Pak academics conspicuously absent at Intl forum - Are we on regress path?

(NOTE: Blog posted by me - Faiz Alnajdi who is the Middle East Bureau Chief of PKonweb.com and DesPardes.com. I am pesently in USA and have attended an engineering conference in Las Vegas and read my latest research paper (17th) on low cost roof design).


The ISEC-5 Conference was held at Las Vegas between Sep 22 and Sept 27 . It was as usual well-attended.

I also attended this Conference on Structural Engineering and Construction (aka: ISEC-5). It was hosted by University of Nevada at Las Vegas.

I also presented my research paper entitled, "Precast Ferrocement Barrel Shell Planks as Low Cost Roofs" in the afternoon session of 24th Sept 24th.

The Conference was attended by professional engineers, researchers and academics from over 33 countries in which over 170 research papers on latest Structural Design & Engineering matters were accepted, read and presented to the attendees.

Being a Pakistani professional civil and structural engineer living and working in Riyadh-Saudi Arabia, I am very proud to have represented both Saudi Arabia as well as Pakistan at this august international forum.

However, it was very sad to notice that Pakistani professional engineers both from
the industry and the academics either from Pakistan or living elsewhere were conspicuously absent at this forum.

On the other hand I could see an active participation from a large number of Indian professional engineers, researchers and academics both from within the United States and outside - that is from India itself.

Even several Bangladeshi delegates were seen at this forum. Some from the Arab countries, that is from Egypt and Syria also participated.

The question that immediately came to my mind and I am still very perturbed at this phenomenon was, "why Pakistani professional engineers, researchers and the academics remain so conspicuously absent in such international forums?"

I think this is too serious a matter to be ignored at any level of our society. Such absentism leaves a very bad impression on both Pakistan and Pakistani professionals, engineers, researchers and academics.

It is also very important to mention here that this is not the first occasion where I had observed such a conspicuous absence of the Pakistani engineers, researchers and the academics.

I regret to mention here that on similar international forums in the past also I have observed the same scenario.

To substantiate it, I must mention here that I was not able find a single Pakistani, either coming from within the United States or from Pakistan, at the 5th International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering (aka: 5icchge) which was hosted by the University of Missouri at Rolla in New York during April 13 thru 16 2004.

On that occasion too I had proudly presented my research findings both as a Pakistani and as a Saudi engineer and had presented two papers.

In my opinion, these are not lone incidents. I hate to say here that I see a pattern - a pattern of regression. We see Pakistan as a state and Pakistanis as a nation regressing instead of progressing.

While our neighbors and all others are continuously marching ahead and progressing in all fields, we unfortunately seem to be regressing fast on this front at least if not all fronts.

Pakistani professional engineers, researchers and academics also seem to find themselves trapped under the same regressing influence and cycle.

I must say this trend of regression must be confronted otherwise very soon Pakistan and the Pakistanis would find themselves forgotten by the international community and we would continue to remain in the news related to "terrorism activities alone".

With a vibrant media now and unhindred access to the web, we Pakistanis should collectively do something about this malaise. In a high technology global village now being backwards in related areas is a sure sign of disaster. Merely wearing tie and suit and Italian shoes and acting as leaders of the people means we are a disconnected whole and in a state of denial. Let's all do something about this disconnect by vowing to raise awareness of this latest scenario at the very least.

Posted by: Syed Faiz Ahmad aka: Faiz Al-Najdi
MEngg, MASCE
(Mmber: International Executive Committee - ISEC-6 in Zurich in 2011)
Chief Structural Engineer
Saudi Oger Ltd
Riyadh-Saudi Arabia
Now reporting from: New York; 29 Sept-09

Undies R Us!

AUG 27: A recent merchant report indicated that the sales of Men’s underwear have risen in the recession. It is the single category which hit double digits and exceeded industry expectations in sales..

Go ‘you guys!’ for boosting the economy and doing your part.

Also, per Alan Greenspan (former chairman of US Federal Reserve), since men don’t shop as much as woman, so if men are buying undies then economy must be recovering. It doesn't take a GENIUS to figure that out..

By: Aysha Ibtasam, Fashion Editor > PKonweb.com and DesPardes.com

Are we (Pakistanis) really free?

By Sajid Ansari

The people of Pakistan celebrated the ‘Independence Day’ for the last 62 years, the teens, specially boys roamed on the streets waving Pakistani flags on their bikes in groups, the rickshaws, cars, buses, trucks and the trains were decorated with flag-bundies. The TV channels telecast special Programmes and the radio stations broadcast programmes of patriotic songs, speeches and of discussions, repeating the historical events in making Pakistan and etc. All this sounds good as the love for the country is renewed among all the Pakistanis. But truly speaking I feel pity for all these innocent people who celebrate the “Independence day” because, we are not independent and free as yet; we did get freedom from the British but have gone into the hell afterward as now we are being ruled even worst by our own people.

The English proverb “out of frying pan into the fire” fits in on Pakistanis, at least, because until 13th August, 1947, yet there was Rule of Law in the whole of British India. There was no shortage of wheat flour, sugar, oil, ghee, rice or anything as the British rulers used to deal very strictly, without caste and creed, with the hoarders as they did not believe in “Banda Apna hay”. The police men and the feudals did not rape 3 & 5 years old girls then, not to speak of teen-aged and married women of villages and towns. There were no muggings and killings of young men on the roads. There were hardly any decoities in the houses. There were no brutal and ruthless murders of women and girls in the name of kari which in fact is done to get rid of the girls' share in the properties.

There were no forcible occupation of lands of the poor, by feudals, Vaderas, Chaudhries, Sardars and Nawabs, as now the poor have no access to the justice and the feudals prevail upon the police as well as the judiciary.

The British rulers never authorized any one, neither for themselves nor they allowed any of their subjugated classes, to obtain loans from the banks and may not return it, like the feudals, businessmen and the officers from the armed forces have done in this country. Thus Pakistan was made for the feudals, vaderas, Chaudhries, Sardars, Nawabs and Khawaneen, the Presidents, P.Ms, Ministers, Ministers of state, MNAs, MPAs and Senators. Then comes the bureaucracy, although their title is public servants but in fact the public is their servant as they act, behave, imitate like Goras.

The army officers and the bureaucracy have now much more facilities than what the British bureaucracy and the army used to have, until 13th August, 1947. And then the Police force which has gone more than 1000 times corrupt than what they might have been during British Rule.

The whole lot, mentioned above, is above law and whenever they are checked for violation of rules they are furious and start fuming, telling the person who checks them that they are MNAs, MPA, Senators, Speakers, Deputy Speakers and bla, bla, bla, so they should not be checked for anything.

Once a wife of an MPA of Punjab Assembly was driving fast, crossing all the Red signals on The Mall, Lahore. A daring policeman stopped her at the Regal crossing. The woman got down from her Pajero and slapped on the face of the policeman saying in Punjabi “ Toon jaanda naee main MPA dee wafe aun.” This is the ruling class of this unfortunate country. So have we been freed or got independence? Certainly not!

The English proverb is just right for the people of this unfortunate country “Out of frying pan into the Fire”. The 98% population of this unfortunate country has been made ‘hostage’ and the “Bonded labor force” of the 2% class, in the name of “Democracy”. How can we call this system a democracy where there is no Rule of Law? it is totally “exploitation” of the haves which has been given the name the as “Democracy”. Sorry, I hold Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah responsible for the mess this country is facing ever since the feudals took over this country, on two accounts, explained as below, as he was not a prophet who could/would not have committed mistakes and his actions cannot be criticized.

(1) The Congress had the clause of maximum land holding in its manifesto which was not being liked by Rajas, Maha Rajas, Nawabs, Vaderas, Chaudhries, Sardars and Khans, in short, the feudal class of then British India. It is also said that the real motive behind creation of Muslim League and demand for a separate country for the Muslims, by the Muslim feudal class, was the clause of Land Reforms in the Congress. My question is that the Quaid-e-Azam must have gone through the manifesto of the Muslim League before/after taking over as its chairman then why did he omit the clause of maximum land holding. Didn’t he know that the feudal class will take over the country, after his death, and they will make the country a hell? He also knew the capabilities of the feudal class which had surrounded him about whom he had once said “I have all “Khoatay Sikkay” in my pockets”. For whom did he say these words and yet he did not make fool-proof arrangements so that these “Khoatay Sikkay’ may not ruin the country, therefore, those “Khoatay Sikkay’ took over. So this is the Pakistan which we have today. On the other, what happened in India? the Congress took over all the lands and properties in excess from all Rajas, Maha Rajas, Nawabs and etc so India is being ruled by the people and not by the feudal, hence progressing steadily.

(2) The Quaid-e-Azam should have formed a Constitution Committee right on 23rd March, 1940 when all the Muslim leaders had gathered in Lahore, agreeing on the Pakistan Resolution. The best Muslim brains of the subcontinent were assembled there who could have been chosen to be assigned the job of preparing a “shadow constitution” of a shadow country, Pakistan. So the constitution would have been prepared well in time, years before 14th August, 1947 and the Quaid-e-Azam would have promulgated it on the day of the inauguration of the first session of the Assembly. But the Quaid did not think about it at all. The question arises to most of the minds is did he avoid it deliberately or non-deliberately? If deliberately then why did he do that? And if he did it non-deliberately then the question comes up of his limited vision.

The poor lot, of this country, is compelled either to sell their children or kill them along with themselves for not being able to feed them even once a day. There are villages where practically every male adult claimed to have sold a kidney to earn extra money to repay his debts. Is this the Pakistan that Quaid-e-Azam has given to the people for which they should celebrate Independence Day? However, the real freedom has yet to be achieved when the white collar dacoits and the usurpers, both corrupt civilian politicians as well the army dictators and their collaborators, will be put to the task. The corrupt politicians who emptied the banks, by taking huge loans and did not return a penny, those who grabbed the state lands, those who have been getting hefty commissions on international contracts, amassing wealth, accumulated illegally, in the shape of palatial properties and the bubbling cash accounts in foreign bank, whereas the army dictators put the country into the laps of foreign countries, in order to get recognition of their illegitimate takeovers, all these culprits be hanged at the crossings of big cities, of this country. The oppressed people of Pakistan are looking for a real ‘angel’ who will not only get rid of this country from the rule of the corrupt lot but will also squeeze them to bring the looted money, back to the country. Their removal from the job of corrupt Presidents, Prime Ministers, Ministers and the bureaucrats is not a punishment as they should be put behind the bars and be hanged upside down, until they repay the looted tax payers money of this country and then be punished accordingly.

Last week, an ex-chief of Beijing Airport was hanged after being proved of his embezzlement of over 1 million dollars, though he deposited the total amount but still he was punished by hanging until dead.

We need a revolution for accountability and against the corrupt and the usurpers be hanged openly at the crossings of each city of this country. The whole system has to be changed to (promulgation of) Islamic Sharia in the country, the only way-out to give justice to the people and punish the culprits, right away, then we will be justified to celebrate the real Independence Day and the freedom, for the people of Pakistan. (Email: sajidansari45@yahoo.com)

Note: Any one can send his or her contribution (which can be an article, short story or poem, cartoon, etc.) for review and publication here in the PKonweb's Blog. Email it to: blog@pkonweb.com

FIR filed against Musharraf by Islamabad police

Acting swiftly on a court order, Islamabad police today booked former president Pervez Musharraf for ordering the house arrest of the Supreme Court judges he had sacked after declaring an emergency on November 3, 2007.

The "unprecedented first in Pakistan's history" could "actually see" Musharraf land in prison "or at the minimum turn his stay abroad into a permanent exile", The News said on Tuesday.

"An ironic fate of twist for a man who once boasted that he would never allow (former prime ministers) Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto to end their exile on their own and return to Pakistan. The table stands turned on its head," the newspaper added.

The Islamabad police registered a criminal case (FIR No 131 dated 10-08-09) under section 344/34 of the Pakistan Penal Code following the orders of the Additional Sessions Judge, Islamabad, Mohammad Akmal Khan on Monday.

The FIR states that Musharraf and others had detained the Supreme Court judges and their families at their houses and their children were neither allowed to attend school nor permitted to appear in examinations.

Judge Khan's Monday order came 11 days after the Supreme Court July 31 held that Musharraf had acted extra-judicially, illegally and unconstitutionally in declaring an emergency and sacking the apex court judges.

A 14-member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammed Chaudhry, however, stopped short of censuring Musharraf as had been demanded in a petition the court was hearing against the declaration of the emergency.

The Supreme Court had summoned Musharraf, who is currently in London on a lecture tour, to appear before it July 29 in person or through his lawyer but he failed do so. "Determining responsibility for the steps taken on November 3, 2007 is necessary," Chaudhry observed on July 22 before issuing summons.

Chaudhry, who was one of the 80-odd Supreme Court and high court judges sacked, had been reinstated in March after a bruising lawyers' agitation. Musharraf had sacked the higher judiciary after it refused to take fresh oath under the Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO) he promulgated along with the emergency.

The emergency had been declared just as the Supreme Court was to deliver its verdict on the constitutionality of Musharraf's re-election in October 2007. It had been contended that the same parliament and provincial assemblies that had elected Musharraf in 2002 had re-elected him in 2007 and this was unconstitutional.

Musharraf is in the hot seat but will he be prosecuted?

An Islamabad session court judge has directed police officials to file an FIR (First Information Report - meaning registering a criminal case against someone) against former President Gen (R) Pervez Musharraf for detaining seven of the superior court judges and their families in their houses after proclaiming emergency on Nov 3, 2007.

The seven judges including the Chief Justice had passed a verdict against the emergency and instructed all judges not to take fresh oath from the General.

According to DAWN, the case had not been registered till late in the evening, but a senior police officer told the paper that it would ‘definitely be done within a few hours’.

Sources told the newspaper that an emergency meeting was called in the interior ministry, which was attended by senior officers of the interior and law ministries and officers of police and their legal branch. Details of the meeting remain unknown but it is yet another bushfire the ousted General now faces in a span of less than a month.

On July 31 the Supreme Court ruled against his emergency of Nov 3, 2007 making all steps taken by him thereafter illegal and unconstitutional. In the absence of his indemnity by the previous parliament or from the existing parliament, defending his emergency acts is a steep hill to climb for the ex-general.

In the presence of a strong independent media now (ironically it was him to created it), a strong and popular public support for his nemesis Nawaz Sharif and a somewhat a neutral army chief of staff, it is likely that Musharraf may be forced to have his day in court. What transpires is any body's guess.

Some observers strongly feel that the military won't let its ex-chief go through the humiliation. A similar attempt of army humiliation by then PM Nawaz Sharif in 1999 had triggered a mutiny by a catorie of Generals led by Gen Mehmood, Gen Usmani et al culminating in a coup that overthrew the civilian strongman and brought Gen Musharraf into power on October 12, 1999.

Chief of Army Staff Musharraf had been ordered retired while he was on his way back from Sri Lanka and replaced by Sharif's handpicked Gen Zia uddin - then ISI chief and reportedly a relative. The Generals did not like it and rebelled against Musharraf''s replacement. The Triple One Brigade did the rest.

Sources told Dawn that a case would be registered against the former president under section 344 of the Pakistan Penal Code which says:

‘Whoever wrongfully confines any person for ten days or more, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term, which may extend to three years, and shall also be liable to fine.’

If security czar Rehman Malik is to believed, an extradition treaty is in the works between UK and the Pakistan government which, if implemented soon, may force the British government to force Gen (R) Musharraf go back to Pakistan and face the criminal charges.

If the agreement is "delayed for some reasons" or there is deliberate foot-dragging, legally then it won't be easy to make the retired General come back and face the charges but the British government may find it politically incorrect to let Musharraf continue to stay put in UK. He may then be nudged to cross the Atlantic or take up the Saudi offer for a well-cushioned self-exile in the kingdom.

The court order against the ex-President was passed by additional District and Sessions judge Mohammad Akmal Khan in response to petitions filed by advocate Aslam Ghuman about five months ago.

The judge in his short order observed that the respondent (Mr Musharraf) was liable to be tried under various legal and criminal provisions.

The court has already adjourned the case for twelve times in a span of five months and further adjournment over the issue was denied, he added.

The plaintiff requested the court to direct Islamabad police to register the case against the ex-President after the office of Senior Superintendent of Police did not record his complaint. Then the judge ordered the additional station house officer (SHO) of the secretariat police station (who was present in court) to register a case against the former president.

The plaintiff's petition says that Gen (R) Musharraf illegally imposed Provisional Constitution Order on Nov 3, 2007, and detained Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and 60 other judges of superior judiciary along with their families after they had refused to take oath under the PCO.

The petition seeks the trial of Musharraf and others who played a role in implementing the PCO.

A large number of former and present parliamentarians, bureaucrats and police officials were also likely to be named in the case, sources told Dawn.

Another ‘blasphemy’ case

AUG 5: An angry mob attacked the house of a 60-year-old woman in Sanghar district in Sindh in another alleged incident of desecration of the holy Quran, a private TV channel reported late on Wednesday.
 
Following the attack, the police shifted the woman, Akhtari Malkani, to the police station from a katchi abadi area in the district.

The District Bar Association officials assured the mob that a case would be registered against the woman if she was found guilty.

Despite assurance from the lawyers and police, the people demanded that the woman should be handed over to them and pelted stones at the police station building and burned tyres on road.

Meanwhile, 447 witnesses have so far registered their names and will today (Thursday) make statements before the inquiry tribunal responsible for probing the riots in which nine  Christians were burnt alive in Gojra.

Also, over 50 have been held for Sheikhupura blasphemy killings of three men on Tuesday. Sheikhupura District Police Officer Muhammad Tahir told a private TV channel that police had arrested Qasim Mughal, the factory's manager, along with five others for attacking the factory and killing its owner for allegedly desecrating the holy Quran.

He said the culprit had started rumours regarding the factory owner allegedly committing blasphemy and had incited a riot. Earlier, the channel reported that police, on the directions of the regional police officer raided seven villages and arrested more than 50 people suspected of involvement in the killing. However, Khatyala Virkan Union Council Nazim Muqaddas Bukhari told the channel the police had arrested innocent people and would be responsible if the situation worsened.

PM to visit: Also on Wednesday, it was learnt that Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani would soon visit Gojra to extend his sympathies to the affected people of the Christian community. "During his visit, the PM would also announce compensations for the affected families," sources revealed, adding that the decision had been made in a federal cabinet meeting.

Supreme Court declares Nov 3 steps unconstitutional

The Supreme Court of Pakistan Friday declared the steps taken on November 3, 2007 by former president Gen (R) Pervez Musharraf unconstitutional thereby opening doors for potential case of treason against him.

Charges of treason can only be brought against him by the parliament. The Chief Justice yesterday clarified this issue stating such matters are upto the parliament to take up and not the judiciary.

Musharraf, who came to power in a coup in 1999, quit as president almost a year ago to avoid impeachment and has been living in London for the past two months.

Some argue that holding Musharraf accountable would deter military strongmen from trying to seize power in the future and give a chance for democratic institutions to grow in a country that has spent about half its existence under army rule.

The flip side is that pursuing Musharraf could shake the political establishment and reopen old wounds at a time when Pakistan faces huge tasks in battling Taliban insurgents and reviving its economy.

The judgment came after the 14-judge larger bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Muhammed Chaudhry completed the hearing of constitutional petitions regarding PCO judges, appointments of judges of higher judiciary and November 3, 2007 steps.

The Supreme Court in its short verdict declared the steps of November 3, 2007 taken by former president Pervez Musharraf as unconstitutional. Article 279 of the Constitution was violated on November 3, 2007, it said.

It termed as illegal and unconstitutional the sacking of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and the other higher judiciary as well as the appointment of Justice Abdul Hamid Dogar as chief justice.

The oath taken by President Asif Ali Zardari will not be affected by the SC verdict, it said.

All the appointments made in the higher judiciary of Justice Abdul Hamid Dogar have been termed illegal.

It termed as unconstitutional all the appointments of judges during November 3, 2007 to March 24, 2008.

It said the number of Supreme Court judges will continue to remain 16.

It declared unconstitutional all the steps taken by Pervez Musharraf during November 3, 2007 to December 15, 2007 including the increasing of number of superior judges through finance bill.Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry announced the verdict.

The verdict said all the appointments of judges on and after November 3, 2007 under PCO were unconstitutional.

The case of PCO judges will be referred to the Supreme Judicial Council, it said.

The announcement of today’s verdict sent a wave of jubilation outside the Supreme Court and at all the bar associations countrywide.

Sweets were distributed as people and lawyers chanted slogans hailing the decision and in support of the judiciary.

The 14-judge larger bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Muhammed Chaudhry reserved the judgment after completing the hearing of the case and announced it after a delay of over four and a half hours.

Musharraf 'forming political party'?

JUL 29 - Speculations are rife that former President Gen (R) Pervez Musharraf is thinking of launching a new political party amidst reports that his friends have advised him against media appearances at this time as he and the Chaudhrys were at loggerheads.

In fact today, Ch Shujaat for the first time, gave a no-holds-barred interview to Late Edition of ARY in which he said he opposed Lal Masjid Ops, CJ Iftikhar's removal, imposition of emergency on Nov 3 2007 and several other matters.

In not so much in an open way, but Shujaat today did come out speaking candidly (in bits and chuckles) against his former boss's several major decisions but felt short of calling him a dictator. In fact he praised him for media freedom and holding the first elections in 2000 and seemd not to be in favor of his accountability.

Watch Shujaat interview: I opposed Lal Masjid OP, Chief Justice removal- Shujaat

Musharraf's new political party, if it does take off, we are told, will attempt to attract the youth who presently consist of 55 percent of the population and will target Karachi and Punjab as its constituencies and both the Saraiki belt and Lahore may be its major focus.

Mr Musharraf is presently in media and lego-politico limelight due to the Tikka Iqbal Case in the Supreme Court and has decided not to return soon.

Observers think he may decide to make London as his base until such time that he may decide to return.

Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid dissident leader Hamid Nasir Chattha and the party’s Punjab President Pervaiz Elahi have reached London, where the former is likely to meet Musharraf.

PML-Q sources said Chattha would meet Musharraf to discuss political affairs of the country.

Sources said intra-party differences in the PML-Q and conflicts with the Chaudhrys were likely to be discussed in the meeting.

Meanwhile, Elahi is in London to see his newly-born grandson reported Daily Times today.

‘Pakistan in covert talks with Baitullah’

JUL 28 - The military has delayed a full-scale ground operation in South Waziristan Agency against Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan chief Baitullah Mehsud as the two sides have covertly reached an understanding, the Telegraph UK claimed on Tuesday.

A report in the daily said details are still not known, but the military had deliberately delayed launching the attacks against Baitullah after “having corralled his stronghold in South Waziristan”.

Around six brigades of troops have blocked the four main arteries into Baitullah’s territory, which thousands have fled for fear of missile strikes by US drones.

There has also been no drone attacks for few weeks now.

And today, US Special Envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke said at least seventy percent of the Taliban do not share the philosophy of Taliban and Al Qaeda, Dunya News reported.

Holbrooke said less violent Taliban, those who had renounced extremism, should be included in the political mainstream.

Citing a senior official, the UK paper reported that Islamabad authorities want Baitullah Mehsud to announce that he would not attack the government in the future. The official said it would not be a “total surrender”, but a guarantee on Baitullah’s part that he would not indulge in anti-state activities in the future.

The effort was underway because the military is engaged on several fronts and does not want a full-blown operation in Waziristan.

The claims have not been verified independently, the Telegraph reported, but said the delay was sure to anger the United States. Our observation is that may not be the case as Holbrooke is already talking about 70 percent Taliban being 'moderate'. News reports also say the West is involved in secret talks with them.

The military has meanwhile denied such reports and said it wanted to surround the Taliban and then use air power and artillery to “soften them up”.

The army has struck several peace deals with Baitullah in the past, but all have collapsed.


Related report:
Pakistan in ’secret negotiations’ with Baitullah Mehsud
Taliban Resume Attacks in Swat Valley

One Million Children May Miss Out On School in NWFP

JUL 23 - The United Nations' Children's Fund (UNICEF) says as many as one million children in the northwest region of Pakistan could miss out on school if buildings needed to house classrooms are not restored in time for the start of the new school year which begins on September 1st.

According to UNICEF, 60 percent of the two million people who fled their homes in the Swat Valley are children under the age of 18.

UNICEF's director of Emergency Programs in Pakistan, Louis-Georges Arsenault says more than 4,000 schools have been converted into shelters and about 200,000 homeless people are living there.

"And, also in Swat, as you probably have heard many times, some 200 schools were destroyed by the Taliban and 75 percent were girls schools ... If we are not able to have the precondition for these shelters to be in shape for the school year and also have the minimum for when the people are returning to the communities, one million children will be at risk of losing and not starting the school year in time," Arsenault said.

Arsenault says about 300,000 people are on the move back to Swat, Buner and Dir. He says the government is helping them to go back to their communities.

But Arsenault says UNICEF believes a great many people will remain behind.

He says preparations must be made to return children to school. Education materials must be purchased.

He says UNICEF will not be able to accomplish everything that needs to be done unless it receives more money. He says the agency is running a $20 million shortfall and this is seriously compromising its humanitarian operation.

Musharraf summoned by Supreme Court over PCO judges’ case

JULY 22 - The Supreme Court on Wednesday has summoned former President Pervez Musharraf to explain his decision to impose emergency and firing of the judges in 2007.

The court notice allows Musharraf to send a lawyer in his place.

Attorney General Sardar Latif Khosa confirmed the court order. He said the federal government would not defend the actions taken by Musharraf on Nov. 3, 2007, when faced with growing challenges to his rule, he declared a state of emergency, suspended the constitution and dismissed the judges.

Musharraf is currently staying in London with his family and is in touch with attorneys Mian Sharifuddin Pirzada and Malik Qayyum in this matter.

The next hearing in the case is on July 29 and it is expected that Musharraf's attorney(s) will represent him in the hearing.

Wasi Zafar, a law minister during Musharraf's rule, said after the announcement, that the retired general could appear before the Supreme Court either through his lawyer or in person."If he does not do it, the court can initiate proceedings against him in his absence," he said.

The former army chief seized power in a 1999 military coup. In early 2007, Musharraf dismissed the Supreme Court's chief justice, Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry. That triggered mass protests led by lawyers that damaged Musharraf's popularity.

Meanwhile, US special envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke who is in Islamabad today said told reporters that President Pervez Musharraf is now history and that the US will not come to defend him, AP reported today..

Talking to media in the capital, Holbrooke termed Pervez Musharraf’s case as Pakistan’s internal issue and added that the US respects Pakistan’s judiciary and free press.

Former Attorney General Malik Mohammad Qayyum said on Wednesday that he was ready to defend former president Gen (retd.) Pervez Musharraf at the Supreme Court if he was asked to do so. He was talking to reporters at the Supreme Court premises soon after the issuance of notice to Musharraf.

Qayyum termed the decision of the apex court highly appreciable and according to the law and the Constitution.He said that the Supreme Court had taken a good step to give a chance to Pervez Musharraf to explain his position about the imposition of emergency in the country.

To a question, Qayyum said that there was no need for Musharraf to appear in person, adding that only his counsel should appear in the case. If he was asked he would definitely appear in the case and defend the former president, Qayyum said.

Karachi- River at the doorstep

JUL 20 - A bridge near Maripur police station at Hawks Bay Roadd and one linking the Karachi Airport to Gulistan-e-Jauhar have been washed out due to the rains, Geo TV reported today. Meanwhile rain related death toll has risen to 55. The rainstorm has broken the 30-year record with some areas receiving more than 8 inches of rain.

People irked by prolonged power breakdown hit the streets and started protest against the power outage. During the power protests clashes erupted between the angry mobs and police and a man was killed in Hyderi and several others were injured in police firing and shelling at the protesters.

PHOTO: People wade through rainwater flooding the streets outside their houses on Sunday. Torrential monsoon rain over the weekend killed at least 55 people and left most of the port city without electricity. The rain flooded low-lying parts of the city, damaging hundreds of houses, downing power lines and inundating power grid stations.

Talk to Taliban with or without Karzai- Musharraf

JUL 20 - Former president Gen (R) Pervez Musharraf says dialogue has to be established with the Taliban and political progress, rather than military might, would achieve a solution in Afghanistan.

Musharraf however cautioned that the senior elements of the Taliban leadership may not be receptive to a dialogue with the incumbent President Karzai who is contesting for a second term of office in August polls and appears to have the support of the Obama administration and other Western nations.

"I personally think that you need to establish a political dialogue and political dialogue with senior elements within the Taliban. Unfortunately, the Taliban or the senior elements in the Taliban, I don't think are open at the moment to any discussions or any negotiations with (Afghan President Hamid) Karzai.

"We need to have people, whether through a jirga or whether it is the president himself, to have access into the Taliban."

Musharraf was giving an interview to British news channel Sky Television in London where he is presently based at. According to reports, he has no immediate plans to return to Pakistan soon where the Supreme Court is to take up cases on his Nov 3 2007 mis-actions.

"I think the (military) strategy is right but we need to put in a little more input, more forces required, and maybe we need to concentrate also on the long-term strategy. We are following a short-term military strategy only," the former general said.

Commenting on the Taliban , he said "The Taliban have done wicked things. But then we have to come to a solution. "Military is never the ultimate solution. The military can buy you time, it can create an environment, but ultimately it is the political instrument which has to be used.

Musharraf said the Taliban's influence in Pakistan's Afghan border areas had strengthened since he resigned the presidency in August last year.

"There is a degree of instability that has come up because of this resurgence of Talibanization activity in the settled districts of the frontier, especially Swat, but I am very sure as long as the armed forces of Pakistan stay and they are strong, Pakistan will remain stable," he said. (Based on AFP news report)

More photos on Karachi rain

More rain photos of Karachi..

Individual Nabbed from Cyber Cafe for SMS to Rehman Malik

JULY 19, 3:25 PM NY Time

One of our team members based in Pakistan reported today that a highly influential leader of a student political organization, was picked up by plainclothes policemen from a Cyber Cafe in Okara for having sent text messages (SMS) to Rehman Malik slandering him and the government for Cyber Crime Law against MMS, Emails, etc.

The individual kept shouting at the Cyber Cafe that he was being picked up for directly text messaging to Malik.

The incident took place Sunday late evening around 9pm Pakistan Standard Time.

Our team member was witness to the arrest of this individual who while being pushed into the police van kept slandering Rehman Malik and accused President Zardari of being complicit in the assassination of Benazir Bhutto.

According to our reporter, witnesses at the scene were of the opinion that the political individual may have been the President of the Okara PSF but independent verification of this information has not been possible yet.

The arrested individual was taken to the Police Station and it is expected that he will emain in police custody.

More information to follow as we monitor the developments..

Snapshots- Karachi rain

More snapshots of rain-affected Karachi on Sunday. Intermitten rainfall continues..

Rain continues. 80 pct Karachi out of electricity

Rain continues in Karachi on Sunday. 80 percent of the city is out of electricity reported TV channels.

Karachi 'rained out'!

Snapshot of rain affected area..

Quaid portrait again missing

JULY 19 - The Nation reports today: "Who removed the portrait of the Father of the Nation, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah from the auditorium of the PM House before Premier Yousuf Raza Gilani arrived there to address the media Saturday, will remain a mystery till authorities concerned finally resolve it".

"Before the news conference started, journalists present observed that the portrait of Quaid-e-Azam Muhmmad Ali Jinnah was missing while cameramen of various private TV channels were taking visuals of the portraits of Benazir Bhutto Shaheed and late Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto placed on the right and left of the auditorium wall bearing only a nail in the middle but with no portrait of the Quaid."

The Nation adds: "It was only then that the organizers of the press conference realized the importance of the Quaid’s portrait. They immediately produced the missing portrait and fixed it in the middle of the two PPP leaders' portraits. Many journalists present in the auditorium witnessed the scene of how the organizers fixed the portrait on ‘emergency basis’."

It is worth mentioning that a few weeks back one of the private TV Channels broadcast news report with video grabs on the absence of Quaid-e-Azam's portrait from the Aiwan-i-Sadr and PM House but it was strongly denied and the news rejected by the government.



Photos of missing Quaid picture from the President House wall was also flashed in the media. In fact one of the official government news agency (APP) photos itself shows that the Quaid portrait was missing from the wall when President Zardari and PM Gilani invited the winning T20 cricket team member for dinner and had a photoshoot taken. (See above pic).

It is an abhorrent case of accidental or deliberate mismanagement - condemnable by all.

Also a must read: Quaid's Missing Portrait by Shamshad Ahmed Khan (former foreign secy)

http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Opinions/Columns/04-Jul-2009/Quaids-missing-portraits/

Mullah FM back on the air in Swat

JULY 19 - Taliban leader Fazlullah aka "Mullah Radio" and "FM Mullah" addressed the residents of Swat via his illegal radio station a few days ago, the first such broadcast since reports emerged that the Taliban leader was injured during the military operation in the district.
Fazlullah has not been heard on the radio for months after the military launched a major operation to clear the Taliban from Swat and the neighboring districts of Dir and Buner at the end of April.

“Fazlullah was heard on his illegal FM radio channel three or four days ago,” residents of Mingora city told Daily Times by phone. However, they added, the Taliban leader seemed to have lost his drive and was not as aggressive when referring to the security forces as he had once been. “You can feel as if the operation has taken the sting out of him,” they said.

Fazlullah's broadcasts were infamous for the anti-government screeds and the radical interpretations of Islam. He was nicknamed Mullah FM and Radio Mullah for pioneering the use of illegal radio broadcasts to promote his radical agenda.

The residents, however, were unable to confirm whether Fazlullah was broadcasting live or whether it was a pre-recorded message to keep the government confused about his present status.

Residents of Swat became glued to the radio as Fazlullah would issue lists of government and security officials, as well as tribal leaders who were to be executed for opposing the Taliban. Fazlullah would also campaign against polio vaccination drives, insisting the shots were a Jewish plot to sterilize Muslims, and railed against young girls attending school. More than 200 schools have been torched by the Taliban in Swat since 2007.

Fazlullah's re-emergence on the airwaves crushed the Pakistan government and the military's claim that he gravely wounded during fighting in his home town. Fazlullah was reported to have been killed, wounded and surrounded multiple times since the operation began.
Last week, Swat Taliban spokesman Mullah Omar said Fazlullah was alive, along with all of the group's senior leadership.

"Fazlullah is safe and the government claim is totally baseless," Omar told journalists. He also said the Taliban leadership had gone underground "as part of their overall strategy" once the Army launched operations in Buner, Dir, and Swat, Daily Times reported.

Both the government and the military have claimed that Swat is now over 90 percent cleared of the Taliban and called an end to major military operations. The government has urged internally displaced people who fled the violence to return to their homes in Swat and neighboring Buner.
The military is also planning to build bases in Swat and Buner, and plans on remaining in the region for two years.

But reports from the region paint a less than positive picture of the security situation in Swat and Buner. The government is being accused of pushing the internally displaced people out of camps by providing poor services, and are sending them back to regions where the fighting is still ongoing, according to Newsweek.

The Taliban are still able to control ground in Buner, where the military also claimed the Taliban had been defeated more than a month ago. According to local residents in Buner, the Taliban are active in many of the major towns, and have been seen setting up a checkpoint where they seen "singling out government officials and their opponents," according to The News.

A group called the Aman Tehrik, or Peace Movement, was highly critical of the military operation in Swat, Dir, and Buner. The group said the military operation was "nominal" and failed to kill or capture "third rank" Taliban leaders.

The Aman Tehrik said "terrorist leaders were still safe and their sanctuaries were intact in Swat and Buner," according to Dawn.

The Amam Tehrik opposes the establishment of military bases in Swat and Buner, and said the building of these bases would inflame the situation.

Musharraf’s farmhouse power supply ordered disconnected

JULY 19 - Pakistan Electric Power Company (PEPCO) on Saturday directed disconnecting electricity supply to former president Pervez Musharraf’s farmhouse after he failed to clear outstanding dues.

Musharraf who is presently based in London, has been travelling between UAE and London recently and there are reports that he is making plans to launch himself in politics soon after September 2009 when the two-year restriction for ex-COAS to enter politics ends.

PEPCO Managing Director Tahir Basharat said Musharraf, and 34 other residents of Chak Shahzad in capital Islamabad, had been issued notices over the misuse of electricity and their failure to pay outstanding electricity bills. He said the order had been issued after Musharraf did not pay the PEPCO dues.

Musharraf on Friday told an Indian TV that India did not presently pose a greater threat to Pakistan than the extremists and the Taliban. Pakistan does not pose external threats. It faces internal threats, he said in the interview quoted by media Friday.

PEPCO CEO Basharat also said between 20 and 26 percent increase in power tariff would become inevitable if the government withdrew the Rs 55 billion subsidy to the power sector. IMF has preconditioned more loans to Pakistan on such conditions but the Pak team recently managed to convince IMF to temporarily put off such removal of subsidy as demanded.

Pakistan-Dutch community raises over a crore rupees for displaced persons

JULY 19 - The Pakistani-Dutch community has raised over one crore fourteen lakh rupees (Euro 1,01,480 equivalent to US dollars 1,41,500) to help the internally displaced people in NWFP. The entire amount was channeled to the Prime Minister's Fund for the Victims of Terrorism.

The fund-raising campaign commenced on May 19 under the guidance of the Ambassador of Pakistan to Denmark, Mr Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry. During the campaign, fund-raising dinners were organized in the cities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and The Hague. Several associations of Pakistani diaspora and individuals showed a high degree of commitment, support and sympathy for their brethren, and donated generously.

The fund-raising campaign concluded on July 17, with a meeting at the residence of the Pakistani Ambassador. In the interest of transparency and financial discipline, full details of the funds collected were provided by the Embassy through a comprehensive presentation.

Major contributors and leaders of the Pakistani-Dutch community expressed their satisfaction over the contribution made by the community and expressed the hope that the amount raised would help alleviate the plight of the displaced persons. They expressed their solidarity with the armed forces who were bravely conducting their operations against the terrorists in order to enable the people to return to their homes which had since begun. They also expressed support for the efforts of the Government in this regard, said a Press Release.

Life paralyzed in Karachi: 22 killed in rain-related incidents

JULY 19 - Karachi rains have broken the 30-year record and the rain-related death toll has reached 22 with more than 60 reported injured.

The News has reported that the Karachi airport phones went dead after the rains and the citizens were facing hardship in enquiring about the flights schedules.

City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal took tour of different parts of the city in the wee hours of Sunday to take stock of the situation following the heavy downpour.

Earlier, he advised the citizens not to come out on streets until the standing water was drained out from the roads and streets.

According to news reports and information reaching us, Karachi plunged into darkness following suspension of power supply from Wapda that resulted in complete collapse of the KESC system.

A complete blackout in the city was caused by a fault in the 550kV transmission line after heavy rains near Multan which suspended KESC's link with Jamshoro.

Power supply from all units of Bin Qasim Thermal Power Plants and Korangi Thermal Power Stations remained disrupted for quite sometime. Hub Chowki link is the only one still providing nominal amount of electricity to the city.

Meanwhile, twenty-two people were killed and dozens injured in rain-related incidents on Saturday. It was the first rain of the monsoon season that lashed the city paralysing it completely.

More than 3 inches of rain was recorded on Saturday and the downpour spell is to continue Sunday also including in Sindh, the Met office reported today.

According to AAJ TV channel, five people including a child and her mother were killed and 34 injured due to roof and wall collapse in Orangi and Baldia Town.

Twenty-four houses collapsed due to heavy rain in Orangi, Baldia, Surjani Town, and Ranchore Line.

Quoting hospital sources, the channel claimed that seven people including a boy and his father were electrocuted. A young man was drowned in the sea. His body was later washed ashore and taken to the hospital for autopsy. In two other incidents, a person drowned at Hawkesbay while a body with gun shots marks was brought to hospital from Lyari, ARY reported.

A portion of a sixth floor of a building collapsed and fell on an adjacent house in Ramswami area of Runchor Line. As a result sleeping in the house a man named Badar, his wife, Rani, their two children Rehman, 5, and Rudaba, 7 were killed while Mohsin, 10 was injured, The News reported today.

Long queues of uncountable jammed buses, cars, rickshaws, hi-roof vehicles, motorbikes were seen stranded on many roads of the metropolis in over knee-deep rainwater which was flowing from one road onto the other even onto footpaths because of the drainage system's failure.

The deteriorated situation created immense difficulties for the general public who went on foot to wade through knee-deep rainwater to reach their destinations.

Streets and small alleys of Keamari, Lyari, Bin Qasim and Gadap towns were to have been completely inundated.

On M.A. Jinnah road, Business Recorder Road, Guru Mandir roundabout, Kharadar road in front of Edhi's central office, Numaish roundabout, under-construction Jail roundabout rainwater overflowed footpaths, according to AAJ TV.

Roads in Landhi, Malir, Nazimabad, SITE and other parts of the city were also reported to be flooded. However, later on vehicular traffic jam started easing as rain stopped and accumulated rainwater from roads started flowing into gutters.

However, in city areas where new roads have been constructed along with laying of new drainage system, there had been no water accumulation.


According to ARY, "the City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal visited various Towns and found the situation satisfactory saying that it had been due to the development works done by the Haq Parast leadership during the last 4 years".

Mullen meets Gen Kayani and Gen Tariq Majeed

JULY 17 - US military chief Admiral Mike Mullen on Thursday separately met Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Tariq Majid and Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani in Islamabad.

They discussed matters of mutual interests during the meetings. Later, Admiral Mullen also visited Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp at Jalozai in NWFP.

In separate development, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called President Asif Ali Zardari on telephone in Islamabad late on Thursday. She assured President Zardari of US support to help rehabilitate Swat and Malakand IDPs, President spokesperson Farah Naz Asfahani said.

According to Ispahani, Clinton has said that the US will continue it support for the effectees of Swat and people of Pakistan. Clinton welcomed UN probe into the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, she concluded.

Meanwhile, news reports say a commander of TTP, and five extremists have been held in Khyber Agency. The militants were arrested during the security forces’ operations with a view to recovery of kidnapped officials of security forces including a chief commander Zarmat Khan.

The militants have been shifted to unknown place for stepping up investigation..

Al-Qaeda leadership hiding in Pakistan - Hillary Clinton

JUL 16 - Hillary Clinton, who is US Secretary of State said today that Al-Qaeda leadership was hiding in Pakistan, however US supports the new determination of Islamabad administration in actions against the militants and terrorists.

Clinton was addressing a gathering at council on foreign relations in Washington capital on Wednesday and said that success in Afghanistan could not be achieved without the support of Pakistan.

She said US supports efforts of Pakistani authorities against Al-Qaeda and Taliban.

She also offered to work out with those who were ready to disassociate themselves from Taliban and Al-Qaeda and abide by the law by laying down their arms.

She said she will visit Pakistan in fall this year. She plans to visit India from July 17.

Terror suspect arrested with suicide jacket in Islamabad

JULY 15 - A suspected terrorist was arrested and a suicide jacket and arms captured from him Wednesday.

The accused is said to be involved in murder of a police engineer.

The alleged terrorist has confessed his involvement in six bomb attacks in the federal capital Islamabad and other cities, ARY News reported.

Earlier, Minister of Interior Rehman Malik in a news conference had said that some terrorists were present in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Security was stepped up in Red Zone areas of these cities after the disclosure.

Fire erupts at fireworks godown in Karachi

JULY 15 - ARY TV reports that that fire erupted at fireworks godown in Karachi’s congested Khori Garden in Old Town area on Wednesday.

Several persons are said to be trapped in the building. Fire tenders have reached the area and firemen were said to be trying to extinguish the blaze in the three-storey building with eight fire tenders and a snorkle. Rescue operation of trapped inside is also on the way.

The building has residential apartments at upper floors and shops at the ground floor.

It is not clear yet whether the fire is accidental or a foul play.

Karachi remains tense due to continued targeted killings of rival political workers as well as massive load shedding.

The local bodies government led by MQM has been suspended by the provincial government but MQM has demanded that polls be held within 3 months.

Earlier reports said they were in support of local govt suspension with administrators to be appointed in place of Nazims.

Developing...

Gold consumption in Pakistan above 100 tons

JULY 15 - The global demand of gold is more than 2,500 tons and Pakistan’s consumption is more than 100 tons, which makes Pakistan world’s 10th largest market in the gem sector, said former coordinator on gem and jewelry development sector Strategy Working Group (SWOG), Shafi Chowksi on Monday.

Pakistan is full of natural resources, unmatched quality of ruby, emerald, topaz, aqua marine, fluorite, lais-lazuli, which are mined from the valleys of Gilgit, Hunza, Swat, Azad Kashmir and Chitral, Shafi added.

Pakistan can capture sizeable gems and jewelry market in Malaysia after signing of Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two countries, he asserted. Malaysia is a big gem and jewelry manufacturing industry and Pakistan can achieve $1.5 billion gems and jewellery export target by 2016, provided encouragement to entrepreneurship, supportive infrastructure and introduction of latest mining, gems cutting and jewellery manufacturing techniques, Shafi said.

Karachi is the main commercial hub of gems and jewellery supplying 60 percent of total demand to other parts of the country, he added.

Three killed in continued Karachi target killings

JULY 15 - A 57-year-old councillor of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) was shot dead in an attack near his home in Ramaswami on Tuesday.

Unidentified men shot dead 57-year-old Sirajuddin at Hoti Market in Ranchore Lane, in the Nabi Buksh police precincts. Station House Officer (SHO) Wasim Ahmed said the deceased was the general councillor of UC-6 in Saddar Town, and was associated with the MQM.

Witnesses said the victim, Sirajuddin, son of Nizamuddin, was standing at a shop on Hakim Qazi Yaseen Road, near Hoti Market, in the remit of the Nabi Bux police when at around 5.30pm three gunmen on two motorcycles sprayed him with bullets.

The witnesses said that two of the assailants, who wore helmets, opened fire on the victim, the father of six daughters and two sons. They said the attackers rode away after their swift operation as people ran for shelter after the shooting.

Separately, two men who owned separate private schools in Orangi Town were gunned down in targeted killing in Baldia Town No 9 in the Saeedabad police precincts. The victims were identified as Fawad and Allah Wasaiyo.

Suspecting that the cause behind the murders could be personal enmity, SHO Zahid Hussain Soomro said the victims were not affiliated with any political party.

Rehman Malik says target killings won’t be tolerated

Target killings in Karachi will not be tolerated and stern action will be taken against anyone implicated in the act, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said on Tuesday.

He said this while talking to the media after meeting with Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad at Governor’s House.

Responding to a question, Malik said the Sindh governor was not being replaced. “Ishratul Ebad is standing next to me and he will remain the governor,” he said.

The governor said the government had taken effective measures in the last three days to stop target killings in the city. He said that President Asif Ali Zardari and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain were in contact and agreed that strict measures were needed for safeguarding the people.

Commission set up: Separately, talking to a private TV channel, Malik said that President Asif Ali Zardari had taken notice of the target killings in Karachi and had set up a judicial commission to investigate the matter.

Malik also called on Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah at Chief Minister’s House, where Sindh Home Minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza was also present.

Addressing a press conference at the CM House, Malik said the number of Rangers and police in the city had been increased to control the situation. He said the families of victims of target killings would be given plots and opportunities to work in the police force.

The minister said the MQM chief had assured him of his complete cooperation in this regard.

Malik urged the community at large to use their mobile phones and make a video of any target killings that they witnessed, sending the same to the Interior Ministry.

Reward: He added that if the video evidence proved to be accurate, the person who sent the video would be rewarded Rs 500,000.

He said the government was not conducting any operations in Karachi and it had only made some security arrangements.

Taliban destroy NATO fuel tanker

JUL 15 - Suspected Taliban destroyed a NATO oil tanker in the Khyber Agency on Tuesday, triggering retaliatory mortar shelling that killed two men and injured two others.

The oil tanker was carrying 40,000 liters of oil to Afghanistan when the Taliban opened fire on it.

Fifteen-year-old Shahan Khan Afridi and tanker cleaner Nasir Khan Shelmani were killed in the shelling.

The driver of the tanker, Gul Syed Shinwari, and Irfan Khan, another resident of the area, were injured.

Two vehicles of the Khasadar Force were also damaged and one Khasadar was injured, a subedar told Daily Times.

Zardari phones Nawaz, agree to meet soon

JUly 14 - President Asif Ali Zardari contacted Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz chief Nawaz Sharif over the telephone on Monday, and the leaders “agreed to meet soon”, according to the presidential spokesman.

Spokesman Farhatullah Babar said the president thanked the PML-N chief on his 10-minutes talk for his support to the internally displaced persons. “The two also agreed to meet in the near future,” he said.

Both the leaders last met on November 8 at a dinner in the Presidency.

Sources said it was an ice-breaking initiative on the part of President Zardari in which he appreciated the efforts of the Punjab government and the PML-N for providing relief to the IDPs.

Nawaz Sharif responded positively and told Zardari that the PML-N would always support the government for national causes and to resolve the people’s problems.

There was a consensus between both the leaders that the implementation of the Charter of Democracy would pave the way for the reconciliation between the two parties, reported The News

13 al Qaeda suspects detained in Balochistan

JULY 14 - Law enforcement agencies in Balochistan have detained 13 suspected militants from a place near Dera Murad Jamali bearing foreign nationalities allegedly having links with al Qaeda network.

The militants were intercepted by the security personnel in a bus going to Multan from Quetta after receiving information about the movement of the militants.

The detentions were made on National Highway, somewhere between Sibi and Notal, from a Peshawar-bound passenger coach.

The detainees include five Afghans, three Turks, two Saudis and two Kuwaitis.

The detainees were carrying five suicide vests and an 11-kilogramme bomb in their baggage.

They were also carrying currency notes of 4,240 US dollars, 694,000 Pakistani rupees, 50,000 Iranian tumans and more than 100,000 Afghanis, reported Dawn News today. Some documents were also seized.

‘They were going to Multan for carrying out suicide attacks in southern Punjab,’ sources said.

Blast in Madrassa kills at least 11 including 7 children and a woman

JULY 13: The death toll of Mian Channu blast has reached to 11 as two more blast victims died in the hospital.

70 are reported injured, several said to be in critical condition.

Mian Channu is located about 90 kilometres east of Multan in Southern Punjab where Islamic militants are said to be active.

During rescue operations at the blast site, Rockets, bombs and other explosives were recovered.

Police said around 25 homes were flattened due to the force of the explosion.

According to The News citing sources, blast took place at a house of Hafiz Riaz where children were gathered for religious education. Several houses were destroyed in the blast as many people are still trapped under the rubble.

Rescue operations are underway. Dr. Naeem of tehsil headquarter hospital has confirmed the killing of nine people include seven children, a woman and a man.

DCO Khaniwal said the situation is unclear. Police sources said the blast formed a big crater at the scene. The injured were rushed to hospital among which 12 are reported in critical condition.

PM Gilani has condemned the blast and called inquiry report.

Musharraf and Aziz should return the gifts

JUL 9 - It is a shame and a pity that both Gen (R) Musharraf and his Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz carted away during their tenure literally truckloads of gifts worth millions of rupees that both had received from foreign dignitaries and during their official trips overseas.

It is true that they "paid for them" but the value attached to these gifts to make them "worthwhile" for their purchase smells of rat and bad odor. As they say in the army: It's conduct unbecoming.

The two gentlemen may not have apparently broken any rules but doing such things seems morally wrong and politically incorrect - specially when there were more than one agency hounding many others to reclaim stolen monies or to uncover inappropriate incomes. NAB comes to our minds as one such agency established under the watch of Musharraf.

According to reports, official documents of the Cabinet Division reveal that Shaukat Aziz received 568 gifts more than Musharraf. But Musharraf's 168 gifts were still valued way more at Rs40 million as compared to Aziz’s Rs25 million for 568 gifts. Aziz, who took away all the gifts he received, paid Rs2 million to retain them. On the other hand, Musharraf paid Rs5.9 million to retain his gifts. These numbers in millions may sound too high but imagine paying only 6 million for getting 40 million. That is paying only 15 cents to a dollar. It is even less than value gotten in 'fire sales' or in auctions in America - generally speaking!

Writes Rauf klasra in The News of July 8: One retired Lt General and a former corps commander Karachi requesting anonymity revealed that he was given an expensive watch by one of the foreign visitors to pass on to Musharraf. He handed over the gift the same evening to the president but was shocked to see that instead of submitting it to ‘Toshakhana’ Musharraf was wearing it the very next day.

DAWN editorial on the issue:

Pervez Musharraf and Shaukat Aziz are very rich men. Yet, according to a series of revelations in The News, neither man could resist the temptation to leave office with hundreds of gifts presented to him by various heads of state and other officials during his tenure. The presents — everything from luxury watches to expensive handicrafts to exquisite jewellery — have a market value of tens of millions of rupees, but, according to obscure rules governing the claims to such gifts, were valued at a song and duly carted off by Gen Musharraf and Mr Aziz after paying a pittance.

Rules may or may not have been broken, but, politically and morally, it looks very bad — yet another instance of the rich and the powerful in Pakistan making off with booty. There is absolutely no doubt what needs to be done: the gifts, each and every one of them, must be returned, they must be valued transparently and, if the rules allow it, the two must pay the fair price for whatever they want to purchase. Anything less and the stench of ‘legal’ corruption will not go away.

Will that happen? The former president and prime minister have kept quiet thus far, perhaps hoping that the furore will die down and they will continue to be able to live in comfort surrounded, perhaps, by their cheaply acquired expensive knick-knacks. They may even feel aggrieved for being ‘targeted’ and ‘victimised’. But the only ones who have a right to feel aggrieved are the luckless people of Pakistan. Gen Musharraf and Mr Aziz were supposed to be different; they were supposed to be clean in office; they were supposed to have been a decisive break from ‘dirty’ politicians. But it seems they were in fact all too willing to climb into the mud and have a good time.

Former Karachi councillor, two sons among four dead in targeted killing

JULY 9 - A senior member of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and former councillor of Landhi No 4 with his two sons and a pedestrian were killed when unidentified armed men opened indiscriminate fire on them at Zaman Town within the limits of Landhi police station.

Also today, a MQM-Haqiqi man Nadeem, 32, son of Nazir was gunned down at a furniture market in Liaquatabad No 4 within the limits of Sharifabad police station.

MQM-H (Amir Khan Group) Information Secretary Feroz Haider said the victim had been a former member of MQM-H and was associated with Unit 162, Liaquatabad. However, Haider added that the deceased had tendered an apology to a rival party and was allowed to live in the area.

Police have termed both incidents as part of the ongoing target killings of political workers.

Landhi police sources said Muttahida leader Haji Jalal, 65, was sitting outside a carrom board shop with his two sons, Abdullah Jalal and Usman Jalal when the assailants riding on two motorcycles reached there and sprayed them with bullets.

A passer-by Suhail also sustained serious bullet injuries.

All the four injured were rushed to JPMC where they succumbed to their injuries during the treatment.

Jalal was elected a counsellor of Landhi 4 in 1987, and was a renowned leader of the MQM. Jalal had been detained in Central Jail Karachi for several years in the case of Major Kaleem, reported Daily Times.

Following the incident, tension gripped Landhi, where armed men forced shopkeepers to pull down shutters.

Intermittent firing was also heard in the area.

Two drone strikes in 1 day- Toll 60 but may increase

JUL 8 - At least 50 people have reportedly been killed in a second US missile strike today targeting suspected militants in the northwest tribal belt, both US and Pakistani medias reported.

The strike targeted suspected militants' five vehicles in Makeen near WANA district of South Waziristan Agency.

According to news reports, four guided missiles fired from a US drone hit the vehicles allegedly carrying suspected Taliban fighters, killing 25 of them and destroying the vehicles in the blitz.

The death toll may rise, reported AFP.

Earlier today, 10 militants were killed in another US missile strike Wednesday morning in the same region.

On Tuesday, a US missile strike pulverised a compound said to be in a stronghold of the Taliban warlord Baitullah Mehsud, killing at least 12 foreign and local militants.

The strike, carried out by a suspected unmanned US aircraft, destroyed a compound in the Zangara area of South Waziristan — part of the tribal belt called FATA on the Afghan border.

One missile struck a Taliban hideout in the hamlet of Chinakai, killing foreign and local militants, in a reference to suspected Al Qaeda and Taliban militants. It was not immediately clear whether any high-value target was present at the time of the strike.

Twelv bodies were pulled from under the rubble of the compound, which was destroyed in the strike.

Since Tuesday there has been three drone attacks in the last 24 hours and the death toll has rises to 37. Some reports say the toll is 40 and may increase.

There has been no immediate reaction from Islamabad.

US says it carries out drone strikes with the tacit approval of the Pakistan government.

Islamabad denies any such agremeent exists.

Karachi plunges into darkness

JUL 8 - More than a third of Karachi plunged into darkness after a KESC high transmission line tripped, shutting down 12 grid stations of the city, a private TV channel reported on Tuesday.

According to the channel, around "40 percent" of the city was in darkness.

The areas of Malir, Bin Qasim, Civil Aviation Airport, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Korangi South and East, Landhi, Garden, Saddar and Jacob Lines were worst hit as these areas faced power breakdown from 5pm until past midnight.

Meanwhile, a high-tension line fell on houses in the Korangi area, causing the grid stations of Korangi south and east to stop functioning.

A KESC vehicle was sent in to repair the wire, but protesters drove them away before they could fix the problem.

Stories from Sindh

Shaikh Aziz knows the history of Sindh inside out. He is also cognizant of the fact that more often than not, while narrating history, historians underplay the role of certain individuals for reasons that range from personal bias to repressed racial prejudice. In this context Shaikh Sahib's new book, Sindh Ki Mahallati Daastanein is an important addition to the world of literature.

First because it brings to light certain personalities whose worth many of us are not aware of. Second, it is in Urdu so that a wider audience can go through it. And finally, it's written in a fictional style so that the five stories that it embodies don't fall prey to the insipidity that's associated with giving out factual details.

The five tales are relatively short, with the first two consuming the larger number of pages. The first one has a title that nearly gives away the entire life of its protagonist: 'Mah Begum: Surkh Rukhsar Per Siah Til Wali Doshiza Jo Nisf Sadi Tak Sindh Ki Bisat-i-Siasat Pur Chhai Rahi'. But this is where Shaikh Sahib has made an intelligent move.

 

For more detail click below

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/entertainment/16-stories-from-sindh-hs-08

US targets Baitullah stronghold in So Waziristan

JULY 7 : A US missile strike pulverised a compound in a stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban warlord Baitullah Mehsud Tuesday, killing at least 12 foreign and local militants, security officials said.

The strike, carried out by a suspected unmanned US aircraft, destroyed a compound in the Zangara area of South Waziristan — part of Pakistan's tribal belt on the Afghan border.

One missile struck a Taliban hideout in the hamlet of Chinakai, killing foreign and local militants, said a Pakistani security official on condition of anonymity in a reference to suspected Al Qaeda and Taliban militants.

It was not immediately clear whether any high-value target was present at the time of the strike.

Suspected US attacks and Pakistani air strikes have increasingly targeted strongholds of Mehsud, chief of an umbrella organisation of Pakistani Taliban known as the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan.

'Sixteen militants were killed and at least eight others wounded in the missile strike. Four among the dead are foreigners and the remaining are locals,' one security official told AFP.

The nationalities of the foreigners were not immediately known.

Another security official corroborated his story and said 12 bodies had already been pulled from under the rubble of the compound, which was destroyed in the strike.

Pakistani troops have been pressing a two-month battle to dislodge Taliban insurgents in three northwest districts and have carried out air raids in South Waziristan ahead of a widely expected ground assault against Mehsud.

Tuesday's attack came four days after another suspected US drone targeted the hideout of Noor Wali, a commander allied to Mehsud elsewhere in South Waziristan, and killed at least seven militants.

First monthly issue of DesPardes magazine

Directed Rehan to officially start layout work on DesPardes' first monthly magazine which is scheduled for its first publicaition on Auguest 14/15 2009 - Independence days of both Pakistan and India.

He has shown me today the first draft of the center spread page for Asfandyar Wali Khan's two successive video interviews - one given by him to Mehmood Sham of Geo News and the other given most recently to Asma Choudhry of Dunya Today.

Mehmood Sham's interview basically discussed Asfandyar's position on renaming NWFP as Pashtunistan or Pakhtunkhwa. The second interview involves his position on movement of displaced persons to Karachi and elsewhere. Both the interviews combined becomes one interesting reading for all.