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International
Political motive seen in Dr Imran’s murder See on Page 2
Ahmadinejad vows stiff resistance against West See on Page 12
Defence opposes suspects’ debriefing See on Page 12
Crude Oil (brent)$/bbl 78.21
Crude Oil (WTI)$/bbl 73.66
Cotton $/lb 98.22
Gold $/ozs 1,277.50
Silver $/ozs 20.82
Malaysian Palm $ 843.10
GOLD (NCEL) PKR 35,206
KHI Cotton 40Kg PKR 7,341
Yearly(Jul, 2010 up to 16-Sep-2010)
Monthly(Sep, 2010 up to 16-Sep- 2010)
Daily (16-Sep-2010)
Total Portfolio Invest (9 Sep-2010)
41.34
-44.53
1.49
2337
-1.06
0.19
0.44
1.93
0.30
-1.71
-0.09
SCRA(U.S $ in million)
Portfolio Investment
FIPI (17-Sep-2010)
Local Companies (17-Sept-2010)
Banks / DFI (17-Sept-2010)
Mutual Funds (17-Sept-2010)
NBFC (17-Sept-2010)
Local Investors (17-Sept-2010)
Other Organization (17-Sept-2010)
(U.S $ in million)
NCCPL
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Commodities
Forex Reserves (10-Sep-10)
Inflation CPI% (Jul 10-Aug 10)
Exports (Jul 10-Aug 10)
Imports (Jul 10-Aug 10)
Trade Balance (Jul 10-Aug 10)
Current A/C (Jul 10)
Remittances (Jul 10-Aug 10)
Foreign Invest (Jul 10)
Revenue (Jul 10)
Foreign Debt (Jun 10)
Domestic Debt (Jul 10)
Repatriated Profit (Jul 10)
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GDP Growth FY10EPer Capita Income FY10Population
$16.07bn
12.79%
$3.56bn
$6.25bn
$(2.69)bn
$(635)mn
$1.72bn
$144.80mn
Rs 84bn
$55.63bn
Rs 4705.4bn
$62.10mn
4.55%
4.10%
$1,051
170.57mn
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MCB (1 GDR= 2 Shares)
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$.Price
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17.00
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1.70
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111.37
145.63
42.83
36.41
33.51
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17-Sep-2010
17-Sep-2010
17-Sep-2010
17-Sep-2010
17-Sep-2010
17-Sep-2010
17-Sep-2010
17-Sep-2010
17-Sep-2010
12.52%
12.66%
12.79%
13.00%
12.71%
12.75%
12.90%
13.22%
13.30%
13.13%
13.22%
13.31%
13.52%
13.70%
13.87%
Money Market Update
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LAHORE: PM Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani awarding President NBP Syed Ali Raza with Prime
Minister’s Trophy during the ceremony of Lahore Chamber Achievement Award 2010.-APP
Malik writes letter to USAttorney for release of Dr Afia
Karachi, Sunday, September 19, 2010, Shawwal 9, Price Rs12 Pages 12
ISLAMABAD/LAHORE:Prime Minister Syed YousufRaza Gilani has said that PPPgovernment is pursuing its poli-cy of reconciliation to ensurepolitical stability in the countryand those who want undemocra-tic steps for change are wastingtheir time.
He was addressing at theLahore Chamber's achievementawards distribution ceremony inLahore on Saturday.
The Prime Minister said PPPhas formed government after along political struggle and a lotof sacrifices. He said PPP lead-ership offered sacrifices for therights of public, freedom ofmedia, independence of judici-ary and empowerment of poorpeople. He especially mentionedthe sacrifice of Benazir BhuttoShaheed.
The Prime Minister saidthrough 18th ConstitutionalAmendment due rights havebeen provided to the provinces.He said that the government'stop priorities are to counter ter-rorism and stabilise law andorder situation which will helpimproving country's economy.
Premier Gilani said that due tosuccessful government policyall segments of society andarmed forces are united to fightwar against terrorism.
Referring to operation in Swatand Malakand, the PrimeMinister said millions of people
migrated to other areas and gov-ernment made successful meas-ures to make their return possi-ble in an unprecedented shortperiod of time.
Earlier, in his welcomeaddress the President of LahoreChamber of Commerce andIndustry Zafar Iqbal Chaudhryhighlighted the salient featuresof the achievement awards.
He said the trader communitywhile responding on the call ofthe President and the PrimeMinister have collected dona-tions worth Rs50 million for theflood victims.
The Prime Minister distrib-
uted twenty four awards amongthe investors, traders and entre-preneurs including business-women who have demonstratedexcellent performance in vari-
ous sectors during the financialyear 2008-2009.
A message of President AsifAli Zardari was read out on theoccasion. In his message thePresident urged the investorsand entrepreneurs to join handswith the government to acceler-ate the pace of development incountry. He described the tradercommunity as the backbone ofthe country's economy.
See # 2 Page 11
Gilani scoffs atchange-dream
PM asks Sheikh to resolve issues of higher education
UNITED NATIONS: ForeignMinister Shah MahmoodQureshi will co-chair with UNSecretary-General Ban Ki-moon a high-level meeting ofFriends of DemocraticPakistan today (Sunday).
Qureshi arrived in New YorkFriday evening to leadPakistan's delegation to the65th Session of UN GeneralAssembly.
Apart from participating inUN meetings, the foreign min-ister will meet a number of hiscounterparts and other dele-gates for bilateral talks atwhich he will focus on the sit-uation arising from the devas-tating floods in the country.
On Sunday, Qureshi will co-chair with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon a high-level meeting of Friends ofDemocratic Pakistan. Althoughit is not a donor meeting, UN
officials said some countrieswere likely to announce theircontributions for the relief ofmillions of flood victims inPakistan.
Among those attending willbe US Secretary of StateHillary Clinton and SaudiForeign Minister Prince Saudal-Faisal.
On Monday, Qureshi willattend the summit meetingwhich will review the progresson the anti-poverty MillenniumDevelopment Goals (MGDs)agreed by world leaders in2000. More than 140 heads ofstate/government are attendingthe three-day event. Qureshiwill also address the summit.
The general debate in the192-member assembly to openon September 23 in which alarge number of world leaderswill outline their views on
See # 6 Page 11
FoDP meeting in NY today
Qureshi to co-chair with Ki-moon
KARACHI: Zubair Motiwala,Chairman Council of AllPakistan Textile Associations(CAPTA) has asserted thatValue Added Tax (VAT) regimewill certainly break the back-bone of our nation’s economy -the textile sector.
Addressing a press conferenceat PHMA House, Karachi, wherechairmen of 16 textile associa-tions were present, he stated thatin the past, he had made a presen-tation to CBR on zero rating ofsales tax and fortunately CBRagreed and it was proved that thegovernment which was generat-ing net revenue of Rs3 billiononly from the entire textile sec-tor, however after phasing outGST on export-oriented sector,tax frauds / leakages worth Rs32billion were averted. Later on,Shaukat Tareen was also con-vinced about this advantage andcontinued zero rating of sales tax
for entire five sectors. This result-ed in the liquidity being main-tained. Additionally exportsincreased and flourished.
He stated that the intention ofthe present government to with-draw this zero rating of salestax and implementation of VATwould be a step backward andruin the backbone of thenation's economy - the textilesector. He wondered why whenwe know that poison is danger-ous, are we again thinking oftaking poison? He said that itwas surprising that despiteexperiencing the great advan-tages of the zero rating facility,the government is again goingbackward.
He said that presently the tex-tile sector is undergoing theworst ever crisis with yarnprices doubled and cost ofdoing business rising,
See # 5 Page 11
New taxes termedfatal to textiles
Council of All Pakistan Textile Associations meets
KARACHI: PML-Q andPML-Functional have beenmerged under new nomencla-ture of All Pakistan MuslimLeague (APML) and it will beled by Pir Pagara.
This was said by PML-Qpresident Chaudhry ShujaatHussain and MushahidHussain Syed while talking tomedia men after their meetingwith Pir Pagara hereSaturday.
Chaudhry Shujaat said “wewant Pir Pagara to lead our
party and we have decided toreunify both the factions ofMuslim League. Pakistan ispassing through critical phaseand we can come out of thiscritical juncture under the lead-ership of Pir Pagara.Reunification of PML factionswas critically needed now thanever before. Pir Pagara saidPML-Q and PML-F merged onSaturday under new name ofAPML.
Responding to a question hesaid Pervez Musharraf and
Nawaz Sharif had not contact-ed him so far adding doors ofhis party were open to all.
About a question with refer-ence to Imran Khan he said ifImran Khan did not contactthen he would be left alone.Army is moving around usand we are not seeing it, headded.
To another question he saidEjaz ul Haq's role in the partywould be the same what a sonof martial law administratorcould play. - Online
PML-Q, Functionalmerge as APML
ISLAMABAD: The ChiefJustice of Pakistan, chief jus-tices of Federal Shariat Courtand High Courts have showngreat concern regarding thesecurity of the chief justices andjudges of the superior courts,particularly, in the wake ofthreats being given to them aswell as their families, emanat-ing from administrative authori-ties, as per intelligence reports.
In this regard a meeting waschaired on Saturday by theChief Justice of Pakistan,Justice Iftikhar MuhammadChaudhry, which was attendedby all other honourable chiefjustices. After deliberations, itwas resolved that the judgesand their families should beprovided adequate security andprotection due to prevailingsecurity concerns in the coun-try and the nature of functionsthe judges perform.
The presentation given by theSecretary, Interior; DirectorFIA; Chief Secretary; HomeSecretary and PPO, Punjabprima-facie suggests that there
are threats to the life of JusticeKhawaja Muhammad Sharif,Chief Justice, Lahore HighCourt. However, these execu-tive authorities are required tocomplete theirinvestigations/deliberationsindependently and intimate theresults to the Registrar,Supreme Court of Pakistan.
The superior as well as thedistrict judiciary have to playan independent role forenforcement of theConstitution and rule of law,therefore, it has been decidedthat both the federal andprovincial governments willensure the security and safetyof the judges of the superiorcourts without compromisingtheir integrity, neutrality andindependence whatsoever.
It was further resolved thatwhatever the facts of thealleged plot are, it needs to bedealt with in accordance withlaw without giving any conces-sion or making compromiseand whosoever is found
See # 3 Page 11
Judiciary concernedon threats to judges
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan hasassured US and other donoragencies that it will broaden itstax net and enhance the numberof tax payers to come out of thecurrent economic situationbesides implementing newGST system.
It was agreed upon in themeeting between US SpecialEnvoy for Pakistan andAfghanistan, Richard Holbrookand Finance Minister AbdulHafeez Sheikh and his econom-ic team on Saturday thatPakistan would extend its tax
net and enhance the number oftax payers.
According to finance min-istry, it has also been finallydecided that meeting ofPakistan Development Forumwill be convened in Novemberwherein Pakistan will presentbefore its economic stakehold-ers the details about reconstruc-tion of flood-affected areas.
The countries which hadmade aid pledges for Pakistanduring Tokyo Conference buthad not delivered them so farwould be contacted and urged
to release the pledged aid soonfor reconstruction of floodaffected areas in Pakistan, USassured.
Finance ministry sources toldUS had also assured to providemore relief assistance for floodvictims. However RichardHolbrook has still his reserva-tions over utilisation of relief aid.
US has also welcomed theconstitution of national coun-cil to ensure distribution offoreign relief aid for floodstricken people in transparentmanner. - Online
IFIs, US assured onbroadening of tax net
Furnace oilsupply to
Hesco, Kepcorestored
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan StateOil (PSO) restored provision offurnace oil to Hesco and Kepcoafter issuance of Rs12 billionfrom finance ministry.
Talking to media MD, PSOIrfan Qureshi said that financeministry has assured provisionof Rs12 billion for oil compa-nies, therefore PSO hasrestored oil supply to Hescoand Kepco adding that circulardebt of PSO should beaddressed on long term basis.
He reiterated on the occasionthat at present there has notbeen any scarcity of petroleumproducts in the country andPSO has abundant stock ofpetrol in the country and supplyof oil to petrol pumps in thecountry has been
See # 4 Page 11 Pak gold mayhit Rs43k per tolaTFD Monitoring
KARACHI: The gold price mayhit an all-time high at Rs43,000per tola, if its prices surged to$1,300 per ounce in internation-al market, a private news chan-nel reported Saturday.
According to the sources inlocal gold market, the gold ischeaper in Pakistan as compared
See # 12 Page 11
PM calls list ofNRO beneficiaries
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani onSaturday directed the Establishment Division to furnish urgentlya complete list of all those NRO beneficiaries who are presentlyappointed on various government positions.
He further directed that the requisite information should be sub-mitted on priority basis within two days.
Overall 8,041 persons including 34 politicians have benefitedfrom National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) while Asif AliZardari, Begum Nusrat Bhutto, Rehman Malik, Altaf Hussain,Babar Ghauri, Hussain Haqqani, and Wajid Shams ul Hassan arealso among NRO beneficiaries.
About 7,793 persons belonged to Sindh as per list which wasissued by the government under the directives of Supreme Court.Their cases were reopened after the nullification of NRO. Despiteit, a good number of favorites were See # 1 Page 11
Kashmir violence
India urgedto honour
humanrights normsISLAMABAD: Pakistan onSaturday asked India to adhereto the accepted human rightsstandards and undertake seri-ous introspection of its policiesthat are in sharp variance to itsinternational commitments.
When his attention wasdrawn to the Indian response tothe Pakistan foreign minister'sstatement on the situation inOccupied Kashmir, the ForeignOffice spokesman said this isevidently self-serving and, tosay the least, callous to be dis-missive of the widespreaduprising of the Kashmiri peopleincluding youth and womenagainst Indian occupation.
"Jammu and Kashmir is aninternational dispute and sub-ject of several UN SecurityCouncil resolutions. Instead ofstereotypically blaming
See # 7 Page 11
Govt withdrawsposting order
of KamranLashari
ISLAMABAD: In pursuance ofSupreme Court (SC) decision,federal government has with-drawn the notification about pro-motion of senior bureaucratsfrom grade 21 to 22 while deci-sion of induction of KamranLashari as Chief Secretary Sindhhas also been withdrawn.
See # 13 Page 11
SUNDAYTime Programmes
8:00 Pakistan This Week
8:30 Filmi Samaa (rpt)
9:00 Awam Ki Awaz (rpt)
10:00 Smithsoian
Documentry
11:00 Telethon (rpt)
13:00 Agenda 360 (rpt)
14:00 Amnay Samnay (rpt)
15:00 Tesri Nazar
16:00 Filmi Samaa (rpt)
16:30 Pakistan This Week
(rpt)
17:00 Tijarti Dunya (rpt)
17:30 Dikash Pakistan (rpt)
18:00 Sara Jahan
18:30 Pegham-e-Islam
19:00 Islam Aur Karobar
19:30 Filmi Samaa (rpt)
20:00 Badalta Paksitan
21:00 Agenda 360
22:00 Uff TV
22:30 Red Carpet
23:00 Awam Ki Awaz (rpt)
TV PROGRAMMES
SUNDAY
Time Programmes
7:00 News
8:00 News
9:05 Manzil (Rpt)
10:05 The Reema Show (Rpt)
12:00 News
13:10 Faisla Aap Ka (Rpt)
14:05 The Anchor (Rpt)
15:00 News
16:00 News
17:00 News
18:00 News
19:05 I Samaa
19:30 Mutasareen
20:05 The Reema Show
21:00 News
22:05 Tafteesh
23:05 Faisla Aap Ka
Sunday, September 19, 20102
KARACHI: Japanese Consul General Masaharn Sato addresses a press conference at Karachi Press Club.-Photo by S Imran Ali
KARACHI: Convener of Council of Textile Associations (CTA) andAdvisor to Sindh Chief Minister on Investment Mohammed Zubair
Motiwala along with Chairman Pakistan Apparel Forum MohammedJawed Bilwani and the representatives of 16 allied associations
addressing the hurriedly called press conference held at PHMA Houseon Saturday. -Photo by Jamil Siddiqui
LAHORE: People standing in queues to buy petrol from a petrol pumpafter the shortage of fuel in the provincial capital.-Online
LAHORE: Activists of Tehreek-e-Azadi-e-Jammu-o-Kashmir hold arally in support of Kashmiris, at Chopurji Chowk.-Online
LAHORE: PIAF-Founders Alliance hasurged the government totake measures to keep theindustrial wheel on the runthat was otherwise notdoing well in the wake ofdevastating floods.
These views wereexpressed by SohailLashari & Iftikhar AliMalik, leaders of PIAF-Founders AllianceAssociate Class candi-dates in a statement onSaturday. They said that ifgovernment wanted topromote the business acti-vates in the country, itwould have to take appro-priate sector-specificmeasures for the removal
of impediments in theway smooth industrialoperations.
They said that highmarkup and high electrici-ty tariff were also hittingthe industrial activity hardas the situation of newinvestments was not thatencouraging.
They identified deterio-rating law & order situa-tion as the other biggesthurdle in the promotionof economic activities.They said that the gov-ernment plan to imposemore taxes would alsodent the businesses asthere were people whowere finding it very hardto pay their dues on time
because of little activityin the markets.
The Alliance leaders saidthat the governmentshould immediately con-vene a roundtable confer-ence with all the chambersand other trade bodies forputting the economy backon rails.
They said that the busi-ness community responseto the Alliance candidateswas very encouragingand was enough to makethe point that the peoplein the industrial areasand the markets were sat-isfied with the perform-ance of the LahoreChamber of Commerceand Industry.-PPI
PIAF alliance demandsindustrial developmentISLAMABAD: Without
proper attention on educa-tion sector, our countrycannot move forward tocompete the challengingglobal environment, saidZahid Maqbool, Presidentof Islamabad Chamber ofCommerce & Industry(ICCI).
While addressing theEducation Committee ofICCI, he said that manyeconomies of the world aregrowing rapidly focusingmuch on education sector.In Pakistan this sectorneeds to be given morepriority to prepare a well-educated and trained man-power to contribute in thefuture economic develop-ment of the country, saidPresident.
He emphasised that cur-riculum of the public sec-tor schools must be com-pletely revised keeping inview the modern educationtechniques.
President said that teach-ers training programsshould also be conductedon regular basis for thecapacity building of teach-ers who act as a source ofinspiration for the stu-dents.
In many countries ofthe world, entrepreneur-ship skills are also taughtfrom primary level toproduce skilled manpow-er. These experimentshave shown excellentresults as the trainedworkforce is contributingsignificantly in the eco-
nomic development ofthese countries.
Zahid Maqbool said thatPakistan has a high poten-tial and talented youthwhich should be providedquality education andopportunities to come for-ward to play their role inthe economic progress ofthe country.
He said introduction ofentrepreneurship curricu-lum in schools will devel-op an entrepreneurial pop-ulation at the grassrootslevel which will contributeeffectively to the bottom-up development of a com-petitive private sector.
He also stressed onwomen education and saidthat economies of thosecountries have usually
been making steadyprogress, which are pro-viding better education towomen, while theeconomies have been stag-nant in countries wherewomen remained unedu-cated and neglected.
He said that governmentshould create an environ-ment for the women inwhich they can explore theopportunities and improvetheir knowledge and skillfor contributing effectivein national buildingprocess.
President ICCI said thatgovernment in partnershipwith the private sectormust develop long termand viable strategies toimprove the educationlevel in the country.-PPI
ICCI terms education vital for economic growth
ISLAMABAD: FederalMinister for PopulationWelfare Firdous AshiqAwan, said economicachievement is interlinkedwith population develop-ment because the goals ofa successful economy cannot be achieved until thereis a balance between eco-nomic resources and popu-lation.
Talking to media shesaid that the dilemma ofPakistan with reference topopulation is that theworld has achieved eco-nomic development byinterlinking it with popula-tion control. "In Pakistanwe neglected this issue bymaking it a socio-econom-ic problem and by watch-ing it by the so-called can-nons of religion andethics", she added.
Firdous maintained that
the negligence of the issuepopulation growth resultedin a crisis due to which thecountry is facing a worstpopulation explosionpresently.
She said that food scarci-ty, unemployment, energycrisis and all other majorissues are consequences ofpopulation explosion.
Firdous maintained thatfor a strong economy theoverall economic indicatorshould match the popula-tion growth rate. "InPakistan there is a large gapbetween the two sectorsunfortunately", she added.
Answering to a question,she said that the greateststake holder to opposepopulation policies is thereligious clout of the coun-try, without taking reli-gious sector on board,policies regarding popula-
tion control can not beimplemented.
"The population policiesare to be interlinked withreligious philosophies toimplement a practicallyacceptable roadmap", shesaid.
She said that she notonly convinced the reli-gious leaders to acceptpopulation explosion as anational issue but alsoaccepted their logical rea-soning based on Islamicphilosophies to changecertain slogans of popula-tion control.
To another question, shesaid that the main para-digm shift of the popula-tion plan is that the popu-lation ministry is focusingrural areas and providingthem awareness about thedire need of populationcontrol.-PPI
Minister urges steps tocontrol population growth
ISLAMABAD: FederalMinister for Law andJustice Babar Awan hassaid that the unanimouslyelected Prime Minister hasno need of taking freshvote of confidence fromthe Parliament.
Talking to media per-sons after meeting withSikh Yatris at his resi-dence on Saturday, he saidthe Prime Minister canonly take vote of confi-dence once at the time ofelection as mentioned inthe constitution.
Rejecting the rumorsabout change of the
Prime Minister, he saidno such type of proposalcame under discussion atthe cabinet meeting inAwan-e-Sadr.
The Law Minister saidthere is no threat to gov-ernment and a lobby isspreading rumors aboutchange as there is onlyone way to change thegovernment constitution-ally which is general elec-tion 2013.
"The masses have theright to elect but I am surethat they would give man-date to Pakistan People'sParty (PPP) in 2013 while
seeing the governmentperformance in thisvolatile situation," he said.
He said two personswere talking aboutchange in the govern-ment, one is PervezMusharraf and the secondis Mian MuhammadNawaz Sharif.
He asked former presi-dent Musharraf to firstcome in the country andface the court and thentalk about change.
About Mian NawazSharif, he said that thePML-N leader was hesi-tating to come in the par-
liament and urged him tocome in the legislature totalk about the government.
Babar Awan said whythe people were seekingunconstitutional meanswhen there is legal wayavailable to bring change.He said that the presentgovernment was strong ascompared to the previousgovernments.
He strongly condemnedthe Indian brutality inOccupied Kashmir andasked the internationalcommunity to take noticeof the situation in the heldvalley.-NNI
Elected PM doesn’t needfresh confidence vote: Awan
FAISALABAD: ThePakistan Textile ExportersAssociation (PTEA) hasrequested Prime MinisterSyed Yousuf Raza Gilani tosend a high level delegationcomprising the ForeignMinister, the CommerceMinister, the TextileMinister and secretaries offederal ministries toEuropean Union (EU) coun-tries to convince EU mem-ber countries to includehome textiles and knittedgarments in duty-free accessbeing offered to Pakistaniexports in EU markets.
In a statement issuedhere on Saturday,Chairman PTEA KhurramMukhtar and ViceChairman Sohail Pasha
said that leading Europeancountries had shown will-ingness to accord duty freeaccess to Pakistani exportsto mitigate economic prob-lems of Pakistan and it washigh time that theCommerce Minister, theTextile Minister and secre-taries of the ministriesshould visit Europeancountries which wereexpressing reservations ingranting duty free marketaccess to Pakistaniexports.
They said opportunity wasknocking on the door and itwas imperative on part ofthe government to avail it.
They said that withdirect and personalapproach, the government
can turn unfavorable cir-cumstances into mostfavourable.
They said home textilesand knitted garments weremainstay of our exportitems, being 40 percent oftotal textile exports of thecountry.
This is high time thatother EU member statesshould be convinced toadopt a favourable attitudetowards Pakistan in itsforthcoming meeting. It ishighly imperative thatPakistani officials shouldlaunch a vigorous cam-paign for it and the PrimeMinister should providenecessary funds for thishigh level delegation, theydemanded.-APP
Exporters call for EUaccess to textile products
KARACHI: A Japaneseship carrying two morehelicopters arrived hereSaturday for rescue mis-sion in flood hit areas.
"These two CH-47 largehelicopters will join otherfour Japanese helicoptersalready engaged in disasterrelief mission in Multan,"said Japanese ConsulGeneral in Karachi,Masaharu Sato, in a brief-ing about relief measuresby his government, atKarachi Press Club.
He said that these contin-gents will consist of 200
personnel of JapaneseGround Self DefenseForces (JGSDF).
This is the second timefor the JGSDF to conducta humanitarian relief inPakistan following theearthquake in October2005 in the northern areasof the country.
"Our relief operation isnot confined to a particularplace but whereverrequired by Pakistan gov-ernment," the ConsulGeneral said.
He said after the floodsin Pakistan, the Japanese
government has granted anemergency assistance of$13 million, emergencyrelief goods worth $0.4million, $6 million assis-tance under JapanPlatform (JPF) throughNGOs, and dispatchedrelief medical teams.
Besides, the fiveJapanese experts were alsoengaged by the WorldBank (WB) and AsianDevelopment Bank (ADB)to carry out Damage andNeed Assessment (DNA)in the flood affectedareas.-APP
Japanese aid coptersreach Pakistan
Advisor to Qatar
Royal familymeets QaimKARACHI: Advisor tothe Supreme Council ofQatar Royal Family, Maj.Gen (Retd), Amjad RafiqKhan called on SindhChief Minister, SyedQaim Ali Shah at CMHouse.
Talking to the Sindh CM,Maj. Gen (Retd), AmjadRafiq Khan expressed deepsorrow on behalf of theQatar Royal Family overdevastation caused byrecent massive flood inPakistan, said a statementissued here on Saturday.
He announced to providehelp to 50,000 flood affect-ed people and of construct-ing houses in the flood-hitareas.
Amjad Rafiq Khan saidthe Royal family of Qatarhas announced to provideRs 400 million assistanceto Pakistan for flood vic-tims.
Syed Qaim Ali Shahexpressed gratitude for pro-viding help to the floodvictims.-APP
ComputerShort Courses
VP CACCIcondemnsDr Imranmurder
KARACHI: Vice-President, Confederation ofAsia-Pacific Chambers ofCommerce and Industry(CACCI) and FormerPresident FPCCI &SAARC CCI, Tariq Sayeedhas expressed his heartfeltcondolences on the assassi-nation of Founder memberand senior MQM leader DrImran Farooq in London.
He conveyed his deepestsympathies to Quaid-e-Tehreek Altaf Hussain,MQM Deputy ConvenerDr Muhammad FarooqSattar, MQM senior mem-bers, all party workers andto his family.
He prayed to AlmightyAllah to rest the departedsoul in eternal peace andgive courage and patienceto the bereaved family tobear this irreparable losswith fortitude.-PR
KCCIgrieved atDr Imran’s
killingKARACHI: ChairmanBusinessmen Group & for-mer President-KCCI SirajKassim Teli, PresidentKarachi Chamber ofCommerce & IndustryAbdul Majid HajiMuhammad, Vice ChairmenBusinessmen Group & for-mer Presidents-KCCI, TahirKhaliq, M Zubair Motiwala,Haroon Farooki and AnjumNisar, Senior Vice President-KCCI, RasheeduddinRashid, Vice President-KCCI, Javed Ahmed Vohrahave expressed condolencewith MQM chief AltafHussain and his party lead-ers over the tragic assassina-tion of party's sole convenerDr Imran Farooq.-PPI
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SEHWAN: A view of floodwater on Indus Highway near Sehwan town.-Online
KARACHI: Members of All PAkistan Paper Merchants Association (APPMA)pose for group photo along with Chairman M Salim Memon and President M
Shoaib at Eid greeting ceremony held recently.-PR
PESAHAWAR: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) Chief, Moulana Fazl-ur-Rehman talkswith media men at JUI secretariat here on Saturday.-PPI
KARACHI: Activists of Pasban passing through Super Highway duringa demonstration rally to demand release of Dr Afia Siddiqui.-Online
Linde
group
donates
Rs12.2mn
for victims ISLAMABAD: BOCPakistan Limited, a mem-ber of The Linde Group,together with its regionalheadquarters in Singapore,Linde Gas Asia Pte Ltd,Saturday announced a totaldonation of Rs12.2 milliontowards flood relief effortsin Pakistan.
This amount includesvoluntary contributions bythe employees of BOCPakistan and Linde GasAsia in Singapore, andmatching contributions anddonations from the twocompanies.
The monies will be trans-ferred to two very rep-utable Pakistani NGOs, theLayton RahmatullahBenevolent Trust (LRBT)and the Sindh Institute ofUrology andTransplantation (SIUT), toprovide flood relief andmedical services to thoseaffected.
Ayaz Bokhari, ManagingDirector of BOC Pakistan,said: "With these employeeand company contribu-tions, we demonstrate ourcommitment to stand firm-ly beside the many coura-geous relief workers toprovide support to theflood affected population.BOC Pakistan is the mar-ket leader in medical andindustrial gases in thecountry and we are sparingno effort to ensure we con-tinue to supply our cus-tomers, including hospi-tals, and where needed,relief camps to help savelives."
Sanjiv Lamba, ManagingDirector of Linde Gas AsiaPte Ltd said: "We extendour heartfelt sympathies toall those affected by thedevastating floods in thecountry and we hope ourcontribution will assist insome small way towardshelping the people ofPakistan overcome theirchallenges in these difficulttimes".
Additionally, BOCPakistan is allowing eachof its employees to taketwo days paid leave toassist with volunteerefforts associated withflood relief. -NNI
C’wealthextendssupportto Pak
ISLAMABAD: The 56thmeeting of theC o m m o n w e a l t hParliamentary Association(CPA) concluded inNairobi on Saturday.
The General Assembly ofthe CPA this morningpassed a unanimous resolu-tion appealing to allCommonwealth govern-ments to provide furtherhumanitarian, monetaryand technical assistance toPakistan in the aftermath ofrecent floods.
Speaker Sindh AssemblyNisar Ahmed Khuhro andMNA Kashmala Tariqthanked the CPA for pass-ing the resolution andexpressing solidarity withthe flood affected people ofPakistan. A documentarydepicting the devastationcaused by the floods wasalso shown to the dele-gates, says a press releasereceived from HighCommission for Pakistan ,Nairobi, here today.
The Pakistani delegationto the 56th CPA is beingrepresented by the mem-bers of National AssemblyMs Nafisa Shah,Muhammad Israar Tareen,Speaker of SindhAssembly Nisar AhmedKhuhro, SpeakerBalochistan AssemblyMuhammad AslamBhootani, Deputy Speakerof the Khyber PakhtoonKhaw Mr. Khushdil Khanand MPAs fromBalochistan and KhyberPakhtoon Khaw.
Meanwhile, Nafisa Shahhas been electedChairperson of ExecutiveCommittee of CPA for AsiaRegion which includesPakistan, Bangladesh, SriLanka and Maldives. -NNI
35th batchof Pak
Marinesgraduates
KARACHI: The 35thbatch of Pak Marines com-prising 134 men has for-mally joined NavalMarines Force. The pass-ing out parade was held atMarines Training CentrePNS Qasim, Manora whereCommodore Sohail Abid,Chief Staff Officer ofCoastal Command was theChief Guest.
Marines undergo rigor-ous professional trainingwhich consists of fourphases. In the first twophases they undergo basicacademic and computertraining. This followsinfantry training whichincludes basic war tacticson land and study of mili-tary subjects. The finalphase includes training ofanti-amphibious operation,security of importantinstallations, air defenseand beach assault opera-tions.
Addressing the ceremo-ny, the Chief Guest saidthat peace and security isimperative for sustainablegrowth and prosperity of acountry. "It is, therefore,important for us to have acredible defense capabilityto counter internal andexternal threats", headded.-PPI
Rangerscontinues
reliefactivities
KARACHI: PakistanRangers, Sindh is continu-ing its relief activities inthe flood affected areas inSindh.
A Rangers spokesmansaid here on Saturday thattwo truck load of reliefgoods has been distributedamong those affected bythe Manchar Lake flood.
He said that the Rangerspersonnel have also beendeployed for the mainte-nance of law and order inthe affected areas as wellas on the roads.
Meanwhile, the cookedfood is being distributed ondaily basis among the floodaffected at the relief campsfor the flood victims ofKashmore, Thatta,Jamshoro and Sehwan.
Treatment facilities havealso been provided to theflood affected people andmedicines were also madeavailable.-APP
Ghinwablames
rulers forflood lossesKHIPRO: Chairperson,Pakistan People's Party-Shaheed Bhutto (PPP_SB)Ghinwa Bhutto has saidpresent rulers have inun-dated people of Sindhintentionally.
She said governmentordering baton charge onaffected people instead ofdistributing relief itemsamong them.
Talking to a leader ofPPP(SB) Moula Baksh,she said rulers are busy intheir luxuries and theircorruption has touched thesky. The registration ofthe affectees could havebeen made through voterslist as well but govern-ment would not do it.
She said people aremade slave to the IMF andWorld Bank, who aresucking the blood of peo-ple.-PPI
Notoriousbandit
killed inencounter
KARACHI: InspectorGeneral Police (IGP) SindhSultan Sallahuddin BabarKhattak has informed thata notorious dacoit RajibShaikh alias Raju waskilled in police encounterin Sukkur district onSaturday.
According to a release,the killed bandit wasinvolved in over 30heinous cases of crimesincluding dacoity, kidnap-ping for ransom, murdersand robberies in Sukkurdistrict. He was also want-ed to police in Shikarpurand Ghotki districts. Itmay be noted that a police-man Ramzan Channa hadbeen martyred in anencounter with banditRajib Shaikh some timeback.
IGP Sindh has hailed thepolice team members forkilling the bandit in anencounter and announcedRs500000 reward forthem.-PPI
KHAIRPUR: SindhChief Minister SyedQaim Ali has rejected thefigures of NADRAregarding the flood-hitpeople as well as affectedareas and urged it to pre-pare their report with theassistance of revenue offi-cials.
Addressing a ceremonyof the opening of WatanCards centre at the reliefcamp of ComprehensiveHigh School, here onSaturday, he said thatover 7 million people ofSindh were affected inthe flood and their crops,houses and propertiesdestroyed.
He said to help the sur-
vivors the governmentwould provide seeds andfertilizer to the growershaving 25 acres or lessland for sowing next crop.He said that amount of Rs20000 is being providedto each affected familythrough Watan Card,while Prime MinisterYousuf Raza Gilani hasalso announced Rs100000for each victim.
He said provision offood and other necessitiesto over 7 million people isa big challenge for gov-ernment but they wouldmeet the challenge.
Syed Qaim Ali Shahsaid the United Nationshas expressed satisfaction
on performance of presentgovernment, therefore,they are appealing to theworld for more relieffunds.
On the occasion, MNAChoudhry ManzoorHussain, parliamentarysecretary for health MNADr Mehreen Bhutto,Mohan Lal Kohistani andothers were present.
Later Sindh ChiefMinister visited the site ofbreach of Toori Bund andreviewed the repairingwork. The irrigation offi-cers briefed him on thecurrent flood situation.The CM directed them tocomplete the repair workas soon as possible.-PPI
Qaim asks forrevised figures
of flood survivors
LAHORE: ProvincialMinister for FinanceTanvir Ashraf Kaira hassaid that people ofPakistan are democratic-minded and they don'tlike dictatorship. Werestored democracy inPakistan by giving anumber of scarifies.
While talking to vari-ous delegations of MPAsand lawyers at his resi-dence, the minister saidthat present federal andall four provincial gov-ernments came intopower by the votes of thepeople.
He said that peoplehave elected us and theyhave right to hold usaccountable. He said thatour country is passingthrough a critical phaseand political reconcilia-tion is the need of thehour. That is why govern-
ment is taking all politi-cal parties into confi-dence on all major issues.
The minister said thatreconciliation with PML-N would be continuedand we would furtherstrengthen this processfor the sake of the coun-try because at this stage,our country can notafford any confrontation.The Minister said thatpolitical parties shouldforget their petty differ-ences and work togetherto solve the problems ofthe people.
He said that we wouldfoil any conspiracyagainst democratic sys-tem and present govern-ment would complete itstenure. He said that gov-ernment would solve theproblems of people withconsultation of all politi-cal parties.-PPI
‘Plans againstdemocracy to
be foiled’
SIALKOT: The SialkotChamber of Commerceand Industry (SCCI) hasformulated a rehabilita-tion plan for floodaffected families costingover Rs 15 million, saidSCCI presidentMuhammad Ishaq Butt.
In an informal chatwith APP here onSaturday, he said thatinitially the proposedplan would be launchedin worst-hit areas of the
province. In this regardSCCI teams are makinga survey in various floodhit areas for assessingrequirements, he said.
The SCCI presidentsaid work on the planwould be executed inthe light of findings ofthe survey teams. Thestep has been takenkeeping in view mis-eries of flood affectedfamilies and changingweather in the country,
he said. Ishaq Butt saidthe response of the busi-ness community, philan-thropists and wealthypeople was highlyencouraging in this con-nection.
The SCCI presidentsaid, "We have alreadydonated cash, medi-cines, foodstuffs andarticles of daily-useworth more than Rs12.5million for flood affect-ed so far."APP
SCCI to build 100houses for affectees
KARACHI: FederalAdvisor on Textiles, DrMirza Ikhtiar Baig, willlead the delegation ofleading textile companiesto participate at 35thFederal Trade Fair to beheld from 21st to 24thSeptember in Moscow,Russia.
Federal Advisor Textilewill be meeting OlegKashcheev, the DeputyHead of Textile Industry,Department of theMinistry of Industry andTrade of the RussianFederation on 22nd todiscuss ways and meansto enhance the bilateraltrade between Pakistanand Russian Federation.
Minister of state foreconomic affairs HinaRabbani Khar andFederal SecretaryCommerce Zafar
Mehmood will also bemeeting their counterparts during the sameperiod.
Expressing his viewsDr Baig said, their exista great potential of directexporting textile prod-ucts from Pakistan toRussian regions as at themoment they are buyingPakistani productsthrough Turkey at muchhigher rate. President ofPakistan Asif Ali Zardarion his recent visit toRussia emphasised toincrease the bilateraltrade between the twocountries. Dr Baig hopesthat the visit of the sen-ior government repre-sentative to Moscow willopen new avenue ofinvestment and tradebetween Russia andPakistan.-NNI
Dr Baig to leadtrade missionfor Moscow
KARACHI: As many as129 people died fromJuly 31 to September 17,2010 while 1735 deliver-ies carried out in variousrelief camps in theprovince.
According to DeputySecretary Admin SindhHealth Department DrJamaluddin Sheikh,approximately 1520835people were examined invarious medical campsduring the period.
Some 527 permanentand 162 mobile campswere set up for flood vic-tims throughout theprovince where 251789cases of diarrhea, 45767gastroenteritis, 248873chest disease, 179859malaria, 265607 skindisease, 5009 heatstroke, 107316 eyeinfection and 416615patients with complaintsof other diseases werereported.
Besides, 407 peoplewere bitten by snakeswhile 364662 wereadministered anti-snakebite vaccination and90366 of hepatitis vacci-nations. About 12392pregnant women werealso examined in med-ical camps.
Dr Sheikh said allmedical facilities alongwith medicines are beingprovided free of cost. -PPI
Sindh relief campswitness deathsand deliveries
In response to floods unprece-dented in Pakistan's history, theauthorities are taking popular
steps that seem obvious-stricter pricecontrols, a flood surcharge-tax andcontrols on charities. What we reallyneed is bold, non-populist and coun-terintuitive thinking.
History reminds us that in 1770Lower Bengal's rice harvest failedutterly and fully a third of the popu-lation died. The government'sresponse to the shortages was toprevent prices from rising andthereby prohibit what it called themonopoly of grain. The predictableresult was to intensify the famineand discourage transporting foodfrom areas where it was more plen-tiful.
A century later, in 1866, the gov-ernment of Bengal faced a famineand reacted with a very different pol-icy. Far from trying to control pricesthe government facilitated competi-tion by publicizing weekly returns ofprices in every district, causing busi-nesses to transport rice from areas ofrelative abundance to places of worstscarcity.
Pakistan solved the problem ofelectricity shortage in late ninetiesby relaxing the price of electricity.
We can also ensure the availabilityof food and other essential items inflood areas by relaxing price con-trols.
As for supply, donors and govern-ment would find it more effective tointroduce some kind of "floodvouchers" to help the needy pur-chase their daily needs instead ofgovernment supplying food and
other aid.The government is also consider-
ing a flood tax aiming to raise Rs138billion ($1.6 billion). In the currenteconomic meltdown, such a claimlooks very implausible. Moreover,taxes always discourage private andphilanthropic giving. If I were taxedin the name of flood relief, I would
obey but would then refuse to give toall charitable organisations. Thus aflood surcharge would only increasethe flow of cash to government cof-fers instead of going to the manyfairly effective humanitarian chari-ties.
The counterintuitive policy wouldbe substantial tax exemptions on allflood-related expenses and dona-
tions by individuals and corpora-tions. This would encourage moreprivate contributions to direct, reli-able and rapid flood relief and reha-bilitation aid.
But national and provincial gov-ernments are imposing licences tocollect funds on all charitable organ-isations. Although financing terror-
ism remains a problem, such arequirement will only discourage thepeople's spontaneous response andwill only increase government inter-vention in times of emergency. Themajor brunt of such restrictions willalmost always be taken by the mostdeserving groups.
The government must immediatelylift all such bans. Altaf Hussain, theLondon-based leader of theMutahidda Qaumi Movement(MQM), which dominates Karachi,the commercial capital of Pakistan,has advised flood victims to grab theprivate property of landlords. Theprotection of private propertyremains the top responsibility, afterprotection of life, of a government.If some individual landlords haveviolated any laws, they must betaken to task in law, before thecourts. Under no circumstances canpeople be allowed to grab privateproperty. That way lies anarchy andchaos.
Avoiding populist and intuitivethinking defines true leadership. Theunprecedented crisis demandsrational and hard decisions for thelong term, not the temptation of theshort-term gains.
(Courtesy: Khaleej Times)
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use of these reports and recommendations.
Changing USpolicy towardAfghanistan
US president Barack Obama is expected to
present the new policy toward Afghanistan in
November this year. However, the changing
facets of the policy have become a grave con-
cern for Pakistan. It seems that the US adminis-
tration wants to get out of this bizarre war to
avoid the eventual defeat. Its policy of crushing
as well reproaching Taliban and supporting the
corrupt regime of Hamid Karzari is making face
saving even more difficult.
Some of the critics are now openly saying that
deployment of additional forces last year to sta-
bilise Afghanistan is more likely to fail and that
the death toll in the conflict was too high a price
to pay. They also say Taliban are winning and
allied forces losing. Taliban have high morale
and want to continue the insurgency. If plan A is
not working plan B has to be implemented
which is to let the Taliban control the Pashtun
south and east because price for preventing that
is too high.
Robert Blackwill, a former senior US official
in the Bush Administration, has argued that
Afghanistan should be allowed to partition
along ethnic lines by pulling back Nato forces
and acknowledging that the Taliban will not be
defeated in their heartland. He also said
President Obama needs to make drastic changes
in the war's objectives.
Blackwill said that there had been a decade of
innumerable errors in the Western approach to
Afghanistan. Most notably American policy
shifted after the attacks on September 11, 2001
from expelling al Qaeda from its Afghan sanctu-
aries to crushing the Taliban and installing a
democratic government in Kabul. The result
was that America now had 1,000 soldiers
deployed for every one of the estimated 100 al
Qaeda operatives now believed to be based in
Afghanistan and was losing $100 billion a year
on the conflict.
Blackwill believes the US should only seek to
defend those areas dominated by Afghanistan's
Tajik, Uzbek and Hazara minorities by pulling
out of bases in the south. He actually supported
the idea of letting Taliban to control Kandahar
and other big population areas. "How many peo-
ple really believe that Kandahar is central to
Western civilisation? We did not get to
Afghanistan to control Kandahar," he said.
We consider it our ardent duty to remind the
US administration not to desert Afghanistan in
hurry, despite huge collateral losses. Splitting
Afghanistan also does not provide any solution.
Any fragmentation would lead to civil war
among different ethnic groups. Considering dis-
lodging Hamid Karzai and installing a consen-
sus government comprising of all the ethnic
groups could bring peace. Don't waste dollars
on arsenal, spend them on reconstruction to win
the hearts and minds of Afghans who have seen
nothing but war over the last four decades.
4Sunday, September 19, 2010
Publisher & Editor-in-Chief: Amir A. Ashary
Editor: Shakil H. Jafri
Executive Editor: Manzar Naqvi
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Asim Abbas Ashary, CPA
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Dr. A. Hadi Shahid, FCA
Muhammad Arif
S. Muneer Hussain Rizvi
Khurram Shehzad, CFA
Prof. Zakaria Sajid (KU)
Zahid Bukhari SVP HBL (retd)
Ismat Sabir
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The Financial Daily InternationalVol 4, Issue 47 Counterintuitive thinking
to get out of flood mess
This week the Pakistan Instituteof Legislative Developmentand Transparency (Pildat)
came out with two reports: "HowRich are Pakistani MNAs (Membersof the National Assembly)? Analysisof Declaration of Assets 2008-2009"(on September 14) and "Mid-TermAssessment of the Quality ofDemocracy in Pakistan March 17,2008 - September 16, 2010" (onSeptember 15).
Needless to say, the media andPakistan's chattering class have sincebeen salivating at the analysis ofassets held by the MNAs. Tuesday'sbulletins (September 14) andWednesday morning's newspapers(September 15) headlined the reportwhich, in turn, spawned its fair shareof discussions on television channelsand newspaper editorials.
As for the mid-term assessment ofdemocracy in Pakistan, it got practi-cally ignored despite a below aver-age score and Pildat timing itsrelease to coincide with theInternational Day of Democracy.
Report on MNAsGiven the dominant narrative of
the past few weeks - particularlyafter Muttahida Qaumi Movement(MQM) chief Altaf Hussain's call topatriotic generals to take martial-lawtype action against corrupt politi-cians and feudal lords - the report onthe assets held by MNAs was likemanna to the politician-bashing
chatterati. Here was further confir-mation - if it was ever needed - of themachinations of the political class.
Much was made of the fact that theaverage value of an MNA's assetshad increased three-fold in six yearsfrom 2002-2003 to 2008-2009. Nodoubt questions ought to be askedabout the source of income andassets of legislators, but in a countrywhere democracy has never reallygot a chance, again the focus was ontrashing the political system whiledemanding no accountability fromother institutions.
And in that din, some telling statis-tics were ignored by design ordefault. The percentage increase inthe average value of an MNA'sassets in 2008-2009 was 9.5 percent; way lower than the 87.1 percent increase recorded in the previ-ous year which was presided over bythe last of Pakistan's four militaryrulers, Pervez Musharraf.
In fact, the Musharraf years, forwhich data is available, show greatfluctuations in the rate of increase inthe average value of an MNA'sassets. In 2003-2004, the averagevalue of assets increased by 2.6 percent over the previous year. The fol-lowing year saw a 15.6 per centincrease and the rise continued in thenext fiscal to 22.6 per cent beforeplateauing at 2.6 per cent and thenrecording the steepest of increases:87.1 per cent.
This should have provided food forthought to all those gunning for thecivilian administration and blamingit for the trust deficit that has impact-ed the flow of international aid forflood relief but this is a season whencondemning politicians is high fash-ion.
Though some reason for the trickleis the mismanagement of funds thatpoured in after the 2005 earthquake,it is the current dispensation that istaking the flak.
Undoubtedly, the floods haveexposed the inefficiency and myopiaof the Pakistan People's Party-ledgovernment at the centre and in theprovinces, but the Pildat study showsthey alone cannot be accused ofprospering. Their predecessors underkhaki rule stand equally exposed asdo politicians from across the politi-cal spectrum.
And, if the very same Pildat's mid-term assessment of democracy inPakistan is anything to go by, then"a democratic Pakistan alone is asecure Pakistan". Though democra-cy in Pakistan scored only 45 percent as in an assessment strategycreated by the UK-basedDemocratic Audit, the report cardclearly states that "disappointmentat the performance of elected legis-latures and governments in a partic-ular phase cannot become the justi-fication for abandoning the demo-cratic process".
On democracyAnalysing the low score, Pildat
states that dissatisfaction with theperformance of the elected govern-ment at the federal level and in theprovinces over the past two-and-a-half years, it is equally misleadingbecause it does not reflect the factthat these elected legislatures "trans-formed the mutilated, authoritariandimensions of the original much-amended 1973 Constitution into anauthentically new Parliamentaryframework".
Making no bones about the needfor the political class to mend itsways, the mid-term review statesthat the very floods - that have raisedquestions on the efficacy of democ-racy - have provided the reason tosustain democracy. "It is only theparticipation of people themselvesand active role of their elected repre-sentatives in taking decisions thataffect the process of recovery andrejuvenation which will facilitatefair, orderly and enduring recon-struction and renewal."
Indeed, people need to be madestakeholders in democracy as theynow feel that democratic govern-ments are equally or more incapableof addressing their needs as non-democratic dispensations. And, sothey remain indifferent - and some-times even warm - to threats todemocracy.
(Courtesy: The Hindu)
Pildat’s reports - Manna for the chatterati
How do you reconcile the tradi-tions of many Muslim immi-grants with the freedoms and
values of 21st century WesternEurope?
It's a question that has led to period-ic outbursts of vigorous debate fromFrance to Holland and Switzerland.In Germany, the discussion has beenrelatively subdued. Until now.
Why? A passage in a book consid-ered so unsettling that its author,Thilo Sarrazin, was forced to resignfrom the board of Germany's centralbank this month, provides part of theanswer.
Criticism of Islam and Muslimimmigrants, he writes, is wronglyseen to "equal Islamophobia whichequals racism which equals anti-Semitism which equals right-wingradicalism which equals nationalsocialism (Nazism)." In a countrydeeply ashamed of its 1933-1945Nazi past, that's enough to mutedebate.
Sarrazin's book, "Deutschlandschafft sich ab" (Germany abolishesitself), came under withering assaultfrom Germany's political and intel-lectual elite even before its publica-tion and (judging from some of thecomments) even before many of thecritics waded through its 461 dense,statistics-laden pages.
It is not an anti-immigration, anti-Islam tirade, it is an argument againsta combination of flawed immigrationand social welfare policies that,according to Sarrazin, have tended toattract a sizeable number of immi-grants more interested in living off
generous government handouts thanin finding a place in the labour mar-ket, climbing up the economic ladderand integrating into German society.
Immigrants from Muslim parts offormer Yugoslavia, from Arab andNorth African countries and fromTurkey (the largest group) "are thecore of the integration problem,"Sarrazin writes, citing dismal statis-tics on scholastic achievement,unemployment, dependence on wel-fare payments, crime and reluctanceto learn German, an essential steptowards integration. In contrast,immigrants from Asia or India weredoing particularly well in integrat-ing and in making economicprogress.
Sarrazin's arguments are part of aEuropean backlash against multicul-turalism, the notion that all culturesare equal and society is enriched byencouraging separate cultures to existside by side rather than blending intoone. The first serious critique of theconcept came from the left, with anessay in 2000 by the Dutch authorPaul Scheffer who said multicultural-ism had blinded politicians to the factthat ethnic minorities, mainlyMuslims, had higher rates of unem-ployment, poverty, school dropoutsand crime and that they failed to inte-grate.
Scheffer's controversial piece pre-ceded the murder in 2002 of PimFortuyn by a Dutchman who objectedto his criticism of Muslim immigra-tion and the murder of filmmakerTheo van Gogh by a Muslim extrem-ist. Scheffer's essay was followed by
others, outside Holland and from bothsides of the political spectrum. Somepolitical leaders agreed. Before hebecame Britain's Prime Minister,David Cameron said multiculturalismcontributed to "deliberately weaken-ing our collective identity."FRENCH BAN BURQAS, SWISS
BAN MINARETSIn the week the German debate over
Sarrazin's book reached a crescendo,the French parliament banned burqasand niqabs, the head-to-toe robesworn by devout Muslim women.Switzerland drove another nail intothe coffin of multiculturalism lastyear with a referendum that ended ina ban on the construction of minarets.
Back to Germany, where those whorebuked Sarrazin included chancellorAngela Merkel and the head of theconservative Christian Social Union,Alexander Dobrindt, who remarked"this guy is nuts." Embarrassingly forpoliticians and political commenta-tors of all stripes, much of the citizen-ry disagreed.
The first edition of his book wassold out nationwide within days. Bymid-September, there were longqueues in one of the few bookshopsin central Frankfurt that had stockedample supplies. A few days later, thepublisher said the total print runwould be 250,000, ten times what hadbeen expected.
A public opinion poll in Septembershowed that 70 per cent of those sur-veyed partly or fully agreed withSarrazin, who is a member of the left-of-centre Social Democratic Partyfrom which he now faces expulsion
after close to 40 years of membership.Party leaders deem some of the argu-ments in his book racist.
The front page of the German newsmagazine Der Spiegel carried a por-trait of the bespectacled, 65-year-oldex-banker with the headline "FolkHero Sarrazin." Sub-headline: "Whyso many Germans are seduced by aprovocateur." Provocation is in theeye of the beholder and one commen-tator, Susanne Gaschke of the liberalweekly Die Zeit ascribed the "enthu-siastic acceptance for Sarrazin'sbelated taboo-breaking" to a retroac-tive settling of accounts for the yearsin which politically correct multicul-turalism made it difficult to touch thesubjects he covers.
One is demographics and boilsdown to a gloomy forecast: ethnicGermans are dying out, slowly butsurely. If present trends continue, eth-nic Germans will be a minority intheir own country by 2100, comfort-ably outnumbered by Turks. Long-range demographic forecasts have tobe taken with a pinch of salt but thereis no dispute that Germany's birthrate, the lowest in Europe, has fallenway below the so-called replacementrate.
There is no dispute either that thehigher a woman's education, thefewer children she has. Conversely,the lower a women's education, thehigher her fertility. That applies to alarge proportion of Muslim immi-grants. And that leads to Sarrazin'snightmare and controversial predic-tion: a smaller, older and dumberGermany. (Courtesy: Reuters)
Islamophobia equals anti-Semitism…
The counterintuitive policy would be sub-
stantial tax exemptions on all flood-related
expenses and donations by individuals and
corporations. This would encourage more
private contributions to direct, reliable and
rapid flood relief and rehabilitation aid.
5 Sunday, September 19, 2010
VIEWS & OPINION
How do you reconcile the tra-ditions of many Muslimimmigrants with the free-
doms and values of 21st centuryWestern Europe?
It's a question that has led to peri-odic outbursts of vigorous debatefrom France to Holland andSwitzerland. In Germany, the dis-cussion has been relatively subdued.Until now.
Why? A passage in a book consid-ered so unsettling that its author,Thilo Sarrazin, was forced to resignfrom the board of Germany's centralbank this month, provides part ofthe answer.
Criticism of Islam and Muslimimmigrants, he writes, is wronglyseen to "equal Islamophobia whichequals racism which equals anti-Semitism which equals right-wingradicalism which equals nationalsocialism (Nazism)." In a countrydeeply ashamed of its 1933-1945Nazi past, that's enough to mutedebate.
Sarrazin's book, "Deutschlandschafft sich ab" (Germany abolishes
itself), came under withering assaultfrom Germany's political and intel-lectual elite even before its publica-tion and (judging from some of thecomments) even before many of thecritics waded through its 461 dense,statistics-laden pages.
It is not an anti-immigration, anti-Islam tirade, it is an argumentagainst a combination of flawedimmigration and social welfare poli-cies that, according to Sarrazin,have tended to attract a sizeablenumber of immigrants more inter-ested in living off generous govern-ment handouts than in finding aplace in the labour market, climbingup the economic ladder and integrat-ing into German society.
Immigrants from Muslim parts offormer Yugoslavia, from Arab andNorth African countries and fromTurkey (the largest group) "are thecore of the integration problem,"Sarrazin writes, citing dismal statis-tics on scholastic achievement,unemployment, dependence on wel-fare payments, crime and reluctanceto learn German, an essential step
towards integration. In contrast,immigrants from Asia or India weredoing particularly well in integrat-ing and in making economicprogress.
Sarrazin's arguments are part of aEuropean backlash against multicul-turalism, the notion that all culturesare equal and society is enriched byencouraging separate cultures toexist side by side rather than blend-ing into one. The first serious cri-tique of the concept came from theleft, with an essay in 2000 by theDutch author Paul Scheffer whosaid multiculturalism had blindedpoliticians to the fact that ethnicminorities, mainly Muslims, hadhigher rates of unemployment,poverty, school drop-outs and crimeand that they failed to integrate.
Scheffer's controversial piece pre-ceded the murder in 2002 of PimFortuyn by a Dutchman who object-ed to his criticism of Muslim immi-gration and the murder of filmmak-er Theo van Gogh by a Muslimextremist. Scheffer's essay was fol-lowed by others, outside Holland
and from both sides of the politicalspectrum. Some political leadersagreed. Before he became Britain'sPrime Minister, David Cameronsaid multiculturalism contributed to"deliberately weakening our collec-tive identity."
FRENCH BAN BURQAS,SWISS BAN MINARETS
In the week the German debateover Sarrazin's book reached acrescendo, the French parliamentbanned burqas and niqabs, the head-to-toe robes worn by devout Muslimwomen. Switzerland drove anothernail into the coffin of multicultural-ism last year with a referendum thatended in a ban on the constructionof minarets.
Back to Germany, where thosewho rebuked Sarrazin includedchancellor Angela Merkel and thehead of the conservative ChristianSocial Union, Alexander Dobrindt,who remarked "this guy is nuts."Embarrassingly for politicians andpolitical commentators of all stripes,much of the citizenry disagreed.
The first edition of his book was
sold out nationwide within days. Bymid-September, there were longqueues in one of the few bookshopsin central Frankfurt that had stockedample supplies. A few days later, thepublisher said the total print runwould be 250,000, ten times whathad been expected.
A public opinion poll inSeptember showed that 70 percentof those surveyed partly or fullyagreed with Sarrazin, who is a mem-ber of the left-of-centre SocialDemocratic Party from which henow faces expulsion after close to40 years of membership. Party lead-ers deem some of the arguments inhis book racist.
The front page of the Germannews magazine Der Spiegel carrieda portrait of the bespectacled, 65-year-old ex-banker with the head-line "Folk Hero Sarrazin." Sub-headline: "Why so many Germansare seduced by a provocateur."
Provocation is in the eye of thebeholder and one commentator,Susanne Gaschke of the liberalweekly Die Zeit ascribed the "enthu-
siastic acceptance for Sarrazin'sbelated taboo-breaking" to aretroactive settling of accounts forthe years in which politically correctmulticulturalism made it difficult totouch the subjects he covers.
One is demographics and boilsdown to a gloomy forecast: ethnicGermans are dying out, slowly butsurely. If present trends continue,ethnic Germans will be a minority intheir own country by 2100, comfort-ably outnumbered by Turks. Long-range demographic forecasts have tobe taken with a pinch of salt butthere is no dispute that Germany'sbirth rate, the lowest in Europe, hasfallen way below the so-calledreplacement rate.
There is no dispute either that thehigher a woman's education, thefewer children she has. Conversely,the lower a women's education, thehigher her fertility. That applies to alarge proportion of Muslim immi-grants. And that leads to Sarrazin'snightmare and controversial predic-tion: a smaller, older and dumberGermany.-Reuters
Europe’s Religious Intolerance
Disastrous PoliciesThe Indian stance over the Kashmir freedom struggle has always been tyrannical as suppression of rights of locals and exertion of force has
been the norm in IHK for the past 63 years, which is apparent from the various incidents that flare up in the occupied valley as soon as anyonementions a resolution of the issue thus drumming up the Indian beat of Pakistani involvement in Kashmir, such as soon after the Thimpu meet-ing and the ministerial level talks in Pakistan that closed all doors of reaching to any conclusive point.
Keeping a firm military control over the Kashmir valley is the only means India has to maintain its hegemony that is gradually slipping fromits hands despite a renewed campaign of amplified Indian brutalities.
The failure of the all parties conference, which was convened by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to resolve the Kashmir upheavalas Kashmiri youth are protesting too loudly for the Indian comfort against the horrible episodes of unabated militancy and killings of hundredsof innocent people in the valley by Indian forces.
Despite being aware of the fact that the increased intensity of brutal suppression of the freedom seeking Kashmiris can only aggravate the sit-uation as the Indian PM Manmohan wanted calm to prevail in the region and accepted that "the only path for lasting peace and prosperity inJammu and Kashmir is that of dialogue and discussion,".
Why the Indian PM should feel "shocked and distressed" over the rising discontent of the Kashmiri youth and the heightened wave of anti-India and anti-Indian army protestations in the valley, is a complete mystery to me. Perhaps he too, does not keep track of what is going on inhis country and what the Indian army is up to these days, for which he needs to be given a refresher course of the atrocities born by the inno-cent Kashmiris for the past 63 years at the very hands of the Indians who have been suppressing the Kashmir liberation issue at both the glob-al and regional level.
Instead of connecting with the common man, the Indian policy in Kashmir had always replicated that of an imperial power, using brute forceto strangle the very desire of freedom.It has been established and thus should be accepted that India's current policies are a disaster for the South Asian region as it has reduced Indiato the deplorable level that it is now present at. The unabated neurotic obsession with Pakistan and the fixation over the Kashmir occupation inthe name of 'national security concerns' justifies its double standards while enabling external players to meddle in the regional affairs, creatingturmoil and consequently exacerbating regional tensions. Lubna Umar, Islamabad
Rehman Malik’sSomersaults
Zardari's Rehman Malik is playing BB's Khalid Kharal. Both have earned no cred-ibility or good repute for PPP governments. Backtracking on an earlier statement, theInterior Minister said that no military operation was being planned for Balochistan. "Inever said so", he told reporters. But this is not the first time. Similar statements hehas given about Karachi, North Waziristan and against 'Punjabi' Taliban in southernPunjab, which later he either withdrew or clarified. This means either he is confused,lacks information or he does on the indication of someone else to gauge people's reac-tion or the Armed Forces' response. But one thing is clear that whenever the govern-ment finds itself in trouble and dwarfed by the rising image of the army, RehmanMalik gives such statements in a bid to dent Gen Kayani's resolve of not to meddle inthe political affairs of the government. No matter the Swat and Waziristan people havetaken a sigh of relief as they themselves demanded the military operation in theirareas, yet to Rehman Malik talking of military operation means sowing hatred amongthe masses against the armed forces. This also means to engage the military on mul-tiple fronts so as to minimize the fear of coup against the government. He should havebeen concentrating on giving advice to the government to do something to mitigatesuffering of the masses and win their hearts and minds by its own deeds. Though sur-gical operations sometime become imminent given the situation on ground, but this isperhaps not Rehman Malik to single-handedly decide. One must advise him to stopstatements which he later has to withdraw. Jiya Lajja, Wazirabad
Drone attacks for Improved Security?US drones rain missiles over Pakistani soil while the government and military representatives remain totally mute over the issue, refraining even from issuing an open statement to condemn the use of such horrific gadgets.What was hitherto being predicted is now out in public as Richard Holbrook, the US representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan, has confirmed the fact in a loud enough voice that these vicious attacks through unmanned planes
by the people sitting in the US are carried out in "close collaboration" with the civil and military leadership of the country.According to Holbrook, these drones helped improve the security environment at a "very minimum cost". What is this minimum cost one is compelled to ask. Is it the lives of the innocent and poor Pakistani people who are already
leading a devastated life in the margins that includes mostly women and children who cannot dare to raise a voice for their fundamental right to live?How, one needs to ask, are these drone attacks instrumental in improving the security environment? Has militancy dwindled in the region? Have incidents of suicide bombing and target killings receded in Pakistan? Have ethnic
and sectarian clashes transformed into chapters of history? Do the people of Pakistan feel secure? Has peace finally prevailed?Unfortunately, the answer is a big NO!The only achievement the drones attacks can boast of is the empowerment gained by the US to attack Pakistani people and territory as they desire and please, which is being done as discontent and unrest is brewing in the region
where US operatives roam around freely in big cars with dark glasses creeping the local populace as they go about their mysterious and sinister activities.The least the leadership can do is to keep an eye on what the US officials are doing in Pakistan and force those who are operating drones to provide a complete picture of each and every attack with a video footage from the cam-
era installed in the unmanned vehicle so that we may be informed of all those who have been targeted, surely that is how they know who they are killing in the process, so that there remains no room for ambiguity.Umar Qayyum Malik, Islamabad
Sabina Rizwan Khan
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6Sunday, September 19, 2010
European investors arewondering whetherthe historical trend of
U.S. stocks rising in the yearor so after congressionalmid-term elections is aboutto happen again.
One clear issue is whetherany loss of control by theruling Democrats would leadto more-entrenched gridlockand leave the FederalReserve alone to carry theeconomic policy can.
But equally, someEuropeans wonder whetherthe removal of politicaluncertainty, whatever theresult, will outweigh the cur-rent benefits investors arefinding in putting theirmoney elsewhere, given theweak state of the economy.
Reuters latest asset alloca-tion poll of Europeaninvestors showed exposureto U.S. equities fell inAugust to their second low-est level in 12 months.
By contrast, holdings ofeuro zone and UK equities -- both of which are benefit-
ing from exposure to rampedup emerging market growth-- rose.
Economic news hasfavoured non-U.S. equitiestoo as the U.S. economy hasstumbled worse than others.Economists surveyed byReuters in early Septemberforecast U.S. GDP to aver-age 2.7 percent in 2010,down from a 2.9 percentprojection in an August polland 3 percent in a July poll.
This has left many largeEuropean investors neutralto bearish about U.S. stocks.
Britain's Standard LifeInvestments, for example,says improved U.S. corpo-rate cash flows are being off-set by restrained domesticdemand linked to consumerdebt and the housing market.
Equity markets themselvesreflect the view. It is a low-return year in most places,but while emerging marketshares are up more than 5percent and Europe'sFTSEurofirst 300 is up near-ly 4 percent, the S&P 500's
gains are less than 1 percent.And year-to-date, U.S.
equity funds have seen a netoutflow of about $48.4 bil-lion, according to EPFRGlobal.
POLITICALVOLATILITY
While a good portion of allthis clearly has more to dowith relative economicgrowth than it does withelections, the approach ofthe vote for the U.S. Houseof Representatives and athird of the Senate is part ofthe mix.
"The run up to the elec-tions will be quite volatileand could make things moreuncertain," said MikeO'Sullivan, head of globalasset allocation at CreditSuisse's private bank, whichis underweight U.S. equities.
For the Europeans, it is notwho wins or who loses thevote that is the main issue.What is key is what is leftafterwards.
Michael Dicks, head ofinvestment strategy at
Barclays Wealth, wondersabout the impact of theRepublicans capturing oneor both of the U.S. congres-sional chambers, whichsome polls suggest is a pos-sibility.
"My main concern is that,post the elections, it will bedifficult to get policy shiftsthrough of any significance.Were a negative shock tocome along, that wouldmean that the Fed would beon its own ... and (accord-ingly) might find it very hardto stimulate activity," he
said.By contrast, Mark
Stoeckle, who runs U.S.equities in Boston forFrance's BNP Paribas AssetManagement, reckons anyresult will allow for moreaction on taxes and thedeficit, neither of which canbe dealt with while a politi-cal campaign is going on.
He is also hoping that theremoval of political uncer-tainty at least for a whilewill let U.S. companies feelthey can start using some ofthe cash that they have built
up and not spent."I'm not totally convinced
that they (company man-agers) are not using the mid-term elections as part of theexcuse not to do something,"he told Reuters on a trip toLondon.
This seems to be echoedby others.
Median forecasts from 46respondents surveyed byReuters over the past weekshowed the Standard &Poor's 500 index closing theyear at 1,195, 6 percenthigher than Thursday'sclose.
STILL LAGGING?But the big question for
globally-focused investors iswhether the elections willactually change anything.
If, for example, the likes ofStandard Life Investments iskeeping a moderate distancefrom U.S. equities becauseof consumer debt and thehousing market, it is likelythat only a change in thoseeconomic fundamentalswould change the stance.
Similarly, the U.S. elec-tions in themselves areunlikely to change a globalinvestment environment thatfavours hot emerging mar-kets and countries tied tothem through trade.
"Emerging markets eco-nomically are just a lotstronger," Credit Suisse'sO'Sullivan said.
So the good news for thosehoping that the mid-termsare only a temporary barrierto U.S. equity growthremains historical.
Strategists at U.S.-basedbrokerage AuerbachGrayson have calculated thatsince 1914, the Dow Jonesindustrial average (.DJI hasgained on average 49.2 per-cent from its mid-term elec-tion year low to its subse-quent high in the followingpresidential election year,two years hence.
Currently, that would putthe Dow at more than 14,300sometime in 2012, above itsall-time high back inOctober 2007. -Reuters
Europe investors ponder change after US mid-terms"Emerging markets
economically are
just a lot stronger,"
Credit Suisse's
O'Sullivan said.
Key is to attractbig-nameChina firms
Taiwan's stockexchange looks set tobecome a sought-after
destination for share listingsby overseas and Chinesefirms and notch up its rank-ing in Asia after rising popu-larity of Taiwan depositaryreceipts (TDRs) listings.
Singapore-listed Chineseshipbuilder Yangzijiang'sTDRs made a strong debutlast Wednesday and haverisen nearly 30 percent sincethen, boosting confidenceamong other companies togo public in Taiwan.
Several other Chinesefirms, including Singapore-listed Ziwo Holdings, are inthe pipeline to capitalise onhigher valuations in Taiwan,where many companies priceTDRs at a premium to theirHong Kong or Singaporeshares.
A landmark trade deal withChina that will deepen eco-nomic ties, along with a deeplocal pool of cash-rich insti-tutions and individuals andthe premium that China-related shares attract, makethe bourse attractive foreither primary or TDRs list-ings.
"Liquidity in the market isample and investors can par-ticipate in China growth.That's a very good sellingpoint," said Andrew Deng,
assistant vice president atTaiwan InternationalSecurities.
"The TDR effect will beseen and if sizeable compa-nies, especially state-ownedenterprises, can come toTaiwan, chances are highTaiwan's bourse can overtakeSouth Korea's in size in thenext three to five years."
BOOSTING VISIBILI-TY
Taiwan's bourse has a mar-ket capitalisation of some$679 billion, ahead ofSingapore's $668 billion andjust below the $797 billion ofSouth Korea. But it is wellbehind the $3 trillion ofHong Kong and the $2.7 tril-lion of Shanghai.
With China taking theglobal No.1 spot this year for
IPOs, Hong Kong still pre-eminent as a fund-raisingcentre and the Singaporeexchange looking to grow byallowing trading ofAmerican DepositaryReceipts (ADRs), Taiwan'sbourse is seeking to ensure itdoes not fall behind.
"Our strategy is doingthings step by step," saidStanley Chu, a vice presi-dent at the Taiwan stockexchange. "We've seenTDRs from Singapore andChina, but we will targetJapan, and even the UnitedStates.
"TDRs are the first leg andoverseas primary listings arethe second. They will sup-port and boost the visibilityof our market." The numberof TDRs will double to 20
this year, helping the totalnumber of IPOs to 50 in2010 from 36 last year, theexchange said.
Valuation differentials areattracting companies toTaiwan and investors to thefirms.
Among other TDR issuers,Solargiga Energy's TDRshave a premium of 71 per-cent and Ju TengInternational's about 20 per-cent, respectively, over theirHong Kong shares.
U.S.-based chip designerIntegrated Memory Logic(IML) said it was attractedby Taiwan investors' interestin hi-tech firms for making aprimary listing in Taipei. Itsurged 22 percent on itsdebut on May 18, though ithas fallen 96 percent since
then.Total capital raised from
TDRs was T$11.1 billion($344 million) in January-August, compared withT$33.7 billion in the wholeof 2009, when there weretwo big TDR issues by WantWant China and Tingyi.
Its scale, however, is stillfar smaller than Hong Kong,which saw the record-break-ing $22 billion IPO ofAgricultural Bank of ChinaLtd in July, and is readyingfor AIA Group's planned $15billion IPO..
Some 59 companies arepreparing to list in HongKong this year, according toReuters data.
The key for Taiwan, ana-lysts say, will be to attractbig-name Chinese firms such
as China Mobile or TCL."If the relationship
between Taiwan and Chinagets closer and closer,Taiwan's capital market willdefinitely be a major benefi-ciary," said Janet Tseng, avice president at Taiwan'sYuanta Securities, whichmanaged IML's IPO.
But one cloud on the hori-zon is any tightening byChina, which could hurt sen-timent for TDRs.
"We really have to keep acloser eye on what Chinawill do next," said JohnChiu, a vice president andfund manager at Taiwan'sFuh Hwa SecuritiesInvestment Trust. "If theoverall stock market does notdo well, (TDRs) will suffer."-Reuters
Taiwan bourse set to be new funding hub in Asia
FEAR of inflation hasalways been one ofthe prime reasons for
investing in gold, yet in anera of nail-biting uncertain-ty, investors are buying theshiny stuff to ward againstprice swings in either direc-tion.
This was to be the yearwhen the world economyflourished after sufferingrecession in 2009, corporateprofits would bloom andcentral banks would removetheir policy safety nets.
Investors would be readyto assume more risk, leavingtheir well-worn securityblankets like gold to gatherdust.
Things could not be moredifferent. The FederalReserve is widely expectedto keep U.S. monetary poli-cy loose as the economystruggles, global stocks arestill a good 30 percent offpre-crisis highs and analystsare likely to trim their 2011earnings forecasts, at least inEurope.
Market gauges of inflationexpectations show littlemore than a muted rise inprice pressures, but the morewary investors are taking nochances, and their hunt forsafety has driven gold tonew record highs this weekabove $1,270 an ounce.
"Forgetting the present,generically speaking, gold isa hedge against inflation. Innormal times, it would notbe a hedge against deflation... but because this time theassociation with deflation ispanic, then that flight toquality and liquidity is worthsomething," said CharlieMorris, head of the HSBCAsset Management AbsoluteReturn Fund.
"Given value credentials ofgold, it would survive thecurrent era of inflation andwin mandates on the qualityangle as opposed to anythingelse."
THEORY AND PRACTICE
Theory dictates the valueof gold rises as other pricesrise, unlike the value of acurrency, which is eroded byinflation, leaving long-terminvestments such as govern-ment bonds at the mercy ofthe swings in consumer priceindexes.
In nominal terms, theprice of gold has more thantripled in the last 20 years,to around $1,270 an ounce,from roughly $400 anounce in 1990. Adjusted forinflation however, the pricehas risen by some 70 per-cent in that time, so in1990's money, today's goldprice is only worth about$700.
Europe's sovereign debtcrisis has unleashed austeri-ty policies across the regionthat could quash consumerspending, while growth inthe United States remainsstubbornly anaemic andeven China's economy isshowing signs of moderat-ing.
Policymakers are bom-barding the markets withcash to keep credit flowingto the interbank lendingmechanism, which has notfully recovered from theshock of the 2007 creditcrunch.
"In a deflationary environ-ment where asset prices areplunging, then by holding itsvalue, gold will outperform.It is a bit of a chameleon andthat's what attracts people toit," said RBS head of com-
modity research NickMoore.
That said, Moore added heonly places a 10 percentweighting in his gold priceexpectations on the inflationargument itself. He believesgold's safe-haven appeal willultimately be what spurs it tooutperform other asset class-es.
Japan is the most widelyused example of a developednation caught in a deflation-ary spiral, in which priceshave essentially declined formore than a decade.
This has not been the casein the United States. Thecore PCE, the Fed's pre-ferred measure of inflation,has fallen since late 2008,when the credit crunchunfolded, but is still withinthe bank's target band of 1 to2 percent.
In the last two decades, theU.S. consumer price indexhas risen by 65 percent,while gold has risen by 250percent.
Looking at the most com-mon market measures ofU.S. inflation expectations,
the five-year breakeveninflation rate -- derived fromsubtracting the yield of thebenchmark inflation-linkedbond from that of the nomi-nal bond -- shows fixedincome investors anticipatean inflation rate of around1.35 percent.
Further out, investors areless sanguine. The 10-yearbreakeven rate is around1.80 percent, whichalthough low by historicalstandards, is up from around1.5 percent in August.
"This is important for pre-
cious metals, not necessarilybecause we expect inflationto run rampant and push pre-cious metal prices higher,but it signals a move awayfrom deflation fears. Aworld where debt is anissue, falling prices willonly amplify the problem,"said Standard Bank analystWalter de Wet.
Former Fed ChairmanAlan Greenspan himselfsaid more than 10 years agothat gold was "the ultimatemeans of payment".
"There are definitely
going to be a group ofinvestors holding gold forfinancial reasons and thatwill be inflation/deflation.There will be others whohold it as a safe-haven play,"RBS' Moore said.
"It's been a great per-former over the last tenyears and now it's properlyvalued and accepted andpart of society. Gold beforewas a bit of a pariah, one ofthese barbaric relics that noone understood and no oneneeded and that's nowchanged." -Reuters
T O B E A T I N F L A T I O N O R D E F L A T I O N
INVESTORS SEEK GOLD
7Sunday, September 19, 2010
Latest Gadgets Powerstation
for iPadMophie already have the Juice Pack for the
iPhone. The company has now launched a similarversion, this time for the iPad. What it does is pro-vides extra juice for the iPad while you are on themove. Up to 2.1 amps of charging output can beachieved. The capacity of the battery is 3600mAhmaking it the most powerful external battery packfor the iPad available.
Dell 10 inchNetbook /
TabletDell has demoed a rather crazy
looking convertible netbook/tabletdevice. The new device is calledthe Dell Inspiron Duo 10 and has ascreen that swivels around to makethe netbook in to a tablet form fac-tor. The screen then rotates withinthe frame which can then be fold-ed back down as needed whichputs the screen on the outside ofthe device.
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6600 Slide 18,900
6600 Fold 19,000
6700 Classic 19,800
6720 Classic 20,200
6730 Classic 15,200
6760 Slide 18,800
7210 8,550
7230 10,750
7310 11,000
7510 14,000
7610 13,200
C1-00 3,200
C5 14,200
E5 21,300
E52 21,200
E55 23,000
E63 16,800
E66 20,000
E71 21,300
E72 27,500
E75 24,000
N78 19,800
N79 26,300
N82 26,000
N85 8GB 22,800
N86 31,500
N95 8GB 36,000
N96 36,500
N97 39,000
N97 mini 33,000
N900 39,500
X2 9,800
X3 11,900
X6 16GB 31,500
X6 57,000
T303 8,700
T707 16,800
W302 9,600
W380i 8,800
W350i 7,700
W395 9,700
W595 13,200
W705 19,000
W980 18,200
W902 43,500
W995 25,600
F305 9,400
S302 8,200
C510 12,700
C901 14,800
C902i 15,600
C903 16,100
C905 21,400
G502 14,500
G700 12,800
XPERIA X1 33,000
Aino 30,800
Jalou 17,300
U100 Yari 18,700
Satio Idou 38,700
B130 2,050
B200 2,600
B220 Guru 3,900
B300 3,600
B3210 CorbyTXT 9,700
B3410 12,000
B3410W Chat WIFI 13,400
B5722 15,400
B7300 OMNIALite 24,000
B7320 Omnia PRO 19,200
Guru B100 2,450
E1080 2,200
E1100 2,450
E1125 3,200
E250 5,200
D980 (Dual Sim) 20,300
J150 6,550
J700 7,550
M150 5,100
M200 6,200
M620 6,250
M3510 Beat b 9,200
M3710 Corby Beat 12,700
M7500 Armani 30,300
M7603 Beat DJ 32,000
M8910 Pixon 12 40,600
C3010S 5,700
C3053 6,000
C3212 8,000
C3303k Champ 7,600
C3510 Genoa 8,800
C5212 DUOS 9,800
S3310 7,900
S3653 Corby 10,600
S3653 WIFI 13,400
Star S5230 11,000
S5230W Star WIFI 12,300
S5350 Shark 12,000
S5550 Shark 2 14,500
S5560 Marvel 15,600
S5620 Monte 15,500
S7220 Ultra b 21,000
S7350 Ultra s 22,100
S8003 Jet 24,000
S8300 Tocco Ultar Edition 28,200
KP110 3,700
KP199 6,600
KP220 6,500
KP320 8,500
KP175 5,950
KG288 2,450
SYED ABUL ABBAS NAQVI
Nokia
Mobile Prices
Updated on 18 September, 2010
Samsung
Sony Ericsson
iPod nanoWatch
When Apple announced the iPod nanolast week, the music player was seen witha watch filling the small square screen.This of course made a number of peoplelook at comparing this thing to a watch andwearing it around a wrist. The strap is22mm wide and is a Matatac Nylon bandthat has a section cut out for the clip toattach to. It comes in a number of colours.
Nikon CoolPix S80Digital Camera
Nikon has also announced the CoolPix S80 dig-ital camera. The CoolPix S80 has a 3.5 inch ultrahigh resolution OLED touchscreen on the backthat uses an enhanced user interface to help theuser more easily work the camera. The touch-screen interface allows the user to take control ofthe shutter speed, zoom, playback amongst otherfeatures of the camera
LG
Another day, anothertablet announcement.Computer maker Acer
is reportedly planning to rollout a device that would fallbetween a smartphone and atablet and would be similar tothe Dell Streak, as well as twolarger Android-powered tabletsin the first quarter of 2011.
HTC and Google are alsoreportedly collaborating tolaunch a tablet early next yearthat will run Google Android3.0, DigiTimes is reporting.And Avaya Wednesday alsoannounced plans for a 6-inchAndroid touchscreen tabletcalled Flare, which would rivalCisco's Cius communicationstablet, announced in June.
DigiTimes is reporting thatthe three Acer models would
have 5-inch, 7-inch, and 10-inch panels. The 5-inch modelis expected to fall between the
smartphone and tablet markets.Acer is in talks with bothCompal Electronics and
Quanta Computer to develop thetablet, DigiTimes said.
In terms of a processor, thecomputer maker is said to be stillevaluating Qalcomm'sSnapdragon and Nvidia's Tegra 2and has not made a decisionwhich one to use for its Androidtablet PC. The 5-inch tabletwould let consumers have func-tionality for both handset and PCfeatures.
On the heels of the wildly suc-cessful Apple iPad, Acer, HTC,and Avaya are joining the ranksof the many other companies thathave plans to launch tablets in2011, including Research inMotion (RIM), Nokia, Motorola,Samsung Electronics, Hewlett-Packard, and LG Electronics.Many of those are expected to be7-inch devices running Android.
Acer, HTC, AvayaJoining Tablet Race
Yahoo, which has seenits relevance as a webportal diminish with the
rise of social networks, is hopingto make a comeback through amajor refresh of its services, start-ing with online search and email.
The company on Thursdaylaunched a product roadmap that
will involve more frequentupdates of all its services startingin the fall. Besides search andemail, Yahoo services includeinstant messaging, applicationsfor mobile devices and televi-sions and a number of contentproperties, such as news, financeand sports.
A new version of Yahoo Mailwill be available in beta in a fewweeks. Yahoo claims to have 281million users of the service.Among the improvements is a"cleaner, sleeker" interface for
easier use of features and naviga-tion through the inbox, Yahoosaid. The same look-and-feel ofthe interface will be available ona PC browser, smartphone, tabletand other mobile devices. Yahooalso is claiming to have imple-mented technology within its datacenters to make Yahoo Mail
faster. In a nod to the most popu-lar social networks, users will beable to view and updateFacebook and Twitter pages fromthe inbox. Other features includea new version of Yahoo's instantmessaging service and a refur-bished inbox search page.
With search, Yahoo is focusingon the client, offering "more visu-ally compelling search results thatlet you discover information andbe entertained all on one searchresult page," the company said.
Yahoo to RefreshMail, Search
Twitter ToutsRedesign'sAdvantages
For Marketers
The latest enhancementsto Twitter will make themicroblogging site more
effective and engaging for bothconsumers and marketers,Twitter chief operating officerDick Costolo told more than2,000 marketers on Thursday.
Speaking at Connections '10,the annual three-day conferencefor users of ExactTarget's on-demand email marketing andinteractive marketing solutions,Costolo said the revampedTwitter makes it easier for usersto see information about theauthors of Twitter posts, engagein conversations, and more eas-ily link to photos and videos.
"The new Twitter provides aricher, more compelling envi-ronment for businesses and cus-tomers to engage in conversa-tion," he said.
Costolo spoke after theunveiling of the ExactTargetInteractive Marketing Hub andCoTweet 3.0 EnterpriseEdition. The InteractiveMarketing Hub is designed toallow marketers to power allforms of real-time, interactivemarketing across email, socialmedia networks, mobiledevices, and websites.Marketing professionals canplan, monitor, and track thesemarketing programs via onedashboard that aggregates allcustomer interaction, accordingto ExactTarget.
Halo Reach, the newfirst-person shooterfrom Microsoft and
Bungie, broke the record foronline play on Microsoft'sXbox Live gaming serviceTuesday-the same day it wasreleased.
"Reach already surpassedthe all-time highest record forHalo 3 concurrent users onLIVE. Woot!" said a Bungiedeveloper, in a post on thecompany's Twitter page.
The developer did notspecify how many gamers
logged in to play Halo Reachat the same time, but thenumbers were likely signifi-cant.
Microsoft and retail partnerBest Buy held launch partiesMonday night in New York,Seattle, and London,
England to mark the game'srelease. At the New Yorkevent, crowds lined up forblocks around the city'sfamous Times Square area tobe among the first to pur-chase the game.
Halo Reach, an Xbox 360exclusive, is billed as a pre-quel to the original version ofHalo. "Halo Reach followsthe story of Noble Team, asquad of heroic Spartan sol-diers as they make their finalstand on planet Reach,humanity's last line of
defense between the terrify-ing Covenant and Earth,"according to Microsoft.
The game features a newgraphics and audio enginethat offers enhanced visualsand sounds over its predeces-sors, Microsoft said.
Halo ReachBreaks XboxLive Record
Adobe AddsHTML5
Support ToIllustrator
Adobe appears to bedetermined to continueits relationship with
HTML5 despite its Apple-orchestrated shotgun weddingearlier this year.
On Monday, Adobe intro-duced Illustrator CS5 HTML5Pack, a set of plug-ins for itsdrawing program that providepreliminary support forHTML5 and CSS3 and extendIllustrator's SVG capabilities.
In April, Apple CEO Steve Jobscriticized Adobe's Flash technolo-gy and urged Adobe to "focusmore on creating great HTML5tools for the future, and less oncriticizing Apple for leaving thepast behind."
HTML5 is the emerging stan-dard for the next generation ofWeb applications. Both Apple andGoogle have been pushingHTML5 as an open developmentplatform, though Apple's supportfor the still-limited technology hasalso served to underscore thevalue of writing more powerfulnative iOS apps.
At the time of Jobs's denuncia-tion of Flash, it appeared thatAdobe had no choice but toincrease its support for HTML5 inits Creative Suite software if thecompany was to continue to pro-vide content creation tools thatwere relevant to iOS developers.Adobe CTO Kevin Lynchdeclared his company wouldmake the best tools in the worldfor HTML5 because Apple's iOSdeveloper rules effectively bannedAdobe's Flash technology, amongothers.
But Adobe's criticism of Applereached ears in Washington andthe possibility of regulatory action,coupled with complaints from thedeveloper community, promptedApple to reconsider its rules.
Though pushed to supportHTML5, Adobe isn't giving up onthe technology now that Flash isback in the game. Earlier this yearit delivered HTML5 support forits Dreamweaver Web authoringapplication. Now it's Illustrator'sturn, and there's apparently moreto come.
Widgets are one of the better tools offered by Androidhandsets. Google has updated its Google Voice forAndroid app, and loaded it up with two new widgets
that can be used to access user inboxes and account settings.The first widget is called the Google Voice Inbox widget.
Once installed on an Android device's home screen, the widgetlets users easily check their Google Voice messages. Thatincludes both voice mails and text messages received throughGoogle Voice.
There are tiny arrows at the edge of the widget that, whenpressed, advances to the next or previous message. See a mes-sage you want to read in its entirety? Select it, and the messagewill open in the full Google Voice application.
The second widget is called the Settings widget. Googleexplains that it provides access to four Voice features. It can beused to:
The settings widget also displays the amount of credit a userhas left in his/her account.
The two new widgets are added to the widget library once thenew version of Google Voice has been installed on a device.Users can ignore them, add both, or add one or the other. Afterusing them for a few moments this afternoon, my only com-plaint is that they are awfully small widgets, and can't be re-sized.
These widgets were first spotted several weeks ago when aROM of the then-unannounced HTC G2 leaked across theInternet.
Google Voice GainsWidgets on Android
Smartphones
It probably isn't much of a surprise toanyone that Android phones are fly-ing off the (virtual) shelves. Given the
wide popularity of Google's platform andthe success of handsets such as theMotorola Droid, Android is the mobileindustry's hottest ticket.
A list of Wirefly.com's top 10 sellinghandsets for the summer of 2010 provesthat U.S. buyers have Android on thebrain.
Keep in mind, this data comes from butone online retailer, and doesn't necessari-ly correlate to the wireless market as awhole. Still, it is an interesting snapshotnonetheless. Here is the list, ranked from
the highest-selling to the lowest:1. Motorola Droid (Android)2. HTC Aria (Android)3. BlackBerry Bold 9700
(BlackBerry OS5) 4. Motorola Cliq XT (Android)5. Samsung Intercept (Android)6. Motorola Backflip (Android)7. BlackBerry Curve 8530
(BlackBerry OS5)8. LG Sentio (proprietary)9. Nokia Nuron 5230
(S60 5th Edition)10. LG Ally (Android)Six of these top 10 sellers are Android
devices. That's a huge percentage.
"Android's recent ascent as the oper-ating system of choice, combined withWirefly's incredible pricing without the
hassles of rebates, makes it nosurprise that Android deviceswere among our best sellers thissummer," said Andy Zeinfeld,Chief Executive Officer ofSimplexity, parent company ofWirefly.com in a prepared state-ment.
"In fact, had the entire countrynot experienced mass shortagesof such highly-touted Androidsmartphones as the HTC Evo4G, Droid Incredible and Droid
X, i's likely that more devices utilizingGoogle's open source operating systemwould have made it on our list."
Android Owns Wirefly's Top 10 Summer Phone List
HyperDriveiPad-Compatible
750GB StorageThe iPad comes in three capacities of 16GB, 32GB
and 64GB. If that isn't enough for you while you areon the road then perhaps the HyperDrive HDD witha 750GB capacity could be for you. The HyperDriveHDD is built by HyperMac and is capable of con-necting up to the iPad via the camera connection kit.
NOTE:
Always visit your local shop for the exact
Mobile Phone prices.
8Sunday, September 19, 2010
LONDON: Umar Gul took sixwickets in a devastating dis-play of quick bowling asPakistan kept the one-daycricket series alive with a 23-run victory over England at theOval on Friday.
Fawad Alam made 64 asPakistan set England a seem-ingly unimposing total of 242for victory.
The hosts began their runchase in confident fashion withopener Andrew Strauss making57 from 54 balls, but they lostfive wickets for 68 runs asPakistan tightened the screw.
Eoin Morgan, in tandem withLuke Wright, steadied theEngland ship but Gul, who hadearlier claimed the wickets ofStrauss and Michael Yardy,tore through England's lowerorder.
He dismissed Morgan andTim Bresnan in the same over,
before taking the wickets ofStuart Broad and GraemeSwann to leave the tourists onthe brink of victory.
Abdul Razzaq finished off
the job with the wicket ofJames Anderson to leave thefive-match series poised at 2-1in England's favour.
"Chasing 242 you would
back yourself to win at theOval but Umar Gul in particu-lar was outstanding," Englandcaptain Strauss told SkySports.
"Any time a bowler gets sixwickets for 42, generally he isgoing to be in the winning side.
"To be fair to Umar, he gotthe ball reversing both waysand that is always tough tocontend with."
England's bowlers quicklytook the fight to their oppo-nents, reducing Pakistan to 31-3.
Alam and Asad Shafiqsteered Pakistan out of imme-diate danger, adding 64 runsbefore the latter was caught offthe bowling of Swann.
Alam dug in and scored 64before he was caught byStrauss at midwicket havinglifted the tourists to 181-6.
Anderson and Bresnan,who claimed three wicketsapiece, cleaned up the tailand England began their runchase brightly.
Openers Strauss and Steven
Davies put 35 on the boardbefore Abdul Razzaq up-root-ed Davies's off stump andShoaib Akhtar ensuredJonathan Trott quickly fol-lowed him back to the pavilionwith a difficult, inswingingyorker.
England collapsed to 103-5before Morgan and Wrightbrought some stability, adding98 runs without loss.
Then Gul, who finished withfigures of 6-42, took control asEngland's last four wickets fellfor just 18 runs.
"I think we are capable ofbeating any good team,"Pakistan captain Shahid Afridisaid.
"I didn't think our total wasenough; I thought we were 30or 40 runs short, but goodteams can defend any total.Umar Gul was amazing."-Reuters
Zar Ni Htet of Myanmar competes duringthe 4th South East Asian Archery C’ship
Gul hands over victory to Pak
Stoke City's Whitehead challenges West Ham United's Cole during their English Premier
League soccer match in Stoke-on-Trent
BCCI admits
Irfan Pathan
approached
by stranger NEW DELHI: The CricketBoard admitted that IrfanPathan was approached by a"stranger" a few years backand said the discarded pacerhad done the right thing byinforming it to the team man-ager.
Pathan did not disclose whenexactly the incident happenedand which team he was play-ing against at that time but saidexpensive gifts were sent tohis hotel room during a series,reportedly in Pakistan in 2006,and he brought the matter tothe team manager's notice."Iwas in a team hotel when astranger approached me. Hesent three expensive gifts tomy room. He later sent me twomore expensive gifts. I thoughtit was wrong as I didn't knowthis person. I reported to theteam manager who then alert-ed the ICC Anti-Corruptionand Security Unit Officer,"Pathan said.-Online
Pakistan's Umar Gul appeals for the wicket of England's Wright without success during thethird one-day international cricket match at the Oval cricket ground in London
ISLAMABAD: Group photo of Andreas Dauth, Third Secretary Press & Commercial
Section; Cooperation, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany with players
of Mescon Football Academy. -APP
LONDON: TheInternational CricketCouncil (ICC) haslaunched an investigationinto Friday's one-day inter-national between Englandand Pakistan, the sport'sgoverning body said onSaturday.
The decision was takenafter the ICC receivedinformation from a Britishnewspaper on a scoringpattern during the match,which Pakistan won by 23runs, ICC Chief ExecutiveHaroon Lorgat said in astatement.
"A source informed TheSun newspaper that a cer-tain scoring pattern wouldemerge during certainstages of the match and,broadly speaking, thatinformation appeared to becorrect," Lorgat said.
"We therefore feel it isincumbent upon us tolaunch a full enquiry intothis particular gamealthough it is worth point-ing out at this stage that weare not stating as fact thatanything untoward hasoccurred."
A report in the newspapersaid illegal bookmakersknew the scoring pattern inPakistan's innings beforethe start of Friday's matchat the Oval in London.
"The ICC maintains azero-tolerance approach tocorruption," said Lorgat.
"Any player or officialfound guilty of an offencewill face the full rigour ofour robust Anti-CorruptionCode so that we can ensurethe integrity of the sport ismaintained."
Three Pakistani crick-eters -- Salman Butt,Mohammad Asif andMohammad Amir -- havealready been provisionallysuspended by the ICC fol-lowing the spot-fixingscandal during a test matchin England last month.
A fourth player, WahabRiaz, was quizzed byBritish police.
HARSH DECISIONS
Pakistan sports ministerAijaz Jakhrani said thegovernment would not takeaction unless there is clearevidence against a player.
"The ICC has the power
and an anti-corruption unitand they should go aheadand use that," Jakhrani toldIndian news channel CNN-IBN. "If they get any proofthen we will definitely lookinto it."
He added that if the gov-ernment had cracked downon corruption in the pastthe recent scandals wouldnot have happened.
"If we had made someharsh decisions in the pastit would not have hap-pened. If we had takensome harsh decisionsyoung players would notdare to do somethingwrong," he added.
"This is the time when wehave to take some toughdecisions. This time wewill not spare anybody."
Jakhrani was also unhap-py with the role of teammanagement and felt theywere not strict enough.
"This is the thing man-agement has to do. Accessto players should not beeasy and mobile phonesshould not be available tothe players when they areplaying."-Reuters
ICC sets up probeon Pak’s win
Probe comes after newspaper provides info
Scoring patterns at centre of investigation
NEW DELHI: McLaren'sLewis Hamilton was impressedby some of the features of thetrack for next year's IndianGrand Prix but would ratherwait to drive there first beforegiving his verdict.
"I have seen a couple offeatures of the track here inNew Delhi but I have notused and tried that on simula-tor. It looks impressive," the2008 champion, who has yetto see the track in person, toldTimes Now channel onFriday while on a promotion-al tour in Chennai.
"You can never know whatit's going to be like unlessyou go there and actuallydrive there."
Subject to a final inspec-tion, the October 30 IndianGrand Prix will be the 18thleg of next year's champi-onship.
Although Hamilton has yet
to see the track in person, theBriton was given a feel for itby race promoters whoshared the original trackdesign with some of the driv-ers. Hamilton was confidentthe race will put India firmlyon the Formula One map.
"I think it's really specialand great that India has trulyembraced this world ofFormula One," he said.
"We have Force India, wehave (Hispania driver Karun)Chandhok and we had a cou-ple of Indian (Formula One)drivers. The great thing is thatwe now actually have aGrand Prix here.
"People here will get a realtaste of what Formula One isall about. You see it on TVbut you don't get the true feel-ing. When they come, see andbreathe Formula One, theywill be hooked for life."-Reuters
Hamiltonimpressed by
Indian GP features
LONDON: The England andWales Cricket Board (ECB)will meet on Saturday to dis-cuss an ICC investigationinto possible corruption dur-ing Friday's one-day interna-tional against Pakistan at theOval.
The International CricketCouncil said on Saturday itis investigating the matchafter receiving informationfrom a British newspaperalleging a suspicious scor-ing pattern in Pakistan'sinnings. Pakistan won thethird game of the five-match series by 23 runs.
"The ECB is seeking clari-fication and details from theICC and the ECB board willmeet later today to discussthe matter," the board said ina statement on Saturday.
Earlier ICC chief executiveHaroon Lorgat said theinvestigation followed areport in the Sun newspaper
which said bookmakers knewdetails of Pakistan's inningsbefore the match began.
"A source informed TheSun newspaper that a certainscoring pattern wouldemerge during certain stagesof the match and, broadlyspeaking, that informationappeared to be correct,"Lorgat said in a statement.
"We therefore feel it isincumbent upon us to launcha full enquiry into this partic-ular game although it isworth pointing out at thisstage that we are not statingas fact that anything unto-ward has occurred.
"The ICC maintains a zero-tolerance approach to corrup-tion. Any player or officialfound guilty of an offencewill face the full rigour of ourrobust Anti-Corruption Codeso that we can ensure theintegrity of the sport is main-tained."-Reuters
English Board
to talk over
corruption scandalPedrosa
quickest in
rain filled
practice lapMADRID: In-form DaniPedrosa celebrated this week'ssigning of a two-year contractextension with Honda by set-ting the fastest time in practicefor the Aragon Grand Prix onFriday.
The Spaniard, second in theMotoGP championship stand-ings and bidding for a thirdstraight victory after wins inSan Marino and Indianapolis,was more than four-tenths of asecond quicker than Ducati'sNicky Hayden in the dry morn-ing session.
Championship leader JorgeLorenzo, who has a 63-pointadvantage over compatriotPedrosa with six races remain-ing, was third fastest, 0.01 sec-onds behind American Hayden.
Rain soaked the new track tothe north-east of Madrid for theafternoon session and none ofthe riders came close to match-ing Pedrosa's earlier time.
Australian Casey Stoner, whowas fourth in the morning ses-sion, was quickest in the wetahead of Lorenzo in second andHayden in third. Pedrosa camein before the end of the sessionand was 13th.-Reuters
Colombianfootball on
brink ofcollapse
BOGOTA: The Colombian
football federation is in such
dire financial straits that the
government is set to pass a bill
that would open the country's
professional clubs up to private
investment.
Officials recently revealed to
having debts equivalent to 45.9
million euros. Federation presi-
dent Louis Bodoya has warned
that the federation runs "the
serious risk of going bankrupt".
Currently, around half of the
36 clubs in the top two divi-
sions are experiencing financial
woe. Some clubs have been
unable to pay players' wages,
leading to strike threats and
half-empty stadiums.
Carlos Gonzales, a member
of the Professional Players
Association, told AFP: "It's ter-
rible. Even in the first third of
the season a lot of clubs were
unable to meet their commit-
ments. And the second (third)
of the season looks as though it
will be even worse."-APP
Nat’l cyclingship from
25thLAHORE: The 58th editionof national cycling champi-onship will be held here fromSeptember 25-28 at cyclingvelodrome.
Pakistan Railways SportsBoard in collaboration withPakistan Cycling Federationis hosting the four-day pre-mier activity which aims atfurther promoting cycling.
All the affiliated units,Pakistan Army, Railways,WAPDA, Sui Southern GasCompany, all the fourprovinces and FATA will bethe fielding strong teams inthe event.
Muhammad Junaid QurashiPresident,PPRSB will inau-gurate the competition at thevelodrome.
"All Arrangements havebeen finalized to hold theevent in a befitting manner",said Rashid MahmoodButt,Organising Secretary ofthe championship while talk-ing to this agency onSaturday.-APP
KRL, ArmyWapda getvictories in
PPFLLAHORE: Four matches weredecided in the PakistanPremier Football League(PPFL) as defending champi-ons KRL and Wapda, PEL andPakistan Army gained fullthree points at Peshawar,Faisalabad, Lahore andRawalpindi respectively onSaturday.
KRL recorded one goal ineach session to beat PAF 2-0 atQayyum Stadium PeshawarCantt. Samar Ishaq-led teamdominated the show and gaveno room to the airmen. LankyWinger Muhammad Qasimbroke the deadlock in the 37thminute as Rawalpindi-basedteam lead 1-0 at interval. Otherwinger Kalim Ullah Khan madeit 2-0 in the 62nd minute whenhe side stepped three markers toseal the fate of the match.
Army came out winner withlast-ditch goal. The all-servicesclash between Navy and Armyturned out to be listless affair asboth teams relied too heavily ondefensive tactics and moveswere far and few in between atRawalpindi.-APP
9Sunday, September 19, 2010
BELGRADE: Janko Tipsarevicupset Wimbledon 2010 finalistTomas Berdych to pull Serbialevel with the Czech Republicafter the first day of their DavisCup world group semi-final onFriday.
Tipsarevic outgunned Berdych7-5 6-2 2-6 7-6 to take the score to1-1 after Czech Radek Stepanekhad fought back from a set downto beat Viktor Troicki, who stoodin for the ill and exhausted NovakDjokovic, 4-6 6-2 6-4 6-4.
Under pressure after Troicki losthis match and facing a rival 30places above him in the ATP rank-ings, Tipsarevic produced out-standing tennis to down worldnumber seven Berdych after threehours 38 minutes.
"It was a great atmosphere and Iam glad the fans got behind mewhen I needed their support most,"Tipsarevic said in a courtside inter-view after coming back from abreak down in the fourth set.
"The opening day has shown thatSerbia is still a good team even ifDjokovic has to take a day off,while we are one of the best teamsin the world with him," he told anews conference after getting astanding ovation from the fans.
World number two Djokovic,who was exhausted on arrival inBelgrade from New York late onWednesday after he lost thedelayed U.S. Open final to Rafael
Nadal, said he hoped to be fit forSaturday's doubles or Sunday'sreverse singles.
Tipsarevic added: "I headed intothis match like I would in a grandslam event or an ATP tournament,without putting any more pressureon myself than I had to becausewe were 1-0 down.
"I would have done the same ifTroicki had won because it's theonly way to beat a top-ten playerlike Berdych."
The Serbian took the openingtwo sets with a flurry of forehandsdown the line, backhand returnsand cross-court winners which leftBerdych bedazzled.
He appeared to run out of steamafter the Czech adopted a moreaggressive approach to take thethird set and a 3-1 lead in thefourth, but regained his compo-sure to break back straight awayand force a tie-break.
Berdych, who turned 25 onFriday, fought back from 5-2down to reach 6-5 but failed tohold his nerve and blasted a fore-hand wide to send the home fansinto raptures.
THOROUGHLY OUTPLAYEDTroicki was thoroughly out-
played by Stepanek after winningthe opening set.
Roared on by a small band ofvociferous Czech fans among15,000 home supporters in theBelgrade Arena, Stepanek tor-
mented his rival with a series offorehand winners and sliced drop-shots.
Stepanek converted five of hisseven break points and 24 of his29 net points, while Troicki made50 unforced errors, including awide backhand down the linewhich handed Stepanek victoryafter three hours.
"I expected to play Djokovic andnot Troicki so I had very little timeto adjust and prepare a differentstrategy, hence I am very pleasedwith my performance," saidStepanek.
Troicki said: "This is one of themost painful defeats of my career.I can't explain what happenedafter the opening set, I just lost myrhythm and focus."
Serbia's doubles specialistNenad Zimonjic is certain to playon Saturday but team captainBogdan Obradovic faces a dilem-ma over who to put alongside him.
"We have to think it over, it willprobably be a last-minute decisionbecause we have several goodplayers at our disposal to team upwith Zimonjic," he said.
The Czechs are hoping to reachtheir second successive final afterlosing to Spain last year, whileSerbia are aiming for their firstafter getting into the competition'stop tier for the first time in 2008.
In the final, the winners of theBelgrade tie will play either Franceor Argentina who were meeting inLyon, with the French leading 2-0after Friday's opening day.-Reuters
Serbia and Czech Republictied in Davis Cup Tennis
KARACHI: The Pakistan CricketBoard (PCB) on Saturday rejectedreports that the ICC is investigatingthe national team's third one-dayeragainst England for suspectedmatch-fixing, saying that there is"no truth" in them.
British tabloid 'The Sun' claimedthat the ICC is investigating thematch, which Pakistan won by 23runs on Friday, "after its probeexposed evidence apparently show-ing that bookies knew details ofPakistan's innings before the matcheven began."
But PCB chairman Ejaz Butt rub-bished the report. "These are mean-ingless allegations without anyproof. I haven't read the report so Ican't comment any further," Buttsaid. "The ICC has not got in touchwith us on any such accusation.That is total imagination. There is
no truth in it," he added. The latestreport comes close on the heels ofthe spot-fixing scandal that led tothe suspension of Pakistan Testcaptain Salman Butt and the paceduo of Mohammad Aamer andMohammad Asif.
"The new investigation will cen-ter on suspicious scoring patterns inPakistan's innings and on two sus-pect overs during yesterday's matchat The Oval," the report stated."Illegal bookies in India and Dubaiapparently knew in advance whatwould happen so they could launcha betting coup. But The Sun'sundercover team was able to passdetails to ICC inspectors before thematch began." According to thenewspaper, the scoring pattern ofthe game matched with the "targetthat bookies had been told inadvance by a fixer." The tabloid
claimed it "received details of callsbetween a notorious Dubai-basedmatch fixer and a Delhi bookie."
"We alerted ICC corruptionbusters led by ex- police Chief SirRonnie Flanagan. After a franticround of calls the ICC decided toissue a general warning toPakistan's players, but by then thegame had started," it said.However, Butt remained dismissiveof the report and said, "No point ingiving a comment on this. No truthin it." The tabloid claimed that ICCchief executive Haroon Lorgat"thanked it for its investigation andpledged tough action on any play-ers found guilty." It said the ICC isalso "investigating whether thesame cartel rigged a Test betweenPakistan and Australia in July afterallegedly paying players 700,000pounds."-Online
PCB refutes recent match-fixing report
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Coach,Waqar Younis is hopeful thatPakistan will play cricket at homesomeday saying that Pakistanipeople are waiting for cricket tocome back home.
I hope it comes as soon a possi-ble. We want to take cricket backinto Pakistan, there are heaps ofstadiums there and the people arewaiting for cricket to come back,"Waqar said.
"I don't know how long it willtake but I want it to happen assoon as possible."
Meanwhile, Waqar has urged hisPakistan side to go on and win thecurrent One-day series againstEngland after their stunning dis-play at The Oval on Friday,according to cricket365 website.
Their 23-run victory, built onUmar Gul's brilliant show ofreverse swing bowling, left theseries 2-1 in England's favour with
a game at Lord's on Monday andthe final match in Southampton onWednesday to come.
Pakistan's tour has been doggedby spot fixing allegations althoughthey have managed a Test winagainst both Australia andEngland on the trip but Waqar still
believes his side can come backand seize an unlikely series windespite the off field troubles.
"The series is still alive and itgives us the incentive that we cancome back and win the seriesnow," said Waqar.
"The momentum is with us. It is
outstanding to be going to Lord'swith this win behind us and wewill be looking to make it 2-2.There is no reason why not. It hasbeen a real tough tour on and offthe field with a very young side.We have done pretty well. We wontwo Test matches and I am prettypleased if you look at the biggerpicture but there is still work to bedone."
"Hopefully in the next twogames we can produce some bettercricket. In the first two games weproduced some pretty good crick-et but we just couldn't finish. I amhappy with the overall perform-ance but we probably could havedone better and we will discussthat. We could have put another 30or 35 runs on the board. We are areally young side with youngbowlers and we have always beenvery good when it comes toreverse swing."-APP
We want cricket back in Pakistan: Waqar
JuniorKabaddi
team trialstoday
FAISALABAD: The trialsfor the selection of PakistanJunior Kabaddi Team willbe held at BohranwaliGround here on September19.
A spokesman of PakistanKabaddi Federation told themedia persons that Kabaddiplayers having 70 kilogramweight are eligible to partici-pate in the trials.
He said the selected JuniorKabaddi Team will visit Indiain October where it would faceJunior Kabaddi Team ofIndian Punjab in variousKabaddi matches to be held atAmratsar, Jalandhar,Ludihana, Hushyarpur,Chandigarh, Patyala andGardaspur.-APP
n Stepanek beats Troicki to put Czechs aheadn Tipsarevic upsets Berdych to redress balance
10Sunday, September 19, 2010
Alister Doyle
Climate change isexposing reindeerhunting gear used by
the Vikings' ancestors fasterthan archaeologists can col-lect it from ice thawing innorthern Europe's highestmountains.
"It's like a timemachine...the ice has notbeen this small for many,many centuries," said LarsPiloe, a Danish scientistheading a team of "snowpatch archaeologists" onnewly bare ground 1,850meters (6,070 ft) above sealevel in mid-Norway.
Specialized huntingsticks, bows and arrows andeven a 3,400-year-oldleather shoe have beenamong finds since 2006from a melt in theJotunheimen mountains, thehome of the "Ice Giants" ofNorse mythology.
As water streams off theJuvfonna ice field, Piloe andtwo other archaeologists --working in a science open-ing up due to climate change-- collect "scare sticks" theyreckon were set up 1,500years ago in rows to drivereindeer toward archers.
But time is short as the IceGiants' stronghold shrinks.
"Our main focus is therescue part," Piloe said on
newly exposed rocks by theice. "There are many icepatches. We can only covera few...We know we are los-ing artefacts everywhere."
Freed from an ancientfreeze, wood rots in a fewyears. And rarer feath-ers used on arrows,wool or leather crumbleto dust in days unlesstaken to a laboratoryand stored in a freezer.
Jotunheimen isunusual because somany finds are turningup at the same time --600 artefacts atJuvfonna alone.
Other finds have beenmade in glaciers or per-mafrost from Alaska toSiberia. Italy's iceman"Otzi," killed by anarrow wound 5,000years ago, was found inan Alpine glacier in1991. "Ice Mummies"have been discoveredin the Andes.
RESCUEPatrick Hunt, of
Stanford University inCalifornia who is try-ing to discover whereCarthaginian generalHannibal invaded Italy in218 BC with an army andelephants, said there was an"alarming rate" of thaw inthe Alps.
"This is the first summer
since 1994 when we beganour Alpine field excavationsabove 8,000 ft that we havenot been inundated by evenone day of rain, sleet andsnow flurries," he said.
"I expect we will see more
'ice patch archaeology dis-coveries'," he said.Hannibal found snow on theAlpine pass he crossed inautumn, according toancient writers.
Glaciers are in retreatfrom the Andes to the Alps,
as a likely side-effect ofglobal warming caused byhuman emissions of green-house gases, the U.N. panelof climate experts says.
The panel's credibility hassuffered since its 2007 report
exaggerated a thaw by say-ing Himalayan glaciersmight vanish by 2035. It hasstuck to its main conclusionthat it is "very likely" thathuman activities are toblame for global warming.
"Over the past 150 years
we have had a worldwidetrend of glacial retreat,"said Michael Zemp, directorof the Swiss-based WorldGlacier Monitoring Service.While many factors were atplay, he said "the main driv-
er is global warming."In Norway, "some ice
fields are at their minimumfor at least 3,000 years,"said Rune StrandOedegaard, a glacier andpermafrost expert fromNorway's Gjoevik
University College.The front edge of
Jovfunna has retreatedabout 18 meters (60 ft) overthe past year, exposing aband of artefacts probablyfrom the Iron Age 1,500
years ago, according toradiocarbon dating.Others may be fromViking times 1,000years ago.
Juvfonna, about 1 kmacross on the flank ofNorway's highest peak,Galdhoepiggen, at2,469 meters, also wentthrough a less drasticshrinking period in the1930s, Oedegaard said.
REINDEERInside the Juvfonna
ice, experts havecarved a cave to exposelayers of ice datingback 6,000 years. Somedark patches turned outto be ancient reindeerdroppings -- giving offa pungent smell whenthawed out.
Ice fields like Juvfonnadiffer from glaciers inthat they do not slide
much downhill. That meansartefacts may be where theywere left, giving an insightinto hunting techniques.
On Juvfonna, most findsare "scare sticks" about ameter long. Each has a sep-arate, flapping piece of
wood some 30 cm long thatwas originally tied at thetop. The connecting threadis rarely found since it dis-integrates within days ofexposure.
"It's a strange feeling to betying a string around thisstick just as someone elsedid maybe 1,500 years ago,"said Elling Utvik Wammer,a archaeologist on Piloe'ssteam knotting a tag to astick before storing it in abox for later study.
All the finds are alsologged with a GPS satellitemarker before being takento the lab for examination.
The archaeologists reckonthey were set up about twometers apart to drive rein-deer toward hunters. Insummer, reindeer often goonto snow patches to escapeparasitic flies.
Such a hunt would require15 to 20 people, Piloe said,indicating that Norway hadan organized society aroundthe start of the Dark Ages,1,500 years ago. Huntersprobably needed to get with-in 20 meters of a reindeer touse an iron-tipped arrow.
"You can nearly feel thehunter here," Piloe said,standing by a makeshiftwall of rocks exposed inrecent weeks and probablybuilt by an ancient archer asa hideaway.-Reuters
Melting ice baring ancients ruths
Breathing in soot and other fine parti-cles from the urban air may increasethe risk of suffering a deadly heart
stoppage, suggests a new study of more than8,000 cardiac arrests in New York City.
"As the levels of particulate matter air pol-lution increased, more cardiac arrestsoccurred," lead researcher Dr. Robert ASilverman of the Long Island Jewish MedicalCenter, in New York, told Reuters Health inan e-mail.
Research had already linked air pollution tohealth problems such as cardiovascular dis-ease, heart attacks, asthma and chronic lungdisease. But Silverman and his colleagueswanted to know if these airborne chemicals,particularly tiny particles and liquid dropletsproduced by the combustion of cars and coal-fired power plants, might also raise the risk ofsudden death from a cardiac arrest -- a severeevent brought on when the heart muscle'srhythm becomes erratic. Cardiac arrestaccounts for more than 300,000 deaths in theUS each year.
When cardiac arrests occur outside of thehospital, victims typically have less thaneight percent chance of survival.
So the team compared readings from airquality monitors around New York City withthe records of 8,216 out-of-hospital cardiacarrests that happened between 2002 and 2006.
When they looked at fine particulate matter(particles 2.5 micrometer or less in size), theyfound that the risk of having a deadly cardiacarrest rose by between four and 10 percent
with every 10-microgram-per-cubic-meterincrease in fine particulates. (To protect pub-lic health, the US Environmental ProtectionAgency has set the safe air quality standardfor this pollutant to 35 micrograms per cubicmeter.)
The greatest risks appeared in the warmweather seasons. No differences in effectswere seen between men and women, orbetween middle-aged and older individuals.
In addition to the potential hazards of par-ticulate matter, the researchers also examinedozone, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide andnitrogen dioxide, but none of these showed asignificant association with the risk of cardiacarrest.
"This is not to say that these gaseous pollu-tants do not affect the heart," Silverman said."What we observed was that small particleshave the strongest link."
And, of course, the behavior of air pollutioncan be complicated, explained Dr. Robert A.Kloner of the University of SouthernCalifornia, in Los Angeles. Gaseous pollu-tants will mix with fine particles, he said,essentially becoming part of the particulatematter.
In a separate study, Francesca Dominici ofthe Harvard School of Public Health, inBoston, and her colleagues recently identifieda link between heart failure hospitalizationsand rises in particulate matter across severalUS urban areas. She noted that her team'sresults were consistent with the findings fromNew York.
Despite the density of hospitals in cities,Silverman suggested they might be especial-ly risky places in terms of sudden cardiacdeath from air pollution. It may take extratime for rescue workers to reach a victim in atall building or a crowded office complex,and severe pollution may be more commonbecause of congested roadways and oil-burn-ing buildings.
"Being indoors may offer only limited pro-tection since small particles can penetrate intobuildings and homes," said Silverman. Heand his colleagues are currently studyingwhether being in close proximity to vehicletraffic increases the risk of sudden death.
"Bottom line for large cities," he added,"more pollution, more arrests and very littlechance for survival."
Further, the problem isn't limited to NewYorkers. The American Lung Associationestimates that a third of people in the US livein areas where fine particulate matter reachesunhealthy levels.
"Controlling air pollution may be a preven-tative way to decrease the number of deathsfrom heart disease," noted Silverman, point-ing out that the levels of fine particles seen intheir study rarely exceeded the current EPAstandard of 35 micrograms per cubic meter."In this sense, the current standard does notadequately protect human health."
Kloner agreed. "Regulatory acts and strictadherence to clean air standards," he said,"are the best ways to combat negative cardio-vascular effects of air pollution."-Reuters
Air pollution can
arrest your heart
Women who undergo fertility treat-ment with drugs known as GnRH-agonists run a risk of depression
and anxiety symptoms, even if they have a rel-atively shorter course of therapy, a new studysuggests.
Published in the journal of Fertility andSterility, the report concludes that the medica-tions themselves may not be triggering moodsymptoms, but that another factor -- like thestress of infertility treatment -- may be at work.
The study followed 108 Israeli womenundergoing in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) at oneinfertility treatment center. As part of the treat-ment, the women received injections of agonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist(GnRH-a), one of the drugs used to help stim-ulate the ovaries to produce eggs.
The agonists act by first boosting the body'sproduction of two hormones that stimulate theovaries to churn out estrogen; after that initialsurge, however, a woman's estrogen levelsdrop for a time.
This estrogen depletion can trigger tempo-rary menopause-like symptoms like hot flash-es, vaginal dryness and mood disturbances.
Women in the current study were randomlyassigned to have either a "short" or "long"treatment protocol -- under the theory that theshorter course would be less likely to increasedepression and anxiety symptoms if the drugswere indeed responsible for them.
Forty-eight women were randomly
assigned to the long course, beginning withGnRH-agonist injections for two weeks,which caused the women's levels of estrogenand progesterone to drop. The subjects thenbegan additional hormonal drugs to stimulateegg production.
The remaining 60 women underwent theshort protocol, which bypassed the initialGnRH-only, estrogen-depleted phase. Thelong IVF course lasted about six weeks total,and the shorter one about four weeks.
Using standard questionnaires on depres-sion and anxiety, the researchers found thatthe average symptom scores increased in bothgroups during the second half of the treatment-- after the women had received the hormonegonadotropin and their estrogen levels wereelevated.
The findings "strongly argue against the pos-sibility that GnRH-a exacerbates or inducesmood symptoms during (IVF) cycles," writethe researchers, led by Dr Miki Bloch of TelAviv Sourasky Medical Center in Israel.
Instead, Bloch told Reuters Health in an e-mail, it may be that "the emotional response tothe fertility treatment and the stress involvedis a strong enough trigger to induce significantmood symptoms in many women, and this isirrespective of the short-term use of a (GnHR-agonist)."
Bloch added, however, that none of thismeans that in other treatment contexts --including with longer-term use -- GnHR-ago-
nists would not affect mood, as "they obvious-ly do."
The paper also notes that in other situations-- premenstrual dysphoric disorder, postpar-tum depression and perimenopause -- moodsyndromes are often related to hormone fluc-tuations, rather than just low hormone levels.
In this light, the lack of a connectionbetween the GnHR-agonists and mood prob-lems, the authors speculate, may be that it'snot the extremely low estrogen levels thedrugs induce, but rather the "rapidity andmagnitude" of changes in hormonal levelsinherent in the IVF process that might con-tribute to mood symptoms.
In the study, the changes in depression andanxiety scores in both treatment groups weresmall, and would not be considered "veryrobust clinically," according to Bloch.However, he pointed out that the study lookedat the two groups' average scores, so theincreases would indicate that some womendid have a meaningful change in symptoms ofdepression and anxiety.
The bottom line for women having IVF,according to Bloch, is that they should antici-pate some effects on mood.
"However," he added, "there seems to be noadvantage from the emotional point of view tothe shorter protocol that 'bypasses' the (lowhormone) state."
The study was funded by National Institutefor Psychobiology in Israel.-Reuters
Mood swings shorten
with fertility treatment
Coffee guzzling
grans less likely
to get goutA few cups of java every day over many years cuts the risk of gout in post-
menopausal women in half, Boston researchers report.Characterised by a buildup in the blood of uric acid that forms needlelike crys-
tals, gout is rare in younger women but occurs in about one in 20 postmenopausalwomen. It comes and goes and in early stages mostly affects the feet.
"The pain is described as one of the most severe pains a human being experi-ences, like a breaking bone. You can't walk and even the weight of a bed sheet isnot bearable," lead author, Dr Hyon Choi of Boston University's School ofMedicine, told Reuters Health.
Previous research by Choi demonstrated drinking coffee lowers gout risk formen. He and his colleagues wanted to see if the same held true in women,especially older women who, after menopause, lose the uric-acid clearingbenefits of estrogen.
The Choi team looked for cases of gout in 89,433 women enrolled in the largeand long-term Nurses' Health Study that began in 1976. The researchers also ana-lyzed the lifestyles, diet, and beverage consumption habits of the women docu-mented since 1980 through questionnaires filled out by study participants everytwo to four years.
After statistically controlling for other gout risk factors such as body-fat mass,alcohol consumption, use of diuretics and dairy intake, they found that a lifetimeof drinking coffee appeared to make a significant difference in the risk of a firstattack of gout.
"The higher the consumption level, the lower the risk," Choi said.Eight-hundred ninety-six cases of gout were confirmed among the study participants.
But within that group, the number of cases dropped as coffee consumption increasedfrom less than a cup a day (226 cases) to more than four cups a day (85 cases).
"The risk of gout was 22 per cent lower with coffee intake of 1-3 cups a day and57% lower with a coffee intake of more than 4 cups a day" compared to those withno coffee consumption, the authors wrote in the August 25 issue of AmericanJournal of Clinical Nutrition.
Similar risk reductions were not seen in women who drank a lot of caffeinated teaor soda pop, whereas drinking decaffeinated coffee did offer a "modest" benefit.That observation led the researchers to conclude that "components other than caf-feine may also contribute" to the risk reduction.
But what it is about coffee that staves off gout is still not clear, Choi said. Andnot everybody can tolerate it, he added, so he is not advocating that all olderwomen start gulping coffee.
As a practicing doctor, it would be "too much of a jump" to recommend someone,especially an older woman, take up coffee drinking to reduce their gout risk, hesaid. Not only can caffeine raise blood pressure and leach calcium, upping the riskof osteoporosis, he noted, the research only speaks to a benefit in long-termconsumption.
"If you start coffee in a gout patient, it's possible this benefit does not exist andmight make it worse," he said.
On the other hand, if you already drink coffee, and have a family history of gout-- it does run in families -- "I wouldn't stop," Choi said.-Reuters
Sunday, September 19, 201011
BASEL: A logo is pictured on Swiss drug makers Roche plant in Kaiseraugst near Basel.
LAHORE: PakistanP h a r m a c e u t i c a lManufacturers Association(PPMA) here on Friday hand-ed over two truckloads ofmedicines worth Rs 20 mil-lion to the Punjab governmentfor flood victims.
Provincial Minister forEducation and ExciseMujtaba Shuja ur Rehmanreceived the medicines in aceremony held here atSchazoo Laboratory. SpecialSecretary Health AbdullahSumbal, Additional SecretaryHealth Muhammad Mushtaq,Director Health Dr Attiq-ur-Rehman and executive mem-ber of PPMA Riasat Ali Bhattiwere also present.
Chairman Pakistan
P h a r m a c e u t i c a lManufacturers Association(PPMA) Mian Asad Shuja-ur-Rehman and Co-Chairmanpricing Committee KhawajaShahzeb Akram said that thePharmaceutical Industry hadfulfilled its commitment ofdonating medicines worth Rs100 million to flood victims.
They said thatPharmaceutical Industrywould cooperate with the gov-ernment at all level for theavailability of medicines andwould continue this missiontill the rehabilitation of flood-hit people. Chairman PPMAMian Asad Shuja-ur-Rehmanwhile elaborating the detailsof donations of medicines bypharmaceutical Industry said
that the PPMA had alreadydonated medicines worth Rs30 million to the Punjab gov-ernment.
He said with the donation oftwo truckloads, the value ofmedicines donated to thePunjab government wouldreach to Rs 50 million.
The PPMA had also donatedmedicines about Rs 50 millionto Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa,Baluchistan, Sindh, FederalGovt, Pakistan Army and dif-ferent NGOs, he added.
Mian Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman appreciated the con-tribution by the PPMA andextended gratitude on behalfof Chief Minister PunjabMuhammad Shahbaz Sharif. -APP
PPMA hands over twotruckloads of medicines
Flood victoms
SHANGHAI: Western drugcompanies, struggling withexpiring patents, a dwindlingpipeline of new drugs andburgeoning costs, are lookingto Asia's vast markets for newideas, partnerships and cus-tomers.
The biggest draw is Chinaand many pharmaceuticalgiants, with their eye on theageing population of theworld's No. 2 economy, arelobbying to have their drugsincluded on key governmentlists for subsidised drugs andseeking collaborations withChinese firms.
"The focus has shifted in thelast two years to the uniquemedical needs of Asia and ofcourse, China is the mostimportant part," said BradleyMarchant, Pfizer Inc's head ofclinical development in Asia,told Reuters on the sidelinesof a pharmaceutical forum inShanghai.
China is expected tobecome the world's third-largest pharmaceutical marketby 2011, from ninth in 2003,according to IMS Health Inc.
Chronic illnesses like car-diovascular diseases, diabetesand cancer now account for83 percent of all deaths inChina. It is also troubled by avery high prevalence of hepa-titis B, smoking- and pollu-tion-linked respiratory dis-
eases.Markets aside, China's
appeal lies also in its drugresearch units, many headedby Chinese scientists whohave returned after years ofstudying and working in theUnited States and Europe.
For the western drug firms,the imminent prospect of alarge drug patents set toexpire has added a sense ofurgency to their search forpartners.
The top two drugs facedwith patent expiry are PfizerInc's cholesterol fighterLipitor and the anti-clottingPlavix, sold by Bristol-MyersSquibb Co and Sanofi-Aventis.
Marchant said Pfizer wouldbe interested in collaboratingwith partners in China on liverdiseases, such as liver cirrho-sis, and cancer.
Liver related diseases areespecially prevalent in Asia,and in particular China,because of the endemicity ofhepatitis B, which is a majorrisk factor for liver cirrhosis,or hardening, and liver cancer.
Swiss drugnaker NovartisAG said it was also looking toform partnerships.
"We have only about half asmany new drug candidates aswe really want to have com-ing into our pipeline, so weneed new and good ideas from
the outside," said DouglasHager, Novartis' vice presi-dent of business developmentand licensing.
And then there is the issueof cost.
The need for drug firms tocut costs, driven by a general-ly tougher business environ-ment, is made worse by cut-throat competition. While itcost $100 million to push outa drug back in 1979, by 2005,the cost had risen to $1.3 bil-lion.
Research chiefs of majordrug companies say intenseindustry competition and highcosts mean the market can nolonger support the old way ofdrug research -- when firmskept large teams of in-houseresearchers and waited forresults.
"The old model for pharma-ceutical research and develop-ment does not work and wehave to find a new approach,an approach where we sharerisks and go into partner-ships," Marchant said.
"What we are seeing is anevolution of strategies, evolu-tion of companies' mindsets inorder to thrive in a very diffi-cult environment. We canbasically do full researchusing partners instead of ourown labs."
Patents too have becomedevalued because of a much
faster pace in drug discovery.While new drugs in the 1960swould find no competitors tillmore than a decade later, bythe late 1990s, drugs would befaced with directly competingnewcomers just months afterbeing put on shelves.
By "external innovation",Lee meant teaming up withlocal biotech companies andresearch institutes to sharerisks and costs.
In China, research outfitssuch as the School ofBiological Science at NanjingUniversity are increasinglyseen by western pharmaceuti-cal giants as ideal workingpartners.
Researchers there aredesigning tests for early diag-nosis of lung and pancreaticcancer through detection ofcertain molecules or biomark-ers in the blood, calledmicroRNAs.
"Using microRNAs, wehave been able to detect can-cer 33 months before (con-ventional) clinical diagnosis,"Zhang Chenyu, dean of theschool, told Reuters in aninterview.
Zhang's team will be con-ducting larger clinical trials inthe months ahead and hopesto win domestic approvalfrom China' State Food andDrug Administration. -Reuters
Global pharma eyesChina as patents endl Foreign pharmas tap China's talent pool, low R&D costs l Eye
Asia, as chronic non-communicable illnesses spread l China set to
become world No.3 pharma market by 2011
Abbott Labs posts higher profitKARACHI: The Abbott Laboratory Ltd has posted a higher profit after tax of Rs 838.126 millionfor nine months ending August 31, 2010.
According to financial results of the pharmaceutical company despatched to Karachi StockExchange here Thursday, the profit before tax has surged to Rs 1.182 million as earning per sharealso improved to Rs 8.56 compared to Rs 5.56 in the same period last year. -APP
inducted in government departments. Among these beneficiariesformer secretary Hussain Haqqani was appointed as Ambassadorin US and Wajid Shams ul Hassan High Commissioner in UK.
Majority of beneficiaries were employees of Wapda, PTCL,NADRA, Irrigation Department, Auditor General of Pakistan,Food Department, Accounts Department, Education and Customs.
Former DG IB, Brig (Retd) Imtiaz Ahmad and former DGOGDC, Adnan A Khawja are also among the NRO beneficiariesand Supreme Court has already issued directives to take actionagainst them. They are charged with accumulating wealth beyondtheir known sources of income. - Agencies
Continued from page 1No #1
Punjab Governor Salman Taseer, Deputy Speaker NationalAssembly Faisal Karim Kundi, Federal Ministers MakhdoomAmin Faheem and Sardar Asif Ahmed Ali besides provincial min-isters, foreign dignitaries and elite of the city were also present onthe occasion.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister has asked Finance Minister AbdulHafeez Sheikh to resolve all issues relating to higher education.Reiterating his commitment to accord high priority to the educa-tion, he assured that the government would provide financialassistance to students studying abroad as per commitment.
He further said that despite resource constraints on account ofthe flood devastation, education remains a high priority for thedemocratic government.
In the light of the prime minister's direction, Finance MinisterAbdul Hafeez Shaikh has constituted a committee consisting ofdeputy chief of the Planning Commission, Secretary Education,Chairman Higher Education Commission and three vice chancel-lors of the universities to sort out the matters pertaining to thebudgets of the universities.
Earlier, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani inspected alow-cost pre-fabricated house specially manufactured for floodaffected areas at Prime Minister's House on Saturday. The modelwas prepared by the Pakistan National Steel Association.
The Prime Minister observed that the low-cost pre-fabricatedhouse built with the galvanised sheets would be a suitable sheltermainly in the winter and rainy season yet would become quiteuncomfortable during the summer months.
The manufacturers apprised the Prime Minister that this 10x10feet room including a separate toilet will be available at Rs65,000.They also informed the premier that the low-cost rust-free pre-fabricated house was suitable for winter season as well as hillyareas but the same can also be used in the hot regions by coveringit with a thatch or applying reflecting paints. - Agencies
Continued from page 1No #2
responsible, must be dealt with strictly in accordance with thelaw. The security of advocates in different parts of the country hasalso been found inadequate, particularly in respect of the cases ofM Sardar Khan from KPK, Raja Riaz and Sardar Zulfiqar fromKarachi, M Zaman Marri, Wilayat Hussain and Munir AhmedMirwani (reported missing and no recovery affected yet) fromBalochistan. Similarly, the incident faced by the son-in-law ofJustice Asad Munir of Lahore High Court has not been dealt withproperly, so far. The Secretary Interior has been directed to remainin touch with the concerned authorities and make all possibleefforts for bringing the culprits to book. - PPI
Continued from page 1No #3
started after Eidul Fitr vacations.He further stated that more shipments were arriving in the coun-
try with additional stock of petroleum and the government havebeen taking concrete measure to eliminate circular debt. - Online
Continued from page 1No #4
if we calculate at export of $10 billion, the cost of raw material being$5 billion, with this 15 per cent sales tax the government will generate$750 million which amount will remain be held up with government asinterest free liquidity / loan of the exporters.
Continued from page 1No #5issues affecting peace and security. The foreign minister will
address the General Assembly on September 28. He is also sched-uled to address US think-tanks like the Council on ForeignRelations and Asia Society in New York. - Online
Continued from page 1No #6
Pakistan, India should undertake serious introspection of its policies that are in sharp variance toits international commitments including adherence to accepted human rights standards," the ForeignOffice spokesman said. Earlier, the Press Trust of India (PTI) reported that India has once againasked Pakistan to take effective action against "infiltration from across the LoC and dismantle ter-ror infrastructure there as it is the people of the state who suffer from the consequences of terrorismfomented from across the border." Indian Ministry of External Affairs' official spokesperson VishnuPrakash's statement wherein he said: "India firmly rejects gratuitous statements issued by Pakistanon Jammu and Kashmir, which amount to interference in the internal affairs of India. India has hitback at Pakistan rejecting as 'gratuitous' its statements on Jammu and Kashmir, alleging that theyamounted to interference in the internal affairs of the country," PTI reported. - NNI
Continued from page 1No #7
Life gradually is returning to normalization in some areas of the provincial metropolis includingGulshan Iqbal, PECHS, Tariq Road, Kharadaar while transport was also partially restored at FaisalHighway, MA Jinnah road and Korangi. People faced severe miseries due to shortage of traffic inthe city particularly students and job holders were compelled to travel at the roofs of vehicles.Attendance in the offices was very low due to lack of proper transportation in the city. -Online
Continued from page 12No #8
"This is a small but significant gesture from the highest levels of the Indian government convey-ing that the people of India stand by the people of Pakistan in their hour of need," Puri said andadded that India has given an additional $5 million to the World Food Program. -PPI
Continued from page 12No #9
While responding to another application filed by the prosecution for summoning 16 Indian doc-tors who conducted the post-mortem examination of 166 victims of the Mumbai attacks, the defencelawyers sought autopsy reports of the victims and medico-legal reports on 300 people who wereinjured. The judge issued a notice to the prosecution in this regard and asked it to respond at thenext hearing. Sources said arguments on the applications filed by the prosecution would be resumedduring the next hearing on October 2. -Online
Continued from page 12No #10
CRPF men, were fired upon in Nai Basti area. A civilian identified as Noor-ul-Amin Dagga, 30, waskilled and many others including two women were critically injured in the firing.
On the other hand, two other youth, who were injured in the firing of men in uniform in Bemina andShopian areas during anti-India protests succumbed to their injuries.
Thousands of people took to streets in defiance of curfew amid pouring rain Saturday morning andjoined the funeral procession of Ma'roof Ahmad alias Raju whose body was recovered from River Jehlumprevious night. Police in Srinagar said body of Maroof was recovered from the river near Bhijbeheratown. Maroof, according to the eyewitnesses, had jumped into the river on Monday to escape wrath ofpolice which was chasing protesters during clashes in the area. Thousands of residents defied curfew andjoined the funeral procession of the boy this morning. Reports said the police and paramilitary personnelfirst lobbed tear smoke shells and then fired directly at the procession, resulting in injuries to 15 people.One of the injured, Noor Amin died while being shifted to hospital. Indian army is now patrolling keyroads of Srinagar and other major towns along with paramilitary forces as protests against Indian ruleshow no signs of abating. Meanwhile, international human rights body, the Amnesty International hasurged Indian government to respect right of life in Kashmir.
With the death toll continuously rising in protests, Amnesty called on the Indian authorities to take urgentsteps to ensure respect for the right to life of Kashmiris. Meanwhile, curfew continued in the occupied ter-ritory for the seventh consecutive day on Saturday. Indian army and police personnel with guns and bulletproof vehicles were seen patrolling in Srinagar and other parts of the occupied territory. From midnightpolice vehicles could be heard making announcements that nobody should dare come out of his housewarning that anybody violating the curfew orders would be shot dead. -NNI
Continued from page 12No #11
to its prices in international market; however, Rs43,000-level is just around the corner.Nazish Lutfi of ISMAR (Institute of Securities Managment And Research) said gold accounts for
at least 26 per cent of Pakistan's foreign exchange reserves, indicating its feasibility for investment.He said gold burgeoned 300 per cent during the last ten years that is quite alarming, adding yel-
low metal could be sold if the economies around the world perform well, leading to the markets'crash. However, the investors should be cautious, he stressed.
Continued from page 1No #12
According to SC spokesman that a copy of new notification has been received from Establishment
Division wherein it is laid down that notification in respect of promotion of officers from grade 21 to 22
is being withdrawn in commensurate with SC April, 28, 2010 judgment.
The Registrar office of the Supreme Court has received a letter Saturday on 18.09.2010 from
Establishment Division containing copies of fresh notifications wherein it is notified that Establishment
Division's Notification No. 41/340/2009-E-I dated 04.09.2009 promoting officers from BS-21 to 22 is
rescinded ab initio and declared to be of no legal effect as per Supreme Court of Pakistan's judgment dated
28.04.2010, given in Human Rights Cases No. 8340, 9504-G, 13936-G, 13635-P and 14306-G to 14309-
G of 2009, and the Establishment Division's notifications of even number dated 29.04.2010 and
16.09.2010 stand withdrawn. - Online
Continued from page 1No #13
He said sales tax was paid by the exporters and then refunded whichnot only involve cumbersome procedure, extra expenses on sales taxstaff but also huge liquidity of the textile industry was blocked causingthem immense hardship.
He said that discontinuing the zero rating on exports would openfloodgates of corruption and encourage large number of fake firms tomake flying invoices and make easy money which would be a huge lossonce again to the government.
Appreciating the efforts of the foreign minister at Brussels for gettingthe grant of duty free access from EU, he said that all this would go invain with the discontinuing zero rating of exports. He wondered whatwill be the fate of our exports after phasing out of zero rating when withour entire capital and liquidity blocked, the banks also are not preparedto give loans to the textile sector.
We strongly suspect that someone in the government is misguiding thegovernment and intends to open floodgates of corruption by promotingdiscontinuation of zero rated which will result in many units to closedown and creation of large number of sick units. He stated that in thepresent most difficult scenario when gas and electricity prices are sky-rocketing and in the face of the flood disaster when more than 10 mil-lion people have become homeless and with losses of $43 billion initial-ly as estimated by the government, it will be impossible to absorb thelarge number flood-affectees in jobs.
He pointed out that recently FBR issued a general procedure for activetaxpayers which include a harsh provision of declaring them non-activeon the basis of discrepancies on e-filing if not responded within 15 days,despite the fact that generally it is a part of the systemic problems. Thesesorts of draconian laws will further create mistrust among taxpayerscommunity resulting in great mess and chaos.
Zubair Motiwala stated that today we have to create jobs due to exo-dus of flood-affectees and we appeal to the government to prevail uponthe US for duty free access. In this regard he proposed that the US gov-ernment creates an endowment fund at customs stage and US govern-ment helps to pay custom duty which would amount to totally $300 mil-lion which will prove US long term relationship with Pakistan.
Jawed Bilwani, Coordinator CAPTA stated that we are well aware thatthe government does not have any liquidity as a result of which apartfrom pending sales tax refunds' claims of approximately Rs12 billion,huge amount of drawback claims of the exporters have not been clearedsince last couple of years with all their capital and liquidity blockedindefinitely with the government. He said that with the introduction ofinland revenue already all refund affairs have come to a complete haltsince last one year. Numerous notices of audit and discrepancies havebecome part of routine affairs which is adding to misery of the taxpayers.
Jawed Bilwani said that the government should charge sales tax onretail sales which is not paid back and must exempt the manufacturers-cum-exporters because sales tax is taken and then given back whichinvolves large government machinery and proves to be an exercise infutility. Due to shortage of collectors, auditors and staff, governmentinstead of incurring huge amount of money on such overheads can usethem for generating sales tax from retail sales.
He warned that if the government discontinues zero rating, flight ofcapital to Egypt, Sri Lanka etc would increase and lead to great prob-lems and chaos in our country.
Yaseem Siddique, Acting Chairman, APTMA endorsed the viewsexpressed by Zubair Motiwala and Jawed Bilwani and said that the gov-ernment by discontinuing zero rating will definitely go once step back,he gave example of imposition of wealth tax which was implemented andthen again withdrawn and wondered why the government first learns andagrees with the advantage of a policy and then again repeat mistakes. Hesaid that in case of turnover tax the government increased this from 0.5per cent to 1 per cent when even 0.5 per cent to 1 per cent is determiningfactor and greatly affects the industry. With rising costs of electricity, gasand other utilities and rising cost of doing business the whole exercise ofdiscontinuing zero rating will crush the entire textile sector.
In conclusion, the entire 16 textile associations assembled at PHMAHouse, Karachi appealed the government specially President, PrimeMinister and Finance Minister to continue zero rating of sales tax on thetextile sector which would save huge amount of revenue. - Online
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KARACHI: President Pakistan Muslim League Chaudhry Shujat Hussain and General Secretary
Mushahid Hussain Syed called on President PML (Functional) Pir Pagara at Kingri House. -Online
RAWALPINDI: Lawyersdefending Lashkar-e-Taiba(LeT) commander ZakiurRehman Lakhvi and six otherscharged with involvement in theMumbai attacks on Saturdayopposed the prosecution's pro-posal to appoint a commissionto visit India to record state-ments of key witnesses, includ-ing Ajmal Kasab.
The defence lawyers toldJudge Malik MuhammadAkram Awan of theRawalpindi-based antiterrorismcourt that a "high level of risk"is involved with the proposal tosend the commission to India,reported PTI.
The lawyers made it clear thata representative of the defencelawyers would not join the com-mission due to "security con-cerns", including the perceived
threat in India to personsdefending the Pakistaniaccused, sources said to a newsagency.
Judge Awan, who is conduct-ing the trial within the heavilyguarded Adiala Jail for securityreasons, took up several appli-cations filed by the prosecutionduring Saturday's hearing in theMumbai attacks case.
One application sought theformation of a commission tovisit India to record the testimo-ny of 24 key witnesses, includ-ing the lone surviving attackerKasab.
The second applicationsought the court's permissionfor recording voice samples ofthe seven accused.
The defence lawyers opposedboth applications, saying theywent against the provisions of
Pakistani laws. They alsodescribed the application forforming a commission to go toIndia as "premature".
Judge Awan sought a clarifi-cation from the prosecution onwhether the Indian governmenthad given permission for theproposed commission to visitIndia.
He asked the prosecution toprovide this information at thenext hearing on October 2.The prosecution had filedanother application seekingpermission from the court forkey Indian witnesses to testifyby video-conferencing but thiswas withdrawn after the judgequestioned the need for it inlight of the government'smove to form a commission tovisit India.
See # 10 Page 11
Defence opposes suspects’ debriefing
26/11 Mumbai attack
TEHRAN: Iran says it plans toset up several medical campsin Pakistan after devastatingfloods hit the South Asiancountry.
Mobile hospital includesnine camps and three ambu-lance buses, Iran HealthMinister Marzieh VahidDastjerdi said. He said hospitalwill be set up according todecision made by Iran's med-
ical team sent to Pakistan. Dasjerdi expressed Iran's
readiness to send more human-itarian aid to Pakistan includ-ing blood and medicine. Iranincreased its humanitarian aidsto flood-stricken people byoffering Pakistan $100 millionaid package.
Earlier, Supreme Leader ofIslamic Revolution AyatollahSeyed Ali Khamenei said
measures taken to aid Pakistanipeople were insufficient, urg-ing all Muslims to help theirbrothers in Pakistan.
He described flood disasterin Pakistan as the "mosturgent" issue of Muslimworld. He expressed deep sor-row over catastrophic floodsand lingering humanitariancrisis it has brought to thecountry. -PPI
Iran to set up medicalcamps for flood-hit
KABUL: A string of attacks hitAfghanistan's parliamentaryelection on Saturday, killing atleast 10 people as the Talibantried to disrupt a poll that is test-ing the credibility of the govern-ment and security forces.
Voters appeared hesitant to goto polling stations after a seriesof rocket strikes in provincialcenters across the country,including one which landednear the US embassy and theheadquarters of Nato-led forcesin central Kabul about threehours before polls opened at 7am (10:30 pm ET).
Officials reported violenceacross the country.
In the worst attack, police saidthe Taliban killed one Afghansoldier and six pro-governmentmilitiamen in a raid on a securi-ty outpost next to a polling sta-
tion in northern Baghlanprovince.
Significant security failureswould be a major setback, withWashington watching closelybefore US President BarackObama conducts a war strategyreview in December likely toexamine the pace and scale ofUS troop withdrawals.
A poll flawed by violence andfraud would also weigh onObama when his administrationfaces mid-term Congressionalelections in November amidsagging public support for thewar, with violence at its worstlevels since the Taliban wereousted in 2001.
Saturday's election followed asimilar pattern to last year'sflawed 2009, which the Talibanalso threatened but failed to dis-rupt significantly despite scores
of attacks.The Independent Election
Commission (IEC) said eightper cent of the 5,816 pollingcenters had either not opened ornot reported in, mainly becauseof security fears, IEC chairmanFazl Ahmad Manawi told anews conference. It had alreadydecided not to open another1,019 sites in light of a Talibanvow to disrupt voting.
The attacks, and the numberof polling stations that remainedclosed, raised fears about lowvoter turnout that could affectthe outcome and credibility ofthe vote.
"As in every election, we dohope that there will be a highvoter turnout and that nobodywill be deterred by security inci-dents," President Hamid Karzaitold reporters after voting at a
high school near the presidentialpalace in Kabul.
Rocket strikes in northernTakhar province and easternKunar killed three and woundednine, officials said. Two Afghanelection observers were wound-ed by an explosion inside apolling center in eastern Khostprovince, a Taliban strongholdnear the Pakistan border, localpolice chief Abdul HaqimEshaqzai said.
Similar attacks on polling sta-tions and government buildingswere reported in Badakhshanand Kunduz in the north,Jalalabad in the east and Heratin the west.
"People are in their homesand they want to see the securi-ty situation. They will come outlater and vote," MohammadOmar, governor of Kunduz
province, told Reuters. Four polling centers were closed
after Taliban assaults in Logar,south of Kabul, and many stayedhome after the Taliban threatenedto cut off the ink-stained fingers ofthose who voted.
"I don't want to go and votebecause of the Taliban's intimi-dation. I don't want to risk mylife, just for a candidate," said aLogar resident named Naveed.Others defied the Taliban'sthreats.
"This is for Afghanistan'sfuture," said student SohailBayat after casting his vote inKabul. "People don't want theTaliban back, so every Afghanneeds to go out and vote."
Corruption and fraud are alsoserious concerns after a deeplyflawed presidential ballot lastyear when a third of Karzai's
votes were thrown out as fake.Even though he is not standing,Saturday's vote is seen as a testhis credibility.
Washington believes graftweakens the central governmentand its ability to build up institu-tions like the Afghan securityforces, which in turn determineswhen troops will leave. Obamahas pledged to start drawingdown US forces from July 2011.
Election watchdogs reportedthousands of fake voter registra-tion cards across Afghanistanbefore the poll, although theIEC maintains it has put meas-ures in place to guard againstmajor fraud.
It will not be clear for severalweeks who among the almost2,500 candidates have won the249 seats in the wolesi jirga, orlower house of parliament.
Early results will not be knownuntil at least October 8, withfinal results not due beforeOctober 30.
Election observers expectthousands of complaints fromlosing candidates, withAfghanistan's own poll watch-dog expecting a "disputatious"election, which could delay theprocess further.
Almost 300,000 Afghan sol-diers and police are providingsecurity for the poll, backed upby some 150,000 foreigntroops, but that was not enoughto convince some disillusionedAfghans.
"I'm not voting. I'm more inter-ested in finding a job. My familydoesn't have anything to eat,"said Faqir Jan, an unemployedKabul man. "If I saw an honestman, I'd vote for him." -Reuters
10 killed as Taliban attack during Afghan poll
DAMASCUS: IranianPresident MahmoudAhmadinejad said onSaturday that resistance tothe West is on the rise acrossthe Middle East, after meet-ing his Syrian counterpartBashar al-Assad.
Their brief meeting atDamascus airport in thepresence of Syrian ForeignMinister Walid Muallemcame just two days after USPresident Barack Obama'sspecial envoy sought supportin Damascus forWashington's latest peacepush.
"The front of resistance is
increasing in the region,(and) the people of theregion support the policy"pursued by the Iranian andSyrian governments,Ahmadinejad said.
"We have achieved a greatvictory because we wereable to defeat the enemyplans to change" the politicalmap of the Middle East, theIranian hardliner toldreporters before departingthe Syrian capital.
Before leaving Tehran, hehad told reporters that Iran'srelations with Syria were"solid and strategic with aunified view on all issues."
On Thursday, US MiddleEast envoy GeorgeMitchell said in Damascusthat Washington was inter-ested in a comprehensiveresolution of the regionalconflict that also includedpeace between Syria andIsrael.
Mitchell said that forWashington a Middle Eastpeace deal meant an "agree-ment between Israel and thePalestinians, between Israeland Syria and between Israeland Lebanon and the fullnormalisation of relationsbetween Israel and its neigh-bours." - APP
Ahmadinejad vows stiffresistance against West
LONDON: While it is tooearly to reach a judgmentabout the motives behindgruesome murder ofMuttehada Qaumi Movement(MQM) senior leader DrImran Farooq in the residen-tial street of north London onThursday, yet detectives andsenior staff members ofScotland Yard said they areworking on the assumptionsthat the murder was politicallymotivated.
Scotland Yard has passed theinvestigation responsibility tocounterterrorism commandSO15, indicating politically-motivated assassination. Thecommand is probing into theassassination of Dr ImranFarooq who was stabbed andbeaten to death near his homein Green Lane, Edgware, northLondon when he was on hisway to home from his job at alocal pharmacy, saidMohammad Anwar, a friendfor 25 years who worked withFarooq on the MQM's centralcoordinating committee.
London Metropolitan Policeconfirmed on Saturday that Dr
Imran Farooq died from multi-ple stab wounds and blunttrauma to the head. A post-mortem examination tookplace at Finchley Mortuary onFriday.
Met spokesman also said:"Police want to speak to any-one who was in the area at thetime or saw the attack."
Farooq Sattar, MQM'sdeputy convener, said the tim-ing suggested a politicalmotive. "The date looks like itwas selected by design," hetold The Daily Telegraph, butadded that a number of otherpossibilities remained.
"If someone took the time towatch him they would knowwhat time he came home everynight. It would be verystraightforward. He didn't takeany precautions because hedidn't believe he was in dan-ger," Anwar said. "We allthought that we wouldn't beunder threat here."
"There is no reason to indi-cate that this was a robbery ormugging," he told theGuardian at the MQM's head-quarters in an office block
close to Farooq's home."It could be a signal to
Hussain, to weaken resistance.Whoever did it could betelling him - and all of us - 'Ifwe can reach him we canreach you.'" Other party mem-bers were reviewing theirsecurity, he added. The partyhad previously told police andthe Foreign Office of threatsto Hussain's life, but these didnot appear to be taken serious-ly, Anwar said.
Neighbours in Farooq'sstreet said the alarm was raisedaround 5.30 pm on the day ofincident when a woman sawwhat she believed was a fightbetween two Asian men oncommunal ground below herflat.
"She saw him being knockedon the head a couple of times.She heard screams and shesaw someone beating him,"said Sam Igbi, who lives near-by. "She said he struggled andthen the guy stabbed him."
Analysts said they werekeeping an open mind as to theidentity of Farooq's killer. Adiplomatic source said the
killing appeared particularlyunusual because of Farooq'slack of recent political activi-ty: "He was lying low in thepast two years. He hadexpressed no concern for hisown safety." Detectives inLondon have not ruled out thepossibility that Dr Farooq waskilled in a random mugging. Apolitical motive could sparkpolitical clashes in Karachi orundermine the stability ofPakistan's governing coalition,which includes the MQM.
"Because we did not findany symptoms of robbery, wefeel that there may be an ele-ment of conspiracy and there-fore, hence, we can think thatthis was an assassination,"Anwar said.
The 50-year-old Dr Imran,who was married with twoyoung sons, claimed UK asy-lum in 1999 alongside AltafHussain, who remains theMQM's leader and has beenoutspoken in condemningIslamist militancy in Pakistanand the Islamabad govern-ment's response to devastatingfloods. -Agencies
Political motive seen inImran Farooq’s murder
PESHAWAR: World Bank hasstarted the survey to asses thelosses incurred by flood devas-tations in KhyberPakhtunkhwa province.
KP government has stoppedthe notification to declare allaffected districts calamity hittill completion of the WorldBank survey report.
KP government also com-pleted survey of damages of 22flood-hit districts but it couldnot start the survey in otherthree districts.
Provincial government
requested to the world and AsiaBank to start the survey forestimating the damages offlood affected people.
According to officialsources, the World Bank teamshas started the survey of flood-hit areas with collaboration ofdifferent NGOs but ADB hasyet to start its survey.
World Bank teams will sur-vey the different flood-hit areasstep by step and prepare adetail report on casualties,homeless people, damagedhouses and crops. -Online
WB starts survey offlood losses in KP
Monitoring Desk
SEHWAN: As the breaches inthe Manchar Lake dykes arewidened to one kilometer, asmore as 190 villages of Dal,Chana and Union CouncilBobak of Tehsil Sehwan, aswell as standing crops over sev-eral acres have been delugedwith floodwater, a private TVchannel reported on Saturday.
The floodwater amassed oninundated places mounted 9 to
12 feet, as 42-km importantlink road between BhanSaeedabad and Chhani laysunk under water, cutting offthe link between the two cities.
The flood torrent has ragednear Bhan Saeedabad's lastdefence line of Indus Link,where work is fast in progressto buttress the feeble dykes byplugging the fissures.
In a bid to save BhanSaeedabad, people fromShehar Bachao Action
Committee and officials fromIrrigation Department are busywith strengthening Indus Link.
According to IrrigationDepartment, the persistent out-flow from the Lake has con-tributed to water level to godown by over two feet.
The residents of Mehar cityhas started to come back home.However, Tehsil Juhi is still cutoff with other provinces thanksto besieging floodwater pres-ent all around.
Breaches in Manchar’sdykes deluge 190 villages
Uneasy calmprevails onsecond dayin Karachi
KARACHI: Strained situationwas observed on the secondday of the 10-day mourningannounced by the MuttahidaQaumi Movement (MQM)after the assassination of DrImran Farooq, the foundingmember and former convenerof the party. Most of the shop-ping and commercial centers,petrol pumps and institutionsremained close in the day.Fears and fright gripped thevarious areas of the city includ-ing Korangi, Landhi, LiaquatAbad, and New Karachi.However, no unpleasant inci-dent was reported.
See # 8 Page 11
India handsover UN
$20mn forflood relief
NEW YORK: India handedover a cheque of $20 million tothe UN chief Ban Ki-moon, forrelief and rehabilitation offlood-affected in Pakistan.
Welcoming the contributionfrom the Indian government,Ban said: "I hope this moneywill be used for those who real-ly need the warm hands of theinternational community."
"Natural disasters do not respectnational boundaries," India'sEnvoy to the UN, Hardeep SinghPuri, said after handing over thecheque to Ban in the presence ofPakistan's envoy to the UN,Abdullah Hussain Haroon.
See # 9 Page 11
Indian forcesopen fires on
procession in Kashmir
SRINAGAR: Kashmir wokeup Saturday to another day ofbloodshed as government forcesopened fire on a funeral proces-sion of an 11 year old boy insouth Kashmir resulting in thedeath of at least one civilian andinjuries to scores of others.
Hundreds of people carryingthe body of a 14-year-old boy,who was forced to jump intoriver Jhelum while beingchased away by police and
See # 11 Page 11
