbery by snatching” and that Brown was the culprit. The TMZ report said the woman tried to take pictures of the singer as he was leaving a nightclub and Brown took her iPhone and drove away. The police rubbished the claims, say-

JK Rowling to release book for adults afp Nadia Rafi and Waleed Zaman

Mahrukh and Ruqhia Nazeer

Rahat’s

love song for Bhatts

‘Harry Potter’ author J K Rowling has written a novel for adults, which she said would be “very different” from her bestselling books about the boy wizard, her publishers announced.

Publishers Little, Brown said they would release further details about the book, including the title and worldwide publishing date in print and electronic form, later in the year. “Although I've enjoyed writing it every bit as much, my next book will be very different to the ‘Harry Potter’ series,” Rowling said in a statement. The British writer has changed publishers for the project, leaving behind Bloomsbury, with whom she became the world's best-paid author. “The freedom to explore new territory is a gift that Harry's success has brought me, and with that new territory it seemed a logical progression to have a new publisher,” she said.

“I am delighted to have a second publishing home in Little, Brown, and a publishing team that will be a great partner in this new phase of my writing

for theft LOS ANGELES

DELE continues her reign as this year's biggest pop artist.

The 24-year-old British singer has managed to top the late Whitney Houston.

Adele's ‘21’ release surpassed the Houston-led soundtrack to ‘The Bodyguard’ as the longest running No. 1 album by a woman in history, according to Billboard. The album reached its 21st non-consecutive week in the top slot following Adele's big Grammy wins. ‘The Bodyguard’ soundtrack spent 20 weeks at No. 1 in 19921993. Overall, Adele's sophomore album has sold a total of 7.3 million copies in the United States and 20 million worldwide.

LONDON

Singer Chris Brown under investigation

life.” Her new editor, David Shelley, said the publisher was “thrilled, honoured and proud” to be working with Rowling, adding that for him, it was a “personal and professional dream come true”. Rowling laid down her pen-and Harry's magic wand-when she finished the seventh and final Potter book in 2007, which have sold more than 450 million copies around the world. The books were made into eight films, with the last, ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows-Part 2’ making more than $1 billion last year. Rowling is Britain's 15th-wealthiest woman, according to The Sunday Times newspaper's Rich List 2011, with a £530 million ($830 million, 625 million euro) fortune.

ing the witnesses and evidence were being reviewed, after which any action would be taken. They did not confirm Brown’s involvement in the incident. Brown, 22, who won a Grammy award earlier this month, is currently midway through a five-year probation after pleading guilty to criminal assault for beating exgirlfriend Rihanna in 2009. If arrested again, Brown risks being jailed for probation violation.

Leonardo DiCaprio buys ‘Wizard of Oz’ slippers for Oscar Academy LOS ANGELES aGenCies

You’d think Leonardio DiCaprio would be a wee bit irked that the Academy didn’t shower nominations his latest film, ‘J. Edgar.’ (He’s historically been snubbed by the Oscar committee.) But the ‘What’s Eating Gilbert Grape’ star has no sour grapes. DiCaprio opened up his wallet to help the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences acquire the ruby shoes from ‘The Wizard of Oz.’ According to a press release put out by the Academy, he led a group of “angel donors,” including Steven Spielberg, whose gifts to the Academy Foundation enabled them to purchase the iconic slippers. The amount of their donation was not disclosed. The slippers will eventually be displayed at the forthcoming Academy Museum in Los Angeles. “The ruby slippers occupy an extraordinary place in the hearts of movie audiences the world over,” said Bob Iger, president and CEO of the Walt Disney and chair of the

capital campaign for the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. “This is a transformative acquisition for our collection.”

“Leo’s passionate leadership has helped us bring home this legendary piece of movie history,” added Academy CEO Dawn Hudson. “It’s a wonderful gift to the Academy museum project, and a perfect representation of the work we do yearround to preserve and share our film heritage.” While four pairs of ruby slippers were used in ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ the pair that DiCaprio helped the Academy acquire is thought to be the one that Judy Garland wore when Dorothy clicks her heels three times to return to Kansas.

Balkans war film premiere BELGRADE afp

Only 12 people turned out for the Serbia premiere of Hollywood star Angelina Jolie's directorial debut- a love story set in the Bosnian war- and some walked out before the end.

Contrary to widespread rumours, ‘In the Land of Blood and Honey’ was not banned in Serbia but the reception it got was a far cry from the 5,000 people who cheered Jolie at a gala in Sarajevo last week. Jolie's film, shot in 2010 with actors from the former Yugoslavia, tells the story of a Muslim woman and a Serbian man who have a fling before the war and meet again when she has been taken prisoner by a Bosnian Serb army unit commanded by her former lover. Serbs however have reacted angrily, arguing that the film portrays them only as villains. Quoted in a local newspaper, Belgrade Film Academy member Mirko Beokovic charged Jolie's film was biased because it “shows (Bosnian) Muslims as civilised people and Serbs as savage peasants.”

Google chief Eric Schmidt selling $1.5billion

in shares ‘to fund a divorce’ LOS ANGELES aGenCies

Google executive chairman Eric Schmidtt is said to be heading for a divorce costing up to $1.5billion - the second most expensive in history. The Google executive chairman is planning to sell 2.4million of his shares in the company to help pay for his split with wife Wendy, the mother of his two children, as he continues a year and half long liaison with Manhattan beauty Lisa Shields. But he needs the extra cash to pay for it. If it all goes to his wife it would mean Schmidt, the 136th richest man in the world, would be giving away a quarter of his $6.2billion fortune to Wendy, to whom he has been married for 13 years.

During that time, Schmidt has overseen Google as it has become one of the biggest companies on Earth with annual profits of $9.7billion. Filings last week showed that the 56-year-old intends to diversify his investments by selling the Google stocks. If the divorce goes through then Schmidt’s property empire would be among the assets up for division. Schmidt stepped down as chief executive and chairman after ten years in the role last April and was given a $100million parting gift.

Shah Rukh, Katrina's

Vidya all set to do

'leak' issues

an item number

MuMBai: actor shah Rukh Khan and Katrina Kaif are shooting for a movie with Yash Chopra. however, there is panic on the sets of the movie. director Yash Chopra wants to keep the look of his actors and anything to do with the film a much guarded secret. although mobile phones are not allowed on the sets of this one and every cast and crew member is quite thoroughly checked, the Chopras are paranoid about some on-the-set pictures being leaked out. With all the internet leaks that have happened in the recent past, the Chopras are trying their level best to protect any such incident. however, every viral leak has only led to more popularity of every movie - be it dhanush's ‘Kolaveri di’, or the more recent, Bhatt's ‘Blood Money’. it won't come as a surprise if internet leaks are treated as marketing gimmicks. however, aditya Chopra and his team don't find this too amusing and are going to do everything to avoid any such 'calamity'. aGenCies

MuMBai: ‘The dirty Picture’ actress, Vidya balan, seems to have brought a whole new wave into bollywood with her curves having become the talk of the town. Recently, however, this diva has been in the news for more than that. We all know how item numbers work. They are, more often than not, directly responsible for a movie's success. news has it that Vidhu Vinod Chopra's latest production, ‘Ferrari ki Sawaari’, starring Sharman Joshi and boman Irani, will take advantage of this. The film features an item number ‘mala Jau de’ with the above-mentioned diva in the starring role.

Having completed shooting, Vidya is more than pleased with the outcome. So much so, the actress is said to have distributed ladoos to the entire crew present at the shoot. She also said that it was the best shoot she has had so far.

The film will release on April 27. It is believed to be a light hearted family drama. aGenCies

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Saturday, 25 February, 2012

mcIlroy wager fires up sweet-tooth Wozniacki Page 17

Misbah calls for patience DUBAI afp

p

AKISTAN captain Misbah-ul Haq on Friday hit back at criticism after his side's 4-0 defeat in the one-day series against England, urging a change of mindset among detractors. "I have said that even after the Test series win that we have to keep patience," said Misbah following his team's eight-run win in the first of three Twenty20 internationals against England on Thursday.

Pakistan routed England in the three-Tests 3-0 but suffered a 4-0 reverse in the following one-day series, prompting former cricketing greats and media commentators to call for changes in the team and captaincy. "We should talk of the ground realities but we talk on other points," said Misbah in

response. "We should talk of the bad performance (and) the areas where we showed weaknesses.

"We must talk of ground realities and the media should be positive. We committed mistakes: they scored four hundreds, we managed only four fifties and their bowlers took wickets, ours didn't," said Misbah of the one-day series.

The Pakistan skipper said the country had under-performed in the past because of such a response to defeats, insisting that his side had not become bad players overnight just because of the loss of the one-day series.

"We have to change this thinking if we are to lift Pakistan cricket," he said, calling for a more reasoned debate about strengths and weaknesses rather than a potentially counter-productive knee-jerk response to change personnel.

Misbah has not lost a Test series

Broad aims to end tour on high

since taking over the Pakistan captaincy in October 2010 and the defeat against England was his first since taking charge as one-day captain in June last year.

Pakistan had won the preceding two one-day series before he took over. "Drastic changes will not help.

These same players won us the last six series. Now if, on one defeat against a top team, we change players and captains then we could change six captains till the 2015 World Cup," he said.

"That can never bring improvement in Pakistan team."

Misbah said he hoped Pakistan will carry the momentum in the next two Twenty20 matches, which take place in Dubai on Saturday and Abu Dhabi on Monday. "England is a good team and can come back strongly, so we have guard against complacency and do our best," he added.

Aisam introduces his book in gCU LAHORE

DUBAI

staff RepoRt

aGenCies

Pakistan's ace tennis star Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi has written a book titled "Lesson Learnt From The Tennis Tour". Aisam has been the lone tennis star of Pakistan on the international tennis circuit and has represented Pakistan in international tennis tournaments in more than 50 countries of the world, many repeatedly, during an illustrious tennis career for the last fourteen years. In this book Aisam has narrated and shared his experiences and learnings of all these years not only about his on court activities but also the off court happenings, cultural interactions with other people, prejudices and difficulties he faced as a Pakistani and a Muslim and the achievements he accomplished against all odds. GC University, Lahore in collaboration with Old Ravian Union has organized an event at Bukhari Auditorium on Friday the 24 February at 6 PM where Aisam will introduce and speak about his book. Vice Chancellor GC University Prof. Dr. Khaleeq Ur Rehman will grace the occasion.

Stuart Broad is confident England have the right middle-order manpower to beat most teams in Twenty20 cricket despite suffering an eight-run defeat against Pakistan on Thursday. Umar Gul (three for 18) turned the first Twenty20 on its head as, with England seemingly coasting to victory, he first bowled Ravi Bopara round his legs with a searing yorker and then took two more wickets in successive balls in his next over to take the game away from the tourists.

"Umar Gul is one of the best Twenty20 bowlers in the world, and he showed his class," Broad said. "We probably didn't play him as well as we could have done. But it's such a fine line in Twenty20 cricket."

England needed only seven an over, with seven wickets in hand, before Bopara was out. "You never think Twenty20 cricket is in the bag," Broad added. "It can change in one over - and the way Umar Gul got the ball reverse-swinging and bowled his yorkers, he bowled brilliantly. "You have to give credit to the way they finished their bowling.

"But we probably have to look at how we're going to score in those last five overs. We certainly have the guys in our team that can do that.

"You saw Jonny Bairstow at Cardiff [against India last September] smash it all around, and Jos

Buttler's record is absolutely fantastic." England needed only seven an over, with seven wickets in hand, before Bopara was out.

Buttler, yet to transfer his outstanding domestic form to England colours, fell to his trademark shot - when his attempt to beat short fine-leg did not work.

"Jos is renowned for his little flick," Broad said. "But it just turned out it was a slightly slower ball, and it didn't clear (Saeed) Ajmal by a foot. "We needed someone to bat all the way through. You could tell that from the way Misbah (-ul-Haq) and (Shoaib) Malik batted, took a bit of time out of the game, got themselves in and then picked up a couple of boundaries towards the end.

"But it's not something to get too down about, because we could have won that game almost down to the last over - and it's important we keep positive about it."

new hockey camp date LAHORE staff RepoRt

The PHF has changed the dates of the establishment of the national hockey camp. The camp which was to start here at the National Hockey Stadium for the preparation of the team for London Olympics will be starting from February 29. An official of the PHF said: “The first national training camp of senior probables preparing for participation in Olympiad will now be established on February 29 instead of February 27.”

dUbAI: Pakistan captain misbah-ul Haq and Shahid Afridi congratulate Umer gul during the first T20 match against England at the dubai International Stadium. Afp

ponting’s dumping not ‘personal’: Clarke SYDNEY afp

Captain Michael Clarke says he is confident his friendship with Ricky Ponting will endure despite his role in this week's axing of the Australian great from the one-day team, reports said Friday. The former skipper said he had been informed by selectors that he did not fit into their plans for the one-day team, but despite speculation about his future, he was not retiring from Test cricket. Clarke faced an early test of his new role on the selection panel by making the tough call to dump Ponting after 375 ODI appearances over 17 years. He said the pair would continue to work together as teammates and batting partners in the Test

team, next in action in the West Indies in April.

"I'm 100 percent part of the selection panel," Clarke told newspapers Friday ahead the tri-series match against Sri Lanka in Hobart, the capital of Ponting's home state Tasmania. "That's now part of the captain's job. We've made this decision as a panel. "It is tough not having the great Ricky Ponting out there playing for us but that's the decision we've made. Obviously the 2015 World Cup is something we have spoken about as a panel.

I'm 100 percent part of that."

Clarke, who took over the Test and one-day captaincy from Ponting early last year, said Ponting knew the decision to axe him was not personal.

"Ricky was captain for a long time and while he wasn't a selector he played a big part in selecting the 11 players that took the field," he said.

Sri Lanka win thriller over Australia to go top HOBART afp

HobART: nuwan Kulasekara leaps for joy after hitting the winning run against Australia in their international one-day match. Afp

Sri Lanka won a thrilling tri-series one-day international by three wickets over Australia with four balls to spare on Friday at the Bellerive Oval, taking them top of the tournament standings. Peter Forrest scored the first century of the series with 104 to carry Australia to 280 for six off their 50 overs, but it proved insufficient as Sri Lanka kept ahead of the run chase and survived a late wobble to seal victory.

Skipper Mahela Jayawardene produced a man-of-the-match performance with 85 off 81 balls and combined with Dinesh Chandimal's 80 from 100 balls to hand Sri Lanka a strong launching pad. The Australians looked as if they might fight back for a win, taking three wickets in the last five overs, but Thisara Perera (21 not out) and Nuwan Kulasekara (4 not out) got Sri Lanka home with

sCoReBoaRd austRalia: d. Warner c sangakkara b Maharoof 7 M. Wade c jayawardene b Kulasekara 5 p. forrest c Maharoof b Mathews 104 M. Clarke c perera b Mathews 72 M. hussey b Malinga 21 d. hussey not out 40 d. Christian st sangakkara b herath 6 B. lee not out 20 eXtRas (b1, lb1, w3) 5 total (6 wickets for; 50 overs) 280 fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-27, 3-181, 4-201, 5-243, 6-250 BoWlinG: Malinga 10-0-56-1 (2w), Kulasekara 10-0-59-1, Maharoof 10-0-40-1, herath 9-0-45-1, Mathews 7-0-43-2, perera 4-0-35-0 (1w) did not bat: R. harris, X. doherty, B. hilfenhaus sRi lanKa: M. jayawardene stpd Wade b doherty 85 t. dilshan c forrest b hilfenhaus 3 K. sangakkara c Warner b Christian 22

some lusty hitting. Kulasekara hit the winning runs as Sri Lanka reached 283 for seven off 49.2 overs. The win puts Sri Lanka top of

d. Chandimal lbw b harris 80 l. thirimanne c hilfenhaus b Christian 24 a. Mathews c Warner b Christian 24 f. Maharoof c harris b hilfenhaus 5 t. perera not out 21 n. Kulasekara not out 4 eXtRas (b1, lb6, w8) 15 total (7 wickets for; 49.2 overs) 283 fall of wickets: 1-55, 2-90, 3-153, 4-202, 5-243, 6-250, 7-267 BoWlinG: lee 9.2-0-63-0, hilfenhaus 10-0-51-2 (2w/6), harris 6-0-43-1 (1w), Christian 8-0-53-3 (1w), doherty 10-1-35-1, Clarke 5-0-27-0, d. hussey 1-0-4-0 sri lanka won by 3 wickets Man of the match: Mahela jayawardene (sRi) toss: australia umpires: Billy Bowden (nzl), Bruce oxenford (aus) tV umpire: simon fry (aus) Match referee: Chris Broad (enG). standings (games, wins, losses, tied, points): sri lanka 6, 3, 2, 1, 15 australia 6, 3, 3, 0, 14 india 6, 2, 3, 1, 10

the triangular tournament on 15 points, one ahead of Australia, with India slipping four points behind the host nation. India now face

a must-win game against Australia in Sydney on Sunday. Jayawardene looked set for a well-deserved century, the second in the match, before he was stumped by Matthew Wade well out of his crease after being deceived by a beautiful delivery from spinner Xavier Doherty in the 27th over.

Chandimal was out leg before wicket to Ryan Harris as he walked across the stumps to a straight ball and tried to dink it square, leaving the visitors on 243 for five in the 45th over. Dan Christian finished the best of Australia's bowlers with three for 53 off eight overs, although Perera clouted him for four and six off successive deliveries in the penultimate over. Earlier, Forrest, slotting comfortably into deposed Ricky Ponting's number three batting spot, smashed 104 off 138 balls. Forrest hit 10 fours and two sixes to take his tournament tally to 234 runs in four innings since his unexpected selection for the tri-series.

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Saturday, 25 February, 2012

The ignored Baloch as always, too little too late

By Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

R

ehman Malik has announced the withdrawal of cases against the Baloch militant leaders driven to the mountains or forced into exile by what they call the brutality of the security forces. Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani wants to convene an All Parties Conference on Balochistan.

Had these cases been withdrawn four years back and a genuine reconciliation process initiated, this could have led to talks and arrested the situation from reaching a point of no return.

There was enough goodwill in Balochistan for the PPPled government when it took over in 2008. There were also hopes that parliament would act forcefully and the courts would exert their authority to end the atrocities initiated by the Musharraf regime.

The PPP government simply failed to pursue the peace process meaningfully. Instead, it willingly agreed to follow the policy being pursued under Musharraf. This meant continuing the military-cum-FC operations in Balochistan that displaced thousands of people, allowing forced disappearances and the torture, killing and dumping of the disfigured corpses on roadside.

In June 2008, Senator Sanauallah Baloch who had returned from exile after the restoration of democracy resigned from the House after a speech that moved the entire Senate. Soon after Baloch leaders rejected the move by the government for an All Parties Conference. They instead demanded direct talks on issues highlighted by leaders like Akhtar Mengal that included end to operations in the province, tracing persons

forcibly taken away and the ownership of Balochistabn’s resources by the Balochis.

Month after month, there were peaceful protests all over Balochistan to press for their demands. There were calls by nationalist parties for shutter down closures, hunger strikes, and hoisting of black flags.

Baloch representatives in parliament underlined the dangers if no measures were taken to improve the situation. Year after year, the government continued to look the other way.

Raisani complained of being powerless and accused FC of running a parallel government that was harming the process of reconciliation. Gilani, however, failed to take any notice as the federal government had decided to follow the policy formulated under Musharraf. It was willing, as before, to bribe the tribal leaders in the provincial assembly and offer crumbs to the population. It was not willing to concede what Baloch considered their rights.

The Baloch are a proud people, more so than many other ethnic groups in Pakistan. The Balcohistan Package conceived without consulting the actual stakeholders and enforced as a favour was considered an insult added to injury and duly rejected by the Baloch.

Killing of high profile figures has continued in Balochistan over the last four years without interruption. In April 2009, three well known leaders of the nationalist movement were picked up from the office of their lawyer, handcuffed, blindfolded and hustled into a waiting pickup truck in full public view. Their bodies, riddled with bullets and badly decomposed in the scorching heat, were found in a date palm grove five days later. Their lawyer Mir Kachkol Ali commented, “They (who abducted the three) were persons of the agencies…Their tactics are not only to torture and detain, but to eliminate.”

In July 2010, former BNP Senator Habib Jalib Baloch was gunned down in broad daylight. The wave of roadside

killings and executions in illegal custody has claimed the lives of hundreds with none in the echelons of power doing anything to stop it. When Brahmdagh Bugti’s sister and niece were dragged out of their car and brutally murdered in January this year, attempts were made to hush up the matter.

Much water has flown under the bridges over the past four years. Pakistani flags have been burnt in the province and attempts made to stop the singing of the national anthem. As national media failed to report on the operations by security agencies, an appeal was launched by the militants to boycott newspapers published from Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad. Cable operators in Baloch-dominated districts have been asked to shut down the transmission of all Pakistani news channels.

The inaction on the part of the government has isolated the Baloch nationalists still opting for mainstream politics.

The least that they want now as CBMs include punishing the killers of Nawab Akbar Bugti, end of custodial torture and executions, tracing out the forcibly disappeared persons and declaration of general amnesty. After that talks can begin with the militants on the issues vital to the province, topmost being the recognition of the Baloch’s right on the resources of the province.

This the government is not likely to do. In return for clinging to power, the PPP government continues to yield its turf to the security establishment which enjoys more power now than it did under Musharraf.

When it was no more than a headache, the government was reluctant to offer an aspirin to the Baloch. Now that it has turned into a complicated malady Rehman Malik and Gilani are offering two aspirins and would like the Baloch to express their gratitude for the favour. Who will talk to such people suffering from total disconnect with ground realities?

The writer is a former academic and a political analyst.

Comment 13

A free fall ominous signs that call for a comprehensive rethink

B

alochistan has been simmering for long, but the resolution moved before the US Congress

by Dana Rohrabacher has brought the endemic problem to the fore eliciting a sharp rebuke from Pakistan. It has been variously termed as blatant interference in Pakistan’s internal affairs, an infringement of its sovereignty and a foreign-instigated effort to stir trouble in the restive province. The officiating US ambassador was summoned twice to the Foreign Office and handed formal protest notes. Will that be sufficient to stem the growing agitation in the province?

This resolution followed hot on the heels of the discussion in the US Foreign Affairs Sub-committee on Oversight and Investigation that had accused the Pakistani government of broad human rights abuses against the Baloch. The follow-up move before the Congress stated that the people of Balochistan that are “currently divided between Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan have the right to self-determination and to their own sovereign country, and they should be afforded the opportunity to choose their own status among the community of nations, living in peace and harmony without external coercion”. Information regarding the US demanding listening posts in Balochistan near the Iran border has also been reported which casts ominous shadows on the growing unrest in the province.

The gradual intensification of the belligerent jargon and the expansion of the vicious network remind one of the steps taken by India before launching the assault on what was then East Pakistan. Indira Gandhi, who was the prime minister, had undertaken a whirlwind tour of the world capitals in a bid to internationalise the unrest in the Eastern wing of what

By Raoof Hasan was then un-divided Pakistan. She did it successfully which resulted in blunting any possible intervention on the side of Pakistan when the attack finally came leading to the dismemberment of the country. Are we seeing a similar effort in the twin-move in the US? More interestingly, is the unfolding effort a precursor to something bigger about to be unleashed?

First, an intervention of any kind is possible only when there is a vacuum internally as, indeed, there has been in Pakistan’s approach towards its restive province. For long, the people of Balochistan have harboured the feelings of being given a raw deal.

Promises made by various governments have yielded little in substance, leaving behind feelings of acute frustration and anger. In the recent past, the Shujaat-Mushahid effort resulted in the brutal murder of Nawab Akbar Bugti. The current government’s “Aghaz-e-Haqooq-eBalochistan” has only added to the wounds and woes of the people delivering little to nothing on the grandiose promises. In the meanwhile, the ground realities have changed drastically with the federal-

Candid Corner

ists gradually being eased out at the altar of the ultranationalists who are now demanding the creation of an independent Balochsitan.

What is really depressing is the lack of understanding and urgency with which the government is responding to the situation. This is palpably evident from the recipe that it is offering as a solution: the convening of an All Parties Conference. Doesn’t it understand that the situation in the province has deteriorated beyond what can be handled by convening facile APCs which only reiterate the oft-repeated clichéd solutions like the need to sit together to discuss the issues? In the process, the number of times the effort has been made in the past and the little to nothing that has accrued is forgotten, thus adding insult to seething frustration. The interior minister continues his stereotype indulgence by announcing amnesty for a few people and thinking that he would be able to convince them to come to the negotiations table.

The situation has moved beyond the realm of the traditional recipes. It is time to change the mindsets that have brought the problem to its current impasse.

The APCs do not offer a solution neither do grandiose expressions of understanding and support. If the government and other political parties are serious in trying to sort out the mess, they would require a more pro-active and wholesome approach that should address the genuine concerns of the people of the province without any pre-condition and charter a comprehensive remedy for immediate implementation. Just sitting around a table asking them to state their concerns will only add fuel to the fire that is already raging.

People who refuse to see the parallel in the existing situation in Balochistan and the former East Pakistan before the Indian attack was launched are being guilty of wilful error. Not only do we have a serious problem at hand, it is becoming graver with the passage of time while we are being fed the lollipops that Balochistan is not East Pakistan. Well, Balochistan may not be East Pakistan, but it can become East Pakistan if we don’t stop in our tracks and seriously review our mindset and approach towards the Baloch people who have long nurtured the feelings of grief and estrangement.

The problem has gone beyond the realm of polemics. It requires a serious and genuine rethink that should specifically aim at ameliorating the genuine concerns of the people of the province. They should not be expected to meet us on our turf, as they will not. We should be ready and willing to meet them on their turf. If they are not willing to come down from, so to say, the mountains and talk to us, we should not hesitate to walk up and talk to them.

Just putting the blame on foreign powers’ intervention is not going to help the cause of Pakistan.

For long, we have played with the fate of this country and its people. That time is really up. There is only time left for making up for the sins that we have committed. It is time to take a step backwards and ponder as further on, there is a steep fall, and we are neither equipped nor trained to handle that.

The writer is a political analyst and a member of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. He can be reached at raoofhasan@hotmail.com

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16 Sports

Saturday, 25 February, 2012

Cricketers appeal rejected, Aamir due back on 26th

SINGAPORE: South Korea’s Choi Na Yeon tees off during round two of the HSBC Women’s Champions golf tournament. AFP

LAHORE

p

staff RepoRt

AKISTAN’S tainted pacer Mohammad Aamir will return to Pakistan on February 26 after getting his passport from the British government. Meanwhile, the other two cricketers involved in spot-fixing Salman Butt and Mohammed Amir’s have had their appeals against their jail sentences dismissed by the Court of Appeal in London.

The Lord Chief Justice remarked “ The cricketers betrayed their team, their country, the sport that had given them their distinction and all the world followers of the game. The reality is that all the enjoyment of watching cricket will be destroyed if this was allowed to continue. This is a notorious and essentially simple case. It was a betting scam and they were very well rewarded”.

Butt and Amir were not present at the Court of Appeal for the decision.

SPm Stags beat Chaudhary Sports LAHORE staff RepoRt

SPM Stags beat Chaudhary Sports by 75 runs in the First Lahore Veteran Cricket Champion Trophy here at the at Ali Garh Cricket Ground. sCoRes: SPm Stags batting first 268/4 after 30 overs. Shakeel malik 133 not out, bilal Ahmad 77 not out, Zahoor Ilahi 28 & Shahid Anwar 17 runs. naseer Ahmad 3/36 and muhammad Jameel 1/68 wickets. In reply Chaudhary Sports 193 all out after 30 overs. muhammad khan 62 not out, muhammad Saeed 23 runs not out, nadeem butt 36 and Abid Sheikh 14 runs. Shahid Anwar 2/32, Shakeel malik 2/23, Sajjad Akbar 2/17 & Imtiaz Tarar 2/28 wickets. nadeem ghori, Waleed Yaqoob Umpire and Azhar Hussain was the scorer. later chief guest Azmat Islampuri gave the man of the match award to Shakeel malik. In the another match, nayyar Soch beat baghbanpura greener by 62 runs here at the Railway Allama Iqbal institute ground. nayyar Soch made 294/8 after 40 overs. Zafar butt 60, Salman Agha 53 and Atiq Shabbir 79. muhammad Sharif 3/60, muhammad Azhar 2/26 and naeem Ahmad 2/41 wickets. In reply baghbanpura greener 232 all out. Abid Hussain 74, naqash 30 & Abdul Rehman 28 runs. Agha Sheroz 3/30, muneeb butt 2/43 & Saddam Sadiq 2/45 wickets.

EPL CRYSTAL BALL KUNWAR KHULDUNE SHAHID

A

FTER having spent more time on the golf course than the Etihad Stadium over the recent past and 90 days more in Argentina than in England over the past three months, Carlos Tevez is back in Roberto Mancini’s plans.

And no it has not got anything to do with the fact that his moves to the Milan clubs and Paris Saint-Germain fell through; but everything has been patched up owing to that little heart-melting, bond-inducing miracle often known as an ‘apology’.

Funny, how apologies almost always work when the concerned parties are in desperate need of one another.

Saying that Carlos Tevez has made more headlines over the past nine months for his off-field exploits than those on it, would be the biggest understatement since NASA dubbed the Challenger explosion a ‘major malfunction’.

However, despite that Munich disaster in September in the garb of dialectical chaos, what has brought the divorced couple together is Tevez’s need of an employer and Mancini’s need of a talismanic

According to sources close to the bowler’s family, he will be appealing his ICC ban with assistance from the

Pakistan Cricket Board.

Aamer was convicted of spot-fixing and given a sentence of six months and

is under five years ban on playing cricket from the International Cricket Council.

Active competitions in progress in Sports festival LAHORE staff RepoRt

On the third day of the Inter-district Sports Festival 2012, competitions remained in progress throughout the province. In Lahore university girls karate, 55plus kgs: Anza Tahir (Punjab University) bagged gold. In 55 kgs: Maryam Lodhi (PU) and in

lAHoRE: Farwa of Sheikhupura takes leap in the air in the long jump event of the inter-school athletics competition of the Punjab Sports Festival at the Punjab Stadium. STAff pHOTO

48 kgs: Madeha Hussain (PU) were the winners. In college boys hockey semifinal, Punjab College of Commerce Lahore beat Government Degree College Sheikhupura 5-0 whereas GC University thrashed Superior University 2-0.

The qualified teams of Punjab College of Commerce vs Government College Kasur and University of Central Punjab vs Government College University will play final matches. In male university badminton, University of Central Punjab thrashed PU 2-0. GCU outplayed University of South Asia 2-0. In athletics inter-college female finals, 100 m: Hina Javed (Lahore College for Wome University), 200 m: Iqbal Bano, 400 m: Ghazala Sadiq, 1500 m: Bisma and in shot-put: Sadaf Qamar from (LCU) got first positions. In 800 m: Sidra Rani (Government College Nankana Sb), in long jump and javelin throw: Gulnaz from Government College Nankana Sb won the titles.

In inter-school female athletics, 100 m and 200 m: Shabnam Deen (Government High School Kasur), in 400 m: Aqsa Maqsood (Government College Shekhupura), in 800 and 1500 m: Marwa Batool (Government High School Lahore), in long jump: Asia Perveen (Government High School Nankana), in shot-put: Javeria Akhtar (Governemnt High School Lahore) and in javelin throw: Noreen Yaqoob (Government High School Kasur) were the winners. In university boys kabaddi final, University of Central Punjab beat Punjab University 58-40.

The return of the ‘Super Sub’ Carlos Tevez is back, the North London derby kicks off on Sunday and the first silverware of the season is up for grabs figure to guide his side’s two-pronged quest for silverware. There is a general consensus amongst the City faithful that with the early Champions League exit and mediocre cup showings, winning the Premier League and the Europa League would be a just return after the pre-season disbursements – an opinion that they share with their self-proclaimed ‘quiet’ neighbours. City have been the frontrunners for the league since that late-October ‘Six and the City’ episode, but there has been a very palpable slump in City’s performance after the turn of the year that has allowed one of the most below-par United sides over the past two decades to cling onto the coattails of their archenemy.

Tevez’s arrival would provide City that added dimen-

sion (apologies for the cliché), and if he gets his head in its righteous place, he could provide his team with that inspiration, and league winning experience to guide them over the finish line; but then again, that ‘if’ about the size of United’s trophy cabinet.

aRsenal Vs spuRs Despite traversing one of their worst seasons in recent memory Arsenal are sitting in the fourth spot on the table, and one is sure that Arsene Wenger would be willing to give every penny of his next couple months’ wages, for that to be the case at the end of the season – or maybe not. Nevertheless, Arsenal have served up their annual February capitulation, and barring a miracle – and mind you a real miracle, not the sort that Andy Gray screamed about when United scored a late goal, or when Steven Gerrard scored any goal – Arsenal should only have the fourth spot to play for after their Champions League return leg against Milan.

It is not every season that Spurs find themselves 10 points clear of Arsenal with March approaching, and look a shoo-in for a top three – let alone top four – finish. But that’s the case this year; and ahead of the game on Sunday, Spurs fans have ensured

that they keep reminding their neighbours of their sheer pleasure in this anomalous season. Arsenal’s season has withered away after their 7-1 demolition of Blackburn and a closely fought win over Sunderland. Their abysmal away form has been the principal antagonist for Wenger, and he’d be glad that tomorrow’s game is not one of that particular kith and kin.

Spurs are on a relative slide themselves, with only two wins in their last five games, which has seen their title tilt penetrate into the realm of over-optimism; however, a 5-0 thumping of an impressive Newcastle side should have re-instilled self-confidence in Harry Redknapp’s side. Emmanuel Adebayor’s goal scoring – upon his Emirates return; another tasty prospect – could be decisive.

Even though it’s hard to see Spurs lose, but it’s a tough one to predict; although considering the customary goal-fest in this fixture, it’s easy to predict goals in this one – cue commentators/sports writers curse.

Colony Sugar in Punjab Polo final LAHORE: Colony Sugar won the last league match to qualify to play the main final of the the Enterprise Punjab Cup Polo Tournament 2012 against Master Paints on Sunday while Pakistan Army/Nadra Won the match and qualified to play the subsidiary final against Nestle. Colony Sugar beat BBJ Pipes 8-3, Pakistan Army, Nadra defeated CocaCola 8-2 and Master Paints moved past Diamond Paints 6-3. staff RepoRt

CaRlinG Cup final pReVieW Liverpool are the overwhelming favourites against Cardiff City in tomorrow’s Carling Cup final, and even though the trophy is not the most coveted piece of silverware available in English football, but a triumph could propel the Anfield club to bigger and better things. Winning trophies gels together teams, provides the youngsters with a platform to further quench their thirst for accolades and gives them the first taste of glory that can expand their appetite. That was the case with Manchester United in 2006 when their Carling Cup triumph, after a few below-par seasons, extended the ambitions of the likes of Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo and laid the platform of the most successful era of United’s glittering history.

This could be Liverpool’s first trophy for six years, and the first for Kenny Dalglish after his return as manager. Cardiff meanwhile, have nothing to lose and would be going all out for glory. And Liverpool know that losing out, after being overpowering favourites for a cup final, could come back to bite you and derail your season. Arsenal; Birmingham; ‘2011 – oh the deafening bell.…

PDF E-Paper ISB_Layout 1 2/25/2012 3:44 AM Page 17

Saturday, 25 February, 2012

Sports 17 WATch IT LIve

us duo in thRee-WaY tie foR lead in sinGapoRe SINGAPORE: American duo Angela Stanford and Katie Futcher were locked in a three-way tie Friday with South Korea's Jenny Shin after the second round of the HSBC Women's Champions tournament in Singapore.

Overnight leader Stanford, who had a two-shot cushion after the first 18 holes, had a two-under 70 for a total of eight-under 136 while Futcher and Shin each posted 67 in the second round. World number one and pre-tournament favourite Yani Tseng had a disappointing day and lost further ground on the leaders. The Texan Stanford expects the last two rounds to be even tougher and believes staying patient will be important if she is to go all the way on Sunday."I think it gets harder as the tournament goes along to be patient so I am really going to try and stay focused on playing my game and taking advantage of the holes that I feel like I can take advantage of and being okay with par," she said. "It will be tougher tomorrow and really tough on Sunday but that's the game plan." Futcher, who was a promising swimmer in her junior days before taking up golf, said making par at the first hole calmed her nerves for the rest of the round. AFP

Emirates brings cricket fever to SoS Children’s Village

LAHORE staff RepoRt

Emirates, one of the fastest growing international airlines, provided a memorable experience for children at the SOS Children’s Village in Lahore by staging a coaching clinic with star cricketers. The children were thrilled as Taufiq Umar, Usman Salahuddin and Hafiz Zohaib – players for Faysal Bank Pentagular Cup winnersPunjab – shared advice, signed autographs and posed for pictures. Children from the Youth Home in the SOS Children’s village had the opportunity to chat with the cricketers in small groups and received cricketing tips. They also had the chance to ask the players about their lives as professional cricketers. In addition, the youngsters bowled deliveries to their special guests and tried batting against them, while staff and fellow residents at the Village cheered from the sidelines. “The children have a wonderful spirit and it was great to meet youngsters with such a great passion for cricket. All the players really enjoyed spending time with the children and it gave us great satisfaction to see how pleased they were to learn new skills and find out about our lives as professional cricketers,” said player Taufiq Umar. “It gives us great satisfaction that we are able to provide opportunities like these through our sponsorship of domestic cricket in Pakistan,” said Badr Abbas, Emirates’ Vice President, Pakistan & Afghanistan. “We all know cricketers are idolised in Pakistan, so hopefully this chance for children to interact with such positive role models will have a lasting impact. Emirates is committed to the growth of cricket at grassroots level and it gives us great pride to be able to contribute to the local community through our passion for sport.”

Kinnaird College annual sports held LAHORE

staff RepoRt

Kinnaird College on Friday organized its annual sports day here at the college ground and Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khan Khosa, Senior Advisor to CM Punjab, inaugurated the sports day.

Dr. Rukhsana David, Principal Kinnaird College, Dr Nikhat Khan, Vice Principal and Mrs Nosheen Hanif, Director Sports were also present on the occasion.

Around 1100 students delightfully participated in the annual sports and out of these 700 participated in aerobics and 400 students took active part in the March Past and other games.

In her address, Dr Rukhsana David welcomed the Chief Guest Sirdar Zulfiqar Ali Khan Khosa and appreciated him for the active participation in women development activities. She also thanked Mrs Nosheen for conducting the sports day.

Dr Saleha Naghmi won Musical Chair competition. Winner's Trophy University and Gold Medal in Hockey was

ESPN Premier League: Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur 06:55PM

TEN SPORTS Pakistan v England 2nd T20 09:00PM

1st ICAP golf at Royal Palm LAHORE: The 1st ICAP Golf Tournament, a corporate effort of Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan, will be contested at the challenging and exquisite par 72 Royal Palm Golf Course on Saturday. A total of 112 golf players will vie for glory and achievement supported by financial wizards who are normally not associated with competitive sports. For a change the chief of ICAP, Lahore Chapter, H.M Yousaf is a golfer and a keen sportsman himself and he set the ball rolling by getting the organisation involved in this activity and thereby bring around a turnaround by initiating activity that can be called healthy and a trigger of considerable interaction amongst talented sportsmen of the corporate world. And many of the participants are golfers of prominence who will add colour to the occasion with exhibition of quality golf and winning honours will only be possible if performance is excellence oriented. A large number of the contenders are single handicappers who create a winning touch whenever they compete and in the 1st ICAP Golf Tournament many of them look forward to some stunning performances.

Sameer Iftikhar, a three handicapper, is a mighty hitter of the ball and stated: "I am playing well these days and though I expect to do well, I cannot guarantee victory as there many in the line-up for Saturdays competition who can emerge dominant."

And yes with names like Sardar Murad, Amir Mehmood, Omer Salamat, Azfar Hassan, Shoaib Bokhari and Shahid Abbas appearing as contenders, the going will definitely be tough. Ample birdies and regulation pars are expected to be the order of the day and in perfect playing conditions the golf will certainly be of a high standard.

Col (r) Jamil, Director Golf said: "The greens are true and roll perfect and golfers including the high handicappers will enjoy their putting without any fear of putting jitters." As for the middle handicappers names like Mansoor A. Khan, Mushtaq Sukhera and Zafar Iqbal Gondal send positive signals with their presence and all of them have been practising hard for this important event. staff RepoRt

Annual Athletics lAHoRE: The students of KC compete in the sack race. NADeeM IJAz awarded to Sehrish Arshad Ghumman of Media Studies dept. Maryam Noor took basketball trophy, for cricket Faryal Awan, Fariha Imtiyaz (badminton), Zara Nur (disc throw).

Syeda Khadija Mukhtar from Media

Studies bagged three gold medals in long jump, high jump, 200 meters race. Sack race was won by Marium Chuhan, Obstacle race Fareeha Imtiaz, Syeda Amna Mukhtar won best athlete 2012 prize.

LAHORE: The 95th Annual Athletics Championship of Govt Islamia College Lahore started at the college’s ground. Prof Amjad Ali Shakir, Principal of the college inaugurated the annual sports. Talat Dar, chairman sports board, Dr Salim Akhtar, Saddique Akhtar, Shahid Imtaz, Ghulam Hussain Sajid, renowned poet and critic, Ibad Nabel, Javed Akhtar and Ijaz Bajwa were present on the occasion. staff RepoRt

McIlroy wager fires up sweet-tooth Wozniacki DUBAI afp

Caroline Wozniacki aims to win a bet with golfer boyfriend Rory McIlroy over their eating habits which she hopes will help her climb back to world number one.

Wozniacki followed a 6-3, 7-5 victory over former French Open champion Ana Ivanovic on Thursday to reach the Dubai semi-finals by revealing she has agreed to give up most of her favourite sweet treats.

In return McIlroy is relinquishing his favourites -- crisps, popcorn, sodas -- apparently for a considerable amount. "Let's just put it this way," Wozniacki said. "I wouldn't do it for a pair of sunglasses. I wouldn't put myself through that."

The Dane’s dashing court coverage certainly gave the impression of immaculate conditioning as she worked her way into the last four in defence of her Dubai Open title. Wozniacki’s excellent performance suggested that she may not suffer a disappointment similar to McIlroy’s who led the field at the halfway stage of the

Dubai Desert Classic here the week before last, only to finish fifth. "Actually I think I’m going to win," she said, referring again to the bet. "I’m stubborn so I’m not going to give up. And I trust him, yeah. He's such a bad liar, so I would tell right away if he had eaten something unhealthy."

On Thursday, her game showed characteristically resilient containment of many of her opponent’s attacks, which were often dangerously hard-hitting from Ivanovic. Wozniacki was also creative with her changes of pace, and alert to spot the openings to counter-attack.

However Ivanovic, who was playing well enough to get past fellow former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone in the first round, broke Wozniacki’s serve three times in the second set, and might well have made significant progress had she managed to reduce her number of double faults, which reached a costly nine.

"I’m disappointed definitely," said Ivanovic, who began the week by re-stating her belief that she can one day reach number one again. "I don't think I'm going to

get much sleep tonight. But, you know, definitely motivated as well, because I feel like I achieved a fair bit this week." Wozniacki’s semi-final will be against Julia Goerges, the top 20 German, who overcame Daniela Hantuchova, the former world number five from Slovakia, by 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 Although Goerges is unseeded, she has

beaten Wozniacki on the last two occasions, though both were on clay, a different surface from Dubai's. Wozniacki has won both their meetings on hard courts. Earlier another former world number one from Serbia, Jelena Jankovic returned to somewhere near her best form to upset the seedings and reach the semi-finals.

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Saturday, 25 February, 2012

Anti-US protests spread to Pakistan

BAlocHiStAn unReSt

ISI, MI seek in-camera hearing

ISLAMABAD afp

ISLAMABAD

Hundreds of Pakistanis took to the streets on Friday, chanting death to America, demanding that their leaders resign and setting fire to a US flag over the burning of Qurans in Afghanistan. Up to 300 people blocked the main Grand Trunk road in Peshawar, stomped on and set fire to the US flag, and kicked the dummy representing America and beat it with sticks while it was burning. “The ugly face of America has been revealed with the desecration of Holy Quran,” a banner read. The Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the burning, stressing that “utterly irresponsible and reprehensible things” do not happen again. “On behalf of the government and the people of Pakistan, we condemn in strongest possible terms the desecration of Holy Quran in Afghanistan,” spokesman Abdul Basit told reporters. In the capital Islamabad, the Jamiat Ulemae-Islam (JUI) general secretary told the crowd that the Islamic world should review its relations with the United States. “We will not allow Americans to ridicule our religion and our Holy Quran,” Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri told the crowd, asking the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) to convene a special session to condemn the incident.

In Karachi, hundreds of activists of Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), blacklisted as a terror organisation, chanted “Death to America”. “There is just one remedy for America – jihad and only jihad,” the crowd shouted. “Death to America, death to America’s friends,” echoed slogans. The demonstrators were carrying flags with black and white stripes and inscribed with Koranic verses. They also held up banners, one of which said: “The defeated Americans are bound to bite dust in their war against Allah and His Book.”

staff RepoRt

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EEKING more time for submitting a report on the worsening law and order in Balochistan, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Military Intelligence (MI) on Friday requested the Supreme Court to hear the matter inchambers, owing to its sensitivity.

A three-member bench headed by Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan was hearing two cases - a petition filed by Balochistan High Court Bar Association (BHCBA) President Hadi Shakeel Ahmed against the incidents of targeted killings, kidnapping for ransom and the overall poor law and order in the province and a suo motu

notice on the brutal killing of the wife and daughter of Balochistan’s MPA Bakhtiar Domki in Karachi.

The court directed both intelligence agencies to submit a detailed report on the deteriorating law and order, particularly the series of targeted killings in the province. The court also asked the Balochistan government to file its report on the matter by March 7.

At the onset of hearing, the court asked Attorney General Maulvi Anwarul Haq about a report sought from the spy agencies on the law and order in Balochistan. Haq said he had conveyed the court’s direction to both the agencies, however, they had sought time for filing the report after March 5.

He said both agencies had pleaded for

an in-camera briefing or in-chamber hearing of the matter due to its sensitivity.

Without delivering any observation to the agencies’ response, the court adjourned the hearing until March 7, directing for the investigations into Domki’s family murder case to be included in the report of the agencies.

Meanwhile, the Sindh additional advocate general submitted a report before the court pertaining to police investigation into the murder of Domki’s wife and daughter in Karachi.

The Sindh additional advocate general, Karachi Police DIG Shaukatullah and SSP Niaz Khoso appeared before the court.

The court expressed dismay over the slow progress of police investigation into the case and noted that the report sub-

tahiR niaz

Mansoor Ijaz, the star witness in the memo scandal, on Friday alleged that former ambassador Husain Haqqani twice attempted to delete the conversations from his blackberry during the last six months by deleting from his own handset the Blackberry ID of the former, but failed.

“Haqqani deleted my BB ID from his handset in order to delete the chat exchanges (between me and him) in my hand set. Actually when you delete some particular BB ID from your handset and send a

ISLAMABAD inp

islaMaBad: prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani talks to inter-services intelligence director General ahmad shuja pasha and foreign secretary salman Bashir at prime Minister’s house on friday.

message to some other blackberry which is already containing the record of previous mutual conversation, the ID of all the previous messages will automatically be deleted. This is how blackberry works,” he conveyed to the memo commission as he continued his statement before the commission for the third consecutive day.

“He did not know I had de-commissioned the first handset (took the SIM card out of the set) and he remained failed in his attempt,” he added. In the second instance, he said, Haqqani also “deleted my ID from his handset to cause anomaly in chat exchanges, resident in my handset today”.

Congressman urges reopening of NATO supplies ISLAMABAD app

Pakistan and United States need to sit together to resolve the issue of supply to NATO forces in Afghanistan and ensure that an attack similar to the NATO air strike on Salala checkpost was not repeated in the future, Congressman David Dreier said on Friday.

He is the chairman of the House Democracy Partnership and chairman of the House Rules Committee. Dreier is leading a US Congressional delegation to Pakistan which is the first high-profile visit from US delegates after the Salala incident.

The delegation includes Congressman James Moran, Congressman Joe Wilson, Congressman Adrian Smith, Congressman Kenny Merchant and Father Patrick Conroy. The US congress-

mitted before it was not satisfactory, thus serious efforts were needed to probe into the matter.

Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan inquired whether the rounds were fired from a single or more than one gun, saying that it was claimed in the report that as many as 36 MTs were recovered from the crime scene, to which SSP Khoso submitted that the bullets were fired from a single gun.

However, he said further investigations were underway. While going through the report, the court observed that witnesses had suspected two different brands of cars being used by the assailants. The additional advocate general informed the court that police had launched a search operation in which they had inspected more than 600 cars so far.

only political cases against estranged baloch leaders to go: Rehman malik

ijaz accuses Haqqani of attempting to ‘wipe out evidence’ ISLAMABAD

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men visited the newly-constructed Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services (PIPS) built with the support of USAID, where David Dreier told reporters, “We believe that partnership between the elected representatives of two countries is very important to further promote bilateral relations.”

He said it would help ensure the goals of providing jobs, security, progress and prosperity in Pakistan.

He also expressed sorrow and grief on the loss of life in Thursday’s tragic bomb blast in Peshawar. Dreier said, “It is so important for us to do what we can do to ensure that people have their voices heard through their elected leaders. I believe that a strong, vibrant and civilian government through legislative bodies is the best way to do that.”

Ijaz said subsequent to events of May 2011, Haqqani twice changed his blackberry sets. Mansoor Ijaz along with his wife arrived at the Pakistan High Commission in London on the third day of recording his testimony with the commission probing the “memogate” scandal. Ijaz’s wife was also granted the permission to attend the session.

Furthering his statement before the commission, Mansoor Ijaz further established that he remained in contact with Haqqani, saying he made a phone call to Haqqani at Room# 430 of the Parkland Inter-continental Hotel London at 12:58 on May 9, 2011. Soon after, he continued, he

called James Jones at his home number but did not reveal the number in fear of invasion of his privacy. Ijaz said that total 14 calls were made from his phone, out of which, 11 conference calls were made during May, 2011, between him, General James and Haqqani.

Narrating the sequence of messages exchange between him and Haqqani, Ijaz referred to a BBM in which he asked Haqqani: “You have done a good job why are you leaving the office (of the ambassador to the US). Haqqani responded, “If you thought that I had done good, Continued on page 04

Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Friday formally announced quashing all political cases to woo the estranged Baloch leadership. He also announced the initiation of the process for issuing red warrants for former president Pervez Musharraf, saying Interpol would be approached for his arrest.

Talking to reporters after a meeting a US Congress delegation at the Interior Ministry, Malik made it clear that only political cases were being rescinded but those pertaining to terrorism and other serious nature would remain intact. He said he had instructed the Balochistan chief secretary to withdraw all political cases against the Baloch leaders.

“The government has abandoned checkposts on their demand and only FC is deputed on roads where the provincial government has asked for,” he said, adding that if the leaders had any objections to such deployment, they could approach the provincial government.

He said he had conveyed to the visiting US delegation the concerns of Pakistan over introduction of a resolution on Balochistan.

Malik said he had also expressed concern over drone attacks and conveyed the sentiments of the Pakistani nation. About Harbiyar Mari’s claims, he said if the Baloch leader again insisted with his claim, he could prove it through documentary evidence. To a query, he said he had withdrawn all cases against Harbiyar, except one regarding the murder of Justice Marri, as it was filed by the aggrieved party.

3 soldiers, 7 militants killed in Khyber fighting PESHAWAR afp

Militants attacked troops deployed in Khyber Agency on Friday and the ensuing fighting left three soldiers and seven militants dead, security officials said. “At least three soldiers were martyred and three others were wounded after militants attacked them in Malik Dinkhel area of Khyber,” a senior security official told AFP. Seven militants were also killed in the fighting, he added. Some 18,000 people fled their homes in Khyber in October last year amid fears of a fresh onslaught of fighting between the army and militants.

Pakistan returns $417m to ImF ISLAMABAD online

Despite depressive economic situation in the country, Pakistan on Friday repaid $417 million as the first installment to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) from foreign currency reserves held by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). An official who wished not to be named said the government would pay back total amount of $1.2 billion to the IMF during the current fiscal year 2011-12, of which first installment of $417 million had been paid on Friday, while the second installment of $ 783 million would be paid on June 30 this year.

Published by Arif Nizami for Nawa Media Corporation (Pvt) Ltd at Plot # 7, Al-Baber Centre, F/8 Markaz, Islamabad.

Editor: Arif Nizami, Executive Editor: Sarmad Bashir, Resident Editor: Rana Qaisar