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Obama’s quest for greatness

Turkey guarantees safe pas-sage to Kurdish rebels: PM

Pak Army, ANA, Isaf reiterate cooperationAll political parties will be con-sulted for interim govt: President

The “legacy thing” may be harder than Barack

Obama imagines. Beginning his second term,

Obama has a focused, though unstated, agenda: to

achieve presidential greatness in the eyes of histo-

rians and Americans. In this, he will almost cer-

tainly fail. He is already a historic president as the

first African American to be elected, but there is a

chasm between being historic and being great.

Presidents are ultimately judged not by

their total record, or by their ability to enact their

agendas, or by their popularity.

They are judged by whether they get a

few very big decisions right or wrong. Lyndon

Johnson is mostly remembered for failure in Viet-

nam; it overshadows the passage of two landmark

civil rights bills and approval of Medicare and

Medicaid. Richard Nixon is not celebrated for cre-

ating the Environmental Protection Agency, ex-

panding food stamps or opening talks with China;

Watergate dwarfs all.

These appraisals are made while a presi-

dent is in office and, more definitively, after he’s

left. Does a president’s performance stand the test

of time based on what happens later? Did his poli-

cies advance or retard the nation’s well-being?

Were they wise or simply expedient? Depending on

the answers, much else can be forgiven or forgotten,

as Robert Merry shows in his engaging book

“Where They Stand: The American Presidents in

the Eyes of Voters and Historians.”

Consider Harry Truman. For his last year

in office, he was deeply unpopular. His approval

rating hit a low of 22 per cent. The Korean War

frustrated Americans; the White House was accused

of cronyism. Yet, historians rank him in the top 10

presidents. Merry relates Truman’s reaction to the

Soviets’ 1948 overland blockade of Berlin “to

starve out the city [and] bring it under the Soviet

yoke.” His top advisers concluded that US with-

drawal was inevitable. To which Truman re-

sponded: “We stay in Berlin. Period.” The Berlin

Airlift followed.

“That decision helps explain why Truman

is ranked so high by historians,” writes Merry. With

hindsight, many momentous choices seemed cor-

rect: ending World War II with atomic bombs (“sav-

ing perhaps a million American lives,” argues

(Cont to page 11)

ISLAMABAD - The military commanders from

Pakistan, Afghanistan and the Western military al-

liance pledged on Monday to continue cooperation

against the prevalent threat across the Pak-Afghan

border posed by the militants through their widely

used weapon-Improvised Explosive Device.The de-

velopment followed a meet-

ing of the Working Group's

Sub-Committee for Counter

Improvised Explosive De-

vices (C-IEDs) at the Gen-

eral Headquarters

participated by the Armies

operational heads from the

three sides. The Sub-Com-

mittee works under the um-

brella of the Tripartite

Commission (TPC).This was

the third meeting since last

year held to discuss the IEDs

issue from the TPC platform.

The previous two meetings

were reportedly held in May

and November 2012, accord-

ing to informed sources.

Deputy Chief of Staff (Oper-

ations) International Security

Assistance Force (ISAF)

Major General Sean B. Mac-

Farland, Pakistan Army Di-

rector General Military

Operations (DG MO) Major

General Ishfaq Nadeem and

DG MO Afghan National Army (ANA) Major Gen-

eral Afzal Aman were part of the Monday meet-

ing."The participants dwelt at length on measures

to counter the IED threat faced by the civil popula-

tion as well as security forces on both sides of the

Pak-Afghan border, reviewed and expressed their

satisfaction over the progress made so far since es-

tablishment of the Working Group as a Sub-Com-

mittee of the Tripartite Commission. The Working

Group resolved to take forward the good work al-

ready done through more intimate cooperation in

the field of counter IED," Inter Services Public Re-

lations (ISPR) said. In the recent past, the military

men and the civilians at both the sides of the Pak-

Afghan border have increasingly faced terrorist at-

tacks coming from the IEDs. On Jan 13th, over a

dozen Pakistani soldiers lost their lives when the

militants targeted their convoy using IEDs near Mi-

ranshah in North Waziristan Agency (NWA). The

attack had taken place a day after the Tehreek-e-

Taliban Pakistan (TTP) announced not to attack

Pakistani security forces in the NWA and to launch

'Jehad' in Indian Held Kashmir. Last month, an IED

blast had claimed the lives of 10 girls in Afghan

province of Nangarhar.The military officials said,

the TPC's Sub-Committee on the C-IEDs has cate-

gorised landmines as part of the IEDs considering

that several attack on allied forces and Pakistan

Army were carried out using the landmines."Tech-

nically, there's a difference between the landmines

and the IEDs, but generally, they have been cate-

gorised under the same definition to recognise the

threat this kind of lethal technology poses to the

forces fighting militancy in the north," a military

source said. In November last year, the Pakistan

Army, ANA and the ISAF commanders had signed

Tripartite Border Coordination Mechanism during

the 36th meeting of the TPC.

Reportedly, the C-IEDs sub-committee

meeting was also held on the sidelines of the event.

Earlier in May, an ISAF delegation headed by Gen-

eral John Allen had arrived in Pakistan to attend a

scheduled TPC meeting. Although, the C-IEDs'

sub-committee meeting had reportedly taken place

then, the efforts to continue

cooperation had remained

stalled owing to the Pak-

US standoff over the

NATO supplies resump-

tion. According to the

NATO's official data, the

NATO (North Atlantic

Treaty Organisation)

recognises IEDs as "one of

the main causes of causal-

ties among troops and

exact a heavy toll on local

populations. With the aim

of reducing the risks posed

by IEDs, the alliance helps

members and partners in

developing their own C-

IED capabilities, with a

particular emphasis on ed-

ucation and training, doc-

trine development and

improving counter-mea-

sure technologies."The

NATO says it introduced a

C-IEDs action plan with

two main focus areas: de-

feating the device itself and disrupting the network.

"With defeating the device, various branches within

NATO look at how to detect and neutralise IEDs,

prepare and train soldiers for an IED environment,

develop technology to prevent IED attacks and pro-

tect soldiers and civilians.""C-IED is not just about

stopping or neutralising an IED once it is already

in place, but also about identifying and disrupting

the networks that create and initiate IEDs. The Al-

liance focuses on reducing the frequency and sever-

ity of IED attacks, while also targeting the networks

that facilitate them. Understanding the various

threat networks at the tactical to strategic levels is

vital to success in current and future operations

where battle lines are no longer linear," the NATO's

official website says.

President Asif Ali Zardari has vowed to hold the

most transparent elections of the history in the

country on time.

Talking to PPP leaders in Karachi‚ he

said all attempts to derail democracy have been

frustrated with the help of the masses.

He said the government is completing its consti-

tutional tenure and general elections will be held

in accordance with the constitution.

The President said Caretaker govern-

ment will be formed in consultation with all allies

and opposition parties.

He formed a three member committee

headed by Khursheed Shah to devise a future

strategy of the PPP in Balochistan.

ANKARA: Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip

Erdogan said on Tuesday his government was de-

termined to settle the three-decade Kurdish con-

flict and would guarantee safe passage for rebels

wishing to leave the country.

“If you are sincere and honest, you lay

down your arms,” Erdogan told his ruling party

lawmakers in parliament, referring to the out-

lawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

“If you don’t want to live in this country,

you are free to go to any country you like. We as-

sure you that … we’ll do our best not to let what

happened at our borders before happen again,” he

said. Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Iran all have Kurdish

minorities in regions straddling their common bor-

ders. In the past there have been clashes between

Turkey’s security forces and the PKK as they were

leaving the country for northern Iraq where the

group enjoys safe haven.

Ankara has acknowledged that a fresh

round of talks was being held between Turkey’s

secret services and the jailed Kurdish leader Ab-

dullah Ocalan with the ultimate aim of disarming

the rebels. Turkish media have speculated that the

nascent talks have produced a roadmap to end the

long-running insurgency in Turkey, which has

claimed 45,000 lives, mostly Kurdish. But the re-

ported roadmap has not been confirmed by either

party. Erdogan’s remarks came as six PKK rebels,

including two women, were killed in clashes with

Turkish security forces near the Syrian border, a

security source said.

10 January 24, 2013

Britain will focus G8 on terror threat

No longer reluctant, Rahul?

It’s been in the works for some time, but it looks

like the fifth-generation Nehru family representa-

tive, Rahul Gandhi, is taking guard for his big mo-

ment ahead of the general elections in India next

year. After months, if not years of dithering, the

grand old party, the Indian National Congress, an-

nounced on Saturday in Jaipur that 42-year-old

Rahul would be the vice-president of the party, next

in hierarchy to his mother and party chief Sonia

Gandhi. With Prime Minister Manmohan Singh ex-

pected to bow out after his second term in office in

2014, the mantle of government leadership, is

likely to fall on Rahul, if and only if, the Congress

manages to scrape the numbers’ barrel once again.

One still uses the word likely because the

two-time member of the Lok Sabha from Amethi

in Uttar Pradesh has been a reluctant politician,

seen before key elections, but vanishing from the

political scene soon after.

He’s “officially” been in politics since

2004, when he contested his father, the late Rajiv

Gandhi’s Lok Sabha Amethi seat, and won from

there. After nine years in politics, familiarisation

tours across the country, India would like to get to

know this 40-plus leader’s views on a range of is-

sues, from sexual violence against women to for-

eign affairs.

We’ve also seen the Manmohan Singh-

Sonia Gandhi model of governance, where govern-

ment and political / party affairs have been neatly

divided between the two leaders, who have shown

quiet determination in making this power sharing

arrangement work.

Rahul’s previous attempts at leading Con-

gress party campaigns in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh

haven’t been very successful and the party is still

to re-establish itself as a force in these two key

states which, between them, send 120 members to

the 543-member Lok Sabha.

He’s been in the public eye intermittently,

but has had few press or public interactions, where

the young man, whose favourite pastime is de-

scribed as “reading (history, sociology, interna-

tional relations, development, management,

biographies), playing chess and flying, could be

questioned closely about his views on a range of is-

sues. For instance, he’s been totally missing from

the public discourse following the brutal gang-rape

and murder of a young girl in Delhi in mid-Decem-

ber, which has highlighted the general state of

women’s insecurity in India, like never before in

recent memory.

But, while his mother, Sonia, has spoken

up time and again, the input from her son, Rahul,

has been minimal. Young (and old) India would re-

ally like to know what he thinks needs to be done

as the country hopes for a more equal society,

where women’s rights would really be fundamen-

tal. It’s a difficult country and people to deal with,

with a variety and range of problems anyone would

find a daunting challenge. But, if Rahul has to pres-

ent a credible, acceptable and accessible face to the

Indian people, especially the young at a time when

70 per cent of India’s population is below 35.

He can longer afford to make intermittent

appearances on the political stage.

Speaking in Jaipur on Sunday afternoon

after being appointed Congress Vice-President,

Rahul said, “A young and impatient India is de-

manding a greater voice, and let me tell you they

will not watch silently.”

In a rare exposition of his views, the Con-

gress Vice-President said, “Until we start to respect

and empower people, we cannot change anything

in this country… all are closed systems, designed

for mediocrity, mediocrity dominates.”

There’s little doubt that he will now be the

cynosure of all political attention as the country

moves towards elections, which must be held

around May 2014. And, the media, which has come

to believe that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra

Modi will be his main rival in 2014, has already

started comparing the two.

Modi, who won a hat-trick in the Gujarat

state elections, was chief executive when hundreds

of Muslims were killed following the burning of a

train carrying Hindu pilgrims in 2002. He remains

a controversial figure, but has tried to woo Indian

big business in a bid to gain acceptability as a

leader beyond Gujarat.

The BJP itself has said nothing about who

will lead the party into the 2014 elections, but

Modi’s many, loud followers in cyberspace believe

that it will be him leading the charge ahead of the

Lok Sabha elections.

Be that as it may, Rahul Gandhi maybe a

member of India’s first political dynasty, but he has

a lot to prove before he can take over the reins of

the governing establishment. First and foremost, he

must ensure that the Congress is within striking dis-

tance of retaining power in 2014

Patriot missiles arrive in TurkeyANKARA - Four batteries of Patriot missiles ar-

rived in Turkey on Monday as part of a NATO

mission to protect the Turkish border from any

spillover of the conflict in neighbouring Syria, a

NATO source told AFP. A ship carrying two Ger-

man Patriot missile batteries anchored at the

southwestern port of Iskenderun early Monday

and its cargo was being unloaded, the source said

on condition of anonymity. A second ship bearing

another two Patriot missile batteries from The

Netherlands also arrived at Iskenderun after a two-

week journey, waiting behind the German ship to

unload its cargo and 300 support troops, the source

said. NATO insists the measure is purely defen-

sive. "We hope the mission will not take too long,"

a German colonel was quoted as saying by the pri-

vate NTV television at the port of Iskenderun. "If

we are wanted to stay longer we will do that," he

said, speaking in English.

The United States has also begun de-

ployment of two Patriot surface-to-air missile bat-

teries to contribute to the mission, which NATO

says will be operational by early February.

Its first shipment arrived by air earlier

this month at Incirlik Air Base in Turkey's south-

east. Additional equipment will be sent by sea later

in January.

The US Patriots "are in Incirlik still,"

Peter Woodmansee, missile defence chief of the

US European Command, told AFP.

"They will move to Gaziantep once the

Turkish military finishes preparing the site. I esti-

mate in another five to seven days or so," he said.

The Americans will be based at Gaziantep, 50

kilometres (30 miles) north of the Syrian border.

The six batteries of the US-made mis-

siles, effective against aircraft and short-range

missiles, will be deployed in the southern city of

Adana and the southeastern cities of Kahraman-

maras and Gaziantep, along with 350 troops from

each contributing nation.

LONDON - Britain will

use its chairmanship of

the Group of Eight rich-

est nations to focus on

the threat of terrorism

following developments

in Algeria and Mali,

Prime Minister David

Cameron said Monday.

Cameron said the

"evolving" threat from

Al-Qaeda and other ji-

hadists in north Africa

required an urgent re-

sponse, and now out-

weighed that from

previous Islamist

hotbeds in Afghanistan

and Pakistan. "I will use

our chairmanship of the

G8 this year to make

sure this issue of terror-

ism and how we respond

to it is right at the top of

the agenda where it be-

longs," he said in a state-

ment to parliament on the Algeria hostage crisis.

Britain will contribute intelligence and

counter-terrorism assets to an "international effort

to find and dismantle the network that planned and

ordered the brutal assault" on the In Amenas gas

field in Algeria, he said.

It will also work closely with the Algerian

government to learn lessons from the attack, in

which three British nationals were confirmed killed

and a further three were believed to have died.

Cameron said Britain was also looking at

whether to provide "transport and surveillance as-

sets" to help the French military mission in Mali in

addition to the two transport planes it has already

contributed.

January 24, 2013 11

Prince Harry has a ‘mental problem’, say Afghan TalibanFrench, Malian troops recapture key towns

Pakistan rejects Indian claim of futile UN mission at LoC

KABUL: Britain’s Prince Harry, who compared

shooting insurgents in Afghanistan to playing video

games, “has probably developed a mental prob-

lem”, the Taliban said on Tuesday.

“There are 49 countries with their power-

ful military failing in the fight against the mu-

jahideen, and now this prince comes and compares

this war with his games, PlayStation or whatever he

calls it,” Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid told

AFP. In a recently released interview, Prince Harry

had joked that he honed his weapons’ pilot skills

playing PlayStation and Xbox computer games.

He also revealed that he had killed Afghan

insurgents during sorties against the Taliban while

on his second tour of duty in Afghanistan where he

was a gunner in Apache attack helicopters.

Queen Elizabeth’s 28-year-old grandson,

third in line to the British throne, will return home

later this week after a 20-week posting with Nato

forces at the CampBastion military base in the

southern province of Helmand.

Asked before he left Afghanistan if he had

killed insurgents during his tour, he said: “Yeah, so,

lots of people have … Yes, we fire when we have

to, take a life to save a life, but essentially we’re

more of a deterrent than anything else.”

He added, “If there’s people trying to do

bad stuff to our guys, then we’ll take them out of

the game, I suppose.”

The Taliban had said it would do its ut-

most to kidnap or kill Harry during his tour, and an

Afghan insurgent warlord labelled him a drunken

“jackal” out to kill innocent Afghans.

His base was attacked on his birthday last

September, but it was never clear if he was the tar-

get or if the Taliban raid, in which two US marines

were killed, was in response to the anti-Islam film,

“Innocence of Muslims”.

Known in the military as Captain Harry

Wales, he was deployed to Afghanistan four months

ago, shortly after pictures of him frolicking naked

with a nude woman at a hotel in Las Vegas were

published around the world.

“I probably let myself down, I let my fam-

ily down, I let other people down,” he said of the

Vegas incident. “But it was probably a classic ex-

ample of me being too much army, and not

enough prince.”

DIABALY, Mali (AFP) - French and Malian

troops recaptured the key frontline towns of Dia-

baly and Douentza on Monday in a major boost to

their push north to flush out Al Qaeda-linked

rebels. The inroads are a significant advance in the

11-day offensive led by former colonial power

France, whose aim is the "total reconquest" of

Mali's strategically important but sparsely popu-

lated vast desert north.

The French defence ministry in Paris said

"Malian troops backed by French soldiers" retook

the two towns in a "definite military victory" for

the forces. A convoy of about 30 armoured vehi-

cles transporting some 200 Malian and French

troops moved into Diabaly, 400 kilometres north

of the capital Bamako, early Monday, meeting no

resistance. The troops got a red carpet welcome

from locals who cheered them as the soldiers took

photographs on their mobile phones to record the

triumphant entry, an AFP journalist said.

Diabaly has been the theatre of air strikes

and fighting since it was seized by Islamists a

week ago. Douentza lies in what was Islamist ter-

ritory east and north of the town of Konna, whose

capture earlier this month by extremists sparked

the French intervention. Konna was recaptured by

the Malian army last week. The French onslaught,

backed by embattled Malian troops, forged ahead

despite threats of further retaliation from jihadists

after a stunning hostage attack at a gas plant in

neighbouring Algeria resulted in scores of deaths.

A colonel in the Malian army said earlier that a

"fringe of the Diabaly population adheres to the ji-

hadists' theories and we must be very careful in the

coming hours".

French television footage from Diabaly

has shown charred pick-up trucks abandoned by

the Islamists amid mud-brick homes.

One resident said the rebels had fled the

town which was abandoned by many of its resi-

dents, and those remaining lacked food and other

essentials. As news of the advances came through,

the European Union offered to host a global meet-

ing on Mali in Brussels on February 5,

involving the EU, the African Union

and the Economic Community of West

African States regional bloc.

The EU aims to send about 500

military trainers to Mali by mid-Feb-

ruary. On Sunday, French troops but-

tressed their position as they prepared

the drive north, moving into the key

central towns of Niono and Sevare.

Sevare has a strategically im-

portant airport about 630 kilometres

(390 miles) northeast of Bamako that

could help serve as a base for opera-

tions further north. France swept to the

aid of the crippled and weak Malian

army on January 11, a day after the hardline Is-

lamists made a push towards Bamako in the gov-

ernment-held southern triangle of the bow-tie

shaped nation.

The crisis in Mali began when the no-

madic Tuaregs, who have long felt marginalised

by government, launched a rebellion a year ago

and inflicted such humiliation on the Malian army

that it triggered a military coup in Bamako. In the

ensuing political vacuum, the central government

lost control of the north to the insurgents, and the

Tuaregs were instrumental in helping a triad of Is-

lamist rebel groups including AQIM seize control

of huge swathes of territory.

But the Tuaregs' alliance of convenience

with the Islamists quickly disintegrated. AQIM

and other Islamists began to run territories under

their control like a particularly brutal medieval

emirate and imposed a harsh form of sharia law.

UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan rejected an Indian

argument in the Security Council Monday that the

role of United Nations Military Observers Group

in India Pakistan (UNMOGIP), which monitors

ceasefire along the Line of Control in disputed

Kashmir, has been overtaken by the 1972 bilateral

Simla agreement, saying the group’s mandate re-

mained “fully valid, relevant and operative.”

“No bilateral agreement between India

and Pakistan has overtaken or affected the role or

legality of UNMOGIP,” Pakistani Ambassador Ma-

sood Khan told the 15-nation Council after his In-

dian counterpart Hardeep Singh Puri questioned the

status of the 42-member observer group in the

course of a debate on UN peacekeeping.

The open day-long debate was convened

by Pakistan, which holds the presidency of the Se-

curity Council for the month of January.

“The mission continues to monitor the

ceasefire in accordance with the resolutions of the

UN Security Council,” said Khan.

The Indian ambassador raised the issue

after Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Gi-

lani, who presided over the council meeting, un-

derscored the “important role” UNMOGIP has

played in monitoring peace along the LoC.

As Ambassador Khan set the record

straight, another Indian delegate challenged Pak-

istan’s stand.

Manish Gupta, a counsellor at the Indian

Mission to the UN, said that UNMOGIP had been

put in place to supervise the ceasefire line as result

of the 1949 Karachi agreement.

That ceasefire line no longer existed. The

new one was established on 17 December 1971

and followed by an agreement between the two

countries in 1972, which settled their issues by

peaceful means through bilateral negotiations,

he said.

That resulted in conversion of ceasefire

line into the Line of Control. “Thus UNMOGIP

remains invalid,” the Indian delegate added.

Obama’s quest for greatnessMerry); adopting the Marshall Plan and the policy

of “containment” against the Soviets; desegregating

the military.

Every school child knows the three

“great” presidents: Washington, Lincoln and

Franklin Roosevelt. They topped the first presiden-

tial ranking by historians in Life magazine in 1948.

They’ve topped six subsequent rankings elsewhere.

Through no fault of his own, Obama will not be

joining them.

The first requirement of presidential

greatness is that the country faces a mortal peril:

something that puts the American experiment - its

embrace of freedom and equality, its trust in dem-

ocratic institutions, and its belief in itself - at risk.

The great presidents have all defused that risk.

In 1789, no one knew whether the Con-

stitution would survive; Washington’s stature in-

spired loyalty that gave the system permanence.

Lincoln’s single-minded pursuit of total victory

over the Confederacy - when many in the North,

discouraged by the endless bloodshed and incon-

clusive combat, wanted a truce - saved the Union

and ended slavery. FDR preserved the nation’s

democratic political values and institutions in the

face of an economic collapse that gave rise, from

left and right, to calls for radical change; and, of

course, he presided over victory in World War II.

Obama will be denied a similar opportu-

nity because, for all the nation’s serious problems,

none yet rises to the level of mortal peril. Obama’s

reputation will necessarily be less exalted.

He is probably fooling himself if he thinks

Obamacare, by itself, ensures him a spot close to

the top in the presidential rankings. Medicare and

Medicaid (far larger insurance expansions) didn’t

do that for LBJ, so why should a lesser achievement

do it for Obama? Indeed, if the implementation

goes badly (coverage overestimated, costs under-

estimated), Obamacare could backfire.

Still, Obama’s enthusiasm for it is telling.

Even without the 2008-09 financial crisis, he would

have arrived in office just when the retirement of

baby boomers was slowing the economy and rais-

ing - through Social Security and Medicare - gov-

ernment spending. The cost of government was

increasing; the capacity to pay was decreasing. In

these circumstances, Obama chose to expand gov-

ernment. His frame of reference was backward-

looking: the fulfilment of a liberal agenda con-

ceived from the 1930s to the 1960s.

But history’s verdict will be present-ori-

ented and forward-looking. How have his fateful

decisions played in the real world? Obama’s repu-

tation will ultimately depend on a handful of these,

including (probably) his handling of the economy

in the dark months of early 2009, Iran’s nuclear

programme, the federal budget and, perhaps, some-

thing now unimagined.

“Crises demand leadership,” writes

Merry, “and in the American system that leadership

can come only from the president.” Not just lead-

ership, but leadership in the right

direction.

12 January 24, 2013

Thai army 'involved' in people smuggling

Moscow to start evacuating Russians from Syria

BANGKOK (AFP) - Thai authorities said on Mon-

day they were investigating allegations that army

officials were involved in the trafficking of Ro-

hingya boat people fleeing violence in Myanmar.

Rohingya arriving in Thailand risk falling into the

hands of people smugglers who demand large sums

of money to transport them to Malaysia, while those

unable to pay are believed to be forced into labour

to pay the fees. "There were army officials involved

- some local unit heads," a senior Thai intel official

told AFP. Normally Rohingya come ashore on Thai-

land's southwestern Andaman coast but recently

they have been found in the province of Songkhla

bordering Malaysia on the other side of the penin-

sula, he said.

"They could not be there if there were no

government officials involved. The trafficking will

involve brokers. They could have paid 40,000-

60,000 baht ($1,350-2,000) to travel to Malaysia

overland," the official added.

National Security Council secretary gen-

eral Paradorn Pattanathabutr said the army was in-

vestigating the claims, which first appeared in local

media, but up to now had found no evidence of

wrongdoing.

"If we found somebody guilty, they will

be punished," he added.

Described by the UN as among the most

persecuted minority groups in the world, Rohingya

have for years trickled abroad to neighbouring

Bangladesh and, increasingly, to Muslim-majority

Malaysia. Myanmar views its population of roughly

800,000 Rohingya as illegal Bangladeshi immi-

grants and denies them citizenship. A explosion of

tensions between Buddhist and Muslim communi-

ties in Myanmar's western state of Rakhine since

June 2012 has triggered a huge exodus of Ro-

hingya, mostly heading for Malaysia.

Israelis vote in elections seen swinging to the rightJERUSALEM: Israelis vote on Tuesday in a gen-

eral election that is expected to return Prime Min-

ister Benjamin Netanyahu to power at the head of

a government of hardline right-wing and religious

parties. The ballot to choose Israel’s 19th parlia-

ment is likely to usher in a government that will

swing further to the right, undermining the

chances of a peace deal with the

Palestinians and raising the

prospect of greater diplomatic

isolation for the Jewish state.

Those elected will

face key diplomatic and foreign

policy questions, including

Iran’s nuclear programme,

which much of the world be-

lieves is a cover for a weapons

drive, and pressure to revive

peace talks with the Palestini-

ans. No less pressing are the do-

mestic challenges, including a

major budget crisis and loom-

ing austerity cuts, which are

likely to exacerbate already widespread discon-

tent over spiralling prices. Opinion polls have

consistently shown that Netanyahu’s rightwing

Likud party, running on a joint list with the hard-

line secular nationalist Yisrael Beitenu, is well

ahead of its rivals.

But as the day of reckoning neared, the

numbers showed falling support for Likud-Beit-

enu, which is now seen taking 32 seats – 10 fewer

than it currently holds – although the centre-left

Labour party, its closest contender, is following a

distant second with 17.

Final polls late last week had showed

the right-wing-religious bloc taking between 61

and 67 seats, compared with 53 to 57 for the cen-

tre-left and Arab parties. In a largely uneventful

campaign, the surprise element has been Naftali

Bennett, the young, charismatic new leader of the

far-right nationalist religious Jewish Home who

took over the party in November and is a rising

star for the settler lobby. The party, which firmly

opposes a Palestinian state and won just three

seats in 2009, is on course to win 15, making it

the second faction in parliament and a likely part-

ner in any future coalition government.

Bennett’s explosion onto the political

scene has spooked Netanyahu, pundits say, with

the premier pushing hard to stem the flow of

right-wing votes to Jewish Home by burnishing

his own credentials as a defender of Israeli settle-

ment in the occupied territories.

Some 5.65 million Israelis are eligible

to vote in Tuesday’s parliamentary elections. Vot-

ers will be able to cast ballots at 10,132 polling

stations which will open at 0500 GMT and close

15 hours later, with television exit polls due to be

broadcast immediately afterwards.

Two more Americans die in AlgeriaWASHINGTON: Two additional Americans were

killed in last week’s hostage standoff at a natural

gas complex in Algeria, bringing the final US death

toll to three, an Obama administration official said

Monday. Seven Americans made it out safely. The

overall death toll from the standoff has surpassed

80. The FBI has recovered the bodies of the Amer-

icans and notified their families, the official said,

speaking on condition of anonymity because he

wasn’t authorized to speak publicly about the mat-

ter. The official had no details on how the Ameri-

cans died. The names of the additional two

Americans were not immediately released.

Militants who attacked the Ain Amenas

gas field in the Sahara had offered to release the pair

in exchange for the freedom of two prominent terror

suspects jailed in the United States: Omar Abdel

Rahman, a blind sheik convicted of plotting to blow

up New York City landmarks and considered the

spiritual leader of the 1993 World Trade Center

bombing, and Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani scientist

convicted of shooting at two US soldiers in

Afghanistan. The Obama administration rejected

the offer. Last week’s desert siege began Wednes-

day when Mali-based, al-Qaida-linked militants at-

tempted to hijack two buses at the plant, were

repelled, and then seized the gas refinery.

They said the attack was retaliation for

France’s recent military intervention against mili-

tant rebels in neighboring Mali, but security experts

argue it must have taken weeks of planning to hit

the remote site.

One American death was confirmed Fri-

day, that of Texas resident Frederick Buttaccio. Five

Americans had been taken out of the country before

Saturday’s final assault by Algerian forces against

the militants.

The US official said two further Ameri-

cans survived the four-day crisis at an insecure oil

rig at the facility. They were flown out to London

on Saturday.

Algeria said after Saturday’s assault by

government forces that at least 32 extremists and

23 hostages of all nationalities were killed.

Snow causes travel chaos across EuropeLONDON - Air, road and rail traffic across much

of Europe suffered major disruptions on Monday

as heavy snow and freezing weather gripped the

continent. The problems at airports were particu-

larly severe, with flights scrapped at Europe's

busiest three hubs.

Air passengers also faced long delays

and disruptions at other airports in Germany,

Britain and France, following widespread cancel-

lations on Sunday.

More than one in 10 flights were

scrapped at London Heathrow, Europe's busiest

airport in terms of passenger numbers, while 40

percent were scrapped in Paris and more than a

quarter were wiped out at Frankfurt.

Heathrow decided to cut its flight sched-

ule by 10 percent, or 130 flights, in expectation of

poor visibility later in the day, but more than 180

services in total were cancelled as the day wore on.

"The additional cancellations are because a num-

ber of airports elsewhere in Europe are experienc-

ing problems so that has a knock-on effect for us,"

a Heathrow spokesman said. "The number could

rise as the day goes on."

Flights were suspended at regional air-

ports in northern and central England after fresh

snow fell overnight, with planes grounded at Man-

chester, East Midlands and Leeds Bradford.

Under-sea train services between Britain

and continental Europe were also hit, with Eu-

rostar cancelling six trains linking London with

Brussels and also Paris due to speed restrictions on

the tracks in northern France.

At Germany's main air hub Frankfurt -

Europe's third-busiest airport after Heathrow and

Paris' Charles de Gaulle - 325 take-offs and land-

ings were cancelled, a spokesman for operator Fra-

port told AFP.

In Munich, Germany's number two air-

port, some 161 flights - or more than 15 percent -

were cancelled. In France, the civil aviation au-

thority DGAC said it expected to scrap 40 percent

of flights to and from Charles de Gaulle and Paris'

other main airport, Orly, in a precautionary meas-

ure following heavy snowfall on Sunday.

However, snow was no longer falling at

either airport on Monday and the cleared runways

were able to handle the reduced volume of traffic,

said a spokeswoman for operators Aeroports de

Paris. In Spain, flights bound for Paris, Munich

and Frankfurt were hit, leading to the cancellation

of 16 flights to and from Barcelona.

Freezing rain and snow also led to

treacherous conditions on railways and roads,

causing countless accidents.

In southwestern Germany, police

recorded more than 1,000 weather-related acci-

dents and in the northeast, near Berlin, an entire

section of motorway was shut to traffic.

In Belgium, three people died and two

others were seriously injured when a minibus they

were travelling in skidded off the road, overturned

and caught fire at a motorway exit near Bruges,

local authorities said.

In Moscow, unusually heavy snowfall of

almost 50 centimetres (20 inches) caused traffic

jams but did not affect flights at its airports, which

are well-equipped for snowstorms.

The snowfall over the last four days in

the Russian capital exceeded the average for the

whole month of January, said Moscow Deputy

Mayor Pyotr Biryukov.

BEIRUT: Russia said on Monday that it is sending

two planes to Lebanon to start evacuating its citi-

zens from Syria, the strongest sign yet that Presi-

dent Bashar Assad’s most important international

ally has serious doubts about his ability to cling to

power. The Russian announcement came as anti-

government activists reported violence around the

country, including air raids on the town of Beit

Sahm near Damascus International Airport, just

south of the capital.

Russian officials said about 100 of the

tens of thousands of Russian nationals in the coun-

try will be taken out overland to Lebanon and flown

home from there, presumably because renewed

fighting near the airport in Damascus has made it

too dangerous for the foreigners to use that route

out of the Syrian capital.

Assad has dismissed calls that he step

down. He has proposed a national reconciliation

conference, elections and a new constitution, but

the opposition insists he play no role in a resolution

to the conflict.

The UN says more than 60,000 people

have died in the civil war since March 2011.

Russia has been Assad’s main ally since

the conflict began, using its veto power in the UN

Security Council to shield Damascus from interna-

tional sanctions.

Russia recently started to distance itself

from the Syrian ruler, signaling that it is resigned

to him losing power. Russian President Vladimir

Putin said last month that he understands Syria

needs change and that he was not protecting Assad.

Russian officials say the evacuation of

thousands of its citizens from Syria – many of them

Russian women married to Syrians – could be by

both air and sea.

A squadron of Russian Navy ships cur-

rently is in the Mediterranean for a planned exercise

near Syrian shores later this month. Military offi-

cials earlier said that the exercise will simulate

marines landing and taking people on board from

the shore. Earlier this month, Lakhdar Brahimi,

who is the joint UN-Arab League envoy for Syria,

said that Russia seemed as determined as the

United States to end Syria’s civil war, but that he

didn’t expect a political solution to emerge anytime

soon. The Arab League chief said Monday that

Brahimi’s mission had not yielded even a ”flicker

of hope.” In Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Nabil Elaraby

proposed that the heads of state gathered there at

an economic summit call for an immediate meeting

of the UN Security Council.

He suggested the Security Council adopt

a resolution calling for a cease-fire in Syria and es-

tablish a monitoring force to ensure compliance.

Syria’s defence minister said Monday that

the army would keep chasing rebels all over the

country ”until it achieves victory and thwarts the

conspiracy that Syria is being subjected to.”

General Fahd Jassem al-Freij’s comments

came as activists reported air raids and shelling

around the nation.

Monday’s fighting included a helicopter

raid in the northeastern town of Tabqa that killed

eight people, according to the Britain-based Syrian

Observatory for Human Rights.

The Observatory also reported a car

bombing in the Damascus neighbourhood of Dum-

mar and said another car bomb exploded late Mon-

day in central Syria, killing at least 30

pro-government gunmen in Salamiyeh.

In addition, the group said there were

clashes in the town of Ras al-Ayn near the border

with Turkey between fighters from the Kurdish

Democratic Union Party, or PYD, which leans in

favour of Syria’s government and anti-government

rebels, who entered the town in November.

Tensions have flared between Syria and

Turkey after shells fired from Syria landed on the

Turkish side of the border.

As a result, Germany, the Netherlands and

the United States decided to send two batteries of

Patriot air defence missiles each to protect Turkey,

their Nato ally.

On Monday, German soldiers unloaded

trucks carrying the missile systems at the port of

Iskenderun, while another ship, carrying the Dutch

shipment, waited its turn anchored at the harbour.

The UN said that there are an estimated

four million people were in urgent need of human-

itarian assistance in Syria, including at least two

million who are internally displaced.

With harsh winter conditions, people are

facing heavy rains and sub-zero temperatures, often

without adequate food, shelter, water or access to

medical care.

The McClatchy news organisation pub-

lished a report on Monday, supporting activists’

claim that Syrian forces have been targeting bak-

eries. According to data compiled by the news or-

ganisation, government forces attacked bread lines

and bakeries at least 80 times last year, causing

hundreds of casualties and in most cases destroying

the bakeries.

The Syrian government, meantime,

blamed a rebel attack on a key power line for a

blackout that hit Damascus and much of the coun-

try’s south overnight, leaving residents cold and in

the dark amid a fuel crisis that has stranded many

at home. The Syrian capital’s 2.5 million residents

have grown used to frequent power cuts as the

country’s conflict has damaged infrastructure and

sapped the government’s finances. But some said

Monday that the overnight outage was the first to

darken the entire capital since the conflict began.

The blackout hit residents especially hard

because of rampant fuel shortages and below-freez-

ing temperatures. “We covered ourselves from the

cold in blankets because there was no diesel or elec-

tricity for the heaters,” said retired teacher Mariam

Ghassan, 60. “We changed our whole lives to get

organised for power cuts, but now we have no idea

when the power will come or go.”

By midday Monday, power had returned

to more than half of the capital, and Electricity

Minister Imad Khamis said authorities were work-

ing to restore it in other areas.

02 January 24, 2013

Karachi delimitation not possible before elections: CEC Fakhruddin

Walkouts galore in Senate

Obama’s secret weapon in re-election: Pakistani scientist Rayid Ghani

PML-N holds key to dissolutionof assemblies, claims Nisar

ISLAMABAD: On the opening day

of its new session, the Senate on

Monday saw four walkouts on differ-

ent issues and unanimity on three

resolutions.

At the outset, the Senators

belonging to the Jamiat Ulema-i-

Islam-F and the Balochistan National

Party-A staged separate walkouts to

register their protest over promulga-

tion of governor’s rule in Balochis-

tan. Later, Senators from Fata

condemned the killing of 18 people,

including women and children, al-

legedly during an operation by secu-

rity forces in Bara.

Then came another walk-

out — this time by the opposition

PML-N members to express solidar-

ity with the Senators representing

minority communities who protested

over satirical remarks made by Inte-

rior Minister Rehman Malik. He had

compared Dr Tahirul Qadri to the

Pope in a press conference during the

doctor’s long march last week.

The house unanimously

passed a resolution which asked the

government to recommend the name

of Bashir Ahmad Bilour, slain leader

of ANP, for Nobel Price for Peace.

The other two resolutions

called for performance-based finan-

cial audit of power distribution com-

panies and establishment of a shelter

for orphans and children of unknown

parentage in Islamabad.

Governor’s rule

Speaking on a point of

order, JUI-F Senator Mohammad

Khan Sheerani said the entire coun-

try had been facing terrorism but

governor’s rule had been imposed

only on Balochistan.

The Senator, whose party

had favoured an in-house change in

Balochistan in the wake of an un-

precedented protest by Shia Hazara

community over the Jan 10’s deadly

terrorist attacks, regretted that the IG

of Balochistan and officials of the

Frontier Corps, who were responsi-

ble for providing security to people,

remained untouched.

“Governor’s rule is an in-

sult to the people’s mandate and will

bring no change in the province,” he

said, declaring that his party would

stage a walkout.

Later, BNP-A Senator Kul-

soom Parveen claimed that former

chief minister of Balochistan Nawab

Aslam Raisani was ready to resign

but this option was not considered.

Asking President Zardari to revert

the decision of imposing governor’s

rule, she also staged a walkout.

Threats to democracy

Speaking on a point of

order and apparently referring to Dr

Qadri’s long march, PPP stalwart

Raza Rabbani cautioned against

more efforts to derail democracy in

the coming days to get the general

elections postponed.

“A conspiracy has been

hatched against the democratic sys-

tem. A few days ago, a failed attempt

had been made to murder democracy

in front of Parliament House. The

‘revolution’ never came about, but I

believe that it is not the last such at-

tempt,” he added.

Mr Rabbani said

the role of the ruling elite

in the appointment of a

caretaker set-up and the

chief election commis-

sioner had been eliminated

through the 18th and 20th

amendments.

He rejected Dr

Qadri’s demands, terming

the suggestion for a 30-day

period for scrutiny of nom-

ination papers of candi-

dates intending to contest

elections under Article 62

and 63 of the Constitution

as having no basis.

“For what pur-

pose you want 30 days if

your motive is not creating Lotas

(turncoats),” he retorted. He urged

the Senate to send a loud and clear

message that attempts to delay elec-

tions and set up a technocrats’ gov-

ernment for two or three years would

be considered an “attack on the fed-

eration”.

Two PML-N Senators,

Raja Zafarul Haq and Syed Zafar Ali

Shah, drew the attention of the house

towards news reports that the US

Congress was about to pass a legis-

lation allowing CIA to carry out

drone attacks in Pakistan anywhere,

and any time. They asked the gov-

ernment to come out with a clear

stance on the issue.

Leader of the house Ja-

hangir Badar assured them that he

would ask Foreign Minister Hina

Rabbani Khar to brief the Senate.

Barack Obama’s election as America’s first black

president in 2008 was historic on many levels, but

the truth may be that Obama’s re-election in 2012

was a much bigger feat.

Visiting his young campaign staffers the

morning after his re-election at his campaign head-

quarters in Chicago, a tearful Obama told the

staffers that they had been part of the best campaign

team in history.

“You’re smarter, you’re better organised,

you’re more effective,” he said. “So I’m absolutely

confident that all of you are going to do just amaz-

ing things in your lives.”

With a sluggish economy, unemployment

teetering at around the eight per cent mark, and

growing anti-Obama sentiment in some parts of the

country, a second term seemed an uphill task for

Obama and it was going to take an extraordinary

campaign to make it happen.

Things were different in 2008. Back then

he had the fortune of an electorate grown weary of

the Bush presidency looking for change and with

no real record to defend. His mercurial rise and the

zeitgeist of the country at the time seemed to have

coincided at the right time.

This time it was going to be harder, with

a first term that had left some of his more ardent

supporters with a tinge of disappointment given the

promise of his first campaign, and the Republicans

growing even more strident in their opposition.

America hadn’t been so politically polarized in a

long time.

But in a presidential campaign, the in-

cumbent enjoys a few advantages and one of them

is a strong organisational setup.

From the get-go David Axelrod, the brain

behind the Obama campaign, recognised the role

that data and information could play in the election.

The process had been initiated in 2008 but data-

bases were scattered and it wasn’t until the 2010

midterm elections that the Democratic Party, de-

spite heavy losses, was able to streamline the data

to accurately forecast results in a meaningful way.

Enter Rayid Ghani.

At first impression Ghani comes across as

an affable person, who speaks in short, clipped sen-

tences that don’t give away any more than he in-

tends to. Right away you get the feeling that he

knows what he’s talking about. But his unassuming

manner belies the fact that he is one of the leading

experts in the growing field of analytics and data

mining.

An alum of Karachi Grammar School, he

moved to the Unites States for college where he at-

tended a small liberal arts school in Tennessee

called Sewanee: University of the South.

There he studied computer science and

mathematics, but as with many undergraduate ex-

periences, he used his time there to find his true

calling.

“What I really did there was explore and

figure out what I wanted to do, which ended up

being a research career in some form of artificial

intelligence and machine learning,” Ghani said. “I

was motivated by two goals: One was to study and

understand how we (humans) learn and two: I

wanted to solve large practical problems by making

computers smarter though the use of data.”

That eventually led him to Carnegie Mel-

lon University in Pittsburgh for graduate school

where he studied Machine Learning and Data Min-

ing. It was during this period that he started work-

ing at Accenture Technology labs as chief scientist,

before joining Obama For America.

At Accenture, Ghani mined mountains of

private data of given corporations to find statistical

patterns that could forecast consumer behavior.

“We were a small group of people who

were kind of looking at the next generation of tools

that would be beneficial for businesses,” he said.

“We were trying to find new approaches to

analysing data and see how we could apply it to

businesses.” In today’s data-centric world, the one-

size-fits-all model is no longer an efficient use of a

company’s resources. More and more, corporations

are looking for increasingly targeted approaches to

attract consumers.

Similar to how Facebook uses informa-

tion from user profiles to target its advertising,

Ghani helped businesses find patterns in consumer

behavior so that his clients could develop different

strategies that suit individual preferences. It’s

what’s known as customer-relationship manage-

ment or CRM in the corporate sector.

Having spent 10 years at Accenture,

Ghani said he was looking for a move into the non-

profit sector, which, serendipitously, is when the

Obama campaign came knocking.

“I was always interested in politics,” he

said. “Living in the US for 17 years, you tend to

follow the politics of the country, because it does

affect every person. You read about it, discuss it

with co-workers and friends. So [the campaign]

wasn’t a completely impossible direction to take.”

Jumping aboard the Obama campaign as

chief scientist, Ghani’s job was essentially similar

to what he’d done at Accenture — to make sense

of huge amounts of information.

“The core of the work I was doing was

looking at a large amount of data and making sense

of it to help other people make better decisions,” he

said. The basic idea was to merge digital informa-

tion with details gathered from voting records and

interaction in order to provide a blueprint for effi-

cient spending.

“Most of the data we had was from data

that we collected either from interacting with peo-

ple, which might mean either we called someone,

someone donated money to us, or if they volun-

teered, or from voter registration records,” he said.

There’s a common misconception among

people that among the data used was voters’ maga-

zine subscriptions, shopping habits, and other spe-

cific behavioral data.

“A lot of the things you might have read

on the internet are mostly not correct,” he said with

a wry laugh. “We don’t care about what car you

drive, or what magazines you read. For one thing

we don’t have that data, and it’s not very useful.

What car you drive doesn’t tell us which way you’ll

be voting.”

The real advantage of data is that it helps

in using the resources at your disposal as efficiently

as you can, which in the case of political campaigns

is money.

“How data helps you, is it makes you

more efficient and it helps you spend your money

carefully and in the right way,” Ghani said. “You

could pick up the phonebook and just start calling

everyone, but you’ll either waste calls on people

who are already going to vote, or on people who

can’t be persuaded to vote your way. But with a

data-driven approach, you can target those voters

who are much more likely be affected by that call

and pick up voters you didn’t have.”

By discerning which voters are the most

likely to be swayed, the campaign can then design

its ad campaigns and alter its strategy for maximum

effectiveness. It’s the smart-bomb method to polit-

ical campaigning.

But the truth is that we’re still in the in-

fancy of this data-based approach to political cam-

paigns. “My personal hope is that as campaigns

get mature in the use of data,” he said. “Data isn’t

a secret weapon but an enabler of better democracy

and more public participation. I see the future use

of data as enabling more personalised and relevant

interactions with voters, to get them more education

about issues, more involved in political discussions,

and have them even participate in creating public

policies.”

And it’s an approach that can be applied

anywhere if tailored to the circumstances and real-

ities of any given place — even Pakistan.

“A lot of this is certainly applicable in

Pakistan but things have to start small,” Ghani said.

“First, there is a lack of data, so political parties

need to start collecting this data themselves. Then

they need to use it to understand the voters and al-

locate resources more efficiently. Parties that focus

more on grassroots organising are the ones most

likely to collect and make more effective use of this

data and as this process gets more mature and dem-

ocratic, I hope it leads to a better educated public

making informed voting decisions that are good for

the country and its people.”

Being of Pakistani origin, it’s not a stretch

to wonder what role Ghani’s own politics play in

this, especially given the ups and downs the rela-

tionship between America and Pakistan has taken

over the years. But for Ghani, whose family lives

in London, while he works in the US, it’s a lot sim-

pler. “At this point I really don’t know what I am,”

he said. “It’s less about country than about the

larger world. For me it was a really easy decision,

‘Is Obama better for the world than (Mitt) Rom-

ney?’ Absolutely.”

What attracted Ghani to the campaign

was Obama himself as a candidate.

“He is great at emotionally connecting

with, motivating, and energising people but what

was more important to me was what he had done

in his first term and how much still remained to be

done,” he said.

In addition to that, it was the diversity of

the people on the campaign that was one of the

great things about working for the Obama cam-

paign Ghani said.

“There were so many people with differ-

ent backgrounds and experiences, but they were all

there for the same reason,” he said.

The campaign itself was an understand-

ably grueling and exhausting experience.

“It’s unlike any other workplace,” he said.

“We were, spending 15, 16, 18 hours a day to-

gether, with no weekends. It’s something you enjoy

when it’s over, because when you’re in it, it’s not

easy.” So after a long and grueling, albeit reward-

ing, campaign, what’s next for him?

“Well the campaign’s over now,” Ghani

said. “I’m looking at different things and trying to

stay connected with the non-profit world, and try-

ing to help non-profits use data to become more ef-

ficient and better.”

Ghani is one of a small number of tech

wizards in a world that is becoming increasingly

data oriented. If the 2008 campaign was about

charisma and hope, the 2012 campaign was about

science and data. Gone are the days when political

campaigns were an art form run by people who

played by gut instinct.

Now it’s run by people like Rayid Ghani.

ISLAMABAD: Leader of the Opposition in

the National Assembly, Chaudhry Nisar Ali

Khan, on Tuesday claimed that his party held

the key to the dissolution of assemblies,

DawnNews reported.

Speaking to media representatives

outside the Parliament House in Islamabad,

the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-

N) leader said his party did not accept the

agreement between the government with

Tehrik-i-Minhajul Quran (TMQ) chief Dr

Tahirul Qadri.

He added that the PML-N feared

that attempts were being made to delay the

general elections.

Nisar said the PML-N was in talks

with several political parties over the forma-

tion of a caretaker set-up, adding that the

talks had been going on for the past two

months. He said the talks over the caretaker

set-up were about to reach their logical con-

clusion.

Nisar moreover said new provinces

did not belong to ‘some makhdoom’ and

would only be formed with the will of the

people. He said the Pakistan People’s Party

(PPP) and its allies were not interested in the

creation of new provinces, adding that it was

only an election issue for the PPP.

The PML-N leader added that the

provinces would only be formed after the

people of southern Punjab and Bahawalpur

express their willingness for it.

Nisar said the PML-N was in

favour of the formation of new provinces,

adding that they would only be formed in ac-

cordance with the Constitution and not

through sloganeering.

KARACHI: Chief Election Commissioner

(CEC) Justice (retd) Fakhruddin G Ibrahim

said on Tuesday the delimitation of con-

stituencies in Karachi was not possible be-

fore upcoming general elections, DawnNews

reported. Speaking to media persons in

Karachi, Justice Ibrahim said he believed that

the upcoming general elections would be

held in a transparent manner.

Serious efforts are being made to

complete the process of verifying the voters’

list in Karachi, said Ibrahim, adding that

Corps Commander Karachi had assured him

that army personnel would be provided to the

election commission’s staff wherever neces-

sary. The CEC said there was no issue over

the law and order situation in the country.

Justice (retd) Ibrahim urged citizens

to quickly register their votes for the elec-

tions, adding that it was the duty of every

Pakistani to cast his or her vote.

Only transparent elections can re-

sult in the improvement of the country’s sit-

uation and that Pakistan had no future if the

elections were not held transparently, he said.

January 24, 2013 03

PML-N holds key to dissolution of assemblies: Nisar

Intervention on Qadri’s march averted Lal-Masjid like situtation: Shujaat

Two blasts, suicide attackkill 16 in Baghdad: police

Officials warn Kashmirisof possible nuclear attack

No delimitation in Karachi before elections: CECChief Election Commissioner Fakruddin G. Ibrahim said on Tues-

day that there will not be any new de-limitation of constituencies

in Karachi before the elections.

Talking to media persons during to his visit to Karachi

to oversee voters’ verification process, Ibrahim said that up till

now the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has not faced

any law and order situation, adding he has talked to Corp Com-

mander, Karachi and he has assured them that army will support

the ECP staff.

Replying to question, CEC said that he is not running

away, implying that he will not resign. “I will do whatever nec-

essary to hold elections,” he added.

Chief ECP said that he wants that elections should be

held early, adding the ECP will closely work with the future in-

terim government to hold free and fair elections in the country.

“Honest and fair election is the guarantee for our better

future,” he asserted.

He said all stake-holders are cooperating with the Elec-

tion Commission in this regard.

Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim said presently there is no law

and order situation in the country.

SRINAGAR: Officials in Indian-ad-

ministered Kashmir are warning res-

idents to build bomb-proof

basements, collect two weeks’ worth

of food and water and be prepared

for a possible nuclear war.

There was no official rea-

son given for the sudden concern

about a nuclear attack in the region,

repeatedly fought over by India and

Pakistan.

However, a series of

deadly skirmishes along a cease-fire

line in recent weeks has heightened

tensions between the two countries.

Kashmir police published

the advisory Monday in the Greater

Kashmir newspaper.

The notice advised people

to build bomb shelters with toilets

and stockpile food. It also provided

advice on how to survive attacks

with chemical and biological

weapons.

Local authorities did not

answer calls for comment.

BAGHDAD: Three blasts, including

a suicide bomber attack near an army

base, killed at least 16 people and

wounded 50 more in Baghdad on

Tuesday, police and hospital

sources said.

The blasts struck an Iraqi

army checkpoint south of Baghdad, a

military base north of the capital, and

a mostly Shia neighbourhood in north

Baghdad, the officials said.

In the deadliest attack, six

people were killed when a car bomb

was detonated near an army camp in

the town of Taji, 25 kilometres north

of Baghdad, an army officer and a

medical official said.

At least 20 other people

were wounded.

South of the capital in the

town of Mahmudiyah, at least five

people were killed and 14 others

wounded by a suicide car bomb, offi-

cials said. And a car bomb near a mar-

ket in the north Baghdad

neighbourhood of Shuala killed five

people and wounded 12.

No group claimed responsi-

bility. Tuesday’s violence came after

four days of relative calm in Iraq fol-

lowing a spate of attacks claimed by

Al Qaeda’s front group that left at

least 88 people dead on January 15-

17, according to an AFP tally.

Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Chaudhry

Nisar Ali Khan, on Tuesday claimed that his party held the key

to the dissolution of assemblies.

Speaking to media representatives outside the Parlia-

ment House in Islamabad, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz

(PML-N) leader said his party did not accept the agreement be-

tween the government with Tehrik-i-Minhajul Quran (TMQ)

chief Dr Tahirul Qadri. He added that the PML-N feared that at-

tempts were being made to delay the general elections.

Nisar said the PML-N was in talks with several political

parties over the formation of a caretaker set-up, adding that the

talks had been going on for the past two months. He said the talks

over the caretaker set-up were about to reach their logical con-

clusion. Nisar moreover said new provinces did not belong to

some Makhdoom and would only be formed with the will of the

people. He said the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and its allies

were not interested in the creation of new provinces, adding that

it was only an election issue for the PPP.

The PML-N leader added that the provinces would only

be formed after the people of southern Punjab and Bahawalpur

expressed their willingness for it.

Nisar said the PML-N was in favour of creation of new

provinces, adding that they would only be formed in accordance

with the Constitution and not through sloganeering.

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League – Quaid (PML-Q) president

Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain revealed on Tuesday that some gov-

ernment authorities had decided to use force against the partici-

pants of the long march organised by Tehrik-i-Minhajul

Quran(TMQ) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri, DawnNews reported.

Addressing a press conference in Lahore, Shujaat said

that the decision was made to use force against the participants

of Qadri’s long march on Jan 16 upon which he, seeking to avoid

a repeat of the Lal Masjid operation incident, contacted Prime

Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf to press for negotiations.

Shujaat added that bloodshed on the scale of the Lal

Masjid operation would have occurred had intervention not taken

place. The PML-Q president added that according to the agree-

ment taken place with the TMQ chief, elections would be held

in a transparent manner.

Mushahid Hussain Syed, also belonging to the PML-Q,

said that the country had averted a disaster through the “Islam-

abad declaration”, adding that matter would have gotten out of

hand had force been used.

Mushahid Hussain further said that the PML-Q presi-

dent was discussing the setup of a caretaker government with

coalition partners.

Qadri announces decision not to contest pollsLAHORE: Tehrik-i-Minhajul Quran

(TMQ) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri on Tues-

day announced his decision not to contest

Pakistan’s upcoming general elections.

The Canadian-Pakistani cleric

led thousands of people to Islamabad last

week, protesting for electoral reforms.

However, he called off the four-day sit-in

after the federal government decided to

accept some of his demands.

Speaking to media representa-

tives in Lahore, Qadri announced that

neither him or his family would take part

in polls even if his party, the Pakistan

Awami Tehrik (PAT), decides to contest

the general election.

Qadri said

that his party had

started the consulta-

tion process with the

government regard-

ing electoral reforms.

He said that

some people did not

wish that reforms

take place in Pak-

istan, which he said

was the reason that

the masses were

being disillusioned

by the democratic

process.

04 January 24, 2013

Our TeamCheif Editor and Publisher-----------------------------Akbar Warris

Asst. Editor--------------------------------------------------Saad Ali

Advisory & Editorial Board-----------------------------Ahsan Qureshi,

Ausim Mobeen, Zahid Rashid, Aneela Husain, Mushtaq Anjum,

Komal Popli

Technical Assistance------------------------------Ahmad Ashraf

Legal Advisor-----------------------------------------Barrister Khalid Sheikh

Photographer-----------------------------------------Frank B. Raymond

Marketing Team--------------------------------------416-371-9849

Email: Canadianpakistanitimes@Gmail.com

Real people, mere numbers

Revolution or evolution?Javed Husain

A. R. Rehman

The investor’s exchangeAmber Darr

Dr Qadri’s quest for change

WHERE on earth did all these people come from?

The question is being asked following the winding

up of Dr Qadri’s long march.

And this is where the story had begun on

Dec 23, the day the leader of the latest revolution

had held a huge gathering at the Minar-i-Pakistan.

Everyone was curious about his resources and abil-

ity to build the raw material into a cohesive whole

committed to go the whole hog.

Subsequently, the focus of the search

shifted to Dr Qadri’s possible backers. Since he had

been presumed to have been tasked to do a job, his

own ability and resources were of secondary impor-

tance. Those believed to be pulling the strings were

to ensure numbers by his side.

For many days, this is how the equation

was, or was widely perceived to be. The march, as

it kicked off from Lahore on Jan 13, was large

enough. Its size was to swell and its breadth en-

larged by the joining of various political groupings

on the way. Bar a few habitual fun-makers and

(Cont.. to page 5)

After 65 years of Pakistan’s existence, the people

are justifiably disillusioned with the performance

of our rulers, be they civilian or military, demo-

cratic or undemocratic. All of them are responsible

in varying degrees for the bad governance and law-

lessness that have become the lot of the people

of Pakistan.

The dismantling of Musharraf’s military

dictatorship and the recommencement of the dem-

ocratic process rekindled hopes of a new begin-

ning. It was hoped that, instead of the arbitrariness,

cronyism, destruction of the institutions of state,

widespread poverty, increased inequality of wealth

and income, corruption and lawlessness that were

the hallmark of the Musharraf era, the people

would be able to taste the fruit of democracy in the

form of law and order to protect the weak against

the excesses of the strong and economic progress

to improve their standard of living.

Unfortunately, these expectations were

not fulfilled. The corruption, bad governance and

open defiance of the dictates of law have reached

new heights under the five-year rule of the PPP-

led government at the centre. Understandably, the

people are now desperate for a change for the bet-

ter. It is this overwhelming desire of the people for

change that Imran Khan tapped into to build up

support for PTI. Imran’s goal has been to secure

the mandate of the people for the required change

by participating and winning in the forthcoming

elections. This is an evolutionary approach aimed

at bringing about the required reform, while work-

ing through the system.

In contrast, Tahirul Qadri, who wanted to

exploit the people’s discontent for his own pur-

poses, chose a different path. His statements,

which were in the nature of ultimatums issued

from time to time, demanded changes in the polit-

ical and electoral system in the name of the people

of Pakistan, but without any mandate from them.

He, therefore, chose the method of the long march,

instead of participation in the elections to highlight

his demands and demonstrate the public support

for them.

Qadri stressed initially that polls should

not be held without key reforms, relating to the

caretaker governments and the electoral process,

even if it meant delaying them beyond the manda-

tory period laid down in the constitution. His de-

mand that military and judiciary should be con-

sulted in the establishment of the caretaker gov-

ernments preceding the elections caused

widespread concern, as being the thin end of the

wedge to reintroduce the army’s role in the politi-

cal process in violation of the constitution.

There was also a lack of clarity about his

ultimate political aims and objectives. Questions

were raised about his sincerity of purpose because

of his Canadian nationality, which he has not re-

nounced so far. No wonder that there was little

support for Qadri’s overall agenda and approach

in the mainstream political parties, especially those

in the opposition at the centre.

Qadri ultimately failed to achieve the

high sounding and ambitious goals that he had set

for himself at the public meeting held at Lahore on

December 23 last year. The agreement that he fi-

nally reached with the representatives of the coali-

tion partners in the federal government was a far

cry from his earlier demands. Fortunately, in ac-

cordance with the letter and spirit of the constitu-

tion, it did not provide for any consultation with

the military or the judiciary for the establishment

of the caretaker government.

Recent developments in the country have

once again generated a debate whether the country

needs a revolutionary or an evolutionary approach

to overcome its current grave political, economic

and social problems. Those in favour of a revolu-

tionary approach cite the desperation of the people

and their disappointment with the current system,

which has failed to deliver during the past five

years. They fear that business as usual will merely

prolong the agony of the people, as the present rul-

ing class will continue to rule the country for pro-

tecting its own vested interests, rather than the

interests of the people at large.

They, therefore, advocate radical steps,

even if they are extra-constitutional or unconstitu-

tional to stabilise the economy, to provide imme-

diate relief to the people and to restore law and

order in the country. If one reads between the lines,

the advocates of this revolutionary approach are

indirectly calling for another experiment with dis-

guised or undisguised military rule. Their refrain

as in the past is that the county is more important

than the constitution and, therefore, anything is

(Cont.. to next page)

A SOMEWHAT underplayed, but certainly signif-

icant corollary of last week’s political turmoil was

its impact on the Pakistani stock market.

On Jan 15, as stocks plummeted more

than 500 points, there was an entirely reasonable

fear amongst investors and observers alike, that the

fall would spiral out of control.

Contrary to all dire predictions, however,

stocks rallied the following day and analysts

dubbed the fall as merely a correction, albeit a

major one. Even though a crash had been averted,

and the index steadily rose over the next few days,

this major dip raised concerns, particularly in the

mind of the uninitiated investor, of the wisdom of

venturing into an arena as volatile and as vulnerable

to external events, as the stock market.

The concerns of this would-be investor are

not entirely unfounded. In the last decade, Pakistani

stock exchanges have witnessed at least three major

crashes and a potential investor is bound to have

noted that although the precise circumstances of

each crash were different, each one was charac-

terised by extensive losses to the investing public

and little or no perceptible damage to the brokers.

This disparity in the outcome for the av-

erage investor and the experienced broker, is likely

to have given rise to two distinct thoughts in the in-

vestor’s mind: either that the market was the play-

ground of experts, best avoided by the novice or,

more worryingly, that the market was in fact con-

trolled by these experts, and manipulated to their

advantage at the expense of the investors.

Is there any merit in either of these

thoughts? Before answering this, let’s establish cer-

tain basics of the stock exchange: a stock exchange

is ultimately only a limited liability company, li-

censed by the Securities and Exchange Commission

of Pakistan to undertake trading in stocks and

shares. However, unlike an ordinary limited liability

company, a stock exchange has the legal mandate,

under section 34 of the Securities and Exchange Or-

dinance, 1969, to make regulations (with the ap-

proval of the SECP) to regulate its business, its

members and brokers. As a result, a stock exchange

is not only a “self-regulatory organisation” but also

the “front-line regulator” of the capital markets and

by virtue of this status, enjoys a degree of prestige

as well as autonomy in the conduct of its affairs.

Over the years, this very prestige and au-

tonomy, conferred upon the stock exchanges, and

particularly on the Karachi Stock Exchange, the

oldest and most dynamic of the three exchanges

presently operating in Pakistan, an aura of exclu-

sivity, which the exchanges jealously guarded by

restricting membership.

The primary hope someone had of acquir-

ing a membership — or a seat on the exchange —

was on the death or bankruptcy of an existing mem-

ber and then too upon payment of an exorbitant

price. Consequently, not only did exchange mem-

berships remain concentrated amongst a privileged

few but also over time this small community devel-

oped a unique language for the conduct of its busi-

ness, which rendered the workings of the exchange

nearly unintelligible to an outsider.

As if this was not sufficient to lend cre-

dence to the worst fears of investors, the situation

was further complicated by the “mutualised” struc-

ture of the exchange.

Simply put, this meant that the fortunate

few who held a seat on the exchange were the very

people who had the right to trade on it and a person

wishing to invest in shares, had no choice but to

utilise their services.

Whilst historically such a structure was

the universal norm for exchanges, it gave rise to

valid concerns about the loyalties of members of

the exchange in times of crisis:

would they safeguard the interests of brokers, and

therefore their own? Or would they take tough

measures that may become necessary for the pro-

tection of investors?

Given this environment, it is hardly sur-

prising that the would-be investor maintained a dis-

tance from the exchange. And it would not even

have mattered too much, had this distance not been

an important factor in limiting the growth not only

of the capital market but also of companies and by

extension, the economy.

The real tragedy, however, does not lie in

the investor’s hesitation, but in the fact that mem-

bers of the stock exchange, who by virtue of their

privileged status, had a duty to the exchanges and

to the economy, who also had countless interna-

tional examples of demutualisation of exchanges

available to them and who were urged repeatedly

by the SECP to demutualise, preferred to protect

their own position rather than to take the initiative

to modernise.

The good news is, however, that this bleak

scenario is already a thing of the past. The SECP,

tired of waiting for the exchanges to demutualise

voluntarily, decided to proceed with demutualisa-

tion by legal fiat.

It was a result of its concerted efforts that

in May 2012, the legislature enacted the Stock Ex-

changes (Corporatisation, Demutualisation and In-

tegration) Act, 2012. This law provided a

time-bound plan for the segregation of the mem-

bers’ ownership rights from their trading rights.

Despite threats of possible derailment, the

process outlined in the act, was duly completed in

December 2012. The management of the exchanges

was vested in newly constituted boards of directors,

and trading right holders, although represented on

the boards, did not form the majority. Is our would-

be investor now perfectly insulated against the va-

garies of the market? Unfortunately, there can be no

definitive answer to that question because given the

circumstances, markets, even the best regulated

ones, can crash.

Demutualisation is however a first step in

the direction of introducing a corporate culture in

the market and in breaking the barriers of exclusiv-

ity and language that have deterred investors in the

past. This, along with programmes for investor ed-

ucation, some of which are already under way, will

provide the investor the only real safeguard avail-

able: to understand the market he is investing in and

to have the assurance that this market is being gov-

erned and operated in accordance with the best, in-

ternationally accepted standards.

Dr Tahirul Qadri - Islamic scholar, Professor of

Law, founder of the socio-religious organisation

Minhaj-ul-Quran and ‘citizen of two worlds’ - Pak-

istan and Canada - has returned after years and

taken, if not Pakistan, at least Islamabad by storm.

He has arrived, like a deus ex machina, when the

discontent of most citizens of this large country -

deprived of gas, electricity and affordable staples

- has reached saturation, if not boiling, point. Some

50,000 of his supporters - men, women and chil-

dren, many from rural areas, others urban and

more educated - peacefully occupied the main

Blue Area boulevard in town in the near-freezing

winter weather for almost five days at a stretch.

His movement for electoral reform to rid the fed-

eral and provincial parliaments of those who are

corrupt and/or do not pay taxes or repay loans has

raised many questions, not least about its chances

of success. To many, the timing is suspect, as for

the first time in Pakistan, a democratically-elected

government is to complete in two months its five-

year term, leading to a caretaker government for

conducting fresh elections. Is it to facilitate another

army takeover, which the military has

however denied?

Even given that he has a well organised

system across the country and abroad, the funds

required for the very large meeting he addressed

on arrival in Lahore a month ago, for the long

march to Islamabad on January 14, and the subse-

quent dharna or sit-in would appear to some to in-

dicate significant support from abroad. Activist

Muslim sects and movements in Pakistan have

been supported since the American-inspired

Afghan jihad against Russian occupation by vari-

ous nearby Muslim countries, leading to sectarian

strife. Does the sudden rise of Dr Qadri indicate

that the Western countries are now backing his

moderate Muslim movement with its clear anti-ter-

rorism message, based on the traditional and pop-

ulist Barelvi sect? On its own merits, such a

movement is what Pakistan needs to counter ter-

rorism at home and rectify its image abroad.

Tactically, it seemed Dr Qadri may have

over-reached. His demands for immediate disso-

lution of the assemblies and reconstitution of the

Election Commission isolated him from most po-

litical parties who - albeit reactively - termed them

non-serious and unconstitutional, and assembled

publicly and hastily to pledge their protection of

the democratic system and commit to having elec-

tions on time. Had his followers become uncon-

trollable, the government - initially uncertain how

to respond - may well have arrested him. In the

event, their increased number, steadfast presence

and consistent discipline impelled the government

to wisely meet and negotiate with him, leading to

the signature of the Islamabad Declaration on Jan-

uary 17 between Dr Qadri and the government or

coalition partners; committing the government to

giving a date for elections, well preceded by par-

liamentary dissolution, a month-long period for

strict scrutiny of electoral candidates, and further

negotiation about Election Commission constitu-

tion. It is unfortunate that the opposition could not

rise to the occasion and participate in this entente.

Regardless of this, and while the agreement has

been criticised for lacking substance and co-opting

Dr Qadri as a virtual partner of the government, it

should eventually impact across Pakistan’s politi-

cal landscape, keeping in mind that political

change is an incremental process.

Dr Qadri was able to use his eloquence

and marshalling of street power to highlight the

need for electoral reform through strict implemen-

tation of the existing Articles of the constitution

and of electoral mechanisms. However, how to im-

plement such reform remains a difficult process in

the face of the political elite that has persisted in

power throughout - a classic catch-22 situation.

What matters is the need for such reform being

publicly articulated and acknowledged.

In these days, we have heard many

claims from many quarters of being able to raise

equally large and sustained rallies; but the fact re-

mains that no one in Pakistan has done so in

recent history.

Furthermore, irrespective of whether or

not he has some hidden agenda and who may be

behind it, the support he has received demonstrates

the demand for better governance. Walking along

the Blue Area boulevard, one was impressed by

the courage and commitment of his followers. The

mood - throughout the large multitude of people

from all over the country, waving a sea of Pak-

istani flags - was infectious and optimistic. One

met people from the tribal areas, and a boy who

had come all the way from faraway interior Sindh,

having sold his goat to do so.

Another participant said their leader had

decreed that “not even a leaf be touched in this our

capital city.” None of the stage-management and

opportunism evident in political rallies was visible.

To the contrary, one was struck by his supporters’

dedication to the promise of change brought by

Dr Qadri.

His main achievement and legacy as the

eminence grise brokering this agreement should be

two-fold. To hold a mirror to Pakistan’s flawed po-

litical process as a wake-up call to the political par-

ties to improve their performance as befits a

modern-day democracy. And to establish the foun-

dation for an activist and nationwide religious

force firmly opposed to extremism and terrorism.

He has strikingly showcased the Pakistani popu-

lace’s desire for both.

January 24, 2013 05

Real people, mere numbersbrash foretellers, even media com-

mentators were by and large careful

with their take on the Qadri thrust —

not knowing where the alley would

lead this country. Before things

started to unravel rather fast on

Wednesday, there was plenty to worry

about. The ending did have a synchro-

nised look about it, Wednesday’s

timeline offering Pakistani democ-

racy its busiest hour ever. Just before

sunset that day the government finally

discovered its voice. Qamar Zaman

Kaira took on Dr Qadri directly,

pointing out the flaws in his reading

of constitutional law. The wrap-up

had begun in earnest.

Within minutes, Mian

Nawaz Sharif emerged as a statesman

of Pakistani democracy, acting as a

spokesman for the opposition parties

he had gathered under one flag at Rai-

wind. The opposition meeting re-

jected any extra-constitutional steps.

That was the operational

part even though an effort was made

to balance it with a reiteration of the

old demand about an election date.

Not too far behind in time, it was

Imran Khan’s turn to play the true de-

mocrat. He won himself praise and

instant entry into the club of mature

politicians by turning down Dr

Qadri’s invitation to join the sit-in in

Islamabad.

Now what had changed be-

tween the start of the march, or when

Dr Qadri had first announced his in-

tentions on Dec 23, and the afternoon

of Jan 16? The politicians were for

sure finally behaving differently than

they had over the previous few days,

but what had stopped them from com-

ing up with their principled stands at

the outset of the Qadri march?

Indeed, most of these politi-

cians had chosen to at least not appear

adversarial to the Qadri campaign.

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement

(MQM) had publicly pledged support

for the long march as had the Pakistan

Muslim League-Q (PML-Q). Imran

Khan had gradually warmed up to Dr

Qadri after initially ‘failing to under-

stand’ what his demands were all

about. Nawaz Sharif and his party had

chosen not to come in the way of the

marchers, even when the Pakistan

Muslim League-N (PML-N) was for

once under severe attack by a group

of protesters, for its alleged promo-

tion of terrorists, and even when the

marchers had first collected in La-

hore. If Dr Qadri was a threat to the

system he had been a threat all along.

But clearly, the politicians had been

waiting and not willing to commit

themselves otherwise until the

Wednesday afternoon flurry, as if

making doubly sure about the army’s

disinterest before gallantly standing

by democracy.

The MQM had distanced it-

self from the march earlier on, but not

from Dr Qadri. The PML-Q’s com-

pulsions, of first supporting Dr Qadri

and then acting as government medi-

ators in the affair were also never dis-

cussed by its leaders. These mysteries

remain unsolved as also this small

matter in which a respected news or-

ganisation was alleged to have fallen

for someone impersonating as a re-

signed National Accountability Bu-

reau chief.

The number of optimists

who say the time of outside interven-

tions in politics has passed has in-

creased. But their argument is yet to

be fully formed. Their assurances in

this case were met with upsetting

clues similar to those that had in the

past ended in a coup.

Now the prophecies about

the end of the era where interventions

were possible have been revived to

their strongest point, and to make

things easier, in Qadri, their makers

have a major example to back their

predictions. The belief will take time

to spread.

As for the relatively easier

question about the ability of individ-

ual impact-makers to conjure up num-

bers on the street, an answer lies in a

study beginning with how space left

vacant by the state is filled by the pri-

vate enterprise.

The reform undertaken in

any backward area is invariably fol-

lowed by a situation where the re-

former, buoyed by the support base he

has built, aims for a larger political

role. Of this at least four examples

can be quoted from Lahore alone.

Dr Tahirul Qadri and his fol-

lowers have their origins in the Min-

hajul Quran education system that

began in Lahore some three decades

ago, in an area that was once consid-

ered to be the state’s domain. Imran

Khan made his reputation with his

work in the health sector while Mian

Amir, Lahore’s mayor in Gen

Musharraf’s period, is another one

who entered politics after success in

the education sector.

Not to forget, Hafiz Saeed,

an old friend of the state who has

since given the latter competition

when it comes to welfare work, espe-

cially in the wake of disasters such as

earthquakes and floods. All these men

have gathered followers and re-

sources along the way and are looking

to assert themselves politically. In a

non-dynastical political system, some

could perhaps have been drawn into

the major political parties. Alter-

nately, they work on their own or by

entering alliances where they can re-

tain their individuality.

Revolution or evolution?permissible in the interest of the

country.

It seems that those advocat-

ing this revolutionary approach have

failed to draw the right lessons from

our history.

The past four military

takeovers in various ways are the

main source of many of the ills from

which the country currently suffers.

The cavalier fashion in which our

military rulers trampled on the consti-

tution sounded the death-knell for the

rule of law in this country.

If our military rulers could

violate the constitution with impunity,

they regarded the normal law of the

land with even greater contempt.

Thus, military governments are pri-

marily (but not exclusively) responsi-

ble for the lawlessness in the country.

The absence of rule of law

means that the weak and the poor in

the society are at the mercy of the

powerful and the rich sections of the

society. It also means that there is no

check on the excesses of the state ma-

chinery against the rights of the peo-

ple. Considering the important role

that contractual obligations play in the

economic field, the absence of the

rule of law also has a retarding effect

on the economic progress of the

country.

From the political point of

view, military governments have been

responsible for most of the national

disasters. Ayub Khan was responsible

for the blunder of the 1965 war,

which derailed our economy and

sowed the seeds for the dismember-

ment of Pakistan. Yahya Khan’s mis-

handling led to Pakistan’s military

defeat in East Pakistan and its

separation.

Ziaul Haq was responsible

for mutilating the country’s constitu-

tion and encouraging religious ex-

tremism, which later spawned the

demon of terrorism in the country.

Musharraf was responsible, besides

Kargil, for leading the country to the

abyss of 9/11 from whose cata-

strophic effects we are still suffering

in the form of terrorist attacks and

other spillover effects of the continu-

ing armed conflict between the for-

eign forces and their opponents in

Afghanistan.

In foreign affairs, his sole

achievement was capitulation before

the US and sell out to India!

Overall, these military

rulers treated the country as their per-

sonal fiefdoms. They engendered in-

stability in the country by weakening

the institutions of the state for their

personal interests. They did not allow

the democratic process to take root in

the country.

Every time they took the

reins of the government in their

hands, they left the country in a worse

shape than the one which they inher-

ited from their predecessors.

In a nutshell, the country

would be much better off without an-

other experiment of military rule,

whether disguised or undisguised.

Hopefully, the forthcoming elections

will throw up better leaders at the fed-

eral and provincial levels, as people

will surely reject corrupt and incom-

petent representatives.

Our long-term interest lies

in continuing the democratic process

and in reforming it by learning from

our mistakes as we go along. If we

have the courage and the patience to

persevere, political and economic

conditions in the country will defi-

nitely improve over time.

Perseverance and hard slog

are the answer to our problems. There

is no magic formula for an instanta-

neous resolution of the challenges

confronting our nation. So steady

evolutionary progress, rather than

revolutionary chaos, is the need of

the hour.

Ragaa Fashion Show & 4 Megapageants on March 22nd 2013

Ragaa Models, a known modelling agency of Toronto is or-

ganising Ragaa Fashion Show and 4 mega pageants Mr. &

Miss SouthAsia Canada 2013, Mrs Yummy Mummy Canada

2013 and Smart kid contest 2013 in Mirage banquet & Con-

vention Center, Etobicoke on March 22nd 2013 to tap mod-

elling talent in the South Asian Community .

According to Saravpreet Minhas, the organiser and producer

of the show, the event billed as mini Bollywood show is being

held under the strict supervision of Kaushik Ghosh, the in-

ternationally renowned Indian choreographer. Ghosh who has

had the reputation of training dozens of model celebrities of

India will help the organisers in discovering beauty and talent

among budding artistes of Canada. This show will definitely

be at par with Indias’ most glamorous shows like Femina

Miss India, Grasim Mr. India and DLF Mrs India pageants.

Mr. Ghosh will also join the organisers in performing the en-

viable task of selecting winners for coveted titles of Smart

Kids, Mr/Miss South Asia 2013-1, Mr/Miss South Asia

Canada 2013-2, Mr/Miss South Asia Canada 2013-3 and Mrs

Yummy Mummy Canada 2013.

The much awaited July 6th event will also showcase the con-

testants vying with one and another to grab other titles like

Mr. Catwalk, Mr Personality, Mr Photogenic, Mr Talent, Mr.

Physique, in the male category . Miss Catwalk, Miss. Person-

ality, Miss. Photogenic, Miss Talent ,Miss. Gorgeous for girls

and Mrs. Catwalk , Mrs. Personality, Mrs. Photogenic, Mrs.

Gorgeous for Mrs yummy mummy.

There will be no audition but straight entry in contest for

meant for kids as all kids must be given chance to show their

talent. Likewise there will be no audition of contestants for

title of Mrs Yummy Mummy Canada 2013 since this contest

is meant for selection not of a beautiful but a perfect lady

who is either a very successful career woman or a very loving

mother or a very dedicated wife ! So that more ladies must

come forward and should take part in this unique contest hap-

pening in Canada.

Prior to the March 22nd show, the organisers have planned

Bollywood/Modelling/Television & Image Building work-

shop starting from March 18th under the supervision of In-

dian Choreographer Kaushik Ghosh. This workshop is open

for kids, boys, girls and ladies aged from 3 to 60 years, added

Saravpreet Minhas, Founder of Ragaa Models.

The Pageants accept participants who claim ancestry from

the countries of: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India,

Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and SriLanka. Please contact us

if you have any questions about your ethnic qualifications.

Male, female or kid who wish to take part in this unique fash-

ion show, please send your entries asap.

If you are a designer, fashion store, or boutique owner this is

the show for u to participate where your collections will be

displayed on the ramp by Canada’s leading celebrity models.

For further details please visit:

WWW.RAGAAMODELS.CA or call 647-274-7897

06 January 24, 2013

India's women commuters face daily harassmentOn a wintry evening in Delhi, beautician Geeta

Misarvan leaves work, steeling herself for a long

wait until a bus arrives, and with it the dreaded

prospect of being groped by strangers during the

ride home.

"Once a guy sees you travelling alone, he

will come and stand right behind you. Then, he will

lean in and try to touch you," Misarvan said, de-

scribing an ordeal endured daily by many women

in urban India.

In Delhi's crowded coaches, where men

easily outnumber women, the sense of hostility and

fear is particularly palpable in the wake of the

widely-discussed gang-rape and murder of a young

student on a moving bus in the city last month.

"It's terrifying," Misarvan told AFP.

"Sometimes I just lose it and ask the guy to stand

properly but then he just yells at you, telling you to

shut up. "It's upsetting, but what more can I do? If

the guy gets even more aggressive or violent, no

one on that bus is going to help me... so I just put

up with it and wait for my bus stop," she said.

Once 34-year-old Misarvan steps off the

bus, she hunts for an auto-rickshaw, which are

cheaper than taxis, since it's too dark and unsafe to

make the 35-minute walk alone to her house. On

most evenings it takes her 90 minutes to arrive

home from work.

India's expanding economy has seen un-

precedented numbers of women join the workforce,

but their emergence has been accompanied by

growing threats to their security.

Like many working women, Poonam, a

21-year-old barista at an upmarket coffee shop in

the capital, often stays late serving customers and

says her parents fret nonstop about her comings and

goings, calling her every night.

"I try to get an auto-rickshaw (home) be-

cause it's safer but the drivers haggle for double pay

and I can't always afford it. So I end up waiting late

at night for the bus, which never arrives on time,"

she told AFP. Once on board, Poonam, who de-

clined to give her surname, says that sexual harass-

ment is a constant risk. "There's nothing you can do

about it, if you tell your family, chances are they

will just tell you to stay home," she said.

India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

has said that economic progress is impossible with-

out the "active participation" of women, but there

are signs that the Delhi gang-rape case has led some

to turn their backs on the workplace.

A survey by industry group ASSOCHAM

published this month showed a 40 per cent fall in

the productivity of female employees at call centres

and IT firms in the country because many had re-

duced their hours or had quit their jobs.

Insensitive comments from politicians im-

plying women are to blame for sexual assaults and

clumsy "safety tips" from police have only fuelled

anger among commuters.

A Delhi Police advisory posted on its of-

ficial website suggests that women should "turn

off" prospective attackers by vomiting or "acting

crazy". Just days after the December 16 gang-rape,

KP Raghuvanshi, a senior police officer in Mumbai

told female college students to carry a packet of

chilli powder with them always and use it when

threatened, the Press Trust of India reported.

While trains in Mumbai and Delhi run

segregated women-only coaches in response to the

high incidence of sexual harassment, many have

now called for more vigilance by authorities and

frequent police checks.

Police and prosecutors have outlined how

the student and her male companion struggled to

find transport to go home and so agreed to climb

aboard the bus driven by the rapists.

The group allegedly beat up the man and

repeatedly raped and assaulted the victim with a

rusting metal bar in the back of the bus while driv-

ing around Delhi for some 45 minutes.

Since the attack, beautician Misarvan,

who often boarded similar privately-run buses to

visit her widowed mother in west Delhi, says she

is too afraid to keep doing so and now spends more

to take an auto-rickshaw instead. Like her other fe-

male colleagues, she tries to leave work as early as

possible and expresses no faith in the Indian po-

lice's ability to protect her.

"Nowhere in this country is safe," says the

mother of two, the first woman in her family to

have a job.

"I worry a lot about my daughter growing

up here, whether she will have to endure the same

problems, the same risks that I deal with every time

I leave my house," she added. AFP

Girl aged eight killed in quake off Indonesia, 15 injured

Steps to stop polio virus exportation urged

Free or charge missing people kept in detention

BANDA ACEH: A 5.9-magnitude earthquake

struck off Indonesia’s Aceh province Tuesday,

killing an eight-year-old girl and leaving 15 people

injured, officials said.

The quake struck 112 kilometres south-

east of the provincial capital of Banda Aceh at

22:22 GMT, at a depth of 37 kilometres, the US Ge-

ological Survey said.

“An eight-year-old girl in Pidie district

was killed after a cupboard in her bedroom fell on

her when the quake shook the ground,” the district’s

disaster management agency chief Apriyadi, who

goes by one name, told AFP.

He added that 15 people were injured, five

of them seriously, due to collapsing walls.

At least 50 houses in the district were also

damaged with walls partly collapsed, he said. The

Indonesian Meteorology, Geophysics and Clima-

tology Agency (BMKG) issued no tsunami alert.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific “Ring of

Fire” where continental plates collide, causing fre-

quent seismic and volcanic activity.

KARACHI: The Prime Minister’s Polio Monitoring

and Coordination Cell, World Health Organisation,

Unicef and partners in Pakistan’s Polio Eradication

Initiative have called for urgent pre-emptive meas-

ures against exportation of the polio virus after pos-

itive samples linked to the Sukkur district were

discovered in Egypt, officials said on Monday.

“Two sewage samples collected from the

Al Salam and Al Haggana areas of Cairo district

and analysed in a laboratory bore resemblance to a

strain discovered recently in sewage water tested in

Sukkur,” said a joint statement of Prime Minister’s

Polio Monitoring and Coordination Cell, World

Health Organisation and Unicef.

“As a preemptive measure and to reduce

the possibility of spread of the polio virus beyond

Pakistan’s borders, the government’s Polio Moni-

toring and Coordination Cell is advising all provin-

cial governments and federal administration to set

up permanent vaccination counters inside interna-

tional departure lounges of all airports so that all

children under five years leaving the country are

vaccinated against the poliovirus.

The Prime Minister’s Polio Monitoring

and Coordination Cell has already asked the Sindh

government to improve its polio immunisation ef-

forts to stop transmission of the virus in the

province on an emergency basis, it added.

“Importation of polio virus is a stark re-

minder of risks associated with active poliovirus

transmission in the country, and the need to make

efforts to stop the transmission on urgent basis in

Pakistan,” the statement quoted Shahnaz Wazir Ali,

the PM’s focal person on polio eradication, as say-

ing. Although, it said, the virus had not infected any

child in Egypt and the country remained polio-free

since 2004, the Egyptian ministry of health had or-

dered immediate vaccination of all children aged

below five years in the localities near Cairo from

where the Pakistan-origin virus was discovered.

“Dr Ahmed Omar, of the ministry of

health and population in Egypt, has stated that the

ministry will start a campaign to vaccinate children

under-five against polio in Ezbet Hagana Peace and

Kaliobeya in Cairo,” it said.

It said the Independent Monitoring Board

(IMB) recently had also recommended international

travel restrictions for the three polio endemic coun-

tries under the International Health Regulations.

“The assessment of the IMB reflects the

global concern over Pakistan and other polio en-

demic countries. However, regarding travel restric-

tions, it is understandable that every polio-free

country would like to maintain its polio-free status

and may consider taking steps to avoid importation

of the virus,” the statement quoted the emergency

coordinator for polio eradication at the WHO, Dr

Elias Durry, as saying.

Pakistan took major strides last year with

a 71 per cent reduction in the number of polio cases

with all but 28 districts free of polio virus

transmission.

The recent security related incidents in

different parts of the country have exposed children

to risk of contracting polio, a disease that causes

permanent paralysis in young children.

“Polio virus type 3 has not been found in

Pakistan since April 2012, whereas environmental

samples have been found mostly negative for the

polio virus except for a few sites in Khyber

Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh,” said the statement.

“According to Unicef’s acting head of

polio unit, Michael Coleman, it reinforces the ur-

gent need for all caregivers across Pakistan to vac-

cinate children under five years of age against polio

through the nearest health facility or through cam-

paign vaccination teams. The country had reported

58 polio cases last year whereas this year, no polio

case has been reported so far.”

ISLAMABAD – A counsel for Inter Services In-

telligence (ISI) and Military Intelligence (MI) said

Monday that a group of men detained for years on

suspicion of terror attacks had been held

on “moral grounds”, admitting there

was no evidence against them.Chief

Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry

heading a three-member bench, includ-

ing Justice Gulzar Ahmed and Justice

Azmat Saeed, hearing the Raifa Bibi’s

petition, said the intelligence agencies

do not have authority to keep anyone in

their custody for indefinite period and

no ‘moral ground’ had any legal

value.The Supreme Court gave the gov-

ernment until Tuesday to resolve the

issue of Adiyala jail’s ‘missing’ prison-

ers.The chief justice noted that out of 11

prisoners, four have already died, and

told the authorities to either present ev-

idence against the remaining seven de-

tainees or release them without further delay. He

said it was a question of freedom of citizens as

promised by the constitution of the land.These

men were first arrested in November 2007 and

their release ordered in May 2010, only for them

to disappear. The Supreme Court decided to inves-

tigate why the men had been held and in February

2012, they appeared before the court, in poor

health, barely able to stand or talk.During the pro-

ceedings, Raja Irshad, the counsel for ISI and MI,

said the agencies handed over the Adiala Jail pris-

oners to the Fata administration who were keeping

them in Parachinar internment centre. The chief

justice said, “You (the agencies) cannot acquit

yourself from the case as the agencies had taken

them in their custody”.The CJP said, “When you

arrested the prisoners you had said their trial would

be conducted, which had not happened so far.”

Raja Irsahd said it the court pass an order,

they would release the detainees. The

chief justice remarked why should the

court issue order and told him that the

agencies should decide about it by them-

selves. The counsel said that the agencies

did not arrest people who have clean

record. The chief justice inquired from

the counsel if there was no evidence

against the detainees then why the agen-

cies have been keeping them detained.

“Do you have any justification for it,” the

CJP questioned.

He said that if the custody proved illegal

then law would take its course, as no one

was above the law.Earlier, Deputy Attor-

ney General Dil Muhammad Khan Ali

pleaded that as per the law, after every

120 days the internment centre’ authority had to

review the detainees’ conditions and evidences

against them. The CJP ordered the government and

intelligence agencies to report back to the court on

today (Tuesday) about what would happen to

the detainees.

Taliban storm Kabulpolice complex

KABUL - Nato troops joined a fight against a

Taliban suicide squad that stormed a Kabul po-

lice headquarters at dawn Monday, killing three

police officers and unleashing a stand-off that

lasted for more than eight hours.The Taliban

claimed the attack, which turned into the longest

stand-off between the insurgents and security

forces in Kabul since a major co-ordinated raid

on the capital lasted 18 hours in April last

year.Three of the five attackers were killed in the

early part of the assault while two others wearing

suicide vests holed up in the five-storey building

in west Kabul and fired on security forces, a po-

lice officer told AFP. They were later also

killed."It's over. The last two terrorists are dead

and they were not even given the chance to det-

onate their suicide vests," Kabul police chief

General Mohammad Ayoub Salangi told

AFP.The reason it took so long to overpower the

last two men was "because our boys acted very

carefully," he said. "There were lots of important

documents so we acted very carefully to not

cause any damage to those documents."Four traf-

fic police, two members of the special forces and

half a dozen civilians were wounded, deputy in-

terior minister General Abdul Rahman said.An

AFP photographer said Norwegian soldiers were

seen firing at the police building.Nato's Interna-

tional Security Assistance Force (ISAF) con-

firmed its participation in the operation but

insisted it was small."We do have a very small

number of people assisting the Afghan security

forces officials in the scene. It's primarily an ad-

vising role and absolutely the Afghan officials

are in the lead," an Isaf spokesman told AFP.Nato

says the Taliban insurgency has been weakened

and characterised the attack as a ploy to attract

media attention, but the time it took to mop up

the insurgents will be seen as an embarrass-

ment."They (the Taliban) are losing the fight,"

said General Gunter Katz, Isaf military

spokesman. "They cannot fight face to face.

These attacks are only to attract media. They

carry out their attacks in the cities and crowded

areas where civilians suffer."He praised the role

of the Afghan security forces in countering the

attack.The assault began with a massive car-

bomb explosion that shattered the windows of

nearby homes.A local resident described the ini-

tial explosion as "very very big -- it was mas-

sive". It was followed by several other explosions

and gunfire.Taliban insurgents, who are waging

an 11-year war against the Western-backed gov-

ernment of President Hamid Karzai, claimed

credit for the attack, which it said began at 5:00

am (0030 GMT)."A large number of fedayeen

(suicide bombers) entered a building in

Dehmazang and are attacking an American train-

ing centre, a police centre and other military cen-

tres and have caused heavy casualties on the

enemy," a Taliban spokesman said.There is no

US or Nato-run training facility in the area and

the Taliban are known to exaggerate when claim-

ing attacks.Monday's attack came less than a

week after a squad of suicide bombers attacked

the Afghan intelligence agency headquarters in

Kabul, killing at least one guard and wounding

dozens of civilians.All six attackers were killed

in the brazen attack on the National Directorate

of Security (NDS), also claimed by the

Taliban.Afghan police and other security forces

are increasingly targets of Taliban attacks as they

take a bigger role in the battle against the insur-

gents before Nato withdraws the bulk of its

100,000 combat troops by the end of 2014.

January 24, 2013 07

Enter tainment

It seems my life is quite set: Saif Ali Khan

Vidya Balan excited to hear 'Kahaani 2' story Katy Perry joins star-studded Obama inauguration

After an eventful 2012, Saif Ali Khan is looking

forward to a racier 2013. The " Race 2" actor is at

peace with his personal and professional life.

His last film "Cocktail" managed to do

well at the box office, he wed his lady love Kareena

Kapoor, and for his forthcoming action thriller

"Race 2", he got the chance to drive around in high-

end cars, shoot in locations like Istanbul and be be-

sides some of Bollywood's gorgeous girls.

Life's set, Saif, isn't it? asked a reporter.

"It feels great! It seems my life is quite

set... nazar mat lagao yaar (don't jinx it)," said the

actor, who looked extremely stylish and fit at a pro-

motional event. Saif was joined at the Audi car

showroom in New Delhi by his "Race 2" co-stars

Deepika Padukone and Ameesha Patel, who looked

as glamourous as the film looks by its songs and

trailers. The Abbas-Mustan movie, set to release

Jan 25, is the sequel to 2008 hit film "Race". It also

features Anil Kapoor, John Abraham and Jacqueline

Fernandez. Saif, who was part of the earlier movie

too, says times have changed a lot for cinema in the

country, and sequels are accepted.

"When I did 'Main Khiladi Tu Anari'

(1994), we were contemplating on a sequel to it.

But then the idea was dropped because at that time,

sequels didn't used to happen. But things change...

There are some films that lend themselves to a se-

quel, and the 'Race' franchise lends itself perfectly,"

he said.

After bagging top awards for Kahaani, Sujoy

Ghosh has set the ball in momentum for part two

and Vidya Balan, who played lead in the original,

can't wait to hear the story.

At the prestigious Filmfare awards on

Sunday, Vidya bagged the 'best actor (female)'

title, while Ghosh was named the best director.

"Ask Sujoy, I am very excited to know

which Kahaani he has written. So, let's see," the

33-year-old said at the 58th Filmfare awards.

Recalling her journey with Kahaani,

Vidya said: "When we started Kahaani, only two

people were associated with it, Sujoy and me. But

later others joined in. We tried to make a good

film, people liked it and we have grabbed a lot of

other awards for the film till now."

Also featuring Parambrata Chatterjee

and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Kahaani is going

strong at the awards function.

WASHINGTON: Pop princess Katy Perry was a

starlet in stripes Monday, bundling up in the chill

as she joined a bevy of celebrities at Barack

Obama’s second presidential inauguration.

Perry, sporting a striped orange and black

coat, black boots and sunglasses, held hands with

boyfriend singer-songwriter John Mayer in the

VIP seats just a stone’s throw from the inaugural

platform on the west front of the US Capitol. “It’s

so exciting, because I really love Obama!” Perry

cooed to AFP.

The Grammy-nominated “Firework” and

“Wide Awake” performer wowed the audience the

previous night at a children’s concert, where she

wore a decidedly racier ensemble: a red, white and

blue American flag-inspired bustier outfit.

If there is one day every four years to

make it to Washington, it was Inauguration Day,

when the who’s who of the nation – particularly

Hollywood and music royalty – descended on the

capital. Several celebrities, many of whom signed

big checks or attended major campaign fundrais-

ing events for Obama last year, crowded into the

seats within about 100 yards (meters) of the pres-

ident. The stars included leather-clad actress An-

gela Bassett, who played Tina Turner in “What’s

Love Got to Do With It,” and Hispanic American

actress Eva Longoria, the “Desperate Housewives”

star and Obama inauguration co-chair who was in

the official seated gallery tucked in among the na-

tion’s lawmakers.

Reverend Jesse Jackson, the famed civil

rights activist who once ran for president, mingled

with lawmakers and Obama staffers. Boston

Celtics basketball legend Bill Russell was in the

crowd too. Actor Jeffrey Wright, a Washington na-

tive, told AFP he has supported Obama since his

days as a state senator in Illinois.

“He is the leader for the times, for very

complicated times, a very complicated country and

complicated world,” Wright said.

“We’re fortunate that he’s that leader.

What’s unfortunate though is that his worth is un-

dervalued by too many in this country,” he added.

Near Wright was the actor Marlon Wayans, who

comes from a family of actors and currently stars

in “A Haunted House,” and who was seeking to

make amends for not attending Obama’s first, his-

toric inaugural.

“It looked like I missed out four years

ago so I’m kind of doing some retribution,”

Wayans said. “I’m just happy he got another term,”

he added, saying it was time for lawmakers to tone

down their partisan bickering.

“Hopefully they can all work together,

because right now everyone’s playing nice, but

you know you can’t do it alone.”James Taylor and

Kelly Clarkson performed in front of a crowd es-

timated by inaugural officials at one million, but

the bona fide star of the show – other than the Oba-

mas themselves – was Beyonce.

The diva, who looked stunning in a black

Emilio Pucci dress, brought down the house by

belting the National Anthem. She and her hip-hop

husband Jay-Z were among those who caused the

greatest stir on the inaugural platform, with Sena-

tor Mary Landrieu taking out her smart phone to

snap a few pictures of Beyonce.

MUMBAI: A new Indian film looks at the sensitive

topic of sexual harassment in the workplace at a

time when Bollywood has come under fire for its

portrayal of women, after a fatal gang-rape shocked

the nation.

“Inkaar” (Denial), a Hindi movie combin-

ing crime and romance, explores how a relationship

turns sour between Rahul, the alpha male CEO of

an advertising agency, and his ambitious protegee

Maya, who rises up the company’s ranks.

She claims sexual harassment, a charge he

flatly denies, and the film develops through a series

of flashbacks as the pair tell their story to a social

worker looking at the case.

The theme is an unusual one in an indus-

try that has faced fresh criticism for objectifying

women as merely skimpily dressed arm candy for

a macho hero.

The brutal gang-rape and murder of a 23-

year-old student on a bus in New Delhi on Decem-

ber 16 sparked shockwaves and protests across the

nation, along with much soul-searching about its

treatment and portrayal of women.

Director Sudhir Mishra said the timing of

Inkaar’s release, on Friday, was a coincidence but

he hoped the film would spark debate on under-dis-

cussed issues facing modern and rapidly urbanising

India. “The film explains the environment of a

workplace from both men’s and women’s points of

view,” he told AFP.

“Everyone has a point of view on a sub-

ject, especially something as strong as sexual ha-

rassment. I have come across a cluster of people

who work in different offices and they have similar

stories to narrate.”

Inkaar’s initial reviews say it has failed to

live up to its promise, and should have pushed fur-

ther its exploration of gender politics in the office.

“The tough questions that the film had

started to lay out for us… all get buried under a hur-

ried, compromised end,” said The Indian Express.

But film trade analyst Komal Nahta de-

scribed it as a “brave attempt” to take on a “bold

subject”.

“Films based on sexual harassment

should be made more and more, but the filmmaker

should handle this delicate subject with utmost

care,” he told AFP.

The “item number” has come under par-

ticular fire, a musical performance often unrelated

to the plot, featuring scantily clad women in sexu-

ally suggestive dance routines.

When the film returns to the storyline, the

main female character is often tirelessly wooed by

the male protagonist until she gives in to him.

“We talk about public or police apathy to-

wards crimes against women but nothing comes

close to the antipathy shown to women by Bolly-

wood,” said award-winning playwright Mahesh

Dattani in a scathing column.

“Bollywood loathes women. Bollywood

is a monster that has gone horribly wrong,” he said.

Shabana Azmi, a 62-year-old actor known

for her roles in Indian New Wave cinema from the

1970s, suggested there was some responsibility on

younger women in the business to insist on better

portrayal of female characters.

“Celebration of a woman’s sensuality is

healthy but commodification is not and our hero-

ines will do well to make more discerning choices,”

she said on Twitter.

Others in the industry defended its

movies, saying Bollywood had become a soft target

that could not be blamed for inciting violence.

Chitrangada Singh, the female lead in

Inkaar, said song-and-dance numbers in films had

been around for decades. She pointed in particular

to Helen, a legendary Indian star in the 1970s and

the most famous “item girl”.

“Helen did a lot of dances during my

mother’s time but men were not like this,” she told

AFP. Veteran art film actor and television presenter

Farooq Sheikh suggested that scripts had deterio-

rated over the years. “Intelligent writers need to be

given a chance,” he said.

An alternative Bollywood is starting to

emerge: a crop of “Hindi Indie” directors have done

well on the festival circuit and even some main-

stream films have departed from the typical love

story themes. Films such as last year’s thriller “Ka-

haani” (Story) and “The Dirty Picture” a year ear-

lier, both starring Vidya Balan, have won praise for

presenting stronger female characters.

Among India’s leading independent film-

makers is Anurag Kashyap, who said it was up to

the audience to make movie-makers adapt.

“Cinema is business and whatever will

work, they’ll keep doing that,” he told NDTV. “You

want that to change, stop watching those films…

stop buying those tickets.”

FM Khar says IaIndian film ex-plores harassment as Bollywoodin spotlightndia ‘warmongering’

08 January 24, 2013

Obama vows to build alliances, not ‘perpetual war'

Indo-Pak friendship: The phoenix without wings

Another lesson of time

WASHINGTON - President

Barack Hussain Obama kicked off

his second term with a pledge to

resolve US differences with other

nations peacefully, and to support

democracy from Asia to Africa,

from the Americas to the Middle

East.Though his speech was

watched across the globe, Obama

sketched over foreign policy, dis-

daining "perpetual war" and prom-

ising diplomacy of engagement

backed with military steel - though

did not dwell on specific crises

like Iran.The 44th president re-

peatedly used the "We the People"

preamble to the US Constitution to

suggest how to reconcile Amer-

ica's founding truths and the cur-

rent discord and dysfunction of its

embittered political system."We

will show the courage to try and

resolve our differences with other

nations peacefully — not because

we are naive

about the dan-

gers we face,

but because en-

gagement can

more durably

lift suspicion

and fear," he told tens of thousands

of people gathered on the National

Mall. “We, the people, still believe

that enduring security and lasting

peace do not require perpetual

war,” Obama declared after he and

Vice President Joseph Biden took

oath of office for their second

White House term, which consti-

tutionally commenced on Sunday.

"We will support democracy from

Asia to Africa;

from the

Americas to

the Middle

East, because

our interests

and our con-

science com-

pel us to act on

behalf of those

who long for

freedom," he

said. "And we

must be a

source of hope

to the poor, the

sick, the marginalised, the victims

of prejudice — not out of mere

charity, but because peace in our

time requires the constant ad-

vance of those principles that

our common creed describes:

tolerance and opportunity;

human dignity and justice.”The

president added: “America will

remain the anchor of strong al-

liances in every corner of the

globe; and we will renew those

institutions that extend our ca-

pacity to manage crises abroad,

for no one has a greater stake in

a peaceful world than its most

powerful nation.”Obama

vowed to “defend our people

and uphold our values through

strength of arms and rule of

law.”“We will show the

courage to try and resolve our

differences with other nations

peacefully – not because we are

naïve about the dangers we

face, but because engagement

can more durably lift suspicion

and fear.

“The president de-

clared to meet the threat of

global warming, despite scepti-

cism on climate change among

some Republicans and daunting

political and economic barriers to

taking meaningful action.

Arts and sports have played an immense role in

propagating peace across the world. Artists, philan-

thropists and sports celebrities have often proved

to be the only people to have tried to change the sta-

tus quo of the hostile relations between many coun-

tries such as India and Pakistan. Whether we talk

about candlelight vigil at Wagah-Attari border, par-

ticipation of Pakistani sportsmen in Indian Pre-

miere League (IPL) or artists traveling across the

border to share their work with people residing in

both the countries, their efforts

to develop the camaraderie be-

tween millions of estranged

Indians and Pakistanis is end-

less and many a time beyond

belief. However, it is ex-

tremely unfortunate that the

aforementioned people are al-

ways the first to be singled out

whenever the tensions be-

tween India and Pakistan in-

tensify. Last week nine

Pakistani players, who were to

participate in Hockey India

League (HIL), were sent back

home because of the mounting

tensions at the Line of Control (LoC).It is also

being speculated that Pakistan’s women cricket

team may not be able to participate in the upcoming

World Cup because of the tragic events which re-

sulted in untimely deaths of Indian and Pakistani

soldiers. Indian politicians, enraged with the situa-

tion, urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to

take strictest action against Pakistani authorities.

Some even demanded for “10 heads from Pakistan”

for the alleged beheading of an Indian soldier

whereas others speculated that certain radical ele-

ments were behind the execution.

Although what happened at the LoC can

only be described as deplorable and detestable,

however, acts of a certain individual or group

should not be taken as cue to blame all Pakistanis

as most of them bear no ill will towards Indians.

Sujal Tirpal, an Indian from Mumbai said,

“It is most unfortunate that many people in India

still consider all Pakistanis to be terrorists. It is a

common phenomenon especially in North India

where people refuse to believe that Pakistanis can

see Indians or India progressing. What most of us

fail to realize is that when we stereotype people on

the basis of their nationalities, we become preju-

diced and offensive in our own thoughts.”

He went on to add that, “People who pos-

sess such feelings and thoughts for fellow human

beings, be it Pakistanis or Indians, can easily resort

to the most evil means and kill indiscriminately

without any remorse. If the educated people are un-

able to understand the difference between innocent

Pakistanis, who play no part in jeopardizing the ex-

istence of India, and savage militants then we all

should just crawl back to our caves.”

However, some Pakistanis and Indians

differ from Tirpal’s opinions and believe that if an

attack is launched from either side of the border

then showing mercy towards any individual is con-

sidered against the basic rules of patriotism.

An Indian from Delhi on condition of

anonymity said, “I completely agree with the ide-

ology of Shiv Sena and it is our responsibility as

Indians to keep Pakistanis away from India. They

have never been one of our well-wishers. They at-

tacked us in 1965, 1971, 1999, 2001 and then again

in 2008. Sometimes they kill our soldiers and on

other occasions they kill innocent civilians. I

strongly believe that most Pakistanis are not peace

loving and are always plotting against Indians or

India.” “Pakistan’s army, rulers and general public

are all against India. We have suffered immensely

over the past several decades because of their hid-

den vendetta against our state. I don’t want Pak-

istanisportsmen, artists, businessmen or politicians

coming to our country and ruining our peace,” he

added. Reciprocating equally to the hostile senti-

ments of the aforementioned individual Salman Ab-

basi, a Pakistani from Lahore said, “instead of

harping on and on about peace and what good it

will bring to the South-Asian region, we all should

just accept the fact that India and Pakistan can

never become friendly nations. We are poles apart

and I think we should break all ties with them be-

cause they keep on blaming Pakistan for everything

that goes wrong on their border or in their country

without having the decency to share any substantial

evidence with us. They have been blam-

ing us for over six decades now and I re-

ally do not think that they are interested

in moving on to build better relations

with us.” Listening to all the negative

comments I just could not stop thinking

about why is it so difficult for us to be-

lieve that India and Pakistan can put the

past behind and embark on a journey of

healthy relations? Why is it unfath-

omable for many of us that we truly be-

long to the same race and are exactly

similar in many ways? Is Indian blood

any different for Pakistani blood? Why

is it so easy for us to give up on each

other without even thinking twice? I re-

fuse to believe that majority of Indians

and Pakistanis endorse some of the neg-

ative feedback that I received. I know

that most of us have positive feelings to-

wards each other and stand united on

various fronts. My thoughts were posi-

tively reinforced when I read a news re-

port about Indian women protesting

against the killings of Shia Muslims in

Quetta. Simultaneously my views were

once again proven true when young stu-

dents from India and Pakistan met in

New Delhi and vowed to spread peace.

Had armed forces and politicians from

both sides of the border acted as gracefully and pru-

dently as other civilians, the situation could have

been controlled. It is important for all of us to un-

derstand that the people responsible for all the

bloodshed do so to serve their own personal inter-

ests. They are neither friends of Pakistan nor foes

of India. Their only motivation is power and money

and by falling into their trap, every time they fuel

violence, we just make their task easier. Although

it is very difficult to control emotions over the loss

of innocent lives, however, by giving rise to situa-

tions which may result in further loss of human

lives, we prove to be irresponsible. Unless we give

peace real chance, radical elements will continue to

capitalize on our sentiments and turn us against

each other.

With the end of the Drama in the Capital our

choice to remain on the democratic path gets

clearer. That means we understand more clearly

than before that the world we live in is an inclusive

one, not a world for the chosen few; that it is a

world where matters should be decided by reason

not force, by empathy not dictation. Forces of vi-

olent sectarianism and hostile attitudes have yet to

wave their white flags, but it is not their world;

they can delay our quest towards the path of peace

and happiness but cannot keep us diverged forever.

They should be made to realise that they can kill

individuals but cannot wipe out mankind. Al-

though the gun intimidates, it does not win respect

and should be used only to defend.

But it is time to ask why, after all, are lu-

dicrous endeavors like these necessary? Why can’t

we accept the realities of our times and play our

games within the scope of these democratic reali-

ties? Prudence demands that we do not criticise too

harshly the interests that lost in Islamabad; on the

other hand wisdom demands that they move to the

right side of history. The nation can overcome

many of its problems if it decides to stand like a

rock, not with, but behind elected governments in

its every right move.

People of all professions and incomes as-

pire to be heard, to be included in decisions that

affect their life. We cannot categorise people as

common or special. There are no ‘ordinary’ and

‘extraordinary’ people except through merit; but

merit has to be determined by some established

system of standards. Personal notions of merit can-

not prove you or yours truly as extraordinary.

There is no humane algorithm to win somebody’s

obedience except through persuasion. You may see

your merit as exceptional as you wish but the fel-

low next to you has to independently acknowledge

it as such; your boasting or anger makes no differ-

ence, while persecuting him with your force can

only alienate him further.

This adherence of equality means

democracy. It may infuriate a general or an intel-

lectual alike, but in our world there is no alterna-

tive to it except one: befuddle the people with

some magic, intoxicate them with a charged emo-

tion, and take away their ambition for equality; so

that they abandon their claims. But chances of suc-

cess in such an endeavor are meager. One could

see similar submission in the soldiers of the Qadri

brigade, when people agreed with the Allama’s ex-

treme shifts of position and happily left without

asking if the government had changed. But one can

be almost certain that even a respectful analysis of

the agreement in media can awaken the majority

from the inertia. Such are the times. Even though

the media can be manipulated, the manipulation

needs to be globalised in this global media world.

No power, including the sole super power, can

hope to harness that privilege. That makes the task

of a tyrant or dictator increasingly difficult. It is

merit alone that can win. Brilliant crooks can get

away with a chunk of the pie of more than their

share but that is a trick of brilliance, achieved with

the consent of those that allow. If you happen to

be around and know the crook’s design, your suc-

cess to frustrate his move depends on your ability

to awaken those that can say no. That is the path

of persuasion and awareness; a path that even

prophets had to take to achieve change.

We have to revisit our strategy. We live

in a growingly democratic industrial world where

economy matters more than nuclear weapons. The

way we are at war with ourselves, we hardly need

a nuclear enemy to destroy us. Let us accept

democracy as our own system to live with the

world. Our principal tragedy is lawlessness. At the

moment only one element defeats law: the ex-

ploitation of Islam as its shroud. Can we hope that

our generals and judges will help elected govern-

ments in the equal implementation of law for all,

including those who manipulate religion to defeat

justice? People will learn to choose the correct

people; it is their duty and prerogative. Intellectu-

als and the media can facilitate and educate each

other and the nation.

How whimsical our dreams of the gener-

als and judges emerging as symbols of modesty

and wisdom. A dim light does always flicker to in-

dicate the tunnel’s end. Let us reach out for it.

January 24, 2013 09

No home Tests holding Pakistan backDeadly Djokovic batters Berdych to reach semis

Collateral damage: Sports, arts pay price of India-Pakistan tensions

JOHANNESBURG - Pakistan are losing ground

on Test rivals because they cannot host international

teams owing to security concerns and accordingly

play fewer Test matches, captain Misbah-ul-Haq

said on Monday.

As his team prepared to take on the

world's top-ranked Test team South Africa in the

three-Test series starting in Johannesburg on Feb-

ruary 1, Misbah said Pakistan were at a disadvan-

tage because of the "limitations".

"As a team it is very difficult when you

not playing a format on a regular basis. You really

have to work hard. But we have to adjust,

you could say it is a limitation for us but we

are professionals, we have to do well," he

told a news conference. "We don't have

home series and when you aren't playing at

home then you miss a lot of cricket and you

play only about five or six Tests a year when

other teams are playing 15 or 16 Tests a

year. It really does affect your team."

Pakistan have not hosted a Test-

playing team since armed militants attacked

the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore in 2009,

killing eight Pakistanis and wounding six

Sri Lankan players. Their 'home' matches

since then have been held at neutral venues,

mostly in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, while Pak-

istan have not played a Test series anywhere

since July last year. Misbah said that the

success of the two-match series between a

World XI and a Pakistani All Star team in

October last year showed that Pakistan

could safely host international matches.

"Pakistan is such a big cricketing nation and

the world has to think about bringing international

cricket back (to Pakistan). The T20 tournament in

Pakistan saw full stadiums for every match. There

were no (security) concerns. The people should

have international cricket," he said.

Misbah's words were echoed by Pakistan

team manager Naveed Akram Cheema who said

that the situation in Pakistan was a lot safer than

outsiders perceived. "Our people in Pakistan are

being deprived of international cricket. There is a

difference between perception and reality. People

don't come (to Pakistan) on the pretext of security

concerns. But I can tell you that it is as safe as any

country in the world," he said.

Misbah said Proteas fast bowler Vernon

Philander will be one of the South African players

to watch out for in their Test series next month. Phi-

lander was included in the Proteas squad for the se-

ries after missing out in the second Test against

New Zealand with a hamstring injury.

“I think the way Philander is bowling is

really taking so many wickets,” Misbah said. “He's

really a factor with the new ball and swinging the

ball and hitting the seam. “I think the best way is

just to stick to your basics and just go there and try

and see off these sort of bowlers, and then just cap-

italise. In Test cricket you need to do your basics

right. If the bowler is bowling well or that batsman

is batting well, you just have to stick to your basics

in how you tackle someone.”

Misbah said he knew his team would have

their work cut out against the hosts, who would be

strong favourites to clinch the series. “With the likes

of (Hashim) Amla, Jacques Kallis, Graeme Smith,

they've got everything in their batting line-up. Then

they've got quality bowlers like (Dale) Steyn,

(Morne) Morkel and Philander.

They are really a good side and we have

to play well against them to put some sort of game

on.” Misbah said his side would be keen to prove

themselves against the top rated outfit in

Test cricket.

“This team has really done well for the

last two-and-half years. It's really a big challenge

for us to come here to play the number one team in

the world, and especially in their conditions, it's re-

ally tough. This Pakistan team are ready to take

challenges. They have proved that in the last two

years, so I think this will really be a test and we re-

ally want to play well in South Africa.”

MELBOURNE: Serbian superman Novak

Djokovic remained firmly on course for a third

straight Australian Open title on Tuesday after dis-

mantling Tomas Berdych in four sets to set up a

last four meeting with Spanish comeback king

David Ferrer.

Showing no signs of fatigue from the

grinding five-hour duel with Stanislas Wawrinka

that ended in the early hours of Monday morning,

Djokovic defused the big Czech’s big serve 6-1 4-

6 6-1 6-4 to progress comfortably to his 11th suc-

cessive grand slam semi-final.

Maria Sharapova was just as impressive

as she continued a ruthless march through the

women’s draw with a 6-2 6-2 savaging of Ekate-

rina Makarova, while Li Na ended Agnieszka Rad-

wanska’s winning streak to continue her love affair

with Melbourne Park.

Ferrer staged what he described as a

miraculous comeback from two sets down to beat

fellow Spaniard Nicolas Almagro 4-6 4-6 7-5 7-6

6-2 but immediately said he would need something

even more spectacular if he was to get to his first

grand slam final.

Living up to his reputation as the fittest

player on the tour, world number one Djokovic re-

turned with his usual deftness and moved his 6ft

5in (1.96m) opponent around the court.

The 25-year-old whipped through the

first set against fifth seed Berdych quicksmart,

stalled only a little as he lost the second before rac-

ing to victory in two and a half hours, sealing the

win with his 10th ace.

“It was a great performance,” Djokovic

said. “I was hoping to have a shorter match and

not go over five hours like the last match.

“It is always going to be tough against

Tomas … but I came out and played my best ten-

nis.” Sharapova crushed fellow Russian Makarova

in just 66 minutes to set up a last four appointment

with Li at a cost of just nine games conceded in

the tournament, a record low for the Australian

Open. The second seed and 2008 champion relent-

lessly pummelled Makarova with a barrage of

thumping serves and fierce forehands, leaving the

19th seed scrapping for dignity by the end.

“She’s playing unbelievable, so aggres-

sive, and just in the right spot of the court. It’s re-

ally tough to play against her now,” said

Makarova.

MIRACLE VICTORY

“In the end I just was

fighting for the games, be-

cause I was thinking that,

yeah, it’s tough to beat her.”

Ferrer stared defeat

full in the face three times

before taming Almagro

after being dominated by

some brilliant tennis from

the 10th seed for the first

two sets. The fourth seed

looked to be heading for

the exit when he faced Al-

magro serving for the

match at 5-4 in the third set

but he hustled along the baseline to claw his way

back into the contest. Twice more Almagro had

chances to serve out for victory but he blew them

both before suffering a leg injury and Ferrer, who

had won all 12 of their previous meetings,

emerged a winner after three hours and 44 min-

utes. Ferrer, 30, has lost all four of his previous

grand slam semi-finals, including defeats to world

number one Djokovic at the US Open in 2007 and

last year. “It was a miracle I won this match,” said

Ferrer. “I tried to fight and do my best but next

round I need to play my best tennis, better than

today,” he said.

“Nole is a special player.”

Li reached her third semi-final in four

years at the Australian Open with a 7-5 6-3 victory

over Radwanska in the opening match of the day.

Radwanska had come into the contest

bursting with confidence on a run of 13 successive

wins but looked underpowered as she was bludg-

eoned into submission by Li in the 102-minute

contest There were 10 service breaks in the 21

games and sixth seed Li grabbed six of them to set

up a contest against Sharapova, who won all three

of their encounters last year.

NEW DELHI: The guns may have fallen silent, but

the collateral damage from a deadly flare-up be-

tween India and Pakistan is still mounting with

major sporting and arts events among those hit by

the fallout.

Less than a month ago, Pakistan’s cricket

team embarked on its first tour to India in nearly

five years.

But hopes the trip would herald a wider

cultural thaw were soon dashed by tit-for-tat mili-

tary exchanges in disputed Kashmir that killed five

soldiers in nine days.

Although the two armies agreed a cease-

fire on January 16, the impact of the violence is

being felt far away from the front line.

In the last few days, some of Pakistan’s

leading hockey players have been forced to pull out

of a new money-spinning competition while its

women cricketers have had to rewrite their World

Cup plans.

A Lahore-based theatre group had to scrap

a performance at a prestigious Delhi venue and a

row has broken out over the participation of Pak-

istani authors in an international literary festival in

Rajasthan. “The arts are always a high-visibility

and low-cost target,” said Sanjoy Roy, one of the

organisers of this weekend’s Jaipur Literature Fes-

tival. Last year’s festival made headlines when the

Satanic Verses author Salman Rushdie stayed away

in the face of threats by Islamic activists.

Now Hindu nationalists are threatening to

disrupt this year’s event to protest the presence of

Pakistani authors such as Nadeem Aslam and Mo-

hammad Hanif.

Local members of the main opposition

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are to meet police on

Tuesday when they will urge officers to instruct fes-

tival organisers to rescind the invitations.

“We must send a message across the bor-

der that Pakistan must be isolated,” Suman Sharma,

vice president of the party’s Rajasthan branch, told

AFP. “The absence of a few Pakistani authors will

not affect the festival, so why bother even having

them in Jaipur?”

Roy said there was no question of invita-

tions being withdrawn.

“We are not going to be bullied by any

kind of faction,” Roy told AFP.

But while the Jaipur organisers are stand-

ing firm, Ajoka, a Lahore-based troupe, were not

allowed to perform as scheduled on Saturday night

at an annual theatre festival at the Delhi-based Na-

tional School of Drama (NSD).

Instead, they ended up putting on a pro-

duction of a play by Urdu writer Saadat Hasan

Manto at the smaller Akshara theatre.

The play’s director Madeeha Gauhar said

police should have been able to guarantee security

at the NSD if they were worried about “fringe ele-

ments”. Jalabala Vaidya, a manager at the Akshara

theatre, said it was important for cultural ties to

continue even at times of heightened tensions.

“Art and sports should never be dragged

in whenever there is war-mongering on either side,”

she told The Hindu newspaper.

Anti-Pakistan sentiment has been fuelled

in India by the alleged beheading of a soldier along

the Kashmir border on January 8. New Delhi

blames Pakistani troops although Islamabad denies

responsibility.

Politicians from the government and op-

position have criticised the “inhuman” attack with

Sushma Swaraj, the BJP’s leader in parliament,

calling for India to “get at least 10 heads from the

other side”. Salman Bashir, Pakistan’s high com-

missioner in New Delhi, said Pakistan must not be-

come a political football in the run-up to India’s

elections next year.

“India will not be an election issue in Pak-

istan and I certainly wish that Pakistan does not be-

come an election issue in India,” Bashir told AFP.

Protests by Shiv Sena, another right-wing

Hindu nationalist party, prompted organisers of the

inaugural Hockey India League to send home nine

Pakistani stars just as the tournament began last

week. “When sport is above prejudice, it is won-

derful. But when it aligns with prejudice, sport be-

gins to diminish,” said the squad’s Australian coach

Ric Charlesworth. Pakistan’s Imran Butt, who was

part of the Mumbai Magicians team which lost four

Pakistani players, said he hoped to return some day.

“Despite what happened, we were well

looked after during our stay. We are very friendly

with the Indian players,” he told AFP.

Fear of similar disruption has forced the

International Cricket Council to look for a separate

venue to host Pakistan’s matches in the women’s

World Cup starting on January 31.

The entire tournament was due to be held

in Mumbai, but the cricket association in the east-

ern state of Orissa says it has now been asked to

host Pakistan’s group matches.

SPORTS