North Waziristan offensive “not full-scale operation”

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has not decided to launch a full-scale military operation in North Waziristan, the Interior Ministry said Saturday, adding that recent airstrikes and limited military action in the tribal region are in continuation of existing policy. “No decision has been taken for a full scale military operation in North Waziristan and there was no decision to call off the dialogue process, nor has any such demand been made from either side,” Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said in an official statement issued in Islamabad. The statement said the recent airstrikes are in continuation of the already taken decision that any act of violence or terrorism against civilian or military targets will meet a calibrated and measured response. The interior minister also claimed that there was no decision to hand over security of major urban cities to the army. “No decision has been taken to hand over the security of Islamabad and other major cities to the army nor is NACTA involved in this matter in any manner,” said the interior minister. Security forces security forces have pounded militant hideouts in different parts of North Waziristan during the past couple of days, stepping up pressure on militants in the tribal region. The ‘operation’ began a day after military planes and helicopter gunships attacked suspected militants’ hideouts in Miramshah and Mirali sub-district. Officials put the death toll at 71 which, they say, include local and foreign militants. Residents, however, put the casualty figure at 80, including women and children. The military action launched on Wednesday has resulted in displacement of a large number of civilians seeking shelter in adjoining districts. Sources in the military refuted a report by foreign news agency Reuters which suggested the offensive was launched without taking the political leadership on board. “Aerial strikes of Wednesday in North Waziristan were carried out after the approval of the political government in response to terrorist acts during the last few weeks in FATA, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Karachi in which several civilian and military personnel were killed,” a military source told DawnNews. Key militant commanders killed Meanwhile, sources have confirmed that five key militant commanders were killed in airstrikes launched on Wednesday in North Waziristan. Among those killed was also an Uzbek Commander named Abu Ahmad. Sources said other local terrorists who were killed included ‘Commander Qanooni’ and Commander Sabir, said to be a handler of suicide-bombers. Others included Commander Gilamand and Commander Jihad Yaar, the sources added.

Iran addresses nuclear bomb allegations for first time: IAEA

VIENNA: Iran has for the first time in six years addressed concerns about the so-called “possible military dimensions” of its nuclear programme, a new International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report showed Friday. Tehran handed over information related to detonators that can be used for several purposes but also for a nuclear weapon under a key November interim nuclear deal, the quarterly report, seen by AFP, showed. In technical meetings with the United Nations (UN) atomic watchdog in late April and earlier this week in Iran, Tehran provided “information and explanations, including showing documents, to substantiate its stated need and application of EBW (Explosive Bridge Wire detonators),” the report by IAEA director-general Yukiya Amano for member states said. “Iran showed information to the agency that simultaneous firing of EBW was tested for a civilian application,” it went on. “This is the first time that Iran has engaged in a technical exchange with the agency on this or any other of the outstanding issues related to possible military dimensions to Iran’s nuclear programme since 2008.” The EBW issue was part of seven “practical measures” that Iran agreed with world powers under a November interim deal and due to be fulfilled by May 15. All have been implemented, the IAEA said in its report, indicating that Iran was sticking to its commitments. Tehran agreed in November with the so-called P5+1 powers – the permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany – to roll back its nuclear programme to make it virtually impossible to make an atomic bomb in exchange for some relief from biting international sanctions. The “possible military dimensions” of its nuclear programme have been of concern to the international community for years. In November 2011, the IAEA reported it had intelligence that Iran had until 2003 and possibly since then conducted research into developing nuclear weapons. Iran on the other hand insists its nuclear programme is merely for peaceful, civilian purposes. Under the November deal, Iran also agreed to convert and dilute its entire stockpile of medium-enriched uranium, making it more difficult to quickly produce the weapons-grade material needed for a bomb. Of this stockpile, 38.4 kilogrammes of 20% enriched uranium was still awaiting conversion – down from 160.6 kg in February – the report said. Iran has until July 20 to complete this work. The enrichment programme otherwise remains frozen, with no uranium enriched to levels above five per cent and no new centrifuges installed at its enrichment facilities, the IAEA found. Enriched uranium can be used to make nuclear fuel but also to make the core of an atomic bomb. A senior official close to the Iran dossier said Friday that it was “still too early” to say if the latest information provided by Iran – including on the detonators – was credible, but welcomed the atmosphere during discussions between the UN agency and its member state. “We have a lot of new information, which is a good thing… the engagement and cooperation has been improving all the time. In that respect that’s a positive developement and a positive step forward.” For Kelsey Davenport of the Arms Control Association, the IAEA report showed “that Tehran is fulfilling its obligations and willing to be more transparent about its nuclear activities.” The report comes a week after a fourth round of talks between Iran and the P5+1 in Vienna, which ended with no apparent progress towards a comprehensive deal over Tehran’s nuclear programme. Failure to reach a deal by July 20 could spark a conflict – neither Israel nor the US have ruled out taking military action – and set the stage for a nuclear arms race in the Middle East. Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani insisted on Thursday however that a timely deal by the end of July was “very likely.”

Tremors felt in Quetta, surrounding areas

QUETTA: Earthquake jolts were felt in Quetta and its surrounding areas on Saturday, Express News reported. No loss of life or damage to property has been reported as of yet. The epicentre and the magnitude of the tremors are not known as yet.

Analysis: Censoring tweets in Pakistan

“Twitter Institutes Country Withheld Content Tool in Pakistan for the First Time,” read the headline of a post published on the Chilling Effects Clearinghouse website on May 18, 2014. In it were details of five requests made to Twitter by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), seeking to restrict `blasphemous’ and`unethical’ tweets and user accounts, which Twitter complied with. The requests made by the PTA named specific accounts and links to tweets that it wanted ‘withheld’ from Pakistan. The first request was made on May 5, 2014, and the most recent on May 14, 2014. The ‘law’ cited in all the requests, was the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). However, which PPC provision/clause was applicable in each case, was not specified. While it’s not difficult to guess what provision was used to justify blasphemous content, what acceptable legal definition PTA used for ‘unethical’ content that was accepted by Twitter is quite unclear. The first reported use of Twitter’s Country Withheld Content tool was back in 2012, when Twitter blocked content posted by a “neo-Nazi group”, in compliance with local authorities in Germany. This tool, according to Twitter, serves the company’s goal “to respect users’ expression, while also taking into consideration applicable local laws”. Explaining the functionality of the tool, information on Twitter’s website suggests content is not removed but restricted from viewing for users in the country where the request originates. This, says Twitter, is determined by the IP address of its users. After receiving what it says is “a valid and properly scoped request from an authorised entity” i.e. a representative of government or law-enforcement agency, through an online form on its website, these are the steps that follow: Twitter notifies the user via email unless “legally prohibited from doing so”; the content in question is marked in grey through a “visual indicator”; the user can challenge the request or alternately remove the material at will. Twitter is not the only platform to have rolled out a country-specific tool. Google and YouTube offer localised versions of their platforms that enable them to comply with local laws without violating free expression standards at home. In the past, platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Google have been blocked in countries for not complying with government requests to censor content. In Pakistan, Facebook was blocked for a month in 2010; Twitter for half a day in 2012 and the ban on YouTube continues, nearing two years now. It appears that in an attempt to keep their services accessible and functioning, companies are inventing ways of finding a way to work with governments while trying to keep users happy at the same time. But the question is, is this middle-ground good enough for end-users? While anti-Islamic, blasphemous and pornographic content are cited as reasons for blocking of content on the Internet in Pakistan, it is no secret that much more has been blocked due to personal and political interests by those who have the least bit of clout and ability to exert themselves. On paper, this is what is known of the blocking ‘process’ vis-à-vis the Internet in Pakistan. The IMCEW (Inter-Ministerial Committee for the Evaluation of Websites), established in 2006 through an executive order, meets to deliberate on what blasphemous and pornographic content should be blocked on the Internet. The secretariat of the IMCEW is the Ministry for Information Technology and Telecommunications (MOITT), and the federal IT secretary its convener. The IMCEW issues directives to the PTA, with a list of what needs to be blocked. In 2012, through a policy directive, the MOITT instructed the PTA to establish a complaints cell to receive complaint from users regarding blasphemous content, and take action accordingly. The IMCEW comprises representatives of various ministries and a nominee of the Inter-Services Intelligence. But that is about all that is known of it. Who are the members, what are its terms of reference, how decisions are reached is not public knowledge, just like content removal and restriction requests never made public knowledge. The only instances Internet users in the country find out are through leaks by ISPs or, when a hue and cry is raised on social media when a website is found blocked. Neither the IMCEW nor the PTA derives any authority through law — and by law the reference is not to the PPC but legislation that vests powers in them to decide and route content requests. Yet, companies seem to be willing to work with what is in place — legal or not — in the interim. Ready compliance by companies without any legal verification at the very least is dangerously steering this in a direction where governments and companies decide the standards of what is acceptable and what isn’t, what users can view and what they can’t — more so in countries where citizens are disempowered due to missing safeguards for expression and right to information.

Swat women’s jirga demands ceasefire

MINGORA: The Swat women’s jirga has demanded of the government and Taliban to announce ceasefire and initiate dialogue for restoring peace in the country. The 25-member jirga was held here at Saidu Sharif, Swat, and presided over by Khwendo Jirga (sisters council) chairperson Tabasum Adnan. The jirga showed concern over the present law and order situation in the country, particularly in Swat district. Ms Tabasum said that operation and use of force were no solution to the prevailing situation in the country, adding that peace could be restored through dialogue. Says peace can be restored through dialogue “It is obvious that women are being affected by the worsening law and order situation in the country, particularly in the restive areas,” she said and added that they wanted peace in their land. She said that women of Swat were urging the government and militants to start dialogue for peace as early as possible. The jirga chairperson said that it was the responsibility of the government and local administration to take steps for controlling incidents of targeted killing. SEMINAR ON DENGUE: The University of Swat (UoS) on Friday arranged a seminar to create awareness among its students of the causes of dengue fever and ways for its prevention. The seminar was held in collaboration with Relief International (RI), and attended by students and faculty members. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Naeemullah, associate professor of Saidu Medical College, said that elderly people were more vulnerable to dengue mosquitoes and could easily be affected by dengue fever. Dr Mujahid, RI project manager, said that his organisation was working for prevention of different diseases, including dengue, by focusing on public awareness as it could be effective in controlling epidemic diseases. Speaking on the occasion Dr Rafiur Rehman highlighted the causes of dengue fever. ‘‘We can effectively prevent dengue if each member of the society would volunteer to remove stagnant water in house or nearby area,” he said. A research conducted by a student of University of Peshawar was also presented on the occasion, according to which dengue mosquitoes found in Swat were more dangerous than other parts of the country. Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2014

High tech surveillance system to be launched in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: As many as 1,950 close-circuit television (CCTV) cameras will be installed in the capital as a part of the ‘Safe City Project’ within the next eight months, officials in the police and the interior ministry told Dawn. Through the security cameras, the movements of citizens will be monitored to counter terrorism and criminal activities. The interior ministry has set the deadline of eight months for the completion of the safe city project, which is being launched with the financial assistance of China. The Rs6 billion safe city project was initially conceived in 2008 but could not be launched due to the unavailability of funds. 1,950 CCTV cameras will be installed under the ‘Safe City Project’ Before abandoning the project, two scanners were brought to the capital city which remained unproductive. The officials said this time the government had sought financial assistance from China which had agreed to provide a soft loan for the project. The initial cost of the project was Rs40 billion which also included scanners along with metal and explosive detectors. Eventually, the scanners and detectors were excluded from the project to bring down the cost from Rs40 billion to Rs12 billion. The project will be executed by the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) and Huawei, a Chinese telecom and information technology company. “The funds will be provided by China on the basis of billing which will be made by Nadra and Huawei,” they added. Huawei has given a year-long operational and three years’ free repair and maintenance guarantee, they said, adding after the completion the project would run on a test basis for two months. The construction of a control room for the project has already started at the Police Line Headquarters. A team of 150 officials will be trained to operate the system. The officials added that 130 LED screens would be installed inside the control room for monitoring the CCTVs. All the spots have been identified and chosen after recommendations from the concerned superintendents of police. The officials explained that each screen would telecast live footages from 15 CCTVs at a time. The CCTVs and the control room will be run with modern and sophisticated software worth Rs250 million which is currently being used only in US and England, they added. The cameras can capture an image of 32 mega pixels, giving them an ability to pick out a single face from a gathering even at the distance of 30 metres. Each face, picked from the CCTV cameras, can be verified with the Nadra database which can be used to obtain the details of the person. Similarly, auto-thefts can also be monitored through the system while the software will be able to trace the vehicles using their registration number, model and colour. The project will also utilise modern 4G LTE communication system to connect the control room with the Rapid Response Unit (RRU) of police. Furthermore, 600 personnel will be added in the capital police for the RRU as a part of the project. Moreover, the capital police have also requested interior ministry to allow them to use global positioning system (GPS) to trace a person using their SIM number or international mobile station equipment identity (IMEI) code. Furthermore, the software will allow accessing the CCTV footage of each individual’s location using the SIM and IMEI number. Out of the total 1,950 CCTVs, 450 will be installed within the Red Zone, the officials said, adding that all the entry and exit points will be covered by the project. Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2014

Pakistani doctor given UN award on child health

ISLAMABAD: The World Health Assembly has rewarded a Pakistani physician, Dr Zulfiqar Bhutta, for his global work on child health and newborn survival. World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Dr Margaret Chan announced the ‘Ihsan Dogramaci Family Health Foundation Prize’ for Dr Bhutta at a session of the assembly in Geneva on Thursday. Dr Bhutta is the founding director of the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health at Aga Khan University Karachi and Robert Harding Inaugural Chair in Global Child Health at the Hospital for Sick Children Toronto. He is also one of the seven members of Independent Expert Review Group, appointed by the UN secretary-general for monitoring global progress on maternal and child health millennium development goals. He represents academic and research organisations on Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisations Board and co-chairs the Maternal and Child Health Oversight Committee of WHO Emro and Global Countdown for 2015 Steering Group. Dr Bhutta told Dawn that it was the first time that a Pakistani had been rewarded at the global forum. Ironically, there was no representation of the government at the award ceremony. Dr Bhutta’s research interests include newborn and child survival, maternal and child under-nutrition and micronutrient deficiencies. He leads a large group based in Pakistan with special interest in research synthesis. Besides, Sasakawa Health Prize was awarded to Dr Hubert Bogaert Diaz of Leprosy Control Foundation Dominican Institution of Dermatology and Skin Surgery for expanding services for children affected by skin diseases, other than leprosy. The UAE Health Foundation Prize was given to the Institution for Research in Health in Costa Rica for its work on gastric cancer and occupational exposure to pesticides. The Dr Lee Jong-wook Memorial Prize for Public Health was given jointly to Prof Sinata Koulla-Shiro of Cameroon and the Czech Society of Cardiology. Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2014

At least seven killed in drive-by shooting in California: reports

At least seven people were killed in a drive-by shooting near a college campus in the Californian city of Santa Barbara, including the suspected gunman, local media reported on Saturday. California's KEYT-TV reported that a further seven people were wounded in the shooting late on Friday in the town of Isla Vista near the campus of the University of California at Santa Barbara. Witnesses reported seeing a black BMW speeding through the streets and spraying bullets at people and other targets in Isla Vista, the station reported. It said that at one point the gunman exchanged fire with sheriff's deputies before crashing into a parked car. The suspect was found dead of a gunshot wound in the car, where authorities recovered a handgun. A spokeswoman for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office could not immediately be reached for comment.

Ufone launches 3G service commercially

KARACHI: Ufone has commercially launched its third-generation (3G) mobile internet service in parts of Pakistan, the company said in a statement issued on Friday. The service offered by the mobile operator would be available from May 24 in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Rawalpindi, the statement said. The statement added that users would be charged for the service as per the tariff in areas where it had been activated on a free-trial basis. The service was launched a day after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif handed out licenses for next generation 3G and 4G services to Ufone and three other cellular companies that had bid on them. The licenses were handed over amid hopes that the technology would open new avenues of socio-economic development in the country. The government had sold 3G and 4G licenses to Mobilink, China Mobile (Zong), Ufone and Telenor in April for an estimated $1.22 billion. With the introduction of 3G and 4G services, subscribers will be able to use broadband internet services on mobile handsets and experience connectivity at speeds up to eight times faster than the ones at present offered by 2G services in the country.

PM accepts India's invite to Modi's oath-taking

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Saturday accepted India's invitation to attend the oath-taking ceremony of the neighbouring country's prime minister-elect Narendra Modi, a spokesman for the Prime Minister House said. The decision was made after a series of consultations that the premier held with his close aides. Advisor to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs and National Security Sartaj Aziz told Dawn that he had a series of meetings yesterday and day before with the premier in which the issue was discussed. Moreover, Foreign Office spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam said details of the visit were being worked out with the Indian authorities, including the composition of the prime minister’s delegation. She said it was most likely that Aziz would accompany Prime Minister Sharif to New Delhi. Sharif is among the leaders of member states of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) invited by Modi. It is the first time in Indian history that leaders from neighbouring countries have been invited to the swearing-in ceremony of a prime minister. Analysts had asserted that a slightly delayed response was due to the fact that Pakistan would be keen to insert a meaningful agenda during the usually accommodated bilateral talks even if the occasion has a multi-lateral flavour. FO announces schedule of PM's visit to India The Foreign office has announced the schedule of the visit of the Prime Minister Sharif to India saying it would be a two day visit. "In response to the invitation to the oath-taking ceremony of Prime Minister-designate of India, Mr. Narendra Modi, the prime minister would be travelling to New Delhi on May 26, 2014. Adviser to the Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, Secretary to the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary would accompany him,” Foreign Office spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam told dawn .com. The spokesperson said according to the programme received from India, the prime minister will have a bilateral meeting with Modi on the morning of May 27. She said the premier would also call on the President of India and after completion of his meetings, he would return to Pakistan in the afternoon of May 27, 2014.

'Molested' N-E woman lawyer beaten up in Tis Hazari court

New Delhi: A female lawyer and two activists were allegedly beaten up by a group of persons at the Tis Hazari court here on Friday when they went there in connection with a case filed against an advocate by a woman from North-East alleging molestation. The incident took place when a 38-year-old woman from Nagaland, who was molested on Thursday night allegedly by a lawyer outside Delhi Vishwavidyalay metro station, came to the court with her advocate and some social activists to record her statement in connection with the incident. A senior police official said, "We have received the case of a North Eastern lawyer along with two others being attacked." According to Noshi, the victim's lawyer, the accused and some of his associates, said to be lawyers, beat them up. The crowd also followed and threatened them. Noshi, who practices at Saket court, said that she asked the two men accompanying her to escape and herself took another route thinking that the advocates following her would not harm her because she was a co-worker. However, the group ran after her for a while after which they slapped her and threatened her if she pursued the case further. The police then rescued her and brought her to the police station. The members of the North Eastern community along with Noshi alleged it as a case of hate crime, but the police official said "we are yet to confirm if it was a hate crime.

Prisoner no. 3642 Arvind Kejriwal writes open letter to supporters, explains why he is in jail

New Delhi: AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal on Friday explained to his supporters the circumstances behind him being in jail even as his party launched a mass contact programme over the issue to strengthen its support base with an eye on Assembly elections in Delhi. "I took on former BJP President Nitin Gadkari and exposed him, but he is roaming scot-free and I have been put in jail. They asked me to take bail, but what crime have I committed to take bail?" Kejriwal said in a letter, which was signed "Prisoner No.3642, Jail No.4 Tihar." The letter was read out by senior party leader Manish Sisodia at a volunteers' meet which was called to spell out the party's strategy after Kejriwal's judicial custody was extended till June 6 by a local court. "There have been several defamation cases against me, but no one has ever asked me to seek bail because I am not a criminal. In this case, I thought I will get relief, but instead of giving me bail, the court has sent me to jail. Now that I am in Tihar Jail, the question comes to my mind as to how a common man will fight corruption," the letter states. Kejriwal added that in the fight against corruption, he has braved hunger, police's batons and insult and, now, Tihar (prison). "Now you are my only strength. Please pray for me," he said in the letter. The party has decided to hold 'sankalp sabhas' to explain Kejriwal's stand to the people and distribute his letter across the city. "We have to send this letter to every household because the media is presenting the facts in a wrong manner. Volunteers across the 70 Assembly segments should gather and spread this message through 'sankalp sabhas' in every ward. We will not stay quiet till our leader is out of jail," said AAP leader Gopal Rai. The meetings will also kick-start AAP's "person-to-person" campaign for the Delhi Assembly elections. "From tomorrow, we will start the work of party organisation at the booth level and then ward level. Every Assembly seat will have an observer who will act as a facilitator between the party and volunteers," said AAP's Delhi unit secretary and spokesperson, Dilip Pandey.

SHOCKER: Lizard found in mid-day meal, 19 students fall sick

Ballia (UP): Nineteen students fell sick after eating the mid-day meal served at a junior high school in Ballia. The students, studying in class VI to VIII, of Dhupa Rampyari Junior Balika Vidyalaya, Balhar, fell sick on Friday after consuming the mid-day meal. They were admitted to a community health centre in Sonebasra, police said on Saturday. A lizard was later detected in the meal which was served to the students, they said. An FIR has been lodged with the police against five people - the headmaster, three cooks and an assistant teacher. Efforts were on to nab them. Uttar Pradesh Education Minister Ram Govind Chaudhary visited the students in the community health centre and also directed the officials concerned to take stern action against those responsible.

Another trouble: Delhi court issues bailable warrant against AAP leader Shazia Ilmi in defamation case

New Delhi: A bailable warrant has been issued against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) founding member Shazia Ilmi for non-appearance in a defamation case filed by Kapil Sibal's son Amit. In the complaint filed, Amit Sibal had named AAP leaders Arvind Kejriwal, Prashant Bhushan and Shazia Ilmi as offenders for accusing that Kapil Sibal had a conflict in seeking to revise a tax demand on telecom major Vodafone. The AAP leader is already making news regarding her willingness to part ways with the party. She is scheduled to make her stand clear regarding this later in the day in a press conference. “AAP needs to reinvent itself. It needs to change its strategy. The party has made several mistakes," she told the media on May 23.

Sorry Narendra Modi critics: BJP's vote share far higher than the official figure of 31%

New Delhi: Riding on 'Modi wave', the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 282 seats on its own but its vote share stood at only 31 percent. While some say that the vote share of BJP allies (the NDA got 38.2% votes overall), who also fought the polls under Modi's leadership, have not been included in the figure, others have said that no party usually crosses a 40 percent vote share in the multi-party systems. It happens only in two-party races that a party gets over 50 percent votes. Quoting Raju Limbachiya, a Modi supporter, R Jagannathan of Firstpost writes the 31 percent relates to BJP votes in the whole country, when it actually fought only 428 seats. If we take the BJP’s vote share in the seats it contested, the party’s figure is closer to 40 percent on an average. According to the Election Commission website, Modi got more than 50 percent of the vote in six states (Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Goa), 50 percent (along with allies) in Maharashtra, more than 40 percent in five states (Karnataka, Chhattisgrah, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand) and over (or near) 30 percent in four states (Bihar, Haryana, Assam and even in Jammu & Kashmir). It may surprise you that the BJP emerged as the biggest party even in J&K in terms of vote share. Here, it got a vote percentage of 32.4 percent. Higher polling, higher vote share Jagannathan explains that in high polling constituencies, where more than 10 lakh votes were polled, the BJP won 153 seats of the 242 seats (see table). In medium polling seats (total votes of 5-10 lakh votes), the BJP won 121 of 172 seats contested.

In other words, the BJP won a larger share in a larger voter base. So, it is clear in the seats it contested, the saffron party polled around 40 percent of the vote. The 31 percent final number for the BJP seems relatively low, but it is higher than any other party’s achievement in 30 years because of the 115 seats it did not contest. "It is unlikely that any party could have got this kind of mandate to rule. The mandate is for Modi and the BJP, and less for its allies," he says.

Shocker: Girl’s foot chopped-off as she slips in-between platform and train-wheels while talking over cell-phone

Indore: She was talking over phone when train started taking-off on platform. Unable to judge the moment in utter confusion, the girl tried catching hold of the handle, but couldn’t maintain grip, as she was holding her mobile phone in between her palms. Resultantly, she slipped and landed between platform and wheels of train. She remained trapped in the gap for 20 minutes. But, wheels of the train had run over her foot by the time, chopping-off the limb. When her brother saw the shocking scenario, he screamed loudly and forced the train-driver to halt the engine. At last, GRP officials arrived at the scene and took her to hospital. The girl is presently under medical care and said to be serious. The spine-chilling accident occurred at around 5.40 in the evening at platform number 5 on Friday morning. The accident victim is said to be 27-year old Nishi Niranjan Kumar who is working with a private firm in Shimla. She was in the city to attend a job interview. The girl was accompanied by her brother Mukesh as well. Both had planned to leave for Bhopal in Overnight Express after completion of interview. As soon as the train managed to take some speed, Mukesh climbed into the train hurriedly but Nishi got delayed as she was talking over phone with someone. And later, when she tried holding the gate-handle with the same hand in which she was carrying her cell-phone, her grip slipped and she landed between the wheels of train and platform.

Modi stages diplomatic coup before swearing-in ceremony, Nawaz Sharif's YES fuels hope on twitter

New Delhi: Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will attend the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi in Delhi, ending two-day suspense over his decision amid reports that there was stiff opposition from hardliners in the establishment. This has surprised Modi's opponents who had alleged that BJP's ideology will hamper relations with neighbours, especially Pakistan. During election campaigns, Modi had taken a tough stand on border issue and many in Pakistan were cautiously watching developments in India. But, even before his swearing-in ceremony, Modi has proved his diplomatic skills by inviting Nawaz Sharif to attend the event. This has caught international attention and goes to highlight the fact that Modi is going to take tough decision and prefers to indulge in talks with everyone. Sharif's decision to attend the ceremony is a huge shot in the arm for Modi as his diplomatic skills appear to be very effective, even before his officially takes charge. Sharif took the decision to accept the Indian invitation after a series of consultations with his close aides, the Dawn reported, citing unnamed sources. Modi has invited all the leaders of member states of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) to the ceremony. Earlier, Sharif’s daughter Maryam tweeted that cordial relations with the new Indian Government should be cultivated.“I personally think cordial relations with new Indian govt should be cultivated. Will help remove psychological barriers, fear & misgivings,” she tweeted. She followed it up with another tweet, “It’s upon the leaders to lead their countries & ppl to peace & conciliation.” Pakistani media is upbeat about this event and hopes this will go a long in paving the way for future consultations and meetings. The Dawn front-paged a report about the foreign office's recommendation to Sharif to attend Modi's swearing-in ceremony.

Vladimir Putin vows to respect Ukraine vote

SAINT PETERSBURG: Russian President Vladimir Putin pledged Friday to respect the outcome of Ukraine's presidential election but warned that the country had descended into all-out civil war after a bloody upsurge in separatist violence. Seven people were killed in fighting between rebels and defence forces outside the eastern industrial hub of Donetsk on Friday, a day after the deaths of 18 soldiers in the heaviest loss for the Ukraine military since the conflict began. Interim President Oleksandr Turchynov called on voters to turn out in force Sunday to prevent Ukraine “being turned into a part of a post-Soviet empire” by a weeks-long insurgency that Kiev and the West say is being orchestrated by Russia. The authorities are mobilising tens of thousands of police and volunteers to try to ensure security on polling day, although the pro-Russian separatists are threatening to disrupt the vote in areas under their control in the industrial east. Sunday's vote is seen as the most crucial since Ukraine's independence in 1991, with the country facing the threat of partition and teetering on the brink of economic collapse. Billionaire chocolate baron Petro Poroshenko is the favourite, enjoying a near 30-point lead over former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, but opinion polls say the vote is likely to go to a run off in June. 'Treat choice with respect' Putin, who has in the past given only grudging backing to the election, appeared to suggest he would accept the outcome of the vote. “We understand that the people of Ukraine want their country to emerge from this crisis. We will treat their choice with respect,” he told an economic forum in his home town of Saint Petersburg. “We are today working with those people who control the government and after the election we will of course work with the newly elected authorities.” In another move that could ease tensions ahead of the vote, Putin this week ordered the withdrawal of some 40,000 troops whose presence along Ukraine's border was causing jitters particularly among former Soviet satellites. EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton called for a free, transparent and fair ballot, saying: “Successful elections will be a major step to de-escalate tensions.” The US and its European allies have threatened more sanctions if Moscow disrupts the vote, adding to a series of punitive measures imposed after Russia's annexation of the Crimean peninsula in March. But Putin brushed off the threats, saying the sanctions will “boomerang” on the West. He accused Washington of choreographing the February ouster of Kremlin-backed president Viktor Yanukovych who fled in the bloody climax of months of protests sparked by his decision to scrap a pact forging closer ties with Europe. He described it as a “coup” that resulted in chaos and full-scale civil war. But in the restive east, violence flared early Friday when militants armed with heavy machine guns and backed by at least one armoured vehicle battled a volunteer force attached to the Ukrainian army. An AFP photographer saw seven bodies near the village of Karlivka northwest of Donetsk. Four of the dead appeared to be rebels and the others members of a battalion that has backed government troops since the fighting first broke out in early April. 'Lost lots of blood' Battalion commander Semyon Semenchenko described in a rapid-fire series of Facebook posts how his unit was ambushed and then surrounded after taking refuge in a vacant building along the main road. “Exactly half our unit has been wounded. Many have lost lots of blood,” he said. Eighteen soldiers were killed Thursday in separate attacks in Donetsk and neighbouring Lugansk in the heaviest loss for the military since launching its “anti-terrorist” operation in mid-April. About 150 people have been killed in the east since then, according to an AFP tally based on UN and Ukrainian government figures. The election is viewed as crucial to give people a chance to unite behind a legitimate leader after months of unrest that have exposed a deep cultural divide between Ukraine's Russian and Ukrainian speakers. But Kiev's interim leaders admit they will have a tough time making sure polling goes smoothly in the restive eastern provinces, where guerrillas have seized a number of election commissions. The Ukrainian authorities are planning to deploy more than 55,000 police and 20,000 volunteers on polling day. The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which is sponsoring a peace roadmap for Ukraine that includes so-called national unity talks, will have around 1,000 observers on the ground. “The election will take place under any circumstances and we will get a legitimately elected president,” said deputy Central Election Commission chief Andriy Magera.

Sikhs protest attacks on religious sites, desecration of holy book

ISLAMABAD: Dozens of baton-holding protestors from the Sikh community pushed past the front gate and entered the grounds of parliament on Friday, protesting recent attacks on their houses of worship. Sikhs from Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province had gathered outside parliament to protest against what they claimed was the alleged desecration in Shikarpur of Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of the Sikh community. Sikhs are a tiny minority in predominantly Muslim Pakistan, with most of them living in the southern Sindh province. Senior police officer Aftab Cheema said the Sikh leaders were also protesting against several attacks on their worship places in Sindh.

After successful negotiations, the protestors left the grounds of parliament peacefully. According to sources, the Leader of the House in the Senate, Raja Zafarul Haq has spoken to Chief Minister Sindh Qaim Ali Shah, asking him to provide better protection to the Sikh community and their places of worship. Police officer Cheema said investigators would look into how protesters made it past the gate. NA Speaker takes notice Acting Speaker National Assembly, Murtaza Javed Abbasi, took serious notice of the failure of Islamabad Police to stop protesters from entering into the precinct of the Parliament House. The acting Speaker has sought a report from the Ministry of Interior and Inspector General Police into the incident. Abbassi termed the incident a failure and incompetence of the capital police which, he said, has failed to devise any strategy in this regard. He directed the interior ministry to enquire into the incident and take appropriate action against those responsible. —with additional reporting by Irfan Haider from Islamabad

Nawaz approves allocation for Bhasha, Dasu dams, motorways

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday approved allocation for construction of Diamer-Bhasha Dam (4500 MW), Dasu Hydro Power Project (2160 MW), Construction of Faisalabad-Khanewal Motorway and Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metro Bus project. Presiding over a meeting to finalise the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) allocation for financial year 2014-15 here at the PM House, he said these projects would not only create millions of job opportunities in the country but also raise the living standards of the people. Prime Minister Sharif said that development projects initiated by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government have taken the country on to the road of progress and will usher in an era of prosperity. According to a press release, the premier told the participants that each penny in the national kitty was a public trust and emphasised upon efficient use of public money. The meeting was attended by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, MNA Hamza Shahbaz Sharif, MNA Capt (retd) Safdar and senior officials of the concerned ministries. The prime minister was given a detailed briefing on the PSDP projects included in the next financial year budget. He was told that each project, whether small, medium or large had been evaluated with reference to cost, importance, priority and time frame. Sharif directed to expedite work on Lahore-Karachi Motorway. He was told that the work on this project would be started by end of current year. The meeting also discussed and approved the initiatives of feasibility studies; for construction of new rail link from Islamabad to Muzaffarabad via Murree, construction of new rail link from Havelian to Pakistan-China Border, connect Gawadar with Karachi through rail, approach roads to new Islamabad International Airport, new Gawadar International Airport project, jetty and infrastructure development at Gaddani, Gawadar Port Economic Free Zone project, Pakistan-China Technical and Vocational Institute at Gawadar and Quaid-i-Azam Solar Park at Lal Sohnra Park Phase-II (600 MW).

Drastic cut in subsidies planned

ISLAMABAD: The government has decided to drastically reduce subsidies in the new budget and squeeze out higher amounts of surplus from the provinces to meet fiscal deficit limits set under international commitments. Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) agreed this month on a fiscal deficit target of 4.8 per cent of the GDP (Rs1.63 trillion) for next year against 5.7pc estimated for the current year. The government has decided to reduce overall subsidies to Rs229 billion from Rs338bn this year — a reduction of over 32pc. The target for subsidies this year had been set at Rs270bn but increasing requirements of the power sector because of poor recovery of bills compelled the government to increase the amount. The government has given an undertaking to the IMF to introduce a second round of reforms in the power sector during the next fiscal year to cut subsidies by about 0.4pc of the GDP — about Rs120bn. The reduction may increase monthly expenditures as the rate of inflation rises, but may help revive investment if diverted to the development programme. The government had set a target of providing Rs220bn power sector subsidies during the current year but ended up paying more than Rs280bn to the sector to keep loadshedding within a manageable level. But against this reduction in ‘untargeted subsidies’, the government has decided to increase the size of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) by 13pc, or Rs10bn, to Rs85bn from this year’s Rs75bn. As part of the IMF agreement, the government is required to withdraw untargeted subsidies being enjoyed equally by the rich and the poor in gas and electricity tariffs and instead provide direct cash payments to lifeline consumers using less than 50 units of electricity per month. This would be achieved through the BISP for which a fresh mechanism needs to be worked out in view of the fact that consumer data from power distribution companies provided to parliamentary committees suggests that more than 55pc consumers are in the category of lifeline consumers. The centre has also set a target of Rs225bn cash surplus to come from the provincial governments to help contain the consolidated fiscal deficit. During the current year, the provinces provided Rs157bn to the centre against a budgetary target of Rs23bn. As a consequence, the government was able to contain the deficit at Rs1.48tr against a target of Rs1.65tr, thereby achieving a 5.7pc of GDP ratio as against 6.3pc estimated in the budget. Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2014

Accord signed for biometric verification of mobile phone users

ISLAMABAD: Under an agreement signed here on Friday, the Subscriber identity modules (Sims) of mobile phones would be activated only after biometric verification of customers. The agreement aimed at stopping the use of Sims in terrorist activities was signed by telecom operators and the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra). An official told Dawn that the new procedure for issuance of Sims would come into force by the end of July. Under the agreement, the telecom companies will buy the required equipment and Nadra will charge Rs10 for verification of each consumer through its database. During a presentation by Nadra Chairman Imtiaz Tajwar just before the signing of the agreement, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said that biometric Sim verification would provide sound technological support to the law-enforcement agencies and help them improve the security situation. Under the new system, nobody would be able to buy a new Sim without going through the biometric verification process, he said. The minister asked Nadra and the mobile companies to devise a mechanism for clearing the heavy backlog of unverified Sims. The Nadra chairman and chief executive officers of Ufone, Mobilink, Zong, Warid and Telenor signed the agreement. Mr Tajwar informed the minister that issuance of Sims on fake identity cards would not be possible under the agreement finalised in consultation with all the stakeholders. He said that under the new system, which conformed to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority’s directives, a citizen would have to go to a retailer, franchise or customer service centre of a cellular operator and provide his or her biometric data for authentication against computerised national identity card details held by Nadra. A Sim would be activated after the verification process which would take about 15 seconds. Sources said that initially new Sims would be issued after biometric verification and subsequently millions of unverified Sims would be blocked and reissued under the new procedure. Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2014

Remand of suspects in DHA shootout case extended

KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court on Friday extended the police remand of five suspects in the DHA shootout case till May 27. Salman Abro, the prime suspect and son of a superintendent of police, along with police guards of his father has been booked for allegedly killing his 18-year-old classmate Suleman Lashari and wounding his private guard after breaking into the victim’s house on the night of May 8. He also sustained wounds and one of his guards was killed in an exchange of gunfire. The police produced Salman and four police guards — Yasin Jamali, Imran Ali, Maqbool Brohi and Mohammad Rashid — in court. The prime suspect was brought on a wheelchair. The investigation officer sought an extension in the police remand of the suspects stating that a joint investigation team (JIT) was to interrogate them on May 26. However, defence lawyer Abdul Razzak opposed the extension and argued that the suspects had been in police custody for over two weeks and the investigation should have been completed. He also moved an application asking the court to punish the IO for contempt of court stating that under the anti-terrorism law a joint investigation team had to complete the investigation within a week. Therefore, the IO should have submitted the JIT report by May 15 which he did not. The public prosecutor, Abdul Maroof, submitted that the law had been amended last year and the JIT had become optional, while the time for submission of the investigation report was 30 days. He submitted that the remand could also be granted up to 90 days and asked the court to extend the custody of the suspects for a week. Judge Saleem Raza Baloch extended the police remand of the suspects for four days and directed the IO to produce them on the next date with a progress report. A case was registered under Sections 302 (premeditated murder), 324 (attempted murder), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupee) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 on a complaint of a brother of the deceased at the Darakhshan police station. Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2014

In a first, KP policeman convicted in missing person case

PESHAWAR: In the first ever conviction in a missing person case in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a judicial magistrate on Friday sentenced a police official to three years imprisonment after he was found guilty of taking a person into custody, which led to his enforced disappearance. Magistrate Zafarullah Mohmand pronounced that the prosecution had proved its case against a Peshawar SHO, Arshad Khan, of Khairur Rehman’s kidnapping and subsequent disappearance. Soon after conviction, the SHO filed appeal with the court of additional district and sessions judge Kaleem Arshad, who admitted the appeal to the hearing and suspended his conviction under Section 426 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). Magistrate awards three-year detention to Peshawar SHO The convict was arrested last year on August 29 in the case after his pre-arrest bail was dismissed by the Peshawar district judge. Later on, he was set free on bail by the Peshawar High Court. The detainee, Khairur Rehman, was allegedly taken into custody by a police party from his residence situated at Academy Town here on February 9, 2009, and later on the Supreme Court ordered registration of the case following which the FIR was registered at Pishtakhara police station on September 25, 2012. The case was registered under Section 365 (kidnapping) of Pakistan Penal Code. The complainant in the case was Saifullah, brother of the detainee, who directly charged the said SHO for kidnapping his brother. He alleged that they were resident of Bajaur Agency and due to precarious law and order situation his brother, Khairur Rehman, and Sister Khaista Jana, were residing at Academy Town. The complainant said his brother resided in the upper storey of a rented house whereas an Afghan family resided on the ground floor. He added that the police party headed by Arshad Khan raided the house and recovered an abducted child from the afghan family. The complainant said the police also took away his brother and sister and his sister’s two children. Later on, the woman, Khaista Jana, and her children were freed. She had recorded her statement with the police and had claimed that while setting her free Arshad had also given her Rs1,000 and also told that after interrogating her brother he would also be released with in next few days. However, the detainee has been missing since then. Defence lawyers Mian Abdul Fayyaz and Sikandar Shah said the SHO was falsely implicated in the case and he had no concern with the disappearance of the alleged detainee. The defendant denied he had raided the house of the detainee. The lawyers said the witnesses had recorded conflicting statements and even it was not clear from where the detainee was taken into custody as one of the relatives said he was arrested at a mosque. Lawyer for the complainant Sajeed Afridi said the SHO was directly charged in the case of abducting the detainee. He added that the Supreme Court had also taken notice of this case and the FIR against the SHO was registered on its direction. Mr Afridi said children of the woman had also identified the SHO and that he had taken the family away. Meanwhile, before the court of additional district and sessions judge, lawyer Mian Abdul Fayyaz said the trial court had erred in convicting the appellant as the evidence on record did not connect him with the commission of the offence. He requested the judge to suspend the sentence until the final disposal of the appeal. Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2014

Mohmand Agency blast kills four security officials, injures 2

PESHAWAR: At least four security officials were killed and two others injured on Saturday when an explosion occurred near their vehicle in Mohmand Agency, DawnNews reported. According to official sources, In Mohmand Agency’s Pindiali thesil, a security forces convey was targeted by a roadside bomb. The injured soldiers were later shifted to a hospital. After the incident, security forces cordoned off the area and began a search operation. Mohmand is one of Pakistan’s seven tribal agencies near the Afghan border which are rife with homegrown insurgents and are said to be strongholds of Taliban and al Qaeda operatives.

One dead in twin bomb attack on Pakistan capital

ISLAMABAD: Two bomb explosions rocked Pakistan's capital Islamabad early Saturday, killing one security guard and wounding another, police said, following several days of military strikes targeting insurgents. The first blast occurred around 2:00 am (2100 GMT) in an upmarket shopping area close to the city centre. “One watchman has died in the hospital, he was very critically wounded and did not survive. The second watchman is getting medical treatment,” said Chaudhry Hafiz Hussain, a senior police official. He said it was not clear if the blast was the result of a suicide bomb. There was no immediate claim of responsibility but the blasts came after three days of air strikes by the Pakistani military against militant hideouts that have killed at least 75 people. Local television footage of the first blast showed broken glass and branches strewn across the pavement. Mohammad Ali, another police official, told reporters that the second bomb went off in a car. “The low-intensity explosive was planted in a car. The blast has badly damaged the car but no one was hurt,” he said. The second blast came around half an hour after the first and was in a different part of the capital. The attacks were the first in Islamabad since an explosion tore through a fruit and vegetable market in April, killing at least 22 people. The latest blasts came after more than three months of stop-start peace talks between the government and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which have made little progress since they began in February. A month-long ceasefire between Pakistan and the Taliban, who have waged a seven-year insurgency, expired last month.

Islamabad lashes out over removal of Karachi police chief

ISLAMABAD: The federal government in Pakistan on Friday lashed out at Sindh government for removing chief of Karachi police, Shahid Hayat among other senior officers, terming the act as “irresponsible and lax,” DawnNews reported. In a statement issued by Federal Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government said the provincial government of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) was wrong in taking the decision by making court order as an excuse for it. The statement came a day after the provincial government, acting on the directives of the Supreme Court removed several police officers who had been serving on own pay scale (OPS) including Additional Inspector General Police (AIGP) Shahid Hayat. “The Sindh government showed irresponsibility and negligence on the issue,” said the statement. The minister said Hayat was a good police officer and his performance over the 11-month service was plausible. Rashid urged Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah to review the decision. Meanwhile, Ghulam Qadir Thebo has taken charge as the new police chief for the port city upon the Sindh government’s directives. Sharjeel Memon refuses to take ‘dictation’ from Rashid Reacting to Islamabad’s criticism over removal of Shahid Hayat, Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon urged the federal government to not intervene in the provincial issues. “Pervaiz Rashid should refrain from dictating us,” he said, adding that Hayat was removed upon the apex court’s orders. Without giving any details, the provincial minister said that the centre was ‘confused.’

Indian Consulate attacked in Afghanistan, 3 attackers killed

New Delhi: Unidentified gunmen attacked the Indian Consulate in Heart, Afghanistan in the morning hours of May 23. A suicide squad attacked the premises at 3:45 am (Afghanistan time) and ITBP and Afghan Police are presently engaged in the gunfight which has extended over 4 hours. Three attackers are reported to have been gunned down up till now. A car bomb was reported to be have carried out by the attackers which injured many people. Minister of External Affairs Spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin informed that all staff-members in the consulate are safe. In his latest tweet, Akbaruddin says “India's Consulate in Herat, Afghanistan attacked. Brave ITBP personnel and Afghan soldiers rebut attackers. All safe. Operation underway.” Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh is also keeping an eye on the ground situation in the country. The terrorists attacked the Consulate from two sides armed with rocket propelled grenades and automatic rifles. An RPGS was fired from a building. As per sources, Intelligence agencies had warned of a terror strike either in India or Indian interests in Afghanistan sometime back. In the past as well, ISI has repeatedly targeted Indian interests in the war-torn country. Defence experts are describing the latest attack as an attempt to test PM designate Narendra Modi's resolve

Jashodaben REVEALS: ‘Modi ji accepting me as his wife gives me utmost satisfaction’

Ahmedabad: Prime minister-designate Narendra Modi’s wife Jashodaben on Friday said that she is elated because Modi has accepted her as his wife. Speaking to Gujarati television news channel TV9, Modi’s wife, Jashodaben said, “His acceptance gives me utmost satisfaction.” She reportedly recollected old memories and said that Modi helped her with studies. Jashodaben has always remained away from media glare and was reportedly on a pilgrimage even after Modi-led BJP swept the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. She has been the subject of much media speculation, ever since Modi acknowledged her as his wife in his affidavit. Her brother, Ashok Chimanlal Modi, with whom she resides, had no clue about her whereabouts. Jashodaben is a retired school teacher and she was married to Narendra Modi at the age of 17. They got separated after three years.

Waziristan situation result of flawed strategy: Fazl

ISLAMABAD: Chief of his own faction of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) Maulana Fazlur Rehman has termed the present situation in North Waziristan a result of the government’s “flawed strategy”. “The unfortunate situation in Waziristan is the outcome of the government’s flawed talks strategy and the government will have to acknowledge that its mechanism was a failure,” the JUI-F chief said in a statement issued here on Thursday. “The people of Pakistan are in the dark whether or not a new operation has been launched and are wondering if the talks are already dead,” the Maulana said while commenting on the air strikes in North Waziristan on Wednesday in which more than 60 militants had reportedly been killed. The statement from the JUI-F chief came a day after two nationalist parties — the Awami National Party (ANP) and Balochistan National Party-A (BNP-A) — demanded of the government to convene a joint session of parliament to discuss the security situation. Speaking in the Senate, ANP’s Afrasiab Khattak expressed surprise over the reports of air strikes in Waziristan at a time when the government was claiming that the talks process had not been over yet. Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah of the PPP while talking to reporters on Thursday criticised the government for not taking political parties and the parliament into confidence over the issue of talks with the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). He was of the view that the government should not delay any of its decisions regarding the dialogue or the military operation. In his statement Maulana Fazlur Rehman once again complained that the JUI-F had never been taken into confidence on the talks issue. “Where are the committees (formed by the government and the Taliban for talks)? Why the parliament is not being taken into confidence? Why the coalition partners are not being briefed? “We want answers from the government and it should come clean on the state of the dialogue,” he said. The JUI-F chief claimed that his party knew that the government was not serious in holding talks as this was reflected in its choice of a “weak mechanism”. He criticised the government for including bureaucrats in its committee tasked to hold talks with the militants. He said only one session of direct talks was held with the militants. It seemed that the PML-N had simply wasted time on dialogue to pave way for a military operation, he added. Published in Dawn, May 23rd, 2014

Govt misses major budgetary targets

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has not been able to achieve major budgetary target set for the current fiscal year as it missed revenue projections and breached expenditure limits. According to budget documents prepared by the Ministry of Finance and available with Dawn, the government missed targets on overall tax revenue, FBR tax collection and resultantly the provinces could not get their promised share of the federal divisible pool. The government had set a target of Rs3.421 trillion for tax revenue but is now expected to face a shortfall of about Rs40 billion as revised estimates have been put at Rs3.381tr. This gap would have been much higher but an unexpected inflow from Saudi Arabia narrowed it down as non-tax revenue target surpassed by a wide Rs90 billion margin. According to budget summary, the government had set a non-tax revenue target of Rs749bn but is expected to end up receiving Rs859bn. Against a target of Rs2.475 trillion for Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), the government is now expected to face a shortfall of about Rs200bn as the target has now been revised to Rs2.275tr. Against a budgetary target of Rs1.502tr for the current fiscal year, the federal government has now estimated to transfer Rs1.403tr to the four provinces as their share in the federal divisible pool. The shortfall on this account was Rs99bn. On the expenditure side, the government breached limits on all counts. It is estimated to spend Rs3.611tr during this fiscal year against budgetary target of Rs3.591tr. The total expenditure breached limit by Rs20bn. The government had set a limit of current expenditure at Rs3.170tr for current year but had now revised it to Rs3.198tr – an increase of Rs18bn. The government had set a target for Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) expenses at Rs540bn but curtailed it significantly by a Rs115bn. The PSDP target has now been revised to Rs425bn. The federal government had set a limit of Rs1.673tr but due to huge savings on account of reduced PSDP expenditure rounded off its fiscal deficit at Rs1.633tr. The provincial governments were, however, able to give a much higher budget surplus at Rs157bn against a budget target of Rs23bn. The finance ministry also reported that its total expenditure on mark-up during current year stood at Rs1.194 trillion against a budget target of Rs1.151tr. The defence expenditure has now amounted to Rs636 billion against budget target of Rs627bn. It said the expenditure target for pensions was set at Rs171bn but these expenditures have now gone up to Rs186bn. Also, the government had allocated Rs270bn for subsidies but it has now gone up to Rs338bn. On top of that, the government had projected public debt for the current year at Rs15.46tr but it has now been estimated at Rs16.87tr. The domestic debt was budgeted at Rs10.5bn but it had gone beyond Rs11.4tr. Foreign debt was projected at Rs4.88tr but has now gone beyond Rs5.166tr. Published in Dawn, May 23rd, 2014

LSM growth turns negative in March

ISLAMABAD: Large-scale manufacturing (LSM) posted a negative growth of 2.68 in March 2014 over the same month last year, reflecting a contraction in the sector during the current financial year. The decline in output during the month under review is a matter of concern because the manufacturing sector posted a positive growth over the past few months, according to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics on Thursday. This reverse in manufacturing sector growth was mainly driven by decline in eight categories of items. The government has yet to give reasons for the decline, but the only explanation being presented was disruption in supply of energy to industrial units in Punjab. A major contribution towards negative growth in LSM performance in March was from food and beverages 8.39pc; paper and board 2.14pc; electronics 17.83pc; chemicals 1.18pc; non metallic mineral products 6.19pc; wood products 22.26 pc; engineering products 15.81pc and pharmaceuticals 2.05pc. Last year, the LSM sector, which accounts for 70pc of industrial production, recorded a positive growth of 3.79pc. Some sectors, like textile, witnessed a growth of 1.15pc, petroleum products 2.10pc; fertilisers 4.14pc; iron and steel products 2.75pc; leather products 14.70pc; rubber products 20.91pc and automobiles 3.79pc during the month under review. During the first nine months of the current fiscal year (July-March), the LSM grew by 4.34pc in July-March 2014 this year over the corresponding months of last year. Industry-specific data showed that many sub-sectors didn’t perform well in March this year. Production of refrigerators recorded a negative growth of 23.01pc; air conditioners 42.42pc; electric bulbs 21.32pc; electric fans 87.91pc; switch gears 33.33pc; electronic transformers 79.21pc; storage batteries 12.41pc; generating sets 100pc; and bicycles 3.62pc. However, the production of deep freezers was up by 14.65 pc in March 2014; electric motors pc18.80, electric meters 49.72pc; TV sets 12.81pc during the month under review over the same month last year. The growth was witnessed in case of food, beverages and tobacco. The sector has adjusted weightage of 12.37pc in LSM basket. Vegetable ghee production increased by 1.31pc; oil 3.02pc; and tea blended 16.76pc. The production of tractors trucks was up by 14.51pc; trucks 58.64; jeeps and cars 0.61pc; and cars 2.25pc; LCVs 29.82pc and motor cycles 2.23pc during the month under review. However, production of buses was down by 30pc in March this year. Published in Dawn, May 23rd, 2014

‘Share all evidence with Musharraf’s lawyers’

ISLAMABAD: The special court trying former president and retired general Pervez Musharraf declined to record the statement of the complainant, Interior Secretary Shahid Khan, until the accused general’s defence counsel were provided ‘all necessary documents’ related to the case. The prosecution had, on May 14, handed over the Joint Investigation Team’s (JIT) report to the defence counsel on the directions of the court, headed by Justice Faisal Arab of the Sindh High Court (SHC). During Thursday’s hearing, Musharraf’s counsel Shaukat Hayat pointed out that the JIT had recorded the statements of more than 25 key officials. However, the statements of only 24 witnesses had been provided to the defence. He said that most of the witnesses were “advisers who had witnessing the seizure of documents, which can hardly be classified as important information”, adding that it was obvious that many more statements had been recorded, which were being deliberately kept from the accused. Justice Arab refuses to record statements; notices sent to federation on fresh petition The defence counsel maintained that the prosecution did not comply with the court orders as certain documents were missing in the JIT report. Justice Arab then told lead prosecutor Akram Sheikh, who insisted that the court record the interior secretary’s statement, that “You need to comply with the court orders, only then will the witnesses be asked to record a statement”. When Sheikh said the complainant only needed to testify to the fact that he had filed the complaint, only that he had filed the complaint and nothing else, Justice Arab remarked that being the complainant in this matter, the secretary was a key witness. Mr Sheikh then assured the court that the prosecution would review the case records and if there had been an oversight, it would be rectified by Friday morning. The special court also issued notices to the federal government on a fresh petition filed by Musharraf’s lawyers, seeking details of the entire record, names of services chiefs, chief ministers, governors, members of federal and provincial cabinets who met the former military ruler prior to imposition of emergency on November 3, 2007. Filed by defence lawyers Farogh Nasim and Faisal Hussain, the petition refers to the report prepared by a Joint Investigation Team (JIT), which was handed over to the defence lawyers on May 14 on court orders. The petition pointed out that the JIT concluded with the recommendation that, “The team recommends that the competent authority may also take into account the role of various facilitators in the unconstitutional proclamation of Emergency on 3rd November, 2007.” It goes on to say, “It is the (plea) of the accused person (Musharraf) that he purely acted upon the advice of the prime minister (Shaukat Aziz) and members of the cabinet”. The petition maintains that Musharraf imposed the emergency in the capacity of chief of army staff (COAS), but relinquished the charge on November 27, 2007. But his successor, General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, did not lift the emergency until nearly two weeks after his appointment, on December 15, 2007. The petition requests the court to direct the prosecution to provide the “notification dated December 15, 2007, termed ‘Revocation of Proclamation of Emergency Order, 2007’, whereby the emergency of November 3, 2007 was lifted”. The document was also signed by Pervez Musharraf in his capacity as president of Pakistan. The petition said that the “accused have been able to (acquire) a copy of the resolution of the National Assembly passed in its 44th Session, dated November 7, 2007, in which the proclamation of emergency dated November 3, 2007 has been unanimously endorsed. The accused has also found on the internet a list of members of the National Assembly from 2002 to 2007. Therefore, this is a fit case where this Honourable Court may be pleased to summon the relevant documents”. “The accused had met the ‘then-governors, service chiefs, bureaucrats and politicians from July1, 2007 to November 3, 2007… In this regard the security in charge of the President’s House should submit the names of all persons who entered and exited the President’s House in this time,” the petition maintains. It also asks for similar records to be obtained from President’s Camp Office at Rawalpindi, adjacent to the Army House. Published in Dawn, May 23rd, 2014

Ex-husband acquitted in singer’s murder case

PESHAWAR: Peshawar High Court on Thursday set aside capital punishment awarded to former husband of prominent Pashto singer Ghazala Javed and acquitted him in the double murder of Ghazala and her father on the basis of compromise between the two parties. A two-member bench comprising Justice Qaiser Rahseed and Justice Syed Afsar Shah accepted a criminal appeal filed by the convict, Jehangir Khan, observing that the legal heirs of the two deceased persons, Ghazala Javed and her father Javed Khan, had pardoned the appellant under the law. The appellant was convicted by an additional district and sessions judge, Mohammad Tariq Pervez Baloch, on Dec 16 for the double murder and was sentenced to death on two counts with a fine of Rs70 million. The court had also convicted him for injuring Farhat Bibi, a sister of deceased Ghazala Javed, and sentenced him to 10 years rigorous imprisonment with fine of Rs1 million. Advocate Inam Yousafzai appeared for the appellant and contended that all the legal heirs of the deceased persons including mother and six brothers and sisters of Ghazala had pardoned the appellant under the Qisas and Diyat sections of Pakistan Penal Code. Families reach agreement under diyat law He stated that all the legal heirs had recorded their statements before the court of additional district and sessions judge, saying that they had forgiven the appellant in the name of Allah and had no objection to his release. Ghazala Javed and Javed Khan were killed on June 18, 2012, by a group of armed men at Dabgari Garden area when she had just left a beauty parlour. Farhat Bibi was complainant in the case. She alleged that as her sister had filed a case for dissolution of her marriage with Jehangir Khan, therefore, he was annoyed with that and had threatened to kill her. She claimed that she had seen Jehangir and his two accomplices, Naseer and Salam, firing at them which resulted in death of Ghazala and her father. The two accomplices have presently been absconding. Ghazala Javed, who was in her early 20’s, had married Jehangir on Feb 7, 2010, and separated from him on Dec 4, 2011 through judgment of a family court at her native Swat. She had assumed fame few years before her death and her audio and video CDs and cassettes were selling like hot cake not only in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but also in Middle East where Pakhtuns work in large number. Following the occurrence, the suspect remained absconder for around two months and was apprehended by police on Aug 29, 2012, from his residence at Hindki Daman area. Published in Dawn, May 23rd, 2014

Obstetric fistula: Another reason CII is wrong on underage marriage

Dragging the urine bag behind her, Hamida walks up slowly towards the doctor and lays down the chaddar at her feet. With tears trickling down her weather-beaten cheeks, she implores the doctors to make her healthy again. "It's a very bad disease; a very bad one indeed. I smell all the time. It's taken a toll on my entire family," she says. There are many like Hamida at Karachi's Koohi Goth Women's Hospital, who are being treated for an injury that occurs during childbirth called obstetric fistula. According to the 15th State Of World's Mothers 2014, launched early this month by Save the Children, Pakistan is among the most perilous places to be a mother, ranked 147th among the 178 countries. Among South Asian countries, Sri Lanka was the best place to be a mother at 89th position, while Pakistan scored last in the region among all neighbouring countries including Nepal (116th), Bangladesh (130th), India (137th) and Afghanistan (146th). An entirely preventable condition if you ask the international medical community, fistula develops during prolonged labour, when the baby's head puts pressure on the lining of the birth canal and eventually rips through the wall of the rectum and bladder, resulting in urinary or faecal incontinence. Dr Suboohi Mehdi, a surgeon at the Koohi Goth hospital says the lethal combination of "poverty, illiteracy and socio-cultural practices" has helped the disease to spread. Obstetric fistula is perhaps one of the most telling examples of inequitable access to maternal health care and, until recently, one of the most hidden states the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). On May 23, the world observes the second annual 'International Day to End Obstetric Fistula'. In the eight years since the fistula project began in Pakistan, with the help the Pakistan National Forum on Women Health (PNFWH is a non-government organisation working for reproductive health), 12 fistula repair centres have been set up across Pakistan, all in government hospitals working under 38 trained doctors. Unfortunately there is no fistula-specific data available for Pakistan, which indicates the official apathy surrounding the condition. But Dr Sajjad Ahmed, manager of the PNFWH's Fistula Project, estimates there can be anywhere between 4,000 and 5,000 women in the country suffering from the condition which can only be treated through reconstructive surgery. "While we are able to treat a 500-600 women each year, we have the capacity to do approximately 2,000," said Ahmed. The custom of early marriages in society is one of the biggest factors leading to this condition. Mehdi says, When a mere child becomes a mother herself, what do you expect? "Her bones are weak and the nutrition of the mother-to-be is not taken care of in this male-dominated society. "Together, with fewer or no health facilities in their areas, the tradition of home deliveries where pregnancy-related complications cannot be diagnosed in time and traditional birth attendants unable to handle such deliveries has resulted in high maternal morbidity and even deaths." Take Sheherbano for instance who was married off two years back to 27-year old Umaid Ali, when she was just 12. Barely a kid herself, she delivered a healthy baby boy a fortnight back in the village of Choohar Jamali, in Thatta district. But her condition has cast a pall of gloom over the happy couple. "She had a long and difficult labour. The dai tried to deliver the baby at home, but after four hours, gave up and we rushed her to a private hospital, in Choohar town. The midwife succeeded in saving both the baby and my wife but she was in a lot of pain for several hours. After delivery, she asked me take her to Karachi and to this hospital," Ali, a farm hand, explained. He has taken a loan of Rs 50,000 and is worried he may run out of funds soon. "I don't know how many days we are supposed to stay here," he wonders absently. "It often takes a number of surgeries, over several months before they are completely dry and smell-free," says PNFWH's Ahmed. But Ali has no idea that his wife's complication could very well be because her body may not have been ready to give birth. When he is told, this, he says with some misgiving: "It's a custom in our village that as soon as the girl reaches puberty, she should be married off. That's what her parents did," he says shrugging uncomfortably. At that point, Sheherbano, who has all along been listening quietly, interrupts and says adamantly she would make sure that if she has a daughter, she does not go through what she did. She says, I will wait for her to get a little older, maybe till she is 16. "I would tell Sheherbano to put her daughter to school, this will automatically delay marriage," says Ahmed, but adds: "Given the cultural barriers, where delaying marriage may not be possible, I would tell her teach her daughter about the various contraceptive methods available to delay her pregnancy until she is at least 18." The young couple from Thatta has no idea that last month the Sindh Assembly passed a law prohibiting child marriage. The Child Marriage Restraint Act 2013, prohibits marriage of children below 18 and those violating the law would be penalised. Those found guilty could be sentenced to three years imprisonment and could also be fined Rs 45,000. The Sindh Assembly is the only one to have passed such a bill. Back in 1929, a bill introduced the age of a girl for marriage to be 14 years and in 1965, it was amended to 16 years of age. Interestingly, the Child Marriage Restraint (Amendment) Bill 2014, follows hot on the heels of the recent controversial proclamation in March 2014, by the Council of Islamic Ideology's chairperson Maulana Muhammad Khan Sherani who had said: "The laws limiting the age for both the segments of marriage are un-Islamic and needed to be rectified." Bushra Khaliq, rights activist and executive director of Women in Struggle for Empowerment (WISE)-Pakistan, the government of Sindh has full support from the country's civil society. But it has been strongly opposed, yet again by Maulana Sherani. "Some people want to please the international community against Islamic teachings and practices," he said. "CII's response to the amendment in the bill is a blow to all that we have been advocating for years against early marriages and their consequences. Such proclamations only confuse people who are reluctant to let go of cultural traditions which have scientifically proven to be harmful," Ahmed says. Dismissing the CII chairman's response, Khaliq said: "Few religious scholars are in favour of early marriages; most support the amendment in the law."

Parliament Watch: Graceful electoral politics of India holds a mirror to Pakistan

The Indian Election Commission has successfully completed national level general elections in the world’s biggest democracy. Spread over two months, the elections were completed in nine phases. A total of 550 million voters used their right to vote, which they exercised in favour of the right wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). When the results were being counted on Friday, May 17, and the initial results revealed that the BJP was on its way to securing a simple majority, the Congress party gracefully and publicly accepted defeat. There was no exchange of allegations about rigging, either by individuals or hidden forces. No one complained of having been robbed of their mandate and no press conferences were held to threaten protests and rallies. The election was over with the vote counting – the parties (be those in power or those in opposition) moved on to do what they are elected for, governance. What a contrast it is to the mess called politics in Pakistan. A year after the elections, the state has not been able to resolve the issue of how fair or unfair the elections in 2013 were and how to address the rigging allegations. Most parties continue to beat their respective chests about the injustice done to them – even though most of them are either ruling in one province or the other. No wonder then, the PTI (which sees itself as the biggest victim of this alleged rigging) has now taken to the streets. Its first major gathering on May 11 in Islamabad, the party turned its guns on the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and demanded the resignation of all its members. In short, it asked for a complete revamp of the commission. It seemed as if the smaller or weaker mourners were only waiting for a signal. Soon after the PTI’s show and “charter of demands”, the PML(Q) and Jamaat-i-Islami joined in the chorus of election rigging. What was more unfortunate was that the ECP, which had paid little attention to the charges of election rigging and had taken no steps to nudge the election tribunals, suddenly woke up. It is noteworthy that those individuals who feel they have been defeated in their constituencies due to rigging can and had lodged petitions with election tribunals. These tribunals are set up in each province after elections to deal with complaints of the contestants. Under the Representation of the People Act, these tribunals are supposed to dispose of all these petitions within 120 days. Clearly, these tribunals have failed in their job. For instance, the PTI claims that its petitions, which are more than 60, are still pending in the tribunals. But no steps were taken by the ECP till the PTI’s show in Islamabad. Since that rally, the Commission has now woken up. For example, on May 12, a day after the rally, the ECP sought a detailed report from all elections tribunals on the status of the petitions pending with them within a week. A few days after this, the ECP bosses decided to take action against voters if it found hard evidence that they had cast their vote more than once. It has also announced that those presiding officers, under whose watch an improbable 100 per cent votes were cast in their respective polling stations, should also be investigated. All good steps, these. However, the question that arises is why the ECP did not take these steps earlier. And it is now appears as if the ECP is doing this under pressure; in other words it did not carry out its duty till it was forced to. Responding to the query, former secretary election commission, Kanwar Dilshad, said the ECP, just like its Indian counterpart, was fully empowered to take action at every level on complaints, whether they surface on the day of election or afterwards.“Consider Article 103 AA of the Representation of the People Act which allows the ECP to take ‘summary action’ on a complaint or on the basis of evidence within 60 days. And the presiding officers, on the day of elections, enjoy judicial powers,” he said. He added that: “The ECP has failed at the implementation of the prescribed rules.” His views appear to be shared by some in the ECP. An ECP official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told Dawn that never before had the ECP been targeted in this manner by a political party, which had also pushed persistently for electoral reforms. Earlier, he said, political parties would target “hidden hands” or accuse “the establishment” of influencing election result but “the ECP has not been accused of being the cause of the irregularities carried out on election day.” It remains to be seen if the ECP will now emerge from this mess, stronger and better than before. Published in Dawn, May 23rd, 2014