Big3: Imran blasts ICC's 'colonial' revamp

KARACHI: Cricket legend Imran Khan slammed controversial plans to reform cricket’s governing body on Friday, saying they would take the game back to the days of colonialism. Moves to restructure the International Cricket Council (ICC) to hand power to India, Australia and England, the game’s financial powerhouses, were passed in principle during a board meeting on Tuesday. Imran, who captained Pakistan to their sole World Cup win in 1992, said the proposals harked back to the days when England and Australia had effective right of veto at the ICC. “If I was the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) head I would have strongly objected the new colonial system,” Imran told AFP. “I think the answer is to make the ICC more productive for the betterment of cricket.” No international cricket has been played in Pakistan since 2009, when militants attacked the visiting Sri Lankan team, and Khan warned the new proposals would hit his home country hardest. He said Tuesday’s meeting at ICC headquarters in Dubai reminded him of one he attended in 1993. “Then India and Pakistan were on the same page and they fought to end the imperialism in the ICC and wanted it to be run in a democratic way,” Imran said. “It became democratic until India, because of its big money influence and supported by Australia and England, made it back to square one.” PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf went into Tuesday’s meeting saying Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and South Africa were united against the so-called “Big Three” plans. He said the PCB’s Board of Governors will meet in Lahore on Monday to discuss the next move ahead of a second ICC meeting on February 8. “We are not against anyone, neither did we try to form any forward block, we just want to move with all members and the matter will be discussed on Monday,” Ashraf said at a press conference in Lahore. He also said he would seek guidance from Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Imran, who played 88 Tests and 175 one-day internationals for Pakistan, said the game was in “genuine crisis”. “There is a lack of quality in players, if you talk of spinners or fast bowlers or batsmen, and unless a correct mix is not found cricket will suffer,” he said. “The revenue is coming but money should not be decisive and that’s why the quality is suffering which is disastrous.”

Controversy: Sethi apologises to England cricket chief

The former chief of Pakistan Cricket Board’s interim committee, Najam Sethi, has apologised to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chief for falsely attributing remarks to him, Daily Express has learnt. Sources said that Sethi apologised to the ECB Chairman Giles Clarke in a private email. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has already said that Sethi had lied about the Council’s January 9 full member session. Speaking in a recent television programme, the former PCB official had said that if the ICC did not accept the ‘Big Three’ proposal, India, England and Australia would quit the game’s administrative body. According to Sethi, Clarke had said in the Jan 9 meeting that since the three boards contributed more revenue to the ICC, they have a right to aspire for a ‘veto power’ in the Council. When Sethi asked Clarke what if other cricketing nations did not accept the ‘undemocratic system’? “We will quit the ICC,” Sethi quoted Clarke as telling him in response. Sethi inferred that Clarke had, in fact, threatened that the three countries – which contribute 80% of revenue –would quit and the ICC would disintegrate. Perhaps Sethi might have assumed that his comments on an Urdu-language news channel would not reach the ECB. However, a British website, pakpassion.net, posted an English translation of Sethi’s comments for its visitors. Incensed by Sethi’s comments, the ECB lodged a strong protest. Taking notice of the ECB protest, the ICC issued a statement in which it rebutted Sethi’s remarks about the Jan 9 meeting. When approached, the ECB director communication, Colin Gibson, confirmed the email exchanges between Sethi and Clarke but refused to reveal the content of the ‘private correspondence’. Asked if Sethi has apologised to Clarke, Gibson said, “We do not deny it.” Sethi was unavailable for comment. Daily Express tried to reach him several times via cellphone, but he didn’t field the calls. Published in The Express Tribune, February 1st, 2014.

‘PCB stand forced ICC to make amendments’

KARACHI: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Zaka Ashraf has claimed that the International Cricket Council (ICC) was forced to make amendments in the draft of the ‘Big Three’ proposal. Officials from the Board for Cricket Control in India (BCCI), Cricket Australia (CA) and England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) – the ‘Big Three’ – outweigh those from other cricket boards who handle the ICC’s financial and administrative affairs. Thus, it has been known that they have been planning on bringing changes which would allow the three dominant countries to take control of the sector. However, the scheme is facing strong retaliation from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and Cricket South Africa (CSA). A massive outcry has been raised against the proposed draft by several former cricketers and experts, who believe its implementation will destroy not only the ethical aspect of cricket, but also the game itself. “The ICC has been forced to make amendments after our stand against the ‘Big Three’,” Ashraf told reporters in Lahore during a press conference on Friday. “The initial strategy was to stop their ideas because it was brought up in haste and without any consultation with other boards. I believe any decision should be made with the consensus of all cricketing bodies.” Ashraf added that the next move would be planned tactfully under the guidance of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who is also PCB’s patron-in-chief. Ashraf further stated that he was unable to understand the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) late change in allegiance in favour of the proposal even though initially they had been alongside the PCB, CSA and SLC till the end of the two-day ICC meeting. The chairman however clarified that the BCB may have changed their decision for the betterment of the sport in their country, while adding that each country must do what was in its favour. “Money will automatically come only if cricket is continued to be played. This is what the boards need to understand that they might destroy the game by running after money.” Ashraf appears perplexed regarding PCB’s stance Ashraf appeared bewildered regarding Pakistan’s future in relation to the proposal. He had earlier promised to stand strong against any amendments which would not favour the country, while on the other hand he claimed that they should change their course if the decision benefited Pakistan. He also revealed that the ‘Big Three’ and the ICC have promised that if the new draft was implemented, then no country would face a fall in their share of revenue, whereas India, Australia and England would get a raise in their annual income. Meanwhile, the PCB has called on a Governing Board (GB) meeting on Monday to deliberate on the agendas of the recent ICC meeting. Published in The Express Tribune, February 1st, 2014.

NATO blockade: Supplies sail past PTI sit-in, cross Torkham

LANDI KOTAL: Nato supplies and equipment continue to travel through Peshawar via Khyber Agency in spite of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) sit-in, which the party claims actively blocks such containers. A political administration (PA) official, requesting anonymity, confirmed the restoration of Nato supply lines. He said containers loaded with equipment from the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan continue to traverse the border. On Friday, three containers loaded with goods passed through Khyber Agency and made their way to Karachi, he added. The vehicles came the night before and, after screening, were parked at a Nato Terminal under high security. After a go ahead from the customs, the vehicles set out for Karachi in the early hours of Friday morning, passing through the Jamrud check post and Peshawar. The PA official said on January 23 and 24, two containers from Karachi went to Afghanistan after passing Peshawar; none of the PTI activists stopped them. “They (PTI protesters) cannot stop vehicles on their own. After screening, the vehicles are allowed to leave for Afghanistan.” The PTI set up camps on Ring Road and the motorway on November 23, 2013 to block the inflow and outflow of Nato trucks from the province. PTI Chairman Imran Khan had declared the blockade would continue until the US stops drone strikes. Despite the prolonged protest, Nato containers continue to pour in across the border. Just five days later, six vehicles carrying supplies were allowed to go to Afghanistan while two more crossed Torkham border on November 29. Another PA official deployed at the border said some of the containers entering Pakistan were parked at the terminal and provided security by khasadar and other paramilitary officials and will be allowed to leave for Karachi after PTI activists end their sit-in. Published in The Express Tribune, February 1st, 2014.

Kashmir dispute: India insists on ‘bilateral dialogue’ approach

NEW DELHI: Indian Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh said on Friday that her country was looking forward to resolving all outstanding issues with Pakistan, including the festering Jammu and Kashmir dispute, through peaceful dialogue. “It is in the interest of India to resolve all issues, including Jammu and Kashmir, with Pakistan,” she said during an interaction with a group of Pakistani journalists in the Indian capital. She said that except talks, there was no alternative to finding a solution to the longstanding disputes. However, she made it clear that New Delhi would not accept the role of any outside power. Singh’s reference to Kashmir is significant given that since the November 2008 attacks on Mumbai’s landmarks, the Indian government has avoided discussing the issue publicly. “India wants a relationship of peace and friendship with all its neighbours, including Pakistan,” she added. The foreign secretary said regardless of the outcome of the upcoming parliamentary elections in India, the policy of pursuing peaceful relations with Pakistan would continue. Her remarks came against the backdrop of fears that relations between Islamabad and New Delhi may be negatively affected if Narendra Modi of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) becomes the country’s next prime minister. India is all set to go to polls in mid-April with pre-election predictions suggesting bright prospects for the BJP. Asked about the possibility of resumption of the composite dialogue process, Singh said talks could not take place under the ‘shadow of terrorism’. She added that the trial of the Mumbai siege suspects must come to a logical end as this would only ‘heal the wounds of Indian public’. The top Indian diplomat also alleged that ‘terror infrastructure’ still existed in Pakistan though she wouldn’t say whether it had the state support or not. Replying to a question, she denied India’s involvement in stoking insurgency in Balochistan. She insisted that Pakistan had never shared any concrete evidence to back its claims of India’s involvement However, a Pakistani diplomat claimed that Islamabad did share ‘compelling evidence’ with New Delhi particularly about some Baloch insurgents who were travelling on India passports. The Indian foreign secretary claimed that it was not in the interest of her country to see a divided Pakistan. “We want to see Pakistan a united, prosperous and peaceful country,” she added. Published in The Express Tribune, February 1st, 2014.

Obama to visit Saudi Arabia amid tensions over Iran, Syria: Report

President Barack Obama plans to travel to Saudi Arabia in March on a mission to smooth tensions with Washington’s main Arab ally over US policy on Iran’s nuclear program and the civil war in Syria, a newspaper reported. Obama is preparing to meet with King Abdullah for a summit, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing unnamed Arab officials briefed on the meetings. “This is about a deteriorating relationship” and declining trust, said a senior Arab official in discussing the need for the summit, which was pulled together in recent days, the newspaper reported. A White House spokeswoman declined to comment. The United States and Saudi Arabia have been allies since the kingdom was formed in 1932, giving Riyadh a powerful military protector and Washington secure oil supplies. Washington’s relationship with the Saudis was crucial as the region faced changes and challenges from the transition in Egypt to civil war in Syria. But relations have been tested on a number of fronts. Members of Saudi Arabia’s ruling family threatened a rift with the United States to protest perceived American inaction over Syria’s civil war, which has killed more than 100,000 people, as well as the recent US outreach with Iran. The kingdom’s regional rivalry with Iran, an ally of Syria, has amplified tensions across the Middle East. King Abdullah is also to use the meeting to question Obama on why he decided against airstrikes in Syria, which Saudi and other Arab officials believe strengthened Assad. “The meeting in many ways will get back to basics,” said a Saudi official briefed on the meetings, according the Wall Street Journal. “Why did Obama do it the way he did it?” US and other security officials said earlier this week that “moderate” Syrian rebel factions were receiving light arms supplied by the United States. The Arab Spring as well as a November agreement between Iran and other world powers that curbs parts of Tehran’s nuclear program, has angered Saudi Arabia, along with other Arab states and Israel. The relationship was also badly shaken by the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, since most of the hijackers were Saudi nationals, and by the subsequent American invasion of Iraq. Obama’s visit comes after a mission to Riyadh by US Secretary of State John Kerry.

Syria talks end with accusations, next round uncertain

GENEVA: Syria’s warring sides have traded barbs over the failure to achieve concrete results at peace talks in Geneva, amid doubts over the regime’s participation in a planned new round in February. No ceasefire was agreed as the talks wound up Friday, talks on a transitional government never began, and a deal to allow aid into besieged rebel-held areas of the central city of Homs went nowhere. Clouding the horizon further, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said nearly 1,900 people had been killed since the talks began a week ago. Washington also warned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad he could face consequences for failing to live up to international agreements on removing his chemical weapons stockpile. In Geneva, the week of closed-door negotiations ended with the opposing sides continuing to spar over who is to blame for the bloody conflict that has claimed 130,000 lives. UN mediator Lakhdar Brahimi, who orchestrated the first meeting between the two sides since the conflict erupted in March 2011, said he aimed to host a second round of talks starting on February 10. But Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said there were no “tangible results” from the Geneva talks, and that Assad and his government would ponder whether it made sense to return for a second round. That sparked criticism from key opposition supporter the United States. “The regime continues to play games,” State Department spokesman Edgar Vasquez said. Opposition chief Ahmad Jarba confirmed his team would be back, even though sitting down with the regime for the first time since the start of the war was like “drinking from a poisoned chalice”. But he stressed that its presence was conditional on receiving “the means to defend our people on the ground.” “The pace of supporting our revolutionaries is quickening, as you may have heard in recent days,” he said. Unconfirmed media reports this week alleged that the US Congress had secretly approved resuming weapons deliveries to “moderate” Syrian rebel factions. Working to rally support, Jarba is scheduled Tuesday to visit Russia, Assad’s main ally on the global stage. A senior US official hailed the planned visit, stressing that it indicated “the Russian side recognises that the opposition National Coalition also has a role to play in resolving the Syrian conflict.” Brahimi has urged the United States and Russia, which struggled for eight months to get the warring parties to the table, as well as others to exercise their influence to end the bloodshed in Syria. US Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters ahead of talks in Berlin with Chancellor Angela Merkel that Damascus was not complying with the US-Russian agreed timetable for shipping out its chemical weapons stockpile. He said the civil war in the country was “destabilising the entire region”. Later Kerry met his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of a Munich Security Conference, with Syria high on the agenda. A senior US State Department official said Kerry pressed Lavrov to put more pressure on Damascus to make real progress on destroying its chemical weapons arsenal. Neither of the negotiating sides seemed to budge an inch from their long-held positions in Geneva, where the talks revolved around a never-implemented roadmap to peace drawn up by world powers in 2012. The opposition insists that the transitional government called for in that text, known as the Geneva Communique, requires Assad to step down. The regime flatly rejects this, and insists that the main focus of the Geneva talks must be on quelling the violence and “terrorism”, for which it blames the opposition. “Neither in this round, nor in the next will they obtain any concessions from the Syrian delegation,” Information Minister Omran al-Zohbi told applauding pro-regime demonstrators outside the UN’s European headquarters in Geneva where the talks were held. Just getting the rival camps to sit down for the first time has been seen as a feat by peacemaking veteran Brahimi. “This is a very modest beginning, but it is a beginning on which we can build,” he said, adding that he had noted “a little bit of common ground, perhaps more than the two sides realise or recognise.” Brahimi said though he was “very disappointed” over the lack of breakthrough over the desperate humanitarian situation in Syria. The regime had pledged early on in the talks to allow women and children safe passage from rebel-held areas of Homs besieged since June 2012, but aid convoys remain on standby waiting for authorisation to enter. Of the nearly 1,900 people who have died in the Syria conflict since the Geneva talks opened, at least 498 were civilians, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Forty of them died from a lack of food and medicine in areas under government siege, according to the report.

Sea View murder case: IO given more time to submit charge sheet

KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) granted more time to the investigation officer on Friday for submitting the final charge sheet in a case pertaining to the kidnapping, abuse and murder of a 13-year-old schoolgirl. The girl was taken away from her school in Federal B Area on September 24, 2013. Later, she was found dead at the Sea View beach on September 26, 2013. The investigation officer sought time for the submission of the final charge sheet on the grounds that the reports of DNA test of male suspects sent to Islamabad to ascertain the alleged rapists had still not arrived. According to the police, a couple, Bilal and his wife, Reema, along with two other suspects, Waqar and Shahid, had orchestrated the schoolgirl’s kidnapping for ransom but subsequently killed her after a case was reported as they feared the girl would disclose their identity to the police. Initially, an FIR, No.212/13, was registered under sections 365-B (kidnapping or inducing woman to compel for marriage, etc.) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) at the Azizabad police station. The sections were, however, replaced with Sections 365-A (kidnapping for extorting property, etc.) and 302 (premeditated murder) of the PPC read with section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. The ATC-II granted time and adjourned the case till February 10. Published in The Express Tribune, February 1st, 2014.

The art of beggary: As women make more money, nomad men prefer to stay home

SUKKUR: The nomadic tribes of Sindh have roamed the land for over a thousand years. They move from one place to another, in search of livelihood, temporarily setting up camp wherever they find convenient. “We are the ‘Fakirs’ of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai,” explained Popri Bagri, while talking to The Express Tribune. Popri and her family, along with other members of the community, currently live in tents near the Sukkur bypass. “We have been on the move since the times of our forefathers and begging is the only skill we have mastered,” she claimed. A visit to the nomads’ tents at around mid-day revealed that they were only inhabited by men. During the survey, it became apparent that the women and children had gone to beg, leaving the men to laze in their makeshift abodes. Asked why the men were complacent in sending their women to beg while they stayed at home, Popri responded with a wry smile, “Women earn more than men.” One of the younger men at the tents, Kirshin Bagri was quick to defend the ways of his community. “Our women are very active and earn much more,” he reasoned. Kirshin added that sometimes, the men did go out to sell cheap toys and balloons, but mostly depended on the women to make a living. The women, he said, left in the morning to beg in the city’s main districts and returned to their tents just after sunset.

The tents, which had worn an abandoned look in the daytime, were full of life at night. Women and young girls were preparing meals while the younger children ran around playing games. Without a trace of fatigue on her face, Popri cooked a spinach curry while her mother-in-law kneaded wheat flour to make dough. Women in the other tents followed the same routine. “We have been moving from city to city for as long as I remember,” recalled Popri’s mother-in-law, Shanti. “We put up our tents at any vacant plot in the city’s outskirts and move to some other place when the owner asks us to leave.” The women have, in all aspects, taken charge of their family’s economic and social burden. This has come with a heavy price for some, though. A young woman, Keerti Bagri, complained about the attitudes of men who treated them as mere sex objects. “It is true that some women do encourage men in this regard but not all of us like this attitude,” she lamented. Keerti recalled how a man had frequently stalked her when she went about the city and often ended up escorting her home. That same man, accompanied by his friends, had raided the tents one night and tried to kidnap her. “Though our men had overpowered the perpetrators on that occasion, we were forced to relocate,” she recalled. Not all women mind the advances though. The women’s flirtatious attitudes have earned them the title of ‘kabootris’ (pigeons). These women, under the guise of sympathy, try to lure and deprive men of their hard-earned money. Their husbands, meanwhile, are happy with their lives of ‘luxury’ and prefer not to interfere in their ‘private matters’. Published in The Express Tribune, February 1st, 2014.

Lyari violence: Rescue driver killed by gunfire

KARACHI: A rescue driver and a woman were killed in separate instances of violence in Lyari, Karachi on Saturday, Express News reported. The driver was killed by gunfire but it is unclear whether he was specifically targeted or if he got caught in an exchange of gunfire. In a separate incident, a woman was killed in a rocket attack in the area. This is the second such incident in Lyari in less than two weeks. On January 22, police sources revealed that a woman and a child were killed in a rocket attack. Ambulance drivers have often been reluctant to step in to help victims as they fear being targeted themselves. Gang violence continues to plague the Karachi neighbourhood as the feud between rival gang leaders Uzair Baloch and Baba Ladla claimed more than a hundred lives last year alone. The sound of rockets and firing can be heard in various neighbourhoods of Lyari.

Cultural 'coup' begins: All eyes on Moen Jo Daro today

MOEN JO DARO: The enthusiasm of the organisers of the Sindh Festival 2014 has not been dampened by the recent controversies surrounding the choice of location for the inauguration ceremony. The 15-day festival will start as scheduled tonight at the historical site of Moen Jo Daro. From sweepers, carpenters, to electricians and lighting crews, everyone is on their toes for the big day or what Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has termed a ‘cultural coup’. The festival is a brainchild of Pakistan Peoples Party patron-in-chief Bilawal. “I am under a lot of stress,” admitted a rather exhausted Fakhr-e-Alam, one of the organisers. “After all, presenting the essence of Moen Jo Daro so many years after it has turned into a ruin takes a lot of effort.” For Alam, the inauguration ceremony is all about recreating the Indus Valley Civilisation through the ages and retelling the story of Sindh in the most engaging and educating manner. Various kinds of lights and other luminescent devices are being incorporated to give an added dimension to the site so that it becomes more of an audio visual experience. “It will definitely be the most spectacular audio visual experience where people will get to feel the essence of our soil,” exclaimed Sharmila Faruqi, a cultural adviser to the chief minister. Faruqi is most excited about the live performance by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan tonight but the rest of the line up of artists is no less than an episode of Coke Studio. There will be no speeches, only music by maestros, such as Saeen Zahoor, Fariha Pervez, Fuzon , Azal and Ali Gul Pir to name a few. “I am honoured to perform at the opening ceremony being held at the cradle of our civilisation,” claimed Pir. “This makes it a unique performance and at the same time it gives me an opportunity to be a proud Sindhi and more so a Pakistani.” Shallum Xavier, the guitarist of Fuzon, welcomed the idea of engaging pop-rock musicians in festivals that generally cater to folk and traditional music only. “This shouldn’t be a one-off event,” he said. “It will only help the artists if it becomes or sets a trend.” The entire set-up of the show is being done by ‘Team NJ’, the company that has also previously done the set-up for Lux Style Awards. However, the highlight of evening will be a laser presentation by ‘Laseronix’ – a foreign laser presentation company known for doing laser presentation shows at various heritage sites, including The Pyramids of Egypt. Moen Jo Daro to be kept intact, assures govt The organisers of the Sindh Festival and the provincial government are taking all necessary precautions in order to ensure that the integrity of the Moen Jo Daro ruins remain intact, according to its organisers. The Unesco World Heritage site is the location of the opening ceremony scheduled for February 1 of the first Sindh Festival. “We are grateful for the concern that has been shown on social media about protecting Moen Jo Daro,” said Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the festival founder and Pakistan Peoples Party’s patron-in-chief. “We share their concern and have taken extraordinary and failsafe measures to protect this heritage site from any possible harm or damage.” Sindh Archaeology Department Director Qasim Ali Qasim showed Bilawal around Moen Jo Daro to ensure that the construction work remained in compliance with international preservation standards. “The stage and the seatings are not being installed on the ruins,” said Sharmila Faruqi, who is the adviser on culture to the Sindh chief minister. “Preparations for the opening ceremony are being undertaken with all due care and we are abiding by the advice of well-reputed conservationists, who we have consulted on the matter.” When the precautionary measures were explained to Ali Gul Metlo, one of the original signatories of the letter of complaint sent to UNESCO, he said that he was “satisfied that all appropriate and necessary precautions are being taken” and added that he was happy to withdraw his complaint. Published in The Express Tribune, February 1st, 2014.

Diplomat Khobragade's claim of immunity challenged by US prosecutors

NEW YORK: Devyani Khobragade, the Indian diplomat whose December arrest led to a major international dispute, holds no immunity from US prosecution and should continue to faces charges of visa fraud, Manhattan federal prosecutors said in court papers filed Friday. Khobragade was arrested on December 12 on charges that she lied to US authorities about what she paid her housekeeper. She was stripped-searched while detained in Manhattan federal courthouse, which led to a diplomatic firestorm between India and the United States that continued for weeks. Manhattan US Attorney Preet Bharara’s office argues in the court filings that Khobragade is a former diplomat and not immune from prosecution. Khobragade “currently enjoys no diplomatic status, and at the time of her arrest, the defendant’s position as a consular official gave her immunity from prosecution for official acts only,” assistant US Attorneys Kristy Greenberg and Amanda Kramer wrote. As Indian officials demanded her release, Khobragade’s New York attorney argued that her status as a consular official granted her immunity. Khobragade was accredited as a member of India’s mission to the United Nations earlier this month, one day before she was indicted and asked to leave the country. The accreditation was part of a deal to allow her to leave the country. On January 14, with Khobragade back in India, her New York-based attorney filed a motion asking a US judge to throw out those charges. In court papers, Khobragade attorney Daniel Arshack said that diplomatic immunity granted to her by the US State Department gave her absolute immunity from US prosecution, even for suspected acts committed earlier.

Interaction with Olson: Doubts raised over US aid programme’s extension

ISLAMABAD: A huge cloud hangs over any future extension of Kerry-Lugar-Bergman Act – under which Pakistan was to receive $1.5 billion in civilian aid annually from the United States till 2014, US Ambassador Richard Olson said on Friday. In an interaction with journalists on Friday, the US envoy said the future of the Kerry-Lugar-Bergman Act would depend on what decision US Congress took once it expired. “Any future (extension) will be determined by the US Congress,” Olson said following the conclusion of the recently held bilateral strategic dialogue in Washington. The Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act of 2009, also known as the Kerry-Lugar-Bergman Act became operational in 2010. It authorised the release of $1.5 billion per year to Islamabad as non-military aid from the period of 2010 to 2014. However, Pakistan received less than half of the amount it was due to get during the past three years. Washington has already linked a portion of this programme amounting to around $33 million with release of Dr Shakeel Afridi, who allegedly helped the CIA in tracking down Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad. The US ambassador was not sure if Pakistan would continue getting Coalition Support Fund payments – the reimbursements to Pakistan army for its war-on-terror expenses, after the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan this year. Since Pakistan joined the US-led war on terror in 2001, it received more than $11 billion in the form of reimbursements and compensation for using Pakistani facilities by the coalition forces in Afghanistan. Olson confirmed that the matter was discussed during the dialogue but said no decisions were taken on this front. “The US is committed to a long-term partnership with Pakistan on economic, energy, security and other issues important issues,” he added. Peace talks To a question, he said Washington would support any mechanism that Pakistan opted for, including the proposed talks with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). “Pakistan’s internal security is up to Pakistan. How that is done is up to Pakistan,” he added. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has recently nominated a four-member committee to contact the TTP and hold dialogue in order to address the core issue of militancy in the country. The ambassador focused his briefing mainly around the recently concluded strategic dialogue, which was the first ministerial level interaction of two sides since 2010. He said the process would continue and various contact groups would be meeting in the coming months before the two sides were in a position to make any tangible announcements. “The US has been specially focusing on helping Pakistan in energy projects. However, his country has been opposing the coal powered projects due to its policy on climate change,” he said. He cited examples of various hydel power projects where the US is assisting Pakistan, adding that it is also assessing the possibility of assisting the building of Diamer-Bhasha Dam. On the bilateral trade agreement, he said a tax mechanism was negotiated and Islamabad now was holding its internal deliberations before finalising it. Published in The Express Tribune, February 1st, 2014.

CJ takes suo motu notice of mass graves discovered in Khuzdar

QUETTA: Chief Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani has taken suo motu notice of the discovery of mass graves outside Khuzdar city, Express News reported on Saturday. Earlier today, the provincial government appointed High Court Judge Noor Muhammad Muskanzai to lead the tribunal. At least 11 decomposed bodies were brought to the District Headquarters Hospital on January 28. A total of 13 bodies have been recovered so far. Relatives of the missing persons had expressed fear that the bodies could be of their loved ones. “We fear these bodies are of the missing persons. The superior judiciary and rights activists should press the government to carry out a transparent investigation,” Nasrullah Baloch, the chairman of the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons, said last week. The launch of the tribunal comes soon after the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan expressed concern over the graves and demanded an immediate and impartial inquiry.

Karachi's Sohrab Goth sealed off as Rangers operation continues

KARACHI: Rangers conducted an operation in various areas of Sohrab Goth in Karachi and took at least 300 suspects into custody, Express News correspondent Wasiq Muhammad reported on Saturday. The search operation began in houses in the area at 8am this morning. Entry and exit from the area has been closed off while the Rangers continue their raid. After conducting initial investigations, 285 suspects were released from custody. Sector commander Colonel Javed Baloch said that the 12 to 15 of suspects that are still in custody were involved in criminal activities. He also said that some of the suspects are members of banned outfits. However, more information about the arrests cannot be divulged at this time, Baloch added. One of the suspects was reportedly killed in an exchange of fire between Rangers and the suspects. Over 32 weapons were also seized during the raids.

'Pakistan’s rocket attacks' will negatively impact bilateral relations, warns Karzai

ISLAMABAD: Afghan President Hamid Karzai warned that “Pakistan’s rocket attacks” into Afghanistan will have a negative impact on bilateral relations between the two countries, the Afghan state media reported Saturday. Karzai’s remarks came after the governor of Kunar province Shuja Malek Jalala claimed that a rocket from Pakistan on January 31 had hit a house in Marwari district, killing three and wounding five others, including children. Jalala, however, had not mentioned who fired the rocket. The governor had also alleged that 17 rocket attacks had been carried out last month, further stating that no one got hurt in the attacks. “President Karzai strongly condemned Pakistan’s rocket attack on Marwari district of Kunar province,” Afghan state Bakhtar News Agency reported. The Afghan president said that the launching of rockets from the other side of the Durand Line is against the principles of good neighbourliness, the news agency further stated. Karzai instructed the Kunar governor to render possible assistance to the families of those killed and wounded in the January 31 incident. Pakistani officials have not commented on the Afghan leader’s claim as yet. Both countries routinely accuse each other of cross-border shelling which is a major irritant in the relationship between the two neighbours. Previous incidents On its part, Islamabad said that chief of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Maulvi Fazalullah, has regrouped his fighters in Nuristan province after he crossed the border after the 2009 military operation in Swat. The TTP has carried out several attacks on Pakistani border posts, killing dozens of security personnel. Also, in February last year, Afghan officials arrested former deputy chief of the TTP, Maulvi Faqir Muhammad, in eastern Nangarhar province. Faqir was leading his militants in Kunar, bordering Bajaur tribal region where he had once led the Taliban against the security forces. He is still in Afghan custody. Pakistan had demanded his handover but Kabul rejected his extradition on the plea that there is no agreement on exchange of prisoners.

CJ takes suo motu notice of Muzaffargarh gang rape

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani took suo motu notice of the alleged gang rape of a widow that took place in Muzaffargarh district on January 24, reported Express News. He established a 3-member bench of judges and ordered the Punjab police to file a report by February 4. The alleged rape was ordered by the 40-member panchayat as punishment for the victim’s brother’s alleged relations with another woman. Background The incident took place on January 24 when five men locked the widow inside a room while the panchayat — who had declared that ‘honour should be exchanged for honour’ — waited outside. A medical report conducted on Thursday stated that the alleged victim had in fact not been raped. The victim also denied the allegation and said that she did not want to pursue a case in this regard and wants the matter to be resolved. The accused maintain that while they did take the widow into a room and strip her naked, she was not raped.

Former Lal Masjid chief cleric refuses to be part of TTP peace talks

Former chief cleric of Lal Masjid Maulana Abdul Aziz refuses to take part in the peace negotiations with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Express News reported on Saturday. Major (retd) Muhammad Amir, a former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) official had requested Maulana Aziz to be a part of the peace talks. The former chief cleric said that he prays for the success of the negotiations but cannot take part in them. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had set out an open mandate for a four-member committee of negotiators to formally initiate peace talks with TTP, inviting the grouping on January 31 to follow suit and constitute its own negotiating team. On January 29, TTP spokesperson Shahidullah Shahid had welcomed peace talks with the government soon after Nawaz announced the committee in the National Assembly. Shahid had said the final decision regarding talks would be made by the shura (consultation council). The committee comprises Adviser on National Affairs Irfan Siddiqui, Major (retd) Amir, senior journalist Rahimullah Yousufzai as well as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader and former Pakistan ambassador to Afghanistan Rustam Shah Mohmand. Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan would assist the committee and the premier would oversee it.

Conflicting statements: PML-N leader dies in police custody

QUETTA: Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) leader Muhammad Naeem died in custody of the Civil Line police in Quetta, Express News reported on Saturday. The police said that they conducted a raid at Naeem’s house last night and took him into custody. He reportedly injured his leg during the raid when he jumped off the roof. He was admitted at a local hospital for medical attention where he succumbed to his injuries. Naeem was also a member of the PML-N youth wing. The police said that he was involved in several cases. The PML-N youth wing refuted the police’s claim, stating that Naeem was killed as a result of police torture. PML-N officials and the family of the deceased will stage a dharna outside the Chief Minister House by placing his body outside it. They said that the burial of the PML-N leader will not take place till they get justice.

FIR filed against cricketer Umar Akmal after he allegedly assaulted a traffic warden

LAHORE: Test cricketer Umar Akmal has been detained by police for questioning after being accused of assaulting a police warden near Firdous Town in Lahore, Express News reported on Saturday. A First Information Report (FIR) was registered against him at the Gulberg police station and he will be presented before a court within the next 24 hours. “He violated a traffic signal and when he was stopped by the traffic warden he misbehaved with him, got abusive and also tore his shirt,” senior police official Tariq Aziz told reporters on Saturday. Aziz said physically assaulting and tearing the shirt of a police officer was a serious violation. “He is presently detained at the police station for questioning,” he added. The warden, identified as Zeeshan, claimed that Akmal swore at him also threatened him. However, Akmal, 23, denied the charges and told reporters that the traffic warden had slapped him and abused him over a minor issue. “His behaviour was inappropriate to say the least. I came to the police station to register a complaint and instead they have detained me,” he added. Speaking to the media, Gulberg assistant superintendant police (ASP) Zahid Nawaz said that Akmal’s face was not hurt and therefore there was no evidence to support his claim. He added that the warden’s shirt was torn near his collar and if anyone had resorted to violence, it was Akmal, not the warden. Akmal claimed the incident was captured on CCTV cameras at the traffic signal and the footage will make it clear who was the aggrieved and guilty parties. The cricketer’s father and brother arrived at the station shortly after his detention. Umar, who has appeared in 16 tests, 89 one day internationals and 52 Twenty 20 matches, is regarded as one of the most exciting young talents in Pakistan cricket.

Musharraf’s legal eagles fall into downward spiral

ISLAMABAD: Led by one of the country’s most senior lawyers, Sharifuddin Pirzada, Pervez Musharraf’s legal team has so far failed to get relief during the ongoing proceedings of the high treason case. During the special court’s hearings, Musharraf’s team raised several objections over the constitution and jurisdiction of the three-member court. His lawyers alleged bias of judges and also requested that the court grant exemption to the “high level accused” in the case first because of security concerns and later on medical grounds. But the court was not convinced and ordered for his personal appearance. The court also held that appropriate orders shall be passed in case of failure. The court twice sought the medical report on the health condition of Musharraf from the AFIC and refused to give exemption to the accused subsequently. Musharraf’s legal team has also taken this matter on different platforms to seek remedies. The Islamabad High Court (IHC) rejected Musharraf’s lawyers’ objections over the constitution and jurisdiction of the special court to initiate the treason trial. The objection against the appointment of the prosecutor was also turned down. The defence team also filed the same objections before the special court, but it is yet to announce its decision. After alleging bias of the special court, the defence team later retracted its objections over Justice Tahira Safdar and also tendered an apology for their oversight when she presented her clarification. Musharraf’s legal team had also challenged the July 31, 2007 judgment of the apex court in which the November 3, 2007 emergency rule imposed by Musharraf was declared as illegal and unconstitutional. A 14-member larger bench of the apex court had rejected the petition. On January 31 (today), the special court had issued bailable arrest warrants against Musharraf. Reasons for failure Sources privy to the case told The Express Tribune that the former ruler had limited options when it came to lawyers as some top lawyers of the country had turned down his requests to represent him before the special court. Among these legal wizards are former attorney general (during Musharraf’s tenure) Malik Muhammad Qayyum, Asma Jehangir, Wasim Sajjad and SM Zafar. Musharraf’s legal team mostly comprising aged lawyers was also stated as one of the reasons for a lack of coordination among the defence lawyers. “No one is ready to follow the other colleague in true spirit,” a member of the defence team commented. The same incoherence was witnessed during the proceedings of the treason case, he added. It was also a source of irritation for the judges of the special court, who asked for discipline several times. At the other end, the prosecution team is being assisted by energetic young researchers and barristers. The prosecution side is also arguing the case in a coherent manner, the defence team’s member said. Published in The Express Tribune, February 1st, 2014.

UK jails smuggler PIA steward for five years

LONDON: A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) steward was sentenced to five year imprisonment after proven guilty in heroin smuggling bid. Shahrukh Shah, 31, was convicted by Leads Crown Court for smuggling 2.25 kg heroin worth 600,000 pounds through a PIA’s Bradford-bound flight on November 20.

Pakistan, Afghanistan, India have only option to live like good friends

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Friday said that Pakistan, Afghanistan and India have no option other than to become good friends, adding that the Afghan President Hamid Karzai agreed not to let the lands of their countries be used against each other. In an interview to Turkish media, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said that neighbours could not be changed. Pakistan, Afghanistan and India have the only option of living like good friends, he said. Nawaz Sharif said it has been agreed with the Afghan President Hamid Karzai that the two countries would not allow their lands to be used against each other.

Al-Qaida wants to attack US: Intel Chief

WASHINGTON: The Syrian militant group tied to Al-Qaida, the Al-Nusra Front, wants to attack the United States and is training a growing cadre of fighters from Europe, the Mideast and even the US, the top US intelligence official told Congress on Wednesday. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told the Senate Intelligence Committee that such Al-Qaida groups in Syria have started training camps "to train people to go back to their countries" — one of the newest threats emerging in the past year to US security. He said "Al-Nusra Front, to name one .... does have aspirations for attacks on the homeland." Clapper didn't elaborate or offer any evidence of Al-Nusra's desire to attack the US Clapper described the Syrian militants as one of the newest groups to join a diverse and widely dispersed network of Al-Qaida-affiliated and other extremists bent on carrying out attacks in the US He said more established groups like Yemen's Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula are still more capable of carrying out attacks against the US, but described steep growth in numbers of fighters in Syria. Clapper said out of an estimated 75,000 to 110,000 rebels overall battling the government of Bashar Assad in Syria, some 26,000 are extremists, and about 7,000 of them foreigners from some 50 countries, including Europe. "Not only are fighters being drawn to Syria, but so are technologies and techniques that pose particular problems to our defenses," said committee chairwoman Dianne Feinstein. She warned Syria could become "a launching point or way station for terrorists seeking to attack the United States or other nations," in the annual hearing Wednesday to hear the US intelligence committee's assessment of worldwide threats. U.S. intelligence officials have said a handful of American foreign fighters, and hundreds of European militants have already returned to their home countries. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the topic. The extremist fighters belong mainly to two major groups, Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and Jabat Al-Nusra — both allied with Al-Qaida. The State Department has no estimates of how many Americans have gone to fight with Syrian rebels, but British defense consultant IHS Jane's puts it at a few dozen. An estimated 1,200 to 1,700 Europeans are among rebel forces in Syria, according to government estimates. US analysts fear more of those militants will tire of the battle against Assad, whose government shows no signs of collapsing, and they will take their newly acquired, battlefield-honed terrorist skills back to Europe or the US, where even a small bomb in a shopping mall can grab much greater headlines than the now-routine reports of car bombs in Syrian cities. The continued threat to US interests from the Al-Qaida brand also shows that though weakened after the 2011 killing of terrorist leader Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, the group is proving resilient. "They've gone to school us, on how we try to track them," he said. "So the combination of ...the geographic dispersal and the increasing challenges in collecting against them, makes Al-Qaida, in all of its forms, a very -- in total, a very formidable threat." Still, US intelligence analysts say core Al-Qaida leader Ayman Al-Zawahri and his lieutenants are too preoccupied by the constant threat of U.S. drone strikes to plot 9/11-style attacks, so Zawahri has empowered the various "nodes" of his organization to choose their own, often local targets, though he encourages them to focus on the "far enemy" of the US when they can. US intelligence officials say Zawahri so far has not called on the Syrian branches to attack US targets, allowing them to focus on the war against Assad.

14 including JI chief sentenced to death Bangladesh arms smuggling

CHITTAGONG: A Bangladesh court on Thursday sentenced 14 people to death, including the leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) party, over a massive arms smuggling racket ten years ago. Motiur Rahman Nizami, 70, leader of the JI party, was sentenced to hang after being convicted over the racket involving 10 truckloads of arms seized by police at a Bangladesh port. "The judge sentenced 14 people including .... Motiur Rahman Nizami, to death on smuggling charges," prosecutor Kamal Uddin Ahmed told AFP from the southern port city of Chittagong. "We're satisfied with the verdict. This is an unprecedented case and all those accused have got due justice," Ahmed said. Prosecutors said Nizami, who was industries minister at the time, helped unload the weapons that included 4,930 sophisticated firearms, 27,020 grenades and 840 rocket launchers in April 2004. Nizami, in custody since 2010, was among 50 people charged with smuggling and other offences over the weapons that were meant to be moved across the border to a rebel group in northeastern India. Ex-home minister Lutfozzaman Babar and the former chiefs of the country's two main intelligence agencies were also among the 14 who were sentenced to death on Thursday over the racket. A leader of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), Paresh Baruah, was also sentenced to death in absentia over the racket, which was meant to help the group's separatist struggle. Baruah has long been on the run. The judge confirmed in his verdict "that the massive arms were meant to be smuggled across the border to ULFA," Ahmed said. Security was tight in Chittagong for the judge's long-awaited verdict following a year-long trial. Extra police and elite Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) officers were deployed in key areas as a precaution, amid concerns activists from the JI party could take to the streets to protest the decision. Nizami was a minister in the government of Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party which was allied with Jamaat. The parties were thrown out of power after suffering a massive defeat in December 2008 elections. The secular Awami League-led government, which retained power after the January 5 elections, has pursued the arrests of the alleged major figures in the case since coming to power.

Bombings hit Baghdad as Iraq death toll tops 900

BAGHDAD: Bombings near a market and a restaurant in Baghdad killed six people on Thursday as the death toll for January topped 900, with no end in sight to Iraq´s worst violence since 2008.The protracted surge in bloodshed, coupled with a deadly standoff between security forces and anti-government fighters in Anbar province, has fuelled fears the country is slipping back into all-out conflict with elections looming in just three months. Washington plans to sell Iraq 24 Apache attack helicopters to help the country fight militants, but foreign leaders have also urged the government to address long-term grievances in the disaffected Sunni community to undercut support for militancy. Blasts struck the Baghdad neighbourhoods of Kasra and Talbiyah on Thursday morning, hours after several car bombs ripped through commercial areas of the capital. The latest bombings killed at least six people and left 20 others wounded, security and medical officials said.

Afghan-US deal falters as Karzai demands Taliban talks

KABUL: Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Saturday signalled that a deal to allow US troops to stay in Afghanistan was close to collapse as the NATO combat mission withdraws after a decade of fighting the Taliban. The Afghan president says he will not sign a security pact with the US unless Washington and Pakistan launch a peace process with Taliban insurgents. Late last year, Karzai made a surprise decision not to promptly sign the bilateral security agreement (BSA) with the US, despite a "loya jirga" national assembly voting for him to do so. Washington has become increasingly frustrated by Karzai´s manoeuvreing over the deal, stressing that negotiations were completed in November and that it is ready to sign the mutually agreed text. "Afghanistan will absolutely not accept or sign anything under pressure," Karzai told reporters in Kabul. "If they want to leave, then they go and we will continue our lives... Our main condition is the practical start of peace process. "The US had earlier pushed for the BSA to be signed by the end of October so that the NATO military coalition could schedule the withdrawal of its troops by the end of this year. But the deadline has slipped as Karzai refused to sign and even suggested that his successor could make the final decision after presidential elections due on April 5. Karzai on Saturday repeated that before he signs the BSA, the US must foster a genuine peace process with the Taliban militants and also stop military operations. "The start of a peace process would mean that no foreigners can benefit from the continuation of war," Karzai said. About 58,000 NATO-led combat troops still in Afghanistan are due to leave by the end of 2014.Washington is proposing about 10,000 US soldiers are deployed from 2015 to train and assist Afghan security forces in their battle against the Taliban militants. A Taliban office in Qatar that opened last June was meant to lead to peace talks, but instead it enraged Karzai after it was styled as an embassy for a government-in-exile. Afghan officials dismiss the possibility that the US may enact the "zero option" of a complete troop pull-out as it did in Iraq, which is currently suffering a surge in bloody sectarian violence.

Afghan expresses optimism Karzai will sign US pact

KABUL: President Hamid Karzai´s national security adviser expressed optimism Thursday that the Afghan leader will sign a key U.S. security pact before leaving office this year, a positive sign after weeks of deadlock and anti-American rhetoric from the government. Rangin Dadfar Spanta said there have been recent talks with the U.S. to try to resolve the issue. "We are working very intensively together with the United States authorities to reach and sign this agreement soon," Spanta said. "I cannot go today into detail, but I don´t know — since two, three, four days, I am more optimistic compared to last week. Let us wait a few days more."Washington has been frustrated by Karzai´s refusal to sign the pact that would allow some U.S. troops to remain and keep training Afghan soldiers after the planned withdrawal of most troops by the end of this year. Without the agreement, American military trainers will be forced to pull out of Afghanistan, weakening the government´s ability to fight the Taliban insurgency. Also Thursday, U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel warned that at some point Karzai´s indecision will interfere with Washington´s need to plan the post-2014 military mission that the Afghan president himself has said he favors. "You can´t just keep deferring and deferring, because at some point the realities of planning and budgeting — it collides," Hagel told reporters flying with him to Poland. However, Hagel said he respects Karzai´s right to decide the matter as he sees fit, and noted that the United States´ ability to influence Karzai´s decision-making is "limited." Along with elections to be held in April, the Bilateral Security Agreement is a pillar of the U.S.-led coalition´s plan to end its 12-year mission in Afghanistan and hand over full security authority to the Afghan government at the end of 2014. But Karzai repeatedly has declined to sign the document, instead saying he wants to wait to sign it after the country elects his successor in the coming April 5 presidential election. If the deal falls apart, Afghanistan could lose up to $15 billion a year in aid, effectively collapsing its fragile economy and making it unable to pay its 350,000-strong army and police. Insurgents in Afghanistan have intensified attacks recently in a campaign to regain territory as foreign forces prepare to leave the country at the end of 2014. A suicide car bomber killed two police officers in eastern Afghanistan on Thursday, officials said. The car bomber targeted a police and intelligence compound in Nangarhar province´s Pachir Wagam district, said provincial spokesman Ahmad Zia Abdulzai. The Taliban claimed responsibility. In the western province of Herat, another car bomb driven by a suicide attacker slammed into the vehicle of the police chief of Shindan district. The district administrator Abdul Hamid Noor said the police chief survived and only the attacker was killed.

Obesity among US kids starts early: study

WASHINGTON: Obesity among US children is largely established by kindergarten, a study said, adding that nearly half of those obese at 14 already had the problem at age five. The study published in the New England Journal of Medicine also showed that over 14 percent of children enter kindergarten overweight and are four times more likely than normal weight children to become obese by the eighth grade. "Although trends in the prevalence of obesity are well documented, there is surprisingly little known about new cases of childhood obesity," wrote lead researcher Solveig Cunningham, assistant professor in the Hubert Department of Global Health at Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University in Georgia. The researchers used data from children who took part in a study of kindergartens in 1998 and 1999. With appropriate adjustments the data sample was representative of all of the estimated 3.8 million children in kindergarten during that time. "Examining incidence may provide insight into the nature of the epidemic, the critically vulnerable ages, and the groups who are at greater risk for obesity," Cunningham wrote. The study showed that 14.9 percent of kids entering kindergarten are overweight. The researchers used body mass index charts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The rate of obesity rises to 20.8 percent when kids reach age 14. Incidence of obesity at age 14 was highest among black children (17 percent), followed by Hispanics (14 percent). The rate was 10 percent among whites and children of other races. Children from the richest 20 percent of families had the lowest rates of obesity in kindergarten than those of all other socio- economic groups, the study said. At all ages between five and 14, the rate of obesity was highest (25.8 percent) among the poorest children. "We have evidence that certain factors established before birth and during the first five years are important. Obesity-prevention efforts focused on children who are overweight by five-years-old may be a way to target children susceptible to becoming obese later in life," Cunningham wrote.

Twitter buys 900 IBM patents

NEW YORK: Twitter says it has bought 900 patents from IBM and that the companies have entered into a cross-license agreement. Financial terms weren't disclosed. Ben Lee, the short messaging service's legal director, says the deal provides Twitter with greater intellectual property protection and freedom to innovate. Twitter said in a November regulatory filing that it received a letter from IBM accusing it of infringing on three of its patents. The letter asked Twitter to take part in settlement negotiations, but Twitter said at that time that it believed it could defend itself against the allegations. As a relatively new company. San Francisco-based Twitter Inc. holds just a handful of patents. Meanwhile, Armonk, N.Y.-based IBM Corp. holds more than 41,000 and received a total of 6,809 last year. (AP)

Labrador retrievers set popularity-ranking record in US

NEW YORK: It's puppy love for the record books: The Labrador retriever was the America's most popular dog breed last year for a 23rd year in a row, the American Kennel Club announced Friday. That's the longest any breed has been top dog since the organization's 1884 founding. German shepherds, golden retrievers, beagles and bulldogs are holding steady in the top-five pack, with Yorkshire terriers, boxers, poodles, Rottweilers and dachshunds continuing to round out the leading 10, which mirrors last year. But the comical French bulldog is newly on their heels after a decade-long popularity spurt. Surpassing the poodle's 22-year reign some decades ago, the Lab has proliferated as a congenial, highly trainable dog that was developed to fetch game but has taken other roles in stride. "It does so many different things really well — it excels as a family companion, it's an awesome hunting dog, and it also has a great presence as a service and law-enforcement search-and-rescue dog," AKC spokeswoman Lisa Peterson said. The rankings reflect newly registered dogs, mostly puppies. The AKC doesn't release exact numbers but estimates its registry has included more than 40 million purebred dogs over its history. The top 10 remains a testament to the variety of purebreds, from the pert, portable Yorkie to the muscular, purposeful Rottweiler. But overall, the AKC has logged some leaning toward larger dogs in the past decade. Shih tzus and Chihuahuas have dropped out of the top 10, while Rottweilers and bulldogs have marched in. Such big breeds as the Doberman pinscher, the Bernese mountain dog and even the great Dane have made double-digit gains on the popularity ladder. But no breed has rocketed up the rankings quite like the French bulldog, now the nation's 11th most popular purebred after its numbers more than quadrupled in the last 10 years. The Frenchie was 14th last year — and 58th in 2002. With foreshortened faces, large pointed ears and an attitude that's been described as "a clown in the cloak of a philosopher," French bulldogs were in vogue in the U.S. around the turn of the 20th century. Then their popularity waned until recent years, when they've gotten exposure in such venues as Martha Stewart's chic-domesticity empire, TV's "Modern Family" and a 2012 Sketchers Super Bowl commercial. Some people flock to Frenchies because they're compact and don't need a lot of exercise or elaborate coat care. After 15 years of breeding cocker spaniels, Gale Golden had tendonitis in her elbow from brushing them, so she decided to try the short-coated Frenchie. Now she has eight. "They have so many funny and endearing qualities," including being people-oriented, said Golden, of Marlborough, Mass. "A Frenchie is everyone's friend." Still, popularity causes some consternation for aficionados, who fear demand can drive irresponsible breeding. To be sure, dog breeding in general has critics who feel it's more focused on human tastes than canine health and draws dog lovers away from mixed-breed pets that need homes. Purebred fans counter that conscientious breeding aims to create healthy dogs with somewhat predictable traits, helping people and dogs make lasting pairings. (AP)

MQM to hold rally in Altaf's support on Sunday

KARACHI: The MQM has announced that a rally to show support for party chief Altaf Hussain schedule to take place in the city on Saturday had been postponed till Sunday. According to MQM sources, the rally was postponed after permission was not granted for the designated venue. The party will now hold its rally on MA Jinnah road. The MQM is holding the rally on the heels of a BBC report over the murder of Dr Imran Farooq. In a news conference on Thursday, the party’s leadership said that Altaf Hussain was the victim of a media trial calling the BBC report malicious. The report broadcast during Wednesday’s ‘Newsnight’ programme said the British Crown Prosecution Service had asked the Pakistani government to trace and identify two men suspected of the 2010 murder of Dr Imran Farooq in London. The report identified the men as Mohsin Ali Syed and Mohammed Kashif Khan and believed the two were in the custody of Pakistani authorities. In a statement, the MQM said that Altaf Hussain’s life was in serious danger. The MQM chief in a message to the nation claimed that fake cases were being framed against him at the international level, adding he would not bow down to foreign pressure. The Scotland Yard declined to comment on allegations that Altaf Hussain’s life in UK was in danger and said, “anyone feeling threatened should contact the police.” A Scotland Yard spokesperson also said they were not prepared to discuss interaction with Pakistan when asked about the BBC report.

http://tribune.com.pk/multimedia/slideshows/665780/

http://tribune.com.pk/multimedia/slideshows/665780/

Syria peace talks take a break as rivals dig in

GENEVA: A first round of peace talks on Syria wraps up Friday with both sides in entrenched positions and the UN mediator expressing frustration that it had not even been possible to get agreement for an aid convoy to enter the besieged city of Homs. After a week of talks at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva, the opposing sides in Syria’s civil war were still stuck on the question of how to proceed. Friday’s closing session was expected to be largely ceremonial, with government and opposition delegates expected to meet again on February 10. “I hope that in the next session, when we come back, we will be able to have a more structured discussion,” mediator Lakhdar Brahimi said. He was “very, very disappointed” that a UN aid convoy was still waiting fruitlessly to enter the rebel-held Old City of Homs, where the United States says civilians are starving. Diplomats say that a top priority is to keep the talks process going in the hope that hardline positions can be modified over time. The sides took a first tentative step forward on Wednesday by agreeing to use a 2012 document as a basis for discussions, but it was clear on Thursday that they are still at odds. Thursday’s session, however, began with a rare gesture of harmony, when all sides observed a minute’s silence for the 130,000 people killed during the three-year-old war. “All stood up for the souls of the martyrs. Symbolically it was good,” opposition delegate Ahmad Jakal told Reuters. But the sides quickly shifted back to their disputes. The government delegation accused the opposition of supporting terrorism for refusing to sign up to a resolution opposing it. “We presented a proposal that the two sides might agree on the importance of combating violence and terrorism. The other side rejected it because they are involved in the issue of terrorism,” Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad said. Damascus uses the word “terrorist” to describe all rebel fighters; Western countries have declared some Islamist groups among the rebels, such as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), to be terrorists but consider others to be legitimate fighters in the civil war. One-sided Opposition delegates said the declaration proposed by Damascus ignored foreign fighters from Iran, Iraq and Lebanese Hezbollah supporting the Assad government. “The regime today provided a one-sided communiqué. It wants to confuse ISIL with the people of Syria who took up arms and defended their families,” opposition spokesman Louay al-Safi said. The 2012 agenda, known as Geneva 1, sets out stages to end the conflict, including a halt to fighting, delivery of aid and agreement on setting up a transitional government body. While the opposition wants to start by addressing the question of the transitional governing body – which they believe would require President Bashar al-Assad to give up power – the government says the first step is to discuss terrorism. US and Russian officials, co-sponsors of the conference, are in Geneva advising the opposition and Syrian government delegations, their respective allies. The 2012 agenda, including its call for a transitional government, was drawn up at a time when Western countries mainly believed Assad’s days were numbered. But the past year has seen his position improve on the ground and diplomatically. Last year saw Washington abandon plans for strikes to punish Damascus for using chemical weapons, ending more than two years of speculation that the West might join the war against Assad. Instead, Assad agreed to give up his poison gas stocks, a complicated process that has fallen behind schedule. Reuters reported on Wednesday that Syria had given up less than 5 percent of its chemical weapons arsenal and will miss a deadline next week to send all toxic agents abroad for destruction. “The United States is concerned that the Syrian government is behind in delivering these chemical weapons precursor materials on time with the schedule that was agreed to,” US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said on Thursday.

Bilateral cooperation: GSP Plus to promote economic growth

ISLAMABAD: The award of the GSP Plus status to Pakistan by the European Union will have diverse economic and social benefits. These views were expressed by speakers at an inaugural meeting of the Pakistan-European Union Parliamentary Friendship Group at the Pakistan Institute of Parliamentary Studies (PIPS) on Thursday. National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said, “Getting preferential market access to the European Union countries will not only act as a catalyst for industrialisation, more jobs, and capital inflow but will also keep the youth out of the clutches of extremists. “Awarding of GSP Plus status to Pakistan by the European Union is a landmark achieved by diplomatic interaction and parliamentary diplomacy.” Sadiq invited parliamentarians from the European Union through their ambassadors to visit the country. “Boosting contacts through parliamentary friendship groups will help advance the goal of development.” The speaker said that the recent smooth transition of power from one elected government to another is a great motivation for strengthening of democratic institutions in Pakistan. EU Ambassador Lars-Gunnar Wigemark said that the grant of GSP Plus showed the importance the European Union attached to its relations with Pakistan. In addition to expanding and facilitating Pakistan’s trade with EU, GSP Plus will also promote economic growth and create much needed jobs across Pakistan. He said that EU consumers would benefit as well from cheaper imports made in the country. “The textile industry is an obvious winner, but we should work together to ensure that other sectors of the economy benefit as well.” Supporting growth and equal opportunity for everyone in Pakistan, regardless of ethnicity, religion or gender, are important objectives of the EU’s relations with Pakistan, he added. “Increased trade access for Pakistan in the European markets under the GSP Plus will have broader economic benefits for the country,” said Wigemark. He also expressed the desire to hold dialogue with all stakeholders to implement GSP Plus. He underlined the importance of upholding human rights, pointing out that Pakistan was already a signatory to a slew of international commitments. “Our commitment to democracy in Pakistan is long-standing and EU will support Pakistan in strengthening democracy and the parliamentary process.” Earlier, Commerce Minister Khurram Dastagir briefed ambassadors of the European Union countries on efforts to achieve the GSP Plus status. A large numbers of ambassadors of European Union countries and parliamentarians were also present on the occasion. Published in The Express Tribune, January 31st, 2014.

US to seek death penalty for accused Boston bomber

WASHINGTON: The United States is to seek the death penalty for accused Boston bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev if he is convicted of involvement in the deadly attack, Attorney General Eric Holder said Thursday. “The nature of the conduct at issue and the resultant harm compel this decision,” Holder said in a statement on the prosecution of the 20-year-old, a US citizen from a Chechen Muslim family. Three people were killed and around 260 wounded on April 15 last year when two bombs made of explosives-packed pressure cookers exploded near the finish line of the Boston marathon. Tsarnaev, then 19, and his 26-year-old brother Tamerlan Tsarnaev were cornered by police after a four-day manhunt. Tamerlan died after an exchange of fire with police and Dzhokhar was wounded. The shaggy-haired onetime student has pleaded not guilty to 30 federal charges related to the bombings, including 17 serious charges that can carry sentences of death or of life in prison. These charges include using a weapon of mass destruction resulting in death, as well as conspiracy and bombing of a place of public use resulting in death, and carjacking. Tsarnaev is also charged in connection with the shooting death of a campus police officer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology during the brothers’ wild overnight getaway attempt. The brothers are said to have built the bombs with help from an online al Qaeda magazine, but they are not accused of having received help from any organised foreign terror group.

2nd T20: Australia continue England demolition

MELBOURNE: Australia continued England’s miserable tour with an emphatic eight-wicket victory to claim the Twenty20 series with a match to spare at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday. England only posted 130 for nine after winning the toss and the home side coasted to victory with 5.1 overs left at 131 for two. Skipper George Bailey clubbed an unbeaten 60 off just 28 balls with three sixes and seven fours, while opener Cameron White continued his magnificent series with 57 not out off 45 balls. England will finish their troubled tour of Australia in Sydney on Sunday in the final dead rubber Twenty20 game after losing the Ashes 5-0 and the one-day series 4-1. Fast-bowler Josh Hazlewood was named man-of-the-match with career-best Twenty20 figures of four for 30 in England’s innings, including two wickets with his last two balls. “Australia outplayed us fantastically today [Friday],” said England skipper Stuart Broad. “They held the length pretty well and we didn’t react to that and the two needless run-outs hurt us in the middle which cost us getting a decent score. “We need to get some momentum from somewhere. It’s been a long tour, it’s been a long 100 days in Australia and it would be nice to finish with a win. “We have not [won] a series over here which is heart-breaking for Team England, but we can finish on a high before we fly two hours later.” Bailey pays credit to Hazlewood, Muirhead Australian captain Bailey said his side’s bowlers had set up the win. Bailey paid credit to Hazlewood and also leg-spinner James Muirhead (one for 17 off 4 overs). “James Muirhead bowled absolutely beautifully,” said Bailey. White posted his second successive half-century in his first Twenty20 International series since October 2012 in a follow-up to his 75 in Wednesday’s opening T20 match in Hobart. England won the toss and batted but struggled on a slow-paced pitch, with wicketkeeper Jos Buttler topscoring with 22 off 27 balls. England lost four wickets in four overs when Hodge threw the stumps down from cover to beat the dive of Eoin Morgan (six). And then Glenn Maxwell at mid-wicket threw to the bowler’s end to run out Joe Root for 18 at 63 for five. Muirhead enticed Ravi Bopara (six) to sweep a catch to the leg-side boundary, and Nathan Coulter-Nile trapped Buttler leg before wicket 96 for seven. Muirhead and Starc (one for 19), in his first international game for the summer, were economical. Tailenders Tim Bresnan (18) and Broad (18 not out) added a 34-run partnership for the eighth wicket. Hazlewood bowled Bresnan and James Tredwell (0) with the last two deliveries of the innings. Flower leaves England coaching role Andy Flower has left his position as England head coach after their humiliating 5-0 Ashes defeat in Australia, reported the British media on Friday. The Zimbabwean, who had been in charge since 2009, found his position under increasing pressure after England suffered heavy defeats in the Test series. According to the Daily Telegraph, new managing director of the England and Wales Cricket Board, Paul Downton, told Flower on Thursday that he would be leaving his position.

Friendly neighbour: Indian officials cast light on new visa regime

ISLAMABAD: In what appears to be another step towards improvement in bilateral trade relations, Pakistani business professionals got a first-hand opportunity on Thursday to get their queries about getting a business visa to India answered directly by officials of the Indian High Commission. The High Commission of India in Pakistan hosted business professionals from around the country at a workshop on “Business visa facilitation for bilateral trade promotion” here. “This is the first outreach activity by the Indian High Commission to provide information about getting business visas under the new visa regime,” Gopal Baglay, India’s Deputy High Commissioner to Pakistan, told The Express Tribune. The new visa regime, which eased travel restrictions, had come into force almost a year ago, but there was little awareness of it, he said. Indian officials at the workshop said “bona fide” Pakistani business people can obtain a one-year multiple-entry business visa for visiting up to 10 Indian cities, if they meet the criteria set down in the visa regulations. Business people who can provide documentary evidence of annual income of more than Rs5 million or annual turnover of Rs30 million can avail themselves of this opportunity and also be exempted from police reporting after landing in India, the officials said. With an annual income of more than Rs0.5 million or annual turnover of more than Rs3 million, business people can apply for a one-year business visa for five places for up to four entries a year, according to the visa rules. Indian officials also gave a demonstration of filling an online visa application form to help the participants understand the process better. The workshop was organised at a time when trade talks between the two countries seem to be restarting ahead of general elections in India. Federal Commerce Minister Khurram Dastgir visited India two weeks ago for the Saarc Conclave and spoke about providing Pakistani businesses access to the Indian market. The Indian government will also be organising an exhibition, “The India Show,” from February 14 to 16 in Lahore. “The objective of the workshop is to promote interaction, trade and exchanges between India and Pakistan,” Baglay said. But the workshop also served another purpose — getting feedback from the Pakistani business community about difficulties they face in the visa process. During rigorous discussions, Pakistani participants did not hold back from expressing the challenges they have faced in doing business with India. Members of different industries and representatives of chambers of commerce from across the country raised the issue of last-minute visas and city-based restrictions, difficulties in police reporting, technical problems in online visa application form and the hassle for regular business visitors to repeat the same visa process each year. Responding to the questions, Bagley said it is very important that the business community submits the visa application on time. He said the High Commission staff tries to process the visas as soon as possible, adding that the average time for business visa approval is less than the maximum 45-day period specified in visa information literature. Indian officials said they are adding the Wagah-Attari road travel option automatically to visa applications to facilitate visitors who miss their weekly flight from Delhi. Indian Economic and Commercial Counsellor Rajesh Kumar Agnihotri said a vintage car show and cultural gala would also be organised on the sidelines of the Indian trade exhibition in Lahore. Agnihotri said a convoy of around 40 vintage cars from India will travel from Amritsar to Wagah-Attari border where they would be escorted to Lahore by a convoy of vintage cars from Pakistan. Published in The Express Tribune, January 31st, 2014.

Weekly briefing: No official word on Indian PM’s visit, says FO

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday welcomed the statement attributed to India’s External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid on New Delhi’s willingness to resume composite dialogue. “We have always said that Pakistan and India need to resume the dialogue process and have meaningful, result-oriented discussions on all the disputes and issues, particularly Kashmir. So we welcome that statement,” Foreign Office Spokesperson Tasnim Aslam said in her weekly press briefing. However, she said there is no ‘official indication’ that India’s prime minister could visit Pakistan in March, as reported in a section of the Indian media. “No we have no official indication about the visit. We have seen the media reports and we know as much as you do,” she told reporters when asked about the reports. On the other hand, she confirmed the Indian commerce minister will undertake a two-day visit of Pakistan starting February 16. The trip, she said, will coincide with an India Trade Show in Lahore. Aslam said a statement by the chief minister of Indian-administered Kashmir that Pakistan and India were once very close to resolving the Kashmir issue ‘held no credence’. Cross-LoC trade suspension The FO spokesperson said allegations that narcotics were recovered from a truck travelling from Azad Jammu and Kashmir to Indian-administer Kashmir need to be thoroughly investigated. “Both sides should discuss ways to proceed further and make some mechanism that prevent such incidents from occurring in future.” Pak-US ties Aslam termed the recent speech by US President Barack Obama, where he said he has imposed prudent limits on the use of drone attacks, an acknowledgement of Pakistan’s point of view. She said no discussion about cross border terrorism took place during the recent round of strategic dialogue between Washington and Islamabad. However, she said the issue remains a matter of concern between the two countries. The spokesperson said the joint communiqué issued after the dialogue mainly emphasised enhancing economic cooperation between the two countries. Published in The Express Tribune, January 31st, 2014.

Russia says Iran nuclear talks set for February 18 in New York

MOSCOW: Talks between Iran and six world powers on a long-term deal for Tehran to rein in its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief will be held in New York on February 18, a Russian diplomat said on Friday, according to the Interfax news agency. Six world powers, including the United States and Russia, have led years of negotiations aimed at persuading Iran to curb parts of its nuclear program, which Western powers fear is aimed at creating atomic weapons capabilities. Iran denies this. “Agreement has been reached that the next meeting at the level of political directors will take place on February 18 in New York,” Interfax quoted Mikhail Ulyanov, head of the Foreign Ministry’s security and disarmament department, as saying. A November 24 interim deal between Iran and the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany took nearly two months to hammer out in three rounds of talks in Geneva late last year. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said last week that Iran is determined to negotiate a comprehensive deal so it can develop its battered economy, inviting Western companies to seize opportunities now. Under the interim deal, which is valid for six months and can be renewed, Iran agreed to suspend its most sensitive nuclear activity in exchange for a limited easing of Western sanctions that are damaging its oil-reliant economy.

US cancels funds for Afghan opinion polls ahead of election

KABUL: The United States has cancelled funding for opinion polls in the run-up to Afghanistan’s presidential election after an initial poll in December triggered accusations of US attempts to manipulate the outcome, officials said. A spokesman for the US-funded group Democracy International said on Thursday it and other similar organizations had planned to carry out opinion polls as Afghanistan prepares for the April 5 election. The US embassy in Kabul later confirmed the funding cut. “Statements by some electoral authorities and candidates’ camps suggested that there was … a perception that the polling results were somehow biased,” a US embassy spokesman said. “In order to avoid any perception – however baseless – of US interference, we have decided to forgo additional US-funded polling regarding the upcoming election,” he said. The cut in funding comes as relations between the United States and Afghanistan have been severely strained over President Hamid Karzai’s refusal to sign a bilateral security pact that would enable US troops to stay beyond this year. The election is seen as crucial to Afghanistan’s efforts to build stability, months before most foreign forces are due to withdraw, leaving Afghan forces to battle a resilient Taliban insurgency. Democracy International program officer Mohammad Atta said the group had planned three rounds of opinion polls. It published its first results in December but its findings provoked a public outcry and accusations of interference. “There were a few agencies that were responsible for conducting the polls but all of them have been cancelled at the moment,” Atta said. Karzai has long suspected the United States of having interfered in the last presidential election in 2009 and has warned against further meddling. Former US defence secretary Robert Gates recently published a memoir appearing to confirm Karzai’s suspicion, saying the then top US envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan had been “doing his best to bring about the defeat of Karzai”. Karzai’s spokesman said Washington may try to use polling as a means to influence the outcome of the April election. “It is now crystal clear that there was interference in the election in 2009,” said Aimal Faizi. “It puts the US role behind such funding under question. Why would the US fund surveys on Afghan presidential candidates?” The United States is Afghanistan’s biggest aid donor, despite the difficult relationship with Karzai, but it is committing about 15 percent less for the 2014 election fund than it did in 2009, pledging $55 million. Democracy International’s first poll showed the front-runners to be West-leaning intellectual and former finance minister Ashraf Ghani and former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah, Karzai’s main challenger in 2009. Hostility between the United States and Karzai, who has served two terms and is not running again, has escalated this month over two key issues. The first is a plan to release prisoners that Washington says have killed coalition forces and pose a threat to security. The second is a military operation in Parwan province that resulted in a number of civilian deaths. The United States has threatened to pull out all of its troops unless Karzai signs the security deal promptly.