QUETTA: At least two engineers were killed on Sunday as a result of a militant attack on Jiwani aiport, near the Pak-Iran coastal border in Balochistan's Gwadar district.

Police sources told DawnNews unknown miscreants opened fire at the airport and killed electronics superintendent identified as Khalilullah during the attack.

The assailants had also kidnapped electronics engineer Mehmudullah Niazi from the airport. Niazi's bullet-ridden body was later found from a nearby area.

Police sources said that the kidnapped engineer was shot from a close range.

At least six miscreants riding motorcycles were involved in the attack on Jiwani airport, police said.

According to sources, security was not tight in and around the airport at the time of attack.

The assailants sped away on their motorcycles after the attack.

Police and personnel of other law enforcement agencies reached the site and started investigation into the incident.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.

In the past, militants attacked the Pasni Radar Station in the region.

Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Malik Baloch also condemned the attack and expresses grief over the loss of innocent lives,

He also directed the district administration and police officials to file a report in this regard.

LAHORE: Law enforcement agencies on Sunday claimed to have arrested four suspects linked to India's Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) spy agency from Lahore.

The arrested men reportedly belong to Baseen village, near the Indo-Pak Wagah Border.

All suspects have been identified by a former cop, who was arrested last week for being an “agent of Indian agency RAW”, according to an intelligence source.

Read: Agencies ‘capture RAW agent’

Private TV channels had last week reported the arrest of Ilyas, a former cop, at Baseen village near Wagah Border on the charges of spying for RAW. Ilays has been accused of providing information to the Indian spy agency about some senior army and police officials.

Following the arrest of the former cop, Punjab police spokesperson had issued a statement quoting DIG Operations Dr Haider Ashraf as saying “no RAW agent or former police official has been arrested by the intelligence agencies.” He had said he talked to the Military Intelligence (MI) and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) officials but they did not confirm the arrest of the suspect.

RAWALPINDI/ISLAMABAD: US National Security Adviser (NSA) Susan Rice called on Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif at the General Headquarters Sunday, where she “appreciated and acknowledged Pakistan Army’s sincere efforts and sacrifices in the war against terrorism,” said Maj Gen Asim Bajwa – head of the army's media wing.

During the meeting, matters of mutual interest – including the security situation in the region – were discussed, said the Inter Service Public relations (ISPR) director general.

Bajwa said both dignitaries also recognised the continued need for close coordination to ensure peace and stability in Afghanistan and the region.

Pakistan conveys concern over blocked Coalition Support Fund

Earlier today, Rice, along with Senior Director for South Asian Affairs at the US National Security Council Dr. Peter Lavoy and US Ambassador to Pakistan Richard Olson called on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to discuss matters of bilateral interest and the future of Pakistan-US relations.

Also read: US NSA in Islamabad to finalise agenda for PM’s visit

PM Nawaz apprised US NSA Susan Rice of reasons behind cancellation of talks between India and Pakistan's NSAs. —PID

The Pakistani side, which included Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs and National Security Sartaj Aziz, Prime Minister's Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi and Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry, conveyed Pakistan’s concerns over the block in disbursement of the next tranche of Coalition Support Fund (CSF). Pakistan emphasised to US NSA the restoration of the fund next year.

Examine: CSF may not be possible beyond 2015: US

Adviser to the Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs, Sartaj Aziz meeting with US National Security Adviser Dr. Susan Rice in Islamabad on August 30, 2015.— PID

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif took Rice into confidence regarding the prevailing security situation in the region, particularly relations with India and Afghanistan.

Matters related to the war on terror and security and counter-terrorism efforts between Pakistan and the US came under discussion.

The premier apprised the NSA on Pakistan’s efforts for bringing peace and stability in Afghanistan.

A peaceful and stable Afghanistan is not only of regional interest, but also in Pakistan’s interest, the prime minister said.

On relations with New Delhi, Nawaz said Pakistan wanted to hold a meaningful and objective dialogue on all outstanding issues with India.

He also informed the US delegation the reasons behind the cancellation of talks between NSAs of India and Pakistan.

Nawaz said that the US is an important partner of Pakistan in all areas especially economy, defence and counter-terrorism. He said that Pakistan sees its relations with the US as a partnership which is in the interest of the two countries, the region and the world.

The prime minister said that he was looking forward to his visit to the US in October this year as an opportunity to further strengthen the ties between the two countries.

Rice underscored the importance of strong Pakistan-US relations. She noted the positive direction of ongoing cooperation between the two countries especially in the areas of defence, economy and energy sectors.

Rice expressed appreciation for the sacrifices made by the Pakistan Army and Pakistani nation in the efforts to root out terrorism and extremism and the success achieved so far.

She lauded Pakistan’s role in bringing regional stability by holding the first round of Taliban dialogue in Islamabad.

She also expressed appreciation for the premier’s vision of a peaceful neighbourhood.

Rice assured the Pakistani delegation that Pakistan's concerns regarding issuance of CSF and security issues will be conveyed to the White House.

The US has been reimbursing Pakistan for operations and maintenance costs incurred in direct support of its operations in Afghanistan since 2001. So far $13 billion has been reimbursed to Pakistan under this arrangement.

The CSF arrangement was supposed to end with the completion of the drawdown in Dec 2014, but the US government late last year extended the programme for another year through legislation which envisaged additional conditions, including a requirement for certification by the defence secretary that military operations in North Waziristan have significantly disrupted the safe haven and freedom of movement of the Haqqani network in Pakistan.

Know more: US finds action against Haqqani network inadequate

The certification has to be made by the US defence secretary to congressional committees after every six months.

In a move that has blocked the disbursement of the next tranche of CSF, the US told Pakistan that it would not be certifying to the Congress that its (Pakistani) counter-terrorism operation in North Waziristan damaged the Haqqani network.

The last tranche of $337 million was received by Pakistan last month. The non-certification will affect the disbursement of the next installment.

Doubts have been expressed in the past by both the US and Afghanistan that the Haqqani network has been spared in the Operation Zarb-i-Azb. But it’s the first time that the US has taken such a harsh step.

Pakistani military has, however, been insisting that “terrorists of all shades” were targeted in Zarb-i-Azb launched in June last year.

German foreign minister due to arrive in Islamabad tomorrow

Foreign Minister of Germany Dr Frank-Walter Steinmeier will visit Pakistan on an official visit beginning on 31st August.

During his stay Dr Steinmeier will hold a meeting with Premier Nawaz Sharif and hold formal talks with Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs and National Security Sartaj Aziz.

"Pak-German bilateral ties, regional security situation and Afghanistan would be focus of discussion during the visit," a FO source told DawnNews.

PESHAWAR: The final phase of local government elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) was completed Sunday after polls for nazim and naib nazim were held in the province's 23 districts, with the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leading with victories in nine districts including Peshawar, Nowshera, Charsadda, and DI Khan.

In the provincial capital – Peshawar – PTI's Arbab Asim was elected district nazim unopposed, with the PTI also able get nazims elected in three of the city's four towns. Asim's oath-taking ceremony was also conducted earlier in the day, reported DawnNews.

In Nowshera, CM Pervez Khattak's brother, Liquat Khattak, was elected nazim with the PTI also bagging the naib nazim slot.

In Charsadda, PTI's Fahad Khan was elected district nazim, with Jamaat-i-Islami's Masood Shah as his deputy.

According to unofficial results on Radio Pakistan, Jamaat-i-Islami, which is the ruling PTI's coalition partner in the KP government, won in Chitral, Buner, Upper and Lower Dir, while the PML-N succeeded in Shangla, Mansehra and Swat.

The Pakistan Peoples Party was able to win in Malakand and Karak, while the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam – Fazl succeeded in Kohat and Lakki Marwat.

The tripartite alliance of Awami National Party, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam – Fazl and Pakistan Peoples Party boycotted the nazim and naib nazim elections in the district and three towns of Peshawar but did not boycott such elections in Town-4 of Peshawar and some other districts where the alliance had sufficient number of councillors to form governments.

Read: Tripartite alliance to boycott nazim elections in Peshawar.

ISLAMABAD: The Secre­tary of the federal climate change ministry, Arif Ahmed Khan, stressed on the need for global efforts to boost climate resilience of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH).

He was speaking at World Water Week (WWW), organised by the Stockholm Inter­national Water Institute (SIWI) held each year in the Swedish capital since 1991. This year’s theme was ‘Water for Development’.

In order to understand the impact of climate change on the WASH sector, he said, it was important to analyse the risks and conduct an economic analysis of the costs and benefits of adaptation options.

He said that climate change was one of the gravest unfolding challenges of today. It poses “a risk to our existence, sustainability of livelihoods and socio-economic sectors, particularly agriculture, water and health”.

About the effects of climate change on water, Mr Khan said the global water cycle was being directly affected by climate change. He said water scarcity would go from bad to worse. This underlined the need for water harvesting, conservation and judicious application at all levels. “Despite facing floods continuously since 2010, we are proud to say that Pakistan is among the 95 countries of the world, which have achieved the sanitation Millennium Deve­lopment Goal (MDG),” he said. “Now, 64 per cent of the country’s population has access to sanitation compared to 24 per cent in 1990.”

He added that Unicef had placed Pakistan among the 77 countries which had met their drinking water and the sanitation MDG targets. Mr Khan said that a number of policy measures had been taken by the ministry to boost the country’s resilience in various socio-economic sectors, including the WASH sector.

These include implementation of the national climate change policy (NCCP) in collaboration with various stakeholders to ensure that climate change mainstreamed in the economically and socially vulnerable sectors of the economy and to set the country on the path of climate resilient and low-carbon development.

He welcomed the launch of a strategic framework launched on the sidelines of the global water conference and expressed the hope it would be a guiding roadmap on how the WASH sector could be made to adapt effectively to the climate change challenges at the global level.

Published in Dawn, August 31st, 2015

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PESHAWAR: The newly-elected district nazim of Peshawar, Mohammad Asim Khan, lost his wallet containing over Rs25,000 and identity papers soon after taking oath as head of the district council on Sunday.

A close relative of the nazim told Dawn that the incident took place soon after the oath-taking ceremony, when Asim Khan was being greeted by a large number of people present on this occasion.

He said that the nazim had Rs25,000-30,000 in cash in his wallet, which he lost to pickpocket, along with Kalashnikov licence, ATM card and identity card. However, Faqeerabad police station official told Dawn that so far no one had lodged any FIR in this regard. Faqeerabad SHO Diyar Khan, when contacted, rubbished the reports of nazim’s losing his wallet to pickpockets.

Diyar Khan said that he was present on the premises when the nazim was being greeted following the oath-taking and no incident of the sort had taken place.

Published in Dawn, August 31st, 2015

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Ever since the Juvenile Justice System Ordinance (JJSO) 2000 was promulgated during the military government of retired General Pervez Musharraf the issues related to juvenile offenders continue to surface in the superior courts. The latest controversy is whether in the presence of JJSO a military court could try a civilian who was below 18 at the time of commission of an alleged offence and whether he could be sentenced to death as the same is prohibited by the ordinance.

The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Aug 25 stayed the execution of a “juvenile” who was convicted by a military court of terrorism and sentenced to death. A two-member bench comprising Justice Ms Mussarat Hilali and Justice Mohammad Younas Taheem directed the federal government to produce record of his case on Sept 1, the next date fixed of hearing a writ petition filed by Bacha Laiqa, mother of the convict Haider Ali.

The petitioner referred to several grounds on the basis of which she requested the high court to set aside conviction of her son and refer his case to a regular court. The petitioner also claimed that her son was a child as per definition of the Juvenile Justice System Ordinance 2000 as he was below 15 years of age when he was handed over to the security forces in 2009.

According to the documents submitted by the petitioner along with her petition, convict Haider Ali was a brilliant student who had passed his ninth grade board examination in “A” grade by securing 388 of 525 marks. It was claimed that according to his attendance sheet he was regularly attending his 10th grade classes at the Malakand High School, Sersenai, Kabal tehsil, in Swat.

The petitioner claimed that her son was born on Dec 1, 1994. He was allegedly handed over to the security forces by the family in the presence of members of a local jirga on Sept 21, 2009, which happened to be the day of Eidul Fitr. The petitioner alleged that the security officer concerned had made commitment that her son would be set free soon, but that commitment was not fulfilled.

So far it has not been known when and under what specific charges Haider Ali was tried and subsequently convicted.

The ISPR had on April 2, 2015 made a short announcement that the Army Chief had confirmed the convictions and sentences of death awarded to six terrorists by military courts.

The statement did not mention the names of those convicts nor stated when their trials were conducted. Later, the media reported that the six convicts were identified as Noor Saeed, Haider Ali, Murad Khan, Inayatullah, Israruddin and Qari Zahir.

The military courts have been established after the passage of 21st Amendment and subsequent amendments in the Army Act for trying suspected terrorists. The amendments were challenged before the Supreme Court, which dismissed all the petitions against them on Aug 5.

Under Section 2 (b) of the JJSO a child means a person who at the time of commission of an offence has not attained the age of 18 years. Similarly, under Section 12 no child shall be awarded punishment of death.

Experts continue to debate whether a juvenile could be tried by an anti-terrorism court or not. Supporters of JJSO believe that it is a special law and in its presence a child offender shall be exclusively tried by the juvenile court. Due to the same reason, they argue that a few years ago an ordinance was promulgated through which the anti-terrorism court was also granted powers of a juvenile court.

However, the said ordinance had lapsed after its constitutional life of four months.

Some of the experts are of the opinion that certain amendments were made to the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 in 2005 following which it was the exclusive jurisdiction of an ATC to try offences under that law. Section 21 G of the ATA states: “All offences under this Act shall be tried exclusively by the Anti-Terrorism Court established under this Act.” The word “exclusively” was added to the said section in 2005.

Now, the issue of a military court trying a juvenile offender has also surfaced. It has to be seen what stance the federal government adopts on this point. Furthermore, it is not clear whether the government would accept Haider Ali as a juvenile offender or it will rebut that argument with some documentary evidence.

Experts believe that the superior courts should decide about the controversial issues related to the juvenile offenders once and for all. The courts may also decide whether under extraordinary circumstances a juvenile can be awarded death sentence or not.

Published in Dawn, August 31st, 2015

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SIALKOT: Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani said the Modi government had miserably failed internally in India and was now trying to divert world’s attention from the ongoing riots in state of Gujarat by resorting to shelling on Pakistani territory.

He was talking to newsmen at Sialkot Combine Military Hospital (CMH) here on Sunday after inquiring about those injured in Indian shelling on Working Boundary villages.

He said Pakistan had always wanted durable peace and good relations with its neighbours, including India to promote the durable peace in the region.

Mr Rabbani said the Pakistan armed forces had the full capabilities to defend the motherland “if any war was imposed on us by India”.

He added that the whole Pakistani nation, the parliament and the armed forces were on a single page against the ongoing Indian aggression. It was the time that India should learn lesson of peace, he added.

Mr Rabbani urged the world community to take serious notice of the Indian aggression, besides, using its influence to halt the repeated ceasefire violations by India along the Line of Control (LoC) and Working Boundary.

He said the silence of world community and UN over Indian aggression showed their dual standards.

He said it would be a blunder on part of India to dream of regional supremacy by killing innocent Pakistanis.

AJK PM: Azad Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister Chaudhary Abdul Majeed has said the AJK people were ready to sacrifice their lives to defend Pakistan against any India aggression.

He was talking at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) to those injured in Indian shelling. He said AJK people and government fully supported Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif’s mission of purging Pakistan of militancy.

PPP stalwart and former information minister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan and other party leaders were also present on the occasion.

The AJK premier strongly condemned the larger-scale hostilities committed by Indian BSF along the Working Boundary.

Dr Awan said there would be no compromise on the solemnity and integrity of Pakistan.

Later, addressing a meeting of Kashmiri people here, Mr Majeed urged the UN to ensure early implementation of its resolutions for a peaceful solution of Kashmir dispute as per Kashmiri people’s aspiration.

Earlier, talking to newsmen here, Chaudhry Abdul Majeed said Pakistan’s political and economical stability could boost the Kashmir cause world over.

He urged all main stream political parties in Pakistan to get united for the political and economic stability of Pakistan, which was vital to strengthening Kashmir cause globally.

Published in Dawn, August 31st, 2015

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KARACHI: “Nabeel Baloch ko bazyab karo”, “UNO, where are you?”, “Meray papa ko riha karo” and “Aafia Siddiqi ko riha karo” were some of the slogans chanted outside the Karachi Press Club on Sunday at around 4pm to observe International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances.

Some 70 to 80 people, mostly women and children, had gathered to take part in three rallies on the road housing the KPC.

One of the rallies was organised by the Baloch National Movement and Baloch Rights Council, the second which had substantial number of participants was arranged by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and a handful of women and children, led by a young boy of about 11 years, were demanding the ‘missing’ Aafia Siddiqui be recovered. Aafia is in a US prison for the alleged attempted murder of two US soldiers.

‘Where should I go to find my missing son?’

Inside the KPC, the MQM held a press conference demanding that the authorities concerned inform them about their abducted workers whose whereabouts were unknown.

“My husband has been missing for five months now. He is not a target killer. I have three daughters and they are taunted by other children saying ‘your father was a target killer’,” said a woman tearfully. She pleaded to the “Pakistan forces” to help her and other women find their husbands.

The wife of the head of an MQM unit office appealed to COAS Gen Raheel Sharif to locate her missing husband. “At least present him in court,” she said.

A father narrated his ordeal saying that his son was an employee at the Karachi Port Authority and had gone missing four months back. He had gone to several police stations to find his son’s whereabouts and also wrote letters to the Rangers DG. “I don’t know where he is. Where should I go to find him?”

Outside the rallies continued. Speaking to Dawn, a sister of Nabeel Baloch, said her brother had gone missing a year back. Studying at a government college in Lyari, she said her 24-year-old brother had nothing to do with politics. She, too, demanded that Nabeel be presented in court if he had committed a crime. “I have filed a petition in court but so far nothing has happened.”

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, which has repeatedly highlighted the issue of missing persons, was barely present at the rally. According to Asad Iqbal Butt, vice-chairperson of the Sindh chapter of HRCP, they did show up at 4pm but were soon overshadowed by the participants of the MQM rally. “We have no issues with any political party. A missing person is a missing person regardless of his political affiliation, but we were there.”

Published in Dawn, August 31st, 2015

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PESHAWAR: Civil Secretariat Fata is set to start payment of compensation to the internally displaced persons, whose houses were damaged in militancy, after receiving Rs5 billion from the federal government.

Under the package, Rs 400,000 would be provided to the owners of completely damaged houses while Rs160,000 would be given to each owner of the partially damaged houses.

Over two million civilians, displaced from Fata due to militancy and subsequent military action, are living miserable life in tents and rented houses in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other parts of the country. Majority of the IDPs belong to North Waziristan, Khyber and South Waziristan agencies.

An official statement issued here on Sunday said that Civil Secretariat Fata had received first installment of Rs5 billion, allocated for the return and rehabilitation of IDPs. Governor Sardar Mahtab Ahmad Khan chaired a meeting to review progress on the development package.

The meeting was informed that development programme had been devised for the repatriation and rehabilitation of tribal people, who were displaced during the recent military operations against the terrorists.

To prepare estimates of the damage in a transparent way, a committees consisting of the local political administration, personnel of the law enforcement agencies as well as local tribesmen had been set up.

The meeting was informed that local committees established in the agencies had so far started survey in North Waziristan, South Waziristan, and Khyber agencies.

Survey has been completed in Shalobar and Qamberkhel araes of Bara, Khyber Agency while the process was underway in Tirah valley. Teams were preparing estimates of the damages. After finalising the survey, provision of financial assistance to all effected people would be started.

The statement said that Fata Disaster Management Authority had distributed 390 shelter repair kits, 470 roof kits and 65 shelters in Tirah valley while 18,000 more roof kits would be distributed soon in Tirah.

On the governor directives, work on the Rs 3.5 billion development package for the remote areas of Tirah Fata IDPs to be compensated for damaged houses was in progress and this far flung area would be linked with the other areas.

A blacktopped road had been constructed to link Bagh Maidan area of Tirah with Daboori in Orakzai Agency that indicated level of development, the statement said. Moreover, 16 kilometres portion of the road had been completed while work on 40 kilometres portion was in progress.

The statement said that work on Bagh Maidan-Haider Kundaw road was also in progress to link Tirah valley with Kurram Agency. It would be completed soon.

It said that 200 Levies personnel had been recruited for Tirah. Besides opening of schools and health institutions, financial assistance was also being provided to the private schools through Fata Education Foundation.

Published in Dawn, August 31st, 2015

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QUETTA: Secretary of Prime Minister’s Office and Board of Investment Syed Iftikhar Hussain Babar said on Sunday that the business community of Balochistan could get maximum benefits from the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.

Mr Babar was talking to members of business community of the province and media personnel at the Chamber of Small Traders and Small Industries here.

He said 11 of 33 economic zones to be set up along the CPEC would be in Balochistan where the federal government would provide a number of incentives, including tax exemption.

The secretary said the western route of the CPEC, from Gwadar to Quetta and Dera Ismail Khan, would be constructed on priority basis.

Federal secretary says western route of the corridor to be constructed on priority basis

He urged members of the province’s business community to develop contacts with investors in Iran and Afghanistan and persuade them to invest in Balochistan and get benefits of the CPEC project. The government had set up an office of the Board of Investment in Gwadar to facilitate investors, he added.

The secretary said the CPEC project would open a new era of economic development in the region. It will also create new job opportunities in the country.

Following the suggestion of Balochistan Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch, Mr Babar, the federal government was taking steps to set up economic zones in Bostan, Hub and Gwadar.

He said World Bank and IMF had appreciated financial policies of the Pakistan’s government.

Chamber of Small Traders and Small Industries president Juma Khan Noorzai presented a shield to Mr Babar.

Published in Dawn, August 31st, 2015

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PESHAWAR: Abdul Munghaim, a student of 7th grade and resident of Kadi in Shah Mansoor village, Swabi district, got a widespread fame on social media due to his velvety voice.

According to his father, his teenage son came to limelight when a local CD storekeeper uploaded his video clips on social media in which he had sung poems of Ghani Khan in the style of Sardar Ali Takkar. He wanted to become an electrical engineer and also wished to pursue singing career in future.

Dr Asfandyar, father of Abdul Munghaim, told Dawn that his son was gifted with an inborn talent of singing and could copy senior Pashto singer Sardar Ali Takkar and also could imitate noted folk singers Karan Khan, Haroon Bacha and Humayun Khan. He said that after his child’s video went viral, a private Pashto TV channel invited him for performance at Nishtar Hall.

He said that little Muneeb gave a wonderful performance and received a standing ovation from the audience.

He said that the teenagers should be encouraged to bring out their hidden talent and should not be discouraged at any stage to display their inborn ability.

Mr Munghaim told Dawn that a local CD storekeeper recorded some poems in his voice without music on his mobile phone set a year ago and put it on social media.

He said that his video clip was viewed by thousands of people and liked his voice. “I became a singer overnight. Teenagers have talent, but in most cases, parents and teachers don’t encourage them because of taboos. I am fortunate enough to have kind parents and teachers who are caring and want to boost my confidence,” he said.

He said that although Pashto was not being taught as subject at the English medium school yet he could read and memorize long and difficult poems and ghazals of Pashto poets. “I read in a private school where Pashto is not part of our syllabus but due to my penchant for Pashto poetry and music, I can read Pashto script with ease and fluency. I give equal time to playing sports and schoolwork,” he added.

The 7th grader told this scribe that once his teacher at a village mosque beat him over singing Pashto songs while he was on his way back home in the village street.

He said that he reported the incident of his punishment to his father who walked up to mosque and asked the teacher not to scold his talented child in future.

“I also convinced my mosque teacher that I am not committing a sin when I am singing poems advocating peace and love. This is what we read in my school books also. I love English and math subjects along with music. My English teacher encourages me in school to display my talent whenever an occasion arises,” he stated.

Published in Dawn, August 31st, 2015

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Surprised? Startled? Don’t be. It’s a 50-year-old headline, though the subject does not seem to have lost its relevance. Back to the headline which appeared in Dawn’s city pages on Sept 4, 1965. It was not a big, bold news item, by the way. The background of it was that at the end of the month of August, tensions between India and Pakistan were escalating at a breakneck speed. India’s unprovoked aggression was signaling something even more horrendous to come.

Kashmir has always been a disputed issue between the two neighbouring countries, and no different was the case in 1965. So on Sept 4, it was reported that the night before a batch of 101 mujahids had left for Muzaffarabad by Khybar Mail. The mujahids, who had been sent under the auspices of the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference Karachi, would fight alongside Kashmiri mujahids for the liberation of Kashmir. They were first supposed to go to Muzaffarabad and then cross the ceasefire line.

The situation was getting tenser and newspapers kept publishing such reports. On Sept 5, it was announced that a second batch of mujahids was to leave for Kashmir. The concern was becoming widespread. The same day when the second group was to depart, the working committee of the Karachi Divisional Muslim League urged the government to issue special five paisa stamps to raise funds for Kashmiri freedom fighters. Two days earlier, on Sept 3, grave concerns were expressed at a meeting of the Karachi High Court Bar Association over the war-like conditions created by India’s ‘unlawful and immoral stand on the Kashmir issue’.

Similarly, the District Council Karachi expressed its wholehearted support for the freedom fighters’ uprising against oppressive Indian rule, warning India that Pakistan would not remain silent if it did not stop its repressive policy.

The government was not sitting idle either. It was adamant to take a firm stand on the matter. On Sept 6, Pakistan was scheduled to take part in the World Constitutional Convention to be held in Milan. But on Sept 2, it was relayed through a statement that Pakistan would not be part of the convention because of India’s aggression on Pakistani territory. Pakistan also decided not to attend the meeting of the World Parliament Association a week later for which the Pakistani delegation was to reach Europe on Sept 5.

All of this should not imply that only war hysteria was the highlight of that week in 1965. As discussed in the last column, the tourism department of the province had begun to play an active role in Karachi’s development.

On Aug 30, the department suggested to the government that a special cadre of English-speaking traffic policemen be created so that it could properly guide foreign tourists on where to go or how to reach certain destinations in the city. Wow! English-speaking traffic policemen: was the tourism department ambitious or what!

On the subject of ambition, even in 1965, when the population of the country was under reasonable control, the authorities were aware of the dangers of demographic boom. On Aug 30, at a meeting of the district family planning board held under the chairmanship of the deputy commissioner of Karachi, Amjad Ahad Sheikh, it was decided that 29 family planning clinics would be set up in the city. Did it work? We all know the answer to that question.

Published in Dawn, August 31st, 2015

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ISLAMABAD: For the first time in Pakistan’s history, a Pakistani university has awarded an MPhil degree in Hindi.

Military-run National University of Modern Languages (Numl) has become the first Pakistani university to award the degree. Numl student Shahin Zafar is the first student from a Pakistani university to receive an MPhil degree in Hindi.

Her thesis, titled ‘Swatantryottra Hindi Upanyason Mein NasriChittran (1947-2000)’ was supervised by Prof Iftikhar Husain Arif (Professor Emeritus Numl) and endorsed by the Higher Education Commission.

A Numl spokesperson said that due to dearth of Hindi experts in Pakistan, Zafar’s thesis was evaluated by two foreign experts from Aligarh Muslim University in India.

Published in Dawn, August 31st, 2015

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ISLAMABAD: Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, the outgoing speaker of the National Assembly, has vacated his official residence in the capital and has moved back into his own Lahore residence. However, sources say that the government does not want to convene a session of the assembly before by-elections are held in the former speaker’s NA-122 (Lahore) constituency.

The ruling PML-N is trying to delay the session because the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2012, stipulate that the house has to elect a new speaker in the first session held after the speaker’s seat becomes vacant, for any reason.

Section 11 of the rules states: “Whenever the office of the speaker or deputy speaker becomes vacant, an election to fill that office shall be held, (a) if the assembly is in session, as soon as possible during the session; (b) if the assembly is not in session, at the commencement of its next session.”

Meanwhile, the ruling party’s arch rival PTI has been trying to requisition a session of the lower house so that a new speaker could be elected. In this regard, PTI parliamentary leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi met Syed Khurshid Shah, the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly. However, sources say that Mr Shah turned down the PTI’s request.

PPP refuses to requisition early NA session despite PTI request

When contacted, Mr Shah did not divulge the contents of his discussion with Mr Qureshi, but said that the PPP had no plans to request an early session.

“According to the parliamentary calendar, the next session will be held on Oct 24 and we have no plan to requisition a session before this date,” he told Dawn.

The former speaker, sources say, was on cordial terms with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle and nearly all parliamentary parties in the National Assembly had declared their support for him when he was de-seated by an election tribunal.

In the interim, Deputy Speaker Murtaza Javed Abbasi is functioning as the acting speaker.

In a meeting with the outgoing speaker on the eve of his departure, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had asked the latter to choose any of his colleagues as the new speaker of the lower house, sources privy to the meeting told Dawn.

However, the PM also expressed the hope that Mr Sadiq would win the by-elections from his constituency, which are scheduled to be held on Oct 11, and will retain his position as speaker of the National Assembly.

At least 87 members out of a total of 342 are required to requisition a session of the National Assembly. However, the combined strength of the PPP and PTI in the lower house is 76, meaning that they could not requisition a session on their own, even if they wanted to.

India debate

The PPP also wants the government to take parliament into confidence over the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan in the wake of recent incidents of firing by Indian troops that have claimed at least 11 lives.

Five PPP members have submitted an adjournment motion to the National Assembly Secretariat, seeking a discussion on the recent incident of Indian forces shelling on villages near Sialkot.

The motion has been submitted despite the fact that no regular session of the National Assembly is planned before Oct 24.

Terming it an “urgent and serious matter”, the PPP members say they wanted immediate discussion on the issue. “The proceedings of the house [should] be adjourned to discuss the urgent and serious matter of continuous breach of Pakistan-India border by Indian security forces,” the motion says.

“Such unprincipled and villainous actions by India are further escalating the tension between the two neighbouring countries as India has breached several times the ceasefire agreement of 2003 between the two countries,” the PPP leaders state in their motion.

“By doing so, India wants to disrupt peace in the region. If the situation remains the same, it may lead to further worsening of ties between the two countries. This is a serious issue that requires immediate discussion on the floor of the house,” the PPP leaders conclude in their motion.

The adjournment motion carries the signatures of MNAs Shazia Atta Marri, Dr Nafisa Shah, Mir Aijaz Jakhrani, Abdul Sattar Bachani and Belum Hasnain.

Published in Dawn, August 31st, 2015

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RAWALPINDI: Crispy round papri cups, boiled chickpeas, cubed potatoes and spicy tamarind water; yes, we’re talking about that quintessentially sub continental snack: the gol gappa.

Gol gappas, or pani puri as it is known on the other side of the border, is a staple of street vendors across the region and is a perennial favourite among the young and old alike.

But today, gol gappa vendors are not as common a sight as they used to be. Many recall fondly the summer days when thela wallahs would roam the narrow streets of the garrison city, hawking their wares. The streets would echo with the refrain “Gol gappay wala aya,” – the lyric of an old song.

Traditionally, the round papri is made with whole-wheat flour or semolina (sooji) and fried, much like a puri. Once the round treat cools and turns brittle the shopkeeper knocks a hole into the orb and fills it with chickpeas and boiled potato cubes and serves it with a bowl of spicy tamarind dip. Many outlets serve the gappas with a sweet chutney too.

For many, eating a gol gappa is an art. Once the crunchy orb has been dipped into the tamarind dip, one must eat it quickly, lest it disintegrate all over one’s Sunday best.

“I enjoy eating gol gappas solely because of the tangy imli paani that accompanies it, but if you’re not careful, the whole thing can fall apart in your hands and make a big mess of your clothes,” says Sumaira Rizwan, while snacking on a plateful of gappas at the Commercial Market.

“I can eat more than a dozen at a time and still crave more,” she says as she devours another mouthful.

Shahmir Malik, another street food enthusiast, told Dawn he preferred gol gappas without the dip, as he wasn’t too keen on the added spice that most shopkeepers use in the imli paani. “However, the sweet and sour chutney gives it the flavour I like,” he said.

Mr Malik was of the view that with the advent of bigger snack food outlets, the days of push-cart vendors selling gol gappas in the streets were numbered.

“People prefer to go to the bigger establishments than risk complications,” he said.

But he seems to be the only one who doesn’t like the spicy tamarind dip.

“I always eat gol gappas with imli paani. What is the point of the dish otherwise,” asks Shahid Akram, a resident of Bhabra Bazaar.

He told Dawn that gol gappay and dahi barray are his favourite traditional items to snack on when out shopping with his family.

“It’s healthy,” he insists, maintaining that the tamarind lowers cholesterol levels and chickpeas and boiled potatoes contain instant energy.

Due to their popularity, nearly every major market of the garrison city has a gol gappa vendor lurking somewhere, be it Raja Bazaar, Commercial Market, Saddar or Bahria Town.

“We have been selling gol gappas here for the past 20 years. Most people start coming in the afternoon and we keep selling until quite late at night,” said Sajid Mehmood, a shopkeeper in Commercial Market.

He said that he added red chillies, salt, black pepper and some other spices to make the taste of the imli paani different from that at other outlets. He said that while the recipe was the same, their presentation and cleanliness set them apart.

Saleem Malik, a shopkeeper at the Bhabra Bazaar, said he used fresh vegetable oil to fry the gol gappay, giving them a fresher taste.

“The mixture of spices in the tamarind water is our business secret. We add chillies and black pepper and also some sugar to balance the taste,” he said, adding that he prided himself on making gappas that would not disintegrate while eating.

Published in Dawn, August 31st, 2015

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ISLAMABAD: A government team is expected to leave for China on Sept 6 to launch soft marketing for the strategic sale of Pakistan Steel Mills.

The initiative has been taken at a time the PSM has been on “zero production-heat mode” for about three months because of gas pressure reduction by the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) for continuous defaults.

Besides, K-Electric has issued a power termination notice to the Mills. According an official, the deadline for power disconnection has already expired and the PSM cannot internally generate enough energy required to keep its processes even on the heat mode.

Sources said financial advisers app­ointed by the Privatisation Com­mission for the sale had submitted their report, which would be taken up by the PSM management and Privatisation Commis­sion. The matter would be under discussion at the level of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar almost on a daily basis this week.

A delegation of the Privatisation Commission headed by its chairman Mohammad Zubair plans to visit China for road shows to generate market interest before the launch of formal privatisation process.

The sources said that the advisers had expressed serious reservations over PSM’s current management structure and internal controls, business model, processes and production line and also over operation and maintenance of plants and machinery.

PSM chief retired Maj Gen Zaheer Ahmed Khan is learnt to have reported to the federal government that SSGC’s senior management was not ready even to meet the financial team of the mills to work out a future payment schedule.

The SSGC management had indirectly told the PSM management that it would not restore gas pressure unless the matter of outstanding bills was settled through transfer of PSM land to SSGC for Rs36 billion arrears and written instructions were issued by the petroleum ministry for gas restoration.

On the other hand, the Economic Coordination Committee of the cabinet headed by the finance minister has so far avoided the issue of a fresh bailout package for PSM to enable it settle matters relating to utility bills and payment of salaries.

In the process, the country’s largest integrated industrial unit has a major setback and lost one of the critical equipment costing Rs4bn. Over the past fortnight, the PSM has thrice cut its product prices by Rs7,000-10,000 per ton to offload Rs9bn worth of its inventory to compete with dumped Chinese products.

It still has a product stockpile of over 32,000 tons as dealers are staying away because of PSM cases pending with the National Accountability Bureau and Federal Investigation Agency.

Ironically, one of the coke oven batteries has also been on heat mode since November 2010 and the blast furnace of gas plants since June this year. The PSM said the condition of equipment had worsened because wear and tear owing to drop in gas pressure, resulting in stoppage of boilers of thermal power plant and consequently affecting other critical processes of the equipment because of non-availability of steam.

The NAB and FIA had been ordered by the Supreme Court to complete investigations into corruption and mismanagement when PSM’s total losses and liabilities stood at Rs22bn.

The losses and liabilities, according to the sources, have exceeded Rs300bn and even the forensic evidence has been compromised.

Published in Dawn, August 31st, 2015

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ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid said on Sunday that an incomplete Election Commission could not hold elections and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan’s demand for resignation of its members was an excuse to avoid contesting the coming by-elections.

Talking to a TV channel, the minister alleged that Mr Khan was afraid of participating in by-elections for the assembly seats that had fallen vacant as a result of recent decisions of election tribunals.

He said the PTI chairman was exerting pressure on ECP members to resign, which was tantamount to a technical re­­treat from the by-election by making it impossible to hold them.

Know more: PTI emerges strongest party in KP nazim elections

The PTI should take a legal course for removing the ECP members instead of threatening them, he said.

Mr Rashid said the PML-N respected reservations of the PTI but organising demonstrations and insulting national institutions was not appropriate thing.

He recalled that the PTI had participated in local bodies elections in Khyber Pukhtun­khwa and various parliamentary by-elections under the same ECP members.

He claimed that the PTI would lose by a big margin in the by-elections in the National Assembly constituencies NA-122 and NA-154 as Mr Khan had been defeated twice by PML-N candidates from the same area of Lahore in the 2002 and 2013 general elections. How could the candidate nominated by him win this time, he wondered.

He said the history of the Haripur by-elections would be repeated where the PTI had lost by over 47,000 votes.

The minister said the PTI had been provided an ample opportunity to prove before an inquiry commission its allegations against the PML-N of poll rigging but had failed to convince the judges.

The PTI had also failed to prove its allegations against former chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry and former caretaker chief minister of Punjab Najam Sethi and about printing of additional ballot papers from Urdu Bazaar in Lahore, he said.

He said both the parties had agreed to accept the inquiry commission’s report but the PTI was breaching the agreement by repeating the unproved allegations.

He said the PTI should shun politics of agitation and sits-in in view of the situation in the country. “We should concentrate on solving problems being confronted by the country,” he said.

Published in Dawn, August 31st, 2015

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SIALKOT: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Sunday said if India tried to impose war on Pakistan, heavy losses will be inflicted on India, “which she will remember for decades,” reported Radio Pakistan.

Talking to journalists during his visit to Kundunpur village along the working boundary in Sialkot, Asif said cowardly acts by Indian forces had “strengthened our forces’ determination to defend our motherland.”

“The armed forces will defend every inch of their motherland at every cost.”

Kundunpur was among the villages badly affected by the recent firing and shelling from Indian border forces along the working boundary.

Read: At least 11 killed as Indo-Pak border troops exchange fire.

The defence minister said India’s “real face had been exposed as it was supporting terrorism in Pakistan and creating tension on borders through unprovoked firing along the working boundary and the Line of Control.”

Asif went on to say that India is diverting attention from its “internal failures” by creating tension on borders.

Condemning the recent ceasefire violations by Indian troops along the LoC, Asif said the “sacrifices of our martyrs will not go waste.”

The minister said Pakistan had proof of India’s interference in Pakistan, adding that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will present the evidence at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly meeting in September.

“The prime minister will also present these proofs to the US leadership during his visit to America in October this year.”

Asif later visited the residences of those killed and injured by Indian firing in Sialkot’s working boundary area.

The minister also announced assistance of Rs500,000 for the families of the deceased, while Rs100,000 each was announced for those injured.

MULTAN: Former Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani said that he would not appear before the anti-corruption court in Karachi in the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) cases today (Monday) due to the murder of a former secretary general of the Karachi District Bar Association.

Talking to Dawn, Mr Gilani said he had consulted his counsel, Farooq H Naek, over the issue who suggested that he (Gilani) should not appear before the court as the lawyers had announced boycotting the courts’ proceedings in protest against the killing.

He said some new cases had been lodged against him and Makhdoom Amin Fahim in connection with the TDAP issue and non-bailable warrants had been issued in these cases.

Know more: PPP breathes fire as warrants issued for Gilani, Fahim

He condemned the killing of former secretary district bar Karachi and offered condolences to the bereaved family.

Published in Dawn, August 31st, 2015

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