You can kill anyone, son by Zarrar Khuhro

When I was a teenager, back when the world was young and the television had one channel, an event took place that I, barring senile dementia, will be hard-pressed to forget. A friend’s younger brother, he must have been 13 or 14 at the time, was hanging out with his buddies. As a joke, one of the boys picked up a shotgun and pointed it at him. Saquib, which is what we’ll call him, laughed it off, not taking his eyes off the Archie comic he was reading. For some reason that detail in particular sticks in the mind. His friend pulled the trigger, and in an instant, Saquib was dead. The gun, as it turned out, was loaded. It was a killing joke. We grew up around guns; they were a part of our lives. Oh, not the way they are now, when Vigos loaded with armed guards will stare you down on the roads, when hormonal teenagers will resolve minor arguments with firearms, possibly over-compensating for what puberty did not grant them, when detached and self-obsessed parents won’t take the time out to teach their children responsibility, assuming they ever learned it themselves. There were fights, bloody ones, and then there was, more often than not, the ‘compromise’. An opportunity to grandstand and act like one of those characters in those action movies we all loved so much and then go home feeling like a badass thug. Who ended up on top also depended on who had the most ‘backing’, a term used for influence, whether that came through a ‘feudal’ father, a cousin associated with the newly notorious MQM and so on. But there were a few things we, some of us at least, were taught. One is that a gun is always loaded. It doesn’t matter if you dismantled and reassembled it yourself, it’s loaded. It doesn’t matter if you checked the chamber 12 times; it’s loaded and ready to kill. Because that’s what guns are for. They aren’t an extension of your paltry manhood; they aren’t status symbols or some reflection of your culture. They are tools, plain and simple, and they must be treated with respect. Respect, of course, is something that we seem to have dispensed with along the way; that, and accountability. Not surprising, after all, for a country whose people are suffering from what is now an advanced state of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Not surprising, for an asylum that has been taken over by the lunatics. But this isn’t an attempt to look at the past through rose-tinted glasses. We didn’t get here overnight, and, let’s face facts; none of us can say we didn’t see it coming. Slowly, fists were replaced with sticks, then with knives and finally with guns of increasing sophistication and lethality. You can thank the Kalashnikov culture and its influx of cheap weapons; you can thank the rise of ‘militant wings’, you can blame a mutated culture that respects strength in its crudest form. You can blame a state that relied on naked, unaccountable force to achieve its ends. The fish, after all, rots from the head and, in this case, took quite some time before it could arrive at this advanced stage of decomposition. And now we’ve been exposed to its noxious fumes for so long that we breathe them in without a wrinkle of the nose. It’s the new normal. There’s also a natural tendency, when cases like the DHA shootout occur, to blame the usual suspects. The incident left an 18-year-old boy, Suleman Lashari and a police guard dead, while another teenager and private security guard were also injured. The injured boy, Salman Abro, is alleged to have take taken his father's guards to Suleman's residence where he was shot dead by Salman’s guard. It’s ‘feudal culture’ many will say, and to an extent this is correct. Typically, this then descends into point-scoring and agenda-pushing. The word ‘feudal’ in Pakistan is of course code for rural, and – here in the south, code for Sindhi. That’s easy to do, and there’s a reason water flows downhill, following as it does the path of least resistance. It’s also politically convenient. But it would be more accurate to blame what is a culture of absolute impunity. A culture where the powerful, be they landed ‘nobility’ super-rich industrialists, well-connected politicians or jumped-up gangsters (political, sectarian and so on) can torture, kill and intimidate without any check. Because, that is now the country we live and, quite often, die in. Is there a solution? Not really. Saying ‘stay safe’ won’t cause a magical shield to descend upon us. We cannot keep our children locked up at home, and nor can we protect them from the vagaries of the insane world that await outside our gates. The most we can do is arm them, not with weapons, but with wisdom and understanding. And pray that, when they do inevitably end up in a fight, it ends in bruised egos, not bullets. ********************************************************* Zarrar Khuhro is a Dawn staff member.

Pakistan to hold Swiss talks to recover embezzled money

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is to hold talks with Switzerland on a new tax treaty in the hope of retrieving state assets illegally stashed in the European country's secretive banking system. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar told the National Assembly that negotiations on a revised agreement with Switzerland would be held from August 26 to 28. Former president Asif Ali Zardari, who left office last September after five years, was dogged throughout his tenure by corruption allegations involving Swiss banks dating back to the 1990s. He was accused along with his late wife, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, of using Swiss banks to launder $12 million of illegal kickbacks. Switzerland enacted a new law in 2011 to make it easier for countries to recover assets stolen by politicians and hidden in its banks. In early 2012, Switzerland said it had returned $1.83 billion in illicitly-placed assets to countries involved in the Arab Spring regime changes, but Pakistan's current tax agreement does not allow it to take advantage of the law. In a written reply to the lower house of parliament, Dar said the government was “seriously working to seek help of the new Swiss laws... to exchange heretofore confidential information about ill-gotten monies stashed up in the clandestine Swiss banking industry.” Dar said the Swiss authorities have expressed willingness to renegotiate the current Pak-Swiss agreement. Meanwhile during the question hour in the National Assembly, Parliamentary Secretary for Finance Rana Muhammad Afzal Khan said that the federal cabinet has already approved a summary to renegotiate the existing Pakistan-Switzerland Tax Treaty with the Swiss government in this regard. He said that it will be helpful to identify those Pakistanis who have illegally stashed away their money in foreign bank accounts. Khan also said that the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is engaged in a campaign to identify those not filing their taxes while notices have been issued to 92,000 potential taxpayers for filing of returns and in response, over 8600 have filed their returns. The Parliamentary Secretary said that the government wants to bring 100,000 potential taxpayers in the tax net during the current financial year while the FBR is making all out efforts to achieve the tax collection target set for the current financial year. Later during the proceeding, MQM MNA Shahida Rehmani said that the government had failed to bring peace in the country. She said that the terrorists are taking time to regroup by involving the government in the dialogue process while the government is unable to give any time frame to bring peace in the country. She also condemned the target killing of lawyer and human rights activist Rashid Rehman who was killed by unknown gunmen on Wednesday in Multan. Commenting on a point of order, Parliamentary Leader of the PTI Shah Mehmood Qureshi suggested that the government should approach the Supreme Court like the PTI did, to investigate the matter of rigging in the general elections 2013. In response, Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafiq said that the PTI should wait on the decisions of the election tribunals while the protest is not a solution of any problem in this regard.

Financial constraints: Assistant Deputy President ZTBL commits suicide

ISLAMABAD: Naeem Mobin, assistant deputy president of Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) committed suicide on Friday, Express News reported. Mobin, 50, jumped from the tenth floor of the bank and died immediately. According to his colleagues, Mobin was deeply troubled by his financial situation. He took a loan from the bank a few days ago but was still worried, sources told Express News. His body has been shifted to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), Islamabad.

Govt to renegotiate Pak-Swiss tax agreement in hopes of recovering illegal funds

ISLAMABAD: The government on Friday informed the National Assembly that it is looking to make use of new Swiss laws to exchange confidential information about the ill-gotten funds from Pakistan stashed away in the clandestine Swiss banking industry. On their part, Swiss authorities have expressed willingness to renegotiate the existing Pak-Swiss agreement on the Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreements (DTAs). These developments were revealed by the Ministry of Finance in a written statement submitted in the National Assembly. The statement was in response to a query from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmaker Dr Arif Alvi, who had asked whether the government had taken any steps to bring back the country’s assets deposited in Swiss banks. The Ministry of Finance revealed that the federal government is seeking help of the new Swiss law known as The Restitution of Illicit Asset Act 2010 (RIAA), which now allows the Swiss government to exchange confidential information about money confidentially deposited in Swiss banks. The ministry added that amending or renegotiating the existing Pak-Swiss Tax Treaty — a process which has already been initiated — will be a key step in reaping the benefits of the new Swiss laws. The finance minister informed the assembly that a summary had been placed before the federal cabinet, seeking its approval for renegotiating the Pakistan-Switzerland Tax Treaty, which the cabinet approved in September 2013. The minister added that as per procedure, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) had taken up the matter with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to approach the Swiss government, expressing Pakistan’s intent to renegotiate the existing Tax Treaty and to seek a suitable set of dates and choice of venue to start the negotiation at the earliest possible date. The minister also mentioned that the Swiss authorities have expressed willingness to renegotiate the Tax Treaty and that the FBR has accepted the Swiss proposal to hold negotiations on August 26, 2014 to upgrade the existing Pak-Swiss Tax Treaty. In reference to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement about the intended changes in the existing Pak-Swiss agreement on the Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreements (DTAs), the Embassy of Switzerland said in a letter that their authorities are ready to host a delegation and discuss possible amendments to the agreement. The ministry said that the FBR delegation will leave for Switzerland in the last week of August to start negotiation. Background According to the finance ministry, Pakistan’s DTA with Switzerland, signed in 2005 and enforced in 2008, does include Article 26, which creates an obligation to exchange information relevant to the correct application of tax treaties. But in the case of this DTA it is deficient and does not enable either country to exchange meaningful tax information about their respective taxpayers. It is assumed that Pakistani nationals have over $200 billion stashed in Swiss banks. One of the directors of Credit Suisse AG Bank has stated on record that $97 billion of worth of Pakistani capital is deposited in his bank alone. Similarly, Micheline Calmy-Rey, the then Swiss foreign minister is reported to have put the figure of Pakistani money hidden in Switzerland at $200 billion — a statement that has not been contradicted. In view of this matter, Pakistan may be a net creditor to the rest of the world in the sense that external assets, measured by the stock capital flight, far exceed external liabilities, as measured by the stock external debt. However, the Ministry of Finance admits that the difference is that the liability belongs to the state and the assets belong to the non-compliant citizens and the situation needs immediate corrective action and reversal. The ministry further states that it is of paramount importance that the existing Pakistan Switzerland DTA is renegotiated and upgraded in line with the latest trends in this all-important area of international cooperation.

10 beauty secrets every woman should know

We bring to you some amazing homemade remedies for a healthy and glowing skin. Here’s what you can do to achieve perfect skin. - Eat healthy and nutritious food rich in antioxidants. Cut down on oily and fatty foods replacing them with green vegetables, fruits and salads. It is the first and a very crucial step towards having healthy and beautiful skin. -Wash your face at least thrice daily with fresh water and use a mild soap once or twice a day. Rinse off your skin gently with towel after every wash. It will help to exfoliate your skin and shed off dead skin cells and give a radiant and healthy skin. -Combine 1 table spoon of milk powder, honey and lemon juice with ½ tbsp of almond oil. Mix them thoroughly into paste and apply it all over your face and neck. Let it be dried and then rinse off to get a perfect glowing skin free from dirt and other spots. - It is also necessary to take 8 to 9 hrs of deep sound sleep daily. It also helps to better the overall health specially the skin. - Soak 4-5 almonds in water overnight. Remove their skin in the morning and grind them to a fine paste. Add 1 tea spoon gram flour, 1 tsp milk and 4 drops of lemon juice. Mix well and massage your skin with this paste for about 5 minutes to get a long-lasting fair and neat skin complexion. - Take a full cup of mint leaves and grind them to fine paste. Coat your face with this paste and allow it to dry. Rinse of after 20 minutes. Repeat for 15 days. -Take 1 tbsp each of olive oil and milk, add ½ tsp honey. Mix well and apply to your skin. Leave it on for 10 minutes. Dip a cotton swab in Luke-warm water and wipe off the paste from your skin. -Combine equal amount of lemon juice and honey. Apply the mixture on your face and body. Leave it for 15 minutes and wash off. -Take the pulp of aloe Vera and mix 1 to 2 tea spoon powder milk and one egg white. Beat it well, then apply to your face by a brush and when it becomes dry do another coat of it and do it repeatedly for ½ an hr. then wash off. -Make a paste of 2 tbsp orange juice, 2 tsp honey, 2 tsp rose water and 1 tbsp fuller’s earth. Apply the paste over your face and neck. Wipe off the mask after 15 minutes with a moist towel. Wash off with fresh water, this mask is best suited for oily skin.

EXCLUSIVE PICS: 'Leander Paes stole my jewellery and cash'; Tennis ace's partner makes shocking allegations

Problems between Tennis star Leander Paes and estranged live-in partner Rhea Pillai seem to escalate further, as the latter has made shocking allegations on the Padma Bhushan awardee. This comes 4 days after, Paes had filed a complaint to Bandra police regarding the custody of their daughter. Click to know who is Rhea Pillai, her past & association with Sanjay Dutt Rhea Pillai has made a complaint to Bandra police alleging that Paes is trying to evict her from their house. Rhea has also alleged that the tennis star, in a similar bid, had stolen her belongings last month. She told a newspaper,“He had entered my side of the house, hacked my computer, stolen my money, jewellery and paperwork.” According to Rhea's friend it all started when she went to a Bollywood actor's niece's party with her daughter. When Rhea returned to the couple's carter road home, while her daughter was still at the party, she was locked out. Her friend said, “There were five goons who didn’t let Rhea in. After she called the police helpline, a policewoman arrived 45 minutes later, after which the men let her in. She saw Leander had packed all her belongings and was preparing to throw her out.” On the matter, Paes' legal representative, Zulfikar Memon, has released a legal statement, “This is Leander’s home. Leander had instructed his staff to prepare the guest room where his parents normally stay, for their arrival, where Rhea had placed some of her artifacts. This police complaint seems like a bid on Rhea’s part to gain sympathy, create controversy and stop Leander’s parents from staying. This is not the room Rhea has been using as a bedroom.” As of now, the Bandra police will investigate the matter further and then register an FIR as per their findings.

SHOCKER: Jilted lover shot bride in full public view, woman succumbs to injuries

Bhopal: A jilted lover on Thursday night shot at a bride on the stage in full public view at a marriage garden in Lalghati area of the city, police said. The woman later succumbed to her injuries in the hospital, The man, identified as one Anurag, was caught by the people present there soon after the incident and handed over to the police, they said. He told police that he took the extreme step as the woman, identified as Jaishri Namdeo who was a doctor by profession, had allegedly cheated him, police said, adding further investigations were on.

Reserves rise to two-year high

KARACHI: The foreign exchange reserves of the country rose to two-year high with a further addition of $198 million during the week ended on May 2. The State Bank reported on Thursday that the reserves rose to $12.044 billion, which included SBP’s $7.24bn and commercial banks’ $4.804bn. At the end of fiscal year 2012, the total reserves of the country stood at $11.019bn. The holdings of commercial banks dropped to $4.8bn during the last two years, as these stood at $5.011bn in fiscal year 2012. However, SBP’s holdings rose to $7.24bn from $6.008bn in FY-12. The main reason for higher SBP reserves was inflows from IMF, the World Bank and other bilateral sources. “The increase in the central bank’s reserves is primarily attributed to inflow of $403m from multilateral and bilateral sources, of which $400m were received from the Asian Development Bank (ADB),” said the State Bank. During the week ending on May 2, the SBP made a payment of $210m from its reserves on account of external debt-servicing and other official payments.

S. Arabia trying to get N-technology: expert

ISLAMABAD: Mark Fitzpatrick, an expert on nuclear proliferation, renewed on Thursday fears of Saudi Arabia trying to get nuclear technology from Pakistan, saying retired Pakistani nuclear scientists could be recruited by the Saudis. “It’s pretty clear that Saudi Arabia may be looking for a nuclear neutraliser with Iran … so some Pakistani retired scientists could be asked for help,” Mr Fitzpatrick, director of the non-proliferation and disarmament programme at the UK-based International Institute for Strategic Studies, said at the launching of his book ‘Overcoming Pakistan nuclear dangers’ at the Institute of Strategic Studies. Mr Fitzpatrick referred to media reports suggesting that Saudi Arabia had financed Pakistan’s nuclear programme at the time of its inception and said that it could have come with implicit or explicit understanding that Pakistani nukes would be used for Saudi defence. He said Saudis were concerned about Iranian nuclear advancements, but did not have a well-developed infrastructure to start their own.

Committee set up to remove ambiguities in media code

ISLAMABAD: Irfan Siddiqui, special assistant to the prime minister, has got another job in his hand. This time the columnist will spearhead a special committee which will work on “removing ambiguities in code of conduct for media”. Mr Siddiqui was coordinator of the first government committee for talks with the Taliban and remained in the limelight throughout February and till the first week of March, when Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif formed the second committee to take the dialogue process forward. On the directive of the prime minister, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has constituted a committee with the mandate to devise a mechanism with a revised composition of complaints commission, says an official statement issued by the office of the principal information officer. Presidents of the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS), Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) and Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE), the law secretary and an additional secretary of the information ministry will be members of the committee. Embroiled in a controversy in which the defence ministry had moved the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) against Geo TV for what it called deliberately maligning the institution of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and its chief, the information ministry has been holding consultative meetings with the office-bearers of APNS, PBA and CPNE over the past week. A crucial meeting of Pemra will be held on Friday. It will take up the Geo versus ISI case in the light of arguments advanced by their lawyers and recommendations made by a three-member committee, headed by Parvaiz Rathore. Information Minister Senator Pervez Rashid on Thursday discussed the matter with APNS President Hameed Haroon, CPNE President Mujeeb-ur-Rehman Shami and Mian Aamir, CEO Dunya News and executive member of PBA. This was the second such meeting this week, the first held on Monday. “The government wants these elected office-bearers to play a vital role in resolving the Geo controversy,” a government source privy to the meeting told Dawn. Turning this crisis into an opportunity, the government was also pushing these media representatives to work out a code of ethics which could be forcefully implemented, the source added. “A unanimously agreed code of conduct for media should be adopted and enforced with full consensus of all stakeholders,” a spokesperson for the Press Information Department quoted the information minister as saying at the meeting. Mr Rashid said the government believed in freedom of expression and considered media as its partner in development. He said he believed that non-compliance of the code of conduct and lacunas in the implementation mechanism had led to the current crisis. Laws should be rational and take cognizance of all factors by keeping in view the considerations of all stakeholders. In view of the rapid growth in media industry, it is imperative that all representative bodies of media should sit together along with the regulator and make joint efforts to formulate a viable code of conduct along with an effective implementation mechanism, the minister said. The participants of the meeting observed that the code of conduct for print and electronic media needed to be examined and brought in conformity with Article 19 of the Constitution. The article reads: “Every citizen shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression, and there shall be freedom of the press, subject to any reasonable restrictions imposed by law in the interest of the glory of Islam or the integrity, security or defence of Pakistan or any part thereof, friendly relations with foreign states, public order, decency or morality, or in relation to contempt of court, commission of or incitement to an offence.” There was a consensus that uniformity and synchronisation in all rules and code of conduct pertaining to print, electronic and social media should be established and discriminatory provisions must be eliminated. The media bodies’ representatives agreed that editorial control in electronic media also needed to be strengthened and the office of ombudsman in TV channels should have more powers. The information minister asked them to come up with their recommendations in 10 days. The next meeting will be held on May 19. It was decided that the proposed draft would then be shared with civil society and intelligentsia before finalisation.

Pakistan trade fair opens in India

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit on Thursday said he hoped the new Indian government would respond to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s ‘region first vision’ and his policy of peace and development. Inaugurating five-day ‘Pakistan Show’ in Amritsar, India, Basit said Pakistan wanted peace and prosperity among the two countries and the region as a whole, said a press release. The trade fair, held between May 8 and 12, is being jointly organised by the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry. More than 100 Pakistani exhibitors are displaying goods. Basit said the trade fair pointed to the enormous potential existed in both countries. He emphasised that the two nations must preserve to create an environment of bonhomie.

19 Chinese groups to invest in Pakistan

KARACHI: The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) has assured its full support to Pakistan for economic development. Nineteen major Chinese groups will serve in all various projects in energy, infrastructure development, trade and commerce, the ICBC said. ICBC Group’s Senior Executive Vice President Zheng Wanchun and other officials met State Bank’s Deputy Governor Saeed Ahmad on Thursday. The group has 17,245 branches in China and 329 institutions in 40 countries. It is conducting its business in Pakistan through its branches since August 2011 in Karachi and Islamabad. Its sales and service centre is located in Lahore. Mr Zheng apprised the deputy governor that 19 major Chinese groups will be involved in the projects. “All these group companies are clients of ICBC in China,” said Mr Zheng. “It will be natural for these companies to have business relationship with ICBC Pakistan, and this will boost ICBC Pakistan’s operations,” said Mr. Zheng. He apprised the deputy governor of his meetings with the Planning Commission officials and other authorities in Islamabad. Mr. Zheng reiterated the group’s commitment to Pakistan and discussed the ways in which ICBC could be a partner for Pakistan, especially in sectors of national importance, such as energy, telecommunications and infrastructure. Acknowledging the consistent support of China in diverse areas, the deputy governor said that cooperation in the banking sector was natural outcome and reflects the friendship of the two countries. Ahmad said: “We value ICBC’s presence and operations in Pakistan.” Zheng elaborated strategic vision of ICBC for its Pakistan operations and appreciated Pakistan’s continued support for the first and the only Chinese bank in Pakistan. The theme of the discussion also traversed on mega projects, like largest nuclear power plant in Karachi with Chinese assistance and award of 4G licence to Chinese-based cellular giant Zong. “Economic corridor between China and Pakistan ending at Gwadar is expected to have substantial impact with industrial estates being established alongside,” said Mr Ahmad. The move will benefit Pakistan all the way north to south and provide opportunities in a number of industries. The deputy governor also anticipated a great deal of employment prospects for skilled and non-skilled workforce along the corridor.

Shootout in DHA leaves teenage boy and police guard dead, two wounded

KARACHI: An 18-year-old student and a police guard were killed while another teenage boy and a private security guard were wounded in an exchange of fire in the Defence Housing Authority in the early hours of Thursday. The deadly exchange of fire took place at the bungalow of Suleman Lashari, an A-level student, in DHA Phase V on Khayaban-i-Shamsheer following a quarrel between the teenagers over some petty issue, police said. The incident came as a grim reminder of the murder of a student, Shahzeb Khan, in 2012 and a cinema guard in 2013 in the DHA. According to Clifton SP Abadit Nisar, Salman Abro, 18, along with five police guards of his father arrived at the bungalow of Suleman Lashari at around 2am where the exchange of fire took place. As a result, Lashari was shot dead, he said. One of the victim’s guards, Ghulam Ali, returned fire, leaving Salman Abro and the police guard, Zaheer Ahmed, wounded. The policeman later died while the officer’s son was admitted to a private hospital in a critical condition. Ghulam Ali was also hurt in the exchange of fire. DIG South Barrister Abdul Khalique Sheikh said the incident followed a quarrel between Suleman Lashari and Salman Abro but he was not sure as to what had triggered it. SP South (Investigation-I) Faiz Ullah Korejo said the scuffle had recently broken out between the teenagers. He said that Salman Abro might have gone there for a ‘compromise’ or a ‘patch-up’ where arguments might have flared up. However, he added, the exact motive for the murder could be determined after recording the statement of the youth. Mr Korejo believed that both the deceased and the wounded attacker were familiar with each other. But Darakhshan SHO Zawar Hussain told Dawn that the family of the deceased denied this. He said the young Abro sustained bullet wounds in the abdomen and was admitted to the ICU of a hospital in Clifton where he was not in a position to record his statement. The brother of the deceased, Zeeshan Mustafa, in his complaint lodged at the Darakshan police station said a quarrel between his brother and Salman Abro had taken place a few days ago at the Seaview over ‘a car race’, said the SHO. The police registered an FIR (235/2014) on the complaint of Zeeshan against Salman Abro and “four unidentified persons” under Sections 302 (premeditated murder), 324 (attempted murder) and 427 (mischief causing damage) of the Pakistan Penal Code. The police officer said that the four police guards were taken into custody and their weapons seized following the incident. Besides, a Vigo vehicle had also been seized. The families of the teenagers were reluctant to talk about the incident when approached by Dawn. However, Zeeshan informed Dawn that his brother, Suleman Lashari, was a student of St Michael’s school. He was supposed to take the Cambridge examination of English A-level on Thursday morning, a few hours before his murder. Yusuf Abro who is also a police officer posted in Nawabshah and uncle of the wounded Salman Abro said that only his father, Sarwar Abro, could speak to the media when he would come to the city. This was third such incident in Defence when someone was killed in a gun fight between teenagers over a petty issue. On Dec 28, 2013, the step-son of a former governor of Balochistan was arrested over the charges of killing of the guard of a cinema. On Dec 24, 2012, Shahzeb Khan was killed by a teenage boy in Defence.

Over 50,000 beta thalassaemia kids in Pakistan

LAHORE: Thalassaemia Federation of Pakistan (TFP) secretary-general Prof Dr Yasmin Rashid has said the Beta Thalassaemia is the most common inherited disorders in Pakistan with a prevalence rate of six per cent. “This translates that six out of every 100 Pakistanis carry this mutant gene”, Dr Yasmin said while talking to reporters at the Lahore Press Club on Thursday. Like other parts of the country, the International Thalassaemia Day was observed in the provincial capital on Thursday. The teaching institutions, NGOs and medical experts organized programmes, ceremonies, walks and other activities to sensitize public that preventive measures were the only solution to avoid the fatal disease. Prof Yasmin said: “May 8 is a reminder that we owe a responsibility to look after the children suffering from this genetic disorder and to prevent the disease from occurring in our future generation.” With a population of 180 million, around 11 million people are healthy carriers of this gene and when two carriers marry each other there is 25pc chance of giving birth to a child having affected with thalassaemia in each pregnancy. She said that there were over 50,000 beta thalassaemia children in Pakistan, who required regular monthly blood transfusions and chelation therapy to withdraw the excess iron from their bodies. “At least 44 thalassaemia associations of Pakistan have joined hands and formed the Thalassaemia Federation of Pakistan (TFP)”, Prof Yasmin said. The purpose of establishing the TFP is to support various associations nationwide which work for the cause of treatment and prevention of thalassaemia. The TFP provides a platform that unites associations to work for free exchange of information and share experiences which helps in forming a collective forum against thalassaemia. The TFP achievements include the development of treatment and prevention protocols of thalassaemia in Pakistan. She said the treatment of thalassaemia was expensive and the government did not give due importance to the disease. Many thalassaemia patients often die without diagnosis while those diagnosed find it hard to get adequate treatment. One of the ways to reduce the massive socio-economic burden is to prevent the birth of affected children. So far the burden of treatment and prevention of thalassameia has mainly been borne by NGOs. Recently, the Punjab government has initiated the Punjab Thalassaemia Prevention Programme which is an important first step towards the prevention of disease in the province, she said. Prof Yasim said the TFP urged provincial governments to provide free treatment and prevention services to thalassaemia patients. The prevention programmes should constitute a number of initiatives starting from creating mass awareness about thalassaemia. Secondly, there should be a target screening of carriers -- the relatives of any family having a thalassaemia affected child should be screened extensively to identify carriers particularly in those of reproductive age. At least 30pc of carriers can be identified through this procedure which is cost-effective as well. Once these families have been screened, they should be given genetic counseling about the condition, how it is transmitted from one generation to another and what are prevention options available to risk couples. Finally, the risk couples should be provided with the facility of prenatal diagnosis so as to prevent the birth of affected children. Such prevention programmes are actively being followed by countries like Cyprus and Iran which have resulted either in complete control of thalassaemia or significant reduction in the disease, Prof Yasmin said. Meanwhile, an awareness walk was held on the campus of the Government College University, Lahore, under the auspices of its Blood Donation Society (BDS) to mark the International Thalassaemia Day. Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Khaleequr Rahman led the walk while eminent columnist Munir Ahmed Qureshi (Munno Bhai), chief proctor Saqib Iqbal, Director Facility Yousuf Bashir, BDS Adviser Dr Babar Naseem Aasi, a large number of faculty members and students also participated in it. The students carried banners and placards inscribed with slogans regarding thalassaemia awareness. Prof Rahman called upon students to go door-to-door and make aware every member of society about thalassaemia. Munno Bhai said in his address: “Prevention is better than cure, so every member of society must be screened by a simple blood test before marriage.” “Our neighbour country, Iran, has defeated this disease through legislation and Pakistani lawmakers should also keep Iranian model in mind to weed out thalassaemia,” he said. Prof Yasmin said the only way to reduce this massive socio-economic burden was to prevent the birth of affected children by diagnosing an affected fetus genetically as early as in 11 weeks of pregnancy. She said the prenatal diagnosis for Beta Thalassaemia was introduced in Pakistan with a first test on May 1, 1994. In the last 20 years, according to the available statistics, she said, only 10,000 couples had availed this facility. “Ideally, if we really want to prevent Beta Thalassaemia in Pakistan, this facility should be offered to 20,000 couples a year,” she stressed.

Wanted man caught travelling with senator

ISLAMABAD: A man wanted to the capital police in fraud cases was caught travelling with a parliamentarian on Thursday. A police officer, on the condition of anonymity, said on a tip-off the CIA police intercepted a Land Cruiser with a green number plate inscribed with the word ‘Senator’ on Margalla Road, One of the riders introduced himself as a senator and taunted the policemen for stopping his vehicle. However, the police took the man travelling with the senator into custody after telling him (senator) that he was a proclaimed offender and was wanted by the police in connection with different fraud cases, including cheque dishonour cases worth over Rs1billion. When the senator put up resistance, the police also took him into custody and shifted him along with the suspect to the CIA centre. During preliminary investigation, it was revealed that the accused was a relative of the senator who had provided him shelter, the officer claimed. He said senior police officers were kept in the dark about the arrest and when they got the report from other sources and asked the in-charge of the CIA team to clarify his position, the latter could not justify his decision of not recording the arrest. The officer said the CIA police released the vehicle and the senator before the matter was brought before senior police officers. He said the suspect had been spotted in the capital in the recent past but the police did not take action against him.

Looking for chinks in Imran Khan’s May 11 show

While listening to rival party leaders speak in the National Assembly on Thursday, fears that the protest rally called by Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) for May 11 in the square in front of the Parliament House might degenerate into violence appeared dissipating - only until the ruling PML-N’s Saad Rafique rose to speak. His sarcastic, and unexplained, remark that there was “a different story” behind the protest infuriated PTI members who claim the rally is being held to protest the rigging in the general election the same day a year ago, that robbed the party of many seats. Before they could retaliate, however, the Speaker adjourned the house. That leaves the question open what this May 11 holds for national politics in the charged atmosphere of a media house in tussle with the military establishment, with the political government trying to act neutral and Imran Khan supporting the military. It cannot be an echo though of the five-day sit-in Allama Tahirul Qadri’s Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) held in the same square, in January 2013, demanding constitutional changes before holding the general election, hailed later as the first time civilian transfer of power in the history of Pakistan. Followers of the Canada-based PAT chief also will be out rallying on May 11 but this time in the neighbouring garrison city of Rawalpindi. Although the primary aim of the PTI is to protest the painfully slow action by the election tribunals on the more than 60 complaints of rigging its candidates had filed against their rival candidates, political analysts feel people’s anger over power shortage and rising inflation and unemployment will add fuel to their fire. Some of them even see a major clash between the PTI and PML-N emerging from the rally. But the cautious within the PTI worry what if party activists do not turn up in strength on May 11? “In the run up to the 2013 general elections party workers were hoping for a change and responded enthusiastically to Imran Khan’s calls. It is different situation now. Many don’t think it is an opportune time for protest demonstrations and some are not happy with the performance of the party’s government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” said a PTI leader requesting anonymity. Then there is the fear that street demonstrations in the prevailing atmosphere might bring harm to the present political dispensation. Party president Javed Hashmi himself has said that he would stand by the side of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif if democracy is in danger, he said. PTI has built its reputation of a crowd puller over the years and in a hard way. The huge rallies it organized prior to the 2013 general election paid it off handsomely at the hustling, albeit the alleged rigging. PTI emerged the third largest political party in the National Assembly, after the heavyweights PML-N and the PPP, and the largest in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly and rules the province. Since then, the May 11 rally would be its first show of power and party organizers feel nervous how it would go. “It’s not that we are not putting the effort we did in the past, but somehow the gusto and passion seems missing,” said one organizer. “If the meeting doesn’t go as planned, it will be a big blow to the party’s image.” Dr Arif Alvi, PTI’s only MNA from Sindh, acknowledged the importance of party’s show on Sunday and is hopeful of the party raising another tsunami. “I don’t understand why people are confusing our protest against fraudulent elections with their hypothetical judgments,” he said. “PTI never demanded mid-term elections or asked the PML-N government to resign. Our only demand is to purge the bureaucracy of corrupt elements who play dirty by helping others steal people’s mandate in general elections, and thus ensure fair and transparent elections in the future.” PTI will not sit back until it has forced the government to take necessary measures to reform the election process, he asserted. According to him, the present electoral system only serves the politicians who are good at manipulating election results in their favour. Meanwhile, the government is keeping a close tab on the PTI’s protest plan. An aide to the prime minister said that the fact remained that the plan didn’t match the well-funded media campaigns that preceded PTI’s street shows in the past. “Nor have we noticed any significant activity (of the PTI) on social media, a known turf for its workers, to make efforts for the planned gathering a huge success.” Then there will be Allama Tahirul Qadri staging his show in Rawalpindi, robbing PTI of some crowd, said the aide.

Syria rebels in final retreat from heart of Homs

HOMS: The last rebels were leaving the centre of the battleground city of Homs on Thursday, handing a symbolic victory to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad ahead of a controversial election. Rebels hit back in the historic heart of Aleppo, blowing up a luxury hotel-turned-army position after tunnelling under the front line which divides the main city of northern Syria. At least 14 soldiers and pro-government militiamen were killed in the explosion and its aftermath, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Around 1,000 rebel fighters have left the Old City of Homs under the unprecedented negotiated evacuation that began Wednesday, according to figures given to AFP by provincial governor Talal Barazi. But seven buses carrying the last 300 fighters were stopped because militant fighters were refusing to allow food supplies into two rebel-besieged Shiite towns in Aleppo province, the Observatory said. Barazi said they were stopped at the northern exit from the Old City, without giving a reason. Rami Abdel Rahman, who heads the Syrian Observatory, said militants were limiting entry of supplies to Zahraa and Nabol to two trucks, instead of 12 as agreed by the regime and rebels in negotiations to which they were not a party. Barazi earlier said more than 200 fighters had been evacuated Thursday, in addition to 980 people, mostly rebels but including some women and children, bussed out of the Old City on Wednesday. The pullout, following an army siege of nearly two years, leaves the rebels confined to a single district on the outskirts of a city that what was once a bastion of the uprising. Barazi said negotiations were well advanced for the rebels to leave that neighbourhood too in the coming weeks. He said the fighters and some civilians evacuated with them were bussed out to the opposition-held town of Dar al-Kabira, 20 kilometres (13 miles) north of Homs. Government troops played football on the square housing Homs's landmark clock tower, once the scene of the city's massive anti-government protests. A soldier climbed onto the rooftop of a house and told AFP: “This is the first time I climb up here without fearing snipers.””Come on, shoot me!” he called out to another soldier, who took a photograph of him. It is not the first deal between the government and the rebels — a number of ceasefires have been agreed on the outskirts of Damascus. But it is the first time that rebel fighters have withdrawn from an area they controlled under an accord with the government. The Syrian government allowed the remaining rebels in Homs to pull out with their personal weapons in return for the release of 40 Alawite women and children, an Iranian woman and 30 soldiers held hostage by rebels elsewhere in Syria, a rebel spokesman said. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory monitoring group confirmed that all the hostages had been released by Thursday afternoon. The deal, in negotiations overseen by the ambassador of the Syrian regime's close ally Iran, also involved the distribution of aid into Nubol and Zahraa.

Musharraf ordered to appear for next judges' detention hearing

ISLAMABAD: The anti-terrorism court in the federal capital which has been hearing the judges' detention case granted exemption to former military ruler Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf for appearing during today's hearing and ordered the former president to turn up at the next hearing of the case, DawnNews reported. The request for Musharraf's exemption submitted in the anti-terror court said the former president was suffering from a pain in the backbone due to which he could not appear in court today. While granting the former president exemption from today's appearance, the ATC warned of strict action against Musharraf's guarantors in case he fails to show up for the next hearing of the case. The court subsequently adjourned the hearing of the case to May 23. The judges' detention case is based on an FIR registered in August 2009 against the retired general on the complaint of Chaudhry Mohammad Aslam Ghumman advocate. Ghumman had asked the police to initiate legal proceedings against Musharraf for detaining over 60 judges, including then chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry after proclamation of a state of emergency in the country on Nov 3, 2007. Ever since his return to Pakistan prior to the May 2013 general elections, Musharraf has been facing a barrage of high-profile cases, including the Bugti murder case and the Benazir Bhutto murder case. The federal government in Nov 2013 decided to try Musharraf under Article 6 of the Constitution and a special court was set up in the federal capital city in this regard. He was indicted for treason on Mar 31 this year but pleaded not guilty to the charges read out against him. He later shifted to Karachi where he has been staying since April 20, 2014 and has been undergoing treatment for his medical ailments.

Terror in the library By Rafia Zakaria

This is not the usual tale of terror. Terror’s usual ingredients, the explosion, the recovered head and the severed limbs; the bits and pieces of human flesh are not present here. It begins in a library and not the one that has been named after al Qaeda chief, Osama Bin Laden. Those sorts of terrors have developed their own digestive mechanisms within the Pakistani media, for the one discussed here, there is still no vocabulary. The venue for this terror is one the largest state-run universities in Punjab. Thousands pin their hopes on institutions like this one, clamoring to get in, cramming for exams, hoping for jobs. On the University’s many campuses, all pictured green lawned and well-manicured on the website, are thousands of female students. They are said to be doing far better than their male counterparts, but there are few studies to prove it. The truths of female superiority are not ones that get much nurturing in Pakistan. The girls are nevertheless there, different numbers adopting different strategies of survival on a co-educational campus in an increasingly segregated country. Some wear scowls and sullen expressions, others swathe themselves in yards of fabric; whatever works to eke out an education. Theirs are the paths of delicate compromises; with reluctant parents, with crowing clerics, with harassing male students and with apathetic administrations. With these burdens as the background, one young female student at the University campus made her way to the library for the Institute of Social and Cultural Studies. It was an ordinary autumn day and she was an ordinary girl. As is the case with many students, she needed research materials. A paper was due and she had to find sources to cite; materials she assumed, would be available at the library. With this simple errand in mind, she approached one of the staff members at the facility. He told her that most of the books in the library were kept on the second floor and on the other side of the facility. She went with him. There, he sexually assaulted her. In this tale of terror, the victim dies a living death. If she goes to the University Administration, she will have to reveal her identity. If her identity is revealed, she will be, as all rape victims are in Pakistan, dragged through the coals of dishonor and blame. The law on the books demands that she produce four witnesses to validate the crime; an impossibility in her case as it is in many others. Then, there are the cautionary tales of female college students who have spoken out. The last girl raped on her way to college earlier this year, burned herself alive outside a police station. Each and every one of her rapists had been set free. There are too many stories like hers, and every girl in Pakistan knows them. This other terror, which lurks in libraries, in unfrequented corners of busy offices, is negotiated through the constrictions of threats and shame and fear is worse than the loud and visible conflagration of shootings and bombings. It lurks unseen, eating from within the innards of a country that denies all that it cannot see. The choices before the girls of Pakistan are all bad ones; speaking up insures only greater punishments, staying silent means dying inside. In never being able to tell their stories, they remain isolated, each victim of the demonic librarian, the lecherous boss and the criminal professor condemned to never knowing how many hundreds more are suffering from the same inflictions. In the disbelief of the nation is every rapists’ first victory, the second is in the confidence of knowing that if any woman decides to speak up, she will be killed again, this time by the consensus of the whole country. ****************** Rafia Zakaria is a columnist for DAWN. She is a writer and PhD candidate in Political Philosophy whose work and views have been featured in the New York Times, Dissent the Progressive, Guernica, and on Al Jazeera English, the BBC, and National Public Radio. She is the author of Silence in Karachi, forthcoming from Beacon Press.

PM launches solar power plant in Bahawalpur

BAHAWALPUR: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday laid the foundation stone of the country's first solar power project in Bahawalpur, DawnNews reported. During the ceremony, the premier said that Sino-Pak friendship was exemplary, adding that the views of the Chinese ambassador on the two countries' cooperation were welcome. He further said that the joint ventures between Pakistan and China would benefit both countries. Premier Sharif said the support of the residents of Bahawalpur was unforgettable in making the project a possibility and also congratulated his younger brother Shahbaz Sharif, who is the chief minister of Punjab, for serving the people day in and day out. He said the output of the solar power plant would reach 1,000 megawatts in the next two and a half years. Sharif added that 10 power projects were also being set up in Thar. On the criticism against his government, Prime Minister Sharif said he had faced similar criticisms while launching the motorway project during his previous tenure. Sharif further said that since the country's inception 65 years ago Pakistan had established power projects amounting only to 23,000 MW. He said he had yet to determine what had taken place in the country for the past 15-20 years. Speaking about other development projects in the country, the premier said that railway tracks would be laid down between Gwadar and northern areas of the country. Sharif said Gwadar would be made a free port city and a state of the art airport would also be established in the area. The premier also said that women have to play their role in the development of the country. On the country's power crisis, he said that although he could not give a time-frame to end the prevailing load-shedding in the country, the crisis would end before the current government completes its tenure. "I have a relationship of trust with the people and cannot mislead the masses." he said.

Blast in Quetta kills at least two

QUETTA: A powerful blast on Thursday killed two persons and injured over a dozen others in Quetta, the capital of volatile Balochistan province, police said. Superintendent of Police Imran Qureshi said the militants had planted explosives in a motorcycle parked near a Nadra office in the crowded Double road area of the city. “Two people died on the spot,” Qureshi said. The intensity of the blast smashed glass windows of nearby shops and offices in the area. The explosion could be heard from afar. Qureshi said that it could not be confirmed what the intended target of the militants was. The blast also damaged three vehicles and three motorcycles parked close to the Nadra office. “Most of the victims are civilians,” Qureshi said. The injured were rushed to the Civil Hospital for medical treatment where the doctors said the condition of one of the injured was serious. According to the bomb disposal squad, more than 10 kilograms of explosives were planted in the motorcycle. Police and Frontier Corps were quick to arrive at the scene. They cordoned off the area as investigation into the incident went underway. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.

Another weekend, another PTI party

Time and time again, people much smarter than I have wasted pages in the hope that PTI would learn and mature. So, for me to even attempt another piece at criticising the national joke, that is the PTI, is honestly a waste of everyone’s time. However, what I can do is to try and explain what the PTI did, continues to do, and how that is hurting them more than anyone else. Close to a year ago, Pakistan went to the polls. On May 11th, the country witnessed an emphatic turnout by the masses and the elections were mostly peaceful. After years of dictatorship and shoddy attempts at governance, the nation voted in an election that was supposed to be the tipping point for our country. The Nawaz league won a landslide majority, sweeping the floor in Punjab, making a few gains in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, while hardly making a dent in Sindh. On the other hand, PPP lost almost everything else; well they managed to keep Sindh. Meanwhile, the PTI won KP. Now, in any rational country, one would expect the parties to sit down and decide what happens next. Ideally, the opposition should have sat down and figured out how to deal with a single party government which is traditionally more stable and powerful than a coalition government. Pakistan is not a rational country and the PTI is not an ideal opposition. Shocked at their damning defeat, the PTI went into denial and has been effectively frozen in time since then. Initially, their arguments were close to sane but over time they became conspiracy theories conveniently made up to fit an assumed logic. As we approach May 11th 2014, the anniversary of the PTI’s third election annihilation (1997, 2002 and 2013), the party wants to throw a pointless protest in Islamabad. Considering we are a free country, if the PTI want to protest then they have the right to do so. When we do not interrupt the TTP while they wreak havoc around the country, if a pseudo political party wants to have fun on the weekend, why not?

Flag waving, chants, live music guaranteed -Photo by Hussain Afzal We need to understand what still drives the PTI to do this nonsense. The party suffers from a psychological trauma, to deal with them we need to understand it instead of bashing it. Take a deep breath and think about the top leadership of the PTI: Are most of them from Punjab? Are most of them elitists who have at one time or another belonged to a different banner? Did most of them switch parties before the election? Assuming the answer to all of that is yes, you have a party that is built out of privilege and is elitist to the core. Now think about the message that the PTI keeps promoting: Is it always the same old line of getting those who deserve to rule a chance to rule? Is their target audience strictly people who are otherwise politically agnostic? Is their target audience mainly made up of people who would also potentially be paying members of a hypothetical Imran Khan fan club? Again, the assumption is the answer to all these questions is going to be yes. Put the series of answers together and you get a blueprint of what the PTI is; an elitist party that plays on the insecurities of political agnostics promising them that their lives would improve in a country, where most other parties target the poorer masses than the semi-educated middle classes. The deal the PTI sold was simple: If all you people who traditionally do not vote were to come out and vote for us we will win the elections and they will have a party that looks out for their interests in the government. And their target audience bought in to this idea. I mean how could they not? The Peoples Party was a disaster, so that option was a non-starter for their support. The PML–N was too populist and too ‘rural’, Jamaat and JUI were a no go. This was the average PTI supporter mindset going in to vote on May 11th 2013 i.e. we all show up and we wrap this thing up. Problem is what the PTI forgot to mention was that even if all their support base showed up, the party had no standing in Balochistan, in nearly all of Sindh, except probably three constituencies in Karachi and most rural parts of Punjab. So mathematically speaking, they were never going to win a majority. The deal was nonsensical to start with but the promise of having a say and that sense of belonging to a greater cause pulled people to the ballot box. They came, they voted and then they waited. The miracle did not happen and that is when they lost it. It was a shock for the support base. Think about it, they assumed that their showing up would win the elections, they did their bit but still, nothing happened. This is problematic at two levels; first a whole group of people kept telling themselves that they do not vote because their voice does not get counted and when they did vote, they realised they are a minority voice that just gets drowned out. Another realisation was the façade of actually mattering in the greater scheme of things in Pakistan that they all hold on to so dearly, is well, just a façade. For the PTI supporters, those not in KP, this was a shattering experience.

Now a year later, they are still in the denial. They will remain in that state because what else is there for them to do? Since the elections, the party has been wiped out in Punjab and Karachi (they never really existed in Sindh). They are having severe troubles in KP and the governance is suffering from internal strife, mainly the Punjabi party leadership interfering in the daily operations of the province. But as a party, the PTI’s elitist leadership knows how to play the middle-class insecurities (most of them did that expertly on Musharraf’s behalf) and they still do that even though they know reality to be different. Having been involved intimately with the PML–N’s campaign, I saw their internal calculations change at least four times. They all knew they would not cross 35 seats in the best case scenario, while in the worst case they would secure about 18 seats. And yet, they lied because it was just easier. Point is if the PTI was honest to its supporters they would have done what a good opposition does: Give the government a tough time by bringing up legislation that addresses populist issues. They would have started building party structures in Sindh and Balochistan. They would have focused all their attention on KP and made it into a model province much like the PML–N did in Punjab. The possibilities to prove a point were endless for the PTI but they chose not to take any of them. Just like they chose not to act like a political party and conceal the facts even though they knew all this beforehand. The irony of it all is that the same masses that put the PTI in this condition are also the ones who rewarded them with a government in KP. But the level of pretentious privilege is so apparent that they dismiss the KP victory as being nothing next to losing out on Punjab. So yes, another May 11th, another weekend party, another round of rhetorical nonsense and another year of disbelief that one time PTI’s supporters showed up to vote, they got upstaged by the masses where it really mattered to them i.e. Punjab.

Delhi most air-polluted city in the world: WHO

New Delhi: Delhi is the most polluted city in the world when it comes to air quality, according to a WHO study released on Wednesday. According to a PTI report, the 2014 version of the Ambient Air Pollution (AAP) database contains results of outdoor air pollution monitoring from almost 1600 cities in 91 countries. The national capital has the highest concentration of PM2.5 -particulate matters less than 2.5 microns-- form of air pollution, which is considered most serious. This form of concentration consists of tiny particles that puts people at additional risk of respiratory diseases and other health problems, the World Health Organisation said. The situation is so bad in Delhi that its air has PM2.5 concentrations of 153 micrograms and PM10 concentrations of 286 micrograms--much more than the permissible limits. In comparison, Beijing, which was once considered one of the most polluted cities, has PM2.5 concentration of 56 micrograms and PM10 concentration of 121 micro grammes, the report stated. Air quality is represented by annual mean concentration of fine particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5,-- particles smaller than 10 or 2.5 microns). The database covers the period from 2008 to 2013, with the majority of values for the years 2011 and 2012. Reacting to the report, Anumita Roychowdhury of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said the new WHO data base only confirms the health concerns in India. "According to global burden of disease estimates, air pollution is the fifth largest killer in India. Tiny particles (PM10 and PM2.5) go deep inside our lungs and trigger respiratory and cardiac problems as well as lung cancer," she told PTI. WHO said that in most cities where there is enough data to compare the situation today with previous years, air pollution is getting worse.

Lose weight from your thighs by this simple yoga pose

Famously known as the eagle pose, this yoga stretches the thighs and hips and also gives a sense of balance to the body. How to perform: 1. Stand erect. 2. At the knee, bend your legs. 3. Lift your right foot off the ground while balancing your body on the left foot. 4. Your right foot toe should be pointed towards the ground. 5. Swing your right foot around the calf of the left leg. 6. Place the left foot on the ground. 7. Stretch your arms parallel to the ground in front. 8. Placing the left hand over the right, cross your hand s over the elbow 9. Point your fingers towards the ceiling. 10. Back of both hands should be pressed against each other. 11. Try to make the palms face each other twisting your hands. 12. Place the fingers of the right hand in the left hand at the root of the thumb. 13. Press the palms together as much as you can. 14. Bring your elbows in the same level as your shoulders. 15. Breathe normally for about 15-20 seconds in the pose. 16. Repeat the pose with switched hands and legs. Benefits: • Strengthens the ankles and calves • Benefits the kidney • Improves concentration • Stretches the thighs and hips

Ajmal Kasab whom I taught is alive, he wasn’t the one hanged in India, says Pakistani school teacher

Islamabad: A teacher, who allegedly taught the 2008 Mumbai attack convict Ajmal Kasab on Wednesday told a Pakistani court that the Ajmal he knew is alive and was not the one hanged in India. "I taught Ajmal but he was not the one hanged in India in connection with the Mumbai attacks," said the teacher of a primary school Faridkot, Deplapur, Okara district of Punjab province, some 120 kilometres from Lahore. "Ajmal Kasab whom I taught is alive and one hanged in India was not enrolled in this school," the teacher said and submitted the school record of the student, sources told PTI. The teacher was a prosecution witness in the Anti Terrorism Court, Islamabad, that is currently hearing the case of the attack in India's financial capital that killed 166 people in November, 2008. Another witness, head of the Hindi department of NAMAL University, Punjab - who translated Kasab's statement into English - also appeared in the court, but could not submit the translation as the defence raised objection, saying Kasab's statement had yet to be made part of the case. Following this, the court adjourned the proceedings till May 14. Kasab, the 25-year-old lone Pakistani gunman caught alive after the Mumbai terror attack, was hanged to death at Pune's Yerawada central prison in a top-secret operation on November 21, 2012. Lashkar-e-Taiba operations commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, Abdul Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Hamad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jameel Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Anjum have been charged with planning, financing and executing the Mumbai attacks. All the accused are jailed in Adiala prison.

Aashiqui 2 singer Ankit Tiwari arrested for allegedly raping his girlfriend

Aashiqui 2 singer Ankit Tiwari, who will also be giving his voice in upcoming film ‘Ek Villain’, is said to have been in custody of the Versova Police, Mumbai, following allegations of rape. His brother Ankur Tiwari is also under custody. Reportedly, the victim is Ankit's girlfriend. An entertainment website reported, the charge on Ankit Tiwari is that he had promised to marry his girlfriend and didn't keep up his promise.

BJP protests against denial of Modi's Varanasi rally, meets Election Commission officials

New Delhi: A delegation of BJP leaders led by Venkaiah Naidu, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Ravi Shankar Prasad protested against the denial of permission for Narendra Modi's rally in Varanasi on Thursday. The saffron party took out a protest march to the Election Commission as Delhi Police imposed prohibitory orders around the poll panel's complex here in order to stop the march. BJP leaders took out a protest march from Delhi BJP office to the headquarters of the EC. Section 144 of the CrPC restricting gathering of people was imposed around the Election Commission complex and BJP activists were stopped at the nearby All India Radio building and prevented from going towards the Commission. Later, a delegation of six BJP leaders led by Naidu, met Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath and demanded the immediate transfer of Varanasi's Returning Officer. Naidu along with Naqvi, Prasad and Delhi leaders Vijay Malhotra, Harsh Vardhan and Meenakshi Lekhi, were part of the delegation. "There is political bias and discrimination against the BJP on many occasions, including during the last polling, which has lowered the prestige of the Election Commission. "This has resulted in tarnishing the image of the EC. By holding out this march for justice, the BJP has lodged its strong resentment and opposition to the EC not acting in transparent, impartial manner and as per the Constitution," the BJP memorandum to EC alleged. They also demanded that the EC should immediately take serious note of the "biased" and "discriminatory" attitude of the Varanasi Returning Officer and remove him immediately. After meeting the EC officials, Naidu told reporters that, "The BJP delegation demanded the EC immediately transfer electoral officer of Varansai, who is acting under political pressure. Until Varansai's electoral officer is transferred, fair election cannot be conducted there." "Every person, who is contesting elections, has a right to hold a rally," he said.Naidu said BJP has not come here to protest against the EC, but against Varanasi's electoral officer. "Varansai administration is working against the BJP.Our workers were recently put behind the bars for distributing electoral slips and released on bail for Rs. 4 lakh, which is unjustified. The BJP delegation took up this matter with the Chief Election Commissioner," Naidu said. He said the EC has assured the BJP delegation that it would look into the matter and take action against those found guilty.

"Everybody wants Modi to become the Prime Minister. They (Varanasi administration) are trying to prevent Modi from becoming PM, but they would not succeed. As we cannot stop the sunrise, Modi also cannot be prevented from becoming PM of this country," he said. Slamming the Congress Vice President, the former BJP president said, "Rahul Gandhi was seen roaming around an EVM and inspecting it at a polling booth in a picture published in a national daily. Rahul's attitude is very ridiculous but no action was taken against him."

SHOCKING: Girl gets pregnant with boyfriend's child, fabricates intricate web of lies, sends cops on chase of 'rapists'

Bangalore: Fearing her parents' wrath, a 20-year-old management student, who got pregnant with her boyfriend's child, fabricated an intricate web of lies, even sending the cops on a chase of her alleged rapists, said a media report. According to Bangalore Mirror, the girl, who is the daughter of a Border Security Force official, filed a police complaint stating she had been 'sold' to several men by her aunt and uncle. She said the duo allegedly blackmailed her into having sex with strangers starting August 2013. The North East division police, who had registered a case of rape, were in for a shock when preliminary investigations revealed the girl had been lying all along and that it was actually her boyfriend (also the son of a BSF official) of three years who got her pregnant. The girl is a student of REVA Institute of Technology and Management in Yelahanka and a resident of the BSF Quarters in Kattigenahalli. The girl got pregnant around August last year. When her parents started questioning her about her rapidly bulging stomach, she fobbed them off saying she was suffering from gastroenteritis, the media report said. But things came to a head in the last week of April and her parents took her to see a doctor at Vani Vilas Hospital. They were stunned when the doctor gave them a certificate saying she was nine months pregnant. The girl reportedly claimed that she had been repeatedly raped by her uncle's friend and a few unknown men. According to the investigating officer, the woman told the police that one of her relatives - who is also a BSF official living in the same quarters - had taken a video of her having a shower and was threatening to make it public unless she complied with their wishes and had sex with strangers. She also claimed the woman and her husband would constantly threaten to kill her father, so she gave in to their demands. She alleged he was hand-in-glove with her relatives and the trio would 'kidnap' her and take her to different rooms where she used to be held hostage, drugged with an injection, and then made to have sex with strangers. However, a probe into her allegations established she had concocted the entire story. Considering her advanced stage of pregnancy, the police have taken a sympathetic view by not taking action against her for filing a false complaint.

VARANASI LIVE: Narendra Modi reaches BHU campus to join ‘satyagraha’ protest against EC

Varanasi: Amid chaos and brawls, now Narendra Modi has also reached the BHU campus after leaders like Arun Jaitley and Amit Shah. AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal reacted firmly on the issue that BJP’s leader Narendra Modi didn’t attend the aarti in temple but chose to protest against EC for denied permission of holding rally. He said that one must have pure heart to worship and permission is only required in political deeds. “Modi ji given permission of Ganga arti. Yet rather than performing arti, he is trying to draw political mileage. Sad,” Kejriwal said in a tweet when he came to know about the matter. “I went alone one day and performed arti. No one stopped me. I will again go with my wife today and do arti. Neeyat saaf honi chahiye,” tweeted he. “Agar apko kewal arti aur pujan karna ho to EC ki permission nahi chahiye hoti. U need EC permission for political activities,” said another tweet. Workers of Trinamool Congress and BJP got involved in serious brawl during latter’s protest against Election Commission. National capital Delhi is also facing the heat of protest as BJP workers have gathered right outside the Delhi's Nirvachan Sadan to protest against EC. Hundreds of Bharatiya Janata Party workers have congregated outside Lanka Gate of Banaras Hindu University to participate in the 'satyagraha' protest against the Election Commission as it denied permission to party’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi for holding a rally on Thursday. In strict action being taken by District administration, Section 144 has been imposed in the city and roads leading to Lanka Gate area are being blocked by police. Senior leaders like Arun Jaitley and Amit Shah have also arrived at the protest site. Gujarat Chief Minister Modi questioned the neutrality of EC and said that it, “is not concerned about the institution's neutrality & that is why our Karyakartas have to embark on a Satyagraha.” Denial of campaigning in Varanasi by EC has drawn flak from all over and Jaitley also condemned the decision strongly saying that, “If you (EC) can't ensure safety, then don’t hold polls.” On the other hand, the poll panel has expressed its deep disappointment with BJP’s reaction. EC reacted firmly to remarks made by Jaitley and said that it "is surprised and disappointed that your party has chosen to hold protests over the aforesaid matter, which was being sought to be resolved in accordance with law and the ground situation. As you may be aware, permissions for two out of the three programmes have since been issued by the District Magistrate. As regards the holding of a rally, the same was under discussion because of security and related concerns. In this whole matter, the commission decided not to go by the version conveyed by District Magistrate alone, but also consulted the state chief Secretary and Director General of Police, who endorsed the security and suitability aspects."