polls delayed for na-254 as anp candidate,son gunned down An Awami National Party leadercontesting the upcoming generalelection and his six-year-old son weregunned down by the Taliban outside amosque in Karachi in the latest attack

on poll hopefuls. pa g e 0 2

pakistani prisoner inIHK critically injuredin tit-for-tat attackA Pakistani prisoner suffered serious headinjuries on Friday after being attacked inan Indian jail in Occupied Jammu andKashmir in an apparent revenge attackfollowing the death of Indian terrorist

Sarabjit Singh in Pakistan. pa g e 0 3

Musharraf prosecutorgunned downTwo unknown assailants on a motorcyclekilled the Federal Investigation Agency’s(FIA) special prosecutor in the BenazirBhutto murder case Chaudhry ZulfiqarAli on Friday. According to the police,state prosecutor Chaudhry Zulfiqar wasshot multiple times by gunmen in

Islamabad’s G-9 area. pa g e 0 3

Saturday, 4 May, 2013 Jamadul Sani 23, 1434Rs 17.00 Vol III No 307 19 Pages Lahore — Peshawar Edition

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ISLAMABAD

STAFF REPORT

CARETAKER Prime Minis-ter Mir Hazar Khan Khosoon Friday assured the na-tion that free‚ fair‚ transpar-

ent‚ impartial and peaceful electionswould be held on the 11th of thismonth. Addressing the nation overradio and TV networks ‚ Khoso said themandate of the caretaker governmentand the Election Commission of Pak-istan was holding transparent electionsand all necessary steps would be takento achieve the objective.

The prime minister said upon com-pletion of the elections, the reign of thegovernment would be transferred to theelected representatives of the people

without any delay. “We will not accept extension in the

tenure of the caretaker government atany cost and under no circumstances.”

Khoso said every Pakistani had theright to express his opinion by exercis-ing his right to vote. “The governmentwill make sure that a voter is able tocast his vote according to his choiceand freedom. We will ensure that sanc-tity of the vote is maintained.”

Khoso said he had issued instruc-tions to all government departments andofficials to remain impartial.

“Maintenance of peace and securityis an important priority for the care-taker government. We will not allowanyone to disturb peace and play withlife and property of the people or de-stroy peace. It is unfortunate that therehave been acts of terrorism in Balochis-tan‚ Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Karachiand innocent people were martyred,” hesaid.

The prime minister pointed out thatalthough maintenance of law and orderwas under the domain of provincialgovernments‚ he was in constant touch

with all caretaker chief ministers andlaw enforcement agencies so that theelectoral process was conducted peace-fully.

He said the government had pre-pared plans for deployment of army andquick response force to immediately re-spond to any untoward situation if andwhen required.

Khoso said the government had setup a special cell at the Interior Ministryto collect intelligence reports and sharethem with provincial governments andlaw enforcement agencies. “The cell isempowered to take decisions for timelyaction,” he said, adding that all re-sources would be used to improve thesecurity of sensitive polling stationsand their effective monitoring.

He said he was convinced that anindependent and impartial electioncommission was capable of meetingany challenges during the electoralprocess.

He said the federal and provincialgovernments were extending all possi-ble cooperation to the ECP to completethe electoral process in a peaceful man-

ner. The prime minister said the gen-eral elections carried extraordinary im-portance in view of internal andexternal challenges facing the country,adding that only an elected governmentcould address these problems.

He said the appointment of a care-taker prime minister from Balochistanwould have far-reaching effects andhoped that it would help address thesense of deprivation of the province be-sides promoting national solidarity.

Khoso said he was not oblivious tothe problems of the people includingthe outbreak of measles. “Power loadshedding is the result of a yawning gapbetween demand and supply of electric-ity,” he added.

He said the Ministry of Finance hadbeen instructed to release Rs 45 billionto ensure supply of fuel to power plantsand increase power generation. He saidthe Ministry of Water and Power hadbeen instructed to ensure that there wasno load shedding in the country for 36hours from the evening of May 10 sothat people could cast their vote and re-sults were compiled expeditiously.

polls on mAy 11,As promisED!

KHOSO SAYS INTERIMSETUP WILL NOTACCEPT EXTENSIONIN ITS TENURE

KARACHI

STAFF REPORT

An Awami National Party leader con-testing the upcoming general electionand his six-year-old son were gunneddown by the Taliban outside a mosquein the latest attack on poll hopefuls.

Sadiq Zaman Khattak, a candidatefrom the NA-254 constituency, and hisson were attacked by gunmen as theywere leaving a mosque in Bilal Colonyafter Friday prayers. The attackers, whowere riding a motorcycle, escaped afterthe shooting. Officials said five persons

were injured in the incident. The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban

Pakistan claimed responsibility for theattack. Taliban spokesman IhsanullahIhsan was quoted by media outlets assaying that his organisation was behindthe attack on Khattak. Ihsan said theattack was in continuation of the Tal-iban's earlier announcement about tar-geting liberal parties like the PakistanPeople's Party, Muttahida QaumiMovement and ANP. The ElectionCommission announced the postpone-ment of polls in the constituency whereKhattak was contesting.

ANP FIR: Reacting to Khattak’s mur-der, ANP spokesman Senator ZahidKhan said that the party would registera case against the caretaker interiorminister, Sindh caretaker chief ministerand the Election Commission of Pak-istan (ECP). Khan said the FIR wouldbe registered against the said entitiesbecause they had withdrawn securityfrom ANP candidates. Meanwhile, theECP admitted that security of candi-dates is the primary responsibility ofthe government and terrorists are actingfreely while the government is doingnothing against them.

Polls delayed for NA-254 as ANPcandidate, son gunned down

musharraf’s Apmlto boycott polls ISlAmAbAD: After rejection of papers fromall provinces and a lifetime ban slapped onGeneral (r) Pervez Musharraf’s political career,his All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) was leftwith no choice but to announce a boycott ofthe May 11 elections on Friday. The spokesmanof the party made the announcement at apress conference in Islamabad. “The rejectionof General (r) Pervez Musharraf’s candidacypapers has resulted in this decision by theparty,” said APML spokesman MuhammadAmjad. “General Musharraf will face all casesagainst him and will not run away from anycharges,” he added. STAFF REPORT

Ecp directs govt todismiss EoBi chairman ISlAmAbAD: The Election Commission ofPakistan (ECP) on Friday directed thecaretaker government to dismiss EOBIChairman Zafar Iqbal Gondal and orderedinvestigations against him. Media reports saidthat Gondal allegedly misused public propertyin NA-107 constituency of Mandi Bahauddinarea. ECP viewed the applications filed bycandidates of PML-N Nasir Iqbal Bosal andgeneral secretary EOBI union stating thatZafar Iqbal Gondal deputed departmentalofficers and 10 vehicles of former federalminister Nazar Muhammad Gondal andformer chairman Public Accounts CommitteeNadeem Afzal Chan on his election campaign.The Election Commission of Pakistan directedthe government to take disciplinary actionagainst the EOBI chairman. ONLINE

ElEction sEcurity:Army’s quickrEsponsE unitsstArt mAnningkArAchiKARACHI: To ensure peaceful conduct ofelections on May 11, the Pakistan Armyhas started deploying troops in Karachi likein other parts of the country. Officials saidover 3,000 army soldiers were being de-ployed in Karachi as ‘quick response units’to respond in case of need at any pollingstation. On Thursday, ISPR Director Gen-eral Major General Asim Salim Bajwa saidarmy deployment in Balochistan had beencompleted, while deployment in KP wasunderway. “Army deployment in Punjabalso began today while in FATA, the army isalready deployed to maintain law and orderduring elections,” he said. The army is alsoproviding security cover during the entireprocess of printing of ballot papers and dis-tribution, for which 50 helicopters would beused. Bajwa said the army’s deploymentthroughout the country was being carriedout under Article 245 of the constitution.DISPAtCH oF bAllot PAPeRS

CommeNCeS uNDeR ARmy

SuPeRvISIoN: The process of dispatch-ing ballot papers for the forthcoming gen-eral elections in the country commencedfrom Thursday, an official of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. Theofficial said that Pakistan Army is ensur-ing the safe distribution of ballot papersunder the directives of the Chief of theArmy Staff (COAS). The ISPR official saidthat a representative of the BalochistanElection Commission, Tanvir Butt, re-ceived the ballot papers from the SecurityPrinting Press of Pakistan. He further saidthat these ballot papers were sent underthe supervision of army troops to PAFBase Masroor to further take these toQuetta on board a C-130; and from therethese would be taken to their respectivedestinations. ONLINE

taliban warnagainst castingvote in electionsPeSHAWAR: A sense of fear swept overresidents after the Taliban warned peopleon Friday not to cast their vote in up-coming general elections, termingdemocracy as against the teachings ofIslam. According to media reports, let-ters were put up on walls in different lo-cations, including the Hameed Khan Ma-chine, Captain Tor Khan Kalay and IqraPublic School in Sherkera area. The let-ters said that the people should avoidvoting because democracy was contra-dictory to the teachings of Islam. Thiswas the first time the Taliban warnedpeople through letters in the Sherkeraarea. Earlier last month, leader ofbanned outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan(TTP) said his group was focusing onjeopardising democracy by creating ob-stacles for May 11 elections. STAFF REPORT

KARACHI: Relatives

mourn the murders of

ANP candidate Sadiq

Zaman Khattak and

his son Ahmad Khattak

on Friday. ONLINE

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ISLAMABAD

KASHIF ABBASI

IN an attack that has raised seriousquestions on the performance oflaw enforcement agencies, uniden-tified gunmen on Friday shot to

death a public prosecutor in the BenazirBhutto murder case that accuses ex-mili-tary chief Pervez Musharraf of involve-ment in the assassination.

The unidentified gunmen killed FIAPublic Prosecutor Chaudhry Zulfiqar Alion Friday morning in Sector G-9/1, a fewmeters away from his house, when he wasen-route to the FIA building.

However, when he turned onto RohtasRoad to proceed toward the FIA building,the killers fired a salvo of bullets at his car,targeting him from all sides. They fired atleast 13 bullets at Zulfiqar, who was driv-ing the car. Resultantly he lost control ofthe vehicle, which first rammed intopasser-by woman and then into a footpathand got off the road.

The deceased woman has been iden-tified as Robina Bibi, a mother of four.

Until the filing of this report, the po-lice were still clueless about the murderand even hundreds of police personnel de-ployed at more than 70 pickets across thefederal capital failed to trace the assailants.

Owing to the killing, the hearing of theBenazir Bhutto case was adjourned.

In the case, a JIT had declared TTPchief Baitullah Mehsud the mastermind ofthe killing, while five alleged militants arecurrently behind bars for their involve-ment in the murder. Deceased ChaudhryZulfiqar had represented the state in theMumbai attacks case as well. He had in-terrogated seven alleged conspirators, whobelonged to Lashkar-e-Tayyaba.

Witnesses gave different accounts ofthe attack. Some claimed that two attack-

ers on a motorbike intercepted Zulfiqar’scar and opened fire. “I saw two youngsterson a bike intercepting the car and openingindiscriminate fire. The bike was beingcovered by a taxi and the attackers spedaway later while the taxi also movedaway,” said Safdar, an eyewitness.

Zulfiqar’s bodyguard also retaliatedwith gunfire, injuring one of them, but theattackers managed to flee nonetheless. “Ihave no idea where they came from. Theyintercepted our car all of a sudden andsprayed it with bullets from all sides. Ithink they fled in a taxi,” said the injured

bodyguard Farman Ali, who is beingtreated at PIMS. He received bullet injurieson his leg. Following the attack, locals ofthe area took bullet-riddled Zulfiqar and hisinjured bodyguard Farman to PIMS. Initialpost-mortem report suggested that he re-ceived at least 13 bullets in his head, chestand shoulders. PIMS spokesman WaseemKhawaja also confirmed that there were 17wounds on the prosecutor’s body.

Islamabad IGP Bani Amin said policefound a pamphlet from the crime scene,which said those who were engaged inprosecuting mujahideeen would meet the

same fate. Talking to reporters, the IGPsaid Zulfiqar had received some threats anddue to that he was provided FC guards. “Itseems some banned outfit killed the pros-ecutor. We found a pistol and a mobilephone of one of the fleeing attackers fromthe crime scene,” Bani Amin added. Care-taker Interior Minister Malik Habib consti-tuted a joint investigation team led by DIGTahir Alam Khan to investigate the killing.Margalla police station SHO Arshad Abrosaid area police was not aware of anythreats received by the deceased, as he hadnever approached them.

mushArrAf prosEcutor shotDEAD in BrutAl DAylight rAiD

ISLAMABAD

TAYYAB HUSSAIN

A Pakistani prisoner suffered serioushead injuries on Friday after beingattacked in an Indian jail in Occu-

pied Jammu and Kashmir in an apparentrevenge attack following the death of In-dian terrorist Sarabjit Singh in Pakistan.

Sanaullah is in a critical state and isbeing treated for severe head injuries inan intensive care ward of a local hospitalin Chandigarh. According to latest reportstill the filing of this report, he had beenput on a ventilator. "He was rushed toJammu Medical College Hospital in crit-ical condition as he had suffered severehead injuries in the attack. We was shiftedto Chandigarh on a critical care ambu-lance for better treatment," said Rajni Se-hgal, superintendent of the Kotbawal jailwhere the attack happened. The inmate,Sanaullah, was attacked early morning byother inmates, the official said, a day afterIndia's Home Ministry ordered stepping-up security for hundreds of Pakistanis inIndian prisons.

On Thursday, Sarabjit Singh, an In-dian in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat prison,who was jailed 16 years ago for spyingand deadly bombings, died as a result ofa savage assault by inmates. Pakistanalso took notice of the unprovoked at-tack on one of its citizens by some In-dian inmate(s) in a jail in IHK andsought consular access to the injured.Subsequently the Indian government al-lowed three Pakistani officials to visitthe injured prisoner in hospital.Sanaullah was convicted in India in 1996for carrying out bombings and was serv-ing a life sentence. He was granted con-sular access after 10 years, in January2006, in a jail in Indian-held Kashmir.

"This obvious retaliation to the deathof Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh is con-demnable and we call upon the Indiangovernment to take all measures to ensurethat Sanaullah receives the best medical

treatment available, investigate the matterthoroughly and punish the perpetrators ofthis atrocity. We would also remind Indiaof its responsibility in ensuring safety andsecurity to all Pakistani prisoners detainedin Indian jails," said Pakistan Foreign Of-fice spokesman Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry.

"The foreign secretary spoke to the In-dian High Commissioner in Islamabad toask for evacuation of Sanaullah to Pak-istan for treatment in our hospital. Ourhigh commissioner in New Delhi is alsomaking a similar request to Indian author-ities. We also summoned the Indiandeputy high commissioner to the ForeignMinistry and lodged a protest over the at-tack," the spokesman said. He said Pak-istan had also called for the twogovernments to make maximum use ofthe existing mechanisms to address theissue of safety and security of prisoners.He added that the Judicial Committee wasthe usual channel where the matter wouldbe taken. Responding to a question,Chaudhry said there were approximately500 to 600 Indian prisoners (fishermenand civil) in Pakistani jails and approxi-mately the same number of Pakistani pris-

oners in Indian jails.TIT-FOR-TAT ATTACK: Many ob-servers in Pakistan think the attack on thePakistani prisoner is a tit-for-tat move or-chestrated to avenge Sarabjit’s killing.

Noted defence analyst Hasan AskariRizvi while talking to Pakistan Todayviewed the attack on Sanaullah in light ofa ‘tit-for-tat’ tactic, which he said was"carefully planned by Indian jail authori-ties with support from local authorities"."How can such a return action happenwithin a day of Sarabjit’s death? Howcould an axe go to a jail? I think this wasa planned move and jail and local author-ities are involved," he stated. "India haslost in its efforts to gain a high moralground. The attack on Sanaullah is obvi-ously vengeance. Fanatics exist on bothsides of the border and India has failed incurbing fanaticism," he asserted.

Askari went on to say, "Protection toinmates is the responsibility of jail author-ities. The attack on Sarabjit was a failureof our authorities.” He said the attack onSarabjit was also surrounded by mysteryand did not seem like an accident. How-ever, Askari ruled out involvement of the

Pakistani government and said extremistgroups might have been supporting sucha move. Talking to Pakistan Today, a sen-ior security official said that Sarabjit wasa terrorist whose conviction had been en-dorsed by the country’s superior judiciary.

“Even though Sarabjit was a con-victed terrorist, Pakistan does not con-done attacks on foreign prisoners in jails.We condemn the brutal attack on Sarabjitbut at the same time New Delhi shouldexercise extreme caution in ensuring se-curity of Pakistani prisoners in Indianjails as several Pakistanis have beenkilled in police custody or have sufferedsevere physical and mental torture in In-dian jails,” he said.

The official, asking not to be named,said Sarabjit’s death should not derail thepeace process between the two countries. INDIA INVESTIGATING: Mean-while, India has termed the incident as"regrettable" and authorities said thematter was being investigated, assuringthat the guilty will be punished. "We areaware of the regrettable incident involv-ing a Pakistani prisoner Sanaullah whowas injured during an altercation withanother inmate of the jail in Jammu. Thematter is being investigated and theguilty will be punished. Safety and secu-rity of prisoners in custody lies with jailauthorities and necessary action is beingtaken. We are in touch with the PakistanHigh Commission on the matter,” an In-dian spokesperson said.

He also said current measures in placeto ensure safety, security and humanetreatment of Indian and Pakistani prison-ers in each other's jails needed to be en-hanced given the present circumstances.

"For this, we are proposing a meetingof the concerned authorities from bothcountries to study recommendations andidentify, and put in place further meas-ures to avoid such tragic incidents in fu-ture," he said. He also noted that Indiahad recently requested the joint JudicialCommittee to visit jails in Pakistan.

Pakistani prisoner in IHK targeted in ‘tit-for-tat’ attack

Atc adjournsBenazir murderhearing followingprosecutor’s murder

RAWALPINDI

AMIR SAEED

The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Rawalpindi onFriday adjourned hearing of the Benazir Bhuttomurder case till May 14 owing to murder of Fed-eral Investigation Agency (FIA) ProsecutorChaudary Zulfiqar Ali. On Friday, ATC judgeChaudary Habibur Rehman resumed hearing ofthe high-profile murder case and investigationofficer Khalid Rasool told the court that the spe-cial public prosecutor for the case had beenkilled en route to court, earlier in the morning.He requested the court to adjourn hearing of thecase. Barrister Salman Safdar, counsel for PervezMusharaf also agreed to adjourn the hearing dueto the death of the senior prosecutor. Followingthis, the court adjourned the hearing without anyproceedings, till May 14, while a plea was ac-cepted granting Musharraf exemption from ap-pearing in person due to security threats.Assassinated prosecutor Chaudary Zulfiqar Aliwas also a prosecutor in the Mumbai Terror At-tacks case since 2008. Following Ali’s murder,lawyers of Rawalpindi and Islamabad announcedboycotting court proceedings in lower and HighCourts and a full-day strike was announced withno lawyer appearing before any court. IslamabadHigh Court Bar Association, District Bar Associ-ation, Rawalpindi High Court Bar Associationand its district bar also announced a strike duringthe day. Chaudary Khalid, a lawyer, said duringthe last few weeks, lawyers of Rawalpindi andIslamabad have been targeted and senior lawyersare being killed and tortured while no culprit hasbeen arrested as yet. Chaudary MuhammadKhan was gunned down last month inRawalpindi but despite a suo moto notice by theSupreme Court, no accused has been arrested.Basharatullah Khan and Mujeebur RehmanKiani were also kidnapped and brutally torturedfrom Rawalpindi and Islamabad in separate inci-dents, he added. Lawyers called for early arrestof culprits, appealing that Chief Justice of Pak-istan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry take suomoto notice of Zulfiqar Ali’s assassination.

India-pakistan panellays down guidelinesfor prisonersNeW DelHI: Consular access should be granted

within three months and prisoners should be

repatriated within a month after they complete

their sentences, an India-Pakistan judicial panel

that visited three jails in Pakistan recommended

on Friday. The panel which met Indian prisoners

lodged in Pakistan, comprised Justice (r) AS Gill

and Justice (r) MA Khan from India and Justice (r)

Abdul Qadir Chaudhry, Justice (r) Nasir Aslam Za-

hid and Justice (r) Mian Muhammad Ajmal from

Pakistan. The team visited the District Jail Malir in

Karachi, the Adiyala Jail in Rawalpindi and the Kot

Lakhpat Jail in Lahore. The panel which concluded

its visit a day before death row prisoner Sarabjit

Singh died in Lahore after being attacked in Kot

Lakhpat, recommended that the Consular Access

Agreement of May 2008 between the two coun-

tries should be implemented in letter and spirit

and consular access should be provided within

three months of the arrest. “Complete details of

the charges and a copy of the court's judgment of

the sentence must be shared in each case,” said a

statement. "The prisoners must be repatriated

within one month of confirmation of national sta-

tus and completion of sentences," the statement

said. According to the panel, there are 29 Indian

prisoners who have completed their sentence

more than a month ago in the Karachi jail. It rec-

ommended that they be released and repatriated

before May 17, 2013. "There are 459 fishermen

and 10 civil prisoners in three jails for whom con-

sular access was not provided. The committee

recommended providing consular access to all

such prisoners and fishermen before May 17,” the

statement said. The team suggested that consular

access should be provided to all prisoners who are

believed to be Indians in Pakistani jails and vice

versa at least four times a year. ONLINE

ISlAmAbAD: A view of the

bullet-riddled car of Federal

Investigation Agency prosecutor

Chaudhry Zulfiqar who was

killed in firing by unidentified

assailants on Friday. ONLINE

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saturday, 04 May, 2013

LAHORE

NADEEM SYED

For the PML-Q’s Chaudhrys of Gujrat,this is a crucial election as their politicalfuture is on the line on May 11. But sur-prisingly they are keeping their cool,perhaps amused at the PTI and thePML-N going after each other in therun-up to the elections.

Even with the PPP, they did not makean issue when it poached some of the ‘Q’electables. Nor did they cry foul when oth-erwise their former coalition partner couldnot stop some of its party men from con-fronting theirs in the elections. Especiallyin Gujrat where PPP’s heavyweightAhmad Mukhtar is ready to challenge ChPervaiz Elahi, even if one does not takeinto account the other contests in which thePPP and ‘Q’ are face to face. Such inci-dents have rendered the ‘cooperation’ be-tween the PPP and ‘Q’ in over 200 nationaland provincial assembly constituencies.Despite such provocation, theChaudhrys keep their cool, focusingon the post-election scenarioto regain their relevance.

Despite this being amake or break electionfor the Chaudhrys, whyare they calm? Perhapsbecause compared toother they have very lit-tle to lose. That explainsthe lack of extra effortthat other parties arethrowing up to sneak in afew more seats. The Like-minded group and the Unification groupmay have wanted to join the Chaudhrysbandwagon after being discarded by the

‘N’, but the former did not show any en-thusiasm to get them back and enhancethe possibility of their numbers.

The Chaudhrys do not have stakessimilar to the PML-N or the PTI;

both these parties have ambitionsof forming governments.The Chaudhrys are not inthat league, hence the

laidback attitude.The Chaudhrys

have a minimumagenda, and this re-volves around stayingrelevant in national pol-

itics, helping others formthe government through

lending support. To this end,they would be content to score on

10 to 15 National Assembly seats, whiletopping it up will be a windfall. It is en-tirely a different matter that Ch Shujaat

is hoping to clinch more seats from thePunjab than the PPP.

The political analysts say that if theChaudhrys have 15-plus seats under theirbelt, they would be a force to reckon withnot just in the post-election scenario, butalso in the mid-term future.

With a new amendment in place, itwill not be possible for the MNAs tochange loyalty as they did in the pastwhen the Chaudhrys struggled to keeptheir flock intact. The first setback waswhen the Like-minded departed andthen an even bigger blow was dealtwhen 40-plus of their MPAs formed aforward block, joining the PML-N onthe treasury bench.

The Chaudhrys may have cut downtheir sails, but the game plan is to man-age the party over the next five yearsand then if opportunity beckons again,to aim for greater things.

electIon dIary: Q’s prospects

Why the chaudhrys have cut their sails!

GUJRANWALA

ONLINE

Jamaat-e-Islami chief SyedMunawar Hassan has saidChief of Army Staff Gen-eral Ashfaq PervaizKayani’s statement termingthe war on terror Pakistan’swar, can strengthen theforces serving the USagenda for the last fiveyears and can also influ-ence the next elections.

Addressing an electionrally in Gujranwala on Fri-day, Hassan said the PPP, theMQM, and the ANP had beenpromoting terrorism and law-lessness for the last fiveyears, but were now seeking

postponement of the elec-tions. “However, they cannotbefool the nation anymore.”

The JI’s candidate fromthe NA 98, Bilal Qudrat But,also addressed the rally.

He said the PPP had beenin power four times but couldnot provide roti, kapra andmakan to the people.

“Similarly, PML-N chiefNawaz Sharif has been inpower three times but hasbeen unable to build theKalabagh dam. His sloganto build the dam now won’tserve him,” he added.

The JI chief said if thepeople thought that theseparties would solve theproblems of inflation, un-employment, load shed-ding, they were gravelymistaken.

ISLAMABAD

TAYYAB HUSSAIN

Prime Minister Mir HazarKhan Khoso has summoned aspecial cabinet meeting today(Saturday) to evolve a fool-proof security protocol withfeedback from the security es-tablishment, federal andprovincial governments, Pak-istan Today has learnt reliably.

A well-placed source inthe government revealed thatthe government was takingthe terrorist attacks across thecountry extremely seriously.

“The federal cabinet islikely to be taken into confi-dence on the intelligence re-ports received regarding thethreats to polls. Briefingswould be made by securityagencies, Interior Ministry andother related institutions overthe quantum of threat, intelli-gence sharing, counter-terror-

ism strategy and collaborationbetween law enforcing agen-cies. The cabinet may also betaken into confidence on thehigh-profile political personal-ities facing threats. The cabi-net would also be briefed onsecurity arrangements beingmade by provincial govern-ments,” the source added.

Official sources said thatthe government had receivedintelligence reports suggest-ing serious threats to theelections and the governmenthad planned to counter suchthreats. The source addedthat the quick response unitsof the armed forces would beavailable on call while policeand rangers would be de-ployed in and around thepolling stations to counterany terrorist threat.

The source added thatthe meeting would also dis-cuss cooperation and collab-

oration with the electioncommission of Pakistan(ECP), armed forces andother stakeholders in this re-gard. The cabinet would alsolikely be informed on threatsto top politicians and thearrangements made for pro-vision of security to them.

The source said the role ofprovincial governments wascrucial in counter-terrorismstrategy, because the law andorder was a provincial subjectbut the federal governmentwas fully backing the provin-cial governments to counterany challenge from terrorists.

The government has al-ready decided to seal the bor-ders on the polling day tocounter any possibility of in-filtration from neighbouringcountries, while no load-shedding would be observedfor 36 hours before and afterthe polling day.

KARACHI

STAFF REPORT

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)Chairman Bilawal Bhuttowould not be present in Pak-istan on May 11.

Sources said that Bilawalhas already left the countryand would not be addressingany party rallies or meetingsdue to security threats to hislife. Central party leader TajHaider also confirmed thatconsensus had been reachedin the party on the matter andthe party leadership has ad-vised Bilawal not to lead theelection campaign in person.

“We have already lost Be-nazir Bhutto and will not risk los-ing Bilawal. The threats to hislife are very real,” he said. Haiderwould not say where Bilawal isright now. However, sources inthe party said that he had leftPakistan earlier this week andwould not be returning to thecountry before May 11.

ISLAMABAD

ONLINE

cHIEF Justice of Pakistan (CJP)Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry re-marked on Friday that those dayswere gone when people were lifted

illegally as all intelligence agencies have toabide by the law and the constitution now.

The CJP gave these remarks whileheading a 3-member bench of the SC dur-ing the course of hearing cases of two de-tainees lifted from Batkhela on Friday.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhawa (KP) gov-ernment presented two persons, Ibrahimand Hidayat Shah, in the court who werearrested from Batkhela. The CJP said, “Youwill have to become more active. The gov-ernment had nothing against these two per-sons. Both these persons were kept underdetention unconstitutionally.”

Naveed Akhtar told the court that thetwo persons were facing the charges againstterrorism. The CJP remarked, “You shouldknow that these persons cannot be keptwhere under these offences. If they can be

kept under detention then you can detain usin the future too. Even an FIR has not beenlodged.” The home secretary said that fourmachine guns, mm rifles and other armshad been recovered from them.

CJP said, “This is PATA and notFATA”. At this, Justice Azmat said, “Takeaction against terrorists but there should beno injustice against them.”

“It will have to be seen if a case can beregistered against them. You can not keepthem under detention without any casebeing registered against them. A trial needsto be conducted even during war,” headded. The home secretary said, “You cannot nullify the civil powers delegated by thefederation. The army is working under theministry of defence, so we can not takeevery decision”. The CJP said that as thehome secretary was working in PATA, itwas now his responsibility and no more theresponsibility of the army.

The home secretary said that our job isto arrange a meeting and the rest of the jobis done by the army. “You are presumingevery thing on your own. You have no evi-

dence that Ibrahim Shah was in contactwith Habib. Nothing has come to light withregard to recovery of arms. No arms havebeen recovered neither has a review beenconducted,” the CJP said. The home secre-tary also read out a confessional statementof Muhammad Ibrahim at which the CJPinquired whether he had given this state-ment before and who had written it.

The CJP remarked, “Who gave you thisrecord. The days are gone when an intelli-gence agency would lift anyone.”

The CJP said, “No date has been men-tioned regarding when these persons weresent to detention centers or when the oper-ation was started in Malakand.”

The home secretary replied that the op-eration started in 2009. Aasma Jahangir said,“It is correct that a war is going on and anoperation is being launched in Batkhela butinjustice should not be allowed. Even TADAlaws in Kashmir are better than our laws.”At this the CJP remarked, “Freedom is forall of us. There is no difficulty in improvingthe situation in PATA as the provincial gov-ernment is already functioning there.”

st activistgunneddown

LAHORE

STAFF REPORT

A Sunni Tehreek activist waskilled on Friday whenunidentified gunmen openedfire at him in the Tibbi Cityarea. Per details, KhurramRaza Qadri was returninghome in a rickshaw whenunidentified men opened fireat him, killing him on thespot. The rickshaw driverwas also injured in the at-tack. Khurram Raza Qadariwas a khateeb in MotiBazar’s Shahi Mosque.RObbERIES: A citizen wasrobbed in the South Canttarea. Atif was going to workwhen five robbers stoppedhim at gunpoint and snatchedRs 400,000 in cash from him.In another incident, a citizennamed Rashid, resident ofChaman Colony, was robbedof Rs 200,000 in Shahdarawhen he was returning from abank after drawing cash. Therobbery took place at hisdoorstep.

Days gone when people were whisked away illegally: cJp

ISlAmAbAD: The Supreme Court (SC)has issued notices to Attorney General(AG), MI, ISI and other law enforcementagencies on the conviction of Adiala Jailprisoners despite their cases beingpending with the apex court for hearing.Notices have been issued on a petition byTariq Asad and the court has sought areply from the AG and the intelligenceagencies. A three-member bench of SCheaded by Chief Justice Pakistan (CJP)Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry took up thecase for hearing on Friday. Tariq Asad,counsel for Adiala jail prisoners said, “It isa matter of regret that whenever the courtadjourns the hearing of the case, theintelligence agencies take action againstmy clients.” Earlier, four prisoners werekilled and now two among sevenprisoners, including Abdul Majid and Abdul

Basit, have been convicted and sentencedto 5 years in prison and the remainingfive, including Shafiqur Rehman,Muhammad Shafiq, Mazharul Haq, Dr Niazand Gul Roze, have been awarded apunishment of 14 years each. “It seems asif someone is influencing the courts andmy clients are being killed,” he said. Hetold the court that a tehsildar-level officialhad awarded punishment to his clients andthis fact came to his knowledge a day ago.The court said in its orders that theprisoners who were lifted from Adiala Jailwere convicted and sentenced despite thefact that their cases were pending. Thosewho awarded punishments did not fulfillthe legal requirements. A notice is beingissued to the counsel for intelligenceagencies and to the AG. The hearing of thecase was adjourned till May 14. ONLINE

ag, IntellIgence agencIes Issued notIcesover convIctIon oF adIala prIsoners

Kayani’s statement on war onterror will strengthen us agents: JI

special cabinet meeting toreview security situation today

JamesDobbins newAf-pak envoy

WASHINGTON

APP

Secretary of State JohnKerry on Friday announcedformer diplomat James FDobbins as choice for newUS Special Representativefor Afghanistan andPakistan. He called leaders ofAfghanistan and Pakistan totell them that AmbassadorJames F. Dobbins has agreedto serve as the next SpecialRepresentative forAfghanistan and Pakistan,the State Department said. Jim has deep andlongstanding relationships inthe region, Kerry noted.

bilawal not coming backto pakistan for elections

asF FoIls coIn sMugglIng bIdat laHore aIrport The Airport Security Force (ASF) late on Friday nightarrested a man, Naeem, resident of Khushab, fromLahore’s Allam Iqbal International Airport for trying tosmuggle five kilogrammes of antique coins abroad. Newsreports said the ASF officials’ recovered ancient coinsbelonging to the BC (Before Christ) era and the times ofMahmood Ghaznavi from his possession. MONITORINg DESK

LHR 04-05-2013_Layout 1 5/4/2013 1:55 AM Page 4

Negligence is the rust of the soul that corrodes

through all her best resolves. –Owen Feltham

lAHoresaturday, 4 May, 2013

low

high

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LAHORE

STAFF REPORT

THE superintendentand two deputysuperintendents ofKot Lakhpat Jailwere suspended on

Friday for failing to prevent theattack on Sarabjit Singh.

The three jail officials werepreviously issued show causenotices, and Punjab InspectorGeneral of Prisons FarooqNazeer has termed theirsuspension to be official.

According to thenotification, Kamran Anjum willassume the responsibilities ofthe superintendent, Raza

Mahmood Zaman has beenappointed as an additionalsuperintendent, while HasanBhagala will assume the chargeof a deputy superintendent.

Sarabjit Singh was aconvicted Indian spy on adeath-row.

He wasattacked onApril 26, anddied of cardiacarrest on Thursday afterbeing comatosed fornearly a week due tosevere injuries.

Earlier, theHuman Rights Commissionof Pakistan (HRCP) hadurged the governments of

India and Pakistan to save theirties given the

tension between the twocountries on account oftreatment being meted out tothe prisoners.

In a statement issued onThursday, the HRCP said, “Noteven the most naïve can believethat a prisoner like Sarabjit in adeath cell inside a jail can betargeted in such a brutal assaultby prisoners without the

knowledge and support of prisonguards and the authorities.

This is far more seriousa crime than allowingsomeone like GeneralPervez Musharraf to

escape from court. It was no secret

that Sarabjit faced

more threats than other prisonerson account of the charge that hewas convicted of and yet hissecurity was so completelycompromised.”

According to the IndiaMinistry of External Affairsspokesman Syed Akbaruddin,there are 535 Indian prisonersin Pakistani jails and 272Pakistani prisoners in Indianjails. He said India had issuedan advisory to strengthensecurity for Pakistani prisonersin Indian jails.

He said India was proposinga meeting of officials in bothcountries to ‘’identify and put inplace further measures to avoidsuch tragic incidents in future.’’

kot lakpat jail staff suspendedover sarabjit’s killing

LAHORE

STAFF REPORT

Jamaat-ud-Dawa(JUD) has joinedhands with thePunjab HealthDepartment in thefight againstmeasles. In thisconnection, JUDChief Hafiz Saeedinaugurated a freevaccination driveagainst the deadlyepidemic in themetropolitan onFriday.

According tosources, eightteams have beenformed who willvaccinate childrenduring a door-to-door campaign, whilepreviously the JUD teams haveimmunised around 60,000 children invarious cities of Sindh.

On the occasion, Saeed said thecampaign will expand to other citiesof Punjab after its completion inLahore. He said vaccinationcampaigns have been organised alongthe same lines in other provinces aswell where even Hindus andChristians were equally treated.

The Punjab government has also

started the immunisation week inwhich as many as 1,500 vaccinatorsare being utilised.

The Health Department hastargeted 3million children to becovered during the campaign.

Punjab Health Secretary ArifNadeem welcomed the JUD’s initiativeand said that the government wasalready providing free vaccination totrust hospitals across the metropolitan,while any initiative from the privatesector was appreciated.

JUD rolls up sleevesagainst measles

We belIeve It to be NeCeSSARy: JuD chief Hafiz Saeed

vaccinates a child at Jamia Al-Qadsia at Chauburji. MURTAzA ALI

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ChAMbelI 12:30, 10:30pM

pAF ChAMbelI 09:00, 11:30pMph: 36688880 ek thI dAAyAN 06:30pM

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AUDI-3ChAMbelI 2:30, 6:45, 11:30 pMthe CroodS (3d) 05:00pMoblIvIoN 09:15pM

I promise to be an excellent husband, but give

me a wife who, like the moon, will not appear

every day in my sky. –Anton Chekhov

LAHORE

UMAIR AzIz

CARETAKERPunjab ChiefMinisterNajam Sethihas failed to

uphold his promise to thepeople of Punjab about relieffrom long hours ofunannounced load sheddingin May. The citizenscontinue to brave upto 18 hours ofdarkness,PakistanToday haslearnt.

On April4, the CMproudly toldthe citizens thatload shedding willbe reduced by 3 hoursimmediately, and by 5 hoursin May. He also spoke of his“untiring” and “sincere”efforts for the release of Rs.45 billion by the federalgovernment to reduce loadshedding in the province.

The Punjab governmentdecided to switch off 50percent of street lights andlights in government officesfor saving power throughoutthe province, while alsoimposing a ban on using air-conditioners in governmentoffices before 11am. Further,the Punjab chief secretary

visited Islamabad to chalk outsteps for reducing outages.

The Punjab cabinet alsotook various steps includingtwo weekly holidays forsaving electricity.

However, the publiccontinues to suffer loadshedding, as the chiefminister’s promises are yet tomaterialise. “Life has beenparalysed because ofcontinuous outages. 12 hours

without electricity areroutine now; and

once you missthe morningslot, the entireroutine isdisrupted..The CM’s

announcementturned out to be

a hollowpromise,” said Ahsan

Ali, a banker.The situation is worse in

industrial centres such asFaisalabad, Gujranwala,Wazirabad, Kasur andSialkot, causing billions ofrupees in losses.

I & C Secretary FarhanAziz Khwaja stated that thefederal government wasworking to resolve the powercrisis. He said that “intra-federal government” issuesbetween the Ministry of Waterand Power and the Ministry ofPetroleum were causingdelays, however, “We expect

the promised funds (Rs 45billion) for countering loadshedding to be released soon.”Principal Secretary to the CMShahid Mehmood wasunavailable for comment.

sethi’s unkept promise: citystill plunged in darkness

lAHoRe: Nur Center forResearch and Policy (NCRP)in collaboration with FatimaMemorial Hospital held aseminar to challenge thehealth manifestos of

leading political partiesprior to the generalelections in the country. Dr Yasmeen Rashid ofPakistan Tehreek-e- Insaafand Dr Zia Ullah Bangash ofPakistan People’s Partyspoke on the healthmanifestos of theirrespective parties and theimplication they had onPunjab and Pakistan shouldthey be elected. Inconclusion,recommendations wereformulated for the provincialhealth reform mandate aftera collaborative process bythe NCRP. These reformswere along the 6 pillars ofhealth system defined bythe WHO. STAFF REPORT

Health manifestos of political parties challenged

LHR 04-05-2013_Layout 1 5/4/2013 1:56 AM Page 6

BAnglADEshBuilDing DEAthtoll tops 500 DHAKA: More than 500 bodies havebeen recovered from the Bangladeshgarment-factory building thatcollapsed last week, authorities saidafter arresting an engineer who saidthe building was unsafe but isaccused of helping the owner addthree illegal floors to the structure.The arrest on Friday of Rana Plazaconsultant Adbur Razzak brought tonine the number of people held overthe April 24 disaster, which has putthe spotlight on the many Westernclothing retailers who useBangladesh as a source of cheapgoods. Bangladesh’s government hascome under fire over its handling ofthe disaster, as relatives of thosetrapped in the rubble of the buildingin Savar, about 30km north-west ofDhaka, searched for loved oneswithout a central list to track therescued or dead.

s korean industrial

zone workers

head home Seoul: Seven remaining South

Korean workers at a joint industrial

zone in North Korea have returned

home, completing a withdrawal from

the complex after months of cross-

border tensions. Seoul’s unification

ministry said remaining issues had

been resolved and the workers

crossed back over the border on

Friday evening. The Kaesong

industrial complex, built 10 km north

of the tense border in 2004, was

once a rare symbol of inter-Korean

cooperation but now faces the

possibility of permanent closure.

South Korea pulled out most of its

remaining workers early on Tuesday

but the seven stayed to settle

unresolved issues such as unpaid

taxes and wages for North Korean

workers, believed to amount to

millions of dollars. AgENCIES

07

newssaturday, 4 May, 2013

I agreed to continue our close cooperation on

security, even as the nature of that cooperation will

evolve. –Barack Obama on ties with MexicoN

BEIJING

NEWS DESK

China says 904 people have been ar-rested for selling fake, spoiled, or adul-terated meat over three months.

State media portrayed the arrests onThursday as part of a national crack-down that would now focus on dairyproducts, but an official told thestate’s Xinhua News Agency that therewere deep-seated food safety problemswhich had not yet been solved.

Xinhua News Agency said suspectssold meat that had been injectedwith water to increase its weight, orsold rat and fox flesh as mutton.

“In Wuxi, in east China’s JiangsuProvince, suspects made fake mutton

from fox, mink and rat by adding chemi-cals,” the news agency reported. “Theproducts were sold to markets and thesuspects made more than 10 million yuan($1.62 million) from the illegal activities.”

According to an initial investiga-tion, some of the suspects had used hy-drogen peroxide solution to processchicken claws since July 2011. With anoutput of 300 kg per day, suspects mademore than $650,000 in profits. Thenews agency said that a total of 382cases were uncovered and 20,000 tonsof unsafe meat seized from January.

China’s past food safety problemshave included infant formula consist-ing of nothing more than starch andthe recycling of household waste ascooking oil.

Hundreds arrested IncHIna over ‘FaKe’ Meat

Attack on syria village leaves ‘dozens dead’

DAMASCUS

AgENCIES

GOVERNMENT forces andmilitia members loyal toSyrian President Bashar al-Assad have stormed thecoastal village of al-Baida,

killing between 50 and 100 people includ-ing women and children, Syrian opposi-tion activists say.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory forHuman Rights (SOHR) said on Thursdaythat the death toll would increase andcould reach more than 100, with many ofthose killed appearing to have been “sum-marily executed” by shooting or stabbing.

There were reports that the raid camein response to rebels attacking a busloadof pro-Assad fighters, known as shabiha,earlier in the day, killing at least six andwounding up to 20 more.

Due to reporting restrictions in Syria,Al Jazeera cannot independently verify re-ports of violence.

Syria’s official SANA news agencysaid troops killed “terrorists”, the regimeterm for the rebel fighters, and seized arms.The SOHR said the fighting was “the firstof its kind in the Baniyas area”, since theuprising began and that the army had cutoff all communications with al-Baida.

Government troops appear to havemade substantial gains in recent weeks,seizing several suburbs outside Damascusand recapturing territory in Homsprovince, birthplace of the armed uprising.

The report of violence in al-Baidacame as Chuck Hagel, US defence secre-tary, said arming the Syrian rebels wasnow a possibility.

At a news conference onThursday with his British counterpart,Philip Hammond, Hagel was asked if the

US government was rethinking its opposi-tion to arming the rebels and replied:“Yes.” Hagel said no decision had beenreached and declined to say if he favouredarming the opposition.

“I’m in favour of exploring optionsand seeing what is the best option in coor-dination with our international partners,”he said.DIPlOmATIC mOVES:

Meanwhile, UN chief Ban Ki-moonand ambassadors from the United States,Britain, France, Russia and China dis-cussed on Thursday “possible diplomaticmoves to end” the Syria conflict after UNdiplomats said mediator Lakhdar Brahimiwas determined to quit.

Diplomats, speaking on condition ofanonymity, have said Brahimi wanted to re-sign from the joint UN-Arab Leaguerole because he is frustrated with interna-tional deadlock over how to end Syria’s

two-year civil war, which has killed 70,000.“Brahimi is resigning, but I can’t tell

you which date,” a senior Security Councildiplomat said on condition of anonymity.

He said Ban was now being urged tobecome more personally involved in solv-ing the crisis. Some diplomats said Brahimicould step down by the end of May.

UN diplomats have also floated theidea of a “Geneva 2” summit to revisit anagreement by world powers in Geneva inJune last year that said a transitional gov-ernment should be formed in Syria “on thebasis of mutual consent.”

Brahimi, appointed last year after for-mer UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan re-signed as Syria mediator, also wants todistance himself from the Arab League,envoys said, because of its decision torecognise Syria’s opposition.

Brahimi felt that move underminedhis neutrality.

obama talks

security, economy

in mexico visit MEXICO CITY

AgENCIES

US president Barack Obama haspromised cooperation in fightingdrug-trafficking and organisedcrime in Mexico following hismeeting with his Mexican counter-part, Enrique Pena Nieto.Appearing alongside his Mexicancounterpart at a news conferenceon Thursday, Obama recommittedthe US to fighting the demand forillegal drugs in the US and the flowof illegal guns across the border,even as its southern neighbour re-thinks how much access it gives toAmerican security agencies.“I agreed to continue our close co-operation on security, even as thenature of that cooperation willevolve,” Obama said. “It is obvi-ously up to the Mexican people todetermine their security structuresand how it engages with other na-tions, including the United States.”Obama’s remarks come as PenaNieto, in a shift from his predeces-sor, has moved to end the wide-spread access that US securityagencies have had in Mexico.The White House has been cautiousin its public response to thechanges, with the president and hisadvisers saying they need to heardirectly from the Mexican leaderbefore making a judgment.

LHR 04-05-2013_Layout 1 5/4/2013 1:56 AM Page 7

newsNsaturday 4 May, 2013

08

NEWS DESK

w ITHOUT getting the approval ofPrime Minister Mir Hazar KhanKhoso, the Finance Ministry has

re-hired the services of Masroor Qureshi asFinance Division’s Director General of Debtwith the mandate to manage the whoppingrise of public debt. “Qureshi’s services havebeen re-hired by the Finance Ministry untilfurther orders who also assumed his charge onThursday,” official sources quoted thenotification issued by FinanceMinistry said. Officialsources in Finance Divi-sion claimed that therewas no need to getPM’s approval onrehiring of servicesof a National Bankof Pakistan(NBP) employeeon deputationbasis. However,another seniorbureaucrat

when contacted said that the newly hired DGDebt of Finance Ministry would utilise differentperks at the cost of national exchequer so theapproval of PM was mandatory for this ap-pointment. Press Secretary to PM Shafqat

Jalil said he was not aware of any such ap-pointment. “We don’t know about this ap-pointment,” he added. A spokesman for

Finance Ministry said that the approval ofPM was not required for this appointment be-cause Qureshi’s services were re-hired on at-tachment basis. When asked why approval

was sought last time on his appointment, thespokesman said that earlier he

was appointed in MP-1 so itrequired approval of the pre-

mier. Now this time the Fi-nance Ministry has

allowed usage of officialvehicle only and did

not provide him MP-1 so all such perks

can be given bythe ministry it-self, he main-tained.

Finance Ministry ignoresPM for top appointment

piA mAy BEgrounDED inDEcEmBEr!

NEWS DESK

The defence secretary, who is also the chair-man of the Pakistan International Airlines(PIA), has warned that the national flag car-rier might be grounded by December this yearif the government failed to release funds forpurchasing new planes as the buying deal hadalready been cancelled. His ominous warningis in contrast with over 100 percent increaselast month in the salaries of executive pilotsand the office-bearers of the Pakistan AirlinePilots’ Association (PALPA), a move appar-ently intended to buy their loyalties. This hasbeen done at a time when the PIA doesn’thave money to get planes.Addressing a conference of PIA’s marketingmanagers some days ago in Karachi, Lt Gen(r) Asif Yasin who is simultaneously wearingcaps of chairman PIA and DG Civil Aviationopened his heart to the executive staff abouthis inability to get funding from the federalgovernment. “I couldn’t manage to get moneyfrom the government due to financial con-straints,” he told his marketing staff. “It nowlooks that the airlines will be closed in De-cember,” he said.PIA had entered into a plane deal with a for-eign firm that wanted sovereign guarantees,which the federal government refused. Ac-cording to the procedure, the first installmentwas required with the letter of intent and thegovernment was not ready to release funds.Likewise, second and third installments wereto be paid before the handing over of planes.A spokesman of PIA Mashhood Tajwardownplayed the warning of chairman regard-ing the likely closure of operations by De-cember. “It was an informal remark ofchairman,” he insisted. Regarding phenomenal raise in salaries of pi-lots, the spokesman said it was already allo-cated in the budget.However, documents available with localmedia indicated that the notification in thisregard was issued much before the budget,in April with immediate effect. According tothe new package, an executive pilot with 30-year experience has got a raise from approx-imate salary of Rs 800,000 to Rs 1.3million. Likewise, a pilot with 20-year expe-rience who has managed an executive posthas received an increase from Rs 450,000(old salary) to Rs 1.1 million.

NEW DELHI

NNI

INDIA on Friday cremated withfull state honours the convictedspy, Sarabjit Singh, in hishometown in the northern state

of Punjab amid mass outrage over thefatal attack on him by his fellow in-mates in a Pakistani jail last Friday.

Police gave a 21-gun salute as amark of last respect to the 49-year-old, who succumbed to his injuries ata hospital in Lahore in the wee hoursof Thursday, before the funeral pyrewas lit by his sister Dalbir Kaur in thepresence of his wife Sukhpreet Kaur,and daughters Swapandeep andPoonam at Bhikhiwind village in Pun-jab's Tarn Taran district.

Several Indian ministers, includingIndian Minister of State for ExternalAffairs Preneet Kaur, and PunjabChief Minister Parkash Singh Badalattended Singh's funeral, apart fromthe ruling Congress’s Vice PresidentRahul Gandhi, as local TV channelsbeamed live footage of the emotionalevent. Earlier on Friday, Singh's bodywas kept inside a coffin at a local

school, draped in the national flag,where thousands of people paid theirlast respects.

Singh, who was on death row inPakistan since 1991, died Thursday atJinnah Hospital after being in comafor nearly a week, following a brutalattack on him by his fellow inmates inKot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore. His bodywas returned by Pakistan after hoursof persuasion by India.

Indian Prime Minister ManmohanSingh has condemned the attack onhim and demanded that the perpetra-tors be brought to justice.

Singh was convicted of his role inbomb attacks that killed 14 people inPakistan in 1990. He had denied any

wrongdoing, and his family always in-sisted he was innocent and had strayedinto Pakistan by mistake.

inDiA crEmAtEs convictED spysArABJit With full stAtE honours

autopsy panel FInds sarabJIt'sHeart, KIdneys, stoMacH MIssIngAmRItSAR: Doctors who conducted the autopsy on Sarabjit Singh's bodyat Patti hospital in India said late on Thursday night that the heart, kidneysand stomach were missing from his body. The absence of the vital organsmade the post-mortem examination to determine the cause of Sarabjit'sdeath inconclusive. The doctors stated, "We were not anticipating thatPakistan would send the body without these vital organs," head of theforensic department, Dr Gurmanjit Singh, who was part of the panel ofdoctors who conducted the autopsy, told The Indian Express. Dr Singh,however, added that as a standard medical procedure, Pakistan could keepthe vital organs for further testing. "We would have to rely on their reportson these organs," he said. When asked how reliable the Pakistani reportscould be given the trust deficit between the countries, Dr Singh said Indiacould take up the matter with Pakistan and seek to get the organs back."There is still time to conduct tests on these organs," he said. A seconddoctor on the panel said that without India's own tests on the organs, theautopsy report would only be of a supplementary nature to the Pakistanireport. A panel of five doctors comprising the heads of the departments offorensics, anesthesiology, orthopedics, surgery and pathology fromAmritsar Medical College conducted the autopsy on Sarabjit's body. INP

yAsin mAlik, othEr

liBErAtion lEADErs

ArrEstED in DElhi

NeW DelHI: The New Delhi Police on Fridayarrested the Jammu and Kashmir LiberationFront Chairman, Muhammad Yasin Malik alongwith several other liberation leaders. Accordingto details, Yasin Malik, Javed Ahmad Mir, Shab-bir Ahmad and human rights activist Moham-mad Ahsan Untoo were arrested by the policenear Moolchand flyover while they were travel-ing in a vehicle from Nizamuddin to Zakir Nagarin New Delhi. Later, Indian authorities shiftedthem to Kothi Bagh police station in Srinagar ina flight. Yasin Malik was scheduled to sit on 48-hour hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in NewDelhi to press for the demand of return of mor-tal remains of martyred Kashmiri leaders, MMaqbool Butt and M Afzal Guru, justice for thefamilies of missing persons and families of vic-tims of Machil fake encounter case as well asprotest against awarding of life sentences to 32Kashmiris. Sisters of Maqbool Butt, leader ofAssociation of Parents of Disappeared Persons,Parveena Ahangar and relatives of illegally de-tained Kashmiris were present in the Indiancapital to participate in the hunger strike. NNI

sEcurity forcEskill 11 militAntsin sWA’s lADhAPeSHAWAR: At least 11 militants werekilled when they attacked a security forcescheckpost in Ladha area of South Waziristanon Friday. One security forces personnel wasalso killed in the attack. An official in Wana,headquarters of South Waziristan, said agroup of militants attacked the checkpost inLadha with modern and sophisticatedweapons to which the security forces retali-ated. He said one soldier and 11 militantswere killed in the attack and the checkpostwas also damaged. He said the securityforces later went on a door-to-door search inthe area and arrested several suspects. Thesecurity forces recently cleared Ladha re-gion, the Mehsud tribe dominated areas, ofSouth Waziristan of militants. STAFF REPORT

pilots criticAllyinJurED As ArmyhElicoptEr crAshEsGuJRANWAlA: A helicopter of the Pak-istan army crashed on Friday critically in-juring two pilots on board. The incidentoccurred when the chopper fell nearHaripur Bridge in Wazirabad. According tothe media reports, the pilots were shiftedto Combined Military Hospital (CMH) fortreatment. Eye witnesses said that thechopper was seen traveling on low altitudeand apparently crashed due to a technicalmalfunction. Sources said one of the pilotswas in a ‘extremely critical condition’ andwas undergoing treatment. NNI

AttAckErs of polioWorkErs ArrEstEDKARACHI: The Crime Investigation De-partment (CID) of the police on Fridayclaimed to have arrested five members ofa banned organisation who were involvedin attacks on anti-polio workers during araid operation conducted near Katti Pa-hari area of the city. Tennis ball bombswere also seized from the arrested sus-pects, police sources said. CID SSPChaudhry Aslam told journalists that thearrested persons belonged to theTehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Fazlullahgroup and were believed to be involved inattacks on polio workers. MONITORINg DESK

RAWAlPINDI: lawyers

hold a protest rally

against the killing of FIA

prosecutor Chaudhry

Zulfiqar on Friday. INP

LHR 04-05-2013_Layout 1 5/4/2013 1:56 AM Page 8

news N

09

saturday 4 May, 2013

NEWS DESK

PAKISTAN Tehreek-e-Insaf(PTI) Chairman ImranKhan’s first cousin, Ina-mullah Niazi, is contesting

for NA-72 Mianwali as an independ-ent candidate to protest what heclaims was an unfair awarding of thePTI ticket, according to local mediareports. “I am very much with thePTI which is my own party and forwhich I have rendered sacrificesmore than several others,” he said.However, he maintained that it washis right to protest while remainingwithin the party and added that hehas no plan to quit the PTI.

Niazi’s brothers, including the

one married to Imran Khan’s sister,are unhappy over the party’s decisionnot to accord its sponsorship to himfor a seat he has been contesting,

winning or losing, as the PakistanMuslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)nominee in the past. He also joinedthe Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf when itbecame a force to be reckoned within the wake of the October 2011 pub-lic meeting at Minar-e-Pakistanground Lahore.

Niazi and his family are angry atImran Khan’s decision to allot theticket for NA-72 to Amjad Ali Khan,son of late Dr Sher Afgan, instead ofhis close relative. However, theprotests have not persuaded the PTIchief to change his decision.

“Efforts were also made beforeImran Khan’s April 30 public meet-ing in Mianwali to prevail upon Niazito bury the hatchet but to no avail as

Niazi stood ground insisting that thePTI ticket should be taken back fromAmjad Khan and allocated to him,” asenior party leader said.

He said Imran Khan picked upAmjad Khan because of his massivesway in the constituency, dating backto the days of his deceased father.“Taking Amjad Khan in the PTI foldwill also help Imran Khan in theneighbouring constituency of NA-71Mianwali that the chairman is con-testing.” The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader said that the party’sparliamentary board consideredaward of ticket to Niazi for NA-72more than once, but did not approveit every time. Imran Khan went withits decision, he said.

Bnp-m announceselection manifesto,promises stabilityin Balochistan

MONITORING DESK

The Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M)on Friday announced their party manifesto inQuetta for the upcoming general elections, RadioPakistan reported. The manifesto promised thatthe party, if elected to power, would work on im-proving the law and order situation and eliminatethe social evils plaguing Balochistan. The mani-festo claimed that BNP-M would put a stop to in-stances of targeted killings in the province. Themanifesto added that the political party would reg-ularise the gas supply to Balochistan and help cre-ate an environment that fosters peace and toler-ance in the region. BNP-M chief Sardar AkhtarMengal had earlier boycotted the 2008 electionsand had been living in self-exile in Dubai. He re-cently returned to Pakistan to lead his own factionof the BNP in the upcoming elections. He alsowrote an open letter to the chief justice requestinghim to play a role in conflict resolution betweenthe Pakistani establishment and the Baloch nation-alists seeking their inalienable national rights.

ppp ready to formalliance with pti

MONITORING DESK

Pakistan People’s Party has finally made itsmind to enter into an alliance with PakistanTehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to form the next gov-ernment in order to continue the ongoingdemocratic process in the country. The an-nouncement for a possible alliance with anypolitical party, including rival PTI, came at atime when PPP’s top leadership sensed‘tough electoral test’ in the May 11 generalelections. PPP Secretary General Sardar LatifKhan Khosa said that his party could form analliance with any political party to form thenext government ‘for the best of democracy’,but the premier would be from his party.“Nothing is impossible in politics – PPP cango for an alliance with PTI,” Khosa saidwhile addressing a press conference at PPPCentral Secretariat in Islamabad the otherday. “Our alliance with MQM, PML-Q andANP is still intact,” Khosa claimed. Mean-while, former prime minister Yousaf RazaGilani has said that a strong PTI would bene-fit his party, the PPP, and that he wishes thePTI a long life. In an interview, Gilani saidthat there has been no relief to the people inPunjab, a fact which had increased the popu-larity of the PTI. It is important to mentionthat PPP leader Manzoor Wattoo had earlierpassed a statement that Imran Khan would bemade prime minister if PTI formed an al-liance with PPP in the next government. Thisstatement had drawn fire from the PTI lead-ership, with Shireen Mazari blasting Wattoo’sstatement, saying that the idea of an alliancebetween PPP and PTI was “ridiculous”.

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

WASHINgTON

RICHARD Haass, a top foreign policy expert,has an unambiguous advice for Washingtonas it faces new domestic and international re-

alities: the United States needs to put its house inorder to restore foundations of American power thatwould allow it to project its policies on the worldstage. In his new book, Foreign Policy Begins atHome: The Case for Putting America's House inOrder, Haass argues that the biggest threat to theUnited States comes not from abroad but from within.

"Many of the foundations of this country'spower are eroding," warns Haass, who heads theCouncil on Foreign Relations. "The effect, however,is not limited to a deteriorating transportation sys-tem or jobs that go unfilled or overseas owing to alack of qualified American workers. To the contrary,

shortcomings here at home directly threaten Amer-ica's ability to project power and exert influenceoverseas, to compete in the global marketplace, togenerate the resources needed to promote the fullrange of US interests abroad, and to set a com-pelling example that will influence the thinking andbehavior of others," he said, according to a CFR ac-count. A rising China, climate change, terrorism, anuclear Iran, a turbulent Middle East, and a recklessNorth Korea all present serious challenges. But,Haass argues, US national security depends evenmore on the US addressing its crumbling infrastruc-ture, second-class schools, outdated immigrationsystem, and burgeoning debt, something that will re-quire controlling entitlements rather than just raisingtaxes and cutting discretionary spending.

Haass rejects both isolationism and the notion ofAmerican decline. But he contends the country is un-derperforming at home and overreaching abroad. Heargues that the US must sharply limit its role in hu-manitarian interventions and in wars of choice de-signed to remake other societies, as was triedunsuccessfully in Iraq and Afghanistan. Instead, itshould emphasise maintaining the balance of powerin Asia, advancing North American economic inte-gration and energy self-sufficiency, and promoting

collective responses to global challenges. The worldis no longer dominated by one or more superpowers.

Instead, the paramount feature of internationalrelations in the first half of the twenty-first centuryis nonpolarity, power has been diffused, spreadamong an enormous list of entities capable in theirown right to exert their influence. In addition to tra-ditional nation-states, there are many other entitiesactive in the political sphere, whether global (UN,World Bank), regional (European Union, NATO,Arab League), commercial (JPMorgan Chase,Exxon Mobil), disruptive, or altruistic. This worldis relatively forgiving, however, with no great rivaldirectly threatening American interests.

How long this strategic respite lasts and how wellthe nation continues to fare on the global stage, ac-cording to Haass, will depend largely on whether theUnited States puts its own house in order.

Speaking about his book, Haass told NPR radiothat “unless we do sort ourselves out, unless webring our economy back to historic levels of growth– which were nearly twice the level of the last fiveyears – then we're going to have increasing battleshere about guns versus butter; about domestic ver-sus foreign; about doing things abroad or doingthings at home. That's what we're already seeing

under the sequester”. “So the argument for the nextfive or 10 years, the US should focus somewhatmore at home and somewhat less abroad, is not anisolationist argument,” he stated. “It's not an anti-foreign policy argument. It's just the opposite. Un-less we do this we're not going to position ourselvesfor a long-term role of international leadership. Sowe can and we have to do somewhat less now.”

On terrorism, he said, it is a real and continuingthreat and it's not going to go away. “What Bostonshows is how small numbers of individuals, inspired,say, by the Internet, with access to their local hard-ware store, can do real damage. So what this tells meis there's not a foreign policy solution to this.

“We can't occupy the world and try to make surethere's no terrorist coming at us. We ought to seewhat we can do to prevent the radicalisation particu-lar of young men. We ought to look at ways inwhich communities can try to delegitimise this kindof action and cooperate with the authorities whenthey see it developing. But also we've got to be real-istic about it. It's just like you can't live a disease -free life where you never get sick. We're going tohave to, as a society, make sure that were strongenough to respond, to bounce back, to recover if andwhen terrorist enjoy tactical successes.”

Biggest threat to US not from abroad but from within: bookTOP FOREIGN POLICY EXPERT HAASSSAYS US NEEDS TO PUT ITS HOUSE INORDER TO RESTORE FOUNDATIONSOF AMERICAN POWER

imrAn’s cousin niAzicontEsting AgAinst pti

lAHoRe: Jamaatud

Dawa chief Hafiz

Saeed Ahmad

injects measles

vaccine to a child

on Friday. ONLINE

LHR 04-05-2013_Layout 1 5/4/2013 1:56 AM Page 9

coMMent

Csaturday, 4 May, 2013

10Wagah and Attari do not exchange blows

Nor do Gita and Quran engage in a fight

Between apostasy and Islam, there is no bickering

Only profit and loss must always be kept in sight. –Ustad Daman

whiteLIESApollo

Aziz-ud-Din AhmadEditor

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

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

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

THE speech of the Chiefof the Army Staff(COAS) in Rawalpindion the occasion of theYaum-e-Shuhadda has

elicited positive as well as negative re-sponse. The positive reaction primarilyrelates to the contents of the speechwhile the negative response questionsthe credentials of an army chief to lacehis address with political insinuations.

Reiterating that elections will beheld on May 11, General Kayanipleaded for the ushering in of an era oftrue democratic values in the country.He laid down three pre-requisites foreliminating the prospect of the tradi-tional hide-and-seek between democ-racy and dictatorship: awareness andparticipation of the masses, risingabove the ethnic, linguistic and sectar-ian biases and giving primacy andprecedence to the larger public interestover personal interests. If this were notachieved, he warned, “be it democracyor dictatorship, governance would con-tinue to remain a means of self-aggran-disement and plundering nationalwealth and resources”.

Seeking abnegation of the prospectof retribution, he pleaded for voting onthe basis of honesty, sincerity, merit and

competence forensuring conti-nuity of thed e m o c r a t i cprocess. Hesaid: “We mustnever forgetthat success ofany system re-sides in comingup to the aspira-tions of themasses. Thesuccess ofdemocracy isi n t i m a t e l ylinked with thewell being ofthe nation”.

His right tomake politicalc o m m e n tnotwithstand-ing, GeneralKayani has un-e q u i v o c a l l ydrawn the broadcontours of theway forward forPakistan. Infact, it came asa timely re-minder less thanten days fromthe nationalelections whichare expected to

be violent and divisive. Already, nu-merous gatherings of the political par-ties have been targeted by militants andthere are un-abating threats for contin-uing the terror spree in the future. Someself-acclaimed ‘liberal’ political partieswhich remained coalition partners forfive long years in the federal andprovincial governments are exploitingthe phenomenon alleging that they arebeing forced out of the election race. Inthe process, they forget that, for all theyears that they were together, they didpractically nothing by way of formulat-ing a comprehensive anti-terror strat-egy and policy. Instead, throughinaction, they pushed the country in thelap of the militants who continued to hittargets of their choosing includingsome highly strategic defence installa-tions.

The Army Chief has also comeagainst the use of the ethnic, linguisticand sectarian biases in the realm of pol-itics. This signifies another step for-ward in eliminating the prospect of thedivision of society along these undesir-able lines which has caused immensedamage to the state in the past and, ifnot tackled, would continue to do so inthe future also.

By embracing the war on terror un-equivocally, the General noted: “Themenace of terrorism and extremism hasclaimed thousands of lives. However,despite all this bloodshed, certain quar-ters still want to remain embroiled inthe debate concerning the causes of thiswar and who imposed it on us. If asmall faction wants to impose its dis-torted ideology over the entire nationby taking up arms and, for this purpose,defies the constitution of Pakistan andthe democratic process and considersall forms of bloodshed justified, thendoes the fight against this enemy of thestate constitute someone else’s war?” Ibelieve this decisive declaration ofownership of the war on terror signi-fiers a strident step forward in combat-ing the gruesome spectre of militancyin the country. I don’t remember a timein the past when a COAS took such anunambiguous and hard line against ter-rorism. This could only come aboutafter extensive deliberations and gaug-ing the damage that the deadly spectrehas inflicted on the country and its peo-ple including the army and other secu-rity institutions. This could also be atimely comment on the lack of per-formance on this critical front by thelast ‘democratic’ government and couldspell a meaningful step forward in pri-oritising the components of the nationalparadigm in the future.

There has been much speculation,mostly motivated by the political pun-dits who had an axe to grind of their

own, around the military’s perceivedsoftness in dealing with the spectre ofterror and that it stands for negotiationswith the militant groups in preferenceto using force to eliminate them. This,in fact, has been a convenient means tohide their own weaknesses in the realmof policy-making and putting togethera comprehensive anti-terror strategy.By reiterating the need to fight terrorand owning up the war as Pakistan’swar, the army chief has banished thedemons of uncertainty and has thrownthe ball in the court of the politicians todevise an appropriate programme inthis regard.

This also poses a serious challengeto the political parties, mostly right ofcentre, which have been advocating forthe pulling out of troops from therestive areas in the FATA and elsewhereas part of their election campaign. Thisreflects a serious level of naiveté andan infatuation with a desire to succeedin the elections even at the cost of na-tional stakes. Two things must end:one, the seeking of votes in the name ofreligion and two, determining the na-tional policy paradigm that conforms tosome self-righteous guidelines. If Pak-istan is to rid itself of the spectre of ter-ror, it has to come clean on the need tofight it to the bitter end. Pakistan’s sur-vival lies in confronting the menacerather than embracing it under one pre-text or the other.

Much has been ceded to the armyvoluntarily in the past by the politicalgovernments more out of incompetencethan any other reason and much moremay be ceded in the future. Faults can-not be picked in strategies that work fornational betterment. If the civilian gov-ernment lacks the will to undertake crit-ical assignments like the war on terror,and if there is commonality of objec-tives between the civil and the militarycommands, there is no harm in handingover the charge to the one institutionthat has the resolve and the where-withal to handle it. This would be wellwithin the constitutional parameters.Not doing this out of fear that the armymay move in to take over reflects a lackof confidence by the civilian adminis-tration in its own ability. But the coun-try must not suffer because of this.Once the priorities have been clearlyspelt out, the responsibilities should beappropriately assigned to organisationswhich are competent and equipped tohandle them. Any further lack of re-solve is bound to hurt Pakistan’sprospects of extricating itself from thedemonic clutches of extremism.

The writer is a political analyst.He can be reached atraoofhasan@hotmail.com

TTP and its pernicious agendain the footsteps of oBl

The rebuilding process must commence in earnest

the policy paradigm

“AN eye for an eye would make the whole world go blind,” was what thegreat Mahatma Gandhi once said. Born into the divisive politics that theBritish colonialisers had imposed onto the subcontinent that culminated

into the partition, Gandhi’s wisdom could not do much to stop the violence that killedmillions at the independence of the subcontinent. But perhaps, born into differenttimes, it is a lesson that is worth repeating after Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh’sunfortunate death after some prisoners beat him up in Kot Lakhpat Jail. On Thursday,the prisoners who are accused of killing Sarabjit claimed to police, “We believekilling Sarabjit was an act of virtue. If any of our friends gets a hold of Sarabjit’sbody, it will be burnt to ashes.”

The statements are of the breed we have become used to: murderers claim pietyupon killing someone over a petty dispute. The details emerging from Kot LakhpatJail point to the same. But as has become the norm, when one such incident happenson one side of the border, there are jingoists on the other side that feel they must runup a cricket score. On Friday, news broke that a Pakistani prisoner named Sanaullahwas beaten up by an inmate in a jail in Jammu. The Pakistani man had been put inprison in 1999 and sentenced in 2009 to life in prison for being a “militant.” Questionsover the conviction a decade after arrest are sure to arise, but such is the story of theplight of most prisoners that get caught up in the cross border rivalries between Indiaand Pakistan. As it stands, there are at least 535 Indian prisoners in Pakistani jails and272 Pakistani prisoners in Indian jails, that can be considered at risk.

The prisoners taking on the task of delivering ‘justice’ is a most dangerousprecedent. It must be curbed immediately on both sides. It is essential that in theimmediate aftermath of these incidents, the security for all cross-border prisonersshould be increased within prisons. While the Indian prime minister’s demand forcomplete justice and through investigation is just, the same must also be done for thePakistani prisoner that was attacked. The pride expressed by the prisoner who killedSarabjit Singh is a product of the jingoism that is present on both sides of the divide.There is a need to conduct through investigation of the attack on Sarabjit to assurethe Indian authorities that Pakistan does care to protect India’s citizens. There shouldbe no reciprocal incident in a Pakistani jail nor does the media need to spruce up theincident to inflame cross-border feelings. For once, Pakistan and India have begun tosee eye to eye and cultivate trust amongst each other. The fact is that Sarabjit’s bodywas eventually returned to be buried in his hometown of Amritsar on Thursday.Unfortunately, he was not alive to see that day.

IF any evidence was needed it is here before everyone to see in the form of a videointerview. As it did on OBL’s last anniversary, the TTP has vowed to follow in thefootsteps of the late al Qaeda chief. Further, it has confirmed that it would continue

opposing the democratic system not through argument but by the use of force. The TTPattacks are thus no reaction to the drone strikes or the US invasion of Afghanistan, asthe advocates of the terrorists maintain. Nor will they cease after the US and alliedtroops leave the region or the drone strikes come to an end. In fact the attacks whichhave killed over 30,000 civilians and military personnel are a punishment for thePakistanis’ commitment to a nation state within defined geographical boundaries andto democracy and enlightenment. Like OBL, the Pakistani terrorists want to demolishall Muslim states based on geography and to recreate on their debris a world Islamiccaliphate presided over by a fanatic, who would then call on the rest of the mankind toeither embrace Islam, or surrender and pay Jazia. This explains why governments inMuslim majority countries all over the world are wary of the al Qaeda and its affiliatesand have taken measures to suppress them.

The COAS Gen. Kayani was spot on when he made it clear that the war the armywas fighting was Pakistan’s war and that the anti-democratic forces would never beacceptable. The General rightly asked, how could a fight against a small factiontrying to enforce its distorted ideology over the entire nation by taking up arms,defying the Constitution of Pakistan and the democratic process, considering allforms of bloodshed justified be considered someone else’s war? There is a need tofight against this pernicious and anti-people thinking of the extremist militants and todisable them from launching attacks on innocent people. This is the jointresponsibility of the political parties and the army.

In fact it is not Pakistan alone that faces the challenge. The Muslim communityall over the world remains under threat from the AlQaeda brood. Whatever otherconsequences the Arab Spring might have produced, the Arab masses rejected the alQaeda with one voice by supporting the Islamic parties who wanted to bring changethrough democratic reforms rather than suicide bombings. Frustrated al Qaedagroups launched an attack at a border military zone in Egypt killing 16 soldiersweeks after Morsi was elected president. While a Turkish military contingent is apart of the NATO force in Afghanistan, both Turkish and Egyptian governmentscontinue to arrest Al Qaeda elements. Every Muslim country needs to fight thethreat the way it can.

Candid CornerRAOOF HASAN

THEY’RE not as caustic as thesort they have in the US, but TVpolitical attack ads have made

their way to Pakistan.One in particular, a PPP ad that plays

a recorded conversation betweenShahbaz Sharif and corrupt teddybear Justice Malik Qayyum isunder judicial review given itssensitivity.

Pakistani politicians pull nopunches when it comes to eachother. Though this is a globalphenomenon, really. Who couldforget the petty Hillary Clintonattack ad during her primaries forthe Democrat nomination againstBarack Obama, where the aidesactually dug out an old primaryschool essay he had written onwhat he’d do were he to becomepresident and then criticising it!

Constituency-level jeering inPakistan has always been prettycaustic. Bringing certain scathingvirgin words on national

television was the work of PTI leaderImran Khan. But the new trend of attackads is a new phenomenon that is boundto get more and more interesting.

Keep an eye out.

‘An eye for an eye would make the whole world go blind’sarabjit’s death

THOSE within theglitterati with moredash than cash have it

made. With almost everythingimaginable being made inChina, imitation knockoffs ofdesigner bags, the sort thatcost what a rural village makesin a year or two, are alsoavailable in Pakistan for muchlesser prices.

Standard economicspredicts this isn’t too great adeal for luxury goods.Abundance is going to lowerdemand for the real thing and,consequently, the knockoffs too.

For feedback, comments, suggestions and, most importantly, tips, contact us at whitelies@pakistantoday.com.pk

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coMMent Csaturday, 4 May, 2013

11Whether you kill an enemy or your own kin/ It is the blood of

humanity that sheds/Whether war is in the east or the west/

After all, it bloodies world peace. –Sahir Ludhianvi

on the way to talibanisation!

THE overseas Pak-istanis as well areconcerned by theincreasing may-

hem of those who supportdemocracy, liberal andcivilised way of life backhome. Premeditated violenceagainst liberal parties and es-calating Taliban terrorism toclose doors of political arenaon them is being stronglymanifested in growing num-ber of protests by those par-ties who are being singledout by Taliban as their obvi-ous targets. Enough have been said, demanded and protested for pro-tection and establishment of level playing field.

While protests/strikes are being observed every day in the af-fected three provinces, in London a similar rally was held outsidePakistan High Commission on April 28. The British media too is notoblivious of the dangerous situation and doubts are being cast aboutthe legitimacy of the elections. Some are even describing it all as de-liberate pre-poll rigging to defeat liberal elements and victory at gun-point for the obscurantist forces or their supporters.

The three parties most affected by the violence are seeking com-mon strategy to secure themselves in what they describe premedi-tated terrorism to keep them out and their voters away from pollsthreatening democratic transition in Pakistan. Daily strikes by ter-rorists as are being witnessed largely in Karachi, Peshawar, Quettatargeting the ANP, the MQM and the PPP have made it clear that itis more of an ideological war – a war between progressive forcesand those who want to Talibanise Pakistan. More so it is a battle be-tween liberal forces that want to revert to Quaid-e-Azam’s egalitarianPakistan to save it from those extremists who want to capture it andconvert it into a Talibanised state of their own.

While one can understand the predicament of the liberal forcesthat are so far undeterred – at an enormous cost in lives – in bravelyfacing the increasing bloody onslaught, it is time for others who areon the other side of the political divide to stop running with thedemocratic hare while hunting with the Taliban hounds. These shortsighted elements blinded by their pursuit of possible immediateelectoral gains do not realise what could ultimately be for them instore in the longer run.

Students of World War II history would instantly recall thememorable and hair-raising words of German Protestant pastor Mar-tin Niemller (1892-1984) – words that earned for him immortalfame for being an outspoken critic of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi rule.Why I recall him now is extremely relevant to the fast deterioratingsituation due to widespread and ever-increasing terrorism by Talibanand birds of their feather in Pakistan.

Though a German nationalist, Martin Niemller emerged duringthe Nazi rage as an unconcerned and unaffected spectator only toburst out in desperation words that were to become a lesson in his-tory for those who remain silent witness to the elimination of theirpolitical opponents thinking themselves safe in any society or coun-try where retrogressive phenomenon such as Taliban raise their head.I quote here Martin Niemller’s ‘First they came’ and why he re-mained silent to be followed by a deluge: ‘First they came for theSocialists, and I did not speak out – because I was not a Socialist.Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out –because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews,and I did not speak out – because I was not a Jew. Then they camefor me – and there was no one left to speak for me.’

We are just few days away from elections. There is wide spreadTaliban terrorism in cahoots with other anti-state elements marringthe prospects of elections. The PPP, the ANP and the MQM, the threemajor political parties with liberal and progressive ideological cre-dentials, have been singled out by them as their cold-bloodied vic-tims while others who can be described as rightist or religious partieshave been spared of their wrath.

This is reflected in the lukewarm condemnation of the massacreof innocent supporters of their ideological opponents by those whohave been allowed a field day in electioneering in the biggest provinceof the country because they see eye to eye with Taliban. No doubt thereis reason to believe that there is something more than meets the eye –almost unwritten collaboration for obvious electoral gains.

History is a great teacher for those who are willing to learn a les-son from it. To carry the point home it needs urgently to be realisedthat no doubt today the liberal elements are the targets and othersopposed to them might get results in polls favourable to them. Thatwould be too good to be true.

What matters is to understand the end game of the Taliban. It isnot just victory against those who oppose them ideologically. The Tal-iban want to capture the state of Pakistan first by defeating their op-ponents and then to move on by having pliable elements in powerwho could pave way for them to attain their ultimate goal of convert-ing Pakistan into a Talibanised island cut off from rest of the world.

As such who do not oppose Taliban for their immediate politicalgains in the elections would ultimately find themselves to be in apredicament much similar as Martin Niemller’s when there would benobody left to speak for them. Our political leaders and all others whomatter must stand up and speak out before Taliban take over. Theirstrategy is self-evident. They are trying to prove that the state of Pak-istan is toothless and they can bulldoze their ideology and impose ittoo as an alternative to democracy. It is a battle for now or never.

The author is the High Commissioner for Pakistan to UK.

THE Supreme Court’s ruling over theexpat Pakistani vote case opens up aPandora’s box of allegations and ac-cusations that can be hurled at various

institutions over whose fault it was that a largechunk of eligible voters will not be able to votein the May 11 general elections.

It does not take long, however, to identify pro-tagonists of the two-year saga that ended like thefinale of a B grade soap opera, with a terribly un-satisfactory conclusion to the plot and a little bitof cheap hope for the future sprinkled on the top.

The Overseas Voting Rights was a petitionmoved in the Supreme Court by Imran Khan in2011. During the course of hearings, the ECP hadinsisted on two reasons why it could not allowexpat Pakistanis to vote in elections 2013: no in-frastructure, no legislation. Then, in February2012, the Supreme Court and the ECP indicatedthat overseas Pakistanis would be able to vote inthe upcoming elections. That was a glorious vic-tory for Captain Sahib, who then directed his at-tention towards changing his Tsunami to aTsunama and promptly forgot all about the case.

However, on September 26, 2012, the ECPhad deferred the overseas Pakistani’s right to voteciting that it wouldn’t be possible for general elec-tions 2013. Again, the ECP representatives main-tained that Pakistan did not have the technologicalinfrastructure to conduct secure and transparentpolls overseas. Furthermore, the ECP insisted thatit did not have the required legislation from thePPP-led government for international polling.

Naturally, the solution to this deadlock wasfirst, getting the infrastructure and second, thelegislation. For this purpose, the Supreme Courtsummoned NADRA officials, many months toolate, to give an explanation over how polls couldbe conducted abroad. NADRA told the chief jus-tice that it did, in fact, have the technologicalknow-how to make overseas polling possible.Strangely, though, NADRA said the systemswould be tested in early May, and for this pur-pose, the Foreign Office had sought permissionfrom at least 10 countries. Testing merely days

before the elections? Really? Shouldn’t that havebeen done months and months ago, since the caseitself had been in the court for years and the elec-tion announcement had come two months ago?

While it is commendable that NADRAscrambled to action to ensure expat polling, andwhile the Foreign Ministry did not dilly dally inseeking approval from other governments for theelections, it must be remembered that overall,these efforts served no purpose. You cannot testyour international polling booths just ten daysbefore the elections. You cannot guarantee thesecurity of the system or the accuracy of the bal-lot count. In the same vein, who is to blame foraction being taken so late? Why were overseasPakistanis, who make up at least 9.1 per cent ofPakistan’s overall voter base, not made a prior-ity? If every Pakistani vote counts, then is thePakistani vote from abroad any less of value?

NADRA and the Foreign Ministry, then, getless flak for this than the two institutions that hadlocked horns over the issue for two years. Andit became apparent that in this dance-off betweenthe Supreme Court and the ECP, the governmentwas the biased referee.

When NADRA and the Foreign Office gavethe green signal for conducting overseas elections,the ECP then turned to the government for the lastargument that seems to always work for everyone,including the media, the Supreme Court and thecivil society: no legislation. Curiously though,while the ECP has the wisdom and the authorityto reject election hopefuls because their ideolog-ical views were questionable, for everything re-lated to bringing some real change to the electoralsystem, it needs permission or legislation.

The ECP, in planning this election, has beennotoriously erratic. But the one thing it has beenconsistent with is that it has not allowed for majorpolicy changes in the electoral system. This wasevident from quashing the NOTA ballot and show-ing flagrant disregard for the Supreme Court’sruling of June 2012 regarding the electoral re-forms petition moved by Abid Hassan Manto. AsI wrote before, the NOTA ballot could have beenpossible had the ECP not refused to seek legis-lation from the government, which was not hardto do. An ordinance takes one day to be signedby the president and be approved. The ECPnever asked and the government never offered.

The same thing happened with overseasPakistani’s right to vote; the ECP said, “Okay,we may have the technology, but we still don’thave the legislation.” In the subsequent replythat was sought by the Supreme Court, the gov-ernment took ECP’s side and came up with anexcellent reason why it can’t pass the requiredlegislation: no mandate.

The government maintained that it was be-yond its mandate to make a policy decision.Never mind the bailout plan the caretaker gov-ernment has silently accepted ‘in principle’ from

the IMF that will allow the fund to introducemajor restructuring of public sector enterprisesand banking sector. Because that is not a policydecision at all! At the same time, this governmenthas refused to try Musharraf, has failed figure outa fix to the electricity load-shedding, failed toprovide security to the former coalition partnerswho are clearly being targeted and has failed toimplement the decisions of the Supreme Courtfor the very elections it has taken up oath for.

Anyone else seeing the synchronizeddance here?

Naturally, amidst the government’s hesita-tion in drafting legislation and the ECP’s never-ending tantrums and foot dragging over theissue, it is no wonder that the case was closedless than 12 days before the election with the sadhope that maybe next time, expat Pakistaniswould not be so unlucky.

Meanwhile, let us remind ourselves of somekey facts about this very important group thathas been excluded from the electoral process.Overseas Pakistani workers are the secondlargest source of foreign exchange remittancesto Pakistan after exports and over the last severalyears, the foreign exchange remittances havemaintained a steady rising trend, with a recordedincrease of 21.8 percent from $6.4 million in2007‐08 to $7.8 million during 2008‐09. In2009‐10, Pakistanis sent home $9.4 billion, the11th largest in the world. By 2012, Pakistan in-creased its ranking to 10th in the world for re-mittances sent home at $13 billion per annum.

The right to vote from abroad is establishedin about 115 countries, according to a reportfrom 2007 by the Institute of InternationalDemocracy and Electoral Assistance. In 2005Iraq national elections, the country voting pro-gram allowed voting in 36 cities and 14 coun-tries through external polling stations. Indonesia,which allows for a mixed procedure of personal,postal, and proxy voting to its expats had a costof $6 million only in the 2004 general elections.

Why overseas Pakistanis were turned downfrom voting in this election, no one knows. Wasit because the PTI has a strong internationalvoter base? It would not have mattered; the PTI’schances of a sweeping victory in Pakistan arevery few when it is competing with so manymainstream political parties with much moreseasoned politicians.

It is important that this case not be forgottenfor the next elections, as it is too late for any-thing to be done now. The ECP, then, must beheld accountable if it fails the Pakistani commu-nity abroad once again. But then again, there arefive years more to go and we might only knowin 2018, ten days before the election, if the pol-icy of exclusion is to be maintained.

The writer is Web Editor at Pakistan Todayand tweets @aimamk

Denied: 9.1 per cent of Pakistan’s overall voter base

AIMA KHOSA

overseas voter’s rights #Ecpfail

WAjID SHAMSUL HASAN

Running with the democratic hare,hunting with the Taliban hounds

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arts

Asaturday, 4 May, 2013

12In the depth of winter I finallylearned that there was in me aninvincible summer. –Albert Camus

Aishwarya, Sonam, Freida to walk Cannes red carpet

NEWS DESK

t HE Los Angeles Times reports that LindsayLohan violated her probation by leavingMorningside Recovery on Thursday, whereshe was to begin 90 days of court-ordered

treatment. Deputy Santa Monica city attorney TerryWhite said that he learned Lohan spent just a fewminutes at the Orange County rehab facility beforeleaving. "Ms. Lohan is in violation of her probation,that much is clear," said White, who added he didn'tknow Lohan's whereabouts. Meanwhile, a sourcetold Us Weekly that she left the facility because "shefelt Morningside was not suitable for her. There weretoo many paparazzi everywhere and she didn't feelsafe. Nobody close to her is happy about this. Theythink she's really not being smart." On Thursdaymorning, Lohan's attorney Mark Heller told LA Su-perior Court Judge James Dabney that his client wascurrently checked into rehab at Morningside Recov-ery in Newport Beach, California, and that therapy"is under immediate commencement." However, ac-cording to multiple reports, Lohan is not in rehab(SplashNews even photographed the troubled starletshopping at a Southern California electronics store).The New York Daily News claims the "Mean Girls"actress is currently on her way to LAX to catch aflight back to New York City. "If there's credible

confirmation she's heading back to New York,then I'm going to have to go in and askthe court to issue a warrant,” DeputySanta Monica City Attorney TerryWhite told the publication.Michael Lohan has confirmedto Radar Online that hisdaughter already left Morn-ingside: “I have no otherchoice than to get this outthere to help Lindsay.” Sowhy did the 26-year-old ac-tress bail, knowing she couldface jail time? "[Lindsay] wentshopping at an electronicsstore then she was on the(rehab center) property for acouple minutes but got spooked bythe paparazzi,” a source allegedlyaware of Lohan’s movements toldthe New York Daily News. “Shewas saying, 'I'm not going torehab. I'm not going to rehab.Take me back to the airport.” “Ifthat’s the case I have been toldthat she will be arrested in NewYork and her bail will be set at$100,000," Michael Lohan told

Radar Online. The drama began Thursdaymorning when Lohan checked into Morn-

ingside rather than Seafield Center inWesthampton Beach, New York, arehab approved by the prosecution.

White said this morning that hisoffice would investigate whetherMorningside falls under theperimeters of the plea agreement.

The recovery center in questionis not even licensed to provide

alcohol or drug rehab treat-ment, a state official toldCNN. However, Mary

Helen Beatificato, thechief executive officer ofMorningside, denied thisto the LA Times, sayingthat was "completelyfalse." Beatificato alsosaid treatment is con-ducted by licensed cli-

nicians at a6,300-square-footstate-certified clinic

and not at sober-livinghomes in Newport Beachand Costa Mesa.

NEWS DESK

Aishwarya Rai, Sonam Kapoorand Freida Pinto will sportBollywood inspired looks as theywalk down the red carpet at the66th Cannes Film Festival,where India is the guest countrythis year. With the festival De Cannescelebrating 100 years of IndianCinema this year, L'Oreal Paris ofwhich the three stars are brandambassadors, will commemoratethe occasion with a make-upcollection paying tribute toBollywood. Aishwarya will be making her12th consecutive appearancethis year. The 39-year-oldactress will also be the guest ofhonour at a special eveningcelebrating 100 years of IndianCinema at Cannes, besideswalking the red carpet. "It is great to see the Indian filmindustry being celebrated andhonoured on the occasion of its100th anniversary at aninternationally respectedplatform like the Cannes FilmFestival. This truly signifies theimpact made by India on worldcinema," said Aishwarya, whowill be at the festival on May 19

and 20th. Actress Sonam Kapoor is alsoexcited about her third visit toCannes. She will be present atthe opening ceremony ofFestival de Cannes on May 15and also walk the red carpet theday after. "This is the first time I will bepart of the opening ceremonyand I am extremely excited.Cannes is celebrating IndianCinema this year and I havenever been more proud to be apart of this creative industry. Ihope that the Bollywood inspiredmakeup looks we don this yearat Cannes will make global stylestatements," she said. Sonam will be accompanied byanother Indian beauty FreidaPinto on the red carpet on dayone. "I am very glad to see that Indiais getting a lot of recognition atglobal platforms such as Cannes.Indian Cinema has come a longway and is making atremendous impactinternationally and the new andyoung crop of indie andalternative filmmakers aredefinitely game changers towatch out for," the 'SlumdogMillionaire' star said.

lindsay lohan leaves courtordered rehab, could face arrest

Amanda Bynesposts toplessphotos on twitter

NEWS DESK

The list of strange things Amanda Byneshas done just got a little longer. OnWednesday, the 25-year-old tweeted a se-ries of topless photos of herself in racyblack undergarments, which might havebeen sexy if taken out of context. But think-ing about what's come before it, well, it justseems a little sad. In the last year, Byneshas been arrested for DUI and other reck-less driving offenses, reportedly locked her-self in a dressing room for nearly twohours, and has posted plenty of seriouslystrange tweets. Bynes talked about wantingDrake to "murder" her lady parts and suingmedia outlets that wrote about her exploits,and showed off changes to her appearance,such as piercing her cheeks and shaving oneside of her head via pics on the social mediasite. Still, the "What I Like About You" ac-tress has continued to insist that all is wellwith her. "I have no clue why people sayI'm insane," Bynes told In Touch this week."Every time I've heard it, it came from anugly person's mouth, so I don't care."

NEWS DESK

Massive chaos, ugly clashes andwomen being pushed around... thismarked Salman Khan's visit toboth Chandigarh and Ludhianaon Thursday. The 'Dabangg' star,who was on a visit to the stateto launch his charity merchan-dise stores in the two cities, toofaced the fury of the crowd ashe was shoved and cornered de-spite 100 odd security men, in-cluding his own entourageheaded by loyalist, Shera. Thecommotion first started in the

morning at Silver Arch mall inLudhiana. Despite a large posse of

security staff cordoning off the mall en-trance, thousands sneaked in.

A woman associated with the event, de-manding anonymity, said, "Even the staffwasn't spared and some of them were man-handled. Windows were smashed and thingsgot normal only after Sallu left." When con-tacted Tejinder Singh Teji, event coordinator,said, "Despite assurances from the mall man-agement and owner Ajay Nayar in Ludhianathat every outlet and entry to the venue willstay shut till 2 pm, nothing happened." Sallu'ssecurity head Shera said, "I don't know whatand how this happened. This was not ex-pected." In Chandigarh, the situation turnedugly after Salman turned up at Elante Mall.Bouncers could not stop the crowd and had ascuffle with them. A lady journalist was

knocked on the floor by the overpoweringcrowd. Even security men came to blowswith invitees and people screamed for help.

According to sources, excessive invita-tions to people and a public announcementof Salman's visit led to chaos. Chandigarhpolice said, "We were told that it will be anormal gathering, there will not be morethan 500 people. But it became so big."

Inspector Narinder Patial, SHO of thearea said, "So far, we have not received anycomplaint regarding manhandling."Sources say the police are looking into thematter and will carry out a probe. Salmanstruggled to get out of the venue and wasseen losing his cool. "What is this? Con-trol," he told one of the enthusiasts. Peopleeven broke barricades to enter into the mall.

salman Khan’s visit createschaos, crowd manhandled

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COURTESY THE WASHINGTON POST

AS in his lifetime, William Gaddis(1922-98) remains a shadowyfigure in 20th-century American

fiction. When his first book, “TheRecognitions,” appeared in 1955, thecritics ignored, dismissed ormisunderstood it. Two decades thenpassed before Gaddis produced a secondnovel, “J R” (1975), which won theNational Book Award. In those yearsbetween, “The Recognitions” graduallycame to be valued by many seriousreaders as the secret masterpiece of ourtime. In its vision of universal forgery,fakery and inauthenticity, in nearly 1,000pages packed with arcane learning out ofJ.G. Frazer’s “The Golden Bough” andRobert Graves’s “The White Goddess,”Gaddis, it was argued, had produced theAmerican counterpart to “Ulysses” or“The Magic Mountain.”Some readers regard “J R” — told largelyin dialogue — as an even greater book.Gaddis himself thought so. It focuses ona mysterious mogul, a real wheeler-dealer, who is in fact an 11-year-old boywith a flair for playing the market. Afterthis dizzying accounting of money andbusiness in American life, Gaddis brought

out a somewhat perfunctory short novel(“Carpenter’s Gothic,” 1985), thenreturned to form in “A Frolic of His Own”(1994), a satirical look at the law, inwhich everyone ends up suing everyoneelse. It collected another National BookAward. In 2002, four years after hisdeath, there appeared the novella-length“Agape Agape” — about, as he writes inone of these letters, “measurement &quantification as indexing thencedictating order & performance” — and acollection of occasional pieces, namedafter its great essay on failure, “The Rushfor Second Place.”This potted summary of William Gaddis’scareer is offered mainly out of asuspicion, a fear, really, that his work is— to paraphrase the closing lines of “TheRecognitions” — still spoken of, when it isnoted, with high regard, though seldomread. His three masterpieces are each toolong to be part of an ordinary collegeEnglish course. They are reputed to beoff-puttingly dense and demanding(though they are also enormously funny).And, most shocking, they seem to go inand out of print. At this moment “TheRecognitions” is available only as an e-book, while used copies of its most recentpaperback edition are priced at oddly

extravagant sums.Nonetheless, Gaddis has always beenlucky in his readers and supporters.These range from the innovative novelistsDavid Markson and William Gass to theeditor of this collection of his letters,Steven Moore, who annotates them inmeticulous and invariably illuminatingdetail. A frequent reviewer for TheWashington Post, Moore is our leadingauthority on Gaddis, having published ashort critical biography, a reader’s guideto “The Recognitions” and severalimportant essays on the writer’s friendsand contemporaries.For the most part, Gaddis’s letters aren’twhat you might call literary. They arewritten mainly to his mother, a fewlifelong buddies, his agents and studentsof his work asking for information. (Thoseanswering inquiries from the young Mooreare by far the best.) A few are addressedto youthful girlfriends, many to hissecond wife, Judith, and to his childrenSarah and Matthew. Gaddis hardly everalludes to his current reading or writing.We learn little more than that he makesoutlines, scribbles lots of notes, engagesin intense but somewhat haphazardresearch and needs years to finish a workto his satisfaction.

13Artssaturday, 4 May, 2013

A

I never cut class. I loved getting A's, I liked being

smart. I liked being on time. I thought being smart is

cooler than anything in the world. –Michelle Obama

the letters of william Gaddis,’reviewed by Michael Dirda

NEWS DESK

There's an unbreakable bond that formswhen two lifelong friends cross thecrucible of sudden fame together asteenagers. That was the message in anemotional note released by ChrisSmith, the other half of 1990s hip-hopduo Kris Kross, the day after his part-ner Chris Kelly was found dead onWednesday of a suspected drug over-dose.

"Chris Kelly was my best friend.He was like a brother," wrote Smith,known as Mac Daddy, in a statement,according to E! Online. "I love him andwill miss him dearly. Our friendshipbegan as little boys in first grade. Wegrew up together. It was a blessing toachieve the success, travel the worldand entertain Kris Kross fans allaround the world with my best friend.It is what we wanted to do and whatbrought us happiness. I will alwayscherish the memories of the C-Connec-tion.” The Fulton County Medical Ex-

aminer completed an autopsy on thebody of Kelly, 34, on Thursday that

showed no signs of trauma or foul play,but was inconclusive. Though a drug

overdose is suspected, an official causeof death will not be determined for sev-eral weeks as officials await the resultsof toxicology tests.

In a police report on the incidentobtained by MTV News, officers de-scribe arriving at Kelly's home at 5:45pm on Wednesday in response to a re-port of a death. Paramedics foundKelly lying unresponsive on the livingroom couch with "no life signs." Aftermoving him to the floor to administerCPR, they transported him to AtlantaMedical Center South, where Kelly,one-half of the Atlanta-based duo bestknown for their 1992 smash "Jump,"was pronounced dead a short time later.

According to the report, Kelly'smother, Donna Kelly Pratte, spoke tothe investigating officer and said thatChris had taken a mixture of heroinand cocaine the night before. In the re-port, Pratte said she had brought Kellyhome to "recover from his drug use andthat he had done this several times inthe past."

Chris Kelly’s Kris Kross partnermourns death of best friend, ‘brother’

NEWS DESK

fARAH Khan’s much awaited project ‘Happy New Year’, whichhad been put on hold for a long time, is making headlines onceagain. Buzz had it that the 48-year-old director had approachedAishwarya Rai Bachchan to star opposite Shah Rukh Khan in thefilm in question. But the light-eyed beauty has reportedly re-

jected the offer. According to DNA, Ash was not quite okay with theidea of being paired opposite someone else, as the film also stars herreal life husband Abhishek Bachchan. “Yes, the film was offered toAishwarya, and ideally she might have considered it, but the film alsostars her hubby Abhishek Bachchan, and he isn’t paired opposite her.That was her reservation. She believes that if they come together in afilm, they should be paired opposite each other, else the audience mightreject the film,” a source close to Ash said.

Why AishWAryAturnED DoWn‘hAppy nEW yEAr’?

ryan goslingspotted directingnew film

NEWS DESK

The hunky Hollywood star was caught on setof How to Catch a Monster in Detroit, Mich.,but instead of doing his usual thing in front ofthe camera, Gosling was behind the scenes,making his directorial debut. And it lookedlike things were going well, since The Goswas snapped flashing a bright smile—that, orhe was making lovey-dovey faces at his girl-friend Eva Mendes, who is also in the film.Mad Men's Christina Hendricks stars in thefantasy flick, which centers on a single motherof two (Hendricks) named Billy, who lives in avanishing city and is brought into a dark un-derworld when her son discovers a road thatleads to an underwater village and one excit-ing adventure. The actress was very flatteredto be given the role, and exclaimed during aninterview with Flare magazine that she doesn'twant to let Gosling down. "[Ryan] called meand asked me if I was interested in doing thisfilm, and I said: 'One, of course, yes, and two,why me? And three, I don't want to disappointyou. It's the largest role I've ever had, so this isone I'm definitely aware of my anxiety about."She added, "You don't want to disappoint thepeople who have put their trust in you."

Jeff hannemandead: slayerguitarist dies at 49

NEWS DESK

Iconic heavy metal guitarist Jeff Hanneman oflegendary band Slayer died of liver failure onThursday, May 2. He was 49. "Slayer is dev-astated to inform that their bandmate andbrother, Jeff Hanneman, passed away at about11 a.m. this morning near his Southern Cali-fornia home. He was 49," a rep for the bandtold Us Weekly in a statement. "Hannemanwas in an area hospital when he suffered liverfailure. He is survived by his wife Kathy, hissister Kathy and his brothers Michael andLarry, and will be sorely missed." Hannemanand fellow metal great Kerry King foundedtheir band in 1981 and made waves in themusic scene with hits like "Angel of Death"and "Raining Blood." Their third album,Reign in Blood, solidified their standing in themetal world as one of the genre's "Big 4,"along with Metallica, Megadeth and Anthrax.

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WASHINGTON

AgENCIES

PLAYING videogames canprevent and even reverse de-teriorating brain functionssuch as memory, reasoningand visual processing, ac-

cording to a study released Wednesday.The University of Iowa study of hundredsof people age 50 and older found that thosewho played a videogame were able toimprove a range of cognitiveskills, and reverse upto seven years ofage-related de-clines. “Weknow thatwe cans t o pt h i sd e -clinea n dac-

tually restore cognitive processing speedto people,” said Fredric Wolinsky, a Uni-versity of Iowa professor of public healthand lead author of the paper published inthe journal PLOS One. “So, if we knowthat, shouldn’t we be helping people? It’sfairly easy, and older folks can go get thetraining game and play it.” The study is thelatest in a series of research projects exam-ining why people, as they age, lose “exec-utive function” of the brain, which is

needed for memory, attention,

perception and problem solving. Wolinskyand colleagues separated 681 generallyhealthy patients in Iowa into four groups.Each of those was split into segments withpeople 50 to 64 years of age and those overage 65. One group was given comput-erised crossword puzzles, while three othergroups were asked to play a videogamecalled “Road Tour,” which revolvesaround identifying a type of vehicle dis-played fleetingly on a license plate. Partic-

ipants were asked to re-identifythe vehicle type and

match it with aroad sign

d i s -

played from a circular array of possibili-ties. The player must succeed at least threeout of every four tries to advance to thenext level, which speeds up the vehicleidentification and adds more distractions.“The game starts off with an assessment todetermine your current speed of process-ing. Whatever it is, the training can helpyou get about 70 per cent faster,” Wolinskysaid. The groups that played the game atleast 10 hours, either at home or in a lab atthe university, gained at least three yearsof cognitive improvement when testedafter one year. A group that got four addi-tional hours of training with the game dideven better, improving their cognitive abil-ities by four years, according to the study.“We not only prevented the decline (incognitive abilities), we actually sped themup,” Wolinsky said. The key appeared tolie in improving the brain’s processingspeed, which can also widen one’s field ofview. “As we get older, our visual fieldcollapses on us,” Wolinsky explained. “Weget tunnel vision. It’s a normal functioningof aging. This helps to explain why mostaccidents happen at intersections becauseolder folks are looking straight ahead andare less aware of peripherals.” The studybuilds on research begun in the 1990son efforts to improve memory, reason-ing and visual processing speed. Theresearchers found those who played“Road Tour” scored far better thanthe crossword puzzle group in func-tions such as concentration, nimble-ness with shifting from one mentaltask to another and the speed atwhich new information isprocessed. The improvementranged from 1.5 years to nearlyseven years in cognitive improve-ment, the study found. “It’s the ‘useit or lose it’ phenomenon,” Wolinsky

said. “Age-related cognitive decline isreal, it’s happening and it starts earlier

and then continues steadily. The goodnews is we can do something about it.”

InFotaInMent

ISaturday, 4 May, 2013

14

suiciDEs risEAmong BAByBoomErs

google glass is just too dorkyLooking through the images on the White MenWearing Google Glass Tumblr has convinced MarcusWohlsen that the much-touted glasses have a lot incommon with Segways, Bluetooth headsets, andpocket protectors. "They're all too dorky to live,"Wohlsen writes in Wired. In theory, all theseproducts seem useful, but we eschew them basedon intangible factors—either because they're justsomehow irrationally lame (Segway), or becausethey send bad social signals (Bluetooth headsets).There's no getting around it, "walking around with acamera mounted on the side of your face at all timesmakes you look dorky," writes Wohlsen. It'sinherently antisocial, separating you from the peoplearound you. The hype surrounding it "is whathappens when important tech people spend a littletoo much time congratulating each other." Thefuture definitely includes wearable tech, but onelook at that Tumblr is evidence enough "to transformthe hypothesis 'Google Glass is too dorky tosucceed' into a proven scientific theory." NEWS DESK

Buffett gets 100k twitterfollowers in 2 hoursWarren Buffett has made the day'sbiggest splash on Twitter with hisfirst-ever tweet at 12:20 declaringthat "Warren is in the house," reportsTheStreet. Two hours later, he hadmore than 100,000 followers, withthe number growing quickly. It's quitea jump for a man who a few yearsback said he didn't know how to check his voicemail,notes the Wall Street Journal. The move comesahead of Berkshire Hathaway's annual shareholdersmeeting this weekend. And in honor of the occasion,Business Insider rounds up some of Buffett's bestlines. Click for Buffett's column today on what hethinks is the key to American prosperity. NEWS DESK

videogames slow, reverse‘mental decay’: study

The Pentagon on Thursday clearedBlackBerry and Samsung mobiledevices for use on Defence Depart-ment networks, a step toward open-ing up the military to a wide varietyof technology equipment makerswhile still ensuring communicationssecurity. Lieutenant Colonel DamienPickart, a Pentagon spokesman, saidthe department cleared the use ofBlackBerry 10 smart phones andBlackBerry PlayBook tablets usingits Enterprise Service 10 system, aswell as Samsung’s Android Knox.“This is a significant step towards

establishing a multi-vendor environ-ment that supports a variety of state-of-the-art devices and operatingsystems,” Pickart said in a state-ment. The Pentagon said onWednesday it also expected to clearApple mobile devices using the iOS6 system at some point in early May.The move to open up Defense De-partment networks is expected to setthe stage for an intensified strugglefor Pentagon customers amongBlackBerry devices, Apple’siPhones or iPads and units usingGoogle’s Android platform such as

Samsung Electronics’ phones. ThePentagon currently has some600,000 users of smart phones, com-puter tablets and other mobile de-vices. The department has 470,000BlackBerry users, 41,000 Appleusers and 8,700 people with Androiddevices. Most Apple and Androidsystems are in pilot or test programs.The move to open up the networksto a broader array of mobile devicesis part of a Pentagon effort to ensurethe military has access to the latestcommunications technology withoutlocking itself in to a particular

equipment vendor. To ensuresecurity, mobile devices andoperating systems go througha security review process ap-proved by the Defense Infor-mation Systems Agency. Oncetheir Security Technical Im-plementation Guide – or STIG– is reviewed and approved,the devices can be used on thenetwork. Pickart said the deci-sion on Thursday did not re-sult in product orders. But itwill enable user groups withinthe Pentagon to purchase thedevices most appropriate fortheir work as the need arises.“We are pleased to add Black-berry 10 and the SamsungKnox version of Android toour family of mobile devicessupporting the Department ofDefense,” he said. “We lookforward to additional vendors

also participating inthis process.” AgENCIES

Don't find fault,

find a remedy.

–Henry Ford

Suicide rates jumped 28% among 35-to 64-year-old Americans between1999 and 2010, a CDC report finds.The figure climbed from 13.7 per100,000 people to 17.6 per 100,000.Among middle-aged men, there were27.3 suicides per 100,000, comparedto 8.1 among women, the New YorkTimes notes. In 2010, some 38,000people committed suicide, more thanthe 35,000 who died in car accidents,NPR reports—even as suicides are"vastly underreported," says anexpert. There are a number ofpossible reasons for the increase,according to the CDC. One is theeconomic downturn. Another is theease with which baby boomers canobtain prescription painkillers, theTimes notes. It's also possible thatbaby boomers are simply continuing agenerational trend: They had a highersuicide rate as teenagers than didearlier generations of teens. The rateof suffocation—largely throughhanging—climbed more than anyother suicide method, the reportfound, though firearm use and poisonwere up, too. NEWS DESK

my yEAr WithoutthE intErnEt Samsung, Blackberry devices cleared

for use on US defence networks

Tech writer Paul Miller just spent 12months going cold turkey from theInternet. He thought it would make hislife happier. More productive. More"real." "I was wrong," he admits on theVerge. "My goal, as a technologywriter, would be to discover what theinternet had done to me over theyears." writes Miller of theexperiment's noble goals. "I wouldn'tjust become a better human, I wouldhelp us all to become better humans.Once we understood the ways in whichthe internet was corrupting us, wecould finally fight back." At first, goingoffline did make his life better, he says.He lost weight, churned out articles,wrote half a novel, and read Greekliterature. "Those first months felt sogood because I felt the absence of thepressures of the internet," he writes."My freedom felt tangible." But oncebeing unwired became the norm, hefell back into old habits, finding otherways to procrastinate and becomingincreasingly isolated from the world.What he learned, he says, is that theInternet doesn't exist in isolation fromsociety or genuine human interactions."The internet isn't an individualpursuit, it's something we do with eachother," he writes. "The internet iswhere people are." NEWS DESK

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sPorts

Ssaturday, 4 May, 2013

15Maybe they must reconsider 4pmgames in Chennai. My word someonewill die soon! — Albie Morkel

LAHORE

STAFF REPORT

THE International CricketCouncil (ICC) has approvedthe new constitution of thePakistan Cricket Board(PCB), which was drafted

jointly by the board and the government.As a consequence of the new

constitution, PCB will now becomeindependent of government interventionand turn into a democratic institutionwhose chairman will not be appointed butelected by its governing board.

This came after the ICC had given adeadline to all cricketing boards todemocratize their constitutions to ensure

that they become independent ofgovernment interference.

Praising the new constitution, ICCpresident Alan Isaac had said that he isimpressed by the efforts of PCB chairmanMohammad Zaka Ashraf, the entire boardand the government for producing aconstitution which makes the process ofelecting its chairman more democratic.

According to Isaac, the newconstitution also reduces the risk ofinappropriate government interference inline with ICC`s constitutional provisions.

Among the three Asian nations ofIndia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, whom ICCdirected to amend its constitution,Pakistan has become the first to complywith ICC`s deadline of June 30.

pcB constitution fulfilsicc provision: isaac

NEW YORK

AgENCIES

The boxer who pummelled opponents with hiswords as well as with his fast fists rarely talksthese days, and his dazzling footwork is amemory frozen on video tape and in the mindsof millions of admirers.

But the spirit and sparkle in 71-year-oldMuhammad Ali’s eyes live on through a30-year struggle against the effectsof Parkinson’s disease, whichhas stricken about one millionin the United States and sixmillion worldwide.

His daughter,Maryum (May May)Ali, said the man whofamously dubbedhimself “The Greatest”gets a big kick fromwatching old footage ofhimself.

“That’s his favouritepastime. He loves to watchhimself. He loves it,” May Maytold Reuters in an interview on theeve of the annual Parkinson’s Unity Walk toadvance awareness and education that drewthousands to Central Park on Saturday.

“It brings him joy, because he’s not thatperson any more but he can live through hisold self. He loves to watch his fights. I love towatch him watching.”

Ali was ranked among the 20 mostinfluential Americans ever last year by TimeMagazine for his humanitarianism and theinspiration he provided to people around theglobe.

While he has battled Parkinson’s, aprogressive disorder in which dopamine levelsin the brain decline affecting messages tonerves controlling movement andcoordination, May May champions efforts tohelp educate and promote research into thedisease.

“He has 24-hour care and he needsassistance,” May May, at 45 the oldest of his

nine children, said noting that hiscondition had worsened over the

last three years. “His speechisn’t that great.

“But my father chillsout. He watches the SuperBowl, and he getsmassages. When I govisit him it’s like a littlesabbatical with him.I’m like chilling outwith him.”

A former rapper andcomedian, an author and

social activist, May Maybears a strong resemblance to

her father with her bright eyes,round face, pronounced cheekbones

and spirit to match.She sounds just like the great man himself

when she lapses into some of his familiarpatter, before reminiscing about his difficulttimes after first showing symptoms.

“I tell you what was hard for him. It washard to go out and hear people talking abouthim,” she said. “Because he was proud and hedidn’t want people feeling sorry for him,because I think he felt better than what theythought he looked like.”

Maintaining family life was important, she

said, which led her sister, Rasheda Ali, to writea book called ‘I’ll Hold Your Hand So YouWon’t Fall’. “It’s actually a children’s book forparents to know how to teach their kids aboutParkinson’s.”

“My father’s grandchildren thought mydad was sad or depressed, or didn’t like themor didn’t want to play, but it was just his face,”May May said.

“It’s called the Parkinson’s mask, wherethe muscles in the face droop in a stoic lookwhere you don’t look like you have anyemotion.

“His grandkids had watched old footageof him talking, acting crazy, rhyming,bragging... now they see him and they think‘he’s mad at us’. She (Rasheda) told them,‘look at his eyes, see how much fun he’shaving’.”

“We saw slurring of the speech andslowness while he was (still) boxing,” saidMay May. “So there’s a really good chance thathe had it much earlier than when he wasdiagnosed (in 1984).

“We were thinking that whatever he hadwas from boxing because other boxers haveslurred speech.”

She said her father was never in denialover his condition.

“He was like ‘something’s happening’ andhe was trying to figure it out. He was dealingwith it.

“The optimism he had, predicting roundsand calling the knockout and saying he wasbeautiful and standing up for his faith... he wasalways confident and optimistic. That was kindof how he was with his disease, too.

“He’s the kind of guy that pushed his bodyto the limit. If boxing and what he went

through in his career didn’t put him down, hewas not letting shaky hands stop him fromgoing out. That’s just his make-up.”

Ali continued to travel the world fordecades.

“He still travels,” she said. “He has threehomes - in his hometown of Louisville, inMichigan and in Arizona in the winter. You stillsee him at baseball games sometimes.

“He lives,” she said. “His spirit is still thesame.”

May May said Ali communicates with hiseyes, with his arms, and by “knocking”,illustrating by clicking the roof of her mouthwith her tongue. “I guess that’s from hisAfrican roots.

“It hasn’t been super sad for me untilmaybe the past three years because we have

the education and understanding of it. That’severything, because you’re able to enjoy themthe way they are.”

May May said her father never lookedback after finally leaving the ring. “He alwaysfelt boxing was a means to an end. And thatend was to help and serve others.”

She said Ali, who refused to fight in theVietnam War as a conscientious objectorfollowing his conversion to Islam, grew moreand more spiritual.

Ali had his world championship title takenaway and his boxing licenses revoked beforethe US Supreme Court overturned hisconviction for his refusing induction.

“I think if he hadn’t got Parkinson’s hewould be an Imam,” May May said, projectingher father as a Muslim spiritual leader.

Ali loves to watch the old Ali: daughter

spray fliesfrom the head of

challenger Joe Frazier, left,as heavyweight champion

Muhammad ali connects with aright in the ninth round of their

title fight in Manila,philippines, in 1975. ali won

the fight on a decisionto retain the title

SYDNEY

AgENCIES

Australia paceman Mitchell Starc is well on his wayback to fitness and has warned England not to write offthe tourists’ chances of wrenching back the Ashes inJuly and August.

The tall left-armer, who left Australia’s calamitoustour of India early to have surgery on his ankle, isexpected to play a key role in the first of two Ashesseries this year on

England’s swing-friendly pitches.Selected for the tour alongside fellow quicks James

Pattinson, Ryan Harris, Peter Siddle and Jackson Bird,Starc will form part of a bowling unit expected to haveto play out of their skins to make up for Australia’sfragile batting.

England won the last series convincingly 3-1 inAustralia in 2010/11 and are strong favourites to retainthe urn on home soil, especially after the Australianswere drubbed 4-0 in India.

Starc, however, is confident his first Ashes actionwill not be in a losing cause.

“Obviously they’re pretty confident at the momentwith some of the things I’ve been hearing,” the 23-year-

old told Sydney’s Daily Telegraph.“We’ll go in as underdogs, but we’ll take that tag

and run with it. We have a good chance to show our

doubters how good we can be and come back with thaturn.

“We’re going over to win, there’s no other reasonwe’re going over. We’ve had our doubters, but we’ll goover to win and we’ll compete very strongly.”

Starc made his international debut in a one-dayeragainst India in Visakhapatnam in October 2010 butbone spurs in the same ankle prevented him fromplaying any part in the Ashes and limited overs WorldCup that Australian summer.

Having had a second operation on the joint inMarch, Starc is confident he will be firing on allcylinders come June’s Champions Trophy, whichprecedes the Ashes series in England. “I’ve got morerange in it now than I have had for three or four yearssince my first operation,” Starc added of the ankle.

“It’s feeling good and I’m easing back into it, butstarting to ramp it up now with bowling next week. I’vestill got a couple of weeks up my belt to be ready to gofor that first game in England.

“It’s all been in the gym and fitness work andgetting right to run again, but hopefully I’ll bowl nextweek off a few steps. (I’m) taking a pretty aggressiveapproach on it, but I’m feeling good and I’m sure it willhold up.”

saleh becomesfirst Afghan to winAsian snooker title

KARACHI: Saleh Mohammad on Fridaybecame the first Afghan to win theamateur Asian snooker title, expressinghope that his victory would lift the game inthe war-ravaged country. The 40-year-old,who also represented Pakistan at aregional and world level from 1988 to2006, beat Syria’s Omar al Kojah 7-2 in aone-sided final. “It’s a dream come true forme,” Mohammad told AFP. “I don’t know,but I can claim to be the first Afghan tobecome an Asian champion in any sportand it means a lot to my homeland wherethey clamour for a sporting title.” Pakistanorganised the 29th edition of the Asianchampionship despite a rise in violence inboth Karachi and the country at large.Mohammad, who lived in Pakistan formany years after becoming a refugee butin 2006 switched to representingAfghanistan, won a glittering trophy and$7,000. He now runs a snooker parlour inKabul and called on the government ofAfghan President Hamid Karzai toincreases its support for the game.“Snooker is gaining in popularity day byday… and can help divert youth from beinginvolved in unhealthy activity to a peacfuland rewarding game,” he said. AgENCIES

starc Ashes warning for england: Don’t write us off

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16The final detail is still being worked out but the general

principle is that for the next five years we can start a lot later

in December than we did this year — Mike McKenna,

LONDON

AgENCIES

RAVI Bopara’s Englandexile came to an end onFriday when the Essexallrounder was named in thehosts’ 15-man squad for

next month’s ICC Champions Trophy andthe preceding one-day series with NewZealand.

Bopara has not played a 50-overs-a-side international since September and thestylish batsman and handy medium-pacerhad not been selected in either of Englandone-day coach Ashley Giles’s two previoussquads in the format since the former testspinner took charge of the limited oversside. It seemed Bopara was fighting for hisinternational future but he edged out fellowallrounders Samit Patel, Luke Wright andRikki Clarke.

Bopara’s last four one-day internationalinnings saw him manage just 22 runs in totalat home to South Africa and he was omittedfrom the ODI squads for the recent tours ofIndia and New Zealand.

“He’s been given another opportunitybecause we know what he’s capable ofdoing,” England national selector GeoffMiller told Sky Sports.

“He’s got all assets to his game – there’sthe bowling aspect which has come on very,very well; batting-wise we know what he’scapable of doing and he’s very good in thefield as well. He adds strength to the squad,”the ex-England offspinner added.

Bopara’s inclusion aside, there werefew surprises, with offspinner GraemeSwann and seamer Tim Bresnan bothrecalled following elbow problems.

As expected, rising Yorkshire battingstar Joe Root was included with star stroke-maker Kevin Pietersen already ruled out ofthe Champions Trophy because of a kneeinjury.

Jos Buttler was given the chance tocement his claim to be England’s one-day

wicketkeeper, with test gloveman Matt Prioragain omitted from a limited overs squad.Jonny Bairstow will provide back-up withthe gloves, with the Yorkshireman aimingto force his way in as a specialist batsman.

The key contest for England fans and,though they won’t yet say so publicly,players and officials this season is the Ashestest series at home to Australia that followsthe Champions Trophy.

Miller insisted Englandwere not taking undue risksahead of their defence of theurn by selecting Swann,their leading spinner, andBresnan for the ChampionsTrophy.

“We take one series ata time. This is a very, verybig series for us becausewe’ve never won a 50-overtournament.

“Yes, we’ve got the Ashescoming up, but I’ve watchedboth Bresnan and Swann bowling,we’ve talked to them,the medical staffhave given them agood pass andwe’re veryconfidentthey cancomethroughthis.”

As for

Pietersen’sAshesavailability,

Miller said therehad been a “slight

improvement” in the SouthAfrica-born batsman’s knee injury

but added England were more than capableof coping without ‘KP’.

“He’s world-class and you want world-

class in your side, but it’s not to be on thisoccasion,” said Miller.

“We’re quietly confidentwe can do well, with or withoutKevin Pietersen.”

England have never won amajor 50-over tournament andthe three-time losing WorldCup finalists were beaten bythe West Indies at The Oval inthe climax of the lastChampions Trophy staged inEngland in 2004.

A side again set to becaptained by test skipperAlastair Cook play the first ofthree one-dayers against NewZealand at Lord’s on May 31before opening their

Champions Trophycampaign againstAustralia at Edgbastonon June 8.

SQUAD:Alastair Cook (capt), JamesAnderson, Jonny Bairstow, IanBell, Ravi Bopara, TimBresnan, Stuart Broad, JosButtler (wkt), Steven Finn,Eoin Morgan, Joe Root,

Graeme Swann, JamesTredwell, Jonathan Trott

(Warwickshire), Chris WoakesFixturesNatWest ODI Series v New ZealandMay 31: 1st ODI, Lord’sJune 02: 2nd ODI, Ageas Bowl,Southampton

June 03: 3rd ODI, Trent BridgeEngland’s ICC Champions Trophygroup matchesJune 08: v Australia, EdgbastonJune 13: v Sri Lanka, The OvalJune 16: v New Zealand,

Cardiff

BopArArecalled for champions trophy

CAPE TOWN

AgENCIES

Gary Kirsten may have learnt his cricketunder the tutelage of Duncan Fletcher, buthe is no carbon copy of the coach that tookhim under his wing since Kirsten’s studentdays at the University of Cape Town.

Instead of the suspicious demeanour ofall things media that Fletcher projectsbehind the shades (also the title of hisautobiography), Kirsten almost alwayssports an inviting smile at pressconferences.

However, at the announcement of theProteas’ 15-man squad for the ICCChampions Trophy at Newlands onThursday, even Kirsten could not help butfrown, with the lines around his eyeshardening up, when the inevitablequestion was posed about how SouthAfrica would handle the extra pressure atyet another major ICC tournament. TheProteas have gone 15 years withoutsuccess at a multi-team tournament,suffering some catastrophic exits duringthe intervening years. “That’s the mostasked question in South African cricket,and the only way I can answer that is thatwe have to cross the (winner’s) line,” saidKirsten firmly, before finding thatcontagious smile again.

“It’s something we are aware of andthe less you people (the media) talk aboutit, the less pressure there will be on us towin a trophy.

“Everybody asks ‘what’s the plan, howyou going to solve the scarring?’ Thebottom line is that there is no fancytechnique, you must just go out there andget on with it and do it. I believe that theplayers we have selected have the ability

to make a contribution in the most severeof conditions. Everyone of us has notcoped with something due to mentalfragility, but that is no excuse. We areaware of that responsibility and wewill do everything in ourpower to cross that line,”India’s World Cupwinning coachadded.

Kirsten will,though, embarkon this missionwithout hischief footsoldierJacquesKallis. CricketSouth Africaconfirmedearlier reports inThe Star thatKallis, 37, will missthe eight-teamjamboree in the UnitedKingdom due to “personalreasons” despite Kirsten being inconstant negotiations with the star all-rounder in the leadup to yesterday’s squadannouncement.

But every dark cloud is accompaniedby a rainbow, and the Proteas’ one came inthe form of JP Duminy, with the classyleft-hander returning to the side after a six-month absence due to a horror Achillesinjury suffered on South Africa’s Test tourof Australia last November. “It is big blow(Kallis’ absence) but this team hasprogressed to a level that we arecomfortable with whoever plays,” saidKirsten. “It does affect our combinationsbecause Kallis is two players in one, but if

he feels he is not ready for the tournamentthen we have to respect that,” he addedbefore commenting on Duminy’s return:“We are all excited about where he is (in

terms of his rehab). He is a keycomponent of the team and,

although we are not puttingtoo much pressure on him

to play, he hasprogressed well.”

Duminy onThursday that heshould be ready forSouth Africa’s twowarm-up games.The Proteas facethe Netherlands(May 31 inAmsterdam) and

Pakistan (June 3 atThe Oval in London)

before the much-anticipated tournament

opener against worldchampions India at Cardiff’s

Sophia Gardens on June 6.“I am ecstatic to be back in the green

and gold,” Duminy said while modellingSouth Africa’s new one-day kit. “I have beenout for a long time and it has almost mademe appreciate again what it means to pull onthis shirt. When you on the road as much aswe are, it sometimes becomes routine, but itis almost like a new beginning of sorts forme, and I am really hungry to play.”PRoteAS SQuAD

AB de Villiers (capt, wk), Hashim Amla,Farhaan Behardien, JP Duminy, Faf duPlessis, Colin Ingram, Rory Kleinveldt, RyanMcLaren, David Miller, Morné Morkel, RobinPeterson, Aaron Phangiso, Graeme Smith,Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe.

talk of ‘choking’ annoys Kirsten

WAllEr nAmED As zimBABWE coAchHARARE: Andy Waller has been named as Zimbabwe’s new cricket coach, taking overfrom Englishman Alan Butcher who departed after the recent tour to West Indies,Zimbabwe Cricket officials said on Friday. Waller will be assisted by Stephen Mangongo,who is the caretaker coach for the current home series against Bangladesh. Waller, 53, willstart his tenure with a home series against Pakistan in July. He played two Tests forZimbabwe against England in 1996 and 39 one-day internationals, including competing atthree World Cups. His coaching careers includes a spell in charge of Namibia’s nationalteam. AgENCIES

hAppilAc pAints honours fAisAlABAD WolvEslAHoRe: Happilac Paints organized a magnificent event at Sarena Hotel, Faisalabad tohonour the victorious Faisalabad Wolves which claimed the Super Eight T-20 Cup lastmonth. The event was attended by Faisalabad Wolves team players. DCO Faisalabad,Najam Ahmed Shah honored the event as the chief guest. Event was graced by KhawajaShahid Razzak Sikka (CEO Happilac Piants & President of Anjumane Tajran Faisalabad),Khawaja Khalid Razzak Sikka (Director Happialc Piants), Sajid Khalid Razzak Sikka(Director Happialc Piants), Besides, members of Faisalabad Chambers of Commerce &representatives of different business industries attended the event to honor, appreciatethe encourage the Faisalabad Wolves team victory. Ammad Khalid Sikka (Director Sales &Marketing, Happilac Paints) addressed the event & really appreciated the splendid victoryof team & assured of full support to encourage such proud moments in future days aswell. Faisalabad Wolves team players were awarded shields & gifts as a taken ofappreciation & encouragement. STAFF REPORT

shAh fAisAl WomEn in t20 crickEt finAl

lAHORE: Shah Faisal Women Cricket Club beat Lahore College to reach the final of theAll Pakistan Inter Club T-20 Women Cricket Tournament. Shah Faisal Club won the firstsemi-final by 9 wickets at Kannaird College Ground. Lahore College bating first 78/8 after20 overs. Fakhra Kazmi 23, Sidra Nawaz 21 and Zainab Riaz 10 Runs. Kinat Imtiazbowling well took three wickets for 16 runs, Maryam Hassan 2/7, Sabahat Rasheed 1/9,Nida Dar 1/10 and Ismavia 1/14 wickets. In reply Shah Faisal Club 80/1 after 10.4 overs.Zainab Riaz 32, Ayesha Qazi 44 runs not out and Saniya Khan 6 runs not out. MasoodKhan, Waleed Yaqoob Umpire and Abdul Hameed was the scorer. Later chief guest CEOAmar Cables Amir Ilyas Butt gave away the player of the match award to Ayesha Qazi andKainat Imtiaz jointly. Miss Nosheen Hanif and Ahsan Amir Butt also present on theoccasion. STAFF REPORT

BULAWAYO

AgENCIES

Bangladesh came out on top by makingfewer mistakes, and ended up crushingZimbabwe by 121 runs. The home sidefell into a sink-hole of wickets in themiddle order, from which they neverrecovered.

The material differences between thetwo teams were Nasir Hossain’s timely68, which rescued Bangladesh from theirown middle-order implosion, and ZiaurRahman’s five wickets, which damagedthe Zimbabwe middle-order badly. It alsohelped Rahman bring down his bowlingaverage.

It was Brendan Taylor’s dismissal for33 that saw the home side slip from 78for two in the 15th over to 148 all out in32.1 overs.

Taylor had his offstump rattled byRazzak after batting confidently for 37deliveries. After a short partnership, SeanWilliams was run out after somehesitation with his partner HamiltonMasakadza, who fell for a promising 38soon after. He was Ziaur Rahman’s firstwicket of the day, before the Bangladeshbowler dismissed Elton Chigumbura andProsper Utseya in quick succession.

Chigumbura played a slog off histhird ball, while Mominul Haque took acatch to remove Utseya for a duck.

Television replays of Utseya’s dismissalweren’t conclusive as the umpires wentto the third-umpire for a decision.

nasir, Ziaurscript massivevictory forBangladesh

BANgLADESH inningsTamim Iqbal c †Taylor b SW Masakadza 27Mohammad Ashraful c Utseya b SW Masakadza 29Mominul Haque c †Taylor b Chatara 38Mushfiqur Rahim*† c †Taylor b SW Masakadza 5Shakib Al Hasan run out (Waller) 1Nasir Hossain c Waller b Panyangara 68Mahmudullah b SW Masakadza 36ziaur Rahman c Chakabva b Chatara 12Abdur Razzak not out 16Shafiul Islam not out 1EXTRAS (b 5, lb 13, w 18) 36TOTAL 269DID NOT BAT Robiul IslamFALL OF WICKETS 1-65 (Tamim Iqbal, 13.4 ov), 2-75(Mohammad Ashraful, 15.4 ov), 3-92 (Mushfiqur Rahim, 21.1ov), 4-94 (Shakib Al Hasan, 21.5 ov), 5-170 (Mominul Haque,36.2 ov), 6-214 (Nasir Hossain, 43.1 ov), 7-237 (ziaur Rahman,46.1 ov), 8-263 (Mahmudullah, 49.2 ov)BOWLINgTL Chatara 10-0-48-2, T Panyangara 10-1-49-1, E Chigumbura5-0-24-0, SW Masakadza 10-0-51-4, P Utseya 10-0-48-0, HMasakadza 4-0-24-0, MN Waller 1-0-7-0, zIMBABWE inningsH Masakadza lbw b ziaur Rahman 38RW Chakabva b Shafiul Islam 1Sikandar Raza b Shafiul Islam 3BRM Taylor*† b Abdur Razzak 33SC Williams run out (Abdur Razzak/†Mushfiqur Rahim) 10MN Waller b ziaur Rahman 19E Chigumbura b ziaur Rahman 0P Utseya c Mominul Haque b ziaur Rahman 0Masakadza lbw b Robiul Islam 33T Panyangara lbw b ziaur Rahman 0TL Chatara not out 0EXTRAS (lb 2, w 7, nb 2) 11TOTAL 148FALL OF WICKETS 1-4 (Chakabva, 1.4 ov), 2-13 (Sikandar Raza,3.1 ov), 3-78 (Taylor, 14.5 ov), 4-93 (Williams, 18.4 ov), 5-93 (HMasakadza, 19.1 ov), 6-93 (Chigumbura, 19.4 ov), 7-93 (Utseya,21.2 ov), 8-148 (Waller, 31.3 ov), 9-148 (Panyangara, 31.4 ov),10-148 (SW Masakadza, 32.1 ov)BOWLINgRobiul Islam 5.1-1-21-1, Shafiul Islam 6-0-39-2, Abdur Razzak6-2-10-1, Shakib Al Hasan 3-0-27-0, ziaur Rahman 9-1-30-5,Mahmudullah 2-0-12-0, Mominul Haque 1-0-7-0Match detailsToss zimbabwe, who chose to fieldSeries Bangladesh led the 3-match series 1-0ODI debuts Robiul Islam (Bangladesh); Sikandar Raza(zimbabwe)Player of the match ziaur Rahman (Bangladesh)Umpires jD Cloete (South Africa) and RB TiffinTV umpire Tj MatibiriMatch referee BC Broad (England)Reserve umpire O Chirombe

SCOREBOARD

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17I am happy as we have reduced the gap to the

leaders and I have recovered the good feelings

that we had in pre-season — Dani Pedrosa

LAHORE

STAFF REPORT

The Pakistan Boxing Federation has ofFriday announced a comprehensiveprogramme of activities to engage thenational pugilists to glorify their careers.

Under the plan , the PBF will beholding back to back boxing tournamentsand ensureing the top boxers participationin international events.

“Our prime aim is to establishPakistan’s name in international boxing andthe task assigned to us is challenging butwe will take every measure to promote thegame with a renewed zeal “,saidSecretary,PBF,Iqbal Hussain whileaddressing a news conference here.

Also present was Secretary,Punjab

Olympic Association, Idris Haider Khawajaand office bearers of Punjab BoxingAssociation.

Iqbal said the activity programme willbegin with the holding of a national rankingtournament later this month in Hyderabadfollowed by the national championship inJune in Lahore.

“Our team will take part in aninternational boxing tournament in Jordanin July then it will feature in China Open inChina in July”, he said adding” Our team’snext international assignment will beparticipation in a international tournamentin Chinese Taipei in September”.

Secretary PBF said Pakistan team willalso feature in World Championship to beheld in october in Kazakhstan.

“We will be picking up twenty five

outstanding boxers from the nationalchampionship and they will undergo camptraining for the selection of national teamto take part in international tournaments”,he added.

Iqbal Hussain said some quarters led byformer secretary of PBF, Akram Khan havelaunched a negative campaign against thepresent regime of PBF to disrupt thesmooth working of the national boxingfederation and to harm the interest ofboxing in Pakistan.

“Recently a parallel Punjab boxingAssociation has also been formed and westrongly condemn the formation of a bogusbody and will initiate disciplinary actionagainst those who are involved in thisnegative act”, he asserted.

He said the elections of PBF were held

last year in December and InternationalBoxing Federation has accepted the resultsof elections which has shattered the hopesof vested interest working against thepresent regime of PBF.

Secretary PBF urged the PakistanOlympic Association to frame laws to dealindividual involved in the formation ofparallel bodies with an iron hand tosafeguard the interest of sports and theolympic movement in pakistan.

“PBF will ensure every measure for therevival of the boxing in the country bylaunching talent hunt programme at juniorlevel besides holding special coachingclinics in those cities which are full ofboxing talent”, he asserted.

He said PBF is in process of hiring theservices of a coach from Russia and

discussions are underway with theconcerned authorities in this regard.

“Russian boxers are known due to theiragility and process and in todays modernboxing agility and aggression are the mainfactors for success in boxing and that iswhy PBF has decided to hire a Russiancoach to groom its talent on modern patternof the game “,he said.

He disclosed that international boxingfederation has made it clear that any boxingteam from Pakistan taking part in anyinternational boxing event must getapproval letter from the national boxingfederation.

“This measure has been taken todiscourage the illegal participation of teamsposing themselves the national teams ofPakistan “,he added.

PBF announces ambitious activity programme

CAROLINA

AgENCIES

WORLD No 2 Rory McIlroy,back at the scene of his first PGATour win, fired a five-under 67 atQuail Hollow on Thursday for aseven-way share of the first-

round lead in the Wells Fargo Championship inCharlotte, North Carolina.

The Northern Irishman was joined atop theleaderboard by Americans Nick Watney, Ryan Moore,Robert Garrigus, Daniel Summerhays, Derek Ernstand Monday qualifier Nate Smith.

Another six players were one stroke back,including former Masters champions Phil Mickelsonand Zach Johnson, and former US Open championLucas Glover, who won this event in 2011.

McIlroy, still looking for his first tournamentvictory this year, struggled early in the season to findhis top form after switching his golf ball and clubs.

“I’ve made big strides,” said McIlroy, who willturn 24 on Saturday. “My game wasn’t where itshould have been at all in the beginning of the year.Now I feel like I’m swinging it well. I’ve seen mygame progress week by week. It’s a nice start here thisweek.”

McIlroy may have landed in the perfect place toget back on the winning track. He fired a spectacularfinal-round 62 to win the 2010 tournament for his firstUS tour win and last year went to a playoff won byRickie Fowler.

Soft conditions prevailed on a cool, dampovercast day on a course where the greens heldapproach shots, but posed a challenge to putt afterbeing damaged by a harsh winter.

Two of the greens, the eighth and 10th, werecompletely resodded just seven days ago, and severalothers were splotchy and pitted by spike marks as theday wore on.

McIlroy felt he was ready to contend last monthat the Masters, but soared to a back-nine 42 onSaturday on his way to a 79. He shot 69 in the final

round at Augusta to tie for 25th.“I took the best part of two weeks off,” McIlroy

said about recharging following the year’s first major.“Then I had four days of good practice. I feel goodabout my game.”

Summerhays reached six under par with a birdieat the 15th, but missed a three-footer to save par at thepar-three 17th to fall back.

Smith, who shot a 63 to qualify on Monday forhis first PGA Tour start of the season, also held thesole lead for a hole after he birdied 16 to reach six-under but he missed a four-foot putt for par at the 17thto slip back. Defending champion Fowler fired aneven-par 72.

BARCELONA

AgENCIES

Spanish prosecutors have opened aninvestigation into individualsinvolved in the Lance Armstrongscandal, the nation’s anti-dopingagency said on Friday.

The agency said prosecutors inthe eastern province of Alicante areexamining the Spanish citizensmentioned in a report by the USAnti-Doping Agency intoArmstrong’s doping activities.

The USADA report that led toArmstrong’s eventual confessionthat he had doped to win seven Tourde France titles from 1999-2005mentions Spanish doctors LuisGarcia del Moral and Pedro Celayaand trainer Pepe Marti. Armstronghas since been stripped of his Tourtitles and banned for life byUSADA.

Spain’s anti-doping agency said

the investigation is currently limitedto Alicante, although the USADAreport indicates Armstrong’s ringextended to other parts of Spain.

The move comes just days aftera Madrid court found doctorEufemiano Fuentes guilty ofendangering the health of athletesthrough blood doping. The courtsuspended Fuentes’ one-yearsentence and ordered the destructionof evidence that could implicatemore athletes. The judge’s decisionto destroy more than 200 blood bagshas been heavily criticised by anti-doping organisations.

Armstrong’s activities inSpain spanned from the mid-1990s through 2010. Doping wasnot considered a crime in Spainuntil 2006, meaning actionsbefore then would have to becharged as endangering publichealth as in the Operation Puertocase against Fuentes.

rematch clausea surprise

LAS VEGAS

AgENCIES

Floyd Mayweather hasadmitted that hehandpicks everyopponent who enters thering with him. He alsodecides how much theyget paid and what thecontract details will be.So Robert Guerrero wassomewhat prepared whenMayweather picked him tobe the opponent for his firstfight in a year. They meet in LasVegas on Saturday night. What Guerrerowas not prepared for was what Mayweather’s camp insisted onputting in the contract. “He asked for a rematch clause. That wasthe very first thing,” Guerrero said. “It just shows me where hishead is at.” Where Mayweather’s head is at has, of course, been thetopic of many conversations over the years. When he foughtMiguel Cotto in May last year the worry among his fans was thathe would be distracted by an upcoming jail sentence, though thatturned out to be unfounded. Talk to Mayweather now, and his headseems to be fine. So, too, are his reflexes at the age of 36, at leastjudged by a sparring session last week when he practised landingright hand leads against a fighter mimicking Guerrero’s southpawstyle. He has to lose sometime because nearly every fighter notnamed Rocky Marciano lost at some point.SIX-FIGHT TV DEAl: But Mayweather has a new six-fighttelevision deal that should cement his status as the world’s highestpaid athlete, and he doesn’t seem terribly concerned about a lossor a possible rematch of their welterweight title fight. “I’ve donethis my whole life,” Mayweather said. “This is what I love to do.”Mayweather regards Guerrero as just the latest opponent for yetanother huge payday, but Guerrero sees things differently.

Jerez all set for aspanish showdown

MEXICO

AgENCIES

The excitement is building in Jerez asleading rookie Marc Marquez andreigning world champion Jorge Lorenzowill battle it out for a victory at the GranPremio bwin de España. At the pre-racepress conference, the duo of RepsolHonda Team’s Marqeuz and YamahaFactory Racing’s Lorenzo were in goodspirits. They were joined there byMonster Yamaha Tech 3’s CalCrutchlow, Ducati Team’s AndreaDovizioso, LCR Honda MotoGP’sStefan Bradl, as well as Marc VDSRacing’s Moto2 leader Scott Redding.Marquez, who became the youngest everrace-winner in the premier-class lasttime out in Texas, has surprisingly neverwon in any class at the Jerez track andadmitted it would be tough to win asecond consecutive race. “Coming backto Spain after my victory I realized itwas very important [for the fans], but wemustn’t forget it’s my first season,” hesaid. “And arriving here in Jerez isalways special for everyone. “But like inQatar and Austin we’ll try our best andjust focus on race set-up. Only here inJerez I have never won, but I don’t thinkthis weekend will be my first.”

mcilroy among seventied for Wells fargo lead

spain investigates Armstrong doping ring

sAints Win vitAl

for ucl plAcE,

sAys llorisloNDoN: Hugo Lloris has admittedthat Tottenham Hotspur can forgetabout finishing in the top four if theydo not beat Southampton onSaturday. Spurs are desperate toqualify for the UEFA ChampionsLeague but are currently in fifth placeheading into their final four matchesof the season. They only trail NorthLondon rivals Arsenal by two pointsand have a game in hand, but Llorisinsists it is crucial to return to winningways against Southampton afterbeing held to a 2-2 draw by WiganAthletic. “We want to be in the nextChampions League but we know thatif we don’t get three points againstSouthampton our chance will befinished,” Lloris told Sky Sports News.French goalkeeper Lloris has emergedas a key player at White Hart Lane inhis first season in the PremierLeague, although he initially had toremain patient and provide the back-up to Brad Friedel after making asummer move from Lyon. He said: “Itwas a big step in my career and itwas very important to have a goodadaptation in my life but also infootball. AgENCIES

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GEO SUPERSunrisers v Daredevils 07:30 PM

ESPNMotor Cycle Racing Qualifying04:00 PM

STAR SPORTSBarclays League: TottenhamHotspur vs. Southampton07:25 PM

sPorts Ssaturday, 4 May, 2013

18After a tough start to the season, we are all united

to get this team back where it belongs at the front of

the grid, the Mexican said — Sergio Perez

wAtCh It LIve

fivE mAtchEsDEciDED in nEtBAllDEvElopmEntprogrAmmElAHoRe: Hi Tech, Sir Syed, FG SchoolsNo. 2 & 3 qualified for Semi Finals ofNet Effect Netball Program afterwinning their respective ties on Fridayat Syed Girls College, Wah Cantt. Theuseful activity is organized by PakistanNetball Federation in collaboration withInternational Netball Federation &Islamabad Netball Association for thedevelopment of netball among girls.Following are the results of thematches, Hi Tech School beat WiseSchool 9-0 goals, Sir Syed School beatFG School No. 4, 5-3 goals, FG SchoolNo. 3 beat Hi Tech School 3-2 goals, SirSyed College beat Wah Eng 8-0 goals,FG School No. 2 beat Saint Paul by 5-0goals. STAFF REPORT

yuslim mArch

to quArtErslAHoRe: Yuslim club has marched intothe quarterfinal of 10th M SiddiqMemorial cricket event when theyoutplay Mughalpura Whites by 27 runsplayed at Model Town Aligarh ground onFriday morning. Scores: Yuslim Club 188/5

in 20 overs. Babar Azam 106 including 10

fours, M Azeem 17, amir Jamil 13, M Noman

18, Faisal Javaid 14. ImranAli 2/23, Ishtiaq

1/40, Wakeel 1/40. Mughalpura Whites 161/6

in 20 overs. Meer Saeed 52, Zain ul Husnain

14, Imran Ali shah 35, Sikandar mehdi 11,

Waqas Sagheer 13(no). Haider butt 2/20,

Faisal javaid 1/30, Asim 1/20, Babar Azam

1/37.

GHARI SHAHo Gym beAteN IN

yASeeN eveNt: Wahdat Eaglets hasmoved into the next round of 28th MYaseen Akhter Event when they outplayGhari Shaho Gym by 5 wickets. Scores:

Ghari Shaho Gym 163/9 in 20 overs. Ameer

Hamza 22, Asif Gondal 18, Zafar Gohar 20,

Zeeshan Akram 35, Asif Ijaz 20, Raja Farzan

18. Waheed 2/27, Ai Shah 4/35, Ali Tipu

Sultan 1/25, JAmeel 1/20, Asil 1/25. Wahdat

Eaglets 164/5 in 18.5 overs. Haris Nazar

92(52), Salman Ali 20, M Ali Shah 12, Zaheer

Siddiq 11, Sohaib Munir 15(no). Asif 2/34,

Salman 1/10, Qasim 2/23.

SHINING Club DoWN mt GReeNS:

Shining club has moved into the nextround of 10th M Siddiq Memorial cricketevent when they beat strong Model TownGreens by 3 runs. Scores: Shining Club

156/8 in 20 overs. Rana Adnan 55, Asif Khan

20, Humayon Farhat 22, Moazam Hayat

37(no). Saif Rasool 5/16, Hasan Dar 1/30,

Amir Hayat 1/37, Shehzad Ahmed 1/49. Model

Town Greens 153/6 in 20 overs. Wahab Dar

19, Waris Khan 28, Farhan Khan 11, Luqman

Butt 51. Asif Khan 1/27, Irfan 1/34, Rehmat

1/25, Humayon Farhat 1/26, Usman 1/28.

SeRvIS Club DeClAReD WINNeR:

Servis Club has been declared winneragainst Fayyaz Memorial club in thematch of 10 M Siddiq Memorial cricketevent played at Allama Iqbal Instituteground. When Servis Club scored 105/1then Fayyaz Memorial club walked outof the ground regarding the decision ofumpire. So umpire declared the ServisClub winner of the match. Scores: Fayyaz

CLub 153 in 18.3 overs. Zubair 13, Abdul

Waheed 18, Asim 26, Moin 13, Sabir 28, Ibrar

Hussain 19(no), Rehmat Sharif 18. Ghulab

Singh 2/22, Adnan Danish 2/19, Umer Sharif

2/20, Imran ALi 2/23, Waqas 1/16.

Servis Club 105/1 in 11.4 overs. Noman

asghar 73(no), Arshad 23. Rehmat Ali

1/16. STAFF REPORT

locAl news

LAHORE

STAFF REPORT

PA K I S TA N top tennisstar Aisam-Ul-HaqQureshi has moved tothe semi-final of thePortugal Open after he

along whith his partner beat Indian-Israeli pair in the quarter-final 2-1 onFriday at Oeiras.

Aisam and Jean-Julien Rojermoved past Rohan Bopanna andAndy Ram to reach the doublessemi-final with a score of 4-6, 6-3,10-4.

Earlier, they reached the quarter-finals stage of the Portugal Openafter a tough fight.

Aisam-Rojer, ranked 8th and 7th,respectively, defeated the Italian pairof Pacolo Lorenzai and AndreasSeppi, ranked 127th and 89th,respectively, 6-3, 4-6, 10-6 in themen’s doubles first round.

Last year, Aisam and Rojer wonthis title by defeating the pair ofJulian Knowle of Austria and DavidMarrero of Spain with the score of 7-5, 7-5 in the final.

After playing Portugal Open,Aisam-Rojer will appear in MadridOpen next month. Last year theyreached the quarters of Madrid Open.

Aisam-Rojer, ranked 8 and 7,respectively, faced Italian pair ofPacolo Lorenzai and Andreas Seppi,ranked 127 and 89, respectively, inthe men’s doubles first round.

Last year, Aisam-Rojer won thistitle by defeating the pair of JulianKnowle of Austria and DavidMarrero of Spain with the score of 7-5, 7-5 in the final. Recently,Aisam-Rojer despite being fourthseed lost in the first round ofBarcelona Open at the hands ofunseeded British pair of ColinFleming and Jonathan Marray in thatATP 500 clay-court tournament.

AisAmreaches Portugalopen Doubles semis

MADRID

AgENCIES

Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and RogerFederer appear at the same claycourt eventfor the first time this season with the MadridMasters a key test just three weeks out fromthe French Open.

The tournament returns to traditionalred clay after a controversial experimentwith blue clay in 2012.

The surface drew strong criticism fromNadal and Djokovic who threatened not toreturn to play in the Spanish capital if itwasn’t changed.

However, ATP president Brad Drewettoutlawed the use of blue clay and so seven-time French Open winner Nadal and worldNo 1 Djokovic will return for anotherpotentially fascinating clash.

Djokovic ended Nadal’s eight-yearreign as champion in Monte Carlo in the lastMasters event a fortnight ago with such adevastating display that the Serb is nowhotly tipped to become just the eighth manto complete the career Grand Slam andclaim his first French Open title at RolandGarros.Nadal bounced back to claim aneighth title at the Barcelona Open last weekwithout dropping a set, but with Djokovic,Federer and Andy Murray all set to be in thedraw this week, Nadal faces a much sternertest to lift his third title in Madrid.

Federer seemed to be the leastconcerned among the furore over thesurface last year as in typically serene stylehe won the tournament for a record thirdtime and he told the tournament’s officialmagazine that he loves coming to Madrid,despite the home fans’ obvious affection forhis long-time rival Nadal.

“I enjoy playing in Madrid. They put up

a great event, there is always a fantasticatmosphere when I play. Spanish peoplelove tennis, Rafa is such a hero in Spain butI feel like they appreciate me and the othertop players a lot as well and that is great,”said the world No 2.

Federer will return to action for the firsttime since losing to Nadal on the hardcourts of Indian Wells back at the beginningof March as he took the availability ofMonte Carlo being the only optionalMasters event for the top players tocontinue training in Switzerland.

Murray will also look to get his claycourt season up and running after adisappointing early exit to StanislasWawrinka in Monte Carlo.

The world No 3, who won thetournament back in 2008 when it wasplayed on a hard court, missed last year’sevent due to a back injury and has yet toreach a claycourt final.

All-star cast return tored clay in Madrid

Haas, Mayer In bMWopen QuartersmuNICH: Tommy Haas andFlorian Mayer have set up an allGerman quarter-final at the BMWOpen in Munich. Daniel Brandsalso advanced and, with PhillipKohlschreiber winning onWednesday, the home fans willhave four players to cheer on inthe last eight. Third-seed Haasovercame Ernests Gulbis despite asecond-set wobble. Haas claimedthe first set but dropped thesecond on a tie-break beforepowering to a 6-4 6-7 (3/7) 6-1win. Mayer was also taken to threesets as he dropped the firstagainst Marinko Matosevic butrecovered to ease to a 2-6 6-4 6-2win. Brands was a surprise winneras he upset Gael Monfils. The 25-year-old claimed the first set 6-3but Monfils, who reached numberseven in the world two years ago,fought back to claim the second.He had no answer the third,however, as the world number 69emerged a 6-3 3-6 6-0 victor. InThursday’s other game, top-seedJanko Tipsarevic was relativelyuntroubled as he beat GregaZemlja 6-4 6-2. AgENCIES

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saturday, 04 May, 2013

ISLAMABAD

STAFF REPORT

pAKISTAN’S economygrew only 3.6% with Rs341.2 billion being addedto the nation’s economy

during this year, according to thedata available.The National AccountsCommittee revealed on Fridaythat GDP growth for fiscal 2012-13 will clock in at 3.59% againstthe target of 4.3%. The estimateis based on extrapolations ofprovisional information availablefor the first nine months of theongoing fiscal year, which endson June 30. The projections weremade keeping 2005-06 as thebase year, following the PakistanBureau of Statistics’ recentrebasing exercise. The NAC saidgrowth would have clocked in ata much lower 3.2% had the oldbase year of 1999-00 been used.The average annual growth rateof the economy over the five-year tenure of the PPP-ledcoalition thus remains very lowat only 2.9%, highlightingfailures in economicmanagement.The 3.6% growth rate even fallsbelow the growth rate of 4.4%achieved last fiscal year (the

NAC had revised the growthestimates of the previous yearupwards after it received finalproduction figures). Thisdeclining trend in the growthrate of national output iscontrary to claims made bythe previous economic team,led by former financeminister Dr Abdul HafeezShaikh, which had declared avictory for itself – professingthat the growth rate wasincreasing every year.“Energy was the biggestbottleneck to growth, butresolution of the issueremained the last priorityof the government,”Pakistan Bureau of Statistics’Chief Statistician AsifBajwa observed.Various official andindependent studies haverepeatedly suggested inrecent months that nationaloutput has to be increased by 7-8% annually to absorb the twomillion new entrants entering thejobs market every year.Bajwa explained that publicconsumption figures have beenworked out on the basis ofbudget estimates. The NAC hasaccounted for only Rs185 billionfor power subsidies for the

currentfiscal year whileworking out growth inthe sub-sectors of electricitygeneration, distribution and gasdistribution. Had the NAC takenactual power subsidies intoaccount, growth in this sub-sector would have been negative.

As of now, itseems likely that power

subsidies will cross Rs350 billionby end June.AGRICulTuRE SECTOR:

The agriculture sector grew only3.4% as against the target of 4%according to the NAC. Thetargets set for sub-sectors of

major and minor crops weresurpassed, while those for

livestock, forestry and fisherieswere missed.Among the five major crops, thetargets for three crops weremissed, the exceptions being

maize and sugarcane.Wheatproductionremained at24.3 million

tons against a target of 25.5million tons; similarly, riceproduction remained at 5.5million tons against a target of

6.9 million tons. Theproduction of cotton

bales clocked in atjust 6.6 million

bales as againstthe target of 14.5

million bales.On a positivenote,

sugarcaneproduction came

to around 62.5 million tons,against the target of 59 milliontons, while maize productionstood at 4.7 million tons, againstthe target of 4.3 million tons.INDuSTRIAl SECTOR: Theindustrial sector output growthtarget of 3.8% was also missed,with the sector growing 3.5%

during the year. NAC membershave, however, raisedobjections over the phenomenalgrowth of 8.3% seeminglywitnessed in the small andmedium enterprises sector, asthey say this sector was hithardest by the energy crisis.Large scale manufacturing,meanwhile, grew 2.83%,slightly above targets.Negative growth of 3.6% inelectricity, gas and water supplysub-sectors took the averagedown, even though theconstruction sector also grew5.2%. NAC members have alsoraised questions over the use of1980s coefficients for measuringgrowth in the construction sector.The growth rate of the miningand quarrying sector clocked inat a healthy 7.6%, against atarget of 3%.SERVICES SECTOR: Theservices sector output growthtarget of 4.6% was also missed,and the biggest component of theeconomy grew by only 3.7%.The wholesale and retail sectorgrew 2.5%, transport and storage3.5%, finance and insurance6.6%, housing services 4% andgeneral government services by5.6% on the back of increases inemployees’ salaries.

MANSEHRA

APP

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf ChairmanImran Khan on Friday said his partywould have zero tolerance against cor-ruption, favouritism and injustice in thesociety once it came into power throughthe people’s support.

Promising massive reforms while ad-dressing a mammoth rally in Mansehra,Imran said he would bring reforms in po-lice, local govt and revenue departmentsfor solving day-to-day problems of thecommon man.

The PTI chief said he believed in uni-formed service of the people irrespectiveof caste or creed and that was why peoplefrom all walks of life were joining theparty. He vowed that the PTI power

would leave no stone unturned to restorehonour and respect of Pakistanis acrossthe globe and he would endeavour tomake Pakistan a progressive democraticMuslim welfare state where people couldget all basic amenities of life at theirdoorsteps and people would not have togo abroad for jobs.

Imran said education would be thetop priority of the PTI government andits funds would be increased manifolds inthe budget to provide uniformed educa-tion services to children. Focus would bemade on vocational training and techni-cal education as well, he added.

He said that the PTI knew how tobreak the partnership of PPP, PML-N,claiming that the time of his rivals whohad been ruling this country since long,had ended. Imran said with the support ofthe people and youth, the PTI was set tosweep the forthcoming polls and May 11night would be a night of celebration.

ISLAMABAD

KASHIF ABBASI

The interim government on Friday virtuallysacked heads of four state-run organisations,de-notifying the contracts of some high-pro-file “political appointees”.

Those whose contracts have beende-notified included PlanningCommission Deputy Chair-man Nadeemul Haq, Pak-istan BroadcastingCorporation DirectorGeneral (DG) Mur-taza Solangi, a closeaide of PresidentAsif Ali Zardari,Pakistan TourismDevelopment Cor-poration (PTDC)Managing DirectorShahjehan Khetran,brother of PPP leaderMirbaz Khan Khetran andState Life Corporation of Pak-istan Chairman Shahid Aziz Siddiqi.

The de-notifying of renowned econo-mist and one of the top technocrats of thecountry, Nadeemul Haq, was taken as ashock by many who termed his ouster “un-ceremonial”. Observers said Haq’s termi-nation might prove to be a blow to thegovernment’s preparations for finalisationof the budgetary proposals for the year2013-14, as the outgoing financial wizardwas deeply involved with the subject, in-cluding negotiations with the InternationalMonetary Fund (IMF).

The IMF bosses have agreed in prin-ciple to provide some relief for the care-takers due to hectic lobbying by thefinancial team, which included Haq.Sources in the Planning Commission toldPakistan Today that Haq, whose tenureended on May 2, 2013, had tendered his

resignation on March 25 expressinghis inability to continue.

However, the government didnot accept his resignation

and Prime Minister MirHazar Khan Khosoasked him to continue.“Rather than sackinghim in such a man-ner, Haq’s resigna-tion should havebeen accepted. Butthis manner of de-no-

tifying him along withothers reflects that the

government treated himjust like other four bosses

of state-run organisations, whowere sacked with their tenures yet

to expire,” said a senior officer of the Plan-ning Commission, who wished not to benamed. He alleged that the top bureaucratshad played a role in the sacking of one ofthe top technocrats of the country.

During his tenure starting from May3, 2010, Haq extensively worked on var-ious issues, including civil service re-forms, restructuring of PlanningCommission and dominant role of Fi-nance Ministry. He was also against theprocurements of commodities.

LAHORE

APP

A full bench of the Lahore High Court(LHC) has ordered the Pakistan Elec-tronic Media Regulatory Authority(PEMRA) to ensure that the PPP’s ad-vertisement regarding alleged conver-sation between Justice (r) MalikQayyum and PML-N leader ShahbazSharif is not aired on any televisionchannel till May 4 (today).

The bench also issued notice to thePPP and sought reply besides adjourningthe matter till May 4. The bench headed byJustice Ijaz ul Ahsan passed the orders ona petition filed by PML-N leader ShahbazSharif through his counsel Sulman GhaniButt. Earlier, the petitioner’s counsel sub-mitted that the PPP had started a defama-tory campaign against the petitionerthrough a fabricated conversation betweenhim and Justice (r) Malik Qayyum

The counsel contended that the ad-

vertisement was against code of conductset by Election Commission of Pakistan(ECP). The alleged talks betweenQayyum and Shahbaz is said to havebeen recorded by intelligence agenciesduring Benazir Bhutto’s regime, due towhich Malik Qayyum and one judge hadto wash their hands of their positions.

Meanwhile, the PPP has also de-cided to head for a showdown with thePML-N to prove veracity of its adver-tisement and according to latest posi-tion, also intends to file its petitionchallenging the formation of a bench toreview the petition filed by the PML-N, as the bench allegedly has a closerelative of Malik Qayyum on the seat.

The PPP also intends to highlightthe veracity of the video content, overthe recording being already used as aproof in previous (1990s) court hear-ing(s), and the airing of this recordingwas in no way a violation of ECP’scode of conduct.

PESHAWAR

AgENCIES

For the first time in the judicial history ofPakistan, two female judges of the PeshawarHigh Court formed a bench on Thursday.

Receiving a warm welcome by lawyersand litigants present inside the courtroom,the division bench, comprising Justice IrshadQaisar and Justice Musarrat Hilali, heardcases relating to 73 petitions.

Apart from being a historic occasion,lawyers said it would project a softer imageof the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Theyadded it would send a message to the world

that Pakistani women could not only fly jets,treat patients and fight for the homeland butwere also a part of the judiciary.

“Never in the judicial history of thecountry has there ever been such an occa-sion. None of the other high courts of thecountry has a bench comprising two femalejudges exclusively,” said Barrister Bacha.

Justice Qaisar became the second femalejudge after she took oath as PHC judge in July2012 after a gap of 18 years. Justice Hilali be-came the third female PHC judge in March.

The first woman to enter the PHC as ajudge was Justice Khalida Rashid, who tookoath in 1994.

pml-n willreconstructpakistan withyouth’s support,says nawaz

KOT ADDU

NNI

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz chiefNawaz Sharif has said the youth supportsthe PML-N and if voted to power, theparty will reconstruct Pakistan with thehelp of the youth.

Addressing a public meeting in KotAddu on Friday‚ Nawaz said the unem-ployed youth would be provided softloans so that they could start their ownbusinesses.

He said relief would also be providedto farmers by ensuring provision of fertiliz-ers‚ seeds‚ pesticides and diesel to them.

Nawaz said Kot Addu would be giventhe status of a district and Chowk SarwarShaheed would be made tehsil.

Will have zero tolerance forcorruption, injustice: Imran

renowned economist among 4 stateenterprises’ chiefs sent packing

PTI CHIEF PROMISESMASSIVE REFORMS INPOLICE, REVENUE, LOCALGOVT DEPARTMENTS

lHc bars airing of ppp’santi-shahbaz ad till today

pakistan gets first all-female bench

nadeeMul HaQ’s terMInatIon MIgHt prove to

be a bloW to tHe governMent’spreparatIons For FInalIsatIon oF tHe

budgetary proposals For tHe year2013-14, as tHe outgoIng FInancIalWIzard Was deeply Involved WItH

tHe subJect, IncludIng negotIatIons WItH tHe

InternatIonal Monetary Fund

19

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