12
SNEAK PEEK ʻSougen No Isuʼ showcases devastating earthquake The Embassy of Japan, in collaboration with the Pakistan National Council of the Arts, organised a special premiere of “Sougen no Isu’ (A Chair on the Plains), a Japanese film, at the National Art Gallery on Thursday. Masahiko Nishimura, a prominent Japanese actor in the film, attended the premiere as a special guest. Page 02 Zardari assures Hazaras of all-out support On return from his visit to Iran, President Asif Zardari held a series of meetings in Quetta with the parliamentarians the religious leaders and the elders of Hazara community during which he called upon them to augment the efforts of the government. He reassured that the government would undertake every possible effort to bring culprits involved in the attack on Hazaras to justice. Page 04 4,235 killed since Jan 2012 More than 4,235 people have lost their lives in the ongoing war on terrorism and anti-state violence in Pakistan from January 2012 to February 22, 2013, while 3,879 people had lost their lives in the previous year. Page 05 Fiscal crisis engulfs Neelum-Jehlum project Having already lost position over controversial Kishanganga Hydropower project, the federal government now seems like failing to even boost up the work to complete the lifeline of the country in time. Page 09 Meera wants to revive her Bollywood career Pakistani actress Meera who so far had duds in B- Town is now hoping to revive her career essaying Meena Kumari on the big screen. ‘Pakeezah’ remake feels divine feeling. Pakistani actress Meera, who made her Bollywood debut in Mahesh Bhatt’s “Nazar”, will step into the shoes of legendary Meena Kumari for the “Pakeezah” remake. Page 10 Djokovic and Federer move closer to Dubai Open final Novak Djokovic, the world number one, and Roger Federer, the defending champion, moved nearer to a showdown in Saturday's final when both raced into the quarterfinals of the Dubai Open. Federer set the pace by getting there in only 71 minutes against Marcel Granollers, the world number 34 from Spain, with Djokovic taking just 90 minutes to get past another Spaniard, Roberto Bautista-Agut, the world number 55. Page 11 FRIDAY March 01, 2013 Rabi-us-Sani 18, 1434 I Islamabad/Rawalpindi I Vol V, No. 316 I www.thespokesman.pk Pages 12 I Price 10/- BAGHI MARKED BY SHARIFS PG I 03 TODAY’S WEATHER Bright sunshine HIGH: 25 LOW: 09 PG I 07 THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STORY – GERALD VAN WILGEN PG I 06 REMEMBERING MALAK MUMTAZ – TAHIR ALI ZEESHAN JAVAID ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Thursday sent a copy of a stricter nomination form to the President for approval, which includes details about nationality and the criminal cases pending against the candidates six months prior to the filling of the nomination. The copy of nomination form obtained by The Spokesman shows that every nominee filling the paper would have binding to fulfill the qualification specified in Article 62 of the Constitution. Every Nominee will state on oath that he has not ceased to be a citizen of Pakistan nor has acquired or applied for the citizenship of a foreign state. The paper of any nominee could be rejected, if the nominee is found to be a defaulter of any financial institution as every nominee would solemnly declare that no loan for an amount of Rs. 2 million or more obtained from any bank, financial institution, cooperative society or corporate body in his own name or in the name of his spouse or any of his dependents, or any business concern mainly owned by him stood unpaid for more than one year from the due date, or has got such loan written off. Every nominee would declare that he or his spouse or any dependants or a business concern mainly owned by him or the aforesaid, is not in default in payment of government dues or utility charges, including telephone, electricity, gas and water charges of an amount in excess of Rs. 10,000, for over six months at the time of filling of nomination paper. Every nominee would disclose the names and numbers of his spouse and dependants without playing the game of hide-and-seek. Limiting the expenditures on election campaigns, ECP made it a binding on every nominee to submit the details of his bank account along with the deposit amount as proposed by ECP. The nominee will declare that he will not make any transaction towards the election expenses through any other account. Every nominee would bound while filling the nomination form to provide the details of his educational qualification, his present occupation, NIC, National tax Number (NTN), the statements of assets and liabilities of his own, spouse(s), dependants as on 30th June, , total Income, source of income, income tax details for last three years. The nominee would also be liable to share his travel history along with cost incurred during last three years. The nominees associated with agriculture business would be liable to disclose the details of agriculture income tax paid during last three years, land holding and income. All nominees will also provide the complete details of immoveable and immovable assets held inside or outside Pakistan held by him or his spouse and dependent on 30th June of ongoing and previous fiscal years. SALMAN ABBAS ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday dismissed Bahria Town's petition against the notice sent to it by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to vacate a plot of land Bahria had occupied on the pretext of running a charity service. The court remarked that there were many other ways to do good deeds and running a charity service did not mean filling the federal capital with encroachments. “If you really want to do something for poor people than buy a piece of land to run the charity,” the court said. During the tenure of former CDA chairman ImtiazInayatElahi, CDA directorate of DMA issued a one year license to Bahria management to establish a makeshift podium in front of PIMS to run a charity providing free food to poor people and attendants, but the management did not renew the license after it, due to which the land is now said to be in illegal occupation of Bahriamanagement. A single-member bench of Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddique was hearing the case filed by Begum AkhtarRukhsana Memorial Trust, which is named after property tycoon Malik Riaz's mother, contending that it had got a license from the civic body to establish ‘BahriaDastarkhwan’ at the said place. Counsel for the petitioner, Barrister AmmarHussain, contended that the license was still valid while some CDA officials were claiming it had expired. On February 18, the same courtwas chagrined by the rapid encroachments in the city and directed the CDA Enforcement director to take action against all illegal set- ups, including land being used by the administration of the Bahria Town in the name of ‘BahriaDastarkhwan’, after which the authority sent notice to the Bahria management to vacate the plot of land. IHC tells Bahria to vacate land Stricter nomination paper sent to president QUETTA: President Asif Ali Zardari meeting a delegation led by Chairman Hazara Democratic Party Abdul Khalik Hazara and Sardar Nisar Ali Hazara. Governor Balochistan Nawab Zulfiqar Magsi sits beside the president. –ONLINE (STORY ON PAGE 4) STAFF REPORT ISLAMABAD: Supported the peace efforts of grand jirga in FATA, the JUI- F led All Parties Conference (APC) has urged the government to respond positively to the Taliban’s talks offer. The APC was convened on Thursday to prepare a roadmap for peace restoration in the country in which all the major parties except PTI participated. According to the declaration issued at the end of APC, practical measures should be taken to eliminate terrorism and a trust should be established for the families of the victims of terror. It recommended that without wasting further time, the government should consult all the stakeholders to form a strategy for talks with the Taliban. The APC made it clear that the current and upcoming government will be responsible for implementation of the APC decision. The declaration said leaders of parties at the APC will hold talks with the members of the grand jirga and the number of members in the existing grand jirga should be increased. Earlier, representatives of political parties called upon the government to give a positive response to the Taliban’s talks offer. PML-N President Nawaz Sharif said peace is achieved through dialogue not war. In his address, Nawaz Sharif said that the dialogue offer made by the Taliban should be taken seriously for bringing peace. He fully supported dialogue with the Taliban and urged the government to respond this offer positively. Maulana Fazlur Rehman said the law and order situation was disappointing but this should not be a deterrent. He lamented that the government did not implement parliamentary resolutions. PPP President Makhdoom Amin Fahim said all efforts for peace would be supported but a decision should be made which is within the writ of the government, law and constitution. He said the PPP itself is a victim of terrorism. He said the government will support each effort to bring peace in the country and curb the menace of terrorism. JI Ameer, Syed Munawar Hasan lamented that a positive response from the government regarding the Taliban’s offer for peace talks had not come forward. Hassan pointed out Indian interference in Balochistan. He said his party fully supports efforts for peace. Addressing APC‚ head of Qaumi Watan Party Aftab Khan Sherpao said without any condition‚ we should invite Taliban on dialogue table. However, he said talks should be held after the Taliban lay down their arms. MQM’s Dr Farooq Sattar said peace in Karachi and Balochistan was linked to FATA and there was a need to unite on the national agenda. PML-Q Chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain stressed the need for exploring all options to bring peace. He said no one should have doubt on the loyalties of tribal people. ANP leader Afrasiab Khattak encouraged APC to take a step forward other than declarations for the sake of peace in the country. Earlier in his opening remarks the Chief of Waziristan‚ Malik Qadir Khan showed his concerns and said tribals are wrongly connected with terrorism. He demanded of the government to find a way-out‚ so they could get some relief. ʻGuarantorsʼ to hold talks with grand jirga APC seeks early talks with TTP OUR STAFF REPORTER ISLAMABAD: Former OGRA chief Tauqir Sadiq, the main accused in Rs 82 billion corruption case, was brought back to Pakistan through Interpol. He was brought back by a three member team which included a CID officer of the Punjab police. He landed in Islamabad from Dubai on PIA plane 212. He will be presented before the court either today or day after tomorrow. The Supreme Court taking a suo motu notice had ordered that he be arrested and brought back to the country. A reference was also filed against Tauqir Sadiq by the Rawalpindi Accountability Court. SAHTAK BALOCH ISLAMABAD: On the pretext that oil prices in the international market had risen, the outgoing PPP government — while steeply raising the prices of petroleum products (POL) under the monthly oil price review mechanism — has now also passed on the additional burden of PARCO’s dues to the consumers. Though the outgoing ruling coalition was expected to take pity on the emptied pockets of common man already staggering under sky-high prices of petroleum products coupled with inflated prices of essential commodities for a long time, the PPP-led coalition government's ‘farewell gift’ to the common man of the country has added to people's woes. The government has increased the prices of petroleum products (POL) up to Rs4.35/litre, which will be in effect for a month from the 1st of March. This colossal hike will ensurethat the people remember the PPP government in golden words, added to such blessings as long hoursof load shedding blackouts, imposition of new and strange high taxes on fuel oil, gas and changing electricity tariff on account of fuel price adjustment (FPA), inflated prices of essential commodities. According to petroleum ministry notification on POL prices for March, the per litre price of petrol up by Rs3.53/litrewill take the rate from the existing Rs103.07/litre to Rs106.60/litre. High Speed Diesel (HSD), mostly used in transport and agriculture sectors, up by a historic Rs4.35/litre per litre,takes the rate from the existing Rs109.21/litre to a high Rs113.56 per litre, a sky high price. Kerosene oil has increasedby Rs3.79/litre toRs103.69/litre from Rs99.90/litre. Light Diesel Oil (LDO), used for industrial purposes, also posted an increase of Rs3.93 per litre, going up from its current rate of Rs94.33/litre to Rs98.26 per litre. On Wednesday, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) in its summary dubbed as a working paper proposed future prices of petroleum products to the ministry of petroleum & natural resources for consideration. Under the working paper, OGRA had calculated an increase of Rs3.53/litre in the price of petrol, Rs4.35/litre on high-speed diesel (HSD), Rs3.79/litre in Kerosen oil while Rs Rs3.93/litre in the price of LDO sent to Petroleum ministry. People must shoulder PARCO burden Petrol prices soar again No place for dual nationals, defaulters of loan, tax, utility bills Details of criminal cases during last six months sought Declaration demands trust for martyrs’ families PTI stays away PPP backs efforts, calls for decision within boundaries Tauqir Sadiq brought back Petition against CDA thrown out Court says charity doesn’t mean encroachment STAFF REPORT ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the Parliamentary Committee‚ constituted by the Speaker to negotiate with the ECP on election procedure and degree issue, on Thursday agreed that the ECP will not directly write letters to the candidates for verification of the degrees rather it will ask HEC to write letters to the concerned universities for the verification of the degrees. The Parliamentary Committee headed by Law Minister, Farooq H Naek held a meeting with the Chief Election Commissioner. Chairman Higher Education Commission was also present on the occasion. The committee apprised the ECP high-ups about their reservations saying they were not opposed to the exercise but its procedure. HEC not ECP to pursue degrees’ issue

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Page 1: The Spokesman

SNEAK PEEKʻSougen No Isuʼ showcasesdevastating earthquake

The Embassy of Japan,in collaboration withthe Pakistan NationalCouncil of the Arts,organised a specialpremiere of “Sougen no

Isu’ (A Chair on the Plains), aJapanese film, at the National ArtGallery on Thursday. MasahikoNishimura, a prominent Japaneseactor in the film, attended thepremiere as a special guest.

Page 02

Zardari assuresHazaras of all-out support

On return from his visit toIran, President AsifZardari held a series ofmeetings in Quetta withthe parliamentarians thereligious leaders and the

elders of Hazara community during whichhe called upon them to augment the effortsof the government. He reassured that thegovernment would undertake everypossible effort to bring culprits involved inthe attack on Hazaras to justice.

Page 04

4,235 killedsince Jan 2012

More than 4,235 peoplehave lost their lives inthe ongoing war onterrorism and anti-stateviolence in Pakistanfrom January 2012 to

February 22, 2013, while 3,879 peoplehad lost their lives in the previous year.

Page 05

Fiscal crisis engulfsNeelum-Jehlum project

Having already lostposition overcontroversialKishangangaHydropower project, thefederal government now

seems like failing to even boost up thework to complete the lifeline of thecountry in time.

Page 09

Meera wants to reviveher Bollywood career

Pakistani actress Meerawho so far had duds in B-Town is now hoping torevive her career essayingMeena Kumari on the bigscreen. ‘Pakeezah’ remake

feels divine feeling. Pakistani actressMeera, who made her Bollywood debut inMahesh Bhatt’s “Nazar”, will step into theshoes of legendary Meena Kumari for the“Pakeezah” remake.

Page 10

Djokovic and Federer movecloser to Dubai Open final

Novak Djokovic, theworld number one, andRoger Federer, thedefending champion,moved nearer to ashowdown in Saturday's

final when both raced into thequarterfinals of the Dubai Open.Federer set the pace by getting there inonly 71 minutes against MarcelGranollers, the world number 34 fromSpain, with Djokovic taking just 90minutes to get past another Spaniard,Roberto Bautista-Agut, the worldnumber 55.

Page 11

FRIDAY March 01, 2013 Rabi-us-Sani 18, 1434 I Islamabad/Rawalpindi I Vol V, No. 316 I www.thespokesman.pk Pages 12 I Price 10/-

BAGHI MARKED BY SHARIFS

PG I 03TODAY’S WEATHER

Bright sunshineHIGH: 25 LOW: 09

PG I 07

THE OTHERSIDE OF THE STORY– GERALD VAN WILGEN

PG I 06

REMEMBERINGMALAK MUMTAZ– TAHIR ALI

ZEESHAN JAVAID

ISLAMABAD: The ElectionCommission of Pakistan (ECP)Thursday sent a copy of a stricternomination form to the President forapproval, which includes details aboutnationality and the criminal casespending against the candidates sixmonths prior to the filling of thenomination.

The copy of nomination formobtained by The Spokesman shows

that every nominee filling the paperwould have binding to fulfill thequalification specified in Article 62 ofthe Constitution.

Every Nominee will state on oaththat he has not ceased to be a citizen ofPakistan nor has acquired or appliedfor the citizenship of a foreign state.

The paper of any nominee could berejected, if the nominee is found to be adefaulter of any financial institution asevery nominee would solemnly declarethat no loan for an amount of Rs. 2

million or more obtained from anybank, financial institution, cooperativesociety or corporate body in his ownname or in the name of his spouse orany of his dependents, or any businessconcern mainly owned by him stoodunpaid for more than one year from thedue date, or has got such loan writtenoff. Every nominee would declare thathe or his spouse or any dependants or abusiness concern mainly owned by himor the aforesaid, is not in default inpayment of government dues or utility

charges, including telephone, electricity,gas and water charges of an amount inexcess of Rs. 10,000, for over sixmonths at the time of filling ofnomination paper. Every nomineewould disclose the names and numbersof his spouse and dependants withoutplaying the game of hide-and-seek.

Limiting the expenditures onelection campaigns, ECP made it abinding on every nominee to submitthe details of his bank account alongwith the deposit amount as proposed

by ECP. The nominee will declare thathe will not make any transactiontowards the election expenses throughany other account.

Every nominee would bound whilefilling the nomination form to providethe details of his educationalqualification, his present occupation,NIC, National tax Number (NTN), thestatements of assets and liabilities ofhis own, spouse(s), dependants as on30th June, , total Income, source ofincome, income tax details for last

three years.The nominee would also be liable to

share his travel history along with costincurred during last three years. Thenominees associated with agriculturebusiness would be liable to disclose thedetails of agriculture income tax paidduring last three years, land holdingand income.

All nominees will also provide thecomplete details of immoveable andimmovable assets held inside oroutside Pakistan held by him or hisspouse and dependent on 30th June ofongoing and previous fiscal years.

SALMAN ABBAS

ISLAMABAD: The IslamabadHigh Court (IHC) on Thursdaydismissed Bahria Town's petitionagainst the notice sent to it bythe Capital DevelopmentAuthority (CDA) to vacate a plotof land Bahria had occupied onthe pretext of running a charityservice.

The court remarked that therewere many other ways to do gooddeeds and running a charityservice did not mean filling thefederal capital withencroachments. “If you reallywant to do something for poorpeople than buy a piece of land to

run the charity,” the court said.During the tenure of former

CDA chairmanImtiazInayatElahi, CDAdirectorate of DMA issued a oneyear license to Bahriamanagement to establish amakeshift podium in front ofPIMS to run a charity providingfree food to poor people andattendants, but the managementdid not renew the license after it,due to which the land is now saidto be in illegal occupation ofBahriamanagement.

A single-member bench ofJustice Shaukat Aziz Siddiquewas hearing the case filed byBegum AkhtarRukhsana

Memorial Trust, which isnamed after propertytycoon Malik Riaz'smother, contending thatit had got a license fromthe civic body toestablish‘BahriaDastarkhwan’ atthe said place. Counselfor the petitioner,BarristerAmmarHussain,contended that thelicense was stillvalid while someCDA officials wereclaiming it hadexpired.

On February 18, the

same courtwas chagrined bythe rapid encroachments

in the city and directedthe CDA Enforcementdirector to take action

against all illegal set-ups, including landbeing used by theadministration ofthe Bahria Town in

the name of‘BahriaDastarkhwan’,

after which theauthoritysent notice

to the Bahriamanagement to

vacate the plot ofland.

IHC tells Bahria to vacate land

Stricter nomination paper sent to president

QUETTA: President Asif Ali Zardari meeting a delegation led by Chairman Hazara Democratic Party Abdul Khalik Hazara and Sardar NisarAli Hazara. Governor Balochistan Nawab Zulfiqar Magsi sits beside the president. –ONLINE (STORY ON PAGE 4)

STAFF REPORT

ISLAMABAD: Supported the peaceefforts of grand jirga in FATA, the JUI-F led All Parties Conference (APC) hasurged the government to respondpositively to the Taliban’s talks offer.

The APC was convened onThursday to prepare a roadmap forpeace restoration in the country inwhich all the major parties exceptPTI participated.

According to the declarationissued at the end of APC, practicalmeasures should be taken toeliminate terrorism and a trustshould be established for thefamilies of the victims of terror.

It recommended that withoutwasting further time, thegovernment should consult all thestakeholders to form a strategy fortalks with the Taliban. The APCmade it clear that the current andupcoming government will beresponsible for implementation ofthe APC decision. The declarationsaid leaders of parties at the APC willhold talks with the members of thegrand jirga and the number ofmembers in the existing grand jirgashould be increased.

Earlier, representatives of politicalparties called upon the governmentto give a positive response to theTaliban’s talks offer. PML-NPresident Nawaz Sharif said peaceis achieved through dialogue notwar. In his address, Nawaz Sharifsaid that the dialogue offer made bythe Taliban should be takenseriously for bringing peace. Hefully supported dialogue with theTaliban and urged the governmentto respond this offer positively.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman said thelaw and order situation was

disappointing but this should not bea deterrent. He lamented that thegovernment did not implementparliamentary resolutions. PPPPresident Makhdoom Amin Fahimsaid all efforts for peace would besupported but a decision should bemade which is within the writ of thegovernment, law and constitution. Hesaid the PPP itself is a victim ofterrorism. He said the governmentwill support each effort to bring peacein the country and curb the menace ofterrorism. JI Ameer, Syed MunawarHasan lamented that a positiveresponse from the governmentregarding the Taliban’s offer for peacetalks had not come forward. Hassanpointed out Indian interference inBalochistan. He said his party fullysupports efforts for peace.

Addressing APC‚ head of QaumiWatan Party Aftab Khan Sherpaosaid without any condition‚ weshould invite Taliban on dialoguetable. However, he said talks shouldbe held after the Taliban lay downtheir arms. MQM’s Dr Farooq Sattarsaid peace in Karachi andBalochistan was linked to FATA andthere was a need to unite on thenational agenda. PML-Q ChiefChaudhry Shujaat Hussain stressedthe need for exploring all options tobring peace. He said no one shouldhave doubt on the loyalties of tribalpeople. ANP leader AfrasiabKhattak encouraged APC to take astep forward other than declarationsfor the sake of peace in the country.

Earlier in his opening remarks theChief of Waziristan‚ Malik QadirKhan showed his concerns and saidtribals are wrongly connected withterrorism. He demanded of thegovernment to find a way-out‚ sothey could get some relief.

ʻGuarantorsʼ to hold talks with grand jirga

APC seeksearly talkswith TTP

OUR STAFF REPORTER

ISLAMABAD: FormerOGRA chief Tauqir Sadiq,the main accused in Rs 82billion corruption case,was brought back toPakistan through Interpol.

He was brought back bya three member teamwhich included a CIDofficer of the Punjabpolice. He landed inIslamabad from Dubai onPIA plane 212. He will bepresented before the courteither today or day aftertomorrow.

The Supreme Courttaking a suo motu noticehad ordered that he bearrested and brought backto the country.

A reference was also filedagainst Tauqir Sadiq bythe RawalpindiAccountability Court.

SAHTAK BALOCH

ISLAMABAD: On the pretext that oilprices in the international market hadrisen, the outgoing PPP government —while steeply raising the prices ofpetroleum products (POL) under themonthly oil price review mechanism —has now also passed on the additionalburden of PARCO’s dues to theconsumers.

Though the outgoing ruling coalitionwas expected to take pity on the emptiedpockets of common man alreadystaggering under sky-high prices ofpetroleum products coupled withinflated prices of essential commoditiesfor a long time, the PPP-led coalitiongovernment's ‘farewell gift’ to thecommon man of the country has addedto people's woes.

The government has increased the pricesof petroleum products (POL) up toRs4.35/litre, which will be in effect for amonth from the 1st of March. This colossalhike will ensurethat the people rememberthe PPP government in golden words,added to such blessings as long hoursofload shedding blackouts, imposition ofnew and strange high taxes on fuel oil, gasand changing electricity tariff on accountof fuel price adjustment (FPA), inflated

prices of essential commodities.According to petroleum ministry

notification on POL prices for March,the per litre price of petrol up byRs3.53/litrewill take the rate from theexisting Rs103.07/litre toRs106.60/litre. High Speed Diesel(HSD), mostly used in transport andagriculture sectors, up by a historicRs4.35/litre per litre,takes the rate fromthe existing Rs109.21/litre to a highRs113.56 per litre, a sky high price.Kerosene oil has increasedbyRs3.79/litre toRs103.69/litre fromRs99.90/litre. Light Diesel Oil (LDO),used for industrial purposes, also postedan increase of Rs3.93 per litre, going upfrom its current rate of Rs94.33/litre toRs98.26 per litre.

On Wednesday, the Oil and GasRegulatory Authority (OGRA) in itssummary dubbed as a working paperproposed future prices of petroleumproducts to the ministry of petroleum& natural resources for consideration.Under the working paper, OGRA hadcalculated an increase of Rs3.53/litrein the price of petrol, Rs4.35/litre onhigh-speed diesel (HSD),Rs3.79/litre in Kerosen oil while RsRs3.93/litre in the price of LDO sentto Petroleum ministry.

People must shoulder PARCO burden

Petrol pricessoar again

� No place for dual nationals, defaulters of loan, tax, utility bills � Details of criminal cases during last six months sought

� Declaration demands trust for martyrs’families � PTI stays away � PPP backs efforts,calls for decision within boundaries

Tauqir Sadiqbrought back

� Petition against CDA thrown out � Court says charity doesn’t mean encroachmentSTAFF REPORT

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commissionof Pakistan (ECP) and the ParliamentaryCommittee‚ constituted by the Speaker tonegotiate with the ECP on electionprocedure and degree issue, on Thursdayagreed that the ECP will not directly writeletters to the candidates for verification ofthe degrees rather it will ask HEC to writeletters to the concerned universities forthe verification of the degrees.

The Parliamentary Committee headedby Law Minister, Farooq H Naek held ameeting with the Chief ElectionCommissioner.

Chairman Higher EducationCommission was also present on theoccasion. The committee apprised theECP high-ups about their reservationssaying they were not opposed to theexercise but its procedure.

HEC not ECP topursue degrees’ issue

Page 2: The Spokesman

FRIDAY, MARCH 01, 2013

PM directs NADRA to giveCNICs before elections

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minster RajaPervez Ashraf has directed NADRAChairman Tariq Malik to issueComputerised National IdentityCards (CNIC) to unregisteredpopulation on priority basis andensure that nobody remainsdisenfranchised in the upcominggeneral elections. Malik briefed theprime minister about the initiativestaken to register the population andengaging political parties to motivatecitizens for their registration. He alsosaid that NADRA has been focusingon Sindh and Balochistan keeping inview the low registration ascompared to other provinces; whilethey have moved ahead in FATA. Inorder to facilitate women inacquiring CNIC, NADRA hasestablished 12 women-only centreswhere only women staff has beendeployed across the country. PrimeMinister Ashraf directed the NADRAchairman to initiate an awarenesscampaign to persuade people to getCNIC. �INP

UAE envoy delivers FMʼs letter to Hina ISLAMABAD: UAE Ambassador EssaAbdullah Albasha Al-Noaimi delivered aletter from UAE Foreign MinisterSheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed al Nahyan toForeign Minister Hina Rabbani Kharduring a meeting on Thursday. HinaKhar thanked the ambassador forbringing the letter and asked him toconvey her warm greetings and bestwishes to Foreign Minister SheikhAbdullah. She said that Pakistanattached immense importance to itsstrategic ties with the UAE. Both thepersonalities expressed satisfaction atthe current state of bilateral relationsand hoped that the existing relationswould further be strengthened. Hinaalso said that UAE hosts one of thelargest Pakistani communities abroadwhich is playing an important role in thedevelopment of that country. �ONLINE

English LanguageLaboratory establishedISLAMABAD: An English LanguageLaboratory is being established at SOSvillage with the help of small grantsand ambassador’s fund of USAID toprovide language coaching classes forstudents from playgroup to Grade 10.The program, utilising specialisedEnglish language software, would alsobe used by existing SOS staff (12 innumber) and 11 mothers to improvetheir language skills. SOS Children’sVillage Chairperson Naznin Murtazaand Director Shama Khan informedjournalists that the SOS Village wasstriving to provide the best educationopportunities to all its children.Rosetta Stone Software will be used inthis lab, which is quite useful for fastlearning language techniques all overthe world, since it kept individualrecords and students can progress attheir own level. �ONLINE

Seven-day world travelingexpo from todayISLAMABAD: An internationaltraveling expo with the title of ‘energiesfor a sustainable world’ is going to startfrom Friday (March 1) under the aegisof the Pakistan Science Foundation andwould be continued till March 7. Theexhibition will travel from Islamabad toMuzaffarabad in Azad Kashmir, Gilgit,Abbottabad, Gujrat and Larkana duringMarch-April 2013 and will be concludedat Quetta. The expo will provide a greatopportunity to the students of all agegroups, faculty members, researchersand general public to get firsthandknowledge about various forms ofenergy, ways to enhance the energyresources and their proper uses for thenational development. The foundationstarted arranging travel expos in 2008in collaboration with the Embassy ofFrance and Centre Sciences, Orelans, France. �ONLINE

PSF, NHA sign MoU fortechnical cooperationISLAMABAD: The Pakistan ScienceFoundation (PSF) and the NationalHighway Authority (NHA) signed amemorandum of understanding (MoU)for the technical collaboration at theHighway Research and Training Centre(HRTC) in Burhan. Under the MoU,PSF will extend its full support to NHAin the establishment of HighwayResearch and Training Centre throughits network of experts, engineers andmembers of the technical committees.Both the partners will identify areas ofresearch under joint ventures formutual benefits and also exchangeinformation relating to promotion ofresearch for indigenous technologydevelopment. PSF will help NHA toconduct seminars, conferences andexhibitions to promote and popularizeissues related to the highway research.Both the organisations will alsolaunch joint research projects relatingto industry. �ONLINE

HOMER BALOCH

ISLAMABAD: When the country is facingtreacherous law and order situation, InteriorMinister Rehman Malik looks satisfied with thesteps taken by government towards preventionof illegal activities in the federal capital.

According to a document that laid inNational Assembly on Thursday, it was toldthat 3.831 cases had been registered againstthe illegal arms during the last five years inIslamabad. Replying to a question asked byShaheen Ishfaq, Rehman Malik revealed thatthe Islamabad Police had succeeded in

arresting 4,037 accused and recovered 4311arms and 146874 rounds of ammunitionduring the last five years. The arms wereincluding 98 Kalashnikovs, 385 rifles, 376guns, 3368 pistols and revolvers, and 48‘carbines’ of prohibited bore.

He said during the calendar year 2008, thelaw enforcement agencies active in ICTrecovered heavy and small arms fromhundreds of accused allegedly involved invarious criminal activities, adding thedocument reveal that law enforcementdepartment registered 640 cases and arrested678 accused by which the police has recovered

680 arms including 04 Kalashnikovs, 79 rifles,38 other guns of heavy bore, 541 pistols andrevolvers, and 18 ‘carbine’ of prohibited bore,and 32869 rounds of ammunition.

In 2009, the police has recovered highestamount of arms the last five years, byrecovering 981 illegal arms including 18Kalashnikovs, 146 rifles, 144 heavy bore guns,663 pistols/revolvers, carbines and 34498rounds of ammunition.

However in 2010, 784 accused were arrestedon 731 FIRs while 771 arms and 14985 roundsof ammunition recovered including 35Kalashnikovs, 62 rifles, 73 guns, 599 pistols

and revolvers and 02 carbines. The lawenforcement agencies registered 876 FIRs andarrested 963 accused in 2011, including 20Kalashnikovs, 69 rifles and 69 guns, 801pistols and revolvers, 11 carbine, and 56384rounds of ammunition.

While last year, the Islamabad Police havesucceeded to arrest 935 accused on 918registered cases in police stations of IslamabadCapital Territory limits, and recovered 870arms including 21 Kalashnikovs, 26 rifles, 52guns, 764 pistols and revolvers, and 07carbine. The recovery also included 8174rounds of ammunition.

3,831 cases of illegal arms registered in five years

ISLAMABAD: Fariba Thomson, wife of British high commissioner in Pakistan, viewing the work of Rajab Ali Sayed and Zahrah Ehsan at an exhibition ‘New Romantic’ atRohtas Gallery. �INP

OUR STAFF REPORTER

ISLAMABAD: Danish Ambassador Ole EMoesby on Thursday said that democracy andfreedom consisted of discipline and selflessservice to others, embracing the ethics ofcompassion and respect.

He said that a culture of tolerance includesdebate and dynamic exchanges of opinions andarguments, which is to be seen as an opportunityto learn from others and seek the truth.“Developing a culture of tolerance is a long termundertaking that removes roots of intoleranceand is necessary for any democratic process,” hesaid while speaking at the inaugural session ofthe fifth batch of the Youth Parliament.

The session was also addressed by NationalAssembly Deputy Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi,also the patron of the Youth Parliament, PublicAccounts Committee Chairman Nadeem AfzalGondal, Youth Parliament Speaker Wazir Ahmed

Jogezai and PILDAT President Ahmed BilalMehboob also spoke on the occasion. Thestrengthening of democratic processes wasdiscussed as the new batch was welcomed. Thefifth batch was attended by 61 elected youthrepresentatives.

The Danish International DevelopmentAgency (DANIDA) is supporting the YouthParliament as part of its two-year programme onsupport to democracy. Facilitated by PILDAT,the Youth Parliament is patterned after theNational Assembly. Its membership is drawnfrom young Pakistanis aged between 18-29 yearsfrom Punjab, Balochistan, Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh,Gilgit Baltistan, FATA and Azad Kashmir.

During the fifth batch, the Youth Parliamenthas elected Anum Asif as its first female primeminister who serves as a symbol of genderequality and tolerance in the youth.

The Danish ambassador applauded thebrimming energy of the elected youth

representatives and said that Denmark extendsits full support to the youth. MNA NadeemGondal said that about 28 departments of thestate still do not have any audit; however thePublic Accounts Committee has managed torecover 23 million rupees and has submitted itback into the national kitty.

Faisal Kundi congratulated the electedmembers and wished them success in theirendeavors in making Pakistan a more democraticstate. He criticised the dictatorships that havelead to strengthening of personalities andweakening of the institutions. “Thisstrengthening of personalities has caused politicsto become an ancestral profession and hasdecreased the representation of the middle class,”he said. However, he expressed hope in theyouth’s potential and encouraged them to viewpolitics and the system of the governmentholistically rather than relying on cynicalnarratives that are prevalent in society.

OUR STAFF REPORTER

ISLAMABAD: A delegation of Russia’sFederal Assembly led by ValentinaMatvienko, chairperson of the Councilof Federation, has called on PrimeMinister Raja Pervez Ashraf andForeign Minister Hina Rabbani Kharseparately along with RussianAmbassador Andrey Bundnik.

Welcoming the delegation, PrimeMinister Ashraf said that Russia was asource of peace and stability at bothregional and global level and itsgrowing power a positive developmentfor the multi-polar world of today. Hesaid that there has been a visibleexpansion in the bilateral relations aswell as economic cooperation betweenthe two countries and Pakistan greatlyvalues Russia’s interest to invest in theenergy sector.

“There is a national consensus inPakistan on building strongrelationship with the RussianFederation and we attach greatimportance to our relations withRussia,” he said, adding that both thecountries have initiated a process ofbuilding a broad-based long termpartnership. “We greatly valuesupport and assistance of RussianFederation in the war againstterrorism,” he said.

Valentina Matvienko said thatPakistan was an important partner ofRussia and plays an important role ininternational relations. She said thatthe exchange of visits of theparliamentary delegations of both thecountries would help in furtherstrengthening the bilateral relations.Some 2000 students from Pakistanhave graduated from Russianuniversities and Russia would welcomemore students from Pakistan, she said.The delegation conveyed the bestwishes of Russian President ViladimirPutin to the prime minister.

Earlier, Valentina Matvienko alsocalled on Foreign Minister Hina Kharat the Foreign Office where the twoleaders exchanged views on a numberof regional and international issuesincluding the situation inAfghanistan and the Middle East.There was complete unanimity ofviews on enhancing bilateralcooperation, collaboration andcoordination not only for the sake ofmutual benefit but also with the aimof building stability, peace andprosperity in the broader region.

Tolerance vital for vibrantdemocracy: Danish envoy� Moesby stresses debate, exchange of opinions and argument � Kundi says politics becomesancestral profession under dictatorships

ISLAMABAD: TheEmbassy of Japan andTOEI Company ofJapan, in collaborationwith the PakistanNational Council of theArts organised a specialpremiere of “Sougen noIsu’ (A Chair on thePlains), a Japanesefilm, here at the

National Art Gallery on Thursday.Masahiko Nishimura, a prominent Japanese

actor in the film, came attended the premiere

as a special guest. Sougen no Isu, based on anovel written by a prize-winning Japanesewriter Teru Miyamoto, is the first ever Japanesefilm shot in Hunza Valley and Skardu in August2012. The film is directed by Izuru Naushaba,whose most recent film Rebirth won 10 awardsin the Japan Academy Awards last year.

The film features a middle-aged Japaneseman’s quest for hope after the 2011 Great EastJapan Earthquake through his journey toHunza with his close friends of the samegeneration; his client but close friend, adivorced woman and a boy who is mentallywounded after being abused by his mother. The

film aims to encourage people to go forward intheir own way, not giving up in today’s Japan.

Speaking on the occasion, Akira Kono,Charge’ d Affaires of Japan Embassy, said thatthis film was a fruit of the friendly relationsbetween Japan and Pakistan for which the twocountries celebrated 60th anniversary last year,and the mutual cooperation between the twonations was eternalized in the form of thismovie. The Pakistani crew members whocontributed in the making of this movie werealso invited to this premiere.

Kono also said that this movie was specialbecause it had been released in Japan only five

days earlier and today being screened inPakistan. “At this very moment, there arethousands of Japanese movie-goers watchingthe same movie at the theaters in Tokyo, Osaka,Nagoya, and all over Japan.” He appreciated thecooperation of the TOEI Company, thedistributor of the film, for making this possible.

Kono extended warm welcome to MasahikoNishimura, one of the main characters in thefilm, for travelling all the way to Islamabadfrom Japan to join the audience at this specialpremiere of the film at the National Art Gallery.The film will also be screened at the PNCA inthe morning on March 1. �ONLINE

‘Sougen No Isu’ showcases devastating earthquake� Special premiere of Japanese movie held at National Art Gallery

ISLAMABAD: Time for some leisure amid a terroised environment - Ustad Fateh Ali Khan Hyderabadi ofGawaliyar Gharana performing at ‘Classical Music Night’ at PNCA Auditorium. �INP

SALMAN ABBAS

ISLAMABAD: Besides creating hardships for thecommon citizens, slackness of the CapitalDevelopment Authority officials also put theparliamentarians into dilemma who expressedtheir concerns over the poor maintenance andcleanliness conditions in the Parliament Lodges.

During the meeting of the National Assembly’sStanding Committee on House & Library whichwas met here on Thursday under thechairmanship of Deputy Speaker Faisal KarimKundi, parliamentarians complained that theCDA staff deputed in the Parliament Lodgesoften remain absent from their duties and noone can be present to address the complaints ofthe members.

The committee members pointed out that theCCTV cameras installed in the lodges were not

functioning properly and lifts of various blockswere also out of order. They expressed annoyanceover the poor quality of maintenance work carriedout by CDA in the lodges. The deputy speakerdirected the CDA director to submit a report aboutthe CCTV cameras, lifts and wastage of water fromthe filtration plant.

He also directed the CDA to take prompt actionto address the grievances of the parliamentariansand strictly monitor the quality of cleanliness andmaintenance work in the Parliament Lodges. Healso summoned CDA Chairman and theIslamabad Police chief in the next meeting of thecommittee. Regarding the issue of NationalAssembly Employees Cooperative HousingSociety, the committee decided to accommodatethe retired employees, widows of the deceasedemployees and the members who had depositedfull payment of the plot on priority basis.

MPs annoyed at poor maintenance of Parliament Lodges� Lawmakers criticise CDA performance

Russianlawmakers callon PM, FM

Masahiko Nishimura

Page 3: The Spokesman

FRIDAY, MARCH 01, 2013

Venom Inc. This should not be held against me in a court of law as Isolemnly declare that these are absolute lies, dirty whispers and wildspeculation that I have heard while crawling in the dark power

corridors of the creepy Capital. You will believe them at your own riskShh...If you have venom to spill please don’t hesitate to share with us on ourblog at www.thespokesman.pk

POWER ALLEYS|

Faizan Lakhani �@faizanlakhaniAPC after APC, political parties are sit-ting together just before election, onceagain to fool the voters. APC = All PartiesChawalain.

Asif Shahzad �@asiffshahzadAPC is Aalu Paratha Chai. & byebye.Nilofer Afridi Qazi �@ninoqaziSmart phone app which let's u see television! Cricket andtalk shows 24/7....heaven or nightmare? Hahahaha@Maria_AzizHow lucky Talibans r , sab un k payon parey Han . Ab be naMano gey to kab Mano gey zalam.Ayla Malik �@AylaMalikPTI

Only #PTI are interested in #Pakistan and it's People! therest are interested in gaining Power. #APC = All PupitsConference.Raza Rumi �@RazarumiIf the PPP and PMLN think that due to elections, they needto pander to powers-that-be they are mistaken. Both notliked or wanted by them!Zardari visits Iran & then Quetta. APC is calling for dia-logue with#TTP. Has #Pakistan gone rogue? Hagel tried.What would John Kerry do?Ahmad Shakil Mian �@mukabbarIt is right but naive of Munawar Hasan to compare Talibanwith Yasir Arfaat. Yasir was a WATAN FAROSH and so areTaliban

cmy

cmy

The Eff Generous Butt seems almostcertain to get the ticket forIslamabad’s urban seat. Sheshnag is

told he has been given a go-ahead to startworking on his canvassing. But the bigobstacle remains the several cases that keephanging on his head. He is accused of halfof the CDA scandals that are beinginvestigated by the Islamabad High Court.

A lot of questions linger about his fate:What if he is indicted right in the middle ofhis campaign? The PPP may lose the seatwithout contesting if this happened too latein the race. And considering the number ofthe cases and the evidence against him, thepossibility is huge. Also remember that theprosecution, once there is a caretakergovernment, will be different from now.

Islamabad top cop is already marked forbeing absolutely partial towards the PPPstalwarts and is sure to be changed.Moreover, the Generous Butt can’t help notmaking quick bucks wherever he can. He isall set to give the contract of a marquee atthe Club of which he is the President to afriend—and not without his cut. Somepeople simply can’t change. But then whatdid you expect from the person whosementor is you know who.

When Sheshnag hinted about the engagement of SharmilaFarooqui and Hasham Riaz, we were criticized for beingmischievous. No sir, we were not.

When it comes to love and romance, Sheshnag is always big-hearted.It’s always good to see couples venturing into a new life together.

Sharmila looked great in a black dress. Hasham was in heavens. Rahatwas at his music best. Everything and everybody was hunky-dory,except, Sheshnag can’t help not being cynical. Uncle Salman, for somereason, is not happy over this. We don’t want to spoil the fun by sayingwhy? Happy new life-- Sharmila and Hasham.

Uncle unhappy over engagement?

Generous Butt at it again

FAKHAR-UR-REHMAN

ISLAMABAD: The greatest power ofbureaucracies is to make the smart actstupid and the good act evil. For thispurpose they can even amend theinter-departmental rules and get theserules approved by using any means.

In a recent move, the Chairman ofEmployees Old Age BenefitsInstitutions (EOBI), Zafar IqbalGondal, who is very influential as oneof his brother holds a key FederalMinistry and one of his nephews is theChairman of Public AccountsCommittee (PAC), has managed to getapproved the illegal appointmentsfrom the Cabinet Sub-Committee onRegularization who approved theirregularizations despite the Board ofTrustees (BoT) opposing it and gavetheir dissent notes. Not only this butthe people who were appointed onsuch key posts have no priorexperience. To avoid the clause ofexperience, the Chairman gotrelaxation from the Board of Trustees.

The Chairman EOBI appointedalmost 448 people across the countryin his own institution despite the clearcut order of ban on recruitment by theSupreme Court of Pakistan. Out ofthese 448 people 59 people wereappointed from Grade 16 to 18 on theposts of Director General, DeputyDirector, Assistant Director andAssistant. All of them have thedomicile of Punjab and are from hisown district.

A copy of the details of these

employees, and the minutes of theBoT’s 101st meeting which was heldon January 25, 2012 available with theSpokesman clearly mentions that theapproval of relaxation in experiencefor the post of Deputy Directors wasnot on the agenda of the meeting butthe Chairman put it on. However, theBoT directed that the matter bereferred to the Human Resource (HR)Committee of the BoT of EOBI.

The HR committee then held adeliberation on it and many of themembers of the HR committee and

BoT of EOBI opposed this proposal asthere is no such provision ingovernment rules to give relaxation inexperience for any government job.

Again, the findings of the HRcommittee were brought to the BoT inits 102nd meeting held on April 05,2012. Chaudhry Muhammad Tufail,Employers’ Representative, who isalso a member of the BoT opposed thisproposal. The Chairman of BoTobserved that the Board should ensurethe compliance of the orders of theSupreme Court of Pakistan regardingthe ban on new appointments inEOBI.

The Secretary Labour, Punjabstated that the recommendations ofthe HR committee may not beapproved as in the government theminimum required experience for thepost of BS-18 is five years and thesame is for BS 17.

But the Chairman EOBI stated thatthere were many governmentorganizations where the requiredexperience for the said posts is lessthan three years. This is anautonomous body and thegovernment rules are not applicable tothe autonomous bodies. However,after detailed discussions this proposalwas deferred and no other BoTmeeting was held after this.

After rejection from the BoT, theChairman EOBI sent the list of hisappointed employees for getting themregularized by the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Regularization whichapproved their regularizations.

AAMIR HUSSAINI

Nawaz League seems to have markedroaring baghi from Multan,Makhdoom Javed Hashmi for the

upcoming general elections and is weighingthe option of either developing Jamaat-e-Islami’s Liaqat Baloch or one of the traditionalold horses of Syeds (Fakhr Imam or FaisalSaleh Hayat) to ensure that anyone but theMakhdoom should win from NA-149 (Multan)in the forthcoming general elections.

The importance of NA149, therefore, standshigh in Multan, because lots of wheeling anddealing is being done, especially by NawazLeague under the direct supervision of partyleadership from Model Town, Lahore. Thisurban constituency spans across the heart ofthe historical city and houses a potential 4.27lakh voters with casts like Ansaris, Sheikhs,Bhuttas, Dogars, Khakwanis, Khawajas,Gillanis and Qureshis ruling the roost for quitesome time. Interestingly, Baghi does not live in

this constituency, rather he lives in his newlybuilt palace Multan Cantt (NA 151), but sincehe won from this area in 2008 electionsagainst PPP candidate Malik Liaqat Dogar, heis bent upon trying his luck from the sameconstituency again. Whereas both Yusuf RazaGilani and Shah Mehmood Qureshi have theirancestral homes in this constituency andcollect all the alms from their mureeds fromBaghi’s constituency, he never contested fromhere.

Hashmi had to vacate this seat after quittingNawaz league over his differences with theSharifs in 2012 to join Imran Khan’s Tsunamiand did not contest the by-polls, which wereeasily won by Nawaz League by pitching inbrother of a PTI turn-coat Tariq Rasheed inFebruray 2012.

The drama does not stop here because theconstituency has another erstwhile candidate,the former Speaker of the National AssemblySyed Fakhar Imam, who has been wanderingin the political wilderness for at least twodecades. Fakhar’s daughter, Sughra Imam,who managed to earn a reserve seat for womenon PPP quota in National Assembly, isbelieved to have tried every trick in order topurchase some political fortunes for thedwindling fate of her father and even hermother, but so far the party insiders claim thatMr. Zardari—of course, since the courts are

reading these lines—through Bilawal BhuttoZardari, has shown no interest in buying theseforsaken political horses. Yet, the Syeds believethat Fakhar Imam is very much in the runbecause some of his family connections havetried to file a case in the Raiwind courts of theSharifs by assuring them that “Imams canteach a lesson to Hashmi.” Upon beingcontacted the former Speaker of JunejoAssembly during Zia ul Haq days talked atlength about his political ambitions and cloutto prove that all the political parties are afterhim to contest elections without even oncedenying that either PPP or Nawaz League haveturned down his bargain pleas for a politicalrevival. Instead, his confidants insisted thatthough sitting Nawaz League MNA TariqRasheed claims to be still the candidate of theparty but “we are hearing that centralleadership of PML (N) wants to bring a morestrong and national level personality in thisconstituency to bring down PTI stalwartHashmi.” They also confirmed that somecommon friends of both the Syed family andMian Nawaz Sharif are mediating betweenthem by posing that “Fakhar sain is yet tomake up his final mind, because after all he isstill in PPP.”

The third factor which is making rounds inthis constituency is another Makhdoom fromShah Jewna (Faisal Saleh Hayat) who seems to

have lately developed serious differences withChaudhrys of Que League and is showingsome interest in jumping ship to join NawazLeague, only if he is assured a confirmed seatnot only from his ancestral village but alsofrom Multan. However, political punditsbelieve that due to this maddening run forpolitical assurances and bargaining, bothJewna and Fakhar houses are confirming thatonly one of them can join Nawaz League notboth. So both sides are non-committed for thetime being to any side, therefore keeping thebird in hand intact while vying for the othercontrolled by the Sharifs.

Imams, meanwhile, are learnt to have evenburied their family feud with Dr Khawar Shah,though family sources on both sides deniedconfirming this, and are confident that even ifPeoples Party sticks with Dogars they can pullup a favourable deal from Raiwind. Dr Khawaris considered to be the link between Sharifsand Imams at this point in time, confirmedNawaz Leaguers because they consider that ajoint venture of both Syeds can help them

defeat Hashmi from NA 149.Fourth entrant into this race, Jamaat-e-

Islami’s Liaqat Baloch, who is busy doingpre-election corner meetings in the sameconstituency these days, is also claiming tohave earned the nod from Raiwind to becometheir consensus candidate against Hashmi,thus making the forecast even murkier.

Peoples Party on the other side is watchingall these developments from the fence, as SyedYusuf Raza Gilani, the claimant of theSouthern Punjab terrain has asked thePresidency—please read Bilawal—to retain thetwice defeated Dogars and hope that the tusslebetween Sharifs and Hashmi might give thema chance to win this seat. Nevertheless,keeping a second option open, Gilani has keptAmir Dogar as a strong replacement for theDogars.

Local political analyst Mr. Musadiq MehdiJaffri says that it is very difficult to predictanything about result of this constituency. Itwill be question of life and death for PML (N)and PTI in coming election, says Jaffri.

Multan NA 149: Baghi Marked by Sharifs

The saga of loot and plunder in EOBI

Twitteratti on APC of JUI

The ChairmanEOBI appointed

almost 448 people acrossthe country in his owninstitution despite theclear cut order of ban onrecruitment by theSupreme Court ofPakistan. Out of these448 people 59 peoplewere appointed fromGrade 16 to 18. All ofthem have the domicileof Punjab and are fromhis owndistrict.

“

”

”

The third factor which is making rounds in thisconstituency is another Makhdoom from Shah

Jewna (Faisal Saleh Hayat) who seems to have latelydeveloped serious differences with Chaudhrys of QueLeague and is showing some interest in jumping ship tojoin Nawaz League, only if he is assured a confirmed seatnot only from his ancestral village but also from Multan.However, political pundits believe that due to thismaddening run for political assurances and bargaining,both Jewna and Fakhar houses are confirming that only one of them can join Nawaz League, not both.

“

Page 4: The Spokesman

Verdict reserved onappeals in Musharrafattack caseISLAMABAD: The Supreme Courtreserved its verdict on Thursday on theappeals of two convicts, convicted onthe charges of attacking formerpresident Pervez Musharraf in 2003,seeking reduction in their sentences. Athree-member bench comprising ChiefJustice of Pakistan Justice IftikharMuhammad Chaudhry, Justice EjazAfzal Khan and Justice Sh AzmatSaeed reserved the verdict afterhearing counsels of both the sides. Theappeals were filed by two convicts –Rana Muhammad Naveed and AamirSohail – against enhancement in theirsentences by the military court. Duringthe hearing, Defence Ministry’scounsel Mujeebur Rehman submittedthat under Section 133/P of the ArmyAct, only the defined courts couldreduce or enhance the sentences of theconvicts. Citing various case laws, hesaid the appeals were beyond thelimitations. Hashmat Ali Habib,counsel for the appellants, argued thatone of his clients had never moved anyappeals before the military court forreduction in his sentence, however hissentence was enhanced. He said onlyRana Naveed had moved anapplication seeking reduction in hissentence. He said neither Aamir Sohailnor the state had filed an appealagainst his (Sohail) sentence, thus hissentence could not be enhanced in anymanner. On March 31, 2011, theSupreme Court had rejected the reviewappeals of 10 convicts sentenced todeath for their involvement in twinattacks on the former president in2003. �STAFF REPORT

NAB recovers Rs185.2m inTawana Pakistan scamISLAMABAD: The regional office ofNational Accountability Bureau (NAB)has recovered, Rs 185.2 million fromTanveer Hussain Manji, the director ofVita Pakistan Ltd and an accused inthe Tawana Pakistan scam. The NABhad arrested the accused on January31, 2013 from Lahore and producedbefore the accountability court thenext day to get his physical remand. Heremained in NAB’s custody for 14 days.During the course of physical remand,Manji submitted an application forplea-bargain amounting to Rs 185.2million, which was accepted by theNAB chairman. It is important tomention that the NAB (Rawalpindi)has started a separate inquiry againstM/s Maaza Pakistan Ltd and M/s BazCreation, where the accused parties arealleged in fraudulent activities relatingto the purchase and other expenditureson different items in the TawanaPakistan project, launched by thePML-Q government of Chief MinisterPervaiz Elahi in Punjab. �AGENCIES

SC wants flood commissionreport implementedISLAMABAD: The Supreme Courtdirected the federal and provincialgovernments on Thursday to ensureimplementation of therecommendations of the FloodCommission report and submit acertificate pertaining toimplementation till March 5. A three-member bench comprising ChiefJustice of Pakistan Justice IftikharMuhammad Chaudhry, Justice EjazAfzal Khan and Justice Sh AzmatSaeed, while hearing a case pertainingto implementation of the report,directed the federal government andall provincial chief secretaries toensure implementation of everyrecommendation made by the FloodCommission in its report. The courtexpressed dismay over not making thereport public and directed that thereport be made public. PML-N leaderMarvi Memon had requested the courtin September 2011 to order revival ofthe Flood Commission with a view todetermining if the government hadfailed to carry out itsrecommendations. �STAFF REPORT

Global drug facility laudsTB control in SindhKARACHI: A visiting Global DrugFacility Mission, headed by Dr MauroOcchi, during a meeting with HealthServices Director General DrAshfaque Hussain G Memon hasappreciated the performance of the TBControl in Sindh. Dr Occhi pointedout with an increasing case detectionrate and a treatment success rate ofover 90%, the program would surelyachieve its objectives given theenabling environment and resources.Established in 2001, the Global DrugFacility has been providing anti-TBdrugs as a grant to Pakistan in order toexpand access to and availability of,high-quality TB drugs to facilitateDOTS expansion. The GDF has beenperforming annual reviews in Pakistanin order to ascertain the qualitycontrol, standardization, medicines'storage, regulation and transparencyin supply management. �INP

ISLAMABAD: Students surf at a Meena Bazaar stall at IMCG F-7/2. �ONLINE

OUR STAFF REPORTER

ISLAMABAD: The US Department ofDefence, on the request of the CustomsDrug Enforcement Cell, is funding theconstruction of a Customs TacticalCommand and Operations Centre basedat the Jinnah International Airport inKarachi, says a press release of the USEmbassy on Thursday.

This project, in accordance with theGovernment of Pakistan’s requestedspecifications, consists of the design andconstruction of two new buildings for thePakistani Customs' Drug EnforcementCell. It includes an administrativebuilding that will serve as an operationscenter for Pakistani Customs personnelto exchange information concerningdrug smuggling activity and six guardposts to help screen cargo at the airporttarmac entrance gates.

The US Army Corps of Engineers’recently announced an intent to solicit aRequest for Proposals for the projectusing the US government’s FederalBusiness Opportunities website. Privateconstruction firms or joint venturesworking in this region, includingPakistani companies, are eligible tosubmit proposals. “The award for theproject, which will be offered to aneligible private construction firm or ajoint venture, is expected this summer,and our hope is that the project will becompleted in the summer of 2014,” saysthe press release.

The US Army Corps of Engineers’ onlyrole is to oversee the award of thecontract for the project to a privateconstruction firm and supervise itsimplementation. No US military or otherUSG personnel will be involved in theactual construction, operation, or staffingof this center, which will be exclusivelyowned and operated by the Governmentof Pakistan, says the handout.

This project will enable theGovernment of Pakistan to coordinaterapid response to narcotics andcontraband smuggling and is a tangiblerepresentation of the joint United States- Pakistan commitment to address thisimportant issue.

Airport projecton Pakistan’srequest: US

OUR STAFF REPORTER

LAHORE: The Punjab government and theTransparency International Pakistan, an anti-corruption network, have signed an MoU(memorandum of understanding) to look into theprojects of the provincial government includingthe Metro Bus, Laptop and Ujala schemes.

Under this MoU, the Transparency wouldreview rules and regulations and transparency oflaptop scheme, Ujala programme and Metro Busproject and would present its report before theend of the constitutional tenure of the presentgovernment. Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharifannounced that the report of TIP would bebrought before the people in its totality and if anyirregularity was found, those responsible wouldnot be spared and strict action would be takenagainst them.

On behalf of the Punjab government, EnergySecretary Jehanzeb Khan, Higher EducationSecretary Ijaz Munir and LDA Director GeneralAhad Cheema signed the MoU, while on behalfof TIP, the document was signed by its ChairmanSohail Muzaffar and Executive Director SaadRashid. Adviser Zaeem Qadri, Lahore TransportCompany Chairman Khawaja Ahmad Hasaan,Nasira Javed Iqbal of the TransparencyInternational and others were present at thesigning ceremony.

Talking to journalists, Shahbaz Sharif said thattoday was a historic day in the history of Pakistanas the Punjab government has signed an MoUwith TIP to review implementation andtransparency of its three mega projects. He saidthat the Punjab government has promotedtransparency and a corruption-free culture in theprovince. He said all development projects have

been completed in a transparent manner duringthe last five years and if corruption of even asingle penny was proved, he was answerable toAllah Almighty and the people.

He said that the Punjab government hasestablished a high example of accountability bypresenting its three mega projects worth Rs.36billion to TIP. He said no one has taken such ahistoric step before in Pakistan and presentedhimself for accountability. He said if, God forbid,any corruption or irregularity was found in theprojects, then those responsible would not bespared and strict action would be taken againstthem. He said the TIP report would also unmaskthe reality of those who are accusing metro busproject of costing Rs 70 billion or Rs 90 billion,besides clarifying the factual position regardingany corruption or violation of PPRA rules in theimplementation of the project.

MASOOD REHMAN

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday accepted arequest made by Attorney General Irfan Qadir seeking to keepsecret a reply submitted by him on behalf of IntelligenceBureau’s Director General Akhtar Hussain Gorchani over thewithdrawal and utilization of Rs 270 million in secret funds bythe incumbent Pakistan People’s Party government in 2009.

A three-member bench of Chief Justice IftikharMuhammad Chaudhry, Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan and JusticeSheikh Azmat Saeed, was hearing a case pertaining towithdrawal of large sums of money from IB’s secret accountsby the PPP governments to buy loyalty of politicians in Punjaband other provinces in 2008-9 and 1988-1990.

In compliance with the Wednesday's orders, Irfan Qadir re-submitted the reply earlier rejected by the court for beinginappropriate, dissatisfactory and carrying derogatorylanguage. He requested the court to keep the reply secret,which the court accepted, holding that it would be examinedin the chamber and then orders would be issued. Meanwhile,the court adjourned further hearing for two weeks.

The reply rejected by the court on Wednesday stated thatthe court could not lay its hands on information relating toIB’s internal working. It said, Article 175(2) of the Constitutionrestrained the Supreme Court from interfering in suchmatters. The article explains that the court has no jurisdiction,except on matters conferred on it by the Constitution or any

law. The court had sought the reply of IB’s chief following thetestimonies of two former heads of IB, who confirmed thatthe large sums were indeed withdrawn from the bureau’ssecret fund, but maintained that they were not used againstthe Punjab government.

The court had taken suo motu notice of a report whichappeared in an English newspaper on March 14, alleging thatRs 270 million had been withdrawn by the PPP governmentto dislodge the Punjab government in 2008-09. The newsreport also claimed that in addition to Rs 270-million, Rs360million had also been withdrawn by the PPP government in1988-1990 to buy the loyalty of parliamentarians to offset aNo-Confidence Motion, win elections in Azad Kashmir andremove the government in the NWFP and install AftabSherpao as chief minister. According to the report, IB’s formerDirector General Dr Shoaib Suddle confirmed that moneyhad been withdrawn from the bureau’s secret funds and thatwhen he brought the matter to the notice of former PrimeMinister Yousuf Raza Gilani he kept quiet for politicalconsiderations. At the last hearing, IB’s former chief MasoodSharif Khattak had submitted a statement defending theformer Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s decision to increasesecret service funds and then draw it in 1988-90 from theaccounts of the civilian intelligence outfit. Tariq A. Lodhi,another former IB chief during whose tenure Rs 270 millionwas allegedly withdrawn by the PPP government, had alsosubmitted a reply, claiming it to be privileged.

Punjab, TIP sign MoU� TIP to look into mega Metro Bus project besides laptop, Ujala schemes

FRIDAY, MARCH 01, 2013

QUETTA: President Asif Zardari Thursdayheld a series of meetings here on return fromhis visit to Tehran with the parliamentarians,the religious leaders and the elders of theHazara community during which he alsocalled upon them to augment the efforts of thegovernment.

The first meeting in the series was held withthe parliamentarians of Balochistan belongingto various political parties. The meeting wasattended among others by GovernorBalochistan Nawab Zufiqar Ali Magsi, FederalMinister for Science and Technology Mir

Changez Jamali, Dr. Asim Hussain, Advisor toPrime Minister on Petroleum, former DeputyChairman Senate Mir Jan Jamali, someSenators and parliamentarians belonging toBalochistan.

The meeting with the parliamentarians wasfollowed by meeting with the Ulemasrepresenting various schools of thought. Thosewho were present during the meeting includedamong others Maulana Abdullah Khilji, AbdulQudoos Sasoli, Moulana Shehzad Attari, MuftiGhulam Mohammad, Allama MohammadJumma Asadi, Allama Sheikh Ghulam Mehdi

Najafi, Allama Maqsood Ali Domki, AllamaMohammad Hashim Mosoli and others.Governor Balochistan Nawab Zufiqar AliMagsi was also present.

During the meeting, the President calledupon the ulema to strengthen the efforts of thelaw enforcing agencies in bringing to justicethose who misuse religion. The President saidIslam was a religion of peace and enjoins uponits followers to thwart attempts to victimizevulnerable sections of society.

The President called upon the need tocollectively fight against the forces that breed

hatred and promote militancy and sectariankillings.

Later, the President also had a meeting witha delegation of the Hazara community headedby MPA Dr. Mrs. Ruqayya Saeed Hashmi. Thedelegation included among others Syed AshrafZaidi, Abdul Khaliq Hazara, M. TahirAdvocate, Sardar Saadat Ali Hazara, MajNadir Ali, Col. Younas Changezai and others.

The president expressed his profoundsympathies over the great loss that thecommunity had to suffer recently at the handsof extremists and fanatics. �AGENCIES

Zardari assures Hazaras of ‘all-out’ assistance� President returns, spends busy day in Quetta; says no rest till enemyʼs defeat

KARACHI: The Supreme Court (SC) has issuednotice Owais Muzaffar Tappi and SeniorMember Revenue Shazar Shamon andsummoned them to the next hearing of theimplementation of court's verdict in the Karachiunrest case.

The Supreme Court issued these orders at itsKarachi registry. The court, led by Justice AnwarZahir Jamali and consisting of Justice Khilji ArifHussain, Justice Sarmad Jalal Usmani, JusticeGulzar Ahmad and Justice Athar Saeed took upthe case for hearing.

Tappi is considered one of President AsifZardari’s closest aides and has been widelyknown as being a key power player in the Lyari

gang wars. Justice Sarmad Usmani was visiblyfrustrated as he remarked, “who is this Tappiand why has no one filed an FIR against himyet?” Petitioner Mehmood Akhtar Naqvi toldthe court during the hearing that OwaisMuzaffar Tappi actually ruled Sindh through thesenior member of the board of revenue, was likea brother to President Asif Zardari and de factochief minister of Sindh.

The petitioner accused 'these people' of sellinglands and inflicting a crippling loss on thegovernment.

Justice Sarmad Jalal Usmani asked SeniorMember Revenue Shazar Shamon if he knewTappi, to which Shamon replied he did not, but

that he had heard Tappi's name in the media.Mehmood Akhtar Naqvi told the court thatthere were more than 150 cases registeredagainst Tappi, Shazar Shamon and others andin several cases.

He took the plea Owais Muzaffar Tappi hasunleashed 'loot and plunder' in connivance withrevenue officers Yar Muhammad Bozdar,Hammad Chachar, Manzoor Ali, Aftab Pathanand Shazar Shamon.

Justice Khilji Arif Hussain remarked “everyone has one’s dignity and prestige" and askedNaqvi if he had evidence against thesepeople. Naqvi said he could prove theallegations. Owais Tappi and Yar

Muhammad Bozdar were minting money byusing fake State Bank of Pakistan stamps. Hesaid "These people manipulated the priceland at the rate of Rs 10000 per acre on theNational Highway, which actually cost Rs 30million per acre.

Yawar Farooqui, counsel for the revenueboard, told the court that the revenue record of874 out of 6000 villages of Sindh was burntfollowing the killing of Benazir Bhutto and therecord was being reconstructed.

Justice Sarmad Jalal Usmani remarked thatland was being leased out for the period of 99years without auction. The court adjourned thehearing till the next session. �ONLINE

SC asks, “Who is Owais Tappi?”

SC accepts plea to keep IB'sreply secret in Rs 270m scam WASHINGTON: A Congressional

resolution has been introduced in the USHouse of Representatives to recognize aPakistani doctor, who helped CIA traceOsama bin Laden, as an American hero.

Dr Shakil Afridi was arrested by Pakistangovernment three weeks after Laden waskilled in the United States raid for accessingthe al Qaeda leader's compound and helpingthe US identify who was hiding inAbbottabad.

The resolution also seeks his release fromthe jail. Dana Rohrabacher, congressmanfrom California along with nine othercongressmen introduced the resolutionseeking to recognize Afridi as an Americanhero and that he be immediately releasedfrom custody by Pakistan.

"All Americans owe Dr Afridi a gratitudefor what he did to help us find Osama BinLaden and bring him to justice. He and hisfamily have paid a terrible price at the handsof our so-called allies, the Pakistanigovernment," Rohrabacher said in astatement. "We cannot continue to turn ourback on Dr Afridi. He risked his life toprovide the intel our forces needed to locateand eliminate Osama bin Laden and he nowlanguishes in a Pakistani prison serving a 33-year sentence," Rohrabacher said. �ONLINE

Dr Shakil Afridito be US hero

BEIJING: China's takeover ofthe Gwadar port in Pakistanrepresents an economicmaneuver that is in line withthe interests of the twocountries, a militaryspokesman said Thursday.

Pakistan handed themanagement of the port overto China Overseas HoldingsLimited on Feb. 18, leadingsome foreign media tospeculate that the port couldbe used by the Chinesemilitary. "These commentshave distorted the facts anddisturbed relations betweenChina and surroundingcountries," Ministry ofNational Defense spokesmanGeng Yansheng said at a pressbriefing. Luo Zhaohui, anofficial from the Ministry ofForeign Affairs, also said thetakeover has highlighted theprogress made by both sidesand will be conducive tobuilding mutually beneficialcooperation. �ONLINE

China militaryhails Gwadarport takeover

Page 5: The Spokesman

FRIDAY, MARCH 01, 2013

FAISALABAD: The boiler of a textile factory after it exploded and killed four workers late on Wednesday night. Poor safetymeasures at workplaces is a matter of serious concern, but nothing has been done to address the issue. �INP

OUR STAFF REPORTER

ISLAMABAD: Delays andcancellation of flights is routine for thenational flag carrier, forcing people toopt to other domestic andinternational airlines. But it seemsadvisable to now that one shouldreduce the luggage to the minimumand avoid carrying valuables.

This advice is made plausible by theexperience of a woman passengerTasneem who lost her jewellery whileduring a Karachi-Islamabad flight.

“I boarded PK-364 on Monday(February 25) from Karachi toIslamabad, and checked in one soft

bag and a carton. After reachingIslamabad, when the porter put mybag on the trolley I saw that the zip ofmy bag was broken as was the lock.Instead, the bag was tied with a brownstring. I was immediately alarmed asthe bag contained a pouch with mygold and silver jewellery.”

Tasneem says when she lodgedcomplaint with the PIA staffpresent at the lounge, she was askedto open the bag and check thecontents. “As feared, my jewellerypouch was missing. A formalcomplaint was lodged with PIA andthey gave me a receipt. It has beenmore than 24 hours and I haven’t

heard anything from anyone.”She says they can catch the culprits

easily. “The ASF guy sitting at thescanner as you enter the lounge isthe only one to see through thescanner what each bag contains. Hemust then be sending a word to hispartners at the loading side wherethey had the time to identify my bag,break the lock and the zip, take thepouch out without disturbing anyother items, and then tie the bagwith a string.”

According to Tasneem, it wouldhave taken at least five minutes.“The footage of my bag beingscanned would be at the entry point.

The timing was between 3 to 3:30p.m. They could identify the guywho was on duty and get to thegang. But this takes efforts andwillingness to catch a thief.”

“If the whole system is involved(which seems to be the case as nobodyhas responded on the issue despitethat the case was referred to thehighest authorities), then there is nohope for me to get my valuables back.”

The dejected victim of the PIA’sservice says this apparently is not thefirst case, as many similar cases ofbags being opened and stuff stolenhave been reported. “The response ofPIA staff at the Islamabad airport was

the best: ‘You should not carryvaluables in check-in baggage.’

“I think they should put up writteninstructions as well as make it knownto all passengers travelling by PIA thatplease do not carry any valuables inyour bags as our staff is mostuntrustworthy or rather we havethieves as employees.”

Tasneem has every right to be sodistressed. “I am very disturbed; thefeeling that your baggage is so unsafeand can be stolen within the airportarea is actually very distressing. Whocan one approach? This is a big gamewith big players. Can anybody dosomething to catch the thieves?”

ATHAR LASHARI

BAHAWALPUR: The floriculturesector needs government’s attentionin Fort Munro and other areas ofsouth Punjab. There are threefloriculture research stations inPunjab - Murree, Rawalpindi andFaisalabad, while Multan has asubstation which covers the entiresouth Punjab.

In 2009, a project was announcedfor Punjab to make the province abasket of flowers and fruits. But theproject is still pending. According toSyed Fayyaz Husain Shah, assistanthorticulturist Multan, south Punjabhas a great potential. “We can grow averity of cut flowers, especially

gladiolus, in Fort Munro.” He addedthat Multan must be upgraded as fullresearch station. “We have alreadyrequested the higher authorities toupgrade the Multan substation butthere is no improvement so far.”

According to Fayyaz, they don’t haveenough budget to expand theresearch. “For the last many years, Iam the lone person here, as theresearch officer’s position is stillvacant,” he added.

Fort Munro is a beautiful and coldtourist place in District Dera GhaziKhan’s tribal area. Even in thesummer, the temperature nevercrosses the 28 degree Celsius.According to the researchers, FortMunro is a most suitable area for the

production of flowers.On the other hand, the growers in

south Punjab blame the Punjabgovernment for ignoring thefloriculture sector. “Floriculture ispracticed on two thousand acres ofland in south Punjab but we have nomarket in Multan,” a progressivegrower Mian Shehzad Maral says. Headded that they requested theofficials on several occasions for aflower market at the historicalMultan Fort but the Punjabgovernment was ignoring theirdemand.” “If the government gives usa flower market in Multan, then wecan also export them to the Gulfcountries” he added.

In south Punjab, the districts of

Multan, Vehari, Bahawalpur,Bahawalnagar and Muzaffargarh aregrowing a variety of roses but a hugechunk of the produce is wasted duringtransporting it to Lahore.

For the last five years, the Punjabgovernment has repeatedlyannounced launching a project inFort Munro but there is no progresson the ground.

According to Ahmed Ali Aulakh, theprovincial agriculture minister, theyhave a plan to start a project in FortManro soon. “We have a suggestion toupgrade the Multan substation as afull-fledged research station, but Icannot give the timeframe,” theminister said.

The retailers are also demanding a

market in south Punjab. ”We areforced to purchase the flowers fromPattoki and Lahore. It will be betterfor us if we have a market in Multanor Bahawalpur,” Mureed Hussain, aflower seller, said.

Although, the provincialgovernment set up the PunjabHorticulture Authority (PHA) forthe development of floriculture andhorticulture sector, but there is nodevelopment in south Punjab yet.The local production of cut flowersis estimated around 10,000–12,000tonnes per annum, while thecountry can added to the alreadysubstantial foreign exchange byexporting roses to the Middle Eastand European countries.

Growers can earn more by ‘ignored’ floriculture�There are only three research stations in Punjab �Fort Munro is one of the most suitable for flowers prod

MUZAFFARABAD: Neelum DeputyCommissioner (Azad Kashmir) RajaSaqib Muneer died when landslideburied his vehicle on Thursday.According to details, Raja Saqib, whowas on his way to Muzaffarabad fromNeelum valley, was trapped underlandslide in the Gamsar area. As aresult, he died on the spot. Theofficials in assistance with localpeople pulled out the body andshifted to hospital for post-mortem.The driver, Iqbal Shah, and thegunman, who were accompanyingRaja Saqib, had a narrow escape inthe accident. The president andprime minister of Azad Kashmir haveexpressed deep grief and sorrow overthe sudden and sad demise of RajaSaqib. They condoled with thebereaved family and prayed fordeparted soul to rest in eternal peace.It merits mentioning that the landsliding is occurring frequently in thearea but no safety measures have sofar not been taken to tackle the issue.Meanwhile, various roads in AzadKashmir and Khyber Pakhtunkhwahave been closed for traffic due toland-sliding as a result of heavy rainsand snowfall in the region. �AGENCIES

UK to give £160meducational aid to PunjabMULTAN: The Department ofInternational Development (DFID)of the United Kingdom has agreed toprovide a sum of 160 million poundsas educational aid to the Punjabgovernment to promote education inthe impecunious strata during thenext five years. Under the plan, 90million pounds will be given to theschool education department whileanother sum of 70 billion has beenearmarked for the Punjab EducationFoundation (PEF) to arrangeeducation of out of school children inthe province through public privatepartnership model. The PEF hasenvisaged using this amount for thegratis education of four milliondeserving children in the province by2017. This was stated by PEFChairman Raja Muhammad Anwarwhile addressing the DistrictCoordination Meeting of PEFPartner School of the district at RazaHall on Thursday. Addressing thefunction, Raja Anwar maintainedthat the selection of PEF for thepromotion of education of out ofschool children was a clearmanifestation of international trustand confidence. �AGENCIES

NADRA seeks KP CMʼshelp with CNICs PESHAWAR: NADRA ChairmanTariq Malik called on KhyberPakhtunkhwa Chief Minister AmirHaider Hoti at his office anddiscussed matters pertaining toNADRA’s miscellaneous servicesrendered to the province. Tariq Malikdiscussed the security situation withthe chief minister and informed himabout the attacks on the NADRAregistration centres. Hoti assured theNADRA chairman that he woulddirect the Home Department toensure fool-proof security to theNADRA centres in the sensitive areasof the province. The NADRAchairman requested Hoti to direct theDCOs to help authority identify areasand pockets of province where CNICregistration was low so that NADRAcould send its mobile teams toregister people. �AGENCIES

Bad liquor killsfive in BhakkarDARYA KHAN: Five persons diedafter they consumed poisonous liquorin the Darya Khan area of Bhakkaron Thursday. The incident occurredat Meharabad Colony of Farooqabad,where at least five persons died whilesix others were rushed to a hospitalwhere their condition is reportedlycritical. �AGENCIES

HRCP slamsnewsmanʼs killingLAHORE: The Human RightsCommission of Pakistan (HRCP) hasstrongly condemned the murder ofMalik Mumtaz, a journalist based atMiranshah, South Waziristan. In astatement issued on Thursday theHRCP stated that the murder is acontinuation of the disturbing trendof increasing violence againstjournalists. “The fact that Mumtaz isthe fifth journalist to be killed in thefirst two months of 2013 highlightsthe vulnerability and the threatsthose in the journalism professionface. At least 10 journalists werekilled in the year 2012. The HRCPterms the murder and the pastepisodes as direct attacks onfreedom of the media.” The HRCPhas urged the government to takemeasures to guarantee the safety ofjournalists. �INP

OUR STAFF REPORTER

ISLAMABAD: The IslamabadHigh Court (IHC) on Thursdayissued stay order on theissuance of any notificationregarding the appointment ofchairman and members ofPakistan TelecommunicationAuthority (PTA).

Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqueheard the petition filed by Wahaj-us-Siraj against the appointmentof PTA chairman and its members.Advocate Afnan Kundi, counsel forthe petitioner, submitted beforethe court that the process adoptedby the Ministry of InformationTechnology for the appointment ofPTA chairman and its memberswas illegal and in sheer violationsof rules.

The petitioner cited secretaries ofCabinet Division, Ministry ofInformation Technology,Establishment Division and Councilof Common Interests besides thePTA chairman as respondents.

He submitted that theappointment process of thechairman and members of PTAthat had been kick-off through anotification and publication of anadvertisement dated 14.02.2013were in violation of the TelecomAct and an attempt to inducthand-picked serving civil servantsas Members of PTA withoutparticipating in open competitionwith others even though theprovisions of the Telecom Act donot permit a serving civilservant's appointment ondeputation on these posts.

He stated that the illegal acts of

the respondents would causeirreparable loss to the telecomindustry.

He prayed before the court thattill the final disposal of the mainwrit petition, stay may be grantedover the appointment of Chairmanand Members of PTA and torestrain the government fromimplementing or acting inpursuance of the advertisementdated 14.02.2013 for theappointment ofChairman/Members of PTA.

He said that previously onJanuary 29th 2013 PTA advertisedthe posts of PTA Members and onFebruary 14th 2013, issuedanother advertisement for thesame posts.

He said that the criteria set forthe appointments on senior mostposts in PTA were different inadvertisement of January 29, 2013and February 14, 2013 whichraised suspicion about the move.He pointed out that the entireprocess relating to theappointment of Chairman andMembers of PTA was drasticallyand dramatically altered in orderto make a backdoor entry for thegovernmental bureaucracy to bedirectly appointed as PTAchairman and members.

After hearing the arguments,the court issued conditional stayon the notification forappointment on senior most postsin PTA and directed theauthorities concerned to continuethe recruitment process but not toissue the final appointment letterof Chairman and Members PTAtill the disposal of writ petition.

IHC stays PTAchief ’s appointment

It isn’t so safe while flying with national flag carrierNeelum Valley DCdies in landslide �Passenger loses her jewellery during a Karachi-Islamabad flight

KARACHI: Residents of the Gulbai area protest against the land mafia by blocking Mauripur Road. Landgrabbing has become a lucrative business, but the government seems indifferent. �ONLINE

MUZAMMIL HUSSAIN SYED

ISLAMABAD: More than 4,235 peoplehave lost their lives in the ongoing war onterrorism and anti-state violence inPakistan from January 2012 to February22, 2013, while 3,879 people had lost theirlives in the previous year.

The militants, including TTP, al Qaedaand Baloch rebels carried out 1,485 attacksduring 2012 while the security forcesconducted 570 operations against them,which included 44 major and 285 minorones in FATA and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Majority of the militant attacks tookplace in FATA and Khyber Pakhtunkhwaand Balochistan. 1,114 civilians were killedand 2,313 injured during militant attackswhile 197 civilians lost their lives and 340wounded during actions initiated by thesecurity forces.

According to the available details,security forces also apprehended 1,138militants while the extremists kidnapped185 people. Highest number ofkidnapping incidents (72) took place inBalochistan followed by FATA and KPwhere the number of abducted personsstood at 61 and 51 respectively.

On the other hand, the military lost 350of its personnel in FATA and KP alonewhile 1,165 were also wounded. Pro-government peace militias also lost 148members during the year.

The Conflict Monitoring Centre’s datashows that in 2011, the militants carriedout 246 attacks in KP while, in 2012, thenumber of attacks crossed the 400 mark.Sindh also witnessed unprecedentedescalation in militant attacks as 21incidents were recorded by CMC in 2011while the figure was 34 in 2012.

According to details, violence in thecountry claimed the lives of 163 people in37 incidents between February 16 and 22,2013, up from preceding week's 106 and89 the week before.

From 16 February to 22 February,violence occurred in 12 districts, up fromthe preceding week's eight.Quetta was the most violent districtfollowed by Karachi and Peshawar.

The sectarian and ethnic violenceclaimed most lives this week, leaving 106people dead and 183 injured in 10incidents. Of these, eight occurred inSindh and one incident each inBalochistan and Punjab. Several bombingstook place in the south-western Quettaand in the northern Swat valley onJanuary 10, killing a total of 130 peopleand injuring at least 270.

Incidents of January 10 were responsiblefor the first deaths of journalists in Pakistanin 2013. Pakistan has ranked among thedeadliest of countries for journalists overthe past several years, according to theCommittee to Protect Journalists. Threejournalists were killed and at least twoother journalists were seriously injured bythe second blast in Quetta.

An explosion in a Tableeghi Jamaat’sseminary in the Swat valley, outside SaiduSharif, killed 22 people, with 60 injured.On February 16, at least 84 people werekilled and 190 injured after a bomb hiddenin a water tank exploded at a market inHazara Town on the outskirts of Quetta.Most of the victims were members of theHazara Community. The Lashkar-e-Jhangvi group claimed responsibility forthe blast, the second major attack againstthe Shia Hazaras in a month.

One of the masterminds of the attack hasbeen arrested and taken into custodyalong with 170 suspects on 19 February,and four high-profile militants accused ofkilling Shia civilians were killed during anoperation by security forces. Weapons,ammunition and bomb-making materialwere seized by security officials during theoperation

In Karachi, 25 people were killed andeight injured in targeted attacks, sectarianviolence and attacks on political partyworkers, while eight others lost their livesand 22 injured in two attacks on the publicand an attack on security forces.

As the government has remained unableto tackle the challenge, various circles arenow openly demanding talks with theTaliban. Some circles suggest thegovernment’s failure is encouraging theextremist elements in the country.

4,235 killedsince Jan 2012�Militants carried out more than 400 attacks

Boilerexplosionkills fourlabourersFAISALABAD: At least fourlabourers were killed when aboiler at factory exploded inFaisalabad. According todetails, the boiler of a textilefactory, located in thecongested Mansoorabadarea of Faisalabad, explodedwith a big bang, killing fourlabourers and woundingseveral others.

The explosion was sosevere that the roof of thefactory was blown awaywhile a portion of the factoryalso caught fire. Rescueteams reached the area,brought the fire undercontrol and rescued thelabourers trapped under thedebris. The dead wereidentified as Faizan, ZahoorAhmad and Ali. �INP

PTI backsGwadar dealISLAMABAD: PTI leaderAyla Malik has said that hisparty fully supports thegovernment’s decision ofhanding over Gwadar Port toChina, as the decision wouldbenefit the country.

Addressing a pressconference along withnewly-elected office-bearers of PTI MianwaliDistrict at the party'ssecretariat, Ayla said thePTI’s revolution would startfrom District Mianwali andthe PTI Chairman ImranKhan would be the firstprime minister fromMianwali. �ONLINE

�Petitioner argued process is a violation ofrules aimed at inducting handpicked persons

Page 6: The Spokesman

FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2013

THE SPOKESMANChief Editor: Huma Ali

Executive Editor: Atif MateenResident Editor: Saeed Minhas

Consulting Editors: Jalees Hazir Samina Choonara

Remembering Malak Mumtaz

‘Don’t touch sensitive issues like Al-Qaeda and the Taliban. You are youngand new in this field and don’t knowthe actual game behind the scene.Surely your writings will be discussedand you will feel proud for the momentbut don’t go for such short-lived fame.Being an elder, I advise you not to visittribal areas again. Many tribaljournalists have lost their lives fornothing. I know the feelings of thefamilies of killed journalists,” MalakMumtaz advised me when I firstvisited North Waziristan during the2006 military operation.

It was the beginning of myjournalistic career. The militaryoperation was underway in NorthWaziristan. Homegrown Taliban werefighting against the security forces.Hafiz Gul Bahadar, the current head ofMiranshah-based Taliban, was not asprominent a leader as he is today.There were two prominent namesamongst the Taliban commanders;Abdul Khaliq Wazir of Miranshah andMaulana Sadiq Noor of Khati Kilay.Hafiz Gul Bahadar emerged on thescene after he signed the famousgovernment-militants peaceagreement in September 2006.

Due to the curfew, the Bannu-Miranshah road was closed for traffic. Iwas anxiously waiting in Bannu for thecurfew to be lifted. Finally, I got anopportunity and entered NorthWaziristan. After crossing Mir Alitown, I finally reached Miranshah, theheadquarters of the agency. I waslooking for some local journalists. Aman told me about Malak Mumtazwho was residing in Miranshah Kilay,one kilometer outside of the mainMiranshah Town. I rushed to hisvillage and finally found his house. Iknocked at his door. A man with anaverage height and spectacles on hisnose came out. He was wearing aPakool (a typical tribesmen cap) andwas dressed in a white shalwarqameez. Malak welcomed me in thetypical tribesmen style. He was a softspoken humble man.

He took me to his Hujra, located nextto his home. I told him about thepurpose of my visit: to cover the

ongoing military operation. He briefedme about the current situation ofNorth Waziristan but at the same timeadvised me not to touch such sensitiveissues. He said that there werenumerous risks to journalists in tribalareas. ‘They are at risk fromintelligence agencies, militants andcriminals,’ Malak said. According toMalak Mumtaz, many local journalistshad shifted to other parts of thecountry due to these risks. He said hecould afford to live there because hedid not report on sensitive matters likethe Tehrik-e-Taliban (TTP) and Al-Qaeda. He never favored any of thewarring parties and focused on socialissues. Despite playing safe, MalakMumtaz did not survive to work as ajournalist in North Waziristan and was

brutally murdered by unidentifiedgunmen on Wednesday.

Malak Mumtaz, 48, was associatedwith the Jang Group and KhyberNews. A graduate from GomalUniversity in Dera Ismail Khan, MalakMumtaz was associated with the fieldof journalism for the last 18 years. Hebelonged to a respectable and non-controversial family of the Dawar tribewho had no rivalry with anyone. Hehas left behind two sons, a daughterand a widow. At the time of hismurder, he was serving as thepresident of the Miranshah Press Club.

Malak Mumtaz was the 13thjournalist killed in the FederallyAdministered Tribal Areas (FATA)since 2002, and the third one fromNorth Waziristan Agency. Hayat Ullahwas killed in June 2006 and Shafi

Ullah was killed in June 2001.The case of Malak Mumtaz is a

complete mystery. He had no enmities.Neither the militants nor any otherparty had threatened him. He reportedon issues like water, electricity,education and developmentalprojects. Being a careful man, henever ventured to investigate issuesrelated to the TTP or the securityforces. He took up the issues ofcorruption and mismanagement inpolitical administration, which arenot sensitive.

The tribesmen highly admired hiswork, especially his reporting on thenon-payment of compensation to thevictims of military operations. Insteadof distributing the money to thevictims, the high officials of the

political administration had depositedthe amount in banks to get interest onit. Earlier this month, the FATAsecretariat recovered an amount ofseven million rupees from the officialsof the political administration of NorthWaziristan that had been received bythem as interest over the amountmeant for the victims. It was all due tothe reporting by Malak Mumtaz.

The Killing of Malak Mumtaz is areal setback to the entire NorthWaziristan agency. Even the TTP haspraised his reporting. When I askedTTP spokesperson Ihsanullah Ihsanfor his comments on his murder, hesaid, ‘We strongly condemn the killingof Malak Mumtaz. He was a true andbrave journalist who served the localpeople. He was a messenger of peace.We extend our support to his family in

finding the killers.’Malak Mumtaz was not only a

journalist but he was also a dignifiedMalak (elder) who represented the BarDawar of North Waziristan. Since thelaunch of “war on terror”, more thanone thousand malaks (elders) havebeen killed all over FATA. The pro-government malaks were targeted bythe militants and the pro-militantswere targeted by some other “enemies”.The remaining malaks arenoncontroversial elders and MalakMumtaz was one of them. Themilitants don’t hesitate to claim thekilling of pro-government malaks.They claim it with a touch of pride ifthey eliminate a pro-governmentmalak. The statement of IhsanullahIhsan further complicates the issue.

The Inter-Services Public Relations(ISPR) has also condemned the killingof Malak Mumtaz. ‘We stronglycondemn the killing of seniorjournalist Malak Mumtaz Khan andconsider it an act of terrorism,’ readsISPR statement. Governor KhyberPukhtunkhwa Engineer Shaukatullah,while condemning the killing of MalakMumtaz, has said that the murdererswould be brought to justice.

All such condemnations are merestatements for media consumption.Neither any action will be takenagainst the murderers nor is it possible.The TTP and the GovernorPukhtunkhwa both can’t find MalakMumtaz’s killers. In Pakistan, one ofthe most dangerous countries forjournalists, the killers of journalistshave never been brought to justice. Thehigh profile cases of Syed SaleemShahzad and Wali Babar are goodexamples.

Malak Mumtaz will remain in theheadlines for a few days; someseminars will be arranged; thejournalists’ unions will stage protests;but then he will be forgotten and noone will talk about him. Only hischildren and widow will miss him. As Iwrite this, the words of Malak Mumtazecho in my mind, ‘I know the feelingsof the families of killed journalists.’

TAHIR ALI IS A JOURNALIST BASED

IN PESHAWAR AND TRAVELS

EXTENSIVELY IN FATA

Block 11, G-6/1, Aabpara, IslamabadTelephone: 051 260 7153-4

Fax: 051 260 [email protected]

TAHIR ALI

Malak Mumtaz was the 13th journalist killed in the Federally Administered TribalAreas. In Pakistan, one of the most dangerous countries for journalists, the killers ofjournalists have never been brought to justice

Prime Minister Pervaiz Ashraf has initiated the process ofappointing the caretaker prime minister under the Constitution.He sent a letter to the Leader of the Opposition in the NationalAssembly, Nisar Ali Khan, on Wednesday, asking him to forwardhis nominations for the post. The prime minister couldn’t havesaid it better when he wrote that ‘the people of Pakistan rightlyexpect us to rise to the occasion and agree upon the most suitableperson as caretaker prime minister and pave the way for holdinggeneral elections in an impartial, fair and transparent manner.’The main opposition party, PML-N, has been consulting otheropposition parties in the parliament and even those outside it, andshould be ready to forward the names to the prime minsterthrough the Leader of the Opposition. It is important that the twosides reach a consensus on the caretaker prime minister withoutfalling prey to partisan interests. Any shortcoming on their partwill trigger a process that can only end up in controversy andimpact the upcoming elections negatively.

It was decided in the 18th Amendment that the caretaker primeminister and caretaker chief ministers will be appointed by thepresident and governors after consultation with the leaders of thehouse and leaders of the opposition in the national and provincialassemblies, respectively. The 20th Amendment refined the processfurther and created a back-up mechanism in case the outgoingleaders of the house and leaders of the opposition could not reachconsensus on the caretaker prime minister and chief ministerswithin three days of the dissolution of the national and provincialassemblies. They are then supposed to forward two names each toa parliamentary committee to be immediately constituted by thespeaker of the concerned assembly with equal number of membersfrom the treasury and the opposition. If the committee is unable todecide on a name within three days, these names will be referredto the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), which is bound tomake the final decision within the next two days.

Though the process provides a mechanism to handle a situationarising out of a lack of consensus, any disagreement will muddythe political environment. The parliamentary committee willnaturally reflect the same disagreement, and in case the ball isthrown in the court of ECP, it will eventually have to pick up onename, either one of the two sent by the leader of the house or oneof the two sent by the leader of the opposition. In either case, it willattract criticism from the side whose nominees are rejected. TheECP has already come under attack from various political partieson different counts and it should not be pushed into a cornerwhere it is likely to attract further criticism. In his letter to theleader of the opposition, the prime minister rightly said, ‘Let usenable the people of Pakistan to express their will in an exemplaryenvironment and ensure a smooth transition of power to the nextelected government.’ It is now up to the two leaders and the partiesthey directly and indirectly represent, to work towards achievingthis worthwhile goal.

Consensus on caretakers

He was not only a journalist butalso a dignified Malak (elder) whorepresented the Bar Dawar of NorthWaziristan. Since the launch of “waron terror”, more than one thousandmalaks (elders) have been killed all over FATA

Financial inclusion rate of Pakistan is close to15 percent, according to a research by WorldBank. The financial sector in Pakistan hasalways been conservative and limited in itsoutreach as majority of the population cannotafford financial services or want them for thatmatter. First of all, let’s see, what financialinclusion means. Financial inclusion is theaccess of appropriate financial services at anaffordable price to low income andmarginalised segments of the society.

Availability of credit, insurance and savingproducts for the majority of the populationwithout discrimination should be considered aprime area of development for thegovernment. Not being able to have access tothe financial services, results in a largemajority being deprived of access to affordablecredit. It also results in financial risk becauseof unexpected expense shocks and futureuncertainty owing to the lack of access tosavings and insurance products.

Due to the lack of a supporting environmentby the regulator and government, banks havehistorically not touched the long trail ofunbanked customers and under bankedcustomers. Banks primarily go for customerswith large deposits or who have a soundfinancial background. This has certainlycreated a vacuum with respect to targeting a

significant chunk of available customers.Perceptibly, whenever there is a vacuum,someone has to fill it. This time the telecomsector has taken the first mover’s advantage intapping the unbanked sector.

A popular cellular company’s plan for easymoney transfer has been a huge success inproviding financial services to the poor andlow-income segments of the society. Lookingat the success, Pakistan’s largest banks andother telecom competitors are now sharingthe branchless banking space with a fewinsignificant innovations in the paymentssector, largely copying the first mover’sbusiness model. This in turn will pose ahard-hitting challenge for this industry inthe near future, especially for those who areall bent on copying business models. It isimportant that product development andinnovation be made an important aspect ofbranchless banking so that the right mix offinancial products, tailored to the needs ofthe people, is provided in this huge untappedcustomer segment space.

The recent past has witnessed a fewdevelopments in the microfinance sector toenhance the process of financial inclusion inPakistan. However, the microfinance sectorsaw slow and stagnant deposit mobilisationwhich they termed as a major challenge to thesector’s growth. The aforementioned cellularcompany and its partner bank instantly

realised that the main challenge is to providealternate delivery channels to the customerswhich will in turn bring a bigger customerbase as well diversify the deposits. For thesame purpose the company launched its planwith the partner bank, which is an easilyaccessible branchless banking solution at anaffordable price. With these types ofinitiatives, microfinance sector has apromising future and will surely grow.

Sectors generating the major economicrevenue, for instance agriculture, have alwaysbeen neglected due to massive setup costs ofphysical banking branches in rural andremote areas of Pakistan. The time forchange has arrived. The increasing alternatedelivery channels, agent and mobile banking,can surely expect the majority of thepopulation grid coming under the financialspace. The key advantages of establishing anagent network and mobile banking accountshave been highlighted as: ease of access;relaxation of strict account opening rules;very little minimum balance requirements;use of the rapidly increasing mobile-communication sector and relaxing rules forverifying the customers. The regulator mustnow take steps for increasing awareness inthe industry as well as in the consumers bypromoting the message of financial inclusionof the unbanked population which will in turnresult in the growth of the economy and

increase in social benefits. This certainly signifies that the government

needs to put in more resources in theresearch and development sector especiallyin the payments space to enhance financialinclusion in the country. Mobile and agentbanking are the new key innovative processbreakthroughs in the country’s legacyaffected financial sector. The government issupporting the cause by increasing societalawareness about financial services by Issuingdebit cards to the unbanked populationunder its scheme “Benazir Income SupportProgramme” (BISP). I certainly do know thatthe programme is extremely ill planned withlots of loopholes. I am sure the governmentdoes not even realise the hidden awarenessthey have created through debit cards whichultimately results in use of alternatechannels like ATM, Point-of-Sale Machinesby the rural, low income segments. BISP hasalso set a path for government to person(G2P) social cash transfers which can be astandard for future. This will build smoothprocesses and due to automation, corruptionand process loopholes will also be controlled.

Besides this, BISP has also given us anotherhidden advantage which even the corporateindustry has over looked. They have createdsignificant customer awareness of financialproducts and their use among women, whoare an active player in savings and expenses of

their households. Women in Pakistan docontribute to household income through theinformal sector and in agriculture, cottonand small businesses industry. Majority ofthe female population run houses andmanage savings for monthly and dailyexpenses. If customer awareness in thissegment is created in terms of mobilebanking and its advantage of privacy andsecurity, (privacy and security being theprimary concerns of low income segments),I am sure this segment of consumers canalso be targeted very efficiently. A proposedway of achieving this is by designing tailoredproducts and services for women.

With new entrants making their presencein the market, it looks like that theregulator is playing a supporting role now.The need for enhancing financial inclusionhas been realised and customer awareness isincreasing with every passing day. However,banks still look largely conservative in theirapproach, with the exception of a few. But ifthe behaviour doesn’t change then onlybanks will look tiny and telcos will go big,changing the entire industry landscape.Ideally Pakistan should create a roadmap tobecome a cash lite society, with vast majorityof people using digital financial services fortransactions.

THE WRITER IS A FREELANCER

Financial inclusion in Pakistan

Nightmares of Malik RiazSuper outstanding work sir! But thetragedy is this that you are alone in thestruggle ,rest of media geese and gooseare always there to protect him. God

will reward you for such a genuine andpublic welfare investigativejournalism. This Malik Bahria Riazmust be kicked and exposed to thepublic. Love and peace for you AmirMateen bhai. Hats off!

MAYNOSH MALANG

[email protected]

The real power behind Malik Riaz. Abig thank you for your article post.Much obliged.

CLOMIPHENE 25 MG

[email protected]

Amazing story of PakistaniVillains! Great Work Amir mateen.

SAFDAR ABBAS

[email protected]

Dear Amir Sahib, I appreciate yourbold step as no other media person isready to write against the wrong

doings of Malik Riaz and company;rather everyone is busy praising thelot. I would suggest everyone tokindly see the Shoib Suddle report aswell.

IT might help unravel the role ofFBR, Auditors of Bahria Town andSECP.

M R KHAN

KHANMASOODURREHMAN@YAHOO

Amir Sahib, hats off to you! Afterreading all this, I am speechless. Nowonder the country's entire systemhas been hijacked by one and onlyMalik.

I wonder why even Supreme Courtis unable to take suo moto noticeeven on such news published withdocumentary evidences. MayAlmighty Allah guide and help ourcountry!

MA KHOKHAR

[email protected]

Itʼs a Punjabi bureaucracy

I'd have to check with you here,which is not something I usually do!I take pleasure in reading a post thatcan make men and women believe.Also, thanks for permitting me tocomment!

CRORMIBRA

[email protected]

Zardari, Nejad discuss gasline

Spot on with this write-up. I reallybelieve this internet site wants muchmore consideration. I'll almost certainly be once again toread far more, thanks for thatinformation.

NOXINDUDDYNEW

[email protected]

Why Mandviwalla became FM?

Sir, no one mentions what was the realmotive behind appointment ofMandwivala as finance minister. Afterbecoming finance minister, he held ameeting of ECC on Thursday last inwhich twenty summaries were tabledwhich were all related to scandalousdeals. He held another meeting onTuesday to give the go ahead to someother scandals, which included a raisein margins of OMCs and dealers.During last meeting of ECC, Bycorefinery was given special treatment toput billion of rupees burden on theconsumers. You know why, manypower corridors say that Ibraj group isthe finance manager of big boss andthe share holders of Byco and KESC.Now, judge why Mandwivala is up.

ZAFAR

[email protected]

Baabay di galI discovered your weblog site onGoogle and regularly check several ofyour early posts. Keep up the fantasticwork. I just added up your RSS feed tomy MSN News Reader. Lookingforward to reading far more from youlater on!

CRORMIBRA

[email protected]

Farmers demand wheatprocurement policy

Athar always take social issues directlylinked to people. Keep it up!

MALIHA

[email protected]

Please email your letters [email protected] or postthem to our address in Islamabad.

EDITOR’SMAIL BOX

Feedback from the web

AHMED SALEEMI

Banks and telecom companies are sharing the branchless banking space with a few insignificant innovations in thepayments sector, largely copying the first mover’s business model. This in turn will pose a hard-hitting challenge for this industry, especially for those who are all bent on copying business models

Page 7: The Spokesman

FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2013

My ‘restless youth’ was desperatelytrying to find an asylum in Pakistanifilms during my college days. If LalaSudheer, Habib, Mazhar Shah, Sawanand Alauddin were popular amongthe ‘Bara Anna’ (front) rows of anycinema house in those days, then theviewers of First Class and the DressCircle would go crazy aboutMuhammad Ali, Waheed Murad,Nadeem, Santosh, Mustafa Qureshi,etc. Same was the case for thefeminine flair. The front row viewerswould scream and screech whilewatching Firdaus, Naghma and fewof the heavy-weight hoppers, whilethe gentry would have a crush onZeba, Deeba, Neelo, Sabeeha, NayyerSultana and Shamim Ara.

After dreaming about myself as a‘hero’, I seriously thought abouttaking a crack at it as I didn’t lack‘anything’. Furthermore, my hairstylewas more or less like Ali Bhai’s.Ultimately my prayers wereanswered, when father’s best friendand renowned poet Qateel Shifaidecided to make a feature film titled,“Ik Lardki Meray Gauon Ki”. Withoutwasting any time I wrote a letter toChacha Jee and expressed mycraving. Surprisingly I got a replywithout any lull or lag, and that too,was very encouraging.

Since I had a ‘bright career’suddenly knocking at my door, Idecided to shelve my studies. One dayfather called me and asked whether Ihad written to Uncle Qateel.Reluctantly I nodded. He asked meabout my option in case I wasditched, and when I showed a mindof reverting back to the pavilion, heimmediately showed me the red light,saying that there is no coming backwhen one walks out into practical life.That’s how I got an early fissure in mywould-be film career. Nevertheless, itwas a couple of decades later, when Iwas more apt in playing characterroles, that my friend Syed Noorexploited my talent in a couple ofmovies. It was certainly an educationfor me to observe the in and outs ofthe Pakistani film industry.

These days Hollywood is believed tobe the largest film industry in theworld. In Pakistan we don’t have asmany mills and factories asHollywood has studios andacademies. In the top ranking filmindustries of the world Australian,French, German, Italian, Russian,Polish, Turkish, British, Indian andAmerican cinema could be termed asthe top ten. Rest assured that even if amerit list of the top ninety or evenhundred film industries is made, thejoke named ‘Lollywood’ is not goingto find any slot. And no one else canbe blamed for it except thegodfathers of this captive and cagedindustry. Given the constraints andthe talent available, any creativewriter, director, producer orcameraman who has earned a name,would have been at least nominatedfor the Oscar, had he been associatedwith any foreign film industry.

If Bollywood has adapted its namefrom Hollywood, being a grand filmindustry they are justified in doing so.Very few people would know that the

Indian film industry consists ofseveral regional cinemas and not onlyBollywood, aka Bombay’s industry.The regional cinema industries makesuperb low-cost but super-hit films.Indian cinema has not conquered theplace overnight. This giant sequoiawas a tiny sprout planted by HareeshChand Bhatwadikar about a centuryback. Every year the Indian cinemaindustry produces about 900 filmsand its yearly earnings come to aboutRs 80 billion. This is an industrywhere Salman Khan and Shah RukhKhan demand nothing less than Rs40 million for one film. At least sixmillion people are affiliated with itand earn their bread and butter fromit. Contrary to that, let’s have a look atour industry (which is more like anapology for the word cinema).

What a single leading Indiancelebrity gets for one film, we make atleast two average films on. And whenthe celluloid is ready to roll,distributors are begged to buy thosefilms. Modern cinema is usingArricam ST cameras and generationsbeyond that, while we are stillclutching seventy years old vintageGerman ArriFlex. No doubt JavedSheikh and Shahzad Gul tried tobreak existing barriers by usingdigital equipment, but unfortunatelythat was nothing more than a stormin a tea cup. Modern cinema talks oftechniques like achromatic doublet,angle plus angle, colour gel, digitalvisual interface and evangelion shots,while our ABC hasn’t yet crossed longshots, tight frames, zoom in and zoomout. Contemporary cinema, despitehaving a good script, still needs a‘script doctor’ (no joke) to make thescript ‘healthy’, whereas here the storyruns in the director’s mind and hewrites scenes right there on the floor.

Lollywood’s cream of the cropcomplains that the governmentdoesn’t patronise them. It is said that‘God helps those who helpthemselves’. My friends should tell usabout the contribution they havemade for the betterment of thePakistani film business. If my honestestimation is asked then I would saythat our film industry is decliningwith every passing day. Had that notbeen the case, neither our artists,singers, nor other talent would haveconverged on Bollywood. Nor wouldour distributors have exercised theirinfluence to exhibit Indian movies inPakistan. The bottom-line is that ourfilm industry needs an educated lot.We are at a crossroads where we haveto make a choice: either bring a‘Chinese Revolution’, or bow to Indiancinema forever. If the choice is thelatter, the nation will never forgive thePakistani Steven Spielbergs.

That film industry will never prosperwhose godfathers are self-centred andconsider themselves ‘Mr. All in One’.Have these Aristotles of Lollywood everthought why the professionals arereluctant to write for Pakistani cinemaor why the father of the Pakistani filmindustry, Ali Sufian Afaqi (I pray he isalive), is in hibernation? The time hascome that instead of accusing thegovernment we should rather analyzeour own attitudes. The industry whoseintellectual level doesn’t rise above ‘Jatda Kharrak, Sharif Badmash, andAthra Gujjar’ and that borrows titlesfrom the neighbouring country’smovies will certainly not take time toget cascaded.

THE WRITER IS A MEDIA STRATEGIST,BILINGUAL COLUMNIST, PLAYWRIGHT

AND AUTHOR

Zoom in, zoom out

In the United States everything is pollutedDemocracy is polluted with special interestsand corrupt politicians Accountability ispolluted with executive branch exemptionsfrom law and the Constitution and with speciallegal privileges for corporations, such as theSupreme Court given right to corporations topurchase American elections.

The Constitution is polluted with corruptlegal interpretations from the Bush and Obamaregimes that have turned constitutionalprohibitions into executive branch rights,transforming law from a shield of the peopleinto a weapon in the hands of government.

Waters are polluted with toxic waste spills, oilspills, chemical fertilizer run-off with resultingred tides and dead zones, acid discharges frommining with resulting destructive algae such asprymnesium parvum, from toxic chemicalsused in fracking and with methane thatfracking releases into wells and aquifers,resulting in warnings to homeowners near tofracking operations to open their windowswhen showering.

The soil’s fertility is damaged, and cropsrequire large quantities of chemical fertilizers.The soil is polluted with an endless array oftoxic substances and now with glyphosate, themain element in Monsanto’s Roundupherbicide with which GMO crops are sprayed.Glyphosate now shows up in wells, streams andin rain. Air is polluted with a variety of

substances, and there are many large cities inwhich there are days when the young, theelderly, and those suffering with asthma arewarned to remain indoors.

Our food itself is polluted with antibiotics,growth hormones, pesticides, and glyphosate.Glyphosate might be the most dangerousdevelopment to date. Some scientists believethat glyphosate has the potential to wipe outour main grain crops and now that Obama’sSecretary of Agriculture, Thomas Vilsack, hasapproved genetically modified Roundup Readyalfalfa, maintaining sustainable animal herdsfor milk and meat could become impossible.

On January 17, 2011, Dr. Don Huberoutlined the dangers of approving RoundupReady alfalfa in a letter to Secretary ofAgriculture Vilsack. Huber requested thatapproval be delayed until independentresearch could evaluate the risks. Vilsackignored the letter and accommodatedMonsanto’s desire for monopoly profits thatcome from the company’s drive to control theseed supply of US and world agriculture byapproving Roundup Ready alfalfa.

Who is Don Huber, and why is his letterimportant? Huber is professor emeritus atPurdue University. He has been a plantpathologist and soil microbiologist for a halfcentury. He has an international reputation as aleading authority.

Glyphosate is a powerful biocide. It harmsbeneficial soil organisms, altering the naturalbalance in the soil and reducing the diseaseresistance of crops, thus unleashing diseasesthat devastate corn, soybean, and wheat crops,and giving rise to a new pathogen associatedwith premature animal aging and infertility.These developments, Huber told theAgriculture Secretary, “are threatening theeconomic viability of both crop and animalproducers.” The evidence seems to be real thatgenetically modified crops have lost theirgenetic resistance to diseases that neverpreviously were threats. There is evidence thatthe new pathogen is related to a rise in humaninfertility and is likely having adverse effects onhuman health of which we are still uninformed.

Monsanto disputes Huber’s claims and gotsupport for its position from the agriculturalextension services of Iowa State and OhioState universities. However, the question iswhether these are independently fundedservices or corporate supported, and there isalways the element of professional rivalry,especially for funding, which comes mainlyfrom agribusiness.

The Purdue University extension service wasmore circumspect. On the one hand it admitsthat there is evidence that supports Huber’sclaims: “The claim that herbicides, such asglyphosate, can make plants more susceptible

to disease is not entirely without merit.Research has indicated that plants sprayed withglyphosate or other herbicides are moresusceptible to many biological andphysiological disorders. Although someresearch indicates there is an increase in diseaseseverity on plants in the presence of glyphosate,it does NOT necessarily mean that there is animpact on yield.”

On the other hand, the Purdue extensionservice maintains its recommendation for“judicious glyphosate use for weed control.”However, one of Huber’s points is that weedsare developing Roundup resistance. Use hasgone beyond the “judicious” level and asglyphosate builds up in soil, its adverseeffects increase.

A submission to the EnvironmentalProtection Agency by 26 universityentomologists describes the constraints thatagribusiness has put on the ability ofindependent scientists to conduct objectiveresearch. The submission, in which thescientists are afraid to reveal their namesbecause of the threat of funding cutoffs, isincluded as an item in one of thebibliographical references below. Here is thestatement:

“The names of the scientists have beenwithheld from the public docket becausevirtually all of us require cooperation from

industry at some level to conduct our research.Statement: Technology/stewardshipagreements required for the purchase ofgenetically modified seed explicitly prohibitresearch. These agreements inhibit publicscientists from pursuing their mandated role onbehalf of the public good unless the research isapproved by industry. As a result of restrictedaccess, no truly independent research can belegally conducted on many critical questionsregarding the technology, its performance, itsmanagement implications, IRM, and itsinteractions with insect biology. Consequently,data flowing to an EPA Scientific AdvisoryPanel from the public sector is unduly limited.”

Monsanto is not only sufficiently powerful toprevent any research other than that which itpurchases with its funding, but also Monsantosucceeded last year in blocking with money andpropaganda the GMO labeling law inCalifornia. I would tell you to be careful whatyou eat as it can make you ill and infertile, butyou can’t even find out what you are eating.

You live in America, which has “freedom anddemocracy” and “accountable” government and”accountable” corporations. You don’t need toworry. The government and responsiblecorporations are taking good care of you.Especially Obama, Vilsack, and Monsanto.

(COUNTERPUNCH)

For my generation, freedom, bothin my native home, theNetherlands, and in my currenthome, the US, is a given. It'ssomething I take for granted andan issue I'm not concerned withevery day. Freedom is like thedikes we have built in theNetherlands to protect ourselvesfrom the sea; we know they'rethere, but they have become partof the landscape, something that isnormal. The dikes separate saltwater from sweet water.Interestingly, the building of dikesto prevent the occurrence ofproblems with rising water hasbecome a metaphor integral toDutch thinking. For instance,when we talk about immigrants,we use terms like, "rise","overflow", "flooding", or "full," forexample, some people say that thecountry is "full".

On top of that in theNetherlands, we don't just say"immigrants" like we do here inthe US, but instead we make aclear distinction betweenautochthonous (from the soil) andallochthonous (from a distantplace) people. Or, if you will,between sweet water and saltwater. Sweet water and salt water,by the way, do not mix. They stayseparate.

In the 1960s and 1970s migrantworkers from Mediterraneancountries were recruited by theDutch to do menial jobs. Some ofthem came for a short while, othersstayed and brought their families.These mostly uneducated workersdidn't have the tools to learnanother language or adapt to thepeculiar Dutch culture. Theyconvened at the mosque andshopped at their own stores, justlike for instance the Chinese do allover the world.

Of course there were manyconflicts between theautochthonous and theallochthonous on many differentissues, one of them being that theallochthonous were comfortablebeing separate, while enjoying thebenefits of the generous, at thetime, Dutch welfare state. Worldclass schools, excellent healthcare,reliable public transportation, andthe aforementioned dikes, werepart of the physical and sociallandscape. Autochthones felt thatthe immigrants didn't deserve toshare in the wealth, especially ifthey didn't want to work or adaptto the Dutch culture.

These feelings were bottled upbecause, since World War II, wewere careful not to talk aboutminorities in a way that might leadto another genocide. In the 1990sthat reservoir burst, and anti-immigrant - especiallyanti-Muslim immigrant -sentiments manifested in thecreation of new political partiesand the rise of Pim Fortuyn. Ialways considered him a friendlydemagogue. He didn't mean anyharm, but, he believed that if youshare the same water, you had toobey the rules of those whomaintained the facilities, or elseleave. I met Fortuyn once at abirthday party of a mutual friend.He was a very kind gentleman but,at the same time, a witty and fiercedebater. Unfortunately, he wasassassinated by a political activistin 2002.

We are more than ten yearsfurther now, and Fortuyn's legacyis in the hands of Geert Wilders.He is becoming the internationalfigurehead in the "cold war againstIslam", as Pim Fortuyn called it.Wilders is a politician who runs hisown political party in theNetherlands, but has speakingengagements all over the world.

Last week he was in Australia.Everywhere he goes, he is followedby controversy and protests. Lastweek, for instance, the website ofthe Australian Broadcast Companywas hacked because they aired aninterview with Wilders.

“I don't hate Muslims, I hateIslam,” Wilders stated in theBritish daily, The Observer (16-2-08). His views are well-known andshared all over Europe. His anti-Islamic rhetoric is oftentimesscolding, and sometimes veryinsulting. It's his prerogative to bethat way because, as I said, weDutch live in a free country. Noteverybody agrees with thisstatement, though, and now theDutch taxpayer provides Mr.Wilders with 24-hour security,because his life is being threatenedconstantly. The example of thedikes, and solving a problem by"damming" it in, is somethingtypically Dutch.

In our Western world acomparative metaphor from theunconscious is the battle betweenthe Romans and the Barbarians.We in the west consider ourselvesthe legacy of the Roman empire.The Romans gave us our alphabet,literature, science, democracy,infrastructure, taxes, and so forth.Although my ancestors wereconsidered Barbarians, I identifyunconsciously with the Romans;whenever I read about whathappened after Rome fell, I feel thedeepest sympathy for those poorRomans.

This archetypal image of theproper cultivated group, "us,"being threatened by the uncivilized"them," is purported by Wildersand his like. They present theircase in a similar fashion, but give ita horrendous twist; it is an attackfrom within. Wilders keepsrepeating how many mosquesthere are in Europe and how little

we know about what is said inside. As an interesting side note, the

English word for "barbarian"comes from the Greek, “barbaros,”which is an antonym for the term,citizen. The word barbaros isonomatopoetic because it evokesthe babbling sound of a languageone doesn't understand. We havethese patterns in our brains,certain preconceived structures. IfI would tell you horrendousstories about how Muslims arebeing discriminated against, youmight think that I am right,because you may expect Muslimsin the Western world to be treatedbadly (I hope this is not the case).

As human beings, whocontinuously strive to improvecircumstances, we have to be awareof our own deficiencies and ourown limitations. That means wehave to be creative in finding newsolutions to old problems. Back inthe day, we used to build dikes tokeep the water out. But we forgotthat the water that streams downriver from Germany and Francethreatens the country from within.We tried to contain the Rhine andMeuse Rivers, but to no avail. Thecontrary happened, the water hadnowhere to go and found its lowestpoints in urban areas. Our citeswere flooded.

We have since learned to removethe dikes, so certain areas canflood, relieving the cities andreplenishing the fields. The goodnews is that because the watermanagement has changed, themetaphors have changed as well.Hopefully this new metaphor willprovide every Dutchman andwoman with a tool to find a way toaccept Islamic people in theirsociety.

GERALD VAN WILGEN IS A DUTCH

WRITER WHO LIVES AND WORKS IN

THE UNITED STATES

The other side of the story

GERALD VAN WILGEN

SOHAIL PARWAZ

The good news is that because the water management has changed, the metaphorshave changed as well. Hopefully this new metaphor will provide every Dutchmanand woman with a tool to find a way to accept Islamic people in their society

If a merit list of the top hundred filmindustries is made, the joke named‘Lollywood’ is not going to find any slot

From politics to the streets, from the drinking water to the air, there is pollution everywhere in the US

One nation, under MonsantoPAUL CRAIG ROBERTS

Page 8: The Spokesman

FRIDAY, MARCH 01, 2013

US-based hackerstargeting websites: ChinaBEIJING: China's military saidThursday that overseas computerhackers targeted two of its websitesan average of 144,000 times permonth last year, with almost two-thirds of the attacks originating inthe United States. The claim fromDefense Ministry spokesman GengYansheng follows accusations lastweek by American cybersecuritycompany Mandiant that Chinesemilitary-backed cyberspies infiltratedoverseas networks and stole massiveamounts of data from US companiesand other entities. –AGENCIES

ʻSyria refugees threatenLebanonʼs stabilityʼBEIRUT: Lebanon's interior ministersaid on Thursday that refugees whohave fled from the war in neighboringSyria have become a threat toLebanon's security because of thesuspicion that many are in fact rebelfighters. Residents in northernLebanon say that rebels pose asrefugees to cross the border, and arearming members of the refugeecommunity in Lebanon to fight inSyria. The minister, Marwan Charbel,has said Syrian rebels have set uptraining camps in Lebanon. –AGENCIES

Horsemeat traces foundin beef products in GreeceATHENS: Tests on samples of frozenbeef products sold in Greeceoriginating from Romania haveshown traces of undeclaredhorsemeat, Greek authorities saidhere on Thursday. According to theEFET, the samples come from frozenmeat products distributed acrossGreece from the Zikoudi Vassilikicompany. It is the first time that theGreek Food Authority (EFET) verifiedthe presence of horsemeat traces inproducts in Greece since the start ofthe scandal across Europe.

Bulgaria electionsset for May 12SOFIA: Bulgaria's president saidThursday that early elections wouldtake place on May 12 following PrimeMinister Boyko Borisov's surpriseresignation last week after the biggestnationwide protests in 16 years. "Inthe current dead-end situation, it ismost responsible and most honest togo for early elections ... The vote willbe held on the first suitable date --May 12," Rosen Plevneliev toldparliament. Borisov quit after twoweeks of sometimes violent protestsagainst high electricity prices,corruption, low salaries and risingunemployment in the EuropeanUnion's poorest member. –AGENCIES

MURRAY DOBBIN

THE West’s hypocrisy andoil-greed are cominghome to roost with avengeance in Libya as theArab spring in that

country turns into a nightmarishwinter characterized by armed gangs,economic collapse, a decline in servicesby an incompetent government andincreasing political domination byradical Islamists.

Whether or not the Libyan peoplethink this is better than living underthe autocratic and bizarre MuammarGaddafi is obviously for them to decide.But the notion that getting rid ofGaddafi was somehow going to bringliberal democracy to this oil-richcountry was never believed by theWestern powers who brought about hisdownfall. We will never know if a civilwar in that country without the West’sintervention on one side would haveseen Gaddafi ousted. It seems unlikely.Gaddafi would also still be alivewithout US intelligence provided to therebels on his attempted escape.

But Western powers knew the riskthey were taking and took it anyway.They are no doubt busy doing theirown calculations – a cost benefit

analysis of regime change and itsgrotesque blowback. Then Secretary ofState Hillary Clinton said of Gaddafi’sbrutal, summary execution: “We came,we saw, he died.” Then she laughed. Itwas a repulsive performance (perhapsshe was trying to outdo anotherSecretary of State, Madeleine Albrightwho when asked if half a million deadchildren was too high a price forsanctions on Iraq replied “We think theprice was worth it.”)

The US is not so sanguine now aboutthe results of their spurious ‘no fly zone’war on the Libyan regime. And talkabout bad Karma. Clinton’s notlaughing now as her political career hasbeen severely damaged by thesubsequent murder of the USambassador by her cherished freedomfighters. She was responsible for thelevel of security at the US embassy andshe will wear that responsibility for therest of her career – including her runfor the democratic nomination.

It’s hard to know if the arrogance ofthe West is rooted in willful ignoranceor hubris but the governments involvedin regime change should have knownthe inevitable outcome of their actions.The poison pill of regimes likeGaddafi’s and Egypt’s Hosni Mubarakis that the disappearance of a dictator

leaves an enormous power vacuumthat gets filled quickly. Democracy –and all the things that underpin it liketolerance, human rights, civil liberties,the rule of law, and pluralism – doesn’tsuddenly appear just because you holdelections – even “fair” ones. It growsout of decades of robust civil societyorganizations through which virtuallyall citizens, to varying degrees, absorbthe values and attitudes critical to afunctioning democracy.

None of the Arab Spring nationsexhibited diverse, strong civil societygroups before their rebellions becausesuch organizations were a threat to theregimes and thus ruthlessly suppressed.The result in Egypt was that secularforces – responsible for Mubarak’soverthrow – were unable agree on asingle candidate to defeat the Islamistsand their religious agenda.

If Egypt’s spring is a hugedisappointment, Libya’s is acatastrophe. Ansar al-Sharia (allegedlytied to Al Qaeda), the Islamist militiawidely accused of being responsible forthe murderous assault on the USembassy, along with three othermilitias have divided up Benghazi. Thenew government is so inept and has solittle moral authority that it is said to beactually signing “co-operation”

agreements with Ansar al-Sharia toreceive detainees arrested at itscheckpoints. The collapse of the formerregime’s police and military means thecentral government is increasinglydependent on the militias for security.Ansar al-Sharia is also takingadvantage of the collapse of centralgovernment services by setting up itsown humanitarian services.Throughout the country both militiasand armed criminal gangs operate withimpunity and kidnappings, killings,armed robberies and the destruction ofSufi shrines and Christian graves gocompletely unpunished. Rigidenforcement of religious rules havemany people terrified.

The combination of governmentincompetence, the politics of revengeand the Islamist suspicion of any kindof secular governance means that theeconomy is in a downward spiral aswell. Gaddafi’s huge infrastructureprojects – including the largestirrigation project on the planet – havevirtually all ground to a halt. There isnothing on the horizon to suggest theywill be restarted soon. Many of theworkers who were key to theircompletion have fled the country out offear of the militias. Obsessed withreligion and purifying Libyan society

the last thing on the Islamists minds isa functioning economy.

So, if Western governments knew thatthe “revolution” would result in chaosand another Islamist state what couldpossibly make such a result worthwhile?Was it just oil? The West already hadaccess to Libya’s oil but the proceedswent to Libya. What few people inWestern countries realise is that it wasGaddafi’s African nationalism that reallyhad them worried. Gaddafi – the so-called lunatic – was seriously messingwith capitalism’s internationalinstitutions and threatening the USdollar as the global currency.

That threat was serious enough thateven his major compromises with theWest – ending support for terrorism,dropping his pursuit of nucleartechnology, working with the USmilitary and intelligence services –were not enough to protect him. One ofthe few African nations withindependent wealth, Gaddafi had plansto make the continent independent ofWestern institutions like the IMF, andWorld Bank.

Gaddafi was the force behind thecreation of the African InvestmentBank, and in 2011 of the AfricanMonetary Fund to be based inYaounde, Libya with a US$42 billion

capital fund and the African CentralBank based in Abuja, in Nigeria. TheIMF, whose economic blackmail hasresulted in social devastationthroughout the developing world, washeaded for irrelevance. The samecountries that bombed Libya tried foryears to undermine these efforts butfailed. Faced with the severe damagecaused to the global financial system bythe 2008 meltdown, getting rid ofGaddafi was even more important.Gaddafi’s longer term plans for a singleAfrican currency backed by gold – andno longer accepting US dollars inpayment for oil – was an even greaterthreat as it would have weakened analready weakened US dollar.

It seems virtually certain thatGaddafi’s projects aimed at freeingAfrica from the ravages of Westernbanks will not be completed. Theyrelied for their fruition on the billionsGaddafi had earmarked for them. Theradical Islamists who will ultimatelycontrol Libya’s government have nointerest in assisting any part of Africathat is not Islamist. African nations willnow slip back under the perniciousinfluence of the IMF and the WorldBank knowing that if they dare get outof line NATO may find a ‘no fly zone’excuse to bring them back.

Libya’s nightmarish winter and the west’s hypocrisyIt was Gaddafi’s African nationalism that really had the western governments worried. He was seriouslymessing with capitalism’s international institutions and threatening the US dollar as the global currency

DHAKA: A Bangladesh war crimestribunal sentenced a Jamaat-i-Islami(JI) leader to death on Thursday, thethird verdict by the court set up toinvestigate abuses during thecountry’s independence war.

Delwar Hossain Sayedee, 73,vice-president of the JI, was foundguilty of charges of mass killing,rape, arson, looting and forcingminority Hindus to convert toIslam during the 1971independence war, lawyers andtribunal officials said.

The religious party, known asJamaat, called for a day-longcountrywide strike in anticipation of

the verdict against Sayedee, thethird senior party member convictedby the tribunal. The strike call waslargely ignored. “The verdict hasappropriately demonstrated justice.We are happy,” state prosecutorHaider Ali told reporters.

Jamaat officials were notimmediately available forcomment. They condemned thetwo earlier convictions.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina setup the tribunal in 2010 toinvestigate abuses during theindependence war that claimedabout 3 million lives and duringwhich thousands of women were

raped. The tribunal has beencriticised by rights groups for failingto adhere to international standardsof due process. Human RightsWatch cited defence lawyers,witnesses and investigators as sayingthey had been threatened. Critics saythe tribunal is being used by theprime minister as an instrumentagainst her opponents in the twobiggest opposition parties, theBangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)and the JI. Begum Khaleda Zia,Hasina’s arch rival and leader of theBNP, has called the tribunal a“farce”. Hasina’s party has deniedallegations of bias. –AGENCIES

ATHENS: Greek presidential Evzoni Guards perform at the monument of the Unknown Soldier during the visit by French defence minister. –ONLINE

ROME: The United States, steppingup its support for the Syrianopposition, announced on Thursdayan additional $60 million inassistance to help the oppositionprovide basic services in areas theycontrol. Secretary of State JohnKerry said the United States wouldalso provide food rations andmedical supplies to the Free SyrianArmy, the armed wing of theopposition, the first such Americanaid to the opposition’s military.

Mr. Kerry made theannouncement after a meeting withSyrian opposition leaders in Rome.On Wednesday, senioradministration officials said that atraining mission for the rebels at abase in the region, which is alreadyunder way, represented the deepestAmerican involvement yet in theSyrian conflict, though the size andscope of the mission is not clear, noris its host country. Before arriving inRome, Mr. Kerry said in Paris thatthe Syrian opposition neededadditional assistance and indicatedthat the United States and itspartners planned to provide some.

One major goal of theadministration is to help theopposition build up its credibilitywithin Syria by providing traditionalgovernment services to the civilianpopulation. Since the conflicterupted two years ago, the United

States has sent $365 million inhumanitarian aid to Syrians.

American officials have beenincreasingly worried that extremistmembers of the resistance againstthe government of President Basharal-Assad, notably the Al NusraFront, which the United States hasasserted is affiliated with Al Qaeda,will take control of portions of Syriaand cement its authority byproviding public services, much asHezbollah has done in Lebanon.

“Some folks on the ground that wedon’t support and whose interests donot align with ours are deliveringsome of that help,” Mr. Kerry said.

To blunt the power of extremistgroups, the United States wants tohelp the Syrian OppositionCouncil, the coalition of Syrianresistance leaders it backs andhelped organize, deliver basicservices in areas that have beenwrested from the control of theAssad government.

The aid package announced onThursday is intended to supportcivilian efforts such as sanitationprojects, education, and security.Another major goal in providingassistance is to jump-startnegotiations over a politicaltransition by sending a messageto Mr. Assad that the rebelswould ultimately prevail on theground. –AGENCIES

WASHINGTON: Across-the-board spending cuts allbut certain, Republicans andDemocrats in the Senate arestaging a politically chargedshowdown designed to avoidpublic blame for anyresulting inconvenience ordisruption in governmentservices.

The two parties draftedalternative measures toreplace the cuts, but officialsconceded in advance therival measures weredoomed. At the WhiteHouse, Barack Obamainvited congressional leadersto discuss the issue with himon Friday — deadline day foraverting the cuts, whichwould slash $85 billion fromthe military and domesticprograms alike.

Democrats controllingthe Senate are pushing a$110 billion plan that wouldblock the cuts through theend of the year. They wouldcarve 5pc from domesticagencies and 8pc from thePentagon but would leaveseveral major programsalone, while limiting thecuts to Medicare to a 2pcreduction to health careproviders like doctors andhospitals. –AGENCIES

COLOMBO: The Sri Lankangovernment renewed a call for the mainTamil party to join a parliamentaryselect committee to discuss minorityissues on Thursday amid the island' shuman rights record being criticized atthe United Nations Human RightsCouncil (UNHRC) sessions.

"We have invited the Tamil NationalAlliance (TNA) to participate in aParliamentary Select Committeecomprised of all political partiesbelonging to different ethnicities todiscuss an inclusive power sharingmechanism but they have so far refused todo so. We are prepared for discussions soall we can do is ask them to participateagain," said government spokesman andMedia Minister Keheliya Rambukwella.

The call comes as the United Statesprepares to pass a second resolution onSri Lanka at the on-going UNHRC

sessions in Geneva. The main reasongiven by the United States is that thegovernment has not done enough topromote human rights and fosterreconciliation with the Tamil minority.Rambukwella rejected criticism voicedby United Nations Human RightsCommissioner Navi Pillay on Monday inGeneva that the government had notpushed ahead with finding a politicalsolution despite the end of a threedecade war in 2009. He also vehementlyrejected a Human Rights Watch reportaccusing the military of using sexualviolence against the Tamil minority. In a141-page report titled "We Will TeachYou a Lesson: Sexual Violence againstTamils by Sri Lankan Security Forces,"the New york-based Human RightsWatch details the personal accounts of75 alleged cases of rapes and assaultsoccurred since 2006. –AGENCIES

Sri Lanka renews talksoffer to Tamil party

Benedict promises obedience to successorVATICAN CITY: Pope Benedict XVI promised his “unconditionalreverence and obedience” to his successor in his final words to hiscardinals on Thursday, a poignant farewell before he becomes thefirst pope in 600 years to resign. The pontiff appeared to be tryingto defuse concerns about possible conflicts arising from the peculiarsituation of having a reigning pope and a retired one. Delivering anunexpected speech, Benedict also urged the “princes” of the churchto set aside their differences as they elect the next pope, urgingthem to be unified so that the College of Cardinals works “like anorchestra” where “agreement and harmony” can be reached despitediversity. “Among you is also the future pope, whom I promise myunconditional reverence and obedience,” Benedict said in his finalaudience. Benedict’s decision to live at the Vatican in retirement,be called “emeritus pope” and “Your Holiness” and to wear thewhite cassock associated with the papacy has deepened concernsabout the shadow he will cast over the next papacy. But Benedicthas tried to address those worries, saying that once retired he wouldbe “hidden from the world.” –AGENCIES

US pledges$60 millionto Syrian Opp

B’desh war crimes tribunal sentences third JI leader

Republicans,Democrats‘staging’ ashowdown

Bangladesh violence toll risesto 19, paramilitary troops called upDHAKA: Paramilitary troops were called up in Bangladesh's capital Dhakaand other violence-ridden cities and towns in the country Thursday afterfierce clashes following a war- crime trial verdict left at least 19 people deadand dozens wounded. The law enforcers and the activists of BangladeshJamaat-e- Islami party armed with lethal weapons clashed for hours inabout a dozen Bangladesh districts when the anti-riot police reportedlyfired scores of gunshots and rubber bullets to disperse the protesters. LocalTV channels reported that at least "19 people" were dead in the incidents ofclashes in 10 Bangladesh districts. "Five died in Thakurgaon district, four inRangpur, two in Sirajganj, one in Dinajpur, two in Cox's Bazaar andChittagong, one in Natore, two in Noakhali, one in Moulvibazar and one inSatkhira," the BANGLA VISION television reported. –AGENCIES

KUALA LUMPUR: Thailand’s governmentsigned a breakthrough deal with Musliminsurgents for the first time ever Thursday,agreeing to hold talks to ease nearly a decadeof violence in the country’s southern provincesthat has killed more than 5,000 people.

The agreement was announced in theMalaysian capital Kuala Lumpur betweenThai authorities and the militant NationalRevolution Front, also known by its Malay-language name, Barisan Revolusi NasionalMelayu Pattani. It is seen as a positive step,

but it is unlikely to end the conflict becauseseveral other shadowy guerrilla movementsare also fighting in southern Thailand andthey have yet to agree to talks. ”God-willing,we’ll do our best to solve the problem. We willtell our people to work together,” HassanTaib, a Malaysian-based seniorrepresentative of National Revolution Front,said after a brief signing ceremony withParadorn Pattanathabutr, secretary generalof Thailand’s National Security Council.Later Thursday, Malaysian Prime Minister

Najib Razak was expected to discuss theagreement in Kuala Lumpur with his Thaicounterpart, Yingluck Shinawatra. Noschedule was given for future talks betweenthe two sides, and no other details wereavailable. Violence has occurred nearly everyday in Thailand’s three southernmostprovinces since the insurgency erupted in2004. Security forces as well as teachers havebeen targeted by insurgents because they areseen as representatives of the government ofthe Buddhist-dominated nation. –AGENCIES

Thailand govt signs deal with Muslims

Page 9: The Spokesman

Gold 10 Gms Dollar InterbankKibor 6 months T Bills6 monthsUrea/Bag Coal Spot 10-Y PIB Furnace

Rs.52028 Rs. 98.18 9.15%-9.40% 9.16% Rs. 1704 $92.85/Ton 11.42% 76,188/MT

FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2013

Finance ministry notifies audit andaccounts allowanceISLAMABAD: The finance division(regulation wing) has issued thenotification regarding audit andaccounts allowance to the staffworking under Controller General ofAccounts and Auditor General ofPakistan. The Accounts and AuditAllowance will be admissible @ 20percent of the basic pay of the civilservants performing their duties inthe accounts and audit departmentswith effect from 1 March 2013. Theallowance will be admissible to theemployees working under CGA andAGP during leave and leavepreparatory to retirement(LPR). Itwould not treated as the part ofpension , which means that it wouldbe allowed to serving persons only.Earlier, Prime Minister Raja PervezAshraf approved the summary ofaudit and accounts allowance thisweek on the long protest by theemployees of AGPR. –AGENCIES

Punjab mills produce 2m metric tonnes of sugar LAHORE: Punjab CaneCommissioner Ahmer Malik has saidthat over two million metric tons ofsugar (2,096,064) has beenproduced by Sugar Mills in Punjabduring the current season and a totalof 1,872,522 metric ton sugar isavailable in the stocks. The CaneCommissioner said that sugar millspurchased 21,239,399 metric tons ofsugarcane from the sugarcanegrowers by February 26, during thecurrent season. The total cost of thissugarcane is Rs.90.17 billion andsugar mills have made payment ofover Rs.77.179 billion which is 86percent of total amount. He saidoutstanding amount of Rs.12.99billion with the sugar mills will bepaid to the farmers by March 15. –INP

Traveling expo ʻEnergyfor a Sustainable WorldʼISLAMABAD: An InternationalTraveling Expo titled “Energies, for aSustainable World” is going to startfrom today March 01 under the aegisof Pakistan Science foundation andwould be continued till March 07.The exhibition in Pakistan will travelfrom Islamabad to Muzzafarabad(AJK), Gilgit, Abbottabad, Gujrat,Larkana during March-April, 2013and will be concluded at Quetta(Balochistan). The Expo will providea great opportunity to the studentsof all age groups, faculty members,researchers and general public to getfirsthand knowledge about variousforms of Energy, ways to enhancethe Energy Resources and theirproper uses for the nationaldevelopment. Pakistan ScienceFoundation (PSF), as part of itsscience popularization activitiesholds S&T Fairs and Exhibitions forcreating science awareness amongthe students and general public. Inthis regard, so far more than 2million students, teachers andgeneral visitors have participated inthese expositions, which mainlyinclude five National S&T Fairs, fourInternational traveling Expos and alarge number of science caravanexhibitions. –AGENCIES

BRUSSELS: A new cap on bankers' bonusesagreed overnight in Brussels was hailed by itssupporters as a breakthrough to rein in thefinancial sector, but dismissed by critics as areckless move that would drive bankersabroad or force up their base pay.

Bankers in Europe could be barred fromreceiving bonuses equal to more than theirbase salaries as soon as next year, followingagreement in Brussels on Thursday.Shareholders would be allowed to vote toraise the cap to double base pay, but nohigher. The cap has been somewhat softenedby allowing banks to discount future values ofshares, options, bonds or other non-cashpayments paid out over a number of years,but nevertheless amounts to the toughestlimit of its kind in the world.

The rules would apply to Europe-basedemployees of any bank, as well as to staff of

European banks wherever they are based. That means a Deutsche Bank employee

working in New York or Tokyo would besubject to the limits, as would a GoldmanSachs banker posted to London, althoughthat provision may later be reviewed.

"There will be no exceptions," said OthmarKaras, the Austrian lawmaker who helpednegotiate the deal. "It goes for all banks insideand outside the European Union and for allforeign banks inside the European Union."

The cap addresses public anger at whatmany European politicians describe asrampant greed in the financial sector. Manypeople on the continent blame huge bonusesfor encouraging bankers to take outsizedrisks that caused the 2008 financial crisis,when banks had to be bailed out with publicfunds.

Banks argue that without big bonuses they

will be forced to increase base pay to keepstaff, raising their fixed costs and making itmore difficult to manage their businesses. "Ifthe cap is implemented, it could result insignificantly more complex pay structureswithin banks as they try to fall outside therestrictions to remain competitive globally,"said Alex Beidas, a pay specialist with the lawfirm Linklaters.

The cap could also deepen the rift betweenBritain - home to the EU's financial capital -and the EU at a time when Prime MinisterDavid Cameron has accused Brussels ofmeddling too much in domestic affairs andpromised a referendum on Britain'smembership in the 27-member bloc.

The backing of a majority of EU states isneeded for the deal to be finalized, so Britainwould not be able to block it alone. Still, onemember of the European Parliament privately

signaled that the deal could yet change,pointing to the "reservations" of some EUcountries.

The limit on bankers' pay, set to enter EUlaw as part of a wider overhaul of capital rulesaimed at making banks more stable, will bepopular on a continent struggling to emergefrom the ruins of the financial crisis.

But it represents a setback for the Britishgovernment, which had long argued againstsuch absolute limits. The City of London, with144,000 banking staff and 700,000 peopleworking in financial and professionalservices, will be hit hardest. "The UnitedKingdom is not happy," one Europeanparliament lawmaker said privately. Britishofficials did not immediately comment. InLondon's Canary Wharf, where many of theglobe's biggest banks have offices, financeprofessionals were skeptical. –REUTERS

EU clinches deal to cap bankers' bonuses

ZEESHAN JAVAID

ISLAMABAD: Having already lost positionover controversial Kishanganga Hydropowerproject, the federal government now seemslike failing to even boost up the work tocomplete the lifeline of the country in time.The hydel power generating 969MWNeelum-Jehlum hydropower (NJHP) projectlooks like heading towards oblivion as NJHPCompany has been seeking funds for TunnelBoring Machines (TBM) in operation.

Senior official privy the developmentinformed “The Spokesman” that the twoTBMs stopped working during its test phasemanages in 1st half of February because ofinterrupted supply of electricity.

The chief executive of NJHPC, Lt. Gen(Ret) Zubair although categorically rejectedthe information regarding the stoppage ofTBMs, however he was of the view thatfinance division was not ready to release the

sufficient funds to purchase the fourgenerators 4MW each for supply ofuninterrupted supply to TBMs.

He further maintained utilising thecompany’s own financial resources; twogenerators have been in assembling phase,while the 3rd generator had arrived daybefore yesterday. Responding to a query aboutthe actual cost of all these four generators, headded that the cost of single generator havingcapacity of 4MW surfaced at $15 million each.

Furthermore, he added that the lastmeeting of Economic CoordinationCommittee (ECC) approved theaccumulated finance of Rs. 24 billion inthree different phases including Rs. 2.5billion in 1st tranche, Rs. 1.5 billion in 2ndphase, and funds of Rs. 20 billion in the headof WAPDA scoop bonds.

Commenting over the recently partialdecision surfaced by Permanent Court ofArbitration (PCA) over controversial 330MW

Kishanganga hydropower project, Gen (Ret)Zubair was of the view that diversion of waterby Indian authorities could cause a loss of10% water in Neelum River followed loss of499GWh electricity and annual financialdeficit of $141.3 million.

The work on 969 MW NJHP, thestrategically important and only majorongoing water sector initiative, is facingdelay due to dearth of funds for TBMs,which were inaugurated by premier RajaPervaiz Ashraf on August 6, 2012 followingtheir installation at one of the sites of the969 MW NJHP near Thotha Majoi in AzadJammu and Kashmir (AJK).

These two TBMs were procured at a cost ofabout Rs 19.5 billion. This cost also includedthe expenditure incurred on their shipmentto and installation at the site. NJHP Companyclaimed that the cost of these two machineswould be recovered in three years, addingthese machines would be used for other such

projects in the future.The project has been facing shortage of

funds for the last couple of months due todelay in delivery of funds from the FinanceMinistry, despite the claim made by NJHPCas 40 percent of work has been completed.Once the machines became fully functional,TBMs would be able to make one kilometerevery month, while these TBMs with therequired modifications, could also be used forconstruction of the other water andhydropower projects that involve tunneling intheir implementation.

Annual benefits of the project have beencalculated at around Rs 45 billion, while theproject will pay back its cost in about sevenyears, while deployment of TBMs wouldreduce construction period by about 18months. This will result in an estimatedbenefit of Rs 67 billion and would becompleted during the estimated period ofnext four years.

Fiscal crisis engulfs Neelum-Jehlum project

CURRENCY BUYING SELLINGUS Dollar 99.10 99.35Euro 129.21 129.42British Pound 149.76 149.97UAE Dirham 26.90 27.15Saudi Riyal 26.38 26.60Kuwaiti Dinar 348.10 351.85Canadian Dollar 95.51 97.20

VIENNA: Othmar Karas, delegate of the European Parliament and member of Austria's Peoples Party (OeVP), Austrian President Heinz Fischer and GreenParty member Johannes Vogenhuber (L) pose for photographers before a discussion about European Union issues.

� Hydopower project seeks funds amidst rumours of tunnel boring machines breaking down � Chief executive Zubair says financial division not ready to release money

Raihan Ali Merchant ‒ aleading consultant and brand specialistSHANEL KHALIQ

T he concept of media planning and buying in thecountry was the brainchild of none other thanRaihan Ali Merchant. He has developed a name

for himself in the market as one of the best mediaconsultants and brand specialists. He is also the ChiefExecutive Officer at M. Holding Private Ltd. He hasalso received the Tamgha e Imtiaz for his servicesrendered to the media industry. The recent boom inthe media industry witnessed in the last decade,particularly in electronic media, has provided mediacampaigns with a new platform. The growth in theproduction and consumption of consumer durablescreates a big niche for advertising. Similarly the rise inthe business of telecom companies is also providing achance for placement of advertisements in newspapersand on channels. Merchant feels this provides a rise inopportunities to the print media as well which usuallygets overshadowed by electronic media.

However in 2007 the media industry stagnated, dueto lack of proper planning and financial management.Therefore he mentions that it is imperative to scaledown costs and work with a proper financialmanagement strategy in order to fully gain thebounties in this industry. He feels that media outletsin order to achieve optimal revenue need to train andinvest in their human capital. Human resource iscrucial in saving costs and taking a company to risingprofitability. He emphasizes that the print mediaparticularly needs to benefit from such cost cuttingstrategies. The media industry in the country is stillgrowing and has immense potential. However thereare not as many qualified personnel in the field asregards the digital media. Merchant feels that there isa need to hire young personnel as they are brimmingwith fresh ideas, all they need is some guidance. Healso mentioned the potential in the area ofperforming arts particularly theatre.

Profile

STAFF REPORTER

ISLAMABAD: The European Uniontoday decided to resume imports ofPakistani seafood to its market, takinganother step forward in EU-Pakistanrelations. The decision puts an end toa six year long voluntary ban of exportsof fishery products to the EU by theMaritime Fisheries Department ofPakistan.

The voluntary ban imposed by thecompetent Pakistani authority inPakistan was the result of the EU Foodand Veterinary Office identifyingserious deficiencies in the officialcontrol system for seafood, includingthe traceability and hygiene at variousstages of the industrial process.

As of 12 March, the resumption willapply to the two major companies whichhave been approved by the MarineFisheries Department. Other Pakistanicompanies may then seek to be certifiedto export seafood to the EU, which isPakistan's largest trading partner.

"This is a real breakthrough thatshould also inspire other industries inPakistan to increase their exports toEU markets, said the EU Ambassadorto Pakistan, Mr. Lars-GunnarWigemark. It is the result of the EU'sand Pakistan's joint efforts to facilitateincreased trade by meeting EU productstandards. Resuming Pakistani seafood

exports to the EU will further promoteour already strong bilateral traderelations and support job creation inPakistan."

Ambassador Wigemark noted thatwhen the ban was introduced in 2007Pakistani seafood exports to EUmarkets stood at 50 million euro (6.5billion rupees) per year, adding thatthere is clearly a potential for anincrease beyond this figure. Trade infisheries products will also promotetrade diversification – exports toEurope have so far remained focusedon textiles.

Under the EU funded Trade RelatedTechnical Assistance (TRTA)programme and in cooperation withUNIDO, the EU has supported theupgrading of the K1 and K2 auctionhalls at the Karachi Fish Harbour andthe training of over 1500 fishermenand official inspectors in line with theEU standards. More than 300 fishingboats have been revamped and twolaboratories for microbiology andchemical testing accredited. All thesesteps to address the shortcomingsidentified in 2007 led to the positivedecision announced in Brussels today.The EU has extended trade relatedassistance in other areas as well andhas so far spent 15 million euro topromote trade with Pakistan duringthe past three years.

EU gives Pakistaniseafood the green signal

Commerce chamberfor sustainability of agricultureISLAMABAD: Chief Executive OfficerHarvest Tradings, Ahmad Jawad has calledupon the chambers of commerce to create aworkable strategy unanimously for our agrisector and submit it their recommendationsto the “Cabinet Committee on Agricultureand the respective political parties”.

As Pakistan needs a sustainableagricultural policy to improve the balance oftrade and put the economy back on the track.It is unfortunate that till to-date we have failedto computerise our land revenue informationsystem." Leading Chambers may comeforward for the implementation, said Jawadin a statement.

As the farming community is keeping itsfingers crossed in the hope that the electionyear would bring relief for the neglected tillersof the soil. Prices of fertiliser, pesticide, dieseland labour cost has increased manifold but theprices paid to the farmers have not increasedproportionately. Pakistan could multiply,several times; exports of fruits and vegetableby introducing structural changes inagriculture sector, he said He said Australia isan outstanding example, which by maximisingthe flow of benefits from investments inirrigation projects, exported 80 per cent of itsmangoes production while Pakistan exportedonly 2.5 per cent.

Similarly Farmers were facing difficultiesdue to government policies, as surplusagriculture produce had become a problemfor them due to inadequate storagefacilities, He said. Jawad underlined theneed to focus on seed development, whichwas not costly after the WTO regime.Currently China produces double thecotton and wheat per hectare as comparedto Pakistan. –AGENCIES

NEW YORK: Global equity markets and crude oil roseon Wednesday, pulled higher by encouraging U.S.economic data and renewed confidence that majorcentral banks will keep taking steps to support theglobal economy. Wall Street opened mostly higher,following gains in European stocks as fresh signs ofcentral bank support led to a recovery of losses causedby Italy's post-election political deadlock.

Strong domestic demand for Italian debt onWednesday reduced worries about the deadlock andhelped boost the appetite for riskier assets suchstocks, oil and other commodities. The pace ofbusiness activity in the U.S. Midwest rose to itshighest in nearly a year in February as new ordersincreased, while a drop in new claims forunemployment benefits last week added recent datasuggesting an improving economy.

The U.S. Commerce Department said grossdomestic product rose 0.1 percent in the fourthquarter, up from a previous reading showing acontraction, but less than a 0.5 percent gain forecastby analysts in a Reuters poll. "The jobless claimscontinue to show further signs of improvement in thelabor market. It's encouraging," said AndrewWilkinson, chief economic strategist at Miller Tabak& Co. LLC in New York.

Wilkinson said the GDP report was largely history,and that the data was unlikely to impact investorsentiment. "We knew that it was a bad quarter andwe knew that there was a confluence of negativeinputs such as from government inventories. Wedon't expect this to continue in 2013," he said.

The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI was up 11.07points, or 0.08 percent, at 14,086.44. The Standard &Poor's 500 Index .SPX was up 2.73 points, or 0.18percent, at 1,518.72. The Nasdaq Composite Index.IXIC was up 12.24 points, or 0.39 percent, at 3,174.49.

In Europe, the FTSEurofirst 300 index .FTEU3 ofleading regional shares was up by 0.7 percent at1,168.90. MSCI's all-country world equity index.MIWD00000PUS rose 0.49 percent to 354.56. In oilmarkets, Brent crude for April delivery gained 57cents to $112.44 a barrel. U.S. oil slid 5 cents to$92.71 a barrel. The dollar rose against the euro andyen as investors embraced its safety against thebackdrop of the Italian stalemate and less than 24hours before automatic spending cuts are enacted inthe United States.

While month-end flows should translate intochoppy flows during the session, the euro's upside isseen as limited by concerns political instability willstall Italian economic reforms and reignite the eurozone debt crisis. The euro last traded at $1.3088,down 0.38 percent on the day. –AGENCIES

Stocks, oil rise on USdata, central bank hope

Page 10: The Spokesman

FRIDAY, MARCH 01, 2013

Seth MacFarlane will not host the Oscars againLOS ANGELES: Having garnered a mixed reaction to his performance as theOscars host this year, comic Seth MacFarlane has said he won't take up thedaunting task again. The 'Ted' helmer who tackled the prestigious duty lastSunday, would say "no way" if he's offered the job again, reported Aceshowbiz."No way. Lotta fun to have done it, though," the 39-year-old 'Family Guy'creator tweeted when a fan asked, "Would you host the Oscars again if asked?"MacFarlane's Oscars hosting stint was not free from criticism. Some TV criticsslammed him for making risky jokes about female nudity, zingers, gays andJews. In the opening sketch, MacFarlane poked fun at himself by letting 'StarTrek' actor William Shatner blast him for being "the worst Oscar host ever." Thelatest group of people who criticized MacFarlane were a handful of top femalelawmakers in the California. -SHOWBIZ DESK

Salman Khan vs Ranbir Kapoor at the box offceNEW DELHI: After missing out on his perennial Eid release this year, DabanggSalman Khan is now eyeing another important weekend in October. Salman plans torelease his Mental, directed by younger brother Sohail Khan, on the ocassion of GandhiJayanti on October 2. Here's a catch, Salman's Mental will then clash with his Dabanggdirector Abhinav Kashyap's Besharam featuring Ranbir Kapoor, which also releases onthe same day. Salman and his brother Arbaaz had a fall-out with Abhinav after herefused to direct Dabangg 2. Salman is also upset with Ranbir Kapoor, who isreportedly dating Tiger's ex-flame Katrina. This is not the first time that there will be aRanbir-Salman clash at the box office. In the past as well, Salman's God Tussi Great Hohad released with Ranbir's Bachna Ae Haseeno on August 15, 2008. -SHOWBIZ DESK

SHOWBIZ DESK

LAHORE: Pakistani actress Meera who sofar had duds in B-Town is now hoping torevive her career essaying Meena Kumarion the big screen. ‘Pakeezah’ remake feelsdivine feeling. Pakistani actress Meera, whomade her Bollywood debut in MaheshBhatt’s “Nazar”, will step into the shoes oflegendary Meena Kumari for the “Pakeezah”remake.

The film was first made in 1972 by latedirector Kamal Amrohi and now his sonTajdar Amrohi is producing the remake. “Itis a divine feeling. I cannot define it inwords, ” Meera said in a statment. “I simplyloved Meena Kumariji in the film. It hasalways played again and again in my mind.

I came to India with the dream of wantingto essay the same immortal role some day.And when Tajdar saab gave the nod, I wassimply too overwhelmed, ” she added.

The movie is still in conception stage, saidTajdar and added: “Meera had spoken to meabout ‘Pakeezah’ about three-and-half yearsago. She is very passionate about doing it.She is like a little child with a dream, so Igave her the nod.

“It is not an easy film to make. It is achallenge for Meera. To re-erect the samesets, it would cost 20 times more. The kindof costumes, dialogue, the aura, there areseveral uphill tasks. It will be a huge thing, ”he added. Once the director for the moviewill is be finalised, the rest of the cast andcrew will be put in place.

Meera wants to revive her Bollywood career

SHOWBIZ DESK

KARACHI: Maheen Karimentered the fashion world in 2006,but had decided she would becomea fashion designer much earlier on.“Since I was 13, I wanted to design.From a relatively young age, Iwanted to enter this field. So Iopted for Saint Martins College ofArt and Design and pursued adegree in Fashion Design andMarketing,” she said, in aninterview that took place at herClifton residence. Karim said shewas never interested in men’swear. “For me, women’s wear has alot to do with timeless elegance,something that you can call‘mature fashion’. Women’s wearhas to have a very sophisticatedstyle.”

Her design philosophy,according to her, is largely definedby her idea of femininity. “I havenever followed trends per se. Iwould rather choose an elegantwoman over a trendy one,” said thedesigner. “She should sport a

feminine and sophisticated look. Idesign in a way that makes womenfeel very feminine.” Karim, who hasa successful career to boast, had astory to tell when asked why Oscar-winning film-maker SharmeenObaid-Chinoy preferred to wear an

outfit designed by her at the GucciAward for Women in Cinema at the69th Venice International FilmFestival last year. “We arechildhood friends and went toKarachi Grammar Schooltogether. Since our school days,

both of us were termed asambitious,” recalled Karim. “It’svery kind of her to remember meand to take me along this path. Istyled the outfit she wore at theVenice Film Festival, and alsowore a tailcoat that I designedwhen she was receiving an awardfrom the president of Pakistan,”added Karim adding that Obaid-Chinoy owns the largest collectionof her outfits.

All set for launching her prêtcollection in collaboration withBonanza, Karim said, “I believethat runway clothes should be onthe shelf, where they are availablefor everyone. Zahir Rahimtoolasaid he was sure his wifeSheherzad would love to wear myclothes too,” she said, referring tothe CEO of Labels. The designerrevealed that Shezray andShehrnaz Husain of The House ofEnsemble also encouraged her tostep into the high street marketand said they would love to wearher clothes from the runway.

SHOWBIZ DESKLONDON: The wait is finally over. For allthe fans ‘Soch’ The band has launched oftheir much anticipated music video,‘Hamesha’ by Raj and Pablo at the BBCClub. The video is directed by the criticallyacclaimed Adnan Qazi. The event wasattended by hundreds of people and fans ofSoch at the BBC club last Saturday, Thedirector and actors of Hamesha graced theRed carpet at the club where celebrities likeRaj and Pablo, Rocky S, Bally Sagoo, SadiaSiddiqui and others were present too. Onthe Launch of the video Soch said “we arevery glad to have such a great productunder our belt, everyone worked reallyhard and by what we hear by people whoattended the Launch loved it, so we guessthe hard work paid off”. Brian Thomas whowere the sponsors of the video were alsoPresent at the event and they also stated“it’s great to see such talented people likeAdnan Qazi and Soch the band workingtowards the softer image of Pakistan andwe will always support causes like these”Kubra Khanam spotted wearing a ZaheerAbbass gown glowed at the red carpet, shewas very glad that everyone wasappreciating her acting in the video.

Last but not the least Adnan Qazi whodirected the video said “As the launch wascoming closer I was getting really nervousfor it, but to see it happen and loved by theaudience is magical”. All the majorPakistani media supported the event, andas for the public release date Murtza NiazManager/Publicist at “SOCH” said thatfirst the video will be airing in the UK andafter two weeks it will be launched inPakistan and on Internet.

SHOWBIZ DESK

MUMBAI: Rishi Kapoor, the eternalromantic hero, would have a lot to tellabout his life and times so far. 40 yearsafter the release of Bobby (1973), his debutfilm as a romantic lead, Rishi Kapoorwould be bringingout his biography.What's more, theevent may just takeplace in Septemberthis year when heturns 61. "It was aclosely guardedsecret, but the factremains that workon his biographyhas been on forquite some timenow. The book would be covering theentire aspect of his personal as well asprofessional life. It would be pretty much achronicle of the kind of career he hasenjoyed not just during last 40 years butalso much before that when he had startedas a child artist," said a source.

Not many are aware that he had won aNational Award for his work in his debutfilm Mera Naam Joker (1970) where hehad played the much younger version ofhis father Raj Kapoor.

The source continues, "Rishiji would betalking in detail about his early entry intothe film industry as well as being a part of

the First family of Bollywood, the Kapoors.There would also be focus on his reign asthe King of romantic film hero for 25 yearsstraight and then his subsequenttransition to playing senior characters.Moreover, he also holds the record forintroducing over 20 heroines and he

would be bringingthat to the fore aswell." It is alsoexpected thatRanbir Kapoor andhis rise as a staractor would find amention as well.However, the bookwould stay awayfrom using anycontroversialelements from the

senior actor's life to be used as a sellingpoint.

"He has been one of the most non-controversial actors to have been aroundfor over four decades now. He hardly hadany flings, he married the woman whomhe fell in love with (Neetu Singh) andhasn't had any war with his peers orcontemporaries. His biography is going tobe centered on him, his love for films andhis association with industry friends andcolleagues", the source adds. Whencontacted, the Senior Kapoor confirmedthat work on his biography is on and itwould definitely release this year.

Rishi Kapoor to tell hisstory after 40 years

Maheen Karim on high street fashion

At launching of Musicvideo‘Hamesha’ by Soch band

MUMBAI: Bollywoodactress and singerPriyanka Chopra lookschic in black and whitehotpants and a bustier onthe cover page of VogueIndia for March issue. The30-year-old looks half herage in the picture. Posther single In My City, theactress maintains a rockstar avatar which isevident in thisphotoshoot. Priyanka isseen in a rugged hairdo and highlighted eyes which givesher a carefree look. Priyanka Chopra has graced Voguecover for a couple of times in the past as well. The actresshas become quite a style symbol. -SHOWBIZ DESK

Priyanka Choprasparkles Vogue cover

SHOWBIZ DESKNEW YORK: Brad Pitt and AngelinaJolie's upcoming wedding ceremony willreportedly include "leaping Shetlandponies" and eight elephants, according totheir party planner. The superstars' floristrevealed the couple will finally seal thedeal a week after the Cannes Film Festivalin May, reported Grazia magazine. LucilleMichel claimed the animals will welcomethe wedding party before the pairexchange vows at a small chapel on theirChateau Miraval estate in the South ofFrance. "Guests will travel past water fountainsand Shetland ponies leaping as they go upthe two-mile long drive to the house,"

Michel said. Along with the ponies, thecouple's kids have nagged them to ship ineight elephants to represent each memberof the famous Brangelina clan.

"When the guests park, they'll see thefamily of elephants. Brad hopes it willmake them smile. Apparently, theelephants were the children's idea," Michelsaid. "They want the wedding to take placejust before sunset, so that as they say theirvows the church will fill with fabulous red,orange and yellow light. The lawns have allgot new sprinkler systems in, so they'll begreen and lush for the big day." Pitt hasalready been back at his family's Frenchhome to make sure the grounds are giventhe perfect make over.

Brangelina wedding to haveponies, elephants

NEW DELHI: SonamKapoor, whose first filmSaawariya was looselybased on FyodorDostoevsky' short storyWhite Nights, has boughtthe film rights of one ofAnuja Chauhan's novelsfor the sheer love of itsfemale characters. Kapoor,who describes herself assomeone who lives to eatand read in that order,says the book hascharacters that exit inreality and that's what prompted her to buy the film rights.

If the story gets translated onscreen, it would beKapoor's third movie based on a novel after Aisha, whichwas a modern interpretation of Jane Austen's Emma andsaw the actress playing a posh Delhi girl. "The idea oftaking a book and turning the pages I remember havebeen the biggest high for me. So, it was imperative for meto play something like this before I get too old. It is aboutmodern Indian women who exist in reality but not inHindi cinema," Kapoor said. The actress was in the cityrecently to launch Chauhan's third novel Those PriceyThakur Girls by Harper Collins.

The actress declined to name the book that her fatherAnil Kapoor's production company has acquired fromChauhan's other two novels -- The Zoya Factor and Battlefor Bittora. Kapoor says she is proud to have played somereal women on celluloid in her short career in Bollywood. "Icould play a little bit of modern Indian girl in Delhi 6 andAisha. Both were Delhi girls. One was from Chandni Chowkwhile the other was from Defence colony and both girlsexist." The actress believes that reading helps her toimagine new characters and places which in turn helps heras an actor. - SHOWBIZ DESK

Sonam wants toplay modern girl

PARIS: Dries always finds a wayof turning pre-conceivedperceptions on their head, andfor his autumn/winter 2013-14collection he has tacked thatpopular of sartorial references:boy meets girl. But this wasn’tthe usual androgynous chic thatwe’re used to seeing. Ratherthan aspire to inject femininitywith a masculine sensibility, hehas done it the other wayaround, introducing feminineaccents to manly separates byway of decorative Asianinfluence, vibrant shots of colourand a clever manipulation oftexture. Opulent embroideredpaisley motifs featured heavilyon everything from coats, toshirts, to dresses, imbuingfeminine flair; skirts werelayered over trousers and whenthey weren’t wrapped and beltedto render a kimono silhouette,oversized peak-lapelled coatshad all-over Bindiembellishment. -SHOWBIZ DESK

DRIES VAN NOTENAT PARIS FASHION WEEK

Page 11: The Spokesman

FRIDAY, MARCH 01, 2013

MADRID: Atletico Madrid set up aKing's Cup final with city rivals Realafter Diego Costa and Radamel Falcaoscored in a 2-2 second leg draw atSevilla on Wednesday, to progress 4-3on aggregate. Costa, who had scoredboth Atletico goals from the penaltyspot in the first leg, put the visitors incharge after carving an opening forhimself in the sixth minute and firinglow into the far corner. His seventh goalin the Cup made him the competition'sleading scorer this season, one ahead ofReal's Cristiano Ronaldo and Sevillastriker Alvaro Negredo.

The Brazilian striker then broke awaydown the left and crossed low forColombia's Falcao, who darted in frontof his marker to score in the 29th.Roared on by a noisy home crowd,Sevilla's most dangerous player Jesus

Navas breathed life back in to the tiewith a curling shot that went in off thefar post just before the break. Sevilla,who beat Atletico 2-0 in the 2010 Cupfinal, pressed hard in the second halfbut did not find a way past ThibautCourtois again until Ivan Rakitic scoredin time added on. By then, Sevilla hadlost their cool with Gary Medel beingsent off 14 minutes from time, andGeoffrey Kondogbia was red-carded atthe end, both for fouls on Costa.

Nine-times Cup winners Atletico willmeet their neighbours Real in the May18 final after Jose Mourinho's menswept past holders Barcelona onTuesday to secure a 4-2 aggregatevictory. The venue for the match hasstill to be decided. "To reach a final isvery important for Atletico," Falcao toldSpanish television. "We went in search

of a result from the beginning. We knewthey would come at us and leave spaces.We made the most of it and took ourchances. On the incidents with Costa,Falcao added: "The end of the gamewas ugly. These things happen in gameswith a lot to play for, but we leave it outthere on the pitch."

Thorn in side: Costa, 24, has muscledhis way into Atletico's starting team thisyear with some outstandingperformances in recent weeks. He was aconstant thorn in the side for Sevillawith his driving runs, his power in theair, and his ability to get under the skinof his opponents. The fiery Medel sawred after picking up two yellow cards inthe same incident, the second forappearing to kick Costa while he was onthe ground. Kondogbia received astraight red after he committed a foul

on the Brazilian and then stamped onhim between his legs. "We know Costais provocative but we fell for it,"Negredo told Spanish television.

Reaching the final shows thecontinued improvement of Atleticosince Simeone took the helm just overa year ago. The former Argentinacaptain, who helped the club win theirlast Cup as a player in 1996, guided theside to the Europa League final lastseason where they beat Athletic Bilbao3-0. They swept aside ChampionsLeague winners Chelsea 4-1 in theseason-opening European Super Cup,and have surprised many by holding offReal Madrid to hang on to second placein La Liga behind leaders Barcelona forso long. Atletico have not beaten Realin over a decade but Simeone was notprepared to discuss the final. �AGENCIES

Atletico Madrid set up King’s Cup final with Real Madrid

DURBAN: Pakistan have a chance to hitback after a trouncing in the Test serieswhen they meet South Africa in the first oftwo Twenty20 internationals at Kingsmeadon Friday (today). The tourists wereoutclassed in the Tests, losing all threematches, but can be reasonably optimisticabout their prospects in the shorter formsof the game with the Twenty20 gamesfollowed by five ODIs.

Only five of South Africa's current Testplayers are in the T20 squad – Faf duPlessis, who has been appointed captain inthe shortest format, AB de Villiers, RobinPeterson, Rory Kleinveldt and fast bowlingdiscovery Kyle Abbott. The change ofemphasis in South Africa's approach isunderlined by the fact that national coachGary Kirsten handed the T20 reins toRussell Domingo, his assistant coach,before a three-match series against New

Zealand earlier in the season. South Africawon that series 2-1.

Pakistan will be boosted by the inclusionof the experienced duo of Shahid Afridiand Shoaib Malik. Opening batsmanMohammad Hafeez takes over as T20captain, although Test skipper Misbah-ul-Haq will resume the leadership for theone-day internationals, which start inBloemfontein on March 10. The Akmalbrothers, Kamran and Umar, who were notpart of the Test squad, are others whocould add impetus to the T20 side.Whereas South Africa's greatest strength isin their number one-ranked Test team,Pakistan are likely to be lifted by theinfusion of new players after a morale-sapping experience in the Test series.

"It will be good to have some new playersfor the one-day games... the new playerswill come with fresh minds and a positive

attitude," Misbah said after the final Testended in three days on Sunday. By contrast,Domingo said South Africa faced a ‘muchtougher’ challenge in the T20s, describinghis team as ‘a work in progress’ with youngplayers being tried out with a view to thenext World T20 in Bangladesh next year.

Probable XIs: South Africa: Faf duPlessis (Capt), Kyle Abbott, FarhaanBehardien, Henry Davids, Quinton deKock (wkt), AB de Villiers (wkt), RoryKleinveldt, Ryan McLaren, DavidMiller, Chris Morris, Justin Ontong,Robin Peterson, Aaron Phangiso,Lonwabo Tsotsobe.

Pakistan: Mohammad Hafeez (Capt), NasirJamshed, Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal(wkt), Umar Akmal, Shahid Afridi, SaeedAjmal, Mohammad Irfan, Wahab Riaz, UmarGul, Ahmed Shehzad, Umar Amin, ZulfiqarBabar, Asad Ali, Junaid Khan. �AGENCIES

Pakistan look for vengeanceagainst South Africa

First Twenty20 international in Durban today

OUR STAFF REPORTER

LAHORE: Karachi Bluesdefeated Sialkot Region by ninewickets to win the Quaid-e-AzamTrophy for the tenth time at theGaddafi Stadium here onThursday. Karachi, led byKhurram Manzor, remainedunbeaten in this tournament,winning seven matches anddrawing three. This win givesKarachi their twentieth Quaid-e-Azam title in 59 years, won byteams with different titles –Karachi, Karachi A, KarachiUrban and Karachi Whites. Thismatch was a one-sided contest, asSialkot never looked in controlwith the bat or the ball over fivedays. On a slower pitch, with rainaffecting play on day one and daythree, Karachi's dominationproved crucial.

Sialkot, who were asked to batfirst, failed to put up a big firstinnings total. Mohammad Ayubwas the top scorer with 72 whileMajid Jahangir scored 54 as theside was dismissed for 229.Karachi, led by Akbar-ur-Rehman who scored a massive178, dominated a weak-bowlingattack. Fast bowler Bilawal Bhattipicked up four wickets in the firstinnings but none of the Sialkotbowlers failed to check Karachi,who piled up a 199-run lead.

In the second innings, a 98-run, fourth-wicket stand

between Ayub (69) and Sialkotcaptain Mansoor Amjad (60)defied Karachi but it was notenough. Once the partnershipwas broken, the rest of the line-up did not contribute much tothe total. Sialkot began the fifthday at 189-5, trailing by 10 runs.Minutes before lunch, they wereall out for 248, adding 59 runs inthe first session. Tariq Haroonpicked up five wickets for 74runs as Karachi faced a target of50 runs in 63 overs with twosessions of play left.

The chase was brisk as Akbar-ur-Rehman and Fakhar Zamanwent for a 10-wicket win beforeMohammad Ayub's splendidcatch at gully dismissed Zamanfor 20. Rehman then knockedoff the remaining runs to takehis side to a comfortable victory,finishing as the tournament'stop run-scorer with 986 runs.Karachi were awarded a prizemoney of Rs.1.5 million whileSialkot won Rs.1 million asrunners-up.Summarised scores: SialkotRegion first innings 229 in 87.3overs (Shakeel Ansar 11, MajidJahangir 54, 120 balls, 10x4s,Faisal Rasheed 0, Faisal Khan 4,Mohammad Ayub 72,136 balls,10x4s, Mansoor Amjad 13, AliKhan 22, Bilawal Bhatti 34, 43balls, 5x4s, Anwar Ali 4-64,Tariq Haroon 2-20, AzamHussain 2-22, Akbar-ur-

Rehman 1-38, Ruman Raees 1-33) VS Karachi Blues firstinnings 428 in 128.5 overs(Fakhar Zaman 34, 76 balls,7x4s, Khurram Manzoor 29, 147balls 1x4, Wajihuddin 7, Akbar-ur-Rehman 178, 277 balls,24x4s, 1x6s, Mohammad Waqas13, Javed Mansoor 22, Anwar Ali16, Tariq Haroon 17, AzamHussain 74*, 90 balls, 10x4s,Bilawal Bhatti 4-119, Ali Khan 2-50, Faisal Rasheed 2-64, NayyerAbbas 1-64, Majid Jahangir 1-9Sualkot Region second innings248 in 70 overs (Shakeel Ansar11, Majid Jahangir 37, FaisalKhan 10, Mohammad Ayub 69,114 balls, 9x4s, Mansoor Amjad60, 77 balls, 8x4s, 1x6s, NayyarAbbas 4, Zeeshan Mushtaq 18,Ali Khan 4, Bilawal Bhatti 18,Faisal Rasheed 7*, MohamamdAbbas 0, Tariq Haroon 5-74,Ruman Raees 1-23, Akbar-ur-Rehman 2-25, Anwar Ali 2-60)Karachi Blues second innings51-1 in 7.5 overs (Fakhar Zaman20, Khurram Manzoor 15*,Akbar-ur-Rehman 10*, AliKhan 1-22) Result: Karachi Blues won bynine wickets Toss: Karachi BluesUmpires: Ahsan Raza andGhaffar KazmiTV umpire: Qaisar WaheedReserve umpire: Saqib KhanReferee: Saadat AliScorer: Masood Ahmed.

Karachi Bluesclaim Quaid-e-AzamTrophy for tenth time

Group photo of winners Karachi Blues with PCB director general Javed Miandad at Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday.

Sevilla's defender Alberto Moreno (L) vies with Atletico Madrid's Colombian forwardRadamel Falcao during the King's Cup semi-final second leg match Sevilla FC vs Atletico deMadrid at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Staduim. The match ended in a2-2 draw. �AGENCIES

BY MIRZA KHURRAM SHAHZAD

ISLAMABAD: Despite the ouster of hispatron Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, the formerPrime Minister of Pakistan, Pakistan SportsBoard (PSB) Director General Syed AmirHamza Gilani, also known as the ‘smart’Gilani, has finally been noticed for somewrongdoings by the concerned authorities.Sources close to Hamza Gilani have revealedthat a high profile investigation committeeof the Ministry of Inter ProvincialCoordination (IPC) has named himresponsible in the embezzlement of fundsworth millions of rupees.

The committee has said in its report thatthe PSB DG is directly responsible in thesub-standard work and financialmismanagements in various projects of the

PSB across the country. The inquirycommittee has noticed mismanagement ina project of construction of residential flatsfor the staff at PSB Coaching Centre inKarachi. The scheme was approved forRs.13.034 millions for three blockscontaining 12 residential flats. However, thewhole funds were consumed but the projectcould not be completed.

Only the structure of two residentialblocks could be built while third block andits flats are not there. The flats, which havebeen built, are not finished and there are nodoors, windows and floors in the building.The facility also lacks electricity, watersupply and gas.

The DG has also been found guilty forconsuming Rs.30 million from the reserved‘saver funds’ without the formal approval of

the Prime Minister for the construction ofGama Sports Stadium and Shaheed ZulfiqarAli Bhutto Sports Complex at Mirpurkhas.The committee has also noticed wrongdoingsin laying of synthetic hockey turf in Gilgit asan amount of Rs.3.2 million was paid tocontractor by the PSB on account of earthfilling but no earth is available for suchamount. The DG also allotted a contract toone of his favourite contractors for theconstruction of sports hall at Bahawalpuragainst a financial grant Rs.21 million, butthe hall could not be completed and onlyfour walls stand on the ground in the nameof this new sports facility. The whole grant,however, has been consumed. Gilani wascontacted for his views but he did not attendhis cell phone while the numbers of hisspokesman were also switched off.

‘Smart’ Gilani finally noticed forfinancial mismanagement

DUBAI: Novak Djokovic, the world numberone, and Roger Federer, the defendingchampion, moved nearer to a showdown inSaturday's final when both raced into thequarterfinals of the Dubai Open. Federer setthe pace by getting there in only 71 minutesagainst Marcel Granollers, the world number34 from Spain, with Djokovic taking just 90minutes to get past another Spaniard, RobertoBautista-Agut, the world number 55.

Djokovic applied constant pressure with hisspeedy court coverage and the weight andangles of his ground strokes, and might havewon in under an hour had he not lapsed brieflyin the second set, letting Bautista Agut backinto it. This enabled the man nicknamed"Bati" to launch some hard blows, come from2-5 down, and save four match points in a 24-point ninth game before going down 6-1, 7-6(7/4). Federer mixed phases where heappeared to be coasting, with moments whenhe suddenly switched two gears to deliverstunning winners, in a 6-3, 6-4 success. Hewas also tactically unpredictable. Encouragedby the fast court and perhaps by his opponent'sfrequent charges into the forecourt, Federercame to the net more often than usual. But hewas curiously unclear about why he did notattempt this more often. "It's something I havebeen trying my whole life, to be moreaggressive," he said. "I would like to serve-volley more – but I'm winning, so it's okay. "Idon't know why I don't do it more. Perhapsbecause courts around the world are on theslower side, and you come to the quicker courtslike this and you don't dare. It's a habit."

Later he explained it as an outcome of hisbright new pink shoes, about which he wasquestioned. "That's the problem: I come to thenet and the guy knows," Federer grinned. "Itain't good, you know. Definitely notcamouflage." Djokovic's match confirmed theimportance, even for the best player in theworld, to keep his mind pinned down till the

end. "I played a good match for an hour or so,but then I didn't stay committed to everypoint," he admitted. Djokovic now playsAndrea Seppi, the seventh seeded Italian,whose elegance off the ground may punish anyfurther lapses more severely. Federer willfollow Djokovic with a match against NikolayDavydenko, the former world number threewho ousted the sixth seeded Janko Tipsarevic,and followed it with a 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) victoryover Victor Hanescu, of Romania.

Federer has a likely semifinal with TomasBerdych, his Wimbledon conqueror of twoyears ago, who overcame jet-lag, an umpire'swarning, and a difficult first set againstGermany's Tobias Kamke before calling forchanges to the time limit rule. Berdychemerged relieved and disgruntled aftersurviving 7-5, 6-1 against the world number 90,apparently under pressure from multiplesources. One of them was the new 25-secondtime rule, which reduces by five seconds thepermitted pause between rallies. "I don't like it.I'm not a fan of it," he said. "I don't see any

single reason to have this rule. What could bepositive on this? What could work? What couldbe the advantage? "It should be more clearwhat's going on, because the referee has somuch power on you," he reckoned. "He can dowhatever he wants. So let's put the clock there,and then everybody goes by the clock. Simpleas that." Berdych plays Dmitry Tursunov ofRussia but another Russian, Mikhail Youzhny,the eighth seed, was beaten. His conqueror wasDaniel Brands, six feet five inches tall, with animposing net game, who upset the seedings inthe Gulf for the second time this year, havingreached the semis in Doha. Brands now facesJuan Martin del Potro, the fourth-seededformer US Open champion, whose 6-4, 6-4win over Somdev Devvarman, the Indianreturning after many months out with injury,received rather modest acclaim. However hisensuing "match" with his Argentine compatriotDiego Maradona, the footballing legend who isin the country on ambassadorial duties, wasreceived as if del Potro had scored at theBombonera stadium in Buenos Aires. �AGENCIES

Djokovic and Federer move closer toDubai Open final

OUR STAFF REPORTER

LAHORE: Former Pakistan captain Moin KhanThursday demanded the sacking of national coachDav Whatmore following the team's 3-0 whitewashby South Africa, saying a local man should replacehim. Pakistan flopped miserably against the worldnumber one Test team, losing the first Test by 211runs, the second by four wickets and the last by aninnings and 18 runs. Whatmore masterminded SriLanka's triumph in the 1996 World Cup and ledminnows Bangladesh to their first-ever Test seriesvictory and their first appearance in the World CupSuper Eights in 2007. But Khan said he was not upto the job. “Whatmore is an overrated coach,” Mointold media. “There is a concept in Pakistan that aforeigner will not get involved in players' politics butWhatmore is now fighting for survival.”

Former Australian batsman Whatmore took overin March last year and led Pakistan to the semifinalsof the World Twenty20 tournament, but he has comeunder fire after two successive Test series defeats.Moin, who managed only four wins in his 13 matchesas Pakistan captain, said Sri Lanka's World Cup winin 1996 owed more to their players than Whatmore.“Ask any player of that team and he will tell you thatin 1996 Sri Lanka had world-class players and theirsuccess was due to their players and not because ofthe coach,” said Moin. He also criticised Test and one-day captain Misbahul Haq. “Both coach and captainare fighting for survival. They should have a plan anda vision with which they should leave the team on afirm footing but I can't see any plan. Instead, they

keep their interests before the team.” Pakistan hasnever been short of cricketing talent but the nationalteam have suffered over the years from bickering andinfighting. Moin, who played 69 Tests, said a foreigncoach could not communicate with the playersproperly. “When a foreigner is our coach, our playershave a communication problem and the coach is alsounable to brief the players on their mistakes and it'sa big problem,” said Moin, a member of the WorldCup-winning team in 1992. He said the PakistanCricket Board (PCB) had blundered in replacingMohsin Khan with Whatmore last year. “Pakistanplayers were happy in Mohsin's coaching," said Khanof the former coach, under whom Pakistan routed thethen-world number one Test team England inJanuary last year. If Whatmore doesn't resignhimself, then the PCB should sack him,” he added.Pakistan play the first of two Twenty20 internationalsagainst South Africa at Durban on Friday. They alsoplay five one-day internationals on the tour.

World number one Serbia's Novak Djokovic retuns the ball to Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut during theirATP Dubai Open match. �AGENCIES

Moin demands coachWhatmore be sacked

Page 12: The Spokesman

Nisar to propose 2-3names for caretaker PMISLAMABAD: Opposition Leaderin the National AssemblyChaudhry Nisar Ali KhanThursday confirmed he hadreceived a letter sent by the primeminister for consultations overcaretaker setup before theelections. Talking to media personsprior to JUI-F’s All PartiesConference (APC) here, Nisar saidhe had consulted with theleadership of his party in thisconnection. Replying to a query, hesaid the names of two to threepersons for the interim primeminister would be forwarded to theprime minister. It should bementioned that earlier onWednesday; the prime ministerwrote a letter to the oppositionleader requesting him to sendnames for the caretaker setupunder Article 224 of theConstitution. –INP

4 more schools blown upin Mohmand AgencyGHALLANAI: Anti-literacymilitants blew up four moreschools with explosive materialhere early Thursday morning butno causality was reported.According to reports, unknownmiscreants had planted explosivesin two primary and two middleschools located in differentlocalities of militant-infestedMohmand Agency which explodedone after another. As a result ofblasts buildings of all schools werebadly damaged but fortunately nocausality or injury took place asthe schools were vacant at thetime of explosions and located at adistance from the residentialareas. It may be mentioned herethat 117 educational institutions,mostly girls’ schools have beenblasted in different parts ofMohamand Agency during recentyears. People of tribal agenciesdue to threats of terror attacksavoid sending their children toschools to get education whichhave further lowered the literacyrate. –INP

Shujaat, Mushahid electedPML-Q president, SGISLAMABAD: Ch. ShujaatHussain and Mushahid HussainSyed have been elected unopposedPML-Q President and SecretaryGeneral respectively as no onecontested their candidature. Ch.Pervez Elahi has been elected asPresident Punjab chapter whileJaafer Khan Mandokhel, SyedQasim Shah and Aleem Adil Khanhave been elected Presidents ofBalochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwaand Sindh chapters respectively.Haji Naeemullah was electedFATA President and MirzaHussain President of Gilgit-Baltistan chapter of the PML-Q.Rizwan Sadiq was electedPresident of Islamabad chapter ofthe party. –STAFF REPORT

FRIDAYMARCH 01, 2013THE SPOKESMAN - RAWALPINDI/ISLAMABAD

TAHIR NIAZ

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani banks wroteoff loans to the tune of Rs 138,622million during the five years startingfrom 2007 while the governmentlicensed 69473 people with prohibitedbore weapons in its five years at thecentre.

According to a reply submitted in thenational assembly by the financeminister on Thursday, in 2007, thebanks wrote off loans worth Rs32,322.74 million; in 2008, the firstyear of the PPP government’s five-yearterm, another sum of Rs 47,078.59million was written off by the banks; in2009 the banks wrote off loans to thetune of Rs 27,305.47 million; in 2010,the banks wrote off loans worth Rs

15,174.49 million and in 2011, the sumof written off loans was Rs 16,740.96million. Interior minister RehmanMalik told the house in a written replythat the PPP government issuedprohibited bore licenses to 69,473persons. In 2008, 11,776 PB licenseswere issued; in 2009 27,551 PB licenseswere issued; in 2010 5,789; in 2011,8,369 and in 2012, the last full year ofthe PPP government, 15,988 personswere issued PB licenses.

The National Assembly wasinformed that government had taken anumber of steps to control thesmuggling of luxury vehicles in thecountry. Finance Minister Saleem H.Mandviwalla told the House during

Question Hour that the vehicles werebeing smuggled into the country byunauthorized routes and borders withAfghanistan and Iran. He said SMSbased Vehicles Verification System hasbeen development for spot verificationof vehicles suspected to be smuggled.He said 5,937 vehicles have beenconfiscated and 80 peopleapprehended over the last five years144 million rupees had also beenrecovered in this regard.

The house passed “The FederalOmbudsmen Institutional Reforms Bill‚2013” with amendments, mainly movedby the PML-N lawmaker, Zahid Hamid.The bill provides for makinginstitutional reforms for standardizing

and harmonizing the laws relating toFederal Ombudsmen institution andancillary or akin matters. Earlier, PML-N and MQM objected to some clauses ofthe bill, however, the governmentaccepted the amendments moved by theopposition party lawmaker and passed itunanimously. The law was amended inthe light of Zahid Hamid’s amendments,says that the President office will decidethe representation filed by an aggrievedparty against the decision of anombudsman within 90 days.

The Ombudsman shall have fullpowers to re-appropriate funds fromone head of account to another butwith the approval of the government.An Ombudsman shall not be given

additional responsibility. He cannottake part in elections before theexpiration of two years after he hascompleted the tenure of his office. TheOmbudsman with the approval of thegovernment may make rules to carryout the purposes of this Act.

The house unanimously passed “TheCapital University of Science andTechnology Bill‚ 2012” after accepting anamendment moved by the PML-Nlawmaker, Zahid Hamid. Upon hisrequest, clause-3 (5) of the bill wasomitted which stated that thegovernment shall have no power toquestion the policy underlying theallocation of resources approved by theBoard in annual budget of the University.

The bill provides for theestablishment of Capital University ofScience and Technology. It was movedby Law Minister Farooq H. Naek. SyedZafar Ali Shah of the PPP, being it aprivate institution, opposed namingthe proposed university as “CapitalUniversity” by saying that, under thelaw, no private party could use thename of “Pakistan”, “Quaid-e-Azam”,“Capital” or “Islamabad”, for personalbenefits, however he could not producethe copy of the law before the house.

The house also passed “The PakistanPsychological Council Bill‚ 2013”whichprovides for the establishment ofPakistan Psychological Council toregister psychologists and relatedinstitutions in the country. The Bill wasmoved by MNA Riaz Fatyana.

WASHINGTON: In its latestopposition to the Pakistan-Iran gaspipeline project, the US StateDepartment on Wednesday said it isin Pakistan’s interest to avoid anyactivity that can hit it with sanctions.The State Department said that it wasproviding Pakistan with alternativesthat would avoid any sanctionsviolation, INP reported on Thursday.

"We recognise that Pakistan hassignificant energy requirements butwe really think there are other long-term solutions to Pakistan's energyneeds," said deputy actingspokesman Patrick Ventrell. "And sowe've been assisting as a government

to contribute to the alleviation of theenergy crisis in Pakistan," he said.

"It's in their best interests to avoidany sanctionable activity, and wethink that we provide and areproviding a better way to meet theirenergy needs in some of theassistance we're providing." Iran'ssupreme leader Ayatollah AliKhamenei on Wednesday urged thevisiting Pakistani president to pressahead with a much-delayed $7.5billion gas pipeline project despite USopposition. In 2010, Iran andPakistan agreed that Tehran wouldsupply between 750 million cubic feet(21 million cubic metres) and one

billion cubic feet per day of naturalgas by mid-2015.

Islamabad has said it will pursuethe project regardless of US pressure,saying the gas is needed to helpPakistan overcome its energy crisisthat has led to debilitating blackoutsand suffocated industry.

Iran has almost completed thepipeline work in its territory, butPakistan has not yet startedconstruction of 780 kilometers(490 miles) of the pipeline on itsside, which is said to cost some$1.5 billion.

Sanctions-hit Iran finally agreed tofinance one third of the costs of laying

the pipeline through Pakistaniterritory to Nawabshah, north ofKarachi, with the work to be carriedout by an Iranian company.

Online adds from Tehran:Construction of the Pakistani sectionof the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline,which stretches for 780 kilometers, isexpected to take 22 months, a seniorIranian gas industry official said.

“The peace pipeline is expectedto be constructed in 22 months onPakistani soil with theparticipation of Iran,” Javad Owji,managing-director of the NationalIranian Gas Company (NIGC),was quoted by Tv as saying. Owji

noted that Pakistan has notrequested renegotiation ordiscount on the gas price, whichhe said, has been finalized.

On February 20, an Iranian-Pakistani consortium started theconstruction of the Pakistani sectionof the pipeline which stretches fromthe border between the two countriesto Navabshah region in Pakistan.

The pipeline, projected to costabout $1.2-1.5 billion, would enablethe export of 21.5 million cubicmeters of Iran’s natural gas toPakistan on a daily basis. Iran hasalready built more than 900kilometers of the pipeline on its soil.

US advises Pakistan to avoid sanctionable activity

Rs 138,622 million loans written off from 2007 to 2011

MASOOD REHMAN

ISLAMABAD: A three-memberSupreme Court bench wasinformed on Thursday thatPresident Asif Ali Zardari hadhalted implementation of capitalpunishment under Article 45 of theConstitution.

The bench comprising JusticeNasirul Mulk, Justice Amir HaniMuslim and Justice IqbalHameedur Rehman was hearing apetition filed by BarristerZafarullah Khan inviting attentionof the court to the ordeal andmental tribulation of such inmateswho had to undergo execution.Barrister Zafarullah Khan, counselfor prisoners, regretted before thecourt that for how long theseprisoners will be languishing injails. He said hanging a prisonerafter keeping him in jail for 14years was not just.

He pleaded that a number ofprisoners were suffering in jailsbecause the government was sittingon a decision to commute pendingdeath sentences to life term.

To a court query, he said thepresident had stayed the execution ofthe prisoners on death row. He saidhumanity should be considered. Thecourt then directed the AttorneyGeneral Irfan Qadir to provide copyof the report, over prisoners,submitted by the Interior Ministry.

According to the Interior

Ministry’s report submitted beforethe court on Wednesday, as manyas 7,046 prisoners on death rowwere awaiting execution in jailsacross the country. On Dec 11,2013, a Supreme Court bench haddirected the government to submitdetails of prisoners on death rowsince Barrister Zafarullah of theWatan Party had claimed that6,355 inmates were awaitingexecution in Punjab alone.

According to the interiorministry’s report, 5,378 appealsagainst death penalty are pendingbefore the high courts and 1,031 inthe Supreme Court.

Of the 7,046 prisoners, 4,981 arecounting their days in Punjab, 266in Sindh, 102 in KhyberPakhtunkhawa and 29 inBalochistan, whereas 532 mercypetitions are pending with thepresident. The Federal Shariat Courtis also seized with 21 appeals.According to media reports, thepresident has haltedimplementation of capitalpunishment in 78 cases, whileappeals of six military personnel arepending with the GHQ. The PPPgovernment, which had placed amoratorium on executions inNovember 2008, carried out its firstexecution in November last yearwhen Muhammad Hussain, asoldier, was hanged in Mianwali jail.He had been sentenced to death in2009 for murdering a colleague.

ISLAMABAD: PML (N) President Nawaz Sharif, JI Ameer Syed Munawar Hassan and other political leaders taking part in All PartiesConference at Jinnah Convention Centre. –ONLINE

KARACHI: GovernorSindh Dr Ishrat ul Ibadhas said he is seeinggravity in the situation inthe days to come.

“I am perceiving gravityin the situation in thecoming days. We will takeall possible steps for theuplift of the people. It ismy desire that generalelections take place ontime and in a peacefulmanner”, he said whiletalking to media men atairport here Thursdayafter his return fromDubai. He went on to sayMQM and PPP had theirown policies, however, “wewill have to work for thestability in the province.”

Certain politicalmatters have goneembroiled and there isneed to bringimprovement therein, hestressed. “I will play myrole in bridging thedistance between MQMand PPP”, he said.

“Altaf Hussain hadtelephoned me onWednesday evening andhe had asked me towithdraw my resignationand to play role forbringing peace in theprovince and forgingharmony among all thesegments of society inSindh. I have takenback my resignationkeeping in view thepolitical scenario of thecountry and underadvice and bidding ofAltaf Hussain”, heremarked. – ONLINE

STAFF REPORTER

ISLAMABAD: Interior MinisterRehman Malik submitted before theSupreme Court on Thursday a writtenapology over a contempt of court noticeissued to him for interfering in theinvestigation of Rs26 billion corruptionin Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM).

In his unconditional apology, RehmanMalik stated that he always respected thecourt and its judges and could not think tocommit contempt of court. He stated thathe left himself on the mercy of the court.

He stated that changing theinvestigation of Pakistan Steel Mills wasnot meant to interfere in the courtmatters. He contended that forming theFederal Investigation Agency (FIA) jointinvestigation team, for probing the PSMcorruption, was meant to enhance thescope of investigation. He requested thecourt to accept his unconditionalapology and withdraw the contemptnotice against him.

Later, talking to media persons outsidethe Supreme Court, Rehman Malik said hewanted to present himself before the court,however the court told him that he wouldbe heard next time.

He said he did not agree with somearguments of his lawyer, thus he wanted tocontest his case by his own. He said heshould not be compared with Dr TahirulQadri. He said there was no shame inadmitting ones mistake after it is proven inthe court. He said, after the passage of 18thconstitutional amendment, mainlining lawand order was the responsibility ofprovinces.

Rehman Malik’s involvement in thePSM corruption case, involving Rs26billion corruption, began when he formedFIA’s joint investigation team toinvestigate the Steel Mills corruption case.His step did not impress the apex court.However, the court issued him a contemptnotice for “unnecessary transfers” ofofficials conducting the probe, onDecember 17, 2009.

Malik apologisesfor court contempt

‘Presidenthas haltedhangings’

� Pakistani section of IP pipeline will take 22 months to build

� Government licensed 69,473 persons in five years

� Petitioner tells SC hanging a prisonerafter keeping him in jail for 14 years is unjust

NEW DELHI: India Thursdayhiked defence spending to over Rs 2trillion , marking an increase of fiveper cent over the outlay of 2012-13at Rs.1.9 trillion

Finance Minister P. Chidambaramannounced the hike during hisbudget speech in Lok Sabha.

Of the total defence outlay for2013-14, he said, Rs. 86,741 crorewill be for capital expenditure.

Meanwhile Defence MinisterA.K. Antony said Finance MinisterP.Chidambaram had done a goodjob in the union budget. He saidthat considering the overalleconomic situation, the finance

minister had been fair to thedefence sector in allocatingRs.203,672 crore (over Rs.2trillion) in 2013-14.

"Taking into account the difficulteconomic situation both at homeand abroad, the finance minister hasdone a good job. The measures thathe has outlined for the rejuvenationof the economy while ensuringinclusive growth are indeedcommendable," Antony said.

The minister said Chidambaramhad said in his budget speech that apositive view will be taken if theneed arises for more funds fordefence. – ONLINE

5pc hike in Indiandefence budget

STAFF REPORT

ISLAMABAD: Amidst reports that AhleSunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) chief MalikIshaq was planning to leave the country, thegovernment on Thursday decided to seekrecommendations from the provinces forputting his name on the ECL.

Interior Minister, Rehman Malik chaired ahigh-powered meeting where the securitythreats were discussed in detail andnecessary measures were ordered to enhancethe security, especially in the diplomaticenclave and at entry points of the federalcapital. The matter related to LeJ was also

discussed at length. The proscribedorganizations and their activities underdifferent names were also thoroughlydiscussed and accordingly the provincialgovernments were directed to ensure that themembers of the proscribed organizationsshould not be running with any other namedifferent organizations. Interior Ministerdirected the Secretary Interior to issuereminder to the provincial governments toobtain recommendations for putting MalikIshaq on the ECL and also identify the hideouts of LeJ. Secretary Interior was furtherdirected to get the detail of every case againstMalik Ishaq with its present status. He

directed the Secretary Interior to submit theproposal in the next week in consultationwith the provincial governments enabling thefederal government to take necessarydecision in this regard. He further asked theprovinces to put forward proposals to stopthe activities of groups who have beeninvolved in terrorist activities throughout thecountry, many of which are now workingunder other names after they were banned.

Interior Minister also directed theSecretary Interior to ensure that the orders ofthe Chief Election Commissioner regardingstopping of issuance of arms licenses arefollowed in letter and spirit.

Talks to put Malik Ishaq on ECL

Ibad seesgrave situationin days ahead

Published by Ahmad Waleed from Yasmin Majeed Printing Press, 69-Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi


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