Protest against target killing: Lawyers storm Sindh Assembly

KARACHI: Malir Bar and Karachi Bar lawyers surrounded the Sindh Assembly this morning and staged a protest against target killings of lawyers, Express News reported on Monday. Lawyers marched from the High Court to the Sindh Assembly — where a session was being held – and demanded the arrest of target killers. The peaceful protest turned into a dharna as nobody stepped out from the assembly to hear the lawyers’ demands. The lawyers then climbed over the Sindh Assembly gate and entered the premises to present their demands to the government. Sindh Minister for Education Nisar Khuhro addressed the lawyers outside the assembly. Four demands were presented to him by the lawyers asking for immediate arrest of killers, compensation for families of lawyers killed, a date for when this compensation will be presented and a request to not impose Section 144 on the lawyers. An announcement for compensation for the families of the lawyers’ killed was made earlier but has not yet been dispersed. Khuhro assured the lawyers that their demands will be met. “We can sit and find out why it [compensation] has not been dispersed yet,” he said. The lawyers have given a two-week ultimatum to the government to meet their demands or they will stage another protest.

Attack on NATO containers in Jamrud: 2 drivers dead, 2 others kidnapped

JAMRUD: Dozens of assailants attacked Nato containers in the Wazir Dhand area of Jamrud on Monday, killing two drivers, Express News reported. Gunmen attacked three container trucks carrying Nato supplies en route to Afghanistan, killing two people, officials said. Two other drivers were kidnapped by the attackers, Express News reported. It was reported that there were more than 20 assailants who fired at the Nato trucks and later set the containers on fire. “The three container trucks were on their way to Afghanistan when gunmen opened fire at them in Wazir Dhand area, killing two drivers and wounding two others,” a senior local administration official, Ali Sher, told AFP. He said two of the drivers were missing since the incident and it was not clear if they had escaped or if militants had kidnapped them. Another local administration official also confirmed the incident and said the attackers had fled. A doctor at the government-run agency headquarters hospital in Jamrud said two dead bodies and two injured were bought to the hospital. “One of the injured was in critical condition and he has been shifted to Peshawar for further treatment” he said requesting not to be named as he is not authorised to talk to the media. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack as of yet. Today’s attack on Nato containers is not the first time the trucks have come under attack. Nato vehicles are frequently targeted by militants while carrying goods to and from Afghanistan. Pakistan is a major transit supply route for the NATO mission in landlocked Afghanistan. Previous attacks On April 28, three separate attacks on Nato vehicles had left a man died and three others injured. The attacks had taken place on the Jamrud leg of the Pak-Afghan Highway. On April 15, two people were killed and as many were severely injured in Jamrud when unidentified militants had attacked vehicles supplying goods to foreign troops stationed in Afghanistan. Ali Sher, an official of the Jamrud political administration, had said three attacks were carried out on Nato vehicles in different areas. On March 4, two drivers of vehicles carrying Nato goods were killed and a cleaner injured when armed men opened fire at them in Sur Kamar, Jamrud. In December last year, a group of armed men had attacked two containers carrying relief goods for Nato in the Dhadar area of Balochistan. No one was hurt in the attack.

From land to air: 15 military vehicles flown to security forces in Aghanistan from Karachi

The first flight to provide military equipment to security forces in Afghanistan took off from the Jinnah International Airport in Karachi on Monday, Express News reported. This was the first time aerial transport was used to supply military equipment to the security forces, who are expected to withdraw from Afghanistan by the end of the year. The flight, which was on its way to Bagram Airbase, carried 15 military vehicles which were provided by the Pakistan government. Express News also reported that 1,628 vehicles will be sent via air to Afghanistan for Nato troops. In July 2012, official sources had revealed that Pakistan had secretly allowed US-led Nato forces to use its airspace for transporting lethal supplies to Afghanistan. Earlier that year, Pakistan had confirmed that it allowed Nato planes carrying non-lethal supplies to use its air space. Late last year, the US military had suspended the shipment of equipment out of Afghanistan via the Torkham border, citing growing security concerns following a blockade organised by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. The move had come after the political party of former cricketer Imran Khan began forcibly searching trucks in an effort to halt Nato supplies in protest against US drone strikes in Pakistan.

TTP should not act as a hurdle in permanent peace: Prof Ibrahim

PESHAWAR: “Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) should not act as a hurdle in permanent peace,” says TTP intermediary Professor Mohammad Ibrahim, Express News reported on Monday. This morning while speaking to the media, Jamaat-i-Islami provincial chief and member of Taliban negotiation committee Professor Ibrahim appreciated government’s efforts towards peace. The negotiation committee will urge the Taliban to cooperate with the government and not act as an obstacle to the objective of restoration of peace, he said. It was reported that Baland Khel, Orakzai Agency, South Waziristan, Miranshah and Bannu Airport were potential venues for peace talks. However, Professor Ibrahim said a final decision regarding the venue has not been made yet. The government’s peace initiative appeared to be in jeopardy on May 2, when Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan — who has been tasked by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to coordinate the peace process — had warned that the dialogue process with the TTP could not proceed amid a ‘tug of war’. Nisar had previously said, “There is no hurdle from our side. Neither is there any [hurdle] from the army.” On April 23, government negotiators and Taliban intermediaries had agreed to form a subcommittee to look into reservations from both sides in an effort to keep the nascent peace dialogue process. The government has already made it clear that it would not be possible to move ahead with talks in the absence of a ceasefire as TTP previously refused to extend their 40-day ceasefire.

Three Kashmiri students beaten up for not shouting anti-Pakistan slogans

Three Kashmiri students of a private university were beaten up in the city of Noida in Uttar Pradesh for not shouting anti-Pakistan slogans, Express News reported on Monday. Indian students, who were allegedly drunk, ordered the Kashmiri students to shout anti-Pakistan slogans, which they refused to do. After the refusal, the students reportedly beat up the Kashmiri students. When the news of the incident spread, Kashmiri students protested on the streets and chanted slogans against the university administration. This incident takes place just about a month after Swami Vivekanand Subharti University (SVSU) in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh had suspended 67 Kashmiri students for celebrating Pakistan’s victory over India in a cricket match during the Asia Cup. Uttar Pradesh government had filed a sedition case against these students from Kashmir under Section 124a, 153a and 427 of the Indian Penal Code, which was later withdrawn. According to Section 124a, whoever excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards the Indian government shall be punished with imprisonment or with a fine.

Ramdev Dalit remark: Women burn his effigies at yoga camp venue in Varanasi,

Varanasi: A women’s rights group from Sarnath on Sunday assembled at Ambedkar Stadium in Varanasi on Sunday and burnt effigies of yoga guru Baba Ramdev, to mark protest against his controversial statements against SCs and STs. After being banned in Lucknow and Amethi for his contentious remarks, Ramdev was eyeing Varanasi and posters announcing his yoga shivir in the temple town on May 4 were put up everywhere. Ramdev raked up a huge controversy last month by saying that “Rahul Gandhi goes to Dalit’s houses for honeymoon and picnic. After massive outrage, Ramdev expressed regret for the remarks. Members of Sanghamitra National Women Association, Sarnath smeared black ink on Ramdev’s posters while some others shouted anti-Ramdev slogans. One of the protesters said, “Ramdev should fall at our feet and apologise for his statement. Anything less will not be accepted.”

The group’s president Meena Devi said, “How can a person, who calls himself “baba” utter such disgraceful word for women? He should apologise to every woman of this country.” A Jodhpur court yesterday ordered police to register a case against yoga guru Baba Ramdev and initiate an inquiry against him for his controversial "honeymoon" remark against Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi.

The court of metropolitan magistrate gave this order while admitting an istegasa (legal complaint) by Vijay Rao of Jodhpur on Friday through his counsel M A Rao demanding an FIR against Ramdev and an appropriate action against him for his comments involving the Dalit community.

"The court admitted the istegasa yesterday and ordered police to register an FIR against Ramdev under sections 171(C) of IPC (interfere with free exercise of any electoral right commits the offence of undue influence at an election) and 3 (1) (X) of SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, which stands for making insulting remarks pertaining to the caste or community) and initiate an investigation against him," said M.A. Rao, the counsel for the complainant.

'Who' quips Priyanka Gandhi when asked about BJP's Smriti Irani

Amethi: Priyanka Gandhi has surged the campaigning speed for her brother Rahul Gandhi and also mother Sonia Gandhi while she defends party Congress in all possible scenarios. "Who", a smiling Priyanka Gandhi quipped when asked about the attacks against Congress by BJP candidate Smriti Irani who is pitted against Rahul Gandhi from this Lok Sabha constituency. The Gandhi daughter had not been very interested in answering the gathered reporters and when asked about Irani hitting back, she asked back ‘who’ even before the reporter could complete his question. When the reporter said ‘Smriti Irani’ replying to her question, she said ‘oh’ in a grinning manner. Irani, on the other hand, reacted harshly to the incident saying that, "If you forget scams done by family members, why would you remember my name". The political activities have gripped Amethi to a great extent as it is a stronghold of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and both the other candidates BJP’s Irani and AAP’s Kumar Vishwas are looking forward to a major breakthrough by defeating Rahul. Priyanka through the day, chose not to respond to a volley of questions on the brother-sister duo. The vehicle carrying them moved slowly as the huge crowd waved Congress flags and shouted slogans eulogising Rahul. Some enthusiastic supporters showered rose petals at them.

Gujarat govt paid off the family of the girl involved in Snoopgate, alleges Congress

New Delhi: Congress Party has alleged that Narendra Modi led Gujarat government paid off the woman architect involved in the controversial Snoopgate incident. The party has raised questions over the contracts granted to company owned by the family of the architect women without passing any tenders. The allegations, if true, would be the first time any proof have emerged against Gujarat government of being directly involved in the snooping event. Meanwhile, Congress got a major setback when two of its allies- NCP and NC- opposed its move of setting up a commission of inquiry against Modi just a week ahead of the Lok Sabha polls results. Putting Congress in a fix, two key UPA allies, NCP and the National Conference, today opposed Centre's decision to appoint a judge by May 16 to probe 'Snoopgate' allegedly involving Narendra Modi, saying such an action in Government's "dying hours" is wrong. Sharad Pawar, who heads the second-largest member of the Congress-led coalition government, called Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and expressed his opposition to appointment of a judge at this juncture to probe the issue. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, whose National Conference also participates in the government, tweeted, "Was talking to my dad last night & he felt the same way - setting up a commission of inquiry in the dying hours of UPA 2 is just wrong". Modi came in the line of fire after it was alleged that illegal surveillance was carried out on a young woman in Gujarat in 2009 at his behest as Gujarat Chief Minister, as also Amit Shah, who was then the state's Home Minister. Government announced on Friday that a judge would be appointed by May 16 to probe the issue, drawing the ire of the BJP. Notwithstanding the opposition by NCP and NC, Congress made it clear that the judge will be appointed, asserting that there will be "no compromise" as the issue involved women of the country. BJP today welcomed the stand taken by the two UPA allies, saying even coalition partners are refusing to be part of Congress's "politics of vendetta". "It shows that UPA allies have found sense. They are seeing the truth. This is the politics of vendetta which is the speciality of Congress. Political parties do not want to get involved in it," BJP national spokesperson M J Akbar told reporters here. Union Minister and senior NCP leader Praful Patel told PTI, "When the results of the Lok Sabha Elections are due in two weeks' time, where is the need for such an enquiry.

Govt plans Rs550bn fiscal adjustment

ISLAMABAD: The government is expected to propose in the next budget fiscal adjustment of about Rs550 billion for the financial year 2014-15 through a combination of revenue enhancement measures and expenditure control steps. A senior government official told Dawn that more than Rs230bn would be raised through gas and electricity tariffs under the fiscal consolidation program­me agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Pakistani authorities are at present in Dubai to finalise various budgetary measures in consultation with an IMF mission as part of the third review of the $6.78bn bailout package. A successful completion of the review will lead to disbursement of $550 million in a couple of weeks. The official ruled out the possibility of an increase in electricity tariff before September because of the prevailing electricity shortage even though the government had to generate about Rs120bn through the power sector in the next fiscal year. “In a political economy, you cannot afford to increase power tariff when voters are suffering from long hours of loadshedding in sizzling temperatures,” he said. The situation would come under control between July and September and the government would withdraw more subsidies and increase tariff for a few categories for cross subsidisation after that period. Another Rs135-150bn, the official said, would be saved by withdrawing statutory regulatory orders (SROs) in the budget. The government has committed to phasing out the SROs of about Rs480bn in three years and introducing a law which will bar issuance of SROs in future. The official said Finance Minister Ishaq Dar wanted to withdraw most of the SROs, but the political leaders were not prepared to deal with withdrawal of more than one-third of them because of pressures from businessmen in their constituencies. The government has already given the IMF an undertaking that it will cut expenditure by up to Rs130bn through reduction and rationalisation of subsidies, particularly those relating to power tariff. “In the context of the 2014-15 budget, we will further rationalise subsidies by roughly 0.4 per cent of GDP,” Finance Minister Dar wrote to the IMF. The government is in the process of sharing with the IMF the third round of three-year subsidy rationalisation plan to bring tariff to cost recovery level, including incorporation of financing cost of past loans into consumer tariff. The IMF was of the opinion that an increase in gas infrastructure development cess (GIDC), coupled with higher-than-envisaged quantities, was expected to deliver about 0.36pc of annualised GDP in additional revenue. The government said it had already reached about 0.4pc of GDP with a recent notification issued after the Supreme Court rescinded a stay order against GIDC, thus helping the government to actually retrieve the tax for the full financial year. The IMF recently said the government would have to move beyond GIDC to rationalise gas tariff so as to depict true cost of imported gases and development of unconventional gases like shale and tight gas. Mr Dar made a commitment to the IMF that the government would “continue to work on a comprehensive gas price rationalisation plan”. This has also been necessitated by about 300pc increase in gas production prices allowed under the recently announced petroleum exploration policy and also to factor-in expected import of liquefied natural gas (LNG) later this year whose cost is expected to be more than 500 times more than the current domestic production prices. “As new production and additional gas supply from imports come on line, the cost of this gas will be fully reflected in the base tariff on a semi-annual basis, beginning with the next adjustment in end-March 2014,” Mr Dar said in his letter to the IMF.

Over Rs6 billion gas stolen by commercial, industrial consumers last year

ISLAMABAD: A total of 7,231 cases involving theft of gas worth Rs6,357 million by commercial and industrial consumers were detected by the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) and Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL) in the first nine months of 2013. According to sources in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources, 11,010mmcf of gas was stolen in the jurisdiction of the two companies over the nine-month period. The companies recovered about Rs1,030m from those involved in the wrongdoing. The SSGCL detected 792 cases amounting to Rs210m both in the commercial and industrial sectors during the period. The SNGPL detected theft of 10,731mmcf of gas, worth Rs 6,147m, and could recover only Rs974m. A total of 2,370mmcf of gas, worth Rs1,582m, was stolen by 6,180 commercial consumers while 8,361mmcf of gas (Rs4,565m) was stolen by 259 industrial consumers. Of the 6,180 theft cases involving commercial consumers, 2,776 were detected in Lahore, 1,028 in Gujranwala, 592 in Sheikhupura, 528 in Faisalabad, 398 in Multan, 251 in Gujrat, 216 in Peshawar, 141 in Sahiwal, 87 in Sargodha, 57 in Islamabad, 53 in Rawalpindi, 46 in Bahawalpur and seven in Abbottabad. Industrial consumers were involved in 259 cases of gas theft and of these 63 were found in Peshawar, 51 in Lahore, 35 in Gujranwala, 30 in Sheikhupura, 19 in Multan, 14 in Rawalpindi, 12 in Gujrat, 11 in Islamabad, 10 in Faisalabad, six in Sargodha, three each in Sahiwal and Bahawalpur and two in Abbottabad. Of the 769 commercial gas theft cases detected by the SSGCL in the nine months of last year, 582 were detected in Karachi, 49 in Hyderabad, 47 in Quetta, 37 in Sukkur, 28 in Larkana, 18 in Nawabshah and eight in Jacobabad. Of the 23 industrial gas theft cases, 15 were found in Karachi, seven in Hyderabad and one in Sukkur.

‘TTP’ extortionists threaten another businessman

RAWALPINDI: Another businessman in the city has received threatening calls from extortionists asking him to pay Rs40 million, police said on Sunday. Rashid Wasim, a resident of Mohanpura, who owns a factory in the industrial area of Islamabad, complained to the Ganjmandi police that since March 19 his family had received three calls by an alleged member of the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). He said the calls were received at his own landline and the mobile phone numbers of his brother and father. The complaint said the caller threatened him that his family members would be kidnapped and killed if he failed to pay the Rs40 million. Mr Wasim claimed that the threatening calls were made from Waziristan. The police said they had registered a case and started an investigation on Sunday. It may be noted that two traders in the city had also fallen victims to the extortionists during the last about one week. The traders, however, reported the incidents to the police only after meeting the demands of the extortionists.

Civil society demands joint team to probe Parveen Rehman’s murder

ISLAMABAD: Human rights activists demanded the federal government and the Supreme Court set up a joint investigation team to probe the murder of Director Orangi Pilot Project Parveen Rehman. Ms Rehman was gunned down by unknown men on March 13, 2013 in Karachi. Addressing a press conference at the National Press Club on Sunday, human rights activist Farzana Bari said the Sindh police had submitted an investigation report in the court, stating that a Taliban operative named Qari Bilal had killed Ms Rehman. However, they also claimed that the murderer was killed in an encounter so the case had been closed. “It is a tactic of the Sindh police to protect the culprits. Civil society activists believe that Ms Rehman’s murderers are still in Karachi and the police are not ready to arrest them,” Ms Bari said. “Parveen Rehman was working for the rights of the people who lived in slums. There is a mafia in Karachi that does not want to give ownership rights to the slum residents. It is possible that the land mafia was behind the murder of Ms Rehman,” she said. Naseer Memon, chief executive officer (CEO) of Strengthening Participatory Organisation (SPO) which is a non-government organisation working for the rights of women, children and minorities, said Ms Rehman had also pointed out illegal hydrants in Karachi, which had been earning billions of rupees by selling water to the locals. “There is also a possibility that the mafia which runs those illegal hydrants was involved in the murder of Ms Rehman,” he said. Potohar Organisation for Development Advocacy CEO Samina Nazir said the civil society activists had been working for the rights of the people but the government was not ready to provide security to them. “If the killings of civil society activists continue, no one will raise a voice for the poor people,” she added. CEO Imran Khan Foundation Naseemur Rehman said Parveen Rehman was being threatened by some elements. “Present Director Orangi Pilot Project Saleemuddin was also attacked by some unidentified elements in January, which shows that the killers are still in Karachi and they are attacking the members of the project,” he said. The participants were of the view that since the provincial police had failed to properly investigate the murder of Ms Rehman, the case should be opened for investigation by a joint team of federal police officers. The participants also appealed to the provincial government, especially the provincial police department, to initiate disciplinary action against the police officers identified in the report of the district and sessions judge Karachi West, who have been neglecting the investigation or have been trying to cover up the case. The report of the district and sessions judge Karachi West was submitted before the Supreme Court last month.

Nato container attacked in Jamrud

PESHAWAR: At least two people were killed on Monday when unidentified militants attacked Nato containers in the Jamrud tehsil of Khyber tribal region. The unknown gunmen opened fire at three Nato containers in the Wazir Dhand area of Jamrud tehsil after which the containers caught fire and were soon set ablaze. Khyber lie in the northwestern parts of Pakistan with Khyber being the country’s seven semi-autonomous tribal districts near the Afghan border, rife with homegrown insurgents and home to a number of militant organisations. The tribal region of Khyber also links several agencies to each other, serving as a north-south route within the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata). Moreover, the bulk of supplies and equipment required by foreign troops in Afghanistan is shipped through Khyber, although US troops increasingly use alternative routes through central Asia.

Cargo ship sinks, 12 missing near Hong Kong: officials

HONG KONG: Twelve crew members from a Chinese cargo ship are missing after it collided with a container vessel and sank just outside Hong Kong waters on Monday, authorities said. “There are 12 people missing,” a fire department spokesman told AFP, adding the vessels collided in the early hours of the morning near Po Toi Island which lies on the southern edge of Hong Kong waters. “Two cargo ships collided and one of them sank,” a police spokeswoman told AFP.

Importers flood country with illegal arms

RAWALPINDI: Non-implementation of the changes approved by the PPP government in the arms and ammunitions import policy a year ago has flooded the country with contraband arms, Dawn has learnt. A senior security official said the law enforcement agencies were worried that importers had been bringing in and marketing small as well as sophisticated weapons by manipulating the existing policy introduced in 2006-07. That policy put a monetary ceiling, ranging between Rs100,000 and Rs20 million, on commercial arms importers. But, by under-invoicing their imports, the crafty among the 520 arms dealers in the country brought in more quantity of weapons than their monetary quota would buy them in the international arms market. They landed their consignments at different ports so that the customs there cleared their huge consignments in excess to their monetary quota uncontested, according to sources in the security and commercial establishments. In its last cabinet meeting held on March 7, 2013, the outgoing PPP-led government approved amendments to that policy. It changed the value-based imports to quantity-based imports of arms. However, despite concerns raised by the Ministry of Interior and the Federal Board of Revenue over the developing alarming situation and loss of revenue, the successor PML-N government did not give a comprehensive shape to the changes and enforce them. Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Pervaiz Rasheed was contacted for comments. He said he would be in a position to do so after consulting the concerned departments. Early this year, the Inspector General of Police of Punjab had formally directed all divisional police chiefs of the province to check the sharp rise in smuggling of arms and ammunitions. IGP Khan Baig wanted them to constitute special teams to stop the menace in coordination with the district authorities, initiate legal action against the arms dealers found involved in arms trafficking and report him compliance. IGP Baig asked his officers to check whether people working for licensed arms dealers had been cleared by the local secret police and whether a police officer had verified the dealer’s record of his sales and buyers. His orders had followed intelligence reports that smuggling of illegal arms and ammunitions was on the rise in the province and weapons were easily available to criminals. The Pakistan Arms Ordinance 1965 requires that a police officer not below the rank of deputy superintendent should inspect shops, premises and stocks of all licensed manufacturers and dealers of arms every three months and a Superintendent of Police at least once a year.

Ajmer Sharif tour: Indian govt regrets visa refusals to pilgrims

NEW DELHI: The Indian government apologised on Saturday for turning away dozens of Pakistani pilgrims who wanted to attend the annual Urs of revered Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer Sharif on May 1 to May 12 this year. On Friday, Pakistan summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner Gopal Baghlay to lodge a protest over denial of visas to 500 Pakistani pilgrims to visit the shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti. “India has always cherished these age-old cultural and civilisational linkages that exist across our borders amongst all countries of our unique subcontinent, and will always nurture these links for the benefit of future generations,” Indian ministry of external affairs spokesperson S Akbaruddin said on Saturday. “We are most certainly disappointed that this year pilgrims from Pakistan were unable to attend the Urs at what is one of the holiest shrines of our region. But this was a measure of abundant precaution aimed at ensuring safety and welfare of the pilgrims which, I think, should always be our priority,” he added. Visits to religious shrines in Pakistan and India are governed under the Bilateral Protocol on Visits to the Religious Shrines, 1974. Pakistan conveyed its deep disappointment and concern over the denial of visas by the Indian government, said a statement released by Pakistan’s Foreign Office in Islamabad. In response, the Indian government said, “It is true that this was a last moment decision, all government agencies, including our railway authorities, had made full arrangements to transport over 500 Zaireens (pilgrims) from Pakistan from the Attari railway station to Ajmer and back. [However] India is in the midst of the general elections. A visit of such a large group of Zaireens from Pakistan would have required much more elaborate arrangements than what is usually done for such events”. “We are most certainly disappointed that this year pilgrims from Pakistan were unable to attend the Urs at what is one of the holiest shrines of our region,” said Akbaruddin. Published in The Express Tribune, May 4th, 2014.

Amir Khan becomes welterweight champion, outclassing Luis Collazo

LAS VEGAS: British-Pakistani boxer Amir Khan earned the silver welterweight title after outclassing former titleholder Luis Collazo in an impressive win at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday night, ESPN reported. This was Khan’s first fight for the welterweight title and he won it by unanimous decision on the undercard. Khan, a former unified junior welterweight titlist, had stepped into the arena after a year-long hiatus from boxing. He won the match scoring three knockdowns and outboxing Collazo with 119-104, 119-104 and 117-106. However, the match wasn’t without some worrisome moments, the ESPN report said. Khan hoped his victory would be enough of a statement to put himself against undefeated welterweight Flyod Mayweather Jr in the next fight. On Saturday night, Mayweather had bypassed him and had elected to fight Marcos Maidana instead. Mayweather’s victory against Maidana has set him up for either a possible rematch with Maidana or a showdown against Khan. “He [Mayweather] is getting older and showing a lot of mistakes that he didn’t used to do. It is a great time to catch him,” said Khan. Speaking to the media earlier during this week, Khan had said that his next fight would be a “nice present” for his daughter who is soon to be born. “It is a present for everybody. We have so much support in Pakistan as well as all the Muslim people all over the world,” he had said

Tweeting conditions: IMF asks Pakistan to jack up interest rates

ISLAMABAD: In an anticipated move, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has asked Pakistan to increase interest rates after the inflation inched up to 9.2% in April on a year-on-year basis, hitting a point from where it had started receding seven months ago. The bad news for Pakistan is that the Consumer Price Index inflation in April increased to 9.2% from 8.5% in March, according to a tweet by IMF_Pakistan, an account being managed by the Resident Representative Office of the IMF. The IMF has aired its views at a time when the Fund and Pakistani authorities are locked into negotiations in Dubai for the third review of a $6.7-billion programme. Any decision on increasing the interest rates will be taken during policy level talks that will begin next week. At present both the sides are engaged in technical level talks, meant to exchange data with each other. The policy level talks will be attended by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and newly appointed Governor State Bank of Pakistan Ashraf Mahmood Wathra. The decision to go public on the issue by the IMF may bring the government under pressure, particularly at a time when the authorities are discussing such issues behind closed doors. The IMF said that the trimmed core inflation also increased to 9% year-on-year in April from 8.1% in March. “The SBP monetary policy needs to respond,” according to the IMF. The trimmed core inflation is a measure used to identify trend in inflation by eliminating items from the index showing sudden changes. The core inflation, measured by excluding energy and food items, also increased to 8.5% in April as compared to 7.6% in March, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics –the national data collecting agency. The overall energy prices were going down and the inflationary pressure was coming from the core side, strengthening the case of the IMF for an increase in interest rates. The IMF’s demand to increase the interest rate has come ahead of new monetary policy that the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) is expected to announce by mid of this month. The demand is contrary to the hopes given by Deputy Governor SBP Saeed Ahmad, who had said that last month that the industrialists would soon hear good news on the interest rate. In its last announcement on monetary policy, the SBP had kept the rate unchanged at 10%. As CPI-based inflation has gone up to 9.2%, the real interest rate – the difference between the monetary policy rate and inflation, has come down to just 0.8%. The real interest rate is an important factor that foreign investors consider before taking any decision on investing in a country. Sources said the IMF is demanding a minimum 100 basis points or 1% increase in interest rates, as it considers half a percentage point increase in the interest rates ineffective in controlling inflation. The ministry of finance would try to downplay the increase by terming it a seasonal phenomenon, they added. It is yet to be seen whether the government will accept the IMF’s view point, as it has so far shown the tendency to appease the industrialists. Published in The Express Tribune, May 4th, 2014.

The irresistible lure of Pakistan's 'killer mountain'

ISLAMABAD: Gunmen shot dead 10 foreign tourists at its base camp last year, but for serious mountaineers, the allure of Pakistan’s “killer mountain” remains irresistible. Militants stormed Nanga Parbat base camp on the night of June 22, 2013, dragging the climbers out of their tents and shooting them point blank along with their local guide. The massacre badly hit tourism in Pakistan’s wild, mountainous north, which is home to some of the world’s highest peaks and most challenging climbs. But three winter summit attempts have brought fresh hopes for the industry, crucial to the local economy, as it gears up for the summer climbing season. Nanga Parbat, Pakistan’s second-highest peak at 8,125 metres (26,660 feet), has never been climbed successfully in winter because of the treacherous weather conditions. Its fearsome Rupal Face, rising more than 4,000 metres from base to top, presents one of the most difficult — and tantalising — challenges in climbing. Simone Moro, one of the world’s leading Alpinists, was among those to return unsuccessful from Nanga Parbat this winter. The Italian has now made two attempts to climb the peak in winter and the mountain is drawing him to make a third. “I have felt strange feelings there, feelings that I have never felt before at the foot of a mountain,” he said. “Nanga is not just a mountain, it is a whole world on its own to be discovered and explored — a planet apart from the Himalayas.” “The Rupal Face is incredible, its like a giant planet standing in front of you, seducing you to climb it.” Nanga Parbat earned its grisly nickname after more than 30 climbers died trying to conquer it before the first successful summit in 1953. The events of last June gave the name a new, more sinister overtone but Moro says the incident was a blip and he wants to encourage others to come to Pakistan. “I consider Nanga Parbat as the most safest place in Pakistan,” he said. “What happened last year was just a tragic episode, accidents can happen anywhere in the world but that never means it will always repeat itself.” David Goettler, a German member of the expedition led by Moro who has twice attempted K2 — Pakistan’s highest peak and the world’s second-highest — said he was astonished by the attack. “I could not believe it, I was like ‘how on earth did the terrorists come there?’” he said. “I have visited Pakistan six times in the past and I have a super good relationship with the people there.” The regional government in Gilgit-Baltistan has slashed the fee for climbing in winter by 95 percent to $270. But Moro said it was very difficult for mountaineers to get visas for Pakistan — a common gripe from tourists who face seemingly endless bureaucratic hurdles to visit even for a short time. “You have to literally fight for six to seven months to get a visa for Pakistan — you need to open your doors in order to let people come in,” said Moro. Ashraf Aman, the first Pakistani climber to scale K2, says the government is making no serious effort to encourage tourism. The country’s powerful intelligence services — which keep a close watch on foreigners travelling outside of major cities — make life difficult for those who do arrive, said Aman, who now runs a tour operating company. “It is very difficult to get a visa and if a tourist’s luck wins him a visa he regrets his decision the moment he arrives in Pakistan,” he said. “The security and intelligence agencies start never-ending sessions of questions, one after another at each destination.” Nestled between the western end of the Himalayas, the Hindu Kush mountains and the Karakoram range, Gilgit-Baltistan houses 18 of the world’s 50 highest peaks. It is also home to three of the world’s seven longest glaciers outside the polar regions and hundreds of its mountains have never been climbed. But it is the lure of Nanga Parbat that draws Moro back, the famous names that have climbed it in the past — Reinhold Messner, Steve House, Tomaz Humar. “Climbing Nanga Parbat is like crossing an ocean or a desert, heading to the peak with the idea of joining two points across a treacherous nowhere,” said Moro.

Relief for Tarun Tejpal: To get unedited footage from hotel which may prove his innocence

Panaji/New Delhi: A local court on Saturday directed the Goa Police Crime Branch to hand over unedited portion of CCTV footage of the area near a lift in a hotel to senior journalist Tarun Tejpal, accused of sexually assaulting a junior woman colleague. Tejpal had requested the fast track court for the footage which is part of the chargesheet filed by crime branch earlier. The senior journalist has repeatedly sought the footage of the area in the starred hotel for a time period from November 7, 2013 when the crime was alleged to have happened till November 29, when he was arrested. His lawyers had maintained that the proof of Tejpal's "innocence" lies in the footage which was procured by the investigating agency. The founder-editor of Tehelka magazine is lodged in a jail here in a case of alleged sexual assault of his junior woman colleague at the hotel during an event. In its chargesheet filed on February 17, the crime branch accused Tejpal of rape, sexual harassment and outraging modesty of woman.

IN PICS: SBI's most luxurious bank 'Kohinoor Royale' opens account for minimum R 1 crore

Jaipur: State Bank of India, the country’s largest lender, and its associates cater to uber-rich clients and non-resident Indians (NRIs). State Bank of Bikaner & Jaipur(SBBJ)’s Kohinoor Royale Banking Centre is one of its kind, luxury amalgamated with bank services. This bank is a part of Private and Foreign Banks for a piece of ultra HNI’s business cake. This innovative ‘by invitation’ only Branch of SBBJ, Kohinoor is a very unique concept for getting business of ultra HNIs, an area hitherto virtually untouched by PSU Banks. This is a specialized Branch, where the accounts shall be opened only by invitation. The Bank’s expectation shall be to have a minimum of seven figure business from all customers at this Branch. This outfit is being loosely called a ‘crorepati branch’. The branch has state-of-the-art outfit with royal ambience which is an instant attraction for intended customers. Kohinoor Royale Banking Centre at Jaipur is meant for Kohinoors of modern India. It has a five star ambience with ultra modern facilities. The Branch has a plush lounge named Deewane Khass, which consists of Rajkosh, the locker facility, Shringar, the dressing room, and Darbar, a conference room with video conference facility apart from personal business centers, cafeteria, and most comfortable sitting arrangements. The lounge has both music and TV channels for the entertainment of visiting customers. There shall be personal bankers assigned to each customer and video chatting facility has also been introduced for the first time. The customers in cities other than Jaipur shall have local Relationship Managers to assist them in their banking needs. The customers of this branch shall be able to reach out to the Bank at any hour of the day, be it even past midnight. Indian banking have not provided such facilities so far. The branch has approximately hundred accounts so far but it aims at having over five hundred accounts. The account holders in the bank are Bollywood celebrities, cricketers, former royal family members and NRIs. Besides offering amenities matching a 5-star hotel this bank also provides forex facilities. The setup of the bank costed approximately Rs. 2 crore. This branch was opened in May 2012.

Lalu turns red after Rabri Devi frisked; alleges it as plot to assassinate his wife

Patna: Reacting to a frisking episode where state police team stopped car of the former Chief Minister of Bihar and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav’s wife Rabri Devi for a search operation, the party head said that it was a plot to assassinate her wife. Reportedly, on Saturday night, police offciers from Sonpur police station of Chapra district launched a frisking operation on Rabri Devi. Thereafter, Rabri alleged that during the time of incident a black colored Scorpio car was constantly chasing her car and trying to overtake them. She also accused that during the time of search there wasn’t even a single female constable present on the stop, as per requirement of existing laws. Furthermore, no video recording was also performed, while the search was on. After getting tip-off about the incident, a visibly agitated Lalu also reached the site and vented his ire on the police officers. Notably, a black colored Scorpio car has been found parked on the site, where police frisked Rabri. Suspiciously, the number plate of the car was also found inside it rathe than its usual place. Rabri is contesting Lok Sabha polls from the Saran constituency. Responding to the allegations, police officers present on the site said that only after the Election Commission ordered them, a search operation was planned. The SDM of the area has accused the supporters of Lalu of physically assaulting them.

Passenger train derails in India; at least 10 dead

NEW DELHI: A passenger train derailed in western India on Sunday, killing at least 10 people and injuring 57 others. The engine and four coaches jumped the tracks near Roha station, 110 kilometers south of Mumbai, said police officer Ankush Shinde. The rescuers used gas cutters to open the derailed coaches to reach those trapped inside. Big cranes were deployed to remove these coaches from the rail track, Shinde said. Two of the derailed coaches tilted on one side, said railway spokesman Anil Kumar Saxena. Shinde said that 57 injured passengers, some of them in serious condition, were taken to a hospital. The cause of the accident was not immediately known. Train movement in the area was suspended as the derailed coaches and the rescue operation blocked an adjacent track as well. Railway accidents are common in India, which has one of the world's largest train networks and serves 20 million passengers a day. Most accidents are blamed on poor maintenance and human error.

Army kills 37 Qaeda suspects in south Yemen: ministry

ADEN: Yemen's army killed 37 Al Qaeda suspects and wounded dozens on Sunday on day six of a major offensive in the south of the country, the defence ministry said. The “terrorists” were killed in the Maifaa region of Shabwa province during the ongoing operation against Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the ministry said in text messages sent to journalists. It described the operation as an “important” one, without elaborating. On Friday, soldiers backed by warplanes killed five suspected Al Qaeda militants in the same area. Residents there told AFP on Sunday of “exceptionally” heavy artillery fire and air raids targeting Al-Qaeda hideouts in the region. State news agency Saba quoted General Ahmed al-Yafie, commander of the Third Military Region, as saying the armed forces were “unprecedentedly ready to face this terrorist organisation”. He said “the Al-Qaeda elements will not escape death” and troops will fight them “until they are uprooted from Yemen which cannot be a home for terrorism”. Hours before Sunday's raid, Saba reported that reinforcements had been sent to Shabwa to “deal with Al-Qaeda”. The offensive began on Tuesday with a setback for the army when Al-Qaeda ambushed a convoy, killing 15 soldiers and taking 15 more prisoner, three of whom were later executed. But it has since gathered pace, resulting in the deaths of 67 militants and more than 24 soldiers, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Among the Al-Qaeda fatalities were two foreign commanders -- Abu Islam al-Shishani, who had Chechen links, and Abu Muslim al-Uzbeki, an AQAP leader in Abyan province who hailed from Uzbekistan. AQAP -- a merger of the network's Yemeni and Saudi branches -- has denied President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi's allegations that 70 percent of its fighters are foreigners. Washington considers the Yemen-based AQAP to be the deadliest branch of Al-Qaeda's global network. The franchise has been linked to a number of failed terror plots against the United States, and its leader Nasser al-Wuhayshi recently appeared in a rare video in which he vowed to attack Western “crusaders” wherever they are. The jihadists took advantage of a 2011 uprising that forced veteran strongman Ali Abdullah Saleh from power to seize large swathes of southern and eastern Yemen. The army recaptured several major towns in 2012 but has struggled to reassert control in rural areas, despite the backing of militiamen recruited among local tribes. The latest government campaign came 10 days after a wave of drone and other air attacks on Al-Qaeda bases and training camps killed around 70 militants. The jihadist group denounced the offensive as a “premeditated military escalation” that came after “the Yemeni defence minister visited Washington to receive the orders of his American masters”. faw/lyn/srm

Growth rate to remain over 4pc this year: Dar

ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Sunday expressed hope that the national economy would grow by over 4 per cent during the current fiscal year (2013-14). Inflation would remain in a single digit spurred by growth in both agricultural and industrial sectors, Dar said while addressing the First Business Session at 47th annual meeting of Asian Development Bank (ADB) Board of Governors in Astana, Kazakstan. Dar said the fiscal deficit had been restrained to around 6 per cent through an increase in revenues and reduction in expenditures along with positive growth in exports and remittances. Necessary domestic reforms were being undertaken along with government preference for regional integration through increased connectivity and enhanced preferential arrangements, he added. He also outlined the government's strategies in overcoming the macro-economic challenges, according to a statement issued by the Finance Ministry here. Meanwhile, during the Constituency Breakfast Meeting, Dar suggested the ADB to revise the absolute poverty line from $1.25 per day to $2 per day in conformity with the latest revision adopted by the International Monetary Fund. The minister stated that presently 2.4 billion people (40 per cent of the world population) were living below the poverty line of US$2. During the Governor's Plenary Session, the minister while highlighting the recent natural disasters in Pakistan and the response and future strategy of National Disaster Management Authority of Pakistan, emphasised the need to reduce exposure to natural hazards and disasters. He suggested development partners, such as ADB, World Bank and IMF, devise different strategies and action plans for promoting disaster risk reduction programmes. He also offered that these institutions could benefit from Pakistan's experiences. During his call on the Minister for Finance and Deputy Prime Minister Bakhyt Sultanov, he extended an invitation to President Nursultan Nazarbayev as well as to the finance minister to visit Pakistan during the current year. He emphasised the need to examine existing frameworks for increasing the present level of bilateral trade, which was far below the potential of the two countries. He requested the minister to consider measures for easing the movement of people along with enhanced cooperation in the areas of trade, investment banking and finance.

Pakistani security man killed near Afghan border area: ISPR

PESHAWAR: Firing from Afghanistan killed one Pakistani security person on Sunday at the Pak-Afghan border area near Bajaur tribal region, according to a statement issued by the Inter Services Public relations (ISPR). It was not clear whether the cross-border firing was conducted by Afghan security personnel or militants. “We don't have more information yet. We can only confirm that a security official was killed because of firing across the border in Bajaur region,” said a senior military official when contacted for details. At least five Pakistanis, including a woman, were killed and 25 other wounded when Afghan National Army personnel opened fire at a border village in Zhob district in September last year. Earlier on May 2013, Pakistan had summoned the most senior Afghan diplomat in the country to protest over similar border skirmishes that had reportedly left five Pakistani security personnel wounded. In another incident in August 2012, security personnel from both countries entered a two-hour-long clash, which had caused no casualties but strained relations between the two countries. Afghanistan and Pakistan typically blame each other for violence by Taliban militants plaguing both sides of their border, known as the Durand Line.

Police kill two suspects, arrest eight involved in India violence

GAUHATI: Police said Sunday they killed two suspected rebels and arrested eight forest guards for alleged involvement in the killings of Muslims in the worst ethnic violence in India's remote northeast in two years. Four suspected insurgents hurled a grenade and fired at policemen who ambushed them in a dense forest, said police officer Sanjukta Prashar. Police killed two in an exchange of gunfire and two suspects escaped near Tejpur, a town nearly 80 kilometers north of the region where Muslims were attacked on Thursday and Friday, she said. Police also said they have arrested eight forest guards following complaints by the victims' relatives that they were involved in the brutal killings. The 22 people arrested earlier face charges they either burned homes or provided shelter to insurgents. On Sunday, army soldiers patrolled the curfew-bound districts of Baska and Kokrajhar for a second day to defuse tension. Relatives have refused to bury 18 victims in Baska unless Assam state's top elected official visited them and assured security to thousands of people hit by the ethnic violence. Thousands of families have fled their homes after separatists went on the rampage in two districts of the restive tea-growing region, shooting dead Muslims including women and children as they slept. The violence comes during the final stretch of the country's mammoth general election that has seen religious and ethnic tensions flare and in which Hindu nationalist hardliner Narendra Modi was expected to win. Police have blamed indigenous Bodo tribesmen for the violence on Thursday and Friday evenings in the region where Muslims have migrated from across the border with impoverished Bangladesh. Police said the death toll rose overnight Saturday to 33 after a child died of her injuries in a hospital in the state's main city of Guwahati. Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said those responsible would be punished as security forces including federal soldiers fanned out across Baksa and neighbouring Kokrajhar district to prevent further clashes. “We are taking stern measures and have so far arrested more than 30 people,” Gogoi said. The victims were Muslim migrants whose community has been locked in staggered land disputes with Bodos in the remote state that borders Bhutan and Bangladesh. Local media reported Bodos targeted Muslims as punishment for failing to support their candidate at the multi-phased election, but this could not be confirmed. Voting in Assam ended on April 24. Frontrunner for prime minister Modi, from the Bharatiya Janata Party, said last week illegal immigrants from Bangladesh should pack their bags if he came to power at the polls, whose results are announced on May 16. On Sunday, Muslims in Baksa were refusing to bury 18 of those killed, in a protest against authorities whom they blame for failing to protect them. “Right now we are sitting in the open with 18 bodies in front of us,” said Lafiqul Islam, president of the All Bengali Muslim Students Union. “We will continue with our protest and not perform the funeral until and unless the chief minister personally visits the spot,” he told AFP in Narayanguri village, some 210 kilometres west of Guwahati. Police blamed the attacks on the outlawed National Democratic Front of Bodoland, which has been demanding a separate homeland for decades, but the group has denied it was behind the violence. Seventeen people were killed in clashes in the same region in January and thousands of others fled their homes for fear of further attacks. In 2012, ethnic clashes in the same area claimed about 100 lives and displaced more than 400,000 people.

Telecommunications: Zong overtakes Ufone as CMOs’ market share changes

KARACHI: The market position of Pakistan’s telecommunication sector saw a change for the first time since June 2012 with cellular mobile teledensity also reaching an all-time high, according to the latest data released by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). After a slight dip last December, the country’s total mobile phone subscriptions reached an all-time high of 136.5 million at the end of March, 2014, corresponding to a cellular mobile teledensity of almost 75% for the first time, PTA statistics revealed. The telecom regulator, which had long been falling behind time in updating the telecom statistics, published close to the latest numbers by releasing the Feb-March data – it has yet to publish telecom data for April, 2014. The overall numbers were not the only firsts for the cellular mobile operators (CMOs); the results of the market share also saw some notable changes. Zong, the Pakistani subsidiary of China Mobile, surpassed Ufone in overall subscribers at the end of February to finish at number three for the first time – the position was held by Ufone since June 2008. With 25.6 million subscriptions, Zong now accounts for 19% of the country’s telecom subscriptions – just one percentage point above Ufone that slipped to number 4 with a market share of 18% or 24.6 million subscribers at the end of March, 2014. Telenor Pakistan, too, crossed 35 million subscribers in the period under review – a first for the company. The Pakistani arm of the Oslo-based cellular giant now holds 26% share in the country’s cellular subscriber base, only two percentage points behind the market leader Mobilink. Mobilink maintained the top slot by growing its subscriptions to 38 million for the first time. Its share in the cellular segment is 28% as of March, 2014, revealed the data. Warid Telecom, the smallest player by subscriber base, finished with a market share of 9% or 12.9 million subscriptions, according to the latest statistics. In terms of net additions, the five CMOs-combined sold 2.8 million cellular connections in February and March – increasing the overall subscriptions by 2%. The PTA had predicted in its annual report for 2013 that the cellular segment witnessed a mixed competition and the market structure – in terms of subscribers – seemed to be shifting its position. According to the PTA, China Mobile Pakistan (Zong) and Telenor, relatively new players in the market, were the driving force behind the competition. More Details available at http://tribune.com.pk/story/703791/telecommunications-zong-overtakes-ufone-as-cmos-market-share-changes/

Notified: PTA accepts Warid’s 4G plea

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecom-munication Authority (PTA) has accepted Warid Telecom’s plea that it has no need to obtain a new licence to launch 4G services, said PTA Chairman Ismail Shah, while talking to The Express Tribune. Shah said that Warid Telecom had approached the authority to start 4G service without obtaining any new licence. “However, we have asked the company to share its detailed work-out plan with the PTA,” said Shah. So far Zong, a subsidiary of China Mobile, is considered the sole proprietor of 4G services after successful auction held on April 23. Despite not participating in the April 23 spectrum auction, Warid has decided to launch 4G LTE with its available spectrum that it had bought in 2004. An official of Warid said that after obtaining permission from the PTA, Warid will soon launch its next-generation services in Pakistan and the work-out plan will also be shared with the PTA and media. He said that Warid is capable of addressing all the PTA concerns about dividing the spectrum for 4G services. Presently, Warid has around 9 megahertz (Mhz) spectrum to roll out 4G technology while it has installed long term evolution technology at important points across the country. Sources said Warid’s existing spectrum is capable of running the 4G technology and it is likely that the PTA would allow the telecom company to operate 4G services in the country. It merits mentioning here that unlike Warid, the other three cellular companies Ufone, Telenor and Mobilink did not have 9 Mhz, which they had to acquire prior to participating in the 4G spectrum licence auction. An official of Warid told The Express Tribune that PTA has formally given the notification to the company for rolling out 4G services in the country. Published in The Express Tribune, May 4th, 2014.

Badakhshan tragedy: With 300 houses buried, search for survivors called off

KABUL / AAB BAREEK: Rescue teams abandoned the search for survivors on Saturday after a landslide buried as many as 300 houses in a hillside village in northern Afghanistan. Local people and emergency workers using shovels tried in vain to find victims trapped under the massive landslide that engulfed the Aab Bareek village in Badakhshan province. Officials said that the final death toll could rise as high as 500 after Friday’s disaster, updating earlier information that 2,500 people were feared dead. “Based on our reports, 300 houses are under the debris,” Badakhshan Governor Shah Waliullah Adeeb told reporters at the scene. “We have a list of around 300 people confirmed dead,” he said. “We cannot continue the search and rescue operation anymore, as the houses are under metres of mud. We will offer prayers for the victims and make the area a mass grave.” “The first figure (of 2,500 feared dead) that we announced was obtained from local people, not from our technical team,” Gul Mohammad Bedar, the deputy governor of Badakhshan, told AFP. “We think the death toll will not rise beyond 500.” The news agency Reuters, however, quoted a spokesman for the governor as saying the death toll exceeded 2,100 people. The International Organisation for Migration also said around 2,700 people were either dead or missing. Relief teams arrived at first light on Saturday to be confronted by the enormous scale of destruction. Many villagers were at Friday prayers when they were entombed by the torrent of debris. A second landslide hit people who had rushed to assist those in need. “I have lost my sister, my house was partially destroyed,” Noor Mohammad, 45, told AFP. “We can’t really get anyone out of the debris. We have lost hope of rescuing anyone.” “There is a very thick layer of mud. It is very difficult for people to take bodies out,” Sayed Abdullah Homayun Dehqan, provincial director of the Afghan National Disaster Management Authority, said. “There is fear of another landslide. Our assessment team has seen a crack in a nearby hill,” he added. President Hamid Karzai expressed his condolences to those affected, and announced a national day of mourning on Sunday. The UN mission in Afghanistan said its staff had been working on the ground, along with the Afghan Red Crescent and other aid groups. “The immediate focus is on approximately 700 families displaced either directly as a result of this slide or as a precautionary measure from villages assessed to be at further risk,” UNAMA said in a statement. “Key needs for them are water, medical support, counselling support, food and emergency shelter.” Published in The Express Tribune, May 4th, 2014.

Bollywood actress molested, thrashed and robbed in east Delhi

New Delhi: A Bollywood actress was reportedly molested, thrashed and robbed by two people while she was heading home in east Delhi. The actress was trying to fetch for an auto rickshaw in Vishwas Nagar area of east Delhi on Friday night to reach her residence in Anand Vihar. According to reports, she told in her complaint that two men, in their early 20s, overpowered, thrashed and molested her. When she resisted, they pushed her and snatched her iPhone and purse that had at least Rs. 5,000 in cash. Cops said the victim appeared in two Bollywood films and also co-produced some other movies. A case of molestation and robbery has been registered against unknown people.

Huge fire breaks out at cracker factory in Ujjain; 15 killed, 4 seriously injured

Ujjain/Bhopal: Major fire broke out at a cracker factor in Badnagar town in Ujjain district in Madhya Pradesh on Saturday which killed 15 persons, including three children. The cracker factory, located near Khob Darwaza area in the city caught fire around 4.45 PM, in which eight women, four men and three children were killed, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Pankaj Shrivastava told PTI. The owner of the factory Yusuf Hussain was immediately arrested by the police. Fire-tenders were rushed to the site, which managed to control the blaze after over an hour. The cause of the fire is not known yet and police has begun to investigate the matter. Four people were reported to be seriously injured and were rushed to the Ujjain district hospital immediately. It has become hard to identify the people who lost their lives as the bodies are not left in recognizable condition.

Former warlord joins Abdullah in Afghan election

KABUL: A former Afghan warlord nicknamed “the bulldozer” joined front-runner Abdullah Abdullah's presidential campaign on Saturday, as deal-making hots up before the decisive run-off vote next month. Gul Agha Sherzai, from Kandahar, won less than two per cent of the vote in the April 5 election, but is seen as able to deliver some support from Pashtuns, Afghanistan's largest ethnic group. Abdullah, whose support is strongest in Tajik ethnic areas, came first by a large margin in the election, though he fell short of the 50 per cent threshold needed for outright victory, according to preliminary results. “I, as a representative of my team, join Dr. Abdullah's team to bring security and welfare to the people of Afghanistan,” Sherzai told a press conference with Abdullah. “We have joined together for the country and the people.” Sherzai, a former governor of Kandahar and Nangarhar provinces, earned his nickname “the bulldozer” for pushing though major road and infrastructure projects — as well as for his forceful personality. Abdullah and ex-World Bank economist Ashraf Ghani will compete in a head-to-head election scheduled for June 7. The eventual winner will lead Afghanistan into a new era as US-led Nato combat troops end their 13-year war against the Islamist insurgency that erupted after President Hamid Karzai took power in 2001. “We are proud of joining together, we were in touch from the very beginning,” Abdullah said. “We have a long way ahead of us, we will use every opportunity for any alliances.” Preliminary results released a week ago showed Abdullah secured 44.9 per cent of the first-round vote, with Ghani on 31.5 per cent. Another expensive, and potentially violent, election could be avoided by negotiations in the coming weeks, but both Abdullah and Ghani have dismissed talk of a power-sharing deal.

‘PM vowed to reopen journalist Saleem Shehzad murder case’

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on Saturday claimed that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in March had vowed to reopen the murder case of journalist Saleem Shehzad who was found dead after being tortured in 2011, BBC Urdu reported. Bob Dietz, coordinator of the US based international non-profit organisation’s Asia Program said the NGO had presented its recommendations over dangers being faced by journalists to the prime minister in a high delegation meeting held on March 19. The meeting was also attended by Federal Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid and writer/journalist Ahmed Rashid. “Yes, it was one of the recommendations from our long list of suggestions,” said Dietz when asked about PM Sharif’s promise of reopening the case. “We want him (Prime Minister Sharif) to review this just the way Wali Khan Babar’s case was reviewed,” he added. Syed Saleem Shehzad, 40, was found dead in Mandi Bahauddin near Islamabad after reportedly writing about links between the Pakistani military and al Qaeda. He worked for an Italian news agency and an online news site registered in Hong Kong. He went missing after he left his home in the federal capital to take part in a television talk show, but never arrived. The slain journalist had complained about being threatened by Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency. “The other day he visited our office and informed us that ISI had threatened him. He told us that if anything happened to him, we should inform the media about the situation and threats,” Ali Dayan Hasan of HRW had said after Shehzad’s death. It may mentioned that Hamid Mir – senior journalist and TV anchor, who is being treated after escaping an attack on his life in Karachi last month – has also accused the ISI for the attack. He has recorded his statement to the judicial commission being formed on Prime Minister Sharif’s directions. Dietz expressed annoyance over incompetence of investigative commissions formed in the past to probe murders of Pakistani journalists as none of the inquiries could come with names of the culprits. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s top 56 editors and journalists in a joint communiqué issued earlier today have urged for unity and alliance within the media ranks. It said the shameful divide between the Pakistani media has not only made journalists more vulnerable to attacks but it was also weakening the struggle for justice, truth and democracy. “This situation has made the nation a laughing stock in front of the world,” said the statement.

Protesters torch D.I. Khan sugar mills

DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Protesting against the death of their relatives in a drain of toxic effluent, enraged villagers ransacked a sugar mills and set its building on fire in the Ramak area of Dera Ismail Khan on Saturday. Police arrested seven employees, including the general manager and production manager, of the Chashma Sugar Mills No 2 after registering a case against them in connection with the death on Friday of 10 people in the drain filled with effluent from the mills. Police had initially clai­med that at least 13 people had drowned in the drain. The protesters gathered outside the factory and entered it after smashing its main gate. They ransacked its main building and torched the ethanol plant, GM’s office, zonal office and record office. Police had to resort to baton-charge and firing in the air to disperse the protesters. Four protesters and a police constable were injured. Meanwhile, the 10 victims of the incident were buried in Palwan village on Saturday. Thousands of people attended the funeral prayers. Police said a case had been registered on the complaint of Allah Ditta against the arrested employees of the mills. The complainant told police that his son Bashir Khan and a colleague of his were harvesting wheat when they heard cries of two women who had been stuck in the drain and were calling for help. “Bashir fainted after jumping into the drain to rescue the women. Other people busy in harvesting work also rushed to the drain. They too tried to rescue the women but got stuck in the toxic effluent and lost their lives,” he said. The commissioner of Dera Ismail Khan has constituted a three-member committee to hold an inquiry into the incident and submit a report in 15 days. Several sugar mills in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are functioning without proper arrangements for treating their effluent. They pollute rivers and lakes by discharging into them the untreated effluent. Complaints to the authorities go unheeded .

Musharraf seeks acquittal in Ghazi murder case

ISLAMABAD: Former president retired General Pervez Musharraf on Saturday moved a local court, seeking acquittal in the murder case of Lal Masjid cleric Abdul Rashid Ghazi. Advocate Akhtar Shah, the counsel for Gen Musharraf, moved the application before Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Wajid Ali. The former military ruler has already been on bail in the case after Islamabad police declared him ‘innocent’ in the challan they had submitted before the court on October 30 last year. Musharraf was arrested in Ghazi murder case on October 10 after he managed to get bail in Benazir Bhutto and Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti murder cases as well as judges’ detention case. The police in the challan submitted in Ghazi murder case had maintained that there was no evidence or any eyewitness whatsoever which could prove Musharraf’s involvement in the murder, but put him at the mercy of the court. Advocate Shah argued before the ADSJ that Gen Musharraf did not order Lal Masjid operation rather it was the district administration that had requisitioned the army after the police expressed their inability to maintain the government’s writ. He produced correspondence among the Islamabad police, district administration, and interior and defence ministries regarding requisition of military for Lal Masjid operation. The defence counsel also claimed that the Islamabad administration in its application admitted that the Lal Masjid clerics had challenged the writ of the government by establishing state within a state. He said the interior ministry after completing the formalities requisitioned the army on July 3, 2007 and military was deployed outside the mosque the following day. During the proceedings, advocate Shah also filed an application, requesting the court to exempt the former president from appearing before the court until a decision on his application filed for his acquittal was taken. The counsel said Gen Musharraf was seeking exemption for security reasons. On the other hand, Tariq Asad, counsel for the complainant Haroon Rashid, son of Abdul Rashid Ghazi, opposed the exemption. The court, however, exempted Gen Musharraf from appearing on Saturday (May 3) but summoned him on the next date of hearing on May 22.

Pakistan summons Middle East envoys to discuss Syria

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has summoned its envoys from key Middle Eastern countries to meet in Islamabad on May 4 for urgent consultations over situation in Syria in particular and Middle East in general. “Yes envoys from Middle East would meet in Islamabad on Sunday, May 4 to discuss situation in the Middle East and current issues concerning the region and Pakistan,” Foreign Office spokeswoman Tasneem Aslam told Dawn.com on Saturday. She said issues related to Pakistanis living in Middle East would also come under discussion. Pakistan's envoys from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE, Qatar, Iran, Turkey, Syria, Egypt and Yemen have been invited, the spokeswoman said. Consul General in Jeddah and Consul General in Dubai – the two biggest Pakistani consulates in the Middle East – have also been invited to attend the conference. Advisor to the Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs, Sartaj Aziz would address the opening session while several other key ministers are also expected to speak to the moot. Recommendation made in the conference would be incorporated in Pakistan’s foreign policy. It may be mentioned that significant changes in Pakistan's foreign policy including its reported tilt towards Saudi Arabia and Bahrain came under fire in both house of the Parliament – Senate and National Assembly – after visits by Saudi dignitaries and the Bahraini King in the last six months.