16 killed as truck plunges into ravine in Chakwal

CHAKWAL: At least 16 people were killed and 30 others injured when a truck plunged into a ravine on Saturday, Geo News reported. Police said that the incident took place in Modren Killa area when a truck carrying 45 people fell into the ravine. The police said that three children and four men were also among the dead. They said that bodies and injured were taken to a local hospital. Identities of the deceased were yet to be known.

Govt to release 13 Taliban prisoners: Nisar

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has said that those who were opposing talks should see how much lives have been saved since the process began. Talking to media on Saturday, he said talk process would bring peace in Pakistan. He, however, added that there was a need to show patience to steer the country out of difficulties. He said that the government wanted to establish peace in the country through talks within the parameters of the Constitution and the law. Nisar said that the government had decided to release 13 Taliban prisoners as confidence building measure. He said that process of release of non-combatant prisoners was being initiated from both sides. The minister said that the Taliban should also release non-combatant and innocent prisoners. He said that the government had also raised the issue of release of Prof Ajmal and sons of Yousuf Raza Gilani and late Salman Tasir. He said that the government had released Taliban prisoners as a good will gesture.

PHOTO: Here's what humans should learn from animals!

At the time, when we question the existence of humanity every second, this picture left us spellbound. While humans are still in conflict over petty issues like gender, race, religion and culture, animals have set aside the prevalent stereotypes. Enmity between cats and dogs has often been subjected to laughs and gags, but this picture made us think otherwise. Our reader, Girish P. Pradhan from Chhattisgarh, sent us the picture, where he clicked a dog feeding a little kitten, after it lost its entire family. The message is clear. Animals, despite their inferior genetic nature to humans have indeed been blessed with more sensitivity, and tolerance. On one hand where news of brutality and intolerance is making headlines every day, this gesture surely makes us think twice. Being kind to others, irrespective of the differences is not rocket science. It is a virtue bestowed by the Almighty. The question which we should all ponder upon, is, if animals can, why can’t we?

4 budget friendly beauty tips for a beautiful you!

“Beauty comes with a price”! A famous proverb, and accepted by many. Though, we are about to prove it wrong. Beautiful skin is something all women yearn for and yes if you opt for salons and parlors to do the favours, it would indeed be pricey. We bring to you some budget friendly homemade beauty tips. Now pamper yourself free of cost in the luxury of your own home. Here’s what you should do. - Take 1 table spoon of sugar and add it to your regular cleanser and massage into your face Wash it water. This pack works as a face scrub which helps to clean your face. -Make a mixture of 2 table spoon olive oil and 1 table spoon of baby oil and store it in a bottle. Take a few drops on a cotton ball and wipe it over makeup eyelids and lashes to remove mascara, eyeliner etc. -Take little amount of olive oil in your palms and rub it on your cracked heels before going to bed, put on a pair of socks after massage. Do it every night for a week to get results. -Make your own hair lightening spray by using lemon juice water spray. Take one lemon juice with ¾ cups of water in a spray able bottle and spray all over the hair before going outside.

5 remedies to get rid of bad breath in seven days

You are the ideal party starter but the moment you open your mouth, you end up becoming the party pooper. And all of this because of bad breath! If this has happened with you, then worry no more as here are some easy tips that will rid you of this problem once and for all. Here are 5 tips to keep your breath fresh and your mouth smelling good: 1. Drink lots of water: It acts like artificial saliva and it can wash away the chunks of food left in your mouth, leaving it clean and fresh. 2. Keep chewing sugar free gum: Although mint flavoured chewing gums can temporarily control bad breath, cinnamon flavoured chewing gums can kill bad breath at the source. 3. Brush, clean and floss: Regardless of what you do, brushing teeth, cleaning tongue and flossing are a must. 4. Throw away those cigarettes: It just takes 2 seconds for a cigarette to give you bad breath. Throw them away and breathe in and breathe out fresh air. 5. Drink green tea: Of all the benefits that green tea has, one is that it has antibacterial compounds that combat bad breath

If Muzaffarnagar riots were 'apmaan' then Lok Sabha polls are 'revenge', believes Amit Shah

Muzaffarnagar: Bjp's controversial leader Amir Shah was in news again when while addressing an election rally in Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh, he asked the people of Jat community to take revenge for the riots that took place in the district, last year. "If you want revenge then vote for BJP", he said. He attacked the opposition party and said, “This election is about voting out the government that protects and gives compensation to those who killed Jats." Sharing the dais with him was Suresh Rana, one of the accused of instigating the riots in Muzaffarnagar. “A man can live without food or sleep. He can live when he’s thirsty and hungry. But when he’s insulted, he can’t live. Apmaan ka badla toh lena padega," Shah concluded.

VARANASI SHOCKER: 16-year-old girl sexually assaulted, poisoned to death

Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh): A 16-year-old girl has been allegedly molested by four persons and then poisoned to death before dropping her in an unconscious state at Kashipur crossing in Rohania police station here. In her statement to the magistrate on Friday, the class IXth student said that four men sexually assaulted her. The villagers, who saw the girl being dropped, informed the police on Thursday night. She was admitted to a nearby private hospital and later shifted to a government hospital, where she died yesterday. On a written complaint of the deceased parents, an FIR has been registered against four including her alleged lover Shailendra alias Abhay and have been arrested, they added.

Advertisement I would have lodged an FIR against Modi for manslaughter during Gujarat riots, says ex-SC judge

New Delhi/Ahmedabad: Even after Supreme Court-appointed SIT's clean chit to Bjp's prime ministerial nominee Narendra Modi in the post-Godhra massacre case, former Supreme Court Judge VN Khare considers the 2002 Gujarat pogrom as a "state-sponsored genocide" and says had he been in a position, he would have lodged an FIR against the Gujarat Chief Minister "on charges of genocide and manslaughter". "A state-sponsored genocide was on in Gujarat in 2002 and nobody had the courage to speak against it. The (then) prime minister (Atal Bihari Vajpayee) was quiet and the (then) deputy prime minister (Lal Krishna Advani) did not utter a word. The (then) president (Dr Apj Abdul Kalam) also did not say a thing even after so many people had been killed. All the accused were being let off. There were 400 cases and I read the FIR. I am amazed that even after carrying out such a big investigation, they did not find anything. I just read the FIR and concluded that it was a state-sponsored genocide," Khare told Hardnews magazine in an interview. Citing example of the Best Bakery case, the former judge said, "There was a thousand-strong mob which had surrounded Best Bakery and set it on fire at 06:45 pm. At a furlong a police patrol van is stationed, it is also mentioned in the FIR. One-and-a-half-kilometre away is the police station. An ACP is sitting there, according to the FIR. Then it goes on to say that at 11:45 pm the fire recedes on its own. These are the broad facts. A fire brigade could have gone and doused the fire. Some lives could have been saved. Why didn’t that patrol police van go and intervene? I read the FIR and concluded that it is a state-sponsored genocide." He went on to add that "had I been in a position, I would have lodged an FIR against Narendra Modi on charges of genocide and manslaughter. I said it in the open court. So, in such circumstances, what inquiry do you need – when even one fire extinguisher couldn’t come, nobody could even throw a bucket of water! Raising questions on the police handling of the violence in Gulberg Society, he says, " (Former Congress MP) Ehsan Jafri calls the police and an ACP comes. Jafri is not the only one there; there are many more people in his house. The ACP tells Jafri, I can take you from here. He refused and said, how can I go alone when there are so many others? He replied, ‘I will go only if you take the others.’ The ACP just refused. The moment this ACP leaves, Jafri’s house is set on fire. Why didn’t any fire extinguisher come to this society which is in the heart of Ahmedabad? Scores of people were charred to death." When asked about his views on some recent judgements that have faced a lot of criticism, he said, "I too believe that in a couple of cases, they went too far. They should not push their ideology in deciding cases. They should not colour the judgements with their ideology. It is going too far. It may sometimes rebound. But in their wisdom they have done it." In a big relief for Modi, the SIT gave him a clean chit last year in the post-Godhra Gulberg massacre case and sought its closure as it found no evidence against him. "According to SIT, no offence has been established against any of the 58 persons listed in Zakia's complaint," Metropolitan Magistrate M S Bhatt said in his order on a batch of petitions in which Ehsan Jafri's widow Zakia Jafri. The former Congress MP who was among 69 persons killed in the Gulberg society carnage. Zakia had filed a complaint against Modi, his ministerial colleagues, top police officials and BJP functionaries accusing them of wider conspiracy in the riots in which more than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, had been killed.

Mr Syed Ahmed Bukhari, Muslims of Delhi want you to answer these QUESTIONS!

New Delhi: Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid Syed Ahmed Bukhari announced open support for Congress on Friday. He said that Muslims in West Bengal should support Mamta Banerjee led Trinamool Congress and those in other states should vote for Congress. He stressed that this will strengthen the secularism in the country as they need to fight against the communal forces. The announcement was made after his meeting with Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Bjp criticized this move calling it 'communalising' politics. BJP vice president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said 'Congress talks secularism but walks communalism. Congress has been badly exposed. It has been labeling us as a communal party but now it has itself been unmasked.' Bharatiya Janta Party asked Election Commission to take note of such rant communal appeal by Congress. Jama Masjid is a national heritage site like Taj Mahal, Qutub Minar or Red Fort. Thus, there are a few questions people want Shahi Imam should answer in this context. Who acquires the money collected from ticket to Minar of Masjid, taxation on camera and videography? The amount collected by such sources is estimated to be Rs. 20000 per day or Rs. 6 lakh per month. The income from VIP parking of Jama Masjid amounts to nearly Rs. 4500 per month or Rs. 1.35 lakh per month. Where is this money deposited? Neither is any tender passed for the parking nor is it operated by MCD. Thus, who possess this money? Syed Ahmed Bukhari has been the Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid since October 2000 till date. He exhorted Muslims to vote for Congress in Lok Sabha elections 2014. Also, he condemned BSP and SP for betraying them.

A poetic interchange: from Mirza Ghalib to Ziaul Haq

KARACHI: Only a few individuals have the gift of engaging people through dialogue, and (to paraphrase the words of T S Eliot) even fewer possess the ability to communicate the essence of their words before they are even understood. The latter is the impact that Urdu writer Arfa Sayeda Zehra and poet Zehra Nigah’s dialogue at the Sixth Sense Forum, Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) on Thursday evening had on the attendees. The writing veterans were supposed to discuss the topic, ‘Poetry: reflective of today and yesterday’s image’, but their talk mainly focused on a multitude of other things, including the need for people to open up their minds and be less ritualistic in today’s world. It also comprised an occassional interchange of shairs (verses) between Arfa and Zehra. Arfa began her talk with a quip that she considers late Ziaul Haq as “her beloved.” Explaining this in crisp Urdu, she said, “Bilkul mehboob ki tarha thay. Woh General sahab thay; kehte kuch thay aur karte kuch thay. Lagtay apne se thay, magar hote doosron ke thay!” (He was just like one’s beloved. He was a General; he would say one thing and do another. He seemed to be our own, but belonged to others!) She wondered why he maintained an iron-fisted rule for 11 years when he promised to stay in power for only 90 days. She added that had it not been for a certain state actor, he would never have been removed. Arfa recalled the time when she was invited to a conference once and General Zia began his speech saying, “I greatly dislike writers and teachers.” She said to him, “My teachers have taught me that God is a writer and his Prophets, teachers.” Her power-packed words were followed by a huge round of applause then and even this time. She shared that the General walked away after what she said. As the discussion progressed, Zehra said, “Good poetry comes out in the form of a ghazal and it is this ghazal in the backdrop of history that tells a tale of the [arduous] time poets have lived in.” While talking a little about the works of Mirza Ghalib, Allama Muhamamd Iqbal and Altaf Hussain Hali, the ladies shared that not only do their writings intellectually stimulate one’s thinking, but also catalyse emotions. “Had poets of such calibre not been born, the entire subcontinent would have been numb to the atrocities that took place during their time.” Later, Arfa said that had Ghalib lived in these times, he would have been termed an outlaw and a blasphemous person for having referred to God as ‘Uss’ and ‘Jiss’ in his poetry. Zehra advised the audience that poetry offers the best respite from the increasing worldly troubles that we find ourselves surrounded by. Read Urdu poetry as much as possible as “it’s almost like a flowing river in your head. It will help you to become indifferent to problems of the world.” Published in The Express Tribune, April 5th, 2014.

Limited responsibility: Police ask minorities to secure themselves

RAWALPINDI: A directive by the Punjab government to enhance security for minorities’ places of worship has resulted in station house officers (SHOs) passing on the buck by issuing a long list of measures to be taken by the administrations of temples and churches. After a recent directive issued by the home department for the security of minorities’ places of worship, Christian and Hindu worshippers complained that no steps had been taken on ground. According to a story published on March 31, the home department had directed the police to tighten security in view of possible terrorist attacks. According to a notice issued by various SHOs to temples and churches of the garrison city, the administrations have been asked to take nine steps for their protection. These include the installation of CCTV cameras, storing one month’s footage, securing the place with barbed wire, eight-foot high boundary walls, setting up a police post on the roof, proper lighting and hiring security guards from a registered company which is verified by the police. Entry gates and barriers should be installed as well, states the notice. Also, the police should be informed before the start of a ceremony so that they can make security arrangements. Representatives of minorities said provision of security is the responsibility of the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB). “ETPB is the guardian of all temples and it is their responsibility to provide funds for security requirements,” said Hindu-Sikh Social Welfare Council President Jag Mohan Arora. In 2010, we received the same notice and we informed the police as well as EPTB officials, but the latter paid no heed despite repeated requests and visits, he added. “We are in the habit of lamenting after a tragedy occurs but who cares.” We cannot even arrange sufficient funds for religious ceremonies, how can we set aside such a huge sum to implement these steps? asked Ashok Chand. Dr Samuel Titus, chairman Clergy Association of Pakistan and pastor St. Paul’s Church, Rawalpindi, said security is provided to big churches only on special occasions. After a suicide attack on a church in Peshawar, the government allowed us to make our own arrangements but when we applied for arms licences, the government rejected the applications. “We have urged the government to permit arms licences for churches,” he maintained. We are capable of protecting our worship places but the government should also take some initiative. It is impossible for a security guard to stop an attacker equipped with sophisticated weapons with a stick. Rawalpindi Senior Superintendent of Police (Operations) Mian Maqbool said, “We have already taken steps to protect churches and temples.” On special occasions like Diwali or Christmas we provide foolproof security to them. “We even provided parking space which was protected.” At the same time, he brought up the issue of a shortage of police personnel, while speaking about enhanced security. A delegation is expected to arrive for celebrating Besakhi from India on April 10 for which we have made arrangements, he added. Published in The Express Tribune, April 5th, 2014.

Sexual assault: Two sisters ‘abducted, raped’ in Faisalabad

FAISALABAD: Two sisters were allegedly raped in Faisalabad on Thursday night. Kamalia Saddar police said *Shakila and *Madiha, residents of Chak 761-GB, were abducted from their house and raped. The girls’ father told police that *Muhammad Wasim and *Akram Manzoor had broken into their house on Thursday and kidnapped the girls at gunpoint. “They were raped by Wasim, Manzoor and their accomplices at a dera.” “We filed a complaint with the police but they failed to recover them.” He said the girls returned home on Friday after their tormentors left the dera. “The police have not arrested anyone,” he said. The Kamalia Saddar station house officer said police were waiting for a medico-legal examination report of the girls who were being treated at the tehsil headquarters hospital in Kamalia. “A police team has been constituted to arrest the suspects,” he said. Separately, a 14-year-old girl was reported raped in Ghulam Muhammadabad on Thursday. Police said *Sadia, a resident of Ghulam Muhammadabad, was on her way to a market when she was abducted allegedly by *Ali and raped. *Shahzad, an uncle of the girl, said Ali took her to some house where he raped her. “He fled when some neighbours gathered outside the house after they heard the girl scream,” he said. The Ghulam Muhammadabad station house officer said police had registered a case on a complaint filed by the girl’s father. He said police were waiting for a medico-legal examination report. “A police team has been formed to arrest the suspects.” *Names have been changed to protect identities Published in The Express Tribune, April 5th, 2014.

‘11 Pakistanis to be released from Bagram’

LAHORE: The Ministry for Foreign Affairs on Friday informed the Lahore High Court that 11 Pakistanis are scheduled to be released from Bagram Prison next month. A law officer representing the ministry submitted its reply to the court. He said the prisoners will be released by the end of May. Barrister Sarah Belal pointed to the lack of details regarding the 11 prisoners scheduled to be released. Justice Khalid Mehmood Khan then directed the ministry to ascertain the identities of the Pakistanis due to be released and to submit a report in 15 days. Belal then said that the last time Pakistani prisoners were released from Bagram Prison, their families and lawyers, even the court were not informed of it. She said they were held incommunicado till the court demanded that their whereabouts be disclosed. Justice Khan then directed the ministry to inform the court as soon as the prisoners were repatriated. The Justice Project Pakistan, petitioner, has sought directions for the release and return of 25 Pakistanis detained at the Bagram Prison by the US. It says these citizens have been detained at the prison without charge or trial since 2003. It alleges that the prisoners were abducted from Pakistan and moved to the infamous US prison in Afghanistan. Published in The Express Tribune, April 5th, 2014.

PIA sacks 300 employees for having fake degrees

As many as 300 Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) employees have been sacked for having fake degrees. According to a statement released by PIA, out of the 6,000 degrees of their employees that have been verified by various universities and institutions, 350 degrees were found to be fake. “In light of the latest development the services of 300 out of total 350 whose degrees have been found out to be fake have been terminated according to Corporation’s Rules and Regulations. The cases of the remaining 50 employees are subjudice and courts’ decision are awaited for further reaction,” the release read. In compliance with the orders of Supreme Court of Pakistan, PIA said its Human Resource Administration Department has been verifying the credentials of around 16,000 employees. So far as many as 30,000 degrees have been dispatched to concerned educational institutions (Universities and Boards) for the verifications. The remaining 3,000 degrees will be dispatch for verification by the mid of April.

Pakistan seals borders for Afghan polls

ISLAMABAD / QUETTA: A day before neighbouring Afghanistan goes to polls, Pakistan deployed additional troops on its side of the Durand Line as part of efforts to ensure smooth and peaceful presidential elections. The announcement came after a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and attended by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar, army chief Gen Raheel Sharif, ISI’s Director General Lt Gen Zaheerul Islam and PM’s Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatimi on Friday. The meeting discussed measures to beef up security along the Pak-Afghan border to ensure a trouble-free election. According to a statement issued by the military’s media wing, additional troops have been deployed on the Pak-Afghan border since March 20 to reinforce existing security arrangements for the conduct of peaceful elections in Afghanistan. However, it did not provide the exact number of troops deployed along the border. “A host of measures have been taken for the purpose after due deliberation and coordination with Afghan security forces. Checking by immigration staff at crossing points has been enhanced and patrolling has been increased in the areas close to the border,” said the ISPR statement. “All crossing points have been closed from Friday till the polling concludes on the election day.” It further said that communication at Border Coordination Centres on both sides has also been enhanced and a hotline has been established between the two Military Operations directorates. Additionally, aerial surveillance will also be carried out to check any untoward cross-border movement, it added. The Chaman border crossing was sealed with stringent security arrangements in place. “No vehicle was allowed to cross the border on Friday,” said a border official. “However, people can cross the border on foot.” A long queue of trucks, trailers and pickups was seen near the Chaman border. According to a Balochistan Home Department official, the Pak-Afghan border will remain closed for two days. “Trade activity will resume on Sunday,” he said. No right to vote Around 1.6 million Afghan refugees residing in Pakistan, including half a million living in Balochistan, will not be able to use their right of franchise in today’s election in their country. Tadin Taraki, 59, is keenly interested in electing Afghanistan’s president, but he cannot vote. “I don’t know what to do but I’m sure I’ll not be able to vote,” he said. “All I want is restoration of peace in my country.” Taraki is one of the hundreds of refugees residing in a refugee camp near Kuchlak, in Quetta. “There are more than 427,000 refugees residing in 14 different camps but they cannot exercise their right to vote.” United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Balochistan spokesperson Najeebullah Tareen said, “The refugees will not vote in this Afghan presidential election. No organisation either from European Union or from Afghan government approached Pakistan to show their interest to make arrangements for Afghan refugees enabling them to use their right of franchise,” he told The Express Tribune. The Afghan refugees in Pakistan last cast their vote in 2004 when Hamid Karzai was elected. “The European Union’s agency and Afghan government had approached Pakistan and the UNHCR five months ahead of the elections to make arrangements. Polling stations were set up in refugee villages. However, there had been no arrangements during the re-election and this time again,” Najeeb explained. In Peshawar too, Afghan refugees expressed their dissatisfaction over the lack of arrangements for voting on both sides of the border. A refugee Saida Jan said they have no idea whether the border will remain completely or partially closed for them, adding that a large number of refugees, particularly those hailing from Kabul, cannot make it to cast their ballot. Kabul is completely sealed and no one will be allowed to enter the city, depriving a large number of voters of their right to vote. Published in The Express Tribune, April 5th, 2014.

In a religiously diverse Asia, Pakistan one of the least diverse: Report

Pakistan ranks among the least religiously diverse countries in a religiously diverse Asian region according to the Religious Diversity Index published by the Pew Research Center on Friday. The 10-point index, which ranks each country by its level of religious diversity, is divided into four ranges, “very high”, “high”, “moderate”, and “low”. Pakistan ranked among the 136 “low diversity” countries, the largest range on the index indicating that most countries in the world are not religion diverse. The 12-nation top range of “very high” diversity countries comprised of six from Asia-Pacific – Singapore, Taiwan, Vietnam, South Korea, China, and Hong Kong – and five from sub-Saharan Africa – Mozambique, Benin, Ivory Coast, Guinea-Bissau, and Togo. Of the 232 countries in the study, Singapore with a population of more than 5 million had the highest score on the Religious Diversity Index. About a third of Singapore’s population is Buddhist (34%), while 18% are Christian, 16% are religiously unaffiliated, 14% are Muslim, 5% are Hindu and less than 1% are Jewish. According to the data, Pakistan had the 23rd largest proportional Muslim population at 96.4%, smaller than immediate neighbours Afghanistan and Iran, but larger than Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia. Pakistan had a Religious Diversity Index score of 0.8 ranking 185 out of 232 countries included in the study. It featured an overwhelming Muslim population of 96.4%. Hindus constituted largest religious minority with 1.9% of the population with Christians a close second comprising 1.6% of the population. Buddhists, Jews, and those belonging to ‘folk religions’ all comprised 0.1% of the population each. Among Muslim majority nations, Pakistan ranked 26th in terms of religious diversity, with Malaysia topping the list and Morocco being the least diverse. Interestingly, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia are more diverse than Pakistan, and so are all Arabian Gulf countries, except Yemen. Turkey and immediate neighbours Afghanistan and Iran ranked lower than Pakistan in religious diversity. Interestingly, the United States and the United Kingdom did not rank very high on the overall index with both countries falling in the “moderate” diversity range, below “high” diversity countries like North Korea, Bahrain, Qatar and Cuba. Australia and Canada also ranked within the “high” diversity range. Czech Republic, North Korea, Estonia, Japan, Hong Kong, and China topped the list of proportional population that was “religiously unaffiliated”, those who say they are atheists, agnostics or nothing in particular. The Pew Research Center, a research group that does empirical social science research, developed the Religious Diversity Index which looks at the percentage of each country’s population that belongs to eight major religious groups – Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism. The closer a country comes to having equal shares of the eight groups, the higher its score on the index.

NA question hour: Reciprocal business visa policy on cards

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is going to revise the visa regime for business persons of 67 countries — which have been previously declared as Business Friendly Countries — who enjoyed the facility of getting business visa on arrival. This was stated by Parliamentary Secretary for Ministry of Interior Mariam Aurangzaib while responding to a supplementary question in the National Assembly. This policy, applicable since 2006, was aimed at encouraging business-persons to get visa on arrival without facing any difficulty. She said that the government is working on revising this regime and will evolve policy on reciprocal basis as these 67 countries don’t have the same policy for Pakistani businessmen.

Terrorist attacks According to a list provided by the interior ministry, there had been a total of 5,573 terrorist attacks carried out in the country between 2010 and 2013. In 2010, there were 1,467 attacks, followed by 1,467 attacks in 2013. During the period in question, 3,098 terrorist attacks were carried out in Balochistan, making it the most troubled province. It was followed by 1,499 attacks in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 153 in Sindh, 648 in Fata and 100 attacks in Punjab. According to the records, 8,484 persons have died in these assaults, as the highest number of casualties occurred in 2010. Children killed During the last five years, as many as 184 children were killed and 538 injured in the terrorist attacks only in K-P and Giligit-Baltistan. The interior ministry provided the details on a question tabled by PPP lawmaker Nafeesa Shah. It said that in K-P 182 children were killed in terrorist attacks, whereas, two children were killed in G-B and one in the ICT area. No child was killed in any terrorist attack in Punjab and Azad Jammu and Kashmir during the last five years. Foreigners arrested The ministry of interior also informed the NA that as many as 3,112 foreigners have been arrested during the last one year and of them 2,761 were deported to their countries. Of them, the highest number of 2,481 were Afghan nationals. NA session adjourned National Assembly’s session was adjourned to next week, after the question hour, due to lack of quorum. Two-thirds of the members were missing from the lower house because of which the Deputy Speaker adjourned the house until Monday. Published in The Express Tribune, April 5th, 2014.

K-P political crisis: Imran warns ‘blackmailing’ MPAs he’ll dissolve assembly

ISLAMABAD: The simmering political crisis in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa reached a tipping point on Friday when Imran Khan, chief of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), gave a loud and clear warning to a group of disgruntled legislators of his party. He said that he would rather dissolve the provincial legislature and call fresh elections than caving in to the ‘forward bloc’s blackmailing’. The warning came hours after 14 PTI legislators handed their resignations from the assembly membership to the deputy speaker, Imtiaz Shahid. “It is their democratic right to differ and hold a meeting with the party’s chairman to convey any genuine concerns,” Imran said. “But if someone thinks that he can blackmail me, either he doesn’t know me or he is under some illusion,” he added. “We will dissolve the assembly and call fresh elections,” the PTI chief said while talking to journalists after meeting Acting Chief Election Commissioner Justice Nasirul Mulk. The displeased legislators earlier met with the PTI chief who assured them that their reservations would be addressed. He also held out an assurance that an inquiry would be launched against ‘corrupt ministers’ in the provincial cabinet, irrespective of their party affiliations, according to sources privy to the meeting. Naeemul Haq, the office in-charge of the party chairman, told The Express Tribune that the inquiry would be held within 15 days. One of the disgruntled MPAs said that their future course of action depended on the outcome of the inquiry. “I assure you that your grievances will be addressed. I was kept in the dark [on the political situation in K-P]. The central leadership will not interfere in provincial affairs,” sources quoted Imran as saying. He also told them the portfolio of health ministry was given to Shahram Khan Tarakai of the Awami Jamhoori Ittihad Pakistan (AJIP) because the party was likely to merge into PTI soon. Earlier in the day, 14 PTI legislators, including some former parliamentary secretaries, handed their resignations to the deputy speaker. “We’ve not resigned per se. We’ve just handed our resignations to the deputy speaker,” one of the disgruntled MPA, Javed Naseem, told journalists. He added that Imtiaz Shahid was also one of them. How it started The political crisis was triggered by a recent reshuffle in the provincial cabinet. Sources said that most disgruntled members were unhappy over giving ministries to the MPAs who joined the PTI after being elected as independent candidates. Sources added that this discontent was not limited to legislators – PTI’s activists were also angered by the move. The number of disgruntled MPAs has swelled to 20. Not only that, some MNAs of the party are also lending them support because they believe the central leadership should not meddle in the affairs of the provincial government. This infighting has emboldened the opposition parties who submitted a requisition for an assembly session with the speaker where they might ask the chief minister to prove he enjoys confidence of the house. Local govt elections PTI chief Imran Khan told journalists that the K-P government was ready to hold LG elections on the 30th of this month. “We’re ready to conduct the elections on April 30 and we offered the Election Commission of Pakistan to start its pilot project of biometric and electronic voting system in the province,” he added. He criticised the provincial governments of Punjab and Sindh for dilly-dallying on the LG polls. “They have demarcated constituencies in their respective provinces in such a way that elections could not be held. Their act is based on mala fide intentions,” he added. Imran reiterated his demand for the re-verification of votes in four constituencies at least to determine the level of rigging in the 2013 parliamentary elections. He lamented that there was a free media and an independent judiciary in Pakistan but no independent election commission. Published in The Express Tribune, April 5th, 2014.

Ghazi murder case: Musharraf's request for permanent exemption rejected

ISLAMABAD: A local court in Islamabad rejected former president Pervez Musharraf’s request for permanent exemption in the Abdul Rasheed Ghazi murder case, Express News reported on Saturday. Musharraf has been accused of murdering former ‘prayer leader’ of Lal Masjid, Abdul Rasheed Ghazi during the infamous 2007 operation. Additional District and Sessions Judge Wajid Ali Khan has summoned the former president on May 3. During the hearing today, Musharraf’s lawyer Advocate Akhtar Shah requested for the exemption. On this, the complainants lawyer stated that Musharraf was getting more security than President Mamnoon Hussain as well as Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and therefore there was no justification for this exemption. The case On September 2, a case was registered in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against Musharraf for the murder of the former cleric and his mother during the Lal Masjid operation. The case was filed after Haroon Rasheed, the son of Ghazi, submitted an application at the Aabpara police station for the registration of an FIR against the former president for involvement in the death of Haroon’s father and grandmother. In the application, Rasheed had referred to about 20 pages of the Lal Masjid Commission report, which hold the former president responsible for the operation. Earlier, the IHC had stopped Station House Officer (SHO) Aabpara Police Station, Qasim Niazi from leaving the courtroom, saying that he would not be allowed to leave until a case was registered against Musharraf. Police had earlier refused a request by leaders of the Red Mosque to name General Musharraf as a suspect in the case of a military raid in 2007 which saw dozens killed including one of the administrators.

Returning home: Five Morning Glory crew members including captain reach Pakistan

LAHORE / KARACHI: The captain of Morning Glory, the oil tanker captured by rebels in Libya, reached Pakistan on Saturday at the Lahore airport, Express News reported. Four other Pakistani crew members - Mohammad Mehdi Shamsi, Syed Asif Hassan, Naik Zada and Mohammad Irshad – returned to Pakistan today as well at the Karachi airport. Shamsi, while speaking to the media at the airport, revealed that 17 bombs were fired at the oil tanker out of which two of them hit it. He added that he had been given a new life as he had escaped death. The Morning Glory oil tanker, owned by Dubai-based Saud Shipping, had set off to Tunisia on February 25 but its owners had told the crew to move towards Libya. At a Libyan port, the vessel and the crew were taken over by Libyan rebels, who had stolen national oil worth $20 million and loaded it on Morning Glory in a bid to sell it. Taking the crew hostage, the armed Libyans had forced them to move the ship out of the country’s territory and sail towards Cyprus. Captain Mirza Nauman Baig, while speaking to the media at the Lahore airport today, refused to disclose details regarding the incident saying that it can jeopardise the safety of the remaining crew members of the oil tanker still in Libya. He added that till all the crew members do not return to their homes it was his responsibility to ensure their safety. He further stated that efforts were being made for the release of the other crew members and he also expressed gratitude to the president of Pakistan for his help throughout this situation. The captain also stated that the chief officer, Ghuffran Marghoob, was yet to be handed over to the Pakistani authorities by the Libyan government as he was assisting the Libyan authorities in offloading the vessel. Taking action The Libyan government had appealed to the US to take action against the rebels after which the US Navy Seals conducted a raid, took the rebels into their custody, and brought the crew and the vessel back to Libya. Distressed families of the hostages had appealed to the president of Pakistan for the crew’s release. Following the appeals from the families, President Mamnoon Hussain had directed the foreign office and Pakistan’s ambassador to Libya to ensure the release and safe return of the Pakistani crew members. US promise Captain Baig arrived at his him in Lahore and while speaking to the media at his residence he stated that he assured his crew members that they were safe when the US saved them. The captain also said that “State Department of America and the US Navy promised that all my crew members will reach their homes safely.” “I would like to remind them of their promise. Please give some more effort to this so that all my crew members cannot return home safely,” he requested.

Couple gets death over 'blasphemous' text message

LAHORE: A court in eastern Pakistan has sentenced a Christian couple to death for sending a blasphemous text message insulting to Prophet Mohammed (pbuh), their lawyer said Saturday. Judge Mian Amir Habib handed the death sentence to Shafqat Emmanuel and Shagufta Kausar in a jail in the town of Toba Tek Singh on Friday, defence lawyer Nadeem Hassan told AFP. Prosecution department officials confirmed the sentence. The impoverished couple, who are in their forties, have three children and live in the town of Gojra, which has a history of violence against Christians, Hassan said. Both denied the charges, Hassan said, adding that they would appeal the sentence. Maulvi Mohammad Hussain, the prayer leader at a local mosque in Gojra, lodged a complaint against couple on July 21 last year for sending him a text message which he said was insulting to Prophet Mohammed (pbuh). Hussain accused the husband of sending the message from his wife’s cellphone. However, defence lawyer Hassan said that the text originated from a cellphone which the couple had lost some time before the incident, so they could not have sent the message. The defence lawyer said that the couple had suspected rivals of implicating them into blasphemy case to settle personal scores and that they had ties with the complainant. In 2009, a mob had attacked a Christian neighbourhood in Gojra and burned 77 houses and killed at least seven people after rumours that a Quran had been desecrated. On March 27, another Christian man Sawan Masih was sentenced to death in Lahore for insulting Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) during the course of a conversation with a Muslim friend in the Joseph Colony neighbourhood in March last year.

Family arrested for setting maid ablaze

LAHORE: Millat Park police claim to have arrested a man and his four family members on Friday who allegedly set their 14-year-old maid on fire after subjecting her to severe torture three days ago. The house owner was formally arrested, while his wife, daughter and son-in-law were taken into custody for questioning. Jamshaid and his family were also booked in an attempted murder case lodged by girl Aqsa’s father, Abdur Razzaq, of Gulshan-i-Ravi. A police investigator told Dawn the girl had suffered 30pc burns and was still admitted to the burns unit of Mayo Hospital. He claimed the girl had received burns accidentally when she caught fire while preparing tea. But, the girl’s parents told police Aqsa was initially subjected to torture by the entire family, who also cut her hair, and later set her ablaze over domestic issues. Aqsa had started working at Jamshaid’s house four months ago. Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has taken notice of torture and burning of the maid and sought a report from the IGP. He directed that the accused involved in the tragic incident be apprehended immediately and the injured girl be provided best treatment. SUICIDE BID: A one-and-half-year-old girl drowned while her 20-year-old mother was rescued on Friday after the latter jumped into the BRB Canal in an attempt to commit suicide. Haer police registered a murder-cum-attempted suicide case against the woman. Police inquiries showed that Samina had contracted marriage with Shahzad of Karbath Soling village a couple of years ago and the couple had a daughter. After the death of her husband’s father a few months ago, Shahzad was unable to meet domestic expenses which led to frequent quarrels. On Friday, the couple again exchanged words and the woman took her daughter Muskan and reached the BRB Canal to commit suicide. Witnesses managed to recover the woman alive, but the infant girl could not survive. Cantonment SP Sarfraz Ahmad Khan Virk said the water was low in the canal and the woman was timely rescued by local people. He said the police took the woman into custody and began investigation.

Couple caught trying to steal newborn baby

RAWALPINDI: A couple, allegedly caught red-handed while trying to steal a newborn baby from the gynaecology ward of the Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) on Thursday night was sent to jail by a local court on Friday. On Thursday night, a young woman, in a doctor’s attire, appeared in the ward and started examining the newborn baby. During the examination, the hospital staff got suspicious as they had never seen her before. When the hospital staff asked the woman to prove her identity, she faield to do so. The woman and her husband, who had been roaming outside the ward, were handed over to the police who registered a case against them. The arrested couple, who belong to Lahore, got married four years ago. After suffering two miscarriages, the couple had decided to kidnap a baby from the hospital. The couple was produced before the court of area magistrate, for remand custody, but the court sent them to Adiala jail for two weeks.

LIVE: Polling underway in historic Afghan elections

Millions of Afghans are expected to brave Taliban threats Saturday to vote for a successor to President Hamid Karzai in a landmark election held as US-led forces wind down their long intervention in the country. The Taliban have rejected the election as a foreign plot, and urged their fighters to attack polling staff, voters and security forces. Afghanistan's third presidential election brings an end to 13 years of rule by Karzai, who has led the country since the Taliban were ousted in a US-led invasion in 2001. The Nato coalition force is pulling out its last 51,000 combat troops this year, leaving Afghan forces to battle the Taliban insurgency without their help. Poll security is a major concern following a string of high-profile attacks in the capital Kabul, most recently a suicide bombing at the Interior Ministry on Wednesday that killed six police officers.

For more details copy paste the following link in net browser http://www.dawn.com/news/1097718/live-polling-underway-in-historic-afghan-elections

Molana Khurshid Abid Najfi of Karachi 010414 Majlis at Imambargah Moladad Rawalpindi

Hadise Kisa By Najamul Hassan Jaffery 010414 Moladad Trust Rawalpindi

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Molana Khurshid Abid Najfi of Karachi 020414 Majlis at Imambargah Moladad Rawalpindi

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Janab Raza Jaffery 020414 1 Majlis Imambargah Shah Najaf Khyaban Sirsyed Rawalpindi

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Souz O Salam Amir Zaidi 03 April 2014 1 Imamia Masjid Gowalmandi Rawalpindi

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AAP chief punched during South Delhi roadshow

NEW DELHI: The chief of the Aam Aadmi Party, Arvind Kejriwal, was attacked by an unidentified person Friday during a roadshow in Dakshinpuri area of South Delhi, Indian media reported. According to the Press Trust of India, the attacker punched Kejriwal on his back and tried to slap him when the former chief minister was shaking hands with supporters. Kejriwal has blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the assault. “Some people are ready to go to any extent to become Prime Minister. Let them do whatever they are doing. Our religion teaches us non-violence. If we raise our hands, this movement will come to an end,” Kejriwal was quoted as saying. The attacker was reportedly thrashed by AAP workers and handed over to the police.

Appealing for calm, the AAP leader asked his supporters not to indulge in any violence. This is not the first time the AAP leader has been attacked physically. During his election rally in Haryana on March 28, he was attacked by a man who claimed to be a supporter of anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare. India, the world's largest democracy, is set to go to general election from April 7, a five-week contest widely forecast to bring the BJP under Modi to power. Opinion polls show Modi holds a large advantage over his rivals However, a new movement with national ambitions, the anti-corruption AAP led by former tax inspector Kejriwal, will also be an unpredictable element in this year’s polls. Just over a year since its formation, the party won enough seats in December’s Delhi state elections to take power in what was seen as a political earthquake in the graft-plagued nation. No single party has won a parliamentary majority since 1989 and the electorate has fractured in successive decades, giving often populist regional leaders immense power at the national level.

Policeman suspended for accusing baby of attempted murder

LAHORE: A policeman has been suspended for bringing a case of attempted murder against a nine-month old boy and forcing the crying infant to appear in court, officials said Friday. Baby Mohammad Musa, along with other members of his family, was booked for throwing rocks at gas company officials carrying out an anti-theft inspection in the low-income Ahata Thanedaran neighbourhood of Lahore on Feb 1, the family's lawyer Chaudhry Irfan Sadiq told AFP. Inspector Kashif Muhammad, who attended the alleged crime scene and has since been suspended, wrote in his report that it was a case of attempted murder. Appearing in a packed court room with around 30 others accused in the case on Thursday, Musa was seen crying as his grandfather Muhammad Yasin, a 50-year-old labourer, held him on his shoulder. He later drank milk from a bottle as Yasin fielded questions from reporters. “Everyone in the court was saying 'How can such a small child be implicated in any case'? What kind of police do we have?” Yasin said. He accused the police of fabricating the charges because they were colluding with a rival party who wanted to see the accused evicted from their land. Critics say Pakistan's notoriously corrupt police force often trump up false charges either to extract bribes or because they have been paid off. Judge Rafaqat Ali Qamar ordered the inspector to be suspended and granted the child bail, though he will have to appear at the next hearing on April 12. But Sadiq, the lawyer, said the charges against the child should have been dropped. “The court should have simply referred the minor's case to high court for dropping of the charges against the innocent child and acquit him from the case as the minimum criminal responsibility age is seven,” Sadiq told AFP. Pakistan last year approved raising the minimum age of criminal responsibility from seven to 12 years, except for in terrorism cases.

Musharraf not asked to apologise, says Saad Rafique

LAHORE: Federal Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique said on Friday that no one had demanded an apology from former military dictator General (r) Pervez Musharraf and neither did the government have the mandate to seek one, DawnNews reported. The federal railways minister said that government would follow the decisions of courts regarding Pervez Musharraf case. He said that rule of law would be ensured to protect the country from the onslaught of enemy forces. Talking to a private news channel, he said it is mandatory on government to provide assistance to judiciary on legal issues and matters. The Minister said now trends have changed in national politics, adding that all the institution are now participating to make the country developed and prosperous. He said “independent judiciary, media and rule of law had been our dream.” Replying to a question regarding Balochistan issue, Saad Rafiq said that 2014 is the year to change the destiny of the province, adding that government has many plans including political strategies and dialogue process to address the reservations of Baloch leaders. The Government is fully committed to not only bringing peace in the province by ensuring law and order but also is determinant to address the issues to make it prosperous, he said. Replying to another question, he said all the governmental institutions were following the Constitution and functioning accordingly. He said that every one should obey the Constitution for making the society civilised. Praying for the long life and speedy recovery of the ailing mother of former president Pervez Musharraf, he said the government is ready to provide all necessary treatment facilities to her.

German AP photographer shot dead in Afghanistan

KHOST: An Afghan police commander on Friday shot dead a female German photographer working for the Associated Press on the eve of presidential elections, in an attack that also left a Canadian colleague wounded, the news agency and officials said. The journalists were shot in their car in the Tanai district of Khost province, in the country's east, as they reported on distribution of ballot papers for the election to choose a successor to President Hamid Karzai. The incident comes as Afghanistan undertakes a massive security operation to protect voters and polling officials, after the Taliban pledged to disrupt Saturday's ballot with violence. Anja Niedringhaus is the third journalist working for international media to be killed in Afghanistan during the election campaign, after Swedish journalist Nils Horner and Sardar Ahmad of Agence France-Presse. “Anja Niedringhaus, 48, an internationally acclaimed German photographer, was killed instantly,” AP said in a report from Kabul. “Kathy Gannon, the reporter, was wounded twice and is receiving medical attention. She was described as being in stable condition and talking to medical personnel.” AP said the police commander opened fire while the two journalists were in their car, travelling with election workers delivering ballots in Khost city. Kathy Gannon, who was also wounded in the attack, is an award winning journalist and author of a book on Afghanistan. She has been associated with AP for nearly two decades. She lives in Islamabad but extensively travels and reports from Afghanistan and Central Asia. “As they were sitting in the car waiting for the convoy to move, a unit commander named Naqibullah walked up to the car and opened fire on them in the back seat,” the news agency said. “He then surrendered to the other police and was arrested.” Khost provincial governor Abdul Jabbar Naeemi and other officials confirmed that the attacker was a police commander who was detained immediately after the incident. “Anja and Kathy together have spent years in Afghanistan covering the conflict and the people there,” said AP Executive Editor Kathleen Carroll in the AP report. “Anja was a vibrant, dynamic journalist well-loved for her insightful photographs, her warm heart and joy for life. We are heartbroken at her loss.” Khost borders Pakistan's restive North Waziristan tribal area, a stronghold of the Haqqani militant network blamed for numerous high-profile attacks in Afghanistan, many targeting foreigners. Series of attacks Kabul has been rocked by a string of high-profile attacks in the run-up to Saturday's election, which will be the first democratic handover of power in Afghanistan's turbulent history. Ahmad, AFP's senior Afghan reporter, was killed along with his wife and two of his three children on March 20 when gunmen smuggled pistols into Kabul's high-security Serena hotel and shot dead nine people including four foreigners. Horner, 51, a veteran of Swedish national radio, was shot dead in March in a Kabul street while researching a story about a January attack on a nearby restaurant which killed 21 people, including 13 foreigners. In addition to Horner's murder and the Serena assault, a charity's guesthouse has come under attack, along with offices of the Independent Election Commission (IEC). Most recently, six police officers were killed in a suicide bombing at the interior ministry in Kabul on Wednesday. Security was tight across Afghanistan ahead of the vote to elect a president to take over from Karzai, who is constitutionally barred from standing again. Interior Minister Omar Daudzai said all 400,000 of the country's police, army and intelligence services have been deployed to ensure security around the country. There was a heavy police presence on the largely deserted streets of Kabul on Friday morning, with officers carrying out stringent checks on vehicles. The Taliban have pledged to attack the poll, urging their fighters to target election staff, voters and security forces. Former World Bank economist Ashraf Ghani, Abdullah Abdullah who was runner-up in 2009, and former foreign minister Zalmai Rassoul are the leading contenders in the eight-man race. In a pre-election address on Thursday, Karzai urged voters to turn out and make the vote a “national celebration of mass participation”. A repeat of the bloodshed and fraud that marred the 2009 election would damage claims by international donors that the multi-billion-dollar, 13-year intervention in Afghanistan has made progress in establishing a functioning state system. Whoever wins the race to succeed Karzai faces a testing time maintaining stability as Afghan forces take on the fight against the resilient Taliban insurgency without the aid of Nato forces. The US-led coalition is due to withdraw its 53,000 combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of the year.

Militant group claims freeing captured Iranian guards

TEHRAN: Iranian soldiers captured by a militant group Jaish al-Adl near the Pakistani border in February have been freed, the rebel group and an Iranian official announced Friday. However, there was no indication of how many of the five border guards had been released after Jaish al-Adl, which operates in southeastern Iran, claimed last month to have executed one of them. “The soldiers were handed over some hours ago by the small terrorist group Jaish al-Adl to Iranian representatives in Pakistan,” said the Fars news agency, quoting an unidentified security official. For its part, Jaish al-Adl announced the releases on its Twitter account. “At the request of eminent Sunni clerics in Iran, the Iranian soldiers held hostage have been freed and handed over to a delegation of clerics,” it said. The movement said it killed a fifth member of the group of guards in March. “Four of the five abducted Iranian border guards have been handed over to Iranian embassy officials in Pakistan,” Fars quoted Iranian lawmaker Esmail Kosari as saying. “We are trying to get the body of the killed guard and return it to Iran,” Kosari added, according to the report. Fars did not give any details on when the release took place or what led up to it. The release was yet to be confirmed by Pakistani authorities. The five soldiers, who were serving their 24-month mandatory military service, were abducted in the restive southeastern province of Sistan-Balochistan, where Iran has been confronting the Jaish al-Adl rebels. Last month the group announced it had executed one of the five, Jamshid Danayifar, and warned of more executions to come unless Iran freed Sunni prisoners. The Iranian authorities immediately denied the execution claim, insisting that all five soldiers were alive. The guards are believed to have been taken into neighbouring Pakistan after being kidnapped on February 6 but the country's Foreign Office issued a denial statement condemning the incident. In mid-February, Iran warned that it could consider sending troops across the border to free the soldiers, and denounced what it called Pakistan's inability to secure its own borders. Border guards chief Hossein Zolfaghari has admitted that there was “negligence” in the lead-up to the kidnapping, saying those responsible were suspended, with some facing prosecution. Jaish al-Adl took up arms in 2012 to fight for what it says are the rights of Iran's minority Sunni population. Sistan-Balochistan, which is home to a large Sunni minority, has been the scene of unrest in recent years fuelled by its alleged marginalisation by the predominantly Shia Islamic republic. Jaish al-Adl, whose name in Arabic means “Army of Justice,” has claimed several attacks against Iranians in the region. These include the assassination of a local prosecutor and the killing of 14 border guards in an ambush in 2013.

India knock out South Africa for World Twenty20 final

DHAKA: Former champions India upstaged South Africa by six wickets in the second semi-final in Dhaka on Friday to cruise into the final of World Twenty20. Chasing 173 to win, India were led by a swashbuckling knock of 72 not out by Virat Kohli as they strolled to the target with five balls to spare. This becomes India's second final in five World Twenty20s after they won the inaugural event held in South Africa in 2007. They meet Sri Lanka in the final in Dhaka on Sunday. In contrast, South Africa, regarded as perennial chokers in crucial matches, yet again failed to reach any world level final since their readmission into cricket in 1991. Kohli smashed five boundaries and two sixes off 44 balls in a brilliant display of batting, highlighting India's strength at chasing a target. He hit paceman Dale Steyn for a boundary to seal the win much to the jubiliation of a packed Shere Bangla stadium. Kohli and other Indian batsmen blunted South Africa's best bowlers, leg-spinner Imran Tahir, joint highest wicket-taker so far in the tournament with 12, and paceman Steyn with authority. Tahir managed just one wicket for 30 runs in his four overs while Steyn went for 36 in 3.1 overs. Kohli brought up his seventh T20 fifty with a huge six off Tahir and despite the loss off Yuvraj Singh (18) and Suresh Raina (21) kept the run-chase smooth. Rohit Sharma made a 13-ball 24 with a six and four boundaries and Ajinkya Rahane scored 32 off 30 balls. Also read: Dhoni praises batsmen’s confidence of chasing down SA target South Africa, who batted after winning the toss were helped to 172-4 with skipper Faf du Plessis scoring a 41-ball 58 for his fifth Twenty20 fifty. He added 71 for the third wicket with Jean-Paul Duminy who made an unbeaten 40-ball 45 to bolster the innings. Du Plessis, who missed South Africa's last game against England because of a slow over-rate suspension, hit five boundaries and two towering sixes as the duo negotiated an Indian spin quartet with aggressive batting. South Africa lost opener Quinton de Kock (six) in the first over before Hashim Amla and Du Plessis took the score to 44 in the fifth over. But Ravichandran Ashwin, who took 3-22 in his four overs, put the brakes on South Africa's progress, claiming Amla (22) and then dangerman AB de Villiers (ten) off a miscued pull shot which was smartly held by Rohit Sharma at long leg. In between du Plessis and Duminy batted with guts to take South Africa to 115 before Ashwin bowled du Plessis off a miscued sweep. Duminy, who hit three sixes and a four, added another 43 for the unbroken fifth wicket with Andrew Miller (23 not out) to help South Africa add 106 in the last ten overs. Leg-spinner Amit Mishra, India's most successful bowler in the Super-10 stage, went for 36 runs in his three overs without taking a wicket.

Pakistani innovation project wins top prize at global contest

A government driven innovation in Pakistan has won the top prize at Making All Voices Count’s Global Innovation Competition. The Bahawalpur Service Delivery Unit (BSDU) emerged as the winner of competition, led by Imran Baloch, the District Coordination Officer (DCO) of Punjab’s Bahawalpur district, and Asim Fayaz. The project aims to improve service delivery in under-resourced, conflict areas with lack of data-driven performance management systems. “Our initiative, by enabling monitors to report through smart phones and by simply ringing parents, saw teacher AND student attendance increase from 78 per cent to 92 per cent,” explained Baloch at the Global Innovation Gala where the ten selected finalists made their final pitch. The Pakistani project emerged as the winner among a total of 196 entries submitted from across the world. Following an online voting system, 31 semi-finalists were drawn from the top 27 voted ideas along with 4 wildcards. A £65,000 (pounds) grant was awarded to the winning team. “Technology was an enabler in this process; not the end result. We want to use this £65,000 grant to extend our initiative into health, livestock, & agriculture,” added Baloch. Dr. Sheila Ochugboju, the chair of the jury, explained, “this performance management system [BSDU] has three components: its results based, focuses on inclusion and uses tested technology. In addition, this is a model that can be replicated outside of Pakistan.” The jury comprised of experts in information systems and governance, together with other peers, shortlisted 10 finalists drawn from eight countries: Kenya, Indonesia, South Africa, Pakistan, Ghana, Bangladesh, Tanzania and Mozambique. The two runner-ups, a team from South Africa and another from Indonesia, each received a £35,000 grant plus expert mentorship over a six-month period. The Global Innovation Competition recognises and rewards creative and cutting-edge innovations that enhance government transparency and accountability. It is part of Making All Voices Count, which is backed by the Department for International Development (DFID), US Agency for International Development (USAID), Omidyar Network (ON) and other funders.

Bilawal assails govt for pushing nation into dark ages

KARACHI: Reaffirming his determination to fight Taliban militancy in Pakistan, Patron-in-Chief of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Friday assailed the PML-N government for pushing the nation back to the dark ages by pursuing peace talks with the Pakistani Taliban, DawnNews reported. Speaking in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh to commemorate 35th death anniversary of his grandfather and former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, he said the mess created by the government by engaging the militants in direct talks will again be washed by the blood of martyrs – a reference to sacrifices rendered by ZAB and his mother Benazir Bhutto. Rejecting the dialogue process initiated by the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif with the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Bilawal said the terrorists will never succeed in their objectives as long as Bhutto’s grandson is alive. “This head can be cut but it will never bow down before the oppressors,” he added. Young Bhutto’s incendiary speech reflected the flare of his mother and grandfather as he declared that Taliban were beasts and zaliman (tyrants) and they will never be accepted in society. Alleging the Punjab government of sheltering the extremists and terrorists, he said the blind are leading those with eye-sight in the name of peace talks. How will peace prevail in a country whose biggest province was sheltering the militants, he questioned. Bilawal urged the masses in Punjab to wake up. Criticizing the privatisation policy, he said the government was planning to sell out national assets in the name of privatisation. The PPP chairman urged the chief ministers of Balochistan, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to demand their share of assets from the centre. He also condemned the government for not taking the nation into confidence over $1.5billion ‘friendly aid.’ Speaking on the occasion, former president Asif Ali Zardari emphasised on the importance of inter-sect harmony in the country and urged the government of engaging all political forces on the matter. He dedicated the evening to his son Bilawal amid popular chants and slogans. Shahbaz assures security to Bilawal Meanwhile, Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif assured complete security to Bilawal Bhutto whenever he likes to come to Punjab. The PPP patron-in-chief, in a tweet last week, had informed about a threatening letter he received from Lashkar-i-Jahngvi (LJ) and warned to hold the Punjab government responsible for sheltering the banned militant outfit and refusing to take action against them in case an attack was launched against him. In his letter, he wrote in response to a letter of Opposition Leader Syed Khurshid Shah, the chief minister said a joint committee had already been constituted to investigate threat to Bilawal. The Punjab government, he said, was in touch with the Sindh government and would continue to provide it with any development to be taken place in this regard.

Abducted Iran border guards freed by militant group

TEHRAN: A semi-official Iranian news agency is reporting that an al-Qaida-affiliated militant group Jaish al-Adl operating in a lawless frontier area along the Pakistan-Iran border has released Iranian border guards abducted two months ago. Friday´s report by the Fars news agency quotes an unnamed official as saying the guards were handed over to Iranian officials in Pakistan. It did not elaborate. According to Pakistan's Interior Ministry sources this was Iran's internal matter and the guards were released as a part of Tehran's prisoner swap with Jais al-Adl. In February, the Jaish al-Adl group abducted five Iranian guards outside Sarbaz, a town in Iran´s restive Sistan-Baluchistan province near the border with Pakistan. The guards were reportedly taken to Pakistan. A local official said last month that one of those abducted was killed. Also in March, Iran´s President Hassan Rouhani phoned Pakistan´s Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif asking for "serious action" to free the guards.

Remember: The day ZA Bhutto was hanged

A look back at the news report and front page of Dawn on April 5, 1979.

Advertisement 7 home remedies to lighten your skin tone in four weeks

Tired of applying skin whitening lotions and fairness creams, which fail to deliver results? While many brands adore creams which guarantee to minimize the melanin content in your skin to make you look fair, most of them are mere publicity stunt. All of us wish for a fairer skin tone. We bring to you natural ways to make your skin look fair and flawless. Here’s what you can do to make you skin look like pearls. -Mix 1 spoon of sugar in lemon juice. Scrub on your face, and body till sugar melts completely. -Mango peels mixed with 1 spoon of milk can be applied on face, and neck to impart healthy glow to your face. -Boil cabbage/cumin seeds in water to make you fair . Wash off your face with this water to get incandescent glow in your complexion. -Apply an egg white , and honey for 20 minutes to tighten your skin .This home remedy will give soft skin and help to retain youthful glow to your skin. -Lentil, curd/milk, lemon juice, and rice mixed together become a great scrub for getting fair, soft, and glowing skin naturally. Follow this beauty tip on alternate days. -Soak up sunflower seeds(chirongi) in raw milk overnight ,and grind them . Apply with a pinch of saffron, and turmeric . -Potato or tomato alone is a good bleach for your skin. Use this beauty tip daily. -Apply bread crumbs with malai(milk cream) to get fair , and smooth skin which glows from within.

7 indications your body gives you before a heart attack!

Heart attacks are not always sudden, dramatic and loud. Sometimes they are slow and difficult to analyse. A person having a heart attack may sometimes have just a single symptom or may have a combination of all. The best way to fight a heart attack is to quickly take action. The sooner a person receives help, the more chances he has to survive. Here are 7 signs of a forthcoming heart attack. Read on to find out. - Chest discomfort - Burning sensation in chest - Nausea - Tiredness or sudden lack of energy - Excessive sweating - Discomforting pain in arms, jaws, neck or back.

Revealed: 5 shocking facts about your favourite fast food!

Fast food sure tastes delicious and quenches an empty stomach, but it causes more hazard than you’ve ever imagined. For instance your happy meal at Mac Donald’s contains humungous amount of calories. To be precise, you will need to walk for seven hours straight to burn them off! We bring to you some most shocking facts about your favorite junk foods.

The pink frothy strawberry shake is not merely a drink. It is a chemical plant in itself! It contains ethyl acetate, phenythyl alcohol, rose, and solvent. A strawberry shake contains 50 different chemicals.

Fresh Salads: Fresh salads might sound like a healthy alternative, but their freshness is not so genuine. Propylene glycerol is used to antifreeze the salad, and to keep it cold and fresh.

French Fries: Oh! How we love the sweet and salty flavor of French fries. Do you know the fries are dipped and fried in sugar to give them the golden brown colour? Not only you are eating a lot of starch, but your sugar intake increases too.

Chicken or Beef? Some think that chicken is a healthy fast food, well think twice. Grilled chicken sandwiches, chicken nuggets, and even the chicken on salads contain beef.

Cold Drink: A study reveals that 50% of fountain drink dispensers are contaminated with fecal bacteria. Keep that in mind while ordering a large coke the next time!

PICS: Meet this 1st woman auto rickshaw driver of country contesting in Lok Sabha polls

New Delhi: Sunita Chaudhary who is contesting in the Lok Sabha elections from Panthers Party has become the centre of discussion because of her interesting 'declaration form.' Interestingly, Sunita Chaudhary is also the first woman auto rickshaw driver of the country.

She is the first auto rickshaw driver contesting in the elections to be held in April. She is paying much stress on the issues faced by couples in love. She is also campaigning about the same.

She distributes the pamphlets while driving her auto and appeal people to vote for her. She works and campaigns altogether.

The election symbol of Sunita's party is a cycle. This is the 4th time she is fighting in the elections from New Delhi. She is challenging three prominent leaders of political parties in the region.

She will be fielded against Congress' Ajay Makan, Bjp's Meenakshi Lekhi and Aam Aadmi Party's Ashish Khaitan.

Thus, she is struggling for her auto union and will also pay special attention to women empowerment. She says that she is unaffected by winning or losing the election and all she wants is that the issues she has cited in the declaration form become strong.

She is also associated with 'Love Commandos' helpline to protect the couples. She basically runs this helpline and has also issued a number for the same. In her declaration form which has 14 points, 9 of them are in favour of lovers.