SHOCKER: 13-year-old minor girl gang raped by 5 men for 5 days in Noida

Noida: In another gruesome incident, a 13-year-old minor girl was gang raped by 5 men. The incident happened in Salarpur region of Noida. The police told that one of the accused in the case has been arrested while the search for rest is going on. The victim has alleged that earlier, police denied registering the case. She said that when she went to the police station along with her family, police did not lodge the complaint. When the family pressurised them, they registered the case under section 376 (2) (G) of IPC and Child Sexual Offences Act. When the girl was produced in the case, the court ordered to file the case of gang rape. A senior police official said that the case has been registered in sector-49 police station. One of the accused name Sameer who is a resident of Bulandshahr has been arrested in the case. According to police, the incident took place on April 17. The family members of the victim claim that they came to Sector-39 area to attend a wedding function on April 16. Thereafter, on April 17, when the victim went outside the home, two bikers kidnapped her and took her to an isolated house. Further on, 5 more people came there and all 7 of them gang raped the girl for the next 5 days. When the family went to the police station to search for the daughter and asked local people for help, the kidnappers came to know about the information. Thus, they left the girl near a garden and escaped. After the victim interacted with the family, she said that 7 people tied her up but 5 of them raped her.

PTCL and Dailymotion join hands in Pakistan

HomePakistan PTCL and Dailymotion join hands in Pakistan Agencies The joint venture will offer improved viewing experience to PTCL customers, coupled with filtration of objectionable content. – Logos of PTCL and Dailymotion The joint venture will offer improved viewing experience to PTCL customers, coupled with filtration of objectionable content. – Logos of PTCL and Dailymotion KARACHI: Pakistan Telecommunications Company Limited (PTCL), the largest ICT services provider in Pakistan, has heralded a new age of video digital services in the country by bringing Dailymotion to Pakistan. The joint venture will offer improved viewing experience to PTCL customers, coupled with a wide-range of entertainment content and multi-screen viewing options. In absence of YouTube, which was blocked in the country for putting up an anti-Islamic video clip that sparked countrywide protests, the video sharing website is also offering service to block objectionable content in Pakistan. Dailymotion – one of the largest video and user generated content platform – consumes a significant portion of the broadband traffic in Pakistan and with this partnership PTCL has paved the way for the legitimacy of Pakistani content on Dailymotion portal. Walid Irshaid, President and CEO PTCL said that his company was spearheading the spread of digital services culture in Pakistan and the move will augment the growth of local content industry and talent as well as open-up new opportunities and better monetisation for Pakistan’s content industry. This partnership will also add a new dimension to our digital services platforms and will enable PTCL to offer wide range of entertainment products to our customers and reach audiences from diverse demographics, he added. Head of Economic Affairs of French Embassy in Islamabad, Eric Noitakis, characterised the accord as an opportunity to further strengthen the friendly ties with the people of Pakistan. “Pakistani culture is very vibrant and this joint venture of PTCL with French online streaming giant Dailymotion is another step forward in introducing the Pakistani culture to the world. This would also serve the Pakistani communities living abroad by connecting them to the content from their motherland,” he said. Vincent Martin, VP Distribution & Business Development Dailymotion said: “ We see Pakistan as a country with huge potential and this joint venture will result in an increase in the online video viewing on Dailymotion and hence advertisement. Our endeavor is to adhere to the eastern norms and culture of Pakistan by providing a family friendly portal. Moving forward, Dailymotion would also make the objectionable content blocked for Pakistan.” PTCL also hosted meetings of Dailymotion with Pakistani TV channels to create awareness about this development. PTCL management, Head of Economic Affairs of French Embassy in Pakistan and Pakistans content industry leaders participated in the meetings. PTCL and Dailymotion also plan to launch a video contest in Pakistan to promote youth centric creative activities in future.

SC upholds acquittal of MQM activists in Hakeem Said murder

KARACHI: The Supreme Court on Saturday upheld the verdict of Sindh High Court (SHC) rejecting the provincial government’s appeal regarding acquittal of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) activists in the murder case of famous philanthropist, writer and physician Hakeem Mohammad Said, DawnNews reported. The government in 2001 had filed the appeal in the apex court against the judgment of the SHC’s anti-terrorism appellate bench which acquitted all nine accused in Hakeem Said murder case. MQM workers Mohammed Amirullah, Mohammed Shakir alias Shakir Langra and Abu Imran Pasha were among the nine acquitted. On June 4, 1999, the anti-terrorism court No VI, Karachi, had convicted the respondents and sentenced them to death for causing the death of Hakeem Mohammed Said and two others. They were also fined Rs100,000 each. The decision brought joy among the MQM ranks and sweets were distributed in Burns Road, Ranchor Line and Liaquatabad among other areas of the port city.

LJ man killed in encounter; several arrested in Karachi raids

KARACHI: Police and Rangers in a combined operation on Saturday killed Qari Naushad, an allegedly key member of outlawed group Lashkar-i-Jhangvi, and arrested three others from Karachi’s Lyari Town, DawnNews reported. The combined operation conducted by police and Rangers personnel was carried out following a tip-off. During the encounter, an exchange of fire took place between the suspects and security personnel which resulted in the killing of Naushad. Rangers personnel said that two light machine guns (LMG)s, five sub-machine gun (SMG), two repeaters, six rocket launchers and 186 bullets locally called as awan bombs were recovered from the suspect’s possession. The suspect was wanted for crimes of a heinous nature, including murder. Targeted operations Law-enforcement agencies also detained three members of a political party from Lyari Town. They were identified by the names of Akhtar Baloch, Wasim alias Chotu and Akhtar Kala alias Brohi. Separately, Rangers personnel conducted a targeted operation in the city’s Gulshan-i-Hadeed area and arrested two suspects. Also, late last night, police conducted a search operation and arrested at least 40 suspects from the city’s Delhi Colony area where an explosion had killed at least six people on Friday. A First Information Report (FIR) was also registered against unknown persons at the Frere police station in relation to yesterday’s explosion.

PM, COAS, US envoy discuss regional situation

RAWALPINDI: The US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, James Dobbins, called on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief of the Army Staff General Raheel Sharif respectively on Friday. Besides matters of mutual interest, they discussed the regional security situation, the US drawdown and reconciliation process in Afghanistan. They also discussed the post-Afghan election scenario and situation on the Pak-Afghan border. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and US Ambassador Richard Olson attended the meeting.US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan James Dobbins also called on the Chief of the Army Staff, General Raheel Sharif, in Rawalpindi. Besides matters of mutual interest, they discussed the Pak-US defence cooperation, security situation of the region, the US drawdown and situation on the Pak-Afghan border.According to the ISPR, during the meeting, issues of mutual interest were discussed. While the success of Afghan presidential elections was noted with satisfaction, the importance of stable and democratic Afghanistan was emphasized for regional security.

Ukraine PM cuts short Rome trip 'because of the situation'

VATICAN CITY: Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk will cut short his trip to Rome and miss the canonisation of John Paul II and John XXIII because of growing tensions with Russia, his spokeswoman told on Saturday. "He can´t stay because of the situation", Olga Lappo said as the prime minister met with Pope Francis, amid rising tensions between pro-Russian protesters and Ukrainian authorities in the eastern part of the ex-Soviet country. The Group of Seven rich countries have agreed to slap sanctions on Moscow as early as Monday over the soaring Ukraine crisis amid fears in the West that Russia could be about to invade. Nerves frayed after pro-Russian rebels holding a group of international OSCE observers in the area earlier Saturday accused them of being "NATO spies" and vowed to continue detaining them.

Syria's Daraa clahses leave 88 dead in two days: monitor

BEIRUT: At least 88 rebel and regime forces have been killed in two days of clashes for control of strategic sites in Syria´s southern Daraa province, an monitoring group said Saturday. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights based in Britain said 45 opposition fighters and 43 regime forces had been killed in the fighting that began on Thursday. Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP that rebel forces, including fighters from Al-Qaeda´s Syria affiliate Al-Nusra Front, had seized the strategic Tal al-Jabiyeh hill on Thursday. Clashes were continuing as the opposition fighters sought to take another hilltop nearby in a bid to connect territory they hold in Daraa and the Quneitra region, alongside the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The Observatory said rebel forces had seized weapons and ammunition during the clashes and that regime forces had called in support from heavy artillery and helicopters to try to retake the hill. On Saturday, Abdel Rahman said, the opposition was focusing its efforts on capturing Tal Jamu, some five kilometres (three miles) from Tal al-Jabiyeh, in a bid to link areas under its control.

Hamid Mir attack: JC issues notices, first hearing on April 28

ISLAMABAD: The judicial commission, formed to investigate attack on Geo News anchorperson Hamid Mir, has issued notices to Home Secretary Sindh, IG Police and others officials concerned, Geo News reported. The three-member commission comprising Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, Justice Iqbal Hameedur Rahman and Justice Ejaz Afzal will hear the case from April 28 to May 02 at Supreme Court Karachi Registry. The first hearing will be held on Monday at 10:00 AM and notices have been issued to Home Secretary Sindh, IG Police, DG Rangers, Joint Director IB and DIG East and DIG Special Branch.

Shocker: MNC executive molested by 3 men in Ghaziabad

Ghaziabad: In a shocking incident reported in the city on Wednesday, a woman employee working with a Noida-based Multi National Company (MNC) was molested by 3 men at Kavi Nagar area late at night. She was on her way back home after shopping at a market close by, along with her mother, when the accused launched a molestation attempt. The dress of the girl got torn-off in the incident. The girl was returning home accompanied by her mother from the market located nearby to her house situated at Kavi Nagar, when 3 men , all in twenties, started passing vulgar comments and following them. As they began molesting her, and began tearing her clothes, the girl raised an alarm. Listening to her screams, the crowd gathered and forced the men to run away, leaving behind their two-wheeler on the site of incident.

Police registers suo moto FIR against baba Ramdev for his 'Honeymoon' remarks

New Delhi/Lucknow: The police on Saturday registered the suo moto FIR against yoga guru baba Ramdev. The first information report was registered over his alleged comments on Dalits while he was targeting Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi. Ramdev commented over Congress and Dalit leaders during a yoga camp. He had said 'Rahul goes to Dalit houses for picnic and honeymoon.' To avoid direct confrontation with the Election Commission, he had re-branded his yoga camp as 'Yog Diksha & Rashtra Nirman Sabha.' 'Rahul is searching for a foreigner bride but his mother Sonia Gandhi is not allowing him to marry a foreigner unless until he becomes PM', he had said. The police have registered a suo moto FIR against Ramdev in this regard.

'Gujarat Muslims forced to change names, undergo purification, to live in Hindu localities'

Bhavnagar, Gujarat: Praveen Togadia kicked off a hornet's nest when he commented that Muslims living in Hindu-dominated locality should be evicted. His comments came as a rude shock and left the political parties seeking cover. Even, BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi was forced to issue a statement and disapproved of "petty statements by those claiming to be BJP's well-wishers". It appears that incident of discrimination against members of Muslim community are not restricted to Praveen Togadia's comment. A report published in prominent British newspaper, Independent, cites an example of Gujarat's Bhavnagar, where members of the minority community were discriminated upon by member of majority community. Ali Asgar Zaveri, a scrap dealer, has been unable to acquire his property- in a Hindu dominated area- because of his religion. "For the last few months, residents of the Krishna Nagar neighbourhood have been sitting outside Mr Zaveri’s property, chanting Hindu prayers and banging metal plates in protest," the article quoted. Though Togadia was reprimanded by the Election Commission and the top brass of his party, his statement seems to have worked its magic. The Krishna Nagar neighbourhood, where Zaveri brought his home, has been particularly tense. The people are reluctant to let new Muslim dwellers in their locality, the article quoted. One Muslim dweller in Krishna Nagar was forced to change his name and underwent a 'purification ritual' in order to remain in the neighbourhood after buying their house. However, some people revealed that eating habits as one of the reasons behind not alloting homes to Muslims in Hindu dominated areas. "They claimed most Hindus in Gujarat were strictly vegetarian and the residents would be “upset” by the eating habits of non-vegetarian neighbours. Several said they feared the arrival of Mr Zaveri would lead to more Muslims and that the neighbourhood would stop being Hindu. One man claimed Muslims were not clean," the report added.

Govt to establish halal food authority

ISLAMABAD: The government is to establish a first of its kind halal food authority in order to regulate the production of food and non-food items for import and export. This body is to be set up under the Ministry of Science and Technology and run by a board of governors. Officials at the ministry revealed that the documentation is complete to move forward to fulfil the legislative process. Federal Minister for Science and Technology Zahid Hamid said Pakistan’s share in the export of halal food items is nominal. “This amount in total comes up to $2 trillion,” said Hamid.

An official at the ministry said the private and public sector companies would be accredited with the halal food authority and efforts would be made to boost the export of halal products through the proposed regulatory authority. Science and Technology federal secretary Kamran Ali Qureshi told The Express Tribune that Pakistan has less than 5% share in the trillion dollar industry. “Pakistan lacks a national body for this purpose,” he remarked. Qureshi further added that the proposed act is to promote the sector, ensure implementation of uniform standards and promote trade with foreign countries. The ministry official stated that the body would be regulated as per the guidelines of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation for halal items. The official said that stern action would be taken against manufacturers of sub-standard food products and also those which are not accredited with the Pakistan Standard and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA). Hamid remarked that all testing laboratories would be registered with the Ministry of Science and Technology while PSQCA approved food items would not be sent to other provinces for testing. Published in The Express Tribune, April 26th, 2014.

Man beaten for ‘not disclosing children from earlier marriage’

LAHORE: A woman and her son beat her 60-year-old husband at district and sessions court for not disclosing the fact that he had seven children from his first wife. Petitioner Muhammad Saleem had sought a case against his second wife and her children for allegedly stealing cash and valuables from his house. On Friday, Saleem appeared for the hearing where his second wife, Salma Bibi, and their son Muhammad Usman were also present. Bibi and Usman hit Saleem when he asked her not to divorce him during the hearing for the sake of their children. Usman, on the directions of his mother, kicked her father and slapped him, asking why he had hidden the fact that he had seven children from his first wife. Talking to The Express Tribune, Saleem said his first wife passed away 20 years ago and later, he had married Salma. He said he had never hidden his seven children from her. Bibi claimed that he had not told her about his children. She said her husband had told her that he did not have children from his earlier marriage. According to petition Saleem had filed, Salma and Usman robbed him of Rs300,000 and valuables at gun point. The judge had sought comments from Iqbal Town police and the police had told the court that it was a family dispute involving two marriages, and less likely to be a crime. The judge then dismissed the petition the courts could not intervene. Published in The Express Tribune, April 26th, 2014.

An evening with Zia Mohyeddin

ISLAMABAD: A question that often worries book lovers is that will the digital age put an end to the culture of book reading? The second day of National Book Day Celebration, which was held on Wednesday evening, was a ray of hope for those who believe that book reading can never get old. It is a tradition started by the National Book Foundation and is continuing from the days of Mazharul Islam — the former Managing Director of the foundation. Most of the seats of the main auditorium of the Pak-China Centre were taken by 7pm, with the audience anxiously waiting for the arrival of the widely celebrated actor and narrator, Zia Mohyeddin. The cries were heard and around 30 minutes past seven, Dr Omer Aadil with his co-host Farah Hussain, emerged from behind the stage and announced Zia Mohyeddin. The octogenarian Zia jogged a couple of steps to reach the rostrum. The auditorium resounded with thunderous claps. Almost all rose, most in respect, others to catch a glimpse of the master narrator. The leaflet sent out to invite people to the second day of the National Book Foundation promised a delightful evening, through a rare repertoire from classic to contemporary literature by the legend. And that it was. According to Dr Aadil, they were apprehensive at first, they had a feeling that people may not turn up in as many numbers as they did in Lahore and Karachi. However, he was happy that the impression of Islamabad as a ‘city of babus’ with little to no interest in books was proven wrong. The hall was packed to capacity and people stood at the back reclining against the wall. Aadil said, just like good singers, Zia’s oration lent a new life to words.

Zia, acknowledging the welcome, moved behind the microphone, perched his glasses on his nose and started in his gruff, resonant voice, taking the audience on a rare journey from old to new — interspersing it with a comment on “English being a crazy language” attributed to the American comedian writer and social critic George Carlin, who among other hilarious things says, “If vegetarian eat vegetables, I wonder what a humanitarian eats?” and “Where do you fill in a form by filling it out.” He dexterously alternated between verse and prose to cater to the varied interests of the audience. Some continuously giggled, others smiled, while the rest laughed to the point of tears trickling down their cheeks. The event was engaging and entertaining; neither did the narrator’s forehead show any signs of perspiration and nor did the audience grow any less generous in putting their hands together. Every good phrase, rise and fall of the voice and change of accent to reflect the gender and ethnicity of characters was duly applauded. He rendered Phir Koi Aya Dil-e Zar, Nahin Koi Nahin and Manzar by Faiz Ahmed Faiz without looking at the paper. Excerpts read out from works of Josh Malih Abadi, Zulfiqar Ali Bukhari and Mushtaq Ahmad Yusufi were particularly liked. At the end of every rendition, he would remove his glasses and the audience would clap. This magic lasted for one hour and thirty minutes. The Islooites sent back the master by again rising in their chairs and giving him a much-deserved standing ovation. “We neither have words, nor the pronunciation nor the accent to thank Zia. Appreciate our courage, we have dared to speak just after Zia has spoken,” said Aadil. At the end of the session, an audience member, Aimen Zoheb, said she was recently reading Yusufi, but it was an entirely different experience to listen to Zia. He gave the words a new life. “It was wonderful. It was worth the time and effort. It is a blessing to be living in the same age as Zia Saheb,” said Abdus Samad, a pharmacy student from Abbottabad as he walked out of the auditorium with a smile playing on his lips. Published in The Express Tribune, April 26th, 2014.

Terror comes back to haunt Karachiites

KARACHI: Explosive experts were sifting through blood-stained shoes, bolts and metal pieces torn off vehicles hours after a bomb went off outside an apartment building in an upscale neighbourhood of Karachi Friday noon. Six people were killed and over 30 others injured in the blast that happened a day after a targeted suicide attack. Karachi witnessed a brief lull in militant violence during the time the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) was observing a ceasefire. The TTP claimed responsibility for Thursday’s suicide bombing that killed Inspector Shafiq Tanoli, an encounter specialist of Karachi police. However, no group immediately claimed credit for Friday’s bombing. According to the police, it was an improvised explosive device (IED), planted in an auto-rickshaw which was parked outside an apartment building on Chaudhry Khaliq-uz-Zaman Road, Clifton Block 8. Two mosques, belonging to the Sunni sect, are situated nearby. Police said the device was detonated at 2:30pm when people were exiting the mosques after offering Friday prayers. The casualties were shifted to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) where the dead were identified as 50-year-old Farah, her son Yahya, 22, Sajid Elahi, 50, Shahzad Ali, 30, Ubaidullah, 50 and Abdul Jabbar. The victims were mostly passersby, bystanders and residents from the nearby Delhi Colony. The JPMC joint executive director, Dr Seemin Jamali, told The Express Tribune that five of the injured were in critical condition. A Bomb Disposal Squad official said the bomb weighed 10 kilos and three kilos of bolt were also packed in the device to inflict maximum casualties. “It was a multi-directional bomb and was detonated remotely,” he added. The police are not sure about the exact target. Since no close-circuit television cameras are installed in the vicinity, police investigators are facing problems in determining the target. Half a dozen vehicles driving past the area were damaged in the blast. However, three vehicles – two with government registration numbers – parked in the area bore the brunt. The explosion took place moments after a bus carrying around 50 worshipers from Masjid-wa-Imambargah Yasrab drove past. The two passengers of the bus were also wounded. “We pass the area routinely. The bus pick worshippers from different areas and then drop us at the Imambargah every Friday,” Saleem, one of the injured worshipers, told The Express Tribune from his hospital bed. “Definitely, we were the target. But a disaster was averted because the driver was driving fast,” he added. Police officials also suspected that the bus could have been the target. “Most probably, the bus was the target,” said DIG Khalique Shaikh, who is heading the investigation. “Militants of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and TTP have resumed their activities after the end of ceasefire,” he added. DIG Shaikh said police raids on suspected hideouts of terrorists were ongoing. “It is for the government and political parties to decide on how to deal with militants,” he added. Published in The Express Tribune, April 26th, 2014.

Pakistan, US to revive Afghan peace efforts

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the United States would push for reviving the stalled reconciliation process in Afghanistan once a new government is put in place in the war-torn country, an official said on Friday. The issue came under discussion during a series of meetings between the US special representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan, James Dobbins, and top Pakistani officials. Before concluding his two-day trip on Friday, Dobbins met with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and army chief General Raheel Sharif. A day earlier he had met with Prime Minister’s Adviser on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz and Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan. According to officials, the discussions focused on evolving a strategy to revive the stalled peace process in Afghanistan. Washington is keen on striking some kind of a deal with the Taliban and other Afghan insurgents before the US-led forces withdraw by end of this year. Officials added that both sides would seek an early meeting of the trilateral group, comprising senior officials from Pakistan, Afghanistan and the US, to discuss the reconciliation efforts. During the meeting with the PM, President Obama’s point-man for the region said that Islamabad and Washington had ‘convergences’ on the issue of Afghanistan, a source said. According to the official statement, both sides discussed matters of mutual interests, regional security situation, US drawdown and reconciliation process in Afghanistan. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and US Ambassador Richard Olson also attended the meeting. Separately, Dobbins met army chief Gen Raheel Sharif to discuss defence cooperation between the two countries as well as the current regional security situation. Sources said the issue of transfer of some of the leftover military equipment of the US forces stationed in Afghanistan to Pakistani army also came under discussion. Pakistan is particularly interested in the US army’s mine-resistant ambush-protected (MRAP) vehicles, which Pentagon officials say will have limited strategic value as US forces withdraw from Afghanistan. But with Pakistan’s military expected to be battling Taliban insurgents for years, the MRAPs could help them slow their high casualty rate – more than 20,000 dead or injured troops since 2001. According to a statement issued by the US Embassy, Dobbins appreciated the opportunity to meet with the Pakistani leadership. He reaffirmed the US commitment to enhancing its relations with Pakistan, discussed opportunities for bilateral coordination to promote regional stability, and explored ways for the US and Pakistan may forge a stronger partnership by working together to achieve common objectives, the statement said. Published in The Express Tribune, April 26th, 2014.

Elusive dream: Five-hour-a-day blackouts to stay for next five years

ISLAMABAD: In spite of an investment of $10 billion and an addition of 12,000 megawatts to national grid, Pakistan will still be facing five-hours-a-day load shedding five years down the line, reveals a draft of Country-Partnership Strategy (CPS) that the World Bank Group will approve next week. The CPS carries the bonanza of $11 billion loans to Pakistan in next five years (2015-19) and places the inefficient energy sector on top of its priority list. The strategy that the WB will approve on May 1 sets three outcomes against its investment in the energy sector. The WB has set the goal to reduce power outages from an average eight-hour a day to five-hour a day by 2019 –a year after Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) government will have completed its five year constitutional term. The revelation suggests that despite claims of bringing an end to load shedding, the PML-N will too leave the legacy of power outages – a slogan that its opponents could exploit in 2018 general elections. The other two main goals in the energy sector are reducing cost of generation by over one-fifth to average Rs7.7 per unit from an average of Rs10 per unit and complete withdrawal of electricity subsidies except for lifeline consumers. These goals are also consistent with the government’s policies, although challenging. The Diamer Basha dam does not figure in the draft CPS. The CPS is structured around four pillars, recognising the extraordinary economic, political and security challenges facing Pakistan. The three main arms of the WB Group plan to extend $11 billion, with International Development Association (IDA) contributing $6 billion, International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) $2 billion and International Finance Corporation (IFC) $3 billion. But the draft CPS states in clear terms that ‘these levels ($11 billion) are notional’, as lot will depend upon the government’s ability to deliver on reforms that the CPS outlines. For the first time, the WB does not identify planned projects against the notional loans aimed at keeping leverage in its hand that it maneuvers to use at the time of annual reviews. According to the WB, Pakistan’s energy sector is highly inefficient and unsustainable. Pakistan ranks 166 of 183 economies on the ease of getting electricity, worse than the average for South Asia. The WB strategy aims at mobilising over $10 billion to support new generation, a significant part of this amount will be offered by the WB. The new investment will be both public and private projects. But for complete overhaul of the energy sector, Pakistan needs at least $3 billion to $4 billion in funding annually. The new investment is expected to increase the total generation capacity from present 21,000MW to 33,000MW. The WB says it will focus on hydropower development along the Indus River Cascade. “The key monitorable outcome from WB activities will be to reduce load shedding from 8 hours to 5 hours per day,” the draft strategy notes. However, the key to additional power is the WB’s plan to shift additional 500 million cubic feet of gas per day for power generation to add additional 6,000MW. Published in The Express Tribune, April 26th, 2014.

Militants release video of Ali Haider Gilani

ISLAMABAD: In a recently released video, Ali Haider Gilani – the abducted son of former prime minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani – has said he is in custody of a militant group not part of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). According to a top government official, the group has demanded Rs2 billion in ransom and warned that they would kill him if their demand was not met within a month. “The government received a video of Haidar through a back channel. In the video, he is shown in shackles, and in very bad condition. He is criticising the government and his family for not doing enough for his release,” the government functionary told reporters on Friday. Ali Gilani was kidnapped on May 2, 2013 during an election rally in his hometown Multan. At the time of his abduction, in which his secretary and bodyguard had also got killed, a caretaker setup was in place to supervise the 2013 elections. The Gilani family says Ali underwent liver surgery in London in 2012 and was living on heavy medicines. Conflicting reports have been coming in the media about the fate of Ali and other high-profile persons picked up by militants. The recent video, which shows him alive, is therefore a good news for the family. Ali Gilani is among those people whose release is part of the agenda of the government and Taliban committees’ ongoing peace talks. The other two high-profile abductees are Shahbaz Taseer and Dr Ajmal. Sources privy to the recent TTP-government committees meetings said the release of Ali and other persons in militants’ custody had come under discussion several times. The government wanted to secure their release in exchange for ‘non combatant’ Taliban prisoners, they added. Published in The Express Tribune, April 26th, 2014.

Police requests ATC to declare Express News attack case dormant

KARACHI: The police requested an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) to declare the case regarding the attack on the three Express News staffers dormant, Express News reported on Saturday. On January 17, gunmen riding on motorcycles had shot dead three Express News workers after ambushing a stationary DSNG van in the North Nazimabad area of Karachi. Technician Waqas , driver Khalid, and guard Ashraf were killed in the attack. During the hearing today, the police presented a report regarding the incident, which stated that none of the attackers had been arrested as of yet. The ATC ordered the police to arrest the assailants as soon as possible. Other attacks: April 6, 2014 Masked men had hurled a hand grenade at the house of Jamshed Baghwan, theExpress News bureau chief in Peshawar, in the Murshiedabad neighbourhood of the city. March 28, 2014 Analyst and Express News show “Khabar Se Agay” anchor Raza Rumi was attacked in Lahore on March 28, in which his driver, Mustafa, was killed and his guard injured. March 19, 2014 A bomb was defused outside Express News Peshawar bureau chief Jamshed Baghwan’s housein Murshadabad area of Peshawar. December 2, 2013 Three people were injured when the Karachi office came under attack. Two hand grenades were hurled at the office building, while unknown assailants opened indiscriminate fire. August 16, 2013 Four armed men fired indiscriminately outside the entrance of the Express Media Group officein Karachi, injuring two members of staff, including a guard who is paralysed.

Judges’ appointments: Top judiciary mulls bringing back judges sacked in 2009

ISLAMABAD: The superior judiciary has finally started considering re-appointment of those judges who were shown the door by the Supreme Court on July 31, 2009, as they were appointed by the ‘de facto’ chief justice Abdul Hameed Dogar. Sources revealed to The Express Tribune that Chief Justice of Pakistan Tassaduq Hussain Jillani has summoned a meeting of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) on May 8 regarding the appointment of ten Sindh High Court additional judges. Sources say Sindh High Court Chief Justice Maqbool Baqir has also recommended the name of Prosecutor General NAB K K Agha to the JCP as SHC additional judge. “K K Agha was an SHC judge for a few months but was removed through the top court’s July 31, 2009 judgment,” these sources said. This is the first time since July 31, 2009, that the superior judiciary is considering the reappointment of any sacked judge.

Senior lawyer Tariq Mahmood told The Express Tribune that this is ‘a good move’ by the superior courts as the judges, who were competent, honest and had taken oath under the restored Constitution, were elevated by a democratically-elected government. He also urged CJP Tassaduq Hussain Jillani to strengthen the high courts and stop the elevation of high court judges in the apex court for some time. Former chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry did not consider the reappointment of judges who were removed by SC’s July 31, 2009 verdict. The Pakistan Bar Council, the top regulatory body of lawyers, is demanding the reconsideration of judges who took oath under the restored Constitution and who were elevated by a democratically-elected government. The PBC also passed resolutions to this effect, demanding that the Judicial Commission reconsider the dismissal of these judges. Regarding the matter, PBC Vice-Chairman Muhammad Ramzan Chaudhry addressed the full court on April 11. He said, “Our constitutional history is replete with instances of the removal of judges by non-political forces. Sadly, on July 31, 2009, for the first time in our judicial history, a few judges removed a large number of their own brethren. In other words, 14 judges of the superior court sacked over 100 Judges without hearing them, disregarding Article 209 of the Constitution. Unfortunately, this led to a divide between the bench and the bar.” He also requested the SC to revisit its judgment. Meanwhile, sources said SHC CJ Maqbool Baqir has initiated the names of four lower judiciary judges as well as six lawyers regarding the appointment of SHC judges. “The names of the judges are Ghulam Qadir Laghari, Abdul Ghani Soomro, Syed Saghir Hussain Zaidi and Rashid Ahmad Soomro,” they added. The names of six lawyers up for reappointment are Ahmad Raza Naqvi, Syed Saeeduddin Nasir, K K Agha, Muhammad Hassan, Muhammad Iqbal Kolhoro and Shahab Sarki. Sources said the appointment of Islamabad High Court judges has been postponed two times in the last two months. Earlier, CJP Tassaduq Hussain Jillani summoned a meeting of the JCP on April 10 to discuss the appointment of two Islamabad High Court (IHC) judges. IHC Chief Justice (CJ) Anwar Kasi had suggested four names for the appointment of two additional judges. Later, a three-member panel of the JCP’s sub-committee, headed by the IHC’s Justice Riaz Ahmad Khan, was due to hold a meeting on April 9 and to shortlist two names from the list of four nominees; however, the commission’s meeting was postponed at the eleventh hour. Published in The Express Tribune, April 26th, 2014.

Taliban asks for 2 days to decide venue for TTP Shura-govt meeting

PESHAWAR: The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has asked for two days to decide the location of the meeting between the TTP Political Shura and the government committee, Express News reported on Saturday. This was decided after the TTP peace talks committee contacted the TTP shura. Professor Mohammad Ibrahim confirmed the TTP request. On April 23, government negotiators and Taliban intermediaries had agreed to form a subcommittee to look into reservations from both sides in an effort to keep the nascent peace dialogue process. This was done at a joint meeting of the government negotiating team and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan’s intermediary committee. The meeting was convened by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan to look into the situation against the backdrop of TTP’s refusal to extend their 40-day ceasefire. The government has already made it clear that it would not be possible to move ahead with talks in the absence of ceasefire.

'Rahul goes to Dalit houses for picnic and honeymoon'

Lucknow: Despite Election Commission’s directions not to campaign for BJP during yoga camps, Baba Ramdev courted another controversy by targeting Rahul Gandhi. His comments on Rahul Gandhi during a health camp could invite the ire of Election Commission, Congress and Dalit leaders. Ramdev said: “Rahul goes to Dalit houses for picnic and honeymoon." In an effort to avoid direct confrontation with EC, he re-branded his yoga camp as "Yog Diksha & Rashtra Nirman Sabha." During a press conference in Lucknow Ramdev went on to say: "Rahul is searching for a foreigner bride but his mother Sonia Gandhi is not allowing him to marry a foreigner unless until he becomes PM." He did not stop at that and further added, “Rahul goes to Dalit houses for picnic and honeymoon. But he will not tie the knot with those Dalit girls."

Rajasthan: 28-year-old teacher gangraped in school premises

Bundi: In a shocking incident, a 28-year-old lady teacher was gangraped on Friday morning when she was alone in the school building. Four persons barged inside the classroom of a primary school in Bundi district, police said. They said the woman was posted at a government primary school in Rhain village. Three accused - Dayaram, Chotu Singh and Hari Singh - residents of the nearby villages, have been detained while the fourth, Babulal, is absconding, he said. Confirming the incident, Block Education Officer Satayanarayan Gehlot said two female teachers were posted at primary school and one of them was on maternity leave. The victim teacher was alone in the school building when the incident took place. Superintendent of Police Pankaj Choudhary said on the complaint of the victim, a case under section 376 of IPC was registered against the four persons. Police are investigating the case and the victim has been sent to district government hospital for medical examination.

SHOCKING: Doctors continue treatment of woman even after her death to increase hospital bill

Bhopal: A woman was brought to the LBS hospital in Bhopal after she complained of chest pain. Astonishingly, the doctors kept treating her even after she died in order to increase her bill amount. The muddle was disclosed when the friend of woman's husband who is a doctor by profession came to check on her. When he checked the pulse of Seema Sahay, he told her husband Maden Nandan that she is dead. The annoyed husband filed a complaint in the court in this regard. After the order from the court, the police registered the case of 'fraud' against the Director of the hospital and 4 doctors involved in the case and sent them court notice. The incident happened when 55-year-old Seema Sahay was admitted in the hospital after she complained of chest pain. Seema's husband Madan Nandan is an advocate by profession. The doctors started her treatment in the hospital and also conducted an angiography. The next day, Madan Nandan's friend doctor Durlabh Singh Malhotra visited the hospital to ask about Seema's health. When he checked the pulse of Seema, it was revealed that she was dead. Thereafter, the other doctors of the hospital also declared her dead. Madan filed a complaint in the court in the same regard. After investigation, the police had sent notices to Director of hospital Dr Bhupendra Srivastava, GS Gautam, Rohit Srivastava and Anand Yadav after lodging the case. Regarding this case, Dr Bhupendra Srivastava, the Director of LBS hospital said 'The woman was admitted in the hospital for 8 days and she was on ventilator for 4 days. The urine of the woman was recorded on the day she was declared dead. Thus the allegation of treating her even after she died is false.' 'The husband of late Seema Sahay is demanding Rs. 5 lakh to suppress the matter. Only because we did not pay him the money, he took the matter to the court', he added.

Vote for Modi ONLY, if you want to maintain communal harmony in Kashi: Insidious pamphlet to MUSLIMS

Varanasi: In a bid to turn the upcoming election into a Hindu-vs-Muslim tussle, a pamphlet is being distributed here asking Muslims to vote for BJP's prime ministerial nominee Narendra Modi as he is the unanimous choice of all Hindus and supporting him will strengthen Hindu-Muslims relations in the temple town of Uttar Pradesh. Issued by one Shrinath Tripathi, the pamphlet did not carry the name of any political party, news portal Scroll.in reported. "Muslim brothers of Banaras know that when Murli Manohar Joshi could not be defeated (in 2009 election), how is it possible to stop Modi in this wave," the pamphlet reads. Declaring that Modi will win the election from Varanasi parliamentary seat, the pamphlet said, "The only issue which is being debated is what would be the margin of his victory." Notably, the high-voltage Modi campaign and the culture of intolerance it is generating are being watched with deep anxiety by many of Varanasi’s residents. They fear that that it will greatly damage the city’s syncretic culture. Many residents have already been alarmed by statements made by leaders of the BJP and Sangh Parivar in the past few days. Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Pravin Togadia has recently said Muslims should be stopped from buying property in Hindu-majority areas.

Last week, Giriraj Singh, senior BJP leader in Bihar, said Narendra Modi’s critics have no place in the country and they will have go to Pakistan. Earlier, Modi's close aide Amit Shah said at a meeting in western UP, where communal riots last year had left dozens dead, that the election was an opportunity "to take revenge" and "to teach a lesson to those who have done injustice". Muslims form 15% of Vararansi’s population and are crucial for any electoral victory. During the last Lok Sabha election, the BJP’s Murli Manohar Joshi defeated Bahujan Samaj Party’s candidate Mukhtar Ansari by just 17,000 votes. For Muslims of Varanasi, the choice is between Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal and Ajay Rai of Congress. If the community as a whole decides to throw its weight behind one of them, the BJP could be in trouble when the constituency goes to the polls on May 12.

One-sided media trial against armed forces should end, says Nisar

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said Friday that a one-sided media trial against Pakistan’s armed forces and defence establishments should end, DawnNews reported. Speaking to media representatives outside the Parliament House in the federal capital, Nisar said it was the federal government’s constitutional and legal responsibility to protect the dignity of the Pakistan Army and other intelligence agencies, adding that there should be no ambiguity or fallacy in that respect. The interior minister said Jang group would have to retract its steps in the greater national interests of Pakistan, adding that the media trial over senior journalist Hamid Mir's attack would have to end otherwise anti-state elements would take advantage of the situation. The minister said he was personally trying to ensure that the situation would not be aggravated from either of the sides. The minister said the ISPR had strongly condemned the attack on Mir and also demanded for an independent commission to probe the incident, adding that a media trial would create further confusion. He said all forces and segments of society were on the same page over conducting a transparent investigation into the attack on journalist Hamid Mir and to bring his perpetrators to justice. Nisar said an independent media as well as honourable and dignified armed forces were the needs of Pakistan. He advised both sides to remain patient and to avoid troublemakers. The interior minister said Mir’s family should

COAS meets with US special envoy

RAWALPINDI: Ambassador James F. Dobbins, United States Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, called on Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif, today at General Headquarters. During the meeting, issues of mutual interest were discussed. While the success of Afghan Presidential elections was noted with satisfaction, importance of stable and democratic Afghanistan was emphasised for regional security. Earlier on Thursday, the US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan held consultations with Adviser to Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz and Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan.

Nokia finalises handset deal with Microsoft

HELSINKI: The former Finnish telecom giant Nokia completed the sale to Microsoft of its once iconic handset business on Friday, leaving factories in India and Korea out of the deal. The company said that the value of the transfer announced in September, would be “slightly higher” than the earlier quoted price of 5.44 billion euros ($7.52 billion). The final figure would be decided on the basis of “the verified balance sheet”, it said in a statement. The US software giant Microsoft agreed to exclude factories in Chennai in southern India and in South Korea. “In India, our manufacturing facility is subject to an asset freeze by the Indian tax authorities as a result of ongoing tax proceedings,” Nokia wrote in a statement. It said that the factory would remain part of Nokia and that an agreement had been made to produce mobile devices for Microsoft. The Chennai factory is one of the company's largest, employing close to 7,000 people. About 200 employees will be affected however by the closure of the Masa plant in South Korea and Nokia said it would give similar financial support to that offered to workers made redundant at other sites. The company added that more details of the transfer to Microsoft would be available on 29 April with the publication of its quarterly results. Nokia was the world leader in mobile phones until it was challenged by Apple's iPhone in 2007 and later Samsung. By shedding its handheld business the company hopes to return to profitability by concentrating on telecom services and infrastructure.

ECC approves Rs18.5bn restructuring plan for PSM

ISLAMABAD: The Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet (ECC) here on Thursday approved Rs18.5 billion restructuring plan for the Pakistan Steel Mill (PSM). The ECC of the Cabinet, met under Federal Minister for Finance, Senator Ishaq Dar at the Prime Minister's Office, also decided to impose 25 per cent regulatory duty on export of potatoes with effect from May 5. The plan for PSM envisages achieving 77 per cent capacity of the PSM till June 2015. Muhammad Zubair, Chairman Privatisation Commission informed the ECC that at this stage, the PSM was functioning at 3-6 per cent capacity due to shortage of funds and it was not possible for the plant to run for a long period at this capacity. He said that the possibility of finding a strategic partner for PSM also looks remote. Zubair concluded that there is an urgent need to focus on its restructuring in order to get a better price of the public asset. He informed that the ministry of Industries, management of PSM and the privatization commission were on the same page regarding the restructuring plan. Finance Minister Dar on the occasion said that the CEO of PSM should be confident and assured the forum that the anticipated results will be achieved with the restructuring plan. The management of PSM assured the ECC that with the implementation on the plan, PSM will be able to pay all their liabilities and with operational capacity around 77 per cent, they will earn a monthly profit of Rs38 million onward from January 2015. Hike in potato prices The ECC also considered a summary of the ministry of national food security and research on artificial hike in the prices of potatoes in the market. The ECC was informed that hoarding and profiteering has led to increase of potatoes price locally which should be in the range of Rs30 per kg. The finance minister said that it was the collective responsibility of the federal and the provincial governments to protect consumers, adding that manipulation in prices of essential commodities will not be allowed. He added that three days were given to the hoarders and middlemen to release the supply of potatoes in the market but it seems that the government will need to take appropriate measures to stabilise the prices. The ECC on the recommendation of Minister for National Food Security and Research, Sikandar Hayat Bosan decided to impose 25pc regulatory duty on export of potatoes with effect from May 5. It was further decided that there will be zero duty and levy on import of potato from May, 5 till July 31 and the measure will help in bringing potato prices at rational level in the market before and during the month of Ramzan this year. Wheat donation to FATA, KP displaced The ECC also approved the summary of ministry of national food security and research for donation of 26,000 metric tons of wheat to WFP for dislocated population of FATA and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. This will be a gift from the government of Pakistan to the IDPs to be distributed through WFP. The federal government will incur Rs832 million for donation of wheat. The ECC also approved, in principle, a summary of the ministry of industry and production for allowing utility stores corporation to procure sugar directly from the domestic sugar mills without the involvement of the trading corporation of Pakistan. The ministry of finance will provide credit line support to the USC. The TCP was directed to maintain their stocks upto 50,000 tons in future and to supply their over and above stocks to the USC from the current inventory of around 200,000 tons. The meeting was also attended by Minister for Industries and Production Ghulam Murtaza Khan Jatoi, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Minister for Science and Technology Zahid Hamid, Minister for National Food Security Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan, Minister for Textile Industry Abbas Khasn Afridi, MOS for I.T & Telecom Anusha Rehman Khan, federal secretaries and senior officials of the government.

Pir Pagara meets Musharraf

KARACHI: Pir Pagara Syed Sibghatullah Shah Rashdi on Friday evening called on former president retired general Pervez Musharraf at the latter’s residence in Defence and inquired after his health and well-being. Pir Pagara, who is president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional, was accompanied by a leader of his party Kamran Tessori. In a statement issued to the media after the meeting, Pir Pagara said on the death of his sister, Gen Musharraf had arrived at his residence in London for condolence and now he felt it his duty to go and inquire after his health. Referring to an attempt on the life of journalist Hamid Mir, he said it was the responsibility of the Sindh government to expose the attackers. Pir Pagara also reacted to the accusations being hurled against the armed forces and said the Hur Jamaat fully sided with Pakistan Army. He said the armed forces would always find the Hur Jamaat defending the geographical and ideological borders of Pakistan along with them. Referring to the general elections in India, where a fierce campaign was going on against Pakistan Army, ISI and Muslims, he asked the people to desist from hurling such allegations as the nation would not tolerate it. Meanwhile, former president and chief of All-Pakistan Muslim League Pervez Musharraf has said he is facing all cases instituted against him and he is not worried about anything because whatever he had done was for the country. The retired general was making a telephonic address to the participants in a rally taken out by workers of his party from Do Talwar roundabout to Zamzama street on Friday. He said the country was passing through a critical phase of its history. It faced different challenges which could only be overcome through unity, he said. He said that he was facing all cases without fear about anything because whatever he had done was for country’s progress. He asked party supporters and workers not to worry about him as he was being looked after well. He said he did not have any expectation from anyone except help from Allah to emerge victorious from the cases and thanked the participants for taking out the rally and having come to listen to his speech. Earlier, APML provincial leader Muslim Bhutto regretted in his brief speech that Pervez Musharraf was not being allowed to visit his ailing mother and demanded removal of his name from the ECL and permission to him to go abroad to see his mother.

Lahore Transport Company hit by million-dollar dispute

LAHORE: Against signs of growing cooperation between Pakistan and China in various areas, a Chinese bus manufacturer is upset over the deal it has got from the Lahore Transport Company (LTC) which is owned by the Punjab government. The Chinese company, Ankai, has approached its embassy in Islamabad for help in resolving the issue. In case a resolution is not possible, it has warned that it will blacklist the LTC, and review its relations with the Punjab government. In December 2011, the LTC signed an agreement with Ankai to buy buses. At the heart of the dispute is Ankai’s insistence that under the agreement it was to sell 575 buses to the LTC at a cost of $42.5 million ($70,000 per vehicle). These vehicles were to be delivered in various batches. Ankai was required to provide after-sale service in Lahore, for which charges were fixed. The LTC purchased 350 buses from Ankai in three batches, which were then sold to various operators. The Chinese manufacturer accuses the LTC of backing out of its commitment of buying another 225 buses. The LTC officials tell Dawn the decision came after Ankai failed to meet the contractual obligation of establishing a state-of-the-art workshop in Lahore for maintenance. They say the LTC was never ‘bound’ to buy 575 buses from Ankai. “The agreement clearly states the government-LTC will buy up to 575 buses from Ankai,” LTC Chief Executive Officer Khwaja Haider Latif says with an emphasis on ‘up to’. “We were not bound to purchase 575 buses. Moreover the company’s after-sale service is very poor and they have not established the requisite workshop.” A study of the agreement does confirm this LTC assertion. It says the LTC “will buy up to 575 buses” from Ankai. But while elaborating, the agreement’s clause 10.1 mentions that “Ankai will be responsible for timely manufacturing and supply of a fleet of 575 buses to the LTC in various batches”. “Why do they (the LTC officials) only focus on the part which mentions ‘up to 575 buses’. They must go through the explanatory clause,” says Azam Chohan, Ankai’s legal adviser on corporate affairs. Under the contract, the LTC was bound to pay a sum of $12,600 to Ankai against each bus’s maintenance cost (for 500,000km). The LTC is accused of not following this. “We are surprised that they have not paid us the so far calculated maintenance costs even when the buses we repaired at our workshop,” Chohan says. “What we have here is a state-of-the-art workshop, and we have been maintaining the 350 buses delivered to the LTC by Ankai. We are even providing service through mobile workshops to the buses which were part of the same fleet but were operated in Faisalabad, Bahawalpur, Multan, Rawalpindi and other cities of the province. We have a proof and will take the LTC to court on this.” He also blames some senior LTC officials for blocking clearance of maintenance bills totaling Rs150 million.“This is a very serious situation,” Chohan says. “Ankai has already manufactured the remaining 225 buses which are to be delivered to the LTC under the contract. These are worth millions of dollars. They are all parked at our warehouses in China.” He also shares with Dawn the contents of a letter Ankai has recently sent to the Chinese ambassador in Islamabad, requesting him to take up the issue with the Punjab government. “If there is no progress, the company will blacklist the LTC in China,” he says. For his part, LTC Chief Executive Haider Latif maintains it is Ankai and not the LTC which has failed to fulfill its contractual obligations. “Not only is their workshop not up to the mark, they have also been involved in overcharging the bus operators. They have ignored many reminders and even a legal notice that we sent to them,” he says. Latif says the complaints came from the private operators the LTC sold the buses to. “Eventually, we decided to make some alternate maintenance arrangements. We found some vendors at Badami Bagh to directly import the parts from China. The arrangement was successful, but it did annoy people working with Ankai in Lahore. “Increasing complaints from the operators’ and shortage of CNG are two reasons behind our reluctance to purchase more buses from Ankai,” he says. “As for the maintenance costs, we are ready pay Ankai as soon as they have that promised modern workshop here.”

Bill and resolution against acid attack

LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly Women's Caucus has presented a bill and a resolution on the increasing number of acid-throwing cases in the province. Azma Bukhari, convener of the caucus, told Dawn the Acid and Burn Crime Bill differed from existing acid throwing laws in that it demanded the punishment for acid throwing be a death sentence or life imprisonment. The bill is expected to find its way to the standing committee concerned and be passed without any hurdles. The resolution termed acid throwing and burning an act of terrorism against the state and that it should be tried in anti-terrorist courts. "We have had enough of these cases being taken lightly, especially when the plight of the woman who has been burnt is more or less ignored, and the elders or family members sit together and reach a reconciliation where the matter is suppressed," said Bukhari. "We will not stand for this reconciliation or any para-judicial systems that allow for such atrocities against women." Bukhari said the law minister had also given his unofficial approval for the bill and said it was expected to be passed soon hopefully, perhaps by the coming week. The core committee has unanimously agreed upon the resolution.

Licence winner to pay $500m in a week

ISLAMABAD: Two mobile operators have shown interest to make full payments to the government for 3G and 4G licences to avoid paying three per cent additional interest on instalments. Speaking at a briefing at the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority headquarters on Friday, State Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunications Anusha Rehman said that Zong would likely be paying $500 million in a week, and another company would also be making full upfront payment. She said that the ministry is expecting at least 75pc payments before the budget for 3G and 4G licences. PTA Chairman Dr Ismail Shah said: “The cellular companies are eager to roll out 3G services at the earliest. If the government receives payments from these two companies, PTA would issue licences within a week instead of waiting for a month.” Although a road-map had been prepared for cellular companies to pay licence fees, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar has in the meantime given option to mobile operators to make full payments to avoid paying additional interest rates. Initially mobile companies have one month to make at least 50pc down payment for 3G and 4G licences after the auction to be able to roll out next generation services on commercial basis. “The mobile companies will be investing $4bn in the next two to three years. One of the cellular companies is already in the process of installing 1,600 booster towers to offer telecommunication services in less served locations,” said Anusha ,Rehman adding that students would be benefiting the most by connecting through E-education that enables multimedia and technology enhanced learning. “Among other services to provide a conducive environment for growth of next generation services, the Ministry of IT would focus all its resources in the next two years on establishing information technology parks that will facilitate in 3G and 4G applications development,” said the minister. Responding to questions, she explained how she had met heads of Chinese companies associated with telecom services in Pakistan and offered them to start manufacturing telecom equipment in Pakistan on public private partnership basis. “This is especially necessary when Pakistan spends more than $900 million on import of telecom equipment and telephone/cellular handsets every year. The ministry has offered them premises and tax concessions for manufacturing telecom equipment in the country,” she said who had offered plants of Telecommunication Industries of Pakistan (TIP) to the Chinese companies.

Manmohan’s kin joins BJP

NEW DELHI: Has the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) campaign for Narendra Modi’s prime ministerial bid hit the doldrums in caste-riven Bihar and Uttar Pradesh? It tried to get the late Shehnai maestro Bismillah Khan’s son to join the party’s procession on Thursday to file Mr Modi’s prime ministerial nomination in Varanasi. The family, which enjoys an exalted status in the comity of Varanasi’s fabled musicians, refused. Its leaders had earlier let loose a flurry of hates speeches. And on Friday, the party announced with great aplomb that a scarcely known brother of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had joined the BJP in Amritsar from where senior leader Arun Jaitley is locked in a tough contest against the Congress. The fact that the public transaction of loyalties took place in the presence of Mr Modi will help Mr Daljit Singh Kohli grab the headlines for some time. Will he fetch a few votes though, doesn’t look likely. He is variously described in local reports as a stepbrother of the prime minister and a close relative who was not quite a brother. One report said it had embarrassed Dr Singh. The prime minister had on Thursday pooh-poohed the widely reported Modi wave as a “creation of the media”. An indication that the Modi juggernaut could be in trouble came from Maharashtra where Congress Chief Minister Prithviraj Chauhan set tongues wagging when he indicated that the Congress was not averse to the idea of supporting a Third Front to keep the BJP out. Talk of a Third Front likely to get close to power has been circulating in recent days. However, the Congress party itself is divided on the future course. Analysts say this could be partly because the business captains supporting Mr Modi have kept very good contacts with key pro-industry Congress ministers. “The Congress is flummoxed over extending support to the Third Front if it fails to get the numbers to form a government after the Lok Sabha elections,” one local report said. A news channel said a section of the Congress party is reluctant to support the Third Front and is rather willing to sit in the opposition if the UPA fails to get a third term. “We are not ruling out anything. Let us see who gets how many seats. We can’t say who we will support or not but the point here is that Congress knows that it will lose the elections,” said communist leader D. Raja. Earlier in the day, listing out options for the Congress after the Lok Sabha polls, Maharashtra Chief Minster Prithviraj Chavan fuelled fresh speculations about the possibility of Congress’s support for a third front government. “There are many reasons behind Congress doing well in Mumbai. The possibility of Third front and Congress remains open,” he said.

At least six killed, two injured in North Waziristan firing

MIRAMSHAH: At least six people were killed and two wounded on Saturday during an exchange of fire between two tribal groups over a land dispute in the tribal region of North Waziristan, DawnNews reported. According to sources, more deaths were feared due to an armed clash between the two tribal groups in the Lowara Mandi area situated in the Dattakhel tehsil of North Waziristan. The cause of strife between the two groups was said to be over a piece of land. The area where the incident occurred reportedly lies near the Pak-Afghan border. North Waziristan is one of the seven regions in Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) governed by tribal laws. An extremist insurgency led by the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) plagues the region and the area is known to be infested with militants, including those from Al Qaeda and other armed extremist organisations.

Imran vows to come out on streets for ‘new Pakistan’

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan on Friday said that his party would come out on the streets to stage protests for building a ‘new Pakistan,’ DawnNews reported. Speaking to party workers during a ceremony held to mark the 18th anniversary of the PTI’s foundation, he vowed to stage protests for ‘true democracy’ in the country on May 11 – the day Pakistanis observed historic first ever general elections on completion of tenure of a democratically elected government last year. It should also be mentioned that Allama Tahirul Qadri has also announced a country-wide protest on May 11 next month. Qadri, with thousands of his followers, took to the streets in Islamabad in the run up to the historic May 11 polls demanding sweeping changes to the electoral system of the country. Reiterating his allegation of poll rigging against ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the PTI chief demanded the authorities to take the alleged culprits behind fixing “punctures” to task. He said that his party has neither accepted the results of the May 11 polls nor will they accept it in the future. “People cast their votes to some people while others came out as victorious in the May 11 elections,” he alleged. Criticisizing Geo TV and its senior anchorperson Hamid Mir, who was wounded in an attack in Karachi last week, the PTI chief said that hurling allegations at Inter Service Intelligence (ISI) was shameful. He demanded the Pemra to look into what he alleged as ‘foreign funding’ to certain media houses. The cricketer-turned-politician said that only a stronger army will ensure a stronger Pakistan, demanding legal proceedings for the alleged culprits of election rigging. “Those who rigged the May 11 polls should be brought to the book under Article 6 as well,” he said in an obvious reference to the high treason trial of former military ruler Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf. Imran Khan also accused former chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry for poll rigging, saying he was also involved in “the match-fixing.” He claimed that his party’s struggle was for a fair democratic system in the country as under the prevailing system only the rich can afford to become parliamentarians. “The movement that started 18 years ago will build a new Pakistan,” said the PTI chief. He said that he as the chief of ruling party in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa never appointed any person on any key government post. Imran Khan vowed to continue his fight for basic rights of education and health for the downtrodden.

Ali Haider Gilani says his kidnappers not from TTP: Nisar

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Friday confirmed to a private TV channel that the government has received video footage of Ali Haider Gilani in which he said that his kidnappers were not from the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Gilani, the son of former Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, is also alleged to have said that his family is not taking serious steps for his release. The kidnappers have asked for Rs500 million for Gilani’s release instead of the earlier demand of Rs2 billion, said Nisar, adding that the captive can be seen bounded by chains in the video. This is the first time that any contact was made by him and his captors with the Gilani family since his abduction in from Multan on May 9, 2013 from outside a Pakistan People’s Party office. In the said video, Gilani says that he will be killed if serious steps are not taken for his release. Meanwhile, Newsweek quoted a security official in its news report, who said that Gilani questioned his family. “Why are you people not paying the ransom to the militants to get me released from their custody?” Gilani asked in the video. The official further added that Gilani appeared haggard and was handcuffed. “He looked very weak and requested his family to pay the money as soon as possible.”

Geo asked to tone down broadcast

KARACHI / ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) has once again asked Geo TV to tone down its transmission and respect the country’s defence institutions, sources told The Express Tribune on Thursday. The media watchdog on Thursday held a detailed discussion over the defence ministry’s complaint against Geo TV for making serious allegations against the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). “It was a routine meeting which was already scheduled. However, the three-member committee briefed the other eight [Pemra]members on the complaint against Geo TV and the subsequent show cause notice issued to the channel by Pemra,” a senior Pemra official said. The authority on Wednesday constituted a three-member committee, comprising Acting Pemra Chairman Pervez Rathore, Syed Ismail Shah and Israr Abbasi, to investigate charges levelled by the Ministry of Defence against Geo TV and issued show cause notices to the channel’s administration, directing them to appear before the committee by May 6. The defence ministry submitted a complaint against Geo TV to Pemra on Tuesday, accusing the channel of running a vicious campaign aimed at maligning the image of the ISI. The four-page complaint, which included the script of news bulletins, tickers and breaking news, stated that “the said reporting has violated the specific terms and conditions of [Geo TV’s] license.” The ministry urged the regulator to immediately suspend Geo TV’s license and then cancel it under Section 20 of the Pemra Ordinance, 2002 after examining the facts. It not only asked for Geo TV’s broadcasting licence to be revoked, but called for the media regulator to initiate criminal proceedings against its editors and management. However, earlier on Thursday, Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid said “news about the closing of broadcast of Geo News TV channel, changing its position on the cable and creation of hurdles in circulation of The News and Daily Jang in some parts of the country is highly regrettable.” According to an official statement, the minister talked to the Pemra chairman in this regard, “who assured him that he would take steps for the restoration of the broadcast of Geo News.” Meanwhile, in his first formal statement after recovering from the attempt on his life, journalist Hamid Mir said he never held the ISI chief responsible for any possible attack against him. The statement, which was read out by Hamid’s brother Aamir Mir, has raised new questions in various circles across the country. They point out that his channel earlier raised a hue and cry over his alleged statement that the ISI chief would be responsible for any attack on him. Within a few days, however, Hamid has changed his statement, they said. Published in The Express Tribune, April 25th, 2014.

Retaliation airstrikes: 35 killed in Khyber Agency

BARA: Jet fighters bombed suspected militant hideouts in Khyber Agency early morning on Thursday, ‘in response to a spate of attacks around the country’, the army said. At least 35 suspected militants were killed and 14 others were wounded in what was the first aerial operation against insurgent hideouts in two months. “Terrorist hideouts were engaged by fighter jets in Khyber Agency early morning today,” the army’s press wing said in a text message sent to the media. It said it was a response to a number of recent attacks against police and civilians in Islamabad and Peshawar. “After the jets, Pakistan army ground forces also launched operations in the area,” Reuters quoted a senior military official in Peshawar as saying. According to the official, the operation was still underway. The airstrikes were carried out in Bara tehsil and Jamrud in Khyber Agency, where both Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Lashkar-e-Islam (LI) are active. According to security officials from the area, the strikes were prompted by reports that militants involved in the Islamabad Sabzi Mandi blast and Peshawar police attack were present in the area. “Around 35 militants were killed in the airstrikes while 14 others were wounded,” a security official from Khyber Agency told The Express Tribune. Over 10 suspected militant hideouts were destroyed during the bombing as well, he added. Following the airstrikes, security forces cordoned off different areas in Bara to arrest militants attempting to flee the region. A search operation was also carried out and resulted in the arrest of 15 suspects from the Mirikhel and Sultankhel areas of Bara. Local sources, however, said the Mirikhel area mostly housed displaced families from Orakzai Agency. They claimed two children and a woman were among those killed in the airstrikes. LI spokesman Umer Afridi also claimed those killed in the bombing were innocents, mostly shepherds belonging to Orakzai Agency. The Taliban condemned the strikes and said they were ‘deeply anguished’, but did not say the incident would derail talks. “This is the first attack since the extension in ceasefire has expired. If government is empowered and serious in negotiations we will continue them,” AFP quoted TTP spokesman Shahidullah Shahid as saying. Thursday’s operation was the first time the military is known to have used air strikes against militant hideouts since the TTP announced a ceasefire on March 1 to help peace talks. The group said last week it was ending the ceasefire, complaining of little progress in negotiations with the government. Published in The Express Tribune, April 25th, 2014.

Supporters’ rally: ‘Take back cases against Musharraf’

KARACHI: Charged activists of the All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) in Karachi staged a protest in favour of former military ruler Pervez Musharraf. They demanded the withdrawal of all cases registered against him on Thursday. The protestors rallied with placards and banners inscribed with slogans in favour of Musharraf. They also strongly condemned ‘one-sided state discriminations’ against their leader. Leaders from APML’s Karachi division also demanded the immediate removal of Musharraf name from Exit Control List (ECL). “The tenure of Musharraf was a golden era and he put the country on the path of progress and prosperity,” they said. “Musharraf is the most important pillar of the state and the government is hatching a conspiracy against him, we are very displeased with the way Musharraf has been treated since returning from his self-imposed exile,” they said. Published in The Express Tribune, April 25th, 2014.

Behind the scenes: Warid Telecom likely to jump into 4G

KARACHI: In a move that will certainly take everyone by surprise, Warid Telecom – the only cellular service provider in the country that refrained from participating in the April 23 spectrum auction – is gearing up to launch Long-Term Evolution (LTE) or 4G services in top five cities by end of May, The Express Tribune has learned. Warid is very close to launching 4G services in Pakistan, sources with direct knowledge of the subject confirmed on the condition of anonymity. The Pakistani subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Group has been in talks with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the telecom sector’s regulatory body, for launching LTE service on its existing network – this was also confirmed by a top government official. Now the question here is whether they can do it without acquiring a 4G/LTE spectrum from the PTA? The answer would be a yes. Warid has a very low subscriber base – less than 10% of Pakistan’s 132.3 million cell phone subscriptions as of January 2014. About 50% of the company’s network, therefore, remains unutilised, giving it the capacity to hold additional traffic on the same network. Moreover, the company already has 8.8 megahertz (MHz) bandwidth in the 1800 MHz spectrum – the same frequency, which the PTA has chosen for the roll-out of 4G technology. Since the company has a technology-neutral licence, all it needs is an official permit from its regulator to launch an LTE service on its existing network – the process, in tech terms, is known as re-farming. “Warid would have announced their plans to launch 4G on the auction day, had the PTA approved their request,” said an official who requested not to be named for he was not authorised to disclose this information. “The PTA’s response has been encouraging and it’s expected that soon after due approvals from the former, the company will be testing 4G services on its network most likely by the end of May,” the official said, adding that the PTA needs time to sell the unsold spectrum before it could give a go ahead to Warid. Though all of this plan is subject to the PTA’s approval, Warid has been gearing up to introduce 4G services around the same time that Zong – the only operator to have acquired a 4G licence in the country – is likely to come up with its 4G offers. “Warid is in final talks with all the leading smartphone brands in Pakistan for 4G-supported handsets,” the official said – these brands include Samsung, HTC, Nokia, Sony Ericsson, LG, Google Nexus, Huawei and Apple’s authorized resellers in Pakistan, he said. Sample handsets, dongles and USBs have been bought for 4G testing in certain locations, according to the official. The Huawei cloud – which receives 4G signal and converts them to Wifi – is also an option. “The company is expected to launch a trade program too, to replace existing handsets with the LTE handsets,” the official said. The official further said that the orders had been placed with existing vendors for 4G sims and testing is in process. A top government official confirmed that Warid has the required licence to deploy 4G services but insisted that the company would have to adhere to the rules and regulations set for deployment of these services. “The company would have to comply with the PTA’s requirement for technology roll-out, network quality and legal intercept compliance,” he concluded. Warid is the only company with a 100% backend support from a European vendor – the company’s hardware comes from Sweden-based Ericson which is one of the world’s top telecom equipment makers. The company enhanced its network in 2012, which resulted in improved quality for its current Edge technology. “Warid has been an urban-centric cellular service provider and it will most likely continue this strategy,” the official – not the government source – said, after being asked whether switching to LTE network would restrict the company’s outreach. “The hype surrounding the company’s acquisition has died down already and it has performed above industry average – in terms of sales – during last six months,” the official said. This rebuilt investor’s interest in the company, he said, adding that this would guarantee more investment towards infrastructure upgrade if need be. Published in The Express Tribune, April 25th, 2014.

Provincial assembly passes resolution against Abid Sher Ali for his Sindh comments

KARACHI: A resolution was unanimously passed in the Sindh Assembly against Minister of State for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali on Friday, Express News reported. The resolution was presented by Sindh Education Minister Nisar Ahmed Khuhro who said that Ali should take his remarks regarding the people of Sindh back. Ali had allegedly said that the people of Sindh were electricity thieves. Condemning the statement by the minister, Khuhro demanded that Ali should apologise to the people of Sindh for his remarks. None of the PML-N representatives in the provincial assembly objected to the resolution. Sindh Minister for Information and Local Government Sharjeel Inam Memon also spoke against Abid, stating that he should not have used such language.

Internal dispute?: 5 members of the same family shot dead in Swabi

SWABI: Unidentified men fired at a vehicle in Swabi, leaving five people dead and injuring eight others, Express News reported on Friday. According to the police, all five of the deceased were members of the same family. The incident took place within the jurisdiction of the Yar Hussain police station while the vehicle was on its way to the airport. Yar Hussain is some 120 kilometres northeast of Peshawar. The injured were taken to hospitals in Mardan and Swabi for medical assistance. The family said they had no enmity but police suspected the incident was the result of an “internal family dispute”. “We are investigating it but apparently it looks like an incident of internal family dispute,” Mohammad said, adding that “The village has no past history of militancy.” Police said the assailants armed with assault rifles opened fire at the members of the family who were travelling in a coach to see off one of the family at Peshawar airport. “The attackers managed to flee in the dark,” said Mohammad Sajjad Khan, a senior police officer in Swabi district which includes Yar Hussain, adding that police had launched a search operation but no one had been arrested yet. After the attack, the relatives of the victims protested by placing the dead bodies of the victims on the roads leading to the blockage of Swabi Road.

Police say TTP splinter group behind attack on Shafiq Tanoli

KARACHI: The attack that took the life of inspector Shafiq Tanoli was carried out by the Abid Muchar group of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Express News reported on Friday. Tanoli, after the eighth attempt on his life, was killed in Karachi’s Old Sabzi Mandi area on April 24. According to the Special Investigation Unit (SIU), the attackers knew Tanoli had insufficient security after he was demoted from SHO to ASI on the alleged charges of an illegal raid. The investigation by SIU revealed that the group had unsuccessfully targeted Tanoli earlier in December and had planned another attack in March. Due to past assassination attempts, Tanoli was advised not to move freely in his neighbourhood, particularly spending time at shops near his house. SIU officials said many members of the Abid Muchar group had been arrested and killed in police encounters in the city. The leader of the group – originally from Waziristan – moves around in Karachi and keeps changing his residence mostly in the area of Sohrab Goth.