Need to set up military tribunals for terrorists

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Army has sent in its officers and Jawans to lay down their lives so that the rest of us can live in peace. The Pakistan Army is at war. The rest of Pakistan does not seem to be. There is absolutely no doubt that the Pakistan Army will win the battle on the ground. But to win the war and there must be unity of effort.

Over the past 11 years, fatalities in terrorist violence stand at 52,653. Since 2002, there have been 398 suicide attacks killing 6,032 and injuring an additional 12,560. Since 2000, there have been 4,941 bomb blasts.

On September 20, 2008, the Marriott Islamabad was bombed. Rehman Malik, the-then minister of interior, charged Lashkar-e-Jhangvi for the attack.Justice Malik Muhammad Akram of the Anti-Terrorist Court acquitted Dr Usman, Rana Ilyas, Hameed Afzal and Tehseenullah Jan as the police failed to provide evidence against them.

On November 19, 2008, Major-General Ameer Faisal Alvi was shot by three gunmen on Islamabad Highway. The accused were set free for lack of evidence.On October 18, 2007, the Karachi bombing killed 140 and injured more than 350. Qari Saifullah Akhtar and his three sons, all linked to al-Qaeda and the outlawed Harkat-ul-Jihad, were arrested. A month later, Saifullah was freed due to lack of evidence.

On May 8, 2002, 11 French engineers were targeted in Karachi. On September 18, Sharib Zubair was arrested as the mastermind behind the attack. Mufti Mohammad Sabir was also arrested as the suspected bomb-maker. The two men had their convictions overturned.

In 2009, some 629 terrorism cases came before the Anti-terrorism Courts (ATCs) in Punjab. Suspects in 471 cases were acquitted. In 2001 and 2003, a total of 333 arrests were made. Only 38 of them were convicted and the rest were acquitted.

The overall acquittal rate in terrorism-related cases stands at 75 percent. In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the province most affected by terrorism, the acquittal rate is even higher. In Swat, some 575 terrorism-related cases were filed in the three Anti-Terrorism Courts.

Out of the 575, only 15 accused were sentenced.

In 2007, 28 cases were filed; only one accused was punished. In 2008, a total of eight cases were filed, six were acquitted; one was punished and one was declared wanted. In 2009, five cases were filed, four were released and one was punished. In 2011, a total of 191 accused were arrested, only four were sentenced.

Pakistan’s judicial system is ending up boosting the morale of Pakistan’s enemies. There is voluminous evidence that “the ease with which terror suspects are acquitted encourages terror outfits to indulge in worse actions with no fear of effective crackdowns.”

Military tribunals have been used in the US, the UK, Germany, Canada and India. To be certain, military tribunals do not mean the imposition of military authority on Pakistan’s civilian population. To be sure, military tribunals will not be a substitute for Pakistan’s civilian judicial apparatus. Military tribunals would mean military justice only for enemy combatants.

Remember, “Friends may come and go, but enemies accumulate”.

Need to rid country of terrorism: Army chief

RAWALPINDI: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif said on Monday terrorism in Pakistan needs to be eliminated.

General Sharif visited the National Defence University and addressed participants of the National Security and War Course. According to an ISPR press release, the army chief’s address focused on the internal and external situation of the country with particular reference to the ongoing operation in North Waziristan.

The army chief emphasised that the operation is aimed to eliminate all terrorists and their sanctuaries in North Waziristan and ‘get rid of the menace of terrorism.’

Upon his arrival at the National Defence University, General Raheel Sharif was received by President National Defence University Lieutenant General Javed Iqbal.

 

Women need to be smart, nobody will empower them: Sonam Kapoor

 

"Women need to be smart, nobody is going to empower them," said Sonam Kapoor, a talented and outspoken actor, while expressing her views on the safety of women improving after the national elections.

"Women need to be smart about themselves. Nobody is going to empower them," Sonam told IANS in an interview, responding to a query whether things will change for women in India in terms of safety and equality post-election.

"If we want change, we need to be the change. We can't expect to talk about it and do nothing about it," added the actress, who is the daughter of well-known actor-filmmaker Anil Kapoor.

The election will involve 814 million voters, who are hoping to see positive change in the country after the polls, but the 28-year-old, tagged as the Bollywood's style diva, begs to differ.

Known for her candour, she feels that in the battle of the ballot, there is no place for "dignity".

"Being extremely honest, I want to be optimistic about it (politics), but I am going to be realistic about it. I think changes will come very slowly. I hate to be not diplomatic, but that's what it is. That's how our country is working right now," she said.

"Who do we vote for? Who do we speak to? It's become a circus. It's obnoxious. The kind of fight that is happening in the political arena, I think it's dirty... there is no dignity left to it," said the actress.

A staggering 100 million first-time voters would be casting their ballot in the April-May polls, whose results would be declared May 16.

In the last few years crime against women has been on the rise and voters are hoping for a constructive change in this regard.

"Forget women, looking at the larger picture, if this is how they are going to fight, it's mud-slinging and it's extremely immature. It is like high school election. It's very silly," she said.

However, she feels "if more people will vote, may be slowly and steadily there will be a change".

In terms of equality, actresses are not on a par with their male counterparts when it comes to remuneration in showbiz.

"Things for actresses have not changed. To be very honest, people are trying, everybody is trying and that's the best thing," said the actress, who comes from an affluent film family.

She agrees that the remuneration bar should be upped, but feels that she is not the right person to talk about it.

"Like I said, we need to do it. It's easy for me to make these choices because I have got a comfortable background. So I am going to be the last person to be judgmental about anybody.

"I am not even trying to be modest about it. There are people who can do it. Those who are strong in this industry - like successful girls right now - Deepika Padukone, Anushka Sharma, Sonakshi Sinha - they can voice their opinion. I have a long way to go," she said.

However, she pointed out that filmmaking is a business and remuneration is directly linked to box-office profits.

"At the end of the day, the film industry is a business. If we are not going to make that kind of money for them (the filmmakers), they are not going to pay us that kind of money."

Is the profit margin shared with actors and actresses?

"You get the profit margin if you are the lead of the film and if the film is being sold on your name, then you do get it. It's that's up to you and your lawyers, agents, etc. So you can be smart about it. "

We don’t need any reality show to prove our love: Gauahar Khan

The 30-year-old actress, who will again be seen with Kushal in upcoming TV show 'Khatron Ke Khiladi' after their stint in 'Bigg Boss', says she does not need any reality show to keep their relationship going.

Gauahar Khan might have expressed her love for actor Kushal Tandon on a reality show but the actress now wants to keep her relationship private.
The 30-year-old actress, who will again be seen with Kushal in upcoming TV show ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi’ after their stint in ‘Bigg Boss’, says she does not need any reality show to keep their relationship going.
“We had expressed our love for each other on a reality show but now it has become very personal. We don’t need any reality show again to prove how much we love each other. Joining the same show together was just a coincidence. It’s not a medium to keep our relationship going. I am just loving the whole idea of being in love,” Gauahar told PTI.
The couple met on ‘Bigg Boss’ and love blossomed between the two on show, which Gauahar won.
The ‘Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year’ actress says she is happy with the way Kushal brings the best in her and helped her on the Colors’ stunt-dare reality show.
“Kushal is one of the best human beings I have ever met. He backs me up whenever I need him and at the same time he keeps me pushing till I achieve the goal, He helps me to bring out the best in me,” Gauahar said.
The fifth season of ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi’ will be hosted by filmmaker Rohit Shetty and will have celebrities like Dayanand Shetty, Salman Yusuff Khan, Mugdha Godse, Ranvir Shorey among others. The show will be on air from March 22.
Gauahar says Rohit is the show’s best host, which is based on the American ‘Fear Factor’.  “I took part in the show to overcome every possible fear in my life. And when I heard that Rohit (Shetty) is hosting the show, I grabbed the offer. I feel he is the best host till now. He is encouraging and very big factor for all of us on the show to complete all the task,” she said.
Apart from her small screen commitments, the actress is all geared up to release her first film, whose last set of schedule she will shot soon.

8 Things you need to know about your heart

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in most countries. It is quite important to reveal warning signs as soon as possible in order to prevent further problems. Read up on these 8 key facts and learn how to manage and improve your heart health.

Sleep seven to eight hours to protects your heart
People who sleep less than 6 hours a night show tree times the risk of developing heart disease than those who get seven to eight hours. Sleep helps to regulate insulin activity. Lack of sleep causes your more resistance to insulin that results in higher blood sugar levels and will contribute to heart disease due to weight gain. Exhaustion is another symptom of heart disease that is often ignored in females. If you notice that you are persistently exhausted, even after sleeping well, consult your physician.

Dropping just 10 lbs reduces the risk of heart disease
Sure, weight matters, but your waistline can be an even better indicator of your heart health. Females with waistlines over 40 inches and males with waistlines over 45 inches are at increased risk of heart disease. Studies show that losing even just 10 to 15% of your weight can significantly improve your heart health. And 25 to 55 minutes of aerobic exercise at least four times a week can help to strengthen your heart and reduce bad cholesterol and high blood pressure, especially if combined with a healthy diet.

Need to improve agri yields

Pakistan's yield per acre of gram has dropped by 50 percent: from 5 maunds per acre to 2.5 maunds per acre, according to Ibrahim Mughal Chairman of the Agri-Forum Pakistan. This statistic would surprise no one in the wake of a 2011 United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) 2011 report that revealed that Pakistan was behind regional as well as global yields per acreage for nearly all crops including wheat, rice, sugarcane and pulses.

The report added that while Pakistan is one of the ten major producers of wheat in the world, around 24 million tons, with 24.5 to 25 million tons of total output projected in the current year, yet our per acre yield is only 2.6 tons per hectare while India's yield is 2.8 tons and China's 4.7 tons per hectare. The highest wheat yield is in the UK at 7.7 tons per hectare; however, its cycle is spread over one year against five months in Pakistan. Wheat exports have varied - from 52.7 million rupees in July-April 2012-13 to 112.7 million rupees in 2011-12.

Rice yield in Pakistan was calculated at 3.1 tons per hectare with a total output of around 9 million tons making Pakistan one of the ten largest producers of the crop world-wide. Rice exports have accounted for as high as 11 percent of our total exports accounting for almost 1.7 billion rupees in 2011-12. In contrast, India's yield per hectare is 3.3, Bangladesh's 4.2 and Sri Lanka's 4.1. China has the highest yield - 6.5 tons per hectare.

Pakistan's sugarcane yield per hectare is 52.4 tons, in comparison to India's 66.1 tons which is the regional leader followed by China's 65.7 tons per hectare and Bangladesh's 43.8 tons per hectare. Brazil is the world leader at 79.2 tons per hectare. In coarse grains, Pakistan's yield is 2.2 tons per hectare, India's is lower at 1.2 tons per hectare and Italy has the highest yield at 7.6 tons per hectare. Pakistan's yield for pulses is 0.6 tons per hectare, India's per hectare yield is 0.7 tons, Bangladesh's 0.9 tons per hectare and the highest yield in pulses is in the UK at 3.9 tons per hectare.

Pakistan, however, has the highest per acre yield of 21.6 tons per hectare in roots and tuber production, India's yield is 20.6 tons per hectare, China's 17.8, and Bangladesh 17.7. However, Pakistan is far behind the US registering where per hectare is 42.1 tons.

The FAO report highlighted the reasons for the low yield in Pakistan in comparison to regional countries as well as globally: water shortage, absence of high yield varieties of seeds and lack of research and development. However, in this context it is relevant to note that FAO's data takes account of the national average while the yield per hectare of different crops varies from province to province. Punjab remains the food basket of the country and its yield is on average higher than the national average. Additionally, within provinces yield varies markedly between subsistence farms and those operated by the rich landlords whose yield per acreage is closer to the regional average.

Be that as it may, it is also relevant to note that the Indian Punjab has a higher yield per hectare in most crops relative to the Pakistani Punjab. What is perhaps required is for the provincial governments, given that agriculture is a provincial subject, take cognisance of their farm sectors and initiate appropriate measures based on studies in high yield countries on how to increase yield. Assistance in this regard can be sought from China, the US and the UK as well as Brazil the world leaders in yields in specific crops.

Need to win media war

IN the strongest indication yet that the government may have decided that its chosen option of peace talks with the Taliban had run its course, the civil and military leadership met this week to look at operational measures to tackle rampant terrorism.
Of course any expectation of immediate action would be unrealistic as, sources say, first an infrastructure will need to be put in place which allows all terrorism-related intelligence and information of related efforts to be centralised and shared across the provinces.
Whether this takes the nomenclature Nacta (National Counter-Terrorism Authority) or a JIC (Joint Intelligence Committee) or something similar isn’t significant. What is important is the acknowledgement of the need to have a coordinated fight against terror.
At the same time, the capacity building of fighting forces, apart from the military and paramilitary units, will continue across the country and the recent approval by the Sindh chief minister of a huge, urgent spend to beef up the Karachi police’s wherewithal to deal with terrorism is part of the effort.
If all this finally points to an understanding on the part of those at the helm that a compromise with terrorists isn’t possible because agreeing to their demands would mean taking the country back hundreds of years, it is a positive sign to say the least.
All security officials will have busy months ahead and will need to ponder over how to effectively re-establish the state’s writ over parts of the country which are under the militants’ control — but to move ahead in a manner that civilians caught up in the conflict are evacuated and/or protected from any fallout.
At the same time, the intelligence gathering and sharing mechanism will have to be fine-tuned to contain any repercussions — for example, an even more ferocious bombing campaign in the urban centres by the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to ease pressure on its sanctuaries.
Another big challenge for those planning and executing the operational plans will be the media. The last full-fledged military operation in Swat as well as South Waziristan Agency was also carried out in the glare of the media but there was by and large a consensus about its need and legitimacy.
All journalists will need to be constantly briefed and specifically the prime time news show ‘anchors’ will need to be mollycoddled as they like, possibly by the military leadership to keep them onside. This is imperative because the blowback from any action could be serious and the whole thing could last months, even a couple of years.
Also, unlike the Swat and South Waziristan operations which followed a broad-based political consensus, in the run-up to the last elections, and the government formation since, a lot of politics has been played around the issue of how to deal with this threat and what is causing it.
When national leaders, even with utmost sincerity, express such diverse opinions on an existential threat to the country, public confusion is not surprising. Once any action starts, all the national leaders will have to be on the same page. Those who fall fighting the forces of darkness will have to be owned by one and all.
The government will also need to factor in the inherent conservatism of some of our media stars. On cannot but recall their performance before and after the Lal Masjid operation. Many of them demanded that the state act to enforce its writ. The operation over, a significant number changed their tune. I recall one ‘star’ with considerable following saying he could smell attar-like scent from the charred corpses of the militants killed in Lal Masjid.
This isn’t to sing the virtues of the operation, which could have been better executed, but just to point out the critical importance of the ‘propaganda’ war. The sort of speculation, wild stories that followed in the media were not only very destructive to the anti-terror effort but could actually have served as an impetus to terrorism.
For example, it took so many years and a judicial commission of inquiry to establish that 92 ‘civilians’ (some, many of them armed?) and 11 armed forces personnel were killed in the operation. And not a single female student died. I recall a chance conversation with a manager, a local Rawalpindi man, working for a media organisation who complained: “Musharraf is very cruel. He has mercilessly killed 1,000 children of the poor including a large number of girls studying there.”
This view, as I realised to my horror on that trip, was widely held and the media did nothing to present all the facts to the public. Whether it was their conservative beliefs which pushed into the background the demands of their profession or simply that they tilted towards the one they perceived as the underdog, the result was the same.
It isn’t apparent if the government and the army are aware and taking care of this element. But, anticipating a crackdown, the TTP appears mindful of it. The recent TTP-owned murders of technical media personnel and threats to the media are aimed at intimidating their way to sympathetic headlines and coverage once the conflict goes full steam.
Recent pronouncements by the militants’ ideological allies/sympathisers expressing opposition to any action demonstrate that there is a coordinated effort on the part of the right to mould favourable public opinion. The challenge for all those opposed to the TTP and its allies’ toxic, hate-filled ideology would be to speak in unison and forget even legitimate grievances against each other for now. It’s going to be a long haul. Everyone hoping for peace and sanity will have to keep their nerve.