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Pakistan, Afghanistan must work together to defeat terrorism: Zardari
India’s Oscars entry ‘Barfi’ draws copycat flak
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Unlikely hero Gul, Akmal choke out South Africa in T20 thriller
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Rs 15.00 Vol iii no 93 19 pages Karachi edition
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Saturday, 29 September, 2012 dhual-Qi’da 11, 1433
Nawaz, Imran call for political freedom to end Balochistan unrest ISLAMABAD
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tAyyAB HuSSAIN
He two major opposition parties – Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) – are on the same page regarding the situation in Balochistan as the chiefs of both parties on Friday called for ending military operations in the restive province and giving political freedom to estranged groups. PML-N President Nawaz Sharif held a meeting with several leaders from Balochistan, including Balochistan National Party (BNP) chief Akhtar Mengal and nationalist leader Sanaullah Baloch, in Islamabad. Talking to reporters after the meeting, Nawaz called for ending atrocities in the province and to win the hearts and minds of the estranged elements in the province to avoid a 1971-like situation. Mengal, who served as Balochsitan chief minister during the government of Nawaz Sharif, presented his “six points” to the PMLN chief during the meeting. Talking to reporters, Mengal said that none of his six points were contradictory to the constitution. He said that the federation must implement his proposals if it wanted to keep Balochistan with it. He said that his six points should not be considered different from the six points of Sheikh Mujeebur Rehman, the dissident leader of east Pakistan which later separated to become Bangladesh. Without endorsing Mengal’s six points, Nawaz said that the disregard of Mujeebur
Rehman’s six points in 1971 had caused the fall of Dhaka. Mengal also criticized the intelligence agencies and the military, holding them responsible for the situation in Balochistan. “Those people (army) cannot be trusted, the whole world knows their reality,” he said, adding that the former generals had even denied derailing democracy in the darkness of the night. However, he expressed his gratitude for the judiciary for taking a suo motu notice on the issue of missing persons. Asked whether his party would take part in local body elections, Mengal said that elections do not take place during wars anywhere in the world, adding, “Balochistan has been in a state of war for last 12 years.” IMRAN KHAN: Meanwhile, in a statement issued by the PTI, party chief Imran Khan endorsed the six points raised by Mengal in the Supreme Court of Pakistan, and said that all political parties should be allowed to function freely to prepare the stage for a representative assembly. Imran said that the situation in Balochistan had deteriorated tremendously after 2008 because of a non-representative government, which was installed despite a boycott by real political stakeholders. He said the resulting assembly was full of corrupt politicians who were only interested in pocketing millions of rupees every year. Military operations against our own people, whether covert or overt, are never a solution but a destructive process, Imran said, adding that the PTI had always opposed such steps in the country, while Balochistan had a history of five operations.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz President Nawaz Sharif shakes hands with Baloch nationalist leader Akhter Mengal before a meeting on Friday. inp
No death squads in agencies, govt tells SC SC discards chief secretary’s report on Balochistan g Court to conduct case-to-case hearing of missing persons’ issue g
ISLAMABAD StAFF rePort
The Supreme Court on Friday rejected a report submitted by Balochistan Chief Secretary Babar Yaqoob Fateh Muhammad on the province’s security situation, as the provincial government submitted that spy agencies were not running any alleged “death squads” in the province. Hearing the Balochistan law and order and missing persons case on Friday, the three-member SC bench of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad
Chaudhry, Justice Jawwad S Khawaja and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain rejected a joint reply by the federation and intelligence agencies that contended that no military operation was being carried out in the province. It was also stated that “death squads” did not exist in the agencies and the intelligence agencies did not have any missing person in their custody. The chief secretary said a high-level joint meeting was also held to discuss the Balochistan issue that was attended by the defense minister, army chief and the attorney general. The statement
clearly mentioned that every political party in Balochistan was free to work in the province. Appearing before the bench, Attorney General Irfan Qadir asked the court for permission to present the federation’s reply, requesting the secretary’s written statement be deemed as minutes of the meeting held in connection with the missing persons case between the prime minister, defense secretary, attorney general, information minister and the ISI director general. Continued on page 04
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02 News cartoon
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Israel PM’s Iran bomb sketch makes headlines at home
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Four injured in alleged TTP attack in Zhob QUETTA: Four men, including a tribal elder were injured in an armed attack carried out allegedly by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan in Zhob bordering Waziristan, on Friday. According to reports, a group of armed men attacked the resident of a tribal leader Sardar Qaymo Kabzai with rockets and sophisticated weapons, injuring the tribal leader and three others including his son Sardar Saleem Kabzai. The report said one of the three attackers was also amongst the injured who were taken to hospital. Their condition was stated to be serious. The local administration rushed to the scene and cordoned off the area. However, no arrest was made in this regard. Meanwhile, a man was killed and another seven were injured in two separate incidents of firing in Nushki and Quetta on Friday. Police officials said unidentified armed motorcyclists opened indiscriminate firing, killing Mohammad Iqbal and injuring Habibullah and Noor Ahmed. Police took the body to hospital and started investigations into the murder. In yet another firing incident, five people were injured in Hana Lake area. Police said unidentified armed men opened firing on a van that was on its way to Hana Lake. The attackers managed to flee. Police rushed to the scene and cordoned off the area. The injured were identified as Abdul Qadeer, Abdullah, Abdul Ali, Abdul Bashir. SHAHzADA zuLFIqAr
ISAF claims killing ‘Pakistani Qaeda facilitator’ in Kunar strike WASHINGTON: The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) has claimed killing an al Qaeda “facilitator from Pakistan” in an airstrike in the eastern Afghan province of Kunar. According to a report in US-based waroriented website Long War Journal, the al Qaeda facilitator is the seventh senior Pakistani militant killed in Kunar since June. According to the report, the ISAF confirmed that Abdul Rauf, also known as Iftikhar, was killed in an airstrike in the Marawarah district on September 23. “Security force engaged Abdul Rauf with a precision airstrike, killing him and two other insurgents,” ISAF said in a press release. INP
Official killed in blast while defusing bomb PESHAWAR: An officer of the bomb disposal squad was killed and three other officials were injured while defusing a bomb in the outskirts of the provincial capital on Friday morning. According to details, security personnel spotted a bomb on Frontier Road in the Badhabher area, and called in the bomb disposal squad. However, the explosives went off while the officials were busy defusing it. As a result, Inspector Hukam Khan died on the spot, while three others were seriously injured. They were taken to a hospital for treatment. StAFF rePort
2 killed in Okara court shooting OKARA: At least two people were killed and three others were injured in an incident of firing at Okara Kutchery outside a Sessions judge’s court on Friday morning. According to details, two rival groups opened fire at each other outside the court of Additional Sessions Judge Malik Muhammad Iqbal, killing three persons and injuring several others. The injured were shifted to a local hospital, where some of them are said to be in precarious condition. Police has registered a case and started investigations. oNLINe
India releases 46 fishermen LAHORE: The Indian government, on Friday, released 46 Pakistani fishermen. Indian authorities handed over the prisoners to Pakistan’s Rangers at the Wahga Border, Rangers’ sources said. The prisoners had been arrested for violating Pakistan’s maritime boundary, the sources added. The edhi Foundation provided them food and cold drinks at the Wahga Border. APP
Saturday, 29 September, 2012
HyDerABAD: youths play on the dry riverbed of Indus on Friday. inp
Floods kill 371, affect 4.47m ISLAMABAD AFP
Monsoon floods in Pakistan have killed 371 people and affected nearly 4.5 million, the government’s disaster relief agency said on Friday. Pakistan has suffered devastating floods in the past two years, including the worst in its history in 2010, when catastrophic inundations across the country killed almost 1,800 people and affected 21 million. As in 2010 and 2011, most of those hit by the latest floods are in Sindh province, where the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said 2.8 million were affected, with nearly 890,000 in Punjab and 700,000 in Baluchistan. Nearly 290,000 people around the country have been forced to seek shelter in relief camps, NDMA said in figures published on its website. The floods began in early September, with nearly 80 killed in flash floods, mostly in the northwest and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. An NDMA spokesman said the government was not yet appealing for foreign assistance. “The government’s point of view is that the situation will be handled from own resources,” Ahmad Kamal told AFP. More than a million acres (400,000 hectares) of crops have been destroyed by the floods across the country, NDMA said,
and nearly 8,000 cattle have been killed. UN children’s agency UNICeF, quoting a separate flood assessment, said at least 2.8 million people had been affected, including 1.4 million children, of whom more than 390,000 are under five. UNICeF said it was providing 183,000 people a day with drinking water but warned it urgently needed more funds. “Children from very poor families are among the worst affected by the severe flooding and they need our immediate help,” said UNICeF Pakistan Deputy Representative Karen Allen. “UNICeF urgently needs $15.4 million to scale up its water, sanitation and hygiene response to reach around 400,000 people over the next three to six months.” UNICeF said that according to its assessment, more than half of those affected by the floods were concentrated in just five districts, two each in Sindh and Baluchistan and one in Punjab. It said 360,000 people had been left without shelter and three quarters of children in the five worst-affected districts were unable to go to school, either because the buildings have been destroyed or because they are being used as temporary shelters. The UN agency voiced particular concern about children forced from their homes, saying loss of access to safe water supplies left them vulnerable to diseases such as diarrhoea, malaria, measles, polio and pneumonia.
Pakistan, Iran for expeditious implementation of energy projects NEW YORK: Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar on Friday met her Iranian counterpart Dr Ali Akbar Salehi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly Session in New York, with both calling for expeditious completion of mega projects, particularly in the energy sector. The two foreign ministers discussed various aspects of bilateral relations and noted with satisfaction that the intense and frequent interaction at the leadership level had put the relationship on the right trajectory. They also discussed the situation in Afghanistan and Syria. Given the complexity of the challenges, the two underlined the importance of working closely with each other. Khar also met the Malaysian foreign minister on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Khar noted that Pakistan enjoyed close and cordial relations with Malaysia and that the two countries shared common views on various global and regional issues. She informed the Malaysian foreign minister that Pakistan attached great importance to its relations with the ASeAN Community and hoped that Malaysia would continue supporting Pakistan’s case for the full dialogue partner of the association. The two foreign ministers expressed satisfaction at the improvement in bilateral trade and underscored the need to take measures to fully utilize the FTA to further expand and diversify the trade relations. APP
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News 03 artS & entertainment
buSineSS
SPortS
Bynes pleads not guilty to hit-and-run charges
oil brims over
radwanska to face Petrova in Pan Pacific open final
editorial Mengal’s modest proposals: Another Six Points, as the history would have it.
comment Arif Nizami says; Isolated we stand: Not many reliable friends or allies.
raoof Hasan says; Of dual-nationality holders et al: Afflicted with moral decay, the system needs to be re-invented.
Story on Page 18
Story on Page 13
Story on Page 18
articles on Page 14
Defense experts call for adopting new strategies Senate defense body discusses framing new policy guidelines for defense sector g mushahid Hussain says there can’t be ‘holy cows’ anymore g tariq Khosa says government should ban leaders of banned outfits rather than organizations g
ISLAMABAD
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tAyyAB HuSSAIN
xPeRTS of nuclear armament, counterterrorism and Afghanistan and FATA issues on Friday urged the government to get rid of its old thinking and adopt modern strategies in fields of defense, law and order and counterterrorism to deal with the menace of militancy, insurgency and sectarian problems and focus on development of non-conventional weapons rather than keeping huge military. The proposals were made at an exclusive brainstorming session of the Senate Standing Committee on Defence held to formulize policy guidelines for the government and parliament over the contentious issues. Dr Shireen Mazari, Salim Safi and Tariq Khosa made their respective presentations during the session chaired by Senate Standing Committee head Mushahid Hussain Sayed and attended by Farhatullah Babar, Syed Faisal Raza Abidi, Senator Sehr Kamran, Col (r) Tahir Mashhadi, Haji Mohammad Adeel, Raja Zafarul Haq and Ishaq Dar. The session, which was the first-ever public hearing of any committee of parliament, was also attended by a 13-member
delegation of faculty and students of National Defense University (NDU), experts, NGOs, civil society bodies and journalists. Mushahid said the session’s theme was “towards a new defense strategy” which was aimed at making policy briefings for parliamentarians. “We want to provide input by different segments of society in devising a robust defense policy. In this regard, we have recorded all the proposals given by our analysts. eventually, we would make public the Defense Policy Strategy as policy guidelines which would be unveiled in January 2013,” he added. He said defense policy guidelines would cover different aspects of defense strategy, as in today’s world defense included key non-military components, including economy, social sector, parliament, rule of law and human security. “The people of Pakistan are the major stakeholders of our defense policy and we would work to spread awareness amongst the public, parliament and the media,” he added. Mushahid said the Senate committee aimed at covering three objectives through public hearings, including a review of current issues pertaining to the defense sector, to determine what changes were needed in the defense policy and to provide new pol-
icy ideas, inputs and guidelines so that the country’s national defense policy represent emerging ground realities to better serve the people in an effective manner, discarding tried, tested and failed policies. He said it was time the issues needed not to be kept secret from the public and there could not be any “holy cows” anymore. He said parliament could not become supreme without practical policy contribution from civilian rulers and it could only play a leadership role through innovation in ideas, better performance and taking initiatives. Former FIA DG Tariq Khosa covered militancy and counterterrorism areas and said the government should ban officebearers of the banned outfits rather than banning militant organizations. He said since the government had introduced effective laws to curb illegal transactions to banned outfits through “Hundi and Hawala”, annual remittances had grown manifold. Regarding Balochistan unrest, Khosa said the government should revive policing across the province and FC should be sent to bordering areas and police should replace Levies. Moreover, he added that the monitoring of highways should be assigned to Fron-
Kishanganga Dam to cost Pakistan 13% of its water, NA body told ISLAMABAD oNLINe
Neelum Jhelum Hydro electric Project Chief executive Officer (CeO) Lieutenant General (r) Muhammad Zubair has warned that Pakistan may lose 13 percent of water worth $141 million on Neelum Jhelum, if India succeeds in building Kishanganga Dam. He was giving a briefing to the National Assembly Standing Committee on economic Affairs Division (eAD) which met under the chairmanship of Pirzada Imran Ahmed Shah on Friday. He informed the committee that India was constructing 14 dams which would adversely affect Pakistan and through which India could also control the water in Mangla Dam. The CeO demanded that committee cooperate with them to get the outstanding amount of Rs 83 billion released from the Pakistan electric Power Company (PePCO), adding that even if Rs 2 billion were released every month, Neelum Jhelum Hydro electric Project could be run successfully without any delay. On this, the committee recommended to the Finance Ministry that Rs 2 billion should be released to the project on a monthly basis in order to timely complete the project. He informed the committee that of the 180-kilometer area, Turbine Boring Machines (TBM) had been deployed on an area of 170 kilometers on which work would be started from October 16 next month.
“Neelum Jehlum Hydro electric Project has not been able to open a letter of credit worth $113 million for Islamic Development Bank (IDB) financed equipment and this issue has also been taken up with Neelum Jehlum Hydro Company,” he said, adding that loan agreement of $100 million with Abu Dhabi Fund is pending because fund has linked this to the issue of payments to eitsalat in PTCL privatization process. He informed the committee that a loan agreement of $448 million with exim Bank China was pending as China State Council is yet to approve it. “The revised total cost of the Neelum Jhelum project without interest during construction is $2583.43 million and the total financing from local source and total requirement from local source is $1291.71 million each,” the retired general added. He informed the committee that the surplus deficit of Rs 90 billion of the Neelum Jhelum Project will be met through 50 percent of the government’s share and the remaining 50 percent would be met with foreign loans share. He added that feasibility in detailed engineering design was completed in 1997 as per seismic parameters established before earthquake 2005 and after earthquake revised PC1 of the project escalated to Rs 274.882 billion recommended by Central Development Working Party (CDWP) for executive Committee for National economic Council (eCNeC) approval on June 18 whereas the original PC-1 was approved in 2002 for an amount of Rs 84.502 billion.
tier Constabulary. Khosa said Baloch youth were very much loyal to the state of Pakistan and there was a false impression that the Baloch youth was violent. However, there was a need for the government to engage the Baloch youth and they should be employed properly to end poverty. Senior journalist Salim Safi gave an overview of the law and order in Afghanistan and FATA. He pointed out that new grouping was emerging in Afghanistan and in the fast changing scenario, no single group could emerge victorious in the wartorn country. He proposed that Pakistan should support an Afghan-owned and Afghan-led solution to the problem, as keeping eggs in one or two baskets had proved counter-productive. He said the situation in Afghanistan was fluid and any mistake could prove fatal for Pakistan, urging strongly to discard such “silly notions like strategic depth”. Calling for a dialogue between the civilian government and the military vis-à-vis Afghan issue, Safi said there was a need for both to go in tandem to evolve clarity and get rid of misunderstandings, as, in his view, there was a disconnect on Afghan policy between the “Khaki and Mufti”. He said the people of FATA had been
sandwiched by rival forces and it was imperative for the government to bring the Tribal Areas into the mainstream and annul FCR and other black laws. Dr Mazari made her presentation on nuclear program. She gave an overview of the country’s achievements in the non-conventional defense sector, giving a comparative narrative between the country’s nuclear and missile program and other nations, especially India. Mazari proposed that Pakistan should insist on its stated position on FMCT to safeguard its advantage against other nuclear countries as fissile material control may jeopardize its future endeavors in nuclear field. She said Pakistan should launch a diplomatic lobbying to get India-like treatment waivers on FMCT. She urged for inducting Nasr Missile to the country’s armory to counter the “Cold Start” doctrine or limited war doctrine of India. Mazari said Cruise Missiles could break missile shield program of India which the neighboring state had evolved with assistance from US. She said the country should spend more on nuclear program which was useful deterrence in the modern era and it should now acquire a small but efficient conventional military.
KaraKoram HigHway
pM launches multi-million dollar realignment, upgrading projects HUNZA APP
Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf on Friday launched two landmark multimillion dollar strategic projects at the Karakoram Highway, aimed at restoring historic road linkage with China that was severed due to artificial Attabad Lake created as a result of landslides. The prime minister performed the groundbreaking of realignment of a 17km long section of the Karakoram Highway (KKH). He also inaugurated the $510.42 million upgrading of a 335kmlong section of road from Raikot to Khunjerab that has now been widened and meets international standards of construction. Ashraf, who earlier had an aerial view of Attabad Lake, the upgraded road and the proposed road alignment site, said the new roads were part of an effort of the government to provide the people of remote areas a fast and easy linkage with the rest of the country. He said the road would not only ease travel, but also help provide all facilities of life. He said it would further deepen the ties between Pakistan and China. He said road links were known to bring progress and prosperity to the areas they touched and hoped that a new era of development would usher in. He said road links were the government’s priority and recalled his meeting with Chinese leaders during his recent visit to China where Karakoram Highway’s upgrading and realignment were discussed. He praised and thanked the Chinese government for keeping its promise of dispatching the required heavy machinery
for completion of the project. Prime Minister Ashraf said despite several challenges the country was facing, the nation had to stand united, continue to strive for stronger democratic traditions and with tolerance continue to move ahead on the road to progress and development. He said the country also faced challenges of global recession and economic issues, but expressed the resolve that it would rise above all such issues. The prime minister was briefed by the National Highway (NHA) chairman about the Karakoram Highway project. He said Pakistan’s northern areas were a treasure trove for those who yearned for natural beauty and a must-go for tourists from any part of the world. He said all measures would be taken to enhance facilities to the tourists from within the country and abroad. Ashraf said he himself was a Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) worker, belonging to the
middle class and was here on this seat due to the love of the workers and respect by the party leadership. He said the PPP and its allies were proud to have politically empowered the people of GilgitBaltistan, as it was their due right. The prime minister acknowledged that the government of Gilgit-Baltistan was striving hard to serve the masses, despite several challenges it was facing. He lauded the people and political and religious leaders for standing up for their democratic rights and said it would go a long way in helping them achieve all their cherished goals and democratic ideals. Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira, Minister for Communication Arbab Alamgir, Minister for Kashmir Affairs and GilgitBaltistan Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo, Governor Gilgit-Baltistan Pir Karam Ali Shah, Chief Minister Mehdi Shah and Zhe Wang Le, Chinese commercial councilor, were also present.
Saturday, 29 September, 2012
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04 News Pakistan’s N- program fully secure: Hina Khar DerA ALLAH yAr: Flood-affected villagers leave for safer areas on Friday. aFp
Russia fears Petrol prices likely to go down by ‘gigantic rs 5.50 per liter afghan drug ISLAMABAD: Petrol prices are likely to come down by Rs 5.50 per liter stockpile’ from October 1. The Oil DUSHANBE AFP
Russia’s anti-drug chief expressed fear Friday that drug trafficking from Afghanistan would increase after the pullout of NATO troops in 2014, saying the country stockpiled enough narcotics to keep the trade going for another decade. “We estimate that opiates from Afghanistan make up 30 percent of all narcotics in Russia,” said Viktor Ivanov at a meeting with anti-drug officials from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan in the Tajik capital Dushanbe. “The military operation (in Afghanistan) has been going on for 11 years. Who will take responsibility for this?” The continuing flow of illicit drugs from Afghanistan has long been a sticking point in ties between Russia and the United States, which leads the military contingent in the Islamic country. Moscow has repeatedly lamented that the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) is not doing enough to stop drug production and trade in Afghanistan. When ISAF’s mandate in the war-torn country ends in 2014, “gigantic” stockpiles of drugs stored in remote mountains are likely to hit the black market, Ivanov said. “They amount to 15,00020,000 tonnes in opium equivalent,” he said. “That is a gigantic opium reserve that will make it possible to continue trafficking drugs for 10 years even if production of opium is stopped.” Russia has one of the world’s highest rates of heroin addiction, and there are about five million drug users in the country, according to the Federal Drug Control Agency.
Saturday, 29 September, 2012
and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) on Friday also proposed a reduction in diesel price by 30-35 paisas per liter, High Octane Blending Component (HOBC) by 10-15 paisas, kerosene oil by 50 paisas and petrol Rs 5.50 per litre. There were also reports of a reduction in CNG price by Rs 4.50 per kilogram. ever since notifying a massive drop in POL prices by up to Rs 11.75 per liter in June, the government has been consistently raising the rates, driving petrol to Rs 108.47 per liter, diesel to Rs 113.57, HOBC to Rs 135.56, kerosene oil to Rs 106.18 and light diesel to Rs 100.51 per liter. agenCieS
Helping hands let aNP leader escape from police custody ISLAMABAD StAFF rePort
An arrested leader of the Awami National Party (ANP) escaped from police custody after seven armed men attacked a police team at district courts here on Friday. Police said ANP leader Saeedur Rehman came to the court of Additional Sessions Judge Azam Khan to get interim bail in a case of fraud registered against him at Kohsar Police Station. However, the court rejected his plea and ordered the police to arrest him. After arresting the accused, the police took him out of the court in order to take him to the police station. However, six armed men started beating up police officials outside the court, and the ANP leader escaped with
the attackers during the scuffle. Surprisingly, the officials of Kohsar police, who were equipped with sophisticated weapons, did not put up any resistance. After the incident, police launched a search operation but could not find any clue of the fugitive politician or his accomplices. Later, the Margalla Police lodged an FIR (first information report) against the seven accused for attacking police officials and freeing the arrested politician. However, the FIR does not mention any police officials responsible for letting the arrested leader escape. Saeedur Rehman contested the 2008 elections on the ANP ticket from the NA131 constituency in Shangla, but lost to then-Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PMLQ) leader Amir Muqam.
collective efforts needed to counter terrorism: cJ KARACHI
APP
Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on Friday said the terrorism was a global issue and collective efforts should be in place to eradicate this menace from the society. Addressing the inaugural session of the three-day international seminar on combating terrorism through law, the chief justice observed that the waves of terrorism were not only restricted to any particular area, adding that the law and order situation in one part of the world adversely affect the other parts. He further said that the terrorism was a continuous threat to the persons and property of the people had neither any universally accepted definition nor was there any consensus between the academics, the international legal experts and the jurists in this regard.
No death squads Pakistan, uS postponed top-level military meeting due in agencies to anti-islam film unrest Continued fRom page 01
As Qadir tried commenting on Akhtar Mengal’s Thursday statement, the chief justice cut him short, saying: “Mengal’s statement will not be discussed at all. Kindly use your political insight if you have any.” Urging President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf to acknowledge the sensitivity of the circumstances, Chief Justice Chaudhry said Mengal’s homecoming was a significant progress, adding that it was high time the Baloch people’s grievances were addressed and they were consoled. Vowing that the court would make absolute use of its jurisdiction and powers, the chief justice observed: “The army is our own. The standoff will have to be resolved rather than entering a dead-end street.” The chief justice said the government had earlier refused to accept the situation and now the court would hold case-to-case hearings in missing persons’ case. The court then directed to distribute the copies of the
reply among all the parties. The CJ further said all leaders, including the president, prime minister, Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan, would have to work to find out a political solution to the matter. The court asked Provincial Minister Sadiq Umrani to give proposals for solution of the Balochistan mess. The court also sought weekly reports from Sadiq Umrani and the federal and provincial governments about the situation. The chief justice observed that judges might visit affected areas, including Dera Bugti, Awaran and Noshki, to personally assess the situation. He said they were not bothered about their personal security as life and death rested with Allah Almighty. The chief secretary then said the law and order situation in Balochistan was not as bad as reported. But the CJ said the situation in the province was continually deteriorating, adding that Mengal’s return was a major step on part of the Baloch leader. The next hearing will be held at the SC Quetta Registry on October 8.
UNITED NATIONS
AGeNcIeS
WASHINGTON SPecIAL correSPoNDeNt
Pakistan and the United States postponed top-level military consultations at the last moment a few days ago amidst widespread unrest arising from an anti-Islam film posted on the Internet, General Martin Dempsey, chairman US Joint Chiefs Staff said. Instead, the highest-ranked American uniformed officer extended his unpublicized visit to neighboring Afghanistan to have closer assessment of the situation there. “I was originally planned to go to Pakistan to meet with (Army Chief) General (Ashfaq Parvez) Kayani, and because of some of the issues related to that film, he and I discussed postponing that visit — mostly so that I would give him the time to deal with the issues he was dealing with internally,” Dempsey disclosed at a Pentagon briefing. On this particular trip, the general said, he was “supposed to go to Pakistan first. And I wanted that to be a very private visit with General Kayani. I only changed the trip right at the end.” Dempsey observed in response to a question that he has “always believed that the outcome in Afghanistan will clearly have — have to be — include some resolution of the groups that operate out of western Pakistan.” “And my purpose in going to visit General Kayani was to get his insights and his intentions in that regard,” he explained. Contrastingly with his predecessor Admiral Mike Mullen, Dempsey keeps his visits under wraps, away from media spotlight.
F
OReIGN Minister Hina Rabbani Khar on Friday told the United Nations that it accorded the “highest priority” to ensuring a fool-proof safety and security mechanism for the country’s nuclear program, saying the arsenal was completely secure. “Nuclear security is both a global challenge and a national responsibility,” Khar said in a speech to a highlevel meeting on Countering Nuclear Terrorism. “Over the years we have put in place extensive physical protection measures, robust command and control structures, comprehensive export controls and wide-ranging regulatory regimes,” she said. The foreign minister told delegates that Pakistan’s regulatory regime
encompassed physical protection of materials and facilities, material control and accounting, transport security, prevention of illicit trafficking and border controls, as well as plans to deal with possible radiological emergencies. “We have also developed technical solutions, personnel responsibility programs, and intelligence capabilities to deal with WMD- (Weapons of Destruction) related terrorism,” she said. The foreign minister said Pakistan would cooperate in international efforts to strengthen regulatory mechanisms and establish effective barriers against the common threat of nuclear terrorism. “We are part of the global efforts to make sure that terrorists do not get their hands on nuclear materials, knowledge and expertise,” Khar added.
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News 05 HEC stipends halted for students on scholarship in Egypt PESHAWAR SHAMIM SHAHID
PeSHAwAr: Supporters of religious parties set fire to an American flag during a protest against an anti-Islam film on Friday. inp
DISCOs fail to recover Rs 232.78b from defaulters ISLAMABAD
N
ANwer ABBAS
UMeROUS electricity distribution companies (DISCOs) have failed to recover a collective amount to the tune of Rs 232.78 billion from consumers belonging to both private and government sectors until July this year. According to documents available with Pakistan Today, the Lahore electric Supply Company (LeSCO), providing electricity to Lahore, Okara, Sheikhupura and Kasur areas, had a total of 0.435 million defaulters from whom LeSCO failed to collect dues worth Rs 7.97 billion until July. Of these 0.435 million defaulters, 4847 belong to the government sector and owe Rs 3.546 billion to LeSCO. The Gujranwala electric Power Com-
pany (GePCO) failed to collect Rs 2.466 billion from over 2,500 defaulting consumers belonging to the government sector and 0.249 million from the private sector from Gujranwala, Gujrat and Sialkot areas. The Faisalabad electric Supply Company (FeSCO) providing power to Jhang, Sargodha and Faisalabad also failed to recover Rs 880.80 million from 0.296 million consumers. The documents made available to Pakistan Today showed that a total of 0.720 million consumers owed the Multan electric Power Company (MePCO) Rs 3.765 billion. Of these, 8,000 defaulters belonged to the government sector who failed to pay Rs 1.255 billion to MePCO that supplies power to Multan, DG Khan, Vehari, Bahawalpur, Sahiwal, Rahim Yar Khan, Muzaffargarh and Bahawalnagar. Until July, the Peshawar electric Supply Company (PeSCO) also failed to re-
cover Rs 42.501 billion from its 0.840 million defaulters. Of the above PeSCO defaulters, 8,000 belonged to the government sector who collectively owed Rs 5.566 billion. PeSCO also had to recover Rs 36.934 billion from a total of 0.832 million consumers. The Hyderabad electric Supply Company (HeSCO) failed to recover an amount of Rs 31.717 billion from 0.468 million consumers. Of these, 11,000 were government employees. The Sukkur electric Supply Company (SePCO) failed to recover Rs 48.593 billion from 0.461 million consumers belonging to Sukkur, Ghotki, Khairpur, Ranipur, Rohri, Larkana, Larkano, Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Dadu, Mehar, Naushero Feroze, and Moro areas. The Tribal Areas electricity Supply Company (TeSCO) providing electricity to FATA Peshawar, FATA Bannu, FATA Tank Div, and FATA Circle had to recover
Rs 32.110 billion from 0.434 million consumers until July. The Quetta electric Supply Company (QeSCO) had 0.230 million defaulters until July this year from whom it had to recover Rs 50 billion. Four thousand of these were government employees who still had to pay Rs 3.77 billion to QeSCO. The Islamabad electric Supply Company failed to receive Rs 12.78 billion until July from its 197,000 defaulters. Of these, 191,000 belonged to the private sector, who owed IeSCO Rs 496 million. Of the total IeSCO defaulters, 5633 belonged to the government sector Rs 12.287 billion. From its defaulters in Rawalpindi, IeSCO had to receive a total amount of Rs 6.19 billion from 66,464 defaulters. Of these, 64,819 were private consumers who failed to pay their dues worth Rs 210 million to IeSCO, while 1,645 were government employees who had to pay Rs 5.986 billion until July this year.
Like in many other foreign education institutions, students from Jamia Al Azhar egypt were also faced with serious financial crises when the Higher education Commission (HeC) halted stipends in the wake of the 18th Amendment. With the passage of the 18th amendment in the national constitution, education became a provincial subject, and the federal government halted all stipends to students getting higher and professional education in foreign universities and institutions. In this respect, HeC also lost its influence and was unable to continue financial assistance through stipends to students. Mohammad Tufail, a student recently enrolled in Jamia Al Azhar egypt, told Pakistan Today on the telephone that there were 19 students from Pakistan currently enrolled at the university. He said that since the middle of 2010, students studying at Jamia Al Azhar had been denied stipends by Pakistani authorities, causing numerous problems. In response to a question, Tufail, a resident of Swabi, informed Pakistan Today that there were thousands of students from 105 countries from all over the world. All these students except those from Pakistan were getting a handsome amount in stipends from their native countries of origin. Likewise, the egyptian government also provided pocket money (200 egypt Pounds which equal RS 3,200) on a monthly basis to all students. But this amount, he said was too meager and couldn’t address all the financial needs of students. Tufail said that all the 19 students were from poor families, therefore, he requested Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf to take an early notice of the matter. He said that without government support, it was very hard for them to continue education. Officials at HeC, when contacted, have confirmed the halting of stipends not only to students of Jamia Al Azhar egypt, but also to students at several other foreign universities and education institutions. According to an HeC official, the federal government had reduced budgets and therefore financial support to students seeking higher education abroad was affected.
PPP stands for complete harmony S Rahman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) of today, has established itself to be a torchbearer of tolerance and national unity, by quenching the simmering sentiments that were being fomented by certain quarters and opinionmakers in the name of so-called standoff with judiciary but it could not materialize, much to the chagrin of these quarters and, at the same time, much to the satisfaction of Pakistani citizenry. For sure, the people of Pakistan are yet happier over the government’s patient and discreet moves in the present sensitive situation. Calling it reasonableness of the first order won’t be wrong. Of course, it is more of reasonableness and less of pragmatism that the PPP leadership, especially Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, have demonstrated in the NRO case proceedings of September 18. All the doomsayers and ill-wishers of the government were taken aback, rather underwent immense embarrassment on hearing the Prime Minister’s positive, assuring reply with Federal Law Minister Farooq
H Naek being assigned the task of withdrawing former Attorney-General Malik Qayyum’s earlier letter written to Swiss authorities. Those who were bent upon painting the government in a negative way have now been made to realize that the government is manned and headed by serious-minded people who don’t believe in confrontation of any kind and are committed to political stability in the country. In fact, the government has been striving hard from day one to prevent constitutional crisis and chaos. Likewise, it neither wanted to destabilize the system nor wanted to sacrifice its democratically elected Prime Minister. Yet bigger priority was maintaining a fine balance among all the national institutions for which it remained completely respectful and obedient towards judiciary. Not a single word of resentment or complaint was uttered by any PPP leader in this regard, what to talk of going practically into the confrontation mode. Sometimes, an impression is formed from this cautious style of PPP that the PPP leaders have come out wiser and yet wiser
out of the crises and sufferings that they have been braving during the last three to four decades. Certainly, patience of such a high degree just can’t come without sagacity learned by passing through the mill. This mindset of patience, backed by sound and reasonable action moves, has finally resulted in the emergence of a win-win situation for all. It is indeed going to be immensely beneficial for the whole nation. The nation is rather indebted to the government and also to the Supreme Court for trying to create a middle way. Before this, the SC has never mentioned about any middle way. This time, the things went well to the advantage of the entire country as one can infer from what the learned SC said on this issue. The learned judges said that they were fully aware of the concerns of the Federation and would give due consideration to them. The learned judges raised a question as to how many PMs would be removed. As for the middle way, an indication to this effect came from this observation: “The PM only has to issue directives to someone which could be the Law Minister to write a letter”.
It is worth mentioning that the SC judges also said, “we recognize that the President has immunity as per the International law” while Mr Justice Asif Saeed Khosa added, “he is also our President”. These statements from the judges created a new avenue and opened up new vistas subsequent to which the government acted as per the SC’s directives and utilized this middle way option. The government has actually drawn encouragement from the SC’s recognition of President’s immunity available to him as the head of state under international law. In this manner, the middle road has been opened since the principled and legal standpoint of none of the institutions has been compromised. This is indeed a highly positive development for the depressed nation that was upset over such rifts and standoffs. One thing still remains very disturbing and it is the negative role being played by some sections of the media. When government was in a tight corner and was not writing the letter, media was pressing hard on it but now when the issue is going to be resolved amicably, the
same sections of media have started leveling the allegations of backtracking on the government without any reason or rhyme. People now expect of media that it should not try to inflame confrontation and that criticism for the sake of creating confusion must be avoided. The time for next general elections is not very far off. Now all pivotal sectors of the state, especially media should do its best to create an enabling environment for fair and transparent elections that can become possible only if all the parties including the PPP are provided a level playing field. But if the media continues the media trial of PPP and projects it as a party in total confrontation with the SC, it is denying this level playing field to the PPP. That is being totally unfair to the party of the people at such a juncture when we should be preparing ourselves for installing a fair and upright interim setup in the foreseeable future for holding free and fair elections. Media must play a supportive and positive role in this regard and should not provoke undue confrontation.
Saturday, 29 September, 2012
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Saturday, 29 September, 2012
KArAcHI: Activists of the defunct Sipah-e-Sahaba demonstrate against the sacrilegious youtube video at Nagan chowrangi. OnLine
Prgmea sets up support fund for fire affectees KARACHI NNI
Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and exporters Association (PRGMeA), has set up a support fund for the affected families who have lost their lives in the tragedy of fire in a factory in Baldia Town. A meeting was held in PRGMeA office following the terrible fire incident at a garment factory in Karachi, which was largely attended the leading textile manufacturers and exporters. During the meeting PRHMeA members offered their deepest condolences to the families who have lost loved ones in this tragedy. It was decided that a support fund for the rehabilitation will be created immediately and all members of Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and exporters Association shall contribute in the same. The attendees offered their full cooperation and support to the affected families and resolved that the garment industry shall give employment to all the skilled workers while vocational training will be imparted to families and children of the deceased workers. PRGMeA decided to partner with a reputable NGO in order to rehabilitate all the families of affected in this tragic incident. It was further decided that PRGMeA shall formulate minimum fire and safety standards in order to create awareness among garment manufacturers. The participants also expressed their concerns regarding the media trial of garment industry over this sad incident. They said that a very negative image of the garment industry has been projected globally, which needs to be countered and the ground realities /facts needed to be given to the international garment fraternity.
sHeePisH tales
SHC orders fresh medical report on Australian sheep KARACHI oNLINe
T
He Sindh High Court (SHC) on Friday rejected laboratory reports on the Australian sheep suspected of being infected with harmful diseases, directing authorities to send fresh samples to London for further tests. More than 7,000 sheep from a shipment of over 20,000 that was rejected in Bahrain on concerns over scabby mouth were inhumanely slaughtered en masse in Pakistan, to where they were forwarded. The Sindh Livestock Department ordered the cull, which was halted after Perthbased exporter Wellard and Pakistani importer PK Livestock secured a High Court injunction and thousands of sheep were brutally killed, reportedly by untrained workers. The SHC ordered the fresh reports to be presented in court within three weeks. The Sindh High Court had ordered provi-
sional testing by veterinary and microbiological experts of the nearly 20,000 sheep imported from Australia. There have been disputes within the medical committee over the medical condition of the sheep, which some say suffer from the highly dangerous anthrax virus. Justice Maqbool Baqar of the SHC, hearing the case on Friday, expressed his reservations over the report by the Islamabad national Laboratory, asking for fresh samples to be sent to London for further tests and report to be submitted by October 19. The court also issued orders to the concerned Police superintendent for installation of CCTV cameras and security measures around the farm where the sheep are being kept. Also on Friday, Minister for Agriculture Joe Ludwig said a full investigation would be conducted by DAFF into the reports. Senator Ludwig said the live export regulation system worked and blamed Wellard on Thursday for losing control of its supply chain. It is understood representatives from the company were forcibly removed by armed police from the culling site.
financial assistance given to woman for treatment of ailing son
KARAcHI: Sindh Chief Minister (CM), Qaim Ali Shah, handed over a cheque of Rs 600,000 to Samina Afzaal for treatment of her son Danish. The grant was ordered by the Prime Minister (PM), Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, and the CM delivered it to the beneficiary. CM told Samina that he would finance the treatment if more money was needed. He also offered two government jobs for the family members. He announced scholarship for the youngest daughter of Samina who is a student of class 9. Principal Secretary to CM, Muahmmad Siddique Memon and Sindh Secretary Information, Dr. Atta Panhwar, were also present on the occasion. APP
VIOLENCE GULPS FOUR MORE Religious party activist among those gunned down KARACHI oNLINe
An activist of a religious party has been gunned down in Gulbahar area of the city on Friday. According to police, Suhail Baig was targeted by unidentified gunmen in the limits of the Rizwia Police Staion. His party members staged protests as his body was taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for legal formalities. Tension prevailed in the area after the
killing. earlier, at least three more tortured dead bodies were found from different areas of the city. A tortured dead body of a young man was found from a ground near Bismillah Hotel, Korangi. He was kidnapped and later murdered, sources said. A dead body of an unidentified man was found from Sukhan river. In a separate incident, unidentified criminals threw away a dead body packed in a gunny sack near ICI Bridge. The victim
was not identified. His body was sent to Civil Hospital. On the other hand, Rangers arrested eighteen suspects involved in several cases from Old Golimar, Katti Pahari and Mohammadpura areas and recovered huge amount of drugs and weapons from their custody. ‘VIOLENcE cANNOT BE TOLERATED IN NAME Of PROTESTS’: Commissioner of Karachi, Roshan Ali Shaikh, warned miscreants of stern action if they did anything violent in the name of
protests against anti-Islam film. Sheikh said that those who organize rallies and protests in the city would be declared responsible if any unwanted incident occurred. “We will ensure peace in the city at any cost. Bloodshed and any violent incident cannot be tolerated,” he said in a statement. The commissioner said that no one would be allowed to violate the laws. It is to be mentioned here that protests and rallies are being held in the country against controversial anti-Islam film.
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Karachi 07 Su entry test on october 21 and november 4 HYDERABAD APP
Sindh University Jamshoro, would conduct entry tests for Post Graduate programmes on October 21 and for Graduate programmes on November 4. Admissions tests for Master/ Ms and M.Phil Degree Programmes will be conducted at Jamshoro, Badin, Thatta and Dadu Campuses on October 21. Admission tests for Bachelor Programmes will be conducted Jamshoro, elsa Qazi Ahmed, Hyderabad, Badin, Thatta and Dadu Campuses on November 4.
dc central directs officials to take steps on leP work
BAcK oN trAcK: New bogeys at cantt Station promise relief to passengers. OnLine
need for developing tourism stressed KARACHI APP
Rehabilitation of historic monuments, cultural heritage sights and recreational places need to be done on an urgent basis to promote tourism in the country said Sindh Minister for Tourism, Muhammad Ali Malkani. Ali Malkani.was addressing a gathering as chief guest at a ceremony held in connection with the World Tourism Day. Malkani said that 1.2 million tourists visit Keenjhar Lake every year. He added that Gorakh Hill is also an attractive spot for the tourists but the ministry does not have funds to pave roads leading up to the hills. The event was held under the auspices of the Sindh Tourism Development Corporation (STDC). The Managing Director of the Corporation, Manzoor Kanasro, and Sindh Secretary Tourism, Naseer Jamali, also spoke on the occasion. Later, Malkani distributed certificates among the students who attended certificate courses offered by the Pakistan Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management.
63 years of communism Chinese Consul general Zhang Jianxin, hosts a reception to mark 63 years of communist party rule
KARACHI APP
Partially cloudy weather likely KARAcH: The Met Office has forecasted a partly cloudy weather for the metropolis today The maximum temperature is forecasted to be 33 centigrade whereas the minimum temperature is forecasted to be 25 degree centigrade.Hot and dry weather is forecasted for the rest of Sindh. APP
development works to be reviewed KARAcHI: Sindh Works and Services Department Secretary, Shahid Pervez, will preside over a meeting to review development works pertaining to roads of Hyderabad division in the office of Sindh Chief engineer Highways, today. The secretary would also preside over a meeting of member Building Sectors to review progress on development schemes of the division at 3.00 p.m. He will also visit the Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas Dual Carriage Way and hold meetings with Development and Project Managers to review the progress on ongoing projects tomorrow. StAFF rePort
naval chief visits creek area
rangers conduct raids Pakistan Rangers Sindh (PRS) conducted raids in different areas of the city and recovered ammunition, narcotics and arrested more than a dozen criminals. Per details, PRS conducted raids in Muhammad Para, Purana Golimar and Kati Pahari areas, arrested 10 criminals and seized a large quantity of weapons and narcotics. In another raid in Kokan Colony of Baldia Town rangers arrested a man and recovered a heavy consignment of weapons from his hideout. In Muslim Colony of Landhi, rangers raided at an illegally operating wine factory and recovered 189 Litres of moon shine, a wine filtration plant along with 15 kilogrammes (KG) of Hashish.
KARAcHI: District Central Deputy Commissioner, Saif-ur-Rehman has directed the officials concerned to remove the hurdles resulting in non execution of work on the remaining portion of Lyari expressway Project (LeP). He was presiding over a meeting of the officials designated on the LeP. The project has been halted for more than a couple of years due to non compliance of property owners to evacuate their properties despite being offered compensation by the authorities. The project was part of the master plan of Mustafa Kamal’s mayor ship to ease the traffic problems in the city. APP
KARACHI
A
StAFF rePort
DDReSSING the gathering Zhang Jianxin said that “China and Pakistan play very important and key roles in the region and both countries should work even more closely as friendship between the
two countries was higher than the Himalyas, deeper than the oceans, sweeter than honey and stronger than steel. Our close ties and unique relationship is based on mutual respect and close cooperation in all fields.” Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah was chief guest on the occasion and in his address said that “Pakistan China friendship was exemplary and
China was a true friend of Pakistan”. He underscored that both countries pursued identical policies on many issues and were closely cooperating in many fields. Members of Sindh cabinet, Senior Military Officials, Businessmen and people hailing from various segments of the society including Fatima Bhutto were in attendance.
KARAcHI: Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Mohammad Asif Sandila visited forward bases of Pakistan navy at Creek Area to monitor war games Sea Spark 12. Naval Chief inspected forward basis of Pakistan Marines in creek areas. He was briefed by commanders of respective teams regarding the strategies they had adopted to complete their missions. The chief applauded navy’s defense tactics and maneuverability in narrow sea lanes of the creeks. Marines exhibited their masterly skills in demo raids, ambushes and coordinated efforts with the Army and the Air Force. Asif Sandila stressed upon the importance of safeguarding the strategically located creeks for those living inland. He appreciated the overall operational preparedness of the troops in carrying out the tasks given to them. StAFF rePort
JAPAN GRANTS RS 6.5 MILLION TO HOPE KARACHI StAFF rePort
The Japanese government has granted Rs 6.5 million for improving educational standards at vocational training institute at Korangi. The amount is released for expansion of health oriented preventive educational vocational training center at Korangi. The project was started in 1989 with the funding of Japan and till date has provided manpower for Health department in the province. A statement issued by the Japanese consulate said that “the cooperation will continue and we have completed more than 200 projects in Pakistan under the banner of the organization HOPe”.
Saturday, 29 September, 2012
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08 karachi weatHer uPdateS
33 °c High 0c 25 low
Sunny
Sunday
monday
tueSday
33°c i 25°c
34°c i 25°c
37°c i 25°c
Prayer timingS fajr Sunrise 04:30 05:54
zuhr 12:39
asr 16:04
maghrib 19:22
isha 20:47
city directory emergency HelP reScue 1122 edHi control 115, 32310066, 2310077 motorway Police 130 Police 15 goVernor’S HouSe 136 cHief miniSter’S HouSe 99202051 fire brigade 16, 99215007-8 bomb diSPoSal 15, 99212667 red creScent 35833973 KHidmat-e-KHalq foundation 36333811
HoSPitalS abbaSi SHaHeed ciVil JinnaH nicVd agHa KHan tabba
99260400-09 99215749, 99215960 99201300-39 99201271-6 34930051 36811841-50
blood banK HuSSaini fatimid Pwa
32238405-8 32225284, 32258656 99215740, 32735214
comPlaint KeSc Sui gaS Ptcl KwSb cdgK
118 1199, 99231603 1218 1339 134
railwayS enquiry city Station cantt Station
117, 99213565-6 99213538 99201118
airPort fligHt enquiry Pia reSerVation
114 111-786-786
collegeS / uniVerSitieS KaracHi uniVerSity ned uniVerSity fuuaSt duHS Smic faSt-nu SzabiSt iobm iba iVS
99261300-06 99261261-8 99244141-9 99215754-7 99217501-3 111128128, 34100541-7 111922478 35090961-7 111422422 35861039-40
Saturday, 29 September, 2012
SAFety FIrSt: containers close Netty Jetty Bridge for traffic in the build up to the demonstration rally against the much hyped blasphemous film. OnLine
Scared of going to your college? You should be Deteriorating law and order situation means going to colleges is ‘life threatening’ KARACHI AAMIr MAJeeD
W
ORSeNING law and order situation and division of metropolis on ethno-territorial grounds has made it difficult for the government to run its educational institutions due to limited number of enrolments. Centralized Admission Policy (CAP), an authority which grants admissions to students in government colleges of the city, had failed to ensure enrolment of students in public colleges and higher secondary schools due to prevailing law and order situation in some of the city areas. Last month, CAP announced admissions in all government-run colleges and higher secondary schools but there were some public educational institutions where students were reluctant to get admission due to life threats. On Friday, CAP issued list of 30 colleges and higher secondary schools where seats were still available despite announcement of placement list of all groups. The authority also welcomed those candidates for admission who failed in one or two subjects in Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination 2012 but their admission would be confirmed or they would be enrolled for Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC) examination once they pass all subjects in the SSC supplementary examination. Sindh Director General (DG) Colleges Prof Dr Nasir Ansar has announced that some seats are available in 30 government-run colleges and the higher secondary schools. The girls colleges are: Govt Degree Girls College Orangi Town Sector 11 ½, Govt Degree Girls College Ibrahim Hyderi, Govt Degree Girls College Shah Faisal Colony, Govt Degree
Girls College Landhi Mill Area, Govt Degree Girls College Metrovill SITe, Govt Degree Girls College Quaid-e-Millat, Govt Inter Girls College Lyari, Govt Degree Girls College, Baldia Town, Dukhtar-eMashriq Govt Girls College Jamshaid Road, Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, Govt Girls College Manzoor Colony, Govt Degree Girls College Qasba Colony, Govt Degree Girls College Sector 11-C Orangi Town, Govt Degree Girls College Surjani Town, Govt Degree Girls College Safora Goth, Jan Muhammad Brohi Govt Degree Girls College Gulshan-e-Mayamar, Govt Degree Girls College Pak Colony and Govt Degree Girls College Buffer Zone. The boys colleges are: Govt Degree Boys College Konkar Gadap, Govt Degree Boys College Surjani Town, Govt Degree Boys College Manghopir, Govt Degree Boys College Baldia Town, Govt Degree Boys College Razzakabad, Govt Degree Boys College Murad Memon Goth, Govt Degree Boys College Shams Pir Baba Bith, Govt Degree Boys College Jungle Shah Kemari, Govt Degree Science and Commerce College Lyari, Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Govt Boys College Behar Colony, Govt Degree Boys College SITe, Govt Degree Boys College Asifabad and Govt Haji Abdullah Haroon Government College. These above mentioned colleges and higher secondary schools are situated in highly volatile areas of city. These colleges are situated in Orangi Town, Surjani Town, Kemari Town, Lyari Town, Landhi Town, Baldia Town and Malir Town which are considered as the highly volatile towns of the city. The government has deputed a large number of teachers and non-teaching force in these colleges and high secondary schools but students were reluctant for getting admission due to security risk. Talking to Pakistan Today, ex-Pakhtun Students Federation (PkSF) President Ismail Mehsud
"exercies iN imagiNNg ...
date: SePt 25 - oct 04, 2012
said that some of government colleges in the metropolis have become no-go areas for Pakhtun students. “The Pakhtun students avoid taking admissions in Urdu-speaking majority areas and if they get admissions as per criteria of CAP, their parents do not allow them to go to colleges,” he added. “If they would get admissions in sensitive areas, then they approach DG Colleges Sindh to allow them to attend classes in safer areas, but they have to go to collect admit cards in sensitive colleges where they are harassed,” he maintained. “When the scared candidates go to centres in Urdu-speaking areas for exam, they are tortured by criminal elements because of which some students drop their papers,” he alleged. A local leader of All Pakistan Muttaheda Students Organization (APMSO) has also expressed similar concerns. He said Urdu-speaking students also avoid going to government colleges in Orangi, Surjani, Quaidabad, Landhi and particularly Lyari. “The students then write to DG Colleges Sindh to allow them to take classes in safer colleges, but they have to face consequences at centres during the exam,” he asserted. “Without naming any of college, he said, criminal elements in Lyari harassed students of different ethnic groups and the students of the every linguistic group avoid taking admissions in colleges of Lyari Town,” he added. Sindh DG Colleges Prof Dr Nasir Ansar said the students were fearful to take admissions in these colleges due to prevailing law and order situation. In these colleges, some were established recently and students avoid taking admissions in the newly-established colleges and educational institutes and preferred established educational institutes, he said, adding the parents do not allow girls to get admissions in some of the city’s colleges due to security reasons.
solo sHow
date: SePt 26 - oct 26, 2012
gHaliB maDe easy
date: tHurSday, 7:00 Pm, weeKly eVent
Venue: canVaS gallery
Venue: KunJ art gallery
Venue: tHe Second floor (t2f)
anwar Saeed ´S new SHow ”eXerciSeS in imagining tHe otHer”, StartS at canVaS gallery on SePtember 25tH 2012 from 5 Pm - 8 Pm. anwar Saeed iS an eStabliSHed artiSt wHo iS a faculty member at ...
little, if anything, deters the artist meerza ali from creating the way he does. even though he had suffered a serious illness only too recently, that he didn´t think that he´d survive. whose solo exhibition opens Kunj on September 26, 2012 at 5:30 pm. and the artist , who was born in calcutta, migrated to Pakistan in 1948. whose father himself, was an artist. who had never taught meerza ali, thought. So the artist acquired the skills that he needed on his own. who has done especially well with calligraphy and his beautiful figurative work.
Join us at t2f every wednesday for interactive sessions on mirza ghalib’s poetry, conducted by author and translator, musharraf ali farooqi. ghalib made easy by @micromafthe poetry of mirza ghalib (27 december 1797 – 15 february 1869) has been considered complex, abstract and difficult to comprehend. even for ghalib’s contemporaries, his language and imagery presented a challenge.
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Foreign News 09
Syria’s Aleppo rattled by ‘unprecedented’ fighting ALEPPO
R
AFP
eBeLS unleashed an unprecedented barrage of mortar fire against troops in Aleppo on Friday after announcing a “decisive” battle for Syria’s second city, residents and a watchdog said. Shells crashed down at a steady rate and clashes were widespread, leaving layers of dust and smoke over Aleppo, according to the residents of the northern city and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. “The fighting is unprecedented and has not stopped since Thursday. The clashes used to be limited to one or two blocks of a district, but now the fighting is on several fronts,” the Observatory’s Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP. Residents in neighborhoods previously spared the worst of the two-month-old battle for Aleppo also told AFP the violence was “unprecedented”. “The sound from the fighting... has been non-stop,” said a resident of the central district of Sulimaniyeh, who only identified himself as Ziad. “everyone is terrified. I have never heard anything like this before.” The fighting had decreased in intensity by the afternoon, the Observatory and an AFP reporter said. “Clashes are continuing at a steady pace in some areas and subsiding in others,” said Abdel Rahman. “It seems the rebels have brought in reinforcements and ammunition from all areas of Syria,” he said. But he noted the battles were not yielding major gains for either side: “Neither the regime nor the rebels are able to gain a decisive advantage.” The outgunned rebels, a rag-tag army made up of mutinous soldiers and civilians who have taken up arms to oust President
19 killed as Everest-bound plane crashes in Nepal KATHMANDU AFP
Bashar al-Assad’s regime, declared an all-out assault for Aleppo on Thursday. “Tonight, Aleppo will be ours or we will be defeated,” Abu Furat, a rebel commander, told AFP as several thousand fighters went on the offensive in the city. Afterwards, an AFP correspondent said mortars were fired about every 15 minutes into army-held areas, including Sulimaniyeh and Sayyid Ali. “This is the first time I have seen something like this in Sayyid Ali,” another resident told AFP on condition of anonymity. “One of the mortars hit a residential building and killed four people from the same family, including an old man and a young child. We tried to carry them away to bring them to the hospital but they were already dead,” added the resident. In northern Damascus, meanwhile, Assad’s forces attacked several rebel areas on Friday, said the Observatory. “Regime forces stormed the neighborhoods of Barzeh, Jubar and Qaboon in Damascus, cutting off streets and breaking into and raiding houses. They arrested a large number of residents,” it said. The Local Coordination Committees activist network said “a large number of soldiers and tanks have deployed throughout” Barzeh district and that “the sound of gunfire can be heard, and families in the neighborhood are in panic.” On Thursday, the Observatory said at least 128 people were killed in violence nationwide, including 78 civilians. The conflict has dominated proceedings at the UN General Assembly in New York, where UN and Arab leaders expressed concerns the country could become a “regional battleground.” UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Arab League leader Nabil al-Arabi and special envoy Lakhdar Brahimi voiced those fears as they met at UN headquarters to discuss “the appalling levels of violence,” said a UN spokesman.
KAtHMANDu: People look at the wreckage of the Sita Air Dornier plane crash site in Manohara, on the outskirts of Kathmandu, on Friday. aFp
Dozens escape in deadly raid on iraqi prison TIKRIT AFP
Dozens of prisoners were on the loose on Friday after militants attacked a prison in the Iraqi city of Tikrit, leaving at least 13 policemen dead, officials said. The violence at the prison comes after Al-Qaeda’s Iraqi front group announced a campaign to regain territory and said it aimed to help its jailed members escape. Salaheddin provincial deputy governor Ahmed Abdul Jabbar told AFP by telephone that the Tikrit prison had been retaken from militants who seized it on Thursday night, but that 83 prisoners escaped. A hospital official in Tikrit, the ancestral home of now-executed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, said 13 police were killed and 34 wounded in the violence. A source in the Salaheddin police command said, meanwhile, that 15 po-
licemen and seven prisoners were killed, and put the number of escaped prisoners at about 100. “We took control of the prison, and the gunmen handed over their weapons,” the official said. Accounts differed on the specifics of the unrest, but it appears militants attacked from outside the prison, while inmates may have seized weapons from guards inside. A police lieutenant colonel said Thursday that a suicide bomber detonated a car bomb at the gate of the prison, after which it was assaulted by gunmen. And a traffic police lieutenant colonel who was near the scene of the attack said militants blew up part of the prison fence, and between 30 and 40 inmates were able to escape. A police colonel said riots broke out in the prison, while witnesses said inmates seized the guards’ weapons, and that more than 100 of them escaped and fought security forces in the surrounding area.
A plane flying 19 people towards Mount everest went down in flames on the outskirts of the Nepalese capital Friday, killing everyone on board including seven Britons and five Chinese, police said. The twin-propeller Sita Air plane had just taken off from Kathmandu and was headed to the town of Lukla, gateway to the world’s highest mountain, when it plunged into the banks of a river near the city’s airport around daybreak. Witnesses described hearing the screams of passengers and seeing flames coming from one of the plane’s wings moments before it hit the ground, while airport authorities said the pilot had reported hitting a bird shortly after take off. “We could hear people inside the aircraft screaming, but we couldn’t throw water at the plane to put out the fire because we were scared that the engines were about to explode,” Tulasha Pokharel, a 26-year-old housewife who said she one of the first on the scene, told AFP. emergency workers lined up the corpses — which included seven Nepalese along with the Britons and Chinese — near the smouldering wreckage as they picked through passengers’ belongings to identify the dead. A crowd of thousands quickly gathered around the riverbank less than a kilometre (half a mile) from the airport, with many shocked bystanders clutching prayer beads and wailing in anguish as they surveyed the devastation.
Five dead in Minnesota shooting rampage CHICAGO AFP
Christians flee egypt town after death threats CAIRO AFP
Several Christian families have fled their homes in egypt’s Sinai peninsula after receiving death threats from suspected Islamist militants, officials and residents told AFP on Friday. Last week, flyers began circulating in the town of Rafah on the Gaza Strip border demanding that its tiny Coptic population move out, residents said. Officials at the local church informed
the authorities of the threats, but no action was taken, they added. Days later, a shop belonging to one of the families was fired on with automatic rifles, witnesses said. The events prompted the families to leave Rafah but there were conflicting accounts over whether they had done so voluntarily or been evicted. “The families have left Rafah and gone to el-Arish,” one official said on condition of anonymity. Another official denied that any Cop-
tic families had left at all. Representatives of the families, many of whom hold government jobs as well private businesses, sat down with the governor of North Sinai earlier this week and asked to be transferred to the nearby town of Al-Arish, the official said. The events come amid heightened sectarian tensions in the country, particularly in the lawless Sinai peninsula where the armed forces launched an unprecedented campaign in August to root out Islamic militants.
Father Mikhail Antoine of el-Arish church told AFP “the families moved voluntarily because they feared for their lives after the threats.” He said the Coptic population of North Sinai numbered 5,000 to 6,000, adding that around seven Coptic families had been living in Rafah before the move. Copts have been nervous since Islamists came to power following an uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak last year.
A gunman opened fire at a small business in the northern US state of Minnesota, killing four people before turning the gun on himself and dying of a self-inflicted gunshot, police said Friday. The shooting on Thursday took place just after 4:30 pm inside Accent Signage Systems, a company employing about 25 people which makes signs for companies. The Minneapolis Star Tribune newspaper, which said four other people were wounded in the rampage, wrote that the gunman allegedly was a disgruntled former employee who recently had been fired from the company. It said the owner of the business was among the dead.
Israel PM’s Iran bomb sketch makes headlines at home JERUSALEM AFP
Israel’s media on Friday splashed their front pages with pictures of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu literally drawing a red line for Iran on a bomb diagram at the United Nations General Assembly. But while some commentators took jabs at the cartoonish visual aid, they said Netanyahu had scored a major PR coup, winning global headlines while setting a deadline that could help ease tense relations with the White House. In a piece entitled “Bibi Boom,” Nahum Barnea of the Yediot Aharonot newspaper said Netanyahu “went back to basics, to the comic book drawings of his childhood.” “He did well, because despite all the mocking of various individuals of little faith, the images of the Israeli prime minister and the bomb will be
broadcast in every new edition around the world,” Barnea wrote. Yossi Verter in the left-leaning Haaretz daily referred to the visual aid as “a cute drawing of a bomb with a fuse, that looked like it was copied from an American comic book or from a Walt Disney cartoon.” But he pointed out that the simplistic presentation would resonate with “people who don’t have the patience for long words or in-depth discussions of centrifuges and enriched uranium and detonators.” “He did what he does best: He took a complex, amorphous topic and made it simpler, more tangible, more easily absorbed and understood.” Ofer Shelah, writing in the Maariv daily, acknowledged the stunt “succeeded in taking the cameras by storm.” “But one does not eliminate an Iranian nuclear threat by gimmicks and speeches,” he warned.
“One does so by joint efforts, in intimate consultations with the administration in Washington and the US president... whom Netanyahu would like so badly to see in November shedding tears and conceding defeat.” Netanyahu has publicly aired his differences with President Barack Obama’s administration over Iran’s nuclear programme, criticising Washington for failing to set its own “red lines” that would trigger military action against Tehran. He had been coy about whether Israel would take unilateral military action against Iran — which Washington opposes — before the upcoming presidential election. But his speech before
the General Assembly on Thursday, and comments made by officials close to him before the address, sounded a more conciliatory note to the United States, emphasising common ground. And commentators noted that Netanyahu effectively ruled out any Israeli attack on Iran before the November 6 vote in the United States.
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10 Comment isolated we stand
Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami
Not many reliable friends or allies
Arif Nizami Editor Lahore – Ph: 042-36298305-10 Fax: 042-36298302 Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9 Fax: 021-35381208 Islamabad – Ph: 051-2287414-6 Fax: 051-2287417 Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk
mengal’s modest proposals Another Six Points, as the history would have it
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By Arif Nizami
hen Sheikh Mujibur Rehman presented his Six-Point Program of regional autonomy, it met with denunciations from West Pakistan. even a cursory reading of Awami League’s six points today would convince most of the follies of the politicians and the generals who rejected it and thus paved the way for the separation of east Pakistan. The trauma that the country had to pass through subsequently has left many, though not all, wiser. Mainstream parties, civil rights organizations, the lawyers bodies and courts have expressed deep concern over enforced disappearances. The visit of the UN Working Group on enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGeID) has internationalized the issue. What is happening in Balochistan is no secret any more. Human rights bodies have published enough evidence incriminating those behind the acts of enforced disappearances and of dumping of dead bodies. The statements by the victims’ relatives before the Supreme Court have removed whatever doubts still persisted. A high ranking police officer produced a CCTV footage before the court showing men in FC uniform forcibly taking away missing persons Relatives have named officers of the agencies avowedly involved in the acts. Military officers leading the FC raids have been identified. Arrest warrants for a former chief of ISI Balochistan have been issued in a missing person’s case. At the apex court’s hearing on Wenesday, CJ Iftikhar Chaudhry bluntly directed the ISI and MI to abolish their death squads. The report by the Chief Secretary Balochistan presented before the SC on Thursday however indicates the persistence of a state of denial on the part of the establishment. The rigmarole cannot go on for long. The establishment would be harming the federation and defaming the country if it was to continue to cling to its present posture. The clumsy way the agencies shadowed the WGeID and gathered information about those who met the Working Group has sent a highly negative signal abroad. There is a need to heed to Akhtar Mengal’s six points. What the former chief minister of Balochstan demands is by no means unreasonable. Stoppage of covert and overt military operations and rehabilitation of thousands of Balochis who have been dislocated in the process are modest calls. So are the demands for the production of the missing persons and bringing to justice those responsible for torture, killing and dumping of bodies. As far as Akhtar Mengal’s demand to end the agencies’ role in politics is concerned, this was strongly endorsed by the leaders of mainstream parties at their meeting with the CeC on Thursday.
candid corner By Raoof Hasan
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resident Zardari’s lament while addressing the UN General Assembly that military strongmen are given red carpet treatment while those who have struggled for democracy are ignored by the West will fall on deaf ears. Perhaps the president was obliquely hinting that Obama did not give him time on the sidelines of the General Assembly session on the pretext that he was too busy in his re-election campaign. It is a justified complaint. Despite strained relations of the past one and a half years Islamabad is supposed to be Washington’s ally. The highest-ranking US official to meet the president in New York was Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Her Pakistani counterpart Hina Rabbani Khar had met her only last week in Washington. Hence, strictly speaking, there was no urgent need for the president to stretch the limits of protocol by meeting Clinton. Admittedly the past four years have seen a consistent downward slide in the US-Pakistan relations. During the period, Islamabad has been downgraded from an ally and a friend to a “frenemy”. After the killing of Osama bin Laden last May at Abbottabad by US Navy SeALs in a clandestine operation, the rot became apparent. And the Salala incident was the last straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back. His ultra-conservative opponents have accused Obama of being a closet Muslim. By most accounts, at college he had numerous Pakistani friends. As a student he even visited Karachi. Nonetheless, he is tougher on Pakistan than his predecessors. Most people suffering from the “victim syndrome” perceive the downward slide as a result of American policies towards Pakistan, and successive governments kowtowing to its dictates. The approval ratings of the US, one of the lowest in the world
are cited as an example. The former US ambassador to Islamabad Cameron Munter feels otherwise. He thinks that Pakistan has, more than any other country he has served in 30 years of Foreign Service, latent pro-Americanism. The good ambassador resigned from his post before the end of his tenure in sheer frustration at the manner in which US policymakers were handling Pakistan. The mayhem witnessed on the streets of Pakistan last Friday and calls from mainstream parties to sever the US connection however tell a different story. Munter’s recipe for the two countries to break out of competing narrative and traditional “bilateralness” remains a forlorn hope. Our flawed strategic paradigm is generally blamed for the drift in relations between Washington and Islamabad. This criticism, although partly justified, does not absolve the civilians of the blame. In the field of diplomacy, like in other areas, the present government has taken the path of least resistance. If its successive foreign ministers look towards the GHQ for guidance, why blame the diplomats? A case in point is the UN itself. Our permanent representative Abdullah Hussain Haroon is a political appointee who resigned his post a year ago. By his own admission, Haroon is a proactive candidate for the caretaker prime minister’s post. On his recent nottoo-infrequent visit to Pakistan he has been extremely critical of his own government’s US policy. According to him, Pakistan is all too willing to kowtow to US demands. Obviously with his eyes on the top slot, Mr Haroon’s heart is not in his job. At a time when Pakistan is a member of the UN Security Council it is rather unfortunate. Haroon considers Husain Haqqani, the controversial former Pakistani ambassador to the US, as a security risk. Ironically, his closest buddy amongst the UN diplomats is the Indian Permanent Representative. There has been a lot of talk about Islamabad opening new foreign policy options, instead of being solely dependent on Washington. We already enjoy an ideal relationship with China. But as events have proved relations between states no matter how close have their limitations. No one is willing to bail us out from the consequences of our own flawed policies. even China is weary of the Pakistani Taliban knocking at its doors. And Russia is no exception either. In a sense, there is a
wide consensus in the world that Islamabad should stop pandering to jihadist groups and come down hard on them. Russian President Vladimir Putin cancelling his scheduled visit to Islamabad is a big setback. The visit would have been the first ever by a Russian head of state. It could have been a game changer by providing a long overdue reset in Pakistan-Russia relations. Putin’s ostensible warming up towards Pakistan after decades of neglect had sent jitters across the border. New Delhi has now relatively a much cozier relations with Washington. Being cash rich it has diversified its arms procurement drive, rather than being solely dependent on Moscow. Putin in his letter to Zardari has hoped that he would be happy to receive him in Russia. This means that, for security reasons or otherwise, Putin is not going to visit Pakistan anytime soon. According to media reports, Russia’s giant oil conglomerate Gazprom is interested in participating in the construction of Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline as well as the proposed Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan gas pipeline. Hopefully, the Chief of Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani’s proposed visit to Moscow is still on. According to reports, Russia is keen to sell arms to Pakistan. As is evident, Moscow becoming the new sugar daddy of Pakistan has severe limitations. Having been India’s traditional ally for decades as well as being its biggest arms supplier, New Delhi’s clout in Moscow remains strong. On the other hand, Russia also knows that the deep differences notwithstanding, Pakistan’s military and civilian leadership is largely dependent on the US for economic survival as well as military hardware. Despite scaling back, intelligence and security sharing with the US still runs deep. Moscow is highly suspicious of Islamabad’s strategic paradigm. It is evident that despite our policymakers’ own sense of Pakistan’s strategic importance, internationally speaking and in the region, we stand virtually isolated. Apart from China (its limitations notwithstanding) we cannot count on very many reliable friends and allies. The need of the hour is to develop a new concord by engaging in a dialogue not only with the traditional doorkeepers but with the people of Pakistan as well. The national security state that we are, is no longer working. The writer is Editor, Pakistan Today
Of dual-nationality holders et al Afflicted with moral decay, the system needs to be re-invented
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he Supreme Court decision to initiate criminal proceedings against twelve legislators for filing false declarations with their nomination papers is a move in the right direction. Concurrently, it throws up innumerable other irregularities that are being committed in the absence of regulations to govern politics as well as people who want to practice the profession in the country. What is alarming is that the interior minister of the country first hid the truth about his dual nationality by submitting a false statement with his nomination form and, when confronted by the apex court, continued telling lies for over two years saying that he had renounced his British citizenship. Stripped of his seat in the senate and consequently his place in the cabinet, he was immediately reinducted as advisor for interior with the status of a federal minister. Thereafter, he conveniently changed his stance stating that he had ‘applied’ for renunciation of his British citizenship thus conceding that he had been lying all this while. The court was left with no option but to judge him under article 62 (f) which states that, for becoming a member of the parliament, one has to be ‘sagacious, righteous, non-profligate, honest and ameen”. Obviously, the
Saturday, 29 September, 2012
interior minister did not measure up to the requirements. The court has ordered for initiation of legal proceedings against him and eleven other legislators under section 78 of the Representation of the People Act, 1976, read with section 82 of the Act and sections 193, 196, 198 and 199 of the Pakistan Penal Code. The question that arises relates to the total absence of a moral (and legal?) base in the decision making of the federal government which, instead of punishing the interior minister for having subverted the truth so blatantly and for so long, immediately rewarded him with a ministerial slot. How can a government, shorn of even the most rudimentary respect for the rule of law, be allowed to continue in the saddle and what, if any, are the measures that the state can take to block such a recourse by an errant administration? As we have seen in the last three years, since the advent of an independent judiciary, the government has tried to block every move of the apex court to enforce the rule of law. The government’s measures have ranged from outright affront to ridicule heaped on the judiciary and the honourable judges through its nominated representatives for the purpose. Now that the decision regarding
the ineligibility of the dual-nationality holders to sit in the parliament has finally come, the next question that needs to be addressed is the nature and scope of their role in both controlling and participating in national politics as leaders or members of political parties while sitting abroad and holding the nationality of another country. The question has both moral and legal dimensions which the court should move to address. I am personally aware of many such people who occupy senior positions in political parties, thus managing to impact the decision-making processes of these outfits while their sworn loyalties belong with another country. The most conspicuous case is that of the MQM Quaid, Altaf Hussain who, once he had acquired it, was photographed proudly displaying his British passport. In spite of having sworn allegiance to another country, he has continued to ‘rule’ the MQM as well as dictate its policies and, consequently, control the fate of Karachi and Hyderabad from his fortress in the UK. After the SC decision to address the inherent anomaly in the dual-nationality issue, the MQM case assumes enhanced relevance in the context whether political parties can continue to function under the tutelage
of a foreign national? Or, put in a different perspective, can people who are ineligible to become members of the legislatures be allowed to control political parties with or without representation in the parliament? It is a moral question all right, but it also has serious legal undertones. Another issue that is equally relevant is one of leaders whose families have assumed a foreign country’s nationality. Is it humanly possible for a person to remain committed to safeguarding the interests of a country in spite of being emotionally divided as his/her family has sworn allegiance to another country? If not completely impossible, it would generate its pressures that may be difficult to handle when confronted with a basic conflict of interest. And, should such people be allowed to continue performing major roles in defining a country’s policies? There would be arguments that there are no constitutional bars to such functions as the document has no clause that would debar dual-nationals from being members or leaders of political parties in Pakistan. There is also nothing in the political parties’ constitutions that would take away the right to lead political parties from people with divided loyalties. My argument is that whether
such a time has actually come to define the parameters whereby a person would be rendered eligible or ineligible to lead a political party in the country. I understand that such stipulations make a principal part of the constitutions of other countries, particularly in the developed world, that define the eligibility of people to lead political parties. It is in the moral sustainability of a country or a nation that one looks for avenues of growth and progress. A system that is afflicted with moral decay is usually regressive in essence and quite unfit to guide its people to salvation. Our system has all the attenuations of being a decaying formulation which has to be re-invented by taking bold initiatives to free it from contradictions that are impacting its growth in becoming a viable and vibrant guide to the future. Now that the SC has come forth with a brave injunction, the opening should be utilised by the civil society leaders and opinion-moulders operating in various fields to lead the way to ridding the country of such decay that can cause an erosion and eventual annulment of its moral base. The writer is a political analyst. He can be reached at raoofhasan@hotmail.com
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Editor’s mail Send your letters to: Letters to Editor, Pakistan Today, 4-shaarey Fatima Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan. Fax: +92-42-36298302. E-mail: letters@pakistantoday.com.pk. Letters should be addressed to Pakistan Today exclusively.
it is high time We tend to criticize one another or institutions or even circumstances under which we breathe and I think we have done enough. It is high time that we take a U-turn and start rebuilding and recuperating our condition. As a student of economics I know it is hard to break a vicious circle but I also know it is not impossible. We will have to pick up a thread to weave back the tattered fabric. Many thinkers will suggest several methods to begin with. There can be an endless debate on where to start? The work is stupendous but let’s take a start from one point. The starting point is to establish nationalism in our country. Let us begin with teaching and professing national spirit. Let Pakistanisation begin at all levels. We are Muslims and that’s it. We are Punjabi, Pakhtun or Sindhi or Balochi that’s it. We are Shias Sunnis or Braillvi or Naqshbandis, that’s it. Let us be Pakistanis. Let us inculcate the true spirit of Pakistan and independence. Let us rise above these petty things that we have divided ourselves with. For this I urge the present government to begin by taking off TV screens that ‘sindh ki tarraqi tou Pakistan ki tarraqi’ advertisement. It is a senseless advert and promotes provincialism. Immediately after that advert we see Karachi simmering and upper Sindh in knee-high flood waters. If that advert is being shown and developed to please MQM, then MQM should know that Mohajirs ceased to be Mohajirs 65 years ago. Let us for a change be Pakistanis. aMJad H MIRZa Lahore
Professional ethics I read a news item that a US general will be facing court martial on charges that include forced sex, possessing pornography and alcohol while deployed and misusing a government travel charge card while serving in Afghanistan. The news has two points: first this shows how much the US Army is frustrated in Afghanistan as many US soldiers have committed suicides in Afghanistan (more than 1,200 US soldiers have killed themselves). The second point is that whatsoever the US Army does to other people, they maintain discipline in their own rank and file as the above mentioned army general will be facing court martial. In Pakistan it is still a surprise when an army officer faces court martial. MUBasHIR MaHMood Karachi
we need introspection After production of the infamous movie followed by violent reaction in several Muslim countries, there have been calls that we need to do some introspecting to find out why we are always at conflict with other religious communities whether these are Christians, Jews, Hindus or Buddhists. Barring rare incidents, other communities have learned to live peacefully, and co-exist in a number of societies. Reference several op-ed columns and letters, I want to express shock on few writings which show off pride, while comparing with other societies, our family values, invariably blaming others not having such values. We need to understand that no religion warrants teenage pregnancies,
extramarital relationships, children out of wed lock, abortions, old people as destitute, unwanted children on the street etc; if there is any please enlighten the readers. All these evils have nothing to do with religion as every religion asks its followers to lead a simple, family-oriented life. Industrial revolution in the West changed the societies over there —- instead of extended families, nuclear families concept emerged as workers have to extensively travel and live away from hometowns/ family homes. Later even these nuclear family units also started breaking down but we can’t generalize the issue to blame all the non-Muslim societies. It’s same as we shouldn’t generalize
when we find deep rooted scars and issues in those Muslim societies still run by tribal cultures and values (of course justifying these evils in the name of religion) —- don’t we know about underage marriages, marriages without girls’ consent, settling of disputes by giving girls and women ( who virtually live a slave life in the other tribe), young girls marriages to old men for money, bridegroom paying bride’ family – if all these evils have nothing to do with Islam, then why blame other religions. Yes, we need to do introspecting, but starting it from a false standing will not do any help. Masood KHan Jubail, saudi arabia
whiteLIeS by ess aich
is this a tit-for-tat?
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ot on the heels of the social media mudfest regarding the Punjab CM’s matters matrimonial come rumors of a key cabinet member’s decision to marry, no less, the boy who would be king. True, the latest rumors were started by a Bangladeshi rag, the news itself is being spread around by the certain overzealous elements on the other side of the political divide. The poor (figuratively speaking) minister’s businessman husband has vehemently denied the news. But it ain’t over till the slim lady sings.
Putin’s visit to Pakistan The postponement of Russian president’s visit to Pakistan is a bad news for all those who considered this visit as a major driver in finding a regional solution to the Afghan problem. This visit along with the trilateral meeting between Pakistan, Russia and Afghanistan was being seen as an important ‘game changer event’ in the context of the ‘new great game’ being played by various internal and external stake holders in Afghanistan. For retaining ground troops in Afghanistan in a post 2014 scenario the US interest is focused on seeking and securing Soviet-era military bases in Afghanistan. US has also not disclosed or revealed the likely number of troops it is to leave behind after the troops withdrawal in 2014. The uncertain and unpredictable political situation in Afghanistan may necessitate the presence of a far greater number of foreign troops then what the US plans and the world perceive. Yet whatever be the number of troops the transit routes that will ferry the supplies for these troops will be under the control of Russia or Pakistan. This means a lot to US and any efforts on part of Russia and Pakistan to coordinate their approach and push forward any alternative regional security plans will be viewed with suspicion by US which will consider its interests being challenged. Russia is perceived to lead a regional strategy (an alternative strategy) which includes developing comprehensive partnerships with the neighboring states of Afghanistan as well as the Central Asian States in preparation of the post-2014 scenario in Afghanistan. Already Russia and Tajikistan have agreed on the terms of the continued presence of Russia’s 201 Motorized Division for another 30year period in Tajikistan. US is also hoping to secure basing facilities in Tajikistan. To do this US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is due to visit Dushanbe in the third week of October. A visit also by Putin to Dushanbe in the month of October is an indicator of the importance the world powers are now associating to the
neighboring countries of Afghanistan as the date of drawdown of foreign troops from Afghanistan nears. Uzbekistan is the other valuable stake holder in the regional solution which has become an important logistics hub for International Security Forces-Afghanistan (ISAF). Seventy-five percent of all supplies for ISAF transported by ground now cross the Uzbek border. If in future there ever is a shutdown of a supply route from Pakistan the significance of Uzbekistan as a substitute to sustain any foreign troops being kept in the bases in Afghanistan cannot be overruled. Mr Putin’s visit to Pakistan was being seen as the indicator of the emerging geopolitical reality that Russia and Pakistan have finally realized that they have a commonality of interests in the post2014 Afghanistan. Clearly, the postponement of Mr Putin’s visit to Pakistan is a great setback for all those who wanted to see Russia leading the regional solution of Afghan problem. This unfortunately has now been put to hold. It is hoped that the visit will eventually take place to show besides anything else that Russia and Pakistan are eager to put behind them their past indifference toward each other and are showing interest in jointly approaching the issues of terrorism and regional security. It is also hoped that army chief, General Ashfaq Parvez Kiani, will visit Russia as scheduled this month at the invitation of the chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, General Nikolai Makarov. His visit will go a long way in communicating to the world that Russia and Pakistan are getting close to military-to-military cooperation. eventually Russia and Pakistan have to reach out to each other because in this lies not only the mutual benefit that the two countries will draw but also the greater benefit of exploring peace and stability as joint stakeholders. MUHaMMad aLI EHsan Karachi
************** encouraged by earlier response, Pakistan’s principal fashion body setting up a show in New Delhi for Pakistani designers. The Delhi jetset, it seems, can’t get enough of Pakistani creations. The curious bit: none of the heavy-hitter fashion names were featured. Only talented yet relatively unknown designers. expect much histrionics from the divas soon. ************** The PTI’s economic policy, subject to some infighting amongst the ranks, was presented downtown in Washington. Interesting was the presentation of one of the speakers, whose content was available, in its entirety, on the Beaconhouse National University (BNU) website, where she is the director of its public policy institute. Now we should expect to see more involvement of BNU in the economic policy decisions of the PTI, what with Khurshid Kasuri’s wife running the group of schools, colleges and now, university. Interestingly, the head honcho at the university is one Mr Sartaj Aziz, a long time PML-N guy. For feedback, comments, suggestions and, most importantly, tips, contact us at whitelies@pakistantoday.com.pk
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Potter author’s first grownup novel ‘best I can do’ LONDON AFP
Harry Potter author JK Rowling spent the day “trying to avoid newspapers” as her first novel for grown-ups hit the bookshops, but she is confident the book is “the best I can do”, she told fans. “The book is what I wanted it to be,” she told about 900 fans at London’s Southbank Centre on Thursday night after “The Casual Vacancy”, a black comedy of village life, was published — having already sold one million advance copies. Kept closely under wraps until publication day, the book is a gritty tale involving sex and drug addiction that is widely expected to be Britain’s best-selling fiction title this year. It is already topping the Amazon charts. Set in the fictional village of Pagford in southwest england, it tells the story of the fight to fill a slot on the parish council after the incumbent’s sudden death, and hinges on the fate of a squalid housing estate. It took Rowling, 47, five years to complete and required another half-written children’s novel to be put on the back burner, she told her audience. But writing it was “a lovely place to be — there was so much pressure for the Potter books”. “I kept telling myself ‘you don’t have to publish this,’” Rowling said. She spent Thursday watching “Men in Black 3” with her children in an effort to avoid reviews, she said — and the book has met with a mixed reception from critics. Several found it dull in parts despite scenes of sex and drugs, and that Rowling’s most vivid writing was on the familiar ground of children pitted against the power of adults. Famously tough critic Michiko Kakutani wrote in the New York Times that “there is no magic in this book — in terms of wizarding or in terms of narrative sorcery. “Instead, this novel for adults is filled with a variety of people like Harry’s aunt and uncle, Petunia and Vernon Dursley: self-absorbed, small-minded, snobbish and judgmental folks, whose stories neither engage nor transport us.” But in Britain, Allison Pearson wrote in the Daily Telegraph that “The Casual Vacancy” was “sometimes funny, often startlingly well observed, and full of cruelty and despair”. And Boyd Tonkin in the Independent called it a “song of freedom” as Rowling was able to abandon the constraints of children’s writing following her seven books about the boy wizard. Rowling revealed Thursday that her favourite characters in her own books were Fats — a foul-mouthed schoolboy in the new novel — and Dumbledore, the bearded wizard, wise but troubled, who is headmaster of Hogwarts in the Harry books. She said that she would change “quite a few things” about the Potter novels, and that the actors who played Harry and his magical friends Ron and Hermione in the blockbuster films were “all too good-looking”. newS DeSk
Deepika, Katrina, Anusha attend Ranbir`s birthday bash!
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HAt the man is popular with all his ladies is a known fact. And on his big day, ranbir Kapoor had a bevy of Bollywood beauties turning up at his residence to wish him happy birthday. Bollywood was in full attendance at ranbir Kapoor’s residence on thursday night to ring in his 30th birthday. What more, from ex girlfriends Deepika Padukone and Katrina Kaif to good friend Anushka Sharma to even rival Arjun Kapoor were all there to be a part of the celebrations. Last year, at ranbir’s 29th birthday Deepika Padukone’s entry had created quite a stir as it was the first time that she appeared at rK’s bash post their break up in 2010. this time around not only Deepika but even ‘good friend’ Katrina turned up to wish him. Speculations have been rife that Kat is back with ranbir, which rK has denied and Katrina, as usual, has decided to not react upon. But on thursday night, throwing caution to the wind, Katrina stepped out to party with ranbir and his friends. Anushka, who has also been linked to ranbir in the past, was seen bonding with Arjun Kapoor and Deepika. AGeNcIeS
Herbert Lom, Pink Panther star, dies aged 95
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ctor Herbert Lom, best known for playing charles Dreyfus in the Pink Panther films, has died aged 95. the czech-born, London-based actor starred opposite Peter Sellers in several films as Inspector clouseau’s irritable boss. Lom appeared in more than 100 films during his 60-year acting career, including such classics as the Ladykillers, Spartacus and El cid. His family said he died peacefully in his sleep on thursday. Lom also portrayed Napoleon Bonaparte on two occasions. one of them came in the 1956 screen adaptation of tolstoy’s War And Peace, also starring Audrey Hepburn and Henry Fonda. He first appeared as police chief Dreyfus in 1964’s A Shot In the Dark, a character who became increasingly mentally unstable as a result of clouseau’s incompetence as the films went on. courteSy BBc
i think glamour is synonymous with me: malaika arora Khan There is more to me than just glamour says item diva Malaika Arora Khan, who is back on television, in a candid chat with TOI
Reese Witherspoon welcomes son
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EESE Witherspoon has become a mother for the third time. the actress has been blessed with son, tennessee James, with husband Jim toth. tennessee was born thursday. “reese Witherspoon and husband Jim toth welcomed tennessee James into their family today (thursday). Both mom and baby are healthy and the entire family is thrilled,” showbizspy.com quoted Witherspoon’s representative as saying. It’s Witherspoon’s first child with husband toth. She shares custody of daughter Ava, 12, and son Deacon, 8, with ex-husband ryan Phillippe, 37, from whom she split in 2006 after seven years of marriage. NewS DeSK
Saturday, 29 September, 2012
What made you choose colors’ India’s Got Talent? This show has a different connect and mass appeal, since common people come to showcase their talents. They show things I have never seen, been exposed to, or imagined. Also, I have always been associated with celebrity shows. Here, I get to interact with the aam junta. The show is different. How different will you be as a judge? We all have our own USPs. I am a little soft at times. I connect with kids easily. They bring out the maternal side in me. I can’t bear to see people stabbing and breaking glass on themselves. I don’t have a stomach for those kind of things. I am intrigued sometimes — for example, when watching somebody jumping off 50 feet. I want to see it despite being nervous and scared. Most participants hope to make it to Bollywood. Being part of the industry, do you feel burdened? Making it to the industry isn’t possible for all of them. But we
have to encourage them, and when they aren’t up to the mark, we tell them to hone their talent. Don’t you think your glam quotient overshadows everything else? I think glamour is synonymous with me. I can’t stand on a rooftop and scream that there is more to me than just the glam quotient. You’ve to look beyond my dress and hairstyle. There is also a brain that’s ticking there. But, I am not screaming to prove it. I am the way I am. If you like
me because I’m glamorous, so be it. If you like me, because I speak well or I have a brain and opinion, so be it. More and more actresses are doing item numbers. Does it narrow the scope for the original item divas? I don’t look at them as item numbers. For me, they are special songs that enhance the plot or bring about some respite from what’s happening. These days, very rarely do you a have special number thrown in just because you don’t have anything else. I am okay with more actresses doing it because there is enough work for everybody. I am not somebody who will go up and say, ‘Why are you eating someone else’s food?’ If you fit the bill, you do it. Today, all the girls are very secure. How involved are you in your production house with husband Arbaaz Khan? We started it together. He may be in the forefront, because he has directed and produced movies. COURTeSY TOi
uS actor Jackson makes expletive-laden pro-obama video LOS ANGELES AFP
US tough guy actor Samuel L. Jackson has made an expletive-laden video warning apathetic Americans to “Wake the Fxxx Up” and vote for President Barack Obama in November’s election. The “Pulp Fiction” star, known for playing bad-ass characters and who voiced a spoof audio book “Go the Fuck to Sleep” last year, is shown warning a family of the dangers of letting Mitt Romney into the White House by inaction. In the fairytale-style video, exhausted parents tell their daughter to go back to bed when she suggests they should be working to re-elect Obama, like four years ago, rather than slouching in front of the television. But Jackson, in trademark beret, appears from nowhere to admonish them, in rhyming couplets: “Sorry my friend, but there’s no time to snore/An out-of-touch millionaire’s just declared war. “On schools, the environment, unions, fair pay/We’re all on our own if Romney has his way/And he’s against safety nets; if you fall, tough luck/ So I strongly suggest that you wake the fxxx up,” he says, the expletive beeped out. He has a similarly foul-mouthed message for her apathetic older brother, and an older sister who spends all her time on Facebook, telling her: “Listen to your little sister, wake the fxxx up!” Reminding them of how they held bake sales for Obama in 2008, he takes up a bullhorn to shout: “Get out there and sell some cakes and cookies!” even a pair of frisky grandparents are interrupted by the girl and Jackson, who warns them that Romney and running mate Paul Ryan will “gut Medicare if they’re elected.” “What do you want us to do? asks the granny. “Say ‘Hell, no motherfxxxxxs!’” shouts Jackson. Obama, who enjoys strong support in liberal Hollywood, is battling to defeat Republican Romney in the November 6 presidential vote. The president’s campaign has struggled to revive the popular activism which helped elect America’s first black president in 2008.
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13 london: Posters from the 1965 film 'thunderball' are seen alongside James bond memorabilia at christie's auction house during the press preview of ‘50 years of James bond - the auction’ on friday. aFp
Bynes pleads not guilty to hit-and-run charges
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MANDA Bynes, who is charged in 2 hit-andrun cases, was not present at her hearing at Van Nuys, california, but her attorney pleaded not guilty on her behalf. Stemming from incidents on April 10 and August 4, Los Angeles Superior court Judge rebecca omens said that the 26-year-old actress, who is currently in New York, should be back in Los Angeles within 48 hours of her next hearing, due on october 19, People magazine reported. Apart from the two hit-and-run cases, the ‘She’s the Man’ star is also facing a DUI charge and two counts of driving with a suspended license. According to Los Angeles times, Bynes’ April case was reopened following the August accident, in which a driver claimed that she had rear-ended and damaged her toyota. NewS DeSK
India’s Oscars entry ‘Barfi’ draws copycat flak MUMBAI AFP
India’s entry for best foreign language film at next year’s Oscars has become the latest Bollywood movie to draw flak for allegedly plagiarizing foreign hits in a ‘mash-up’ of ripped-off scenes. “Barfi!” has won over critics and cinema-goers for its portrayal of a love triangle between a deaf man named Barfi and two women, one of whom is autistic — not typical subject matter in the prolific Hindi-language film industry. But since its release two weeks ago, several videos have spread through YouTube and social media sites highlighting a number of scenes that appear to draw heavily from international classics. Film buffs spotted stark resemblances with clips from Gene Kelly’s hit “Singin’ in the Rain” (1952), Jackie Chan’s “Project A” (1983), Buster Keaton’s “Cops” (1922) and “The Notebook” (2004) starring Ryan Gosling among others. The plot has been likened to “Benny & Joon”, the 1993 film starring Johnny Depp, while the soundtrack has drawn further comparisons with the musical score from “Amelie”, the 2001 hit starring Audrey Tautou. One of the clearest sources of inspiration is Charlie Chaplin: one scene shows Barfi dodging a policeman through a sliding door, just as the king of silent film did in 1917’s “The Adventurer”. “Barfi!” director Anurag Basu has hit back at critics, saying the film is intentionally paying homage to Chaplin in a similar way to “The Artist”, the black-andwhite silent film that won Best Picture at this year’s Oscars. “If I would have changed the shot, twisted things around and made it my own it
would have been stealing,” Basu told the Indian TV show Headlines Today. “I did shot-to-shot because they are famous iconic shots and scenes from famous masterpieces, every filmmaker knows them.” Bollywood has come under fire before for remaking Hollywood flicks in the Hindi language, but “Barfi!” is under particular scrutiny because the movie-mad country is yet to win an Oscar in the foreign film category. “So why would an Oscar jury pick a movie that reminds them of the very many movies they’ve seen before — and which include films that are now Hollywood legend?” asked online magazine Firstpost. In one of several earlier Bollywood copycat rows, US studio 20th Century Fox submitted a $1.4million claim in 2009 against BR Films over “Banda Yeh Bindaas Hai”, alleging it was an illegal remake of “My Cousin Vinny”. The case was settled out of court. Image consultant Dilip Cherian worried that entering “Barfi!” into the Oscars could cause embarrassment for India in the long-run. “The fact is that critics will start wondering at which stage does plagiarism end in Indian movies and at what stage is it inspiration,” he told Headlines Today. Only three Indians films have been shortlisted in the foreign film category at the Oscars: “Mother India” in 1958, “Salaam Bombay!” (Hello Bombay!) in 1989, and “Lagaan” (Land Tax) in 2002. Manju Borah, who chairs India’s selection committee, defended the latest choice. “We selected ‘Barfi!’ because of its treatment and freshness,” she told the Hindustan Times. “In any case, every filmmaker is inspired by some cinema.” Film critic and cura-
Don’t think I will ever get married: Mallika Sherawat
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ctrESS Mallika Sherawat, who is known for her bold roles, has refused to comment on her alleged link up with Hollywood actor Antonio Banderas while saying that she would not get married ever in life. “I don’t think I will ever get married. I say so because I feel it is outdated, marriage is outdated. I am loving being single. Why would I sacrifice the love and devotion of so many fans,” Mallika told . “I have never really thought of what kind of a man I am looking for. I am busy right now doing films here and abroad, travelling and enjoying life,” she said. During the cannes Film Festival celebrity party, Mallika and Hollywood actor Antonio Banderas were seen dancing together. on the issue, Mallika said, “there is no comment on that. I don’t know why (so much mileage) and I really don’t want to comment on that.” With regards to fashion, Mallika feels her choices have been bold because that is her approach towards life. “My fashion choices have been bold because that is my mindset. I like to push new boundaries in all aspects, be it cinema, fashion or red carpet events. In India I am criticised for the kind of clothes I wear but abroad I am not. courteSy IANS
Katie Holmes sets ‘specific dating rules’
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tor Meenakshi Shedde said an “affectionate tribute” to world cinema, such as “Barfi!”, was not the same as stealing someone’s ideas — but she doubted for other reasons whether
the film was the best selection. “The criteria the Oscars look for is something uniquely Indian. Something that offers insights into the culture or society,” Shedde told AFP.
AtIE Holmes has reportedly told friends that she won’t date anyone who is more than five years older to her. the 33-year-old actress is single following her quick divorce from tom cruise, 50, earlier this year. they were married for five years and while Katie isn’t ready to start another relationship, her friends are already trying to find her a perfect match. She has reportedly put her foot down when it comes to some of their suggestions. “Don’t even think about introducing me to any man more than five years older than I am! Next time, I want someone more my own age,” she is quoted as saying by National Enquirer. Katie has been linked to several people since her marriage breakdown, but one turned out to be her lawyer and another was a former co-star she is still friends with. NewS DeSK
Saturday, 29 September, 2012
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Infotainment 14 Oldest reproductive orangutan dies in France
LA BOISSIERE-DU-DORE AFP
Sumatran orangutan believed to be the oldest reproductive specimen in captivity has died at a zoo in western France, a few weeks after celebrating his 50th birthday. Major, a 125-kilogramme (275pound) father of 16 who celebrated his birthday in July, died overnight Tuesday at the zoo in La Boissieredu-Dore near Nantes, zoo director Sebastien Laurent said.
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“I saw him playing on Monday, as he often did, with his children. On Tuesday he ate normally, made his bed and followed all his little habits,” Laurent said. “And on Wednesday the guys found him dead on his bed, his body still warm. He lived at the zoo for 23 years and this is our mascot that has left us, it’s hard,” he said. He said Major’s body would be preserved and stored at the Museum of Natural History in Paris and could be used in future displays. Born in 1962 in Indonesia, Major was captured seven years later and
held in zoos in Germany before being transferred to France in 1989. Researchers develop biocompatible, dissolvable electronics Researchers have created tiny, biocompatible electronic devices – dubbed transient electronics – that dissolve harmlessly into their surroundings after functioning for a precise amount of time. The team at the University of Illinois, Tufts University and Northwestern University says the silk-silicon technology could enable medical implants that never need surgical removal, as well as environmental
monitors and consumer electronics that can become compost rather than rubbish. “These devices are the polar opposite of conventional electronics whose integrated circuits are designed for long term physical and electronic stability,” said Fiorenzo Omenetto, professor of biomedical engineering at the Tufts school of engineering. “Transient electronics offer robust performance comparable to current devices, but they will fully resorb into their environment at a prescribed time – ranging from minutes to years, depending on the application.” “Imagine the environmental benefits if cell phones, for example, could just dissolve instead of languishing in landfills for years,” he added. The devices use silicon and magnesium in an ultra thin form that is then encapsulated in bio friendly silk protein. As they are only a few nanometres thick, the tiny circuits – from the transistors to the material connecting them – readily dissolve in water or body fluid and are harmlessly assimilated. The properties of the silk can be adjusted to determine the rate of dissolution. So far, the team has built transient transistors, diodes, wireless power coils, temperature and strain sensors, photodetectors, solar cells, radio oscillators and antennas and even a 64pixel digital camera. In the future, the researchers envision more complex devices that could be adjustable in real time or responsive to other changes in their environment, such as chemistry, light or pressure.
Hong Kong tycoon swamped with offers for gay daughter’s hand HONG KONG AFP
Canada, US police bust major cheese smuggling ring OTTAWA AFP
Canadian and US authorities have busted a cross-border cheese smuggling ring that brought Can$200,000 worth of mozzarella into Canada undeclared and without paying duties. Four men, including two Canadian policemen, were foiled in the caper to also distribute the dairy products — as well as chicken wings and pickles — to pizzerias and other restaurants in southern Ontario for an estimated profit of Can$165,000, Niagara Regional Police said. They each face several charges including conspiracy, smuggling
and breach of trust. A conviction carries fines and possible jail time. Constable Derek Watson told AFP: “Most people have been chuckling about the arrests (in online postings), but the (police) chief is taking these crimes very seriously.” The investigation involved the US Department of Homeland Security, US and Canadian border agencies and the Niagara Regional Police in southern Ontario. Canadian cheese prices are generally higher because of restrictions by local dairy boards, as well as tight controls on foreign imports of cheaper cheeses.
A Hong Kong tycoon who offered a $65 million “marriage bounty” to any man who can win the heart of his lesbian daughter has been inundated with applications from around the globe, a report said Friday. Cecil Chao told the South China Morning Post newspaper that around 100 would-be suitors of his 33-year-old daughter, Gigi, had poured into his office since he went public with his offer on Wednesday. “People send me letters, emails and faxes. I haven’t had time to read them yet. I’ll have to discuss it with Gigi,” he was quoted as saying. “There are some who said they don’t want the money, only the chance to know my daughter.” One of the applicants, a Frenchman, wrote: “I’m really serious and (despite the fact) I am a man I think I can make this woman happy. I’m as soft as a woman.” Another appeared to offer a menage a trois: “I will win his daughter’s heart and marry her, and my Maid Marian, a gorgeous Brazilian model, will help accomplish that with me.” Gigi has dismissed her father’s behaviour and all the attention she is receiving as “seriously distracting”.
“I am secretly praying for a blackout... so that I can get some peace and quiet,” she said, as news of the marriage bounty spread through the world’s media from Australia to India and the United States. Chao announced the financial reward of HK$500 million after Gigi reportedly married her samesex partner of seven years in France earlier this year. “I don’t mind whether he is rich or poor. The important thing is that he is generous and kind-hearted,” 76-year-old Chao, a wealthy property developer, said earlier this week. “Gigi is a very good woman with both talents and looks. She is devoted to her parents, is generous and does volunteer work,” he added. He denies that his daughter is gay or married, insisting she is still single and would make a good wife to the right man. Same-sex marriages are not recognized in Hong Kong, a socially conservative Chinese city where homosexuality was decriminalized in 1991. Chao is well known as a “playboy” in Hong Kong’s social circles and regularly appears at public events with his latest young girlfriend. He reportedly once claimed to have had intimate relations with 10,000 women.
Mars rover finds first evidence of water: a river of it
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APE cANAVERAL: NASA’s Mars rover, Curiosity, dispatched to learn if the most earth-like planet in the solar system was suitable for microbial life, has found clear evidence its landing site was once awash in water, a key ingredient for life, scientists said Thursday. Curiosity, a roving chemistry laboratory the size of a small car, touched down on August 6 inside a giant impact basin near the planet’s equator. The primary target for the two-year mission is a threemile (five-km) -high mound of layered rock rising from the floor of Gale Crater. Scientists suspect the mound, known as Mount Sharp, is the remains of sediment that once completely filled the crater. Analysis of a slab of rock located between the crater’s north rim and the base of Mount Sharp indicate a fast-moving stream of water once flowed there. Images taken by Curiosity and released on Thursday show rounded stones cemented into the rock, which rises like a piece of jack-hammered sidewalk from the planet’s surface. The stones inside the rock are too big to have been moved by wind, Curiosity scientist Rebecca Williams, with the Planetary Science Institute in Tucson, Arizona, told reporters on a conference call. “The consensus of the science team is that these are water-transported gravel in a vigorous stream,” she said. The rock is believed to be from the floor of an ancient stream which was once between ankle- and knee-deep. The analysis is based on telephoto images taken by the rover, which is en route to a patch of land named Glenelg where three different types of rock intersect. Scientists have not yet decided if the slab of rock warrants a chemical analysis, or if there are better targets for Curiosity to look for the building blocks of life and the minerals to preserve it. “The question about habitability goes beyond the simple observation of water on Mars,” said lead scientist John Grotzinger at the California Institute of Technology. “Certainly flowing water is a place where microorganisms could have lived. This particular kind of rock may or may not be a good place to preserve those components that we associate with a habitable environment,” he said. The $2.5 billion Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity mission is NASA’s first astrobiology mission since the 1970s-era Viking probes. AGeNcIeS
US chef guilty of cooking dead wife
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OS ANGELES: A US chef was convicted of second degree murder Thursday after he admitted to slow-cooking his wife’s body for four days to get rid of the evidence, while claiming she had died accidentally. During a grisly six-day trial David Viens, 49, told police he had bound his 39-year-old wife Dawn with duct tape to stop her from escaping, and then went to sleep. He awoke four hours later to find her dead, and panicked. He put her body in a large drum and boiled it. “I just slowly cooked it and I ended up cooking her for four days,” he said in an interview with detectives played during the trial. “I cooked her (for) four days. I let her cool, I strained it out” and then threw the remains in the trash, he said. Her body was never found after she disappeared in October 2009. He is due to be sentenced on November 27, and faces anything from 15 years to life in prison. The former restaurant owner from Lomita, south of Los Angeles, had bound her similarly probably twice before, because he “didn’t want her driving around wasted, whacked out on coke and drinking,” he said. Prosecutor Deborah Brazil had called for Viens to be convicted of first degree murder, arguing that his wife’s death “was no accident.” Dawn “likely met her death in a much more violent fashion” — such as being choked — than her husband admitted, Brazil said. “That is why the defendant needed the four days to completely destroy and dispose of Dawn Viens’s body.” AFP
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Saturday, 29 September, 2012
radwanska to face Petrova in Pan Pacific open final Page 18 COLOMBO
ScoreBoArD
AFP
MAR Gul turned an unlikely hero with the bat as Pakistan survived a middle-order collapse to beat South Africa by two wickets in the Super eights of the World Twenty20 on Friday. Pakistan, chasing South Africa's modest 133-6, crashed to 76-7 in the 15th over before Gul and Umar Akmal combined to share a match-winning partnership of 49 in 27 balls. Gul smashed two fours and three sixes in his 32 off 17 balls before he was dismissed off the last ball of the 19th over by fast bowler Dale Steyn with nine more needed. But Akmal, who remained unbeaten on 43, and Saeed Ajmal steered Pakistan home with two balls to spare, Ajmal edging the winning boundary off Morne Morkel. "We were lucky to get there," said Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez. "There were a few bad shots early in the innings but in the end it was a great team effort. "I knew Gul could play big shots and the good thing is that everyone in the team is contributing. The bowlers did well to keep South Africa to a low score."South African skipper AB de Villiers said he was proud of the way the team fought back after batting badly. "We probably lost it in the last five overs, but I am very proud the way we came back so strongly." Pakistan's openers raced to 24 in 2.5 overs before the innings fell apart after Imran Nazir (14) was caught behind off Steyn. Left-arm spinner Robin Peterson, who came to bowl the fourth over, removed Hafeez with his second delivery and Nasir Jamshed with the six to make Pakistan 31-3. Off-spinner Johan Botha also
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colombo: umar gul plays a shot while (inset) umar akmal and Saeed ajmal celebrate Pakistan’s victory during the icc twenty20 world cup's Super eight match against South africa. aFp
Sri lankan fined for australia hotel break-in
SoutH AFrIcA 8 r. Levi b Ajmal 6 Hashim Amla c Malik b Arafat 12 J. Kallis c Afridi b Hafeez 48 JP Duminy c K. Akmal b Arafat F. Behardien st K. Akmal b Hafeez 18 AB de Villiers c Nazir b Gul 25 A. Morkel not out 9 r. Peterson not out 3 extras: (lb2, w2) 4 133 total (for six wickets, 20 overs) Fall of wickets: 1-8 (Amla), 2-28 (Levi), 3-28 (Kallis), 4-66 (Behardien), 5-110 (de Villiers), 6-123 (Duminy) Bowling: Hasan 3-1-12-0, Arafat 3-0-25-2 (w1), Ajmal 4-1-26-1, Hafeez 4-0-232, Afridi 4-0-26-0, Gul 2-0-19-1 PAKIStAN 15 Mohammad Hafeez st de Villiers b Peterson 14 Imran Nazir c de Villiers b Steyn 0 Nasir Jamshed st de Villiers b Peterson Kamran Akmal b Botha 1 12 Shoaib Malik c Steyn b Kallis umar Akmal not out 43 Shahid Afridi c A. Morkel b Duminy 0 3 yasir Arafat c Duminy b Steyn umar Gul c Peterson b Steyn 32 4 Saeed Ajmal not out 12 extras: (b2, lb6, w3, nb1) total (for eight wickets, 19.4 overs) 136 Fall of wickets: 1-24 (Nazir), 2-30 (Hafeez), 3-31 (Jamshed), 4-37 (K. Akmal), 563 (Malik), 6-63 (Afridi), 7-76 (Arafat), 8-125 (Gul) Bowling: Steyn 4-0-22-3 (w1), M. Morkel 3.4-0-33-0, Peterson 4-1-15-2, A. Morkel 2-0-26-0 (nb1), Botha 2-1-10-1, Duminy 2-0-5-1, Kallis 2-0-17-1 (w1) Pakistan won by two wickets, Man of the match: umar Gul (PAK), toss: South Africa, umpires: rod tucker (AuS) and Ian Gould (eNG), tV umpire: richard Kettleborough (eNG), Match referee: ranjan Madugalle (SrI)
struck in his first over by bowling Kamran Akmal for one, Jacques Kallis dismissed Shoaib Malik (12) and JP Duminy had danger man Shahid Afridi caught in the deep first ball. But Gul and Umar Akmal launched a blistering attack on the Proteas to earn Pakistan full points in the opening match of group two. India and Australia, the other two teams in the group, play in the second match of the doubleheader at the Premadasa stadium later on Friday night. earlier, Pakistan's spinners revelled on a slow wicket to restrict mighty South Africa to 133-6. Hafeez claimed 2-23 and 20-year-old left-arm spinner Raza Hasan conceded just 12 runs in three overs after South Africa won the toss and elected to bat. Seamers Yasir Arafat and Gul shared three wickets as the batsmen tried to hit out against them after failing to play the slow bowlers. South Africa, the top-ranked side in the Twenty20 format, were reduced to 28-3 in 6.1 overs before recovering through de Villiers and JP Duminy. Left-handed Duminy top-scored with 48 off 38 colombo: South african cricketer richard levi (l) is bowled out by balls, while de Villiers made 25, but Saeed ajmal as wicketkeeper Kamran akmal (r) reacts during the icc no other batsman reached 20. twenty20 cricket world cup's Super eight match. aFp
Sri Lanka, west indies eye semi-finals
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AFP
AFP
A Sri Lankan court has convicted a 21year-old man who broke into the hotel rooms of two Australian cricketers and offered them sex during the ongoing World Twenty20, police said on Friday. The Sri Lankan, named as Abdul Karim, was fined 1,000 rupees ($7.6) and handed a one-month suspended jail term after he pleaded guilty on Thursday to a charge of breaking and entering. The man breached supposedly tight security last Monday at the luxury Cinnamon Grand hotel in central Colombo where the Australian team were staying ahead of their game against India on Friday. "The man had gone into a player's room offering his services as a male escort," a police officer involved in the case told AFP. "The player refused and he barged into another room when the Australians alerted hotel security." The authorities had declared floors occupied by cricketers as out-of-bounds as part of security for players during the September 18-October 7 tournament that was billed as the same level as for visiting heads of state. "No harm was done, but the intrusion was a serious embarrassment," a senior official coordinating security for the tournament told AFP. "Since then, we have reviewed the arrangements and taken some new measures."
Sri Lanka and the West Indies eyed up semi-final places after hard-fought wins in group one of the Super eights, with the hosts needing a dramatic one over eliminator for victory. With the scores level at 174, Sri Lanka needed one run off paceman Tim Southee's last ball but Lahiru Thirimanne failed to reach the crease after attempting a sharp single. New Zealand skipper Ross Taylor had deflected the ball from his knee to the stumps after fumbling the throw, which took television umpire Steve Davis of Australia several minutes to rule the batsman out. Chasing 175 to win, Sri Lanka were well on course for a comfortable win but Tillakaratne Dilshan's run out after scoring a brilliant 76 helped New Zealand tie the regular match. Sri Lankan skipper Mahela Jayawardene admitted that the tense finale had been "chaotic". "We were looking at Ross's reaction. He wasn't that enthusiastic about the run out so we thought we had scraped through. It was chaos down there," said Jayawardene. "To be in a situation where you think you've won and then go back and play was tough but we kept our composure and made sure that we played some smart cricket," said Jayawar-
dene, whose team scored 13 to New Zealand's eight in the Super Over. Jayawardene, whose team next faces the West Indies here on Saturday, hopes to carry on the momentum from the victory over the Black Caps. "When you are leading a team in a pressure situation and a crunch game like this, points on the board are very important. We can surely build on this," he
said. Sri Lanka have not won a major trophy since their 1996 World Cup win in the sub-continent. They were runners-up in the 2007 and 2011 World Cup (50 overs) and lost to Pakistan in the 2009 World Twenty20. West Indies, who gained two crucial points by outsmarting title-holders england by 15 runs, are also looking for a first major trophy in eight years.
Unsung charles enjoys the gayle effect cOLOMBO: West Indies' surprise hero Johnson Charles said Friday he was indebted to Chris Gayle for easing the pressure during his match-winning knock against england at the World Twenty20. The little-known opener top-scored with a brisk 84 and added 103 for the first wicket with Gayle to set up his team's 15-run victory in their opening Group one Super eights match in Pallekele on Thursday. Gayle cracked four sixes and six boundaries in his explosive 35-ball 58 as the West Indies posted 179-5 before restricting england to 164-4 despite eoin Morgan's unbeaten 71 off 36 balls. "If you're batting with Chris Gayle you know his ability, you know what he can do. You just have to give him the strike, sit back and watch," Charles, 23, said in a West Indies Cricket Board statement. "He's that type of player, he just explodes. He keeps it lively, and that takes the pressure off you. Just as Gayle can hit the ball far, I back myself to be able to hit the ball long and far and score quickly as well." Charles hammered three sixes and 10 fours in his 56-ball knock, his best in international limited-overs matches. "Once he (Gayle) got out I had to take the leading role and take it from there," said Charles, who has so far played just eight one-day and nine Twenty20 internationals. "There was still some work to do as we were looking for a big total, so I knew I had to keep going and set the platform. I will look to build on this start and look to achieve greater things for the West Indies." AFP
england, nz determined to put it right PALLEKELE AFP
Defending champions england and New Zealand hope to put their World Twenty20 campaigns back on track after losing their Super eights group one matches in Pallekele stadium on Thursday. england were edged out by 15 runs in an exciting finish to their match against the West Indies, while New Zealand fought back to tie the regular match before going down in Super Over to the hosts Sri Lanka. england next face New Zealand here on Saturday, a must-win match for both the teams, with Broad relishing the challenge. "The next two games are must-win," said Broad, whose team also face Sri Lanka on Monday. The top two teams from each of the two groups will qualify for the semi-finals before the October 7 final in Colombo. "That's a good place to be as well. You have clear targets of what you have to achieve. We've played on this ground, know what to expect. We have two huge games and some positive signs. We just need to put it all together." Broad said New Zealand were a big challenge. "We know the dangers they pose. They have a powerful batting line-up with (Brendon) McCullum, (Martin) Guptill and (Ross) Taylor," Broad said, also naming left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori as england's nemesis.
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Sports 16
PUNjaB yoUtH Festival 2012
Tehsil level has exhilarating feel for participants
INdIa WatsONed australia send World T20 Warner COLOMBO AFP
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LAHORE StAFF rePort
The third phase of the Punjab Youth Festival 2012, the Tehsil level came to an end on Friday and the stage is now set for the upper and one of the most challenging district level. But the participation in the Tehsil level carried its own style of excitement and pleasure where the participants enjoyed both the jittery and exhilarating feel. In this level of competitions Sports Board Punjab collaborated with several more departments for events like naat khani, qirat, cooking, horticulture, painting, photography, poetry, milli naghme, pets competition, cooking, family dressing, healthy baby, kitchen gardening, photography, have bull race, bull cart race, donkey cart race, horse race, dog race, tippling / pigeon flying, best agriculture produce and best livestock. And the departments that supported SBP hold these events included Population, Social Welfare, Livestock and Dairy Development and education Departments. The last day of the Tehsil level was the most active of all as the events were concluding the hunger for winning among the participants was manifold while at different locations several of the events had already concluded but the sense of win was already prevailing. The main feature of the final day at Lahore was the 2.5 kilometres Fun Race conducted among the residents of all 19 Union councils of Iqbal Town. The race started at around 11 am from Nursery stop Joher Town near Canal road and terminated at Ayub chowk near expo Center. On this occasion, MPA and Sports Convener, Saiful Malook Khokhar was the chief guest. He not only flagged off the race but also took part in it. His brother Afzal Khokhar was also present among the guests and participated in the fun race. The winner of the race was Mustansar Ali Bhatti of UC 113 while Asif Bhatti of UC 119 secured the second place and Mohammad Tazeem of UC 113 was third. Irfan Ahmed of UC 114 and Umar Din of 113 got the fourth and fifth in the race. In Aziz Bhatti Town football match, Chung beat Tajpura 1-0. In the Nishtar Town, Cricket Hardball matches were played and Union council 150 beat Union council 143 by 16 runs. Waqas was declared the man of the match with a 30-run innings. In the second match, Union council 66 scored 91 while Union council 139 could only manage 23 runs. Union council 66 won the semi final while in the Final match, Union council 66 of Faheem Keer Kalan Cricket Club scored 55 runs against Union council 150, which could only reach 27 runs. Union council 66 won the final cricket TB match with Rizwan being the highest scorer with 29 runs. In Shalimar Town, Cricket TB, Union council 19 beat Union council 16 by 6 wickets. Union council 18 won the cricket HB match from Union council 47 by two wickets. In the Tug of War, Union council 47 beat Union
council 21. In Chess, Union council 33’s Irfan beat Union council 21’s Shahzad while in Table Tennis, Union council 47 outplayed Union council 18, 2-0 and in the Basketball, Union council 22 scored 36 against Union council 47 with 26 score to win the match. In the first semi-final of the football, R.A Bazar won the match against Chung Khurd by two goals. In the second semi-final, Lucky sports won the match against Afshan on penalty shoots by 5-4 goals. In cricket hardball, Chan xI beat Imperial xI by 10 wickets. Mian xI beat Malik xI by 9 wickets. General beat Pasban by 80 runs and in Basketball, Hailey beat Mian Mir Sports by 58-37. On the other hand all the nine towns and other parts of Lahore division saw the participation of 6241people while 2168 won their respective events and competitions. In Lahore alone 1200 took part in all the sports events and 598 turned out to be the winners. The Ravi Town area of the city had 400 participants figuring in around 13 events and half of them earned fame on the spot. Sheikhupura got 1411 involved in the festival activity, Kasur had 2966 and Nankana Sahib registered 668 with win coming 154, 1090 and 326 people way respectively. Likewise the other areas of the province had also registered mass participation. As Rawalpindi contracted 3169 in the events, 1182 had the highest achievements while one of its districts Attock got 1090 participants and 502 were the winners. In Sargodha there were around 2967 participants and 1406 winners and 5571 were the participants in Gujranwala where 1441 reached the podium. At Multan and Faisalabad attracted around 7036 and 5063 participants respectively in the sports events with win coming 2234 and 1080 people way. Similarly, Sahiwal got 2989 participants in team events and 1291 were the top performers and Dera Ghazi Khan had 2412 competitors and 233 won their competitions. In the Population Welfare Department organised event of healthy baby competition, 2904 children took part in the activity and 291 won the contest and the events of family dressing and cooking conducted by Social Welfare Department 1872 ladies and young girls took part in the events and 113 won through efforts. The Livestock and Dairy Development Department conducted rural sector competitions including tippling / pigeon flying, bull, cart, mules, donkey carts, bull, mare races, peacock beauty competition, dog fight, dog race etc and around 250 people took part in the events and 52 got the honour. The education department apart from the sports events also held competitions of debate, essay writing, painting and science modeling and around 50,000 students from all over Punjab were invited to contest but nearly 2000 won through to compete at the upper level. Now the Punjab Youth Festival 2012 has its third level concluded, the fourth phase, the District level will roll into action most probably from September 30 and finish on October 6.
HANe Watson grabbed 3-34 and struck 72 off 42 balls to lift Australia to an emphatic ninewicket win over India in the Super eights match of the World Twenty20 in Colombo on Friday. Watson, who was adjudged man of the match for the third consecutive game, shared a first-wicket stand of 133 with David Warner (63 not out) as Australia eased past India's 140-7 in the 15th over. Warner smashed three sixes and seven boundaries and Watson plundered seven sixes and two fours in a batting treat for a sell-out crowd of 35,000 at the Premadasa stadium. The pair treated the Indian bowlers with disdain as Warner lofted Harbhajan Singh for two successive sixes and Watson hit leg-spinner Piyush Chawla for two sixes in his first over. When seamer Irfan Pathan came on to bowl the 10th over, Watson greeted him with a sequence of 6, 6 and 4 to bring up Australia's 100 in the same over. Watson fell in the 14th over when
colombo: Shane watson plays a shot during the icc t20 world cup's Super eight match. aFp just eight more runs were needed for victory, caught in the covers off Yuvraj Singh. Watson's match-winning display
ScoreBoArD INDIA: 17 G. Gambhir run out 31 Irfan Pathan c white b watson 15 V. Kohli c christian b cummins y. Singh c Maxwell b watson 8 r. Sharma b Starc 1 S. raina c Maxwell b watson 26 M. Dhoni c Bailey b cummins 15 r. Ashwin not out 16 1 H. Singh not out 10 extras: (b2, lb2, w6) 140 total (for seven wickets, 20 overs) Fall of wickets: 1-21 (Gambhir), 2-56 (Kohli), 3-70 (yuvraj), 4-74 (Pathan), 5-74 (Sharma), 6-104 (Dhoni), 7-137 (raina). Bowling: Maxwell 2-0-11-0, Starc 4-0-27-1, cummins 4-0-162, watson 4-0-34-3, christian 2-0-19-0, Hogg 4-0-29-0 (w6). AuStrALIA: 72 S. watson c sub (tiwary) b yuvraj D. warner not out 63 G. Maxwell not out 4 eXtrAS: (w2) 2 totAL (for one wicket, 14.5 overs) 141 Fall of wicket: 1-133 (watson). Bowling: Ashwin 3.5-0-32-0 (w1), zaheer 3-0-18-0 (w1), Harbhajan 2-0-20-0, chawla 1-0-14-0, Pathan 1-0-19-0, Kohli 1-0-10-0, yuvraj 2-0-16-1, Sharma 1-0-12-0. Australia won by nine wickets Man of the match: Shane watson (AuS) toss: India umpires: Kumar Dharmasena (SrI) and richard Kettleborough (eNG) tV umpire: Ian Gould (eNG) Match referee: ranjan Madugalle (SrI)
followed his 51 and 3-26 against Ireland and 41 not out and 2-29 in the second game against the West Indies.
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17 Sports ufone video to lift spirits of cricket loving nation ISLAMABAD StAFF rePort
Ufone recently launched a song titled “Tum Hi tau ho Saaen”, featuring Wasim Akram in his maiden effort has surpassed all records of popularity and modest estimations show it is well past 2.5 million views on all major web portals in less than a week. The initiative by Ufone is unique in its own right as it showcases Wasim Akram as a singer in his first ever music video instead of a national cricketing hero, showing him supporting the national team. Waseem Akram enthralls the audience with his singing prowess and news is that music pundits have already started predicting his chances of success in this field similar to his earlier ventures of becoming a cricket commentator, an anchorperson and successful brand ambassador endorsing various products. The video has already attracted thousands of fans on Facebook and the numbers are growing by the hour. Apart from establishing its reputation of making jovial ads from time to time, Ufone has also produced soul-searching, introspective and thematic ads on special days like 14th August, 23rd March and 6th September. Coming out with a beautiful song on the eve of Cricket T20 World Cup is a feat no other telecom operator has achieved yet.
zaka, majid discuss domestic set-up LAHORE StAFF rePort
PCB Chairman Zaka Ashraf held a meeting with Former Legendary Player and Pakistan Test Captain Majid Khan at his residence. During their meeting ways and means to further improve the Domestic Cricket Structure in Pakistan came under discussion. The Chairman briefed Mr. Khan on the measures being taken to revamp the Domestic Cricket set-up. Chairman PCB requested him for his suggestions. Majid Khan also shared his views on the return of International Cricket to Pakistan which is on the top priority of the Chairman PCB.
laHore: Pcb chairman zaka ashraf talks with former legendary player and Pakistan test captain majid Khan during a meeting at his residence.
MEDINAH: Zach Johnson of the US chips to the 17th green during the fourth preview day of The 39th Ryder Cup at Medinah Country Golf Club. aFP
Mcilroy/McDowell one up at turn CHICAGO AFP
World No.1 Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell were one up at the turn for europe against Americans Jim Furyk and Brandt Snedeker in the first of Friday mornings foursomes at the Ryder Cup. The US pair drew first blood at the par-three second after McDowell's request for relief from a sprinkler head was denied after a lengthy delay which saw all four players arguing. McDowell over-cooked his chip and McIlroy missed the putt coming back. But it was back to level at the fourth when McIlroy chipped in for birdie drawing an appreciative high-five from his playing partner. McDowell then supplied the ammunition at the sixth with a stunning approach to three feet and the ensuing birdie was enough to put the Ulster
don bosco win 3rd fcc inter-School basketball LAHORE StAFF rePort
duo one up. A McIlroy 10-footer made it four birdies in a row for the european team at the seventh although it was not enough to win the hole. Snedeker sunk a five-footer for birdie at the par-three eighth to level the match, but his approach to the ninth bounced off a sprinkler head and flew well over the green to hand the euro-
peans a one hole lead at the turn. McIlroy made his debut in the event with McDowell at his side two years ago in Wales when they won one, lost one and halved one together. Veteran Furyk and the in-form Snedeker, a rookie who won the Tour Championship at Atlanta last weekend, were playing together for the first time.
Don Bosco High School Urdu Medium beat Don Bosco High english Medium in the final to in the 3rd FCC Inter-School Basketball Tournament 2012. Dr. C.J. Dubash, executive Vice Rector Forman Christian College was the Chief Guest at the closing ceremony who distributed prizes among the winner teams. The Results: Sacred Heart School beat St. AnthonySchool 4212, St. Marry School beat LACAS 43-17, Lahore Grammar School beat City School 28-03, Beacon House beat Ibn-e-Sina School 30-26, Don Bosco (e) beat Sacred Heart 67-52, First Semifinal Don Bosco (e) beat St. Marry School 63-38 and second Semifinal Don Bosco (U) beat LGS 28-12.
Umars come of age Comment
morale is high after win
KAMRAN ABBASI
S
OUTH Africa succumbed to spin but they also succumbed to two Umars who came of age. When Pakistan’s batsmen fritter away their opportunity, Umar Gul sometimes smites a few long balls as a release valve on everybody’s frustration. It was only a matter of time before those Pathan smacks would make the difference in a match. From now on, when Pakistan’s top order is in brainless mode, it will offer some solace to remember: never fear, Gullay is near. At 76 for 7 Pakistan were all but done, a meagre target made monumental. South Africa’s spinners had matched, even surpassed, their celebrated counterparts from Pakistan. But it was typical of Pakistan to choose the least plausible route to victory, and a strong position in this difficult group. Indeed, Pakistan’s comedic batting performance reminded everybody why this Pakistan team is succeeding despite its flaws, with the biggest questions surrounding the longevity of two of its most experienced players, Messrs Malik and Afridi: one too slow the other too rash. The partnership between Umars saved blushes. Gul provided an adrenalin
Saturday, 29 September, 2012
rush. However, it might be Umar Akmal who benefits most from sensibly guiding his team in unexpectedly challenging circumstances. Akmal attacked early in each over, an age-old method to ease pressure, and otherwise resisted throwing his wicket away. For a man known as an unreliable finisher, Akmal’s measured final-over six off Morne Morkel set up a finish to relish. Dav Whatmore has work to do. He knows that. But his team are doing what they do best, strutting the fine and life-shortening line between success and failure. (Courtesy Cricinfo)
Pakistan cricket coach Dave Whatmore has said that the Pakistan team has made a great start in the Super 8 stage of the T-20 World cup and this victory against S.Africa will boost the team’s confidence before the game against India. Skipper Mohammad Hafeez was all praise for Umer Akmal and Umer Gul for their extraordinary efforts. Tweeting after winning against S.Africa, Whatmore said that he was proud of each and every member of the team and the team has adopted the practice of never giving up. He wrote on the social networking site that Umer Gul and Saeed Ajmal were the heros of the team. He also revealed that Umer Gul was always the first to pad up during nets. Talking about his performance with the bat, Umer Gul said during the award ceremony that Whatmore worked very hard with him and when he went to the crease Umer Akmal encouraged him and said that if he could score a 15 or 20 we could win the match.
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Sports 18 Radwanska to face Petrova in Pan Pacific Open final
watch it Live TEN SPORTS
worLD t20
England V New Zealand 03:00PM Sri Lanka V West Indies 07:00PM
royal Palm monthly medal golf LAHORE StAFF rePort
toKyo: agnieszka radwanska of Poland watches her return shot against angelique Kerber of germany during their women's singles semi-final match at the Pan Pacific open tennis. aFp TOKYO AFP
D
Super rugby league first round begins today LAHORE StAFF rePort
The first round of 15-a-side Super Rugby League will begin today (Saturday) here at the Lahore University of Management and Sciences (LUMS) under the auspices of Pakistan Rugby Union (PRU). PRU spokesman said that in the first round, Inter University 15-side Rugby Championship was being played between Pakistan top universities. PRU president Fawzi Khawaja will be chief guest on the first day. First match of the day will be played between LUMS vs University of Lahore at 11am, while in the second match, UMT will face Garrison University. PRU president Fawzi Khawaja and Secretary Arif Saeed said: “We are delighted to start a big rugby league in Pakistan for the first time. It is the great time for Pakistan rugby and the players and we must found some new talent who may represent Pakistan at international level earn laurels for the country.”
lahore Sports t/20 from today LAHORE StAFF rePort
The Opening match of the Lahore Sports T/20 Tournament, 2012 will be played between Lahore Gymkhana Colts and DHA Sports at Bagh-e-Jennah Cricket Ground on Saturday (September 29, 2012). Nadeem Hassan Asif, Convener Lahore Gymkhana Cricket Club (Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Punjab) will be the chief guest of the inauguration ceremony. Rana Sohail Manzoor and Saghir Ahmed will supervise the match. Mr. Abdul Hameed will be the scorer.
eFeNDING champion Agnieszka Radwanska moved to within one step of retaining her Pan Pacific Open title Friday, overwhelming Angelique Kerber with a dominant performance in the semi-finals. The Polish third seed, who defeated 2010 champion Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark in the quarter-finals, needed just 59 minutes to score a resounding 6-1, 6-1 victory over the German fifth seed. In the final on Saturday, Radwanska will play Nadia Petrova of Russia, who defeated eighth seed Samantha Stosur of Australia 6-4, 6-2. "Actually, we played before a couple of times and it was always tough. even though it was 6-1, 6-1, it was still a very tough match. I really had to run
a lot to win the match," said Radwanska, 23. "She is a very smart player, she mixed up a lot of shots and she is a lefty, so it's always hard. I really had to stay focused from the beginning till the end to win the match. "Actually, I'm very happy that I played my best tennis," added Radwanska. Kerber, who received a free ticket to the semi-finals after world number one Victoria Azarenka of Belarus withdrew due to fatigue, struggled to keep her service games throughout the match. The German, who broke her opponent in the third game of the first set, had to wait until the first game of the second set to hold her game for the first time, hitting two aces in a row at 30-0, but that was the most she could do. Kerber, who double-faulted twice to give a 30-40 match point to Radwanska in the seventh game, tenaciously saved three match points
against her. But Kerber then hit a backhand return wide to surrender the match on Radwanska's fourth match points. Looking ahead to the match against 17th seeded Petrova, Radwanska said: "For sure, she is a very good player and she is playing great tennis this week." "It's going to be tough, for sure, it will not be easy. I'm just very, very happy that I reached the final again. Of course, I'll do everything tomorrow to have the title," she added. Meanwhile, Petrova pulled off an early break in each set and never faced a serious situation in the 107-minute match. "It was really a good match," said Petrova. "Samantha played very well, she defeated Maria (Sharapova of Russia), one of the top players right now, but I had a good performance and I'm very happy that I served out at the end."
The star golfers of Royal Palm Golf and Country Club like Amir Mehmood, Mir Maaz Mehmood, Shoaib Bokhari, Shahid Abbas and very young Hussain Hamid will assemble at the par 72 Royal Palm Golf Course on Saturday for an 18 holes competition. They will a demonstration of their golf playing skills and emerge at the end of the 18 holes competition with score cards that are in line with their established reputations. While Amir is the guy with the soft swing, Mir Maaz started golf when he was an infant and even when he is out of practice he can hit real straight and not stray from the fairways, making a lot of his rivals envy him over this talent and skill. As for Shoaib Bokhari he can play steady golf, virtually in every competition and perhaps this 18 hole outing will be no different. The golf course was looking great and all ready to provide substantial challenge to these long hitters of the ball. But as is well known to all the 64 competitors participating in this event, it is not the long hitting that can carry you through. The greens and the golf play around them tend to eat up a golfers shots and that is where the composure has to be kept in control to avoid bloating the score cards with unnecessary stroke losses, and that is where experience helps the seasoned competitors and tilts the winners status and honors in their favour. Out of the other participants who hope to halt the march of the established ones are golfers like Moeen Salahuddin, Hameed Sharif, Hamayun Mian, Imran Mian, Dr.Mohsin Anwar, Max Babri and Naseer Akhtar. Most of the have them have shown considerable ability in their golfing skills and are likely threats to the strong contenders in this encounter. Here is wishing them well. The tournament will tee off at 1pm through a shot gun start at the Royal Palm Golf Course.
national gym in t20 final LAHORE StAFF rePort
djokovic eyes world number one title this year TAIPEI AFP
Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic aims to reclaim the world number one spot by the end of the year, he said during a promotional tour to Taipei. Djokovic was knocked off the world number one ranking when Swiss legend Roger Federer won his seventh Wimbledon title and 17th career Grand Slam title in July to reclaim the position he last held in May 2010. "That's one of the goals. Of course I want to be number one of the world again. It's an ambition. It's possible (by) the end of the year," Djokovic told reporters. "I try to focus on each tournament individually and see how it goes. I need to play really well because there are so many great players in this moment... so we'll see." After a remarkable 2011, when he recorded one of the greatest individual seasons in tennis history and a dominant start to 2012, Djokovic has
come up short in the last two Grand Slams, losing to Rafael Nadal in the French Open final and Federer at Wimbledon. SERENA WITHDRAWS fROM cHINA OPEN: Reigning Wimbledon and US Open champion Serena Williams has withdrawn from the China Open because of flu while her sister Venus has also pulled out, citing a back injury, organisers said Friday. Serena, who confirmed her place among the tennis greats this year by raising her Grand Slam haul to 15 and winning Gold at the London Olympics, pulled out late on Thursday, just two days before the start of the first round. It is a big blow to the organisers of the Beijing event as the world number four -- who has already qualified for the season-ending WTA Championships in Istanbul, Turkey, next month -- is one of the tour's most bankable stars. "We would have loved for Venus and Serena to play the China Open this year, but unfortunately players get injured and sick and are unable to compete," Charles Hsiung, a director of the tournament, said.
The National Gymkhana cricket team moved into the final of the Razia Baig T20 Championship beating its rival Mozang Link by five runs here. National Gym made 184 for five and in reply, Mozang team could reach 179 for seven. The final will be played at Lahore Gymkhana ground on Monday. earlier, Ali Garh beat Zareef Memorial by six wickets in the other semi-final.
laHore: the chief guest meets the national gymkhana team before the match.
Li denies added pressure of playing at home BEIJING AFP
Home favourite Li Na on Friday denied she felt added pressure going into the China Open -- an event she has never won -- as the first round draw handed her the toughest of starts. Asia's top women's player, who is banking on a strong performance in Beijing to reach this season's grand finale, will face Italy's Francesca Schiavone, a former world number four, in a repeat of the 2011 French Open final. Li defeated Schiavone, who was defending champion, 6-4, 7-6, to win her first Grand Slam but the Chinese star has
struggled with consistency this year and faces a fight to make October's WTA Championships in Istanbul, Turkey. The 30-year-old seventh seed, who is desperate to hang onto the eighth position she needs in the race to reach the end-of-season tournament, said she did not feel the burden of expectation by playing in front of home crowds. "There's pressure everywhere, right? I mean if you're an athlete you have to be used to that so I'm feeling the same," Li said, adding that if she isn't able to put up a strong showing it may be her last event of the season. "It's the same (as other) tournaments. It's a big tournament in China, big
tournament in Beijing and also I think maybe it's my last tournament of the year, maybe not" she added, saying that she is "still look-
ing to make the Championships". Li has had an indifferent year, winning in Cincinnati last month, which was followed by a third-round exit at the US Open two weeks later and a last-16 defeat to Caroline Wozniacki at the Pan Pacific Open earlier this week. Her recent disappointments mean she has to do well in Beijing, something she didn't do in 2011, if she is to have a chance of reaching the $4.9 million season climax. "I know I didn't do well last year, but that doesn't mean anything for this year. So I'm really looking forward to this tournament," said Li, who last time round lost in straight sets to Romanian Monica Niculescu in her opening match.
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Saturday, 29 September, 2012
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US judge orders anti-Islam filmmaker jailed without bond WASHINGTON SPecIAL correSPoNDeNt
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AKOULA Basseley Nakoula, producer of the notorious anti-Islam video, which hurt feelings of Muslims around the world with its posting on the Internet and incited unprecedented protests around the globe, has been ordered jailed without bond by a federal judge in Los Angeles, California. A report in The Los Angeles Times said Nakoula, 55, who had earlier operated under several fake names, was being held in a federal detention center in downtown
Pakistan, afghanistan must work together to defeat terrorism: zardari NEW YORK
Los Angeles late Thursday after a judge ordered him seized on a probation violation. Meanwhile, ABC News identified Nakoula as a Coptic Christian. According to the channel, Nakoula had originally used the pseudonym Sam Bacile, telling reporters he was an “Israeli Jew” and that the film had cost about $5,000,000, which came from wealthy Jewish friends. “But Nakoula, who is actually an egyptianAmerican Coptic Christian, later told authorities that he and his son, Abanob Basseley, 21, were responsible for producing the movie,” the ABC report said. Reporting his detention late Thursday, the
Los Angeles Times said Judge Suzanne H. Segal said Nakoula posed “some danger to the community” and had lied to probation officials. “The court has a lack of trust in the defendant at this time,” she said, according to the Times. The report said Nakoula was arrested earlier in the day. Federal prosecutors argued in a court hearing Thursday afternoon that he posed a flight risk and should remain in custody. His attorney argued that Nakoula be released on bond, saying his client would be in danger at the downtown LA federal prison because it had a large Muslim population. He also denied his client violated his probation.
The Times report said Nakoula was convicted on bank fraud charges in 2010 and was warned against misbehaving on the Internet. He was ordered not to own or use devices with access to the Web without approval from his probation officer -– and any approved computers were to be used for work only. “Defendant shall not access a computer for any other purpose,” according to the terms of his probation. There were also restrictions placed on him in enlisting others to get on the Internet for him. Some speculated that Nakoula may have violated those terms after the film trailer was loaded onto YouTube, although
it is unclear what exactly prompted the recent arrest. Nakoula had been arrested in 2009 after federal agents searched his home in Cerritos on suspicion that he had engaged in a scheme to create fake identities and open credit cards in those names, then draw tens of thousands of dollars from the phony accounts. According to the ABC News reported Nakoula had met with federal probation officers on Sept. 14 about whether his involvement in the film violated the terms of his probation, which barred him from accessing the internet without prior approval and from using any name other than his legal name.
Zardari to meet altaf on lg ord deadlock ISLAMABAD
APP
tAyyAB HuSSAIN
President Asif Ali Zardari has said that destinies of Pakistan and Afghanistan were intertwined and the two countries must work together to confront shared challenges and issues. He said this during a meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Thursday. He said Pakistan had abiding interest in peace, stability and socio-economic development of Afghanistan and would continue to support every effort of the international community in this regard. The president said Pakistan was supportive of an Afghan-led and Afghanowned reconciliation process in Afghanistan. He said militancy, terrorism, narcotics trade, illiteracy with less economic opportunities were among the main issues being confronted by the two countries. To deal with them, he said the two countries must join hands, he added. The president said the goal of completely eliminating militancy and terrorism from the region would remain elusive until an enabling environment was created where the militancy was automatically defeated. Zardari said education and provision of economic opportunities would be instrumental in winning the battle of hearts and minds and weaning away youth falling into the traps of militants. He also emphasized upon the need for the two countries to focus on financial mechanism involved in funding the terrorist activities. He said there was a nexus between the large scale heroin trade and terrorism, adding that both countries must urgently cut this cord. He said equally important in this quest was to offer alternatives to the people. Zardari said the hosting of an international conference on the issue of NARCO trade later this year by Pakistan was a measure of the commitment to collectively fight the menace and to promote real time substantive cooperation for effectively addressing the issue of drug production and trafficking. emphasizing the need for increased regional connectivity, the president said Pakistan was keen to extend Afghan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement to the Central Asian States for promoting trade and economic relations in the region. He said as a first step, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan could sign the trilateral transit and trade agreement this year.
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Cochairman President Asif Ali Zardari is likely to hold a crucial meeting with Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain to woo his support for a review of the Sindh People’s Local Government Ordinance (SPLGO) 2012, as the ordinance has become a bone of contention between the two coalition partners with other coalition parties and Sindhi nationalists opposing it strongly. A source in the ruling party, requesting not to be named, said communication was going on between both parties and there were strong chances of a meeting between leaders of both. “Initial contacts have been positive and if things remained constructive, the president is likely to meet Altaf Hussain in London to finalize things. This is the reason the president has not made his traveling schedule public,” the source said. He said during the meeting, the president would
persuade Altaf to agree to some changes in the ordinance, as the PPP was facing strong criticism in interior Sindh over the ordinance from Sindhi nationalists. The source said the PPP was already facing a tough time in interior Sindh due to successive floods. President’s spokesman Farhatullah Babar did not rule out the possibility of a meeting between both leaders, giving a tacit confirmation in this regard. “There are no plans yet for a meeting between the president and Altaf,” he said. He said there was a strong possibility that the president would be able to convince Altaf on withdrawing the SPLGO and issuance of another ordinance acceptable to all coalition partners. After hectic dialogue between the PPP and MQM leaders on September 13, the MQM had been successful in getting the SPLGO 2012 notified, but it attracted massive criticism from nationalist political parties of Sindh. Most of the PPP leaders from Sindh also oppose the ordinance. Following the
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notification, ministers of the PML-Q, ANP, PML-F and NPP had tendered resignations in protest. On Friday, the leaders submitted formal applications for allocations of seats on opposition benches. However, the resignations had no impact on the
Published by Arif Nizami at Plot No 79, Sector 24, Korangi Industrial Area Karachi.
federal government and all coalition partners remain with the PPP, hinting that the resignations were being used as a pressure tactic to get the ordinance withdrawn, a situation unacceptable for MQM. Per the notification, five of the 23 districts of
Editor: Arif Nizami
Sindh, including Karachi, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Sukkur and Larkana, were to be given the status of metropolitan corporations where mayors and deputy mayors would be appointed while, magistracy was to be implemented in the remaining 18.