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Friday, August 14, 2015
VOL. 25/33 - 29 Shawwal 1436 H
PAGE 7
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The Rise and Demise of Mullah Omar
Imran Has the Task to Carve out His Niche
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PAGE 11
Reham Khan Seizes the Steering Wheel
MQM Lawmakers Tender Resignations NA Adopts Quaid’s Vision about Minorities Islamabad: The National Assem-
bly adopted a resolution on Tuesday demanding that the Quaid’s vision about the status of religious minorities in Pakistan be adopted as the country’s roadmap for the future. Some supporters of the resolution, moved by Ports and Shipping Minister Kamran Michael to mark Minorities’ Day, wanted the Quaid’s famous speech to Pakistan’s first Constituent Assembly on Aug 11, 1947, containing that vision, be made part of school and college curriculum to make the country’s youth aware of what its founder had visualized the new state to be like. “The text of the historic
Flanked by party stalwarts, MQM Parliamentary leader Farooq Sattar addresses the media, Islamabad, August 12
Islamabad:
VISION, P28
Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) lawmakers simultaneously submitted their resignations in the National Assembly, Senate and the Sindh Assembly on
Security Forces Foil Independence Day Bomb Plot
Operation Zarb-e-Azb in Final Stages: Army Chief
Karachi: Pakistani security forces said Wednesday they had foiled a plot to bomb Independence Day celebrations in Karachi after arresting a Taliban gang in the city. Militants had been planning to detonate a van loaded with explosives in the country’s largest city during Friday’s celebrations marking independence from Britain in 1947, a statement from the military said. “In an intelligence-based operation security forces have... foiled a terrorist bid planned to sabotage 14 August celebrations in Karachi,” the statement said. The military released photos showing four men detained in the operation along with the van, a motorbike and bomb-making equipment. The apprehended suspects include deputy emir of the Tehreek-iTaliban Pakistan (TTP) Swat chapter, Bakhat Zaman. According to details by ISPR, the militant gang has been planning the attack since some time and PLOT, P28
Wednesday, citing reservations over the Rangers-led operation in Karachi. Addressing the National Assembly MQM lawmaker Farooq Sat-
tar said, “We have decided to resign from the National Assembly, Senate and Sindh Assembly.” After Sattar finished his speech, the MQM, P28
For news, updated round the clock, visit
www.PakistanLink.com LG Polls in Punjab and Sindh Proposed in Three Phases Islamabad: In the Supreme Court of Pakistan on Wednesday, the Election Commission of Pakistan submitted a proposed schedule for conducting local government (LG) elections in Punjab and Sindh from November 11 in three phases. According the proposed schedule, the first phase of LG polls will be held on November 11. The second and third phases will be held on November 29 and December 19, respectively. In the first phase, LG polls will be held in 12 districts of Punjab, which include Lodhran, Vehari, Okara, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Toba Tek Singh Sargodha, Kasir, Nankana Sahib, Gujarat, Rawalpindi and Attock. In Sindh, the first phase will see polls being held in eight districts including Sukkur, Ghotki, Khairpur, Larkana, Qamber Shahadkot, Shikarpur, Jacobabad and Kashmore. In the second phase, the POLLS, P28
24 More Victims Step Forward in Kasur Scam Kasur: Twenty-four more families
COAS General Raheel Sharif shakes hand with a soldier during his visit to Wazirstan on August 12, 2015
Rawalpindi: Over a year after it be-
gan Operation Zarb-e-Azb is in its final stages with the remaining terrorists to be eliminated soon, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif said on Wednesday.
A statement from the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that the army chief had visited troops on the front line on Wednesday. Without specifying whether he was in north or south Waziristan,
the statement said that General Raheel reviewed progress of the ongoing operation. General Raheel said that any remnants of terrorists, who OPERATION, P28
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have stepped forward to register their cases against victimization in a massive child abuse and extortion scandal in Hussain Khawala village of Punjab’s Kasur District. Investigations into the scandal - termed the biggest in the country’s history - revealed that around 400 videos were made of 280 victims by an organized gang of over 25 criminals in Hussain Khanwala village. Amid mounting calls for justice from protesting families, media and civil society, 24 more families have now decided to register their cases against the gang. A top government official says he has fired a provincial intelligence chief and three senior police officers for failing to act against the gang that blackmailed the families of children it sexually abused. Shahbaz Sharif, the chief minister of Punjab province, made the announcement late Tuesday on social media. It comes amid widening outrage over the child sex abuse KASUR, P28
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OPINION
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Imran Has the Task to Carve out His Niche, Now
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n By Karamatullah K. Ghori
T
Toronto, Canada
he Special Judicial Commission’s report on the last general elections in Pakistan has cleared up the fog surrounding the exercise. The dust kicked up by Imran Khan’s PTI, casting serious doubts about the fairness of the enterprise, should now be settling down, for good.
The Commission’s findings are, no doubt, a blessing in disguise to Nawaz Sharif. He has been handed down a verdict that, now, unequivocally endorses the legitimacy of his unprecedented third-time ascent to power in Pakistan. To Nawaz’ acolytes and aficionados—whose ranks are certain to swell in the light of the ruling—the legitimacy of his third innings in power was, perhaps, never in doubt. However, there were many who saw a lot of wisdom in Imran Khan’s raucous challenge to the way the last elections were conducted and the outcome spawned as a result of it. Restraint, of any kind, has never been a strong suit in the game of politics and power-play in Pakistan—and none has reason to doubt this statement in the light of over-the-board national reaction to the Commission’s findings. To those setting their store by Nawaz and his clique, the verdict is a resounding victory for their ‘leader’ and a slap in the face of Imran and followers. To the PML(N) jiyalas their man stands fully vindicated and, by the same token, his nemesis, Imran, repudiated and smeared in shame. However, neither of it is true. All that the Commission has come out with is a verdict that is typically circumspect and cautiously calibrated to not upset the applecart spawned by the last elections. Starting with the apex court presided over by Justice Munir Ahmed, in the early 1950s, rarely, if ever, has our top judicial organ inconvenienced the status quo. Nawaz and the claptrap he lords over, has been treated with a typically soft and tender glove. But it still isn’t an entirely lop-sided verdict by the honourable judges of the Commission. They may have given the benefit of the doubt to Nawaz—by asserting that they didn’t find any reason to believe there was organised subterfuge behind the electoral exercise—but haven’t, at the same time, left Imran out in the cold, entirely. By stating that the Election Commission of Pakistan didn’t perform up to its mandated role in conducting a smear-less and clean exercise, the honourable judges have, in a very dignified way, rubbed the noses of those stuffing the ranks of ECP in the dust. By implication, the judges have handed Imran something to hang on to. If not, categorically, an endorsement of Imran’s stand that there was wholesale bungling of the election process, it does augment his argument that the exercise was carried out with a flawed machinery and, hence, the outcome of the elections will continue to be wrapped in a thick fog of suspicion. But the miasma of dis-balanced and deeplyfractured society triggered in the wake of the verdict is far too pungent to be ignored. A well-organized media campaign has quickly filled the air-waves and space in-between to sling mud to their hearts’ content against Imran and PTI. DAWN and JANG, the two leading newspapers of Pakistan, are leading the charge of Imran’s character-assassination. And then there’s Geo Television—whose credentials have been under a cloud for a long time—to poison the atmospherics against its target with impunity. The owners and managers of these outfits have long been sold out—and pawned their souls—to the likes of Zardari, the robber-baron, and have no shame to toe the line dictated by this arch villain of the Pakistani political culture. There’s nary a doubt that Imran being pilloried with such enthusiasm must be music to the ears of Nawaz and his minions and cronies. Even if the ruling elite of PML(N) is not a partisan in this shameful media trial of an icon of Pakistan, they are, clearly, guilty of spectating the filth with their lips sealed, if not a smirk of satisfaction on their faces.
Has PTI been put on the back-foot in the face of this relentless onslaught? To a certain extent, yes, this may be true. And stories of in-fighting in its ranks, if not the top echelons, aren’t exactly helping the cause of the party or adding to the confidence of those still standing by it with unflinching resolve. It’s a huge challenge, no doubt, for Imran, personally. As skipper of his ship, he has the onerous task to pilot the craft skillfully and lead it out of the rough shoals. It’s a challenge for him because he’d staked so much of his prestige and standing on his proclaimed fight to get justice for his party. He’d made it, virtually, into a personal crusade to rid the system of its deep flaws and bring about a change for the better. So, understandably, Imran is the one charged with the onus of carrying the cross on his shoulders and lead his beleaguered party to the shores of salvation. Imran’s ability to do the task shouldn’t be a cause of doubt to those who have known him and have a measure of his personal traits and qualities.
Even a cynical, palpably skewed, interpretation of the status quo should give heart to Imran and his team; they should have reason to count on it that the corrupt ruling cabal will have collected many trophies of shady dealings and scandals by the hustings time. That will be manna to Imran and PTI, something that they should exploit to their own benefit at the polls. Look at it this way, boys; the adversary will have blackened his face enough for you to shred him to fragments He has it, in his guts, to rise to a tough challenge; his cricketing career is studded with ample evidence of the old adage: the tough gets going when things get tough. What Imran needs is both good advice and a cool, calm and calibrated frame of mind in this critical hour. The time for bringing forth the best in him, and put it to work right away, is now. First, and foremost, there’s an ineluctable need for him to be dispassionate about the task on his hands. His loud-mouthed critics have long been swearing by it that the Kaptan is far too emotional to be a good and successful politician. They say he shoots first and thinks later. He has to prove the parroting detractors wrong. Imran must shift gears and realise that the days of street protests are gone and done with. The jury is still out on whether his raucous Dharna had any merit in it or was a complete disaster. But whatever the verdict, it’s history and has no justification, in the light of current realities, to be repeated. The venue for the ‘fight’ has shifted to the House of Parliament. That’s where the battles should be fought for a democratic system shorn and cleansed of corruption. There’s no reason for Imran to entertain any
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fancy notion that he can still upstage Nawaz and topple him. No, my friend, that’s not going to happen. Deeply flawed and moth-eaten as the status quo is, it still seems to have a shelf-life of another three years left in it. There’s no need for Imran to fret over the longevity of a regime loathed by him. Mythical as it may seem to its defenders and partisans, the Pakistani ‘establishment’ has no taste for any more political upheavals at this stage. I don’t blame them. They have far too much on their plate to entertain any notion of piling on to it. Pakistan is in the throes of trying and testing times—genuinely so—and no well-wisher of the country should have appetite for more. Three more years of power may be a gift from heavens to Nawaz and the nincompoops surrounding him. But Imran, too, should look at the prospect as a blessing of sorts. He has three years to get his act together and line up his team to give PML(N) a run for its money when the nation goes back to the polls, in 2018. Even a cynical, palpably skewed, interpretation of the status quo should give heart to Imran and his team; they should have reason to count on it that the corrupt ruling cabal will have collected many trophies of shady dealings and scandals by the hustings time. That will be manna to Imran and PTI, something that they should exploit to their own benefit at the polls. Look at it this way, boys; the adversary will have blackened his face enough for you to shred him to fragments. Apart from keeping a sharp focus on his fief, in KPK, and the fertile land-of-opportunity that Punjab is, Imran ought to rivet his gaze on the problem-infested province of Sindh. As things stand, today, and as they are likely to be in shape, by the time of the next polls in 2018, Sindh will be ripe to be plucked by PTI, especially the urban part of it. Three years hence, PPP, still being preened by Zardari’s vultures, will be a skeleton ready to be buried in Sindh urban. It may still have some presence left in Sindh rural, where ignorance ( jahiliya) is still deep-rooted and the writ of Waderashahi fairly intact. For all intents and purposes, PPP could be left to wallow in its self-created misery in the backwaters of Sindh’s interiors. However, MQM, more an extortionist mafia than a political party, should be history by 2018. The Mafioso—an unmitigated disaster—is still at work, with his shenanigans, to drive his outfit into the abyss of no-return; his minions and henchmen, still active in Karachi, seem intent on presiding over its un-ceremonial burial. This scribe has argued before—and doesn’t mind repeating it here—that Karachi is PTI’s for the taking provided this is done with a clearly thought-out plan. Imran ought to line up the finest of his team to descend on Karachi, stay put here without a time-limit and work to attract to PTI’s ranks the disgruntled elements of MQM. Many of these harangued and deeply frustrated cadres of MQM should be looking for a shoulder to lean on. Imran has his work cut out to offer it to them. The bottom-line in the whole argument is that Imran has little to lose and a lot to gain by re-ordering his priorities and re-arranging his political focus. More than anything else, he needs a cool head over his shoulders. It’s for him to prove his fans and followers right by rising to the moment like the man of the hour. He can do it. Yes, he can do it, if only he’d think rationally, coolly, and calmly. The time is now. The count-down has begun. - K_K_ghori@hotmail.com (The author is a former ambassador and a career diplomat)
Views 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 – AUGUST 14, 2015
Mounting a Campaign for Kashmiris’ Right of Self- Determination n By Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai Secretary General World Kashmir Awareness Washington, DC
T
he purpose of this article is to provide friends of Kashmir with a plan to mount an educational and awareness campaign in support of self-determination in Kashmir and to enlist the support of the Members of Congress, Thinktanks, NGO’s and media to persuade India and Pakistan to include Kashmiri leadership in any future dialogue that will lead to the settlement of the Kashmir dispute.
Your objective should be to build support for the active involvement of the United States to help resolve the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the aspiration of the people and United Nations Security Council resolutions. Your strategy has to be a part of a process to build momentum and create opportunities to show the Members of Congress how active support for a referendum in Kashmir can further the interests of the United States in the region of South Asia. Your challenge will be to provide them with specific ideas for future policy actions and decisions. The ideas must be sound, concrete, tangible and realistic. Your meeting with them must be more than educational. It must move forward the political dialogue that can ultimately lead to more extensive tripartite dis-
cussions between India, Pakistan and Kashmiri leadership. The United States Administration must realize that: (i). The Kashmiri people could be instrumental in providing a ‘way out’ of this cycle of violence and period of uncertainty. Kashmiris are an educated people. They have a recorded history of five thousand years. They have a skilled workforce. The Jammu & Kashmir itself is rich in natural resources including an abundance of fertile land and vast waterways which could produce enough hydroelectric power to support not only Kashmir but parts of India and Pakistan as well. (ii). Given a chance, Kashmiris could be instrumental in encouraging peace and stability not only in the subcontinent but in Afghanistan as well. As many experts of international relations now publicly say, the key to peace and stability in Afghanistan lies in Kashmir. (iii). One cannot deal with the tensions between India and Pakistan without simultaneously addressing the bone of contention of these tensions – that is Kashmir. Think tanks and NGOs play a critical role in shaping the foreign policy of the United States, through studies, backgrounders, issues memorandums, seminars and conferences. They are looked at by foreign policy agencies as powerful sources of information on many complex issues. A timely editorial or opinion piece or article can influence the out-
Root of Evil n By Abu Musa
I
Yorba Linda, CA
have seldom seen or heard a worthy discussion where the intellectuals do not lament about ‘What has gone wrong with Karachi (or the entire Sindh for that matter)?
come of a debate and encourage a shift in policy. By generating stories on Kashmir, you will draw the attention of the foreign policy agencies and ultimately persuade them to take interest in the Kashmir cause. You can be sure that the Indian lobby, much larger than ours, has wasted no time in voicing their opposition to what they term ‘separatism,’ ‘fundamentalism’ and ‘terrorism.’ Our efforts have to be designed to provide information that supports the positive themes that strengthen our position. Remember, never exaggerate the events. Why to exaggerate when our story is true in the first place! We must combat the Indian disinformation campaign by providing direct, positive and substantive information. The recent rhetorical volley
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It hurts me to note that ‘the very obvious’ has either ‘not’ been noted or has simply been neglected. Most of the respected scholars wonder aloud and keep wondering that despite being one country and one nation, why are we so divided and on crossroads? In 1973, Sindh-urban was represented in the Assemblies solely by the Islamists, and MQM or PPI did not even exist. It was at this point in time when the hatred and divide was constitutionally sown in. Thanks to the Constitution of 1973 the malignancy of ‘constitutional divide of Sindh’ was promulgated in the form of five types of domicile in four provinces. There is one domicile in Punjab, one in Balochistan, one in Khayber Pukhtoonkhwa but two in Sindh (urban and rural). This constitutional divide in addition to the famous language bill of Sindh Assembly furnished the final stroke to the burning iron. The populace of Sindh-urban was the only one that sent Islamists to the Parliaments in the whole of Pakistan since 1947 to 1987 — Dr Nazeer Shaheed being the only exception. Warna ummat tere mehboob ki deewani thi, as Dr Iqbal put
between India and Pakistan at Ufa, Russia provided the backdrop for heightened concern of the US, Russia and China over the recent tensions between India and Pakistan. That prompted a direct involvement of those world powers in supporting a lowering of hostilities between two disputants. Call it mediation or facilitation or deeper engagement, it really does not matter. In reality, it was the third party involvement in general and multiple telephone calls by our Secretary of State John Kerry in particular, that brought India and Pakistan together at Ufa, Russia. We have to insist that the United States must persuade both India and Pakistan to include Kashmiri leadership in the future talks so as to reach the final settlement of the Kashmir dispute. - gnfai2003@yahoo.com ROOT, P28
OPINION n By Dr Mohammad Taqi
T
Florida
he leader of the Afghan Taliban, Mullah Mohammad Omar, is dead and the Taliban as we have known them are history. Mullah Omar may have launched his bid for power in Kandahar but his career and myth were conceived, and finally shattered, east of the Durand Line. The Afghan Presidency stated in an official press release last week that Mullah Omar died in April 2013 in Karachi. The gravity of the charge inherent in the statement has perhaps not sunk in yet in Pakistan.
The Pakistani officials seem to be playing dead. Not a word has been heard from them about the passing of their most allied ally and, more importantly, what exactly he was doing in Karachi and before that in Quetta as is widely believed. The Afghans, especially former President Hamid Karzai and his national security team, stand vindicated. Mr Karzai and his intelligence chief Mr Amrullah Saleh, were spot on in saying it out loud, over a decade ago, that both Osama bin Laden and Mullah Omar had sanctuaries in Pakistan. But the Pakistani leadership at the time, specifically the military dictator General Pervez Musharraf and his successors, disparaged the Afghan leaders ad nauseam. General Musharraf, while at the helm, tried to send the world on a wild goose chase by stating in interview after interview that neither bin Laden nor Mullah Omar were in Pakistan.
AUGUST 14 2015 – PAKISTAN LINK – P7
The Rise and Demise of Mullah Omar It cannot, however, just end with a tactical silence. Mullah Omar led one of the most ruthless regimes of the late 20th century, which massacred thousands of Afghans and brutalized many more. Making a spectacle out of hanging political and military opponents from lampposts and tank barrels and shooting women in football stadiums, with the Taliban hordes jeering was the order of the day since the inception of Mullah Omar’s rule. He hosted the most vicious jihadist terrorists around the world that culminated in the 9/11 terror attacks. All this while, Mullah Omar was propped up from the outside, with even his Kandahar and Jalalabad telephones being run from the Quetta and Peshawar exchanges respectively. The first Taliban cabinet included at least 12 ministers who had been educated at Pakistan’s Haqqaniah seminary, including the founder of the eponymous terrorist network Jalaluddin Haqqani, who too has now been reported to have died a year ago. And when the international reprisal for the heinous attacks on the mainland US came in the winter of 2001, he fled to Quetta. It did not just end with an asylum there; he was facilitated to regroup and then unleash a horrific terrorist insurgency in Afghanistan yet again. For 21 years the outsiders sustained Mullah Omar — in life and in death — and inflicted massive misery on a whole generation of Afghans. Mullah Omar’s death closed a unified Taliban insurgency but opens up a Pandora’s Box of questions about his
patrons and whether any responsibility will be taken, now that Pakistan’s civil and military leadership claim that they have corrected their course against jihadism. Responsibility has to be affixed, not just for the sake of the Afghans but also for the thousands of Pakistani victims of Mullah Omar’s cohorts. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) owed allegiance to Mullah Omar, the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) ran terrorist training camps in Afghanistan during his reign and the al Qaeda leadership was the apple of his eye. These outfits shared ideology, manpower and logistics with Mullah Omar’s Taliban. They gained battlefield experience with the Taliban only to boomerang back to Pakistan, causing great death and destruction. The LeJ founder Riaz Basra was Mullah Omar’s guest in Afghanistan and dozens of his lieutenants, including the recently killed
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sectarian terrorist Malik Ishaq, consorted with the Taliban. From massacres of the Shias, Ahmadis and Christians to attacks on the Sri Lankan cricket team and indeed on the army’s General Headquarters itself, the vipers raised in the jihadist pit, designed to execute a proxy war in Afghanistan, have consistently come back to bite us. The costbenefit analysis that the elements of the Pakistani security establishment have in their minds might never be known. Perhaps no one will ever be held accountable for turning on its head the proclamation by Mr Muhammad Ali Jinnah that “Our object should be peace within, and peace without. We want to live peacefully and maintain cordial friendly relations with our immediate neighbors and with the world at large.” The appointment of Haqqani seminary alumni Mullah Muhammad Akhtar Mansoor and Sirajuddin Haqqani as the Taliban’s new leader and deputy leader respectively, reportedly in a Taliban Shura meeting in Quetta, indicates that Pakistan’s much-trumpeted course correction may still be a red herring. What is clear though is that both the Taliban and their patrons have run out of options in Afghanistan. The Taliban did confirm their leader’s death with the spin that he died in his native village of Chah-e-Himmat in Kandahar but even they know that their façade of being an indigenous Afghan movement has been flayed permanently. An overwhelming majority of Afghans despise the Taliban. Mullah Omar’s death in Pakistan has
only cemented that feeling. The halo of leadership and even spirituality around the one-eyed, reticent, reclusive and, by most accounts, dumb as a rock Mullah Omar was artificially foisted in his life but has been busted by his death. The Taliban’s political office in Qatar, which is led by Tayyab Agha and seems to control their website, is at loggerheads with Pakistan. Agha has reportedly resigned due to differences with Mullah Mansoor. The field commanders like Mullah Abdul Qayyum Zakir, who for now has pledged allegiance to Mullah Mansoor, may break away from him sooner rather than later. Sirajuddin Haqqani has been running his terror network for half a decade since his father semiretired in 2010, as I had noted in a previous column. Not much changes for the Haqqanis, for better or for worse. They are not a political outfit and cannot become one. The Taliban may persist militarily for some time, but their political prospects to gain a berth as one entity in the Kabul government are over and done with. The Afghans in general and Dr Ashraf Ghani’s government in particular have a once in a lifetime opportunity to seize the initiative. Now is the time to get their political, military and diplomatic ducks in a row and seal this rare deal. If the Afghans cannot capitalize on the geopolitical windfall from Mullah Omar’s demise, they may be in for another 21 years of agony of the kind that had started with his rise. (The writer can be reached at mazdaki@me.com and he tweets @ mazdaki)
OPINION
P8 – PAKISTAN LINK – AUGUST 14, 2015
Pressing Need for a Desalination Plant in Los Angeles
Beyond Ramadan
My Conversation with Salma Hayek on Our Shared Humanity
n By Azher Quader Chicago, IL
n By Syed A. Qaisar
T
Walnut, CA
he lingering drought in California has had a devastating effect all around. It has escalated the cost of produce - including meat, fish and milk. We are facing mandatory restriction in water usage or else pay fine. The turf and gardens at homes and parks have turned pale. Shallow water level in lakes and rivers threatens the endangered species. The hard liners in both the political parties are unyielding. Some are more concerned to save the salmon, rather than mitigate the suffering of the teeming millions. It remains to be seen as to which party demonstrates maturity and rises above partisanship. We cannot depend on mother nature. What if the drought persists?
Now that Ramadan has concluded, it would be good to pause and ponder on what lies beyond. While for most of us the encounter with hunger was a temporary discomfort to bear, we should not forget that for nearly a billion around the globe it is a way of life, a state of existence, and a condition of destiny. For them the long days of fasting rarely have an iftar to look up for or a suhoor to wake up to. For many of us boot camp Ramadan was no doubt a physical experience, but for some, hopefully it was also a spiritual one, reflective and transformative. The story of Ramadan can never be complete without recognizing the important message of the Qur’an and its relevance to our present-day lives. In the brutal killings inside Syria and Iraq and the terrorizing rise of ISIS, there are sobering lessons for all of us to learn from, as we listened to the Qur’an these past several days. The struggle for unity and understanding, that seeks to bind us together as one people, is as much a challenge for our ability to accept and live with our differences, as it is for our insistence on pursuing the details of our particular traditions. Without respect for these differences among people of varying backgrounds, tauhid becomes an empty slogan,
Granted that there are no easy solutions, but we urgently need a desalination plant for Los Angeles. San Diego’s plant is already in the works. Additional funding by the Federal Government is imperative. I congratulate Senator Feinstein for introduction of the $1.3 billion California drought -relief bill. It has the support of Senator Boxer. Brown’s natural resources Secretary praised the additional funding in Feinstein’s proposal. He added that many provisions of her bill “align with the State goals to increase recycling, conservation and water shortage.” I urge the Congress and the Senate to pass the bill without delay. The drought-stricken residents of Los Angeles look up to their representatives to act swiftly for a desalination plant in Los Angeles. Justice delayed is justice denied. RAMADAN, P9
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n By Salam Al-Marayati
L
MPAC President
ast week, the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) was invited to attend the L.A. premiere of Kahlil Gibran’s “The Prophet,” an animated film produced by actress and humanitarian Salma Hayek-Pinault. The film also features the voices of Liam Neeson (Taken), John Krasinski (The Office) and Quvenzhané Wallis (Annie).
The Prophet is an animated adaptation of Kahlil Gibran’s classic book of poetry and features eight of Gibran’s poems, highlighting the theme of freedom and our shared humanity. The film, which opens in theaters on Aug. 7, has already premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and will soon expand nationwide. Before the premiere, I had the
opportunity to sit down with Salma to discuss the main themes in her film. Watch the full interview here. First, I asked her about the importance of raising our children with positive values and the ability to think independently around issues facing our society. Salma’s response was profound. She said that she tries to guide her daughter, but tries to learn from her as well. Instead of telling her who she wants her to be, Salma prefers her daughter pave her own path, as the character in the movie does. I then asked how her role and experiences as a humanitarian shaped the way she produced the film. In April, Salma traveled to Lebanon to raise money and draw attention to the humanitarian needs of Syrian refugees. She said that she tried to emphasize the theme of CONVERSATION, P28
OPINION
AUGUST 14 2015 – PAKISTAN LINK – P9
As China Awakens, America - and Pakistan - Should Take Note - 2 n By Dr Akbar Ahmed
I
American University Washington DC
t is with this background of dramatic change that we need to look at one of the boldest Chinese initiatives that could potentially alter the economic and political fortunes of entire nations and regions of the world. It is the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Launched some two decades ago -- and bolstered by the additions of India and Pakistan this summer -- the SCO now has a membership of roughly half the world’s population. In the last few years it has become President Xi’s favored vehicle for conducting foreign policy and implementing his vision for global trade.
That vision, called the “One Belt, One Road” policy, envisages a breathtakingly ambitious program to create trade routes linking these societies with each other and with Europe. Plans are still vague, but I heard talk of a land route that will evoke the Silk Road through Central Asia, to the Middle East and on to Africa and then Europe. There is also a maritime route along the coast of China and Southeast Asia, down to India and into the Middle East and on to Europe. Pakistan is a vital link in this scheme of things. China-Pakistan Economic Corridor The Chinese talk of Pakistan as an “all-weather friend,” reflecting exactly how Pakistanis see them as well. The Chinese in private will go through the list of other close allies and point to their flaws: the North Koreans are seen as erratic, the “crazy younger brother,” a scholar at a dinner remarked; Burma or Myanmar has let them down and they can never fully rely on Iran, according to another scholar, as it appears “too keen to be seduced by the US.” That leaves Pakistan -- and Pakistan alone, in spite of its alliances with Western nations, has stood by China through thick and thin. China has reciprocated with a mixture of emotion and real politik -- it has just signed its biggest defense deal ever according to analysts, which gives Pakistan eight first-class submarines. It is a strange and unlikely love affair. There are, however, contradictions and tensions in the relationship. Pakistanis are an overwhelmingly Muslim nation, and Islam, because of the tense political situation in Xinjiang, is not a popular religion in secular China today. There is also a public debate about the extent to which Pakistan should be supported. Those opposed to it point out the nature of Pakistan’s corrupt politics and breakdown of law and order. The broad Chinese view of Pakistan is that of a favorite younger brother constantly landing in trouble. The Chinese will express their protective affection for Pakistan and in the next breath talk of the need to ensure its stability and encourage its prosperity. It is this relationship that explains one of President Xi’s central pieces in the “One Belt, One Road” policy -- the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. Xi’s commitment may be gauged by the fact that he has announced some 45 billion dollars for the project. It is breathtaking in its scope and vision and could alter the fate of the beleaguered Pakistani nation. It is a plan to connect China by road and high-speed train to the port of Gwadar on the Pakistani coast and transform the sleepy little town into a major international commercial and trading hub like Dubai across the Gulf. There would be economic spin-offs as trade and commerce would grow along the corridor. As a Pakistani American I am accustomed to the familiar Western media stereotype of Pakistan as “a nation of terrorists.” Yet I was surprised to discover this was not
the case in China. On the contrary, when people learned of my Pakistani background, I was treated with respect, kindness and affection. They would say, “You are family.” Sometimes strangers would take selfies with me, as if I was a movie star, after they discovered my Pakistani connection. Pakistanis feeling down because of the nonsense in Western media should visit China to cheer themselves up. In Beijing I was also privileged to be hosted by the head of the New Classic Press, which had just published the Chinese translation of my book “Journey into America: The Challenge of Islam” (2010). He said it was the first book to be translated from English by their press as the tradition is to translate books from Chinese into English. He said there had been intense debate about publishing the book as it was about Muslims, a controversial subject.
unrest will grow. We saw the recent protest attacks on the Chinese -- or anyone who the Turks thought was Chinese, which included Koreans. Such clashes could further inflame the border areas and jeopardize these projects. There is also the ever-present danger of US-China relations deteriorating to a point of conflict because of some minor incident that escalates. In this situation Pakistan has a potential role to play. The Pakistan Card With Pakistan’s good relations with both China and the US , it is ideally placed to help bring the two powers together, as it did in the past. It is sometimes forgotten that Pakistan facilitated President Nixon’s historic visit to China. The current global geopolitical alignment for the first time in history has both the US and China maintaining good rela-
As a Pakistani American I am accustomed to the familiar Western media stereotype of Pakistan as “a nation of terrorists.” Yet I was surprised to discover this was not the case in China. On the contrary, when people learned of my Pakistani background, I was treated with respect, kindness and affection. They would say, “You are family.” Sometimes strangers would take selfies with me, as if I was a movie star, after they discovered my Pakistani connection Challenges Ahead By committing himself so publicly to these global schemes, Xi has put his neck on the line. If they succeed, he gets the credit, if they fail, he is directly to be blamed. He faces undercurrents of resentment in the massive military and civil bureaucracy already feeling the pressures of his anti-corruption drive. They may start a go-slow campaign. Xi also faces the simmering anger resulting from the growing gap between the rich elite and the vast majority. Xi’s highways will take the Chinese through ancient tribal societies in South and Central Asia and Xi needs to pay attention to the situation in Xinjiang and deal with it through wise and compassionate policies. Otherwise Central Asian tribes will sympathize with their fellow Muslims in China and
tions with both India and Pakistan. While noting the unmistakable affection for Pakistan in China, I saw no overt signs of hostility towards India. On the contrary, Chinese scholars talked with optimism of the new relationship between China and India. They pointed to President Xi’s visit to India and Prime Minister Modi’s visit to China, which were conducted in an atmosphere of cordiality and resulted in billions of dollars in economic deals. But reality warns us that India and Pakistan are so conditioned by their hateful rivalry that they will turn any event to their favor and against their opponent. Perhaps the vast economic and political benefits that are possible in China’s initiatives will influence them in this case. In spite of the numerous naysayers, those of us who dream of a peaceful South Asia taking its place on the world stage as a cultural and
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economic powerhouse see a ray of hope in today’s situation. Perhaps the greatest lesson that emerged in the recent US-China dialogue that I attended was the importance of faceto-face meetings with open minds and hearts and at convivial meals. Free from files and official agendas, people of different backgrounds see each other with empathy as fellow human beings. We are still left with Napoleon’s enigmatic comment. The answer to the inherent question contained in it may be tied to Xi Jinping’s vision of the future of China. In either case, it is time to watch the awakening of China with interest. (Akbar Ahmed, Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies, American University Washington DC, is author of “The Thistle and the Drone: How America’s War on Terror became a Global War on Tribal Islam,” Brookings, 2013) RAMADAN FROM P8
not an embracing practice. Contrary to what some experts might say, Muslim masses are not averse to the pursuit of democracy or the rule of law; it is Muslim leadership that often disappoints them by demonstrating their arrogance in power and their indifference to the principles of governance as mandated by the Qur’an. The history of conflicts and disappointments within the operations of our religious institutions here at home, is perhaps also evidence of our own failings to practice what we preach. If the stark and simple message of the Qur’an cannot inspire us to a life of service and integrity, then all the exhaustive pursuits of praying and fasting in Ramadan, cannot become a source for our salvation either here or in the hereafter. Our community challenges are increasing each year. Fund raising never seems to take a break. Interfaith conversations have multiplied. Clearly more programs are needed though, not only to sustain us financially but also to build stronger relationships with our neighbors that are more enduring. With a donor base that is arguably not expanding and interfaith partners that are more demanding for our engagement, we need to take more initiative in problem solving and demonstrate greater commitment to building bridges. We cannot remain concerned with what matters only to us and remain disaffected with what happens to our neighbors next door. If the guidance of the Qur’an is timeless, then surely there are answers to be found within it, that apply to the problems that surround us today. From eliminating the misery of poverty, from removing the disparities in health care, from strengthening the bonds that bind us as families, from making education free from the burdensome weight of exorbitant tuition, from bridging the racial divide that fosters a culture of pride and prejudice, from ending the hate and anger left from senseless wars in foreign lands, from curbing the violence of guns that takes so many innocent lives on our streets and schools, from offering solutions for immigration reform that could enable millions to emerge from the shadows of fear and uncertainty, for protecting the environment, for growing the economy, for fighting the war on terror with reason and wisdom, for reclaiming the rights of all, there are powerful instructions in the Qur’an for us to heed, to advocate and to leave a lasting legacy of a more just and peaceful world. Boot camp Ramadan has concluded for this year. We can rest a while and catch our breath. Today we celebrate. Tomorrow we should commit and do whatever we can to make a difference in the world we live in. May Allah grant us the light to see His guidance and the strength to pursue His will. (The writer is President, Community Builders Council , Chicago. - azherquader@yahoo. com)
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First Stage of Karachi Security Operation Complete: Rangers
“Pakistan Rangers Sindh successfully completed the stage-I of the operation and are well prepared to start stage-II from August 14, 2015 till the time it is successfully completed,” says a statement issued by the Sindh Rangers in Karachi
Karachi:
Nearly two years after it began, the Sindh Rangers on Monday said that the first stage of the ongoing security operation in Karachi had been completed. The Karachi operation had been kicked off by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on September 5, 2013, to root out crime and terrorism from the megalopolis. In a statement released early on Monday, the Rangers said that with the first phase over, they are now preparing to start phase two, which is expected to commence
on August 14, 2015. “Pakistan Rangers Sindh successfully completed the stage-I of the operation and are well prepared to start stage-II from August 14, 2015 till the time it is successfully completed.” This is the first time that the paramilitary force have officially admitted that the operation, which has so far lasted for over 23 months, would be stage-wise. “Stage-II will be more severe than stageI as the main task is to hunt down land grabbers, target killers, ex-
tortionists, kidnappers, terrorists.” It is not clear how stage-II differs from stage-I given that land grabbers, target killers, extortionists, kidnappers and terrorists had been the focus when the operation first began in 2013. “Pakistan Rangers Sindh is committed not to spare any criminal… Do not worry even if the criminals are very powerful because Pakistan Rangers Sindh are more powerful,” the statement added. According to a performance report released
in July, the Rangers had claimed to have conducted 5,795 raids during which they had apprehended 10,353 suspects and recovered 7,312 weapons and 34,8978 rounds of ammunition. Prominent among the raids conducted were the ones on Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) headquarters Nine-Zero and the offices of Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA). The report added that a total of 826 terrorists, 334 target killers, 296 extortionists were arrested during this period. The Rangers also expanded their sphere against kidnappers, arrested 82 abductors securing the release of 49 people from their captivity. The Rangers also traded fire with criminals, engaging in a total of 224 “encounters”. In these ‘encounters’, Rangers said that they had killed 364 suspected criminals and arrested 213 others. The report further claimed that target killing in the city had dropped drastically by over 80%, with attacks dropping to under 10 in June 2015 after having peaked at 73 in December 2013.
Reham Khan Seizes the Steering Wheel Haripur: Reham Khan has officially grabbed the driv-
ing seat for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in NA-19, Haripur and will be actively campaigning for the party during the by-polls. Earlier, PTI Chairman Imran Khan and his wife Reham Khan had denied rumours over the latter’s plans to enter the political arena. However, recent developments have contradicted these claims. Reham has delivered several speeches in Panian, Shah Maqsood, Naseem Town, Haripur Bazaar and Kaag areas between Friday and Sunday. According to insiders, her weekend visit to the constituency has heralded her entry into the political sphere. Reham has arrived in her maternal hometown to drum up support for PTI candidate Dr Raja Amir Zaman. MPA Shaukat Yousafzai, MPA Maleeha Khan, Yusuf Ayub, Ali Asghar Khan and other leaders accompanied her. Reham addressed the political meetings in Hindko, Pashto and Urdu and urged locals to vote for Zaman. “Gift your Bhabhi [sister-in-law] the NA-19 seat and in return the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government will give you prosperity,” she said at a meeting on Sunday. Reham said the party is committed to eradicating corruption from the province and is addressing the concerns of the people. “Under Zaman the constituency will witness a new era of development and the people will get facilities at their doorstep,” she added. Dynastic politics? Although she does not hold public office as yet, Reham’s debut into the political arena is likely to become the talk of the town. Addressing the meeting, Reham said she will never let Imran down. “PTI has Khan, jawan [youth] and Bhabhi,” she said. Handing the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz its share of criticism, she said Pakistan gets electricity after sacrifices of the people of Haripur. “Avenge PML-N’s injustices by casting ballots in favor of PTI on August 16,” she said. She added all of Imran’s assets and interests are in Pakistan. “The PTI also accepted the Judicial
Commission’s report and our morale is still high.” Retaliatory fire: However, Reham’s opponents have also expedited campaign efforts. Adviser to Prime Minister Dr Asif Kirmani has pressed the Election Commission of Pakistan to conduct by-poll under the supervision of Pakistan Rangers. Speaking at PML-N candidate Babar Nawaz Khan’s campaign meeting in Neelor village, Kirmani said the local government poll irregularities have legitimised the demand for stringent security measures. “ECP must have learnt a lesson after arranging LG polls with PTI in power,” he said. “It should now deploy paramilitary forces at all polling stations of Haripur.” Responding to Reham’s request to the people to give PTI the seat as a gift, he said gifts are always given and not asked for. “PML-N has already gifted the Hazara Motorway, China Pakistan Economic Corridor, Metro Bus, Danish schools to the people,” he added. The adviser maintained PTI’s popularity has plummeted over the last two years as it failed to fulfill the promises it made before taking charge. “Even with them in power, people are deprived of their rights,” he said. Kirmani added Hazara has always remained a stronghold of PML-N and so shall it be.
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MQM Takes Back Strike Call after Rangers’ Assurance of Probe Karachi: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) on Monday withdrew its call for a shutter down strike on Monday over what the party referred to as the ‘extra-judicial killing’ of a young party worker, Muhammad Hashim. The strike call was withdrawn after assurances by the Sindh Rangers to probe the murder of the activist, according to statement on the party’s website. “The murder of Hashim will be investigated and his murderers will be apprehended wherever they [are] hiding. His murder is a conspiracy against the peace of the city,” said the DG Rangers, according to a Rangers spokesman. The Rangers spokesman said, “There will be no strike tomorrow.” He added that while the murder was “regrettable”, “resorting to [a] strike was equal to affecting the city life.” “No one will be allowed to paralyze city life,” vowed the paramilitary force, urging citizens to contact the Rangers’ helpline if they witnessed shops and businesses being forcibly shut. The Rangers’ statement followed a press conference by MQM leader Abdul Haseeb who said that Hashim — a member of the MQM
media cell and Unit 164 Liaquatabad — had been arrested and taken to an unknown location while he was on his way home from Nine Zero on May 6. Haseeb had said Hashim’s family had filed a petition in the Sindh High Court (SHC) for his recovery, upon which a First-Information Report was registered on July 28 on the orders of the court. Hashim’s body was found in Jamshoro late Sunday night, three months after his disappearance. Haseeb said his body had already been buried by Edhi. The MQM leader also claimed that since Dec 31, 2014, 20 workers of the party had disappeared, while 35 have been killed extra-judicially. The MQM in July held protests in Karachi after party workers went ‘missing’ on their way to attend a wedding in Hyderabad. Party workers in the United States also held a demonstration outside the White House calling for notice to be taken of workers’ victimization in Karachi. Last month, MQM supremo Altaf Hussain also announced his decision to go on a hunger strike against what he called ‘illegal’ detention of his party activists by security forces, but he gave in to party workers’ appeals to take back the decision.
30 Seminaries Closed down, Says Nisar
Islamabad:
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has said that law-enforcement agencies have so far placed 30 religious seminaries in the “suspect” category and they have been closed. The minister said this in an official report on the implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP) against terrorism and extremism. Two of the “suspect” madaris were in Punjab, 15 in Sindh and 13 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. No seminary has been placed in this category in Balochistan since the launch of the NAP in December last year. Although the report does not explain in so many words what is meant by suspected madaris, a senior official involved in the implementation of the NAP said such seminaries had some direct or indirect connections with militants or their activities. According to the report, Sindh is the only province which has taken concrete action and has so far closed 72 unregistered madaris. No such action has been reported from the other three provinces. About reforms and registration of madaris, Chaudhry Nisar, who is the focal person for implementation of the NAP, has admitted that it is a time-consuming exercise, but disclosed the provincial apex committees are actively working on NAP’s implementation. He said a standard registration form had been prepared and shared with the provinces. The authorities in Punjab, Islamabad Capital Territory and Azad Kashmir have completed the mapping of madaris in their areas and the exercise is being carried out in the other provinces. About 30,000 madaris, both registered and unregistered, are operating in the country and critics say that even if 10 per cent of them are not following rules, as per the interior
minister’s own estimate, action needs to be stepped up. In a separate report on the initiatives taken by the successive governments to reform madressah education, Minister for Religious Affairs and Inter-Faith Harmony Sardar Mohammad Yousaf has claimed that no progress was made on this front since 2000 – the era of Gen Parvez Musharraf. According to him, a madressah education board was set up through the “Pakistan Madressah Education (Establishment and Affiliation of Model Dini Madaris) Board Ordinance, 2001, to cater to religious and modern education. Under the ordinance, three model seminaries were set up – one each in Islamabad, Karachi and Sukkur. In Islamabad, the seminary was only for girls and those in Sukkur and Karachi for boys. The number of these madaris was to be increased with the passage of time, but unfortunately not one has been added so far. The purpose of the Pakistan Madressah Education Board (PMEB) was to improve and secure uniformity of standards of education and to integrate the system of Islamic education imparted in Madaris within the general education system throughout the country. The ordinance has given the board sufficient powers to extend its operations throughout the country, but except for the establishment of the three model seminaries, the board has not been able to carry out effectively any of its other stated functions, the religious affairs minister says in the report. The establishment of the three madaris is a partial success because instead of getting them affiliated with the board they were affiliated with the boards of intermediate and secondary education.
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Imran Warns of Agitation If ECP Fails to Answer His ‘40 Queries’ Vehari: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf
(PTI) chairman Imran Khan has warned that his party will hit the streets again if the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) fails to come up with a response regarding his 40 questions. “If our questions remain unanswered about why this commission (ECP) is still in place, we will take to streets again,” Khan said speaking at a Kissan Convention at a football ground at Vehari on Saturday. He said that PTI was strongly taking up the case of the ECP’s “incompetence” as was declared by the Judicial Commission in its verdict on the party’s 2013 poll rigging allegations. He called upon the farming community to vote for those who could make policies to make the farmers’ lives better and increase their earnings. “We are here to educate you that do not waste your vote. Stop giving votes on basis of lineage or family. Today we are announcing that we will be uniting farmers
across Pakistan. We will stand with them. If we want economic growth in the country, we will have to help our farmers first.” Khan said there was great potential in Pakistan and “if we lift our poor and farmers, we can turn the country around. We can use floodwater in water reservoirs; we as a nation have to decide how to use water better. Global warming is rapidly
taking place; we have to decide as a nation how to use water from melting glaciers,” he said. The PTI chief said both India and China had invested heavily on their farmers to combat poverty and improve economy. He announced that if his party came into power it would set up a Rs5 billion cotton research institute. The institute, he explained, would be run by the representatives of the farmers community. Noting that oil prices had fallen globally he asked if diesel prices in the country had also come down for farmers. Did electricity prices fall? he asked. The audience responded with a loud “no”. “Our farmers are not just drowning in floodwater, they are drowning in debt as well,” he claimed. Other PTI leaders, including Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Jahangir Tareen, and Chaudhry Sarwer, also spoke on the occasion and criticized the government’s anti-farmers policies.
Despite Tensions India-Pakistan NSA-Level Talks to Be Held
New Delhi: A senior Indian offi-
cial said on Saturday that talks between the national security advisers (NSA) of India and Pakistan will take place as per schedule despite tensions on the border. “The NSA-level talks between India and Pakistan will take place as expected later this month,” Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Saturday amid reservations if the meeting should be held in the wake of recent incidents on border. “I don’t know what is going on in the mind of the Pakistan es-
tablishment. Certainly, the government of India’s position is very clear that NSA-level talks will continue,” Sitharaman told reporters at the BJP headquarters when asked if recent incidents would affect the talks. The NSA-level talks are expected to take place in New Delhi later this month, as a follow-up to the decisions taken at a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Premier Nawaz Sharif in the Ufa city of Russia last month. Asked if the government of
India is in support of the decision of Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to boycott the Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Islamabad, Sitharaman said it was the domain of the speaker, but the government agrees with it. “Obviously, the government of India is on the same page,” she said about the decision taken after Pakistan refused to invite Jammu and Kashmir Assembly speaker to the Commonwealth parliamentary moot being held in Islamabad from September 30 to October 8.
PPP Leadership Visits Flood-Hit Areas in Sindh
Bilawal embraces a flood victim
Karachi: Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Sindh Chief Minster Syed Qaim Ali Shah and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Khursheed Shah visited the flood-hit areas of Sindh on Sunday, according to a report on the Radio Pakistan website. As the PPP leaders visited the areas around Sukkur Barrage and embankments of River Indus at Ghotki and Khairpur, provincial Minister for Irrigation and Information Nisar Ahmed Khuhro and Secretary Irrigation Zaheer Haider Shah briefed them about the flood situation and the relief activities carried out in the area. Food items were also distributed among the flood-affected people at the camps. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari asked the Sindh government to speed up rescue and relief activities. Sindh Chief Minister said all arrangements to facilitate flood-affected people of Kacha area in Sindh had been completed and added that more than five hundred thousand people
Indian Singer Sukhbir Singh Dodges Authorities at Lahore Airport
Commonwealth Parliamentary Moot: ‘Kashmir a Disputed Territory, So No Invite for Its Assembly’ Islamabad: Pakistan will not invite the speaker of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly to the 61st Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) because Kashmir is a disputed territory, said Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz. “Kashmir case is a disputed one. Pakistan has always maintained that the issue needs to be resolved in accordance with the UN resolutions,” he told news media representatives on Saturday. The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) at the 60th CPC, held in October 2014 in Cameroon, had elected National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq as president of CPA and decided to hold the next CPC in Islamabad from September 30 to October 8, 2015. However, there was an uproar in India over Pakistan not extending an invitation to the Indian Kashmir’s assembly, like the rest of the state and federal houses. Replying to another question, Aziz said that Pakistan has an even handed approach on terrorism and extremism. “We make no distinction between good and bad Taliban,” the
ders so that no terrorist goes from here and carries out an attack over there. GEETA FROM P15
adviser said adding, “We condemn terrorist attacks in Kargil and other parts of Pakistan.” Referring to a forum meeting in which he participated in India recently, Aziz said that it was unfair to have fingers pointed at the Pakistan government and that too at a public forum. Hitting out at sensationalism of reports in the Indian press, he said that like India, Pakistan was also affected by terrorism. He said that while working with the Afghan government, the Pakistan government tried to restrict movements across the bor-
“Now, thanks to a Bollywood blockbuster, there is hope.” The movie “Bajrangi Bhaijaan” was released last month. Superstar Salman Khan plays an Indian man who finds a mute Pakistani girl and tries to reunite her with her family. The scriptwriters were unaware of Geeta’s story, but the movie generated an avalanche of interest in her case. Last week, the Indian ambassador visited her in Karachi. “Our High Commissioner believes that Geeta is an Indian. We will bring Geeta back to India,” Indian foreign minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted on Tuesday. “We are grateful to all individuals and institutions in Pakistan who looked after Geeta.” So far, one family says it thinks she may be their young daughter, lost when she was four as they begged at a railway station near the border. The mother and two children are deaf and cannot speak, like Geeta. But Geeta does not recognize their pictures and says they are not her family. Although Edhi officials say she has become part of their home, Geeta says she has not given up hope of seeing her own family again. – Courtesy Reuters
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from Kacha have shifted to safe places. Torrential rains had caused widespread devastation in Hyderabad, Matiari, Tando Allahyar, Tando Mohammad Khan, Jamshoro, Mirpurkas, Badin and Tharparkar districts of Sindh last month. A large number of structures and houses collapsed and standing crops over thousands of acres were destroyed. Relief operations were initiated earlier in Sindh’s flood-hit areas of Sukkur, Larkana, Khairpur, Kashmor and Ghotki. More than 500 villages in these districts have reportedly been submerged due to rising flood water in River Indus. Pakistan has suffered from monsoon floods for the last few years and has been criticized for not doing enough to lessen the dangers posed by seasonal rains that wash away homes and farmland. In 2010, the worst floods in the country’s history killed almost 1,800 people and affected 21 million.
Lahore: Indian Bhangra singer Sukhbir Singh allegedly dodged the airport officials to evade his arrest at the hands of custom authorities at the Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore, after $27,000 were reportedly recovered from his baggage on Sunday. According to details, Sukhbir was set to board flight PK-203 to Dubai but was found carrying $ 27,000 during the baggage screening, after which the custom authorities barred him from boarding the plane. The Indian singer was being taken for interrogation when he managed to dodge the authorities and flee the airport premises, leaving behind his luggage and the recovered currency, said the sources. There were initial reports that Sarwar Road police had taken up the in-
vestigation and are trying to locate and arrest the run-away singer. However, later the immigration sources at the airport informed this correspondent that Sukhbir had come to inquire about the maximum amount of money he can carry along. Realizing that he was carrying extra money, reportedly $27,000, Sukhbir returned without taking the boarding card, the sources added. Earlier this year, Ayyan Ali, one of the most recognizable faces on Pakistan’s modeling circuit, was arrested on March 14 from Islamabad’s international airport on charges of money laundering after being caught by customs officials with over half a million dollars in her luggage while boarding a flight to Dubai. IRS FROM P18
• Threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying. • Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe. • Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card. • Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone. Here’s what you should do if you think you’re the target of an IRS impersonation scam: • If you actually do owe IRS, P28
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Massive Child Abuse Scandal Unveiled in Kasur
Lost Mute Girl Is Uniting India and Pakistan
Raheel Has Been a Boon for the Government n By Salahuddin Haider Karachi, Pakistan
W
Kasur: Citizens in Pakistan are
clamoring for justice after a sex abuse scandal involving hundreds of children shocked the nation. Pornographic films allegedly show victims being forced to have sex and abusing each other. Pakistan is reeling from the aftermath of a huge child pornography scandal, which came to light a few days ago when protesters clashed with police in Kasur, a town close to the country’s eastern city of Lahore. The demonstrators were protesting against the police for allegedly failing to arrest members of a gang suspected of raping hundreds of children, filming them and blackmailing their parents, Dawn reported. According to local media, most of the 280 children were below 14 years of age and were residents of Husain Khanwala village, near Kasur. A local gang began filming sexual exploits with the children in 2006, which allegedly continued until last year. The victims were forced to have sex, and the videos were then circulated for 50 Rupees (40 US cents, 36 euro cents). A journalist working for Pakistani website “The Nation” posted some information about the videos on Twitter: Local media websites also quoted villagers saying some films had been exported to European countries and the US. Kasur officials have ordered an inquiry, but district police officer Rai Babbar said only seven complaints had been made so far. More than 10 people have been accused in a police complaint made by the children’s parents, but nearly half are out on bail and six have been placed under judicial remand for 14 days. Punjab’s Chief Minister, Shahbaz Sharif, has meanwhile ordered the accused persons to be arrested. The government’s handling of the case also has journalists and rights activists up in arms, especially after Punjab’s Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah denied the cases of abuse, saying the reports surfaced because villagers were fighting over land. Police have also disputed media reports that the number of victims ran into the hundreds. Numbers could increase: Speaking to Deutsche Welle, Pakistan’s prominent child rights activist and lawyer Rana Asif Habib said the numbers were simply “the tip of the iceberg.” The actual number of victims could be much higher, considering that Kasur was very close to Lahore, where slum children attract abusers in large numbers. “Pakistan is not a signatory to the UN Child Rights Convention,” Habib says, adding that children can therefore not complain to any authority in the event that they are sexually exploited. He recalls a 1999 case when child abuser Javed
Iqbal surrendered himself to the police, admitting that he had sexually abused over 100 children and drowned them in acid afterwards. And as far as the Kasur child abuse case is concerned, Habib is cynical. Officials will probably make a show of an investigation as long as the media focuses on them. “After that there is usually no follow-up and then it is brushed under the carpet,” Habib says. Shahbaz orders judicial inquiry into Kasur child porn scandal:: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif ordered on Sunday a judicial inquiry into the country’s biggest child pornography scandal in Kasur. “I have ordered a judicial inquiry into the Kasur incident,” said the chief minister after holding a high-level meeting with police and the civil administration. Shahbaz directed the Punjab home department to forward a request to the chief justice of the Lahore High Court for the constitution of a judicial commission to probe into the sickening child abuse issue. Earlier on Sunday, the chief minister summoned an emergency meeting over the child abuse case. The investigation officer briefed the provincial chief minister regarding the incident. At least seven accused have been arrested after around 280 children in remote villages in Kasur district were targeted in a criminal operation that began in 2006. According to details, a gang of 20 to 25 men had filmed as many as 400 videos of sexual abuse involving at least 280 children belonging to Hussain Khan Wala village. The acts of abuse were filmed and then sold to paedophiles on the internet and locally. The children who were targeted were reportedly blackmailed and coerced into stealing jewelry and money from their own homes. Families eventually learnt of the crime when several children confessed to their parents. PTI calls for immediate actions: Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed condemned the sickening incident and called for immediate action in the case. “On behalf of PTI and party chief Imran Khan, I demand that a judicial inquiry be conducted immediately and perpetrators of the crime should be tried in military courts,” Rasheed said, while speaking to the media. Criticizing the Punjab government, the leader of the opposition said the incident had exposed the Punjab chief minister and his claims of good governance. “There is no example of any incident of such kind in the country’s history,” he said. “Shahbaz Sharif should have been here the very first day of the incident but he is nowhere to be found.”
n By Syed Raza Hassan Islamabad: The story of a deafmute woman who lost her family when she wandered over one of the world’s most militarized borders as a child has sparked a rare moment of warmth between nuclear rivals India and Pakistan, as diplomats work to help her. Geeta, a slim young Hindu woman now in her early 20s, was around 11 years old when she crossed from India to Pakistan, a mistake that would spark an odyssey to find her family and captivate the public after a hit film with a similar plot was released last month. Her story comes amid frosty relations between the two South Asian powers following a series of militant attacks that India blames on Pakistan. Geeta’s plight resonates deeply; the hostilities keep apart many families who were separated when majority-Hindu India and majority-Muslim Pakistan became two different countries in 1947. The neighbors have fought three wars since the partition. Everyone is hoping that Geeta’s story, at least, will have a happy ending. Geeta was brought to a home for lost and abandoned children by Pakistani soldiers, say officials at the charitable Edhi Foundation. Geeta, who is illiterate, mimes the explosion of a hand grenade, and shows how she ducked and ran before being caught by armed men. At first, Geeta was kept at a home for abandoned and orphaned children in the eastern city of Lahore, where she was given the Muslim name Fatima, said Faisal Edhi, son of the charity’s founder. “She used to pick fights with the other children on a regular basis, and the person in charge of the home ... could not control her,” he said. So the carers sent Geeta to the charity’s headquarters in Karachi, Pakistan’s biggest and richest city. “My mother realized that she was a Hindu when she gestured with both of her hands joined together and touched her feet,” he said, describing traditional Indian gestures of greeting. “My mother changed her name to Geeta.” Over the years, charity founder Abdul Sattar Edhi, a frail figure with a long white beard, took Geeta to pray at Hindu temples. Charity officials marked Hindu holy days with her and included her in their Muslim celebrations. Geeta would point at maps of India, especially to an area in the south of Jharkhand State. She mimes memories of a childhood home located near fields, cows, a road, and a hospital. It was unclear how she came to be near the Pakistani border, on the other side of India, Edhi officials said. “We contacted the Indian High Commission twice in 2011. People from the High Commission visited her in Karachi, took her particulars, but nothing came of it,” said Anwar Kazmi, a senior official from the Edhi Foundation. GEETA, P13
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hile the army chief, General Raheel Sharif has been the motivating factor for policy guidelines, the Nawaz government too has shown maturity in its actions. The military-civilian combination, therefore, instead of giving birth to negativity, has actually been a boon for the country.
It has given the much-needed strength and credibility to democratic dispensation. The COAS is brave and straight-forward and he has time and again shown unflinching commitment to lead from the front. That has been his strong plus point not only from the military’s point of view, but also in several other matters not directly connected with him. The results of his initiatives in presenting Pakistan’s case abroad, particularly in America, China, Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan, is too obvious to escape attention. He has been both focused and positive in handling sensitive issues. Soldiery is in his blood. His elder brother Major Shabbir shaheed, was decorated with the country’s highest gallantry award. His cousins, and several other family members laid down their lives as heroes for their countrymen to live an honorable life. Like a true, professional soldier, he has been on the war fronts in Waziristan, spending nights and days with troops instilling new spirit and confidence among men fighting, and sacrificing, for a cause. Such examples are rare. Previous army chiefs, General Ayub Khan, General Musa, General Yahya Khan, Gul Hasan, Tikka Khan, etc. were all found wanting. The less said about General Ziaul Haq and General Kayani, the better it would be. Neither of the last two cared for training and building the morale of the troops. The fact that both were more interested in their personal affairs is a sad commentary. Aslam Beg did concentrate on building new tanks, and making valuable additions to the arsenal while General Musharraf set an example of strong leadership by spending a night behind the enemy lines in Kargil, which the Indians discovered much later to their utter embarrassment. Raheel believes in action. He has been constantly on the move, sacrificing his family interest to spend a night prior to Eid al-Fitr, and offering Eid prayers with soldiers. Such examples are rarely found in military history, not in Pakistan at least. On the civilian side, not only he himself spent time with the IDPs of areas affected by Zarbe Azb, but ordered his commanders to personally supervise the relief work in floodaffected areas under their jurisdiction. Hence the constant movement by the corps commander from north to south, and east to west. Pakistan army’s history is replete with examples of gallantry and service to humanity. The war
and peace proverb was brought vividly alive in on-going floods, where army officers and men had been spending sleepless nights to help the victims in rescue and relief operations. Several thousand lives were saved in Chitral on the mountains to Sukkur, Ghotki, and Jacobabad in the south--in fact on the entire route of River Indus, raging in full fury and destroying towns and villages. Thousands were moved to safety. Minus army’s help, the civilian administration and political leadership at various levels, would have been blank and zero. The kind of urgency and commitment, expected of the elected rulers and parliamentarians, was sadly missing. Assembly sessions could have easily been moved to some other dates, but parliamentarians drew greater comfort in nestling in their luxurious lodges and assembly halls, rather than taking care of the suffering humanity. Many of the government’s weaknesses, and their inability to spare time to overcome the problems faced by the people, was reasonably reduced by troops working under General Raheel. While the Punjab chief minister, after initial hesitations of being in London and guiding people through videolinks, made up for his mistakes by his physical presence, the chief minister in Sindh and his cabinet colleagues continued to show indifference and carelessness. Qaim Ali Shah’s own area of Khairpur was inundated and may well incur huge losses because of flood water gushing through the gates of Sukkur and Guddu Barrages but there is still no sense of urgency in Sindh to deal with the impending destruction in coming days. Pakistan Navy has done whatever little it could do with its limited resources, but the administration has remained in deep slumber. It is often heartening to note that Nawaz Sharif does consult the army frequently on almost all important issues. By doing so he carries the army with him. Such meetings offset likely friction between the civil and military leadership. The Prime Minister was wise enough to realize that without the army’s help, he would probably feel handicapped in dealing with crucial moments. The government is now functioning well, especially on the economic front. Its decisions have begun to bear fruit, which is being internationally acknowledged. The cohesion between groups witnessed recently augurs well for a country that has suffered immeasurably during the 5 years of PPP rule. (The writer is a former Sindh minister and senior journalist)
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Community Link Friday, August 14, 2015
VOL. 25/33 PAGE 21
PAGE PAGE 31 17
egum PAGE 22
President Obama’s Fight for Global Warming
29 Shawwal 1436 H
Why Sir Syed Loses and Allama Iqbal Wins
I Am a Self-Made Woman, Says Humaima Malick
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Sacramento Celebrates Pakistan Independence Day
Pakistan Independence Day celebrations in Sacramento presented the real face of Pakistan which the world needs to see
n By Ras H. Siddiqui
T
he Pakistani American Association of Sacramento (PAAS) celebrated Pakistan Independence Day with a grand event at the Cesar Chavez Plaza Park in Downtown Sacramento
to the delight of people in this region plus attendees as far away as Reno, Nevada and Silicon Valley. So right off the bat, thanks are in order to Bashir Choudry, Aqeel Mustafa, Sabir Ahmad, Javaid Iqbal, Javaid Akhtar, Waqar Zubair, Sohail Shahzad, Imran
Chaudhry, and Shahid Saleemi for their efforts along with Shafique Ahmed, Rukhsana Mustafa, Anila Saleemi, Manaza Rashid, Rukhsana Qamar and a number of others who made it all happen.
How else could the community have congregated to show their na-
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tional pride, listen to great music, possibly win a brand new car along with big screen TVs , and a number of other items were it not for this group and the sponsors (those not already mentioned above) including Ch. Siddique, Qamar Ashraf, Anjum Saeed, Dr Amir Jakhar, Ch.
Yaqoob, Asif Sattar, Ubaid Khawaja, Rana Rehan Zafar, Mian Asif Khalid and Haji Maqsood? A big “Thank You” to all of them and to the approximately 2000 people who made it to the venue for keeping the spirit of Pakistan alive in California’s SACRAMENTO, P19
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Muslim Youth Learns Leadership Skills during CAIR-CA Program in Sacramento
Haj Rates for 2015 Announced by Saudi Haj Ministry
Riyadh: The minimum cost of Haj this year will be SR3,000 and the maximum will be SR11,890, Haj Minister Bandar Hajjar was quoted as saying by a local daily on Sunday. The pilgrimage charges have been divided into various categories such as low, medium, top and supreme. The cost for the top category will be SR8,146, SR8,084, SR8,021, SR7,896, SR7,546 and SR7,771, while medium category is at SR7,895, SR7,833, SR7,770, SR7,645, SR7,520 and SR7295. The prices in another category are SR6,493, SR6,431, SR6,368, SR6,118, SR5,893. The cost in the supreme category is SR11,890 maximum. Charges for the low cost Haj are SR5,250, SR5,050, SR4,650, SR4,400, Anaheim, CA:
The California chapter of the Council on AmericanIslamic Relations (CAIR-CA) held its 11th annual Muslim Youth Leadership Program (MYLP) at the State Capitol in Sacramento on August 4. The annual conference brought together 41 Muslim high school students from across the state to participate in workshops on community organizing, leadership development and public speaking. These participants, who have shown exemplary
leadership skills in their own communities, partook in a “mock legislature” session and served as legislators as they debated public policy issues and prepared bills to be presented on the State Capitol Assembly floor. The “mock legislature” session allowed participants to gain a deeper, practical understanding of how bills are reviewed and laws are passed in the California legislature. Sacramento District Attorney, Anne Marie Schubert and CAIR-
California State Capitol Event for
Mohammad Shamsuddin Passes away
The Muslim community of California is mourning the sad demise of a highly respected and senior community member, Brother Mohammad Shamsuddin, who passed away earlier at the age of 97. Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’oon May Allah rest his soul in eternal peace in Jannat al-Firdaus and give his entire family fortitude and courage to bear this monumental loss. My heartfelt condolences and sincere prayers are with the entire family, especially his loving wife of 73 years, Sister Zaibunnisa Begum, sons Qamaruddin, Badruddin, Najmuddin and Shahabuddin and daughters Shehnaz, Shehtaj, Parveen, Nasreen and Mahjabeen in addition to 31 grandchildren and 24 great grandchildren. A Gold Medalist and winner of a prestigious scholarship from the Nizam of Hyderabad, Br. Mohammad Shamsuddin came to New York in March 1947 to obtain a Master’s in Hydraulics Engineering. After graduation, he was instrumental in the construction of the Davis Dam. He also worked on several international projects contributing his invaluable expertise and experience to make a positive contribution in Pakistan and other countries in the world.
Florida’s Chief Executive Director, Hassan Shibly were the keynote speakers this year. More than 400 California students have participated in the Muslim Youth Leadership Program since the first conference in 2005. The program’s graduates have moved on to become community activists - many of whom have created their own non-profit organizations, and taken on groundbreaking leadership roles.
Pakistan’s Independence Day
I always enjoyed meeting him in person. He was always very kind, down to earth, and a very peaceful person who never bragged about his illustrious career, contributions and accomplishments, and was always full of sincere prayers for me. I will for sure miss his prayers. I remember once asking him why he chose to come to the United States in 1947 when during those days the majority of students used to go to England for higher education. He told me that after doing his homework, he found out that the majority of the best universities in the world were right here in America, the quality of life was also much better than that in England. He never regretted coming here. He was right then and he is right as of now. According to a latest report, 9 of the 10 best universities in the world are in the United States. Funeral prayers for Br. Mohammad Shamsuddin were held on Tuesday, August 11 at The Islamic Center of San Gabriel Valley, Rowland Heights, CA. He was laid to rest in the La Verne Muslim Cemetery. - Rafique Ahmed
Pakistan’s Independence Day will be recognizing for the first time at California State Assembly Floor by Assemblymember Kansen Chu from District 25 on Monday, August 17th 2015, the first day after the summer break. Assemblymember Chu will present California State Resolution to the following members of the American Muslim Voice Foundation: Founder Samina Sundas, National President Khalid Saeed, Sacramento Chapter President Mohammad Asif Sattar, Sacramento Chapter Vice President Javide Akhtar, Senior Advisor Abdus Sattar Ghazali and Consulate General of Pakistan Hamid Asghar Khan. Presentation of Resolution: Assembly Chambers. Reception: Room 125 Address: 1315 10th Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
3rd Annual Pakistani Flag Raising Ceremony in San Jose
SR4,150, SR3,250 and the rates for non-comprehensive program are SR5,000, SR 4,000, SR3,900 and SR3,000, the minister said. Facilities like accommodation and transport will vary according to the categories, he said, adding that pilgrims will get additional services on the condition that the same are not at the cost of the space provided at the holy sites, especially Mina. The launch of the electronic facility for domestic pilgrims this year will give citizens and residents a chance to choose the right service provider and program. The electronic system will ensure that citizens and residents reach licensed Haj facilities only, in addition to controlling the rates and enable pilgrims to perform Haj in a systematic way.
IRS Warns Taxpayers to Guard against New Tricks by Scam Artists Washington, DC: Following the emergence of new variations of widespread tax scams, the Internal Revenue Service has issued another warning to taxpayers to remain on high alert and protect themselves against the ever-evolving array of deceitful tactics scammers use to trick people. These schemes — which can occur over the phone, in e-mails or through letters with authentic looking letterhead — try to trick taxpayers into providing personal financial information or scare people into making a false tax payment that ends up with the criminal. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) has received reports of roughly 600,000 contacts since October 2013. TIGTA is also aware of nearly 4,000 victims who have collectively reported over $20 million in financial losses as a result of tax scams. “We continue to see these aggressive tax scams across the country,” IRS Commissioner John Koskinen said. “Scam artists specialize in being deceptive and fooling people. The IRS urges taxpayers to be extra cautious and think twice before answering suspicious phone calls, emails or letters.” Scammers posing as IRS agents first targeted those they viewed as most vulnerable, such as older Americans, newly arrived immigrants and those whose first language is not English. These criminals have expanded their net and are now targeting virtually anyone. In a new variation, scammers alter what appears on your telephone caller ID to make it seem like they are with the IRS or another agency such as the Department of Motor Vehicles. They use fake names, titles and badge numbers. They use online resources to get your name, address and other details about your life to make the call sound official. They even go as far as copying official IRS letterhead for use in email or regular mail. Brazen scammers will even provide their victims with directions to the nearest bank or business where the victim can obtain a means of payment such as a debit card. And in another new variation of these scams, con artists may then provide an actual IRS address where the victim can mail a receipt for the payment — all in an attempt to make the scheme look official. The most common theme with these tricks seems to be fear. Scammers try to scare people into reacting immediately without taking a moment to think through what is actually happening. These scam artists often angrily threaten police arrest, deportation, license revocation or other similarly unpleasant things. They may also leave “urgent” callback requests, sometimes through “robo-calls,” via phone or email. The emails will often contain a fake IRS document with a telephone number or email address for your reply. It is important to remember the official IRS website is IRS.gov. Taxpayers are urged not to be confused or misled by sites claiming to be the IRS but ending in .com, .net, .org or other designations instead of .gov. Taxpayers should never provide personal information, financial or otherwise, to suspicious websites or strangers calling out of the blue. Below are five things scammers often do that the real IRS would never do. The IRS will never:
The ceremony will be held on Saturday, August 15, 2015 from 4:00 PM - 6:30 PM at the Santa Clara County Headquarters (70 West Hedding, San Jose, CA 95110). The event has been sponsored by Dave Cortese, President Board of Supervisors, Santa Clara County and American Muslim Voice Foundation. For details • Angrily demand immediate payment over the phone, nor will the agency please call AMV Foundation or 650-3871994 Supervisor Cortese’s office at 408- call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill. 299-5030. samjnasundas@gmail.com IRS, P13
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Glimpses of the Pakistan Independence Day celebrations in Sacramento SACRAMENTO FROM P17
Capital City! The event unofficially began with a kid Popsicle eating contest and a Pakistan trivia quiz during which prizes were generously awarded. The proceedings commenced with a recitation from the Holy Qur’an and its English translation. Emcee for the event Sohail Shahzad began by thanking everyone. “Without you guys, we cannot put this show together,” he remarked. He added that the Grand Prize from the day’s drawing was a brand new car, a 2015 Nissan Versa. Amongst other reasons he said that we are holding this event for our children (so that they can gain familiarity with their heritage). And while waiting for the Chief Guest to arrive, a young man from the community with the aid of a guitar and a number of children on stage sang Dil Dil Pakistan. When the Pakistani Consul General and Chief Guest arrived the proceedings restarted with
the playing of the American and Pakistani national anthems. Mr Bashir Choudry, President of PAAS, in his brief address next expressed his praise for the Founder of Pakistan, Quaid-i-Azam Mohamad Ali Jinnah, and shared some of Allama Iqbal’s Urdu poetry that had inspired him over the years. He also welcomed the Chief Guest in whose presence the community kids stole the afternoon with the song that went viral after the terrorist attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar: “Bara Dushman Bana Phirta Hai” demonstrating that the dauntless kids of Pakistan will carry on their academic pursuits and it is the terrorists who are now afraid of them. The song, sung spiritedly, was followed by some inspirational Urdu poetry presented by our very own Javaid Akhtar and the raffling of a TV. Consul General Hamid Asghar Khan in his speech specifically thanked Bashir Sahib and PAAS
for making excellent arrangements for the celebration of the Pakistan Independence Day in Sacramento. He said that Pakistan had been going through a difficult time and the attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar had affected Pakistanis around the world, because most of us are parents who can sympathize and empathize with the loss of families in Pakistan. He felt it was perhaps the darkest moment we had faced as a nation in recent times but it also became a watershed event in the history of Pakistan. All sections of Pakistani society came together and resolved to tackle the menace of terrorism head-on. He added that the government came up with a plan, which amongst other things, lifted a moratorium on the death penalty and has started hanging terrorists who have been languishing in jails for years. He indicated that 176,000 troops have been deployed to fight this menace and there is an unflinch-
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ing resolve that this fight will continue till the very last terrorist has been eliminated from Pakistan. Following his speech, local Seraiki leader Ubaid Khawaja presented an Ajrak to Khan. Next, the entertainment segment was led by none other than Pakistan’s Salsa-Fusion-Pop superstar Faakhir who had returned to Sacramento after many years. Continuing with the theme of the day he dedicated his first song to the kids lost in the APS Peshawar attack: “Kash Hum Juda Na Hote” (Wish we had not parted). He also sang a few of his own hits including Mahi Ve along with Ae Jawan plus a medley tribute to honor Ataullah Esakhelvi (including Kameez Teri Kaali) amongst others. He ended his segment with a vibrant Mast Qalandar. During a brief intermission, Pakistan’s soccer star Kaleemullah Khan who currently plays for the Sacramento Republic soccer team was recognized on stage and briefly
addressed the gathering. And then Punjabi soul and Bhangra took over as Nadeem Abbas Lonewala took to the stage and people of all ages decided to dance the evening away. Lonewala started off with Jugni and then the song which has made him famous - Bismillah Karan. An intermission was held for the raffledrawing of the brand new car and the lucky winner could not have been happier. To conclude, thanks are in order to PAAS and all the people who attended. The 60 seconds of silence observed in honor of lives lost in the battle against terrorism during this event was important. This is the real face of Pakistan which the world needs to see. It is unfortunate that 1% of extremists have captured 99% of the media headlines in the West. We need to change that. Long live Pakistan-America friendship and long live a peaceful and progressive Pakistan!
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COMMENTARY
T
n By Nayyer Ali MD
he recent announcement of even tighter CO2 emission standards for power plants by Obama has been met with outrage by the usual suspects. This is a necessary action as the Republicans have decided to deny that global warming is even a thing. There is clearly no point in trying to get legislation on this.
While most conservatives deny that global warming is even a problem, there are some on the left that go beyond what most scientists think and make wildly inflated claims of doom. As such I decided to go to the source document for the actual scientific consensus, which is the Fifth Assessment Report of the IPCC released in 2014. The IPCC is the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which was set up by the UN in 1990 to bring together the best understanding of this topic and provide governments the most complete picture of what carbon dioxide emissions will do to the planet. This is done through their periodic “Assessment Reports”. The most recent was the Fifth Assessment Report, which was released in 2014, and included a 65-page overall summary of the key points, entitled Climate Change 2014 Synthesis Report. The IPCC begins by stating the warming in the last century has been unequivocal and unprecedented in the historical record. In the Northern Hemisphere the period 1983-2012 is very likely the warmest in the last 800 years, and probably the warmest in the last 1400 years. From 1880 to 2012 the global average temperature (GAT) has risen 0.85 degrees C. In the last 15 years the temperature has been rising at a rate of 0.05 degrees per decade. The recent rate of rise is very sensitive to the chosen start year (1997 vs 98 vs 99), this slow rate of rise in the last 15 years is most likely due to natural variability and does not mean that global
P
n By Daniel Runde
akistan has the potential to be a global turnaround story. I recently spent time in-country listening to a wide range of perspectives and I am convinced that US policymakers and business leaders need to look at Pakistan beyond the security lens.
Getting our relationship right will require deeper thinking and action on issues around trade and investment, education, and broader economic development. The United States ought to be Pakistan’s preferred partner given its 70-year relationship. But in order to participate in the upside of the Pakistan story, the United States will need to view Pakistan not as a problem to be solved but as a potential partner. There are several changes that suggest the United States should soon act on this opportunity. The Pakistan of today is similar to that of Colombia in the late 1990s. Back then, words like “drugs, gangs, and failed state” were freely associated with the Andean country. Today, Colombia has a free trade agreement with the United States, a stable 3.5 percent annual GDP growth, and security is vastly improved. Similarly, Western headlines on Pakistan today gloss over the progress on the security front, the increased political stability, and incremental progress on the economic front. In spite of this potential for Pakistan, it continues to suffer from a terrible country brand that has not caught up with realities on the ground. Action Against the Taliban Pakistan’s improving security dynamic is the first change to note. It is hard to understate the before-and-after effects of the Taliban’s horrendous December 2014 attack on a military-owned elementary school in Peshawar that killed 145 people, including 132 schoolchildren aged eight to eighteen. Almost immediately after the attack, the military responded in force by taking out 157 terrorists via air strikes and ground operations in the North Waziristan and Khyber tribal areas adjacent to
AUGUST 14 2015 – PAKISTAN LINK – P21
Obama Fights Global Warming
warming has slowed. In the last 100 years, 90% of excess heat has been stored in the oceans, 9% has ended up in the land and ice masses. Only 1% has ended up in the atmosphere. Average ocean temps have been rising by 0.11 degrees per decade since 1970. Since 1990 there has been loss of ice mass in glaciers, Greenland ice cap, and the Antarctic ice cap. Maximum snow extent in the Northern Hemisphere in late winter has declined by 1.6% per decade since 1967. Sea levels have been rising for 2000 years. The rate of sea level rise has accelerated since 1900, with a rise of 19 cm in the last hundred years (roughly 5 inches). In the last interglacial about 100,000 years ago, sea levels peaked between 5 and 10 meters higher than current, though average global temperatures were at least 2 degrees warmer than current for several thousand years.
With regards to the so-called “pause” in global warming, referring to the relatively slow rate of warming since about 1997, the IPCC states that they have “medium confidence” the pause is due to natural variability. They do note that of 114 climate simulations, the expected rise in temperature in the last 15 years was higher than the actual in 111 of the simulations. When looking at longer time periods, the models and actual values line up pretty well. CO2 levels are rising at 2 ppm per year, other greenhouse gases particularly methane and nitric oxide also rising. CO2 persists in the atmosphere for many centuries, methane lasts 12 years and nitric oxide about 120 years. In a change from the Fourth Assessment Report, IPCC now concludes that aerosols have less of a net cooling effect than previously thought. Since 1750, humans have emitted 560 gTC (gigatons of carbon), with annual emis-
Pakistan: The Next Colombia Success Story?
The CPEC project aims to connect China and Pakistan, with an outlet to Pakistan’s Gwadar Port on the Arabian Sea
Peshawar. What has not sunk into international perceptions about the country is the tangible consensus among government, military, and Pakistani citizens against violent terrorists including the Pakistani Taliban and the alphabet soup of other terrorist groups in and around the country. Pakistan will continue to experience attacks by fringe groups, but policymakers and investors need to stop operating as if the Pakistani Taliban is at Islamabad’s doorstep. Political Stability Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is governing with a competent cabinet, a majority coalition, and is working in tandem with the military to deliver peace and security. Sharif was elected in Pakistan’s transition of power between dem-
ocratically elected governments in April 2013 and so far, he has demonstrated enough of a commitment to democracy. For much of last year, Sharif exercised restraint against an active opposition that led a crippling 162-day sit-in in front of the National Assembly to contest the 2013 election results. Instead of opting for an aggressive approach, Sharif wisely deferred to an independent election mission to verify the results, which recently ruled in favor of his party. The military, at the request of the Prime Minister, encouraged the crowds to disperse peacefully. The military’s decision not to use force against protesters – or the sitting prime minister – suggests that Pakistan could be on its way to further consolidating its fragile democracy. Better Luck Around the Corridor
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sions now running 9.5 gTC. The main drivers of increasing annual emissions are population growth and economic growth, though the IPCC does not assign relative responsibility. The climate consequences of warming include increased frequency and severity of heat waves and precipitation events. In general, current wet regions are expected to get wetter, while current dry regions expected to get drier. Monsoonal systems (critical to agriculture and life across East Africa, South Asia, and East Asia) are expected to enlarge. Warming will not be uniform. Warming will be greater in the polar regions and also over land rather than ocean. The risks of global warming are to both human civilization and the biosphere. For humans extreme weather events may cause significant disruptions. Poorer nations and regions will be impacted more severely due to lack of resources to mitigate effects. There will be significant costs associated with adaptation to or mitigation of global warming. There will be both increased water scarcity in arid regions, perhaps leading to conflicts, and increased incidence of flooding events. Extinction rates are expected to increase but IPCC did not quantify this. Fisheries are expected to deplete in the tropics and increase in the temperate zones. Coral and polar ecosystems are at particular risk. Coral may be damaged by significant changes in ocean pH, while warming may substantially shrink or eliminate Arctic summer sea ice. Impacts will be substantially larger if warming exceeds 4 degrees. With that level of warming, the entire Greenland ice sheet could melt, though the melting process will take greater than 1000 years. The IPCC concluded at this point there is no evidence of an Arctic sea ice “tipping point” when loss of albedo in the summer results in runaway melting and complete loss of the ice cap. Next week I will look at predictions that the IPCC makes, based on different future scenarios of low or high fossil fuel use. Chinese investment is another reason why the United States should reassess its Pakistan calculus. Since Xi Jinping first announced the $46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in 2014, the project has quickly become the centerpiece of diplomatic relations between the two countries. CPEC will include highways, railways, and oil and gas pipelines – all constructed via Chinese companies. The CPEC project aims to connect China and Pakistan, with an outlet to Pakistan’s Gwadar Port on the Arabian Sea. Even the possibility of the scheme’s partial achievement has injected optimism in a country starved for infrastructure and energy investment. The deal has also greatly incentivized the government to clamp down on terrorist groups. Economic success is by no means guaranteed especially given China’s checkered track record of investing in infrastructure projects abroad. Still, China’s bet on Pakistan could overshadow US contributions unless we rethink our mix of engagement. Similar to its approach in Kazakhstan, China is interested in leveraging Pakistan – in the words of Dan Twining – as a “launching pad” for greater connectivity with energy producers in the Gulf and Middle East, as well as markets in the West. The good news is that Pakistani businesses still prefer the allure of technology transfer and innovation offered by US companies. But make no mistake: for Pakistanis, Chinese investment is better than no investment. A New Development Story Pakistan has a population of 182.1 million people and is the 6th largest country in the world. Sixty percent of the population is of working age. By 2050, Pakistan’s total population will be nearly 300 million, making it roughly ten times the size of Afghanistan. Pakistan is also among the world’s fastest urbanizing countries with half its people projected to live in cities by 2050. Twenty years ago, Islamabad, a planned city much like Brasilia, had a population of 400,000; today, it has a population of around 3 million including the SUCCESS, P24
COMMENTARY
P22 – PAKISTAN LINK – AUGUST 14, 2015
A
n By Nadeem F. Paracha
ll sorts of ironies are often pointed out about what happened to Pakistan after the early demise of its founder, Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
Shamim Ahmed in his article, “A Leaf from Jinnah’s Life” (DAWN, 1948), described Jinnah to be a supremely confident man who, before leaving for England to study Law, told his first cousin Fatima Ganji Vaji, ‘I will return a great man …’ Though he had first arrived in England to study Business, he switched to Law, leaving his father fuming. On his return to India in 1896, the then 20-year-old Jinnah started to practice Law in Bombay (present-day Mumbai). He consciously began to cultivate an image of being a highly rational man who valued veracity and integrity. Shamim Ahmed wrote that these traits that Jinnah proudly exhibited were initially informed by his admiration for late 19th century British Liberalism that he encountered in England; but they not only remained being an important part of Jinnah’s make-up for the rest of his life, they actually became stronger with age. Ahmed was not just blindly eulogizing the founder of his country. The idea of a young Jinnah striving to nurture an upright image for himself is reflected in many of his utterings and manoeuvres (as a young lawyer) in the courts of Bombay. Senior lawyer and author, Shariffuddin Pirzada, in his 1978 essay, “Some Aspects of Quaid-i-Azam’s Life”, narrates an incident in the court of Chief Justice Davis. Finding the courtroom packed to capacity, Justice Davis ordered that the doors of the room be closed. Not agreeing with the order, Jinnah, the young lawyer, quickly retorted, ‘My Lord, the doors of justice should be kept open ..!’ S. Iqbal in an article on Jinnah (in the October 1952 edition of India’s Illustrated Weekly) mentions that Jinnah had a firm but steady style of arguing his cases in the court, with a touch of dry wit and theatre. Iqbal suggests that Jinnah’s style in this regard was rooted in a (still) little known fact that when he was a student in London, Jinnah loved sophisticated Shakespearean theatre — so much so that he almost joined a Shakespearean theatrical company (as a bud-
Looking for Jinnah’s Pakistan
ding stage actor)! His dream to become an acclaimed stage actor was cut short when his father came to know about it. Jinnah was ordered to go back to studying Law. He grudgingly obliged because he had already annoyed his father when he switched to studying Law instead of Business. The ironies of a post-Jinnah Pakistan have mostly to do with how the country that he founded eventually became almost exactly the opposite of what Jinnah as a person, lawyer and politician admired. The image of an honest and upright man steeped in the ways of modern law and constitutional manoeuvres that Jinnah enjoyed failed to rub off on the overall polity of Pakistan; and nor did his more cosmopolitan and rational understanding of his faith and creed. One ruler after another that followed his demise (in 1948), disregarded constitutional processes and undermined the importance of having a strong and unbiased judiciary. These, coupled with the demagogic ways
faith was used to shape and reach purely cynical political positions, have molded a society pierced with political and moral dichotomies and, at times, downright hypocrisy! Most Indian historians believe that one should have expected this in a country whose demand emerged from a communal platform. But the truth is that the demand (for a separate Muslim-majority country in South Asia) was not quite communal as such because Jinnah and his party’s ideologues had treated ‘Muslimness’ not as a theocratic concept, but more as a separate cultural and even quasi-ethnic entity, demanding its own land and state. This is all too apparent in Jinnah’s first address to Pakistan’s Constituent Assembly on Aug 11, 1947. But he did not live long to shape the country the way he saw it. After him, it struggled to evolve into becoming a Muslimmajority state where modern concepts of progress and law would seamlessly merge with the egalitarian notions of Islam; a country driven by a system informed by constitutionalism,
pluralism and a rational reading of the Muslim scriptures. Instead, over the decades, it has become a bastion of political Machiavellian obesity and, as some would rightly lament, numerous forms of moral hypocrisy. Therefore so little is mentioned about one of Jinnah’s pet dislikes in the terribly rhetorical school text books that overtly eulogize only those aspects of Jinnah’s personality that seem to suit the manipulative ways of men who have unabashedly used historical forgery and distortion of faith to meet cynical political and social aims. Never have I read in such text books how much Jinnah hated moral hypocrisy. And yet, if one studies history a lot more honestly, he or she is bound to stumble upon some very telling incidents in this respect. For example, Aziz Beg in his book Jinnah and his Times (1986) writes how when during the month of Ramazan, Jinnah strolled out of the Constituent Assembly with a cigar in his hand, he was asked by some of his colleagues to extinguish it, but he refused, saying ‘I am not a hypocrite!’ During the height of his party’s movement to win a separate Muslim homeland, the party (The All-India Muslim League) was offered a large sum of money (as donation) by a rich Muslim businessman. When Jinnah came to know that the man was rumored to be a smuggler, he flatly refused the donation, saying, “We do not want even an anna of his money. My party does not accept silver bullets …” Aziz also relates how once when someone mentioned how urbane, modern and welldressed Jinnah seemed compared to the modest looks and attire of Mahatma Gandhi, Jinnah retorted with his archetypical dry wit: “It is costing the nation to keep Gandhi in a state of poverty. He is fasting in a marble palace. It is like Jesus Christ going to crucifixion in a Rolls Royce.” Despite his cosmopolitan outlook and aloof patrician demeanor, Jinnah’s sense of integrity, uprightness and honesty were admired even by his staunchest opponents. For example, Indian historian, S.K. Datta (an opponent of Jinnah’s ‘Two Nation Theory’), has a separate sub-chapter in his 2002 book JINNAH, P28
Why Sir Syed Loses and Allama Iqbal Wins in Pakistan
n By Pervez Hoodbhoy
S
Islamabad, Pakistan
yed Ahmad Khan (1817– 1898) and Muhammad Iqbal (1877-1938) are described in Pakistani schoolbooks as the first Muslim leaders who stressed Hindu-Muslim separateness. Revered as the spiritual founders of Pakistan, they share many commonalities. Both were knighted for services to the British Empire (respectively in 1888 and 1923), both advocated purdah and had strongly traditional religious backgrounds, and both wished to liberate Islam from mullahs and pirs. But the similarity stops here. Although schoolbooks suddenly go silent on this, the two men actually belonged to clashing ideological universes. Sir Syed — as he became known — has now almost disappeared from public view whereas Sir Muhammad Iqbal, now commonly known as Allama Iqbal, has a ubiquitous presence. Lahore’s airport, a university, a literary society, housing blocks, many roads, and several schools bear his name.
For every 19th century Muslim intellectual, including Sir Syed and the Allama, the outstanding challenge of the time was to understand the ascendancy of western civilization and the apparently unstoppable decline of
Muslim society. Seven centuries had passed since the end of the Golden Age, and Islamic societies everywhere were militarily feeble and intellectually sterile. Sir Syed and Iqbal courageously chose to confront this galling truth, but they arrived at dramatically different prescriptions for the rescue and reconstruction of Indian Muslims. A century later, these two national icons distinguish liberal Pakistanis from conservative ones. For Sir Syed, the trauma of Indian Muslims after the failed 1857 uprising against the British called for a radically new interpretation of Islam. As a religious scholar and hafiz, he considered himself well-equipped for the task. Backwardness, said Sir Syed, resulted from superstitious beliefs and rejection of maaqulat (reason) in favour of blind obedience to manqulat (tradition). Desperate remedies were needed if the Muslims of India were ever to become anything other than “stableboys, cooks, servants, hewers of wood, and drawers of water”. His goal was to make Islam compatible with post-Renaissance Western humanistic and scientific ideas, and to extract the ‘pure’ belief from fossilised dogma. It was a difficult enterprise to take on. The period after the end of Emperor Akbar’s reign had been one of unbroken anti-science and antirationalist conservatism. Some 200 years before Sir Syed, Sheikh Ahmed Sirhindi and other influential religious figures had issued fatwas against mathematics and the secular sciences,
and demanded that the education of Muslims be limited to religious books. Initially Sir Syed was also inclined to this point of view but, following his gradual transformation during the 1850s, he rejected this view and challenged his contemporaries. In Tahzib-ul-Akhlaq, he writes: “Yes, if the Mussulman be a true warrior and thinks his religion correct, then let him come fearlessly to the battleground and do unto Western knowledge and modern research what his forefathers did to Greek philosophy. Only then shall our religious books be of any real use. Mere parroting and praising ourselves will not do.” (“Apnay moon mian mithoo kahney say koee faida nahin”) In his mind, the way forward was clear: Indian Muslims must learn the English language, practice the scientific method, accept that physical phenomena are explainable by physics only, and support British imperial
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rule against the rule of Mughals (who had by then sunk into decadence and depravity). This last piece of advice made him a target of bitter ridicule by secular nationalists such as Jamaluddin Afghani. Sir Syed accepted the Holy Quran as divinely revealed but he frequently reminded his readers of Islam’s forgotten rationalist (Mutazilite) tradition, as in the works of Averroes. He proposed a radical reinterpretation of the Holy Quran to make it compatible with science and modernity. Among other matters this involved understanding miracles, which science cannot accept as factual. Sir Syed therefore explained the Great Flood, as well as various miracles of Jesus, to be purely allegorical and symbolic. He also interpreted Islamic laws as actually forbidding polygamy and amputation of limbs. Quite expectedly, his claims provoked a furious reaction from the ulema of the time and he was
decried as a heretic. Sir Syed’s writings are all in Urdu and, whether or not one agrees with him, his clarity in supporting modernity and science is manifest. Equally, his remedies for social reform are clear and unambiguous. On the other hand the Allama’s only serious prose is to be found in English, and he leaves key questions unanswered or ambiguous. At times, to revive Islamic civilisation, Iqbal appears to call for a return to the sword. But at other times he stresses the enhancement of khudi — a sophisticated philosophical construct roughly describable as self-esteem. This construct, however, has a plethora of interpretations. Does it belong to the physical world? Will more khudi bring more order or more anarchy? Iqbal’s politics, routed through his soul-stirring poetry, is the real reason why he is Pakistan’s supreme icon today. In his epic poem shikwa, like Samuel Huntington, he frames the world exclusively in terms of usversus-them and the superiority of one civilization over all others. His pan-Islamic mard-e-momin belongs to the ummah and this perfect human aspires to martyrdom: shahadat hai matloob o maqsood-e-momin. Like a falcon, the mard-e-momin is a fighter and above worldly desire: tu shaheen hai basera kar paharon kee chatanon main. These verses can be found in Pakistan Army magazines, on its recruiting banners, and are sung PAKISTAN, P28
COMMENTARY
AUGUST 14 2015 – PAKISTAN LINK – P23
n By Farhana Mohamed, MBA, PhD Los Angeles, CA
[The following article was first published in the January 8, 1999 issue of Pakistan Link, shortly after the limited release of Jinnah movie in 1998. This article is being published again (with some minor updates) due to possible recent release of Jinnah movie in Pakistan by Director Jamil Dehlavi who has purchased the rights to the movie for a wider release since he believes that “Jinnah’s message deserves to be seen by the younger generation that wasn’t around when the film was initially released,” (The Express Tribune, June 1, 2015). Another noteworthy event is the passing away of Christopher Lee on June 7, 2015, at 93. According to BBC, Lee considered Jinnah as “the most important film I made, in terms of its subject and the great responsibility I had as an actor.”]. Professor Akbar S. Ahmed in his book, Jinnah, Pakistan & Islamic Identity: The Search for Saladin (Routledge, New York, 1997), writes, “By not having humanized images of (Quaid-i-Azam Mohammed Ali) Jinnah and utilized those in the media, Pakistan lost a chance to construct an idea of a national hero around which a national image could have formed.” As a result, what we have today is a totally misunderstood image of one of the greatest statesmen of this century. For instance, Richard Attenborough’s “Gandhi” (Feature Film, 1982, 188 minutes) stunned our sensibilities with the demonic portrayal of Jinnah. In Gandhi, Alyque Padamsee played a ten –minute ‘villainous’ role of Jinnah which per Akbar Ahmed, “seemed to be motivated by only one thing: his hatred of Gandhiji. This was a historically incorrect portrayal.” As a matter of fact, Jinnah always regarded Gandhi, his political rival, as a great leader. After Gandhi’s assassination by Hindu extremist, Nathuram Godse, Jinnah said, “Moslems of India have lost a great friend.” (Stanley Wolpert, Jinnah of Pakistan, Oxford University Press, 1984). The vicious hatred of Lord Louis Mountbatten, the last Viceroy of British India, against Jinnah is also quite obvious, “Mountbatten contributed to the slander against Jinnah, calling him vain, megalomaniacal, an evil genius, a lunatic, a psychotic case and a bastard, while publicly claiming he was entirely impartial between Jinnah’s Pakistan and Nehru’s India. Jinnah rose magisterially above Mountbatten’s blatant bias, not even attacking the former Viceroy when, as Governor-General of India after partition, Mountbatten tacitly condoned India’s shameful invasion of Kashmir in October 1947.” (Andrew Roberts, Sunday Times, London, August 18, 1996). These episodes of partiality, bias, and a constant barrage of contempt towards Jinnah and the nation he created led to the making of “Jinnah” (Director Jamil Dehlavi, 1998, Feature Film, 110 minutes). The business documents of
n By Col. Riaz Jafri (Retd)
T
Westridge, Rawalpindi
he essence and substance of the Quaid’s Presidential Address of August 11, 1947 to the first- ever Constituent Assembly of Pakistan, which should have been in fact our Magna Charta, has not only been forgotten and lies buried gathering dust in some national archive’s shelf, but has also become a taboo to quote from. It was time that someone did some digging and apprised the people – especially the younger generation who are mostly ignorant - of the true facts of the past. For that you must read the full text of his speech that is fortunately still available in books and on the net to gauge its historical and national importance. An abridged version is reproduced below: The great Quaid said: “Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen!
“Jinnah”: A Celluloid Salute to the Giant
‘A sweeping historical epic centering on the life of the founder of Pakistan, played with understated power and great dignity by Christopher Lee’ - Movie critic Kevin Thomas
the subsidiary production company, the Quaid Project of America, reveal the budget of “Jinnah” to be about $5.0 million. This amount includes at least $0.3 million of free accommodation and other amenities the movie production received in Pakistan. The Quaid Project Limited (UK), the parent company, began operation in March 1994. Shooting of the movie began in Pakistan in March 1997 and concluded in May 1997. The production was halted in the fall of 1997 due to lack of funds but was resumed in April 1998. This was mainly due to the dynamic fund-raising efforts spearheaded by Executive Co-Producer, Dr Nasim Ashraf. About six dozen Pakistani-Americans invested $1.5 million towards the movie. The film cast boasts many fine actors. Christopher Lee plays Jinnah, Richard Lintern acts as young Jinnah, James Fox as Louis Mountbatten, Maria Aitken as Edwina Mountbatten, Rashid Suhrawardy (Robert Ashby) as Nehru, Sam Dastoor portrays Gandhi, Shakeel plays Liaquat Ali Khan, Talat Hussain as a refugee in the last scene of the movie, Shireen Shah as Fatima Jinnah, Indira Verma as Ruttie Jinnah, and Shashi Kapoor portrays the narrator. The film drew its share of negative publicity, bureaucratic roadblocks, and a general consensus that the movie project would never come to fruition. The movie was labeled as a “mix of ‘Time Bandits’ and Salman Rushdie.” The selection of 73-year-old Christopher Lee was heavily criticized for his previous portrayal of “Dracula”, though Lee also played over 250 other roles. However, Shashi Kapoor, who played the role of the narrator and received his share of flak, especially in India, said, “The film will also be a great exposure of the Quaid-i-Azam to the world, not just the people of India and Pakistan. Very little
of the man has been televised or filmed. The film is a tribute to the life and feelings of the great man.” (Most of this para excerpted from Rediff On The NeT, April 4, 1997). It appears that the initial brouhaha further enhanced determination of the production team to treat “Jinnah” as a labor of love. The movie was finally premiered on September 2, 1998 at the World Film Festival, Montreal, Canada. This was followed by the Hollywood premiere on September 26, with much glitter and pomp. Elizabeth Fullerton wrote on the occasion, “The privately backed film, described by some as a cross between ‘Gandhi’ and ‘Lawrence of Arabia,’ - A fast-paced period drama centered on the turbulent months preceding the 1947 partition of India, which was largely engineered by Mohammed Ali Jinnah, it is the first major international film to come out of Pakistan.” (Buffalo News, September 30, 1998). Los Angeles-based Daily Variety wrote, “Christopher Lee (invests) Jinnah with dignity, resolve and humor.” “Jinnah” was also shown at the prestigious London Film Festival (LFF) on November 8, 1998. Derek Malcolm of The Guardian (November 10, 1998) had this to say: “Jinnah is a safe, solid, middle-of-the-road film-making, with Lee contributing a portrait of Jinnah which goes well beyond a natural resemblance and Lintern carrying weight too---For all its faults,---the attempt to rescue Jinnah from his distracters and to make sense of at least part of the jagged history of Pakistan is largely successful.” English journalist Victoria Schofield (Dawn, Karachi, November 29, 1998) mostly collected the responses of the audience during LFF which included Pakistanis and Indians. She sums up her reactions thus, “There is no doubt that the
character of Jinnah as represented in this film will fire the imagination of future Pakistanis, just as the film makers hoped. Though the dramatic representation-----Jinnah lives again not as the “villain” as portrayed in Richard Attenborough’s film “Gandhi” nor as the rather austere man who stares out from portraits hung throughout Pakistan----; instead the viewer sees him throughout his personal and political struggles as a man of integrity and principle, who laughs and weeps.” The film was premiered at Cairo International Film Festival in the first week of December 1998. According to a Radio Monte Carlo Report, “The film ‘Jinnah’ in Cairo was a success and had its viewers. Its success, however, was inferior to the success won earlier by the film ‘Gandhi.’ (UCF-PSA/NNI, December 6, 1998). Rogers and Cowan, the international media firm, arranged limited release of “Jinnah” in December 1998 at two Laemmle theaters in Los Angeles. This was done to fulfill the requirements for eligibility for Oscar Award nominations. Movie Critic Kevin Thomas wrote, “Jinnah” illuminates the character and times of this important but little-known world leader in an absorbing fashion---. A sweeping historical epic centering on the life of the founder of Pakistan, played with understated power and great dignity by Christopher Lee. A good example of a film that illuminates a complex and vital period of history while engaging us with its human drama.” (Los Angeles Times, December 15, 1998) The film was planned for international distribution in 1999, including Pakistan and probably India. Well, talking of India, how did “Jinnah” fare with the Indian viewers? The reaction appeared quite mixed during the making and preliminary release of the movie. Vijay Dutta writes in Hindustan Times ( February 12, 1997), “An overt and pernicious attempt is obviously being made to denigrate India and drag down its stature internationally by attacking and defaming Jawaharlal Nehru in a film on Mohammed Ali Jinnah.” “Jinnah” was also screened in May 1998 in Bombay for selected Indian intellectuals. Some of them felt the film was anti-Indian. Former Bharatiya Janata Dal Leader Madhu Deoleker told Rediff On The NeT, “The film highlights atrocities on Muslims during partition, while there are hardly any scenes of atrocities of Hindus. Moreover, Jinnah has been painted as a hero which cannot be accepted by Indians.” (UCFPSA on the web, October 3, 1998). During the release in LFF, Schofield wrote that despite discomfort expressed by the Indian viewers, they seemed to be fascinated by the knowledge they gained about Jinnah. “Jinnah” may not be a grandiose affair garnering major awards yet it already had made tremendous impact on its viewers-especially in the West. Christopher Lee (it was unfortunate that he was not nominated for an Oscar) magnificently portrays Jinnah the way he was SALUTE, P28
11 August - Our Magna Carta “I cordially thank you, with the utmost sincerity, for the honor you have conferred upon me - the greatest honor that is possible for this Sovereign Assembly to confer - by electing me as your first President. ---“The Constituent Assembly has got two main functions to perform. The first is the very onerous and responsible task of framing our future Constitution of Pakistan and the second of functioning as a full and complete sovereign body as the Federal Legislature of Pakistan ----“Dealing with our first function in this Assembly, -----. I shall say a few things as they occur to me. ------ the first duty of a government is to maintain law and order, so that the life, property and religious beliefs of its subjects are fully protected by the State. “The second thing that occurs to me is bribery and corruption----- . “Black-marketing is another curse. -----. The next thing that strikes
me is the evil of nepotism and jobbery. -----.” (The Quaid then goes on to ask
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those who had opposed the creation of Pakistan to accept it as it had become a reality.) “I know there are people who do not quite agree with the division of India and the partition of the Punjab and Bengal. Much has been said against it, but now that it has been accepted, it is the duty of everyone of us to loyally abide by it and honorably act according to the agreement which is now final and binding on all. -------- ---” (The following is the most important part of his speech) “I cannot emphasize it too much. We should begin to work in that spirit and in course of time all these angularities of the majority and minority communities, the Hindu community and the Muslim community - because even as regards Muslims you have Pathans, Punjabis, Shias, Sunnis and so on and among the Hindus you have Brahmins, Vashnavas, Khatris, also Bengalees, Madrasis, and so on - will
vanish. --- Therefore, we must learn a lesson from this. You are free; you are free to go to your temples. You are free to go to your mosques or to any other place of worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed - that has nothing to do with the business of the State. ---“We are starting with this fundamental principle that we are all citizens and equal citizens of one State. ------“Now, I think we should keep that in front of us as our ideal and you will find that in course of time Hindus would cease to be Hindus and Muslims would cease to be Muslims, not in the religious sense, because that is the personal faith of each individual, but in the political sense as citizens of the state. “Well, gentlemen, I do not wish to take up any more of your time and thank you again for the honor you have done to me ----. My guiding principle will be justice and complete impartiality, and I am sure that with your support and AUGUST, P28
COMMENTARY
P24 – PAKISTAN LINK – AUGUST 14, 2015
Volatility Not Helping Bottom Line 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) Managers are finding it easier to profit from stock-picking as market endures swings not seen since 2011. Good news for investors: far more mutual funds are beating the market than last year. The bad news is that stocks are returning one- tenth as much. According to a Fundstrat Global Advisors LLC survey of 3,265 funds, more than half posted gains that exceeded benchmark indexes in 2015 through March 6, for their best start to a year since 2012. Managers are finding it easier to profit from stock-picking as lockstep moves among shares unwind and the market endures swings not seen since 2011. “Factors aiding active manager performance are improving in 2015, suggesting the positive start for funds will continue.” Whether anyone will care is another question. While volatility has been good for active managers, so far it isn’t doing much for the bottom line. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index, up 1.1 percent this year through Monday after rising 44 percent the previous two, is poised for its worst first quarter SUCCESS FROM P21
peri-urban areas. Many Pakistani cities are undergoing a similar urbanization process, and this will create massive demands on food, energy, water, and consumer goods. At the same time, macroeconomic and structural reforms over the last several governments have narrowed the budget deficit and raised GDP growth to a stable 4.5 percent despite large energy deficits, and built foreign reserves up to over $17 billion. Low oil prices and the $14 billion in annual remittances the country receives from its 6 millionstrong Diaspora have also helped. There has been substantial progress in reducing poverty, which has fallen to 13.6 percent in 2011 from 35 percent in 2002; in rural areas, poverty has dropped from 40 to 15 percent during the same period. While there is some debate on the accuracy of these numbers, there has been clear progress. In May, Standard and Poor upgraded Pakistan’s credit rating from stable to positive. Pakistan is the world’s 26th largest economy in terms of purchasing power parity. Its national economic growth plan, Vision2025, aims much higher. With 90 percent of the country employed through SMEs, Pakistan has one of the most entrepreneurial economies in the world. Complete foreign equity is permitted in the infrastructure and manufacturing sectors, helping drive FDI to $1.45 billion in 2013,
since 2009. Investors pulled more than $10 billion out of mutual and exchange traded US equity funds in January and February, according to data compiled by Bloomberg and Investment Company Institute. “Benchmarks matter to institutes, like school endowments competing against each other”. “People are not competing against anyone else. They just want to make money. That’s how mutual fund investors are”. Managers’ outperformances this year could be tied to stocks’ inclinations to move independently of each other. The Chicago Board Options Exchange’s S&P500 Implied Correlation Index, which uses options to measure expectations about whether stocks will move in unison, plunged 17 percent this year through March 5, to the lowest level since 2012. Underweighting Shares Funds that outperformed in January and February benefited from underweighting shares of utilities and financials. These S&P500 groups lost at least 1.7 percent in the first two months of 2015 as the broader index rose 2.2 percent. a 76 percent increase over the previous year but still far too small for such a big country. Next Steps for International Engagement As Pakistan gradually improves on a number of fronts, so should its relationship with the United States. Clearly, Pakistan wants more than just traditional foreign aid. During my visit, a prominent Pakistani intellectual and influencer told me that “if the United States isn’t going to build stuff, then it shouldn’t don’t bother.” Given the smaller budget envelope for US infrastructure projects (the largest infrastructure project built by the United States in the last decade is the new US embassy), assistance should be geared towards facilitating infrastructure investment particularly in the water and energy sectors. Specifically, the United States should encourage regulatory and policy reform and encourage greater US investment using specialized agencies including Overseas Private Investment Corporation, the US Trade Development Agency and USAID’s Development Credit Authority. Negotiations for a US -Pakistan Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) have stalled due to reservations on both sides, but a successfully concluded BIT would be a strong signal of certainty and stability for USbased investors interested in deeper
Last year, only 25 percent of actively managed equity mutual funds beat their benchmarks, the lowest rate since 1995. While strategists remain bullish on equities this year, they are predicting returns in US stocks won’t be as robust. The S&P500 will increase 7.5 percent from where it closed Monday to 2,237 by the end of the year, according to the average of 21 equity strategists. The S&P500, which never went more than three days without a gain in 2014, has twice fallen five straight times since January. Daily equity moves exceeding 1 percent have jumped 50 percent from last year and shares tumbled 3 percent or more over four different stretches in the first quarter, the most retreats of that magnitude since 2011. Keep in mind Islamic Financing, either you are in the market to buy a home, R.V- truck or car. Now there are choices available even in Islamic financing. Several Islamic provisional institutions such as; Lariba has great track record. Shop around. Go Islamic way.
One Million Meals The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “The most excellent sadaqah consists in your satisfying a hungry stomach.” (Tirmidhi #1946) Every year Hidaya Foundation strives to provide over one million meals throughout the world to people in extreme poverty and in dire need. Due to buying in bulk, it costs only 50 cents per meal. Please donate to feed the poor.
Hidaya Foundation 408.244.3282 | www.hidaya.org Hidaya Foundation is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) charitable organization with Tax ID # 77-0502583
(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, nor 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.) engagement in Pakistan. This might be a good topic for discussion when Prime Minister Sharif visits DC in October. A high level Pakistani official told me of their need for at least Pakistani 10,000 PhDs from the US in the near future. The United States should find more ways to increase educational opportunities for Pakistani students especially in critical areas such as urban planning, public administration, agriculture, and STEM. Currently, the US relationship with the country has been limited to a risk mitigation paradigm. However, the changes outlined above warrant a reframing of the way countries such as the United States engage with Pakistan’s government and especially its private sector. Pakistan is on a hopeful path and with the right mix of assistance and private investment, the United States can participate in Pakistan’s upside and remain a strategic partner. (Daniel Runde holds the William Schreyer Chair and directs the Project on US Leadership and Development at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He has held leadership roles at the World Bank Group and USAID. He has a Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard and a BA in Government (cum laude) from Dartmouth College. He is a Forbes contributor. Courtesy Forbes)
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Exchange Rates for Currency Notes* Countries
USA UK S.Arabia Japan Euro UAE
Buying Rs.
Selling Rs.
103.10 159.50 27.25 0.813 113.5 27.95
103.35 159.75 27.50 0.818 113.75 28.20
(*13 August, 2015) US VISA AVAILABILITY IN AUGUST, 2015 For Pakistan, Bangladesh & India Compiled by Hasan Chishti FAMILY SPONSORED PREFERENCES 1st
Unmarried sons & daughters of U.S. Citizens
Pakistan/Bangladesh
India
Nov., 1, 2007
Nov., 1, 2007
2-A Spouses and unmarried children of permanent residents
Dec., 15, 2013
Dec, 15 2013
2-B Unmarried sons & daughters (21 years of age or older) of permanent residents
Nov., 15, 2008
Nov., 15, 2008
3rd
Married sons & daughters of US Citizens April 8, 2004
4th Brothers & sisters of adult U.S. citizens
Dec., 1, 2002
April 8, 2004 Dec., 1, 2002
EMPLOYMENT BASED CATEGORY Current
Current
2nd Members of the professions holding advanced degree or persons of exceptional ability
Current
Oct., 1, 2008
3rd Skilled workers Other workers
July 15, 2015 July 15, 2015
4th Certain special immigrants Certain religious workers
Current Current
1st
Priority workers
5th Employment creation Targeted Employment Areas/ Regional Centers and Pilot Programs
Current
June 1, 2004 June 1, 2004 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
AUGUST 14 2015 – PAKISTAN LINK – P25
Issues and Questions
Prayers with Pictures in the Room, Madhahib and Unity
Gems from the Holy Qur’an
n By Dr Muzammil H. Siddiqi
Q
. Are we allowed to pray in a room where there are pictures and photographs? A. As long as the pictures and photographs are not in front of you towards the direction of Qiblah and they do not distract you from your concentration in your Salah, you are allowed to pray in that room. But if the pictures are towards the direction of Qiblah, then they should be removed from there or you should find another room for prayer.
From the translation by Muhammad Asad (Leopold Weiss) About the translator: Muhammad Asad, Leopold Weiss, was born of Jewish parents 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, dedicated to “li-qawmin yatafakkaroon” (For people who think).
Q. How and why did the four Madhahib - the Hanafi, Shafi’i, Maliki and Hanbali - emerge and evolve? Why do Muslims follow one school in one country and another school in another country? Why this lack of uniformity? A. As long as the Prophet - peace be upon him - was with the Ummah, he was the Imam. Muslims followed the Qur’an and the explanations of the Prophet - peace be upon him. Whenever they needed any explanation they went to the Prophet and he either waited for the divine revelation in order to answer them, or gave them his own answers according to the authority that Allah gave him. We, however, know that the Prophet - peace be upon him - also allowed sometimes the variety of opinions among his Sahabah in certain matters. After the Prophet’s departure from this earth, his Rightly Guided Caliphs (al-Khulafa’ al-Rashidun) were the leaders of the Ummah. Unlike the Prophet, they were not the recipients of Divine revelation (wahy), but they had the full authority to interpret the Shari’ah in their time. Their knowledge, piety and religious authority made the people to go back to them for any final decision. The Caliphs used to consult many Sahabah, but then whatever decision they would make, theirs was the final word. In other words, we can say that there was only one Madh’hab during the time of al-Khulafa’ al-Rashidun. They kept the unity and uniformity of the Ummah. We know that when Muslims differed on the readings of the Qur’an, the Caliph Uthman - may Allah be pleased with him - sent his authorized copy to all provinces and removed all other copies of the Qur’an from circulation and burned them. Thus he was able to keep the unity of the Ummah. However, with the emergence of the Umayyad rule, the situation changed. The Umayyad caliphs did not have the same religious authority as the previous Khulafa’. Some of them deviated from the true path of Islam. Many jurists and scholars used to avoid them and they began their teachings independently in their own locations. The great Sahabah and their followers (tabi’un) went to different areas and taught and preached
to their local people. There was no central authority that could unite all the opinions at that time. The Islamic State was expanding. This set a trend for the development of various schools of interpretations under various able scholars and jurists. The Hadith was also not fully collected. So there were two main trends among the early jurists: those who relied on Hadith only, while there were others who frequently used Qiyas and Ra’y. This situation continues throughout the Umayyad period. After the Umayyad (661-750 CE) came the Abbasids. They were also not the ideal caliphs like alKhulafa’ al-Rashidun, but in comparison to the Umayyads, they were more supportive of Islamic law and its scholars. During their time various scholars were encouraged to write books on Islamic laws. They also patronized the collection of early Fatwas. The Caliphs encouraged religious discussions and debates. Various scholars had the opportunity to debate their positions with others. Due to more discussions and debates, some people changed their opinions. Some schools were eliminated and others merged into major schools. Thus four major schools of Fiqh came about. The crystallization of four major Madhahib of Islamic Fiqh came about by the 3rd century of Hijrah or the 9th century of the common era, before this there were about twenty different Madhahib. Once the Madhahib became established in different areas, the local teacher used them to teach the Shari’ah to their students. The local courts applied the decisions and Fatwas of their local jurists. Thus in a natural way the Madhahib spread in different areas. Although we do not have uniformity among Muslims at this time, we should still try to unite them with tolerance and broad-
mindedness. We should unite them as much as possible. I am pleased to see that the fanatical loyalty to a particular Madh’hab among Muslims is decreasing, alhamdulillah. Now Hanafi, Shafi’i, Maliki and Hanbali and even Ja’fari pray together and work together. We read each other’s books and attend the Islamic conferences together. In America this is happening much more than in any other place. I hope this trend will continue and our unity as well as the unity of the whole Ummah will increase, by the Grace and Mercy of Allah. Ameen. Q. I am a new Muslim with a question concerning Jesus. What happened on the day of crucifixion? My (Muslim) husband doesn’t explain it so I could understand. He mentioned someone else took his place. Can you fill me in so that I could spread the right message to others when asked. A. There is a great deal written on this subject by the commentators of the Qur’an and many other Muslim writers. This is not the place to go in any detail about this subject. You may read some good Qur’anic commentaries such as Yusuf Ali’s translation and commentary or Maulana Maududi’s Towards Understanding the Qur’an and other writings on this subject. Briefly, let me tell you that Allah in the Qur’an (Surah al-Nisa’ 4:157-8) says “And concerning their saying, ‘We killed the Messiah Jesus son of Mary, Allah’s Messenger.’ They killed him not, nor crucified, but it appeared so to them. Indeed those who disagree concerning it are in doubt about it. They have no (true) knowledge about it except that they follow conjecture. Surely they did not kill him. But Allah did take him up unto Himself. Allah is ever Mighty, Wise.” Thus according to Allah’s tes-
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timony in the Qur’an, the crucifixion did not take place and Jesus was not killed or died on the cross. In the Gospel of Luke it is also written: “And he (Jesus) withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, ‘Father, if thou art willing, remove this cup (meaning death) from me; nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.’ And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him…” (Luke 22:41-43) Some Muslim scholars (such as Ibn Taymiyah in his book alJawab al-Sahih) have expressed that Jesus - peace be upon him prayed to Allah to remove the cup of death from him. Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala who loved and cared for Jesus did not refuse his prayer. It is Allah’s way that He accepts the prayers of His Prophets and Messengers. Thus Allah accepted Jesus’ prayer and willed what Jesus himself willed. Allah saved Jesus peace be upon him - from the pain and agony of death on the cross. He sent His angels to strengthen him (i.e., to support him and to give him the assurance that Allah would save him), and then they took him away from those who tried to kill him. The crowd, however, became confused and some of them thought that they killed Jesus - peace be upon him. Allah has informed us that this indeed did not happen. There were many groups among early followers of Jesus who also believed that Jesus was saved from the death on the cross. They did not believe that he was crucified. However, slowly the doctrine of crucifixion (and with it the doctrines of redemption and atonement) became the orthodox doctrine and the Church condemned other positions. The Qur’an took the early and the true position in this matter. The Qur’an has emphasized both the humanity of Jesus as well as his greatness as a Messenger of Allah.
Chapter 32, verses 19 – 21 As for those who attain to faith and do righteous deeds – gardens of rest await them, as a welcome [from God], in result of what they did; but as for those who are lost in iniquity – their goal is the fire: as oft as they will try to come out of it, they will be thrown back into it; and they will be told, “Taste [now] this suffering through fire which you were wont to call a lie!” However, ere [We condemn them to] that supreme suffering, We shall most certainly let them taste of a suffering closer at hand, so that they might repent and mend their ways. Chapter 32, verses 23 - 34 And, indeed, [O Muhammad,] We did vouchsafe revelation unto Moses [as well]: so be not in doubt of [thy] having met with the same [truth in the revelation vouchsafed to thee]. And [just as] We caused that [earlier revelation] to be a guidance for the children of Israel, and [as] We raised among them leaders who, as long as they bore themselves with patience and had sure faith in Our messages, guided [their people] in accordance with Our behest – [so, too, shall it be with the divine writ revealed unto thee, O Muhammad.] Chapter 33, verse 35 Verily, for all men and women who have surrendered themselves unto God, and all believing men and believing women, and all truly devout men and truly devout women, and all men and women who are true to their word, and all men and women who are patient in adversity, and all men and women who humble themselves [before God], and all men and women who give in charity, and all self-denying men and self-denying women, and all men and women who are mindful of their chastity, and all men and women who remember God unceasingly: for [all of] them has God readied forgiveness of sins and a mighty reward. ______________
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SPORTS
AUGUST 14, 2015 - PAKISTAN LINK
SPORTS
‘World XI-Inspired Team May Tour Pakistan’
KARACHI: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Shaharyar Khan has said that an international team - similar to the World XI - could visit Pakistan next September for a twoweek period while the Associate nations want to come and play here as soon as possible. Shaharyar was speaking to reporters at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore after coming back from the
UK after a month-long leave. The former diplomat revealed that he had attended various formal and informal meetings to check out any possibility of building on the home tour of Zimbabwe - including dialogue with Associate nations' representative and with the International Cricket Council (ICC) Task Force which was made for the revival of cricket in Pakistan.
"ICC Task Force head Giles Clarke has said that he would bring an international team to Pakistan next year," Shaharyar told the reporters. "He said that they will come here for two weeks and will play at three different venues: Karachi, Lahore and one other city. We had an option of April and September, and Clarke said that September would be suitable." He added that Clarke is not in favour of recruiting retired cricketers for the international team. "Instead, active cricketers will be included," said Shahryar. The PCB chief said that he would write back to Clarke about the dates and budget so he can start his preparations. He went on to say that Associates like Scotland, Ireland, Hong Kong and Oman want to come and play in Pakistan - with all teams, apart from Ireland, ready to play against even an A side. Shaharyar also shed light on Pakistan's proposed T20 league, stating that it would not be feasible to host the event in Pakistan because top players of the world will not visit the country and thus the purpose would be better served in the UAE or even Qatar. J
Eight Pakistani Cueists in Last 32 KARACHI: Pakistani cueists Mohammad Sajjad, Shahram Changezi, Babar Masih, Mohammad Asif, Shahid Aftab, Mohammad Majid Ali, Asjad Iqbal and Khurram Agha managed to qualify for the knockout stage of World Men's 6Reds Snooker tournament. Forty two players from across the world are taking part in the
knockout where the top three players from the 14 groups have moved on to the next stage. Twenty two players were qualified for the last 32 round due to a "bye", judging by their performance while the rest of the players will have to take part in another round with 10 winners to join the ranks of the tournament's qualified players.
Dharminder Lilly of India has been seeded on the top in the qualification followed by the neighbouring country's Mohammad Sajjad and Shahram Changezi. World champion Yan Bingtao has seeded on the seventh spot while defending champion Pankaj Advani has been reseeded on 12th place.
AUGUST 14 2015 – PAKISTAN LINK – P27
PCB Unfazed by Shiv Sena Menace KARACHI: The sixth edition of ICC World Twenty20 championship is still seven months away but the muchawaited spectacle is already generating some controversy. Media reports emerging from India - the host of the championship to be played from March 11-April 3 next year - suggest that due to pressure from Hindu extremists the event's organisers will not have any of the tournament matches involving Pakistan in Mumbai and Nagpur. However, sources in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) told 'The News' that the Board is not concerned about these reports. "It's their (India's) and ICC's decision as to which team plays at which venue during the World Twenty20 championship," a source said. "Pakistan will be willing to play at any venue," he added. The Hindu extremist Shiv Sena party is already making a big fuss about Pakistan's participation in the World Twenty20 championship on Indian soil. According to some reports, it has already been decided by the Indian cricket board (BCCI) that Pakistan will not be playing in either Mumbai or Nagpur - the two tournament venues that are in Maharashtra, the state where Shiv Sena yields a lot of influence. The decision, according to reports, was taken by top brass of BCCI in consultation with Maharashtra government which feared that political parties like Shiv Sena might cause law and order issue in the state. Maharashtra has two Test centres Vidarbha Cricket Association in
Nagpur and MCA (Wankhede Stadium) - which have been picked to host T20 World Cup next year. The other venues are Kolkata, Dharamsala, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi and Mohali. Quoting a top BCCI official, a media report said: "BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur spoke to government bodies in Maharashtra and they have advised us to not have any Pakistan games as political parties might create some protest and there could be law and order situation in the state. We don't know what the situation will be between both countries by next year but we don't want to take any risk." Last year, Shiv Sena had opposed the participation of Pakistani players in sports like Kabbadi and hockey in games held in Maharashtra. BCCI doesn't want to take any risk especially with board's global reputation at stake. Thakur happens to be BJP's Member of Parliament and his party is also in power in the state and centre. The International Cricket Council (ICC) is yet to come up with the final draw for ICC T20 WC but it is reliably learnt that India might play in same group as Pakistan and West Indies. There is a chance of India playing against Pakistan in Chennai or Mohali. A media report also suggested that BCCI will ensure that such a draw is been made that Pakistan will not have to play any games in two venues in (Wankhede and VCA) Maharashtra. BCCI believes that since the final will be held at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, there will be no problem in Bengal even if Pakistan make it to the title match. J
Many Impressions About Me Are Misplaced: Shehzad
Worker Debut Fifty Sets Up Crushing NZ Win HARARE: George Worker made a half-century on international debut to set up a crushing win for New Zealand over Zimbabwe in the only T20. The left-hander formed two swift partnerships of 49 each with Martin Guptill and Luke Ronchi to boost New Zealand to 198 for 5 after the visitors were inserted on a flat pitch. Zimbabwe went down without any fight in the chase, managing 118
for 8 after being roughed up by Adam Milne and co. The only time Zimbabwe seemed to compete was when their slow bowlers slowed down New Zealand's charge briefly and picked up a couple of wickets in the middle overs. Barring that, the hosts were thoroughly outplayed with both bat and ball, with Sean Williams' 3 for 28 from four overs of left-arm spin
the only performance of note. Kane Williamson had kickstarted the game with three successive fours off Prosper Utseya in the opening over before he went to a sharp take in the deep from Craig Ervine. Even as the No. 3 Worker struggled to get his first international run, Guptill kept the score moving with powerful pulls and drives. Worker needed eight balls to get off the mark, but slowly found enough rhythm to hurt Zimbabwe. He swung four sixes over his preferred leg side, reaching his halfcentury off 33 deliveries with the fourth hit off Graeme Cremer. Zimbabwe had got rid of Guptill and Grant Elliott but Worker pushed on till the 16th over, when he was bowled by Williams for 62 off 38. Ronchi, Colin Munro and Nathan McCullum ensured New Zealand did not falter at the death, as they muscled boundaries to take 56 off the last four overs. Chris Mpofu had bowled a couple of tight overs, but had his figures spoiled in the last over of the innings when McCullum hit him for three successive boundaries. An asking-rate of ten an over for a side with a highest successful T20 chase of 141 was always going to be difficult. Plus they had the extreme pace of Milne to contend with. Playing his first international match since the World Cup quarter-final against West Indies in March, Milne sped in smoothly, generating sharp bounce and taking out Hamilton Masakadza and Regis Chakabva with shortish deliveries. J
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LAHORE: Pakistan opener Ahmed Shehzad has dismissed the tag of being indisciplined and having attitude problems, insisting that his ambition was to play 100 Test matches for the nation. The 23-year old also made it clear that he didn't like being compared to India's Virat Kohli nor was he keen to replicate his achievements. "My motto is to enjoy cricket and I like playing cricket with a sense of freedom and joy. I like to dress well, eat well and am bit of a showman and if you don't have attitude you can't be a more than average professional sportsman," Shehzad said. "But to say that I am indisciplined or have attitude problems is not correct. I have my own style and I like to enjoy life but that does not mean I am not a team man, good professional athlete or I don't respect my teammates. Many impressions about me are misplaced," he said. Reminded that head coach Waqar Younis and captain Misbah-ul-Haq had recommended dropping him from the national team after the
World Cup because of discipline issues, Shehzad questioned whether anyone including the media had really gone through the report. "There are lot of conjunctions about the report and some misunderstanding. Obviously they are differences and issues in a team which is like a family. But that does not mean I am not disciplined. Why they filed that report is something they can answer best," Shehzad said. Insisting that he had learnt and changed from his past mistakes Shehzad said that he would like to be treated as a 23 year old youngster and not a 28 to 30-year-old in the team. "I know I don't always deliver at the crease but whenever I do I just want my team management to remember I am still just 23 years and judge my performances on that." Shehzad was responding to a question that although there was lot of stress on playing youngsters in the team he and others like Umar Akmal or Asad Shafiq tended to be scrutinised more often for their performances.
PAKISTAN
P28 – PAKISTAN LINK – AUGUST 14, 2015 ROOT FROM P6
forth in Shikwah) The fact that these hateful acts cannot be undone without the mandatory 2/3rd majority is something like the proverbial rotten carcass in the drinking water well. Do all that you can but the water will not be potable till the source is removed and treated by an appropriate remedy (medicinal or surgical)! CONVERSATION FROM P8
our common humanity and our responsibility to critically challenge our own biases. I enjoyed my conversation with Salma and greatly appreciated the opportunity to build bridges with those who hold common aspirations. At MPAC, we hope to continue working with such open-minded and influential individuals such as Salma. SALUTE FROM P23
---honest, unhypocritical, fair, a giant statesman who never “stooped low to conquer,” and a man who wept and was publicly in anguish at the aftermath of the genocide following 1947 partition. Jamil Dehlavi, whose other critically acclaimed work is “The Blood of Hussain” (Feature Film, 1980, 112 minutes), states, “Jinnah has been made to set the records straight.” The team of Akbar Ahmed and Jamil Dehlavi has successfully taken the initiative to positively and objectively portray Jinnah to the younger Pakistanis, a disillusioned nation, and ill-informed West. “We feel proud. The film has restored my faith in Pakistan,” James Sheera, a renowned overseas Pakistani activist based in Britain and former Mayor of Rugby, UK, told Schofield. “We need the message to be conveyed of what Jinnah stood for: his liberal ideas, his respect for religious beliefs of minorities and his concern for women. Pakistan needs Jinnah now as much as 50 years ago.” AUGUST FROM P23
co-operation, I can look forward to Pakistan becoming one of the greatest nations of the world.” (And, then he read out the letter from the President of the USA to him felicitating him on being elected as the President of the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan.) Dear readers, now let’s briefly analyze the import and the impact of this address. 1. It is the first-ever OFFICIAL address of the Quaid and that too to a SOVERIEGN body – the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan. Every word that he uttered is, therefore, legal, constitutional and binding. All his previous addresses were political. 2. His major concerns were just the following issues which he duly emphasized: a. Maintenance of Law and Order b. Black marketeering and hoarding c. Nepotism and Jobbery d. Acceptance of Pakistan by those who had opposed its creation. e. Protection of the rights of minorities as equal citizens of Pakistan. f. Freedom for all to worship in their places of worship. g. Faith and Religion to be a personal matter that had nothing to do with the business of the state. Now my dear readers, please read and read again the full text of his speech and find me a word like Islam, Qur’an, Hadees, Islamic heritage culture, civilization, values or history etc. etc. Not that the Quaid was any lesser Muslim than you and me – in fact probably better than most of us,
but when Pakistan had been achieved it had to be a free country for ALL its citizens with equal rights. Everyone had the right to worship according to his/her belief. Nothing official could be imposed by way of religion or any Shariah upon any body. What and which Shariah would our Islamists like to impose in Pakistan that would be acceptable to the Shias’ and the Sunnis’ 72 or 73 sects? Would the Brelavis even offer their prayers behind a Deobandi and vice versa, let alone both of them praying behind a Shia imam. So this talk of imposing Shariah in Pakistan is in fact the most fertile breeding ground for sectarianism which in turn promotes nothing but division and mutual hatred. So please let religion remain a personal matter as the great Quaid had said and let all work as ONE nation for the betterment and the progress of Pakistan. Pakistan Zindabad. PAKISTAN FROM P22
with great fervour. Iqbal, unlike Sir Syed, leaves the gap between science and religion unbridged. He takes no explicit position on miracles. On the contrary, he asserts that, “Classical Physics has learned to criticise its own foundations. As a result of this criticism the kind of materialism, which it originally necessitated, is rapidly disappearing.” But no real physicist can take this statement seriously. Even with the discovery of quantum physics — which superseded and improved upon classical physics — the description of observed physical phenomena requires nothing beyond material causes. In the battle for Pakistan’s soul, Sir Syed’s rational approach ultimately lost out and the Allama’s call on emotive reasoning won. Iqbal said what people wanted to hear — and his genius lay in crafting it with beautifully chosen words. Unfortunately, his prescriptions for reconstructing society cannot help us in digging ourselves out of a hole. (The writer retired as professor of physics from Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad. The Express Tribune) JINNAH FROM P22
on Pakistan that just eulogizes Jinnah’s disposition as a man of integrity and honesty. Even when Jinnah became the all-powerful Governor General of Pakistan, he would make sure to ask his chauffer to stop the car at a red light every time his motorcade came across a traffic signal on the roads of Karachi. I believe Jinnah’s Pakistan can be discovered in such small but telling incidents, rather than in the rhetorical flourishes that eulogize him not for what he really was, but how many would have liked him to be. - Courtesy Dawn IRS FROM P13
taxes, call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040. IRS workers can help you with a payment issue. • If you know you don’t owe taxes or do not immediately believe that you do, you can report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) at 1-800-366-4484. • If you’ve been targeted by any scam, be sure to contact the Federal Trade Commission and use their “FTC Complaint Assistant” at FTC.gov. Please add “IRS Telephone Scam” to the comments of your complaint. For more information on reporting tax scams, go to IRS.gov and type “scam” in the search box.
MQM FROM P1
MQM lawmakers went into the Speaker’s chamber to submit their resignations. Ayaz Sadiq verified the resignations, but the decision to accept the resignations will take place after the arrival of PM Nawaz Sharif, said sources in the PML-N. The PML-N leadership is also in contact with PPP leadership, they added. MQM Senators then submitted their resignations to Chairman Senate. But Senator Raza Rabbani initially refused to accept the resignations and asked the MQM lawmakers to submit the resignations in Senate Secretariat — which they later did. Meanwhile, the party’s MPAs also submitted their resignations to Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani. While addressing the National Assembly earlier, MQM leader Farooq Sattar said that many party workers over the past six months had been arrested by Rangers and other law enforcement agencies but had not been sent on judicial remand, a practice that was against Article 10. The MQM leader said that there were hundreds of fake cases registered against the party chief and workers. “Take a 90-day remand as per the law if required. We have never protested against or objected to it,” he said. He demanded an “unbiased operation” in Karachi, saying that the government had failed to set up a monitoring committee to check the Rangers. “We have failed to get justice,” he said. Farooq Sattar said the government was involved in a media trial of the MQM and is trying to “create space for someone” in the upcoming Local Government elections. “A media trial against MQM is being facilitated by releasing stories and confessional statements to media. Who is giving all this stories to media? Under what law and on whose orders?” questioned the MQM lawmaker. “If someone uses state aggression and tries to build a new political empire by suppressing the actual mandate of the public, it will create a violent backlash,” Sattar said. He alleged that the government provides a safe exit to terrorists while the Rangers treat MQM workers like prisoners of war. He asked the speaker how the PPP, PML-N or Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf would react if the same happened to their party members. “We are the fourth largest party and we are being prevented from playing our role, we have been pushed against the wall,” he said. Sattar felt that a judicial commission should be formed to investigate cases of missing citizens. “When we ask for justice, why is there a hindrance in providing us justice if this is a democracy with a representative government?” “We have raised our concerns before the Sindh chief minister, the
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Sindh home minister, the prime minister and Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar, but were never given a clear response,” the MQM leader told the NA. “We were told that all of this is a result of Altaf Hussain’s speeches from London,” he added, saying that the government’s ban on Altaf ’s speeches was in violation of Article 19 of the Constitution. He said that Khawaja Asif, Munawar Hassan, Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Maulana Abdul Aziz had also spoken about the armed forces in public. OPERATION FROM P1
have been squeezed into penny pockets, will also be cleared shortly. He added that enemies of the state and their financiers will find no place to hide and will meet their logical end during the course of the operation. The COAS also oversaw future operations, including Shawal operation, and directed commanders to ensure that terrorists remain cut off from their friends and their foreign supporters. The army chief said successes of the military offensive and sacrifices of the officers and men were acknowledged by the entire nation. While reviewing the progress of continuing operations, General Raheel expressed satisfaction and appreciated the morale of the army fighting the terrorists in the most rugged terrain. KASUR FROM P1
scandal, which locals say involves more than 270 children. Sharif said he had dispatched the province’s police chief to ensure that “investigation is carried out without discrimination and local influence.” A lawyer for victims has accused local politicians and police of allowing the gang to operate for years, something authorities have denied. PLOT FROM P1
had prepared an explosive-laden vehicle and motorcycle, which they planned to use on August 14. During interrogation, the suspects confessed that the vehicles were arranged in Karachi and the gang was waiting for suicide bombers to arrive from Afghanistan. They revealed that Bakhat Zaman had traveled to Afghanistan to arranger for the bombers. Following a tip off, security agencies carried out surveillance of the group for weeks before the operation was launched on August 9 in Hyderabad and Karachi to arrest the culprits.
VISION FROM P1
Aug 11 speech is a beacon of light for us … and be regarded as a roadmap for the future,” said an opposition amendment to the Urdu text of the official resolution that recalled what it called the Quaid-i-Azam’s promise of “rights of equality” for all minorities living in Pakistan. There was no opposition to the resolution in the depleted house, though hardline religious scholars, like those in the government-allied Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) and the opposition Jamaat-i-Islam, have in the past disputed a secular interpretation of the Quaid’s vision, which they say was actually of an Islamic state. Leader of the Opposition Khursheed Ahmed Shah of the PPP, as well as his party colleague Nafeesa Shah and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) member Shirin Mazari, had insisted on the inclusion of a reference in the resolution to the Quaid-i-Azam’s speech to the Constituent Assembly before becoming the first governor general of the new state created with the partition of the British India. Some key portions of the speech, which were allegedly blacked out by some previous regimes, were recalled in the house, such as: “You may belong to any religion or caste or creed – that has nothing to do with the business of the state.” He had also said in that speech: “You will find in course of time that Hindus would cease to be Hindus and Muslims would cease to be Muslims, not in the religious sense, because that is the personal faith of each individual, but in the political sense as citizens of the state.” POLLS FROM P1
ECP has proposed LG elections will be held in 12 districts of Punjab, including: Khanewal, Sahiwal, Faisalabad, Chiniot, Khushab, Mianwali, Sheikhupura, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Mandi Bahauddin, Chakwal and Jhelum. For the second phase in Sindh, the election authority has proposed polls in 14 districts, including Shaheed Benazirabad, Nowshehro Feroze, Dadu, Matiari, Jamshoro, Tando Allahyar, Tando Muhammad Khan, Thatta, Sujawal, Badin, Umerkot, Tharparkar, Sanghar and Mirpurkhas. Read: LG polls — another delay In the last phase, the commission has suggested polls in 12 districts of Punjab, including Pakpattan, Layyah, Rajanpur, DG Khan, Muzzaffargarh, Jhang, Bhakkar, Lahore, Sialkot, Narowal, RY Khan and Multan. Likewise, it has also recommended seven districts of Sindh for polls in the last stage including six districts of Karachi and Hyderabad.
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I
n a recent interview with BBC Urdu, actress Humaima Malick flaunted her spunky, assertive side and endeared herself to our hearts forever. Chatting about her work ethic, personal life and upcoming film Dekh Magar Pyaar Say (DMPS), the actress stressed that she's a selfmade woman who proudly handles everything in her life herself and doesn't put too much stock in the ups and downs of romantic relationships. "One shouldn't be too sensitive or sentimental about romantic attachments," said Humaima. "The best relationships are those you have with your brothers and sisters, your parents, your friends. I always say that a woman is not lesser than any man. And in our society especially, women are very strong." Humaima made clear that the character, Annie, whom she plays in DMPS is equally spunky. "She's a really fun character," said Humaima. "She's surprising, she's spontaneous and she's sexy and she knows it. She doesn't have a filter and she's extremely blunt." Though she previously played a role in Shoaib Mansoor's Bol that was more traditional and demure, Humaima confessed she felt like moving in another direction. "I just didn't feel like crying or screaming onscreen," she said. "Our public seems to enjoy watching weak, victimized women characters... I wanted more of a challenge." With Humaima playing such a strong character in DMPS, we wonder if newbie Sikander Rizvi will be able to keep up!
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