Ep2016mar14

27 killed as car bomb hits Ankara ANKARA—A car bomb killed 27 people in the heart of the Turkish capital Ankara on Sunday and wounded 75 more, the governor’s office said, less than a month after a similar attack killed 29 people just blocks away.

Video footage showed burning debris showering down on what appeared to be the entrance to an underpass.

The blast could be heard 2.5 km away and a large cloud of smoke could be seen rising over the city centre, a Reuters witness said.

A senior security official told that the blast appeared to have been caused by a suicide car bomb. A second security official said gunfire was heard after the blast.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

The area, close to a courthouse and the Justice and Interior Ministries, was crowded when the explosion happened at 6:43 p.m. (1643 GMT), state broadcaster TRT said.

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IS group comdr Shishani ‘clinically dead’ BEIRUT—Top Islamic State group commander Omar alShishani has been “clinically dead” for several days after a US air strike in northern Syria, a monitoring group said Sunday.

“Shishani is not able to breathe on his own and is using machines. He has been clinically dead for several days,” said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Abdel Rahman said the notorious red-bearded commander, known as Omar the Chechen, was in a hospital in the northern province of Raqa, IS’s bastion in Syria.

A US official said on March 9 that Shishani “likely died” in a barrage of US-led air strikes on March 4 in northeastern Syria.

The official branded Shishani “the ISIL equivalent of the secretary of defence”, using another acronym for the group. Abdel Rahman at the time said the jihadist had been “seriously injured” in the strike on his convoy, but that he had not died.—AFP

Militants backing violence in Karachi: Rangers KARACHI—A ‘militant group’ is trying to promote terrorist activities in the metropolis and persuading certain people to join them, Rangers said.

This was pointed out in a press release issued by the Pakistan Rangers, Sindh, here on Sunday.

It said that certain people contacted the Rangers and identified such activities on the part of those miscreants.

Cracker attacks on Rangers posts on Sunday morning and misleading allegations hurled against Rangers were part of such plot.

The press release further said that Rangers has taken a strict notice of such activities and those who are trying to persuade such activities would be arrested soon.—APP

Put Afghan peace process on rail

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El Nino turns weather topsyturvy ................................................

End controversy on women protection bill

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45 die in ravaging rains, floods Large number of houses collapse TARIQ SAEED PESHAWAR— Torrential rains and flash floods continued wreaking havoc across country, with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA hard hit, as more incidents of house collapses and rain-related casualties were reported on Sunday taking death toll to around 45 in KP, Punjab and Balochistan with scores injured in three days of calamity.

Dozens of houses collapsed in different areas of FATA and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Women and children are among the dead and injured. The routine life in the region has been badly disrupted owing to continued downpour and thousands stand effected.

The major and the most tragic incident took place on Saturday evening when two mines caved in leaving eight people dead and over two dozen injured in Dolay area of Orakzai agency. Majority of the victims belonged to Shangla district.

In Khyber Agency, Mohmand, Bajaur and FR areas at least eight people were reported killed and several injured in the rain-related incidents. The officials of the FATA Disaster Management Authority say that most casualties occurred due to house collapses in different areas.

There are also reports of large scale destruction due to torrential rains in various settled

areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority sources said that in Mardan, Bannu divisions and districts of Karak and Tank four people were killed and dozens wounded as several houses collapsed.

In Malakand division too, as many as three people were reported dead and 15 others injured due to rains that resulted in the collapse of scores of houses.

The PDMA said the detailed assessment is being made about the losses of lives and property claiming the departments and various agencies attached with the disaster management and rescue operations are geared up to meet the emergency situation.

The downpour was badly disrupting the relief activities.

A number of Army teams are engaged in relief and rescue work in various parts. The Met office has predicted more rains in days to come.

Agencies add: Death toll from torrential rains rose to 45 on Sunday after more homes collapsed in various parts of the country. “At least 17 people died due to roofs and walls collapsing or being struck by lightning,” Zahid Saleem, chief of Balochistan’s disaster management authority, told media.

Three persons including two children were killed in Gujar Khan on Sunday when a

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LOWER DIR: A view of water falling into seasonal nullah due to heavy rain at Talash Bazar on Sunday.—INP

Dal Khalsa team visits Geelani NEW DELHI—In a unique expression of solidarity, Dal Khalsa activists led by party general secretary Kanwarpal Singh paid a goodwill visit to ailing octogenarian Kashmiri nationalist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani at his Delhi residence. They exchanged notes Picture on Back Page on the current situation in Kashmir and political developments in the Indian sub-continent. Dal Khalsa activists offered prayers at a historic Gurdwara for the good health and long life of Mr. Geelani.

Dal Khalsa leader Kanwarpal Singh said the continuous house arrest of Mr. Geelani has taken the toll of his health. Notably, Geelani was

To hold public rally in April; Sindh FIA Director Shahid meets Kamal, Qaimkhani KARACHI—Former Karachi mayor Mustafa Kamal Sunday announced to hold his first ever public meeting in Karachi in the second week of April.

Addressing a press conference, Mustafa Kamal said although it has just been days since their return to Pakistan, this rally would still be able to prove a huge crowd puller.

“People would witness for themselves the magnitude of

this public meeting,” he added.

When asked to respond to Farooq Sattar’s claims of MQM workers loyalties being bought off, Kamal said he would not react to his remarks.

“Farooq Sattar is an innocent man….I don’t want to say anything on this…. I only salute Farooq Sattar with both hands,” he added.

To another question about the visit of representatives of Federal Investigation Agency at his residence, Mustafa

ISLAMABAD—Hizb-e-Islami Afghanistan ((HIA), led by former prime minister Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, has decided to take part in the direct peace negotiations with the Afghan government, the party announced on Sunday.

Hizb-e-Islami, the second largest resistance group in Afghanistan, said the party has accepted invitation by President Ashraf Ghani to join the talks.

“As President Ashraf Ghani had invited Hizb-e- Islami to the peace talks, we are ready to participate in these negotiations. We want to tell our nation that

Kamal said the team led by Shahid Hayat paid a brief visit.

“They had tea with us and asked us to extend our cooperation in (Altaf Hussain’s) money laundering case,” he added.

Shahid Hayat reached Mustafa Kamal’s house without any protocol and was welcomed by Dr Sagheer Ahmad who has also quit MQM to join the dissidents.

“Shahid Hayat has asked

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Hizb-e-Islami desires peace, but the United States and circles linked to it want continuation of the war,” the Hizb said in a statement sent to the media on Sunday.

Sources said the party has constituted a two-member team for the negotiation that in clued Qazi Hakim Hakim, head of the party’s central council and Dr Ghairat Baheer, head of the political affairs.

Last week the Taliban refused to join the negotiations unless the “occupation of Afghanistan is ended, black lists eliminated and innocent prisoners freed.”

Damascus: Assad ouster ‘red line’ GENEVA—The United States and France warned the Syrian regime on Sunday against trying to disrupt the fragile ceasefire as the warring sides prepared for fresh peace talks to end the brutal fiveyear conflict.

The UN-brokered indirect negotiations are due to start Monday in Geneva, the latest international push to try to end a war that has killed more than 270,000 people and forced millions from their homes.

After talks with European allies in Paris, US Secretary of State John Kerry hit out at comments by his Syrian counterpart that removing President Bashar alAssad would cross a “red line” in the negotiations.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault went further, describing Walid Muallem’s comments as a “provocation” and a “bad sign” for the attempts to find peace.

Kerry warned Syria and its allies Russia and Iran against “testing boundaries” or lessening their compliance with a fragile February 27 truce brokered by Wash-

ington and Moscow that has largely held despite each side accusing the other of violations.

Meanwhile, Syria’s warring sides clashed over the fate of President Bashar al-Assad, with the government vowing his ouster remains a “red line” for looming peace talks while the opposition vowed to see him go — dead or alive.

“We will not talk with anyone who wants to discuss the presidency... Bashar al-Assad is a red line,” Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem told a Damascus news conference.

“If they continue with this approach, there’s no reason for them to come to Geneva,” he said.

The HNC has repeatedly called for Assad’s departure as a prerequisite for any deal, and chief opposition negotiator Mohammad Alloush said the president must go for peace talks to stand a chance.

“We believe that the transitional period should start with the fall, or death, of Bashar al-Assad,” he told AFP in a joint interview in Geneva.

“It cannot start with the presence of

Draft Companies Bill 2016

Dar directs for consultations ISLAMABAD—Finance Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar chaired a briefing session here on the consultative process with stakeholders on draft Companies Bill 2016.

He was also briefed about Pakistan stock market’s possible induction into the emerging markets index of the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI).

Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) Chairman Zafar Hijazi informed the Finance Minister about salient features of new Companies Bill 2016 and said that the SECP had carried out an exhaustive consultative process with all the stakeholders to seek comments and suggestions.

He said that the SECP had organized consultative sessions and round-tables at all the major cities of Pakistan in collaboration with chambers of commerce and industry, Federation of Pakistan

Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) and ICAP. The SECP Chairman informed the minister that following the completion of the consultative process necessary amendments in the draft bill were being made in light of the suggestions received during consultation.

The minister advised the SECP to organize a seminar in Islamabad to highlight the salient features of proposed bill.

All leading professionals related with corporate sector and office bearers of chamber of commerce and industry and other business bodies should be

The Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) meeting in Kabul on Feb 23 had invited Taliban groups and Hizbe-Islami to join direct talks with the Afghan government by the first week of March. Pakistan had accepted the offer to host the unprecedented meeting.

“Although the Americans have not yet ended their war in Afghanistan and oppose the peace process and that many officials of the Kabul government see the peace process as a threat to their powers and privileges, we are ready for talks,” the Pashto-language statement said. —NNI

US, France warn Syria ahead of peace talks

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Kamal seeks amnesty for ‘misguided’ MQM supporters STAFF REPORTER

Hizb-e-Islami (Hekmatyar) to join Afghan peace talks

invited to this seminar, he directed.

The Finance Minister was also informed that Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) officials had briefed the MSCI on the reforms recently introduced in Pakistan’s capital market.

Moreover, during the PSX’s road shows in London, New York and Hong Kong, big fund managers from all over the world were briefed on recent reforms in the capital market as well as on economic turnaround in Pakistan.

The MSCI and the fund managers greatly appreciated Pakistan’s economic reforms and improvement in

country’s capital market and with that the likelihood of Pakistan’s capital market being included in the MSC’s emerging market index had greatly improved.

He also apprised the minister about the upcoming assessment of Pakistan’s capital market by International Organization of Securities Commission (IOSCO).

He said that the SECP had made significant reforms in regulatory framework of capital markets to implement the IOSCO’s principals.

He expressed the hope that Pakistan would achieve up to 80 percent compliance with the IOSCO principles from the existing level of 62 per cent.

It may be recalled that before the last year assessment, Pakistan’s implementation level to IOSCO’s principals was merely 34 per cent.—APP

the regime, or the head of this regime still in power.”

Kerry said the Syrian minister was “clearly trying to disrupt the process... clearly trying to send a message of deterrence to others.

“But the fact is (Assad’s) strongest sponsors Russia and Iran have both adopted... an approach which dictates that there must be a political transition and that we must have a presidential election at some time,” he added.

Kerry urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to bring the Syrian regime into line, saying he should be concerned that Assad had used his foreign minister “to try and act as a spoiler, to take off the table something that president Putin and Iran had committed to”.

“So this is a moment of truth, a moment where all of us have to be responsible.” Kerry hailed the fact that the ceasefire had led to a reduction of violence of up to 90 percent, and made possible the delivery of emergency supplies to some 150,000 civilians in besieged areas.

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Sattar accuses Rangers of torturing jailed MQM workers STAFF REPORTER KARACHI—Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Coordination Committee member and Member National Assembly Dr Farooq Sattar on Sunday accused the Rangers of torturing 40 party workers imprisoned at the Karachi Central Jail. He said conspiracy of minus one formula against MQM is being hatched, adding that efforts are being made to disintegrate MQM. MNAs and MPAs of MQM are being contacted from unknown numbers and are asked to join the party present on the other side of the bridge. Farooq Sattar said

‘some powers’ are forcing undertrial MQM prisoners in the jail to change their loyalties or face consequences. He claimed the Rangers and police on Friday night raided a barrack in central jail and tortured MQM prisoners.

The prisoners were given a form with a message to support “a specific individual”, said MQM leader without naming any dissident party leader like Mustafa Kamal. He claimed that workers were forced to change loyalties with a written guarantee. “Let me clear that the situation is not similar to that of 1992,” underlined Sattar.

Water pumps Our Correspondent

KHYBER AGENCY—Ham idullah Jan Afridi the former federal minister and tribal leader of Khyber Agency on Sunday distributed several Submersible water pumps, hand pumps and installed electricity transformers in Sepah areas to help reduce water shortage in the wart-torn Bara Tehsil in Khyber Agency.

Hamidullah Jan Afridi on the request of Bara resident purchased 16 sumersible water pumps, four hand-pumps and three 50-KV of electric transformers and donated to the Sepah deserving residents.

Talking to reporters during the distribution and installation of electric transformers, Hamidullah Jan said.

Allegations against MQM chief very serious: Imran LAHORE—Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan once again severely criticized Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain, saying there were serious allegations against Altaf. Khan also reproached the Ministry of Interior stating that it was not their job to provide the Interior Ministry with the evidence.

The PTI chairman severely lambasted and once again challenged the ‘Sharif

brothers’ to a debate as well.

Talking in media, Imran Khan stated that those who quarreled with MQM were first kicked out of the party and then sent packing from this world as well. He stated that the party leaders used to order hits while sitting in London and now the Interior Ministry is asking for evidence. Criticizing the government, the PTI chairman stated that in Britain the Prime Minister (PM) answers to accusations on his own,

not his children. He stated that the ‘Sharif brothers’ should come and have a good debate.

The PTI chief announced elections on Union Council (UC) level as well after intra-party polls. Khan also announced introducing a new accountability bill in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

The PTI chairman, being a legendary cricketer back in his days also commented on the national cricket team. He

stated that the Pakistani teams batting statistics were unsatisfactory. He stated that if the batsmen of the team were to fulfill their responsibility, then there was chance that the nation might hear good news in the 2016 World T20 tournament.

The former Captain of Pakistan, Khan also blasted the government of Himachal Pradesh while acknowledging the steps taken by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar for the national cricket team.—NNI

KP to ask Centre for Rs 974m arrears to produce cheap electricity PESHAWAR—Provincial Minister for Elementary Education, Energy and Power Muhammad Atif Khan has directed the authorities concerned of the Energy and Power Department (E&PD) to take practical steps for ensuring cheap and indigenous electricity to the Industrial Estates of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He said electricity from various Power Houses operated by E&PD at the

earliest so as to eradicate poverty and unemployment from the province by developing the industrial sector.

He issued these directives while chairing a meeting on provision of cheap and indigenous electricity to the Industrial Estates of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from various Power Houses operated by E&PD at Peshawar the other day. The meeting beside others was also attended

by the Secretary E&P Engr: Naeem Khan, Chairman KPEZDMC Ghulam Dastagir, Chief Planning Officer E&PD Syed Zainullah Shah, CEO KPEZDMC Mohsin Syed, CEO PEDO Akbar Ayub and CEO KPOGCL Razi-ud-Din. It was decided in the meeting that Federal Government would be asked for early payment of arrears of Pehur Hydel Station (PHS) amounting to Rs.974 Million be-

sides contacting the Ministry of Water and Power for bringing Wheeling System of electricity for the industrial sector. It was also decided that its future utilization within the province would be based on plan to be received from KPEZDMC. The meeting thoroughly discussed different aspects of provision of cheap and indigenous electricity to the Industrial Estates of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.—APP

Marvi highlights Bhitai’s message of peace, tolerance ISLAMABAD—Minister of State luted the quest for prosperity, and Chairperson Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), MNA Marvi Memon Sunday said that great Sindhi poet Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai’s message of peace, tolerance and women empowerment was universal in its reach.

She expressed these remarks while speaking during a ceremony of Peace Festival 2016, at the City Hall in London, as chief guest together with Member of the British Parliament, Rt Hon Stephen Timms.

The event celebrated the poetry and sufi teachings of the famous Sindhi poet and saint, Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai.

Speaking at the event, the Minister said that Latif Sarkar’s message was more relevant in this day and age, when terrorism and intolerance have pol-

said a press release received here.

She emphasized on spreading his message across geographical, cultural, religious and political divides to truly achieve a progressive society. She also highlighted the importance of connecting Sufi silsilas of Pakistan with those abroad as well as more inter provincial exchanges on same.

The Minister also highlighted Bhittai’s message on women empowerment. She noted that the sufi poet explained his philosophy in Shah jo Risalo through the courageous lives of women such as Marvi, Moomal, Sorath, Sassui, Noori, Sohni and Leila. She said that her work as the Chairperson of BISP, follows the philosophy of Bhittai.—APP

More downpour likely ISLAMABAD—Different parts the weather cold and there is a

Rats injure kids

Secy Health removes MS

of the country, including considerable decrease in pollen Islamabad and Rawalpindi, con- counts in Islamabad. Accordtinued receiving intermittent ing to the Met Office, heavy fall G R GORAR rain on Sunday for the third con- could generate urban/flash LARKANA—Unhygienic consecutive day.

Pakistan Meteorological ditions of Children Hospital of Department (PMD) forecast Chandka Medical College (CMCH) Larkana, rats attacked scattered rain with thunderon two newly born babies and shower accompanied by strong seriously injured them at neogusty winds and isolated hailstorm in Kashmir, Islamabad, natology ward. Secretary Sargodha, Rawalpindi, flooding in Malakand, Hazara, Health Sindh took strict notice Gujranwala, Malakand, Hazara, Peshawar, Mardan, Kohat, of matter and removed MediPeshawar, Mardan, Kohat, FATA, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, cal Superintendent Chandka FATA and Gilgit-Baltistan for Lahore divisions and Kashmir Medical College Hospital during next 24 hours.

Larkana and constituted the innext 24 hours.

Rainfall recorded in last 24 quiry committee under superviWeather expert Dr Muhammad Hanif said rain and hours was: Islamabad 72, sion of Addi-tional Secretary 57, Health Department here on snowfall over the hills would Rawalpindi, continue in Gilgit, Hunza, Mandibahauddin, Sargodha, 46, Sunday.

Murree 45, Mangla 26, Sialkot According to reports, rats Murree and Galyat.

He warned that the prevail- Cantt 24, Jhelum 20, bitten and seriously in-jured to ing weather conditions could Bahawalnagar, D.G.Khan 18, 15 days old Uqba daughter of cause landslide in vulnerable ar- Lahore 17, Kot Addu , Imdad Hus-sain Gopang resiNAROWAL: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms, Ashan Iqbal inaugurating anti-polio campaign by administrating anti-polio drops to a child. eas of Hazara division and Faisalabad 16, Multan, Gujrat dent of Miro Khan Tehsil disKashmir. He said a new spell 04, Gujranwala 03, Cherat 79, trict Kamber Shahdadkot and of rain would in Punjab, Khyber Malamjaba 73, Risalpur 70, Dir three days old son of Jameel Pakhtunkhwa and north 54, Lower Dir 47, Pattan 39, Ahmed Jamali resident of Balochistan would start within Saidu Sharif 34, Kalam 27, Gareebabad mu-halla Larkana Peshawar 26, Chitral, Balakot who had admitted them in Chiltwo days.

The present rain-spell, 25, Mirkhani 21, Drosh 20, dren Hospital Chandka Medical which started on Friday, is likely Kohat, Parachinar 17, Kakul 16, College Hospital Lar-kana. Secto persist till Monday morning Toba Tek Singh 14, D.I.Khan retary Health Department Sindh while another spell is expected 12, Bannu 10, Rawalakot 80, Dr Saeed Ah-med Magnejo took Federal Minister for Planning, Devel- from the country but participation of all from Wednesday.

QUETTA—A three-day polio eradication more than fifty five hundred thousand chilMuzaffarabad 48, Kotli 28 and serious notice of matter. campaign will begin in Balochistan on dren below the age of five years would be opment and Reforms, Ahsan Iqbal has said spheres was needed to achieve the goals.

Recent rains have turned Garhi Dupatta 24mm.—APP that the government is taking possible Meanwhile, a three-day polio eradiMonday. A spokesman of polio emergency administered anti-polio drops.

The provincial health department has measures to free the country of polio vi- cation campaign will begin across the center told that all arrangements have been country on Monday. finalised to immunize over two million constituted fifteen thousand three hundred rus. ninety eight mobile, fixed and transit The Minister Planning and DevelopSpokesman of polio emergency cenchildren in the province.

Over six thousand mobile teams have teams for this purpose. Meanwhile, four- ment while inaugurating the three-day ter, Balochistan said that all arrangements been formed while tough security arrange- day anti-polio drive will also start in FATA anti-polio vaccination campaign here on have been finalized to immunize over two ments have been made to avoid any unto- on Monday. More than nine lakh eighty Sunday urged the government depart- million children in the province. In Khyber ward incident. Meanwhile, health officials thousand children would be administered ments, social and religious circles to play Pakhtunkhwa, a three day anti-polio camabout the campus life, applications etc. The delSTAFF REPORTER have requested parents to cooperate with anti-polio drops for which three thousand their due role for the success of this im- paign in twenty four districts will also beegates also visited Mary Baker Eddy Museum gin on Monday. A four-day anti-polio vac- ISLAMABAD—Delegates from Roots Millen- to explore the history of the world and how napolio teams for the safe future of their chil- six hundred and ninety eight teams have portant campaign.

Ahsan Iqbal said that incumbent gov- cination drive will also commence in the nium Flagship Campus I-9/3, Islamabad along tions were formed on the world’s oldest map dren. A three-day anti-polio campaign in been constituted. Foolproof arrangements 24 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will have been finalized for security of the po- ernment was putting all out efforts to Federally Administered Tribal Areas with the Chaperone Ms. Sana Khattak Admis- the Mappariumat Boston Massachusetts. sion & Outreach Officer visited Boston, New eliminate crippling disease of the polio (FATA) on the same day.—DNA begin from Monday. During the campaign, lio teams.

The most proud moment for the Millennials York, Washington DC USA for an educational was when they had a guided exploration of the trip to attend the 63rd Session of the Harvard United Nation Head Quarters. Followed by the Model United Nations 2016 in Boston, Massa- interactive session about UN mission to US with chusetts. Over 3,000 delegates from all around the diplomats. The Millennials took the Ferry to the world participated and had an incredible Liberty Island and explore the Statue of Liberty experience. The delegates attended a special in- and some of the most iconic sites in Manhattan L AHORE —Advisor Health committee on elimination of Azmat Mehmood, DCO meeting through video link.

The meeting reviewed in teractive and conference preparation workshop like Grand Central, Wall Street, and 9/11 MePunjab Khawaja Salman dengue at Commissioner Office Rawalpindi Sajid Zafar Dal and senior officers of provincial de- detail dengue situation in the by Team Harvard Model United Nationsto an- morial.

Rafique Sunday said that due to Rawalpindi.

ABDULLAH MADNI The Millennials visited the US Capitol and Provincial Secretary Pripartments besides administra- province especially Rawalpindi, swer all their queries. The Millennials attended recent rains, breeding of larvae mary & Secondary Health Ali tive heads of Lahore, performance of government de- all the six committee sessions successfully, fol- various National Memorials like Abraham Linin dengue breeding spots would T IMERGARA —The AlJan Khan, In-charge Chief Min- Gujranwala, Faisalabad and partments and institutions, fu- lowed by the Cultural Extravaganzaand HMUN coln Memorial, Martin Luther King Jr. MemoKhidmat Foundation (AKF) increase and large scale efforts ister’ Dengue Research Cell Ali Sheikhurpura, Divisional and ture planning, training of staff, Closing Ceremony where students from more rial, World War II Memorial, Korean and VietLower Dir chapter on Sunday were needed for its elimination. Jan, Dr. Waseem Akram, Com- district heads of government monitoring, appointment than 250 countries participated. nam War VeteransMemorial in Washington DC He stated this while presidDuring their stay in US the Millennials ex- where they all got a taste of the American Govdistributed wheel chairs among missioner Rawalpindi Division departments participated in the against vacant posts, public 50 persons with disability dur- ing over a meeting of cabinet awareness campaign, indoor plored America’s most reputed universities like ernment and its history. The Millennials also set ing a function held here with JI and outdoor surveillance and Harvard, MIT and Georgetown University, out an adventure in the International Spy Muparliamentary leader Sahibzada sanitary patrol and performance where the delegates had a guided tour of all the seum at Downtown Washington DC and later campuses provided by senior students them- the day took that perfect set of photographs in Tariqullah in the chair. MNA of dengue workers. —APP selves and had a chance to interact with them front of the White House.

Sahibzada Yaqub Khan, AKF Khyber Pakhtunkhwa relief in charge Shaukat Khan, Lower Dir president Fazal Mehmood and district councilor Saif ul Iskistani companies some minor complaints lam also addressed the function.

STAFF REPORTER have received against eleven companies and The speakers appreciated the AKF for its humanitarian PESHAWAR—The Hajj Organizers Associa- the investigation against them was underway.

The HOAP official said the Saudi minisservices and said well off tion of Pakistan (HOAP) officials reported people and donors trusted it that the Saudi authorities will issue final list ter had emphasized the Pakistani Hajj orgabecause of its commitment and of participating Hajj operations companies on nizers group should train their hujjaj adding that private sectors Hajj operators know well services for marginalized 7th April.

HOAP regional Vice Chairman Hafiz how to manage the hujjaj to avoid the incipeople. They said that helping poor, orphans, widows and Shafiq Kashif said that the Saudi Minister for dent what was happened during the last year helpless people was highly val- Hajj Dr Hamza Bandar Alhijar said they would Hajj at Minah.

The official said according to Saudi auued by the Prophet of Islam release a list of companies which would be thorities new Hajj companies would not be Muhammad (SAW). The permitted to participate in Hajj operations.

Hafiz Shafiq said that the minister also registered due to the expansion work of the speakers said the JI tried to make the country as corruption said they had received complaints against holy Haram-Sharif.

The official said the Saudi government has free and welfare state where some Hajj operators which would also be disissued a letter to Pakistani authorities for proevery citizen had equal access patched to the relevant countries.

The HOAP official said that the Saudi viding them the final list of Hajj tourist orgato justice and right. They said that none of the JI lawmakers minister Dr.Hamza while applauding Pakistani nizations saying the Pak authorities should or ministers had ever been in- companies said those were providing best ser- provide the final list of Hajj operators to Saudi vices to pilgrims adding that among 742 Pa- Hajj ministry without any delay. volved in corruption.

Anti-polio drive starts in Balochistan, KP, FATA from today

Millennials reach Harvard on educational trip

Wheelchairs among disabled distributed

Rains likely to increase dengue larvae breeding

Saudi to issue Hajj operating companies’ list next month

Why NAB, Rangers not working in Punjab Shehbaz should have consulted Ulema on Women Rights Bill: Elahi LAHORE —Pakistan Muslim happen like this, this procedure League (PML) President and former prime minister Ch Shujaat Hussain has questioned as to why NAB and Rangers are being allowed to work in Punjab? whereas Ch Parvez Elahi has said Shehbaz Sharif did not consult women rights bill, what was hurry for him, he should have thought that under this law karras could be put on his both hands and foot.

They said this while responding to questions from the media after attending walima reception of son of Ch Ejaz Ahmad in Gujrat on Sunday.

Ch Shujaat Hussain said he has already stated that if the govt turned to religious parties then its fate will be bad, objections on the women rights bills of religious parties should be removed and they should be taken into confidence, it is absolutely wrong to wind up NAB, without any obstruction, prejudice, discrimination and opposition NAB be allowed to do its work.

He said further that grade 21 officer is being posted over grade 22 officer, this should not

of postings and transfers is not right.

He said that National Action Plan is not being implemented in the Punjab and the Rangers have been stopped from carrying out operation.

Ch Parvez Elahi remarked in this regard this is so because their ministers themselves are the facilitators here.

He said further that the religious parties and ulema including their ally Maulana Fazlur Rahman have serious objections over the Women Rights Bill, why Shehbaz Sharif do every work in haste, our govt did record legislation in five years but nobody raised any objection ever, if he was to legislate the Women Rights Bill then he should have consulted the ulema, he should have also gone through legislation done at the federal level during tenure through efforts of Ch Shujaat Hussain and amendments were effected in women’s rights after consultation with ulema of all schools of thoughts for six months..— DNA

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pervez Khattak, presidng over a meeting regarding establishment of Research Centre at Islamia College University.

Put Afghan peace process on rail

MEDIA WATCH

The Bernie Sanders revolution

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AKISTAN’S sincere and genuine efforts for revival of peace pro cess in Afghanistan are finally being applauded and acknowledged the world ever as its policy to facilitate the Afghan led and Afghan owned reconciliation process has paid the dividends and advanced the prospects of reconciliation in the war torn country. The United States has once again come up with praise for the efforts put in by Islamabad for bringing the Taliban and Afghan government on the negotiation table.

Speaking at a press briefing a senior US General in Afghanistan Wilson Shoffner described the Quadrilateral process, established on the sidelines of Heart of Asia Conference in Islamabad last December, as the surest way towards ending violence in Afghanistan. There is no doubt that peace and stability in Afghanistan is imperative for peace in the entire region. In our view, apart from Pakistan, responsibility also rests with other stakeholders to come forward and play a pro active role in realising the dream of durable peace in the country which has suffered immensely due to decades of conflict- the one which has claimed incalculable lives and afflicted setbacks to country’s economy. Murree process, which brought the Afghan government and Taliban to the first ever direct talks, was an encouraging and positive development. This rendezvous had rekindled hopes that dawn of peace and tranquillity in Afghanistan is not far away, however, some detractors and opponents of the peace sabotaged the process. Recently efforts have been geared up from the platform of Quadrilateral Coordination Group to restart the process with Pakistan offering to host once again direct talks between the two sides. It is understood that some negative forces would possibly again try to create obstacles in the way of dialogue as peace in Afghanistan undermines their vested interests yet the stakeholders must counter their designs with prudence. Given the miseries Afghans have been facing over the last many decades it has become imperative to put the country back on the path of peace, prosperity. Revival of direct talks between the Afghan government and Taliban, at the earliest, would be the first step towards bringing normalcy in the lives of Afghans. We urge all the stakeholders to contribute their part and accelerate their efforts towards this end.

El Nino turns weather topsy-turvy M

ETEOROLOGICAL Department has forecast that a new spell of rain would lash different parts of the country from Wednesday. According to the DG, Met Office Ghulam Rasool such a severe rain pattern is not observed in spring season but anomalies in El-Nino climate cycles, a complex weather pattern resulting from variations in ocean temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific, are influencing weather patterns across the globe.

The summer season in Pakistan is also expected to be extremely harsh and intense as was witnessed last year in Karachi where dozens of people died. The people would have to face the brunt of hot weather conditions in May and June while observing Ramadan. Weather pundits and scientists have been predicting this topsy-turvy weather pattern for quite some time wherein heat and cold waves could become more intense and play havoc with lives of the people and the planet. This change in weather was inevitable due to havoc afflicted to the environment by none other than the humans themselves. In the days to come, different regions are expected to witness unusual weather trends including more erratic dust storms, rain events and hot and cold spells. Recently, the same extreme weather conditions wreaked havoc in UAE where heavy rains accompanied by strong winds brought the life to a standstill. Several coastal cities around the world including Karachi face submerging risk due to rising sea level caused by global warming. This alarming situation should ring alarm bells and the situation demands matching response. As it is matter of the very survival of our planet, the whole world community should join hands to implement policies aimed at alleviating climate change and adapting to its impact. Back in Pakistan, we need to massively enhance our forest cover, check land degradation and cut down fossil fuel pollution to meet the challenge of climate change head-on.

End controversy on women protection bill W

OMEN protection law recently enacted by the Punjab government generated heated debate and discussion amongst different segments of the society. Though the provincial government was scoffed at and showered with ridicule, it was a welcome debate in the sense that it provided an opportunity to the society on the whole to discuss the pros and cons of the law in threadbare.

In our view, general discourse is the right path to bring in effective legislation. Before passing any act, the document should be put before different segments of society for their inputs as it could help fine-tune the draft to the maximum. As regards the Punjab government’s women protection bill, some religious circles denounced it declaring it contrary to Islamic injunctions. However, the provincial government adopted the right course by holding a meeting with the Ulema of all schools of thoughts to remove their concerns and apprehensions regarding the act which declares physical violence, stalking, abusive language etc against women a crime. The meeting come out with a Fatwa declaring in categorical terms that the legislation is not against Shariah. In our view, there is now no justification to continue the smear campaign against this important act, which is a right step towards protecting the dignity and self-respect of women. Islam does not allow any form of violence rather it has given an elevated status to women. Therefore any step taken towards their empowerment and protection should not be politicised as they constitute half of the population and their participation in all walks of life is critical for socio-economic uplift of the country. In many Islamic countries including Malaysia and Turkey, women are working shoulder to shoulder with men for the development of their countries yet in our country resistance against participation of women would not serve any purpose for the forward march of the country. We expect this controversy to come to an end and that other provincial governments would also follow suit and pass legislations to stop any excesses against women.

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Land of pseudo egos!

The road was being swept as per regulations but not without the ladies leaving their distinct imprint on the whole exercise. But one is Khalid Saleem digressing.

On the occasion under Email: binwakeel@yahoo.com reference, it was not the ladies’ work rhythm that attracted one’s particular atNE of the minor joys of liv tention, remarkable though it was ing in Islamabad is the wel in itself. What struck one straightcome opportunity it affords away was the manifest fact that the one of enjoying long and pleasant two ladies were wearing what in the walks early in the morning. The Western world have come to be recwinter in Islamabad lingers on ognized as ‘designer sweaters’. longer than the southern areas. So, There was no mistaking the texture, theoretically at least, one has longer the design and the outlandish patoccasion to enjoy this rather plea- tern that have all become the hallsurable interlude leading up to the mark of the ‘Rich and Famous’ in summer season. Allow one to has- the so-called developed world. And ten to clarify that it is not at all one’s what is more, the brace of ladies in intention to dwell on the vagaries question were carrying it off as if it of the weather. What is of interest was just another day in their checkrather is what one gets to enjoy - ered lives.

Presently, the two ladies were free of cost - as a corollary of the changing weather. So here goes! joined by a middle aged male colIt so came to pass that in the league, who – going by his (you course of one such pleasurable guessed it!) designer sweater - could walk, when the weather was still easily have passed off as the indignippy, one came face to face with enous version of an aging Hollya phenomenon that had hitherto wood actor. This set one thinking. escaped one’s attention and one Had we in the Land of the Pure, unthat one had hitherto given little beknown to the common man, been thought to. It all began when one overtaken by an Industrial Revolucame across two rather smug and tion of sorts, wherein fashionable comfortable looking ladies en- apparel was being mass-produced at gaged in the leisurely pursuit of affordable prices? Or, had our sweeping the road – yes, Islamabad blessed working classes struck it persists with the traditional prac- rich, thanks to the intricate web of tice of entrusting this important statistics - based on macro and mifunction to members of the fair sex. cro policies of the financial wizards The first thing one noticed, then, – as woven by our indefatigable was that the duo were operating planners? It was nothing that excitat that indolent pace and rhythm ing, regrettably, though. A quick and that comes only after years of hon- short enquiry revealed the mundane est - though hardly intense - toil. truth that the designer apparel in

Friendly Fire

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question had been procured from the ‘weekly bazaar’ at what can only be described as throw-away prices.

Thanks to our second-hand clothing markets (in some cities known by the rather catchy nomenclature of ‘lunda bazaar’) our working classes have found fashion within their reach, at least during the harsh winter months. This weighty discovery had the effect of stimulating one’s thought process.

The ‘Rich and Famous’ of the Western world spend virtually small fortunes on purchasing so-called designer clothing just so that these garments would set them apart from the common herd. And thanks to their ‘wear and quickly discard’ habits the unwashed of the developing world get to steal a few moments of glory among their peers.

Let’s look back a bit in recent history. It so happened that the great revolution of the ready-to-wear garment industry in the developed world had resulted in the mass production of middling quality garments. This had the effect of bringing the prices down to within the reach of the working classes, thereby prompting the ‘Rich and Famous’ to look for alternate sources for their wherewithal. Their only - and modest - desire was basically to be (or at least to look) different from the herd.

As a consequence, then, whereas the working classes managed the means to pick up their suits and sweaters from outlets such as Marks and Spenser, the upper classes started opting for bespoke tailoring and the designer stuff.

So much for the developed Western world! The situation in countries such as ours, one notices, is somewhat different - in fact, re-

versed. Whereas the ‘great unwashed’ wear the designer stuff (courtesy the good old lunda bazaar), our upper classes proudly flaunt their wealth by making a beeline for the ‘imported’ Marks and Spenser genre. The underlying idea, nevertheless, is the same: that is to look different from the multitude and to stand out in the crowd.

One man’s meat is another man’s poison as they say; or is it the other way around?

Fashion, as it has come to be called, is ephemeral - fleeting. The desire to be different and to look different, though, is engrained in human nature. It has always formed part of what can be identified as the class struggle among the homo-sapiens. By the time the common folk catch up with a fashion (thanks to the hardworking plagiarists), it is time for the select band to move on to greener pastures, if that is the phrase one is looking for.

In the Land of the Pure, today, money reigns supreme. It is their wealth, rather than fashion sense, that our haves like to flaunt. This explains the abundance of shops selling (smuggled?) foreign apparel that have spawned around the country like wild mushrooms after the rains. These shops stock items of the Marks and Spenser genre plus plagiarized designer models from the underground factories of East Asia, all selling at staggering prices. Money is no consideration for our nouveaux riches, though, and thus the cult of pseudo-fashion flourishes in this land of pseudo egos.

— The writer is a former ambassador and former assistant secretary general of OIC.

Message through North Thunder Dr Muhammad Khan Email: drmk_edu@yahoo.com

I

N order to fight against and de feat the growing menace of ter rorism, 34 Muslim countries military alliance was established under Saudi Arabia in mid December, 2015. The immediate goal set for this military alliance was to; fight against the Islamic State or Daesh, a terrorist organization, emerged from the ashes of AlQaeda. Though this military alliance has participation from almost all regions of the Muslim countries, yet three significant regional countries; Iran, Iraq and Syria have not been included in the alliance. This selective participation of the alliance created misunderstanding about the future role, whether; it is only against the terrorism.

The first demonstration of this military alliance was a major military exercise in the northern region of Saudi Arabia, near Iraq and Iranian border. As per military and strategic expert of Middle East, Col. Ibrahim Al-Marie, the Joint Military Exercise, ‘North Thunder’ was conducted with three broad objectives in view. These objectives include; one, ‘to protect the joint security of the Gulf, Arab and Islamic states’, two, ‘to increase combat readiness’ and three, ‘to coordinate joint operations between participating forces.’

The military drill, ‘North Thunder’ is said to have achieved its goals set for the future operation and cooperation. It was participated by militaries of twenty countries with 150,000 combat troops, 2540 aircrafts, 20,000 tanks and 460 helicopters. In fact, it was the biggest military exercise in the entire Middle East, attained highest level of military cooperation and coordi-

nation among the Muslims all around; the Asians as well as the Africans. Attainment of the military cooperation can be directly attributed to political unity among the wider Muslim community.

A manifestation was seen in the form of presence of many heads of states and governments at the concluding session of this military maneuver. However, the absence of Iran, Iraq and Syria from the alliance and military drill gave way to a varied perception about the total unity among the Muslim Community. Rather, the other view from the experts of international relations is that, this alliance and military exercise thereafter indeed, was meant against Iran and its growing regional influence, thus, portray an alliance of a major Muslim school of thought. This school of thought feels that, rather unifying the Muslims, this alliance is the formal initiation of a rip among the Muslim countries, based on ideological crack.

Besides, the selection of site for the North Thunder military exercise, ‘Hafr Al-Batin’ near Syrian and Iranian border and adjacent to Iraq meant to send a clear message to Iran and its regional allies to stop their activities and influences over the population. It is worth mentioning that, Hafr Al-Batin’ is located 430 km north of Riyadh and 94.2 km from the Kuwaiti border. According to a regional analyst; Hamdan AlShehri, “The maneuver, which is a strong message for Iran, seeks to unify the military forces of Arab and Islamic countries. It is the first real maneuver after the Kingdom’s announcement of the formation of a 34-nation Islamic alliance against terrorism last December.”

The successful accomplishment of the military maneuver in the Kingdom, ‘North Thunder’ has provoked the 34 countries alliance to reform and re-constitute it on the for-

mat of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). This idea is rapidly taking shape and there are debates over its feasibility or otherwise. Nevertheless, the 34 countries alliance is a reality at least for the time being. The frustrating clause of this alliance is; would there be a ‘Warsaw Pact’ thereafter? Since NATO came into being in April

The new alliance system in the Middle East may initiate another arms race for the revival of the defence complexes of US and West, a strong desire of these Capitalist Lords.

The statesmen and intellectual class of the Muslim countries must debate these aspects, before a ‘Muslim NATO and Muslim Warsaw Pact’ become a reality.

1949, based on collective defence system, where members agreed for the mutual defense in the wake of any attack by external forces or party, the Soviet Union mainly. The Warsaw Pact, a treaty of Friendship, Co-operation and mutual assistance was also based on the concept of collective defense, established in 1955; its rival was US and NATO. The rivalry among the two alliances worked well, till the dissolution of Warsaw Pact in 1991, after disintegration of former Soviet Union. There remained proxy wars

and arms race throughout the cold war; 1945 to 1991. Both blocs; the US led West (Capitalist) and USSR led East (Communist) had their allies strongly bonded and indeed strictly controlled. The peculiarities of both blocs were that, they had their weapons and armaments of their own origin through their strong industrial bases, which are still intact and looking for the purchasers. In the case of Muslims, there exist neither the strong defense industrial bases nor the needed technology for the development of such industry. They heavily bank over the west for their defence equipment and requisite technology. This fact is equally applicable for Saudi led alliance and Iran.

As per US defence experts, the share of GCC countries in the total purchase of weapons and equipment from US based defense complex is over 24% in last two decades. Some of GCC countries are among the top purchaser of the defense equipment from United Sates and West. After nuclear deal and easing of sanctions, Iran will have excess for the purchase of modern weaponry from these western countries, since it has very professional armed forces. Then, there will an excuse too, provided by the Saudi led Military alliance. The new alliance system in the Middle East may initiate another arms race for the revival of the defence complexes of US and West, a strong desire of these Capitalist Lords.

The statesmen and intellectual class of the Muslim countries must debate these aspects, before a ‘Muslim NATO and Muslim Warsaw Pact’ become a reality, which indeed will serve the purpose of all, except Muslims at large.

— The writer is International Relations analyst based in Islamabad.

EVOLUTION is Bernie Sanders’s go-to word. The candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination uses it to celebrate primary victories and explain losses. Asked in Wednesday’s debate how he would address climate change, given opposition by Republicans in Congress, he answered: “I’m the only candidate who says no president, not Bernie Sanders, can do it all.

You know what we need? We need a political revolution in this country.” But, as he seemed to acknowledge, revolutions are typically bottom-up, not top-down, events. Mr. Sanders’s campaign is powered by $30 contributions and an army of young volunteers, but there are not enough elected office holders in Congress or in statehouses to carry out his revolution through new laws or policies. And that’s the big difference between running an inspiring campaign and actually governing.

Should Mr. Sanders win the nomination and the White House, he would very likely inherit a Democratic Party whose numbers in Congress have sharply dwindled and whose proportions in state legislatures — the farm team for potential national officeholders — have likewise declined. In the 1960s and ’70s, when Mr. Sanders and Hillary Clinton came of political age, the Democratic Party embodied the power of politically active young people. Indeed, a number of current Democratic congressional leaders got their start in those years. In the current Congress, the oldest members of both the House and the Senate are Democrats; the youngest in both chambers are Republicans. Republican control of a greater share of offices at the state level has helped further the careers of younger Republicans like Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz. Mr. Sanders’s own political career illustrates what can happen when a revolutionary has no ground troops. For 25 years in Congress, Mr. Sanders has held fast to his progressive message and principles. But he hasn’t gotten many big things done.

As an uncompromising political independent, his outsider status has largely prevented him from attracting the support that would be needed among Democrats to turn into law his liberal ideals on health care, on college education and on fighting poverty and climate change.

One need only look to the legislative setbacks for President Obama to see what happens when transformative ideas hit an intransigent Congress. Mr. Obama’s campaign awakened large numbers of young people to politics, and his campaign network, like Mr. Sanders’s, operated outside the traditional party structure.

After he won, a lingering economic downturn and rising distrust of government solutions propelled the most angry Tea Party elements of the GOP to run for Congress. As a result, Mr. Obama has presided over the biggest loss of congressional Democrats in modern political history — 13 Senate seats and 69 House seats. Republicans now hold 31 governorships, many more than when Mr. Obama took office. State legislatures, too, have had a surge in Republican control. The Democratic Party recognises the problem, but whether it can alter the trend is another matter. Raul Alvillar, the national political director for the Democratic National Committee, says the party has demographics on its side, as a wave of young people reach voting age, and the party, through a series of training initiatives, is trying to inspire them to run for local office.

Ilya Sheyman, the executive director of MoveOn.org, a political advocacy and action group that has endorsed Mr. Sanders, views his candidacy as “a reaction to the Tea Party standing in the way of everything the president wants to do, and a coming of age of a new wave of voters.” He is confident that movements like Occupy Wall Street, the Fight for $15 minimum-wage campaign, and Black Lives Matter will eventually propel young progressives into elective office. He credits Occupy Wall Street with putting the issue of wealth inequality into public discourse, and “now I think what we’re seeing is the electoralization of these issues.” Mr. Sanders’s supporters say his election will inspire more such candidacies, giving him the congressional backup he needs. But given Democrats’ problems on the state and local level, that could take years — and that’s evolution, not revolution. — The New York Times

A trouble shared is a trouble halved.

— Proverb

Justice delayed is human rights denied? Voice of the People Later when solutions were sought in the UNSC it was Sir Alexander Cadogan, Ali Ashraf Khan again Britain’s permanent representaEmail:balti1551@gmail.com tive at UNSC who made sure that no solution would come about that would include the HAT an audacity British possibility of depriving their bosom Foreign Minister and In friend Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru of his dian Prime Minister Modi ancestral land. But to deprive people have to speak about Kashmir in such of Kashmir of their selfhelp that was a way when a few days back Philip on the card as freedom fighters had Hammond, who visited Islamabad, already reached Srinagar to depose urged Pakistan and India to not al- the Hindu Maharaja. A new gimmick low non-state actors and other pres- of UNSC Resolutions declaring sure groups to derail the peace pro- Ceasefires and withdrawal of troops cess. What he meant by that was that to their original positions, appointing the Kashmiri people’s struggle for of UN representative for India & Patheir right of self-determination and kistan, a Plebiscite Administrator to thus the Kashmir conflict should not hold plebiscite in Kashmir, deployprevent India and Pakistan from sort- ment of UN Military Observer Group ing out their relations. By terming on both sides of India and Pakistan Kashmiri people and the freedom to prevent their interference in Kashfighters as ‘non-state actors’ he tried mir, which was later flouted by India to marginalise the conflict. under British patronage, a fact that Mr Hammond seems to have for- can be proved from UNSC debates gotten that it was British colonialism and decisions taken to implement and its representatives in British-In- agreed formula for deciding the fudia that had very thoughtfully planned ture of Kashmir. and created the Kashmir conflict in When the British Viceroy was the first place. When they decided to manipulatng the border line in favour partition the subcontinent rather than of India by giving Pathankot and withdraw in an orderly manner from Gurdaspur to India will some day the colony that they had dominated some one declare them enemies of and exploited for roughly two hun- humanity? The central theme ever dred years they not only failed to put present in Beaumont’s historic paperpower into Indian and Pakistani work is that Mountbatten not only hands in a proper and organized man- bent the rules when it came to partiner but allowed the slaughter of hun- tion - he also bent the border in India’s dreds of thousands if not millions of favour. On one occasion, he compeople. They also failed to provide a plains that he was “deftly excluded” clear roadmap for dealing with the from a lunch between the pair in close to six hundred princely states which a substantial tract of Muslimafter their paramountcy had lapsed. majority territory of district If the people of Kashmir with Gurdaspur and Pathankot – which their huge Muslim majority would should have gone to Pakistan - was have been given the chance as per instead ceded to India. The docuBritish government approved parti- ments his son Robert Beaumont tion plan to determine their fate at that found in his father’s belongings show time as a constitutional and moral re- that Beaumont had a stark assessment sponsibility keeping in view the prin- of the role played by Britain in the ciple that where the princely state has last days of the Raj. Robert Beaua Muslim or Hindu ruler and the ma- mont rifled through his father’s arjority of population following dif- chives. The various and somewhat ferent religion in that case the ac- tatty pieces of paper he unearthed are cession of state will be decided by no ordinary collection of paternal the will of the people ascertained memoirs. They are the thoughts and through a proper referendum. Ne- reflections of his father, Christopher glecting this clause of British parti- Beaumont, who played a central role tion plan was a criminal act of not in the partition of India in 1947. only the British viceroy in India but Even a cursory look on the workconnivance of British Queen and ing of paper tiger UNSC will show Parliament that led to human mas- how Security Council continues to act sacre, an unpardonable criminal act: like a lame duck in spite of the fact In case of proper and just handling that it was Indian Prime Minister who of the Kashmir conflict would not rushed to ask for UN intervention in have arisen in the first place. the ongoing conflict, see the dates and

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decisions of UNSC resolution that belies India claim of accession of Kashmir with India on 26th October 1947 by the then Governor General of India Lord Mountbatten. Resolution No. 38 was passed on 17-1-1948 that called upon India & Pakistan to refrain from further aggravating the situation in Kashmir. Resolution No. 39 was passed on 20-1-1948 that offered to assist in peaceful resolution of Kashmir conflict by forming a 3 member committee. Resolution No.47 was passed on 21-4-1948 after hearing complaints and decided to increase members of committee from 3 to 5 with specific purpose to prepare conditions for early plebiscite to decide the future of Kashmir. Resolution No. 51 was passed on 3-6-1948 that re-affirmed resolution No. 39 and asked the 5 member committee to move to area of dispute to discharge responsibilities assigned to them under resolution no. 47 and also address to points raised by Pakistani foreign minister in his letter addressed to UNSC. Resolution No. 80 was passed on 14-3-1950 that examined two reports; one from UN Rep for IndoPak and second from Gen. McNaughton about complaints on Ceasefire and de-militarisation of J&K and both India and Pakistan agreed on appointment of Admiral Chester W. Nimitz as UN Plebiscite Administrator for Kashmir. Resolution No. 91 was passed on 30-3-1951 that discussed report from Sir Owen Dixon UN Rep for Indo-Pak along with his resignation that was accepted and Council appointed Mr. Frank Graham as new Rep for IndoPak and asked him to expedite implementation of UNSC resolution to hold plebiscite in Kashmir and asked both countries to cooperate with UN Rep to prepare conducive atmosphere for early holding of plibiscite in Kashmir. Resolution No.96 was passed on 10-11-1951 that received A report from UN Rep Frank Graham; The Council was gratified to note that both India and Pakistan are extending support to UN Rep for a peaceful settlement of conflict and have ensured to respect Ceasefire, both countries agree in principle that future of Kashmir will be determined through free and impartial plebiscite under UN Resolutions. Resolution No. 98 was passed on 23-12-1952 in which UNSC urged upon the governments of India and Pakistan to start immediate negotiations through UN Rep on

Indo-Pak to reach an agreement to hold plebiscite and number of UNMOG troops deployment on both sides of Kashmir to ensure free and fair plebiscite.

Since then much water has flown down the Indus and the Ganges as well and thousands of Kashmiris have sacrificed with their lives for the fault of the colonial power that instead of leaving behind an ordered subcontinent ran away.

Since then Kashmir is divided and is bittering the relations between India and Pakistan. Given the fact that so much blood is attached to the conflict as well as political, economic and strategic interest only a satisfactory for all three sides – India, Pakistan and Kashmiris- solution will form the basis for better relations between the two countries.

Since the BJP has come to power Kashmir has come centre-stage again because of Indian Prime Minister Modi’s vow to finally solve the conflict by incorporating Kashmir into India in spite of above detailed UN Resolutions?

So far his plan has failed; neither could the BJP win elections in Kashmir nor would the resistance movement slow down. On the contrary, a new video has surfaced in youtube showing an Indian professor saying Kashmir is not a part of India and that raising of pro-independence slogans by Kashmiris is justified. “Everyone knows that India is illegally occupying Kashmir.

Everybody accepts it.” Prof Nivedita Menon is seen in the video clip as telling a gathering of JNU students on Feb 22. The professor teaches at the Centre for Comparative Politics and Political Theory at the School of International Studies in JNU. While the world has accepted this reality and maps of India printed outside India are showing a different borderline India is refusing to butch.

Next year it will be seventy years of India, Pakistan and the Kashmir conflict; it is high time and in the best interest of all involved to finally make a move and find a solution to the problem. That would be an active contribution to fighting ‘terrorism’ as well. In the 21st century. We should not remain hostage of our previous manipulators and the bleak past. Get rid of the proverbial monkey and let the people of Kashmir decide their own future.

—The writer is a senior columnist based in Karachi.

View From Abroad

World is witnessing a new interventionism Mark Leonard

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HE consequences of Russia’s intervention in Syria stretch far beyond the Middle East.

The Kremlin’s military campaign has tilted the stalemate in favour of the government and derailed efforts to craft a political compromise to end the war. It also heralds the beginning of a new era in geopolitics, in which large-scale military interventions are not carried out by Western coalitions, but by countries acting in their own narrow self-interest, often in contravention of international law.

The unfolding developments in Syria are further evidence that the tables are turning. While the West is losing its appetite for intervention — particularly involving ground troops — countries like Russia, China, Iran and Saudi Arabia are increasingly intervening in their neighbours’ affairs.

In the 1990s, after genocides in Rwanda and the Balkans, Western countries developed a doctrine of socalled humanitarian intervention.

“The Responsibility to Protect” (colloquially known as “R2P”) held countries accountable for their

people’s welfare and compelled the international community to intervene when governments failed to protect civilians from mass atrocities — or were themselves threatening civilians. The doctrine upended the traditional concept of national sovereignty, and in countries like Russia and China it quickly came to be viewed as little more than a fig leaf for Western-sponsored regime change.

So it is ironic, to say the least, that Russia is using a concept similar to R2P to justify its intervention, only in this case it is defending the government from its citizens, rather than the other way around. Russia’s efforts are, in effect, an argument for a return to the era of absolute sovereignty in which governments are uniquely responsible for what happens within their country’s borders.

Russia’s stance also reflects its preference for stability over justice and its acceptance of the legitimacy of authoritarian rule. With the proliferation of “colour revolutions” in places like Georgia, Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan, Russia and China have become increasingly wary of popular uprisings. The threat of Western intervention, in their view, only compounds the potential for instability.

Indeed, the Chinese have coined their own stiff foreign policy jargon for this

sentiment: “fan xifang xin ganshe zhuyi” (loosely translated, “countering Western neo-interventionism”).

But Russia’s respect for sovereignty has notable limits. In Crimea in 2014, the Kremlin embraced a very different doctrine of intervention, justifying its actions in Ukraine on the grounds that it was defending the rights of ethnic Russians.

This marks a return to a preWestphalian world of linguistic, religious and sectarian solidarity, of the sort Czarist Russia practiced when it regarded itself as the protector of all Slavs.

Not surprisingly, this justification for intervention is rapidly finding adherents in other parts of the world.

In the Middle East, Saudi Arabia has adopted a parallel argument for its support of Sunni forces in Yemen and Syria, as has Iran in backing its Shiite allies in both countries. Even China is increasingly being pushed to take responsibility for its citizens and companies overseas. At the beginning of the Libyan civil war, China airlifted tens of thousands of its citizens out of the country.

All of this has come at a time when the West is losing its military pre-eminence. Improvements in the Russian and Chinese militaries and the increasingly common use of

asymmetric strategies by state and non-state actors are levelling the battlefield. Indeed, the proliferation of state-sponsored non-state actors in places like Libya, Syria, Crimea and Donbass is blurring the distinction between state and non-state violence.

After the Cold War, the West imposed an international order that defined geopolitics worldwide.

When that order was threatened, Western leaders felt authorised to intervene in the affairs of whatever “rogue state” was causing the problem. But now that order is being challenged on several fronts simultaneously — globally by Russia and China, and at the regional level by increasingly assertive players in the Middle East, Latin America and even Europe.

As a new order takes shape, the roles countries have played for the last 25 years are likely to be reversed. In the West, the concept of sovereignty and the limited use of power is likely to make a comeback, while national leaders who have traditionally called for restraint will become increasingly bold in unleashing their troops. The writer is director of the European Council on Foreign Relations.

— Courtesy: The Japan Times

Editors..!

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PENT an enjoyable evening a couple of days ago with an editor friend of mine at the local press club and whilst relaxing on one of those old fashioned cane chairs, I looked around and realized many of those around me, unwinding like my friend and I, were editors of different publications.

I decided then and there as I observed these eminent gentlemen that I should do a piece on them, and today some lighthearted banter at these amazing group of men and women whose thoughts shape and make the world; at least that’s

what they like to believe!

If an editor makes a mistake he has to apologize for it, but if a doctor makes a mistake, he buries it. If an editor makes one there’s a lawsuit, a lot of swearing and the smell of sulphur, but if a doctor makes one there is a funeral, cut flowers and the smell of varnish!

A doctor can use a word a mile long without knowing what it means, but if an editor uses it he has to spell it. Any old college can make a doctor, but you can’t make an editor, he has to be born!

And there is a great responsibility placed on most editors as this little tale shows: A newspaper editor said to his housewife one day, “I think we’ll have a good potato crop this year!” “No such thing,” asserted the housekeeper, “I think the crop will be poor.” Ignoring the

remark the editor proceeded to his office and inserted in the evening paper his estimate and opinion of the crop situation.

That night when he returned home, he found his housekeeper waiting up for him with a sheepish grin on her face and a copy of the paper in her hand. “I was wrong,” she said apologetically, “it says here in the paper that the crop will be excellent, this autumn!”

Lets not forget that when we die and go hopefully to heaven, there will be no need for a doctor for it is believed we will enjoy perfect health, nor will we need the opinions of a lawyer for in heaven there will be no disputes to settle.

There will be no business in heaven, so the services of a businessman also won’t be needed, but the editor, ah the editor will be a

very important person there, for in heaven as in earth, we will all want to read every day what the other fellow is up to!” But there are times when these revered men of letters who’d like to have the last word in most matters of opinion are beaten to it: An editor turned to the new rookie journalist and told her, “Miss Jones you must be careful about your stories; accuracy is to a newspaper what virtue is to you a woman!” “Maybe so chief,” said the young girl with a cheeky grin, “but a newspaper can print a retraction..!” I end with the words of the famous essayist Joseph Addison who described editors as men and women who ‘ride in the whirlwind and direct the storm..!”

—Email:bobsbanter@gmail.com

An appalling situation indeed M FAZAL ELAHI

L

ike many grey areas that merit special attention of those in saddles in this country, education too merits their undivided attention. Despite the fact that some attention has been paid to education by successive governments, particularly during the past decade or two, much still remains to be done in this extremely vital area of socio-economic development. Undeniably, education holds the key to success of any nation. Factually, no nation has ever or can ever attain its socio-economic goals without assigning education the highest place in its agenda for national development. According to a latest government report, a staggering 24 million Pakistani children are out of school. This unambiguously exposes the state of education in a country where around a quarter of the population is believed to be below16 years of age.

According to the annual Pakistan Education Statistics report for 2014-2015, out of 50.8 million children aged five to 16 in the country, 47 per cent do not receive education. According to the report, Pakistan has not conducted a national census for 17 years now, but around two-thirds of the roughly 200 million populace of this country are believed to be below the age of 30. The report, released on February 25, 2016 and compiled using population projections and demographic analysis, put the number of schoolage children at 50.8 million. Of the 24 million children who are not in school, more are girls — 12.8 million compared to 11.2 million boys, said the report, which also revealed that 69 per cent of children enrolled at primary school level drop out by the fifth year. The report also highlights the lack of resources for education in Pakistan. Yet more candidly the report unfolds the fact that around 29 per cent of government primary schools operate with just a single teacher. Eighteen per cent have only one classroom, and nine per cent do not even have a building, it says. The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif recently took the onus of revamping and upgrading the Model Schools of the capital of the country-Islamabad on his own shoulders. Ms. Mariam Nawaz, a PML-N leader and the illustrious daughter of the honorable Prime Minister, is playing a pivotal role in pushing this important programme through and helping her father attain this vital goal that he has set forth for himself and his government. One sincerely wishes that once this project of national importance is successfully implemented in Islamabad, endeavours will be made to replicate it across the country. There shouldn’t be any second thought on this extremely important matter of national significance.

— Islamabad

Electricity shortage TALIB BADAL BALOCH Whenever summer sets in, electricity initiates playing an arrogant hide and seek. Turbat, being the second hottest zone in Balochistan Province, is in deep trouble owing to acute load shedding. Above all, there is no scheduled time, and it takes place as sudden. Everyone is familiar with its disastrous effects that make the life difficult.

Such sudden breakdowns have also caused the destruction of several houses, after unmanageable fluctuation and short-circuiting of electricity ended up in catching fire by these buildings. Similarly, the students taking exams are in troubles as the Turbat temperature reaches to its highest during March to August. The Provincial and the Federal government are requested to take serious steps to resolve this issue.

— Via email

Kech festival NAZGUL FAIZ I appreciate the initiatives taken by incumbent and the previous Chief Minister Balochistan for giving a unique chance to the youth of the Province in shape of a festival in the name of Kech festival. The students from different regions of Balochistan are invited to show their talent by taking parts in different sports.

This time around the girls were especially included in the Sports’ festival which was a great opportunity for girls in Turbat to prove their talent and potential. It was the first festival that brought the Baloch students at one platform. Hopefully, such extra-curricular activities will continue to encourage the youth of Makran to participate in local, regional and later in national forums.

—Turbat, Balochistan

What life has taught me!

LAWRENCE PINTO The best classroom in the world is at the feet of an educated elderly person. That I can always pray for someone when I am not able to help him in some other way. That you should never reject a gift from a child. That sometimes all a person need is a hand to hold and a heart to understand. That we should be glad even if God does not give us everything we ask for.

That money does not bring class. That love, not time, heals all wounds.

The easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than me. That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks. That opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss. That life is tough but I am tougher. That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.

—Rawalpindi

A friend worse than foes AISHA BINT NIAZ A few days ago, an American agency revealed classified information in which a document was about the former Prime Minister Liaqat Ali Khan and American President of that time. It states as to how Liaqat Ali Khan was threatened with death; how did Liaqat Ali Khan emphatically order US to call its airplanes back to America, and how the assassination of Liaqat Ali Khan was planned and executed through Afghan Sayed Akber who worked for British agency. We all know how “Super Power” exter-

minates its so called friends.

Liaqat Ali Khan, the former Air Marshal Mashaf Ali Mir and Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto, they all were taken away from their people by the Super Power. It keeps its enemy away, and harms its friends more than it does to its enemies. Unfortunately, we are still knotted with our so called friend. Our best time was when our relations with US a bit tense and we were deprived of its aid.

Recently American Foreign Minister John Kerry has asked Pakistan to limit its nuclear power and said that it would be further discussed in PakAmerica’s coming meeting. What would be discussed? Is there any need to be knotted with such thankless and dangerous friend? Not at all! We are the nation which is totally independent and have all resources, necessary for the development of the country. We do not need to have a friend who is worse than an enemy.

—Larkana Sindh

T20 World Cup NAIMA SADAQAT Pakistan is scheduled to play the first game on March 16 against the winner of the Group A qualifier. The controversies begin on the issue of Pakistan India matches and security concerned of Pakistani team. As we know Indian extremist groups protested against Pakistani team and threatened not to allow them to play matches with India on their land. Interior Minister Chaudhary Nisar Ali khan announced not sending our team to India until Indian government and Indian cricket board gave in writing for providing security to our team. So after Indian government provided these guarantees Pakistani team went to India.

It’s not a fight between common masses of Indo-Pak but some extremist groups of India. People of both countries need to be trained to think positively about their surroundings.

We should learn a lesson from US and Canada’s cross border collaboration to improve their affairs and provide backing, why can’t Pakistan and India enter into such arrangements?

Pakistan has more potential to be a developed country than India. It has the resources and talent, yet it seems to sink lower by each passing day. It is time for Pakistan to learn this lesson and correct its focus.

—Rawalpindi

******* KHALIFA ABA BAKAR Cricket and other sports are played well in Turbat since umpteen teams are there but unfortunately it lacks basic sports facilities. We find one grassy ground in entire Turbat; even though, that is too dilapidated. I urge Balochistan CM Sanaullah Zahre to provide sports facilities for the betterment of young generation.

—Via email

City life vs village life SYED NAJAF RAZA. In villages, the people live in an open atmosphere. They get fresh air and sunlight. They inhale more oxygen, which they get from trees and crops, which grow in their fields. As compared to people in cities, people in villages lead a tension free life. There is not much noise in villages. In villages, people generally get fresh vegetables and pure milk and also consume lesser amount of fast food, which is very harmful. There are, however, certain advantages, which the urban people have over the villages.

In cities there are much better employment avenues than towns. The security system is also better. People often do not feel bored, as they have several means of amusement and entertainment such as visiting different places of importance, a visit to the zoo, some museum or exhibition etc. In cities,

people get better education as there are so many schools, colleges, universities and libraries. Better medical facilities are available in cities, as there are so many big hospitals and dispensaries, which are not available in villages. In cities one can have more variety of goods including food and wearing articles. We can get food of choice at hotels and restaurants. Thus in some ways, villages are better while in some cities are better.

—Karachi

Child protection against abuse AREESHA SALEEM At present when child abuse cases, be it in terms of sexual assault, pornography or child trafficking are taking alarming proportions and adversely affecting the individuals, families as well as the whole society, the Senate passed a relevant law.

Dearth of laws and bodies to check such incidents had led many to suffer in past but today the imposition of this law would assist in curbing the rate of such cases, which are leading to serious depressive behaviour among children. Hoping to see a positive change.

—Karachi

Donald Trump again!

IBNE NASEER The other day I read news that American presidential candidate Donald trump has said that Islam is a danger for all American people because it is enemy of America. He also said that all Muslims should leave America and go back from where they came from.

How could a presidential candidate deliver such an insane speech? I cannot understand that how Muslims are disloyal to America when they are living there by generations and working for country s welfare.

People like Trump make hate speeches that create bad and negative effects in the society. He is striving hard to defame Islam but he will not succeed because most of Americans have common sense, they want people to live together of whatsoever religion.

America is among advanced societies and they don’t accept this kind of insanity but if they do they may well lead their country to catastrophe.

—Mianwali

Cheating in examination RAZA ULLAH Cheating in examination is a curse and is common in our country. But it is more rampant in KPK, Balochistan and Sindh. In cheating students, parents and teachers all are involved.

Teachers accept bribes from students and they allow candidate to cheat.

Parents give a lot of money to their children for bribing teachers. Students normally don’t work hard and don’t complete their study on time.

It is extremely necessary for Federal government as well as provincial government to take proper action and stop cheating in examination. Teachers must avoid this practice and students better focus on their studies rather than giving bribes to pass examination.

—Peshawar

DISCLAIMER THE articles, columns and letters are published on these pages in good faith. However, the contents of these writings may not necessarily match the views of the newspaper.

—Editor Email:editorial@pakobserver.net

Xi wants innovation, reform in defence, military upgrade BEIJING—Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, on Sunday highlighted theoretical and technological innovation as the key to upgrade the country’s military and national defence.

Speaking to national lawmakers from the military at the ongoing annual parliamentary session, Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, said the future of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) hinged on innovation and reform.

He urged the armed forces to fully implement the innovationdriven development strategy, place combat capacity at the center of all their work, and step up theoretical and technological innovation.

Military administration and personnel competence were also identified as areas to be improved. The PLA should focus on priority areas in order to kickstart across-the-board innovation and make the military stronger, Xi said.

He told PLA lawmakers that the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020) is crucial to China’s national defense and military development, and urged the armed forces to uphold political integrity, reform and rule of law, and strengthen their military buildup and combat readiness.

Xi’s remarks came in the wake of a major military overhaul that saw the inauguration of a General Command for the Army, the PLA Rocket Force and the PLA Strategic Support Force in December, and the regrouping of seven military area commands into five PLA theater commands in February.

Earlier this month, China announced its lowest defense budget increase in six years in the wake of rising economic headwinds.

According to a budget report given to the national legislature annual session.—Xinhua

King Abdullah continues ‘Aqaba meetings’ to counter terror A M M A N —King Abdullah on Saturday held separate meetings with Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga, Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, a Royal Court statement said.

The meetings were part of a series of encounters held in January this year and April last year with leaders and representatives from around the world, including African countries, which were known as “Aqaba meetings” aimed at consolidating the global front against terrorism.

Kind Abdullah and Jahjaga agreed to sign an agreement of mutual legal assistance to fight crime.

During the Aqaba meetings in January, the Monarch met with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh and Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn.

He discussed means to enhance consultation and coordination in counterterrorism efforts on the basis of a comprehensive approach that sees terrorism as a global threat not re-

Gabon ruling party confirms President Ali Bongo as candidate

Russia to close Moscow UN rights office G ENEVA —The United Nations human rights chief said on Thursday that the Russian government had indicated it would close his Moscow office, and

he decried what he called the shrinking space for dissent.

In a speech, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein told the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva: “I am concerned about signals received from the government regarding its intention to close our presence in Moscow.”—Reuters

stricted to Syria and Iraq.

During meetings with senior US, Asian and Canadian officials as well as representatives of international

Obama rebukes Trump for campaign rhetoric

organisations in January, Kind Abdullah had also underlined the trans-border nature of the danger of terrorist groups.

Moreover, the King has met with

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, Tanzania Foreign Minister Augustine Mahiga and senior officials from Kenya and Uganda.—JT

African giants battle for econo-supremacy

Senior CPC leader stresses party building BEIJING—Senior Communist Party of China (CPC) leader Liu Yunshan said Sunday that the

J OHANNESBURG —When South Africa’s uted to the casualties”.

The Nigerian government’s concern “was D ALLAS , U SA—President President Jacob Zuma visited Nigeria last

LIBREVILLE,—Gabon’s ruling party on Saturday confirmed President Ali Bongo Ondimba as its candidate for this year’s national elections, which will see him face a challenge from both the opposition and a breakaway faction of his own party.

Bongo’s bid to secure a second seven-year term in the small, oil-rich nation was formally endorsed at the annual congress of the ruling Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG), attended by thousands of supporters in the capital Libreville.

Standing before a huge banner that read “Let’s change together”, Bongo pledged “to always work for the entire Gabonese population” to build a society based “on merit”. He then touted his achieve-

ments since taking office, highlighting improved road infrastructure and recent agricultural projects aimed at lowering the west African nation’s dependency on food imports.

He also used his speech to take a swipe at his opponents, just days after three party members were expelled for creating a breakaway group in a sign of the deep divisions plaguing the ruling party.

Bongo described the rebel members, who plan to field their own presidential candidate from the newly formed “PDG Heritage and Modernity party”, as “impostors” who sought to “destroy the nation’s unity”. “As long as I’m here, there won’t be any chaos,” he told the crowd, insisting that the party

Brazil uses dammed lake surface for floating solar panels PRESIDENTE FIGUEIREDO, BRAZIL,— Two decades ago, a section of the Amazon rainforest was flooded for a dam that currently produces little electricity. Engineers now see that artificial lake as an ideal surface for floating solar panels.

Critics have blasted the Balbina dam, located near the equator line some 200 kilometers (125 miles) north of the Amazonian city of Manaus, as an environmental crime. The dam, which flooded some

2,400 square kilometers (930 square miles) of rainforest, was ordered built at great expense during Brazil’s 1964-1985 military regime. The artificial lake is so vast that from the dam’s wall, the horizon barely comes into view. But when it comes to generating electricity, the dam is a bust: the Balbina hydroelectric plant, inaugurated in 1989 after a decade of work, currently produces a mere fifth of its maximum output of 250 megawatts.—APP

Barack Obama on Saturday gave a mocking rebuke to Republican frontrunner Donald Trump for his incendiary language on the campaign trail. At a Democratic party fundraising event in Dallas, Texas, Obama offered a blunt condemnation of the “divisiveness” fomented by Trump on the campaign trail, including his motto “Make America Great Again.”

“We are great right now,” Obama retorted, in remarks that came one day after skirmishes broke out at a scuttled Trump rally in Chicago.

“What the folks who are running for office should be focused on is how we can make it even better — not insults and schoolyard taunts and manufacturing facts, not divisiveness along the lines of race and faith.

Certainly not violence against other Americans,” Obama said.

A Trump campaign event was canceled in Chicago on Friday when throngs of protesters — many of them blacks and Latinos angered by Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric — massed outside and inside the venue, mingling and in some cases brawling with the candidate’s supporters.

Critics warned that Trump’s inflammatory language set the tone for the violence, and urged him to tone down the campaign rhetoric.

As Trump has edged further ahead of the once-crowded Republican field, Obama has sharpened his criticisms of him.

In Dallas, he also took a swipe at the mogul’s antics in showcasing his wine label at a recent press conference. “Has anybody bought that wine?” Obama joked, “I want to know what that wine tastes like. I mean, come on, you know that’s like some $5 wine.—APP

week he was on a delicate mission to mend rifts between the continent’s two economic powerhouses.

From economic rivalry to political friction, relations between South Africa and Ni-

basically on the security, not the fine imposed on the MTN,” he said. But MTN is not the only South African company riding rough waves in Nigeria.

Hotel and resort chain group Sun Inter-

Party must be well disciplined if the country is to achieve the goals set out in the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020).—Xinhua

Gaza tunnel collapse: 2nd body found GAZA CITY, PALESTINE — A second Gazan was found dead Sunday after the collapse of a tunnel on the Egypt border, the interior ministry in the Hamas-run enclave said.

On Thursday, rescue services said seven men had been trapped in the collapse. Five were rescued, but on Sunday the ministry said they had re-

geria have been strained in recent years.

The election of Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari into office last May did not immediately ease the tension.

When Zuma visited Abuja last week, Buhari set aside diplomacy and accused one of South Africa’s largest companies of failing the country in its fight against the Boko Haram insurgency.

Telecoms giant MTN was fined $3.9 billion for missing a deadline to disconnect 5.1 million unregistered SIM cards, a legal requirement aimed at hampering the militant Islamists.

Buhari said MTN was “very slow” in cutting off the lines and that the unregistered lines were used by “terrorists” and “contrib-

national is also a target of investigation by the country’s economic financial crimes commission.

“We have an exemplary track record of operating in many countries over the past 30 years, but the difficulties we have experienced in Nigeria are unprecedented,” Michael Farr, Sun International group’s general manager for communications, told AFP. “We’ll continue to evaluate the situation and therefore our options.”

Africa’s largest satellite broadcaster, Johannesburg-headquartered Multichoice, last year came under pressure to reduce its tariffs following accusations by the Nigerian authorities that it was abusing its dominant position.—APP

trieved the body of Mohammed Abbas of Rafah, after announcing the death of a man named as Fadi Abu Dan. A local civil defence official described the underground passage from the southern Gaza town of Rafah into neighbouring Egypt as a “trade tunnel”.—APP

The end of American exceptionalism?

RAMI G. KHOURI

I

have kept the pledge I made many months ago not to waste my time reading any press articles on the American presi dential nominating contests, because the 15 or so candidates on the Republican side meant that nothing would become clear until after the first round of primary elections that have just finished.

I found that watching short television reports and just reading newspaper headlines or tweets provides enough news about the most important developments, which has been confirmed by my visit to the United States this week.

What none of us could anticipate late last summer when this process started was how the Republican contest for the presidential nomination would degenerate into such a dramatic display of low-class behaviour, wild and false statements, racism, pettiness and promises of policies, like torture, that are against American law.

The debate I watched in the United States on Thursday night continued this trend of campaigning that has seen Donald Trump maintain his considerable lead among Republican voters.

This has sparked panic among much of the traditional leadership of the Republican Party, whose many officials and nonoffice-holding operatives and donors are frantically searching for ways to deny Trump the nomination, if he maintains his lead.

Several paths to that outcome have been identified. The consequence of all that has occurred in the presidential precontests to date should be significant, in several arenas.

The most important one is that by revealing both the good and the bad things about the United States, it shows what it really is: a unique, wealthy country with immense power, formidable technological and institutional assets, and impressive

values that have been codified into law— mainly the principle of the consent of the governed — but also a country with a dark and dangerous side that accepts racism, bigotry, lying by pubic officials, hatred of foreigners, deceptive advertising, and using the military to carry out war crimes and other bad things around the world.

It also reveals a tolerance for serious levels of idiocy and ignorance among its public officials, even those vying for the presidency.

This means that Americans might slowly start to wind down their mythological sense of their unique goodness and an almost divinely mandated mission to civilise the world and spread American values.

It will be difficult for any national or local politician from now on to end a speech with the very popular comment “God bless America, the greatest country in the world” because the past six months have clearly indicated that global greatness and exceptionalism are not, in fact, American attributes.

This electoral season has reconfirmed that the individual citizen in the United States really does matter, and does have the power to elect local and national leaders who shape national policy.

Those citizens often support fools, liars, racists, bigots, clowns and, in the eye of international law, war-mongering criminals.

The American mass media will happily broadcast, dissemi-

nate and amplify on a 24-hour basis all the buffoonery that we have witnessed this season.

The mass media, for the most part, make the spectacle and its capacity to generate profits by selling advertising more important than the quest for responsible, mature, well-informed national leaders.

The political establishment of this reputedly greatest de-

mocracy in the world, meanwhile, works overtime to find a way to undermine the greatest democratic principle — the consent of the governed — by finding a way to disregard and override the expressed will of the citizens as revealed in their voting in the primaries.

Instead, the party operatives and donors seek to replace possible nominee Donald Trump with a more acceptable traditional Republican candidate for the presidency.

In this way, the United States is acting like most other autocracies or oligarchies in the world, by saying it accepts the results of a democratic process, but only if the results match the wishes of those who control the system, rather than reflecting the will of the citizenry.

All this should significantly lower the standing of the United States system of political life and governance in the eyes of the world.

The world will still respect and even seek to emulate the great things that do define the United States, in fields like personal freedoms, an independent judiciary, higher education, technological dynamism and others.

But the world will mostly laugh when the conversation turns to how the United States wants to promote its style of democracy around the world, because the democratic practices taking place these days in the US generate no respect at all.

This is probably a good thing, because the wildly exaggerated self-perception of the United States as an exceptional and unique democracy that should work to remake the entire world in its own image was neither accurate nor realistic.

Americans will be more liked around the world if they act like normal people, with good and bad characteristics, like everyone else, and accept their status.

—Courtesy: TJT

27 killed ...

From Page 1

KARACHI: Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami, Sentor Sirajul Haq addressing Tahafuz-e-Namos-e-Risalat (SAW) Marrch.—INP

Massive anti-government protests set to shake Brazil BRASÍLIA—More than a million people were expected to flood Brazil’s streets Sunday in massive anti-government protests calling for President Dilma Rousseff’s ouster over a corruption scandal and the crumbling economy.

Latin America’s biggest country, which will host the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro this August, is in severe economic and political crisis, with fears that the demonstrations could trigger clashes.

“I am appealing for there not to be violence,” Rousseff told Brazilian media late Saturday. “I think all people have a right to be on the streets. However, no one has a right to be violent. No one.” The largest demonstration is expected in Sao Paulo, the country’s financial capital and main opposition stronghold. Authorities said they were bracing for a million protesters.

Earlier in the day, large demonstrations are to kick off in Rio and Brasilia. Organizers said some 400 cities in all would stage protests.

“This popular will is organized and gaining influence,” said Bonifacio de Andrada, a deputy from the opposition PSDB party. “People will take to the streets for large demonstrations to demand a change of government.”

Rousseff — deeply unpopular because of a giant corruption scandal centered on state oil company Petrobras and because of her management of the country’s worst recession in decades — faces impeachment in Congress.

Her chief mentor in the leftist Work-

ers’ Party, ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, is fighting allegations that he was part of the Petrobras corruption network.

As if that weren’t enough, the PMDB party, Rousseff’s crucial partner in a shaky government coalition, indicated Saturday that it could pull out in 30 days.

Criminal charges filed against Lula on Wednesday for allegedly undeclared ownership of a luxury apartment have invigorated the opposition and increased chances for an impressive turnout. A single call on Facebook for Jiu-jitsu and other martial arts fans to attend the Rio march was viewed more than 214,000 times by Saturday.

In Sao Paulo, yoga instructor Ruben Caetano, 45, told AFP he was attending in “hope of changing the way things are in the country. We are living in a time of a lot of corruption. Corruption permeates all levels of public office in the country. So it’s not against party A, B or C.” For deputies in Congress of all stripes, crowd size will be a crucial signal for whether or not to push for Rousseff’s impeachment.

Opposition movements like Go to the Streets are so well organized that anything less than very large turnout would likely be seen as failure. The biggest anti-government protest last year, in March, saw an estimated 1.7 million people across Brazil, with a million in Sao Paulo alone.

Another six months later some 1.2 million people attended.

Supporters of Rousseff have backed away from a threatened counter demonstration in the capital Brasilia, but with

tensions in this divided country growing by the week and compromise seemingly off the table, there were fears of trouble.

Rousseff, a former leftist guerrilla tortured under Brazil’s dictatorship, insists there isn’t “the slightest possibility” she will resign.

And Lula, who founded the Workers’ Party and became one of the world’s most popular politicians during his 2003-2010 presidency, is fighting not just for his political future but freedom. Sao Paulo state prosecutors this week asked a judge to authorize preventative detention for the powerful figure.

“If they want to defeat me, they will have to face me in the streets,” Lula said.

Congress is mulling impeachment on the grounds that Rousseff allegedly manipulated government accounts so that she could illegally boost public spending during her 2014 re-election campaign. The Supreme Court is due to rule on technical issues that have temporarily held up the impeachment proceedings.

As pressure builds, Rousseff is running out of allies. Not only is the PMDB threatening to abandon her, but its leader — her vice president, Michel Temer — would become interim president were she to be impeached.

Against that backdrop, Rousseff needs help from Lula more than ever. Although now a highly divisive figure, Lula gives Rousseff credibility with swaths of voters who remember his success in bringing millions of Brazilians out of extreme poverty.—AFP

UVAS again ranked among top 10 universities of Pakistan CITY REPORTER LAHORE—The University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) Lahore has been declared the best university in top 10 universities of the country by the Higher Education Commission for 2015.

The UVAS has also been ranked second in Agriculture category of higher education institutions. The ranking was finalised on the basis of quality assurance, teaching quality, research, finance and facilities, social integration and community development.

The Quality Assurance Agency of Higher Education Commission (HEC) Islamabad in its latest quantitative assessment awarded 93 percent score to the Quality Enhancement Cell of the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) Lahore. The UVAS QEC maintained its W-Category in the QEC Ranking for the 3rd consecutive year.

In a letter to UVAS Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Talat Naseer Pasha, HEC Quality Assurance Agency Director General Dr Mohammad Rafiq Baloch appre-

ciated the performance of UVAS QEC and hoped it would continue to achieve objectives of strengthening the internal quality assurance processes more ef-

fectively and efficiently in future.

Talking to APP here on Sunday, Vice Chancellor of varsity Prof Talat Naseer Pasha termed this decision as a collective suc-

cess of the varsity team particularly he congratulated the UVAS faculty and staff on achieving 93 percent score and maintaining W-Category in QEC Ranking.

LAHORE: Major roads blocked near Ravi River due to protest by the activists of Ahle Hadith Youth Force held against ‘Haqooq-e-Niswan Bill” on Sunday.

Kamal seeks amnesty ...

From Page 1 us to share evidence of Altaf’s involvement with RAW,” he added.

Television footage showed Hayat arriving at Kamal’s residence in Karachi’s Clifton neighbourhood.

According to sources, Mustafa Kamal is likely to record statement in next 48 hours while Sarfraz Merchant would also arrive in Pakistan from London for the same purpose.

He said some women relatives of missing MQM workers also approached him. In this regard, he said these workers did not turn into criminals or agents of RAW of their own accord. “They were used and put on the path to destruction,” he added.

He said he requests the ‘Establishment’ and the state that these workers be given one chance to mend their ways and become productive citizens of the country.

“We don’t want these workers to come to us. We want them to go to their parents and family members,” he said.

“They may have committed crimes but we must look at who turned them into criminals,” he said adding “if amnesty packages are given to rebels in Balochistan,” something must be done for these prisoners.

Reacting to MQM claim that imprisoned party workers were tortured by Rangers, Kamal said it was a good sign that the MQM was at least accepting jailed workers as its own.

“People are contacting us and all of us would make preparations to hold our party’s first public meeting, Kamal said.

He said the rally would determine the future of Pakistani politics. He appealed to sisters and mothers to participate in the rally.

A few days earlier, Kamal had

disclosed the venue of his party’s public meeting without specifying the date. “We will hold the public rally at Bagh-e-Jinnah ground, which is located in the mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam,” he said.

Talking about the jailed political workers, Kamal said that it’s not one person but the whole family of that jailed worker which suffers.

Upon his surprise return from selfexile earlier this month, Kamal had accused Altaf of having links with India’s Research and Analysis Wing, and claimed the party had been receiving funds from the agency.

Meanwhile, FIA director Inam Ghani also contacted Sarfaraz Merchant – a close aide to MQM leader Muhammad Anwar – and invited him to come to Pakistan.

Merchant told him that he would decide to do so next Monday (March 14) after consulting his legal advisers, sources said.

TRT said a vehicle had exploded at a major transport hub, hitting a bus carrying some 20 people near the central Guven Park and Kizilay Square.

The government has said the previous car bombing in Ankara on Feb. 17 was carried out by Kurdish militants. That attack struck near Turkey’s military headquarters, parliament and other key government institutions. Islamic State militants have meanwhile carried out at least four bomb attacks on Turkey since June 2015. Local jihadist groups and leftist radicals have also staged attacks in the NATO member country in the past.

A bomb-laden vehicle was reportedly exploded between two passenger buses near crowded bus stops located at the heart of the city. Many vehicles were reported burning at the scene. Several buses were also reported completely or seriously burned. Fire units and ambulances were rushed to the scene while the square was closed for the possibility of a second explosion. Reports from the area also suggest perpetrators targeted riot police. Kizilay Square serves the city’s main square and main transportation terminus along and known as the city’s commercial and entertainment heart.— Reuters

45 die ...

From Page 1 roof of the house caved in Bhangali area. Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has expressed grief and sorrow over the loss of precious lives.

Officials in the Punjab said they were still estimating damages caused by rains in the province.

Severe weather hits the country every year, with hundreds killed and huge tracts of prime farmland was destroyed in recent years.

During the rainy season last summer, torrential downpours and flooding killed 81 people and affected almost 300,000 across the country.

Influential persons involved in illegal hunting STAFF REPORTER LAHORE—Director General Wildlife & Parks Punjab Khalid Ayaz Khan while taking action on the information about the alleged involvement of influential persons in illegal hunting of deer, houbara bustard and partridge in Rahim Yar Khan and Cholistan has constituted a three member committee for this purpose.

Trump considers paying legal bills for man charged at rally ATLANTA—Republican presidential primary delegates required for the Republican nomileader Donald Trump says he will consider paying the legal fees of a North Carolina man captured on video sucker-punching a protester at one of the billionaire’s signature mass rallies.

“I don’t accept responsibility. I do not condone violence in any shape,” Trump told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday.

But when asked whether he’d financially back the supporter, who was arrested and charged with assault, Trump says he’s “instructed my people to look into it, yes.”

Trump, meanwhile, rejected calls to modify his campaign rhetoric amid increasing instances of violence at his events. Instead he blamed Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders for sending supporters to disrupt Trump events and noted that many of the protesters who clashed with Trump supporters in Chicago on Friday night carried Sanders signs.

Sanders on Sunday vehemently denied Trump’s accusations.

“To suggest that our campaign is telling people to disrupt his campaign is a lie,” Sanders said Sunday on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”

Trump said his rallies are “peaceful,” and accused news reports of exaggerating the violence. He demurred on multiple Sunday talk shows when reminded of his litany of incendiary statements: he’d “punch” a protester “in the face,” ‘’we need a little bit more of” hitting back and encouraging the crowd to “knock the crap out of” protesters.

On several Sunday talk shows Trump said in one instance, he was simply defending himself against the possibility of being hit by a tomato, which he insisted could do “real damage” if hurled by someone “with a strong arm.”

There have been no reports of a tomato being hurled at any Trump event or of one hitting the candidate.

Trump has rallies scheduled Sunday in Illinois, Florida and Ohio ahead of Tuesday primaries that likely offer GOP rivals their last shot to derail Trump from reaching the 1,237

nation.

The GOP leader’s rivals — in both major parties — are more vocal in their criticism of Trump’s rhetoric, calling it dangerous and divisive, from calling Mexican immigrants “rapists” and “criminals” to his repeated cracks about “punching” protesters and taking them “out on a stretcher.”

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, a distant third in the GOP delegate count, compared Trump to third-world “strong men,” and said the tone of the campaign “is really going to do damage to America.”

Trump Supporters, Protestors Clash in ChicagoPlay videoTrump Supporters, Protestors Clash in Chicago Rubio said on CNN that Trump is arguing to voters: “Don’t put your faith in yourselves.

Don’t put your faith in society. Put your faith in me.”

On the Democratic side, Sanders said on CBS’ “Face the Nation” that he has “millions of supporters,” some of whom “will do what they do.” Sanders said on CNN that Trump “is a man who keeps implying violence, and then you end up getting what you see.”

On the possibility of paying legal fees for his North Carolina supporter, Trump says he wants “to see the full tape” before deciding whether to back John Franklin McGraw. Trump suggested McGraw, who is white, punched Rakeem Jones, who is black, after Jones held up his middle finger to the crowd.

McGraw “got carried away,” Trump said on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” but “frankly wants to see America made great again.”

Video of the immediate moments before McGraw threw the punch does not show the “taunting” from Jones that Trump describes.

Jones has told The Associated Press that he and others went to the event as observers, not protesters. He says someone swore at one in their group, and by the time they tried to object, the police were escorting him out.—AP

US, France warn ...

From Page 1 “Despite this progress, we all of us here remain deeply concerned by the Assad regime’s practice of removing badly needed medical supplies from those supplies and in particular the surgical kits,” he said.

Kerry said the coalition had pushed the Islamic State jihadist group out of 20 percent of the territory it once controlled in Syria and that 600 IS fighters had been killed in the last three weeks.

He highlighted the importance of the Geneva process in tackling the unprecedented refugee crisis in Europe, saying that if the ceasefire did not hold “we will be back here next year or even the year after next facing a

Middle East with even more refugees, even greater numbers of dead and displaced, even more suffering.”

Syrian government negotiator Bashar alJaafari arrived on Sunday in Geneva, where delegates from the main opposition group, the High Negotiations Committee (HNC), are already preparing. The HNC has repeatedly called for Assad’s departure as a prerequisite for any deal.

UN peace envoy Staffan de Mistura has said the Geneva meetings, opening on the eve of the fifth anniversary of the start of the conflict in March 2011, would not last more than 10 days.—AFP

Dal Khalsa team ... discharged from Max hospital yesterday after his health condition got stable.

Both the leaders denounced the continued detention of two JNU students and former Delhi University former professor S. A. R. Geelani. It was decided that concerted joint efforts be

From Page 1 made to counter the noisy RSS-led campaign on sedition and Hindu nationalism.

Both the leaders deliberated upon the nuisances of profreedom struggle of Kashmir and Punjab.

Mr Geelani, while talking to the Sikh youth activists

urged them to be disciplined and focused for the mission of protecting their distinct identity. He further said that “We should not underestimate the strength, chicanery and wrath of our oppressors and prepare our communities for a political struggle”.— SABAH

Al-Qaeda seizes weapons, bases from US-backed Syrian rebels BEIRUT —US-backed Syrian of the 13th Division rebel

Degree case: Sumaira submits reply ISLAMABAD— Former federal minister Sumaira Malik has submitted her reply on the objections raised by her opponent Umer Aslam in a review petition pending before a larger bench of the Supreme Court (SC) against the judgment date Oct 28, 2013 in Civil Appeal No. 669-L/2013. The petitioner Umer Aslam who lost three consecutive general elections to Sumaira Malik, after losing the 2008 general elections has filed an election petition alleging forgery in the graduation degree of Sumaira Malik along with other electoral rigging charges. The Punjab University (PU) and the election tribunal Lahore High Court (LHC) after due verification in person declared the B.A degree of Sumaira Malik as genuine.

Muslim fired employee wins lawsuit WASHINGTON—A former employee of the French Embassy in Washington DC, who was fired for being a Muslim has won a federal lawsuit against the French mission. Saima Ashraf-Hassan, a Pakistan-born French citizen came to the United States a few months after the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001, and took a job at the French Embassy in DC. She said her co-workers harassed her, called her a “terrorist” and told her she couldn’t wear a hijab at work. “This was the first time somebody was calling me a terrorist inside the French Embassy,” Ashraf-Hassan told News4's Mark Segraves.

Hassan said when she told her supervisor she was pregnant, the embassy fired her. —AP

Turkish troops in Syria MOSCOW— Russia has evidence that Turkish troops are on Syrian territory, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview broadcast on Sunday, accusing Turkey of a “creeping expansion” on its border with Syria. The comments by Lavrov are the latest confrontation between Moscow and Ankara, after Turkish jets shot down a Russian warplane near the Turkish-Syrian border in November. “Turkey has started to declare it has a sovereign right to create some safety zones on Syrian territory,” Lavrov told Russian television channel Ren-TV. “According to our data, they have already ‘dug themselves in’ several hundred meters from the border in Syria.—Reuters

GAZA: Palestinian girls fly kites at commemoration activity held byUN to mark 5th Anniversary of Japan’s tsunami, in S Gaza Strip, Khan Younis.

Civil nuclear deal helps Pakistan overcome energy crisis: China Daily BEIJING—China’s civil nuclear power support to Pakistan is meant to help the timetested friend to overcome its energy crisis, said Chinese scholar in a article published in China Daily.

While setting aside the misperception and unfounded allegations in regard to SinoPak nuclear deal, an associate professor at Peking University’s School of International Studies said some vested interest groups are pointing a finger at China over the twocountry cooperation in nuclear field issue.

He clarified that the sale of nuclear reactors to Pakistan is part of their long-term nuclear cooperation agreements reached in the late 1980s. Chinese companies joined Pakistani side to build a nuclear plant at Chashma in 1991. By 2000, the first reactor at Chashma was ready to generate electricity. Five years later, Chinese companies began building Chashma 2, which is scheduled to be operational next year. China and Pakistan both assert that the proposed sale is not only in line with the Nuclear Suppli-

ers’ Group (NSG) rules, but it is also transparent and peaceful in nature. It has already been clarified officially that the “ChinaPakistan cooperation on civilian nuclear energy is consistent with the two countries’ respective international obligations, and is for peaceful purposes and subject to IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) safeguard and supervision”.

The article further said, “India, seen as a long-time foe of Pakistan, seems to be using diplomacy to block the Sino-Pakistani deal, even though it signed a similar deal with the US in 2006. Most China-baiters, particularly in the US, allege Chashma 3 and 4 violate NSG guidelines, which prohibit nuclear states from exporting nuclear technology and materials to non-nuclear states which, like Pakistan, are not signatories to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) and have not adopted IAEA safeguards for nuclear establishments.

Ever since China joined the NSG in 2004, some critics have been saying it has

to fulfill its non-proliferation commitment and comply with the group’s rules and guidelines. And because Chashma 3 and 4 were initiated after 2004, they have to be approved by NSG, most probably by seeking an “exemption” solution from its 46 member states as the US-Indian nuclear deal did in 2008. Non-proliferation proponents have expressed concern over the Sino-Pakistani nuclear deal. But some doubt whether it could be blocked like the 2006 US-Indian nuclear deal was for setting “a dangerous precedent”, because if Washington opposes it openly, it would face charges of exercising “hypocrisy” in nonproliferation. Ashley Tellis, a senior associate at Carnegie Endowment, who as part of the George W. Bush administration played a key role in negotiating the nuclear deal with India, draws a line between the US-Indian and Sino-Pakistani nuclear deals, saying the latter is not the outcome of a public debate in Washington or in NSG. —INP

Clashes in Yemen’s Aden kill 17 as loyalists press Taez offensive

Palestinian teacher wins $1m global prize D UBAI—A Palestinian primary school teacher who encourages students to renounce violence has won a $1 million prize for teaching excellence, beating out 8,000 applicants from around the world.

Hanan al-Hroub, who teaches in the West Bank, was awarded the second annual Global Teacher Prize during a ceremony on Sunday evening in the Middle Eastern city of Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Many in the audience erupted with chants of “Palestine” when her name was announced.

Ahead of the prize being awarded, Pope Francis talked about the importance of education in a video message to the audience in Dubai while Hollywood actors Salma Hayek and Matthew McConaughey took to the stage to deliver brief messages of their own.—AP

rebels say Al-Qaeda militants have seized their bases and stolen weapons in a series of raids in the northern Idlib province.

Division 13 of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), which is led by the prominent rebel commander Ahmed AlSeoud, said on Twitter Sunday that the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front occupied and looted its posts late the night before.

It gave no further details, bu the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britainbased monitoring group, says Nusra seized anti-tank missiles, armored vehicles, a tank, and other arms from the division, which has received weapons, training, and money from the US government.

Both the FSA and the Nusra Front are fighting to overthrow President Bashar Assad.

Rami Abdulrahman, director of the Observatory, said the Nusra Front had also detained dozens of members

group.

Nusra Front accused the rebel fighters of launching surprise attacks on its own bases in the town of Maarat Al-Numan in Idlib province in northwest Syria.

It said some Nusra fighters had been captured.

The clashes came two weeks into a cessation of hostilities in Syria and on the eve of peace talks in Geneva between President Bashar Assad’s government and the opposition.

The halt in fighting, agreed by government forces, rebel groups and their international backers, excludes Nusra Front and Daesh militants.

Nusra Front fighters have often taken part in offensives alongside other rebel groups. But they have also fought them for territory, defeating groups such as the Western-backed Syria Revolutionaries Front and the Hazzm group last year.—Agencies

ADEN—At least 22 suspected overnight that hit at least three Security sources estimate that sources said. At least 94 people Al-Qaeda militants and two policemen have been killed in two days of clashes in Aden, the temporary base of Yemen’s government, security sources said.

The clashes, which resumed early Sunday, came as loyalist forces pressed an offensive to retake third city Taez in the southwest of Yemen which has been under siege for months by Huthi rebels. The fighting in Aden raged in the jihadist stronghold of Mansura, a residential area which loyalist forces backed by aircraft from a Saudi-led coalition have been trying to recapture since Saturday.

Coalition fighter jets and Apache helicopters carried out air strikes

vehicles and a local council office occupied by the jihadists, security sources said.

“At least 17 Al-Qaeda fighters and two policemen have been killed since Saturday,” a security official told AFP, adding that most of the jihadists were killed in air raids. Dozens of gunmen in balaclavas carrying the AlQaeda flag deployed to push back police trying to enter the central Aden neighbourhood, witnesses said.

The police said in a statement that fighting against the “armed terrorist gangs in Mansura will continue to ensure the safety of residents” in Yemen’s main southern city.

around 300 heavily armed AlQaeda fighters are entrenched in Mansura.

Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group have taken advantage of the conflict between Iranbacked Huthi insurgents and progovernment forces to reinforce their presence in the south, including in Aden. Meanwhile, pro-government forces clashed with Huthi rebels Sunday as they tried to break a siege of Taez after retaking the city’s southern and western suburbs on Friday, loyalist military sources said.

Coalition aircraft provided support and hit a military convoy that was trying to bring reinforcements to the rebels, the

have been killed in the offensive since Friday, including 24 rebels, nine loyalist forces and four civilians, the sources added.

Officials are hoping to break the siege in order to deliver desperately needed humanitarian aid to the nearly 200,000 residents trapped in Taez.

More than 6,100 people have died — half of them civilians — since the coalition launched air strikes against the Shiite rebels and their allies in March 2015, according to the UN. US Secretary of State John Kerry on Saturday said that he and Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir had agreed to work towards a ceasefire in Yemen. – AFP

NEW DELHI: Dal Khalsa activists led by party General Secretary Kanwarpal Singh meeting with Kashmiri nationalist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

Trafficked Nepali, Bangladeshi women trapped in Syria M URALI

BHANJYANG

(Nepal)—Nepali villager Sunita Magar thought she was heading to a safe factory job in Kuwait, but only when she landed in Damascus did she realise “something had gone very wrong”.

Frequently beaten with a baton and given only one meal a day, Magar says she spent 13 months working as a maid for a Syrian household and pleading to be allowed to go home.

“I was just in shock, I couldn’t stop crying,” the single mother-of-two told AFP. Magar is among scores of poor Nepali and Bangladeshi women who travelled to the Middle East on

the promise of a good job, only to be trafficked into Syria, wracked by five years of civil war.

Nepal’s top diplomat in the region said nationals from the Philippines, Indonesia and other countries, which, like Nepal and Bangladesh, have large migrant labour populations, stopped working in Syria because of the dangers involved. “Since then traffickers have been targeting Nepalis,” said Kaushal Kishor Ray, head of Nepal’s diplomatic mission based in Cairo.

“The numbers have gone up hugely in recent years, we estimate there must be around 500 Nepali women in Syria,” Ray told AFP. In nearby Bangladesh, Shahinoor Begum lies in a

Dhaka hospital bed recovering from her seven-month ordeal after being trafficked into Syria as a sex slave.

“I was sold to a Syrian man who tortured me every day, sometimes along with his friends,” Begum, also a single mother-of-two, said.

“I begged for mercy, but they didn’t have any. Instead they used to beat me so badly that I broke my arms,” she told AFP. Accompanied by labour agents, the 28-year-old and several other women left Bangladesh on the promise of working as maids in Jordan.

Nepalese migrant worker Sunita Magar, who was trafficked But they too were taken to to Syria, holding her passport at home in Dhadhing dis- Syria, where fighting between trict, west of Kathmandu. the regime and rebel forces has

Published by: Zahid Malik, Printed by Gauhar Zahid Malik,33-Queens Road, Lahore at Barex Printers.

left more than 260,000 dead and displaced more than half the population.

Begum eventually developed kidney disease, prompting traffickers to contact her ageing mother to demand money for her safe return home.

Lieutenant Colonel Golam Sarwar said his team from Bangladesh’s elite Rapid Action Battalion are investigating her case and two others — although families of 43 other women have lodged similar complaints.

“Bangladesh is apparently a soft target for the traffickers,” Sarwar told AFP. Illiterate, trusting and desperate to dig herself out of poverty, Magar didn’t hesitate when a labour broker approached her

with a promise of a well-paid job in Kuwait.

The 23-year-old says she didn’t realise she had been duped until the plane landed in Damascus. “I was always exhausted, always hungry, always afraid,” Magar said of working 20 hours a day for no pay and sleeping on her employer’s penthouse balcony.

At night, she listened to Nepali songs to try to drown out occasional sounds of gunfire and bombs and chase away thoughts of suicide.

When a massive earthquake hit Nepal last April, Magar stepped up pleas to her employers, who had confiscated her passport, to return home.—AFP

Eye lens regeneration from own stem cells: ‘a paradigm shift in cataract surgery’

A

NEW study describes a pioneering new cataract treatment - tested in ani mals and in a small trial with human patients - where, after the cloudy lens is removed, the eye grows a new lens from its own stem cells. The researchers - including teams from the University of California-San Diego (UCSD), Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou and Sichuan University, both in China - describe their new regenerative medicine approach in a paper published in the journal Nature.

The treatment was tested in 12 babies born with cataracts. It resulted in significantly fewer surgical complications than current treatments, say the researchers. Sight was improved in all 12 patients.

“We believe that our new approach will result in a paradigm shift in cataract surgery and may offer patients a safer and better treatment option in the future.” Being born with a lens that is cloudy or shortly becomes so is rare, but it is a significant cause of blindness in children. Estimates suggest it affects around 3 out of 10,000 children, although this rate varies throughout the world.

The clouded lens stops light getting to the retina, resulting in significant loss of vision. Current treatments can be difficult and result in complications in very young patients. Most children need to wear glasses after cataract surgery. In the new study, the team used the ability of stem cells to grow new tissue. They did not use the more com-

mon approach - where stem cells are taken out of the patient, grown in the lab and then put back in the patient. This method can introduce disease and raise the risk of immune rejection.

Instead, the team coaxed stem cells in the patients’ eyes to regrow the lenses. So-called endogenous stem cells are stem cells that are naturally already in place, ready to regenerate new tissue in the case of injury or some other problem. In the case of the human eye, the endogenous stem cells - known as lens epithelial stem cells (LECs) - generate replacement lens cells throughout a person’s life, although production wanes with age.

Current approaches to cataract surgery remove LECs along with the faulty lens - any few that are left can generate some lens cells, but the growth is random and disorganized in infants, resulting in no useful vision, note the researchers.

The approach the researchers describe in their paper has two important differences to conventional cataract surgery: it leaves the lens capsule intact, and it stimulates LECs to form a new lens.

The lens capsule is a thin membrane that helps give the lens its required shape to function.

The researchers first tested the method in rabbits and macaques and showed it allowed LECs that stayed in the eye to regenerate functional lenses. The researchers then ran a small human trial in patients under the age of 2. Twelve infants were treated with the new approach, while 25 other babies received the standard cataract procedure.

Workshop on Human Trafficking

Eliminating poverty, illiteracy vital to curb human trafficking STAFF REPORTER ISLAMABAD—Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Iqbal Zafar Jhagra on Sunday stressed to curb practices of human trafficking by overcoming various social problems like poverty and illiteracy. Addressing the concluding ceremony of 3rd International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) Workshop on Human Trafficking at local hotel, he said that poverty and illiteracy lead towards problems like human trafficking and it is necessary to tackle all social ills through collective efforts. Leaders and representatives of 18 political parties of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Palestine and Turkey, participated in the 3rd ICAPP workshop on Human Trafficking convened here from March 11 to March 13,2016.

Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Iqbal Zafar Jhagra said that it is collective responsibility to tackle human trafficking with greater cooperation among various countries.

Our collective goal must be ensuring efficient governance and create awareness to tackle this menace, he added.

He also explained the other causes behind human trafficking and hoped for defining effective parameters in this international conference to control this men-

Anti-polio drive from today R AWALPINDI —A five-day drive will start on Monday (March 14) to administer drops of anti-polio vaccine to over 800,000 children in Rawalpindi district.

According to Executive District Health Officer Dr. Arshad Ali Sabir, some 1,850 mobile teams have been constituted to vaccinate 811,789 children, aged five and below five, against polio in the disChairman PHA MNA Malik Ibrar, Executive Officer Cantt Board Dr. Saima Shah, vice trict.

“We have taken special meaPresident Raja Jahandad inaugurating Fun Land in Romi Park. sures for full coverage of the children. Senior staff of the district health department will to monitor the drive,” he said while talking to APP. He said special counters would be established at public parks, railway stations, bus stands, wagon stands, airport and other transit points to administer anti-polio drops to the children. Dr. Arshad hoped that the campaign would achieve the set said.

ZUBAIR QURESHI According to details, when Rahat Fateh Ali target. District Coordination OfISLAMABAD—Decent families and fans of started singing his popular tracks, a number of youths ficer Sajid Zafar Dal said that Rahat Fateh Ali Khan had to face an indecent who belonged to elite class of the city, in complete security arrangements had been situation when the grand Rahat Fateh Ali Musi- disregard of others, started dancing and disturbing made for polio teams.—APP cal Concert at the local five-star hotel was the audience. A number of families were also sitting marred by a handful of hooligans, trouble mak- there and when male members of these families reers. The late night episode of inconvenience quested them to observe some manners, they started started with lack of seats for audience who had manhandling them. As a result, there were minor purchased expensive tickets. Later, the show fights which we usually witness at such gatherings. which was supposed to start at 8 P.M kept de- However they went out of control on non-interferlaying and when it finally started at around 10.15 ence of the organizers, she regretted.

“We asked the organizers to control those indePM Saturday night, a number of trouble makers occupied the first row seats and started creating cent fellows but neither the Marriott administration disturbance. One of Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s fans nor the Margalla Hills 2, did anything and the show who had spent Rs10,000 (tickets were sold in had to be cancelled only one hour after its beginadvance for Rs10,000 and Rs6,000 respectively) ning,” regretted she.

Some of the audience had come all the way to get a good ‘vantage point’ told Pakistan Observer on Sunday that never in her life had she from Karachi to listen to Rahat Fateh Ali and they experienced such a poorly organized show. There were quite upset at the abrupt dismissal of the concert. “What about our money?” one could hear were scuffles and scenes of bad taste.

The organizers of the concert, Margalla Hills 2, a couple from the diplomatic enclave inquiring had disappeared from the scene leaving everything of the administration. The angry members of auto Marriott administration to control. The tipsy young dience, who were in dozens of numbers, then men spoiled the entire show and the music maestro moved to the main reception area of the hotel and was so annoyed that he left the stage abruptly, she started a token protest.

Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari addressing in workshop on human trafficking, organized by International Conference of Asian Political Parties on Sunday. ace. He said that present government has conference in Pakistan. He said that his Islamabad Statement on Human Trafficktaken several measures to prohibit human mother Benazir Bhutto was founding mem- ing and emphasized for coordinated efforts trafficking and efforts would remain continue ber of this organization (ICAPP) and among all stakeholders to deliver a comtill its complete eradication. Governor KPK stressed the need to develop consensus for prehensive and balanced resolution to this appreciated the efforts of organizers of this facing challenges of new world. trans-border challenge. All participants from conference. He hoped for concrete future He said that issues have moved beyond various 18 political parties of various counstrategy to eradicate this serious crime after the control of states alone and it is the time tries were urged for awareness-raising acdiscussion among the participants. to forge unity and create consensus to face tivities with the help of the business castor All participants would have been ben- challenges of new world . Various political and the media in their respective countries. efitted through this conference and positive parties including PML-N, PPP,PTI and It was stressed in Islamabad Statement to change would be ensured back into their PML-Q co-hosted this workshop and ensure empowerment of people, especially respective countries, he added. Chairman Mr.Bilawal Bhutto urged to forge unity women and children, who are common tarPPP Bilawal Bhutto also congratulated the among all parties to confront challenges. gets of trafficking, through education and organizers for managing and hosting this In the end, the conference adopted vocational training.

Govt bringing reforms to improve FDE functioning: Tariq STAFF REPORTER ISLAMABAD—The government was making all-out efforts to bring about reforms in the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) for further improving its functioning. Minister of State for Capital Administration and Development Division Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhary said while talking to media.

He said these reforms in FDE would prove to be fruitful in managing 422 schools, colleges of the Federal Capital. Tariq Fazal said that the Federal Government was formulating rules and regulation which would ulti-

mately improve affairs of FDE and other institutions. He said that capable and efficient professionals were being inducted in the FDE to further enhance its performance. The State Minister said government educational institutions of the urban and rural areas of Islamabad were being renovated by ensuring facilities.

In the first phase, half schools out of 22, from rural and urban areas, have been renovated, he added. He said renovation of the 200 institutions would be completed in the next six to eight months.

He said able teachers of math and sci-

ence subjects were being hired. Teachers training courses were also being started to bring about a change in the educational institutions, he added. He said Maryam Nawaz was taking keen interest in the development of the education sector in the country.

The upgradation of the federal schools, colleges through Prime Minister’s Education Reforms Programme was in progress under her supervision, he added. To a question, he said that a meeting was held between Pakistan Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (PEIRA) and private school owners regarding fee increase issue.

Scuffles mar grand musical concert

Rahat Fateh Ali’s fans return embarrassed, irritated

Special Secretary Ministry of Foreign Affairs Wahid ul Hassan, High Commissioner of Mauritius Yousuf Elahee and others cutting cake to mark independence day of Mauritius.

Pindi TMAs helpless before non-stop rains

Uncertain flood situation scares residents of lower areas ZUBAIR QURESHI RAWALPINDI—Residents of the areas adjacent to Nullah Leh are in grip of perpetual fear for there is no end to rains since Friday and an uncertain flood situation is staring them into eyes. On the other hand, district administration despite all its claims to have made advanced measures to meet

pre-monsoon rains is poorly equipped and seems helpless to meet any untoward situation.

In the Nullah Leh water was at 15-feet, Sunday, which is only three-feet below the danger level i.e. 18-ft. “If the rains continue for another couple of days water can cross the danger limit,” an official of the TMA Rawal Town said this while talking to Pakistan Observer. However a warning has

been given to those living in the surrounding areas to take precautionary measures.

As per details, the heavy rain which started Thursday night and continued for over 72 hours and flooded the nullah that runs through Rawalpindi city. Though the administration cleaned the nullah before the pre-monsoon set in yet the continuous rain has caused the water in the nullah to reach

danger point.

Several affected people said encroachments along Nulah Leh were the main cause of their houses’ inundation by water in every monsoon season. They said the municipal authorities ignore illegal constructions and the high ups must take serious notice of this to avoid flooding in the future.

It is pertinent to mention here that TMAs Rawal Town

and Potohar Town despite orders have not yet been able to make the alarms along the Nullah Leh functional and the workers and staff of the two municipal administrations despite clear orders to remain on round-the-clock duty are yet to comply with orders. Due to heavy rains, Pindi’s interior areas like Khayaban-e-Sir Syed, Dhok Ilahi Bux, Dhok Hassu, PAF Colony, Dhok

Naju, Ziaul Haq Colony, Ratta, Nadeem Colony, Dhok Chiragh Din, Dr Qadeer Road, Fizaya Colony, Shakryal, Khanna Chowk, Chak Jalal Din, Dhok Chaudhryan, Chaklala, Rehmatabad, Dhok Munshi Khan are facing civic issues like piles of garbage, choked gutters and water ponds on roads. Residents of these areas are not only exposed to water-borne diseases

including dengue they also fear power breakdown and short circuit.

“We are working on selfhelp basis to un-choke closed down sewerage and make small pathways inside the puddle of water with the help of bricks, said Ghaffar Khan a resident of Dhok Hassu. Water is inside our streets and if the situation remains the same time is not far when it will be inside our

houses, he said. The newly elected councilors of the city are also off the scene and their only excuse is they have not yet been made functional, therefore they can’t be of much use. Residents of the low-lying areas have demanded of the government to transfer powers to the local councilors asap so that they could be held accountable by their voters.

Korean Govt providing $500m for infrastructure development: Envoy STAFF REPORTER Fajar Zohr Asr

05:45 01:30 04:45

Meghrab at Sunset Isha 08:00 Brothers in Islam establish regular prayers & charity

More development projects to be launched: Hamza R AWA L P I N D I — P a k i s t a n Muslim League-N leadet Hamza Shahbaz Sharif Saturday said the government was committed to solve the problems of the masses on priority.

He said multi-billion development projects had been completed and more were in pipeline to facilitate the people.

He was talking to a delegation led by Member of the National Assembly Malik Ibrar Ahmed here at Punjab House.

Hamza Shahbaz said that all the problems being faced by the cantonment residents would be resolved before the next election.

He assured that every member of cantonment would get Rs 10 million each for carrying out development projects in their respective areas. He said that more development projects would be undertaken to facilitate the people of Rawalpindi.

Among others, members Cantonment Board Rasheed Khan and Malik Mansoor Afsar were present on the occasion.—APP

AIOU sets up Graduate Studies coordination office ISLAMABAD —Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) has set up a full-fledged coordination office of Graduates Studies to streamline the admission, examination and mailing process of higherlevel academic programmes, including MA, MSc, M. Phil and PhD. The AIOU’s Executive Council has approved the proposal at its meeting held last week, said Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Shahid Siddiqui. This is a major step forward towards timely and efficient handling of the post-graduate-level degree programmes. It will improve coordination of different graduate programmes’ activities.

A website will be launched soon containing all the required information regarding postgraduate studies. Prof. Dr. Naghmana Rashid, Dean Sciences was appointed as head of this office. There will be some permanent staff to exclusively handle matters relating to post-graduates studies.

Dr. Shahid Sididqui said, the office will monitor timeline for major activities of graduate programmes in consultation with the relevant departments. It has been assigned the task of ensuring timely completion of admissions, declaration of results and mailing of books, he added.—APP

I SLAMABAD —Korean Ambassador Dr Song Jong-hwan has said that his country’s government is providing some $500 million under the 2015-2017 framework agreement to Pakistan through Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) for vaious projects from hydropower to road infrastcure.

The Ambassador, in an interview, said that both the countries were enjoying excellent bilateral relations since decades and “we want an economically developed Pakistan in the time to come.”

“It is a matter of great pride for me to say that Pak-Korea ties are reaching new heights. During my tenure as ambassa-

dor, the Korean Prime Minister and the Speaker of the Korean National Assembly visited Pakistan in 2014 for the first time in the history,” he added.

The Ambassador said, “God has given Pakistan the second highest mountain in the world as well as the deep sea like Indian Ocean and Pakistan should take maximum benefits from them.”

“Pakistan is a blessed country having unique strategic location, abundant natural resources, talented population, skilled labour and a beautiful fertile land and all these reasons enough to achieve economic development,” Dr Song Jonghwan said.

He also stated that a number of grant

projects were also being undertaken in various parts of Pakistan by Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), aid agency under the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Narrating the story of the Korean development, the Ambassador said,”We faced a number of challenges like poverty after the independence of Korea having only per capita income even less than $80 in 1960.”

Korea, he said, was the first to change from an aid recipient country to donor country in 2010 with per capita income more than $28,000 having trade volume more than $ 1 trillion since 2011.

“This tremendous economic achievement and progress is called the

Rs 50 million Zakat fund distributed among poor patients RAWALPINDI—Zakat fund of Rs 50 million velopment projects in a transparent way on was distributed here among Tehsil and district health welfare committees for the poor and needy patients.

Punjab Minister for Labour and Human Resources Raja Ashfaq Sarwar, who was the chief guest, handed over cheques to heads of committees. Chairman District Zakat Committee Sheikh Sajid Rehman, PML-N metropolitan president Sardar Muhammad Nasim, and PML-N leader Dr Jamal Nasir were also present at the function.

Speaking on occasion, the minister said the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) government was completing mega de-

fast-track basis.

The government was making all-out efforts to provide basic amenities of life to the people, he added.

Raja Ashfaqu said many development projects had been completed.The multi-billion Metro Bus Project was a gift for Rawalpindi-Islamabad as some 150,000 commuters daily used the service.

The government, he said, was working on various schemes to end unemployment. Land record was being computerized, he added. The minister also handed over keys of seven Rickshaws to the unemployed.—APP

Intelligence network to check drug peddlers in ICT I S L A M A B A D —Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) has expanded its intelligence network inside Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) to locate and hunt drug smugglers and peddlers. The ANF, as part of steps being taken to control drug trafficking in ICT, has also established Canine Units (sniffer dogs) at Regional Directorate North which is responsible for Islamabad Capital Territory.

The information provided by Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control Sunday revealed that campaign and crackdown against drug peddlers has also been launched while areas around educational institutions were being monitored on regular basis to stop/counter sale of drugs to students by peddlers and suppliers.

Moreover, intelligence software (i2) has been inducted for assistance in investigation and backtracking.

Official sources said ANF is not only focused on enforcement mode of actions but also emphasizing greatly on Aware-

ness and Prevention Programmes & Plans.

The other steps taken by ANF for twin cities included community awareness campaign through printing/information material, awareness session/lecture against drug abuse to general public and academic institutions and community outreach work programme regarding free medical camp, counseling, treatment and rehabilitation.

The sources said community engagement programme and projects, individual and family counseling and follow-up, awareness programmes through FM Radio and awareness advertisement/documentaries against drug abuse in print and electronic media were the other measures.

Some other steps included social work by volunteer youth ambassadors in twin cities including slums/kachi abadis, frequent visit of Adiala Jail, Treatment and Rehabilitation Center, ANF-Youth Ambassadorship & Internship programme (equal opportunities to all without any discrimination and exploitation) and antidrug walks, theater play and drama.—APP

Concert to pay tribute to women singers ISLAMABAD—A concert paying tribute to the ing professionally,” said Fouzia Saeed, Execulegendary women singers and highlight their life time achievements enthralled the audience of twincities comprising women here on Sunday at Lok Virsa. The event was arranged by National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage, Lok Virsa in which the singers presented popular melodies of the Legendary women singers to relive their memory on the occasion of the celebrations of International Women’s Day. The last programme of the women’day celebrations is the concert with melodious singing of Beenish Pervaiz here on March 14.

“At Lok Virsa we strongly encourage our women singers to balance off the lopsidedness of the male domination of our cultural expressions. Lok Virsa invites Beenish Pervaiz, a young singer committed to acquire formal training of music and pursuing classical sing-

tive Director Lok Virsa while talking to APP. Beenish Pervaiz is a talented Pakistani singer known for her melodious and soulful voice, and can sing various genres with ease.

She nurtured her singing abilities by becoming a student of Ustad Faiz Ahmed Khan (late) of the Gwalior gharana since the early age of 8, and gained intensive vocal training. She has to her merit, won various singing awards, including the prestigious “All Pakistan Music Conference” and “Lahore Arts Council” Gold medals to name a few. She has also been mentored by Madam Farida Khanum, an experience she truly cherishes. Beenish recently started commercialising her music and now appears regularly on national channels and her tracks have been received extremely well by music composers and the general public.—APP

Participants of Margalla Society are coming back after a walk on a trail on Margalla Hills.

“Miracle of the Han River” and we want similar “Miracle of the Indus River in Pakistan,” he wished. “Korea is ready to help Pakistan in achieving “Miracle of the Indus River” and it is my hope and prayer that this dream with the help of Korea will come true.”

Regarding current level of two-way trade between the two countries, Dr Song said that Korea was 15th largest trading partner of Pakistan at present.

During the last two years this trade partnership after touching the two-way trade volume at $1.6 billion in 2012 had witnessed downward slide to $1.3 billion in 2013 and further to $1.17 billion in 2014, he said.

To boost economic ties, he said

both the countries had signed a memorandum of understanding on “Trade And Investment Cooperation “ in mid April 2014 during the visit of Prime Minister of Korea to Islamabad and agreed to explore the possibilities of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Regarding interest of Korean companies for investment in Pakistan, the Ambassador said that Korean companies and businessmen were keen to enlarge their businesses in Pakistan.

Korean businessmen were frequently visiting Pakistan and were impressed with huge potential of this country in the areas of agriculture, mine/mineral, hydro ?and other alternative energy etc. beside other areas, the Ambassador concluded.

6-year-old girl drowns in nullah RAWALPINDI—A 6-year-old girl here on drowned in a nullah in Salmanabad area.

Rescue 1122 divers carried out the search operation but were unable to search the body due to darkness.

According to report, the minor girl namely Haleema was standing near a Nullah when she slipped into it.—APP

IHC rejects MCB’s stay application against NAB investigation I

S L A M A B A D —The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has rejected application of Muslim Commercial Bank (MCB) seeking stay order on the National Accountability Bureau (NAB)’s investigation regarding privatization matter of the Bank.

Justice Aamir Farooq observed that NAB notice to the Bank was not against any individual but to probe alleged irregularities raised while privatizing the MCB bank. A division bench comprising Justice Aamir Frooq and Justice Mian Gulhassan Oranzaib heard the petition challenging the NAB notice to the Bank to cooperate with Bureau in investigating privatization matter of MCB. The counsel for the petitioner, Manawar ul Islam apprised the court that MCB bank was purchased through auction and observed all the rules and regulations of the Privatization Commission.

The counsel contended that the NAB’s notices to MCB were violation of the rules of Privatisation Commission Ordinance, 2000.

He further argued that an investigation agency could probe irregularities, if any, within the period of one year from the privatization of a company/bank, but NAB had initiated inquiry against his clients after seven years.

He prayed to the court to restrain the NAB from initiating an inquiry and declared illegal the issuance of notices to the bank by NAB. Meanwhile NAB prosecutor, Sardar Muzafar submitted reply before the bench stating hat NAB was a constitutional department and have authority to probe the irregularities of the departments.—APP

Heavy rain inundated streets in Rawalpindi.

Advisor to Punjab Chief Minister on Health Khawaja Salman Raffique presiding over a meeting regarding Anti-Polio campaign.

Young boys playing Frisbee to enjoy their Sunday holiday.

New Buddhist site ‘Ban Faqiran’ discovered atop Margalla hills ISLAMABAD —Discoveries of antiquities at a new Buddhist site ‘Ban Faqiran’ atop Margallah Hills by Department of Archeology and Museums (DOAM) would be a valuable addition to the rich cultural heritage of the country.

The department has completed the excavation work of the site and the conservation process would be started soon, said Director General, DOAM, Dr. Muhammad Arif said while talking to APP. Dr. Arif said the project is being executed with a cost of Rs.two million.

The excavation of the fourth heritage site of ‘Ban Faqiran’, which is around 2000 years old, in capital was the first ever field activity undertaken by the department after the 18th constitutional amendment 2010.

Dr. Arif said the antiquities dug out from excavated site would be housed in the museum for conducting research, imparting education, promoting tourism and providing recreation to visitors. The objectives of this project, he said, were to re-

construct the ancient cultural profile, establish antiquities and explore, excavate and preserve potential archeological sites in the federal Capital.

Besides this, it will reflect soft image of the country when foreign visiting dignitaries or delegates are shown around the heritage sites and the museum, housing the antiquity, he added. The funds for excavation and preservation of this Buddhist site were provided by the National Fund for Cultural Heritage (NFCH) in April 2015 and its excavation commenced in August 2015.

The excavating team under the field directorship of Abdul Ghafoor Lone and site supervisor, Arshad Khan exposed a large stupa- like square structure, measuring 10.26 meter a side, on the top of Margalla Hills.

This structure, he said, is made of lime and kanjur stone, with semi ashlar and diaper masonry dated from the second to the fourth century Common Era (CE). Besides

other antiquities, six coins and four iron arrowheads were discovered from the Buddhist site. The heritage site also include a water tank and mosque of early period.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Board of Governors NFCH and the Federal Minister for Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage, Pervaiz Rashid constituted a Monitory Committee to evaluate the progress of the project. The Committee included Dr M Farooq Swati, Member of the Board of Governors, Suleman Shah, Deputy Director Ministry of Information and Dr. M. Arif, Director General DoAM. They visited the site on December 07, 2015, and expressed their satisfaction on the progress of excavation. They advised the DoAM to continue the work, extend their probe to the ancient site but now defunct water tank and its nearby religious structure, both situated to the west of the Buddhist site down in the flat area of the gully and to find out their correlation with each other.—APP

Majeed complains to Bilawal of federal ministers interference

Kashmiri youth killed in Russia buried in Srinagar

STAFF REPORTER

S RINAGAR —A Kashmiri youth who was beaten to death by thugs in Russia was laid to rest in Hasanabad Rainawari locality of Srinagar city on Sunday. Large number of people participated in his funeral procession. Yasir was in coma and under treatment at the Kazan Trauma Centre in

ISLAMABAD—Chairman Paki-

Russia for several days. The goons had attacked him with a purpose to rob him from his belongings including money.

His body was brought here on Saturday morning that was laid to rest amid sobs and Incessant rains lashed Srinagar and other parts of the Valley throwing life out of gear. tears.—JKH

Al-Moosvi denounces arrest of Shabbir Shah, other leaders

Faked encounters source of bounties, promotions for cops

S R I N A G A R —The sinister were part of the Association Deki (Duksum), Showkat ones. “This greedy cop Rehman a government job SRINAGAR—Senior leader of designs of law enforcers of Parents of Disappeared Ahmed Khan (Banihal), Ali (Farooq Ahmed Padroo) and getting Rs 75,000 from All Parties Hurriyet Conference (APHC), Agha Syed Hassan AlMoosvi Al-Safvi has denounced the illegal arrest of Shabbir Ahmad Shah and other Hurriyet leaders and activists.

Agha Syed Hassan AlMoosvi Al-Safvi in a media interview in Srinagar said that India was using cheap tactics to suppress the ongoing liberation movement but the people of Kashmir would never withdraw from their birthright to self-

determination.He urged the international community to break its silence and play its due role in settling the lingering Kashmir dispute in accordance with the Kashmiris aspirations. He said that Kashmir solution was pre-requisite for durable peace in the region. He said that unresolved Kashmir dispute was main hurdle in cordial relations between Pakistan and India.

Agha Moosvi appealed to people to arrange prayer sessions for speedy recovery of APHC Chairman, Syed Ali Gilani.—KMS

turning predators to collect bounties by organizing fake killings has shattered the dreams of scores of families across Kashmir Valley. At least five wailing women from South Kashmir who

Persons (APDP) protested and narrated their ordeal how some greedy police officers organized fake encounters to collect bounties and add stars to their epaulets. The family members of Nazir Ahmed

Muhammad Padroo, Abdul Rehman Padroo (Kokarnag) and Ghulam Nabi Wani (Nabuk Kokarnag) held infamous SOG cop Farooq Ahmed Padroo responsible for the murder of their loved

Kashmir’s ‘Phiran’ reaches Pakistan fashion gala L AHORE —Kashmir’s traditional ‘phiran’, an oversized gown, got a makeover at the PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week 2016 here.

Zara Shahjahan’s luxury collection titled ‘Sartorialist’ was a modern take on the ‘phiran’ (worn by Kashmiri people to prevent cold) and was coupled with a minimalistic and organic look.

The designs looked royal and light by selection of earthy shades and soft pastels. In fact, Shahjahan also chose Kashmir’s famous embroidery — Ari work — for her designs.

Ari was done on cotton linen with contemporary chic detailing and edgy silhouettes.

Her signature floral motif was an integral part of the collection’s embellishments, which were purposely minimal to ensure that the primary focus is on the silhouette.

“I have always been inspired by the old and vintage and have been exploring Pakistan’s rich and colourful heritage to seek inspiration.

I found it with Kashmir,” Shahjahan told the media here.

She added that the beauty of Kashmir and

the colour palette of the Pashmina and Shahtoosh, which is mainly subtle, inspired her for the collection.

“From the elegant pink of Kashmiri chai to the intricate Shikargah tapestries and the oversized Kashmiri phiran, we have infused all to make a modern and minimalist collection,” she added.

The designs showcased in her show on Saturday night were not limited to the ‘phiran’. Kaftans, coats and kurtas were also seen. The linen designs were finished off with statement bags.—KW

managed fake encounters for awards and rewards and he was all doing in connivance with the then SSP Ganderbal Hansraj Parihar, DySP Bahdur Ram and ASI Farooq Ahmed Gudoo all languishing in jail.”

Tasleema 32 who has no source of income and has been doing menial jobs to take care of his two little children told CNS that Farooq Padroo picked up her husband outside Tyndale Biscoe School Srinagar where he was selling perfumes (perfumier) on the roadside. “The culprit cop Padroo hails from Larnoo Kokarnag. He knew my husband well as he used to live in his neighbouring village Duksum. Padroo used to target those who were in touch with him or were his relatives.

He even killed his cousin Abdul Rehman, a carpenter by profession for cheap publicity, promotions and cash rewards. Padroo picked up my husband in 2006 and his body was exhumed in 2007 from Saloora village of Ganderbal. Police Station Kothibagh where I had lodged an FIR against Padroo helped me in tracing his body. Before pumping four bullets in his body, Padroo had forced him to don Army uniform,” Tasleema said.

“Padroo killed his cousin Abdul Rehman as well in a fake encounter at Waskura village of Ganderbal.

Offering

him.—JKH

stan Peoples Party(PPP) Bilawal Bhuttu Zardari and Prime Minister/President PPP AJK Ch Abdul Majeed on Sunday held a meeting at Zardari House and discussed the present human rights situation in occupied Kashmir and party affairs particularly strategy for upcoming general elections in Azad Kashmir.

Interfering by federal ministers in AJK,misuse of Kashmir Council funds and schedule of Bilawal ‘s speeches to public gatherings during his tour to AJK were also came under discussion in the meeting.

The Prime Minister while briefing the Party Chairman told that Party was in a position to win the elections again on its performance during past five years. He also brought into notice of party head the intervention in AJK affairs by federal ministers and their abusive language against party leadership.

While briefing the Party Chairman Ch Abdul Majeed told that Muslim League (N) ministers were interfering in AJK affairs and they tried to destroy the peaceful political atmosphere of Azad Kashmir.

He also said that Development Funds of Kashmir Council were also being misused which was an act of pre

poll rigging. The Prime Minister assured the Bilawal Bhutto that AJK government would fulfil its obligations regarding holding of fair and free elections and full cooperation will be extended to Election Commission in this regard. “ I am fully confident that we will win the next elections again on our performance,” Ch Majeed told.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said he will follow the policy of his predecessors on the Kashmir issue as Benazir Bhutto had taken several measures for the betterment of the Kashmiri people. It was PPP that established a university and a medical college in AJK. He said that he would soon visit Kashmir and meet his Kashmiri brothers and sisters.

He said their struggle for the right to self determination is historic.

He asked party workers to apprise people of the pre-poll rigging that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz did, and hold public gathering in this regard.

The PPP chairman appreciated the Prime Minister and government of AJK for the development projects, establishing universities and three medical colleges in AJK. “ I will personally participate in election campaign and speak to public gatherings in across AJK,” he said.

Kashmiri FB users changing profile pics supportive of Pakistan SRINAGAR—As the big guns in world T20 Cricket rary profile picture frames to show support for Tournament are yet to take on each other, Pakistan cricket team supporters have started changing their profile pictures on social networking site facebook expressing their support to the Shahid Afridi led Pakistan team for the international tournament that is being held in India.

The sixth edition of the ICC World Twenty20 will be played across eight cities in India and the

their favourite teams.

The facebook users in Kashmir are busy in changing profile pictures in support of Pakistan cricket team. Thousands of fb users have already changed their profile pictures showing support or Pakistan team.

These profile pictures have invited reactions from the users while some of the non-Kashmiri us-

final of the tournament will be played on April 3 at the iconic Eden Garden’s Stadium in Kolkata.

To cater to cricket fans around the world, social media giant Facebook and its photo-sharing app Instagram have tied up with the International Cricket Council (ICC) to let fans support their teams competing in the World Twenty20 tournament. Under the tie-up, the fans can add tempo-

ers have expressed astonishment the way people in Kashmir have changed profile pictures in support of Green Shirts. “I can’t believe this. Kashmir being part of India and still people supporting Pakistan.

What’s the matter with you guys,” reacts a non-state subject. “No doubt I stand for Independent Kashmir and do not support Pakistan. But when it comes to cricket my heart beats for Pakistan.—KW

Views from Srinagar

Revisiting NFSA: Food insecurity feared SHEIKH SHABIR

F

OR the past few months now people in various parts of Kashmir have been protesting against the National Food Security Act (NFSA) which the government has implemented from February 15 this year. Some mainstream political parties and the protesting people have called the Act as antipeople as it might create “food insecurity” and deprive them of ration.

Interestingly, the Jammu Kashmir has about 70 percent land under food crop cultivation. Plus, the Jammu Kashmir’s Flag carries a plough, the tool of cultivating crops and food grains, as a symbol of agriculture which in fact is considered as the back bone of Jammu Kashmir economy.

Cultivating food grains being the main occupation of Jammu Kashmir, we should have been exporting them but unfortunately we are importing them and protesting for it quantity.

Though the act was passed in 2013 in India, Jammu Kashmir Government led by National Conference (NC) did not implement it. The alliance between NC and Congress that time possibly thought that the act could create food crisis in Jammu Kashmir.

However, Peoples Demcoratic Party (PDP)-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government gave a cabinet nod to the act possibly on the consideration that it would provide food to lakhs of poor people on subsidised rates. But some sections of the society are not comfortable with the Act. They protested against it.

Now the act has been implemented under Governor’s rule.

Again, there are protests. And the main opposition party NC

is all against the Act. It says that the Act is anti-people, and cruel, and should immediately be rolled back to provide ration to people at the rate of 35 Kgs per family as per census

2011.

The situation has put the administration in a tight spot. It says that some miscreants are spreading misinformation about the act and that people will get ample ration. But the fact is

that the act just promises only five kgs of rice per soul every month. The truth is a soul at least consumes 15 kgs of rice per month. So the food security act is “creating food insecurity” and giving people a good reason to worry. Moreover, the timing to implement the Act in Jammu Kashmir has made people worried. The people are yet to overcome the evil effects of the devastating floods of 2014.

Meanwhile, the agricultural and horticultural sectors have not been productive enough in the last few years.

Money is in short supply.

Thousands of employees are without salaries from months together. Business is suffering.

All these have led to financial crises in Jammu Kashmir, making life very difficult. The official figures say that after the 2014 floods, the Jammu Kashmir has shown negative per capita growth in the year 2014-2015. Therefore, the people were expecting some economic boost from the government but the Act has dashed their hopes and sent shock waves across.

The average per capita income in Jammu Kashmir is low.

That means most of the people are not richer than others. So with rising prices, falling or never changing income and the dismal performance of economic sectors, NFSA has created tension and fear among people.

Then the Act is doing away with the current system of ration distribution which provides a fixed quantity of 30/35 kgs of food grains per family. So under the present practice of distribution, some families, say smaller families, have an advantage. A two member family gets the same quantity of ration as a ten member family. But the Act seeks to provide ration at five kgs per soul. So the two member family will get only ten kgs per month. The family cannot survive only on this amount. This is a cause of concern.

What adds to public anger is the media reports about the creation of about 7.5 lakh bogus ration cards, inclusion of the ineligible people in the subsidised category. And the inclusion of non-existing people and extra family members in the ration lists. Thus, there will be unfair distribution of food grains.

Fear is that the undeserved people might get subsidised ration. The deserved ones might be out.

Anyway, there is no harm in coming up with a new law if it benefits all people on equal terms. The NFSA, though has been welcomed in many political, academic and public circles, its limitations must be considered with a dispassionate analysis.

The administration should not simply focus on implementing the Act by ignoring the concerns of people. It should humanise the act; revisit its deficiencies and ensure food security in real terms. [Sheikhshabir518@gmail.com] —Courtesy: Rising Kashmir

Currency

Selling

Buying

USA

104.50

UK

149.22

148.93

Euro

116.74

116.51

Pak makes remarkable progress in reducing poverty: WB

104.30

Canada

78.63

78.48

Switzerland

106.09

105.89

Australia

78.27

78.12

Sweden

12.49

12.46

Japan

0.9210

0.9192

Norway

12.30

12.28

Singapore

75.93

75.79

Denmark

15.65

15.62

Saudi Arabia 27.86

27.81

Hong Kong

13.46

13.44

China

16.10

16.07

Kuwait

347.56

346.89

Malaysia

25.46

25.41

Newzealand

69.95

69.82

Qatar

28.70

28.64

UAE

28.45

28.40

Kr Won

0.0874

0.0872

Thailand

2.976

2.970

Growth rate linked to promotion of agri sector ISLAMABAD—Patron Islamabad Chamber of Small Traders Shahid Rasheed Butt on Sunday said achievement of satisfactory growth rate is linked to the promotion of agricultural sector which has been ignored by almost all the government.

Agriculture had 53 percent share in GDP until 1950 which dropped to 31 percent in 1980 and now stands at 21 percent which indicates that it is in the bottom of priority list, he said.

Shahid Rasheed Butt said that dwindling share of agriculture which will go down with the collapse of cotton crop has stunned the economic growth.

He said that GDP improvement without focusing on agriculture is a pipe dream and that feeding population exploding by two percent per annum require urgent steps.

The veteran business leader said that 5.5 percent growth rate target for the current year is unattainable at best while government will soon have to revise it down like the targets of investment, exports and revenue.—PR

Jovago launches Extranet Mobile App K A R A C H I — Pakistan’s No. 1 hotel booking website, Jovago.com, has launched Jovago Extranet App, a mobile application that aims at giving more flexibility and independence to hotel managers.

“Jovago wants to give the best international standards of the hotel industry and the latest technologies to all our Hotel partners, we want to democratize these new tools for all our partners and make their job easier ” said Paul Midy, CEO of Jovago.

The Android App will enable Hotel managers to confirm new reservations, see and search through all reservations, change rates for any time period and change room availability for any time period. They will also see customer reviews, confirm guest check in and get some unique stats about hotel performance, all this at their convenient time.

This will create a better experience for both the hotel and the Jovago customer.

Jovago.com ensures that its inventory of 25,000 hotels in Africa and in Pakistan is accessible to customers online, by tapping on today’s technology.

For instance, with insightful data provided by the company, a hotel manager will easily know the pricing of his competitors, thus making informed decisions on how to remain competitive.—PR

To have steady growth, recovery-cum-low inflation for next 2 years ISLAMABAD—The World Bank Group spite this progress, a large portion of in FY 2016 and then further to 4.8 perin its recently published report “Pakistan Country Snapshot” has said that the country has made impressive progress in reducing absolute poverty and improving shared prosperity.

“The percentage of the population below the national poverty rate has fallen from 34.7 per cent in fiscal year 2002 to an estimated 12.4 per cent in FY2011,” the report said.

It said that Pakistan had already achieved the first Millennium Development Goal (MDG) by more than halving between 1991 and 2011 the proportion of people whose income is less than $1.25 a day.

Furthermore, growth in the real per capita consumption of the bottom 40 percent was a respectable 3 per cent between 2006 and 2011, it noted.

The report said poverty reduction had been stronger in the traditionally poorer provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Sindh, where its rates were now indistinguishable from those in Punjab.

“Poverty remains much more prevalent in Balochistan, however, where a sizable portion of residents are nomadic and live in remote and conflict areas.”

The report, however, said that de-

the population remained vulnerable to falling back into poverty.

“Although Pakistan’s recent gains in poverty were rapid, they remain fragile, in part because many households remain clustered near the poverty line,” the report added.

It said that an estimated 23 million people - 13 per cent of the population - lived on an amount between $1.25 and $1.50 per day, meaning that small reductions in consumption could greatly increase poverty rates.

The report suggested that efforts were needed to improve poverty monitoring and policy evaluation.

“Poverty measurement can be institutionalized in part through more independent and regularized poverty assessments that link measurements to other human development indicator data base,” it proposed.

The World Bank in its recent Macroeconomic Outlook-2015 about Pakistan, has also projected steady growth, recovery-cum-low inflation, supported by fiscal consolidation and improving external position for the next two years.

According to the Bank’s Outlook2015, Pakistan economic growth was projected to accelerate to 4.5 percent

cent in FY 2017 supported by strong growth in industry and services.

The Bank report further said that Pakistan’s investment was expected to increase to 15.4 percent of GDP by FY 2017 on account of operationalization of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)-related projects.

The report further said that inflation was projected to stay low in view of low commodity prices, exchange rate stability and prudent fiscal policy.

The World Bank’s Outlook 2015 about Pakistan further said that the current account deficit was projected to increase slightly to 1.0 percent of the GDP by FY2017 but it would remain manageable.

“So far remittances originating from Gulf countries have not been affected by the decline in oil price and were expected to stay robust in the near term. It added that Pakistan’s exports were projected to contract in the first year owing to tapered global demand and then grow marginally the following year.

The World Bank Report said that the imports, however were projected to post moderate growth due to CPEC related investments and higher domestic demand.

Tax-to-GDP ratio to improve 12pc this year: Akhtar AMANULLAH KHAN KARACHI—Advisor of Prime Minister for Revenues Haroon Akhtar has said that as Pakistan was passing through a very crucial juncture, efforts were being made to improve Tax-to-GDP ratio which has risen from 9 percent to 11 percent and it will improve further to 12 percent this year but it was still very low as compared to India where Tax-to-GDP ratio stood at 18 percent.

Exchanging views during his visit to the Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry on Saturday, he added, “If Tax-to-GDP improves by 6 percent, bringing it at par with India, we will have a surplus budget and hence, the revenue earned will be utilized to build projects and ensure prosperity for the country.” He was of the view that some out of the box solutions were needed to improve the dismal Tax-to-GDP ratio. Chairman Businessmen Group and Former President KCCI Siraj Kassam Teli, Vice Chairmen BMG Haroon Farooki and Anjum Nisar, President KCCI Younus Muhammad Bashir, Senior Vice President KCCI Zia Ahmed Khan, Vice President KCCI Muhammad Naeem Sharif, Former Presidents KCCI AQ Khalil, Haroon Agar, Abdullah Zaki, Iftikhar Vohra along with KCCI Managing Committee members and FBR officials were present at the meeting.

Referring to the amnesty scheme for

non-filers, the Advisor said that all recommendations given by non-filers from time to time were agreed upon and implemented yet they were not satisfied with the scheme as they don’t want to pay taxes or become filers. “They simply don’t want to come into the tax net and were looking for immunity forever which is not possible.” He said, “We have to encourage people to make legitimate money and give medals to loyal taxpayers who have been making invaluable contribution to the national economy.”

Referring to the concerns expressed by KCCI over inaction against tax evaders, he said that notices were being served to those tax evaders who have been living luxurious lives, frequently travelling abroad, using credit cards and their kids have also been studying abroad. Moreover, notices were also being issued to those individuals whose returns filed at the FBR were not depicting their lifestyle while a Benami Transaction Act will also be introduced very soon, he added.

Referring to suggestions presented by Tax Reforms Commission, he admitted that 80 to 90 percent of TRC report carried those suggestions which were needed to bring positive changes and improve functioning of the FBR. “Some of TRC recommendations will be added in this year’s budget while others will be introduced later as we cannot expect positive changes overnight but we are on the right track.”

PARC scientists develop indigenous milking-cattle through crossbreeding ISLAMABAD —The Agricultural Scientists of the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) improved and developed the indigenous milking cattle through crossbreeding for increasing the income of the farmers and minimize livestock diseases.

This was disclosed by the spokes persons of the PARC, Sardar Ghulam Mustafa, who is a Director General, Public Relations and Project Incharge of the Advocacy and Projection of PARC Research and Development Activities in a statement issued here on Sunday.

It is to be noted that Pakistan has a large cattle population which is an important source of raw material particularly for leather, carpet and woolen cloth industries. Although 10 known breeds of cattle exist in the country, majority of the cattle i.e. 70 % are nondescript. Cattle have tradi-

tionally been used as the source of draught power in this region. Their utility as draught animal has been

According to experts the local cattle were low milk producing, take longer to mature, have longer calving

Jersey bull cow with crossbred calf. decreasing due to agricultural mechanization.

interval and shorter lactation length.—PR

More internet usage to foster e-commerce market STAFF REPORTER ISLAMABAD—Pakistan, although a late entrant to world of e-commerce, has emerged and recorded a reasonable rise in online shopping trends and other e-commerce businesses.

Such growth trends over past few years-with more than US$ 30 million being spent on online purchases currently-depict a highly positive picture for future and the size of Pakistan’s e-commerce market is expected to reach over US$ 600 million by 2017.

No doubt e-commerce industry is booming throughout the region including

in China where Alibaba’s e-commerce market capitalization estimated to be over US$ 250 billion.

With many new online ventures springing up rapidly and existing businesses recording unprecedented growth rates, there is still a lot that needs to be done to reach the true ecommerce potential of the country and compete with other big players of the region.

Experts on Sunday said one of the most important factors in equation is rate of internet penetration in Pakistan. Pakistan’s internet enabled population is limited to around 30 million users today. This, however, is expected to rise up to 56 million users by 2019.

KARACHI: Chairman Businessmen Group and Former President KCCI Siraj Kassam Teli and President KCCI Yunus Muhammad Bashir presenting Chamber’s crest to Advisor to Prime Minister for Revenues Haroon Akhtar.

Pakistan-China Business Forum from March 19 ISLAMABAD: President FPCCI Rauf Alam presenting a memento to head of Delhi

LAHORE—The four-day 5th Study Group.

Pak-China Business Forum2016 will be held from March 19 at Expo Center Lahore that is expected to attract 700 representatives of more than 400 Chinese and 150 Pakistani companies.

The business forum is being held with the cooperation of COMSATS University, sources said here Sunday, and mentioned that Punjab Education Minister Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan also chaired a meeting in this connecetion and assured the organizers of provision of all out facilities by the government to Chinese traders and businessmen.

They added that male and female of the universities of Lahore had been especially invited to the forum, which would play a key role in promotion of business activities in the country. Having keen interest in this activity, Punjab Chief Minister would inaugurate Pak-China Business Forum, they maintained.—APP

Expo Centre to be established in Sialkot SIALKOT —Business community of Sialkot is considering to establish Expo Centre in this export-oriented city.

Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) sources told APP Sunday that efforts were being made for obtaining sufficient funds from Export Development Fund (EDF) for the execution of Expo Centre.

The basic concept of setting up Expo Centre was to hold national and international trade exhibitions and fairs as well as single country exhibition. The government would provide sufficient funds, out of EDF, for the establishment of Expo centre, sources added.

Local business tycoons are making strenuous efforts for launching its own Sial Airline and in this regard necessary formalities were being finalized and the airline would operational in near future.—APP

UC browser inks deal with Twitter, Microsoft Bing L AHORE —UC Browser, Pakistan’s No. 1 mobile browser with over 35% market share (according to StatCounter) from UCWeb, a business within Alibaba Mobile Business Group, has joined hands with Twitter and Microsoft Bing to provide a mobile gateway to all things cricket ahead of the all-exciting cricket season through the debut of a revamped UC Cricket, which is part of a broader plan to ride on the digital content trend and shape how content will be consumed on mobile Internet.—PR

HONG KONG: A view of Kwai Chung container port. Hong Kong’s total port cargo throughout slumped 13.8 per cent in 2015, the biggest year-on-year drop in the past 10 years.—INP/XINHUA

China increases povertyalleviation budget by 43.4pc B EIJING—China increased its poverty al- of poverty over the past four decades. A leviation budget by 43.4 percent this year, lifting at least 10 million people out of poverty by the year end.

The central government aims to lift 55 million rural people out of poverty in the coming five years, in order to complete the building of a moderately prosperous society by 2020, said Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in his work report presented to National Peoples Congress.

The leadership have promised “not to leave a single family” behind.

In November, 22 heads of provinces, autonomous regions and cities from central and western China signed a “responsibility agreement” with the central government, agreeing to be evaluated.

Legislators attending the two sessions have also voiced their commitment to the campaign.

China has lifted 700 million people out

total of 95.5 million rural people overcame poverty from 2011 to 2014, according to official data.

The draft of the 13th Five-Year Plan, which marks priorities for national development from 2016 to 2020, proposes support for poor villages to develop their own featured products and services.

In the draft, e-commerce was highlighted as a key tool to enable villagers to sell their wares; photovoltaic technology to boost infrastructure construction; and rural tourism to attract more visitors.

“Multiple measures concerning migration, training, education, environmental protection and subsistence security have been implemented. The Chinese leadership is confident that the scheduled poverty reduction goals will be achieved by 2020.— INP

SMEDA committed to women entrepreneurship STAFF REPORTER LAHORE —Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) is all committed to promotion of entrepreneurship among women.

The SMEDA Chief Executive Office Muhammad Alamgir Chaudhry told APP here Sunday that the Authority had a full cognizance of the challenges being faced by women entrepreneurs in the underprivileged areas of the country. That is why SMEDA was making special endeavors to bring women enterprises from the less developed areas to the national exhibitions like Blue Fair of Multan, he added.

Alamgir Chaudhry mentioned that a SMEDA team took part in the Blue Fair recently organized by Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (WCCI) in collaboration with Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) in Multan. He mentioned that SMEDA team sponsored 14 women Enterprises (WEs) in the fair, out of which four were from Sindh, five each from the KPK and Multan.

To a question, the CEO said that major products displayed in SME Pavilion were related to Textile, Leather, Interior

Designing, Jewelry, hand-made embroidery, Cosmetics and Handicrafts.

Whereas, one of the stalls of SMEDA Pavilion had been developed as Facilitation Center for exhibitors to provide information on SMEDA’s current initiatives including Prime Minister ’s Youth Business Loan, SME Club, Women Business Development Centers and the business development services available at SMEDA. He elaborated further that women entrepreneurs, who displayed their products in the fair, had recorded their acknowledgment for the SMEDA assistance in providing the logistic support and on-the-spot patronage, without which they could not step out to display their products in such an important event.

The SMEDA pavilion was largely appreciated by the visitors regarding the quality and display style of the products related to Textile, Leather, Interior Designing, Jewelry, hand-made embroidery and Handicrafts.

To another query, he said that SMEDA Help Desk at the Blue Fair facilitated and registered over a 100 walk-ins. The CEO also invited the WCCI to have partnership in making such programs a real success.

PJF to send Shah Hussain for Judo Grand Prix in Turkey ISLAMABAD—Eager to claim a spot in this Games. summer’s Olympics, Pakistan Judo Fed-

eration (PJF) has decided to send its only hope Shah Hussain for the Judo Grand Prix in Turkey, hoping the judoka will earn some vital points to claim a spot in the

PHF skips Champions Trophy, eyes 2018 World Cup

The Judo Grand Prix are scheduled to be staged in Samsun, Turkey from April 1-4.

Shah was earlier scheduled to participate in Pan American Open that is underway at Buenos Aires, Argentina. But according to PJF Secretary Masood Ahmed, the judoka could not proceed to that country as the organizers of the event failed to send his supporting documents for the visa in time.

“We are in hunt for a spot in Olympics and Shah is our only hope for that.

That’s why now we’ve decided to field him in Grand Prix as participation in this event will also provide him a chance to qualify for this years Olympics,” Masood told APP on Sunday.

Around 386 judokas are expected to compete in 14 events (seven each for both men and women) at the Summer Olympics at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in August.

According to the Olympic qualification rules, the judokas will keep on playing in the qualifiers till May 29, 2016. After that the International Judo Federation (IJF) will

Kirwa wins Nagoya as Noguchi’s Rio dream dashed

T OKYO —Bahrain’s Eunice LAHORE—In what seems to be Jepkirui Kirwa won the Nagoya another major blow to the national game, the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) decided not to take part in this year’s Champions Trophy to be staged in England in June.

The move is another significant setback for Pakistan, who for the first time in its history will not be playing in the 2016 Olympic hockey event after failing to qualify for it.

The incumbent PHF management, which took charge in August last year, should have by now raised a national team which could feature in June’s Champions Trophy, one of the toughest events in world hockey.

But the federation after having failed to do so, perhaps has some other plans. It is also yet to announce a clear, comprehensive policy for regaining Pakistan’s glory in world hockey. PHF secretary Shahbaz Ahmed Senior told reporters that it would be better not to take part in the Champions Trophy, saying the federation was aiming to prepare a strong team for the 2018 World Cup.—APP

Australian Open champ Kerber falls in Indian Wells INDIAN WELLS (Calif)— Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber dropped out of the BNP Paribas Open and two other top-seeded women also exited in the second round at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

The second-seeded Kerber, from Germany, lost 7-5, 7-5 to Denisa Allertova of the Czech Republic in the opening match of the day on the main stadium court. Fourth-seeded Garbine Muguruza of Spain dropped a 7-5, 6-1 decision to American Christina McHale, and sixthseeded Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain withdrew because of a right ankle injury.

Kerber, who beat Serena Williams for the title in Australia, led Allertova 4-2 in the second set but got down 6-5, then double-faulted to give Allertova match point and hit a forehand long to finish off her third straight opening-match loss in the event.—AP

prepare the final list of the judokas who will feature in the Olympics.

Masood said that the federation would also send Shah in the Asian Championship, scheduled to be held in Uzbekistan, next month. “œHe won bronze medal at the Asian Championships in 2013 and 2015 and if he manages to get another medal this time too, he’ll be able to directly qualify for the Olympics,” Masood maintained.

Shah is currently world number 46 in U100kg, while in Olympics ranking he stands at number 54 and to get to the Games, he must be inside the top 34 before the end of May. The PJF Secretary said that though the federation was pinning high hopes in Shah, he would face stiff challenges from other judokas.

“We are not taking any event easy. All events are tough. Judo is mostly played in Asia and Shah will be facing some real challenges from other judokas in Asian Championships,” he said while pointing out that in last Olympics Games four gold medals were clinched by Asian judokas.—APP

Women’s Marathon for the second year in succession on Sunday as Japanese runners jostled for Olympic spots behind her.

The Kenyan-born athlete, who holds the Asian Games gold, clocked 2hr 22min 40sec while Japan’s Tomomi Tanaka finished second to boost her hopes of going to Rio this summer.

“The hard work starts now,” Kirwa told reporters. “I know the Olympics will not be easy so I have to keep pushing in training.”

Tanaka struggled to hold back tears after the race.

“There was so much support I felt like I was going to cry,” said Tanaka. “I’m so determined to get to Rio that I didn’t want anyone to beat me.”

Mai Ito has already qualified for Rio after finishing seventh at last year’s world championships in Beijing while Kayoko Fukushi is virtually assured a spot, leaving a third Japanese berth up for grabs.

Former Olympic champion Mizuki Noguchi’s dreams of a fairytale end to her career were dashed when the 37-year-old failed to keep up with the early pace and finished 23rd, fighting back tears as she crossed the

KARACHI: Corps Commander Lt-Gen Naveed Mukhtar giving trophy to winner of Malir Cantonment Polo Tournament.

Sports vital for youth

MULTAN—EDO Community Development Mian Abdul Ghaffor Sunday said sports were vital for the youth and maximum events would be organized.

He expressed these views while addressing the spring sports festival prize distribution ceremony as chief guest here.

In archery events, Tanvir Hussain bagged first position while Waseem Haider remained runner-up while Nadia Iqbal stood first, Sadia Iqbal second and Sadia remained third in girls archery events.

In arm-wrestling competitions, Muhammad Ahsan got the first position and Umar Elahi remained runner-up. In table tennis quarter final competitions, Abdul Wahab, Masab and Ahmad qualified for semi-final by defeating Abdul Ghaffar, Mujahid and Paris, respectively.

In badminton competitions, Zahid and Sami beat Asim and Rizwan, Tahir Mahmood and Mughira defeated Akram, Yasir and Umair and Malik Iqbal qualified for semi final by defeating Ibrahim and Usman Bahrain’s Eunice Jepkirui Kirwa crosses the finish line in Saeed.—APP the Nagoya Women’s Marathon on Sunday. line.

2004 Olympics when she fa“After 30 kilometres the mously broke Briton Paula support was overwhelming,” Radcliffe’s heart in an Athens said Noguchi, winner of the heatwave to take gold.—AFP

Colourful Bannu Division Women Games begin PESHAWAR—A colourful Dera Ismail Khan Division Female Games got under way under the aegis of Director General Sports and Youth Affairs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at different venues including Sports Complex Dera Ismail Khan amidst tight security Sunday.

District Nazim Dera Ismail Khan Nawazada Aziz Ullah Khan Alizai was the chief guest on this occasion formally announced the commencement of the three-day games including 13 different aevents for more than 340 girls hailing from District Tank and Dera Ismail Khan.

The games is actually part of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Under-23 male and female Games being organized first at Inter-District level and followed by Inter-Region and Provincial levels.

Nooreen Saba, ADO Establishment Tank, DSO Amir Zahir Shah, teaching faculty, officials, players and large number of students spectators were also present.

The colourful opening ceremony was started with the recitation from the Holy Quran by class 5 students Laiba Khan, followed by Rehana with

melodious Naat.

The guests and students were also there for the national anthem, present by the school kids.

Govt High School Sherazai presented national song. There was a melodious local school band of Govt High School Wadayum Hisam, Dera Ismail Khan wherein the participating contingent presented a smart March Past, following by tableaus and skits.

A stunning gymnastic and PT shows also enthralled the sitting spectators. There were hundreds of local schools and colleges students spectators in the opening ceremony.

The Games would continue for three days with more than 340 players would vie for the top honor in cricket, football, hockey, basketball, karate, judo, taekwondo, badminton ,table tennis, athletics, and squash.

Soon after the inauguration ceremony, DIKhan recorded victories in the Volleyball against Tank, while ‘in the Table Tennis Zara Fatima of DIKhan beat Afsheen in the first singles by 11-9, 11-6 and 11-7.—APP

PESHAWAR: Teams participating in women games with Director-General Sports Rashid Ghaznavi.

Huzaifa off to Vietnam for ITF Asia 14 & Under Development C’ships MIAN ARSHAD I SLAMABAD —Pakistan’s top U14 player Huzaifa Abdul Rehman flew for Vietnam from Islamabad Airport on Saturday night to feature in Division I of the ITF Asia 14 & Under Development Championships.

Huzaifa, who was runner-up in two backto-back championships, held at Bangkok in January, this year was invited by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) to the ITF Asia 14 and Under Development Championship Division II team.

The ITF Division II team will participate in Division I of the ITF Asia 14 & Under Development Championships, scheduled to be held from March 13 to 26 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The team is being financed by the Grand Slam Development Fund.

“Huzaifa has a lot of potential. This is a very good chance for him to showcase his tal-

ent and skills. I am sure he is going to gain a lot of experience during this tour,” secretary Pakistan Tennis Federation Muhammad Khalid Rehmani told APP. Huzaifa, who last week also won singles title in boys’ category in the first leg of ATF Pakistan 14 & Under Super Series Tennis Championships at PTF Complex Islamabad said that he was happy to be part of the ITF team and would do his level best to justify his selection.

“I am extremely happy to be a part of ITF team. I will be approaching this challenge with responsibility and try to give my best,” he said.

The 2016 championships are being hosted by the Vietnam Tennis Federation and players from Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Macau, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Vietnam are featuring in these events.

Trials of Multan division complete for basketball championship

KHANEWAL—Trials to select players of the Multan division have been completed for Punjab Basketball championship 2016 to be held on March 22 here.

As many as 24 players have been selected for two teams of the Multan division, including Multan Red and Multan Green, while the camp has also started in which army basketball players were imparting training to players in Khanewal camp.

A three-member committee have selected players during trials which were held at Sports Stadium Khanewal while players from Multan, Khanewal, Lodhran, Mian-Channu and BARCELONA: Barcelona’s Arda Turan (front) scores during Spanish First Division other cities participated in tri- Football match between FC Barcelona and Getafe CF at Camp Nou Stadium. FC als.—APP Barcelona won 6-0.

Big win for Barcelona; Chelsea season from bad to worse MILAN—Barcelona remained on course to retaining its Spanish league title with a 6-0 rout of Getafe on Saturday, while English champion Chelsea’s season went from bad to worse with Diego Costa seeing red after a biting incident as Guus Hiddink’s team exited the FA Cup. Manchester City doesn’t look like it will be succeeding Chelsea as Premier League champions after being held 0-0 at relegation-threatened Norwich and Marseille’s miserable season in France also continued.

Elsewhere, Thomas Mueller scored twice as Bayern Munich warmed up for Juventus in the Champions League by easing to a 5-0 rout of Werder Bremen, and Inter Milan won to maintain its dream of a return to the Champions League.

Here is a look at Europe’s major leagues: Costa plunged Chelsea into fresh controversy as Everton won 2-0 to end the last hope of a title for Hiddink’s team in the quarterfinals.

Chelsea had just been humiliated by former striker Romelu Lukaku scoring twice in a five-minute span, including a breathtaking solo goal, when Costa was sent off in the 84th minute.

The fiery striker thrust his head at Gareth Barry, then sunk his teeth toward

the Everton midfielder’s neck in a biting motion, and got a second yellow card.

There was no immediate reaction from Barry to suggest he had been bitten but Costa was dismissed for the first time in two seasons at Chelsea.

“Without seeing, I don’t want to give judgment on this,” Hiddink said. “(Costa) was chased a bit in the game. They went after him. They knew it. It is within the rules.”

Chelsea is 10th in the league and the FA Cup exit follows its elimination from the Champions League by Paris SaintGermain on Wednesday.

Manchester City remained fourth in the EPL, nine points behind surprise leader Leicester.

Elsewhere, Graziano Pelle scored twice as Southampton won 2-1 at Stoke and Bournemouth beat Swansea 3-2.

Lionel Messi scored one goal and figured in four more as Barcelona increased its Spanish record to 37 games without a loss in all competitions.

The only blemish on Messi’s superb display was a missed penalty in the first half.

Otherwise, the Argentina forward led a dominant performance that suggests problems for Arsenal as the London club bids to overturn a 2-0 loss in their Cham-

pions League round-of-16 second leg on Wednesday.

Atletico Madrid stayed eight points behind the defending champions in second place after a 3-0 victory over Deportivo La Coruna.

Third-place Real Madrid will trail Barcelona by 15 points when it visits Las Palmas on Sunday.

Also Saturday, Iago Aspas scored with a brilliant chipped shot to give Celta Vigo a 1-0 win over Real Sociedad and send it provisionally fifth.

Bayern, which hosts Juventus on Wednesday after drawing 2-2 in their Champions League round-of-16 first leg, moved eight points clear of Borussia Dortmund, which plays Mainz on Sunday.

Mario Goetze played for the first time since getting injured on international duty on Oct. 8 and the Germany forward had two efforts on goal.

Thiago Alcantara scored at either end of the match, while Kingsley Coman assisted both those goals as well as Mueller’s first. Robert Lewandowski claimed his 24th goal of the campaign in the 86th minute.

“When you win 5-0, people think it’s easy,” Bayern coach Pep Guardiola said.

“We played well, we didn’t allow many counterattacks. Compliments to the team.”—AFP

Costa didn’t bite me, says Everton’s Barry LONDON—Everton midfielder Gareth Barry stated on Sunday that Chelsea striker Diego Costa did not bite him during the Merseyside club’s 2-0 FA Cup quarter-final victory on Saturd a y .

“Seen a lot of t a l k about the incident involving me and Diego Costa in t h e game last night,” Barry wrote on the Fanzai app. “For the record Diego did not bite me.” Costa was shown a second yellow card in the 84th minute of the game at Goodison Park after reacting to a foul from Barry by leaning his head into the Everton midfielder’s face. He then lowered his mouth to Barry’s neck and made as if to bite him, only to apparently change his mind. The pair ended up embracing. In a statement released late on Saturday, Chelsea said that Costa had “expressed regret” over the incident, but was adamant that he had not bitten Barry.—AFP

Kyrgios involved in swearing row at Indian Wells LOS ANGELES—Australian Nick Kyrgios was involved in a fresh dispute after being accused o f swearing at t h e B N P Paribas Open in California on S a t u rday. At 2-2 in the second set of his secondround defeat by Spaniard Albert Ramos, the umpire said Kyrgios had used foul language and docked the player a point. “You used the F word,” explained French official Damien Dumusois.

Kyrgios protested and, after briefly taking a seat in the crowd, he approached the umpire. “I didn’t say anything,” he said. Dumusois replied: “Nick. You know we are strict on the F word...I have a report from an official.

I trust him”. Ramos went on to win the match 7-6 (4) 7-5 on an outside court at Indian Wells. In Canada last August, Kyrgios incurred the wrath of the ATP after a courtside microphone picked up a comment directed at opponent Stan Wawrinka.—AP

Furious Neville lambasts ‘unacceptable’ Valencia MADRID—Valencia coach Gary Neville labelled his side’s performance as “indefensible” and questioned his players commitment after a 10 defeat to local rivals Levante on Sunday. “I’m not defending that. I’ve got to look at myself first and foremost, said Neville. “I take responsibility for the defeat, but that was an indefensible performance, unaccepta b l e and not good enough. “I apologise to the fans of Valencia because the very basic premise of a football match is that you run, fight and tackle as hard as the opposition.” Neville has now won just three of 15 La Liga games in charge to leave Valencia rooted in mid-table in 12th with nine games remaining. Valencia’s last hope of glory this season hinges upon overturning a 1-0 firstleg deficit at home to Athletic Bilbao in the Europa League on Thursday.—AFP

World T20: Afridi, Malik play down focus on security K OLKATA —Pakistan’s T20 captain am in the last stage of my career and I can guage. I don’t really see any difference. I say that the love I have got in India is something that I will always remember. We have not got this much love even from Pakistan.

“There are cricket-loving people here, much like in Pakistan. Overall, I’ve enjoyed a lot playing in India in my cricketing career.”

Malik, who is married to Indian tennis player Sania Mirza, said he had never faced security issues on his previous visits to India.

“Firstly I would like to thank the Indian Government. The security is very good,” Malik said. “My wife is from India and I come to India a lot. I have never faced any security issue.

“I don’t really see any difference between Pakistani people and the Indians. We eat the same food, we speak the same lan-

am very happy to be in India. I have always got a lot of love from people and from media.”

Malik went on to state that Pakistan could benefit from the underdog tag they carry going into the World T20. He said the team could draw inspiration from the 1992 World Cup and the 2009 World T20, which Pakistan won despite low expectations from the public.

“It’s good that we’re underdogs and that gives you a lot of confidence. At the same time, we are here to do well,” Malik said. “Let’s talk about 1992 World Cup first. People were not expecting us to do well and win it but we won that. Same thing happened in 2007 World T20 when we did well before losing to India in the final. In 2009, we were not that big as a team but still we won. The same is the case going into this edition.”

Pakistan, who are ranked No. 7 in the T20 rankings, have had a poor run of form in the format recently, with series losses against England and New Zealand. They lost crucial matches against Bangladesh and India in the recent Asia Cup and failed to make the final.

Five of the side’s nine T20I victories in the past 12 months have come against Zimbabwe and UAE. Moreover, the World T20 squad was also in flux. Pakistan were forced to make changes following injuries to Babar Azam and Rumman Raees, while Khurram Manzoor made way for Ahmed Shehzad after a disappointing run in the Asia Cup. Khalid Latif replaced Iftikhar Ahmed in the World T20 squad.

“We could not deliver as per the expectations in the Asia Cup,” Malik said. “It’s part of life, we are professionals.

Whatever happened has happened. We are here to give our best. It is a new tournament. We will try to help each other out Shahid Afridi and coach Waqar Younis talk as Mohammad Amir, relaxes on ground during and will try what is best for us.”—Agencies a training session at Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Sunday.

Shahid Afridi has played down the focus on the team’s security in India, saying he cherishes the support and appreciation of Indian fans. Team-mate Shoaib Malik also backed Afridi’s statement, saying the security in India is “very good”.

The players spoke to the media after arriving in Kolkata on Saturday, where they will play India on March 19. The game was scheduled to take place in Dharamsala, but was moved to Kolkata due to concerns over the security of the Pakistan team. A three-member delegation from the PCB visited Dharamsala and formally said ‘security is not assured’ at the venue. The controversy also delayed the departure of the men’s and women’s teams to India.

“I’ve not enjoyed playing anywhere as much as I have in India,” Afridi said. “I

Pakistan could pull off upset in final, predicts Indian astrologer KOLKATA—The rub of the green might just RH283 — apparently an important star astrogo against MS Dhoni’s boys if it comes to a final showdown between Pakistan and India, says an Indian “scientific astrologer”.

Having based their hopes on current form, the home-advantage factor and head-to-head World Cup history involving India and Pakistan, Indian fans might like to believe otherwise.

But astrologer Greenstone Lobo, who says his analysis is research-based and scientific and who calls himself a “scientific astrologer”, predicts India will not win the World T20 this time.

The reason: Dhoni’s stars are not favourable.

In a signed column on Friday in Ananda Bazar Patrika, a leading Bengali daily from Kolkata, Lobo in fact mentions Pakistan as the likely Cup winners — should they manage to reach the final.

He does not analyse Shahid Afridi’s stars, and a note in the bottom of the article says prospects of the other teams and captains will follow in the coming days. But of this Lobo is sure — Dhoni’s cosmic luck has run out as far as “big events” are concerned.

Lobo says the Planet X, or asteroid 2007

Commentator Idrees gets visa for Delhi, Mumbai!

LAHORE —Prominent cricket commentator face Australia and New Zealand in Mohali.

Mohammad Idrees is puzzled after receiving the Indian visa for Delhi and Mumbai where no Pakistan matches in the World T20 are scheduled.

According to Idrees, he is set to leave for India to cover the World T20 matches as a radio commentator but the Indian High Commission in Islamabad issued him the visa of only Delhi and Mumbai, the cities where no match involving Pakistan will be held.

Pakistan are scheduled to play their firstround matches in Kolkata and Mohali. Shahid Afridi-led side open their World T20 campaign with the match against a qualifier on March 16 Ireland initially stayed up with the run- and then face arch-rivals India, both games to rate, but the loss of Kevin O’Brien (0) and be staged in Kolkata. The green-shirts will then Paul Stirling (15) in consecutive balls to Paul van Meekeren (4-11) in the third over slowed them down.

From there, Ireland fell apart as Roelof van der Merwe (2-3) claiming a couple of wickets, before Van Meekeren accounted for Max Sorensen (9) and Dockrell (0) in the final over as Ireland posted 47-7 in reply.—AFP KOLKATA—Fast-bowler Mohammad Sami was hit on the toe by a local bowler during the Pakistan’s first World T20 practice session at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday.

The right-armer suffered a minor injury after the impact and the team doctor expects Sami to recover soon. “Mohammad Sami was hit by a delivery of a net-bowler while batting late in the training session,” Pakistan’s media manager Agha turned to the crowd and threw his arms wide Akbar told Dawn.

“According to the assessment by team physopen. “When I came back (after two long periods away from the game) I tried to prove iotherapist Dr. Sohail Saleem, he is expected to fully recover from it in a couple of days,” he added.

Sami was included in the Pakistan squad after impressive performances during the inaugural season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) taking 12 wickets in seven matches to become the fourth highest wicket-taker of the league.

The Karachi-born pacer also featured for Pakistan during the recently concluded Asia Cup T20 in which he bagged three wickets in as many outings.

Pakistan kick off their World T20 campaign against a qualifying side on March 16 at Kolkata

Dutch beat Ireland in six-over shoot-out D HARAMSALA —Paul van Meekeren day, the weather was again a factor in the claimed four wickets as Netherlands left the World Twenty20 with some pride by beating Ireland in a shortened contest.

Netherlands bowed out of the World Twenty20 with a 12-run win over Ireland in a six-over shoot-out following a raindelayed start in Dharamsala on Sunday.

After rain forced a no result between Bangladesh and Ireland and the abandonment of Netherlands versus Oman on Fri-

Group A dead rubber.

It is credit to the ground staff that a match was held at all as the heavens opened and caused a delay of over three hours.

When the action did begin, Netherlands were put into bat and Stephan Myburgh smashed an 18-ball 27 to help his side to 59-5, Ireland spinner George Dockrell (3-7) doing his part to stifle their attack.

“The visa-issuing authorities have instructed me not to visit any other city except Mumbai and Delhi. Now in this very disturbing situation, I’m thinking whether or not I should go to India, simply because [naturally] my first priority will be Kolkata and Mohali,” Idrees stated.

According to Idrees, the visa was issued on March 11, when Pakistan’s match (against India) had already been shifted from Dharamshala to Kolkata, but still visa for Kolkata/Mohali was not issued to him.

As the time was running short, Idrees emphasised it would be very tough for him to manage the situation if the Indian High Commission did not assist him quickly.—AFP

Sami suffers toe injury during net session

Lin eyes gold in Rio after All-England badminton title By the second game his confidence in BIRMINGHAM (England)—Lin Dan regarded by many as the greatest badminton ultimate victory was evident, and twice he player of all time — made another entry produced moments of arrogant magic in into the record books with a dominant performance to capture his sixth All-England Open title on Sunday.

Lin’s 21-9, 21-10 victory over his compatriot Tian Houwei was a thrilling rebuttal to critics who reckoned that, now aged 32 and with a mere handful of titles in the past three years, the Chinese legend is past his best. Instead Lin suggested a record third Olympic men’s singles gold medal could well be possible in Rio de Janeiro in five months’ time.

“I wanted to show everyone that at 33 I will still be able to do it,” he said.

It was four years since Lin last won the All-England, but his haul of titles at the event has only been surpassed by Rudy Hartono, the great Indonesian, who won eight. That though was more than 40 years ago and in the pre-professional era.

Mischievously skilful and consistently fluent, Lin ensured the outcome was never in doubt.

Within moments he was 71 up and was playing with an intensity of focus greater than anything previously this week.

Tian tried to hustle him a BIRMINGHAM: Lin Dan of China with trophy little and got back to 7-11 but it Chamionship (men’s singles). was almost impossible to escape the web created by the patient accuracy of which he managed to make Tian turn and Lin’s clears, lifts and net shots. Lin also run. The younger man made his last serimade very few mistakes despite often play- ous push at 4-13 in the second game, ining to tight margins, before picking his mo- creasing the pace slightly and taking a few ments superbly to make a quick change of more risks in trying to force attacks through.

He reduced the deficit to 10-15, but direction or a sudden attacking thrust.

He used the smash or the fast drop only these were the last points he was able to rarely, but it was often enough to make a win. A rare but fantastic piece of retrieving constant attacking threat and infrequent by Lin was followed by a dramatic transforming kill and a piece of theatrics as he enough to remain a surprise.

logically — falls in Dhoni’s 10th house of the cosmic chart, which implies loss.

According to him, a skipper may win a “few smaller events” when he enters a lean patch astrologically, but not the big ones.

To buttress his theory, Lobo mentions a bagful of “smaller” wins for Dhoni after the World Cup 2011 — the 2013 Champions trophy, the 2013 Champions League for Chennai Super Kings, the historic 30 whitewash of the Australians in Australia in January and more recently, the 2016 Asia Cup. On the other hand, he argues, the three “big” trophies after this— the World T20 in 2012 and 2014, plus the 2015 ODI World Cup — eluded him.

The astrologer says March 19 will be “favourable” for Dhoni, and India will overcome Pakistan in the league stage in the Eden encounter.

But it will be Pakistan who will be the winners in the final, says Lobo, author of a book on astrology, ‘What Is Your True Zodiac Sign?’

The astrologer’s predictions ought to make Pakistani fans happy at a time when there has not been too much to enthuse them.

and will clash with arch-rivals India at the same venue on March 19.—AFP

South Africa won it without tossing the coin B IPIN D ANI O BSERVER CORRESPONDENT

of 2016 All-England Open Badminton to the world that I am still the best,” Lin said, appearing to imply that he now thought he was. “I am pleased with the fitness that I have.”

Notably though he did not this week have to play his long-time rival Lee Chong Wei, the former world number one from Malaysia, or Chen Long, the top-seeded world number one who is likely to be his team-mate in Rio.—AFP

MUMBAI—Neither South Africa captain Faf du Plessis, nor Team India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni / Virat Kohli or any international captain for that matter, would consider to dump the toss ceremony at the higher level of the game.

Interestingly, Dhoni and D du Plessis did avoid the toss in their first warm up game against each other on Saturday.

The cricket-specific web site too suggests South Africa had won the toss at the Wankhede Stadium. However, this Reporter can authoritatively say that the coin was not tossed anytime before the game.

“South Africa wanted to bat first and India wanted to bowl. (It was) nothing too tricky”, Ms. Lerato Malekutu, the media officer travelling with the team, speaking exclusively, confirmed.

Australia’s Ricky Ponting and West Indies’ Michael Holding were the first to suggest to demolish the toss ceremony even at the high-

est level of the game. The idea, however, didn’t go well with the MCC, the Custodian of the Laws.

“MCC feel that ‘the toss’ is an integral part of a game of cricket, and that, since the Laws of Cricket apply to every game at every level throughout the world, the Club is most unlikely to change the Law in dispensing with the toss,” Mark Williams, the Laws of Cricket Advisor had then said from Lord’s in London.

It may however be noted here that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is considering to give options to the two captains to do away with the toss from this county season in UK. The visiting team will be given the choice if they wish to field first. On Saturday, the SA team wanted to bat first and their wish was granted by Dhoni, who too wanted to bowl first.

“I don’t think a match can be played without toss. I don’t remember any such (other) instances”, the renowned cricket statisticians, Sudhir Vaidya and Bharath Seervi, (ESPNCricinfo), speaking exclusively, said.

Eye lens regeneration from own stem cells: ‘a paradigm shift in cataract surgery’

A

NEW study describes a pioneering new cataract treatment - tested in animals and in a small trial with human patients - where, after the cloudy lens is removed, the eye grows a new lens from its own stem cells.

The researchers - including teams from the University of California-San Diego (UCSD), Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou and Sichuan University, both in China - describe their new regenerative medicine approach in a paper published in the journal Nature.

The treatment was tested in 12 babies born with cataracts. It resulted in significantly fewer surgical complications than current treatments, say the researchers.

Sight was improved in all 12 patients. “We believe that our new approach will result in a paradigm shift in cataract surgery and may offer patients a safer and better treatment option in the future.” Being born with a lens that is cloudy or shortly becomes so is rare, but it is a significant cause of blindness in children. Estimates suggest it affects around 3 out of 10,000 children, although this rate varies throughout the world.

The clouded lens stops light getting to the retina, resulting in significant loss of vision.

Current treatments can be difficult and result in complications in very young patients. Most children need to wear glasses after cataract surgery. In the new study, the team used the ability of stem cells to grow new tissue. They did not use the more common approach - where

stem cells are taken out of the patient, grown in the lab and then put back in the patient. This method can introduce disease and raise the risk of immune rejection.

Instead, the team coaxed stem cells in the patients’ eyes to regrow the lenses. So-called endogenous stem cells are stem cells that are naturally already in place, ready to regenerate new tissue in the case of injury or some other problem. In the case of the human eye, the endogenous stem cells - known as lens epithelial stem cells (LECs) - generate replacement lens cells throughout a person’s life, although production wanes with age.

Current approaches to cataract surgery remove LECs along with the faulty lens - any few that are left can generate some lens cells, but the growth is random and disorganized in infants, resulting in no useful vision, note the researchers.

The approach the researchers describe in their paper has two important differences to conventional cataract surgery: it leaves the lens capsule intact, and it stimulates LECs to form a new lens. The lens capsule is a thin membrane that helps give the lens its required shape to function.

The researchers first tested the method in rabbits and macaques and showed it allowed LECs that stayed in the eye to regenerate functional lenses. The researchers then ran a small human trial in patients under the age of 2.

Twelve infants were treated with the new approach, while 25 other babies received the standard cataract procedure.

New IGP vows every step for maintenance of law & order STAFF REPORTER KARACHI—The new Inspector General of Police (IGP), Sindh, AD Khawaja, has vowed to take every possible step for the maintenance of law and order in Karachi and the rest of the province.

He was talking informally to the senior police officers at the CPO here on Sunday, a spokesman of the Sindh Police said. He stated that the new IGP Sindh who had assumed charge last night, also spelled out his priorities.

Khawaja said that no stone should be unturned for the maintenance of law and order in the metropolis as well as the other parts of the province. He called for stern action against the criminals as well as those indulging in sponsoring the criminal elements.

The new IGP exhorted the police officers to focus their attention of curbing the crime. He made it clear that corruption in police would not be tolerated in any manner. Khawaja said that he would also work for the betterment of the Sindh police.

Minister for Prisons dismisses MQM’s torture claim STAFF REPORTER K ARACHI —Sindh Minister for Prisons, Sohail Anwar Siyal Sunday rejected the claims of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Dr Farooq Sattar in which the latter said loyalties of detained MQM workers were changed by subjecting them to torture.

In a media statement, Anwar Siyal cat-

egorically discarded the claims of jail inmates’ torture, saying a routine inspection of prisons is conducted regularly.

The provincial Minister for Prisons further said that all the jail inmates are provided facilities without any discrimination.

Earlier, MQM leader Dr Farooq Sattar at a press conference maintained that loyalties of his party’s workers detained in prisons were changed through torture.

People filling their pots with drinking water from water plant due to water shortage in Delhi Colony.—PO photo

Grenade lobbed at two Rangers’ check posts CITY REPORTER KARACHI—Terrorists hurled hand grenades at two different Rangers’ check posts in Karachi’s Gulshan Iqbal on Sunday.

According to sources, the militants threw hand grenade at a check post near Gulshan Chowrangi and fled the scene while after three minutes another blast was heard in Essa Nagri. However, no loss of life reported in the incidents.

Engineers’ moot to be organized on March 16 KARACHI—A two-day moot of electrical, electronics engineers would be organized in the metropolis from March 16. The organizers that latest development in the related disciplines of engineering would be discussed at the multi-topic symposium to be organized by the Institution of Electrical, Electronics Engineers Pakistan.

This was also aimed at sharing as well as dissemination of knowledge and working towards process of development, progress in country.

The CEO of K-Electric, Tayyab Tareen, will be the chief guest at inaugural session of the symposium on March 16.

Keynote speaker in the session will be Dale Sinkler, Chief Generation and Transmission Officer of K-Electric. In all 20 selected papers will be read out by practicing engineers at different sessions of the moot.—APP

The security personnel arrived at both places and besieged the adjoining areas by launching search operation.

The officers have gathered the evidence and registered a case against the culprits.

On the other hand, SP Gulshan Iqbal Fahad stated that two motorcyclists escaped from the scene after hurling hand grenades at the both check posts. He said that investigation into the matter has been started.

According to Inchage Bomb Disposal Squad Abid Farooq said 500 gram explosive material was sued in the hand grenades. On the other hand Home Minister Sindh Sohail Anwar Siyal while summoning the report of the incident from DIG East has directed to increase the snap checking.

Earlier on Saturday, Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) police force gunned down two Al-Qaeda Bar-eSagheer terrorists in Quaidabad area of

Karachi. Ammunition and grenades were also recovered from the suspects.

The action was conducted on identification of terrorists by the intelligence department. Both exterminated terrorists were involved in serious crimes including target killing and extortion along with plotting sabotage in the city.

The intelligence department is conducting further raids to apprehend the accomplices of the killed felons.

Karachi does not have water crisis: Scholar KARACHI—A scholar associated with young city and has short pre-British his- become producer of water. Distribution the NED University of Engineering and Technology believes that Karachi does not have any water crisis.

‘In fact the water is inappropriately managed, distributed and produced’, says Prof. Dr. Noman Ahmed, Chairman of the Department of Architecture and Planning at the NED University.

An official of the University of karachi said on Sunday that he was delivering a lecture at the Campus. Dr. Noman was of the view that Karachi is a

tory between 1729-1839 followed by a century of British rule.

It possessed population of 435,000 just before the partition which multiplied and reached 1,050,000 in 1951 and currently 20 million. It provides 15% of GDP and 25% of federal revenue.

Dr. Noman claimed that Karachi does not have water crisis. In fact, the water is inappropriately managed, distributed and produced.

He highlighted that KWSB should

should be unbundled and passed on to town. Moreover, KMC should develop, maintain and upgrade existing drains/ nullahs.

Dr. Noman criticized the municipality for losing their management strength and added that six master plans prepared for the city ever since birth. Most of the plans prepared during the post independence period contained useful proposals but they were never notified.—APP

CS for inquiry into 203 development schemes KARACHI—Chief Secretary Sindh, velopment Muhammad Waseem.

Muhammad Siddique Memon, has ordered to conduct an enquiry about 203 development schemes of Thatta and Sujawal requiring comprehensive report within a month.

A statement issued here on Sunday said that responding a press report over the issue, the Chief Secretary convened an urgent meeting on Sunday, which was also attended by Additional Chief Secretary Planning and De-

It said that a senior official of Planning and Development was appointed as chairman of Enquiry Committee linked to the monitoring and Evaluation wing of Planning and Development.

He has been assigned to conduct an enquiry about 203 development schemes Pertaining to the roads, Public health Engineering and Health developments mostly.

He would ensure weekly update for Chief Secretary and submit final comprehensive report in a month. He has been instructed to probe into the financial expenditure, rules and regulation, tendering procedure and present status to this effect, the statement added.

Siddique Memon categorically noted that none would be exempted from the disciplinary action if found guilty and responsible of malpractice to this effect.—APP

A large number of people hold a rally in favour of Mustafa Kamal.—PO photo

Bilawal’s call for help to growers KARACHI —Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, on Sunday.

Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party, has asked the government to extend help to growers to safeguard their standing crops from any damage by the current spell of rain across the country.

‘These rains could pose a grave danger to the standing crops of wheat and other agriculture produces.

Growers are in dire need of the government support at this time to meet its procurement target and protect the yield from any adverse effect due to the downpour’, PPP Chairman said in a press statement issued here

He pointed out that agriculture was the backbone of our economy and bumper cash crops bring in prosperity to the growers and all the tilling masses linked to agriculture economy.

‘This is the time that government stands alert to the needs of the growers community and provide them all possible help to save their crops from flattening and weeds due to the widespread rain-thundershower accompanied by strong gusty winds with isolated hailstorm’, Bilawal further maintained.

Bilawal Bhutto was of the view that federal government and all the four provincial governments should chalk out emergent plans and activate their Agriculture Departments and the relevant authorities for extending the required guidelines and support to the peasants to protect their standing crops against any danger by the rains.

He further pointed out from fixation of the support prices for agriculture produces to safeguarding the interests of the growers community, the PPP has always been in the forefront to remove the genuine concerns of the farmers.

Senior journalist Muhammad Ali Siddiqui presenting his book to former Governor Kamal Azfar. Ex-CM Sindh Aftab Shaban Merani, Javed Jabar, President KPC Fazil Jamali, Secretary KPC AH Khanzada are also seen in the picture.—PO photo

Eye lens regeneration from own stem cells: ‘a paradigm shift in cataract surgery’

A

NEW study describes a pioneering new cataract treatment - tested in animals and in a small trial with human patients - where, after the cloudy lens is removed, the eye grows a new lens from its own stem cells.

The researchers - including teams from the University of California-San Diego (UCSD), Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou and Sichuan University, both in China - describe their new regenerative medicine approach in a paper published in the journal Nature.

The treatment was tested in 12 babies born with cataracts. It resulted in significantly fewer surgical complications than current treatments, say the researchers.

Sight was improved in all 12 patients. “We believe that our new approach will result in a paradigm shift in cataract surgery and may offer patients a safer and better treatment option in the future.” Being born with a lens that is cloudy or shortly becomes so is rare, but it is a significant cause of blindness in children. Estimates suggest it affects around 3 out of 10,000 children, although this rate varies throughout the world.

The clouded lens stops light getting to the retina, resulting in significant loss of vision.

Current treatments can be difficult and result in complications in very young patients. Most children need to wear glasses after cataract surgery. In the new study, the team used the ability of stem cells to grow new tissue. They did not use the more common approach - where

stem cells are taken out of the patient, grown in the lab and then put back in the patient. This method can introduce disease and raise the risk of immune rejection.

Instead, the team coaxed stem cells in the patients’ eyes to regrow the lenses. So-called endogenous stem cells are stem cells that are naturally already in place, ready to regenerate new tissue in the case of injury or some other problem. In the case of the human eye, the endogenous stem cells - known as lens epithelial stem cells (LECs) - generate replacement lens cells throughout a person’s life, although production wanes with age.

Current approaches to cataract surgery remove LECs along with the faulty lens - any few that are left can generate some lens cells, but the growth is random and disorganized in infants, resulting in no useful vision, note the researchers.

The approach the researchers describe in their paper has two important differences to conventional cataract surgery: it leaves the lens capsule intact, and it stimulates LECs to form a new lens. The lens capsule is a thin membrane that helps give the lens its required shape to function.

The researchers first tested the method in rabbits and macaques and showed it allowed LECs that stayed in the eye to regenerate functional lenses. The researchers then ran a small human trial in patients under the age of 2.

Twelve infants were treated with the new approach, while 25 other babies received the standard cataract procedure.

UVAS again ranked among top 10 universities of Pakistan CITY REPORTER LAHORE—The University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) Lahore has been declared the best university in top 10 universities of the country by the Higher Education Commission for 2015.

The UVAS has also been ranked second in Agriculture category of higher education institutions. The ranking was finalised on the basis of quality assurance, teaching quality, research, finance and facilities, social integration and community development.

The Quality Assurance Agency of Higher Education Commission (HEC) Islamabad in its latest quantitative assessment awarded 93 percent score to the Quality Enhancement Cell of the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) Lahore. The UVAS QEC maintained its W-Category in the QEC Ranking for the 3rd consecutive year.

In a letter to UVAS Vice Chancellor Prof

Dr Talat Naseer Pasha, HEC Quality Assurance Agency Director General Dr Mohammad Rafiq Baloch appreciated the performance of UVAS QEC and hoped it would continue to achieve objectives of strengthening the internal quality assurance processes more effectively and efficiently in future.

Talking to APP here on Sunday, Vice Chancellor of varsity Prof Talat Naseer Pasha termed this decision as a collective success of the varsity team particularly he congratulated the UVAS faculty and staff on achieving 93 percent score and maintaining W-Category in QEC Ranking.

He appreciated the efforts of QEC Director Dr Dawar Hameed Mughal and his team for this achievement. He hoped that the UVAS would continue that pace of progress in future.

It is worth mentioning here that by acknowledging the performance of the Vice Chancellor of the UVAS,the Punjab government has extended the tenure of the VC Pasha for the next four years from 2016 to 2020.

Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif offering Fateha on the death of Chief of Jamia Ashrafia and renowned scholar Maulana Muhammad Obaid Ullah.

All resources in use to overcome energy crisis: CM Takes notice of offensive content in a book CITY REPORTER L AHORE —Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif said on Sunday that elimination of energy crisis was a major challenge and all out resources were being utilized to overcome it.

Talking to a PML-N delegation here, he said the PML-N was determined to bring the country out of quagmire of problems, adding that government was moving in a right direction to resolve the country’s problems.

Influential persons involved in illegal hunting STAFF REPORTER LAHORE—Director General

Wildlife & Parks Punjab Khalid Ayaz Khan while taking action on the information about the alleged involvement of influential persons in illegal hunting of deer, houbara bustard and partridge in Rahim Yar Khan and Cholistan has constituted a three member committee for migration arrested Khandia Avani Sagar and this purpose.

According to the details, Aayaz Khadia who were Australian national and their birth origin was India came on flight EK- DG Wildlife Khalid Ayaz Khan had received information last 620 without having Pakistani visa.—APP night that some influential persons are hunting deer, houbara bustard and partridge illegally, upon which, he took immediate notice and directed strict action against them.

Two passengers deported LAHORE—The Federal InvestigationAgency (FIA) Immigration Sialkot Sunday deported two passengers to Australia without having Pakistani visa.

According to FIA spokesman, the FIA im-

The chief minister said Pakistan had been put on the road to progress and prosperity under the leadership of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif during two and a half years.

Shehbaz Sharif said work was continuing speedily on the projects of energy generation through solar, hydel, coal, gas and other sources for overcoming the energy shortage.

The Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) government, he said, had converted the graveyards of corruption of

former rulers of Punjab during dictatorial era into minarets of development.

Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday took notice of including offensive content against a particular segment of society in a book.

According to a handout issued by DGPR here, a two-member committee had been constituted in this regard headed

by Chairman Chief Minister’s Inspection Team Irfan Ali and the committee would submit its report within three days.

Retired Defence Forces Veterans meet LAHORE—The 27th annual general meet- says a press release issued by ISPR. ing of Retired Defence Forces Veterans Association (DFVA) was held at Defence Services Officer Mess on Sunday.

Commander Lahore Corps Lieutenant General Sadiq Ali was the chief guest.

Speaking on the occasion, he said Defence Forces Veterans were source of pride and inspiration for the Armed Forces and the nation holds them in high esteem for the sacrifices rendered by them for the defence of the motherland,

He urged the veterans to play their role more effectively in the social sector as the country could still reap from their experience and expertise in various fields.

Earlier, in his opening address, Lieutenant General (Retd) Farooq Ahmad who is the President of DFVA threw light on the twenty-seven years achievements of the association.

It is pertinent to mention here, that DFVA was founded in 1992 and in the

LAHORE—Punjab Education Foundation (PEF) has directed its school partners to ensure that their secondary level students’ data is fully completed and updated in ‘student information system’ of the foundation. The purpose is to provide students’ complete record to the concerned boards

well in time.

This direction has been issued by the PEF Director (foundation assisted school) in wake of waiver of boards’ registration and exam fee for 9th and 10th class students of PEF partner schools. The purpose is to facilitate the deserving students. A circular has already been issued by the competent authority in this regard. Now,

PTI leaders Chaudhry Sarwar and his supporters making victory sign during intra-party election drive.—DNA

Residential complex for pilgrims to be ready by June’ Board (ETPB) Chairman Siddiqul Farooq on Sunday said a 36-room residential complex for pilgrims was under construction at Katasraj which would be completed by June 2016.

Talking to APP here, he said some technical problems got delayed the completion of the complex, otherwise, it could have been completed in June

He said now all problems had been resolved in this regard and the construction of the complex would be completed

by June.

The chairman said: “Islam is a religion of peace, tolerance and respect”, adding that by following the principles of Islam, the country could be steered out of the existing challenges.

He said: “Islam also emphasizes on treating minorities properly”, adding that it was a part of the prime minister’s vision to provide the best facilities to minorities living in the country and those which visit Pakistan for performing their rituals.

“We are carrying out various development works which Hindu devotees would observe themselves,” he said.—APP

same year was registered with the Govt of Punjab. It is a welfare society and a non-political and non-discriminatory organisation formed to look after the interests of retired personnel of Armed Forces and their families including all ranks.

The meeting was attended by a large number of Veteran officers, Junior Commissioned Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers and other ranks of the Armed Forces of Pakistan.—APP

PEF directs partners to update students’ data STAFF REPORTER

L AHORE —Evacuee Trust Property 2015.

Dr Zafar Iqbal Qureshi will be member of the committee. The committee will investigate why the offensive content published in 2010 edition of the book written

by Abdul Hameed Taga and Abdul Aziz Taga remained un-noticed till now.

The committee will recommend a way forward for removal of this offensive content from the book available in the market forthwith. The committee will also review the existing mechanism to check the quality of content being published by private authors/publishers.

Lahorites enjoying a ride on sightseeing double-decker bus on Sunday.—DNA

the partner schools are not allowed to collect these dues from their students.

The partner schools are further directed to prominently display this circular and notification at gate and office of the school for information of the parents. PEF reserves the right to initiate departmental action in case of any complaint or violation, the circular further states.