E-paper PakistanToday LHR 27th Nov, 2011

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DCC orders blockade of all supply lines for NATO goods Asks US to vacate Shamsi Airbase within 15 days Govt to review all cooperative arrangements Kayani, Wyne attend meeting in commando dress PM takes all political leaders on board President says attack ‘totally unacceptable’ ISLAMABAD

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Tahir Niaz

eACTING strongly to Saturday’s NATO attack on a military checkpost in Mohmand Agency in which 26 troops were killed and 14 were left injured, the government finally put its foot down, telling the United States that “enough is enough”, immediately blocked the supply line for all NATO goods headed for Afghanistan and asked the Washington-backed International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) to vacate the Shamsi airbase within 15 days.

This decision was taken at a meeting of the Defence Committee of the Cabinet (DCC) chaired by Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani. Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (JCSC) Chairman General Khalid Shamim Wyne attended the meeting in commando uniform, suggesting the country was in a state of war. The naval and air chiefs were also present.

The prime minister had rushed to Islamabad from Multan to chair the meeting of the DCC. Though the DCC did not decide to pull out of the war on terror, it was agreed that Pakistan would revisit and undertake a complete review of all programmes and activities, including diplomatic, political, military and intelligence cooperation operations with the US, the NATO and ISAF. The DCC reiterated the resolve of the Pakistani people and the armed forces to safeguard Pakistan’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity at all costs. A press release issued by the PM’s House after the DCC meeting said, “In accordance with the resolution of the joint session of parliament of May 14, 2011, the DCC decided to close with immediate effect the NATO/ISAF logistics supply lines. The DCC also decided to ask the US to vacate the Shamsi airbase within 15 days.” It was decided that the prime minister would take parliament into confidence over the entire range of meas-

ures regarding matters relating to Pakistan’s future cooperation with the US, NATO and ISAF. The DCC strongly condemned the attack on Pakistani border posts in Mohmand that resulted in the loss of precious life of officers and men of the Pakistan Army and injuries to several. The DCC expressed heartfelt sympathies and offered condolence to families of the brave soldiers who fought valiantly and embraced martyrdom and prayed for the early recovery of those injured in the attack. The DCC was informed that strong protests had already been lodged with the United States and at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, conveying in the strongest possible terms Pakistan’s condemnation of the attack that constituted a breach of sovereignty and were a violation of international law, besides having gravely dented the fundamental basis of Pakistan’s cooperation with NATO/ISAF against militancy and terror.

The DCC also noted with concern that the NATO and ISAF attacks were in violation of their mandate that was confined to Afghanistan. Pakistan had clearly conveyed to them the red lines, which constituted an integral element of its cooperation that was based on a partnership approach. “The attack on Pakistan Army border posts is totally unacceptable and warrants an effective national response,” an official statement issued after the meeting said. earlier in Multan, Gilani said “Pakistan’s solidarity and security have been attacked this morning”. Addressing a public meeting, he said no one “will be allowed to cast an evil eye on Pakistan’s security and sovereignty and the government would defend national security at all costs”. He immediately contacted Opposition Leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, chief of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf Imran Khan and other political leaders to forge national unity to tackle the issue. He then rushed to Islamabad to meet President Asif Ali Zardari. Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar was also present in that meeting. “They talked about the situation arising due to the incident of

NATO choppers gun down 26 Pakistani troops in Mohmand ISLAMABAD/QUETTA Shaiq huSSaiN/Shahzada zulfiqar

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NLY a day after International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Commander General John Allen discussed border control issues with Army Chief General Ashfaq Kayani, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) helicopter gunships on Saturday killed 26 Pakistani security officials and injured another 14 in a blatant attack on a military checkpost in Salala area of Mohmand Agency, dealing a serious blow to the already strained relations between Islamabad and Washington. An army major and a captain were reportedly among the dead.

Reacting to the attack, the government registered its protest with Washington, NATO headquarters in Brussels and summoned US Ambassador Cameron Munter to the Foreign Office, with Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani cutting his Multan visit short and returning to the federal capital to chair a meeting of the Defence Committee of the Cabinet (DCC).

On Gilani’s instructions, the foreign secretary called up US Ambassador Cameron Munter to lodge a strong protest over the incident. The foreign secretary told the US ambassador that the unprovoked attack by NATO/ISAF aircrafts on border posts had deeply incensed the government and the people of Pakistan.

The attacks constituted a grave infringement of Pakistan’s sovereignty and were a violation of international law and a serious transgression of the oft conveyed red lines, the secretary said. Ambassador Munter expressed regret over the loss of life. “I have seen press accounts of an incident on the PakistaniAfghan border in which Pakistani soldiers were reportedly killed. I regret the loss of life of any Pakistani servicemen, and pledge that the US will work closely with Pakistan to investigate this incident,” a US embassy statement quoted Munter as saying. Later in the day, the US embassy directed all US officials outside Islamabad to return to the federal capital and NATO’s helicopters and fighter aircraft’s unprovoked firing on two Pakistani border posts in Mohmand that resulted in the loss of 24 security forces officials,” an official statement said. The president condemned the incident, calling it an attack on the country’s sovereignty and “totally unacceptable”. The attack took place around 2am in Baizai area of Mohmand, where Pakistani troops are engaged with the Taliban.

About 40 Pakistani troops were stationed at the outpost, military sources said. The incident has dealt a serious blow to the already strained relations

also issued a travel advisory for all US staff in Pakistan.

The Balochistan government also barred NATO supply trucks and containers from entering into the province.

The government of Balochistan directed the district administrations of Lasbela, bordering Karachi and Jaffarabad, connecting Balochistan and Sindh via Jacobabad, not to allow trucks and oil tankers carrying NATO supplies into Balochistan’s territory.

Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Kayani had also strongly condemned the attack. According to the ISPR, General Kayani presided over a high level meeting of military commanders at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, declaring the NATO attack on Pakistani checkpost an attack on Pakistan’s sovereignty. The meeting also decided to give strong response to the attack. Pakistan Army chief demanded NATO investigate the attack immediately.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the NATO-led ISAF said it was “highly likely” that NATO aircraft caused the deaths of 26 Pakistani soldiers in Saturday’s he lethal strike. Brigadier General Carsten Jacobson said that ISAF forces and the Afghan army were carrying out a joint operation in the eastern part of the Afghan province of Kunar, which borders Pakistan, when they were forced to call in air support.

“It’s highly likely that this close air support, called by the ground forces, caused the casualties,” Brigadier General Carsten Jacobson told AFP of Saturday’s deaths. Jacobson added that the operation had been taking place very close to the porous, mountainous border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, known as the Durand Line. “They were operating very close to the Durand Line, and as we know, the Durand Line is not everywhere very clear” in the area, he added.

Jacobson earlier told the BBC that the close air support had “obviously” caused the casualties. “A situation developed on the ground that caused the force to call in for close air support which came in and obviously this caused Pakistani casualties and that is what has to be investigated,” he said.

between Islamabad and Washington and following the attack, NATO supply trucks and fuel tankers bound for Afghanistan were stopped at Jamrud in Khyber Agency.

A spokesman for the NATO-led ISAF in Kabul said the coalition was aware of “an incident” and was gathering more information. The raid is the most serious incident of its kind. A similar incident on September 30, 2009, killed two Pakistani troops in Angoor Adda and led to the closure of one of the NATO’s supply routes through Pak-

istan for 10 days. The incident is expected to further worsen Pak-US relations. “This is an attack on Pakistan’s territorial sovereignty,” said Masood Kasur, governor of KhyberPakhtunkhwa. Only on Friday, ISAF Commander General John Allen and COAS Ashfaq Kayani had taken up the issue of cross border raids and the need for tighter measures to block militant traffic.

war games spotlight sino-pak hype | page 10 political parties’ reaction | page 04

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Sunday, 27 November, 2011

lAHoRe

CoMMeNt

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Nurses warn govt not to backtrack from promise zulfiqar Mirza survives assault in Manchester

Today’s

Civil-military relations

Quick

Who pulls the levers?

humayun Gauhar says: The quest continues: Stare into the abyss and it stares back at you.

khalid Mir says:

Look

End of the university?: It’s merely becoming a ticket to money milking.

arif ansar says: The climax and the casualty: The memo saga is yet to come to an end.

Story on Page 05

6 cops held for links with Pind Dadan Khan terrorists ISLAMABAD

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arif TaJ

Ix police officials have been arrested in Pind Dadan Khan for allegedly having links with terrorists of who killed security personnel in the town’s Pir Chambal area a few days ago and are being interrogated, Pakistan Today has learnt.

The terrorist group led by Dr Arshad had killed four personnel of the Military Intelligence (MI), including a major and a civilian, on November 11 in Pir Chambal. Pir Chambal is a highly inaccessible mountainous area with dense forests in Salt Range, where the terrorists had reportedly taken refuge for over six month and had escaped from the area after killing the five security officials.

“ASIs Abdul Rehman and Zafarullah, constables Zulfiqar, Sadaqat, Atif and Tauseef are among the arrested people and they are being interrogated. They are suspected of having ties with the terrorists and details of their links have been retrieved from mobile phone data,” a source in police told Pakistan Today on condition of anonymity. Moreover, Pakistan Today also learnt from another

Nusrat Bhutto’s Chehlum today ISLAMABAD: Arrangements have been made for the observance of Chehlum and Quran Khwani for Mother of Democracy Begum Nusrat Bhutto at Naudero House in Larkana in Sindh and the President House in Islamabad today (Sunday). President’s spokesman Farhatullah Babar said Quran Khawani will be held at Naudero House and the Presidency today at 12pm and 3pm, respectively. app

Forum held on rights of refugees LAhorE: The Society for Human Rights and Prisoner’s Aid (SHARP) on Saturday organised an Open Discussion Forum for the students of Punjab University, Quaid-eAzam Law College and Lahore College Women University. The discussion was based on the “Legal and Social Status of Refugees in South Asian Region in the Context of International Scenario” and it was attended by students from various educational backgrounds, including Law, Political Science, International Relations and Gender Studies. On the occasion, former Wafaqi Mohtasib director Afzal Khayal and Lahore College Women University Associate Professor Mobina highlighted the violations of basic human rights. Sabahat Riaz, a lawyer in AGHS, discussed the violations of the rights of women, while Quaid-e-Azam Law College faculty member Salman Kazmi elaborated on the rights of refugees. Former chief justice Justice Tanveer Ahmed Khan appreciated the efforts of SHARP in organising the discussion forum for students. STaff reporT

Not helping NATO’s actions will do only damage.

source that Pind Dadan Khan DSP Chaudhry Zahid Parvaiz was suspended earlier for allegedly having ties with criminals and the services of SHO Chaudhry Sagheer were also handed over to Police Lines on similar charges. The source added that around 21 people had been arrested and all had been shifted to undisclosed location for interrogation. He said they included Asghar and Ghulam Rasool, a cousin and a brother-in-law of former parliamentary secretary and MPA Nazar Muhammad Gondal. Asked about other people having links with Dr Arshad and his group, the source said two men, Mohkam Din and Bilal were believed to be instrumental in helping the terrorists, but they had not been arrested so far. He said the house of Chaudhry Akram Phaphra, a close relative of slain Punjab governor Salman Taseer, had also been raided for him having ties with terrorists.

The source said it was impossible for terrorists to remain and operate in the area without local support, adding that evidence suggested that Bilal and Mohkam Din were helping Dr Arshad and his group carry out criminal activities, including kidnapping for ransom, in the area.

No military operation in Balochistan: ISPR QUETTA: The Pakistan Army on Saturday denied reports that a military operation was being carried out in Balochistan. A spokesman of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that no operation was being carried out in any part of the province. “Reports about a military operation in Kohlu, Chamalalang and other areas of the province are baseless and concocted,” the spokesman said, adding that such reports were part of a campaign to tarnish the military’s image. app

Articles on Page 12-13

Story on Page 10

All set for Qureshi’s rally in Ghotki today KARACHI razzak abro

While the supporters of former foreign minister Shah Mahmmod Qureshi have finalised arrangements to hold a gathering in Ghotki on Sunday (today), the district administration has reportedly taken steps to minimise the rally’s attendance. It is Qureshi’s first political show after formally parting ways with the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). He is likely to announce his future political strategy today. Both the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) have already invited him on board. Whichever side Qureshi takes, it will be a matter of concern for the ruling PPP. Qureshi is set to embark on a new political journey from Sindh, which is considered the PPP’s stronghold.

His Ghosia Jamaat, a grouping of his spiritual followers, is wellestablished in Sindh, particularly Ghotki, which Qureshi chose as a venue to announce his plans.

Other areas where the Ghosia Jamaat has a large number of followers include Tharparkar and Sanghar. Ghotki’s geographical location is also an important factor in Qureshi’s decision to stage the rally. The Sindh’s district borders Punjab’s Seraeki speaking areas, where the Ghosia Jamaat has significant influence. Therefore, Ghotki as a venue could ensure a big gathering for Qureshi. In addition, his followers in the districts of Sanghar and Tharparkar have also started leaving for Ghotki. On the other hand, the Ghotki district administration was reportedly creating hurdles in the way Qureshi’s public meeting.

faiSalabad: donkeys are seen tied at the gate of Govt Johar public School, allama iqbal Colony. INP

AJK president insulted Kashmiris: MC Spokesman says Kashmiris not taken on board before granting India MFN status g

KARACHI STaff reporT

Azad Jammu and Kashmir President Sardar Yaqoob Khan insulted the people of Kashmir when he favoured the decision of granting India the status of Most Favoured Nation, Muslim Conference spokesman said on Saturday.

“He is selling the blood of thousands of Kashmiri martyrs and opposes MFN to India in Kashmir but favours it outside Kashmir,” he said upon the AJK president’s arrival in Karachi.

The spokesman said former AJK prime minister Sardar Atiq had advised Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani to improve relations with India after much deliberation and in accordance with the neighbouring country’s reaction.

However, he said the government’s policies did not reflect the stance of the people,

hence were causing panic.

He said granting the MFN status to India meant “we have gifted the Pakistani economy to India. Any trade relation with India should be associated with a permanent solution to Kashmir”.

He said Kashmiris had not been taken on board while granting the MFN status to India.

“The Muslim Conference has never objected to dialogue or trade with India, however, Kashmir, Kishanganga Dam, Wullar Barrage, Sir Creek and other issues demand more importance than trade ties,” he added.

The spokesman said Sardar Atiq had clarified that India also wanted to solve the issues urgently “so why is the PPP government bent upon promoting trade with India without solving more urgent issues”. The Muslim Conference spokesman said India had placed non-tariff barriers (NTBs) to restrict Pakistani products in India even though it had granted the MFN status to Pakistan in 1996.

Pakistan tested by ‘memogate’ row, says foreign minister g

Hina Khar admits that civilian govt’s authority came into question MonIToRIng DESK

The memogate controversy has raised questions about the strength of Pakistan’s civilian government, BBC quoted Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar in a report published on Saturday.

The memo, allegedly sent by President Asif Ali Zardari, asked for Washington’s help to avert a military takeover following the killing of Osama bin Laden in May. It was delivered to Admiral Mike Mullen, then chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff. Pakistan’s former ambassador to the United States Hussain Haqqani, who denied authoring the unsigned memo, lost his job - many believe at the army’s insistence. The foreign minister admitted the controversy had provoked questions about the authority of the civilian government here, and created the impression that the army is pulling

the levers of power.

“Sadly it does,” she said. “I cannot deny that, and that’s an unfortunate part that something as ludicrous as this could raise more questions. It doesn’t take much to be able to raise those questions.”

Asked who had the upper hand the civilian government or the army the minister replied that it was “an evolutionary process”. “You cannot change things overnight. The army has had a larger-than-life role to play in Pakistan’s history. However, you do have a democratic set up.”

Pakistan’s opposition is asking the Supreme Court to determine who sent the memo and why. The foreign minister insisted that an inquiry announced by the government would be thorough, though critics doubt that.

“The inquiry would be at the highest level, something which satisfies all parties, all people, all constituencies,

who have raised concern about this entire issue. And we would hope that... this is where it should and will stop,” Khar added. But the questions are likely to persist: chief among them whether Zardari authorised the memo himself. Khar said that any suggestion that the president was linked to the

memo was “ridiculous”.

She refused to comment on whether or not the government was in talks with the Pakistani Taliban. The government has said it wants to hold negotiations with the Taliban in order to “give peace a chance”. In recent days, militants have been sending mixed messages about whether or not there are contacts taking place.

Khar said Pakistan could help in the search for peace in Afghanistan, but it had not brokered any more meetings between envoys of the Haqqani group - Afghan insurgents believed to operate in Pakistan’s tribal belt - and US representatives. Pakistan’s spy agency, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), arranged an initial meeting between the two sides in the summer.

“Pakistan cannot guarantee anything,” Khar said, adding, “We can play a positive role, but it has to be at the request of the Afghans. If the Afghans distrust us, there’s less space for us.”

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Sunday, 27 November, 2011

Govt asked to proceed with Musharraf, Aziz’s arrest warrants ISLAMABAD Tahir Niaz

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LReADY under an obligation to write to the Swiss authorities to reopen the cases against President Asif Ali Zardari after the Supreme Court threw out the review petition on the NRO, the federal government is going to face another challenge as the Balochistan government has forwarded to it the arrest warrants for former president Pervez Musharraf and former prime minister Shaukat Aziz in the Akbar Bugti murder case for further proceedings.

Sources in the Interior Ministry said the Balochistan Home Ministry has sent the arrest warrants for the three

accused to the ministry for bringing them back from abroad through Interpol and face the trial.

A trial court in Balochistan had issued the arrest warrants for the three and subsequently, the provincial government forwarded the orders to the federal government. earlier, the Balochistan High Court (BHC) had directed the police to register an FIR against the nominated people. A case was registered in Dera Bugti in October, 2009 on the application of his son Jameel Akbar Bugti against Musharraf, Shaukat Aziz, former Balochistan governor Owais Ghani, former Balochistan chief minister Jam Muhammad Yousaf, then interior minister Aftab Ahmad Sherpao and provin-

cial home minister Mir Shoaib Nosherwani.

However, the three accused including Sherpao, Jam and Ghani submitted written statements before the BHC, stating that they were part of a civilian setup and the operation was launched by the army and they had nothing to do with the killing of Bugti.

The court issued the arrest warrants for Musharraf and Aziz on the request of the Crime and Investigative Department (CID), which is investigating the case on the directives of the BHC. The sources in the Interior Ministry said the ministry might adopt either of the two channels for extraditing the accused — by directly approaching the Interpol or involving the FIA and the Foreign Office.

Relatives of Baloch missing persons stage demo QUETTA Shahzada zulfiqar

Over three hundred relatives of Baloch missing persons, including women and children, on Saturday staged a protest demonstration outside the Quetta Press Club against the recovery of mutilated bodies of Jalil Reki and Younus Baloch and the unnecessary delay in recovery of other missing persons. The participants were expressed fear that if prompt steps were not taken on part of the court of law or government for the release of missing political workers, they would be killed in the custody of state intelligence agencies and their bodies would be thrown in the streets. They appealed to international humanitarian organisations, the United Nations and the Supreme Court to intervene. Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) Chairman Nasrullah Baloch arranged the demonstration in which family members of missing persons also participated.

MulTaN: pakistan Tehreek-e-insaf Chairman imran khan addressing a public meeting at Shujaabad. ONLINe

PR expects new Business Train to earn Rs 1 billion annually LAHoRE STaff reporT

Pakistan Railways (PR) will earn annual revenue of Rs 1.15 billion from its Business Train, which will be based on international standards, a senior official said on Saturday.

PR General Manager (Operations) Saeed Akhtar, while

inaugurating the Business Train Lounge at the Lahore Railway Station, told reporters that the new train would run between Lahore and Karachi. A private group, Four Brothers International, has invested Rs 225.786 million to bring substantive changes to the offered services. The company would also be responsible for food and

catering services in the lounges and in the train. Akhtar said the train would feature facilities of international standards to attract the business community, which usually does not travel on trains. He said the train would consist of nine business-class air conditioned coaches, and would complete its journey between Lahore and Karachi in 18 hours.

political parties reaction to nato attack pMl-N condemns NaTo’s ‘naked aggression’ ISLAMABAD: PML-N President Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Saturday condemned NATO’s “naked aggression against Pakistan”. Nawaz called the NATO’s airstrike on Pakistani soil a terror attack. He said it was high time the government adopted a joint strategy and a line of action. Shahbaz said the attack on Pakistani checkpost in Mohmand Agency was a clear violation of international laws. He showed his solidarity with the martyred soldiers of the Pakistan Army. The PML-N also decided to take up the issue in parliament.

Such incidents won’t be tolerated ISLAMABAD: expressing anger over an unprovoked attack by NATO on a Pakistani security checkpost on Saturday, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Barrister Masood Kausar said such incidents of aggression would not be tolerated.

Addressing a press conference, the governor said the incident was the most gruesome act by the NATO forces and was a severe breach of international norms as it was a violation of Pakistan’s airspace and land boundaries. He said the attack was the most serious incident and could not be tolerated, adding that the attack was unjustifiable and provocative which hurt the sentiments of the entire nation. He asked for a reaction against the act so that such incidents do not take place in future.

assault is attack on country’s sovereignty LAhorE: Condemning the NATO attack on Pakistani checkpost, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Punjab President Imtiaz Safdar Warriach said the assault was an attack on the sovereignty of the country. He said such actions were intolerable.

He also paid tribute to the martyred soldiers of the Pakistan Army and prayed

for an early recovery of the injured troops.

Finance Secretary PPP Punjab Aurangzeb Barki said that PPP government would not leave any stone unturned to highlight the issue at international forums. He said that Pak Army was the strength of the country and it would safeguard our fronts at any cost.

apMl wants issue raised with uN LAhorE: The All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) on Saturday strongly condemned the unprovoked, pre-dawn attack by NATO forces on the Pakistani security post which claimed lives of over 20 Pakistani security personnel. APML spokesman Fawad Chaudhry urged the government to raise the issue with the United Nations. In his message, the APML spokesman said these types of acts could not deter the brave Pakistani soldiers and demanded the government thoroughly investigate it to determine the facts. He expressed solidarity with the families of the martyrs who lost their lives defending the country. He prayed for the departed souls and said that may Allah give fortitude to the families of the martyrs to bear this irreparable loss.

retaliation must be as strong as possible ISLAMABAD: Urging the government to react as strongly as possible against the NATO attack on a checkpost in Mohmand Agency, Awami National Party (ANP) President Asfandyar Wali Khan on Saturday said the attack was not only a breach of Pakistan’s sovereignty, but also a violation of the UN mandate for NATO forces in Afghanistan. “We have asked the president and the prime minister that the government should react as strongly as possible so that such incident is repeated in the future. Such attacks are not only against the sovereignty of Pakistan and its borders but also a violation of the UN mandate. The UN’s mandate allows the NATO forces to operate within the territorial limits of Afghanistan, it does not allow it to operate outside Afghanistan,” Asfandyar Wali Khan said.

protest against NaTo attack at every forum

that if Pakistan continued to be a partner in the US war on terror, the nation would never forgive them.

LAhorE: Information Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan on Saturday vowed to protest against the NATO airstrike on Pakistani checkpost killing over 20 security forces’ personnel. Talking to reporters, she said the government would leave no stone unturned in raising the issue at all appropriate forums. She said the attack was considered an attack on Pakistan’s sovereignty. She said terrorism could not be controlled through drone attacks and NATO attacks, rather, it could result in reunion of terrorists.

NaTo strike an attack on pakistan’s territorial integrity

NaTo supply line should be closed ISLAMABAD: Jamaat-e-Islami chief Munawar Hasan strongly condemned the firing

by NATO helicopters on Salala checkpost and expressed profound grief over the martyrdom of Pakistan security personnel on Saturday. In a statement, he said the incident was the worst of its kind, adding that the attack was tantamount to a direct attack on Pakistan’s security and sovereignty. He demanded the government get the Pakistani air bases vacated at once from the US forces.

Pakistan must also close the NATO supply line, he said.

Continuity of uS attacks proves rulers’ failure LAhorE: Jamiat Ahle Hadith chief Senator Sajid Mir on Saturday said the continuity of US attacks on Pakistani soil proved that the rulers had failed in national defence and must resign after such a brazen attack on the country’s security and sovereignty. He said the political and military leaderships was responsible for such attacks and warned

LAhorE:Condemning the NATO attack, Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri said it was a direct attack on Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. He said the rulers should immediately raise the issue with United Nations. He said country’s foreign policy needed to be reviewed to forestall the possibility of any such incursions in future. Qadri said NATO had launched this attack on Pakistan in defiance of Pakistan’s contributions to the war on terror and immense sacrifices suffered by the people both in man and material.

NaTo strike on pakistani checkpost deplorable ISLAMABAD: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain on Saturday said NATO strike on Pakistani Salala checkpost was quite deplorable and such incidents were triggering hatred against NATO forces.

‘attack proves uS pakistan’s biggest enemy’ LAhorE: Hizbut Tahrir deputy spokesman Shahzad Sheikh on Saturday said the attack proved that US was the biggest enemy of Pakistan and the ‘traitors’ among our political and military leaderships were responsible for such attacks since they had been strengthening NATO forces by allowing them vital supplies from the Pakistani soil and emboldening them to make such attacks by merely condemning and protesting on their previous attacks.

Sheikh said if the agent rulers had the courage to give a befitting response to past NATO attacks on Angoor Adda and the Abbottabad operation, its forces would never have the courage to attack the country.

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Sunday, 27 November, 2011

it’s an era of knowledge-based economy, says governor PAGe 08 Dont eat your worDs

Nurses warn govt not to backtrack from promise

LAHoRE

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SalahudiN Safdar

ONTRARY to their own decision, nurses took to roads for third day on Saturday creating crisis situation in hospitals and continued their protest and strike until the Health Department notified them of the decision reached upon by the government.

The nurses had announced on Friday to continue their strike without coming on the roads but about 200 of them occupied the road outside the Press Club at around 10am and stayed there till late afternoon till after the meeting with the government ended. Following the meeting, the strike was called off however nurses did not report to duties till Saturday evening and termed the calling off strike a “mere postponement” for the period agreed with government to resolve their issues and warned to protest if their demands were not met. “We were not sure if the government would fulfill its promises or not that is why we came out on the roads again,” Nurses’ representative Razia Sultan of Mian Munshi Hospital said.

A meeting of 14 member nurses’ delegation was held on Saturday with committee led by Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah which included Chairman Parliamentary Committee for Health Dr Saeed elahi, advisor to chief minister Begum Zakia Shahnawaz and health secretary.

Sanaullah ordered the withdrawal of cases against nurses and also directed the Health Department to not take departmental actions against protesting nurses.

A notification of the decisions was issued late evening after which the nurses called off their strike. Nurses, eligible for promotion, were asked to complete their documental work within two weeks for being promoted to upper grades. For raise in the pay package, a committee including representatives of nurses was formed which would finalise the raise in pays within 30 days. The nurses were also assured of implementation on the notification of pay protection of the nurses regularised last year after almost a decade of service. Only a few nurses reported to their duty which caused the patients to suffer another day. even emergencies of hospitals witnessed low attendance of nurses creating problems for doctors also.

Jinnah Hospital CeO Dr Javed Akram told Pakistan Today that only 28 percent nurses had reported during the strike. He said for emergency and ICU he had requested them to be present while for wards and OPD doctors and dispensers were given extra charge to compensate for the absence of nurses.

However, patients expressed to have faced difficulties during the strike and a death in Medical Unit II of Jinnah Hospital was also said to have occured due to nonavailability of nurse to give medicine on time. Nurses said were aware of the miseries of public but they had been forced to come on roads. “We waited for the government to address our issues and comply with its own announcement, we held meetings with the officials several time but mere assurances and no action forced us to go on strike and come on roads,” said staff nurse Shazia of Services Hospital.

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06 Lahore traders file contempt of court petition against DCo, IG LAHoRE STaff reporT

Traders of Hall Road have moved a contempt of court petition in the Lahore High Court against DCO Lahore, Punjab home secretary, and IG of Police for failing to stop nurses from holding protest rally on The Mall despite a ban imposed by the court.

They accused the state functionaries showed negligence in implementing the court order of ban on protests on The Mall. Traders requested the court to take action against the violators and respondents.

PETITIon To SToP SChooLS froM TAKInG ChILDrEn UnDEr 10 To TrIPS: A petition has been filed in the LHC requesting a restraining order for all schools not to take under 10 years age students out of city for trips due to apprehensions of accidents like incident of Kallar Kahar.

The petitioner, Advocate Azhar Siddique submitted that the incident at Kallar Kahar had caused deaths of more than 37 citizens majority of them were children. It happened due to criminal negligence of school authorities, transporters, transport authorities, Motorway Police and the relevant government departments.

He prayed the court to restrain all schools especially private schools from taking children below ten years out of station for trip.

Sunday, 27 November, 2011

CCPO reviews security arrangements for Muharram

Sapna’s father files petition against Dost LAhorE: A petition has been filed in the Lahore High Court by the father of film actress Sapna Khan to become a party in the case for her recovery from the illegal custody of former Punjab chief minister Dost Mohammad Khosa.

Mishal Khan, through his counsel Muhammad Azhar Siddique, submitted that a petition is pending in the LHC for the recovery of his daughter from the illegal custody of Dost Khosa. He rejected the claims that Dost had divorced her after one year of marriage. He feared that his daughter had been murdered by Dost Khosa as she was missing since the time she had married him. He prayed to the court to allow him to be a party in the petition for recovery of Sapna which was earlier filed on humanitarian basis by Judicial Activism Panel (JAP) Chairman Azhar Siddique advocate. In a reply submitted in the LHC on the petition for her recovery, Dost had admitted that he had married Sapna on June 2, 2010 and on February 28, 2011, a daughter namely Mah Gul was born from the wedlock.

However, Dost claimed that on October 11, 2011, he had divorced Sapna and did not know about her present whereabouts.

Mishal Khan said that Dost was misleading the court with the claims that he had divorced his daughter while she remains in his custody or has been killed by him. He said that Dost presented in the LHC a bogus divorce certificate, issued by the office of Secretary UC, Green Town, adding that neither he, nor his daughter ever lived in that area. Hence, the matter did not fall in the jurisdiction of the UC. STaff reporT

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APITAL City Police Officer (CCPO) Ahmad Raza Tahir on Saturday directed the Lahore Police to keep special security arrangements for the Zakireen and Ulema during Muharam-ulHaram during their Majalis.

In his order, the CCPO directed to ensure the strict implementation of a 3-layered comprehensive checking, in order to provide foolproof security to the Moharram processions. The traffic and Thana police have been directed to jointly ensure the comprehensive checking and screening of all vehicles, motorcycles and rickshaws. The CCPO said that the Muharram processions should be provided security from each side, including the rooftops, besides blocking all routes, side lanes and roads with barbed wire. He said that patrolling system should be made even more effective to protect all the sensitive places. The CCPO directed that presence of the bomb disposal squads, along with the members of Mohalla and peace committees, ought to be ensured.

The CCPO further directed that foolproof security arrangements should be made, especially at the Majalis for women with the help of the Ladies Police. He also ordered the City Traffic Police to make sure that citizens should be provided an alternate route if any road is temporarily shutdown in view of security arrangements, adding that alert wardens should be deputed at such places for the smooth flow of traffic. He said that all the entry and exit points of the venues of the Majalis will be covered and roof top deployment will be made at the Imam Bargahs, venues of the Majalis and routes of the processions. He directed that parking be made at a safe distance, preferably 200 metres,

from the venues of the Majalis and processions.

The CCPO said that police officers and over 12,000 police Jawans would provide security cover to 4,000 Majalis and 640 processions, while armed personnel would also be deputed to provide security to various programmes, to be held on a daily basis. He said that 134 mobile squads, 85 motor bikes, 75 cars and 11 cars of the elite Force would also be deployed on this occasion. Similarly, Lahore Police force would provide security cover to 297 Imam Bargahas and 787 Mosques falling on the routes of the processions. Ahmad Raza Tahir said that the code of conduct would be strictly implemented during Muharram-ul-Harram and 1,068 members of the District Peace Committee would be present on the routes of the processions and Majalis. In his order, the CCPO further directed the Lahore Police to ensure that there is no impediment in the flow of the Muharram processions, for which special traffic plan has been evolved by the traffic authorities. He said that metal detectors and walk-through gates should also be used at all entry points in order to search every person, while police officials should be briefed regarding the sensitive places to deal with any untoward incident.

PML-Q takes clear stance on national issues: Mushahid LAHoRE STaff reporT

The Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) has always taken a clear stance on issues of corruption, as it initiated the cases regarding rental power plants (RPP) and NATO containers, PML-Q Secretary General Mushahid Hussain Syed said on Saturday.

He was addressing the opening day of a two-day workshop of the PML-Q Youth Wing at the Muslim League

House. Mushahid said, “The PML-Q is not in the habit of telling the people half truth and always takes a clear stand against corruption”.

He said, “Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat initiated the RPPs case and I took up the NATO containers case”. The former senator said that the PML-Q believed in the policy of dialogue for resolving all issues, adding that he had asked late US diplomat Richard Holbrooke and Senator John Kerry to give visas to 20,000 youth of FATA and Waziristan for ending ex-

tremist tendencies. He said that Quaide-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah created Pakistan without the help of the establishment and UK and political forces were the only guarantee of strengthening the federation. Mushahid said that the youth and women were the binding force for Pakistan. Separately, the PMLQ Lawyers’ Wing established a cell for provision of free legal advice to nurses, as cases were being registered against them for clashes with police during their protests for their due rights.

25-year-old commits suicide LAHoRE STaff reporT

A 25-year-old man committed suicide by hanging himself from the ceiling fan with a cable wire on Saturday in the Ichchra Police Station precincts.

According to police, the deceased was identified as Abbas Yousaf, a resident of Bhurewala, from his CNIC, which was in his pocket. He was working as a servant at

NSPS Director Daud’s house. Inspector Anwar said that the deceased’s employer had gone to Islamabad with his family and when they returned back, they saw their servant hanging by the fan.

The inspector said that the body had been hanging from the fan for more than a day and the room was filled with odour when police entered into it. Police said that the reason behind the suicide could not be determined yet but the body was sent to the morgue for autopsy.

Man shot dead by robbers LAhorE: Robbers shot dead a 40-year-old truck driver on resistance in the Chung Police precincts on Saturday. The victim was identified as Fazal Kareem, a resident of Sahiwal. He was driving a truck loaded with maize. As he reached the Shah Pur Mandi, four people in a car intercepted his truck and demanded cash. Upon resistance, the robbers opened fire on him.

Fazal received bullet injuries on his head and died on the spot, while the robbers managed to flee from the scene.

The Chung police have registered a case on the complaint of his brother Akbar under Section 302/92 of PPC. MAn fALLS In MAn hoLE: A 32-year-old man died by falling in an open manhole in the Qila Gujjar Singh Police precincts on Saturday. The deceased, yet to be identified, was going some where when he fell in an open man hole. The locals of the area informed Rescue 1122, who retreived the body of the deceased from the man hole. Police, after being informed, reached the spot and took the body to the city morgue.

It has also made announcements in the area but no one has claimed the body yet. Fire claims valuables in 2 separate incidents Valuables worth hundreds of thousands of rupees were gutted in two separate incidents on Saturday. In the first incident, fire broke out in the house of Muhammad Azam, a resident of DBlock, Faisal Town and reduced the valuables worth Rs 350,000 to ashes. In another incident, fire broke out in a shop of electronic appliances near Temple Road due to short circuiting. No human loss was reported in the said incidents. STaff reporT

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twIlIGHt SAGA BReAKING DAwN 2:00 PM twIlIGHt SAGA BReAKING DAwN 4:15 PM DeSI Boyz 6:30 PM twIlIGHt SAGA BReAKING DAwN 8:45 PM DeSI Boyz 11:00 PM DeSI Boyz 1:30 AM

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Sunday, 27 November, 2011

Lahore 07

US commando, the goody two-boots uS soldier refuses to take his shoes off before entering Sunehri Mosque g Ambassador Munter assures Pakistanis that his team has ‘deepest respect for Pakistan’s holy places’

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LeARLY unaware of, or nonchalant, about the culture and practices of Muslims in Pakistan, a US solider who was accompanying US Ambassador Cameron Munter, entered the historic Sunehri Mosque with his shoes on, a mistake for which Munter had to issue a public apology, Pakistan Today has learnt.

According to the locals, however, the commando denied to take his shoes off when asked to do so before entering the mosque.

Agitated locals claimed that the commando had mocked the feelings of Muslims by refusing to take his shoes off since

youth delegation calls on Nawaz

a mosque was a house of God and its respect was obligatory on everyone.

According to witnesses, Munter, his wife and some other guests removed their shoes while entering the Sunehri Mosque but a US commando refused to do so.

Some members of the delegation also reminded him to take his shoes off, however he did not remove them.

MUnTEr APoLoGISES: However, when Munter heard of this incident he apologised through a statement that said, “I was saddened and disappointed to learn that one of my officers entered Lahore’s Sunehri Mosque during my visit there this morning without removing his shoes. I offer my sincere apologies over this incident and I assure you that my team and I share deepest respect for Pakistan’s holy places. I value my visit to

Judicial system needs revamping, says LHC CJ Sheikh Azmat Saeed g

Asks lawyers, litigants to support him LAHoRE JaMaluddiN JaMali

LAhorE: A youth delegation called on Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif on Saturday.

Punjab CM Shahbaz Sharif was also present on the occasion. Nawaz said that the Punjab government had launched various programmes for making the youth skillful and created job opportunities for them. He said that not only job opportunities will be available to the youth through these programmes but the younger generation will also stand on their own feet. The PML-N president said that programmes such as distribution of loans on soft terms, steps for promotion of technical education, distribution of laptops to talented students and the Yellow Cab Scheme were being implemented. He advised the youth to benefit from these programmes and play their due role for development of the country by making hard work their motto. Shahbaz said that 30,000 talented students had benefited from the Punjab educational endowment Fund until now and were completing their education through scholarships not only inside the country but abroad as well. STaff reporT

Sunehri Mosque and I am honored by our contribution to the restoration work there.”

He said Pak-US friendship was based on confidence and love and they would further support Pakistan in various projects including energy and education.

Munter’s wife Marilyn Wyatt, Katie Kiser, Cultural Affairs Officer at US Consulate General Lahore and other officials were also present.

Munter said he was satisfied with the conservation works being done on the mosque with US funding.

Katie told Pakistan Today that the US had allocated $67,500 dollar for the renovation of the Sunahri mosque and the project would end in August 2012, adding that work was also being done on Alam Ghiri gate and Mosque Wazir Khan.

Lahore High Court Chief Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed has said the legal problems of the 21st century cannot be solved with the old legal system that is operational in the country.

He expressed these view while addressing a gathering of lawyers at a reception ceremony held by Punjab Bar Council (PBC) for hailing his appointment as chief justice of LHC. A number of LHC judges and LHC registrar, PBC Vice chairman Lehraseb Gondal, executive Committee Chairman Zafar Mehmood Mughal, Seminar and Symposium Committee Chairman Amjad Ali Bajwa were present.

Asking the lawyers’ community to

support him in improving the judicial system, the CJ said the masses were the stakeholders and they were looking towards courts and the bar for justice and it will only be possible with cooperation between the bench and the bar. “Come with me and cooperate with me, together we can revamp the entire legal and judicial system,” the CJ said.

Discussing the judicial policy, he said speedy disposal of cases aims at assuring that the parties were given due justice.

He said “it is not a cricket match in which we have to count the score rather it is a sacred trust vested in the court.”

He said the litigants, lawyers, and judges were three components of the legal and judicial system in which lawyers play the basic role.

Students condemn NAto attack LAhorE: Students’ organisations condemned the attack by the NATO forces on the check post of the Pakistani troops on Saturday. The Islami Jamiat-e-Talba (IJT) protested against the attack by the NATO forces and demanded the government part ways with NATO in the war on terror. IJT Punjab University chief Nazim Zubair Safdar led the protest near the New Campus underpass. Nazim criticised the government, saying that it was shameful that the government had not learnt any lesson the attack of May 2 on Pakistani territory. Protesters raised slogans against the NATO forces and the government, demanding compensation for the families of the martyred men. The protesters also burnt tires in protest. Meanwhile, Insaf Students Federation (ISF) Lahore President Muhammad Usman called an emergency meeting to condemn the NATO attack and asked for the immediate closure of the NATO supply route. The ISF members also demanded the government pursue a case against the NATO forces in the International Court of Justice. They demanded a transparent inquiry of the incident, and asked the government to exit the war on terror immediately. STaff reporT

Giving a guiding principle to judges, he said no case should be decided without listening to version of the accused because the accused, too, had the basic constitutional right to be heard properly in a case against him.

He admitted that if facilities were given to lawyers, they could better assist courts in dispensing justice and ease out both the judges and the litigants. “I never claimed to be a man of perfect wisdom and I will improve the things with consultation of lawyers, bar associations and the bar council,” the CJ said, adding that a map was required before the construction of a house and a map was needed also to revamp the system. earlier, District Bar Association President Shahzad Hussan Sheikh addressing the reception ceremony.

lDA demolishes 11 structures LAhorE: In connection with its drive for ensuring enforcement of building regulations in its schemes, staff of the Lahore Development Authority Town Planning Wing demolished 11 structures, which were being constructed in violation of bye-laws, in various localities on Saturday.

Under supervision of town planning director Syed Nadeem Akhtar Zaidi, LDA staff knocked down four commercial buildings, which were being illegally constructed on plots number 25B Model Town Link Road, 10-B Faisal Town, 15-F Johar Town and 137 Jahanzeb Block, Allama Iqbal Town. Seven residential structures were also demolished completely or partially for violation of building bye-laws. These structures were being constructed on plots numbers 1-H 1, Johar Town, 116-N and 540-M Model Town extension Scheme, 2-F 2 Johar Town, 356, 371 and 372 Kashmir Block Allama Iqbal Town. STaff reporT

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08 Lahore

it’s an era of knowledge-based economy, says governor

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Khosa acknowledges progress made by FCCu since its denationalisation in 2003

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ODAY’S era is of a knowledge-based economy and students must strive to serve the community and nation, Punjab Governor Latif Khosa said on Saturday.

He was addressing the Forman Christian College University (FCCU) Convocation. Khosa also acknowledged the progress made by FCCU since its denationalisation. He commended the strong co-curricular programmes, which he felt contributed to later success of students. The governor recounted his own successes in debates and declamation contests when he was a student. Khosa received great applause for his remarks on acknowledging the contribution of women in society and the importance of gender equity. The governor also stressed on importance of research and discussed the significance of research in science and technology, humanities, fine arts and social sciences.

The convocation was the 9th since FCC became a chartered university in 2004. Degrees were conferred on 174 students, including 51 in BA Hons, 72 BSc Hons, 8 BSc Hons Business, 10 BSc Hons Computer Science,9 MA economics, 10 MPhil Biotechnology, 4 MPhil Chemistry and 10 Post-Graduate Advanced Diploma in english Language Teaching.

Rector Dr Peter H Armacost summarised the progress the varsity had made since its denationalisation. Student enrollment had increased by 94 percent, faculty by 86 percent and 50 percent of the university faculty had PhDs while the average for Pakistani universities was 22 percent. In addition to new degree programmes, renovation of existing buildings and construction of two new buildings, the university had developed a new approach to the freshman experience. This helped new students adjust to liberal arts education.

Awards were given to Intermediate students who had given outstanding performances in board exams. The Syed Farzand Ali Medal for securing the highest marks in Humanities was

awarded to Safi Aslam, The Inayatullah AlMashriqi Medal for first position in General Science went to Abrar Aslam, Rafay Khan Niazi won the Dr KC Chaterjee Medal for the highest score in Pre-Medical Group and Mian Waqas received the Dr MID Chugtai Medal for first position in Pre-engineering. Dr Lubna Amir from the Department of Chemistry received the Outstanding College Teacher Award.

An honorary doctorate was conferred on Sir Anwar Pervez. Anwar migrated to the UK in 1952 and from humble origins built up Bestway, one of the largest food wholesalers in the UK. Despite this success, he has not forgotten his roots and worked tirelessly to improve conditions in Pakistan through philanthropy and business development. In 1992 he was awarded the UK’s highest national honour, the OBe, and made Knight Bachelor in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 1999 for services to business and charity. In 2000, the federal government awarded him the Hilal-e-Pakistan for his services to the country.

BlooD BANK FAtMID ISlAMIC AllIANCe

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‘little Chess Masters’ given prizes Iqbal Day celebrated LAHoRE STaff reporT

CoMPlAINt wAPDA SuI GAS

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Zorez Shabkhez and Raza Adeel Agha of the Baconhouse School Garden Town Campus were selected the ‘The Little Masters’ of Lahore in the under-13 and under17 age groups in the finals of the 3-days Chess Tournament held at the Laurelbank School System, Alhamra Town Campus from 17-19 November in collaboration with The Punjab Chess Association.

A total of eighty-six students from the Aitchison School, Garrison Academy, LGS Canal Side Campus and eMe Campuses, Beaconhouse Johar Town and Garden Town Campus, Government College University and The Punjab School participated in this well contested tournament.

Punjab Chess Association president and chief guest Amir Bhatti appreciated The Laurelbank Public School for organising this mega event. He gave away prizes to the ‘Little Masters’ of Lahore. They were awarded Rs 7000 and a Gold medal each.

The Runners up Abdul Fatir LGS eMe and Tahir Mehmood of the Laurelbank School System were awarded Silver medals with a cash prize of Rs 3000 each. The 3rd position holders Arbaz Omar of the Aitchison School and Wijdan Sehar of LGS eMe were awarded with bronze medals and cash prizes of Rs 1000 each.

The Punjab Chess Association awarded consolation prizes to the 4th, 5th and 6th position holders in both the categories and offered all the winners free entry in their up coming Chess Tournaments.

LAhorE: Iqbal Day was celebrated at Hamayat-e-Islam College for Women, Garden Town on Saturday. Principal Dr Nasreen Akhtar Raza presided over the ceremony in this regard.

Students of Urdu, Pakistan Studies and Persian participated in different competitions but Intermediate students bagged the top three positions.

Presentation of Kalam-eIqbal was largely appreciated by the audience.

STaff reporT

AIRPoRt FlIGHt INQuIRy PIA ReSeRVAtIoN

114 111-786-786

annual chrysanthemum show

conversations with the arab spring

DAte AND tIMe: NoV 11 to JuN1, 2012, 4PM to 6PM

DAte: NoVeMBeR 30-DeCeMBeR 05,

VeNue: HASt-o-NeeSt CeNteR

VeNue: JIllANI (RACe CouRSe) PARK, JAIl RoAD Horticultural Society of Pakistan-lahore is holding its Annual Chrysanthemum Show-2011 with a flower arrangment show and other fun-filled activities.

DAte AND tIMe: NoV 27, 06:30PM VeNue: CAFé Bol

arabic calligraphy

ColleGeS / uNIVeRSItIeS PuNJAB uNIVeRSIty KINNAIRD ColleGe QueeN MARy ColleGe GoVt. ColleGe uNIVeRSIty uMt luMS uet lCwu SuPeRIoR ColleGe

99231257 99203781-4 36362942 111-000-010 35212801-10 35608000 36288666 99203072 111-000-078

CAllIGRAPHy ClASSeS are on-going, interested students can enroll throughout the year. the duration of one module is three months. there are four modules of learning calligraphyt: primary, secondary, advanced and higher. the course includes traditional pen and traditional paper making.

we invite AlIA MoSSAllAM (a participant in the tahrir Square activities in Cairo and the wider uprising) for a discussion on the movement in egypt and the search for 'new politics' in the Middle east more broadly.

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Sunday, 27 November, 2011

News 09

Special persons demand quota in govt departments PESHAwAR STaff reporT

Special Persons of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa (KP) on Saturday demanded the government ensure two percent quota in the government departments, educational institutions and provision of developments and skills to all the disabled people. “We requested a dozen of times to the KP chief minister for a meeting with him, to apprise him about the problems of the special persons. Unfortunately, he is not interested in the resolution of our problems,” said Special Persons Development Association (SPDA) President Mahazullah during a press conference. The speakers at the occasion said that despite the two percent quota for special persons in the government departments, they were rejected for jobs in all of the departments. They said that they wanted the government to impart technical skills to the special persons to enable them to earn livelihood. Moreover, thousands of the special persons amongst the 150,000 registered in the province are skilled but they have no tool kits to start their own business so they depend on the government to provide for them, the speakers said, demanding the government provide tools to the skilled disabled persons. The educated and skilled disabled persons threatened to move the court against the government for not providing them jobs in the government departments.

PMl-N not afraid of Imran’s rallies: Jhagra PESHAwAR STaff reporT

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) leader Iqbal Zafar Jaghra on Saturday said his party was not afraid of rallies organised by the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf’s (PTI). Addressing an emergency press conference at Peshawar Press Club, he said the PMLN respected everyone’s right to hold political gatherings and that upcoming elections would decide his party’s future. He said that since PTI Chairman Imran Khan was confused, he was criticising the PML-N. He said PML-N had welcomed the rallies organised by the PTI and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) in Lahore instead of criticising them. He refused to give much credence to Imran’s massive rallies, saying PML-N President Nawaz Sharif had carried out several development projects during his government, including the motorways, and Gawadar port. Without specifically naming any, Iqbal quoted some international surveys which placed Nawaz on the top position among Pakistani politicians.

Students torture policeman to death SARgoDHA app

A bus passenger was killed during a quarrel between students and the bus driver in Bhagtanwala on Saturday.

Police sources said that policeman Sajid Ahmed, a resident of Joharabad, was going to Lahore by a bus. When the bus reached an educational institution in Bhagtanwala, some students stopped the bus and a quarrel started between them and the bus driver. Sajid tried to resolve the issue but the students tortured him severely. The Rescue 1122 personnel shifted him to a private hospital where he died. His body was taken to the RHC Hospital, Midh Ranjha for post mortem, while the Lacksian Police has registered a case against the killers.

MulTaN: Nishtar hospital and Multan institute of Cardiology nurses demonstrate in support of their demands on Saturday. ONLINe

nsF-punJab convention

NSF brings ‘national’ back into national reconciliation g

Student groups from smaller provinces affirm support for new social contract, redrawing arrangement of federation FAISALABAD

“P

ahMed YuSuf

U N J A B I imperialism” is an accusation often made by smaller provinces and smaller parties in reference to the oppressive terms of arrangement of the current Pakistani federation. There are few forces in Punjab who understand the implications of this argument, but the big message coming out from the National Students Federation (NSF)-Punjab convention in Faisalabad on Saturday was that a new social contract based on a different arrangement of the federation has to be negotiated, and will be negotiated by students working in all provinces.

The NSF-Punjab had wrapped up its closed organisational session on Friday, which was attended by 140 delegates and about 60 observers. The president and secretary-general, Arfan Chaudhry and Alia Amirali, were re-elected to their posts. The rest of the cabinet are all new members. A collegiate body was also formed; the mandate of the body is across intermediate and degree colleges in Punjab, with their focus specifically on everyday student issues (tuition fees, dispensaries, libraries etc). A theatre group was also formed and named ‘Kuknus’; the name is derived from Major Ishaq Mohammad’s famous working class drama, and in a sense, binds the NSF with the larger Left parties in Punjab.

As per the NSF’s constitution, the students group reaffirmed their stance of remaining a students’ group rather than a student’s wing of any particular political party. The difference is critical: the dissociation of the NSF from parties means that the deficiencies of the Left parties in terms of political culture are not translated to the students. Those who choose to enter parties can then impact a larger cultural change in these parties.

Despite the NSF’s decision, stalwarts of the Left were keen to press their association with the current NSF, arguing that the students group could not be revived had it not had the support of their respective parties.

NSF-Punjab organisers were also critical of the role played by the district administration of Faisalabad: on one hand, they claimed, were the public gatherings organised by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and even the banned Sipah Sahaba Pakistan, which were facilitated by the district administration. On the other, the local administration snubbed all efforts made by the NSF to organise an event at the Dhobi Ghat Ground, in addition to tearing down their banners and posters across the city.

Despite the hindrances, the NSF-Punjab managed to pull off an impressive show on Saturday. The day had started with a march from the Dhobi Ghat Ground to the Faisalabad District Bar Association, which served as the venue for the open session of the convention. The NSF-Punjab convention exceeded expectations because, as a senior journalist pointed out, they didn’t speak much themselves but let their guests speak more and set the agenda for any sort of social change.

On the podium were representatives from Baloch Students Organisation (BSO), Pakhtunkhwa Students Organisation, Jammu and Kashmir National Students Federation, Jammu and Kashmir People’s National Students Organisation (JKPNSO), and of course, the NSF-Karachi. The speakers, while critical of attitudes of the Punjabi ruling class towards smaller provinces and oppressed nations, were mindful of distinguishing the struggle of the Punjabi working people and classes from Punjabi imperialism.

These organisations are of course more mature, both ideologically and organisationally. But they were gracious enough to offer help in substantive ways: the BSO, for instance, extended an offer to the NSF to

help them build their presence in Balochistan. The JKPNSO, while arguing that they have a struggle against Indian and Pakistani influence on one hand and the local elite on the other, claimed they were willing to sacrifice their revolution if it meant that a socialist Pakistan could be born. “We will be the first member of such a socialist federation,” argued JKPNSO representative Waleed Babar. Following this heavy and substantive talk, was a concert by Arieb Azhar – which enthralled those present.

In the overall analysis, after a long time, progressive politics was no longer anathema. The air of overall depoliticisation as well as the insecurity and persecution complex in the Left had been replaced with wall chalking across Faisalabad and rickshaws carrying flags and banners of the NSF. Quite unlike the ‘change agents’ currently preoccupying the popular media, there is a definite plan among the NSF and their allies for national reconciliation based on an unemotional and logical acceptance of all this is wrong in Pakistan.

A strong force in Punjab is necessary for any sort of revolution; it may not be a tsunami but the winds of change are blowing on Punjab.

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10 News

Sunday, 27 November, 2011

War games spotlight China-Pakistan hype g

exercises declared success in terms of deepening friendship, improving military cooperation JHELUM

P

afp

ARATROOPeRS hurtling head first out of planes, attack helicopters strafing a terror training centre and shacks blown to bits were this week’s latest embodiment of China-Pakistan friendship.

The war games conducted by 540 Chinese and Pakistani soldiers running around scrubland – the fourth joint exercises since 2006 – were ostensibly a chance for China to benefit from Pakistan’s counter-terrorism experience.

There was disappointment that fighter jets were unable to carry out a bombing raid, with visibility apparently poor, but the exercises were declared a success in terms of deepening friendship and improving military cooperation.

But behind the pomp rolled out for the Chinese, complete with slap-up marquee lunch and bags of presents, the relationship is as transactional as

any other, as China competes with India for Asian dominance.

And it is far from easy to decipher.

“They operate silently so as not to make any statements in public apart from cliches. So one doesn’t know what’s happening,” said retired general Talat Masood.

China is Pakistan’s main arms supplier, while Beijing has built two nuclear power plants in Pakistan and is contracted to construct two more reactors.

But the alliance has been knocked

by Chinese accusations that the separatist east Turkestan Islamic Movement (eTIM), which wants an independent homeland for xinjiang’s Muslim Uighurs, is training “terrorists” in Pakistani camps.

Those accusations mirror longstanding concerns from the US that Taliban and al Qaeda bases are funnelling recruits to fight in Afghanistan and hatch terror plots against the West.

During the exercises outside Jhelum generals watched troops attack,

clear and destroy a mocked-up training camp, while smoking and sipping cups of tea under a giant tent to keep off winter rays.

Chinese deputy chief of staff Hou Shusen and army chief Ashfaq Kayani sat together in the front row, guests of honour incapable of talking to each other without the help of an interpreter.

“We have done our utmost to eliminate this threat of eTIM and other extremists for China because we consider honestly that China’s security is very dear to Pakistan,” Kayani told a news conference after the war games.

He said Pakistan had provided intelligence during the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2010 Shanghai expo, and reiterated demands for closer military cooperation and larger imports of military hardware from China.

Beijing was instrumental in getting the United Nations and United States to blacklist eTIM as a terrorist organisation in 2002, but experts have questioned how much of a threat such a

small group of people really poses.

Pakistani analysts believe members number no more than hundreds and are fairly dispersed in the remote mountains on the Pakistan-China border.

Despite that issue, if the language used to describe Pakistan’s febrile relationship with the United States is that of an unhappy couple wishing but unable to divorce, then the hyperbole used to describe China is that of an ecstatic lover.

“Higher than mountains” and “sweeter than honey” were phrases used by Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani when Chinese Public Security Minister Meng Jianzhu came to town in September, at a time when relations with the US were at their most difficult in years.

The top US military officer, Admiral Mike Mullen, had just accused Pakistan of colluding with Afghan militants in besieging the US embassy in Kabul as ties plummeted further after the raid that killed Osama bin Laden.

zulfiqar Mirza survives assault in Manchester

But independent China analyst Michael Dillon says that without any real ideological links, China’s relationship with Pakistan is primarily strategic, designed to offset its rivalry with India. “There is a feeling that cooperation with Pakistan on counter-terrorism might be in China’s interests,” he told AFP. “They’ve got economic domination over Southeast Asia. But South Asia is another matter. The big rival is India.

If they can get close diplomatically to Pakistan then it can balance the power of India in the subcontinent,” he said.

Neither can China present an alternative to the US alliance.

But Kayani described China as “very important” to regional stability, perhaps best seen against a backdrop of Pakistan’s own rivalry with India.

“It’s not a zero-sum game. You further strengthen your relations with China, then you increase your importance. You use this as a leverage to improve your relationship with the US,” said Masood.

transport Dept to launch e-governance

MAnCHESTER

PESHAwAR

NNi

STaff reporT

Former Sindh home minister Zulfiqar Mirza, who is currently on a visit to the United Kingdom and making news headlines with his bashing of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), was assaulted by five unidentified people while getting into his car.

A local journalist was also injured in the attack. Police said it had registered a case against the suspects and started investigations. Reportedly, the attack took place while Zulfiqar Mirza was returning to his car after attending a public gathering.

He was accompanied by Lord Nazir.

Suspects tortured a local journalist associated with a television channel because he came to Mirza’s help. The former minister took the advantage of the interruption and managed to escape. The attackers also fled the scene. Police have obtained the CCTV footage of the attack and are searching for the attackers. earlier while addressing a gathering, Zulfiqar called himself the biggest obstacle in the way of those who were trying to break Pakistan. “My wife, National Assembly Speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza, has contributed to strengthen my power after she arrived in the UK,” he said. Once again, he called MQM chief Altaf Hussain a traitor, saying that the politician in selfimposed exile wanted to break Pakistan.

7 injured in clash between ‘Q’ and ‘N’ workers BAHAwALPUR NNi

At least seven people were injured as workers of the Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) and PML-Q attacked each other with chairs and batons during PP-275 by-polls. The clash took place between workers of the two parties outside Jhagra Government elementry School Chak No 108 after an exchange of abuses. Both parties attacked each other with chairs and batons. Police and Rangers tried to settle the dispute, but could not help much. The injured also included some police officials. PML-Q leader Tariq Bashir Cheema said the unpleasant incident in the presence of law enforcement agencies was sheer bullying by the provincial government. On the other hand, PML-N candidate Khalid Mehmood Jajja accused Tariq Cheema of moving publicly with arms and he had tried to forcibly enter the poling station.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Transport and Information Mian Iftikhar Hussian said on Saturday that the provincial government has decided to launch e-governance in the Transport Department to eliminate corruption.

In the first phase of the project, the e-payment system was being introduced for tax collection at the Peshawar Bus Terminal (PBT), he said while talking to the private epayment companies. Iftikhar said that after the successful launch of epayment system in PBT, computerised route permits will also be issued. He hoped that the epayment system will increase revenue of the provincial government, adding that the transporters will not be able to overcharge the customers as the transport rates will be established by the government.

TaXila: opposition leader Chaudhry Nisar addressing a public meeting on Saturday. INP

Govt to rectify Musharraf, Zardari’s ‘legally flawed’ favours on crony lawyers ISLAMABAD irfaN bukhari

Despite strong opposition from main opposition party – the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) – the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and its allies are set to rectify legal mistake made by former president Pervez Musharraf and incumbent Asif Ali Zardari of bestowing financial favours on crony lawyers by making appointments of federal counsels in violation of law.

The legally incorrect acts will be rectified by getting ‘The Central Law Officers (Amendment) Bill 2010’ passed by the National Assembly in its next session.

Last Tuesday, Begum Nasim Akhtar Chaudhry, chairperson of the standing committee on law, justice and parliamentary affairs, presented a report on the bill to amend the Central Law Officers Ordinance, 1970 [The Central Law Officers (Amendment) Bill, 2010] in the National Assembly.

The proposed bill, which was opposed by the members of the standing committee affiliated with the PML-N, including Zahid Hamid, Anusha Rahman

Khan, Saira Afzal Tarar and Justice (r) Iftikhar Ali Cheema, seeks validity of the appointment of federal counsels appointed in “violation of law” by former president Pervez Musharraf and President Asif Ali Zardari, for which a total Rs 18.99 million were paid in years 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09 to federal counsels. The Pakistan People’s Party in its first year in the government (2008-2009) bestowed favours of Rs 12.673 million on party’s jiyala lawyers by making illegal appointments of federal counsels on retainership.

An official document available with Pakistan Today indicates that the Law and Justice Division paid Rs 12.673 million on account of monthly reatainership fee to federal counsels during the financial year 2008-09, the first financial year of the PPP’s sitting regime.

As the Auditor-General of Pakistan (AGP) raised objection on the appointments and the fees paid to federal counsels, President Zardari in October 2009 promulgated an ordinance to amend ‘The Central Law Officers Ordinance, 1970’ for giving ex-post-facto approval of the appointments. “The appointments of

Deputy Attorney Generals and Standing Counsels are made by the President under the authority of Central Law Officers Ordinance 1970 whereas no such Ordinance/Act/Rule provide for the appointments of federal counsels on retainership of Rs 50,000 per month,” says the objection raised by the Auditor-General of Pakistan. The official papers point out that a total Rs 18.99 million were paid in the years 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09 to federal counsels. “In the financial year 2006-07, Rs 2.437 million were paid to federal counsels while the amount paid in 2007-08 was 3.882 million,” reveals the document.

It shows that a total Rs 6.319 million was paid to lawyers by appointing them federal counsels illegally during Musharraf’s regime in 2006-07 and 2007-08.

But, the PPP outdid the dictator in cronyism, as it in its first year in government it paid Rs 12.673 million to party jiyalas by illegal appointments of federal counsels.

The document says that the appointments of federal counsels on monthly retainership basis was not covered under any law and no procedure and criteria such as age limit, qualifications and

quota were framed.

The office of the Auditor-General of Pakistan has pointed out that the appointments were made without any assessment of work load and despite the fact that one attorney general, 32 deputy attorney generals and 26 standing counsels and panel advocates were available with the Law and Justice Division for contesting cases by or against the federal government.

The bill, as passed by the standing committee to give ex-post-facto approval of the appointments of federal counsels, proposes that “any federal counsel appointed between the first day of October, 1995 and the thirtieth day of October, 2009 (both days inclusive) shall be deemed to have been validly appointed, regularised or removed and the retainership fee paid to them during the aforesaid period shall be deemed to have been validly paid and regularised; and the retainership fee due but not paid to any federal counsel for the period between the first day of October, 1995 and the thirtieth day of October, 2009 (both days inclusive) shall be deemed to have been validly due and payable”.

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Sunday, 27 November, 2011

Editor’s mail 11

lord Nazeer: a patriot Freedom of expression and right of dissent are assured to every citizens of Pakistan. This right, which when exercised, often has lead to vicious attacks by certain fascist elements within our political parties and even the security establishments. Unlike the few "fly by night" expatriates who having acquired foreign nationalities have never left an opportunity to benefit financially from their situations, there are others like Lord Nazeer who have always stood up for the cause of democracy, rule of law, transparency in Pakistan and rights of people of Kashmir.

There are many expatriates of Pak-

A terrible act istani origin who have become billionaires in their adopted countries and who have chosen never to raise their voice and concern in support of their native country. A few like Mansoor Ijaz offer their services to their new countries and never spare an opportunity to rebuke Pakistan. Others prefer to remain apolitical. Lord Nazeer, on the other hand, has gained political prominence and got recognition for community and welfare services in UK. He is amongst the few who have been given the honour of being made members of the House of Lords in UK. His services and efforts to raise funds for unfortunate victims of the dev-

astating earthquake that killed thousands in Azad Kashmir and those made homeless by the floods in Sindh have been appreciated by millions in Pakistan.

Lord Nazeer has spoken out against the politics of violence and religious fanaticism that has harmed the Pakistani economy and lead to deaths of thousands of innocent citizens. While many political opportunist in Pakistan – for whom politics is no more than a tool to gain ill-gotten wealth – chose to support military dictators, men like Lord Nazeer stood up to oppose military dictator Musharraf and the war against Iraq. The recent orchestrated attacks on Lord Nazeer for his

politics of conscience by an ethnic political party and the AJK government are in bad taste.

What is wrong in demands made by men of conscience who seek punishments for those involved in target killings of over 10,000 in urban Sindh and Dr Imran Farooq in London?. Only those who have a guilty conscience would oppose such a demand. If these allegations levelled by Lord Nazeer are baseless, then there are strict laws in UK for defamation, which his what his opponents can resort to.

GULL ZAMAN Peshawar

effects of loadshedding The increasing loadshedding in Karachi is having adverse effects on almost all walks of life but a major impact is visible in the provision of primary health care services.The population of Karachi has reached about 18 millions. A significant number of people live in less privileged areas and belong to the poor and middle classes. A majority of them go to the clinics of common local GP's or to small hospitals and medical centres situated in their own residential areas.

They avail basic health care services from these providers (such as general OPD, minor surgeries, lab tests, vaccinations, medications & other usual treatments and common medical procedures including maternity services).

The number of beneficiaries from these health care service providers is very much higher. As compare to big & tertiary care hospitals and government setups. It is relatively quick, easily accessible and costs less. The performance of these clinics and small hospitals has been affected by many social and economic disorders (such as inflation, law and order situation, quackery etc). But the topic of influence of electricity loadshedding on medical services is comparatively new and quite neglected in studies of obstacles in health care. It needs to be studied in detail so solutions to it can be devised.

AYESHA SAEED Karachi

encyclopaedia Sindhiana The Sindhi Language Authority (Sindhila) has recently marketed the third volume of encyclopaedia Sindhiana, which is part of its efforts to bring out the first ever comprehensive encyclopaedia of the Sindhi language.

Noted intellectual Prof Fahmida Hussain is its chief editor-cum-supervisor whereas another literary figure, Taj Joyo, is its editor. This volume consists of 2,533 entries, based on two letters of the Sindhi alphabet. The second volume consisted of 2,571 entries, based on six letters of the Sindhi alphabet. Nevertheless, the first volume, having about 3,500 entries based on the first three letters of the Sindhi alphabet, was already published.

Out of total 52 letters of Sindhi alphabet, three letters were covered in the first volume, six in second and two letters in third volume (total 11 letters) whereas additional six letters have been covered in fourth volume that is under print and hope to come in market by end of this year.

Almost 80 percent of entries in encyclopaedia Sindhiana are related to Sindh, such as personalities, places, flora, fauna, archaeological sights, other life forms, tribes, castes, beliefs, rituals and rites, culture, civilisation, language, dialects, literature and fine arts, and 20 per cent entries are about the rest.

We hope the authorities will accomplish this task as scheduled. We must appreciate the efforts of the Sindhi Language Authority in general. Once the entire set of the encyclopaedia is printed, it will not be too difficult to keep updating it from time to time.

MOHAMMAD KHAN SIAL Karachi

Democracy “The en masse resignations by PML(N)’s members of the parliament would be like a drone attack on democracy”, said Firdous Awan. But, then, the problem would be how to send the mummy of democracy to the museum?

Z A KAZMI Karachi

News reports appeared in print and electronic media in Pakistan and abroad that “Pakistani woman kills, attempts to cook husband”. I was shocked to read the news. This is highly condemnable. The act was extremely obnoxious and terrible. It is very clear from the incident that it was in a fit of jealousy that she killed her husband.

It seems people are still living in the Stone Ages. Society is already in a lot of chaos due to many problematic issues like terrorism, corruption, energy crisis and fragile economy and incidents like this are just adding fuel to fire.

Intolerance is weakening our social fabric and such sickening incidents are happening as a result. If according to the Pakistani laws, second marriage is not allowed without permission of the first wife, she should have gone to court instead of resorting to such extreme measures.

There is a need to spread awareness and strengthen social bonds to counter the rise of such crimes and the increasing desensitisation in our society. Religious clerics have a lot of influence in our society and they should use it purposefully by teaching people to respect each other and to value human life. Our democratic government and human rights organisations are doing a lot to create awareness amongst the masses but there is still a long way to go.

HAFIZ MUHAMMAD IRFAN Islamabad

NAto incursion

lack of literacy in pakistan The importance of education in the process of nation building and economic prosperity cannot be denied. education is the key to prosperity in a country. In Pakistan, it is overseen by the government through its ministry of education. The educational system of Pakistan is among the least-developed in the world.

The government of Pakistan spends a very small amount of its GDP on education.

In 2006-07 only 2.5 percent was spend, 2.47 percent in 2007-08, 2.1 percent in 2008-09, and 2 percent in 2009-10.

During the past 37 years, the highest expenditure on education was 2.80 percent of GDP in 1987-88. In short, Pakistan's expenditure on education is not enough to meet the growing demand for educational services for the nation's increasing young population.

The low literacy level in Pakistan is mainly because of poor infrastructure. About 37.7 percent of schools up to elementary

level do not have boundary walls, 33.9 percent lack drinking water, 37 percent don’t have washrooms and 60 percent are without electricity.

The major problem is the lack of political stability in our country. The political uncertainty has meant that the education sector has never been governed by a consistent policy and its developmen process has been interrupted time and again. The system needs massive investment to increase the number of educational institutions and to train and recruit adequate numbers of educators at all levels. The Pakistani government has limited financial resources which are inadequate to meet all of its needs. There is a need to improve education system with a good proportion of investment from the GDP that can meet the demand of the next generations.

HINA MEHDI Karachi

The latest NATO helicopter attack on Salala check post in Mohmand Agency killed 25 soldiers including two officers.

Very rightly we have lodged a protest and stopped their supply line. We did this earlier as well when they committed the same act of war some time back. That was perhaps a very mild reaction by our government as they have done this again.

Keeping in view our security parameters we will have to give a tough reply to their latest hostile intrusion. The recording of protest with the US is considered necessary but at the same time we must teach them a lesson. They have already lost the war against Taliban and now seem to be arm-twisting us into a deal with the Taliban. But why attack your key ally in war against terrorism?

Come what may, we must not allow a single vehicle to proceed to Afghanistan through our country. I do not understand what is restricting us in taking such strict punitive measures. I think if we take a stand now, the nation will support the government.

RASHD MAQSOOD Lahore

on Memogate

Haqqani’s resignation

Indiscipline in Ku

The memo controversy has been rocking the feeble Pakistani state for some time now. Who did what, how it was done, what was the rationale for it and who stands to benefit from this arrangement are questions that might unfold or might not, depending upon the answers. After his resignation was approved, the civilian authorities have taken the position of the tragic hero who bears all the brunt of a deal gone sour, thus, highlighting the evil designs of the celebrated villain: the Pakistan army.

If what is being stated by the memo is true, then surely there is no room for such a blame game to enter into the debate. The only way through which the ‘bloody civilians’ can defeat the ‘army wallahs’ is by their own faultless performance in the art of governance. Can the politicians learn to do things the right way or keep on going in circles?

AYAANA UMAR Islamabad

The memo scandal is a very big and serious issue but it looks like that the government is not taking it seriously.

Hussain Haqqani has resigned his post as Pakistan's Ambassador to the US. Prime Minister of Pakistan Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani has only promised to make an inquiry commission but there seems to be no headway on the front up till now.

The Pakistan Army and ISI have been named in this memo and the matter should be investigated thoroughly.

PML(N) has done the right thing by submitting a petition in the Supreme Court in this regard.

Only the resignation of Hussain Haqqani is not enough and the real culprit in this case should be given punishment. All the people in Pakistan seem to be concerned with this controversy but the government is trying to deflect their attention towards other issues.

MUBASHIR MAHMOOD Karachi

Discipline is a basic requirement in most of educational institutes. If there is no discipline in institutes, there will be no progress.

Discipline is very important for any kind of progress, this is more so for the students.I study at the University of Karachi where we hardly see any discipline. The situation is getting worse with each passing day. Teachers do not conduct their classes regularly, affecting students’ grades.

Students, on their part, join various political parties and involve in tussle with each other, disrupting the educational environment of the varsity.

If the administration plays its proper role, this indiscipline has no reason to exist, and the teachers and students will adhere to their responsibilities honestly. That’s why the university administration should take a serious look at this issue.

HINA KHAWAJA Karachi

Protecting the consumer

ment hospitals.

The provincial government of Punjab failed to come up with a plan to facilitate its employees and they are forced to visit private clinics of consultants to get their attention which is a financial burden for nothing. I would like to mention here that if a government employee goes to Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) for treatment of cardiac problem, he/she is asked to come after 6 months or a year but if he wants to be considered as private patient, he/she is immediately en-

tertained. Doctors in the hospitals have become currency printing machines and the government has become a silent spectator on the situation.

One of my friends who is a pharmacist was advised to undergo a coronary artery bypass grafting at PIC immediately by a consultant a few years ago.

When he reached the hospital, he was advised to come after 6 months after the docket identified him as a government servant.

Having said all this, I must appreci-

ate Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital here as there is no difference between a poor patient and a paying private patient over there. Kudos to Imran Khan for making this hospital as it is a model for other hospitals in the public and private sector. Could the Chief Minister Punjab please take steps to revamp the hackneyed old rotten health care system? This would make the people of the province indebted to him.

FAROOQ BASHIR BUTT Lahore

The best way to safeguard the consumer interest and break the back of black marketing, is to make it mandatory by law, the printing (at a prominent place) of retail prices, on the product packing of each and every item sold in the market. Plus, the law should bind the mentioning of retail prices, in all media advertisements of any item, advertised in any media of Pakistan.

In this regard, all Senators, MNA’s and MPA’s of Pakistan are urgently requested to legislate the above proposal at the earliest. There are no cogent consumer protection laws in Pakistan right now and the market operates on the principle of ‘caveat emptor’ rather than ‘caveat vendor’. The nation will hold the democracy in high esteem, for this monumental favour by the elected representatives.

SYED NAYYAR UDDIN AHMAD Lahore

Patients or pariahs?

I want to draw your attention towards the indifference and lukewarm treatment meted out to employees of the Punjab Government in different public sector hospitals in Punjab. There is one hospital named Services Hospital Lahore specifically nominated for government employees but, generally speaking, these public servants are humiliated everywhere in different hospitals in Punjab.

An officer of the provincial government has to undergo an ordeal along with other fellows to get treatment in govern-

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.

LHR 27 11 2011_Layout 1 11/27/2011 2:40 AM Page 12

12 Comment Not helping Common cause, contrary strategies

S

aturday morning’s shelling by NATO helicopters on a security checkpost in Mohmand Agency which left 25 troops, including two senior officers, killed and many more injured will not only exacerbate anti-US sentiment but also hurt the common cause of eliminating terrorism.

The airstrike comes at a time when Pakistan was already planning to take up the issue of the increased drone attacks in its tribal region at the UN. Pakistan’s acting Ambassador to the United States Iffat Gardezi reportedly lodged a protest with American authorities with a note of warning that such incidents could further strain relationship between the two countries.

As ISPR cautiously confirmed the attack without saying how many gunship helicopters had violated our airspace and how many people were killed or wounded in the unprovoked strike, Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Barrister Masood Kauser asked the government to take a serious notice of what he described as an attack on Pakistan’s sovereignty.

Barrister Kauser seems to have given expression to the sentiments of those who believe that Islamabad should stop acting on the dictates of Washington and initiate dialogue with the Taliban. Meanwhile, NATO-led International Security Assistance force tried to play down the incident by saying that it was aware of it and was gathering more information.

But the NATO-ISAF command remains oblivious of the consequences of the cross-border attacks on the ongoing military operations against terrorists operating in the restive tribal region bordering Afghanistan. As many as 41 militants were killed on Friday when the security forces launched a major offensive against them in Kurram Agency.

Pakistan’s military and civilian leadership should also be mindful of the fact that mere protests will not help in stopping frequent violations of our territorial integrity.

What is required is the reorientation of our priorities to make the US administration understand that its continuing support for drone attacks can adversely affect the global fight against terrorism.

Civil-military relations who pulls the levers?

L

ike Prime Minister Gilani, Hina Rabbani Khar has also confirmed that a high level committee would soon start investigating the Memogate affair. She has described the allegations of President Zardari’s involvement in the scandal as being ridiculous.

Memogate came into the open two weeks back and was followed by calls for an independent and transparent enquiry from all quarters. There is still no word about the proposed committee’s scope and those going to be nominated on it.

This is yet another example of the failure to take timely action on important matters. As decisions on vital issues cannot be delayed indefinitely, they are taken by other institutions of the state allowing them to make inroads into the administration’s turf. The government needs to urgently appoint a committee capable of commanding wide respect to ensure that this does not happen.

Khar admitted quite candidly that the controversy about the memo had created the feeling of army pulling the levers of power. “Sadly, it does. I cannot deny that,” she acknowledged. While answering the question regarding who was in charge of the state’s affairs – the civilian government or the military, she maintained that full civilian authority comes as the result of “an evolutionary process” and things cannot be changed overnight.

What Khar says is the reality on the ground but is by no means an ideal one. No country practicing a free market economy can progress in the absence of strong institutions with clearly defined duties and obligations.

The first thing that a military intervention does is to stop the natural growth of these institutions which remain stunted for quite some time even after its departure. With the military pulling strings from behind, the miasma of uncertainty continues to linger in the country affecting everything, the economy foremost. What is more, it causes a deficit of trust between the civilian government and military which does not bode well for national defence.

The government on its part needs to be widely seen as honest, efficient and transparent. This alone can provide the moral underpinnings required to bolster civilian supremacy. This is what has happened in Turkey and one hopes to see happening in Pakistan.

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami Editor

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

Sunday, 27 November, 2011

The quest continues The wonder of wonderment

By Humayun gauhar

S

ome would have Hamlet a schizophrenic – “To be or not to be…”

Schizophrenia is a mental illness caused by a split or bipolar – and sometimes multipolar – personality that has to do with chemical imbalance in the brain. Anyone caught in wonderment about ‘being’ and separation between Man and God – since our souls come from His spirit – are very intelligent and sensitive people. If I too were the contemptuous kind as those ‘know-it-alls’ so arrogantly sure of themselves, I would venture that those who don’t wonder are actually the unfortunate ones, for they are limited.

God says that after creating Adam, “I blew my spirit into him” – hence the belief that our spirit is part of God’s spirit, the drop that comes from the river and returns to the river in simultaneous consummation and annihilation – “…and then I gave him knowledge.” You see how vital knowledge and its acquisition is, the very purpose of Man’s existence. Man couldn’t survive without it.

Today, it is that infinitesimal knowledge that humankind has acquired and is misusing that has put it on the endangered species list.

It is but ‘human’ that when you cannot understand something because you are trapped in seeking ‘proof’ in rigorous scientific experimentation and analysis you often demean it by using pejorative worlds like ‘schizophrenia’. Or you simply deny it with semantics and sophistry. You go into denial because you don’t understand. You cannot understand that which your eye cannot see, your senses cannot feel, touch or smell. Such people haven’t evolved their “inner eye”, which includes what we call inspiration.

Don’t get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with the methodology of science – rigour, repetition and analysis. It is absolutely necessary, but in science. In fact, it is to be celebrated. For example, how can we be sure that the scientists in CeRN got it right the first time when they recently ‘discovered’ – by accident, as many discoveries are – that subatomic particles like neutrons travelled faster than the speed of light from Geneva to Italy.

Neutrons don’t recognise matter and go through it in a straight line, while light cannot and has to follow the earth’s curvature, which means it has to travel a greater distance. So neutrons may not have travelled faster than the speed of light but simply covered a shorter distance, which could be why they reached Italy ahead of light. Hence they are trying it again, which is absolutely the

correct and scientific thing to do. After all, if it were ‘proved’ with certainty that the speed of light can be crossed it would rock the very foundations of our einstein-deduced relativity-based worldview. So did Galileo’s discovery that the world was round, not flat. Didn’t they once say with great certitude that light travels in a straight line until they discovered that light bends with gravity, so what you see is not precisely where it is, not only in terms of time but space too.

So while the scientific method is correct for the enhancement of scientific knowledge, don’t get trapped in its methodology for everything by making it your god. Recall the Pharaoh who ordered his engineers to build a ladder so high that they could climb it to see whether God exists. These people were no fools; they built the pyramids for God’s sake (say I as a pun!).

Best not to apply scientific methodology to that which cannot be measured, like the philosophical and the metaphysical – if one can slot the metaphysical into such a limited niche as ‘discipline’. Cooking is an art, not a scientific discipline; reduce it to science, which one can by writing recipe books, and you lose the art. every time a great chef cooks he is being creative – nothing is ‘exactly so’.

It’s matter of touch, feel, mood, smell, sound and colour at the time. A real chef would find it an insult to have a weighing scale in his kitchen, or a measuring jug for that matter.

Thus, no single dish will taste exactly the same no matter how many times the same chef makes it. Art is creative; great art is genius.

Similarly, great scientists are great geniuses too, but they are scientists of another kind, not hostage to scientific methodology.

Alfred einstein had no laboratories. His mind was his lab. So too was Newton’s. It was not in a laboratory that he discovered gravity but by sitting under an apple tree…an apple fell on him…the rest is history. The balance in the cosmos led einstein to proclaim, “God doesn’t play dice with the universe”. In so saying, he recognised the existence of a Superior Being, a Creator, God, instead of weakly saying that this is all an accident, probability improbable, instead of denying it just because he couldn’t scientifically explain it. Great scientists don’t go into denial. They try and look for the ‘Grand Unified Theory’ that they believe will explain everything.

Now Stephen Hawking is saying that since time was encapsulated in the singularity, it is irrelevant to ask, “What was there before the Big Bang” because there was no ‘before’ since there was no time. One is left in

another kind of bafflement. Of course time was there, only it was in the singularity and had not yet separated from space. Thus to ask what there was before is absolutely relevant.

Just because the answer is not yet within the grasp of science shouldn’t lead an otherwise exceptionally intelligent man (no einstein he) to make illogical statements. Just because time stops in a black hole doesn’t mean that it necessarily ceases to exist, except in human minds of a certain kind. Time is a dimension, as is ‘space-time’. It only means that time stops physically in black holes as far as human understanding and human clocks are concerned and the actual process of aging.

Where did the singularity come from? What space did it expand into, since space was also in the singularity, not outside it? By calling it ‘nothingness’ you duck the question instead of scientifically answering, “Science doesn’t know, at least not just yet”. ‘Nothingness’ has no space or time and you are everywhere at the same time (one of God’s attributes). This is something! I’m not playing with words, language being limited in such matters in any case.

Transplanting the methodology of one discipline on to another (or to a form of artistic expression) often leads to facetious conclusions. Most certainly genius can use scientific methods to understand, like Michelangelo did by secretly doing autopsies on human cadavers to understand form and movement. But scientific methodology cannot test, measure or recreate the art, much less the genius, of a Michelangelo.

Wondering about separation from the Creator can be seen as a duality that perennially informs our existence. To what extent it does is a direct function of how heightened our awareness is about the conundrum: Man’s separation from God. Some would say that this question should be regarded as an ailment rather than a mark of genius. Forsooth. Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Ghalib, Iqbal, Aurangabadi, Bullay Shah, Baba Farid, Rumi and all the great Sufi poets were exceptionally intelligent and sensitive people. Those who do not wonder and question are the ones that are actually suffering an illness of the soul.

I can go on like this till I’m blue in the face and you’re suicidal and declare that Humayun has gone mad. But I will continue writing at least to increase my own understanding. And share it with you if I think that it is worth it.

The writer is a political analyst. He can be contacted at humayun.gauhar786@gmail.com

regional press

on Memogate Daily Pakhtun Post

W

ith the surfacing of the issue of a secret memorandum written to America, the Pakistani Ambassador (former) to America Hussain Haqqani put his hands up and resigned from his official post without much delay.

He also demanded an immediate enquiry into the Memogate issue that has sent waves through the power corridors in Pakistan.

Hussain Haqqani rejected the accusations levelled against him in the issue and instead blamed Mansoor Ijaz, an American businessman of Pakistani origin, for the whole episode at hand and said that the latter was conspiring against the Pakistani government.

Likewise, the Pakistan People’s Party and the better half of Hussain Haqqani, Ms Farahnaz Isfahani, also criticised Mansoor Ijaz’s role in the entire fiasco and demanded support of the government in the matter saying that all the allegations levelled against the Pakistani Ambassador to America were baseless. She called for an enquiry into Memogate as soon as possible so that the real perpetrators could be brought to the forefront and booked

for their wrongdoings.

Keeping in view these statements by various quarters on Memogate, it can be deduced that the government was not directly involved in the matter. Otherwise, the ambassador would not have tendered his resignation. Some quarters are terming this a wellplanned conspiracy to destabilise the democratic government in the country.

But it is pertinent to note here that a CIA operative Raymond Davis was also released by the incumbent government in Lahore and personnel of the notorious Blackwater agency were also set free at different occasions. These may be termed the incumbent government’s endeavours of loyalty to the Americans which signal that the government has sought American support time and again.

Yet, the masses still believe and repose trust in the government that it would prioritise the benefit and interest of the whole nation and would exhaustively carry out an enquiry into Memogate in line with public sentiment and bring the real players of this secret game to the fore.

– Translated from the original Pashto by Abdur Rauf Khattak

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Sunday, 27 November, 2011

Comment 13

end of the university? The right to water a nation thirsty

it’s a school, not an assembly line

By Khalid Mir

S

imone Weil once wrote that we should be skeptical of unrealistic ideals but she forgot to add that the opposite danger is just as relevantperhaps more so-to our times: beware of a reality that offers no ideals. Of course, both perspectives are important at an individual level, but they also ring true for our politics and, more generally, for our institutions. especially for institutions in the educational sector.

In recent years, there has been a significant growth in higher education in lots of countries around the world and Pakistan is no different in this respect, with an expansion in the number of universities, the range of subjects offered, a growing role for the private sector, a shift away from traditional courses such as the humanities to business, science, and engineering, and a large increase in funding.

These developments are often seen as an unmitigated good thing.

But are they? Of course, no-one could argue against greater levels of participation and better, more modern higher education institutions. What gets overlooked in such assertions, though, is the fundamental question: what are universities for, what are the ‘ends’ of a university?

It’s at this point that anyone who works in a university is liable to get on his or her high horse, wheel in someone like Cardinal Newman, and pontificate about the ‘high ideals’ of a university education. There’s always a degree of smugness associated with a belief that one is contributing to a noble cause. But the opposite danger, the one Simone Weil didn’t point out, is probably more pertinent to our situation: can we re-imagine the role of the university in a society and culture that is hooked to a narrow vision of ‘practicality’ and instrumentality?

The problem is that in the long history of the university, there has always been an unresolved tension be-

tween essentialist claims for the university and others that are more historically grounded. The latter has helped support lots of different forms of the university and define various functions or roles. So, in simple terms: is there some unchanging idea of the university, one associated with its medieval roots of disinterested learning, or should we think of the university in terms of a number of practical goals: promoting and refining policy discussions, fostering civic values, strengthening democratic attitudes, contributing to the growth of the economy via research and technical skills, social mobility and so on? That list does seem like an excessive burden for any one institution and it is totally oblivious of the fact that if the university achieves anything, it does it obliquely and not with an explicit aim to do so.

Any individual, and any society, has to eventually decide on the relative importance of different types of knowledge or, to put it in a different way, to work out the relation between knowledge and a good life. To say that the market or the state should determine the answer to these vital questions is to at once run the risk of short-termism in the one case, and paternalism in the other. To say that they should be answered in the universities themselves is to pre-judge the issue. In Pakistan’s case, it’s not clear what the answer is because the question is never formulated in the first place. Which is why I’m slightly pessimistic about the idea of ‘expansion’. It seems likely, but not inevitable, that we will witness the end of the university here in Pakistan, but for distinct reasons.

Firstly, as seems to be the case in many countries, students are increasingly less interested in reading or learning for the sake of understanding and-perhaps somewhat understandably-more concerned about using their university degree as a passport to a good job. ‘Grade consciousness’ is a term one hears floating about in the hallways of many university departments.

Of course, the students are not wholly to blame, for we live in an increasingly materialist culture and it’s harder to persuade students of the merits of ‘useless knowledge’ (to use Bertrand Russell’s wonderfully evocative phrase). In addition, with so many different sources of knowledge open to students, the old methods of lecturing do seem somewhat antiquated.

The ‘exalted silence’ of the book can surely only exist against a particular cultural background. The ‘soft capital’ that goes to make up a university is something over and beyond bricks and mortar, and extra funding.

Secondly, with falling real incomes teachers themselves may be pulled more to consultancy work or tuitions with serious consequences for quality. We can hardly complain about students’ lack of passion for learning when we ourselves have lost it. But the solution is not simply to raise incomes. What drives someone to be a university teacher, to be a good teacher and researcher, cannot simply be monetary incentives.

And thirdly, the future is bleak because in some cases universities are run by administrators- who are usually on very large salaries- whilst the teachers’ say is only marginal. The only aim of these managers and bureaucrats is to expand in order to generate more resources, and the only language they understand is the jargon of ‘targets’ and ‘cost-benefit’ analysis. A few years ago, I heard Prime Minister Jamali speak at a book launch. In one of those Homer Simpson moments, he said something that was both inane and profound: “It’s good to be educated by educated people”.

What, then, is the way forward?

Perhaps we need to at least articulate some of the ideals of the university if we’re to get away from the narrow view that dominates. That would mean recognizing that the university is about the ‘care and cultivation of our highest aspirations’ (Veblen), about carving out a space where students and teachers alike can engage in an open-ended inquiry that is not directed to some social, ideological or economic purpose.

That’s always what’s made the university distinctive from other institutions: it’s ability to generate enthusiasm, inquisitiveness, independence, and a certain idea of ‘community’ (radically equal, awkward, not easily persuaded). The university is one of the few remaining secluded places where we can, as Stefan Collini says, ‘try and understand more clearly, more deeply’. That might all sound like a luxury in an age of budget cuts, but the only other option is to accept a non-idealistic realism.

The writer is a professor of economics at LUMS. The views expressed herein are his own.

By Sikander Ahmed Shah

T

he right to water does not mean that everyone is entitled to a limitless quantity of water for all needs and wants. The right is limited to access of water of sufficient quantity and quality, for fundamental uses relating to the adequate protection of human life and health, for purposes of consumption, for instance in order to prevent dehydration and for hygiene and sanitation.

It is important to look at how the justiciability of the human right to water has been pursued in different jurisdictions. Two countries, India and South Africa, have done it in very different ways. The intrinsic nature of the right, its content and its implementation, has all been viewed differently.

Under the Indian Constitution there is no enumerated-justiciable right to water. The right to water is derivative of the constitutional and fundamental right to life, a justiciable civil and political right. On the other hand, the Indian Constitution lists socio-economic and cultural rights under the Directive Principle of State Policy, which are rights subject to progressive implementation and are non-justiciable under Art 37 of the Indian Constitution. The Supreme Court of India has affirmed the justiciability of the right to water on numerous occasions. Other South Asian states like Bangladesh have followed the Indian model.

Alternatively, the South African approach explicitly recognises the right to water as an independent, justiciable and legally enforceable right under its Constitution. The right however is socio-economic in nature; it is therefore a positive right and unlike negative liberties, is understood not to be subject to immediate realization but to progressive implementation. Therefore, the South African Constitution recognises the right to water, but subjects this right to

the state’s ability to fulfill in light of available resources. A number of African nations have followed the South African approach.

The judicial treatment accorded to the right to water in Pakistan, emulates the position of the Indian Judiciary on the matter.

In seminal superior court judgments, denial of water rights has been viewed as a violation of the constitutional right to life and the inviolability of the dignity of man.

Pakistan has numerous international and domestic law obligations to its people for the provision of adequate supply of clean uncontaminated water for a diverse number of purposes-some of these uses constitute as fundamental human rights.

Yet, the realisation of water rights in Pakistan is on the decline. In practice, the overwhelming majority of the population is deprived of this essential human right or resource.

The reasons why the state continues to fail miserably to meet its water-based obligations are multi-faceted. The main reasons include corrupt and incompetent governmental functionaries, lack of accountability and transparency of water-based regulatory authorities, systematic organizational deficiencies within the regulatory framework and no substantive coordination between the relevant departments.

Then there are insufficient resources both monetary and nonmonetary including human capital and technical expertise.

Other reasons, include distrust and discord between the federal and provincial governments, unwarranted intrusion from international donor agencies, lack of public discourse and debate, the presence of centralised water policy formation without engaging with and incorporating input from vested stakeholders, including grassroots organisations, civic society groups and national and international non-governmental organisations and lastly the desire from the government at all levels to achieve short term solutions rather than instituting measures that strive to achieve a long term resolution of the problem.

Unfortunately all these deficiencies point to the fact that it will be extremely hard, if not impossible for Pakistan to meet the targets set out by the Millennium Goals relative to the human right to water.

The realisation of water rights in pakistan is on the decline. in practice, the overwhelming majority of the population is deprived of this human right.

The writer is a Professor of Public International Law at LUMS. He may be contacted at sikander@lums.edu.pk

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14 Comment

Sunday, 27 November, 2011

Delhi’s secretive people living on the fringes

L

delhi Calling

By Mayank Austen Soofi

ast week a fire broke out at a makeshift tent in Delhi as a three-day convention of thousands of hijras, or eunuchs, was about to end. At least sixteen hijras died. The Delhi government announced Rs 2 lakh as compensation for relatives of the dead. But the hijras have no relatives, in the sense that most disassociate themselves from their blood relations. The money is on hold.

Hijras are one of India’s most mysterious people; they earn money by flaunting their ambiguous sexuality but remain secretive about their personal lives. They live in groups, under the guardianship of a guru. every group has its own ‘neighbourhood’. At every birth or wedding in the area, the hijras go to the household, sing, dance, and demand money. They are rarely sent back empty-handed since it is not considered a good omen to receive the ill wishes of a hijra.

Sometimes they earn by begging at traffic lights or bazaars.

One cold evening in the courtyard of Hazrat Nizamuddin’s sufi shrine, I came across a group of hijras. They were looking as ordinary as other pilgrims. Most were in white shalwar kameez, with a dupatta covering their heads for modesty’s sake. Aren’t hijras immodest people by nature?

Aren’t they always in bright sarees, backless blouses and heavy makeup?

These eunuchs looked like other women praying in the dargah, except that they were a little more feminine, more elegant, more beautiful and had beards.

They started talking to me.

“Meet Mummy,” said Nimo, the prettiest of them as she invited

me to join the group. Mummy, whose name was Reshma, had movie-star enigma on her face. She nodded at me and offered the Pepsi she was drinking. Next to her sat ‘Papa’ who had a deep cleavage.

Apart from Nimo, Mummy and Papa had two more ‘daughters’ — Muskan and Pushpa. Muskan was the only one in man’s clothes.

Nimo told us that they had come from Shahdara in east Delhi.

Their lives were similar to that of other hijras — moving around in tolis (groups) and extracting money by making a show of their sexual uniqueness.

Soon, Guruji, the master of the family, appeared. She was praying at the dargah’s mosque. (In Hazrat Nizamuddin’s shrine, eunuchs are spared the humiliation suffered by women pilgrims, who are not allowed to step inside the saint’s tomb.) Sporting a turban and wearing a long kurta and lungi, Guruji blew air with her mouth over the heads of her disciples. She said she was trying to protect them from djinns. She then turned to me, hesitated a little and then blew the air over me, making me a part of her family.

Another evening, in the colonial-era Connaught Place, I met a hijra who is still close to his blood family.

I was at the park above Palika Bazaar parking. Joint families and romantic couples were sitting on the grass.

Reaching towards a bench, Sunita Pandit, a hijra who must be in her 50s, clapped loudly and stretched out her right palm towards a young couple. “May Allah keep your mohabbat (love) intact,” she said. The boy withdrew his arm from the girl’s shoulder, took out Rs 20 from his shirt pocket and gave it to Pandit.

Photo by Mayank Austen Soofi

I caught up with Pandit as she took a short break from the dhanda (profession) to rest against an iron railing. There were holes in her pale green kurta. The golden light of the twilight hour had brought her day-old stubble into sharp focus. The hair on her arms was more conspicuous than her large ear danglers. Her lipstick was red and her eyelids were brushed purple. There was large red bindi on her forehead.

“I realised I was a hijra when I was five,” she said.

Unlike most hijras, Pandit operates alone. She has no guru and she belongs to no group. She lives at a one-room house in the nearby Paharganj. “The rent is Rs 1,800.”

Pandit wakes up daily at 5 am, goes to a tea-stall to have chai, returns home, showers, and does the morning prayers. By 7 am, she is in Con-

naught Place.

For someone who earns by blessing romantic couples, Pandit herself doesn’t believe in love. “I never feel lonely. I never felt the need for a lover. Then you will have to work extra to feed him too.”

Just then two beggar children came close to us. Pandit asked them to leave. They refused. She suddenly picked up a stone and threw at them. The children started abusing her. She responded in an equally colorful language.

Pandit’s family lives in a village near Allahabad, UP. “I have parents, brothers, sisters-in-law and nephews at home. They all give me izzat (respect) though I was born a hijra.”

Then why do you beg? Why don’t you go back to your family?

“As long as I can earn, I’ll stay on in this city. But I’m going to Al-

lahabad for a week. My nephew is getting married.”

After a few minutes of silence, Pandit got up and looked around.

Her eyes came to rest on a couple at the far end of the park. Before leaving she turned to me and said, “May God give you his barkat (blessing).”

My dear reader, whenever you visit Delhi, you would of course come to Connaught Place too.

While shopping there, keep an eye for Pandit and please give a tenner to her.

Mayank Austen Soofi lives in a library. He has one website and four blogs. The website address: thedelhiwalla.com. The blogs: Pakistan Paindabad, Ruined By Reading, Reading Arundhati Roy and Mayank Austen Soofi Photos.

The climax and the casualty Something had to give

poliTact

By Arif Ansar

O

n the surface, Memogate came as much a surprise to the government of Pakistan as that of the US. However, the shift in US policy towards Afghanistan was bound to have a climax and a casualty. The human tendency is to zoom in to the situation, and try to ascertain the nitty-gritty, while overlooking the importance of zooming out. The resignation of Ambassador Hussain Haqqani has come at a crucial juncture of the Afghan War, as the political approach begins to gain momentum. In addition, Pakistan also recently replaced Shah Mehmood Qureshi with Hina Rabbani Khar as foreign minister, over another controversial issue, Raymond Davis. Personnel changes and the types of individuals selected to lead, tell a lot about the shape of change.

As organisations change their strategic direction, replacement and transfer of senior leadership

usually accompany such moves.

Appointing of inexperienced younger personalities at the higher echelons, as oppose to older and well-weathered ones, conveys a certain meaning. On the other hand, rotation from one important portfolio to the other signifies confidence in the person’s leadership and management. Many a times, a complete outsider is brought in to reengineer an organisation and to break with well-embedded cultural traits and entrenched interests.

In this context, recently General Petraeus moved from being the commander of Afghan forces to become the director of CIA, while Leon Panetta become the Secretary of Defence. The reasons why US made those rotations, most likely have to do with providing continuity of experience within the US policymaking structures, as it relates to the unusual affairs of AfPak specifically and the Middle east broadly.

These two individuals have had the cross training in the defence and intelligence arena that US considers vital for officials dealing with national security. Additionally; they also posses the political acumen needed to harness congressional support.

Obama’s national security team has recently been plagued by resignations and replacements (Gen Stanley McChrystal), which often depicts deeper issues with the policy itself. When the differences amongst senior members become irreconcilable, it’s cus-

tomary to bring in a new set of eyes, to deal with the challenge at hand and to provide a fresh impetus.

Ultimately, the policy shifts towards the opinions of those advisors who are able garner the support of the President. The tussle between the State, Defense and the Intelligence Community officials, to impress their views on President’s policy on Afghanistan, had been continu-

declaring the Haqqani network as a ‘veritable arm’ of the ISI. Just a few days earlier, he had met with Gen Kayani in Spain.

The usually quiet General subsequently commented that the relations between US and Pakistan were improving.

To suggest that the US government did not take the memorandum seriously, irrespective of who engineered it, does not hold up against how events actually

although the americans considered the ambassador’s insight useful, his political perspective could have been seen as an impediment towards the shift in uS policy. The reality remains that in pakistan, the army exerts influence, and it was unrealistic to attack the very institution whose help the uS needs. ing in Washington for a while.

This was frequently interpreted as the confusion brewing in Washington. As Obama’s policy emphasis shifted towards a political solution, the role and influence of State Department had to increase, which the defence and the intelligence bureaucracies have in the past overshadowed.

The tipping point must have been Admiral Mullen suddenly

unfolded during the concerned time frame. The US did act on it, by exerting maximum pressure on Pakistan’s establishment, but when it did not buckle under the accusations of complicity with the extremists, as hypothesised, the US switched its approach by sending Hillary Clinton to Pakistan. The next bet for hardliners would have been risking some real fireworks.

This was the climactic moment as the US shifted its policy and Ambassador Hussain Haqqani was the causality of this change in direction. His intellect, contacts and access within the influential US circles were assets that any government would like to have in its arsenal. However, his political views became a liability, especially when one considers the context of the present US-Pakistan tensions over Afghanistan.

Moreover, the drone attacks, the Raymond Davis incident, the Osama Operation have all blurred the lines as to where the nation’s sovereignty starts and where it ends. Moreover, while the government is complicit with the US in many respects, it wants to prove otherwise to the public.

In this atmosphere, it’s easy for agents of the government to slip and cross the red lines.

To deal with the next phase of Afghan war, Pakistan may now have a different objective, reflected by its recent appointments. It wants personalities that serve mainly as messengers.

Their inexperience makes them dependent by default, and this could only mean concentration of power somewhere else.

In the think tank community and official circles of Washington DC, the former ambassador was considered an institution unto himself, and this meant he took the liberty to not only make many decisions independently but had the clout to influence US decision makers.

Although the Americans considered the ambassador’s insight useful, his political perspective could have been seen as an impediment towards the shift in US policy. The reality remains that in Pakistan, the army exerts influence, and it was unrealistic to attack the very institution whose help the US needs to get done in Afghanistan. However, this is not to suggest that all is set and done yet.

In the corridors of the world capital, and for that matter in any organisation, power is acquired and dispensed in many different forms. And, it does not only come from the position one holds. It frequently results from the access and ears one has. Senior leaders are offered jobs on the basis on the size of their Rolodex and their ability to influence. In Washington DC, power players from different reaches of the world, try to sell their contacts and demonstrate how they can be of use for the superpower and this is where the role of Mansoor Ijaz fits.

As history shows, the running of a global empire is not a clean cut business, it involves both the official and unofficial channels, use of soft and hard power, there is often a hit and miss situation, and for every climax, there is also a casualty.

The writer is the chief analyst for PoliTact (www.PoliTact.com and http:twitter.com/politact) and can be reached at aansar@politact.com.

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15 Foreign News

Sunday, 27 November, 2011

Egyptian protesters clash with police, one dead g

Protester dies after being hit by security vehicle g Demonstrators reject army’s choice for prime minister CAIRo

e

reuTerS

GYPTIAN protesters demanding an end to army rule clashed with police firing tear gas in central Cairo on Saturday in a flare-up that cast another shadow over a parliamentary election billed as the nation’s first free vote in decades.

One protester, Ahmed Sayed, 21, died after being hit by a state security vehicle.

His death was the first since a truce between police and demonstrators on Thursday calmed violence that had killed 41 people in Cairo and elsewhere. Hundreds of demonstrators camped overnight in Cairo’s Tahrir Square ahead of a lengthy, staggered election process due to start on Monday in Cairo, Alexandria and some

other areas. The clash occurred near the cabinet office where protesters began a sitin on Friday against the army’s appointment of 78-year-old Kamal Ganzouri, a premier under Hosni Mubarak, as new prime minister. They aim to prevent him from getting inside. The Interior Ministry said the vehicle had hit Sayed by accident, an account backed by Ahmad Zeidan, 18, an activist at the sit-in who said he had seen the youth being run over.

“It wasn’t deliberate. They (police) were retreating quickly because (protesters) were throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails at them,” he said. The demonstrators had come from Tahrir to confront police vehicles apparently heading for the square. “Down, down with the marshal,” a group chanted in Tahrir, near tents set up on grassy patches. They were referring to

Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, who heads the ruling army council and was Mubarak’s defence minister for 20 years.

The military council said on Friday each stage of voting would be held over two days instead of one to give everyone the chance to vote. Voting starts on Monday but will not end until early January because of the election’s various stages.

One declared reason for the election marathon is because judges, who retain public respect for their independence, will supervise the election and there are not enough of them available for a single day of nationwide voting. Reflecting security concerns, Ahmed al-Zind, head of egypt’s Judges Club, told a news conference the organisation had taken out private insurance to cover all the judges involved. Protesters seemed in two minds about the

election. emad Mohamed, 35, wearing a hat in egyptian national colours, had no faith in the vote, saying it would enable Mubarak-era politicians to make a comeback. “We do not think it is in our interest.

Where are the new parties?” he asked. But Yasser Nasr, assisting at a makeshift clinic, said: “They cannot delay elections. It will mess up the situation. Once they happen, hopefully things will improve.”

Tahrir protesters have dismissed Ganzouri, premier from 1996 to 1999, as another face from the past whose appointment reflects the generals’ resistance to change. The Muslim Brotherhood and other mainstream parties which have not joined the protesters in Tahrir want the election to go ahead, eager to establish a strong presence in parliament. They have accepted the army’s transition timetable,

but the demonstrators are demanding an immediate end to military rule. Alarmed by the violence, the United States and the european Union have urged a swift handover to civilian rule in a country where prolonged political turmoil has compounded economic woes. The generals have resisted calls to quit now. Instead, they have promised that a new president will be elected by mid-2012, sooner than previously announced, and on Friday named Ganzouri to head a “national salvation government”.

ThAnKLESS TASK: Ganzouri described his task as thankless and “extremely difficult”, saying his priority was to secure the streets and revive the economy. egypt’s pound has hit a seven-year low and foreign reserves have dropped by a third since December 2010.

Kenya seizes container with 87 elephant tusks nAIRoBI reuTerS

Kenyan authorities have seized a container loaded with 87 elephant tusks and disguised as soapstone carvings destined for Hong Kong, a customs official said. The 20-foot container was impounded at a depot in Nairobi. As it was being inspected for clearance for shipment, officials scanning its contents became suspicious. “It was declared as assorted handicrafts destined for Hong Kong. Upon scanning, our customs officers discovered that the images were suspect and a decision was made to subject the container to a 100 percent verification,” said ezekiel Maru, communications and marketing officer at the Kenya Revenue. “We found 11 wooden crates containing 25 pieces of elephant tusks and 15 cartons containing 61 pieces of tusks. The other cartons that had been used to camouflage had assorted soapstone and wood carvings. Some had tiles and other stuffings,” he said, as other officers unpacked the container in the background.

Maru, speaking to reporters on Friday, said a total of 87 tusks were recovered. He did not say where the tusks came from or if any arrests had been made. Television footage showed one man holding a tusk taller than he was. Poaching has declined significantly in Kenya from the 1980s and 1990s when gangs decimated its elephants and hunted its rhinos almost to extinction, the Kenya Wildlife Service says. Ivory from African elephants is typically smuggled to Asia where it is carved into ornaments, while rhino horn is used in traditional Chinese medicines.

Moroccan govt confirms Islamist party vote win RABAT afp

The Moroccan government confirmed Saturday that the moderate Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD) had won parliamentary elections. The party captured 80 seats in the 395-seat assembly, the most of any party, in Friday’s polls according to provisional results, Interior Minister Taib Cherkaoui told a news conference. “The elections took place under a climate of transparence and free competition,” he told a news conference. PJD officials said earlier that their own figures showed they had won over 100 seats in the election, the country’s first since a reform of the constitution that gives more power to parliament and the prime minister. According to the new constitution overwhelmingly approved in a July referendum, King Mohammed VI must now pick the prime minister from the party which wins the most seats in parliament, instead of naming whomever he pleases. “We thank the Moroccans who voted for the PJD and we can only be satisfied,” PJD secretary general Abdelilah Benkirane told reporters after the interior minister confirmed his party had won the most seats in the election. Prime Minister Abbas el Fassi’s Independence Party came in second, capturing 47 seats.

HARlINGeN: Anti-nuclear protesters block the train tracks in this German town on Saturday along the route of the so-called Castor transport. the train, carrying 11 wagonloads of German nuclear radioactive waste, left on November 23, 2011 from a yard operated by the French nuclear giant Areva in Valognes. AFP

arabs ready sanctions to punish syrian defiance CAIRo afp

Arab ministers gathered in Cairo Saturday to draw up sanctions against Syria to punish President Bashar al-Assad’s regime for defying an ultimatum to allow in observers and pressing a deadly crackdown.The finance ministers were to thrash out a package — expected to include the suspension of flights and freezing of government assets — which will then be put to foreign ministers on Sunday. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said he would join Sunday’s meeting to harmonise his government’s own measures with those of the Arab League, saying that Ankara’s former ally had missed its “last chance” by failing to heed the Arab ultimatum.

But Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, whose country has close economic ties with Syria and a large refugee community in its western neighbour, said it was “not possible” to impose sanctions on the Assad regime.

The Arab League had set a Friday deadline for the regime to agree to the details of the observers’ mission, part of a reform deal that Damascus had previously said it accepted. Davutoglu, whose government has expressed outrage at the mounting bloodshed in its southern neighbour that saw at least 16 people killed just Friday, said the Damascus regime’s refusal to allow in observers could only mean it had something to conceal. “Syria was expected to say yes to the observers... unless there is a reality it hides about the situation in Syrian

cities,” Davutoglu said after the deadline’s expiry.

“As it said no, it increased... the concerns on the humanitarian situation,” he said, in the wake of UN estimates that the crackdown has cost more than 3,500 lives since March. Ankara already has some measures in hand against Damascus, including a suspension of joint oil exploration and a threat to halt power exports. “We are going to harmonise them with those prepared by the Arab League,” Turkey’s Anatolia news agency quoted Davutoglu as saying. But Iraq, which abstained when the Arab League voted earlier this month to suspend Syria and threaten sanctions, expressed its strong reservations about the proposed package. “It is not possible, in the opinion of Iraq, to impose economic sanctions on Syria,” Zebari told a news conference in the Iraqi shrine city of Najaf.

“We announce our reservation on this issue,” he said, although it was not immediately clear if he meant that Iraq would refuse to enforce any economic sanctions agreed by the Arab League. Syria depends on its Arab neighbours for half of its exports and a quarter of its imports. Were the 22-nation bloc to impose serious economic sanctions, the impact would be crippling for a country already a facing a raft of punitive measures from the european Union and the United States. “If that is to happen, it will be very unfortunate because the damage will be to all sides,” Syrian economy Minister Mohammed Nidal al-Shaar told AFP in an exclusive interview. But “we don’t expect all Arab

UN sees no need yet for Syrian humanitarian corridor UnITED nATIonS: French proposals for “humanitarian corridors” in Syria to help civilians affected by eight months of unrest are not justified by humanitarian needs identified so far in the country, the United Nations humanitarian coordinator said. Valerie Amos said 3 million people had been affected by the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad, and Syria’s Red Crescent had sought support to feed 1.5 million people. “A number of suggestions have been made on how to provide assistance to Syrians affected by the current unrest,” Amos said, referring to proposals for humanitarian corridors or buffer zones. “At present, the humanitarian needs identified in Syria do not warrant the implementation of either of those mechanisms,” she said, adding that the United Nations had been unable to assess comprehensively those needs because of the limited number of international staff operating in Syria. “Before any further discussion of these options, it is essential to get a clearer sense of what exactly people need, and where,” Amos said in a statement released on Friday. ReUTeRS countries to yield or participate in sanctions,” he added. “In fact, we are almost certain that some Arab countries will not participate.” Lebanon, which has a government dominated by Damascus ally Hezbollah, has already made clear that it will not enforce any economic sanctions against its larger neighbour. In this month’s vote at the Arab League, Lebanon joined Yemen and Syria itself in voting against the threat of sanctions.

The pan-Arab bloc now says that it wants UN help in its showdown with Assad after previously shying away from internationalising the crisis. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is “extremely

concerned at the escalating crisis and mounting death toll in Syria” and is ready to help the Arab League, UN spokesman Martin Nesirky said. Last month, european governments put a draft resolution to the UN Security Council that would have threatened “targeted measures” against Damascus but it was vetoed by Beijing and Moscow. Russia, Cold War ally of Syria, made clear that it remains opposed to sanctions. “At this stage, what we need is not resolutions, sanctions or pressure, but inter-Syrian dialogue,” foreign ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said.

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15 Foreign News

Sunday, 27 November, 2011

Egyptian protesters clash with police, one dead g

Protester dies after being hit by security vehicle g Demonstrators reject army’s choice for prime minister CAIRo

e

reuTerS

GYPTIAN protesters demanding an end to army rule clashed with police firing tear gas in central Cairo on Saturday in a flare-up that cast another shadow over a parliamentary election billed as the nation’s first free vote in decades.

One protester, Ahmed Sayed, 21, died after being hit by a state security vehicle.

His death was the first since a truce between police and demonstrators on Thursday calmed violence that had killed 41 people in Cairo and elsewhere. Hundreds of demonstrators camped overnight in Cairo’s Tahrir Square ahead of a lengthy, staggered election process due to start on Monday in Cairo, Alexandria and some

other areas. The clash occurred near the cabinet office where protesters began a sitin on Friday against the army’s appointment of 78-year-old Kamal Ganzouri, a premier under Hosni Mubarak, as new prime minister. They aim to prevent him from getting inside. The Interior Ministry said the vehicle had hit Sayed by accident, an account backed by Ahmad Zeidan, 18, an activist at the sit-in who said he had seen the youth being run over.

“It wasn’t deliberate. They (police) were retreating quickly because (protesters) were throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails at them,” he said. The demonstrators had come from Tahrir to confront police vehicles apparently heading for the square. “Down, down with the marshal,” a group chanted in Tahrir, near tents set up on grassy patches. They were referring to

Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, who heads the ruling army council and was Mubarak’s defence minister for 20 years.

The military council said on Friday each stage of voting would be held over two days instead of one to give everyone the chance to vote. Voting starts on Monday but will not end until early January because of the election’s various stages.

One declared reason for the election marathon is because judges, who retain public respect for their independence, will supervise the election and there are not enough of them available for a single day of nationwide voting. Reflecting security concerns, Ahmed al-Zind, head of egypt’s Judges Club, told a news conference the organisation had taken out private insurance to cover all the judges involved. Protesters seemed in two minds about the

election. emad Mohamed, 35, wearing a hat in egyptian national colours, had no faith in the vote, saying it would enable Mubarak-era politicians to make a comeback. “We do not think it is in our interest.

Where are the new parties?” he asked. But Yasser Nasr, assisting at a makeshift clinic, said: “They cannot delay elections. It will mess up the situation. Once they happen, hopefully things will improve.”

Tahrir protesters have dismissed Ganzouri, premier from 1996 to 1999, as another face from the past whose appointment reflects the generals’ resistance to change. The Muslim Brotherhood and other mainstream parties which have not joined the protesters in Tahrir want the election to go ahead, eager to establish a strong presence in parliament. They have accepted the army’s transition timetable,

but the demonstrators are demanding an immediate end to military rule. Alarmed by the violence, the United States and the european Union have urged a swift handover to civilian rule in a country where prolonged political turmoil has compounded economic woes. The generals have resisted calls to quit now. Instead, they have promised that a new president will be elected by mid-2012, sooner than previously announced, and on Friday named Ganzouri to head a “national salvation government”.

ThAnKLESS TASK: Ganzouri described his task as thankless and “extremely difficult”, saying his priority was to secure the streets and revive the economy. egypt’s pound has hit a seven-year low and foreign reserves have dropped by a third since December 2010.

Kenya seizes container with 87 elephant tusks nAIRoBI reuTerS

Kenyan authorities have seized a container loaded with 87 elephant tusks and disguised as soapstone carvings destined for Hong Kong, a customs official said. The 20-foot container was impounded at a depot in Nairobi. As it was being inspected for clearance for shipment, officials scanning its contents became suspicious. “It was declared as assorted handicrafts destined for Hong Kong. Upon scanning, our customs officers discovered that the images were suspect and a decision was made to subject the container to a 100 percent verification,” said ezekiel Maru, communications and marketing officer at the Kenya Revenue. “We found 11 wooden crates containing 25 pieces of elephant tusks and 15 cartons containing 61 pieces of tusks. The other cartons that had been used to camouflage had assorted soapstone and wood carvings. Some had tiles and other stuffings,” he said, as other officers unpacked the container in the background.

Maru, speaking to reporters on Friday, said a total of 87 tusks were recovered. He did not say where the tusks came from or if any arrests had been made. Television footage showed one man holding a tusk taller than he was. Poaching has declined significantly in Kenya from the 1980s and 1990s when gangs decimated its elephants and hunted its rhinos almost to extinction, the Kenya Wildlife Service says. Ivory from African elephants is typically smuggled to Asia where it is carved into ornaments, while rhino horn is used in traditional Chinese medicines.

Moroccan govt confirms Islamist party vote win RABAT afp

The Moroccan government confirmed Saturday that the moderate Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD) had won parliamentary elections. The party captured 80 seats in the 395-seat assembly, the most of any party, in Friday’s polls according to provisional results, Interior Minister Taib Cherkaoui told a news conference. “The elections took place under a climate of transparence and free competition,” he told a news conference. PJD officials said earlier that their own figures showed they had won over 100 seats in the election, the country’s first since a reform of the constitution that gives more power to parliament and the prime minister. According to the new constitution overwhelmingly approved in a July referendum, King Mohammed VI must now pick the prime minister from the party which wins the most seats in parliament, instead of naming whomever he pleases. “We thank the Moroccans who voted for the PJD and we can only be satisfied,” PJD secretary general Abdelilah Benkirane told reporters after the interior minister confirmed his party had won the most seats in the election. Prime Minister Abbas el Fassi’s Independence Party came in second, capturing 47 seats.

HARlINGeN: Anti-nuclear protesters block the train tracks in this German town on Saturday along the route of the so-called Castor transport. the train, carrying 11 wagonloads of German nuclear radioactive waste, left on November 23, 2011 from a yard operated by the French nuclear giant Areva in Valognes. AFP

arabs ready sanctions to punish syrian defiance CAIRo afp

Arab ministers gathered in Cairo Saturday to draw up sanctions against Syria to punish President Bashar al-Assad’s regime for defying an ultimatum to allow in observers and pressing a deadly crackdown.The finance ministers were to thrash out a package — expected to include the suspension of flights and freezing of government assets — which will then be put to foreign ministers on Sunday. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said he would join Sunday’s meeting to harmonise his government’s own measures with those of the Arab League, saying that Ankara’s former ally had missed its “last chance” by failing to heed the Arab ultimatum.

But Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, whose country has close economic ties with Syria and a large refugee community in its western neighbour, said it was “not possible” to impose sanctions on the Assad regime.

The Arab League had set a Friday deadline for the regime to agree to the details of the observers’ mission, part of a reform deal that Damascus had previously said it accepted. Davutoglu, whose government has expressed outrage at the mounting bloodshed in its southern neighbour that saw at least 16 people killed just Friday, said the Damascus regime’s refusal to allow in observers could only mean it had something to conceal. “Syria was expected to say yes to the observers... unless there is a reality it hides about the situation in Syrian

cities,” Davutoglu said after the deadline’s expiry.

“As it said no, it increased... the concerns on the humanitarian situation,” he said, in the wake of UN estimates that the crackdown has cost more than 3,500 lives since March. Ankara already has some measures in hand against Damascus, including a suspension of joint oil exploration and a threat to halt power exports. “We are going to harmonise them with those prepared by the Arab League,” Turkey’s Anatolia news agency quoted Davutoglu as saying. But Iraq, which abstained when the Arab League voted earlier this month to suspend Syria and threaten sanctions, expressed its strong reservations about the proposed package. “It is not possible, in the opinion of Iraq, to impose economic sanctions on Syria,” Zebari told a news conference in the Iraqi shrine city of Najaf.

“We announce our reservation on this issue,” he said, although it was not immediately clear if he meant that Iraq would refuse to enforce any economic sanctions agreed by the Arab League. Syria depends on its Arab neighbours for half of its exports and a quarter of its imports. Were the 22-nation bloc to impose serious economic sanctions, the impact would be crippling for a country already a facing a raft of punitive measures from the european Union and the United States. “If that is to happen, it will be very unfortunate because the damage will be to all sides,” Syrian economy Minister Mohammed Nidal al-Shaar told AFP in an exclusive interview. But “we don’t expect all Arab

UN sees no need yet for Syrian humanitarian corridor UnITED nATIonS: French proposals for “humanitarian corridors” in Syria to help civilians affected by eight months of unrest are not justified by humanitarian needs identified so far in the country, the United Nations humanitarian coordinator said. Valerie Amos said 3 million people had been affected by the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad, and Syria’s Red Crescent had sought support to feed 1.5 million people. “A number of suggestions have been made on how to provide assistance to Syrians affected by the current unrest,” Amos said, referring to proposals for humanitarian corridors or buffer zones. “At present, the humanitarian needs identified in Syria do not warrant the implementation of either of those mechanisms,” she said, adding that the United Nations had been unable to assess comprehensively those needs because of the limited number of international staff operating in Syria. “Before any further discussion of these options, it is essential to get a clearer sense of what exactly people need, and where,” Amos said in a statement released on Friday. ReUTeRS countries to yield or participate in sanctions,” he added. “In fact, we are almost certain that some Arab countries will not participate.” Lebanon, which has a government dominated by Damascus ally Hezbollah, has already made clear that it will not enforce any economic sanctions against its larger neighbour. In this month’s vote at the Arab League, Lebanon joined Yemen and Syria itself in voting against the threat of sanctions.

The pan-Arab bloc now says that it wants UN help in its showdown with Assad after previously shying away from internationalising the crisis. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is “extremely

concerned at the escalating crisis and mounting death toll in Syria” and is ready to help the Arab League, UN spokesman Martin Nesirky said. Last month, european governments put a draft resolution to the UN Security Council that would have threatened “targeted measures” against Damascus but it was vetoed by Beijing and Moscow. Russia, Cold War ally of Syria, made clear that it remains opposed to sanctions. “At this stage, what we need is not resolutions, sanctions or pressure, but inter-Syrian dialogue,” foreign ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said.

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Sunday, 27 November, 2011

Foreign News 16

Indian communists demand probe into Maoist killing nEw DELHI afp

India’s communists and a human rights group condemned Saturday the killing of a top Maoist rebel and suggested that the shoot out in which he was killed was staged by security forces.

Indian police has been in the spotlight over “fake encounters” or staged killings in the recent past. In 2009, New York-based Human Rights Watch interviewed more than 80 police officers and said nearly all believed illegal detention, torture and even killing were legitimate tools for law enforcement. Police said Maoist military commander Koteshwar Rao, also known as Kishnenji, died Thursday in a gunbattle in a forest in the eastern state of West Bengal, striking a major blow to extreme leftwing fighters who control impoverished but mineral-rich swathes of the country. “The story of the encounter appears to be fake,” Gurudas Dasgupta of the Communist Party of India said, asking for a government probe into whether the rebel leader had been killed in “cold blood”. The government released photographs of the slain 58-year-old rebel commander lying in a pool of blood next to a machine-gun while bullet marks on trees and nearly 100 spent cartridges marked the scene of the shootout.

Putin awaits Russia’s presidential nomination MoSCow

SANAA: yemeni anti-government protesters march during a demonstration demanding the trial of yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh on Saturday. AFP

16 killed in Iraq attacks

afp

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will be nominated to run in Russia’s March presidential polls Sunday in a ruling party congress that hopes to ride its leader’s coattails into next week’s legislative polls.

The United Russia gathering in Moscow is expected to offer plenty of pomp and patriotic fervor but little suspense after Putin in September accepted a well-choreographed proposal to swap jobs with President Dmitry Medvedev. Russia’s ruling tandem has since been busy rallying support for its party ahead of December 4 elections to the State Duma in which United Russia is expected to lose some of its current dominance while still coming in first. And the focus Sunday will be squarely on Putin — an ex-KGB man who has been Russia’s most popular figure since his 2000-2008 presidency — as United Russia tries to absorb his charisma and associate itself more closely with his name. “With a candidate like Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, we are confident of our victory,” United Russia party secretary Sergei Neverov said on the eve of Sunday’s meeting. The Luzhniki stadium event will be broadcast live across the nation and attended by some 11,000 delegates who besides Medvedev and the top ministers will include famous sports figures and members of Russia’s cultural elite.

United Russia will hope to get a boost from the festivities after the publication of two pre-election polls showing the party losing Duma seats for the first time since it stormed the lower house of parliament in 2003. The independent Levada centre showed United Russia’s support slipping from the 64.3 percent it enjoyed in the 2007 elections to just 53 percent today. This would leave Putin’s party holding 253 of the Duma’s 450 seats — well down on the current 315 figure and below the two-thirds constitutional majority needed for the Kremlin to change Russia’s basic law without outside support.

BAgHDAD

B

afp

OMB and gun attacks in central Iraq killed at least 16 people and wounded more than 20 others on Saturday, security officials and a doctor said.

The latest attacks came two days after triple blasts killed 19 people in the south-

ern port city of Basra. At the launch of Saturday’s violence, bombs on each side of the main road from Abu Ghraib, west of Baghdad, to Fallujah hit a truck carrying construction workers, First Lieutenant Omar Zawbai of the Abu Ghraib police told AFP. Dr Omar Delli of Fallujah Hospital said “the hospital received seven bodies and seven wounded,” two of whom later died.

An interior ministry official put the casualty toll at eight dead and 13 wounded

from the Abu Ghraib attack. The official also said three bombs exploded in the Baab al-Sharqi area of central Baghdad, killing seven people and wounding 28 others. A defence ministry official put the toll from the Baghdad blasts at eight dead and 16 wounded. The interior ministry official also said an employee of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s administration was shot dead by gunmen using silencers near Nisur Square in central Baghdad.

Ukraine claims Tymoshenko firm linked to murder KIEV afp

A top Ukrainian prosecutor claimed that Kiev had firm evidence linking a company once controlled by jailed opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko to the 1996 airport slaying of a parliament deputy.

The allegations, which aired late Friday on Ukraine’s Inter television, piled still more pressure on Tymoshenko following her conviction and seven-year jailing on abuse of authority charges while in office as prime minister. She has accused President Viktor Yanukovych of prosecuting her as part of a vendetta that followed last year’s bitter national elections she lost.

The case has hurt Ukraine’s hopes of signing a cooperation agreement with

the eU. But Western condemnation has done little to help the former Orange Revolution leader and Tymoshenko now faces new charges relating to financial crimes allegedly committed by her and ex-premier Pavlo Lazarenko in the 1990s.

The string of firms named in the new case include one Deputy Prosecutor General Renat Kuzmin said had transferred money to the accounts of the killers of deputy Yevhen Shcherban and his wife along with an airport official in 2003. Lazarenko was jailed in the United States in 2006 on money laundering charges and has already been named as the prime suspect in the deputy’s murder. The prosecutor said the new evidence linking the Somali enterprises firm that Lazarenko and Tymoshenko were be-

lieved to have jointly controlled in the 1990s to the murder currently remained in the United States.

“All of this has been proven. With documents. There is no doubt about that,” said the prosecutor. “We would like some help from the Americans in this matter. We have been trying to question Lazarenko for the past year on various issues including this one,” Kuzmin said. “But we have been unable to travel to the United States to interrogate these people.” A lawmakers in Tymoshenko’s parliamentary part told Moscow echo radio that the 1996 murder investigation has long concluded and could hardly produce new leads at this stage. “What Kuzmin is saying is pure fantasy,” parliament deputy Serhiy Vlasenko told the Moscow radio station.

Violence, pepper spray mar US Black Friday shopping g

Rush for bargains turns violent g woman uses pepper spray in swarm for Xboxes g Videos become a youtube sensation nEw YoRK reuTerS

Black Friday turned into a black mark against American shoppers as riotous crowds brawled over video games, waffle irons and towels, drawing international condemnation and even raising questions about the state of humanity.

One of the most outrageous incidents of the day was in the Los Angeles area, where up to 20 people were injured after a woman at a Walmart used pepper spray to get an edge on other shoppers in a rush for xbox game consoles. Walmart seemed to have a worse day than many other retailers as shoppers screamed, shoved and elbowed each other to save a few bucks.

Incidents across the country included a man shot by robbers in the parking lot outside the San Leandro, California store and shoppers pepper sprayed by security at a store in Kinston, North Carolina. A fight for

bath towels, purportedly recorded at a Michigan store, has become a YouTube sensation. Cheap towels also caused mayhem at a Walmart in Oregon, Ohio. “They were fighting over bath towels on sale for $1.88, as ridiculous as that sounds,” Police Sergeant Jason Druckenmiller said. “A woman tried to get her hands on some towels when she was pushed from behind, and that’s when she came out swinging.” Company spokesman Greg Rossiter said violence at a handful of stores marred an otherwise safe start to the holiday shopping season at thousands of Walmart stores.

CoMMEnTArY on hUMAnITY? Videos of shopping pandemonium crowded YouTube by late Friday. One clip showed a crowd crushing and tearing apart boxes in a free-for-all for inexpensive cell phones.

Another showed people flooding into a store as the gates were raised. “This is what the human race has come to huh??” asked one person who commented online. Another said it “looked like a piranha feeding

frenzy.” The instant classic of the day was a video of an Arkansas melee over a $2 waffle iron. The shaky, 48second clip shows a mass of squealing and shouting men, women and children climbing over each other, grabbing and tossing boxes, with one woman seemingly unaware that her pants were sliding down her backside.

“Oh my God!” a woman screamed in the only sentence discernible among the high-pitched shrieks.

One person commenting on the video wrote: “The pinnacle of Western Civilization has arrived.” A Walmart in Cave Creek, Arizona, was evacuated Thursday night after a suspicious package was found in an employee break room, Maricopa County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Christopher Hegstrom said. A police robot retrieved the package, and bomb-sniffing dogs searched the store before it was reopened. A video of a grandfather injured when he was knocked down by police at an Arizona Walmart went viral on YouTube.

The video showed the man unconscious and bleeding

from his face as police rolled him over and mopped up blood. Witnesses screamed at the police, accusing them of brutality and shouting for someone to call “911” for emergency medical assistance.

According to reports, the man was knocked down by police after putting a video game in his belt to free his hands so he could pick up his grandson as the crowd surged around them. In the Manhattan borough of New York City, shoppers unhappy that Hollister’s flagship store was not opening at midnight, as other locations were, broke into the store and stole clothing, police said.

Black Friday drew bad press and mockery outside the United States. In Toronto, a headline on the website of the Globe and Mail proclaimed: “Pepper-spray, shootings and other Black Friday madness.” Dutch state television showed an overhead shot of hundreds of people camped outside a west coast store. “No tents from the Occupy movement here in California, but clients waiting hours until the stores open,” the anchor said.

Three bombs exploded in Basra on Thursday, killing 19 people, including high-ranking army and police officers, and wounding at least 65. Basra provincial council sacked three top security officers the next day. Violence has declined nationwide since its peak in 2006 and 2007, but attacks remain common. A total of 258 people were killed in October, according to official figures.

New zealand PM John Key wins second term wELLIngTon afp

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key won a second term Saturday, with voters in no mood for change after a tumultuous year marked by a devastating earthquake and glory in the Rugby World Cup. Key’s centre-right National Party fell just short of an outright majority but lifted its vote by more than three points to 48.1 percent, its highest in 60 years, and will form government in coalition with minor parties.

“What an awesome night, and what a wonderful night to be the leader of the National Party,” he told cheering supporters at Auckland’s upmarket SkyCity Casino. The election followed a turbulent 12 months for New Zealand, which was rocked by February’s Christchurch earthquake, in which 181 people died, and buoyed by last month’s victory in the Rugby World Cup. Key, 50, won plaudits for his leadership through the quake, as well as a colliery explosion in which 29 miners died, and much of National’s campaign was based around his personal popularity. “In the worst of times you see the very best of New Zealanders and I’m proud to be prime minister of this great country,” the former investment banker said.

The main opposition Labour Party secured only 27 percent of the vote, its worst result since New Zealand adopted a proportional voting system in 1996. Labour leader Phil Goff said he accepted the electorate’s decision but his party would hold the government to account and rebuild for the next election. “It might not be our time this time, but our time will come again and we will be ready to take New Zealand forward,” he said, refusing to say if he would stay on as leader. “We’re a bit bloodied but we’re not defeated.” However former Labour Party president Mike Williams: “It’s an an unmitigated disaster.” The result gives National 60 seats in a 121 seat parliament but support from existing coalition partners ACT and United Future, with one seat each, gives it the required 61-seat threshold in the proportional representation parliament.

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Sunday, 27 November, 2011

SOCIETY BANGAloRe: Vidya Balan dances after addressing a promotional press conference for her forthcoming movie 'the Dirty Picture'.

LoS AngELES uSa TodaY

For a guy who made Fight Club and Seven, David Fincher doesn’t seem the type to be unnerved by Swedes. Put him in the middle of the Swedish countryside, though, and the chills aren’t just from Nordic winds. “That is a different kind of world,” says the director of ‘The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo’, out December 21. “When the sun goes down at 2 in the afternoon, and the winds whip up and it’s 30below, you realise these people are made of heartier stuff,” Fincher says from his Hollywood offices, where he is wrapping up editing the film. “And you think, ‘My God, how do you survive this?’ “ It’s a question Fincher says he asked himself often while poring over the 2005 Stieg Larsson crime novel, which serves as the taproot for Fincher’s thriller starring Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig. The book, the first in the ‘Millennium Series’ trilogy, centers on the search by a disgraced journalist (Craig) and computer hacker (Mara) for a woman missing 40 years. The novel also was adapted for a 2009 Swedish movie starring Noomi Rapace and Michael Nyqvist. Fincher says he saw it only once. “It’s a great movie,” Fincher says of the original, which

earned a solid $10.1 million in the USA. “But we had to start with the book.

That’s the wellspring of everything.”

That and Sweden. Fincher, who is a notoriously detail-oriented filmmaker known for using dozens of takes for a scene, spent months in Sweden for the movie, which took 145 days to shoot.

Fincher says the barren landscape became a character in his movie.

“People don’t live on top of each other in apartments,” he says. “There’s a house every mile and a half apart, and you’re in 4 feet of ice. It’s unbelievable.

There’s a reason this doesn’t take place in Cleveland.” One of Fincher’s toughest tasks: compressing the 600page book, which includes graphic rape and murder scenes. While Fincher’s résumé doesn’t lack for bloodshed — he also made Panic Room and Zodiac— the director says he didn’t use the story “as a way to thumb my nose” at the Motion Picture Association of America, which gave it an R rating on its first screening. “I have a much more colourful and sordid reputation as a purveyor of violence than I deserve,” Fincher says. “I just use it as a device for storytelling. (Tattoo) is an R-rated movie, but we didn’t get gynaecological with the violence. I think we were as tasteful as you can be with a subject matter like that.”

D’Souza arrives to MuMBAI: Genelia xFresh function.

Ma attend a Colgate

Abhishek will be a great father: Sonali nEW DELhI: Sonali Bendre Behl’s husband Goldie Behl is known to be a close friend of Abhishek Bachchan, so we asked her about Beti B. She replied, “We are very happy for Abhishek. He’s so excited and I’m very sure that he will make a wonderful father. He’s great with our kid, and my son completely adores him. The relationship that he has with him is so amazing! He’s the best babysitter I’ve ever had. And it’s like a milestone, Abhishek turning a father. He’s like a little brother who has grown up.” aGeNCieS

In movie

business you cannot be fat: Shilpa

MuMbai: Shilpa Shetty stepped into Bollywood through ‘Baazigar’ in 1993, almost 18 years back. unlike most who struggle with keeping their weight in check, Shilpa continues to flaunt her hourglass figure ever since her debut in films. even today, Shilpa can be a top contender for the best body (female) award in Bollywood. So how does she manage it, considering actresses half her age find it difficult to do so! Shilpa tells what goes into looking perfect and healthy. “My goal is to achieve personal happiness. At the same time, discipline is extremely important. If you have to be fit especially if you are a working woman who happens to be in movie business, you cannot be fat. More than looking good, its about being healthy. All it takes is 20 minutes a day to burn out the excess calories. Good diet which means no junk food at all. No Mcdonalds french fries and burgers. Do not indulge daily. Also its not about not eating anything you like. you can always cut down the intake. eat half a pastry oi a day instead of the whole piece. I indulge every Sunday. I have pizza etc but the tip is to have it in moderation. I can never diet. I also see to it that I dress according to my body type. For the past 20 years, my weight hasn’t fluctuated much. Its between 57-60 kgs which I think is great.” Toi

RoMe: Mexican actress Salma Hayek poses during the photocall of ‘Puss in Boots’.

MuMBAI: Chitrangada Singh poses at a promotional event for her film ‘Desi Boyz’.

Sonam will remain

special to me, says Shahid MuMbai: Actor Shahid Kapur is all praise for his ‘Mausam’ co-star Sonam Kapoor and calls her “special”. “I think Sonam is a wonderful looking girl and she looks very simple and innocent. this is the reason why dad (actor-director Pankaj Kapur) was keen to cast her in ‘Mausam’. In her upcoming film (‘Players’), she is looking wonderful. I think she is always a special actress because I did ‘Mausam’ with her which was special to me,” Shahid told reporters at the Colgate Maxfresh party.

Despite link-up rumours, Shahid is single ever since he broke off with Kareena Kapoor in 2007. Some reports even claim he is commitment phobic. But the actor responded: “that I am commitment phobic? No, I am not commitment phobic.

I don’t react to most things.” the 30-yearold seems to have become selective about movies as he had only one release this year. As for new projects, he is currently working in Kunal Kapoor’s film ‘teri Meri Kahani’ along with Priyanka Chopra and Prachi Desai. aGeNCieS

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18 Simran kaur Mundi: ticket to bollywood

MuMBAI: Deepika Padukone poses during a promotional visit to 92.7 Big FM Radio station.

MUMBAI Mirror

LAHoRE tBIlISI: A model presents a creation by Georgian designer tamuna Ingorokva.

Q

STaff reporT

AYAAS, winner of Jack Daniel’s Pakistan Best Rock Band 2010, has been nominated in the ongoing IndieGo Awards. IndieGo Awards are the South Asian part of the Global Bite My Music Awards.

Qayaas has received five nominations: Best Rock Band, Best Rock Song (2 songs selected ‘Inquilab’ and ‘Shehrezade’), Best Rock Vocalist and Best Video. Fans can vote online for their favourite artists. The online voting will continue till November 30, 2011. After that the panel of international judges will review the bands and songs in each category. 30 percent of the result depends on the online voting and

Barelvi’s book on KARACHI Xari Jalil

Mujahid Barelvi’s book was launched at the Karachi Arts Council, on Thursday, where many eminent guests were present. The book talks about Jalib from close friend Barelvi’s point of view of the fiery poet, while giving a personal insight on his poetry. The event was the fourth and last session of the International Urdu Conference. On the occasion, veteran journalist and Imroze former editor Masood Ashar said Barelvi was one of the lucky few to have met with eminent anthropologist and historian Syed Sibte Hasan and have

Priyanka’s a socially

responsible MuMbai: Many actors do their best to take up a cause and speak for it. priyanka Chopra is one such actor. She has stood up for various causes like leprosy. She says, “i take my social responsibilities very seriously, and believe that when you really want to go something you always find time for it. if i can help a good cause in anyway by supporting it, i have always been able to find the time. i felt that having a documentary in english would be good to create awareness among kids in schools, colleges and cities, but to make the appeal wider we had to shoot in hindi. That way we can reach out to rural pockets as well, where people need to be told about the wrong notions that they have regarding this disease.” aGeNCieS

‘I love

had the privilege of working with him.

Hasan was a true intellectual, Ashar said, and young people who had not read his writings should go through them. About Jalib, Ashar said he became popular when he wrote his famous poem ‘Dastoor’, challenging the military dictator General Ayub Khan. He added that journalists were supposed to be tolerant and good listeners, and unlike the anchor persons seen today: he had never seen Barelvi shouting at his guests or imposing himself.

Senior journalist and editor Ashraf Shad said Barelvi’s book had already become a bestseller before coming to the market. Shad said that Mujahid’s writings

Beti B in Aishwarya’s arms the most’

MuMbai: Actor Abhishek Bachchan opted for a smart answer to deal with udya Chopra’s question of choosing between wife Aishwarya and Beti B. “I’m gonna ask you a very uday (bright) question on twitter...who do you love more, Beti B or Ash?, “ uday, 38, asked Abhishek, 35, on micro-blogging site twitter. to which junior B replied, “I love Beti B in Aishwarya’s arms the most.” Aishwarya Rai gave birth to her and husband Abhishek Bachchan’s first child Nov 16 and since then the entire family, including grandpa Amitabh Bachchan, is busy spending time with the new-born. “First day back at work after Beti B. And so difficult to concentrate. thoughts are monopolized by a certain little lady,” Abhishek further posted. Toi

the rest is in the hands of the judges.

Some of these judges are Grammy Award Winners and all of them are successful musicians or producers from all over the world. Other bands nominated for the awards belong to different countries including Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal. In order to vote you need to register for it at the following website: http://bitemymusic.com/.

launched

This story is stuff Bollywood dreams are made of. Miss India/Universe 2008 winner Simran Kaur Mundi, who will make her debut with ‘Jo Hum Chahein’, is someone many celebrities will remember having met somewhere. So here is the mystery solved. Before winning her crown, Simran used to work at a multiplex where it was her job to organise tickets for the creme de la creme of Bollywood. After doing her MBA, Simran was keen to do a corporate job and immediately grabbed an opportunity to work as a guest relation manager with a multiplex in Andheri. A friend of the model-turned-actress told Mumbai Mirror, “Simran never saw herself being part of the glamour world.

She was more than happy in settling for a corporate job.” Simran’s job entailed organising tickets for A-listers, from actors to film producers, but she never harboured the thought of getting into films. Until of course makeup gurus Bharat & Doriss spotted her on one of their visits to the multiplex and offered her a ticket to the Miss India pageant.

Post her win, Simran was busy with modelling assignments which eventually led to her first film project, ‘Jo Hum Chahein’, produced by Aman Gill. There too Simran was head for a surprise. It turned out that Aman, who had short listed her, used to call her for tickets as well. Simarn told Mirror, “My life changed completely after I won the title.

I used to deal with lot of people in the industry when they had to book tickets, one of them was Aman. When I was short listed for ‘Jo Hum Chahein’ and went for the last rounds of auditions, I couldn’t believe that he is the same person for who I used to book tickets some years back!” Aman said, “Yes, I do remember calling her up to book tickets for the stars. We were looking for a tall, fair girl for the film and she was apt for the role.” Talk about being at the right place at the right time!

on Habib Jalib were the truth, not fiction.

He said many poets had influenced the masses but none could be compared to Jalib. Meanwhile, Sindh governor’s spokesman Rauf Siddiqui said Governor Dr Ishrat-ul-ebad could not attend the ceremony due to prior engagements, but he asked to Siddiqui represent him and congratulate Barelvi.

“The Sindh government has purchased 200 copies of Barelvi’s book and distributed them amongst those who don’t read,” he said.

Prominent poet, Iftikhar Arif, who was also the chief guest on the occasion, narrated anecdotes about the close relationship between Jalib and Barelvi.

Katrina

replaces

MuMbai: everyone knows that in Bollywood, it is the heroes who call the shots. the leading ladies are just incidental to the plot. So when one of B-town’s most powerful production houses signs an actress for three big projects, it is definitely time for the competition to sit up and take notice. Not only is Katrina Kaif doing three films for Aditya Chopra’s home production, she has been paired opposite the top three Khans. while Kareena Kapoor has already worked with Salman, Aamir and Shah Rukh, they were all projects with different production houses. Clearly, Chopra’s production house has never put so much faith in one actress. In fact, they’ve rarely repeated their leading ladies (barring Rani Mukherjee), and often work with the No 1 actress of the time before moving on to the next big star. Interestingly, Kat has already worked with the banner twice - in New york (2009) and Mere Brother Ki Dulhan (2011). Although she has worked with Salman in many films; come 2012, she begins Dhoom 3 with Aamir and an untitled film with Shah Rukh for the first time. the trade is abuzz with the news of how the actress, who has hit it off with Adi, has replaced Rani as the new favourite of the banner. aGeNCieS

Rani as Adi Chopra’s favourite

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Pages: 8

city and chelsea learning brutal truth

|Page 6

the afridi factor

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paGe 4

the Power of the sliPstream

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once in a blue moon

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Pakistan wraPs itself in glory

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SportS thiS Week ali akbar

He tennis world was startled by a statement from former French Open champion Yannick Noah, in which he accused the Spanish players of using performance enhancing drugs. Not only did Noah accuse the Spanish tennis players but he also put their other sportsmen like soccer players in the same bracket. Noah said that he could not understand how all the Spanish tennis players were so much stronger than the French. He requested the French Tennis Federation to allow its players to use these drugs so that they could be competitive.

overpowered bY STeroidS This is an astonishing statement and it reflects the frustration of clean players who get overpowered by their artificially enhanced comrades.

Noah is a legend in France and his words should not be taken lightly. Born in the Cameroon, Noah was discovered by Arthur Ashe, who convinced the French authorities to bring him to France for training. Noah won the French Open in 1983 and is the last Frenchman to do so. He has been a successful Davis Cup and Fed Cup captain as well as a best selling rock singer.

His son is an NBA star in the USA. It is not beyond the realms of possibility that Noah was prevailed upon by the French authorities to make this statement. The use of performance enhancing drugs by some of the very top Spanish players is an open secret on the tennis tour and now it is believed by most that the only way to

make it to the very top in tennis is to stay one step ahead of the anti-doping authorities.

ShoCk loSSeS The long tennis season is leading to a final weekend in London at the O2 arena where the top singles players and doubles teams are fighting it out for the year end championships. The wear and tear of the season is much in evidence as players like Nadal and Djokovic suffer shock losses. The two have played the most tennis as they almost always get to the later stages of tournaments and the cumulative effect of these matches begins to take its toll. Roger Federer looks fresh because he takes long breaks during the year. He has long given up the chase for rankings and is looking to add a couple of Grand Slam titles before he calls it a day. He has been on a two tournament winning streak and the way he tore through Nadal in the round robin stage, shows that there is some life left in the old horse.

valiaNT iNdo-pak eXpreSS The Indo-Pak express toiled valiantly in the doubles, losing a heartbreaker in the first match and then going out in straight sets in the second. But they have had a good end of the year, winning their first Masters event in Paris.

A Grand Slam title continues to elude them and they would be refocusing their energies towards that goal. It is well within their reach in the next two years but requires a bit of luck as well as the draw opening up for them.

Next on the tennis agenda is the Davis Cup finals in which Spain take on Argentina. The Argentinians have had their own problems with drugs, several of their top players testing positive in the past decade. It is indeed surprising how some of these players enhance their physiques so quickly, slapping on layers of muscles almost at will. The international sports bodies will have to do a serious rethink about this whole issue. Recently, one of the top American players, an all time great, locked herself up in a room rather than give a sample to the testers who surprised her at her home.

But some players are bigger than the game itself and the authorities permit them to announce their retirement or a long layoff, even if they do test positive.

iNCulCaTiNG The wiNNiNG habiT The Pakistan cricketers covered themselves with glory, winning the Test series and trouncing the Sri Lankans in the ODIs and the lone Twenty20 game as well. What was most impressive was the balance of the team and the calm manner in which the players went about their business. Winning is a habit and with a few wins under their belt, the boys were confident enough to pull out matches that they would, at another time have given up for lost.

After a long time, the players seem to have gelled as a team rather than a group of prima donnas working at cross purposes with each other. A lot of the credit should go to the unassuming captain, Misbah

ul Haq who has led from the front while empowering his players to think and perform for themselves. Gone are the days of the huffing and pouting so-called super stars who thought they were indispensable. No one is indispensable, least of all the three cricketers who are currently guests of Her Majesty's Correctional system.

The sooner the PCB realizes this, the better it will be for the team and the sport in general.

our Super SpiNNerS Pakistan and Sri Lanka squared off for their sole T20 game in Abu Dhabi on Friday. The Sri Lankans batted first and got off to a fast start aided by some wayward bowling by our new ball operators. The Sri Lankans were pegged back by the Pakistani spinners and some opportunistic fielding as well as the excellent Cheema who finished the job. Two sixes in the penultimate over hauled Pakistan back into the game after the regular fall of wickets had resulted in their falling short of the asking rate. It is tough to keep Afridi out of the limelight and the value of his presence on the team cannot be overstated. It was left to the ever reliable Misbah to guide his team home.

The Pakistani spinners must be the best in the business. Certainly, Ajmal would be right up there with Swann as the best of the best, while Afridi and Hafeez are a perfect foil. The only thing surpassing Ajmal’s bowling are his scintillating interviews which have gone viral on youtube.

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Once in a blue moon all baSeS covered

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KUnwAR KHULDUnE SHAHID

HIS sporting week has been packed with events that are seldom witnessed. In a week that was truly ‘one-of-a-kind’ in every sense of the term, here are some of the rarest happenings in the realm of

sports.

PAk doMinAnt in All forMAtS After being engulfed with off-field turmoil, our team’s backlash has been valiant. Downing a team that was ranked above us in all three formats was no mean task; and credit goes to Misbah for this massive turnaround in fortunes. The last year has been one of the most successful runs in our Test cricket’s recent history, and that has been coupled with emphatic triumphs in the limited-overs formats. What also stood out in all the three series was how the triumphs were veritable team efforts. The future is looking bright, only if we can steer clear of off-field antics we can continue to climb up the pecking order in world cricket.

Afridi’S reSPonSible diSPlAyS Afridi’s exploits in the fourth ODI were from the top-drawer. Rarely, if ever, would one witness the same player digging the side out of a hole with both bat and ball with the team staring down the barrel like we were in Sharjah.

Struggling at 97 for six, Afridi performed maturely with the bat and strung together partnerships down the order to ensure that we crept up to the respectability of 200. And with Sri Lanka needing a meager 46 from 74 balls, with Sangakkara and Jayawardene going great guns, it was again Afridi who pulled the rabbit out of the hat.

It would be an understatement to suggest that it’s not every day that Afridi gets a grip on his neurons with the willow in his hand. And, one wonders that if he can perform with maturity in a dodgy little quagmire that we found ourselves in, how exactly would he defend his nonsensical approach to batting for the past 15 years? And again, while his bowling has been progressing towards new heights, before his staggering spell on Sunday rarely has his match-winning exploits with the ball come with the batting side chasing down a moderate total in a pressure cooker situation. This column has been hard on Afridi, and justifiably so. His dexterity has never been in question, the temperament, his inability to act responsibly and perform consistently were.

Afridi claimed in his post-match interview that he had a “point to prove”. So now that the point is ostensibly proven, what next?

Back to the mindboggling irrationality?

Rarely has an international sportsman been given so much leeway for so long. While his peers have been dropped for prodigiously lesser sins, Afridi’s place has been unfathomably secure despite his inanities. With all this unparalleled latitude and

How often do we see Afridi showcasing responsibilty, Federer overpowering Nadal, Arsenal being England’s flagbearer in Europe, a drawn test match with the scores tied and a golfer being four shots off the pace after shooting nine birdies in a day?

the fact that for someone being touted as a ‘match-winner’ one could handpick three maybe four genuine world-beating performances in ‘clutch time’ in over a decade and a half of cricket, Afridi still has everything to prove. federer overAweS nAdAl Federer demolition act over Nadal in their group encounter in AWTFs witnessed Federer at his devastating best. Faced with Federer’s consummate stroke play, Nadal was hapless.

Despite his supreme skill and pedigree, witnessing Federer dominate Nadal is a sight most rare.

With their head-tohead skewed at 17-9 in the Spaniard’s favour, Nadal has always had Federer’s number. Another inimitable stat: four of the nine Federer triumphs have come in indoor arenas – and indoors he leads Nadal 4-0.

Nadal has never made significant inroads in indoor tournaments owing to two decisive factors.

First, the indoor season begins at the tail-end of the ATP calendar and hence more often than not Rafa is fatigued out. Second, and more importantly, indoor play connotes that the elements of nature – which quite often are Nadal’s decisive allies – are not there to aid the 10-time Grand Slam champion’s unique brand of tennis. Rafa thrives on all kinds of temperatures and the possibility of climatic fluctuations taking their toll on the opponent is not there. Also, air and wind aid Nadal’s stroke play that is dominated with profuse topspin and kick especially in his trademark forehand and serve.

Federer quite often is seen bogged down on his left flank, and never truly manages to escape that corner in outdoor contests. Therefore, when the menace surrounding Nadal’s deadliest weapon against Federer is moderated R-Fed manages to capitalise resoundingly!

Also, indoor turfs are normally slower and since the bounce is regular and even, it also allows the Swiss maestro to run around his backhand and strike his deadly forehand. Nadal might not have been at his best in London this year, but in indoor conditions Federer will always have that edge over his longtime nemesis. djokovic loSeS out to coMPAtriot Djokovic has had a tame ending to his record-shattering season. And it is understandable since his recent performances have been marred by injury and there are genuine concerns over his body allowing him to replicate this year’s form next year.

Nevertheless, even in the worst of times No-Djo does not lose out to fellow Serbians.

Prior to his threeset loss against Janko Tipsarevic, Djokovic had a 131 record against his compatriots Troicki and Tipsarevic and even that lone loss against Troicki came in the first ever matchup between the two good friends.

The top players do have a grip

over their fellow countrymen. Nadal rarely loses to another Spaniard, Federer almost always takes the sting out of Wawrinka and Djokovic has never given either Troicki or Tipsarevic a chance even when they have played their best tennis.

This trend has got a lot to do with the fact that when the top players get a measure of a particular opponent they manage to augment their stranglehold, the more often they play. Since players from the same country get to practice together a lot – owing to domestic tournaments, Davis Cup campaigns or even because of growing up together and being hitting partners more often than not – the dominant players gauge most facets of their counterparts. And hence, eventually the gauntlet is thrown to the other players to enhance their repertoire and penetrate out of their shell of underachievement – something David Ferrer has been doing recently; and not only against Nadal, as showcased by his run in London this week. All the same, the fact that three of the top four players have failed to reach the semis in AWTFs is an anomaly in itself.

ArSenAl’S euroPeAn diStinction english teams Champions League dilemma was thoroughly discussed in yesterday’s ‘ePL Crystal Ball’. But Arsenal’s turnaround in their season and the fact that they are the only english team that has qualified for the knockout stages with the final round yet to be played is worth elaborating in synchrony with the theme of this column.

Despite Chelsea’s assortment of european heartbreaks, it is Arsenal that is truly the most underachieving english club in europe. And now that it seems that they are the only english club that will top its group, and hence avoid the big shots in the draw for the last 16. In fact, there is a genuine possibility that Arsenal might be the only english club in the last 16.

Pundits have shown their perplexity regarding the infertility of Wenger’s all-conquering batches on the european front between 1998 and 2004 – an era that had two double-winning sides and the history-defying ‘Invincibles’. In fact, Arsenal’s most fruitful run in the competition came in 2006 when the team was traversing a transitory period.

Can this side replicate the achievement of 2006 and maybe go one step better?

Arsenal were drawn in the second toughest group this year, featuring the likes of Marseille – French Champions and Borrusia Dortmund – German Champions who last weekend toppled mighty Bayern in the Allianz Arena. On the other hand, Manchester United have made a meal of their annual gift from UeFA, Chelsea are making a meal of everything that is being put in front of them these days and Manchester City have failed to convert their domestic supremacy in europe. Arsenal meanwhile, have turned around an abysmal start to the season, and should be optimistic of going deep in most competitions. However, the two biggest stumbling blocks are that when the onus is on them the Gunners are usually out

of bullets and the fact that Robin Van Persie is made of glass.

AdAM Scott’S bizArre round It is not every day that someone shoots 9 birdies, and then manages to attract enough antagonistic forces to ensure that he was left four shots behind the leader. Adam Scott managed to accomplish this unique feat in the Australian PGA Championships on Thursday, courtesy his frequent rendezvous with water. Scott shot nine birdies, two bogeys, a double bogey, a triple bogey and five pars en route to a truly bizarre golfing show.

The Australian found water in three of the first five holes and hence despite some characteristically sublime putts, Scott was way off the pace on the leader board. Adam Scott flaunted both the weird and the wonderful on a day which could’ve seen his stamp his authority in the PGA Championships in front of the home faithful.

Nevertheless, with Tiger Woods languishing at the 58th spot in world rankings, nothing is exactly flummoxing in the domain of golf these days. drAMAtic eventS At MuMbAi After four days of run of the mill cricket, the final day at Gymkhana Ground proved to be a nail-biting finale. At the start of the day the safe money was on a draw but after West Indies were bundled out for 134 it left India with an achievable target of 243 in 64 overs. And just when it seemed that Windies have thrown away the match, the match became a ropy affair and every possible result was possible in the dying seconds of the game. Runs were scored, wickets tumbled, and at the end of it all India needed three runs of Fidel edwards’ final over, with two wickets in hand. edwards bowled a courageous over, with three dot balls up top, which were followed by Varun Aaron finally managing to conjure up a single. However, in an inexplicable moment of thoughtlessness Ravi Ashwin blocked the penultimate ball, leaving India with two runs to win off the final ball. The last ball was hit down the ground and the duo managed only a single. The fact that at the end of five days of test cricket, the result hinged on the last delivery of the game was a unique occasion in itself. Couple that with the fact that the match actually ended with the scores tied, makes it one of the rarest moments in the history of cricket.

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He curtain has come down on yet another rubber this year where Pakistan has done exceedingly well. And it has been conjectured not by a solitary analyst but a bevy of commentators that it could still have done better, that too against a side ranked a few notches higher, speaks volumes about the distance this seriously scarred and much-depleted Pakistan side has covered over the last one year.

To have overcome the trauma of the happenings of the later summer of 2010 in england, the lingering impact and aftershock of which is still being felt through sentencing and rejection of appeals, this quickly and with such aplomb is indeed credit worthy. And on this count none deserves recognition more than the skipper extraordinaire, Misbah-ul-Haq. Always calm and composed, Misbah in the last year and a bit when he took over first as the Test captain and then replaced the mercurial Shahid Afridi in the overs-limited formats too, has tried to shape the side in his own image – replacing volatility with reliability, less emphasis on individual glory and higher stress on the value of team work. The impact has been phenomenal.

It may have been even more devastating on the opposition had Pakistan took full advantage of the positions that it had played itself into. The most recent cases in point: two Tests that book-ended our win against Sri

eXperT CoMMeNT

Lanka, and the solitary ODI loss.

The cribbing of the commentariat itself is a positive. When the side is already punching above its weight, its occasional inability to go for the jugular and settle for a draw when it only had to dare to win disappoints only because the capacity to achieve that is so palpably there.

Having come this far that too would come – perhaps by the time we take on england, come the New Year.

So much has been said and written on Misbah and his brand of no-fuss, no-hysterics style of leadership.

One had the opportunity to speak to Waqar Younis, the man who in his own way has contributed big time in this most wonderful of revivals though he is no longer there as coach. He believes that Misbah’s being open and upfront in every situation, especially when a senior had to be consigned to the bench, and being communicative and understanding with the boys in private is the key to his commanding the respect of

his charges. With that critical part of the battle won, the rest fell in place and the team shaped up.

Perhaps Waqar is right. The unruffled manner and the grace with which Misbah handled the return of Shahid Afridi made it obvious that behind the quiet and affable demeanour, here is a person with spine who would not countenance being overshadowed even by a larger than life persona that Afridi without the least doubt is. In similar situations one has seen past captains getting nervous twitches, shrink and self-destruct. The whole lot of them had this issue whenever Wasim Akram made one of his myriad returns in the 1990s and early 2000s.

At the moment, the good thing is that the nucleus has been formed.

In one-day cricket when you have such quality all-rounders, as many as seven of them capable of turning any match on its head, you cannot do much wrong – especially when the spinners literally

choke the life out of batsmen in the middle overs. The one possible chink is the opening. By now it should have been clear, no matter how many runs he scores in domestic cricket, Imran Farhat is not the answer to our prayers. A halfway decent opener to go with Mohammad Hafeez, and our batting would look far more balanced than now.

In Test cricket too, though the combination changes with the onus on the pace of Umar Gul and spin of Saeed Ajmal, we have other handy operators in Aizaz Cheema with Hafeez providing depth. For the Tests, the batting issues mostly stand resolved. The opening pair is settled, Younus Khan and Misbah-ulHaq are rock solid, and though Azhar Ali’s strength in technique enables him to stay in the middle for long stints, the problem is the pace of scoring. As we found out to our cost, even in Test cricket, the exceptionally sedate manner is no longer the done thing.

Azhar, and of course Younus and Misbah too, need to show a little more urgency without courting danger.

The forward-defensive prod to the half-volleys and full tosses is indeed most unbecoming.

That said, the going is good at the time being, and the prospects in the near future looks even brighter.

But things could go wrong and unravel in a jiffy. One has seen that happen before, and there are omens that it could come to pass again. Watch this space for more on that.

Home-grown resources

left to spoil DeAN JoNeS

M

ICKeY Arthur has had some success as a coach with South Africa, including helping plot Australia's downfall in a Test series here in 2008-09, but he would not have been my choice to take over as coach of the Australian team.

The captain of a US aircraft carrier needs to have a pilot's licence for all the different types of planes that land on the ship. Arthur hasn't flown a jet - or more importantly in this case, played cricket at the highest level.

It's not a problem that Arthur is not Australian. My choice would have been former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming, possessor of the finest cricket brain I have

seen, and a man who coached Chennai to consecutive Indian Premier League titles.

Arthur will now be a selector. How much of a say he will have over the captain and other selectors, time will tell. Michael Clarke did not get the coach of his choice in Steve Rixon. So while Clarke is in his infancy as captain, it seems that Cricket Australia does not agree with or trust its new captain in all matters. There are also questions on how CA uses its resources. Do we use Shane Warne in the best way to talk to spinners and potential leaders? Why isn't Dennis Lillee being used more to help our quicks? Should Rod Marsh be a part-time selector when he was clearly the best coach of our kids coming through? Why doesn't CA use wonderful cricket brains like Bob Simpson, Keith Stackpole, Adam Gilchrist,

Glenn McGrath, Geoff Lawson, Mark Waugh, Merv Hughes, Rod Hogg, Damien Martyn and Damien Fleming? Sadly, for some reason, CA doesn't use these wonderful resources properly. Maybe the Test team could have two past players at each Test working in a mentoring role - just watching them prepare, talking about the little things of the game. Or maybe they should have these legends sit down and have dinner with them occassionally. Or help players when they are struggling. either way, we don't use their knowledge enough, nor do the current players seek it.

What now for former Australian coach Tim Nielsen? It seems that no one is interested in Tim, nor has anyone thanked him properly for his time as Australian coach.

Wrongly, it seems that he is being used as

the scapegoat for Australia's shortcomings over the past few years. everything is new at CA. In one month, it has appointed a new coach, high-performance manager and chairman of selectors, along with a couple of part-time selectors. everything is on the go, with a new Big Bash League approaching, but what will happen to Nielsen?

Cricket Australia can be very hard to read sometimes. It rakes in millions of dollars every year. It spends hundreds of thousands of dollars on young players and coaches coming through and when they retire they are thrown to the wood heap. Is that fair?

There is an old saying, ''I have been in a lot of shops over the years and I still can't buy experience anywhere.'' With all the knowledge and experience gained over many years in Australian cricket, it seems

that Nielsen has been kicked to the kerb.

During his time in charge, Australia lost two Ashes series, including a 3-1 defeat at home, and relinquished the World Cup. Beyond those three bad tournaments during his tenure, Nielsen had a win-loss ratio of 48 per cent. That is better than Simpson and Geoff Marsh, and yet he is not seen in the same light. In his 4½ years as head coach, he had achieved a lot. There were many Australian greats retiring and he had to find players to fill some massive shoes.

There were 25 players who made their Australian Test debuts in his time and 31 new one-day internationals. Many failed at this level, but he never moaned to the media that he didn't have the team he wanted. Many might say Nielsen had to go as we lost two Ashes series and a World Cup. But he didn't pick the team. Surely Andrew Hilditch, Jamie Cox and David Boon should cop most of that criticism. Cox and Boon particularly went silent and hid deep. Both retain better cricket reputations, but it seems that poor old Tim copped the worst of it. For the record, thanks, Tim, for your efforts. You are a wonderful bloke and put in a lot of work for Australian cricket when it was in a transitional stage.

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A job

well done the Yorker Length nABEEL SABIR The Pakistan cricket team has had a fruitful year so far in 2011. Starting the year with an ODI series win in New Zealand, then in the World Cup they played fantastically only to lose out to eventual winners India in the semi-final. Then in the Caribbean, they won the ODI series before drawing the Tests series 1-1.

And the 2011-12 started with a comprehensive victory over Zimbabwe in all three formats in September. The justfinished rubber against Sri Lanka was supposed to be their toughest Test this year, given the fact that the opponents were a top notch side and had played good cricket in the lead up to this series.

Though the team comprised mostly of

the youngsters, yet with Misbah-ul-Haq leading them well and inculcating unity, they knew what was expected of them.

Importantly, they delivered. The Test series was won 1-0, the second Test at Dubai being the clincher, while the other two Tests could also have Pakistan’s way had our batsmen shown some urgency in getting their runs.

It was indeed a fine performance

by Misbah and his charges; they gelled well together and believed in themselves. For the ODI series, Pakistan was bolstered by the return of the charismatic all-rounder Shahid Afridi.

He made his impact straightway. With his all out energy, his performance with both bat and ball, and his presence itself was good for the side. With the ball he took 3-27, 2-35, 2-42, 5-35 and 1-60, for a tally of 13 wickets in

the five games and also scored a dashing 75 in the fourth just when the team needed it as Pakistan won the ODI series comprehensively by 4-1.

Pakistan could also have won the only game they lost, had our batsmen organized the run chase at Dubai in the second match a little better. Along with Afridi’s superb all-round show it was another good team effort as everyone did the job required of him. The openers Mohammad Hafeez and Imran Farhat combined well at the top. In the middle order, Younis Khan, Misbah and Umar Akmal did splendidly well, especially Umar off whom much was expected and he delivered by scoring the highest number of runs and topping the averages with 161 runs at 53.66 with two fifties for his team. In bowling it were the spinners who led the way: Afridi took 13 scalps while Saeed Ajmal took 11 wickets.

Ajmal’s contribution was also reflective in his economy rate – just 3.97 in the series, something unheard of in present-day ODI cricket. With his fine show, Ajmal also became the number one bowler in the ICC ODI rankings.

Having lost the Test and the fivematch ODI rubbers comprehensively, the Sri Lankans may have hoped to lift themselves for the only T20 game. But again Pakistan maintained its superiority with a combined team effort. Restricted to 141 by Aizaz Cheema’s 4 for 30, Pakistan’s solid reply was built upon a sedate 48 not out by captain Misbah managed to coast to victory with five wickets to spare.

Pakistan completely outplayed Sri Lanka, with Sri Lanka only winning one game out of the nine played across the three formats. Pakistan’s strength lay in their unity and solid bowling performances as the pitches were pretty flat and a special effort was needed to take wickets.

While our bowling was superb, with the likes of Saeed Ajmal, Junaid Khan, Shahid Afridi, Umar Gul and Aizaz Cheema delivering all the time, the batsmen too didn’t disappoint. All this culminated in a fine team effort.

Pakistan will now head out to Bangladesh for a one-off T20I, three ODIs and two Tests, confident that it will replicate this performance. Misbah and his charges in the days to come indeed are likely to bring more cheer to a nation that deserves better than it gets in almost every strata of life.

BrAziliAN GrAND The power of The slipsTream

Comment MARK wEBBER The Brazilian Grand Prix is a great race with which to end the season this weekend. It is one of the best grand prix of the year in terms of atmosphere. The Brazilians are extremely passionate about Formula 1, and the country has a phenomenal history with great drivers such as Emerson Fittipaldi, Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna, who have all competed at Interlagos, the track where the race is held. As anyone who has seen the film Senna will know, the success of their drivers - particularly Senna himself - has given the Brazilians a lot of national selfbelief, and that is reflected in their grand prix. The track is packed, queues to get in stretch hundreds of metres down the road and the spectators come from a huge

array of backgrounds. The Interlagos circuit is set up perfectly for them to see the race and to provide a unique atmosphere.

It is laid out in a natural amphitheatre, so from the pit-straight grandstands you can see virtually the whole circuit. The spectators can get right up to the edge of the circuit and the track is right in the middle of the city of Sao Paulo. Interlagos has produced some sensational races - quite often, but not always, because of the unpredictable weather. There have been titles decided there in dramatic style - such as Lewis Hamilton's in 2008- some great drives from Senna, and some huge crashes, including the ones that Fernando Alonso and I had in 2003. It's a track you can really race on, too. The slipstream works very well there up the hill from the last corner to the pit straight. That's because there are a couple of kinks, which is something that has been overlooked

when it comes to promoting overtaking through circuit design. It's the same at Spa in Belgium with the run through Blanchimont to the Bus Stop chicane, and up the hill after Eau Rouge. And in Turkey on the back straight. As you go through a kink, the slipstream becomes more powerful. The car seems to give off a slightly different wake and that opens up your options when it comes to overtaking in Turn One. That is generally where the overtaking tends to happen; it's pretty tough to do it at other sections of the lap. We all enjoy going there, even though Brazil has its challenges as a society. I got a bit of an insight into that when I visited a youth boxing club years ago. It was great seeing the guys there.

They couldn't train unless they had done their homework properly, and the sparring was their reward. I may go back to visit it again this year. (BBC)

Looking back whiLe Looking ahead the Yorker Length MUHAMMAD BUTT Congratulations to Pakistan on winning the ODI series against Sri Lanka by an emphatic margin of 4-1 and in the process moving up the ICC rankings by one spot. In my preview, Pakistan was marked as slight favourites, expecting the Lankan outfit to put up a good fight but they went down without a whimper. And had it not been for some poor shot selection and running between the wickets in the second ODI, Pakistan would have surely whitewashed the Islanders.

The Sri Lankans, under Tillakeratne Dilshan, looked hapless and lacked conviction.

The form of their key players was patchy at best. While they had their moments during the course of the series, lack of confidence and belief meant that they failed to take the chances that came their way. On the other hand, Misbah’s boys showed pretty much all the attributes that you look for in a successful team. Ruthlessness in the first and the last ODIs and fighting spirit in the third and fourth amply reflected that.

While Afridi deservedly won man of the series, it was pleasing to note that almost everyone contributed in some form or the other which made this a team effort in the truest sense of the word. Pakistan have got themselves into a winning habit which is always a good thing and while the opposition have not been the toughest recently, the confidence gained from these victories will hold the team in good stead facing sterner tests.

Afridi hogs the limelight more often than not but this time round – brilliant with the ball and sensible with the bat – he richly deserved it. The two As, Afridi and Ajmal, were well nigh unplayable to negotiate through the series, and combining with the miserly Hafeez formed the bedrock of Pakistan’s victories. Afridi may claim to have proved his point but the question still remains: can he perform like this consistently?

It is particularly interesting how over the last year or so the team’s main weapon has become spin where as in the past, fast bowlers formed the nucleus of the attack.

An indication of how well the trio have been doing can be found in the form of the latest ICC ODI bowlers’ rankings where Ajmal now sits atop the pile followed by Afridi and Hafeez in the seventh and eighth position respectively.

The spinners did a wonderful job adapting to bowling with two new balls and fast bowlers in and around the squad have their work cut out if they are to make the playing eleven. Another positive was Sarfaraz Ahmed who kept well enough and showed improvement and calmness with the bat.

The batting is still a slight concern and though it came out of this series unscathed, they will find the going a lot tougher when up against an actual bowling attack. Underuse and misuse of Asad Shafiq is a tad disappointing since he is talented enough and needs to be playing regularly and in the middle order to showcase his true potential – like he did in the T20 game.

Pakistan’s next assignment is Bangladesh, where they are to play a single T20 followed by three ODIs and two Tests.

No disrespect to the Bengalis but Pakistan would have to be overwhelming favourites for this one. Bangladesh are coming off series losses against Australia, Zimbabwe, the West Indies and a resilient and focused Pakistan may prove too hot to handle.

However, Misbah and his players must guard against complacency and treat the opposition with respect.

Pakistan has named more or less the same squad that triumphed against Sri Lanka with Kamran Akmal and Wahab Riaz continuing to have a ‘rest’. This really is a strange one here because if the duo is being sidelined because of its suspected involvement in the spot fixing saga, why doesn’t the PCB bring this out in the open. And if indeed, a behind closed doors inquiry is being carried out based on Mazhar Majeed’s claims, how are Umar Akmal and Imran Farhat – involved in spot fixing according to the same man – still in the squad?

Injuries to Junaid Khan and Razzaq mean they will miss out but it should not be a major concern given how well stocked the bowling department is. Mohammad Khalil, another left armer and currently the jointleading wicket taker in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy has been recalled from the wilderness to replace Junaid. Khalil last played a Test on Pakistan’s 2005 tour of India.

Despite the recent run of good form, the Pakistani team is still a work in progress and while Misbah’s methods have come under scrutiny, and in some cases rightly so, the bottom line is that he is producing results at the moment and one expects the team to get a positive result against Bangladesh.

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Comment FAIzAn zAKARIA PoLAnI

C

ALLeD up as a leg-spinner straight out of the under-19 squad to fill in for the injured Mushtaq Ahmad in 1996, Shahid Afridi made his first impact on international cricket with the willow instead. Smashing a century off only 37 deliveries in his very first innings not only made him enter the record books but also elevated him to the status of a super star – overnight. His fearless style of batting made him an instant hit, earning him the nickname of ‘Boom Boom’.

His super stardom, however, came along

with a lot of glamour and a fair share of controversies. The poster boy of several brands, and of late owner of a local clothing line, Afridi just like every other super star to don the Pakistan greens had been marred by numerous controversies. From sledging to thrusting his bat at a spectator, and from scuffing the pitch to biting the ball, he seems to have done it all on the field. Off the field, as well, he has been a key figure in the team politics over the years, and has had quite a few scuffles with the administration, the most recent one leading to his ‘conditional’ retirement.

While his mighty hitting has sent chills down the spines of bowlers around the world, and his controversies have been the talk of the town, Afridi has rather

quietly established himself as the most prolific leg-spinner in the post-Warne era.

Afridi is ranked ninth on the all-time ODI wicket-takers list, ahead of Warne, and in the last 10 years his tally is only topped by Brett Lee and Muthiah Muralitharan. His ability to economically get through the middle overs has been integral to our success over the years, and his knack of breaking partnerships and getting wickets at critical junctures has led Pakistan to glory at various instances. A testament to his match-winning abilities is the fact that in each of the 10 matches in which he has taken four or more wickets, Pakistan has gone on to win the match.

Often criticised for being inconsistent

with the bat, he has been as consistent a performer as anyone with the ball. While bowlers who rely on variations eventually get worked out by the batsmen and hence become easier to face, Afridi’s variations have become even more bamboozling for batsmen around the world. With 40 wickets in 24 matches at an average of 20.95 in 2011, including the tournament-leading 21 wickets at in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, the leg-spinning all-rounder seems to have peaked at the age of 31.

And with a vast bowling arsenal, that includes the traditional leg-break, two googlies, a conventional off-break and a devastating faster one, and the ability to mix things up with deadly accuracy, he

has been unplayable as of late. electrifying in the field and the holder of several batting records, including the fastest ODI hundred, most sixes in an ODI career, and the youngest ODI centurion, it has been with the ball that he has had the biggest impact on the game. Watching him stand in the middle of the pitch, hands aloft, fingers pointing towards heavens to celebrate a wicket has become the most gratifying visual for every Afridi fan. And while many of his fans may feel disappointed every time he falls doing a reckless slog, it should come as a source of solace that it was for his bowling that he was brought in, and what he has achieved as a spinner over his career has been nothing short of brilliant.

City and Chelsea learning brutal truth Comment PAUL HAYwARD

T

He mistake is to look only at the money and ignore the human element. On a purely economic reading, Manchester City’s extravagance should smash a path through europe and the €15 million Roman Abramovich spent just to extricate Andre Villas-Boas from Portugal is a guarantee of conquest. “Struggling? Are you serious?” Sir Alex Ferguson asked before rising, with a smile, from his press conference seat. A winner of two Champions League titles in his 25 years, Ferguson was not inclined to join a debate about english toil in this group phase. Arsenal, the former broken men of the Premier League, are through to the knockout rounds for the 12th consecutive season. Roberto Mancini, the City manager, though, rates his own chances of escaping the europa League booby prize no higher than “30 per cent”. On the other side of a booming football metropolis, Manchester United will step down if they lose in Basle on the night City host Bayern Munich, their

group’s top dog. With their “high line” working like a noose,Chelsea need to avoid elimination against Valencia at Stamford Bridge to lessen the chances of Abramovich ditching a manager for the seventh time in as many years. Naturally a jig is starting up in readiness for the fall of two great monuments to extravagance. The inability of Chelsea’s players to break tactical habits instilled in them by Jose Mourinho (and only tinkered with by his successors) guarantees that Villas-Boas has become his own daily survival movie. The Inflexibles, as this Chelsea side may come to be remembered in their later years, turned on Luiz Felipe Scolari for undermining the ancient virtues of midfield power and defensive resilience. The chances are they will turn against Villas-Boas too for trying to change the style too fast for them to deal with. Then it will all come down to Abramovich’s football intelligence. Does he change the manager again or this time the players? With the team’s identity in flux it comes as no surprise to observe the regression in europe, where positional confusion is punished much more sharply than in england, where Chelsea are hardly impenetrable either. All we are seeing is the

battle between past and future played out under harsher continental lights and the images are hardly pretty. With their £194.9 million loss, and their bristling two-team squad, City are even less likely to attract the sympathy of neutrals as they endeavour to recover from defeats in Munich and Naples. Aurelio De Laurentiis, the Napoli president, is a film producer and amateur clown who called Lionel Messi “a cretin” and claimed english women “do not wash”, so we ought to be wary of repeating his description of City as “a toy” which Sheikh Mansour will walk away from if the europa League is all he gets for his money. All this disdain demonstrates is that City’s wealth has blinded many to a deeper football truth. The Premier and Champions Leagues are contrasting universes, in tactics, tempo and tone. On the playing fields of england, City have scored 42 times in 12 league games and have pinned opponents back with their orchestral forward play and doughty back four plus two screening midfielders.

Few Premier League sides will counter-attack them lethally or try to match them for possession. Beyond the Channel these are established arts. For £200,000

a week, the absentee landlord Sheikh is entitled to expect a little euro-literacy for his cash. Most of these City players are fully equipped for europe. Collectively though, in a tough group, they have yet to learn how to switch between the two modes, as Arsenal and United have over many years. Complacency in the 3-3 home draw with Basle largely explains United’s predicament. Two-nil up after 17 minutes, they were 3-2 down before Ashley Young’s late equaliser and for them the campaign has been a recovery mission stemming from that night.

The cost could be a second-round tie against Bayern Munich, Real Madrid or Barcelona. Spain is where the real power shines.

Real and Barca have each scored 16 times in five group outings. At home and abroad Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are engaged in an arms race which Arsenal’s Robin van Persie has joined, with 31 goals in 29 league appearances in 2011. Arsenal climbed on top of Borussia Dortmund through Alex Song’s wonderful dribble and Van Persie’s finishing. The individual human element still beats the pound sign, still writes history. Money is not always destiny, even for Chelsea and City. (Telegraph)

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ICC Women’s World Cup qualifiers

Pakistan lose to WI in final LAHoRE

P

STaff reporT

AKISTAN lost to the West Indies in the final of the ICC Women’s World Cup qualifier final by 130 runs in Dhaka on Saturday.

West Indies set a handsome target of 250 runs with the help of 95 by Deandra Dottin.

But Pakistan were only managed to score 130. West Indian spinner Anisa Mohammed bowled outstandingly well and picked seven wickets. She also got ‘Man of the Match’ award. Only four Pakistani players reached the double figures. It is to be mentioned here that Pakistan women’s team had already qualified for the ICC Women’s World Cup 2013 after showing outstanding performances in the event. West Indies have now risen in the Reliance ICC Women’s ODI Team Rankings – West Indies now sit fifth in the world while Pakistan have risen from eighth to now occupy sixth place.

In the third/fourth play-off between Sri Lanka and South Africa at Khanshaheb Osman Ali Stadium, Sri Lanka defeated South Africa by three wickets. Sri Lanka have maintained their global ranking of seven, while South Africa have slipped from fifth to eighth. In Bangladesh’s first ODI since gaining international status on November 24, Salma Khatun’s side defeated Ireland.

Ireland now occupy the 10th place. In the seventh/eighth play-off, The Netherlands comfortably defeated USA by 126 runs at BKSP 3.

At Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Merissa Aguilleira won the toss and elected to bat first against Pakistan. West Indies opening duo, Taylor and Juliana Nero, got things going at a quick pace with the pair making 45 in the first 10 overs, but Taylor departed as the ninth over was drawing to its end after she was clean bowled by Pakistan vice-captain Bismah Maroof.

A spectacular 95 from Deandra Dottin saw the young all-rounder from Barbados smash seven sixes, four of them in one over, to help the West Indies to a hefty total of 250 after Juliana Nero had steadied the West Indies batting line up with Taylor and Shanel Daley departing for 32 and 20 respectively. Dottin corner-stoned the West Indian innings, much to the delight of the crowd, she was assisted by Nero, Aguilleira and Stacy-Ann King, the latter providing a lovely cameo with the bat once again. Dottin departed after trying to hit a six off Bismah and was promptly caught by Nain Abidi.

In reply, Pakistan took time to get proceedings underway, losing an early wicket in Nida Dar, the 24-year-old promoted up the order to open, and she departed for just two runs after Daley trapped her leg-before. Mohammed then combined with Taylor to spin the Pakistanis out of

Pakistani girls gave enviable performance right through the

tournament except the final

a chance of reaching the 251 target. Thereafter Mohammed ripped through Pakistan’s batting line-up to remove Qanita Jalil, the top-scorer of the Pakistan side.

Mohammed then worked her magic through the middle-order removing Sana, Bismah Maroof, Nain Abidi, Asmavia Iqbal and the entire lower order to complete the day with match figures of 8.2-1-14-7, it is the 23-year-old’s best bowling in an ODI to date.

Pakistan captain, Sana was disappointed with the loss

but admitted West Indies were the better side on the day. “We know we can play better cricket than we did today, but that being said, credit must go to the West Indies team who played a superb all-round game.

“We’re pleased we have qualified for both the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 and the ICC Women’s World Cup, plus we have gone up in the Reliance ICC Women’s ODI Team Rankings from eighth to sixth which I am thrilled about,” she added.

lahore, Sialkot victorious in women’s cricket MURIDKE STaff reporT

Asif, Butt playing with tennis ball in jail LAHoRE STaff reporT The two Pakistan cricketers, jailed for deliberately bowling no-balls in a Test in a betting scam, held training sessions and mock matches with a tennis ball in the exercise yard during their time at Wandsworth Prison. According to Daily Mirror, now Asif, 28, who was jailed for a year, and Butt, 27, sentenced to two-and-a-half years, have been moved to the “cushy” Category C Canterbury Prison in Kent. The paper quoted source:

“The team were gutted when they were told Butt and Asif had been shipped out. “The pair created a real buzz. Now that they have gone, the cricket team just isn’t the same.” Fast bowler Mohammad Amir, 19, and sports agent Mazhar Majeed, 36, were also jailed for their part in the betting scam. Butt and Asif wanted to be deported to serve their sentences in ¬Pakistan. But businessman Dalawar Chaudhry, who has visited them in prison, said: “It would give the wrong impression. We have advised them to serve their time here.”

Lahore and Sialkot won their matches of the U-19 National Women’s Cricket Championship without much trouble at the Country Club Muridke on Saturday. Lahore beat Rawalpindi by nine wickets while Sialkot defeated Peshawar by three wickets. Rawalpindi Region U-19–30 in 11.1 overs: (Zara Iqbal 12, 30 balls, Namra Imran 3-4, Asha Khan 2-7, Saba Nazir 2-4) v Lahore Region U19 – 31-1 in 5 overs: (Fareha Mahmood 13*) Player of the Match: Namra Imran

reSulTS

lahore Region won by 9 wickets toss: Rawalpindi, umpires: Riffat Mustafa & kosar Shah Match Referee: Shahid Butt Peshawar Region u-19 – 81-8 in 20 overs: (Arifa 27, 52 balls, 2x4s, Saima Maqsood 4-11, Afreen Shehzadi 3-12) v Sialkot Region u-19 – 82-7 in 18.4 overs: (Irum Khalid 27, 49 balls, 2x4s, Ayesha Naeem 2-7, usra Amir 2-15) Player of the Match: Saima Maqsood, Result: Sialkot Region won by 3 wickets, toss: Peshawar Region, umpires: Humaira Farrah & Samera Aftab, Match Referee: Shahid Butt official Scorer: Sajjad-ul-Hasan.

Pakistan have virtually dominated

every match of the series ISLAMABAD STaff reporT

Saeed Hai Ranking Tennis begins KARACHI STaff reporT

tries were received including 25 outstation players for the event.

The Saeed Hai National Ranking Tennis Championship commenced at the synthetic courts of Karachi Gymkhana on Saturday. Patron-in-chief Karachi Tennis Association Taj Haider inaugurated the week long event. Additional Secretary Tariq Jaferi, Ms Rafia Halim, Musheer Rabbani, Gulzar Firoz, Jamal Mirza M. Khalid Rehmani and Ali Rahim were also present at the inauguration ceremony. Around 150 plus en-

Men s singles qualifying round: Vinod Das beat Imran Akram 6-0, 6-0; Abdullah Khan beat Hafiz talib (Punjab) 6-0, 6-0; talha zubair beat Ali osama 6-1, 6-0; Syed Fraz Mir beat talha Abrar 6-1, 6-2; Ahsan Mehmood beat omer Hayat 2-6, 6-2, 10-6; Shayan beat Daniyal Hashmi 6-4, 1-6, 10-6; Khalid Ali Nazar beat Saeed Azher 6-2, 62; Farhan Mustafa w/o Abdus sami; Abdul Majeed ( Hyderabad) beat Salman But 6-0, 6-1; Faiq Azam beat Shayan Ahmed 6-0, 6-0; Asif Bachani ( Hyderabad) beat Ahsan Ismail 6-1, 6-1.

Men’s singles 2nd Qualifying Round 2: Khalid

reSulTS

Ali Nazar beat Qurban Bachani 7-6, 0-6, 7-6; Mubashir Afridi beat Farrukh Chishtai 6-0, 6-0; Vinod Das beat Fahim Ramza 6-2, 6-2; Farhan Mustafa beat Abdullah Khan 6-2, 6-1; talha zubair beat Syed Fraz Mir 6-1, 6-3.

Juniors under 18 Singles qualifying round: Ahsan Ismasil beat taha Hasan 6-0, 6-2; Shehraz beat Imran Akram 6-1, 6-0; Ahsan Mehmood beat owais Ahmed 7-5, 4-6, 7-6; Nazif Ahmed beat Helil Pasha 6-0, 6-0; M. Salman beat Hasnain Haider 6-3, 4-6, 10-8. Ahsan Ismail beat taha Hasan 6-0, 6-2; Shehroz beat Shayan Mushahid 6-0, 6-2.

Boys under 14 singles qualifying round: Khizer Imran lohya beat osama Khan 6-2, 1-6, 11-9 Azaan Khan beat Daniyal Agar 6-3, 6-2.

Fayaz excelled as Pakistan whitewashed India in Brien Holden Vision Cricket Series winning the third and final match by eight wickets at the Shalimar Cricket Stadium, Islamabad.

Pakistan won the toss and decided to bat first. India got the first shock when their in-form Parkash was bowled by Anees.

Venkateish and Vikas Patel gave stability to Indian innings, Venkateish scored 67 runs while Vikas Patel supported with 60 runs.

Ganesh played the innings of 64 runs to help India cross 300 run mark. India in their 40 overs posted competitive 330 runs on the board for the loss of nine wickets.

Anees was the pick of the bowlers by taking two wickets, Muhammad Waqas and Jameel shared a wicket apiece. Pakistan, in reply, were guided home by Muhammad Fayaz. He played the brilliant innings of 186 runs not out with the help of 29 (4’s) and 1 six on 108 balls. He hammered the In-

dian bowling and took the game away from India. Pakistan chased the target on 32.4 overs for the loss of two wickets. The other major scorers for Pakistan were Anees Javeed 43 runs not out, Masood Jan 42 and Muhammad Zafar 40 runs. Hetish took one wicket. Pakistan with this win whitewashed India and won the series by 3-0. This was also the 27th (27th) consecutive one-day internationals victory for Pakistan and the 7th consecutive one-day series triumph.

Paul Molloy, the Deputy High Commissioner of Australian High Commission in Pakistan was the chief guest of the occasion along with Syed Sultan Shah Chairman PBCC and Zakir Khan Director Domestic Cricket Operations PCB and distributed prizes among the players. Muhammad Zafar was adjudged man of the ODI series in B1 category, Masood Jan in B2 and Muhammad Jameel (Boom Boom) was declared man of the series in B3 category.

The Indian Blind Cricket team will depart to India (New Delhi) on the morning of 28th November through Lahore-Delhi Bus Service.

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India, Windies in dramatic draw SCoreboard

MuMBAI: west Indies captain Darren Sammy (R) celebrates with wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh after the third test. AFP MUMBAI

I

afp

NDIAN spinners Pragyan Ojha and Ravichandran Ashwin plotted a sensational West Indies collapse before the third and final Test ended in a thrilling draw with scores level on the last day on Saturday. Left-arm spinner Ojha finished with 6-47 and off-spinner Ashwin with 4-34 as the West Indies were dismissed for 134 in their second innings in the morning after losing their last eight wickets for 43 runs.

India finished at 242-9 chasing a 243-run target, with young middle-order batsman Virat Kohli scoring an impressive 63 and explosive opener Virender Sehwag riding his luck to smash a 65-ball 60. The hosts needed three runs to win

Rashid in ItF Seniors Ranking tennis final KARACHI STaff reporT

The 15th PSO Pak ITF Seniors Tennis World Ranking Championship entered the semi-finals stage here at the Karachi Tennis arena on Saturday.

Competitions in 35, 45 and 55 plus age categories were played with former Davis Cupper Rashid Malik moving to the final of the 45 years of age category in singles and doubles.

Results 35 plus semifinal: Muhammed Abdul Saeed beat ejaz Sarhadi 1-6, 6-1, 6-0 45 plus singles quarter-final: Syed Muhammed Jalal beat Iltifat Ahmed 63, 4-6 rtd.

45 plus singles semifinal: Rasheed Malik (Lahore) beat Israr Gul (Khyber PK) 6-2, 6-2 55 Plus singles quarter final: Zafar Hasan beat Amjad Hafeez 6-1, 6-1; Sabih Wali beat Muhammed Akram 60, 6-2 45 Plus Doubles 1st round: Akhter Aliman & Qamruddin habib (Hyderbadad) w/o Zulfiqar Hakim & Shahid Hussain 45 Plus Doubles Semi final: Rasheed Malik & Israr Gul beat Altaf Hussain & Rafiq 6-3, 6-1.

in the last over with two wickets in hand, but fast bowler Fidel edwards conceded only two to prevent India from making a clean sweep. India won the first Test in New Delhi by five wickets and the second match in Kolkata by an innings and 15 runs. A pair of below-par batting performances marked the 17-wicket day, with the West Indies collapsing in their second innings in the morning and then the famed Indian batting line-up struggling to achieve the target.

India were 189-6 at one stage after losing Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir (12), Rahul Dravid (33), Sachin Tendulkar (three), Venkatsai Laxman (31) and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (13) before Kohli raised his team’s victory hopes.

Sehwag, who was dropped thrice, added 82 for the second wicket with

Dravid before being caught by skipper Darren Sammy at short fine-leg while attempting a reverse-paddle sweep off legspinner Devender Bishoo. Tendulkar, who needs just one more hundred to complete an unprecedented 100 international centuries, was caught by Kirk edwards at mid-wicket off part-time spinner Marlon Samuels. The West Indies started the day with an overall lead of 189 runs with eight wickets in hand before faltering against the Indian spin duo.

The West Indies, leading by 108 runs on the first innings, batted just 23.2 overs in the morning before they were all out after being 91-2 at one stage, with Darren Bravo top-scoring with 48.

The tourists had only their poor shotselection to blame for their dismal performance, with none of their batsmen

weST iNdieS, 1st innings: 590 (d. bravo 166, k. edwards 86, k. powell 81, k. brathwaite 68, a. barath 62, M. Samuels 61; r. ashwin 5-156) iNdia, 1st innings: 482 (r. ashwin 103, S. Tendulkar 94, r. dravid 82, G. Gambhir 55, v. kohli 52; M Samuels 3-74, r. rampaul 3-95) weST iNdieS 2nd innings (overnight 81-2): 3 a. barath c laxman b ojha k. brathwaite c Tendulkar b ojha 35 k. edwards st dhoni b ojha 17 d. bravo c and b ojha 48 k. powell lbw b ashwin 11 0 M. Samuels st dhoni b ojha 1 C. baugh b ashwin 10 d. Sammy c dhoni b ashwin r. rampaul c Tendulkar b ojha 0 2 f. edwards not out 0 d. bishoo lbw b ashwin 7 extras (b3, lb4) 134 Total (for all out; 57.2 overs) fall of wickets: 1-6 (barath), 2-30 (k. edwards), 3-91 (brathwaite), 4-112 (bravo), 5-112 (Samuels), 6-117 (baugh), 7120 (powell), 8-129 (rampaul), 9-134 (Sammy), 10-134 (bishoo). bowling: ojha 27-5-47-6, Sharma 8-2-15-0, aaron 4-0-23-0, ashwin 15.2-0-34-4, Sehwag 2-0-3-0, Tendulkar 1-0-5-0. iNdia 2nd innings: G. Gambhir c Sammy b f. edwards 12 v. Sehwag c Sammy b bishoo 60 33 r. dravid c sub (ramdin) b Samuels 3 S. Tendulkar c k. edwards b Samuels 31 v. laxman c barath b rampaul 63 v. kohli c Sammy b bishoo MS dhoni c k. edwards b rampaul 13 r. ashwin run out 14 i. Sharma b rampaul 10 v. aaron not out 2 1 eXTraS (nb1) 242 ToTal (for nine wickets; 64 overs) fall of wickets: 1-19 (Gambhir), 2-101 (Sehwag), 3-106 (Tendulkar), 4-113 (dravid), 5-165 (laxman), 6-189 (dhoni), 7224 (kohli), 8-239 (Sharma), 9-242 (ashwin). bowling: f. edwards 7-2-28-1 (nb1), rampaul 16-1-56-3, Samuels 25-0-93-3, bishoo 16-0-65-2. reSulT: Match drawn SerieS reSulT: india clinch three-Test series 2-0 Man of the match: r. ashwin (iNd) Man of the series: r. ashwin

applying himself on a fifth-day track offering turn and bounce.

The Indian spin duo maintained their supremacy over the West Indies batsmen, with Ashwin grabbing 22 wickets in his debut Test series and Ojha 20 in three matches. Ojha, who claimed his second haul of five or more wickets in an innings in the series, started the slide when he removed teenager Kraigg Brathwaite before accounting for Bravo and Samuels in the same over.

Brathwaite added just one run to his overnight score of 34 before he was caught at point by Tendulkar while attempting to cut an Ojha delivery that turned and bounced. Bravo offered a return catch while Samuels was stumped by Dhoni for no score when he played the wrong line after stepping out of the crease.

Misbah hopes Pakistan continue good run in Bangladesh ABU DHABI afp

Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq on Saturday hoped his team continued their winning streak during the tour of Bangladesh starting next week, after whitewashing Sri Lanka in all three formats of the game.

Pakistan beat Sri Lanka in the oneoff Twenty20 international on Friday, capping a successful tour in which they also won the three-Test series 1-0 and five-match one-day serie 4-1.

Pakistan play a Twenty20 international against Bangladesh on Tuesday.

They also play three one-day and two Tests on the tour.

Misbah said his team is determined to continue the good form.

“I hope my team shows more improvement and consistency on the tour of Bangladesh which like any other tour is not easy,” said 37-year-old Misbah, who has not lost a Test series since taking over in October last year.

Misbah has lost only one of ten one-day matches since replacing Shahid Afridi as limited overs captain in June this year.

Misbah said his team will not take Bangladesh lightly.

“The morale and confidence of the team is very high after beating a team

like Sri Lanka, but despite that we are not going to take Bangladesh lightly as they are a tough team in their home conditions,” said Misbah.

Misbah said the team was very united in the wake of spot-fixing scandal which ended in jail sentences for Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer.

“The situation under which Pakistan cricket went through in the last year has binded the team very well and as required all the players showed

unity and discipline which is a very good sign,” said Misbah.

“Discipline and focus on and off the field was very important and that’s what we have shown after some problems hit us hard, but I am confident that this bunch of players will continue in that spirit,” said Misbah.

Sri Lanka had contrasting fortunes during the tour, but skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan hoped fans back home would show patience.

“I know like us every cricket fan in Sri Lanka would be disappointed,” said Dilshan, who has lost three Tests and as many one-day series since taking over in May this year.

Dilshan said all the players tried their best.

“I hope fans believe in us and give us more time because we tried our level best. There were times when we were in strong positions but we didn’t capitalise on them and lost track,” said Dilshan.

Sri Lanka tour South Africa next month where they play five one-day and three Tests -- a gruelling tour in Dilshan’s opinion.

“South Africa is one of the best teams in the world so we have to sit down, try to address our mistakes and I am confident that all the young players will do the job well,” said Dilshan.

uAe keen to host Indo-Pak cricket series LAHoRE STaff reporT

The emirates Cricket Board (eCB) has expressed a desire to host a highly anticipated series between Pakistan and India, if it was to be held at a neutral venue.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Zaka Ashraf will be visiting India early next month to hold discussions on the issue. The UAe has become a second home for Pakistan amid drought of international cricket and expressed hope to host the possible series. "We will love to host the series. We've hosted memorable matches between the two countries.

We've improved our stadiums as per the required standards and are confident that we can hold the series in a befitting manner," eCB Chief executive Officer Dilawar Mani was quoted as saying. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), however, seemed reluctant to play in the UAe, with Mani citing financial reasons behind it. "There are no other reasons behind the reluctance other than financial gain. They prefer playing series at home because of that," he added.

New rules suit Pakistan: Mohsin

LAHoRE STaff reporT

The International Cricket Council's decision to change the batting powerplay rules and use of new balls at each end has provided an edge for the bowlers in oneday cricket, interim Pakistan coach Mohsin Khan has said. "Previously, once the ball became older and softer the batsmen would have a field day and generally dominate the bowlers, but now with the introduction of the new rules I think it has evened things up and has made the battle between bat and ball a more competitive one in one day cricket," PakPassion quoted Khan, as saying. "even as a former batsman I'm really glad that the change of rules has been implemented as I was starting to feel sorry for the bowlers in the 50 over format of cricket, with wides being called for deliveries slightly down the leg side, free hits from no balls and bouncer restrictions," he added. He further said that the ICC should be congratulated for bringing in the new rules which have made one day cricket more competitive again instead of it being a batsman friendly format of cricket. "It may well be that in future after teams and coaches have had more time to analyse the rule changes, we may go back to 300 plus in 50 overs, but at this moment the rule changes are excellent and have made one day cricket a more even contest once again which can only be good for the game of cricket," Khan said.

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Sunday, 27 November, 2011

Imran asks rulers to pull out of uS-led war on terror SHUJAABAD oNliNe

Involvement in the war on terror has brought Pakistan on the verge of destruction, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf Chairman Imran Khan said on Saturday.

Speaking at a public meeting here, Khan said Pakistan incurred a loss of Rs 70 billion in the war on terror.He strongly condemned the NATO attack on Salala checkpost in the Mohmand Agency that resulted in the death of over 20 security personnel. Calling the attack insane and immoral brutality, Khan said time had come for the government to pull out of the US-led war which had brought Pakistan on the verge of destruction.Khan said Pakistan’s involvement in the war against terrorism had radicalised its society and was also breeding anti-Americanism. He said Pakistan’s continued involvement in the war would only produce more militancy and destruction.In a statement released from the party’s central secretariat in Islamabad, Khan said such attacks reflected the hollowness and counterproductivity of Pakistan’s involvement in the aimless ‘war on terror’ that had been unleashed to subdue the proud people of the region. “Already, Pakistan has sacrificed 40,000 people and an equal number of people have been maimed and have become handicapped,” Khan said.

zardari writes letter to CJP seeking early hearing of zAB reference

F

ISLAMABAD

foLLoWInG IS ThE TExT of ThE LETTEr.

MiaN abrar

Dear Mr Chief Justice,

eeLING eeling the heat of the Supreme Court’s rejection of the government’s review petition against the apex court’s NRO verdict, President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday urged the chief justice of Pakistan to fix an early date for hearing the reference against the “judicial murder” of PPP founder chairman Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

In a letter written to the CJP, the president desired that the case be heard on a day-to-day basis so that it may be concluded soon. “The history and the nation are anxiously looking forward for the correction of the record and the removal of the stigma cast on the unjust judicial process adopted during the proceedings of the case,” the letter sent to the chief justice of Pakistan said.

Former prime minister and Quaid-e-Awam Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was one of the most outstanding leaders of our history.

His services to the Muslim Ummah, the third world and humanity at large were tremendous and outstanding. He successfully convened the Islamic Conference at Lahore, pioneered the nuclear programme in Pakistan, gracefully brought back our ninety thousand POWs and gave dignity and empowerment to the teaming millions of this country. He gave Pakistan the 1973 Constitution which unifies the nation and gives it an Islamic and democratic polity.

Tragically, because of a conspiracy and under the dictates of a notorious and cruel dictator who had usurped power after destroying the constitution, Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was eliminated through what is universally termed as a judicial murder.

The history and the nation are anxiously looking forward for the correction of the record and the removal of the stigma cast on the unjust judicial process adopted during the proceedings of the case. I had sent a reference to the Supreme Court of Pakistan under Article 186 of the Constitution through my counsel, Dr Babar Awan, senior advocate Supreme Court, seeking the court’s opinion on various legal questions of law and of public importance in connection with the aforesaid judicial murder. The reference was filed as far back as on 02.04.2011 and was initially, being a matter of great public importance, heard expeditiously by the Supreme Court generally proceeding on a day to day basis. My counsel concluded his arguments in the last week of June 2011 and soon thereafter, the case was adjourned. I understand that the only arguments which are outstanding are those of the

NNi

PML-Q candidate ehsanul Haq on Saturday won the PP-275 Yazman constituency by-polls by securing 34,318 votes. He defeated PML-N candidate Khalid Mehmood Jajja who bagged 30,040 votes. earlier during the poling, seven people were injured when workers of the PML-N and PML-Q attacked each other with chairs and batons.

NNi

Another 10 people have died in Pirowal area of Khanewal after they consumed toxic liquor on Thursday few days ago. earlier, DSP Khanewal Shehzad Manzoor confirmed that the death toll had risen to 26. Khanewal DPO has taken notice of the deaths and suspended Pirowal SHO Qamar Bhatti. Per details, Shehzad Masih purchased locally manufactured liquor to celebrate a wedding with his friends. Resultantly 16 people were killed on Thursday after taking the liquor.

The deceased include Asif, Muhammad Akram, Muhammad Qaisar, Niaz, Altaf, Ashfaq Jatti, Tahir Masood, Manzoor, Naseem and others.

India demands Pakistan act against Mumbai attackers nEw DELHI queTTa: oil tankers are stopped at Mastung as NaTo supplies were stopped in protest against a NaTo assault in Mohmand agency. ONLINe

No one will be allowed to cast evil eye on country’s sovereignty, says Gilani MULTAn aGeNCieS

Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Saturday said no one would be allowed to cast an evil eye on Pakistan’s security and sovereignty and the government would defend the country’s security at all costs.

Referring to the NATO helicopters at-

With regards, Yours sincerely, (ASIF ALI ZARDARI) Mr Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Chief Justice of Pakistan, Supreme Court of Pakistan, Islamabad

BAHAwALPUR

KHAnEwAL

PM says he talked to Nisar, Imran to forge unity to tackle NAto attack issue

amicus curiae. The said case is awaiting fixation at the earliest now after the Supreme Court has achieved its full numerical strength of judges.

As we are well aware according to the Quran, a Shaheed never dies and thus both Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and the entire world are anxiously waiting to receive the answers of the Supreme Court at the earliest on the questions which I have raised in my reference and which stood canvassed before the court, so that the ends of justice are met with the full attention the matter deserves.

The reference may therefore be fixed for an early date and be proceeded on a day to day basis so that it may be concluded soon.

PMl-Q candidate wins PP-275 by-polls

10 more die in Khanewal toxic liquor case

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tack in Mohmand Agency, the prime minister said, “Pakistani’s solidarity and security have been attacked this morning,” adding that he was going back to Islamabad to discuss the issue with members of the Defence Committee of the Cabinet and other political leaders. Gilani said he had also talked to Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Nisar Ali Khan, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf Chairman Imran Khan and other leaders so that unity could be forged to tackle the issue. The prime minister said the government was able to solve the people’s problems with their support, adding that the inferiority

complex among the people of South Punjab would also be removed. He said the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) had the vision, programme and manifesto to improve the living standard of the people and was taking practical steps in this regard.

The prime minister said the South Punjab had been ignored in the past and the government had initiated a number of projects for the underdeveloped areas of this region. He said development projects costing billions of rupees were going on for the overall development of South Punjab. Gilani said the government had initiated many projects in less than four years despite

global recession, floods, shortage of power and expenditures on the war against militancy. He said the government had been working on all these fronts with unity and taking all the stakeholders in confidence.

The prime minister said the communication system along with building of new roads and bridges would help improve the life of the people in the area resulting in improvement in their economic condition.

“We are in power due to the support of the masses and due to ideology of the party,” he said. He said all development projects would be completed after the completion of the government’s five-year term.

Published by Arif Nizami for Nawa Media Corporation (Pvt) Ltd at Qandeel Printing Press, 4 Queens Road, Lahore.

aGeNCieS

India told Pakistan on Saturday it was awaiting “decisive” action against the perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai attacks as the country marked the third anniversary of the carnage that claimed over 170 lives. “We are still waiting for Pakistan to act decisively to bring to justice the perpetrators of the mindless violence that was unleashed on Mumbai,” Indian Foreign Minister SM Krishna told reporters in New Delhi. India has alleged that Pakistan’s efforts to prosecute those behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks are a “facade” – an allegation rejected by Islamabad. India’s Supreme Court has stayed the death sentence handed down to the lone surviving gunman involved in the attack, Ajmal Kasab, pending an appeal hearing. In Mumbai, meanwhile, wreaths were placed at a police memorial and a minute’s silence observed in memory of the 18 security personnel who were killed during the three-day siege. A total of 166 people were killed. At the same time on Saturday, Krishna said New Delhi wanted to live in peace with its neighbours. “We call upon all our neighbours to join us in this endeavour of building a better future for our people,” he said.