Ae Musalman Dekh Quran Aur Samjh Deen e Nabi -Syed Buturab Askari

Engineer Shakeel Akhtar 251012 Hadise Kisa Majlis

Syed Raza Ali Kazmi 251012 Hadise Kisa

Hussain Hussain By Mohsin Raza 251012 Hadise Kisa

Janab Mansoor Jaffery at 1st Barsi of Ishtiaq Zaidi Islamabad

Syed Haider Raza Zaidi 0111112-2 Barsi Syed Ishtiaq Hussain

Syed Haider Raza Zaidi 011112-1 Barsi Syed Istiaq Hussain

Mansoor Jaffery 011112-3 Kalam Mir Monis Barsi Ishtiaq Zaidi

Khutba Janab Zainab (sa) By Mansoor Jaffery 011112-2

Noor Ali Noor (Karachi) 011112-2 Barsi Syed Istiaq Hussain Zaidi

Noor Ali Noor (Karachi) 011112-1 Barsi Syed Istiaq Hussain Zaidi

Syed Zeerak Abbas Naqvi 011112 Barsi Syed Ishtiaq Hussain

Syed Zain Naqi Naqvi 011112-1 Barsi of Syed Ishtiaq Zaidi

Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi 011112 Barsi Syed Ishtiaq Hussain

Noor Ali Noor Shair Ahlabait 01 Nov 2012

HEADLINE 08:00 AM SAMAA TV

Serious errors committed in negotiations for IMF package Wrong data was used causing repercussions for rupee, inflation

The News Mehtab Haider Saturday, September 28, 2013 ISLAMABAD: Very disturbing facts are slowly emerging about how Pakistani negotiators committed serious errors on several counts while negotiating the $6.67 billion loan agreement with the IMF. The wrong policy prescriptions played havoc with the economy, as it resulted into putting pressures on exchange rate in the aftermath of the IMF deal.Many important heads might roll over these glaring mistakes committed knowingly or unknowingly, especially by the high-ups of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), officials fear. First of all, the sources said, Pakistan’s negotiating team agreed with the IMF by pitching lower current account deficit (CAD) for showing improved performance of the national economy but it was contrary to the ground realities. The analysis of current account deficit (CAD) shows that it stood at $1.4 billion for quarter (Jan-March) period of 2013 and at $1.2 billion for April-June 2013. In a strange move, the CAD was pitched at negative $1.6 billion for the whole financial year 2013-14. How it was possible for such huge reduction and what was the basis for it is still not known. As in first two months (July-August) 2013, the CAD was standing at $636 million and would be touching $1 billion in the first quarter ending on September 30, 2013. In the previous programme with the IMF in 2008, the Pakistani team had pitched CAD on higher side by incorporating highly reliable foreign inflows with 100 percent surety in a bid to reduce envisaged target on NFA in much smart manner. But this time, the NFA targets were set without involving input from competent authorities especially from economists that resulted into negative impact for the country’s economy. When asked to comment on using wrong data, a senior official of Ministry of Finance said: “These were just projections made by the IMF and the government would make all out efforts to improve macro-economic indicators.” “There was no economic justification for steep decline of rupee against US dollar as the country was under the discipline of IMF for achieving macro-economic stability,” the official said.He added: “The government recently finalised the deal with international and domestic banks to generate $625 million to improve the country’s reserves position and there were institutions which were willing to provide multibillion dollar assistance to Pakistan; however, the government would take the decision to get foreign loans keeping in view the prudent policies and justified economic decisions.” The Finance Ministry version notwithstanding, under the Pak-IMF deal, sources said, the targets of Net Foreign Assets (NFA), Current Account Deficit (CAD) and inflation figures were calculated on the basis of wrong assumptions, exposing abilities of both the IMF as well as Pakistani team. However, in the IMF there is no accountability mechanism so no one would be held responsible despite having equal share in devising wrong policy prescriptions for the country.“There is need to ascertain facts before holding someone responsible among Pakistan’s negotiating team for the fiasco meted out in exchange rate where rupee nosedived against dollar in recent few days mainly because of SBP’s becoming a player into the market for purchasing dollars for meeting the IMF’s envisaged criteria on achieving quarterly target on September 30,” said sources privy to this ongoing development here on Friday. As the devil lies in details, if the situation is analyzed carefully then it will come on surface that all powerful DMG officers are in the driving seat in the Ministry of Finance as Additional Secretary External Finance Shahid Mehmood has also assumed the charge of Special Assistant to the Finance Minister. Joint Secretary in External Finance is Naveed Allaudin who had worked in corporate finance in the finance ministry and mostly possesses experience for working in the provinces. Kamran Ali Afzal, who is JS Budget in Finance Ministry, also assists the finance minister. On the other hand, the capacity of Economic Advisor Wing of Finance Ministry is known to everyone, as there is no comparison between the incumbents, with the former Economic Advisor Dr Ashfaque Hassan Khan who knew the IMF language and techniques fully and its repercussions for the country’s economy. “One may like it or not, there is only person in Finance Ministry who holds command on dealing with the IMF and that is Secretary Finance Dr Waqar Masood, but it is not yet known why he was unable to avoid some glaring mistakes in the preparation for the IMF negotiations and programme,” said the sources. On inflation target, both Pakistan and the IMF again pitched at lower side by projecting it to go close to 8 percent for the current fiscal year but all actions of this government are contributing towards inflation on the higher side and will be standing at least 12 to 12.5 percent on average in 2013-14. The SBP agreed with the IMF to use exchange rate anchor instead of monetary anchor that is also a major factor for putting pressure on rupee against dollar in recent days.The administered price-based inflation will increase the GDP’s nominal denominator and distort the size of economy.

Dialogue not be seen as a sign of weakness, warns Nawaz Maria Kamal Saturday, September 28, 2013 The News

NEW YORK: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif used the UN forum to send a strong message to the Taliban on Friday, saying that a dialogue should not be seen as a sign of weakness or a tool of appeasement. His comments came in the context of terrorism in Pakistan and defined it as having no religion and no borders.But he moved quickly from the subject, without even mentioning that he was ready for talks with the Taliban. He connected terrorism with the image of the Muslims in the West and said Muslims should not be singled out on this basis.“It (terrorism) has no religion or creed, which is why maligning a whole people or a religion on this account, is unfair and unwise. Islam is a religion of peace, compassion and brotherhood,” he said.Nawaz Sharif called for an end to discrimination against Muslims.

Talks can’t be held under Constitution: TTP leader Saturday, September 28, 2013

PESHAWAR: The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Mohmand Agency chapter has said that talks with the government cannot be held under the purview of the Constitution. In a statement on Friday, TTP Mohmand Agency chapter chief Muhammad Umar Khurasani said that the government talks about the Constitution while the Taliban demand enforcement of Shariah, so there could not be any dialogue. Khurasani said the Taliban would never backtrack even a single inch from their religious demand.Issue of talks with the government for peace has created rifts in the ranks and files of the TTP as the Punjabi section of the Taliban supports the dialogue while the Pakhtun segment from the Mohmand Agency has strongly opposed it. Khurasani said that if any Taliban commander strikes a deal with the government, they will not back it, and the commander will have to bear the cost. He said that any agreement struck outside the tribal area will be invalid.

UN Council orders Syria chemical arms destroyed September 28, 2013 The News

UNITED NATIONS: The UN Security Council unanimously passed a landmark resolution Friday ordering the destruction of Syria's chemical weapons and condemning a murderous poison gas attack in Damascus. The major powers overcame a prolonged deadlock to approve the council's first resolution on the Syrian conflict, which the UN says has left more than 100,000 dead in 30 months. UN leader Ban Ki-moon called the "historic" resolution "the first hopeful news on Syria in a long time." Resolution 2118, the result of bruising negotiations between the United States and Russia, gives international binding force to a plan drawn up by the pair to eliminate President Bashar al-Assad's chemical arms. There are no immediate sanctions over a chemical weapons attack confirmed by the UN. But it allows for a new vote on possible measures if the Russia-US plan is breached. US President Barack Obama hailed the resolution as a "potentially huge victory for the international community." He said before the vote that there would be "consequences" for any failure by Assad to keep a promise to follow the plan. Russia, Assad's main ally, rejects any suggestion of sanctions or military force against Assad. It has already used its veto power as a permanent Security Council member to block three western drafted resolutions on Syria. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stressed that there was no automatic enforcement and that any violations would have to be "carefully" considered by the Security Council. The resolution "condemns in the strongest terms any use of chemical weapons in the Syrian Arab Republic, in particular the attack on August 21, 2013, in violation of international law." The United States says the attack on the Damascus district of Ghouta left more than 1,400 dead. It blamed Assad's government for the sarin gas assault and threatened a military strike over the attack. The council said it "decides, in the event of non-compliance with this resolution, including unauthorized transfer of chemical weapons, or any use of chemical weapons by anyone in the Syrian Arab Republic, to impose measures under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter." The charter can authorize the use of sanctions or military force. But diplomats said Russia would fiercely oppose any force against its ally. Russia also rebuffed calls by European powers Britain and France for the Ghouta attack to be referred to the International Criminal Court. The resolution expresses "strong conviction" that those responsible for chemical weapons attacks in Syria "should be held accountable." The resolution formally endorsed a decision taken hours earlier by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to accept the Russia-US disarmament plan. The plan calls for all Syrian chemical weapons to be put under international control by the middle of 2014. Experts say the timetable is very tight. International experts are expected to start work in Syria next week. Ban also told the Security Council he wanted to hold a new Syria peace conference in November. "We are aiming for a conference in mid-November," Ban said. The UN leader said that the foreign ministers of Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States had agreed to make sure the two sides in the conflict negotiate in "good faith." A first peace conference was held in June 2012 but there has been no follow-up because of divisions in the Syrian opposition and the international community. Ban will begin contacts with his Syria peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi next week on setting the firm date and who will attend the new meeting, diplomats said. The 2012 conference among the major powers agreed that there should be a transitional government in Syria with full executive powers. It also determined that there should be a new conference to decide how to implement the accord.

Deal needed 'soon' on post-2014 force in Afghanistan: US September 28, 2013 The News

WASHINGTON: A top Pentagon official said Friday it would be a "tragedy" if Afghan and US negotiators failed to clinch a deal allowing US troops to stay in the country after 2014. Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter said he told leaders in Kabul during a visit earlier this month that President Barack Obama wanted to see a bilateral security agreement wrapped up as soon as possible to provide "certainty" to commanders. "We need that soon because we need to be able to plan. And we need it soon because our allies and partners need to be able to plan," Carter told AFP and other newswire services in an interview. "It would be a tragedy if this thing wasn't concluded soon, because most Afghans are in favor of the coalition continuing its work there to strengthen the Afghan forces so they can go on and live a better life." His comments reflected growing impatience in Washington as the talks on a security agreement have dragged with pivotal Afghan elections looming as well as the departure of NATO troops. Carter also said the US government still viewed October as the target date for clinching the post-2014 security accord, a timeline favored by US commanders as they manage a massive withdrawal of troops and equipment. "We need certainty... just from a military planning point of view," Carter said. The United States plans to pull out the bulk of its 57,000 troops in Afghanistan by the end of 2014 and has tentative plans to retain a smaller force of around 10,000 forces after that. But a new security agreement is needed to allow for the post-2014 presence, including provisions allowing the United States access to various bases. Carter said the negotiations had made progress and the remaining disagreements were not insurmountable. "I think it's down to the point where the issues that remain are very well-defined, (and) I think are very resolvable and it just takes an act of will to carry it across the finish line," he said. He declined to disclose the remaining unresolved issues. Afghan President Hamid Karzai has told Washington he is seeking to secure "broad support" for the security deal and therefore needs time to organize a loya jirga, or large assembly, that would debate the agreement, according to Carter. A security accord would send an important symbolic message to reassure Afghans and countries in the region, while making it clear to Taliban insurgents that the only way forward is to pursue peace talks, he added. The Pentagon's number two civilian leader also said disputes that had previously held up the withdrawal of US equipment out of the country through Pakistan were "by and large" resolved. "The big gridlock on the Pakistan groundlines of communication, both on the Pakistani side and the Afghan side, has been eliminated and things are flowing," said Carter, who paid a three-day visit to Afghanistan this month before heading to India and Pakistan for talks. But he acknowledged some minor problems as "there's always somebody at some border post that hasn't gotten the word." The Afghan government shut the border earlier this year in a dispute over what the US military should pay for withdrawing its gear, with Kabul insisting the Americans owed up to $70 million in customs fines. Washington maintained that the military equipment came into the country legally and refused to pay the fees. Afghan authorities eventually reopened the border.

Obama and Iran's Rouhani hold historic phone call September 28, 2013 The News

WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama and Iran's President Hassan Rouhani spoke by phone on Friday in the historic first direct contact between leaders of their two nations since the Islamic revolution of 1979. The call, which came after the two leaders failed to have met at the UN General Assembly in New York, provided dramatic evidence of an unprecedented opening in relations between the Islamic Republic and a foe it has reviled as the "Great Satan." "Just now, I spoke on the phone with President Rouhani of the Islamic Republic of Iran," Obama said in a televised statement. "The two of us discussed our ongoing efforts to reach an agreement over Iran's nuclear program," Obama said. "We're mindful of all the challenges ahead. The very fact that this was the first communication between an American and Iranian president since 1979 underscores the deep mistrust between our countries, but it also indicates the prospect of moving beyond that difficult history. I do believe that there is a basis for a resolution." Obama said he told Rouhani that he believed a "resolution" was possible to the dispute over Iran's uranium enrichment program, which the West believes is a covert effort to produce nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran denies. Washington and Israel have both warned of the possibility of military action if diplomacy fails to assuage their concerns over the nuclear program. The Iranian presidency confirmed the telephone call between Obama and Rouhani. "The two insisted on political will for quick resolution to the nuclear issue, as well as paving the ground for resolving other issues and cooperation in regional issues," the presidency said on its website. A Twitter account run by Rouhani's office also gave details of the call. "In phone convo, President Rouhani and President @BarackObama expressed their mutual political will to rapidly solve the nuclear issue," one tweet said. Another tweet paraphrasing Rouhani read: "I express my gratitude for your #hospitality and your phone call. Have a good day Mr President." Obama meanwhile even apologized for the traffic in New York, according to a Rouhani tweet, in a startling sign of the new tone in relations between the two longtime enemies. The call took place after path breaking bilateral talks Thursday between Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif at the UN, on the sidelines of wider discussions on the nuclear program between Iran and major world powers.

Malala Yousafzai honored at Harvard September 28, 2013 The News

MASSACHUSETTS: Malala Yousafzai, who survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban has been honored as Harvard University's humanitarian of the year. Malala, an outspoken proponent for girls' education, was at Harvard on Friday to accept the 2013 Peter J. Gomes Humanitarian Award. Harvard President Drew Gilpin Faust said she was pleased to welcome Malala because of their shared interest in education. Malala was shot in the head last October. Militants said she was attacked because she was critical of the Taliban, not because of her views on education. The 16-year-old Malala said she hopes to become a politician because politicians can have influence on a broad scale. She spoke nostalgically about her home region, the Swat Valley, and said she hopes to return someday. She called it a ``paradise'' but described a dangerous area where militants blew up dozens of schools and sought to discourage girls from going to school by snatching pens from their hands. Students, she said, reacted by hiding their books under their shawls so people wouldn't know they were going to school. ``The so-called Taliban were afraid of women's power and were afraid of the power of education,'' she told hundreds of students, faculty members and well-wishers who packed Harvard's ornate Sanders Theater for the award ceremony. Malala highlighted the fact that very few people spoke out against what was happening in her home region. ``Although few people spoke, but the voice for peace and education was powerful,'' she said. Malala also described waking up in a British hospital, where she was taken for emergency treatment following the assassination attempt in Pakistan. ``And when I was in Birmingham, I didn't know where I was, I didn't know where my parents are, I didn't know who has shot me and I had no idea what was happening,'' she said. ``But I thank God that I'm alive.'' The chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Peace Prize Committee, Thorbjorn Jagland, paid a special tribute to Malala in a message read publicly during her award ceremony. ``Your courage,'' Jagland said in the tribute, ``is sending a strong message to women to stand up for their rights, which constitutes a precondition for peace.''

Death toll of Balochistan earthquake rises to 400 September 27, 2013 The News

QUETTA: The death toll from Tuesday’s devastating earthquake has risen to 400 in Balochistan. Federal Minister Abdul Qadir Baloch said that relief work was ongoing in the affected areas of the province but there was still a shortage of food, water and tents. In district Awaran, the provincial government, administration, Pakistan army, FC and NGOs are taking part in relief work. Due to the large scale devastation in Awaran, relief activities are falling short. Those affected by the earthquake say they require shelter, food and clean drinking water, adding that the government has not provided them any help. The 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck southwest Pakistan on Tuesday and caused large scale damage in the Awaran and Kech districts of Balochistan. Helicopter Carrying Relief Good Attacked A helicopter carrying relief goods to earthquake stricken Awaran was attacked in Mashkay Tehsil. According to security sources, small arms were used to fire at the helicopter which did not receive any damage. Aftershocks in Awaran An aftershock of magnitude 5.0 was felt in Awaran district on Friday. The epicenter of the earthquake was 90 kilometres north of Awaran in Ormara. According to officials 15 aftershocks of magnitude 5.0-5.9 have been registered in Awaran since Tuesday’s earthquake.

TTP Mohmand Agency Ameer opposes peace talks September 27, 2013 The News

PESHAWAR: Ameer Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Mohmand Agency Umer Khalid Khurasani has opposed peace talks with the government, Geo News reported. TTP Mohmand Agency Ameer said peace negotiations with the government would never be successful as the Taliban demand enforcement of ‘Shariah’ while the government talks about the constitution. Khalid Khurasani said Taliban wanted to replace the constitution and they would never backtrack even a single inch from their demand.

Indian PM says Pakistan remains an 'epicenter of terrorism' September 27, 2013 The News

WASHINGTON: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday toned down expectations for his planned meeting with Premier Nawaz Sharif this weekend at the UN, saying Pakistan remained an "epicenter of terrorism." Singh, making what will likely be a farewell visit to the White House after a decade in power, told President Barack Obama that India still faced "difficulties" because of the activities of its neighbor and bitter rival. Singh and Sharif are expected to hold a meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on Saturday, as they reach for better relations despite heightened cross border tensions. "I look forward to the meeting with (premier) Nawaz Sharif even though the expectations have to be toned down given the terror arm which is still active in our subcontinent," Sharif told reporters in the Oval Office. Singh told Obama that India was facing difficulties because the "epicenter of terrorist activity remains focused in Pakistan." India has blamed militant groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and even elements of the Pakistani state for attacks on its soil, including the assault in a luxury hotel on Mumbai nearly five years ago which killed 166 people. Deadly skirmishes across the de facto border in divided Kashmir meanwhile have jeopardized the atmospherics for the meeting in New York, which would come months after peace talks again stalled between the two neighbors. Since winning an election in May, Sharif has been vocal in his desire for better relations with India, but the recent flare-ups have overshadowed the prospects. Earlier, Sharif warmed up for the expected talks by saying that a nuclear arms race between India and Pakistan was a huge waste of money. "Our two countries have wasted massive resources in an arms race," Sharif said in his speech to the General Assembly. "We could have used those resources for the economic well-being of our people," he added. Singh's visit to the White House had a valedictory tone, as he is not expected to lead his Congress Party into elections next year, with his political fortunes battered by a slowing economy and corruption claims after two five-year terms. Obama praised Singh as a "great friend and partner to the United States and to me personally during his tenure as prime minister of India." Obama said that just in the past few days, India and the United States had concluded a first commercial agreement which will breathe new life into a slowed civilian nuclear pact between the two countries. Indian authorities and US firms had been haggling over liability payments that would have to be shelled out in the event of a nuclear disaster at any new generation power plants. Obama also noted that the recent victory of an Indian American woman in the Miss America beauty pageant was a sign of how close the countries had become connected in human, economic and cultural terms. Singh also pointedly thanked Obama for "his vision, for his courage in giving diplomacy yet another chance" as he responds to a chemical weapons attack in Syria and Iran's nuclear program. Singh stressed a warming of relations with Washington as a highlight of his premiership. Obama has seen improving ties with New Delhi as a centerpiece of his strategy of shifting US economic and diplomatic resources to Asia, and views India's vibrant democracy as a kindred national spirit to the United States in a region where political freedoms can be fleeting. "All of us recognize that as the world's two largest democracies, countries that have for a very long time been invested in, you know, the peace and prosperity of their own people, that there is a natural convergence between the United States and India," Obama said. Obama hosted Singh for the first state dinner of his presidency in 2009 and paid his own state visit to India a year later. Vice President Joe Biden was in India in June and a long string of US cabinet-level officials have trekked to the country. Obama and Singh met at a high point of US-India defense cooperation. New Delhi has bought nearly $9 billion in US defense articles since 2008, officials say and both sides want to do more business. Neither leader however publicly mentioned India's alarm at visa reforms in a proposed US immigration bill in Congress that it says could disproportionately punish its thriving information technology and software sectors. (AFP)

Nobody should take offense at Kashmir remarks: Nawaz September 28, 2013 The News

NEW YORK: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said that nobody should take offense at his remarks about Kashmir in his address to UN General Assembly as he stated facts about the issue. Talking to Geo News, the prime minister said that India should not forget that the facts he stated in his address about Kashmir were correct. He said that he would try to bridge the distance between Pakistan and India during his meeting with Manmohan Singh. He hoped that misunderstandings between the US and Pakistan would soon be addressed. Nawaz Sharif didn’t root out possibility of using force to end terrorism in Pakistan.

Stage actress Aarzoo Khan gunned down in Multan The News September 28, 2013

MULTAN: Unknown gunmen shot dead stage actress Aarzoo Khan while she was on her way home after late night performance at a local theater, Geo News reported Saturday. According to reports, she was traveling in her vehicle when the attackers opened fire near Rehmanpura area, killing the actress on the spot. Her body was taken to Nishtar Hospital for medico-legal formalities. Police said the incident appeared to be result of personal enmity.

Wazirstan Whabi with pictures of Jannah Hoors

Syria Pakistani whabi caught from sewerage lines

NEWS HEADLINE 08:00 PM. SAMAA

Zaidi Brothers 26 September 2013-1 Mehfil e Hadise Kisa

Zaidi Brothers 26 September 2013 Mehfile Hadise Kisa

Syed Ali Raza 26 September 2013 Mehfile Hadise Kisa,

Syed Hassan Muhammad 26 September 2013

Zaidi Brothers 050913 Hadise Kisa at Islamic Center Rawalpindi Mehfile hadise kisa

Zaidi Brothers 050913 Hadise Kisa at Islamic... by dm_5239cacd80868

Shiekh Waseem Abbas 25 July 2013 Markazi Imambargah G-62 Islamabad

Waseem Abbas 250713-1 Jashan Wiladat Imam... by dm_5239cacd80868

Syed Buturab Askari Abidi at Mehfil e Hadise Kisa held on 26 September 2013 - 2

Syed Buturab Askari 260913-2 Mehfil Hadise... by dm_5239cacd80868

Syed Buturab Askari Abidi 26 September 2013 - 1

Syed Buturab Askari 260913-1 Mehfil Hadise... by dm_5239cacd80868

Cute parrot having fun

World's sweetest & cutest parrot

Snake on plane grounds Qantas flight By AFP September 23, 2013

SYDNEY: A tiny snake as slender as a pen forced the grounding of a Japan-bound Qantas flight in the Australian city of Sydney overnight, stranding hundreds of passengers. The non-venomous reptile, about eight inches (20 centimetres) long, was found near the doorway of a Boeing 747-400 bound for Tokyo on Sunday night, a Qantas spokeswoman told. "The snake was taken to quarantine to determine where it came from," she said. The plane had been on the tarmac in Sydney for most of Sunday after completing a flight from Singapore, and the snake was found by air crew before any passengers boarded. It was uncertain where the reptile had come from but the Department of Agriculture has identified it as a Mandarin ratsnake which is mainly found in Asia. All 370 passengers were booked into hotels overnight and a replacement flight left Sydney on Monday morning. It was the second snake incident for Qantas this year. A three-metre (nine foot) python hitched a ride from the tropical Australian city of Cairns to Papua New Guinea's Port Moresby in January. The python had been tucked into the plane's wing before takeoff, and amazed passengers watched from the window as it engaged in a life-or-death struggle to maintain its grip in fierce winds and zero temperatures. It was still on the aircraft when it landed in PNG but had died during the journey.

90-year-old cyclist covers epic 1497km journey in US The News

FLORIDA: Age proved to be no bar for this daring 90-year-old man who has just finished a marathon 1497 kilometres long journey on a cycle from Kentucky to Florida. Bert Blevens set off on August 20 and stayed in hotels along the way during his epic journey. It took him 21 days to cruise across Tennessee, Georgia and most of Florida because his recumbent tricycle is not permitted on highways, 'New York Daily News' reported. "I feel great. I feel relaxed, I feel good. I'm not as tired as I thought I'd be, but I might take a little rest," Blevens told Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Blevens' son accompanied him during the first half of the journey, after which his daughter, Beth, stepped in to give her father company for the rest of the distance. Blevens stopped to take pictures with curious onlookers who quickly became his fans. Beth said there were times when she was not sure they were going to make it. Family members encouraged Blevens by printing T-shirts bearing his quote: "If something comes up, try it. The worst thing you can do is fail, and that is not a catastrophe."

'Flawless' $60-mn pink diamond up for auction in Geneva The News

GENEVA: Sotheby's on Wednesday showed off a 59.6-carat pink diamond that will be auctioned in Geneva in November at a record asking price of $60 million (49 million euros). "The Pink Star", an internally flawless oval-cut pink diamond, will become the most valuable diamond ever to be offered at auction, Sotheby's said.

Blogosphere...The Lunchbox can go to the Oscars after all! An Indian blogger By Cineswami

Ritesh Batra, Karan Johar, Anurag Kashyap and all those bemoaning the fact that The Lunchbox is not India’s entry to the Academy Awards’ foreign language category can take heart. It is technically possible to send the film to the Oscars, just not in the Best Foreign Language Film category as the Academy rules clearly state: “Only one picture will be accepted from each country.” The Academy rules also state that to be eligible, a film has to be “publicly exhibited for paid admission in a commercial motion picture theatre in Los Angeles County; for a qualifying run of at least seven consecutive days; and advertised and exploited during their Los Angeles County qualifying run customary to industry practice.” The qualifying run has necessarily to be before December 31, 2013. Let’s look back at 2002. All of the smart money was on Pedro Almodovar’s Talk To Her being Spain’s entry in the foreign language category. Spain pulled an FFI and chose Fernando Leon de Aranova’s Mondays In The Sun as the official entry instead. Instead of hand-wringing, the film’s US distributor Sony Pictures Classics rolled up its sleeves and gave the film its US premiere at the Telluride Film Festival, in April, where it was warmly received. Later, in July, the film stunned audiences at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival. Another prominent North American festival where Talk To Her played to great acclaim was Toronto in September, where it wowed rapt audiences. A few more festivals later, the film opened in New York in October. On December 13, Talk To Her had its Oscar qualifying run in Los Angeles. On Christmas Day 2002 the film went on wider release in the US. Do remember that Talk To Her is a Spanish language film that most non-Hispanics had to watch with subtitles and that the film featured actors unknown to wider audiences. Sony Pictures Classics ran an aggressive marketing campaign and took out ‘For Your Consideration’ ads in trade publications like Variety, requesting that Academy voters consider Talk To Her in several other categories, but obviously not the foreign film category. Nomination day dawned and Almodovar was nominated for Best Original Screenplay and Best Director. And, when the night of the 2002 Oscars came around, Almodovar won Best Screenplay. Not bad for a film shut out by its own country. Incidentally, Mondays In The Sun did not even secure a nomination and the Oscar went to Caroline Link’s German film Nowhere In Africa. India’s entry, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Devdas, did not get nominated either. Like Talk To Her, The Lunchbox is riding the wave of much acclaim both at home and abroad. Like the Spanish film, The Lunchbox has had acclaim at Telluride, Karlovy Vary and Toronto. Unlike Talk To Her that released in Europe before Cannes, The Lunchbox has the advantage of being a Cannes selection. Unlike Talk To Her, The Lunchbox has a face known to Academy voters in Irrfan Khan, thanks to Life of Pi and Slumdog Millionaire. And guess who the US distributor of The Lunchbox is? Yes, Sony Pictures Classics. So instead of the whingeing, if team Lunchbox act constructively and get Sony Pictures Classics into the act, the film can earn nominations in a number of categories, just not foreign film. And this could be a great opportunity for the world class Irrfan Khan to get a Best Actor nomination, Nimrat Kaur for Best Actress and Nawazuddin Siddiqui for Best Supporting Actor and maybe for Batra’s script. Believe in the film, get Sony Pictures Classics to bring their marketing might and their stellar record at the Oscars (films distributed by them have a mighty 109 Oscar nominations) into play and perhaps The Lunchbox could win an Oscar after all. - See more at: http://magazine.thenews.com.pk/mag/detail_article.asp?id=6248&magId=11#sthash.EtpynweY.dpuf

SBP strictly monitoring speculation in currency market The News Javed Mirza Friday, September 27, 2013

KARACHI: The Acting Governor of State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), Qazi Abdul Muqtadir, has said that the fall in the value of Pak Rupee was because of the speculative based panic buying and added that SBP was taking stern measures to avoid such situation going forward. Talking to The News on Thursday, Qazi said that the SBP had meetings with the market stakeholders including the currency exchange agents and ‘convinced’ them to stop speculation, after which the value of rupee rationalized. He said that local currency would further stabilise as the central bank was strictly monitoring the market situation and there was no extraordinary demand of dollar, nor there any extra huge import payments. “Real purchasing of rupee is the same. Present market value of dollar is a product of panic in the wake of rumours and is unrealistic as well as unsustainable. We are very closely monitoring the situation and soon panic will wear off and matters should stabilise,” Qazi Abdul Muqtadir added. Qazi categorically said that there had been no ‘intervention’ on the part of SBP, but the market consolidated on its due course as it was an artificial and speculative hike in the value if dollar versus Pak Rupee. He said that there had always been some minor adjustments in the currency value, for instance there always were some pressure in the Haj season but soon forex would start pouring in the form of remittances ahead of Eidul Azha. To a question regarding IMF’s conditionality pertaining to zero intervention by SBP in free movement of Pak Rupee, the acting governor SBP said that it was a very old demand of IMF, but even if this had been the case, the local currency had taken a slide, and not such a plunge.

Taliban contact ex-MNA, demand release of 50 prisoners September 19, 2013 The News

KARACHI: Tehreek-i-Taliban chief, Hakimullah Mehsood has made formal contact with former Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz lawmaker Javed Ibraheem Paracha in response to government’s talks offer, sources said Thursday. Paracha, a former MNA from Kohat who is serving as a coordinator for the talks, confirmed that Mehsud had telephoned him and given a list of 50 prisoners, demanding their release. Paracha said that the prisoners were associated with the TTP and sectarian outfits Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ). The sources said that Paracha had visited Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail to meet the Taliban prisoners. They claimed that Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan along with an officer of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) had also met Javed Ibraheem Paracha. The report regarding the contact comes amid uncertainty and concerns about the prospects of peace talks with militants, which emerged after the high profile assassination of Pakistan Army’s Major General Sanaullah Khan Niazi in Upper Dir on Sunday. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the killing of two star general.

Taliban will have to abide by Constitution of Pakistan: Nawaz Sharif September 27, 2013 The News

NEW YORK: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said that Pakistan will proceed with a plan to build a gas pipeline from Iran, despite objections from the United States, and that he plans to raise the issue of American drone strikes in his speech to the United Nations General Assembly. In an interview in New York with The Wall Street Journal, Nawaz Sharif also spelled out the conditions that Pakistani Taliban would have to accept if his government proceeded with a peace deal with the militant group, demanding that they lay down arms and recognize Pakistan’s constitution. At the same time, he voiced fears that continued US drone attacks would wreck his policy to negotiate with the Pakistani Taliban. Nawaz Sharif hoped to use his visit to the U.N. headquarters in New York for a meeting with Manmohan Singh, the prime minister of India. He said he hoped to restart the peace process with India that he had pursued when he was last in office, in the late 1990s. In the interview Wednesday, Nawaz Sharif acknowledged frictions with the US but said he believed that the issues could be overcome. “President Obama was very kind to call me up immediately after my election and express his desire to work with Pakistan. I also want to work with the United States of America,” he said. The White House said Thursday that President Barack Obama and Nawaz Sharif will meet on October 23 at the White House, part of what officials said was a broader effort to deepen ties. Pakistan, the newspaper noted, has said it wants the US to open its markets to Pakistani products, among other things, while the Obama administration has urged Pakistan to do more to police border territory where Afghan Taliban and al Qaeda militants flourish. Nawaz Sharif met Iranian President Hasan Rouhani on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, where the issue of the pipeline was discussed, in a meeting described as warm by the Pakistani side. “Pakistan needs gas very badly,” said Nawaz Sharif,” was quoted as saying in the Journal. “We have to run our power plants. We need gas for them. There is an acute shortage of gas in Pakistan, so we have to import gas from somewhere.” An inadequate supply of gas, used to produce electricity, is one of the main reasons for the crippling shortage of power in Pakistan. Nawaz Sharif said Pakistan had a contractual obligation to go ahead with the agreement, or face penalties from Iran of $3 million a day if it is not completed by the end of next year. He said that in Islamabad’s legal opinion, the pipeline wouldn’t trigger the sanctions. He said that Pakistan would proceed “unless you give us the gas, or the $3 million a day.” In his speech on Friday at the UN, Sharif said he planned to say that American drone strikes in his country were illegal, as they breached Pakistan’s territorial sovereignty. He said that weapon was also counterproductive as it was producing more “terrorists.” “The more the drones, the more the terrorists get multiplied. You kill one man, his sons, his father, his brothers, they become terrorists. So this is something that is not helpful.” Nawaz Sharif said he was particularly concerned that drone strikes now could derail his offer of peace talks to the Pakistani Taliban, who operate separately from the Afghan Taliban. The militant group has demanded that Islamabad stop the drone strikes before negotiations begin. “Once the talks start, then of course, we consider them [drones] as something that has the ability to break the talks, which must be avoided at all costs,” he added. Islamabad offered to open dialogue with the Pakistani Taliban following a conference with all the other parliamentary parties earlier this month. “They will have to renounce terrorism,” said Nawaz Sharif. “They [Pakistani Taliban] will have to abide by the Constitution of Pakistan.” “It’s been often said by them that they don’t recognize the constitution of the country,” he said. “But the constitution has to be recognized. If we agree on addressing this terrorism, they will have to be disarmed, lay down their arms.”

OGRA recommends increase in POL prices The News September 27, 2013

ISLAMABAD: Oil and Gas regulatory Authority (OGRA) has sent the summary for an increase in the price of petroleum products to the Ministry of Petroleum. According to the summary, OGRA has recommended Rs5.45 increase in the per litre price of petrol. The price of diesel has been recommended to increase by Rs2.63, kerosene oil Rs2.14 and light diesel by Rs2.81.

20 killed in minibus crash in northern India The News September 27, 2013

SHIMLA: A minibus swerved off a mountain road into a deep gorge in northern India killing 20 passengers on Friday, police said. A 12-year-old boy was the lone survivor, after the bus rolled down into the 500-foot (152-metre) deep gorge in the state of Himachal Pradesh, a senior police officer said. "The bodies of 20 people have been found. There is just one survivor," police deputy superintendent Khajan Singh told AFP. The condition of the young survivor was not immediately known. The accident occurred in the remote Sangrah area of Sirmaur district, some 150 kilometres (90 miles) from the state capital Shimla. The bus smashed into pieces and some of the bodies were mutilated beyond recognition, the Press Trust of India reported. Search operations were hampered by thick grass and the slopes had become slippery after rain, the news agency said. Bus crashes with double-digit death tolls are all too frequent in India as a result of treacherous roads, speeding vehicles and reckless drivers.

Balochistan govt sets up CM fund for quake affectees The News September 27, 2013

QUETTA: Balochistan government has established the Chief Minister Fund for assistance and rehabilitation of quake-hit people of the province, Geo News reported. According to the officials communiqué issued here, national, international organizations and the federal and provincial government can donate for the earthquake affectees in this fund. The donors can submit their amount in the National Bank Pakistan (NBP) Civil Secretariat branch account number 3261-3 from any of the NBP branch across the country.

Syria chemical inspections to start by Tuesday: watchdog The News September 27, 2013

THE HAGUE: Inspection of Syrian chemical weapons sites with a view to their destruction must start by Tuesday, says a draft decision to be discussed by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons on Friday. Besides weapons locations declared by Damascus as part of a deal to head off threatened military strikes, inspectors will also be able to visit "any other site identified by a State Party as having been involved in the Syrian chemical weapons programme," says the draft document. The draft says however that such matters could be resolved through "consultations and cooperation" and that the OPCW's Director General Ahmet Uzumcu can deem claims of hidden chemical weapons as "unwarranted". The OPCW's 41-member council will meet on Friday in The Hague to discuss the draft which lays out what US Secretary of State John Kerry has called the "rules and regulations" of Syrian chemical disarmament, which Damascus has signed up to. Syria agreed to give up its chemical weapons as part of a US-Russian agreement made earlier this month, worked out as Washington threatened military action in response to an August 21 chemical weapons attack outside Damascus. In cases of non-compliance with the plan, which sees all Syrian chemical weapons and facilities destroyed by mid-2014, the OPCW will discuss the allegation and "bring the issue or matter... directly to the attention of the United Nations General Assembly and the United Nations Security Council." Syria is required to supply further details on its chemical weapons stockpile within seven days of the OPCW draft being adopted, it said. All Syrian chemical weapons facilities must be inspected no later than 30 days after the document is adopted. The OPCW's Executive Council is to decide on "intermediate destruction milestones" by November 15, it said, calling also on Syria to provide "immediate and unfettered right to inspect any and all sites." The OPCW shall "as soon as possible and in any case not later than October 1 initiate inspections in the Syrian Arab Republic pursuant to this decision." Syria is also required to designate a liaison official for the OPCW and "provide him or her with the authority necessary to ensure that this decision is fully implemented." The OPCW meeting comes after the United States and Russia agreed a draft UN Security Council resolution on Syria's chemical weapons on Thursday, breaking a prolonged deadlock. The 15-member Security Council is to vote on the resolution on Friday, after the OPCW meeting.

Helicopter carrying relief goods attacked in Awaran The News September 27, 2013

QUETTA: A helicopter carrying relief goods to earthquake stricken Awaran was attacked in Mashkay Tehsil. According to security sources, small arms were used to fire at the helicopter which did not receive any damage. This is the second attack on an army helicopter in the area. On Thursday two rockets were fired at a helicopter carrying the NDMA chief and a Major General.

Qaim orders judicial probe into rape and murder of Karachi girl The News September 27, 2013

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah has ordered judicial probe into rape and murder of a 13-year-old girl, Geo News reported. A spokesman for the chief minister said that a judicial commission will probe the case and formation of the panel will be announced within 24 hours. Body of the girl, a resident of Baghio Goth, Azizabad, was found at Sea View on Thursday. According to the postmortem report the deceased was strangled to death after being raped. Police said that the girl was kidnapped by a Burqa clad woman from outside a private school on September 24. A maternal uncle of the deceased said that kidnappers had demanded Rs1 million ransom.

Balochistan Chief Minister Malik Baloch returns home The News September 27, 2013

KARACHI: Balochistan Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch has returned to Pakistan, cutting short his UK trip after a devastating earthquake killed over 350 people and left hundreds of thousands of people homeless. He arrived at the Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport on Friday. Speaking to media, he said more deaths were feared in the affected areas of Balochistan.

Interpol issues alert for British terror widow The News September 27, 2013

LONDON: The tabloids call her "the white widow," a British-born Muslim convert who was married to one of the suicide bombers in the 2005 attack on London's transit system. And for days now, the British media have been rife with speculation she took part in the terrorist takeover at a Nairobi shopping mall. On Thursday, Interpol, acting at Kenya's request, issued an arrest notice for 29-year-old fugitive Samantha Lewthwaite — not in connection with the mall attack, but over a 2011 plot to bomb holiday resorts in Kenya. If Lewthwaite indeed embraced the jihadi cause, it would mark a chilling turnaround for the apparently grieving widow who originally condemned the London transit bombings and criticized her late husband, Jermaine Lindsay, for taking part. Officials have not made public any evidence linking her to the mall attack. The Interpol notice did not mention it. And al-Shabab, the Somali Islamic extremist group behind the takeover, denied any female fighters participated. Nevertheless, the timing of the Interpol notice so soon after the attack fueled speculation she was involved in some way — suspicions that were stoked earlier in the week by comments from Kenya's foreign minister that a British woman had a role in the bloodbath. Interpol said this is the first time it has been asked to issue a "red notice" for Lewthwaite. The wanted-person alert said she is wanted on charges of possessing explosives and conspiracy to commit a felony in December 2011. There was no immediate explanation from Kenyan police on why it asked for the alert now. "Kenyan authorities have ensured that all 190 member countries are aware of the danger posed by this woman, not just across the region but also worldwide," Interpol said in a statement. Lewthwaite, the daughter of a former British soldier, was born in Northern Ireland and grew up in Aylesbury, a commuter hub northwest of London. She converted to Islam — reportedly while in her teens — and went on to study religion and politics at the School Of Oriental and African Studies in London. It was around that time she met Lindsay, first in an Internet chat room and later at a London demonstration against the war in Iraq. The couple married in an Islamic ceremony in 2002 and moved back to Aylesbury a year later. Local City Councilor Raj Khan, who knew Lewthwaite in her early teens and ran into her again shortly before the subway bombings, told The Associated Press she was a "normal, average British girl" who was shy and lacked confidence. "She was going through the journey of becoming a Muslim," he said. "There was no sense of radicalization, and no feeling among people that she showed signs of radicalization." Khan said he lost touch with her for about 10 years and met her again after she married Lindsay. The couple approached him and asked if he could help them find subsidized housing. "She seemed the same soft-spoken girl, becoming a mature young lady," he said. "I asked them to come see me in my office in the next three or four weeks, with the relevant documents, and the next thing I knew was the 7/7 bombings. After that she went into obvious hiding. No communication was made." He said he thinks of her as a follower, not a leader. After it became clear that her Jamaica-born husband had been involved in the London bombings, Lewthwaite told The Sun newspaper two months after the attacks that her husband had fallen under the influence of imams at radical mosques. "How these people could have turned him and poisoned his mind is dreadful," she was quoted as saying. "He was an innocent, naive and simple man. I suppose he must have been an ideal candidate. He was so angry when he saw Muslim civilians being killed on the streets of Iraq, Bosnia, Palestine and Israel — and always said it was the innocent who suffered." After that, she stayed largely out of view until March 2012, when her name surfaced in a Kenyan terrorism investigation. Kenyan officials said at the time that Lewthwaite and other foreigners traveled to Kenya in 2011 to plan a bomb attack on the Kenyan coast over the Christmas holidays. Authorities said Lewthwaite, who at the time was pregnant by her new Kenyan husband, was in charge of finances for the planned attack, and they suspected she had rented several houses in Mombasa to assemble a bomb. Detonator caps and bomb making materials similar to those used in the London transit attacks were found in a house she shared with an accomplice, according to officials. The group was allegedly collaborating with Kenyans sympathetic to al-Shabab. In December 2011, Kenyan anti-terrorism police found a woman they believed to be Lewthwaite in the house, but they let her go after she showed them a South African passport. Police later realized the passport was fraudulent, but by the time they returned to the house, she was gone. Valentina Soria, a security analyst and al-Shabab expert with IHS Janes, noted that Lewthwaite's name has popped up after nearly every terror episode in East Africa over the past two years. She said Lewthwaite has long been an object of fascination as a white woman alleged to be working for al-Shabab. Still, Soria was skeptical Lewthwaite could be a mastermind in the al-Qaida-linked group — or one of the fighters in the mall, since using female attackers is not al-Shabab's way of operating. Lewthwaite's real value, Soria said, could be in recruiting: "It may have been an advantage for al-Shabab to have a personality like that linked to the group — because of the kind of example she could represent in terms of attracting Western recruits."

Fake degree: PTI MPA Yousuf Ayub declared ineligible The News September 27, 2013

ABBOTTABAD: The Election Tribunal on Friday declared Khyber Pakhtunkhwa minister Yousuf Ayub as ineligible for holding fake degree, Geo News reported. The degree of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf(PTI) MPA Yousuf Ayub had been declared fake earlier after verification. The Election Tribunal has ordered fresh poll in PK-50 Haripur 2 constituency. Yousuf Ayub was the candidate of the PTI from PK-50 Haripur 2, and was elected as the member of the provincial assembly after winning in the general elections of 2013. The Higher Education Commission (HEC) had sent his degree to the Punjab University for verification following the instructions from the Election Commission Tribunal. After the verification, Yousaf Ayub’s degree was declared fake.

17 killed, dozens injured in Peshawar Secretariat bus blast The News September 27, 2013 - Updated 1330 PKT

PESHAWAR: Seventeen persons including two women were killed and dozens injured when a blast hit the bus carrying Secretariat employees at Charsadda Road in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province before Friday prayers, Geo News reported. According to the initial reports, a Civil Secretariat bus carrying around 70 employees and other passengers was on its way when an explosion occurred near Gulbaila at Charsadda Road. More than 40 persons were injured while ten succumbed to their injuries initially that later rose to 17. Sources said that casualties are feared to rise. Commissioner Peshawar Sahibzada Mohammad Anees confirmed the toll while talking to the media and said that the employees were returning to home after their duty when the unfortunate incident occurred. The target was government employees, Sahibzada Anees told. The bus was heading to the town of Charsadda when the bomb went off. Nasir Durrani, the police chief of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, told reporters the remote-controlled bomb was planted at the back of the bus, which was reduced to a tangled mess of twisted metal by the force of the blast. The bomb disposal squad confirmed that approximately 12-15 kilograms of explosives were placed at the rear of the bus with a time device. An eyewitness said the blast was so powerful it threw victims' bodies clear of the vehicle and onto the roadside. Rescue teams shifted the injured and bodies to Lady Reading Hospital and Charsadda District Headquarter Hospital. Police reached the blast site and cordoned off the area. A near-identical attack on a government staff bus in another Peshawar suburb in June last year killed 19 people.

HEADLINE 04:00 PM SAMAA

A Big NO to Margalla Tunnel Project

Quake Victims brought to Karachi

Tirah's troubled terrain

" Sir humarey uppar aasmaan hai, aur neechey zameen hai...hum mitti par sotey hein, aur taarey gintey hein...." Tirah Valley Refugees (Khyber Agency) "The sky is spread above our heads, and a ground stands below; We sleep on the dirt on the ground and count the stars all night long" As thousands fled the Tirah Valley (khyber Agency), thousands of dreams were shattered, thousands of homes were destroyed. Post 9/11, the Taliban found a safe hideout in the Khyber Agency, where the state and Police are non-existent institutions. By 2007, militants had the entire area under their control. Eventually, the army launched an operation in 2008 in the Khyber Agency, and the attempt to re-establish the state's writ lead to thousands of refugees fleeing to camps in Kohat and Jalozai in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A battle still rages in the troubled Tirah Valley, an area once declared "un-invadable" by the British in 1897. The fact that it borders Afghanistan from one side, and Peshawar's outskirts from one side, doesn't help the situation, as many soldiers have been martyred and militants killed. Now the people of Tirah Valley and Khyber Agency can be found near near Peshawar at the Jalozai Camp, which is Pakistan's largest camp for Internally Displaced People (IDP). Terrorists are not known to attack refugee camps, but there have been instances of them hiding along with refugees to escape being caught. In March 2013, a car bomb blast killed 15 people and injured 30 people at a food distribution line. Experts observed that the blast may have been a retaliation against a search operation for militants at the camp by the Police and intelligence agencies. Camps in Jalozai are spread over a large area, depicting a physical chronograph of refugee movement, ever since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in the 1980s. Since then, most from that era have either established themselves as Pakistanis, or have returned in the UN backed repatriation to Afghanistan. The camps are like a smaller version of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), as different camps represent different agencies, which have moved over the years. 16,000 families rise and fall in the hope to return to their lands and rebuild their lives and homes again. Amid the rubble, life, and the battle for survival, continues."

Pop greats kick off Rock in Rio music fest

US diva Beyonce and French DJ David Guetta opened Rock in Rio, one of the world's largest music festivals, overnight Saturday. Some 85,000 people are expected to show up for each day of the week-long event, which features 127 bands and artists. The opening night's main attraction, Beyonce, took the stage shortly after midnight, promising to transform the City of Rock into the City of Pop. Justin Timberlake, Metallica and Alice in Chains are expected to join the long list of national and international stars performing at the event. The gates to City of Rock, the festival's mega venue set to be transformed into an Olympic Park for the 2016 Games, swung open early Friday as fans raced to secure a spot. “It was a lot of effort to get here so early, so I spent the night here,”said Roberto Graell, 32, a lawyer from the southeastern city of Minas Gerais. The Brazilian Symphony Orchestra took to the World Stage, host of the biggest shows, as viewers swayed to Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. The orchestra continued with rock classics such as “Satisfaction” by the Rolling Stones and Queen's “Bohemian Rhapsody.”On Sunset Stage, where musicians performed between major shows, a duo of Brazilian Maria Rita and Belgian Selah Sue captivated the audience as night began to fall. “This sound is great, and it's only here we have the opportunity to hear this music,” said attorney Carolina Maciel, 35. Earlier in the day, before the performances, the public got another form of entertainment with amusement rides and games, including a roller coaster, bungee jumping and a climbing wall. Rock in Rio creator Roberto Medina said he looked forward to Bruce Springsteen's show. “I'm not a groupie,” Medina insisted. The megafestival first opened in Rio in 1985, attracting 1.4 million people. Since then, Lisbon and Madrid have also hosted the event. The festival runs September 13-22 at the huge venue. - Text by AFP