Teenager, sister among four killed in accidents

LAHORE FOUR people, including a teenage boy and his 10-year-old sister, were killed in road accidents on Friday. A 17-year-old boy, Imran and his 10-year-old sister Mehreen, residents of Misri Shah, were killed by a speeding truck in the Gujjarpura police area. They were going to school on a bike when a truck loaded with flour bags hit and injured them. The truck driver escaped leaving his vehicle at the scene. The injured were rushed to hospital where they were pronounced dead. The police have impounded the vehicle and registered a case against the unidentified truck driver. Locals and passersby gathered at accident scene and staged a protest demonstration against the incident, looted the flour bags loaded on the truck and escaped. In another incident, a woman was killed by a trailer in the Chuhng police jurisdiction. Victim Sugran, wife of Imran of the Kot Lakhpat area, was standing near a petrol pump when a trailer hit her, resulting in her death. Yet in another incident, a bike rider, identified as Riaz, was killed in a road accident on Bund Road, Shadfiqabad. WOMAN HELD FOR THEFT: CIA has arrested a woman who had allegedly committed theft in the house of cricketer Umar Akmal a few months back. The arrested woman, Naseema, was maid in the house of Umar Akmal. The police recovered Rs 0.9 million from her and handed them over to the cricketer. TWO BODIES: The bodies of two men, unidentified so far, were found in different parts of the city on Friday. The body of a man was found at Chuburji Park, Lytton Road. The police claimed that the man was an addict who had apparently died of a drugs overdose. An old man was found dead in the Bhatti Gate police limits. The police said that the man had apparently died of natural causes. The bodies have been shifted to mortuary. BEGGARS ARRESTED: The City Traffic Police Friday arrested 20 beggars during a crackdown launched on beggars. According to the chief traffic officer (CTO), the police launched crackdown on beggars in the areas of Iqbal Town, Shahdara, Raiwind, Kot Lakhpat, The Mall and Sarwar Road and registered cases against 20 persons on charges of begging on roads and in streets. VEHICLES IMPOUNDED: The City Traffic Police impounded 1,795 vehicles, including motorcycles, on Friday, the second day of the crackdown launched on underage drivers. The chief traffic officer (CTO) said the crackdown was launched on the underage drivers as they were causing accidents in the city. He directed the SPs and circle officers to continue the crackdown and monitor it and submit daily performance report to the department. The CTO directed the wardens to behave politely with people and educate them on traffic rules and laws. ACCIDENTS: At least 548 road accidents were reported to Rescue 1122 Provincial Monitoring Cell in the last 24 hours from all 36 districts of Punjab. Eight people were killed and 448 critically injured in the accidents. The injured were shifted to different hospitals. Some 200 victims sustaining minor injuries were provided with first aid on the spot. About 123 road accidents were reported to Lahore Control Room, involving 130 people.

Islamabad section divided into five zones

Islamabad A meeting of the ‘Project Implementation Committee,’ constituted by Punjab Chief Minister Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif for implementation of the Metro Bus Project, was held at the Jinnah Convention Centre here on Friday to review the progress on the Islamabad portion of the scheme. The meeting was chaired by PML-N leader Hanif Abbasi, who is the chairman of the committee. The committee comprises Hanif Abbasi (chairman), MNA Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhary, former MNA Shakeel Awan, MPA Raja Hanif, CDA chairman, IGP Islamabad, ICT chief commissioner and Rawalpindi chief commissioner (co-chairman). The representatives of five construction firms working at five sites of Islamabad Section of the Metro Bus Project were present in the meeting. The ‘Project Implementation Committee’ has been constituted to review the pace of construction work and submit performance report to the Punjab chief minister on weekly basis. The chief commissioner of Rawalpindi (co-chairman) informed the participants of the meeting that the Islamabad Section of Metro Bus Project has been divided into five zones. The work on these zones has been awarded to five contractors to speed up the pace of work on the project. He informed that 4.7 kilometres long first section of the project is from Faizabad to Peshawar Morr. The total cost of the first section is Rs3 billion. The second part of the project is the construction of Peshawar Morr Interchange at a cost of Rs5.5 billion. The third section of the project consists of construction of roads from Peshawar Morr to the Centaurus Mall. The fourth section starts from the Centaurus Mall and ends at Shaheed-e-Millat Secretariat, Blue Area. The 2.21 kilometres long fifth package starts from Shaheed-e-Millat Secretariat and ends at Pak Secretariat. This section would be completed with a cost of Rs2.27 billion. Hanif Abbasi, chairman of the ‘Project Implementation Committee,’ said that all issues like shifting of utility service lines, electricity poles and portion of weekly bazaar in Sector H-9, shall be resolved in consultation with all stakeholders. All possible steps should be taken to minimise problems of the masses during the project implementation. Alternative passages should be provided to commuters and signboards should be installed. All relevant departments should work in liaison during the construction period. Traffic police should chalk out an elaborate plan to streamline flow of traffic. Shields should be erected around construction sites wherever necessary to avert any untoward situation. The Rawalpindi chief commissioner informed the participants of the meeting that payment in lieu of shifting of service lines has been made to the concerned agencies and organisations. CDA Chairman Maroof Afzal reiterated full cooperation and support of the civic body for speedy completion of the project.

Militants hold Red Cross workers for 7 hours in east Ukraine

KIEV: Pro-Russian militants held several Red Cross workers hostage for seven hours in the rebel eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk, severely beating one before freeing them in Saturday´s early hours, a local Red Cross official said. A spokesman for the self-styled "Donetsk People´s Republic", which is holding a referendum on Sunday on breaking with Kiev, said the workers had been detained on Friday evening by rebel activists on suspicion of espionage. He could not clarify the nature of the accusations leveled against them or say where they had been held.The Red Cross official gave no further details, though the internet newspaper Novosti Donbassa said a Frenchman had been among seven held by activists who entered the Red Cross building in Donetsk. There was no confirmation of this. "They were released at two o´clock. One had beeen heavily beaten," Red Cross official Irina Tsaryuk told Reuters. He was now in hospital. Red Cross headquarters in Geneva said simply that there had been "some kind of incident last night". Novosti Donbassa said the hostage takers had also seized large stores of medicine from the Donetsk office. The Red Cross website said medication had been delivered on May 7 to Donetsk head office for distribution in the region, where there has been heavy fighting in recent days between pro-Russian militants and Ukrainian security forces.

Dubai bus crash kills 13 Asian workers

DUBAI: A bus overturned and hit a lorry parked on the hard shoulder of a motorway outside Dubai on Saturday, killing 13 Asian workers on board and injuring 16, police said. The crash happened on Emirates Road, a busy route that connects the capital Abu Dhabi to the north of the United Arab Emirates, bypassing Dubai itself. Police did not immediately specify the nationalities of the dead in the accident in the Dubai suburb of Ruwayyah. Expatriates, many of them Asian, make up the great majority of Dubai´s 2.2 million population.

Girl dies as mother poisons three kids in Faisalabad

FAISALABAD: A heartless mother poisoned her three young children out of which 3-year-old Kiran could not survive and died in Faisalabad on Saturday, Geo News reported. According to the sources, three children were brought to the Allied Hospital in Faisalabad in critical condition as their mother Sadaf Bibi had fed them with poisonous tablets. Sources told that the woman was facing domestic crisis and had a quarrel with her husband after which she took the extreme step of poisoning her children- Bilawal, Sadaf and Kiran. Out of three, Kiran has already lost her life while the other two are still battling for their life at the hospital, however, the hospital sources termed their condition serious. Sadaf Bibi, later, tried to commit suicide by gulping down the poisonous tablets herself at the hospital, however, the hospital staff and others present at the venue didn’t let her succeed. Police has taken Sadaf Bibi into custody, sources added.
Mother poisoned her Children-10 May 2014 by GeoNews

Rs30 mn of SBP missing from Karachi Express

KARACHI: Over Rs30 million of State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) are missing from Karachi Express en route to Karachi from Lahore, it has been revealed, Geo News reported. According to Railway sources, 10 bags of SBP money were being transported via Karachi Express, of them one was missing. The sources said the train arrives in Karachi at 12:00 midnight, however, on Friday it arrived at 2:00AM. The sources said a sub inspector was found unconscious at Cantt washing area, adding other police personnel on security got off the train in Hyderabad.

Nigeria military 'ignored schoolgirl kidnap warning': Amnesty

ABUJA: Nigeria’s military was warned of an attack on a school in which more than 200 girls were abducted by Boko Haram militants but failed to act for nearly five hours, Amnesty International said Friday. The allegation, which the military has denied, came as US, British and French experts arrived on the ground to help trace the schoolgirls and Nigeria said a round-the-clock search was under way. At least 10 army search teams were trying to track down the girls in the remote far northeast, border guards were on high alert and the air force had so far flown at least 250 sorties. Nigeria is keen to demonstrate that it is finally acting to trace the 223 girls still missing, after three weeks where the teenagers’ parents and families accused them of inaction and indifference. But Amnesty’s claims are likely to heap further pressure on Nigeria’s embattled government and military. Hundreds of people from the girls’ home town of Chibok, in northeastern Borno state, took to the streets of the state capital, Maiduguri, to vent their frustrations at the lack of immediate action. At the same time, Nelson Mandela’s widow Graca Machel broke her customary mourning period to plead for the girls’ safe return. Amnesty said that from 7:00 pm local time on April 14, military commanders had repeated warnings about an impending raid in Chibok. Two senior military officers said not enough troops could be found to head to the town to stave off the attack, as soldiers were reluctant to face guerilla fighters who were better equipped. Up to 200 armed Boko Haram fighters eventually abducted 276 girls at about 11:45 pm after fighting a small number of police and soldiers stationed in the town. Amnesty’s Africa director for research and advocacy, Netsanet Belay, described the situation as a “gross dereliction of Nigeria’s duty to protect civilians”, adding that people remained “sitting ducks” for future attacks. “The fact that Nigerian security forces knew about Boko Haram’s impending raid but failed to take the immediate action needed to stop it will only amplify the national and international outcry at this horrific crime,” he said. “The Nigerian leadership must now use all lawful means at their disposal to secure the girls’ safe release and ensure nothing like this can happen again.” Defence spokesman Chris Olukolade told AFP that Amnesty’s allegation was “unfounded, as usual”. “The report is just a collation of rumours,” he said. The girls’ kidnap and threat by Boko Haram’s leader Abubakar Shekau in a video that he would sell them as slaves has triggered world outrage and a groundswell of calls for action on social networks. The US team comprises seven military officials from the US Africa regional command AFRICOM, a State Department expert and three FBI personnel, who arrived on Friday, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said. Four others from the State Department and the USAID aid agency were due to arrive Saturday. “They’ll be providing technical and investigatory assistance, helping with hostage negotiations, advising on military planning and operations and assisting with intelligence and information,” she said. Psaki called the search “challenging” while Secretary of State John Kerry tweeted that it was “too early to conclude” that the girls would be found. Britain has deployed defence ministry personnel, the Foreign Office said, while French diplomatic sources said a small team was also in Abuja and surveillance equipment was being sent. China and Interpol have also pledged expert support for the rescue efforts amid growing international awareness of Nigeria’s Islamist uprising, which has killed thousands since 2009. Nigeria is Africa’s biggest economy, leading oil producer and most populous nation, with the continent’s biggest defence budget by far. It has in the past resisted security cooperation with the West. But outrage over the plight of the hostages has prompted President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration to welcome offers of assistance, which has been seen as a tacit admission that it requires help to put down the insurgency. The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) said that aside from the kidnappings, focus needed to remain on Boko Haram’s wider insurgency. “The brutality and frequency of (the group’s) attacks is unprecedented,” it said. Most of the recent violence has been concentrated in the northeast, where Boko Haram was founded more than a decade ago and more than 1,600 people have already been killed this year. Attacks in Borno state have occurred with brutal regularity this year. Defenceless civilians are the most frequent victims, forcing them from their homes to seek refuge in other states or neighbouring countries. Boko Haram has said it is fighting to create a strict religious state in Nigeria’s mainly Muslim north. Some in the deeply conservative northeast have voiced support for such a society. But experts say any public support Boko Haram may have once had in the region has been largely destroyed by its ruthless campaign against civilians. The most recent massacre killed hundreds in the northeastern town of Gamboru Ngala, on the Cameroon border on Monday.

Pirs of Sindh: Blind faith

KHIPRO: They may appear starved to the bone, but each sentence uttered by the people of the white desert is punctuated by “Murshid aen Allah ji dua aa”. Everything we have is because of our spiritual leader, and God. Such is the blind faith in the murshid in Achhro Thar. But in reality, these murshids have fed them nothing but a steady diet of empty promises. Four different spiritual gaddis (seat of the dynasties) including Hur Jamaat (led by Pir Pagara), Ghousia Jamaat (led by PTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi), Sarwari Jamaat of Makhdooms of Haala and Jilani Gaddi of Pir Gul Mohammad Shah Jilani have had powerful influence in the white desert. The desert stretches from Sanghar and Khairpur to the Ghotki district in Sindh. But responsibility does not come with honour in this case, for none of them have put in any credible effort for the development of the area. The villages of two union councils of Khipro taluka of Sanghar district seem to be frozen in time. For most inhabitants, electricity, roads, schools and basic health centres are still a distant dream. Almost all the 141 villages in Khipro near Rajasthan in India are deprived of electricity. Yet, the people of this area, blindfolded by reverence, get angry if anyone points out the shortcomings of their Pirs (spiritual leaders). “There has been no rain. The government has declared it a drought-hit area. The situation could have been worse, but we are surviving because of our murshid’s dua,” says Deen Muhammad Rajar, a resident of Ali Jo Tar village, with conviction. Residents of Khipro still depend on donkeys and camels, which is their major source of transportation. Given that there are no medical facilities in the area, a majority of the people rely desperately on the murshid or his nominated khalifas for spiritual healing. Even their cattle are under the impact of their unshakable faith, and cows and goats can be seen wearing bunches of taweez (amulets) around their necks. “Out of a total of 60, I have lost half of my goats. People in our area tried the treatment of many doctors for our cattle. But the outbreak of disease was finally controlled after we got the taweez from our gaddi nashin,” said an elderly man, a follower of the Jilani gaddi. Each village in the white desert comprises 20 to 40 houses. The influence of these spiritual gaddis in these villages is divided. But the most influential gaddi in the entire region is the Hur Jamaat which has always swept the elections since the country came into being. PML-F MPA Waryam Faqir is one of the 16 Khalifas who run the Jamaat. Talking to The Express Tribune, he said: “We are ready to provide schools and dispensaries, but no doctor or teacher is willing to work there.” Faqir avoided further comment. The unwavering loyalty of devotees of this jamaat can be gauged from the fact that during every election they vote for the nominees of their murshids even without a campaign. They thus give them blind power, which is why the candidates do not even bother to visit the area to seek electoral support. “Vote murshid ka hai chahe kuch bhi ho. Our vote belongs to our spiritual leader, come what may,” said a villager Lal Bux Hingorja of Warseyar area. Despite this show of unconditional support, elected representatives have not provided even the basic facilities to the people. This phenomenon of avid following is not limited to the Muslims, and there have been spiritual leaders in local Hindus as well in the Rab Laho and Saeeda areas which are near Jaisalmer and Jodhpur, India. According to development experts, these murshid have deliberately suppressed the progress of their followers and have consciously confined them to desert area. “If development takes place with establishment of schools, colleges and roads, the people will start moving to the cities. If these people get educated, they will start contesting the supremacy of these leaders. How can these Pirs or murshids afford this? ” asks Zulfikar Halepoto , a development expert who works with Sindh Agriculture and Forestry Workers Coordinating Organisation (Safwco). Halepoto pointed out that though these Pirs wield considerable power in both federal and provincial governments, they have not ever built a single road in the entire 23,000 sq kilometre area of the white desert, an area larger than Tharparkar district. “Despite having differences in opinion, there is one thing common among these religious leaders turned politicians: they know how to exploit innocent people. They get millions of rupees in the name of development schemes and misappropriate the same.” PPP MPA Makhdoom Rafique Zaman, whose family heads the Sarwari Jamaat, said they have worked in desert areas of Tharpakar district, and have facilitated schemes for availability of drinking water. He claimed they had no influence in the white desert and said that if anyone had to be held responsible for the situation, it is the Hur Jamaat. PML-F MPA Khuda Bux Rajar, a nominee of the Hur Jamaat, defended their position. He retorted that they had built schools, dispensaries and many cemented ponds in the areas. But Rajar, who has also served as district nazim Sanghar, failed to give a satisfactory response when asked why they have not built a single road and provided electricity to any village. “Being a district nazim, I approved plans for an 80-kilometre-long road from Khipro to Saeeda, but some elements in the government opposed it because of the strategic location of the area.” Published in The Express Tribune, May 10th, 2014.

FBI agent case: Court orders police to submit challan on May 19

KARACHI: On the request of an investigation officer, the district and sessions court Malir on Saturday gave extra time to submit the final challan in the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) agent case, Express News reported. FBI agent Joel Cox was arrested at the Karachi airport on May 5 for carrying ammunition. He was later released on bail on May 8. Police presented Cox before the court today and requested for more time to complete their investigation. In response to this request, the court ordered police to submit the final challan on May 19. The court also asked Cox to appear before the court in the next hearing. Cox was travelling from Karachi to Islamabad by PK-308 on the evening of May 5 when a routine search by Airport Security Force (ASF) staff at the Jinnah International Airport found 15 bullets and a magazine in his bags. He was detained before being handed over to the airport police station. A case was lodged against him under Section 23 1(a) of the Sindh Arms Act, 2013. When he was presented before the district Malir court the following day, the court sent him into judicial remanded till May 10. The district and sessions court Malir had released Cox after the payment of a surety bond worth Rs1,000,000.

Pakistan opposes creation of new permanent seats at UNSC

Permanent representative of Pakistan at the United Nations Masood Khan said that Pakistan opposes the creation new permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). “We are against the creation of permanent seats and new centers of privilege,” said Khan. Speaking at the United Nations Inter-Governmental Negotiations (IGN) on Security Council Reform, Pakistani envoy said that the G-4 countries, namely Brazil, India, Germany and Japan, are the real minority, four countries, no more no less. The G-4 wants all the other countries to support their exaltation to the Council as permanent members, as they think that they are now akin to the existing P-5. The envoy said that the G-4 thinks that “they are now rich and powerful and therefore would want to join the rich countries’ elite club”. He further alleges that, “by entering into the Council as permanent members, they also want to qualify for unwritten advantages and privileges such as overrepresentation in UN bodies, Specialised Agencies and the Secretariat.” Accusing the G-4 for pursuing their national interests not representing the Uniting for Consensus (UfC), the envoy said that the G-4 countries are monopolizing the discourse in many forums, including this one, and creating the illusion that they are speaking on behalf of the majority or the largely disenfranchised developing countries. “Their minority interests have been moved to the center stage and are now being peddled as majority positions,” said Khan. Supporting the UfC’s Italy-Colombia proposal, the envoy said, “The only way to move forward is to explore a compromise solution that reflects the interests of all member states.” The UfC’s proposal is designed to aggregate the interests of all states – small, medium-sized and large – the entire family, not the privileged few, added Khan. Elaborating the proposal, he said that it would increase non-permanent seats; and will create long-term seats in the Council for 3 to 5 years or six years maximum through immediate re-election of the 2-year term seats.

Deal under cloud: Govt declares force majeure on Iran pipeline project

ISLAMABAD: The government has issued a ‘force majeure and excusing event notice’ in connection with the Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline as a precaution to stave off hefty penalties, saying the project could not be pushed through in the face of US refusal to exempt it from sanctions, sources say. The move may spark legal wrangling between the two countries over a project conceived years ago to bridge the widening gap between demand and supply of energy in Pakistan. Under an agreement, Pakistan is bound to pay a penalty of $3 million per day if it fails to finish the project by the deadline of December 2014. The notice has been sent ahead of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s crucial visit to Iran starting May 11 during which the pipeline project will feature among other important matters. However, Iran has been insisting all along that the pipeline could be constructed despite the risk of US curbs and points out that Pakistan was fully aware of the geopolitical situation at the time of signing the deal. “The government has declared force majeure, which is usually enforced in war or emergencies, because it is unavoidable,” a Foreign Office official told The Express Tribune, but asked not to be named. Officials believe if Pakistan pressed ahead with the project, it could invite US sanctions and said Iran had also been told about Islamabad’s inability to make progress in this situation. Soon after coming to power in June last year, the present government had reviewed the gas import project in an inter-ministerial meeting held on July 22, 2013 under the chairmanship of adviser to prime minister on national security and foreign affairs. It was decided in the meeting that exemption should be sought from the US and a document covering legal and political aspects would be handed over to the US secretary of state during his visit in July 2013. It was also agreed that Iran’s response to any suggested sovereign framework including timelines and procedural matters should be gauged. Later, the document covering legal and political aspects was given to Secretary of State John Kerry, but he refused to commit any concessions, officials said. Pakistan had also told Iran about a raft of measures taken to complete the project on time. However, after failure to arrange finances, the steering committee of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) in a meeting held in May 2012 called for exploring the possibility of a state-to-state arrangement, officials said. The two countries initialled a government-to-government cooperation agreement on December 1, 2012. Under the agreement, the Iranian government nominated Tadbir Energy as the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor and offered a loan of $500 million. The rest of the financing was to be arranged by Pakistan. As a result, presidents of Pakistan and Iran performed ground-breaking of the project on the border to mark the beginning of construction work in Pakistan. However, officials said, the new Iranian government backed out of the financing offer and the contract with Tadbir was terminated. Published in The Express Tribune, May 10th, 2014.

Downward revision: Once again, IMF lowers tax target

ISLAMABAD: Prompted by the lacklustre performance of Pakistan’s taxman, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has revised downwards its tax target for the country by around Rs75 billion – a move that will force the government to slash its development budget by the same amount. Based on the results of the first ten months of the current financial year (July 2013 to April 2014), the IMF has concluded that without additional revenue measures, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) will not be in a position to achieve the downward revised target of Rs2.345 trillion, sources said. Following the second revision, the new tax collection target stands at around Rs2.27 trillion, almost Rs200 billion less than the original target set by the IMF. The decision was taken during the third review of the $6.7 billion loan programme which was completed in Dubai on Friday. IMF mission chief to Pakistan, Jeffery Franks, and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar will address a joint press conference today (Saturday)to share the outcomes of the talks in Dubai. IMF staff will also present a report to the lender’s executive board and seek approval for the loan’s fourth tranche of over $550 million.

IMF’s decision to revise its tax target means the government will now close the financial year by spending around Rs350 billion against Parliament’s approved development budget of Rs540 billion, sources in the finance ministry said. The adjustment is needed to avoid any negative impact of failing to meet the tax target on the overall budget deficit target of 5.8% of the gross domestic product (GDP). It will be the second time the government has had to slash development spending this financial year due to the failure of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to deliver on the Rs2.475 trillion tax target. The development budget was slashed earlier by around Rs115 billion to Rs425 billion after the IMF revised its tax collection target downwards for the first time, setting it at Rs2.345 trillion. When IMF revised the tax target the first time, the finance minister pinned responsibility on the previous government. He claimed the the Rs2.475 trillion target was set based on tax collection by the end of the previous financial year, which remained at Rs1.946 trillion against the target of Rs2.05 trillion. This time, however, Dar will have to look for a new scapegoat. According to sources, FBR’s unwillingness to reform itself has become a cause of embarrassment for the government. FBR Chairman Tariq Bajwa refused to comment on the downward revised target when contacted. Sources said IMF has also lowered its expectations about tax collection in the next financial year. Against the proposed Rs2.9 trillion target, the international lender has agreed to fix the target at Rs2.8 trillion, they told The Express Tribune. Some Rs2.8 trillion is still Rs100 billion more than what FBR told the IMF was an achievable target, sources said. Next year’s target is also Rs530 billion or 23.4% higher than this year’s twice downward revised target. Around Rs230 billion out of the Rs530 billion will be raised levying new taxes and withdrawing tax exemptions, they said. Because of 12% nominal economic growth in the next fiscal year, FBR’s collection will be augmented by Rs270 billion without levying any new tax, sources added. Meanwhile, during talks in Dubai, Pakistan informed IMF that the salaries of government employees would be increased to make them equal to the inflation rate. A final decision on this will be taken by the federal cabinet. Published in The Express Tribune, May 10th, 2014.

Arrested police officer claims Salman Abro himself shot Suleman Lashari

KARACHI: Sakrand Training Centre SSP Ghulam Sarwar Abro’s son himself shot Suleman Lashari, an O’ level student who was killed in Karachi earlier this May, claimed one of the arrested police officers allegedly involved in the murder, Express News reported on Saturday. On May 9, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) had sent four police officials on physical-custody remand for their alleged involvement in the murder. It was also reported that the SSP was becoming an obstacle in the investigation process. The murder An 18-year-old student of O’ Levels was shot dead at 2am on May 8 while he was studying in his balcony. The young man was allegedly targeted by the SSP’s son, Salman Abro, who came to Suleman’s house along with five police constables to settle an argument. The guards deployed at Suleman’s house had retaliated and the victim’s brother Zeeshan had also joined in after getting his weapon from his room. Salman was also injured in the exchange of fire and one of his police guards, constable Zaheer Ahmed, was killed. Salman is critically injured and is currently admitted at Ziauddin Hospital. The incident had also left Suleman’s guard, Ali Bugti, injured. An FIR No. 235/2014 has been registered by the deceased’s brother at the Darakhshan police station against Salman and the four police constables – Muhammad Rasheed, Yasin, Maqbool and Imran – who accompanied him. The name of the deceased police constable has not been added in the FIR, which includes Sections 302, 324 and Anti-Terrorim Act Section seven. The four surviving policemen are in police custody while Salman will be arrested when he recovers from his injuries. The police have also seized the Vigo and the weapons. Taking action against SSP On May 9, the police department had decided to initiate legal action against Salman’s father after his son was booked for murder. Based on the initial reports, the police officials had asked their superiors to take action against the SSP for misusing state resources. An inquiry team had been constituted to investigate SSP Abro and was ordered to submit its report within three days.

Anti-rigging protest: Shireen Mazari accuses Punjab govt of creating hindrances

ISLAMABAD: The Punjab government has been actively taking measures to prevent people from attending the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) anti-rigging rally set to take place tomorrow in Islamabad, claimed PTI leader Dr Shireen Mazari on Saturday. The Islamabad city administration has reportedly placed containers to cordon off the Red Zone of the city ahead of Sunday’s rally at Express Chowk. All four entry points of the Red Zone have been sealed. Mazari, while speaking to Express News, alleged that the Faisalabad administration has closed down all bus stands, preventing people from travelling to Islamabad for the rally. The decision was taken on Friday night in a meeting between traffic police and transporters. The administration reportedly advised transporters to halt bus services to Islamabad, Lahore and South Punjab and hence all bus stands have been closed since this morning. Additionally, Express News reported that bus stands have been closed in Gujranwala, Multan and Faisalabad. The PTI leader further claimed that she has received reports from Multan, Sargodha, Silakot, Mandi Bahauddin and Lahore regarding police pressurising bus drivers not to take PTI supporters to the rally. According to her, obstacles were being created, pressure was being used and threats were being made to stop party workers and supporters from attending the rally. “Our workers in Rawalpindi have been threatened by the police,” she said. “Police and Intelligence Bureau are going to workers’ houses and harassing them,” she continued. She also said that bus owners who were hired to transport supporters to Islamabad have refused to do so claiming that government has threatened to cancel their permits if they provide transportation to PTI supporters. However, despite these hindrances, Mazari was confident that workers will attend the rally. “Our workers believe in our cause and they will reach no matter what,” she said. Mazari said a caravan from Quetta was also en route to Islamabad and that no obstacles were reported so far. “A caravan from Dera Ghazi Khan has already reached Islamabad,” she added. The PTI leader said that the party workers will stage a protest whereever the government will try to stop their caravans. Sharing similar views as Mazari, Vice Chairman PTI Shah Mehmood Qureshi, while addressing a press conference at PTI Central Secretariat in Islamabad, stated that the government is showing undemocratic behaviour ahead of the protest. Government’s stance Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah denied these allegations and said that they were baseless. He claimed that bus stations were not closed and services were operational. “No restrictions have been placed by the government but no one will be allowed to enter with firearms as mentioned in the no-objection certificate (NOC) issued to the party,” he continued. “Intelligence agencies have informed us of a security threat on the two rallies taking place tomorrow and placed them on red alert,” told Sanuallah. Pakistan Awami Tehreek is also holding a demonstration against alleged rigging in the May 11 general elections last year in Islamabad tomorrow.

DU professor arrested for alleged links with Maoists

New Delhi: A professor of Delhi University was arrested by Maharashtra Police on Friday for his alleged links with Maoists, after questioning him more than four times in the last six months. “We arrested Professor G N Saibaba in Delhi and he will be brought to Gadchiroli, Maharashtra, after taking transit remand in a Delhi court,” said Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Gadchiroli Ravindra Kadam. The Delhi University professor has been arrested on charges of allegedly being a member of a banned terrorist organisation (CPI-Maoist), providing logistics and helping in recruitment for the group, Kadam claimed. A police team from Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district, hotbed of Maoist activities, arrived on Friday morning and placed Saibaba, an English professor with Delhi University, under arrest. Gadchiroli police had already taken his computer for forensic analysis. The name of Saibaba cropped after the arrest of Jawaharlal Nehru University student Hemant Mishra who had claimed before the probe agencies that he was acting as a courier between the professor and Maoists holed up in Abujmad forests in Chhattisgarh, official sources said. The sources said some of the documents recovered from the computer were shown to the professor besides being questioned about his association with cadres of the banned outfit. Accused of acting as an overground worker for the banned outfit, police alleged the professor runs an organisation which was acting as a front for CPI-Maoist, a charge denied by Saibaba. The police claimed that besides Mishra, three other arrested Maoist leaders, including Kobad Gandhy, Bacha Prasad Singh and Prashant Rahi have also named Saibaba as their contact in the national capital.

Suspicious 18-year-old youth murders live-in partner in Delhi, stuffs dead body in an almirah

Delhi: An 18-year-old youth has been arrested along with an associate for allegedly murdering his live-in partner after he developed suspicion on her. On May 2, neighbours informed police about foul smell emanating from the locked house at Matiala in Uttam Nagar following which a police team reached the spot. Police broke open the doors and found the body of the girl in an almirah. As the girl's roommate Gulfam and his friend Mohammad Rafique had disappeared after the incident, the investigation zeroed in on the duo. The two were arrested at Nizamuddin Railway Station where they were waiting for a train to abscond, police said. Gulfam (18) and his associate Mohammad Rafique (19) were arrested at Nizamuddin Railway Station for the murder of his live-in partner, whose body was found stuffed in an almirah in their rented house on April 29, police said.

Govt diverts gas to power stations

ISLAMABAD: The government on Friday diverted more than 105 million cubic feet per day (MMCFD) of natural gas from fertiliser plants and compressed natural gas (CNG) stations in an effort to help power plants increase power generation. But CNG station owners were swift to condemn the move, saying their supply had been halved and limited to just two days a week and vowing to announce a protest plan by Monday. According to the latest data from the National Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC) available with Dawn, the overall shortage stood at 5,128MW on May 7. A marginal decline to 4,983MW occurred the next day. This was despite an addition of about 385 megawat­ts of capacity coming from hydroelectric generation, which went up from 2,668MW to 3,053MW. However, a government official said the prime minister’s intervention had borne fruit. “The Ministry of Water and Power reported that peak generation on Friday increased to 13,100MW -- an increase of 2,500MW in the system. About 1,700MW has been added through hydel power generation,” a spokesperson for the PM Secretariat claimed. The peak load generation on May 8 stood at 11,700MW, against a maximum load of 11,337MW generated a day earlier, according to the NTDC website, which relays real time data from the national grid. The spokesperson said that in line with the prime minister’s orders to add more power into the system through an additional allocation of gas and fuel, about 105MMCFD of gas had been diverted to power stations. According to the spokesperson, 610MW had been added to the grid. He said that the provision of 55MMCFD of gas to the Kapco plant had added 242MW to the grid, 20MMCFD to the Faisalabad plant added 65MW and an additional 30MMCFD to the Kotri plant yielded an increase of 93MW. In addition, improved furnace oil supply to the Jamshoro and Muzaffargarh power plants also increased generation by 60MW and 150MW respectively. Another official said that in total about 130MMCFD of gas had been diverted from CNG stations and fertiliser plants to the power sector. In doing so, however, the government had reduced the availability of gas to CNG pumps from 72 hours a week to 48 hours a week, according the All Pakistan CNG Association’s Ghiyas Paracha. Paracha told Dawn the CNG sector had been told that it would get gas for 24 hours on Wednesday and 24 hours on Sunday, but the Sui Northern was claiming a supply cut of only 16-20 per cent. He said the Supreme Court had directed the government on Dec 9 to divert gas from captive power plants (CPPs) being used by 121 influential industrialists -- which were consuming 111MMCFD of gas -- instead of affecting consumers on the national grid and increasing gas prices of CPPs to the level of furnace oil. The government seemed to be supporting the CPPs which had the option of using alternative fuels. On the contrary, both the CNG and fertiliser industry could not fall back on any alternative fuel. The CNG association was considering agitation against the decision, but did not want to risk being clubbed together with political movements and hence would take a decision on Monday after holding talks with the petroleum minister, he said.

Two Indian journalists asked to leave: report

NEW YORK: Pakistan has declined to renew the visas of the two Indian journalists based in Islamabad and has asked them to leave the country, Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing a Pakistani government official. The two have been told they must leave the country within a week, the newspaper said. Meena Menon of the Hindu newspaper and Snehesh Philip of Press Trust of India were informed on Thursday by the director of the External Publicity Wing, a department within the Ministry of Information that deals with foreign journalists, that their visas wouldn’t be renewed, the report said. The WSJ report said that another official of the External Publicity wing, Altaf Hussain, would only say that a statement about the visas of the two Indian journalists would be forthcoming later from the Ministry of Interior. The Ministry of Interior couldn’t immediately be reached for comment. M.K. Razdan, editor in chief of Press Trust of India, when asked to comment by WSJ said: “We have no confirmation” as of Friday afternoon of the expulsion of the PTI reporter. A senior official at the Hindu wasn’t available for comment. A representative of India’s Ministry of External Affairs also said he had no immediate comment, the paper said. The two Indian journalists arrived in Pakistan in August 2013. Their visas were valid until March 9, 2014 and both had submitted applications to renew their visas before the expiration date, according to people familiar with the matter. After their original visas expired, they were issued letters stating that their visa renewals were being processed, as is standard practice for foreign journalists in Pakistan. Ms Menon and Mr Philip were summoned to the External Publicity Wing on Thursday and told to start making preparations to leave within a week. Meanwhile, The Committee to Protect Journalists expressed its deep concern that Pakistani authorities might decline to renew visas for the only two Indian journalists working in the country. It called upon Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to honour pledges he had made to CPJ earlier this year to ease visa restrictions for foreign journalists.

Govt breaches limit, adds $15.3bn to external debt

ISLAMABAD: The government on Friday confirmed to have added about $15.3 billion to the country’s external debt, violating prudent borrowing limits under the Fiscal Responsibility and Debt Limitation Act (FRDLA) and promised to reduce public debt significantly by 2015-16. This is part of Medium-Term Debt Management Strategy (MTDS 2013-14 to 2017-18) released here on Friday after conclusion of third review of the IMF programme in Dubai. “The public debt to GDP ratio is projected to be brought down to 55.2pc by 2015-16,” said the ministry of finance. It said the debt ratio was expected to be around 52pc by end 2017-18 which would be well below the threshold of 60pc as mentioned in the FRDLA. The MTDS said the country’s external debt was estimated to touch $72 billion (Rs7.202 trillion) at the end of this fiscal year on June 30 against $57bn (Rs5.7tr at current exchange rate) same period last year. It said the external debt stood at 24.9pc of GDP on June 30, 2013 which had now gone up to 27.7pc of GDP by end of this year. The government said it had violated the requirements of the FRDLA. It said the government was required to reduce revenue deficit to zero by June 30, 2008 and then maintain revenue surplus but the revenue balance had been running in the negative since 2005. Giving reasons for this violation, it quoted increasing exogenous and endogenous challenges including campaign against extremism, fragile law and order, continued energy shortages, narrow tax base, non-materialisation of sufficient external inflows and unprecedented floods of 2010, rains in 2011 and increasing debt servicing requirement. Also, it said the government was required to keep total public debt below 60pc after June 2013 but this provision was also violated. “Public debt to GDP was recorded at 62.7pc as on June 2013. Crossing this threshold by 2.7pc was mainly due to the actual deficit being higher than projected”. It said the law also required the government that spending on health and education shall be doubled to 1pc and 3.2pc respectively from July 2003 but conceded that this target was also not achieved. The portion of total debt which has a direct charge on government revenues as well as the debt obtained from IMF is taken as public debt. Public debt stock recorded at Rs14,366bn as on June 30, 2013 representing an increase of Rs1,699bn or 13pc higher as compared with last fiscal year. This increase in public debt is attributed to financing of fiscal deficit which was recorded at 8pc of GDP against the budgeted estimate of 4.7pc. Pakistan’s total public debt as a percentage of revenues stood at 482pc during 2012-13, whereas, public debt around 350pc of government revenues is generally believed to be within the bounds of sustainability. Revenue deficit stood at Rs649bn or 2.8pc of GDP in 2012-13 which reflects the non-availability of fiscal space for undertaking development spending. Primary deficit stood at Rs814bn or 3.6pc of GDP in 2012-13 which essentially implies that the government is borrowing to pay interest on the debt stock. Refinancing risk is probably the most significant in Pakistan’s debt portfolio, driven primarily by the concentration of domestic debt in short maturities, the finance ministry said. Around 34pc of total public debt stock is denominated in foreign currencies, exposing Pakistan’s debt portfolio to exchange rate risk. Adjusted for Special Drawing Rights (SDR), the main exposure of exchange rate risk comes from US dollar denominated loans (14pc of total debt), followed by Japanese yen (9pc) and loans denominated in euro (7pc). Depreciation of the rupee would affect both the stock of government debt as well as debt servicing flows. Exposure to interest rate changes is a substantial risk given the short term nature of domestic securities and external borrowing in floating rates. Around 67 per cent of total domestic debt is exposed to interest rate refixing within one year as compared to 25 per cent of external debt.

Meezan Bank set to acquire HSBC Pakistan

KARACHI: HSBC has decided to sell its local operations to Meezan Bank, and is set to become another foreign bank to pack up its business in Pakistan. Since the beginning of financial crisis in 2007, many foreign banks have either left or curtailed their business in Pakistan. A leading example is Citibank which has reduced the scope of its operations here. “Meezan Bank Limited has entered into an agreement with HSBC Bank Middle East Limited (HBME), an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of HSBC Holdings plc, to acquire (through a process of amalgamation) HSBC’s banking business in Pakistan (HSBC Pakistan),” said Meezan Bank on Friday. The amalgamation is expected to be completed in the second half of this year, and is subject to regulatory and other relevant approvals including the approval of direct shareholders of Meezan Bank and HMBE. Most foreign banks operating in Pakistan are not doing real banking as they like to remain at a distance with the private sector. The foreign banks have been making profits but their entire income comes from investment into the government papers. Local banks are also following the same path but they still have some room for the private sector as its credit off-take is about 12 to 15 per cent of their total placement of liquidity. The HSBC Pakistan business has 10 branches and total assets of Rs48 billion as of Dec 31, 2013. Meezan Bank said it will convert the operations of HSBC Pakistan into Islamic banking and ensure that customers continue to enjoy uninterrupted banking services. As the economic growth during the last six years was much below the required growth rate, banks in Pakistan found it easy to finance governments facing acute shortage of revenue. This kind of banking eroded the possibility of private sector growth in the country. Thousands of banks were closed around the world since the financial crisis, but Pakistani banks succeeded to survive mainly because their sole client was the government. The successive governments not only protected their money but kept them profitable while the banking industry world over was facing huge losses. Meezan Bank said it has experience of acquiring a foreign bank and converting the operations into Islamic banking in 2002 when it bought banking operations of Societe Generale in Pakistan (SG Pakistan) through a transaction very similar to the one being contemplated. The SG Pakistan’s transaction was managed very professionally and seamlessly. Islamic banking has been growing with rapid speed in Pakistan while two more banks are making effort to completely transform their conventional banks into the Islamic ones. Meezan Bank currently operates 351 branches in 103 cities and it is the largest Islamic bank in the country.

Names of 41 ‘corrupt’ officials put on ECL

GUJRANWALA: The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) has decided to put names of 41 government officials on the exit control list (ECL) who are involved in corruption cases and have been declared absconders by the court of law. This was stated by ACE Regional Director Muzaffar Khan Sial while talking to Dawn here on Thursday. He said the ACE had booked these officials of various departments in corruption cases, but they were still at large and were not ready to present themselves for trial since long. Mr Sial said these accused officials were involved in embezzlement of heavy amounts and they could fly abroad at any time. He said the ACE had put their names on the ECL to foil their attempt to slip abroad while the ACE was also in contact with the Interior Ministry. He said at least 56 accused officials, including 22 absconders and four gazetted officers, had been arrested during a recent campaign. Mr Sial said the regional directorate had received as many as 118 new applications against government officials while eight new cases had been registered in April. He said four of the applications had been forwarded to authorities of the departments concerned for departmental action. He said seven government officials had been arrested red-handed while taking bribe during the period. Plan Finalised The district administration has finalised a plan with the help of the army to save 172 villages in Kamoki tehsil and Wazirabad which are feared to come under floodwater during the upcoming rainy season. It was learnt on Thursday that the people residing near banks of the River Chenab, Nullah Palkhu and Nullah Deg might have to face heavy losses in the shape of destruction of crops, livestock and damages to their homes. Keeping in view last year’s losses, officers of the district administration and the army held a meeting in Cantonment and approved a joint plan to avoid losses in future. The participants noted that last year 86 villages in Kamoki, 34 in Gujranwala tehsil and 30 in Wazirabad tehsil had come under floodwater. The meeting also approved Rs6.8 million for immediately carrying out desiltation in Nullah Palkhu. It also decided to repair and strengthen banks of the River Chenab and nullahs from eight places while PC-I of the project had also been approved.

US urges Pakistan to probe lawyer's killing

WASHINGTON: The United States Friday called on Pakistan to investigate the killing of a lawyer shot dead for defending a university lecturer accused of blasphemy under strict laws against defaming Islam. “We were deeply saddened by the murder of Rashid Rehman, an attorney and human rights defender in Pakistan,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters. “We encourage Pakistani authorities, as we have in similar cases in Pakistan and around the world, to swiftly investigate this crime and bring to justice those responsible.”Gunmen stormed Rehman's office late Wednesday and started firing indiscriminately, killing him and injuring two others, in the latest high-profile killing linked to Pakistan's controversial blasphemy laws. Psaki spoke as Deputy Secretary of State Bill Burns was visiting Pakistan Friday at what he said was a “moment of opportunity” in US-Pakistan ties. Burns met with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif as well as other top ministers and advisors and General Raheel Sharif, the new head of the nation's powerful army. “After some difficult years, our relationship is on a positive trajectory -- a trajectory we hope to not only maintain, but accelerate,” Burns said in a statement. Washington supported the prime minister's bid “to reestablish authority over all Pakistani territory in whatever way Pakistan deems appropriate.”And the US wanted to “especially urge him to sustain pressure on militant groups, deny them a safe-haven, and prevent cross-border attacks,” Burns said. “Militancy continues to threaten Pakistan's revival. Few countries have paid a heavier price than Pakistan in the fight against extremism.”Ties have improved markedly since almost collapsing in 2011 amid a series of crises including the US raid in Pakistan that killed Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden. The US has also reduced the number of drone attacks on the unruly border areas between Pakistan and Afghanistan where Al-Qaeda and Taliban insurgents are believed to be hiding. Islamabad has publicly denounced drone attacks as a violation of sovereignty. “Countering cross-border militancy and shutting down safe havens is critical not only for Pakistan's long-term peace and prosperity but also for positive relations between Pakistan and all its neighbors, including Afghanistan,” Burns added.

Blast in Peshawar injures four

PESHAWAR: At least four people were injured Saturday from an explosion in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, police said. According to SP City Faisal Mukhtar, the improvised explosive device (IED) exploded outside the house of a local trader in Kohati Gate area. Mukhtar said unidentified militants had hidden the explosives in a pile of clothes, which blew up when the attackers hurled it outside his residence. Police said the blast injured four people who were shifted to the Lady Reading Hospital for emergency treatment. Security officials cordoned off the site and initiated investigation into the incident.

View From Abroad : Deeply flawed US-Pakistan relations

THERE’S no doubt: US-Pakistan relations are important. They are also emotional, volatile, passionate — and deeply flawed. I’ve often commented in this column on the Bollywood/soap opera-esque nature of the Washington-Islamabad connection. Through history, the love-hate relationship has fascinated and intrigued a watching world. Like others I have looked on with a mixture of curiosity and alarm as America and Pakistan have exchanged expressions of mutual love, followed by lies and accusations of betrayal. Both have lived up to their reputation as brother-enemies, bound by a complex web of inter-dependence, envy and mistrust. Drones, Osama bin Laden, Raymond Davis, AQ Khan, Kayani and Musharraf have their special place — nay chapters — in the many books written on America and Pakistan. Truth be told, no country quite understands Pakistan like America does. And nobody knows how to twist Americans around their little finger than Pakistanis do. Washington can bully, cajole and influence Pakistan in myriad ways. But Pakistan has more than mastered the art of manipulating Uncle Sam. I was struck by the stark reality — and the many fissures and wounds — in the US-Pakistan relationship at a recent conference attended by a select group of American, Pakistani and European scholars and policymakers. The meeting ostensibly focused on the many challenges facing Pakistan and ways in which the US and Europe could provide a helping hand, separately and — possibly in an ideal world — jointly to Islamabad. There was agreement that Pakistan is undecided about its future direction, mismanaged by incompetent politicians, strangled by mullahs and run by an unscrupulous army and security services which have turned the country into a playground for the Taliban. But the conversation was really about the US and Pakistan. Here’s what I took home. First, Americans are focused almost entirely on Pakistan as a security threat. And that means dealing with the “real” power in Pakistan: the army. Washington pays little heed to Pakistan’s squabbling civilian rulers, knowing the limits of their role and influence. Given their focus on security, Americans also ignore Pakistan’s many other, tragic failings, including the spread of intolerance and repression, repeated human rights violations, mistreatment of minorities, discrimination against women and misuse of children. For Washington, fighting the Taliban is about “hard security”, worrying about women and minorities are “soft” issues of secondary concern. Better leave it to the Europeans. Murder of journalists and repression and harassment of the press? Not a cause for too much concern, just another reflection of the complicated political and social landscape of the world’s “most dangerous country”. Nothing much that outsiders can do to change the situation. Washington is not too bothered. Even as some US experts said it was time Washington washed its hands off such a toxic place, others insisted that while Pakistan may be a complicated and difficult ally, it is also “too dangerous to fail”. So while Washington can rage and rant against the unpredictable twists and turns in Islamabad’s policies, it can’t let go. Can’t live with you, can’t live without you. The US and Pakistan are tired of each other, complained a much-respected American scholar. Washington has no long-term vision of what to do with and about Islamabad. The two sides’ interests are not aligned and there is no basis for a deepening of relations. For most of the two days, Americans wagged their fingers, pointing to the many deficits in Pakistan’s handling of its multiple security threats, its continuing efforts to distinguish between the “good” and “bad” Taliban and its troubled relations with Afghanistan and India. Pakistanis may have disliked the patronising tone of the US discourse but appeared to relish the attention. Pakistan must not be compared to India or any other Asian country, insisted Pakistani participants because the country was special, different, unique. If only. As Asian countries engage in a fiercely competitive race to the top, seeking to make their mark as full-fledged actors in the Asian century, Pakistan lags far behind, hijacked by religious extremism and economic stagnation. Pakistan is not an exception, not special. And comparisons with India and further afield with Malaysia and Indonesia are important and valid because they spotlight the many weaknesses of a country which has squandered its potential as a “rising” Asian power because of short-sighted policies and out-dated security dogmas. In the 21st century, countries are respected if they grow and thrive, nurture innovation and creativity and connect with their neighbours and global partners as constructive political and economic actors. It’s not too late. Playing the blame game with Washington may be fun for bored politicians and generals. But it’s only through building stronger regional trade ties, increased attention to the rights of citizens and more resolute action against extremism that Pakistan can become part of the Asian mainstream.

Analysis: Nawaz's crucial visit to Iran

Critical developments within the region and the greater Middle East form the backdrop of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s official visit to Iran on May 11 and 12. Pakistan-Iran relations, long marked by cold formality, were recently jolted out of their stage-managed civility by a series of unusual events. The kidnapping in February of five Iranian border guards by trans-border Sunni militants that straddle Balochistan and Iran’s border province of Sistan-Baluchestan quickly unmasked the underlying tensions brewing between the two countries. Wider strategic shifts playing out at the regional level intersected with local developments, and reporting on the border incident became overlaid with talk of the growing Saudi-Pak cooperation and Pakistan as a factor in the future security of the Gulf states. Pakistan’s official, diplomatic support to the Saudi position on the Syrian crisis in February provided more fodder for sensational gossip of secret military pacts. The back-to-back visits of Gulf dignitaries as well as at least five visits by members of the Saudi royal family to Islamabad including the Saudi foreign and deputy defence ministers, culminating in the two-day visit of Saudi Crown Prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz on Feb 15, created greater optics. The joint statement issued during the visit of the crown prince unleashed intense speculation regarding the possibility of Pakistan’s security support to the Sunni Gulf sheikhdoms against Iran. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s closeness to Saudi Arabia, where he lived in exile for seven years, was seen as a factor of change, turning around Pakistan’s long-practised policy of non-interference in the internal squabbles of Muslim states. As tensions flared and Iran threatened to send its forces into Pakistan to retrieve the border guards who had been kidnapped, several observers saw the escalation of tensions in the light of wider sectarian tensions in the region including the Iran-Saudi tussle over Syria, increased sectarian violence in Pakistan and the Middle East and deepening Pak-Saudi security cooperation. Some analysts also attributed the more muscular posturing by the Iranian government, led by newly elected President Hassan Rouhani, to the dramatic thaw and historic U-turn in US-Iran relations over Iran’s nuclear programme. As the dust settles on the events of February, ahead of Prime Minister Sharif’s visit Pak-Iran relations already appear poised to return to their normal mode of staged cordiality. Most observers see the trip as an opportunity for both countries to step back from the recent strains. Both sides have since taken steps to control the damage. During the visit last week of the Iranian interior minister, Pakistan and Iran agreed on several measures related to security, cross-border terrorism, smuggling, human trafficking, greater intelligence-sharing, cooperation between security forces and economic relations. The two sides also agreed on installing hotlines between the Frontier Corps and Iranian officials to resolve border- and security-related issues. The face-to-face meeting between Mr Sharif and Mr Rouhani is also an opportunity for Pakistan and Iran to find creative ways to deal with the impasse over the IP pipeline. Pakistan is expected to pay heavy penalties by the end of 2014 due to non-compliance with the timeline of the project, unless Iran agrees to waive them. The visit is also likely to provide an opportunity for both important regional players in Afghanistan to sound out each other’s position on post-election developments and the post-2014 Afghanistan situation. High-profile head-of-state visits have long been part and parcel of the Pakistan-Iran diplomatic tango and have been used to smoothen out fragile relations and maintain the status quo. The prime minister’s upcoming visit will likely fulfil all the usual expectations. Pakistan’s strategic view, however, of its important neighbour remains tied to narrow old frames of competing interests in Afghanistan during the 1990s. Its view of its own geopolitical place in the neighbourhood and the wider region similarly remains myopic and tactical. Whereas the other smaller Sunni countries in the region such as Oman and the UAE learn to negotiate their multilayered links with Saudi Arabia and Iran, Pakistan finds itself unable to clearly negotiate or maintain a pragmatic balance between its geopolitical strengths and relations with its long-term strategic partners. Pakistan need not be apologetic about its long-term commitment to the integrity and security of Saudi and the Gulf states. Such a commitment, however, must be balanced by fully leveraging its geopolitical realities and expanding its economic, trade and infrastructural connectivity across its land borders, both with Iran and India. The writer is a senior research fellow at the Islamabad Policy Research Institute and former Pakistan scholar Woodrow Wilson Center.

Shakil Afridi’s counsel quits due to US pressure, threats from militants

PESHAWAR: Samiulllah Afiridi, the legal counsel of the alleged US spy, Dr Shakil Afridi who had led the Navy Seal to the compound of al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, has quit citing security threats to his life and undue pressure from the US on Pakistan to release Afridi, thus manipulating the courts proceedings. During the hearing, Samiullah Afridi said that they were fighting the case in the court of law but undue pressure from US on Pakistan is an indirect interference in the courts proceedings and that is the main reason he decided to quit. “The pressure tactics by the US on Pakistani government for extra judicial release of Dr Shakil Afridi was impacting the Pakistani courts, though I do not consider the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) laws humane and we are fighting for amendments, but still the case has to be left to the courts for decision,” he added Samiulalh Afridi said, he had decided to fight Dr Shakil’s case on humanitarian grounds but since then he and his family was being threatened from different quarters so it was no more possible for him to continue and that’s why he decided to quit. “The threats are very real, and they are coming for the last almost two years but the last few days remained very difficult for me and family so there was no option but to quit,” he added. Samiullah Afridi further added that US is holding Dr Aafia Siddiqui under its laws and despite repeated demands and resolutions from the Pakistani people and the government she is not being freed which is also being used as a pretext by all including the religious elements to create problems in Shakil Afridi case. Dr Afridi was sentenced to 33 years in prison and fined Rs320,000 on charges of colluding with Lashkar-i-Islam (LI) and its chief Mangal Bagh in 2012. However, the tribal court had not entertained evidence relating to Dr Shakil Afridi’s involvement with the CIA, citing lack of jurisdiction. His sentence was overturned last year in August and a retrial was ordered.

PTI allowed to hold rally tomorrow

ISLAMABAD: After getting the green signal from the government, the capital administration on Friday issued no-objection certificate (NOC) to the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) to hold a protest rally in Islamabad on May 11. The district administration stated that it had no objection to the holding of the public meeting at Express Chowk from 10:30am to midnight. “But the NOC can be withdrawn at any time without any notice,” officials in the administration said, adding that in case of any violation, the organisers would also be proceeded against under the law. The NOC stated that the entry of participants to the Red Zone would not be permitted. Besides, no weapons and batons of any kind would be allowed at or near the venue. No sectarian and objectionable speeches will be made at the gathering and the event shall be conformed to the cultural values of the country. The organisers will also be responsible for the security of the participants and the public. The participants would be allowed entry to the venue after thorough security search. It added that foolproof security for the participants will be ensured by the organisers. Traffic management and parking plan of the police will be adhered to by the organisers and participants of the event, the officials said. Moreover, the capital police sought 2,500 personnel from the district administration. On Friday, the capital administration and police also started seizing containers from different parts of the city and bringing them to Red Zone to seal it on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Special Branch of the capital police expected a gathering of at least 50,000 people, the officials said.

Iraq forces launch assault near Fallujah, 11 killed

BAGHDAD: Iraqi forces launched an operation Friday to retake areas near the militant-held city of Fallujah in preparation for an eventual assault, a senior officer said, as violence killed 11 people. Anti-government fighters have held Fallujah, just a short drive from Baghdad, and shifting parts of Anbar provincial capital Ramadi, farther west, since early January. “A military operation was launched... to eliminate the ISIL organisation and liberate Fallujah,” a senior army officer said, referring to powerful group the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. “The operation will continue until an assault on Fallujah,” the officer said. But such an assault is unlikely to occur soon, as security forces have struggled all year to retake territory in Anbar from militants. And they would face major challenges in actually assaulting Fallujah, an operation that would likely cause massive damage to the city and carry significant risks of civilian casualties. Shelling and clashes began in and around Fallujah about 3:00 am (0000 GMT) on Friday and continued for hours, a tribal leader said. Eight people were killed and nine wounded, according to Dr Ahmed Shami of Fallujah's main hospital Among the dead were two children, while another two children were wounded, he said.

Edhi is alive and well

KARACHI: Internationally renowned social worker and philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi on Saturday rejected reports of his illness as baseless and said that the motive behind propagation of such false claims was to disrupt his welfare activities, DawnNews reported. A member of the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) while talking to Dawn.com said that Edhi was not admitted in hospital and was doing fine, adding that a press release in this regard would be issued today. Dr Edhi said that "conspirators were constantly hatching plans" against him and also spreading reports of him being admitted to a hospital which were patently false. Dr Edhi is currently occupied with his philanthropic work in his head office. He requested the public to not to pay heed to such unfounded claims adding that forwarding such claims was unethical. Rumours spread like wildfire on both traditional and social media over the last few days that the 86-year-old philanthropist was admitted to an Intensive Care Unit, and later passed away. While Edhi is known to visit the hospital for routine check-ups and dialysis, such speculation has haunted him on multiple occasions now. Abdul Sattar Edhi, runs the country's largest charity, which operates hundreds of ambulances and shelters for women, children and the needy. Edhi has won many international accolades for his charity work.

Will Jashodaben accept SPG cover if her husband Narendra Modi becomes PM? Here's what rules say

New Delhi/Ahmedabad: Narendra Modi's wife Jashodaben would enjoy high security cover if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wins the election and its poster boy becomes prime minister of the country. Being Modi's wife, Jashodaben will be entitled to Special Protection Group (SPG) security. As per the SPG Act, prime Minister, former prime ministers and their immediate families can be provided with such a cover. With barely a week to for the election results to declared, the SPG is working on security plans for Modi in case he becomes the prime minister, English daily Mail Today reported. The SPG detail for Jashodaben, who by virtue of being Modi's wife would face a security threat, can be deployed at her residence in Brahmanwada village in Mehsana district of Gujarat. But Modi's wife does not stay with him. According to a Times of India report, the SPG cover could be refused by the protectee only in the face of no security threat against him or her. This effectively means that Jashodaben has the option to refuse security but not if there is threat perception. Citing a security expert, the report says if Jashodaben were to decline SPG protection in a formal communication to the SPG director, the elite force would have to abide by her sentiment. Modi had declared Jashodaben as his wife for the first time in the affidavit filed along with his nomination papers in Vadodara. This was done in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling last year stating that poll affidavits with blank columns were a valid ground for rejection of the nomination papers. Recently, the Election Commission issued directions making e-filing of poll affidavits mandatory. The software used for e-filing of affidavits ensures that none of the columns in the affidavits can be left blank. VVIPs who have SPG, NSG security cover Under SPG cover: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, former prime ministers and their immediate families, Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and brother-in-law Robert Vadra. Under NSG cover: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, Senior BLP leader LK Advani, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh, BJP President Rajnath Singh, former UP CM Kalyan Singh, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, DMK chief M. Karunanidhi, Telugu Desam Party chief N. Chandrababu Naidu, RJD boss Lalu Prasad, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.

CBI says Amit Shah was 'involved in fake encounters', Mumbai court summons Modi's close aide

Mumbai: A special CBI court today issued summons to Amit Shah, the close aide of BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, and other accused in the Tulsiram Prajapati fake encounter case. Today, on the first day of hearing, special judge J T Utpat here issued summons to the accused, seeking their presence on May 23. Earlier, the case was transferred from Gujarat to Mumbai court. The CBI filed a chargesheet in the case last September against Shah, the former home minister of state, and 18 others, including several police officers. According to CBI, gangster Sohrabuddin Sheikh and his wife Kauser Bi were abducted by Gujarat's Anti-Terrorism Squad from Hyderabad and killed in a fake encounter near Gandhinagar in November 2005. Following which, Tulsiram Prajapati, a key eye-witness to the encounter, was killed by police at Chapri village in Banaskantha district of Gujarat in December 2006, it says. According to CBI, Shah, as Minister of State, was involved in the conspiracy which led to the fake encounters.

Destroy N Waziristan terror sanctuaries, Burns tells COAS

ISLAMABAD: US Deputy Secretary of State William J. Burns during his visit to Pakistan held meetings with Advisor to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, special assistant to the prime minister Tariq Fatemi and Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif. Sources close to the meetings said that Burns conveyed the message of the United States to top Pakistani civil and military officials during the meetings, asking for the destruction of terrorist sanctuaries located in North Waziristan. On behalf of the US, he requested that this operation should be completed before the installation of the new political administration in Kabul. During the meetings, the two sides discussed Pakistan-US bilateral relations and regional issues, including Afghanistan, said a Foreign Office spokesperson. Pakistan's Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry and US Ambassador to Pakistan Richard Olson also attended the meeting between US deputy secretary of state and special assistant to the prime minister, Tariq Fatemi during which the importance Pakistan attaches to stronger Pakistan-U.S. cooperation in diverse fields was underscored. Fatemi expressed satisfaction at the positive direction and momentum of Pak-US bilateral relations after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's visit to Washington. Both sides noted with satisfaction that the Ministerial Review of the Bilateral Strategic Dialogue held subsequently which had further sustained this process. With regards to Afghanistan, both countries emphasised the importance of deeper consultations between Pakistan and the US. Adviser to Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, during his meeting with Mr Burns, reiterated Pakistan’s support for the democratic process in Afghanistan and stressed that smooth security and economic transitions were also fundamental for stability in Afghanistan and the region. Both sides also discussed the post-2014 situation and matters relating to Afghan peace and reconciliation process. During meeting with Pakistan's top military commander General Raheel Sharif, Burns discussed security along the Pak-Afghan border and shared more information about terrorist sanctuaries, calling for possible strikes against them. The visiting US deputy secretary of state also held meetings with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan, and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar.

Hajis from past five years not to attend pilgrimage this year

ISLAMABAD: Secretary Religious Affairs Sikander Ismail informed the Senate Standing Committee on Religious Affairs on Friday that those persons who had gone for Haj during the past five years would not be allowed to attend the pilgrimage this year, DawnNews reported. He added that 140,648 Pakistani pilgrims would attend the haj pilgrimage this year and applicants of the government's haj scheme would be shortlisted within 15 days. The Senate Standing Committee on Religious Affairs also adopted resolution in condemnation of the desecration of the holy sites of non-muslims in the country. Members of Standing Committee on Religious Affairs chaired by Senator Hafiz Hamdullah declared the burning of a dharamashala in Sukkur district of Sindh as 'deplorable' and said that such incidents brought a bad name to the country. PIA reduces fare Pakistan International Airline (PIA) reduced its fares on Umrah as well as some domestic sectors, on the directions of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to pass the benefit of the reduction in oil prices during the past three months, to the customers. Reduction in airfares for Umrah are as follows:North (Punjab, AJK, GB and KP) by Rs. 6,000 from Rs. 72,000 to Rs. 66,000. South (Sindh, Balochistan) by Rs. 6,000 from Rs. 60,000 to Rs. 54,000 Fares reduced on Domestic sectors by Rs. 2,000 (Multan,Faisalabad, Peshawar, Quetta, DG Khan etc) .

Four police guards charged with murder of teenage boy

KARACHI: The four police personnel involved in the shootout in Defence were presented in court on Friday and charged with murder, DIG South Abdul Khalid Shaikh confirmed to Dawn.com. The incident on Thursday left an 18-year-old boy and a police guard dead while another teenager and private security guard were also injured. The shootout took place outside the residence of Suleman Lashari who was killed in the incident in Defence. The injured boy, Salman Abro, is alleged to have take taken his father's guards to Suleman's residence where he was shot in the back by the victim's guard. "There is also a strong probability that Sarwar Abro, the police officer whom the guards were assigned to, will face disciplinary action," Shaikh added. Departmental disciplinary action looks into violations of efficiency and discipline rules where a show cause notice is issued to the officer who has up to two weeks to prepare for his defense after which they must present their case before the chief secretary and the chief minister. If found guilty, the repercussion range from a deduction in salary to more strict action such as demotion or dismissal from service. “This is the procedure for an officer who is not directly involved but there is suspicion that either his guards went with his consent or through his negligence,” Shaikh said. Commenting on the growing gun culture in Karachi, DIG Shaikh said the police department is working with Citizens Trust Against Crime to gain control on the issue mostly through organised screening of vehicles. On the issue of gun licensing DIG Shaikh said, “That is the broader issue, we are focusing on how to improve enforcement. Guns have become a status symbol. Sure, sometimes it is needed for security but there is excessive and unnecessary brandishing.” The news of this latest incident is yet another grim indicator of the growing gun violence among young adults who are choosing to take the law into their own hands over petty disputes.

Putin takes victory lap to annexed Crimea

SEVASTOPOL: President Vladimir Putin took a victory lap Friday in his first visit to Crimea since its annexation by Russia, as fighting in eastern Ukraine left more than 20 dead just days ahead of a separatist vote. The visit drew a sharp rebuke from authorities in Kiev, who accused the Russian strongman of stoking tensions with his visit to Sevastopol, home to Russia's Black Sea fleet. “This provocation once again confirms that Russia deliberately seeks further escalation of tensions,” the foreign ministry said, calling the visit a “flagrant violation of Ukraine's sovereignty”. The White House also condemned the trip, with National Security Council spokesman Laura Magnuson saying it “will only serve to fuel tensions”. With unease high ahead of an independence vote planned for Sunday in parts of eastern Ukraine, fighting between Ukrainian troops and pro-Moscow militants erupted in the southeastern port city of Mariupol. An attempt by around 60 rebels armed with automatic weapons to storm the city's police headquarters turned into a “full-scale military clash” when army and interior ministry troop reinforcements arrived, Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said on his official Facebook page. He said the death toll from the near-two-hour combat stood at 20 rebels and one policeman, while another four policemen were wounded and four rebels were captured. Witnesses in Mariupol told AFP the fighting was ferocious and involved an exchange of automatic gunfire and shelling from eight armoured vehicles. The police headquarters was gutted by fire and, after the battle, firemen were at the scene trying to extinguish the flames. 'Awful lot of shooting' “There was an awful lot of shooting,” said an eyewitness who gave his first name as Aleksandr. In Sevastopol, Putin reviewed Russian ships in the bay, hailing the sailors on board with a “Hello comrades!” as he congratulated them on Friday's 69th anniversary of the Soviet victory over the Nazis in World War II. Putin said 2014 “will go down in history” as the year when the “historic truth” of Crimea as part of Russia was recognised. “Much work remains ahead, but we will overcome all difficulties... because we are together. And that means we are even stronger,” Putin told a cheering crowd. Russia's annexation of Crimea in March set off the worst diplomatic crisis in the West's relations with Moscow since the end of the Cold War. It has been followed by uprisings and fighting in eastern Ukraine that have raised concerns of a civil war erupting on Europe's doorstep. Despite a surprise call from Putin this week to delay independence referendums, rebels holed up in more than a dozen towns and cities in eastern Ukraine vowed to press ahead with votes this Sunday that are bound to increase tensions. Putin flew to Sevastopol after overseeing the traditional Victory Day parade in Moscow's Red Square. Addressing some 11,000 troops who marched alongside tanks, armoured vehicles and mobile missile systems, Putin hailed Russia's “all-conquering patriotic force”. The Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany 69 years ago has long been a source of great pride throughout the ex-USSR, which lost some 30 million citizens during World War II. In contrast to the display of military hardware on Red Square, Ukraine held muted Victory Day celebrations in a bid to avoid violence. The head of Kiev's city council banned large-scale public gatherings or parades in the capital, fearing that the veterans could be attacked by “Russian provocateurs”. A short ceremony was held in the presence of Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, several former presidents and a few dozen veterans in the city's main park. Their chests bulging with medals, the veterans marched with flowers in their hands but the atmosphere was subdued. “Today's celebration has been ruined. We cannot celebrate the victory as usual because of the political situation,” said one of the veterans, Vasyl Kupchenko. Previous violence in Ukraine in recent weeks saw 14 troops killed, three helicopter gunships downed and 66 servicemen injured in assaults on the rebels. The fighting also claimed the lives of more than 30 insurgents. Clashes that resulted in a horrific inferno in the southern port city of Odessa last week claimed another 42 lives, most of them pro-Russian activists. Unrest was also reported Friday in the eastern city of Donetsk, with pro-Russian militants saying two of their number were wounded by brief gunfire from Ukrainian troops stationed at a sanatorium on the outskirts of the city. The troops withdrew from the area after talks, they said. The Ukrainian prosecutor's office said it was also investigating the death of an Orthodox priest allegedly shot eight times at a rebel checkpoint in the Donetsk region on Thursday. The crisis in Ukraine kicked off after the ouster of the country's pro-Kremlin president Viktor Yanukovych in February.

Analysis: Divided militants by Ismail Khan

AS if the militancy scene was not confusing enough — at least for Pakistan’s decision-makers and policymakers — the now almost month-long fighting between two militant groups in South Waziristan has made the situation more puzzling, particularly in the context of the on-again, off-again peace talks. The fighting between Khan Said alias Sajna and Shehryar — both Shabikhel Mehsuds — has raised questions of whether what is essentially a turf war for leadership and territorial control of the Mehsud heartland will spread to other tribal regions, and engulf the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, causing further fissures in Taliban ranks. Also, important is the question of whether the clashes will have an impact on the peace talks between the TTP and the government-nominated committee of serving and retired civil bureaucrats. Differences between Sajna and Shehryar date back to the time when Waliur Rehman had challenged Hakeemullah’s ascension as TTP emir following the death of Baitullah Mehsud. Waliur Rehman and Hakeemullah, like their leader Baitullah Mehsud, were killed in drone strikes but their death rekindled old rivalries. What initially was a quest for TTP leadership soon turned into a fight for the control of the Mehsud heartland after the shura chose Swat’s fugitive militant leader Maulana Fazlullah as the new TTP chief. The fighting which erupted in the first week of last month has, according to various estimates, left some 57 militants dead. Shehryar, who has a relatively smaller fighting force, is believed to have lost more men than Sajna. Of the 22 command regions in the Mehsud part of South Waziristan, Sajna enjoys, according to government officials, the support of 18 commanders but as of now there is no clear victor. So far, efforts by the Mullah Omar-led Amaarat-i-Islami Afghanistan and some senior TTP shura members to put an end to the fighting and enforce a four-month ceasefire have yielded no results as the two sides continue to launch attacks on each other’s bases and eliminate each other’s supporters and commanders in targeted killings and roadside bombings. The TTP as an organisation has so far refrained from taking sides and SOS signals sent by one or the other group to rally support, government officials claim, have failed to evoke any response for a variety of reasons. The current fighting in South Waziristan has not had any major impact on the TTP’s operational capability in the country, for the power to order and launch attacks now lie in regions beyond the Mehsud hinterland. But the outcome of the fighting is likely to have an impact if Sajna manages to seize control of the entire territory. He has been in contact with the government, willing to cut a deal with or without the TTP. Whether he will stick to his position or change tack after winning the battle for leadership is not known. But the military has certainly put him in a difficult situation by launching an operation in Bobar where he has control and bases. It has complicated matters. The peace negotiations have stalled for now. This owes much to the government’s own indecisiveness but also in small part to the infighting in South Waziristan. There are those within the government who believe that holding peace talks with the so-called hardliners would be an exercise in futility and it would be better to go for separate, individual peace agreements with reconcilable groups such as the likes of Sajna. And this is one reason, why, say some officials, the government has hardened its position vis-à-vis the conditions set forth by the Taliban committee. No concession may come forth, for instance, to the demand for a so-called peace zone. The decision to unilaterally release 13 low-level militants as a confidence-building measure has been put on hold, for the time being, to find out what the TTP has to offer in return. Also, in response to the TTP’s list of 904 combatant and non-combatant detainees that the militants allege are in the custody of the security agencies and who they want released, the government is likely to come up with its own list of people that it claims are in the militants’ custody, including scores who have been kidnapped for ransom. There is a war within and a war without. Militants are fighting it out amongst themselves in South Waziristan but they are also stepping up attacks elsewhere in the country. Policymakers are divided. Should they support Sajna, tilting the balance in his favour to claim leadership, rally pro-peace groups around him and take on those inimical to the state? Or should they continue their engagement with TTP central? But what is clear is that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is adamant about pursuing the peace process. A military operation is off the table — for now.