Front Page News

Pakistan refuses UK military aid offer,
US want access to Balochistan for relief
LONDON: Pakistan is facing a new problem related to possible presence of American and British forces apparently for the relief activities in flood-hit areas within the country, especially in Punjab, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtoonkhawa.
According to informed sources, 1,000 US marines with 40 helicopters are already working in affected areas and now US administration wants to go to Balochistan in the name of relief work. The US Consul General for Karachi, William J. Martin, said on Tuesday that his country would extend cooperation to the government for rehabilitation of flood-affected people of Balochistan.
But reliable sources claim that the government looks reluctant in accepting more marines and helicopters from the United States due to pressure from certain quarters.
The US and Britain have already shown concern over the presence and active role of militants and banned organisations in flood-hit areas and have openly stated that militants can take benefit of this alarming situation which has also been echoed by President Zardari in meetings with David Cameron and Nick Clegg.
Mr Martin stated this during a meeting with Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisaniin Quetta on Tuesday. "Through full attention to Balochistan all requirements of the affected would be fulfilled," he said.
"Keeping in view the vast scale of devastation in Balochistan the US government has planned to reach out to the affected people through NGOs," he said, adding that US officials were in touch with NDMA and PDMA in this regard.
The USAID was also being made effective to play its role in relief and rehabilitation activities. He said 19 helicopters and C-130 were taking part in rescue work.
Mr Martin said initial steps were being taken for the establishment of US consulate in Quetta that would promote relations between United States and the people of Balochistan and would also help in completing development projects.
Earlier, Home Secretary Akbar Hussain Durrani briefed the US consul general about the damages caused by flood and steps so far taken by the provincial government.
Meanwhile, London newspaper Daily Telegraph has claimed to have learned that as part of the continuing spat over the Prime Minister David Cameron's remarks, Pakistan's intelligence agency has blocked an offer of British military aid for millions of flood victims. RAF planes have flown emergency aid supplies into Pakistan, but sources in Islamabad and London have confirmed that the Inter Services Intelligence has blocked any role for British forces on the ground in the country.
The Ministry of Defence offered to send teams to help distribute aid to the 17 million people affected by weeks of monsoon rains. It is understood the offer included logistics support and medical personnel. Sources said the UK had made an "open-ended" offer of assistance.
The United Nations has appealed repeatedly for more helicopters to help ferry food, clean water and medicine to villages unreachable by road. Australia, Japan and Afghanistan have all sent military helicopters or doctors.
Even the US viewed with hostility by many Pakistanis for its war on terror has 1,000 servicemen on the ground, running 15 Navy and Marine heavy lift helicopters in the country and four cargo planes. But no British personnel are operating in the affected areas because of Pakistani anger at Mr Cameron's comments.
A Pakistani intelligence source said the offer has been declined because of Mr Cameron's statement in India and apparent support for India against Pakistan interests. The person said: "Pakistan has refused the assistance offered by the British administration and it's a ... way to send a message to the international community that if you are a friend of my enemy then you are also my enemy."
A British government spokesman confirmed there has been "no specific offer, or request" from the government of Pakistan, to put UK troops on the ground in the disaster zone.
He added: "However, the MOD, at DFID's request, has provided air support using both C17, the RAF's largest transport aircraft, and C130 Hercules planes to bring in essential items such as tents and shelter kits. To date the RAF has flown in five plane loads of essential aid from both DFID and UN stores."
Problems in relief:
The international Red Cross warned Thursday Growing resentment among Pakistan flood victims on the pace of aid delivery is hampering the relief effort.
"What we are detecting is a very worrying trend of areas where ... people are so in need, so resentful of not getting enough aid, that they turn understandably aggressive and this is bad because it doesn't help in our efforts to reach more of them," said Jacques de Maio, the head of operations for South Asia for the International Committee of the Red Cross.
He pointed out that in two instances in the past eight days, officials had to stop distribution of relief items "because of unrest."
"We are worried because if this trend extends, propagates," it could hinder the aid effort, he noted.
De Maio noted that the trend is particularly worrying because, unlike other disasters such as an earthquake, the floods are generating more and more victims as the high waters sweep into new regions.
"The thing is that due to the sheer magnitude of this and the fact that we are not in for a sprint, we're here for a marathon, we need to make sure that (such unrest) does not become the rule rather than the exception," he said.

Blair claims Musharraf wanted
Palestine solution over Kashmir
LONDON: Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair was stumped for words when Pervez Musharraf asked him to resolve the Palestine issue instead of Kashmir during his visit to Islamabad in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.
In his just released memoirs, Blair also recalls how Musharraf blamed Gen Zia ul Haq for furthering radicalism in Pakistan through his policies, heightening the Kashmir issue and making reconciliation with India harder.
Pakistan President Musharraf, Blair writes, was then in a "difficult position" because his government "had worked" with the Taliban government and the borders between Afghanistan and Pakistan were porous.
Yet, Blair writes, "he was an ally of ourselves and the US, of course".
Describing his visit to Pakistan on 5 October 2001, Blair writes: "I was ushered into Musharraf's study in the Presidential Palace. All through the meeting a bodyguard hovered near the door, coming in and standing over us each time the servants brought in tea or refreshments".
He says Musharraf himself was clear in his condemnation of the Taliban and in his offer of help and support. "He knew the attack had changed everything".
Recalling his conversation with the President, Blair writes that Musharraf told him that in the 1970s General Zia-ul-Haq had made the fatal error of linking Pakistani nationalism to devout Islam.
The connection between the two, Musharraf explained, "had furthered radicalism in the country, heightened the issue of Kashmir and made reconciliation with India harder".
Blair says this was something "I reflected upon a good deal in later years".
Gen Zia, who overthrew Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto's government in a coup, ruled Pakistan from 1977 to 1988.
Blair then quotes a conversation with Musharraf: "Surely," I said, "economic development is the key challenge for Pakistan".
"Of course," he said, "but the reality is today Pakistani politics is about nuclear weapons and Kashmir".
"What can we do to help?" I asked, expecting an answer to do with aid or India.
"Do Palestine," he immediately shot back. "That would help". Blair writes that he came away from the meeting pleased with Musharraf's support, but adds that he was "uneasy at how clearly he (Musharraf) felt the ultimate success of the mission was in the balance".
In another section of the book, Blair writes: "The truth is that the India-Pakistan dispute over Kashmir did erupt into sporadic violence and there was terrorism coming out of Pakistan.
"But, though elements of state organisations might be involved, that was a long way from saying the Pakistan government was a terrorist government, Pakistan was a rogue state".

Wealthy landlords
diverted flood to
villages in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: Wealthy landowners in Pakistan have allegedly diverted waters from the country's devastating floods away from their own properties and into villages, the country's UN ambassador said Thursday.
Abdullah Hussain Haroon called for an inquiry into claims that embankments had been allowed to burst to protect commercial crops.
"Over the years, one has seen with the lack of floods, those areas normally set aside for floods have come under irrigation of the powerful and rich," Haroon told the BBC's HardTalk programme.
"It is suggested in some areas, those to be protected were allowed, had allowed, levies to be burst on opposite sides to take the water away. If that is happening the government should be enquiring."
A month of catastrophic flooding has killed 1,760 people and affected more than 18 million, according to the UN, and large areas of Pakistan, especially in the Sindh province, remain under water.
More than 3.6 million hectares of productive farmland have been destroyed by the floods.

Pakistan refuses UK military aid offer,
US want access to Balochistan for relief
US envoy says consulate to be set-up in Quetta, denies Jamali’s
allegation of flood was diverted to Naseerabad to save Shahbaz airbase
LONDON: Pakistan is facing a new problem related to possible presence of American and British forces apparently for the relief activities in flood-hit areas within the country, especially in Punjab, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtoonkhawa.
According to informed sources, 1,000 US marines with 40 helicopters are already working in affected areas and now US administration wants to go to Balochistan in the name of relief work. The US Consul General for Karachi, William J. Martin, said on Tuesday that his country would extend cooperation to the government for rehabilitation of flood-affected people of Balochistan.
But reliable sources claim that the government looks reluctant in accepting more marines and helicopters from the United States due to pressure from certain quarters.
The US and Britain have already shown concern over the presence and active role of militants and banned organisations in flood-hit areas and have openly stated that militants can take benefit of this alarming situation which has also been echoed by President Zardari in meetings with David Cameron and Nick Clegg.
Mr Martin stated this during a meeting with Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisaniin Quetta on Tuesday. "Through full attention to Balochistan all requirements of the affected would be fulfilled," he said.
"Keeping in view the vast scale of devastation in Balochistan the US government has planned to reach out to the affected people through NGOs," he said, adding that US officials were in touch with NDMA and PDMA in this regard.
The USAID was also being made effective to play its role in relief and rehabilitation activities. He said 19 helicopters and C-130 were taking part in rescue work.
Mr Martin said initial steps were being taken for the establishment of US consulate in Quetta that would promote relations between United States and the people of Balochistan and would also help in completing development projects.
Earlier, Home Secretary Akbar Hussain Durrani briefed the US consul general about the damages caused by flood and steps so far taken by the provincial government.
Meanwhile, London newspaper Daily Telegraph has claimed to have learned that as part of the continuing spat over the Prime Minister David Cameron's remarks, Pakistan's intelligence agency has blocked an offer of British military aid for millions of flood victims. RAF planes have flown emergency aid supplies into Pakistan, but sources in Islamabad and London have confirmed that the Inter Services Intelligence has blocked any role for British forces on the ground in the country.
The Ministry of Defence offered to send teams to help distribute aid to the 17 million people affected by weeks of monsoon rains. It is understood the offer included logistics support and medical personnel. Sources said the UK had made an "open-ended" offer of assistance.
The United Nations has appealed repeatedly for more helicopters to help ferry food, clean water and medicine to villages unreachable by road. Australia, Japan and Afghanistan have all sent military helicopters or doctors.
Even the US ? viewed with hostility by many Pakistanis for its war on terror ? has 1,000 servicemen on the ground, running 15 Navy and Marine heavy lift helicopters in the country and four cargo planes. But no British personnel are operating in the affected areas because of Pakistani anger at Mr Cameron's comments.
A Pakistani intelligence source said the offer has been declined because of Mr Cameron's statement in India and apparent support for India against Pakistan interests. The person said: "Pakistan has refused the assistance offered by the British administration and it's a ... way to send a message to the international community that if you are a friend of my enemy then you are also my enemy."
A British government spokesman confirmed there has been "no specific offer, or request" from the government of Pakistan, to put UK troops on the ground in the disaster zone.
He added: "However, the MOD, at DFID's request, has provided air support using both C17, the RAF's largest transport aircraft, and C130 Hercules planes to bring in essential items such as tents and shelter kits. To date the RAF has flown in five plane loads of essential aid from both DFID and UN stores."
Problems in relief:
The international Red Cross warned Thursday Growing resentment among Pakistan flood victims on the pace of aid delivery is hampering the relief effort.
"What we are detecting is a very worrying trend of areas where ... people are so in need, so resentful of not getting enough aid, that they turn understandably aggressive and this is bad because it doesn't help in our efforts to reach more of them," said Jacques de Maio, the head of operations for South Asia for the International Committee of the Red Cross.
He pointed out that in two instances in the past eight days, officials had to stop distribution of relief items "because of unrest."
"We are worried because if this trend extends, propagates," it could hinder the aid effort, he noted.
De Maio noted that the trend is particularly worrying because, unlike other disasters such as an earthquake, the floods are generating more and more victims as the high waters sweep into new regions.
"The thing is that due to the sheer magnitude of this and the fact that we are not in for a sprint, we're here for a marathon, we need to make sure that (such unrest) does not become the rule rather than the exception," he said.
US Ambassador in Pakistan, Anne W Patterson has said that an American consulate will be set up in Quetta to oversee the development activities carried out by the Americans in Balochistan.
"The consulate will be set up to monitor the development activities being carried out by the US in Balochistan. It will also ensure a close liaison between the Baloch people and the US, and would provide visa facility to the people of Balochistan," she said, while refuting the allegation that the consulate was intended to monitor activities in Iran and Afghanistan at a press conference here on Wednesday.
Patterson, accompanied by the American Consul General Karachi William Martin, also denied former Prime Minister Mir Zaffarullah Khan Jamali’s allegation that the floodwaters were diverted to Naseerabad in Balochistan to save the Shabaz airbase which is being used by American forces at the moment.
She also took an aerial view of the flood-ravaged areas in Jaffarabad and was accompanied by Minister Rahila Durrani, who happens to be a focal person for Balochistan’s flood relief. She remarked that the floods have caused massive devastation in Balochistan, and in the other parts of Pakistan.
She said that 15 US military helicopters were currently involved in the rescue and relief activities to help the flood survivors, adding that 10,000 people had so far been rescued. She said that many C-130 aircraft were moved from Afghanistan in connection with the relief activities and the number of US helicopters and aircraft would increase in the coming days.

Full enquiry sought into humiliation
of Pak military officers at US airport
Brigadier alleged of misbehaving with stewardess, delegation detained at
passenger’s complaint, returned home without attending important meeting

LONDON: Despite the claim as close ally and the best relationship, the US administration is treating Pakistan a country like an enemy with full of doubts. A latest incident occurred at Washington’s Dulles Airport was enough to prove these sorts of feelings.
"An investigation is needed at the level of the Pakistan Army to determine what the brigadier actually said, and to whom, since the carrier, United Airlines, told the US media that the brigadier "misbehaved" with a stewardess. If his conduct is found to have been unseemly, then the Pakistan Army must take action accordingly.
The treatment meted out to a Pakistani military delegation on Monday at the Airport is nothing short of insulting. The eight-member delegation, led by a two-star naval officer and comprising senior military officials, was headed to Florida to attend a meeting at the US Central Command headquarters.
According to details, a Pakistani military delegation became the latest victim of the paranoia permeating US airports on Monday night, when US security officials detained a brigadier at Washington’s Dulles airport on a complaint by a passenger who said he did not feel safe sharing the flight with the delegation.
The brigadier was removed from the United Airlines flight, and others in this eight-member delegation were also detained after they disembarked. They were later released.
The dispute became a major diplomatic row as the delegation, offended by this treatment, decided to cancel an important meeting at the headquarters of the US Central Command in Tampa, Florida, on Tuesday, and return home.
By the time the US Department of Defence apologised to the delegation, their leader, a two-star naval officer, had already informed Islamabad where officials approved his decision to return home on Tuesday night.
The delegation included senior officials from all three services, the army, the navy and the air force.
The correspondent of Dawn newspaper contacted the US Transport Security Administration, whose officials had detained the brigadier, and the Department of Homeland Security but failed to get a response.
Mathew Chandler, a DHS spokesman, and Lauren Gaches of TSA, however, asked Dawn to contact the airline.
United Airlines officials, however, told the US media that the brigadier, whose name was not disclosed, had misbehaved with a stewardess and told her that "this would be her last mission".
Information collected by the newspaper showed that the incident that led to the cancellation of the meeting happened at Washington’s Dulles airport on Monday night when a passenger on the flight to Tampa complained that a Pakistani brigadier, while talking to his colleagues, had made remarks that he found threatening.
Officials of the airline informed the Transport Security Administration who detained the brigadier and later other officials as well.
A Pakistani official, when asked to comment on the airline’s claim, said: "This is a delegation of senior officials, led by a two-star officer, not unit captains and majors. Such responsible officers do not indulge in such behaviour."
Information also confirmed the Pakistani claim as the plane was delayed for 40 minutes before the airline’s mentioned the alleged altercation between the brigadier and the stewardess.
Later, an official of the airline came with a TSA security officer and asked the brigadier to disembark. She gave no reason.
The head of the delegation asked the brigadier to get down and cooperate with the TSA. The brigadier disclosed his identity. There was no response for about 15-20 minutes and then the airline and security officials asked the entire delegation to get off the plane.
The leader of the Pakistani delegation showed TSA officials an invitation letter from the Centcom, confirming that they were going to Tampa for a meeting. He also showed them all the passports that identified the delegation as senior military officers.
He then requested to talk to a senior TSA official or the person in-charge of security at the airport but his request was turned down.
"They did not let them speak and treated them like terrorists," said a Pakistani official. "The investigators were unprofessional, junior officials."
The official said that the TSA and airlines officials kept telling the delegation that a passenger found the brigadier’s remarks threatening but did not say what those remarks were.
"The delegation was detained for two hours, telling them nothing, not allowing them to talk to anyone," said the Pakistani official.
"They received no response even when they showed them their passports and the Centcom letter," the official said.
"At the end, they realised their mistake and apologised but by then the delegation had decided it did not want to take that flight."
Explaining why the delegation decided to cancel the meeting and return home, the official said it was basically because of the humiliating treatment by the TSA and airline staff.
"They could not prove any of the allegations. What we gathered is that one of the passengers became paranoid, so they decided to detain an official delegation. This is an issue of paranoia," said the official who said the Pakistani forces will hold their own inquiry to determine what caused this humiliating behaviour.
ISPR’s clarification:
In Islamabad, the Inter Services Public Relations said: "A Pakistani military delegation on a visit to US (on US invitation to attend a meeting at Centcom) was subjected to unwarranted security checks at Washington airport by US Transport Security Agency. Later, the delegation was cleared and US defence officials regretted the incident. However, as a result of these checks, military authorities in Pakistan decided to cancel the visit and call the delegation back."

Three scam-hit cricketers
out of England series,
Wajid says "they are innocent"

Players came at PHC premises with big smile on
their faces, every one felt their sadistic behaviour

LONDON: The three scam-ridden Pakistan players under scrutiny following allegations of fixing insisted they were innocent on Thursday but withdrew from the remainder of the tour of England because of the "mental torture" they have been through.
Bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir and test captain Salman Butt ? accused in a Sunday newspaper of being involved in a betting scam ? proclaimed their innocence in a meeting with Pakistan High Commissioner Wajid Shamsul Hasan in London.
"The three players have said they are extremely disturbed with what has happened in the past one week, especially with regard to their alleged involvement in the scam," Hasan said in a statement on behalf of the players.
"They mention that they are entirely innocent in the whole episode and shall defend their innocence as such."
But the people don’t believe that these scam-ridden players are under any mental pressure or feel sorry as they came at Pakistan High Commission’s premises with big smile on their faces and every one present there or watched on TV screens easily felt their sadistic attitude.
Pakistan team manager Yawar Saeed said earlier Thursday the players had been omitted from the squad for the rest of the tour, which comprises two Twenty20 and five one-day international matches.
Hasan said the players had volunteered not to play. "They further maintain that on account of the mental torture which has deeply affected them all, they are not in the right frame of mind to play the remaining matches," Hasan said.
Hasan, who said he believed in the players’ innocence, insisted there had been no pressure from the England and Wales Cricket Board to drop them from the squad.
"They want to clear their names first," Hasan told reporters outside the high commission. "We wait for the result of the investigations. I am not in the habit of insinuating or involving anyone."
Hasan said Saeed was holding the players’ passports. Butt, Asif and Amir had to be given a police escort as they entered the high commission in Knightsbridge. About 10 police officers guided the trio into the building amid a throng of reporters and TV crews.
Around three hours later, the three players left the commission away from the gaze of the media, departing through the back entrance of an adjacent building.
British newspaper the News of the World alleged Sunday that Amir and Asif were paid to deliberately bowl no-balls in the opening day of the fourth test against England at Lord’s last week.
Salman Butt and wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal were also implicated in the story. Asif, Amir and Salman had their mobile phones confiscated by police, who also searched hotel rooms and questioned players on Saturday as part of an investigation also involving the International Cricket Council’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit.

Who was the third
person in cockpit
of Airblue plane?
ISLAMABAD: A team investigating the crash of the ill-fated Airblue jetliner on July 28 in Islamabad has detected the possible presence of a third person in the cockpit. Under normal circumstances, a cockpit is not supposed to have anyone other than the pilot and the co-pilot. "The investigators have reportedly heard the voice of a third person in the cockpit of the Airblue jetliner," a source close to the investigation has said.
The voice has been extracted from the Cockpit Voice Recorder, according to the source, and the investigators were looking into various possibilities and aspects.
The CVR, which is part of the ‘Black Box’, is a flight recorder used to document the audio environment in the cockpit of an aircraft. In order to record and document the audio environment, microphones are installed in the pilots’ headsets and in the roof of the cockpit.
The source said that the data of communication between the control tower and the pilot were available with the investigators. Dawn has also learnt that the pilot and control tower communicated with each other for two minutes and 25 seconds.
Two teams are currently investigating the air crash in which 152 people were killed. One of them is headed by Air Commodore Khawaja Abdul Majeed, president of the Civil Aviation Authority’s Safety Investigation Board. It is focussing on human factors, possibility of technical fault and weather conditions.
The second team, headed by Federal Investigation Agency Director General Zafarullah Khan, has been assigned the task of investigating the possibility of ‘sabotage’.

Hidden truth

ß It is not Pakistan but Rawanda or Burundi
ß Merciless murder of two brothers
ß World doesn’t trust on Pakistani leadership
ß Altaf Hussain: An indirect intervention

My Brother Muhammad Sarwar,
Assalam-o-Alaikum!
Allah Almighty may keep all of you - the Pakistanis - and all the British citizens of Pakistani-origin hail, hearty and in His shelter, lengthen the lives and away from the wickedness of each and every creature. Ameen! Summa Ameen!!
Brother Sarwar, at the moment, the whole country is sunk into two very painful and torment situation. While the flood has caused tremendous devastation on one hand, the merciless broad-day-light murder of two innocent children, a 19-year old Hafiz-e-Quran and his 17-year old brother, is committed in the presence of local police as well as the local residents. Believe me it was appearing that it is not Pakistan but Rwanda or Burundi instead.

Let’s talk about the flood first. No doubt this flood is very devastating than its predecessors but every government is used to take precautionary steps before the calamity hits. In our country, however, planning is done for the luxurious foreign tours, much before their scheduled dates, but not for the calamities that may hit any time. The whole world moves when the Earth moves but that’s not moved is Gul Muhammad. You can replace the name of Gul Muhammad with the names of our rulers. Still, hundreds and thousands of people are deprived of food and drinking water. This is the Army alone that is helping those poor people in a commendable way. The ruling class is still striving hard to the get the money as soon as possible and put the same in its pockets. One-hour entertainment trip in airplanes, footages on television screens, fake relief camps and the slogans "we are peoples representatives", "we can feel their agony and will eliminate their agony (i.e. they themselves) very soon."
Recently, in television footage, an area was shown in which thousand tons of potatoes were getting spoiled. Perhaps this was Gilgit. You had the innumerable helicopters at your disposal. If you had dropped those potatoes in areas, where food was not available, people had used the same to fill their stomachs or had those potatoes moved to Abbottabad for onward supply to different cities. But the wisdom and intellect are very rare in our rulers.
Another criminal act has also come into fore is that powerful and influential landlords saved their lands through breaking the dams illegally and unethically and left millions of poor and helpless people drown in the flood. Very similar to the 6 million dollars assistance for 2005 Earthquake affectees, the aid received for flood victims would also disappear. For that reason, no country is trusting on rulers. Hussain Haqqani, (Pakistan Ambassador in the US) was saying, in an interview to Mazhar Abbas, that the "world doesn’t trust on Pakistani leadership." Contrary to that the Begum Farah Ispahani continued apple-polishing in The News and wrote an article in praise of Zardari and stated that no one is as active as Zardari at the moment. This madam is used to praise his boss in every 2 to 4 weeks. On the other hand Salman Taseer has fired a statement, in Sialkot, that Zardari would remain president till the year 2018 and not the year 2013. If someone wants to have loyal stooges, he must search someone like Salman Taseer. Earlier, Pervez Ilahi had claimed to elect Musharraf as president ten times in the uniform. The outcome is in front of you.
Another important thing is the falsehood of the ruling class i.e. Prime Minister. In a Press conference, Gillani (Nana Sakita) along with Nawaz Sharif agreed to restore the confidence of International community, by forming a commission that will work transparently and supervise the distribution of aid and rehabilitation process. After 4 or 5 days later, Gillani reversed that agreement and said that provincial governments (i.e. his stooges in NWFP, Sindh and Balochistan) were not in favor of forming that commission. The purpose was that the process should not be transparent and ruling class continues looting the masses, leaving the poor people at their own.
Another horrifying incident took place in Sialkot where, in broad-day light, two innocent youths were killed and their dead-bodies were humiliated. And all that took place in front of hundreds of people including children and police. To shed the crocodile tears, Salman Taseer and the King of Liars, Rehman Malik also visited the site. Rehman Malik claimed that he would hang the culprits at the same place. Earlier, he had announced the same for the police in Chiniot for their "chhitrol" (shoe-beating) in open place. Later, all of the culprits were released. Similarly, lady police beaten a Captain lady doctor in Faisalabad but no one was punished. If they were punished, for what? Till today, the ruling class is unable to arrest the killers of their leader Benazir Bhutto. Instead they are doing politics over her dead-body and enjoying! In every gathering and congregation, business is done in the name of her and Bhutto Sahib.
Here, another point is also worth consideration. Exactly, according to the warning of Ali Ahmed Kurd, the judiciary has become an amusement. Every case around the world ? whether right or wrong ? is being discussed and no one is either taking notice of any verdicts passed so far, nor implementing the same. The cases about the money in Swiss Banks, culprits of NRO and who got their loans written off have been shelved. I am writing to you, today, no one amongst the Sialkot criminals will be punished. A few days later, another incident will take place and, like all previous important crimes, this would also become a part of the history. In fact, no human being humiliates the dead-bodies of snakes and scorpion.
Another latest but very important news is the statement of Mr. Altaf Hussain. In his statement he has requested the Generals to take necessary steps and save the country from dacoits and thieves. In fact, lot of falsehood and breach of agreements, from government side, is behind that statement. This is also a reaction of postponement of local government elections time and again as well as looting Karachi and Hyderabad. An indirect intervention, on the pattern of General (R) Mirza Aslam Baig and General (R) Abdul Waheed Kakar, would be very beneficial. If all criminals of NRO are sent home, new general elections are held under supervision of the Army and the power is handed over to the newly elected government would be beneficial. The country is passing through a very dangerous and lethal state these days. The ruling class is interested in looting alone. A single person is ruling the whole country and whatever the whole world has been saying is about him is sufficient to open the eyes. If new elections are held, under the supervision of an impartial interim government and criminals and forgers are prevented from taking part in those elections, it is hoped that conditions may improve. Otherwise, Allah Ta’ala will drown our ship after completing all formalities very soon.
Wassalam
With lot of prayers
Yours faithfully
Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan
02-09-10

British think tank claims
Muslim inmates ‘turning to terror’
Ministry of Justice rejects report of RUSI. "One in ten of
8,000 Muslims in High Security Estate is unrecognisable"
LONDON: The prominent British think tank, The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) has claimed in its latest report that Britain faces a new wave of terror attacks launched by Muslims radicalised in prison.
According to report, convicted terrorists inside high security prisons may have turned one in ten Muslim inmates to their cause. As a result, the threat from jihadists born in this country is greater here than anywhere else in the Western world, including the U.S.
Its authors warn that violent extremists have changed their tactics in the five years since the 7/7 bombings. Rather than working in groups, jihadists are acting alone and taking aim at 'soft' targets with less security, the report further claimed.
Future terror attacks are likely to involve lone bombers with little training and makeshift devices targeting crowded sporting events. As a result they will be much more difficult for the police and security services to stop, it is claimed.
The report says: "The conditions are all there for a series of attacks that could begin at any time. More than any Western country, the UK has the greatest to fear from home-grown terrorism."
More than 230 people were jailed in the UK over terror plots in the first decade of this century. But of those, just 105 remain in prison. Among them are Abu Qatada ? Osama bin Laden's 'right hand man in Europe' ? as well as terror preacher Abu Hamza, and the men behind the failed July 21, 2005, bomb attacks.
The authors say some are turning ordinary Muslim prisoners jailed for non-terror offences into radicals at 'a rapid rate'. "One in ten of the 8,000 Muslim prisoners in high security institutions in England' may have been turned into a potential terrorist, they claim. The report states: 'The possibility of attacks now hangs over all major sporting events', including the 2012 Olympics, and future World Cups.
The Ministry of Justice flatly rejected the claims. A spokesman said: 'There are only 6,000 prisoners in the High Security Estate, most of whom are not Muslim. The figure of "one in ten of the 8,000 Muslims" in the High Security Estate is therefore unrecognisable, the Ministry stated.

Wajid Shamsul Hasan expresses
gratitude to UK charities for relief work
LONDON: Pakistan High Commissioner Wajid Shamsul Hasan invited the UK Charities including Members of the Disaster Emergency Committee (DEC), Abdul Sattar Edhi Trust UK, Muslim Aid members of UK-Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and APWA UK on Wednesday to express gratitude for their selfless efforts and contribution to flood relief operations in Pakistan. Addressing the well attended gathering the High Commissioner highly appreciated the significant role played by the NGOs in the relief efforts for the flood victims, which helped the Governemnt of Pakistan cope with the catastrophic devastations of unprecedented scale. He noted as the water recedes a formidable challenge of rehabilitation of the displaced families and reconstruction of infrastructures lies ahead.
The meeting provided an opportunity to the UK Charities to reflect on their relief activities in Pakistan, their areas of operation, their experience of working with the Government of Pakistan’s agencies involved in round the clock operation of rescue, evacuation and relief to the millions of flood affected people in the four provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Balochistan and Sindh.
The High Commissioner’s vote of thanks and briefings by the lead charities was followed by a brief presentation by the officials of the High Commission on its activities in the context of the relief goods and assistance it was offering to Pakistan through transportation by the national carrier PIA on free of charge basis. The High Commission offered the facility to the Charities that attended the event.
CEO of the DEC, Mr. Brendan Gormley, President of International Health Partners and Mr. Anthony Dunnett CBE were among the prominent who participated in the meeting. NGOs including Oxfam, Merlin, Concern UK, Care, British Red Cross, Edhi, Foundation and Muslim Aid; President and General Secretary of UKPCCI and office bearers of APWA also attended the meeting.

West did not oppose Pak N-plan
due to Afghan war, says Dr. Qadeer
WASHINGTON: Western countries did not ''actively oppose'' Pakistan developing its nuclear weapon in late 1980s as they were ''too scared'' and pre-occupied with the Russian invasion of Afghanistan and its future consequences, nuclear scientist A Q Khan has said.
He also said the West ignored Pakistan's nuclear program as it needed the country's support to push the then Soviet Russia out of Afghanistan.
"The Afghan War was a blessing for our nuclear program," Khan said in an interview to the NewsWeek's inaugural Pakistani edition.
"It was not that the Western countries actively supported it but that they were too scared and (pre) occupied with the Russian invasion of Afghanistan and its future consequences to actively oppose it," he said.
Khan said neither the Americans nor the British had a clue about the status of Pakistan's nuclear programme until 1990.
"After the Afghan War, they (US and UK) slapped sanctions on us to extract concessions from [former Pakistani president] Benazir Bhutto's government, but [former president] Ghulam Ishaq Khan and [former Army chief] Gen Aslam Beg frustrated their nefarious designs," Khan said.
The atomic scientist alleged CIA chief Leon Panetta was a "liar", when asked about Panetta's statement that Pakistan is now the headquarters of Al-Qaeda.
"The CIA chief, like his bosses and those before him is a liar. There is no headquarters of Al Qaeda in Pakistan. Yes, Pakistan has become very unsafe due to foreign troops in Afghanistan. Our cohesion has been shattered," he said.
He also said the "spineless political leaders" have turned Pakistan -- a nuclear and missile power with 175 million people —- into a "beggar state", a third-rate country. "If there had been any pride left in our leaders, they would have responded appropriately and nobody would have dared to say such things in the first place," he said.
Khan said Pakistan's nuclear weapon is a deterrent against India. "Our nuclear program has ensured our survival, our security, and our sovereignty...I am proud to have contributed to it together with my patriotic and able colleagues," he said, adding that Pakistan is not a threat to any country. Khan said if Western troops withdraw from Afghanistan, there would be peace and tranquility in Pakistan.
"If Western troops withdraw from this area (Afghanistan) we would once again have peace and tranquility here. I still hope that someday we will find honest, God- fearing leaders to turn this country into one of prosperity and peace," Khan said.
He said the country's nuclear weapons programme was safe and secure.
"This is again a Western myth and one of their phobias. A nuclear weapon—good or dirty—is a highly complicated and sophisticated device. A large number of parts are needed, and expertise is required to assemble such a device.
"Even scientists and engineers without the relevant experience are not able to do this, let alone to talk of illiterate, untrained terrorists," he said.

Musharraf to launch
new party this month
ISLAMABAD: In a bid to capitalise on the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) led government's dipping popularity due to its slow response to the catastrophic floods, former Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf is likely to formally launch his party, the All Pakistan Muslim League (APML), next month.
"The ex-President would launch APML by the end of September in London," The Nation quoted Musharraf's spokesman Major General (retired) Rashid Qureshi, as saying.
Qureshi, however, parried questions regarding Musharraf's return to Pakistan, and said that the party's Central Working Committee (CWC) would decide the timing of Musharraf's return.
Qureshi said that one of primary aims of the APML would be to unite all the factions of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML).
He also revealed that many senior leaders both in the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) and other parties are willing to join the APML.
Reports regarding Musharraf's return have been doing rounds in the media for a long time now, but it is believed that he is unlikely to take a flight back to Pakistan amidst demands for his high treason trial, particularly from the main opposition party's (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif.

Six get life term for plotting
to kill Musharraf in 2008
RAWALPINDI: An anti-terrorism court on Tuesday sentenced to life imprisonment six men who had planned a suicide attack in 2008 to kill former president Pervez Musharraf and had accumulated a huge quantity of explosives for the purpose.
ATC-II Special Judge Raja Ikhlaq Hussain said in his verdict the convicts, Intikhab Ahmed Abbasi of Islamabad, Mohammad Kabir of Abbotabad, Abid Khan of Attock, Mohammad Ishaq of Peshawar, Qamar Zaman of Dera Ismail Khan and Zafar Ali of Kohat, had been sentenced for hatching a criminal conspiracy.
The court acquitted seven other men, Mohammad Touqir, Mohammad Sajjad, Mohammad Zameer, Rashid Mehmood, Farhan Mehmood, Abdul Sattar and Noor Mohammad, for lack of evidence. The decision was announced in Adiala Jail where the 13 men had been tried.
The six convicts were also found guilty of accumulating over 900kg of explosive material for an attack to kill Pervez Musharraf, then president of Pakistan, using bogus registration numbers and tempering with the chassis number of three vehicles seized from them.
Special prosecutor Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali said that the convicts had been arrested on June 6, 2008, from Dhoke Kala Khan locality of Rawalpindi. Federal Investigation Agency found the explosives concealed in 15 pressure cookers and large drums, six canisters of diesel, five bottles containing different kinds of splinters and three detonators.
Advocate Zulfiqar Ali said the men confessed during interrogation that they had planned a suicide attack on the Army House in Rawalpindi to kill Pervez Musharraf.

MoneyGram to contribute for flood victims
LONDON: To express its solidarity with the flood victims in Pakistan, the world renowned money transfer organisation, MoneyGram International will donate £3 for Pakistan floor relief efforts to American Red Cross for every MoneyGram money transfer to Pakistan from participating agents and countries.
Mr. Mark Perryman, Regional Director, UK & Ireland said that this offer will run from 20th August to 20th September 2010.
"Devastation due to havoc flood in Pakistan is unprecedented and we all should contribute at our maximum level to extend assistance to over 20 million people who have directly or indirectly affected by the natural disaster", he supplemented.

Veena hands over proof of
Asif-bookies links to ICC
LAHORE: Cricketer Mohammad Asif's ex-girlfriend, actress-model Veena Malik, has handed over "proof" of his alleged links with Indian bookies to an official of the ICC's Anti-Corruption Unit.
Hasan Raza, who is a top official of the ICC's Anti-Corruption Unit for South Asia, met Malik at her residence here Wednesday evening after she alleged that Asif was involved in match-fixing and she had "ample" proof of this.
"I handed over Asif's voice recordings with the bookie and some other related information to the ICC official," Veena Malik told a TV news channel.
"From head to toe, Pakistani players and officials are involved in match-fixing. I had gone with Asif to Bangkok before Pakistan's tour of Australia. Asif told me he was offered $40,000 by an Indian bookie to under-perform in Australia but he demanded $ 200,000.
"The Pakistan Cricket Board had evidence of this but no action was taken against him," she said.

Sialkot lynching case, SHO flees to Iran,
six including DPO sent to jail on remand
SIALKOT: Station House Officer(SHO) Rana Ilyas, one of the accused of Sialkot lynching of two innocent brothers, is said to have escaped to Iran via Balochistan.
According to the media reports he fled to Iran with the help of his fellow policemen and had changed his appearance by shaving off his moustache and trimming his hair.
On the other hand District Police Officer (DPO) Bilal Siddiqui denied such kind of rumors and said Rana Ilyas has no passport and his name is registered in The Exit Control List (ECL) also.
Supreme Court on Wednesday had ordered the police to arrest the SHO and present him before the court today.
The incident of Sialkot lynching has occurred in the limits of Saddar Police Station where SHO Rana Ilyas was deployed.
Meanwhile, Anti Terrorism Court (ATC) has send 6 police personal including DPO Waqar Chohaan, for their alleged involvement in lynching of two siblings in Sialkot, to jail on 7-days judicial remand here on Wednesday.
As per details, suspended DPO Waqar Chohan was presented before court without handcuffs while the faces of other accused police personnel were covered, hands were tied with handcuffs and they were brought to court in prisoners van except DPO.
During the hearing in ATC under judge Rana Nisar Ahmad, Deputy Prosecutor Punjab Rana Bakhtiar and police requested that there is no need of further investigation from accused police personal including DPO, so they should be sent on judicial remand.