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| November 23, 2008 | Sunday | Ziqa'ad 24, 1429 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
No agreement with US, Gilani reiterates Sunday, 23 Nov, ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani reiterated on Sunday that Pakistan has no agreement with the US, allowing it to carry out incursions inside Pakistan. In an interview with CNN, he said ‘As far as my government is concerned, certainly we have no agreement with the US to continue air attacks inside the Pakistan area.’ (Posted @ 20:54 PST)
Clashes mar second phase of Kashmir elections Sunday, 23 Nov, SRINAGAR: Hundreds of angry protesters threw rocks at a polling station and clashed with government soldiers in Indian administered Kashmir on Sunday during the second phase of state elections. Police and paramilitary soldiers swung batons to drive away the protesters in Kurhama, a village 19 miles (30 kilometers) north of Srinagar, the region's main city, a police official said. (Posted @ 19:36 PST)
PCB signs 140.5 million dollar TV deal Sunday, 23 Nov, LAHORE: Pakistan cricket officials on Sunday signed a five-year, 140.5 million dollar television rights deal with the Gulf-based Taj Entertainment Network, the cricket board said. The deal, described as 'excellent' by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief operating officer Salim Altaf, allayed fears that broadcasters might bid less for Pakistani cricket because foreign teams have been refusing to tour the country over security concerns. (Posted @ 19:13 PST)
Extra US troops due near Pak-Afghan border Sunday, 23 Nov, KABUL: A brigade of 3,500-4,000 extra US troops due in Afghanistan in January will be deployed in the east amid efforts to stop infiltration of militants from Pakistan, the US military said Sunday. The brigade has been approved as part of requested US troop reinforcements for Afghanistan's fight against extremists that could amount to about 20,000 personnel, US military spokesman Colonel Greg Julian told reporters in Kabul. (Posted @ 18:48 PST)
Cooperation with Pakistan 'best ever': Nato Sunday, 23 Nov, KABUL: NATO said on Sunday cooperation between its troops in Afghanistan and the Pakistani army is the best it has ever been, as the two forces hit Taliban insurgents in a coordinated operation from both sides of the border. Tension has risen between Pakistan and Western forces in Afghanistan in recent months over increased U.S. missile strikes against Taliban and al Qaeda militants on the Pakistani side of the mountainous, porous border. (Posted @ 17:16 PST)
Abbas to call snap elections if Hamas talks fail Sunday, 23 Nov, RAMALLAH: Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said on Sunday that he will call snap presidential and parliamentary elections in the New Year if reconciliation talks with the Islamist Hamas movement fail. ‘If the dialogue does not succeed, then at the start of next year we will issue a presidential decree calling parliamentary and presidential elections,’ Abbas told a meeting of the Central Council of the Palestine Liberation Organisation. (Posted @ 16:48 PST)
Obama tells Karzai Afghan security will be priority Sunday, 23 Nov, KABUL: US President-elect Barack Obama told Afghan President Hamid Karzai he would make it a priority to fight terrorism and bring security to Afghanistan and the region, the Afghan presidential palace said on Sunday. Obama has pledged a new focus on Afghanistan when he becomes president in January, but while still a candidate he criticised Karzai for failing to tackle corruption, the booming drugs trade and for ‘not getting out of the bunker’ to govern effectively. (Posted @ 16:09 PST)
PCB tries to save India tour Sunday, 23 Nov, ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board chairman will go to India later this month in a bid to save India's scheduled tour to Pakistan early next year. ‘The chairman (Ijaz Butt) PCB will meet officials of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) later this month and convince them to tour Pakistan,’ PCB's chief operating officer Salim Altaf said Saturday. (Posted @ 15:02 PST)
Hatton beats Malignaggi in 11th round LAS VEGAS: Briton Ricky Hatton retained his IBO light-welterweight title on Saturday with an 11th round stoppage of American Paulie Malignaggi. Referee Kenny Bayless halted the contest 28 seconds into the round when Malignaggi’s trainer Buddy McGirt waved the towel in the corner. There were no knockdowns but Hatton (45-1, 32 KOs) hurt his opponent several times. (Posted 12:28 PST)
Dismantling US presence in Iraq looms as big task WASHINGTON: Dismantling the sprawling US military presence in Iraq will be a huge and complex undertaking, US military officials say, even in the three years allowed for the withdrawal of all US forces. Tens of thousands of pieces of equipment -- from tanks to tents to ammo carriers -- will have to be packed up and shipped somewhere by December 31, 2011 under a landmark status of forces agreement now before the Iraqi parliament. How fast they come out, how much will be left behind, and where it will all go are among the decisions that soon will be facing US military leaders and their logisticians if the agreement is ratified. (Posted 10:43 PST)
Eight Canadian soldiers injured in Afghanistan OTTAWA: Eight Canadian soldiers were wounded Friday when their armored vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device, a Canadian army spokesman said Saturday. The soldiers were evacuated for treatment to the multi-national medical center at Kandahar airport, Public Affairs Officer John Airfield told AFP. ‘They are reported to be in good condition and have self-notified their next-of-kin,” he said. The identity of the soldiers will not be released, he added. (Posted 10:18 PST)
Five S. Korean soldiers hurt in DMZ grenade explosion SEOUL: Five South Korean soldiers were wounded Sunday when a grenade exploded at their barracks along the heavily fortified border with North Korea, military officials said, ruling out the North's involvement. The incident was reported at a guard post inside the four-kilometre-wide Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), which has split the two Koreas since the 1950-53 war, the defence ministry said. (Posted 10:09 PST)
Spain lead Davis Cup final after doubles win MAR DEL PLATA: Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco put Spain in the driving seat in the Davis Cup final on Saturday, beating Argentina’s David Nalbandian and Agustin Calleri 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 in the doubles to give their country a 2-1 lead in Mar del Plata. The Spanish, champions in 2000 and 2004 and runners-up on three other occasions, had hardly dared hope of going into the final day leading after world number one Rafael Nadal had to cry off through injury. (Posted 09:20 PST)
Kashmir polls enter second stage amid tight security GANDERBAL: Hundreds of voting stations were opened on Sunday for a second stage of state elections in Indian administered Kashmir as thousands of troops provided tight security, officials said. The voting comes amid heightened tensions after two young Muslims were shot dead by police during anti-India protests on Saturday in the town of Baramulla, 55 kilometres (34 miles) north of summer capital Srinagar. (Posted 09:04 PST)
Saudi Arabia offered asylum to Mullah Omar: paper BERLIN: King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has offered political asylum to Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar, German weekly Der Spiegel reported on Saturday, a move which Saudi Arabia later denied. The offer had been pushed by US President George W. Bush and Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai, the magazine said in an advance report from its Monday edition, quoting government sources in Kabul. It did not give further details. (Posted 08:38 PST)
Arsenal thrashed as Premier League leaders stumble LONDON: Crisis-hit Arsenal’s woes worsened on Saturday as a desperate 3-0 defeat at Manchester City blew their chance to close the gap on the goal-starved English Premier League leaders Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United. The imploding Gunners suffered their worst result of the season, as the top three were all held to goalless draws – top club Chelsea at home to Newcastle, second-placed Liverpool at home Fulham, and United away to Aston Villa. (Posted 07:46 PST)
10 killed in Colombia volcano eruption BOGOTA: At least 10 people were killed when a snow-capped volcano in southern Colombia erupted this week, Interior Minister Fabio Valencia said Saturday. The Thursday eruption of Mount Huila, Colombia's highest active volcano, triggered two avalanches that affected area settlements, Valencia said. (Posted 05:39 PST)
APEC leaders back free trade to ease crisis LIMA: Leaders from Asia and the Americas promised on Saturday to push for a global free trade deal and reform international lenders in an effort to keep the world from sliding into a deep recession. US President George W. Bush, Chinese President Hu Jintao, Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso and other members of the 21-nation Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation group, or APEC, said they would refrain from raising trade barriers over the next 12 months. (Posted 04:56 PST)
Obama outlines plan to create 2.5 million new jobs WASHINGTON: US president-elect Barack Obama Saturday announced plans to create 2.5 million new jobs as he forged ahead in his bid to shore up the flagging economy ahead of his January inauguration. The job stimulus would take place over the next two years, Obama said in his weekly radio address, as he prepared to reveal the members of his economic team early next week, according to media reports. Expected to lead Obama's team as Treasury secretary is New York central banker Timothy Geithner, who would be tasked with overseeing the 700-billion-dollar bailout package as the world's largest economy is staring at recession. (Posted 04:41 PST)
Shell makes 50% reduction in fuel supply to PIA SLAMABAD: The Oil company 'Shell Pakistan Limited' has reduced 50% supply of JP-I, JP-IV and JP-VIII (Super Fuel) to the Armed Forces of Pakistan and Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) due to a shortage in fuel reserves, according to a company spokesman. However, he said that this supply would return to normalcy within next ten days. The reduction in fuel supply by Shell caused a delay in Hajj Flights and a disruption in the flights of fighter jets. Sources said that if companies fail to provide a routine oil supply, it is likely to cause a major disruption for local and international flights. (Posted 04:01 PST)
Rupee gains strength against dollar KARACHI: The rupee gained strength against the dollar in the open currency market on Saturday, while the value of the Euro and Pound declined. Sources said that after strict actions taken by the government against corrupt practices by money traders, the value of the rupee was gaining strength against foreign currencies. (Posted 03:04 PST)
CDWP approves 43 projects costing Rs 75. ISLAMABAD: The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) has approved 43 projects worth of Rs 75.4 billion including foreign assistance of Rs 22.4 billion. This was decided in a CDWP meeting, chaired by the Planning and Development Division Secretary Suhail Safdar. Parliamentary Secretary Mian Abdul Sattar and representatives of the federal and provincial governments also attended the meeting. (Posted 02:26 PST)
Thousands throng to Lok Boli Mela FAISALABAD: Thousands of locals along with performers from across the Punjab thronged to the Lok Boli Mela on the second day of the 5-day gala at Jaranwala. The mela is dedicated to Shaheed Bhagat Singh, a son of Jaranwala, who had become an icon of independence and the struggle against British rule in the sub-continent. A play titled as Chipen Ton Pehlan (before sunset) written by Davinder Daman on Bhagat Singh's struggle attracted hundreds of locals. The play is performed by host group Punjab Lok Rahs. Besides Chipen Ton Pehlan Comsats Sahiwal presented a play Pachan (identity) on language issue while BZU Multan came up with a beautiful performance titled as Ek Probhra Akhar (an alien word) on the same issue. (Posted 02:13 PST)
Brothers, behave! By Asha’ar Rehman
“WE the leaders didn’t indulge in it. It was the work of some low-rankers,” Shahbaz Sharif told journalists in the run-up to the February 2008 polls. He had been asked whether it was possible for us to exorcise from our midst the ghosts that patronise the ugliest kinds of personal attacks.
Specifically, his attention was drawn to the posters that had been unfurled in Lahore in 1988 to stop the PPP from taking Punjab after the party had won the centre in a general election. These showed the PPP leaders, Nusrat and Benazir Bhutto, indulging in acts that were supposedly impermissible in the Islamic republic and unworthy of its leaders.Two decades later, the big two now look to take on the forces of Gen Pervez Musharraf. Even if they were destined to go their separate ways sooner or later, it was wished that the PPP and PML-N could at least abide by a more decent code of conduct.
The distance between November 2008 and October 1988 was covered in one big stride last week. The perpetrator was a not-so-junior member of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s party, his law minister, a popular veteran of the PML-N’s nine-year-long war with Gen Pervez Musharraf. Some of us found an explanation for his act in the doings of agent provocateur, Governor Salmaan Taseer. Enough justification?
The minister was angry over the ‘poisonous’ letters Governor Taseer has prolifically written to Chief Minister Sharif. A few warnings that impressed on the governor to stay within his constitutional limits later, Law Minister Rana Sanaullah had decided that he had had enough. So he went on a tirade against Governor Taseer and by the time he was through this constitutional journey of his many around him were left thinking what items they would have to remove from their daily itinerary to come up to the prevalent standards of virtue.
What the bruised PML-N veteran had in hand was not new. The Taseer family pictures had been doing the rounds for many days. They may have caused chatter here and there but generally they were thought to be lacking in the masala that is generally associated with such desperate ventures in these times. The shock lay not so much in the pictures but in their showing, and in the prospects of the act leading to yet one more scandalous slinging match between the PPP and PML-N.
The PPP did respond furiously but mercifully for everyone someone sitting somewhere soon realised how important it was to diffuse the matter. Within a few days of his devastating revelations, Rana Sana was speaking to the media again, this time seeking to establish a blood bond with the governor’s family. In typical Pakistani style, he called the governor his brother, reminding one and all that what we often took for politics was actually a feud.
Not only that, a number of PML-N politicians joined the PPP jiyalas in a rally taken out on Thursday in Lahore to show solidarity with President Asif Zardari and Prime Minister Yusuf Gilani. The hope in the strangest of coalitions was revived. Those who had predicted some kind of a rapprochement between the sparring parties after President Zardari’s recent pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia insisted they had been vindicated by the latest friendly overtures of Rana Sana.
Nonetheless, questions abounded. Foremost, if all this talk about a Saudi-inspired patch-up between the PML-N and PPP was true, why wasn’t someone conveying the message to Governor Taseer? As yet, there was no stopping him from his confrontational path. On the day the Punjab law minister made his famous U-turn on the anti-people activities of the governor and his family, Mr Taseer was busy trying to please, well, his favourite family.
An old politician, he invited more acrimony for himself and his party by disclosing his latest plans: catapulting Bilawal Zardari Bhutto from the obscurity of being the chairman of the country’s biggest political party to the seat of the chief minister of Punjab.
Also, it is very unlike PML-N politicians to do anything without taking their leadership into confidence over it. This waywardness and indiscipline is generally associated with the PPP brand of politicians. How could Rana Sanaullah’s outburst have come without the blessings of his leaders — at a time when Shahbaz Sharif had a perfect alibi since he happened to be visiting China?
If he had moved on his own, Rana Sana should have earned himself a bigger reprimand from the PML-N leader than going through the old ritual of the offender calling the offended his brother.
Some thinking somewhere must have gone into Rana Sana’s attack on Mr Taseer and it did follow a pattern. The accusations against the PPP’s ‘misrule’ are getting louder with time and President Zardari and Governor Taseer are invariably at the centre of these accusations. Rana Sana’s offensive came when Mr Taseer was faced with condemnation after venting his spleen on the television channels.
Rana Sana may have been seeking to strike when the anti-governor sentiment was at its peak and there are no guarantees that the subject has been closed for good. By all appearances, this one tradition is yet very much alive in the historic city of Lahore.
Founder: Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah
Editor: Abbas Nasir
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The DAWN Media Group
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