ISLAMABAD: The Managing Director of Central Power Purchase Agency (CPPA) — an umbrella organisation of all power generation, transmission and distribution companies — tendered his resignation on Wednesday amid a raging controversy over LNG supply and payment mechanism.

Mohammad Amjad, the highest corporate official in the power system, is the third major energy sector figure to quit over the past three weeks as the government struggles to put in place a seamless system for the import, transport, sale and financing for liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Although Mr Amjad is reported to have submitted his resignation citing personal reasons, sources close to him said he was under great pressure from three sides to sign three different agreements, which he felt were not in the interests of his organisation which is responsible for all electricity purchases from various public and private power companies and its subsequent sale to distribution companies.

Take a look: Tripartite LNG deal in limbo as stakeholders lock horns

An experienced hand who as a key Wapda official in the late 1990s, spent testing times during the previous PML-N government which launched investigations against Independent Power Producers (IPPs) under Saifur Rehman’s dreaded Ehtesab Bureau, Mr Amjad being aware of the repercussions of signing binding agreements involving tens of billions of dollars opted to part ways, one of his close friends told Dawn.

NTDC/CPPA head resigns following pressure to sign deals taking responsibility for supply chain liabilities

Last week, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited’s Managing Director Arif Hamid was compelled to resign after the petroleum ministry issued orders for termination of his contract because of his resistance to take unquantified but large liabilities for SNGPL in case of a potential failure by LNG importers and suppliers to inject LNG into the transmission system.

Mr Hamid’s successor, Uzma Adil Khan, had also written a strongly-worded letter to the petroleum ministry for putting the SNGPL in a tight spot and refused to sign the LNG agreement that her predecessor also had avoided signing.

Consequently all the liabilities which were previously being parked with SNGPL were transferred to CPPA and the National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC), in a bid to convince the SNGPL management to ‘initial’ the gas sale agreement, the reimbursement agreement and the tripartite agreement on September 21 with Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) and Pakistan State Oil (PSO). This tripartite agreement was one of the key requirements for yet to be concluded long-term agreement with Qatargas for LNG supply.

These agreements have yet to be approved by the boards of directors of the three companies, the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet and the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) before their formal signing, officials said. In legal jargon, initialling an agreement is not a binding liability unless it attains finality after “formal signing of agreements” with all the necessary approvals.

But the reimbursement agreement that the CPPA chief was also compelled to ‘initial’ was not the only reason for his resignation. Mr Amjad also was under pressure to sign a power purchase agreement with the 1200MW LNG-based Bhikki Power Project, which he was not ready to do unless its security package was cleared by the Private Power and Infrastructure Board (PPIB) and approved by the ECC and the CPPA’s board of directors. The launching of Bhikki project, one of three LNG-based Government Power Projects (GPPs), has seen a few postponements in recent weeks, mainly because of legal complications.

A power ministry spokesman declined to comment on Mr Amjad’s resignation. Sources privy to the development, however, explained that the fuel supply and payments to fuel suppliers and power producers were the responsibility of the CPPA under the present power policy, which then stood transferred to IPPs and gas suppliers under back-to-back agreements.

The official agreed that after the departure of top three officials from three key organisations in the supply chain, even the ECC and boards of directors of all gas and power companies would have to take extra care in removing the legal lacunae to ensure transparency.

On September 6, the government’s top legal mind in the power sector, Barrister Asghar Khan — who headed the PPIB legal department, tendered his resignation after developing serious differences over issues relating to billions of rupees in capacity charges to IPPs and transactions relating to new power projects on coal and liquefied natural gas.

Published in Dawn, September 24th, 2015

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LAHORE: The Lahore High Court suspended on Wednesday the operation of Election Commission’s notification barring parliamentarians from taking part in the campaign for by-elections in NA-122 (Lahore) and NA-154 (Lodhran).

Justice Ayesha A. Malik issued the interim order on a petition filed by Shoaib Siddiqui, a Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf candidate for PP-147, which falls under NA-122.

Advocate Hamid Khan, appearing on behalf of the petitioner, argued that the impugned ban was in violation of the fundamental rights. He said Imran Khan, the PTI Chairman, was also a member of the National Assembly and by virtue of the impugned ban/code could not visit the constituency where by-elections were being held.

Also read: LHC issues notice to ECP on PTI plea

The counsel said ECP’s code of conduct muffled the electioneering plans of the party by curbing its political activism which was a core value of any parliamentary democracy.

While suspending the notification, the judge directed the ECP counsel to file a detailed reply after Eid holidays.

Published in Dawn, September 24th, 2015

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PESHAWAR: A Peshawar High Court bench on Wednesday declined interim bail to the provincial industries secretary, Sajid Khan Jadoon, in a case of misuse of authority and corruption.

Justice Nisar Hussain and Justice Irshad Qaisar pronounced that the main petition of Sajid Jadoon, who is also the president of Provincial Civil Service Officer Association, against his arrest by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ehtesab Commission (KPEC), would be heard along with other petitions against the KPEC Act, 2014.

KPEC deputy prosecutor general Zahid Aman said the petitioner had also served as secretary of the excise and taxation department.

He added that he was arrested on Aug 26 on the charges that he was involved in misappropriation of funds and had committed illegalities in purchase of weapons, wireless sets, bullet proof jackets and other procurements when he was the secretary of excise and taxation department.

Zahid Aman said the suspect was also involved in illegal retention of vehicles confiscated by the excise and taxation department against rules and allotments of those vehicles to the people of his choice and thus misusing his authority with mala fide intentions.

PHC to hear petition against arrest along with those against Ehtesab Commission

He said evidence on record showed the involvement of the suspect in the offence.

The petitioner’s counsel argued that the court had already granted interim bail to several suspects arrested by the Ehtesab commission.

He said in the absence of the notification of its establishment, every action taken by the commission was illegal including the arrests made by it in different cases.

The lawyer asked the bench for interim bail to the petitioner before deciding about his main petition.

The bench observed that a day earlier the court had declined bails to a former provincial minister and another official in cases related to Ehtesab commission, therefore, it would be inappropriate to allow interim bail to the petitioner.

INTERIM BAIL GRANTED: A bench comprising Justice Roohul Amin Khan and Justice Syed Afsar Shah granted interim bail to former principal of Ayub Medical College Abbottabad Professor Mohammad Ayub, arrested by the National Accountability Bureau on the charge of cheating public at large by facilitating the functioning of an illegal medical educational institution in his capacity as medical expert of Higher Education Regulatory Authority (HERA).

The bench directed the petitioner to produce two surety bonds of Rs1 million each.

It observed that the main petition of the petitioner would be heard later along with identical petitions filed by other suspects in the case.

The petitioner’s lawyer, Mohammad Farooq Malik, said initially, the NAB had arrested four people, including two former vice chancellors of Hazara University Professor Ihsan Ali (the current VC of Abdul Wali Khan University) and Dr Sakhawat Shah, Northern Institute of Medical Sciences Abbottabad chairman Dr Mohammad Aziz Khan and former chairman of HERA Professor Hamayun Zia, and later his client was held.

He said three suspects in the case had already secured interim bail from the high court and therefore, the petitioner was also entitled to interim bail.

The NAB alleges that inquiry found that with mala fide intention, Professor Mohammad Ayub recommended NIMS for registration with HERA in gross violation of the criteria after conducting inspection visit.

Published in Dawn, September 24th, 2015

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KARACHI: Rangers on Thursday claimed to have arrested 17 criminals during targeted raids in various areas of Karachi.

Those arrested include target killers, terrorists affiliated with banned outfits and kidnappers, said a Rangers press release. Weapons were recovered from the arrested men.

The Rangers conducted targeted raids in the Moinabad, Landhi, Green Town, Stylish Garden, New Karachi Town, PIB Colony, Hill Park, Gul Plaza and Liaqatabad areas.

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".

Amid resentment and criticism from certain political circles over the ‘Karachi operation’, the military establishment in August said that there would be no let-up in actions by law enforcement agencies “to ensure a peaceful and terror-free Karachi”.

Although terror-related incidents have been reduced up to 60 per cent in the two years since the commencement of the Karachi operation, sleeper cells of terror outfits still exist in the metropolis and law enforcers have been making concerted efforts to eliminate the same, Karachi Police AIG Mushtaq Maher said in early September.

The city police chief had said 3,000 hardcore criminals had been arrested, while 246 terrorists, 38 kidnappers and ten extortionists had been killed so far in police encounters.

Maher said that car-snatching incidents reported in the city were the lowest in the past 15 years while motorcycle-snatching incidents were on the rise, which he said will be curtailed.

Rangers spokesman Colonel Amjad maintained that 913 terrorists including 550 target killers were nabbed while 15,400 illegal weapons were recovered from the custody of criminals operating within the city.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and India have no plan to meet at the upcoming United Nations (UN) General Assembly, the Pakistani foreign office said on Thursday, scotching speculation that the leaders of the two nations might seek the opportunity to improve rocky ties.

Both Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi are due to stay at the same hotel in New York during the meeting of world leaders this month, leading some media to speculate the two would meet.

But Foreign Ministry spokesman Qazi Khalilullah denied those reports.

"No proposal is on the table for the meeting of the two PMs," he told Reuters.

Read: Sharif-Modi meeting in US unlikely

Planned talks between national security advisors from the two neighbours were cancelled last month hours before they were due to start, dashing hopes the two might tackle the violence that many fear could one day spark a nuclear showdown.

India and Pakistan have fought three wars since becoming independent nations in 1947, two of them over the Himalayan region of Kashmir, which both claim in full but rule in part.

Sharif was elected in 2013 promising to improve relations with India, but since then domestic troubles have forced him to cede more control over foreign and security policy to Pakistan's military.

Modi, who took office in May last year, has taken a hard line with Pakistan, insisting he is unwilling to discuss other issues unless Pakistan admits its role in terror attacks in India.

In last month's cancelled talks, India wanted to only discuss terrorism-related issues.

Pakistan wanted a wider agenda, including the status of Kashmir, a topic that Khalilullah said Sharif would raise at the UN.

LONDON: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif offered Eidul Azha prayers in the London Central Mosque at the Islamic Cultural Centre on Thursday.

The prime minister, together with the Pakistani community, prayed for peace, progress and prosperity of the country and unity of Ummah, said a press release issued by the Pakistan High Commission.

Talking to journalists, the prime minister extended his heartiest Eid greetings to the nation and stressed the need for national unity to meet challenges being faced by the country.

Earlier on arrival, he was received by the cultural centre’s Director General, Dr Ahmad Al-Dubayan.

The prime minister was accompanied by Special Assi­s­tant Tariq Fatemi, Pakistan’s High Commis­sioner Syed Ibne Abbas, officials and a large number of the Pakistani community.

Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2015

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PESHAWAR: The Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) of Peshawar Central Jail and his brother were shot dead by unidentified assailants on Thursday in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Charsadda district, on a day when the first day of Eidul Azha is being celebrated in some districts of the province.

Police officials in Charsadda said DSP Zahir Shah was shot while he was exchanging Eid greetings at his hujra or guesthouse in Charsadda's Mandai area.

Local residents said that four armed men arrived on motorcycles and two went inside the premises posing as visitors to exchange Eid greetings with Shah, who was sitting in a compound adjacent to his house.

The attackers opened fire on the DSP following which his brother, who was nearby, rushed to the scene with a gun. The two assailants who were waiting outside shot Zahir Shah's brother, the residents said.

“Unknown gunmen shot dead Zahir Shah and his brother and fled on motorcycles,” local police station chief Hassan Khan told AFP.

District police chief Shafi Ullah confirmed the incident.

Nobody immediately claimed responsibility but Taliban militants have targeted police, politicians and government officials in the past.

A contingent of police reached the site soon after the incident and cordoned off the area. A search operation was subsequently initiated as a probe into the incident went underway.

Last night, three suspected terrorists were killed in an ambush with police in Charsadda's Akhunzada area. Police also recovered weapons and hand grenades from the terrorists.

ISLAMABAD: A local court on Thursday granted bail to Haris and Haroon Rasheed, the sons of deceased Lal Masjid cleric Ghazi Abdul Rasheed in a case pertaining to recovery of licensed weapons being carried without a permit.

Haris Rasheed, Haroon Rasheed and their driver were released after depositing surety bonds worth Rs 30,000 each.

The duo along with their driver were arrested by a joint team of Police and Rangers from Islamabad's F-6 sector late on Tuesday during a routine patrol.

An army uniform and a handgun were seized from their vehicle.

According to a report published in Dawn Newspaper today, a case was registered against the three men under sections 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 170 (impersonating a public servant) and 171 (wearing garb or carrying token used by public servant with fraudulent intent) of the Pakistan Penal Code and the Arms Ordinance, police said.

They added that the three men were later produced before a court, where they were handed over to police custody on a one-day physical remand.

When contacted, Kohsar police officials said that they were in the process of verifying the arms licence, adding that if it was found to be genuine, charges under the Arms Ordinance would be dropped. However, they maintained that the men had committed a crime by carrying a weapon without a permit.

Talking about the uniform that was recovered from them, police officials said the two siblings admitted that they had purchased the jacket around four years ago but had not disclosed where they got it from.

Describing the jacket, the police official said, “It bore the print of an army uniform, but without any shoulder pips or badges.”

The trio were presented in the court of judicial magistrate Amir Khalil today who accepted the police plea to send them to prison while the brothers' counsel Tariq Asad filed a bail plea arguing that the the sections under which the case was registered are 'bailable'

The judge accepted the bail plea and ordered all three to deposit surety bonds worth Rs 30,000 each for their release.

All three were released after they deposited the surety bonds.

Explore: Who is Haroon Rashid?

A spokesperson of the Lal Masjid-led Shuhda Foundation Trust, in a statement released yesterday, claimed that the police arrested Haroon in order to force him to withdraw the complaint against Gen Musharraf.

The statement claimed that in 2004, police had implicated Abdul Rashid Ghazi in an identical case as they recovered ‘fake’ weapons from the vehicle. According to the statement, Ghazi was later acquitted by the courts.

Lal Masjid cleric Abdul Rashid Ghazi's body was found in the basement of Jamia Hafsa after the security forces’ 2007 Operation Silence.

A large number of people including militants, seminary students and military troops were killed in the operation.

Despite strong concerns from religious quarters, a clean-up operation against seminaries and terror-funding outfits has expanded into the federal capital.

RAWALPINDI: Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif on Thursday said the continuous ceasefire violations by Indian forces along the Line of Control (LoC) is an “unsuccessful attempt” to distract Pakistan from its own anti-terror war.

Talking to troops at forward positions on the LoC in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), General Raheel said the battle hardened Pakistan Army is successfully handling “two different knids of war” and is capable of defending every inch of the beloved motherland.

The COAS greeted soldiers on Eidul Azha in advance, while appreciating their morale, professionalism and valiance in defending the motherland and for giving a befitting response each time Indian troops resort to unprovoked firing across the LoC and the Working Boundary.

Expressing solidarity with the civilians living in bordering villages, the army chief paid rich tributes to their resilience and sacrifices in braving Indian aggression.

He reiterated that Pakistan Army will provide all necessary assistance to civilians affected by such aggression.

Related:Pakistani civilian injured in Indian firing along LoC

Earlier this month, Pakistan Rangers and India Border Security Force (BSF) after a three-day bi-annual meeting had agreed to stop border violations along the LoC, check smuggling and ensure expeditious repatriation of those who inadvertently cross borders.

A recent report published in Dawn Newspaper said 26 Pakistanis had been killed in over 200 ceasefire violations along the Line of Control and the Working Boundary over the past three months.

Related:Pakistan moves UNMOGIP over Indian ceasefire violations.

MINA: At least 717 pilgrims were killed on Thursday in a stampede at Mina, outside the Muslim holy city of Makkah, where some two million people are performing Haj.

Teams on the ground are leading pilgrims to safety away from the stampede by means of alternate routes. ─ Photo: Civil Defence Service official Twitter.

The Saudi civil defence directorate Tweeted saying that 863 people were injured in the incident. Saudi Arabia's health minister blamed undisciplined pilgrims for the deadly stampede Thursday during the Haj, saying the tragedy would not have occurred if they “had followed instructions”.

Health Minister Khaled al-Falih was quoted by El-Ekhbariya television as saying “many pilgrims move without respecting the timetables” established by authorities, which was the “principal reason for this type of accident.“

“If the pilgrims had followed instructions, this type of accident could have been avoided. “

Minister for Religious and Interfaith Harmony Sardar Muhammad Yousuf confirmed the death of at least six Pakistani pilgrims in the Mina stampede.

Pakistanis wishing to enquire about their loved ones can call an emergency helpline at 00966125458000 and 0096612527753.

At least 90 Irani nationals have also been confirmed dead in the stampede.

An emergency was declared in all nearby hospitals. At least 4,000 emergency personnel, 220 ambulances and six helicopters took part in the rescue operations, the service said.

Photos released by the directorate on its official Twitter account showed rescue workers in orange and yellow vests helping the wounded onto stretchers and loading them onto ambulances near some of the white tents.

Teams on the ground led pilgrims away from the stampede, to safety, by means of alternate routes, the civil defence service said.

The incident occurred across the street number 204 at its intersection with the street number 223 in Mina at nine am (local time), Radio Pakistan quoted a spokesman of Saudi Directorate of Civil Defense.

He further said that pilgrims were flocking to Jamarat site to throw pebbles at grand Jamarat Aqaba when there was a sudden increase in number of pilgrims heading towards Jamarat facility.

The spokesman said that security men and Saudi Red Crescent Authority's personnel rushed to the site to control the situation. They regulated the pilgrims' traffic towards the incident site and took immediate procedures to rescue and save the pilgrims.

Efforts to improve safety at Jamarat have included enlarging the three pillars and constructing a three-decker bridge around them to increase the area and number of entry and exit points for pilgrims to perform the ritual.

More than 100,000 police and thousands of video cameras are also deployed to allow groups to be dispersed before they reach dangerous levels of density.

“Please pilgrims do not push one another. Please leave from the exit and don't come back by the same route,” an officer kept repeating through a loudspeaker at Jamarat.

Mina is a large valley about five kilometres from the holy city of Makkah. The valley houses more than 160,000 tents where pilgrims spend the night during the pilgrimage. Mina is where pilgrims carry out a symbolic stoning of the devil by throwing pebbles against three stone walls. The temperature in the valley is approximately 45 degree Celsius.

The stampede took place near Maktib Number 93 where mostly Algerian pilgrims are staying, according to a report on the Radio Pakistan website.

Information regarding the well-being of Pakistani pilgrims is being collected, the Foreign Office said. The Pakistani Embassy is in touch with Saudi authorities in this regard, Radio Pakistan reported.

President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expressed grief and sorrow over the loss of lives in the tragic incident.

Premier Nawaz Sharif directed Pakistan's Ambassador in Saudia Arabia to "visit the injured at the hospitals and facilitate the injured and the martyred as much as possible."

Saudi King Salman orders review of Haj plans after disaster

Saudi King Salman said he had ordered a review of the kingdom's plans for the annual Haj pilgrimage after more than 700 died in a crush outside Makkah.

King Salman, speaking in a live speech broadcast by Saudi-owned al-Arabiya television, also said he had asked for a swift investigation into what he described as a painful incident.

Saudi crown prince orders probe into deadly stampede

Saudi Arabia's crown prince ordered an investigation into the stampede at the Haj pilgrimage that left more than 700 dead on Thursday, the official Saudi Press Agency reported.

Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, who chairs the Saudi Haj committee, ordered the probe during a meeting with senior officials responsible for the pilgrimage in Mina, where the stampede took place.

The findings of the investigation will be submitted to King Salman, “who will take appropriate measures” in response, the agency added.

Rescue operations

Tweets from the civil defence service showed rescue operations under way at the scene.

The Haj pilgrimage this year was undeterred by a crane collapse in Makkah earlier this month that killed 111 people and injured nearly 400 at Islam's holiest site.

Previously marred by stampedes and fires that killed hundreds, Haj has been largely incident-free for the past decade after safety improvements.

Pakistani cricketers safe after stampede

A number of former and current Pakistani cricketers, including One Day International captain Azhar Ali, offspinner Saeed Ajmal, batsman Asad Shafiq, former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Yousuf and Abdul Rehman are also among those performing Haj.

The cricketers barely escaped the tragedy as they had departed from Mina five minutes prior to the stampede, according to a tweet by former batsman Mohammad Wasim.

Deadly Haj-related incidents during the past three decades

• 1990: The worst Haj-related tragedy claims the lives of 1,426 pilgrims in a stampede in an overcrowded pedestrian tunnel leading to holy sites in Makkah.

• 1994: Some 270 pilgrims are killed in a stampede during the stoning ritual at Mina.

• 1997: At least 340 pilgrims are killed in a fire at the tent city of Mina as the blaze was aided by high winds. More than 1,500 were injured.

• 1998: About 180 pilgrims are trampled to death in panic after several of them fell off an overpass during the final stoning ritual at Mina.

• 2001: A stampede at Mina during the final day of the pilgrimage ceremonies kills 35 Haj pilgrims.

• 2004: A crush of pilgrims at Mina kills 244 pilgrims and injures hundreds on the final day of the Haj ceremonies.

• 2006: More than 360 pilgrims are killed in a stampede at the desert plain of Mina, near Makkah, where pilgrims carry out a symbolic stoning of the devil by throwing pebbles against three stone walls. The day before the Haj began, an eight-story building being used as a hostel near the Grand Mosque in Makkah collapsed, killing at least 73 people.

• 2015: At least 111 people killed and nearly 400 wounded during a crane accident at Makkah's Grand Mosque Islam's holiest site.

QUETTA: Ten people were picked up from Marri Camp area on the outskirts of Quetta on Thursday for their suspected involvement in various crimes.

Police sources said that acting on a tip-off, personnel of law-enforcement agencies and police conducted a raid in the Marri Camp Western Bypass area and took 10 suspects into custody.

The suspects were being interrogated at a police station, the sources said.

Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2015

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Eidul Azha prayers will be offered at various places in twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad as per following schedule:

Islamabad

5:50 a.m: Ahel-e-Hadith Eidgah, F-11/G-11 Cricket Ground.

6:00 a.m: Ahel-e-Hadith Eidgah, G-11/4 Cricket Ground (opposite G-10/1)

6:30 a.m: Ahel-e-Hadith Eidgah, opposite School no. 39, I-9/4, Jamia Masjid Muhammadi (Ahel-e-Hadith), Barma Town.

7:00 a.m: Jamia Masjid Anwar-e-Madina, PWD Colony, G-9/2, Markazi Eidgah (Ahel-e-Hadith), G-6/1, Masjid Taqviatul Islam (Ahel-e-Hadith), G-7/3, Jamia Masjid Quba (Ahel-e-Hadith), I-8 Markaz, Jamia Masjid Muhammadi (Ahel-e-Hadith), B-Block, PWD Town, Jamia Masjid Tauheed (Ahel-e-Hadith), near Telephone exchange, Model Town.

7:15 am: Eidgah Police Ground, Sector G-7, Jamia Masjid Al-Saleh, Sector H-8, Jamia Masjid, Salman Farsi, I-9/4, Jamia Masjid Syedna Hassan, G-13/1, Jamia Masjid Taqwa-ul-Iman, G-9/1, (Ahel-e-Hadith) Eidgah, Green Belt, G-10/3 and G-9/2, Jamia Masjid Aqsa (Ahel-e-Hadith), Street 13, F-6/3, Jamia Masjid Imam Ibne Taima (Ahel-e-Hadith), G-10/2, Jamia Masjid Hoz Harmain (Ahel-e-Hadith), Officer Enclave, Koral, Jamia Masjid Hoz Ibrahim (Ahel-e-Hadith), Sharifabad, Tarlia Kalan, Jamia Masjid Farooq (Ahel-e-Hadith), Ghori Town.

7:30 am: Faisal Masjid, Jamia Masjid Muhammadi (Ahel-e-Hadith), Sangjani, Jamia Masjid Muhammadi (Ahel-e-Hadith), Talhar Village, Jamia Masjid Ar-Rehman (Ahel-e-Hadith), I-8/1, Jamia Masjid Bokhari (Ahel-e-Hadith), near Rescue 15, G-8/4, Jamia Masjid Abu Bakar Siddique (Ahel-e-Hadith), B-Block, Sawan Garden, Jamia Masjid Muhammadi, Shahzad Town, Jamia Masjid Bahar-e-Madina, G-10/4, Jamia Masjid Amir Hamza, Sitara Market, Jamia Masjid Aqsa, I-8/2, Jamia Masjid Maaz Ibn-e-Jabal, I-8/3, Jamia Masjid Syedena Hussain, G-13/1.

7:45 am: Jamia Masjid Qadria, G-7/3-4.

8:00 am: Naval Complex Ground, E-8, Masjid Al Hijjat, F-11/1, Jamia Masjid Ali, G-9/2, Jamia Masjid Al-Rehman, G-9/2, Jamia Masjid Baitul Islam, F-11/1, Jamia Masjid Ghosia, G-11/3, Jamia Masjid Gulzar, G-10/3, Jamia Masjid Jelani, G-8/1, Jamia Masjid Mai Raishma, G-11/2, Masjid Naeemia Anwar-e-Habib, G-10/3, (Ahel-e-Hadith) Eidgah, Motorway, Chowk, Jahangi Syedan, Masjid Khubaib bin Arrt (Ahel-e-Hadith), Nelor Factory Gate, Jamia Masjid Usman-e-Ghani, Chanba Mohalla Kahuta, Jamia Masjid Muhammadi, I-10/1.

8:15 am: Bhara Kahu Eidgah Shama Risalat, Jamia Masjid Siddique Akbar, Markaz G-10, Police Ground, Markaz G-7, Markazi Jamia Masjid, G-6/2, Jamia Masjid Gulshan Mustafa, I-8/1, Jamia Masjid Ameerul Momineen, G-8/4, Jamia Masjid Noor Madina, I-8/4, Jamia Masjid Khulfa-e-Rashdeen, G-9/2, Jamia Masjid Haleema, G-9/3, Park Ground, I-8/3, (Ahel-e-Hadith) Eidgah, G-11/3, Madrisa Tarteel-ul-Quraan, Bahtar.

8:30 am: Ahel-e-Hadith Eidgah, G-11 Ground, Jamia Masjid Siddiq-e-Akbar, Kahuta, Masjid Muhammadi, Mohalla Siddiq-e-Akbar, Peshawar Road Tarnool.

8:45 am: Masjid Motamar-e-Alam-e-Islami, Super Market, F-6, Jamia Masjid Mirajul Nabi, Simly Dam, Jamia Masjid Mustafa Tower, F-10/3, Jamia Masjid Mugheera Bin Shuba, Green Belt, G-10/3, I-8/4 Ground, Markazi Eidgah, Lal Quarters.

Rawalpindi

6:10 am: Govt. Degree College, Asghar Mall (Ahl-e-Hadith), Eidgah, Nawaz Sharif Park.

6:30 am: Madrasa Milia Islamia High School, F-Block, Satellite Town.

7:00 am: Gordon College (Ahel-e-Hadith), Jamia Masjid Tayaba (Ahel-e-Hadith), Loi Bher, Jamia Masjid Darus Salam (Ahel-e-Hadith), Chainbaili Road, I-10/2, Jamia Masjid Muhammadi (Ahel-e-Hadith), B-Block, Satellite Town, Jamia Masjid Saluhdin, Fazal Town, Chaklala.

7:15 am: Masjid Aqsa (Ahel-e-Hadith), New Mulpur, Chak Shahzad, Kuri Road, Jamia Masjid Ayesha Siddiqa, Double Road, Shamsabad.

7:30 am: Masjid-ul-Furqan, Satellite Town, Jamia Masjid Akbari, Mohanpura, Jamia Masjid, Rawalpindi Medical College, Jamia Masjid Al-Falah, Raja Aslam Colony, Eidgah (Ahel-e-Hadith), New Shakrial, Jamia Masjid Syed-e-Na Farooq Azam, Gali no. 9, Saham, Jamia Masjid Quba, Qasimabad, Mohallah Sultanpura, Jamia Masjid Khalid-bin-Waleed, Pindora, Eidgah Markaz Ground, Taramri Chowk, Masjid Mumtaz Ibrahim, Ariya Mohallah, Jamia Masjid Ghausia, Westridge III, Jamia Masjid, Wapda Colony, Jamia Masjid, Dhoke Elahi Buksh, Jamia Masjid Madni, Pindora, Jamia Masjid, Nai Abadi, Mareer Hassan, Jamia Masjid, Westridge Bazaar.

7:45 am: Jamia Masjid Muhammadia, New Katarian Market, Al-Farooq Hotel Ground, Committee Chowk.

8:00 am: Masjid Gulzar-e-Muhammadi (Ahel-e-Hadith), Sadiqabad, Nawaz Sharif Park, Shamasabad, Murree Road, Masjid Mai Ayesha Siddiqa, New Afshan Colony, Jamia Masjid Ameer Hamza, Pindora, Masjid Shah Wali Ullah, Qadiria Colony, Peshawar Road..

8:15 am: Jamia Masjid, Jinah Town Adiala, Jamia Masjid Gul Sirajm, Mohallah Waris Khan, Al-Halal Park, Asghar Mall Scheme, Children Ground, Commercial Market, Satellite Town, Jamia Hanfia Masjid, Cantonment Mandi, Jamia Masjid Al Haq, Jinnah Town, Adiala, Jamia Masjid Ashab-e-Suffa, Shah Faisal Colony, Jamia Masjid Darrusalam, Dhoke Hassu, Jamia Masjid, Gulzar-e-Quaid Colony, Shah Baloot Park, Saddar, Jamia Masjid Anwar-e-Madina, Dhoke Kashmirian, Jamia Masjid Wapda Colony, Mareer Hassan, Masjid-ur-Rahman, New Iqbal Town, Service Road, Jamia Masjid, Benazir Bhutto Hospital, Jamia Masjid, Darbar Baba Lal Shah, Jamia Masjid, Dhoke Kamal Din, Chaklala, Jamia Masjid, Awaisia, Saadi Road, Saddar, Jamia Masjid Al-Habib, Haider Road, Saddar, Jamia Masjid Taqvia, Pindora, Madni Masji, near Primary School, Eidgah, Gawalmandi, Aqsa Park, E-Block, Satellite Town.

8:30 am: Markazi Eidgah Rawalpindi, Municipal Hockey Stadium, Satellite Town, Jamia Masjid Ghousia, Ariya Mohalla, Shamal School, Masjid Siddiq-e-Akbar Wapda Colony, Kamalabad, Masjid Muhammadi Hanfi, Muslimabad, Chaklala, Jamia Masjid Muhammad Baxh, Millat Colony, Jamia Masjid Makki, Pindora, Jamia Masjid Hanfia, Haji Chowk, Muslim Town.

8:45 am: Jamia Masjid Babul Islam, Adiala Road, Jamia Masjid Darrusalam, Adiala Road, Jamia Masjid Madni, Pirwadahi, Pathan-e-Bazaar, Jamia Masjid Makki, Commercial Centre, Satellite Town, Jamia Masjid Makki, Pindora, Jamia Masjid Moti, Liaquat Road, Jamia Masjid Noor, Ghazi Dahgal, Jamia Masjid Qubba, Commercial Centre, Satellite Town, Jamia Masjid Rehmania Ghosia, Taramari Chowk, Jamia Masjid Saddique Akbar, Dhoke Mungtal, Jamia Masjid Sardar Khan, Allama Iqbal Colony, Jamia Masjid Usman, Fauji Colony, Jamia Masjid Usman Ghani, Gali No. 28, Fauji Colony, Jamia Masjid, Kutchery, Jamia Masjid, Kohsar Colony, Chaakra, Khulaf-e-Rashideen Masjid, Dhoke Najo, Markazi Jamia Masjid, Qasimabad, Masjid Saddique Akbar, Habib Colony, Baraf Khana, Liaqat Road, Jamia Masjid Bilal, Baghvi, Hilal Park, Asghar Mall Scheme, Joharabad, Jamia Masjid Pirachagan, Circular Road, Jamia Masjid Syeda Fatima-tuz-Zahra, Kuri Road, Eidgah, Chungi No. 22.

9:00 am: Jamia Darrusalam, Murree Road, Jamia Masjid Ghosia, Ashraf Colony, Lalazar, Jamia Masjid Madni, Bungash Colony, Jamia Masjid, Mohallah Gulshanabad, Muhammadi Masjid, New Katarian, Satellite Town, Usman-e-Ghani, Water Tanki, Asghar Mall Scheme, Jamia Masjid, Jinnah Colony, Sir Syed Chowk, Bahbud School Ground.

9:15 am: Eidgah Sharif, Children Park, D-Block, Commercial Market, Jamia Islamia, Kashmir Road, Jamia Masjid Ghousia, Simla School, Arya Mohallah, Jamia Masjid Jamen Wali, Bhabra Bazar, Jamia Masjid Madina, Gali No. 28, Mohallah Amerpura, Jamia Masjid Muhammadia, Alipur, Jamia Masjid Mujadadia Rizvia, Khayaban-e-Sir Syed, Jamia Masjid, Baba Lal Shah Bokhari, Chungi No. 22, Jamia Masjid, Islampura Jabbar, Jamia Masjid, Mohra Batian, Jamia Masjid, Pir Syed Abdullah Shah Mushadi, Masjid Hanifa, Baralivi Gali No. 3, Qasimabad, Koh-e-Noor Mill, Masjid Ilyas, Gulshan Furqan, Stadium Road, Masjid Mohammad Hussnain, Jangle Hotel near Motorway Chowk, Jamia Islamia, Kashmir Road Saddar, Jamia Masjid Gulzar-e-Madina, Dhoke Kamal Din, Jamia Masjid, Bilal Dhoke Gangal, Younas Masjid, Shafique Colony, Dhoke Paracha, Jamia Masjid Muzaffar, Satellite Town, Liaqat Bagh Ground, F. G. Technical High School Lal Kurti, Jamia Masjid Al-Waris, Dhoke Reverhra, Jamia Masjid Farooqia, Kuri Road, Muslim Town, Jamia Masjid Hanifa, Haji Chowk, Muslim Town, Jamia Masjid Noor-e-Madina, Golain, Jamia Masjid Parachgaan, Circular Road, Jamia Masjid Sofia Imamia Noor Bukhtia, Iqbalpura, Jamia Masjid, Pindori Bungial, Jamia Masjid, Nasir Colony, Madrasa Ghousia Zia-ul-Aloom, New Faisal Colony, Golra More, Masjid Shah Qasim, Faiz Bukhsh Sofia Imamia Noor Bukhtia, Masjid Syed-e-Na no. 1, Mohalla Waris Khan, Murree Road, Jamia Masjid Roshan, Jandha Cheechi, Jamia Qadiria Hifzul Quraan, Millat Colony, Jamia Masjid Noorani, Dhoke Khaba, Jamia Masjid Khan Bahadar, Hospital Road, Saddar.

Fiqah-e-Jafaria

7:30 am: Masjid Ali Ibn-e-Abi Talib, Bhara Kahu, Islamabad,

8:00 am: Jafria Masjid, Khurram Colony, Imambargah Alamdar, Sir Syed Road Cantonment, Rawalpindi, Qasr Imam Musa Kazim, I-10/1,Qasr Khadeeja tul Kubra, Tarlai Kalan, Islamabad, Masjid Darbar Sakhi Shah Piyara, Choor Harpal, Rawalpindi, Madrasa Zainabia Chakri Road, Rawalpindi, Masjid Baqiullah, Bihar Shah Colony, near Qasim Base, Imambargah Ghulamn-e-Masoomain, Pakistan Town, Imamia Masjid, Treat Saidian, Sports Complex, Liaqat Bagh, Rawalpindi, Jamia Masjid Jafria, I-9, Islamabad, Qasr-e-Abu Talib, Mughalabad, Rawalpindi, Jamia Ali Masjid, Dhaaliala, Islamabad, Jamia Masjid Qasr-e-Zainab, Lalkurti, Rawalpindi, Jamia Masjid Ashra, Gracy Line, Chaklala, Maktab-e-Khadija tul Kubra, Qasar-e-Sakina, Dhoke Haso, Qasr-e-Zainul Abideen, Masjid Wali Asar, Rizwia Hall Sadiqabad, Rawalpindi, Jaima Masjid Moosa Kazim, Farash Town Phase II, Masjid-o-Imambargah, Darbar Pir Alaf Shah, Qasr-e-Abbas, Alamdar, Morgah, Rawalpindi, Ali Masjid Bank Colony, G-7/1, Islamabad.

8:15 am: Jamia Masjid Shah Chan Chiragh, Rawalpindi, Qasr-e-Shabbir, Dhoke Syedaan, Rawalpindi, Haidri Masjid Koral, Islamabad, Markazi Imambargah, Qadeem, Rawalpindi, Imambargah Yadgar Hussain, Satellite Town, Masjid-o-Imambargah, Bangash Colony, Rawalpindi, Imamia Masjid Gawalmandi, Masjid-o-Imambargah Qasr-e-Abbas, Dheri Hassanabad, Rawalpindi, Masjid-e-Haidria, Pirwadhai, Masjidul Hujjat F-11/1, Islamabad, Imambargah Qasr-e-Sajjad, Khana Kak, Imambargah, Almadar, Sir Syed Road Rawalpindi Cantt, Imami Masjid, Shaila, Imamia Masjid Gawalmandi, Imamia Masjid, Chakri Road, Lala Rukh Colony, Imamia Masjid, Shah Allah Ditta, Jamia Masjid Imamia, Bari Imam, Jamia Masjid Syed Kasran, Ground Sabiqa Post Office, Jamia Tul Mustafa Iranian, Kohistan Colony, Muslim Town, Madrasa Imam Sadiq Bhembroot Saidan, Masjid Ali Abn-e-Talib Gungota Saydan, Masjid Ali Abn-e-Talib, Bhara Kahu, Masjid Fatima, Chowa Khalsa, Masjid Fatima-tuz-Zahara, Gulshan Shamal, Adiala Road, Masjid Imam Sadiq, Karachi Company, G-9, Masjid Imambargah Qasr-e-Abbas, Dehri Hassanabad, Masjid Jafria Mehlo Sahal, Masjid Jafria, Dhoke Ratta, Masjid Qaim Aalay Mohammad, Alipur Farash, Masjid Zahra, Ahmedabad, Dhemial Camp, Masjid-o-Madarisa Imam, Hussain, Model Town, Humak, Bait-ul-Qazim, Rahim Town Shakrial, Baltistania Complex, I-10/1, Naval Complex, E-8, Masjid Imam Hassan, G-10/4.

8:30 am: Bargah-e-Alamdar, Sir Syed Road, Rawalpindi, Ali Masjid, Kalar Sayedan, Imamia Masjid Margalla, HIT Taxila, Imamia Masjid Wah Cantt, Imamia Masjid, Dahama Sayeda, Imamia Masjid, HMC Taxila, Jamia Masjid Al-Qasim, Shakrial, Jamia Tul Raza Ameer, Dakhlai Gohra, Madrasa Jafria Jandha, Attock, Madrasa Khama Al-Ambia, Chakwal, Madrasa Mazher Al-Emaan, Dodhial, Markazi Jamia Masjid ul Hassain, F-11 Markaz, Markazi Jamia Masjid, G-6/2, Masjid Al-Qasim Bagwal Zair, Chakwal, Masjid Ameer-ul-Momeen, G-6/4, Masjid Biltistania, Angatpura, Masjid Hayderia and Madrasa Baqir Al-Saddar Shaheed, Pirwadhi, Masjid Imambargah Mosa Kazim, Ghangi Sayedian, Masjid-e-Imambargah, Bangish Colony, Masjid-e-Imamia, G-6/4, Masjid-o-Imambargah Qasr-e-Shabir, Dhoke Sayedan, Qasar-e-Hussain, Dhoke Hasho, Qasr-e-Masoomeen Kalyal, Adiala Road.

Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2015

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KARACHI: It was for the second time that Uzma Haq and her husband, Naveed Ahmed Usmani, survived a tragedy. The first time was the crane crash incident at the Grand Mosque and this time a stampede at Mina, five kilometres outside Makkah.

Speaking to Dawn over the phone from his hotel in Makkah, Mr Usmani, a resident of Shadman Town in Sakhi Hassan, said they had already performed the ritual of stone throwing early in the morning. “We reached Mina at around 7.30am, and it was already packed,” he said, while behind him a cacophony of voices and ringing of phones could be heard. “By the time we were ready to leave — after finishing our prayers between Mina, Arafat, Muzdalifa, Rami and Fajaar — there was no space to stand in the scorching heat. So, we quickly left for our hotel in Makkah,” he said.

As soon as the couple reached the hotel, they received phone calls and messages on their mobile phones. The first call was from their uncle Abdul Hayee from North Nazimabad, asking them if they were fine. Abdul Hayee, 57, was flicking through channels when a news story about a stampede in Mina caught his attention.

He frantically started dialling their phone, as the death toll increased from a hundred to two hundred within an hour. Speaking to Dawn, he said: “We often don’t keep a record of emergency numbers, though we should. In this case, we had asked them both to keep us informed about their whereabouts as this is the second accident that has happened within a month.”

On the other end, Naveed Usmani was counting his lucky stars. “We were in a group of 23 Pakistanis who reached Mina early. I was quite taken aback to know the death toll after the stampede. And it probably happened at the ground floor near Maktab 93 because usually people don’t wait; rather they push their way to get to the front, which causes people to get lost or, in extreme cases, stampedes occur. It also says a lot about the arrangements this time around.”

In other cases, as mobile networks were constantly busy, families tracked one another through internet-based services, such as WhatsApp, Tango and Viber, to keep track of their loved ones lost in Mina.

Another Pakistani, Mohammad Niaz, a resident of the Garden area, was looking for a friend he had made at Mina the last time he went for Haj. Narrating his friend’s ordeal, Niaz said Yunus Sheikh, a prayer leader at a small mosque near Mina, was looking for his family who got lost during the stampede.

Speaking to Dawn over the phone, Yunus Sheikh, of Burmese descent, said his wife and two daughters were standing near the Jamarat when the stampede began. “The crowd kept growing and I kept calling out their names, while thinking of going towards the hospital. But finally my wife called out to me and I found them huddled in a corner. My wife was trying to keep people from stepping on them,” he narrated, adding that they kept holding hands and finally made it to the tunnel from where instead of staying back at their camp, they left for Makkah instantly.

Abdul Aziz, an official working at the Mina camp for emergency services, said: “Seven Pakistanis have been rescued so far. Our officers from the Pakistani embassy are still on site and nothing has been confirmed concerning how many Pakistanis have died in the stampede.”

He added that those wanting to know about their loved ones could call on 00966125277560, the phone number of the Mina camp, or on the helpline numbers 00966125277537 and 009661254960000.

Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2015

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KARACHI: For those who want to participate in qurbani but not bring home a sacrificial animal, there is the option of joint qurbani. More and more people these days are fulfilling their Eidul Azha obligations this way.

The joint qurbani system started years ago in neighbourhoods and communities where one home would take on the responsibility of sacrificing a large animal, such as a cow or camel, and people could contribute money to buy it while also having the right to bring home their share of the meat after the qurbani.

Then in the mid-1980s, the Edhi Foundation, too, came up with their joint qurbani scheme which also proved to be easy on the pocket as they bought the animals early. Faisal Edhi told Dawn that they had enough cows and goats in stock for the people to buy shares at reasonable rates. “They can also book a complete animal to donate to the poor and if they keep their receipt upon placing the order and present it to the counter, they can also pick up the meat if they would like to do that,” he said. “We also sacrifice camels on demand.” There are 10 shares in a camel, which cost the same as a share of cow and bookings continue till the third day of Eid.

The practice has picked up with several similar drives. At Saylani Welfare International, a cow share is for Rs8,000 while booking a goat costs Rs11,000. A camel share is for Rs110,000. “But for camels, please do your booking right away as there is a shortage of camels. For the rest bookings continue till the last day of Eid and, of course, you may collect the meat from us as well,” said Mohammad Farhan, a Saylani volunteer, adding that this year they would be sacrificing 1,300 cows and 6,000 goats on the first day alone.

‘Please do your booking right away as there is a shortage of camels’

Alamgir Welfare Trust has a computerised collection service where people book months ahead of Eid and are given the time and day when they can collect the meat. The trust has teams for different areas and each team is in charge of some small areas. Male goats were priced Rs12,500 each and female Rs10,500 while a cow cost Rs73,500 with each share for Rs10,500.

Several students from different institutes and universities have joined hands to form societies in Karachi for the same purpose as have many butcher chains and supermarkets. The procedure at Meat One involves visiting an outlet, registering and placing the order and picking it up on a designated day. The butcher cabin has been offering the service for five years now and besides cutting the animals according to a customer’s preference, they distribute the meat among the poor if they are requested to do so by a customer who doesn’t want to take his or her order home.

Hyperstar, too, has jumped on the bandwagon for the past three years now. But they only sacrifice goats. “We only offer this service for mutton,” said a section manager at Hyperstar. “We charge Rs22,499 per animal and this includes the cutting and cleaning part, too, although we get the hides, as we donate them to charities,” he said.

“It is great service for families who do not want to sacrifice animals at home. We have many pets at home that we love dearly and I don’t want my children to go through the trauma of watching us sacrifice the animal they had been playing with and walking around with for the last few days. But being Muslim, I also want to fulfil our Islamic obligation which is where such services come in as a blessing,” Shahid Ali Khan, one customer of sacrificing by proxy told Dawn.

“I think this is better for people like us who are quite sick of butchers and their costly demands,” said Najma Hafeez.

“It’s a win-win situation for both sides. We don’t have to bother with the messy work involved, while also buying the sacrificial animals at a reasonable price. And the businesses or NGOs offering the service may get some meat for the poor while also keeping the hides of these animals for themselves,” said an elderly gentleman, Shaikh Ameer.

Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2015

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In the second half of 2013, when the PML-N had just taken over, Pakistan’s economic ills and mis-governance were blamed on the previous PPP government.

A year later, in 2014, the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) was declared the villain for holding a long dharna and destablising the country. Senior PML-N leaders didn’t miss a single occasion to accuse the PTI chairman of scaring away much-needed international investment. In particular, the postponement of the long-awaited visit of the Chinese president to Pakistan was blamed on PTI.

We are now in the second half of 2015, within touching distance of the halfway mark of the five year term. However, this time around Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif cannot shift responsibility on to anyone else. The PPP rule is now firmly part of the past and a tamed PTI may still be whipping up a storm in its press conferences, but it is no longer in a position to threaten a dharna or demand the prime minister’s resignation.

In other words, whatever the government has delivered or failed to deliver, in 2015 or later, will be PML-N’s responsibility alone.

Because of this, the PML-N has already begun to feel the heat.

For some months now, the government’s mistakes and mis-governance have been doing the rounds. From the opposition parties to the media, the PML-N is everyone’s favourite target.

Be it Nandipur; the LNG pricing issue or the absence of a full-time foreign minister, the PML-N is being battered.

Undoubtedly, the power sector is the most-discussed issue. After all, the PML-N had used the loadshedding card to win the election. But two and a half years later, the government has failed to introduce urgently-needed reforms in the power sector. Despite a small army of advisers and energy experts, the line losses of the ten electricity distribution companies have jumped from Rs30 billion to Rs50 billion in the last two years.

Before this revelation, the 425MW Nandipur Power Project fiasco, the embarrassing launch of the 6,500 MW Gadani power park and the inordinate delay in the completion of the 969MW Neelum-Jhelum hydropower project have also been highlighted as proof of the government’s dismal performance in improving the electricity supply situation.

The PML-N, despite its reputation for arrogance, has been facing the onslaught of criticism. Appearing in talkshow after talkshow, they have also held multiple press conferences to explain their side of the story.

This, however, is not all that the PML-N is grappling with.

Accountability and its implementation are giving the ruling party members sleepless nights. In the past two years, there was little accountability of the governing elite as the Public Accounts Committee of the National Assembly (PAC), the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the National Accountability Bureau, appeared listless and compromised.

In fact, when NAB, under the Supreme Court’s pressure, made public the list of 150 scandals, which included cases involving the two Sharif brothers, the party lashed out at the Bureau. And later, when the NAB and FIA, magically, woke up from their slumber and began gunning for the ‘guilty’, the PML-N was held responsible by its political friends such as the PPP.

This criticism continues, as the PPP and others feel that the PML-N is now willing to let everyone but their own be investigated. Allegations of a biased accountability process are growing louder.

On the legislation front, as always, the PML-N government has nothing much to offer.

All it has to its credit is the infamous 21st constitutional amendment, which allowed the setting up of military courts. But the government has taken no steps for meaningful judicial reforms or improving the prosecution system and so on.

The government has also failed to legislate on other issues as well such as women rights or drafting an acceptable cybercrime bill. This is one area where the PPP’s performance outstrips the PML-N. The former passed a number of important laws including the all important 18th amendment.

With this track record, it’s easy to predict that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the rest of his party will continue to face a hostile media and an aggressive opposition in the coming weeks and months.

The party seems to be aware of this.

“We are in no doubt that if we fail to end loadshedding before the next general elections, it will be a tough contest for us against the PTI. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is aware of this fact and brings it up regularly during the cabinet meetings,” commented a senior government minister on the condition of anonymity.

But he had no answer when asked what the government was doing to meet its challenges.

Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2015

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LAHORE: A number of people preferred to buy camels instead of bulls or cows at the Shahpur Kanjran (Multan Road) cattle market after they observed little difference in the prices.

The prices of goats, sheep, cows and bulls rocketed as a good number of people thronged Shahpur Kanjran on Thursday.

Shahpur Kanjran is the main cattle market established a few years ago and is the city’s biggest sale point for sacrificial animals among the seven such facilities set up by the City District Government under management control of the Lahore Division Cattle Market Management Company.

“Actually the traders brought a large number of camels to Lahore from interior Sindh keeping in view various taxes (fees at inter-provincial check posts, entry and space fee etc) imposed by the Sindh and KPK governments. Traders brought a number of animals, especially camel, to Lahore (Shahpur) and demanded reasonable prices,” LDCMMC Managing Director Dr Ehteshamul Haq told Dawn on Thursday.

People prefer to buy camels

He said since the prices of camel this time were lower than last year’s, there was little difference between the rates of a cow or bull and the camel. “This time the prices of goats and cows/bulls etc are quite high,” he added.

“The people thought that they should better buy camel at Rs125,000 rather than a bull ranging between 85,000 and 115,000,” Mr Haq said.

He said the Shahpur market on Thursday attracted a huge number of buyers, causing increase in the prices of animals. As there were three days -- Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday -- of rains and people thought that the prices of animals would come down just ahead of Eid but the sellers (traders) showed unity on the issue, deciding to stay in the market rather than selling their animals at throwaway prices just because of the rains.

Various institutions including seminaries went on buying spree on Tuesday and Wednesday which led to shortage of animals on Thursday, the MD explained. He said during the last couple of days, some of the traders also shifted their goats to Gujranwala where the market was already up. This also caused shortage of animals at Shahpur Kanjran.

“I saw a private institution buy 200 bulls/cows in one go on Tuesday,” he said. The official said Shahpur had 6,000 to 7,000 sacrificial animals on Thursday and most of these were sold till evening.

He said the company provided many facilities such as provision of fodder at Rs300 to 400 per 40kg. Asked why the fodder prices in the city areas other than the cattle markets were much higher (Rs1,200 to 1,600 per 40 Kg), he said it was the job of the CDGL to regulate the prices there.

Meanwhile, in a statement, the LDCMMC MD said the Shahpur Kanjran had a holding capacity of over 20,000 animals on peak days along with over 3,000 traders in an area spanning 71 acres, including the road network.

CLEANLINESS: The Lahore Waste Management Company and other private firms (Albayrak Waste Management) on Thursday finalised arrangements to ensure cleanliness in the city during Eid holidays.

“There is all set for the cleanup operations on the mega event of Eidul Azha as we have completed all necessary arrangements to collect offal and animal waste from the inner streets and areas of the city during all three days of Eid,” a statement issued here reads.

“The citizens will also have an opportunity to get their complaints registered in these camps. Main camp would be set up on Mall Road near Lahore Zoo,” the statement added.

Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2015

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ISLAMABAD: A forensic laboratory set up by the National Accountability Bureau one year ago is yet to become functional because the interior ministry has not issued a no-objection certificate.

A NAB official told Dawn that the first forensic lab had been set up in August last year, but the interior ministry did not allow it to function without its NOC. The Australian National Police had provided equipment for the lab, he added.

Know more: NAB gets forensic lab

Sources said the ministry had asked NAB to first declare that the lab staff had been properly trained. But NAB says it is not needed because recognised forensic departments had already issued certificates to the staff.

When contacted, the interior ministry’s spokesman expressed ignorance about the matter.

A NAB spokesman said the lab had trained staff, but it was still lying idle. The bureau was still dependent on other departments like Punjab Forensic Department and Federal Investigation Agency for forensic tests, hampering investigation into corruption cases.

NAB needed forensic facilities for matching finger prints and polygraph.

“With the help of a properly functioning forensic lab, investigation officers and teams investigating high-profile corruption cases will be able to produce better and quick results,” a source said.

Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2015

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QUETTA: The acting Speaker of the Balochistan Assembly, Mir Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo, has urged Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to fulfil the promises he made two years ago to the people of Awaran when the district was hit by an earthquake.

Speaking at a function on the second anniversary of the earthquake on Thursday, he said several high officials and leaders had visited Awaran two years ago and vowed to start development projects in the district, but nothing had happened on the ground.

He requested the prime minister to honour his promise about setting up a 15MW solar park and linking the quake-stricken district with other areas of the province through a road network.

Take a look: Footprints | Awaran: A year on

Mr Bizenjo said the earthquake had destroyed several roads and irrigation and water supply system in the district. Only a few of 200 damaged school buildings had been rehabilitated while the rest were still awaiting repair, he added.

Only 40 per cent of the houses destroyed had been reconstructed so far, he said.

Know more: Development of Balochistan is close to my heart: PM Nawaz

Mr Bizenjo urged the federal government to start work on the solar park project without delay and accelerate rehabilitation of schools, hospitals and housing projects.

Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2015

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