DURING the recent visit of the Punjab chief minister here, district nazim Tariq Cheema presented the city’s case for more funds for broken roads. The important issue of recruitment of local talented youth in government departments was raised by former minister and MNA Syed Tasneem Nawaz Gardezi while ex-MNA Sahibzada Farooq Anwar Abbasi and ex-MPA Syed Tabish Alwari referred to other problems with an emphasis on price hike, unemployment and backwardness.

Referring to the time when former Bahawalpur division had a reserved quota in government services, Mr Gardezi demanded of the CM to allocate job quota in government departments for the local population. He students of local educational institutions domiciled in Bahawalpur could not be accommodated in government departments at the time of filling vacancies.

The local students after qualifying their examinations from here were unable to compete with the students of upper and central Punjab in the provincial departments. He pointed out that the qualified people from Bahawalpur had many disadvantages and should not be treated at par with those of the developed areas of Punjab.

He pleaded that quota for the local population should be reserved in all departments so that the educated youth of this backward area could get jobs in government services.

At the time of the establishment of the Quaid-i-Azam Medical College, a separate quota for FSc students was reserved for the three districts of Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar and Rahim Yar Khan in the institution. But, later on, this quota of medical seats was also abolished. Earlier, the seats for the students of former Bahawalpur state were reserved in various professional institutions of the country.

The city had a university, a medical college and an engineering college, whose students were unable to get jobs in government departments. Only a few could be selected in federal and provincial departments and institutions. This had increased unemployment here.

The CM during his day-long programme also assessed the political situation here in view of the coming 2007 elections, and also appraised PML popularity among the local circles. To win public support for his party, he was keen to announce several new uplift projects and sanction substantial grants for them on the request of nazim Tariq Cheema.

Ex-MNA Sahibzada Farooq Anwar Abbasi was in the limelight during the CM’s tour. In his speech, the Sahibzada assured his loyalty to the PML-Q, adding that he always remained loyal to the PML.

Another disciplined time in the middle by Imran Farhat and fluent knocks by Younis and Yousuf ('Y oh Y' has been the anguished cry of opposing captains this year), has taken Pakistan quite some way in burying West Indian hopes of winning this Test.Pakistan has clawed their way into this match after winning all the sessions on the fourth day.

Kaneria, as I had emphasized he would, showed character and tenacity yesterday. He firstly cramped the man himself for space to have him misjudge a shot to the on side a run short of paring the highest score by a West Indian batsman in Pakistan. Rohan Kanhai therefore still has that with 217, some forty years ago.

Danish then deceived an advancing Dave Mohammad in flight to finish with his 12th five-for haul in his 42nd Test match, a remarkable achievement and the best way to come back for a boy with deep inner strength.

While Hafeez left to another few days of wondering when he'll begin plugging the gap between bat and pad, Farhat has begun his quest it seems to metamorph from being the cameo opening batsman to the coming-of-age opener.

It's like watching a combination of Aamer Sohail and Saeed Anwar in the mid 90s. He drives and cuts like the former and walks the ledge with the rest of his strokes like Saeed.

On Wednesday, he at last began to play by the situation give or take a few swings. This won't go away or else Farhat won't be Farhat. He absorbed the first 60 or so balls for 15 runs and the team doctor may have had his thermometer ready and an appointment with the team psychiatrist.

But Farhat soon communicated that he had his natural self-stacked safely and revealed his penchant for the off stump driving to climb to an unbeaten 70 by the close. But it will be fair to say that Younis had a hand in him upping the ante a bit. He came in with purposefulness and with a tactical plan to rotate strike and take the task to the West Indian bowlers. But in his characteristic style he drove, cut and swept with oomph and an aggressiveness that dominated the attack and pushed them back into a defensive mode.

By the time he left with another half century, he had laid the platform for the all consuming Yousuf. It was like a tag team out there with Farhat at the other end feasting on a disoriented bowling set that was confused at the cunningness of the batting and the severity of the counter assault. After Lara's complete dominance, it seems they couldn't figure out how to capitalize on a 234 run lead on this pitch and reluctantly ceded the initiative.

It was the fear that all blitzkrieg practitioners dread — the failure of the back up unit to keep pace with the piercing assault.

Bob Woolmer must be a relieved man. His squad is almost sure of saving this Test. But he's feeling the pressure, and may have had some role in egging on a board spokesman to reveal that he had wanted to play an extra bowler in place of Razzaq but that he was outvoted.

After the Oval rebellion have come the stories that nobody listens to him anymore (He seems progressively alone on the balcony, and is listening more and more to his earphones (sometimes embarrassingly shaking his head to the beat, eyes closed).

He must be praying for this series to end in Pakistan's favour.

But it should at least be said that he has played some role in Farhat calming down as a Test opener. Under him the short-statured opener has got 95, 74 and 70 not out in his last three Tests. How much part he has played in that you can't say but he really must share in the credit.