imran has no ‘conquerpunjab’ plan Despite enjoying support of seasonedpoliticians like Shah Mahmood Qureshi,Javed Hashmi, Jahangir Tareen and others,no experienced politician has been fieldedfor any Punjab Assembly constituency whocould use his political clout to win overindependent winning candidates or whocould go for forming a coalitiongovernment if the party wins simple

majority in Punjab. page 09

where are the condemnations? anp wondersThe Awami National Party (ANP) onSunday urged people to question thesilecne of parties that were notcondemning terrorist attacks on ANP,MQM and PPP. ANP spokesman ZahidKhan said the credibility of electionswould be affected if the law and ordersituation remained persistent.Condemning the recent terroristattacks, he asked where the SupremeCourt (SC) and the caretakergovernments were when the bannedoutfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)warned to restrict specific parties fromgoing into polls. page 04

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) ChairmanImran Khan on Sunday said no one couldstop the country from transitioning intoa ‘new Pakistan’ as soon as PTI cameinto power. Addressing an election rallyat Mandi Bahauddin, he said, “Corruptpeople cannot make the systemcorruption-free. Only PTI can fix thedamage they have done to this country.”He said a new Pakistan was essentiallyinevitable, adding it was bound to comeinto being. “When justice prevails, acountry prospers. There are no two

opinions on this,” he said. page 03

pakistan demands afghans handover faqir, act against fazlullah

stories on page 02

only pml-n can bring a revolution: nawaz sharif

ttp says politicians being targeted on shura’s advice

stories on page 02

story on page 03

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story on page 04

story on page 19

story on page 04

only ‘mini-taliban parties’ freeto hold rallies: altaf

JI chief urges PM toconvene APC on security situation

Sindh govt reluctantto speed up targeted operations

ECP condemns violence, orders security of candidates

‘naya pakistan’ inevitable: imran

Monday, 29 April, 2013 Jamadul Sani 18, 1434Rs 17.00 Vol III No 302 19 Pages Lahore — Peshawar Edition

no let up in pre-poll violence;12 more devoured

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The election should be held on

time despite the current wave of

terrorism. – Munawar Hassan

Only ‘mini-Talibanparties’ canhold electionrallies: Altaf

MOnITORIng DESk

Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief AltafHussain on Sunday regretted that the MQM, thePakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the AwamiNational Party (ANP) were being exposed tobrazen acts of terrorism, asking what was keep-ing the law enforcement institutions from takingnotice.“The parties which are allowed to freely holdpublic meetings are the ones that can be labeledas ‘mini-Taliban’ parties,” he snapped while ad-dressing the workers and office bearers of MQMfrom lower Punjab.He said these “mini-Taliban” parties wanted toset even whatever was left of Pakistan on thecourse to devastation, asking where were theElection Commission of Pakistan, the army, andother security institutions. Earlier, MQM chiefAltaf Hussain separately telephoned Awami Na-tional Party (ANP) President Asfandyar WaliKhan and President Asif Ali Zardari and dis-cussed the overall political situation in the coun-try and the prevalent terrorist attacks on politicalparties. Altaf also discussed the future strategywith the ANP chief. Many workers of the threeparties have been killed during the past few daysin a series of attacks on their rallies and electionoffices.Earlier, Altaf said the upcoming elections wouldbecome controversial if all political parties werenot given a level-playing field. All three leaders were of the view that the acts ofterrorism, as compared to Punjab, were risingdisproportionately in the other three provinces ofPakistan, spreading fear and panic.“Does Pakistan comprise of Punjab? As it is theonly province where electioneering was beingcarried out freely while the worst kind of terror-ism was continuing in the remaining threeprovinces of the country,” they said.They strongly condemned the terrorist attacks onthe ANP, PPP and MQM and asked all the liberalparties to join hands against the terrorists.

ISLAMABADSHAIQ HUSSAIN

PAKISTAN has demanded Afghanistan handover Pakistani Taliban leader Maulvi FaqirMuhamad to Islamabad and also take effectivemeasures on its side of the border to dismantle

the hideouts of Maulvi Fazlullah-led Swat Taliban.The two vital demands were conveyed to Afghan

President Hamid Karzai recently in Brussels where heheld crucial talks with US Secretary of State John Kerryand Pakistan Army chief General Ashfaq Kayani.

Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani also attended thetrilateral meeting hosted by the US secretary of state tohelp Islamabad and Kabul do away with their differenceson various matters, including the recent row over renova-

tion work of a border gate carried out by Pakistan on itsside of frontier in Mohmand agency.

According to diplomatic sources, General Kayani toldKerry and the Afghan leader that Pakistan was committedto help Afghanistan and international community in ef-forts aimed at bringing peace and stability to the neigh-bouring state. However, they said Kayani also spokeabout cross-border militant attacks on Pakistani armyposts in Dir, Chitral and Bajaur by militants led by Fa-zlullah, who had taken refuge in Kunar and Nuristanprovinces of Afghanistan.

“General Kayani asked for an effective operationagainst the Pakistani Taliban hiding on the Afghan side ofthe shared border and said the hideouts of these terroristsshould be eliminated by the Afghan security forces,” saida source said seeking anonymity.

He said during the Brussels’ meeting, Pakistani sidealso asked for handing over Pakistani Taliban leaderMaulvi Faqir Muhammad, who was arrested inAfghanistan. Pakistan also talked about the negative rolethat some pro-India Afghan officials were playing in fo-menting anti-Islamabad feelings in Kabul, he said.

Another source privy to the talks in Brussels said oncondition of anonymity that the Afghan president alsoraised the issue of alleged shelling by Pakistani border

troops across the border in Afghan provinces of Kunarand Nuristan. “Nonetheless, he said the Afghan leader wastold by the Pakistani delegation that Pakistan’s bordertroops only retaliated when militants carried out cross bor-der attacks from Afghanistan in Pakistani regions and itwas baseless to say that Afghan civilians were being tar-geted in any shelling,” he said.

He said President Karzai also demanded the resump-tion of release of Taliban leaders by Pakistan, especiallythat of key insurgent leader and Taliban number two, Mul-lah Abdul Ghani Baradar, so that the Taliban could bebrought to the table of negotiations.

A Pakistani official said on condition of anonymitythat Islamabad was willing to improve its relations withKabul and all possible steps would be taken for that.

On the release of remaining Taliban leaders currentlyin Pakistani custody, he said every measure that helped inrestoration of peace in Afghanistan and assisted in push-ing forward the “Afghanistan reconciliation process”would be taken by Islamabad.

He also denied that there was any link in the releaseof Taliban prisoners and handing over of Maulvi FaqirMuhammad by Kabul, saying it was not a ‘quid pro quo’and freeing the Taliban detainees was only a matter ofschedule.

Pakistan demands Afghans handover Faqir, act against Fazlullah

COAS KAYANI TOLD SENATORKERRY, PRESIDENT KARZAI INBRUSSELS THAT PAKISTANWAS COMMITTED TO HELPAFGHANISTAN FOR PEACE

KARACHI: Shops seen closed at Kapra Market following a mourning call by the PPP and the MQM after

killing of several people in blasts the other day. ONLINE

TTP sayspoliticians beingtargeted onShura’s advice

PESHAWARNNI

Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan on Sundaysaid the selective targeting of political par-ties and candidates was the decision andprerogative of the Taliban Shura. Ehsansaid, “Taliban shura had decided to targetthose secular political parties which werepart of the previous coalition governmentand involved in the operation in Swat,FATA and other areas of KhyberPakhtunkhwa”. To a query about sparingthe Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Jamiat-i-Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Jamaat-e-Is-lami (JI) and Pakistan MuslimLeague–Nawaz (PML-N) who were alsocontesting elections within the same secu-lar system, he said, “The Taliban Shura haddecided to target those secular political par-ties which were part of the previous coali-tion government and involved in theoperation in Swat, FATA and other areas ofKhyber Pakhtunkhwa. The organisationfollowed the instructions of the TalibanShura and that it was the Shura that de-cided which political parties to target,where and when.” To another query on Tal-iban making ground and paving way forsome parties to win elections and denyingspace to others, he said: “Neither we areagainst nor in favour of the PTI, PML-N, JIand JUI-F,” adding that “We are against thesecular and democratic system which isagainst the ideology of Islam but we arenot expecting any good from the other par-ties either, who are the supporters of thesame system, but why they are not beingtargeted is for us to decide.” About attackson independent candidates, he claimed thatall secular minds supporting and takingpart in the elections would be targeted.

MURREE/ABBOTABADAGENCIES

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif continued his elec-tion campaign on Sunday and said onlyPML-N can bring a revolution in thecountry. Addressing a public gathering atMurree, Sharif said if voted to power, theyouth would not have to chase after em-ployment and he did not wish to gain theirvotes by lying to them.

“We will provide interest free loansto youths who have degrees and want touse their skills to open up businesses,” hesaid. Sharif added that people knew whohad served Pakistan and who had onlyplayed cricket. According to the PML-Nchief, it was his party which had earlierbrought a revolution in Pakistan.

Sharif also criticised President AsifAli Zardari over his failure to address

problems faced by the masses. Sharif saidthe PML-N government will construct arailway line from Islamabad to Murree.

He said in his previous tenure‚ he hadlaunched mega projects such as the Mo-torway and the Gwadar Port.

He said his party will establish med-ical‚ engineering and agriculture univer-sities in the area to enable the localpopulation to get higher education at theirdoorsteps. He promised to provide gasand water facilities to Murree and its ad-joining areas.

Addressing an election rally in Abb-otabad, the PML-N chief said it was a pitythat Pakistan had no respect in the worlddespite being a nuclear power. Sharif saidin 1999 Pakistan was progressing fastunder his government but a military dic-tator ousted the elected government andreversed the wheel of progress. “A dicta-tor wasted eight years of Pakistan and

spoiled all the good work done by us,” hesaid. He said after Musharraf, PresidentZardari came to power but his govern-ment did nothing for the country either.

“If our government had been allowedto continue, Pakistan would have been adifferent country by now,” he said. Hesaid he was appealing for votes becausehe wanted to bring Pakistan out of thecrises it was facing at present. He said hewould not sit in Islamabad after comingto power but would remain in touch withthe masses and solve their problems.

“We will rebuild Pakistan with thehelp of youth and Pakistan will onceagain be on the track of progress,” headded. Nawaz Sharif on Sunday alsocalled upon political forces to uniteagainst terrorism, adding that the countrywill not let terrorists hijack elections, localmedia reported. “We just cannot let ahandful of militants deny us elections. We

will have to stand united against theiranti-Pakistan designs. Elections shall beheld per scheduled no matter what,” thePML-N chief said in a statement.

Praying for the eternal peace of thedeceased and the speedy recovery ofthe injured, he condemned the bomb-ings at political parties’ election campsin the strongest of words. Sharif urgedall stakeholders to sit together for re-solving the issue of terrorism. In an in-terview‚ the PML-N chief saidterrorism is the main cause for desta-bilisation of the economy‚ unrest‚ un-employment‚ and lack of foreigninvestment in the country.

He appreciated the courage of vic-timised parties who were favouring elec-tions on time despite attacks.Responding to a question he said the en-ergy crises could be controlled by reduc-ing extra government expenditures.

Only PML-N can bring a revolution: Nawaz

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PML-N’s Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz

Sharif were responsible for the energy

crisis in Punjab. – Pervaiz Elahi

T HE PPP’s media apparatus has anMQM situation on its hands. Yousee, the MQM, despite its consider-

able media management, simply cannot getaround a particular problem. That inaction-able variable: its leader. Whereas the spinmachine operators of other parties workhard to get their leaders some screen time,in the MQM's case, whatever goodwill ittries to cultivate outside its turf dissipatesevery time the London Nightingale sings

his arias on TV. Despite his breathtakinglygood looks, the content of Altaf Hussein’sspeeches are the sort that could appeal onlyto those completely and utterly in love withthe man. And this demographic is only asliver of even those who do “vote” for theMQM.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, though not anAltaf, is a bit of a problem in his own right.A recent video of his, where he tries to rallysupport for the elections, has been sharedon the social media by PPP-haters manymore times over than the PPP itself. Themore people see it, the more they hate theboy, the party and everything they repre-sent, at least to them. The video comes inthe so-bad-that-its-good category, whichexplain its viral nature.

Bilawal does not know how to speakUrdu. At a time when even speaking chasteUrdu, one that does not have the twang ofa regional accent, is considered elitist,speaking pidgin Anglicised Urdu withmuch effort really hits the wrong notes on

the populist register.Bilawal really is a lost opportunity. If

his role in life was clear earlier on, whichit probably was, there was time togroom him. Sort of like theprinces of yore. No, notteach him how to duelwith swords but by now,he should have not onlybeen fluent in Urdu butalso be able to speak atleast two regional lan-guages, Punjabi andSindhi in his case.

As things stand now,even in the languages hedoes know how to speak, heprobably won’t be able to hold his ownin the sort of talk shows where the lessermortals of his party do battle day in and dayout. In fact, in a fair fight, a sub-districtpresident of his PSF would be able to runcircles around him.

But one thing certainly does rankle.

The public has no issues with the Quaid-e-Azam’s speeches. And his Urdu wasn't re-ally in the impeccable region. Bilawal at

least does not have anything to sayabout the language issue. Jinnah

was adamant that “Urdu, andonly Urdu” should be the na-

tional language of the newrepublic, much to the cha-grin of East Pakistanis. Itwas – some historiansargue, if rather simplisti-cally – the beginning of the

Bengali freedom struggle.Why compare Jinnah to

Bilawal, you ask? If this is anapples-and-oranges thing, then it

should be pointed out that no two leadersare quite the same. But if there are someuniversal, objective characteristics withwhich to weigh a prime ministerial candi-date and a guy running for the president ofa market association in a small city alike,one assumes assessment of language skills

is one of these.Furthermore, if the language issue is so

very important to – if one were to surmisefrom the internet alone – PTI supporters,then, would they grudgingly concede thatAsif Zardari has addressed crowds in morelanguages than their own leader? Wouldthey accept this one positive attribute of thePrince of Evil, the reason why there areearthquakes in the country, President EvilAsif Zardari?

At the end of the day, however, the PPPis not the MQM. Jiyalas can be critical ofthe head honcho if they say it to his/her facein private. There isn’t that much of a fearfactor here. The boy who would be kingcould have been told his speech just doesn’tcut it. He was probably forced to record itin the first place. Speech therapy is theorder of the day. It just might produce aleader who is not laughable by the time ofthe election after this one. Which – yes, thiswill hurt some of you – might belong to thePPP.

Baby Bhutto at the mike

by the tube

PESHAWAR/kOHAT/QUETTASHAMIM SHAHID/AGENCIES

AT least 11 more people werekilled on Sunday in variousbombings across the coun-try, as the pre-poll election

violence left the authorities scratchingtheir heads and raising serious doubtsover the possibilities of elections beingheld on May 11.

Sunday’s killings came in Peshawar,Kohat, Quetta and Swabi, where electioncandidates and offices were attacked bymilitants without remorse.

In attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,at least nine people were killed and morethan 30 others injured in bomb attacksand firing against election offices and as-pirants.

In Peshawar, a high-intensity impro-vised explosive devise (IED) went off inMaqsood Abad area on Charsadda Roadnear the office of an independent electioncandidate, which killed three people andinjured 12 others.

The office belonged to Nasir KhanAfridi, an independent candidate fromNA-46 Khyber Agency. The explosionoccurred when a large number of peoplewere present at the site.

Afridi himself remained safe in theattack, the victims were said to be hisclose relatives and supporters.

Afridi said he had erected billboardsand displayed banners with messagesagainst militants in the constituency hewas contesting elections from, whichcould be the reason for the attack.

Doctors at Lady Reading Hospital

said several of the injured were in criticalcondition.

Earlier in the day, the election officeof another independent candidate fromOrakzai Agency was targeted in Kohatwith around 10 kilogrammes of explo-sives.

At least five persons were killed onthe spot, while the condition of severalamongst the 22 left injured was critical.

The office of Noor Akbar Orakzaiwas adjacent to the office of KhurshidBegum, an Awami National Party candi-date for a National assembly seat fromKohat.

Though Khurshid Begum remainedsafe, her office and vehicle were badlydamaged. A number of other vehicles,shops and buildings in the vicinity werealso damaged.

In Swabi, unidentified men shot deadthe brother of Awami National Party can-didate Mohammad Islam, who is con-testing polls from PK 35 Swabi (V)constituency.

Also in Swabi, two people werekilled and five others, including a police-man, injured when a bomb rippedthrough a public meeting of Awami Na-

tional Party (ANP) at Rafiqabad area ofthe district.

Per details, the explosion occurredwhen a public meeting of ANP candidateAmeer Rehman was in progress.

Two people were killed on spot,while five others were injured.

Swabi DPO Dr Saeed said the explo-sion was triggered by a remote con-trolled device.

The injured were shifted to nearbyhospital and a search operation wasstarted to arrest the culprits.

The violence extended to Quetta aswell, where a boy was killed and fiveothers injured in a blast in Faizabad area,Saryab police precincts.

Police said the explosive planted ona bicycle went off as a corner meeting ofShams Mengal, an independent candi-date from PB-5, Quetta-5 was takingplace at a house in the area.

As a result, a child was killed on thespot and five others sustained injuries.

Identity of deceased child and in-jured could not be ascertained immedi-ately. Police and FC teams reached thesite soon after the incident and shiftedthe injured to a nearby hospital.

No let up in pre-pollviolence; 12 more devoured

FIVE PEOPLE KILLED INBOMBING ATCANDIDATE’S ELECTIONOFFICE IN KOHAT, THREEKILLED IN PESHAWAR

THREE KILLED IN SWABI,CHILD KILLED ASCORNER MEETING OFELECTION CANDIDATEBOMBED IN QUETTA

MAnDI BAHAUDDIn/LAHOREAGENCIES

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)Chairman Imran Khan on Sundaysaid no one could stop the countryfrom transitioning into a ‘new Pak-istan’ as soon as PTI came intopower. Addressing an election rallyat Mandi Bahauddin, he said, “Cor-rupt people cannot make the sys-tem corruption-free. Only PTI canfix the damage they have done tothis country.”

He said a new Pakistan was es-sentially inevitable, adding it wasbound to come into being.

“When justice prevails, a coun-try prospers. There are no twoopinions on this,” he said.

Khan said the PML-N chiefNawaz Sharif was dreaming tocome to power for the sixth time.

“Those who let the nationdown five times cannot be givenanother chance for they cannotoutdo themselves. They are hard-

wired to plunder. Doing any goodto the country is against their verygrain,” the PTI chief said. He saidPakistanis were not a flock ofsheep or goats, and could tell thedifference.

Khan said if voted to power‚his party will introduce a systembased on justice and equality wherethe law does not differentiate be-tween the rich and poor. He said hewill tackle issues relating to infla-tion and unemployment. He further

said the youth can play a vital rolein changing the system.

He regretted that those lootingthe national kitty managed to reachthe parliament. Khan also appealedto terrorists not to sabotage theelection process.

“Let the political parties runtheir campaigns during the run-upto elections. An environment con-ducive to a level playing field isvery important for the democraticprocess,” said Khan talking tomedia personnel in Lahore.

Responding to a question Khansaid PTI believed military opera-tion was not a solution to the prob-lem. Khan alleged that MaulanaFazlur Rahman was a hypocrite.

“If Fazl proves that a Jewishlobby is paying me, I will quit pol-itics for good,” Khan said.

He once again ruled out an al-liance with Pakistan People’s Party(PPP) or Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) before, and afterelections.

ECP declares over21,000 pollingstations sensitive

ISLAMABAD APP

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP)has categorised over 21,000 polling stationsacross the country as ‘sensitive’ and ‘highlysensitive’. According to sources, a compre-hensive strategy has been evolved to ensurepeace on the polling day. Strict action wouldbe taken against violators of the code of con-duct. Per figures provided by the commission,11,053 polling stations have been declared sen-sitive while 10,237 have been declared ashighly sensitive. Sindh has been declared asthe most sensitive province because of thenumber of highly sensitive and sensitivepolling stations there, which total 4,629 and3,621 respectively. In Punjab, 2,911 pollingstations have been declared as sensitivewhereas 2,617 polling stations are highly sen-sitive. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 2,980 pollingstations are sensitive whereas 1,056 are highlysensitive. In Balochistan, 1,451 polling stationsare sensitive and 1,071 are highly sensitive.Similarly in FATA, 510 polling stations havebeen declared as sensitive while 459 have beendeclared as highly sensitive.

Bilawal condemnsterrorist attacksthroughoutthe country

MOnITORIng DESk

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bi-lawal Bhutto Zardari has strongly condemnedthe series of terrorist attacks in various parts ofthe country, which killed and injured severalpeople.Bilawal demanded the government take concretesteps to stem growing incidents of terrorism inthe country just ahead of the general elections.The PPP has no words strong enough to con-demn the heinous crimes against innocent peo-ple,” he said, adding that his party wasprofoundly grieved and shocked over the killingof innocent people in the attacks.He asked the people to reject anti-democraticforces, “who are trying to sabotage liberal anddemocratic forces of their constitutional andlegal rights”.

Taliban kill threecops in Afghanistan

kABULAGENCIES

A remote-controlled roadside bomb killed threecops in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday, an attackthe Taliban claimed as the opening round of theirspring offensive. Ghazni Deputy GovernorMuhammad Ali Ahmadi said the bomb explodedbeneath a police convoy that was travelling toDistrict Zana Khan to take part in a military op-eration against insurgents. He said the blast de-stroyed the vehicle carrying Deputy Police ChiefMuhammad Hussain, killing him and two otherofficials. Ahmadi said two officers also werewounded in the insurgent operation, adding thatit clearly targeted Hussain. Taliban spokesmanZabiullah Mujahid claimed responsibility in anemail sent to the media. He called the bombingthe first attack in the spring offensive that Tal-iban’s leadership said it was starting on Sunday.The Taliban said their forces planned to infiltrateenemy ranks to conduct so-called insider attacksand target military and diplomatic sites with sui-cide bombers. Terrorists have escalated attacksrecently in a bid to gain power and influenceahead of next year’s presidential election and theplanned withdrawal of most US and other for-eign combat troops by the end of 2014. US-backed efforts to try to reconcile the terroristswith the Afghan government are gaining littletraction. April already has been the deadliestmonth this year for attacks across the country,where Afghan security forces are leading the warthat has lasted more than 11 years. On Saturday,a NATO plane crashed in southern Afghanistan,killing four troops. The alliance said initial re-ports indicated no enemy activity in the areawhere the plane went down. Coalition personnelsecured the site and were investigating the causeof the crash. NATO didn’t identify the provincewhere the crash occurred, but Muhammad JanRasulyar, deputy governor of the southernprovince of Zabul, said an aircraft belonging toforeign forces crashed there on Saturday.

‘naya Pakistan’inevitable, says Imran

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FO SEEkS NAmES OFPOlliNg OFFiCErSTO BE STATiONEdABrOAd

ISLAMABADNNI

Foreign Office (FO) has written a letter toElection Commission of Pakistan (ECP)seeking names of polling officers to bestationed abroad. In its letter, the FO saidnames of polling officers be provided at theearliest so that necessary work including visaprocessing could be initiated. Sources said theECP was waiting for a governmentalordinance authorising voting rights tooverseas Pakistanis. According to availabledata, of the 4.5 million overseas Pakistanisfound on voters’ lists, 1.7 million live in SaudiArabia, 1.3 million in the United ArabEmirates (UAE), 277,131 in Oman, 131,589in Kuwait and 80,166 in Bahrain.Furthermore, there are 367,988 registeredPakistani voters in the United Kingdom(UK), 131,589 in the United States (US),90,148 in Canada, 56,495 in Greece, 55,851in Malaysia, 39,618 in Spain, 23,585 inFrance and 15,728 in Australia.

Ji ChiEF urgES PmTO CONvENE APC ONSECuriTy SiTuATiONQUETTA: Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer SyedMunawar Hassan on Sunday asked PrimeMinister Mir Hazar Khan Khoso to convenean all-party conference on the prevailing se-curity situation in the country. Talking to themedia in Quetta on Sunday‚ the JI chief saidthe conference should be attended by leadersof all political parties and by all officials ofthe security agencies. Syed Munawar Hassansaid that terrorism could not be divided be-tween liberalism and fundamentalism. Has-san said that the election should be held ontime despite the current wave of terrorismwhich he said was being triggered by the USand other foreign forces. He said that a delayin elections would cause serious threats to thecountry’s existence. NNI

ATTACkErS WANTEdTO kill SArABJiTSiNgh: rEPOrTLAHORE:The main accused in the attackon Indian spy Sarabjit Singh in Kot LakhpatJail have told investigators that they wantedto kill him to take revenge for bombings hecarried out in Lahore. According to a prelim-inary report prepared by Deputy InspectorGeneral of Police (Prisons) Malik Mubashir,the accused – Amer Aftab and Mudassar,both death row prisoners – said they hatedSarabjit because he killed many Pakistanis inbombings in Lahore in 1990. Mubashir hassubmitted the report to the Punjab HomeDepartment, official sources told PTI. Forthe attack on 49-year-old Sarabjit, the duosaid they sharpened spoons to use as knives,made blades from pieces of empty ghee tinand collected bricks. ONLINE

mAN murdErEd iN

lAhOrE’S SAmANABAdLAHORE

RANA HAIDER

Two people were killed in Lahore’sSamanabad area on Sunday. Per details,a man named Kashif, resident ofSamanabad was returning home onSunday evening when four unidentifiedmen on motorbikes opened fire andmurdered him at Samanabad More.Reports said Kashif’s gunman Faizanwas also murdered in the firing. Policesaid Kashif had many rivalries and manyFIRs of firing and attempt to murder hadbeen filed against him in Samanabad,Millat Park, Sandha, Islampura and manyother police stations of the city. Kashifwas president of Samanabad MotorShowrooms Union.

ISLAMABADAPP

The Water and PowerDevelopment Authority(WAPDA) has successfullycompleted the 17.4 megawatt(MW) Gomal Zam Powerhouse- a component of the GomalZam Dam Project and it willsupply electricity to the nationalgrid shortly.

Official sources said that GomalZam Dam is the first-ever megaproject in water sectorconstructed in the FederallyAdministered Tribal Areas(FATA) and the powerhouse wascurrently on test run.The project located in SouthWaziristan Agency, consists ofthree main components,including dam, powerhouse andirrigation system.

The dam was completed lastyear, the powerhouse is nowcomplete, while the irrigationsystem is at the advanced stageof completion. Gross storage capacity of theproject is 1.14 million acre feet(MAF) of water to irrigate163,000 acres of land. They saidthe powerhouse wouldcontribute 91 million units ofelectricity annually to the

system, which is sufficient tosupply power to about 25,000households. The project is ofimmense importance for socio-economic uplift of the populaceof remote areas, particularlyFATA and KhyberPakhtunkhwa. The projectwould ensure availability ofwater for irrigated agriculture,control floods and provide low-cost hydro electricity. The

United States Agency forInternational Development(USAID) had provided $40million to help complete themain dam and the powerhouse. Another $40 million are alsobeing provided by USAID forcompletion of irrigationcomponent of the project and$12 million are committed fordevelopment of Waran CanalSystem.

ISLAMABAD ANWER ABBAS

THE Awami NationalParty (ANP) on Sun-day urged people toquestion the silenceof political parties

that were not condemning terroristattacks on ANP, MQM and PPP.

Talking to Pakistan Today, ANPSpokesman Zahid Khan said credi-bility of elections would be affectedif the law and order situation re-mained persistent. Condemning therecent terrorist attacks, he askedwhere the Supreme Court (SC) andthe caretaker governments werewhen the banned outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) warned to re-strict specific parties from going intopolls. He questioned why no actionwas taken against those posing threatto the political parties? “However,whatever conditions would be, ANPwould still participate in the pollswithout turning violent,” Khanadded. The ANP leader asked whythe SC is silent over the issue, whenonly specific parties are being tar-geted by the TTP. Khan said the peo-ple should question those political

parties who do not condemn such in-cidents and were carrying out ralliesindependently without any fear. Ex-pressing his serious concerns, theANP spokesman said what would bethe creditability of the coming elec-tions if democratic forces are pushedto the wall. “The need of time is tohold and contest polls in every caseand ANP would contest them withfull zeal for the sack of the country,”he added. Expressing his party’s fu-ture strategy, Khan said the ANP didnot have any militant wings to raisethem against Taliban, adding thatbeing the followers of the ideologyof Bacha khan it would deal with thesituation peacefully. “What we cando when our opponents are usingforce?” Khan questioned. He saidthat his party leadership would con-tinue door-to-door campaign andwould not retreat. ANP leader BushraGohar in her Sunday’s tweet men-tioned her no confidence in the cred-itability of the elections. Bushrare-tweeted a tweet by another ANPactivist, in which she wrote, “Zerocreditability of elections: the state hasdecided to shift its writ to Taliban.”

However she did not elaboratethat she used the word ‘state’ either

for the government or the establish-ment. ANP leader emphasised thatthe state had decided to shift its writto the Taliban. The tweet also re-flected the mental condition of theleadership of the political partieswhich were being targeted by the ex-tremists. The terrorists are continu-ously targeting various politicalparties across the country to barthem from taking part in the comingpolls. Meanwhile, police and secu-rity agencies have failed in foilingthese attacks. Pakistan MuslimLeague-Nawaz Senator PervezRasheed said all political parties sup-port the opinion that polls should bestaged on May 11 in every case.

“This is a war between terror-ism and polls, so we will never letterrorism to win this war,” Rasheednoted. The PML-N leader saidpolls were held in the UnitedStates despite floods, in Iran dur-ing Iran-Iraq war, adding that thesituation was not that worst in Pak-istan. “80 percent of Pakistan is incomplete peace only 20 percent isfacing law and order situation andthat is an old phenomenon there.Elections should be held in time,”he concluded.

kARACHIAFTAB CHANNA

While bomb blasts andkillings of political leadersand workers are underway inKarachi, the interim Sindhgovernment seems reluctantto give law enforcement agen-cies, including Rangers, thegreen signal to speed up tar-geted operations and make de-tails of arrested target killersknown to public, PakistanToday has learnt.

Heads of spy agenciestold the government that themorale of security agencieswould be down if details of ar-rested target killers and terror-ists were not made public,sources told Pakistan Today.The chief minister (CM) hadsummoned a meeting on thelaw and order situation to re-view security arrangementsand to chalk out a future strat-egy to ensure peaceful hold-ing of the general elections atthe CM Secretariat. Heads ofsecurity agencies, particularlyRangers and police, clearlyasked the CM to allow themto make public, details of ar-rested target killers before themedia. However the chiefminister did not appreciate theproposal. “If details of the ar-rested target killers are notmade public, the morale of se-curity officials will not bevery high,” sources quotedheads of security agencies as

saying.Moreover, another pro-

posal put forward was gearingup ongoing targeted opera-tions against criminals withreports that armed personnelfrom political parties were ha-rassing people for votes. Atthis, the chief minister re-strained security agenciesfrom doing so. In the meeting,the CM was of the view thatpolitical parties might an-nounce a boycott from generalelections if details of targetkillers were made public oroperations by the law enforc-ing agencies were geared up,sources added.

In the meeting the care-taker Sindh Information Min-ister Noorul Huda Shahsupported the point of view ofthe security agencies and wasreportedly asked by the chiefminister to keep silent,sources said. Meanwhile, inan official handout released tomedia by the CM Secretariat,it was stated that general elec-tions would be held on timeand anti-social elementswould be dealt with an ironhand. The caretaker Sindhgovernment will also ensurepeaceful and transparent hold-ing of elections to be sched-uled for May 11, 2013, it said.

It was also stated that allout measures would be madeto ensure peaceful polls andsecurity would be provided tovoters on the day of election.

kARACHIAAMIR MAJEED

The Pakistan People’s Party(PPP), Muttahida QaumiMovement (MQM) and AwamiNational Party (ANP) havetermed the decision of theSindh caretaker government toallow the contesting candidatesto be accompanied by up to fiveprivate security guards as beingno less than a bad joke and reit-erated their stance to participatein the elections with a renewedfervor by putting the Talibanthreats behind them.

The three political partieshave received serious threatsof attacks from Taliban andhave also faced the wrath ofbomb blasts in the metropolisduring the past one week, thatled to the killing of many po-litical leaders and workers. Ina much needed stand, the triohave decided to continue theirelectioneering campaigns inthe metropolis by putting allthreats behind them. To prac-tically implement their re-solve, the three parties haveissued directives to partyworkers for carrying on elec-tioneering activities by adopt-ing precautionary measures in

their respective areas.“The decision taken by

the caretaker government ofSindh regarding allowing con-testing candidates to carry fivepersonal security guards withthem was equivalent to mak-ing fun of these candidates,”ANP leader Rana Gul Afriditold Pakistan Today.“Though, i am not contestingthe election, but i am verymuch involved in party’s cam-paign. Therefore, am I not al-lowed to be accompanied bysecurity guards?” Afridi ques-tioned. “The previous demo-cratic government deployedofficial security and allowedsome known political figuresto be accompanied by privatesecurity men because theywere receiving threats fromdifferent extremist organiza-tions, but the government haswithdrawn official securityand banned private securityfor the most threatened candi-dates,” Afridi added. “Thebureaucracy and establish-ment do not want to see thePPP, MQM and ANP in poweragain and both have startedplaying a dirty game to keepthe trio out of elections,”Afridi accused.

6-year-old rape victimcritical, another womanmolested in delhi

nEW DELHIONLINE

Two days after she was admitted to thehospital trauma centre with severe injuriesall over her body, the six-year-old girl foundin a public toilet in south Delhi continues toremain in serious but stable condition,Indian media reported on Sunday. The DelhiPolice, meanwhile, are on the lookout for alone assailant who they suspect was behindthe brutal rape of the victim and is probablya drug addict living in the same Badarpurslum where the incident was reported fromon Friday evening. “Around 400 to 500houses in the slum have been searched toverify if anyone living there is absconding,”said Ajay Chaudhary, additionalcommissioner of police (southeast). “We areon the right track and are confident ofnabbing the accused very soon.”Chaudhary’s assurance came after dozens ofangry slum residents protested for around 45minutes outside the Badarpur police stationdemanding the arrest of the suspect within24 hours. The victim is in ICU where shewas shifted after life-saving surgery lateFriday. She has severe injuries in hergenitals and a deep cut on her neck.Meanwhile, another 25-year-old domestichelp was allegedly gang-raped by three menin Delhi. The incident took place in NewFriends Colony on Friday and it came tolight when the victim, a mother of two,approached the police and reported theincident on Sunday.

WhErE ArE ThECONdEmNATiONS?

trio to contest electionsdespite taliban threats

MOnITORIng DESk

The Balochistan govern-ment has finalised a strategyto ensure peaceful elections inthe province. A private TVchannel quoted its sources inthe Balochistan Home andTribal Affairs Department assaying more than 22,000 mil-itary and frontier corps per-sonnel were being deployed inall 20 districts of Balochistan.

It reported that military andFC contingents had reached al-most all sensitive districts ofBalochistan on Sunday to ensurepeaceful electioneering. He saidballot papers were also beingreached in troubled parts of theprovince to ensure elections perthe schedule given by the Elec-tion Commission of Pakistan.The Balochistan government or-dered deployment of militaryand paramilitary troops follow-ing a rise in attacks on candi-

dates and election offices of po-litical parties. The decision tothis affect was made at a high-level meeting chaired by interimChief Minister Nawab GhousBakhsh Barozai earlier on.IDPs: Meanwhile, the KhyberPakhtunkhwa Home Departmenton Sunday finalised and approvedthe polling plan for the internallydisplaced persons (IDPs) of theTribal Areas and issued a list ofpolling stations for the IDPSwhere they could cast their votesduring the upcoming generalelections. A high-level meetingwas chaired by the chief secretaryand attended by the home secre-tary, the IG, all political agents ofthe Tribal Areas and chief electioncommissioner’s representatives.KP Election Commissioner SonoKhan Baloch and other stake-holders approved the voting pro-cedure and identified six differentlocations where the IDPS couldcast their votes.

balochistan govt finalisesstrategy to ensurepeaceful elections

sindh govt reluctantto speed uptargeted operations

gomal zam powerhouse to start supplying 17.4mw soon

ZAHID KHAN SAYS HIS PARTYWILL TAKE PART IN POLLS, COMEWHAT MAY

BUSHRA GOHAR SAYS STATE HASDECIDED TO SHIFT ITS WRIT TO TALIBAN

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lAhoreMonday, 29 April, 2013

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05

LApparently, a democracy is a place where numerous

elections are held at great cost without issues and with

interchangeable candidates. — Gore Vidal

Fajr Sunrise Zuhr Asr Maghrib Isha

3:51 5:19 12:00 3:39 6:41 8:10

220CLAHOREAGENCIES

THE family of Sarabjit Singh, anIndian death-row prisoner whowas assaulted by inmates in KotLakhpat Jail and is currentlyunder treatment at the Jinnah

Hospital, arrived in the city on Sunday.The Pakistan High Commission in

New Delhi has issued 15-day gratis visasto four members of Sarabjit’s family – hiswife Sukhbir Kaur, sister Dalbir Kaur anddaughters Poonam and Swapandeep Kaur– to meet the comatose Indian prisonerwho is battling for his life on a ventilatorat the Jinnah Hospital. Talking to the

journalists at the Wahgah Border,Sarabjit’s wife appealed to the Pakistanigovernment to provide best treatment toher husband and also hoped for his pardonand release on humanitarian grounds.

Sarabjit, who was arrested following abomb blast in Lahore in 1990 that had killed14 people and was consequently sentencedto death on espionage charges, was rushedto the Jinnah Hospital on Friday withmultiple wounds, including a severe headinjury, after his fellow inmates hit him withbricks, following an altercation.

DOCTORS SAY HE IS CRITICAL:“Sarabjit’s condition is critical withmultiple wounds to his head, abdomen,jaws and other body parts, and he has beenput on ventilator,” said a doctor in JinnahHospital. “He is fighting for his life in theIntensive Care Unit (ICU), and the next24 hours are critical. He needs surgery butthe doctors are not performing it becausethey don’t want to take any chances andwant him to stabilise.”SARABJIT’S FAMILY AT THEHOSPITAL: The family of the Indian spy

visited him in the ICU of Jinnah Hospitalsoon after reaching Pakistan from India viaWahgah Border on Sunday afternoon. Thefamily was received by Sarabjit’s lawyerAwais Sheikh, who accompanied them tothe hospital where hospital’s medicalsuperintendent Sheikh Ijaz briefed themabout Sarabjit’s condition.

Sarabjit’s sister Dalbir Kaur thankedthe people of Pakistan for their prayers forher brother’s recovery and hoped that hewould get well soon and be allowed toreturn to India. Sarabjit’s lawyer said thatthe Indian High Commission has arrangedfor the stay of Sarabjit’s family at theAvari Hotel. Sarabjit’s family stayed at thehospital for half an hour.

LAHORESTAFF REPORT

A seven-day special mass vaccination campaign againstmeasles will start in the city from today during which 3million children from sixmonths to ten years of agewill be inoculated. The campaignwill continue till May 5.

Moreover, students of allgovernment and private primary schools ofLahore district will also be inoculated and theeducational institutions refusing to get theirstudents vaccinated will be closed.

A spokesman of the Punjab HealthDepartment said that children will also beprovided facility of vaccination against measles atall government hospitals, basic health centre and ruralhealth centers from 8am to 5pm. He said anti-measlesvaccination campaign will continue for one week and thevaccination staff’s holidays on Sunday and May 1 have beencancelled.

The spokesman said that mobile vaccination teams willvisit all union councils and loudspeakers of the mosques willbe used for informing the people about their visit. Moreover,health workers will pay door-to-door visit at Mohalla levelto apprise the people of the arrival of the teams. Thespokesman further said a vigorous awareness and publicity

campaign is also being launched for the success of the anti-measles drive. Besides providing information through printand electronic media, banners and flexes will also bedisplayed on the roads for this purpose. He said that specialinstructions have been issued to display banners for theinformation of people at the buildings and sites wherevaccination teams will stay.

The spokesman further said that the Health Departmenthas constituted 660 mobile teams, 165 teams to visit schoolsand 265 fixed teams for vaccination against measles. He saidin order to facilitate the people, the administrations ofgovernment hospitals have been directed to set up at leastfour desks for vaccination of children besides making

suitable seating arrangements for the parents and supplyof cool drinking water. The spokesman appealed to the

people to fully benefit from the facility ofvaccination of children against measles being

provided by the Health Department forrooting out this disease.

Punjab Health District Officer DrMuhammad Saeed AkhtarGhuman said the governmenthas decided to utilize all the150 union councils of the

city and 15 wards ofLahore Cantt as health

centres to vaccinatethe children.

hope bringsSarabjit’s familyto Pakistan

FAMILY HOPEFUL FORSARABJIT’S RECOVERY, PARDON

NEXT 24 HOURS CRUCIAL FORSARABJIT, SAY DOCTORS

anti-measles teamscoming your way!

AlEEm ACCuSES Pml-N OF

BlACk PrOPAgANdALAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) LahorePresident Abdul Aleem Khan accused the Pakistan MuslimLeague – Nawaz (PML-N) of initiating a ‘disinformationcampaign’ against PTI. Aleem believed it to be a desperatemeasure by PML-N, who according to him had alreadybeen assured of a defeat in elections. He assured that thosewho had been in power would not be given another chanceand PTI will rise to power. While addressing a corner meetingon Sunday he said that ‘concocted surveys and false news’ could notsupport Sharif brothers. He said Imran Khan had been declared as an internationally knownand accepted personality while ‘others’ had been unveiled as bank loan defaulters. ONLINE

THE MOBILE BARBER: A

gypsy gets a shave outside

his tent in the city. NNI

79 new cases of measles reported

LAHORE: Over 10,243 cases of measles have been reported in Punjab during the last five months with an addition of79 new cases in the last 24 hours on Sunday. According to Punjab Health Department officials, at least 61 deaths havebeen reported so far, including one death at Lahore General Hospital on Sunday. During the last 24 hours, around 34cases of measles were reported from city hospitals, they said. The officials termed Lahore, Gujranwala, Rajanpur,Rahim Yar Khan and Kasur to be worst-hit. Meanwhile, Punjab Health Services Director General Dr Tanveer Ahmedsaid that it was found out after investigations that the majority of deaths in Lahore were caused by severe pneumoniaand delay in reaching hospitals. Measles vaccination is available in all hospitals of the city in an ample quantity andpatients are being treated free, he said appealing to parents to get their children up to five years of age vaccinatedwithout delay and to cooperate with vaccinators. APP

KHI 29-04-2013_Layout 1 4/29/2013 6:45 AM Page 5

LAHOREWALEED MALHI

ACCORDING toreliable sources inthe PunjabUniversity (PU),the university

administration has‘pledged’ support forPakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N) in ameeting held betweenthe university’sadministration and PML-

N candidates KhawajaHassaan (NA-126) and

Tauseef Shah (PP-151) at thePU’s Executive Club on

Sunday, while the university’sspokesperson has denied

university’s involvement in politicalactivities. Sources told Pakistan Today that the

meeting was attended by PU Additional Registrar

Alamgir, PU Controller Dr Liaqat Ali, ResidentOfficer Javaid Sami, Executive Club Chairman DrShauqat Ali and 15 other teachers of the university.According to sources, PU Vice Chancellor MujahidKamran later joined the gathering at breakfast.Sources claimed that the ‘PU-funded’ meeting-cum-breakfast was held to pledge support for KhawajaHassaan and Tauseef Shah. PU Executive ClubChairman Dr Shauqat Ali while addressing themeeting ensured PU administration and departments’support for PML-N, sources claimed.

However, conflicting statements arose from thevarsity administration regarding the presence of PML-N candidates in the meeting on Sunday. While thevarsity’s Admin Officer Zaheer-ul-Hassan confirmedthe news of such a meeting in the varsity, a handoutissued by the university on Sunday claimed that thenews was based on rumours and no university official

was involved in any political activity. The handoutclaimed that no political party was allowed to holdcorner meetings in the varsity and neither did theuniversity administration entertained electioncandidates with tea and biscuits. However, electioncandidates visited the PU campus colony forelectioneering and it was their right to do so, the PUspokesperson said. The PU registrar gave his views,“Khawaja Hassan was PU former student and if hecame to the university there must be no issue regardinghis presence in the institution.” The spokesman of thePML-N candidate Khawaja Hassaan told PakistanToday that the meeting and breakfast was organizedby the Punjab University administration at theExecutive Club. Many officials including the registrar,controller and the varsity’s resident officer who werepresent in the meeting promised their support forPML-N, he said.

L

06

Monday, 29 April, 2013lAhore

I am neither bitter nor cynical but I do

wish there was less immaturity in political

thinking. — Franklin D Roosevelt

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LAHOREAPP

To counter criminal and terrorist activities, ageneral hold-up has been started across Punjabon the instructions of Inspector General ofPolice (IGP) Aftab Sultan which will continuetill general elections.

In this regard the first and very successfulgeneral hold-up was held on Saturday nightwhich continued for four hours in all regions,districts and divisions.

During the hold-up, police arrested 444POs and 104 absconders. As many as 163cases were registered against violators and 10kgs of charas and 2,270 gms of heroin wereseized. Under Arms Ordinance 220 cases wereregistered against various persons and 213illegal weapons were recovered.

About 2,332 motorcycles were checked bythe police and 1,095 motorcycles withoutnumber plates were impounded. As many as3,883 vehicles were checked and 19 suspectedand without number plates vehicles wereimpounded.

361 ARRESTED IN SEARCHOPERATION: The Lahore police arrested361 accused and registered 134 cases againstthem during a search operation againstproclaimed offenders, drug peddlers, andgamblers in the last five days.

Police raided 458 hideouts of criminals andarrested 282 drug pushers and 79 gamblers andseized 16 kgs of hashish, 577 litres of liquor andsome stake money. During the search operation,the police also checked 3,155 suspiciouspersons and 13,654 students of 211 seminaries.Lahore DIG Operations Jawad Ahmad Dogarsaid police would utilise all available resourcesto ensure law and order during election. Hedirected SPs to make special police teams intheir divisions. The search operation would belauncheddaily againstanti-stateelements for a peacefulelection, he added.

PML-N CANDIDATES MEET UNIVERSITYOFFICIALS OVER BREAKFAST

PU ADMINISTRATION ALLEGEDLYPLEDGES SUPPORT FOR PML-N

SZh livEr

TrANSPlANT

uNiT AWAiTS

FuNdS

LAHOREAPP

Despite approval of fundsfor the liver transplant unitat Shaikh Zayed Hospital(SZH), not a single rupeecould be released to run theunit smoothly, hospitalsources said on Sunday.They said when formerChief Minister ShahbazSharif had inaugurated thetransplant unit in February25 last year, it wasannounced the Punjabgovernment would bear allexpenses of livertransplantation. However,despite a passage of overone year, the sole unit in thepublic sector hospitals inPakistan, has been workingon a self-help basis, byreceiving all expenses frompatients, sources said.Seven liver transplants wereperformed in the unit on anexperimental basis and sixof them are living a healthylife, it was learnt. Almost80 to 90 percent liverdisease patients suffer fromviral diseases like hepatitis,while the remainingpatients have otherproblems, said a professorat the unit.

LAHORE: Students of Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-NahyanMedical & Dental College Lahore organised a Community HealthFair on Sunday at Kindney Centre, Shaikh Zayed Hospital.Shaikh Zayed Hospital Chairman and Dean Prof Dr Zafar Iqbalinaugurated the fair whose basic was to raise health awarenessamong the local population via a number of informative,innovative and fun-filled activities. The primary objectives wereto promote positive health behavior to eradicate numeroushealth-related myths and educate families on taking care ofthemselves. Stalls were set up in colorfully decorated tent inwhich fun activities were used to educate the public aboutdifferent illnesses. People were educated about diabetes, heartdiseases, kidney diseases, lung diseases, hazards of smoking,and cancer etc. Stalls for Oral Hygiene awareness provided freetoothpastes. Rescue 1122 ambulance tour and CPR lessons werealso available to educate people about health emergencies. In afree medical camp, free tests and consultation was given tothe patients. The tests included BMI, Blood Pressure, BloodSugar and Hepatitis B and C Screening. More than 700 peoplebenefited from these tests. STAFF REPORT

police determined toensure safe elections

health fair organised atshaikh zayed college

KHI 29-04-2013_Layout 1 4/29/2013 6:45 AM Page 6

07

newsMonday, 29 April, 2013

If the United States of America or Britain is having elections,

they don't ask for observers from Africa or from Asia. But when

we have elections, they want observers. — Nelson Mandela N

ROMEAPP

Italy’s new coalition government is to besworn in on Sunday, bringing fresh hope toa country mired in recession after twomonths of bitter post-election deadlockwatched closely by European partners.

Prime Minister Enrico Letta is ex-pected to be the first to take the oath of of-fice at a ceremony led by President GiorgioNapolitano, who appointed him after thecentre-left won February elections butwithout the majority needed to govern.

The 46-year-old Letta, one of the Eu-ropean Union’s youngest prime ministers,is expected to unveil his programme in aparliamentary session on Monday, beforethe government is put to a confidence vote

in parliament on Tuesday. The politicaldeadlock had thwarted efforts to end theworst recession in Italy in 20 years, andLetta has said he wants to move quickly totackle unemployment — which currentlystands at 11.6 percent — and boost growth.

The leftist leader also wants to moveaway from the austerity imposed by histechnocrat predecessor Mario Monti toprotect Italy from the eurozone debt crisis— a promise which will be followedclosely by investors concerned about thecountry’s two trillion euro debt mountain.

Italy’s debt will rise to 130.4 percent ofgross domestic product this year, accordingto an official forecast in April.

Unveiling his new cabinet on Saturday,Letta said he was proud to have includedyounger ministers and women to help

renew the country’s tired political sceneand rebuild confidence in the discreditedpolitical class. He named as his deputy An-gelino Alfano, protege of former premierSilvio Berlusconi and secretary of the cen-tre-right People of Freedom party (PDL).

While the move appeared to be aimedat appeasing the right, it angered critics ofthe scandal-tainted billionaire tycoon,who they claim will have a grasp on thereins of power. Berlusconi — currently ontrial for paying for sex with a 17-year-oldprostitute — has seen his popularity rat-ings rise and fought to have his right-handman in pole position. Alfano will also be-come interior minister. Fabrizio Sacco-manni, a director at Italy’s central bank,was handed the post of finance and econ-omy minister, tasked with driving the eu-

rozone’s third-largest economy under thewatchful eye of international partners.Emma Bonino, a former European com-missioner and rights campaigner, will bethe new foreign minister while AnnaMaria Cancellieri, nicknamed the “IronLady” for her uncompromising stance oncorruption, becomes justice minister.

Clinching cross-party unity had provedtricky, with Letta’s Democratic Party (PD)loath to work with its hated rival Berlus-coni. The media magnate and three-timeprime minister had been pushing hard forclose political allies to be included in thegovernment and had insisted on the aboli-tion and repayment of a controversial hous-ing tax introduced in 2012.

The only alternative to a deal wouldhave been fresh elections, which neither side

would necessarily have won with the major-ity needed to govern — although recentopinion polls show that Berlusconi mighthave emerged victorious.

italy to swear in new government after deadlock

DHAkAAGENCIES

THE owner of a factory building thatcollapsed in Bangladesh killing hun-dreds of garment workers was arrestedon Sunday trying to flee to India, policesaid, as fears grew that the death toll

could rise sharply with as many as 900 stillmissing. Mohammed Sohel Rana, a leader of theruling Awami League’s youth front, was arrestedby the elite Rapid Action Battalion in theBangladesh border town of Benapole, DhakaDistrict Police Chief Habibur Rahman said.Speaking near the site of the wreckage of RanaPlaza, which housed several factories makinglow-cost garments for Western retailers, juniorminister for local government Jahangir KabirNanak told reporters that Rana would be broughtto Dhaka by helicopter. Authorities put the latestdeath toll at 372, four days after the country’sworst-ever industrial accident. Four people werepulled out alive on Sunday and rescuers wereworking frantically to save several otherstrapped under the mound of broken concrete andmetal, fire services deputy director MizanurRahman said. “The chances of finding peoplealive are dimming, so we have to step up ourrescue operation to save any valuable life wecan,” said Major General Chowdhury HassanSohrawardi, coordinator of the operation at thesite. About 2,500 people have been rescued fromthe wrecked building in the commercial suburbof Savar, about 30kms from the capital, Dhaka.Officials said the eight-storey complex had beenbuilt on spongy ground without the correct per-mits, and more than 3,000 workers - mainlyyoung women - entered the building on Wednes-day morning despite warnings that it was struc-turally unsafe. Police said one factory ownergave himself up following the detention of twoplant bosses and two engineers the day before.Local news reports said the mother of buildingowner Rana, who was not being held, died of aheart attack on Saturday evening. Anger over thedisaster has sparked days of protests and clashes,with police using tear gas, water cannon andrubber bullets to quell demonstrators who setcars ablaze. On Sunday, however, the roads werequiet. The main opposition, joining forces withan alliance of leftist parties which is part of theruling coalition, called for a national strike onMay 2 in protest over the incident.

OBAmA POkES FuN AT CriTiCS,mEdiA AT ANNuAlPrESS diNNErWASHINGTON: US President BarackObama poked fun at the media, hiscritics and himself on Saturday at theannual White House Correspondents’Association dinner, a star-filled eventwhere journalists and celebritiesmixed with the Washington elite.Joined at the dinner by his wife, firstlady Michelle Obama, the presidentgently knocked Republicans for notworking with him on policy prioritiesand made a rare reference to his racewhen urging the opposition party tobe cooperative. “I know Republicansare still sorting out what happened in2012, but one thing they all agree onis they need to do a better jobreaching out to minorities,” Obamasaid. “And look, call me self-centered,but I can think of one minority theycould start with. Hello? Think of meas a trial run, you know?” he said. APP

13 killEd iN mExiCOPriSON riOTMEXICO CITY: At least 13 inmateswere killed and 87 others injured in aprison riot in the state of San LuisPotosi, north of Mexico City, said stategovernor Fernando Toranzo. Of thoseinjured, at least 22 were hospitalizedwith serious injuries, Toranzo said in alate Saturday press conference. Theinmates were killed in a battleinvolving some 100 prisoners, manyarmed with home-made knives,Toranzo said. Mexico, engaged in amulti-year war on its powerful drugcartels, faces a serious problem ofprison overcrowding. Thegovernment’s Human Rightsombudsman office reported that, in2011 and the first half of 2012, 278inmates died in Mexican prisons inincidents ranging from fights tosuicides. Mexico has the infrastructureto house 188,200 prisoners, butcurrently has an incarceratedpopulation of 237,600, according tothe ombudsman’s office. APP

N kOrEA SET TO STAgE

mAJOr miliTAry drill

SEOUL: North Korea appears to begearing up for a major militaryexercise, a report said on Sunday, amidtensions over an expected missile testand South Korea’s pullout from a jointindustrial complex. Preparations areunder way near the North’s westernport of Nampo for a combined live-firedrill involving artillery units and airforce jets, the South’s Yonhap newsagency said, citing a Seoul governmentsource. “It appears that the scale of thedrill will be quite big,” the unnamedofficial was quoted as saying, voicingfears of military provocations againstthe South or a missile test byPyongyang during the exercise. APP

Owner arrested as Bangladeshbuilding toll reaches 372

TOkYOAPP

Japan’s Crown Princess Masako, who has been undergo-ing treatment for a stress-induced illness for a decade, de-parted for the Netherlands on Sunday in her first trip

abroad in nearly seven years.Accompanying her husband, Crown Prince Naruhito,

the 49-year-old former diplomat left Tokyo Sunday on anofficial visit to the Dutch capital of Amsterdam to attendthe coronation of Willem-Alexander on April 30.

It is her first overseas trip since Naruhito’s familyspent about two weeks at a retreat in the Netherlands inAugust 2006 at the invitation of Queen Beatrix.

It is also her first official visit abroad in nearly 11years since the couple went to New Zealand and Australiain late 2002.

During the couple’s six-day trip, Masako is scheduledto attend the Dutch king’s coronation but may skip otherevents “depending upon her condition”, the ImperialHousehold Agency has said.

US-educated Masako has reportedly struggled withthe cloistered nature of royal life in one of the world’s old-est and most tradition-bound monarchies.

She was diagnosed with an adjustment disorder, ac-cording to an official statement in 2004.

Masako married Naruhito, now 53, in 1993 and gavebirth to their first and only child, a girl, in late 2001 underintense pressure to bear a son in keeping with Japan’smale-only royal succession law.

The pressure seemingly eased when a boy was bornto the family of the crown prince’s younger brother in2006, the first prince born to Japan’s royal family in 40years.

Japan’s stressed princesstravels abroad

shots fired atitalian govt offices,two woundedROME: Two people were woundedSunday during a shooting outsideItalian government offices while thecountry’s new ministers were beingsworn in, Italian media said. TheItalian news agency ANSA said twopolicemen were wounded and theperson who opened fire wasarrested. The incident occurredabout a kilometre away from thepresidential palace where the oath ofoffice took place. APP

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russia and pakistan: 65 years of diplomatic relations(

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newsNMonday 29 April, 2013

08 When justice prevails, a country

prospers. There are no two opinions

on this. – PTI chief Imran Khan

PROf TATIAnA E DEMIDOvA

& DR AnDREY v DEMODOv

O N May 1, 2013 we celebrate the65th Anniversary of diplomaticrelations between Russia and

Pakistan. It should be remembered thatmy country, the Soviet Union, was thefirst to welcome the independence of Pak-istan. It was the Soviet Union that helpedPakistan to become a member of theUnited Nations.

The history of our bilateral politicalrelations saw both: good and not so good.But irrespective of the given state of thethen relations both countries always feltthe necessity to maintain good contacts.

In 1966 it was as a result of the goodoffices of the Soviet diplomacy that theTashkent Declaration was signed. Thisdocument put an end to a war betweenIndia and Pakistan of 1965. In 1974 Zul-fikar Ali Bhutto visited Moscow. It wasnot an easy time after Bangladesh becameindependent. It was not an easy time forboth parties. But both Moscow and Islam-abad managed to understand each other.This visit contributed positively to furtherdevelopment of our bilateral relations.

The period of rule in Pakistan by gen-eral Zia-ul-Haq was the most difficult inour relations. But still we maintained thedelegations exchange. Pakistani studentswent to the Soviet Union for studies. Pak-istani leader attended the functions organ-ized by our Embassy in Islamabad.

The biggest shift for the better in ourrelations arrived in 2001. With the launchof the “war on terror” our two countriesonce again found that they have commoninterests – that is to put an end to thethreat of terror coming from Afghanistan,to eliminate the drug threat, the threat of

religious extremism and other evils.In February 2003, General Pervez

Musharraf visited Moscow. During thetalks the two parties noted the proximityof their respective positions on numerousinternational issues, like: reduction ofstrategic armaments; inadmissibility ofthe arms race in outer space; combatingterrorism and religious extremism; com-bating illegal traffic of nuclear materialsand drugs.

In April 2007, the then prime ministerof Russia Mikhail Fradkov visited Pak-istan. He had very fruitful talks on eco-nomic issues.

Since 2009 we embarked upon a verysignificant road – annual meetings of theheads of states of Afghanistan, Pakistan,Tajikistan and Russia. Those meetingslaid foundation to the realization of the re-gional model of future settlement inAfghanistan. As a result of these talks our

relations became more confidential. Theapproaches of two parties to the issue ofAfghan settlement have become closer.

On the sidelines of those meetingsRussia’s and Pakistani presidents dis-cussed bilateral issues as well. For exam-ple during the meeting in Sochi in 2010the two sides stressed the importance ofthe following fields of cooperation: inbanking – opening of the branches ofRussian banks in Pakistan and Pakistanibanks in Russia; opening of the branchesof Russian banks in Pakistan and Pakistanibanks in Russia; in education – an increasein admission of Pakistani students forstudies in Russian universities; and thecornerstone issue – to hold the first sessionof the Joint Ministerial Commission on thecooperation in trade, economy, scienceand technology; That first session tookplace in Moscow in September 2010.

In 2011 our heads of states set a

record –on the sidelines of different inter-national fora they met six times. In May2011 President Asif Zardari visitedMoscow.

In September 2012 the Second sessionof the Joint Ministerial Commission tookplace in Islamabad. It adopted decisionson the necessity to reactivate our bilateralcooperation, on upgrading the PakistaniSteel Mills, on the importance of cooper-ation in energy, in railroad transport.

Now we are expecting the visit toPakistan by President Vladimir V.Putin.In this respect I want to stress that thevisit was not cancelled, it was postponed.And I am quite sure that once PresidentPutin arrives, we shall witness very seri-ous decisions on our bilateral issues.

However in October 2012 RussianForeign Minister Sergey Lavrov visitedIslamabad. As a result of the visit certaindocuments were signed. They are: MoUin the field of metallurgy; Mou in the fieldof energy; MoU in the field of railroads.

During their meeting in Laos in No-vember 2012 prime minister of RussiaDmitry Medvedev and the then primeminister of Pakistan Yusuf Gilani signeda very interesting document called “De-cree on the readiness of the parties to signan MoU on upgrading the Pakistani SteelMills”. So, we hope that good prospectsare ahead. If we manage to successfullycooperate on the Pakistani Steel Mills thisproject will give a very serious push toour bilateral economic and technical co-operation as a whole. The project willneed iron ore, coal, electric energy, rail-roads, supply of machinery, heavy vehi-cles etc. And let us not forget aboutvocational training. The project will cer-tainly need highly trained technicians andengineers.

What is important is that we can wit-ness serious improvement in contacts be-tween the military of both countries. Youknow better than I do the role played bythe military in Pakistan. In our view thosecontacts are very important from the pointof view of future cooperation in the fieldof defense.

For example in October 2012, Gen-eral Kayani visited Moscow. It was nothis first visit. In Moscow he had a meet-ing with his Russian colleague generalPostnikov as well as with the Chief ofGeneral Stuff general Makarov.

In August 2012 Pakistani chief of airstuff air chief marshal Tahir Butt duringhis stay in Russia took part in the celebra-tions dedicated to 100 years of RussianAir Force.

What is important to stress. We live inthe world that is changing. And thechanges arrive very quickly. The whole ofgeo-political situation in Asia and inSouth Asia is changing as well. Thereforeboth Russia and Pakistan have to changetheir political orientation in the world andin the region of South Asia. Russia andPakistan are condemned to come closer toeach other. May be we have to seriouslyconsider a kind of a tripartite alliance ofRussia, Pakistan and China.

This year we have good figures in bi-lateral trade. By the end of 2012 itreached the volume of $660 million. Thisis a modest, but a good sign. We have togo forward, to advance for the better fu-ture of the world.

Prof Tatiana E Demidova is a Doctorof History at Moscow Social Universitywhile Dr Andrey V.Demidov is a PhD inPolitical Science and the Consul Generalof Russia in Karachi

A long road to long-lasting friendship

LAHORENADEEM SyED

WITH the leading lightsof the country’s politicsin action with seven na-tional and 14 provincial

assembly seats up for grabs, in theRawalpindi district the PML-N this timeround may not post success similar tothat of 2008. Then it ruled the roost withsix of its MNAs triumphant, with justone NA seat going to the PPP-P. Fiveyears on, according to many a pundit fa-miliar with the turf, there has been ametamorphosis of sorts, and ‘N’ is indire straits.

The cause of this dramatic shift issaid to be the realignment of politicalforces. The disaffection with the partyhierarchy has resulted in rebellion andrevolt on the local level. The biradarismis another important factor weighingheavily in the campaign as always. Thecandidates from all the main stakehold-ers in the polls, the PML-N, the PPP, thePTI and the AML, all are in the race toclinch the support of dominant biradarisand also powerful local groups.NA-51 (Rawalpindi-II): Raja rules

It is mostly a rural constituency cov-ering mostly Tehsil Gujjar Khan, and thehometown of former Prime MinisterRaja Pervez Ashraf, with the Rajasbeing the dominant biradari here. Hewon from here with huge margins in2002 and 2008. In 2002, he routed DrTahir-ul-Qadri by over 70,000 votes andin 2008, with the PML vote split be-tween ‘N’ and ‘Q’, it soared further to80,247.

This time round, Raja Pervez Asharfis facing PML-N’s Raja Ikhlas and thePTI’s non-entity Raja Azeem. As such itis going to be a two-way fight with theformer prime minister likely to win at acanter.

The PML-N’s candidate hit thesnags right at the outset. Raja Ikhlas andhis team-mates below on the provincialseats are new-comers in the PML-N.Ikhlas himself joined the ‘N’ last year,quitting PML-Q, from which he person-ally benefitted a lot. His partners onprovincial seats are also new en-trants in the party, if not in thearea. For example, AzizBhatti who is PML-N’scandidate from PP-4contested last electionfrom PML-Q’sticket. Givingprecedence tonew-comers overthe old guard al-ways has its reper-cussions. The N’selectoral combina-tion is not being wel-comed in the party onlocal level, nor party net-work in the constituencyvery forthcoming in support ofthe PML-N’s candidate. The PML-Nworkers in reaction are openly cam-paigning for Raja Pervez.

Again, Ikhlas remained both nazimand deputy nazim of the Rawalpindi dis-trict during Gen Musharraf’s eightyears. But his stint in power, he did nothave much to his credit that could gen-erate goodwill amongst his constituents.

As compared to Ikhlas, Raja PervezAshraf grabbed headlines for dedicatinghuge funds towards his constituency, al-legedly using even his discretionaryfunds. That being the lay of the land,Raja is all set to perform the hat-trick.NA-54: PPP’s Zumarrud Khan has asecond wind

Here the main contest is betweenPPP’s Zumarrud Khan and PML-N’sMalik Ibrar. According to local ob-servers, the contest here is evolving

into a close fight with Zumarrudmaking a strong comeback from be-hind. Sources in the constituency

claim, the PPP’s candi-date was initially lag-ging behind. Rightnow he has had a

surge, thanks tosome flawed deci-sion of the PML-N leadership.Here again, thePML-N leader-ship awarded tick-

ets in thisconstituency, and

the corresponding PAseats to one family. This

caused resentment amongthe party cadres. The Awans are

the dominant biradri here, but the ‘N’ticket has gone to the Gujjars. That in-furiated the Awans. Their fury gave Zu-marrud another wind, the fact thatZummurud’s mate on the PA seat isMalik Mahboob Awan of the ‘Q’ alsohelped. No wonder, with Awans nowlined up behind him, Zumarrud is feel-ing confident.

NA-55: ‘Sheeda Tully’ smells successAfter having been cast to a longish

five-year spell in political wilderness afterlosing the 2008 election and also the by-election, the AML’s head Sheikh Rashidnow has a scent of victory. The windfallfor him has been Imran Khan’s and thePTI’s support. His opponent from ‘N’ is apigmy Shakeel Awan. The N’s decision togive Sardar Nassem from the PA ticketagainst the wishes of local leaders createdfriction in the party. Now the ‘N’ networkis more supportive of Sheikh Rashid thanthe party’s representatives.

Sheikh Rashid being a heavyweightin the national politics for so long, Sha-keel Awan is said to be no match to him.NA-56: Looks like a cruise for Imran Khan

A keen slugfest: Imran Khan versusthe N’s heavyweight Hanif Abbasi.

Unlike the last election, when hewon without so much as breaking asweat, Abbasi this time has had some se-rious setbacks right from the outset.

His main constituency was the Ab-basi tribe of Murree, Kahuta and KotliSatti. The main biradari here, the Abba-sis were in the habit of casting vote firstin Rawalpindi and then in Murree for thesecond time. Now with the voters’ listshaving been cleaned up, the Abbasi tribehas confined itself to Murree, leavingHanif Abbasi in the lurch, and that toowhen he is facing an icon.

Interestingly, the next big biradarihere is that of the Pathans. And there isno guessing who they are supporting!

The party’s internal rifts and theEphederine scandal have also dentedAbbasi’s credibility in the area. Lookslike a cruise for Imran Khan.

constituenc y profile – rawalpindi district(

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Pml-N STrONghOld NOTSO imPrEgNABlE ANymOrE

PTi lEAdErSgO hAmmErANd TONgS…AT EACh OThEr

LAHORESTAFF REPORT

Instead of settling scores with their arch rivalsfrom the PML-N in the upcoming polls, PTIleaders are so far “settling” matters amongthemselves. On Sunday morning, two PTIheavyweights from Lahore, Abdul Alim Khanand Aslam Iqbal, went at each other hammersand tongs in the presence of media personnel.PTI chief Imran Khan had invited all partyticket-holders from Lahore for a breakfast,probably to exchange notes about the electioncampaign in Lahore. Aslam Iqbal turned uplate in the meeting for which he was held ac-countable in a different way. As Khan left theparty’s district office at The Mall, Abdul AlimKhan sought explanation from Aslam Iqbal forhim being late. Both big shots exchanged hotwords, with Aslam Iqbal telling Alim “to mindhis own business”. Other PTI leaders tried tohush up the matter, but after a brief lull, theduel restarted again with Alim’s close relativeFaraz Ch jumping into the fray. Thereafter, itwas no-holds-barred situation from both sidesand Aslam Iqbal appeared to be on the receiv-ing end. Interestingly, both Aslam and Alimhave a reputation of employing strong armtactics in politics to protect their interests.Local observers said the PTI leaders werespending their energies on wrong things.

KHI 29-04-2013_Layout 1 4/29/2013 6:46 AM Page 8

news N

09

Monday 29 April, 2013

The ANP does not have any

militant wing to raise them against

the Taliban. – Zahid Khan

ECP condemnsviolence, orderssecurity ofcandidatesISLAMABAD: The Election Commissionof Pakistan (ECP) on Sunday vehementlycondemned the recent killings, firing andbomb blasts in Karachi, Balochistan,Peshawar and Kohat. Chief ElectionCommissioner (CEC) and other membersexpressed their deepest condolences forall bereaved families. The commissioncalled upon the caretaker governments totake all possible measures to ensuresecurity of all contesting candidates andleaders of all political parties, particularlyin Karachi, by making foolproofarrangements. The ECP asked thecaretakers to take earnest measures toprevent such assaults ensuring anamicable and guarded atmosphere for theelections, such that the candidates andparties continue their campaigns withoutfear. President Asif Ali Zardari on Sundayalso strongly condemned bomb blastsnear election offices in Kohat andPeshawar, killing and injuring severalpeople. Zardari urged the provincialauthorities to beef up security forcandidates and their election offices. Heurged authorities to provide the bestpossible treatment to the injured. Thepresident also conveyed his condolencesto families of those who lost their livesand prayed to the Almighty to shower hisblessings on the departed souls. AGENCIES

Army to bedeployed acrossBalochistanduring pollsQUETTA: Balochistan government onSunday decided to deploy army in alldistricts of Balochistan during theupcoming general elections. In aninterview, Balochistan Interior SecretaryAkbar Hussain Durrani said that the armywould be deployed in all 30 districts and92 tehsils of the province to cope up withany untoward situation. He said a total of70 thousand security personnel would bedeployed, including 6000 army men,17000 FC soldiers, 20,000 policemen,17,000 Levies personnel and 10,000 menof the Balochistan Constabulary. He saidthe districts of Balochistan had beendivided into three categories, keeping inview their magnitude of sensitivity. Hesaid that the army would secure theprocess of shipment of ballot papers toand from polling stations, and wouldprovide security to the election staff. Hesaid that the election candidates hadbeen allowed to keep private guards whowould be paid by the provincialgovernment. Durrani said election dutywas a national duty and those who hadrefused to perform this duty would bedealt with as per the law. NNI

ECP asks Balochteachers toperform dutywithout fearQUETTA: Balochistan ElectionCommission on Sunday asked teachersto perform election duties without anyfear. A spokesman of the commission inQuetta said that the provincialadministration had been directed toprovide foolproof security to the teachersand other polling staff. He said besidespolice and other security agencies‚Pakistan Army will also be deployed ifnecessary, to maintain peace on thepolling day. The Government TeachersAssociation Balochistan had expressedhesitation in performing election dutybecause of the security situation inseveral parts of the province. NNI

ATTOCK: Peasants harvesting wheat at a village. ONLINE

ISLAMABADAGENCIES

Next month’s elections should markthe first democratic transition ofpower in Pakistan, but Taliban threats,social taboos and poor organisationwill likely deprive millions of womentheir right to vote.

Out of a population of 180 mil-lion, 37 million women and 48 millionmen are registered to vote in the May11 polls in a country that has beenruled by generals for half its life andwhere military coups have repeatedlyinterrupted democracy.

However, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,adjoining tribal areas on the Afghanborder and Balochistan, few womenvoted at the last election and officialsfear it will be the same again.

“We waited the whole day… butnot a single woman turned up becauseof a ban imposed by tribal elders,” re-members Badama Begum, a 33-year-old teacher who worked at a pollingstation in 2008 in Mardan. Election au-thorities set up a separate station staffedonly by women to guarantee around350 registered female voters completeprivacy, but it was a waste of time. “Weclosed the polling station in the

evening, returned the blank ballot pa-pers and empty boxes to the electioncommission, and left,” she said.

In 2008, not a single vote was castat 564 of 28,800 women’s polling sta-tions – 55 percent of them in KhyberPakhtunkhwa, officials said. In themost conservative areas, officials esti-mated women’s turnout at 10-15 per-cent of those registered. That year, 76women ran for parliament and 16 wonseats. The election commission saysthere are more women candidates thistime, but had no precise number. Regis-tering to vote is a routine process con-ducted by officials who go door-to-doorto compile a list of adults with ID cardsin each household

This in itself leaves millions ofwomen disenfranchised. Women’srights activist Farzana Bari estimatesthat at least 11 million eligible womenwill not be able to vote simply becauseauthorities have not granted them na-tional identity cards.

The elections themselves presentfurther barriers to women, with somereligious leaders believing women vot-ing is un-Islamic. Voting for a man theydo not know, some mullahs counselledin 2008, was grounds for automatic di-vorce – a social taboo few are prepared

to entertain.“Our society does not allow us to

bring our women to vote,” said SharifKhan, 50, a solar energy dealer in Mi-ranshah, the main town in the tribal dis-trict of North Waziristan. “We areafraid of the Taliban. They opposewomen voting, so why should we takethe risk?” he asked.

In tribal communities such as these,women live in purdah, confined towomen’s only quarters at home. Theydo not go shopping, they do not workoutside the house and they only go tothe hospital in a dire emergency.

Literacy rates are low, even lowerfor women. General disillusionmentalso runs high in some of the most re-mote and deprived parts of the country.

“Women in our area don’t evenknow how to vote,” said Miranshahcloth merchant Adam Khan, 35. “OurMPs do nothing for our welfare. So it’snot just our women, I won’t vote thistime either,” he fumed. In urban areas,politicians lay on transport to ferryvoters to and from polling stations, butin the countryside it becomes morecomplicated when women are not al-lowed to travel without a close malerelative. Aware of the problem, theelection commission tried to introduce

reforms that no candidate could winwith less than 10 percent of thewomen’s vote in his constituency, butit was rejected in parliament, saidspokesman Khurshid Alam. He saysthe commission will try to enforce leg-islation against those who try to stopwomen from voting, although it re-mains unclear how. “Preventing a per-son from casting his vote falls in thepurview of corrupt practices and ispunishable by three years in jail andfine of Rs5,000 or both,” Alam toldAFP. The result of a by-election inBatagram was declared null threeyears ago when few women partici-pated having been threatened with di-vorce. They took part in the re-run atwhich the threat of divorce was notraised, he said.

Khalida Bibi a 39-year-old house-wife from Dargai said that she washopeful that a tough election commis-sion would have some impact. “Myname was on the voters’ list for the2002 and 2008 elections, but I couldn’tvote because on both occasions localpeople decided that women wouldnot,” she said. “I hope I will succeedthis time because the election commis-sion has warned against any ban onwomen voting,” she added.

ISLAMABADTAyyAB HUSSAIN

WITH his focus glued to theoffice of prime minister ofPakistan, PakistanTehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)

Chairman Imran Khan has failed to evolvea contingency plan, reflecting that the partywould not only prefer to sit on the oppositionbenches in case it could not muster the re-quired strength to form government but alsothat it has no plan to clinch the slot of Punjabchief minister - a prime slot which is consid-ered a key to winning the premier's slot.

Punjab, being the biggest province ofthe country by all means, holds the key forformation of the federal government as outof the 272 National Assembly (NA) con-stituencies, 148 fall under Punjab, and who-ever grabs majority seats in Punjabbecomes a strong contender for prime min-istership. However, despite enjoying sup-port of seasoned politicians like ShahMahmood Qureshi, Javed Hashmi, Ja-hangir Tareen and others, no experiencedpolitician has been fielded for any PunjabAssembly constituency who could use hispolitical clout to win over independent win-ning candidates or who could go for form-ing a coalition government if the party wins

simple majority in Punjab.Interestingly, out of 294 contenders for

Punjab Assembly constituencies, the PTI'scandidates are mostly new faces, whowould be banking on Imran Khan's popu-larity to reach the assembly. Out of the total294 candidates, only five are somewhat ex-perienced. Former MNA from Sahi-wal, Rai Hassan Nawaz is contestingon PP-225, while former MNAMaimoona Hashmi, daugh-ter of PTI PresidentJaved Hashmi, is a con-tender for PP-202 Mul-tan. Former foodminister Sibtain Khanis trying his luck forPP-46 Mianwaliwhile former stateminister Rao NasimHashmi is contestingfor PP-227 Pakpattan. KHATTAK ADMITSLACK OF PLANNING:Talking to Pakistan Today,PTI Secretary General Pervez Khat-tak admitted that the party had not evolvedany strategy to face a challenging situationin Punjab, stating that the PTI stood for athorough change in political culture. "Wewill only form government in Punjab if the

people will give us the mandate. If wedon't win majority, we will not form thegovernment as we are not power hungry,"he said. Khattak added that if a novice likeAmir Haider Khan Hoti could successfullyrun the government in KhyberPakhtunkhwa (KP), anyone could do so in

Punjab. "The party may ask anyone toform the government if we win a ma-jority. We are ready for any situation

but we don't believe inpolitical maneuvering toform the government.We stand for changeand if voted by people,we will form the gov-ernment," he as-serted. The PTIpresented a total of519 cardholders for

the provincial seatsagainst 577 constituen-

cies. Thus, there are noPTI contestants for 58

provincial seats. Imran Khan’sinterest in Punjab is evident from the

fact that the PTI fielded 142 representa-tives for the National Assembly con-stituencies against a total of 148 seats.PUNJAB- THE BATTLEFIELD FORTHE THRONE: Nawaz Sharif and his

party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz(PML-N), over the past three decades, havesuccessfully used the slot of Punjab chiefminister to grab the throne. In 1988, whenthe Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) won ma-jority in the NA, Nawaz Sharif used the slo-gan of "Jaag Punjabi Jaag" and remainedsuccessful in winning majority seats in Pun-jab Assembly. Later, he became chief min-ister of Punjab and adopted a hostileapproach towards the then prime ministerBenazir Bhutto and finally got her govern-ment dissolved in connivance with the thenpresident Ghulam Ishaq Khan.

Eventually, Nawaz Sharif becameprime minister after winning the 1990 pollsunder the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI) ban-ner. Again, in 1993, when Benazir Bhuttowon polls and became premier, Nawaz wasthe Punjab chief minister and made life dif-ficult for her. In 1997, Nawaz captured theslot of prime minister for the second time.

After General Musharraf's PakistanMuslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) wasjointly defeated by PPP and PML-N,Shahbaz Sharif became Punjab’s CM in2008 while PPP's Yousaf Raza Gilani be-came prime minister. Nawaz Sharif is onceagain eyeing the slot of prime minister, fora record third term, but faces a strong chal-lenge from Imran Khan.

Bride among fivekilled at a weddingin lower dir

DIRNNI

Five people, including the bride, were killedwhen unidentified gunmen opened fire on awedding ceremony in Lower Dir’s JandolaSamar Bagh area in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,police said on Sunday. Officials said armedmen attacked the vehicles of the weddingparty, leaving five people dead. The bride,along with two other women, was also killedas the wedding party travelled from SamarBagh to Tatar area. Police cited old enmityas the reason behind the awful incident andadded that two people were also injured inthe attack. The dead and injured were shiftedto Lower Dir Civil Hospital. Police claimedthat the attacker, who managed to flee fromthe scene, hailed from Bajaur Agency whichbordered with Afghanistan.

imran has no ‘conquer Punjab’ plan

Millions of Pakistani women barredfrom voting due to Taliban, taboos

KHI 29-04-2013_Layout 1 4/29/2013 6:46 AM Page 9

Nadra’s hurdlesI went to Nadra office with one of my director. As I enteredthe office, I was quite shocked when I saw the faces of thepeople. People were facing various problems during theissuance of CNIC. Before this I want to let you know, howdifficult it is to make CNIC just because of the centralizeddata system of Nadra. I am not criticizing the centralizedsystem of Nadra, I just want to tell you about those peoplewho are working in different Nadra offices. They know thefun of how to fool the people. Innocent people come to gettheir identity cards and the representatives of Nadra say anumber of stupid sentences, why are you coming here, thisisn’t the day of mail, today the person who has issued thetoken hasn’t arrived so come tomorrow, sorry the token timehas closed at 12pm while the timing is on 5pm. I want to letyou know one more thing that the main office of Nadra inKarachi is situated in Shara-e-Faisal. We go with a positivethought that our problem will resolve but unfortunately, asusual the representative are also trying to make us fool thatyour parent’s CNICs are tampered. I replied, that it is yourwork to know that it is tampered or not. You have to find out.Even my Director have Original Driving license, originalCNIC, original Passport, I didn’t know that corruption hascrossed the limit.

In the nut shell I request to the concerned authorities,kindly, representatives of Nadra, work for people not for takingbribe. They should do their responsibilities with truthfulnessand loyalty.

MUHAMMAD ADEELKarachi

Corporate mafia and SECPThe removal of Chairman of Securities and ExchangeCommission of Pakistan (SECP), Mr. Muhammad Ali by theSupreme Court has come as a victory for the corporate mafia

who were working hard to engineer his fall for their own ends.A slanderous campaign was visible in certain sections of themedia just days before the Supreme Court decided to takeaction on grounds that his appointment had not followed thelaid down processes and procedures.

Mr. Ali had performed well during his two and a half yearstenure as the chairman of SECP, adopting a balanced and fairapproach in discharging his official obligations withouttargeting any specific business group; in the process enhancingthe institutional enforcement capacity of SECP. His actionagainst some entities involved in unfair trade practices earnedhim the grudge of those implicated who cleverly identified theavailable legal opportunities to get him out of their way.Though side lined by the Court orders seeking transparencyand adherence to laid down procedures, Chairman SECP’sremoval has harmed the public good rather than enhancing it.

MAQSOOD AHMAD GILLIslamabad

unfair policyThe unfair policy of Sindh education department, for therecruitment of teachers has become a serious matter. Everytime, a large number of candidates take part in the recruitmenttests. On the one hand the candidates who are not based onmerit get the jobs through bribery while on the other handcandidates, based on merit are unlucky.

Recently, Sindh education department (RSU) has givenjobs based on NTS results. This time the selection of teachersis based on merit and vacancies in the union council.

The main purpose of this department is the betterment ofeducation. Why every time they play a trick on the candidatesif they don’t have vacancies for educated people?

It is necessary to take this matter seriously. Bribery must becut down from its roots, and preference must be given to thedeserving candidates.

HAREEM MOHSINKarachi

coMMent

Aziz-ud-Din AhmadEditor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36375963-5 Fax: 042-32535230Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9 Fax: 021-35381208

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2287273 Fax: 051-2850505Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

C

Elections under siege

Writing on the wall

Prisoner on strike

SHAKEEL Afridi is one such character that can appear to be a villainif you if you want to see it that way, but also a hero of a sort tomany more. His role in gathering intelligence for the lead up to the

operation that killed Osama bin Laden is praised by the US though thereare not so many takers of this idea in Pakistan. Here he is considered atraitor, someone who collaborated with outside forces, even if it was meantfor a greater good. However, sentiments are not what the governments arerun on; it is the law that takes precedence over everything else.

It is in this sense that one must question as to why he is not beingtreated well in the prison he is being kept at. Reportedly, he is on a hungerstrike because if maltreatment he is getting at the hands of his jail staff.What his family alleges, if taken at face value, is against basic humanrights that he has been denied visitation rights and also denied to meet hiscounsel. That he is on a hunger strike, as it is one of the last options aprisoner would resort to, gives credence to the allegations levelled by hisfamily and his counsel. One can also contest that his trial was a sham oflegal proceedings considering that there were a number of lacunas in theproceedings. That his trial ended in a day doesn’t help matters much either,and that he was convicted on having links with a banned religious militantoutfit after the authorities failed to find any proof of his involvement in theOsama bin Laden operation, and then there is the legal abuse of powers bythe magistrate who wasn’t legally authorised to award more than threeyears of punishment but sentenced Mr Afridi to 33 years of prison.

All these problems aside, what is really worrying at the moment is thetreatment he is being meted with. This is no way of treating a prisoner, whoif not now, might in the future just be given the avatar of a hero, if andwhen we decide to stop appeasing the militants and take a stand againstthem. The country is already under the lights, and not in a good fashionafter an attack on Sarabjit Singh in a prison in Lahore, for treating itsprisoners with lax security and giving them a tough time. This equates todenying prisoners their basic human rights, which sort of puts everyconvention and law on human rights in jeopardy. The authorities mustmake sure that no prisoner is treated that way, let alone a high profile one.

SECURITY situation of the country is not getting better; instead it isgetting worse as the election day is approaching. There have beenattacks on a regular basis on political meetings, rallies and

politicians in general, but what makes these attacks stand apart is that theyseem to be aimed at certain parties, thus giving an impression that someonedoesn’t want these parties to participate in the coming elections. Not onlyis it an attack on the political leaders and workers, it is also an assault onthe democratic electoral process.

MQM, ANP and PPP seem to be the particular target of these attacksthough they are not limited to these parties alone. Some Shia and secularminded candidates have also been attacked in KP. The situation inBalochistan is also not that different. Casualties are mounting on a dailybasis and security seems to be absent for the most part. It is as if those whoare responsible for security have given up and left the politicians and thepublic on their own to defend themselves. The TTP continues to claimresponsibility for the attacks though without any repercussions orretaliation from the quarters known as law enforcement agencies. On theone hand, it is creating a perception that terrorists have the upper hand inchoosing a time and place of their own to target someone while on theother hand one cannot but notice that no one in the entire political cadre,except for Imran Khan’s belated condemnation, has said a single wordagainst these attacks. This could be the case only if the politicians are tooafraid of the militants or if they are in complicity with them. If the former,they are the worst and are actually inviting the militants to ruin theircountry, if the latter, well, that speaks for itself. They are no better than anynameless, faceless terrorist who work for their own agenda.

This situation is also putting the ECP in a negative light. Theimpression that the ECP is unable to provide security to the parties issomething to worry about. While putting limits on the political parties as towhat to do and what not to is all good and well, the ECP must also work incollaboration with the law enforcement agencies to control a situation thatcould slip past the slippery slope of chaos anytime if the current momentumof terrorism continues any longer. The politicians though, on their part,should also put aside their differences and present a united stand againstthe terrorists. Their mutual differences on politics shouldn’t cost the country.

How Shakeel Afridi is being treated in prison

Monday, 29 April, 2013

10

Why there is no steam in PPP poll campaign

Send your letters to: Letters to Editor, Pakistan Today, 4-Shaarey Fatima Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan. Fax: +92-42-32535230 E-mail: letters@pakistantoday.com.pk Letters should be addressed to Pakistan Today exclusivelyEditor’s mail

IF the three mainstream nationalparties hoping to win enough seatsto form a likely coalition, the Pak-istan People’s Party is the odd oneout. Both the pundits and hoi pol-

loi are baffled at why it has not hit the cam-paign trail in its signature style.

For the country’s largest — and actu-ally only nationally represented politicalforce in the last parliament — not to evenbe seen as a contender as if having givenup is intriguing to say the least.

The party may be hemmed in by sev-eral limitations — losing one prime minis-ter to judicial outreach, and carrying thebaggage of his dubious replacement now— but it is highly inconceivable for a stu-dent of Pakistani politics to associate elec-toral surrender with the PPP.

All that we have seen thus far is asqueamish campaign restricted to a few TVadverts and an uninspiring recorded speechof chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, whosebody language, just gave the party’s currentlevel of fidgety confidence away.

Even the paid content is mostly drivenby negative energy. Leave alone detractors,of which there is no dearth, it makes evenloyalists question the protracted state ofmourning in whipping up sepia tones offrenzied reaction to Benazir’s assassination.

The unkindest cut of all has been a trib-ute song, which has been trailed to the dis-bursement of notorious secret funds, adisclosure of which was made recently ina list handed by the Ministry of Informa-tion to the Supreme Court.

Ironically, mournful Benazir eulogiesmake the spectacular failure of the PPP

government led by her widower and Pres-ident Asif Zardari to bring the culprits tobook even more pronounced and painfulfor jiyalas.

It doesn’t cut ice with either partyworkers or non-PPP populace that the likesof former interior minister Rehman Malikclaimed to know whodunit, but wasstopped by the party leadership from mak-ing it public. It just might be that the lead-ership may be underestimating the fury ofthe average Bhutto loyalist — with elec-tions just 11 days away.

From what one has gathered from sev-eral interactions recently, including partysources and independent analysts, the PPPleadership is not unaware of the generaldiscontent with its just ended five-year rule,and knowing the pitfalls of what awaits thenext government, may have resigned itselfto a stint in the opposition.

The adverts, one has learnt, are not re-ally aimed at general voters or meant as arallying cry for re-election at the Centre;rather, these are directed at the party cadresin general, and those in Sindh, in particularto secure home turf. The southern provinceis the only one where the party thinks it hasa safe bet despite the convergence of an op-position alliance — and, at least on paper,a clutch of seats in southern Punjab.

To be fair to the PPP, the democratictransition that will hopefully, manifest it-self soon in the change of hands from oneelected government passing the baton toan interim set-up for onward succession byanother elected government, did not cometo pass easily.

The last government deserves somecredit for staying the course under demand-ing circumstances — it is hard to conceive,for instance, the PML-N being locked in amaze of four-pronged hostility: from the se-curity establishment, the judiciary, the op-position and the media, not to say highlyunreliable partners within the coalition(read MQM) and yet survive the guillotine.

The PPP achieved this and more —whilst looking over their shoulders — toconsolidate Project Democracy. The netgain, from the country’s perspective, wereconstitutional reforms that considerably de-fanged the security establishment, and havesince come to redefine the rules of the gameto the benefit of democratic forces.

Where the PPP failed however, and likenone else before it, was in good gover-

nance — some suggest, not without justi-fication, there was no governance at all —with the result that the average Pakistanihas had a miserable time coping with risinginflation, draining energy crisis which hasliterally, sapped his/her energy, and in aworst case scenario, even food insecurity.

The general decline in the standard ofliving contrasted with unending stories ofmassive corruption whose levels rose toabominable proportions in the last days ofthe government when there was a virtualfree-for-all.

Rauf Klasra, a journalist of merit, hasgone on record with unchallenged evidence— before PPP parliamentarians in talkshows — about how the last nail wasdriven in the coffin so-to-speak.But even if he didn’t, the massive unethicalundertakings were visible in how the PMdiverted massive funds more than once tohis constituency despite there being a baron doing so by the ECP; the failed attemptto change the CDA chairman to draw hugefavours from his blue-eyed replacement;the swift approvals for dozens of CNG sta-tions as well as disbursement of whoppingsums to oblige allied MPs; the whimsicaltransfers and postings to queer the electoralpitch for vested interest and what not.

For a long time now, both friends andfoes have acknowledged the sharp survivalinstincts of President Zardari. He mayhave been largely “bunkered” but that didnot prevent him from “teaching” his rivalspolitical lessons with deft moves theycould never have countenanced in theirwildest nightmares.

But perhaps, the quota of politicaltricks is now finally drying up, and thePPP may be reconciled to losing power —perhaps, with the consolation that it willbe playing the opposition’s role where it istraditionally, at home.

Agreed nothing can be said with final-ity in politics, least of all, the Pakistanikind. But even if either of PML-N or PTIdoes not make a killing on its own, and con-sequently, the PPP finds itself with a look-in, it would be well advised not to seekshortcuts. For its own survival in the longrun there is a dire need for it to dig deep andget its act together — in opposition.

The writer is Editor Pique Magazinebased in Islamabad. He can be reached atkaamyabi@gmail.com

Monday MusingsKAMRAN REHMAT

If you put the federal government in charge

of the Sahara Desert, in 5 years there'd be

a shortage of sand. –Milton Friedman

Terrorists seem to have the upper hand

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coMMent CMonday, 29 April, 2013

11The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest

exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior

moral justification for selfishness. –John Kenneth Galbraith

ANOTHER round oftrilateral meetings be-tween Afghanistan,Pakistan and US have

started. After the latest get to-gether in Brussels last Wednesday,John Kerry commented, “It’s fairto say that there is a good feelingamong all of us that we madeprogress in this dialogue. But wehave all agreed that results arewhat will tell the story, not state-ments at a press conference.”

Speaking to the media a dayearlier, Kerry had reiterated thefuture US role: “The mission (ofUS) will be to support, advise andtrain the Afghan military on anongoing basis as well as to engagein counterterrorism activity.”

The success of this mission is dependent on good ties between Karzaiand Islamabad, to jointly keep a tab on the extremists. The challenge being,ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan keep swinging between amicableto really tense, and Karzai’s relations with US are faced with pretty muchthe same unpredictability.

The truth is that the regional approach to Afghan conflict has now mor-phed into a global one. And too many cooks is a recipe for failure. For ex-ample, in addition to the three core parties, discussions on Afghanistanhave also recently taken pace between Pakistan, India, China and Russia.The most interesting track being the India-China bilateral discussions. Thelatest round was held on April 18th, which stressed, “working with re-gional countries and the international community to help Afghanistanachieve objectives of peace and stability, independence and development”.

To think that Russia, China and India are simply trying to help the in-ternational community, or NATO more precisely, would be naïve. The cor-rect wording is perhaps that they are seeking to protect their own interestsin Afghanistan that may or may not rhyme with the other players.

At a fundamental level, even the interests of the three principals arestill misaligned. On the one hand, Karzai keeps blaming US for civiliandeaths, but on the other hand, the country wants NATO forces to stay longer.Every time Afghan Security Forces are criticised for poor performance, thenation starts blaming Pakistan. In fact, there is a danger the border skir-mishes between the two countries may transform into something larger, es-pecially if Karzai decides to exploit the nationalistic sentiments. Until theseincongruities are addressed, progress will be hard to come by, and no matterhow many players are involved, finding a common ground will be difficult.

The basic question is what the Afghan government would gain from aspeedy reconciliation. The answer is not much. While the US is striving for aquick withdrawal from Afghanistan, this will put the onus of fighting on theAfghan Security Forces. Despite the hype, doubts about the fighting capabilitiesof Afghan forces on its own persist. Its commitment to carry on the fight againstTaliban will really be tested once NATO forces leave. The interests of Karzaigovernment are best served by keeping NATO forces engaged while stokingup nationalism, and blaming US and Pakistan for what ails the country.

While Afghanistan has generally projected Pakistan as the villain in thewhole affair, the longer the conflict sticks around, the steeper the price for itsneighbour. Accelerated political reconciliation in Afghanistan will have a directimpact on improving the security and economic situation of the country, in-cluding regional trade. In this, the US and Pakistan’s interests are more aligned.

As the reconciliation process drags on, the responsibility for bringingthe Afghan Taliban to the table may squarely fall on the shoulders of Pak-istan, if it has not already, while it is also being blamed for maintainingties with them. On the other hand, Pakistani officials have repeatedlyclaimed that while it can assist in bringing various warring Taliban factionsto the table, the country cannot ensure a certain outcome. The challengeboils down to if Afghan Taliban think they are wining, why would theywant to reconcile with Karzai, or listen to Pakistan for that matter?

As far as Afghan Taliban are concerned, they have questioned the credi-bility of the Karzai government, claiming it to be a puppet of the West. Atleast publicly, the Taliban have even refused to talk with Karzai, who wantsto control the political talks. President Karzai has also accused US of holdingdirect talks with Taliban, while keeping him in the dark. Furthermore, whileAfghan government is insisting on keeping some level of US and NATO pres-ence in Afghanistan, the Taliban want a complete withdrawal of foreign forces.

This raises the most elementary question of all: who has the upperhand? The answer to this query is linked with the reasons why the principalsto the conflict decided to seek a political solution. The anomaly being themilitary campaign to resolve the conflict has continued as well.

Big powers have global repute to protect. Accepting weakness or failure inone part of the world has direct implication for interests in other regions. Thisparticular aspect has created unique challenges for both NATO and US. In ad-dition, the assessment of Afghan policy has included what is achievable andwhat goals are simply beyond reach. The war there has dragged on for too long,at a huge cost, and it is simply not possible economically to continue the course.

While Afghan Taliban have been difficult to manage, reports suggest thethreat from Al-Qaeda, in this part of the region, has been contained for themost part. This premise provides the basis for an exit strategy.

Ironically, the Afghan government may only get serious about reconcili-ation, if US sticks to its timeline for withdrawal. Jumpstarting the politicaltalks may require a temporary cessation of a military campaign; with the com-mitment that Taliban will enter a serious dialogue with the Afghan govern-ment. The stipulation of removing foreign forces could be conditioned toTaliban terminating ties with Al-Qaeda, agreeing not to attack Afghan andcoalition forces, and respect other international human right conventions. Inother words, an interim peace accord leading to a permanent cessation.

The writer is chief analyst at PoliTact, a Washington based futuristadvisory firm (www.PoliTact.com and http:twitter.com/politact) and can bereached at aansar@politact.com

IN the run-up to Pakistan Tehreek-e-In-saaf’s (PTI) first jalsa in Lahore, themarketing machinery for PTI went intooverdrive to draw analogies between

their own event and the All India MuslimLeague’s general session of 1940, which passedthe Lahore Resolution. Held at the same venuethat hosted the historical gathering some sev-enty odd years ago, the most obvious rhetoricused by PTI enthusiasts urged Lahoris to comeout and show their support for an event thatpromised to lay down the foundations for a‘New Pakistan’ in a manner similar to how theLahore Resolution sowed the seed for the cre-ation of the ‘original’ Pakistan. The analysisand discussions that followed the October 30,2011, jalsa, now a historical event in its ownright, principally focused on two things;firstly, how Imran Khan had come of age as aleader and a politician and that his party couldnow prove to be a menacing challenge for theestablished political powerhouses; and sec-ondly, the significance and importance of La-hore on the political landscape of our country.

It has been over 545 days since thatmemorable October Sunday when the peo-ple of this great city were told to wake upfrom their slumber and become the catalystsfor change themselves. With the polls nowonly 11 days away, how much of a changecan be expected in Lahore?

Lahore boasts 13 seats in the National As-sembly of Pakistan. The 2008 Elections re-sulted in two seats for Pakistan PeoplesParty-Parliamentarians (PPP-P) (NA-129 andNA-130) and a whopping 11 for Pakistan Mus-lim League-Nawaz (PML-N). Obviously, thecircumstances are different today from what wehad five years ago; Imran Khan, who was a po-litical lightweight at that time, and other usualcontenders from Lahore (most notably the Ja-maat-e-Islami) boycotted the last polls inprotest and the PML-N cashed in on the supportfor its pro-judiciary stance. Even if Mr Khanand Co had participated in the 2008 polls, theonly possible difference in outcome wouldhave been that PPP would have won one moreseat from Lahore in the form of Mr Aitzaz

Ahsan who himself had to give up the chanceto defend his seat from NA-124 because of hisleading role in the Lawyers’ Movement. Today,however, PTI seems to have some momentumgoing into the polls with their promise ofchange and accountability apparently hittingthe right notes with all those who either wantsomeone new or are new to the electoralprocess themselves. We hear that there will be30 to 40 million new voters all across Pakistangoing to the polls this May. It is these very in-dividuals that PTI seems to be banking on. Buthow much will this help them make an impactin Lahore? Unfortunately for PTI supporters,very little. What the supporters and strategistsof PTI need to realise is that while they mayhave tremendous passion and fervor for theirparty’s cause and a second to none social-mediapresence, the ground reality is that they se-verely lack the electoral machinery the likes ofwhich PML-N has at its disposal in Lahore.

Another reason which leads one to believethat the PML-N might still walk away with thelion’s share of the seats in Lahore is that thebalance of the direct head-to-head battles be-tween the candidates heavily tilts in PML-N’sfavour, much to the dismay of a PML-N criticlike myself. Granted that PTI candidates planon riding on Imran Khan’s coat-tails but westill need to assess the individual candidatestrying their luck and it is this assessment thatleads one to believe that PTI has stronger can-didates in the rest of Punjab than in Lahore. Itis safe to assume that both Mian Nawaz Sharif(NA-120) and Hamza Shahbaz Sharif (NA-119) should have no problem disposing offcomparatively light candidates in the form ofDr Yasmeen Rashid and Mohammad Madnirespectively. I do not mean any disrespect tothe honourable doctor but she would havestood a much better chance against any othercandidate or from any other constituencywhile Hamza Shahbaz should face more com-petition from Malik Suhail (PPP) than Madni.

Mian Shahbaz Sharif plans on throwing amonkey wrench into the plans of AdvocateTariq Shabbir Mayo of PPP from NA-129 whowon the 2008 elections largely because of hisfellow cast members. PTI, however, will bemore conspicuous by first failing to nominatea candidate to contest against the former chiefminister as per earlier reports only to laterthrow their weight behind Mansha Sindhu. NA-118 would also become a duel between the in-cumbent Malik Riaz of PML-N and FarazHashmi from PPP who plans on cashing in onhis father’s reputation and social work in thearea. It would be fair to say that the PTI candi-date Hamid Zaman faces an uphill task to makea dent in the polls and is the rank outsider here.

Similarly, PTI hopefuls will struggle to winagainst other strong PML-N candidates who aregenerally well-liked in their constituencies orhave strong mechanisms to ensure they don’t

lose their existing vote bank such as Malik Per-vez (NA-123), Kh Saad Rafique (NA-125), for-mer Anarkali Nazim Waheed Alam Khan(NA-127) and Mohammad Afzal Khokhar(NA-128). It would also take a herculean efforton the part of Talib Sindhu to displace SaminaGhurki from NA-130, the sole guarantee of aseat for PPP in Lahore. NA-121 promises to bean interesting contest for the heavy Arain votein the constituency where PTI’s young HammadAzhar, son of former Governor Punjab MianAzhar, should be a tough match for Mehar Ish-tiaq Ahmed of PML-N who is taking a step upfrom being an MPA from the area. Imran Khanhimself should trump Sardar Ayaz Sadiq fromNA-122 on paper at least. Even though the lat-ter enjoys staunch supporters in this con-stituency but if Imran Khan struggles to win hisown seat then there really isn’t much hope forthe rest of the party in the capital of Punjab.

This leaves NA-124 and NA-126 up forgrabs. Aitzaz Ahsan’s boycott of the last pollshugely benefitted Sheikh Rohale Asghar whogot elected from NA-124 and also helped himto establish a footing in a constituency whichhas never been one party’s stronghold. How-ever, alarmingly poor performance and failureon the part of Mr Asghar to tend to his con-stituents give hope to Mrs Bushra Aitzaz Ahsanof PPP to pip him to the seat. Allama Iqbal’sgrandson and fellow Penn alumnus Mr WalidIqbal is PTI’s candidate in the area who juststarted campaigning this last week and may bea little late to the party. NA-126, the most liter-ate and well-off constituency of the city whichon paper should be a cinch for PTI as per thegeneral perception, too shall produce a fasci-nating battle. Had Imran Khan himself con-tested from this area, it would have been a walkin the park for him. Withdrawal of his ownnomination papers will make it tougher forPTI’s nominee Mr Shafqat Mahmood, who willbe up against Khwaja Ahmad Hassan (PML-N)and Liaquat Baloch (JI). While the heart maywant PTI’s candidate to win from here, Iwon’t be surprised even if any of the other twocandidates wins from here as Mr Baloch tooseeks to retake the seat he has held in the past.

Three words are enough to explain PPP’sdetailed position in Lahore; they have none.It must be extremely painful for a die-hardLahori ‘jiyala’ to see his city not getting thesame attention from the PPP high-ups as itused to. Lahore once boasted names such asZulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto on itsballot-papers. This time around, with the ex-ception of above-mentioned ladies in NA-124 and NA-130, it appears that the PPP iscontent to fold their hands pre-flop.

The writer is an advocate of the highcourts, a guidance and career counselorand a public-speaking coach. The viewsexpressed in the opinion are his own.

Battlefield lahoreWho stands where in Elections 2013?

SyED HAIDER AzHAR

Understanding the intents and interests

Afghanmisalignment

ARIF ANSAR

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arts

AMonday, 29 April, 2013

12There's final hits and finalhits. What kind was this tobe? –Irvine Welsh

eastwoodwants to stillbe directingat age 105

NEWS DESK: Clint Eastwood, who isalready 82 years old has said that hedreams of making films for two moredecades. In an interview at theTribeca Film Festival, Eastwood saidthat he admires the 104-year-oldPortuguese director Manoel deOliveira, Fox News reported. The'Trouble with the Curve' directoradded that it would be great to be105 and still making films. Helaughed and called such a hope 'theultimate optimism'.

MichaelJordan MarriesYvette Prietoin Palm Beach!

NEWS DESK: Michael Jordan is amarried man -- again. Thebasketball legend wed Cuban-American model Yvette Prieto inPalm Beach, Fla., on Saturday, Apr.27. The couple met in 2008 and gotengaged three years later. In earlyMarch, Jordan, 50, and Prieto, 34,were photographed applying for amarriage certificate in a Palm BeachCounty courthouse. The newlywedshave been living together since2009 in Kendall, Fla. This is thesecond marriage for the formerChicago Bulls player, as he waspreviously wed to Juanita Vanoy for17 years. They divorced in 2006,and Vanoy received a reported $168million settlement. The formerspouses share three children: sonsJeffrey Michael, 24, and MarcusJames, 22, and daughter Jasmine,19. Prieto, meanwhile, was in along-term relationship with singerJulio Iglesias, Jr.

nEWS DESk

h ELEN Mirren is a favoriteto reign at London's Oliviertheater awards Sunday forher performance as Queen

Elizabeth II in "The Audience." Mirrenis a best-actress nominee for the awards,the British equivalent of Broadway'sTonys.

She stars in Peter Morgan's playabout the private weekly meetings be-tween the monarch and Britain's primeministers over the six decades of herreign. Mirren is no stranger to royalty -she won an Academy award in 2007 forthe same role in "The Queen." She's upagainst Hattie Morahan for "A Doll'sHouse," Billie Piper for "The Effect" andKristin Scott Thomas for "Old Times."

Male acting nominees are RupertEverett for Oscar Wilde drama "TheJudas Kiss"; James McAvoy for "Mac-beth"; Mark Rylance for a cross-dress-ing turn in "Twelfth Night"; Rafe Spallfor the relationship drama "Constella-tions"; and Luke Treadaway for "TheCurious Incident of the Dog in theNight-Time." The National Theatre's ac-claimed production of "Curious Inci-dent" - based on Mark Haddon's novelabout a mystery-solving boy with As-perger's syndrome - leads the race witheight nominations, while the jaunty mu-sical "Top Hat" has seven.

Nominees for musicals includeMichael Ball and Imelda Staunton for"Sweeney Todd," Alex Bourne and Han-nah Waddingham for "Kiss Me, Kate"and Heather Headley for "The Body-guard." Two political dramas -"The Au-dience" and rough-and-tumbleParliamentary saga "This House" - are upfor best new play, alongside the love

story "Constellations" and "The CuriousIncident of the Dog in the Night-Time."The best new musical nominees are thegeeks-made-good story "Loserville"; theTina Turner tribute "Soul Sister"; themovie-inspired "The Bodyguard"; andthe high-stepping "Top Hat." Winners inmost categories are chosen by a panel oftheater professionals and members of the

public. Nominees for the AudienceAward, decided by public vote, are "BillyElliot"; "Matilda: The Musical"; " ThePhantom of the Opera"; and "Wicked."

The winners will be announced dur-ing a ceremony at the Royal OperaHouse in London hosted by stage starSheridan Smith and “Downton Abbey"actor Hugh Bonneville.

Mirren, rylanceup for London’sOlivier awards

IT has been a hectic schedule forShah Rukh Khan, who was in Munnarfor the past few weeks shooting for

Rohit Shetty's 'Chennai Express'. Though,when we sat down for a chat, King

Khan was his charming, witty andplayful self. "It's amazinglybeautiful here when it rains. I cansay I enjoyed those days when itrained and we had to halt theshoot more. And I'm so sorry Icouldn't meet you more on thestreets of Kerala," he begins.Kerala connect: I've been toKerala a few times before and Icould sense the love they havefor me here. In fact, onceMohanlalji took me on this boatand when we came under abridge there was this hugecrowd, cheering. I'm sure theywere cheering for Mohanlaljibut I hope some were therefor me too. It was reallytouching. I've great memoriesof the song in Dil Se that weshot there. I didn't have acostume, so I wore Manisha's

sari. The whole things wasromantic and sensual andyes, I remember the oilmassage I had too. Andnow we are in Munnar.Kerala has everything —beaches, backwaters,

mountains, tea estates; it'sreally God's Own Country.

I regret not knowing Malayalam: Well,the only two words I know are peru andvayasu; if there is a role which requiresthe hero or actor to speak only those twowords, I will surely take it up! To be moreserious, I regret not knowing thelanguage as I don't understand the filmsand hate subtitles. I think Malayalamcinema is the most progressive and mostevolved of all industries. And of course,there are friends of mine, Priyan Sir,Santhosh Sivan and many more here.On Chennai Express: Chennai Expresshas love, action, romance... all on a largescale. To describe its broader aspect, it's auniversal story about love. We have nearly1600 languages in our country. The clotheschange, the dialects change and at times, itcan evoke a kind of regionalism. But thebeauty of our country is that we can livetogether, eat together and be happy. Ifthere is one aspect that unites all, it's love.So what we've done here is place theprotagonist in a part of the country alien tohim and show how he overcomes thecultural and linguistic barriers with the helpof his lady love. We've also tried to includethe culture of the south and it is my hopethat people here enjoy the fact that we didit with so much charm and happiness.Deepika first...: Almost all my heroinesare taller than me so their names shouldcome first in the titles. Jokes apart, theidea of having the heroine's name first wasjust a thought. It's not a movement and Iknow it's not going to change the world.

COURTESy TOI

ALMOST ALL MY HEROINESARE TALLER THAN ME: SRK

Is DiCaprio a‘nice boy’?NEWS DESK: Leonardo DiCaprio hasopened up about claims he was a bitof a bad boy when he was filming'The Great Gatsby' in Sydney. In aninterview with 60 Minutes broadcaston the Nine Network, the 'Titanic'star denies his place was a'revolving door' for every hip youngthing in town. "You can't believeeverything you read," he said in theinterview. But he doesn't seem tomind the bad boy reputation, as hesaid that whether he's a 'nice boy' isa subject forinterpretation.

Bieber postsshirtless picturewith Selena

NEWS DESK: It appears Justin Bieberand Selena Gomez are happily "Jelena"once more. The Biebs, 19, posted a semi-racy photo of the apparently-on-againcouple to his Instagram account on Fridaynight. In the black and white picture, ashirtless Justin is seen working on his lap-top, while Selena sits behind him, withher arms wrapped around his waist.

KHI 29-04-2013_Layout 1 4/29/2013 6:46 AM Page 12

13ArtsMonday, 29 April, 2013

A

There is an incompatibility between

literary creation and political

activity. –Mario Vargas Llosa

LAHORESTAFF REPORT

P AKISTAN Fashion DesignCouncil (PFDC) Sunsilk FashionWeek 2013 which has beenunderway at the Expo centre

in Johar Town since the 26th will endtoday with the following designersshowcasing their designs and works.

FAIZA SAMEE

BRAND PHILOSOPHY:Rediscovering the rich palette of ourtextile heritage whilst maintaining thehighest standards of artisancraftsmanshipINSPIRATION:

A modern reinterpretation of theopulence of ethnic Central Asian weavesand vintage Russian ChintzTRENDS TO LOOK OUT FOR:

Short tunics in natural fabrics, especiallyluxurious silks and bias cuts

MAHIN KARIM

BRAND PHILOSOPHY:The MAHEEN KARIM brand philosophyis to create elegant sophisticatedensembles which concentrate oninnovative universal silhouettes andshapes. We incorporate Pakistan'sbest fabrics, raw materials andembroidery to add glamour to a globalsilhouette.INSPIRATION:n dashes of colourn flirty silhouettesn fun and frolic n the holiday seasonn luxury resort wear

TRENDS TO LOOK OUT FOR:n chic jumpsuitsn flowy summer dresses n vibrant colours.n Palloazo pantsn kaftan dresses n floaty silk shirts

ALI XEESHAN

BRAND PHILOSPHY:Ali Xeeshan’s innate talent for designand dramatic sensibilities to berenowned for his gift for completelytransforming, raw, ordinary visuals intosumptuous theatrical environment.INSPIRATION:

Sign of love is above all the politicalflags- ‘Jalsa-e-Ishq’TRENDS TO LOOK OUT FOR:n Contrast of sheer & opaquen monochrome stripes,n batwings,n metallic and high waist lower.

KHAADI KHAAS:

BRAND PHILOSOPHY:A ready-to-wear formal line whichembodies style, elegance andindividuality.INSPIRATION:

Main inspiration for this collection istraditional textiles from EastAsia, from tribal to sub-continentalprints.TRENDS TO LOOK OUT FOR:n Relaxed silhouetten Straightn Bright digital eastern prints n contemporary styling

MUSE

BRAND PHILOSOPHY:Our passion is creating luxurious,sophisticated, and feminine clothes forthe woman who loves fashion. INSPIRATION:n References to the gardens

surrounding European palacesn romantic spirit of a beautiful woman. TRENDS TO LOOK OUT FOR:n Full length crepe dresses n quiet luxury. n Delicate and ornate embellishments.

WARDA SALEEM

BRAND PHILOSOPHY:The Wardha Saleem Label signifiesgiving antiquated traditions a moderntwist. Known for fusing indigenousembroidery, vibrant colors andtraditional printing techniques with amodern silhouette.INSPIRATION:

Stepping out of her traditional territory,Wardha experiments with modernismthat consequently led to the creation ofWardha Saleem's S/S2013 collection totransport you into another world runningparallel to reality.TRENDS TO LOOK OUT FOR:n Bold Printsn Black and White with hint of colorsn Exclusive Hand embroideries using

unconventional materialsn Contemporary Silhouettes, Summer

Jackets

HSY

BRAND PHILOSOPHY:Timeless eleganceINSPIRATION:

There is a sense of new beginnings in

the air. A sense of a tide changing-arrival of spring, anticipation of hope.We’ve kept this spirit alive in introducinga collection we aptly call “Believe”.TRENDS TO LOOK OUT FOR:n cropped pantsn the long and short of hemlinesn monochrome palette inspired by the

sun, sand and sea. n Luxurious embroideriesn Monogram printsn Luxe jumpsuitsn HSY gladiators

MK NATION

BRAND PHILOSOPHY:MK Nation by Karma brings to its storeracks classic contemporary trendyclothes andaccessories with the coveted Karma-esque signature that are wearable,comfortable,and affordable at the same time. INSPIRATION:

An Ode to Lahore inspired by themodern, contemporary, wild,classic, crazy city we grew up in TRENDS TO LOOK OUT FOR:n The shift shirtn cross stitchn phulkari inspired embroideriesn ‘My Lahore’ series exclusive screen

printsn The new Karma Summer shalwaar.

KAYSERIA PRET

BRAND PHILOSOPHY:Kayseria Prêt is very much aboutenjoying the experience of styling.INSPIRATION:

From the pupi prints of local truck art to

very minimalistic Chinese adornments,ensemble with 60’& 80’s inspired taperedhems & pants.TRENDS TO LOOK OUT FOR:n Eclectic folkloric printed tops n black & white finishingn gauzy printed & embroidered

cigarette pants.

COCO

BRAND PHILOSOPHY:COCO's brand philosophy is to providelocal/international catwalk trends toeveryone. This philosophy revolvesaround high-quality at affordable prices.INSPIRATION:

The inspiration for the Spring/Summer2013 collection is Asian floral coloursand prints.This design sense has made a big splashinternationally and we aim to bring it tothe Pakistani market.TRENDS TO LOOK OUT FOR:n Colour blocks. n Lots of white.n Trendy cuts.n A very summery colour palette

ADNAN PARDESY FOR

THE WORKING WOMAN

BRAND PHILOSOPHY: Simple Subtle and Sensible INSPIRATION:

Beautiful, strong, Go-getter andfeminine womenTRENDS TO LOOK OUT FOR:n Flowy Fun Silheutte in soft fabricsn Structured n Soft Fabricsn Fun Colors n Printsn the intricacy of details.

PFDC SUNSILK FASHION WEEK 2013

PHOTO CREDITS:

FAISAL FAROOQUI AND HIS TEAM AT DRAGONFLY

ENDS TODAY

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infotainment

IMonday, 29 April, 2013

14

SPlAShiNg OuT:STudENT lANdS"BEST JOB iN WOrld"AS £20,000-A-yEArWATEr SlidE TESTErMeet Sebastian Smith - the manwith "the best job in the world".The 22-year-old has landed his"dream" occupation as a water slidetester after winning the final of anationwide competition run by FirstChoice holidays at the 5 starIberotelMakadiSaraya Splash Resortin Hurghada. The Leeds Universitystudent beat off competition frommore than 2,000 applicants to win asix-month contract with FirstChoice.Sebastian, from Wedmore inSomerset, will now travel the worldtrying out the exhilarating chutes atits twenty SplashWorld resorts.This will include all-expenses paidtrips to Faliraki, Turkey andJamaica.And not only that - he'll also be paid£20,000 for the privilege. The jobdescription requires a water slidetester to rate two key factors -“biggest splash” and “adrenalinfactor”. Fun junkie Tommy Lynchwas in the role for four years andcalled it “the best job in the world”. Tommy, 33, added: “It can be toughwhen it’s chilly and you have tostrip off, but otherwise it’s great.“Getting to check out the flumes isby far the best bit. But there is aserious side and it carries a lot ofresponsibility.” NEWS DESK

WOrld'S OldESTANd STiCkiEST lABSTudy rEAdy FOrdrOP OF ExCiTEmENT

underground river 'rio

hamza' discovered 4km

beneath the AmazonCovering more than 7 million square kilometres inSouth America, the Amazon basin is one of thebiggest and most impressive river systems in theworld. But it turns out we have only known half thestory until now.Brazilian scientists have found a new river in theAmazon basin – around 4km underneath theAmazon river. The Rio Hamza, named after thehead of the team of researchers who found thegroundwater flow, appears to be as long as theAmazon river but up to hundreds of times wider.Both the Amazon and Hamza flow from west to eastand are around the same length, at 6,000km. Butwhereas the Amazon ranges from 1km to 100km inwidth, the Hamza ranges from 200km to 400km.The underground river starts in the Acre regionunder the Andes and flows through the Solimões,Amazonas and Marajó basins before opening outdirectly into the depths of the Atlantic Ocean.The Amazon flows much faster than the Hamza,however, draining a greater volume of water.Around 133,000m3 of water flow through theAmazon per second at speeds of up to 5 metresper second. Theundergroundriver's flowrate hasbeenestimated ataround3,900m3persecond and itbarely inchesalong at less than amillimetre per hour.NEWS DESK

locals mourn lossof Wales’ oldest tree

credit card data can be stolenwith a wave and an app

nEWS DESk

HUW Williams wasn't tooworried when he waswoken at 2.20am by amighty crack. The old treethat stood 30ft behind Cil-

cochwyn, the farmhouse above the villageof Pontfadog in Mid Wales, had probablylost another bough in the gale raging out-side, he thought. He checked that everyonewas safe and the roof intact and went backto sleep. The shock came when he went towork. Last weekend's storm had blown it-self out, but the tree that had overlooked theCeiriog valley for 1,200 years, survivingtempest, battle, fire, the threat of floodingand 40 or more generations of people takingits wood for fuel and buildings had toppled.

By lunch the experts, the tree enthusi-asts and the curious were arriving in Pont-fadog. They marvelled that the tree'sbranches showed six inches of growth inthe past year, yet the tree had lost all itsmain roots and must have only been stand-ing because of its weight. They musedabout how much history it would haveseen and nearly everyone said it was likelosing a member of the community.

That evening, when the tourists hadgone, about 30 locals from the valley gath-ered by the tree. "It was like a wake. Weraised a glass to it," said Dianne Coakley-Williams, Huw Williams's wife.

The Pontfadog oak was the oldest treein Wales, the third largest in Britain andone of the oldest in Europe. It was lyingamong the celandines and primroses in thebright spring sunshine, its roots pointingskywards, gnarled trunk collapsed andpiles of branches, decayed wood, lichens,fungi, nests and bark in the grass around it.

Its massive, hollow bole had crusheda metal gate as it had fallen and the tips ofits branches, which had been about to burstinto leaf, were resting lightly on Cil-cochwyn's purple slate roof. What hadbeen called "Wales's national tree", whosegirth had been measured at over 53ft in

1881, looked small and shrunken."It was always a working tree, pol-

larded or pruned for its wood. It was partof the community. People built housesfrom it, cooked from it. That's why it livedso long. It always had a role," said MoraySimpson, tree officer for Wrexham countyborough council and a board member ofthe Ancient Tree Forum. At some point thetree and Wales's history merged. It alonewas said to have been spared when KingHenry II's men razed the Ceiriog Woods in1165. The Welsh prince OwainGwyneddis believed to have then rallied his armybeneath it before taking on, and defeating,the English at the battle of Crogen, foughtjust two miles down the valley.

No one knew quite how old it was be-cause it had lost its heartwood, but MichaelLear, a tree expert with the National Trust,visited Pontfadog in 1996 and wrote to

Josie Williams: "Using Forestry Commis-sion techniques, the youngest it can be is1,181 years, the oldest 1,628 years. "I can-not find a record of an oak tree of any ofthe 500 species internationally which has agreater girth anywhere in the world."

"It was the national tree of Wales andone of the oldest oaks in Europe. I'm des-perately trying to find people who can helpin propagating from the tree by either graft-ing or micro-propagation in order to main-tain its genotype. Kew Gardens have saidthey are interested," said Simpson. In fact,the tree could have been saved for manymore years. Last year a group from the An-cient Tree Forum visited Pontfadog and,seeing it was vulnerable to a big wind, puttogether a list of actions costing £5,700 thatthey thought might have protected it. De-spite a petition of 6,000 signatures to theWelsh assembly, no money could be found.

But tree experts warned last week thatmany would fall if they were not betterprotected. "We protect old buildings andother historic manmade structures butthere's nothing for our oldest living mon-uments," said Jill Butler, conservation pol-icy adviser at the Woodland Trust.

No decision has been made on what todo with the Pontfadog oak beyond movingit off the farmhouse roof. Left to decom-pose, it could continue to provide a habitatfor wildlife for another 100 years. Therehave been proposals to resurrect it as amonument or make a bardic chair from itswood. But Dianne Coakley-Williams isadamant it should not leave the valley. "Itlived here and it will stay here," she says.

Happily, it has its descendants. Twosaplings grown from its acorns are believedto be in the Botanical Garden of Wales andanother may be at the local hospital.

nEWS DESk

It seems like there's a smartphoneapp for everything these days — in-cluding one that could be used tosteal your credit card information.

A CBC News investigation hasfound that it’s not difficult to do.

Within five minutes, the app canbe ready to go — and in the wronghands, criminals could easily stealcredit card information, without thevictim knowing. “It's always a con-cern when a stranger could obtainmy personal information and mybanking and financial informationjust from a simple walk by, particu-larly the fact that that worked soquickly,” said Mandy Woodland, aSt. John's lawyer who specializes in

technology and privacy law. MandyWoodland is a lawyer with Cox &Palmer in St. John's. She specializesin technology and privacy law.Woodland says most of what she’sread about near-field communica-tions skimming indicated it took 30seconds to download informationfrom the card. “And that's clearlynot true since you were able to do itmuch quicker than that,” she said.

CBC News showed Woodlandjust how easy it is to steal the infor-mation — even from a card inside awallet or inside someone’s pants.

The whole process only tookabout one second, not 30.TECHNOLOGY AIMED ATAIDING CONSUMERS: Thetechnology is supposed to make life

easier. MasterCard calls it PayPass,Visa calls it payWave. It allows cus-tomers to simply tap and go —quickly pay for that coffee withoutthe hassle of a PIN number.

But it's not just easier to pay —it's easier to steal a card-holder’spersonal information.

CBC News used a SamsungGalaxy SIII and a free app down-loaded from the Google Play store toread information such as a cardnumber, expiry date and cardholdername simply holding the smart-phone over a debit or credit card.

The Samsung Galaxy SIII is oneof the most popular smartphonesavailable in Canada. A thief can sim-ply walk by, pause and read the infor-mation through an unwitting person’scoat and wallet. Then the informationcan be sent to another phone. CBCNews used it to buy a Coke.

But it could be just as easilyused to buy a tank of gas or a newcomputer. Michael Legary says hiscompany, Seccuris Inc., has investi-gated cases where phones pairedwith these apps were used to commitcredit card fraud.

Legary says the informationread can be used to buy “anythingfrom a $1.50 drink from a machineto a $4,000 to $5,000 laptop.” Hesays the app has become a tool fororganized crime in Europe.

Trees are poems that earth writes upon the sky,

we fell them down and turn them into paper, that

we may record our emptiness. –Kahlil Gibran

In terms of output, QueenslandUniversity's pitch drop study – theworld's oldest laboratory experiment– has been stunningly low. Onlyeight drops have emerged from thelump of pitch installed in theuniversity's physics building foyer in1927. Watching paint dry looksexhilarating by comparison.But excitement is now rising overthe experiment, which was set up tocalculate the viscosity of the world'sstickiest substance, pitch, which hasbeen found to be at least 230 billiontimes more viscous than water.According to Professor JohnMainstone, who has run theexperiment since the 1960s, a ninthdrop looks set to emerge from thepitch block in the very near future."No one has actually seen a dropemerge, so it is getting quite nervyround here," said Mainstone. "Theother eight drops happened whilepeople had their backs turned. Forthe last drop, in 2000, we had awebcam trained on the experiment,but it broke down … in 1988, whenthe previous drop was about toemerge, I popped out for a coffeeand missed it." NEWS DESK

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sPorts

SMonday, 29 April, 2013

15“We cannot send him back now because the diseaseis contagious and he has to travel by plane, plus he isweak now,” said team manager Tanjib Ahsan Saad

HARAREAGENCIES

THREE days ago, Zimbabwewere readying themselves towin consecutive Tests for thefirst time in 12 years. Now,Bangladesh are in a strong

position to record a maiden victory in thecountry and square a series they seemeddestined to lose.

The turnaround has been as emphatic asit was unexpected. Bangladesh have put inan improved all-round performance, led bytheir strike bowler Robiul Islam andfollowed up through the senior batsmen.

The playing field has levelled too,literally. Members of both camps confirmeda “much better” pitch in the second Test,compared to the one that was used in thefirst. The sideways movement and unevenbounce is gone. There is still something in itfor the bowlers to make use of but anenterprising batsman can reap rewards.

Shakib Al Hasan did so in both innings.He left well, accelerated at the right timesand even though he gave his wicket awaytwice, he formed the spine the others needed.He would have been one of those that waschastened by the showing a week ago andtook it upon himself to fix some of the failingof the first Test.

“We were disappointed after the firstTest, in all facets, but in particular ourbatting,” Corey Richards, the Bangladeshfielding coach, said. “We thought we hadgood plans and the guys wanted up to showhow good they have been recently, becausethey were so good for us in Sri Lanka. So,they were pretty embarrassed and there wasa general hunger to do better. Fortunately abit of experience showed in Shakib andMushfiqur Rahim.”

Bangladesh are 272 runs ahead and havefive wickets in hand, which puts them inprime position to bat Zimbabwe out of thematch. But they have been known to dealwith expectation poorly in the past. Thistime, Richards said team management havea plan to ensure they are not overwhelmed.

“Individually we’ve got what we feel isa goal-setting plan and the players have hada lot of buy-in to that,” he said “They are

pretty simple and realistic goals and thatmakes it a lot easier to know where you areheading.” Stephen Mangongo, Zimbabwe’sinterim coach, disagreed. “There is nothingto stop us batting one and a half days andchasing the target,” he said. The evidence ofthe last innings may contradict thatstatement. Zimbabwe batted 96 overs andtheir top-order lasted for fewer than 23 butMangongo was confident they will rectifythat in the second dig.

“With have got faith in the top-order,that’s why they are in the team,” he said.“Some guys have been in the doldrums forsome time and they are due for some runs.We are still in it big time.” Some guys likeVusi Sibanda and Hamilton Masakadza arewho he might be referring to and they haveonly a few hours to come up with a plan to

negate Robiul.It could mean that Zimbabwe will have

to depend on the middle- and lower-order, asthey have so far, but they will take heart fromknowing another of that lot has returned toform. Elton Chigumbura recorded hishighest Test score and changed the course ofthe Zimbabwe innings by scoring quickerthan the rest, something Mangongo hasurged him to keep doing. “Elton is astrokeplayer and we want to give him therole of the enforcer - to liberate him andallow him to play his natural game,” he said.“When he came in yesterday evening with15 overs to go, playing his shots, orthodoxcricket people would have said he was mad.He looks like a fool when it doesn’t pay offbut he is an attacking player and we wanthim to play that way.” Another member of

the squad who has been urged to do whatfeels most natural is Shingi Masakadza. Heopened the bowling with success and withKeegan Meth unable to bowl so far, he willhave to play a major part in endingBangladesh’s innings early. “Shingi wasalways out-and-out away swing bowler andsomeone who hits the deck hard,”Mangongo said. “He has been trying to getthe ball to come in so we’ve gone back tobasics. We’ve told him to run in, hit the deckand get the ball to move away and it’sworking.” Not everything about Zimbabwecricket is doing the same. After dominatingin the first Test, they are scrambling in thisone and they already seem to have a ready-made excuse if things don’t go their way.“We are building. We don’t have a team atthe moment,” Mangongo said.

Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli has expressed disbelief at “thehatred towards the opposition” in Mumbai that, he said, he finds prevalent duringthe IPL. Speaking after his team’s 58-run loss to Mumbai Indians at the WankhedeStadium, Kohli said the spectators seemed to have forgotten that he represents “their

country” in international cricket. “I don’t know what is wrong with people in thisvenue. It feels a bit weird because at the end of the day you play for India and you

don’t come here to be hated,” Kohli said. “It has happened to a few players in the past aswell. I don’t know why they get so worked up during IPL. IPL is not the end of the

world. They forget that the players they are booing for also play for theircountry. “It is only creating hatred among the players. When I come back

and play for India, they are going to cheer for me. It doesn’t work thatway.” Kohli seemingly incurred the crowd’s wrath after effecting therun out of Ambati Rayudu without the Mumbai Indians batsmanfacing a ball. Kohli had just run out Dinesh Karthik with a direct hit,bringing Rayudu to the non-striker’s end. From there, Rayudu hadtaken a start as Kieron Pollard hit towards Kohli in the covers. Kohliscored another direct hit, and Rayudu was short of his ground after

getting into a tangle with the bowler, Vinay Kumar. The collisionwas not intentional, with Vinay backing away from the stumps tocollect the throw, his back to Rayudu. It however resulted in thebatsman’s bat lifting off the ground as the stumps weredislodged. Talking about that run-out, Kohli said: “It is veryimportant to have knowledge of cricket. If it was anyintentional interruption from the bowler then the umpire wouldhave stopped the batsman [from walking off]. It is his job notmine. The bowler didn’t see the batsman and the batsmandidn’t see the bowler, and they collided. It was perfectly fineto be honest.” Kohli hinted that the batsman should have beenmore alert. “You should have that much cricket awareness tosee where the bowler is coming back. He [Vinay] had to back

up when there was no one behind him.” SPORTS DESK

BANglAdEShfightback goes to plan

BANGLADESH 1st innings 391

zIMBABWE 1st innings

MN Waller c Shakib Al Hasan b Sohag Gazi 32

E Chigumbura b Robiul Islam 86

R Mutumbami† lbw b Robiul Islam 42

AG Cremer not out 11

KO Meth c †Mushfiqur Rahim b Sohag Gazi 16

SW Masakadza c †Mushfiqur Rahim b Robiul Islam 5

KM Jarvis b Sohag Gazi 0

EXTRAS (b 5, lb 11, w 1, nb 1) 18

TOTAL 282

FALL OF WICKETS 1-23 (Chakabva, 10.5 ov), 2-26 (Sibanda,

12.1 ov), 3-45 (H Masakadza, 22.4 ov), 4-97 (Taylor, 45.1 ov),

5-163 (Waller, 65.4 ov), 6-248 (Mutumbami, 86.3 ov), 7-257

(Chigumbura, 88.3 ov), 8-274 (Meth, 93.3 ov), 9-281 (SW

Masakadza, 94.4 ov), 10-282 (Jarvis, 95.6 ov)

BOWLING: Robiul Islam 33-11-85-5, Sajidul Islam 16-5-48-0,

ziaur Rahman 7-3-8-0, Shakib Al Hasan 19-4-66-1, Sohag Gazi

19-1-59-4, Mohammad Ashraful 2-2-0-0

BANGLADESH 2nd innings

Tamim Iqbal c †Mutumbami b SW Masakadza 7

Jahurul Islam c †Mutumbami b SW Masakadza 2

Mohammad Ashraful lbw b Jarvis 4

Mominul Haque c H Masakadza b SW Masakadza 29

Shakib Al Hasan c †Mutumbami b H Masakadza 59

Mushfiqur Rahim*† c Sibanda b H Masakadza 93

Nasir Hossain not out 67

TOTAL 163/5

BOWLING

KM Jarvis 22-3-80-1, SW Masakadza 24-5-58-4, AG Cremer

17-1-70-1, E Chigumbura 14-0-54-0, H Masakadza 11-1-24-3

Match details

Toss zimbabwe, who chose to field

Test debut ziaur Rahman (Bangladesh)

Player of the match tba

Umpires IJ Gould (England) and AL Hill (New zealand)

TV umpire O Chirombe

Match referee BC Broad (England)

Reserve umpire TJ Matibiri

SCOREBOARD

Kohli lays into ‘hateful’Mumbai crowd

ryan Cartersjoins NewSouth Wales

SPORTS DESk

Ryan Carters, the wicketkeeper-batsman whohas played 11 first-class games for Victoriaover the past three seasons, has signed arookie deal with New South Wales. Carters,who is originally from Canberra, did nothave his Cricket Victoria contract renewedand instead has joined the Blues as one of thefive rookies in their large squad for the 2013-14 summer. Batsmen Tim Cruickshank andDavid Dawson and the spinner Luke Doranhave been delisted by the Blues, who alsoconfirmed Test spinner Nathan Lyon as theirmajor interstate import. Lyon was keen toreturn home to New South Wales havingestablished himself as a domestic andinternational player with South Australia.There were no real surprises in the NewSouth Wales contract list, with the fastbowler Gurinder Sandhu predictablyupgraded to a full deal from his rookiecontract after winning the Steve WaughMedal last summer. New rookies include thewicketkeeper-batsman Jay Lenton and theleft-arm pace-bowling allrounder BenDwarshuis. “Even with seven New SouthWales players being contracted to CricketAustralia, Cricket New South Wales has stillbeen able to name a very talented contractlist for 2013/14,” John Warn, the CricketNew South Wales chairman said.

SPORTS DESk

The allrounder Daniel Christian hasbeen confirmed as Victoria’s onlyinterstate import for the 2013-14season while notable omissionsinclude Ryan Carters, whohas signed a rookie dealwith New South Wales,and Darren Pattinson.The Bushrangers havefinalised their squad fornext summer and otherplayers who have losttheir deals include StevenReid and Meyrick Buchanan,while the allrounder AndrewMcDonald has signed with SouthAustralia. As expected, the legspinnerFawad Ahmed has earned a CricketVictoria contract after bursting on tothe domestic scene in the second halfof the summer, while batsman MarcusStoinis and fast bowler RyanSidebottom have also earned deals.Louis Cameron, who made hisSheffield Shield debut last season, hasbeen given a rookie contract, alongwith Guy Walker and Matt Short.“We’re delighted with the squad thatwe have compiled,” Greg Shipperd,the Victoria coach, said. “The

acquisition of Dan Christian fromSouth Australia will bolster our list andwill provide us with an internationalallrounder who still has the capacity to

represent his country in all formatsof the game. “Fawad Ahmed

was the success story fromlast year and we’reextremely happy tohave signed him forthe next three seasons,while the likes ofStoinis, Sidebottom

and Cameron will addsignificant depth after

receiving a taste of first-class cricket.

Victoria squad Fawad Ahmed,Scott Boland, Daniel Christian,Aaron Finch, Peter Handscomb,John Hastings, Jayde Herrick,Michael Hill, Jon Holland, DavidHussey, Alex Keath, Glenn Maxwell(Cricket Australia contract), ClintMcKay (CA), James Muirhead,James Pattinson (CA), Rob Quiney,Chris Rogers, Will Sheridan, PeterSiddle (CA), Ryan Sidebottom,Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade(CA), Cameron White. RookiesLouis Cameron, Ian Holland, MattShort, Guy Walker.

Victoria confirmchristian as only import

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Monday, 29 April, 2013

16I’m very happy now but this is the

last time in my career I will have

elbow surgery — Graeme Swaan

SPORTS DESk

THE National Stadium Karachi(NSK) is a venue which hasseen history being made onmany occasions by Pakistanteams and cricketers of the past

and the present but since the April 20, 2013the stadium in the City of Lights has becomethe scene of another important cricketingevent.

Frustrated by the perceivedineffectiveness of the country’s fast bowlingresources and with an eye towards the fastapproaching Champions Trophy in Englandthis summer and beyond, the Pakistan CricketBoard (PCB) has asked one of the finest fastbowlers ever, Wasim Akram, to spend timewith the nation’s top fast bowlers and impartvaluable bowling tips and advice regarding theart of pace bowling.

The ongoing 10-day camp is featuring thetop names in Pakistan’s fast bowling arsenalsuch as Junaid Khan, Mohammed Irfan, RahatAli and Ehsan Adil as well as some ofPakistan’s best young pace bowlers. Inaddition, the camp has invited some of the topperformers in domestic circuit headlined bythe prolific Asad Ali who in an exclusiveinterview with PakPassion.net, spoke abouthis interaction with Wasim Akram, hisexperience of touring with the national side,playing domestically with Sui Northern GasPipelines Limited (SNGPL) alongsidePakistan’s top international players and hishopes of being selected to play in theChampions Trophy in England this summer.

Along with his fast bowling partnerWaqar Younis, the legendary Akram in hisheyday was capable of destroying any battingorder at his whim. Having a personality of thisstature offer one-on-one coaching is a dreamthat the participants of the PCB-UFONE FastBowler’s camp are now living at the NSK. It’stherefore no surprise that Asad Ali isoverjoyed at this opportunity. “The camp isgoing very well. I am very thankful to the PCBfor this initiative and to all those who put a lotof effort to make this coaching camp happen.To have a legend like Wasim Akram, whosereputation is famous throughout the world andfor the PCB to bring such a respected name tocome and work with the top bowlers inPakistan is a wonderful experience.”

“I feel very lucky to be working withWasim Akram, to spend valuable time with

him. Who knows when I will be able to workwith him again? It could be a once in a lifetimeopportunity. It’s wonderful for the PCB toarrange this and it’s a great achievement,especially given it’s the first camp of this kindthat the PCB has organised.”

To cynics of such coaching clinics, a mere10-day camp is no substitute for a longer termplan of attack to fix issues with techniques andto learn tricks of the trade from the Maestro.However to Asad , the 10 days he is spendingin the company of Akram is proving to beimmeasurable in terms of providing feedbackon specific aspects of his bowling - advice thatcould greatly enhance his chances ofbecoming a successful bowler at internationallevel.

“My aims for the 10-day camp are to learnas much as I can from Wasim Akram. As abowler you may never have this opportunityagain and I don’t want to waste a minuteduring the camp. Every day there is somethingnew to be learnt from the great man. Wasimdoes group sessions for the boys as well as oneto one discussions which are proving to bevery beneficial. Wasim gave me some greatpieces of advice; bowl from closer to thestumps and utilise my height by using a high-arm action and to ensure I release the ball atthe right point in my delivery stride. These areall minor yet important adjustments. He(Wasim) told me that with my bowling action,the closer I get to the stumps, the more wicketsI’ll take. Wasim has encouraged me a lot andhis feedback has been great both from atechnical perspective and as a confidenceboost. Wasim stated to me that I had impressedhim and that my bowling would improvefurther with the aforementioned adjustments.”

“Wasim also said he did not see anybenefit in changing my action, but he didadvise me on the employment of certaintechniques that could make a big difference.The pieces of advice he’s provided me withhave already had a significant impact. Despiteexperiencing success in the last six years, I feelthe advice I received from Wasim Akram hasenhanced my bowling further and boosted myconfidence. I will certainly aim to utilise thisadvice going forward and become an evenbetter bowler.”

Although he is yet to play an internationalgame, Asad is no stranger to big gamepressure, having been a member of the squadwhich toured India in the iconic series at theend of last year, followed by an even tougher

tour of South Africa in the first quarter of thisyear. He has fond memories of both tours andfeels that inexperienced players can learn a lotabout the game in the field even as non-participants. “To represent your country andbe selected in a squad of just 15 boys is a hugehonour. I thank the Almighty for providing mewith the opportunity, I am very lucky. When Iwent to India, I gained some great experienceon that tour, particularly of crowd pressure andwhat it means both off and on the field. TheIndia tour was most enjoyable. The Indianpeople love cricket, there were huge crowdsboth in the hotel and on the streets andeverywhere we went, but regrettably, we werenot allowed to go out unescorted during thetour. But having said that it was a brilliantexperience.”

At 24, being on the verge of selection,many others would be drowning themselvesin self-pity but Asad has other plans. In thecurrent season playing for the domesticSNGPL team, Asad’s tremendous record hasmarked him for future honours. He has taken61 wickets at 19.7 in First-Class cricket thisseason, including taking five wickets in aninnings on five occasions and 10 wickets in amatch twice and experienced similar success

in 2011/12. In one-day domestic cricket, hetook 19 wickets at 19 apiece and has betteredthat by taking 23 wickets at 15 in T20s. Heputs down this run of good form to help fromthe Almighty and his own work and thesupport of his team mates. The fact that he hashad the chance to play alongside some of thetop international names such as Misbah-ul-Haq, Mohammed Hafeez has he feelsenhanced his confidence even further.

“I set myself some challenging goals priorto the commencement of the recent season. Iwanted to be the top-wicket taker in at leastone of the formats, whether that be One-Daymatches, T20s, or the longer version of thegame, with the hope that I would be selectedfor the national side in at least one format! I’veended up being the most successful bowler notjust in one format, but two - T20s and the fiftyover format. This year my T20 side FaisalabadWolves won the Faysal Bank Super Eight T-20 Cup and I was awarded the title of bestbowler. I then played for Sui Northern GasPipelines (SNGPL) who also won the one daytitle. I was awarded the best bowler in thecompetition and I was man of the match in thefinal of the President’s Cup One-DayTournament against WAPDA. As a result, my

confidence levels are very high. Also Misbah-ul-Haq has been my captain since 2006 andwe get along really well. I’ve been playingwith Mohammed Hafeez as well and that’sreally helpful for me and both thoseexperienced cricketers have been verysupportive of me over the years.”

Buoyed by the confidence of anexceptional domestic performance, Asad Aliappears focussed towards the eventual goal ofany cricketer — a chance to play in thenational side. He does admit that there is noroom for complacency and has consistentlybeen setting and achieving ambitious personaltargets.

“It is all based on setting high goals forthe season. I have been performing in the lastfour or five seasons, but I wanted this seasonto be different and more focused. I knew therewere gaps in the pace bowling department inthe national side and I feel I can fill those gaps.I wanted to perform, to impress the selectors,to take so many wickets that I couldn’t beignored. I have been able to perform, I havebeen on two tours [India and South Africa]with the national side due to my high levels ofperformance. I did not want to leave any roomfor complacency — I was utterly focused onsucceeding this season and the results are therefor all to see.”

The PCB’s main objective in theorganization of the current 10-day camp undersupervision of Wasim Akram was to preparepotential squad members for the prestigiousChampions Trophy in England. Whilst thelikes of Junaid Khan who has had a successfulseason for Lancashire, are no strangers toconditions in England, the PCB would havealso taken note of the fact that Asad hasestablished a very good reputation amongstclub cricketers due to series of successfulseasons. Could he now return to England aspart of the Pakistani national team thissummer? This is a thought that has crossed hismind but he remains he remains adamant thatgiven the chance he will not disappoint hiscountry or his team “I have been playing clubcricket in England for the last seven years andso I have significant experience of playingthere, I know how to utilise the Englishconditions and I will give my all if selected forthe Champions Trophy.” The Pakistan squadfor the Champions Trophy is expected to beannounced in early May and Pakistan playstheir first game of the tournament on Friday,June 7 against the West Indies at The Oval.

Asad Ali targets Champions Trophy call-up

SPORTS DESk

An emotional Jade Dernbach, in his firstmajor interview since the death of TomMaynard, his friend and Surrey team-mate,has said he was oblivious to Maynardconsuming cocaine and ecstasy hoursbefore he died. Dernbach, Rory Hamilton-Brown, who was also playing for Surreythen, and Maynard had got excessivelydrunk during a night out just hours beforethe 23-year-old Maynard was found deadon a railway line – electrocuted onthe track before being hitby a train – nearWimbledon Park.

Daily Mailquoted Dernbachsaying, “I askmyself if I shouldhave spottedsomething. Should Ihave seen the signsthat Tommy was takingdrugs? But in aprofessional environmentyou just don’t think that sort ofthing happens. Just becausesomeone is a differentcharacter, do you have to say,‘You’re a bit extrovert, do you takedrugs?’ Where do you draw the line?”Dernbach said he was aware of the factthat people expected him to know aboutMaynard’s weakness for recreationaldrugs – a fact revealed after the inquest

into Maynard’s death. “People say, ‘Why didn’t you know?’.

I understand that but hundreds of peoplecame in contact with Tommy over his lifeand nobody knew,” Dernbach told thenewspaper. “I don’t know enough aboutdrugs to understand what the signs are. Ifnobody else had an idea, why should I havedone? I’d stood next to Tom and seen himdo a drug test. It never entered my mind thathe was taking anything. The coroner said at

the inquest that

drugs can affect people in different waysand maybe Tommy was one of those peopleit was just impossible to tell with.”

A drunk Maynard had left his home,which he shared with Hamilton-Brown, tovisit his girlfriend, when the police stoppedhim for drunk driving. A nervous Maynardran from the scene only to end up dead onthe railway line. Dernbach, who had toattend training with the England cricketteam the next day, said he’d gone to bed thatnight around 2.30 or 3am. “Tommy was still

enjoying himself. Hewas in a great mood,having a sing and alittle dance as healways did. Messing

around,” Dernbachsaid.

Dernbach wasinformed of Maynard’saccident close to 7 am. “I

was throwing 20 millionquestions around my head

and saying to Rory, ‘Couldthis have happened or could

that have happened?’ We weretrying to call Tommy’s phone

and I was texting him. The callswere going straight to answerphone

and we were starting to panic. Wekept saying to each other, ‘Hisphone’s probably dead, he’s atsomeone’s house’. That’s when we gotthat phone call and the whole worldcame crashing down.”

ShANE WATSONsays fatherhood has madehim more compassionate

JAIPUR: Shane Watson was a man in turmoil when he leftthe tour of India last month after being disciplined by theteam management but the Australian all-rounder says he

forgot his troubles as soon as he had his new-born childin his arms. Watson was one of the six Australian playerswho were suspended for a match after failing tocomplete a presentation sought by coach Mickey Arthur

during the disastrous tour which ended in a 0-4 thrashingfor the visitors. The imposing all-rounder left the tourimmediately and threatened to re-evaluate his future.

But he eventually changed his mind and came backto lead the side in the absence of an injured

Michael Clarke. Watson said while athome, as soon as he held his newbornson, Will, his mind was “cleared of allthe past troubles and helped him focuson future” “Having children is one ofthe most beautiful things in the world.I have a boy baby now and that hasmade me more compassionate,” saidthe Aussie, who is currently playing

for the Rajasthan Royals. The cricketersaid being a father had helped him

move on from the “fracturedrelationships” in the team, the infamous

‘homework-gate’ and a publicdenouncement that he was not always a

team-man. On the eve of their match againstRoyal Challengers, Watson was here for

promotional event in association with SantokabaDurlabhji Hospital. “It is a great to be here andrepresent Rajasthan Royals in the Cleft CareCentre at SDMH. I have played for a few teams

back home but Jaipur crowd is like a homecrowd here. AGENCIES

Didn’t expect Maynardto do drugs: Dernbach

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sPortsS

Monday, 29 April, 2013

17If the right player comes along you have to be prepared

to make a move, I can find room for anybody here as

long as they have the required quality — Alex Ferguson

nEW YORkAGENCIES

DANNY Garcia won a hard-fought unanimous decisionover veteran Zab Judah toretain his WBA Super, WBCand Ring Magazine light-

welterweight titles.In the co-feature, at the Barclays Center

in Brooklyn, Peter Quillin outworkedFernando Guerrero to retain his WBOmiddleweight World Championship via aseventh round technical knockout.

While both fighters started slow in afeeling-out process, Garcia began to gainmomentum, visibly hurting Judah for thefirst time in the fifth.

In the eighth round Garcia landed acrisp straight right hand that sent Judah tothe canvas. The punch seemed to awakensomething within the crafty Judah whoturned the fight around in the 10th round.

A frantic pace ensued with both menbloody, battered and slugging their wayright to the closing bell, but it was too littletoo late for Judah. Garcia’s powerful righthand and his mental fortitude were thedifferences in the fight.

When the final bell rang, the twocombatants embraced each other putting anend to their bitter pre-fight feud. Garcia wasannounced the victor and still champion in

the third defence of his unified world titlesby scores of 115-112, 114-112, 116-111.

After the fight Garcia (26-0, 16 KO’s)praised Judah, saying, “It was a hell of afight. I had to beat the Brooklyn guy in hishometown. I knew he had a lot of pridebehind him and he was never going to giveup. He is a crafty veteran with power. He hitme with a good shot. He hit me in the 11thwith a left hand that spun me around. Itshook me up a little bit.”

He continued: “I am a true championand I had to fight through a storm tonight toprove that. Judah is the craftiest andstrongest guy that I have fought so far. I

knew he had a lot of power with the left, butI was able to stand my ground and counterit. My game plan was to try to use the jab,but he was stepping around. He was craftyand he took my jab away so I had to do whatI had to do.” Referring to the bad bloodbetween the two fighters, Garcia said, “It’sgone. It’s respect. As you can see, it’s a lotof bad blood. I’ve got cuts. He has cuts. Wecame here and gave the people of Brooklyna nice show.”

Speaking on his performance, Judah(42-8, 29 KO’s) said, “It’s boxing and thingshappen. You win some, you lose some.Danny is a young, tough fighter. I was on

my A-game tonight. I worked hard. I had agreat training camp and we gave it our bestshot.”

When asked if this would be his lastfight Judah emphatically responded,“You’re going to see me fight again. Whywould I quit?”

In the first defence of his world title,Quillin (29-0, 21 KO’s), delighted thecrowd with a devastating performance.

Dominant from the first round, Quillinsent Guerrero to the canvas four times withthe fourth knockdown prompting thereferee to call the fight at the 1:30 mark ofthe seventh round. After the win, Quillinreflected on his preparation and the fightitself saying, “It’s the journey that is themost important. I have to thank Fernandofor coming up, but he couldn’t do it. I hadto do it for New York City.

“There is no concern when you aretrying to stick to the gameplan. I believed inwhat my corner was telling me. I value theiropinion and Fernando came. This wasn’t afight that was made because we thought thatI could beat Fernando Guerrero. He cameand had the opportunity. I’m very thankful.

“I’m inspired by my team. It’s alwaysworking to try to do your best. I wasworking hard to do my best. I put myselfthrough a hard training camp to try to cometo this fight and try to look like superman.The sky is the limit.”

garcia and Quillin retain titles

toni nadal supports raising rafa’s seeding at roland GarrosSPORTS DESk

Toni Nadal, the uncle and coach of RafaelNadal, tells El Periodico de Aragon that ifRoland Garros decides to raise the seven-timeFrench Open champion’s seeding he wouldn’tmind. Nadal is currently ranked No. 5, justbehind David Ferrer. “If they choose to do it, [it]will be good for Rafa and it doesn’t not seembad to me,” Toni Nadal said. Hall of Famer JohnMcEnroe told TENNIS.com he believes Nadalshould be the top seed for the French Open.Both Toni and Rafael Nadal have advocated atwo-year ranking system, partly to protect therankings and seeding of top level players whobecome injured. “Rafa has won seven titles in Paris and he lost his ranking because he has spent seven monthsoff the courts,” Toni Nadal said. “This would not happen if the rankings were made up of the results over twoyears. It’s not logical that [Juan Martin] del Potro was injured for one year and fell to No. 700 and had to startagain. That is not good for tennis or for the show.”

Almagro finds

calm at home

SPORTS DESk

Nicolas Almagro discusses his decision to leave hislong-time coach Jose Perlas because he wanted to beclose to his niece and nephew. Perlas is based inBarcelona and Almagro wanted to return to hishometown of Murcia. The world No. 12 is now coachedby Samuel Lopez and at times by former No 1 JuanCarlos Ferrero. “I needed to see them every day and Ifound it very hard to stay away,” Almagro told MundoDeportivo. “I talked to Perlas, and it was a difficultdecision, but I could almost see my family every day.Being around them makes me very tranquil.” Almagrowill face Rafael Nadal in the Barcelona final onSunday; Nadal has won all nine of their prior meetings.Lopez said that Almagro’s reputation for being a hothead does not mean that he is unstable. “I would notdescribe him as a crazy goat, but a player with a strongcharacter,” Lopez said. “In Spain we have not had many[like that], but there are many in tennis history, peoplelike McEnroe, Connors, Ivanisevic and Safin who alsobroke rackets. “Everyone expresses things in their ownway, but Nico continues to evolve in controlling hisemotions. There are moments of tension, but you haveto live with them. Slowly he is dominating thesesituations and so he becomes better player.”

del Potro withdraws from

Portugal Open; Ferrer steps inSPORTS DESk

Juan Martin del Potro has withdrawn from nextweek’s Portugal Open with a stomach illness. WorldNo. 4 David Ferrer, who was upset by DmitryTursunov in his opening match in Barcelona lastweek, has taken a wild card into the event andbecomes the top seed. It will be Ferrer’s fourthappearance at the tournament. Stanislas Wawrinka isthe second seed. Portugal’s Gastao Elias and PedroSousa were also awarded wild cards. France’s MarionBartoli is the top seed on the women’s side.

SAvAnnAHAGENCIES

Roger Chapman and Jay Don Blake teamed toshoot an 11-under 61 on Saturday to take aone-stroke lead in the Champions Tour’sLegends of Golf better-ball tournament.Chapman and Blake were 17 under. The teamsof Bernhard Langer-Tom Lehman, Brad Faxon-Jeff Sluman, Scott Hoch-Jim Gallagher Jr., CraigStadler-Kirk Triplett and Brad Faxon-JeffSluman were tied for second. “The way it’s allbunched up, it’s all set up for somebody toshoot really low,” Lehman said. “Like a 60. Or a59.” The winning teams have shot a 10-under62 or better in the final round each of the last

four years. Chapman and Blake bring anothing-to-lose attitude into the finale. The twocredited another of their Saturday playingpartners, Peter Jacobsen, for their second-round run. Jacobsen, teaming with D.A.Weibring, birdied six of his first eight holes andcreated “momentum” for all four players in thegroup. Chapman parlayed the positive vibesinto six straight birdies to start the secondnine. Blake added a birdie at No. 8, a par 3 andtheir 17th hole of the day, courtesy of a 40-footbunker shot. “We made the turn, and I justkind of wanted to get in the golf cart and watchRoger,” Blake said. Chapman’s been worthwatching for almost a year now. He won hissenior tour debut last May in the Senior PGA

Championship and won again two months laterat the U.S. Senior Open. The 54-year-oldEnglishman made more money in 12Champions Tour events in 2012, $1.02 million,than in the previous four years playing on theEuropean senior circuit combined. “He may nothave won a whole lot, but he’s been a goodplayer for a long time. He’s never been aslouch,” said Lehman, who along with Langerwill play with Chapman and Blake in the finalgroup. “He just maybe lacked that littlesomething extra to get over the top. And Ithink he’s found it.” Sam Snead and GardnerDickinson won the inaugural event in 1978 atOnion Creek in Austin, Texas, sparking interestthat led to the creation of the senior tour.

chapman,Blake leadchampions’better-ballevent

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GEO SUPERRoyals v RCB at Jaipur

03:30 PMMum Indians v Kings XI at Mumbai

07:30 PM

GEO SUPERRoyals v RCB at Jaipur

03:30 PMMum Indians v Kings XI at Mumbai

07:30 PM

sPorts SMonday, 29 April, 2013

18The situation is clear: I apologised to everyone straight

after the game, including Ljajic. It’s over and has been over

since the 90th minute of that match — Delio Rossi

wAtCh It LIve

STUTTGART: Maria Sharapova beat Li Na 6-4,

6-3 on Sunday to defend her WTA Porsche

Grand Prix title in a final that brought

together the last two French Open

champions. The top-seeded Russian swept to

her second title of the year after winning in

Indian Wells, and became the first player to

defend the Stuttgart title since Lindsey

Davenport in 2005. Sharapova used the

Stuttgart tournament as her clay-court debut

just like last season, when she went on to

capturing the

French Open. The

second-seeded Li

double-faulted on

match point and

had another one

earlier in the

final game.

Sharapova,

who was

recently named

as a brand ambassador

for Porsche, collected the

29th title of her career and

a sports car to go with it.

AGENCIES

ShArAPOvArolls past li inPorsche GrandPrix final

SHEffIELDAGENCIES

Former world light-welterweight championAmir Khan had to climb off the canvas tokeep on course for a shot at the division’schampions by out-pointing Julio Diaz onSaturday.

Khan, 26, was floored in the fourthround and looked on the brink of anotherknockdown in the 11th of a thrillingcatchweight (143 pounds) 12-round non-titlecontest with Mexican Diaz at the MotorpointArena in Sheffield.

In Khan’s first performance back onBritish soil for two years, the 2004 Olympicsilver medallist triumphed by scores of 114-113, 115-113 and 115-112 in a close fight.

Khan improved his record to 28 winsand three defeats, while Diaz suffered hiseighth career defeat in a 49-fight career. Itwas another thrilling encounter the Britonwas involved in but as exciting as he is, healso showed he is still vulnerable. Khan,from Bolton in northern England, can nowremain hopeful of a rematch with eitherDanny Garcia or Lamont Peterson, theAmericans who have beaten him in the lasttwo years.

Promoters Golden Boy had told Khanvictory would propel him to a shot at thelight-welterweight division’s undisputedworld champion later this year. Garcia was

due to defend his World Boxing Council(WBC) and World Boxing Association(WBA) titles against Zab Judah hours afterKhan had finished with Diaz, while LamontPeterson is set to defend his InternationalBoxing Federation (IBF) belt againstArgentina’s Lucas Matthysse on May 18.The winners of Garcia-Judah and Peterson-Matthysse will then meet, and Khan hopesto now face the victor of that unificationfight. Khan made a measured start andformer world lightweight king Diaz, 33, didnot land a single meaningful blow in theopening round as the Briton fired out his jabbefore darting out of range.

It was a pattern that Khan repeated in thesecond, attacking with three punch clustersrather than jumping in with big punches thatwould leave him open. But in the fourth roundKhan did leave himself open and Diaz seizedthe chance, with two cuffing left hookssending the home hero down. Khan bouncedup at the count of three and did not lookseriously hurt before sensibly getting on hisbike to ride out the rest of the round. Khan wasbetter in the fifth and sixth rounds, landingsome big blows that left Diaz cut by the cornerof the right eye. But Diaz was alwaysdangerous and Khan looked vulnerable againas it turned into a brawl in the eighth.

kubica confirmsF1 simulator test

Robert Kubica has confirmed that hehas driven in the Mercedes Formula 1simulator. Reports emerged last weekthat the Pole, who was in rally actionin the European Rally Championshipthis weekend, has spent some time inthe Brackley-based team’s simulator.Rally Azores, Kubica confirmed thathe had driven in the simulator but hedid not want to comment much furtheron it. “I can say yes, I was there,” hesaid. “But I cannot say how manytimes or how many laps I did. “Butthere is this rumour to which I say,yes, I was in the Mercedes F1simulator in the past.” Kubica has aclose relationship with new Mercedesmotorsport boss Toto Wolff, whohelped arrange a DTM test for him inFebruary. That test resulted in Wolffsaying that if Kubica ever wants toreturn to circuit racing, he would“love to work with him”. Kubica wascoy on the subject of him returning tothe Mercedes F1 simulator in thefuture, and he responded to reportsthat said he was spotted by a rivalteam member at Heathrow airport onhis way to the Mercedes factory. Whenasked if he will drive there again,Kubica said: “Maybe, I don’t know.“But it’s not that every time someonesees me at Heathrow airport I amgoing to Mercedes. “I am also atHeathrow for different reasons, itdoesn’t always have to be aconnection with that.” SPORTS DESK

gEnEvAAGENCIES

Chris Froome sealed the Tour de Romandietitle after finishing third in the final stage, an18.7km time trial in Geneva.Froome, who carried a 47-second advantageof Simon Spilak of Slovakia after four stages,extended that lead by seven seconds in thetime trial, which was won by specialist TonyMartin (Omega Pharma-QuickStep).

Martin’s time of 21:07 was 16 seconds clearof Adriano Malori (Lampre-Merida), withTeam Sky’s Froome 34 seconds off the leadingtime.Rui Costa (Movistar) rounded out the overallpodium in Switzerland.The Tour de Romandie is one of the markersof form ahead of the Tour de France. Last yearBradley Wiggins won the race before going onto seal Le Tour, while the year before CadelEvans of Australia won both events.

Froome winstour de romandie

Khan picks himselfup to beat Diaz

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Published by Arif Nizami at Plot # 7, Al-Baber Centre, F/8 Markaz, Islamabad.

Monday, 29 April, 201319

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