Canadian Pakistani Times Thursday March21, 2013 Volume 1, 49

Air commodore Muhammad Mahmood

Alam (Urdu: محمد محمود عالم‎, Bengali: মুহাম্মদ মাহমুদ আলম)‎(‎born Muhammad Mahmud

Alam; 6 July 1935 – 18 March 2013) was a

Pakistani fighter pilot, North American F-86

Sabre Flying ace and one-star general who

served with the Pakistan Air Force.

Squadron Leader Muhammad Mahmud

Alam, Commander of No 11 Squadron, was

already a notable leader and highly

experienced pilot in 1965, when he was

awarded the Sitara-e-Jurat ("The star of

courage"), a Pakistani military decoration,

for his actions during the Indo-Pakistani War

of 1965.

In earning his decorations, Alam

downed five Indian aircraft in less than a

minute — the first four within 30 seconds —

establishing a world record. He also excelled

in gunnery competition, a skill that without a

doubt contributed greatly to his becoming the

first and the only jet ace in one mission.

Votes of religious minorities can play a key role in the

coming elections in about 96 constituencies of national

and provincial assemblies.

Analysts believe minorities can change the

electoral scene in many of these constituencies if they...

choose to collectively vote for specific political parties

or candidates.

According to official statistics available with

Dawn, there are 2.77 million non-Muslim voters in the

country, and 13 districts in Sindh and two in Punjab

have significant presence of these voters.

Umerkot and Tharparkar districts in Sindh have

as high as 49 per cent and 46pc non-Muslim voters,

respectively. In Umerkot, there are a total of 386,924

voters of which 189,501 belong to religious minorities.

In Tharparkar, out of a total of 473,189 voters,

219,342 are non-Muslim.

In Mirpurkhas, the total number of voters is

590,035 and among them 192,357 (33pc) are non-

Muslim.

In Tando Allahyar, 74,954 non-Muslims constitute

26pc of the total 288,460 voters.

In Badin and Sanghar, the proportion of non-

Muslim voters is 19pc. Total number of voters in

the two districts is 642,243 and 797,976, with

123,845 and 150,234 non-Muslim, respectively.

In Tando Mohammad Khan, 39,847 non-Muslims

account for 17pc of total 231,522 voters. In

Matiari, 81,589 non-Muslims constitute 13pc of

total 302,265 voters.

In Karachi (south), total number of voters is

1,070,321 and among them 81,589 (8pc) are non-

Muslim.

In Ghotki and Hyderabad, 41,031 and 62,243 non-

Muslims account for 7pc of the total 571,636 and

928,236 voters, respectively.

In Chiniot and Lahore districts of Punjab —

35,335 and 247,827 non-Muslims constitute 6pc of

the total 604,991 and 4,424,314 voters,

respectively.

In Jamshoro and Kashmore districts of Sindh,

18,912 and 17,495 non-Muslims are 5pc of the

total 373,097 and 355,904 voters, respectively.

Among 2.77m non-Muslim voters, 1.40m are Hindus,

1.23m Christians, 115,966 Ahmadis, 5,934 Sikhs, 3,650

Parsis, 1,452 Buddhists and 809 Jews.

Jews and Parsis are two minorities in which

number of women is higher than that of men. There are

1,915 Parsi female voters against 1,735 male voters. The

number of Jewish women voters is 427 against 382 men

in the community.

Talking to Dawn, National Database and

Registration Authority (Nadra) chairman Tariq Malik

asked members of the minority communities to check

their‎names‎ in‎voter‎ lists‎ through‎Nadra’s‎SMS‎service‎

by sending the number of their computerised national

identity card to the code 8300 in a text message.

02 March 21, 2013

We Love "Pakistan Army

Dozens of wounded Pakistani troops, many of them maimed during the fighting in the country’s tribal areas bordering Afghanistan,

gathered on Saturday in Rawalpindi for a sports competition designed to help them recover – in body and spirit. -Photos by AP

By Sara Faruqi and Alisia Pek Xue Ning

KARACHI: The first Women in Media

Awards ceremony took place at the Beach

Luxury Hotel on Wednesday and

celebrated the works of female Pakistani

journalists.

The journalists won awards in the

print, television, radio and online

categories. Each of the women spoke on

what their story was and how they went

about covering it.

For the winner of the online

journalism award, Sadia Haider, the award

was validation for the work she had put in

the last few years. After accepting her

award Haider explained that her husband,

who worked for the News Agency

Reuters, was killed in Afghanistan. Since

then she has been exploring the concept

of violence in society, especially towards

women, through different reporting

mediums. “I am glad I’m standing here as

a journalist for my work and not just a

camera person or photographer” said

Haider.

Similar to Haider, the rest of the

recipients of the media awards were

thankful for being recognised.

Many spoke about what story they

had won their awards for and why they

chose to produce them in a certain way.

The Runner-up for the radio prize,

Shamim Anjum of PBC-Islamabad, did a

radio feature on Malala Yousafzai. A five

minute report, Anjum made a young girl

read a script in first person of Malala’s life

story. For the bridge, however, Anjum

used a male voice. The reason for this,

she said, was because “it is men who are

stopping girls from going to school, it is

men who are blowing up schools.” I

wanted to use a male voice so that it

would reach fathers, fathers who need to

educate their daughters, concluded

Anjum.

The first prize in the radio category was

won by Arifa Habib from PBC Bhawalpur

for her radio talk show on the Pakistani

media and the portrayal of women.

A lifetime achievement was presented to

journalist Zubaida Mustafa, who reminded

the audience to not forget the importance

of the pioneer female journalists in the

country. “The contribution of these female

journalists should be remembered,” said

Mustafa. She went on to advise the

younger women present in the room to

never underestimate anyone, explaining

that even today when she meets someone

she always learns something from them.

“You should keep this in mind, especially if

you are a journalist,” she said. Wrapping

up her speech, Mustafa emphasised that

when women participate in the

professional world you can’t isolate them

from larger society.

The rest of the award winners

were: Print first prize, Razeshta Sethna

from the Herald for her feature on laws

aimed to prtotect women titled ‘Signed,

sealed, delivered’. The runner-up was

Imrana Komal from the Roznama Express

for her reporting on acid throwing crimes.

For Television the first prize was

bagged by Shamim Ara Marwat from

Khyber News on her story of female

refugees from the Orakzai agency. While

accepting her award, Marwat said this was

a story that was thoroughly underreported

and the women she met were some of the

most positive personalities she had

encountered.

The runner-up for the television

prize was Maimona Saeed, a reporter for

Geo News in Multan, for her story on

female cotton pickers.

The awards were a collaborative

effort of the media research centre Uks

and APNS. – Text by Sara Faruqi, photos

by Alisia Pek

Pakistani women journalists recognised

03 March 21, 2013

MP - Kyle Seeback

organised a skate

fo r Brampton

families & to top it

all it was the

annual March

break for all school

kids so everyone

came along and

yes all had loads of

fun.

By Faiz Al-Najdi

The Pakistani youth of today

seem to be simply ignorant of

the historical background of

the creation of Pakistan. The

reason is mostly to do with

detest of theirs for Pakistan

Studies while at schools.

Based on my interaction with

many of them, it is my

considered opinion that there

is a weakness and void out

there amongst our youth vis-à-vis history of Pakistan.

On this historic day of 23rd March – also known as

Pakistan Day – I therefore thought to write something for

educating my youth on the significance of this day.

The youth of today must know that Pakistan owes her

creation to four erstwhile outstanding Muslim leaders,

namely: Sir Syed Ahmad Khan (1817-98), Maulana

Mohammad Ali Jauhar (1878-1931), Quaid-e-Azam

Mohammad Ali Jinnah (1876-1948), and Allama Muhammad

Iqbal (1877-1938). These leaders provided intellectual and

political leadership to Indian Muslims during about ninety

years (1858-1947) of the British imperial rule on the Sub-

continent.

It is important for them to also know that in the

beginning all of these aforementioned leaders were thorough-

bred nationalists at one time or another. By being nationalist

means they were the proponents of a united India. Now it

should not come as a surprise for our young men and women

to learn that over the passage of time our leaders got

disillusioned with this concept of one united India. The

reasons were many. It could have been either because of

Hindu ethnocentrism in the late 19th century or Congress`s

championing of unitary Hindu nationalism in the 1920s and

1930s.

Now let us focus our discussion exclusively on our

great leader and founder of Pakistan – Quaid-e-Azam

Mohammad Ali Jinnah. It is very important for the youths to

understand the elements of the crest and the troughs in the

political leanings and ideologies of Quaid-e-Azam over his

long career from 1904 thru 1948. It is interesting to note here

that for some seventeen years (1904-1920), he was pro-

Congress, pleading the Congress cause and envisioning a

truly nationalist destiny for India.

And, still for another sixteen years (1921-37), though

he was practically out of Congress as he had joined All India

Muslim League in 1920, he was still working for a nationalist

destiny. During this period, he was still striving for a Hindu

-Muslim settlement and he was still collaborating with the

Congress and its leadership for the same. It is also very well

known that in pursuit of his mission of Hindu-Muslim

unity, he had devised several constitutional formulae, but all

to no avail. It is also pertinent to mention here that till early

1937, Quaid-e-Azam was still in his "nationalist" self;

preaching his credo eloquently and trying miserably to unite

Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs. For this he was widely known

as the ambassador of Hindu-Muslim unity.

Fast Forward: All said and done, on 23rd of March

1940 a resolution was passed which was read aloud by

Moulvi Abul Kasim Fazlul Haque - the then Chief Minister

of Bengal - (sans the help of any public address system as

he had very strong throat) and was adopted unanimously.

The resolution inter alia stated: "Resolved that it is the

considered view of this session of the All India Muslim

League that the areas in which the Muslims are numerically

in a majority as in the North-Western and Eastern Zones of

India should be grouped to constitute `Independent States`

in which the constituent units shall be autonomous and

sovereign." The resolution was seconded by Chaudhry

Khaliq-uz-Zaman, and supported among others by Maulana

Zafar Ali Khan, Sardar Aurangzeb Khan, Sir Abdullah

Haroon and I I Chundrigar. In short, the Muslims of India

on that day in fact had proclaimed to the world their

determination to make the Muslim Statehood the goal of

their struggle under the leadership of the Quaid-e-Azam

Mohammad Ali Jinnah.

Let the youths be educated that Pakistan Resolution

of 23rd March 1940 was in fact the first salvo fired in the

battle for Pakistan. And barely seven years after, was the

dream of a separate Muslim homeland in the shape of

Pakistan realized. This was all because of that mercurial

leadership of the great Quaid. Stanley Wolpert, the

American historian and author also gives testimony to this

fact‎in‎his‎book,‎entitled,‎“Jinnah‎of‎Pakistan”;‎Quote‎"that‎

few individuals significantly alter the course of history,

fewer still modify the map of the world, and hardly anyone

can be credited with creating a nation state. Mohammad Ali

Jinnah‎did‎all‎three.”‎Unquote.

Lord Mountbatten is on record to have said, "If

there had not been Mr. Jinnah there would have been no

Pakistan".

Let the youths also be informed here that the

Pakistan Resolution of 23rd March 1940 was just the

culmination but the historic journey for creation of Pakistan

had begun right after the fall of the Moghul Empire and

advent of the British rule in the Sub-continent in 1857. The

following historic facts would lend credence to this thesis

of mine.

1. The first scheme for the partition of India was presented

by John Bright in 1858. On the 4th of June 1858, while

participating in a discussion in the British Parliament, he

was of the opinion, "India should be divided into five

presidencies.”

2. As far back as 1867, Sir Syed had said: "It was now

impossible for Hindus and Muslims to progress as a single

nation."

3. The scheme for the partition of India was proposed by a

renowned Muslim Scholar Jamaluddin Afghani who in

1879, proposed a broader Muslim state.

4. Sir John Seeky - author of "The Expansion of England"

- as‎ early‎ as‎ 1883‎ had‎ said,‎ “India‎ does‎ not‎ mark‎ the‎

territory of a nation or a language, but the territory of

many nations and many languages."

5. A British writer Wilfred Scawen Blunt in 1883 wrote in

his‎book‎“Ideas‎about‎India”‎that‎practically‎India‎is‎to‎be‎

divided as such that all Northern provinces under the

Muslim Government while the South provinces under a

Hindu government".

6. In 1887, Theodore Beck educated at Cambridge and the

Principal of M. A. O. College at Aligarh observed that

"Muslims are a separate nation, rule of majority is

impossible; Muslims will never agree to be ruled by the

Hindu majority."

7. In 1899, another British intellectual and the principal of

MAO College Aligarh, Theodore Morison proposed that

the only solution to the Indian political uncertainty was to

centralize the Indian Muslims in one province or tract of

the country, for instance, the north of India from Peshawar

to Agra.

8. Sir Muhammad Iqbal was the first important public

figure to propound the idea of partition from the platform

of the Muslim League. He articulated his vision in 1930, in

his presidential address at Allahabad.

9. In 1933 Chaudhary Rehmat Ali, a student of Cambridge

University, issued a declaration entitled "Now or Never:

Are we to live or perish forever?" and demanded a Muslim

homeland. He used the term of Pakistan for the first time.,

10. In his letter on 28 May 1937, Allama Iqbal wrote to the

Quaid that to solve the Muslim problems it was necessary

to redistribute the country and to provide one or more

Muslim states with absolute majorities.

23rd March 1940 – What Our Youth Must Know About?

04 March 21, 2013

Women in 7th century Arab had few if any

rights. At the time of Hazrat Muhammad's

(PBUH) birth even the right of life could be

in question, since it was not uncommon for

small girls to be buried alive during times of

scarcity. In the Qur'an, it is said that on

Judgment Day "buried girls" will rise out of

their graves and ask for what crime they

were‎killed”.‎

Islam established the explicit rights

for women. Islam teaches that men and

women are equal before God. It grants

women divinely sanctioned inheritance,

property, social and marriage rights,

including the right to reject the terms of a

proposal and to initiate divorce. In Islam's

early period, women were professionals and

property owners, as many are today.

Although in some countries today the right

of women to initiate divorce is more

difficult than intended, this is a function of

their relevant legislation and not an

expression of Islamic values. Hazrat

Muhammad (PBUH) himself frequently

taught Muslim men to treat their wives and

daughters in a good manner, "You have

rights over your women, and your women

have rights over you."

Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) was

orphaned at an early age. He once remarked

that, "Heaven lies at the feet of mothers." As

the father of four daughters (in a society that

prized‎ sons),‎ he‎ told‎ other‎ fathers‎ that,‎ “if‎

their daughters spoke well of them on the

Day of Judgment, they would enter

paradise”.

Beginning from the time of Hazrat

Muhammad's (PBUH) marriage to his first

wife Hazrat Khadijah (AS), women played

an important role in his religious career.

According to Muslim sources, Hazrat

Khadijah was the first person Hazrat

Muhammad (PBUH) spoke to about his

initial, terrifying experience of revelation.

She consoled him and became the first

convert to Islam. She remained a confidant

and source of support throughout their entire

marriage. Though men commonly took

more than one wife in 7th Century Arab,

Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) remained in a

monogamous marriage with Hazrat

Khadijah (RA) until her death, when Hazrat

Muhammad (PBUH) was in his fifties.

By then, Hazrat Muhammad

(PBUH) was working to establish a new

community. In that context, over the next 10

years, he married several women. In some

cases, these marriages occurred in order to

cement political ties, according to the

custom of the day. In some cases, the

marriage provided physical and economic

shelter to the widows of Muslims who had

died or who had been killed in battle, and to

the wife of a fallen foe. It was to set

example for the other Muslims to marry

women who are either widow or divorced.

With regard to Hazrat Ayesha (RA)

Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) often

recommended that, if religious questions

arose, people should take them to his wife

Aisha. After Hazrat Muhammad's (PBUH)

death, Aisha became a main source of

information about Muhammad, and on

medicine and poetry as well.

Hazrat Muhammad's (PBUH)

daughters also played an important and

influential role, both in his life and in the

establishment of Islam. Most notable was

his daughter Hazrat Fatima, who is still

revered by all Muslims. Hazrat Muhammad

(PBUH) was a very gentle father. He played

with her when she was a little girl and cared

for her. He sought her approval when one of

the best men of that time sought her hand in

marriage.

These are only three cases from the

Prophet’s‎ immediate‎ family‎ and‎ they‎

illustrate relationships of trust, respect and

love. We all know of other cases: women

praying in the mosque in congregations led

by him; women being sent teachers when

they complained that they did not have

access to Islamic teachings; women who

fought in battlefields and women who were

celebrated for being mothers – all in our

Prophet’s‎ (PBUH)‎ lifetime‎ and‎ usually‎

illustrated by his own egalitarian behaviour

towards women.

Following the Battle of Uhud (625),

in which many men died leaving

unprotected widows and children, Hazrat

Muhammad (PBUH) and the Qur'an decreed

that, in order to protect the orphans of such

families, men might take up to four wives.

The permission itself is surrounded with

language that discourages the very thing it

permits, saying that unless a man can treat

several wives equally, he should never enter

into multiple marriages. The usual

supposition in the modern monogamous

West-that Islam institutionally encourages

lustful arrangements-is rejected by Muslims

themselves as an ill-informed stereotype.

Today, Islamic legal and social systems

around the world approach the women's

rights by varying degrees. Many Muslim

feminists hold the view that the problems

presently hindering Muslim women are

those that hinder women of all backgrounds

worldwide- oppressive cultural practices,

poverty, illiteracy and political repression.

We as the Muslims must be proud to

claim that our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)

was a feminist in our modern sense. Yet the

same present-day barriers to women's

equality prevailed in 7th century Arab, and

he (PBUH) opposed them. Because in his

own lifetime Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH)

improved women's position in society, many

modern Muslims continue to value his

example, which they cite when pressing for

women's rights.

And so to conclude, every time we

hear of women being denied respect and

rights – whether these are Muslim women or

not – as Muslims we must reflect back to

what Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) did. We

must try in all our weaknesses and faults to

emulate His style – justness, fairness,

steadfastness, boldness.

PROPHET MUHAMMAD (PBUH) AND WOMEN’S RIGHTS

BY UMM E HAREEM

BEIJING: China has become the

world’s fifth-largest arms exporter, a

respected Sweden-based think tank

said on Monday, its highest ranking

since the Cold War, with Pakistan as

the main recipient.

China’s‎ volume‎ of‎weapons‎ exports‎ between‎

2008 and 2012 rose 162 per cent compared to

the previous five year period, with its share of

the global arms trade rising from 2 per cent to

5 per cent, the Stockholm International Peace

Research Institute (SIPRI) said. C h i n a

replaces Britain in the top five arms-dealing

countries between 2008 and 2012, a group

dominated by the United States and Russia,

which accounted for 30 per cent and 26 per

cent of weapons exports, SIPRI said.

“China‎ is‎ establishing‎ itself‎ as‎ a‎

significant arms supplier to a growing number

of‎ important‎ recipient‎ states,”‎ Paul‎ Holtom,‎

director of the SIPRI Arms Transfers

Programme, said in a statement. The shift,

outlined‎ in‎ SIPRI’s‎ Trends‎ in‎ International‎

Arms‎ Transfers‎ report,‎ marks‎ China’s‎ first‎

time as a top-five arms exporter since the

think‎ tank’s‎ 1986-1990 data period.

Now‎ the‎ world’s‎ second-largest

economy,‎ China’s‎ rise‎

has come with a new

sense of mi l i tary

assertiveness with a

growing budget to

develop modern warfare

equipment including

aircraft carriers and

drones. At the Zhuhai

air show in southern

China in November,

C h i n e s e a t t a c k

helicopters, missiles,

unmanned aerial vehicles

and air defences were on

public show for the first

time. SIPRI maintains a

global arms transfers

database base that tracks arms exports back to

the 1950s. It averages data over five-year

periods because arms sales vary by year.

“Pakistan‎ – which accounted for 55

per cent of Chinese arms exports – is likely to

remain the largest recipient of Chinese arms

in the coming years due to large outstanding

and planned orders for combat aircraft,

submarines‎ and‎ frigates,”‎ SIPRI‎ said.‎

Myanmar, which has been

undergoing fragile reforms that the United

States thinks could help counter

Beijing’s‎ influence‎ in‎ the‎ region,‎ received‎ 8‎

per‎ cent‎ of‎ China’s‎ weapons‎ exports.‎

Bangladesh received 7 per cent of the

arms, and Algeria, Venezuela and Morocco

have bought Chinese-made frigates, aircraft or

armoured vehicles in the past several years.

Beijing does not release official

figures for arms sales. G e r m a n y a n d

France ranked third and fourth on the arms

exporter list. China followed only India in the

acquisition of arms, though its reliance on

imports is decreasing as it ramps up weapons

production capabilities at home. After

decades of steep increases in military

spending and cash injections into domestic

defence contractors, experts say some Chinese

-made equipment is now comparable to

Russian or Western counterparts, though

accurate information about the performance of

Chinese weapons is scarce. China faces bans

on Western military imports, dating back to

anger over its crushing of pro-democracy

protests in and around Tiananmen Square in

1989. That makes its domestic arms industry

crucial in assembling a modern military force

that can enforce claims over Taiwan and

disputed maritime territories.

China has faced off recently with its

Southeast Asian neighbours and Japan over

conflicting claims to strings of islets in the

South China Sea and East China Sea, even as

the United States executes a military pivot

towards the Pacific.

China’s J-10 fighter jets from the People’s Liberation Army Air Force Aerobatics Team perform during a flight demonstration at

the air show in Zhuhai last year. —Photo (File) Reuters

China replaces Britain in world’s top five arms exporters

05 March 21, 2013

SPORTS

KARACHI: At least four unseeded

players who have maintained a clean

slate so far have earned a place in

knockout pre quarter-finals from

their respective groups on the

penultimate day of league matches in

t h e 3 8 t h N a t i o n a l S n o o k e r

Championship at Karachi Gymkhana

on Wednesday.

The quartet includes former Sindh champion

Mohammad Ishtiaq (group A), former

Pakistan No 1 Imran Shehzad (group C),

former Pakistan junior No 2 Mohammad

Majid Ali (group E) and Abdul Sattar (group

F).

Ishtiaq has completed his league

engagements winning all the four fixtures

including the one against world amateur

snooker champion Mohammad Asif on the

opening day.

Imran, Majid and Sattar have

conjured up three victories apiece and play

their last fixtures on Thursday.

Top two cueists from eight groups

will qualify for the last 16 round which begins

from Friday.

Khurram‎ Agha,‎ a‎ former‎ country’s‎

top cueist, who is currently ranked 10th in the

national rankings, recovered twice from deficit

to whip former national champion and

contemporary Naveen Perwani 4-3. The

former was home 47-60, 74-23, 14-71, 68-13,

64-30, 55-62, 68-4 in the group H tie.

Agha and Perwani play their last

league matches on Friday and a win can earn

them a place in last 16.

R e s u l t s :

Mohammad Javed Ansari (Sindh) bt Rambel

Gul (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) 4-3 (0-1 (first

frame awarded to Gul), 59-61, 82-37, 59-37,

50-41, 29-69, 60-30); Mohammad Bilal

(Punjab) bt Abdul Rehman (Balochistan) 4-0

(56-39, 67-13, 72-33, 104-16); Amir Tariq

(Punjab) bt Khizar Aziz (Sindh) 4-3 (15-72, 80

-10, 51-83, 62-49, 63-70, 69-43, 64-37);

Farhan Noor (Punjab) bt Mohsin Amin

(Punjab) 4-3 (60-41, 34-54, 58-67, 67-40, 34-

44, 58-54, 70-1); Mohammad Ishtaiq (Sindh)

bt Amir Shehzad (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) 4-0

(63-36, 64-60, 66-28, 67-14); Amir

Rasheed (Punjab) bt Najeebullah Khan

(Balochistan) 4-1 (25-74, 65-33, 76-8, 78-29,

72-11); Imran Shehzad (Punjab) bt Aakash

Rafique (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) 4-2 (66-32, 61

-57, 17-63, 6-76, 74-46, 62-58); Mohammad

Uzair Aziz (Sindh) bt Qamar Zaman (Khyber

Pakhtunkhwa) 4-2 (43-79, 63-48, 73-48, 65-

37, 44-58, 58-2); Mohammad Majid Ali

(Punjab) bt Bahadur Khan (Balochistan) 4-2

(60-38, 60-1, 29-60, 13-40, 54-34, 74-55);

Abdul Sattar (Sindh) bt Ayaz Khan

(Islamabad) 4-3 (64-39, 44-51, 60-65, 29-64,

87-7, 56-38, 77-49);Khurram Agha (Sindh) bt

Naveen Perwani (Sindh) 4-3 (47-60, 74-23, 14

-71, (71), 68-13, 64-30, 55-62, 68-4); Vishan

Gir (Sindh) bt Shah Khan (Khyber

Pakhtunkhwa) 4-0 (60-17, 66-24, 86-79, 79-

56).

T h u r s d a y ’ s ‎ f i x t u r e s :

Mohammad Sajjad v Mohammad Majid Ali,

Mohammad Javed v Abdul Sattar, Shahid

Aftab v Vishan Gir, Sharjeel Mehmood v

Khurram Agha at 10am; Mohammad Asif v

Babar Masih, Asjad Iqbal v Abu Saim, Sultan

Mohammad v Mohammad Yousuf, Sohail

Shehzad v Umair Alam at 12noon; Bahadur

Khan v Rambel Gul, Ayaz Khan v Abdul

Rehman, Shah Khan v Khizar Aziz, Naveen

Perwani v Farhan Noor at 2pm; Saqib Bashir v

Amir Shahzad, Shafiullah v Najeebullah Khan,

Abdul Majid v Imran Shehzad, Hamza Akbar

v Mohammad Uzair Aziz at 4pm.

Quartet makes last-16 round in national snooker Anwar Zuberi

KARACHI: Pakistan blanked Iran 3-0 in

the Junior Fed Cup in Kuching,

Malaysia, on Wednesday, according to

information received here.

Earlier in the day Pakistan routed

Kyrgyzstan 2-1 in their unfinished match.

The match was postponed on Tuesday due

t o r a i n .

Pakistan is due to play Sri Lanka on

Thursday. Meanwhile, Pakistan outplayed

Sri Lanka 3-0 in their Junior Davis Cup

fixture which is being played

simultaneously. Earlier, the Pakistan juniors

have whipped Turkmenistan by the identical

margin of 3-0. They are due to face Syria on

Thursday.

Junior Fed Cup (Girls under-16):

P a k i s t a n b t K y r g y z s t a n 2 - 1 :

Unfinished doubles match: Rida/Iman bt

Believa/Askarova 7-6(2), 7-6(6).

P a k i s t a n b t I r a n 3 - 0 :

Singles: Rida bt Jasmin 6-2, 6-2; Iman bt

Elaheh 6-1, 6-0. Doubles: Rida/Iman bt

Pakbaten/Elaheh 6-2, 6-2.

Junior Davis Cup (Boys

u n d e r - 1 4 ) :

Pakistan bt Sri Lanka 3-0:

Singles: Mohammad Muzamil bt

Aadavan Pushparaj 6-3, 7-6(5);

Nofil bt Aandrew Muttiah 6-2, 6-1.

Doubles: Abdal/Muzamil bt

Andrew Muttiah/Jerique Rajapakse

6-3, 6-4.‎ Tuesday’s‎ results:

J u n i o r F e d C u p :

Pakistan v Kyrgyzstan 1-1:

Singles: Eliza Askarova bt Rida 6-

3, 6-4; Iman bt Arina Beliaeva 6-7

(3), 6-3, 6-2. Doubles: Iman/Rida v

Alina/Eriza 7-6(2), 2-3 (match

postponed because of rain until

Wednesday).

M o n d a y ’ s ‎ r e s u l t s :

J u n i o r D a v i s C u p :

Pakistan bt Turkmenistan 3-0:

Singles: Muzamil bt Andrey

Kashchenko 6-7(3), 6-2, 6-3; Nofil

Kaleem bt Hadzhymyrat Charyyev

6-1, 6-1. Doubles: Abdal/Muzamil

bt Eziz Jumayev/Hadzhymyrat 6-2,

6-2.

J u n i o r F e d C u p :

Kazakhstan bt Pakistan 2-1:

Singles: Gozal Ainitdinova bt Rida

6 -0 , 6 -1 ; Iman b t Asse l

Jumamukhametova 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.

Doubles: Darya Shevchenko/Gozal

Ainitdinova bt Iman/Rida 7-5, 6-3.

Pakistan triumph in Junior Fed Cup

NEW DELHI: A probe into the death of a man

suspected of gang-raping a student on a New Delhi bus

last December blames jail officials for failing to monitor

him adequately, an Indian media report said on Sunday.

Ram Singh, one of six men on trial over the deadly assault

which sparked mass protests across India, was found dead

in his cell in the high-security Tihar Jail on Monday

morning where he had been held since his arrest after the

crime. An investigation ordered by the government into his

death has found three jail officials guilty of neglecting their

responsibilities to check up on Singh, the Hindustan Times

newspaper said on Sunday, citing unnamed sources. One of

the men assigned to monitor Singh last Sunday night failed

to show up at work, one of the sources with access to the

confidential‎probe‎findings‎told‎the‎newspaper.‎“There‎was‎

no‎watch‎guard‎that‎night,”‎the‎source‎said.‎CCTV‎footage‎

showed that another warden who was meant to make

rounds of the cells did not leave his office, another source

told the newspaper. A spokesman for the jail told AFP the

investigation findings were still being studied and declined

to provide further details. Prison authorities are facing

serious questions about how the bus driver could have

made a noose and hanged himself from a grille on

the ceiling, without waking the other men in his

cell or attracting attention from guards. A post-

mortem examination last week concluded that he

died by hanging, but did not resolve the question

of whether he was murdered or committed suicide,

as the jail authorities have insisted. Singh was

charged along with four other men and a 17-year-

old over the brutal December 16 attack on a

physiotherapy student who was lured on to a bus

and repeatedly raped. Left with horrific internal

injuries, the 23-year-old died 13 days after the

assault, leading to an outpouring of anger over

endemic crime against women in India and a

review of rape laws. All five adult suspects

including Singh pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Meanwhile, police in central India say they have

detained 20 men in central India after a Swiss

woman on a cycling trip was gang-raped. Police

officer D.K. Arya said on Sunday that no arrests

have been made so far but police were questioning

the men in connection with the rape and assault on

the woman and her husband in Madhya Pradesh

state. Police have registered a case of rape against

seven unidentified men and were searching nearby

villages. The Swiss ambassador in India has

spoken to the couple and has demanded a swift

probe of the incident. The attack comes three

months after the fatal gang-rape of a woman

aboard a New Delhi bus, which outraged Indians

and spurred the government to pass laws to protect

women.

Indian students and activists express their outrage by

shouting slogans and bearing torches following the 2012

Probe into Delhi rape suspect’s death blames jail

06 March 21, 2013

Indian SC upholds sentence against Sanjay Mumbai: Indian

Supreme Court on

Thursday ordered

Bollywood actor

Sanjay Dutt to

serve a five year

jail sentence in the

1 9 9 3 M u m b a i

b lasts , Indian

media reports.

Earlier, Dutt was

sentenced on July 31,

2007 to six years in jail

for illegal weapons

possession acquired

f r o m t e r r o r i s t

acquaintances, who

were responsible for the

1993 Mumbai bomb

b las ts . He was ,

however, acquitted.

Supreme Court says that the

circumstances and nature of offence was

so serious that Dutt could not be released

on probation. They further mentioned that

convicts who are on bail, including Sanjay

Dutt, will have to surrender within four

weeks. Supreme Court upheld life

sentence of 16 out of 18 convicts

sentenced by TADA (Terrorist and

Disruptive Activities) court.

Dutt, who has already served

nearly 18 months in jail after his arrest in

1993, will now have to go to jail and serve

the remaining term of three and a half

years. Dutt will not be able to shoot

pictures during the

remaining three

and a half years of

prison term, the

Supreme Court

said.

He was granted

b a i l b y t h e

Supreme Court on

November 27,

2007.

A total of 257

persons were killed

and 713 others

injured when a

s e r i e s 1 3

c o o r d i n a t e d

e x p l o s i o n s

sha t te red the

metropol is on

March 12, 1993.

Dutt maintains he knew nothing about the

bomb plot and that he asked for the guns

to protect his family after receiving threats

during sectarian riots in Mumbai.

Sanjay Dutt arrives at a special court to stand trial amongst those involved in India’s worst bombings in 1993 that killed 257 people in Mumbai, June 19, 2007.–Photo by Reuters (file)

Best-selling horror writer Herbert dies aged 69

LONDON: British author James Herbert, best

known for penning classic horror novel “The

Rats”, has died aged 69, his publisher said

Wednesday.

Pan Macmillan, confirmed that the best-selling writer, who

was honoured by the Queen in

2010, had died at his home in

Sussex, southeast England,

early Wednesday.

No cause of death was given.

Editor Jeremy Trevathan called

him “one of the keystone authors

in a genre that had its heyday in

the 1970s and 1980s” and “one

of the giants of popular fiction in

the 20th Century”.

His breakthrough 1974

book “The Rats” imagined a

London terrorised by mutant,

flesh-eating rodents and its first

printing of 100,000 copies sold

out in three weeks, paving the way for Herbert to become

Britain’s leading writer of horror.

He went on to publish 23 novels and sold 54 million copies

worldwide.

He wrote 23 novels – the last of which,

“Ash”, was released last week – that were published

in 34 languages and sold more than 54 million

copies worldwide during a writing career which

spanned nearly 40 years.

Four of his novels were made into films: “The

Survivor”, “Fluke”, “Haunted” and “The Rats”, whose

silver screen title was “Deadly Eyes”.

Herbert, who designed his own book covers,

was awarded the OBE in 2010, the same year he

was made the Grand Master of Horror by the World

of Horror Convention.

“It’s a true testament to his writing and his

enduring creativity that his books continued to be

huge bestsellers right up until his death,” Trevathan

added.

“He has the rare distinction that his novels

were considered classics of the genre within his

lifetime,” he said. He is survived by his wife, Eileen,

and three daughters Kerry, Emma and Casey.

The grand master of horror, James Herbert, had written 23 best-selling novels. —Photo (File) AP

Ottawa's denial of media

access to jailed Omar

K h a d r b r a n d e d

'propaganda'

Colin Perkel,

TORONTO - The government's refusal to allow the

media access to former Guantanamo Bay detainee Omar

Khadr is aimed at protecting its portrayal of him as a

dangerous terrorist, his lawyer says.In rejecting an

interview request from The Canadian Press,

Correctional Service Canada said such access might

pose a security risk or be disruptive, and would

undermine his correctional plan.

"CSC has determined that your request to

interview federal offender Omar Khadr cannot be

granted," Kyle Lawlor, acting media relations and

outreach adviser, said in the rejection email.

Khadr's lawyer, Dennis Edney, accused the

government of hiding his client from the Canadian

public to paint him in the worst possible light."There

appears to be a propaganda value to ensuring that Omar

Khadr is not seen other than as a terrorist," Edney said

from Edmonton."It's important that the public get an

understanding beyond how he's portrayed by the

government.

"The Toronto-born Khadr, 26, has been

housed in the maximum security Millhaven Institution

west of Kingston, Ont., since his transfer last September

to Canada from Guantanamo Bay, where he had already

spent 10 years behind bars.Khadr had pleaded guilty

before a widely discredited military commission in

October 2010 to five war crimes — among them killing

a U.S. special forces soldier — committed as a 15 year

old in Afghanistan.

He was given a further eight years behind

bars.Since then, American appeal courts have thrown

out two similar military commission convictions —

essentially because conduct cannot be criminalized

retroactively — casting doubt on Khadr's

conviction.Most of those who have spent time with

Khadr over the past decade — among them prison

guards, lawyers and mental-health professionals — have

described him as a gentle, non-radicalized and pleasant

young man who is keen to get on with normal life.One

notable exception was U.S. psychiatrist Dr. Michael

Welner, who acted for the military commission

prosecution. He branded Khadr as a dangerous,

unrepentant jihadist. Edney said Canada is acting in the

same way as authorities did at the U.S. naval prison in

Cuba.

"Detainees such as Omar were never able to have

visitors, speak to human rights organizations, or meet

the press to publicly express who they were and the

injustice of the imprisonment," Edney said. "(Khadr) is

a victim who suffered 10 years of horror in Guantanamo

Bay, and the government continues to victimize him by

keeping him in maximum security at Millhaven prison."

Canadian inmates may speak to journalists, although

prison guidelines allow restrictions. In one example,

B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton was granted one media

interview before authorities barred further access to

him.

Corrections refused to discuss the thinking

behind the Khadr rejection.However, Lawlor's email

cites sections of "commissioner directive 022," which

lays out conditions under which prison authorities may

allow a journalist to talk to an inmate.

"It will not be contrary to the objectives of the

offender's correctional plan," the section states.

A "correctional plan" is the approach prison authorities

take with a prisoner with a view to his or her early

release.Also, a media interview may be granted if it can

be done with "minimal disruption to the functioning of

the operational unit and will not jeopardize the security

of the operational unit or present a risk to the health and

safety of any person."

Khadr is theoretically close to eligible for day parole

and nudging toward full parole eligibility.

07 March 21, 2013

Next James Bond movie expected within three years

LOS ANGELES: Movie studio MGM

said on Tuesday it expects to release

the next James Bond movie within

three years, and hopes to announce

soon a new director after Sam

Mendes decided to move on.

In a conference call with investors, MGM

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Gary Barber said the studio was

developing the screenplay for the next,

24th movie in the 50-year-old franchise

about the British secret agent.

“We are very excited about the franchise,

we look forward to announcing a director

soon,” Barber said.

“We are currently developing the

screenplay and working with our partners.

We look forward to developing the script

soon and signing a director. We are

hoping within the next three years it will be

released,” Barber added.

He gave no details on casting but

Daniel Craig has already signed on for two

more films in the lead role as the suave

007 agent.

The 2012 Bond film “Skyfall,”

starring Craig, made $1.1 billion at the

global box office and impressed critics.

But Britain’s Mendes said earlier this

month that he wanted to focus on his

theater projects for the foreseeable future.

Barber said Mendes “did an

amazing job on ‘Skyfall’. We are very

thankful for the work that he did.”

Privately-held MGM jointly

produced “Skyfall” with Sony Corp’s movie

studio arm.

MGM said on Monday that

“Skyfall” and “The Hobbit: An Unexpected

Journey” had helped bring a three-fold

increase in its 2012 net income.

Daniel‎Craig‎is‎pictured‎in‎a‎poster‎of‎the‎movie‎‘Skyfall’.‎— Courtesy Photo

Saint Patrick's Day or the Feast of Saint Patrick

(Irish: Lá Fhéile Pádraig, "the Day of the Festival of

Patrick") is a cultural and religious holiday celebrated on

17 March. It is named after Saint Patrick (c. AD 385–

461), the most commonly recognised of the patron saints

of Ireland.

Saint Patrick's Day was made an official

Christian feast day in the early seventeenth century and is

observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican

Communion (especially the Church of Ireland), the

Eastern Orthodox Church and Lutheran Church. The day

commemorates Saint Patrick, his death and entrance into

heaven, and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. In

addition, the Irish as well as Irish heritage and culture is

celebrated in general. Celebrations generally involve

public parades and festivals, céilithe, and the wearing of

green attire or shamrocks. Christians also attend church

services and the Lenten restrictions on eating and

drinking alcohol are lifted for the day, which has

encouraged and propagated the holiday's tradition of

alcohol consumption.

Saint Patrick's Day is a public holiday in the

Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Newfoundland and

Labrador and Montserrat. It is also widely celebrated by

the Irish diaspora around the world; especially in Britain,

Canada, the United States, Argentina, Australia and New

Zealand.

McKenna: Children Pay the Price for

Liberals’ Flawed CAS Funding

A‎leaked‎memo‎from‎Peel‎Children’s‎Aid‎Society‎brought‎to‎

light by the Toronto Star raises questions about the

government’s‎ lack‎ of‎ focus‎ on‎ the‎ wellbeing‎ of‎ young‎

Ontarians, said Burlington MPP Jane McKenna, Ontario PC

Critic for Children and Youth Services.

“This‎leaked‎memo‎reflects‎the‎year-end scramble to

keep the case load as high as possible because the funding

formula is based on the number of kids that are in the

system,”‎said‎MPP‎McKenna.‎“The‎more‎kids‎in‎the‎system,‎

the‎greater‎the‎funding‎for‎the‎coming‎year.”

The internal memo reportedly instructs Peel CAS

staff to complete as many investigations as possible, transfer

as‎ many‎ cases‎ as‎ possible‎ to‎ “ongoing‎ services”‎ and‎ not‎

close‎cases‎in‎March,‎the‎agency’s‎fiscal‎year-end.

The Ministry of Children and Youth Services

provides funding based on existing service volume, not

projected‎ service‎ volume.‎ The‎ memo‎ notes‎ that‎ “our‎

volumes continue to be lower than our projections and this

will result in less funding for our organization which directly

impacts our current deficit and could impact our funding in

future‎years.”‎

The optics of this memo are terrible, said MPP

McKenna, and reflect poorly on not just the Peel CAS but

also the Liberal government, which bears ultimate

responsibility for child welfare in Ontario.

“The‎current‎government‎has‎been‎warned‎ in‎study‎

after study, including the Drummond Report, that the CAS

funding formula creates perverse incentives that reduce the

quality‎ and‎efficiency‎of‎ care,”‎ said‎MPP‎McKenna.‎ “This‎

government is well aware of the problem, but has been

typically slow in responding.

“Our‎objective‎for‎these‎kids‎and‎families‎has‎to‎be‎securing‎

the best possible outcome for the kids, to make sure they are

safe and loved. Sadly, the system as it is structured is not

entirely focused on the best interests of the child because of

the‎ government’s‎ flawed‎ funding‎ formula.‎ This‎ has‎ to‎

change.”

Another problem is the lack of rigorous oversight by

the Ministry of Children and Youth Services.

The‎province’s‎46‎Children’s‎Aid‎Societies‎are‎not‎designed‎

to provide an integrated provincial system of child welfare

services. The largest has 800 staff; the smallest has only 30.

This results in uneven levels of specialization and varied

outcomes across the province.

MPP‎McKenna’s‎ Paths‎ to‎Prosperity‎white‎ paper,‎A

Fresh Start for Children and Youth, called for fairness in the

funding‎of‎Children’s‎Aid‎Societies‎and‎described‎how‎these‎

very budget pressures create perverse incentives. These

organizations are shackled to an ineffective funding model

that‎ hasn’t‎ kept‎ pace‎ with‎ current‎ thinking,‎ giving‎ rise‎ to‎

situations such as the one in Peel. MPP McKenna proposed

adopting a population-based approach to funding local

services. That formula would take into account relative needs

and past usage, thereby promoting service delivery of an

equivalent quality across very different regions in Ontario.

“The‎ government’s‎ current‎ funding‎ model‎ rewards‎

volume increases rather than results, and has made it more

difficult‎ for‎ the‎Children’s‎Aid‎ Societies‎ to‎ adapt‎ to‎ budget‎

constraints,”‎ MPP‎ McKenna‎ added.‎ “The‎ government‎ isn’t‎

measuring‎what‎really‎counts,‎and‎once‎again‎it’s‎our‎children‎

who‎are‎being‎caught‎in‎the‎middle.”‎

08 March 21, 2013

HONG KONG: Malaysian writer

Tan Twan Eng won the 2012 Man

Asian Literary Prize on Thursday

for a novel dealing with the

aftermath of Japan’s wartime

occupation of his country,

becoming the first Malaysian to

claim one of Asia’s main literature

prizes.

Tan, born in 1972, beat out four

other authors, including Turkish Nobel

Laureate Orhan Pamuk, for the $30,000

prize in what was described as a “far-

ranging and intricately layered novel”.

“The Garden of Evening Mists”,

which was shortlisted for the Man Booker

Prize in 2012, tells the story of Yun Ling

Teoh, the survivor of a Japanese prison

camp who in her old age looks back at

the early 1950s and her relationship with

the mysterious creator of then-Malaya’s

only Japanese garden.

“It’s partly about the co-existence

of cultural refinement and artistry, and

terrible barbarity,” chair of judges Maya

Jaggi told reporters, noting that Japan’s

occupation of Asia remains a raw issue

even today, decades after the war’s end.

“What this novel is doing is

looking at that, but in such a subtle way, I

think. It’s not glib, it’s about guilt and

atonement and how love transforms

people’s conceptions of themselves and

what they’ve done.”

Tan published his first novel, “The

Gift of Rain”, in 2007. It also dealt with the

Japanese occupation and its aftermath.

He told Reuters in 2008 that he

welcomed the growing recognition for

Asian writers in the West but that talented

Southeast Asian voices were sometimes

overlooked.

“Obviously, the interest in Asian

writing helps somebody like me, but we

sort of feel we’re on the edge, the

outskirts,” he said. “A lot of the publishers

have no real awareness of Southeast

Asia.”

The prize, first awarded in 2007, is for

works by Asian writers written in or

translated into English, and is intended to

widen exposure of Asian literature in the

English-speaking world.This year’s

shortlist spanned Asia from Turkey to

Pakistan and included Indian Jeet Thayil,

who, like Tan, was shortlisted for the

2012 Man Booker Prize.

The five shortlisted novels, selected from

a longlist of 15:

- Between Clay and Dust – Musharraf Ali

Farooqi (Pakistan)

- The Briefcase – Hiromi Kawakami

(Japan)

- Silent House – Orhan Pamuk (Turkey)

- The Garden of Evening Mists – Tan

Twan Eng (Malaysia)

- Narcopolis – Jeet Thayil (India)

Malaysian novelist wins top Asian literary prize

Malaysian author Tan Twan Eng poses for a photo after winning the Man Asian Literary Prize for

his novel ‘The Garden of Evening Mists’ in Hong Kong.–Photo by AFP

09 March 21, 2013

Punjabi Press Club of Canada members with MP - Jasbir Sandhu @ a dinner arranged and hosted by NDP on seeking ideas how to promote Punjabi culture and heritage in Canada nationally. Some very worthy suggestion given and the evening ended on some very positive notes.

Punjabi Press Culb of Canada meeting.

March 20, 2013

Ontario Government Supporting Youth Employment

The new Ontario government is helping students and young people find

summer jobs.

Through Ontario's Summer Jobs Strategy, the government helps students find

summer jobs or launch their own summer business. In addition, employers are

offered a $2-per-hour hiring incentive to hire summer students.

Job opportunities are now available through Ontario.ca/summerjobs, where

students can:

Search for a job through Employment Ontario partners

Strengthen their marketing and resumé writing skills

Apply for funding to start their own Summer Company

Apply for a job with the Ontario government

Supporting youth employment and helping young people get summer jobs is

part of the new Ontario government's plan to create a fair society and a strong

economy.

Find the Job You Want This Summer

March 20, 2013

Ontario Government Honouring Volunteers in Ceremonies Across the Province

The new Ontario government is celebrating the commitment and outstanding contributions of

the more than 10,000 volunteers at 52 Volunteer Service Award ceremonies across the

province.

The Ontario Volunteer Service Awards recognize people of all ages for continuous

service to an organization. Certificates and trillium pins will be awarded for 5, 10, 15, 20, 25,

30, 40, 50 and 60 or more years of service. Youth will also be recognized for two or more

years of volunteer service.

The first ceremony will kick off in Stratford on March 20, where 119 volunteers will

be recognized. The final ceremony will be held in Toronto on June 27.

Recognizing the good work volunteers contribute to the province supports the new Ontario

government's efforts to build strong communities and a fair society.

Ontario to Celebrate Dedication of Local Volunteers

On Saturday, March 23, Ontario will join

the world in marking Earth Hour by turning

off the lights between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m.

Earth Hour is a global event dedicated to

raising awareness about conserving

energy and fighting climate change.

Everyone can make a difference by taking

steps to conserve energy after Earth Hour

when the lights go back on.

Making simple choices about energy use

can reduce monthly electricity costs and

help the environment.

Five tips to help manage energy use:

1. Seize the daylight: In the winter,

keep curtains open during the day

to draw in sunlight. Solar energy

can help naturally warm your home.

2. D r a f t s b e g on e : I n s t a l l

weatherstripping and caulking

around windows, doors and dryer

vents, and insulate your home

properly including plates on outlets

to help save up to 25 per cent a

year on heating and cooling costs.

3. Get with the program: When

properly set, a programmable

thermostat can reduce heating and

cooling costs by up to 10 per cent.

In the winter, set your thermostat to

20°C when you're home and 18°C

when sleeping or away.

4. Heat efficiently: Have a qualified

technician service your furnace on a

regular basis to ensure it is working

at maximum efficiency. Clean or

change the filter regularly - a dirty

filter reduces airflow and makes the

furnace work harder to circulate the

air.

5. Off-peak pays: Take advantage of

lower energy prices during off-peak

hours. Off-peak hours are 7 p.m. to

7 a.m. on weeknights and all day on

weekends and statutory holidays.

Building a clean energy system

and a culture of conservation is part of the

new Ontario government's plan to create

and support jobs for the people of Ontario,

while ensuring we have the electricity we

need to power our homes, schools,

hospitals and businesses.

New Ontario Government Offers Energy Saving Tips to Help Cut Costs

NEW DELHI: India’s chief justice said on Monday that Italy’s

envoy, Daniele Mancini, who helped secure the release of

two Italian marines who skipped bail while on trial in New

Delhi, was not entitled to diplomatic immunity.

“A person who comes to court and gives an undertaking has no

immunity,”Altamas Kabir told a hearing into the case, which has caused a

diplomatic crisis between Rome and New Delhi.

Italy envoy does not have immunity: Delhi court

OTTAWA – Prime Minister

Stephen Harper and Jean-Marc

Ayrault, Prime Minister of the

French Republic, today announced

five initiatives that will further

strengthen relations between the

two countries in the areas of youth

mobility, social security, science

and technology, innovation and

entrepreneurship, climate change,

and the commemoration of

Canadian and French involvement

in 20th century conflicts.

Prime Minister Ayrault is on

his first official visit to Canada

(March 13-17) since taking office

in May 2012.

“Canadaand‎ Franceare‎

important friends and allies who

share deep historic, cultural,

linguistic and commercial ties and

who co-operate closely on the

world‎ stage,”‎ said‎ the‎ Prime‎

Minister.

“The‎ initiatives‎ announced‎

today will help increase the flow

of people, scientific knowledge

and commerce between our two

great countries in the future and

celebrate the joint sacrifices and

accomplishments‎of‎our‎past.”‎

These agreements will serve

to: facilitate travel between

Canada and France for youth who

are studying and travelling

between the two countries; make it

easier for people who have lived or

worked in both Canada in France

to claim benefits for the periods

they were in the other country;

and, foster various forms of

collaboration and exchanges in

scientific knowledge, including

climate change and the need to

reduce greenhouse gases.

Lastly, the Declaration on

20th century conflicts helps pay

tribute to the sacrifices and

accomplishments that will forever

unite Canada and France.

The two leaders also

endorsed a Joint Statement

recognizing the strong and diverse

Canada-France relationship and

discussed matters of shared

interest, including the global

economy, trade and investment,

progress towards a Comprehensive

Economic and Trade Agreement

with the European Union, and

international challenges such as

the situation in Mali.

PRIME MINISTER STEPHEN HARPER ANNOUNCES INITIATIVES THAT WILLDEEPEN CANADA-FRANCE TIES

10 March 21, 2013

As government is highlighting its

achievements made during the last five

years, the cost of living has almost

doubled instead of showing any decline.

While the consumers saw a 100 to 200

per cent hike in food items prices during

the last five years, they witnessed a

massive hike in utility bills charges, and in

the prices of other essential goods as well

as school fee and books.

A random survey of prices between March

2008 and March 2013 revealed that the

average increase in gas price for

residential users consuming (up to 100

cubic meters) rose to Rs106 mmbtu from

Rs82.1.

The gas tariff for residential users

consuming above 500 cubic meters,

however, declined to Rs530.7 per mmbtu

from 688.4 in March 2008. Power tariff for

residential users (consuming kwh

exceeding 300-700 units) went up to

Rs12.3 from Rs6.5 per kwh.

However, analyst at the Top Line Security,

Nauman Khan, said these are base gas

and power tariffs, but consumers are

getting inflated bills, including changes in

tariff and fuel adjustment charges.

He said Pakistan has the fourth largest

middle class of Asia where consumption

of gas and power has definitely risen due

to expansion in family members.

Consumers working in private and public

sector offices said that that gas and power

rate looked below 100 per cent rise in the

last five years but they are actually paying

more than double the utility bills now as

compared to 2008 due to hike in various

charges and taxes in the bill.

Mohammad Rehan, a resident of Gulistan-

i-Jauhar who lives in a single storey

bungalow of 240 yards said that he had

been paying average gas bill of over

Rs700-1,000 per month as compared to

Rs300-500 five years back, while he gets

on average his power bill of Rs6,000-

7,000 without using an air conditioner as

compared to his monthly bill of Rs2,000-

2,500 in 2008.

Naved Ahmed, who lives in a two

bedroom apartment, said that he gets a

gas bill of Rs300-350 as compared to

Rs80-100 five years back.

The school fee has also doubled in the

last five years.

A teacher at a private school in North

Nazimabad said that the monthly school

fee is now tagged at Rs4,000 as

compared to Rs2,000.

Private schools, she said, usually increase

monthly fee by Rs500 every year.

Schools charging Rs3,000-4000 per

month in March 2008 are now demanding

Rs7,000-8,000.

Those schools charging Rs500-600 per

month are now charging over Rs1,000 or

Rs1,500 in many schools.

Some private schools fee hovers between

Rs10,000 and 12,000, showing a 100 per

cent hike during the last five years.

Chairman, Pakistan Publishers and Book

Sellers Association, Aziz Khalid, said that

education expenses have multiplied due

to 150 to 200 per cent hike in cost of

books being published by private

publishers as there had been a surge in

prices owing to rising power rates, printing

and ink cost, rising prices of imported and

local paper and impact of devaluation on

imported paper. He said that increase in

the cost of text-books might be more than

150 per cent due to quality of paper.

However, a rim of an average offset paper

of 68 grams is now priced at Rs1,300 as

compared to Rs658 in 2008.

He said that the imported paper has

become costlier by 200 per cent due to

losing value of rupee which is now close

to Rs100 as compared to Rs62 in 2008.

As new academic year would start from

April, publishers are facing paper

shortage.

“We are considering printing school books

in Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore,

Thailand, China where paper is cheaper

than Pakistan and its quality is also

better,” he said, adding that after printing

of books we would be able to import

books duty-free.

The only relief appeared to be in PTCL

rate. For example, the line rent was Rs174

per month in March 2008 which is now

199.

Call charges from 8.00am to 9pm peak

hours were Rs2 per two minutes while in

off peak hours, the tariff was Rs2 per four

minutes in 2008. Nationwide call rate was

Rs2 per minute. Now local and nationwide

call rate is Rs1.10 per minute.

A PTCL official said that from land-line to

mobile phones, charges have not changed

and are at Rs2.50 per minute.

The official said options for category-wise

consumers have risen in the last five year

through new connection (freedom

package).

In Pakistan Cost of living doubles in five years

Emily Murphy (14 March 1868 –

17 October 1933)

w a s a C a n a d i a n

women's rights activist, jurist,

and author. In 1916, she

became the first female

magistrate in Canada, and in

the British Empire. She is best

known for her contributions to

C a n a d i a n f e m i n i s m ,

specifically to the question of

wh e t he r wo me n we r e

"persons" under Canadian law.

Helping Municipalities Collect Unpaid Fines

New Ontario Government Committed to Road Safety

The new Ontario government is taking action to help municipalities collect unpaid

traffic fines from drivers who do not follow the rules of the road.

Legislation to be introduced later this week would, if passed, deny licence

plates to drivers who have unpaid fines for offences such as speeding, improper lane

changes, illegal turns, driving with no insurance and careless driving.

The legislation would also make it easier for municipalities to charge out-of-province

drivers who run red lights and fail to stop for school buses.

Supporting municipalities and keeping families safe on the roads is part of

the new Ontario government's plan to boost the economy and strengthen

communities.

ISLAMABAD: The head of a UN team

investigating casualties from US drone

strikes has concluded that the attacks violate

Pakistan’s sovereignty.

Ben Emmerson, the UN special

rapporteur on human rights and counter-

terrorism, says the Pakistani government

made clear to him it does not consent to the

strikes.

He says Pakistani officials told him

they have confirmed at least 400 civilian

deaths by US drones.

A Pakistani analyst helping

Emmerson’s‎ team,‎ Imtiaz‎Gul,‎said‎Friday‎

that he gave the UN investigator case

studies of 25 strikes that allegedly killed

civilians.

Emmerson’s‎ statement‎ was‎

released on Thursday, following his three-

day visit to Pakistan that ended

Wednesday.

US officials have disputed claims that

drones have killed many civilians in

Pakistan. They have also alleged Pakistan

secretly consents to the strikes.

US drones violate Pakistan’s sovereignty, says UN

US drone strikes are highly unpopular in Pakistan.—File Photo

11 March 21, 2013

LAHORE: In its preliminary report after a fact-

finding mission to the Joseph Colony in

Badami Bagh, the Human Rights Commission

of Pakistan (HRCP) has held the police and the

provincial administration squarely responsible

for the attack on Christian homes earlier this

week.

The mission’s purpose was to “present facts —

regarding the incident of violence on Saturday, March 9 —

and the events that led up to the incident.”

The report also seeks to look at the response of the

administration before and during the incident and identify

those responsible for the lapse. The initial investigations

were conducted over two days and the HRCP plans to

issue detailed findings within a few days.

On March 9, more than 200 houses in Joseph

Colony were attacked, looted and burnt by a mob. The

incident which sparked the chain of events that led to the

assault is said to have occurred on Wednesday, March 6.

“(A)ccording to most residents…on Wednesday evening a

quarrel broke out between Shahid Imran, a local barber,

and Sawan Masih alias Bodhi, while they were drinking

together,” says the initial HRCP report. “At the end of the

fight Imran alleged that Sawan had made blasphemous

remarks.

“At a subsequent stage, a resident of a

neighbouring locality, Shaikhabad, Shafiq alias Cheeko,

came to know of the incident through Imran. Later Shafiq,

with the apparent intention of attacking Sawan, went to

Joseph Colony, burnt down the billiard table (owned by)

Sawan and proceeded to curse and threaten Sawan and

the Christian community generally. Sawan was

subsequently arrested on Friday after an FIR under

Section 295-C, PPC, had been registered against him at

the Badami Bagh police station.”

The report quotes Zahida Parveen, a relative of

Sawan, as saying that on the Friday evening the local

police told the Christian community to vacate their houses

as there was a possibility of violence erupting on

Saturday. “The police also assured them of the safety of

their houses and their belongings. Following the warning

by the police almost the entire community evacuated the

colony on Friday.”

Some of the residents expressed the fear that the

local trader community might have played a role in

escalating the tensions. A local candidate for the

upcoming Trader Association elections was alleged to

have played a subversive role in the episode and in

particular the incitement.

“On Saturday, a mob reportedly of around 3,000

ransacked and looted the colony with complete impunity,

setting fire to majority of houses,” says the HRCP report.

“There is enough evidence to suggest that there was a

considerable presence of the police force on the scene of

occurrence. There is nothing to suggest that the mob was

in any way resisted by the police.

According to some residents, there was looting

before the houses were set on fire.”

The HRCP mission found it “disturbing” that the

local administration “that was clearly aware of the

possibility of such an attack failed to take adequate

measures either before or even during the attack”. The

commission asserts that the warning issued by the police

on Friday to the residents “establishes conclusively the

fact that the administration knew about arson and plunder

in advance”.

DCO Noorul Amin Mengal, while talking to the

mission, “admitted the knowledge on Friday about

possible violence and claimed to have informed his

superiors, the IGP, and the chief minister, about the

situation”. The DCO said “he was present at some point

during the incident on Saturday and asserted that

maintenance of law and order was not part of his job as

after the Police Order 2002 this power had devolved to

the police administration”.

The mission contacted City SP Imtiaz Sarwar,

who had taken charge of the post after the occurrence.

“He said in his opinion the police could have contained

the protesters and a mistake had occurred in threat

assessment by the local police and administration”. The

entire police administration at the time of the

occurrence, consisting of SP City, DSP Badami Bagh

and the SHO Badami Bagh have been removed from

their posts and “were not available for comment at this

stage”.

The HRCP mission also tried to contact SSP

(Investigation) Babar Bakht, who also was not available.

“The HRCP mission feels that the responsibility

for the incident has to be ascribed at two levels —

immediate and ultimate,” says the report. “The

immediate responsibility for this act lies primarily with

the police and district administration that despite prior

knowledge failed to act. The ultimate responsibility rests

squarely with the provincial government.

The statement by the DCO establishes that the

provincial government at the highest level was aware of

the threat and potential damage, even likely violence in

advance, and yet failed to order any measures. The

HRCP mission also took note of statements made by

the people it talked to that the raiders were ordinary

residents from the adjacent areas and could not be

identified as a group. That points to the effect of

accumulated animus against the minority communities.”

Protesters carry crosses during a protest against the attack on the homes of members of the Christian community by a mob, Karachi, March 10, 2013. — Photo by AFP

Badami Bagh tragedy: HRCP finds police, admin responsible

12 March 21, 2013

Today’s wave of bombings killed 56 people. As on this day 10 years ago, U.S. President George Bush lied & announced that American forces were beginning military operations "to disarm Iraq, to free its people and to defend the world from grave danger."

Daniel Pearl’s family hails

NEW YORK: The family of slain US

journalist Daniel Pearl welcomed on

Monday the arrest in Pakistan of a former

leader of a banned militant outfit

allegedly involved in his 2002 murder.

Popularly known as Asadullah, Qari

Abdul Hayee, from Karachi’s eastern Gulshan-e-Iqbal neighborhood was

detained in a raid on his hideout on Sunday, according to a spokesman

for Pakistan’s Rangers paramilitary

force.

Ruth and Judea Pearl, who live

in the Los Angeles area, hailed the news, in a statement issued through

the New York-based Daniel Pearl

Foundation.“We are gratified with this latest arrest and hope that

justice will be served in a timely manner on all those who were

involved in the abduction and murder of our son, Danny,” they

said.

Pearl, 38, was the South Asia bureau chief for The Wall

Street Journal when he was abducted in Karachi on January

23, 2002, while researching a

story about militants.

US journalist Daniel Pearl. — File Photo

Officer M L Dhondi from Datia District

Police says the couple were robbed

before the attack

Five men have confessed in India to

gang-raping a Swiss woman as she

camped with her husband in the central

state of Madhya Pradesh, police say.

The couple were camping at a village in

Datia district on Friday during a

cycling trip when they were attacked by

a group of men. The assailants

overpowered the husband before gang-

raping his wife and they were robbed of

their valuables. Police detained at least

20 people after the attack. The case is

getting front-page coverage in the

Indian media and the Swiss embassy

has called for a swift investigation, the

BBC's Andrew North reports from the

capital, Delhi.

The incident comes three months after

the gang-rape and murder of a 23-year-

old female student on a bus in Delhi,

which triggered widespread protests

against the treatment of women in

India.

'Husband beaten'

"We have detained five men and they

have confessed to gang-raping the

woman and attacking her husband,"

local police official MS Dhodee told

AFP news agency. He added that police

were searching for a sixth man, who

was also involved in the crime. Another

police official, DK Arya, told AP news

agency the couple had said seven or

eight men had taken part in the rape,

but that it was dark and they could not

be sure of the exact number.

After the attack, the rape victim

underwent a medical examination at

a local hospital before leaving for

Delhi with her husband, police said.

The victim, who is reported to be 39

years old, and her husband had been

cycling from Orchha to Agra, to see

the Taj Mahal, a distance of about

250km (155 miles), when they

decided to camp for the night in a

forested area.

One report cited the victim's

husband as saying that the group of

men had approached them at about

21:30 (16:00 GMT). They then

began beating him with wooden

sticks before tying him up and

sexually assaulting his wife in front

of him, he is reported to have added.

The assailants stole the couple's

valuables, including 10,000 rupees

($185) and a laptop computer,

before fleeing into the woods.

Police have reportedly recovered

some belongings stolen from the

couple after raiding nearby villages,

and say they now have the names of

other suspects. Conscious of the

affect on India's international image

- battered by the Delhi gang-rape -

the authorities are under pressure to

resolve this case quickly, our Delhi

correspondent says. Indian police

are still regularly criticised for

failing to take other alleged rape

cases seriously, despite the outcry

over the safety of women in recent

months, he adds. They are also often

accused of using rough tactics to

secure confessions.

On Monday, one of the Delhi rape

suspects was found dead in prison.

Police said Ram Singh hanged

himself, but his family suspect he

was murdered.

Five 'admit Swiss woman gang-rape' in India

ISLAMABAD: The World Bank has

approved a package of assistance worth

US$400 million to support the Second Sindh

Education Sector Reform Program (SERP II).

The program will support Sindh

Governments efforts to increase school

participation and measure student

achievement by improving sector governance

and accountability and strengthening

administrative systems.

Improving school participation is a priority in

Sindh as the government has underlined this

further by passing Sindh Right of Children to

Free and Compulsory Education Act, said

Rachid Benmessaoud, Country Director for

the World Bank Pakistan.

The World Bank is committed to take the

next evolutionary step and zero in on

improving service delivery performance at

the school level and thereby, increase child

school participation through this program. School

participation in Sindh has shown a very slow

improvement over the past few years and with

huge disparities across districts, especially for

girls in rural areas.

An important factor behind the low education

outcomes in the province is poor management

and minimal monitoring and accountability of the

government school system.

The situation has been compounded by three

years of continuous flood damage to school

infrastructure and disruption in service delivery in

many districts across Sindh.

Realizing these facts, the Sindh government has

focused the second generation of reforms on

introducing key governance and accountability

measures to improve education outcomes in

Sindh. These include a continued emphasis on

merit and need-based teacher recruitment,

professionalizing the education management

cadre, public private partnerships

in remote rural areas, and

measuring and reporting on student

achievements in the primary and

middle grades.

“We‎ anticipate‎ that‎ SERP‎ II‎ will‎

c o n t r i b u t e t o s u b s t a n t i a l

improvements in education sector

service delivery and management

over the next three years, by

directly focusing improvement

efforts on students, teachers and

education‎ managers,” ‎ said‎

Umbreen Arif, task team leader of

the project.

We look forward to lending our

technical and financial cooperation

to the Government of Sindh in its

promising and ambitious endeavor to reach

national and global education targets of

Education for All.

The SERP II will provide financial, technical,

and advisory support through a results-based

specific investment credit with the majority

of disbursements contingent on the

satisfactory achievement of pre-specified

program implementation progress and

performance targets in ten initiatives that aim

to address gaps in and/or current poor

practices in education sector management

and governance.

The credit is financed from the International

Development Association (IDA), and will be

on standard IDA blend terms, with a maturity

of 25 years, including a grace period of five

years.

World Bank approves $400 million for supporting

education in Sindh

Students taking an exam – APP (File Photo)