E-paper PakistanToday 6th April, 2012

LAHORESTAff RepoRT

PReSIDeNT Asif Ali Zardari on Thursdaylaunched a scathing attack on oppositionPakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leadersNawaz Sharif and his brother Shahbaz Sharif,saying they were ‘mohajirs’ in Lahore and were

enjoying power because of his Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).Addressing a gathering of PPP workers at the Governor’s Househere, Zardari, who is the co-chairman of PPP, took swipes at theSharif brothers and said they had “no political future”. Zardarifurther said: “Lahore is not a stronghold of the Sharifs and wewill prove this in the coming elections”. Lahore is PPP’s city andthe Sharif brothers were living there as “mohajirs” (migrants), hesaid. “We know how brave the Sharif brothers are. They have nopolitical future”. In a stinging personal attack, Zardari said thebrothers could not muster enough followers for the “funeral oftheir father”. “The Sharifs did not even have enough shoulders tocarry the funeral of their father. The dead body of Mian Sharifhad to be taken to Data Darbar,” said Zardari. The Sharifs were inexile in Saudi Arabia when their father died and his burial was doneunder strict security arrangements put in place by the formermilitary regime of Pervez Musharraf. Zardari claimed the “shinethat the Sharif brothers have” was given by him and that he could“take it away any time”. He said the PPP would form thegovernment in Punjab, the country’s most populous province,after winning the 2013 elections. The PPP will contest the nextelection in Punjab with its coalition partner, the PML-Q, he said.

islamabad — peshawar edition Friday, 6 april, 2012 Jamadi-ul-awal 13, 1433rs15.00 Vol ii no 279 22 pages

PAGE | 22 PAGE | 04

No action will be takenagainst nationalinterest,says Gilani

US drone attacks fromAfghanistan to end

after 2014: Afghan FMPAGE |03

Pakistan beingpresented to Bilawalas a kingdom: Nisar

Zardari

lunges at

the sharifsg President says he gave Sharif brothers‘the shine and can take it back any time’g Sanaullah says President Zardari resorted to ‘lowly act’

KARACHISTAff RepoRT

At least seven people, including five policemen, were killedand 14 others injured in a suicide bombing and anothertargeted attack in the violence-hit city on Thursday. Thebomb targeted a senior superintendent of police in Malir Haltarea of the troubled district. Sources said SSP Rao Anwar waspatrolling with his squad when a bomber rammed hisexplosives-laden motorbike into an Armored PersonnelCarrier in the convoy. As a result four people, including twopolicemen, were killed and 14 were injured in the explosion.“The attack targeted me. I was moving with my squad inMalir Halt district when the explosion took place. I amunhurt, but some of my men have been injured,” Anwar said.The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has claimedresponsibility for the suicide attack. Several nearby shops andbuildings were also damaged due to the intensity of the blast.Rescue teams reached the spot and kicked off relief effortswhile police and Rangers cordoned off the area. The injuredwere shifted to the emergency unit at Jinnah Hospital. PIB COLONY SHOOTING: In the other attack, threepolicemen, an ASI among them, were gunned down early onThursday morning in PIB Colony area. Officials said thethree policemen, identified as ASI Dhani Bux, head constableRamzan and constable Nisar, were performing their duties inPIB Colony when unidentified attackers opened fire on them.

ISLAMABADTAHIR NIAz

Former director general of the Inter-Ser-vices Intelligence (ISI) General AhmadShuja Pasha on Thursday stood by his af-fidavit submitted in the Supreme Courtearlier, and dispelled the impression of apossible military coup after the May 2 Ab-bottabad raid, saying had there been sucha plan, the ISI would have known of it.

In his cross examination, the formerDG ISI said that he was not convincedwhen Husain Haqqani, during a meetingat the Prime Minister’s House, chal-lenged the screen shots of Mansoor Ijaz’sblackberry as fake. “It was just a state-ment by Haqqani and no body had ac-cess to his blackberry sets to ascertainthe veracity of his statement,” he added.

In reply to a question, Pasha said thathe had no reason to agree with Haqqani’scounsel Zahid Bukhari’s suggestion that

Manoor Ijaz had prepared a plot (in theform of the memorandum) to malign theISI, Army and Pakistan. To another ques-tion, Pasha said what he saw on thescreen of Ijaz’s handset (BBMs ex-changed between Haqqani and Ijaz) didnot look fabricated, adding that the mat-ter could be better judged by a forensicexpert. Pasha endorsed Ijaz’s testimonyabout their meeting at Park Lane Hotelin London. “Mansoor Ijaz showed me theblackberry messages exchanged betweenhim and ambassador Haqqani,” headded. As Haqqani did not appear beforethe commission, it observed that the for-mer ambassador to the US was “in dis-obedience of the tribunal’s orders”, andrejected his application for adjournmentas an “unjustified demand”.

no coup was planned after May 2 raid: Pashag Former DG iSi says

Haqqani could not convince him on thescreen shots ofMansoor ijaz’sBlackberry handset

7 killed as police targeted in Karachi

continued on page 04



g SSP escapes unhurt

as suicide bomber

kills two

policemen,

two civilians

in attack

on convoy

g Three

policemen

gunned down

in PIB Colony

pictures | page 28

KARACHI: Men mourn their dead relatives at the

Jinnah Hospital mortuary after an attack on the

squad of a senior police officer on Thursday. online

ISB 06-04-2012_Layout 1 4/6/2012 2:05 AM Page 1

02Friday, 6 April, 2012

News

Today’s

lookQuick

iSLAMABAD

Story on Page 09

NeWS

Story on Page 06

CArtooN

Page 13

out-of-order ATMs creating problems for customers With $10m on his head, militant leader taunts US

Girl gets 34 years for throwing

acid on ex-fiance’s fatherFAISALABAD: An Anti-Terrorism Court in Faisalabad handeddown a 34-year imprisonment to Rukhsana, a girl who threw acidon her ex-fiancé’s father after her engagement was called off by herin-laws. Rukhshana, who had been arrested on November 10, 2010,was engaged to Shehzad and their engagement was broken byShehzad’s family due to unknown reasons. After some time, on theevening of Shehzad’s mehndi, the girl reached his house in order to‘avenge’ the humiliation and had a scuffle with his family. Shehzad’sfather Akhtar Razzaq tried to stop the girl and in her defense, shethrew acid on Razzaq’s face, leaving him blind in one eye. INp

Punjab govt mulling detaining

Hafiz Saeed, LakhviLAHORE: The government of Punjab is seriously consideringto detain religious leaders Hafiz Muhammad Saeed and hissecond-in-command Abdur Rehman Lakhvi after the USannounced bounty on Saeed the other day. Pakistan is introuble after the announcement of a $10 million bounty for thechief of Jamatud Dawa (JD), a religious organization based onAhl Hadith school of thought. The security of the leader hasalready been extended as fears have risen over the threat to hislife. Sources in the Punjab Home Department said it had beeninformed to the JD leaders to limit their activities. “Initiallythey would be detained for 30 days and if they were not takenin custody, the US could take a step to harm them,” theyrevealed. “President Asif Ali Zardari will go to India in thecoming days. And before his tour, the US deputy foreignminister announced in Spain that it might be possible that theywould ask Zardari to arrest Hafiz Saeed,” he sources said.“Before the arrest demand, pressure could be increased toforce Zardari to give any statement about arrest during hisIndian tour,” the sources added. NNI

Dust storm uproots PML-N’s

public rally in Mirpur MIRPUR: The inaugural convention of the Pakistan MuslimLeague-Nawaz AJK chapter was uprooted, forcing its chiefNawaz Sharif to leave the venue without addressing the rally.Nawaz Sharif faced the situation as he appeared to give hisaddress. The dust storm uprooted tents, which compelled theaudience to leave the venue. earlier, in his few openingremarks of address, Sharif thanked the organisers, especiallythe newly-elected PML-N AJK President Raja Farooq HaiderKhan for managing the first-ever public rally in AJK. App

Chief of Janikhel Wazir tribe,

aide shot dead in Bannu PESHAWAR: Khalid Khan Wazir, a leading tribal elder fromFrontier Region Janikhel Bannu, and one of his aides was shotdead by unidentified men in Bannu district on Thursday.Khalid Khan, chief of Janikhel Wazir tribe, and his aide MalikNoor Zaali Khan were waiting for someone in a car in MohallaNawab near Ghalla Mandi, Bannu. After some time, a youngboy approached them and opened fire on them with a pistol.Both Khalid Khan and his accomplice were killed on the spot.Khan had played key role in signing of several agreements andreconciliation pacts between the government and militantssince 2005. He was a cousin of MPA Adnan Wazir. Adnan gotelected as an independent candidate in 2008 general electionsbut later joined the ANP. STAff RepoRT

KARACHIAfTAb CHANNA

WITH strong and direct inter-ference into the Sindh govern-ment’s affairs, particularlyland affairs, a famous relativeof President Asif Ali Zardari-

Owais Ahmed alias Tappi-and the Sindh LocalGovernment Minister Agha Siraj Durrani are atloggerheads over the direct interference of thepresident’s relative into the latter’s department,Pakistan Today has learnt.

In a recent case, influential Tappi with thehelp of his close friend Secretary Services IqbalDurrani, who is son-in-law of Sindh Chief MinisterSyed Qaim Ali Shah, made Durrani powerless astwo separate notifications were issued by Iqbal’soffice authorising commissioners, deputy com-missioners for dealing finances of district admin-istrations. Through the notification last week,financial powers were given to commissioners anddeputy commissioners, making the minister pow-erless before government officials. Durrani is deal-ing all matters himself even transfer and postingsof officials, sources told Pakistan Today.

According to Rules of Business of the Sindh

government, a major notification is always issuedwith consultation of the concerned minister withthe chief minister. The secretary services isbound to follow the instruction and issue the no-tification. However, in this case, Iqbal Durrani is-sued the notification without the consent of chiefminister or the minister and just honoured hisfriend Tappi, sources added.

Hearing the news of transfers of financialpowers from local administration to commission-ers and deputy commissioners, the minister ap-proached the chief minister and talked about thematter. However, it was surprising for the min-ister when he came to know that Qaim was un-aware of the major development in the province,made by Tappi and his lobby.

After all this development, Durrani issuedverbal orders to all district officials to keep theirfinancial powers unless the matter was decidedby higher authorities. During PresidentZardari’s visit a few days ago, Durrani took upthe matter and lodged a strong protest beforethe president who had reportedly called upTappi and instructed him not to interfere intoprovincial affairs. However, Tappi is continuingthe same with the hidden support of FaryalTalpur, sources disclosed.

KARACHI: Security personnel collect evidence from the scene of a suicide bombing on the squad of a senior police official on Thursday. online

Tappi, Siraj at oddsover LG issues?g Minister complains to president on his relative’s directinterference in LG affairs

Abducted Pakistaniteen starved todeath in Greece

ATHENSAfp

A Pakistani youth was starved to deathin Greece after being held to ransom bykidnappers for over more than months,the semi-state Athens News Agencyreported on Thursday, citing policesources. The 17-year-old had been founddead by relatives in January on a streetbench in west Athens following a tip-offfrom the kidnappers who had helpedbring him to Greece in the first place.Police said that the teenager had beenheld captive from October 2010 andmalnourished to force his family tomake a payment of 5,500 euros($7,200). But even though the moneywas paid, the kidnappers demandedmore, ANA said. The police arrested a24-year-old Pakistani man who allegedlyconducted the ransom negotiations as asuspect and are seeking another seven,the agency said. Greece, currently in thethroes of a major economic crisis, is animportant hub for clandestine migrantsto europe from Turkey and the Middleeast. Pakistan is one of the maincountries of provenance. Smugglerscharge a high price to bring migrantsand refugees to Greece by plane,speedboat or truck and those whosurvive a perilous journey usually endup heavily in debt to the gangs.



News

Articles on Page 12-13

ForeiGN NeWS

Story on Page 18

ArtS & eNtertAiNMeNt

Story on Page 15

SPortSRehabilitation process begins for Aamir

Story on Page 18

Saudi rules out sending women athletes to London Rihanna: Chris brown violence ‘gave me guns’

CoMMeNtbreaking the stalemate?No other way outDigging gravesA necessity

Qudssia Akhlaque says:

Khawaja Manzar Amin says:The O Scar Awards 2012: Let’s hand them out on April 1st, not March 23rd

Taimoor Ashraf says:On the PTI troll: Tolerate them, for they know not what they do

Bizarre ‘bounty’ business: Highhandedness, US-style

ISLAMABADApp

FeDeRAL Information Minis-ter Dr Firdous Aashiq Awan onThursday criticised OppositionLeader Chaudhry Nisar Ali forusing un-parliamentary lan-

guage against PPP Chairman Bilawal

Bhutto Zardari.Talking to journalists outside the Par-

liament House, Firdous said that Nisarmust avoid giving such statements againstPPP leaders, as they hurt the party parlia-mentarians and workers. “Bilawal is not anordinary person, he is an elected chairmanof the biggest political party of the country.PPP’s Central executive Committee hadelected him and he is also enjoying themandate of the nation,” she added. Theminister said the PPP knew that from wherethe opposition leaders were getting bene-fits. The children of Nisar hate Pakistan asthey do not have Pakistani passports andcitizenship while Bilawal is a Pakistani na-tional, she added.

She said, “The sons of Nawaz Sharif andNisar are spending the looted money ofPakistani nation in London and other for-eign countries”. Bilawal has a clean record,reputation and impeachable character, sheadded. Responding to a question, she saidthe apex court must correct historical mis-takes. The minister said the governmentwanted to evolve consensus on the recom-mendations of the PCNS but the PML-Nwas wasting time by not taking part in thedebate on new terms of engagement withthe US.

‘Pakistan being presented to Bilawal as a kingdom’ISLAMABAD: PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is a child andPakistan is being presented to him as a personal kingdom, OppositionLeader Chaudhry Nisar Ali said on Thursday. Speaking during the jointsitting of parliament chaired by National Assembly Speaker Dr FehmidaMirza, he said that the PPP chairman did not know anything aboutpolitics and could not speak the national language of the country but hewas being given the centre stage in politics. Nisar said that parliamentshould be taken into confidence regarding President Asif Ali Zardari’svisit to India on April 8. He said that the instantaneous visit was not inconformity with the stature of the president. He said that Pakistan andIndia had sensitive relations, adding that New Delhi treated Pakistanlike ‘Achoot’ (untouchable) and was not ready to send its cricket team toPakistan. The PML-N leader said that Zardari was not a common manand should keep in view country’s dignity and honour. INp

Mind your tongue,

Firdous tells nisar

ISLAMABADSTAff RepoRT

Applications were filed in the SupremeCourt on Thursday for early hearing ofpending petitions relating to increase inPOL prices with a plea that procrastinationin hearing of the matter will cause greatereconomic loss to the general public.

The applications were filed by IkramChaudhry, counsel for PML-N SecretaryGeneral Iqbal Zafar Jhagra and BashirChaudhry, seeking court’s attention to fixcases for hearing during next week fromApril 9. An application for early hearing wasfiled by Bashir Chaudhry, whose petitionwas pending in which he had challenged thepetroleum levy in 2011, imposed in result ofa presidential ordinance. He had requestedthe court to declare the Petroleum PricesOrdinance void ab initio and ultra vires of

the constitution and law. The petition wasfiled under Article 184(3) of the constitu-tion, making the federation through the sec-retary of law and justice, the secretary of theMinistry of Petroleum and OGRA, throughits chairman, as respondents.

Another application for early hearingwas filed on behalf of Jhagra, who had chal-lenged in 2009 unbridled hike in oil price. Inhis application, Jhagra pleaded that the re-port of Judicial Commission headed by Jus-tice (r) Rana Bhagwandas on irregularities inthe fixation of prices of POL in the matterwas not implemented in letter and in spirit.While making a request for hearing the mat-ter during next week, Ikram requested thecourt that the general public importancematter was involved in the petition and if thecase was not fixed for early hearing, the gen-eral public will suffer from greatest economichardships ever conceived.

SC moved to resume hearing of

petitions against fuel price hike

LONDONAfp

A British man hailed as a hero after he ap-pealed for calm during the riots that killed hisson last summer was handed a 12-month sus-pended jail sentence on Thursday for breakinga man’s jaw.

Tariq Jahan, whose son Haroon was oneof three men of South Asian origin killed whenriots rocked Britain’ second city Birminghamlast August, was found guilty of attacking a fac-tory worker he accused of staring at his wife.The 46-year-old broke Sajjid Ali’ jaw duringthe argument on July 6, Birmingham CrownCourt heard. Jahan claimed he had acted inself-defence after Ali headbutted him, but wasfound guilty of grievous bodily harm and given

a 12-month sentence, suspended for two years. He was cleared of the more serious charge

of causing grievous bodily harm with intent. The attack happened a month before

Jahan won national acclaim for his dignifiedresponse to the death of his son, who was hitby a car while trying to protect shops andhomes from looters. Police acknowledged thatit was only Jahan’s emotional plea for peacethat saved the area from an eruption of inter-ethnic violence, after young Asian men vowedto take revenge for the killings.

“I don’t want any of you to fight,” he hadtold an angry crowd of some 150 men on Au-gust 11 last year, hours after his son was killed.

“My son died defending the communityhe lived in. We’re part of this community soplease go home.”

British riots hero guilty ofbreaking man’s jaw



News

WAgAH: Sukhpreet Kaur (3R), the wife of Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh currently in a pakistan jail, and his daughter poonam

(4L) with baba bajrangee (C) shout slogans with others during a demonstration for Sarabjit’s release on Thursday. afP

He said, “All such issueshave to be addressedthrough legal procedures. Itis not desirable to get intopublic discussion on these is-sues.” Asked whether the UShad violated internationallaw by announcing bountyon Hafiz Saeed and AbdurRehman Makki, he said, “Iam not aware if there is anyprovision under interna-tional law regarding bountyon foreign nationals. This

needs to be checked. The UShas been making such an-nouncements. In any case, itis only the state which hasthe sole jurisdiction over itsnationals on its soil.”

To a question on Presi-dent Zardari’s upcoming visitto India, Basit said, “We areof the view that the upcom-ing meeting between Presi-dent Zardari and PrimeMinister Manmohan Singhover lunch will contribute to-wards achieving the presi-

dent’s vision to promoteintra-regional peace andprosperity in this part of theworld and we are looking for-ward for a constructive en-gagement between the twoleaders.” “Obviously duringthe lunch the issues, whichcontinue to take priority inour bilateral relations, will bediscussed,” he said.

He said as for United Na-tions Special RapporteurChristof Hynes conclusions“we cannot agree more with

him”. “It is encouraging thatthe international communityis increasing focusing on theserious human rights situa-tion in Indian occupied Kash-mir. There cannot be twoviews on the need to revokethe draconian Armed ForcesSpecial Powers Act and othersuch acts which have broughtnothing but misery to Kash-miris,” he said.

He said, “Needless to saythat the people of Jammuand Kashmir have been

struggling for their right toself-determination and noamount of repression cantake this fundamental rightaway from them.”

To a question that whenPakistan does not have anyproof against Hafiz Saeed,why had the governmentbanned Laskhar-e-Tayyabaand Jamaatud Dawa andHafiz Saeed’s entry into Is-lamabad capital territory, hesaid, “You are talking abouttwo different organizations

and individuals. I think aparallel cannot be drawn be-tween the two.”

To a question on anypossible US operationagainst Hafiz Saeed, he said,“I think the US has clarifiedit position by saying that theannouncement of bounty isfor information or evidenceagainst Hafiz Saeed andHafiz Makki, meaning thatthere is not enough evidenceyet against them. We find itsomewhat strange.”

Pakistan, UScontinued From page 22

He contended that the PPP“has votes while other par-ties have candidates andhollow slogans”. He said thePPP would continue render-ing its services to the peoplein the next tenure. He saidZulfikar Ali Bhutto and Be-nazir Bhutto had laid theirlives for the sake of democ-racy, and that the entireworld pays tribute to them.

He said the governmentwould give “real relief” tothe people and traders in

the next budget. “The prob-lem of load shedding will beresolved within threemonths,” he announced. AsZardari continued histirade against the Sharifs,he went on to say that thePPP had established the“politics of reconciliation”in the country by followingthe vision of BenazirBhutto, while strengtheningdemocracy in the country.He said the PPP would con-tinue its policy of reconcili-ation.

Reacting to the attack,Punjab Law Minister RanaSanaullah said Zardari hadresorted to a “lowly act”.

“If Zardari describes theSharif brothers as migrants,then he is surely unaware ofthe results of the past fourelections,” said Sanaullah.“It seems like he (Zardari)has gone mad. He can fore-see that he is going to faceterrible consequences,which is why he is makingsuch statements,” he added.Zardari, who has rarely

been seen in public in re-cent months, is in Lahore tointeract with PPP workersfor the first time in almosttwo years. Though he madea visit to the city last year tomeet the family of slainPunjab governor SalmaanTaseer, he did not meetparty workers at the time.When Zardari arrived in theprovincial capital onWednesday, he was not re-ceived by officials or minis-ters of the PML-Ngovernment.

Zardari lungescontinued From page 1

US admits it lacks

evidence to convict

Hafiz Saeed

LONDONNNI

The United States hasadmitted that it lacks theevidence to convict Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed ofterrorism despite slapping a$10 million bounty on hishead for his capture andconviction, UK-based DailyTelegraph reported onThursday.The decision to name Saeed,founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba,on the US State Department’smost wanted list has provokedan angry reaction in Pakistanwhere even liberalcommentators fear thatWashington was actingwithout proof in order to cosyup to archrival India. At a regular briefing, StateDepartment spokesman MarkToner was forced to clarify theUS government’s position,pointing out that the rewardwas for evidence that could beused to secure Saeed’sconviction.“We all know where he is.every journalist in Pakistanand in the region knows howto find him. But we’re lookingfor information that can beusable to convict him in acourt of law,” he said.However, he admitted that sofar the US lacked proof thatwould withstand judicialscrutiny. “There isinformation, there isintelligence that is notnecessarily usable in a court oflaw,” he said.Saeed was arrested after the2008 Mumbai attacks, whichkilled 166 people, but wasreleased in 2009 on appeal.

ISLAMABADNNI

PRIMe MinisterYousaf Raza Gilanihas said that no ac-tion will be takenagainst national in-

terest and integrity, addingthat all the issues, includingKashmir were under discus-sion with India.

Addressing a joint sessionof the parliament on Thursday,he clarified that President AsifAli Zardari was going on toIndia on a private trip.

Gilani said the presidentwould be visiting India in hispersonal capacity and the par-liament would be taken intoconfidence if discussions onany issue were held with the

Indian leadership. Respondingto the points raised by Leaderof the Opposition ChaudhryNisar Ali Khan and JUI-F chiefFazlur Rehman in the joint ses-sion of the parliament ‚ he saidPakistan had an ongoing dia-logue process with India inwhich all issues, includingKashmir‚ Siachen and waterwere being discussed.

Gilani said his Indian coun-terpart had asked him to put allthe cards on table and theymentioned Kashmir even dur-ing their joint news conference.“We are a responsible govern-ment and we will uphold thedignity and self-respect of thecountry,” Gilani said. About USannouncement of $10 millionbounty on Hafiz Saeed‚ theprime minister said he had tele-

phoned PML-N PresidentNawaz Sharif on Thursday andtook him into confidence on thegovernment’s position on theissue. The prime minister saidthis was an internal issue ofPakistan and if there was anyconcrete proof against HafizSaeed, then it should be pro-vided to Pakistan which has anindependent judiciary. Gilanipointed out that the last caseagainst Saeed was dismisseddue to lack of evidence. He saidhe had taken up the matter withUS deputy secretary of State onWednesday. “He was informedthat at a time when the parlia-ment was engaged in framingnew rules of engagement withthe United States, such negativemessages would increase thetrust deficit,” Gilani added.

KATHMANDUoNLINe

INDIAN Army chiefGen VK Singh hasdismissed as “ab-solutely stupid” a re-port that the Indian

government panicked forseveral hours in the face ofunexplained troop move-

ments near Delhi in Janu-ary.

“This is absolutely stu-pid,” Singh said on Thursdaywhen asked to comment onthe report.

“Whoever is trying tomake stories against thearmy chief is deplorable,”said Gen VK Singh, PTI re-ported.

A report in The Indianexpress had said that thegovernment was “spooked”on the night of January 16-17, because of the movementof a mechanised infantrybattallion from Haryana’sHisar and a sizeable sectionof 50 Para Brigade, creatinga storm in the government.

Prime Minister Manmo-

han Singh and Defence Min-ister AK Antony had onWednesday dismissed thestory calling it “alarmist”and “absolutely baseless”.

The Army chief is inNepal to attend the three-day Regional Seminar onNatural Disaster Manage-ment and Humanitarian As-sistance.

indian Army chief says troop

movement reports ‘stupid’

“The terrorists were betweensix and eight in number. Theyintercepted the police mobileSP-0461 and opened fired onthe patrolling party,” an officialon the spot said. He said thecops were critically injured andwere rushed to Jinnah Hospitalbut could not survive their in-

juries, adding that the as-sailants also snatched weaponsof the policemen after shootingthem down. The deceased werefrom Ferozabad police station.

Police and government of-ficials say over 50 people havelost their lives in violence overthe last 10 days, and arsonistshave set more than 50 vehiclesalight. The latest spree of vio-

lence started after renewed eth-nic and political tensions be-tween the Muttahida QaumiMovement (MQM), andAwami National Party (ANP).Both parties are PPP’s allies inthe government. The HumanRights Commission of Pakistansaid 1,715 people were killed insudden flare-ups of violence inthe city last year.

Seven killedcontinued From page 1

PHA gives April 21deadline to depositKuri road Schemedues

ISLAMABADpReSS ReLeASe

The Pakistan HousingAuthority Foundation (PHA)on Thursday advised themembers of its ongoing KuriRoad Housing Scheme todeposit the first installmentby April 21. The deadline ofApril 21 has been given by thePHA authorities to avoiddisqualification and thesmooth functioning of thescheme, says a pressstatement issued hereThursday. Managing DirectorPHA Foundation Rasul BuxPhulpoto has said that theKuri Road Housing Scheme ismeant for the officers offederal government includingex-cadre of grade 20-22.

Justice Qazi Isa, chairman ofthe memo commission, toldHaqqani’s counsel that if hisclient was ill for the last threeyears, then he should nothave taken up the importantjob of an ambassador. He fur-ther said that Haqqani hadearlier undertaken before theSupreme Court that he wouldappear before the commis-sion on a four-day noticewhenever he was summoned.

Pasha said there was nomilitary coup planned afterthe May 2 incident and addedthat this allegation was one ofthe reasons that promptedhim to go to London andmeet Mansoor Ijaz to verifywhat he had claimed in hisFinancial Times article, as itwas giving a false impressionof a tension between the mil-itary and civilian leadershipof the country. The formerISI chief said that he neededno permission to travel toLondon to meet MansoorIjaz. He said that during theirmeeting in London, Ijaz didnot mention Haqqani andPresident Asif Ali Zardari asthe authors of the allegedmemorandum.

On the contents of thememo, Pasha said that “bootson ground” and “foreigninput on the proposed na-tional security team” werethe most disturbing issues forhim than the elimination ofthe “S Wing” of the ISI. To aquestion, he said that it wasnot for him to ascertain whatIjaz was, and what he was upto, as the contents of the

memorandum were the mostimportant thing for him. “It isincorrect that the relation-ship between the civilian andmilitary leadership of thecountry was strained afterthe May 2 incident,” Pashasaid.

He said the ISI did notprobe the matter further afterbringing it to the notice of thepresident, the prime ministerand the chief of army staff, asit was a very sensitive matter,adding that if he had done so,it could have generated a lotof speculations and contro-versy.

Pasha continued that hehad held a meeting with Pres-ident Asif Ali Zardari on No-vember 18 on the memo issueand briefed him about hismeeting with Mansoor Ijaz.“I informed him (President)that the matter was very sen-sitive and needed to beprobed further,” he added.

expressing displeasure,the commission’s chairmantold Haqqani’s counsel thathis client got an appointmentfor MRI/CT tests for April 4 ata US hospital, but had not in-formed the commission aboutthe same on the last hearing ofMarch 26. “If he is so sick,how did he perform his dutiesas the ambassador of thecountry,” Justice Isa askedBukhari. “In short, he haschosen not to come. Yourclient is in disobedience of thetribunal’s orders and his ownaffidavit submitted in theSupreme Court,” he observed.earlier, Bukhari said that thematter was sub-judice beforethe Supreme Court. The com-mission, however, rejectedHaqqani’s application as an“unjustified demand”.

no coupcontinued From page 1

No action will betaken against nationalinterest: Gilani



Newsthree killed in firing after

quarrel among childrenMARDAN

INp

A police constable was killed by his cousins while his fatherwas injured in a dispute that took a serious turn afterquarrel among children at Shahbaz Garhi area onThursday. According to details, firing took place after aquarrel between sons of Nisar and Nishat in which twocousins were killed two days ago. On Thursday, accusedFarooq Azam and Zeeshan, sons of Nishat, along with theiraccomplices fired at the house of Nisar and his policeconstable son Muhammad Owais, killing Owais andinjuring Nisar. Shahbaz Garhi SHO Fazal Sher Khan alongwith police raided the hideout of the accused and arrestedthree of them along with arms.

Chaudhys call on ZardariLAHORE

STAff RepoRT

PML-Q President Senator Chaudhry Shujaat Hussainand Senior Federal Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz elahicalled on President Asif Ali Zardari at the Governor’sHouse on Thursday. Different issues confronting thecountry such as the energy crisis and the politicalstrategy for the coming elections were discussed. Theformula presented by Shujaat to resolve the energy crisiswas in particular discussed in detail. The president wasinformed that with implementation of the formula, loadshedding will be completely eliminated from citieswithin a month. The three leaders also exchanged viewson the political situation of Punjab. Sources said that thetrio also exchanged views on the coming by-electionsand evolved the strategy to contest these polls. Ifsuccessful then the formula would also be applicable forthe general elections.

Nawaz to visit Peshawar todayPESHAWAR

INp

PML-N President Nawaz Sharif will visit Peshawar today(Friday) on an important visit. According to sources,former PML-Q Khyber Pakhtunkhwa president AmirMuqam will join the PML-N along with his supporters in apress conference. Nawaz will also visit former senatorAnwar Kamal’s house to condole his death with his family.

NEW DELHIINp

Ahead of President Asif Ali Zardari’s pilgrimage tothe shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer,Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray on Thursday took adig at the Pakistani head of state, wondering howcould the prayers of those who have an “evil eye”on India could be answered.

Thackeray sought to remind Zardari, who is atthe centre of a tense stand-off between the govern-ment and the judiciary over corruption charges,that his predecessor General (r) Pervez Musharraflost power after a visit to the Sufi shrine.

“The place of worship is situated in India. Howwill the prayers of those who have an evil eye onour country be answered,” Thackeray said in aneditorial in party mouthpiece ‘Saamana’.

Thackeray said the purpose of Zardari’s visitwas not to improve relations between the twocountries or to take steps to stop “Pakistan-spon-sored” terrorism on Indian soil.

“Zardari is facing corruption charges andprospects of imprisonment after he is forced tostep down from office. There is severe anti-Zardarisentiment among the people of Pakistan.

“The last Pakistani leader to visit Ajmer Sharif

was General Musharraf. After his visit, he lostpower and had to leave his country,” Thackeraysaid and advised him to think twice before settingfoot in Delhi. Zardari is arriving in New Delhi onSunday on a “private visit” during which he willmeet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over lunchand pay obeisance at the shrine of Khwaja Moin-uddin Chishti, one of the most venerated saints inthe country.

ISLAMABADINp

CHAIRMAN of the ParliamentaryCommittee on National Security(PCNS) Mian Raza Rabbani hassaid that there has been progress inremoving reservations of various

political parties on the recommendations of thecommittee.

Talking to reporters after the committeemeeting on Thursday, Raza Rabbani said thePML-N had ended its boycott and become part ofthe committee again. He said all the amendedrecommendations would be gotten approvedfrom parliament jointly.

The PCNS chairman said the committee wasworking keeping in mind the national interest ofthe country, adding foreign pressure would not

be taken. He said another meeting of the commit-tee would be held after Friday prayers (today).

Sardar Mehtab Abbasi of the PML-N said the

party had boycotted the PCNS meeting to protestagainst the increase in POL prices.

The government has made insignificant de-crease in the prices and promised to further con-sider their reduction.

He said the PML-N had also expressed itsreservations in advance and demanded that itshould be informed about progress on the reso-lutions passed earlier. Abbasi said the US wascontinuing its pressure but resumption of NATOsupplies was not an easy matter.

JUI-F’s Maulana Fazlur Rehman said he wascommitted to its stance and would decide acourse of action when recommendations of thecommittee would be presented in the parliament.

Those who attended the meeting includedMunir Orakzai, Afrasiab Khattak, Sardar MehtabAbbasi, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Haider AbbasRizvi and Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao.

Indian Punjab desperate to importPakistani buffaloes

CHANDIGARHINp

The Indian east Punjab government hasforwarded a proposal to the externalAffairs Ministry to remove obstacles inimporting buffaloes from Pakistan,according to a news report in the Timesof India. The government has proposedto import buffaloes from the cities ofKasur and Lahore which are 50kilometres away from the state of IndianPunjab. Chandigarh, the heart of IndianPunjab, is famous for its culinarydelights and consumption of dairy items.The average daily consumption of milkin the state of Indian Punjab isestimated to be 6.75 lakh litres per day.According to a news report, Indianbuffaloes produce four to eight litres ofmilk a day whereas Pakistani buffaloes,which are also known as Nili-Ravi andKundli, can produce 36 litres of milk perday. The decreasing population ofbuffaloes and lower production of milkin the state has been considered aproblem for the past five years which iswhy the government resorts to artificialmeans of increasing milk yield.

PCNS makes headway in removing reservations: Rabbani

‘Evil eye’ Zardari’sprayers won’t be answered: Thackeray

MIRpUR: pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz president Nawaz Sharif waves to people before addressing a public gathering on Thursday. inP



News

ISLAMABADNNI

PRIMe Minister YousafRaza Gilani has said thatPakistan would like to im-prove its relations with theUnited States and rebuild

the anti-terror alliance.In an interview with China Daily,

taken during his recent visit to Chinaand published on Thursday, the primeminister reiterated his desire to rebuildan anti-terror alliance with the UnitedStates, but added that he would let theparliament decide on this issue.

“We know the importance of theUnited States and we want to work withthe United States, but on a (basis of)

mutual respect and mutual interests,”said Gilani. Referring to the discussionon foreign policy in the parliament, Gi-lani said, “I am certain the parliamentwill bring about new rules of engage-ment with the United States as well aswith NATO.”

Referring to the Salala check postincident, the prime minister said thatsuch unilateral action had stirred re-sentment among the Pakistani people.“Our concerns of sovereignty and terri-torial integrity should be respected,” hesaid. Last year on November 26, NATOaircraft bombed two Pakistani borderposts at Salala and killed 24 soldiers.Pakistani angrily closed supply routes toNATO forces in Afghanistan, and calledfor a parliamentary review of its rela-

tions with the US. “We had good relations with the

United States in the last 60 years,” Gi-lani said, while noting that there havebeen a lot of ups and downs due to var-ious kinds of issues.

He said that he told PresidentBarack Obama during his meeting inSouth Korea that the US drone strikestargeting al Qaeda and Taliban militantswere counterproductive. “We left parlia-ment to apply its collective wisdom todecide,” he said.

Regarding the restorationof NATO supplies, Gilanisaid the decision would bemade only after evolvingconsensus among politi-cal parties.

RAWALPINDIReUTeRS

Who wants to be a millionaire? In Pak-istan, all you have to do is give theUnited States information leading to thearrest or conviction of Hafiz Saeed - anIslamist leader whose whereabouts areusually not a mystery.

Saeed is suspected of mastermindingthe attack on India’s financial capitalMumbai in 2008 that killed 166 people,including six Americans.

US authorities placed a bounty onMonday of up to $10 million on Saeed,but on Wednesday he was openly wan-dering across Pakistan’s military garrisontown of Rawalpindi, hanging out withsome of the most anti-American charac-ters in the country.

“This is a laughable, absurd an-nouncement. Here I am in front of every-one, not hiding in a cave,” Saeed told anews conference at a hotel - a mere 40-minute drive from the US embassy in Is-lamabad and just across from theheadquarters of Pakistan’s army, recipi-ent of billions of dollars in US aid.

“Now that he has a price on his head,for this money anyone is willing to doanything,” said Javed, a 55-year-old gov-ernment employee who declined to givehis full name. “Once people see themoney there is no saving him, only Godcan save him.”

In Washington, US officials said thedecision to offer the $10 million rewardunder the State Department’s longstand-ing “Rewards for Justice” program came

after months of discussions among USagencies involved in counter-terrorism.

The $10 million figure signifies majorUS interest in Saeed. Only three othermilitants, including Taliban leader Mul-lah Omar, fetch that high a bounty. Thereis a $25 million bounty on the head of alQaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.

At the same time it targeted Saeed,the US government also offered asmaller reward - $2 million - for HafizAbdul Rahman Makki, whom it said wasthe second in command of the militantgroup founded by Saeed, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

As with many militants sought by theUnited States - and unlike Saeed -Makki’s whereabouts are unknown to USauthorities. The bounty would be paid forinformation leading to his location.

The announcement of a reward forSaeed comes at a time of heightened ten-sion between the United States and Pak-istan and is likely to increase pressure onPakistan to take action against the formerArabic scholar. It is also likely to pleaseIndia, the target of numerous LeT attacks.

Released from house arrest in 2009,Saeed is a free man in Pakistan, a strate-gic US ally and one of the world’s mostunstable countries. The United States,which sees Saeed as a major securitythreat with links to al Qaeda, is hopingthe bounty will trigger a stampede of Pak-istanis who come forward with informa-tion that could lead to his arrest andconviction. Pakistani officials say Saeedand his organization, Jamaat-ud-Dawa,have been cleared by Pakistani courts.

They say they don’t understand what

all the fuss is about and complain theAmericans are acting like cowboys. “TheUnited States is acting like it’s Clint east-wood,” said a senior security official,speaking on condition of anonymity. “It’sas if they just want to ride a horse into Pak-istan and just drag people like him away.”

Another security official nodded inagreement while a television repeatedlyshowed footage of Saeed. “What wouldhappen if we put a bounty on President(Barack) Obama’s head because Ameri-can drone strikes sometimes kill Pak-istani civilians?” The drone strikes, whichthe United States regards as a highly ef-fective and accurate weapon against mil-itants, are deeply unpopular in Pakistan.STREET SUPPORT: Saeed, a short,bearded man with a quiet but intense de-meanor and henna-dyed hair, has turnedthe drone strikes and other explosive is-sues like the presence of Western troopsin Afghanistan into a rallying cry againstthe United States. That has won him sup-port on Pakistan’s streets.

“He wants the drone strikes to stop.He wants the bloodshed in Afghanistan toend,” said a senior police official in Pak-istan’s commercial capital Karachi.“Hafiz Saeed isn’t saying anything wrong.In fact, he’s a patriot.”

Some Pakistanis could not under-stand why the bounty was issued whileSaeed is in plain view. His capture mayultimately depend on cooperation fromPakistan, often accused by the West ofsupporting militant groups. Pakistan de-nies the charges.

“It is unlikely that anything will come

out of this. You put bounties on peoplewho are hiding, not those walking aroundfree,” said businessman Haris Chaudhry.“It’s ridiculous.”

Saeed, 61, founded LeT in the 1990sand it became one of South Asia’s best-funded militant organizations. He aban-doned its leadership after India accused itof being behind an attack on the Indianparliament in December 2001. India haslong called for Saeed’s capture, blamingthe LeT for the Mumbai carnage. He de-nies any wrongdoing and links to militants.

The former professor of Islamic stud-ies seemed unfazed by the bounty. Asstern-faced bodyguards with AK-47 as-sault rifles kept a close watch, heridiculed the Americans during his pressconference at The Flashman’s Hotel.

He was flanked by some of Pakistan’smost hard line Islamists who all belong toan alliance of groups campaigning for abreak in ties with the United States andIndia. They included Sami-ul-Haq, acleric best known as “the father of theTaliban” for his historical ties to theAfghan militant movement. Anothermember, Hamid Gul, a former head ofPakistan’s intelligence service, was alsopresent. On the edge of Islamabad, a Pak-istani intelligence officer who has han-dled militant groups for decades, shookhis head as he pondered the U.S. reward.

“If the guy who decided to do thiscould get a job in the State Department,then I could be the president of theUnited States,” the chuckling operative,wearing a suit and puffing on a cigarette,said. “God bless America.”

With $10m on his head, militant leader taunts US

imran urges

CJP to take bold

decisions against

‘corrupt rulers’ISLAMABAD

INp

PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Thursdaycame down hard upon criticism of theSupreme Court by PPP Chairman BilawalBhutto Zardari and President Asif AliZardari at Naudero and urged the CJP totake bold decisions on all corruptioncases against corrupt rulers, including theprime minister’s contempt case.Talking to journalists, Imran said thatPresident Zardari and his cronies openlyresorted to contempt of court by usingabusive language in Naudero. He saidthat the whole nation fully backs theSupreme Court to take bold decisionsagainst corrupt leaders, adding that allproblems facing the country, includingload shedding, were the result ofcorruption of rulers. The PTI chairmansaid that many problems could beresolved if transparent accountability wasmade against corrupt rulers.Imran said that there was no differencebetween the PPP and PML-N, as bothwere power hungry. He said that thePML-N staged a drama of boycottingmeetings of the PCNS but changed itsstance with a single call of the primeminister. The PTI chairman said that thePTI believes in the politics of principles,adding that the PTI will give party ticketsto honest people only. “It will not bepossible for anyone to escape afterviolating Pakistan’s sovereignty if the PTIis in power,” Imran said. He said that thePTI will protect national sovereignty at allcosts

three security

men killedQUETTAoNLINe

Three security men were killed whenunidentified armed men attacked a FCconvoy in Turbat, sources said onThursday.Two security personnel were also injuredin the attack in Dasht area. The bodieswere shifted to nearby hospital andinvestigation have started. No groupclaimed responsibility for the attack..

LANDIKoTAL: Stranded commuters take a nap as traffic on the pakistan-Afghanistan Avenue remained jammed for a long time due to a high-level Saudi delegation’s visit to

the area on Thursday. inP

Pakistan wants to improve relations with US, says PM


Friday, 6 April, 2012

ISLAMAbAD: federal Minister for Information & broadcasting Dr firdous Ashiq Awan and Saudi Information Minister Dr Abdul Aziz bin Mohayuddin Al-Khoja speak during a cul-

tural ceremony at National Arts Council. online

iiUi to build Meraj Khalid Housing ColonyISLAMABAD: The International IslamicUniversity, Islamabad (IIUI) has started workon the project of Malik Meraj Khalid HousingColony amounting to Rs 7 billion to provide aresidential facility to its employees.Visiting the site of the planned colony, IIUIRector Professor Fateh Muhammad Malik saidthe colony will be constructed soon and thatcomplete funding will be arranged. Project Director Aamir Ishtiaq said in the firstphase, flats for about 1250 employees will bebuilt and the provision of basic necessities willbe ensured for which the university will issueRs 20 million. IIUI President Dr. MumtazAhmad and Vice President DrSahibzada Sajid-ur-Rehman were also presenton the occasion. earlier, Prof Dr SahibzadaSajid-ur-Rehman, kicked off a tree plantationdrive in the university and said the organisa-tion and individuals worked together. He said no institution can grow without itsemployees. He stated that it is necessaryfor the growth of an institution that its em-ployees have a bond with it. Dr SahibzadaSajid-ur-Rehman said all governmentshave contributed to the progress of the uni-versity.He said the university has launched a treeplantation drive on its own and different de-partments have been directed to look afterthe tree plantation drive to make it a success.Dr Sahibzada Sajid-ur-Rehman, Dr KhalidMasood and Female Campus Director Dr Za-itoon Begum planted the saplings. Dr Ma-sood also inaugurated a tube well in thepremises of the university. App

Memorial referencefor Nasir Khan ISLAMABAD: The Sustainable Develop-ment Policy Institute (SDPI) is organising amemorial reference for former MIS UnitCoordinator and a senior SDPI staff mem-ber Abdul Nasir Khan on Monday (April 9)at the SDPI Seminar hall.Nasir Khan breathed his last on March 4. Nasir Khan’s current and old colleagues,family members, friends and acquain-tances will participate in the referenceand will share their memories andthoughts of him. App

ISLAMABAD STAff RepoRT

LOK Virsa (National Instituteof Folk and Traditional Her-itage) and the Ministry ofNational Heritage and Inte-

gration, is holding its annual folk fes-tival, popularly called as the Lok Mela,from today (Friday).

Lok Virsa executive DirectorKhalid Javaid said the opening cere-mony is scheduled for today Friday, 6April at 11 am.

Federal Information and Broad-casting Minister Dr Firdous AshiqAwan will formally open the festivaland will also perform the dastarbandior chardarposhi of an establishedmaster artisan according to the LokVirsa tradition.

The festival aims to revive endan-gered folk arts, crafts and music aswell as to promote traditional practi-tioners associated with Pakistan’s folkheritage.

It will serve to disseminate the dy-namic creativity of our countrysideand give rural folk pride in their iden-tity.

The focus of the 10-day festival ison provincial harmony and nationalintegration, while highlighting thecontributions of our artisans in build-ing Pakistan.

Hundreds of master artisans, folkartists, rural musicians and folkdancers from all over Pakistan, in-cluding from the far-flung regions willparticipate in the festival, bringingwith them their creativity in arts,crafts and innovation and win recog-

nition for their talent at the nationallevel.

“This unique event has become asymbol of the federation’s recognitionand patronage of our rich cultural di-versity and active participation of thepeople of Pakistan,” Javaid said.

The festival will feature artisans-at-work exhibition, especially de-signed pavilions depicting the cultureand traditions of all provinces, includ-ing Gilgit-Baltistan and AJK, a silkroute pavilion, exotic craft bazaar,stalls by non-governmental organisa-tions, folk song and dance perform-ances, musical concerts and specialattractions for children and families.

The festival will remain open dailyfrom 11am to 11pm and will continuetill April 15 at the Lok Virsa Complex,Shakarparian.

Saudi minister, Firdous

Awan visit PNCA ISLAMABAD

App

Saudi Minister for Culture and Informa-tion Dr Abdul Aziz bin Mohiuddin Al-Khoja Thursday visited Pakistan NationalCouncil of Arts and witnessed Quraniccalligraphic exhibition and a culturalshow.Federal Information and BroadcastingMinister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan accom-panied him during his visit to the PNCA.The Saudi minister for culture and infor-mation is on a three-day official visit toPakistan on the invitation of his Pakistanicounterpart, Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan.The Saudi minister was also a chiefguest at a special musical performanceby local artists, depicting Pakistani andGandhara cultures. Besides poetry ofAllama Iqbal, Sufi musical performancealso marked the show. Besides themembers of the Saudi delegation, SaudiAmbassador Abdul Aziz Al-Ghadeer,Information Secretary Taimur AzmatOsman and senior officers of the Min-istry of Information were also presenton the occasion.

Youth want more hostels in twin cities

ISLAMABADApp

every year thousands of youth from farflung areas of the country migrate to thetwin cities to seek an education or jobsand have to face accommodation prob-lems due to the lack of hostels.The students have urged the govern-ment to address their problem by pro-viding sufficient accommodationfacilities, as most of the universities andcolleges either have insufficient hostelfacilities or have no such arrangements.Zahoor Ahmad Khan told APP on Thurs-day that he belonged to a village ofGilgit-Baltistan and was studying at theIslamic International University.Due to non-availability of accommoda-tion in the university hostels, he was liv-ing at a private hostel and paying Rs8,000 which was very difficult for himto afford.He said the private hostels besides lack-ing proper cleanliness, provide sub-standard food and charge extra amounton account of utility bills for using elec-tric fan or room coolers in summer andgas heaters in winter.Zahoor urged the authorities concernedto establish more government hostels,with basic facilities for students at af-fordable rates.Mohammad Bilal, another student, saidthe rents of hostels and houses hadsurged during a last few years due to theinflux of students and job seekers to thetwin cities.“I am paying Rs 9,000 for a single un-furnished room, and the owner raisesthe rent by 10 percent every year,” headded.Another student Sehrish Ali said shewas sharing a small room in a privatehostel with four other girls and was pay-ing Rs 5,000 per month, inclusivecharges for two time meals and break-fast.She complained of the same problemslike lack of proper cleanliness and sub-standard food.She stressed that the educational in-structions should be bound by the au-thorities concerned to provide boarding,lodging and other facilities to their stu-dents as most of them functioning up inhired buildings lack space and other fa-cilities.Waheed Ahmad, living in Shamsabad,said the main cause of the accommoda-tion shortage in twin cities was lack ofhostels and proper housing schemes.He said he had been facing residentialproblem since the time, he came to Is-lamabad to complete his studies andnow he was working here.

Firdous to open festivalat Lok Virsa today

ISLAMANbAD: All pakistan Handicraft Association activists demonstrate against price hike in petroleum products. STAFF PHoTo


08 Friday, 6 April, 2012

Islamabad

Low

High

SAtUrDAY SUNDAY MoNDAY32°C i 16°C 32°C i 18°C 27°C i 17°C

PrAYer tiMiNGSFajr Sunrise Zuhr Asr Maghrib isha

04:23 05:48 12:11 16:43 18:35 19:57

CitY DireCtorY

PoLiCe eMerGeNCY 15

AMBULANCe 115

reSCUe 1122

HiLAL-e-AHMer 9250488

eDHi FoUNDAtioN 2827844

BoMB DiSPoSAL 9270698

Fire BriGADe CeNtre 16

CiViL DeFeNCe 9262830

eMerGeNCY HeLP

HoSPitALS

BLooD BANK

PiMS BLooD BANK 9261272

PoLY CLiNiC BLooD BANK 9209123

CoMPLAiNt

WAPDA 111-000-118

SUi GAS 1199

rAiLWAYS

CitY StAtioN (eNqUirY) 117

reSerVAtioN 9273614

rAiLWAY PoLiCe 1333

AirPort

FLiGHt eNqUirY 114

PiA reSerVAtioN 111-786-786

CoLLeGeS / UNiVerSitieS

iNterNAtioNAL iSLAMiC UNiVerSitY 9260765

BAHriA UNiVerSitY 9260002

NUML 9257677

qUAiD-e-AZAM UNiVerSitY 90642098

AriD AGriCULtUre UNiVerSitY 9290151

FJWU 9273235

riPHA iNterNAtioNAL UNiVerSitY 111510510

NCA rAWALPiNDi 5770423

PUNJAB LAW CoLLeGe 4421347

MAHrooF iNt 2222920

PiMS 9261170

PoLY CLiNiC 9218300

CDA 9221334

SHiFA iNterNAtioNAL 4603666

ALi 4444435

DiStriCt HqS 5556311-14

ULtrASoNiC CLiNiC 2824862

HoLY FAMiLY 9290319

monSTer TruCK In ISlmaBaD

Monster truck in islamabad.

DrummIng CIrCle

DAte AND tiMe: 05:00 PM, WeeKLY eVeNtVeNUe: tHe CeNtre For ArtS & CULtUre

our drumming circle is a (free!) ongoing eventand is held every Friday from 5 to 6 p.m.We are having a great time, and want to sharethe good time with you! our drumming circle haschildren ...

SUNNY

WeAtHer UPDAteS

31°C

DAte: MAr 20 - APr 21, 2012 VeNUe: F-9 PArK, iSLAMABAD

17°C

InSTrumenTal eCSTaSy ConCerT V

Featuring instrument: Shehnai and Naqqāra. in the indiansubcontinent one of the most famous instruments whosepresence is particularly essential on any auspiciousoccasion is the Shehnai. the sound of the Shehnai isthought to create and maintain a sense of auspiciousnessand sanctity and, as a result, it is widely used duringtraditional marriages, processions, and religious ceremonies.

DAte AND tiMe: APr 06, 2012, 6:30 PMVeNUe: KUCH KHAAS (iSLAMABAD)

ISLAMAbAD: Dancers perform during a cultural ceremony at National Arts Council. online

Traffic police fail to remove

misleading signboardsISLAMABAD

App

AS the flow of traffichas improved withthe construction ofnew roads, under-passes and flyovers,

and widening of roads in the Fed-eral Capital, redundant U-turnsignboards have not been removedcausing inconvenience and confu-sion to the motorists.

A senior official of the IslamabadTraffic Police (ITP) admitted thelapse but said the problem would beresolved shortly. He said the ITP hadput up new U-turn signs, but due tothe oversight such signs were not re-moved at some places where turningpoints had been blocked.

“We are taking care of the prob-lem,” he added. The presence of oldU-turn signs confuses the mo-torists. When they approach a U-turn they find it blocked withcement blocks while the signboardindicates presence of the same.They have to drive for some dis-tance to approach the new U-turn.

Such lapses of the traffic policecan be seen on roads in Blue Area,F-6 and F-8 sectors, Kashmir High-way (Sports Complex road) andother sectors of the city.

The residents of the Capitalcriticised the traffice ploice for suchlapses, saying the focus of its per-sonnel was more on issuing finetickets to get their ‘defined share’rather than on resolving motorists’problems.

Another problem for motorists isthe absence of ‘fish belly’ sections forturning right on the Islamabad High-

way from Faizabad to Koral Chowkalong the route to the airport. Suchfacility exists in Rawalpindi on mainroad near Hamza Camp and also onPeshawar Road, which has provedvery beneficial for the motorists.Civil society groups have urged theITP to provide similar facility on Is-lamabad expressway.LAWYERS WANT TO GET RIDOF DAY-TO-DAY STRIkES:The Punjab Bar Council onThursday observed a token strikethroughout the provincial courts toprotest murder of Abdus Sattar Gilladvocate in Haroonabad.

PBC Voice Chairman MalikGhulam Abbas Nissoana con-demned the incident and de-manded of the Punjab governmentto take a serious action against theculprits to put them behind bars.

An advocate, Muhammad AmirKhalil, who has been a counsel inOsama’s widows case asked lawyersnot to go on strikes without any rea-son. He was of the view that one

should keep balance in personaland professional life.

PTI Islamabad Lawyers WingSenior Vice President SaradarAhmed Iqbal Makkan completely op-posed the strike call and expressedhis serious concerns about it. He saidthat such strike calls were giving avery bad impression of lawyers’ com-munity throughout the world.

Another advocate, MuhammadWajeehullah Khan, who is provid-ing his legal consultancy toMaulana Abdul Aziz of Lal Masjidin various cases, gave negative im-pression about the burgeoningstrikes of his own community,while leaving the court withoutprocessing his case any longer.Maulana Abdul Aziz himself wason the spot and registered hisprotest against the PBC’s strike.He told APP that there was no con-cept of such practice in the religionof Islam. It delays justice and cre-ates panic for all those people whocome to seek justice, he said.

SEvEN OUTLAWS ARRESTED;HASHISH, ARMS SEIzED:Islamabad Police on Thursdayarrested seven outlaws fromvarious areas of the city andrecovered hashish and weaponsfrom their possession, a policespokesman said.

On a tip off, Sub-Inspector Li-aqat Ali from Kohsar police stationarrested a drug pusher ManshaMasih and recovered 1.5 kilogramhashish from his possession. ASIMuhammad Iqbal from Shalimarpolice nabbed two persons Haleemand Saleem besides recoveringlooted items from their possession.

Sub Inspector Umar Amir fromGolra police nabbed two personsFiaz and Arif for selling diesel with-out any permit or NOC. ASI KhalidJaved recovered one 30 bore pistoleach from Saif Ullah and KhalidMehmud. Cases have been regis-tered against these nabbed personsand further investigation is under-way from them.

RAWALpINDI: The district bar association members demonstrate against price hike and load shedding. online



Islamabad

RAWALpINDI: All pakistan Shia Action Committee activists protest in favour of their demands outside the press club. STAFF PHoTo

Out-of-order ATMs creating problems for customers ISLAMABAD

App

Using Auto Teller Machines (ATMs) atdifferent banks of the twin cities of Is-lamabad-Rawalpindi has become a mat-ter of inconvenience rather than afacility for residents due to faulty ma-chines.

This is particularly observed duringthe first week of the month whensalaried employees have to withdrawmoney.

Most of the time the ATMs remainout of order or their link is down.

If fortunately, there happens to be amachine in working order, long queuescan be seen there as large numbers ofpeople wait their turn to draw money.

When the officials concerned arecontacted to trace out the reason behindthe machine failure, they often have nosatisfactory reply. Instead they say thatthe customers should go to nearby banksfor drawing money where one link facil-ity is available.

“ATMs are considered to be a source

of relief for the consumers in need of fastcash but they have in fact become asource of annoyance, particularly onsalary days,” said Karim Khan, a govern-ment employee. Khan, who had visitedATM kiosks in search of urgent neededcash on Thursday and said he tried sev-eral ATM machines in the federal capitalbut failed to take money.

“Bank authorities seldom pay heedto the complaints of customers. Mes-sages like ‘Out of cash,’ ‘Sorry for incon-venience,’ ‘ATM is closed formaintenance work, ‘Link is down’ ‘Ser-vice is not available,’ and ‘your transac-tion could not be completed due tosoftware problem’ are often seen flash-ing on the screen of ATMs,” MuhammadSaleem, another employee complained.

He said people from the salariedclass are most affected due to non-oper-ating ATMs.

After the introduction of ATM cards,most people, especially the salariedclass, use this service for withdrawal tosave time and avoid using cheques, headded.

“People have to suffer now as thebanks have failed to provide them timelyservices through ATMs,” he mentioned.

The customers have appealed theauthorities concerned to ensure propermaintenance of the ATMs owned bypublic and private sector banks for therelief of the people, especially thesalaried class. CLASSICAL MUSIC CONCERT ON‘SHEHNAI, NAqqARA’ TOMOR-ROW: Instrumental ecstasy - a six partseries of concerts will hold its fifth con-cert on classical music of subcontinenthere on April 6.

The event is being organised by theInstitute for Preservation of Art and Cul-ture (IPAC) and Kuch Khaas, Center forArts, Culture and Dialogue featuring theinstruments ‘Shehnai and Naqqara’ byartists Ata Ullah Malang and Haji Azharon Shehnai accompanied by ShabeerHussain on Naqqara and Nazim HussainBalli on Dhol.

The classical music of the subconti-nent is one of the oldest unbroken musi-cal traditions in the world. Its origins go

back to theVedic Period (roughly 1500 BC to

500 BC).According to the organisers, in the

Indian subcontinent one of the most fa-mous instruments whose presence isparticularly essential on any auspiciousoccasion is the Shehnai.

The sound of the Shehnai is thoughtto create and maintain a sense of auspi-ciousness and sanctity, as a result, it iswidely used during traditional mar-riages, processions, and religious cere-monies.

In the past, Shehnai was a part ofthe Naubat or traditional ensembles ofinstruments found at royal courts inIndia. In the royal Mughal courts theShehnai and the percussion instru-ment Naqqara were inseparable com-panions.

“Today both these instruments areextremely rare in Pakistan and we arelucky to have one of the last few tradi-tional Naubat musicians from Multanto perform at this concert,” the organ-isers said.

‘Better results canbe achieved by encouraging students’

RAWALPINDIApp

Anjuman Faiz ul Islam President Mian Sid-dique Akbar has said that parents andteachers can achieve better results by en-couraging the students during their stud-ies. Addressing the annual prizedistribution ceremony held at the Faiz ulIslam Secondary School, Faizabad, he saidthe actual objective of education is thetraining and character building of the stu-dents. “We can create a balance approachamong the students through educationaimed at making them a useful citizen whocan positively contribute in the develop-ment and progress of the country”, headded. education Committee Director ProfNiaz Irfan, Joint Secretary, Maj (Retd)Basharat Ahmed Kayani, Principal ProfMuhammad Rafique Chohan and Head-mistress Zeenat Zaheer also spoke on theoccasion and distributed prizes among stu-dents from class nursery to middle stan-dard. Students of the school, Shamsul Haqand Naveed ur Rasheed were declared thebest Qari and Naat Khawn of the year.

optimism lowersstroke risk

ISLAMABADApp

The more optimistic you are, the loweryour risk of having a stroke as optimismprotects against stroke. Optimism is not just the lack of anxiety ordepression. Someone who seeks help for either anxietyor depression might be lifted from a nega-tive 10 or so on a scale back to zero, or neu-tral. The possible stroke protectionlengthens the list of health benefits tied tobeing optimistic, BBC reported.Researchers from New York University,USA looked at data from the Health andRetirement Study, which was a nationallyrepresentative sample of American adultsover the age of 50 years.The team looked at the results of standardoptimism tests for 6,044 men and women.The optimism score was on a 16-pointscale. The participants self-rated theirhealth, and the team followed them for twoyears. During the follow-up period, 88cases of stroke occurred. After adjusting forage that each unit increase in their opti-mism score reduced stroke risk by about 9percent. The researchers also adjusted forother factors such as smoking, alcohol use,race, gender, marital status, blood pres-sure, chronic illness, mental illness, bodymass index and level of physical activity.

ISLAMABADApp

CONCeRNeD health au-thorities have been askedto ensure 100 percentcoverage of polio immu-nisation rounds in areas

of FATA and Khyber-Paktunkhwa toprotect every child from the crip-pling disease.

They have been asked to take no-tice of missing of children from re-ceiving anti-polio drops in theseareas during vaccination drives andurged to improve monitoring systemin this regard.

The citizens of these areas havecomplained that mobile vaccinationteams avoid visiting every home andthey miss most children.

They urged that concentrated ef-forts be made in the high risk areasfor polio eradication, ensuring thatall children in these areas arereached with vaccine during everyimmunisation round.

Defining polio as a nationalemergency, they said that the con-cerned problems must be urgentlyaddressed to ensure that all arms of

government are engaged in eradicat-ing polio particularly in FATA andKhyber-Paktunkhwa.

Commenting on the polio situa-tion in FATA and Khyber-Pak-tunkhwa, while talking to APP, theysaid that it is a high time that chil-dren are consistently immunised inthe districts, agencies and popula-tions that are at highest risk of sus-taining transmission of poliovirus.

Asad Khan, a student belongs toFATA area said the polio virus is con-tinuing to cripple children in thecountry due to access problems inrisky areas particularly in FATA.

He urged to developing strategiesand approaches to access children insecurity compromised areas throughclose cooperation between concernedofficials and through engagement ofcommunities.

A student, Zaheer Khan Ganda-pur of Khyber-Paktunkhwa, talkingto APP said the goal could be reachedthrough achieving the objectives in-cluding ownership, and accountabil-ity for polio programme performanceat each administrative level.

He said with strong ownership atall levels and the engagement of

communities, all children can bereached and thousands saved frombeing permanently crippled frompolio.

He said due to its close borderareas with Afghanistan, focusedshould be on enhancing inter-sec-toral collaboration in Khyber-Pak-tunkhwa province for strengtheningfight against polio for its completeelimination.

When contacted an official of thenational polio immunisation pro-gramme, said an elaborated plan isbeing implemented aimed at ensur-ing immunisation in 33 high risk dis-tricts of the country.

He said in light of the situationand its national and global

implications, the President andthe Prime Minister have issued spe-cial directions for the complete erad-ication of polio in the country.

He added under the plan, effortsare being made to stop the transmis-sion of polio and in this regard sev-eral committees have been formed atdifferent levels to ensure immunisa-tion in high risk areas of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and FATA with thesupport of the community leaders.

Physical activity increases after retirement: study

ISLAMABADApp

The amount of physical activity you per-formed when you’re older may have todo with whether or not you’ve retired, anew study suggests.In a survey of 40- to 60-year-old em-ployees of the city of Helsinki, Finland(and a corresponding five- to seven-yearfollow-up), researchers determined thatwomen retirees spent 31 more minutesper week engaged in moderate-intensityleisure-time physical activity than non-retirees, while retired men spent 42more minutes per week than non-retiredmen, Health News Reported.Researchers controlled for disabled re-tirees, looking only at people who re-tired because of age.Staying physically active may be the keyto maintaining a good quality of life inold age, previous research has sug-gested. This study indicates planning fora secure retirement might be the bestway to make sure you have the time tostay healthy in your later years.

Disability must be

seen as development

issue: reportISLAMABAD

App

The first global report on disability re-veals how the exclusion of 1 billion peo-ple invisible in official statistics andabsent from aid budgets is holding backdevelopment progress.The UN millennium development goals(MDGs) may not be met by 2015 unlessurgent action is taken to address theneeds of people with disabilities, ac-cording to the first world report on dis-ability.More than 1 billion people live with adisability, says the world report on dis-ability, published by the World HealthOrganisation WHO) and the WorldBank on Thursday. It covers all forms ofdisability, from blindness to mentalhealth issues, The Guardian NewsAgency reported. It updates global dis-ability estimates for the first time in 40years and finds that 20 percent of theworld’s poorest people have disabilitiesand nearly 80 percent of people withdisabilities live in low-income countries.“Addressing the health, education, em-ployment and other development needsof people living with disabilities is fun-damental to achieving the millenniumdevelopment goals,” said the WorldBank president, Robert Zoellick.Children with disabilities are less likelyto attend and complete school, says thereport, putting at risk international tar-gets for universal primary education.

Call to ensure 100pc polioimmunisation coverage



Islamabad

Anti-dengue arrangements reviewed RAWALPINDI

App

PUNJAB environment Secre-tary Saeed Wahla visitedtyre shops, nurseries andjunkyards in Rawalpindiand reviewed arrangements

in connection with the anti-dengue cam-paign being carried out by the Punjabgovernment. During the visit, he or-dered that a tyre shop be sealed forkeeping the tyres in the open.

He also visited a number of nurs-eries and directed their managements tokeep the clay pots covered with plasticsheets so that the dengue larvae couldnot flourish in case of rainfall.

Punjab environment DepartmentDeputy Directors Muhammad Yousaf,Naseeb ur Rehman, Rawalpindi DO en-vironment Muhammad Usman were alsoaccompanying the secretary.

Later, the secretary presided over ameeting of the district officers of all thedistricts of the division.

The secretary was briefed about theprogress of the anti-dengue campaign intheir respective districts.

Lahore Deputy Director MuhammadYousaf informed the meeting that duringthe last two days, 33 such spots wereidentified where the dengue larvae couldflourish, including tyre shops, junk-yards, nurseries and under constructionbuildings.

Various tyre shop managementswere served notices for not obeying thePunjab government’s instructions in thisconnection.

Secretary Saeed Wahla also directedthe officers of the department that list ofthose tyre shops which were registeredby the TMAs should be obtained fromthe TMOs and special raids be con-ducted so as to check the implementa-

tion of Government’s instructions issuedfor the tyre shops and on violation, chal-lans must be done.

He further directed that completedata of this campaign should be com-piled and be sent to the Punjab govern-ment secretariat environmentdepartment along with progress reportof the anti dengue campaign carried inthe districts so that it could be presentedin the Punjab Cabinet committee meet-ing.DISCUSSION HIGHLIGHTS RELA-TION OF RELIGION, CULTURE:Sufi Islamic Scholar, Professor AhmedRafique Akhtar on Thursday, high-lighted the relation of religion and cul-ture in terms of mysticism andspirituality and called the young gener-ation to follow the true ethical values ofthis relation.

The Pakistan National Council of theArts (PNCA) in collaboration with the

Ministry of National Heritage and Inte-gration arranged the lecture and discus-sion on ‘Deen Aur Saqafat Ka Rishta’.

Prof Rafique explained Islam as amodern and revolutionary religion:“Traditions are outcomes of varietieswhich create a new environment. In thebeginning traditions oppose these vari-eties but gradually feel proud of it. Theadvancement of science and technologyconsidered all religions as unreliable butnot Islam.”

“All scientific inventions and discov-eries were unable to compete with theQura’n. Unfortunately now people havestopped reading Qura’n with completeunderstanding and they are doing re-searches on the basis of modern sci-ences,” he said.

Culture is the system of shared be-liefs, values, customs, behaviors and tra-ditions of a particular human group, away of living learned from, and shared

by, the members of that group.Understanding the concept of cul-

ture is key to understanding human be-havior.

He said culture and religion are partof human life to create harmony in dif-ferent matters.

Participants, including students andpeople from different walks of life tookpart in the discussion to explore the sub-ject and understand the concepts in de-tail.

Ahmad Rafique Akhtar (born April15, 1941) has been associated with teach-ing for years and delivers lectures on dif-ferent Islamic and philosophical topicsall over the country and abroad.

Many of his lectures have been pub-lished in books.

Ahmed Rafique is known as ‘Mysticof this era’ who focuses on topics likemysticism, religion, today’s world, ap-proach to Quran, science and Islam.

Milk, yogurt pricesrise by rs 10

RAWALPINDIApp

The prices of unpackaged milk and yo-gurt have been increased by Rs five toRs 10 in the city and cantonment areas.The daily milk consumption especiallyin summers increases manifold includ-ing demand of packaged and un-pack-aged milk and yogurt.earlier, the unpacked milk was beingsold at Rs 60 to 65 per kilogram and yo-gurt on Rs 65 to 70 but now the rateshave been increased by Rs five to Rs 10in the city and cantonment markets.According to a survey conducted in thisregard by the agency, the milkmen haveunilaterally started selling milk at shopson increased rates.Some vendors who claimed that theysold only pure milk have also been fleec-ing by charging exorbitant rates.It is pertinent to mention here thatthere is no proper price control systemin the city as the milkman like suppliersof other commodities particularly ofdaily use items have been given a freehand and the departments concernedare taking no appropriate action in ac-cordance with the law.The shopkeepers are fleecing the cus-tomers by charging exorbitant rates oftheir products.Milkmen representative Mushtaq saidthat revision of prices was a dire need ofthe hour in wake of spiraling price hikeon all fronts. We have demanded Rs fiveto Rs 10 increase, which has yet to beagreed by the city district government,he added. ISLAMAbAD: former federal minister J Salik washes the feet of an elderly man during a protest outside the National press Club. STAFF PHoTo

easter to be celebrated on 8thISLAMABAD

App

Like other parts of the country, theChristian community living in the twincities will celebrate their festival ofeaster on April 8 with religious fervorand zeal.

easter sunrise will start the celebra-tions in the areas where

Christians live in large number andChurches with religious rituals and tra-ditional festivity.

On easter Sunday, Christians cele-brate the resurrection of Lord, JesusChrist. It is typically the most well-at-tended Sunday service of the year forChristian churches.

They believe that Jesus came back tolife, or was raised from the dead, threedays after his death on the cross. As partof the easter season, the death of JesusChrist by crucifixion is commemoratedon Good Friday, always the Friday justbefore easter.

The members of Christian commu-nity have started visiting markets toshop for themselves and their lovedones.

The main ritual of the easter cele-

bration is to decorate easter eggs thatcome in various colours, patterns, stylesand motifs.

About easter celebrations, MinisterIn-charge of National Harmony, Dr PaulBhatti said the festivals of minorities arecelebrated officially by the governmentthroughout the year to follow the trueethical values and in this regard, the up-coming festival of easter will also be cel-ebrated at higher level.

On easter, people will come to-gether, feast, pray, wish each other welland enjoy the moments, which will besacred and blessed.

Meanwhile, Minister of State for Na-tional Harmony, Akram Masih

Gill has also distributed chequesamong the members of Christian

community on the occasion ofeaster.

The grant was given to the deservingmembers for celebrating the religiousfestival of Christians in a befitting man-ner.

“The government is committed tothe uplift of minorities socially by theireconomic empowerment and removingdiscriminatory actions against the non-Muslims aimed at providing them with

equal opportunities of development,” hesaid.COMMISSIONER vISITS UNDER-CONSTRUCTION ROAD: RawalpindiCommissioner Imdad Ullah Basal visitedthe Rawat to Kallar Syedian road, a 19kilometer long stretch being completedat an estimated cost of Rs 9 million.

The commissioner was informed bythe Punjab Highways authorities that theland had been acquired from Rawat toSagri and the construction work wasbeing carried out speedily on this sec-tion.

After the completion of this section,the construction work would be startedfrom Sagri to Kallar Syedian road.

He was also informed that Rs 3.5million were due from the Punjab gov-ernment.

With this amount the constructionwork of Sagri to Kallar Syedian will becompleted.

The commissioner directed that thetrees which were creating hurdles in thecompletion of the project should be re-moved immediately in collaborationwith the Forest Department RawalpindiCircle.

He also instructed that the utility

services be removed from the site at theearliest.

All the departments concernedshould be called and a meeting be con-vened with the officers of those depart-ments to decide the cut-off date forshifting the services so that the projectcould be completed within the stipulatedperiod of time.

Later, the commissioner visited theKallar Syedian by-pass.

Se Punjab Highways Farhat Munirand XeN Shakoor Ahmed Khan accom-panied the commissioner.

The commissioner was informedthat the length of the by-pass is 4.5 kmand its estimated cost is Rs 5.3 millionand three 1350 feet high bridges werebeing constructed on the by-pass to fa-cilitate the commuters.

Ninety percent of the constructionwork has been completed so far and itwould facilitate the citizens of KallarSyedian town and would help to stream-line the traffic flow within Kallar Sye-dian.

The commissioner also directed thatthe remaining construction work becompleted as soon as possible for thebenefit of the passengers.

Demand of

beverages on the rise

as summer sets inISLAMABAD

App

With the onset of summer season thedemand of cold beverages has increasedmanifold across the country, reported aprivate news channel.Many kinds of drinks are popularamong people in summer season spe-cially Shahi Milk Rabri’ which is consid-ered most beneficial healthy drink.Flavoured drinks such as squash arepreferred in homes and mini markets,while‘Lassi’ is a traditional drink made of yo-gurt and water which is mostly used inrural areas.lemonade, soft Drinks, milkshake, packed juices, soda water, squashand different types of juices attract thepeople to quench their thirst.People intake these drinks without car-ing the affects of these drinks on healthas health experts suggest to avoid un-healthy beverages that are being sold byvendors in streets causing diseases suchas cough, hepatitis, diarrhea and otherinfectious diseases.


Editor’s mail 11Friday, 6 April, 2012

Send your letters to: Letters to Editor, Pakistan Today, 4-Shaarey Fatima Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan. Fax: +92-42-36298302. E-mail: [email protected]. Letters should be addressed to Pakistan Today exclusively.

Just a joy ridePresident Zardari will be accompa-

nied by a 40-member delegation com-prised mainly of his cronies when hevisits India on a ‘private visit’ for a joyride. Although it has the potential nei-ther to promote the national pride norserve any other useful purpose for ourcountry, yet, like all other such visits, willthis one too be at public expense? If so,why?

FAROOQ ZAMANLahore

Public transportFor the last many months, I have

been travelling form Lahore to Islam-abad and other cities of Pakistan. I amabsolutely flabbergasted to observe theworst public transport system. Due tothis shocking system uncountable peopleare going to the absolute brink of col-lapse.

Students, who go to schools and col-leges using these transportation facili-ties, are facing immense difficulties.Sometimes they have to travel a longdistance by hanging on the sides of pub-lic vehicles. Indeed this situation cantruly be harmful for students. Morehonestly, many of the students havelicked the dust because of these unsolv-able issues which ought to be dealt onpriority basis.

Secondly, regular workers have totravel through public transport. Thatworking class do not have excessiveamount to purchase their personal vehi-cle to reach office at settled timings.Again, if they can manage to have theirconveyance then that will pose ultimatethreat to natural resources of the countrywhich are already at deficient level.

Public transporters have to line theirpocket only. Their ultimate aim is not tofacilitate the people but to make their lifemiserable. I request authorities to re-solve this issue; otherwise, entire nationwill be plunged into the flaming fire ig-nited by nefarious transporters.

DR IRFAN ALMANIKarachi

(II)Traffic situation in Karachi is getting

worse with each passing day. On onehand vehicles are increasing exponen-tially while roads are getting blocked dueto the mega-development drive of theCity District Government of Karachi(CDGK).

Instead of doing the developmentwork in phases, the CDGK has opened allfronts in one go, leaving Karachi dug upfrom one end to the other. Peopleblocked Nawab Siddique Ali Khan Road,running between Lasbella Bridge andNazimabad Chowrangi, and S M TaufeeqRoad between Teen Hatti Bridge and Li-aquatabad flyover, to protest against pro-longed power breakdowns in theirlocalities.

Due to the blockade, the vehiclesreaching the thoroughfares from differ-ent directions got stuck at Lasbella, Naz-imabad, Teen Hatti and Karimabadintersections. The power breakdown alsorendered traffic signals inoperative andthe traffic police personnel who moved into regulate the traffic flow failed to han-dle the massive clogging at so manyplaces.

They can control traffic by wideningof roads and construction of flyovers, un-derpasses in a scheduled and plannedway (not at the same time in all loca-tions) and intelligent traffic controllingsystems.

SANA SARFARAZKarachi

ZAB, the leaderZulfikar Ali Bhutto was a leader of

international fame and stature. Hisdaughter Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto wastrained and groomed by her illustriousfather. Both of them studied in presti-gious universities and colleges and werewell versed in international law and poli-tics. Just like Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, hisdaughter had her power base in Punjabtoo and both never allowed themselves tobe ever associated with provincial or eth-nic biases. It is unfair of those who layclaim to be political heirs of Bhuttolegacy to reduce stature of these twogreat political leaders of Pakistan to theirprovince of domicile.

Repetitive use of Sindh card on theoccasion of their death anniversaries isan insult to the memory of these largerthan life politicians. It should be borne inmind by Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and hisfather that ZAB was judiciously mur-dered by the establishment and hangedin a prison located in Rawalpindi Jail,which is near the federal capital Islam-abad. It was in Punjab and KP that hisjiyalas self-immolated themselves to con-demn his hanging and not in Sindh.

Similarly, the first attempt to assassi-nate Benazir Bhutto was in Karachi,when she landed there on 18 October2007. It was such a brutal and ferociousattack that almost 150 people were killed.However, as fate would have it, shemiraculously escaped the attack, but fellvictim to the assassin's second attempt atRawalpindi while she was leaving afteraddressing a mammoth public meetingat Liaquat Bagh. Why is the present PPPleadership trying to reduce ZAB and BBto the status of political leaders fromSindh, instead of leaders of Pakistan andnot just of Punjab or KP or Balochistanor Sindh or AJK?

MALIK TARIQ ALILahore

the indian responseSince Mumbai attacks in 2008, In-

dian relations with Pakistan have beentense. They did not send their cricketteam to Pakistan and did not welcomeour visits wholeheartedly.

Now, the Indian hockey team’s visithas been cancelled, showing no trust inPakistan. We always try to extend our co-operation wherever possible which isgood but it should not be on the cost ofour integrity. We are thinking to offerMFN to a nation who is not very keen tohave relations with us.

As a Pakistani I feel insulted on suchbehaviour and want our government todeal with them with dignity. I hope Pres-ident Asif Zardari will call off his plannedvisit to India to show solidarity with hisPakistani masses who feel degraded withthe Indian responses.

ABDUL RAUFFateh Jang

Women’s health issuesIt is a sad reality that women’s health

issues are deep and chronic in Sindh.More than 60 percent poor women donot have access to public health careservices. There is a critical shortage ofmedicines, doctors and paramedical staffin the hospitals, even at the district andtaluka level.

Regrettably, the past successive gov-ernments did nothing to improve thebasic health services for the people. eventhe present provincial health departmenthas not made the health of women andgirls as their priority in the province. Asa result, every day several women andgirl die prematurely.

Since women are backbone of Sindhprovince’s rural economy and the girlsare future mothers, therefore, the rulersare requested to take concrete steps toimprove health and education of women.Indeed, time has come for pragmatic ac-tion and not for rhetoric and wastage ofresources as would be done on the“World Health Day” on April 7. Seminarsand workshops followed by lovelylunches in five star hotels and nothingpractical. The money which will bewasted in fun and frolic could be in-vested on the health services of womenand girls.

Is there anyone to pay attention tosuch creative concepts and launch suchinitiatives?

HASHIM ABROIslamabad

PPC and electricity needsThis is in apropos of a press state-

ment issued by Pakistan Peace Coalition(PPC) on the eve of first anniversary ofthe nuclear emergency, captioned “PPCcalls for halt to pursuit of nuclear energy”(Mar 11). The conglomeration of peacegroups lamented the incident of the dis-charge of radioactive waste into the envi-ronment from Japan’sFukushima-Daiichi and Fukushima-Daini power stations. As a peace-lovingcitizen, I fully endorse the views offeredin the article, barring few exceptions. ThePPC’s criticism of Pakistan’s effort to useits nuclear capacity for power generationis unjustified and totally uncalled for.

Although, none of the world’s 435nuclear reactors are immune to human

errors that could cause an accident, yetits utility for peaceful purposes cannot bedenied. Unfortunately, the conventionalsources of generation of power within thecountry, hydro and fossil fuels, are lim-ited and will not meet the power de-mands of a growing economy on alonger-term basis.

Pakistan has therefore to look toother sources of power generation andnuclear energy offers the most attractivealternative as a major source to fill thegap between demand and supply. Cur-rently, Pakistan is generating a nominal3.8 percent of its total installed capacityof 19,252 MW, as compared to France77.1 percent, Belgium 54 percent, Korea34.6 percent, Switzerland 40.9 percent,

UK 15.7 percent and US 19.3 percent.The apprehensions aired by PPC are

certainly a motivated campaign againstPakistan’s nuclear programme. Pak-istan’s nuclear assets are safe and noteven a single incident has been observedsince past 35 years, which can be a proofof our inability to safeguard our atomicarsenal.

Following Japan’s nuclear crisis, anumber of countries decided to revamptheir nuclear programmes. But, their as-sertions and assurances though appear tobe promising but end up into a lip-ser-vice by the respective governments e.g.,India is currently pursuing the installa-tion of another seven reactors, in addi-tion to 20 nuclear reactors operating in

six nuclear power plants.Similarly, Japan is maintaining one

of the largest nuclear programmes in theworld. Non-proliferation has over timebecome increasingly discriminatory anda vehicle for the powerful to pressurisestates they consider “unreliable”. The USand Japan have adopted a dual approachon the nuclear issue, opposing Pakistan’snuclear programme and accommodatingIndian nuclear programme. In this con-text, it is strongly urged that the US andJapan should treat Pakistan on an equalfooting in terms of nuclear assistance soas to address electricity issue so vital forits crippling economy.

IMRAN SAEEDGujranwala

Unannounced loadsheding

Bhutto and vision?I do not quite agree with your edito-

rial of 5th April that Z A Bhutto was aman of vision. He was charismatic and agood speaker, but if we recall the actsthat made him popular and eventually aleader clearly show that he miserablylacked vision.

Did he know that his refusal to sit inopposition in NA in Dacca would lead tobreaking Pakistan? Did he know thattearing up the UNSC resolution is ahighly un-diplomatic act? Did he knowthat using abusive language at a publicrally in Qaddafi Stadium was a highly un-parliamentary thing to do? Throwing uptens of microphones off the rostrumwhile losing temper and turning emo-tional at a public rally was an indecentthing to do for a political leader?

His administration and handling ofhis opponents in jail was a king-like ac-tion and he called himself a democraticleader? He was rash and uncouth. Hegave ‘73 Constitution because he was alawyer from Berkeley. He made IslamicSummit because he travelled to eachcountry and met the heads of the govern-ment and states in a hurricane tour. Basi-cally, He was vindictive. He could notstand opposition. He nationalised indus-try and banks without any secondthoughts. The growth in the country wasalmost stalled because of his policies. Hedeserted his comrades, except those whocontinued to serve his purposes or whowere doubtful in character in person.

He rigged and then lost ‘77 election.The then SC convicted him of murderand he was hanged. Now, we have peoplewho sing his songs for their own benefits.The current PPP has nothing to give topeople except the ‘martyrdom’ of Bhut-tos. Had they something basic like food,jobs, industrial security, some kind ofshelter, public safety, control of streetcrimes and the like to offer, they couldhave spoken about these things. BenazirIncome Support Programme, billions of

subsidies in power sector which they tele-cast in a ‘paid content’, NFC award, 18th,19th and 20th amendments etc do notsatisfy a common man as he hardly un-derstands them.

Rhetoric like ‘shaheeds’ etc looks asuseless as it can be. Public defiance of SCorders and judgments hardly can winthem public loyalty. One last thing I wantto say. People are not fools. Hunger, dep-rivation, price-hike, non availability ofessentials, lack of medicare, education,pitched street battles in Karachi etc areextremely painful pangs for a person,particularly when it comes to his or herchildren.

AMJAD H MIRZALahore

Are they our heroes?I found foreign ministry’s

spokesman’s statement quite amusingthat the US has not provided any evi-dence against LeT/JD’ supremo HafizSaeed, that’s why Pakistan can’t take anyaction against him and his colleagues. Iheard the same argument just a decadeback when Taliban were asking proofsagainst OBL.

It means that our entire criminal ju-dicial system – intelligence, investiga-tion, prosecution, courts, all aredependent on someone from the outsideworld to provide the proof otherwise weare helpless. We are the people who areunable to punish even a single terroristwhile thousands of civilians and securitypersonal have laid their lives in terrorists’attacks in last few years.

We keep hearing that hundreds ofmilitant extremists arrested from Swatand tribal areas are in army’s custody –have not been handed over to civilian au-thorities because in absence of any mean-ingful prosecution, it is feared that theywill be back in the field in just fewmonths time. This has been proved timeand again whether it’s Abdul Aziz of LalMasjid, Malik Ishaq of SSP or Hafiz

Saeed of LeT/JD himself. either no onecan dare to prosecute and punish them orno one is serious as sing the same song.

As you go deeper, it’s a tug war be-tween intelligence agencies; someonemust have gathered all the rightwing ex-tremists (including several officiallybanned outfits) at one stage under thebanner of Difa-e-Pakistan, allowed themto openly hold rallies to threat the gov-ernment functionaries, provided materialto fire the general public sentiments.Their overseas counterparts come upwith the idea to announce a $10 millionbounty on Hafiz’s head.

This is to make the case in comingdays why Pakistan is not taking actionagainst a person who in the past led thenow defunct organization – LeT, of whichfew members were arrested by Pakistaniauthorities after 26/11 Mumbai attacks(trial is running at snail pace for obviousreasons). It is to make a case that if Pak-istan doesn’t help the US to stabilize thesituation in Afghanistan and also facili-tate a safe exit from Afghan’ quagmire,the US will be justified in its actions.

There shall be no two opinions thatour justice system has miserably failed toprosecute and punish the criminals.everyone has to take the blame – parlia-ment for not amending the laws to helpcourts not to limit their judgment onavailability of human witnesses only, po-lice for not investigating the cases on sci-entific lines, government for not devisingwitness protection systems, prosecutionfor not fighting their cases based on sci-entific evidences, courts for falling preyto intimidation, pressure and sometimessharing views of extremists, media andgeneral public for not putting enoughpressure to bring about the change in thejudicial system.

Till that time our heroes are OBL,Ayman Zawahiri, KSM, Masood Azhar,Hafiz Saeed and many more of the samecadre.

MASOOD KHANJubail, Saudi Arabia

Loadsheding is a crucial issue for the whole country. Forthe last few months, we are facing unannounced loadshed-ing. In this situation our daily routine life is affected andcrime rate is also rising.

Incident of mobile snatching and robbery have risen innumber, causing panic and chaos among the residents of

the city.I humbly request the authorities to kindly end unan-

nounced loadsheding so that people would be aware of itstiming and could manage alternatives.

IQRA SOHAILKarachi


Comment12Friday, 6 April, 2012

Arif NizamiEditor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36298305-10 Fax: 042-36298302Karachi – Ph: 021-34330811-3 Fax: 021-34330900Islamabad – Ph: 051-2287414-6 Fax: 051-2287417

Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk Email: [email protected]

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

A necessity

Digging graves

Turkey - modern, up and coming economic power Turkey -has some demons to exorcise. The process is underway,with two generals from the 1980 coup, 94 and 86 years old,standing trial for their actions.

Do we in Pakistan have something in common with our Turkishbrethren? Yes and no. Common, a praetorian state, with a history ofmilitary coups. Common, the usual internal struggles regardingwhat it means to be a Muslim state, an Islamic state, a state with aMuslim majority.

Noted military watcher Dr Ayesha Siddiqa gives an interestingtrajectory of the two countries: in Turkey, the military has gottenweaker and weaker with every successive coup. In Pakistan, it hasgotten stronger and stronger. In Turkey’s case, the last military coupwas a failed one. In Pakistan, compare the influence of the deepstate in the “democratic” era of the 90’s with the government oftoday.

Turkey is certainly doing its bit by digging graves where it must.We should, too. Uncomfortable questions need to be asked. TheRPP’s corruption must be investigated and those responsible for itmust be investigated. But the president did have a point the otherday about why it took twenty years for the Asghar Khan petition tobe heard and only a couple of months for the RPP scandal to bepicked up.

A surfeit of skeletons in the closet. Pick up the Asghar Khanpetition even if it makes the institution of the militaryuncomfortable. Pick up the ZAB case, even if it makes the institutionof the judiciary uncomfortable. Pick up the Zafar Ali Shah case evenif it makes the present judiciary uncomfortable. Pick up the NAPcase, even if it makes the PPP uncomfortable. We can’t move aheadwith all these holding us back.

Those who think the era of military interventions - and othergrossly undemocratic behaviour - is over and hence there is no needto pull out these carcasses, are wrong. even today in Turkey, schoolsand other institutions are named after the fallen from grace dictatorcurrently on trial. A fan following even today. A mindset even todaythat the dictators are at least better than the cacophony of voicesthat the politicians are. The undemocratic forces still retain aconstituency in Pakistan. Clustered in, but not restricted to, central-upper Punjab and Karachi, this demographic is to enable a nextpossible coup.

Certain examples need to be made. Lest posterity forget...

No other way out

Breaking the stalemate?

Proceedings of the joint sitting of the parliament which werepostponed amid sharp differences would hopefully producemeaningful results now for two reasons. First, the PML(N)has returned to the meetings of the Parliamentary

Committee on National Security after a boycott of three days.Second, talks held between US envoy Nides and Finance MinisterSheikh on issues that included military reimbursements and theprice to be charged on Nato supplies have been described by the FOas positive. What remains to be done is the formulation of a policyby parliament which balances the security-cum-national interests ofPakistan and the US.

The five month long stalemate hit the vital interests of bothPakistan and the US. The army leaderships from the two countrieswhich did not fully realise the consequences of the cessation ofmutual cooperation have gradually understood that the terroristswere the only gainers from the five month long standoff. Thepropaganda by Pakistan-baiters in the US and the US-haters inPakistan has meanwhile raised the temperature in both countrieswhich would take time and efforts before it is brought to the normal.Washington has to realise that announcing the head money forHafiz Saeed without providing Islamabad enough evidence to tryhim can only create problems for the government. But the Pakistaniestablishment also has to understand that giving a free hand to thebanned outfits gathered under the flag of the DPC would not createan environment conducive to normalisation of relations with theUS.

While re-joining the PCNS, the PML(N) is expected to worktogether with the ruling alliance to help formulate a policy thattakes care of the paramount concerns of Pakistan and the US.Keeping in view the expectations both sides have developed, thismay not be a cake walk. A sincere attempt to undertake it would,however, send a message that the PML(N) is acting as a responsiblemainstream party. This would not be an easy decision for a partywhose CM in Punjab appealed to the terrorists to spare Punjab ashis government did not support the US policies. The partyleadership will have to convince those in its ranks with a soft cornerfor the extremists that peace and stability in the region requires thetwo countries to work together.

Bizarre ‘bounty’ businessHighhandedness, US-style

So the US administration is at itagain, doing what it often re-sorts to – bullying and blatantlyignoring international law. Noless making its behaviour more

unpopular. Washington has offered $10million bounty for the arrest of Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed. Hafiz Saeedis a Pakistani national, not a proclaimedoffender or in hiding and in fact clearedby Pakistan’s courts. Within Pakistan,while we debate his role and his approach,and many criticise him too, but this USmove is illegal and illogical.

And what excellent timing, just whenthe parliamentary review is underway toreset Pakistan-US relations to make them“transparent and predictable based onmutual respect”. Also, this announcementhas been sprung as a total surprise on Is-lamabad. Washington chose the media toinform the government and that too fromDelhi. So the Indian government and notthe US government knew beforehand!

This move has no legal basis and ap-pears to be a knee-jerk, tit-for-tat re-sponse to either Hafiz Saeed’s position inthe Defence of Pakistan Council or an at-tempt to pressurise Pakistan to relent onNATO supply lines. Hafiz Saeed who hasthe mobilising street power has been vo-ciferous in his criticism of both the USand India and has strongly opposed theresumption of Nato supplies toAfghanistan with emphatic calls for anend to the drone attacks.

So typical of the US to be operatingwith equal gusto on contradictory prem-ises. Washington is demanding that Pak-istan release a Pakistani citizen Dr ShakilAfridi who faces legally proven charges oftreason for collaborating with a foreignintelligence agency, but wants a Pakistaninational, who Pakistan’s courts had to re-lease because of lack of evidence, to be ar-rested without even sharing a shred ofevidence.

So what prompted this move by theUS and why at this particular time? Thetiming and venue of this announcement isas intriguing as the act itself. It raisesmany questions. The announcement wasmade by the US undersecretary of stateduring her visit to India on Monday, lessthan a week before President Asif AliZardari’s private trip to the country wherehe is also scheduled to have a luncheonmeeting with the Indian premier. The an-nouncement which has been hailed by theIndian government is going to cast a darkshadow on Zardari-Manmohan meetingwith terror talk in the media eclipsing theearlier expected focus on boosting trade

and a liberalisation of the visa regime. While the move may be perceived as

a success of Indian diplomacy, it signalsthe increasing convergence of India-USstrategic interests in the region and bothjointly exerting pressure on Pakistan toextract concessions.

It’s Washington’s displeasure and im-patience at Pakistan dragging its feet onthe re-opening of land routes for theNATO supplies which is proving very ex-pensive for the US and its allies. Pak-istan’s leading political parties have beenadvocating linking the reopening of Natosupplies to a halt to drone attacks whichthe US has point blank refused. Now theHafiz Saeed card will produce more oppo-sition than support for the US here.

The bounty announcement, in Wash-ington’s ivory tower approach serves theagenda of pushing Pakistan to ‘do more’on the terrorism. In its election year, per-haps the Obama Administration may be-lieve it will earn some more votes athome.

When President Obama met PrimeMinister Gilani in Seoul last week, he hadadvocated a balanced approach in the re-lationship that respects Pakistan’s sover-eignty and interests but also US concernsabout its national security. However, theAmerican move shows that the US re-mains and will remain selective in its re-spect for Pakistan’s sovereignty and willindeed overlook it when it does not suit it.So where is the mutual respect that US in-cessantly talks about? It wants Pakistan toalso address the US security concerns butflagrantly disregards Pakistan’s territorialintegrity and looks the other way whenPakistan talks about stopping dronestrikes, which undermine Pakistan’s secu-rity with an inevitable backlash manifest-ing in suicide attacks and nationwideprotests.

From a purely legal standpoint, thereseems to be no justification for this move

given that Hafiz Saeed is not on the runand there are no criminal sentencesagainst him in Pakistan or in any US courtof law. He was freed from detention on or-ders of both the High Court and theSupreme Court of Pakistan in absence ofsubstantive evidence to prove the chargesagainst him. Yet he figures on a US De-partment of Treasury’s list of special des-ignated individuals with links toterrorism. In 2008, his name had beenadded to the UN List of persons suspectedof sponsoring terrorism. Subsequently,the government sealed all outfits underhis control. He was detained but releasedas there was no evidence to substantiateany criminal charges. Yet, in the books ofthe US government, he remains guilty andis among the Most Wanted Terrorists.

This move will not endear Americansto Pakistanis and will only further inflamethe anti-US sentiment that prevails in thecountry. It will be counterproductive tothe much needed spirit of confidence-building between the two countries. In-stead of helping improve relations suchacts of highhandedness will further sourthem.

If there was any wisdom in Washing-ton on this matter, they would have de-cided to retract this bizarre bountyannouncement. Perhaps a more eligiblecandidate for head money, for a massmurderer’s trial is the former president ofthe United States, George W Bush, whowaged war against Iraq on the false anddoctored premises that killed thousandsof innocent Iraqi citizens.

What unbearable hubris of power thatwould make potentially logical minds optfor such illogical, ignorant and counter-productive moves.

The writer is a senior journalist andhas been a diplomatic correspondent forleading dailies. She can be reached viaemail at [email protected]

Cross CurrentsBy Qudssia Akhlaque

The war on terror started in the wake of 9/11 and cost noother country more than Pakistan but in turn Pakistannever got full support for it efforts and sacrifices it has

rendered since then.The current law and order situation in the country is a re-

sult of military operations in tribal areas of the country. Withthe initiation of action against miscreants in the tribal belt, thelaw and order situation started getting worse not only in Khy-ber Pakhtunkhwa but also in other parts of the country as well.

During Musharraf era, agreements were made with Amer-ica that left a gory situation in their aftermath. But the incum-bent government has come to the saddle of power withconsiderable mandate and it is now on them not only to controlprice-hike, loadshedding, unemployment but to effectively

come up with a solution to address the law and order situation.But the people find it difficult as the ground reality is get-

ting worse even after four years of this government. The incum-bent government cared little for the mandate and the overallsecurity situation and standard of living is getting worse, in-stead of improving. The country has also become weak on eco-nomic front as well.

The question is how to address the ensuing problems in-cluding law and order situation in the country. One of the so-lutions lies in halting military operations in tribal areas withoutany further delay. Wishes of the people from tribal areas shouldbe taken on board with a body of officials to check what’s goingon on the ground as well. efforts must be put in place to upliftthe standard of life of the people in the tribal areas.

– Translated from the original Pashto by Abdur RaufKhattak.

the tribal belt and peacePashtun Post

Regional press


Comment 13Friday, 6 April, 2012

Tolerate them, for they know not what they do

on the PTi trollLet’s hand them out on April 1st, not March 23rd

The o Scar Awards 2012

Trolls are idiots, no secondguessing that. If they weren’tidiots, they wouldn’t be called

trolls – it is as simple as that. A trollis an online idiot, while an offlineidiot would be just a good old idiot.It doesn’t take burning of the mid-night oil to become one; all it re-quires is a myopic and insecure stateof mind. Willingness to listen to theother person’s argument and thenanswer it with a marginally intelli-gent and coherent counter-argumentis all that it takes to become a “non-troll”. So it is both easy to be a trollas well as a non-troll.

Trollism is universal. It has nospecific caste or creed. The behav-iour is not a domain of any one reli-gion, region, or natonality. Like adisease, it is everywhere. If the term“troll” did not require being online,Newt Gingrich would qualify as one,so would Jean-Marie Le Pen, andour very own Qibla Zaid HamidSahib.

While Trollism may be universal,the way it has been associated withonly one political party in Pakistan,Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) by the left-leaning intel-lectuals (some of them have

questionable and arguableleftist credentials though)of our country is indeed un-fortunate. It is not that onImran Khan’s proddingthey abuse you online! Thatyou classify every abusivetweet as typed with theblessings of the “Kaptaan”is indeed wrong. It is cer-tainly not the policy of PTIto have a cadre of trolls. Noparty does (although someparties have cadres of heav-ily armed men, but then apen is mightier than asword or in modern parl-ance a tweet mightier thanUzi!).

However, I suspect a bitof foul-play on behalf of the‘victims’ of these ‘PTItrolls’. They were inher-ently biased against “KingKhan” and his anti-Westpolicies even before thefirst troll signed up withTwitter. The idiots howeverprovided them with a com-mon platform to get to-gether and denounce theKhan of Zaman Park andhis party’s policies. A closerlook at some of “victim

tweets” and it becomes abundantlyclear that Khan’s policies are beingdenied as naïve simply because theseidiots are supporters of these poli-cies.

As far as naiveté of PTI’s policiesare concerned, I’ll be the first bravePTI supporter to admit that some ofthem indeed make no sense at all(my biggest fear is what if the Pat-wari refuses to issue a fard in myfavour by saying Khan sahib nayrishvat na lenay ka hukam diya hey,fard denay ka nahi). But to belittlePTI policies simply because someonline “genius” follows and supportsthem, smells of premeditated bias.

Our left-leaning liberal intellec-tuals, most of them associated withleading english-language newspa-pers, often point towards JemimaGoldsmith’s former husband and tryto make a case that since he is reck-less in his speech while referring toother political leaders that is why hisonline followers send abusive tweets.I beg to differ. If his mannerisms hadbeen contagious, then there shouldhave been “PML(N) trolls” as well as“PPP trolls”, since both parties havebeen at each others throat ever sincethe 1980’s. The ‘flowery language’that they have used to refer to theopposite party’s main leader espe-cially during the 1990’s and beforethe signing of CoD, is still not forgot-ten, at least not by me. More recentlyPresident Zardari declaring NawazSharif as “Maulvi Nawaz Sharif”, orhis talented younger bro’s rantagainst the president should have re-leased a volley of abusive tweetsfrom both ends (Yes I am assumingthat both the PPP and PML(N) trollshave internet access, and enough ed-ucation to type abuse).

In submission, even if there hadbeen no Imran Khan there wouldstill have been trolls, period. A trollis a troll. He (and yes to date they areall “he”) is neither PTI, nor PPP orPML(N) troll. He is in a world of hisown which is easily shattered by onemarginally intelligent tweet. He isinsecure because he either does notknow the facts or has the stomach todigest them; he is someone who hasnever had time to read books, etc. ei-ther try to “un-troll” him by support-ing a party that advocates a moreegalitarian, uniform, and universaleducation policy, or stop stampinghim as “PTI troll”! All it takes is anunderdeveloped brain, and an accessto moderately good internet connec-tion to be a troll, not Imran Khan.

Any national award typicallycarries with it a certainamount of significance both

for the recipient and for the country.It accords a well-deserved recogni-tion to the former for services ren-dered to the state (not to anindividual, please note the delicatedifference) or for excellence in somefield of study, excluding sycophancy.It bestows a merited prestige on aperson for some tangible achieve-ment that is widely acknowledged.

As for the nation, the names fig-uring on the awards list may alsoobliquely reflect its national and in-ternational status (last year, a Chi-nese general reportedly sent a lowlycolonel to collect his award in anevent arranged at Beijing’s most ex-pensive hotel by our embassy) as wellas lighting up the reality of its inter-nal conditions and circumstances.The mindset and outlook of its lead-ership, warped or otherwise, is alsoon display. Therefore, the concernedbureaucrats in any normal civilisedcountry take great pains to make theexercise of the Honours List a credi-ble and fair one.

From the above opening salvo, itis quite clear that one is not talkingabout our beloved country, as is easilyconfirmed from the foul play in thehighest civilian categories of the 2012Pakistan Day awards, or rather re-wards. At the outset one must alsoswear on scout’s honour that there isno intention of playing politics ordesecrating anyone’s grave (God for-bid), and as a general confession ofgood faith, one may add that one isnot being anti-Semitic about the Hol-lywood hullabaloo at all!

When the annual fun and frolic ofthe Oscars takes place in Los Angeles,the disappointment comes after asure shot winner in the popular per-ception, whether a particular movie,

an actor or a director is overlooked inthe final dramatic announcement. Inthe case of our very own O Scars, it isthe mostly infuriating names actuallyappearing in the final recipients listthat cause all the anguish. For theysear the psyche, leaving a lasting(until the next awards) imprint.

Apart from causing a sponta-neous chain reaction of the ‘expletivedeleted’ type, the physical symptomsmay include a glazed look, a bad tastein the mouth and a queasy stomach.

The O Scar Awards, now alsoknown as the big, bigger, biggestrazzies in any category or the ultimatecharade ditto, are held in Islamabadevery year on March 23. This yearwas no exception, with the discon-certing difference that the award-

winners on the civilian side in the topcategory awards were so blatantly(barring a few, and those too on emo-tional, patriotic and diplomaticgrounds) fishy, that it would havebeen much more appropriate if theinvestiture ceremony were held onApril 1. But, then, here every day is anApril Fool’s Day for the ordinaryman, who is taken for a daily ride ona crazy witches broom by the widelygrinning master of ceremonies pre-siding over the whole sham businessof state.

As with everything else in thepresent epic era of ‘elected for a fullterm of five years and will completeit’ leadership, two things stand outstarkly in the O Scar Awards 2012: ashameless cronyism of the mostbrazen kind, with all the usual sus-pects figuring prominently, and sec-ond, denigrating an event of nationalimportance to the extent of turning itinto a joke, as in the case of institu-tions.

Among the citizens there is, orrather was, but one individual whodeserved to be given the award in herlifetime, or rather in her long drawn

out illness of many years. All right,there is also the ex-governor of thebiggest province who was heartlesslyused as a political pawn in a game ofpersonal vendetta, and overreachedhimself on what was verbally passéand taboo in certain enlightened localcircles. But that is about it of the trulydeserving in the category of the high-est civilian awards. Otherwise, asprinkling of the ‘Al-Faeda’ brigade ofsycophants has had another day to re-member! And all roads lead to thedoor of the ruling party with the mi-nuscule majority.

In the dilapidated department,there is one gentlemanly fossil, of aseriously advanced age, whose ap-pearance is a ‘tribute to the em-balmers art’, or it might be the

make-up artist’s craft. But he enjoysthe ultimate merit: he is one of theoldest comrades-in-cahoots. A doc-tor, also of the Monticello variety, hehas been a miserable flop in his, itwould seem, dynastically inheritedministry, but no matter. And, in thePride of Performance category onenotorious name in the list alonemakes a mockery of the whole, as thelady in question is renowned more forher overweening vanity, her dubiousactivities, and alleged spouses, not tomention her stubborn insistence onconversing in a totally innocent for-eign tongue.

But the real ‘three pipe’ mystery,as Sherlock Holmes might put it, isthe inexplicable absence from theself-rewarding list of the two politicalfigures (one actually, in the finalanalysis) who actually count in ourpoor land. Why this coy bashfulness,this demure diffidence? After all, themore, the merrier is the motto in suchmatters, that is, when pulling rabbitsout of the hat.

The writer is a freelance colum-nist.

By Khawaja Manzar Amin

By Taimoor Ashraf

When the annual fun and frolic of the

oscars takes place in Los Angeles, the

disappointment comes after a sure shot

winner in the popular perception,

whether a particular movie, an actor or a

director is overlooked in the final

dramatic announcement.


MUMbAI: Actress Karisma Kapoor has dismissed reportsdoing rounds that her pose in the upcoming flick

‘Dangerous ishq’ is inspired by Hollywood hottieAngelina Jolie's look at the oscars this year.Karisma's sensuous pose in which she has put herright foot forward is being widely compared withthat of Angelina's who dressed in a black velvetVersace high-slit gown with right foot forwardbecame a talk of the town among fashionistas and

glitterai. When asked about the similaritiesbetween the two poses, Karisma said, "We shot thisbefore the oscars so it is not at all inspired from

there. And in this poster i am walking and notposing like Angelina Jolie". Director Vikram

Bhatt, who is casting Karisma in 3-D outingsupernatural thriller ‘Dangerous ishq’ whichis slated for release on May 11, too tried toscotch the comparison. "it is quitestrange that the minute we have a slit inthe gown we say it’s Angelina Jolie,nobody says Helen or the other actressesso i think it is short sighted," Bhatt said.the movie revolves around the quest ofsupermodel Sanjana (Karisma Kapoor)to save her husband rohan ( rajneishDuggal) who suddenly vanishes undermysterious circumstances. AgeNCIeS

14 Friday, 6 April, 2012

NEWS DESK

F ROM clothing lines to homefurnishings to accessories - morethan 100 Pakistani companies areset to showcase their exquisitecollections at a four-day Lifestyle

Pakistan exhibition, the first such to beheld in New Delhi from April 12.Participants hope it will boost tradebetween the two nations. Jointly organisedby the India and Pakistan, LifestylePakistan will be held at the Pragati Maidanexhibition grounds. Apart from theexhibition, four fashion shows byPakistan’s textile and design houses will befeatured, a statement said. Some of thenames to participate are ace designersSahar Atif, Deepak Perwani, Kamiar Rokni,Faiza Samee, Maheen Khan, Rizwan Beyg,

Maria B and Nilofer Shahid. "For theproject, I have taken on the responsibilityof styling the collection for the runway atLifestyle Pakistan. I will present freeflowing fabric drapes frequently seen onthe runway at many Pakistan FashionDesign Council fashion weeks," Atif said.Muhammad Kashif Ashfaq, CeO of Chenabgroup, a leading textile group of Pakistan,feels the event will boost sub-continentaltrade ties. "Lifestyle Pakistan will offer anopening for Pakistani products to enter inIndia. The objective of the LifestylePakistan exhibition is not only to introducehigh quality Pakistani products infusedwith rich culture to the Indian businesscommunity, but also provide top Pakistanigovernment officials with a platform tomeet Indian authorities and discuss trade-related issues," Ashfaq said.

Pose is not inspiredfrom Jolie: Karisma

Delhi to host Pakistani lifestyle expo

KARACHINeWS DeSK

Pantene and Style 360 are collaborating yetagain to bring a treat for the Karachiites inthe form of Pantene Bridal Couture Week2012. The announcement was made in a onea kind press conference. The grand extrava-ganza will run from 13th to 15th April atKarachi expo Center and will include aunique mix of fashion show runway and en-tertainment segments. According to the or-ganisers, six shows will be held over thethree days with 19 designers participating-including many top designers who will bepart of a special segment, and designersfrom India. The line-up of the local design-ers participating in the three-day event in-clude: Amir Adnan, Amir Baig, Asifa andNabeel, Cara by Imran Ikhlaq, Caret Cre-ations by Sheikh Faisal Habib, Hijab bySaba and Misbah, Humayun Alamgir, Nadia

Chotani, Nomi Ansari, Ruby Shakeel, SaimAli, Shamaeel Ansari and Zainab Sajid. SabaAnsari of ‘Sabs’, who is also Pantene’s offi-cial partner hair care expert will be puttingup a special hair and make up show. Addi-tionally, Gutam Rakha, Rahul Rastogi andShibani Rastogi (Rabani and Rakha) are es-pecially flying in from India with their col-lection for the event. Amir Adnan, ShamaeelAnsari, Sana Safinanz, HSY, Mehdi, MaheenKhan, Deepak Perwani, Faiza Samee andUmar Sayeed are all going to be part of aspecial segment that has been designed forthis show. The fashion shows will be chore-ographed by Imran Kureishi. Forty femaleand ten male models will be a part of theevent this year, which include: Pantene’s of-ficial brand ambassador Hira Tareen, Iraj,Mehreen Kanwal (Maha), Amna Ilyas,Madiha Mushtaq, Racheal, Koni, Ayaan,Rabya Chaudry, Sunita Marshall, SofiaMirza, Areeba Habib, Hifza and Maria Rizvi.

Bridal extravaganza hits Karachi with Pantene Bridal Couture Week 2012

MUMbAI: Shahid Kapoor is surelythe epitome of forgetfulness.Letting bygones be, he not onlypaired up with ex-flame PriyankaChopra for Kunal Kohli's ‘teri MeriKahaani’, but now is all set towork with PC's cousin, Parineeti,in Maneesh Sharma's next. the‘Band Baaja Baaraat’ director hasfinalised Parineeti, who debutedwith ranveer Singh in ‘Ladies Vsricky Bahl’, for his film. A sourcesaid: "Maneesh loved Parineeti'sperformance in her first film. Shestole the limelight from the otherfemale actors. And that'swhy he chose her for hisfilm though many otherswere being considered forthe role." About Parineeti'scharacter in this project,the source said, "She playsa feisty girl. Her characterin ‘Ladies Vs ricky Bahl’was also quite lively." Apartfrom Parineeti, the film willstar another leadingfemale actor. According tosources from the industry,rani Mukerji had beenoffered the role, but now,tabu is most likely to stepin. the film will be shotentirely in Jaipur. AgeNCIeS

MUMbAI: Before anyone jumps into any kind ofconclusion, let us be clear that John Abraham andBipasha Basu are trying to revive their relationship inany way. the two will simply be starring together ina song sequence in ekta Kapoor’s ‘Shootout atWadala’. it can safely be said that ekta has clearlypulled a casting coup of sorts by getting the formerlovers together on screen albeit for one song. Atabloid has revealed that Bipasha would be starringopposite Manoj Bajpai and will feature in a special

song with John Abraham and tussharKapoor. A source revealed, "Bipashawas signed long back. However hername wasn’t announced. the wholeidea of the makers was to announceher name during the release to use itas a marketing gimmick. Bipasha ispaired opposite Manoj Bajpai. Johnand Bips will be seen shaking a leg inthe song, along with tusshar Kapoor,”added the source. Considering thatthe two parted on bitter terms,wasn’t there any apprehension oneither actor’s part to feature in asong together? "Contrary to one`sexpectations, Bipasha had noobjections in doing the film, " said thesource. With Deepika-ranbir andKatrina-Salman making peace withtheir past and agreeing to do filmstogether, John and Bipasha perhapsrealised that avoiding each otherprofessionally would harm theirrespective careers. AgeNCIeS

Bipasha andJohn backtogether?

zebah, Natasha, Fia, Robab and Aeysha Nina Akbar, Ansa, Dr Shelah and Sofia

Hina and Annie Rabia and Khurram Suhail and Khawaja Parvez Saem and Amna

Hassan Rizvi Performance

Hira Tareen and Ali Safina

LAHORE: Chen One launched a new store in DHA, Y Block. PHOTOS BY: NADEEm IjAz

SOCIETY

KARACHI: Pantene Bridal Couture Week 2012 was announced recently. PR


MUMbAI: While Salim Khan is against theidea of remake of the superhit film‘Zanjeer’ co-written by him, son SalmanKhan supports the idea of remaking it.renowned writer and father of actorSalman Khan, Salim Khan doesn't approveof the idea of remaking the breakthroughfilm ‘Zanjeer’, which he had co-writtenwith partner Javed Akhtar. But son SalmanKhan has his own opinion on it. Addressinga press conference recently, when Salmanwas asked about ‘Zanjeer’ remake and hisfather's stand on it he said, "of coursethere should be a remake of ‘Zanjeer’. itwas a superb and really good film." Salmandidn't miss the opportunity to make acomment on Shah rukh Khan starrer ‘Don’since his father had co-written the scriptof the original. Citing the example of ‘Don’,he said, “‘Don’ was remade twice. First wasremake and the second was a sequel of aremake." the ‘Zanjeer’ remake is beingproduced by Prakash Mehra's son AmitMehra. it will be directed by ApoorvaLakhia. Now when Salman is supportingZanjeer remake we wonder what SalimKhan has to say on this. AgeNCIeS

15

Salman doesn't agree with dad over ‘Zanjeer’ remake

Tom Cruise sings BonJovi in ‘Rock of Ages’

LOS ANGELES AgeNCIeS

Tom Cruise shows off his singing chopsin a new trailer for his movie ‘Rock ofAges’, based on the hit musical. Thefinal scene in the two-and-a-half-minute clip depicts Cruise, as long-haired ’80s rock star Stacee Jaxx,performing Bon Jovi’s ‘Wanted Dead orAlive’. The trailer also features appear-ances by Alec Baldwin, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Paul Giamatti, Russell Brand,Julianne Hough and Mary J Blige. TheAdam Shankman-directed film, filledwith classic '80s rock songs, will arrivein theaters on June 15.

George Michael pens songabout battle with illness

LONDONReUTeRS

George Michael is writing a song abouthis near-death battle with illness in aVienna hospital last year, the Britishsinger announced on Twitter. Michael,48, was diagnosed with severe pneumo-nia in November. He was forced to post-pone his tour and spent several weeksin hospital, describing his illness as"touch and go". On his Twitter feed, hewrote: "I've been a busy boy in the stu-dio this week ... finally ready to writeabout what happened to me in Vienna... and how grateful I am to be given an-other chance to live and breathe along-side you all in this wonderful world thatwe share." He added that he wanted torepay the "unending kindness" his fanshad shown him with new music, andsaid he had begun to write the trackwhich will be called ‘White Light’.

NEWS DESK

Following the performanceof //orangenoise, UfoneUth Records 2.0 introducedtheir final artist for this sea-son: Rahim SaranjamKhan. The Ufone UthRecords Season finale withRahim will be aired on the7th April. Hailing fromKhyber Pakhtunkhwa,Rahim Saranjam Khan is aself-taught musician whoplays the guitar, piano, har-monium and the melodeon.As the foundingmember and vo-calist of the bandJUM and as a vo-calist for the bandAbove, Rahim’sinspirations rangefrom a wide musi-cal repertoirefrom the nowiconic bands ofthe Seventies totraditional classi-cal musicianssuch as JavedBashir and NusratFateh Ali Khan.Accompanied bythe talentedRakae Jamil on

Sitar and Bradley D’Souzaon Bass Guitar, Rahim willbe performing his originalcomposition ‘Afsoos’, whichis an adaptation of the workof poet Ahmed Faraz. Com-menting on becoming amusician and his experi-ence at the Ufone UthRecords 2.0 platformRahim said: “It was quitedifficult for me personallyto choose a musical careeras it is not easily acceptedamongst my family. Butwith my determination to

follow my dreams.” Pro-duced by Louis J ‘Gumby’Pinto, directed by ZeeshanParwez, Ufone Uth Records2.0 episode 7 will be airingon AAG, Aaj News, ApnaChannel, ARY Muzik, ATV,A plus, Channel G, CNBC,KTN, Kashish, Metro, NewsOne, Oxygen, Play TV, PTVHome, Style 360, TV One,Waseb and Wateen CableNetwork as well as acrossUfone Uth Records' socialmedia platforms, on Satur-day 7th April.

Ufone Uth Records 2.0 presents Rahim Saranjam Khan in final episode

Shahid towork withPriyanka's

cousin

Big B refusesto confirm Beti B’s name

Nimra, Sadia and Hafsa

Aeysha and Hina

moiz Kazmi, Saima

Haroon and Koni

Faisal Waheed P&G (Pantene),

Shanaz, Sultana, Beenish

Irshad P&G (Pantene),

Aneeta mira UBL and Nausheen

Ryan Gosling on alifesaving mission

NEW YORk: Ryan Gosling saved awoman recently, from being struck by acab in NYC. Laurie Penny, a Britishwriter, Tweeted, "I literally, LITeRALLYjust got saved from a car by RyanGosling. Literally. That actually just hap-pened. I was crossing 6th avenue in anew pink wig. Not looking the right waybecause I am from London. RyanGosling grabbed me away from a taxi.Identity of no-idea-if-actually-a-manar-chist-but-definitely-a-decent-sort RyanGosling confirmed by girl near me." Lau-rie was quick to squash one of the manyfantasies that have risen from this ex-change by adding, "He did not say 'hey,girl.' He said 'hey, watch out!'" Fans willrecall that this isn't the first time Ryanhas been a good city Samaritan-back inAugust, he broke up a street fight andevery night he prowls the streets savingManhattan-ites from The Joker, TheGreen Goblin and other assorted villainsfrom The Rogues Gallery. AgeNCIeS

Rihanna: Chris Brownviolence ‘gave me guns’LOS ANGELES: Rihanna's got fame and fortune to spare, but even thisBarbadian beauty finds the dating scene challenging. "I feel like it's hardfor everybody," she tells elle magazine. "I don't think it has anything to dowith being famous. There's just a major drought out there. I don't know."Part of the problem? "I guess I'm challenging," she admits. "Because myjob seems to affect every relationship I have or try to have. even withpeople I think should get it, you know? That seems to be a big factor.But I just need to find the person who balances me out, because thenthings like my schedule won't matter. I've done it before, so I know Ican do it again." Rihanna also opens up about her infamous romanticties to Chris Brown, including the 2009 assault. "It gave me guns,"she says of the incident. "They know more about me than I wantthem to know. It's embarrassing. But that was my opening. That wasmy liberation, my moment of bring it. I wanted people to know who Iam. Whatever they take that to be, good or bad, I just want them to knowthe truth. I have more freedom the more people know about me," sheadds. "It's like, one less skeleton in the closet, one less burden, oneless secret; now you know that, so you can say what you want aboutit. I don't have anything to hide." One thing she hasn't hidden is herreconciliation-at least as pals-with her formerly abusive ex. "Thebottom line is that everyone thinks differently,” she says. "Peopleend up wasting their time on the blogs or whatever, ranting away,and that's all right. I'm going to do what I want to do." AgeNCIeS

MUMbAI: it seems like we’ll have to keep callingthe littlest Bachchan by her nickname, Beti B, awhile longer. Megastar Amitabh Bachchanrefused to confirm his granddaughter’s namewhile speaking to the media. the baby’s namehas been a family secret so far but last monthgossip suggested that Abhishek and Aishwaryarai Bachchan’s daughter was named Aaradhya.the Bachchans, however, have neither confirmednor denied this. Asked about the name Aaradhyaat the Vidhu Vinod Chopra festival, Big B said,"We will talk about it sometime later...not now."Various names like Aaliya andAbhilasha have cropped up inprevious rumours, only to be shotdown by Abhishek. Speculationaround American talk show hostoprah Winfrey`s famous visit to theBachchan residence suggested thatBeti B might be revealed to theworld on oprah`s show. But againthat was denied by the Bachchanfamily. Both Big B and son Abhishekhad earlier said that there would beno naming ceremony for the littlegirl as the family does not believein it. the Bachchans have beenfiercely protective of the latestmember of the family ever sinceAishwarya gave birth to thedaughter on November 16 last year.When asked about his health postsurgery, Mr Bachchan said, "i amfine now...much better." AgeNCIeS



16 Foreign News

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THe UN Security Council onThursday gave formal backingto an April 10 deadline thatUN-Arab League envoy KofiAnnan agreed with the Syrian

government to end its military offensiveon protest cities, diplomats said.

A statement, in which the council“calls upon the Syrian government toimplement urgently and visibly itscommitments” was adopted at a meetingon Thursday, diplomats told AFP. Thecouncil said that depending on Annan’sreports on what President Bashar al-Assadhas carried out, it will “consider furthersteps as appropriate”. The 15-nationcouncil, which has been badly divided onSyria, gave its new boost to Annan’s peacemission just before the envoy briefed the

UN General Assembly on his efforts to haltthe government clampdown which the UNsays has left more than 9,000 dead.

The statement was softened atRussia’s demand however, diplomatsinvolved in the talks said. An initialproposal by western countries that thecouncil “demands” that Syria pull back itstroops and heavy weapons was changed to“calls” and “verifiably” was changed to“visibly.”

Meanwhile, a UN team dispatched byUN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan topave the way for eventual observers inSyria arrived in Damascus Thursday. Theteam headed by Norwegian generalRobert Mood, a Middle east specialist,would be meeting Syrian authorities todiscuss “the modalities of the eventualdeployment of the UN supervisingmission,” Ahmad Fawzi said. The formerUN secretary general had told the

Security Council on Monday that itshould consider whether to send amission to monitor events in Syria, whereactivists say more than 10,000 peoplehave been killed in a brutal crackdownagainst protesters since March 2011.

The observers can be sent only afterthe Security Council passes a resolutionordering their deployment, Annan’sspokesman said. The Syrian regime hasagreed to provide access to detentionfacilities throughout the country, the headof the International Committee of the RedCross said. Jakob Kellenberger, whoconcluded a two-day visit to Damascus onWednesday, said in a statement thatSyrian authorities had agreed onprocedures for visits to places ofdetention. “The agreement will be put intopractice with an ICRC visit to people heldin Aleppo Central Prison,” the statementsaid, without specifying a date.

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The trial of the two surviving lead-ers of the 1980 military coup inTurkey was hailed by the mediaThursday as a landmark case thatserved as a critical reminder of thecountry’s coup-marred history.

“Never again!” declared theheadline in the liberal daily Taraf,saying the case showed thatTurkey was finally coming to gripswith the bloody coup that trauma-tised the political scene 32 yearsago. The trial of Kenan evren, thejunta leader and self-appointedpresident, and Tahsin Sahinkaya,then air force commander, re-sumed for a second day Thursdayat an Ankara court with the twodefendants again absent for med-ical reasons. The opening sessionon Wednesday lasted nine hours,much longer than a usual hearing,but the indictment against thegenerals has not been read out be-cause of their absence and they

have not entered any pleas. evren, 94, and Sahinkaya, 86,

risk life in prison if they are foundguilty of “crimes against the state,”the most severe punishment sinceTurkey abolished the death penaltyin 2002. On Thursday, the courtheard testimony from some victimsof the coup, including a 104-year-old Kurdish woman whose sonwent missing after a police interro-gation in eastern Kars province, amonth after the generals seizedpower on September 12, 1980.

“If I can come here, they cantoo. I cannot forgive them for whatthey did,” said Berfo Kirbayir, wholeft the courtroom in a wheelchair.evren broke his arm in a fall a fewdays ago at a military hospital inAnkara, where he is recovering fromintestinal surgery, while the Turkishmedia says Sahinkaya is beingtreated at an Istanbul military hos-pital for Parkinson’s disease. OnWednesday, a lawyer for the plan-tiffs urged the judges to bring evrento court “in a cage or a stretcher” if

necessary, like former egyptianpresident Hosni Mubarak. The mil-itary, which has long seen itself asthe guarantor of secularism inTurkey, staged three coups in 1960,1971 and 1980 as well as pressuringan Islamist-rooted government torelinquish power in 1997.

But the 1980 coup was thebloodiest of them all. Fifty peoplewere executed, more than half amillion arrested and dozens diedunder torture while many otherswere reported missing over the nextthree years. The trial became possi-ble after constitutional reforms in2010, which revoked an article giv-ing immunity to those responsiblefor coups, Mustafa Unal of the gov-ernment-friendly Zaman dailywrote. “Leaders of the 1960 and1971 coups were never held ac-countable. It encouraged morecoup attempts,” he wrote. “Theywere not just two,” said the opposi-tion newspaper Cumhuriyet, de-manding that all those behind thecoup be brought to justice.

Millionaire’sdaughter guiltyof chauffeuringUK rioters

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The daughter of a millionaire wasconvicted Thursday of driving a group ofrioters around London for a looting spreeduring the wave of violence that spreadacross British cities last summer. LauraJohnson drove the balaclava-clad grouparound London on August 8 last year, andallowed them to pile her car with stolengoods from an electronics store. The 20-year-old, whose millionaire father runs amarketing firm, was convicted at InnerLondon Crown Court of burglary andhandling a stolen television. She wascleared of a second count of burglaryinvolving the theft of cigarettes and alcoholfrom a petrol station. Johnson, a student atthe University of exeter in southwestengland, had denied the charges, claimingshe had acted under duress. The jury heardthat she had set out in the early evening todeliver a phone charger to her friendemmanuel Okubote, a 20-year-oldconvicted crack cocaine dealer and thief.When she arrived at their meeting point insouth London, he had jumped into thepassenger seat while others climbed intothe back of the car. Johnson told police shehad been ordered by the group to drivethem around until the early hours, and hadbeen too scared to refuse.

Attacks on Afghanpolice kill 10

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A suicide bomber killed two policemen innortheastern Afghanistan Thursday, hoursafter a Taliban attack on a police post onthe other side of the insurgency-hit nationleft eight dead, officials said. Abdul MaroofRasekh, provincial spokesman forBadakhshan, in the country’s far north-east, said: “A suicide attacker targeted agroup of local police forces in Keshm dis-trict today killing the commander of localpolice in the district and one of his body-guards.” He named the commander asNazek Mir, adding that 18 civilians hadbeen wounded in the bombing, most ofthem seriously. Taliban spokesman Zabi-hullah Mujahid claimed responsibility in atext message sent to AFP, saying fiveguards as well as the commander werekilled. The Taliban are known to routinelyexaggerate their claims. earlier, Naqibul-lah Farahi, spokesman for the westernprovince of Farah, which borders Iran, saidTaliban gunmen had killed eight local po-licemen in an attack on a remote post inKhaki Safed district late on Wednesday.“There were eight people in the post andall were killed,” he said. Contacted by AFP,Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadiclaimed responsibility for that attack andsaid 12 local policemen had been killed.

HYDeRAbAD: Indian Catholic bishop Archdioecese of Hyderabad Reverend Thumma bala washes the feet of a parishioner during the evening mass of the Lord’s Supper

celebrated as Maundy Thursday service at St. Joseph Cathedral on Thursday. AFP

Security Council backs April 10 deadline for Syria

Turkish media hail landmark coup trial

Saudi rules out sendingwomen athletes to londonJEDDAH: The head of the Saudi Olympic Com-mittee has ruled out sending women athletesfrom the ultra-conservative kingdom to the Lon-don Olympics this summer, local dailies reportedon Thursday. Prince Nawaf bin Faisal said, how-ever, that Saudi women taking part on their ownare free to do so and the kingdom’s Olympic au-thority would “only help in ensuring that theirparticipation does not violate the Islamic sharialaw.” “We are not endorsing any Saudi femaleparticipation at the moment in the Olympics orother international championships,” he told apress conference in Jeddah on Wednesday. TheSaudi official was reiterating a position he an-nounced late last year, confirming that SaudiArabia will be fielding only male athletes inLondon. “There are hundreds, if not thousands,of (Saudi) women who practice sports, but inprivate,” he said, adding that the sports bodyhas nothing to do with their activities. eques-trian jumping contestant Dalma Malhas, 18, islikely to be Saudi Arabia’s only female athlete atthis summer’s Olympics, according to media re-ports. Malhas won a bronze medal at the 2010Singapore Youth Olympics without having beennominated by her country, following an invita-tion from the International Olympic Committee(IOC). The New York-based Human RightsWatch in February published a report damningthe systematic exclusion of women from sport-ing activities in Saudi Arabia. AFP

Russia warns West against ultimatums on SyriaBISHKEK

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Russia on Thursday warned the West against using threats and ultimatums in its ap-proach to Syria’s regime as the United Nations prepared a statement on the pro-tracted conflict. “Russia proceeds from a deep conviction that any steps around Syriashould be aimed at facilitating the success of UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan’smission,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. “The Syrian government hasaccepted his proposals, has begun implementing them, and it is very important rightnow not to undermine this process through ultimatums and threats and unfortu-nately there are those who’d like to do that,” he said. “Russia can back the UN Secu-rity Council document on Syria if it facilitates the implementation of Kofi Annan’splan,” Lavrov told reporters during a visit to the ex-Soviet Central Asian nation ofKyrgyzstan. “When we debate the document at the Security Council we will proceedfrom the principle ‘do no harm’,” he said in the capital Bishkek. “If we manage towork out a consensus which would be aimed at facilitating Kofi Annan’s efforts andnot using the Security Council for threats and ultimatums that could provoke ten-sions... if this happens when we vote then it would not be bad.” “But we will see, thisdoes not depend only on us,” Lavrov added.


Foreign News 17Friday, 6 April, 2012

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Hundreds fled lawless northern Maliovernight and the country’s neighboursweighed a military intervention onThursday amid fears Al Qaeda-linkedIslamists are turning the country into arogue state.

Alarmed by the rapid collapse ofthe west African nation which has splitinto a rebel controlled north and junta-controlled south in two weeks since acoup, the world grappled for a responseand a place to lay the blame. WestAfrican military chiefs met in Abidjanto discuss the possible deployment of a2,000-strong military force as a chunkof Mali the size of France fell into thehands of Tuareg separatists and Is-lamists. Observers said the west wasobliged to intervene after their role inLibya forced hundreds of well-armedTuareg fighters to flee home to Mali,overwhelming its army and givingother outlaws a means to serve theirown interests.

“It must be said and said again thatthe factor that unleashed all of this isthe Western intervention in Libya,”said eric Denece, director of the FrenchCentre for Intelligence Research(CF2R), a think tank. He said Mali’sforeign minister, Soumeylou BoubeyeMaiga, had repeatedly warned Paris.But France is hoping Mali’s neighbours

will step in to find a political solutionto both restore democracy and end theIslamist juggernaut which puts thewhole of the fragile Sahel at risk.

“There won’t be a military solutionfor the Tuaregs. It’s a political solutionthat we need,” Foreign Minister AlainJuppe warned. As the Tuareg trum-peted the success of a decades-oldstruggle to “liberate” their homeland,their fundamentalist comrades-turned-rivals began imposing sharia in north-ern Mali. The National Movement forthe Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) saidas a result of their successful conquestof an area they call the Azawad, theyare halting all military operations frommidnight Thursday.

But the desert nomads are notalone in the north and many say it isIyad Ag Ghaly’s Ansar Dine — whichhas begun imposing sharia law — whoare the new masters of the desert. “Inreality, from what we know, the MNLAis in charge of nothing at the moment... it is Iyad who is the strongest and heis with AQIM,” a Malian militarysource told AFP, referring to Al Qaedain the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). But ontheir website, the group said it was“holding its position in the face of allthese mafia networks and distances it-self from Ansar Dine and others whorise up on the path to the liberation ofAzawad”. Three of AQIM’s top leaders,all of them Algerians, were spotted in

the fabled city of Timbuktu in talkswith Ag Ghaly earlier this week.

Ansar Dine, “Defenders of Faith” inArabic, has ordered women to wearheadscarves and threatened to cut offthe hands of thieves in the ancient city,once the jewel in Mali’s burgeoningtourism industry. Three westernerswere evacuated from Timbuktu in ex-treme circumstances after it fell onSunday, sources close to the rescue saidThursday. “Three westerners, includinga Frenchman, were evacuated in thepast days to a country neighbouringMali. It went well but it was very diffi-cult,” said a Malian who took part inthe evacuation, speaking on conditionof anonymity.

In Gao, another northern capital,hundreds fled to neighbouring coun-tries, residents said, as the variousrebel groups set to looting. Coupleader Captain Amadou Sanogo ac-cused them of kidnapping and rapingwomen and girls. On Thursday, wit-nesses reported Islamists had seizedthe Algerian embassy and arresteddiplomats. “I am currently in front ofthe Algerian consulate in district fourin Gao. Armed Islamists have enteredthe consulate, arrested the diplomatsand staff and taken down the Algerianflag to put up their own,” one witnesstold AFP in Bamako by telephone. Al-geria confirmed its consulate hadcome under attack.

CHITTAgoNg: A crowd of people gather to catch a glimpse of a golden snapper fish at ghat fish market in bangladesh’s southeastern port city on Thursday. A snapper fish

caught by fishermen in the bay of bengal on April 4 has been sold at 40,000 USD because of its rare golden colour. AFP

mali slips into chaos asworld gropes for response

murdoch’s Skynews admitshacking ‘canoeman’ emails

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Sky News, the British broadcaster partlyowned by Rupert Murdoch, admitted onThursday that it had hacked into the emailaccount of a man who notoriously faked hisown death in a life insurance scam. SkyNews said it had authorised a journalist toaccess emails belonging to John Darwinand his wife Anne, who had faked his deathin a canoe accident before moving toPanama to start a new life with theinsurance payout. But the broadcasterinsisted the hacking had been in the publicinterest as material provided by thechannel to the police was “pivotal” in thesuccessful prosecution of the couple in2008. “We stand by these actions aseditorially justified and in the publicinterest,” Sky News head John Ryley saidin a statement. “We do not take suchdecisions lightly or frequently. Theyrequire finely balanced judgement basedon individual circumstances and mustalways be subjected to the proper editorialcontrols.” Sky News said that “in light ofthe current, heightened interest in editorialpractices”, it had commissioned an externalreview of its email records and an internalaudit of payment records. The channel isowned by pay-TV giant BSkyB, of which 39percent belongs to Rupert Murdoch’s US-based media empire News Corp. BSkyB iscurrently under investigation by Britain’smedia regulator to determine if it is “fit andproper” to continue holding a broadcastinglicence. A storm of phone hackingallegations forced News Corp’s Britishnewspaper wing, News International, toshut down the 168-year-old News of theWorld tabloid last July. There was publicrevulsion in Britain when it emerged thatthe News of the World had listened to thevoicemails of Milly Dowler, a murderedenglish schoolgirl, as well as dozens ofvictims of crime, celebrities and politicians.Ryley said Sky News’ email review wasnearing its conclusion and that no groundsfor concern had been found so far. JohnDarwin was jailed in 2008 for six years forhis scam and his wife Anne, who claimedjust over £500,000 ($793,000, $607,000)in life insurance payouts, was jailed for sixand a half years.

China urgespeace in asia-Pacific asuS troops land

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China called Thursday for “peace andstability” in the strategically vital Asia-Pacific,after the first batch of US Marines to bedeployed in Australia began work. The 200American troops are part of an enhanceddefence cooperation outlined during a visitby US President Barack Obama in Novemberand their deployment is seen as a bid tocounterbalance China’s growing might in theAsia-Pacific. The announcement raisedhackles in China, with the defence ministrycriticising it as proof of a “Cold Warmentality” and state media accusing Obamaof using his diplomatic ambitions in Asia todetract from US economic woes. But at amedia briefing on Thursday, foreign ministryspokesman Hong Lei held back fromcriticising the deployment. “Regional policiesand interactions between different countriesin this region should be conducive to thepeace, stability and development of the Asia-Pacific,” he said. The American troops will bestationed in Australia on a six-monthrotational basis, building to some 2,500 by2016-17. The US views with increasingconcern China’s growing assertiveness inAsia-Pacific on territorial disputes. Thedeployment has reassured some Asiancountries, who see it as a statement that theUnited States intends to stand up for its alliesand interests in the region.

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IRAN’S about-face on Turkeyhosting its nuclear talks withworld powers reveals Tehran’sgrowing irritation with Ankara’spolicies seen as increasingly anti-

Iranian, analysts and diplomats say.Several Iranian officials announced

on Wednesday that Baghdad or Beijingcould hold the meeting due April 13 and14, instead of Istanbul which was initiallyproposed by Tehran. While Iran’s foreignministry kept vague about the issue, sev-eral Iranian politicians justified the shiftby Turkey’s support for the opposition inIran’s main regional ally Syria.

“Turkey is now excluded,” AladinBorujerdi, the head of the Iranian parlia-ment’s foreign affairs commission, told the

Iranian channel Al-Alam. “Taking into ac-count the extremist and illogical positionof Turkey on Syria... Turkey has de factolost any competence to host the meeting,”he said. Turkey has, for the past two years,acted as an intermediary between Iran andworld powers on the nuclear issue. But itsposition on Syria has been poisoning bilat-eral relations for several months now.Tehran little appreciated comments byTurkish Deputy Prime Minister BulentArinc, who in February lambasted Iran’ssilence over the repression in Syria byquestioning whether the Islamic republicwas “worthy of being called Islamic.”

But Iran’s leaders seem particularlyirked by an international “Friends ofSyria” conference held in Istanbul lastweek that supported regime change inDamascus as a way of ending a year-longuprising that has cost more than 9,000

lives according to the United Nations.Such was the criticism from Tehran thatAnkara on Wednesday summoned theIranian ambassador to protest formally.“The main challenge in the relations be-tween Iran and Turkey is Syria,” under-lined on Thursday the Iranian newspaperTehran emrouz, seen as close to the rul-ing circles. The view was underlined byIrannuc.ir, a website also close to Iranianauthorities that regularly defendsTehran’s atomic programme. “Turkey’sbias and animosity towards Syria are theprincipal reason” for Istanbul beingdropped as the preferred venue for thenuclear talks, it said. But there are otherreasons for the chill creeping over ties be-tween the neighbouring countries.

Last week, Turkey’s chief oil com-pany announced it was cutting Iranianoil imports by 20 percent, falling into line

with Western sanctions. According toIranian economic officials, some Turkishbanks have also started to distance them-selves from Iran, particularly when itcomes to processing oil payment trans-actions. Turkey, additionally, has sincethe beginning of the year tightened upvisa restrictions on visiting Iranians, no-tably tourists and students, several cor-roborating sources said.

Tabnak, a conservative website inIran, on Thursday blasted “Turkey’s anti-Iranian efforts and progressive align-ment with Western sanctions.” It alsolashed out at Turkey’s policy in Iraq thatis seen as hostile to Baghdad’s Shiite-dominated government. Further, severaleuropean diplomats in Tehran say, Iranremains irritated by Turkey’s agreementto install parts of a NATO anti-missileshield on its territory.

Iran shows ire over Turkey’s stand on Syria, sanctions

Turkey pipelineblast haltsnorthern Iraq oil exports

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An explosion hit a pipeline carrying oilfrom Iraq through Turkey, cutting offcrude exports from northern Iraq, oilofficials in Baghdad said on Thursday,calling the blast an “act of sabotage.” “Anexplosion occurred about 1:20 am (22:20GMT) in a pipeline carrying Iraqi oil insideTurkey,” oil ministry spokesman AssemJihad told AFP, adding that “the export ofoil through Turkey stopped immediatelyafter the incident.” A high-ranking officialin Iraq’s North Oil Company said that“Iraqi oil exports through Turkey stoppedbecause the pipeline carrying the oil ... wasexposed to an act of sabotage.” exportswill be resumed “in the coming hours” viaan alternative pipeline, and repairs will beundertaken within 72 hours, the officialsaid. The pipeline, which exports between400,000 and 450,000 barrels of oil perday, has been the target of periodicattacks. It was hit by an explosion in earlyFebruary inside Turkey, leading to a haltin exports, which resumed via an alternatepipeline. Kurdish insurgents opposed toAnkara operate in Iraq’s autonomousKurdistan region and across the border inTurkey. Oil sales account for the vastmajority of Iraqi government income andaround two thirds of gross domesticproduct.


friday, 6 April, 2012

Page 21

Big three getMasters underway

LAHORESTAff RepoRT

PAKISTAN’S disgraced pace bowler Mo-hamamd Aamir has started rehabilitationby warning the world about the mistakeshe has done to stage a comeback in the in-

ternational cricket. "Prison is a bad place for every-one. Don't make the mistakes which I did" - this wasdisgraced Pakistan pacer Mohammad Aamir's warn-ing to cricketers the world over in an educationalvideo for the ICC Anti-Corruption and Security Unitwhich has also been shown to IPL teams.

"I was stupid I didn't tell anybody because I did-n't have coverage...If someone comes to you and asksyou to do those kind of things, go straight to ICCteam and team management they can help you," saysAamir, banned from competitive cricket for fiveyears for his part in the 2010 spot-fixing scandal.After being released from a UK prison following acriminal trial which led to him being jailed for sixmonths, of which he served only three, Aamir has

been in repentance mode. In the five-minutevideo, Aamir gave an account of his sensa-tional rise and the equally stunning downfallafter bowling a couple of no balls on in-structions of his banned skipper SalmanButt during the Lord's Test against eng-land. "I took six wickets but I did some-thing very bad... after a couple of hours,my life is changed, my life is ruinedbecause of two no balls," hesaid. "I always knew thiswas cheating cricket but Iwas under pressure. ButI accept my mistake.When I was in the ICChearing, I knew I wastotally embarrassedbecause I knew Iam lying. I wantedto tell the truthbut I didn't havecourage." The 19-

year-old said his fault was to bow to the pres-sure that was exerted on him by Butt."...some senior players put me under pres-sure. I didn't want to. One day I was onthe top and the next day everyone wascalling me cheater and fixer. You don't

have words to explain that," he said."When the police put me in handcuffs I was

literally crying and I was thinking I am notgoing to play cricket ever again." Aamir has

been in touch with the ICC and PCB after hisrelease from prison for an educational andrehabilitation program, which "remainsconfidential". The ICC released an anti-corruption video featuring a the Pakistancricket player who was given a six-monthjail sentence for pleading guilty to spot fix-ing and a five-year ban cricket ban. Aamirdescribes what impact cheating in crickethas had on his life. "I took six wickets butI did something very bad… after a coupleof hours, my life is changed, my life is ru-

ined because of two no-balls." Aamir deliberatelythrew no-balls in the Lord’s Test of 2010 and as a re-sult spent three months in prison for spot-fixing.

"Prison is a bad place for everyone. Don't makethe mistakes which I did. I was stupid I didn't tellanybody because I didn't have courage... If someonecomes to you and asks you to do those kind ofthings, go straight to ICC team and team manage-ment they can help you." He said he had bowled theno-balls at Lord's because, "some senior players putme under pressure. I didn't want to."

He added: "One day I was on the top and thenext day everyone was calling me cheater and fixer.You don't have words to explain that. "I alwaysknew this was cheating cricket but I was underpressure. But I accept my mistake. When I was inthe ICC hearing, I knew I was totally embarrassedbecause I knew I am lying. I wanted to tell the truthbut I didn't have courage." Since being releasedfrom prison, Aamir has been helping the ICC andPakistan Cricket Board in their rehabilitation andeducation programme.

Rehabilitation process begins for Aamir

NEW DELHIAfp

Australian Luke Pomersbach says he isready to deliver in the new Indian Pre-mier League (IPL) season after winninghis battle with depression.

The middle-order batsman, who hasreturned to play again for 2011 runners-up the Royal Challengers Bangalore, an-nounced last year he was taking a breakfrom cricket for his own well being.

Pomersbach said he was now "on topof things" after suffering a bout of depres-sion and was determined to make themost of the Twenty20 tournament, whichstarted Wednesday.

"When you play a lot of cricket, some-times you need a bit of a break and needto start thinking about other things in thelife," Pomersbach, 27, was quoted as say-ing in the Hindu newspaper on Thursday.

"There were a few things off the fieldthat I needed to deal with and I have donethat. I have seen a couple of specialistsand I am right on top of things now. Itwas just a bit of a break and it freshenedme up." Pomersbach, who was once sus-pended by Western Australia after adrinking session, conceded he had madea few mistakes in the past.

"Some people deal with these prob-lems better than others. Some peopledeal with them badly and make the wrongchoices in life," said Pomersbach, who

represented Australia in just oneTwenty20 international. "Unfortunately,I went down that path and made a fewbad decisions. But I've learnt a lot fromthem and I suppose I've got that experi-ence. "You shouldn't even think aboutcricket when serious issues like that comeup in your life. I suppose I've just got toget back to enjoying my game and lookforward to my next game."

Pomersbach said the IPL was the bestlearning curve for players like him withlittle international experience.

"It's fantastic to be a part of this, par-ticularly for someone who doesn't havemuch international experience. It is greatto be around guys like Chris Gayle, AB deVilliers and Daniel Vettori," he said.

"Hopefully, an opportunity will ariseduring the tournament and I'm ready tograb it with both the hands."

Bangalore clash with Delhi Daredev-ils in their opening match on Saturday.IPL BUzz MISSING IN CHENNAI:Many consider Chennai cricket fans to bethe most passionate and knowledgeablein the country. After all, it were they whogave the Pakistan team a standing ova-tion on a lap of honour after the neigh-bours defeated India during the AsianTest Championship in 1999.

even when it comes to the IPL, two-time winners Chennai Super Kings haveenjoyed vociferous support, especiallywith the 'whistle podu' slogan they used

to get the fans involved.But this time around, the buzz

around the IPL seems lower than before,even though officials insist that ticketsales have been excellent, with the open-ing game against the Mumbai Indiansbeing sold out.

Throughout the city, there are fewposters of the Super Kings to be seen,with the boundary wall of the MA Chi-

dambaram Stadium looking like an oddyellow island in the middle of a prettystandard setting. Anup Biswas, aKolkatan who works as an IT professionalin Chennai, feels it is a case of the noveltyof the IPL wearing off.

"The second season wasn't played inIndia, and the first and third seasonswere sort of like the honeymoon periodfor the IPL, when we all got swept away

in the wave of glitz and glamour andpaisa-vasool cricket. But how many timesa year can you actually go to the groundand watch it? eventually you have to getback to your jobs. I don't think we fanshave lost interest or are fatigued; it's sim-ply that the novelty has worn off," he toldMail Today outside the Chepauk Sta-dium, where he had come looking fortickets.

There are others, like Delhibased PSai Bhardwaj, who do not agree withBiswas. Bhardwaj won a radio contest toattend Tuesday's opening ceremony, andis disappointed he will get to see onlythat, and not the opening match onWednesday. "I come from a family ofcricket buffs and so while it is great that Iwill get to see someone like AmitabhBachchan with my own eyes, I wish Icould see the opening match too. Butthat's outside the ambit of the contest Iwon," he told Mail Today.

For the true-blue Chennaiites, theIPL in general and the Super Kings inparticular are still a big draw. "We feel areal sense that the team belongs to us andwe support them wholeheartedly. Whatthe Indian team did abroad was depress-ing, but we like to see good cricket, andhopefully by striking form in the IPL, themembers of the national team can put uson the winning path again," said TSarath, who runs a sports goods storenear the stadium.

CANBERRAAfp

Former New Zealand all-rounder ChrisCairns feels "complete vindication" andis ready for a new role in cricket afterwinning a libel action against former In-dian Premier League boss Lalit Modi.

In the first libel action heard in eng-land against a post on Twitter, Cairns,41, was last month awarded 90,000pounds ($143,000) damages after thejudge dismissed fixing allegations lev-elled against the cricketer by Modi.

Modi was also ordered to pay an ad-ditional 400,000 pounds in costs.

Cairns said he was "never going toback down" against one of internationalcricket's most powerful figures.

In an interview published in TheCanberra Times, Cairns said the casehad consumed his life and ostracisedhim from the cricketing community.

Cairns said he had to fight to restorehis reputation, adding that match fixingwere some of the "dirtiest words insport". "I took it as far as I could go toclear my name and that's what I had todo," Cairns told the newspaper.

"It was a long hard road to get thatcomplete vindication.

"An hour won't go past when you're

not thinking about it. It's a massive dis-traction and something that didn't needto be in my life but I had to deal with it.

"It'll take a good while to get out ofthe system and realise it's not part of mylife and I'll have more time for all things

family and professionally."Cairns and his wife have settled in

Australia's national capital because hisyoung daughter was born profoundlydeaf and, after a cochlear implant, re-ceives regular therapy in Canberra.

Cairns, who was in the witness boxfor eight hours during the London courtcase, said he reacted angrily when it wasrevealed his accuser, Modi, would nottake the stand.

"Lalit Modi and I are poles apart inlife -- financially, religiously, where welive, we are the complete opposite," hetold the newspaper.

"But the one place where you areequal, regardless of whether you're a bil-lionaire, a cricketer, male or female, is inthe witness stand. everybody's the samein there.

"We had the courage to stand up andsay what we believed and Mr Modi chosenot to go down that route so that was thefrustrating thing."

Cairns said he has kept away fromcricket over the past two years, butwould now like to play a role with localcricket and New Zealand cricket, ifasked.

A representative of Modi's told thenewspaper that his client planned to ap-peal the court's judgement.

Afghanistan saysno contact fromMCC over tour

KABULAfp

Afghanistan's cricket chief Thursday wel-comed the prospect of a tour by eng-land's Marylebone Cricket Club, but saidhe had so far had no contact from thevenerable club about a possible visit.MCC president Phillip Hodson told theBBC more than a week ago that he wasgoing to Kabul to assess facilities andsaid the club could take a team to thewar-torn country in the near future.Cricket has taken off in Afghanistan inrecent years, the national side earningone-day status in 2009 and appearing atthe World Twenty20 the following year.Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) chiefexecutive Nasimullah Danish said theAfghan cricket community was excited atthe prospect of an MCC tour and urgedHodson to get in touch."As yet we have had no formal contactfrom the MCC or Mr Hodson regardinghis visit to Kabul or plans for a tour butwe are looking forward to hearing moreand would like to have an opportunity toformally discuss a possible tour."

MUMBAi: Mumbai indians cricketer Sachin tendulkar (L) and team owner Nita Ambani (C)pose with Disney character Mickey Mouse (r) during an event to unveil "Mickey Cricket", alimited edition merchandise range. AFP

Pomersbach back in IPL after depression

Cairns ‘vindicated’ over Modi libel win


Sports 19Friday, 6 April, 2012

COLOMBOAfp

keVIN Pietersen shrugged offa switch-hit controversy tosmash an explosive 151 off165 balls as england took

charge of the second Test against SriLanka in Colombo on Thursday. The flam-boyant Pietersen plundered 16 boundariesand six sixes in his 20th Test century asthe tourists piled up 460 in their first in-nings before being all out just beforestumps on the third day.

Sri Lanka, trailing by 185 runs, were4-0 from one over in their second knockat close with Lahiru Thirimanne andDhammika Prasad at the crease.

england, who lost the first Test inGalle by 75 runs, have two days to forcea series-levelling win on the wearing P.Sara Oval wicket and retain their num-ber one ranking. Pietersen was warnedtwice by the on-field umpires before thetea break for changing his stance tomake the eye-catching but risky switch-hit -- a right-hander playing a shot witha left-hander's grip.

The 31-year-old played down the inci-dent, which ended with him walking up tothe umpires to clarify the warning.

"There was no altercation at all," hesaid. "I was just finding out what it wasand they were telling me what it was. Itwas just timing. No drama, no issue."

Pietersen, who made three and 30 inthe Galle Test, said his returning confi-dence -- underlined by the switch-hit --enabled him to score briskly.

"I have felt in fantastic form so it wasjust a case of cashing in when you're ingood nick," he said.

"The amount of cricket we play now,it doesn't matter if we are playing one-day or Tests, it all rolls into one. I played

in one-day mode today."The switch-hit incident marred an

otherwise profitable day for the tourists,who finally came good with the bat afterlosing four Tests in a row in Asia thisyear -- the 3-0 rout by Pakistan and theGalle defeat.

Pietersen said england were in agood position despite losing the last fivewickets for 49 runs.

"Tomorrow will be an interestingday's cricket," he said.

The warning for Pietersen from offi-cials Bruce Oxenford and Asad Raufcame after bowler Tillakaratne Dilshanhad to stop twice in his run-up as thebatsman turned around in his stance.

The laws of the game state the

switch-hit is legal, but a batsman cannotchange stance before the bowler has de-livered the ball. A further offence wouldhave resulted in five penalty runs beingawarded to Sri Lanka.

Alastair Cook hit 94 and JonathanTrott followed his 112 at Galle with 64,the pair sharing a second-wicket stand of91 after england skipper Andrew Straussmade 61 on Wednesday.

Pietersen reached his hundred in thesame over he was warned, executing areverse sweep for two, and celebratedthe landmark by pulling the next ballfrom Dilshan for a boundary.

Pietersen, who put on 94 for thefourth wicket with Ian Bell (18), was dis-missed in the final session when he was

leg-before to Rangana Herath as he triedto sweep the left-arm spinner.

Herath claimed his third consecutivesix-wicket haul in the series, finishing theinnings with 6-133 from 53 overs.

Cook fell six short of his 20th centuryfor the second time in four Tests when heedged off-spinner Dilshan to skipper Ma-hela Jayawardene at first slip.

The 27-year-old had also fallen for 94in the second Test against Pakistan inAbu Dhabi in January, when he was leg-before to another off-spinner, SaeedAjmal. Trott added just two runs to hislunch score of 62 when he edged a sharpturning delivery from Herath to give aneasy catch to Jayawardene in the slips,but it was england's day.

Controversial Pietersenputs England on top

Sri Lanka 1st innings 275 (M. Jayawardene 105, T. Samaraweera54, A. Mathews 57, g. Swann 4-75, J. Anderson 3-62)england 1st innings (overnight 154-1):A. Strauss c p. Jayawardene b Dilshan 61A. Cook c M. Jayawardene b Dilshan 94J. Trott c M. Jayawardene b Herath 64K. pietersen lbw b Herath 151I. bell c Randiv b prasad 18M. prior c prasad b Herath 11S. patel c prasad b Randiv 29T. bresnan b Herath 5g. Swann c Dilshan b Herath 17J. Anderson lbw b Herath 2S. finn not out 2extras: (b1, lb2, nb2, w1) 6Total (all out, 152.3 overs) 460fall of wickets: 1-122 (Strauss), 2-213 (Cook), 3-253 (Trott), 4-347 (bell), 5-380 (prior), 6-411 (pietersen), 7-419 (bresnan),8-454 (Swann), 9-458 (Anderson), 10-460 (patel).bowling: Lakmal 22-4-81-0 (nb2), prasad 23-8-63-1 (w1),Herath 53-9-133-6, Dilshan 20-4-73-2, Randiv 34.3-4-107-1.Sri Lanka 2nd innings:D. prasad not out 0L. Thirimanne not out 0extras: (lb4) 4Total (for no loss, one over) 4bowling: Anderson 1-1-0-0Sri Lanka trail by 181 runs with 10 wickets in hand.Toss: Sri LankaUmpires: Asad Rauf (pAK) and bruce oxenford (AUS)TV umpire: Rod Tucker (AUS)Match referee: Javagal Srinath (IND)

SCoReboARD

CoLoMBo: england cricketer Kevin Pietersen gestures in celebration after scoring a century duringthe third day of the second and final test match against Sri Lanka at the P. Sara oval Stadium. AFP

COLOMBOAfp

Umpires warned england batsman Kevin Pietersen twice forchanging stance to attempt a switch hit during the secondTest against Sri Lanka on Thursday. The flamboyantPietersen was spoken to by Bruce Oxenford and Asad Raufafter bowler Tillakaratne Dilshan had to stop twice in his run-up as the batsman turned around in his stance. The laws ofthe game say that the switch hit -- a right-hander playing ashot with a left-hander's grip -- is legal but a batsman cannotchange stance before the bowler has delivered the ball. Matchreferee Javagal Srinath of India confirmed that Pietersenhad been officially warned twice. A third offence by him orany other england batsman will result in five penalty runsbeing awarded to Sri Lanka, Srinath said. Pietersen was un-beaten on 106 at tea on the third day in Colombo as eng-land, replying to Sri Lanka's first-innings score of 275,moved to 352-4. The South African-born batsman had hit12 boundaries and four sixes in his 20th Test century.

JEDDAHAfp

The head of the Saudi Olympic Com-mittee has ruled out sending womenathletes from the ultra-conservativekingdom to the London Olympicsthis summer, local dailies reportedon Thursday. Prince Nawaf bin Faisalsaid, however, that Saudi womentaking part on their own are free todo so and the kingdom's Olympic au-thority would "only help in ensuringthat their participation does not vio-late the Islamic sharia law."

"We are not endorsing anySaudi female participation at themoment in the Olympics or otherinternational championships," hetold a press conference in Jeddah

on Wednesday. The Saudi officialwas reiterating a position he an-nounced late last year, confirmingthat Saudi Arabia will be fieldingonly male athletes in London."There are hundreds, if not thou-sands, of (Saudi) women who prac-tice sports, but in private," he said,adding that the sports body hasnothing to do with their activities.equestrian jumping contestantDalma Malhas, 18, is likely to beSaudi Arabia's only female athleteat this summer's Olympics, accord-ing to media reports. Malhas won abronze medal at the 2010 SingaporeYouth Olympics without havingbeen nominated by her country, fol-lowing an invitation from the Inter-national Olympic Committee (IOC).

Kaneria chargedwith corruption

LONDON AgeNCIeS

The england and Wales Cricket Boardhas charged Pakistan legspinner DanishKaneria with corruption relating to spotfixing in the county game.Kaneria was accused in a British court inFebruary of pressuring former essexteammate Melvyn Westfield into fixingpart of a match. Westfield pleaded guiltyto fixing and was jailed for four months.Kaneria denies the allegations and claimshe had been cleared by British police, theInternational Cricket Council and theeCB.But the eCB now says that both Kaneriahas been charged over alleged "corruptactivities which led to Mervyn West-field's criminal conviction."An eCB disciplinary panel will hear thecase.Kaneria is Pakistan's most successful testspinner with 261 wickets in 61 tests.

Wi tribe, Pessi win

in Members PoloLAHORE

STAff RepoRT

Wi Tribe Shahsawars and Pessi got wins inthe Members Polo Cup here at the LPCground on Thursday. Wi Tribe Shah-sawars was lucky enough to get the win alldue to the one and a half goal handicap ithad while Pessi fough for the win. WiTribe Shahsawars beat Magic River 6½-6while PeSSI managed 5-3 win over Dia-mond Paints. Hashim Kamal Agha, ColAsif Zahoor and Agha Murtaza Ali Khanefforts went in vane for Magic River whileAhmad Nawaz Tiwana and Omar AsjadMalhi the goals for Wi Tribe. In the othermatch, Shah Qubilai Alam, Kashif Jamaland Malik Azam Hayat Noon played theirpart for Pessi’s win while Saqib KhanKhakwani and Mir Shoaib Ahmad didtheir best to give tough time to the rivals.

Servis beat etP BoardLAHORE

STAff RepoRT

Servis Industries has defeated eTP boardby 4 wickets in the PCB Patron Trophymatch played at Sheikhupura stadium. AliZahid scored 105(no), Hamza Mubeen 68,Faisal tanveer 42(no), Waqar Ahmed 34,Farhan Asghar 26, Wahab Dar 22. Servisindustries gained 6 points in this match.

Daredevils down KKrSPORTS DESK

Delhi Daredevils defeated Shahrukh Khan’sKolkata Knight Riders by eight wickets inthe second match of the Indian PremierLeague on Thursday. In a rain-hit matchthat was reduced to 12 overs, KolkataKnight Riders made 97 for nine but IrfanPathan led charge got Delhi Daredevils 100runs for two wickets with 5 balls to spare.

Borjan Juniortalent Hunttennis begins

LAHORESTAff RepoRT

The first Borjan Junior Talent Hunt Ten-nis Tournament rolled into action underthe auspices of the Punjab Lawn TennisAssociation here at the Bagh-i-Jinnah’scourts on Thursday. On the opening daycompetitions in under-10 and 14 were heldand the following day matches in under-16and under18 categories will be held. Pak-istan tennis ace Aisam-ul-Haq, who wasthe chief guest, performed the opening ofthe event. In the under-10 class, Moham-mad Saeed, Mustafa Mazhar, AhmedSaeed, sameer Ahmed, Haider Jahanzaib,Nalain Abbas were the winners while inthe under-14 category, Hashim Javed andMohammad Bilal registered wins. results: U-10: Mohammad Saeed beat Arman Khan 6-

0, Mustafa Mazhar beat Hamza Khan 6-3, Ahmed

Saeed beat Shahreen 6-1, Sameer Ahmed beat Misha

Humayun 6-0, Haider Jahanzaib beat Bilal Khan 7-5,

Nalain Abbas beat Ahmer Saeed 6-1. U-14: Hashim

Javed beat Malik Hussain 6-2 and Mohammad Bilal

beat Shahzaib Mir 6-0.

Lucky Starmove to semis

LAHORESTAff RepoRT

Lucky star has moved into the semifinal of27th Mohammad Yaseen Akhter Memorialevent when they outplayed DharampuraSports by 8 wikcets in the quarter finalplayed at Race Course ground on Thursday. SCoReS: Dharampura Sports 132 in 18.4 overs. irfan

Zafar 21, ijaz 36, Kashif 35, Faheem 14. Azeez Mohsin

4/9, Jahanzaib Butt 3/21, Fahad 1/11, Zeeshan 1/13.

Lucky star club 134/2 in 17.3 overs. NAeem ul haq

50(no), Waleed 21, Asif 42. M Akbar 1/37, M Saeed 1/27.

Pietersen warned twicefor changing stance

CoLoMBo: Kevin Pietersen (r) speaks with umpires Asad rauf(2L) and Bruce oxenford (L) as teammate ian Bell (2r) looks onduring the third day of the second test match. AFP

Saudi rules out sendingwomen athletes to london

NeW YorK: Female boxer Heather Hardy spars with her coach Devon Cormack at Gleason's Gym. Hardy, a30 year old single mother who wants to turn pro, has been boxing seriously for two years after discoveringthe sport through kick boxing and yoga. the international olympic Committee executive Board has allowedthe sport of women's boxing to be added to the schedule for the 2012 olympic Games in London. this willmark the first time that all of the summer olympic sports will have female participants. AFP


Sports20Friday, 6 April, 2012

AUGUSTA: A

general view of

the opening tee

to the start of the

2012 masters

Tournament at

Augusta National

Golf Club. afP

Frontier, Sargodha inWomen Soccer final


Frontier Women University and SargodhaUniversity reached the final of the All Pak-istan Intervarsity Women Football Cham-pionship being played at Islamabad. Themajor upset in the semi-final was stage asFrontier Women University and SargodhaUniversity outclassed LUMS and defend-ing championship Punjab University tokept their hopes alive for the champi-onship crown and reaches in the final ofthe championship here at H-12, Islamabadorganised by National University of Sci-ence & Technology. The first semi-finalmatch was played Sargodha University andPunjab University. The favourite of thematch Punjab University played well butSargodha striker proved their best to showto unbelievable victory against Punjab by4-3 on the penalty kicks. In the secondsemi-final, Frontier Women Universitybeat LUMS by 1-0 and reaches the finalagainst Sargodha University. The 3rd &4th Position Match will be played betweenLUMS and Punjab University while thefinal of the championship will be played at9.30 am on April 6. engineer MuhammadMushtaq Ahmed Pro – Rector NUST willbe the Chief Guest on the Awarding Cere-mony of the Championship.

Veteran Championstrophy in semis stage

LAHORESTAff RepoRT

Golden eagles beat Lahore Tigers by 3wickets while Amar Cables, SPM Stags,Textile Tigers and SPM Bucks qualified forthe semi-final of the 1st Lahore VeteranChampions Trophy.SCoReS: At Ali Garh Cricket Ground, Lahore tigers

made 265/6 after 30 o. Mujahid Jamshaid 112, Muham-

mad Munir 67 & Sadat Ali 28 runs. Golden eagles bowl-

ing Naveed Sufi 2/56, Asif Mehmood 1/52, Muhammad

Zahid 1/48 & Ali rafi 1/33 wickets. in reply Golden ea-

gles 269/7 after 29.4 overs. Ali Amjad Played well 119,

Faisal Peerzada 20, Karamat Ali 19, Muhammad Zubair

39 runs not out & Naveed Sufi 37 runs not out. Muham-

mad Anees 5/44, Mujahid Jamshaid 1/41 & Sadat Ali 1/67

wickets. Masood Khan, qaisar Waheed Umpire & Abdul

Hameed was the scorer. Later chief guest former First

Class Cricketer Nadeem iqbal give away man of the

match award to Ali Amjad. Amar Cables, SPM Stags, tex-

tile tigers & SPM Bucks qualify the semi final.

CHARLESTONAfp

In a clash of former world number ones,Venus Williams toppled seventh-seededJelena Jankovic 7-5, 6-0 on Wednesday toreach the third round of the WTA's greenclay Charleston tournament. Jankovic hadwon her last four meetings on clay againstWilliams, but once the American heated upin the wake of a first-set rain delay, the Ser-bian couldn't stop her. Jankovic served forthe first set at 5-4, but Williams broke andnever looked back. By the time she won thesecond set she had reeled off nine games in

a row, capping the match with a backhandwinner down the line. "I hadn't played herin a long time, so in the first set I was justfinding my rhythm and getting used to anynew patterns she might have," saidWilliams, playing on a wild card invitationas she tries to rebuild a ranking dented bya lengthy injury and illness layoff.

"In the second set everything startedlanding for me. I was moving forward andplaying my aggressive game. Honestly, Idon't know how it went that nicely for me.everything just landed, and she hit a few er-rors, and that helped me a lot." Third-seededMarion Bartoli of France found the going

much tougher, but persevered to get pastRussian Vera Dushevina 6-2, 6-7 (3/7), 6-4in a second-round match lasting more thanthree hours. "The first game was 22 minuteslong I think, so that set up the tone," Bartolisaid. "The last two years I lost first roundhere, and I didn't want to lose again in thefirst set, so I really tried my hardest. "I didn'tplay my best, but I just kept fighting andkept fighting and was able to win." Bartoli,who snapped Victoria Azarenka's 26-matchunbeaten streak when she downed the worldnumber one en route to the semi-finals atMiami last week, was playing her first matchafter enjoying a first-round bye.

KARACHI STAff RepoRT

The NBP Open Juniors Ranking Ten-nis Championship was on Thursdayformerly opened here at the KarachiClub with the top seeds make to thenext round. Ashfaq Tola, PresidentKarachi Club, inaugurated the cham-pionship in the presence of GhulamMuhammad, sports consultant NBP,Kh Saeed Hai, Sport Convener, AltafHussain, President Karachi TennisAssociation and Sarwar Hussain,Secretary KTA. ReSULTS: Ladies singles 1st round: Wania khan

beat Humaira Saad 6-4,7-5, Under -18 first

round: Nazif Ahmed W/o Shehroz, Under -18

main quater final: Nofil Kaleem beat Fahad

Khan 6-4,6-2; talha Zubair beat Salman khan

6-0.4-0 (rtd); Saad Noor beat Aqeel Shabbir 6-

3,6-1; Adil Kohari beat nazif Ahmed 6-0, 6-o,

Under -16 1st round: Dawar rehan beat Salman

6-0 rtd; Marib Malik W/o Aqeel Shabbir; Shahroz

beat nazif Ahmed 6-2, 6-0, Under -14 quarters:

Nafil kaleem beat M raza Samani 6-1,6-1; Jalalud-

din Baber beat Shahzil Malik 6-3, 6-2

nBP open Juniors Tennis begins

Venus topples Jankovic, Bartoli battles through

KArACHi: Ashfaq tola, President Karachi Club, formerly inaugurates the NBP open Juniors ranking tennis Championship while Ghulam Muhammad,sports consultant NBP, Kh Saeed Hai, Sport Convener, Altaf Hussain, President Karachi tennis and Sarwar Hussain, Secretary KtA look on. STAFF PHoTo

KArACHi: A female tennis player performs onthe opening day of the NBP open Juniorsranking tennis Championship. STAFF PHoTo


Sports 21Friday, 6 April, 2012

watch It LIVe

GEO SUPERIPL-5: Mumbai Indiansv Pune Warriors03:30PM

TEN SPORTS2ND TEST:Sri Lanka v England09:15AM

AUGUSTAAfp

THe 76th Masters gotunderway at AugustaNational on Thursdaywith Tiger Woods the

tournament favorite and RoryMcIlroy leading a strong europeanchallenge. It was an emotional cer-emonial tee-off shortly after thecrack of dawn with Gary Playerjoining old foes Jack Nicklaus andArnold Palmer as the Big Three re-united as Honorary Starters to thetournament. They then stood asideas the first grouping of CraigStadler, Brendan Steele and TimClark walked onto the first teeunder perfect playing conditions.

Clark grabbed the first birdieof the tournament at the par-fivesecond, but gave that back with abogey at the tough fourth hole.Heavy rain and thunderstormsover the last few days have madethe going soft at the famed Geor-gia layout and taken some of thesting out of the notoriously fastgreens, prompting Phil Mickelsonto predict "a birdie-fest." But withlittle or no roll on the damp, lush

fairways the early going saw fewplayers able to beat par. Runner-up last year Adam Scott saw histee-shot at the first clatter intoone of the towering Georgia pinesto the left of the fairway, but he hita superb second onto the greenand two-putted for par.

Martin Kaymer and RobertKarlsson both dropped shots at thefirst while 1982 champion CraigStadler was four over after six. Seenby some as the most open Mastersin years and by others as merelythe stage for a showdown betweenTiger Woods and Rory McIlroy,this year's tournament has been ashotly anticipated as any in the past.Woods, a winner again last monthafter a 28-month losing run, wasdue off in mid-morning with Span-ish veteran Miguel Angel Jimenezand rising Korean star Bae Sang-Moon. The fit-again former worldnumber one says he is driving theball much better than before withhis iron game improving and that"everything is heading in the rightdirection at the right time."

A four-time Masters winner,the last time being in 2005, all thatWoods has done since he returned

to action last October after anotherround of knee surgery has beengeared toward getting himselfprimed for this week. A win onSunday would be his fifth at Au-gusta National, one shy of therecord six set by Nicklaus in 1986,and it would be his 15th major win,three off the record of 18, also heldby his boyhood idol Nicklaus.

Others out early in the day in-cluded world number one LukeDonald, defending championCharl Schwartzel and one of thetop US hopes Steve Stricker.

McIlroy, who took a four-shotlead into the final round at lastyear's Masters but collapsed downthe back nine to a soul-destroying80, was in the penultimate group-ing alongside Bubba Watson and2009 champion Angel Cabrera.After them, and closing out the day,were scheduled three-time formerwinner Mickelson playing with lastweek's Houston Open winnerHunter Mahan and Peter Hansonof Sweden. The forecasts were forshowers and thunderstorms later inthe day and on Friday morningwith much cooler, drier conditionsexpected for the weekend.

Big Three getMasters underway

Player joinsPalmer, Nicklaus inMasters sendoff

AUGUSTAAfp

Gary Player joined fellow golf icons JackNicklaus and Arnold Palmer as a cere-monial Masters starter on Thursday, re-uniting the Big Three of a bygone era onone of golf's biggest stages."It was a great thrill, having had thewonderful relationship, great friend-ship, with Arnold and Jack for so manyyears," Player said.The 76-year-old South African, clad intrademark black, watched as Palmer, thelongest serving honorary starter of thetrio, teed off first. Player followed andNicklaus went last, all to applause froma crowd at the first tee."It was appropriate," Palmer said. "Weplayed golf all our lives together. We'vehad a pretty good run at Augusta."Nicklaus, 72, won an all-time record 18major titles, including a record six at theMasters, the last in 1986 at age 46.Player won three of his nine career ma-jors at Augusta. Four of Palmer's sevenmajor titles were at the Masters.Watching the 1960s legends from thetee box was three-time Masters winnerPhil Mickelson, on the scene six hoursbefore his scheduled tee time in theopening day's final group."It was quite an honor that he cameout," Player said. "I thought it was nice,"Nicklaus concurred. "I thought it waswonderful," echoed Palmer.Palmer, 82, was hospitalized twoweeks ago on the last day of the USPGA Arnold Palmer Invitational andmissed giving Tiger Woods the cham-pionship trophy that ended his 28-month win drought, but was fit for hisMasters duty."I'm feeling fine," Palmer said. "I had alittle blood pressure scare. Theychanged medicine on me. They justwanted to be cautious. After two days, Iwas home and I was fine. I missed beingthere for Tiger. I wanted to be there."Asked about who would be the big threefrom modern golfers, Player offered thisyear's Masters favorites, 36-year-oldWoods with his 14 major triumphs andNorthern Ireland's Rory McIlroy, who at22 won his first at the 2011 US Open."Who would be the third? Time will sortthat out," Player said. "To be fair, youneed to give these golfers more time todetermine a big three."Nicklaus paid tribute to Woods' domi-nation until his recent struggles, say-ing, "There are a lot more playerstoday. Tiger is still the dominant forcein the game. There are an awful lot ofplayers that are good."

RAWALPINDISTAff RepoRT

emirates, the international airline, pro-vided an unforgettable experience foryoung cricket enthusiasts at the SOS Chil-dren’s Village by staging a cricket clinicfeaturing a host of star names.

As a sponsor of the Super 8 T20 tour-nament in Rawalpindi, emirates hosted acoaching session with players from the fi-nalists – Karachi Dolphins – at the Vil-lage, a private social welfare organizationwhich provides orphans and abandonedchildren a home, good nurturing and afair chance in life.

The youngsters were delighted asYasir Arafat, Umer Amin and NaveedMalik chatted with them and shared sto-ries about their lives as professionalcricketers. The youngsters then bowled totheir special guests and tried batting

against them before the players signedautographs and posed for pictures.

“It is tremendously satisfying thatthrough our sponsorship of domesticcricket in Pakistan we are able to stageevents like this which inspire young-sters,” said Badr Abbas, emirates’ VicePresident, Pakistan & Afghanistan. “Weall know the people of Pakistan have anincredible passion for cricket and to seehow excited the pupils were to meet theplayers today give us great pleasure.

“emirates is committed to the devel-opment of cricket at grassroots level andthrough this sponsorship we are proud tobe contributing to the local community byconnecting children with positive rolemodels and showing our commitment toa nation which emirates has been servingsince we began operating in 1985.”

“It is wonderful to see emirates takesuch an active part in promoting cricket,

not only on the international level butalso at the grassroots level,” said YasirArafat a Pakistani international cricketerand part of the Karachi Dolphins. “It isimportant that we encourage our youngyoungsters to develop their skills as theyare the future of Pakistani cricket.”

“Our children were thrilled whenthey found out that the airline was ar-ranging for the star cricketers to person-ally visit the campus,” said SuraiyaAnwar, Director, SOS Children’s VillageIslamabad. “A cricketing career is adream for many of these children but in-teracting with the cricketers first-handmade this dream seem closer to realitythan it ever had before. It was a positiveexperience as talent and perseveranceovercomes all obstacles and despite theircircumstances the children too can pur-sue their dreams and be number one justlike their cricketing heroes.”

Berdych, Troicki openDavis Cup clash

PRAGUEAfp

Czech number one Tomas Berdych has been drawnagainst Serbian number two Viktor Troicki in theopening rubber of their Davis Cup World Group quar-ter-final starting here on Friday.The winners will meet either Argentina or Croatia inSeptember's semi-finals.Friday (from 1300 GMt)tomas Berdych (CZe) v Viktor troicki (SrB)radek Stepanek (CZe) v Jankotipsarevic (SrB)Saturday (from 1300 GMt)Frantisek Cermak/Lukas rosol (CZe) vNenad Zimonjic/ilia Bozoljac (SrB)Sunday (from 1100 GMt)tomas Berdych (CZe) v Janko tipsarevic (SrB)radek Stepanek (CZe) v Viktor troicki (SrB)

Almagro opens againstMelzer in Davis Cup

CASTELLONAfp

Nicolas Almagro has been drawn to open holders'Spain's Davis Cup quarter-final clash against Austriannumber one Jurgen Melzer here on Friday.The winner next meets either France orthe United States, who clash in MonteCarlo.Friday (from 1000 GMt)Nicolas Almagro (eSP) v Jurgen Melzer (AUt)David Ferrer (eSP) v Andreas Haider-Maurer (AUt)Saturday (from 1315 GMt)Marcel Granollers/Marc Lopez (eSP) voliver Marach/Alexander Peya (AUt)Sunday (from 1000 GMt)David Ferrer (eSP) v Jurgen Melzer (AUt)Nicolas Almagro (eSP) v AndreasHaider-Maurer (AUt)

Tsonga opens againstUS teen Harrison

MONTE CARLOAfp

French number one Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will bid to getthe hosts off to a winning start against the UnitedStates when he plays teenager Ryan Harrison in theirDavis Cup quarter-final clash here on Friday.The winner here this weekend will nextmeet either Spain or Austria for a place inthe final.Friday (from 1000 GMt)Jo-Wilfried tsonga (FrA) v ryan Harrison (USA)Gilles Simon (FrA) v John isner (USA)Saturday (from 1200 GMt)Michael Llodra/Julien Benneteau (FrA) v MikeBryan/Bob Bryan (USA)Sunday (from 0900 GMt)Jo-Wilfried tsonga (FrA) v John isner (USA)Gilles Simon (FrA) v ryan Harrison (USA)

Emirates make Super 8 T20 for SOS children a day to remember

rAWALPiNDi: the young cricket enthusiasts of the SoS Children’s Village during a cricketclinic organized by emirates on the sidelines of the National Super 8 t20 Cup.

AUGUStA: tiger Woods tees off during a practice round prior to the start of the 2012 Masters tournamentat Augusta National Golf Club. AFP



22

Published by Arif Nizami for Nawa Media Corporation (Pvt) Ltd at Plot # 7, Al-Baber Centre, F/8 Markaz, Islamabad. Editor: Arif Nizami, Executive Editor: Sarmad Bashir, Resident Editor: Rana Qaisar

QUETTASHAHzADA zULfIQAR

eXPReSSING his resentmentover police’s failure to recoverthe missing persons, Chief Jus-tice Iftikhar MuhammadChaudhry on Thursday warned

that if the seven people abducted from theprovincial capital were not produced beforethe court on Friday, all police officers con-cerned, including the inspector general (IG)of Balochistan Police would be suspended.

A three-member SC bench, includingJustice Khilji Arif Hussain and JusticeTariq Pervez, was hearing a case on dete-riorating law and order situation in

Balochistan. A group of women told thecourt that a team of Frontier Corps person-nel and intelligence agencies had raidedtheir house in Sariab area on March 1, andabducted ten people. They said that threeof the abducted people were later released,while seven were still missing.

Balochistan Chief Secretary BabarYaqoob Fateh Muhammad, Police IG RaoAmin Hashim, Home Secretary Naseebul-lah Bazai, Balochistan Advocate GeneralAmanullah Kanrani and High Court BarAssociation President Zahoor AhmedShahwani were present in the court. Dur-ing the hearing, Bazai informed that 139dead bodies had so far been recoveredfrom various parts of Balochistan.

expressing his anger, the CJP saidthe police had neither investigated thecases of recovered dead bodies nor ar-rested anyone. He said that police offi-cials were not serious in investigating thecases of recovered dead bodies, while theissue was going out of proportion. Thecourt ordered the police to thoroughly in-vestigate each dead body found in theprovince and submit challans in the courtwithin the stipulated period. It also di-rected the Balochistan Police IG to takeaction against the ministers involved inkidnappings for ransom.

“It has also been accused that somepeople of law enforcement agencies wereinvolved in such incidents,” Chaudhry said.

The statement made by provincial ministerMir Sadiq Umrani on the floor of assemblywas also read out in the court. The ministerhad claimed that he was going to Quettafrom Kalat along with some other minis-ters when they witnessed a team of Fron-tier Corps personnel lining up two Balochyouth on the main national highway andshooting them dead. The minister alsoclaimed that the next morning, the deadbodies of the two boys were found in thesame area. While addressing the Homesecretary, the chief justice remarked, “Likeme, you are also a son of the soil; don’tsuch incidents hurt you?”

The chief justice also expressed hisresentment over the absence of the attor-

ney general after learning that he hadgone to attend the memo commission.The CJP asked if the memo commissionwas above the Supreme Court. He also or-dered the AG to appear before the benchon Friday. He said that as Frontier Corpswas also being accused in the recovery ofdead bodies therefore the FC inspectorgeneral should also provide explanationin this regard. The CJP asked how manyfamilies had been given compensationafter the recovery of the dead bodies oftheir relatives. The Home secretary sub-mitted that that no such policy existed, towhich the CJP remarked that the rela-tives of the missing persons should begiven compensation.

ISLAMABADSHAIQ HUSSAIN

Pakistan on Thursday confirmed it was dis-cussing a framework agreement with the USfor taxing NATO convoys, but they were stillfar from any such pact as any breakthrough inthis regard depended on the outcome of ongo-ing parliamentary debate on the nature of fu-ture ties with the US.

Addressing his weekly press briefing For-eign Office spokesman Abdul Basit confirmedthat Islamabad and Washington were dis-cussing a framework agreement which wouldcover the taxation for NATO trucks and con-tainers and other important issues such ascompensation amounts for Pakistan for itsloss in counter-terrorism operations. “We arediscussing all these matters but the final out-come hinges on policy guidelines that we willget from the parliament,” he said, a day afterUS Deputy Secretary of State Thomas Nidesheld crucial talks with Pakistani authorities onthe reopening of blocked NATO supplies.

He was asked about media reports thatthat Pakistan and the US were working on aframework agreement which will basicallyaddress two key issues, the compensationthat would be made to our military to fightwar on terror and the charges to be paid byNATO to Pakistan for shipment of containersto Afghanistan. He said, “As I said earlier weare discussing all these matters, but the finaloutcome would hinge on what final policyguidelines we get from our parliament. Wewill not pre-empt the parliamentary review.Different ideas are being discussed but noth-ing is final yet.” He also said both sides werestill at odds over US drone strikes and NATOairstrikes on Pakistani border posts in No-vember last year that killed 24 Pakistani sol-

diers. He also made it clear that Pakistan hadnot abandoned its position of demand fromUS to bring the people involved in attacks onPakistani outposts to justice.

When asked that US was trying to bypassPakistan’s demands on bringing the Salala at-tackers to justice, he said, “There is no gain-saying that the Salala incident has setbackour relations. We have our own position onthe Salala incident, including demand thataction should be taken against those whocommitted the Salala attack or who were in-volved in the incident. There is no change inour position.” To a question that whether thedeclaration of bounty for Hafiz Saeed andnew procedures for PIA flights operating tothe US were part of US pressure tactics overNATO supply routes, Basit said, “I have nocomments to make as to the purpose of theUS move, but Pakistan will not come underany pressure because ours is a principled po-sition and a legal position.” “As for PIA flightsto US, I may refer you to the Ministry of De-fence or PIA,” he said.

Asked about any discussions in the meet-ing held by Pakistani authorities with the USdeputy secretary of state about handing overof Hafiz Saeed to the US, he said, “The two dis-cussed the whole gamut of Pakistan-US rela-tions and other important issues particularlyAfghanistan. So, let us not get into specifics atthis stage. All issues of mutual interest werediscussed.” “On the Hafiz Saeed issue, we haveclearly stated our position that there is no con-crete evidence. Pakistan would prefer to haveconcrete evidence to initiate a legal processbut in the absence of that we cannot do any-thing. There is no reason for us to believe thatthe US does not respect our judicial and legalsystem,” he said.


The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Thursday ad-vised the ParliamentaryCommittee on National Security(PCNS) to tie the restoration ofNATO supplies with the release ofPakistani scientist Dr Afia Sid-diqui, while impressing upon theUS and the international commu-nity to help resolve the Kashmirdispute with India.

Sardar Mehtab Khan Abbasi,who is representing the PML-N inthe PCNS, put forth his party’s rec-ommendations as it ended itsthree-day boycott of the committeeover jacked up fuel prices in thecountry. He also told the meetingthat he would consult his party’sleadership on the proposals fi-nalised by the committee so far inhis absence. Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief FazlurRahman reiterated his party’sstance against the restoration ofNATO supplies.

Later, PCNS Chairman Sena-tor Raza Rabbani rubbished thereports that the PCNS had suc-cumbed to foreign pressure whileforming recommendations onPakistan’s new terms of engage-ment with the United States.Talking to reporters after the

PCNS meeting, Rabbani said thecommittee was undertaking avery complicated and time-con-suming job, and it was workingindependently in accordance withnational priorities. He said theparliament might further amendthe PCNS’ recommendations. Hesaid the government was compe-tent to extend the ongoing jointsession of the parliament to allowmore time to the PCNS to com-plete its recommendations. Headded that the PML-N memberwas briefed on what the commit-tee had discussed in the last threedays, and hoped that the recom-mendations would be finalised inthe next couple of days.

US drone attacksfrom Afghanistanto end after 2014:Afghan minister

DUBAI: Foreign Minister Zalmay Rasoolsaid on Thursday Afghanistan would not beused as a launch pad for US drones attackson neighboring countries after NATO com-bat forces leave by the end of 2014. “Afghansoil will not be used against any country inthe region,” Rasool told Al Jazeera televisionwhen asked if Washington would be allowedto launch drone strikes against Pakistanafter the troops’ withdrawal. U.S.-operateddrones have repeatedly carried out deadlymissile strikes against suspected al Qaedatargets in Pakistan. “The presence of the re-maining forces in Afghanistan is for train-ing, equipping and securing Afghanistan’ssecurity. It has been mentioned, it is goingto be mentioned, that this force is not foruse against any neighbors in the region,”Rasool told the Doha-based channel. Rasoolwas in Qatar for talks over the opening ofTaliban office in Doha. ReUTeRS

Present missing people or face suspension, CJP tells police

Pml-n links naTo

supplies restoration

with afia’s release

Pakistan, US discussingtax on nATo convoys: Fog only Pakistani state has jurisdiction over Hafiz Saeed

ISLAMAbAD: Journalists besiege former Inter-Services Intelligence director general Ahmed Shuja pasha as he leaves the Islamabad

High Court after appearing before the memo commission on Thursday. nni



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E-paper PakistanToday 6th April, 2012