The Spokesman by The Spokesman

NAHEED KHAN STRIKES BACK PG I 03 TUESDAY March 05, 2013

THE CULTURAL VALUES OF ISLAM

FROM ADVERSARIES TO PARTNERS

– MOHAMMAD JAMIL

– RAKESH VAID

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TODAY’S WEATHER HIGH: 30 LOW: 13 Plenty of sunshine

Pages 12 I Price 10/-

Rabi-us-Sani 22, 1434 I Rawalpindi/Islamabad I Vol V, No. 320 I www.thespokesman.pk

Shut Karachi mourns tragedy Complete strike brings city to a standstill 2 dead in protests, buses set ablaze Over 200 suspects held in search operations Pillion riding ban slapped in Sindh

KARACHI: A complete shutdown was observed Monday as the city mourned the bombing at Abbas Town, that killed at least 45 people and wounding 137 others. At least 33 of the 45 bodies were handed over to their relatives after identiﬁcation, after which the funeral and burial process went underway. Relatives of the victims were still identifying the remaining bodies kept at the morgue. The strike call was supported by various political and religious parties including Majlis Wahdat-eMuslimeen (MWM), Jamaat-e-Islami, JUI, MQM, PMLN, JUP and Sunni Tehrik, As per reports, two people were killed due to aerial ﬁring. Angry mobs burnt tyres and set ablaze

many buses on different portions of University Road, Shaheed-e-Millat Road, Malir, Numaish Chowrangi and some other parts. Several main roads wore deserted look as traffic remained off the streets. Heavy contingents of police carried out patrolling across the city to avoid any untoward incident. Traffic was thin as educational

institutions, businesses and markets remained closed. Examinations at private and state-owned universities and colleges were also postponed. Moreover, local transport remained off the road as well. Besides, most petrol pumps and ﬁlling stations also were shut across the city. The Sindh Assembly session scheduled for Monday was also

CJ takes suo motu ISLAMABAD: Taking suo motu notice of the Abbas Town carnage in Karachi, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry directed the Advocate General and PPO Sindh to ﬁle a comprehensive report over the matter till March 6. Taking notice of the incident on an office note initiated by the Supreme Court Registrar Dr Faqir Hussain, the chief justice directed his office to treat the note as Civil Miscellaneous Application (CMA) and put up in the court on March 06 at Karachi. – STAFF REPORTER

SNEAK PEEK Shahzadi murder verdict in 30 days The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Monday directed Islamabad East’s District and Sessions Judge to conclude within one month the rape-cum-murder case of ten-year-old Shahzadi. Page 02

Terrorism will end once US leaves Afghanistan: Imran Offering instant panacea against terrorism, Tehrik-iInsaf chief Imran Khan has said that the menace of terrorism will go once the United States and NATO forces leave Afghanistan and monster of sectarianism could be bridled by simply making the police efficient and honest. Page 04

Forced marriages perturb British government As stated in the previous part, there were only a few cases of forced marriages were reported to the British High Commission, but in late 1990's the complaints increased in number; therefore, the British government realised the importance of the issue and strongly instructed the High Commission in Pakistan to look into the matter. Page 05

NEPRA foils power ministryʼs plan The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has foiled the foul design of power ministry to ﬂeece the power consumers with Rs136billion in the name of paying soaring circular debt. Page 09

Mahnoor Baloch to do item number Making most electrifying come back with Hollywood ﬁlm “Torn”, Pakistan’s most groomed actress Mahnoor Baloch is currently shooting a Bollywood sort of item number for the upcoming Pakistani ﬁlm ‘Main Hun Shahid Afridi’. Page 10

China ropes in Beckham to revive soccer image China has named former England captain David Beckham as its first global soccer ambassador to revive the game's image, which has been hit by a match-fixing scandal and an exodus of international stalwarts from the country's premier league. Page 11

postponed for two days. .Similarly, several protests were held in Hyderabada, Sukkur, Nawabshah, Larkana, Shikarpur, Khairpur, Thatta, Sanghar, Jaccobabad and other parts of Sindh. Meanwhile, the Sindh government Monday decided to ban pillion riding in Karachi from Tuesday. The decision was taken by Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah in consultation with Sindh Governor Dr. Ishratul Ebad. Rangers on Monday conducted a search operation in different parts of the city and claimed to have arrested more than 200 criminals of a banned outﬁt. Rangers’ commandos searched houses and recovered illegal arms and rounded up more than a dozen criminal. –AGENCIES

No quota in public housing Senate passes PML(N)-sponsored bill with government support

TAHIR NIAZ ISLAMABAD: Towards the end of its five years term, the government stands appreciable at least at one count. It supported a bill to abolish discretionary quotas in housing schemes in the public sector which were susceptible to misuse, a step which would help shut down corruption at least in the public housing sector. The Senate on Monday passed “The Abolition of the Discretionary Quotas in Housing Schemes Bill, 2012” moved by the PML-Nawaz Senator and Leader of the Opposition in Senate Ishaq Dar. The Bill states that it is expedient to abolish all discretionary quotas in housing schemes in the public sector so that allotments therein are made in a fair, equitable and transparent manner. It has had been a practice in the past that plots in a housing a scheme were reserved or earmarked for allotment by a designated authority to persons selected by such authority on arbitrary or subjective considerations, whether or not any preliminary eligibility criteria have been specified for such allotments. However, the law shall not be applicable to allotment of plots, in accordance with transparent

rules, to widows or to persons in the service of Pakistan who become permanently disabled, or to legal heirs of such persons who die in the discharge of their duties or in the performance of their functions. Notwithstanding anything contained in any law, rule, regulation, bye-law, memorandum, or Articles of Associations, plan, policy, programme, project or scheme, whether or not approved by any authority, all discretionary quotas in any housing scheme in the public sector shall stand abolished with immediate effect and all plots abolished therein shall be allotted in a fair, equitable and transparent manner along with all other plots in the housing scheme. According to the Economic Survey of Pakistan, the country needs some 500,000 housing units every year if the country is to overcome the shortfall in the next 20 years and avoid overcrowding in living conditions. Experts say an overwhelming majority of people are denied basic need of housing in the big cities, as their means of livelihood and opportunities are limited. The continued migration of rural people to cities in search of jobs is part of the problem.

Senators argue over deﬁnition of Muslim OUR STAFF REPORTER ISLAMABAD: Treasury and opposition senators on Monday argued over the deﬁnition of ‘Muslim’ as the Upper House of the Parliament on Monday collectively condemned the Karachi blast. Senator Tahir Mashhadi said Shia Muslims were being denied their right to live. He said Shia Muslims were being targeted under a well-planned conspiracy aimed at disintegrating the country. PPP Chief Whip Islamuddin Shaikh interrupted the MQM senator, saying he should not use the term “Shia Muslim” as it would lead to distinction amongst different sects of the Muslim community. “A Muslim is a Muslim”, he said. However, the MQM senator said Shia community was particularly being targeted and he would continue calling them as “Shia Muslims”. The House offered Fateha for the Karachi victims and the female MNA Mehrun Nisa Afridi who died on Monday. Tahir Mashhadi termed the continuing wave of terrorism a conspiracy to disintegrate Pakistan. However, he dispelled the impression that the US was behind such acts of terrorism. The MQM members staged walkout over Karachi blast while the JUI-F members walked out of the House over Karachi blast and the killing of a journalist in Balochistan. Separately, the National Assembly suspended agenda to offer condolences on the death of a sitting MNA, Mehrun Nisa Afridi and the victims of Karachi blast.

KARACHI: (Above) Local residents gather near the apartments destroyed in Monday’s blast. In the second photo, the charged crowd chants slogans before the funeral prayers of victims. –ONLINE

Iranian team arrives to ink IP pipeline pact

Agreement to be signed on Friday

SAHTAK BLAOCH ISLAMABAD: Setting aside persistent US pressure coupled with warnings of sanctions, Pakistan and Iran are expected to finally ink an agreement by Friday for the award of Engineering, Procurement and Commissioning (EPC) agreement to an Iranian company, which will lay 781-kmlong Pakistan’s portion of IP gas pipeline. The two neighbouring states are going to finalise the deal till upcoming Friday as a high profile delegation of Iranian firm Tadbir Energy will arrive late Tuesday to sign the EPC contract with Pakistan's Inter-State Gas Systems (ISGS). A signing ceremony would be held to celebrate the milestone bilaterally achieved by both neighbouring states. President Asif Ali Zardari and his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will gather at Pak-Iran border at Gabd on March 11 to participate in the groundbreaking ceremony of IP gasline project, a senior official at Petroleum Ministry told The Spokesman. Under the agreement, Iranian firm for the construction of said pipeline would be bound to initiate engineering, procurement

and commissioning (EPC). Tadbir Energy faces no sanctions from any foreign government. It is controlled by the Imam Khomeini Foundation, one of Iran’s largest charitable groups. The IP gasline project that will be completed by December 2014 will first bring 750 million cubic feet gas per day through 781-kilometre-long pipeline with a diameter of 42 inches, and later on, the gas flow will increase to 1 billion cubic feet per day. Iranian gas will be consumed by power plants to generate around 4,000 megawatts of electricity. The agreement between both brother states Pakistan-Iran would be functional for 20 years and there would be a five-year extension. During the series of talks held so far to finalise the deal, the Inter-State Gas Systems and the Iranian firm reached on a unanimous consensus that state-owned SSGCL and SNGPL would initiate mechanical works while the FWO, a subsidiary of the armed forces, would carry out civil works of the project while laying the pipeline from Gabd to Nawabshah inside Pakistan. Cost of installing gas pipeline per kilometre and the interest rate have already been settled.

Lashkari Raisani set to join forces with Nawaz

To meet Sharifs at Raiwind today Says no Raisani would trust PPP after what happened to Nawab Aslam Raisani

MOHAMMED RIZWAN LAHORE: Estranged former provincial president and PPP icon in Balochistan Sardar Lashkari Raisani is set to join PML-N today (Tuesday) when he meets party chief Nawaz Sharif at Raiwind estate. Talking to The Spokesman ahead of his planned joining, Raisani sounded like a man who is divorcing his wife after 40-year marriage. Though, once Raisani departs, PPP would remain present in Balochistan in shape of Sardar Fateh Muhammad Hasni and Sadiq Umrani but the heart and soul of party will fall in the lap of archrival PML-N today.

The fact that it was on the cards and most saw it coming could not evoke a response from the inertia-prone PPP leadership is even more painful. Raisani headed the party for seven long years in Balochistan and built a solid base of supporters that he said would be joining the PML-N along with him. Many political pundits and Balochistan watchers thought that with the resignation the Baloch sardar who has his feet on the ground and lives among his people has sounded the end of his ‘federation’ politics. There were predictions that Raisani would tilt more towards the thought that fans the insurgency. “I want to give one last chance to

the federation and I have taken this step with a lot of consultation and brain-storming with workers,” said the mild-mannered Sardar. No PPP, ﬁne! but why PML-N? “I want to stay with the party and leadership that believes in federation. At the moment the biggest question in Balochistan is not PPP, PML-N or the next elections, the question now is if the province will stay in the federation or not. “And on my part, I want to take this chance and save the federation with the help of another national party,” said Raisani. “People here in Balochistan are not demanding election, they are sick and tired of the

corruption and inefficiency of the last government. They are demanding their constitutional rights and ﬁrm guarantees on these rights, I’ll try and salvage this through the electoral process,” said Raisani. Is it end of decades old Raisani clan’s association with the PPP? “Yes. After what happened to Nawab Raisani after so many years of association, no Raisani would venture again in those troubled waters,” said Lashkari who took charge of Balochistan PPP when late BB made him provincial president in 2003. “I stayed all these years in the PPP just because my leader late BB handed over this position to me. Had it not

been my long association with BB, I would have resigned long ago.” How would he feel by sitting with political rivals of BB? “The PPP is dead and buried along with BB. I don’t have to put up with the kind of people I have been putting up with lately. After my departure whatever would remain of PPP Balochistan is corrupt and rotten and no one expects any good coming out of this mess,” said Raisani. The PML-N, on the other hand, was secretive about this possible development. When asked, a PML-N spokesman denied having any knowledge of RaisaniNawaz meeting.

TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

Rally opposes decision to put PIMS under autonomous organisation

Capital echoes with ‘The Sound of Music’

STAFF REPORT

ISLAMABAD: PIMS paramedical staff protest agaisnt the hospital’s privatisation plan. ONLINE

Shahzadi murder verdict in 30 days IG Bani Amin informs SC investigations into heinous crime are completed as Mehek confesses to have aided Abrar in trapping all his victims

MASOOD REHMAN

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Monday directed Islamabad East’s District and Sessions Judge to conclude within one month the rape-cum-murder case of tenyear-old Shahzadi. Expressing satisfaction over the police investigation report in this case, the apex court disposed of the suo motu notice, taken after the charred body of the girl was found from a dried gutter in Sector I-9 on February 19. Appearing on notice, Islamabad IG Bani Amin Khan told the three-member bench about the history of criminal acts of the main accused. The top

Shoppers resent CDA ban on taxis to weekly bazaar

cop said that four other cases of rape and attempted rape were admitted by the accused Abrar and his girlfriend Zahra Mehek. Shahzadi was a resident of Bhara Kahu. IG Bani informed the court that the accused was arrested on February 22 after his link with Mehek was established through tracking of Mehek’s cell phone. She, he further told the court, was the ill-fated girl’s tutor. The IG told the apex court that Abrar has confessed to have strangled the daughter of SP Hakim Khan after raping her. Her whose family refused to get a case registered, he informed the court. IG Bani also told the court that

Abrar’s confessions include raping the 15-year-old girl Christian girl, Muqadas, who also used to get tuition from Mehek, and attempted rape of Sabira, 20, another student of Mehek. He said investigations had been completed as Mehek had confessed to have aided Abrar in trapping his victims. He said the father and the brother of the girl had been found innocent as they knew nothing about Mehek’s activities. Both the men are government employees. The chief justice had taken suo motu notice of the case on February 18 and directed the Inspector General of Islamabad Police to supervise the investigations and submit comprehensive report.

Overcharging of entry fee protested ISLAMABAD: Citizens have strongly protested against overcharging of entry fee by the contractors at picnic spots, public parks and Marghzar Zoo. The contractors have turned the picnic spots and parks into source of ﬂeecing the citizens by collecting entry fee at redoubled rates with impunity and this way they have deprived the common man of the lone source of recreation. The entry fee for the zoo has been ﬁxed Rs 5 but the contractor is charging the visitors Rs 20 per visitor and the same treatment is being received by the visitors at parks. ONLINE

STAFF REPORTER

ISLAMABAD: Music and laughter echoed in the federal capital for three consecutive evenings when Lahore Grammar School students brought the hills to life with their sixth annual play entitled “The Sound of Music” with the tag line “The Hills Are Alive.” Adopted from the five-Oscar winning timeless classic movie “The Sound of Music”, always considered as one of the best musical movies of all times was adapted by Lahore Grammar School for their play that brought a fresh breath of air for the residents of Islamabad, many of whom, perhaps for the first time, enjoyed the musical performance by students studying in Grade Four to A-Levels. From 22 to 24 February the LGS students mesmerized the audience in the jam packed PNCA auditorium with their flawless acting, live singing and clear delivery of dialogues, use of space and above all confidence The one and half hour play kept the audience captivated and not once did the audience feel distracted or bored as the actors made entries and exits not only from and on stage but from every nook and corner of the hall bringing pleasant surprises to the audience. The performing storyline, live singing, ease and poise by which the actors performed filled the hall with loud applause and at times received standing ovations. As someone from the audience remarked, that she could not wait to speak to her mother and called her on the phone crying, "Mom, you must see this play as the songs have brought back a flood of memories of my childhood." One elderly mother very nostalgically remarked, "I used to sing these songs so often to my children" and humorously added, “and we all continued to do so; much to the annoyance of my husband." Directed by Faheem Azam, the story revolved around a young nun named Maria. As much as Maria loved the Abbey, she could not help singing, dancing and breaking the rules due to her carefree, frivolous nature. Consequently, she was sent away to become a governess in Captain Von Trapp's house where she had to take care of his seven children. The story evolved as Maria brought laughter and music into their house with the children, much to the disciplined Captain's disapproval. It was a story of love, laughter, heartbreak harmony and friendship. Much can be appreciated about the crew as they all worked together in complete harmony which was exhibited in timely change of the backdrops, appropriate sound effects, and effective use of lights and spot lights. Not to forget the execution of the set design and its decoration depicting grandeur of Captain Von Trapp's mansion. The cast included, Shameen Tariq as Maria, Amir Sabir as Captain Von Trapp, Farhad Khan Khattak as Max and Zoya Nazir as the glamorous Baroness take the play to an even mature level after the breathtaking performances of the seven children, Sherbano, Salaar Muzaffar, Aneesah Shah, Fizzah Nadeem, Sasha Khan, Cerene Raza and Maham Zahid.

Will CDA take action against its powerful officials? SALMAN ABBAS

ISLAMABAD: Imposition of ban by CDA on entry of taxis in parking area of H-9 weekly bazaar has compounded the problems of the citizens. The buyers have to pass through bazaar and parking area to take the bags packed with commodities to wagon terminal on main road in order to catch taxi or public transport. Carrying bulky bags on their shoulders is not affordable for elderly persons. “We are from lower middle class and we have to visit the weekly bazaar every week to purchase the eatables and commodities at subsidized rate. We don’t have our own car or pick up and we have to hire taxi to bring the essential commodities to our homes. We seek access to taxi after passing through the bazaar and parking area due to imposition of ban by CDA on entry of taxis in parking area of bazaar. This is highly unjust as it is too much difficult for us to carry heavy bags to bus terminal by covering a long distance from bazaar to road,” said Mazhar Ali, a citizen. “My husband is serving at Karachi and I come in weekly bazaar every week to buy essential commodities with my children. Banning the entry of taxis in parking area has created a lot of problem for ladies like me as we come here with our children and it is not easy to lift the heavy bags packed with items of daily use by us and our children to carry them to wagon terminal,” said Aamna Bibi, a housewife. If there is any security problem, then security arrangement should be tightened rather than banning entry of taxis in parking areas, demanded citizens. ONLINE

ISLAMABAD: In an attempt to oppose the government’s decision to declare three hospitals in the federal capital under an autonomous body, the members of All Federal Government Health Employees Association staged a protest rally from Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (hospital) to Islamabad Press Club. They raised slogans against the authorities concerned and the PIMS management. FGHEA Chairman Manzar Naqvi while talking to The Spokesman said, “We are again and again protesting for the same cause in which the largest hospital of the capital and two other hospitals are being declared an autonomous body under the newly announced medical university. If this happened, the poor employees of these hospitals and other government servants would not be having the facility of free medical treatment, while jobs of the hospital employees would also be at risk.” The rally later marched towards DChowk where they displayed various banners and placards against the government’s decision. A participant in the protest rally told The Spokesman that the managements of PIMS and Policlinic Hospital have already suspended some of FGHEA’s leaders for raising their voice against the government’s decision. “The PIMS management is so rigid that they suspended an employee, Manzar, soon after he raised his voice against the unfair act of the government. He was later called back, but an inquiry is still going on against him.” Chadhry Yaseen, General Secretary of CDA Employees Union, on the occasion, said that the government should upgrade Quaid-i-Azam Medical College to a university, instead of making PIMS a university. The President joint action committee, Mazoor Abass announced that they would stage protest demonstration outside the parliament house if their demands were not met. The protesting doctors and paramedic staff said that they had come out for continuity of free medical health care facility of the poor masses.

ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority has of lately been struggling to remove illegal kiosks in the city. It also carried out a survey in this regard, apparently, after facing music from Islamabad High Court. What, however, is indiscernible is who and how the civic authority in the ﬁrst place allowed the people, most of whom have affiliation with the ruling PPP party, to establish illegal kiosks in the federal capital of the country. Whether the CDA bosses, besides removing the unauthorised kiosks, will also take action against those who are responsible for the mushrooming of such kiosks? Off-the-record conversations with some senior CDA officials have revealed that CDA Directorate of Municipal Administration, headed by Deputy Director General Mansoor Khan, is the ultimate authority to allot or reject a request for a new kiosk. Likewise, its Enforcement Directorate, earlier headed by Ramzan Joya, is responsible for

removing the illegal kiosks. Sources in the CDA have told The Spokesman that DMA Director Mansoor Khan and the then Director Enforcement Ramzan Joya are the persons responsible for the growth of the illegal kiosks, which have tarnished the beauty of Islamabad to a great extent. "Without the consent of Mansoor, no one can get a kiosk allotted, and if anyone succeeds in doing so than Ramzan Joya, as the director enforcement at that time, should have removed all the illegal kiosks," said a CDA official, who added that the new director enforcement, Naveedul Haq, seems active in demolishing the illegal kiosks because of the judiciary’s pressure. At the main locations of the capital city, one can see that a large number of illegal kiosks are present in the city and many of these illegal kiosks have been running by the workers of Pakistan People’s Party and even one such kiosk was also found which was allotted to the wife of Khalid Malik, a brother of Interior Minister Rehman Malik.

This fact is also obvious from the fact that during the month of November, CDA infromed the Islamabad High Court that around 1,000 kiosks has been allotted to different people without adopting any competitive process since establishment of the federal capital in 1960 and half of the kiosks_500_ dished out during the tenure of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). At least 50 kiosk owners had encroached upon the surrounding lands and turned it into sitting and dining areas, official had informed. Al these realities have been appeared into the public eye but what hidden from the general public as well as from the honest CDA officials is the power behind DMA director and former Director Enforcement, who is now serving as Director Admin, as both of the officials cannot be held accountable despite the fact that one of them converted the federal capital into city of kiosks and other one never tried to take action against these illegal structures. IHC also directed the CDA to take action against those officials who were responsible for allotting kiosk to the interior

minister brother by setting aside all the rules. "But still there is no hope that the CDA babus will take action against the power officials as one of them belongs from the ancestral city of Chairman CDA ‘Gujranwala’ and other once again get succeeded to hold the important post of Director Admin in civic body," said the source. Mansoor Khan was not available for comments. However, former director enforcement Ramzan Joya said that taking action against the illegal kiosks was not his duty. “The DMA has the authority to take action against the illegal kiosks.” When asked why he did not take action against other encroachments established by the kiosk owners, Joya claimed that he had taken action against some kiosks in Chak Shahzad. However, the source in the CDA said that if all the responsibility was of DMA than why the civic body was paying hefty salaries to enforcment officials. CDA official revealed that Mansoor Khan and Ramzan Joya have good relationn among them and always tried to give favor to each other.

HEC gets Rs 9 billion jab OUR STAFF REPORTER

ISLAMABAD: The Finance Ministry has decided to release Rs 9 billion immediately for the High Education Commission, which is witnessing serious ﬁnancial crunch these days. The decision to allocate funds was taken at a meeting between Finance Minister Saleem H Mandviwala and HEC Chairman, who called on the minister on Monday. Finance ministry sources said Rs 3 billion will be for the ongoing education development projects of the universities while rest of the amount shall be spend on salaries’, pensions etc. It may be mentioned here that due to non availability of funds HEC and certain other universities had been facing serious problems as most of them even did not have funds to pay salaries. Meanwhile, the

HEC vice chancellors from 22 public sector universities across Pakistan on Monday signed an MoU with Promotion of Education in Pakistan, a US-based non-proﬁt organization, for the establishment of Student Advancement Endowment Fund. The MoU signing ceremony was held at HEC headoffice in Islamabad. Dr. Javaid R. Laghari Chairman HEC was guest of honor of the ceremony. Speaking on occasion Dr Javed R. Laghari said the HEC is committed to equitable access to higher education. He hoped that establishment of student advancement endowment fund at 22 public sector universities will be greatly helpful in poverty alleviation by providing grooming and learning opportunities to the youth belonging to humble background and lower middle class.

ISLAMABAD: A woman looks at white ﬂowers in a park as spring arrives. ONLINE

Wife of Syrian wanted abroad goes underground HOMER BALOCH

ISLAMABAD: The wife of the Syrian national wanted in Saudi Arabia and the UAE for many fraud cases has gone underground since the arrest of her husband. Muhammad Ayubi lived in Sector E 11 of the federal capital with his wife, namely Ayesha and their threeyear-old daughter. Ayesha was running a restaurant - al-Shamie Restaurant - and a bakery. The premises, consisting of shops number 8, 9 and 10, in 3-C Plaza, I&T Centre, was commonly known as Arabic Restaurant. Ayubi was arrested by the Shalimar police when

he was delivering a batch of wine to his clients. When this correspondent visited the restaurant on Monday, it emerged that employees of the restaurant were awaiting the couple to come and pay their salaries. A waiter, requesting anonymity, told The Spokesman that since his joining of the restaurant a week he has not seen his master even once. Another employee who has been working there for the past two months said he, too, was waiting for the owners to get his last two months’ dues. The restaurant manager, however, provided the contact number of Ayesha, which was not responding. Muhammad

Ayubi, son of Waleed Ayubi, was arrested at a police check-post in F11/4 and the police had recovered 80 bottles of wines from his vehicle (UN-68-832), which was later on declared as fake by the police. The accused was shifted to Shalimar Police Station, where the initial investigation revealed that he was having a vast criminal record and was wanted in the UAE and Saudi Arabia in many fraud cases. ASI Shabbir, the investigating officer, told The Spokesman that the accused has been living in Pakistan since 2006. He also stayed in Karachi for some time but later shifted to Islamabad, where he was

convicted and spent three years in Adiala Jail after being found guilty in many cases. According to ASI Shabbir, the accused can speak and understand Urdu ﬂuently and is very sharp-minded. According to the cop, the Interior Ministry issued a notiﬁcation on January 24, which was circulated to different police stations. including Ramna, Shalimar and Kohsar of Islamabad, directing the police to keep an eye on Ayubi. He further said that an FIR number 53 was lodge against him in police station Shalimar while police has been given remand of the accused for two days by Additional Judge Mukhtar Gondal.

400 at band’s performance ISLAMABAD: Brazilian music band Patubatê on Monday amazed a packed crowded at PNCA, giving an incredible performance. More than 400 people enjoyed the show. The event was organized by the Embassy of Brazil in Islamabad, in collaboration with PNCA. In the hands of musicians Fred Magalhães, Fernando Mazoni, Felipe Fiuza, Pablo Maia and the DJ Leandronik, scrap is not junk, it is music, since Patubatê uses raw and recyclable materials to build their musical instruments. Innovative sounds and a catching energy are extracted from cans, buckets, large barrels and even parts of automobiles. PR

POWER ALLEYS |

TUESDAY, MARCH 05, 2013

enom Inc. This should not be held against me in a court of law as I solemnly declare that these are absolute lies, dirty whispers and wild speculation that I have heard while crawling in the dark power corridors of the creepy Capital. You will believe them at your own risk Shh...If you have venom to spill please don’t hesitate to share with us on our blog at www.thespokesman.pk

Achakzai to switch sides? ahmood Khan Achakzai may have been forced to switch sides. For the last ﬁve years, he was one of the key advisors to Mian Sahb. Somehow he thought that Nawaz Sharif was more reliable than the Man on the Hill. It did not suit his Pashtun nationalism that thrives on anti-Punjab sentiment. But he was willing to take a chance. Also, his main rival in Balochistan politics, JUI, was sitting in the lap of Asif Zardari. Achakzai sided with Nawaz Sharif. Just when he needed Nawaz Sharif ’s reciprocity, the Punjabi-centric Mian Sahb betrayed him. A reversal of loyalties is at play here. Fazlur Rehman is having an electoral understanding with Nawaz Sharif. Mian Sahb is also not keen now to have Achakzai as the caretaker PM. Where does this leave Achakzai to go? Back to Asif Zardari. Trust Asif Zardari, he knows how to pamper his estranged friends. He knows the importance of Achakzai as one of the most articulate leaders in Pakistan. Come next election, he will need him not just as an ally but as the consensus candidate for lots of slots, if not the caretaker Prime Minister. Achakzai has this way of forging alliances. Nawaz Sharif may have under-estimated Achakzai, not Asif Zardari.

Naheed Khan strikes back GHAZANFAR ABBAS aheed Khan is back in action. She applied for the name and election sign of the original Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) and not the ruling Pakistan Peoples’ Party Parliamentarians. She has applied for the sword as the original sign of sword and also for the arrow to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). This evokes lots of legal, political and emotional issues. Legally, she has all the credentials to be given the name. The PPP was forced to change its name to the present PPPP when General Musharraf banned it. They could have changed it but this could have stirred a legal debate because the party got elected with the PPPP tag. It may have been legally possible but the party, either out of negligence or the fear of the aggressive judiciary, did not correct the name. Ghinwa Bhutto, by the way, has also applied for her PPP (Bhutto Shaheed) to be converted into the PPP. But Naheed has a better chance with the new application for a name. Now, if Naheed Khan gets the old name and

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The NahidSafdar duo got the chance to stay close to Benazir for decades. They know the electoral PPP map like the back of their hands. This may be one lethal charge for Asif Zardari that he may have under-estimated. He has virtually appeased every other person in the PPP except the powerful duo.

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the sword as a sign, this could cause some problems to the PPP. It will confuse many PPP workers as there will be two PPP’s. Many PPP voters might just vote for the PPP and the sign as they have an emotional attachment to the original name associated with Zulﬁqar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto. For many, the PPPP is associated with the era when Benazir was out and, importantly, with Asif Ali Zardari. Many might show their resentment against the outsiders who now control the party.This may have also cut a few chords with the old jiyalas. Naheed has also taken exception to Wasim Sajjad’s argument that the PPPP was registered as an association and not a political party. She contended that besides being a violation of the Political Parties Ordinance, this was a joke on the

original PPP. She knows exactly how to stir the raw nerves of the jiyalas: “How could you deﬁne the party that carried the struggle of Zulﬁqar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto as an association?” This may just be another political move that, after a serious of lethal attacks, she has unleashed recently.

This comes after husband, former Senator Safdar Abbas, along with Nasir Ali Shah, has challenged the intra-party PPP elections In the Election Commission of Pakistan The plea was that the PPPP held the internal elections to complete the formality and were based on “sheer mala ﬁde intent and the doctrine of give-and-take.” Legalities aside, the PPPP put up quite a sham. Even the PML (Q) did a better job by gathering a bunch of fake workers. The Nahid-Safdar duo got the chance to stay close to Benazir for decades. They know the electoral PPP map like the back of their hands. This may be one lethal charge for Asif Zardari that he may have underestimated. He has virtually appeased every other person in the PPP except the powerful duo. Nahid and Safdar may have also taken their time. It was difficult to

ELECTION WATCH

PTI Intra Party Elections he intra-party elections of PTI have served up a melee of interesting outcomes. While the violent scenes witnessed in place like Gujrat and Multan have received their fair share of airtime, the upsets in the election results have also garnered some, albeit less, attention. In Imran Khan’s hometown of Mianwali, the town also responsible for his sole National Assembly seat in 2002, the chairman’s first cousin Inamullah Khan Niazi was defeated by a poor farmer from Dr Salahuddin group. It is rumored that this has created a serious doubt among people about Imran Khan’s personality. They claim that a man who cannot even take care of his family is highly unsuitable for looking after the country. Political pundits are also prophesying the defeat of PTI in Khan’s traditional stronghold since the people of Mianwali are family oriented and cannot put their faith in a man who has no regard for his flesh and blood. Some party members, when contacted, upon the condition of anonymity, had reservations about the result of the Lahore elections where Mahmud-ur-Rasheed group was defeated by Aleem Khan Group. Aleem Khan is viewed as a lota who was a part of the Musharraf administration and party loyalists are believed to be incensed that Mehmood, who has been with the party since its early days, has been defeated by a lota. They argued that a new member winning elections against a very old and loyal member of the party is a betrayal of democracy. How can a party which does not respect democracy in itself expect to uphold democracy in the country? Hafiz Farhat, who contested the post of General Secre-

tary Lahore, is thought to have been overheard claiming that Imran Khan would have no support in the youth were it not for his efforts in the ISF. He said now that he was being sidelined PTI would lose the majority of its vote bank which comprises of the youth. He further stressed that he was a real grass roots worker and his loss is the party’s loss. Reports are circulating that the party’s insistence on creating a solid team for good governance is a sham. Commenting on the election of Humayun chacha, sources questioned how a tailor with no qualiﬁcations can assist in the running of a country. They also remarked that politics is not played in the cricket ﬁeld and Imran Khan was naïve man who did not understand the world of politics. “Yahan pe reverse swing nai kara saktay Khan Sahib, wickets

kaisay lain ge ap?” A man who purported to being Khan’s spokesman, responded by saying that “Ye one day nahi test match hai. Jab umpire na dekh raha ho to ball tampering kr ke new ball ki zarurat nahi parti”. Following such upsets it seems that senior party leaders like Shah Mehmood Quereshi and Javed Hashmi are practicing their batting technique in the nets to iron out any susceptibility to reverse swing. PTI’s vision of true democracy is entering the final straight where the elections for the posts of Punjab President and Chairman are going to be held. The most interesting position which has pundits rubbing their hands in glee is that of Chairman. Who will dare to take guard against Imran Khan, the master of reverse swing? No matter how much preparations are made by the likes of Javed Hashmi or Shah Mehmood Qureshi, standing against the founder and chairman is bound to be a daunting task. Will we witness a contest or will there be a repeat of the ‘election’ of PML-Q, ensuring Imran Khan is elected unopposed. Who has the guts to stand up against the fiery bowling of the skipper? The race for Punjab President should also be tight. Will it be between the Makhdooms from Multan or will we see Khurshid Kasuri and Jehangir Tareen in the running? Maybe even Asad Umer? And what will happen when such big names are defeated? What path do they take? Will they stay true to the party or will they defect to other parties in the hope of tickets? Watch this space to find out how the future unfurls.

A village where Shahbaz Sharif is a villain MIRZA KHURRAM SHAHZAD ISLAMABAD: When Shahbaz Sharif and his Punjab government will go out following an announcement for new elections, people in Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's village will be very happy. In the ancestral village of Dr. Manmohan Singh, Gah, Shahbaz Sharif is known as a villain and is the most hated person because he remained the main hurdle in the development process during his whole ﬁve years in government in the Punjab province. Gah, a village of 2,500 people on the brink of Lahore-Islamabad motorway near Balkasar interchange in Chakwal district, where the humble Indian Prime Minister

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was born, was declared a model village by General Pervez Musharraf on the personal request of Dr. Manmohan Singh in 2004. Musharraf ordered his then Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi to provide every basic necessity to the village. Chaudhry Pervez Elahi immediately initiated the development work on various projects in the village and built a brand new carpeted road connecting Gah to motorway, separate high schools for girls and boys, a hospital, a veterinary clinic, a water supply scheme and a vocational training center for girls in the village. But as these projects completed in 2008, both Pervez Elahi and Musharraf were ousted from the government and could not provide staff to all of these institutions. After elections in 2008, Shahbaz Sharif

After elections in 2008, Shahbaz Sharif came in power in Punjab and immediately after taking charge as the Chief Minister, he abolished all development projects initiated by Chaudhry Pervez Elahi. So after spending millions of rupees from the kitty of Punjab's people, these projects were abandoned and no staff was provided. Buildings of schools, hospitals and vocational center were left standing and later ruined as no maintenance and care was provided because of unavailability of proper staff and funds.

came in power in Punjab and immediately after taking charge as the Chief Minister, he abolished all development projects initiated by Chaudhry Pervez Elahi. So after spending millions of rupees from the kitty of Punjab's people, these projects were abandoned and no staff was provided. Buildings of schools, hospitals and vocational center were left standing and later ruined as no maintenance and care was provided because of unavailability of proper staff and funds. On the other hand, the Indian government installed a solar lights system in streets and a water heating system in the village mosque, which are still running very smoothly. The Indian government sent its

team of engineers last year to check the system again and remove any deﬁciencies. But Punjab government is unwilling to provide any staff to these institutions because the Chief Minister thinks that if the projects start running efficiently, the credit will go to Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, who constructed the buildings. In mid 2012, when India and Pakistan discussed dates for a proposed visit of Manmohan Singh to Pakistan and also scheduled his visit to Gah, the provincial government considered completion of pending projects and appointment of staff. They appointed ﬁve teachers for the girls’ school and also issued some tenders for the resumption of construction work to avoid embarrassment. However as soon as the visit was cancelled, the provincial government took back the initiative and stopped the funds again. The people of the village are running from one office to the other. But they are unable even to see local PML-N representative Sardar Mumtaz Tamman, who is a sitting MNA. "We could not catch MNA Mumtaz Tamman during his whole tenure. All our projects are still stalled," said Aashiq Hussain, former Nazim and the village representative who is looking after the development affairs. But PML-N believes that the buildings are still under completion and staff can be appointed only after its completion.

draw the dissidents out while the PPP was in power—and this after 11 years. Now that the power is going away, there exist numerous party circles who think they have been kept out of the loop. While the outsiders enjoyed the perks, the old guard was totally ignored. Asif virtually shunned the workers and sister Faryal, new to the PPP culture, played in the hands of the small coterie with vested interests. The Naheed-Safdar duo is particularly lethal in Sindh. Already in trouble because of the nationalists joining hands with PML (F) and the PML (N), this duo has the potential to shake the party from the inside. Finally, don’t forget that Munawer Abbasi, who is the MPA from Larkana, is the elder brother of Safdar. He is with Asif Zardari but, in politics, you never know. Imagine if the PPP loses in Larkana.

Following the tragic twin bombings in Karachi the Pakistani twitter community unanimously condemned the terrorist attacks. Imran Khan @ImranKhanPTI There is a global conspiracy to drive wedges amongst Muslims, incl sectarian divides, incl in Pak. But we can foil this by being united! akchishti @akchishti remember CM Sindh is Home Minister of Sindh apart from having over 12 portfolios while Interior Minister blames "Punjabi Talibans"#disgust Malik Zameer hassan @zameer0201 A political force of #karachi managed to convert this issue into an ethnic issue #AbbasTown Dr Shahid @DR_SHAHID Millions Of #Kasmiri #Shias, #Barelvis And NonMuslims In Jammu And Kashmir Are So Lucky That They Are Not Governed Under#Pakistan Military Mehr Tarar @MehrTarar How much more for #Karachi? Sectarian/ethnic/ linguistic, turf & mafia wars. Random killings.Now faithtargeted mayhem. #GovtofPak kahan hai? Ajmal Jami @ajmaljami "Paani aankh mein bhar kar laya ja sakta hey / ab b jalta shehar bachaya ja sakta hey" a msg to Govt #Karachi #Pakistan#AbbasTabish Ali Salman Alvi @alisalmanalvi If you have a heart it should break into pieces after watching the bereaved families crying for their loved ones. #AbbasTownBlast#Pakistan drshazianawaz @drshazianawaz @marvisirmed Who knew there were subtypes of Sunnis? I was raised Sunni. I wish they had picked better name than dayobandi. Pari bandi etc Marvi Sirmed @marvisirmed Scared of sectarian fire in Pakistan? Come forward and condemn#ShiaGenocide. Whatever sect you belong. #Deobandi #Barelvi#Wahabi anyone. Mohsin Raza KHAN @mohsinrz Every passing day is bleeding "@MinallahAthar: The Assemblys will be dissolved & present govts cease to exist after 11 days." Placebo @SeoulKing12 @najamsethi you can't find any educated person on your show rather than this Killer Ludhyanvi? Pakistanis are watching you sir. Ayla Malik @AylaMalikPTI #UnitePakistan Blood donations required at Patel Hospital, Abbasi Hosp, Jinnah hosp. Please come forward. Donate blood, Save life!#Karachi Mansoor Ali Khan @MansoorGeoNews You know whats wrong with #Pakistan - When people are busy counting the wickets rather than the dead we lost in Abbas Town#Karachi #SAvPAK The Shia Post @shiapost After the deadly blasts and targeted killings of innocent people in#Pakistan, most of citizens have become ... :( No words to say. Hammad Siddiqui @hammads Police must protect Bilawal house - that is the symbol of democracy in#Pakistan - rest of the population is just insignificant ppl #karachi Adil Najam @AdilNajam Death rode through town. Uninterrupted. Unashamed. Unrepentant. Unattended. We stood numb, in pain. Watching. Waiting. Whining. Wailing. Shahid Ali @ShahidAly78 Shame on paid chamchas of PPP n PMLN who shamelessly defend their ineffective govts on TV talk shows. #AbbasTown Murtuza Kazmi @iMurtuza Take Food & Blankets to Al-Mohsin Hall for #AbbasTown homeless affectees. #ShiaGenocide Maps affan ali @aaffanali The only reason gov. Officials didnt went to #abbastown is the incident of sharjeel memon in last sit-in visit #karachi

TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

Terrorism will end once US leaves Afghanistan, says Imran Turkish navy chief meets naval staﬀ

PTI chief says both PPP and PML-N involved in terrorism as they have ties with defunct sectarian organisations

MOHAMMED RIZWAN

ISLAMABAD: The commander of the Turkish navy, Admiral Emin Murat BILGEL, called on Chief of Naval Staff of Pakistan in his office, where he held detailed discussion on professional matters with his counterpart. A comprehensive brief on PN Role in Regional Maritime Security Situation and Operational developments was also given to the visiting dignitary. Admiral Emin Murat, accompanied by his personal staff, is on an official visit to Pakistan. During the visit the Admiral will also call on President of Pakistan, CJCSC and Naval Admin Authorities at Lahore and Karachi Upon arrival at Naval Headquarters, the Turkish commander was received by Admiral Mohammad Asif Sandila, Chief of the Naval Staff. —STAFF REPORT

LAHORE: Offering instant panacea, Tehrik-iInsaf chief Imran Khan has said that the menace of terrorism will go once the US and NATO forces leave Afghanistan and monster of sectarianism could be bridled by simply making the police efficient and honest. Talking to media at the residence of Dr Syed Ali Haider, who was gunned down in Lahore along with his 11-year-old son a week back, Khan said that the moment the US left Afghanistan, it would be easy to ﬁght Taliban with the help of local Lashkars (tribal militia).

“The tribal people of FATA have suffered for long due to this lawlessness. Once the foreign players, who are inciting the violence, are out of business, peace would return to FATA and remaining militancy would be taken care of by the local tribals,” said Khan, who visited Dr Ali’s house to condole the death. He said his party had a comprehensive plan to tackle sectarianism. Condemning the Sunday’s deadly blast in Karachi, Khan said that for sectarianism there was no need to call out army and para-military as the menace could be challenged and managed through the established network of police. “Making police

efficient and answerable is the key to resolve this problem [of sectarianism]. We have discussed this issue at party level and we can resolve this issue when in power,” said Khan. Taking on his political rivals, Khan said that both PPP and PML-N were involved in terrorism as both these parties had ties with defunct sectarian organisations. “Everyone knows that who has links with the LeJ and its leaders and who has been meeting Maulana Ludhianvi,” said Khan, in obvious reference to reported meetings between Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah and defunct SSP chief Maulana Ahmed Ludhianvi.

It was reported in national media that PML-N formally sought Ludhianvi’s help to win a provincial seat in by-elections. Khan said that his party was ready for the general elections and it would kickstart its campaign on March 23 with a rally at Minar-i-Pakistan where some 80,000 newly-elected office-bearers of the party would take oath. “I have said many times and am saying it again that PTI would clean sweep the coming elections. People are sick and tired of these both parties. PPP and PML-N want to switch sides this time round as PML-N would be helped to form government in centre with PPP’s support while PPP would retain Sindh and Senate,” said Khan.

ECP starts training polling staff LAHORE: Election Commission of Pakistan launched its training programme for over 600,000 polling staff in Lahore today in preparation for the upcoming general elections. Over 360,000 polling staff will be trained in Punjab and the Islamabad Capital Territory supported by the United Nations Development Programme. Training in the other provinces will be supported by the International Foundation for Electoral Systems. The inaugural ceremony to mark this significant first step was presided over by Mr. Justice (retired) Riaz Kiyani, Honourable Member (Punjab), ECP. The initial step of the training program includes training of lead trainers. Within a period of two months, 42 lead trainers will train 1,800 master trainers who will in turn train over 360,000 presiding officers, assistant presiding officers and polling officers in Punjab and the ICT. Polling staff are responsible for conducting polling at stations and will be trained using interactive methods with simulations. In an important initiative, presiding officers who are in charge of polling stations will receive additional training in exercising their magisterial powers in order to prevent disruption and fraud in polling stations. Mr. MarcAndré Franche, Country Director UNDP Pakistan, congratulated the Election Commission of Pakistan on the launch of the training and said, “Polling staff will play a critical role in safeguarding the credibility of the elections. It is essential that they are trained to carry out their responsibilities confidently and impartially.” STAFF REPORT

CDGK directed to start action against encroachers KARACHI: The Supreme Court on Monday directed the City District Government Karachi and KMC to issue notices to the persons involved in encroachments immediately and initiate action against them. A 3member bench of SC took up for hearing on Monday the petition ﬁled by former Nazim of KMC Nemat Ullah Khan, from Jamaat-e-Islami. The beauty of public park has been vandalized. State owned land lies under illegal occupation everywhere. Historical heritage is also not safe from land grabbers.” Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry remarked, “Land maﬁa has neither spared the government run schools nor public park. Roads have shrunk so much due to encroachments that traffic system has gone disrupted. Public parks have been built for the sake of recreation of people.” ONLINE

KARACHI: National flag at half mast as city mourns blast victims. ONLINE KARACHI A woman weeps for her relatives who died in the blast. ONLINE

KARACHI: The city looks deserted during Monday’s strike. ONLINE

Sectarian violence visits every corner of country STAFF REPORT

ISLAMABAD: Sectarian violence has left eight more deaths and injuries to 34 people in six different incidents during the last week. (The report does not include Sunday’s deadly blast that claimed 45 lives.) Of these, four incidents have occurred in Karachi alone, says a weekly report on violence across the country. It was issued by the non-proﬁt organisation of ‘Free and Fair Election Network’ on Monday. Shikarpur, with a single sectarian incident, was the most violent followed by Orakzai Agency, Khyber Agency and Karachi. In Shikarpur, three people were killed and 27 injured in a sectarian attack, the report further maintains. It says that during the same period, political violence also claimed 57 lives, with 50 sustaining injuries in 29

incidents, while 21 militants and seven security personnel were killed during the reported week. According to the report, Federal Administered Tribal Area surfaced as the second most violent region, where 27 people were killed, including 21 militants, five security personnel and a journalist, while 12 militants were injured. Similarly, in Balochistan, six people were killed in a terrorism incident and seven injured in a sectarian attack. Another five people were killed in attacks on security forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhawa. Counter-terrorism was the second most lethal category in which 21 militants and five security personnel were killed. Twelve militants were injured in two incidents in Orakzai Agency and one in Khyber Agency. Twelve terror attacks claimed the lives of 14 people and injured four others. Four of these attacks were targeted against

NAB to submit final Tauqir arrest report STAFF REPORT

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Monday directed the National Accountability Bureau to submit a ﬁnal report over the arrest of Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority’s former chairman, Tauqir Sadiq. He is accused of embezzling Rs83 billion. A two-member bench, which was hearing a case pertaining to implementation of its orders in OGRA case, expressed severe dismay when it was requested to adjourn the hearing as National Accountability Bureau’s Prosecutor General KK Agha could not turn up as he had gone abroad. The bench however rejected the request made by the NAB Additional Prosecutor General Mazhar Chaudhry. Muzhar Chaudhry presented a report before the court over Tauqeer Sadiq’s return. The court expressed dissatisfaction over the report and noted that it seemed as

if the matter was being delayed. Mazhar Chaudhry prayed the court to adjourn the hearing till return of the Prosecutor General. The court, then directed him to arrest and get deportation of Tauqir Sadiq within two days. Mazhar Chaudhry informed the court that NAB’s plea for arrest of the accused in Dubai had been accepted. Justice Jawwad S Khawaja maintained that thousands of rupees had been spent on Sadiq’s arrest, but no progress had so far been made. Justice Khilji Arif Hussain questioned if the NAB had started protecting the corrupt people instead of arresting them. Azhar Chaudhry also requested the court to adjourn the hearing till a review petition is ﬁled, but the court turned down his request. Justice Khawaja S. Khawaja noted that the report submitted by NAB was dissatisfactory and it showed that the issue was being deliberately delayed.

government schools in Mohmand Agency, and one each aimed at a police station and a political party office in Karachi. Three targeted attacks claimed ﬁve lives in Karachi while four workers – two of Sunni Tehreek and one each of JUI-F and ANP were also killed. Sindh saw the most incidents of political violence (17), followed by eight in FATA and two each in Balochistan and KP. In the reporting week, political violence occurred in nine districts, down from the preceding week's 12 districts. In Orakzai Agency, eight militants were killed and 12 injured in jet bombing while 13 militants and ﬁve security personnel were killed in operations in Khyber Agency. In Karachi, 16 people were killed and one injured in 16 separate incidents of target killings, sectarian violence, attacks on political party workers and attacks on security forces.

Hashish smuggling foiled KARACHI: The Anti-Narcotics Force on a tip-off regarding some international drug traffickers checked a suspected container at Qasim Port on Monday. During the search of the container, 3,186 kilogrammes of hashish was recovered. It was concealed in cartons of bedsheets, destined for Belgium. An FIR against the

culprits has been registered. Investigation is in progress. Efforts are being made to arrest the culprits involved. It is pertinent that in recent past Anti Narcotics Force have made record seizures of Narcotics including 44.800 KGs of Heroin from a container at Sea Port, Karachi in Feb 2013. STAFF REPORT

Closure of tubewells aggravates water crisis RAWALPINDI: Closure of seven tubewells has aggravated the water crisis in the Cantt areas due to ill conceived strategy of water supply department of cantonment board. As many as 62 tubewells were installed to supply water to 300000 population of cantt areas while 7 out of these tube wells have been declared redundant and closed down in the areas of Race course, valley road, Feroz ud Din, Nasir Abad, Mohalla Zimindaran, Tench Bhata and OTH. The closure of these tube wells have multiplied the woes of the inmates of the respective areas as the ever lowering level of water has made it impossible for them to obtain water from the boring system at private level. “We are already facing acute shortage of water and closure of the tubewells has left us at the mercy of water containers drivers who fleece us by providing water at the costly rate ranging between Rs 1500 to Rs 2000 per container. We are low paid employees and most of us are working on daily wages, therefore, it is becoming out of reach to buy containers at such high rates,” said a group of inmates of Nasir Abad. The residents of the respective areas have demanded reopening of the closed tubewells by arranging immediate repair work on them. ONLINE

Tough law pushes acid convictions MULTAN: Non-Formal Literacy Teachers demonstrate for their demands at Chowk Nawan Shehr. —ONLINE ISLAMABAD: Few have much faith in the Pakistani courts, but campaigners say the conviction rate for acid attacks has tripled since tough new penalties were signed into law in late 2011. Dozens of people, mostly women, but also men and children, are disﬁgured every year by one of the most brutal forms of domestic violence in a country where women are often treated as secondclass citizens. Campaigners have praised the government, which will this month become the first in Pakistan to complete a full-term in office, for passing legislation in support of human rights, even if immense challenges remain in implementation. Parliament outlawed domestic violence last year. In 2011, it introduced a minimum sentence of 14 years in jail and a fine of one million rupees ($10,000) for those found guilty of throwing acid. Statistics are patchy but Valerie Khan Yusufzai, chair of the Pakistan branch of the Acid Survivors Foundation, says the conviction rate

rose from an average of six percent before the amendment to 18 percent in 2012. Lawyer Sikander Naeem said: “It has become much easier to get a conviction because the Supreme Court has (also) taken a special interest in such matters. The statement of a victim alone is sufficient for the conviction of any accused.” But victims, left with horrendous injuries and often blind, say the penalties are still too light. Sidra Javed was attacked in June 2011 for spurning the advances of a son of her boss at a factory, where she earns $46 a month making water dispensers. Her family sacrificed almost everything to get her attacker jailed in July 2012. Her father repairs television sets. “Sometimes there wasn’t even enough money for one meal a day,” she says. Now 15 years old, clumps of her hair are burnt to the scalp. Half her arm, her chest and her leg are burnt. There are splash burns on her feet. She is blind in her right eye and partially sighted in the left. She has had six operations, needs reconstruction

work on her lips and ears, and requires a hair transplant. Javed hates meeting new people, despises talking about the attack and feels weak if she exerts herself too much. Apart from travelling for medical treatment, she never leaves home in the eastern city of Lahore. Lawyers and campaigners admit challenges remain. Naeem wants a special court set up to deal speciﬁcally with acid crimes. Awareness can be another problem. Last December, a couple who confessed to murdering their 15-year-old daughter with acid in Pakistan-administered Kashmir later insisted she committed suicide and with no witnesses or evidence, the judge released them on bail. Pakistan’s leading human rights group said nearly 1,000 women and girls were murdered in 2011 after being accused of bringing shame on their families. It was extreme family pressure that ultimately led Naziran Bibi, a mother of two, to accept an out of court settlement for $4,000 in 2009. Her tale underlines the difficulties faced by many victims. AFP

TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

PTI claims a clean sweep in Attock

Jirga needs transformation as a judicial system ASADULLAH MAYAR

OUR STAFF REPORTER

ATTOCK: The Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders on Tuesday said that every member of the party had been given an equal right in the intra-party elections in Attock district irrespective of their social status and without any discrimination. The process would be completed in the country in very fair, transparent and peaceful manner on March 26. This was stated by PTI leaders including former state minister Malik Amin Aslam, Malik Sohail Khan, Malik Khurram Ali Khan, Syed Ejaz Bukhari and Sardar Muhammad Ali Khan while addressing a press conference at the party’s secretariat. They said the party organisations in the 72 union councils, six tehsils and the district had been formed in the recentlyheld intra-party polls, which not only infused a new spirit among the workers at the grass root level, but also would strengthen the party position in the forthcoming elections. “The disputes in connection with intraparty elections have been resolved and we are now united and will work for the party across the district.” They claimed that the PTI would clean sweep the district in the general elections as they were confident to win all the three national and five provincial assembly seats. They congratulated the newly-elected district president, Waheed Murad, with the hope that he would work in the party interest. Waheed said he had started his political career with the PML-N in 1988 and rendered a lot of sacrifices but the party ignored him. Therefore, he joined the PTI and had been rewarded within a very short period of time, he added.

Students protest against Agri Dept OUR STAFF REPORTER

ATTOCK: The students from Education University held a protest rally in front of the district courts (DCO office) against the cultivation of groundnuts within the varsity’s compound. According to the details, the students were angered over the move. They raised slogans against the Agriculture Department authorities and demanded stopping the practice. On the directions of DCO, Assistant commissioner Iftikhar Alam negotiated with the protesters but they protesters were not satisﬁed with the talks. They told this correspondent that the officials of Agriculture Department visit the university in connection with the cultivation. They also harassed the female students and passed negatives remarks which were causing anxiety among the students. The DCO told this correspondent that the disputed land belonged to the Agriculture Department and the cultivation would be stopped only after its transfer to the university. Furthermore, he ordered to erect a fence to separate the cultivation area and the Education University to maintain the privacy of the students.

MARDAN: The Pakhtun culture provides social values and institutions for their daily life and problems, and jirga is one of them with a very important role in the society. It is a traditional and judicial system, helping resolve the disputes among the individuals and tribes. The jirga, run by the elders, is a very strong institution and is of great significance in the tribal areas, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Afghanistan as a tool for conflict resolution. Though an oldest and a key component of the Pakhtun culture,

the history, structure and activities of jirga remain unwritten. Its origin is lost is the mist of history, as it is yet to be ascertained whether it is indigenous to the Pakhtun society or may have been brought along by the Central Asian invaders. According to historians, a jirga met with Prophet Muhammad PBUH under the leadership of Qais Abdul Rasheed and accepted Islam. It was an honour of the Pakhtun people who accepted Islam as a whole, the example in the world. It highlights the predominance of jirga in the Pakhtun society. Jirga is a judicial institution in which the cases are heard with

impartial and acceptable solution of the problem. The decision is generally based on Sharia and local traditions but, in serious cases, the jirga asks a party to clear itself of the imputed charge by taking oath on the Holy Quran. During the last four decades, the wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan badly affected the jirga institution. According to some reports, about 2,000 Pakhtun elders have been killed in the last ﬁve years of war on terror. They were the heads and leaders of their tribes and families as well the decision-makers of the society. Indeed, the jirga is profoundly rooted in the culture and history of

reward and punishment. But from its onset, the use of jirga is not limited to trial of major and minor crimes and civil disputes, as it also helps and assists in resolving conﬂicts and disputes among individuals, groups and tribes. The jirga conduct its proceeding in a very simple manner. It interviews both the parties gives while giving them a patient hearing and examining witnesses to ascertain the facts involved in the case, although the jirga members may know well about the details. After going through the information and witnesses, the body makes every possible endeavour to ﬁnd an

Pakhtuns, as it dealt with local tribal and external and internal conﬂicts in a way which had not only buried enmities of the parties but converted their rivalries into brotherhood. But one must forget the fact that the Pakhtuns must transform the jirga system from a traditional institution into a modern one for conﬂict resolution in order to make it a solid and workable entity in the 21th century. The jirga must make its social, economic and political functions stronger to face the challenges of the rapidly changing world and it should be dominated by the honest elders of the society instead of egoistic notables.

South Punjab attracting top politicians Shahbaz Sharif distributes laptops in Bahawalpur Zardari will visit Punjab governor’s hometown ATHAR LASHARI

BAHAWALPUR: Nowadays, south Punjab has become a hotcake for political parties. As the elections are coming near, the leadership of various parties has increased their visits to the region. And as a part of the campaign, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif visited Rahim Yar Khan and Bahawalpur on Monday. In Rahim Yar Khan, he held a meeting with Chaudhry Munir Hidayatullah, the UAE honorary ambassador to Pakistan, and later travelled to Bahawalpur where he awarded the laptops among the students of Islamia University Bahawalpur and also distributed ownership documents to the residents of Jinnahabadi. During the distribution of laptops, some of the students protested against the procedure. “There is no merit for laptops; if anyone has recommendation from some political personalities of the PML-N or vicechancellor, he will surely be awarded with the laptop,” the protesters said. After that the chief

minister visited Jhangiwala where he inaugurated anew build a Civil Hospital and addressed a public gathering where he criticised the federal government as usual. The political sources told The Spokesman that the Nawaz league was now facing difficulties after the political alliance between Bahawalpur Awami National Party and PML-Q in the Bahawalpur Division; therefore, they were visiting the area to overcome the political challenges. On the other hand, President Asif Ali Zardari is also arrived in south Punjab on Monday. Zardari, the father of PPP chairman, attend a dinner hosted by former premier Makhdoom Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani. He also met

with delegations from various areas of the Seraiki belt. Today (Tuesday), he will visit the residence of Punjab Governor Makhdoom Syed Ahmed Mehmood at Jamal Din Wali. And the very next day, he will visit Bahawalpur where a meeting with Nawab Salahuddin Abbasi is expected. Sources say the president’s visit may be delayed because of unavailability of the Nawab. According to Farooq Azam Malik, former federal minister for railways in late Benazir Bhutto’s government and a senior leader of Bahawalpur Awami National Party, says Zardari is trying to set meeting with the Nawab. “It may be possible that Zardari and Nawab’s meeting during his stay in Bahawalpur.” This is for the second time that Zardari is visiting Bahawalpur. He will stay at the residence of his close friend PCB Chairman Chaudhry Zaka Ashraf ’s sugar mills outside the Bahawalpur city. The latest news is there are chances that some PML-N Parliamentarians may join the PPP after meeting with Zardari.

France condemns Karachi bombing

PESHAWAR: Activists of Jamiat Ulema Islam-Sami protest against drone attacks, outside Peshawar Press Club. ONLINE

Motorway Police arrest thief

Skin whitening creams spread diseases

OUR STAFF REPORTER

HAZRO: The National Highways and Motorway Police (NH&MP) officials on the Peshawar-Islamabad Motorways (M-1) during routine patrolling arrested a person over theft charges. They caught the accused, Muhammad Afzaal resident of Bangai, while he was cutting the fence along the motorway duty at Location N-410 on the M-1 to extract iron rods. As the NH&MP officials approached the scene, the culprit tried to escape but was chased and subsequently arrested by them. The culprit, along with the aforesaid items, was handed over to the police officials from the Hazro Police Station for further legal action.

MIRPUR (AJK): The mushroom growth of non-registered and substandard face whitening creams in Mirpur, as their sale goes unchecked. The craze to look attractive with a white complexion has caused skin diseases among hundreds of young girls and women because of these substandard products. That is why pimples and acne is now a common phenomenon. And an obvious result is a boom in the skin specialists’ business, while the higher authorities have opted remains silent on the issue. According to details, sale of nonregistered and substandard face whitening creams is at its peak, from the medical stores in the bazaars of Mirpur to the small shops in the streets of residential areas. Wallchalking is one of the tools used for their publicity, especially at the places where people travel the most. Besides, they make use of the cable

network and sponsor programmes which are very famous among women. Watching those commercials and with a desire to look attractive, they go for a trial and start using those creams without investigating or consulting the dermatologists. Mixture of chemicals, which gives a ‘quick relief ’, gives them white complexion in within a few days, but the end result is pimples and other diseases. In the end, they have to visit skin specialists, who charge them heavily. All medicines and these sensitive products must be tested and their marketing should only be allowed after approval by the authorities concerned, but the ground realities are simply opposite. Mir Additional Deputy Commissioner Chaudhry Tariq, when contacted to discuss the matter, said no one would be allowed to sell substandard creams. Strict action would be taken against those found guilty of the practice, he added.

‘No threat to Majeed-led AJK govt’

OUR STAFF REPORTER

ISLAMABAD: “France utterly condemns the attack on 3rd of February in the city of Karachi. France offers its condolences to the victims’ relatives and reiterates its support to the Pakistani people in the ﬁght against terrorism,” reads a statement issued by the French Embassy on Monday. The statement says it was the third major scale attack against the Shia community since the beginning of the year. “France expresses its concern over the upsurge in attacks targeting ethnic and religious minorities in Pakistan. France calls on the Pakistani authorities to ﬁght against all extremist organization present on its territory.”

BAHAWALPUR: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif gives away ownership documents of plots to the residents of Jinnahabadi. ONLINE

MIRPUR: “Azad Kashmir Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed enjoys the trust of President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Pervaiz Ashraf and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. The rumours factories in state are creating a false impression of the AJK premier. The government will complete its tenure and Chaudhry Majeed will be the prime minister for the next five years against dreams of some people.” This was stated by the PPP Mirpur president while addressing a crowded press conference. He said even the opposition parties were rejecting the rumours about any in-house change. “The progressive work, which the prime minister has carried out during the last one and half year, needs no further explanation, he added. Chaudhry Majeed’s brilliant performance could be seen through the progress in Azad Kashmir. “There was no truth in the news spread by the people who are jealous by the work done by the AJK PM,” the local PPP leader said. Giving ownership to the refugees from Jammu Kashmir, additional bailout package for the Mangla Dam affectees, Rathora Hariaam Bridge, Mirpur Dhaangali Road, Islamgarh Sports Stadium and Safari parks in various areas were the biggest achievements of the Majeed government, he went on to claim.

Forced marriages – alarming number perturbs British govt High Commission says parents fear younger generation is adopting Western culture They do not differentiate between forced and arranged marriage RA KHAN

MIRPUR (AJK): As stated in the previous part, there were only a few cases of forced marriages were reported to the British High Commission, but in late 90's the complaints increased in numbers; therefore, the British government realised the importance of the issue and strongly instructed the High Commission in Pakistan to look into the matter. There was a case which led the UK government to take immediate action over these incidents. A family brought a girl here in Pakistan to attend her cousin marriage, but on her arrival, she came to known that it was her own marriage with her cousin. She tried hard to convince the parents but they locked her in a room and got her passport and

other documents so that she couldn't travel back to England. Somehow, she escaped from there and gone straight to the British High Commission which immediately sent her back to the UK. After that they started taking strict notice of these cases and also launched an awareness campaign among the people. When people came to known about the issue of forced marriages, the reporting of cases also increased. After the year 2000, there are annually 130 to 150 cases reported to the High Commission and another 1,600 to 1,800 to the British government. There are other countries as well where forced marriage is an issue but Pakistan, unfortunately, is reported No 1 in this category, while Bangladesh is

their relatives living in ranked two. Pakistan. They think that 60 percent of the cases marriage is the solution reported belongs to the which will ease the people of Azad Kashmir miseries of their families. out which 60 percent are The third reason is of Mirpur region, parent believes that their making it the most new generation is closer important and vital city to Western culture and to tackle the matter. not willing to go to Some of these cases are Pakistan and meet the get solved by rescuing families or married there. the affectees. Some cases British High Commision Hence, they opt to are get resolved by the Spokesman Albert David courts in AJK and United Kingdom. arranged marriages but their Data also shows that 85 percent children think otherwise, resulting in forced marriages. of the victims are girls. Mostly, parents do differentiate According to the British high Commission, there are three major between the forced and arranged factors behind these cases. One that marriages, as they consider them the parents wants their children to get same. They think that it was their married only within their families as parents who decided their fate and the they resist others options. The tradition should go on. But they are on second is the financial problems of wrong, as there is a lot of difference

the past and the present with culture and traditions going through an unprecedented change. The ground realities demand that the parents should address the gap and build trust between their children and the homeland; they should prefer their willingness and tell them what is right and wrong. By developing mental harmony with their homeland and relatives, the new generation can understand the values, but the response is quite opposite in majority of cases. "We are not against arranged marriages as they are conducted around the world. They are successful and a beautiful way of getting a relation rather than any other option. But there is a lot of difference between arranged and forced marriages,” says Albert David, a spokesman of British

High Commission. He says people should realise the difference between these two. A forced marriage will ruin the life of their child. “We have to take steps against this practice. It is a duty of every single person especially parents. The children, who go back after getting married without their will, run away from their houses and forget their relatives and parents as well.” Albert further explains his point, saying the children develop a strong wrong opinion about their family and make others think on the same lines. This is ruining life of both children and parents, especially of those youngsters for whom they spend their life working day and night to ensure a better future. “All of us should play our role to end the forced marriages.”

(To be continued)

TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

THE SPOKESMAN Chief Editor: Huma Ali Executive Editor: Atif Mateen Resident Editor: Saeed Minhas Consulting Editors: Jalees Hazir Samina Choonara Block 11, G-6/1, Aabpara, Islamabad Telephone: 051 260 7153-4 Fax: 051 260 7498 www.thespokesman.pk ce@thespokesman.pk

Divide and destabilise At least 45 people including women and children were killed and over 150 injured in a bomb blast in Karachi’s Abbas Town on Sunday evening. Though Pakistan is in the vortex of violence and terrorism stalks the land, the situation is especially worrisome in Karachi where 8 to 10 people are being killed every day, many in ethnic and sectarian-related violence. Before the 1980s, attcking a mosque or Imambargah were unheard of in Pakistan, but attacks on the Shia community in FATA, Hangu, Quetta, Lahore, Gilgit-Baltistan, Charsadda, Peshawar, Dir, Jamrud and several other places unleashed a new era in our history pockmarked by such acts of barbarism. Though the Shia-Sunni divide can be traced back to more than 1400 years, and Pakistan has a history of differences between the two sects, both sects have continued to live together peacefully despite such engineered provocations. So where is all this violent hatred coming from? The roots of sectarian violence can be traced back to the Zia regime and the Afghan jihad project. It is documented history that the US, western countries, Saudi Arabia and some other Middle Eastern monarchies funded and facilitated volunteers from all over the world to come to Pakistan and fight against the Soviet incursion in Afghanistan. Madrassas were established across the country to mass-produce, train and arm a stream of “mujahedin” brainwashed in a viciously sectarian ideology. Al Qaeda, Taliban and their local associates subscribe to this purposely distorted version of Islam, which is at variance with the perception of a majority of Muslims in Pakistan and elsewhere. These militant groups have created violent hatred between sects and caused much death and destruction. They have attacked shrines of saints like Data Ganj Bakhsh and Rehman Baba in the past, and are targeting the shrines in Sindh these days. The people of Pakistan, being proud inheritors of a robust tradition of great Sufis, saints and poets who fostered the message of peace and brotherhood over centuries, wish to establish a tolerant society. The sectarian tensions are not the natural outcome of differences between sects but are obviously being engineered to accentuate the differences and sow hatred and divisions among Pakistanis. Reportedly, the CIA, RAW and MOSSAD are at work to stir sectarian feuds with a view to destabilising Pakistan. The linkages of hegemonic powers to militants espousing this sectarian, intolerant and barbaric philosophy stand thoroughly exposed in Libya, Syria, Mali and other Middle Eastern and African countries. They are aided in their divisive imperialist games by the sectarian religious leadership that plays up these terrorist acts and uses them to incite general hatred against members of the other sect, fanning fitna and fasad. It is the responsibility of the government to protect the lives of all citizens irrespective of their faith, sect or ethnicity. Various governments in the past have taken administrative measures to control sectarian violence, including the banning of militantly sectarian organisations, but they have been ineffective in stemming this menacing tide. Other than a no-hold-barred across-the-board crackdown on sectarian outfits, what is required now is a political initiative that unites the people.

The cultural values of Islam To fight the growing menace of religious extremism and the sectarian divide leading to violent killings and ethnic and sectarian intolerance in Pakistan, it is imperative to highlight the teachings of the great Sufi saints MOHAMMAD JAMIL

To fight the growing menace of Muslims of the Indian subcontinent religious extremism and the sectarian where followers call him “Ghaus-eAzam”. Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi had Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the founder of divide leading to violent killings and envisioned a universal faith the nation, had envisioned Pakistan to ethnic and sectarian intolerance in Pakistan, it is imperative to highlight embodying all religions because he be a modern progressive state, rooted the teachings of the great Sufi saints. understood that the cause of every in the values of our religion, while Historically, many Muslim rulers of religious conflict is ignorance. ‘Rumi remaining responsive to the implies that religiosity consists in imperatives of constant change. In his united India had shown tremendous reverence for the Sufis who were something other than outward address before the Constituent pluralists and accepted the many Assembly on 11 August 1947, he religions. Real belief is apparent only outlined his vision about Pakistan and paths to God, irrespective of their inside a person, (the batin) which is vowed to fight corruption, bribery and religion, ethnicity and creed. Thus, not visible. Therefore, Rumi makes it black marketing, and asseverated not they were a source of unity and clear that the religion of peace harmony between followers of to tolerate jobbery and nepotism. involves loving the eternal and different faiths. Although people now consider his invisible source of existence,’ wrote M. The founder of the Mughal empire, address an anomaly considering how Este’Lam in Rumi and the things turned out later in the country, Zahir-ud-Din Muhammad Babar Universality of his Message. it was a well thought-out first policy (1483-1530), in his memoir Tuzk-eIt is an established fact that the Babri had advised his son Humayun: statement giving guidelines and religion introduced by Mohammed setting the parameters within which ‘India is a big country inhabited by Mustafa (PBUH) was an ideology to various nationalities, ethnic groups the Constitution of Pakistan was to arouse the suffering masses against the be framed by the representatives of the people. Islam gave the message of peace, The most remarkable part of this speech was his assurance to the people justice, human dignity and reason. of Pakistan, including the minorities, Those who misinterpret Islam as that their fundamental rights, liberties and freedom would be well-protected. a conservative dogma deviate from ‘You are free; you are free to go to your the simple, rational and humane temples; you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place of spirit of Islam, and thus are worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste or enemies of Islam creed that has nothing to do with the business of the State’, he had declared before the Constituent Assembly. and followers of different religions; status quo, but with time it lost its The people of Pakistan, being proud and you should mete out equal revolutionary potential and became a inheritors of the traditions of the great treatment to all’. Moinuddin Chishti ritualised or codified religion with the Sufis, saints and poets who fostered (1141-1230), was also known as Gharib distortional manoeuvrings of the the message of peace and brotherhood Nawaz, who was the most famous Sufi clergy. It then reflected the prevalent over the centuries, wish to establish a saint of the Chishti Order of the customs and traditions and the peaceful society. Fortunately, the social Indian subcontinent. The initial instinctive inclination of the people contract of Pakistan and its cultural spiritual chain, or silsila, of the towards dogmas and doctrines rather foundations blend with the Chishti order in India comprised than its essence and spirit. Sufi saints characteristics of Sufism to Moinuddin Chishti, Bakhtiyar Kaki, and sufi poets had laid great emphasis accommodate dissenting thoughts and Baba Farid and Nizamuddin Auliya. on the essence and spirit of Islam. opposing beliefs. The main strength of Today, Hindus, Sikhs and followers of Sufi poetry appeals to all segments of the revered Sufis was their passion for other religions also visit their shrines society in local metaphors interfaith harmony and the readiness to pay their respect. understandable to the common to engage in dialogue and hold Ali Hajvery (Data Gang Bakhsh), people. The Sufis lived in the followers of other religions in high famous for his generosity, had made communities they belonged to, and esteem. They approached opposing immense contribution to peace and highlighted problems faced by faiths with an urge to learn and harmony in society. Abdul Qadir alcommon people regardless of their understand the rationale of that belief Gilani (1077–1166), was a renowned religion, creed or ethnic origin. In system/faith and the different paths of Muslim saint, the founder of the Punjab, Sufi poets Bulleh Shah, Waris reaching God, while treating other Qadriya order, and the most tolerant Shah and Shah Hussian were revered religious communities with respect and charitable of the Sunni order of by the people of all religions and and accommodation. dervishes. He is held in veneration by ethnicities. In Sindh, Shah Abdul Latif

Bhitai, Sachal Sarmast, Lal Shahbaz Qilandar; in Balochistan Mast Tawwakali and in KhyberPakhtunkhwa Rehman Baba were Sufi poets who propagated peace and harmony and made tremendous contribution towards enriching our culture. Culture is the accumulation of a people’s spiritual, mental, moral, artistic, and historical values and principles. A nation must identify and collect its cultural resources, reject the obsolete stuff, select productive elements, refine them and convert them into a force or energy to inspire, guide and direct people to improve society, attain the highest moral standards, and then march towards the achievement of scientific and technological developments. To inspire someone to an exalted position, it is essential that his strength is identified, highlighted and realised. Similarly, to inspire people, they should be informed of the high ideals set out for him and his advantage over other creations must be clearly pointed out so that he is released not only from the prison of the self but also from the confines of doctrinal cults. It is not our intention here to compare Sufism with other schools of thought, but to acknowledge the role these people played in envisioning a new society. More than fourteen hundred years ago, Islam gave the message of peace, justice, human dignity, reason and light. Those who misinterpret Islam as a conservative dogma deviate from the simple, rational and humane spirit of Islam, and thus are enemies of Islam. Unfortunately, Islam has not been depicted in its proper perspective for about thousand years to appeal to the intellect of contemporary leaders or attract the senses of the masses. Its dogmatic and legal aspects have been emphasised to the neglect of haqooq-ulibad (the rights of people). There is historical evidence that when an honest, dedicated, dynamic and courageous leadership emerged, it inspired the people, and society was converted into a progressive, vibrant and dynamic organism brimming with vitality. THE WRITER IS A FREELANCE COLUMNIST

How not to bring a revolution The impact of new technologies such as social media is blown out of proportion, and there is no credible evidence of them bringing mass political or social revolutions ATHAR MIAN Even with mass poverty and illiteracy around the globe, the spread of online social media technologies gets a lot of buzz. We are constantly reminded how the Facebook IPO last year was worth almost $100 billion, and how Zynga, a videogame start-up was growing several hundred percent in a quarter. Virtually free, and available everywhere the Internet is (which is almost everywhere now), social media are touted as harbingers of change and progress, so glacial throughout history, instantly. So it is natural to conclude that mass media and thus, social change, today would be governed by online social networking as Twitter, Facebook, mobile ads and virtual worlds. Thus, a bunch of media savvy young guns, with appropriate help from the high-tech West, could overthrow repressive regimes in ﬂash crowd fashion, in a blink. The 1989 tearing down of the Berlin Wall was Exhibit A in Western media pronouncements about how to wage revolutions armed with new technology that governments are slow to realize and control, with Radio Free Europe and the Russian samizdat (underground intellectuals fomenting rebellion via pamphlets) leading the

EDITOR’S MAIL BOX Closing in to another century: the YouTube ban YouTube has been banned in Pakistan for nearly 163 days now. However little good has the ban brought. The antiIslam video, which was the root cause for the ban, is still viewable to the entire world on YouTube. Moreover, more than 1 million links on the Internet lead to the video as copies of

way. Today we hear that Twitter liberated Egypt and Libya, and soon, Syria’s Assad will fall due to such liberating technologies in the hands of Western-inspired ﬁghters. All you then would need to do to bring prosperity and happiness would be to invoke “government-in-a-box,” planned ahead in matching lego blocks fashion, even downloadable. Not so fast. The so-called Green revolution several years ago in Iran failed in weeks, even though Twitter was officially ordered by Washington to delay an upgrade so Iranian mobsters could use it. However Egypt’s USsupported Mubarak dictatorship did fall in the same time period, but not because of Twitter. Evgeny Marozov, a young scholar of technology’s impact on societies, has written a timely best seller called Net Delusion (Jan 2011), arguing that the impact of new technologies such as social media is blown out of proportion, and there is no credible evidence of them bringing mass political or social revolutions. Acknowledging the failure of the USinspired “Green” movement, the New York Times’ Nicholas Kristof wrote in Feb 2011, the early days of the Arab Spring, that hardly 0.07% of Egyptians had access to Twitter. The Iranian “Spring” went nowhere because it had started from nowhere- media hyped by the

the video have been uploaded on countless websites. Since the IT policy of Pakistan has expired, YouTube is not willing to host a localized version of the website which would have allowed Pakistan to censor individual links. The only possible way to block out all blasphemous content on the Internet according to the IT ministry is via an automated Internet ﬁltering system. The PTA has been directed to develop a system along these lines, however this requires a huge budget that has not been allocated yet. The advent of any such system where the Internet will be controlled by the government is highly alarming. The government needs to realize that the public is not willing to surrender to a system where all access to information will be controlled by a central authority.The alarming increase in the use of proxies by the masses is evidence to this notion. Moving to such an era would essentially mean that we are no longer living in a democracy. While the ban does not effectively

US. It was nothing more than several hundred rich teenagers in Northern Tehran passing media-oriented messages while 99% of the country didn’t care. In contrast, the Egyptian Revolution succeeded (just as in Tunisia) because it had vast popular support, backed by an organization in the true business of social uplift and charity for 80 years. Long repression had taught the Ikhwan the same survival lessons the 1979 Iranian revolutionaries too had absorbed. Our TV revolutionaries and their acolytes should take note. Marshall McLuhan did say that the medium is the message. But what if the medium itself is absent, and only imagined? Take our new politicians and media celebrities and their snazzy platforms. You hear about liberation, democracy, free speech, global benchmarking, stock options, free markets and all else any CNN or BBC watcher would have heard of around the globe. Our new saviors, with fresh faces and jet set travel are all parroting the media-friendly versions of the same old songs of their elders in the establishment. But make no mistake - behind the scenes, it is all the same old family or friends who are running the show. It is grandson after father after son- from national and provincial assemblies to political parties to industry and land ownership to top jobs, except

deal with the blasphemous content, it has restricted millions of Pakistanis from accessing knowledge and research on YouTube. YouTube has been in the past the premier website for e-learning regarding any subject. Similarly, stakeholders who have used YouTube as a method of communication also have to face inconvenience. It is high time that the government adopts effective measures to facilitate the public while simultaneously dealing with the blasphemous content. KHAWAJA ZARGHAM BIN AAMER WRITER IS A STUDENT OF AITCHISON COLLEGE, LAHORE AND CAN BE REACHED AT ZARGHAMBINAAMER@YAHOO.COM Feedback from the web

The dragon's lair is here Brilliant analogy! But again on paper, only. I left PTI, not a long time ago, but last week! When Abdul Aleem Khan, a famous land grabber,

that the young scions are Internet savvy, nicely dressed and speak the language of the masses, pressing as much ﬂesh as they can, while being careful to use hand sanitizers. The new game in town over the last decade plus is civil society. In the past we had development economics loans courtesy of multilaterals like IMF, democratic parties who only required external elections, a privileged class of babus in high offices to run the country, and above all, national security concerns. The chatter has morphed into free-markets (for the same old feudals, now industrialists and entrepreneurs), free speech (as long as you don’t say those things), global TV and the Internet with its social media. This all has loosely coalesced into ‘civil society,’ with omnipresent NGOs becoming the brand new way of pitching for and siphoning foreign aid with the same Western-friendly agendas, into the same old family accounts. Control is now as in a remote controlled videogame, replete with touch button screens and custom renderings. The crowds you see with these new saviors are urban, young, literate and media-savvy, hopeful of a bright new future for Pakistan, looking for a white knight to rescue them from daily grinds, unemployment, violence and general lawlessness. But their quick turn-over suggests a deep malaise within society: a wish

kidnapper, mobster, gangster and a famous briber (read cash (PKR 2000) for vote) won from Lahore (Intra Party elections). If this is the face or strength of PTI or specifically IK, I would rather not vote than being a contributor of fake promises, empty slogans and the dose of daydreaming for this hopeless nation. It doesn't end here, unfortunately! IK has welcomed gollums from PPP, PMLN, JUI and PMLQ, the parties who are regular targets in his spicy speeches. IK's intentions may be sincere, but he has signed on his party's death certificate when he grabbed these ugly people under his furs. .If it was for a change, he would have never welcomed these gollums in his team! Instead he should have welcomed scientists, doctors, professors and honest people in his league and not same-old-faces who has robbed off this nation for a long time by jumping from one lap to other. EX-PTI ACTIVIST

to avoid sacrifices and be redeemed with Alladin’s Lamp. Our new urbanites are as prone to media savvy as they themselves are Twitter and SMS addicts. The problem is that their new found knights in shining armor turn out to be no more than Don Quixotes leading the Sancho Panzas into fighting windmills and other imagined enemies: their staunch principles eventually turn out to be what they really can always negotiate away with those in power. It is a family feud between elites who never had to live an ordinary man’s life. The other problem is the unchanged voting pattern, always along the lines of tribal factions (‘baradaries’), and about who can bribe them most on election day. Voters, mostly rural and matured over the decades, have no faith in tall promises. To them, election campaigns are but free entertainment, a break from the monotony of a harsh life over which they apparently have no control, being illiterate, passive, fearful and clannish as they are. But one thing is clear- only in those countries where the people have been willing to sacrifice hugely and organise themselves against oppression, have they found salvation.

Work on the Indian establishment

THE AUTHOR IS A SILICON VALLEY ENTREPRENEUR WITH AN MS AND MBA FROM COLUMBIA

Malik Riaz-the myth of benevolence

It's the reason behind for what we love Indians would be well-advised to Amir Mateen. The un-buy-able man. forget a non-event in the form of the JAMIL BHATTI alleged beheading. It has no right to its JAMILBHATTI222@GMAIL.COM indignation which has no basis in fact. The ones wanting peace need to work on the Indian establishment instead of Splendid cartoon hoping that the Pakistanis do the You actually make it appear so easy with heavy-lifting in the one-sided antiyour presentation but I in ﬁnding this establishment tamasha. matter to be actually one thing which I SIKANDER feel I'd never understand. It seems too PEZFEZ87@YAHOO.COM complex and extremely broad for me. I am looking forward on your next post. I’ll attempt to get the cling of it! Living in denial LINK BUILDING SOFTWARE

Rightly said, religion is never a binding force. What binds people is the commonality of culture, the threads of common forklore, songs, music etc. A muslim Punjabi I guess can better relate to a Hindu Punjabi than he can to a Bengali Muslim. Proved time and again. Wishes from India. INDUSVALLEY PRABACHANDHOK@HOTMAIL.COM

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Please email your letters to letters@thespokesman.pk or post them to our address in Islamabad.

TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

The blindfolded cow I pity these ‘cows’ that are way more educated than the 'royal families'; have better grooming, skill, talent, can speak better and are more fruitful for the country, but still accept the corrupt, fake degree holders, accused of uncountable corruption charges, as their rulers

MOHSIN KHAWAR Have you ever heard of that cow which is blindfolded in villages to crush wheat or raw sugar? It moves in a circle, does all the hard work and reaches nowhere. If you are an ordinary Pakistani, belonging to a the middleclass who doesn't have any assets abroad, any foreign accounts or well-off relatives in 'Amreeka' or 'Bartania', you are that 'cow' my friend. Apart from a general commerce term, you are literally a cash cow for the ruling elites. Yet you love it, don't you? Oh you don't? So what are you doing to make this country better? Did you even get your vote registered? Yes, it’s high time you vote. For a moment, forget about the famous phrase 'charity begins at home' and save the 'home'. Everyone knows you've been a fine cow. But this cow needs to prosper, move forward and reach where it’s meant to go. More than half of a century has passed and we are struggling. We are losing ground in every aspect and every other child born here is bearing additional debt. For what? For not getting health care facilities? For not getting basic education? For not getting electricity? For paying massive indirect taxes on every other little thing you buy from your hard earned money? Or maybe for the 'royal palaces' of the 'royal elites' and their inherited princes and princesses. I pity these ‘cows’ that are way more educated than the 'royal families'; have better grooming, skill, talent, can speak better and are more fruitful for the country, but still accept the corrupt, fake degree holders, accused of uncountable corruption charges, as their rulers. Do you even know what a leader means? Do you even think who should 'rule' you? Who is good enough? It has been years and people have been whining and cursing this country. It makes me sad to see people blame my beautiful country for not being a good place to live in. This piece of land has a distinctive topography in the world, all the seasons, all fruits, minerals, resources, natural port, mountain ranges, sea, rivers, deserts and tremendous amount of talent that is exported to other countries. Why blame the game when the players are at fault? Why blame this beautiful Pakistan when you can't value what it is. It’s very important that all of us educate each other, discuss scenarios with a lot of openmindedness and patience, and assess who is better for our country and, importantly, good enough to rule us. It’s really important for us to know, in hard times, who will run away from our country and who

will stand by us? Who has all the assets and businesses abroad and who has brought everything to this country. It is important for us to know who are credible and fulfilled their promises and who have always resorted to preelection gimmicks. And we have to weigh up everything now, so our kids are not born with an increasing liability. We have to think beyond our own personal interests and worry for the larger interest. No one can affect our businesses or create hindrances, if we believe in God. If your faith in destiny is strong and you have all the flair in you, nothing can manipulate you. These people can't be more powerful than God. It’s about time we think for humanity at large. We have to put our personal interests aside and think for this country. We are because of this country. We have to take off the blinds and move forward, marking our name in the world. When countries are charging for even passing through their territory, we are begging the world sitting on a treasure. We are known for our love, care and generosity but why do we have a negative image as a whole? It is because we are doing everything on an individual basis. We need to unite, once and for all. People of Pakistan are more influential than a few corrupt 'rulers'. They say it has been like this for years and it will remain like this. They laugh at us and claim they will rule again. But are they overlooking the free media? Are they overlooking the very strong and influential social media? Media has helped educate the common man. From an educated person to people who cannot read or write, everyone has got awareness. In the disguise of this talk show TRP, we have become familiar with the realities of many. Media gave these politicians a chance to speak out and the latter gave us the chance to know them. I never thought people of my age will one day sit at coffee shops/khokas and discuss politics. But this is all so positive. It is so easy for us to decide what's right and what's wrong for our country now, with limited knowledge of course. It is our responsibility towards our country to vote, whoever we vote for. The best way is to check with every party's manifesto, judge the credibility with past promises made and if delivered, and the policies they give for the future. This will help you decide who should rule this country with the help of your vote. Don't make decisions on the basis of religion, relations, sects, castes, personal favours or interests, keep a single criterion in mind and that is Pakistan. If Pakistan survives, all these factors will as well. And till we hit the Election Day, keep the fold on and be a good 'cow'. THE WRITER IS A LAHORE-BASED PHOTOGRAPHER

Pak-India: from adversaries to partners The education system which Pakistan and India adopted, was designed by the British to create clerks to help the few thousand British administrators run a country of 40 million. It wasn’t designed to promote thought and encourage a culture of curiosity RAKESH VAID Despite a number of schemes and policies being launched by the government and innumerable NGOs working towards it, educating children in India and Pakistan is still a challenge. A large section of the young population in the subcontinent remains illiterate even though primary education is an area where a large chunk of our national budget has gone for over six decades. It will not be an exaggeration to infer that the uncontrolled population growth in our region has also affected this sorry state of affairs. Ours is a large region which may be our pride, yet our inability to ensure inclusive growth is a matter to ponder over seriously. Education is the first and the foremost right and requirement for the growth of an individual or a society. Education that is inclusive of heath, hygiene and ethics is the most important attribute of human beings. At the psychological level, it results in the underestimation of one’s capabilities as well as a lack of self confidence. Relying on governments for the nation’s development is the norm, but it is important to evaluate its failures for any responsible citizen. The most important of all data to support my views is the experience of living in big cities for more than six decades with the ever growing garbage, filth, slums and general unrest all around us where stepping out of the house fills one with a mixed feeling of guilt and disgust. According to the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s (Unesco) Education for All Global Monitoring (EFAGM) report in 2012, about a quarter of the 19.75 million children in Pakistan aged five to nine years of age are out of school. If the age bracket is increased to include adolescents, then about 25 million are not enrolled in school, out of a total school-going population of about 45 million.

Pakistan’s Education Development Index (EDI) is 113 according to the report, much worse off than India (102). Pakistan’s literacy rate from age 15 and above is 55 per cent, while India’s is 63 per cent. Pakistani girls and women suffer the most in terms of education and employment, with 63 per cent of girls of school-going age out of schools, according to the report. Female literacy rate is at 40 per cent in Pakistan, compared to 51 per cent in India. According to the report, the quality of the education in Pakistan is very closely tied to the budgetary funds allocated to education. Compared to other countries in the region, Pakistan’s expenditure is signiﬁcantly lower at 2.3 per cent, whereas India’s is 4.5 per cent. In so-called better India, the Right to Education Act promises quality infrastructure in schools. When a child relief organisation collected photographs of government schools, it was an image of horror. Basins covered with bird droppings, dirty toilets, dogs in the classroom, these are some of the horriﬁc realities at some of the government schools. In addition, a recent survey on elementary education infrastructure in the country by the National Institute of Education Planning and Administration has shown that 10 per cent of the country's elementary schools have only one classroom. It says that nearly 42,000 government schools function without a building. It also says there are 137,704 single-teacher schools in the country. Also, 81,617 schools have no blackboards. According to the website of the state government-run project Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA), 53,801 primary, upper primary and higher secondary schools have no toilet facility for girls. 35,326 schools do not have toilet facilities for anybody. And in addition, one in 10 schools lacks drinking water facilities. Similarly in Pakistan 35 per cent of the existing government schools have no drinking water facilities, 37 per cent of them have no toilets, 39 per cent

have no building and as many as 61 per cent have no electricity connection. In Punjab alone, 3.8 million children cannot or do not attend school. Health is also an important indicator of progress in education. Children under five years of age who have stunted growth are important heath indicators. The report shows that 32 per cent of Pakistani infants suffer from low birth weight, as compared to 28 per cent in India. Even then, India has more undernourished children that Africa - 51 million - compared to the continent's 47 million. According to the Unicef report, there was only a 1.6 per cent improvement in the number of undernourished underfive-year-olds in India between 1990 and 2004. While in India there are minimal medical facilities in most of rural areas, the condition of some Pakistan hospitals are worse than a veterinary clinic. According to the academician Rob Jenkins (Senior Lecturer, Psychology, University of Glasgow), the failings in both the countries can be attributed to their priorities. Both governments spend much less on health and education: 5.1 per cent of GDP in India, 4.5 per cent in Pakistan than in those areas which are not directly related to human development. The average for developing countries is 5.6 per cent. Both have allowed interest payments to consume an excessive share of public spending. Pakistan compounds the problem by lavishing resources on its military establishment, to the tune of 4.9 per cent of GDP last year compared with India's 2.6 per cent. India splashes out on subsidies which supposedly benefit the poor but end up helping the well-off. In both countries, tax revenues are below 15 per cent of GDP and come largely from customs, which discourages imports, or from other indirect taxes. The rich are untouched: only about 1 per cent of the population in either country files income-tax returns.

Illiteracy and infant mortality have fallen slowly but steadily in both India and Pakistan, whereas life expectancy has risen. The share of India's population living in poverty has dropped, from half in 1951 to about a third in 1995. And yet, rapid population growth has meant that the number of people living in misery has risen even as the proportion has been shrinking. Pakistan has a slightly lower poverty rate than India. The education system in British India which both countries adopted, was designed by the British rulers to create clerks to help the few thousand British administrators run a country of 40 million people. It was not designed to promote thought and encourage a culture of curiosity. As a result, in most of our schools, at least in the public schools system, children do not attain knowledge and skills in proportion with their age. It is foolish to gloat over the comparative data presented by international bodies where one of us may perform better than the other. The reality is that both countries are merely developing on paper. Are there ways we can ﬁnd to learn from each other and improve our governments’ response to the large majority of people? Can we share experiences in primary school education, adult education, and skill development that will beneﬁt the generations to come or will we remain trapped in bad faith? It is time to move on for both countries and to make sincere efforts for the betterment of our large populations. If we can learn to regard each other not as adversaries but as partners in progress, perhaps we can both travel faster. We have had enough of hatred and bloodshed in the past years and our new slogan should be “Padha likha aur khushaal, Hindustan Pakistan”. THE WRITER IS A FREELANCE JOURNALIST

A time for outrage: join the culture of resistance KEVIN ZEESE AND MARGARET FLOWERS ‘Ninety-three years old. The last leg of my journey. The end is in sight. I am lucky to be able to seize the time I have left to reﬂect on my lifelong commitment to politics: the Resistance and the programme designed sixty-six years ago by the National Council of the Resistance.’ These are the opening lines from A Time for Outrage! (Indignez-vous!) a 35-page book written by Stephane Hessel in 2010 which sold 3 million copies in 30 languages and inspired protests like Occupy in the United States and The Indignados in Spain. Hassel died this week at the age of 95. Each week we see reasons for outrage and, thankfully, more and more people are joining the culture of resistance. Tuesday, the judge in the Bradley Manning case turned more than 1,000 days in prison, one-third of it in tortuous conditions in Kuwait and Quantico, into 90 days. The judge allowed excuses for the delays based on the complexity of the case and the secret documents involved so that it fell just under the 120-day statutory limit for a speedy trial. Judge Denise Lind does not publish her opinions (also outrageous), but read for two hours in court, making it almost impossible to analyse the basis of her making 1,000 = 90. People are outraged and doing the direct action necessary to stop the KXL. We hope the movie about the Tar Sands Blockade inspires you to join them. One year ago, teenager Trayvon Martin was

Let us not be defeated by the tyranny of the world financial markets that threaten peace and democracy everywhere. I wish all of you to find your reason for indignation. This is a precious thing’ murdered after buying skittles in a convenience store. He was tracked by vigilante George Zimmerman and killed. The police did not charge Zimmerman until there was mass protest. People are outraged and held vigils to mark the anniversary. Students at Florida Atlantic University occupied the office of the president of their university after it was announced their football stadium would be named after a private prison corporation. President Mary Jo Saunders hid in her office for an hour, then came out and met the students. Following an hour long consensus process, she agreed to a town hall meeting on the issue this Friday. Students were outraged at the gloriﬁcation of prison privatisation and were heard. Occupy Austin settled a criminal prosecution that exposed undercover operatives who not only spied on occupy but also instigated felony actions by occupiers. The occupiers got time served and the Austin police were exposed – three undercover police were named; the lawyer says there were more. Occupiers were outraged, they fought back and won. Jeremy Hammond is being held in prison for leaking 5 million StratFor intelligence documents to Wikileaks. He was entrapped by a government informant, and at 28 years of age, he faces life in prison. Hammond is outraged at

the treatment of Aaron Swartz who committed suicide and wrote an open letter about Swartz while Hammond sat in solitary confinement. People are outraged at the treatment of Hammond and Aaron Swartz. Frankly, there are too many outrages to go through. Here’s a quick list of additional recent actions against outrages. These are a handful among many. We end where we began, with the wisdom of Stephane Hessel: ‘It’s time to take over! It’s time to get angry! . . . Let us not be defeated by the tyranny of the world financial markets that threaten peace and democracy everywhere. I wish all of you to find your reason for indignation. This is a precious thing.’

The uncommon courage of Bradley Manning MARJORIE COHN Bradley Manning has pleaded guilty to 10 charges including possessing and willfully communicating to an unauthorised person all the main elements of the WikiLeaks disclosure. The charges carry a total of 20 years in prison. For the ﬁrst time, Bradley spoke publicly about what he did and why. His actions, now

confirmed by his own words, reveal Bradley to be a very brave young man. When he was 22 years old, Pfc. Bradley Manning gave classified documents to WikiLeaks. They included the “Collateral Murder” video, which depicts U.S. forces in an Apache helicopter killing 12 unarmed civilians, including two Reuters journalists, and wounding two children. ‘I believed if the public, particularly the American public, could see this it could spark a debate on the military and our foreign policy in general as it applied to Iraq and Afghanistan,’ Bradley told the military tribunal during his guilty plea proceeding. ‘It might cause society to reconsider the need to engage in counter terrorism while ignoring the human situation of the people we engaged with every day.’ Bradley said he was frustrated by his inability to convince his chain of command to investigate the Collateral Murder video and other “war porn” documented in the files he provided to WikiLeaks. ‘I was disturbed by the response to injured children.’ Bradley was bothered by the soldiers depicted in the video who ‘seemed to not value human life by referring to [their targets] as “dead bastards”.’ People trying to rescue the wounded were also fired upon and killed. A U.S. tank

drove over one body, cutting the man in half. The actions of American soldiers shown in that video amount to war crimes under the Geneva Conventions, which prohibit targeting civilians, preventing the rescue of the wounded, and defacing dead bodies. No one at WikiLeaks asked or encouraged Bradley to give them the documents, Bradley said. ‘No one associated with the WLO [WikiLeaks Organization] pressured me to give them more information. The decision to give documents to WikiLeaks [was] mine alone.’ Before contacting WikiLeaks, Bradley tried to interest the Washington Post in publishing the documents but the newspaper was unresponsive. He tried unsuccessfully to contact the New York Times. During his ﬁrst nine months in custody, Bradley was kept in solitary conﬁnement, which is considered torture as it can lead to hallucinations, catatonia and suicide. Bradley maintained his not guilty pleas to 12 additional charges, including aiding the enemy and espionage, for which he could get life imprisonment. Bradley’s actions are not unlike those of Daniel Ellsberg, whose release of the Pentagon Papers helped to expose the government’s lies and end the Vietnam War. (COUNTERPUNCH)

TUESDAY, MARCH 05, 2013

US, KSA present united front on Syria, Iran

Philippines urges Malaysia to be patient

RIYADH: The United States and Saudi Arabia on Monday presented a united front to Iran and Syria. They warned Syrian President Bashar Assad that they will boost support to rebels ﬁghting to oust him unless he steps down and put Iran's leadership on notice that time is running out for a diplomatic resolution to concerns about its nuclear program. After a series of meetings in the Riyadh, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal told reporters at a joint news conference that Assad must understand that recent scud missile attacks on regime foes in the city of Aleppo would not be tolerated

KUALA LUMPUR: The Philippine foreign secretary ﬂew to Malaysia on Monday to urge "maximum tolerance" as Kuala Lumpur rushed thousands more troops to hunt down armed Filipinos who killed eight police in the eastern Malaysian state of Sabah. Both governments are under increasing pressure to resolve the standoff which threatens to damage ties. The Southeast Asian neighbors have periodically been at odds over security and migration along their sea border. Philippine President Benigno Aquino went on national television to urge Malaysia not to harm the interests of an estimated 800,000 Filipinos in Sabah. –AGENCIES

by the international community and that he had lost all claim to be Syria's legitimate leader. Saud, whose country along with other Gulf states is widely believed to be supplying weapons to the Syrian rebels, said Saudi Arabia could not ignore the brutality Assad is inﬂicting on his people, even after two years of escalating violence that has claimed 70,000 lives. He said that history had never seen a government use strategic missiles against its own people. "This cannot go on," he said. "He has lost all authority." In his discussions with Kerry, Saud said he had "stressed the importance of enabling the Syrian people to exercise its legitimate right to defend

itself against the regime's killing machine." Saud also decried the fact that the Assad continued to get weapons from "third parties," a veiled reference to Russia and Iran, which have backed the regime through the conﬂict. "Saudi Arabia will do everything within its capacity, and we do believe that what is happening in Syria is a slaughter, a slaughter of innocents" he said. "We can't bring ourselves to remain quiet. Morally we have a duty." The Obama administration has resisted appeals from the Syrian opposition to provide it with weapons and ammunitions over fears that they could fall into the hands of Islamist

Syria rebels overrun Raqa city BEIRUT: Syrian rebels battling troops loyal to President Bashar al-Assad overran the northern city of Raqa on Monday which they were now in "neartotal control" of, a watchdog reported. "This is the ﬁrst provincial capital in Syria where rebels have made such progress. They now have near-total control of Raqa city, except for some regime positions, including the military security and Baath party headquarters," Rami Abdel Rahma, the director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told AFP. –AGENCIES extremists who have gained support among Assad opponents. But Kerry sidestepped a question about whether the arms reportedly being supplied to the rebels by Saudi Arabia and others were a concern. Instead, he criticized Iran, Hezbollah and Russia by name

Nationwide strike cripples Bangladesh

Death toll in Kenya coast attacks reaches 17 MOMBASA: The death toll in Kenya's restive coastal region rose to at least 17 on Monday in two attacks on police by machete-wielding men hours before voting began in a tense presidential election, police officers said. The authorities suspect at least one of the attacks was carried out by members of a coastal separatist group who had threatened to disrupt voting if their demand for secession of the Indian Ocean coastal strip was not met. Senior police officers said the death toll was comprised of nine security officers, two civilians and six attackers. –AGENCIES

Qaeda chief Abou Zeid ʻprobablyʼ killed: France PARIS: Al Qaeda's senior field commander in the Sahara, Abdelhamid Abou Zeid, has probably been killed in Mali, the head of France's joint chiefs of staff said on Monday. Edouard Guillaud's remarks are the first indication from the French government that Abou Zeid died in fighting in the rugged north of Mali. Asked on Europe 1 radio whether he had been killed, Guillaud said: "It is probable, but only probable. We don't have any certainty for the moment, (but) it would be good news." Guillaud said that Abou Zeid's death could not be confirmed because his body had not been recovered. –AGENCIES

Cardinals start pre-conclave meetings VATICAN CITY: Cardinals from around the world gathered Monday inside the Vatican for their first round of meetings before the conclave to elect the next pope, amid scandals inside and out of the Vatican and the continued reverberations of Benedict XVI's decision to retire. The Vatican said 103 of the 115 electors had arrived, while the other dozen are en route. The dean of the College of Cardinals has said a date for the conclave won't be set until all cardinals have arrived. Among the first orders of business was the oath of secrecy each cardinal made, pledging to maintain "rigorous secrecy with regard to all matters in any way related to the election of the Roman Pontiff." –AGENCIES

for giving weaponry to the Assad regime. Kerry did announce last week that the U.S. would for the ﬁrst time provide rebel ﬁghters in the Free Syrian Army with non-lethal assistance — rations and medical assistance. –AGENCIES

CAIRO: An Egyptian man kicks a police vehicle that has been burnt by angry protesters following clashes with plainclothes policemen at Tahrir Square. –WIRE SERVICE

IAEA demands access to Iran’s Parchin base VIENNA: UN nuclear agency head Yukiya Amano has called on Iran to grant his inspectors immediate access to its sprawling Parchin military base near Tehran. Iran denies using the site in the past to test nuclear weapons. Director-General Amano told the 35nation board of the International Atomic Energy Agency meeting in Vienna that access was needed "without further delay," irrespective of whether a wider accord was ﬁnalized next month. Iran and six world powers are due to return to Kazakhstan on April 5 for further talks, which were adjourned last week and are aimed at ﬁnding a "structured approach" to the long-standing row over Iran's nuclear program. Iran says its research, which has included the installation of new centrifuges at its Natanz plant, is aimed primarily at producing electricity. Highly enriched uranium can also be used in a nuclear weapon. Western diplomats quoted by the news agency Reuters said satellite imagery suggested that Iran was rebuilding a wing of Parchin where several smaller buildings were demolished last year. Iran has denied cleansing the site of incriminating evidence. Visiting Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, US

Secretary of State John Kerry said there was "a ﬁnite amount of time" to clarify doubts about Iran's program. At the four-day closed-door IAEA board meeting, a decision could emerge on whether Amano will get a second four-year term. The 65-year-old from Japan is the only candidate. His current term runs to December. The IAEA says it was provided with intelligence that Iran built a blast chamber for testing nuclear-weapons components at the Parchin military complex, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) southeast of Tehran. Separately, Amano announced the IAEA’s intention to formally fund its Action Plan for Nuclear Safety, a program set up after the March 11, 2011, tsunami caused the meltdown of three nuclear reactors in Fukushima, Japan. The agency has budgeted 5.7 million euros ($7.4 million) to boost nuclear safety, he said. Separately, Amano announced the IAEA’s intention to formally fund its Action Plan for Nuclear Safety, a program set up after the March 11, 2011, tsunami caused the meltdown of three nuclear reactors in Fukushima, Japan. The agency has budgeted 5.7 million euros ($7.4 million) to boost nuclear safety, he said. –AGENCIES

Four dead, 400 hurt in clashes in North Egypt CAIRO: At least four people were killed, including two policemen and 400 others were injured in clashes between the protesters and the security forces in Port Said in northern Egypt, an interior ministry official told Xinhua on Monday. "Two policemen died of gunshot in clashes with protesters in front of Port Said Security Directorate," the interior ministry official source told Xinhua. Port Said governorate has been witnessing civil disobedience for more than two weeks. On Sunday, the protesters clashed with the police as the interior ministry decided to move 39 prisoners, who are awaiting a verdict over a tragic football riot, to another prison in order to avoid unrest. About 200 people of prisoners' families gathered outside Port Said police department, hurling Molotov cocktails, while the police responded with teargas to disperse the crowd. –AGENCIES

DHAKA: Schools and businesses were shut Monday across Bangladesh on the second day of a general strike as huge numbers of police were deployed to put a halt to the deadliest bout of violence since independence. Sixty-one people are now known to have died in clashes since Thursday when Islamists erupted in outrage at the sentencing to death of one of their leaders who was convicted of war crimes dating back to the 1971 liberation conflict. Delwar Hossain Sayedee, who is the vice-president of the Jamaat-eIslami party, was the third Islamist to be sentenced by the domestic tribunal. Although there were no immediate reports of fresh violence on Monday, police did confirm the death of a man in the southwestern district of Satkhira following clashes on Sunday between border guards and Jamaat supporters. The latest death brought the overall toll to 77 people since the court handed down its first verdict on January 21, making it the bloodiest round of violence since the country broke free from Pakistan more than four decades. The verdicts and the ensuing violence prompted Jamaat to call a two-day nationwide strike that began Sunday and has virtually crippled the country. As well as the closure of shops, schools and government offices, the main road between the capital Dhaka and the second city Chittagong was virtually deserted

on Monday as were other inter-city highways. The numbers of security personnel have been beefed up throughout the country, particularly in Dhaka where around 10,000 policemen and members of the elite Rapid Action Battalion were on duty Monday. As part of their protests, the Islamists have managed to blockade a highway leading to the popular Cox’s Bazar tourist region, where several hundred holidaymakers have been trapped including some foreigners. District police chief Azad Miah told AFP that while more than 3,000 tourists had been able to leave since Thursday, mostly having ﬂown out of the local airport, around 700 remained stranded. The government has banned rallies and gatherings in at least four towns in the north to quell violence, police said. The war crimes trials of a dozen leaders from Jamaat and the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party have opened old wounds and divided the nation, with the opposition accusing the government of staging a witch-hunt. The government, which says the 1971 war claimed three million lives, rejects the claims and accuses Jamaat leaders of being part of pro-Pakistani militias blamed for much of the carnage during the war. Independent estimates put the death toll from the war at between 300,000 and 500,000. –AGENCIES

12 children killed in Jalandhar as school bus collides with truck JALANDHAR: Twelve children were among 13 killed and eight other students injured when a truck collided with their school bus on the Jalandhar-Nakodar road on Monday morning. The condition of three children is serious. The children were on their way to school when the mishap occurred near Jaheera village in Lambhra, close to Nakodar, Jalandhar Range's inspector general of police, Gurpreet Deo said. The driver of the school mini bus, which was carrying 24 students, all in the age group of 8-10 years, was also killed in the mishap, she said. –AGENCIES

US, UK tyrants unmasked in Bahrain The violations, injustices and appalling sufferings in Bahrain provide a searing moment of truth. Western mainstream media is a fog machine that can often cloud popular perception and understanding of how Western governments operate in the world FINIAN CUNNINGHAM HE Bahraini regime last week issued a new law that shows just how wobblyscared it is of its own people. Anyone found in possession of a false face mask is liable to be jailed. The mask in question is the stylized face of Guy Fawkes - the 17th Century English revolutionary who tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament in the failed gunpowder plot. The 2005 ﬁlm ‘V for Vendetta’ used the Guy Fawkes’ image in a modern-day ﬁctional setting of revolution in Britain. And in recent years, the mask has become a global symbol of popular protest, donned by members of the Occupy Movement in the US and during countless similar demonstrations across Europe against capitalism and militarism. Those who wear the plastic bearded face hardly look sinister. If anything, it makes people appear corny and smug, not dangerous revolutionaries. But this Guy Fawkes disguise has the Al Khalifa regime in Bahrain quaking in their boots, and hence it has moved to banish the offending article from the island. The irony is that it is the regime and its Western government backers who

are wearing a mask, and the ongoing brutal repression in Bahrain serves to expose their collective ugly face. This zero tolerance by the Al Khalifa so-called king towards a comical mask is itself comical. Fittingly, given the history of Guy Fawkes, it betrays a Medieval mindset of a retarded and reactionary regime. The “royal decree” shows just how rattled and nervous the monarchial rulers of Bahrain are towards the slightest display of popular dissent. It is the response of a megalomaniac who cannot bear to have his vain tyranny disobeyed or mocked. And the people of Bahrain have every right to show the Al Khalifa regime their utmost contempt and derision. This family of murderers and brigands has lorded over the indigenous population ever since it was imposed on the island by the British Empire some 230 years ago. The imposter Khalifas were originally a Bedouin tribe of bandits that came out of central Arabia, whose cut-throat barbarity was recognized by the British government as an expeditious way of controlling Bahrain and the strategic Persian Gulf trading route. The self-styled acquisition of royal titles and ﬁnery over the ensuing decades does not alter the fact that this regime still is a band of low-life bandits, thieves and killers.

Like a parasite and a host, the Khalifa thugs have sucked the lifeblood of the Bahraini people ever since. The majority of the island is Shia while the unelected Khalifa regime is professedly Sunni Muslim and closely aligned with the extremist Wahabbi House of Saud, which has a pathological hatred towards Shism. Before the discovery of oil in the 1930s, the Khalifa potentates ﬁnanced their indolent existence by extorting the Bahrain ﬁshermen, pearl divers and date farmers. They murdered and raped with impunity the subject, captive people of Bahrain. The British colonial office administered the occasional rebuke to their Khalifa henchmen, but in general colluded in the barbarity by turning a blind eye. Nothing much has changed to this day, as we shall see. After the discovery of oil, the fate of the Bahraini people became even more blighted. They have endured poverty, unemployment, ill health, pollution and squalid housing while the Khalifa bandits and their entourage have made themselves some of the wealthiest individuals in the world. The oil wealth of Bahrain was siphoned off to enrich one family while the nation of Bahrain became ground down and made to feel strangers in their own homeland. This is literally true. The Khalifas have feared the majority Shia people so

much that the regime deliberately imported droves of foreign workers from the Indian subcontinent and the Far East in order to marginalize and exclude the native people from social development. More than half of Bahrain’s total resident population of 1.2 million is made up of expatriate workers from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Philippines. The process of importing Asian workers and naturalizing Sunni Arabs from neighbouring countries is a concerted policy of gerrymandering the population in order to dilute the natural democratic strength of the indigenous people. This huge project in social engineering - one could call it low-intensity genocide - accelerated after Britain gave formal independence to Bahrain in 1971. This is the background for why the people of Bahrain rose up so deﬁantly against the parasite regime in February 2011 - an uprising that continues to this day despite systematic violence and repression. The unwieldy corrupt Bahraini regime would not survive one day more against the popular will for democratic freedom only for the fact of crucial external support. Firstly, Saudi Arabia and the other monarchs of the Persian Gulf have propped up the teetering Al Khalifa despots by sending their

military police to back up the Bahraini mercenary security forces and by injecting millions of dollars in aid over the past two years to keep the Bahraini economy aﬂoat. Secondly, and more importantly, the Bahraini regime has managed to survive against the democratic odds because of unwavering support from Washington and London. Trade, commerce, diplomacy and the supply of weapons have continued unabated despite the abundant record of repression and violations. The American and British governments have indulged in a cynical charade purporting that the regime is engaging in “reform and dialogue” with the popular opposition. “The [British] government insists that Bahrain's judicial system is fair and transparent,” wrote the BBC’s correspondent in the Persian Gulf, Bill Law, last week. This was in the same week that Bahraini judge Mohammed bin Ali Al Khalifa - a member of the ruling elite no less - sentenced seven youths to 10 years in prison for allegedly attempting to murder police officers. As with hundreds of other Bahrainis languishing in the island’s jails, the defendants were convicted by a Khalifa judge solely on confessions extracted under torture. Meanwhile, in another

case, two police officers were acquitted last week over the killing of a protester, despite glaring evidence of guilt. But these violations, injustices and appalling sufferings in Bahrain provide a searing moment of truth and revelation. Western mainstream media is a fog machine that can often cloud popular perception and understanding of how Western governments operate in the world, for example with regard to claims of supporting democracy and international obligations in Syria, Mali, Iran and elsewhere. However, thanks to the Bahraini people’s struggle for freedom, it is like a crucible where truth is separated from the morass of Western government lies and disinformation. Their claims of championing human rights, democracy and international law around the world are exposed beyond doubt as twisted, vile distortions. Thanks to Bahrain, these so-called Western “governments” are proven to be regimes run by and for liars, hypocrites, criminals and tyrants who have nothing but contempt for democratic freedom. And as people are increasingly realizing under the diktat of capitalist austerity, this contempt for democracy applies equally to the citizens of the US, Britain and Europe as in other parts of the world. (PressTV.ir)

TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

Gold 10 Gms Rs.52028

Dollar Interbank Rs. 98.18

Kibor 6 months

T Bills6 months

9.15%-9.40%

9.16%

Urea/Bag Rs. 1704

Coal Spot $92.85/Ton

NEPRA foils power ministry’s plan

Ministry was aiming to fleece consumers into paying Rs 136 billion as ‘circular debt’

SAHTAK BALOCH

ISLAMABAD: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has foiled the foul design of power ministry to fleece the power consumers with Rs136billion in the name of paying soaring circular debt. Moreover, over billing to the tune of millions of rupees has also been surfaced during the proceeding regarding the decision of tariff of Lahore Electric Supply Company, sources said on Monday. Since the country’s power sector is surrounded in the ugly net of heavy circular debt only because of bad administration, power theft, billion rupees worth outstanding dues of influential industrialists etc so water & power ministry while finding no other option to control the worsening circular debt of the power sector had prepared a secret plan of heavily charging the power consumers with the loan it acquired from banks only to pay the pending dues of

Independent Power Plants (IPPs) and PSO (Pakistan State Oil). Available documents disclosed to this scribe that ministry of water & power had obtained Rs136billion loan with heavy interest rate from private banks in an attempt to pay the outstanding dues of IPPs and state owned oil giant-PSO. To pay the loan and mark up money to the banks, the ministry formulated a secret plan of charging the consumers. Under the plan, power-distributing companies (DISCOs) were advised to get approval from National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) regarding collection of Rs136billion loan money from those power consumers, which are already paying bills regularly. Sources in water and power ministry told that owing to increase in LESCO’s tariff, the government will have to give a subsidy of Rs26billion or this burden will have to pass on to the over burdened power consumers.

Under the tariff mechanism, a decision to pass on the subsidy to the power consumers is likely in running month of March after the approval of tariff of eight DISCOs, the sources added. However, the regulatory authority, (NEPRA) obviously contrary to its traditional path, while declaring it unjust has declined to pass on heavy Rs136billion additional burden to the masses already bearing heavy brunt of worst kind of load shedding, high power tariff rates for a long time. While imposing ban on passing such secret burden to masses in future, the NEPRA was of the view that the government instead of improving collections preferred to take loan, while the arrangement of loan is debateable. Documents further transpired to this newspaper that the masses would have to face high inﬂation in future to some extent till the completion of term of the incumbent government. In accordance to the available documents, NEPRA has increased power

tariff of Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) from Rs1 to Rs4.50/unit for current ﬁnancial year (2012-13). Under the approved tariff of LESCO, domestic consumers would witness a raise from Rs1 to Rs3.50/unit, Railway consumers by Rs2.50/killowhatthour while tariff of industrial/commercial consumers would also go up by Rs3/unit and tariff of agri consumers has also been jacked up by Rs4.50/kwh. This heavy burden is not enough to add miseries to the common man as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) LESCO while admitting over billing/collection to its consumers has, however, said in the documents that the company is trying to resolve the matter. It is to note here that chairman LESCO had also expressed concerns over ﬂeecing the power consumers with Rs90crore under cover over billing in Okara and Kasur circles. While LESCO despite NEPRA’s advice neither improve its performance nor its system.

PTI unveils 9-point industrial policy ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) on Monday unveiled its nine-point Industrial Policy, vowing to revive the industry by restoring confidence of investors and to create 10 million new jobs for youth by shifting the focus towards skill development of the people. “Industry in Pakistan is in dire straits due to a crippling energy crisis, lack of access to finance and skill shortages, hence the PTI Industrial policy aims to build solid foundations for the revival of industry by creating 10 million new jobs for the youth over the next five years and to make the sector more violable and competitive in the international markets,” said PTI leader Asad Umar, while unveiling the PTI’s industrial policy. Addressing the participants, PTI Chairman Imran Khan said that the country will no longer be in need of any foreign aid if voted to power as the main focus of the PTI would be on development of human development and to eradicate corruption from the country. “Poverty has been increasing in the country due to rising corruption and the only solution to control inflation in the country is to eliminate corruption and to take action against those involved in corrupt practices. –OUR STAFF REPORTER

FBRʼs workshop to prevent cigarette smuggling ISLAMABAD: A special training session for the officers was organized by Federal Board of Revenue to create awareness against the inﬂux of smuggled cigarettes at Directorate of Training and Research here. The event was supported by Pakistan Tobacco Company. The main aim of the training was to spread awareness on Illicit trade of cigarettes , its negative impact on country’s economy and ways and means to curb it. The objective of the training was to equip the officers with better understanding of smuggled cigarette market, ﬂooded with several foreign brands and to apprise them of tools and strategies to address this grave issue. –AGENCIES

PTCLʼs annual report earns SAFA award ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL), the largest Information Communication Technology (ICT) service provider in Pakistan, has won distinction for the country, with South Asian Federation of Accountants (SAFA) conferring the ‘Best Presented Accounts Award 2011’ to the company, in the category of ‘Communication and Information Technology’. The award is presented to companies that exceed industry standards in quality and transparency of ﬁnancial reporting parameters. SAFA, consisting of the institutes of chartered and management accountants in the SAARC countries, holds these awards every year for different categories on the basis of evaluation of the published annual reports of companies across the South Asian Region to improve transparency, accountability and governance in ﬁnancial reporting. –AGENCIES

CURRENCY US Dollar Euro British Pound UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal Kuwaiti Dinar Canadian Dollar

BUYING 99.10 128.57 148.91 26.95 26.43 348.72 95.53

SELLING 99.35 128.77 149.11 27.20 26.65 352.48 97.21

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf presiding over a meeting with CEOs of cellular companies at PM House. —ONLINE

Indus Water Treaty violation

India initiates illicit work at Wullar Barrage

Case to be taken to permanent court of arbitration

ZEESHAN JAVAID

ISLAMABAD: Despite the strong reservation of Pakistani authorities over one after other controversial hydropower projects, the Indian authorities have started groundbreaking work over Wullar Barrage, violating the Indus Water Treaty 1960. A senior official dealt with irrigation and water issues on Monday revealed that Indian authorities started groundbreaking construction work over two decades awaiting controversial Wullar barrage, whose future yet to be decided because of delay in secretary level talks. Criticising the role of Indus Water Commissioner’s office particularly in this regard, the official said that according to Indus Water Treaty 1960, India could not be allowed to disturb the ﬂow of western rivers including Jhelum, which come under control of Pakistan. However, interestingly the Indus Water Commissioner (IWC) office and the office of advisor to premier on water and agriculture resources yet to be aware the latest development and hesitated to comment over the certain issue, while the scribe when contacted to IWC Sheraz Memon, he expressed unawareness about construction matter. The office of Indus Water Commissioner (IWC) also expressed its concerns over the next move proposed by the Advisor to Prime Minister Kamal Majeed Ullaha to take up the issue of Wullar Barrage with Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA). The senior official of IWC on condition not to be name, informed that despite the incompetency of team dealt with international water disputes led by advisor to premier on water and agriculture resources, which cause the loss of Rs. 500 million just in a single case of controversial 330MW

Kishanganga hydro power project, proposed to contact PCA over another project Wullar Barrage by Indian Side. He said that without consultation with IWC, authority has been started the work over the documentation of case about controversial Wullar Barrage, probably filed in PCA during upcoming calendar year 2014, adding that the dialogue between both countries could be the best solution despite filling the case particularly with the team having non-technical and legal expertise. India first proposed the project in 1984 and, despite 14 rounds of negotiations between Islamabad and New Delhi since 1987, the two governments’ stance on the issue seems as far apart as ever. Both sides even refuse to refer to the project by the same name, with Pakistan calling it the Wullar Barrage while India refers to it as the Tulbul Navigational Project. Under the treaty, India has complete use of the three ‘eastern’ rivers, the Ravi, Beas and Sutlej while Pakistan has almost exclusive rights over the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab rivers. India is not allowed to use the rivers beyond minor uses, accounting for no more than 750,000 acre feet of water flow and only on the tributaries of the Jhelum River. The Indus River does not pass through Indian-controlled territory. India is trying to navigate its way out of a debate with Pakistan over the construction of Wullar Barrage, also known as the Tulbul Project, while Pakistan has been waiting to take the issue up during the next round of secretary level talks, which was expected to held during last month but delayed because of tension on Line of Control (Loc). According to the latest design, the barrage was expected to be of 439 feet (134 m) long and 40 feet (12 m) wide, and would have a maximum storage capacity of 300,000acre feet (370,000,000 m3) of water.

10-Y PIB

‘Pakistan-Korea trade ties will reach $5b soon’ ISLAMABAD: Appraising the bilateral trade relation between Pakistan and South Korea, The Ambassador of Pakistan to South Korea on Monday said that the bilateral trade ties between both countries will boost up to $5 billion in few years. A delegation of South Korean investors comprising the representatives of Samsung Construction& Trading Corp, Lottee Group, WISDOM, STX Group, KORAIL, K-Water, Doosan Corporation, Sambu Construction, CK Solar, Dongin Medical Centre, KCIP, Sambo engineering, Daewoo E & C, KEPCO and Nano-Rronix called on the president of Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) here at chamber secretariat. Shaukat Ali Mukadam, Ambassador of Pakistan to South Korea traced the history of PakKorean diplomatic and trade relations and expressed the desire to expand the bilateral trade ties between the two countries up to US$5 billion over the next few years. He also informed the meeting about organizing of a follow-up visit of Pakbusinessmen to South Korea would further strengthen and deepen the economic relations between Pakistan and Korea. He said that Korean companies were already working in different water and power sector projects and more investors were keen to invest in the country. The Ambassador said that Pakistan has a special repute in producing a wide range of high quality surgical instruments which were used across the world and there was a great demand for Pakistani surgical instruments in Korean markets. –STAFF REPORT

11.42%

Furnace oil 76,188/MT

Profile

Zainab Ibrahimʼs philanthropic journey SHANEL KHALIQ

ainab Ibrahim, is one of the ladies behind a charity cancer hospital in Karachi. She is the Executive trustee of the Bait ul Sukoon Cancer Hospital that has a mission to treat underprivileged and destitute cancer patients for free. The hospital began its journey with very humble origins, starting operations in a rented house. Slowly but gradually with the increase in the number of patients, and donations from various philanthropists, it shifted to its purpose built premises in 2009. It started with an investment of Rs 100 million and holds 45 beds. It is now providing services such as mammography, ultrasound radiography, pathological laboratory and in house pharmacy offering a complete range of cancer treatment drugs. For Zainab Ibrahim, this is not only a service to the people but also a means of self satisfaction for herself as she says that she is only doing this for God. Moreover she also says that it is only with God’s support that they have been able to implement such a big scale project. With a sense of contentment and gratitude she remarks that to date they have not had to face any shortage of funds and the generous donations are their only source of survival. She is also grateful for the trust being put into their team by the donors. There are other facilities of the kind in the country as well and Ms Zainab feels that they are ﬁlling in the gap that is left by the public sector. However she also feels that their hospital takes cancer treatment with a holistic perspective. So apart from providing the necessary medical treatment, they have also hired psychologists. These psychologists help the patients and their families in coping up with the trauma of this evil disease. They are assisted not only in speedy recovery but also in helping them settle back in society. Apart from this a team of nutritionists is also available to take special care of dietary balance and nutrition of the patients. Zainab herself feels that it is important to stay within the boundaries of society and religion while carrying out such a project. She says that she never felt it was necessary to hold massive fund raising balls and gatherings. However since the inauguration ceremony of the hospital, they have received very generous responses. The team also carries out advertising on a small level with the distribution of brochures. They have also devised a system of sponsoring patients and beds and surgeries separately and so a greater section of society can support this cause according to their own resources. Nevertheless she is aware that it is important to stay in touch with clubs and business associations in order to keep a ﬂow of donations coming in so as to treat the enormous number of deserving patients.

Petroleum ministry wants old CNG stations closed ISLAMABAD: Following its previous design to close down once robust CNG business in phase wise across the country, petroleum ministry has now dispatched a summary to the federal cabinet’s economic coordination committee (ECC) seeking closure of those CNG stations, which have completed 15 years time period, sources said on Monday. The sources aware of the matter told this scribe that the question of the future of CNG business being bright or not would be answered on Thursday in the ECC meeting as petroleum ministry in its sent summary to the highest economic forum (ECC) has sought closure of CNG stations which have completed 15 years time period. Though five years extension to the license of CNG stations is permitted in OGRA as per CNG rule 7, yet to materialize its ‘foul design’ of closure of CNG business, the ministry has resolved that Oil and gas Regulatory Authority should not give five years extension to those CNG stations licenses, which have completed 15 years time. Influential Advisor to Prime Minister on petroleum & natural resources Dr Asim Hussain is desperate to close down the CNG business and kick off the LPG business across the country as early as possible, a source said. The ministry in its sent summary has said that as a single unit of gas is precious so gas should not be provided to those CNG stations which have completed 15 years time period and CNG stations should be allowed to start Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) business on their stations. And, the ECC should issue policy guidelines to OGRA advising the regulator to stop giving five years extensions to not only those CNG stations which have completed the said 15 years duration but also to cancel their licenses which have already gotten extensions. The ministry has also sought suspension of gas supply to such stations. It merits mentioning here that Planning Commission, OGRA and Finance Ministry have supported the summary of petroleum ministry seeking closure of CNG business. –SAHTAK BALOCH

KSE down 52 points amid deteriorating law and order STAFF REPORT

KARACHI: Wasn’t the best of starts to the week, law and order situation took its toll on the market as it soon turned red by some margin. Selling in Banking, Cement and E&P pushed the benchmark index into red zone. Concerns about fragile economy continue to fright the long term investors as the present government quickly reaching its conclusion. LOPTA led the trading activities registering an increase of 45 paisa to close at PKR 7.69. Benchmark index lost 52 points at the conclusion of session to close at 18,133 points. Volumes also dropped a bit to 207 million Stock to watch

Telecard As earnings and topline increase have been witnessed across the board in telecom

companies on account of ICH-level rates being charged on int’l incoming calls, Telecard (with a market share of 3.3%) has been another beneﬁciary in this regard .According to Arif Habib research the increase in revenue can mainly be attributed to their higher Long Distance Int’l (LDI) revenues segment KSE 18126.77 that accounts now for 80% ISE 3368.39 of their total revenue mix. LSE 4386.61 Other operating income saw an increase from PKR 8mn to PKR 21mn as dividend income was realized from the company’s subsidiary ‘Supernet’. In addition to this and a modest increase in TELE’s professional service segment further augmented the other income during the quarter under review. According to report Telecard’s earning could

further be supported as the company’s management look to improve the cost efficiencies and proﬁtability from their loss making non-LDI revenue segment. Although TELE is not in our official coverage of companies, we foresee the company to maintain stable earnings of 2QFY13 going -58.42 -0.32% forward. We expect the -30.65 -0.91% company to earn an EPS of -21.09 -0.48% PKR ~1.00 (FY13) with a current PE 6.9x based on its forecasted FY13 EPS. Nishat Mills

BMA capital has revisited the investment case on Nishat Mills Limited resulting in upward revision of 11%, 11% and 8% in the target price and earning per share FY13E EPS and FY15E EPS to PKR92/sh, PKR15.0 and PKR17.0

respectively Our earnings revision is based on 1) nominal upward adjustment in volumetric sales estimate, 2) better spinning segment margins and 3) above expected payouts from power subsidiaries. Based on upward revision in earnings coupled with notable uptick in market prices of portfolio companies, our upward revised TP of the stock now stands at PKR92/share representing a total return of 22% Predictions

The results season is almost over, law and order situation would continue to affect market sentiments in the days to come. Inflation number may look good but it won’t necessarily have an impact on discount rate, there is just a minute chance of downward revision in interest rate in the next policy. Caution remains the call.

TUESDAY, MARCH 05, 2013

Madhuri to do item song inYeh Jawaani Hai Deewani MUMBAI: Dancing queen Madhuri Dixit, who will soon be making her comeback with Gulab Gang, will be seen doing an item song in Ranbir Kapoor's Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. In her career that has spanned over decades this will be the first time ever that Madhuri will do an item number. Though it may be a question why the actress is opting to do an item number as a comeback even before appearing as the leading lady in her film. Madhuri, who will also be starting shoot for her next film Dedh Ishqiya, has recently launched her online dance academy with husband Dr Sriram Nene. Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani is directed by Ayan Mukherji of Wake Up Sid fame. The film, which marks the reunion fo fomrer couple Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone. -SHOWBIZ DESK

Honey Singh to sing for Ranbir Kapoor in Besharam MUMBAI: After giving hit tracks in Cocktail and Mere Dad Ki Maruti, Honey Singh will be again crooning in the much awaited film of this year. News is that Honey Singh will be singing in Ranbir Kapoor's starer Besharam, which is the most anticipated film of this year. Honey Singh has done some great work in the past. From his punjabi style of singing to the westernize rock and hip hop. Most of his tracks become a trend among the youth. And now Honey Singh has been signed to come on board with Besharam. The film's spokesperson confirms "Honey Singh will be singing in Besharam, he has done some really good work in the past and with Honey coming on board, the music album of the film is going to be quite interesting". Beshram is a comedy film directed by Abhinav Kashyap. The film stars Ranbir Kapoor and Pallavi Sharda as the lead. The movie will also have Ranbir Kapoor's parents, Neetu Singh and Rishi Kapoor and is slated to release on October 2. -Showbiz Desk

Armeena Khan in Pakistan’s Happily Married SHOWBIZ DESK KARACHI: Following on from the success in Dolly Aunty Ka Dream Villa, Canadian/British actress Armeena Khan will now be gracing the TV screen’s in a private channel’s new commissioned comedy serial titled, Happily Married. Happily Married revolves around the life of the newly married couple (Mekail and Armeena) and their neighbours (Mr & Mrs

Manzar) and how life changes after marriage. Armeena will be seen starring alongside, some of Pakistan’s ﬁnest talented actors, Azfer Rehman, Shabbir Jan, Sumbul Shahid and Yasir Hussain. “Filming Happily Married has been great fun and entertaining. There will be a lot of married couples that will be able to connect with drama.” states Armeena Khan. In her last drama serial, Dolly Aunty Ka

Nargis Fakhri signs 4 crore ad deal NEW DELHI: One-ﬁlm-old Nargis Fakhri may not have made it big in Bollywood but the supermodel has certainly made a mark in the ad world. Reports reveal that the Czech-Pakistani actress has bagged a whopping 4 crore deal with a beauty brand. The actress, who already has ﬁve brands in her kitty, seems to be pretty high up in the brand endorsement order as the amount she's charging is almost the same as Bollywood A-listers like Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra. A sourse told, “It is a big amount no doubt and may come as a surprise but Nargis is fast becoming a popular beauty face in the brand world. The beauty company is said to be revamping and aggressively marketing and approached Nargis to endorse their line especially for young girls. The campaign and commercials are touted to be the best she’s done yet,”. -SHOWBIZ DESK

Mahnoor Baloch to do item number The actress will be seen dancing to song ‘Charhti Jawani’ in the upcoming Lollywood film ‘Main Hun Shahid Afridi’ SHOWBIZ DESK LAHORE: Making most electrifying come back with Hollywood film “Torn”, Pakistan’s most groomed actress Mahnoor Baloch is currently shooting a Bollywood sort of item number for the upcoming Pakistani film ‘Main Hun Shahid Afridi’. Mahnoor Baloch will be doing item number on song “Charhti Jawani” in the film “Main Hun Shahid Afridi” and is assumed to challenge all Bollywood item girls. This Pakistani film “Main Hun Shahid Afridi” is based on life of cricket super star Shahid Afridi and is being produced by Humayun Saeed and Shahzad Nasib. The lead cast includes Humayun Saeed, Mahnoor Baloch, Fatimah Afandi and Abid Kashmiri. Osman Ali Raza is the director of the film and will also play the coach in the movie. The lead role of Shahid Afridi is being played by a 19-year-old boy Noman Habib who is an aspiring cricketer in Pakistan. We all have crossed over fingers to see crispy thumkas of Mahnoor Baloch in this item song.

Pop music vanishing, Ali Zafar upset

SHOWBIZ DESK MUMBAI: Pop music culture is diminishing and it upsets Pakistani singeractor Ali Zafar, who would love to do something to save it, but admits he can't bring about the change single-handedly. "It's sad that pop music is fading these days. I can't individually get it back myself," Ali, who started his music career with independent album "Huqa Pani", told. "Sadly, radios don't play the songs of private albums or channels don't give priority to private music videos. So how can you expose yourself to the people? You can't," he added. The 32-year-old, who also did albums like "Masty" and "Jhoom", is equally active in ﬁlms and did movies like "Mere Brother Ki Dulhan" and "London Paris New York" - he not only acted in them, but also sang the song "Madhubala" in the former and composed the music for the latter. He feels that pop music should have enough space to co-exist with ﬁlm

music. "I think it (pop music) will come back with time. The pop independent music should be given a chance to exist simultaneously along with the ﬁlm industry as it happens in the West. I think, the mechanism needs to be devised soon," he added.The singer says it would be great if he can contribute anything to bring the change. "It would be great if I can contribute anything to bring this change. Look at Coke Studio, it's doing great widely but it would be fantastic if radio and TV channels support us," he said. Ali feels he is lucky to have a platform like Bollywood to showcase his talent, but for others private albums could be a good way to make a mark. "I am into Bollywood, so I can't complain that much but all these young boys and girls, who have excellent talent, they should be given a chance to showcase their talent.”Everything doesn't have to sound B for Bollywood. Every artist has an independent expression," he added.

Dream Villa which was a combined Indo-Pak venture, Armeena had the privilege of starring alongside Bollywood veteran actress, Farida

Affleck kicks photographer on day out with daughter SHOWBIZ DESK LOS ANGELES: Ben Affleck left a shopping mart in Los Angeles after an altercation with a photographer who blocked his way, it has been revealed. The Argo director was out on a daddy-daughter date with 4-year-old Seraphina on Friday at LA's Brentwood Country Mart when an intrepid photographer blocked his path, trying to snap a closeup of the cute pair. Affleck apparently wasn't so keen on the idea. He looked like he was trying to kick the paparazzo out of his path while holding Seraphina with one arm, the Daily News reported. However, a sourse that Affleck wasn't trying to lash out at the photographer, but simply trying to maintain his distance from the press who were intimidating his little girl. According to the gossip site, Affleck swung his leg out not to injure the paparazzo, but to demonstrate how much personal space he needed.

‘I’ve not given Pakeezah rights to Meera’ SHOWBIZ DESK NEW DELHI: Late ﬁlmmaker Kamal Amrohi’s son Tajdar Amrohi has denied that he has given the remake rights of his father’s 1972 Meena Kumari-starrer Pakeezah to Pakistani actor Meera. Meera had recently said that she has purchased the rights to the classic and wants ﬁlmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali to direct the movie. “I haven’t sold the rights of Pakeezah. Maybe I’d commit such a blunder if I go insane,” Tajdar was quoted as saying in a tabloid.

Charlie Sheen will not be my mentor: Lindsay Lohan NEW YORK: Some may see Lindsay Lohan and Charlie Sheen as kindred spirits, but apparently Lohan isn't one of them. Sheen reportedly offered to serve as a mentor to Lohan, imparting upon her his wisdom about what it's like to be a Hollywood troublemaker, but Lohan says she's perfectly happy without it, thank you very much. Lohan's reps told that, while she is grateful for everything Sheen has done for her, she would never take him up on his offer to mentor her. The 26-year-old actress reportedly said she knows her life is "out of control" but doesn't think the "it takes one to know one" mantra is the way to go here. Lohan's people said she and Sheen do speak from time to time but that Lohan thinks he is in no place to talk to the media about her. "I have a kinship with Lohan, who clearly needs a mentor, whether she wants one or not," the 47-yearold actor told TMZ over the weekend. "She can continue to hang out with her dress-shredding club buddies, or turn to me for some advice from a guy who's been down the road as well as every other side trail on the journey." Aside from general hot-headed antics, the two have been linked since it was announced that Sheen and Lohan would share a scene in "Scary Movie 5," which ﬁrst prompted talk of the two being likeminded souls. That buzz furthered when Sheen gave Lohan $100,000 to pay off her tax debt in November of last year. While Lohan may refuse to seek guidance from Sheen, she is getting advice from a therapist." -SHOWBIZ DESK

Jalal and Pakistan’s de la crème Talat Hussain, which led to rave reviews from the critics for her performance. “It was a great honour that I got the opportunity to work alongside the talented Farida Jalal, who has been part of some of Bollywood’s biggest Blockbusters such as Dilwale Duhania Le Jayenge, Kabhi Khushi Khabhie Gham and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai to name a few.”said Armeena.

Kim Kardashian & Kanye West hit Paris Fashion Week PARIS: Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's baby isn't born yet, but it's already living the high life. KimYe hit Paris for Fashion Week, where they donned coordinating black and white ensembles to attend the Givenchy show. Kim showed off her growing bump in a menswear' inspired black tuxedo. Afterwards, the two attended a starstudded dinner, where Kim hung with singers Ciara and Frank Ocean and shared a snap via her Instagram. According to reports, Kim and Kanye are expecting a baby girl but Kim has yet to comment or conﬁrm the sex of their baby. One thing's for sure: they're going to have one stylish kid. -SHOWBIZ DESK

TUESDAY, MARCH 05, 2013

Pollard, Badree lead Windies to Zimbabwe sweep NORTH SOUND: A bludgeoning innings from Kieron Pollard and careerbest figures from Samuel Badree spearheaded West Indies' 41-run win over Zimbabwe in the second and final T20 international on Sunday. Responding to the hosts' total of 158 for seven, the visitors were restricted to 117 for six with only veteran Hamilton Masakadza offering any sort of resistance with an unbeaten 53 off 51 deliveries with six fours. However, the damage was already done with Badree making amends for his comparatively ordinary effort in the first match the previous day, dismissing the top three in the Zimbabwean order to finish with three for 17. With their second consecutive comprehensive win – after Saturday's eightwicket triumph – the world champions took the series 20 following a 3-0 whitewash of the Zimbabweans in the

Pakistan hockey team to visit India for bilateral series OUR STAFF REPORTER LAHORE: Pakistan hockey team will visit India from April 5 as a part of a bilateral hockey series that has been revived after seven years. A spokesman for the Pakistan Hockey Federation, after attending a meeting of the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) in Malaysia, told media on Monday that the series was last played in the year 2006 and had been revived to serve the cause of hockey in the region. “In the first leg we will be travelling to India then the Indian team will visit Pakistan from April 23,” he added. Five matches will be played in India and similar number of matches in Pakistan. Pakistan will play matches in Ranchi, Lucknow, New Delhi, Mohali, Jalandhar while the venues of matches in Pakistan are Faisalabad, Karachi, Sialkot and Lahore. The PHF official said all details of the series were finalised with officials of the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) on the sidelines of the AHF meeting. “It is a very positive breakthrough and we believe with the resumption of this series we would be able to explore more avenues to play two on regular basis,” he said. He said the PHF was very delighted that the series had finally been revived and the Indian Government had granted permission to its team to travel to Pakistan. “We will announcing the final dates of the matches in a few days time after consulting our media partners in both the countries.” He said Pakistan would host two matches in Lahore under lights for the entertainment of fans to watch the game in their leisure time.

SCOREBOARD WEST INDIES INNINGS L Simmons c Ervine b Shangwe 41 J Charles b Chatara 10 Dwayne Bravo c Taylor b Shangwe 24 C Barnwell b Utseya 7 K Pollard not out 46 D Sammy c Sibanda b Mutombodzi 19 A Russell c Ervine b Mutombodzi 0 D Ramdin b Mpofu 0 S Narine not out 1 Did not bat: S Badree, S Gabriel. EXTRAS: (LB 2, W 8, NB 1) 11 TOTAL: (20 overs, 7 wickets) 159 FALL OF WICKETS: 1-19, 2-61, 3-79, 492, 5-148, 6-149, 7-155 BOWLING Mpofu 4-0-28-1 Chatara 4-0-46-1 Utseya 4-0-22-1 M'Shangwe 4-0-33-2 Mutombodzi 4-0-28-2 ZIMBABWE INNINGS C Chibhabha b Badree 13 V Sibanda c Bravo b Badree 5

one-day matches in Grenada. Both sides now turn their attention to the Test matches, the ﬁrst of two beginning March 12 in Barbados. Pollard crashed three sixes and three fours in an unbeaten 46 off just 24 deliveries to lift the West Indies to a competitive total, dominating a 56-run ﬁfth-

H Masakadza not out 53 B Taylor c Sammy b Badree 4 C Ervine c & b Bravo 15 M Waller run out (Simmons/Ramdin) 7 T Mutombodzi c & b Bravo 1 P Utseya not out 11 Did not bat: T Chatara, N Mushangwe, C Mpofu EXTRAS: (LB 4, W 4) 8 TOTAL: (6 wickets; 20 overs) 117 FALL OF WICKETS: 1-17, 2-25, 3-33, 468, 5-91, 6-94. BOWLING Gabriel 3-0-12-0 Badree 4-0-17-3 Sammy 2-0-13-0 Narine 4-0-22-0 Dwayne Bravo 3-0-15-2 Russell 2-0-21-0 Pollard 1-0-5-0 Barnwell 1-0-8-0 Umpires: Joel Wilson (WIS) and Gregory Brathwaite (WIS) Third umpire: Nigel Duguid (WIS)

wicket partnership with Darren Sammy, the captain contributing 19. All the Zimbabwe bowlers had shown greater discipline in limiting the home team's early progress. Tendai Chatara accounted for Johnson Charles, who lost his middle stump in missing an ugly swipe. AGENCIES

China ropes in Beckham to revive soccer image BEIJING: China has named former England captain David Beckham as its ﬁrst global soccer ambassador to revive the game's image, which has been hit by a match-ﬁxing scandal and an exodus of international stalwarts from the country's premier league. In his new role, Beckham, who joined French club Paris SaintGermain in January, is expected to help bring Chinese Super League (CSL) to the world stage and promote the game in the world's most populous country. "I am honoured to have been asked to play such an important role at this special time in Chinese football history," Beckham said in a statement released by IMG. "I'm excited by the

prospect of promoting the world's greatest game to Chinese sports fans as I've seen ﬁrsthand the growing interest in football there. I'm relishing the opportunity of introducing more fans to the game." AGENCIES

DUNEDIN: England cricket team players stretch with a trainer during a training session at the University Oval on Monday. England will play New Zealand in a three-Test series starting Wednesday (tomorrow). AGENCIES

Liverpool’s debts increase by £21.8m LONDON: Liverpool's debts have increased by 21.8 million pounds ($32.72 million), according to their accounts published on Monday, as prolonged absence from the moneyspinning Champions League takes its toll. The Premier League side's latest accounts, which run from Aug. 1, 2011 to May 31, 2012, show the club recorded a loss of 40.5 million pounds and debts increased to 87.2 million pounds. The club said the cost of rebuilding their squad during a period without European soccer played a large part in the debt increase and said revenue actually increased by £5m. Liverpool, five times European and 18 times domestic champions, have been out of the lucrative Champions League since 2010, while they even failed to qualify for the Europa League, Europe's second-tier competition, for the 2011-2012 season. They did, however, enjoy success in both domestic cup competitions, winning the League Cup and finishing runners-up to Chelsea in the FA Cup. Liverpool are seventh in the Premier League after 28 games and are 10 points off fourth place and Champions League qualification. AGENCIES

First Test commences in Wellington tomorrow

NZ must find answers to England’s pace WELLINGTON: England's pace bowlers James Anderson and Steven Finn are likely to be crucial determinants in the Test series against New Zealand when the ﬁrst of three matches begins at University Oval in Dunedin on Wednesday. Both Anderson and Finn were rested in the four-day match against the New Zealand XI, which the hosts won by three wickets with less than two overs remaining, but proved more than destructive in the limited overs series prior to the Tests. Apart from the opening one-day match which New Zealand won, Anderson and Finn provided a masterclass in hostile fast bowling, giving the New Zealand batsmen little to hit on the small grounds while creating pressure and taking wickets. Anderson's control of the seam position and the swing he extracted created doubt for New Zealand's batsmen, while the tall Finn bowled back of a length and was menacingly accurate at top pace. As such, the duo, to be supported by Stuart Broad and possibly one of Graham Onions or Chris Woakes, should prove a headache for New Zealand's batsmen, whose frailties against elite fast bowling were

ruthlessly exposed by the South African attack earlier this year. Brendon McCullum's side slumped to innings defeats in both Test s on their tour of South Africa, and were skittled for 45 in Cape Town with Proteas paceman Vernon Philander taking ﬁve wickets for seven runs. South Africa seamer Dale Steyn did the damage in the second Test in Port Elizabeth, taking eight for 65. New Zealand's batsmen have also had trouble occupying the crease for long periods to tire out opposing attacks, while giving their own bowlers a rest. Even century-making batsmen have scored their runs in a hurry and not lingered to post truly big scores to anchor their team's innings. The Mike Hesson-coached side will also bring a re-jigged top order to Dunedin, with the recalled Peter Fulton expected to partner debutant Hamish Rutherford. Left arm spinner Bruce Martin is also expected to make his debut at the age of 32, while all-rounder Doug Bracewell will undergo a late ﬁtness test after he cut his foot on a glass while clearing up following a house party.

While England team director Andy Flower bemoaned a "sloppy" defeat in the four-day tour match, which saw the top order struggle in both innings, the visitors have enjoyed a relaxed buildup, marvelling at coastal Queenstown's natural beauty and undertaking touristy excursions. Captain Alastair Cook leads a strong and settled lineup galvanised by their breakthrough series win away to India, with only a minor selection headache over who should be the skipper's opening partner. Pundits have clamoured for 22year-old talent Joe Root to earn his second Test cap after an impressive 73 on debut against India in Nagpur, but Flower gave strong backing to four-test opener Nick Compton, albeit without confirming his spot in Dunedin. "You've got to remember Joe Root has played one Test match," Flower said after the Queenstown warm-up. "I think everyone should keep a little calm about his prospects." Following Dunedin, New Zealand host England in the second Test in Wellington from March 14, with the third and ﬁnal Test in Auckland starting March 22. AGENCIES

Pakistan plans new high-profile soccer league DAMON WAKE

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is planning a major new football competition modelled on cricket's hugely successful Indian Premier League in a bid to revitalise a sport, which has long stagnated. The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) is in talks with potential sponsors for the proposed league, which would feature six citybased teams playing each other in Lahore, officials were quoted as saying Monday. Pakistan has had a “Premier League” for the past nine years, but coaches and fans complain of poor standards, awful pitches and walkovers. Government teams dominate the Pakistan Premier League (PPL), snapping up the best talent with generous sports budgets and leaving private clubs to struggle. Unsurprisingly, neither fans nor sponsors have much appetite for supporting the likes of current PPL champions Khan Research Laboratories (KRL), or the evocatively named four-time winners, the Water

In this photograph taken on March 2, 2013, Pakistani children of the Islamabad Football Academy take part in a practice session at a Sports Complex in Islamabad. and Power Development Authority (WAPDA). Television coverage is nonexistent and crowds for most matches’ number in the hundreds. A marketing consultant of the PFF said the new competition would give football a much-needed shot of razzmatazz. “We're going to be giving cash

incentives, we'll look after their transportation, their accommodation, we'll be trying to project it very heavily on television so people get the insight of what is happening in football,” he said. “We want to glamorise this game in Pakistan, we want to run it like the IPL in India with cricket,” he said.

The competition is dependent on sponsors coming forward, but the PFF hopes to run it in May or September, and if all goes well there are plans to expand the competition next year – and even try to lure foreign players. A similar venture in neighbouring Afghanistan last year proved hugely successful, attracting sell-out crowds and big television audiences. There is little doubt reform is needed. The PFF has set an ambitious goal of qualifying for the World Cup by 2022, but the national team has made little progress since the launch of the premier league in 2004. Before two recent wins away to Nepal, they were languishing 189th in the FIFA world rankings, just three spots above their lowest-ever placing. Tariq Lutﬁ, a former national coach who has led KRL to the Premier League title in the last two seasons, said the competition simply does not prepare players for the rigours of the international game. Balochistan is the heartland of the game, the only place where crowds of

thousands regularly turn up to watch matches, but it is also one of the country’s most dangerous regions, beset by sectarian, separatist and violence. The three PPL clubs based in the southwestern province were each awarded four 3-0 walkover wins last season after teams refused to visit. Without the mass appeal of cricket, Pakistan's national obsession, football struggles to attract sponsorship and the federation survives largely on grants from FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation. The PFF general secretary, Ahmed Yar Khan Lodhi, said nearly a quarter of the football budget was spent on the 16-team league, but this amounts to only 13.5 million rupees ($135,000). To minimise costs, the 240 matches of the PPL are crammed into just ﬁve months The federation is keen to focus on development. From next season each PPL team will be required to have at least two under-19s players in their squad on match days, Lodhi said, and a series of FIFA-funded academies are due to open this year.

Australia two down at stumps, trailing India by 192 HYDERABAD: Two strong sessions either side of a manic afternoon collapse left India firmly in command of the second Test, with a lead of 192 and eight Australian wickets to claim in two days for an unassailable 2-0 series lead. Such was the momentum of a record second-wicket partnership between Cheteshwar Pujara (204) and Murali Vijay (167) that India's collapse of seven wickets for 103 after lunch was made to appear almost insignificant. Australia had their task cut out facing a deficit of 266 but were let down by illadvised sweep shots from David Warner and Phillip Hughes to finish the day on 74 for 2. Monday's most action-packed session was the second, during which India succumbed to spin to go from 400 for 3 to 503. Australia were perked up almost immediately after

lunch when Sachin Tendulkar was ruled caught-behind when he flicked a James Pattinson delivery down the pads; after much deliberation, a thin edge was indeed spotted. That brought to the crease MS Dhoni, who counterattacked with a series of firm cuts and pulls to take India past 450 and the lead beyond 200. Dhoni's quickfire cameo ended on 44 when he drove Glenn Maxwell to midoff and the bowler grabbed his third, literally, by taking a smart return catch off Ravindra Jadeja. Maxwell was denied a fourth when Ed Cowan grassed R Ashwin on 0 before the over was up, but the allrounder became Xavier Doherty's first wicket in 42.2 overs when he poked to gully. Within minutes Doherty had two to his name when Harbhajan Singh wafted to midoff. Cowan atoned for his drop by

taking a one-handed catch at backward short leg off Virat Kohli, giving Maxwell his fourth, and Doherty finished the innings by having Bhuvneshwar Kumar stumped. Warner and Cowan replying with a solid partnership followed this, though they were helped by lapses in the field. Warner began by taking three fours off Ashwin's first over but was dropped on 13. Looking to cut Bhuvneshwar, Warner found Kohli at gully but the catch went down. Cowan then got a life on 0 when Dhoni dropped a onehanded take off Bhuvneshwar, who seamed the ball back in sharply to the left-hander. Those two drops let the openers off the hook early, while Bhuvneshwar took to the outfield after a luckless spell (6-4-7-0). Warner hit a straight six off Ashwin to put 50 on the board but fell to the

same bowler for 26, missing a sweep. Hughes suffered the same fate and picked up his third 0 of the series. Cowan was slow to open his account – 29 balls – but quick to cash in on errors in length; he was particularly strong off the back foot and cut the spinners well. He and Shane Watson were batting at stumps. In the morning session, India had scored 89 for the loss of their two overnight centurions, who fell within moments of each other after extending their alliance to an India record of 370. Vijay became the 16th Indian opener to make 150+ in Tests, while Pujara recorded his second double-century in 11 matches. Having put on 151 in the ﬁnal session on day two, Pujara and Vijay added 76 before the latter fell for 167. The Pujara-Vijay stand surpassed the previous second-

SCOREBOARD AUSTRALIA FIRST INNINGS 237 (M Clarke 91, M Wade 62, B Kumar 3-53, R Jadeja 3-33) INDIA FIRST INNINGS (overnight 311-1) M Vijay c Cowan b Maxwell 167 V Sehwag c Wade b Siddle 6 C Pujara c Doherty b Pattinson 204 S Tendulkar c Wade b Pattinson 7 V Kohli c Cowan b Maxwell 34 MS Dhoni c Doherty b Maxwell 44 R Jadeja c & b Maxwell 10 R Ashwin c Hughes b Doherty 1 Harbhajan Singh c Maxwell b Doherty 0 B Kumar st Wade b Doherty 10 I Sharma not out 2 EXTRAS: (B 1, LB 13, W 4) 18 TOTAL (all out; 154.1 overs) 503 FALL OF WICKETS: 1-17, 2-387, 3-393, 4-404, 5-460, 6-484, 7-485, 8-489, 9-491, 10-503 BOWLING Pattinson 29-11-80-2 Siddle 31-6-92-1

Henriques 21-7-45-0 Doherty 46.1-15-131-3 Maxwell 26-2-127-4 Warner 1-0-14-0 AUSTRALIA SECOND INNINGS E Cowan not out 26 D Warner b Ashwin 26 P Hughes b Ashwin 0 S Watson not out 9 To bat: M Clarke, M Wade, G Maxwell, M Henriques, P Siddle, J Pattinson, X Doherty EXTRAS: (B 7, LB 6) 13 TOTAL: (2 wickets; 32 overs) 74 FALL OF WICKETS: 1-56, 2-56 BOWLING Kumar 6-4-7-0 Ashwin 15-6-42-2 Harbhajan 8-5-10-0 Jadeja 3-2-2-0 Toss: Australia and chose to bat Umpires: K Dharmasena and M Erasmus.

wicket best for India in Tests, the 344 between Sunil Gavaskar and Dilip Vengsarkar against West Indies at

Kolkata in 1978, and Pujara also became the second-fastest Indian to the landmark of 1000 runs. AGENCIES

TUESDAY MARCH 05, 2013

THE SPOKESMAN - RAWALPINDI/ISLAMABAD

President likely to address the nation on 13th ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari is likely to address the nation through Radio and Television next week. Sources said President Zardari is likely to address the nation on Wednesday (March 13). It is expected that during his address he would name the caretaker PM, which would be ﬁnalised after mutual consensus between the opposition leader and Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf. Sources said President Zardari could also announce the election schedule and date of polling during his address so that rumours and speculations regarding the general elections are put to rest. –AGENCIES

President on whirlwind South Punjab tour

To address rallies in Multan, Rahim Yar Khan and Bahawalpur Many bigwigs set to join PPP

OUR STAFF REPORTER LAHORE: In a bid to re-castle his southern Punjab fort, President Zardari left Lahore Tuesday for a whirlwind tour of Multan, Rahim Yar Khan and Bahawalpur. The president will be addressing public rallies at these major destinations of south Punjab. He will be accompanied by Punjab Governor Makhdoom Ahmed Mehmood who will be ‘hosting’ his Rahim Yar Khan and Bahawalpur rallies. At the moment, PPP boasts of a

stellar strength in South Punjab as it granted vital mandate to the party after the death of late Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. However, now the president will have to marshal all his sources if he wants to save his mandate in the south. The current presidential tour will also be a test for party’s new southern leadership under veteran Makhdoom Shahabuddin of Mianwali Qureshian whose job is to see that there are no defections from the party in south. So far, the party has managed to

save largely its capital in the south but the coming days could be more worrying as Imran Khan’s PTI and Nawaz Sharif ’s PML-N are all set to launch southern push. Sources said former MPAs Haﬁz Iqbal Khakwani , Rana Qasim Noon, former mayor Faisal Mukhtar and ex-tehsil nazim of Shujabad Rana Sohail Noon are expected to join PPP during President’s visit to Multan. Earlier in Lahore, the president inaugurated three separate projects at the Governor’s House. The three

OSLO: Schoolgirl-turned-icon of Taliban resistance Malala Yousafzai and former US president Bill Clinton are in the run for this year's Nobel Peace Prize, as the Nobel Institute announced a record 259 nominations on Monday. This year's list of candidates is made up of 209 individuals and 50 organisations, the Nobel Institute said, without disclosing any of the names in line with its rules. 15-year-old Malala Yousafzai is known to be on the list and is seen by some experts as a favourite. "She is a candidate who embodies several causes: The rights of girls and women, education, youth, and the ﬁght against extremism," said prize observer Kristian Berg Harpviken, the head of the Peace Research Institute of Oslo. –AGENCIES

NEW DELHI: There have been 188 ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the LoC in Held Kashmir during 2010 to 2012 in which three Indian Army personnel were killed, defence minister A K Antony told the Lok Sabha on Monday. In a written reply to the house, he said, "Government of India has taken up the issue of ceasefire violations with Pakistan consistently." In 2010, Pakistan violated the ceasefire agreement with India on 44 occasions. 51 such incidents were recorded in 2011 while it peaked to 93 in 2012. Two army personnel were killed during these violations in 2010, followed by a single incident in 2012. A total of 16 military personnel were injured in these incidents from 2010 to 2012. –AGENCIES

Syed Hajan Shah succumbs to injuries SHIKARPUR: Gaddi Nasheen of Dargah Ghulam Shah Ghazi, Syed Hajan Shah, who was seriously injured in an attack on the Dargah in the village of Maari near Shikarpur on Feb 25, succumbed to his wounds on Monday. Reports suggest that business and other social activities came to a halt in the town after the news of his death was made public. Angry mobs came out on the streets, protesting against the culprits behind the devastating attack that killed at least three and injured dozens on Feb 25. Syed Hajan Shah among two his children and three women had received serious injuries in the bomb attack. According to Larkana DIG, an unidentiﬁed man talking on a mobile phone had placed a bag in the Dargah. There was the blast soon after he left the area. –AGENCIES

PTI to submit details of intra-party polls by 15th ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreeke-Insaf (PTI) on Monday assured the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) that it would submit details of intra-part polls by March 15. All major parties except the PTI have fulﬁlled the ECP’s requirements to get election symbol. The PTI leaders contacted the ECP and assured that they would meet the requirements by March 15. –ONLINE

Inaugurating the dry port, the President said that it was a bold initiative of Railways to enter vigorously into private-public partnership. The setting up of dry ports and provision of dedicated rolling stock to the private sector to operate freight trains was a bold initiative, the president said. “Addition of dry port at Prem Nagar which was equipped with state-of-the-art facilities will double the capacity of existing facility from 4 to 7 million tonnes per annum.

SC calls for legislation on overseas voting

Malala, Clinton in the run for nobel peace prize

India accuses Pakistan of 188 border violations

projects recently completed included the Prem Nagar Dry Port project of Railways, Allai Khwar and Jinnah Hydro power projects. The inaugural ceremony was attended among others by Punjab Governor Makhdoom Syed Ahmad Mahmood, Federal Minister for Water and Power Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar, Federal Minister for Railways Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour, members of National and Punjab Assembly, Chairman WAPDA, members of the civil society and high ranking officials.

AG, ECP point out hitches in the process

OUR STAFF REPORTER

LAHORE: President Asif Ali Zardari along with Federal Minister for Railways Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour inaugurating Prem Nagar Dry Port project of railways, at Governor House. –ONLINE

Malik again points finger at Punjab, LeJ

Kaira warns against alliance with extremist groups

KARACHI: Interior Minister Rehman Malik Monday claimed that he had provided intelligence about a possible terrorist attack in Karachi in Shia-dominated areas, similar to the one in Quetta. Talking to reporters, Malik asked the Sindh IG and the home secretary why security wasn’t kept adequate despite being provided information. “Security was only kept strict for four days.” He lashed out against the Punjab government and said all headquarters of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) were in Punjab and there was no Shia-Sunni conflict in Karachi. “This is an open question for the Punjab government: How many of them [LeJ members] did you arrest? How many of their offices were closed in Jhang and Multan? What happened to their madrassa in Rahim Yar Khan?” Malik said that there were 34 FIRs against LeJ leader Malik Ishaq and he will make them public later. “30 men of LeJ were caught red-handed in Karachi.” He also claimed of breaking the Taliban’s back. “They [Taliban] are at the point that they are seeking reconciliation and dialogue. It is the Punjab Taliban, also known as Lashkare-Jhangvi, who did it [bombings] in

Quetta and now in Karachi.” Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira on Monday called upon the people to beware of parties entering into alliance with extremistminded political outfits in the upcoming general election. “It is the need of the hour to expose political parties having extremist tendencies,” he said while talking to media persons in Lahore. To a query, Kaira said Pakistan has been facing the menace of terrorism for a long of time, adding that the terrorists were still capable of causing destruction. “The government has been taking all out measures to defeat them but it takes time,” he said. Regarding the recent Karachi terrorist attacks, the information minister said that come what may, the general election will be held at all costs. Kaira dispelled the impression that the government played second ﬁddle to world powers in the war against terror, adding that the PPP-led government supported the war only to make Pakistan a safe place. On Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline, Kaira said the government had decided to undertake the project in the larger interest of the country. –AGENCIES

Malik will flee country after 16th, predicts Sana LAHORE: Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Monday predicted that Interior Minister Rehman Malik will flee the country after the caretaker setup is in place. Speaking to reporters after opening a new X-ray Department at General Hospital here, Sanaullah said: “If there was any headquarter of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi in Punjab, why it’s address was not being shared with the provincial government.” Such remarks, he said, won’t conceal the performance of Interior Minister Rehman Malik. He predicted that Malik would escape from Pakistan after March 16, saying his name should be put on the exit control list (ECL). He urged the need to demonstrate national harmony against the ongoing acts of terrorism in the country. He claimed that more members of the PPP and Q-League were going to join the PML-N soon. –ONLINE

Pakistan not sincere in fighting terror, says Karzai KABUL: Lashing out once again at Pakistan, President Hamid Karzai Monday alleged that a statement by a Pakistani cleric endorsing suicide bombings in Afghanistan shows Pakistan is not sincere in efforts to fight terrorism. ”Afghanistan wants a real struggle against terrorism and wants the Pakistani government to realise that both our nations are burning in the same fire,” the Afghan leader said, speaking at a press conference with visiting Nato SecretaryGeneral Anders Fogh Rasmussen. ”The Pakistani government has an essential and important role in putting out this fire,” Karzai added. Karzai made the comment in response to a question about a statement last week by the head of the Pakistani clerics’ council Tahir Ashrafi who said suicide attacks in Afghanistan are lawful because Nato troops are invaders. Karzai noted that Ashrafi was appointed to the delegation by the Pakistani government, implying that the government in Islamabad was backing his views. Neither Ashrafi nor Pakistani officials could be immediately reached for comment. Fogh Rasmussen also condemned the cleric’s statement and called on Pakistan to do more to rein in the extremist militants along its borders.”Nothing can justify terrorist attacks,” Fogh Rasmussen said. –AGENCIES

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court Monday directed the Attorney General of Pakistan to discuss with government and Law Ministry about ﬁnalizing legislation for voting procedure of overseas Pakistanis. The court also directed Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to make relevant efforts to ensure that overseas Pakistanis are made an integral part of the country’s electoral system through the implementation of voter registration procedures and the establishment of voting facilities at Pakistani overseas missions. A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry heard a petition on granting voting rights and casting of votes to overseas Pakistanis. During the hearing, Attorney General Irfan Qadir told the court that they had conducted a meeting with all relevant authorities on Monday’s morning in which DG of ECP Sher Afgan highlighted the troubles of

casting votes by overseas Pakistanis. “Sher Afgan has said that 1.5 million Pakistanis are living in Saudi Arabia and it would require setting up 400 to 500 polling stations across Saudi Arab only and all this needs agreement with Saudi Arabia”. The Attorney General stated that many people inside Pakistan will say that they should be given right of casting votes away from their constituencies. Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed stated that it is the fundamental right of overseas Pakistanis and forthcoming general elections should be conducted free, fair and transparent. The Chief Justice remarked, “Parliament can do legislations in this regard and Attorney General should discuss this matter with the government so that it would be put up in the assembly session”. The CJ questioned whether the ECP has informed overseas Pakistanis about their votes. ECP Counsel Muneer Paracha told the court that the ECP has registered the votes of overseas Pakistanis.

Verdict on ISAF containers case in 2 days ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court Monday stated that it would announce written verdict in the case of missing International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) containers within a day or two. A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry heard the proceedings of missing ISAF containers case. During the hearing, the CJ questioned that how much loss incurred by the missing ISAF containers has been recovered by the Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR). FBR counsel told the court that a negligible amount has been recovered, while total loss was worth of 54.73 billion rupees. Justice Gulzar Ahmad stated that no one is worried about the case, even it was a scam worth of billion rupees. The FBR counsel stated that agent use small amount of money in order to get license. Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed stated that it cannot be said that the FBR has taken strict actions against those who were responsible in the scam, as FBR has issued show-cause notices in small numbers. –AGENCIES

RPPs investigations

SC suspends NAB official’s transfer OUR STAFF REPORTER ISLAMABAD: Justice Riaz Ahmad Khan of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) here on Monday suspended the transfer notification of a National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) director who has been supervising investigation in the rental power case. The said notification transferring the NAB director Shehzad Saleem from Rawalpindi to Lahore was issued few days back. Justice Khan while suspending the notification issued notices to NAB chairman, deputy NAB chairman and director general of Human Resource directing them to submit reply. The petitioner through his counsel Shoaib Shaheen advocate

adopted before the court that he has been supervising the corruption reference of rental power projects. First he was issued threats and he was also asked for some undue favours. The petitioner is an honest officer and he refused to oblige some people having interest with this particular matter. As a last resort he was then transferred to Lahore without any justiﬁcation. The petitioner told the court that he has been working in Peshawar previously and has been working in Rawalpindi for the last two years. His tenure of service has been three years before he could have been transferred to some other station. His counsel argued that the transfer of his client is malaﬁde to disrupt the ongoing investigation.

Senate body challenges COAS’s authority on DHA administrators ZEESHAN JAVAID

ISLAMABAD: Challenging the authority of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) to appoint administrators of Defense Housing Authority (DHA), Senator Farhatullah Babar on Monday proposed to shift the authority to make such appointments to the Ministry of Defence. He was speaking at a meeting of the Senate’s Standing Committee on Defence and Defence Production at Parliament House under chairmanship of Senator Mushahid Hussain. Interestingly, the long-awaited DHA Bill

unanimously passed by the National Assembly, allowed the COAS to appoint DHA administrators. The committee also expressed serious concern over the business deals between real estate tycoon and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bahria Town Malik Riaz and DHA and recommended an increase in the quota for civilians rather than Army personnel to run DHAs across Pakistan. The committee was shocked when they were informed that the Military Lands and

Expresses concern over DHA-Bahria Town deals Cantonment Department had decided to cancel the lease deed of allotees of 25 plots given to them through open bidding in 1998 by the Punjab government at the site of the old jail, explaining that the entire chunk of land will be acquired by it under the Land Acquisition Act 1984. Senator Babar said the owners had made full payment, got the building plans approved and were also armed with a high court verdict directing that the allotees be permitted to build

houses. However, when the committee took exception to the Defense Ministry's stance, the ministry took the position that it was a mere proposal which had not been approved by it yet. Taking up another issue pertaining to land, it transpired that several thousand acres had been acquired in 1999 in Nowshera but the Military Lands Department was unwilling to make payment to the affectees despite court verdicts. Senator Babar said the SC had not granted a stay against the PHC order as the PHC had

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subsequently ordered on December 6, 2012 the Military Lands Department to pay the principal amount of compensation while a decision on the interest would be made later. Upon this the Military Lands Department again sought time to revert to the committee. The Committee also approved the restructuring plan of the Airport Security Force. According to the new plan, the ASF will be headed by a Director General in BS 21 and will have a Deputy DG Coordination in BS 20, Directors in BS 20 and Joint Directors in BS 19, among other factors.