SNEAK PEEK‘Guilty’ officials feel freeafter cdA chief’s removal

OQcials of the CapitalDevelopment Authoritywho found guilty in someunlawful acts have takena sigh of relief afterremoval of Syed Tahir

Shahbaz, as the former CDA chairmanalong with other board members wantedto transfer or to take action against all ofthem after the formation of caretakersetup.

Page 02

cJ takes noticeof midnight jackals

Taking suomotu noticeof the transfer of CapitalDevelopment Authority(CDA) Chairman SyedTahir Shahbaz by thePPP government before

its departure on Saturday, the ChiefJustice of Pakistan IftikharMuhammadChaudhry issued notices to the Cabinetand Interior secretaries as welltransferred and newly posted chairman ofthe civic agency- Syed Tahir Shahbaz andTariq Pirzada respectively.

Page 03

PML-N says PPP-led govtset record of corruption

PakistanMuslim League-Nawaz SecretaryInformation of SenatorMushahidullah Khan hassaid that the PPP-ledgovernment “has set

record of corruption in its five-year term”.He said that PPP caused inflation byprinting the currency notes worth of Rs1.5 billion on daily basis and shambled theeconomy of the country.

Page 04

PTI polls postponed afterhooliganism in Mohmand

The intra-party electionsof Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf(PTI) on Sunday werepostponed for anunspecified period afterexchange of harsh words

between two rival groups at the mainpolling station inMohmand tribal region.InMohmand Agency, the PTI have twogroups in which one group representsSajid Khan and the otherMalik DawoodKhan.

Page 05

Growing old bittersweetexperience: kidman

Actress Nicole Kidmandescribes growing old asa bittersweet experience,but says she is happywith herself at this age.Kidman is more

comfortable at this age than she thoughtshe would be. "Being 45 is better than Iexpected,” she was as saying.

Page 10

Afridi fireworksfail to save Pakistan

Centuries by HashimAmla and AB de Villiersset up a 34-run victoryfor South Africa despite athrilling innings byPakistan's Shahid Afridi

in the third one-day international at theWanderers Stadium on Sunday. Amla(122) and De Villiers (128) shared a worldrecord third wicket partnership of 238 asSouth Africa made 343 for five after beingsent in.

Page 11

MONdAy March 18, 2013 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 05, 1434 I Islamabad/Rawalpindi I Vol, V, No. 333 I www.thespokesman.pk Pages 12 I Price 10/-

TTOODDAAYY’’SS WWEEAATTHHEERR

A shower possibleHIGH: 27 LOW: 13

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TAHIRUL QADRI –JUST A WHIMPER

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SAEED MINHAS

IISSLLAAMMAABBAADD:: Balochistan is boilingagain with political mercury touchingalarming proportions as Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) stand in isolation andmajority of the assembly and cabinetmembers have rallied behindOpposition leader Nawabzada TariqMagsi. In a unique act of solidarity, PPP,PML-Q and Nawaz League MPAs havedecided to sit together in Opposition at

a time when their national leadership ispretending to have developed a no-return point on issues of caretakerprime minister in center. Eight MPAs of Pakistan People’s

Party (PPP), 16 out of 19 of PakistanMuslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) andfive from PML-N also submitted theirresignations and joined opposition.After losing the majority, theincumbent chief minister NawabAslam Raisani had to postpone the

scheduled cabinet meeting on Sundaythus paving the way for oppositioncoalition to confront JUI-F directly. Tusssle between Magsi and JUI-F

seems to have entered into a phase,where even beleaguered chief ministerAslam Raisani has decided to followthe dictates of the majority group.Balochistan PPP President Sadiq

Umrani, Balochistan PML-NPresident Sardar Sanaullah Zehri, andBalochistan PML-Q President Shiekh

JaRer Mandokhel held a meeting onthe sidelines to discuss their jointfuture course of action. It is learnt thatthey have decided in principle to blockthe way of any partial caretaker ChiefMinister in Balochistan and mightagree to a name proposed by TariqMagsi. The new alliance has refused toaccept name of Jamiat Ulema e Islam-Fazl’s (JUI-F) Maulana Wasay asleader of the opposition. Sources saidthe latest political crisis in Baluchistan

has created diQculties for dissolutionof the assembly. Meanwhile, Balochistan Governor

Zulfiqar Magsi has acceptedresignations of 20 provincial ministersfrom PPP, PML-Q, and likemindedgroup. Twenty Balochistan ministershad tendered their resignations, givingwarning that they would not accept whatthey called a caretaker governmentwhich two political parties - JamiatUlema e Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and

Balochistan National Party-Awami(BNP) – want to impose on the province.The assembly is due to complete its

tenure on April 7, 2013. Therefore,chances of recalling the Assembly forelecting a new leader of the House,even for few days to help facilitate thetransition of power as per 18thamendment is very much on the cards.Meanwhile, PML-N, PML-Q and PPPagreed to bring an impartial caretakerCM in Balochistan.

Opp gets majority in Balochistan Assembly

SAEED MINHAS

IISSLLAAMMAABBAADD:: Politically bullyingseems to have no end in federalcapital as both PML-N and PPPhave locked their horns over thenomination of caretaker primeminister by rejecting each other’s’choices for the time being thusraising the chances of a dark horse’sinduction at the last minute. Constitutionally, if both sides

failed to resolve the issue withinthree days of the dissolution of theassembly, an eight memberparliamentary committee will begiven the chance to debate on theissue and come out with aconsensus candidate if they can,otherwise the matter will be sent tothe Election Commission ofPakistan for planting one of thefour names forwarded to them bythe parliamentary committee. Willthe matter go to penultimate dateof March 24 or will it be resolved bythe political big wigs, remains thequestions making round in thefederal capital. With hecticmovements seen all around,political insiders believe thatchances of a dark horse, unheardoR before might surface withinnext few days on the sheer basisthat both sides are fearing ECPamidst theories of a prolongedcaretaker setup in the name ofpurging the country of evilpoliticking and corruption.Therefore, insiders believe thatboth sides are trying to remindeach other of lingering conspiraciesthus asking each other to reach aconclusion by Monday night. Two names each from

Opposition, Justice (Retd) NasirAslam Zahid and Rasool Bux Palejoand two from coalition partners ofPPP, Hafeez Sheikh and Dr IshratHussain are still on the table.Favourite horses in this race areconsidered to be Nasir AslamZahid and Hafeez Sheikh fromtheir respective sides. Opposition leader Chaudhry

Nisar remains adamant on theappointment of Justice (retired)

Nasir Aslam Zahid while thegovernment has not budged fromthe position it had taken on thenames forwarded by it for the post.PPP’s Qamar Zaman Kaira,

meanwhile, has floated a blinder inthe political mess by taking aboutthe possibility of bringing in newnames for consideration to end thedeadlock persisting between hisparty the Nawaz League. Hisstatement has spurred immediatelyfew more names in the arena whichincludes some of the oldies makingrounds for over a month in variouscircles. They include people likeMamood Khan Achakzai, whohimself has refused the request ofMian Nawaz Sharif few weeks backon the basis that he himself wantsto contest elections. Then thenames like Hussain Haroon, AsmaJehangir, even Senator RazaRabbani, Senator Jehangir Badr,Senator Afrasiab Khattak andSenator Ishaq Dar have alsobecome part of the ongoing debate.These names have been appearingin the media during the past fewweeks with strong reservationsfrom all sides of political elite,therefore, chances of hem makingto fresh list are considered minimalby many political insiders. Yet theyare not ruling out the possibility ofa new face appearing on thehorizon as per the traditions ofPakistani politics. However, theseinsiders believe that this time thename might not come from Khakisor any of the usual suspects, butmight emerge from within politicalwranglers. Nevertheless, they saythat ultimately the name has to becleared from the safe houses in thename of getting security clearance. To create further doubts in the

kind of the opposition, PPP playedanother smart move of sending itssenior party leader MakhdoomAmin Fahim to meet FazlurRehman soon after the breakingnews that Nawaz League has failedto calm down Maulana fordropping his nominee from the listof caretaker probable; i.e, Justice(Retd) Shakir Ullah Jan.

Govt, Opp stick to guns on caretaker PM

New namesmay surface

LLAAHHOORREE:: Christians of Joseph Colony o$er prayers in open before going to their burnt church which was opened by Shahbaz Sharif. –ONLINE

IISSLLAAMMAABBAADD:: The Election Commissionof Pakistan (ECP) has released the finalelectoral rolls, by which over 80 millionvoters willexercise their right of franchise inthe upcoming general elections.According to the ECP, 85,738,789 voters

have been registered across the country —48,416,413 male and 37,322,376 femalevoters. There are 4,900,564 votersregistered in Punjab, 18,713,573 voters inSindh‚ 12,311,001 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwaand 3,345,067 voters in Balochistan,whereas the number of voters in FATA are1,749,331 and 614,176 voters have beenregistered in the Federal area.The ECP has also made it clear that it can

discharge its constitutional mandatewithout intervention from any quarter, anobservation it made in response to aproposal recently made by the SenateSpecial Committee on Election Issues that aparliamentary body could be entrusted withthe task of monitoring a long-term processfor electoral reform.In a letter by ECP Secretary Ishtiak

Ahmad Khan of the ECP to SenateSecretary Raja Amin, it was conveyed thatsome parts of the Badr committee reportwere found to be “derogatory to themandate given to the ECP by theconstitution”.

“Any power exercised by the ECP outsidethis mandate can be struck down by thesuperior courts, but no committee of eitherhouse or a joint parliamentary committeecan meddle or exercise oversight on themandate given to the ECP by theconstitution,” the letter reads.“The parliament is all-powerful to make

or amend the laws to give more powers tothe ECP to accomplish its mandate inaccordance with the provisions of theconstitution. However, it is bereft of anypower to make inroads in the constitutionexcept through an amendment of therelevant portion of the constitution, butonly to the extent of empowering the ECPand not to digress from the powers alreadygiven to the ECP,” the letter said.The ECP will meetrepresentatives of

political parties today to allot electionsymbols and it has asked all the politicalparties that have applied for electionsymbols to each send a representative tothe meeting. “If a political party does notattend the meeting of the ECP forallotment of election symbols, the ECP hasthe right to allot the party a symbol in thelight of the preferences shown by thatparty in its application to the ECP for thepurpose”, the ECP stated.The deadlineexpired onMarch 15.

Army to be deployed at sensitive places

ECP releases finalelectoral rolls� RejectsSenate committee’s reformproposal � Parties to get symbols today

STAFF REPORTER

IISSLLAAMMAABBAADD:: The Supreme Courtwill hear a number of importantcases, including a letter of PrimeMinister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf to theChief Justice Iftikhar MuhammadChaudhry, today (Monday).A three-member bench

comprising Chief Justice IftikharMuhammad Chaudhry, JusticeGulzar Ahmed and Justice Sh.Azmat Saeed will hear the letter ofPrime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf,which was converted into a petition.The bench will also hear a case

pertaining to violence in JosephColony, located near Badami Bagh

area of Lahore, over allegedblasphemy, Bank of Punjab VsHaris Steel Industries caseinvolving billion of rupeescorruption, a petition regardingmiserable condition of a school inGujranwala, where girls sit besidegraves whilst taking a test duringtheir daily classes in graveyard,Shahzeb Khan murder case and acase regarding award of a multi-billion dollar contract for importof 400 million cubic feet ofLiquefied Natural Gas (LNG).Earlier on March 11, while

hearing the plea of Raja PervezAshraf requesting the ChiefJustice of Pakistan to set up a

commission headed by Dr ShoaibSuddle to investigate theallegations of corruption againsthim in the Rental Power Projects(RPP) case, the Supreme Courthad issued notices to the NationalAccountability Bureau (NAB)chairman, PML-Q leader FaisalSaleh Hayat and PML-N legislatorKhawaja Asif, being petitioners inthe RPP case. Wasim Sajjad willadvocate the PM.According to legal experts, the

plea is likely to be thrown out,being weightless having nosubstance, and besides the court,at its (plea) preliminary hearing,has also clearly noted that it (SC)

had already delivered its verdict inthe RPPs case and the review pleaagainst the verdict had also beenwithdrawn by the government.The court has also noted that if a

premier will question thecredibility of the NAB, then whatother people will think and takeimpression from it, adding that inthe RPP case, constitution of acommission was equal to a reviewof the whole verdict.In his letter, the Prime Minister

regretted that a totallyunwarranted and unending smearcampaign had been unleashedagainst him and his family inrecent years by certain vested

interests, which had compelledhim to make this request.“It is also extremely demeaning

for the State, particularly, when Ihold such a high office,” he stated,adding that he considered itexpedient to ask to take the caseaway from NAB and give it to anindependent commission toeffectively deal with theallegations that the governmentwas using its influence on thecase. He recalled that theSupreme Court had also adoptedsuch a course in a recent sensitivecase when a one-mancommission was constitutedunder Dr Shoaib Suddle.

SC hears important cases today

� JUI-F stands isolated � MPAs of PPP, PML-N, PML-Q join ranks with Magsi

OUR STAFF REPORTER

KKAARRAACCHHII:: PPP MNA NabilGabol Sunday joined theMQM, ending his 25-yearaQliation with the party.Addressing a press

conference at Nine-Zero toformally announce hisdecision, he said: “Nine-Zeroalways felt like my secondhome… Now I’m sayinggoodbye to the PPP to jointhe MQM.”Gabol said the current PPP

is not Benazir Bhutto’s party.“The current PPP, in thesefive years, ignored myconstituency Lyari anddestroyed it. For three years,I took a stand and warned theparty leadership that thesituation of Lyari is like atime-bomb which will aRectthe entire city in the future…But no one listened to me,” hesaid, adding that he remainedan MNA for the past fiveyears because he was giventhe ticket by Benazir Bhuttoand he wanted to showloyalty to her. “Since a year, Ihad been thinking of quittingthe PPP and joining a newparty, but I could not decidewhich party to join. Allparties invited me but AltafHussain would alwayspersonally call me wheneverI had a problem,” he said.

PPP not BB’s party

Nabil Gaboljoins MQM

� MPs committee to get 4 names tonight� Behind the scene meetings continue

� PM’s letter, Joseph Colony, LNG among other cases on the list

MONDAY, MARCH 18, 2013

CMYK

CMYK

Saad Hariri offers NawazSharif bomb-proof car

IISSLLAAMMAABBAADD:: Saad Hariri, the sonof former Lebanese President RafiqHariri, has offered a bomb-proofvehicle, equipped with state-of-the-art satellite system to PML (N) ChiefMian Nawaz Sharif. When asked,PML (N) Information SecretarySenator Mushahid Ullah Khan,replied, “It was an old matter.”Nawaz Sharif was offered a bullet-proof van but now he does not knowabout the latest development in thisregard. �ONLINE

Public policy dialogue ongender, health on 20thIISSLLAAMMAABBAADD:: To recognise the issues,challenges and opportunities in thiscomplex duo of gender-based violenceand public health from a Pakistaniperspective, a public policy dialoguewith the key stakeholders would beorganised on March 20 by AlternativePerspectives. It is the first and till todate the only indigenous think tank onhealth and reproductive health issuesoperating under AGEHI (Advocates ofGender, Education & HealthInformation) Resource Centre which isa technical resource wing of SACHET(a right-based advocacy-cum-servicedelivery organisation, working since1999 with multiple projects of gender,health, education, livelihood andtrainings). Violence against womenand girls is one of the most urgentproblems and it cannot be isolatedfrom gender domain as stereotypesand power attached to certainindividuals, relations and institutionsdirectly or indirectly impacts mostlythe lives of disadvantaged individualsand communities. The policy dialoguewould be chaired by UNFP CountryRepresentative Rabbi Royan andmoderated by SACHET ExecutiveDirector Dr Rakhshinda Perveen, whois also the founder of the AlternativePerspectives. �STAFF REPORT

President condoles withmartyr soldiers’ familiesIISSLLAAMMAABBAADD:: President Asif AliZardari has expressed deep sense ofcondolence and sorrow for the loss ofprecious lives of soldiers when theirbus plunged into a deep ravine onKarakoram Highway in Kohistandistrict. President Zardari in hiscondolence message to the bereavedfamilies of the martyrs expressedsorrow and grief on this loss in which21 soldiers including oKcer of PakistanArmy lost their lives. The presidentprayed for the eternal peace of thedeparted souls and may AllahAlmighty grant courage and fortitudeto the bereaved families to bear thisirreparable loss. —APP

Sunday Art Bazaar IISSLLAAMMAABBAADD:: The Art Gallerylaunched the Sunday Art Bazar in thefederal capital on Sunday where thework of art students, new artistexhibition would be held respectively.On the special occasion of the 5thanniversary of the Art Gallery itwould launch Art Bazar and morethan 100 Artist would take part in thisArt Bazar while work of arts, modeland creative work of artist wasdisplayed in the show. The aim of thisArt Gallery is to give specialencouragement to new artists andpromote their work and talent in frontof the world. �ONLINE

MASOOD REHMAN

IISSLLAAMMAABBAADD:: Owing to shortage ofdistrict attorneys, thousands of casesare pending against the state in thedistrict courts throughout the country,which may be disposed of expeditiouslyif the number of district attorneys isincreased and the existing ones workwith devotion and dedication.Thousands of cases against the state

are pending adjudication before thedistrict courts for years, however noserious eLorts are being made by theconcerned authorities to dispose of

these cases speedily by increasing thenumber of district attorneys andmonitoring the working of existingones.According to senior lawyers, the role

of district attorneys is myriad andcomplex, thus they are required towork with devotion and dedication, sothat the cases pending against the statein the district courts may be disposedof expeditiously. They said theproactive role of the district attorneyswas a must in dispensation of justice.Advocate Muhammad Ikram

Chaudhry said that the district

attorneys can enhance publicconfidence over them by quality oftheir work. Being the qualified andlicensed lawyers, the district attorneyscan be an important safeguard againstdue process and human rightsviolations, he said.Keeping in view the pivotal role of

the district attorneys and deputydistrict attorneys in administration ofthe justice, the Federal JudicialAcademy has started orientationcourses for these attorneys from allover the country including AzadKashmir.

Senior lawyer Hamid Khan said thatthe subordinate courts and attorneysthemselves have to enhance the publicconfidence in the judiciary by thequality of their work. To a query, hesaid the orientation courses for theattorneys would definitely enhancetheir information and sharpen theirskills.He said as the continuing judicial

and legal education was essential forthe judicial oKcers in the samemanners it was essential for the districtattorneys and other stakeholders of thejustice system. “Since we are living in a

changing world, thus it is essential toall the stakeholders of judicial and legalfraternity to update their knowledge,information and skills about the newtrends and mechanisms for eKcientand eLective dispensation of justice,” hesaid.He said all the stakeholders of the

justice system have to make committedeLorts to overcome the slow pace andcustomary delays in the legal andjudicial system. He said the districtattorneys/government pleaders playvital role in the district courts ininstituting/defending and conducting

of suits on behalf of the government.They also represent the government inall revenue and civil cases in which thegovernment was impleaded as a party.Thus, they are required to produce

or controvert evidence of the partiesinvolved in such suits/cases, thus theyshould be very careful about thecollection of evidence, selection ofwitnesses, production of publicdocuments, examination and cross-examination of witnesses etc. He saidthat the district attorneys should be appointed on priority basis, where needed.

Shortage of district attorneys adding number of cases against state

IISSLLAAMMAABBAADD:: A view from above! Little motorcycles race down 7th Avenue. �INP

SALMAN ABBAS

IISSLLAAMMAABBAADD:: OKcials of the CapitalDevelopment Authority who found guilty insome unlawful acts have taken a sigh of reliefafter removal of Syed Tahir Shahbaz, as theformer CDA chairman along with other boardmembers wanted to transfer or to take actionagainst all of them after the formation ofcaretaker setup.Sources informed The Spokesman that the

former chairman had recently conducted ameeting with the board members to take a lineof action against those oKcials who havemisused their authority. The CDA high-upswere mulling to transfer all such oKcials or totake stern action against them likewisesuspension of their services and posting.

CDA bosses have decided to act upon theirline of action during the caretaker setup so thatthey would not have had to face any type ofinfluence or political pressure. “But what bringsan end to all such determination is once againrelations of such oKcials with the ruling class,”said the oKcial, adding that two of thoseoKcials who tried to raise their voice againstcorruption has been removed.“Let see what will happens with the

remaining ones,” said a senior CDA oKcial.Recently, former CDA Environment MemberDr Kazim Niaz probed the illegal allotment ofresidential plots to some 109 oKcials andrecommended that the disciplinary actionshould be taken against the oKcials involved inthe scam. Another senior oKcial of the CDA’splanning wing who, allegedly, allotted a piece of

land in the Diplomatic Enclave for theestablishment of diplomatic shuttle service onthrowaway price of Rs2 square yard was alsounder the discussion of the CDA bosses andthey wanted to transfer him also.Another senior oKcial in DMA Directorate

could also be come under the hammer of hisseniors as he was also found guilty of allotting akiosk in the name of interior minister’s brotherby setting aside all the rules. However, thesources said that now all of the oKcials havealmost been saved as the new chairman does notenjoy good reputation as compared to TahirShahbaz who took firm stand against the politicalpressures and also faced the consequences of hishonesty. Same was done with one of his boardmember Kazim Niaz who was sent back toBalochistan around four days ago.

IISSLLAAMMAABBAADD:: Closure of short cutpassages and small U-turns on all theroads of the federal capital has causedembarrassment to the citizens. UndertraKc plan, small U-turns have beenabolished and long U-turns have beenbuilt to make roads, high ways andintersections signal free to ease traKcflow. But longer U-turns have costheavily to the common man, as theyhave to bear the brunt of additionalexpenses on petrol and gasconsumption on their way from homesto oKces and back to homes.Short U-turns was a real facility for

us as we covered the distance to ouroKce in 15 minutes and this way wehad to spend a small amount on fuelconsumption but due to long u-turnswe have not only to suLer in terms oftime but in terms of fuel consumptionat such a time when fuel prices aresoaring sky high, said a group ofgovernment employees. The prevalentu-turn arrangement depicts a gloomypicture as no U-turn exists on three-kilometre-long road interveningbetween I-8 traKc signal and 15Rescue. Far ahead Faizabad, a U-turn in the

name of Swan has been built at adistance of six kilometres. Likewise noU-turn has been built on fivekilometres distance between policecheck post to Peshawar Morr onKashmir High way in front of firebrigade oKce. One has to move to 7thAvenue Chowk after traveling twokilometres and then return in order toproceed to Peshawar Morr. This way one has to bear the

additional burden of petrolconsumption as much as oneconsumes to cover four kilometresdistance. Citizens have complainedthat no U-turn exists on twokilometres’ distance from D-Chowk toF-7 Chowk in front of the ParliamentHouse. Likewise the U-turn meant forthe road leading to Murree fromFaizabad is located in front of MargallaTown and this way one has to coveradditional distance of two to threekilometres.Citizens demanded evolving of traKc

plan to facilitate them and not tocompound their traKc woes. �ONLINE

IISSLLAAMMAABBAADD:: International Islamic Universityand Government of Indonesia have decided to co-operate with each other in expandingresearch-based education. This was said byInternational Islamic University President Prof.Dr. Ahmed Yousif Al-Draiweesh. He was talkingto the Indonesian Ambassador in PakistanBurhan Muhammad, who called on him at hisoKce on Sunday.Both the personalities exchanged views about

matters of mutual interest. Prof. Dr. SahibzadaSajidur Rehman, Vice President of the IIUI wasalso present on the occasion. During the meetingpresident IIUI and Indonesian ambassadoragreed upon expanding the cooperation in thefields of education, research and in this regardmutually workshops and seminars would beorganised.Prof. Dr. Ahmad Yousif Al-Draiweesh said that

Muslim Ummah is like a family and due todistance youth of Ummah is facing problems

which can be solved with provision of qualityeducation. He said that IIUI would continueproviding best facilities to the Indonesianstudents and scholarships would be provided tothe bright Indonesian students. Dr. Al-Draiweeshsaid that university will solve the problems ofIndonesian students on priority basis.Dr. Al-Draiweesh said that Indonesia has

played vital role for the progress of MuslimUmmah and Indonesia has also served very bestin the field of education and research. About therelationship of Pakistan and Indonesia he saidthat both the countries are bonded in religiousand historical ties and playing vital role topromote Islamic teachings. He further said thatIIU will strengthen cooperation in the fields ofresearch and education with the Indonesianuniversities and in this regard exchange ofstudents and senior faculty members should takeplace so that both sides may benefit from eachother’s experiences and to serve Muslims. �ONLINE IISSLLAAMMAABBAADD:: AAnn eellddeerrllyy ccoouuppllee on their way back home after collecting dry braches. �INP

Long-distanceU-turns add tomiseries ofcommuters

‘Guilty’ o�cials feel freeafter CDA chief ’s removal� After caretakers, Shahbaz was ready to take action against corrupt

Indonesian ambassador calls on IIUI president

HOMER BALOCH

IISSLLAAMMAABBAADD:: Discriminatory attitudeadopted by the Islamabad Police hasbeen falling heavy on those police copswho are performing their duties in daysand nights at check posts established atdiLerent points in the federal capital asneither a proper shelter nor any toiletshas been established for them.Saleem Khan, a head constable

appointed at a picket in high securityarea, told The Spokesman, “We arehere to secure the public but we are notprovided proper shelters. So how canwe assure the security with our limitedresources?” He further said that the

low rank police oKcials in variouspickets were suLering as they don’thave any proper arrangement for foodand shelter while the higher authoritiesin their oKces enjoy their privileges.Constable Mohammad Akram, while

sharing their diKculties said that, “Wespent all our winters by burning woodsin our tent or cabin near the picket toget warmth. The higher oKcials claimthat they provide us coals in this regardbut actually the supply goes to thepolice stations directly for higher policeoKcials however we the lower oKcialssuLer in the cold winters.” He also saidthat the oKcials even don’t haveenough time to visit the pickets to

examine the condition of the tents.“We at a picket took shelter under a

tree during the hail falling and rain fewdays ago as rainwater was drippingthrough the tent we are provided,” hesaid. Another oKcial requestinganonymity said that they were alsohaving problems regarding their foodas most of the pickets do not haverestaurants nearby so normally anoKcial is sent to the concerned policestation to bring food which takes somuch time.”He further said that only during VIP

movements and special occasion likethe month of Ramazan, they wereprovided food at their pickets. The cops

also complain of the misbehavingattitude of the people. ConstableRashid Ali said that, “It seems that thecapital is only for the bureaucrats, notfor the lower ranked oKcials as we donot even dare to stop a vehicle withhaving a sign of ‘MNA’ on it as if we do,we face serious circumstances inresult.” He said that the vehicles having the

diplomatic number plates were also‘immune’ as the entire police stationwould be under the rage of higheroKcials “if we ever try to stop them onour pickets.” Some weeks ago, a Syriannational wanted for many crimes wasarrested while driving a vehicle having

number plate of UN which clearlyindicates that the criminals feel secureby having a diplomatic or internationalnumber plate because they know thepolice were not given enough authorityby the higher oKcials to interrupt suchvehicles.However, he said people also

misbehave with the police “when weever to stop them for our routinechecking.” He said that the peoplewhenever were stopped, try to showtheir influence by declaring theiraKliation with the political big wigs,which demoralize the police.However, constable Abdul Ghani wasfound complaining that the police at

the pickets do not even has the facilityof toilets.“We often go to mosques nearby or

towards the green belts as we do nothave the facility of toilets at our pickets,”he said. Islamabad Police spokespersonNaeem Ahmad said that currently therewere almost 70 pickets in the capitalwhere around 1000 oKcials wereappointed. He said according to theirknowledge, all the pickets were beingsupplied the coals during the winters.“The pickets are so eLective towards theprevention of crimes as during the pastfew years, the crime ratio has a bigdecrease due to the eLective checkingsystem at the check posts,” he added.

No arrangement for food, shelters at police check-posts

MONDAY, MARCH 18, 2013

Venom Inc. This should not be heldagainst me in a court of law aˇ Isolemnly declare that these a˘e

absolute lies, dirty whispers and wildspeculation that I have heard whilecrawling in the dark power corridors ofthe creepy Capital. You will believe themaˆ your own risk Shh...If you have venomto spill please don’̂ hesitate to share withus on our blog at www.thespokesman.pk

POWER ALLEYS|CMYK

Farooq Tariq @ Farooqtariq3#Women in forefront; During5 years sessions, 55 womenlegislators asked 8138questions while 161 male

legislators asked 7918 questionsImaan Hazir Mazari �@ImaanHMazariIf Mush has anything 2 do w the caretaker set-up,v will make PK an int'l joke-this is the manwho pushed 4 r "strategic alliance" w the US!Saria Benazir �@SariaBenazir@AseefaBZ We've always made history -fought against every dictatorship, sacrificed ourleaders & workers + delivered the most toPakistan.Imran Khan �@ImranKhanPTIRidiculous how PPPP & PMLN have done muqmuqa for 5 yrs; passed 3 Constit Amendmentsbut cannot now agree on caretaker set up!1/2Imran Khan �@ImranKhanPTI2/2 Unless Punjab has caretaker govt also, howcan there be free & fair elections while presentPunjab govt controls Admin, Thana &Patwari?Pir Sabir Shah �@PeerSabirShahThis is the new #Democratic #Pakistan lots ofpositivities comed and many are pnding yet insh Allah the coming time will be #PMLN

TAHIR NIAZ

ISLAMABAD: The legislators in the13th national assembly, which com-pleted its constitutional term a dayback on Saturday, submitted 243 reso-lutions on local, national and interna-tional issues during the fiveparliamentary years, of which thelower house adopted 85 but the prac-tice in general proved as ‘a resolutionfor the sake of resolution’, with nomajor impact on the ground. As a result of 2008 general elections,

the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) cameinto power and it started with a resolu-tion on the tragic assassination of Sha-heed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.Moved by Farooq H Naik, Minister forLaw, Justice, Parliamentary AVairs &Human Rights on 14th April, 2008, theresolution mourned the tragic assassi-nation of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto andrecommended that the governmentshould approach the UN to get thetragic assassination of Benazir Bhuttoprobed by “Shaheed Mohtarma Be-nazir Bhutto Commission” to identifythe culprits, perpetrators, organizersand financers behind this heinouscrime and bring them to justice. ThePPP remained in power for whole fiveyears but could not identify the cul-prits, perpetrators, organizers and fi-nancers.The house adopted an MQM moved

resolution on November 20, 2012 to

de-weaponize the country in the largerinterest of the people but illegalweapons still remain a major challengefor the law-enforcers of the country. Inanother resolution passed by the housesame day, the House called upon thefederal government to immediately setup an All-Parties Commission, com-prising members from all major politi-cal parties, including those notrepresented in the Parliament, with themandate to bring all estranged lead-ers/political parties in Balochistan backinto the political mainstream. But thegenuine desire of the House to rectifypast mistakes and ensure the su-premacy of the Constitution, the rule oflaw and dispensation of justice in theprovince could not be fulfilled in fivelong years. A consensus resolution atthe conclusion of the in-camera jointsitting of parliament (8th Oct - 22thOct 2008) also asked the governmentthat a political dialogue with the peo-ple of Balochistan shall be acceleratedbut nothing concrete was observed onthe subject in the five years.In a much-hyped resolution passed

on Guidelines for Terms of Engage-ment with USA/NATO/ISAF and gen-eral foreign policy on April 12, 2012,the house sought immediate cessationof drone attacks inside the territorialborders of Pakistan, saying Pakistan’ssovereignty shall not be compromised.But the US drone attacks are still con-tinuing and the PPP government

hardly raised voice against the ‘aggres-sion’ in its five years term. The joint sit-ting of the parliament on May 13-14,2011 had passed another resolution onunilateral US forces’ action in Abbot-tabad on 2nd may 2011 to condemn theUS unilateral action in Abbottabad,which constituted a violation of Pak-istan’s sovereignty.The house called upon the govern-

ment on September 28, 2010 to take

pragmatic steps to control the inci-dents of target killings in the country.In another resolution passed by thehouse on 12th January, 2010, the gov-ernment was asked to take steps tocontrol unemployment in the country.On November 10, 2009 the houseasked the government, through a par-liamentary resolution, to take steps tocontrol price-hike in the country. Butit remains a fact that price-hike, un-

employment and bad law and orderruled the masses during the last fiveyears.The house passed a resolution on 21st

August, 2008 and demanded immedi-ate repatriation of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui toPakistan but she is still languishing inthe US jail. The national assembly on22nd April, 2008, asked the govern-ment to take steps to ban the use ofplastic shopping bags and instead

bring in use the bio-degradable shop-ping bags but no action on part of thegovernment was seen to check thetrend.In the five parliamentary years, six

resolutions were passed on women’s is-sues and five each on minorities’ rightsand blasphemy. Resolutions condemn-ing the Badami Bagh and Gojra inci-dents, killing of Ahmadis in Lahore,murder of Shazia Masih and protectionof minority rights were adopted by thehouse. But the minority members inthe expired national assembly wereseen expressing concern over the plightof minorities in the face of insecurity.Similarly, the national assembly took

notice of the missing persons case bypassing a resolution expressing con-cern about the plight of the families ofpersons missing for long periods with-out any intimation as to their where-abouts but the issue could not beresolved so far.The lower house of the parliament

passed a number of resolutions on dif-ferent subjects in five years but thesecould hardly bring a major change onthe ground. The government is not tobe blamed for the same; may be the cir-cumstances did not favour it as twoseparate resolutions passed by thehouse in favour of then Prime MinisterSyed Yusuf Raza Gilani on June 14,2012 and May 3, 2012 could not savehim from the wrath of the SupremeCourt in the contempt of court case.

NA passed 85 resolutions for the sake of resolution?

MASOOD REHMAN

ISLAMABAD: Taking suo motu no-tice of the transfer of Capital Develop-ment Authority (CDA) ChairmanSyed Tahir Shahbaz by the PPP gov-ernment before its departure on Sat-urday, the Chief Justice of PakistanIftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry issuednotices to the Cabinet and Interiorsecretaries as well transferred andnewly posted chairman of the civicagency- Syed Tahir Shahbaz and TariqPirzada respectively.On Saturday, Prime Minister Raja

Pervaiz Ashraf removed the SyedTahir Shahbaz from the post of Chair-man CDA allegedly after the latter de-clined to obey the PM’s unjustdirections of allotting plots to his blueeyed bureaucrats in developed sectorsof capital city by setting aside all therules. . However, it is feared that thePM has got succeeded to get signed allthose allotment letters from new

Chairman CDA Tariq Pirzada in thedarkness of night which the Shahbazhad declined to sign.CDA sources said that “PM ap-

proved the allotment of plots for fed-eral secretaries, bureaucrats, judgesand some journalists but the CDAchairman did not refer the matter toCDA board which was the final au-thority to allot the plots to all theseholy cows,” said the source, addingthat Shahbaz’s inclination resulted inhis removal on the last day of assem-blies. A three-member Supreme Court

bench comprising Justice Jawwad S.Khawaja, Justice Khilji Arif Hussainand Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan has beenconstituted to hear the matter today(Monday). The Chief Justice directedthe Cabinet and the Interior Secretaryto appear before the court today(Monday) and produce notificationsand summaries in respect of thistransfer and posting and intimate as

to why these notifications of prema-ture transfer, which are prima facie vi-olative of the judgment of the apexcourt, be not set aside. Tahir Shahbazand Tariq Pirzada- the former and theincumbent Chairmen, CDA have alsobeen summoned.The action was taken on a note ini-

tiated by the Registrar oUce based onpress clippings of diVerent newspa-pers containing the details that be-fore departure, the PPP governmentsent packing the chairman of theCapital Development Authority(CDA) on Saturday. He was sackedfor resisting allotting choice plots inchoice sectors of Islamabad to manykey bureaucrats.It was further reported that the one

major reason for the government’s an-noyance with reputed Tahir Shahbazwas the latter’s recent reply to aSupreme Court’s query that is likely toseal the fate of an influential politician.Tahir Shahbaz appointed as Chair-

man CDA only five months back- inOctober 2012, was supposed to keep amum like obedient government ser-vant but he did not do that. Conse-quently, the oUcer was removedabruptly on the last day of govern-ment’s departure and without assign-ing any reason.This abrupt transfer of Tahir Shah-

baz is a violation of the SupremeCourt’s November 12, 2012 judgment.The Supreme Court had provided themuch needed protection to the gov-ernment servants from whimsical andarbitrary postings and transfers by di-recting the federal and provincial gov-ernments that they must respect thetenure of an oUcer against a post andthat no government servant should beprematurely transferred without giv-ing reasons in writings.However, despite clear directions,

Tahir Shahbaz was prematurely re-moved. The note also quoted the judg-ment of November 12, 2012 passed in

Const. Petition 23/2012 (petition byMs Anita Turab for protection of civilservants) authored by Justice JawwadS. Khawaja, wherein it was held asunder: -“22. (i) Appointments, Removals

and Promotions: Appointments, re-movals and promotions must be madein accordance with the law and therules made thereunder; where no suchlaw or rule exists and the matter hasbeen left to discretion, such discretionmust be exercised in a structured,transparent and reasonable mannerand in the public interest.”After going through the contents of

the note, the Chief Justice passed thefollowing order:- “Let these news clip-pings be registered as CMA in Consti-tution Petition No.23/2012 (petitionby Ms. Anita Turab for protection ofcivil servants) and fixed before thebench headed by Justice Jawwad S.Khawaja- the author judge of the saidjudgment on March 18, 2013.

So the Tahirul Qadrip h e n o m e n o nturned out to be a

whimper in the end. Hecame, he conquered andthen, well, he morphedinto a cat who was posingas a lion.His public meeting at

Liaquat Bagh was a non-event even before itstarted. In contrast to hisearlier visit to Islamabad,there was no nervousness,no media hype and no

public interest. The life in the twin cities was asnormal as any other day.This begs a few questions: How could he cre-

ate such hype earlier? How could a virtual out-sider take over the country like a whirlwind?Was it because of the money that he spent onmedia? Was it because of any hidden support?Was it the timing that he found uncertainty anda political vacuum? And then how did the tideturn against him? Did he play his cards wrongand missed the opportunity? Did he grow big-ger than his shoes? Perhaps, the answer is a mixof all this.It does not matter whether he contests the

elections or not. In fact, it was not possible forhim to do that. Personally, he could not contestthe polls because he was a dual citizen and hiscommitment to Pakistan was not big enoughfor him to give up his Canadian nationality. Hisparty, which had become non-functional, couldnot fulfill the requirement of the Election Com-mission in such a short time.No matter how much he tried to be serious,

quoting the Constitution, the strictures andwhat not in his thunderous roars, he stirredmore humour than any serious impact at theend. Partly because of his idiosyncrasies as, for

instance, his loathing to be addressed asMaulana and partly because of his dramatics —the jumpy way of articulation, the designerrobes and the aura of novelty mixed with ex-treme security cautions. He came across as acomplicated split-personality who threw mixedmessages to the public: An awami leader whowould not get out of his armoured cabin; adarvesh who was so eager for media publicity; areligious scholar who was politically so ambi-tious; a politician who wanted to be taken seri-ously as a religious scholar; a Pakistaninationalist who had a foreign nationality anddid not return here for over a decade; a hyp-ocrite who was found saying contradictorythings in various time zones; a mullah who triedto be more liberal than, well, liberals.The joke around town was that his slogan

‘Siasat nahi, riasat bichao’ was actually aboutsaving the State of Canada (from the onslaughtof Sikhs, Yanks, Deobandis, gays etc), not Pak-istan.

Basically, the contradictions in his personal-ity - his past and his present, his life and viewsexpressed here and abroad - and the changingpolitical realities exposed him in the end.Still, it was quite a countdown. His sudden

rise and fall says something more about thecountry than about the man. In retrospect, wecan say that the country is so vulnerable thatany conjurer with a few tricks in the name of re-ligion or politics can sway it either way like astorm. The fortunes of political parties shootmercurially up and down with the gathering ofone big public meeting. The political actorsavailable do not articulate the inner emotionsfelt by the public. Or maybe the people do notsee their everyday problem getting solved by thepolitical choices that they are being oVered inthe next elections. Whatever his phenomenon, the Qadri factor

proved that a political vacuum exists for any ad-venturer to sway the public emotions. After all,he got the public interested in his terminology

describing the present political players as play-ing a “Noora Kushti” - a choice between thelesser evils. No denying that many of the thingsthat he said were right about, let’s say, the elec-toral reforms and the mutual compromiseamong the players to have the elections on theirown terms.The problem was not with the message but

most with the messenger who did not have thecredentials or the wits to carry it further.Qadri has a pattern of staging this kind of dra-

matics after a decade or so. He staged a hugestorm in 1989 when he took on his erstwhilebenefactors — the Sharifs. He ran away whenhe could not take the heat. He tried to pull thesame trick during Musharraf time and againtook a long leave of absence. His third home-coming has been equally dramatic. He may notrun away this time. If he chooses otherwise, hemay have to change his tactics and prove hiscredentials here. This should add lots of gravi-tas to our politics.

Tahirul Qadri — just a whimperPolitically

Incorrect

Amir Mateen

CDA’s chairman transfer

CJ takes notice of midnight jackals � PM brought in Malik Riaz's man to get plots for his blue eyed �Matter to be heard in open court today

The problem was not with

the message but most with the messenger who did not have the credentialsor the wits to carryit further.

“

”

The news of NabeelGabol’s joining theMQM fell as a bomb

shell. We all knew that hehad problems in the party.First, he had an issue withthe political strategy beingapplied by Zulfiqar Mirzain Lyari. He was notconsulted about his

constituency, ignored in the party and wasinsulted by the coterie around the President.This bred lots of rumours about his

possible course of actions. One was that hemay not either contest the polls or even theparty may not give him the ticket. Anotherwas that he might contest the polls as anindependent. Lastly, many said he would jointhe PML-N. That he finally joined, of all theparties, the MQM felt as a lightening rod.Why? Because the man was one of the

biggest critics of the MQM. For years,people heard him blasting the MQM on talkshows. The only matching example could beif Shahi Syed also joins the MQM orChaudhary Nisair joins the PPP, aptly said apolitical reporter.Many thought that he was scared for his

life and sought the MQM protection.Others thought that he got sick of his partyleaders and wanted to score even with them.Still others thought that the MQM madehim an oVer that he could not refuse.Whatever the case, PPP jiyalas think that

he may not be able to even visit Lyari, letalone contest elections. Others say thatMQM might adjust him on Azizabadconstituency, thought it seems unlikely.Either way, this may have been the biggestjolt that the PPP may have suVered in therecent days. And this may have been theinner erosion of the PPP that Naheed Khanwas hinting at a week earlier. Is it the one-oV thing or the beginning of many moresuch defections. How about the PPP manfrom Hyderabad?

Gabol gaoled?

MONDAY, MARCH 18, 2013

Parliamentary body tobreak deadlock on PM,says Ch ShujaatLLAAHHOORREE:: PML-Q PresidentChaudhry Shujaat Hussain has hopedthat the Parliamentary Committeewould break political stalemate overthe caretaker prime minister. “I hopethat the matter will not go to ElectionCommission and the committee willfinalize a name,” said the chief ofPakistan Muslim League-Quaid-e-Azam while talking to newsmenduring a visit to Joseph Colony‚Badami Bagh‚ Lahore‚ on Sunday. Hesaid his faction has proposed the nameof Dr. Ishrat Hussain for the caretakerprime minister and Justice (retd)Zahid Hussain for caretaker chiefminister of Punjab. He stronglycondemned the tragic incident ofJoseph Colony and declared thePunjab government responsible for theincident. General Secretary PML-QMushahid Hussain was also present onthe occasion. He demanded immediatearrest of all accused in Joseph Colonyincident. �ONLINE

Operation to recover Czechwomen in Chaghai continuesDDAALLBBAALLDDIINN:: Operation of securityforces continued for fourth day for therecovery of two female tourists of CzechRepublic who were abducted fromChaghai area of Nokundi. According tomedia reports, security forces operationis still continued to release femaleforeigner tourists and cordoned oQ therouts adjacent to Afghanistan and Iranborders. Chaghai DeputyCommissioner Abdul Qudoos Mengalsaid that frontier core with thecollaboration of local police and Levy istaking part in search operation. �ONLINE

Punjab govt survived dueto Mush’s support: KairaIISSLLAAMMAABBAADD:: Former federalinformation minister and PPP leader,Qamaruz Zaman Kaira has said thatthe Punjab government survived due tosupport of associates of formerpresident Musharraf. During his talkswith a private TV channel, he quotedopposition leader Chaudhry Nisar AliKhan’s statement that associates offormer President Pervez Musharrafwere also supporting PML-N: “did thisimply that Punjab government survivedwith Musharraf ’s support?” he quizzed.He also expressed strong reservationsover impartiality of Justice (retd) NasirAslam Zahid, who had been nominatedby PML-N for the post of caretakerPrime Minister; since the killing ofNasir’s brother-in-law had been blamedon President Zardari. “If Nasir AslamZahid is to be made a prime minister,PML-N might as well support hissuccess in general election,” hedemanded. “While another PML-Nnominee for caretaker prime minister,Rasool Bakhsh Palejo’s son Ayaz LatifPalejo was PPP’s bitter rival in Sindh,”he said, (also) rejecting Rasool BakhshPalejo’s nomination by PML-N.Expressing annoyance over PML-N’srejection of PPP’s nominations forcaretaker Prime minister , he alsorejected the deadlock over the issue ofcaretaker Prime minister, who wouldbe selected according to Constitution,and in consensus with other politicalparties. �ONLINE

Sale of unhygienic meatcontinues uncheckedRRAAWWAALLPPIINNDDII:: Butchers in the city arejeopardising the people’s health byselling unhealthy and unhygienic meatwhile the practice goes on unchecked asthe oPcials concerned are reluctant totake any action against the blatantviolations of health and hygienestandards. Though the localadministration has fixed prices ofdiQerent commodities in the markets,there exists no solid mechanism tocheck quality of meat and its retailprice at shops, said the consumerswhile complaining about the issue ofunsafe meat being sold in the city. Theyalleged that most of the butchersinjected water into the meat to increaseits weight, adding that the butcherswere selling unhygienic meat in almostall the areas of the town, particularly inthe poor and backward ones.Meanwhile, people are suQering fromseveral diseases, especially bloodpressure and hepatitis, due to the use ofunsafe meat. �ONLINE

70 challans issued in anti-encroachment driveRRAAWWAALLPPIINNDDII:: The Cantt Board haslaunched operation against encroachersin diQerent areas and issued challansagainst 70 shopkeepers and confiscatedtwo loaded trucks. Under the supervisionof the encroachment in-charge FiazAhmed Khan, the anti-encroachmentadministration launched operation inMasrial Road and Allabad andconfiscated two trucks of loaded countersand hand driven carts. Meanwhile, theyalso launched operation in Peshawarroad and Kashmir road and issuedchallan against 70 shopkeepers. �ONLINE

LLAAHHOORREE:: PPeeooppllee standing near world’s biggest bouquet (25 feet high) which was made using 3.5 tonnes of flowers. �ONLINE

LLAAHHOORREE:: An application against AamnaTaseer, wife of ex-Govvernor SalmanTaseer, for alleged embezzlement of Rs1.54 billion is false, said her counsel onSunday.While talking to the this scribe, Aamna’s

counsel said that the court of AdditionalDistrict Judge, Lahore, took up theproceedings on Shaan Taseer'sapplication for registration of a criminalcase against Aamna for allegedembezzlement of Rs. 1.54 billion from acompany.Barrister Haroon Duggal represented

Aamna Taseer in court and said that theapplication filed by Shaan Taseer againstAamna Taseer is false and frivolous, andhas only been filed with intent to harassand blackmail Mrs. Taseer and to targether unblemished reputation.The application is directly complicating

and delaying the release of her sonShahbaz Taseer, who was kidnapped inAugust 2011 and is currently still beingheld in captivity,is was stated. “To do so isin their best interest, as they wish to takecontrol of the companies in Shahbaz'sabsence,” he added.Duggal added that due to the fact that

Shaan Taseer had lost an overseaslitigation initiated against Aamna Taseer,his urgency to win cases in Pakistan wasfuelled. Duggal said that he will apprise thecourt of true facts at the next hearing,which was adjourned till 21 March. �ONLINE

Embezzlementapplicationagainst AamnaTaseer baseless

IISSLLAAMMAABBAADD:: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Secretary Information of SenatorMushahidullah Khan has said that the PPP-ledgovernment “has set record of corruption in itsfive-year term”.In a statement issued here on Sunday, he said

that PPP caused inflation by printing thecurrency notes worth of Rs 1.5 billion on dailybasis and shambled the economy of thecountry. He reminded that during the tenure ofPakistan People’s Party, millions of people weredragged to live below poverty line due toinflation.The government which claims for “Roti

Kapra Aur Makan” has ruined the masses andpeople were forced to attempt suicides,Mushahid maintained. The PML-Ninformation secretary mentioned that tradedeficit increased to $14.66 billion andinvestment has lessened to only Rs 500 million. It has been proved that PPP has no vision and

agenda to make the country prosperous state,

he added. He said that PML-N is the only hopeof masses having good working team and clearpolicy to address the problems of people.Meanwhile, The New York Times has said

that a peaceful transfer of power to a newgovernment would be a political victory forPresident Asif Ali Zardari who has confoundedregular predictions of the demise of hisgovernment over the past five years. The USmedia on Sunday given prominent coverage tothe completion of five-year term by Pakistan'sdemocratically elected government and laudedthe policies of President Zardari for the historicachievement.The Christian Science Monitor said President

Zardari has shown a remarkable ability to holdtogether a warring coalition government whosemembers threaten to quit every few months orso. He has also managed a balance between theneed for US assistance amid a deterioratingrelationship between the two countries andrising anti-American sentiment.

The Wall Street Journal said the precedent ofa civilian government completing its term‚ andpeacefully handing over power to theopposition‚ should strengthen Pakistan'sdemocracy. �ONLINE

PML-N says PPP-led govtset records of corruption� Peaceful transfer of power to be political victory for Zardari, says US media

IISSLLAAMMAABBAADD:: International Air ExerciseIndus Viper-II conducted between PAF andTurkish Air Force (TuAF) concluded at anoperational Air Base of Pakistan Air Force onSunday Maj Gen Ares Mehmat, Chief ofOperations, TuAF was the chief guest at theculmination ceremony. Air Marshal Waseem udDin, Deputy Chief of the Air StaQ (Operations),PAF and HE Mr M Babur Hizlan, theAmbassador of Turkey, were also present at theoccasion. The Turkish Air Force contingent

comprising 5 F-16s C&D (Fighting Falcons),

combat pilots and ground technical crewparticipated in the air exercise, conductedfrom March 4 to16. Pakistan Air Forceemphasises on the combat training of its airand ground crew and regularly undertakes airexercises with allied air forces.These exercises not only play a vital role in

honing the combat skills of PAF air crew butalso enable them to learn the latest Air Poweremployment strategies in complex theaters ofwarfare. The prime objective of the exercise isto excel in the air combat capability with focuson air power employment in any future conflict.

Pakistan Air Force conducts such exercises onregular intervals both inland and abroad. Air Exercise Indus Viper-II provided an

opportunity to combat crew of both the airforces to acquaint themselves with appliedtactics of air power in near real scenario.Pakistan Air Force has been participating innumber of International Air Exercises withsome of the best air forces of the world,including United States Air Force, Italian AirForce, Turkish Air Force and air forces of otherallied countries. Exercise Anatolian Eagle is conducted on

alternate year. Similarly, Exercises Red Flag andGreen Flag are conducted between PAF andUSAF on alternate years. Last year, PAFconducted the operational exercise Shaheen-Iwith PLA Air Force. The brotherly countriesPakistan and Turkey have a long history ofmilitary cooperation. To enhance mutualunderstanding between the two Air Forces, PAFand TuAF (Turkish Air Force), have beensuccessfully conducting joint exercises for manydecades. Exercise Indus Viper-II was alsoplanned in the same backdrop and is the secondAir Exercise in this category. �ONLINE

Turkish Air Force joins PAF in Exercise Indus Viper-II

LLAAHHOORREE:: The ad mania has not even left these tent-houses of the Joseph Colony victims. �ONLINE

OUR STAFF REPORTER

RRAAWWAALLPPIINNDDII:: The RawalpindiArts Council has organised a Sufimusical night, featuring folksinger Qurban Ali Niazi and hiscompanions. The stunningperformance of the singer heldthe audience spellbound.Qurban Niazi was accorded a

gold medal on the occasion topay tribute to his services for thepromotion of Sufi music. SenatorNajma Hameed and MPA RajaMuhammad Hanif were guests ofhonour for the evening.

Japan Embassy ConsularToshikazu Isomura, NaheedManzoor and RAC ResidentDirector Waqar Ahmed were alsopresent on the occasion. On theoccasion, Senator Najma saidthat the holding of such musicalnights was the best way topromote the message oftolerance and brotherhood givenby Sufi poets.She said the Sufi poets have

depicted the true essence of theculture in their poetry. MPAHanif said that he was pleased tobe present at the occasion and

was thankful to the RawalpindiArts Council for organising thisevent and he hoped that suchfunctions would be held in futureas well so to spread the messageof Sufi poets.Naheed Manzoor said that the

Sufi poets were messengers ofpeace and love and theyrepresent the true face of thesociety. “Sufi poets promotedtolerance in a complex societycenturies ago and now oursociety needs same message andspirit because intolerance is onthe rise,” she added.

LLAAHHOORREE:: Many poor families in Pakistanare not able to send their children to schoolbecause of poverty and the highestpercentage of out-of-school children (46percent) is among the poorest of poorfamilies.A recent survey by Research Associates at

ASER Pakistan on “Disparities in educationalong socio-economic lines in Pakistan”portrayed disparities in enrolmentaccording to types of schools and learninglevels according to wealth status. Huma saidthat learning levels of children are directlyrelated to their wealth status.The survey said that the poorest have the

lowest learning levels (16 percentUrdu/Sindhi/Pashto, 15 percent Englishand 14 percent Math) and the richest have

the highest learning levels(42pc/Urdu/Sindhi/Pashto, 42 pc Englishand 38pc Math). The households withbetter wealth status are able to spendsignificantly more on their children’seducation improving their opportunities forbetter schooling. The survey furtherrevealed that the diQerence in learninglevels for both males and females acrossdiQerent quintiles.“The learning levels of males and

females improve as we move from thepoorest quintile to the richest quintile.The highest learning levels of females areseen in the richest quintile across thethree competency levels (41pcUrdu/Sindhi/Pashto, 40pc English and36pc Mathematics)”. �ONLINE

Percentage of out-of-schoolchildren highest in poorest

LLAAHHOORREE:: A woman captures a dog in her camera while a small boy looks at it during the DogShow at Racecourse Park. �ONLINE

LLAAHHOORREE:: Ejaz Chaudhry, the candidateof the Ideological Panel, was elected aspresident of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf ’sPunjab chapter after defeating UnityPanel’s strong contender Ahsan Rasheedin intra-party election held here atAiwan-i-Iqbal on Sunday.According unoPcial results, Ejaz

Chaudhry’s panel has swept the polls asDr Yasmin Rashid defeated FarazChaudhry to become the party’s generalsecretary in Punjab. Later a number ofPTI supporters took to the streets anddanced and distributed sweets to showtheir happiness at the results of the polls.Ejaz Chaudhry while addressing his

workers said that it was the PTIsupporters’ success, adding that thedemocracy will be strengthened in thecountry by giving right to party workersto elect their leader. �ONLINE

Ejaz Chaudhryelected PTI Punjab president

Sufi music night at Arts Council

MONDAY, MARCH 18, 2013

FAUZEE KHAN MOHMAND

GGHHAALLAANNAAII:: The intra-partyelections of Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf(PTI) on Sunday were postponedfor an unspecified period afterexchange of harsh words betweentwo rival groups at the main pollingstation in Mohmand tribal region.In Mohmand Agency, the PTI havetwo groups in which one grouprepresent Sajid Khan and the otherMalik Dawood Khan. Both thegroups strongly criticised eachother after the incident andaccused of disturbing the process.

It is pertinent mention that thereare 11,000 registered PTI workerswho will cast vote for the agencyoffice bearers. For the slot of agencypresident, Sajid Khan and IftikharAhmad submitted theirapplications. For this purpose onlyone polling station were establishedin the Ghalanai Sports stadium,which was later shifted to ChandaDegree College. Malik DawoodKhan, who is the son of formersenator Abdul Wahid and cousin ofex-MNA Malik Bilal Rehman andSenator Malik Hailal Rehman, alsoapplied for PTI from the NA-36,

Tribal Areas Mohmand Agency.An election committee member

Irshad Ahmed Advocate toldnewsmen that the polling for intra-party elections in progress in apeaceful manner when workersbelonging to rival PTI groupsentered the polling station andbroken the ballot box and stoleballot papers. “More than 100 voteswere polled before the incident,”Irshad Ahmad said.He said later the political

tehsildar visited the polling stationand all the ballot boxes were shiftedto the political administration

office in the security custody, whilethe polling was postponed.He further said, “Later, we left

Peshawar, but when reached in theKarapa area of Pandilai tehsil someunidentified persons stopped ourvehicles and snatched away all theballot boxes.”When contacted, Political

Tehsildar Haleemzai ShamsulIslam said thousands of PTIworkers came for intra-partyelections. “We were trying todiscipline them but there wascomplete chaos, as we failed in ourefforts because of the differences

between the rival groups. We hadprovided foolproof security to thesePTI workers.”He further said after the

exchange of harsh words betweenthe two rival groups, the additionalpolitical agent ordered him topostpone the elections to avert anypossible clash and control thesituation because of the securitypoint of view.“After the exchange of harsh

words, I tried to convince the rivalgroups for restarting the pollingbut one of them was not ready to doso,” Shamsul Islam added.

ATHAR LASHARI

MMUULLTTAANN:: The Seraikinationalist parties on Sundayannounced to support thePakistan People’s Party (PPP) forits eJort to creating a province insouth Punjab.The chairman of Pakistan

Seraiki Party Taj Langah at apress conference in Rahim YarKhan said, “We appreciate thePPP’s eJorts to highlight ourissue. We are demanding aprovince which covers the entireSeraiki belt according togeographic boundaries. I thinkthe PPP is the only party whosupport us,” Langah said.He added that the PML-N was

an open enemy of the Seraikipeople and their rights. ”We thinkhad the PML-N supported thePPP for the south Punjab orSeraiki province, there wouldhave been problem in creating anew province.”The Seraiki Lok Party also

praised the eJorts of PPP’sgovernment for establishing thenew province.”For the first time,the Seraiki issue is raised at thenational level by the biggestpolitical party of the country. Weare thankful to the PPP forhighlighting our demand,”

Mazhar Nawaz Khan, thepresident of Seraiki Lok Partytold media persons.He further said all the Seraiki

parties and people should bethankful to the PPP for fightinga battle with Nawaz League forthem. “Nawaz Sharif aims atcreating a mini Punjab in theSeraiki belt which is notpossible,” he claimed.The chairman of Seraiki

Department at Islamia UniversityBahawalpur, Dr Javed Chandio,opined that the Seraiki or southPunjab province was also benefitBalochistan, KhyberPakhtunkhwa and Sindh. “Thebig Punjab is usurping the rightsof other provinces and theSeraikis. The time has come todivide Punjab,” he noted. Chandioadding that if PPP had anypolitical pressure on the name ofnew province, than there was noproblem. ”The BahawalpurJanoobi Punjab province’s billhas been passed by the Senate. Itis a great achievement of PPPand the matter enjoys supportfrom many other parties as well,”Dr Javed added.“This is a long political process,

but we are now about to reach ourdestination with the support ofPPP.” On the other hand, a

seminar was arranged bySeraikistan Qaumi Ittehad (SQI)at Multan Press Club. KhawajaGhulam Fareed Koreeja, the SQIchairman, in his address said thePML-N opposed the Seraikiprovince. “We are still demandinga Seraiki province which coversthe 23 districts of Punjab andKhyber Pakhtunkhwa’s DI Khanand Tank districts,” he repeatedthe demand. Koreeja alsocriticised the PPP forcompromising on the name ofSeraiki province. “We believethat the PPP faced immensepressure on the name of newprovince but our demand is alinguistic and culture-basedSeraiki province,” he added.Another national party Seraiki

Lok Saanjh also criticised thePMLN’s role. “In its every tenure,the PML-N neglected the Seraikibelt and people. They are seriousfor a new province but it is a miniPunjab in the shape ofBahawalpur,” Ashiq Buzdar, thechairman of Seraiki Lok Saanjhand the writer of famous bookAsaan Qaidi Takht Lahore Dy. “Ata time when elections are not faraway, the entire Seraiki beltunderstands the negative role ofPML-N. They are ready to opposePunjab in the coming elections.”

Seraiki nationalistsall praise for PPP�Say it has made sincere e!ort to create a new province�Criticises PML-N over its stance

QQUUEETTTTAA:: A rally organised by Pashtunkhwa Students Organisation on Sunday to demand education forall. Pakistan has been unable to provide education to all its citizens, while rising militancy iscomplicating the a1airs, especially for women. –ONLINE

PTI polls postponed after hooliganism in Mohmand�Rival groups exchanged harsh words �Unidentified armed men snatch away ballot boxes

QQUUEETTTTAA:: Jamhoori WatanParty (JWP) headNawabzada Talal AkbarBugti on Sunday said themembers of Bugti tribe werenot being registered as votersin the lists prepared by theElection Commission ofPakistan (ECP), whichmeant that around 0.25million Bugtis would bedeprived of their right offranchise. Instead, he said,registration of baseless casesand carrying out abductionshad become a routine.Addressing a press

conference at the BugtiHouse, he said that theBalochistan chief secretaryhad been directed by theSupreme Court to completethe rehabilitation andregistration of Bugti refugeesat earliest. But the chiefsecretary was speedilyremoved from his post.He also said that he had

also written to the chiefelection commissioner forrehabilitation of Bugtirefugees at the earliest, butinstead baseless cases werebeing filed against these

Bugti refuges, who werealso being abducted. Hecited one such case ofHydrabad’s KhudadadTown, from where fourBugtis were kidnapped.He also expressed his

concerns over the un-acceptable caretaker setup inBalochistan, which wasbeing forced on the orovince,against the will of bothmasses and polity.Deliberating over the All

Parties Conference, hesaid that this was beingarranged to rectify therulers, in order to avoidanother debacle like thatof 1971; waning that if therulers failed to rectifythemselves, foreigndiplomats would beconsulted for ameliorationof situation.Condemningthe March 17, 2005 killingof Akbar Bugti, he saidthat the JWP wouldmourn the occasion andkeep its flag lowered,along with organisingQuranic recitations anddistribution of free foodfor general public. –AGENCIES

Bugtis notbeing registeredas voters: Talal

SABIR AHMAD

GGIILLGGIITT:: The Gilgit-Baltistangovernment observed a day ofmourning on Sunday, a day after atleast 25 army oIcials, including alieutenant colonel, were killed in aroad accident in the Kohistan areaof Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.“We are grieved over the loss of

lives of our soldiers and oIcers in atragic road accident in Kohistan,”said a statement issued by the

government of Gilgit–Baltistan onbehalf of Chief Minister Mehdi Shah.It further said that the flag wouldoIcially remain lowered on Sunday.The soldiers belonged to the

Northern Areas Light Infantry(NLI) and were returning from Swatto Gilgit-Baltistan on vacationswhen the tragedy occurred. Thedead bodies flown to Gilgit onSaturday were buried with fullmilitary honour in their respectiveareas on Sunday. The accident

occurred when a bus, bearingregistration number PWO 737, fellinto ravine known as ‘Sumar Nullah’in Kohistan district, about 300kilometres from Gilgit. “The bus washeading to Gilgit via KarakoramHighway when it met the accidentafter apparently the driver lostcontrol over the vehicle,” police inChilas control room said. The deadbodies were flown by an armychopper to Gilgit. According tooIcials, 17 of the deceased belonged

to Gilgit-Baltistan’s district Ghizeralone, while the remaining werefrom other valleys including Hunza,Skardu and Gilgit. The drivers, oneof them identified as Aman, havealso died in the accident.Lt Col Ikramul Haq, who was also

among the martyred, belonged toGilgit-Baltistan’s Hunza valley. Hewas commanding the NLI regiment.The list issued by ISPR in this

connection includes Lt Col IkramulHaq Naib Subedar Sher Dad,

Havaldar Rauf, Havaldar Jameel,Havaldar Abu Tali, Naik KhushWali, Lance Naik Ghulam Rasool,Sepoy Inayat, Sepoy Rahim Shah,Sepoy Sher Wali, Sepoy Ijaz, SepoySardar, Sepoy Nadir Aman, SepoyShakir, Sepoy Muhammad Ali,Sikandar (Cook), SepoyMuhammad Khan, Sepoy RehmatHakim, Sepoy Sadir, Sepoy SaeedAlam, Sepoy Israr Alam, Sepoy AliBaig, Sepoy Basharat, Sepoy GulWali and Sepoy Akhtar.

Soldiers death mourned in Gilgit-Baltistan

MMAALLAAMM JJAABBBBAA:: Peshawar Corps Commander LtGeneral Khalid Rabbani has said that the Armyhas no objection over dialogue with Taliban andthe political leadership of the country woulddecide the matter.He expressed these views while talking to media

at the Swat Snow festival 2013 on Sunday.“Wherever Army operated, it was directed by thepolitical leadership,” he mentioned. While talkingabout the role of army in forthcoming elections, heassured that army would fully cooperate withElection Commission of Pakistan and providesecurity in the sensitive areas during the electionsaccording to the constitution.Rabbani said that Army has no reservations

regarding dialogues with Taliban and the

political leadership would also finalize thedecision of operation in North WaziristanAgency. The corps Commander said thatsituation in FATA is under control except littlebit areas of Khyber and North Waziristanagencies, political forces did not contact yetregarding military operation against Taliban.Meanwhile, addressing the farewell ceremony of

Swat Snow Festival, 2013, he said that people ofSwat and army together fought against theterrorists and restored peace in the area. He saidthat political leadership and local administrationshould not allow anybody to disrupt the peace ofSwat. Lieutenant General Khalid Rabbani alsodistributed prize among the winners of skatingand paragliding. –AGENCIES

No objection to talks withTaliban, says corps commander

PPEESSHHAAWWAARR:: Khyber PakhtunkhwaGovernor Engineer Shaukatullah has saidthat rehabilitation and developmentactivities, alongside eJorts formaintenance of peace in FATA, will goahead simultaneously.Talking to two separate delegations of

elders, one each from Kurram and Orakzaiagencies, which called on him at Governor’sHouse on Sunday, he said that the law andorder situation in FATA was now far betterwhen compared to the past and wouldfurther improve with the passage of time.The governor also mentioned launching of

natural gas supply project at Darra AdamKhel, which would lead to launch of similarschemes for other tribal agencies andfrontier regions.The delegation from Kurram Agency,

comprising elders of Massozai Tribe was ledby an ex-MNA Haji Munir Khan Orakzai,particularly requested for providing staJ forthe Sub-Treasury OIce of the State Bank ofPakistan and establishment of a passportoIce at Sadda. The elders of internallydislocated tribes, hailing from Ghiljo andother areas of Orakzai Agency, who arepresently housed in Ali Khel, Hangu,Astarzai, Mitha Khel and other parts ofHangu district requested the governor tohelp them in getting them properlyregistered IDPs. They also requested toensure their early repatriation andrehabilitation. The delegation was led byWasi Said and Laiq Hussain.Responding to various demands, the

governor said that hectic efforts wereunderway to further streamline theongoing arrangements for rehabilitationof the internally dislocated people ofFATA and they would find better andamicable circumstances in making revivalof their normal life.On establishment of passport oIce and

provision of staJ for the Treasury OIce ofthe State Bank of Pakistan at Sadda ofKurram Agency are concerned, the governorsaid that the respective authorities would beapproached to create possibility for makingthis possible at the earliest.Meanwhile, talking to diJerent

delegations of tribal elders and youth fromBajaur, Mohmand, Khyber and FRPeshawar, Shaukat said a proposal tostrengthen the vocational traininginstitutes working in diJerent tribalagencies was under the active considerationand it is his utmost eJort to enable theyouth of FATA to get them equipped withskills in latest technologies. Similarly, headded, he had already taken initiative toenhance amount of merit scholarships forthe students of higher secondary and highereducational institutions. –ONLINE

Govt acting onmulti-prongedpolicy in FATA

OUR STAFF REPORTER

GGHHAALLAANNAAII:: “Tribesmen have trust in thePPP and that is why a large number of themwere joining in the party. The PPP hasalways highlights the tribesmen problems oneach platform.”This was stated by Mohmand Agency PPP

President Dr Farooq Afzal, PPP TehsilEkkaghound President Ihsanullah Advocate,PPP Haleemzai President Fazal-e-Hadi andtribal elders including Malik Sohbat Khan,Malik Nasim Dado Khel, Malik Adam Khanand others during a public gathering atHalkai Ghandow on Sunday. They claimed that the PPP had taken a

number of steps for development of tribalregion. “For first time in the history, the PPPhad given the right to vote to the tribesmen.He said that the Mohmand Agency was

facing a lot of problems like health,education and others facilities. Heexpressed grave concern that none of theelected parliamentarian resolved the basicissues of tribesmen. “Political leaders makeclaims and also promises with people, but Iam not included in their list,” Farooq Afzaland claimed that the PPP would cleansweep the upcoming election. PPPEkkaghound General Secretary Ashraf Aliand workers also showed grave concern onthe prolong power outages in the area andsaid WAPDA and Khyber Pakhtunkhwagovernor to resolve the issue.

HHYYDDEERRAABBAADD:: Peasant women at work at a road construction site in Latifabad. Women, especially from minorities, arethe preferred labourers in the interior Sindh and south Punjab because they can be hired for very low wages. –ONLINE

‘People’s Partygave tribesmenright to vote’

OUR STAFF REPORTER

GGHHAALLAANNAAII:: Securityforces defused an IEDweighing 20 kg in the SamiKhel Nullah area ofHaleemzai tehsil onSunday, oIcials said.Security forces also

conducted a searchoperation in the adjoiningareas of Shani Khel andSami Khelbut, but nosuspects were arrested inthe operation.

IED defusedin Mohmand

OUR STAFF REPORTER

AATTTTOOCCKK:: Awami MuslimLeague President SheikhRashid on Sunday said itwas high time for thepeople to wake up, as thecoming generations wouldnot pardon them. “Theincumbent rulers broke allthe records of corruption,”he addedSheikh Rashid Ahmad

said this while addressinga gathering at villageMirza. He alleged that thecorrupt rulersdepartments kept open allthe offices on a holiday formaking around twothousand recruitments indifferent departments,which was a violation ofthe rules.He said the last address

of Prime Minister PervaizAshraf was a pack of liesand urged the people toelect honest leadershipand reject the corrupt whowere responsible forbringing the country onthe verge of destructionand bankruptcy.He criticised the federal

minister for railways fordestroying theorganisation and alsocondemned the JosephColony incident andalleged that all thishappened because of theland mafia.He said Pakistan would

only be put on track whenyouth of the country wouldplay their vital role.

OUR STAFF REPORTER

JJAAMMRRUUDD:: A minor child was killed after the roof of a housecollapsed in Jamrud tehsil of Khyber Agency, oIcial andlocal sources told on Monday.According to the details, the incident took place in

Bakarabad village where the house of a local tribesmannamed Rashid Khan suddenly caved in because of heavyrain on the weekend. As a result, his five-year-old son wasinjured and rushed to the nearest hospital where hesuccumbed to his injuries.

Child killed as roof collapses

Talal Akbar Bugti talking to media at his residence. –ONLINE

Sheikh askspeople towake up

OUR STAFF REPORTER

AATTTTOOCCKK:: To fight street crimes in Attock,the police have established Tiger Force forthe city.According to the details, the city has been

divided into ten beats in which four policeconstables will petrol on two motorcyclesand check crimes. On noticing anyuntoward incident, they will inform theirhigher authorities on wireless. A promptaction will be taken on receiving anyinformation regarding crime from the TigerForce and police oIcers will reachimmediately on the spot. The Tiger Forcewill also responsible to control street crimessuch as mobile snatching, robberies,motorcycle and car thefts. They will alsopetrol around the banks, shopping centres,hospitals and wedding halls to tackle therising crimes in the area.

Attock gets TigerForce

MONDAY, MARCH 18, 2013

THE SPOKESMANChief Editor: Huma Ali

Executive Editor: Atif MateenResident Editor: Saeed Minhas

Consulting Editors: Jalees Hazir Samina Choonara

The violence of words

‘Words’AxesAfter whose stroke the wood rings,And the echoes!—Sylvia Plath

Jesus: By the sword I don't mean asharp-edged thing.It's a figure of speech.John: But if you set aman against

his fatherIt may lead to a sharp-edged iron

thing.

Think of how people use words...—EdwinMorgan

Words are important: they heal, theywound, they inflict, they inspire. Acautious use of words is criticallyimportant since the careless use ofwords, especially the big and loadedones, can inflict severe harmsometimes. The words used todescribe the highly sensitiveincident of mob violence in JosephColony exhibit nothing butinsensitivity. Commentatorsencompassing both sides of thedebate are expressing a casual,ruthless and insensitive selection ofwords in their pseudo provocative,rhetorical and detective-type insighton this deeply troubling incident.A statement of civil society

reported on 11 March 2013 in DailyTimes illustrates this insensitivity. Itsays: ‘This is a New Republic ofHatred, Violence, Intolerance,Vigilante Mob rule, MilitantJihadism, Extremism andTalibanization, where neitherChristians, Hindus, Ahmadis,Shias/Hazaras are safe; nor areMuslim women and girls; nor areschools, mosques, imam bargahs,churches or temples; where there isno rule of law or fundamentalhuman rights.’An analysis of this passage reveals

the inherent biases. All negative wordsare capitalized andmade to act againstthe non-Muslims of Pakistan.Muslimwomen and girls, Shias/Hazarasqualify as victims but notMuslim boysandmen.What aboutMuslimmenand boys, andwhat about all non-Shias/Hazaras?Why do only someidentity groups qualify as victims?Have the structures of violence in placein Pakistan not injured every othersoul?Why then are loadedwords usedto construct selected identity groups asvictims? Can people be separated asneatly with the help of words as thisstatement implies? It is not possible.Bhagat Kabir said: ‘Kabir says, how towork it out—I, he, you?’ Loadedwords,

compact pocket dynamite statements,sharpen the divisions between peopleand depict diVerences as enmities.Compare civil society’s eloquent

statement with the counter-narrativepublished in theUrdu newspaper NaiBaat on 10March 2013. Joseph Colonywas an illegal drugs supplier, accordingto the narrative. The drugs suppliedhere killedmany young people, whichcaused people to torch the colony. Thecommitting of blasphemy by one of thedrug suppliers triggered the torching.In fact, the accuser and the accused ofblasphemywere drinking buddies. Thewriters claim that denominationalmobs in the past weremotivated by theacts of blasphemy. Implicitly, thereporters have shown neutrality aboutthe torching of Joseph Colony. Both thecivil society statement andNai Baatfeature used words carelessly,presenting their subjective analysis asvivid conclusions.Contrary to these two positions, the

early reports on Joseph Colony pointedto land grabbing plans behind thetorching. AsianHumanRights

Commission explicitly lamented thatland grabbers had orchestrated theevent as it is described by the residents’narratives published on 11March 2013in theUrdu newspaper Express. Theresidents reported that ‘the factoryowners wanted to grab their land.’ Thefactory owners oVered compensationsto the residents which they rejected forbeing too low. An English newspaperreport on 10March regarded policeinsensitivity to thematter as a reasonbehind the torching. By 12March,everything had changed as thetorching of Joseph Colony wasconstructed as aMuslim-ChristianWar, thanks to the zeal ofcommentators, condemners andanalysts for their lucid descriptions.Themyth ofMuslims as violent peoplehas been reinforced. Themobmanagers, i.e., alleged land grabbers,were the biggest beneficiaries of thisreligious framing of thematter.

In themeanwhile, the SupremeCourt (SC) of Pakistan, while hearingthe case, made very usefulobservations. The court was interestedin knowing the link between torchingand land grabbing. The evacuation ofhouse a day before the torchingintrigued the SC.Why did the policeask people to evacuate? In its interimorder on 12March 2013, the SCcategorically announced, ‘prima facie,the Punjab IG police, CCPO and citypolice oUcer failed in providingprotection to the people. DiVerentstories are being told to the court thatelection was being held in Lohamarketand a Christian committed blasphemyduring the elections. It is beyond thecomprehension of the court how canthe inmates of Joseph Colony be linkedto Lohamarket’. On 13March 2013,the SC regarded Inspector General ofPolice responsible for not preventingthemob torching.Tracking diVerent stories, the

characteristics of structure of violencemay be framed. Inmy view, thesestructures of violence are: one, linked

to thematerial benefits gained throughland and property; two, the skill ofidentifying andmobilising violence-performingmobs and their plannedmobilisation; three, those connected toand familiar with speedymobilisationof themobs; four, a quick identificationofmob hysteria as driven by religiouspassion; five, portrayingmoral orreligious issues as real causes to stirmoral anxiety, and six, violence asembedded in State institutions sincethemobmanagers and organisersworked in complicity with stateinstitutions.Some of these features of the

structures of violence are recurrent atother times and places in the history ofPakistan. The pattern of mob violenceagainst the Ahmadi in 1953 waspropagated as religious passion due tosome covert political and propertyinterests. The court of inquiryconstituted under Punjab Act II of

1954 to enquire into the Punjabdisturbances of 1953 reported on page158: ‘As the day [5March 1953]advanced, incident after incidentbegan to happen, involving attacks onthe police and the Ahmadis and thelooting and burning of propertybelonging to Government or to theAhmadis’. It further noted on page166: ‘Property of the Ahmadis that waslooted or burnt that day [6March1953] included Pak Rays, ShafaMedical, Orsuco,Musa and Sons’shop, the Rajput CycleWorks, thegodowns and timber yards ofMalikMuhammad Tufail andMalik BarkatAli, the house ofMalik Abdur RahmanonMason Road, five Ahmadi housesonMozang and Temple Roads,including that of Sheikh Nur Ahmad,Advocate’. The structures of violence in1953 were clearly linked with lootingproperty and not religious zeal.The condemners and commentators

of Joseph Colony tragedy shouldwatch the film The Great Debater tolearn about the ethics of resistance.The film fictionalises the true story ofProfessor Tolson, a professor atWileyCollege inMarshall, Texas. Tolsonteaches his students to developarguments to promote equalitybetween blacks and whites. This was atime when blacks were not allowed toattend colleges with whites. In thesecircumstances, he advised hisstudents: ‘Your words are likeweapons’. He also advised: ‘Debate iscombat, your weapons are words’. Theblack students mentored by him wonthe debate competition at Harvard,which heralded the move towardswhite and black equality. The centralmessage of the Tolson story is thatgreat battles can be fought and wonwith the help of words.Contrary to this, in Pakistan, some

people at the right and at left havebecome symbiotic ideological enemiesby pointing fingers, aspersing curses,and nurturing self-fulfillingideological assumptions. Theyinterpret such habits as virtualresistance, which I think is no less anabsurdity. This makes both politicalpositions equally lamentable. It is dueto this habit of finger pointing that thesimple case of land grabbing has beenturned into an issue of religious war.Resistance should involve politicalaction which is emancipatory ofpossibilities, non-partisan inexpression and suUciently factual inconstitution.This kind of positioning needs to

change.

THE WRITER IS ASSISTANT PROFESSOR

AT FORMAN CHRISTIAN COLLEGE,LAHORE

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

Fax: 051 260 7498www.thespokesman.pkce@thespokesman.pk

The early reports on Joseph Colonypointed to land grabbing plans behindthe torching. Asian Human RightsCommission explicitly lamented thatland grabbers had orchestrated theevent as it is described by the residents’narratives published on 11 March 2013in the Urdu newspaper Express

The incredible news is that UKForeignMinisterWilliamHague and French ForeignMinister Laurent Fabius are openly stating that,despite an EU embargo, they will be arming themilitants in Syria. Together with the Saudis,Qataris and Turks, theUK and France are nowright in there playing the sectarian card,abetting atrocities, and furthering civil war inevery way that they can.At the same time, theUK security agencies are

complaining that jihadist youths, soon to bearmed by theUK and France, are streaming toSyria where they will be gettingmilitaryexperience. On their return to theUK, battle-hardened and bitter, they will be about asdangerous a group as could ever be imagined.Evenworse, the sending of arms to the

militants in Syria is happening at a timewhenthemost extreme elements in Syria (i.e. thethroat-slitters) are getting the upper hand overthe so-called “moderate” elements (those whoonly use guns with which to shoot captured

prisoners and civilians).TheUK Independent newspaper reports that

over one hundred young jihadist men have goneto Syria from theUK and the number is rising.And, just as that is announced, so theUK andFrench governments announce that they will besending arms to the jihadists!‘Oh nowe’re not!’ cry the governments, after

first claiming that they are trying to solve thesituation peacefully, ‘we’re only sending arms tothe “moderate” fighters who are good peoplewho can be trusted.’ Really? Trusted to shootcivilians or trusted to slit their throats?Or perhaps by “trusted” the governments

mean people whowill not be attacked byjihadist elements whowill capture theirweapons. Indeed, theUK government isclaiming that, by arming the “moderates”, theextremists will be defeated.But the opposite is happening: already the

“moderates” and the extremists are fighting each

other with the extremists winning because theyare backed by huge amounts ofmoney and armscoming from theWahhabists of Saudi ArabiaandQatar.So Britain and France, defying international

law, are supplying arms (and trying to persuadethe rest of Europe to supply arms) because theythink there is an eVective diVerence betweenthroat slitters and straightforwardmurderers.But there isn’t. They’remuch the same. TheIndependent, for example, has come acrossfighters who declare themselves on the“moderate” side today only to turn upwith theextreme jihadists a week later.Moreover, the Russian ForeignMinister,

Sergei Lavrov, saying that theUK and Frenchaction is ‘a flagrant breach of international law’,has pointed out that, in practice, any weaponsare likely to end upwith the extremists and thattheUSA has even declared one of the jihadistgroups (Jabhat al-Nusra) to be a terrorist

organisation. The JAN is one of the groupsusing children as human shields.Of course, the British action in sending arms

might be explained by saying that theUKalways ensures that arms go to Arabgovernments whomake due payment exceptthat, in this case, the arms (all £13millionworth) are being sent to the roaming deathsquads for free. UKForeignMinisterWilliamHague and FrenchMinister Fabius think theyare being clever by giving arms to killers withoutever asking whatmight be the consequences.However, to be fair, the Saudis also think they

are being clever by giving arms andmoney tothe death squads. For a start, the squads arefuelled by SaudiWahhabi ideology and it mustnever be forgotten that Osama Bin Laden’snumber one enemywas the Saudi regime itself(and the Americans were only number two).Secondly, the Saudis are Zionists. Although

they claim that they are not, everybody knows

that they are, particularly because Saudi Arabiadoes nothing to stop the endless expansion ofthe Zionist entity.Which is well understood bythe jihadists who know that the Saudis areZionists. Consequently, in due course, thejihadists can be expected to bite the Zionisthand that feeds, and arms, them.So Saudi Arabia (which, perhapsmore than

any other country, is a political time bombwhose plutocratic barbarian rulers think theycanwithstand themarch of history) is one daygoing to be attacked by the veryWahhabistphilosophy it promotes and by the very jihadistsit arms and finances.What about theUK?Will it be attacked? The

UK security services aremaking it clear thatthey do not like the arming of irresponsibleyoungmenwhich, apart from the situation inSyria, will be creating a wave of battle-hardenedjihadists in Britain.

(PRESSTV.IR)

France and UK are arming militants to their own peril

Poverty around the globeGreed, and its ‘sister’ theft, havecollectively destroyed any semblance ofpeace in our world. Amazingly, theperpetrators are people who arefinancially healthy— in no real need ofexcesses. Historically, the world has

never seen such outrageous wealthowned by aminiscule percentage of theuber-rich— and, conversely, somuchpoverty!In a world that hasmanaged to end

global wars, racism, and certain life-threatening diseases, it has hopelesslyfailed in upgrading the conditions ofthose below the subsistence line!Sponsoring world summits, the G2O’s,environmental conferences— all justfor cosy get-togethers, photo sessionsand sumptuous dinners— and pledgesto clean up themess! But, poverty stillreigns! The poverty of the past was notdeliberately enforced—wars, famine,bad crops, unsustainable governments,mass unemployment, etc. Today, globalpoverty is an enforced phenomenon, asif the permanent destitution of somecountries suits the rich— theirsolicitations for funds yieldingmassivedonations, andmuch of it channeledthrough a fewwho use corruptmeansto amass this wealth!

AFTAB SHEIKH

ISLAMABAD

Countering rape

After a series of gang-rape incidentsacross India, President PranabMukherjee has approved theordinance on sexual assault, which hasthe provision of death penalty for casesof rape that lead to the victim’s deathor push her into a persistent vegetativestate. The ordinance sought to treatsuch case as a crime belonging to the“rarest-of-rare” category for whichcourts can award death punishment ifthey so decide. For such cases, theordinance proposes a minimumsentence of 20 years which can beextended to imprisonment until thenatural life of the convict, or death.The changed law will now treatvoyeurism, stalking, disrobing ofwomen and acid attacks as specificoVences under the Indian Penal Code.The change will raise ‘eve-teasing’from being considered a minor oVenceto a serious crime attracting enhancedpunishment.

Human rights activists in almost allcountries plead death for rapists andmost of the countries, like India, havealready included capital punishmentin their criminal procedural laws. Oflate there had been critical debate inthe western media questioning thedeath penalty to a rapist in Islam,calling it cruel and against the humanrights. But given the intensity of thiscrime, the same human rightists havenow come to the similar conclusionthat even one count of capitalpunishment is not enough.Unfortunately, for the last five years

there had been no executions despitecourts awarding death penalties.Hundreds of criminals have not beenhanged including those involved inacts of terrorism. There had been acampaign by the world HR bodies forabolition of death penalty, in sharpcontrast to a rising demand that thePakistan Parliament and subsequentlythe President of Pakistan shouldapprove a law, emulating the Indianamendment in their penal laws so that

the women as well as their honour anddignity are protected.

MARIAMUFTI

Rupee plunge

As rupee continues to plunge intoobscurity, things are indeed lookingbleak. Obviously the fact that exportersare holding back their export meansthat things would only get worse.Dollar is continuing to appreciate andrupee’s depreciating trend doesn’t looklike halting any time soon.We need alot of investment in our neck of thewoods, and for that to happen we needto invite investment.With terrorismprevailing and other problems alsoengulfing our country, the availableoptions for investors are alreadyminimal. Add the fact that we aren’teven giving any incentives to them andyou get a dead end.

DILDAR HUSSAIN

Rape apologists

Excellent article. India is bad too, maybe not as bad as Pakistan. Bothcountries are so religious but stillcommit such crimes, And there is nolaw and order any way, especially inPakistan.

GM PATRAGMPATRA14@GMAIL.COM

Three heroesIt’s a new form of criticism with praise.Malik saab it is a well written piece.Thanks for guiding us into seeingrealities in a diVerent form.

MUNAWAR BUTT

MUNAWARBUTT@MSN.COM

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The words used to describe the highly sensitive incident of mob violence in JosephColony exhibit nothing but insensitivity. Commentators encompassing both sidesof the debate are expressing a casual, ruthless and insensitive selection of words

IMDAD HUSSAIN

PROF. RODNEY SHAKESPEARE The UK Independent newspaper reports that over one hundred youngjihadist men have gone to Syria from the UK and the number is rising

Prime Minister’s swansongA couple of hours before the dissolution of National Assembly oncompletion of its five-year term, Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashrafdelivered his farewell address to the nation. He recounted the PPP-led government’s achievements, and also praised the armed forcesand law enforcement agencies for their valour with which they haddefended the national frontiers and established the government'swrit in terror infested parts of the country.At the same time, he criticised anti-democratic forces and said

‘the door to enter into power through might has been permanentlyshut and now no one can topple a democratically electedgovernment’. One can infer from this statement that he meant themilitary, as only the military can enter into power through the useof force. Earlier, the prime minister had also said ‘if democracy isthreatened or imperiled in the country, the entire politicalleadership across the board would unite to defend it’. He made itsound as if the fact that the military had desisted from interveningin the affairs of governance had anything to do with PPP or itsconduct in office.Whereas, much of the credit for the completion of the PPP term

goes to the Supreme Court, the media and the army itself ratherthan those posing to be the champions of democracy. Even today, ifthe democracy project collapses, no one else will be responsible forit than the leadership across the political spectrum.Those self-righteously projecting themselves to be the guardians of

this moth-eaten democracy, which in reality is a patent plutocracy,have yet to understand the time-tested recipe for the durability of atrue democratic order.It is the vested interest of the mass of the people in the system that

sustains democracy and lends it power and longevity. The presentruling elite has miserably failed to make the prevalent system respondto public interest. Clearly, this is due to the lack of interest for anysuch thing on the part of the plutocrats.The masses want economic opportunities, jobs and livelihoods,

security and a better future for themselves and their children. In fact,there is a complete dichotomy between the outlooks of the leadershipand the public. The political elite is elated about constitutionalreforms it undertook and calls it the best thing that ever happened tothis country.But the average citizens are untouched by these reforms that have

not translated into making their lives any better. People are passingthrough harder times than they had ever experienced before. Theindependence of the judiciary, a free media and other positive signsmight deliver in due course, but for people who are being pushed topoverty, they do not provide the relief that they need.Although the elite everywhere is far removed from the people, in

Pakistan this privileged lot is completely disconnected from themasses. These leaders speak an idiom that is not understood on thestreet. They champion causes that are not even remotely related to thepain and anguish of their less-privileged fellow citizens.The elite are thus playing to a gallery not of what we call the

common man, but of the affluent and the prosperous segments of themiddle class. In their comfort zones, the privileged love to talk aboutthe freedom of the press and independence of judiciary.They appreciate the granting of provincial autonomy and more

funds to the provinces under the National Financial Commissionaward. That may be fine – but it is not enough. What people reallyneed is an end to the exploitative system lorded over by a smallminority of landed aristocracy, tribal sardars and chieftains andthe super-rich.

MONDAY, MARCH 18, 2013

Pakistan’s Fed Cup team went tofreezing cold Astana earlier thisyear to take part in theAsia/Oceania Zone, Group IIcompetition. It was the team’sthird straight appearance in FedCup, after a long lapse of 11 years.I’ve been lucky enough to havebeen on the team for the pastthree years, and as my fellowteam mates would concur, it is athrill each time. In an individualsport like tennis, the importanceof team competition like DavisCup and Fed Cup has often beenovershadowed by the hype aroundGrand Slams and Masters Series,but it is a big deal nevertheless.And why shouldn’t it be? You’replaying for your country after all.This year, our squad included,

apart from me, Ushna Suhail,Sara Mansoor, Iman Qureshi,Nosheen Ihtesham (as the non-playing captain), Inamul Haq(coach). Having gone through theFed Cup experience the pastcouple of years, we had a fairlygood idea of the format, thepotential opponents, the routineetc. But nothing from our pastexperiences had prepared us forthe extreme weather conditionswe faced in the capital city ofKazakhstan. Averaging a lowly-10degree Celsius throughout ourstay there, the temperature, morethan the tennis became a bigtalking factor for us.Luckily, we came prepared or,

from the expressions of theonlookers, a bit over prepared. Aswe would diligently wrapourselves from head to toe withlayers of warm clothing beforeheading out, there was noescaping the quizzical stares ofthe locals. Now that we recall, itwas a funny sight to say the least.Fortunately enough, we wereplaying indoors. Quite aspectacular, temperature-controlled indoor facility it was.Having already played indoors afew times in Doha, I had an ideaof what to expect. The ball tendsto travel a bit quicker through theair and, with no externalinterference, the playingconditions are pretty perfect.However, it takes time to adjustthe eye to the closedsurroundings and roof. I stillremember our first day at thepractice courts. Coupled by thetiredness from all the travelling,the unfamiliar indoor settingthrew us all off a bit. After a goodhalf hour of shanked balls andmishits, we finally started to feelat home.As a precursor of what followed

for the most part of my trip, Iwould like to mention the foodhere. Kazakh cuisine, as wediscovered, predominantlyrevolves around horse meat and

mutton. Having never tastedhorse meat before, none of uswere inclined to experiment. Thefood at the tennis facility did notexactly arouse our palates either.Soggy rice, bland pasta and oilysoups were obviously not going tocut it for someone born and bredin Lahore, a city famous for itsmouthwatering cuisine. We hadto make do nevertheless and itwas a heavy price I paid. Halfwayinto our second day, I caught abad stomach flu and a high fever.Not the ideal preparation beforeour first tie, I must admit.Fortunately enough, I was treatedby the “miracle worker” as I’d liketo call him, Dr. Ruslan. A funny,pleasant, heavy man, he wasonsite throughout thetournament.It took me three days of

frequent visits to the medicalroom before I was fit enough tocompete again. Pakistan lost theiropening two ties againstKyrgyzstan and Indonesia. TheIndonesian girls were top qualitybut the Kyrgyzstan team relied onjust one world class player, whosinglehandedly carried her teamthrough. With defeats in the firsttwo ties, the 3-0 win over Iran thefollowing day felt like amammoth achievement at thetime. We had people from thePakistani embassy with theambassador supporting uscourtside that day. The fewPakistani families settled inAstana also dropped in to cheerus on for the remainder of theweek. It was a nice gesture.Moreover, the ambassador andthe first secretary extended theirkind hospitality by holding afancy reception in the team’shonour.The local Kazakh people were

generally warm and friendly, adeparture from the generalmisconception about the “Sovietbloc”. Not very fluent in English,more often than not we would seethem going out of their way tohelp us out. Since we were busywith practices and matches thewhole week, we only got one dayto properly explore the city.Covered entirely with thick, whitesnow there was a certain charmabout the city. At times, we feltlike we were on the set of“Hunger Games”. Boldarchitecture, elaborate icesculptures, loud colours and thelargest mosque in Centre Asia,Astana had a lot to offer.On the tennis side of things,

there wasn’t a whole lot to cheerabout. We lost to Singapore, ateam we had seen success againstlast year, in the ninth to tenthplayoff. If anything, it was a starkreminder that professional tennisis by no means child’s play. Wereturned home with somepleasant and some not sopleasant memories, but on thewhole it was an invaluableexperience. So, another year goneby, another chapter in our FedCup diary!

THE WRITER IS A FREELANCER

The Fed Cupexperience

There is little doubt that civilians on both sidesof the KoreanDemilitarized Zone (DMZ) areweighed downwith anxiety as both countriescarry out provocative large-scalemilitary drillsamid threats of nuclear war. North Korea hasrecently announced that it will no longer abideby theUN-brokered armistice that ended theKoreanWar with a ceasefire in 1953 andauthorities have severed its communicationshotline with the South, the only diplomaticchannel of contact between the two countries.Pyongyang has imposed no-fly and no-sail

zones oS both its coasts as part ofcomprehensivemilitary drills thatmay see thetest firing of short-to-medium rangemissiles.TheUS-South Korea joint command forceshave launched their Foal Eagle field trainingexercises that will be ongoing until end of April.200,000 South Korean troops and 10,000UStroops will take part in the exercise, which willinclude land, air, sea, and special operationdrills. North Korea’s state newspaper, RodongSinmun, has reported that theNorth’s army,navy, air force, and anti-aircraft units were “justwaiting for the final order to attack.”Following Pyongyang’s recent threats that it

would engage preemptive nuclear strikesagainst any aggressor, Seoul shot back with itsstrongest rhetoric yet, stating, “If North Koreaattacks South Korea with a nuclear weapon,then by the will of the Republic of Korea andhumanity, the Kim Jong-un regimewill perish

from the Earth.” South Korea’s newlyinaugurated President Park Geun-hye has beenin oRce for less than onemonth and in thecurrent scenario, it has become politicallyimpossible for her to stick to her campaignpledges of taking a softer line onNorth Korea.Most of the time, the substance of North Korea’sthreats do notmaterialize, much like lastmonth’s pledge to take an immediate “physicalresponse” to a barrage of UN sanctions.North Korea invokes a brutal historical

narrative of war with the United States tolegitimize its conduct in the present day – andindeed, North Korea is a victim of war crimes.Washington and its allies rained napalm overNorth Korea, destroying nearly all its cities andthousands of villages. A staggering fourmillionKoreans and onemillion Chinese soldiers werekilled – USmilitary sources confirm that 20percent of North Korea’s population was killedoS, even that being a highly conservative figure.The statement released by the Rodong Sinmunreads: “In the 1980s theU.S. spurred themodernization of the nuclear hardware of itsforces in South Korea.Member of theU.S.House of Representatives Ronald, speaking at aparliament, confessed that theU.S. shippedmore than 1,000 nuclear weapons to SouthKorea and deployed 54 airplanes for carryingnuclear bombs. South Korea turned into theworld’s biggest nuclear outpost with thestockpile of nuclear weapons such as bombs,

shells, warheads, landmines and carriermeansas well as nuclear bases and arsenals. TheU.S.nuclear threats were vividlymanifested in itsopen declaration to use nuclear weapons inKorea.”For all intents and purposes, this is an

accurate account. If we fast-forward toward thepresent-day, the Bush administration’s Doctrinefor Joint Nuclear Operations issued in 2005established the circumstances under which theUS could preemptively invoke the use of nuclearweapons.TheNorth Korean ForeignMinistry’s recent

statement, “SecondKoreanWar IsUnavoidable”, argues that the DPRK reservesthe right to a preemptive nuclear attack and theFoal Eagle jointmilitary exercises are akin toWashington lighting a fuse for a nuclear war.The document also acknowledges the Obamaadministration’s pivot to the Asia-Pacific region,and that theUS “seeks a way out of a seriouseconomic crisis at home in unleashing thesecondKoreanWar.”Many analysts throughoutthe alternativemedia have acknowledgedNorthKorea’s history as a victim and have defendedtheir acquisition of a nuclear deterrent.Whilethe historical context of abuse warrants one tobe empathetic toward Pyongyang in thisrespect, many of these commentators fail tonecessitate the primacy that inter-Koreandialogue should hold in their writings.The only thing keeping the situation from

deteriorating is the fact that North wouldprobably not come out victorious if it went towar with South Korea and theUnited States.While theNorth boasts largermanpower, moresubmarines, andmore fighter jets, the Southpossesses highly sophisticated weaponry andmodern defense technology by comparison – forthis reason, Pyongyang has putmore focus onthe development of ICBMs and nuclearwarheads. One could argue that the case hasnever been stronger for the withdrawal of the28,500US troops stationed in South Korea.Such amove would satisfy civilians in bothKoreas and yield higher chances of provoking apositive response fromPyongyang during thistense period.As tensions increase on the Korean Peninsula,

the only power that has any influence to brokeran agreement that could de-escalate hostilities isChina. FollowingNorth Korea’s third nucleartest, many Chinese citizens took part in ahistorically unprecedented outbreak of anti-North Korea protests, and both China’sstate-runmedia and various policy experts arebecomingmore vocal in their criticism ofBeijing’s North Korean policy. China partneredwith theUnited States to co-author recent UNresolutions against Pyongyang, exhibiting newheights of Beijing’s disapproval with the Kimdynasty. An editorial in China’s Global Timesnewspaper reads, “If North Korea engages infurther nuclear tests, China will not hesitate to

reduce its assistance toNorth Korea.” Theeditorial went on to say that if the US, Japanand South Korea “promote extremeU.N.sanctions onNorth Korea, China will resolutelystop them and force them to amend these draftresolutions.”Kim Jong-un has demonstrated his

willingness to go against the wishes of hismainallies in Beijing, which has visibly frustratedthose on the Chinese side. China should domore to denounce unnecessary and provocativemilitary drills that have the potential to lead tofire exchange and inter-Korean turbulence.China hosted tri-lateral talks in Beijing withPyongyang andWashington in attendance adecade ago in April 2003 – at the timeNorthKorea withdrew from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, fired a short-rangemissileinto the Sea of Japan, violated South Koreanairspace with a fighter jet, and threatened toabandon the 1953 Armistice Agreement.The present day scenario is highly

unpredictable and it’s clear that Beijingmusttake the initiative to deescalate this situationand bring all parties together to the negotiatingtable to work out a new agreement – one thatestablishesmeaningful inter-Korean securityassurances that lead to both sides scaling backmilitary drills and provocativemuscle flexing –such is a prerequisite for any kind ofnormalisation of relations.

(COUNTERPUNCH)

The gendered dimensions of theKarbala narrative privilegingmen overwomen is seen by feminist scholarshipas an employment of another tool torestrict women's publicmobility.Challenging normative traditions ofscholarship is beset with dangers ofheresy not tomention blasphemy. Butsome feminist scholars haveinterrogated restrictions imposed onMuslimwomen through traditionalepistemological regimes by an anti-patriarchal reading of the Quran andHadith.Writing in BelievingWomen In

Islam:Unreading PatriarchalInterpretations Of TheQur’an, AsmaBarlas (2002) asserts that, the Quran isvery clear on the simultaneousexistence of a woman and aman. ‘IntheQur’an, men andwomen originatein the same Self, at the same time andin the sameway…TheQur’an does notconsider woman a type ofman in thepresentation of its major themes.’Regarding the independence of a

woman, AminaWadud aRrms in,Qur’an AndWoman: Rereading TheSacred Text FromAWoman’sPerspective (1999), that a woman is notrequired to obey her husband neither isobedience amark of a ‘betterwoman’(1999: 77). Barlas’interpretation is similar toWadud’swhen she writes that, ‘the Qur’an didnot force even the wives of the Prophetto obey him, nor did he force obedienceon them; nor, indeed, did he deal withmarital discord by abusing or beatingthem.’ (Barlas, 2002: 187)The critically acclaimedworks of

Wadud and Barlas pose a challenge tothe use of patriarchal hermeneutics toreadQuran for the purpose of provingwomen’s inferior status tomen. RiSatHassan joins this textual challenge inher work titled, ‘Feminism In Islam’,fromYoung, K. Katherine, Sharma, A.(eds.), FeminismAndWorld Religions,

(1999) by critiquing the hadith (sayingsattributed to ProphetMohammad).For example, Hassan quotes Usamabin Zaid’s hadith attributed to ProphetMohammad cited in Sahih Al-Bukhari,a compilation ofmajor ahadithcollections byMohammd IsmailBukhari. Zaid stated that the Prophethadwarned people against the“aQiction” known as a woman.Hewascited in Sahih al-Bukhari to haveassigned this hadith to ProphetMohammad he had said that after hisdeath themost harmful “aQiction” tomenwas women.Hassan quotesanother hadith attributed to theProphet by Ibn Abbas in the samecompilation. She writes that Ibn Abbashad reported ProphetMohammad tohave claimed that he had once lookedinto Paradise and saw that themajorityof people were poor and themajority ofthose burning in the Fire were women.Hassan traces the allocation of the

inferior status of women to the story ofthe creation ofHawwa (Eve) andsuggests women to challenge theauthenticity of ahadith. ‘UnlessMuslimwomen return to the point of originand challenge the authenticity of theahadith (plural of hadith) thatmakesall representatives of their sexontologically inferior and irremediablycrooked,male-centered andmale-controlledMuslim societies are not atall likely to acknowledge theegalitarianism evident in theQur’anicstatements about human creation.’(1999: 257)A clarification is required here to

explain that the Shi’a and Sunni sectsfollow diSerent ahadith. Themajorityof SunniMuslims quote Sahih al-Bukhari as themost authentic set ofahadith after the Quran. The Shi’a, incontrast, believe that the only sourcesof authentic ahadith are thosecompiled by the family of ProphetMohammad. Amajor source for Shi’aMuslims is Nahjul Balaghah, acollection of sermons and letters of Aliibne Abi Talib, the first spiritual head(Imam) of the Shi’a.

Noteworthy here is the reducedstatus ascribed to women in both thesesects. Themajority of the Shi’a clericsquote Ali’s most famous hadith cited intheNahjul Balaghah in which he hasgiven three reasons whywomen arenotmen’s equal. The first is on accountof their not praying duringmenstruation, the second is thetestimony of twowomen is equal tooneman and the third reason forwomen’s lower status is their share ofinheritance which is half of aman’s.(Hosseini: 2002)In her book ReligiousModernists

And The “WomanQuestion”:Challenges And Complicities, (2002)ZibaMir-Hosseini Hosseini writes thatin January 1989when this hadith wasnarrated by Abdolkarim Soroush, anIranian religious scholar at Tehran’sImamSadeq’s mosque, a group ofwomen protested whowere harshlyreprimanded by him for questioningthe Imam’s views.FatimaMernissi, an acclaimed

feminist scholar, forms an importantpart of this analytical discourse onMuslimwomen’s subjectivity. ThoughMernissi’s works on Islam andwomenfrom a feminist perspective does notrevolve around the sectarian division ofthe roles of Shi’a and Sunni women,she explores the genealogy of women’sexclusion from politics since the timeof ProphetMohammadMustafa. Forexample, whenMernissi criticises theestablishment of the caliphate systemafter the death of ProphetMohammad,in her workHidden FromHistory,ForgottenQueens Of Islam, (1993) shesupports it by citing various ahadithwhich allude to a strict division of thepublic from the private sphere. Shediscusses at length how these spaces,created by installing a caliphate,strictly regulated the public andprivate sphere and ensured theexclusion of women from politics.Mernissi’s critique of the caliphatesystem is a reflection on the exclusionofMuslimwomen from governance.The caliphate system of governance

required a caliph, who by ‘definitionwas someone who deputised forsomeone else. He replaces the Prophetin hismission, which is tomake itpossible for the group to live accordingto religious laws…Not just anyone canclaim to be a caliph; access to thisprivilege is subject to strict criteria’.(1993: 12)

According toMernissi (1990)it was the institution of the caliphatesystem, an exclusivelymasculinedomain, which excludedwomen frompolitical participation.Mernissi usesthe domain of the firstmosque inIslam, constructed by the Prophet inMedina, as a site of public space wherepolitics was discussed.The idea of themosque as a place of

communitarian worship and directcontact with the head of thecommunity for everyMuslim based onnon-gendered values was violated afterthe establishment of the first Umayyadcaliphate byMu’awiya (661-680AD)andwomenwere the first casualty ofthat change. ‘Nothing better expressesthe betrayal of the Prophet in thismatter than the attitude toward theaccess of women tomosques.’(1993:80) ‘Women, who had theprivilege of access to themosque asCompanions of the Prophet, veryquickly became the polluting, evilbeing they had been in the pre-Islamicera.’ (1993:82-83)InMernissi’s view, denying women

access to themosque is tantamount tobarricading them from the politicalarena.Mernissi’s view also confirmsthatMuslimwomenwere part of thepublic sphere and not excluded fromthe discussions taking place in themosque at the time of ProphetMohammadMustafa.Despite evidence of Muslim

women’s previous participation in thepublic sphere, specifically politics, themajority of contemporary Muslimwomen remains closed oS from thispossibility.

THE WRITER IS A FREELANCE COLUMNIST

Subversion of the Karbala Narrative - III

Return to pre-Islamic Arab values

Travelling to Kazakhstan with my teamhas been an experience of learning aboutpeople as much as it was about the game

Brewing trouble in China’s neighbourhood

SHEHAR BANO KHAN

SABA AZIZ

Thepresent day scenario on theKoreanpeninsula is highlyunpredictable andBeijingmust act as the peacemakerNICK BOWIE

Through an anti-patriarchal reading of the Quran and Hadith,feminist scholarship has challenged 'the archaeology of knowledge'

MONDAY, MARCH 18, 2013

Qaeda front group claimsIraq ministry attackBBAAGGHHDDAADD:: Al Qaeda’s front groupin Iraq has claimed a brazencoordinated attack involving a seriesof bombings and the storming of aministry complex in central Baghdad,a monitoring service said on Sunday.The Islamic State of Iraq claimed tohave killed up to 60 people, accordingto the US-based SITE MonitoringService. Security and medical oPcialstold AFP that 18 people died in theMarch 14 attack near Baghdad’sheavily fortified Green Zone, which ishome to several government buildingsas well as the American and Britishembassies. –AGENCIES

Afghans protest againstUS presence in WardakBBEEIIJJIINNGG:: Several hundred Afghanshave protested against the USmilitary presence in the troubledAfghan province of Wardak. Theymarched to parliament in the capitalKabul, denouncing alleged US crimesin the area. Khalilullah Ibrahimkhail,Wardak province resident, said, "Wehave gathered here to protest againstthe Special Forces in MaidanWardak, because they enter people’shomes and torture innocent people,they have also detained 9 people andit is not clear what will happen tothem." The demonstrators are callingfor the withdrawal of US troops fromtheir province after the presidentbarred them from the area. They arealso demanding the release of ninelocal citizens they believe weredetained by US forces. US oPcialshave acknowledged that four menwere arrested in the province in jointUS-Afghan raids, but had noinformation on the other five allegeddetainees. –AGENCIES

Thousands of Tunisians callfor Islamist govt to quitTTUUNNIISS:: Thousands of Tunisians tookto the streets of the capital Tunis onSaturday to call for an end to anIslamist government they blame for theassassination of a leading secularpolitician 40 days earlier. It was thebiggest demonstration since ChokriBelaid was gunned down outside hishouse on February 6, igniting the worstunrest since the Jasmine Revolutionthat toppled strongman Zine al-AbidineBen Ali in 2011 and started the ArabSpring. In a bid to quell the protests,Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali resignedand was replaced by Ali Larayedh, afellow member of the Islamist Ennahdaparty, who formed a new coalitiongovernment including independents inkey ministries. –AGENCIES

Syria conflict not to affectIran’s ties with neighboursTTEEHHRRAANN:: Iranian Foreign Ministryspokesman Ramin Mehmanparastsaid that disagreements on the Syriancrisis should not influence Iran'srelationship with neighboringcountries, Tehran Times dailyreported Sunday. "The expansion ofties with the regional countries,especially our neighbors, is among thetop priorities of our foreign policy,and we do our best to take advantageof high potentials that exist forcooperation between us and theneighboring countries,"Mehmanparast was quoted as sayingon Saturday. Instability in one countrycan spill over into all neighboringcountries, he said, adding thatregional states, rather than foreignforces, should cooperate to create astable and calm region.Mehmanparast reiterated that thebest way to defend the Syrian people'srights is to help end the violence inthe Arab state. –AGENCIES

TABASSUM ZAKARIA

WWAASSHHIINNGGTTOONN:: President BarackObama, who vastly expanded USdrone strikes against terrorismsuspects overseas under the cloak ofsecrecy, is now openly seeking toinfluence global guidelines for theiruse as China and other countriespursue their own drone programs.The United States was the first to use

unmanned aircraft fitted with missilesto kill militant suspects in the yearsafter the September 11, 2001, attackson New York and Washington.But other countries are catching up.

China's interest in unmanned aerialvehicles was displayed in November atan air show . According to state-runnewspaper Global Times, China hadconsidered conducting its first dronestrike to kill a suspect in the 2011murder of 13 Chinese sailors, butauthorities decided they wanted theman alive so they could put him on trial."People say what's going to happen

when the Chinese and the Russians getthis technology? The president is wellaware of those concerns and wants to

set the standard for the internationalcommunity on these tools," saidTommy Vietor, until earlier this montha White House spokesman.As US ground wars end - over in Iraq,

drawing to a close in Afghanistan -surgical counterterrorism targeting hasbecome "the new normal," Vietor said.Amid a debate within the US

government, it is not yet clear whatnew standards governing targetedkillings and drone strikes the WhiteHouse will develop for US operationsor propose for global rules of the road.Obama's new position is not without

irony. The White House kept details ofdrone operations - which remainlargely classified - out of public view foryears when the US monopoly wasairtight. That stance is just nowbeginning to change, in part underpressure from growing public andCongressional discomfort with thedrone program. US lawmakers havedemanded to see White House legaljustifications for targeting US citizensabroad, and to know whether Obamathinks he has the authority to usedrones to kill Americans on US soil.

On Friday, a three-judge federalappeals court panel unanimously ruledthat the CIA gave an inadequateresponse to a lawsuit brought by theAmerican Civil Liberties Union seekingrecords about drone strikes. The CIAhad said it could neither confirm nordeny whether it had drone recordsbecause of security concerns.The judge who wrote the ruling

noted that the president had publiclyacknowledged that the United Statesuses drone strikes against al Qaeda.Strikes by missile-armed Predator

and Reaper drones against terrorismsuspects overseas began under formerPresident George W. Bush and wereexpanded by Obama.The ramp-up started in 2008, the

last year of Bush's term, when therewere 35 air strikes in Pakistan, andescalated under Obama to a peak of 117in 2010, according to The Long WarJournal ( http://www. longwarjournal.org/pakistan-strikes.php ).That jump in use of armed drones

resulted from the authorization to use"signature" strikes, which allowedtargeting terrorism suspects based on

behavior and other characteristicswithout knowing their actual identity,a US oPcial said on condition ofanonymity.Caitlin Hayden, a spokeswoman for

the White House National SecurityCouncil, said the administration iscommitted to explaining to Congressand the public as much as possibleabout its drone policies, including howdecisions to strike are made."We are constantly working to refine,

clarify, and strengthen the process forconsidering terrorist targets for lethalaction," Hayden said.The administration recognizes "we

are establishing standards othernations may follow," she said.James Lewis, a senior fellow at the

Center for Strategic and InternationalStudies think tank, said othercountries, including Russia, haveunarmed reconnaissance drones.China says it has an armed drone, but"we don't know if it works," he said."Getting agreement on the

applicability of existing humanitarianlaw to the new technologies is crucial,"he said, because China and Russia do

not endorse applying laws of armedconflict to new military technologies.One of the Obama administration's

goals is to "regularize" the droneprogram, making it more a part ofaccepted US practice in the future,Lewis said. "This is going to be part ofwarfare." While the Obamaadministration moves towardrefinement and transparency ofstandards, drone strikes continue tospark outrage in countries where theyare conducted. Washington has soughtto portray civilian casualties fromdrone strikes as minimal, but groupscollecting data on these attacks say theyhave killed hundreds of civilians.A UN human rights investigator who

is looking into drone strikes worldwidesaid on Friday the US campaign hadviolated Pakistan's sovereignty.One focus of US oPcials' internal

debate is whether to shift droneoperations to the Pentagon from theCIA. That would allow the CIA toreturn to more traditional operationsof espionage and intelligence analysis,and put the killing of terrorism targetsin the hands of the military.

It would probably be a "phasedapproach" that would account fordiQerences in the threat and politicalsensitivities, said a second US oPcial."There would have to be sometailoring." In Pakistan, where the USmilitary is not in ground combat, theObama administration would probablynot want drone strikes to appear asbeing conducted by the military.In Yemen, there may not be the same

sensitivities. US military personnel areon the ground working with Yemenisin counterterrorism operations.The United States has also carried out

drone strikes in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libyaand Somalia. "I think if they moved it,not as a covert action program, but oneof the tools of the warfighter, then theresult of it is probably going to be morepublic exposure about what they aredoing," Stephen Hadley, nationalsecurity adviser under Bush, said. The"center of gravity" in internaladministration debates is the goal ofgreater consistency on how dronestrikes are managed, decided upon, andexecuted, the second oPcial said.

((CCoouunntteerrppuunncchh))

As drone monopoly frays, Obama seeks global rules

HHYYDDEERRAABBAADD:: Indian homeless eat at a feeding programme for the poor. India still has the world’s largest number of impoverished in asingle country, of its nearly one billion inhabitants, an estimated 350-400 million live below the poverty line with 75 percent of them inthe rural areas. –WIRE SERVICE

BBEEIIJJIINNGG:: China's new leadersstruck a populist tone Sunday asthey got down to the painstakingwork of governing, promisingcleaner government, less red tapeand more fairness to enlarge a stillsmall middle class and helpstruggling private businesses.In appearances that mark the

completion of a months-long,orchestrated leadership transition,President Xi Jinping and Premier LiKeqiang stressed the urgency ofreining in runaway oPcialcorruption to restore theCommunist Party's frayed publiccredibility. Li made specific pledgesto slash oPcial perks andgovernment extravagance to free upmoney for social welfare programsat a time of slower economic growth.He said a ban will be put on buildingnew government oPces,government payrolls will bereduced, as will spending onbanquets, travel and cars — behaviorthat has fueled public anger andprotests."If the people are to live a good life,

their government must be put on atight budget," Li said in his firstnews conference as premier after theend of the annual session of thenational legislature.Earlier, in addressing the nearly

3,000 legislative deputies in theGreat Hall of the People, Xipromised to root out "corruptionand other misconduct in allmanifestations." He said people'sown aspirations must be part of "theChinese dream" — a signaturephrase he has used to invokenational greatness. "Each of us musthave broad space to diligently realizeour own dreams," he said.Though Xi and Li were installed as

Nos. 1 and 2 in the party leadershipin November, Sunday's closing of thelegislature means their governmentis now fully in place. The legislature

appointed Cabinet ministers, namedLi premier, gave Xi the ceremonialtitle of president and therebyrelieved their predecessors of oPce.The legislature's close — and their

appearances — also brought aconcerted push to burnish the leaders'image before a public that has grownmore demanding as it has becomemore prosperous and better connectedby the Internet and cellphones.Expectations have run high in recentmonths that the new leadership wouldaddress social sore-spots: close a widewealth gap, curb the often capricioususe of oPcial power and clean up anenvironment degraded by theheadlong pursuit of growth.Both Xi's speech and Li's news

conference were nationally televised.In them, they showed personalitydiQerences with their predecessors.Xi appeared more commanding andcomfortable with his authority thanhis predecessor, Hu Jintao. Li wasmore direct and plainly spoken ifless sympathetic than thegrandfatherly Wen Jiabao, wholarded his news conferences withreferences to classical poetry.Li also gave a hint of his fluency in

English. At one point he corrected atranslator for saying "thank you" atthe end of a translation when Li hadnot said it. The 57-year-old alsorecalled having been exiled to workin a poor rural village in his teens inthe 1970s, like many in hisgeneration under Mao Zedong'sradical rule, before market reformsand the reopening of universitiesbrought change. The reforms, hesaid, "have lifted hundreds ofmillions of peasants out of povertyand it has changed the life course ofmany individuals, including me."Both events were heavily scripted.Questions by Chinese and foreignreporters at Li's 115-minute newsconference were largely prearrangedand pre-screened. –AGENCIES

China leadersvow clean govt

NNEEWW DDEELLHHII:: Indian policesaid they arrested six menSunday in connection withthe gang rape of a Swisswoman who was on a cyclingvacation in central India.A police oPcer in Gatia

district of Madhya Pradeshstate said the men alladmitted to the crime. Hespoke on condition ofanonymity because he wasnot authorized to speak tothe media.Police say the woman and

her husband had campedout in a forest in Datiadistrict of Madhya Pradeshwhen they were attacked bya group of men Friday night.They say that the couplewere robbed and beaten,and that the woman wasgang-raped.The woman, 39, was

treated Saturday at ahospital in the nearby city ofGwalior and was releasedlater that day, police said.The attack came three

months after the fatal gangrape of a 23-year-oldstudent aboard a movingbus in New Delhi, thecapital, set oQ nationwideprotests, sparking a debateabout the treatment ofwomen in India andhighlighting the inability oflaw enforcement agencies toprotect them. –AGENCIES

NNEEWW DDEELLHHII:: Indian Defense MinisterA.K. Antony is leaning toward barringAnglo-Italian helicopter firmAgustaWestland from doing business in thecountry because of a corruption scandal, buthe could be outvoted by cabinet colleagues,several government sources said.Some cabinet ministers and even oPcials

within the defense ministry fear such amove could set back India's eQorts tomodernize its military, the sources toldReuters. India plans to spend $100 billionin the next decade on military hardware.Publicly, Antony has said he is awaiting

the results of a federal police investigationinto the allegations of corruption, whichAgustaWestland denies. But severaldefense oPcials said that based on evidenceuncovered so far, the minister favoredbarring the firm from bidding for Indiandefense contracts.AgustaWestland, a division of Italian

defense group Finmeccanica, facesallegations in Italy and India that it paidbribes to win a $750 million deal to supply12 VIP AW101 helicopters to transportIndian political leaders.Any decision on barring AgustaWestland

will initially be taken by Antony, but it willneed approval of a cabinet committee thatincludes Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,Finance Minister P. Chidambaram andforeign minister Salman Khurshid.Behind the scenes, some cabinet

ministers and defense oPcials haveexpressed concern that any move to ban yetanother major defense firm could deal a

blow to India's stuttering eQorts tomodernize its military.Antony is nicknamed St. Antony for his

anti-corruption zeal and reputation forprobity. Blacklisting the helicopter firmcould contain damage to the rulingCongress party, which fears the corruptionallegations could become an issue inupcoming state and national elections.The extent of the opposition in the

cabinet to such a move is unclear, but ifthose opposing blacklisting muster amajority then Antony may have to look atless punitive measures, such as imposing aheavy fine. Everything hinged on what theprobe by the Central Bureau ofInvestigation (CBI) into the deal uncovers,defense ministry oPcials said.A cabinet minister confirmed to Reuters

there were "divergent views within thegovernment" over the issue."We don't want to over-react because we

don't want to let this issue aQect ourdefense preparedness," Khurshid, theforeign minister, told the Times of Indianewspaper in an interview in February.The mere fact there is debate within the

cabinet and the defense ministry overblacklisting is notable. It shows growingdisquiet over an anti-corruption measurethat analysts say has cost India dearly,reducing the pool of arms firms it can buyfrom and hampering eQorts to replaceobsolete equipment. India placed sixdefense companies on a blacklist last yearafter allegations that bribes were paid towin contracts. –AGENCIES

AgustaWestland

India wrestles withdilemma of blacklisting

Six confessraping Swisstourist

Russia to send permanentnavy fleet to MediterraneanMMOOSSCCOOWW:: The Russian Navy would station a permanent task force inthe Mediterranean Sea, Admiral Viktor Chirkov said here Sunday. "Upto five or six warships must be present in the Mediterranean Sea on apermanent basis," Chirkov said in an interview with a TV station runby the Defense Ministry, adding the squadron would be made up offrigates, cruisers and support vessels. The task force would be underthe command of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, he said. Defense MinisterSergei Shoigu said earlier Monday the navy possessed the capabilitiesto form a workable squadron in the region. However, he did not give atimetable for the deployment, which would need to ensure logisticsand maintenance of warships in the Mediterranean. –AGENCIES

TTOOKKYYOO:: Japan's Prime MinisterShinzo Abe said Sunday he hopedto meet the Chinese and SouthKorean leaders soon to improverelations strained by separateterritorial rows.But his ruling party also pledged

the same day to push for changesto Japan's pacifist constitution -- amove likely to stir unease in boththe countries, which were amongvictims of Tokyo's 20th centurymilitarism."I am in the same generation as the

two new leaders," Abe told an annualconvention of his Liberal DemocraticParty (LDP), referring to ChinesePresident Xi Jinping, 59, and SouthKorean President Park Geun-Hye, 61.The 58-year-old Abe became

prime minister in December for a

second time when his conservativeparty secured a landslide electionvictory, while Tokyo was locked indisputes with Beijing and Seoul overisland chains."For prosperity and stability in the

region, it is necessary for the three ofus to build mutual understanding,"Abe told the convention."I want to say that Japan's door is

always open toward China," said Abe,who was previously premier from2006-2007.But earlier in the day, the premier

urged graduates of the NationalDefence Academy to guard thecountry against "provocations", anapparent reference to the row withBeijing over sovereignty of a Tokyo-controlled island chain.Chinese ships have routinely circled

the Senkaku islands, which Beijingclaims as the Diaoyus, since Tokyonationalised some of them inSeptember.Abe, in his speech to graduates,

emphasised that the security situationhad changed since they started theircourse four years ago."Unlike four years ago...

provocations are continuing againstour country's territorial land, sea andair," he told the graduation ceremony."What is happening in the field

where you will be is a harsh realityand a crisis that is there," he added."I wish you to dedicate yourselves to

noble duty in the field, to defend thepeople and the country."The LDP convention adopted a

wide-ranging action plan, includingeQorts to create an "independent

constitution" to replace the US-imposed post-war charter which bansthe use of force in settlinginternational disputes.The ban limits the so-called Self-

Defence Forces to a strictly defensiverole and bars them from takingaggressive action.The hawkish Abe has said Japan

must redefine its rules of engagementto provide an eQective deterrentagainst North Korea and balanceChina's growing military might.Abe said in January he intends to

change the constitution, by modifyingan article which stipulates thatamendments need a two-thirdsmajority in parliament.The LDP and its junior coalition

partner New Komeito have a more-than two-thirds majority in the lower

house, but New Komeito and someLDP factions are cautious aboutamendments. The less powerfulupper house is controlled by no singleparty, but the opposition DemocraticParty of Japan has the greatestnumber of seats. Elections for half theupper house seats must be heldaround July. "We will definitely winthrough the (upper house) electionand reestablish a proud Japan," Abetold the convention.The party action plan also

reaPrmed Japan's intention to jointhe US-led Trans-Pacific Partnershipfree trade talks, despite persistentobjections from farmers and others.It said Japan will negotiate "in a

manner which will protect nationalinterests including the agricultureand fishery sector". –AGENCIES

Japan PM hopes to ease China–S Korea ties

MONDAY, MARCH 18, 2013

DHARMAKIRTI JOSHI &AINDRILLA ROYCHOUDHRY

In the previous decade, SouthAsiawasamong the fastest-growing regions ofthe world. But it has been a verydiWerent story in the last three or fouryears. Growth in the region has slowedmore than anticipated. And today, it isnot only India - the dominanteconomic force in the region - which isin the grip of low growth and highinflation; other key South Asianeconomies, too, are preys to this. Thisis in marked contrast to neighbouringAsian economies, such as Indonesiaand Philippines, which enjoy lowinflation and better economicprospects, and to African nations thathave shown great economic resilience.Among the four countries in theregion that we analysed, the growth-inflation dynamic is far worse in Indiaand Pakistan - the region's two largesteconomies - compared with Sri Lankaand Bangladesh.Growth in India andPakistan duringthis period has been significantly lowerthan the pre-crisis years, whereasinflation rates have been substantiallyhigher. Although a weak globalenvironment has been a common

growth dampener for the region,domestic macroeconomic imbalanceshave been primarily responsible for thesharp slowdown and the spike ininflation in both these countries. InBangladesh, growth did not fall much,buoyed by robust export growth andstrong inward remittances, butinflation shot up.The exception to thisregional trend was Sri Lanka, whichbenefited from the end of the civil warin the country's north and thenortheast. Here, growth went up andinflation declined. But the scenario isnow reversing in the island nation.In India and Pakistan, the grossdomestic product (GDP) growth fell to7.2 per cent and 3.4 per cent,respectively,during2009-2012, from8.8per cent and 6.3 per cent during 2004-2009. Inflation,however, shotup7.2percentperyear in Indiaand11.9per cent inPakistan, from5.5per centandeightpercent per year, in the respective periods.India's GDP is projected to slip to fiveper cent in 2012-13, and Pakistan isprojected to have grown at 3.5 per centin the same period.Domestic factors, such as highinterest rates, policy logjam and aconsequent sharp slowdown in privateinvestments, led to the growth

slowdown in India. Since 2008-09, thegovernment expenditure has focusedmore on boosting consumptiondemand in the short term than onimproving the economy's productivecapacity. The consequent increase inthe fiscal deficit and the inadequatefocus on expanding productivecapacity served as a breeding groundfor a high inflation regime. Foodinflation, too, has been stubbornly highin India. The growth situation inPakistan worsened partly because ofthe global economic turmoil thataWected the export demand, but largelyowing to internal issues like shortagesof gas supply and security issues,aWecting the industry and investments.Inflation in the country was high evenin the pre-crisis period, but has risenfurther on the back of a spike in foodinflation. Bangladesh's growth hasbeen somewhat resilient compared toits counterparts, since remittancesfrom its workers in the Gulf regionremained strong. This, together withthe strong buoyancy in the exportgrowth (Bangladesh exports low-enditems whose demand has not beensignificantly aWected by the globalcrisis), cushioned the country's GDPgrowth. Sri Lanka not onlymaintained

its pre-crisis growth rate, but alsomanaged to keep inflation fairly lowduring this period. Reconstructionspending in the war-aWected northernpart of the country supported growth.The unlocking of land for agriculturalpurposes after the end of the warboosted agricultural productivity andtamed food inflation. However, thisdividend from the end of the war, andsome of the gains it ushered in, are nowbeginning to fade.The outlook for 2013 is somewhatbetter than the performance in 2012,but the high growth rates seen duringthe pre-Lehman crisis period are not insight anywhere in the region, except inBangladesh. Some improvement islikely in the export growth as a result ofthe marginal improvement in theglobal economic scenario. GDPgrowthin India, Pakistan and Bangladeshcould also benefit from an increase ingovernment-welfare spending on theeve of elections: general elections areexpected to be held in early 2014 inIndia, May 2013 in Pakistan, andJanuary 2014 in Bangladesh.However, these drivers of growth for2013 are either cyclical or one-oW. Theregion needs to decisively come out ofthe low growth-high inflation regime

to lift its population out of poverty.Although there is no "one shoe fits all"solution for countries in the region,economic reforms that will help clearstructural bottlenecks, higherinvestments and better regionaleconomic cooperation to create abuWer against global headwinds arenecessary in all these economies, sothat they can raise growth and bringdown inflation.After a brief policy hiatus, India hasembarked ona fresh roundof economicliberalisation beginning September2012, to improve its fiscal health andkick-start private investments. But itstill has a long way to go. Sri Lankaneeds to enhance its exportcompetitiveness and boost privateconsumption in order to support itsgrowth. Pakistan needs to reverse thetrend of falling investment, addressinfrastructural bottlenecks and tame itsdeficits. Bangladesh has been resilientand its prospects are relativelyhealthier, but it surely needs to diversifyits exports and address infrastructuralconstraints to lift growth from aroundsix per cent currently and sustainhigher growth rates.Even as they take steps to boostgrowth, maintaining low and stable

inflation should be a policy priority forall countries in the region. In the nearterm, inflationary pressurewill remainsomewhat high in SouthAsia since fueland power prices (which are highlysubsidised) will have to be increased totrim the fiscal deficit. In the long run,however, taming food inflation viaimproving agricultural production andthe supply chain and removing intra-country restrictions on the movementof food is vital to rein in overallinflation. Food inflation has beenpersistently high in the region, andconstitutes a significant part ofhousehold consumption. Its weight inthe consumer price index ranges from35 to 55 per cent in the region.Last but not the least, improvingregional trade can bring in a host ofbenefits and help South Asianeconomies to come out of the lowgrowth-high inflation trap. Recentstudies by various multilateralagencies have shown that increasedtrade not only has the potential toboost GDP growth because of theunique geography of South Asia -distance and density - but can alsohelp the region in its fight againstfood inflation.

CCoouurrtteessyy BBuussiinneessss SSttaannddaarrdd

South Asia’s growth-inflation dilemma� The top priorities for India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh should be reforms and higher investments to break free of this trap

Politics of pipelinesHARSH V PANT

The much delayed India-Pakistan-Iran (IPI) gas pipeline is back inthe news. Of course, without one “I” – India. Iran and Pakistanmarked the start of Pakistani construction earlier this week when thepresidents of the two countries came together for the groundbreaking ceremony. The two are hoping that the pipeline will be complete in time tostart delivery of 21.5 million cubic metres of gas per day to Pakistanby December 2014. There was much political symbolism involved inthis move by Islamabad and Tehran as both nations are trying to snubthe US which has been against this pipeline and has been trying toisolate Iran for its nuclear programme. During the ceremony, Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejadaccused ‘foreign elements’ of trying to undermine Iran’s relations withPakistan and to thwart the Islamic Republic’s progress by using itsnuclear programme as a pretext. “I want to tell those individuals thatthe gas pipeline has no connection whatsoever with the nuclear case,”Ahmadinejad thundered.Rapidly rising energy demand in India and Pakistan has been theimpetus behind the proposed gas pipeline from Iran’s outfieldsthrough Pakistan to India. It is expected that this joint gas pipelineproject would play an important role in cementing ties between Iranand Pakistan and that Pakistan’s annual royalties from this projectwould be about $500 million to $600 million. The proposal,however, was stuck for a long time because of diWerences betweenPakistan and Iran on pricing and on methods to supply gas to India.Both India and Pakistan had contended that Tehran oWer a price forgas in line with global practices for long-term contracts and hadrejected Iran’s gas pricing formula wherein the gas price is linked toBrent crude oil with a fixed escalating cost component. The price Pakistan was demanding for security and transit fromIndia also made India wary of the project. And then there was the USopposition to the project though both India and Pakistan hadindicated that the project remained a foreign policy priority despitethe pressure from the US. In the end Pakistan decided in 2009 tofinalise the gas pipeline deal with Iran, connecting Iran’s South Parsgas field and Pakistan’s Balochistan and Sindh provinces. Thepipeline is expected to start operating from 2014. However, the dealremains a controversial one even in Pakistan because of the highprice that Iran is charging. India had quit the project in 2009 though oVcially New Delhicontinues to claim that it has kept its options open to join the projectat a later date even as China has evinced a keen interest in joining theproject. For India, the issue of Iran’s reliability as an energy provideris the main one. There is little evidence so far that Iran would be areliable partner in India’s search for energy security. A number ofimportant projects with Indian businesses and Indian governmenthave either been rejected by Iran or have yet to be finalised due to lastminute changes in the terms and conditions by Tehran. CCoonnfifiddeennccee--bbuuiillddiinngg mmeeaassuurree:: To date, Iran accounts for only about 8 per cent of Indian oilimports. Moreover, two of the major energy deals recently signedwith great fanfare, and raising concerns in the west, are now in limbo.India’s 25-year, $22 billion agreement with Iran for the export ofliquefied natural gas (LNG) has not produced anything since it wassigned in 2005, as it requires India to build an LNG plant in Iran.The plant would need American components, which might violate theUS Iran–Libya Sanctions Act. The other project — involving theconstruction of a 1,700-mile, $7 billion pipeline to carry natural gasfrom Iran to India via Pakistan — is also stuck. The current Indiangovernment initially viewed the pipeline project as a confidence-building measure between India and Pakistan, but when pressurestarted mounting, prime minister Manmohan Singh went so far in2005 as to say that he did not know if any international consortiumof bankers would underwrite the project, given uncertainties aboutIran. The Indian strategic community has never been in favour of thepipeline proposal anyway, as in their opinion, it gives Pakistan toomuch leverage over India’s energy security. Both these projects have also made the unreliability of Iran as atrade partner clear to India. The national oil companies of Iran andIndia disagree about the legal interpretation of the contract for theexport of LNG to India. This deal was signed in 2005 beforeMahmoud Ahmadinejad was elected president of Iran, and was tiedto a relatively low market price for crude oil. India considers the dealfinal and binding, while Iran has argued that it is not binding becauseit has not been ratified. Amid the growing global isolation of Iran,sections of the Indian government have suggested that India’sparticipation in the gas pipeline deal might not be strategicallyadvantageous to India, given the very low quantity (30 millionstandard cubic meters per day) of gas involved. Moreover, it has alsobeen apparent that the Iranian gas is not the lowest-priced option forIndia. New Delhi has made it clear that although it remainsinterested in the pipeline project, it would pay for the gas only after itis received at the Pakistan–India border, it would not pay penalty incase of a delay, and it is opposed to Iran’s demand to revise the deal’sgas prices every three years. India’s interests in the relationship withIran, however, have never been strictly commercial. After Pakistanand Iran signed their pipeline deal in 2009, India indicated that itwas willing to resume negotiations regarding independentlyimporting natural gas from Iran via sea pipeline, allowing India to getaround Pakistan. As Iran and Pakistan move ahead with the project,India’s best option now would be to wait and watch to see if therhetoric of the ‘peace pipeline’ actually matches the ground reality ofenergy security in its neighbourhood.

Courtesy Deccan Herald

JORGE G. CASTAÑEDA

Supporters of Hugo Chávez, therecently deceased Venezuelan president,and even many of his critics, haverepeatedly emphasized two supposedachievements that will burnish hislegacy. First, the share of people livingin poverty plummeted to approximately28% in 2012, from a peak of 62% in2003 (though it was 46% three yearsearlier, at the beginning of Chávez’s firstterm). Second, he gave to a majority ofVenezuelans a sense of identity, pride,and dignity long denied them by acorrupt, elitist, light-skinned oligarchy.Both claims, however, are only partlytrue, and only partly account forChávez’s recurrent electoral victories –13 of 14 popular votes, includingreferenda. As for the first claim, bothThe Economist and the Nobel laureateMario Vargas Llosa were right to putChávez’s achievement in perspective.Almost every country in Latin Americahas reduced poverty significantly sincethe beginning of this century, with theextent of progress depending onbaselines and cut-oW dates, good yearsand bad years, the reliability of oVcialdata, and other factors.The reasons for this progress are wellknown: with the exception of 2001 and2009, these were boom years forcommodity-exporting countries likeBrazil, Argentina, Peru, Chile, and, of

course, Venezuela, as well as formanufacturing-based economies, likeMexico. Furthermore, during thesenearly 15 years, most governmentshave managed their accountsresponsibly: small or no fiscal deficits,low inflation, well-targeted anti-poverty programs, and so on.This has helped to lower not onlypoverty, but also inequality, LatinAmerica’s traditional scourge.According to the economist NoraLustig, between 2000 and 2010,“income inequality…declined in all 17Latin American countries for whichcomparable data exist.” The decline wasespecially pronounced in the threelargest countries – Brazil, Mexico, andArgentina – which comprise nearly 75%of the region’s population.One diWerence in Venezuela is thatChávez spent more than $1 trillion toachieve the same feat – in a countrywith a population one-sixth the size ofBrazil’s and slightly more than one-quarter the size of Mexico’s. While thelong-term viability and eWectivenessof conditional cash-transfer programsin Brazil and Mexico is questionable,these anti-poverty initiatives certainlyare better designed than Chávez’smassive, blanket subsidies oneverything from poultry and flour tohousing and gasoline.Then there is the destruction ofVenezuelan industry, the spectacular

increase in violence, the explosion offoreign debt, and the depletion offoreign-currency reserves that hasaccompanied Chávez’s so-called“Bolivarian socialism of the twenty-first century.” None of these problemshas afflicted the region’s other largecountries – or at least not toanywhere near the same extent. IfChávez had not played with thenumbers, as demagogues andpopulist leaders tend to do, theresults would be more disheartening.The second argument in defense ofChávez’s legacy is a bit more robust,but not much. True, Venezuela’simmense natural riches have beenexploited and often squandered byelites more accustomed to theboulevards of Miami than to the slumsof Caracas. But it is equally true thatVenezuela enjoyed 40 years ofdemocratic rule before Chávez, underthe 1958 Punto Fijo Pact, whereby twoparties, one social democratic and theother social Christian, alternated inpower peacefully.Venezuela also boasted one of theregion’s most vibrant civil societies,with some of its freest and mostvigorous media. With the exceptionof the Caracazo – a wave of protestsagainst free-market reforms in 1989that resulted in an estimated 3,000deaths – there were only minorbouts of repression.

To be sure, large swaths of Venezuelansociety rightly felt excluded from thecountry’s cozy elite consensus andinsular governing arrangements, andresented it immensely; but an aspiringmiddle class comprised roughly half thepopulation. Chávez exploited – andwidened – that division; indeed, as thecurrent campaign to elect his successorshows, the country remains morepolarized than ever.It may well be that Chávez’s purportedfeats and popularity will outlast him.Instead of a simple rotation of elites inpower, perhaps what occurred duringhis time in oVce was the advent ofpolitical leadership that looks, talks,worships, and loves like the people ofthe country – leadership that identifieswith and benefits the millions ofVenezuelans who previously weremarginalized. In that case, Chávez’sdesignated successor, Nicolás Maduro,will make short work of oppositioncandidate Henrique Capriles in theupcoming election. Chavismo willoutlive Chávez.But, whatever the outcome, all themourning and embalming will not altera simple fact: Venezuela and its peopleare not clearly better oW than they were14 years ago. And whatever modestimprovements they may feel in theirlives were also secured elsewhere, at afar lower economic and political cost.

Courtesy Project Syndicate

The inflation of Hugo Chávez

MAHMOOD KHAGHANI

During the closing years of the 20thcentury and beginning of 21st century itwas the Caspian Sea's vast energywealth potential that oWered the energythirsty industrialized world a vital newsource of petroleum which they neededfor their economic growth. In 1992three Caspian Sea littoral states namelythe Republic of Azerbaijan, the Republicof Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan joinedthe Economic CooperationOrganization (ECO) which wasestablished as a regional non-politicalfor economic cooperation by Iran,Turkey and Pakistan in early 1980’s. Asresult today four of ECO member statesare littoral states of the Caspian Sea. EECCOO--CCaassppiiaann SSeeaa ppeettrroolleeuummrreessoouurrcceess:: Petroleum resources of theregion have also magnified the post-Soviet competition for influenceamong Turkey, Russia, and majorAsian petroleum importers inTranscaucasia and Central Asia, suchas China, India, and Pakistan... TheU.S. government has failed torecognize what is at stake in thestruggle for petroleum and influencein the ECO-Caspian Sea region. Thusby imposing all kinds of sanctions onone of the important littoral states ofthe ECO-Caspian Sea and the PersianGulf contributing to the rise of apotentially dangerous securityenvironment not only in the region,but beyond the region.EECCOO EEnneerrggyy CChhaarrtteerr:: The former ECOSecretary General M. Yahya Maroofimet Iran's Minister of Petroleum,Rostam Qassemi, on 30 May 2012 inpreparation for the 3rd ECO Energy/Petroleum Ministerial Meeting, whichwas scheduled to take place during 25-27 June 2012 in Tehran but was laterpostponed to 6 March 2013.Shana News Agency reported that theoutcome of this meeting was theemergence of an innovative concept forthe creation of what was termed an"ECO Energy Charter". The idea was

subsequently discussed at the ECO 22ndRegional Planning Council and theInstitute of International Energy Studies(IIES), which is aVliated to IslamicRepublic of Iran's Ministry of Petroleum,oWered to study and submit the outcometo ECO decision making meetings. WWhhaatt iiss tthhee EEnneerrggyy CChhaarrtteerr TTrreeaattyy((EECCTT))??:: There appears to be generalconfusion – since the meaning hasliterally become 'lost in translation' - asto what exactly the “ECO energycharter” proposal actually is and inparticular how it relates to the existingframework of the Energy CharterTreaty (ECT) based in Europe. In simple terms the Energy CharterTreaty is a framework for investment inenergy resources, and its principalpurpose is to enable investment by theadvanced nations, particularly inEurope, in securing energy supplies.The focus – which reflects the energysecurity concerns of the sponsoringnations is therefore principally on theextractive industries and theproduction of non-renewable oil andnatural gas in particular. The Energy Charter Treaty – thepolitical declaration that forms thefoundation of the Energy CharterProcess and exists since 1991 – wassigned by 58 countries. Seven of ECTmember countries, including the U.S.and Canada, did not sign the legallybinding Energy Charter Treaty, whichwas adopted three years later, in 1994,and entered into force in 1998. Fiveother ECT member states includingNorway, Australia and Russia signedthe treaty, but have not yet ratified it.IIrraann aanndd PPaakkiissttaann,, tthhee ttwwoo ffoouunnddeerrmmeemmbbeerr ooff EECCOO EEnneerrggyy AAccccoorrdd:: Justprior to the Economic CooperationOrganization (ECO) 3rdEnergy/Petroleum Ministerial Meetingon March 6, 2013, Supreme LeaderAyatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei in ameeting with visiting PakistaniPresident Asif Ali Zardari on 27February 2013 in Tehran pointed to thetwo ECO founder members’ brotherly

bonds and said, "We seriously believethat the two countries' economic,political, social and security ties shouldbe reinvigorated." The Leader also pointed to the Iran–Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline which is due totake Iran's rich gas reserves to Pakistanas a crucially important instance ofTehran-Islamabad cooperation, andcalled for ignoring the opposition shownby certain actors to the development ofIran-Pakistan relations. The SupremeLeader reminded Pakistan's urgent needto stable and secure energy resources,similar to every other country and added,"The Islamic Republic of Iran is the onlycountry in the region which enjoys secureenergy resources and we are ready tosupply Pakistan's need in this ground."President Zardari who headed a high-ranking delegation to Iran arrived inTehran on 27 February to discussbilateral ties and regional developmentswith senior Iranian oVcials.IIrraann--PPaakkiissttaann JJooiinntt CCoonnttrraaccttiinnggCCoommppaannyy:: The Iranian oil ministeragreed with his Pakistani counterpartto set up a joint contracting companybetween the two countries in a bid tocomplete the construction of the IP gaspipeline by December 2014. The IP gas pipeline stretches fromIran-Pakistan border to Navabshahregion in Pakistan and it covers 781 kmof the total 1,881 km of the pipeline. Demand for natural gas in Pakistanhas outstripped supply in recent years,putting existing reserves underimmense pressure. The 2700-kilometer long pipeline was to supplygas for Pakistan and India which aresuWering from a lack of energyresources, but India has evaded talks.In 2011, Iran and Pakistan declaredthey would finalize the agreementbilaterally if India continued to beabsent in the meeting. Internationalenergy expert are of the opinion thatIran-Pakistan agreement is a firststep to new era of ECO regionalenergy accord.

Courtesy: Tehran Times

OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

It’s a big event for Pakistan that ademocratically elected parliament for thefirst time is completing its 5-year term onMarch 16, 2013. For a 66-year old countrywhere army rule is 36-years, a smoothtransition from a elected government to anindependent caretaker set up is no doubt abig achievement. Amid this march to puredemocracy, average stock market investorsin Pakistan have seen one of the worstperiods. Equity returns remained depressin last 5-years, market depth was weakwhile companies were not able to raisefunds aggressively for expansion.KKSSEE IInnddeexx ggaaiinneedd oonnllyy 1188%% iinn 55--yyeeaarrss::When the PPP-led government tookcharges on March 17, 2008, the benchmarkKSE Index was 15,043pts. And now itstands at 17,741pts generating anunimpressive return of just 18%. Besideschallenging global environment andsecurity conditions, economic slowdownaWected the local bourses during last 5 years.In fact in US dollar terms, investorslost 24% in last 5-years. During thesame period where investors lost 24%in Pakistan, people lost 1% in Indiawhile have gained 100% in Indonesia,110% in Thailand and 146% inPhilippines. Market capitalization thatwas Rs4.6tr (US$73bn) n March 2008or 46% of GDP, is now at Rs4.3tn(US$45bn) or 19% of GDP proving thatthe market has not grown in relation tothe overall economy.Though the market has performed wellin 2012, thanks to sharp fall in interest rate,the average annual return in last 5-yearsare far not at all impressive compared toaverage inflation of 12%. Someone who hasinvested in T-Bill or NSS (National SavingSchemes) in March 2008 would be richerthan those who invested in equitiesOOnnllyy 2244 IIPPOOss iinn llaasstt 55 yyeeaarrss:: Compared to average annual equityofferings of 30 in 1990s and 8 in2000s, there were only 5 IPOs a year inlast 5-years. Not only these IPOs of 5-years were lower than the past trendthe size of offerings were also small andunimpressive.

Unimpressivefive years for stockinvestors

A new era of energycooperation in the ECO region

MONDAY, MARCH 18, 2013

Abhishek, Ranbir to play footballMUMBAI: Bollywood actors Abhishek Bachchan and Ranbir Kapoor will play afootball match with Indian cricket team to raise funds for a charity The match titled'Playing for Humanity' will be held here on March 30 and is being managed by GSWorldwide Entertainment and the All Stars Football Club (ASFC), according to areport.. "ASFC is a lot of fun. We plan to do great work. It's raising the awareness fora great game, to popularise it and to raise funds and it's a very noble gesture and I'mlooking forward to playing," Abhishek said in the release. "I'm fortunate to be one ofthe founders of the club. Bunty Walia (GS Entertainment) came with this brilliantidea and all the profits go to the charity organizations and I think it's a great cause,"said Ranbir Kapoor, who is an avid football lover. The Bollywood team will be led byBachchan and World Cup star Virat Kohli is the captain for the Indian cricket teamfor the charity match for NGO Magic Bus. -SHOWBIZ DESK

Tom Cruise wooing 'Bond Girl' Olga KurylenkoLONDON;Olga Kurylenko arrives for the Empire Film Awards. TomCruise has reportedly sethis sights on the Quantum of Solace star Olga Kurylenko after meeting her on the set of theirnew film.According to a source, the 50-year-old actor has not been this serious about anyonesince he first met Katie Holmes and she seems pretty keen on him too, the Sun reported. Theinsider added that that pair has been out for a couple of dinner dates and the A FewGoodMenstar is already smitten with Kurylenko who speaks several languages, is funny and gorgeous.CruiseThe source further claimed that Crusie is planning to woo her by taking her on hisprivate jet with sushi in the sky, when they embark on the press tour for the filmOblivion andfly betweenNew York, Dublin and Japan. The 33-year-old Ukrainian beauty shook upHollywood when she was photographed snogging Cruise in September last year, but denied itby saying that she was just acting and the pictures were taken from a set. -SHOWBIZ DESK

CMYK

SHOWBIZ DESK

KARACHI: Karachi: Veteran Indiandesigner JJ Valaya launched the longanticipated debut lawn collection here intheMetropolitan, in collaboration withPakistan’s top textile Industry, Five Startextile industries. Five Star teamed up withJJ Valaya to produce tantalizing printswhich sets them apart from other designerlawns. The name JJ Valaya representsunmatched class. He has beenmakingwaves in the fashion world with hisinnovative take on traditional designesthetic with an eye on the needs of amodern lifestyle. JJ Valaya is foundingmember of Fashion Design Council of IndiaFDCI and the first global brandambassador of Crystal giant Swarovski.“Based on the above experiences and globalreputation, we chose this legendary fashionguru to design our debut spring/summerlawn collection 2013.A wide array of designpatterns combines the essence and spirit ofboth our countries and blend them intoalmost melodiously enthralling forms” saysAli Asif, the Director of Five Star textileindustries.The three day extravaganza at The Palm,EmeraldMarquee kicked oS with a launchevent which featured emergingmodels suchas Sehrish,Monica, Sidra, Maham,Manal,

Sarah,Mubashira, Zara, Abeer &Areeba.The key element of the showwasthe exciting grand finale in which Pakistan’sacemodel/singer/actressMeesha Shafiwalked the rampwith Ali Asif, Director FiveStar Textile. There were forty fivemannequins adorned in beautiful wardrobeby JJ Valaya.The unique collection has intricate

detailing that embraces the spring seasonwith five ravishing themes including Zari,Nizam,Naqashi, Jamawar and Sanghaner.

Each theme has 5 exquisite designs in 2color ways. JJ Valaya lawn oSers twenty fivespectacular design prints variegated colors.The launch event was organized by CatwalkProductions and PR handled by Catalyst PR&Marketing.The guests in attendance included Safinaz

Muneer, Huma Adnan, Abdul Samad, ZebaBakhtiar, MahinHussain, RukeiyaAdamjee, Koni, Neshmia Ahmed and ahuge crowd to welcome Five Star signaturelawn by JJ Valaya.

Fashion beyond borders�A baroque dream comes true with JJ Valaya

SHOWBIZ DESK

MUMBAI: An Indian newsmagazine has named KareenaKapoor in the list of 25mostinfluential women in thecountry. Kareena, who is theonly Bollywood star in the list,feels that such an honour comeswith responsibility towards thenation and her fans. “With widerinfluence, comes additionalaccountability. My fans look uptome and are influenced bymydecisions, which Imake sure aretaken responsibly,” says the actor.Kareena is a privilegedmemberof the first family of Indiancinema, the Kapoors, and is nowmarried to the Nawab ofPataudi, actor Saif Ali Khan. Butshe isn’t shy about using thepower and influence she enjoysin the industry.“It feels great that you are

looked upon as an icon. Thepower of influence helps you dobetter and make choices thatallow you to maintain a certainbenchmark that well-wishersare proud of,” says Kareena. Theactor is currently shooting fordirector Prakash Jha’s

Satyagraha with AmitabhBachchan, Manoj Bajpayee,Ajay Devgn and Arjun Rampal.She plays a journalist who givesan insight into the political

system of the country.However, Kareena avoided

our question about whether themovie has influenced her viewson the system.

Power of influence helps inmaking better choices: Kareena

SHOWBIZ DESK

NEWDELHI: A dulhan gettingjiggy on her own sangeet night?It's been known to happen.Especially when the bride belongsto a typical Punjabbi (double b,emphasis mine) family full ofboister and cheer. In a delicioussequence fromMere Dad KiMaruti, we are presented with abride doing a fully-clothedshimmywhich is just risquéenough to cause the following: theguests slack-jawed, the groomtrying to hide his face, the bride'sbrother gulping a little, and thebride's mummyji beaming withpride at the near-scandalousmoves. This gaana-bajaanaencompasses without saying aword, what themovie takes nearlytwo too-long hours to say. ThatPunjabbis are hearty and full ofheart is an oldHindi movietheme.That the Khullars of

Chandigarh, headed by the rotundpapaji (RamKapoor), are sointent onmaking their daughter'sdoli go oS smoothly that theyintend gifting their son-in-law afully-loaded brand newMaruti

(or, to give it the right intonation,Mruti, in which the 'a' is hushed,and the 'u' is not at all subtle) car.

That the sonny boy Khullar,also known as Sameer (SaqibSaleem), in order to impress sonikudi Jasleen ( Chakraborty) hooksoS with said gaddi, and promptlyfalls into a series ofmisadventures, with his pal(Panjabi). And that in the end,everyone is very happy and jolly. Isat through the first half lookingfor something to surprise me. Theboys are too standard-Punjabbi-mundas full of youthspeak (chalgedamaar ke aate hain hasmuchmoremeaning than the staid let'sgo for a drive), the girl (RheaChakraborty) too reminiscent ofBollywood's smart-mouthed gals,and their escapades aren'tstartlingly new either. But, postinterval, things perk up. The plotcatches speed, the writingsmartens, and some twists leaveyou smiling. And the actors comeout better too, more filled out,taking a cue from the lines theyaremade to say. At its best it isplacid, and sort of middling, thisMere Dad KiMaruti (even though

the car companymust bedelighted at this movie lengthendorsement: for a wholegeneration, 'the 800' was theheight of aspiration ). The firsttime you hearMr Khullar greet'Smeer' (no self- respectingPunjabbi will say 'Sameer') withan inversion of amild gaali, it's

funny. Not the next and the next.This sort of repetition makes thefilm feel longer than it is. And theinclusion of a fully filmi car thief (Ravi Kissen) who narrows hiskohl-laden eyes and speaks inUrdu, seems nothing more than adevice to stretch a barely-thereplot.

On the upside, the Punjabbi-ness is not exaggerated. Nogiddhas-bhangras. No bijis-baujis.And no rock-garden-Chandigarhor Sukhna-lake-Chandigarh. Justfor this, and for what is termed a'clean' family outing withChunnu Munnu te Pappu, ikgeda maar lo, ji.

MOVIE REVIEW

Mere Dad Ki Maruti —Post interval, plot catches speed

LONDON: Lady Gaga has decided to have her weddingdress designed by Donatella Versace. The singer has askedthe fashion queen to create a gown made with black andgold silk with diamonds sewn into the bodice, the Sunreported. The 26-year-old also wants a removable skirt andtrain, which can be converted into another gown for theceremony, which is supposed to be held this summer inNew York, the Sun reported. A source told the publicationthat Gaga is spending millions on her wedding to theVampire Diaries star Taylor Kinney and Versace isdesigning a typically over-the-top dress, which on its ownwill cost thousands. The source added that the Born ThisWay star thinks white is cheesy and wants black and goldsilk with 'crazy removable bits'. -SHOWBIZ DESK

Lady Gaga to wearVersace at wedding

LONDON: Producer Barbara Broccoli, Daniel Craig, OlgaKurylenko and director Marc Forster arrives at theAustralian premier of Quantum of Solace in Sydney.Daniel Craig's 'Quantum of Solace' producer BarbaraBroccoli will reportedly be increasing the incentives for thestar to keep him in the iconic film role of 'James bond'. The52-year-old producer has claimed that the next installmentof the '007' series, whose director Sam Mendes has quit,willbe the hardest to make, the Daily Express reported.The daughter of the late Bond producer Albert R 'Cubby'

Broccoli said in an interview with Day and Night Newsthat she's determined to keep Craig in his tuxedo for thenext few years. She has clearly said that she will not let the45-year-old actor go anywhere and expressed sadness overMendes' departure from the franchise following theaward-winning 'Skyfall."Broccoli, who co-produces the films with her half-

brother Michael G. Wilson, explained that they do notwant to disappoint the fans, that have kept them going allthese years and they always try to make films that willplease them so the pressure is on even more so thanever.She further added that she was thrilled that thefamous spy was an integral part of the Olympics last year,when Craig appeared in the opening ceremony alongsideHer Majesty the Queen. -SHOWBIZ DESK

I'm not letting Danielgo: Barbara Broccoli

LONDON: Australian actor LiamHemsworth hasproposed to his HannahMontana girlfriendMiley Cyrus,with the pair tweetingtheir engagement onThursday.Miley Cyrus hasagain denied rumors onTwitter that herengagement to fianceLiamHemsworth is over.She's also got a new tattooinked on her arm - aminiature rendition of aDa Vinci anatomical heart.The 20-year-old singerreplied to a distressedfriend, who complainedabout 'feeling naked'without her ring as she'dsent it oS to get repaired, by saying, "ugh that's the worst! Ijust had a similar situation except when it happens tomethen everyone saysmywedding is oS," theMirror reported.The formerHannahMontana star, who has been goingaroundwithout her engagement ring on, is tryingdesperately to dispel rumors of her split, whileHemsworthis busy spending time in Australia with his family. Kat VonD, celebrity tattooist and a friend of Cyrus, recently postedan Instagram picture of the singer's new inkwork, saying'just did the raddest tattoo onMiley, aminiature rendition ofa Da Vinci anatomical heart!'. -SHOWBIZ DESK

Miley Cyrusdenies split withLiam Hemsworth

SHOWBIZ DESK

NEWDELHI: After BollywoodBiggies like Shah Rukh Khan and theBachchans, Salman Khan is the nextsuperstar to buy a house in thebeautiful desert city Dubai. Accordingto an entertainment website, the‘Dabangg’ star, who was shooting forhis brother Sohail Khan’s ‘Mental’ inDubai, was reportedly taking out timein between the shoots to look for a realestate property in the city, with hisfamily. “We are looking (for a house inDubai); in fact we have been (looking)for a while. It’s just that we have beentied up this whole year.We would love

to buy a pad in Dubai. It’s just two anda half hours fromMumbai anyway,”Sohail Khan said. “It (investing inDubai) has crossed ourmind, we willjust have to find the right place wherewe would like to invest, where wewould like our home to be,” he further

added. Sohail also revealed that thedecision to buy a house in Dubai wastaken long back, even before theystarted shooting for their movie.He said, “For years now, we have

been property hunting.Whenever wecome here we see something nice, butpeople tell us to wait since there’salways something better coming up.”When asked whether Salman isplanning to spendmore time inDubai, Sohail said thatMumbai isalways going to be home for the Khan-daan and added that although theKhan siblings were born and raised inMumbai, they would love to holidayoften in Dubai.

Salman to invest in Dubai property

LOS ANGELES: Actress Nicole Kidman describes growing old asa bittersweet experience, but says she is happy with herself at thisage. Kidman is more comfortable at this age than she thought shewould be. "Being 45 is better than I expected, but at the same timesuddenly I'm dealing with my parents who are in their 70s and it'sbittersweet because you know where it's heading," mirror.co.ukquoted Kidman as saying. -SHOWBIZ DESK

Growing old bittersweetexperience: KidmanGrowing old bittersweetexperience: Kidman

MONDAY, MARCH 18, 2013

CMYK

CMYK

CCOOLLOOMMBBOO:: Kumar Sangakkaracontinued his purple patch againstBangladesh and hit an unbeaten 127to guide Sri Lanka to 294 for six atclose on the second day of the secondand final Test on Sunday.Sangakkara hit his third consecutivecentury in the series and withDinesh Chandimal (102) helped thehosts overcame a top-order collapseand take a 54-run lead at the close ofplay. The left-handed batsman, whobecame the fifth Sri Lankan to hitcenturies in both innings of a testmatch in the drawn Galle test lastweek, shared a 195-run stand withChandimal to bail out the hosts aftera wobbly morning session. Rubel Hossain bowled Chandimal

to put an end to the partnership,which helped Sri Lanka go past

Bangladesh's first innings total of240. He also dismissed KithuruwanVithanage (12), caught by MominulHaque at deep cover. Bangladeshwere on top in the first session of theday after taking three quick wicketsand Sri Lanka were reeling at 69 forfour at one stage before Sangakkaraand Chandimal fought back.Sangakkara, who also hit threecenturies in as many innings againstIndia in 2009-10, drove off-spinnerSohag Gazi straight down the groundto complete his 33rd test century. Resuming the second day's play on

18 for one, Sri Lanka lost openerDimuth Karunaratne (17) whenAbul Hasan beat him with extra paceto induce an edge behind thestumps. Robiul Islam thendismissed Lahiru Thirimanne for a

duck as the batsman went for a drivebut ended up giving wicketkeeperMushfiqur Rahim his third catch ofthe innings. Sri Lanka's trouble

compounded when skipper AngeloMathews (16) was caught in the sliptrying to play a defensive shot to aGazi delivery. –AGENCIES

Sangakkara, Chandimal steady Sri Lanka in final TestscOREbOARd

BBAANNGGLLAADDEESSHH 11SSTT IINNNNIINNGGSS 240 (MominulHaque 64; R. Herath 5-68)SSRRII LLAANNKKAA 11SSTT IINNNNIINNGGSS (overnight 18-1):D Karunaratne c Rahim b Abul 17T Dilshan c Rahim b Robiul 0K. Sangakkara not out 127L Thirimanne c Rahim b Robiul 0A. Mathews c Mahmudullah b Gazi 16D Chandimal b Rubel 102K Vithanage c Mominul b Rubel 12N Kulasekara not out 2EEXXTTRRAASS (B 2, NB 10, W 6) 18TTOOTTAALL (for six wickets; 93 overs) 294FFAALLLL OOFF WWIICCKKEETTSS:: 1-7, 2-39, 3-43, 4-69, 5-264, 6-280

BBOOWWLLIINNGG:: Robiul 15-1-52-2 Gazi 30-4-84-1Abul 18-4-62-1 Rubel 14-3-41-2 Mahmudullah 10-1-36-0Mominul 2-0-6-0Ashraful 2-0-9-0Nasir 2-0-2-0Toss: Sri LankaUmpires: Richard Illingworth (ENG) and NigelLlong (ENG)TV umpire: Ruchira Palliyaguruge (SRI)Match referee: David Boon (AUS)

Sri Lankan Kumar Sangakkara plays a shot during the second day of the second Test matchbetween Sri Lanka and Bangladesh at the R. Premadasa Stadium on Sunday. –AGENCIES

JJOOHHAANNNNEESSBBUURRGG:: Centuries byHashim Amla and AB de Villiers setup a 34-run victory for South Africadespite a thrilling innings byPakistan's Shahid Afridi in the thirdone-day international at theWanderers Stadium on Sunday. Amla(122) and De Villiers (128) shared aworld record third wicket partnershipof 238 as South Africa made 343 forfive after being sent in. Pakistan, whowere bowled out for 309 to slip 2-1down in the series, had been in deeptrouble when Afridi walked in at 132for five but he gave his side hope as hethrashed 88 oJ 48 balls with sevensixes and five fours.Afridi's innings included some of

the biggest sixes seen at theWanderers. One, after he had beenbowled oJ a no-ball, was a mighty hitonto the roof of the four-tierCentenary stand which was last seenbouncing towards an adjacent golfcourse. Afridi was yorked by RyanMcLaren when he had 73 but a checkrequested by umpire Billy Bowdenshowed the bowler had over-stepped.McLaren then bowled a wide, whichmeant Afridi still had a free hit towhich he committed all his power.There was one more six before he hit afull toss from Lonwabo Tsotsobe toMcLaren at long-oJ.There was still a possibility of a

reprieve as the umpires checkedwhether the full toss was above waistheight, which would have meantanother no-ball, before confirmingthe dismissal. Amla and De Villiersbatted superbly after South Africastruggled early on, with left-arm fastbowler Mohammad Irfan taking twoearly wickets. They beat by one run

the previous one-day internationalthird wicket record set by RahulDravid and Sachin Tendulkar forIndia against Kenya in 1999, toensure that Pakistan would have achallenging run chase on a groundrenowned for high scoring.De Villiers was quickly into his

stride and the pair posted a fiftypartnership oJ 38 balls. The rateslowed slightly when Pakistan

brought their spin bowlers intoaction. After 35 overs the total was 115but the runs came in a torrenttowards the end of the innings. Thelast 15 overs yielded 156 runs.Amlareached his 11th one-dayinternational century oJ 99 balls,while De Villiers went to his 14thcentury in the format oJ 87 deliveries. Amla was caught at cover for 122

oJ 113 balls with nine fours and a six

and De Villiers was held at deepmidwicket for 128 oJ 108 deliveries,with 12 fours and three sixes.Pakistan were briefly reduced to 10men after Irfan, who had been adoubtful starter because of ahamstring strain, left the field fortreatment. He was replaced byUmar Akmal but after 20 minutesthe umpires informed Pakistancaptain Misbah-ul-Haq that the

maximum 20 minutes allowed fortreatment had expired. Pakistan hada fielder short for two overs beforeIrfan returned. Wahab Riazconceded 93 runs in his 10 overs –the most by a Pakistan bowler inone-day internationals. –AGENCIES

Afridi fireworks fail to save Pakistan

AB de Villiers (C) of South Africa just makes it home as Pakistan wicket keeper Shoaib Malik attempts the run out during the 3rd ODIat the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on Sunday. –AGENCIES

WWEELLLLIINNGGTTOONN:: KaneWilliamson, Ross Taylor andpersistent light rain onSunday ensured that NewZealand's second Testagainst England at the BasinReserve is most likely to endin a damp draw on Monday.The hosts were on 162 fortwo after the rain haddisrupted much of the fourthday's play with 39 overs lostafter lunch and 16 overs atthe end of day due to morerain after play had resumedat 1710 local (0410 GMT). Williamson (55) and

Taylor (41) had combined foran unbroken 81-runpartnership in NewZealand's second inningsafter being forced to followon, though they were still 49runs from making Englandbat again, before they wereforced oJ again at 1730 anddespite attempts to restart,play was abandoned at 1755. "There was still a lot of

time left in the game whenwe arrived here thismorning, but in terms ofmaking sure we don't losethe game it (the rain) hashelped," New Zealandbatsmen Peter Fulton toldreporters. "There was aslight chance we could havebatted well today and piledon some runs and put somepressure on England latertomorrow." New Zealand'sMetService has forecast asoutherly change andpersistent rain for theWellington regionthroughout Monday and adraw is now the most likelyresult. "We just have to turnup tomorrow and wait andsee how the day turns out. Ifthe weather is good we stillhave a lot of work to do."England's only

breakthrough came in thefirst session when Fultonprodded at a full-lengthJames Anderson deliveryand the ball flew to AlastairCook at first slip. Fulton's dismissal for 45

left New Zealand 81-2 andwith Monty Panesarextracting turn from thepitch, the hosts werenervously facing theprospect of losing the match. Taylor, who was on a king

pair, negotiated his firstdelivery and got oJ the markwhen Kevin Pietersenmisfielded at mid-on,gradually growing inconfidence as he fought oJurges to attack Panesar, whowas giving the ball more air.Their partnership becamewell established as theyinched closer to lunch andWilliamson brought up hissixth test half century with hisseventh boundary when hepulled a short Joe Rootdelivery to midwicket shortlybefore the break. Light rainthen began falling at lunchand groundstaJ placed coversover the wicket block at thestart of the break. –AGENCIES

Kiwis frustrateEngland insecond Test

scOREbOARdEENNGGLLAANNDD FFIIRRSSTT IINNNNIINNGGSS 446655NNEEWW ZZEEAALLAANNDD FFIIRRSSTT IINNNNIINNGGSS 254NNEEWW ZZEEAALLAANNDD SSEECCOONNDD IINNNNIINNGGSS(following on; overnight 77-1)P Fulton c Cook b Anderson 45H Rutherford c Bell b Panesar 15K Williamson not out 55R Taylor not out 41EEXXTTRRAASS (W-5, LB-1) 6TTOOTTAALL (for two wickets, 68 overs)162FFAALLLL OOFF WWIICCKKEETTSS:: 1-25 2-81BBOOWWLLIINNGG:: Anderson 12-4-27-1Broad 14-6-32-0 Finn 11-2-36-0Panesar 26-12-44-1Trott 3-0-10-0Root 2-0-12-0

MMOOHHAALLII:: Three wickets in a probingopening spell from Bhuvneshwar Kumarleft India in with hopes of reclaiming theBorder-Gavaskar Trophy on Monday afterAustralia had done well to limit their leadto 91 on day four. A deserved five-wickethaul from Peter Siddle - just the second foran Australian bowler this series - hadhelped keep India to 499 butBhuvneshwar's triple turned the screws onthe tourists. Three down and trailing by 16runs, Australia will hope that PhillipHughes can convert his first significantscore on into a big innings. The loss of David Warner, Ed Cowan and

Steven Smith dented Australia after theyhad done well to keep India's lead to fewerthan 100 considering the hosts were 283for 0 when play started. BhuvneshwarKumar struck in the first over ofAustralia's second innings, getting Warnerto edge to MS Dhoni. In his fourth over,Bhuvneshwar won a fortuitous lbw shoutagainst Cowan, when the ball appeared tobe missing the stumps, but there was nodoubt about Smith's dismissal. Pressingforward for inwards movement, Smith hadhis oJ stump sent cart-wheeling. Hughes, who had gotten oJ the mark

with an edge for four past gully, backedhimself to play his shots and reached hisfirst fifty of the series, oJ 50 balls. He wasonce again vulnerable against spin,especially R Ashwin, but rode his luck toreach 53 not out at stumps. This passage set Australia back after

Siddle and Mitchell Starc had bowled sowell. Following the leather hunt they were

sent on yesterday, Australia enjoyed aproductive day with the ball as they tookall ten Indian wickets for 216 runs. Siddlestruck in five times across three spells, thebest of which was a two-wicket burst withthe new ball after lunch, and wrapped upIndia's tail. His first success came in the second

over when Shikhar Dhawan stabbedNathan Lyon to silly point. Not longafter, Cheteshwar Pujara wasunfortunately given lbw for 1 to Siddle asAleem Dar failed to spot an inside edge.These two wickets perked up Australiaafter a flattening day three, but they werekept hunting for the third by Murali

Vijay, who reached his third Test centurybefore lunch. Australia's best session was the second,

with the second new ball producing acollapse of 4 for 19. Having lost SachinTendulkar for 37 in the over beforelunch, India returned in the afternoontrailing Australia by 24. A late dab offSteven Smith for four took Vijay past 150and delivered India the lead, whichprompted the taking of the second newball. Immediately Starc swung it insharply to Vijay whose decision to padup proved his downfall, and two ballslater Dhoni was suckered by a late-swinging low full toss. –AGENCIES

India in sight of victory against Aussies

scOREbOARdAAUUSSTTRRAALLIIAA FFIIRRSSTT IINNNNIINNGGSS 408IINNDDIIAA 11SSTT IINNNNIINNGGSS M Vijay lbw b Starc 153S Dhawan c Cowan b Lyon 187 CA Pujara lbw b Siddle 1SR Tendulkar c Cowan b Smith 37 V Kohli not out 67 MS Dhoni lbw b Starc 4 RA Jadeja c Haddin b Siddle 8 R Ashwin c Haddin b Siddle 4 B Kumar c Haddin b Henriques 18 I Sharma c Haddin b Siddle 0 PP Ojha b Siddle 1 EEXXTTRRAASS (B 5, LB 13, NB 1) 19 TTOOTTAALL (all out; 132.1 overs) 499 FFAALLLL OOFF WWIICCKKEETTSS:: 1-289, 2-292, 3-384, 4-412, 5-416, 6-427, 7-431, 8-492, 9-493 BBOOWWLLIINNGG MA Starc 23-5-74-2PM Siddle 29.1-9-71-5 MC Henriques 15-1-62-1

NM Lyon 31-4-124-1 XJ Doherty 24-8-87-0 SPD Smith 10-0-63-1 AAUUSSTTRRAALLIIAA 22NNDD IINNNNIINNGGSS DA Warner c Dhoni b Kumar 2 EJM Cowan lbw b Kumar 8 PJ Hughes not out 53 SPD Smith b Kumar 5 NM Lyon not out 4 To bat MJ Clarke, BJ Haddin, MC Henriques, XJ Doherty, MAStarc, PM Siddle EEXXTTRRAASS (LB 2, NB 1) 3 TTOOTTAALL (3 wickets; 21 overs) 75 FFAALLLL OOFF WWIICCKKEETTSS:: 1-2, 2-35, 3-55BBOOWWLLIINNGGB Kumar 8-1-25-3 I Sharma 2-0-11-0 R Ashwin 7-2-25-0 RA Jadeja 2-1-11-0 PP Ojha 2-1-1-0

scOREbOARdSOUTH AFRICA INNINGS G Smith b Mohammad Irfan 3 H Amla c Misbah b Wahab 122C Ingram c Kamran b Irfan 17A de Villiers c Malik b Ajmal 128F du Plessis c Younis b Wahab 45F Behardien not out 6R McLaren not out 0Did not bat: R Peterson, R Kleinveldt, D Steyn, LTsotsobeEXTRAS (LB 8, NB 1, W 13) 22TOTAL (5 wkts, 50 overs) 343FALL OF WICKETS: 1-4, 2-42, 3-280, 4-301, 5-342BOWLING: Mohammad Irfan 7-1-34-2 Junaid Khan 10-2-42-0 Wahab Riaz 10-0-93-2 Shahid Afridi 7-0-55-0Mohammad Hafeez 6-0-49-0 Saeed Ajmal 10-0-62-1 PAKISTAN INNINGSNasir Jamshed c Amla b Tsotsobe 10Mohammad Hafeez c Steyn b Peterson 57Kamran Akmal c De Villiers b McLaren 30Younis Khan b Peterson 19Misbahul Haq c De Villiers b McLaren 28Shoaib Malik c Kleinveldt b Tsotsobe 4 Shahid Afridi c McLaren b Tsotsobe 88Wahab Riaz b Kleinveldt 45Saeed Ajmal c Kleinveldt b McLaren 8Junaid Khan c and b Steyn 9Mohammad Irfan not out 0EXTRAS (LB 3, NB 1, W 7) 11TOTAL (48.1 overs) 309FALL OF WICKETS: 1-15, 2-97, 3-111, 4-123, 5-132, 6-203, 7-244, 8-282, 9-304, 10-309 BOWLING: Steyn 10-1-48-1Tsotsobe 10-0-74-3Kleinveldt 9.1-1-77-1 Peterson 10-0-51-2McLaren 9-0-56-3

KAASHEF AHMAD

Ican’t say I would ever wear pink butwhen the South Africans came out to batdressed in bright pink uniforms, I felt

Pakistan had missed a trick. These are tryingtimes for Pakistan both as a cricketing teamand as a country and we should not let apublic PR opportunity of projecting a softimage of our nation go by. A little moreexpression than a minute ribbon on thesleeves could have gone a long way – after allaren’t we suppose to be the ambassadors ofour country while touring abroad. We were never going to chase down 340

plus against South Africa in South Africawith the kind of batting we have, but hopingto put up a fight is the least we expect fromthe eleven professionals who are selected toplay for their country. Nasir Jamshed gotout as he has usually does in this series - asoft dismissal after playing some good shots.Hafeez played well and kept up the rateuntil he got out after scoring a brisk 57. Theother top order batsmen did not oJer much.A chase as steep as this requires a constantsupply of boundaries as well as rotation ofstrike throughout. While our batsmen donot matchup to that of South African team,our bowlers would have been well-served toemulate the small things that the Proteasdid better while bowling on a placid pitch.They frequently rolled their fingers on theball to take the pace oJ, bowled strictly totheir fields and kept the pressure by gettingregular wickets. Where the South Africansmoved about in their crease to play in thegaps regularly, it was frustrating to watchour batsman play straight to the fielderstime and again. All this changed whenAfridi came in to bat and providedentertainment in a way that only he can,making a quick fire 88 of 48 balls,enthralling the crowd no ends and givinghope to us back home. But the writingstarted appearing on the walls as Misbahgot out to a horrid shot and then later whenAfridi finally went with still a hundred runsto get of 88 balls. Wahab Riaz oJered someresistance batting with much more purposethan the so called stalwarts of our team butin the end it was a little big a task.Pakistan had brought in Wahab Riaz in

place of Umar Gul who has had a forgettabletour so far, citing a bad knee as the reason –an old trick of the Pakistan managementwhen they want to rest a non-performingplayer but are too afraid to speak the truth.Irfan again drew first blood to vindicateMisbah’s decision as did Junaid who bowleda miserly spell to keep the Proteas in check.Irfan came back in the 14th over to removeIngram. But that is where, Pakistansdominance ended.The wicket of Ingram brought in the

indomitable de Villiars who as he usuallydoes starting changing the tempo of theinnings. Amla too changed gears as thefluency returned to South African cricket.Runs started to flow easily as the rest of thebowlers, especially the much touted spinattack proved as ineJective as they had inthe series so far. The great thing about thebatting of these two was the ease by whichthey rotated the strike, seldom taking anyrisks and all the while upping the run rate.Misbah appeared clueless as he often doeswhen his initial plan fails – the plan being toput the opposition in to bat first and thenhope Irfan (or in the time past, Ajmal) to runthrough the top order. If that doesn’t work,his contingency plan is to sit back, putfielders on the fence and hope for the best.To make matters worse, Hafeez dropped aneasy catch of Amla when he was in his 30s.Amla went on to make a 122 runs in a recordpartnership of 238 runs of 194 balls. DeVilliers, who has been Pakistans’stormentor-in-chief throughout this series,scored another century making 128 fromjust 108 balls. This is what world-class talentlooks like. Umer Akmal who has a similarbatting style and I believe talent to match,should take a cue from this guy. Surely ifMalik is to be picked as a batsman, theyounger Akmal is a far superior batsman. The decision to bat first that came oJ so

well in the second one day because of Irfan’sspell and the impatience of South Africansdue to imminent rain, suddenly wasn’tlooking so great once Misbah initial planhad backfired. Wahab Riaz who hasperformed so well in the domestic circuit,found out what it is to play against a qualityside, though in his defense, he did create afew chances that went-a-begging. duPlessis came in and played a cameo of 45oJ 19 deliveries to take South Africa to 343for the loss of just 5 wickets, leaving adaunting task for the (too) experiencedbatting lineup of Pakistan.

MMEELLBBOOUURRNNEE:: KimiRaikkonen drove a brilliantrace to win the AustralianGrand Prix for Lotus onSunday as the new FormulaOne season opened with anabsolute thriller at AlbertPark. Finland's 2007 worldchampion rode to victory ona two-stop strategy andcrossed the line 12.4 secondsclear of Ferrari's FernandoAlonso with triple worldchampion Sebastian Vettelrounding out the podium inthird place for Red Bull. Vettel got away cleanly from

pole position but the variety ofstrategies forced on the teamsby the tyres and the paceshown by Red Bull's rivalsensured this was never goingto be a procession for the 25-year-old German. A few lightshowers contributed to anintriguing race but neverthreatened to disfigure it astop drivers engaged in battlesaround the circuit and the leadfrequently changed hands. Seven cars led the race at one

stage or another but afterRaikkonen hit the front for thesecond time on lap 43, it lookedlike only a mechanical problemwould stop him from winning

his 20th grand prix to matchcompatriot Mika Hakkinen'scareer tally. "I knew I had agood car so I was confident wecould have a good race," saidRaikkonen, the former

McLaren and Ferrari driverwho made his comeback lastseason after two years inrallying, on a podium ofchampions. "It was a prettynice race. "We are happy withthe win but there's an awful lotof work to do to win thechampionship." It was the firstseason-opening win by a teamcalled Lotus since AmericanMario Andretti won the 1978Argentine Grand Prix. Alonso'sBrazilian team mate FelipeMassa finished fourth ahead of2008 champion LewisHamilton in his first race forhis new team Mercedes afterleaving McLaren. –AGENCIES

Raikkonen wins Melbourne Grand Prix

Lotus Formula One driver KimiRaikkonen of Finland celebratesafter winning on Sunday.

FORMULA ONE

A high scoringthriller?

Balochistan prosecutorgeneral recoveredQQUUEETTTTAA:: Balochistan ProsecutorGeneral Wasay Tareen, who waskidnapped three weeks ago, wasrecovered from Zhob area on Sunday.Wasay Tareen’s brother, advocateSajid Tareen said tribal elders usedtheir influence which led toProsecutor General’s recovery fromDaraband area between Zhob and DIKhan. He said local administrationand government oNcials played norole in his brother’s recovery. Tareenwas kidnapped on Feb 27 near Quettawhen he was on way to Islamabad forSupreme Court’s hearing inBalochistan unrest case. –ONLINE

militants bomb cDshops near PeshawarPPEESSHHAAWWAARR:: Unknown militants setoO an explosive device early on Sundaymorning damaging four CD shops inMattani area in the outskirts ofPeshawar near Kohat Road and thebordering area with Darra Adamkhel.A pamphlet was found at the site ofexplosion which warned of moreattacks against those engaged in the‘un-Islamic’ businesses. A local trader inthe area confirmed that a pamphlet wasreceived in the market according towhich, all ‘immoral’ businesses wouldface share the same fate as the targetedCD shop. A local police oNcial said onekilogram of explosive material was usedin the blast adding that no one washarmed in the attack. –AGENCIES

Shahbaz opens rebuiltchurch in Joseph colonyLLAAHHOORREE:: Punjab Chief MinisterShahbaz Sharif has said the repairwork of the aOected houses ofChristians at Joseph Town in Lahoreis in progress and the constructionwill be completed before March 23.He was talking to the newsmen afterinaugurating a repaired Church atJoseph Town in Lahore on Sundayafternoon. He said so far 60 repairedhouses had been handed over to theinhabitants. He said ChristianCommunity had played a pivotal rolein the development sector‚ includingthat of education. –AGENCIES

9 Indian boats with55 fishermen seizedAAHHMMEEDDAABBAADD:: Pakistan MarineSecurity Agency (PMSA) has seizednine Indian fishing boats andapprehended 55 fishermen oO Jakhaucoast near the international border, afishermen's body claimed on Sunday."The PMSA intercepted nine fishingboats in the international waters oOJakhau coast near Jamnagar. Fifty-five fishermen apprehended by theagency were sent to Karachi,"National Fish Workers' Forumgeneral secretary Manish Lodharitold PTI. The boats were fromPorbandar and the fishermen hailedfrom Gujarat, he said. –AGENCIES

Former ministers asked toreturn official belongingsIISSLLAAMMAABBAADD:: After the dissolutionof National Assembly, CabinetDivision has asked formerministers and advisors to returnback all the state items andfacilities which were under theiruse. In this regard, CabinetDivision has issued thenotifications in which ex-federalministers, state ministers, advisorsand special assistants to PrimeMinister have been asked to returnall the official items including car,house, furniture and other facilitiesto the government forthwith. Allthe police officials deputed on theguard duties with the ministers arealso asked to report in the policelines of their respective divisionsimmediately. –ONLINE

MONDAYMARCH 18, 2013THE SPOKESMAN - RAWALPINDI/ISLAMABAD

cmyk

SUSHANT SAREEN

SSRRIINNAAGGAARR:: As the tension remains high in thevalley after execution of Mohammad AfzalGuru, the Indian government has intensifiedcrackdown on senior separatist leadership. Just ahead of issuing of fresh protests for thenext week by MMM, (an amalgam of variousseparatist and trade unions), police has raidedresidences of varies separatist leaders and allegedstone pellters to arrest them. The manhunt hasbeen launched particularly on Mutahida Majlis-e-Mashavrat (MMM) apart from second rungleaders of separatist organisations to countertheir week long protest calendars. Senior separatist leaders, including chairmenof both factions of Hurriyat Conference, SyedAli Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and

Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF)chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik have beenplaced under house arrest at their respectiveresidences. During their manhunt, the policehave arrested Advocate Zahid Ali, MuhammadYousuf Naqash, Gh Nabi Zaki and G M Nagooand various other separatist leaders on thecharges that they were issuing protestcalendars in absence of Syed Ali Shah Geelaniwhen he was placed under house arrest at NewDelhi after Mohammad Afzal Guru wasexecuted in Tihar Jail.The senior separatist Shabir Ahmad Shah,who was arrested last month, was booked underPublic Safety Act (PSA) and shifted to KotBalwal jail Jammu. Nayeem Khan, Agha Syed

Hassan Al Moosvi, Mukhtar Ahmad Waza arestill in the police lockups.Police have also arrested scores of allegedstone-pelters in various districts of the HeldValley for the last couple of weeks to prevent arepeat of 2010 unrest. Majority of the youthhave been arrested in Srinagar, Baramulla,Sopore, Pulwama, Anantnag and Kulgam areas. The police oNcials are saying that thecrackdown on the separatist leaders willcontinue in the coming days also as they will notallow them a free hand to disturb peace.However, the separatist parties, particularlyMMM has said such tactics would not allowthem to deter and they would continue to issueprotest calendars till New Delhi will not fulfill

its single point agenda of return of mortalremains of Mohammad Afzal Guru, hanged onFebruary 9. The MMM have also denouncedthe arrest spree of the separatist leaders andyouths across the valley. They called the arresthigh handedness on part of authorities andclaimed that their will continue their agitationby issuing the week long protest calendars. The separatist leadership has also said thatstate government is using force againstprotesters and has launched a large scalecrackdown including nocturnal raids againstyouth in Srinagar and across Held Kashmir.The Police have arrested more then 500 youthin past one month in Kashmir valley sinceParliament attack convict Afzal Guru wasexecuted in New Delhi’s Tihar Jail, out of thesearrested youths only few have been released by

the police. Hurriyat Conference (M) ChairmanMirwaiz Umar Farooq could not participate inthe “India Today Conclave” programme beingheld at New Delhi on March 15 and 16, due to hiscontinuous house arrest. According to partyspokesman, Mirwaiz Umar was invited for theprogramme to give his view point aboutprevailing political situation in Kashmir, humanrights and resolution of the Kashmir issue.The spokesman said that Mirwaiz could notparticipate in the programme due to hiscontinues house arrest. “Using such repressivemeasures to prevent Mirwaiz from opining hisviews and restricting his activities in these tensepolitical circumstances, the government ismaking mockery of democracy and turningJammu and Kashmir into a totalitarian State,”the spokesman added.

IHK troops intensify swoop on separatists

KARACHI: PPP leader Sardar Nabeel Gabol coming to join MQM at Nine Zero. –ONLINE

OUR STAFF REPORTER

KKAARRAACCHHII:: The city Sundayremained tense after Arshad Pappu,a key character of the turf war inLyari and his brother were gunneddown in early morning shootout. Police sources said that Pappu andhis brother Arafat were killed atBrohi Chowk in Lyari by a rivalgroup. Another of Pappu’s keylieutenants Juma Shera, alias SheraPathan, was shot down on AdamRoad. Police said they came to knowabout Pappu’s murder after the newsthat two unknown people had beenkilled in Lyari. Later on the bodieswere recognised as those of Pappuand his brother Arafat. There werereports of firing in Lyari till late night.The people of the neighbourhoodtook the bodies into their custody.Pathan’s body was moved to the CivilHospital. Witnesses said thatPathan’s neck and other parts of thebodies had been cut. There were alsorumours that the two brothers mighthave been kidnapped first and laterwere killed. Pappu was wanted inmore than 50 cases ofmurders and many morecases were registeredagainst him in Maripiur,Manghopir and BaldiaTown police stations.Pappu was the main rivalof Uzair Baloch, the head ofthe banned People’s PeaceCommittee, which wasbeing patronised bysome senior leadersof Pakistan People’s

Party.Moreover, two policemen and fourother persons were killed and sixothers injured in various incidents ofviolence across the city. Two policemen were gunned downin SITE area of the metropolis.According to SSP Asif Ijaz Shaikh,the incident took place whenunidentified armed men opened fireat a police vehicle deployed in SITEarea, resultantly two policemen diedon the spot. Two persons were shotdead near Memon Masjid in Boultonmarket area of the city. Anotherperson was killed while resisting arobbery in Landhi’s Zafar Town areain Karachi.A trader was killed in a gun-firingincident near New Sabzimandi onSuper Highway. A number ofenraged locals took out a protestafter the incident. The protestorspelted stones at cars and blocked theflow of traNc on the Super Highway.A father and son suOered gunshotwounds while resisting a robbery in

Nazimabad area.Three persons wereinjured in agunfiring incidentin Sariya Galli inKharadar areaof the city.Another personsuOered gunshotwounds in a firingincident in Moosalane of Karachi’s

Lyari area.

MASOOD REHMAN

IISSLLAAMMAABBAADD:: After theenforcement of National JudicialPolicy on June 1, 2009, about 286oNcials of the subordinate judiciaryof Punjab, Sindh and KhyberPakhtunkhwa faced action on thecharges of moral and financialcorruption and breach of ‘code ofconduct’, whereas no such case wasreported in Balochistan.An overwhelming majority oflawyers practicing with thesubordinate courts of various districtsacross the country believe thatdespite the lapse of about two yearsand 10 months after its enforcementon June 1, 2009, the policy had so farbeen failed to achieve its targets at thedistrict level judiciary, where caseswere still not being disposed of inaccordance with its’ guidelines andcorruption was rampant.They claimed that as far as disposal

of cases is concerned, the situation isworst almost in all the provinces,particularly in Punjab. They said thecases at the district level judiciary arenot being decided speedily.Just after the enforcement of thepolicy, a cell for eradication ofcorruption from subordinatejudiciary was established in each highcourt under the supervision of itsrespective chief justice fordisciplinary action against thecorrupt and incompetent judicialoNcers and court oNcials. These cellsreceive complaints through theregistrar of the respective high courts.Since enforcement of the policy,many disciplinary actions have beentaken against those judicial oNcersand court oNcials who were involvedin such practices. According tostatistics, during the two years and 10months after the enforcement of thepolicy, in the Punjab province, 83oNcials were dismissed, four judicial

oNcers and 46 oNcials wereremoved, one judicial oNcer and 13oNcials were terminated, sevenjudicial oNcers and 32 oNcials werecompulsory retired from the service.In Sindh province, 31 oNcials weredismissed, six judicial oNcers and fiveoNcials were compulsorily retiredfrom service. Similar major penaltieswere imposed against nine judicialoNcers and 17 oNcials. In theprovince of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,nine judicial oNcers and sevenoNcials were compulsorily retired,three oNcials were removed andmajor penalties were imposedagainst two judicial oNcers.However no case of corruption wasreported in the district judiciary ofBalochistan province.Before the enforcement of NationalJudicial Policy, majority of cases weredisposed of mere on technicalgrounds. However after theenforcement of the policy, directions

were passed to the district judiciaryto decide the cases on merit afterproviding full opportunity of hearingto the parties, so that justice shouldnot only be done, but shouldmanifestly be seen to have been done.The National Judicial Policysuggested strict adherence to the‘code of conduct’ by all the judicialoNcers and oNcials and initiation ofdisciplinary action against thecorrupt ones.According to legal practitioners ofIslamabad and Rawalpindi, theshort term and long term measuresfor expeditious disposal of cases setin the judicial policy have not yetbeen met. They said the judicialpolicy envisages that the bailapplications should be decided bymagistrates in three days, whereasground reality was against it, assuch cases were taking weeks andmonths for getting decided.They said the criminal cases

punishable with imprisonment fromone to seven years registered afterJanuary 1, 2009 were not being kepton fast track for disposal within threemonths, which was a violation of theprovisions of judicial policy.They said the stay matters were notbeing decided within 15 days of grantof interim injunction. Besides, theysaid the rent cases were not beingdecided speedily within a prescribedperiod of 30 days, adding that the civilappeals, writ petitions and othermiscellaneous review petitionspertaining to rent matters were alsonot being decided in 90 days. Theysaid according to judicial policy, thefamily cases should be decided withinthree months, however such caseswere taking half-an-year to year ingetting decided. They said the civilappeals arising out of family cases,custody of minors and against interimorders were not being decided theprescribed time of 30 days.

286 officials of lower judiciary penalised

OUR STAFF REPORTER

RRAAWWAALLPPIINNDDII:: The cleric,who took to the streets inIslamabad in front of theparliament house anddemanded an electedgovernment to step down, onSunday announced not toparticipate in the upcominggeneral elections.Speaking to a publicgathering at Liaquat Bagh,Pakistan Awami Tehrik(PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadriannounced to boycott theforthcoming polls citing lackof implementation uponproposals he had given to thegovernment at the time ofending his days-long sit-in inthe federal capital earlier inJanuary this year.Dr Qadri said that electoralreforms promised to himwere not fulfilled and he wasnot willing to become part ofthe corrupt electoral system,being run by corrupt peopleas well. He declared the pollsunder current electioncommission fraudulent andsaid his party will protest onthe polling day across thecountry. “Our workers willhold sit-ins on the day ofelection at every pollingstation in the country.”Qadri had accused thegovernment of corruptionand incompetence, andcalled for sweeping reformsto be enacted by a caretakeradministration before polls.

PAT announces polls boycott

Qadri tohold sit-ins onelection day

Lyari gangleader killedin shootout

DDAAMMAASSCCUUSS:: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's wife and his children have made arare public appearance at a charity fund-raiser here for mothers of soldiers killed inthe two-year conflict, his oNce said onFacebook Sunday.The oNce said that Asma al-Assad, herthree children as well as their cousins"took part Saturday in a charity eventcalled... at the Damascus Opera House onthe occasion of Mother's Day." The event,dubbed 'Mothers Rally', was aimed atraising funds for the mothers of Syriansoldiers killed in fighting with rebelsthrough the sale of crafts, the oNce saidin a statement. Assad's stylish British-born and British-educated wife is rarelyseen in public, let alone with her threechildren - two sons and a daughter. In

June last year Russia dismissed as"rumours" speculation on the Internetshe had taken refuge in the country amidthe escalating violence in Syria. InJanuary Assad's mother, Anisa Makhluf,reportedly left the war-torn country forDubai to join her daughter Bushra,according to Syrian expatriates and anactivist in the United Arab Emirates.Bushra's husband General AssefShawkat, an army deputy chief of staO, waskilled along with three other high-rankingSyrian oNcials in a July 18, 2012 bombingat the National Security headquarters inDamascus. The following September,Syrian residents in the Gulf emirate saidthat Bushra had enrolled her five childrenat a private school in Dubai where she hadmoved. –AGENCIES

Assad’s family makesrare appearance

� Arshad Pappu, brother gunned down � Friendtortured to death � 2 cops among 6 others killed

� Mirwaiz, Yasin, Geelani put under house arrest

Asma al-Assad is greeted during an event for mothers of martyred soldiers.

Ex- LeJ chief involvedin Daniel Pearl murder heldKKAARRAACCHHII:: Sindh Rangers on Sunday claimed to have arrested QariAbdul Hai aka Asadullah, the former Ameer of the Lashkir-e-Jhangvi(LeJ) Sindh chapter. Rangers told reporters said Hai, who was alsoinvolved in American Journalist Daniel Pearl’s murder case, wasarrested during raid in University Road area of the city. They saidthat the accused was also wanted in diOerent incident of terrorism bythe police since 1994. “The accused also planned to attack Americantroops at Karachi airports in December 2012 but he postponed theattack after the killing of his associate Asif Ramzi,” sources said.Moreover, the Rangers said Hai was also involved in sending bombparcels to the CID oNcials. –ONLINE