Canadian Pakistani Times
Thursday
July 25, 2013
Volume 1, 68
Dubai pardons Norwegian rape victim Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum. “She hasn't been deported, she has been pardoned. She can remain in Dubai if she wishes. Her passport has been returned to her,” said Ragnhild Imerslund. “She will travel home shortly,” the spokeswoman added. Dalelv had risked 16 months in jail after she reported being raped by a co-worker in the UAE. But Dalelv had said she remained hopeful that she would succeed in an appeal against the ruling by a Dubai court that convicted her last week of extramarital sex, perjury and consuming alcohol without a permit. Dalelv reported the rape to police back in March and was immediately detained, being released four days later with the assistance of Norwegian diplomats.
Norwegian interior designer Marte Deborah Dalelv, 24, who reported being raped, pauses during a Skype interview at the Norwegian Seamen's Center in Dubai, July 21, 2013. — Photo Reuters DUBAI: A Norwegian woman in a rape case in Dubai dating back to March said she was pardoned Monday of an extramarital sex charge and allowed to fly home. “I was told that I've been pardoned,” Marte Dalelv, 24, told reporters outside a
court in the Muslim emirate, adding that her passport had been returned and she would leave the Gulf state “as soon as possible”. In Oslo, Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said that Dalelv was being allowed to leave the United Arab Emirates, of which Dubai is a member.
PML-N requests SC to hold presidential elections on July 30
“Marte (Dalelv) is released! Thanks to everyone who signed up to help,” the minister wrote on Twitter, adding that she would be returning home soon. A spokeswoman from the ministry told AFP that Dalelv had been pardoned by
She has since been staying at the Norwegian Seamen's Church in Dubai. Norwegian authorities had agreed to pay for legal fees after she spent 55,000 Norwegian kronor (7,000 euros) on legal assistance, she said. Eide said it was “very strange that a person who reports rape is sentenced for acts which in our part of the world is not even a crime.” But according to Kathrine Raadim, the foreign minister's political advisor, it was out of the question for Norway to react by recalling its ambassador to the Gulf emirate.
Qatar joins calls for release of Egypt's Morsi the political crisis in Egypt.
ISLAMABAD: Senator Raja Zafarul Haq, belonging to the ruling Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N), submitted on Tuesday a request in the Supreme Court of Pakistan seeking to hold the upcoming presidential elections before the announced date of Aug 6, DawnNews reported.
But this “cannot be achieved in the absence of one of the parties in the dialogue and the continued arrest of its symbols,” the official said.
The Supreme Court of Pakistan constituted a three-member bench to hear the petition submitted by the senior PML-N leader.
The toppling of the Islamist president has sparked violence in Egypt in which more than 100 people have died.
Raja Zafarul Haq in his request asked the apex court not to hold the presidential elections during the last Ashra (ten days) of Ramazan. He further gave the reference of various reports published in the media according to which more than a hundred lawmakers would not be available to participate in the presidential elections on Aug 6 as they would be engaged in Aitekaf, Umrah and other religious duties. Raja's petition sought to hold presidential elections on July 30. Earlier the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had turned down a request made by the government to change the date for presidential election and said the poll would be held on Aug 6 as already announced by the commission. Code of Conduct Moreover, the ECP on Tuesday issued a code of conduct for lawmakers with regards to the presidential elections.According to the code of conduct the presidential elections would be conducted through secret balloting and the lawmakers would only have to put a cross in front of the name of the candidate they would want to vote for.
Much of the unrest has involved street clashes between Morsi's opponents and supporters of his Muslim Brotherhood movement, which is backed by Qatar. DOHA: Gas-rich Qatar, a strong backer of Arab Spring uprisings and supporter of ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi, has joined international calls for his release from detention while expressing concern at violence sweeping Egypt. State news agency QNA late Tuesday quoted a foreign ministry official as saying Qatar had voiced “concern over the developments in Egypt, especially with the increasing number of civilian victims”.
Apart from the designated special pencil, no other pen or pencil would be allowed to mark the vote.The legislators would have to present their CNIC for identification purposes.
It said it was “surprised by the continued detention of elected president Mohamed Morsi which threatens the achievements made by the 25 January (2011) revolt” that forced former Egyptian ruler Hosni Mubarak out of office.
The presidential elections would be held in the upper house of parliament followed by the lower house of parliament.
Since the army deposed him on July 3, Morsi and several of his top
No other symbol or mark would be allowed on the ballot paper.
aides, including leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood, have been held in detention. Egypt's interim leaders have said Morsi is being kept in a “safe place” for his own good. Qatar, under its previous ruler Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, provided key political and financial supporter to Morsi's government. Last month Sheikh Hamad abdicated in favour of his son Sheikh Tamim. Soon after Morsi's ouster, Qatar cautiously welcomed Adly Mansour who was appointed by the Egyptian army as the interim president. The Qatari foreign ministry official, who was not named, called for “a political solution based on national unity dialogue” to resolve
The United States, Germany, the United Nations and the European Union have all called for Morsi's release. “It is now of utmost importance that Egypt embarks on a transition, allowing a transfer of power to a civilian-led and democratically elected government,” EU foreign ministers said on Monday. They listed demands, including “the release of all political detainees, including Mohamed Morsi”. The UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, summoned Egypt's ambassador to Geneva this month and wrote to the new authorities in Cairo demanding explanations over Morsi's arrest.
02
July 25, 2013
Weekly Fortune: by Kiran Pandey Rai (kiranpandeyrai@gmail.com) 25Th JULY –30th JULY ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
ARIES (21 Mar- 20 Apr) Ruler of your moon has gone to a little uncomfortable sign, but Jupiter is giving strength to it . And your will power will help you making your path smoother than what it is actually. Professional rise is seen in a very unpredictable way for few of you. Avoid any harsh behave with your fiancé or lover. Professional growth of your spouse is strongly indicating. Lucky Days : Sunday and Wednesday ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
TAURUS (21Apr- 21 May) Inflow of money is good during this week. Your opponents will have tough time as your hard work will give you an extra edge to answer them. Siblings are doing good but mother’s health can be a spoiler of this pleasant surrounding. Your stage presentation will be appreciated by your boss too. Drive safely. Lucky Days : Thursday and Tuesday ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
GEMINI (22 May- 21 June) You will find yourself more confident than before . Purity of thought will be felt in this week. But speech won’t support your thought process, specially while dealing with your father or siblings , must check your pitch of voice. Someone may approach you from opposite gender,which you would appreciate and probably accept whole heartedly. Lucky Days : Sunday and Monday ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
CANCER (22 June- 22 July) This week try to take your decision with cool mind. Your attitude towards your partner seems a bit harsh otherwise internal happiness may be a dream for you. Unpleasant atmosphere at your workplace. After all obstacles ,you may fight back with all adverse situation and will come out with flying colours. Lucky Days : Saturdayand Monday ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
LEO (23 July- 22 Aug) You will earn through your effort and getting the reward or recognition you will really enjoy the moment .Your mind will work amazingly sharp and productive. Even a promotion may be on the way as a surprise . But your personal unhappiness can be the only blemish of this week. Mother’s health needs to have a proper check (medically). Lucky Days : Tuesday and Wednesday _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
VIRGO (23 Aug- 23 Sept) You will be self satisfied with your work and this will be enough to churn out your optimum productivity .This may fetch a good monetary benefit too . Simulteneously you will lack some blissful moment at your home due to your workohlic attitude. You may invest in some property . Good time to spend with your kids. Lucky Days : Tuesday and Wednesday _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
LIBRA ( 24 Sept-23 Oct). In spite of all adverss situations , there may be a ray of hope which may finally give you success in any of your venture . But in the middle of the week ,it might be little uneasy for you to be positive. A good week to meet influential people and socialising with them. You may restart your pending court case to fight and you will prefer to take –up the case and fight on your own. Lucky Days : Saturday and sunday ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
SCORPIO (24 Oct-22Nov) Your main concern may be health this week . You need to maintain adequate diet and work out . Your kids are making you stress free by their activities and achievements. You may have to face wrong allegation which may cause you on the verge of breaking down. This is a very average week for you. Lucky Days : Monday and Tuesday ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
SAGITTARIUS (23 Nov-2 1 Dec) Over confidence may stop your liberal attitude specially towards your partner or your spouse. Help from different strata will be offered to you and your decision will be wise.But you will be the topic of your arena due to your arrogance.Try a couple of sessions of meditation, which may help you destressing . Lucky Days : Thursday and Friday ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
CAPRICORN (22 Dec-20 Jan) . A very good time for those students who are appearing for any competitive exams or planning to participate in any activity, As this week indicates almost a sure win situation. Adopt a slow but ethically correct path which may sustain your achievements. Avoid any argument with your father or be careful while dealing with any affair related to Government . Lucky Days : Monday and Tuesday ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
AQUARIUS (21 Jan-19 Feb) A favourable transfer or change of job can be expected during this week. Your modesty and honesty will gain you financial growth in this week. You can start your higher education for further growth. Pilgrimages can be one of the topic in your agenda of this week. Due to negligence due to work Stomach . Lucky Days : Monday and Tuesday ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
PISCES (20 Feb-20 Mar) Luxury may prevail in your life such as in office , at home or even among your friend circle , you will be ahead in getting luxuries in your life .It’s like blessing of almighty come on your way. During this week , You will achieve whatever you wish, yes your appreciable effort will play a vital role. Though you love your spouse but your emotion may come in terms of aggression with your spouse or partner. Lucky Days : Thursday and Monday
Banks surpass farm credit KARACHI: Banks have surpassed agricultural credit disbursement target of Rs315 billion set by the SBP for the year ending on June 30, 2013, said the State Bank on Tuesday. Against the indicative target of Rs315bn, banks disbursed Rs336bn, which is Rs21bn in excess of the target for fiscal year 2012-13 and 14.4 per cent higher than last year’s disbursement of Rs293.8bn. Five large commercial banks collectively disbursed agriculture loans of Rs172.8bn or 112.6pc of their annual target, higher by 18pc from Rs146.3bn disbursed during the corresponding period last year. Allied Bank Limited (ABL), National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), MCB Bank, Habib Bank Limited (HBL) and United Bank Limited (UBL) surpassed their annual target, achieving 146.2pc, 119.5pc, 103.9pc, 100.3pc and 100pc of their individual targets, respectively. Under specialised banks category, Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) disbursed Rs67bn or 93pc of its annual target of Rs72bn while Punjab Provincial Co-operatives Bank Limited (PPCBL) disbursed Rs8.3bn by achieving 92.3pc of its target of Rs9bn during FY 2012-13. Fourteen Domestic Private Banks as a group achieved 103.6pc of its target. Habib Metropolitan, the Bank of Khyber, Bank Al Habib, Faysal Bank and Sindh Bank surpassed their annual agriculture credit disbursement targets by achieving 460pc, 189.6pc, 128.4pc, 124pc and 100pc, respectively. However, Soneri Bank, Bank Alfalah, Askari Bank, NIB Bank, Silk Bank and Bank of Punjab achieved 95.5pc, 94.6pc, 85pc, 73.7pc, 71pc and 61.3pc of their targets respectively. KASB Bank and Summit Bank could achieve only 15.8pc and 12.3pc of their annual targets, respectively. Five microfinance banks as a group surpassed their annual target of Rs13.8bn by disbursing agriculture loans of Rs18.7bn during FY2012-13. Tameer Microfinance Bank, NRSP Microfinance Bank and Khushhali Bank surpassed their individual annual targets by achieving 206pc, 152.8pc and 150pc, respectively, while First Microfinance Bank and Pak Oman Microfinance Bank could achieve only 77pc and 59pc of their annual targets, respectively.
July 25, 2013
03
Secret government documents reveal scores of civilians killed in US A classified Pakistani government document has revealed that scores of civilians died in dozens of CIA-led drone strikes between 2006 and late 2009 in Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and that Pakistani officials were “aware of those deaths for many years”.
and late 2009 and contradicts claims by the United States which has repeatedly rejected
The US has claimed that “no more than 50 to 60 ‘non-combatants’ have been killed
The Government of Pakistan has consistently maintained that drone strikes are counter-productive, entail loss of innocent civilian lives and have human rights and humanitarian implications and that such strikes also set dangerous precedents in relations between Pakistan and United States.
The secret government document was quoted by the London Bureau of Investigative Journalism (LBIJ) in a report and reveals for the first time the Pakistani government’s evaluation of numerous drone strikes. It was prepared through field research by government officials and field agents stationed in Fata.
The statement was issued by Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in condemnation to the US drone strike that had killed two suspected militants in Mir Ali Tehsil of North Waziristan tribal region on July 13.
“Of 746 people listed as killed in the drone strikes outlined in the document, at least 147 of the dead are clearly stated to be civilian victims, 94 of those are said to be children,” the LBIJ said in its report. The 12-page summary paper prepared by the officials, titled Details of Attacks by Nato Forces/Predators in FATA, outlines 75 separate CIA drone strikes between 2006
The period defined in the report fell in the presidential term of George W. Bush for the most part. However, drone strikes also increased significantly when Barack Obama took oath of office.
allegations of high numbers of civilian casualties in drone attacks on Pakistani territory.
during the entire, nine-year-long drone campaign.
Moreover, the statement said that drone strikes have a negative impact on the mutual desire of both countries to forge a cordial and cooperative relationship and to ensure peace and stability in the region.
Invasion of United India
The Mughal dynasty ruled most of the Indian subcontinent by 1600; it went into a slow decline after 1707.
of 1857, also called the 1857 War of Independence.
relationship with the Hindus.
The Mughals suffered sever blow due to invasions from Marathas and Afghans due to which the Mughal dynasty were reduced to puppet rulers by 1757.
This period marked vast social change in the subcontinent as the Hindu majority were ruled over by the Mughal emperors, most of whom showed religious tolerance, liberally patronising Hindu culture.
However, later emperors such as Aurangazeb tried to establish complete Muslim dominance, and as a result several historical temples were destroyed during this period and taxes imposed on nonMuslims.
The remnants of the Mughal dynasty were finally defeated during the Indian Rebellion
The famous emperor Akbar, who was the grandson of Babar, tried to establish a good
During the decline of the Mughal Empire, several smaller states rose to fill the power
vacuum and themselves were contributing factors to the decline. In 1739, Nader Shah, emperor of Iran, defeated the Mughal army at the huge Battle of Karnal. After this victory, Nader captured and sacked Delhi, carrying away many treasures, including the Peacock Throne.
Federal Sport Minsiter & Bramalea-Gore-Malton MP Bal Gosal to visit Ontario Athlete Institute & partake in training exercises. Orangeville – The Honourable Bal Gosal, Federal Sport Minister, will be joined by MP David Tilson (Dufferin-Caledon) for a tour of the Ontario Athlete Institute and will join athletes on site for various training exercises. This advisory is subject to change without notice. Date: Monday, July 22, 2013 Time: 2:15 p.m. EDT Place: Athlete Institute located at 207323 Hwy. 9, Orangeville, ON (Hwy 9 @ Heart Lake Road, just east of Hwy. 10) (Please Note: The Athlete Institute has two facilities located at this address. You can park in front of the building on the far right hand side and enter through that main entrance).
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July 25, 2013
05
July 25, 2013
SPORTS Pakistan in no mood to relax against Windies GROS ISLET: After ensuring that their unbeaten run in head-to-head series in the West Indies since the 1988 tour will be extended, Pakistan are in no mood to relax when the final One-Day International of the five-match series against West Indies is played at the Beausejour Stadium in St Lucia on Wednesday. Following a six-wicket win in the rainaffected fourth match at the same venue on Sunday, the tourists enjoy an unbeatable 2-1 lead in the series and the hosts are under increasing pressure to get the win that will square the rubber and at least reassure Caribbean fans that the regional team is steadily improving in the countdown to the next World Cup. The third fixture, also Beausejour, finished in a tie.
played
at
“We're looking forward to winning again. We gained a lot from that win (on Sunday) and confidence will be high for this final game,” said Pakistan captain Misbah-ul -Haq in anticipating the final challenge. He was full of praise for left-arm seamer Junaid Khan. Together with Mohammad Irfan, they have been the most effective spearheads for Pakistan. However their third left-armer, Wahab Riaz, has found the going tough in the last two matches and may be forced to make way for Asad Ali, who opened the bowling in the first two matches in Guyana.
Despite proving to be extremely expensive in the final overs of their opponents' innings so far in the series, West Indies captain Dwayne Bravo has continued to opt for his medium-pacers at the death, often resulting in a significant acceleration of the Pakistani scoring.
He finally admitted in the aftermath of defeat on Sunday that those tactics will have to be revisited.
ODI captain has been consistently one of the most economical bowlers with his mediumpacers.
Yet it remains to be seen what he will choose to do on the day given the reluctance to utilise Darren Sammy when the late charge is on, despite the fact that the former
Following Wednesday's series finale, the teams travel to St Vincent for back-to-back T20 Internationals at the weekend, which will conclude Pakistan's short tour.
Forgotten goalie Salman to be recalled for Asia Cup camp “By pressure I mean coping up with the must-win situation that our players will be faced with in the Asia Cup,” said Tahir who replaced Olympian Hanif Khan for the Asia Cup. “In the next three, four weeks training, we will Insha Allah make the players mentally stronger beside giving them a good workout in the field.” When asked what new techniques he would be introducing as coach which Hanif could not, Tahir said the method could be the difference while the rest will be the same. “For me our players lack in the midfield area as they do not receive the ball or passes with dynamism. And because of that we come under more pressure and concede more attacks and goals,” remarked Tahir. “We need to show a lot of improvement in this area to blunt the opponent’s attacks and furthermore it could create more opportunities for us to go for onslaught,” he pointed out. LAHORE: Pakistan head coach Akhtar Rasool, in a surprise move, has requested the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) to call up international goalkeeper Salman Akbar — who has been out of international hockey for almost two years now — in the ongoing training camp for next month’s Asia Cup. Expressing his dissatisfaction over the performance of regular goalkeepers Imran Shah and Imran Butt, Akhtar said: “We are conceding so many goals, it is a concern for any team and also to me as a coach, so we have decided to recall Salman Akbar to test his fitness, form and conduct in the training camp before taking a final decision.” The camp at the National Hockey Stadium has been set up to select and groom a strong team for the Asia Cup where title win is mandatory for Pakistan to qualify for the next year’s World Cup. “We try and take decisions with an open heart, preferring the national interest and merit over everything else and Salman’s call
-up is one such decision,” said Akhtar prior to the start of the afternoon session of the camp. However, the timing of the decision is, indeed, surprising because when the camp started just a couple of days ago, both Imran Shah and Imran Butt were included in the list of 25 probables invited for it. What suddenly happened in the last two days that compelled Akhtar to recall Salman remains a mystery. When asked why he made a request when he could have simply asked the PHF to invite the veteran goalie, Akhtar said: “Yes, I could have done that but I want to take everyone on board and don’t want to bypass the PHF. “But let me assure all of you that Salman will have to prove his credentials, otherwise he will not make the playing side.” PHF secretary Asif Bajwa, when contacted to comment over Salman’s recall,
said nothing had been finalised as yet but a decision in this regard would be taken in the next couple of days. However, sources said that stage has been set to adjust Salman Akbar and the decision to this effect would just be a formality. It must be mentioned here that Akhtar had also surprised many critics when he had brought back Waseem Ahmed into the team barely a day after the London Olympics. Meanwhile, a former member of the selection committee, Olympian Arshad Chaudhry has criticised the decision of recalling Salman. “I still remember well that two years back Salman was not fit enough to even lift his legs properly, so anybody can guess about his current position,” Arshad said. Earlier, newly appointed coach Tahir Zaman said more emphasis would be laid on the improvement of mental and physical strength of the players so that they can cope with the pressure.
Tahir also elaborated that he will be focussing also on improving the skills of the players in automation. “When we get the ball on left or right side, then other players should show automation in order to come on the right places to take the ball and the wingers should also know where they have to feed the pass,” he said. “Similarly in the circle, the strikers must have three passing opportunities to effectively end the move.” He also raised his concern over the shortcomings of the goalkeepers but said time was too short to correct their techniques before the Asia Cup. “For the last many years this department of goalkeeping has been lacking in quality players. Now the team management with the coordination of the PHF is trying to bring improvement in this department but it will not happen overnight,” said Tahir.
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July 25, 2013
Soundcheck: Ali Azmat, Momo rock the night last week, just before the month of Ramazan began. At a time when live gigs are few and very far between, events such as this can be considered nothing less than a godsend for underground bands struggling to come to the surface and gain recognition for their music talent. The concert kicked off with an electrifying and energised performance of underground bands Ace The Band and Nuts & Bolts. Both covered local and international covers even as VJ Faizan kept throwing complimentary neon wristbands among the crowd on behalf of the organisers.
The powerhouse vocalist of Pakistan’s music industry and the true and original rocker Ali Azmat performed at Port Grand in Karachi
As soon as the last of the underground acts vacated the stage area, Faizan started the countdown for Ali Azmat with the eager crowd joining in full force. The cheers that went up as soon as they saw Ali Azmat and Omran Shafique (Momo) step on stage could well be immortalised in live concert history.
Ali Azmat started jamming with his hit number, Deewana, making the crowd almost immediately jump to their feet and start dancing to the pulsating beat. As the night progressed, the rocker set the crowd’s very soul on fire with a sensational pick of Sayonee, Pappu Yaar, Taara Jala, Mein Challa, Na Re Na and the ever-famous and controversial track, Bum Phata. He then gradually eased down the tempo with famous Bollywood tracks Maula and Yeh Jism Hai from the Bollywood feature, Jism. Simultaneously and all the while, Omran Shafique mesmerised with his amazing guitar wizardry, and together both of them created an atmosphere where one hoped the music would never come to an end. But sadly, end it did and Ali Azmat concluded his performance with the energy-packed Garaj Baras that was followed by a brilliant display of fireworks that lit up the beautiful midsummer night sky.
William, Kate, show off newborn royal baby boy
Amis, Rushdie and McEwan appear together in NYC NEW YORK: Put Salman Rushdie, Martin Amis and Ian McEwan on a stage and expect a night of high art and school boy humor, of reading, writing and Christopher Hitchens. And hysterical sex. The three literary stars, all in their 60s and friends for more than half their lives, appeared together Monday night at the 92nd Street Y on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Amis and McEwan were there to read from their latest novels, both now out in paperback. Rushdie handled the introductions and the question and answer period that followed the readings. They dressed for style and for leisure - jackets, no ties - and exchanged compliments, curse words and winks to the past. Rushdie mentioned an old game they liked to play, taking titles with the word "love" in them and substituting "hysterical sex," as in "Hysterical Sex Is a Many-Splendored Thing" or "Stop! In the Name of Hysterical Sex." Rushdie also made jokes about the Booker Prize (Rushdie and McEwan have won it; Amis has not) and about Amis' legacy as one of Britain's great angry young men, "ruining and disturbing" his country's fiction, as the old guard used to complain. Amis read from a few sections of "Lionel Asbo," his dystopian take on 21st century Britain, and McEwan followed with a long passage from "Sweet Tooth," a spy novel and literary excursion. The audience questions, submitted on index cards, ranged from writerly matters such as the role of unreliable narrators in fiction (the distinguished gentlemen were all for unreliable narrators) to an incident back in the day when McEwan supposedly met a woman and immediately, crudely propositioned her. His encounter was "not successful," McEwan assured the audience, and he "never tried that again." Amis, a most accomplished womanizer in his time, added with a smirk: "I never did anything like that." At the start, Rushdie had referred to a "missing fourth person," their departed friend Hitchens, who died of cancer in 2011. During the question and answer session, Rushdie noted that several cards filled out by audience members asked about the indomitable essayist and commentator and how the writers thought he would be remembered. Amis observed that while Hitchens was known for his political commentary, he believed that Hitchens would endure as a "literary phenomenon," if only because Hitchens' politics were so "eccentric."
LONDON: A beaming Prince William and his wife, Kate, emerged from a London hospital on Tuesday with their newborn baby boy, presenting the world with a first glimpse of the prince who is third in line to the British throne. A smiling Kate, wearing a baby blue polka dot dress, carried the future monarch outside St. Mary's Hospital in central London so that he could be photographed by the dozens of international press members waiting outside. The photos are likely to be reprinted for decades as the baby grows into adulthood and his role as a future king. His name has not yet been announced; that's expected in the next few days. Kate, who said she felt ''very emotional,'' passed the baby to her husband, who appeared relaxed and joked with reporters. ''He's got her looks, thankfully,'' William said. ''He's got a good pair of lungs on him, that's for sure.'' William added: ''He's a big boy, he's quite heavy,'' and laughed when a
reporter asked him about the baby's hair. ''He's got way more than me, thank God,'' he said. The couple re-entered the hospital to place the child in a car seat before re -emerging to get into an SUV. William drove the couple away, palace officials said they will head to an apartment in Kensington Palace from the hospital. The young family's first public appearance together has been the moment that the world's media and crowds of onlookers camped outside the hospital had long been waiting for. It recalls a similar appearance three decades ago, when Princess Diana and Prince Charles carried the newborn William out to pose for photographs on the same steps in 1982. Earlier, grandparents Prince Charles, his wife, Camilla, and Michael and Carole Middleton, Kate's parents, were the first relatives to visit the young family at the hospital. Char les call ed t he baby ''marvelous,'' while a beaming Carole Middleton described the infant as
''absolutely beautiful.'' The couple's Kensington Palace office said Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, gave birth to the 8 pound, 6 ounce (3.8 kilogram) baby boy at 4:24 p.m. Monday. The news was greeted with shrieks of joy and excited applause by hundreds of Britons and tourists gathered outside the hospital and Buckingham Palace.
(Hitchens was the rare author to have admiring words for both Karl Marx and the Iraq War). McEwan called Hitchens a "fantastic speaker" and "amazing in the art of conversation," and remembered how he spent his dying hours determined to complete a 3,000 word essay on the author G.K. Chesterton. "That's what's so painful," McEwan said of Hitchens, adding that such a life and "combination of genes" were unlikely to be seen again. Final question: Given the chance, which of their books would the writers like to change?
Revelers staged impromptu parties at both locations, and large crowds crushed against the palace gates to try to catch a glimpse, and a photograph, of the golden easel placed there to formally announce the birth.
Amis said he wouldn't have minded another week to work on the novel "Time's Arrow," but otherwise disparaged the idea of revising old work. McEwan confessed that his first published book, the 1975 story collection "First Love, Last Rites," suffered from a love affair with commas.
Hundreds were still lining up outside the palace gates Tuesday to get near the ornate easel.
The author has been influenced, much too influenced, by the novels of Samuel Beckett and had fallen for the idea of using commas instead of periods to end sentences.
In London, gun salutes were fired, celebratory lights came on, and bells chimed at Westminster Abbey, where William and Kate wed in a lavish ceremony that drew millions of television viewers worldwide.
At the time, McEwan thought he had pulled off a triumph of "cunning," he explained. "Now, it seems like the opposite of cunning."
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July 25, 2013
Man Booker fiction prize nominees span the globe LONDON: Life in London's Jewish community and Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe, billionaires in China and hard times in Ireland all feature in the novels vying for this year's Man Booker Prize.
Two authors, Jim Crace with “Harvest” and Colm Toibin with “The Testament of
three debut authors.
The latter contrasts with the latest book by award-winning Malaysian lawyer Tash Aw, “Five Star Billionaire”, about the economic boom in China.
The longlist for the prize, one of the English language's top fiction awards, names 13 writers from seven countries.
Richard House makes the list with “The Kills”, a political thriller spread over four books.
“This is surely the most diverse longlist in Man Booker history: wonderfully various in terms of geography, form, length and subject,” said Robert Macfarlane, a writer and Cambridge University academic who chairs the panel of five judges. “These 13 outstanding novels range from the traditional to the experimental, from the first century AD to the present day, from 100 pages to 1,000 and from Shanghai to Hendon,” he said in a statement announcing the list. Selected from 151 titles, it includes authors from Britain, Zimbabwe, New Zealand, Canada, Australia, Malaysia and Ireland.
about the impact of financial crisis on a small town in Ireland.
In total seven women are the list, the others being Alison MacLeod with “Unexploded”, Charlotte Mendelson with “Almost English”, Canadian Ruth Ozeki with “A Tale for the Time Being,”and New Zealand's Eleanor Catton with “The Luminaries”.
Mary”, have appeared on the award's shortlist previously. The 2013 longlist includes established best-sellers Colum McCann and Jhumpa Lahiri with their latest novels “TransAtlantic” and “The Lowland”, and
The newcomers are Eve Harris with “The Marrying of Chani Kaufman” about an ultra-orthodox Jewish community in London, Zimbabwe's NoViolet Bulawayo with “We Need New Names” about growing up under Mugabe, and Irish author Donal Ryan with “The Spinning Heart”
The judges will meet again in September to decide a shortlist of six books and the winner will be announced at a ceremony on Oct. 15 in London. Hilary Mantel won the 2012 prize for “Bring Up the Bodies”, making her the first woman and first Briton to win the coveted award twice. The award dates back to 1969.
Several studios rebooting The Jungle Book famous version is still Disney's animated musical of 1967. Nonetheless, this collection of fables clearly hasn't yet exhausted the imagination of picture studios in Hollywood and abroad. After adapting Alice in Wonderland (2010), Sleeping Beauty, Maleficient (due out in 2014) and Kenneth Branagh's Cinderella (slated for 2015), Disney continues to coopt the classics. Justin Marks, who wrote The Raven (2012) and Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li (2007), has been attached to script a liveaction Jungle Book for Disney. Meanwhile, Warner Bros. has put its own scribe on it, attaching Steve Kloves, who has adapted all but one of the Harry Potter series, to write and direct this project. As if that weren't enough, DQ Entertainment (Ireland) Limited is planning to start up its own features department with a 3D adaptation of the Indian boy's adventures in 2014.
Several movie studios are simultaneously working on the famed adventures of
Mowgli, first told in Rudyard Kipling's 1893-4 fables, yet again for the big
screen. The Jungle Book has already been adapted umpteen times, though the most
For a thespian foretaste of this upcoming spate of Jungle Books on the silver screen, a musical production of the same just opened in Chicago on July 1. So the next few years are going to be chock-ablock with little jungle boys raised by shewolves, along with happy-go-lucky "barenecessities" bears, benevolent black panthers and bloodthirsty tigers. — HT
July 25, 2013
08
Ramazan spending oils wheels of economy The spiritually recharged Pakistan works less and spends more during Ramazan.
introduce Ramazan-specific items. Yaqoob, a small time caterer told Dawn that demand for bakeri items and mithai (traditional
“Many businessmen and professionals time their holidays during Ramazan because of slack work; in fact, often double the effort
With increased household spending, the trading volume in the holy month goes up several times the size of the country’s Eid sales. In 2012, Eid business was reckoned to be worth Rs500 billion.
“Like politicians companies peddle their messages from religious platforms set up for the purpose, businessed indulge media to make deeper impact on religiously inclined, television-addicted middle class. This class because of its growing numerical strength and collective purchasing power, influences the market trend more than any other segment”, another expert gave his take.
No wonder businesses take Ramazan so seriously. They strategise and invest aggressively for a bigger share of an expanding market.
It explains why companies present themselves as champions of faith while promoting their brands. Huge investment goes into developing advertisements and media campaigns with a touch of religion with lucrative returns.
The numbers are not available but relevant quarters confirm that companies scale up their budgets for promotional activities like public relations (PR) and advertising during the month. The distribution of Ramazan gifts with greetings and lavish Iftar dinners are arranged by many local foreign companies and multinationals as a part of their PR exercise. To strike the right chord with their customers, many firms dress their promotional message green and strive to kosher the image of the product and the company all over again. The family spending surges during Ramazan as people try to strike a balance between spiritualism and materialism. The number of meals in an average family fall but the kitchen budget doubles, anecdotal evidence suggests. “ The families do not necessarily eat more but they eat better. Besides, spending on socialisation and throwing and attending Iftar parties has become a cultural norm. Social interaction entails a financial cost”, said a senior banker Nazia. At malls, markets and roadside all over the country, products particularly popular in Ramazan are displayed on banners and billboards. Leading hotels and major food chains announce Sehr and Iftar deals. The
sweet
merchants
and
bakers
a senior member of the economic team of the last government commented when reached over phone in Lahore.
sweets) increase many fold. “Before Iftar, a number of makeshift stalls crop up to cater to the hike in demand for pakoras, jalebis and other such eatables. There is an eager flock of buyers ready to pay demand price for what they want”, he said. The beverage companies entice young people with attractive offers. The cell phone service providers and makers of fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) try all kinds of innovative market tactics to boost their sales. Reduced work hours mean more leisure. Television viewership spikes and special Ramazan transmission is aired by almost all local channels. “In the month of fasting the country shifts gear to go slow mode of work. The state and the private sector slash working hours to almost half. The markets, advertisers and the electronic media, however, work almost round the clock to capitalise on one-month a year business during Ramazan”, an analyst commented.
produces half the result. In Islamabad it is almost impossible to move a file during the month as irate officers quite often are not found on their seats that close at 2pm officially, a frustrated drug maker, who had some files stuck in a ministry in Islamabad, told Dawn. “The efficiency level is low in the private sector as well,” he conceded. There is an upswing in trade during Ramazan. “This is a growing trend as witnessed in the Gulf as opposed to Indian Subcontinent. All over Middle East, especially in Dubai, Ramazan is a booming trading season when markets stay open all night”, he said in support of his view. Free market enthusiasts interpret hike in trading a healthy sign of growing economy. “What does it matters if people are spending to their heart content? It will move the wheel of the economy faster. This happens all over the world. Christmas, Easter, Diwali, etc., generate seasonal trading hikes elsewhere, so why worry if businesses try to capitalise on Ramazan trading in Pakistan”,
“It is a complex situation, but the corporate sector needs to be more discreet in selection of channels and programmes. They need to scrutinise the programmes they sponsor as, quite often, anchors in a bid to outperform competitors and achieve ratings, sell misery”, explained another marketing professional. On the question of corporate social responsibility, marketing guru Adil said companies advertise on television to reach to their target largest number of consumers. They prefer to advertise more on popular channels and programmes. “Companies base their preference on ratings based on peoples’ meter, a method to gauge viewership. For them what sells matters. They do not consider themselves responsible for the quality of content on TV channels. “The local companies sometimes go overboard funding highly objectionable and sensational content that feeds regressive trends. I am, though, not sure how the issue can be handled without compromising the liberty to operate freely in the market place”, he said.
PA speaker is ‘de facto’ KP chief executive officials to his chamber for briefings. The incumbent speaker, who is also provincial chief of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, has been focusing on his constituency. Being head of the party he has been taking part in live TV talk shows to defend and explain PTI’s position on various issues. The opposition parties have already demanded him to quit the party office. Mr Qaisar has also engaged his chamber staff to look after development activities in his hometown. For instance, the assembly speaker issued a press release here on Monday stating that secretary to speaker Saeed Khan was inspecting medical complex in Swabi.
PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Asad Qaisar has apparently assumed the role of de facto chief executive of the province as he often summons administrative secretaries and heads of the directorates to his chamber for briefings on development schemes. Well-placed sources in the assembly secretariat said that Speaker Asad Qaisar invited secretary of works and services, secretary of housing and secretary of industries departments to his chamber on July 29 to brief him about the mega projects in Swabi district. According to the schedule, the three administrative secretaries would brief Mr Qaisar on the proposed construction of Swat
expressway, establishment of an industrial estate near Colonel Sher Khan Interchange and a mega city project near Colonel Sher Khan Interchange close to PeshawarIslamabad Motorway. These sources said that Mr Qaisar wanted to connect the under construction Colonel Sher Khan Interchange with Chakdara Bridge through Swat expressway. “Regrettably, Mr Speaker is more interested in attending meetings and briefings about development schemes in his hometown rather than focusing on issues related to his office,” said senior official. He said that by book it was not speaker’s job to call secretaries and heads of
different directorates for briefings. He said that there was no provision in the Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Procedure and Conduct of Business Rules that he (speaker) should preside over meetings related to development schemes in his constituency or any other area. “Speaker is only custodian of the assembly and he can call any officer or administrative secretary on matters related to the House,” the official said, adding officers of all departments and directorates were not bound to brief him (speaker) on irrelevant subjects. His predecessor Kiramatullah Khan Chagharmatti had introduced this culture as he always summoned secretaries and other
His brother Aqibullah Khan has been allocated ticket to contest by-election from NA-13, which was vacated by Mr Qaisar after retaining the provincial assembly seat. He is facing Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl and Awami National Party joint candidate Maulana Attaul Haq Dervaish. Sources said that Mr Qaisar had engaged himself in the election campaign to secure the National Assembly seat. Officials said that formation of standing committee of the House including the powerful public accounts committee had not been finalised owing to ‘hectic’ engagements of Mr Qaisar and differences among MPAs of PTI over occupying chairmanship of standing committees. The opposition in the provincial assembly has authorised Mr Qaisar to nominate chairpersons and members of the committees. Normally, officials said, committees were constituted soon after assembly came into existence. The sitting members took oath on May 29. This scribe tried to contact Mr Qaisar but he was not available for comment.
09
July 25, 2013
Multiple blasts rock ISI compound in Sukkur, kill seven
Minister's Statement on Unlicensed Child Care Review July 19, 2013 Today, Liz Sandals, Minister of Education, issued the following statement on the review of unlicensed child care complaints: "As I committed to last week, my ministry has conducted a thorough review of every complaint received related to unlicensed child care providers over the past year to determine compliance with current policies. The ministry took immediate action to determine whether there were any complaints that had not been addressed. Out of a total of 280 complaints received by the ministry over the past year, it was determined that nine had not been responded to with a site visit. Moving forward, we are committed to responding to all complaints. Ministry staff took immediate action on all unaddressed complaints, investigating them thoroughly over the past week and confirming that all of the identified providers are in compliance.
KARACHI: A series of blasts rocked the southern town of Sukkur late Wednesday as militants rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a compound of Pakistan’s premier intelligence agency, security officials said. At least seven people were killed and over 40 injured in the brazen attack on the local headquarters of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), said DG Rangers Major-General Rizwan Akhtar. The terrorists had seized control of one government building, and security forces locked into a grueling gun-battle with the attackers lasting over an hour in the high-security Barrage Colony area of Sukkur, located around 500 kilometres from Karachi, the main city of Sindh province. Akhtar confirmed that the ISI
compound had now been cleared of the militants.
appeared to be “an organised terrorist attack”.
“All three terrorists who entered the compound have been killed. Casualties and damage assessment is in progress and a search operation for any leftover explosives is underway,” said Akhtar.
Militants have launched such sophisticated attacks before, but Sukkur has been traditionally immune from such violence.
He said the front wall and gate of the ISI headquarters has been blown away by the impact of the first blast. Another building caught fire and the wall of a third had collapsed, the state-owned channel PTV reported earlier. Meanwhile, deputy superintendent of police Masood Bangash said one more attacker was suspected to be alive and hiding in a building. A senior police official said it
Last year, militants attacked Kamra, a major airbase, and damaged an aircraft. The year before, Pakistani Taliban gunmen attacked a naval base in Karachi, the country’s biggest city. Ten military personnel were killed in the 16-hour assault. In 2009, they attacked the national army headquarters in the garrison town of Rawalpindi, close to the federal capital. —DawnNews correspondent Asif Mehmood contributed to reporting.
While this work was an important first step, I know there is more to do. That is why the ministry and our government are fully committed to working with the Ombudsman and his team on their investigation, and we will take any additional steps to ensure processes and procedures are properly followed. As a next step, the ministry will extend the timeline of its review to Jan. 1, 2012. We recognize this is the timeline in which the Ombudsman has committed to review as part of his investigation, and we believe it is important that we determine whether there are any additional complaints that have been unaddressed and deal with them immediately. The well-being of our children is of utmost importance and I want to assure the people of Ontario that our government will do everything in our power to keep our children safe."
10
July 25, 2013
Jhimpir projects yet to benefit local populace available, people involved in wind farm projects could help set water purification units, he said. Syed Tanweer Hasan, manager at the Fauji Fertilizer Company Energy Limited that started commercial production of electricity with the help of wind turbines, claimed that the company had taken a few steps to attend to the needs of people in Jhimpir as part of its community service. “We have installed a boring-water system and hand pumps at different villages. But this is definitely not enough to meet the villagers’ requirements. The government has to step in. This is critical because the area we are working in is distinctively divided on tribal lines and people like us can’t do much here without official assistance,” he said. The firm, he said, had renovated a number of schools and provided them with furniture. It had also initiated construction of a two-room gynaecological unit at the basic health unit.
Women listen to what men (not in the picture) have to say about community problems in Suleman Palari Village, Jhimpir. — Photo by Fahim Siddiqui/White Star. JHIMPIR: “Nothing has changed. We figure nowhere on the world map,” says Asif Ali sarcastically when asked to comment on the development that his hometown has witnessed over the recent years during a visit to Jhimpir — part of Thatta district and Gharo-Keti Bunder wind energy corridor — on Tuesday. Jhimpir has been in the news for quite some time mainly because of a fast growth of wind turbines in the energy corridor. While a few private firms have been working on the ground, the process to accord official approval to other companies for operation is under way. “People are even deprived of drinking water though they live near a big [Keenjhar] freshwater lake,” says Mr Ali, a senior medical officer at a basic health unit in Jhimpir. According to the residents, piped water system does not work in the area since little water is supplied through it. People associated with a wind farm had tried to sort out the problem by taking out underground
water with the help of boring machines, but that did not help either since the underwater was found to be saline. “If water can be supplied from the lake to the whole of Karachi and other towns of Thatta, why can’t we get water from the lake since it’s located near to our homes and part of our district,” asked a resident. An acute lack of drinking water was found to be badly affecting health of town residents, with most of them living in abject poverty and suffering from diseases such as gastroenteritis and kidney infections. In complicated cases, they said, people either had to travel to Thatta or Hyderabad. But that cost a lot of money and not everyone could afford it, they added.
wind farms, which, they said, employed people for a short term and then sacked them as soon as their need was over. Wind turbine operation, they said, hadn’t benefited them at all since there was no respite from power outages. Jhimpir city had been facing 10-hour loadshedding on a daily basis, they added.Commenting on the issues, Ghulam Rasool Khatri, representing World Wide Fund for Nature that has been operating for nature conservation in the Keenjhar Lake area for some years, said that water issue was chronic in Jhimpir and could be resolved with the support of the government and wind farms operating in the area.
“Our major issue is the absence of drinking water and lack of gynaecological facilities. There have been cases when pregnant women died on their way to a hospital,” said Khair Mohammad, a young man in Suleman Palari village.
“It’s the government basic responsibility to provide water to people by making its public health engineering department fully efficient. Supply from piped water is erratic because this department often runs into default on paying its electricity bills or fuel to run its station,” he said.
There were also complaints against the
Once water from piped system was
About t he compl aints over employment, he said that the firm had employed 600 people from the local community when wind turbine installation process was under way. “We have to lay off the staff since that phase is over now. Besides, it is too difficult to offer jobs here since most people are illiterate and have no skills,” he said. The firm, he said, supplied electricity to the national grid (Hyderabad Electric Supply Company) under an agreement with the government and it was Hesco’s job to reduce load-shedding hours and provide electricity to its consumers. Syed Mumtaz Hasan, country manager at the Zorlu Enerji Pakistan that has set up a wind power plant in Jhimpir, said that the company had surveyed the surrounding villages to look into communities’ problems and demands. “Currently, we are supplying three water tankers on alternate days to two to three villages on a daily basis. However, we plan to set up tube-wells and boring watersystem according to villagers’ needs. There is also a proposal to help people in cultivation in the area,” he claimed.
Dengue toll in July up to three as youth dies So far five patients have died this year, including two women. Officials said some 20 dengue patients were still admitted to different hospitals and 12 new cases had been reported in the city while one case was detected in Kambar Shahdadkot district. Some eight patients were discharged from hospitals after treatment on Tuesday. KARACHI: A 22-year-old man died of dengue in a private-sector hospital, officials confirmed on Tuesday, saying that the death toll caused by the deadly dengue fever rose to three this month and five this year. Mohammad Nauman was admitted to a private hospital of New Karachi on July 15 in a precarious condition. The victim was a resident of New Karachi. However, officials did not disclose any personal details of the victim to the media.Officials in the dengue surveillance cell, Sindh, said the man died late Monday evening, but they got the confirmation on Tuesday. He was the third man to die of dengue this month. The two others, including a woman, died on July 2 and 15. They belonged to Orangi Town and North Karachi.
Nauman was the second victim of the deadly fever from New Karachi; another was from North Karachi and one each was from Orangi and Gulshan-i-Iqbal. Officials have initially identified North Nazimabad, SITE, Clifton Cantonment, Saddar Town and Gulistan-i-Jauhar as the ‘vulnerable areas’ and decided to give them ‘special attention’. According to the data compiled by the dengue surveillance cell, close to 500 dengue cases have been reported in Sindh this year. Most cases have been reported in Karachi, barring 13 from the rest of the province. Last year, more than 700 cases of dengue fever were reported, of which two people died, including a woman. In 2011, 858 dengue cases and 16 related deaths were reported in Karachi.
The provincial health department has warned the local healthcare providers to take urgent steps to combat the possible ‘dengue epidemic’ in view of the weather forecast warning that the city could receive 15 per cent more rain this monsoon than the historic aggregate. Officials said none of the city’s areas could be termed a ‘dengue-protected’ neighbourhood as people from almost every locality had been affected by the deadly fever since 2005.Provincial malaria control programme officials have been asked to allocate 25 per cent of its insecticides to Karachi and work hand in hand with the city’s municipal authorities to combat malaria and dengue. Official figures show that dengue fever’s first incidence in Karachi was reported in 1994 when 145 confirmed cases were recorded, of whom one victim had died. The disease hibernated since then till 2005 when the authorities recorded 258 cases, of whom 16 had died. Year 2006 was the deadliest year in which 49 of the 1,500 patients died. The authorities then turned to an efficient mode in the next two years during which 20 of the 931 confirmed cases died. Since 2009 when the city last saw a local government, 59 people of the 6,589
confirmed cases have died. Year 2010 was the worst when 3,382 confirmed cases were reported. According to the World Health Organisation, dengue is the world's fastestspreading tropical disease and represents a “pandemic threat”, infecting an estimated 50 million people across all continents. Transmitted by the bite of female mosquitoes, the disease is occurring more widely due to an increased movement of people and goods —including carrier objects such as bamboo plants and used tyres — as well as floods linked to climate change, the United Nations agency said. The viral disease, which affected only a handful of areas in the 1950s, is now present in more than 125 countries — significantly more than malaria, historically the most notorious mosquito-borne disease. The most advanced vaccine against dengue is only 30 per cent effective, test showed last year. The aggregate age of the five dead victims this year is 24. The youngest victim was a 20-year-old girl from New Karachi and the oldest a 34year-old man from Gulshan-i-Iqbal.
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July 25, 2013 Statement on Royal Birth
“On behalf of the people of Brampton, I join with all residents to congratulate the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on becoming parents with the birth of their first child, and to celebrate the arrival of a future King of Canada. “It is comforting to know that both the Duchess and her son are recovering well, following a safe and healthy delivery. Our thoughts, prayers and best wishes remain with both mother and child, as they continue to be cared for. “Today’s birth also marks another milestone during the over 60 year reign of Queen Elizabeth II. We congratulate Her Majesty and His Royal Highness, the Duke of Edinburgh, on the crowning achievement of becoming great grandparents. “Bramptonians, and Canadians, take immense pride in our rich history and fond admiration for the Crown. With anticipation, we look forward to starting a new chapter in this relationship and eagerly await the inaugural visit of the royal baby to Canada.”
Exchange rate outlook In Pakistan’s current context, the external debt payment schedule and pattern of foreign trade growth play a more prominent role in determining the market-driven exchange rates than anything else. And for a country with inadequate foreign exchange reserves, the timing of any changes in these two factors also matters a great deal. For instance, Pakistan’s import payments began rising fast from March, after showing a subdued growth in eight months of FY13. In four months to June 2013, the monthly imports bill averaged $4.135 billion. Against this, export earnings averaged around $2.159 billion, and the monthly trade deficit stood at a tall $1.976 billion. “So, the timing is important,” said the chief forex dealer at a foreign bank. “We had such a large trade deficit on the one hand and on the other the country also made about $1.5 billion external debt payments (mostly to the IMF) during this period.” Senior bankers say that this has been a major factor behind the rupee’s slide against the dollar in the last quarter of FY13, and in the first month of the new fiscal year. “If you’ve got to do big external debt servicing, often several times in a month, and with not much in forex reserves, exchange rates will remain under pressure. Things become even more difficult when imports rise suddenly,” said a central banker. With the speculative attack on the local currency, the difference between the
open market and the interbank rates have increased to well over two rupees. As the market calls the shot, the exchange rates no longer reflect the purchasing power parity between the rupee and the dollar. Forward premiums calculated by banks and quoted to importers and exporters serve as a key indication of the possible future movement of the exchange rate. On June 28, which was the last working day of FY13, the average rate for one-month forward dollarrupee exchange was 100. In other words, the rupee was projected to fall from 99.66 a dollar (at the end of June) to 100 by the end of July. But as the market watched helplessly, the rupee actually declined to that level much earlier — on July 3, to be specific. This illustrates that building up a forex outlook at times of uncertain and rapidly changing external account situation is quite difficult. Isn’t it? As the inter-bank forex market keeps a record, banks are able to see deviations in the actual exchange rate at any given time, compared to the forward rate of that particular day that they had worked out earlier. “This mechanism of forward rate quotations has enabled the inter-bank market on the whole to make more realistic projections of exchange rates,” said the treasurer of a large local bank. But not always. It is also worthwhile to note that net foreign direct investment rose more than 100 per
cent in the last four months to reach $1.447 billion at end-June, from about $672 million at end-February. Gross foreign buying of Pakistani equities shot up to $341 million in the last quarter of FY13, surpassing the total of $271 million in the earlier nine months. The prospects of more foreign investment have also become brighter after the new government came into power. Meanwhile, bankers, stockbrokers and businessmen all believe that this positive sentiment would keep inflows of both foreign direct investment and portfolio investment steady in the near future. But some bankers also fear that the improvement in foreign investment so far and the moderate growth in exports and remittances cannot make up for the drawdown on forex reserves, due to the huge external debt payments, and the recent rise in the imports bill. “So it’s actually the IMF loan that may provide us a real clue on which way the exchange rates will move in the near future,” says a foreign banker. Other market players point out that the increase in FDI, remittances and export earnings could really positively impact balance of payments and the exchange rate if the new IMF loan comes in during the first quarter of FY14, enabling the country to retire old foreign loans without a further depletion in already low foreign exchange reserves.
In the meantime, bankers continue to speculate on US-specific forex inflows, including those falling due under the Coalition Support Fund, to build a realistic exchange rate outlook. The dollar’s movement one way or the other does not directly impact our exchange rate as much as our own market dynamics do. Trade, foreign investment and remittance inflows all influence the exchange rate outlook. And while an intense debate over the continuation of monetary stimuli in the US continues, the dollar has become stronger and many countries worldwide weaker including that of India. . Meanwhile, some analysts point out that the recent downscaling of growth prospects of Asia means that our export-more-to-Asia momentum will also be tested, which implies a negative effect on our exchange rates. But exporters believe that two things are far more important for them than the growth prospects of Asian, or for that matter other, export markets. The first is how soon can export-oriented industries start getting adequate gas and electricity supplies, and the second is how easily the private sector gets affordable bank financing. They believe that if things remain satisfactory on these two fronts, then accelerating the current export growth rate would not be a big problem for them.
Statement from the Attorney General on the release of the Federal/Provincial/ Territorial Report on Cyberbullying and Non-consensual Distribution of Intimate Images July 22, 2013 Today, Attorney General John Gerretsen issued the following statement on the release of a Federal/Provincial/ Territorial report on Cyberbullying and Non-consensual Distribution of Intimate Images: "Ontario has been concerned about the non-consensual distribution of intimate images for a number of years. Since 2011, we have been calling on the federal government to amend the Criminal Code to make it an offence to distribute sexually explicit images of a person without their consent. The report of the Coordinating Committee of Senior Officials (CCSO) Cybercrime Working Group, released Friday, recommends that a new criminal offence be developed to address this gap in the Criminal Code. Individuals who use technology to distribute sexually explicit images of others to embarrass, humiliate or harass them would be held criminally responsible for their actions. I urge Minister MacKay to act on the recommendations in this report, and introduce new legislation in the fall session of Parliament to create this new criminal offence. Ontario is committed to ensuring our children are able to thrive in schools and communities that are safe, inclusive and accepting. In 2009, with the Keeping Our Kids Safe at School Act, we became the first province in Canada to make it mandatory for school staff to report bullying to principals. In 2012, we passed the Accepting Schools Act, which requires school boards to have bullying prevention and intervention plans in place. The Ontario Provincial Police recently helped launch "I've got your back", a program developed by high school students. Police officers work with high school students on Internet safety, anti-cyberbullying and antisexting strategies. It encourages students to listen to friends who are being bullied and stand up for them. We will continue working with the federal government and our partners in the justice and education sectors to make sure our resources are being used effectively to put an end to cyberbullying."
Vinegar is an excellent dietary compound responsible for diluting concentrated sugar-levels in the blood. Studies have shown that two spoonfuls of vinegar before a meal can reduce the glucose influx.
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July 25, 2013
Four reasons why PTI could not change our political culture Many enthusiasts of Pakistan Tehreek-iInsaf are disappointed that the tsunami could not happen.
species and superior ones, of course. This arrogance effectively blocks the way of political dialogue and debate and even public interaction with others.
The more considerate analysts, however, think that tsunami or not, the party has done well. It has risen from the status of minnows to become the second most voted party of the country in almost no time. Its gain is substantial and its future bright. I tend to agree but what is disappointing for me is that the PTI is not only the change it had promised to be, it isn't any change, not even the change of faces in many instances. It has joined the fray and become one of the lot. I am afraid that by the next elections, it will be hard to distinguish it from others. Here are the four reasons why I think so.
Number 3: They too suffer from the hapless victims who have no other recourse than to bow before their charismatic leaders. conspiracy theory syndrome When it comes to theorising political phenomena, the favorite ploy of all
Number 4: Their party is not structurally different from any other A party with a democratic structure has never happened to this country. There are cults driven by 'charismatic' personalities. There are mafias run by gangs of criminals. There are congregations lead by clerics. There are dynasties and fiefdoms but no party. PTI boasted to gift the country one, but it hasn't.
Number 1: PTI walas are blind followers too Just like their PPP and PMLN counterparts, the PTI walas take their party as a cult, if not as a religious sect. They are the believers, the followers and the mureeds and I find it antithetical to being a political worker. They are not critical of their party policies, stands and statements. Being critical of 'their own' party policy is considered a sin in our political culture and PTI has not changed that. The behavior is graded as a kind of disloyalty which in essence is a feudal trait. So instead of engaging with their party fellows and opponents in productive political dialogues on issues of importance, they take it upon themselves to defend, justify and cover up all of their party leaders' deeds and words. Their main locus standi in politics is that while all the rest are corrupt, they stand tall, untainted and clean. Their main vow is to rid the country of corruption which they present as the panacea. But when the party allows some of the known corrupt politicians into its ranks belying its biggest motto, its workers not only do not object to it but keep supporting their party with the same enthusiasm. That's so typical of Pakistani parties. Political leaders love hordes of unthinking followers. They do not promote critical thinking among their cadre nor do they institute mechanisms within their parties to facilitate critical appraisal of party policies. The same holds for the PTI. Number 2: They hate and demean their opponents I think a certain level of inebriation with self righteousness is allowed to all political workers but it becomes a problem when it gets so much to ones head that they start identifying themselves as a different
In Pakistan's political culture, conspiracy theories substitute a sound political ideology; they proxy for long term vision. PTI's reliance on conspiracy theories is no less, if not more, than others.
PTI walas have three responses for their opponents. They consider the good majority of all those out of their party flanks as senseless goofs destined to suffer. They are the unfortunate lot; the wretched of the earth who have failed to see the light and missed the opportunity of their lifetime just because they could not recognise it. They mostly live in villages. The PTI walas pity them. On the second level are those who are not the simpletons, stuck in traditional rots as they are semi-educated, live in cities, small or big and have articulated political pursuits. But what perplexes the PTI walas is that if someone has even an iota of political sense, how can he or she support any party other than theirs? So they are the ones who have been tricked into submission and blindfolded by their leaders. They frustrate the PTI walas, who think that these political puppets only deserve contempt. Then, the last is the gang of gazetted criminals – the upper crust of their opponent parties, their leaders and representatives. They are all branded as looters and plunderers and the main cause of all the ills of this country, unless and until they are reborn as PTI stalwarts.
Pakistani parties is to define them as a conspiracy, mostly hatched by foreign forces. That reflects upon the intellectual poverty of the party ideologues. They have no vision, no plausible answers to the complex questions that the current political discourse poses. Conspiracy theories are easy to sell. They put the blame on forces that exist outside ones purview and their acts are beyond one's ability to deliver. So there is little that could be done except scolding the evil forces. The modus operandi of these forces is invisible and complex so any event could be twisted to fit the theory. So you have suicide attacks by forces that target innocent Muslims and then attacks that are carried out by forces so that Muslims could be blamed for these. From the Taliban to Malala, from Balochistan to the Mumbai attacks and from Ayla Malik's fake degree to Aleem Khan's multi-billion rupees land scam all are not what they appear to the naked eye. They are all conspiracies. Conspiracy theories defy that politics is a comprehensible science, and that interests of groups and classes can be articulated and pursued as political causes through carefully designed strategies. They instead, convert people into
None of its acts show it is any different from the others. The PTI party elections were a sham. Organising intraparty elections is a legal requirement for all. There are 250 political parties registered with the Election Commission of Pakistan and they have all fulfilled the requirement. Doing the same ritual with the exalted media fan fare does not make them any different. More importantly, this democratic superiority does not reflect in any of the party's behaviors and decisions. The Chief Minister of KPK has three of his close relatives elected on the seats reserved for women. The same is the case with the parties that did not have 'democratic party structures' and are branded as dynastic by the PTI. So whether or not the PTI had genuine intra-party elections, the political culture, the end result remains the same. The same is the situation in all other aspects. PTI too awarded tickets to the same old clique of politicians that included fraudsters, tax evaders and fake degree holders. But what's more irksome is that every now and then we come to know about some silent, selfless warriors waging a heroic struggle within the party and sacrificing their career, life and what not, and then suddenly they find reasons to revolt. These valiant revolutionaries who had, we are told, forgone opportunities worth millions of dollars and instead opted to serve the party generally fall out for very petty gains. Even more irritating are their antics that follow the bold revolts. Shireen Mazari resigns and rejoins. Fauzia Kasuri resigns and rejoins. This makes it evident that the party has not institutionalised internal decision making and like any other, it too, survives on a system of patronage flowing from the top.