Pakistan Link
VOL. 24/39 - 2 Dhul-Hijjah 1435 H PAGE 8
Nawaz Is a Clear First-Round Winner Eid Al-Adha to Be Celebrated on October 4 Anaheim, CA: An announcement by the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California states: The Islamic Shura Council is pleased to announce that Eid Al-Adha will be celebrated on Saturday, October 4, 2014, following the day of Arafah, the most important day of the Hajj pilgrimage, on Friday, the 3rd of October, 2014. It has been the Shura Council’s tradition to observe Eid Al-Adha in solidarity with the millions of Muslims from across the world commemorating the life and legacy of Prophet Ibrahim and his family on the day of Arafah during Hajj.
No Plans for Nawaz-Modi Meeting in New York: FO Islamabad: The Foreign Office has
confirmed that no meeting between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi is scheduled to take place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
MEETING, P29
Asma Jahangir Honored with ‘Alternative Nobel’
Stockholm: Pakistani human rights activist Asma Jahangir and Edward Snowden are among the winners Wednesday of a Swedish human rights award, sometimes referred to as the “alternative Nobel.” The 1.5 million kronor ($210,000) cash award was shared by Jahangir, Basil Fernando of the Asian Human Rights Commission and US environmentalist Bill McKibben. The former National Security Agency contractor, who was honored for his disclosures of top secret surveillance programs, split ASMA, P29
The Largest Circulated Pakistani-American Newspaper in North America
Friday, September 26, 2014
PAGE 22
PAGE 13
Why Muslims Fare Better in US than in Europe
Lt-Gen Rizwan Akhtar Named New ISI Chief
Nawaz to Return with Good Tidings
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif arrives in New York to attend the UN General Assembly session
New York/London: Un-
moved by the ongoing protest sit-ins of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Pakistan Awami Tehreek, Prime Minister Nawaz said on Wednesday that the ‘London Plan’ has
US & Canada $1.00
miserably failed. The government claims that the Islamabad Dharna was planned in a meeting between the PTI and PAT leaders in London. “Now everyone is aware of the meeting that took place
in London between Imran Khan and Dr Tahirul Qadri,” the prime minister told journalists in London on Wednesday before leaving for New York where he is scheduled to attend the 69th annual session of the United Nations General
Assembly. “Details and motives behind the ‘London Plan’ have started to surface and people are witnessing what this plan has been reduced to,” he said, adding that some politicians had joined hands in London to conspire against Pakistan. He further said that the Pakistani nation had ‘foiled the designs’ of protesters and would not forgive those who tried to hamper progress in Pakistan. The prime minister informed that at the UN General Assembly he would speak about the hurdles Pakistan had been facing in its journey towards progress. “I will return with good tidings for the nation,” he added. Later the prime minister reached New York after a brief stopover in London. He came along with a relatively smaller delegation as compared to delegations accompanying NAWAZ, P29
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Race: Can Outsider Jim McDonnell Overcome Tradition? Anaheim, CA: Long Beach Police Chief Jim McDonnell, a candidate for the Los Angeles County Sheriff ’s office, paid a visit to the ‘Link Anaheim offices on Friday, September 19. He spent considerable time with the management and the editorial board to apprise them of plans to induct a wholesome change in the beleaguered Los Angeles County Sheriff ’s Department plagued “with scandals, federal investigations and a shattered reputation” that “more than ever needs a shift in direction and leadership,” according to the Los Angeles Register. Elections for the LA County Sheriff ’s office are due to be held on November 4. Chief McDonnell had an exhaustive session with the editorial board and was later interviewed by Mr Arif Mansuri, President, PL Publications, publisher of Pakistan Link and Urdu Link. Mr Mansuri
Long Beach Police Chief Jim McDonnel
posed many searching questions and touched on a wide range of issues - from Chief McDonnell’s solid record in law enforcement; specific measures he would take to fix the problems of a police department that has 18,000 employees and an yearly budget of $3.2 billion; his commit-
ment to diversity and respect for people of all faiths, including Muslims; his comments on receiving numerous endorsements; and his experience in dealing with Muslim Americans and members of the Pakistani-American community – during the course of CHIEF, P23
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For news, updated round the clock, visit
www.PakistanLink.com ‘Charter of Democracy’ Was the Real London Plan
Islamabad: Pakistan Tehreek-e-
Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday brushed aside talks of the ‘London Plan’ allegedly hatched with Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri to topple the government. Instead, PTI chief Imran Khan claimed that the real ‘London Plan’ was called the “Charter of Democracy” (CoD). Addressing his supporters at D-Chowk on the 42nd day of protests, Imran said that the plan had been hatched to allow the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan People’s Party to rule the country IMRAN, P29
Newly-appointed ISI Chief Recommended Peace with India Islamabad:
Lieutenant-General Rizwan Akhtar, the newly appointed Director General of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), in 2008 argued that peace between Pakistan and India was imperative in the broader regional picture, calling for the country to “aggressively pursue rapprochement with India”. Rizwan was recently appointed by the government as next chief of the ISI and he will take charge when his predecessor Lt-Gen Zaheerul Islam retires on November 7. In a research report for his Masters degree at the US Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, on “US-Pakistan trust deficit and the war on terror”, Akhtar had argued that peaceful relations with India would not only improve regional stability but would also alleviate international concerns. In recent years, ties between India and Pakistan have been tricky at best with India accusing Pakistani intelligence for helping to
ISI, P29
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OPINION
P4 – PAKISTAN LINK – SEPTEMBER 26, 2014
Civil Society in Pakistan Takes on the VIP Culture
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n By Karamatullah K. Ghori Toronto, Canada
I
was all set to write about Desert Storm-II, which is what Obama’s announced and articulated mission to tackle the IS challenge is all about.
Even the most optimistic of pundits has given up on the quest to find anything novel, or out-ofthe-box, in Obama’s policy in regard to the Muslim world. The pretender to a policy of change has ‘Dubya’ Bush written all over him, so much so that he’s increasingly looking like a Bush-clone. But what distracted me from the IS-Obama match—destined to be much longer than a typical Test Match in cricket—was a different choice that Pakistan’s energised civil society clearly seems to be getting the hang of—as far as the art of public protest goes— in a marked departure from the culture of Dharna that the oddcouple of Qadri and Imran has been so desperate to foist on Pakistan’s civil society. That minute-and-a-half video clip of irate, jittery, passengers on board a PIA domestic flight giving Rehman Malik the boot— which went viral within minutes of its uploading on a civic website—says it all. The Pakistani civil society has the imagination and gumption to think of more ‘doable’ ways to cut their bloated and arrogant cabal of ‘elites’ to size than the Dharna in Islamabad already on life support and showing no sign of recovering from its coma. Rehman Malik deserved what was meted out to him. Imagine the grotesque arrogance of a has-been like him who was a cabinet minister, once, but no longer is. Yet, he’d the cheek to hold the PIA flight sitting on the tarmac for two hours, with those two hundred-plus passengers perforce made to cool their heels because Lord Malik couldn’t come earlier than the time of his own choosing to board the flight. Malik—adding insult to injury—isn’t a hereditary feudal. A man of very humble origins from the environs of Sialkot, this upstart has been throwing his weight around as if he were a blue-blooded patrician through ancestry. Nothing could serve the cause of ridding Pakistan of its scourge of elitism than showing a pigmy like Rehman Malik his place in the pecking order. He’s nothing more than a gate-crasher into the elite club and must be consigned to where he belongs: cleaning the stables. Rehman Malik is only a symptom of the disease—a cancer, if you will—called elitism which has been gnawing at Pakistan’s innards for decades. The disease is threatening to become a pandemic with every Tom, Dick and Harry tilting at the wind mills to join the exclusive VIP domain and become part of it. It’s not a problem of upstarts like Rehman Malik behaving like royalty. It’s the larger problem of
the elitist attitude endemic in our feudal culture that ordains that some are more equal than others and must be recognised as such. Shoving off an elitist minion like Malik is the easier part of the fight ahead of Pakistan’s civil society. A much tougher nut to crack is the elitist mindset which is deeply embedded in the feudal culture that has spread its tentacles all around in Pakistan’s fertile terrain. By now it has struck deep roots which may be immensely more difficult to uproot than throwing Rehman Malik off a PIA flight. But the right beginning has been made, provided the civil society’s denizens—conscientious, educated and enlightened people like those who refused to let Malik ride roughshod over them—take up the challenge to
of Sindh and Musharraf ’s Interior Minister. Fine. But that was in the past. Has it been written in the scriptures that he should remain a VIP for the rest of his life and the people of Pakistan should pay, off their noses, to make sure that no harm comes to him? What is it if not ludicrous? For the sake of argument, General Haider was once a man of power—an elite, so to argue. But what about the puny officebearers of MQM, a so-called party of everyday people? Why are they having a VIP ride, like their feudal baron allies, at tax payer’s expense? Why are their abodes being secured at the cost of the Treasury? Civil society will have to focus on these parasites feeding themselves on the people’s blood and acquiring heft and power by
But the right beginning has been made, provided the civil society’s denizens—conscientious, educated and enlightened people like those who refused to let Malik ride roughshod over them—take up the challenge to fight a real jihad against VIP culture and persevere in it until they have knocked the bottom from under the elitist club. It will have to be a fight to finish fight a real jihad against VIP culture and persevere in it until they have knocked the bottom from under the elitist club. It will have to be a fight to finish. Civil society will have to pinpoint the pillars of this elitist façade and bring it down by knocking off one pillar after another. Take, for starters, the issue of tax-payer-funded police expending a heavy chunk of its assets and personnel on the security of VIPs. Who doesn’t know for a fact that nearly one-third of Karachi’s police is deployed, 24/7, for the security and safety of both in-saddle and off-saddle VIPs? This is the case in a city endemically in the cross-hairs of terrorists, criminals and other law-breakers. It’s risible, to think of it, that a defrocked khaki, General Moinuddin Haider, for instance, should have half a dozen guards securing his abode in Karachi, round the clock, at tax payers’ expense. Why? He was Governor
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default. A campaign should be kicked off—with the Rehman Malik episode as its take-off point—to put an end to VIP Lounges at Pakistani airports. These lounges should, thenceforth, be used only for visiting foreign dignitaries and for heads of foreign diplomatic missions in Pakistan. The Pakistani VIPs don’t tire of parroting their claim of being from the masses and for the masses. So why shouldn’t these ‘servants of the people’ join the masses and queue up at airport’s departure lounge just like an ordinary Joe. After all, they aren’t children of a different God, are they? As an ambassador of Pakistan I was entitled, while in service, to use the VIP Lounge at all airports of Pakistan. The VIP crowd—hordes of them—I came across at these lounges more often than not made my hairs stand at end. I used to wonder what monstrous feudal hatchery had been breeding them and why had
God given them an open license to prey on the hapless people of Pakistan. It was sickening. Imran and Qadri have been frittering their energies—and those of their purblind aficionados—in barricading a PM who is in power because the people of Pakistan cast their votes—rightly or wrongly, that’s not for anyone to question—in his favour. Bungling in four or even forty constituencies, even if proved, wouldn’t still pull the rug from under Nawaz’ feet as PM. The odd-duo of Imran and Qadri would’ve a much better chance of success—early success, at that—if they could switch gears and turn their guns, instead, on targets embedded in the culture of elitism and privilege. But, then, the sad truth is that both Imran and Qadri haven’t quite divested themselves of their elitist mind-set. Imran has been spending nights in the plush comfort of his elegant Bani Gala retreat while Qadri has all the comforts of a five-star hotel accommodation inside his container-bunker. They haven’t been losing any sleep bunking out in the open, under a rain-soaked sky. There are long yards to go between what they preach and what they practice. Civil society will have to fight its battles without a party flag fluttering over their heads. And, frankly, it’d be better that way. Politicians of all stripes and colours are dodgy and doggedly self-centred to expect them to crawl out of the woodwork; they’d do so only when their turf is being poached by some other stake holder within the VIP clan. Battles against the VIP parasites wouldn’t be too hard to clinch. They’re basically craven and cowardly and retreat under serious assault, just the way that clown Rehman Malik took off under the heat unleashed against him. They are phony people, mostly, with feet of clay and wilt, quickly, under pressure. So here’s your task cut out for you, dear civil society of Pakistan. Take the bull by its horns. The time for it has come; it’s now, right now. The castle of clowns and court jesters is shaking. A determined push could bring it down to its feet. History’s rubble would only be too happy to welcome an addition to its mound. It’s waiting. - K_K_ghori@yahoo. com (The writer is a former ambassador and career diplomat)
Vi e w s and opinions expressed by authors and contributors in articles, letters, opinion pieces, reports, advertisements, etc appearing in Pakistan Link and Urdu Link are their own. The paper neither shares nor endorses them and thus should not be held responsible for the views/opinions of the writers & advertisers.
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OPINION
P6 – PAKISTAN LINK – SEPTEMBER 26, 2014 n By Syed Kamran Hashmi
I
Westfield, IN
n the midst of financial crisis and the war against terror, when the United States was losing both at home and abroad, a thin, tall handsome young man swayed the majority of Americans to trust him as their President for the next four years. Barrack Obama was not the most talented or experienced candidate in 2008; in fact his administrative skills had never been tested before. Furthermore, the color of his skin, his relative inexperience in politics, lack of resources, his Muslim background and the presence of Hillary Clinton in the race, each element stood between the Senator from Illinois and the White House. Looking back today, it almost seems like a miracle that he overcame all the hurdles, first by defeating his strongest opponent to secure the nomination of the Democratic party and then by crushing the Republican Party candidate, John McCain in the Presidential elections to clinch the victory. Was that really a miracle? How could an ordinary and unfamiliar Barrack Obama with a dubious background become the most powerful person on earth? According to one view, the single most important reason for his victory was his simple and short yet attractive message of change. Not only that his message resonated with the people, they believe, he himself represented
Change: A Slogan without Meaning change in every aspect. From his appearance, background and naivety in politics, every factor that was supposed to work against him turned to support him in the right environment to get elected as the forty-fourth President of the United States, an impossible task that was hard to even imagine a decade ago. The political environment then had played an important role in the elections of 2008, a fact that we all agree upon. Here are some polls results: the favorable rating for the US Congress (House of Representatives and US Senate) hung at only 25% and the President’s personal job approval rating hovered around 30% during the last two years of President Bush’s tenure. More than twothirds of the Americans believed that the country was heading in the wrong direction and the overall despondency about the system ran very high. In short, people showed strong discontent with the administration; they wanted to alter the future direction of their country and indicated their dismay with the economy. Their message could not have been more transparent: they asked for change. After winning the second term, years have passed since the President Barack Obama has sworn into office. Nonetheless, he still has not been able to keep up with many of his campaign promises, including but not limited to, the closure of the Guantanamo bay detention camp and broad-based immigration reforms. The mandatory pragmatism of the job, the partisan divide in
the country, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the never-ending series of Arab conflicts, the Russian over-activity in Central Asia, and above all America’s deep recession - everything has gripped the attention of the administration in its spell, overriding any possibility of
failed to deliver even the basic necessities of life to most of the people, one cannot resist but feel their pain and understand their urge to bring significant reforms in the country’s administrative structure. Trying to accelerate the process in the last few years, some fanatics have even
Looking back today, it almost seems like a miracle that he overcame all the hurdles, first by defeating his strongest opponent to secure the nomination of the Democratic party and then by crushing the Republican Party candidate, John McCain in the Presidential elections to clinch the victory real change in the country. In other words, America remains essentially the same during the six years of the Presidency of Barrack Obama. Is that a surprise? Pakistanis are not any different from their American counterparts to long for a change. Indeed, when one looks at their sufferings at the behest of its corrupt elite that has
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set themselves on fire hoping to spark the same reaction as ignited by Muhammad Bouazizi in Tunisia. But their attempts have largely remained unsuccessful, unable to galvanize enough people to agitate in the streets. (Many experts believe that the lack of public outrage on these incidences of self-immolation can be explained by the ubiquitous
apathy and indifference that has infiltrated the society! I disagree). Through their twin sit-ins in Islamabad, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) are attempting to capture their sentiments. Imran has been referring to the Tsunami in his speeches for a while to indicate the popularity of his message and lately to imply a victory in the general elections of 2013. However, the change that he wanted to bring in the whole country, even after tall claims against corruption, could not be witnessed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) where his party rules today. Sure, we do observe some improvement in certain aspects, but those baby steps in no way can be attributed as a revolution. By and large, KPK today is governed by the same old politicians, on the same old principles, through the same old administrative model and with the same old speed as it always had been. In other words the change which was supposed to have swept through the KPK like a Tsunami, either is too slow or too pusillanimous to make a difference. Considering that he is not someone who can bring any kind of revolution lest winning few seats in the general elections, I am deliberately leaving Maulana Tahir ul Qadri out of the discussion. In fact, it is a shame that people like him are able to destabilize the system and still get so much media attention without public support. Having said that, my point is simple: Change is a powerful political slogan, a rhetoric that is both ambiguous in its meaning and unclear in its parameters. However, CHANGE, P8
OPINION
SEPTEMBER 26, 2014 – PAKISTAN LINK – P7
n By Dr Mohammad Taqi
P
Florida
akistan is now into the second month of the twin dharnas (sit-ins) by Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) and Allama Dr Tahirul Qadri’s Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) in and around the D-Chowk of the federal capital. These 30 plus days have shaken virtually nothing. The elected Prime Minister (PM), Mian Nawaz Sharif, though rattled initially, remains firmly at the helm. The Khan-Qadri duo blew a lot of hot air from atop their cargo containers but failed to deliver the goods that they had promised their minders.
Even by the most generous estimates the crowds did not surpass more than 20,000 on the PTI/PAT’s best days. Those within the security establishment, who had egged on these two firebrands to bring down the democratic system, were clearly not prepared for the sitins turning out to be total duds. The dharna debacle at D-Chowk is effectively the security establishment’s domestic Kargil: an ill-timed and ill-planned adventure gone terribly awry with no exit strategy in sight. Like in the summer of 1999, when the Northern Light Infantry men and irregulars sneaked up the Kargil heights without giving much thought to the opponent’s range of retaliatory options, the container mounted Khan-Qadri double barreled shotgun was discharged against the democratic setup without considering the contingency plans if the elected PM did not resign on their whim. However, blinded by their hate for democracy and Nawaz Sharif, one reason for which is his pledge to make public the inquiry into the Kargil fiasco, they decided to play roughshod. The establishment simply had not liked the results of the 2013 elections to begin with and was palpably uncomfortable with its nemesis, Mian Nawaz Sharif, securing a com-
D-Chowk: Pakistan’s Domestic Kargil fortable majority in both Punjab and at the Center. Drumming up electoral rigging allegations 14 months after the fact was merely a ruse to destabilize him. The establishment has been blocking the PM every step of the way even before the December 2013 change of guard in Rawalpindi. Mr Sharif was not allowed to make key diplomatic appointments to the US, UK and India. His original nominee to lead the Pakistan High Commission in the UK, Mr Kamran Shafi, drew a particularly rancorous response from khaki quarters. Ultimately, the PM agreed to appointing career diplomats to all three positions. PM Sharif ’s peace initiative with India was torpedoed after the Pakistani High Commissioner in New Delhi decided to meet the Kashmiri separatists just before the foreign secretary-level talks. Mr Nawaz Sharif opening a direct diplomatic channel to Afghan President Hamid Karzai through the Pashtun nationalist leader Mahmud Khan Achakzai further ruffled feathers in Rawalpindi, where they saw it as trespassing on its exclusive domain. The establishment wanted to put an end to the civilians slowly chipping away at its monopoly or even holding it at a standstill. The in-house change in the National Assembly was not viable numerically and the former president, Asif Zardari, had judiciously closed the door on the undemocratic dismissals of elected governments by divesting himself of those powers that his predecessors had repeatedly used on the security establishment’s instructions. The establishment became exponentially desperate. The drama at D-Chowk is but a political equivalent of the Kargil infiltration. Just as the Kargil misadventure was the military’s desperate and reckless attempt to ostensibly break the status quo with India with utter disregard for the consequences, the Khan-Qadri assault on parliament has been designed to reverse the small gains the democratic dis-
pensation has made vis-à-vis the praetorian
In her 2009 book Reconciliation: Islam, Democracy, and the West, the late and much lamented Benazir Bhutto wrote: “Sixty years after Pakistan’s creation, the case study of our nation’s record with democracy is a sad chronicle of steps forward and huge steps backward. But this too will change” guard since 2008. Months into his third stint,
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Mr Sharif was perceived by the establishment to be getting too big for his boots already. Rumors have been rife for the past five months that elements within the caverns of the security establishment were itching to show him the door. That these unabashed Bonapartists have, in connivance with a handful of politicians, set the current events in motion has been asserted repeatedly now by none other than the president of Imran Khan’s own party, Makhdoom Javed Hashmi. The Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Major General Asim Bajwa, has expressed his dismay at the army being mentioned as the “scriptwriter” of the farcical tragedy unfolding in Islamabad. He tried abysmally to dispel the impression that certain corps commanders had suggested imposing martial law, and said, “Everyone is allowed to discuss their opinions in a free and frank manner but the army chief ’s decision is considered final and troops follow his lead.” General Bajwa’s failure to categorically state that neither the chief nor the generals even considered imposing martial law suggests, prima facie, that there indeed had been some discussion about mounting a coup d’état. This is an ominous sign and underscores the wayward institutional thought process that has produced four overt adventurists in the past. Why should there be any “free and frank” discussion about an insurrection at the highest military forum at such a critical political juncture? What justification did they have to even bring up the putsch as an option? Have they not learnt one bit from history? General Bajwa went on to quote the army chief ’s speech some months ago on how the “armed forces of Pakistan believe in the continuity of democracy and upholding of constitution and law. This is the only way the country can make its way into the ranks of developed countries.” On the face of it, the statement is reassuring, but scratch the surface and underneath is the same mindset that detests civilian supremacy in the affairs CHOWK, P8
OPINION
P8 – PAKISTAN LINK – SEPTEMBER 26, 2014 n By Salahuddin Haider
I
Karachi, Pakistan
n the crisis stemming from the long marches of Tahirul Qadri and Imran Khan, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has been a clear firstround winner so far. A dispassionate analysis, based on background interviews and persistent reviews of the month-long Islamabad sit-ins, would reveal three principal reasons for the prime minister’s success.
First and foremost was his characteristic calm and cool disposition. Secondly, the army’s latest clarification about its neutrality and assurance to fellow countrymen of being a staunch supporter of Constitution and democracy. And the last, but equally strong reason was the parliament’s unanimous decision to stand resolutely behind the prime minister. All these developments may have brought a smile on his face and added to his confidence, but the crisis is far from over. The threat perception about the government functioning, particularly at a time of devastating floods, is not only genuine, but ominous, in many respects. To say that Sharif has been out of the woods, would be a misstatement. He is still entrapped in thick woods. A relief, both for PAT and PTI and for the administration as well, has been the judicial magistrate’s decision to order the release on bail of former federal minister
Nawaz, a Clear First-Round Winner and PTI front ranker Azam Swati as well as musician D J. Butt. Their release was indeed a welcome sign for those who were sanguine that the situation would improve. The arrest of singer-musician D J Butt from the PTI “dharna” was not only absurd, it was illadvised and totally devoid of sane logic. D J’s services have been utilized by PPP, and PML(N) itself, and many other organizations as well to attract crowds and provide them with quality entertainment at times of gloom and boredom. The judicial magistrate, ordering Azam Swati to judicial remand on a closed holiday, created panic in the ranks of the administration. But wisdom prevailed and saved the government from being accused of ruthlessness. That Nawaz summoned parliamentary leaders for consultations ought to be welcomed because the collective will of elected representatives would lend him added strength. All those sitting in parliament, despite having different affiliations, have given the beleaguered prime minister their wholehearted backing, which was entirely a new phenomenon in Pakistan politics, and perhaps also forced those engaged in conspiracies, to go on the back foot. However, those leading the “dharna” and their supporters displaying unprecedented courage and determination, need not be taken lightly. Confrontation or use of force needs to be avoided. The arrest campaign, on for the
last three days, must not only be halted but those arrested without rhyme or reason, need to be freed without delay. Such a decision would add to the premier’ image, who is confronted with two of the gravest crises of his political career -- the sit-ins and the flood disaster. So far he has displayed wisdom and insight, and ought to continue the policy of humility and avoid confrontation at all cost. Nawaz has merely won a battle so far, but the war is still on, and demands farsightedness and a cool and calculated approach on his part. Any hasty decision would place him in an awkward situation, like the one in which Imran Khan found himself earlier, with his hasty declaration of a civil disobedience movement and call for a direct attack on the parliament. The Tehrik-i-Insaf chief had to pay heavily for his follies. Nawaz needs to learn a lesson from his rival’s mistakes.
To rebuild the economy, ruined by month-long protests and disastrous floods, will now be a herculean task. How will he avoid relying on taxes to prepare the next budget and survive the likely discontent from fresh taxes, would be his real test now. (The writer is a former Information Minister of Sindh and a senior journalist) CHANGE FROM P6
most people still find it attractive enough to get trapped, even when they do not reckon a true understanding of its nature. Why does that happen? How do educated people start believing in something that they in their hearts know is not going to be translated into reality? May be the narrative of change is so alluring that it compels everyone to fly to the “Promised Land” in their minds. It must also give them idealistic hope at a very personal level and hope, for all of us is life, even when it is unrealistic and impractical.
CHOWK FROM P7
of the state. The military spokesman could not bring himself to state unequivocally that the armed forces will uphold the constitution and serve as and when commanded by an elected civilian government. The generic lip service to the constitution indicates prevaricating if not withholding an unqualified allegiance to the elected civilian government. The Irish journalist Claud Cockburn had aptly said, “Never believe anything until it has been officially denied.” The mischief still seems afoot. The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) is reportedly being strong-armed into taking up General Pervez Musharraf ’s trial as its cause, accommodate him as a leader and also join forces with the Khan-Qadri duo to salvage the political Kargil at D-Chowk from unraveling. In her 2009 book Reconciliation: Islam, Democracy, and the West, the late and much lamented Benazir Bhutto wrote: “Sixty years after Pakistan’s creation, the case study of our nation’s record with democracy is a sad chronicle of steps forward and huge steps backward. But this too will change.” While one shares Benazir’s optimism, the establishment in all probability will make one last reckless effort, even as reckless as the ill-starred December 27, 2007, before beating a retreat from its domestic Kargil. (The writer can be reached at mazdaki@me.com and he tweets @mazdaki)
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OPINION
SEPTEMBER 26, 2014 – PAKISTAN LINK – P9
Critics: Muslims Have Few Nobel Prizes, Muslims Are Killing Muslims
n By Riaz Haq
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CA
re today’s Muslims fratricidal low-achievers? Are Muslims unique in their lack of achievement and propensity for fratricidal violence? Are there other religious and racial groups which share these traits with Muslims?
It has become fashionable among Muslims and non-Muslims alike to bash followers of the Islamic faith for their lack of achievement and propensity for fratricidal violence. Some criticize Muslims for having won only 10 Nobel Prizes since the prize was launched in 1901. Others lambaste Muslims for killing each other. Let’s examine both of these charges in some detail below: Muslims as Low Achievers: Renowned atheist scholar Richard Dawkins has recently disparaged Muslims by pointing out that the entire Muslim world has had fewer Nobels (10) than Cambridge University’s Trinity College (32). He is not alone in attacking Muslims for their lack of achievements. I have heard this from many Muslim critics for many years. What Dawkins and other critics, including well-meaning self-critical Muslims, fail to mention, according to Christian Science Monitor, is the fact that other large (billion-plus) religious, gender and ethnic groups have won even fewer Nobels than the ten won by Muslims: Hindus (four), Chinese (eight) and Africans (nine). Or the fact that women have only won 44 Nobel Prizes, compared with 791 by mostly white men. It is important to note that today’s Muslims and other ethnicreligious groups with very few Nobel Prizes have grown up under the shadow of colonial and neo-colonial rule which followed the Industrial Revolution and preceded the launch of Nobel Prizes in 1901. Going back in history, it was the Industrial Revolution that created technology which led to the ascendance of the West
and the colonization of the East. It marked the beginning of a major shift in economic, military and political power from East to West. Dan Murphy of the Christian Science Monitor explains it as follows: “Dawkins, as an educated man, should be well aware of the legacy of colonialism and of simple poverty…. When the Nobel Prize was founded in 1901, the vast majority of the world’s Muslims lived in countries ruled by foreign powers, and for much of the 20th century Muslims did not have much access to great centers of learning like Cambridge. The ranks of Nobel Prize winners have traditionally been dominated by white, Western men - a reflection of both the economic might of the West in the past century, preferential access to education for that class of people as well as a wonderful intellectual tradition .” Dawkins’ tweet did acknowledge that “they (Muslims) did great things in the middle ages”. Clearly, the history of humanity is not just 100 years old. It did not begin with the launch of Nobels in 1901. It stretches much further back. The defining work of Muslims in earlier centuries (8th to 13th century) built the foundation on which modern science and today’s Nobel Laureates stand. It included development of decimal number system (still called Arabic numerals), Algebra (Al-Khwarizmi), the concepts of scientific method (Al Biruni) and algorithms (Al Khwarizmi), first camera (Al Haitham), Medicine (Avicenna), first human flight (Ibn Firnas), astrolabe (Al Frazari), etc. In “Lost Discoveries” by Dick Teresi, the author says, “Clearly, the Arabs served as a conduit, but the math laid on the doorstep of Renaissance Europe cannot be attributed solely to ancient Greece. It incorporates the accomplishments of Sumer, Babylonia, Egypt, India, China and
n By Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai
T
Secretary General World Kashmiri Awareness Washington DC
his flood was the first in history, in the living memory of Kashmir. More than 450 people are dead, and more than $1bn in destruction has been estimated. The actual magnitude of the total destruction, the number of dead and the people who are missing may not be known for some time. The Kashmir Valley was cut off from the rest of the world for days. Thousands of villages have been submerged, including the capitol city of Srinagar. Hundreds of thousands of people particularly in the rural areas still remain trapped without any outside help or rescue and relief. There has been a total breakdown in communication with no telephone contact of the people with their loved ones. Boats were not available. People had to stand on their rooftops waiting for someone to rescue them. The state government has collapsed all together. They seem to have no control over the situation. Although the flood control department in Kashmir had predicted in 2010 that such a disaster was possible, and had reported it to the government of India, no action was taken. Why not? That’s the question which everyone is asking. Was it because of the deforestation, the centuries-old melting of glaciers, or due to the recklessness of the trekkers (tourists)? These are the questions that need to be answered. But the millions of affected people cannot wait until those answers are given. The struggle of millions of Kashmiris is a struggle of life and
the far reaches of the Medieval Islamic world.” Nasir al-Din al-Tusi, a Persian Muslim astronomer and mathematician, developed at least one of Copernicus’s theorems, now called The Tusi Couple, three hundred years before Copernicus. Copernicus used the theorem without offering any proof or giving credit to al-Tusi. This was pointed out by Kepler, who looked at Copernicus’s work before he developed his own elliptical orbits idea. A second theorem found in Copernican system, called Urdi lemma, was developed by another Muslim scientist Mu’ayyad al-Din al-Urdi, in 1250. Again, Copernicus neither offered proof nor gave credit to al-Urdi. Columbia University’s George Saliba believes Copernicus didn’t credit him because Muslims were not popular in 16th century Europe, not unlike the situation today.” Fratricidal Tendencies Among Muslims: Muslims are killing Muslims, say the critics. This begs the question: Is
this something unique among Muslims? Who kills 30,000 Americans each year? Is it not Americans? Who is responsible for the 40,000 reported homicides in India (actuals are likely much higher) every year? Is it not fellow Indians? Mostly Hindus? Who killed Gandhi? Was it not Nathuram Godse, a fellow Hindu? Who killed Yitzhak Rabin? Was it not Yigal Amir, a fellow Jew? Who killed Abraham Lincoln? Was it not John Wilkes Booth, a fellow American? The fact is that almost every nation-state has had periods of excessive violence such as civil wars. Fratricidal deaths have accounted for the great bulk of deaths in almost every nation since the beginning of time. Such deaths have occurred in great numbers in almost every society since Adam and Eve’s son Cain is alleged to have killed his brother Abel. Every period of great change in human history has been almost always been accompanied by massive violence that Muslims are experiencing now.
Youth Heroes in Kashmir Flood
death. They are at the mercy of the outside world who have always helped and have proved to be able to assist those who are in real danger and who need their immediate attention. We know that the issue is not political but a humanitarian and moral one that should shake the conscience of humanity. It is worth noting, as reported by the media, that immediate rescue missions in the Valley were taken by Kashmiri youth who rescued thousands, not only Kashmiri families who were stranded but even the migrant Indian Hindu laborers. They even provided them with food and shelter. This selflessness and the beauty of Kashmiri youth’s bravery needs to be appreciated. In the United States, the American youth of Kashmiri heritage have taken on the herculean task to initiate relief and disaster activity as well. They are doing it irrespective of their ideological preferences or cultural affiliations or regional backgrounds. They do have limited resources, but their eagerness to work has proved to be exemplary. They are a few hundred dedicated group of volunteers from all over the world. Their dedication and selflessness need to be highlighted. They have a clear objective. They are trying to establish relief camps and shelters, provide lifesaving medicines, clean water, food and clothes to the needy. The atrociousness of the tragic situation should bring more cooperation and coordination to effectively help the needy with dignity and honor. There are some international agencies which are already operational in Kashmir like Save the Children, Action Aid, ICRC, and
Handicap International. The enormity of the situation demands that the government of India seek assistance from other friendly countries and organizations, including the United Nations. It will take years to rehabilitate millions of affected people that will need cooperation and coordination with foreign governments, international disaster agencies, and local civic society. The American Red Cross and USAID should get involved in the disaster relief activities. The
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Anti-Muslim Bigotry: Dawkins’ comments appear to be motivated by growing anti-Muslim bigotry in the West, especially because he prefaced them by saying “Who the hell do these Muslims think they are?” But the fact that he singled out Muslims for criticism and ignored other groups who have achieved even less seems to indicate that he holds Muslims to a higher standard than others, including Blacks, Chinese and Indians who are almost as numerous. I’d prefer that Muslims see that as a challenge rather than be offended by it. At the very least, it signals that Muslims are not being subjected to what George W. Bush once described as “soft bigotry of low expectation”. The Challenge for Muslims: Are Muslims taking the challenge thrown by Dawkins seriously? The answer is a qualified yes. They are beginning to do it. Pakistan has had an impressive 50 per cent increase in the number of research publications during two years, going up from 3939 to 6200. This has been the second highest increase worldwide. SCimago, the world’s leading research database, is forecasting that if this research trend in Pakistan continues, then by 2018, Pakistan will move ahead 16 notches in world ranking, from 43 to 27, and for the first time ever, will cross Hong Kong, Singapore and Thailand in Asia, according to a report in The Nation newspaper. Turkey, Iran, Egypt and Malaysia are other Muslim nations which figure prominently on SCimago rankings. As to the violence, it is likely to continue for a while longer as vast swaths of the Muslim world sort out their differences on fundamental questions of the role of religion in society and government and settle on a model that delivers what the Muslim world needs most: good clean and responsive governance. Fortunately, there are successful models within the Muslim world in countries like Turkey and Malaysia.
passivity and inaction in this tragedy is deplorable and not an option. This is not the time for the blame game but time to take responsibility and show humanness by taking immediate action in rescue and relief operations. This needs the coordinated efforts by allowing the foreign and disaster agencies to work without any hindrance in Kashmir and to take all possible measures, including rescue missions, relief and rehabilitation. We are dismayed to know that the government of India has not accepted the relief assistance offered by the United Nations. The spokesperson of the United Nations Secretary General said, “The UN system stands ready to help governments in India and Pakistan in their efforts to provide relief and assistance to the hundreds impacted by the severe floods in Kashmir.” He, however, added that he is not aware whether the UN agencies in India have received any official request from the government for help in relief and rescue operations. I agree with Anuradha Jamwal Bhasin when she said, “This is the time to sink ideologies and prejudices and not allow them to prevail over humanity.” Reuters reported Sept 13, 2014, “Residents stranded for days by the floodwaters said that the army has selectively evacuated tourists and people according to a preset priority list, leaving locals to be rescued later by volunteers.” This is not going to help the helpless people of Kashmir who are in immediate need of assistance by the government of India. Dr Rita Pal, a medical journalist from England, has rightly said, “It is therefore time to put people before religion and lives before politics.” Let us hope that this message gets through.
OPINION
P10 – PAKISTAN LINK – SEPTEMBER 26, 2014 n By Dr. Basheer A. Khan Garden Grove, CA
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illions of Muslims gather every year in the holy city of Mecca to perform Hajj. As we are engrossed in the grandeur of this pilgrimage and its rituals, we should also focus on the reality behind these rituals to understand the universality and vitality of the religion of Islam.
By ignoring the literal meaning of Islam and by equating it with the religion of present-day Muslims, we have diminished the universality, versatility and significance of the term “Islam” and as such are not able to understand the real meaning of Islamic rituals. If we revert to its original meaning and understand Islam as the universal religion of peace through submission to One and The Only God preached by all the prophets, then Hajj will not remain as an annual ritual of present-day Muslims but a commemoration of the life of Abraham, who was the unquestionable patriarch of all Abrahamic faiths, and his family. Islam is not the religion brought by Muhammad (Peace be upon him), but is a continuation of the same message that was given by all the prophets (Peace be upon all of them) before him. All the prophets propagated the same message amongst the people of their time, that a Creator has created this universe and everything in it, and we owe our gratitude and submission to Him and Him alone, and that we are answerable to Him for our deeds in this world so as to qualify for a permanent place of pleasure in Paradise or an eternal life of misery in the fire of Hell. It is this message and this consciousness that is Islam. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was careful in making this point clear that he was not the founder of the faith of Islam, but the last link in the chain of prophets, who brought the same message of recognizing, loving and obeying the One and Only God. In one of his sayings, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) made it clear that his position in the structure of Islam is that of the last brick that completes the edifice. He (PBUH) was sent to purify the message of Islam from human interpretations and distortions, and perfect it for mankind one last time much the same way as Jesus (PBUH) was sent to restore the lost sheep of Israel. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was the fulfillment of the prophecy made in the following verses of the Old and the New Testament: “…Will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth: and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. (Deuteronomy Ch 18 Verse 18). “I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak (John Ch 16 Verse 12-13). To make sure that the followers of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) did not turn away from the legacy of earlier prophets, the Holy Qur’an emphasized their lives, their mission and their travails again and again. Islam and
Hajj, an Opportunity to Reflect upon the Unity of the Abrahamic Faiths
its universality being paramount to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), he commanded his followers to commemorate the events associated with the lives of prophets before him instead of celebrating the events related to him. By commanding Muslims to fast on the day of Aashura, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) immortalized the memory of the release of Israelites from the bondage of Pharaoh. By making Hajj obligatory for his followers, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) established the reverence of Abraham (PBUH) as the patriarch of all monotheistic faiths for all times to come. With this understanding, Hajj and its rituals become an occasion to reflect, rejoice and benefit from the unity of all monotheistic Abrahamic faiths. On the contrary, if we consider Hajj as a ritual of the presentday Muslim community, then this great event loses the significance that it is due. When Adam (PBUH) was sent down to earth from the Garden of Eden, he built the Kaabah in the city of Mecca for the worship of the One and The Only God. When the flood during the time of Noah (PBUH) destroyed Kaabah, Abraham and Ishmael (Peace be upon them) built it a second time and prayed that they and their progeny remain steadfast in their obedience to God and God alone. They also prayed that people of the world remain attracted to this place and an abundance of provision is made available to all those who visit it (Qur’an Ch. 14 Verse 35-37). Muslims going to Hajj are surprised to see millions of people coming from far off lands, from different nations and tribes, enjoying abundance of food and comfort in this barren land. They perform the act of Tawwaf (circumambulation) of the Kaabah in gratitude for the fulfillment of the prayer of Abraham and Ishmael. They make many more prayers for themselves and for the people of the world, and see their prayers answered in their
personal lives. To understand the rituals of Hajj, one must remember the time when Abraham (PBUH) took Hagar (Peace be upon her) and their young son Ishmael (PBUH) away from the holy land and left them in the wilderness around Mecca. When the little water they had was over, Hagar (Peace be upon her) was anxious for the safety of her child and cried. It was then that an Angel was sent by God to console her with the following assurance: “…Hagar fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. Arise, lift up the lad and hold him in thine hand for I will make him a great nation. And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water …” (Genesis Ch. 21 Verse17-19). Millions of Muslims who gather at Mecca every year give a testimony to the fulfillment of this promise made to Hagar (PBUH) in the Old Testament: “I will make him (Ishmael) a great nation”. The pilgrims reenact the anxious moments of Hagar (PBUH) in search of water for the thirsty boy by running between the mounts of Safa and Marwah in what is called Saee which means effort. Through this incident in the life of Hagar RA, Allah swt draws the attention of the believers to a basic principle operating in their life. A little effort with supplication by a devoted heart will create miracles like the one of the well of Zam Zam in the parched desert. Drinking from the well of Zam Zam, after the circumambulation of Kaabah, the faithful quench the physical and spiritual thirst. As they do it they are astonished at the miracle of the existence of this well for more than four millenniums to serve the need of billions of people who have visited it so far. On the 9th day of the lunar month of Hajj, pilgrims spend the day in the field of Arfaa (means recognition and knowledge). They spend the night between the 9th
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and 10th day of Hajj in Muzdalifa under the open sky. In the valley of Arfaa, a pilgrim sees people of different colors, different races, speaking different languages, engaged in different professions, but all dressed in the two pieces of white cloth which becomes their shroud when they die. They are all engaged in the same act of devotion to Allah, supplicating before him and crying before him and seeking His help. In the quiet of the night they contemplate over the observation of the day and develop them into an everlasting consciousness during their halt at Muzdalifa which is also known as Mash’ar, the place of consciousness. The energy flowing in the valley of Arfaa and Muzdalifa, where millions of people pray and cry before the unseen God, awakens the consciousness of a pilgrim over realties that had hitherto escaped his attention in the routine of life. He recognizes the power of God and the power of religion to gather so many people from all parts of the world. He recognizes his insignificance in the throngs of people amidst whom he finds himself. He recognizes the reality that although he is different as an individual from others, he still remains a part of them. This brings him to realize the importance of building unity among diversity in order to live in peace and harmony. The gathering of millions of people under the sky, wearing nothing more than two pieces of cloth, brings into him the consciousness of the day of resurrection and accountability. He awakens to the reality that he has to be alone on that day as he is today, severing all his connections with the people and possessions that he loves so dearly. This will soften his heart and sharpen his understanding to realize that the jealousies, the hatred and the greed that he was nurturing to better his worldly life, and which had their evil consequence on the society will have deleterious
consequences on him that day. He realizes that it will not be possible for him to escape the power of God to gather all human beings on the day of reckoning as He has done it this night. This humbles him, makes him repentant for his past mistakes, and inspires him to live a life of virtue and piety. Elated and elevated by this consciousness, he leaves Muzdalifa by dawn to go to the tent city of Mina, where Satan dwells to destroy his newfound consciousness. He throws the small pebbles of consciousness he gathered at Muzdalifa on Satan, symbolized by the huge pillars at Mina. While doing this he mimics the act of Abraham, to whom Satan whispered against taking his son for sacrifice. Determined to defeat Satan, the pilgrim then goes to sacrifice the animal in emulation of the act of Abraham. This sacrifice of an animal symbolizes his readiness to make all sacrifices that are essential to live a pious and virtuous life in service to God and mankind. Subsequent rituals of shaving the hairs, taking a bath, and changing out of the clothes of Hajj (the two clothes of Ihram) emphasize the importance of having a clean body for a clean mind and a pure soul. After finishing with these meaningful rituals he goes to circumambulate around Kaabah with ecstasy to thank Allah for the gift of this new-found consciousness. He does Saee (running between Safaa and Marwah) to show that consciousness by itself is not productive without putting some effort behind it as demonstrated by Hagar AS. A pilgrim spends the next three days in the company of likeminded people in the tent city of Mina remembering God to fortify this consciousness. All these three days he goes to Jamaraath to throw stones at Satan who is distracting him from remaining firm on this consciousness. He also develops an understanding of the world and its people through this interaction with people coming from all over the world. The power of Hajj in purifying human beings and bringing mankind together is evident in the story of former Black Panther leader Malcolm X Malik Shabaz. He went to this pilgrimage with pride in the black race and hatred towards the whites. Seeing Muslims of different races interact as equals, he realized that the real message of Islam is not superiority of any race but equality of all races. He returned from Hajj reformed and helped persuade the other Black Panthers to abandon the path of hate. He worked to establish tolerance and unity of all races until the enemies of this cause assassinated him. If we are not able to see this transformation in our life after performing this pilgrimage, it is not because of the ineffectiveness of these rituals but for other reasons alluded to in The Holy Qur’an in verses 200-204 of chapter 2 which can be a topic for another article. If the ritual of Hajj is understood with correct knowledge of its history and in the true spirit of religion, it has great potential to unite Abrahamic faiths under the common tenets of their belief in the oneness of God, their common ancestry to Adam, and the commonality of their belief that Abraham was the patriarch of their respective faiths.
PAKISTAN
SEPTEMBER 26, 2014 – PAKISTAN LINK – P11
Imran Electrifies Karachi, Addresses Huge Rally Polls Shortcomings Accepted
“We are all here for Imran, as we feel he can change the future of the country,” said one demonstrator in the mammoth crowd who was carrying a large poster lambasting Mian Nawaz Sharif
The report acknowledged that despite the fact that many international observers termed the 2013 polls ‘fairer than any previous elections’, they were not free from shortcomings
Karachi: Politician Imran Khan took
Islamabad: Amidst doubts about
his antigovernment protest movement to Karachi, the country’s biggest city and commercial hub, attracting tens of thousands of supporters. It was the first time since Mr. Khan began a sit-in demonstration in Islamabad on Aug. 15, aiming to topple Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, that he took his protest movement outside the country’s capital. “Your end is near, Nawaz Sharif, and this time neither Saudi Arabia nor America can save you,” he told the crowd on Sunday. Mr Khan said he had come to Karachi to unite its people divided on ethnic lines. “We want to make a new Pakistan to end injustices, where those who commit crimes and are involved in target killings will be taken to task.” He claimed that all elections, except the one held in 1970, had been heavily rigged. “It is our fundamental right to elect our leader through votes and not through rigging.” He said the PTI was not a party of one province; it was a party of the common people of Pakistan. “We will end the politics of dynasty. My sons will never enter politics.” He asked the people of Karachi to give him a pledge that they would not allow any VIP to close roads. “The people of Karachi are more politically aware than others...you will not allow anyone to rig elections.” Mr. Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf party took roughly half the number of votes as Mr. Sharif ’s party in the May 2013 election. But Mr. Khan insists that ballot was rigged by Mr. Sharif, and his protest movement— which Mr. Khan runs alongside cleric Tahir ul Qadri—has rocked Mr. Sharif ’s administration. “One rally is hardly a game changer,” said Khawaja Saad Rafique, an influential member of Mr. Sharif ’s cabinet. “Imran Khan should stop using events to play politics of emotionalism.” Karachi is traditionally dominated by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, a political party representing descendants of migrants from what is now India. But in the 2013 election, Mr. Khan’s PTI made inroads in Karachi, winning a seat in the national parliament and taking substantial votes even in hard-core MQM areas of the city. “Imran has given us hope, and I know he will come true on his words
about delivering on the rights for women,” said a homemaker who said she voted for the MQM in the last election. MQM chief Altaf Hussain, who lives in self-imposed exile in London, welcomed Mr. Khan’s rally. “I congratulate you on continuing the fight for the masses, which was in fact begun by the MQM in the 80s by getting people from the lower income class elected to parliament,” Mr. Hussain said. Mr. Khan brought his mixture of political activism and carnival to the streets of Karachi, with a sound system blasting out music that got the crowd dancing. Many came with their families, with small children clambering up their fathers’ shoulders to get a view of Mr. Khan, who gained fame as a cricket star. Girls in jeans and skirts with PTI colors painted on their cheeks pushed up toward the stage waving party flags. Young women in scarves and veils waved banners saying “Go Nawaz Go.” “We are all here for Imran, as we feel he can change the future of the country,” said one demonstrator who was carrying a large poster lambasting Mr. Sharif. The crowd in Karachi, which police estimated at tens of thousands, was much larger than the few thousand that Mr. Khan typically attracts in Islamabad, where he holds nightly protest events. Mr. Sharif ’s party has little presence in Karachi. Mr. Khan promises changes from the more established political parties, especially in rooting out corruption and cronyism from government and public services. Karachi is plagued by gang violence, often backed by political parties, while the police are perceived as hiring political appointees to fill their ranks. Mr. Khan again repeated that he would continue his protest until Mr. Sharif resigned. He believes his demonstration has developed a new public consciousness about the political system, which he says is abused by traditional parties, especially Mr. Sharif ’s party and the Pakistan Peoples Party, the only two parties elected to run Pakistan in the periods when it has had civilian rule. “Pakistan has woken up,” said Mr. Khan. “For 30 years, you two parties have grown rich, but the nation has become poor.” Earlier, PTI Vice Chairman Shah
Mehmood Qureshi said the party’s sitin in Islamabad had changed the landscape of Pakistani politics. He criticized veteran politician Javed Hashmi, who recently parted ways with the PTI, and said he had stabbed him in the back. “The nation will not forgive those who try to stab Imran Khan in the back.” He said Mr Hashmi had been welcomed with the slogan of ‘Baghi’ when he announced joining the PTI. “But now Baghi has become ‘Daghi’ and is sitting in the lap of Nawaz Sharif.”
NA Speaker to Quiz PTI Lawmakers Islamabad: National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq has summoned three top lawmakers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on September 25 to confirm their resignations. The three MNAs – Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Asad Umar and Ali Muhammad Khan – have been asked to appear in the speaker’s chamber at 11am on Thursday, according to a press statement issued by the National Assembly’s media office late Monday evening. Another three PTI lawmakers, Dr Arif Alvi, Dr Shereen Mazari and Manaza Hassan, have also been asked to appear the next day (Friday). The PTI lawmakers had submitted their resignations en masse on August 22 on the instructions of their party chairman, Imran Khan. The resignations are pending with the speaker’s office. Under the rules the speaker has to reconfirm from every member before accepting her/his resignation. According to Monday’s statement, the speaker has written letters to all those who had submitted their resignations. They will be called in the alphabetical order to reconfirm their resignations. Five of them have been informed that since they have addressed their resignations to their party chief, they are not valid, it added. The party’s sacked president, Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, had also submitted his resignation along with fellow party lawmakers. And his resignation was accepted earlier this month on his request following his address at the recently concluded joint session of parliament.
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the credibility of the 2013 general elections, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has made public its post-polls report, highlighting ‘several challenges’ it faced in conducting free and fair electoral exercise. The report was compiled by post-elections review committee, comprising officials from the ECP, United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES). The committee was constituted by the ECP after the May 11, 2013 elections. The committee completed its 175-page report in December last year but it was not made public due to unknown reasons. Now available on the ECP website, the report acknowledged that despite the fact that many international observers termed the 2013 polls ‘fairer than any previous elections’, they were not free from shortcomings. “Despite the historic success of the 2013 general elections, the polls were not without significant challenges, foremost of which were the prevalent security challenges in many parts of the country, and an electoral management system that struggled to exert effective control to the lowest level,” the report says. Pre-polls shortcomings: According to the report, during the pre-elections phase, teams appointed by the ECP for campaign monitoring could not deliver the expected outcome and violations of the code of conduct by some candidates went unnoticed in some areas. “The elections authorities also faced lack of support from political parties and contesting candidates who were seen violating the code of conduct that was formulated in consultation with them.” It says that the returning officers (ROs), taken from the lower judiciary, were given authority to accept or reject nomination papers of the contesting candidates during the scrutiny of the applications according to Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution. “However, since the interpretation of these provisions of the Constitution are subjective, the application of these clauses varied from one RO to another,” it adds. The report says that the commission tried to obtain and make public records of potential candidates from the State Bank, Federal Board of
Revenue (FBR), NAB and NADRA. “But the scrutiny period was too short, and some of these organizations did not provide information in the required time, so candidates were cleared without proper verification.” The report states: “A centralized scrutiny cell was set up in the ECP Secretariat with members from NAB, SBP, FBR and NADRA to verify the candidates’ nomination papers. This cell did not perform effectively.” Compiling of results: The report says that the ECP introduced a computerized Result Management System (RMS) for the first time but it failed to work. “Due to certain flaws in that system, no result was received during entire first night after poll in respect of Sindh province. The DROs/ROs informed that result is being delayed as the RMS system ran very slow.” The report further says that the RMS provided by UNDP did not function properly from the very first day of its installation as the persons appointed to work for this system had no proper knowledge of the software of the system. “As a result, most of the returning officers prepared the result sheets manually.” The report points out that magnetized ink stamp pads and normal stamps pads did not have distinct difference “which might have caused confusion to the election staff.” Lack of coordination: The report acknowledges that coordination, both within the ECP and between the ECP and its partners, remained quite weak. It says that coordination among the ROs, civil bureaucracy, line departments and ECP’s field officers was also insufficient. “There was a general perception that as the DROs and the ROs were from the judiciary, they did not consider ECP’s officers to be of an equivalent rank as themselves and thus were often unresponsive and uncooperative towards them” it adds. “There were also complaints that some officers from the line departments, police, civil administration, etc, were politically influenced and did not conduct their election duties in a transparent and neutral manner,” the report adds. “Election observers and media personnel in particular were not adequately trained on election operations and procedures and they often sent out inaccurate reports before verifying the facts with the ECP.”
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Thousands Rescued as Floods Hit Country’s South
AJK Assembly Seeks to Extend Relief to Flood Victims across Border
Heavy monsoon floods, which began Sept. 3 in Kashmir, have so far killed 523 people and affected 2 million in Pakistan and Indian-occupied Kashmir. Of those, 200 died in the India-controlled part of the Himalayan region, 64 in Pakistani-controlled Kashmir, as many as 246 people perished across Pakistan
“India has left helpless Kashmiris alone. Hundreds of dead bodies are lying unattended and thousands of people are missing, there is no arrangement for edibles...”
Karachi: Pakistan’s disaster man-
agement agency said Thursday it had evacuated thousands of people stranded in parts of the country’s south after it was hit by floods, as the military air-dropped rations and civil authorities sent truckloads of supplies to the regions where waters were receding after wreaking havoc. “Rescue crews are working round the clock to rescue people and ensure the provision of food and other supplies to flood-affected persons even in the remote villages,” said Ahmad Kamal, the spokesman for the National Disaster Management Agency. He said the floods entered southern Sindh province Wednes-
day, making thousands of people homeless. “The flood water has receded in various parts of Pakistan, and experts from the government are assessing damages,” he said. Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in a series of visits to flooded areas promised that his government would rebuild homes, while damaged roads and other infrastructure would be restored by utilizing all resources. So far, Pakistan has not issued any international appeal for the flood victims. Heavy monsoon floods, which began Sept. 3 in Kashmir, have so far killed 523 people and affected 2 million in Pakistan and Indian-occupied Kashmir. Of those, 200 died
in the India-controlled part of the Himalayan region, 64 in Pakistanicontrolled Kashmir, as many as 246 people perished across Pakistan. Another 13 were killed in the northern Gilgit and Baltistan province. Kamal said no deaths had been reported in southern Pakistan, where a major flooding was to hit two main districts. A statement issued by the disaster management agency said Thursday that 19 army helicopters and 574 boats were participating in the rescue and relief operations in flood-hit regions across Pakistan. It said floods affected more than 1.7 million people in Pakistan and rescuers so far had evacuated 630,404 people.
Punjab Governor Denies Differences with Sharifs Lahore: Punjab Gover-
nor Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar has quashed rumors that he has developed differences with Sharif brothers over governance issues and that he is planning to resign. “I am not resigning. There is no truth in reports that I am going to resign on my return from London,” Mr Sarwar told Dawn on phone from London. He is scheduled to return on Wednesday. After the governor raised governance issues in Punjab in an interview with a private TV channel, rumors started doing the rounds that because of dif- File photo: Mian Shahbaz Sharif meets Governor Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar at a function ferences with the Sharifs he about the state of educa- they need me most,” he cluding Imran Khan should might quit. It may be mentioned tion, health and justice. said, adding that at times get united for the country. that Pakistan Tahreek-i-In- You see might is right rule “I am critical of Nawaz This is not the time of polisaf chairman Imran Khan everywhere. I am not a con- Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif tics,” he said. in a speech congratulated ventional politician. I speak on different issues, but I am The governor regretthe governor for ‘speaking the truth without consider- critical of myself as well”. ted the statement of PTI’s the truth’. ing political dispensation,” To strengthen democracy disgruntled leader Javed good governance is inevi- Hashmi that he (Sarwar) “In the interview I had he said. not said something which was present at a meeting The governor also said table. was against someone. that this was a difficult time Mr Sarwar had gone between Imran Khan and Whatever is happening in for the government. “Even to the UK primarily for Dr Tahirul Qadri. “I althe country every citizen is if I have differences with generating funds for flood- ways had respect for Javed in distress, including my- the Sharifs I will not leave affected people. Hashmi but his allegation “All politicians, in- has hurt me,” he said. self. Everyone is concerned them at the point where
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Muzaffarabad: Pakistan-adminis-
tered Kashmir’s parliament on Monday called upon India to open the de facto border separating the two sides of the disputed territory to allow rescue officials to reach residents hit by devastating floods. Monsoon-induced flooding has wreaked havoc on both sides of the Himalayan region. Its effects have been particularly devastating in Srinagar, the capital of the Indianadministered Jammu and Kashmir, where thousands of people lost their homes and were stranded for weeks without aid. The Azad Jammu Kashmir Assembly passed a resolution calling for the United Nations to intervene. “The government of Pakistan should contact the United Nations and government of India to open the ceasefire line to supply the relief goods to
the flood victims for their rehabilitation,” the resolution by the 49-member house said. “India has left helpless Kashmiris alone. Hundreds of dead bodies are lying unattended and thousands of people are missing, there is no arrangement for edibles. So this meeting (calls on) the UN to send international agencies to the Indianheld Kashmir to help the victims,” it said. Separately, the union representing traders involved in business across the border also demanded the opening of the Line of Control (LoC) which splits the region in two. “The United Nations should open the LoC for the relief activities to enable us to go and help the flood victims,” Gohar Kashmiri, president of the Intra-Kashmir traders union, told a press conference.
Muslims, Christians Come together for Peace
Actor Maqsood Hassan Passes away at 67
Islamabad: As many as 150 Muslim and Christian families, affected by the recent floods, attended a function at a church in connection with the World Peace Day on Monday. The event was organised at the Khanna Dak Christian Colony church with the hope that it would give a message to the nation that different communities can live together in peace and harmony. Know more: Is the NA apathetic towards minority issues? Priest Faqir Masih told the audience that it was the first time in his life that he had seen members of the two communities together in a church. “We are pleased and honoured by the presence of the Muslims in this church. This will bring the communities closer.” The event was an initiative of the Global Peace Pioneers (GPP), a non-governmental organization, working for peace, interfaith harmony and sustainable development. Ninety-nine flood-affected families from the Christian Colony and 60 from Pindorian and Iqbal Town attended the event.
Karachi:
Veteran radio and television artiste Maqsood Hassan passed away recently owing to heart failure. He was 67. He has left behind a wife. Married six years ago, the couple did not have any children. Hassan, like many actors of his generation, had started his career from a children’s program on Radio Pakistan. He lent his voice to many drama serials from room no 9 of Radio Pakistan. His acting career spanned nearly 50 years and included performances for radio, television, stage and film . Veteran actor Muhammad Ali was closest to Hassan and worked with him in many plays, including those produced by Khuwaja Moinud Din. In addition to his career on the airwaves, the celluloid and the small screen, Hassan had also showcased his acting talents on the stage, some of which were with renowned actor Moin Akhtar. His play ‘Bakra qiston per’ gained critical acclaim. His MAQSOOD, P29
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SEPTEMBER 26, 2014 – PAKISTAN LINK – P13
Lt-Gen Rizwan Akhtar Named New ISI Chief
“He has served in a place like Karachi ... with all its turf wars and politics while remaining neutral and apolitical and also has extensive experience of counterinsurgency and counterterrorism. He was the obvious choice”
Islamabad:
Pakistan’s military on Monday named a career army officer with experience of battling militants to head the country’s premier intelligence agency as Islamabad struggles to combat a homegrown Islamic insurgency. Maj. Gen. Rizwan Akhtar was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general to head the spy agency, which is known as the Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate, or ISI, the army said in a statement. Akhtar, who previously headed a Pakistani paramilitary force in the southern city of Karachi, replaces Lt. Gen. Zaheerul Islam. He also has experience commanding troops in Pakistan’s tribal regions, home to a mix of local and al-Qaida linked foreign militants. Pakistan’s new spy chief has attended the US Army War College, where he did his research paper on the subject of “US-Pakistan Trust Deficit and The War on Terror.” Lt-General Rizwan Akhtar, who has extensive experience of counterin-
surgency from a previous posting in the South Waziristan region bordering Afghanistan, will take over the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency in October. Although the ISI officially reports to the prime minister, in reality it is controlled by the army chief, in this case General Raheel Sharif. Akhtar’s previous job was head of the paramilitary Rangers in the province of Sindh in the south, where he led a comprehensive operation against Islamist groups and criminal gangs in Karachi, the country’s financial hub. “He is a horribly straight guy, all black and white,” a serving military official said of Akhtar. “He has served in a place like Karachi ... with all its turf wars and politics while remaining neutral and apolitical and also has extensive experience of counterinsurgency and counterterrorism. He was the obvious choice.” Some believe the appointment may be an opportunity to set a new tone in the often tense relation-
ship between Pakistan and its arch rival India. The nuclear-armed neighbors have fought three wars and Pakistan’s army uses the perceived threat from India to justify its huge budget and national importance. In a 2008 publication while he was at the US Army War College, Akhtar argued that Pakistan “must aggressively pursue rapprochement with India.” In the same paper, he criticized the US policy in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The appointment comes at a difficult time for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, whose position has been significantly weakened by weeks of opposition protests demanding his resignation. Several government ministers told Reuters this month that the current head of the ISI, General Zaheer-ul-Islam, was among those pushing for the prime minister’s ouster. “For Nawaz Sharif, the bottom line is that he doesn’t want another Zaheer,” said a Defense Ministry official, summing up what the prime minister
was looking for in his new spy chief. “Somehow, the PM has never considered Zaheer his man. And that’s been a source of great anxiety for him. So he wanted someone who doesn’t have political leanings.” The previous army chief, General Ashfaq Kayani, won credit for reducing the military’s public role in politics although the army retains huge influence behind the scenes, especially over security and foreign policy. But the ISI’s own reputation has suffered in recent years from a series of scandals, including the killing of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in a secret US raid, in a town about a two-hour drive from the ISI’s headquarters, in May 2011. Bin Laden’s presence in Pakistan, by some accounts for up to five years, raised suspicions in Washington that the ISI had been doing business with, or sheltering, America’s number one enemy. Pakistan denied that. “The army chief shares the PM’s concerns about the ISI meddling in politics and also wanted someone who will not politicize the agency further,” the Defense Ministry source said. “The chief doesn’t want any more political controversy.” Some analysts believed ISI policy would remain unchanged and would still be set by the army chief. “The ISI does not act independent of the army and the army chief,” said political analyst Hasan Askari Rizvi. “Policy will change only if the army chief wants it to.”
23 Terrorists Killed in Fresh Airstrikes
23 suspected terrorists were killed on Monday in precise aerial strikes on terrorist hideouts in the Bangidar area of Ghulam Khan in North Waziristan Agency
Islamabad: At least 23 suspected
terrorists were killed on Monday in precise aerial strikes on terrorist hideouts in the Bangidar area of Ghulam Khan in North Waziristan Agency, said a statement issued by the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR). Military operation Zarb-iAzb was launched by the Pakistan Army on June 15 following a brazen attack on Karachi’s international airport and failure of peace talks between the government and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The Taliban and their ethnic Uzbek allies both claimed respon-
sibility for the attack on Karachi airport, which was seen as a strategic turning point in how Pakistan tackles the insurgency. Nearly a million people have fled the offensive in North Waziristan, which is aimed at wiping out longstanding militant strongholds in the area, which borders Afghanistan. North Waziristan has been isolated by deploying troops along its border with neighboring agencies and Federally Administrative Tribal Areas (Fata) regions to block any move of terrorists in and out of the Agency.
US Quietly Releases 14 Pakistani Detainees from Afghanistan Jail
Hashmi Challenges Qureshi to Contest By-polls against Him
Multan: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
(PTI) president Javed Hashmi on Monday challenged PTI vice chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi to contest by-polls from Multan-III, NA 150 constituency. The statement by Hashmi came a few hours after PTI announced its decision to boycott by-elections in NA-149 Multan-II, the seat vacated by Hashmi after he resigned from the National Assembly. By-polls in the constituency are scheduled for October 16. Earlier in the day, Qureshi hinted at collusion between Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) and Hashmi when it came to the by-polls in Multan. After resigning, Hashmi announced that he would contest elections as an independent candidate. “There is no official nomination by PML-N yet. The party [PML-N] should nominate someone and if the ballot paper doesn’t have the party symbol then we can assume that back-door negotiations have been taking place,” Qureshi claimed.
In response, Hashmi, while talking to media representatives in Multan, said, “Shah Mehmood Qureshi should resign from his seat in the National Assembly and contest elections against me.” “I never considered Shah Mehmood Qureshi as my rival,” the PTI president said about his fellow PTI leader who also hails from Multan. “I will submit my papers for the by-elections in NA-150 tomorrow,” he added. “We can form an election commission of Qureshi’s choice in Multan to overlook by-polls if he fears rigging,” the PTI president, who had a recent fallout with party chairman
Imran Khan, added. Despite the fallout, Hashmi still maintains the position of party president. However, Qureshi responded to Hashmi’s insistence that he is still the president of the party by asking him to join other PTI leaders on their container and ask PTI workers whether they recognize him as their president or not. Hashmi’s resignation from his NA seat and his suggestion to Qureshi to resign from his seat as well, follow the PTI’s decision to resign from the assembly as part of their campaign to ouster the incumbent Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz government. However, Hashmi is the only PTI lawmaker whose resignation has been accepted by the NA speaker. Qureshi and Hashmi both contested elections from the PTI seat during the general elections in May 2013. Qureshi was elected a Minister of the National Assembly from NA-150 while Hashmi was voted into the assembly through NA-149 — both constituencies in Multan.
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A US military guard watches over detainee cells inside the Parwan detention facility near Bagram Air Field
Bagram: The United States has qui-
etly released 14 Pakistani citizens from military detention in Afghanistan, where the US holds its most secret cohort of detainees in its war on terrorism. The US military transferred the 14 to Pakistani government custody on Saturday. It did not publicize the release, as is typical with releases from the detention center on the outskirts of Bagram Airfield which is known formally as the Detention Facility in Parwan. A Pakistani human rights group instead announced the transfer and said it was the largest number of Pakistanis the US has thus far released. None of the 14 Pakistanis was ever charged with a crime. The US has held them in wartime detention, though it has not picked up many – perhaps most – of the non-Afghan detainees it holds in Afghanistan in Afghanistan itself. Unlike detainees at Guantánamo Bay, the Bagram non-Afghans – mostly Pakistanis, but also Yemenis, Tunisians, a Jordanian and a Russian – have no access
to lawyers and judges, and have minimal ability to contest their detention. Saturday’s release was the latest in a series of recent transfers that have reduced the nonAfghan population held at Bagram. The Justice Project Pakistan, a human rights group that has pressed the Pentagon on a detention issue that remains obscure in the US, counted 39 Pakistanis released within the past 10 months, most recently with nine Pakistanis released last month. Two Yemenis detained at Bagram, Amin al-Bakri and Fadi al-Maqaleh, and a Kazakh, Farabi Ryskulov, were also released last month. Army Lieutenant Colonel Myles Caggins, the Pentagon’s spokesman for detention issues, said the release was “not hasty” and was “part of our ongoing efforts to draw down all our facilities in Afghanistan”. Unless the next Afghan president signs a garrisoning agreement with the US, as President Obama and his Nato allies urge, all Nato militaries must withdraw from the country by the end of the year. PRISONERS, P15
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Sit-in Participants Will Go Home when Maulana Tahirul Qadri Leaves Constitution Avenue have to send a text message on 0022 and write “Azadi”. You will get a response comprising 10 points. That message should be spread to every nook and corner of the country,” he added.
PIA Crew Accused of Smuggling iPhones
Lahore: The customs authorities
Islamabad: Pakistan Awami Tehreek chief Dr Tahirul Qadri refused on Monday to allow the sit-in participants, except the residents of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, to return home. “The residents of the twin cities can go home on condition that they spend maximum time at the sit-in, but those from other parts of the country will not leave the place before their chief leaves the Constitution Avenue,” Dr Qadri announced as the sit-in completed its 39th day. On Sunday, the PAT chief had said he would tell his supporters on the morrow when they could finally go home. He also claimed that the government was planning a crackdown to arrest the protesters. He said it was unfortunate that the Election Commission of Pakistan published ‘Post-election Review Report’ on its website in which it was mentioned that the returning officers were responsible for the mess in various constituencies. “It is difficult to understand that the ECP remained silent after the elections while its management published the report after over nine months,” he said. Dr Qadri said the report had made it evident that the elections were totally illegal, unconstitutional and against Article 62, 63 and 218 of the Constitution. “The incumbent assembly and parliament are unconstitutional and undemocratic due to the suspen-
sion of Article 62, 63 and 218. Is there anyone who can throw the fake members of the assembly outside the parliament house?” The PAT chief said that he would announce in a few days the line of action on how to spread his revolutionary movement countrywide. “It is a success of the sit-in participants that they have created awareness among the nation for their rights.” Dr Qadri said the first and foremost what a nation should get from its parliament was the provision of fundamental human needs. He said the World Health Organisation had recommended that at least 6 per cent of GDP be spent on health of a nation, but in Pakistan only 1pc of GDP was spent in the health sector. “There are fewer than 1,000 public hospitals in Pakistan while after the revolution we will make 1,000 more hospitals and 5,000 dispensaries,” he added. IMRAN KHAN: Speaking to participants of his party’s sit-in, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan reiterated that he would not end his movement until the resignation of the prime minister. He said the PTI would break its own record by holding “another historic rally” in Lahore on Sunday. “We will stage a massive sit-in on Friday in Islamabad and then go to Lahore on Sunday. People of Lahore and Punjab be ready. Karachi
has done its job. We will see a sea of people at Minar-i-Pakistan on Sunday.” The PTI chief said that he would shift his focus to interior of Sindh once he got the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. “I am glad that Pakistanis have woken up while you, the participants of the sit-in, are going to make history. It is the demand of people that we should not leave our movement until the resignation of the prime minister.” Mr Khan called upon the privileged class to think about 100 million people who did not have access even to toilets and other basic facilities. He said that thousands of people turned up at PTI’s rally in Karachi on a short notice while the people came in a large number from the airport to Mazar-iQuaid to “greet us”. He said Pakistan had been divided into two parts. “One is for the elite while the other is for the underprivileged.” “We are launching a new program of Azadi Razakar. You
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detained at the airport here on Sunday most of the cabin crew members of a London-Lahore PIA flight, including its captain, for allegedly carrying unlawfully 24 iPhones worth about Rs2.5 million and also foreign currency. The situation caused panic at the airport, besides delaying a Manchester-bound PIA flight for a couple of hours, after the crew staged a sitin against the detention of their colleagues. Sources in PIA told Dawn that the customs authorities had information that 11 of the 14 crew members of PK-758 flight, including the captain and a purser, brought over 20 iPhones-5S (worth over Rs105,000 each) from London on Friday during its launch. “The accused are office-bearers of the PIA staff union (CBA) and they did it under a plan. They first managed to get their duties changed by requesting the actual crew members for the flight in connivance CREW, P29
PRISONERS FROM P13
Caggins said there were now “less than 15” non-Afghans detained at Bagram. In August, after the Yemenis and the Kazakh were released, US officials told the Washington Post the US held 27 non-Afghans there; that would bring the detainee population down to 13 after Saturday’s transfer. The Justice Project Pakistan said it did not know the total. Abdul Sattar, a Pakistani man recently released from Bagram detention, confirmed to the Guardian in July that non-Afghan detainees often go on hunger strike to protest their confinement and its terms. He estimated taking part in five or six hunger strikes in less than three years of detention. While hunger strikes at Guantánamo Bay captured global attention in 2013, the overwhelming secrecy the US places around its non-Afghan Bagram detainees kept the hunger strikes there almost entirely invisible to the outside world, reducing pressure on the US government to address the detentions. Caggins said the Pakistanis were held “within the laws of war” in “safe, humane detention”. It is unknown how many of the 14 will be released to their families and how many, if any, will be continue to be held by Pakistan, or prosecuted. In a statement Sarah Belal, the lead counsel for the Justice Project Pakistan, welcomed the release, but chided the Pakistani government over what she called a lack of transparency concerning Bagram releases. “The families of the detainees were not informed of their repatriation or their whereabouts in Pakistan,” Belal said. “We still don’t know about the whereabouts of the nine detainees released last month. The lack of clarity with today’s tranche gives us reason to fear that they too may be held incommunicado by the Pakistani authorities.”
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Educating Children Nurturing Values Inspiring Excellence [Go Digital With IQRA’: Visit ebooks.iqra.org; Islamic schools, libraries and educational institutions secure Free Access to IQRA’s library for one year.] IQRA’ International, a pioneer of Islamic education globally, is once again ahead of its time, bringing digital technology to the teaching of Arabic and Islamic Studies. IQRA’s digital site is now accessed in almost 140 countries. IQRA’s global reach is ever-expanding, Alhamdulillah.
v IQRA is developing an Educational Digital Portal that will provide comprehensive all-embracing v v v v
educational information for the teaching of Arabic and Islamic Studies. IQRA’ (ebooks.iqra.org) is offering free access to its unique library of educational programs for one year to schools, madaris and educational institutions. IQRA’ has developed two comprehensive programs of Arabic and Islamic Studies for a) Islamic schools (full and part-time) and b) Madrasah system (ma`had of al-Azhar) In cooperation with the Strategic Measurement and Evaluation (SME) of Illinois, IQRA’ has successfully developed standardized testing for Islamic Studies. IQRA’s team has offered consultations and training for curricula development, establishment of Islamic schools and teachers’ training programs since 1969, initiating a global movement for excellence in Islamic education. iqra.org | iqrafoundation.com | ebooks.iqra.org
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COMMUNITY
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SEPTEMBER 26, 2014 – PAKISTAN LINK – P19
Friday, September 26, 2014
VOL. 24/39 PAGE 21
PAGE PAGE25 17
egum PAGE 22
CAIR SV 12th Anniversary Banquet
2 Dhul-Hijjah 1435 H
Hasan Chishti Gets Award for Community Service
Afridi, Umar Akmal Penalized for Fitness
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First Joint Masjid Soccer Tournament Held in Irvine
It was nice to see all Imams playing soccer. Dr Ahmed Soboh, Shaykh Muhammad Faqih, Shaykh Yasir Fazaga and Shaykh Suhail Mullah represented their representative teams
n By Link Staff Reporter
O
n August 9-10 around 550 players from various mosques of Southern Cali-
fornia got together to participate in tournament titled, “First Joint Masjid Soccer Tournament”. The tournament was organized by
the Southern California Muslim Community Organization. It came to be another mega event successfully arranged by SCMCO, which
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happens to be an umbrella organization of mosques in SoCal aiming to bring the Muslim community closer by way of social activities.
The tournament was held at the Orange County Great Park, Irvine. It was nice to see all Imams
TOURNAMENT, P20
COMMUNITY
P20 – PAKISTAN LINK – SEPTEMBER 26, 2014
TOURNAMENT FROM P19
FIRST PLACE
FIRST PLACE
FIRST PLACE
SECOND PLACE
SECOND PLACE
SECOND PLACE
THIRD PLACE
playing soccer with us. Dr Ahmed Soboh, Shaykh Muhammad Faqih, Shaykh Yasir Fazaga and Shaykh Suhail Mullah represented their representative teams. Zhur Salat was led by Sheikh Yassir Fazaga from the Orange County Islamic Foundation, Mission Viejo. After the prayer he remarked in his brief address, “I have no words to describe my feelings.” He thanked the organizers on arranging a truly wonderful event. The event concluded with SCMCO Chairperson Dawar Naqvi thanking everyone for their contribution and support. He expressed gratitude to Allah SWT for the success of the tournament. He also expressed his thanks to several individuals for their wholehearted support, including Noor Ahmed, Samir ,
Over 30
Assma Ally, Sister Samina Haq, Zafra Siddiqui, Adnan Naqvi, Hashim Zaman, Mansoor Awan, Abdul Hafiz
and many more. SCMCO also congratulated the First Joint Masjid Soccer Tournament Champions.
Best Sports Player: Brother Tariq Abdullah (ICIE ) & Sister Vivian Jabar (AUCSC)
BANQUET FROM P21
Nelson Mandela here in our city, proving once again that it does not get much better than this annual CAIR event in Sacramento. Ambassador Rasool said that we in the world today are looking for answers to persistent problems. The Muslim community is no different than any other community in this world that we live in. We too are searching for answers in a rapidly changing world, he said. He added that we are witnessing horrible things carried out by non-state actors and informal movements and that the actions of formal state bodies have also been questionable. He said that we have to look and find new ways to divide the world. He sadly reflected on the fact that a night like this put together by CAIR which mixes many religions and ethnicities will (unfortunately) not make the mainstream news. Ambassador Rasool went on
to highlight California’s historical role in the fight against Apartheid and commended the efforts of those many Californians who had not seen or met a South African in their lives. Coming back to current events he said that the world today is plagued by inconsistency and that justice needs to be even and equal. He quoted from the Qur’an directing us to the singularity of the human community. He said that we should never take the right away from people to say the right thing. He also commented on the current (ISIS) headlines originating from the Middle East. “Wrong is wrong,” he said. He added that injustice and discrimination need to be fought on all fronts without letting the extremists win, because that is what they are after. He added that events like this one held by CAIR are essential and that Sacramento must show the way, adding that each one of us carries within
us a part of the divine. He revisited Nelson Mandela’s simplicity of beliefs in which we have to view each other through the human lens. “This world that we live in is a wonderful place of difference,” he said. “Why do we not see the divine in each other before we see the skin color?” What South Africa teaches us is that we have the right to be the same and the right to be different. In essence, Ambassador Rasool called for embracing diversity and pluralism here. The evening ended on both a humorous and a reflective note. Raffle winners were announced (prizes included tickets to a Sacramento Kings basketball game), but an odd issue came up when the winner of a trip to Mecca was announced. What do you do when the winner is not a Muslim! A closing Dua or prayer by Imam Azeez ended another memorable CAIR (SV) annual banquet.
Medicine since the year 2005. Dr Najmi Minhaj introduced Shifa on stage and Dr Shagufta Yasmeen was on hand to accept the award on the group’s behalf. The final Keynote of the evening was delivered by The Honorable Ebrahim Rasool, Ambassador of South Africa in Washington. In a brief chat before the event Ambassador Rasool shared his Dutch, Indian and South-East Asian heritage (he said that his height came from the Dutch side). A longtime activist of the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa starting from his High School days, his role rose to him being included in the leadership of the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa. He spent time in jail and under house arrest during those days. We were lucky indeed to have an associate of the late
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Candle Light Vigil during PM Modi’s Meeting with President Obama
A
Kashmiri American Council announcement states:
To demand what was pledged to the people of Jammu& Kashmir by both India and Pakistan and guaranteed by the Security Council, with the unequivocal endorsement of the United States, namely demilitarization of Kashmir and a free vote organized impartially to ascertain popular will. To remind President Obama to fulfill his pledge that he made on October 30, 2008, “We should probably try to facilitate a better understanding between Pakistan and India and try to resolve the Kashmir crisis.” The United States paved the way for freedom around the world and the United States can help the people VIGIL, P29
COMMUNITY
SEPTEMBER 26, 2014 – PAKISTAN LINK – P21
CAIR Sacramento Valley 12th Anniversary Banquet Rooted in Faith
The Muslim community is no different than any other community in this world that we live in. We too are searching for answers in a rapidly changing world
T
n By Ras H. Siddiqui
he Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) Sacramento Valley Chapter held its 12th Anniversary Banquet at the California State University Sacramento Student Union Ballroom on Saturday, September 6th with the theme “Rooted in Faith: Growing Through Service” while highlighting the fact that the Islamic faith and people in the local community of all faiths are partners.
Throughout its many years of existence CAIR has championed the protection of civil rights of all Americans while educating and defending members of the Muslim community in this country. And it is because of its work which can be best described as “Positive Resistance” that the appreciation of this organization has expanded. Locally this professionalism that the CAIR Sacramento Valley (SV) Chapter has become known for became clear from the onset as one entered the hall. A recitation from the Holy Qur’an by Imam Aamir Nazir from the Muslim Community of Folsom started the proceedings with a fol-
low-up translation by Imam Haazim Rashid of Masjid As-Sabur, followed by a short welcome address by CAIRSV President T. Sami Siddiqui, who besides introducing a raffle and silent auction, emphasized that CAIR Sacramento Valley’s accomplishments and its challenges would both be shared this evening. He added that CAIR’s mission includes the empowerment of American Muslims. He added that international events were certainly not helping the billion plus Muslim population of the world who are being judged by the actions of a few thousand extremists. He said that locally CAIR’s attorneys in northern California have addressed employment discrimination, FBI visits and school bullying, just to name a few. He added that since 9/11 there have been numerous controversies related to Mosque building, including six in California. He said that in this environment of challenges organizational goals cannot be achieved without generous donations from our community. “Tonight we want 100% participation,” he said. Next, a number of dignitaries present were introduced on stage in a “Public Officials Welcome”. One cannot name them all here due to space
limitations but one in particular cannot be ignored and that is Assemblymember Mariko Yamada from California’s 4th District who was on her final visit here in this official capacity. “It will not be my last time standing with you,” she said. Mariko has attended all twelve of these CAIR (SV) events and even recalled the first one right after 9/11. She said that people have to stand together and work together, and our constitutional right must be protected. We must always be vigilant, she added. It must be noted here that the Japanese American community has been very supportive of our constitutional rights since 9/11 and for that area Muslims convey a big thank you! The first keynote address of the evening was by Brooklyn-born Linda Sarsour, Director at the National Network for Arab American Communities (NNAAC). Linda is of Palestinian origin and said that her father left his home because he did not want to raise a family under military occupation in the West Bank. She said that she was a victim of a hate crime in New York and that any of us can be impacted. She added that 13 years after 9/11 it seems that we have not healed as a nation. She added
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that experience made her a stronger advocate. She said that she was targeted because of the way she looked and for being herself. On school bullying she said, “Parents, please do not tell your children not to stand up for themselves.” She added that if we as a community do not stand up for ourselves then nobody will stand up for us. CAIR (SV) Executive Director Basim Elkarra next presented an annual report of chapter activities. He said that tonight we were connecting the world and connecting the dots, the connections of the struggle. He said that CAIR was founded 20 years ago and CAIR (SV) about 12 years ago. The organization’s work gets more exciting, more challenging and more rewarding, he said. He spoke of the 400 cases of civil rights taken up in Northern California. He gave a couple of examples of these cases, one about a trip to Hajj and leave from employment which was granted, problems at school, FBI visits, and an issue about being able to wear the hijab at work. In each case, CAIR came to the aid of the individuals impacted, he said. 115 cases were taken locally in the Sacramento area. On ISIS he said that what they
have been doing has nothing to do with Islam whatsoever. Basim also took the opportunity to introduce us to future leaders in the making, members of the Muslim Youth Leadership Program. Special Guest Speaker Dr Altaf Husain currently Vice Chairperson of ISNA shifted the emphasis of the event towards fundraising. And he did it in an amazingly different way, with carefully calibrated doses of humor. No “Hell and Damnation” wording was used. His “Cigarettes in Heaven” joke was a classic. . Performance Artist Rohina Malik from Chicago brought us back to seriousness with her intense delivery against hate crimes (in a very British accent). Not enough can be said about this year’s recipient of the Distinguished Service Award, Shifa Community Clinic. A medical services provider to the underserved and a place for training students, our future doctors, it was started at the Downtown Muslim Mosque in 1994 by two dedicated community physicians. This non-profit has now expanded and has been affiliated with the UC Davis School of BANQUET, P20
COMMUNITY
P22 – PAKISTAN LINK – SEPTEMBER 26, 2014
T
Why Muslims Fare Better in America than in Europe
UMAA Issues 2014 Hajj Advisory
he State Department estimates that up to 100 American jihadists are fighting in Iraq and Syria. A video appearing to show a second American journalist being beheaded by the Islamic State is circulating. You might think this would be a difficult time to hold the annual conference of America’s largest Muslim organization.
Yet the Islamic Society of North America’s gathering, which took place in Detroit over the Labor Day weekend, served as a reminder of how well America is assimilating a religious minority that has often struggled to feel at home in Europe. The conference hall was filled with Muslims of different races wearing clothes that identified them with different traditions. The Islamic Boy Scouts had a stand, as did a Muslim liberal-arts college from California. People discussed how to erect mosques without infringing America’s arcane building regulations, or swapped business cards in the food court. The star turn was a Southern Baptist, Jimmy Carter (whose grandson is in the news, too). The only overt hostility to Israel came from two Hasidic Jews in fur shtreimel hats, who had come from Brooklyn to announce their solidarity with the people of Gaza. America’s Muslims differ from Europe’s in both quantity and origin. The census does not ask about faith, but estimates put the number of Muslims in the country at around 1% of the population, compared with 4.5% in Britain and 5% in Germany. Moreover, American Islam is not dominated by a single sect or ethnicity. When the Pew Research Centre last tried to count, in 2011, it found Muslims from 77 countries in America. Most western European countries, by contrast, have one or two dominant groups—Algerians in France, Moroccans and Turks in Holland. This matters because the jumble of groups in America makes it harder for Muslim immigrants and their descendants to lead a life apart. Different traditions get squashed together. When building mosques, says Chris McCoy, a Kentucky native who is a prolific architect of Islamic buildings, “the question is usually not whether we should have an Indian- or a Saudi-style dome but, can we afford a dome?” Mixing breeds tolerance: Pew found that most American Muslims think that their faith is open to multiple interpretations, making them the Episcopalians of the Islamic world. America’s Muslims are better off than their European co-religionists. They are almost as likely as other Americans to report a household income of $100,000 or more. The same cannot be said of the Pakistanis who came to work in the now-defunct textile mills of northern England or the Turks who became guest workers in West Germany. Many American Muslims arrived in the 1970s to complete their higher education and ended up staying. Muzammil Siddiqi, chairman of the Fiqh Council of North America, which issues fatwas, or religious opinions, to guide the behavior of the country’s Muslims, is typical: he was born in India and holds a Harvard PhD in comparative religion. There is a stark contrast between this group and some of the more recent immigrants from Somalia, who have fewer qualifications and lower wages (as do African-American Muslims, who make up about an eighth
of the total). This divide, if anything, makes America’s Muslims look more like the nation as a whole. On various measures of integration, Muslims score fairly well. A Pew study from 2011 found that 15% of Muslims who are married or living with someone have a spouse of a different faith. This may sound low, but it is higher than the intermarriage rate for American Jews at a comparable moment in their history, and above that of modern Mormons. According to the Pentagon, there were 3,600 Muslims on active duty in the armed forces in January 2012, the most recent date for which numbers are available. This reflects a plan to recruit Muslims to fight in Islamic countries where an ability to speak Arabic or Pashto is helpful. Alas, one or two American Muslims fight for the other side. In 2009 Nidal Hasan, a US army psychiatrist, shot and killed 13 people on a military base in Texas. He was encouraged by Anwar al-Awlaki, an American propagandist for al-Qaeda, who was himself killed in a drone strike in Yemen in 2011. The State Department says that the government has increased the scrutiny of travel plans made by people who have expressed sympathy with foreign Islamists, and will monitor Muslims returning from Iraq and Syria. But this is hard. Douglas McCain, a 33-year-old African-American who converted to Islam in 2004 and was killed in August while fighting in Syria, travelled to the war zone via Turkey—an unremarkable place to go on holiday. Moner Abusalha, who drove a truck bomb into a restaurant in Syria in May, went to Jordan, returned to Florida and then set off on his suicide mission. In both cases relatives and friends were baffled by what the two men did. Nor is it clear that there were grounds for preventing either from travelling abroad. A few bad apples For the past dozen years the FBI and other agencies have been watching mosques in the hope of spotting would-be terrorists early. This has yielded little, although the FBI did reveal one alarming conspiracy in 2009, when four men were convicted of planning to shoot down planes with missiles and burn synagogues in New York. Not many American Muslims want to become terrorists. And as the deaths of Mr McCain and Mr Abusalha suggest, there is no map for the journey from basketball-loving teen to violent extremist. If the September 11th attacks permanently altered America’s view of Islam, they also changed Islam in America. Peter Skerry of Boston College says that a few decades ago it was com- mon for religious
leaders to agonize over whether it was possible to be a good Muslim and live in America. That argument disappeared almost overnight, as did the question of whether it was appropriate for American Muslims to vote. At the conference in Detroit, speakers made frequent approving references to the protection afforded to the free exercise of religion by the constitution. Mr McCoy, the architect, regretted that his elderly clients often wanted to stick a minaret on their mosques to make them look like something from back home. He longed, he said, for American Islam to create distinctive architectural forms of its own. In this, style lags substance. When it comes to their faith, America’s Muslims have already made something new. - The Economist
Hasan Chishti Gets Prestigious Award for Community Service
O
n September 16, 2014, on the occasion of the closing ceremony of the United Cricket Tournament in Chicago, Mr Hasan Chishti was given the Community Service Award.
The award is a continuation of many recognitions and honors Mr Chishti has received for his writings, community service and efforts to promote human values. Possessed of a thorough understanding of problems confronting new immigrants, Mr Chishti infuses self-confidence and reassurance on meeting them . In his capacity as General Secretary of Indian NonResidents Association; General Secretary of Bazm-e-Urdu, a literary organization; Bazm-e-Deccan, a cultural organization and as the founding President of Urdu Journalists Association of America, he has rendered yeomen service to the community. Born in Hyderabad, India, he obtained a BA degree from the Osmania University where he served in various administrative capacities for about 26 years. After his retirement in 1978, he was associated with the King Abdul Aziz University for one year followiing which he held an executive post in a Saudi-owned company for about six years. In 1986 he migrated to Chicago and worked CHISHTI, P29
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Washington, DC: Each year, more
than 14,000 American Muslims attend Hajj to fulfill a myriad of religious obligations. Unfortunately, last year the experience of some was marred by a sectarian attack, as reported in the Washington Times, says an UMMA message. It adds: In response, in an effort lead by Muslim Advocates, UMAA recently met with the State Department and its Consular Affairs office to discuss proactive steps individuals can take to protect themselves during the Hajj season. One of the points emphasized by the State Department was that the Consulate and Embassy are unable to provide emergency transportation, housing, or security accommodations and instead rely upon the Saudi Arabian government. To prepare for any unforeseen problems or emergencies, UMAA provides some recommendations to Hajj travelers: Register Online with the STEP program - The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) is a free service to allow US citizens and nationals traveling abroad to enroll with the nearest US Embassy or Consulate. This is will help the US Embassy contact you in an emergency, whether natural disaster, civil unrest. It will also help family and friends get in touch with you in an emergency. Travel safely - Do not reveal personal information, such as your beliefs or sectarian affiliation to strangers or even security personnel. Also, keep private any information about your citizenship. Remain private in your interactions with others, and avoid public confrontations or arguments. If any particular situation looks threatening or dangerous, gather your group members and leave the area immediately. If you need help - Contact the Saudi department tasked with law enforcement charged with the protection of Hajj travelers, “The National Tawafa Establishment for Pilgrims of Turkey and Muslims of Europe, Americas, and Australia”, Telephone numbers from within Saudi Arabia: 012-542-7003 x101 or Mobile: 0505-608-150. Website: http://www.teaa.com.sa/ Other emergency phone numbers include: Health Affairs: 012-530-8812 Lost Pilgrims: 012-530-8813 Ambulance 997 Police 999 Traffic Accidents 993 In the event of any emergency - UMAA advises you contact the US Consulate in Jeddah, which is tasked to deal with Hajj affairs. The Embassy in Riyadh is not the appropriate office to speak with for incidents related to the Hajj. You may contact the US Consulate General in Jeddah by phone at 012667-0080. Duty Officers will be available for
emergency assistance during the Hajj ceremonies. When contacting the Consulate, if the Duty Officer is unable to provide assistance, ask to be connected with a Consular Official or the American Citizens Services Unit. For assistance contacting media officials or for other assistance in speaking with US Government agencies, you may also contact UMAA at info@umaamerica.net. Please contact the other offices first, as UMAA is not able to provide emergency assistance to Hajj travelers.
PFOWA and MGYW Sign Memorandum of Understanding
A
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Pakistan Foreign Office Wives Association (PFOWA), Islamabad, and Merit Grants for Young Women (MGYW), Los Angeles, on 5th September 2014. The signing ceremony was held at the Consulate General of Pakistan, Los Angeles in the presence of Consul General, Mr Tasawar Khan. PFOWA was represented by Mrs Iffat Tasawar Khan, while Dr Farhana Mohamed signed the MoU on behalf of MGYW.
MGYW is a 501(C) (3) registered non-profit organization working for the promotion of higher education among meritorious but financially underprivileged young female students of Pakistan. Since its establishment in 2000, under Pakistani American Forum, MGYW has been providing assistance to hundreds of deserving girl students in Pakistan in the form of tuition fee, books, uniforms and monthly financial assistance to continue their studies. In addition, MGYW partners with well-established charity schools that predominantly cater to educate girls in impoverished rural or urban areas of Pakistan. PFOWA is a registered non-profit organization run by the female officers and spouses of officers of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan. It was established in 1947 to assist the deserving children of low grade employees of the Ministry, by providing them syllabus books, stationary and scholarships for higher education in Pakistan on the basis of merit. It also provides financial assistance to the widows of the Foreign Office staff and extends a helping hand in cases requiring medical assistance. PFOWA has been active in providing relief assistance during disasters like earthquakes and floods. Since one of the main activities of PFOWA is to promote education by supporting the deserving students of the Foreign Office families as well as different charity schools, the idea MOU, P29
COMMUNITY
SEPTEMBER 26, 2014 – PAKISTAN LINK – P23
CHIEF FROM P1
the interview. Chief McDonnell’s answers were forthright, insightful, and spontaneous and had a bearing on a wide spectrum of issues that impact the community and that had come up for discussion during the course of the interview. Some of his comments were edifying and bode well for future police-community relations. His well-meaning observations seemed to lend credence to an earlier Los Angeles Times endorsement: “It is hard to imagine a candidate better suited to the job.” The Los Angeles Register’s endorsement too strongly testified to Chief McDonnell’s credentials for the office of Los Angeles County Sheriff ’s Department: “The department needs an outsider’s perspective and a departure from the status quo. It is for this reason that we are endorsing Jim McDonnell for sheriff.” Indisputably, Chief Jim McDonnell deserves the wholehearted support of the community. PL Publications, the publisher of Pakistan Link and Urdu Link, endorses Jim McDonnell for LA County Sheriff. Jim McDonnell was appointed 25th Chief of Police for the Long Beach Police Department (LBPD), the 2nd largest city in Los Angeles County, in March 2010. McDonnell served with the Los
Angeles Police Department for 29 years and held every rank in the department up to Chief of Staff, secondin-command of the LAPD. He has received numerous community and department awards, including the LAPD’s highest award for bravery, the Medal of Valor. Chief McDonnell serves on numerous Boards of Directors that focus on furthering the interests of local
PL Publications, the publisher of Pakistan Link and Urdu Link, endorses Jim McDonnell for LA County Sheriff youth and leadership in the policing profession on a local, statewide and national level. He serves as a Commissioner of the California Commission on Peace Officers’ Standards & Training (POST) and is the immediate past president of the Los Angeles County Police Chiefs’ Association. McDonnell promotes effective partnerships within the law enforcement community and recognizes how much can be accomplished by bring-
Chief Jim McDonnell is interviewed by PL Publications President Arif Mansuri at the Anaheim offices of Pakistan Link
ing people with a shared vision together. He was appointed to the US Attorney General’s National Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence and served in two US Department of Justice National Executive Sessions; the National Executive Session on Law Enforcement & Public Health:
Inter-Disciplinary Strategies and the National Executive Session on Police Legitimacy and Racial Reconciliation. Chief McDonnell holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from St. Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire, and a Master’s Degree in Public Administra-
tion from the University of Southern California. He is also a graduate of the FBI’s prestigious National Executive Institute, the Senior Management Institute for Police and has completed executive education programs at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.
A Memorable Interfaith Picnic in Massachusetts
n By Tahir Ali Pictures courtesy Khalid Naseem
Hopkinton, Massachusetts: What do Homaira Naseem, Naushad Anwar, Yasmeen Ansari and Dr Shameem Ahmed have in common? They are activists and believe in meaningful get-togethers like the interfaith picnic they helped organize in Hopkinton Park this week. The ladies worked closely together with the Refugee Immigration Ministry (RIM), which is an interfaith, community-based organization. The activists explained, “RIM’s volunteers, many who are organized in community clusters, help integrate clients into their communities through job preparation programs, chaplaincy services to immigrant detainees, and other forms of assistance.” Dr Ruth Bersin – RIM’s Executive Director – in her opening speech thanked the various groups that participated in the interfaith effort. “People are coming, seeking asylum from all over the world. We need groups that represent different parts of the world.” She made a reference to the community outreach program in terms of ‘clusters’ that, “are made up of representatives from several congregations in a given community that agree to work on a cooperative, interfaith process that offers clients community-based support. Partici-
pating congregations include: Lutheran, Episcopal, United Presbyterian, United Methodist, American Baptist, Roman Catholic, United Church of Christ, Unitarian, Ba’hai, Jewish, Buddhist, Sikh, Hindu, Muslim and the Society of Friends.” Kawajit Singh of New England Sikh Study Circle (nessc.org) asserted that most of the refugees do not even have the basic needs. They cannot drive and that alone becomes a big impediment for them to lead normal lives. “Transportation is the biggest concern and I take care of that – picking them up and dropping them off to wherever they need to be at.” His son Angad Singh who also helps his father in his humane work said, “I am proud of what my father is doing - helping those who need it the most.” Kawajit
could not forget when we attended and supported the Sikh community in the wake of the shootings by a hate monger at the Gurdhwara(Sikh Temple) in Milford. “About 200 Sikhs and 30 Muslims attended the vigil in Milford Sikh Temple. The Sikh community felt honored when we prayed in their lawn and read a statement on behalf of our Islamic centers condemning the attack.” He recognized some of us who consoled and prayed at the Sikh temple. “We are there for each other,” Kawajit remarked. Donna Blackstone has been involved with RIM for over three years with just one goal in mind: to bring faith groups together with one local community. Donna leading RIM’s Cluster program, said, “We are the local hand to place theses displaced
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individuals find employment, place their kids to school.” Although these individuals are free to begin their lives, but often lack the resources to effectively do so. “RIM’s clusters aim to give them the tools to become selfsustaining members of their communities,” Donna explained. Reverend Clint Barlow of Millbury Baptist Church mentioned that Dr Ruth spoke at their church last October. “Following up on that conversation our church is now getting more and more involved – what makes RIM different is that they are concentrating only on those who seek asylum.” The Reverend commended the turnout and noted the gathering consisted of many ethnicities and various groups. “This is the way the world should be,” the Reverend added, “if you can’t
change the world, make the change where you are – at the local level.” Dr Khalid Sadozai, the President of the Islamic Society of Greater Worcester (ISGW) along with executive committee and board members Dr Saleem Khanani and Mohammad Ilyas - met with Dr Ruth Bersin some three and a half years ago. They all agreed that Islamic centers should be represented in RIM. Recipient of the Chime Award in 2009 for humanitarian service Dr Ruth was pleased at the turnout and the interaction among various communities. “We learn from each other,” she observed. Dr Bersin received her BS in Education from Indiana University, an MA in Religion from Colgate Rochester Divinity School, Master of Divinity from Yale Divinity School and a DMin from the Graduate Theological Foundation. She received her PhD in Pastoral Psychotherapy– enough credentials to lead RIM in the right direction. Homaira Naseem, talked of Sarpreet Singh, the leader of the Sikh Temple ‘Gurdhwara” in Milford who has been working with RIM for three years who urged Muslims to be part of RIM. Homaira now urges youth to be part of RIM and take lead, because she admitted that they bring new ideas to the table. “Actually the picnic PICNIC, P29
COMMENTARY
P24 – PAKISTAN LINK – SEPTEMBER 26, 2014
K-P’s Women Police Officers: Leading from the Front
n By Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy
W
hen you meet Shahzadi Gillani and Rizwana Zafar ¬ — two strong female police officers from Khyber Pakhunkhwa — you can’t help but smile.
Shahzadi grew up on army bases across Pakistan. Her father served in the forces and from an early age she wanted to follow in his footsteps. “I had this burning desire to serve my country,” she says. She tried very hard to get inducted into the army, but women were only serving as doctors or nurses at the time and she was unsuccessful. “I wanted to be on the frontlines, I wanted to be part of the action. You only live once and you should live a life that serves as an example of bravery,” she says. So instead, she joined the police force. Her family hesitated at first, and placed conditions on her. She could only join, if she brought along a friend. So, Shahzadi reached out to Rizwana who readily agreed. Rizwana grew up as the daughter of a laborer in Haripur, Punjab who played a major role in shaping her personality. He fought for labor rights and always played a ‘front and center’ role in labor disputes. “I would watch my father work day and night, in overtime shifts to support our family and would think that I needed to be just like him; hardworking and brave.” She answered a newspaper advertisement recruiting women for the police force and when Shahzadi reached out to her, the timing was perfect. After training, they went to Abottabad where Shahzadi was the SHO at the women’s police station and Rizwana served alongside her. Over the years, they attended commando courses in Punjab and served in different areas in KP including Hangu, where they trained a new batch of policewomen inducted into the
I
n By Lynda Shrager
force. In 2005, they returned to Abottabad and in October their police station was destroyed in the earthquake. They pitched a tent and started helping families in Balakot and surrounding areas. “We lived in a tent for two years and after that we moved into a container for the next three years. Our people lost everything and as long as they didn’t have homes, we didn’t want one,” says Shahzadi. Shahzadi and Rizwana’s duties vary, from serving VIPs to conducting raids and searching homes for criminals. “We are often called in to search homes,” says Rizwana. The culture in KP is such that male police officers often hesitate entering into homes in case there are women inside. “We lead from the front,” says Rizwana. “Once we enter, then the male police officers follow us. So I would say we are four steps ahead of men, because we knock on the door and enter first,” she says with a glint in her eye and wry smile. It is definitely not an easy job. Female
police officers conduct night raids, spend years away from family, live in harsh conditions and serve long hours. Currently, some 600 women serve in the 60,000 po-
Two police officers from KP defy every preconceived notion anyone may have about the capability of Pakistani women. Our biggest assets are women. They shine bright and when you meet them you can see just why that is so true lice force in the province. “We do exactly the same duties as men do,” says Rizwana. “If our male colleagues sleep, we sleep, if they eat, we eat. We don’t ask for special
10 Tips for Sleeping on Planes
remember my daughter called me excitedly from Kennedy Airport a few years ago as she prepared to board a flight to Dublin, the first stop on her “I graduated college and am now off to Europe” vacation. “I hope I fall asleep soon after boarding the plane so we can jump right in when we get there.” It is a goal many aspire to but rarely achieve. As many of us pack for that long awaited holiday trip here are some tips to help you and your travel companions fall asleep on planes.
Travel experts agree that one of the most important ways to ensure spending time in dreamland while in the sky is choosing the right seat. Location, location, location. Most concur a window seat is the best option because you can press a pillow against the window or cabin wall and control the window shade. You also won’t have other passengers climbing over you to get out. But where should that seat be? Many of us gravitate to the bulkhead, the row behind the physical partition that divides a plane into different sections. The bulkhead provides extra leg room and there won’t be anyone sitting in front of you reclining into your lap. Since there is no under the seat storage in front of you, carry-on luggage must be stored overhead during takeoff and landings and your tray table will probably be stored in the seat’s armrest. Exit rows are also a popular selection to get that extra leg room. However some exit row seats do not recline because they
may cause an obstruction in case of emergency. You also need to be seriously prepared to act in case of the unthinkable. How about row location? The last
ple of empty seats together in the back where you could stretch out. Go to www.seatguru.com to help in choosing a seat on almost any airline. It is a fascinating and extremely compre-
Travel experts agree that one of the most important ways to ensure spending time in dreamland while in the sky is choosing the right seat. Location, location, location. Most concur a window seat is the best option because you can press a pillow against the window or cabin wall and control the window shade. You also won’t have other passengers climbing over you to get out row of the plane probably does not recline and the location next to the bathrooms is not ideal. That being said, since most tend to aim toward the front you might have a chance of finding a cou-
hensive site that provides a seat map of most models of aircraft on all major airlines. It will give you specific seat pitches (the higher the better) and details about the actual seat you have been assigned
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privileges just because we are women.” Their favorite story is of a raid they conducted in a mountainous area near Abottabad. “The trek was arduous,” says Shahzadi. “We walked for hours to conduct this investigation and our male police officers accompanied us. At one point, we turned around and we couldn’t see them. Rizwana and I were perplexed, had we veered off the track? But then we looked back and saw them struggling up the hill. They did finally catch up with us.” That raid is particularly memorable to them because of the toughness they displayed. Rizwana recalls one dangerous raid, which they conducted in the middle of the night at a house, which harbored suspected terrorists. “It was a very cold night, and three female police officers including myself accompanied the raiding party. Once we reached the house, we were unsure how many terrorists were inside but we did know that they were armed and ready for an encounter, so I volunteered to go in first and scaled the walls,” she says. The police cordoned off the house while Rizwana entered. She jumped in and the terrorists started firing but she managed to open the front door and the raiding party overpowered them so they were arrested. “I am not afraid of death, we all have to die one day,” she says Shahzadi and Rizwana come from humble beginnings but they have a vision and a desire and they have fought to make their dreams a reality. They have served in the police force for close to 20 years now and have become examples in their family and community. Countless other young women have followed in their footsteps and joined the police force. To me, these women represent the best of Pakistan. I have always said, Pakistan’s biggest assets are its women. They shine bright and when you meet these two and shake hands with them you can see just why that is so true. TIPS FROM P26
to.
My daughter’s plan for falling asleep on the plane was a glass of wine and a Tylenol PM. I would not have recommended that strategy but she didn’t ask me. My suggestions would be to try these health and organizing tips to catch some zzz’s while flying: • Try to schedule your flight in accordance with your natural sleep rhythms, such as a “red eye” or overnight flight. • Dress comfortably, in layers, as cabin temperatures change often. • Skip coffee in the airport and stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water (not right before you want to fall asleep). • Pack a small blanket and neck pillow (who knows where the ones they offer you have been?) • Bring an eye mask. • Put soothing music on your IPod. • Consider investing in noise canceling headphones -- well worth it if you get the seat behind the crying kid, or in my case recently, a barking dog! • Fasten your seat belt above your blanket or you will be woken by flight attendants to check if you are buckled in. • Speak to your doctor ahead of time to discuss sleep aides. Be sure your flight is long enough if you take something that might call for 8 hours to get through your system. • Take a walk up and down the aisles in between naps to prevent blood clots in the legs. www.everydayhealth.com/
too, can be notorious for this using corporate gobbledygook to obfuscate all meaning, Kayser says. “What people want is authenticity in language, to say what you mean and mean what you say.” • Emulate Mark Twain, the “straight shooter,” who employed wit, charm and incisive commentary in communications. No, most people cannot pick up where Twain, arguably America’s greatest writer, left off. But language and the way in which it’s used can be highly contagious. If you want to inspire authenticity and engage employees and friends alike with genuine communication, consider styling your speech more along the lines of Twain, rather than a dry business manual: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do,” Twain wrote. “So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” • If you’re in business, there are advantages to embracing the jargon. “Can we blue sky this synergy later?” “Cascade this to your people and see what the pushback is.” … Business lingo could fill a dictionary, and in many cases, requires one! Unlike political babble, business jargon has its purpose, according to a new study from the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business. Business speak is code for “upper management material,” showing that the speaker is in a company’s inner circle and is a “big picture” person, the study reveals. TIPS, P29
SPORTS SPORTS
SEPTEMBER 26, 2014 – PAKISTAN LINK – P25
Afridi, Umar Akmal Among Players Penalised for Poor Fitness
KARACHI: Shahid Afridi, Umar Akmal, Abdur Rehman and Raza Hasan are the four big names among the Pakistan players found to be below their optimum level of fitness by the PCB. They will each have 25% of their monthly retainer docked for four months, starting with August's fee. At the end of the four-month period, they can have their fitness reassessed. The PCB had attached greater importance to fitness in its new contracts handed out to the players. The board had said this month that it was mulling handing out fines to players who failed to keep the fitness levels prescribed to them by the National Cricket Academy during a month-long camp in Lahore in May-June. An assessment of 28 players' fitness was carried out between September 6 and 8, but three players had failed to report for that evaluation due to personal reasons. Among them was Afridi, but he has since had the assessment. Wahab Riaz and Nasir Jamshed are yet to do so and, in their cases, it will have to wait until they are back from Lahore Lions' Champions
Umar Akmal and Shahid Afridi will get pay-cuts for a four-month period
League T20 campaign in India. Five players, meanwhile, were given bonuses for maintaining peak fitness. Shan Masood and Umar Amin
will get a bonus of 17.5% every month for the four-month period, while Misbah-ul-Haq, Ahmed Shehzad and Bilawal Bhatti will get 10%. J
North Korea Lifter Credits Kim Jong-Un for Injury Cure
Incheon: North Korean weightlifter Kim Un-Guk recently said supreme leader Kim Jong-Un had inspirationally helped cure a troublesome injury before he smashed three world records at the Asian Games. Kim, who won the men's 62kg class competition, followed the example of every North Korean athlete in attributing any success at the Games in Incheon in the rival South to the reclusive country's young leader. On collecting a medal, the North Koreans say that they were thinking about Kim Jong-Un at the crucial moment, or that he provided the inspiration. In weightlifter Kim's case it was medical help. "I've had some trouble in the waist. But thanks to the warm care of the respected Marshall Kim JongUn, I didn't feel any trouble," Kim told a press conference.
"So the great, warm care and great love and respect of Marshall Kim Jong-Un gave me the opportunity to be the champion," he added. Om Yun-Chol, who broke his own world record to win the 56kg class, added: "Armed with strong
spirit and ideology as our comrade Kim Jong-Un taught us, you can break a rock with an egg and set a world record. That's my secret." The totalitarian state's leader is a sports fanatic who is married to a former member of its "Army of Beauties" cheer squad. Although the "Beauties" remained in Pyongyang following a political wrangle with Seoul, Kim and Om have been cheered on by a vocal group of pro-unification activists in Incheon. The lifters, whose remarks were translated by a team official rather than a live interpreter, would not comment on how it felt to win gold medals in South Korea. And after receiving luxury watches from a Games sponsor, Om and Kim said they didn't expect any rewards from Pyongyang, which is known to lavish cars and apartments on its star athletes. J
SEPTEMBER 26, 2014 - PAKISTAN LINK
Pak Needs to Come to Terms With ‘Banned’ Ajmal's Absence in 2015 WC: Waqar LAHORE: Pakistan's cricket team head coach Waqar Younis is looking ahead as ace off-spinner Saeed Ajmal's suspension might affect the squad's World Cup chances and said that they have to plan thinking that the bowler could not be available for the mega tournament in Australia next year. Younis, Pakistan's legendary fast bowler, said that what happened was unfortunate and a big blow to the team, but added that they have to plan thinking that Ajmal could not be available for the World Cup. Younis said that he knows Ajmal is keen to make a comeback and is working hard on his action, adding that Saqlain Mushtaq would also be helping him soon. He said that one is hoping the off spinner gets back, but added that they have to look for a replacement as well. The top-ranked off-spinner had been suspended indefinitely from
international cricket for an illegal bowling action but had vowed to return in time for next year's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. The International Cricket Council (ICC) had banned Ajmal after biomechanic tests revealed that all his deliveries breached the permissible limit for straightening of the elbow joint. J
Pakistan Beat China 2-0 in Asiad Hockey
INCHEON: After hammering Sri Lanka 14-0 in the first game, Pakistan's hockey team outclassed the Chinese eleven by 2-0 on Sunday, moving one step closer towards claiming gold. In upcoming games, Pakistan will be facing a stiff challenge from hosts South Korea, arch-rival India, and Malaysia in their bid to retain the title they won at Guangzhou (China) four years ago. Pakistan will be playing their showpiece encounter against India
on September 25 which is expected to decide the fate of the Group "A" standing. Pakistan is drawn in pool "A" along with India, China, Sri Lanka and Oman while pool "B" consists of Bangladesh, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Singapore. The Greenshirts will play Oman in their last pool game on September 27. Forty two nations are participating in the 17th edition of Asia's biggest sports battle for supremacy. J
Injured Watson to Miss UAE Tour SYDNEY: Mitchell Marsh appears almost certain to make his Test debut against Pakistan next month after Shane Watson was ruled out of Australia's tour of the UAE with a calf injury. Fast bowler Ben Hilfenhaus will replace Watson in the Test squad, having not worn the baggy green for nearly two years, while Kane Richardson will join the ODI and T20 squads. However, it is Marsh who looks poised to benefit most immediately from Watson's injury. The selectors are likely to lean towards an allrounder
who can bat in the top six and provide seam-bowling support in the UAE. That would allow them either to choose two spinners, or three frontline fast men who could then work in shorter spells in the hot weather. Either way, it suggests that Marsh will probably become Australia's 438th Test cricketer and join his father Geoff and brother Shaun as owners of a baggy green. Only twice before in Test history has a Test cricketing father had two sons who also played Tests: Lala, Mohinder and Surinder Amarnath of India and Walter, Richard and Dayle
Hadlee of New Zealand. It could also lead to a fascinating selection quandary for the home Tests against India if Marsh plays in the UAE and succeeds. The national selector Rod Marsh said on Sunday that Watson remained "an integral part of our plans for the summer", although there appears little way the selectors could squeeze both Marsh and Watson into the Test side in Australian conditions. However, it also remains to be seen how persistent Watson's calf injury is on this occasion. He missed the first two Tests in South Africa earlier this year with a strain of the same calf, his right, which allowed Shaun Marsh to return to the side. His left calf ruled him out of three Tests of the 2012-13 home summer against South Africa and Sri Lanka and he missed all six home Tests in 2011-12 with calf and hamstring problems. He was ruled out of the recent oneday tri-series in Zimbabwe with an ankle sprain sustained when he stepped on a ball at training in Brisbane before the team departed. However, it is the calf injury that has proven the major setback and the physio Alex Kountouris said Watson's history of similar injuries led the team management to take a cautious approach. J
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Pakistan Football Team Bow Out of Asiad
KARACHI: Pakistan recently crashed out of the men's football slots of the Asian Games when they went 0-1 down to China in their vital Group F outing at the Hwaseong Sports Complex Stadium in Incheon, South Korea. China scored the winner in the 20th minute through Chang Feiya. The result put China in the next round as two teams had to progress to the knock-out stage from the three-team pool. North Korea had already made it to the round of 16. Pakistan manager Mohammad Asghar Anjum was, however, satisfied with the way the team performed against the tough China side. "In spite of conceding the goal, we dominated the first session. In the last ten minutes of the second half China opted for delaying tactics. We were on fire at that stage but luck did not favour us as we
failed to capitalise on the opportunities," Asghar told 'The News' from Incheon. "For the first time in my life I have witnessed teams like North Korea and China playing cautiously against us," he claimed. Asghar said that the team delivered more than had been expected of it. "We did not qualify for the next round, but the spirited display of the boys against tough teams indicates that Pakistan have a bright future in football," said Asghar. Pakistan had lost to North Korea 2-0 in their opener, while China had gone down to North Korea 3-0 in their first outing. Pakistan Football Federation's (PFF) secretary Col Ahmed Yar Lodhi also seemed happy with the performance of the team. "The team played really well," Lodhi said. J
COMMENTARY
P26 – PAKISTAN LINK – SEPTEMBER 26, 2014
1999 Dot Com Rally Compared to Recent Rally - 2 n By Saghir Aslam Rawalpindi, Pakistan
(The following information is provided solely to educate the Muslim community about investing and financial planning. It is hoped that the Ummah will benefit from this effort through greater financial empowerment, enabling the community to live in security and dignity and fulfill their religious and moral obligations towards charitable activities) I HARDLY EVER SELL STOCKS Almost all the time with minor exception I do not sell stock. When I buy a stock immediately I put stop loss and if the stock hits my stop loss it’s gone. Its history I do not worry about it and move on when the decision is in my favor stock keeps climbing I keep raising stop losses. Never stop loss if your stock is losing. In other words if my decision was wrong stock went down
I
hit my stop loss I do not practice to change stop loss when it goes down. If it goes down let it be gone sometimes I have stop loss it continue on for months even some time years. I simply keep raising stop loss. You may be lucky enough you pick a good reputable company with great slow steady but consistent growth companies like about you may reach the benefit of profit yet at the same time you sleep good at night that is some unexpected event takes place you are protected. Your investment is protected does not matter if you are at home, office or away on vacation. In Europe, Caribbean, Asia doesn’t matter. Doesn’t
matter where you are, your money your investments is protected with stock loss. As I have stated again and again before purchasing any stock you must do your homework properly and do thorough research, if you practice this regularly you will win most of the time. Yes you can donate highly appreciated stocks and take your tax deduction. (Saghir A. Aslam only explains strategies and formulas that he has been using. He is merely providing information, and NO ADVICE is given. Mr. Aslam does not endorse or recommend any broker, brokerage firm, or any investment at all, or does he suggest that anyone will earn a profit when or if they purchase stocks, bonds or any other investments. All stocks or investment vehicles mentioned are for illustrative purposes only. Mr. Aslam is not an attorney, accountant, real estate broker, stockbroker, investment advisor, or certified financial planner. Mr. Aslam does not have anything for sale.)
Qurbani/Udhiya Pakistan • India • Bangladesh • Sri Lanka Guinea • Sierra Leone • Cameroon • Ethiopia • Somalia
Goat/Sheep: $150 each Cow: $65/share, $455 each Donate online at: www.hidaya.org Donate by Phone: 866.244.3292 Mail Checks Payable to: Hidaya Foundation PO Box 5481 Santa Clara, CA 95056 Donate your Qurbani for the poor and help make Eid special for them.
Hidaya Foundation
3 Tips for Effective Communication
t’s easy to take words for granted; most of us use them as effortlessly as we breathe. But words hold power that we often overlook at our own peril, says media expert Steve Kayser.
“Language is the code that translates ideas so they can be shared. They give us an advantage
in the natural world, which has enabled us to evolve as human beings,” says Kayser, author of “The Greatest Words You’ve Never Heard,” (www. stevekayser.com). “But in our personal and public lives, we are inundated with empty words; words that are used incorrectly; words that are drained of all
866.2.HIDAYA | www.hidaya.org Hidaya Foundation is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) charitable organization with Tax ID # 77-0502583
meaning; and so fail to accurately convey the intended message; and words that carry unwarranted connotations and stigma.” Words can change lives, destroy relationships and alter the course of entire civilizations, Kayser notes. He shares examples of what to avoid, what to embrace and what to reconsider when trying to make your language more effective. • Avoid John Kerry’s “crystal clear” nugget. Earlier this year, amid the ongoing foreign policy crises in the Middle East, secretary of state John Kerry, who has a linguistic reputation for longwinded political jargon, seemed to contradict himself in a single breath. “I want to make this crystal clear,” he said. “The president is desirous of trying to see how we can make our best efforts in order to find a way to facilitate.” It’s this kind of language that makes people cynical about our elected officials – when a politician’s mouth is moving and producing sounds, but he’s not saying anything. Or, if they are saying something, they use words that are overused and unnecessary. Businesses, TIPS, P24
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Exchange Rates for Currency Notes* Countries
USA S.Arabia UK Japan Euro UAE
Selling Rs.
Buying Rs.
102.70 27.30 166.60 0.9600 132.50 27.90
102.90 27.50 166.80 0.9700 132.70 28.10
(*September 16, 2014)
US VISA AVAILABILITY IN SEPTEMBER, 2014 For Pakistan, Bangladesh & India Compiled by Hasan Chishti FAMILY SPONSORED PREFERENCES
Pakistan/Bangladesh
1st Unmarried sons & daughters of U.S. Citizens
May 1, 2007
May 1, 2007
2-A Spouses and unmarried children of permanent residents
Jan. 1, 2013
Jan. 1, 2013
2-B Unmarried sons & daughters (21 years of age or older) of permanent residents
Sept. 1, 2007
Sept. 1, 2007
Married sons & daughters of US citizens Nov. 15, 2003
Nov. 15, 2003
3
rd
4th Brothers & sisters of adult U.S. citizens
Jan. 1, 2002
India
Jan. 1, 2002
EMPLOYMENT BASED CATEGORY 1st Priority workers
Current
2nd Members of the professions holding advanced degree or persons of exceptional ability
Current
May 1, 2009
3rd Skilled workers Other workers
April 1, 2011 April 1, 2011
Nov. 8, 2003 Nov. 8, 2003
4th Certain special immigrants Certain religious workers
Current Current
5th Employment creation Targeted Employment Areas/ Regional Centers and Pilot Programs
Current
Current
Current Current Current
UNLIMITED FAMILY-BASED Immediate Relatives of U.S. Citizens (IR): The spouse, widow(er) and unmarried children under 21 of a U.S citizen, and the parent of a U.S. citizen who is 21 or older. Returning Residents (SB): Immigrants who lived in the United States previously as lawful permanent residents and are returning to live in the U.S. after a temporary visit of more than one year abroad.
RELIGION
SEPTEMBER 26, 2014 – PAKISTAN LINK – P27
Ten Principles of Success in the Light of Sirah n By Dr Muzammil H. Siddiqi
Gems from the Holy Qur’an
Y
e have indeed in the Messenger of Allah a beautiful pattern (of conduct) for any one whose hope is in Allah and the Final Day, and who engages much in the praise of Allah. (Al-Ahzab 33:21)
Prophet Muhammad – peace and blessings of Allah be upon him - was Allah’s messenger. He came to guide all humanity to the right path. His mission was to show the way of success in this world and salvation in the hereafter. He gave us the best example in his own life and those who followed him truly and sincerely were the most successful people. By studying his life (Sirah) we can learn many important principles for living a successful life here and achieving the eternal success in the life to come. Few years ago in one of our Sirah Conferences Maulana Waheeduddin Khan, a prominent Muslim thinker and writer from India, spoke and gave us ten principles of success in the light of Sirah. Today I would like to remind us these principles. They are useful in all situations and should be kept in mind always. 1. First Principle: To begin from the possible: This principle is well explained in a saying of Sayyidah A’ishah – may Allah be pleased with her. She said: “Whenever the Prophet had to choose between two options, he always opted for the easier choice.” (Al-Bukhari) To choose the easiest option means to begin from the possible; and one who begins from the possible will surely reach his goal. 2. Second Principle: To see advantage in disadvantage: In the early days of Mecca, there were many problems and difficulties. At that time, a guiding verse in the Qur’an was revealed. It said: “With every hardship there is ease, with every hardship there is ease.” (94:5-6). This means that if there are some problems, there are also opportunities at the same time. And the way to success is to know the problems but also to avail the opportunities. 3. Third Principle: To change the place of action: This principle is derived from
From the translation by Muhammad Asad (Leopold Weiss) (Recently, a media talk show host, well known for his anti-Muslim bias, saw it fit to make scornful remarks against the Qur’an on TV. In these columns, selections from this Holy Book will be published, so that unacquainted readers of the Pakistan Link may be able to judge for themselves.)
the Hijrah. Hijrah was not just a migration from Mecca to Medina. It was to find a more suitable place for Islamic work, as history proved later on. 4. Fourth Principle: To make a friend out of an enemy: The Prophet – peace be upon him - was repeatedly subjected to practices of antagonism by the unbelievers. At that time the Qur’an enjoined upon him the return of good for evil. And then, as the Qur’an added, “You will see your direst enemy has become your closest friend” (41:34). It means that a good deed in return of a bad deed has a conquering effect over your enemies. And the life of the Prophet is a historical proof of this principle. 5. Fifth Principle: To turn minus into plus After the Battle of Badr, about 70 of the unbelievers were taken as prisoners of war. Some of them were educated people. The Prophet (saw) announced that if any one of them would teach ten Muslim children how to read and write he would be freed. This was the first school in
the history of Islam in which all of the students were Muslims, and all of the teachers were from the enemy rank. A British Orientalist remarked about the Prophet, “He faced adversity with the determination to wring success out of failure.” 6. Sixth Principle: The power of peace is stronger than the power of violence: When Mecca was conquered, all of the Prophet’s direst opponents were brought before him. They were war criminals, in every sense of the word. But the Prophet did not order to kill them. He simply said: “Go, you are free.” The result of this kind of behavior was miraculous. They immediately accepted Islam. 7. Seventh Principle: Not to be a dichotomous thinker: In the famous Ghazwa of Mu’ta, Khalid ibn al-Walid decided to withdraw Muslim forces from the battlefield because he discovered that his army was disproportionately outnumbered. When they reached Medina, some of the Muslims received them by the word “Furrarun (O deserters!)” The Prophet said, “No. They are Kurrarun (those who will return and advance).” Those people of Madinah were thinking dichotomously, either fighting or retreating. The Prophet said no. There is also a third option, and that is to avoid war and find a time to strengthen yourself. Now history tells us that the Muslims, after three years of p r e p a r at i o n , advanced again towards the
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Roman border and this time they achieved a resounding victory. 8. Eighth Principle: To bring the battle in one’s own favorable field: This principle is derived from the incident of Hudaibiyya. At that time, the unbelievers were determined to engage Muslims in fighting, because obviously they were in an advantageous position. But the Prophet, by accepting their conditions unilaterally, entered into a pact. It was a ten-year peace treaty. Until then, the meeting ground between Muslims and non- Muslims had been on the battlefield. Now the area of conflict became that of an ideological debate. Within two years, Islam emerged victorious because of the simple reason of its ideological superiority. 9. Ninth Principle: Gradualism instead of radicalism: This principle is well established by a Hadith of Al-Bukhari. Sayyidah Aishah – may Allah be pleased with her - says that the first verses of the Qur’an were related mostly to faith, to heaven and hell. And then after a long time when people’s hearts had softened, the specific commands to desist from adultery and drinking were revealed in the Qur’an. This is a clear proof that for social changes, Islam advocates the evolutionary method, rather than the revolutionary method. 10. Tenth Principle: To be pragmatic in controversial matters: During the writing of Hudaibiyya treaty, the Prophet – peace be upon him - dictated these words: “This is from Muhammad, the Messenger of God.” The Quraysh delegate raised objections over these words. The Prophet promptly changed the word and ordered to write simply Muhammad, son of Abdullah. These were the principles through which the Prophet – peace be upon him - gained success and if we follow them today seriously and sincerely, we can also achieve success. (Taken from a talk of Maulana Waheeduddin Khan)
About the translator: Muhammad Asad, Leopold Weiss, was born in Livow, Austria (later Poland) in 1900, and at the age of 22 made his first visit to the Middle East. He later became an outstanding foreign correspondent for the Franfurter Zeitung, and after his conversion to Islam travelled and worked throughout the Muslim world, from North Africa to as far East as Afghanistan, India and Pakistan. After years of devoted study he became one of the leading Muslim scholars of our age. His translation of the Holy Qur’an is one of the most lucid and well-referenced works in this category. Chapter 17, Verses 59 And nothing has prevented Us from sending [this message, like the earlier ones,] with miraculous signs [in its wake], save [Our knowledge] that the people of olden times [only too often] gave the lie to them [ 1 ]: thus, We provided for [the tribe of] Thamud the she-camel as the lightgiving portent, and they sinned against it. And never did We send those signs for any other purpose than to convey a warning. _____________ Translator’s Notes [ 1 ] This highly elliptic sentence has a fundamental bearing on the purport of the Qur’an as a whole. In many places the Qur’an stresses the fact that the Prophet Muhammad, despite his being the last and greatest of God’s apostles, was not empowered to perform miracles similar to those with which the earlier prophets are said to have reinforced their verbal messages. His only miracle was, and is, the Qur’an itself – a message perfect in its lucidity and ethical comprehensiveness, destined for al times and all stages of human development, addressed not merely to the feelings but also to the minds of men, open to everyone, whatever his or her race or social environment, and bound to remain unchanged forever. Since the earlier prophets invariably appealed to their own community and their own time alone, their teachings were, of necessity, circumscribed by the social and intellectual conditions of that particular community and time; and since the people to whom they addressed themselves had not yet reached the stage of independent thinking, those prophets stood in need of symbolic portents or miracles in order to make the people concerned realize the inner truth of their mission. The message of the Qur’an, on the other GEMS, P29
CLASSIFIED & MATRIMONIAL
P28 – PAKISTAN LINK – SEPTEMBER 26, 2014
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Household work, cooking, for a senior at: Villa Anaheim 3303 West Lincoln Avenue Apt. 150 City of Anaheim, CA 92801. Call Abdul-Ghani 714/995-8610 with Social Security, California ID.
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PAKISTAN GEMS FROM P27
hand, was revealed at a time when mankind (and in particular, that part of it which inhabited the regions marked by the earlier, JudaeoChristian religious development) had reached a degree of maturity which henceforth enabled it to grasp an ideology as such without the aid of those persuasive portents and miraculous demonstrations which in the past, as the above verse points out, only too often gave rise to new, grave misconceptions. TIPS FROM P24
“Some of the language you come across in the business world can seem absurd to outsiders; some of these phrases, however, may actually reveal ambition in an employee,” Kayser says. “The beauty of language is that it’s a common tool for everyone to use, yet it can be tailored to an individual. My primary suggestion is to do that in a way that authentically reveals your meaning.” About Steve Kayser: Steve Kayser is an award-winning writer, editor, publisher, former radio host and founder of Kayser Media. He has had the great fortune to interview and collaborate with some of the best minds in the business world, and his eclectic approach to public relations and marketing has been widely documented. He recently published “The Greatest Words You’ve Never Heard,” (www.stevekayser.com). MAQSOOD FROM P12
last stage performance was in Nazar Hussain’s ‘Hum log.’ Despite his exploits on film, radio, and stage, Hassan will be most remembered for his role in the television drama ‘Quddusi sahab ki bewa,’ which was based on issues surrounding a lower middle class locality of Pakistan. His most memorable film remains ‘Jaag utha insaan’. CREW FROM P15
with the relevant admin staff,” a senior PIA official told Dawn. He said the accused left for London to purchase iPhones at cheap rates to sell them in Pakistan at higher prices. He said some of their rivals in the union informed the customs officials about the plan before their return. “As soon as the crew members reported in the lounge after landing of the plane, the authorities searched them. But they did not find iPhones. Later, they learnt that the accused had handed over the phones to a passenger,” the official said. The phones were later recovered from the passenger. The authorities also reportedly recovered 5,000 British pounds from the captain and some other crew. VIGIL FROM P20
of Kashmir achieve peace, freedom and self-determination. Date: Monday, September 29, 2014 Time: 6.00 p.m. to 8.00 p.m. Lafayette Park, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC Please join us along with your family and friends. The presence of children is highly appreciated. Kashmiri American Council P. O. Box 27014, Washington, DC 20038 kashmiracouncil@gmail.com For more information, please call: Zubair, 703-244-7433; Zulfiqar, 571-277-0428; Liaqat, 301-674-9291;
SEPTEMBER 26, 2014 – PAKISTAN LINK – P29 Tahir, 571-224-2355; Zahoor, 301529-8547; Imtiaz, 202-352-7030; 703; Arif, 703-915-1944; Mehmood, 301-466-6790; Zahid, 240-551-4046; Asghar, 301-254-4979; Zahid, 703405-3332; Sawar 718-496-6545; Niaz, 856-313-8001; Sabir, 610-745-9399. CHISHTI FROM P22
for a reputed real estate company Khan & Associates and also for Pentagon Industries for about five years before he started his own business with his sons, Javeed and Wajid, both computer engineers. He has been happily married to Zeenath Hasan for 55 years. MOU FROM P22
to establish an institutional link between the two organizations was proposed by Mrs Iffat Tasawar Khan in 2013. The MoU was signed after approval by the MGYW Board of Directors and Madam Najia Aizaz, President PFOWA. Under the MoU, MGYW will annually provide 15 scholarships to PFOWA, which will be granted to the girl students, belonging to the families of low grade employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is hoped that the arrangements agreed between the two organizations will go a long way in realizing their cherished objective of supporting and promoting education amongst the underprivileged segments of our society. PICNIC FROM P23
idea came from my daughter Aesha.” Donna, who was apparently very happy with the turnout, commented: “The picnic event is the first time. Yasmeen, Homaira, Shameem and Naushad are the key people and have really made this happen.” Children enjoyed the nice day, the food and the water melon. MEETING FROM P1
Speaking to Dawn, Foreign Office spokesperson Tasneem Aslam said the premier, accompanied by a small delegation, will address the United Nations General Assembly on September 26. She said Adviser to the PM on Foreign Affairs and National Security Sartaj Aziz, Special Assistant to the PM Tariq Fatimi, Foreign Secretary Azaz Ahmed, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US Jalil, Abbas Jilani and Pakistan’s Permanent Envoy to UN Ambassador Masood Khan are members of the premier’s delegation. ASMA FROM P1
the honorary portion of the 2014 Right Livelihood Award with Alan Rusbridger, editor of British newspaper The Guardian, which has published a series of articles on government surveillance based on documents leaked by Snowden. Created in 1980, the annual Right Livelihood Award honors efforts that prize founder Jacob von Uexkull felt were being ignored by the Nobel Prizes. The prize is awarded annually “to honor and support those offering practical and exemplary answers to the most urgent challenges facing us today”, according to the foundation. Foundation director Ole von Uexkull, the award creator’s nephew, said all winners have been invited to the Dec 1 award ceremony in Stockholm, though he added it’s unclear whether Snowden can attend. NAWAZ FROM P1
top government officials in the past. He is staying in Waldorf Astoria
hotel where US President Barack Obama will also stay. The US president is scheduled to host a dinner in honor of all heads of states at the UN headquarters Thursday morning. Prime Minister Nawaz will also attend. According to a schedule released to the media, the prime minister will meet US Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State John Kerry on Friday. Apart from addressing the UN General Assembly session, he will also have a series of meetings with heads of states. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive in New York on Friday but a one-on-one meeting between him and Nawaz Sharif is highly unlikely. Premier Nawaz will meet his Norwegian counterpart Erna Solberg Thursday morning. Afterwards, he will see Nepal’s Premier Sushil Koirala, which will be followed by his meeting with World Bank President Dr Jim Yong Kim. In the afternoon, the premier is scheduled to meet his Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte. He will also have an important meeting with European Union’s president. In the evening, Premier Nawaz will meet with United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. He will also meet his Malaysian counterpart on Friday. The premier will co-chair the UN peacekeeping summit along with US Vice President Joe Biden and other world leaders, including Japanese and Bangladeshi prime ministers. On Friday, he will address the annual session of the UN General Assembly. IMRAN FROM P1
with mutual agreement in turns. The PTI chief targeted both the PML-N and PPP for what he called their “joint venture” aimed at plundering Pakistan under the CoD. Imran said that he had only one plan, which was to end the rule of both PML-N and PPP, who had been taking turns to rule the country for the past three decades. “We have to defeat these two with the help of the masses. This plan was made 18 years ago,” he said while referring to the date when he formed his party. The PTI chairman claimed that the only reason former President Asif Ali Zardari was not asking Nawaz to resign was because of their ‘London Plan’. Imran lamented how Zardari, despite the ex-president’s admission that elections were rigged and managed by the ROs, had clung on to power in Sindh. “If rigging in Punjab is revealed, so will happen in Sindh,” he said. Imran said PM Nawaz was protecting the oppressive system while ex-president Zardari was his ‘partner in crime.’ “P u b l i c l y they pose to be adversaries but privately they are brothers.” I m r a n Khan once again reiterated to continue his protest till PM Nawaz steps down, adding that they intend to set a new record for protest attendance on Friday in
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Islamabad before staging a ‘historic’ rally in Lahore on Sunday. “C o m e what may, I will not go from here without the resignation of the prime minister.” Reiterating his agenda for a ‘Naya Pakistan’, Imran said their challenge was to raise the 110 million Pakistanis out of poverty. Ta l k i n g about corruption, the PTI chief said that under the gove r n m e nt sponsored tax evasion, the country had reached the brink of collapse and could not progress in the presence of these two parties. “When Zardari left the government, each Pakistani owed Rs80,000 on account of international debt. Now the figure has increased to Rs100,000.” “Nawaz promised to bring the money in Swiss banks back to Pakistan,” Imran said, adding “But since he has now partnered with him, there is no mention of it.” The PTI chief added that per Admiral (retd) Fasih Bokhari, corruption and tax evasion cost the state Rs12 billion per day. Continuing his tirade against Nawaz, Imran said the prime minister had completely ignored merit by appointing members of his family and friends on key posts with his brother-in-law the finance minister, his son-in-law the minister of state for water and power, his daughter the head of Rs100 billion fund for youth, brother chief minister of Punjab and brother’s son the deputy chief minister of Punjab. Imran also took a dig at Bilawal Bhutto and his recent visit to flood affected areas in Multan. Imran claimed that the young Bhutto scion was visiting
with protocol of 750 policemen, which far exceeded that of what is accorded for a prime minister. ISI FROM P1
plan the attacks on Mumbai in 2008 that killed over 160. Akhtar wrote this report prior to the Mumbai attacks when Pervez Musharraf was in power and Pakistan and India were engaged in high-level exchanges for building closer ties. Akhtar’s research at the time highlights that Pakistan’s stability is majorly dependent on long-lasting peace with India, adding that this would allow Pakistani military forces to be deployed in other areas for operations against Al Qaeda/Taliban or other terrorist organizations threatening the country. Akhtar’s paper goes on to elucidate that Pakistan has seen healthy relations with the US as parallel to its general security framework, focusing primarily on the apparent threat from the Indian military. However, as things stand, the security relationship between US and Pakistan has been periodically unsteady by America’s approaches to India, Akhtar says, adding that this has led to the perception that the US may not be a reliable ally of Pakistan if ties between the two neighbors reach a point of clash. The paper calls for bridging the trust gap between India and Pakistan and while Akhtar will not be calling all the shots, he is likely to have a voice that can create a difference.
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SEPTEMBER 26, LINK –LINK P31 SEPTEMBER 26, 2014 2014– PAKISTAN - PAKISTAN
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he Pakistani Academy Selection Committee has selected Dukhtar to be submitted for Oscar consideration in the 'Foreign Language Film Award' category at the 87th Academy Awards. The film was selected by way of a secret ballot and was the overwhelming film of choice of the Committee members, a press release stated. As per standard practice, films selected by each individual country's Academy selection committee are submitted to the Academy for screening, shortlisting and voting with official Oscar nominees announced at a later date. In 2013, the Pakistani
Academy Selection Committee selected Zinda Bhaag as the first Pakistani film in over fifty years to be submitted for Oscar consideration in the 'Foreign Language Film Award' category. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will choose the final nominees for all award categories including Best Foreign Language Film by January 8, 2015. The complete and final list of Oscar nominees will be announced on January 15, 2015 with the presentation show for the 87th Academy Awards scheduled to take place on February 22, 2015.
A record number of 76 films were submitted for Oscar consideration in the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 86th Academy Awards held earlier this year. The number of internationally submitted films for this category is expected to be even greater this year. In a departure from traditional film fare, Dukhtar, directed by Afia Nathaniel, highlights the issue of child marriage through the setup of a road-trip thriller that explores the intense drama of a mother's frenzied search for a new life for her daughter with the help of ex-Mujahid truck driver played by award-winning actor
Mohib Mirza. The film is set against the backdrop of the surreal landscapes and roads of Hunza, Skardu, Gilgit and Kallar Kahar all the way to the urbanscape of Lahore. The feature film boasts a star studded cast that includes Samyia Mumtaz, Mohib Mirza, Saleha Aref, Asif Khan, Ajab Gul, Adnan Shah (Tipu), Abdullah Jan, Samina Ahmed and Omair Rana. Dukhtar was shot in 30 days in below freezing conditions with more than 200 extras and chase scenes filmed on the world's highest altitude roads. The film was premiered at the prestigious Toronto International
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Film Festival [TIFF] on Friday September 5, as an official selection in the festival's Discovery section. Followed by its international release, Dukhtar was released in Pakistan earlier today, i.e. Thursday, September18, at leading cinemas and film houses nationwide. "It's so overwhelming to hear about this news right after our World Premiere at Toronto and during our theatrical release in Pakistan. My deep gratitude to the Pakistan Academy Selection Committee for their support and for our audiences everywhere who have embraced us so warmly. May the Force be with us!" said Afia Nathaniel. The Pakistani Academy Selection Committee was chaired Emmy and Academy Award winning documentary filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy and includes Akifa Mian, Ali Zafar, Framji Minwalla, Iram Parveen Bilal, Meesha Shafi, Mehreen Jabbar, Mohsin Hamid, Nadia Jamil, Rohail Hyatt and Samina Peerzada Speaking about the selection of Dukhtar, the members have said: * "Dukhtar is a wonderful, impressive film. It shows how quickly Pakistani cinema is progressing." - Mohsin Hamid * "The little girl in Dukhtar a star is born" - Samina Peerzada * "Dukhtar has set a new precedent in filmmaking in Pakistan. The film's powerful narrative is met with equally strong visuals that collectively showcase what Pakistani talent is all about. I have no doubt that the
story will resonate with people locally and internationally." Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy " "Simple yet full of impact. Dukhtar highlights a subject that desperately needs attention. Sensitive yet spirited portrayal of Allah Rakkhi by Samia Mumtaz. The Pakistani landscape is shot with a beautiful eye. Afia Nathanial has arrived." - Meesha Shafi * "Dukhtar is a 'quiet' narrative. Use of day light in Afia's film was refreshing and cinematic. I wish the team best of luck. May Pakistani filmmakers keep making films each year which have their own unique signature style." - Akifa Mian * "Dukhtar is a story told with visually striking images, sensitive characters and most importantly, with a heart. I wish it all my best for its Oscar submission" - Iram Parveen Bilal * "It's an incredibly exciting time for ideas and change in Pakistan to be represented in cinema. The world of communication and visual arts has opened up to us and it's time for us to tell our stories to the rest of the world. Dukhtar is a great way to start. Set against the stunning backdrop of Pakistans Northern and tribal areas, it's a story of courage that the world doesn't usually get to see. The incredibly beautiful, resilient Pakistani women, the world doesn't get to hear or watch in action. Wonderfully shot and lit, with a rich lush local wardrobe and panoramic scenes I'm wishing Dukhtar all the best of luck from my heart!" Courtesy Dawn
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