KARACHI: Bodies of a minor girl and boy were found in a school in Karachi's Patel Para area on Tuesday.

According to police, the 16-year-old boy had killed his female matriculate colleague before shooting himself while the assembly session was under way in Gulshan-i-Fatima School in Patel Para. However, mystery prevails as to what really happened.

Police sources add that the boy and girl were reportedly having an affair and the incident was apparently a mutually agreed upon activity as their parents had not allowed them to get married.

The incident appears to have taken place in the class that the boy and the girl attended. It seems to have happened as the rest of the school was in the ground partaking in the daily assembly session.

A 9mm pistol and two shells were recovered from the crime scene.

Police also claims to have recovered two 'suicide notes' allegedly written by the teenagers in which they have apologised to their parents.

The handwriting in the two notes appears identical, raising suspicion that they were written by the same person.

Police sources said the families of both victims and the school administration had been questioned and investigators had found "nothing suspicious about their behaviour".

They added that the police was investigating if and how the male student had managed to acquire a handgun and had brought it inside the school premises.

ISLAMABAD: President Mamnoon Hussain left Islamabad for Beijing on Tuesday for an official visit to China scheduled from September 1 to 4.

"The visit is being undertaken at the invitation of President of the People’s Republic of China, Mr Xi Jinping," Foreign Office (FO) spokesman Qazi Khalilullah said.

Also read: President to leave for China today

The spokesman said during the visit, the president will attend the military parade being held in Beijing to commemorate China’s 70th anniversary of the victory against Japan in the World War II.

The president, along with 30 heads of state, will attend the military parade of China’s People’s Liberation Army at the Tiananmen Square.

President Mamnoon will also hold bilateral meetings with the Chinese president and other dignitaries.

The two sides will review important aspects of bilateral relations. Exchanges will also take place on regional issues and international developments.

Pakistan and China attach highest priority to their strategic cooperative partnership, said a statement from Prime Minister House. Exchanges at the highest level are the hallmark of their unique friendship and wide-ranging cooperation, the handout said.

Take a look: Pakistan was with us when China stood isolated: Xi Jinping

President Xi Jinping undertook a visit to Pakistan in April 2015 during which the two countries signed agreements for multi-billion dollars projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Pakistan's military contingent arrives

Pakistan's military contingent comprising three armed forces arrived in Beijing on Tuesday to participate in the Chinese commemorative celebrations of the 70th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance.

Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military's media wing, said in a statement that Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) Gen Rashad Mahmood has also arrived on an official visit to China to witness the military parade.

The statement added that the Pakistani contingent comprising of 75 troops from three armed forces is one of the largest among seventeen countries which have been invited to participate in the parade.

ISLAMABAD: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif called on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday at Prime Minister House, during which the on-going Rangers operation against criminal elements in Karachi and other affairs related to Sindh province were discussed, sources told DawnNews.

Matters related to internal security and the paramilitary forces' operation against suspected terrorists in Sindh also came under discussion.

General Raheel and Premier Nawaz Sharif agreed to continue the Karachi operation till elimination of the last criminal in the city and not to accept any pressure in this regard.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif reiterated his government's stance of owning the operation in the mega city which he termed entirely ‘apolitical’ and ‘indiscriminate’.

The army chief and prime minister also agreed that the financial base of miscreants will be destroyed to free the country's economic hub from the clutches of terrorists and supporters of anti-state elements.

According to the sources, the army chief also apprised the premier of the progress made so far in operation Zarb-i-Azb against militants in North Waziristan tribal region, which entered its last phase last month with the launch of a ground offensive in Shawal Valley.

Gen Raheel Sharif also discussed the security situation at the Line of Control (LoC), Working Boundary and the western boundary of Pakistan with the prime minister.

Corps Commander Karachi calls on CM Sindh

Corps Commander Karachi Lt Gen Naveed Mukhtar on Monday called on Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah.

In a meeting held between the two, the current security situation in Karachi was discussed along with issues pertaining to the security operation being conducted in the metropolis.

The chief minister and the Corps commander also reviewed implementation of Apex Committee decisions related to the overall law and order situation.

At least eight people were killed on Friday in villages along the Working Boundary in the bloodiest ceasefire violations by India this year.

Know more: Bloodiest violation of truce by India this year; 8 killed

Army Chief Gen Raheel, who had dashed to Sialkot after the incident, said Indians had “crossed all limits to terrorise Pakistan’s civilian population disregarding international conventions and norms”.

Decrying the attacks on civilian population as a “cowardly act”, the army chief said there was “definite linkage between terrorism being sponsored by India in various parts of Pakistan and belligerence along LoC and WB”.

Military operation Zarb-i-Azb was launched by the Pakistan Army on June 15 following a brazen militant attack on Karachi's international airport and failure of peace talks between the government and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) negotiators.

Read: Zarb-e-Azb operation: 120 suspected militants killed in N Waziristan

More than a million people have fled the offensive in North Waziristan, which is aimed at wiping out longstanding militant strongholds in the area, which borders Afghanistan.

Background: Karachi operation

The ‘operation’ against criminal elements in Pakistan’s commercial hub was initiated back in September 2013 after the federal cabinet empowered Rangers to lead a targeted advance with the support of police against criminals already identified by federal military and civilian agencies for their alleged involvement in targeted killings, kidnappings for ransom, extortion and terrorism in Karachi.

A high-level apex committee meeting chaired by the Chief of Army Staff Gen Raheel Sharif on May 14, 2015 decided to implement effective policing and surveillance in the "vast suburbs of Karachi", to prevent what the military spokesperson said were "sneaking terrorist attacks".

At the meeting, Gen Sharif vowed to continue "across the board operations" at an increased pace and hunt down terrorists who commit heinous acts.

Military spokesman Asim Bajwa announced that the meeting had assessed ongoing operations against terrorists, and touched upon directing intelligence agencies to assist in the "exploitation of existing leads" in all operations.

LAHORE: Three suspected terrorists were killed after an encounter with police Tuesday evening in Lahore’s Batapur locality close to the Wagah border, police officials said.

According to police, a suicide jacket, four hand grenades, sub-machine guns and ammunition was recovered on the pointation of three held suspects, identified as Hassan Punjabi, Shah Qanoon and Imran.

While the police was on its way back after making the recovery, the suspects' companions attacked the police van near Dera Aslam on BRB Canal, said police.

The attack led to an exchange of fire between the police and the assailants, which resulted in the deaths of the three suspected terrorists in police custody.

The operation against the alleged terrorists was led by Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) Superintendent of Police Umar Virk, while a sub-inspector was also injured in the encounter with the suspects, said police.

Almost a month ago, Malik Ishaq, chief of banned sectarian outfit Lashkar-i-Jhangvi, his two sons Usman and Haq Nawaz, and 11 attackers were killed in an alleged exchange of fire with police personnel in similar circumstances.

Ishaq and his sons were arrested by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) a week before the alleged encounter took place. Following their recent arrest, the police had interrogated them and had subsequently taken them to Shahwala in Punjab's Muzaffargarh district to aid the police in recovering weapons and explosives, sources in the CTD said.

Ishaq's encounter appeared to have taken place as militants attacked security forces and tried to free Ishaq who was killed in the ensuing exchange of fire, security sources had said.

Know more: Lashkar-i-Jhangvi chief Malik Ishaq, two sons killed in Muzaffargarh 'encounter'.

A spokesman for CTD Multan at the time had said Ishaq and his two sons were taken to Muzaffargarh to aid in the recovery of arms and explosives.

As the police party was returning after making the recovery, it was attacked by some 12 to 15 gunmen following which an encounter ensued.

Recently, after the assassination of Punjab home minister Shuja Khanzada, the security apparataus in Punjab has been tightened, with decisive action being taken against militant elements, the government says.

MINGORA: During the three years of militancy, when there was no ray of hope for the traumatised widows and orphan girls in Swat, Shama Khalilur Rehman, a young entrepreneur, came forward to not only rehabilitate them but also help them to stand on their own feet.

She opened a vocational centre in Swat in 2009 and motivated the needy women to learn skills and earn their livelihood in a respectful way.

She said that she set up the centre as she could not see the suffering of the poor women, whose spouses were killed during the militancy. “I decided to provide a platform to them where they could share their burden with others and learn skills,” Ms Rehman told Dawn.

She said that she was successful in imparting training to about 2,000 women. The Shama Vocational Centre not only trained the women but also linked them with the market to get better rates for their artifacts.

About 2,000 women have received training at Shama Vocational Centre so far

“The major problem of the women here is that they do not have market linkages due to which their products are bought at very low rates. I linked them with bigger markets of the country like Lahore, Gujranwala and Karachi etc,” Ms Rehman said.

The centre has also revived the original Swati stitch, which is in high demand in the international market for its uniqueness. The women learn embroidery, sewing and knitting besides doing beautician course at the centre. The trained women are happy as their income is ten times higher now.

Arbania, a mother of two, whose husband has been missing for the last seven years, said that she had a hard time initially as she did not know how to earn livelihood for her family.

“When I came to know about the vocational centre, I came here and learnt stitching. Now they give me work and also sell the items in the market at a higher price. I can easily earn livelihood for my children and fulfil other needs,” she said.

Sardar Begum, a mother of four, said that life was hard before she was connected with the centre as she could earn Rs2,000 to Rs3,000 a month. Now she can earn Rs10,000 to Rs12,000 easily in a month as she is connected with the centre. Some of the women have started teaching in the centre after completing their vocational courses.

“My sister and I live alone as our parents are dead. I had learnt the stitching but it was not of professional standard. So I refined my work here and now I have been teaching and also stitch in spare time to earn more money,” said Amna, a trainer at the centre.

The centre also supports young girls and motivates them to get education. “I learnt stitching skill in six months. I earn Rs5,000 to Rs6,000 a month and also study in a college,” Mehnaz Bibi, a BSc student, told Dawn.

Ms Rehman learnt stitching, embroidery and knitting skills from her physically challenged mother, who, despite her husband’s illness, did not lose heart and taught her daughter.

“I dreamt of educating my children because I used to see girls going to colleges and schools so I was determined to send all my children to schools for which I started tailoring and knitting,” Jehan Pari, the mother of Ms Rehman, told Dawn. She said that after a hard work of 15 years, she managed to educate her children. Ms Rehman said that she didn’t receive any support from the government for her centre. “The artisans produce high standard stuff and need an international market linkage which is not possible without the help of government,” she added.

Ms Rehman appealed to the government and other relevant organisations to enable them to access the international market so that the widows and orphan girls could get better income for their labour. MNA Ayesha Syed, who visited the centre, said that she would raise voice for the women artisans on the floor of assembly and would also try to link the centre with the embassies of different countries. “I strongly believe that the artisans will soon have international linkages as their work is of high standard,” she said.

Published in Dawn, September 2nd, 2015

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THERE was a neatly dug-out rectangular hole in the ground, narrow enough for my playmates and me to leap across, arms spread out, pretending to be fighter aircraft, with appropriate vocal effects.

You could call it war games. The terrestrial cavity wasn’t a grave but a trench. I imagine the dirt that had been shovelled out was shovelled back in a couple of weeks later. There was never any excuse for cowering inside the cavity. The only purpose it served was as a novelty for kids naively excited by their first experience of conflict between nations.

It was September 1965, and I was on the verge of turning six when hostilities between India and Pakistan erupted on a grand scale, following weeks of skirmishes in Kashmir. The apparent calculation on the Pakistani side was that the fight it had instigated by infiltrating forces into India-held Kashmir would remain restricted to that sector.

The past can surely be unchained from prejudices.

At least that was the conviction conveyed by key advisers to Pakistan’s first military ruler, Ayub Khan, who was reputedly wary of picking a fight that he must have known Pakistan couldn’t possibly win should it spill over into all-out warfare. As it did when India decided, predictably, to go on the offensive along the western front, and its forces came within shouting distance of Lahore.

It wasn’t a one-sided affair, though; by the time a ceasefire took effect 17 days after the Sept 6 eruption, under pressure from both the US and the Soviet Union, there was sufficient ambiguity in terms of military gains and losses for both sides to claim victory.

Relatively unbiased observers have been inclined all along to see it as more or less a draw, although it could also be viewed as a loss for both sides, as wars generally are. It comes as no surprise, though, that the 50th anniversary of that unnecessary confrontation should be serving as an excuse for a spot of gung-ho jingoism on both sides of the border.

Pakistan has long marked its Defence Day on Sept 6, seeking to perpetuate the myth that the war was exclusively about resisting Indian aggression rather than the consequence of Operation Gibraltar, which was based in part on the misguided presumption that Kashmiris would rise up spontaneously in support of their ‘liberators’.

The year before the war, there had been some movement on the diplomatic front, with Kashmiri leader Sheikh Abdullah, recently freed from an extensive stint in incarceration, visiting Pakistan, ostensibly as an emissary of the Indian prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, whose stance on Kashmir had apparently been ameliorated in the wake of 1962’s disastrous military confrontation with China over disputed territory.

We will never know whether the initiative might have led to any kind of breakthrough. Abdullah was compelled to cut short his visit when Nehru died. Pakistan was represented at the latter’s funeral by its foreign minister, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto — who a year later stood out as a leading warmonger.

There were subsequently some indications that Bhutto’s enthusiasm for instigating the conflict was motivated in part by the idea that Pakistan’s only way out of military rule was a military defeat. Be that as it may, he certainly launched his political career as a newfangled democrat on the basis of his opposition to the Tashkent agreement between India and Pakistan.

Tantalising Pakistanis with the vow to reveal the so-called secrets of Tashkent (which he never did), Bhutto emerged as a key opponent of Ayub — although his propulsion into power took another war, and a decisive defeat for Pakistan. On the Indian side, meanwhile, the aftermath of 1965 paved the way for Indira Gandhi’s rise to power.

The war was also a watershed in terms of decisively distancing the neighbours, not least on account of a socio-cultural cut-off that endured for decades and remains entrenched in various respects. Confli­ct­­ing narratives are understandable, as is the fact that each side has its heroes and martyrs. What’s deeply distressing is the sense of lessons doggedly unlearned.

The logic of good-neighbourly relations has been evident ever since the monumental bloodletting that accompanied the birth of freedom in 1947. No doubt the past cannot be changed. But it can surely be unchained from the prejudices that condemn both nations to a fruitless antagonism. Political leaders on both sides have consistently been aware that it’s all too easy to whip up a frenzy that translates into popular support. What too many of them have been reluctant to recognise is that it wouldn’t be that much harder to generate goodwill, which would entail far higher dividends, especially in the longer term.

The border skirmishes, threats and counter threats of recent days are a pathetic reminder that the curse of short-sightedness, which accounted in large part for the foolish and futile war of 1965, continues to blight the prospects for a brighter future.

mahir.dawn@gmail.com

Published in Dawn, September 2nd, 2015

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KARACHI: Almost a week after Dr Asim Hussain’s arrest, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah lodged a protest with the Karachi corps commander on Tuesday against the detention of the chairman of the provincial Higher Education Commission over suspicions of his involvement in terror financing.

During a meeting with Corps Commander Lieutenant General Naveed Mukhtar here at CM House, Mr Shah expressed his serious concerns over the manner in which Dr Asim, also a member of his cabinet, was taken into custody.

A brief statement issued from CM House said that the corps commander held a meeting with the chief minister where they discussed issues pertaining to the targeted operation and reviewed the overall law and order situation and the progress of the implementation of the decisions of the Sindh apex committee.

However, well-placed sources said that the chief minister was perturbed over the allegation that Dr Asim was financing some terrorist groups and he told the corps commander that the ‘proof’ shown to him by the Rangers’ chief in this regard was insufficient.

Mr Shah went on to say that such allegations against a Pakistan Peoples Party leader would create a negative impression of the Karachi operation.

The meeting, which was held to discuss the overall security situation in the province, remained focussed on the recent actions taken by Rangers and the Federal Investigation Agency.

The sources said that the CM mentioned the Sindh government’s concern about what he called overstepping of the federal agencies, particularly Rangers and FIA, in the provincial affairs.

He recalled that the prime minister and the interior minister had promised that the Sindh government would be taken into confidence before any arrest. He complained that the commitment was not honoured by the federal agencies when they arrested former federal minister Dr Asim.

The chief minister also pointed out that over 40 cases of terrorism were referred to the interior ministry but only three of them were so far referred to the military courts for trial.

The CM and the corps commander also discussed the progress of implementation of the decisions of the apex committee pertaining to registration of seminaries, strengthening the prosecution branch and installation of CCTV cameras on vintage points and linking them with a central command control system.

Meanwhile, the corps commander also called on Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad at Governor House and discussed with him the security situation in the province.

Bilawal briefed on rehabilitation of flood-hit people

The CM called on PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari at Bilawal House on Tuesday.

He briefed his party chief on the rehabilitation of the flood-affected people, party affairs and the upcoming local government elections.

He told the PPP chairman that all available resources were being used to ensure maximum relief for the flood-hit people.

Referring to the preparations for the LG elections, Mr Shah said likeminded parties were being consulted to field joint candidates.

The chief minister also briefed the PPP chairman on the law and order situation.

Published in Dawn, September 2nd, 2015

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LAHORE: A Lahore High Court division bench on Tuesday dismissed a petition against execution of a ‘paralysed’ condemned prisoner Abdul Basit.

The bench observed it was the job of jail superintendent and doctor to decide whether a death row prisoner was fit for execution.

Nusrat Parveen, mother of the convict, had filed the petition seeking an order against death warrants issued for the execution of her son.

Basit, 43, was convicted and sentenced to death for killing Asif Nadeem of Okara in 2009.

Barrister Sarah Belal on behalf of the petitioner argued that the execution of a paralysed man was against both the jail law and human rights.

She said Basit was left paralysed down the waist due to negligence of jail officials and could not move without a wheelchair.

Counsel for the Punjab home department told the bench that the sections 350 and 356 of the Jail Manual allowed execution of crippled convicts.

He said the jail officials used wheelchair to take disabled prisoners to the gallows.

After hearing the government’s version, the bench headed by Justice Muhammad Anwarul Haq dismissed the petition.

The bench said the petitioner should wait for the decision of jail superintendent or doctor as they had the jurisdiction to determine fitness of a prisoner for execution.

Published in Dawn, September 2nd, 2015

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http://herald.dawn.com/news/1153229/is-democracy-still-a-security-imperative

LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) told an accountability court on Tuesday that it could not ‘actively’ pursue corruption cases during the last PPP regime because of ‘political pressure’.

The revelation came from NAB during a hearing of a stock exchange scam involving PPP senior leader Qasim Zia.

Interestingly, the PPP, now in opposition, is accusing the NAB of working under the pressure of the PML-N government to victimise its opponents.

A last week court order, declining further physical remand of Mr Zia to the NAB, showed that the inquiry initiated against the PPP leader in 2008 was delayed due to the pressure exerted by the party then ruling in Centre.

Responding to a court query about the inordinate delay in the probe, the NAB Punjab investigating officer, Shaharyar Jamil, bluntly said: “Since the PPP had been in the power for the last five years, the NAB could not take any effective step in this matter.”

The accountability court judge, Abdul Sattar, termed the reply quite shocking and regrettable, the document revealed.

The court also expressed its concern when the officer said the matter was still being probed and during the physical remand of Mr Zia the bureau remained unable to recover the alleged looted money or unearth financial assets of the accused or his benamidars (surrogate property owners).

Mr Zia is now behind the bars on judicial remand and his bail petition is pending adjudication before a Lahore High Court bench.

The NAB accused Mr Zia and four other directors of Ali Usman Securities, a brokerage house, of committing a fraud to the tune of Rs80 million with public at large.

It said the accused persons received cash for buying shares of various companies in their names but transferred the money to their own accounts.

Published in Dawn, September 2nd, 2015

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GILGIT: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) here on Tuesday declared Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain absconder for not appearing in a treason case.

During hearing of the petition filed against the MQM chief, judge Raja Shahbaz Khan issued notice to Altaf Hussain to appear before the court till Sept 10 in next hearing of the case.

The court warned that if Altaf Hussain failed to appear in the court on the next hearing of the case, the court would issue verdict against him.

Also read: LHC bans live broadcast of Altaf Hussain's speeches

Fifteen cases have been registered against the MQM chief in various police stations of Gilgit-Baltistan on charges of treason, incitement to violence and speeches against the state and armed forces.

On 28 July, the ATC had issued ‘non-bailable arrest warrants’ for Altaf Hussain for using derogatory language against the armed forces.

Published in Dawn, September 2nd, 2015

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HYDERABAD: Two DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) samples of the May 13 Safoora Goth (Karachi) carnage victims matched the blood stains found on the shirt of one of the suspects during the examination conducted at the Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS), Jamshoro, forensic laboratory.

The laboratory management found that Karachi police officers associated with the investigation of the high-profile case, in which one of the arrested suspects belonged to Kotri town in Jamshoro district, did not preserve the samples [for DNA test] properly as they lacked the required knowledge.

According to sources, the samples were first sent to the lab for confirmation a couple of months back but were found ‘contaminated’. The lab staff had to proceed to Karachi to recollect and preserve samples of the deceased victims’ heirs.

“Along with a bloodstained shirt, the lab had originally received around 55 blood samples of the victims and their heirs. The samples of the deceased victims were the ones found inside the bus carrying the victims but they were not preserved as per the laid down procedure. They had contamination and we didn’t complete exercise because it was not legally sound to go ahead with the procedure,” said a lab source. “The sample preservation method was absolutely defective and unreliable as police are not trained for this job yet,” he said.When the lab management realised that the findings of the test could not lead to an accurate and correct conclusion, it decided to recollect the samples. “Then the university and lab managements approached the Karachi police and they allowed recollection of samples, the source said.

The DNA test findings showed that the shirt carried blood stains of two male deceased. So samples of 27 male deceased were obtained. The suspects had tried to burn out the shirt but repeated tests finally matched the DNA of two heirs. “One blood stain [on the shirt] matched the sample of a man whose son was killed and the other belonged to a man whose uncle was killed in the carnage,” said the source.

The examination report, to be singed on Wednesday, would be handed over to the investigation officer of the Safoora Goth carnage case.

Published in Dawn, September 2nd, 2015

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We just can’t get enough of Abbas Ali Khan: since his appearance on Coke Studio Season 7, not only has the artist produced back-to-back scores for films like Jalaibee and Dekh Magar Pyaar Se, he has been releasing new videos for songs off his latest album Tamam Alam Mast.

His recently released video for ‘Mehfil’ is just as splendid.

Shot at the historical National College of Arts (NCA), the video starts off with veteran actor Jamal Shah asking students to paint the content and not the form of the singer, implying the importance of soul over body.

As the tune falls into place, Abbas's voice fuses with heartfelt lyrics written by the great Sufi poet of the sub-continent, Zaheen Shah Taj:

Teri mehfil me hum khoye hue se paaye jatay hain

Yahan pe hum hosh atay nahi laye jatay hain

Muhabbat hamain kis manzil pe le aayi Khuda janay

Tasalli aap dearahay hain, hum ghabraye jatay hain

While the lyrics narrate a woeful tale of unrequited love, the video shows young artists painting Abbas in various forms: a tied-up man, an angel, a devil and a clown, depicting the inner self's many faces.

Clowns are a recurring image in Abbas' music videos (Tariq Amin painted him as a clown in his first popular video 'Sun Re'), and we wonder whether there's a reason he identifies with the motif!

And another reason to watch 'Mehfil'? It also brings together great musicians like Gumby and Faraz Anwer. Like always, Abbas Ali Khan hasn't failed to impress his fans.

ISLAMABAD: In view of high volume of traffic on the Murree expressway, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif directed the Punjab government on Tuesday to explore the idea of construction of an alternative expressway from Islamabad to Murree and Patriata via Kotli Sattian At a meeting held to review development projects of Murree, he instructed the authorities concerned to prepare a proposal and a work plan for the road.

He issued directives to launch a chair lift service from Kotli Sattian to Patriata and approved a proposal to start work on the feasibility of a similar service between Bastal Morr and Pindi Point.

Mr Sharif said the cable car projects should not affecting privacy of houses along their routes.

He approved the plan for a bulk water supply scheme for Murree at a cost of Rs7 billion. According to the plan, water will be supplied to Murree from Jhelum river through a 30km pipeline to be laid in 18 months after the contract is awarded.

Also read: In Murree, not everyone is equal before law

The prime minister was briefed about preparatory work undertaken on different projects in the light of decisions taken at a meeting in Murree in July.

He approved a plan for the construction of a hospital near general bus stand in Murree and said that the hospital must be equipped with modern facilities.

He directed the authorities concerned to convert Samli Sanatorium into a major medical centre and establish a medical college on its premises.

The meeting was briefed about the rain water harvesting system installed in Murree with the cooperation of its residents, and its extension.

It approved a plan for development and up-gradation of the Brazilian embassy building as a tourist attraction.

Published in Dawn, September 2nd, 2015

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ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) will again face the Supreme Court on Wednesday to update it about progress in the investigation relating to mega corruption cases.

NAB sources told Dawn on Tuesday that since NAB chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry had gone abroad, no meeting of its Executive Board had been held. The board’s meeting decides the fate of all cases.

Take a look: NAB submits revised list of mega corruption cases before SC

A commission formed by the Supreme Court to oversee NAB’s performance on mega corruption cases will present its report to the Supreme Court.

The commission comprised officials of the Attorney General Office (AGO).

Usually the board holds its meeting every week. The last meeting was held on Aug 7 and since then no meeting has taken place because of the chairman’s absence. The chairman is likely to return to the country by Sept 12.

The bureau’s spokesman, Nawazish Ali Asim, claimed that the chairman had left the country for an official one-week visit to Vienna, Austria.

On July 1, the Supreme Court had grilled the NAB chief for not investigating mega scandals, but using the institution’s resources and energy on petty cases. The Supreme Court had directed NAB to submit details of 150 mega scams and a case related to privatisation of the Muslim Commercial Bank (MCB) within a week.

NAB SUMMONS HOUSING DEVELOPERS: Meanwhile, NAB issued notices to owners/management of the Eden Housing, Lahore, and a complainant to appear at the NAB headquarters on Sept 7 to record their statements on alleged irregularities in the housing project.

The case of Eden Housing is among 150 mega corruption cases whose list was provided to the Supreme Court by NAB on July 6.

Published in Dawn, September 2nd, 2015

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KARACHI: A teenage girl and her class fellow were found shot dead inside their classroom along with handwritten suicide notes shortly after gunshots were heard by the faculty and students gathering for the morning assembly session at a private school near Patel Para in the Soldier Bazaar area on Tuesday.

Police investigators believed that 16-year-old Nauroz Hamidi killed his classmate Saba Fatima Bashir, 15, before shooting himself dead with the licensed pistol of her father, as the two had decided to end their lives after finding that their families were unhappy about their friendship.

As the girl’s mother told Dawn she was unaware of her daughter’s friendship with the boy and the family of Nauroz left their home to some unknown place following the deaths, the incident remained shrouded in mystery.

“It was around 8am when the students were gathering for assembly in Gulshan-i-Fatima Primary and Secondary School near Patel Para,” said Jamshed Town SP Akhtar Farooq. “A few minutes before the assembly, the students and teachers heard two gunshots with hardly a three- to four-second gap. It triggered panic and they started running for safety, but someone finally found that the shooting was carried out inside the ground floor classroom.”

The teenagers were lying in a pool of blood with two handwritten notes placed on the nearby desks, said the SP Jamshed Town. The Urdu notes were transliterated into the Roman alphabet, he added.

The bodies were later moved to the Civil Hospital Karachi and then police moved in to collect evidence and gather details.

“It emerged during the investigation that the two liked each other but their parents opposed their involvement. It has not happened suddenly, as the two had been planning this for days.

“The girl brought her father’s licensed pistol which we have seized. We have also taken her father on board for further investigation. The boy shot the girl in the head before killing himself,” he said.

He said the police investigators were convinced that it was a “deliberate” step taken by both with “mutual understanding”, and nobody was forced to take the extreme move.

The girl’s body was handed over to her family after autopsy, he said. “The case has not yet been registered as the family is in a state of shock. We will move further once they are done with the burial and other formalities,” the officer said.

Girl’s mother shocked

“She had a headache this morning and I could see she was coming down with something. I told her not to go to school today but she said she had a test, so I let her go,” said Waheeda Bibi, Saba Fatima’s mother, as she sat amid her female relatives in their lounge while the male family members were at the graveyard for her daughter’s burial.

“Though the school is just a minute away, in the other lane, my husband didn’t allow Saba to walk up to the school with a heavy bag and we had arranged a school van for her. My son, who studies in Class II in the same school, also goes with her. He was in his class and she was in hers with another female student when the assembly bell rang. The other girl told us that they both had just got up to go to assembly, with Saba right behind her, when she heard a shot and turned around to find Saba fallen behind her desk. She couldn’t see Saba, just her trembling hand raised from behind the desk before she ran for help,” the mother told Dawn.

“That’s when my little seven-year-old also heard someone say something extremely alarming about her sister and her head. He started crying but a teacher told him that everything was fine and his elder sister had only hit her head on her desk,” said Waheeda Bibi.

“Of course, we didn’t know anything. I was busy in the kitchen and with my two-year-old son Ayyan and my husband was still asleep. He had not yet gotten up to get ready for office. The TV was on when I saw something on a news channel and woke him up. By the time we reached school, they had taken the two children to hospital. We found our second son who had also been there confused and crying. We picked him and first drove like crazy to Jinnah hospital where we were told that she had been taken to the Civil [Hospital] so we rushed there. That’s when I found my daughter dead, covered with a sheet.

“Look everyone has his or her lifespan written by destiny. Maybe my daughter was meant to live only this long but I’m her mother, I should have been there to at least hold her in my arms in her final moments. She died amid strangers because no one from the school had the presence of mind to call her parents,” the young mother cried.

“Instead the media was there. The girl who was with my daughter at the time of the shooting said the teachers pulled her up from behind the desk and sat her on a chair. She was alive, according to her friend, for some 20 minutes at least. And during that time the school forgot to call her parents though the electronic media was there!”

“Saba was my first born, my princess. I have three younger sons, too, but she was our favourite, the life of our home, my husband’s darling daughter,” the mother wept as she rocked back and forth taking her daughter’s name again and again mixed with a few words in Hindko.

She said her daughter was up till late Monday night preparing for her test while also playing with her little brother, Ayyan. “She is the one who named him Ayyan. She wanted him to call her baji but he insisted on calling her baby,” she said.

The girl’s aunts said many children in their family had attended or were attending the same co-education school. Saba had been admitted there at the kindergarten level and now she was a science student in Class X, they said.

Nauroz Hamidi’s home was also nearby in the same vicinity but dark with no one there except the Soldier Bazaar SHO, who happened to be there at that time.

Speaking to Dawn, he said the girl’s family hailed from Haripur Hazara. The boy came from an Ismaili family, he added. “They are quite a closed and private community. He has left a suicide note where he talks of marrying his class fellow whom he killed. First of all, they were children. What parents would have allowed this? And then they come from entirely different communities,” the police officer remarked.

Published in Dawn, September 2nd, 2015

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Aunty Pakistan, the latest Twitter sensation in Pakistan, is a superhero in no need of a cape.

Her current display picture borrows from Shahan Zaidi the character of his in-production graphic novel, Bloody Nasreen. If gutsy, gun-toting Nasreen will challenge sexist stereotypes of Pakistani women by waging war against all kinds of bad guys, Aunty may as well be her verbal counterpart.

Kicking ass and taking names – quite literally – she takes on misogyny in Pakistan on the political, social and cultural fronts, and has amassed a following of more than 3500 people over a day and a half.

She has inspired her admirers with optimism and hope, and many want to buy her gifts. Some arequitesmitten by her, including our friends from across the border.

We wish more of our aunties were like her. If you aren't aware of her existence yet and wish to cover your 'live-under-a-rock' status, here's a compilation of ten of her top tweets:

Aunty gives us much-needed schooling on women's choice:

And then takes on the men who tell women what (not) to do:

She hits on sexism in all the obvious places, where it remains unchallenged.

From the streets...

....to our minds, where concepts like justice have been warped:

It all begins at home, where Aunty pays plenty of attention.

She talks about fathers and daughters...

...mothers and sons...

...and since we love ghar ki auratein so much, she also touches on betis and bhabis of the national capacity:

That isn't the only kind of sexism on TV these days; there's plenty to be found in the other daily dramas...

Aunty acknowledges that she's only human:

But she isn't going to back down!

LAHORE: A Punjab Food Authority (PFA) team led by Director General Ayesha Mumtaz seized a large amount of suspected pig meat (pork) during a raid conducted near Lahore Railway Station.

The PFA DG Ayesha Mumtaz while talking to Dawn said that the raid was conducted on a tip off that pork is being supplied and sold in the city in the name of beef and mutton while pig fat was being used in the making of ice cream.

"The Chief Minister Punjab has ordered us to check the supply of carcass meat strictly after the previous instances of confiscation of donkey and horse meat. The supply has been seized and samples are sent to laboratory for a test to determine whether it is actually ‘pork’ or some other form of substandard meat," said the DG PFA.

Read Five butchers held; donkey meat seized

The person carrying the supply was arrested and handed over to police for further investigation in order to nab the group involved in this heinous crime.

Explore more: Haram ingredients in most of imported food items

Pakistan, being an Islamic Republic has banned the sale/stock of pork in any sort or form as eating pig meat in any form is forbidden in Islam.

Explore: Inside the belly of Punjab Food Authority

The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) has been going around Lahore fining, warning and sealing any establishment dealing with food that are found in 'unsatisfactory' (read unhygienic) conditions – from high-end, expensive restaurants to low-end, small food businesses.

The authority claims it is doing this to create awareness not only about the food people were being served, but also about hygiene, sanitation and cleanliness at restaurants, food factories and cafes.

Also Read: Ayesha expounds PFA's objectives

PESHAWAR: At least fifteen suspected terrorists were killed and eight others injured in Khyber Agency airstrikes on Wednesday.

Security sources say Pakistan Air Force (PAF) jets targeted the suspected hideouts of 'militants' in the Tirah Valley area of Khyber Tribal Agency. Two 'militant hideouts' were destroyed in the aerial operation.

The details could not be independently verified as the access of media personnel is severely restricted in the region.

Earlier this week, an attempted suicide attack on the Political Agent office in Khyber Agency's Jamrud area left four people ─ including two Khasadar Levies men ─ dead and 56 others injured.

Tirah Valley lies astride the Pak-Afghan border sandwiched between the famous Tora Bora mountains and the plains of Bara which connects with the provincial capital, thus giving it a unique strategic position. Militant strongholds in Tirah Valley were targeted by Operation Khyber-II which concluded earlier in June.

However, officials have said questions remained whether the military gains in the plains of Bara and upper reaches of Tirah valley could be sustained over a long period in the absence of administrative and auxiliary support systems.

Also read: Military operation in Khyber ends successfully

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Petroleum and Natural Resources was informed on Tuesday that the Rangers had arrested the deputy managing director of the Sui Southern Gas Company in Karachi for his alleged involvement in funding militant groups.

A meeting presided over by the committee’s chairman, Bilal Ahmed Virk, was told that three other officials of the company, including the chief financial officer, senior general manger and general manger (projects) were also under Rangers’ custody.

Also read: COO of Sui Southern Gas Company in Rangers custody for 90 days

“I have talked to the Rangers director general and assured him of full cooperation in the investigation against SSGC officials. I was told that Shoaib Warsi is accused of financing militant groups,” Mr Virk said.

SSGC Managing Director Khalid Rehman informed the committee that Shoaib Warsi was detained by Rangers personnel on August 26 when he was leaving his office.

“Fearing action by the Rangers, another eight senior officials have gone underground and now I am the only senior manager left in the company,” Mr Rehman said.

He declined to name the militant group or share with members of the committee details of alleged links of Shoaib Warsi with the group.

Petroleum Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi informed the committee that a ban was imposed on new commercial and industrial gas connections in 2011 because there was a severe gas shortage in Punjab.

“But now we are planning to move the Council of Common Interests to get the ban lifted because thousands of applications for gas connections are pending with the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited. It is a constitutional right of every Pakistani to have access to gas,” he said.

The minister said the previous government had agreed that the province producing the natural resource had the first right over it, but there were certain fallouts.

The committee was informed that domestic consumers were not getting gas in Punjab, but a large number of industrial units were using gas for power generation because it was cheaper than electricity produced by furnace oil.

The committee discussed the issue of massive gas theft in Karak area and SNGPL officials said that there was an illegal network of 1,600km pipeline in the area.

The DIG Police, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said 139 cases had been registered in Kohat and Karak on complaints of SNGPL, but the court dismissed 22 of them because the company did not pursue them.

The meeting was informed that 1,800 new applications had been received in the Karak area, but no-one was ready to deposit the required fee.

Member of the committee and former chief minister of KP, Akram Durrani, said the provincial government had collected Rs27 billion from Kohat, Karak and Hangu as gas royalty, but it did not want to invest Rs3bn to lay pipelines in the areas.

The chairman of the committee decided that the matter would be taken up with the KP chief minister in the next meeting.

Published in Dawn, September 2nd, 2015

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