Quetta violence: Four policemen killed in targeted attack - The Express Tribune

The police­men were on two motorc­ycles on their routin­e patrol along the railwa­y track. The policemen were on two motorcycles on their routine patrol along the railway track. PHOTO: INP/ FILE

QUETTA: 

Gunmen shot dead four policemen in a targeted attack in a residential neighbourhood of Quetta on Saturday. The attack took place on Saryab Road, near Sardar Musa Colony, according to police officials.

“Four policemen, riding on two motorcycles, were patrolling a railway track when gunmen opened fire on them,” said Qazi Wahid, the deputy inspector general of police (Operations).

“All of them died on the spot,” he added. “The gunmen escaped from the scene after the attack.”

Another police official told The Express Tribune that the police patrol was ordered at the request of railway authorities. Railway tracks have been repeatedly attacked in Balochistan where a tribal insurgency has become more deadly since 2006.

Police and paramilitary Frontier Corps have mounted a manhunt for the killers. Elsewhere, authorities have ordered law enforcers to be extra vigilant. The bodies of the victims were shifted to the Bolan Medical Hospital where they were identified as Razar Muhammad, Hafeezur Rehman, Sarfaraz and Abdul Kareem – all of them constables in the provincial police.

Funeral prayers for the slain cops were offered at the Police Line in Quetta and the bodies were later handed over to the heirs for burial.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 10th, 2012.

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Russian president to visit Pakistan: Aide - The Express Tribune

Kubulo­v notifi­es his intent­ions in a meetin­g with Gilani. Kubulov notifies his intentions in a meeting with Gilani. PHOTO: REUTERS/FILE

ISLAMABAD: 

Russian President Vladimir Putin may visit Pakistan soon, according his aide on Afghanistan Zamir N Kabulov.

Kabulov, who held delegation-level talks with Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Wednesday, said that Putin is scheduled to discuss a wide range of issues with the Pakistani leadership. Kabulov maintained Putin’s visit will be instrumental in further enhancing cooperation between both countries. Gilani reciprocated the sentiments in the meeting, according to an official in the prime minister’s media centre.

Acknowledging Russia’s strategic role in the region, Gilani said Pakistan viewed it as a source of stability and peace both at a regional and global level. He said Moscow could help resolve the region’s greatest challenges. He expressed keenness to further promote cooperation in the fields of defence, energy, trade and narcotics control.

Welcoming Russian interest in trans-regional energy projects such as the Iran-Pakistan (IP) and Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline projects and Casa-1000, he especially appreciated previous meetings between the two countries regarding the IP project.

According to the official, the strained Pakistan-US relationship was also discussed in detail during the meeting and the Russian envoy assured Gilani of his country’s all-out support in this regard.

While talking about the efforts to restore normalcy in Afghanistan, Gilani maintained that “Pakistan has made consistent and serious efforts to improve relations with Afghanistan and expects the same from the other side… stability and peace in Afghanistan is important for stability and peace in Pakistan.”

The premier also mentioned that at Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s request, he issued a public appeal on February 24 asking all militant groups to negotiate with the Afghan government.

He notified the Russian delegation that the meeting of the Trilateral Core Group – consisting of Pakistan, Afghanistan and the US – held last month yielded positive outcomes.

The PM also appreciated Russia’s support to Pakistan in its endeavours to become a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

Published in The Express Tribune, May 31st, 2012.

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Siachen tragedy: Rescuers recover 3 more bodies - The Express Tribune

Accord­ing to ISPR, 13 bodies have been recove­red so far, four are yet to be identi­fied. The army has vowed to continue operations until all the bodies are recovered. PHOTO: AFP

ISLAMABAD: Rescue teams have been making rapid progress recently at Gayari sector, Siachen with three more bodies being recovered on Sunday, Express News reported.

According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), 13 bodies have been recovered so far since rescue operations began after an avalanche buried 140 people, including 129 soldiers and 11 civilian employees, in the late hours of April 7, 2012.

Four bodies are yet to be identified.

Earlier on May 29, the army had declared the soldiers and civilians as martyrs after 52 days, since the avalanche.

More than 450 rescuers, including foreign teams, have been working in sub-zero temperatures at the site. Rescuers have dug tunnels into the mass of snow and ice.

The army has vowed to continue the operation until all the bodies are recovered.

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Poetry recital: On flights of lyrical wisdom - The Express Tribune

Noted poets presen­t some food for the soul. Iftikhar Arif recites poetry at the mushaira that took place at NUML on Monday. PHOTO: THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE

ISLAMABAD: 

To give vent to poets and poetry enthusiasts, a Mehfil-e-Mushaira (poetry recital) was organised at the National University of Modern Languages (NUML) here on Monday.

The initiative was taken by renowned poet and writer Iftikhar Arif who recently joined the Department of Urdu Language and Literature Department of the university, to engage local talent in creative activities.

Over 24 poets of Urdu and Punjabi languages recited their poetry and ghazals receiving plaudit from the audience, mostly young enthusiasts. The Mushaira was presided over by noted humorous poet Anwar Masood and Dr Tauseef Tabassum and Shabnam Shakeel. Prof Anwar Masood mesmerised the audience with his satirical poetry convulsing them with verses based on common themes. “Aaj ki khabrain” “Nak jai mathay utay hunda”, “Pani (water)” “Medicine kay side effects”, “Wapda” and the all-time hit “Bunian” had the audience roaring with laughter and offering standing ovation.

Earlier Dr Abid Sial presented his poems which was applauded by the audience chanting “wah, wah” (plaudit) and “mukarar, mukarar” (again and again). Next up, Ali Ahmed Qamar recited his poem. Manzar Naqvi earned applause from young students and faculty members on his “Aksar sach ko jhooth bana jata hai baaz auqat, Banda thukar kha jata hai baaz auqat”.  Jalil Aali’s soft and romantic poem “Idher bhi tuo usay ik din uthani han nigahain, Humay bhi tuo kabhi honay ka hai ehsas hona” was also no less than a treat for the young at heart.

Shabnam Shakeel’s poem “Dukh ka muntar pari hui hun, Mangurbat man bari hui hun; Is man waqt hi zaia huo ga, Jin baton manpari hui hun” was also applauded by the audience. Dr Ahsan Akbar recited his famous poetry “Daabi pod kamaddi”.

Iftikhar Arif also recited some popular poems on the demand of audience. Besides, Samina Siddiqui, Fehmeeda Tabassum, Ali Akbar Natiq, Aftab Zia, Shafiq Asif, Nusrat Masood, Arshad Mehmood Noshad, Arshad Mairaj, Anjum Khaleeq, Khawar Ijaz and others recited their poetry.

Speaking on the occasion, NUML Rector Maj Gen (retd) Masood Hasan said, “It is an honour for the university that such a galaxy of poets have gathered here. He said that this event is a great opportunity for the students and faculty members to learn from literary stalwarts. He presented shields to the poets.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 22nd, 2012.

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Capacity building: PML-N using 'Likeminded' to bring back dissenters - The Express Tribune

Mushar­raf-era king’s party divide­d into three catego­ries. Musharraf-era king’s party divided into three categories. PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD: 

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has accelerated its push to bring back defectors back into its fold – and has put in place an elaborate categorisation process for the repatriation, The Express Tribune has learnt.

Following up on an understanding with a breakaway faction of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), who call themselves the ‘Likeminded Group’, Nawaz Sharif has asked the leaders of this group to woo others to the PML-N. The breakaway faction of a party put together from defecting politicians during the reign of Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf includes seasoned leaders such as Hamid Nasir Chattha, Gohar Ayub Khan and Salim Saifullah Khan, and had recently reached an agreement with the PML-N.

Through this deal, PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif reconciled with Chattha, an influential politician from Punjab, after about 20 years of political rivalry. In return for their support and help, the Likeminded Group has been allocated an 11% quota of seats, a PML-N official explained while talking to The Express Tribune.

“The alliance with Likeminded has opened the doors and the party leadership had expressed readiness to accept members of Q-league,” he added. However, the process, which can effectively be termed a repatriation of Q-leaguers, given that a vast majority of the politicians in question had left the PML-N, is not just a straightforward process.

Not all members will be welcomed back at the moment.

The PML-N, according to the sources, has identified/categorised PML-Q into three groups. The first group belongs to those people who entered the political arena for the first time during the Musharraf government. Former information minister Muhammad Ali Durrani, Marvi Memon, Tariq Azeem and Engineer Amir Maqum belong to this group. All of them, save Durrani, have already joined the PML-N.

Though Durrani is
negotiating with the PML-N leadership for last few months, a formal announcement has yet to come. Durrani while talking to The Express Tribune said that an announcement to this effect would be made soon.

The second group consists of those politicians who had been in politics before Musharraf, but had not inflicted any damage to the PML-N during the PML-Q government. The founder of the Sindh Awami Ittehad and former Sindh chief minister Liaqat Ali Jatoi tops the list of such people, and has already joined the PML-N. Others are expected to follow in this category.

The third and final category consists of those who had damaged their parent party, the PML-N, and sided with the military dictator. This category’s list is topped by the Chaudhry brothers of Gujrat (Shujaat Hussain and Parvez Elahi). The PML-N leadership, according to sources, has not softened up enough to talk to this group let alone accept them back.

At present, the party is working on the first two sets of PML-Q politicians. In this regard, southern Punjab, in particular those districts where the Q-League has a strong presence, is being targeted by the PML-N, sources said, given that the region is in political flux following the heightened narrative for a separate province.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 10th, 2012.

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TAPI gas pipeline: Kabul turns to Taliban for pipeline security - The Express Tribune

Karzai govt claims to have reache­d an unders­tandin­g with the milita­nts. ISLAMABAD: 

The administration of President Hamid Karzai has assured Pakistan and India that it has reached an ‘understanding’ with Taliban insurgents to ensure the security of the multi-billion-dollar Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project.

“The Afghan Taliban have assured that they would not sabotage the project,” a senior official told The Express Tribune quoting Afghan authorities. “The Afghan government would also deploy troops to ensure the security of the pipeline,” the official added.

Pakistan, India and Afghanistan are scheduled to meet in the Turkmen capital of Ashgabat on May 23 to sign the Gas Sales Purchase Agreement (GSPA). The proposed pipeline will pass through Herat, Kandahar, the birthplace of the Afghan Taliban and the most volatile province of Afghanistan, then Balochistan and Multan before entering Indian Punjab.

There is also the issue of mines on the proposed route. In 2008, Afghanistan was tasked to clear the mines on the route area within two years. Currently, officials are also unclear whether the Afghan government has succeeded in removing these mines or not.

Due to Taliban’s involvement in insurgency on the proposed route, Pakistan had earlier also proposed Turkmenistan to supply gas via Iran using the Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline instead of laying a pipeline through Afghanistan, under a swap arrangement. But the proposal never materialised due to unprecedented opposition from the US against Iran.

Under this proposed arrangement, the imported gas volume agreed between Pakistan and Turkmenistan was to be supplied to the northern provinces of Iran in lieu of which Iran was to supply equivalent gas volume through the IP pipeline to Pakistan.

According to the official, an alternative western route of constructing the pipeline between the Afghanistan-Iran and Pakistan-Iran border was also proposed that was agreed by the Afghan government. Pakistan had floated this proposal as it believed that more than 72% insurgency-related cases by the Taliban take place on the earlier proposed TAPI gas pipeline route.

“After assurance from the Karazai government that Taliban will not blow up the pipeline, participating countries have agreed to lay the pipeline on the earlier proposed route,” the official said.

Participating countries including India were also concerned about security situation in Balochistan.”We have assured them that the government would prepare a force of local people to deploy in the area of the pipeline in Balochistan to ensure security,” the official added.

When the participating countries meet in Turkmenistan on May 23, they will ink the formal deal on the transit fee and GSPA. Pakistan, India and Afghanistan had agreed on a transit fee rate at 49.5 cents per million British thermal units (MMBTU), during the talks held in Islamabad earlier.

India will pay 49.5 cents per MMBTU as transit fee to Pakistan and Pakistan will pay an equal amount to Afghanistan.

“Pakistan will get $217 million as transit fee from India, which will be paid to Afghanistan,” the official said.

Pakistan and Turkmenistan have also agreed at a gas price rate equal to 70% of crude oil against the 78% of crude oil with Iran under the IP gas pipeline project.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 22nd, 2012.

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Agreement: PSO to buy 65% of Byco products from new refinery - The Express Tribune

Byco’s refine­ry, has a crude oil proces­sing capaci­ty of 120,000 barrel­s per day (bpd). Byco’s new refinery, with crude oil processing capacity of 120,000 barrels per day (bpd), is expected to attain mechanical completion by the end of June. PHOTO COURTESY: BYCO

KARACHI: 

Byco Oil Pakistan and Pakistan State Oil have signed a product sale and purchase agreement which will ensure guaranteed sale of 65% of Byco’s petroleum products from its new refinery to PSO.

The agreement will help substitute present imports, particularly of PMG, HSD and HSFO products, and Byco will sell products to PSO against a confirmed letter of credit.

The agreed payment arrangements will benefit the refinery and ensure timely collection of its dues, which will greatly help in reducing circular debt, says a Byco Oil Pakistan press release issued on Monday.

The agreement was inked by PSO Managing Director Naeem Yahya and Byco Pakistan Country Business Head Oil Refining M Qaiser Jamal. Byco’s new refinery, with crude oil processing capacity of 120,000 barrels per day (bpd), is expected to attain mechanical completion by the end of June.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 22nd, 2012.

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Defaulters continue to receive power supply - The Express Tribune

Qamar blasts CEOs of power distri­bution compan­ies for not contro­lling situat­ion. Power distribution companies were tasked with achieving a recovery target of Rs54 billion in May 2012 but only Rs15 billion has been recovered so far. PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD: 

Bad governance and massive loopholes still prevail in the power sector as power distribution companies have failed to disconnect supply to power defaulters despite not paying dues of Rs80 billion.

A senior government official said that Minister for Water and Power Syed Naveed Qamar blasted chief executive officers (CEOs) of power distribution companies (DISCOS) in a meeting held on Monday because of their failure to improve recovery of bills from consumers.

He said that the management is responsible for disconnecting supply if consumers fail to pay bills for two consecutive months.

Power distribution companies were tasked with achieving a recovery target of Rs54 billion in May 2012 but only Rs15 billion has been recovered so far. CEOs said that the remaining amount of Rs39 billion will be recovered from consumers by May 31. They were also told to improve efficiency levels and minimise line losses.

Official said that heads of power distribution companies informed the meeting that protests and outrage of people due to outages had resulted in resistance when it came to paying bills.

“Public departments, both federal and provincial level, are the biggest defaulters and owe us around Rs100 billion,” said an official in a power distribution company adding that provinces are paying bills but recovery rate is very low.

According to a statement, Qamar stressed the need for improvement in the recovery rate. He said that improvement in recovery will help to generate more power. The country direly needs to increase power generation levels in the coming months of summer.

Qamar also asked all companies to reduce their line losses and bring it to minimum level. He directed Discos to disconnect the supply of private and government consumers without any discrimination in case of non-payment of bills.

Earlier, top executives of the power distribution companies briefed the minister on their recovery position and their individual recovery targets. They assured that they will work hard to achieve the recovery target.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 22nd, 2012.

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'Many women do not make it to senior positions in IT' - The Express Tribune

High drop-out rate due to marria­ge, mother­hood main reason­s. The findings of the two-and-a-half-month study also showed only around 2% women in IT companies own company shares while majority of companies have no female employees who own their stocks.

KARACHI: Despite adequate experience, a large proportion of women in the country’s information technology workforce do not make it to senior-level positions as 24% abandon their jobs in the middle of their careers, said a research by Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA).

Equal opportunities, flexible work hours, transportation and day care facilities could change the equation, it proposed.

“Women represent 14% of Pakistan’s IT workforce that’s on a par with the national average of the proportion of women in the overall labour force,” P@SHA member Nosheen Ishtiaq said at the launch of the research publication – Pakistani Women in Technology – here on Monday.

The study covered 124 women and 49 companies – IT companies and IT departments of non-IT companies – from seven cities of the country. It focused on the participation levels of women in the IT industry as employees, managers and contributors, and questioned women if the HR policies and benefits offered by their employers impacted their retention.

The study showed despite having years of experience, a large proportion of women continued to persist in mid-level roles with only a fraction transitioning to senior management positions.

Of the women surveyed, 49% were found to be in the middle of their career with 4 to 7 years of work experience, Ishtiaq said, but the percentage remains around the same for women who have 8 to 15 years of experience. It shows they hit a glass ceiling or get stuck at the mid-career level in their IT careers, she said.

Barely 13% of the women polled had management roles. By contrast, 41% women who have at least 4 to 15 years of work experience were behind them, indicating the number of women progressing to senior level is relatively lower.

The study also found that fewer than 3% of the overall female IT workforce had more than 15 years of experience.

The findings of the two-and-a-half-month study also showed only around 2% women in IT companies own company shares while majority of companies have no female employees who own their stocks.

Another major finding of the study and one of the main reasons why majority of women do not make it to senior-level positions was the drop-out rate.

According to the International Federation of University Women, women face a number of challenges throughout key life moments which threaten their professional careers such as marriage and motherhood, the report said. The result is that a significant number of women leave their career at vulnerable stages of life.

There is a 24% drop between women with 4 to 7 years of experience and those with 8 to 15 years of experience, an indication of the “leaky pipeline” effect that women often face while pursuing careers, Ishtiaq said.

While talking about reasons behind the drop-out, Ishtiaq said a large number of women faced issues regarding their work environment and timing. Women report inflexibility in work hours and insensitivity towards their family commitments from their management, it said.

Women also face gender bias when it comes to management decisions regarding trainings and their general work environment, she added.

Of the companies polled, 29% do not offer maternity leave to women, Ishtiaq said. Of the 71% that offer maternity leave, only 22% offer day care facility, she added.

For companies offering more than five benefits, she said, participation and retention rate was higher.

Speaking on the occasion, P@SHA Chairman Nadeem Elahi briefed the media about the progress of IT sector. The IT sector’s turnover has reached $2.8 billion, 1.6% of the GDP. If the government makes good policies to support the industry, the figure could be pushed to $10 billion, he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 15th, 2012.

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Karate: Lahore clinch Punjab event - The Express Tribune

Lahore coming out on top after baggin­g a total of three gold, two silver and two bronze medals.

LAHORE: The Punjab Karate Championship concluded in Sahiwal yesterday with Lahore coming out on top after bagging a total of three gold, two silver and two bronze medals. While Punjab finished top with 95 points, Faisalabad were placed second with 85 after bagging two gold, two silver and two bronze medals. Hosts Sahiwal sealed third place with one gold, five silver and one bronze medal and 70 points. A total of 14 districts participated in the event in which Amjad, Arsalan Baig, Shahid Attique, Muhammad Arshad, Rana Naveed, Malik Ejaz, and Taj Rehmani were the referees and judges.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 22nd, 2012.

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Snooker: Top-seeds shine on opening day - The Express Tribune

Asif, Sajjad record wins in nation­al snooke­r event. Mohammad Asif defeated Yasir Nadeem 4-0. PHOTO: FILE EXPRESS

KARACHI: 

Pakistan’s top players gave a taste of things to come at the NBP National Ranking Snooker Championship, brushing off their opponents in convincing fashion at the DHA Creek Club.

Mohammad Asif defeated Yasir Nadeem 4-0, while Mohammad Sajjad got the better of Yasir Shehzad 4-2. Asif, who is placed in Group A, won with frame scores of 79-10, 99-12, 66-41, 65-7. Sajjad overcame a slow start, hitting a break of 85 in the second frame and maintained his supremacy to beat the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa cueist. Meanwhile, Naveen Perwani defeated Balochistan’s Naeem Jaffar 4-1 in the Group D match.

Imran suffers defeat

However, former Pakistan number one Imran Shehzad faced a stunning 4-3 defeat against Mohammad Ishtiaq. Khurram Agha defeated Farrukh Usman Brohi 4-0, while Mohammad Bilal outplayed Abu Saim 4-3.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 22nd, 2012.

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Gilani, Erdogan agree to boost bilateral relations in all sectors - The Express Tribune

Turkis­h prime minist­er says his countr­y is ready to expand the scope of its ties with Pakist­an. Turkish prime minister says his country is ready to expand the scope of its ties with Pakistan. PHOTO: AFP/FILE

ISLAMABAD: Prime minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan co-chaired the second meeting of High-Level Cooperation Council (HLCC) and agreed to boost bilateral relations in all sectors particularly energy, communication, trade and culture.

The meeting held at the Prime Minister House was joined by high-level delegations from Pakistan and Turkey, who worked out details to strengthen cooperation in diverse fields.

Gilani said Pakistan considers Turkey as its brotherly country and intends to seek cooperation in multiple areas.

The Turkish prime minister said his country was ready to expand the scope of its ties with Pakistan, with which it enjoys fraternal relations.

Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira, Communication Minister Dr Arbab Alamgir Khan, Minister for National Heritage Samina Khalid Ghurki, Railways Minister Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Nawabzada Malik Ammad Khan and Board of Investment (BoI) Chairman Saleem Mandviwala were present at the meeting.

The first HLCC meeting was held in Turkey in December 2010, where Gilani represented the country.

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Protest over murder of journalist Razzaq Gul - The Express Tribune

Gul is believ­ed to be the 21st media-person killed in Baloch­istan over the past three years. Gul is believed to be the 21st media-person killed in Balochistan over the past three years. PHOTO: FILE

QUETTA: Journalists in Quetta protested on Sunday against the murder of journalist Razzaq Gul whose bullet-riddled body was found dumped near his residence in Turbat a day earlier.

Razzaq Gul was a Express News correspondent in Turbat city and had been employed with the organisation for nearly 10 years as a district-based correspondent.

The Balochistan Union of Journalists (BUJ) released a statement on Sunday, saying Gul was the 21st journalist to have lost his life in the line of duty in the restive province.

Activists of Human Rights Commission Pakistan, Balochistan chapter, teachers, relatives of Baloch missing persons and traders also joined the demonstration. The procession began outside the Quetta Press Club. Journalists and HRCP Balochistan called upon the government and judiciary to probe the murder of Razzaq Gul. Protesters chanted slogans against law enforcement agencies for their failure to protect the life of the common people in Balochistan while journalists carried placards and banners inscribed with slogans in support of their demands.

Addressing protesters, Essa Tareen said it has become difficult for professional journalists to perform their duty independently.

Senior Journalist Anwar Sajidi said Balochistan is one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists. “More media persons were killed in Balochistan than in Afghanistan,” he told the protesters. “Balochistan is a war-zone while journalists are not trained and equipped with necessary safety tools needed in a war-zone.”

Quetta Press Club President Saleem Shahid said targeted killings will not bar journalists from their responsibility. “We will not be scared of anything and continue our work with dedication,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 21st, 2012.

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Contempt of court: SC to indict Babar Awan on Thursday - The Express Tribune

Awan’s counse­l mainta­ins that court cannot indict Awan withou­t having made decisi­on on uncond­itiona­l apolog­y. Awan’s counsel maintains that court cannot indict Awan without having made decision on unconditional apology. PHOTO: RASHID AJMERI/ EXPRESS

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan will indict former law minister, Babar Awan on Thursday, after he withdrew an intracourt appeal on Wednesday, Express News reported.

Awan had filed an intracourt appeal in the court after the court did not consider his unconditional apology. He had offered the apology twice to the court.

Heading a three-member bench, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry heard Awan’s appeal and allowed him to take his appeal back.

Awan’s counsel, Ali Zafar, maintained during the hearing that the court cannot indict Awan without having made a decision on the unconditional apology he offered twice to the court.

He said that the purpose of contempt of court proceedings is to maintain the respect of the judiciary not to “demean someone”.

The chief justice observed that different cases cited during the hearing were not relevant and that Awan’s counsel should let the court conclude its proceedings.

The former law minister was prosecuted for contempt of court adjudication after he criticised an apex court verdict handed down on December 1, 2011, pertaining to the formation of a judicial commission to probe the Memogate scandal.

In his apology letter, Awan had stated that his comments regarding the judiciary were unintentional, based on inadvertence and that he was offering an unconditional apology for his utterances that have been found prima facie to be disrespectful by this bench.

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Top seat: Pakistan Business Council elects new chairman - The Express Tribune

Ali Habib is the chairm­an of Indus Motor Compan­y Limite­d; also overse­es the operat­ions of The House of Habib compan­ies ISLAMABAD: 

The Board of Directors of the Pakistan Business Council (PBC) in its meeting here Monday elected Ali S Habib, a founding director of the council, as its new chairman following the early retirement of Asad Umar.

Ali Habib is the chairman of Indus Motor Company Limited. He heads and actively oversees the operations of The House of Habib (HOH) companies.

The PBC includes Pakistan’s largest corporations and business groups including multinationals and is a non-political, not for profit section 42 company whose objectives include promoting policies that will lead to the improvement of the business environment and acceleration of economic growth in the country. The PBC in 2011 organised the Pakistan Economic Forum (PEF) which proposed solutions to five major issues confronting Pakistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 15th, 2012.

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Diamer-Bhasha affectees provided mobile health unit - The Express Tribune

Unit will serve as a facili­ty for people residi­ng in diffic­ult-to-reach areas. The mobile health unit, comprising a four wheel drive ambulance and all necessary medical instruments, was handed over by Wapda

LAHORE: The Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) has provided a state-of-the-art mobile health unit to affectees of the Diamer-Bhasha Dam Project. The unit will serve as an expanded medical facility to people residing in difficult-to-reach areas adjacent to the project.

The mobile health unit, comprising a four wheel drive ambulance and all necessary medical instruments, was handed over by Wapda Chairman Shakil Durrani to project authorities here at Wapda House today.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chairman said the mobile health unit, in addition to existing health facilities in the area, will prove instrumental in the treatment of ailing individuals in the Diamer district of Gilgit-Baltistan and the Kohistan district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Besides providing civic amenities to affectees of the project under a compensation package chalked out in accordance with standards laid down by international donors and financial institutions, Wapda will also upgrade District Headquarters Hospitals at Chilas, Gilgat and Skardu, he added. The chairman expressed satisfaction over the setting up of Wapda medical camps in the project area.

The Diamer-Bhasha Dam Project was formally initiated by the Prime Minister in October last year after the Council of Common Interest unanimously approved the project. For the $12 billion project, the land acquisition process is in progress; while 13 contracts for construction of Wapda offices, colonies, contractors’ camps, roads and infrastructure in the project area have already been awarded.

The Diamer-Bhasha Dam is a multi-purpose project which aims to store water for irrigation, mitigate flooding and generate low-cost environment-friendly hydel power. On completion, the project will store 8.1 million acre feet of water, besides generating 4500 megawatts of electricity. The project will add about 20 billion units of electricity annually to the national grid. Annual benefits of the project have been estimated at about $2.3 billion.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 15th, 2012.

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For ransom: Doctors threaten strikes if kidnapped neurosurgeon not rescued - The Express Tribune

Dr Quresh­i was kidnap­ped as he left his clinic near Taj Comple­x on Saturd­ay night. Dr Qureshi was kidnapped as he left his clinic near Taj Complex on Saturday night.

HYDERABAD: 

The Pakistan Medical Association has given the government three days to rescue neurosurgeon Dr Aftab Qureshi who was kidnapped on May 12 from Karachi. It warned of a province-wide strike in all government hospitals. 

Dr Qureshi was kidnapped as he left his clinic near Taj Complex on Saturday night. His car was found abandoned outside Patel Hospital on the same night, according to advocate Naeemul Haq, his family lawyer.

Addressing a press conference here on Monday, the PMA general secretary Dr Hadi Bux Jatoi said the doctors are forced to protest and abandon work due to such threats. “Seventy to eighty per cent of well-known doctors are paying extortion just to survive. But they are still being killed or abducted.”

Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS) called a general body meeting and protested. The doctors whose clinics are located in the Doctor’s Lines area in Saddar observed a voluntary boycott of work on Monday. The Young Doctors’ Association also organised a demonstration in government hospitals. The PMA has requested the associations of paramedics, nurses and the medical wings of the political parties to join them.

Dr Qureshi is a dialysis patient. One of his kidney’s was removed when he was a child.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 15th, 2012.

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Higher education: KU announces BEd results - The Express Tribune

Karach­i Univer­sity announ­ced the result for the mornin­g progra­mme of the bachel­ors in educat­ion progra­mme.

KARACHI: Karachi University announced the result for the morning programme of the bachelors in education programme. Around 893 candidates were registered in the morning programme and out of them around 48 per cent passed the exam. In the evening programme 188 candidates were registered while 47 per cent passed the exams. In the second year evening programme, 206 candidates were registered while 55 per cent passed the exam.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 15th, 2012.

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Measles kills 12 children in North Waziristan - The Express Tribune

An outbre­ak of measle­s in North Waziri­stan has killed 12 childr­en in three weeks. An outbreak of measles in North Waziristan has killed 12 children in three weeks.

MIRANSHAH: An outbreak of measles in North Waziristan has killed 12 children in three weeks and is spreading due to a shortage of medicines, doctors said Monday.

Doctor Mohammad Ali Shah, chief of the main hospital in Miranshah, the biggest town in North Waziristan, told AFP that military operations, power cuts and curfews meant there was a shortage of medicines.

“For the past three weeks we are daily receiving five to 10 children suffering from measles,” Shah said, adding that he would normally see only one or two deaths from the disease in a year.

“We do not have proper storage for measles vaccination because of long power outages and curfews and most of our stock expires due to these reasons.”

He urged the government to send mobile vaccination teams to the area and warned of a possible typhoid outbreak if action was not taken promptly.

“Inoculation teams have not visited the area for a long time and that is the reason for the spread of such diseases,” he said.

Measles is highly contagious and spread by a virus that is easily prevented by proper immunisation but can be fatal.

It caused nearly 140,000 deaths worldwide in 2010, according to the World Health Organisation – 95% in low income countries with poor health infrastructure.

Another doctor, Mohammad Sadiq, said 12 children and a man had died from measles, and that there were up to 70 confirmed cases in hospital.

Local government officials were not available to comment.

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Collateral damage?: Measles outbreak kills 12 children in Waziristan - The Express Tribune

Doctor­s warn the virus is spread­ing quickl­y due to fighti­ng, power cuts and curfew­s. Doctors warn the virus is spreading quickly due to fighting, power cuts and curfews.

MIRAMSHAH: 

A measles outbreak has killed 12 children in the North Waziristan tribal region and is spreading as fighting, power cuts and curfews cause a vaccine shortage, doctors said on Monday.

North Waziristan, which is infamous for its alleged Taliban and al Qaeda sanctuaries, is frequently hit by US drone strikes.

“For the past three weeks we are daily receiving five to 10 children suffering from measles,” said Dr Muhammad Ali Shah, chief of the agency headquarters hospital in Miramshah. He would normally see only one or two deaths a year from the disease, he said.

But another doctor, Mohammad Sadiq, said 12 children and a man had died from measles in the last three weeks, and that there were up to 70 confirmed cases in hospital.

The UN children’s agency UNICEF said there had been 143 measles alerts this year in the seven tribal agencies of the country.

The measles virus is highly contagious and can be fatal, but can easily be prevented by proper immunisation.

However Shah said: “We do not have proper storage for measles vaccination because of long power outages and curfews and most of our stock expires due to these reasons.”

Poverty and poor transport facilities mean villagers in the rugged, mountainous areas cannot come to hospitals for treatment, he added, while military operations and unrest mean vaccination teams cannot reach them.

“There is accumulation of significant number of unvaccinated children in different parts of this region which are revealing as outbreaks or alerts from time to time,” said Dr Quamrul Hasan of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

WHO and local health officials are to carry out a supplementary campaign in the tribal areas aimed at vaccinating more than a million children aged under 10 by the end of June, he said.

Polio vaccination campaigns in tribal areas have in the past suffered because of rumours – sometimes spread by radio stations or from mosque loudspeakers – they were a Western conspiracy to sterilise children to reduce the Muslim population.

But UNICEF said work had been done to tackle misconceptions and there was less suspicion of the measles vaccine, administered by injection, than of the orally-administered polio dose.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 15th, 2012.

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