e-paper pakistantoday 21st september, 2012

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film protests were extremism, says Australia’s Julia Gillard

un urges pakistan to act on enforced disappearances

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Rs 15.00 Vol iii no 85 19 pages

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Lahore edition

ISLAMABAD

T

Anthrax traces found in dead Australian sheep

TAyyAb HussAIN

HE Supreme Court on Thursday passed a historic verdict in the dual nationality case, declaring all parliamentarians and provincial assembly members holding dual nationalities “ineligible to hold any public office” and rendering them disqualified as lawmakers of the country’s lawmaking bodies.

Those immediately affected by the court order include four members of parliament and seven members of provincial assemblies. The MNAs who stand disqualified are Chaudhry Zahid Iqbal‚ Farahnaz Isphahani‚ Farhat Mohammad Khan and Jamil Ahmad Malik.

The disqualified members of Punjab Assembly include Muhammad Akhlaq, Muhammad Ashraf Chohan‚ Chaudhry Wasim Qadir, Chaudhry Nadeem Khadim and Amna Buttar. Sindh Assembly’s disqualified members include Nadia Gabol and Dr Ahmad Ali Shah. Following the order, the Election Commission of Pakistan also de-notified all eleven members as lawmakers.

However, Interior Minister Rehman Malik avoided an immediate axing, as the court remarked that at the time of filing nomination papers for the 2008 Senate election, Malik made a false declaration to the effect that he was not subject to any of

Friday, 21 September, 2012 dhual-Qi’da 3, 1433

Dual nationality holders cannot hold public office: SC Apex court sends 11 dual national lawmakers packing g Rehman Malik avoids immediate axing, court directs ECP to initiate legal proceedings against interior minister for filing ‘false declaration’

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the disqualifications, therefore, reference would be required to be forwarded to the Senate chairman against Malik under Article 63(2) in view of the provision of Section 99(1)(f) of the Representation of People Act of 1976. Earlier, a three-member SC bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry announced the short order on the petition filed under Article 184(3) of the constitution seeking disqualification of dual nationality holding MPs and MPAs due to violation of Article 63(1)(c) of the constitution. The bench had reserved the verdict on September 18.

According to the verdict, the court invoked Article 63(1)(c), stating, “A person shall be disqualified from being elected or

chosen as, and from being, a member of the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament), if he ceases to be a citizen of Pakistan, or acquires the citizenship of a foreign state”.

The court in its order said parliamentarians had to submit a declaration before the elections and if the same turned out to be false, he or she was liable to be disqualified from being elected or chosen as member of parliament or a provincial assembly for making misstatement or concealment of facts and it would also exposes him or her to criminal proceedings contemplated under Sections 193, 196, 197, 198 and 199 of PPC. The court directed the Election Commission of Pakistan to de-notify the memberships of the named MPs. The law states

that a person shall not be qualified from being elected or chosen as a member of an assembly if “he is sagacious, righteous and non-profligate and honest and Ameen”.

In view of the false declaration filed by Malik at the time of contesting the election to the Senate in 2008, the court noted that he could not be considered sagacious, righteous, honest and Ameen within the contemplation of Section 99(1)(f) of the Act of 1976, the court observed.

“Therefore, for such purposes, Article 63(p) is to be adhered to because the disqualification incurred by him is envisaged under the law, referred to his own statement that he had renounced his citizenship of UK whereas the fact remains that such

Army cAlled in cApitAl to quell Anti-film violence

renunciation along with declaration can only be seen as having been made on May 29, 2012.” Like other parliamentarians, the court also ordered Malik to refund all monetary benefits drawn by him up until July 11, 2012 for the period during which he occupied the public office.

The court directed the Election Commission of Pakistan to initiate legal proceedings against Malik, as it has been directed in the case of other parliamentarians. Later, the Election Commission of Pakistan issued notifications of disqualification for eleven members of the national and provincial assemblies. The ECP also directed for instituting legal proceedings against those disqualified.

Security on high alert for anti-film protest rallies Mobile phone services likely to remain suspended from 9am to 11pm LAHORE RANA HAIDER

ISLAMABAD KAsHIf AbbAsI

Thousands of people protesting against the blasphemous anti-Islam movie stormed the federal capital on Thursday and tried to force their entry into the Diplomatic Enclave to march on the US embassy, forcing the government to call in the military to secure foreign missions in the area.

Armed with wooden clubs and iron rods, almost 20,000 protesters, including a large number of students, clashed with riot police as they attempted to force their way into the diplomatic enclave to attack the US embassy.

Police initially resorted to a light baton charge and tear gas shelling outside the Serena Hotel to stop the protesters, but the crowd got agitated and a bloody clash ensued. In retaliation, angry protesters attacked the security teams with stones and sticks.

Police sources said around 900 officials of the Islamabad police backed by around 200 officials of the Punjab

Over 50 pOlice Officials, dOzens Of prOtesters injured in clashes Police and Rangers had been deployed to control the protests.

But once the 1,100 cops failed to contain the crowd otherwise, they started firing rubber bullets indiscriminately and resorted to heavy tear gas shelling on the protesters, but in vain.

Gauging the developments and seeing the protesters inching towards the Diplomatic Enclave, the government was eventually forced to call in army troops to secure the enclave, which houses the US embassy besides several other foreign missions. In the almost five-hour-long clashes, over 50 police officials, including Aabpara SHO Jamshed Ahmed Khan and Kohsar SHO Khalid Masood, received injuries, while more than a dozen protesters were also left wounded. The injured were shifted to Poly Clinic and Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences. Hospital sources said Constable Asif Khan had been seriously

injured, as he had broken his leg and also received injuries on his back.

Police also managed to nab dozens of protesters. Earlier in the day, the Islamabad administration had sealed the Constitution Avenue from Radio Pakistan Chowk to the Diplomatic Enclave, while police had also blocked several other roads by placing containers at various points. Three containers were placed on the Islamabad Highway near Faizabad, but protesters roiling for vengeance forcefully set the containers aside and managed to reach Serena Hotel. The protesters also burnt down three police pickets, several police motorcycles and damaged many signboards on Khayabane-Suharwardi and Islamabad Highway. A telephone pole was burnt down right outside Serene Hotel, while demonstrators also damaged several street lights and glasses of a few cars. The Khayaban-e-Suharwardi

and Kashmir Highway near Serene Hotel was turned into a battlefield for four hours, where angry protesters kept shouting anti-US slogans and demanded lynching of those responsible for producing the blasphemous film.

Atif Ali, a protesting student of Quaid-e-Azam University said, “I’m ready to sacrifice my life and take others’ lives for the dignity and honor of Holy Prophet (PBUH).” “I’m here to register my protest against the US government for providing shelter to those who made the movie.” Later, a delegation of ulema led by Maulana Zahoor Alvi and Nazir Farooqi held talks with the Islamabad chief commissioner and IGP. The IGP asked the clerics to help end the protests, but the clerics demanded the release of all arrested people. Once that was done, Alvi requested the protesters to call off the rally and they subsequently obliged.

Amid reports that cellular services would remain suspended in seven major cities of the country from 9am to 11pm today (Friday), strict security measures have been devised for the provincial capital in view of protest rallies to be taken out today against an anti-Islam film that has garnered worldwide condemnation. A foolproof security plan has been put in place for protest rallies with 14,800 police personnel deployed at various places of the city for security purposes, sources said. Sources told Pakistan Today that along with several other political and religious parties, Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), Majlis e Wahdat e Muslameen (MWM), Jamiat Ulema e Islam (JUI), Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI), and All Pakistan Traders’ Council would assemble at Nasir Bagh to take part in the rally. Per schedule, the rally would begin at Nasir Bagh and would march as far as the Lahore High Court (LHC) where leaders of the rally would address the participants. Roads would be completely sealed for all kinds of traffic from the Lower Mall to Government College University, from Post Master General’s office to the Punjab Civil Secretariat, and from Charring Cross to the US Consulate.

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02 News cartoon

Foreign newS

Today’s

Danish magazine runs topless Kate photos

inFotainment Grandfather wrestles gator to save pet dog

Quick Look

Page 11

Story on Page 09

Kabul to move UNSC against ‘Pakistan cross-border attacks’ KABUL: Afghan Foreign Ministry officials on Thursday announced that the ministry would lodge a complaint in the UN Security Council against cross-border incursion by the Pakistani military in the eastern regions of Afghanistan. According to Afghan officials, hundreds of missiles and heavy shells have been fired into Kunar and Nuristan provinces in the past one year which caused casualties and damages to local residents. A spokesman for the Afghan Foreign Ministry, Faramarz Taman said Afghan Foreign Minister Zalmai Rassoul was due to share the issue with the UN Security Council. Taman added that the motive behind the complaint was to draw the attention of the UNSC members into the cross-border incursions by Pakistani military.

“Deep concerns of Afghanistan have been pointed out in the speech of the Afghan foreign minister which also reflects the negative impact over the bilateral relations if the cross-border incursions continue.” He also said the cross-border incursion by Pakistan would boost insurgency in eastern regions of Afghanistan. The officials said several Afghan families had left their homes. However, Pakistani officials said only militants inside the Pakistani soil had been targeted and only a number of missiles had mistakenly crossed the border. Tamana also said Afghan, Pakistani and British officials were also due to meet in the UNSC session which was due to be held on September 26. INP

Kaira appeals protestors to remain peaceful ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information Qamar Zaman Kaira on Thursday appealed to protestors to remain peaceful. He said the political and religious parties should not trigger anarchy in the country through violent protests. While speaking to a private TV channel, he said it is the responsibility of the government to protect all foreigners and this will be ensured at all costs. The information minister said the protestors came from Rawalpindi and Murree and it was the responsibility of the Punjab Police to stop them. He said the federal government had informed the Punjab government to take necessary steps in this regard. oNLINE

Islamic body warns of turmoil over French cartoons JEDDAH: The Organization of Islamic Cooperation has warned that cartoons ridiculing the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) published in France will trigger a new wave of anti-Western violence. In a statement, OIC chief Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu “expressed shock and dismay over” the depictions and warned they would “further exacerbate the ongoing turmoil and violence created by the release of the anti-Islam film (Innocence of Muslims)”. Angry protests linked to the movie has left more than 30 people dead since last week, with much of the violence targeting the United States where the film was produced. French ministers fear the focus could now shift to Paris’s overseas outposts following the publications of the cartoons in the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo. “The French weekly should pay heed to the concerns of the international community on incitement and intolerance of religious beliefs,” said Ihsanoglu, calling on the political and religious “leadership of the world and all stakeholders to take a united stand against fanatics and radicals.” He said it was time the international community took “serious note of the dangerous implications of hate speech and inciting publications and come out of hiding behind the excuse of freedom of expression.” The film and the cartoons constituted a “deliberate, motivated and systematic abuse” of freedom of speech and “posed a clear and present danger to peace, security and stability in the region as well as the global context.” He further called on Muslims worldwide “to exercise restraint in testing times.” Embassies, consulates, cultural centers and international French schools in around 20 Muslim countries will be closed on foreign ministry orders Friday for fear of retaliatory violence following weekly prayers. AfP

Friday, 21 September, 2012

Story on Page 14

US using TV ads to quell Pakistanis’ anger WASHINGTON AfP

The United States has bought time on Pakistani television stations to run a series of adverts in a bid to stem Muslim protests at an amateur anti-Islam film, a US official said Wednesday. The State Department has spent some $70,000 dollars to air the ad in Urdu across seven Pakistani TV channels in a bid to disassociate the US government from the inflammatory film, spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said. “After the video came out there was concern in lots of bodies politic, including in Pakistan, whether this represented the views of the US government,” Nuland told journalists. “So in order to ensure we reached the largest number of Pakistanis, some 90 million as I understand in this case with these spots, it was the judgment that this was the best way to do it.” The 30second ad shows clips of President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton taken from their speeches made since the violence flared in Muslim nations last week, in which US ambassador to Libya was killed. It also includes an image of the US seal “to make clear it’s official,” and a notice that they were paid for, although Nuland was uncertain whether the name of the State Department was included. The aim was “to make sure that the Pakistani people hear the president’s messages and the secretary’s messages,” Nuland said. Obama is shown saying: “Since our founding the United States has been a nation that respects all faiths. We reject all efforts to denigrate the religious beliefs of others.” Clinton then says: “Let me state very clearly, the United States has absolutely nothing to do with this video. We absolutely reject its contents. America’s commitment to religious tolerance goes back to the very beginning of our nation.”

ISLAMABAD: Protesters remove a container placed on the road to prevent people demonstrating against an antiIslam film from reaching the US embassy on Thursday. INP

PML-N to start campaign for timely elections LAHORE sTAff REPoRT

In an effort to pressurize the federal government for holding general elections according to schedule, the Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) has decided to hold public meetings in all four provinces of the country.

Party sources said that an informal meeting of party leaders, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Sajjad Hussain Pirzada, was held under PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif on Thursday.

Addressing the meeting, Nawaz said that the rulers were trying to avoid elections, but the power of the people would foil their plans and force them to hold elections on schedule.

The meeting decided to make the PML-N more popular by holding public meetings in all the provinces. Party leaders and members of the parliament would be given targets to make the campaign a success, sources said.

Meanwhile, Riaz Hussain Pirzada, a member of National Assembly formerly associated with the PML-Quaid, met Nawaz and expressed faith in his leadership. Pirzada is expected to announce his decision to join the PML-N at a public meeting soon.

Talking to PML-N leaders and Pirzada, Nawaz said the federal government’s allies were equally responsible in the destruction of the country. He said he was confident that the nation would hold the current rulers accountable during the next elections.

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News 03 artS & entertainment

buSineSS

SPortS

shakira, footballer Gerard Pique expecting first child

fTo traces its zenith

bD looks to shakib for NZ upset

editorial Lost opportunities: Dual nationality bill, politicians and the SC.

comment Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad says; Factory infernos: And lack of government oversight on industries.

Kunwar Khuldune shahid says; Holy war: It takes a sacrilegious video to unite the Muslim world.

Adeel Amjad says; Who is responsible?: The West, the Muslims and the freedom of speech.

Story on Page 18

Story on Page 13

Story on Page 15

articles on Page 14-15

Khar seeks trusting, mutually respectful Pakistan-US ties WASHINGTON sPECIAL CoRREsPoNDENT

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OGRA secretary sacked over fake degree ISLAMABAD: The federal government on Thursday sacked Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) Executive Secretary Anwar Khan for holding a fake degree. According to details, during the scrutiny of the degrees of executive officers heading various organizations, the degree of Anwar Khan was found fake. The notification of the OGRA executive secretary’s termination from service has been issued, and orders have been passed for withdrawing perks and salaries drawn by the secretary since induction. INP

OREIGN Minister Hina Rabbani Khar on Thursday called for infusing Pakistan-US relations with mutual respect and trust, as she had “frank” discussions with key American senators on the way forward in the bilateral ties, undermined by a series of events in the last couple of years.

The foreign minister’s talks with the influential members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, took place a day ahead of her formal talks with Secretary Hillary Clinton at the State Department.

In the post-meeting comments, both Ms Khar and Senator John Kerry, who chairs the Foreign Relations Committee, acknowledged the need to build mutual trust in the bilateral relationship, which is seen here as critical to the outcome of the lingering Afghan war.

“I am encouraged by the frank and honest discussion that we had ——I think it is important to have discussion because we had too much mistrust and fears which have inhibited the course of our relations in the past,” foreign minister Khar said.

She voiced the hope that the “frank and honest discussions,” between the two sides would help open up “new opportunities in pursuing our joint interests.” “What Pakistani people look for from the United States of America is mutual respect to pursue goals as a sovereign people…”

On Afghanistan, Ms Khar reiterated her country’s commitment to peace and security in Afghanistan. She remarked if the US stated objective is peace and stability in Afghanistan and the region, then the two countries are pursuing which is also in

Islamabad’s interest and a core goal, a peaceful and stable Afghanistan next door.

Ms Khar noted that a peaceful Afghanistan is prerequisite for peace and stability in Pakistan. She also advocated the need for promoting tolerance amidst worldwide unrest caused by the anti-Islam film. She said fringe elements can force a great wave of chaos. “Islam is a religion of peace and the messenger of Islam Muhammad, Peace Be Upon Him, is the messenger of peace.” The foreign minister also stressed the importance of building harmony within civilization.

In his remarks, Senator Kerry described the panel’s meeting with Ms Khar as a “positive step” towards trust building, which he added, takes time.

Senator Kerry, who is a proponent of

an important Kerry-Lugar aid measure for Pakistan, rejected calls by some Congressmen to cut off all assistance for the country over differences on some counterterrorism issues. “Walking away is simply not the option, and we are not going to do that.,” he said firmly. But, he added, Congress wants assurances from Islamabad that the countries will work together towards common goals and to foil terrorism plans to make both countries safer and that there is no looking away while terrorist plan attacks.

“We need to renew and reaffirm our mutual commitment to working together in order to make both our countries safer.”

The Democratic leader from Massachusetts strongly condemned the sacrilegious contents in an anti-Islam film, which has been made in the United States and whose circulation on the Internet has led to widespread protests in the Islamic world.

“All of us in the United States condemn the senseless intolerance exhibited by the video —— religious intolerance is insult to everybody and no religion deserves disrespect and this country is founded on tolerance.”

While protests (against the film) are valid, he said, there is no room for violence and taking lives. Kerry, a former presidential candidate noted that the members of foreign relations panel had a “a very frank, extensive, extremely productive” conversation with Pakistan’s top diplomat. He acknowledged the efforts of Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States Sherry Rehman and the foreign minister towards improving the bilateral relations. “We are working hard to get this relationship back on track (after a difficult year) —— because we know the importance of the relationship.” Kerry said the United States is grateful to Pakistan for reopening the supply routes for American troops in Afghanistan.

anthrax traces found in dead australian sheep g

Federal govt department behind import of infected sheep KARACHI AfTAb CHANNA

Authorities have found traces of Anthrax virus in the bodies of the dead Australian sheep found at a private farm near Karachi on Thursday, as the culling of 21,000 infected Australian sheep continues.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Today has learnt that the Animal Quarantine Department of the Ministry of National Food Security played a key role in allowing entry to the diseased animals.

According to well-placed sources, officials in the Animal Quarantine Department also used their influence to contradict the Sindh government’s laboratory report that pointed out the presence of infectious bacteria and the Orf virus. Interestingly, the department also made efforts to allow the traders involved to sell the infected sheep’s meat in the local market, sources said.

Around 75,000 sheep left Australia on Fremantle-based Wellard Rural Exports’ ship Ocean Drover for Middle East. About 53,000 sheep were offloaded in Qatar and

Oman, while the remaining 22,000 were to be offloaded in Bahrain; however, when the ship arrived reached the port on August 29, it was asked by the Bahraini authorities to leave its berth until matters were resolved. Taking advantage of the situation, the Animal Quarantine Department issued a No Objection Certificate (NOC) back-dated August 24, 2012, besides releasing a health certificate to the owner of PK Livestock and Meat, Tariq Mehmood Butt, who imported the sheep on September 1, 2012, sources disclosed.

When the Australian vessel arrived at Port Qasim, the infected sheep were immediately offloaded and kept at a private farm at Razzakabad. However, the whole episode of bringing the infected animals to the local market went down the drain when Sindh Livestock and Fisheries Department’s experts, who were doubtful of the sheep’s health, collected samples and submitted it to Islamabad-based NVL laboratory for proper medical verification on September 8, 2012.

The Sindh Livestock and Fisheries

Department also forwarded the samples to the Tandojam Central Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, which certified that the sheep carried foot-and-mouth disease, in addition to bacterial infection as had been indicated earlier in a laboratory report by the Sindh Poultry Vaccine Center. Besides, the Sindh Poultry Vaccine Center’s tests had found the presence of salmonella and actinomyces bacteria in 100 percent samples from the Merino sheep.

Of all the samples, 44 percent tested positive for E coli. The oral swabs were found positive for highly contagious actinomyces, which is responsible for causing lumpy jaw disease in sheep.

E coli and salmonella bacteria may cause food poisoning and dysentery in humans if the meat of infected animal is consumed.

“The reports of our laboratories are important since we are the ones who are going to face the health and environmental consequences if these animals are allowed to be slaughtered and consumed,” Livestock and Fisheries Secretary Abid

Dubai-based vets declare ‘infected’ sheep fit for human consumption KARACHI: An independent veterinarian from a World Animal Health Organization (OIE) accredited lab, Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (VRL Dubai) has issued a certificate, terming the sheep “free of any exotic disease” and “perfectly fit for human consumption”. Dr Ulrich Wernery, the scientific director of VRL Dubai that operates as the government’s diagnostic center for the United Arab Emirates, said the laboratory staff had visually inspected the sheep on Wednesday in a Karachi feedlot, and found no evidence of exotic disease in the animals. “These sheep do not suffer from any infectious diseases what so ever (sic) and should be professionally slaughtered for meat production without any delay to avoid any suffering and also to avoid any animal welfare concerns,” Dr Wernery said. “It is of paramount importance to stop now the needless and unnecessary culling of healthy animals.” Dr Wernery said the laboratory staff intended to take blood samples from the sheep, but were “unfortunately” prevented by the local authorities. sTAff REPoRT Ali Shah told Pakistan Today.

Furthermore, in this regard, the Animal Husbandary Commissioner Dr Khurshid Ahmed has forwarded a letter No Dy

1601/AHC-2012 to the secretary of the Livestock and Fisheries Department, Government of Sindh, encouraging the departments’ efforts in dealing the infected sheep.

Friday, 21 September, 2012

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04 News Study finds growing restrictions on faith worldwide WASHINGTON

R

AfP

ESTRICTIONS on religion were growing worldwide by mid-2010, even in Western countries with traditionally few limits on the practice of faith, the Pew Research Center said Thursday.

It said three-quarters of the world’s seven billion people lived in countries with either “high government restrictions on religion or high social hostilities involving religion,” according to data from July 2009 through June 2010. That’s five percent higher than a year earlier, said the Washington think tank in an 86-page report from its Forum on Religion and Public Life unit, the third in an ongoing series. “There were increases in restrictions, even in countries that previously had

low or moderate levels of restrictions — including the United States,” it said.

Nevertheless, no Western or Latin American country made Pew’s league tables of countries with either “very high” government restrictions or very high social hostilities, each measured by respective 10-point indices. Six countries — Afghanistan, Egypt, Indonesia, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Yemen — made both lists.

China, the world’s most populous country, had very high government restrictions, while Pakistan, India, Israel and the Palestinian territories were all deemed to have very high social hostilities, such as harassment or mob violence.

Giving specific examples in the United States, Pew cited efforts in Tennessee to block construction of a mosque and a bid in Oklahoma — later overturned in court — to out-

law Islamic Sharia law.

It also cited a spike in religion-related workplace discrimination complaints, as well as “religion-related terrorist attacks” such as the killing of 13 people at Fort Hood, Texas by a Muslim-American army major in 1999. Outside the United States, Pew cited Switzerland’s ban on the building of new minarets on mosques, the shutdown of more than two dozen churches in Indonesia under pressure from Islamist extremists, and violent clashes between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria.

Overall, the report said, “the rising tide of restrictions ... is attributable to a variety of factors, including increases in crimes, malicious acts and violence motivated by religious hatred and bias, as well as increased government interference with worship or other religious practices.”

Karzai sacks key un mission ally of the West Continued FRom page 19

KABUL: Afghan President Hamid Karzai has sacked five provincial governors, including a key Western ally in one of the most turbulent battlegrounds of the south, officials said Thursday.

Government insiders said the move was part of efforts to reform and fight corruption, but the dismissal of Mohammad Gulab Mangal in Helmand province could ruffle British and US allies who considered him an important ally against the Taliban.

Mangal was sacked for “political reasons,” according to a senior official in Karzai’s office. “He had lots of unnecessary relations, close relations with the foreigners which the president didn’t like.

He was suspected to be involved in corruption,” the official said, on condition of anonymity.

The four other sacked governors — for the provinces of Kabul, Badghis in the west, Nimroz in the south and

Wardak, south of Kabul, were dismissed for being “incompetent,” the official said. Another four governors were reshuffled between the provinces of Faryab and Takhar in the north, and Laghman and Logar, adjacent to Kabul. Munshi Abdul Majeed, the governor of Baghlan, also in the north, was made an advisor to Karzai.

The government official said he had been moved because he is old. Taliban insurgents have increased their activities in Baghlan in recent years. In July, Karzai admitted that his government was corrupt and issued a sweeping directive for reform ahead of the withdrawal of international troops in 2014. The president — who has faced accusations he is part of the problem rather than its solution — called on the Supreme Court to “work on and finalise all the cases regarding administrative corruption, land-grabbing... within six months”. AFP

In their recommendations, the UN working group urged the government to set up an officially recognized place of detention, to reinforce the commission of inquiry allowing it for parallel hearings, to assist families to meet the commission in absence of law enforcement agency members, to include the new crime of enforced disappearances in criminal code, ensure fair trial and punishment for perpetrators, to suspend the perpetrators, including army officers, from their official duties during the probe, to ensure accountability of law enforcement agencies, to train law enforcement and intelligence agencies in human rights field, ensure protection of witness and relatives of abducted persons, to provide financial aid to relatives of missing persons and to ratify the convention for protection of all persons against enforced disappearances. The UN working group said that if requested, the UN and other international organizations would stand ready to provide technical assistance and consultancy for implementing the working group recommendations.

QuETTA: Cinema staff inspect the damages after people protesting against the blasphemous film targeted Imdad Cinema. INP

uS judge rejects call to ban youtube anti-Muslim film LOS ANGELES

illegal by local authorities; that is, to date, India, Indonesia.

Malaysia and Saudi Arabia.”

YouTube last week restricted access to the film in Egypt and Libya after unrest in those countries, and has been adding countries to the list. Some others including Pakistan and Sudan, have blocked access themselves.

The US actress also filed a lawsuit against the reported producer of the film, Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, on grounds of invasion of pri-

vacy, fraud, slander and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

The 55-year-old Egyptian Copt and convicted fraudster — out on parole — lives in Los Angeles and has admitted to working on the film, “Innocence of Muslims.” US media say Nakoula wrote and produced the film, using the pseudonym Sam Bacile before being identified. He was questioned overnight Friday by police before going into hiding with his family.

indian army against withdrawal from Siachen

Film protests were extremism, says australian Pm

AfP

A US judge rejected Thursday a request by an actress in the anti-Islamic video that set off violent Muslim protests to ban YouTube from showing the trailer in the United States.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Louis Lavin refused the request by lawyers for actress Cindy Lee Garcia for a restraining order to prevent the online video-sharing service from continuing to

NEW DELHI INP

Against the backdrop of Pakistani push for demilitarization of Siachen, Indian Army chief General Bikram Singh made it clear that the Indian military would not like to move out of the “strategically important” heights for which a “lot of blood has been shed”.

General Bikram said the army had conveyed its views to the government that had to take a final decision in this regard. “It is very important and we must continue to hold that area and we have held that

show the trailer.

Garcia is one of three actresses in the film to have come forward with similar accusations since the explosion of violence that ripped through Muslim countries in the Middle East, Africa and Asia last week.

She sued YouTube and its owner Google for releasing excerpts of the very amateurish film, which was later dubbed into Arabic. YouTube said Wednesday it extended its restrictions on the video to “countries where it is considered

view always. We have lost our lives and lot of blood has been shed to get into these areas and occupy the heights and positions. These positions are of strategic importance and we have given our concerns to the government and now it is for the government to decide,” Gen Singh said. Asked why talks were being held if the army believed the glacier had to be held, he said, “The negotiations are at the government level and at the national level.

Let us see how these negotiations progress but we have given our point of view.”

Gen Singh said the army

Protesters target France over obscene cartoons PARIS AGENCIEs

France was swept up Thursday in the wave of anger washing over the Muslim world as protesters in Afghanistan and Iran denounced a magazine’s publication of blasphemous cartoons.

Chanting “Death to France!

Death to America!”, hundreds demonstrated in the Afghan capital Kabul against the cartoons and a US-made anti-Islam film that has sparked widespread outrage.

In Tehran, up to 100 people protested in front of France’s embassy, chanting

Friday, 21 September, 2012

“Death to France!” as dozens of police deployed around the compound prevented the crowd from approaching.

France has been bracing for a backlash following Wednesday’s publication of the cartoons by satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo.

In anticipation of potential protests on Friday, Paris said it would shutter its diplomatic missions, cultural centers and French schools in around 20 Muslim countries.

More than 30 people have been killed in attacks and violent protests linked to the film “Innocence of Muslims”, including 12

people who died in an attack by a female suicide bomber in Afghanistan and four Americans, among them the US ambassador, killed at the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya.

Protests against the film took place in many countries on Wednesday, including in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Lebanon and Sri Lanka.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has called for protests all week in Lebanon and major demonstrations are expected in Pakistan on Friday, where the government has declared a national holiday in honor of

Prophet Mohammed (PBUH).

Washington has also moved to boost security amid the protests, with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton saying the United States was taking “aggressive steps” to protect diplomatic missions worldwide.

The US embassy in Jakarta said all its diplomatic missions in Indonesia would be closed Friday because of “the potential for significant demonstrations”.

Singapore on Thursday joined countries including Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan that have blocked access to YouTube

following the site’s release of the clip of the film. In France, police said Thursday they had forbidden a demonstration planned for Saturday in front of Paris’s Grand Mosque.

The interior ministry has said it will deny all requests for permits to protest the film after a demonstration last weekend near the US embassy in Paris turned violent. Leaders of France’s Muslim community — the largest in western Europe — said an appeal for calm would be read in mosques across the country on Friday but also condemned Charlie Hebdo for publishing “insulting” images.

had not changed its views on the importance of the strategic heights which have been under Indian physical control since 1984 after the army launched Operation Meghdoot to occupy them. Asked how willing was India on the issue, he said it was discussed during the 13th round of defense secretarylevel talks held in Islamabad.

“This is one of the issues supposed to have been discussed and it was not concluded at that point of time and I think it will carry forward. I think modalities have to be worked out during the dialogue to be held next year.”

Security Continued FRom page 01

To tackle any untoward situation, police would also be deployed on the rooftops of the buildings situated on The Mall.

All roads leading to the US Consulate have been blocked by placing containers. A senior police official told Pakistan Today that surety bonds would be collected from various religious parties that they would not harm any government or private property. He said the containers put in the surrounding areas of the US Consulate would remain there for 15 days and nobody would be allowed to take the law into their hands. The official said that the police would not stop any peaceful demonstrators from registering their protest, but miscreants would not be spared.

SYDNEY AfP

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard on Thursday called on immigrants to learn English and respect women as she condemned protests against an anti-Islam film as “extremism”. Gillard, the country’s first atheist prime minister, said living in Australia’s culturally diverse society came with the obligation to leave “old hatreds” behind and “find shared identity on common ground”. “Multiculturalism is the meeting of rights and responsibilities; the right to bring to this nation as a migrant your heritage and your culture and your language and your religion,” she told parliament. “It’s the meeting of those rights with the responsibilities... to find work, to learn English, to uphold our rule of law, to be a full participant in our democracy, to recognize women as equals in our society.” Gillard said true multiculturalism “includes, not divides” and dismissed as the actions of a few the violent protests in Sydney against the anti-Islam film “Innocence of Muslims” in which police were injured and eight people arrested. “What we saw on the streets of Sydney last weekend was not multiculturalism, it was extremism,” she added, calling for any differences of opinion to be resolved peacefully.

Police used pepper spray to contain a group trying to gain entry to the US consulate in Sydney on Saturday.

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News 05

PM hopes for greater recognition to Pakistan for fighting terrorism ashraf says fighting terrorism collective responsibility of all nations g Says islamabad also eyeing closer anti-terrorism cooperation with china g

BEIJING

P

APP

RIME Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf on Thursday said he hoped that the international community would give the country greater recognition and support for its contributions to the war against terrorism.

Ashraf made these remarks in an exclusive interview with China’s prominent English daily, Global Times, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Tianjin.

Ashraf said terrorism was a threat to regional and global peace and security, stressing that it was the collective responsibility of all nations to fight against it.

“Pakistan is on the frontline of the war on terrorism, facing the main brunt and

being the main sufferer. We paid a heavy price in the war and the international community should recognize our sacrifices and support us,” he said. Ashraf said Islamabad was also eyeing closer anti-terrorism cooperation with China. “The China-Pakistan relationship is always a diplomatic priority for Pakistan. Our friendship is time-tested and is based upon our two people’s love and affection for each other,” the prime minister said. He said his country’s recent decision to reopen the NATO supply route through Pakistan and into Afghanistan was the latest sign of its willingness to facilitate regional anti-terrorism efforts.

“The US accepted that the strike was a mistake and felt sorry for it. We reopened the line without any other conditions because we know this is for the interest of peace and stability of Pakistan, Afghanistan

and the whole region,” he said. Ashraf added that when NATO forces pull their troops out of Afghanistan by 2014, they would use the same route. “We do not want to be seen as a hindrance. We want to be seen as being on the right side of history, cooperating with the international community, “he said. He said regional peace and stability after NATO’s withdrawal mainly depended on the process being led by Afghans. “I went to Afghanistan last month and met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, as well as different parties and their leaders. I have come to the conclusion that Afghanistan’s internal dialogue is the only path for peace and stability,” he said. “Pakistan wants to be a facilitator in this process because we understand that peace and stability in Afghanistan means peace and stability in Pakistan,” the prime minister added.

SC removes AG as prosecutor in Malik Riaz contempt case ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that Attorney General Irfan Qadir could not serve as the prosecutor in a contempt of court case against real estate tycoon Malik Riaz. A two-member SC bench of Justice Ejaz Afzal and Justice Ejaz Ahmed Chaudhry announced the verdict. The SC also sought a list of senior lawyers from the registrar to appoint a prosecutor in the case. The SC detached Qadir from the case due to his biased behavior. The bench had reserved the judgment on Monday. On Monday, Justice Afzal told the AG that it would not be appropriate for the AG to serve as prosecutor in the case.

Meanwhile, the AG also submitted a request to make Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry a witness in the case, adopting the position that judges had appeared before the court in the past.

The AG added that it was important for the chief justice to appear before the court in order to prove Malik Riaz wrong. oNLINE

‘Judiciary working hard to provide speedy justice’ PHc chief justice says draft bill for mobile courts sent to KP government for legislation through assembly g

ABBOTTABAD INP

Peshawar High Court (PHC) Chief Justice Dost Mohammad Khan said on Thursday that the superior judiciary was working hard to provide inexpensive and speedy justice to all segments of the society in accordance with the constitution and religious obligation.

While addressing the inaugural ceremony of two newly constructed courtrooms for PHC Abbottabad bench, the chief justice said the courts would go to any extent to uphold the rule of law. He said the apex court had no personal grudges against anyone, adding that it was the prime responsibility of judges to decide cases purely on merit. “To provide speedy justice at local level, we have prepared a draft bill to set up mobile courts. The bill has been sent to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government for pas-

sage through assembly,” he said, adding that 40 percent burden on the existing courts would be reduced with the introduction of proposed mobile courts.

Praising the role of lawyers to ensure the independence of judiciary, the PHC chief justice said that the lawyers had played a historic role during the movement for the restoration of judiciary in 2007. He said that the dignity and respect of the lawyers would be maintained. He also urged the lawyers’ community to play their due role in eradicating corruption from the society in general and from the judiciary in particular.

The chief justice said the Judicial Academy in Peshawar was imparting training to the lawyers and judges of the province, and that he was personally looking after the academy and ensuring that the lawyers and subordinate judges are being given equal chance of participation in the training courses.

Balochistan flood victims at risk of contracting malaria

QUETTA APP

Tens of thousands of people, sheltering along roadsides and canals in the flood-ravaged region of Balochistan, face the risk of contacting malaria infection.

Sources said about 30,000 patients of gastroenteritis, malaria, skin infection, and waterborne diseases had been treated so far in 24 medical camps set up in Naseerabad and Jaffarabad districts. “The risk of contracting malaria has increased largely because the displaced people are now exposed to mosquitoes,” Health Secretary Asmatullah Kakar said while briefing reporters at his office.

Kakar said the Balochistan government

had approached the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to supply them at least 150,000 Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs) to cope with the emerging challenge.

He said rendering thousands of families homeless, the recent floods triggered by heavy downpours had forced them to take shelter on the roadsides, adding that the Health Department promptly responded with its full capacity and set up medical camps in rain-hit areas. Giving details about the steps taken by the Health Department for the flood affected, he said the flood victims had been provided with medicine of Rs 60 million during the last 10 days, while Rs 40 million worth of medicine were available with the Health Department for emergency situations.

Friday, 21 September, 2012

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Friday, 21 September, 2012

edO asked to explain distribution of ‘immoral’ material in schools

centre responsible for stopping protest, says Pervez rashid LAHORE

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AKISTAN Muslim League (PML-N) Senator Pervez Rasheed said that Islamabad does not come under the jurisdiction of Punjab and it was the responsibility of the federal government to disperse protesters in the capital.

Rasheed was responding to a statement issued by Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira alleging that the Punjab government was responsible for protesters entering Islamabad from

LAHORE sTAff REPoRT

The Lahore High Court (LHC) has summoned the Executive District Officer (EDO) Education, Gujranwala, on September 25 on a petition against distribution of immoral material to female students.

The single bench comprising Justice Nasir Saeed Sheikh issued the summoning orders on a petition filed by Tanzeem Arif through his counsel Nazir Umar.

The counsel argued that ‘immoral’ texts were being distributed in girl’s schools of Gujaranwala division.

The court was also told that the petitioner had lodged a complaint to the Punjab Chief Minister and senior education department officers but none paid heed.

The court has summoned EDO Education, Gujranwala on September 25 and has ordered secretary schools to ensure that no ‘immoral’ material should be distributed in schools.

50% of teachers’ posts in schools lie vacant LAHORE: Despite non existent infrastructure, non interest of authorities on education and a lack of teachers in government schools, public sector students hold distinctions. “Punjab President Association for Subject Specialists (PASS), Rana Atta Muhammad said that shortage of staff as well as lack of facilities at public institutions is a major cause of poor literacy rate and low quality of skills in the province. “How you can expect increase in literacy rate and improvement in quality of education in a situation where half of the posts of teachers remain vacant in government educational institutions” he said. He urged the government to provide basic facilities such as laboratories, research equipment, toilets and libraries to students in public schools Quoting results of FA/FSC annual examination 2012 and admiring the human potential in the country, he said that students of the government higher secondary schools were amongst the top three position holders in different boards of intermediate and secondary education in the province.

sTAff REPoRT

WPc to host indo-Pak conference in Dec LAHORE sTAff REPoRT

Chairman of World Punjabi Congress (WPC) and International Sufi Council (ISC) Fakhar Zaman has announced that a 4 day Indo-Pak Conference on “Culture and Peace” will be held in Lahore from December 21-24.

The conference would be attended by a100 member delegation from India comprising of eminent scholars, writers, journalists, lawyers and leaders hailing from various professional groups. Pakistani delegation will include 150 delegates.

The conference topics agreed upon include “Culture and Peace, Culture and Economic Development, Culture and Sports, Peace through Literature, Art, Films and Television”.

Zaman welcomed the liberalization in Visa regime but demanded that it should not be limited to five or ten cities only and issuance period should be more than 10 days.

He also demanded of the Indian government that eminent writers and intellectuals should be given multiple visas like those granted to businessmen. He also demanded of the Indian government to remove restrictions on Pakistani TV channels so that Indian public could see the “excellent programmes” aired on various channels. He also asked the Indian journalists to halt biased propaganda against Pakistan in the present evolving ambience of peace and friendliness. Chairman WPC also asked the Indian government to open up Kasurganda Singh border.

Rawalpindi and Murree.

Protesters had stormed into the federal capital to lay siege at the diplomatic enclave. They clashed with the police and when their number rose to thousands, Army was called in to disperse the mob.

The information minister has appealed to protesters to remain peaceful. He also urged political and religious parties to refrain from fuelling hate. Kaira added that Pakistan was the only Muslim country which had declared to observe “Ishq-e-Rasool” (PBUH) day on Friday to protest against ‘Innocence of Muslims.’

benazir, father arrested for robbing dept stores!

LAHORE sTAff REPoRT

Police arrested an Iranian father and daughter who have robbed over 20 departmental stores in different parts of the city.

Per details, police carried out a raid and arrested Iman and his daughter Benazir from Chohng.

In another report, police arrested a man named Rizwan from the area of Nawab Town. Rizwan used to pretend to be a government official and took millions of rupees from citizens after promising them jobs.

iqbal acaDeMy FunDS ScanDal

Suheyl Umar asked to submit reply in 2 weeks LAHORE sTAff REPoRT

A meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on National Heritage was convened to probe into allegations levelled against Iqbal Academy staff.

The meeting was convened by Shagufta Jamani and was attended by Federal Minister for National Heritage Samina Khalid Ghurki, MNAs Pir Aftab Shah Jillani, Barrister Usman Ibrahim, Shagufta Sadiq, Surraya Jatoi, Jamila Gilani and Federal Secretary Asif Ghafoor. Aiwan-e-Iqbal Administrator Nadeem Abassi told the meeting that from 2005 to 2010, Suheyl Umar , held dual offices of administrator Aiwan-e-Iqbal and Director Iqbal Academy. Umar has been alleged with transferring funds of Aiwan-eIqbal to Iqbal Academy and profiting on the Federal funds which he was not authorised to divert towards any independent institution. The committee had purposed to the Ministry of National Heritage to conduct a special audit of the five year period 2005-2010. The ministry will also entertain the proposal for recomposition of the board of governors of Iqbal Academy. The committee has directed Suheyl Umar to submit a reply in two weeks against the allegations.

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Lahore 07 cine Star PH: 35157462

Heroine 02:00Pm, 8:15Pm 1:45am 04:45 Pm tHe cold ligHt oF daY dredd 06:30Pm barFi 11:00 Pm

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n Many in pakistan are chOOsing tO recOnnect with their land thrOugh ‘Organic farMing’

T

NEWS DESK

HE fertile alluvium deposited by the mighty Indus river and its tributaries in Pakistan have given the country’s demographic heartland of Punjab an agrarian edge. Yet, errant canal planning and over-pumping from tube-wells have degraded vast tracts of land. Salinity and water-logging afflicts around 6.3 million hectares of land and an additional 4,000 hectare of land gets affected every year (estimates from University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan, November 2011). Climate change and conflicts over hydroelectric impoundment infrastructure have also made the arable lands of the country further vulnerable to flooding, as we saw in the epic floods of 2010 when an estimated 20 million people were displaced.

Amidst all these challenges to the farming economy of the country, there are glimmers of hope that Pakistan’s elite are trying to reconnect with the land in sincere and innovative ways. During my last trip to Lahore – the capital of Punjab province and Pakistan’s secondlargest city (after Karachi), I was heartened to see urbanites retreating to farms in the surrounding countryside. Previously such farms were merely ornamental playgrounds of wealthy families but now there is a growing interest in these ranks to reconnect with the earth for societal good, Saleem H Ali reported for the National Geographic.

Zacky Farms, just outside Lahore, is the brainchild of Zafar Khan, a Caltech-educated software engineer who runs one of the most suc-

cessful information technology companies in Pakistan named Sofizar. What started off as a recreational venture is now a side-business supplying sustainably produced organic milk, vegetables and meat to nearby Lahore suburbs. The farm is modeled on a cyclical model of minimal wastes and multiple product usage. The cows are fed pesticide-free oats, clover and grass and their manure is used to fuela biogas plant which runs the dairy facility. In an era of electricity loadshedding, such an alternative source of energy at a local industrial scale is immensely valuable to replicate as a development path. The residue of the biogas is used to fertigate the fodder fields and vegetable tunnels, which along with green manuring obviates the use of fertilizers. Freerange chickens grace the fields and there is even a fish farm on site. Zafar and his Ukrainian-born wife are committed to sharing their experiences with other farming entrepreneurs in the country.

Further south in a more rural and remote part of Punjab, famed writer and erstwhile lawyer,Daniyal Mueenudin, maintains a midsize farm which is exemplifying other kinds of innovations. The farm does not boast ecological farming practices, apart from tunnel farming that can help with land conservation and humidity control. However, Daniyal has changed the social landscape of his area through implementing a “living wage” for all his employees. Noting the high level of inequality in Pakistan’s hinterland, the Yale-educated former director of the university’s Lowenstein Human Rights Clinic, is practicing what he preached. He also owns a farm in Wisconsin and could have a comfortable life in the States but his social obligations keep

100 GHaZalS OF Maulana ruMi

him ensconced in Pakistan for most of the year.

Raising the wage several-fold for works and farm manager, and also offering bonus incentives for performance, has led to positive competition that can help to erode the feudal levels of income disparity which exist in this part of Pakistan. At the same time, Daniyal is also committed to providing new livelihood paths for the agrarian workers as automation reduces farm employment in some areas. He has has fully funded a school and provided a meritbased scholarship for advanced degrees to students from the nearby village. One of the children from this school (the first in her family to even go to school) is now making his way through medical school in Lahore!

Zafar and Daniyal’s stories of commitment to constructive farming for social and ecological good may appear to be outliers but they are catching on and provide hope to a country which is all too often shadowed by despair. In the suburbs of Islamabad, tax incentives and planning rules to encourage farming by urbanites are leading to a growing culture of reconnecting with the land in residential farms. In rural areas, the disaster caused by the floods of 2010 brought forth numerous aid agencies with new ideas for sustainable farming. The Pakistani diaspora, often known in the West for professions ranging from taxi-driving to engineering, may well find opportunities for reconnecting to their land in far more literal ways. With growing commitment from land-owners it just might be possible to use the existential shock of recent natural disasters that have befallen the country into a proverbial opportunity for positive change.

yOGa anD MeDitatiOn claSSeS

3rD internatiOnal GeMS & JeWellery eXHibitiOn

collegeS / uniVerSitieS PunJab uniVerSitY Kinnaird college queen marY college goVt. college uniVerSitY umt lumS uet lcwu SuPerior college Friday, 21 September, 2012

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date: marcH 31 to december 29, 2012 Venue: HaSt-o-neeSt centre, laHore Hast-o-neest centre for traditional art & culture invites you to its monthly Saturday Sitting with Janab ahmed Javed Sahib (director, iqbal academy Pakistan) on 100 ghazals of maulana rumi 3:30 to 5:00 pm, last Saturday of every month

date: aPril 01 to december 30, 2012 Venue: Faiz gHar, laHore a unique blend of Yoga, meditation, neuro-linguistic Programming, Sufism & more. achieve self-insight, mind-body harmony & better health.

Yoga master Shamshad Haider

date: SePt 14 - 16Venue: Pearl continental Hotel this exhibition will showcase the best of Pakistan’s gems & Jewellery products highlighting both traditional and contemporary class.

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Foreign News 09

‘Friends of Syria’ seek to sharpen sanctions THE HAGUE

D

AfP

IPLOMATS from over 60 nations and the Arab League met in The Hague on Thursday to toughen and improve coordination of sanctions against the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

“We need vigorous implementation,” Netherlands Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal told the opening of the “Friends of Syria” sanctions working group.

“Sanctions will only have an impact if they are carried out effectively. That is how we can make a difference.”

The meeting comes after the European Union agreed earlier this month on the need to beef up sanctions against Assad’s inner circle as the world struggles to resolve the bloody 18-month conflict.

The European Union and the Arab League have slapped sanctions on the Syrian regime, with embargoes on oil and weapons as well as travel bans on members of Assad’s family and his top brass.

“The regime and its trading partners try to get around sanctions,” Rosenthal said. “So we need to work together with public and private partners, by sharing information

and best practices.”

Experts from the financial sector were also meeting in The Hague to discuss ways of bolstering economic sanctions, including through asset freezes.

“It’s not a question of whether he will leave but when he will leave,” Rosenthal said of Assad.

He added that besides embargoes and financial sanctions it was important to prevent Damascus from monitoring the Internet and using it to detain opponents and journalists.

“To you and me ICT (information and communications technologies) are innocent tools we use every day,” the Dutch foreign minister said.

Thousands protest against anti-Muslim movie in Nigeria ZARIA AfP

“But we need to ensure it can’t be used to commit violence or oppress the Syrian people,” he said.

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the Assad regime’s control of the Internet is “remarkably extensive” and allows the regime to keep tabs on mobile phones, emails, texting and other traffic.

A French firm is under investigation for allegedly providing computer surveillance equipment to Syria used to track and arrest regime opponents.

The Syria sanctions working group runs in parallel with a second working group on economic reconstruction in the war-ravaged country.

Thousands of Muslims marched in the Nigerian city of Zaria and burnt US and Israeli flags on Thursday to protest a USmade anti-Islam movie that has drawn demonstrations in various countries. The protesters under the auspices of the proIranian Shiite group Islamic Movement of Nigeria carried banners and placards denouncing the United States and Israel while calling for the prosecution of the film producers. They dragged the US and Israeli flags along the dusty streets and burnt them at the end of the 10-kilometre (eight-mile) march amidst cries of “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.” “The film, apart from outward mockery on tenets and beliefs of Islam, presented Prophet Mohammed in a display of an unspeakable immoral manner and personality,” read a leaflet circulated by the group during the protest.

Israel won’t take part in nuclear-free Mideast summit JERUSALEM AfP

Israel will not attend a conference on creating a Middle East free of nuclear weapons scheduled to take place in Finland, the head of Israel’s Atomic Energy Commission (IAEC) has said. Speaking at a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna on Wednesday, IAEC chief Shaul Horev said the situation in the Middle East was not yet “conducive” to the creation of a nuclear weapons-free zone. “Such a process can only be launched when peaceful relations exist for a reasonable period of time in the region,” Horev said, according to a transcript of his remarks. The impetus for a nuclear weapons-free zone must come from within the region, he said. “It cannot be imposed from outside. Regrettably, the realities in the Middle East are far from being conducive,” he said.

NEW DELHI: Supporters from India’s opposition parties jump police barricades during a nationwide strike against the government’s decision to allow operations to international retail stores in the country. AFP

Russia denies ‘any surprise’ in USAID expulsion MOSCOW AfP

Russia insisted Thursday that the expulsion of US development agency USAID should not have come as any surprise to the United States and said it regretted that the decision had caused a scandal.

“While understanding the sensitivity of this question for the US side, we did everything in a routine as partners, avoiding publicity,” foreign ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said at a briefing.

Russia on Wednesday said it had given the US Agency for International Development until October 1 to halt its work because it was meddling in domestic politics,

in a move that Washington branded “regrettable”. “Unfortunately it happened that our partners went in a little bit different direction and represented the case in such a way as if it had been a surprise for them,” Lukashevich said. “In principle everyone understood and knew about this problem.” Lukashevich listed discussions between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in June and September at which he said Russia had demanded USAID leave by October 1. “I regret it took such forms, even sometimes of an aggressive media campaign, since it is a question concerning our bilateral relations,” he said. Representatives of USAID “through injections of grants crossed a red line and we paid serious attention to this,” he said. “Any self-respect-

ing civil society at some stage realises that living only on foreign grants is impossible.

“Here I see no drama,” he said, while criticising US media for “absolutely artificially” representing the situation as if Russia was “starting to pursue someone, foreign nongovernmental structures and so on.

“That absolutely does not correspond to reality,” he said. More than half of USAID’s annual budget in Russia had been spent on democracy and civil society programmes, as well as a substantial chunk on health projects. The move to expel the agency may harm the operations of groups that rely on its funding, including the vote monitor Golos that found irregularities in recent polls. The US has denied interfering in Russia’s election process.

Danish magazine runs topless Kate photos COPENHAGEN: A Danish magazine on Thursday became the latest to run pictures of Prince William’s wife Catherine topless, despite moves by furious British royals to stop the spread of the photos. Grainy pictures of the former Kate Middleton taking off and putting on her bikini bottoms also featured in the special supplement of Se og Hoer (See and Hear) that hit the newsstands on Thursday. In 14 of the 36 photos published, the wife of Britain’s second in line to the throne is shown sunbathing topless, like she has been previously in publications in France, Ireland, Italy and Sweden. The photos, which first appeared in French magazine Closer last week, have sparked fury from the British royal family and revived a debate on press intruding into the private lives of celebrities. The publication in Denmark came a day after the magazine’s sister edition in Sweden ran the photos. Neither publication, owned by Danish-based Aller Media, plans to make the pictures available online. Neither of the releases made headlines in Scandinavia or triggered much comment. The chief editor of the Danish magazine said he was “incredibly proud” to have obtained the sole Danish rights to the snaps. “Our readers love to follow the lives of the royals and they want scoops,” Kim Henningsen said on the magazine’s website, noting these were photographs “which the whole world is talking about but very few have actually seen”.

After their debut in the French glossy, the photos have also appeared in Ireland’s Daily Star and Italy’s Chi, which like Closer is owned by former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi’s Mondari media group. AfP

turkish court hears final arguments in military coup trial SILIVRI AfP

A Turkish court heard final arguments Thursday in the trial of hundreds of active and retired military officers accused of plotting to overthrow the Islamic-rooted government.

The two-year-long case is wrapping up at the court in Silivri, near Istanbul, which heard the final testimonies of the suspects in the socalled “Sledgehammer” trial, named after a 2003 military exercise.

Prosecutors have demanded up to 20 years in prison for the 365 military officers in the case, which concerns alleged army plans to bomb historic mosques in Istanbul and spark conflict with neighbouring Greece to facilitate a military coup.

The defendants argue that the alleged plot was a military exercise regularly held by the army, and question the authenticity of some documents presented as evidence.

A final verdict was expected later Thursday, the first from a series of cases targeting the army. The trial, which began in December 2010, stands out in Turkish politics because it directly attacks the secular army, once untouchable in the predominantly Muslim country, where it authored four coups in half a century.

At Thursday’s hearing, the judge listened to the defence of Cetin Dogan, former commander of the First Army and suspected of being the “mastermind” behind the 2003 plan to drive

the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) from power.

“Here we see a process unfolding to make the soldiers of Mustafa Kemal (Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey), who give their lives for their country, to pay the price of their commitment to the Republic and its principles,” said the ex-general, according to the written transcript of his defence.

Dogan branded the trial as “unfair and unlawful,” claiming it had been launched by supporters with “a mentality considering all those who do not belong to their brotherhood as enemies.”

His remarks will likely be seen as an implicit reference to the AKP government and the influence on the judiciary of Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen’s religious movement.

Around 250 of the defendants are standing trial under arrest.

All the defendants have denied the charges and branded evidence as fabricated. Their lawyers were absent from the courtroom in a protest against what they dubbed a lack of willingness on the part of the court to verify the authenticity of documents presented.

“The verdict given will not be lawful but political. We are the victims of a settlement with the army,” said General Bilgin Balanli.

Hundreds of suspects, including army officers, journalists and lawmakers, are being tried separately over their alleged role in plotting to topple the Islamic-rooted government.

Friday, 21 September, 2012

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10 Comment Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Factory infernos And lack of government oversight on industries

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

lost opportunities Dual nationality bill, politicians and the sC

T

he political parties had more than four years at their disposal to introduce well thought out and reasonable amendments in the constitution if they were keen to allow dual nationality holders to become legislators. For this they were required to revoke Article 63(C) which expressly debars those with dual nationality from becoming members of the parliament or provincial legislatures. They also needed to properly amend or strike down Article 62(F) introduced by Zia-ul-Haq, requiring from a legislator “that he is sagacious, righteous and non-profligate, honest and ameen, there being no declaration to the contrary by a court of law”. Actually the clause needed to be amended or struck down in any case as it introduced terms that allowed a large scope for arbitrary interpretation. There was also a need to deal with it because a number of PPP, PML-N and MQM legislators with dual nationality had contested and won their seats keeping the EC in the dark about their ineligibility. The ruling coalition had managed to create consensus within the allies and with the opposition after sufficient discussion on crucial 18th, 19th and 20th amendments. A similar way should have been adopted to strike down the two clauses.

The government failed to move when the SC suspended the membership of Farahnaz Ispahani and told Rehman Malik to produce evidence of the renouncement of his citizenship of United Kingdom in May. The government was jolted into action only when the Supreme Court suspended Malik’s membership of the Senate on June 4 for allegedly running for office while still holding British citizenship. By this time serious differences on a number of issues had emerged within the ruling alliance. The PPP hurriedly prepared a bill in July and tried to push it through parliament without seeking the opinion of its own parliamentarians or the allies. When it was taken up in the Senate the bill was criticized by two prominent PPP Senators and opposed by ANP, PML-N and the Likeminded Group. The bill thus got stuck up in the Senate.

The SC has now disqualified 11 legislators belonging to the PPP, PML-N and MQM by invoking Article 63(C). The court has moreover directed the ECP to initiate proceedings against the lawmakers on grounds of perjury, invoking Article 62(F).

The ECP has also been directed to take action against Rehman Malik on the same ground and also to institute a criminal case against him. If the political parties suffer as a result of the decision, they have to blame themselves. They failed to evolve a sensible consensus over the issue when they had enough time to do so.

By Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

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he basic facts about the two fires in Karachi and Lahore last week are now fairly well known. The measures that need to be taken to avoid the recurrence of the most devastating factory fire in Karachi’s history have also been debated in the media. What surprises many is the state of unconcern in the government quarters about the affair.

The deaths of over 300 workers have been forgotten as a non-event. The federal, Punjab and Sindh governments are so absorbed in devising measures for their survival and continuation in power that they cannot simply afford to pay attention to the matter. The event has been filed after declaring it a national tragedy. The three administrations seem to believe that they have fulfilled their responsibility.

The facts brought out by the media amply indicate a callous indifference to the safety of workers by many factory owners.

They also underscore acceptance on the part of the policy makers of the things as they are and gross negligence on the part of the government departments dealing with industry.

The garments factory in Karachi was a four-storey structure built in violation of building rules. It lacked the normal safety measures like emergency exits and fire fighting equipment. This was simply a case of wilful criminal neglect on the part of the factory owners. According to Nasir Mansoor of the National Trade Union Federation, “At Ali Enterprises there was only one exit point for more than 500 workers at the time of the emergency, all the windows had iron grills and doorways and stairs were stuffed with finished merchandise.” As SP Niaz Khosa put it, “The only exit from the building was through a door with an electronic lock that failed to work when the fire disrupted the power supply, leaving workers trapped at the mercy of the smoke and flames.” This explains why 289 men and women were burnt alive when the premises caught fire. Out of about 500 workers present only those managed to escaped who broke the iron grills with the help of the sewing machines. They had to jump down to the second or third floor breaking their limbs in the process. What factory employee Mohammad Pervez told the NBC News is an indictment of the factory management. To quote him, “The owners

were more concerned with safeguarding the garments in the factory than the workers… If there were no metal grills on the windows a lot of people would have been saved. The factory was overflowing with garments and fabrics. Whoever complained was fired.”

A similar situation existed in the much smaller Lahore shoe factory where fire claimed 25 lives. The factory was an illegal structure unfit for industrial activity. There were no emergency exits and no fire fighting equipment. In this case too the factory owner had saved money on these items to enhance his earnings. In both cases greed on the part of the factory owners was responsible for the deaths of so many men and women.

The Karachi garments factory was established illegally without the necessary registration under the Factory Act 1938. The idea was to dodge rules and regulations and save money by denying the workers their basic rights. The majority of the workers were reportedly contracted through a third party and were not issued appointment letters.

They were not registered with Social Security, the Employees Old Age Benefit Institute (EOBI), or with the Worker Welfare Board/Fund. They complained that while the factory was insured, the workers were not.

The neo-liberal free market practices under Musharraf were reminiscent of the 19th century laissez fair system where the state was required to play no regulatory role.

This suited only the factory owners. The PPP government in Sindh and the PML-N government in Punjab continued to blindly follow the military ruler’s policy for nearly four years. Visits by labor inspectors to industrial units were stopped under Musharraf on the ground that these served as a disincentive for the investors. There were no visits by the City District Government officials to the factories either. Sindh Labor Minister Ameer Nawab, who had resigned days before the incident, claimed that Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah had stopped him from taking action against factories violating labor rules.

Labor visits were restored in Punjab only in March this year after the PML-N started pressing for early elections. The notification about the restoration of labor inspections however turned out to be a formality. As there was no follow up, none of the senior Labor and Human Resource Department officials paid attention to it. Even now the labor department officials can inspect the factories only with prior approval from the employers. Rampant corruption prevailing in concerned government departments deters officials from implementing regulations not liked by the factory owners.

The administration has taken the routine steps that it always does in such situations to divert public attention from the tragedy and gain time to push things under the carpet. Cases have been registered against the factory owners. The provincial government has appointed a retired judge to lead an investigation into the fire. The report, as it fre-

quently happens in such cases, might either remain classified or filed after being made public. Meanwhile, government departments which are supposed to ensure minimum health and safety standards continue to ignore other factories of the type that can turn into death traps any time.

The garments factory owned by Ali Enterprises is not the only industrial unit which did not employ standard security safeguards. Reportedly there are thousands of illegal factories spread all over the country which do not follow the safety regulations.

They violate building plans, do not provide emergency exits, lack basic ready-to-use fire fighting equipment or are built in residential areas difficult for fire fighters to access. Despite scores of factory fires in Karachi during the last few years, many factory owners continue to ignore the lessons. There is a dire need to take meaningful steps to stop the recurrence of the type of human tragedy witnessed on September 12.

The first thing that needs to be done is to rewrite the antediluvian Factory Act 1934.

The Act badly needs to be brought up to date.

A penalty of Rs 500 imposed on the factory owner over negligence in the protection of workers must have been a big deterrent in the pre WWII era. Now it is simply a joke.

While the mainstream parties prepare their election manifestos they must pay special attention to what they readily agreed to call “the national tragedy” at the Karachi garments factory. Health and safety measures prevailing in major industrial countries need to be included in the new law.

Equally important is to devise and strengthen a machinery which has to implement the laws The International Labor Organisation (ILO) has pointed to the lack of inspections as one of the main causes of the blaze in the Karachi garments factory. As ILO Country Director Francesco d’Ovidio put it, ratification of the law had never been a problem in Pakistan, and Pakistan was actually quite good at that – the problem was mostly in implementation. “I found it quite shocking that the labor department wasn’t sure of how many companies were actually registered.”

Measures have to be taken to curb corruption in government departments dealing with industry.

The revision of the Factory ACT 1934 to ensure the health and safety of the factory workers was never on the agenda of the PPP government during the last four years. This is ironical as the party claims to be the defender of the rights of the working class. The PPP allowed the Musharraf era restrictions on labor department visits to continue year after year ignoring protests by the trade unions. Will the PML-N and the PTI take up the issue in their election manifestos to force the PPP to follow suit?

The writer is a former academic and a political analyst.

Holy war It takes a sacrilegious video to unite the Muslim world

By Kunwar Khuldune Shahid

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f attacking the US, German, British consulates, killing people who had nothing to do with that sacrilegious video and banning YouTube wasn’t enough, our government has now announced a holiday to mark the “Youm-eIshq-e-Rasool Day”. Even if one were to ignore Pakistan’s fragile economy and the fact that every single holiday costs some serious dough to the national exchequer, if you need to take a day off to remember the person you believe to be

Friday, 21 September, 2012

your spiritual role model, there is something seriously wrong with your faith.

And why now? Just because an idiot patches up a 14-minute-footage to insult your religious sentiments, you need to soothe your inner insecurities by taking a day off from work? Faith, they say, is supposed to move mountains, but ours can’t even take a pathetic attempt at mocking religion –that’s how strong it is.

Violence in the name of religion is the natural corollary of this insecurity.

We don’t realize that by getting all worked up and manifesting hostility there is no one that is insulting our religion more than our own selves. The message being given out by the Muslim world is simple: all you need to do is wake up one fine day, post something idiotic on the internet and we’d come out in hordes, either demonstrating hostility by burning down our own property or attacking American consulates to pacify our souls. And if we are of the ‘moderate’ creed our ‘protest’ would be non-violent, which would involve waking up late afternoon, doing nothing all day, and re-

joicing at the fact that we get a three-day weekend. So basically our expression of religiosity involves two things: violence or indolence.

Both violence and indolence have unfortunately been incorporated into the Muslim ethos. We’d be Shias and Sunnis and kill each other over trivial sectarian differences not missing out on any opportunity to depict aggression, loathe and despise until someone else gives us the slightest of excuse to redirect that detestation. And then we’d be the flag bearers of Islam, all under one flag, calling for the heads of every single ‘non-believer’ on the surface of the planet. It indeed is a pity that it takes disrespect and scorn to imbue ‘religious’ sentiments inside us – it is a pity it takes a blasphemous video to unite the Muslim world.

Here’s a question: is Islam the only religion that is being mocked on the internet? Do we see Christians, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists or Jains burning their own countries or the consulates of other nations protesting insults against their

religions? Sure, Islam calls for due punishment for blasphemers, but then so do most of the religions. Why is there a $3.3 million – raised from the original $2.7 million after the YouTube video in discussion – killing bounty for Salman Rushdie while Dan Brown still leads a relatively peaceful life despite his blasphemous allegations against Jesus Christ in The Da Vinci Code? Were core Christian beliefs not hurt by said accusations?

Sentiments of every single religion are being put to the sword all over the world on a daily basis and chopping off heads – or even calling for it in the name of religion – is a medieval way of protecting your ideological beliefs. You want to make sure people respect your religion? Stop reacting exactly like the maker of this video would’ve wanted you to react; stop being the primary antagonist of the script that was designed to defame your religion.

Followers of all religions can dig out something blasphemous from even the sheer existence of other religions owing to their interpretations of their own be-

liefs. Do we not realize that by killing someone because of blasphemy against Islam, we’re giving other religions the license to kill Muslims according to their interpretation of their own ideologies?

And if it continues, this would take us all the way back to the holy wars and crusades, and we’d all be clamoring “an eye for an eye” as we vie to cement our religious superiority by dint of the proverbial sword –were it an eye for an eye anymore, we’d all be blind.

If you really want to launch a holy war, if you really want to ensure that the flag of Islam flies higher than the rest of the religions let’s fight against other ideologies and see followers of which religion can make this world a better, a more peaceful place to live in. If you really want to launch jihad, struggle against your own intolerance and insensitivity for other beliefs first – amateur B-grade film makers should be the least of your concerns.

The writer is a staff member and can be reached at khulduneshahid@gmail.com

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Comment 11

Who is responsible?

The West, the Muslims and the freedom of speech

By Adeel Amjad

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he dichotomy of freedom of expression and free speech in the modern world has ironically been the cause of the recent tragic incidents in the Muslim world.

Universal Convention on Human Rights and European Convention on Human Rights and many other instruments talk about freedom of expression, freedom of speech, freedom of religion and freedom of information at various levels.

Unfortunately, no document has yet been prepared to find out the solution of the cases where the alleged freedom of expression of one person turns out to create such a mockery of religious feelings of billions around the world. Undoubtedly, the acts of a few have grieved billions of Muslims and non-Muslims around the world. Generally speaking, I don’t believe that such acts can harm Islam or its teachings. It is a religion followed by billions around the globe. Though in this context, it would be fair to say that majority of non-Muslims have also shown their disapproval of the blasphemous acts of American filmmakers.

However, a uniform policy at international level is needed to show respect each religion.

If seen through a prism of fair and constructive criticism, there appear to be three main reasons behind religious intolerance around the world. The first is the failure of Muslim regimes to protect their ideology. Sectarian division amongst Muslim states is getting visible

with every passing day. The concepts like Muslim Ummah and Muslim brotherhood have been replaced with geopolitical needs. Moreover, the existing forum to promote and protect the Islamic ideology has not yet been able to uniformly set an example to do what it was supposed to. Muslim states in their individual capacity have shown strong response against blasphemous acts in recent times to control but no concrete step has yet been taken by the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) in finding a solution to this problem. The Organization has failed to fulfill its required purpose as laid down in its charter for contributing to international peace and security, understanding and dialogue among civilizations, cultures and religions and promote and encourage friendly relations and good neighborliness, mutual respect and cooperation.

No such effort has yet been highlighted by the Organization to create the required impact between members of OIC and other countries of the world.

Secondly, Islamic countries are going through a period of transition these days. Not only are they facing threats internally, but also externally. Most of the problems faced by the Muslim states are caused by sectarian violence, ethnic clashes, war against terrorism and ideological war within the Arab world and so on. The Arab world is going through revolutionary changes triggered by the movement against dictatorial regimes in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Syria. Similarly, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq are harvesting the seeds of the war on terrorism. Pakistan is also facing sociopolitical instability and series of ethnic and sectarian clashes in its major cities.

Thirdly, the very concept of an Islamic Ummah has been let down by the sectarian regimes in Muslim countries. The terms used in the West for Sunni states, Shia states and subdivisions between the Sunnis and Shias are obviously a result of this lack of uniformity amongst the Muslim Ummah. A new ter-

minology of practising and non practising Muslims has been invented to create another divide between the Muslims around the globe. The wrong interpretation of Islamic teachings and misuse of Islamic ideology for fulfillment of personal gains haven’t helped the Muslim world at all. For example, the translation of Quranic text in different languages has been criticized by Muslim scholars whereas the misuse of Muslim personal law by different Islamic countries is causing further division and friction between sects and Muslim countries.

The bridge between the East and the West is widening.

Realistically speaking, the Muslim countries must first settle down on one agenda of promoting harmony and protecting their religious feelings in peaceful manners. Moreover, this will help in creating necessary understanding between Muslim countries and the West to reach a solution and promoting inter-faith harmony. The freedom of expression and other such fundamental human rights cannot be ignored but the exploitation of these rights leading to hurt feelings of a vast majority of the people also cannot be allowed. The feelings of an individual to believe or not believe in any religion should be respected but the same do not give an individual the right to make a mockery of any religion. Most of all, the unity amongst the Islamic countries is the need of the hour. A practical solution is hard to come by as political uncertainty in majority of the Muslim countries and the subdivision from Islamic to sectarian states have created hurdles that need to be removed. And that is not going to be an easy task. The West can only be blamed for its showing no response to the Muslims’ plight but why and how the Muslims came to this condition is a question that needs an answer by the Muslims themselves.

The writer can be reached at a.amjad@decurious.com

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.

un’s visit to balochistan The controversial on-going visit of UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances to evaluate missing persons issue, has brought Balochistan into spotlight as one of the most favorite playfield for hatching international conspiracies. Earlier this year, the US Congress Committee on Foreign Affairs, chaired by Dana Rohrabacher staged an unusual US congressional hearing on human rights abuses in Balochistan, accusing Pakistan’s intelligence agencies for enforced disappearances of Baloch people.

Responding sharply, Pakistan National Assembly condemned such visit as a ‘threat to the country’s sovereignty’ and a tactics to apply more pressurize on Pakistan Army for a possible military operation against Haqqani Network (HN) in North Waziristan.

A lot of spadework on this well-documented conspiracy has been done in the past. The US has a vested interest in the area, as an alternative supply route for the residual army positioned in Afghanistan in the post-withdrawal scenario. The foreign-based Baloch organizations of Pakistani origin have guaranteed the Americans that the Baloch are natural US allies, and would like to share the Gwadar port with the United States, would not allow the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline through their lands and would fight the Taliban close to a US war theatre. On the top of it, India is exploiting the bad situation to accomplish her interests by providing financial and arms support to the insurgent forces targeting important strategic instalments in Balochistan. The Indians have been prompting Baloch farmers to demand ‘independent Balochistan’ from Pakistan.

Nonetheless, with the placement of independent judiciary, an enlightened civil society coupled with a vigorous media, redress of grievances - may it be political or economic, can be befittingly addressed to the entire satisfaction.

Pakistan is confronted with challenges of enormous magnitude that require unity, harmony and mutual respect among all segments of the society and state institutions. As the cases of enforce disappearance are in the Supreme Court and the parliamentary committee is also looking into the matter, it is the duty of a mature and responsible media to avoid speculations about the episode. Let us defeat all the conspiracies hatched by our enemies and provide fair ground for the Supreme Courts to decide the cases of enforced disappearances.

INAM ULLAH KHAN Rawalpindi

theory sans practical I have been informed by a college professor that the wizards of education department have prevailed on the Chief Minister Punjab to delete the practical laboratory training depending solely on

theoretical rote learning. Throughout the world courses of laboratory methods have been initiated at science colleges and universities where practical training is imparted to students in laboratory techniques and handling of lab equipments. Even handling of test tubes and pipettes has to be demonstrated before the students can learn their use what to say of sophisticated pieces of lab equipment.

Unfortunately, the CM Punjab is amenable to whatever civil servants of general cadre advises him.

He should better listen to experienced teachers and accomplished professors for their candid advice before issuing on the spur orders that have far reaching implications regarding sound education in the 21st century which has exacting requirements with exploding information and ever new techniques.

DR MUHAMMAD YAQOOB BHATTI Lahore

can we?

The best way to protest against that American lunatic, who is being constantly supported by the USA and the West under the garb of ‘freedom of speech’, is to impose upon ban upon ourselves on use of American goods. We should not buy any product which bears American insignia or brand.

We must adopt a policy in our houses that no American product is referred to. Let us resolve this on this day of protest. This self-imposed ban is applicable to rich, poor and even the government officials. This way we can also show our love and allegiance to our Prophet Mohammad (SAW). If all Islamic world follows this the US economy will have that last straw to break their back once and for all. Question is can we do that? Will our affluent class follow this? Will our government officials, including the ministers, do this? Yes, we can do it if we have the love, reverence and allegiance to our Prophet (SAW). This act will also convey a message to our foreign minister who is in USA for negotiation on Haqqani group and N Waziristan.

AMJAD H MIRZA Lahore

lack of a response The recent indecent and pathetic anti-Islam movie against the feelings of Muslims all over the world appears to be nothing but sheer hatred and jealousy of the US/France and others. It seems that it is planned to gauge how much the Muslim Ummah is religiously ineffective and dead. The Western rulers will again put forward the same excuse of freedom of speech. But, where is their freedom of speech if and when people talk against Holocaust? This clearly shows their double standards. We as Muslims immensely love our Holy Prophet (PBUH) and never talk against Jesus, Moses or any other prophet. We respect all prophets and demand that others do the same.

The rulers in the OIC are fast asleep and just want to please their Western masters. Shame on them as none has said a word till today. There is a sea of difference in the thinking of the Muslims and their rulers. The OIC as a world body must take this case to the UN and if they do not take necessary steps against these mentally sick people and their leaders, then the OIC should gather courage to leave the UNO en block.

Otherwise, the West and its leaders will take them for granted and keep repeating such shameful acts.

RASHID MAQSOOD Lahore

Friday, 21 September, 2012

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They seem an unlikely pair. She’s the film industry’s fashion diva, the giggly young thing no one can get enough of. He’s the multi-talented embodiment of modern urban India, the quirky young man who’s stormed the country. She’s bubbly. He broods. She believes in love in all its rosy splendour. He thinks love has many shades of grey. Could actress Sonam Kapoor and actor and director Farhan Akhtar, get more different? Yet, soon, they’ll be working in a love story together, a film called Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. Do Sonam and Farhan share any chemistry at all? Here’s an interview that bares all.

FARHAN AKHTAR: ‘Unconventional’ and ‘edgy’ are the words most often used whenever the director and actor is discussed. Sleek director, groovy singer and a very unconventional actor. Plus good looks and a great sense of humour. You seem to be Bollywood’s latest sex symbol...

Really? I got it finally? Wow! I have been dying for this position. This is it! Can’t ask for anything more in this life! (Laughs) What do you expect me to say to this? I don’t know whether to be embarrassed or laugh. I don’t know how people take all these titles – ‘sex symbol’, ‘lover boy’ etc – seriously. I couldn’t face my friends for nearly a week after a magazine came out with a piece naming me one of the sexiest dads in India. They couldn’t stop laughing. And I couldn’t have been more embarrassed. oh, come on! you reAlly wAnt us to believe thAt you Are unAwAre of the sex symbol tAG or don’t cAre? No, I am not saying that. I think it is important to be aware but not be affected by it. Honestly, I appreciate it. It feels great, thank you very much.

But then what? I can’t sit and think about it. So I don’t take it seriously. is thAt why we’ve never seen you As A filmi ‘lover boy’?

The love story genre is my least favourite. I can’t handle the good lover boy type of character. I’d never pick it. I find it boring. so you mAke your chArActers’ love stories quirky…

True. But isn’t that nice? And more than nice, that is what really connects with the audience. A certain quirkiness always makes a love story more interesting, more edgy. this edGiness Also spills over to the chArActers you plAy. in rock on!!, kArtik cAllinG kArtik, luck by chAnce And ZindAGi nA mileGi dobArA, every chArActer you plAyed wAs full of insecurities – nothinG like A quintessentiAl hero. wAs thAt A conscious decision?

I haven’t been fanatically looking for such roles, but yes, I guess in some ways I tend to pick roles that are not unidimensional. Also thankfully, the definition of a ‘quintessential hero’ has changed today. Now I don’t have to sing five songs or be holier than thou to be a hero. I can have my shades of grey and yet be accepted. Even the heroine is not the same. She is no longer the ‘pure’ woman who faints at the idea of sex. And she doesn’t change from a hippie to sari-clad the minute she falls in love. For me, it’s far more real.

But we are still so skeptical about going all out with modern love.

AmonG All your films As An Actor, which chArActer do you relAte to most?

Undoubtedly, Imraan in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. I feel Zoya (Akhtar) and Reema (Kagti) wrote that character based entirely on me. He wrote poetry but does not share it – like me. He’s witty and has a nutty sense of humour – like me.

He’s social but not the most extrovert in nature – again, like me. Imraan’s character was like a blueprint of the real me. so whAt’s your ideA of true love?

A lot of comfort and understanding. Where being together is the only important thing. And you enjoy being together. So much that you are ready to forgive each other and be together. is your love story edGy too?

(Laughs) It has its share of ups and downs, but thankfully the edges aren’t too sharp. We met through common friends. She is from the UK. We dated each other off and on, finally got serious in ’99 and married in 2000. So it’s fairly simple.

FARHAN ON SONAM: the hottest thinG About sonAm? Her smile. It lights up her face and her surroundings brilliantly. sonAm As An Actress...

I have seen only two of her films – Delhi 6 and Saawariya.

She was good in both, I thought. But of course there is a long way to grow and she has great potential.

thursday, 20 September, 2012

SONAM KAPOOR: Though she’s never had a major hit, the actress is a Bollywood favourite – and not only for her dress sense whAt does love meAn to you?

I think it is a little confused. By temperament, I am not the most conventional romantic. I don’t give cards or flowers etc. On the other hand, I am a hardcore romantic. I love romances and strongly believe in love.

Love stories are also my favourite genre. which is your fAvourite love story?

Wuthering Heights. It’s my all-time best. I have a fascination for this tragic, unrequited kind of love.

A love which is selfless and remains unfulfilled… oooh! I am such a sucker for it. Very filmi, no?

(LAUGHS) you Are An Avid reAder, riGht? Oh yes! I read anything and everything. Not too many people associate an actress with reading.

And not too many people know that I read either.

But books have been one of the biggest influences in my life. I am not a sportsperson, I don’t party unless I have to, I am really not into networking…

Give me a good book and I’ll get lost in it any day. so is this the reAl sonAm? why do you hide behind the ‘fAshion divA’ AvAtAr? Because that’s the image that Bollywood, the media, everybody has created for me. Which isn’t to say that I don’t enjoy it. I love being a fashion icon. I love the fact that girls from 9 to 19 want to dress and style themselves the way I do. It is a huge high.

And personally, I love to play dress up. But that has nothing to do with being a fashion icon. That is a very girl thing. Every girl wants to dress up, so do I. And the other side of me? No one really cares. I mean, I read or do whatever, how does it matter?

That has nothing to do with my public image. That I’ve worked with Peta and the breast cancer foundation for the last four years is hardly ever mentioned. One other side of Sonam gets talked about though. The politically incorrect one!

And I am working very hard towards keeping my mouth shut from now on. I shall be a good girl and not put my foot in mouth. That is my new year resolution. I shall be propah! I come from a typical MCP Punjabi family and I have been told to behave like a good girl! Ouch! There goes my resolution. Okay, back to the ‘tag’. isn’t the tAG A little tiresome?

And restrictinG? Sure it is. But ultimately it’s just a tag. You know, the industry didn’t really have a ‘fashion icon’. It was an empty space. people would like to dress like you, but you don’t reAlly weAr the most AffordAble stuff…

True, but people have to know that most of what I wear comes to me for free. But I don’t think my ‘icon’ status is limited to my dresses. It has to do with my attitude. My individuality comes through and that is important.

In an industry that is conformist in nature, I don’t conform to any rules. Regular girls identify with me. Also, I look comfortable in whatever I wear, so that makes the look sexier. It seems a little strange that your sense of dressing is conventional.

Most of your dresses cover up pretty much all!

(LAUGHS) I believe the more mystery about you, the better it is. I come from a conservative Punjabi family and my mum and dad have been strict in bringing us up. I truly think being sexy comes from

your attitude. I wear all sorts of clothes but show only one body part at a time. I show skin of course, but tastefully. I believe in being sexy and sensual, not scantily dressed. but you weren’t AlwAys sexy?

Of course not. I was very influenced by my books.

By the age of 14, I had read all the Ayn Rands. I wasn’t glamorous in the least. In fact I was very arty… well, more on the hippie side. I went to Singapore for college and there I became more bizarre. At 16, I was on a mission to improve the world. I had two tattoos – still have them, but hate them now. Six ear piercings, one tongue and one belly piercing. I was a vegan and out to save the world. Till I came back – back home and back to my senses. whAt of love? fAiled in thAt ever?

(SMILES) Sure I have, and badly too. I don’t talk about it but it was very difficult. It’s very hurtful when you realise you have been putting your heart and soul into a relationship with someone who is simply leading you on. It’s difficult and heartbreaking. when did you first fAll in love?

When I was 14. He was the basketball captain at school. Of course it went nowhere. Now when I look back, I say to myself, “Dude, what were you thinking?” But then, it was serious and good fun.

SONAM ON FARHAN: the hottest thinG About fArhAn? His intelligence. Haven’t come across too many people with his kind of brightness. fArhAn’s best film?

As a director, Dil Chahta Hai. He is yet to do another like that one, and as an actor, I think Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara was definitely his best performance. COURTESY TOI

Delhi is a lot like lahore: ali Zafar Ali Zafar on spending time back home, his next movie and his love for Delhi During his recent visit to India, singer-turned-actor Ali Zafar, spoke to us about what all he has been upto after we saw him in London Paris New York. He told us, “I was back home in Pakistan and that served as a good break from work as I got to spend quite a bit of time with my family and friends over there. I also went on vacation during this period. We covered Istanbul, Mauritius and London.” Talking about his trip to Delhi, he said, “Bahut dino ke baad India aaya hoon, aur kafi achcha lag raha hain apne doston ko mil kar. I love to come to Delhi because it is so much like Lahore. Bahut kum waqt ke liye aaya hoon iss baar, lekin I would love to come back again, very soon.” Ali seems to be quite excited about his next release - Chashme Buddoor. About the film and his role in it, he shared, “The movie has turned out pretty well and everyone will like it for sure. I really enjoyed acting in the movie.

Earlier, the movie was supposed to be released by Eid this year, but now the release date has been shifted to February, next year.” Interestingly, Ali has been approached by PFDC (Pakistan Fashion Design Council) to perform at the opening of their office in the capital. “PFDC is planning to set up a huge office in India. It will be in Delhi, near South Extension, and will be a hub for all leading Pakistani designer labels like Asif and Nabeel, Fahad Hussayn, Kamair Rokni, Rizwan Beig, Sana Safinaz, Iman ahmed, Umar Sayeed, Sonia Azhar, HSY, Feeha Jamshed and so on. The dates of the opening have not been finalized yet,” said Ali, adding, “With the PFDC setting up an office in India, Pakistani fashion designers will now get the opportunity to explore the Indian fashion market.”I really enjoyed acting in the movie. Earlier, the movie was supposed to be released by Eid this year, but now the release date has been shifted to February, next year.” COURTESY TOI

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13 shakira, footballer Gerard pique expecting first child

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olombian pop star Shakira confirmed that she is pregnant with top Spanish football player Gerard Pique’s baby, saying “promotional activities” were on hold to focus on her pregnancy. “as some of you may know, Gerard and i are very happy awaiting the arrival of our first baby!”

Shakira said in a statement on her website. “at this time we have decided to give priority to this unique moment in our lives and postpone all the promotional activities planned over the next few days.” The “Hips Don’t lie” singer said she would not participate in the iHeartRadio music Festival on Friday and Saturday in las Vegas. “i’d like to thank Clear Channel and my fans for their constant love and understanding. big kiss! and will see you very soon!” This will be the first child for Shakira, 35, and Pique, 25, who confirmed their relationship in march 2011. nbC television announced Tuesday that Shakira would temporarily replace pop singer Christina aguilera as a judge on season four of reality talent show “The Voice,” along with R&b singer Usher, who will sit in for Cee lo Green. AfP

actress amy adams arrives at the ‘trouble with the curve’ at mann’s Village theatre on September 19, 2012 in westwood, california. AFP

kareena turns in favor of rival priyanka chopra!

Once bitter rival, Kareena Kapoor seems to have developed a soft corner for Priyanka Chopra. The two Bollywood queens who once shared a not-so-cordial relationship are getting friendlier by the day. On a visit to the city to promote ‘Heroine’, when a scribe asked Kareena about Priyanka, who has been gaining wide scale acclaim for her superb acting in cousin’s Ranbir starrer ‘Barfi’, Bebo couldn’t stop raving about PeeCee. Interestingly, just a while back when Kareena was asked about her upcoming film ‘Heroine’ being similar to ‘Fashion’, which shares the same director — Madhur Bhadarkar, she had told, “Heroine is far better than ‘Fashion’”. The actress who never minced words when speaking about her contemporaries had earlier said that she didn’t care about Priyanka bagging a National Award for

emma watson enjoyed kissing loger lerman Actress Emma Watson says she enjoyed her kissing scene with actor Logan Lerman in ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’. The 22-year-old was so moved by the scene when she read the script that she knew she was going to have a special moment. “I mean, when I read our first kiss scene, it`s so epic. It’s like the most beautiful scene I’ve ever seen written on a page. And it was like, `Oh, we’re going to have to kill this one! ` Like, it’s so good, I wanted to do it justice,” contactmusic.com quoted Watson as saying. “It’s so emotional and we are both so vulnerable in it, but the main thing was I get to do it with Logan. He makes me feel so safe, so it’s going to be fine, which made it fine,” she added. NEWS DESk

‘Fashion’. However, now Bebo’s tone has suddenly changed to showering praises on ‘Priyanka’ for her superb performance in the movie. And if the above remarks were just enough to make one dwell on the chameleon-like nature of Bollywood beauties, Kareena quipped to clear the air in one of her interviews, “A lot is projected wrongly. We are very cordial with each other. I absolutely loved Priyanka in ‘Fashion’.” Interestingly, the attempt to mend fences is not one-sided.

Priyanka, who had once clarified about her bond with Kareena as that of a strained one, congratulated the latter publicly on her upcoming wedding with actor Saif Ali Khan. “They make a beautiful couple and I wish them all the best. It’s a new beginning for any girl and I can’t wait to see her as a bride,” Priyanka said at an event recently. NEWS DESk

kelly osbourne reckons lAdy GAGA is preGGers The outspoken reality TV star believes the Born This Way singer is expecting – because she has stopped bleaching her hair and wore a burka to London Fashion Week. Kelly’s comments – made during filming of Alan Carr’s Channel 4 chat show, which airs tomorrow – came before The Sun published pictures yesterday of Gaga smoking a SPLIFF on stage in Amsterdam. Kelly told Alan: “I think she is pregnant because she has been covering up this part of her body recently and I have been noticing that a lot. “And her style has changed and you can’t bleach your hair blonde when you are pregnant.” GaGa has been dating

Vampire Diaries star Taylor Kinney since December. Rumours that she was pregnant first surfaced this month after she threw up backstage at a gig in Romania. Kelly went on to play down speculation that she will host X Factor USA’s live episodes.

She said: “Everybody keeps talking about it. I have not spoken to Simon (Cowell). Of course if he wanted me it would be such an honour but there are probably better people than me.” Kelly also praised younger brother Jack, saying: “I am so proud of him for standing up and letting the world know he has MS, there is such a misconception about it.”NEWS DESk

vidya balan to tie the knot with siddharth roy kapur

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ollyWooD’S topmost actress Vidya balan, who has been in a steady relation with UTV Ceo Siddharth Roy Kapur, is all set to say ‘i do’ this year. and if the reports of the power couple’s wedding are to be relied on, the marriage might happen by the end of this year. after publicly announcing her relationship with Siddharth last year, Vidya was often seen with her beau in private parties and making trips for holidays abroad. last heard, the couple bought a posh love nest in a mumbai suburb close to the sea. However, the lovey-dovey duo is yet to make a public announcement of their rumoured wedding. yet, sources close to Vidya and Sid have revealed that the couple is focusing on final preparations of the marriage which might see the day of light in December 2012. NEWs DEsK

‘barfi’, ‘kahaani’ included in the shortlist for oscars

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He academy awards are known for endowing the highest honour to a film. apart from Hollywood, filmmakers from around the globe vie for the oscar statuette which represents the best of cinema. With indian cinema making its presence felt at the global podium in a big way, the race for the big o seems to have intensified. For the category of best Foreign language Film at the oscars this year, the Film Federation of india has shortlisted 17 films out which 11 are bollywood manufactured. The shortlist includes the names of some critically acclaimed indian movies among which there are 11 Hindi films including-‘Paan Singh Tomar’, ‘barfi!’, ‘Kahaani’, ‘The Dirty Picture’, ‘Heroine’, ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’ – Part 1 & 2. These films face competition from 6 other regional films, the biggest of which is SS Rajamouli’s ‘eega’ - one of the most critically and commercially successful films of the year. NEWs DEsK

thursday, 20 September, 2012

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Infotainment 14

Grandfather wrestles gator to save pet dog NEW yoRK: us President barack obama impersonator Louis ortiz (R) and Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney impersonator Mike Cote (L) pose for a photo at Times square 2012. As the us presidential election draws nearer the two political impersonators keep a full schedule. AFP

bERLIN: Activists of the WildAid animal rights group are dressed as panda bears as they wave from the top of a touristic bus as they demonstrate.

WildAid aimed to call attention on the situation of panda bears that are threatened with extinction. AFP

8 things the iphone 5 still can’t do

N terms of specs, performance, and features, the iPhone 5 is Apple's best to date. This doesn't mean it's as good as it could be, however. There were a few egregious omissions from the keynote presentation – features that we not only want in our iPhone, but that we feel are overdue.

the use of a special adapter. The Kindle Fire HD and several Android phones use a micro-HDMI port, letting you run a cable straight from your tablet to the television. This makes it easier, better, and more affordable for the user.

i

replaceable battery

nfc for mobile payments Instead of building NFC into the iPhone, Apple would rather have you use its Passbook system, which lets users store tickets, gift cards, boarding passes, and the like. It can handle some (but definitely not all) of the tasks that you might use NFC for. For example, you can't use Passbook to wirelessly send money to a friend via PayPal. NFC also lets you beam content between devices just by tapping them together. Samsung's Galaxy S III takes advantage of this feature.

sd card support for extra storage We'd like to be able to extend our device's storage capability beyond the 64 GB maximum. History suggests that external SD card support isn't going to be in a mobile Apple device any time soon.

an improved texting solution a 128 gB option iPod Classic offered users on the keyboard, like swype 160 The GB of music and video capacity.

Swype is something of a mainstay on Android phones. Instead of tapping out your texts letter by letter, you can drag your finger over them without lifting it. The end result is that you get your message out much more quickly.

Many people (ourselves included) had no problem filling it right up.

Now that the iPhone is an easy replacement for your old iPod, we'd love to be able to carry the same amount of content around with us

technology to convert heat waste into electricity

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CIENTISTS have claimed a breakthrough in converting waste heat to electricity by developing a new thermoelectric material which they say is best in the world. The Northwestern University finding offers hope to tap the waste energy as nearly two-thirds of it is lost as heat. With a very environmentally stable material that is expected to convert 15 to 20 per cent of waste heat to useful electricity, thermoelectrics could see more widespread adoption by industry.

Possible areas of application include the automobile industry, heavy manufacturing industries and places were large combustion engines operate continuously. Waste heat temperatures in these areas can range from 400 to 600 degrees Celsius, the sweet spot for thermoelectrics use. The new material, based on the common semiconductor lead telluride, is the most efficient thermoelectric material known. It exhibits a thermoelectric figure of merit of 2.2, the highest reported to date. The performance of the new material is nearly 30 per cent more efficient than its predecessor. AfP

without having to pick and choose what stays at home.

non-proprietary dock connection We've never understood why our iPhones can't use a standard USB port and a standard USB cable to sync. Now the iPhone 5 introduces a new micro-dock connection requiring the use of its own special cable.

If you want to use your old sync cables, you have to buy this $29 adapter.

a micro-hdMi port Once again, if you want to get video off of your phone, it requires

The battery life on the iPhone 5 has seen some nice improvements, but for the power users who are glued to their phones all day, it won't suffice. We'd love to be able to carry an additional fully-charged iPhone battery that we could pop in whenever the first one bites the dust.

while we're at it, better battery life!

The iPhone 5's battery life is about the same as the iPhone 4S'.

Yes, it has a bigger battery, but the new 4G LTE radio and bigger screen use up a lot of that extra power.

We wish Apple had included a better battery in the iPhone 5 like the one on Motorola's Droid Razr Maxx. The Razr Maxx can last several hours longer than the iPhone 5.

kiara, world’s first liliger born

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IARA is a curious cat: Her father is an African lion and her mother is a liger — a cross between a lion and a tiger. Thought to be the world’s first known “liliger,” Kiara was born last month in the Novosibirsk Zoo in Russia, ABC News reports. To make things even more complicated, the super-hybridized feline is reportedly being raised by an ordinary house cat named Dasha after her liger mother wasn’t able to provide the newborn cub with enough milk, the Sun reports. “In a nutshell, it is an irresponsible thing to do and there is no redeeming reason to cross breed these cats nor to support those who do by buying one.” Carole Baskin, founder of Big Cat Rescue, explains on the animal sanctuary’s website. However, it seems Kiara won’t be going home with an unsuspecting child but will instead be living at the zoo with her big cat family and her new house cat mom. CouRTEsy HuffPosT

NEWs DEsK

dutch police brace after teen’s facebook party goes viral Police in a sleepy Dutch town braced Thursday for an invasion of party-goers after a teenager’s birthday invite on Facebook went viral, prompting thousands of replies. Officers in Haren near the northern city of Groningen were on high alert after the schoolgirl posted a message inviting friends to her 16th birthday party on Friday, but forgot to mark it as a private event. “She posted the invitation on Facebook and sent it to

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66-year-old retired corporate lawyer in Florida jumped on top of a 7-foot alligator all in an attempt to save his “best friend,” a small terrier dog named Bounce. “I just knew that my best friend was going to be dead,” Steve Gustafson told the Orlando Sentinel. “And I took off.” The grandfather was hanging out in his backyard of his home at The Villages, a retirement community near Orlando, while the 9-year-old West Highland terrier wandered close to the shore of a nearby pond. That’s when Gustafson said he heard Bounce yelp and saw the alligator carrying his dog away in its mouth.

“For whatever reason, I don’t know, I just yelled, ‘you’re not going to get her!’ and just leaped on the gator…just like you do some silly belly flop in a pool,” Gustafson told the paper. “The only difference was I landed on top of a gator.” NEWs DEsK

friends, who then sent it to other friends and soon it spread like wildfire across the Internet,” Groningen police spokeswoman Melanie Zwama told AFP. “Now thousands of people have indicated that they might be attending,” she said, adding: “We are taking extra measures, but what they are I’m not at liberty to tell you.” Dutch mass-market daily De Telegraaf reported that 24,000 people received the invitation, of whom 2,400 already responded that they would come to Haren, population 18,000, for the party. One site referred to Friday’s party as “Project X Haren”, counting down the seconds to the event and claiming 150,000 people have been invited.

It also published the party’s address, adding “By all means bring some friends!” But police have posted on the same site: “This is an urgent call by police and the town council. Do not come to Haren on Friday night. Police are ready to stop any disorder.” AfP

‘i’m a pirate’

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woman high on drink and drugs who stole a passenger ferry and crashed into boats shouting ‘’I’m Jack Sparrow’’ has been jailed. Reckless Alison Whelan, 51, was on a two-day bender when she climbed onto the moored 100seater Dart Princess in Dartmouth, Devon. Whelan was so drunk on Lambrini she dialed 999 and officers raced to the scene but she then unmoored the 45ft vessel and started drifting away. She was heard shouting “I’m Jack Sparrow” and “I’m A Pirate” as she made her escape on the doubledecker ferry. But the boat then began hitting other vessels ‘’like a pinball machine’’ - including a £70,000 catamaran, Torquay Magistrates Court in Devon heard. When arrested she claimed that she ‘’would have ended up in St Tropez’’ if she hadn’t been caught. More than 30 ambulance, police, coastguard and RNLI officers were drafted in during the incident, a court heard. Whelan, of Paignton, Devon, pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicle taking and was jailed for 122 days. CouRTEsy THE TELEGRAPH

Friday, 21 September, 2012

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friday, 21 september, 2012

Punjab, guinness sign Festival partnership Page 18 Today’s maTch

bd looks to shAkib for nZ upset

Bangladesh V new Zealand afghanistan V england

PALLEKELE

australian great Hayden quits cricket

AfP

ANGLADESH will be hoping star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan shines with both bat and ball if they are to have a chance of upsetting New Zealand in the World T20 Group D opener here on Friday. The dashing 25-year-old left-hander has been promoted to number three in the last few matches to give an ideal start to the innings which is opened by another aggressive left-hander Tamim Iqbal.

Hasan is also an effective left-arm spinner, often picking up some much-needed wickets in the middle overs. Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim said Hasan's presence gives strength to the team. "Hasan is our best cricketer," said Rahim. "Hasan is now playing more freely than ever before, not just with the bat and ball but also on the field and off it as well. His presence means a lot."

Rahim, who replaced Hasan as captain last year, is confident his team will get through the group stage, where they will also meet 2009 champions Pakistan. "We are confident of going through to the Super Eight. We are in a tough group. But our team is quite balanced so we need to get the basics right and if we execute our plans then we can beat any team in the world," said Rahim. The top

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two teams from each of the four groups will qualify for the Super Eight stage.

Bangladesh have bitter memories of the only Twenty20 played between the two teams two years ago. They lost the match in Hamilton after being shot out for 78. New Zealand will wait on the fitness of Daniel Vettori, Tim Southee and Rob Nicol after the trio

suffered gastric problems. Captain Ross Taylor hoped all three would be fit for the match.

"We don't know whether we will have the full quota of players because every couple of hours they are feeling a little better. The weather is bit colder so hopefully they can gain some energy and be available to play," said Taylor. In contrast to Bangladesh's re-

liance on spinners, New Zealand will look to seamers for wickets. "I guess we will be looking to our seamers to have a big play in the tournament. A few of our players played in the Sri Lankan league (in August this year) and had some success," said Taylor, who believed the Bangladeshi left-arm spinners would not pose problems for his batsmen.

SYDNEY AfP

President Pboa reverses resignation decision LAHORE sTAff REPoRT

President, Punjab Olympic Association, Syed Shahid Ali Shah, has reverses his decision of resignation, ending a controversy that surfaced after his resignation last week. Shahid Ali presided over a meeting of the PBOb here on Thursday and his resignation was put forward in the meeting which unanimously requested him to reconsider his decision on which he agreed to withdraw it, said a spokesman of the body after the meeting. “Shahid's contributions for the cause of sports are known to everyone and he showed a good gesture to withdraw his resignation in the larger interest of the games “,he said. He said the meeting has fixed the dates of national Games which were postponed till December. “Now the games will be held from December 2228 “,he added. The house decided that that the inter-college-collegiate will held here from November 8-12. “The last date for registration is October five and all the educational institutions have been informed in this regard “,he said.

PcF President baseer off to Holland to attend icu congress LAHORE sTAff REPoRT

President, Pakistan Cycling Federation, Munawar Baseer Ahmed left here on Thursday for Holland to represent the country in the 181th Congress of International Cycling Union being held from tomorrow, Friday in Limburg. The congress is being held on the side lines of the of the world cycling championship in Limburg ,said a spokesman of PCF .

He said the UCI has invited President of PCF which recognises PCF as the official body of cycling Pakistan.

Bravo aims to keep it ‘simple and smart’ COLOMBO AfP

Elegant West Indies batsman Darren Bravo says playing "smart" cricket will be the key to success in the ongoing World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka.

"The aim is always to get better at what you do. If you keep it simple and play it smart you will get success," Bravo, 23, was quoted as saying in a West Indies Cricket Board statement on Thursday. "I have played some good innings in the past and that has given me the confidence to go out and perform. It is important that I continue doing what I have been doing and that I believe in myself."

Bravo, cousin of West Indies batting great Brian Lara, is not a big-hitter like team-mates Chris Gayle and Kieron Pollard but is capable of scoring briskly with his exciting stroke-play.

"There are a lot of power-hitters in the team, so it is important that when I get my chance, I look to settle down and bat around the others," said Bravo, who has so far figured in five T20 internationals. Bravo, who caught the eye with three centuries in four Tests on his team's tours of Bangladesh and

India last year, said he was aware of his "role and responsibility" in the shortest form of the game.

"People tend to think that 20 overs is not a lot of overs but I tend to look at it as balls -- there are 120 balls in an innings and that is a lot of balls when you think about it," said the lefthanded batsman.

"If I go in with 100 balls to go, I think that gives me the best possible chance to get a good start and manoeuvre the ball into the spaces. After that you then look to hit the big sixes and fours coming on at the end."

The West Indies, led by Darren Sammy, clash with Australia in their opening Group B-match in Colombo on Saturday and then take on Ireland on September 24. The top two sides advance to the Super Eights round.

Australia have already won their opening match against Ireland.

Veteran Australian opener Matthew Hayden has called time on his glittering playing career, opting not to play in Australia's domestic Twenty20 series this year, his Brisbane Heat team said Thursday.

The Heat said that after lengthy discussions, Hayden, 40, had opted not to return for a final series after signing as their marquee player for last season's inaugural T20 Big Bash League.

Hayden, who retired from Test cricket in 2009, played for the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League in 2010. He took a sabbatical from cricket before returning to play for the Brisbane team in 2011-12.

"I will be pursuing my initial intention and agreement with the Heat of moving from the pitch to the boardroom, where I hope to continue to make a meaningful contribution to the Big Bash League and the Brisbane Heat," Hayden said in a statement.

"I also plan to be very active in promoting and supporting the Brisbane Heat both on and off the field, and to contribute to the long-term success of the franchise."

Hayden said cricket would remain a significant part of his life.

"Whilst closing the final chapter was difficult it feels great to be more actively involved in supporting and nurturing our next generation, especially now with my children," he said.

women’s team to live up to expectations, says Zaka LAHORE sTAff REPoRT

Chairman, Pakistan Cricket Board, Mohammad Zaka Asrhaf on Thursday expressed the optimism that national women team will live up to the expectations by putting up a good show in the Women T-20 World Cup in Sri Lanka. “team is a combination of talent and potential and what is needed a collective show on part of players to produce encouraging results in the grand event “,he said during his meeting with the Sri Lanka bound women team here on Thursday at national cricket academy.

PCB Chief said the women team will follow the performance of the Pak men team during the Cup to fetch productive results. He wished the team good luck .

Zaka Ashraf hoped that Pakistan men team will beat New Zealand in its opening match of the T-20 World Cup to take a good start in the competition. “ New Zealand is a good side but I am confident that our team will produce a show of collective efforts and hard work to achieve success “,he said.

He praised the leadership qualities of

Muhammad Hafeez and said the entire team is motivated under his captaincy to throw a brave challenge in the mega event.

Chairman PCB said efforts would be made to arrange good number of Indian visas for the Pakistani spectators intending to visit India during Pak-India series later this year in December. “ I had taken up this issue (issuance of maximum number of visas) with the Indian Foreign Minister during his recent visit to Pakistan and I would be meeting the Indian High Commissioner next week to discuss the same issue and I am hopeful that Pakistani spectators would be accommodated in a large scale to visit India“,he added.

Zaka who is the Chairman of the ACC Development Committee, disclosed that the President of the Board of Control for Cricket In India would not be attending the Development committee meeting being held on September 22 at Islamabad. “ A Vice President from BCCI will be attending the meeting which will focus on the promotion of cricket in Asia”. said the Chairman PCB.

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Sports 16

SA send Zimbabwe out of World T20 HAMBANTOTA

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Hambantota: South african cricketer Hashim amla runs between the wickets during a world twenty20 cricket match. AFP

chroma open table tennis begins today

AfP

ACQUES Kallis recorded the best Twenty20 figures for his country to inspire South Africa to a convincing 10-wicket win over Zimbabwe in a Group C match at Hambantota on Thursday.

The 36-year-old allrounder grabbed 415 and was well supported by Morne Morkel's 2-16 as Zimbabwe were kept down to 93-8 -- their second lowest total in all Twenty20 internationals -- after they were put into bat.

Openers Richard Levi then notched 50 not out and Hashim Amla an unbeaten 32 to knock off the low target in the 12.4 overs to cap a comfortable victory for one of the title favourites in this 12-team competition.

The defeat meant Zimbabwe becomes the first team to go out of the tournament after a one-sided match watched by just 1,000 fans in Mahinda Rajapaksa stadium.

Levi hit six boundaries off 43 balls, while Amla hit three off his 33 deliveries.

Earlier Zimbabwe failed against a ruthless South African pace quartet, led by Kallis and Morne Morkel.

Craig Ervine top-scored with 37, and added 35 for the fourth wicket with Stuart Matsikenyeri (11), to help Zimbabwe just avoid their lowest total of 84 in all Twenty20 internationals, made against New Zealand in 2010.

Morne Morkel dismissed Vusi Sibanda (nought) and Brendan Taylor (four) in his first two overs before Kallis polished off the middle-order with the wickets of Matsikenyeri and Elton Chigumbura off successive deliveries in his first over.

He then dismissed Graeme Cremer (six) and Ervine to improve on Morne Morkel's 4-17 against New Zealand in 2007 which was the previous best bowling by a South African in a Twenty20 match.

Hosts Sri Lanka, who beat Zimbabwe by 82 runs, play South Africa in the final Group C match on Saturday.

The top two teams from each of the four groups will advance to the Super Eights round.

sCoREboARD ZIMbAbWE H. Masakadza c Levi b A Morkel 6 V. sibanda b M Morkel 0 4 b. Taylor c de Villiers b M Morkel 37 C. Ervine c de Villiers b Kallis 11 s. Matsikenyeri c Peterson b Kallis 0 E. Chigumbura lbw b Kallis 6 G. Cremer c de Villiers b Kallis 5 P. utseya c de Villiers b steyn R. Price not out 7 P. Jarvis not out 9 Extras: (lb3, w5) 8 Total: (for eight wickets, 20 overs) 93 fall of wickets: 1-2 (sibanda), 2-6 (Taylor), 3-16 (Masakadza), 4-51 (Matsikenyeri), 5-51 (Chigumbura), 6-60 (Cremer), 7-75 (utseya), 8-77 (Ervine). bowling: steyn 4-0-9-1, M Morkel 4-0-16-2 (w2), A Morkel 4-026-1 (w3), botha 3-0-16-0, Peterson 1-0-8-0, Kallis 4-1-15-4 souTH AfRICA R. Levi not out 50 Hashim Amla not out 32 Extras: (b3, lb5, w4) 12 Total: (for no loss, 12.4 overs) 94 bowling: Jarvis 3-0-20-0 (w2), Vitori 2-0-21-0 (w1), Price 3-019-0 (w1), utseya 2-0-13-0, Cremer 2-0-10-0, Matsikenyeri 0.4-0-3-0 Result: south Africa won by 10 wickets Toss: south Africa umpires: steve Davis (Aus) and Richard Kettleborough (ENG) Tv umpire: Ian Gould (ENG) Match referee: Jeff Crowe (NZL)

Hungary-Ireland friendly set to be declared void

LAHORE sTAff REPoRT

Chroma Table Tennis Tournament will commence here from tomorrow, Friday at Chroma Table hall with a galaxy of table tennis players participating in it. “It is a regular table tennis feature which will help in the promotion of table tennis at all levels “,said the organizing Secretary, Abdul Qayyum Khan on Thursday.

He said a number of renowned players including Asim Qureshi, Bilal Yasin, Asim Aziz, Jehangir Khan, Mehboob Elahi, Shabnam Bilal are taking part in the event being organized by Chromatex Chemicals.

“We have decided to organize a tournament every month to keep busy players in a competitive activity”, he said “ adding “ this tournament will be played on league and knock out basis and players from all over the country have shown great interest to feature in it “. He said the prime objective of holding a tournament after a month is to provide a platform to the young players to display their talent and to make gradual progress in the game by playing against top notchers.

Free of cost boarding and lodging will also be provided to out-side players resident players. Dates of every month tournament will be flexible to avoid any contradiction with your calendar of activities. “Top four winners of each tournament will also be awarded cash prizes“, he said adding “ Qualifying rounds are open to all players “.

VilleneuVe-d'aScq: lille's French goalkeeper mickael landreau dives to stop the goal during the ueFa champions league match at the grand Stade. AFP DUBLIN AfP

The international friendly played on June 4th between Hungary and the Republic of Ireland may not be recognised as an official match by world governing body FIFA, the Irish Federation (FAI) said on Thursday.

Hungary were responsible for all aspects of the fixture that ended 0-0 but FIFA have revealed that assistant referee David Vang Andersen who was used that night is not recognised on their current list of referees. However both federations have announced that regardless of FIFA's final

decision, the match will be treated as an international in respect of caps awarded to players. The revelations, first reported in the Irish Daily Star, would most notably affect the status of Irish winger Damien Duff, who retired from international footall following Euro 2012, with a century of caps to his name, the last of which was as captain against Italy during the 2-0 defeat in their final pool match. However the Irish Federation have assured the Fulham player will not see his caps tally diminished in any way and that European governing body UEFA and FIFA leave it to the discretion of national associations to award caps.

renneS: rennes' French midfielder Yann m'Vila heads to the field amongst smoke to attend the 2012 official group picture of French l1 Stade rennais Fc football club. AFP THAI CHIEF DENIES FRAUD ALLEGATIONS: Thailand's controversial football chief on Thursday denied fraud allegations linked to a multi-million dollar broadcast rights deal, the latest in a cascade of claims against him. Football Association of Thailand (FAT) chief Worawi Makudi, a powerful figure in the Asian game, rubbished accusations by South Korean firm Dae-an 21 that he prematurely cancelled an exclusive contract worth $2.4 million a year.

"The fraud allegation is groundless," Worawi told reporters, in response to the Korean company threatening legal action

against the FAT -- and its chief -- for failing to stick to the terms of the deal.

The FAT had signed a four-year contract with the company from 2007 to 2011, but Worwai said Dae-an 21 broke the deal when it stopped making payments after around a year and failed to respond to queries over the shortfall.

"It (the allegation) is part of an effort to discredit myself and the FAT, I think the FAT should sue back to protect our reputation." The 60-year-old Worwai, who has been an executive member of football's governing body FIFA since 1997, has had previous brushes with controversy.

Friday, 21 September, 2012

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17 Sports couples elected to golf hall of fame ATLANTA AfP

Former Masters champion Fred Couples was elected into the World Golf Hall of Fame on Wednesday. Couples, an American, posted 15 wins on the PGA Tour, including the 1992 Masters and two at The Players Championship. Nicknamed "Boom-Boom" at the height of his powers for his prodigious length off the tee, he competed five times each in the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup and was ranked world number one for several months in 1992. Aged 52, Couples now plays on the Champions Tour.

uS judge orders mayweather to pay Pac-man LAS VEGAS AfP

Boxer Floyd Mayweather has been ordered by a US judge to pay over $100,000 in legal costs after the American failed to answer questions from Manny Pacquiao's lawyers in a defamation case. American federal judge Larry Hicks awarded Pacquiao about $113,000 in legal fees for his lawyers and $774 in costs, because of "Mayweather's obviously intentional decision not to appear for his court ordered deposition."

Pacquiao filed a lawsuit three years ago in Las Vegas, saying that Mayweather defamed him by suggesting Pacquiao used performance-enhancing substances. The lawsuit seeks unspecific damages. "Calling a professional athlete a cheater is the most serious charge one can make," the lawsuit said. "Accusing an athlete of using performance-enhancing drugs - however baseless and lacking in evidence - is toxic."

SingaPore: mclaren mercedes driver Jenson button of britain looks at his race car while been installed by team crew in the garage ahead of Singapore's Formula one night race. AFP

PalleKele: bangladesh team members play a warm up football match during a training session at the Pallekele international cricket Stadium. AFP

Nishikori inspired by Murray's US Open win SINGAPORE AfP

Rising star Kei Nishikori said Thursday he needed to emulate US Open champion Andy Murray's new aggressive style of play if he is to challenge the top players in the men's game. The Japanese player was hailed as a future promise after he won an ATP Tour title in 2008, aged 18, in only his sixth start on the tour and just a year after turning professional. However Nishikori's win in Delray Beach, Florida, remains his only ATP title to date and he currently ranks 17 in the world, well below Murray whose switch to a more attacking-minded game saw the Scot make his Grand Slam breakthrough earlier this month.

"I want to be a little bit more aggressive," Nishikori told a press conference in Singapore. "Like you've seen Andy, he is coming to the net more and he had a good result this couple of months so hopefully I can play like him, little bit more aggressive, more consistent," the Japanese star said.

Nishikori said he watched the US Open final and observed that Murray, who has been criticised in the past for being too defensive, was going for his shots especially on the forehand side against Novak

Djokovic. "I saw the final, it was unbelievable like rallies at almost every point," said Nishikori. "He was attacking, using more forehand... I think that is what he was working (on) so that made him win the Open and I think he is going to win more and more." Nishikori, Japan's top player with a career high ranking of 16 in March, rates his 2012 season as a "decent year" so far despite being interrupted by injuries which sidelined him for two months.

ROBSON INTO SEMIS AT GUANGzHOU: Rising British star Laura Robson on Thursday reached the semi-finals of the WTA Guangzhou Open by defeating China's Peng Shuai 7-5, 5-7, 6-2.

The 18-year-old world No.74, who made it through to the last 16 at the US Open earlier this month with wins over Li Na and Kim Clijsters, needed more than three hours to defeat her Chinese opponent, ranked 27 places above her.

To reach the last eight Robson had defeated the second seed, Zheng Jie of China 6-3, 6-3. She next plays third-seeded Sorana Cirstea, the world No.30 for a place in the final. The Romanian beat Alize Cornet of France 6-4, 6-3. The second semi-final will be between Ursula Radwanska of Poland and Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan.

SingaPore: Force india-mercedes driver nico Hulkenberg of germany plays tennis during a promotional event ahead of Singapore's Formula one night race. AFP

Liquigas to carry Cannondale name in 2013 VALKENBURG AfP

ValKenburg: French mickael delage (l) and thomas Voeckler (r) train for the uci road world championships. AFP

Friday, 21 September, 2012

The Italian UCI ProTour team Liquigas will carry the name of their bike makers Cannondale for the 2013 season, the US manufacturers suppliers announced on Thursday.

The team will feature a talented line-up including youngsters Peter Sagan of Slovakia, Italian riders Moreno Moser and Elia Viviani, as well as Ivan Basso who will take over as captain from Vincenzo Nibali who is set to join Astana.

The 34-year-old Basso who won the Giro d'Italia in 2006 and 2010 will lead a team that also includes 2012 US champion Timothy Duggan and compatriot Ted King while Sagan is Slovakian champion and picked up three stage wins on this year's Tour de France.

Maciej Bodnar is also on their books and the 27year-old is a specialist in time-trials having won the Polish national championship in 2009 and 2012.

Connecticut-based Cannondale has supplied bikes for Liquigas since 2007 and became co-sponsor in 2010.

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Sports 18 yOutH SPOrtS FeStival 2012

Sports Board, Guinness sign partnership for Youth Festival Punjab govt launches Youth Helpline LAHORE sTAff REPoRT

HE Punjab government and Guinness World Record official on Thursday signed an agreement after which the GWR has become the official partner of the Punjab Youth Festival while Rana Mashhood formally launched the helpline for the guidance of youth of the province.

The signing ceremony and the launching of the helpline took place in a simple but impressive ceremony at the Punjab Stadium. Raymond Marhsall, regional head of the Guinness World, and Director General Sports Board Punjab Usman Anwar signed the agreement in the presence of SPB Chairman Mian Hamza Shahbaz Sharif, PYF chief organizer Deputy Speaker Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan, Secretary Sports Punjab Haroon Ahmed Khan at a colourful ceremony at Punjab stadium which was filled up by around 20,000 youngsters .

Speaking on the occasion, Hamza termed it a historic moment in the history of Punjab. “We will go a long way with this agreement. It will help in sending soft image of the country in the world. The Punjab government will do everything possible for the development of the youth and show them direction for their progress and for the purpose it has launched this helpline and is holding the record breaking Punjab Youth Festival,” he added.

Speaking on the occasion, Raymond Marshall termed it a historic moment in history of Pakistan sports that GWR has

t

Hong Kong open cuts prize money HONG KONG AfP

Prize money for the prestigious Hong Kong Open has been cut $750,000 to $2 million, organisers said Thursday, blaming the state of the world economy. It comes despite the tournament, one of the biggest in Asia, retaining sponsor UBS, the Swiss bank. This year's Hong Kong Open is November 15-18. "It's one of these things that have happened because of the downturn of the world economy," Hong Kong Golf Association Chief Executive Iain Valentine told AFP, saying he did not expect it to affect the quality of the field.

Valentine said he was hopeful that stars such as Rory McIlroy, the world number one, will return to defend his title. The tournament is co-sanctioned by the European and Asian Tours. "The Hong Kong Open has a very unique place in the European Tour schedule of events and people like to play Hong Kong because of the golf course and because of Hong Kong in general, they just like coming here." The 23year-old Northern Irishman, winner of the 2011 US Open and this year's PGA Championship, is believed to attract large appearance fees. Organisers are reportedly seeking HK$16 million ($2.06 million) from a Hong Kong government fund to assist the showpiece event, double what it received last year.

become officials partner of Youth Festival to record their world record efforts.

The GWR after signing the agreement has become the official partner of the Punjab Youth Festival and their team of officials and cameramen will return to Pakistan in October to cover the entire Festival proceedings. They will then broadcast the world records creating festival and other GWRs created during the course of festival.

Officially, there are more than 100 applications for the world record attempt but attempts would be launched in 25 fields and SBP believe 15 of them would surely be created.

On the other hand, country’s first ever Youth Helpline became functional to create a sense of direction among the youth helping them to become more effective in society building. Rana Mash-

hood said that with this helpline, the youth will be able to discuss their multiple problems and to find their solution with the help of seven experts whose services have been acquired to extend guideline in different fields of life.

The helpline will give the youth career counseling, education counseling, sense of direction and most importantly to work on their capacity building, he added.

There would be around seven to eight experts sitting at the helpline to facilitate the calling youth. They would identify their problem and resolve it.

He said the helpline will work seven days a week from 10 am to 8 pm and experts will be readily available on a toll free hotline to listen the problems of the youth and to come up with a counseling solution.

watch it Live TEN SPORTS WORLD T20: ENGLAND V AFGHANISTAN 07:00PM

ikeda rockets to first-round lead TOKYO AfP

Yuta Ikeda put himself in a strong position to end a string of runner-up finishes as he blitzed his way to a nine-under-par 62 to grab the opening-round lead at the AsiaPacific Panasonic Open on Thursday.

With the home crowd behind him, the Japanese opened up a two-shot lead over five of his compatriots at the Higashi Hirono Golf Club including veteran Hiroyuki Fujita, a two-time Asian Tour winner.

Reigning Asian Tour Order of Merit winner Juvic Pagunsan of the Philippines, Jeev Milkha Singh of India, a two-time number one in Asia, and Thailand's Chinnarat Phadungsil carded matching 67s for 11th place.

The 150-million-yen tournament (about $1.9 million) is co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour.

Ikeda, who finished tied sixth at the ISPS Handa Singapore Classic on the Asian Tour in April, played bridesmaid in the last three weeks in Japan but he is fired-up to finally win his first title this season.

"I will give myself 80 or 90 points for my round. I was really close in the last three weeks but I'm still proud with what I achieved," Ikeda, 26, a nine-time winner in Japan, told the Asian Tour.

"I started off very well and the momentum started to build. Everything went smoothly so I guess that's why I have no bogeys.

"I did have some up and downs with my shots but when I got in trouble, I recovered very well. I guess that's the key to my good score."

At the age of 46, Fujita is showing no signs of slowing down. He has won three titles on home soil this season, including one last week, and is on track for a fourth victory after riding on a hot putter.

"This is the best I've putted this year," he said. "This is a difficult golf course but I was expecting to do well. " I won't say that I can win my fourth title yet because it is only the first day but I believe I have a good chance of shooting a lower score and give myself a chance."

GWR, Youth Festival partnership a unique aspect: Marshall LAHORE sTAff REPoRT

Regional Executive South Asia , Guinness World Records, Raymond Marshall has said that partnership between GWR and Punjab Youth Festival is unique and will help show case the talent and dreams of people of Pakistan . ´This is the first time in the history of Pakistan that a GWR adjudicator will be present on Pakistani soil to witness the people of Pakistan attempting 45 Guinness World records “,he said in an interview here on Thursday after his arrival in provincial metropolis to sign a contract with Sports Board Punjab to be the official partner of the ongoing festival. He said it must be a proud moment for the people of Pakistan and GWR feel honoured to be the official partner of the festival.

He said ever the publication of the first Guinness Book of Records way back in 1955, GWR has helped millions to realize their dreams . “ For us , a record is not just a fact, it is a mean of understanding

laHore: raymond marshall (c) during his visit to lahore museum. STAFF PHOTO your position in the world and it is precisely due to this reason that we are here today “,he asserted. He said it is a heartening sign that Punjab Youth Festival and GWR are working together to encourage the talent and dreams of the people of the

Pakistan. Raymond Marshall praised the vision of Punjab Chief Minister for organizing the grand youth festival to engage the people from all walks of life, specially the youth in such a large scale healthy activity.

He said only a visionary leader like

Shahbaz Sharif could have taken the initiative for attempting to break GWR ,specially in terms of “ The Largest Festival of the World “. “ This exciting event has the potential to integrate communities through the promotion of healthy activities “,he said He expressed the hope that in the next publication of the GWR Punjab Youth Festival will be a part of it as many individuals and groups will be aiming to set new records in different interesting event.

“We wish them luck in their record breaking efforts and assure our full support in this regard “,said Raymond Marshall.

He expressed his gratitude to the Punjab Government for inviting him to Lahore for signing a contract with SBP . “ I am thankful to the Punjab Government for extending memorable hospitality during my stay in Lahore “,he said adding “ My visit to a number of historic places including Lahore Fort, Badshahi mosque and Museum of Lahore has made me realize the glory and grandeur that this city has enjoyed through ages “.

High stakes as Woods and McIlroy square off ATLANTA AfP

World No. 1 Rory McIlroy will once again be paired with 14-time major winner Tiger Woods as he shoots for his fourth victory in his last five events at this week's Tour Championship. Woods and McIlroy tee off as the final pairing of the 30-man PGA Tour field on Thursday. It will be the fifth time in the last four tournaments that Woods and McIlroy have played in the same group and the

eighth time this year. McIlroy says he's pleased with what he has accomplished on the PGA Tour this year but doesn't think Woods is intimidated in any way by him.

"No, how can I intimidate Tiger Woods?" he said. "The guy's got 75 or 70 whatever PGA Tour wins, 14 majors. "He's been the biggest thing ever in our sport. I mean, how can some little 23-year-old from Northern Ireland with a few wins come up and intimidate him? It's just not possible. "I don't know where he got that from, but it's not true."

McIlroy was referring to a recent comment from former Australian golfer Greg Norman who said he believes Woods sees the two-time major winner McIlroy as a threat. "What I'm seeing is that Tiger's really intimidated by Rory," Norman said.

"When have you ever seen him intimidated by another player? Never." Woods has seen numerous rivals come and go during his 17 years on the PGA Tour. McIlroy heads into the Tour Championship as world number one and first on the the PGA

Tour's money list. McIlroy began his recent run of fine form with a record eightshot victory at Kiawah Island in the PGA Championship for his second major.

He won back-to-back FedEx Cup playoff events in Boston and Indianapolis to stretch his lead in the world rankings and become the front runner to collect the $10 million bonus that will be handed out after the final round at East Lake. As far as not being intimidated goes, McIlroy can say the same for Woods.

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Friday, 21 September, 2012

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UN mission urges Pakistan to act on enforced disappearances g

Mission head says most of the affected families accuse state agencies of abducting people ISLAMABAD

T

ANWER AbbAs

HE United Nations Working Group on Enforced Disappearances on Thursday while acknowledging the occurrence of incidents of enforced disappearances across Pakistan, recommended the government improve the situation at the earliest.

Addressing a news conference after concluding its first visit to Pakistan, Chair-Rapporteur Olivier de Frouville and Osman El-Hajj of the United Nations Working Group on Enforced Disappearances pointed out that the

group was informed by most of the affected families that in many cases, the security agencies, including police, Frontier Corps, Inter-Services Intelligence and the Military Intelligence were allegedly involved in the abductions. Frouville said the commission was informed that in Balochistan, reportedly 14,000 persons were missing but the provincial government recognized less than a hundred missing. He said the commission had more than 500 cases in its docket concerning the whole country.

Frouville said some of the meetings that the working group had requested with a number of important

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

actors at the federal and provincial levels did not take place, including those with the law minister, defense minister, chief justice of Pakistan, directorate for ISI, Frontier Corps Balochistan IG, Frontier Corps Khyber Pakhtunkhwa IG and the CJ’s of Lahore, Karachi, Quetta and Peshawar high courts.

He urged the government to guarantee the safety of those the commission had met and to protect them against any form of reprisals, threats or intimidations. “The human rights violations in the name of the fight against terrorism does not achieve its aim but can only, on

Editor: Arif Nizami

the contrary, lead to further violations,” Frouville said.

To a question, he underlined the need for reinforcing the commission of inquiry on enforced disappearances, as well as to ensure the oversight and the accountability of law enforcement and intelligence agencies, as well as providing protection to the victims and the witnesses. To another question, Frouville said the analysis of the information received during their visit would be considered in preparing the report, which would be submitted to the UN Human Rights Council at a session in 2013.

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