Pak-China ties to be beefed up: Meng-Jianzhu

Chinese Vice Prime Minister Meng- Jianzhu has said his country is proud of its friendly ties with Pakistan which will be further bolstered up.

He said this while talking to media men here in Islamabad on Monday after his meeting with Interior Minister Rehman Malik.
The Chinese vice Prime Minister was accorded warm welcome when he arrived Chaklala Air Base. He later met with Interior Minister Rehman Malik. The two exchanged views in depth on ways and means to further strengthen Sino-Pak relations, situation arising out of allegations levelled by US against Pakistan, war against terrorism and other matters of mutual interest.
The Chinese Vice Prime Minister said, “We are celebrating 2011 as year of friendship following the completion of 60 years of friendship of China and Pakistan. “I have come to Pakistan to further beef up ties”, he maintained.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik said China had supported Pakistan at every critical juncture of its history. “We are grateful to it”, he remarked. Sino-Pak friendship is higher than Himalayas and it is inseparable”, he remarked. Responding to a question with reference to US threats to Pakistan he said it is not time to talk of US threats but it is time to further consolidate ties with China.

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Amn Committee man released: Over 100 picked up in Rangers’ Lyari operation

out another search operation in the Lyari area and picked up more than 100 suspects, including a key figure of the People’s Amn Committee, who was released shortly after his detention.
A heavy contingent of paramilitary soldiers arrived in Lyari in the small hours of Sunday.
They cordoned off the entry and exit points of the Kalakot, Cheel Chowk, Singhu Lane, Gabol Park, Chakiwara, Afshani Mohallah, Eidu Lane and Meeranaka areas and went from house to house in search of illicit weapons and wanted criminals.
The Rangers’ operation in Lyari lasted for about eight hours.
Besides taking into custody scores of suspects, the Rangers also picked up Zafar Baloch, a former general secretary of the Pakistan People’s Party’s district South and central figure of the People’s Amn Committee.
However, sources said that the Rangers released Zafar Baloch soon after his detention. The move was quickly condemned by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, which also raised serious concerns over the ongoing operation against terrorists due to the
release of Mr Baloch.
The sources said that several other detained persons were also released by the Rangers after initial questioning. They said an alleged character of the Lyari gang warfare, Rashid alias Rekha, was also taken into custody during the Rangers’ operation in Lyari. He was wanted by the police for his alleged involvement in several criminal cases, they added.
However, no relevant official of Pakistan Rangers, Sindh, was available to confirm the number of arrests, seizure of arms and ammunition or the reasons behind the release of Zafar Baloch.
The Rangers managed to enter the Lyari area on Aug 28 to launch its first so-called successful targeted operation. However,
the Rangers’ move drew strong criticism from former home minister Dr Zulfikar Mirza, who held a press conference to announce his resignation from the party office, as a senior minister in the Sindh cabinet and as a member of the Sindh Assembly. Mr Baloch had also tendered his resignation as the PPP’s District South general secretary on the same day in protest against the Rangers’ operation in Lyari. Meanwhile, police conducted a search operation in the Burnes Road area early on Sunday and rounded up some five suspects.
Sources said the police moved into streets 5 and 6 of Burnes Road and conducted a house-to-house search in the apartments and houses there.
The detained suspects were taken to an undisclosed location for questioning.

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Facebook to be blocked in Pakistan

The Lahore High Court has directed Pakistani authorities to block access to all websites, including Facebook, that are involved in "spreading religious hatred" and to submit a compliance report by October 6.

In an order issued yesterday, Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed directed the Information

Technology Ministry to "deny access to all websites in Pakistan involved in spreading religious hatred".

However, the judge directed the ministry that access to Google or other search engines should not be denied. He directed the authorities to submit a report on the implementation of the court’s order by October 6.

The judge issued the order in response to a petition seeking a permanent ban on US-based Facebook for hosting a competition on blasphemous caricatures of Prophet Mohammed.

Lawyer Muhammad Azhar Siddique, who had filed the petition, said Islamic values were being insulted in the name of access to information and this was hurting the feeling of billions of Muslims across the world.

Despite an earlier order of the High Court, the Information Technology Ministry had not blocked websites spreading religious hatred, Siddique claimed.

Siddique also asked the court to direct the federal government to stop the display of material considered blasphemous by any religion or insulting to the Prophet Mohammed on all websites in Pakistan.

He said the government should be directed to establish a permanent authority with legal status, which could monitor such "objectionable activities" across the world.

Pakistani authorities had briefly barred access to Facebook last year on the orders of the Lahore High Court.

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T20 cricket: Pakistan eye success in Zimbabwe

By AFP

September 16, 2011

Pakistan closed their innings putting up 198 runs on the board for a loss of four wickets. PHOTO: AFP/FILE

HARARE: Following their winning streak of a Test and three ODI’s in Zimbabwe earlier this month, the touring Pakistan team will not ease up on their hosts in the two Twenty-20 matches that follow.

Zimbabwe won the toss and decided to bowl at Harare Sports Club against Pakistan in the ongoing T20 today (Friday).

Pakistan closed their innings putting up 198 runs on the board for a loss of four wickets.

The Zimbabweans went down in the final ODI against here Wednesday by 28 runs, close enough for Pakistan to want to be at or near their best. Especially as it will be the last weekend as national coach for Waqar Younis, who has other career plans and who will want a good send-off.

Pakistan have been advertising for a replacement and say they will appoint the best available wherever he comes from.

Pakistanis must begin clear favourites to win both the last matches. They have all round advantage, not least the necessary experience in this form of the game.

However, their record is poor. During the last year they have been beaten by West Indies, New Zealand, South Africa and England, giving an eclectic score of 7-0 against. They only scored 79 runs against the Windies.

Zimbabwe’s last experience of a Twenty-20 series was against South Africa, when they went down 2-0. These two have not yet met in Twenty-20 cricket.

Although the record books don’t support it, Zimbabwe believe they could just overturn the form book.

The home team bring in Charles Coventry, who once scored 194 not out in an ODI. And they give a debut to Zhuwayo. Pakistan are resting Younis Khan and Imran Farhat.

The teams:

Zimbabawe – Brendan Taylor (capt), Justice Chibhabha, Vusi Sibanda, Hamilton Masakadza, Tatenda Taibu (wk), Charles Coventry, Zhuwayo, Elton Chigumbura, Ray Price, Kyle Jarvis, Chris Mpofu

Pakistan – Misbah ul Haq (capt), Mohammad Hafeez, Rameez Raja, Asad Shafiq, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal (wk), Sohail Tanveer, Saeed Ajmal, Sohail Khan, Yasir Shah, Aziz Cheema

Umpires: Russell Tiffin (ZIM) Jeremiah Matibiri (ZIM)

TV Umpire: Owen Chirombe

Match referee: David Boon (AUS)

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Epidemic: Dengue steadily makes its way across Pakistan

September 13, 2011

Virus grips the nation, with 4,044 dengue cases reported in Punjab and 211 in Sindh. DESIGN: MOHSIN ALAM

LAHORE:  With an alarming increase of dengue virus cases being reported in all corners of the country, government authorities are scurrying to control the epidemic from spreading further. Control cells have been established in Punjab, while medicines and fumigation of international standards are being, reportedly, imported.

So far 4,044 cases of dengue have been reported in Punjab, out of which 3,576 cases have been reported in Lahore alone, Health Secretary Muhammad Jehanzaib Khan said on Monday. The virus has claimed the lives of eight people in Punjab, he added. However, unconfirmed reports state that the death toll in the province has reached 10.
Khan said that out of the total number of cases, a majority of patients have recovered and presently 438 patients are under treatment in different hospitals of Punjab.
The outbreak of the dengue virus has created panic in the provincial metropolis, where wards of public hospitals are overloaded with suspected cases. Seven Chinese citizens working in Lahore also contracted the virus and have been admitted to Jinnah Hospital in Lahore.
The health secretary also said that an inquiry committee formed by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has declared that the sprays being used against dengue mosquitos are in accordance with World Health Organization (WHO) standards.
However, in order to remove any apprehensions of people and for their satisfaction, medicines of international brands are also being imported, he added.
‘Fumigating posh areas’
The total number of dengue cases in Faisalabad increased to 151, with 12 new cases reported on Monday.
According to recent data, the epidemic is rapidly increasing in the city, nullifying the health department’s claims.
The health department had initiated an anti-dengue campaign, which local experts termed ‘improper and ill-planned’ because it did not yield positive results.
Residents of rural areas of Faisalabad denied the existence of ‘a vigorous campaign against mosquitoes’ as claimed by the health department.
They claimed that the health department only fumigated some posh localities, while neglecting the slum areas.
Control cells established in Islamabad
The government on Monday established a Federal Dengue Monitoring Cell at the Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) to help counter the spread of the virus in Islamabad.
The establishment of the cell was announced at a meeting held under the newly-appointed Additional Secretary CADD, Khalid Hanif.
The cell will monitor, on a daily basis, all activities going on in the capital regarding prevention and control of the disease in public hospitals. It will also ensure the availability of essential medicines at all public health institutions in rural and urban areas of the capital.
So far, 40 confirmed cases of dengue have been reported in Islamabad, including 15 in the Shifa International Hospital, five in the Polyclinic Hospital and some in the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims).
In the last 24 hours, five patients suspected of suffering from dengue fever were admitted to Shifa International Hospital and seven at Pims.
211 cases confirmed in Sindh
With seven new cases of dengue in Karachi, the number of confirmed dengue patients in the province has jumped to 211 this year.
The Sindh health department denied media reports of deaths related to dengue in Karachi and elsewhere in the province.  Coordinator Dengue Control Cell Sindh Dr Shakeel Mullick told APP that from January 1 to September 10, 195 dengue cases were reported to the cell by government and private hospitals in Sindh. These included 169 in Karachi and 26 in other parts of the province. However, he said that there has been only “one death” related to dengue this year in Karachi in February this year.
One death, 19 cases confirmed in Hazara
Health authorities in Abbottabad on Monday confirmed the death of a dengue virus carrier, as well as 19 confirmed cases of dengue in Hazara division, while over 100 suspected patients have been put under surveillance.
The deceased, who hailed from Mansehra district, reportedly died of dengue hemorrhagic fever – the most lethal kind of dengue, official sources told The Express Tribune.
According to official sources, a total of 19 cases of dengue have been reported from the three main districts of Hazara – Haripur, Abbottabad and Mansehra.
A total of eight cases have been reported in Haripur, according to Deputy Executive District Officer Health Dr Muhammad Bilal. He added that no death had so far been reported.
However, independent sources rejected official claims and said that the deaths of four people, including a woman, have been reported from across the district.
Ayub Medical Complex authorities in Abbottabad confirmed a total of seven positive cases of dengue, while four cases were detected in Mansehra district.
However, EDO health Mansehra Dr Maj Sidiq Rehman said that the situation was comparatively better than last year and Hazara division has witnessed a ‘minor incidence of dengue’.

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Hum daikhen gey: Poets and intellectuals of the sub-continent remember Faiz

September 7, 2011

Karachi University is hosting a three day international conference on Faiz Ahmed Faiz. PHOTO: FILE

KARACHI: A three-day international conference on Faiz Ahmed Faiz began on Tuesday at the Karachi University Arts Auditorium. It was titled, “Dil e Purkhoon Ka Hunar (The skill of a bleeding heart).”

“The need to look at Faiz as a figure beyond a great poet cannot be emphasised enough,” said the director of the Pakistan Study Centre. “Faiz’s ideology and struggle went beyond traditional romanticism associated with poetry and literature.”

Dr Syed Jaffar Ahmed said that the title of the conference is a reflection of the struggles that Faiz undertook as a progressive poet and the beacon of the Taraqqi Pasand Tehreek (Progressive Movement).

Dr Anwar Ahmed of the Muqtadra Qaumi Zaban presented an analysis on the “Kalam-e-Faiz ki Maheboobiat” (The lovability of Faiz’s poetry). He said that Faiz’s thoughts and expressions struck the deepest chords of human imagination.

“There is a need to think over the reasons as to why he was popular with the people and unpopular with the establishment,” said Dr Ahmed. “These reasons have to be revisited as we need to reflect on our standing as a society today.”

Addressing the audience, IA Rehman, the general secretary of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), said that the love Faiz referred to in his work was the love that had the power to change the world and bring peace. He emphasised that while his writings about changing the world have inspired many, there is need to take his thoughts even more seriously.

“We risk ending up as mere spectators if we continue to take Faiz’s “Hum daikhen gey” (We will see) as a romantic expression rather than a call to do something to change our regressive system,” said Rehman.

Dr Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqi, the vice chancellor of Karachi University (KU), said that universities have a role in stirring debates, raising questions and serving as intellectual platforms for serious dialogue on issues that matter to society. The international conference on Faiz is a similar initiative, aiming to raise debate on a few aspects of Faiz’s work and ideology. “It is rare that movements draw inspiration from personalities, but in the case of Faiz Ahmed Faiz, he breathed as much life and soul into the Progressive Movement as the movement nurtured Faiz,” added Dr Siddiqi.

The Pakistan Study Centre launched four books on the poet’s life and work. The books are titled, “Faiz: A Poet of Peace from Pakistan” by Khalid Sohail and Ashfaq Hussain; “Faiz Key Aas Paas” (Near Faiz) by Professor Seher Ansari; “Faiz Shanasi” (Knowing Faiz) by Abdul Rauf Malik and “Umeed-e-Seher Ki Baat Suno” (Listen about the hope of dawn) by Zahida Hina.

The Jinnah Medical and Dental College (JMDC) and the Arts Council will host the sessions for the next two days. Gauhar Raza, Sohail Hashmi, Mahmoodur Rehman Farooqi, Murtaza Danish Hussain, Dr Khalid Ashraf, and Professor Ali Ahmed Fatimi, are a part of the delegation of literary figures, poets and performers who have come from India to participate in the conference.

The event was organised by the Pakistan Study Centre of the University of Karachi in collaboration with the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research, and the JMDC.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 7^th,  2011.

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Some leads are there but too early to say which group is behind blast: PM.

Manmohan Singh taking to reporters on board Air India One. The PM said there are some leads to terror attack outside Delhi HC but "it is too early to say which group is behind the incident."

ON BOARD AIR INDIA ONE: Prime MinisterManmohan Singh said there are some leads to the terror attack outside Delhi high court but "it is too early to say which group is behind the incident. 

"We have some leads but it is too early to say which group is behind it", Singh told mediapersons accompanying him on his return from Dhaka to New Delhi. 

Replying to a question about a sense of insecurity among the people since the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, he said the government had put in place several mechanisms and "innovative measures" but "there are obviously unresolved problems and weaknesses in our system and the terrorists are taking advantage of that". 

"We must work hard to plug those weaknesses", he added. The Prime Minister said he was confident that this is a war (on terror) that we will and must win." 

He asked political parties to end mutual bickerings and mutual recriminations and work together to combat the problem of terrorism. 

"I talked about cooperation with all political parties. Instead of wasting time on mutual bickerings and mutual recrimination, I would ask all political parties, all shades of intelligent public opinion in the country to pool their knowledge wisdom and experience how we can tackle this (menace of terrorism)", he said.

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Pakistani plane lands in Istanbul after bomb threat

Wed Sep 7, 2011

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) passenger plane en route to Britain from Pakistan made an emergency landing in Istanbul Wednesday after the airline received an anonymous bomb threat, a PIA spokesman said.

The plane landed at Istanbul's international Ataturk airport in the west of the city after PIA received an anonymous email saying there was a bomb on board the Boeing 777 aircraft which was headed from Lahore to Manchester in northern England, the spokesman said.

All passengers had been safely removed from the plane while security forces searched the aircraft, he added.

A second spokesman later said no explosives were found, and the plane was getting ready to resume its flight to Manchester.

Television footage from Turkey's private Dogan news agency earlier showed a PIA airliner on the tarmac while passengers were allowed to disembark and were seen being bussed to the terminal building. Fire engines and ambulances could be seen close to the plane.

Turkish police could not be reached immediately for comment.

Turkey's state-run Anatolian news agency said the plane was a Boeing 777-300 ER with 378 passengers on board. It said the plane had been flying over the Bulgarian capital Sofia, west of Turkey, when it diverted to Istanbul.

In September, 2010 a PIA plane en route from Toronto to Karachi was diverted to Sweden after a bomb threat, but no explosives were found on board or in possession of a Canadian man detained by police and later set free.

The alert began after a woman in Canada called the police from a payphone to say a man on board had explosives on him.

(Reporting by Jonathon Burch and Zeeshan Haider in Islamabad; editing by Philippa Fletcher)

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India, Bangladesh sign agreement on land boundary

India and Bangladesh on Tuesday signed three agreements after over nearly two hours of bilateral talks in Dhaka.
Both sides inked a protocol on a land boundary agreement.
Prime Ministers of the two countries -- Dr Manmohan Singh and Sheikh Hasina signed a framework agreement on cooperation and development.
A third agreement to enhance bilateral cooperation in the area of renewable energy was also signed between the two sides.

The two sides also signed a Memorandum of Understanding to improve and boost conservation of the environmetally-rich Sunderbans region.
Another MOU between the Bangladesh Institute of Fashion Technology and the National Institute of Fashion Technology was also signed.
Earlier, bilateral talks between India and Bangladesh began after formal introductions. It began after Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh called on his counterpart Sheikh Hasina and also met with Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni this afternoon.
The Prime Minister’s delegation include External Affairs Minister SMKrishna; the chief ministers of Assam, Mizoram, Tripura, and Meghalaya; National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon; Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai and Water Resources Secretary Dhruv Vijai Singh and other senior officials.
The two sides had both restricted and delegation-level talks on wide range of issues, including cooperation in combatting terrorism, river waters sharing, border mangaement, enhancement of bilateral trade etc. India, Bangladesh sign agreement on land boundary

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Karachi violence: SC orders appointment of ATC judges within 2 days

KARACHI: Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry ordered Advocate General Sindh to issue orders to appoint judges for Anti Terrorism and Banking courts within two days as the bench noted the shortage of judges in Sindh province.
A five-member special bench of the SC comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, Justice Sarmad Jalal Usmani, Justice Amer Hani Muslim and Justice Ghulam Rabbani is hearing the case.
Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali asked why judges were not appointed even after the recommendations by the Chief Justice Sindh High Court in 2009 and 2011.
Earlier, during proceedings, Chief Justice, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry remarked that the report of the joint investigation team on Ajmal Pahari raised questions about national sovereignty.
The Chief Justice asked the Advocate General Sindh Abdul Fatah Malik and Inspector General (IG) Sindh Wajid Durrani if they had read this report. He further asked what should be saved, the country or the government.
The CJ also questioned what measures IG Sindh had taken after this report, since it contained information regarding the organization Pahari was affiliated with. He remarked that Karachi was the economic hub of Pakistan and the country could not progress unless the city was secure.
Justice Ghulam Rabbani pointed out that if no action was to be taken, then why were joint investigation teams formed?
The chief justice asked IG Sindh if Kamran alias Maduhri was arrested in connection with the firing on police in Chakra Goth, or had he been released. The IG replied that he was arrested, to which Justice Amir Hani Muslim asked if his charge sheet had been presented in the court. IG Sindh informed the court that Kamran was injured and thus could not be presented to which Justice Amir Hani Muslim replied that he should be presented with a medical certificate.
Also during proceedings SCBA President Asma Jehangir said the MQM had started extortion in Karachi and other parties had followed suit.
The hearing of the case was adjourned till Wednesday.
End

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NATO convoys attacked in Afghanistan

Tue Sep 6, 2011

US-led forces in Afghanistan (file photo)

Two US-led foreign forces military convoys have been targeted in separate attacks in western provinces of Afghanistan, local Afghan authorities told Press TV.

In the first incident, Afghan provincial officials said a bomber blew up his explosives-laden car near a convoy in Ghuryan city of Herat province on Tuesday morning, a Press TV correspondent reported.

Two civilians were injured and the bomber himself was killed in the attack, a police official said.

The attacks also came as a group of high-ranking Afghan security officials were on a visit to Herat province.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the bombing, but the attack had all the hallmarks of Taliban militants

Police spokesman in western region Abdul Rauf Ahmadi said there were no casualties among US-led foreign forces.

In another incident in the western province of Farah, Taliban militants attacked a NATO logistic military convoy on Tuesday.

Security officials told Press TV that two Afghan truck drivers were killed when the militants targeted the convoy in Bakwa city.

The convoy was travelling from the southern province of Helmand to Herat, according to officials.

A Taliban spokesman claimed that six employees of a private security company were killed in the second attack and four trucks were torched.

Violence in Afghanistan is on the rise as militants have expedited their spring offensive.

Despite the presence of nearly 150,000 US-led forces in the war-torn country, the violence has grown every passing year since the 2001 US-led invasion.

AGB/JR

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Pakistani Taliban claim kidnapping up to 25 boys

 September 3, 2011

Officials earlier claimed that Afghan militants had kidnapped boys who mistakenly crossed the border. PHOTO: AFP/FILE

PESHAWAR: Pakistani Taliban on Saturday claimed responsibility for holding up to 25 boys hostage as punishment for tribesmen who supported the military in the country’s troubled northwest.

Pakistani officials said on Friday militants in Afghanistan kidnapped the boys after they mistakenly crossed the border while on an outing in the border tribal region of Bajaur on Wednesday.

A Pakistani Taliban spokesman said they held the boys, and their fate would be decided by the militants from Bajaur.

“We have kidnapped them as their parents and tribal elders are helping the government and are fighting against us,” spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan told Reuters from an undisclosed location.

He said they held between 20 to 25 boys, but did not say where they have been kept. Bajaur’s top government administrator, Islam Zeb, said 25 boys were missing.

A group of around 60 boys took part in the outing but about 20 below ten years old were allowed to return to Pakistan, while up to 40 others between 12 to 14 years old were held, officials said earlier.

Ehsan said they had a plan of mass-scale kidnappings and expected people in large number to visit the border region on Eidul Fitr, a Muslim holy festival that was celebrated this week, marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.

Security officials said they learned of the kidnappings when the parents of the children, members of a tribe that inhabits the frontier area, informed them of the abductions on Friday.

The boys belonged to tribesmen from Mamoun who are opposed to al Qaeda and the Taliban and have raised militias to fight them, angering militants who often hit back with bombings and shooting attacks.

Bajaur is opposite the eastern Afghan province of Kunar and has long been an infiltration route for militants entering Afghanistan to fight US-led forces there.

Hundreds of Pakistani militants fled to Kunar in the face of Pakistani military offensives in Bajaur, officials say.

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Dr.Zulfiqar Mirza, it is time to go home now

Sep 03

Mirza needs to head back home and serve his constituency PHOTO: PPI

Badin, the constituency of Dr. Zulfiqar Mirza has once again been hit by heavy rainfall and floods. According to news reports, 300,000 people have been displaced and are suffering from insufficient food and water supply.

A few days ago, Prime Minster Mr Yousaf Raza Gilani visited the camps in the affected areas, and after his departure the scene turned chaotic as flood victims fought over the inadequate amount of relief goods. The police had to baton charge the people to bring the situation under control.

Some flood victims sustained injuries while others had to run away empty-handed in order to escape the baton charge.

This is the current situation of those people who voted for Dr Zulfiqar Mirza and made him the home minster of Sindh. Instead of serving the needy people who voted for him in hopes of a better life, Mirza is busy holding press conferences in Karachi and press clubs in Hyderabad against his opponents.

Zulfiqar Mirza has announced that he will leave politics. Whether he will stand by his decision or not, I believe it is about time for him to go home, serve his people and help them in this tough time. He didn’t do much to help the needy when he was the home minister of Sindh, which is proven by the official report of the Sindh police from 2008 to 2010. The broken infrastructure in Badin, broken dams, insufficient relief goods, the many homeless people, and the countless deaths due to water borne diseases in the camps is an alarming situation for any ruling political party.

When one enters politics, social work is the best way of letting those who voted for you know that you will serve them through a higher public service post. Unfortunately our politicians have derailed from the right path of politics, and are busy attacking opponents and snatching vote banks. Moreover, they try their best to destroy opponents’ constituencies by destroying property, torching buses and manipulating others’ mandates.

Sindh nationalist parties proved themselves to be the followers of this ideology by calling a strike in August 2011 in Karachi and Hyderabad against the majority mandate of the two cities. The strike was against the restoration of a local body system in Hyderabad and Karachi. The system is, in fact, the best system for two cities, and the majority of the two cities want it to be restored. The improved infrastructure in Karachi and Hyderabad is proof enough of the service provided by the services of local body system.

The approval of the status of a political party, or calling oneself a politician is not an excuse enough to call a strike. Instead, each party needs to serve their community to win the hearts of the people for the future votes. According to Jeffry H. Galpher’s book Politics and Social Work:

“Politics and social work goes together. A true political party does not win the election to win the power or to abuse the power, instead they win the election to serve the people or they ask for vote by serving them.”

The people of Pakistan may not be educated, but they are  aware of the current situation around them. It is about time that our political parties understand the ideology of serving people to win command rather than attack others’ mandate.

As stated above: Dr Zulfiqar Mirza, it is time to go home now…

 The Express Tribune.

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Taliban claims responsibility for kidnapping children

Sep 03,2011

Islamabad, Sep 3 (PTI) Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) today claimed responsibility for kidnapping a group of over 30 boys, who had strayed into Afghanistan's eastern Kunar province as reports said some of them had escaped and reached back to their homes.The fate of children would be decided by TTP's central council, the group's spokesman Ehsanulah Ehsan said claiming that they had kidnapped the youth as their parents were helping the Pakistan army in their drive against it.Their kidnapping has raised fears that the children might be used as suicide bombers.The terror group said they were "anxiously waiting" for the Pakistani children from Bajaur tribal region to come to the mountains for celebration of Eid.Children from Bajaur tribal region, who had gone for picnic to celebrate 'Eid' had mistakenly crossed into bordering Kunar province on Thursday.The group is holding 25 children aged 18 to 20 as hostages, Ehsan said.However, Pakistani officials said the boys are aged between 10 to 15.Officials had earlier said that over 30 children were held hostage by militants.Sources said that several children escaped and reached back to their homes.The Taliban spokesman said that parents of the hostage youth are pro-government tribesmen and have formed committees against the Taliban, who had fled Bajaur tribal region after the major military offensive in 2008-9.Ehsanullah said the Taliban's central 'Shura' or council will decide fate of the youth and the council has started identification process of the hostages.Officials said that many children from the major Mohmand tribe had gone for picnic in the mountainous areas and mistakenly crossed into Afghanistan as there is no determined border in the area.

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US plans to extend financial support for Dam project

Sep. 02 - 2011

financial support for a $12 bln Diamer Basha Dam in an attempt to improve its battered image in the country, reports Guardian.

According the newspaper report, the Daimer Bhasha dam would provide enough electricity to end crippling shortages in he country.
“It is said its reservoir would hold so much water it could have averted last year’s devastating floods”, the Guardian report said.
It added that Washington has not yet made a final decision on  the dam, but US money would be crucial in securing other international finance, especially from the Asian Development Bank. “Getting involved in a long-term project like this is very compelling for us, “ said a senior US official.
“This is the project we’re spending our time assessing”, the report remarked.
“This would demonstrate that Pakistan is the kind of country where you can do large, complex infrastructure projects. It’s not all flood relief and sacks of flour.”
The report added that at the end of last week, President Asif Ali Zardari met a team from the Asian Development Bank “to start the process of financing Daimer Bhasha dam as the project has been approved at all internal fora of the country according to a statement from his office. It added that the dam, which harks back to similar projects supported by Washington in the 1960s and 1970s, could help reset relations between the two countries.
The report further said that the dam, on the Indus river, would provide 4,500MW of cheap, green energy, making up for a shortfall causing up to 12 hours of power cuts a day across Pakistan. The reservoir would be 50 miles long.
Shakil Durrani, Chairman of the Water and Power Development Authority, said Islamabad had approved the dam project and he was confident of US backing.  “If we had a reservoir the size of Daimer Bhasha the floods last summer would not have occurred,” he said. “This would be the largest project ever undertaken in Pakistan. It is our top priority.”
Analyst Mosharraf Zaidi agreed the dam could boost relations. “Daimer Bhasha would be tremendously good for Pakistan and would show that the US is invested in a long-term relationship with Pakistan.”, the report said.
It added that the US aid to Pakistan increased to $1.5 billion a year under the Obama administration, but has been widely dismissed in the country as going mostly to consultants and lacking focus. It remains unclear how much of this cash has actually arrived in Pakistan since the new aid programme began in 2009.
“US aid is neither visible nor tangible,” said Tariq Fatemi, a former Pakistani ambassador. “Unless the people of Pakistan can identify large, visible projects that make a difference to people ‘s lives, the US is not going to get the kind of appreciation that it believes it deserves.”, the report added.
The Guardian report said that the US official said Washington had spent $2bn on civilian assistance since October 2009, including $550m on flood relief last year, though that came from a separate fund.
Daimer Bhasha would take around eight years to build. Pakistani authorities plan to shortlist contractors later this year, the report added.

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Pak: Malik gives cash to boy for breaking toy gun

Karachi: Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik has given 25,000 rupees in cash to a boy upon breaking a toy gun.

Malik paid a visit to the residence of slain Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader and chairman of Peoples Unity, Aamir Shah, offered his condolences to his family and announced to provide jobs to his two brothers, Pak Tribune reports.

Pak: Malik gives cash to boy for breaking toy gun
Later, he visited the area and inquired from the locals about the law and order situation after surgical operations in selected areas of Karachi, the report said.

When he saw a plastic gun in the hands of a child, Malik asked him to break it since children should not play with toy guns, the report added.

Pak: Malik gives cash to boy for breaking toy gun He gave the child 25,000 rupees in cash when he broke his gun into two pieces, the report said.

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Regional Leaders Urge Better Afghan Security Training

Tajik President Emomali Rahmon and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in Dushanbe for the summit

September 02, 2011

At a regional summit today, the presidents of Russia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan urged the NATO-led coalition in Afghanistan to step up the training of local security forces as it completes its planned staged withdrawal.

Tajik President Emomali Rahmon hosted Russia's Dmitry Medvedev, Pakistan's Asif Ali Zardari, and Afghanistan's Hamid Karzai for talks in the capital, Dushanbe.

In a joint statement after the talks, the leaders said that the "reduction of foreign military presence in Afghanistan should be accompanied by adequate increase of efforts by the participants of the international coalition for training and arming Afghan national security structures."

The four also agreed to work more closely to combat extremism and drug trafficking along with organized crime.

They stressed the need to enhance regional trade and cooperation on energy projects and transport corridors.

The statement said Pakistan offered to host the next meeting of the four nations but did not specify a date.

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Officials: Taliban Take 30 Pakistani Children Hostage In Afghanistan

September 02, 2011

Pakistani officials say Taliban militants in Afghanistan have taken hostage around 30 Pakistani children who crossed the border by mistake.

They said the incident took place on September 1 after the group of boys, aged between 12 and 18, visited an area of Pakistan's Bajaur tribal region for celebrations marking the Muslim Eid holiday when they crossed into the Afghan province of Kunnar and were abducted.

It was not clear whether the militants were of Afghan origin or Pakistani Taliban.
 
Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik reportedly has contacted the Afghan government and requested it to take measures to secure the release of the children.

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Powerful typhoon edges closer to Japan

Fri Sep 2, 2011

Typhoon Talas

A large, powerful typhoon traveling off Japan's Pacific coast has moved closer to the Japanese archipelago where it is expected to bring torrential downpour and strong winds.

Japan's Meteorological Agency said Typhoon Talas was traveling slowly at 10 kilometers per hour (6 miles per hour) on Friday. It packed winds of up to 180 kph (110 mph), and set off heavy rains and strong winds, the Associated Press reported.

The large and strong typhoon is expected to make landfall in western or central Japan either Friday or Saturday.

On Thursday, Typhoon Talas caused downpours to strike a wide area of western, central and northeastern Japan from Yamaguchi Prefecture to Yamanashi Prefecture to Iwate Prefecture.

In Shunan, Yamaguchi, intense rainfall of 66.5 millimeters per hour was recorded, with rainfall of 69.0 mm in Yamanakako, Yamanashi, and 49.5 mm in Ichinoseki, Iwate, all records for September for the locations.

MP/GHN/MGH

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Taliban attack Bagram base near Kabul

Wed Aug 31, 2011 

A view of the heavily fortified Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan's Parwan Province (file photo)

Taliban militants have reportedly fired at least two rockets toward the Bagram Airbase, which is the main US base and largest detention facility in Afghanistan, 

The rocket attack on the heavily fortified US base, located 11 kilometers (7 miles) southeast of the city of Charikar in Afghanistan's Parwan Province, took place early on Wednesday, a Press TV correspondent reported.

The Taliban said one of the rockets landed inside the base. They added that a number of foreign soldiers were killed in the attack and that the US airbase suffered damages.

NATO has confirmed the attack but rejected Taliban's claims of the attack resulting in casualties.

Bagram is home to thousands of US military personnel and civilian contractors. Hundreds of detainees are also being held at the military base.

The International Committee of the Red Cross in May 2010 confirmed reports on the existence of a secret detention facility at the Bagram Airbase.

The base is the frequent target of rocket and mortar attacks. Last year, militants launched more than a dozen attacks on Bagram, killing several US-led troops.

Insecurity is on the rise across Afghanistan despite the presence of nearly 150,000 US-led forces there.

August 2011 has become the deadliest month for US troops in the decade-long war in Afghanistan with 66 American soldiers killed in the month.

The figure, released by the Associated Press on Tuesday, eclipsed the earlier death toll of 65 belonging to July 2010.

MP/HGH

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