ISLAMABAD: The payables and receivables of the power sector continue to rise despite a phenomenal surge in electricity costs to consumers because of imposition of various surcharges.

According to a report submitted to the government, the Pakistan State Oil has reported that it supplied fuel oil worth over Rs800 billion to the power sector between July 2013 to July 31, 2015, but it was paid Rs705bn, leaving a circular build-up of about Rs95bn.

This happened despite the fact that the Ministry of Water and Power had in­­creased the proportion of payments for supplies over the past six months. For example, the ministry paid Rs20.5bn to PSO in July 2015 for fuel supplies of Rs21.6bn, accounting for over 75pc. In contrast, the PSO supplied Rs44bn worth of fuel to power generation companies and was paid Rs36bn in July 2013.

The overall receivables of the PSO amounted to Rs252.4bn on July 31 this year against Rs237bn on Nov 15, showing an increase of about 6.5 per cent. These receivables stood at Rs220bn at the end of May 2013 when the government had wiped out the circular debt in a historic Rs480bn settlement.

The PSO said the public sector power companies owed Rs110bn on Oct 31 last year, but the outstanding dues increased in about nine months by about 14pc to Rs125bn.

The overall recovery position of the power sector itself is also quite grim. The receivables have increased to about Rs635bn as of June 30, according to details provided to the ministry by distribution companies.

The outstanding receivables of the power sector stood at Rs513bn on the same day last year.

This is despite the fact that government has included a number of inefficiencies including theft, technical losses and non-recovery to the billed amount into the consumer-end power tariff as surcharges in the name of equalisation, special surcharge, debt-servicing, tariff rationalisation, financing charges, Neelum-Jhelum surcharge and Fuel Adjustment Surcharge.

Last month alone, the government introduced two surcharges of around Rs2.50 per unit when the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority declined to accept a government directive to pass on the costs to honest consumers to meet benchmarks agreed to with the International Monetary Fund.

“What the government has failed to recognise so far is the fact that every increase in power tariff would in fact expand the unrecoverable amount,” said a former managing director of the Pakistan Electric Power Company. He said 1pc loss in the power sector which stood at Rs6bn in 2012 had now gone up to Rs10bn as average tariff increased from Rs8.5 to Rs12.5 per unit.

According to data compiled by the Ministry of Water and Power, the Rs635bn power receivables also included KE’s bills of Rs44bn at the end of July 2015 against Rs28bn on the same date last year.

The receivables of distribution companies under the control of the ministry have increased by about 21pc to about Rs590bn at the end of July 2015 from Rs490bn of the same period last year.

This happened although the receivables of eight distribution companies have posted a healthy increase while two companies showed some improvement in bringing down their receivables.

Faisalabad and Multan electric supply companies were two Discos which were able to reduce their receivables – those of Mepco down to Rs27bn from Rs30.5bn in one year and of Fesco dropped from Rs8bn last year to Rs7.9bn this year.

The receivables of Gujranwala Elec­tric increased from Rs12.3bn to Rs15bn and those of Lahore Electric went up to Rs46bn from Rs43bn. The receivables of Peshawar Electric increased from Rs90bn to Rs102bn and of Quetta Elec­tric increased from Rs108bn to Rs152 bn.

Likewise, the outstanding amounts of Islamabad Electric increased from Rs30bn to Rs40bn and of Hyderabad Elec­­tric increased from Rs47.bn to Rs57.5bn.

Similarly, the outstanding dues of Sukkur Electric surged from Rs77bn to Rs93bn while Tribal Electric’s receivables rose from Rs44bn to Rs48bn in one year.

Published in Dawn, August 10th, 2015

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ISLAMABAD: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani telephoned Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Sunday evening to discuss the ongoing reconciliation process with Afghan Taliban, the PM House said in a statement.

Both the leaders discussed matters related to mutual and bilateral interest including the regional situation, it added.

Nawaz also expressed sorrow over the recent blasts in Afghanistan and conveyed his condolences over the loss of precious lives.

Earlier, the prime minister’s special assistant for foreign affairs, Tariq Fatemi, had said that Afghanistan and Pakistan can take joint action against the Taliban groups who refuse to participate in the reconciliation process.

Fatemi had said this while briefing the Pakistani media at the end of a 10-day visit to Washington on July 30. He hoped that the terrorist attack in Gurdaspur in Indian Punjab would not have any impact on efforts to improve bilateral ties with India as Pakistan had nothing to do with it.

The prime minister’s adviser said that Pakistan used “whatever little influence” it had on the Taliban to encourage them to participate in the first ever “publicly acknowledged” meeting between the rebels and Afghan officials in Murree last month.

HARIPUR: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan has urged people to rise against the “obsolete, exploitative system which has only added to their suffering in the past 65 years”.

Addressing a big gathering at grounds of the Elementary College here on Sunday in connection with the upcoming by-elections for the National Assembly seat NA-19, he said: “We will bring about a socio-economic change in the country because we oppose all kinds of corruption and mismanagement in governance.”

The PTI chairman’s arrival caused a severe gridlock for hours in scorching heat on the G.T. Road, which is the only road link between Gilgit and the rest of the country.

Mr Khan urged local people to vote in favour of PTI’s candidate, Raja Aamir Zaman, on Aug 16.

He said the PTI would not let the rulers exploit the people in the name of development because it had inculcated the sense of fair play in their minds.

He said the existing system, being based on corruption and exploitation, could not benefit the people.

Mr Khan said the PTI’s government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had brought about meaningful changes in the revenue, police and education systems. “Now we are working on health and higher education and trying to raise their standard.”

He said the provincial government had set a precedent by holding a sitting minister accountable because he was involved in wrongdoing. Such a prompt and clear action against cabinet members could not be imagined in Punjab and Sindh.

HARIPUR: Federal Minister for Information Pervez Rashid addressing a public meeting at Srikot during the election campaign for Babar Nawaz Khan, a PML-N candidate for NA-19.—APP

The PTI chief said he would raise the Kasur sex abuse scandal in the National Assembly. “We will take part in the National Assembly’s proceedings and perform our national duty,” he said.

Mr Khan said the PTI had served to dent the traditional coercive system by delegating powers to elected representatives. People of Khyber Pakh­tunkhwa had elected 49,000 representatives who would spend Rs41 billion through their councils in villages and towns.

He said the PTI had delegated political and financial powers to the grassroots.

FEDERAL MINISTER: Speaking at a public meeting in Srikot, Information Minister Pervez Rashid said divisive forces were trying to destabilise the country but people knew that the PML-N was harbinger of development and prosperity.

He accused the PTI of pursuing negative politics.

He said “everyone was aware of plunder in the mineral and forest sectors in the province”.

He said that those within the PTI who dared to speak against the party’s top coterie had been shown the door.

Published in Dawn, August 10th, 2015

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KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has called for a "shutter down" strike to be observed across Sindh on Monday over what the party said was the extra-judicial killing of young worker Muhammad Hashim.

MQM leader Abdul Haseeb informed the media at a press conference that Hashim — a member of the MQM media cell and Unit 164 Liaquatabad — was going to his residence from Nine Zero on the evening of May 6, when he was arrested and taken to an unknown location.

Haseeb said Hashim's family had filed a petition in the Sindh High Court for his recovery, upon which an FIR was registered on July 28 on the orders of the SHC.

Also read: 'MQM' letters to Indian HC sought help over missing workers

After three months of his disappearance, Hashim's body was found from the Jamshoro area late Sunday night. His body has already been buried by Edhi, the party said.

He claimed that since December 31, 2014, 20 workers of MQM have disappeared while 35 have been killed extra-judicially.

Shutters down for Karachi

MQM Rabita Committee member Wasay Jalil took to Twitter to announce a peaceful strike and urged businessmen and transport company owners to "show solidarity" with the party's call for a strike in the city.

Jalil said Hashim was a member of the party's photography department and was picked up by law enforcement agency men wearing plainclothes on May 6.

DG Rangers Major General Bilal Akbar said the killing will be probed. “Murder of Hashim will be investigated and murderers will be apprehended wherever they [are] hiding. His murder is a conspiracy against peace of the city,” he said in a statement.

Sindh Home Minister Suhail Anwar Siyal put police on high alert to avoid any untoward incident. He asked police high-ups to keep an eye on the security situation in the city in view of the strike call.

Ali Zafar, artist-turned-actor/singer/songwriter and now a film producer/screenwriter, wears these many hats because he believes in hard work. During an interview on The Reham Khan Show, he tried to pass on the same values to his young fans:

"Never look for shortcuts," he offered as a few words of advice.

Going down memory lane

While relating that his father had wished him to become a CSP officer and had listed 'a convoy' and 'automatic respect' as perks of the job, he recalled how he rejected the idea because he wanted to be saluted for his work, not his post.

"It's very easy to earn respect through material things, but getting respect through one's good character and good work is the real deal," Ali said.

He had earlier related that his parents were both professors who worked very hard to make ends meet, so he would think twice before requesting a 3 rupee icecream cup as a child. He expressed pride in having earned all that he has achieved himself.

When Reham asked why a mindset like Ali's is so rare nowadays, he minced no words in explaining.

"Our biggest mistake after the creation of Pakistan is that we did not nip feudalism in the bud."

He said that the Punjab region is mired in feudal culture.

"Our biggest mistake after the creation of Pakistan is that we did not nip feudalism in the bud. People tend to respect the man with the biggest convoy. We have fostered this attitude through many years of reinforcement, so it will take as many years to dismantle it. It has to start with our political leaders. Someone needs to stand up and refuse to travel in a convoy... and shun VIP culture."

"Our generation is changing. To show how pure we are, we dont need to wear a waistcoat," he said taking a jab at the choice of attire of many a politician.

The message of hard work, though simple, is not trite. In fact, it is much-needed in our society where the youth is surrounded by examples whose speedy rise to the top has been acheived through underhanded means. Young people need to understand that under the veneer of glamourous life is a lot of blood, sweat and tears.

On Deosai

Ali Zafar's latest project is his upcoming film, Deosai.

"I left two to three film offers in Bollywood, because making a film, producing and writing it demands sacrifice. I closed myself off from the world for six to eight months in order to write the script," he revealed.

He also added that he loves the Northern Areas of Pakistan. "I went and lived in Skardu, Hunza, Deosai and Astore. I want to show this side of Pakistan to the world."

However, Reham plans to beat Ali Z to it. Her film, Jaanan, which is also being made with the aim of showcasing the beauty of Pakistan, may hit the screens before Desosai does.

PESHAWAR: Militants torched a school and abducted ten labourers in Kurram Agency on Sunday.

The incident took place in the Sarkai area of Central Kurram Agency.

According to security and administrative officials, militants torched a primary school in Sarki, and abducted ten labourers who were living in the school's premises.

Officials said labourers were working on an under-construction road and would rest inside the school after the day's work was over.

Kurram is one of the most sensitive tribal areas as it borders three Afghan provinces and at one point was one of the key routes for militant movement across the border.

The region was claimed by the military to have been cleared of insurgents during an operation a couple of years ago, however, militants still carry out attacks and also target security forces occasionally.

Kurram tribal agency is adjacent to North Waziristan region where the operation Zarb-i-Azb is in progress against the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other insurgent groups.

SUKKUR: PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari visited Sukkur Barrage and Ulra Jagir flood protective dyke at the Indus in Khairpur on Sunday and asked the authorities concerned to further strengthen embankments.

During the visit, he was informed that adequate arrangements had been made to tackle the flood threat in Sindh.

According to an official press release, Sindh Irrigation Minister Nisar Khuhro and Irrigation Secretary Zaheer Hyder Shah told Mr Bilawal during a briefing at the Sukkur Barrage office that stones in a huge quantity and machinery had been made available at 46 sensitive places along the river, where the irrigation staff was also present round the clock.

Mr Khuhro said the flood situation was being regularly monitored at the barrages and dykes, adding that the government was prepared to tackle any untoward situation.

He said that stones, machinery and other required material were rapidly sent to those parts of the dykes where water pressure mounted. He said preparations had been made to face any eventuality. Flood-fighting is being carried out at the spots and there is no threat as government machinery is alert.

Mr Khuhro said that rescue and relief work was under way in the katcha areas.

Mr Bilawal issued directives to further strengthen the river dykes and intensify their monitoring.

PPP chairman asks officials to strengthen embankments

Later, the PPP leader visited the Ulra Jagir Bund at Khairpur and relief camps set up for flood-affected people. He assured them that the PPP government in the province would not leave them in this hour of trial. Flood-hit people would be extended all kind of help, he said and added that strengthening the dykes was the top priority of the government.

Mr Bilawal distributed relief goods among the dwellers of camps. He asked for the flood situation and arrangements made by the government for the affected.

He also talked to scouts and volunteers taking part in relief work. He visited a temporary school set up for flood-hit children and exchanged greetings with teachers and students.

Earlier on his arrival at Sukkur airport, Mr Bilawal was received by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah, Minister for Local Bodies Syed Nasir Hussain Shah and others.

People of Sukkur faced problems when different roads in the city were closed as part of security arrangement made for Mr Bilawal.

Traffic jam was witnessed in several areas and shops in the bypass area were forcibly closed by policemen.

Published in Dawn, August 10th, 2015

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PESHAWAR: Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) commander Razman Shah and eleven other 'TTP' men surrendered to security forces in the Kalaya area of Orakzai Agency on Monday.

Razman Shah is believed to be an important commander of the banned militant group's Orakzai chapter.

The other 'militants' include Meer Khan, Shahid, Abdullah, Ameenullah, Mohammad Ameen, Irfan, Hazrat Mohammad, Meela Khan, Speen Mir Khan, Mohammad Adeel and Dinullah.

The 12 'TTP' men who laid down their arms all belonged to the banned outfit and were wanted by security forces because of their involvement in different terror activities, security sources said.

Orakzai is one of Pakistan’s seven semi-autonomous tribal regions in the northwest, where Pakistani Taliban and Al Qaeda-linked militants are said to have carved out strongholds.

It was a key abode of former Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Hakimullah Mehsud before he was killed in a US drone strike in North Waziristan in 2013.

Pakistan's military has intensified its operations against militants in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan in the aftermath of deadly Taliban attack on an army-run school in Peshawar that killed 150 people, mostly children in December 2014.

Earlier in June, Director-General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Asim Bajwa had said that 2,763 suspected terrorists had been killed in the North Waziristan since the commencement of Operation Zarb-i-Azb last year.

He said that thousands of suspected terrorists and their abettors had been apprehended whereas ‘218 hardcore terrorists’ were killed in around 9,000 intelligence-based-operations (IBOs), while nearly 350 military men lost their lives in the fight against militancy.

HUSSAINWALA: Parents at the centre of a growing child abuse scandal in the country accused police on Monday of failing to do enough to break up a paedophile ring in Punjab.

Accounts of abuse in the central Punjabi village of Husain Khan Wala were splashed across the front pages of local newspapers over the weekend, and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is expected to be questioned on the topic in parliament.

Read more: Child abuse scandal

Villagers told Reuters that a prominent family there has for years forced children to perform sex acts on video. The footage was sold or used to blackmail their impoverished families.

Read more: Accused says children abused in his presence

Rubina Bibi says her 13-year-old son was a victim, but when she tried to file a report at the Ganda Singh Wala police station a month and a half ago, "the police station clerk told me to get lost and I was thrown out."

"My son ... is in the videos, he is a victim," she said. "Our children were forced into this. They were humiliated. But the police are treating them like criminals."

Another mother, Shakila Bibi, added: "I went to the police station to file a complaint, but instead of registering a (report), they took my son into custody." Her 15-year-old son is still in jail, she said.

Children whose families say have been abused, hide their faces while their mothers are interviewed by a Reuters correspondent in their village of Husain Khan Wala, Punjab province, Pakistan August 9, 2015. REUTERS/Mohsin Raza

If an inquiry found inadequate police work or complicity, the scandal could engulf the provincial government, headed by the prime minister's brother.

District Police Officer Rai Babar said the force would act decisively. "I assure you that we are taking this very seriously and there will be a fair and very transparent investigation," he told Reuters.

On Sunday, Sharif said in a statement: "The Prime Minister ... has expressed extreme sadness ... the culprits will be given the harshest possible punishment."

Villagers say hundreds of children were affected, although they were unable to give names of particular families.

Police have arrested seven suspects, but downplayed the scale of the abuse, suggesting a land dispute may have sparked accusations. "It's a very murky situation," said Babar. He added that seven cases involving 11 children had been registered.

Read more: High-ups play down child abuse scandal

Activist Mobeen Ghaznavi says many children were abused and that he had 130 video clips containing abuse. "People are afraid. They are being threatened and intimidated," he said.

Suraiya Bibi said that when she complained to police, her family was threatened by the abusers.

"One day some women in the village showed me these videos. My son was in them. My world collapsed," she said. "Kids were being intimidated in these videos with weapons, they were drugged. Kids as young as five years old were made to perform oral sex."

In one clip seen by Reuters, a boy cowers and cries before putting his hands over the camera lens. In another, a groggy boy is beaten and abused as a man tells him, "I will not stop until you smile."

Three 15-year-old boys told Reuters they were abused for several years.

Two said they were threatened with weapons that included knife, an axe and a gun. "He threatened me if I did not compromise, he would kill me on the spot," one said.

One 18-year-old told Reuters he had been abused since he was 10. He stole cash and jewellery from his family after his abusers blackmailed him, he said. "I was going to school one day when these boys picked me up and beat me up badly. Then they drugged me, and when I woke up, they showed me these videos they had made of me," he said.

"They told me that they would bury me alive if I told anyone ... I thought about killing myself every single day."

QUETTA: At least 12 people were killed and more than a dozen injured in a traffic accident in Balochistan's Kalat district on Monday.

Levies sources told DawnNews that the brake of a trailer failed as a result of which it ran over vehicles. Eight people were killed on the spot whereas four succumbed to their injuries on the way to District Headquarters Hospital.

The injured were rushed to DHQ Kalat. An emergency was imposed in the hospital to treat the wounded persons.

The trailer was carrying oil and ghee from Karachi to Quetta. Levies sources said the condition of five injured was serious and that the death toll was likely to increase.

Three vehicles were destroyed in the accident.

The onset of summer promises many new looks, but how many people can say that they switched up their style for a cause?

More than a few, actually. Yesterday, at the KMC Sports Complex, around 30 young girls cheerily came for a small hair donation drive titled 'Hair to Help', which was arranged by Pakistan Youth Forum (PYF). The charity organisation pledges to make wigs out of the donated hair and give them for free to cancer patients. Two stylists from Peng's Hair And Beauty Clinic were present to do the cutting, so all the volunteers were at ease that their hair were in good hands.

Although the heads-up for the event was given on Facebook weeks ago, not many people showed up to donate their hair on the breezy afternoon.

Hearing about 'Hair to Help'

Syed Fahad Ali from PYF explained the idea behind the initiative and said that one major reason behind the drive was to combat lack of awareness: “We started ‘Hair to Help’ in 2012 because this practice, which is quite common in other countries, is unheard of in Pakistan. There is no setup or support programme of this nature. This is the third hair donation drive we’ve organised, after drives in Karachi and Islamabad in 2012.”

Shahid eyes precision as he cuts one participant's hair. — Photo by Yumna Rafi

He further expanded on the need of the drive: “Synthetic wigs are available at cheaper prices [than natural hair wigs], but they can cause rashes on the scalp and also look unnatural. Wigs made out of human hair are really expensive, ranging from Rs15,000 to Rs20,000."

Confusion and misconceptions:

Unfortunately, despite their good intentions, the PYF has to battle misperceptions about the hair donation drive:

“When we started off, we did not get a positive response and some people were critical of the practice because there is a prevalent belief that hair donation is unacceptable in religion," Fahad tells Dawn.com, "Nevertheless, there are also many of those who are passionate about the cause and never fail to disappoint. We have provided wigs free of cost to about 25 people, most of whom are women above 30 as well as girls under 12.”

Maria smiles as Inder, the stylist gets done with the haircut. — Photo by Yumna Rafi

Given that such causes normally draw a large number of volunteers, especially from medical colleges, Fahad's next revelation was a shocker: Many medical colleges did not allow promotion of the event because they didn’t deem it acceptable.

Therefore, PYF is on the lookout for a fatwa (Islamic ruling) and have consulted one cleric regarding the Islamic position on hair donation. They hope this will help them get more donors in future drives.

In addition to the misperception about hair donation, another problem encountered by PYF is the high cost of producing the wigs.

A single wig is usually made with hair given by atleast six people and the production takes around two to three days. “There are no companies that make original wigs in Pakistan. There used to be one years ago, but it closed down due to unknown reasons,” shared Fahad.

Fahad then searched for neighbouring countries that would assist him and found a company in Chennai that agreed to make it for Rs1000 per wig. “It was all going well till the customs started charging us an exorbitant amount on each wig and started stopping our deliveries.”

The team then found a vendor in China who agreed to make it at the same cost. “There were no custom charges, so we have been dealing with them alone.”

Styling for support

Shahid busy in the final cuts. — Photo by Yumna Rafi

Hair stylists Shahid and Inder Gori, who have trained at Toni and Guy and currently work for Peng’s Salon, said that they signed up for the hair donation drives for free because of the cause.

“I feel this is the best way to help someone because we are healthy beings and we need to feel their pain too,” said Shahid.

It was interesting to notice that a mother who came with her daughter and niece voluntarily did the cutting for many of the young girls because she was a beautician herself.

“I feel extremely happy when I voluntarily cut hair. The reason I got up voluntarily was because of the cause. All of us deserve to smile. It’s not like only healthy people have the right to smile and feel happy. I think one should help others in their own capacity and share happiness," she said.

Given that people were keen to know more about hair donation, will they hold another drive anytime soon? Fahad said they might: “The ideal time is March or April because the summers have just begun and people usually go for a haircut.”

Looking hip for a cause

Maria and Rutaba pose with their certificates of participation. — Photo by Yumna Rafi

Most of the volunteers were young girls, who were happy to give away at least 12 inches of their hair for the noteworthy cause. “Guys normally don’t have long hair here but some shave their heads to show support to the patients," Fahad shared with a laugh.

The young girls playfully sported their short bobs in turn:

“When you cut your hair short, people usually question why. So when they’d ask me, I’ll tell about this cause and thus raise awareness,” said Rutaba Tariq, who is currently a student.

“I found out through Facebook about this initiative. As soon as I learned about it, I just knew I had to do this,” said 16-year-old Maria Yousuf.

But not everyone in her circle shared the same sentiments, “I sent the invite to my friends and they made excuses, saying they loved their hair too much. One even declined to come outright,” said Maria, shaking her head in disbelief.

Saba Us Saba cuts off hair of a participant. — Photo by Yumna Rafi

Her mother stands over her, smiling as her daughter excitedly gets her hair cut. “My only concern was where the hair would be sent. We hear so often about hair being used for magic and other illegal purposes like hair extensions, it makes us parents worry.”

Overlooking the proceedings is another volunteer who has been actively taking part in the cause since the past two years. Thirty-one-year-old Eleen Fernandes confidently answers parents’ queries and assures those who still had some last minute doubts.

“I gave my hair for the first time two years ago. When I came back home my mother-in-law looked at me and said ‘Haye beta!’. It took some time for everyone to get used to it,” said a grinning Eleen. “But when you see pictures of happy women wearing the wig made from your hair, that feeling is incomparable.”

For many of the participants, the best part of the drive is to receive pictures of those who had been helped. “We send the patient’s pictures with their wigs to all the donors but it is done privately to protect their privacy,” said Fahad. “We are strictly against making it viral, this isn’t a business but an honorary cause.”

KARACHI: A sessions court in Karachi on Monday granted pre-arrest bail to Major (retd) Amirul Rehman, the prime suspect in the shooting incident involving former captain of Pakistan cricket team, Wasim Akram.

The suspect had submitted an interim pre-arrest bail application to sessions judge east Nadeem Ahmed Khan who granted him an interim bail against a surety bond of Rs30,000.

The bail is subject to confirmation or otherwise in the next hearing of the case on August 20. The court also issued a notice to the prosecutor for the next hearing in order to argue the defendant's bail plea.

Meanwhile, the judicial magistrate remanded the detained suspect named Altaf Ahmed in police custody for one week.

Read: Firing on Wasim’s car: Suspect held

Previously, Karachi-East DIG Munir Ahmed Shaikh had said that the held suspect was the driver of the car, which had hit the player’s car.

The incident took place after a minor accident when the shooter's car hit Wasim's Mercedes. When he asked the driver to pull over, a heated discussion ensued as the suspect who was sitting in the back seat came out of the car and fired a shot.

Also read: Bullet hits Wasim Akram's car after traffic accident spat

The fast bowler remained unhurt and the shooter hastily fled the scene when a crowd began to gather.

In the initial probe, the suspect told investigators that after the accident, a short exchange of heated words took place, followed by a gunshot fired at Wasim's vehicle.

Take a look: Police claims to have recovered car involved in Wasim Akram accident

Police on Saturday claimed having traced and recovered the car that was involved in the accident. The DIG East had said that police will send the seized car to a forensic laboratory to determine whether it had been in contact with the former cricket star's Mercedes.

ISLAMABAD: Panic gripped citizens when an earthquake — measuring 5.9 on Richter scale by US Geological Survey — jolted northern parts of the country including Islamabad on Monday afternoon.

No immediate loss of life or property was reported.

The tremors were felt in different areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Kashmir and upper Punjab, DawnNews reported.

The meteorological authorities said that the epicentre of the earthquake was in Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan, having coordinates of 36.52 N and 71.30 E.

The quake struck 224 kilometres deep beneath the Hindu Kush mountains and close to the Wakhan Corridor, the narrow strip of far northeastern Afghanistan that lies between Tajikistan and Pakistan.

The tremors were also felt strongly in Kabul, some 290 km from the epicentre, where people rushed into the streets in alarm, and even further away in Srinagar, the main city of Indian-held Kashmir.

Meanwhile, the local authorities are claiming that the earthquake was of 6.4 magnitude on Richter scale.

Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) spokesman said it is contacting district authorities to check whether there was any loss of life or property in any area.

DawnNews reported that people in Peshawar, Islamabad, Muzaffarabad, Besham, Ghizar, Skardu, Abbottabad, Battagram, Chitral, Peshawar, Mardan, Charsadda, Nowshera, Sargodha, Shahkot, Gujranwala, and Sangla Hill felt the tremors.

ISLAMABAD: Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif will visit Pakistan on August 13 for a day long visit, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry confirmed on Monday.

“Yes, it is confirmed that the Iranian Foreign Minister would be visiting Pakistan,” said Foreign Office (FO) spokesman Qazi Khalilullah.

“The purpose of the visit is to review bilateral ties between the two countries in the context of Iran’s recent nuclear deal,” added Khalilullah.

Read: Iran, major powers reach historic nuclear deal in Vienna, diplomats confirm

The Iranian Foreign Minister is expected to hold talks with the adviser to the prime minister on foreign affairs and national security Sartaj Aziz.

During the visit, Javad Zarif is also expected to meet Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at the Prime Minister House in Islamabad.

Iran ready to sell 1,000MW to Pakistan

Iran on Monday expressed willingness to speed up cooperation in the power sector with Pakistan. The offer was made by the Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan Ali Raza.

A meeting was held between the Iranian envoy and Secretary Water and Power Mohammad Younus Dagha at the Ministry of Water and Power.

Various ongoing and future energy projects between the two countries were discussed.

“The Iranian envoy said that Iran is willing and ready to export 3,000 megawatts to Pakistan,” said a spokesperson for the ministry.

The secretary of the ministry also added that both countries are already working on the proposal for import of 1,000MW from Iran.

It was decided during the meeting that a high level delegation from Pakistan will visit Iran in the coming weeks to negotiate and finalise arrangements for purchase of 1,000MW.

The delegation that will visit Iran is also expected to discuss feasibility for import of further 2,000MW from Iran.

Earlier in July, Iran and six major powers reached a historic nuclear deal, which will grant Tehran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme.

In June, after a gap of about five years the freight train service between Pakistan and Iran was also relaunched.

Zarif had last visited Pakistan in April this year, and discussed matters related to the Yemen crisis during his visit. Bilateral ties, the situation in Afghanistan, and issues of mutual concern were also a topic of conversation.

QUETTA: Frontier Corps (FC) Balochistan chief, Major General Sher Afgan, on Monday said Indian and Afghan intelligence agencies were involved in the prevailing unrest in the restive province.

He said spy agencies of the two countries were behind subversive activities to disrupt peace in the province. "However, our forces with the support of masses foiled designs of enemies", Major General Sher Afgan told reporters at FC headquarters.

More than 50,000 FC personnel have been guarding the border along Afghanistan, and provide security to 416 kilometres of gas pipelines, 300 kilometres of railway lines and other vital national installations in Balochistan, said Maj Gen Afghan.

"Terrorism is the biggest problem in the province", he said. The FC chief said despite receiving support from abroad, only a handful of miscreants were present in Balochistan, adding that "their number is on a constant decline".

Also read: HRCP’s alarm over sectarian, ethnic violence in Balochistan

In response to a question, Maj Gen Sher Afgan said the government had already announced a Rs5 billion compensation package for militants laying down their weapons before security forces, adding that amounts ranging from Rs0.5 million to Rs1.5 million were being paid to militants who became part of the peace process.

He reiterated that efforts to make Quetta violence free and to ensure rule of law were underway, adding that no compromises would be made in this regard.

Editorial: Balochistan unrest

The FC chief said combined efforts of law-enforcement agencies and the administration had helped in improving the law and order situation in the province.

Earlier, media personnel were given a detailed briefing on the overall law and order situation of the insurgency-hit province.

Know more: Balochistan unrest case: Substantial evidence available against FC, says CJ

Reporters were informed that a 500 km trench had been dug out along the porous Pak-Afghan border to stop the flow of weapons and narcotics into Pakistan.

The width and depth of the trench is 10 feet by 10 feet, said, said Major General Sher Afgan, adding that it had helped security forces in stemming the flow of narcotics and weapons from Afghanistan into Pakistan.

KABUL: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani lambasted Pakistan on Monday over a recent wave of insurgent attacks in the capital Kabul that killed at least 56 people.

“The last few days have shown that suicide bomber training camps and bomb-producing factories which are killing our people are as active as before in Pakistan,” Ghani told a news conference.

“We hoped for peace but we are receiving messages of war from Pakistan.” Pakistan has historically supported the Taliban insurgents and many Afghans accuse it of nurturing militant sanctuaries on its soil in the hope of maintaining influence in Afghanistan.

Since coming to power last year Ghani has courted Pakistan, expending substantial domestic political capital in the process, in hopes Islamabad will persuade the Taliban to come to the negotiating table.

But his comments on Monday are the strongest yet against Pakistan.

“In my telephone call with Pakistan prime minister (on Sunday), I told Pakistan to see terrorism in Afghanistan the same way it sees terrorism in Pakistan,” he said, referring to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

“I ask the Pakistani government if the mass killings of Shah Shaheed had happened in Islamabad and the perpetrators were in Afghanistan, what would you do?” he said, referring to a Kabul neighbourhood that suffered a fatal truck bombing on Friday.

At least five people were killed Monday when a Taliban suicide car bomber struck near the entrance of Kabul's international airport.

Take a look: Five dead, 16 wounded in suicide attack near Kabul airport.

The attack follows a barrage of deadly bombings in the Afghan capital on Friday, which struck close to an army complex, a police academy and a US special forces base and killed at least 51 people.

Pakistan had brokered peace talks between the Afghan government and Taliban in July, the first round of which took place in Murree. But after the announced death of Taliban supremo Mullah Omar, a second round of talks has been postponed on the Taliban's insistence, said Islamabad.

Also read: Peace talks in jeopardy: Afghan Taliban postpone second round of talks.

Pakistan responds to Ghani's comments

A statement by the Foreign Office on Monday said: "We have taken note of the press conference by the President of Afghanistan held in Kabul today and its contents relating to Pakistan.

"Pakistan and Afghanistan are brotherly and neighbouring countries and enjoy close and cooperative relations. Pakistan is committed to maintaining good neighbourly relations with Afghanistan and all other regional countries."

The statement said Pakistan was itself the biggest victim of terrorism, with human losses exceeding 60,000.

"The people and the Government of Pakistan can feel the pain and anguish of the brotherly people and the Government of Afghanistan over the recent wave of terrorist attacks, which have resulted in the loss of many valuable lives and injured scores of people."

"Terrorism is our common enemy and a cooperative approach is needed to combat this menace."

The FO statement said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif during his visit to Kabul in May said Pakistan considered enemies of Afghanistan as its own enemies, and has been extending complete cooperation to Afghanistan in combating terrorism.

Pakistan remains committed to supporting and facilitating an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan, said the FO statement.

KASUR: An additional district and sessions judge cancelled on Monday the interim bails of five suspects nominated in the serial child abuse case.

Another court extended the physical remand of seven suspects, who are already in police custody, for two and three days. Police included two sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act in the FIRs already registered with the Ganda Singh Police Station.

A tense atmosphere was witnessed outside the court when the five suspects on interim bail were brought to the court. Hundreds of villagers and policemen were present there.

Also read: More arrests in Kasur child sex abuse scandal

After hearing arguments of the counsel for both sides for about two hours, Judge Samina Hayat cancelled the bails of Mohammad Yahya, Saleem Akhtar Sherazi, Attiqur Rehman, Tanzeelul Rehman and Aleem Asif.

Physical remand of seven extended

Another court of additional sessions judge extended the physical re­mand of suspects Haseem Amir, Faizan Majeed, Naseem Shahzad and Basharat to Aug 12 and of Ali Majeed, Abdul Manan and Usman Khalid to Aug 13.

Latif Sara, the victims’ counsel, told reporters that at least 15 people were involved in the criminal assault.

According to police, nine of the 15 suspects were involved in abusing the children and the rest aided them. So far seven cases have been registered.

The number of arrests rose to 12 after the cancellation of interim bails of five suspects. Raids are being conducted to arrest the remaining accused. Police claimed to have recovered 30 clips of the child abuse video.

Meanwhile, Reham Khan, wife of PTI Chairman Imran Khan, visited Kasur’s Hussain Khanwala village, where hundreds of children had allegedly been molested. Mrs Khan met some victims and their families, admiring their bravery in raising their voice against cruelty and injustice. She also praised the media for focusing on the actual issue instead of indulging in ratings race.

She said there was no need for constituting commissions in the presence of victims and proof of molestation while the suspects had also confessed to their crimes. She stressed the need for making laws for such cases because these crimes were being committed in other parts of the country, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Our reporter in Lahore adds: Lahore High Court Chief Justice Manzoor Ahmad Malik has turned down the Punjab government’s request for a judicial inquiry into the child abuse case.

“Police is already investigating the cases. As such, there is no justification to hold a judicial inquiry or to nominate district and sessions judge, Kasur, for the said purpose,” said a letter written by the LHC registrar to the home secretary.

The home secretary had sent a reference to the chief justice for holding a judicial inquiry into the scandal.

But the chief justice noted that FIRs against certain suspects had been registered, some of them were on pre-arrest bail, some had been arrested and were on physical remand. This showed that the matter was already being investigated by police, he observed.

“The request is, therefore, declined,” the chief justice said.

Published in Dawn, August 11th, 2015

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KARACHI: Rangers conducted a surgical action in Ranchore Line area on Monday and arrested six alleged target killers having reported ties with Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), said Rangers spokesperson.

Huge cache of weapons was also recovered from the possession of alleged MQM workers dubbed target killers by Sindh Rangers.

The spokesman then went on to give details of the arrested suspects.

Khurram alias Muchar, unit in-charge MQM unit 28, was arrested over charges of involvement in extortion, dumping of weapons and target killings.

Mahmood, an active worker of MQM unit 20, who has already confessed to murdering 47 people when he was arrested earlier in November 2014, was arrested on charges of kidnapping and torture.

Rangers also arrested Shahid alias Kala, an active worker of MQM unit 31, who had earlier confessed six murders during initial interrogation when he was arrested in September 2014. Shahid was currently on bail.

Mubin, the committee member of MQM unit 20, also faced arrest as he had confessed to numerous target killings, extortion, arson, rioting and other heinous crimes when he was earlier arrested in May 2013.

Zubair alias Handi, worker of Ranchore Line Sector , was arrested over his alleged involvement in armed clashes, rioting, murders after kidnapping, cash van robbery — during which two guards were killed in Azizabad in 2013 — and extortion.

The sixth suspect arrested by Rangers was Kashif alias Macha, worker of MQM unit 30, involved in target killings and extortion.

In addition to giving details about the arrested suspects, Rangers spokesperson also gave details about the huge cache of weapons that was recovered from the possession of alleged MQM workers.

Fourteen SMGs (along with 120 rounds), five 12-bore repeaters (along with 45 cartridges), six 30-bore pistols (along with 110 rounds), two 30-bore mousers, one 44-bore rifle, one MP5, one 9mm pistol (with 82 rounds), two LMGs along with 250 rounds of ammunition, 32 awan bombs, five kg of explosives and two grenades were recovered by Rangers.

Also read: War of words between Rangers and MQM over fresh arrests

Karachi Corps Commander Lt Gen Naveed Mukhtar on Friday had reiterated his trust in Rangers and other law enforcement agencies (LEAs) leading the ‘Karachi operation’, which he said, was “apolitical, indiscriminate and free of any compromise” aimed at bringing the violence-hit city back to normality.

“Karachi operation is apolitical. It is indiscriminate and free of any compromise and pressure. Terrorists, their aides and facilitators are targets of the operation. We will not leave any stone unturned to achieve these targets,” he had said.

Meanwhile, the MQM had also appealed to the Chief Justice of Pakistan and the chief justice of the Sindh High Court to take immediate notice of the statements of the Rangers because they admitted that they were arresting MQM office-bearers only because of their affiliation with the party.

“Under which section of law or clause of the Constitution becoming an MQM member is a crime?” asked the MQM. “Arresting a person on the basis of this pretext is nothing but mocking the law and the Constitution.”

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Monday during his address in the National Assembly asked Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) to “control their chief Altaf Hussain,” and told MQM lawmakers they “have no control on what happens in London” where party supremo Altaf Hussain has been residing for years.

“I understand your situation,” said Nisar, turning towards MQM lawmakers in the house— “you have no control over what goes on in London.”

“Please make him understand that his course of action is not going to solve problems, the problem is not with army or Rangers, but the problem lies in Altaf Hussain’s speeches. We are ready to resolve all issues with you and consider valid requests, but this is no way to go about resolving problems.”

Read: Only an insane person can demand foreign interference in Karachi: Qaim

"The policy adopted by Altaf Hussain and his remarks has caused alot of damage, and the situation has reached a point that even damage control would take a considerable amount of time," added Nisar.

"I have reiterated our policy to all stakeholders of the security operation in Karachi, that no one should go missing, we do not and will not pursue a policy of missing persons in the present government," the interior minister elaborated.

Nisar said several figures and statistics presented by MQM in news conferences are "sheer propaganda" with no truth to them. "Nonetheless, we are ready to listen to them. But Altaf's remarks had done a lot of damage," said the interior minister.

Nisar reiterated the federal government’s stance that security operations in Karachi are in no way targeting a political party or specific individuals, adding that the operation’s objective is to achieve lasting peace and rule of law in the country’s commercial hub.

He said July was the most peaceful month in Karachi in almost two decades, which signaled that the operation had apprehended the right people.

Read more: Police declares Altaf Hussain absconder

MQM walks out of NA session

MQM lawmakers later walked out of the assembly to register a protest against what they claimed was the extra-judicial killings and detentions of their workers and the government's inaction over the Kasur child abuse scandal.

MQM leader Farooq Sattar talking to the media outside the National Assembly said his party had urged Rangers DG Maj.Gen Bilal Aktar to look into the matter of disappearances of their workers.

Earlier in August, Altaf Hussain, while addressing the 19th worker's convention in Dallas, asked MQM activists to approach the United Nations and Nato headquarters in the United States and "inform them of human rights abuses against the muhajir community", according to a statement on the MQM website.

In response, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah in a statement said only an “insane person can think to approach any foreign country, particularly India,” to intervene in Karachi, in an implicit reference to Altaf Hussain's recent speech to workers in Dallas.

On July 30, the MQM in a letter sent to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, had claimed excesses committed by the para-military Rangers in their ongoing security operation in Karachi.

MQM has been under pressure recently after the security operation in Karachi, led by Rangers, resulted in the arrest of some of its workers and Rabita committee members for alleged offences ranging from extortion to facilitating hate speech against national institutions.

HUSSAIN KHANWALA: Police arrested five more people Monday over a major child sex abuse scandal after a lawyer for the victims accused them of protecting culprits, while activists said the case was just the tip of the iceberg.

Read: Child abuse scandal: Accused says children abused in his presence.

At least 280 children were filmed being sexually abused by a gang of 25 men who used the hundreds of videos they produced to blackmail the youngsters' parents, according to Latif Ahmed Sara, a lawyer and activist representing the victims.

Shahbaz Sharif, the chief minister of Punjab province where the abuse took place, has ordered an independent judicial inquiry and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has vowed stern action against those responsible.

The Lahore High Court, however, declined Sharif's request, saying police should continue their investigation, court spokesman Arif Javed told AFP.

“The judicial inquiry is required where facts are hidden, in this case police are already investigating and some of the accused have already been arrested,” Javed said.

The total number of suspects in custody stands at 12 following Monday's arrests.

The case has provoked expressions of outrage with local media suggesting a politically-influenced cover up in the works.

The village at the heart of the scandal, Hussain Khanwala, lies in the Punjab stronghold of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N).

Sara accused the police of dragging their feet – some of the videos date back to 2007.

“The police are protecting the criminals, they are supporting them and have provided them an opportunity to escape the village,” Sara told reporters.

On Monday parliament's upper house, the Senate, passed a unanimous resolution condemning the abuse and demanding exemplary punishment for the culprits.

The head of Punjab's Child Protection Bureau, Saba Sadiq, described the case as “the largest child abuse scandal in Pakistan's history”.

But an initial police probe, carried out last week at the behest of the provincial government described the allegations as “baseless”, a conclusion immediately rejected by local media and rights activists.

District police chief Rai Baber Saeed told AFP that officers were doing their best to catch those responsible, but insisted there were no more than 30 victims and accused activists and media of exaggerating.

“Police have 30 video clips of the scandal involving 15 people. Seven of them have been arrested while four or five are on pre-arrest bail and the rest are absconders,” he told AFP before the latest arrests.

He described the case as an old one, dragged up recently by a group of villagers as a tactic in a dispute over the sale of some land.

The independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said the property dispute did not detract from the horror of the abuse and demanded a thorough and impartial investigation, voicing doubts over the judicial commission ordered by the Punjab chief minister.

Read: Kasur scandal: 'I thought of killing myself everyday'

Honour, shame

The abusers allegedly tried to extort money from parents of victims, selling clips of the videos locally for 40 rupees each if they did not pay up.

“They made the video of my son in 2011 and we have been paying the blackmailers since then,” the mother of one of the victims told an AFP reporter.

Activists working to fight child sex abuse in Pakistan said the problem was widespread but difficult to quantify because victims were often unwilling to speak out.

The concept of family “honour” is very important in society and many people would be afraid of the “shame” it would bring to admit being the victim of a sexual assault.

Mumtaz Hussain from Sahil, Pakistan's leading campaign group working against child abuse, told AFP there were more than 3,500 registered cases last year – representing nearly 10 children a day being abused.

But he said the true figure was far higher, perhaps as many as 10,000.

“Very few are reported because the victims and families are shy to disclose the sexual offence against them because of cultural, social and religious barriers,” he said.

Rights activist Samar Minallah said the unwillingness to discuss it was making it easier for abuse to happen.

“It is important to break the silence and challenge the taboo around it,” Minallah told AFP.

“How can a child be safe if he knows that his parents, the culture and societal norms expect him to remain silent to uphold the family's 'honour'?”