Career counselling: Questions and answers

Q1: I’m a student of MBA (Banking) from Karachi University and in my last year but I really don’t want to join banking sector neither conventional nor Islamic because of my religious issues. Now kindly help me out as I also have very limited resources and I have to do job in my future due to financial conditions. Kindly tell me about any short courses that would be highly beneficial for me to get good pay scale. (Nazia Qureshi - Karachi)
Ans: It is not essential to work in a bank with this qualification you can look towards finding career opportunities at other financial institutions or multinational groups that are ready to use your services in their financial section. If you don’t find an exact career match you should at least begin your career in anything which deals with management and then review it after a while and see if you can move to the financial sector again.

Q2: I passed intermediate in pre-medical, Bachelors in Commerce and Masters as an MBA (Finance). I need your guidance to proceed further because my family is insisting me to do MPhil and then PhD in Economics from IBA Karachi. Please suggest me what to do next and one more thing I have only teaching work experience. (Fakhar Niazi - Karachi)

Ans: Having done your MBA the most important thing you need is work experience before planning any further studies such as MPhil or a PhD. The work experience will enable you to look around and interact with people which in turn will help you to focus on a subject area that you would like to choose for your research. Attempting to do any MPhil or PhD will not help at this stage.

Q3: I have done LLB (Hons) from Islamic International University, Islamabad. Now I am confused to choose the major in between LLM Corporate Law or LLM Human Rights. I am interested to do LLM Human Rights. Please guide me what to choose further. (Saad Bashir - Islamabad)

Ans: An LLM in human rights has greater opportunities with world renowned agencies such as UN, UNESCO, UNICEF and other private NGOs working towards human rights. Corporate law is limited to your own personal growth but is of commercial value if you are looking to make a career in commerce and business.

Q4: I am doing Bachelor of Computer Science and Information Technology (BCIT) from NED University of Engineering & Technology and it’s my final year and last semester and it will be completed soon Insha’Allah. Kindly suggest me what should I do after the completion of my graduation. Either job, masters in the same field (MCIT), MBA or anything that will help me in my better career. (Zahra Nadeem - Karachi.)

Ans: I would suggest you first complete your bachelors in a good grade and try to get some experience before planning any postgraduate studies. Once you have spent few years in a job environment, this will help you in finding the right specialisation that you should go for.

(Syed Azhar Husnain Abidi is a renowned educationist in Pakistan, with more than 20 years of experience as provider of education counselling services. He has represented Pakistan in over 100 national and international seminars, conferences and fora. He is the recipient of the most coveted civil award Tamgha e Imtiaz).

Study finds link between pesticides and autism

WASHINGTON: A California study out Monday found that pregnant women who lived near farms where pesticides are applied had a two-thirds higher risk of having children with autism. The findings in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives examine the association between living near commercial pesticide applications and having offspring with autism, but do not show cause-and-effect.

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that ranges in severity and has been on the rise in recent years. Health authorities say it now affects as many as one in 68 children in the United States.

The latest research was based on data about commercial pesticide applications in California, combined with residential addresses of about 1,000 participants in a study of families with an autistic child.

"We mapped where our study participants´ lived during pregnancy and around the time of birth," said principal investigator Irva Hertz-Picciotto, vice chair of the Department of Public Health Sciences at University of California, Davis. California law requires detailed records on what kinds of pesticides are applied, where and when and how much. "What we saw were several classes of pesticides more commonly applied near residences of mothers whose children developed autism or had delayed cognitive or other skills."

About one-third of study participants lived within 1.25 to 1.75 kilometers (about a mile) from a site where commercial pesticides were applied.

Researchers found risks of autism were highest when the chemicals were applied during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy.

The study authors said the developing fetal brain may be particularly vulnerable to pesticides.

"This study validates the results of earlier research that has reported associations between having a child with autism and prenatal exposure to agricultural chemicals in California," said lead study author Janie Shelton, a UC Davis graduate student. "While we still must investigate whether certain sub-groups are more vulnerable to exposures to these compounds than others, the message is very clear: Women who are pregnant should take special care to avoid contact with agricultural chemicals whenever possible.

Costa Rica beat Italy to advance and put England out

RECIFE: Costa Rica beat Italy 1-0 on Friday to secure their progress to the World Cup knockout stage from a Group D containing three previous winners and guarantee England´s first-round exit.

Captain Bryan Ruiz met Junior Diaz´s cross from the left with a great 44th-minute header to cap an excellent first-half display by his team, who had a strong penalty claim turned down moments earlier.

Mario Balotelli wasted two good early opportunities for the four-times winners but Italy failed to impose themselves on the game as the group outsiders played with confidence and control to claim their second victory.

Costa Rica lead the group on six points and go into the knockout stage for the second time.

Italy and Uruguay, who meet on Tuesday, each have three points but Italy´s superior goal difference means they need only a draw to go through. England, on zero points, are now certain to go out at the group stage for the first time since 1958. (Reuters)

Plunkett and Broad strike against Sri Lanka

LEEDS: Liam Plunkett took his Test-best figures and Stuart Broad his second Test hat-trick as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 257 by England on the first day of the second Test at Headingley on Friday.

England at stumps were 36 without loss. Alastair Cook, the England captain, was 14 not out and Australia-born opener Sam Robson 21 not out.

England, who had seen Cook win the toss and opt to field first in overcast conditions were clearly confident of inflicting a fresh collapse upon Sri Lanka having come within one wicket of victory after dismissing nine of the tourists´ batsmen on the last day at Lord´s. But England´s early good work threatened to be undone by Sri Lanka star batsman Kumar Sangakkara, who was given four reprieves on the way to top-scoring with 79.

Sangakkara eventually exited when he square-drove at Broad and Ian Bell, in his 100th Test, held an excellent catch in the gully.

Sangakkkara batted for just over three-and-a-half hours, facing 147 balls with 13 fours.

His departure was the start of a rapid collapse that saw four wickets lost for one run in nine balls.

Plunkett, who had already performed impressively Friday then had Dhammika Prasad caught behind for a duck.

Broad returned next over and ended an enterprising knock from Chandimal, playing in place of injured wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene, when he was caught by Cook at first slip.

Broad then had his hat-trick when tailender Eranga was caught behind although neither the bowler nor his England team-mates were aware of his feat until an announcement was made over the public address system.

Plunkett, appropriately, ended the innings when he had Nuwan Pradeep, who´d frustrated England at Lord´s by holding out for the final five balls of the match, caught behind.

The 29-year-old former Durham paceman surpassed his previous Test-best of three for 17, also against Sri Lanka, in Birmingham in 2006.

Sri Lanka thought they had Cook caught at slip by Sangakkara on five but, with replays inconclusive, the left-hander survived. There was further drama before stumps when play was briefly held up after a piece of cheese was thrown from among the crowd in the Western Stand at Eranga.(AFP)

England and Sri Lanka in thrilling first Test draw

LONDON: England and Sri Lanka drew the first Test at Lord´s in dramatic fashion on Monday to leave their two-match series all square at 0-0.

Sri Lanka, set 390 to win after England captain Alastair Cook declared before play on Monday´s fifth and final day, were left clinging on at 201 for nine come the close.

Last man Nuwan Pradeep survived the final five balls of the match from Stuart Broad, including the penultimate delivery where he was given out lbw by Australian umpire Paul Reiffel only to successfully challenge the decision after replays confirmed an inside edge.

James Anderson led England´s attack with a remarkable return of four wickets for 25 runs in 19 overs but it wasn´t quite enough to secure a stunning win.

England piled up 575 for nine declared on the back of Joe Root´s unbeaten 200 not out -- his maiden Test double century.

Sri Lanka, however, responded with 453 featuring Kumar Sangakkara´s 147 and captain Angelo Mathews´s 102 -- both batsmen scoring their first hundred in a Lord´s Test.

England slumped to 121 for six in their second innings before Gary Ballance´s 104 not out, the Yorkshire batsman´s maiden Test century, took the side to 267 fot eight declared.

The second and final Test starts at Headingley on Friday. (AFP)

Drones for fun, games and more

NEW YORK: It may be a while before drones start patrolling American skies or delivering packages, but kids and adults will be able to command their own personal flying devices very soon.

The French electronics firm Parrot on Tuesday unveiled its "Rolling Spider" and "Jumping Sumo" mini-drones to go on sale in the US market in August.

"We wanted to create connected robots for the generations of smartphones and tablets," Parrot spokeswoman Vanessa Loury told AFP at a demonstration in New York.

The mini-drones are controlled by mobile apps loaded on tablets and phones using Apple´s iOS or the Google Android platform, Parrot said.

With these new devices, "everything around you becomes an excuse to play, and the world transforms into a giant playground," said a statement from Parrot.

"Rolling Spider" has four rotors and can also be adapted to move on two wheels to roll on the ground or on a wall. It features "kid-friendly piloting."

"Jumping Sumo" is a two-wheeled device which can jump up to 80 centimeters (2.6 feet). It can spin, roll and take pictures with a wide-angle camera.

The devices will sell for $100 dollars and $160 in the US, and will be sold in France for 99 and 159 euros.

Parrot is also known for its civilian and professional drones, including one that can be used for mapping and for agricultural crop monitoring.

In the United States, the question of drones is still being studied by aviation officials, although these types of toys may be flown at low altitudes.

As for the question of drones for package delivery -- as envisioned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos -- Parrot said the time has not yet arrived.

"Delivering packages is a long way off," said Parrot executive Peter George.

"I can´t see that happening for 20 years." But George added that with the devices, "it´s really been about having fun with toys." (AFP)

26 people lost lives in Taftan gun and suicide attack

QUETTA: At least 26 pilgrims -- including women -- were killed in a gun and suicide attack in Taftan area near Pakistan-Iran border, officials said Monday.

The attack late Sunday night came when a bus carrying Pakistani pilgrims returning from a visit to holy Muslim sites in Iran stopped at a restaurant in the Pakistani town of Taftan in troubled Baluchistan province. At least 20 people were injured in the deadly attack.

Authorities airlifted the bodies to the northwestern city of Kohat where most of the victims were from, the officials said. The Jaishul Islam militant group has claimed the attack.

CIA opens twitter and Facebok account

WASHINGTON: The secretive US spy agency joined the world of social media Friday and quickly had the Twitterverse talking.

We can neither confirm nor deny that this is our first tweet the Central Intelligence Agency quipped on its newly minted official Twitter page.

Within two hours of the post it received around 90 000 retweets and the CIA counted 115 000 followers. The Twitter Government and Politics team welcomed the posting with a BestPractice hashtag for being creative with your first tweet.

CIA director John Brennan said in a statement that the new Twitter and Facebook accounts aimed to help the agency more directly engage with the public and provide information on CIA's mission history and other developments. We have important insights to share Brennan said.

The agency already had accounts with YouTube and Flickr. There is little chance the agency will post spy secrets. Instead it plans to post its rare press releases information about careers within the agency or about historic missions that have since been declassified.

The agency will also post images of objects on display at the CIA museum which it called the best museum most people never get to see because it's closed to the public.

On its Twitter profile the CIA describes itself as the nation's first line of defense. We accomplish what others cannot accomplish and go where others cannot go.

10 year old raped and killed in Muzaffargarh

MUZAFFARGARH: A ten year old girl was raped and strangled to death here on Saturday morning.

Police said the ten year old along with a three year old girl were kidnapped. Police have arrested an accused and recovered the three year old. The accused is a relative of the victim.

A post mortem has been conducted at a local hospital while police have sent DNA samples of the victim to Islamabad for testing.

Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif has taken notice of the incident and summoned a report from the DPO.

Writer John Green on Hollywood and teen whispering

NEW YORK: When "The Fault in Our Stars" landed on bookshelves more than two years ago, John Green's enthusiasm was nonexistent for a screen version of his story featuring teens with cancer.

"I had had some Hollywood experiences before that weren't great and I felt like Hollywood would struggle to make a movie where the female romantic lead has nasal cannula tubes in her nose for the entire movie," he said.

Well, hello 2014 and Monday night's premiere of "TFIOS," the movie. It's the first of Green's best-selling books to go Hollywood after he was won over by the script's dedication to his characters in the clutches of adolescence. Oh, and it didn't hurt that one of the producers was a huge Liverpool soccer club fan like Green.

Already a rock star among young readers, mostly of the teen girl variety, the Orlando, Florida-raised Green, the guy who looks straight out of central casting as Unassuming Writer, now walks red carpets, clowns on morning TV and banters with new BFF Nat Wolff and the movie's other young stars, Shailene Woodley and newcomer Ansel Elgort.

In his plaid button-down shirt and conservative suit jacket, it was the bespectacled, 36-year-old Green - not the hunky, younger Wolff - who got the loudest screams Saturday from several hundred girls who made their way to the publishing industry's annual BookExpo America.

Green leapt off the stage of the stuffed conference hall to bear-hug a 16-year-old amputee, Robert Berger of Damerest, New Jersey. Berger, a high school sophomore with a prosthetic like "TFIOS" love interest Gus Waters, made his way to a microphone to offer: "I'd like to thank you, John, for answering a lifelong question of mine, which is, whether during sex, I keep my leg on or off."

Green, a father of two, is ever respectful of Berger and his other "nerdfighters," the community of fans worldwide who have led him to Hollywood's door and greet each other with his tagline: "Don't Forget to Be Awesome!" They even have a special thing they do with their arms, crossing at the chest and spreading their fingers in twos. You sort of have to be there.

He was vigilant as a presence on the movie's set, sobbing when the filmmakers got it right and cheering on Woodley, Elgort and Wolff, who is slated to star in the next stop on Green's big screen journey for his "Paper Towns."

So, can Green hold on to his mojo? His is the kind of authenticity among young people that led a headline writer at The New Yorker to dub him the "Teen Whisperer." Green doesn't love that term.

"I don't whisper to teens very often. I think whispering to teens would be weird and creepy," he joked. "I love talking to teenagers. I love making stuff for teenagers and making stuff with them."

Green was an early YouTuber. He has a rapid-fire delivery in an ongoing series of videos he exchanges with his brother Hank, who lives in Montana. Their Vlogbrothers channel has attracted millions and showcases Green's goofy side (like smearing his face with peanut butter) as he weighs in on everything from Hitler's sex life to how to stamp out bullying.

The brothers also put up "Crash Course" videos accompanied by cartoonish graphics to help older kids cram for school on the sciences and humanities. They're now used by thousands of teachers.

But until now, Green's off-the-page life has been exclusively small screen. Does the writer part of his brain now need to make peace with his developing big-screen brain?

"I hope that I'm not developing a Hollywood brain, to be honest with you. I love books. I love writing books. I love movies, too, but I am a book writer and if I'm lucky enough to be able to work with people who are great at making movies then I feel very fortunate, but I have no desire to become a movie person," he said.

Green won the 2006 Printz Award for his debut novel, "Looking for Alaska," and his fans have kept all four of his books high on best-seller lists since. This year, Green made Time magazine's list of the world's 100 most influential people.

He was initially inspired to write "The Fault in Our Stars" through his work as a student chaplain at a children's hospital and later through his friendship with Esther Earl, a Quincy, Massachusetts, teen he met at a "Harry Potter" event. She died of thyroid cancer in 2010 at age 16.

"Esther had a wonderful gift for imagining others and for imagining them very complexly," Green said. "That was important to me in thinking about this story, but it was also important to me to come to the belief that a short life can still be a meaningful life, that a short life can still be a good and full life."

New Apple software brings Macs and iPhones closer

SAN FRANCISCO: Apple on Monday unveiled new operating software it hopes will create a seamless experience for users flitting between its coveted mobile devices and popular Macintosh computers.

A next generation operating system called "Yosemite" and new iOS 8 software for iPads, iPhones and iPod devices were unveiled before 6,000 developers at a sold-out conference here.

In a keynote presentation, chief executive Tim Cook said this would make it easy to start tasks on one Apple device and to continue on another: "a seamless experience unparalleled in the industry."

Alongside the operating system updates, the California company -- the world's largest by market value -- unveiled HealthKit software to manage personal healthcare and HomeKit for home appliances.

Apple played to its audience at the conference of third-party developers, hoping to keep them enthused, informed and devoted when it comes to designing hip, fun or functional apps.

Cook devoted a chunk of the keynote to a software development kit he billed as the biggest release since the launch of the App Store.

Apple also debuted a programming language called Swift, to allow developers write programs that are faster, modern, safer and more interactive than they would be under its predecessor Objective C.

Politics of the ’80s and ’90s not to work: Nawaz

 

LAHORE: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday said that some leaders were engaging in the politics of the ’80s and ’90s, but it had become obsolete now and no one will pay attention to their false accusations.
Addressing a ceremony to mark ‘Youm-e-Takbeer’, the prime minister said those holding protests and rallies should shun the politics of the ’80s and ’90s and wait for four years to let the people decide who they wanted to elect as their rulers. “The politics of delivering and fulfilling peoples’ promises will now work and not that of the ’80s and ’90s,” he maintained.

Nawaz said he could not comprehend the agendas of those embarking on long marches as he wondered on whose agenda they were working and for what purpose. “After four years, our performance will be before the people who will decide through the ballot who deserves to rule them and can deliver.”

He questioned whether these elements were taking the course of agitation because of the development projects of his government which they wanted to impede.

The prime minister said Pakistan was aspiring for good relations with neighbouring countries in the interest of securing peace and development inthe region. They wanted to eliminate terrorism and establish peace in the region with ideal ties with the neighbours to achieve the objective, he added.

He said his visit to India was successful and the affairs were moving on in the right direction, adding that Pakistan would become a centre of peace very soon.

Nawaz said the government wanted every province to enjoy the fruits of development and no part of the country would remain backward for which they were struggling while rising above the politics. He said his government had the potential to translate Pakistan into the dreams of Quaid-i-Azam and Allama Iqbal into reality, but regrettably, whenever they tried to move ahead, others started pulling their legs.

The prime minister said the government could achieve the target of development, progress and prosperity within 10 years provided it was allowed to work uninterruptedly. He said after Pakistan had become self-sufficient in defence and the focus of the government was on economic development for which they were making untiring efforts.

The premier said there should be no politics on the government endeavours regarding ending poverty, terrorism and revamping economy.Nawaz regretted that an atomic power should not have its economy in a shambles, poverty, unemployment and extremism like that in Pakistan. However, he said, his government was determined to turn around the situation and end the problems.

He promised to overcome the energy crisis and lower the electricity tariff, saying the government launched many projects to produce electricity from hydel, solar, coal and other sources.“My government has barely completed a year when a number of power plants have been set up in the country which is a major breakthrough,” he said, adding they had a futuristic approach on producing energy in view of the industrial and domestic needs after the 20/25 years.

In this regard, he especially cited the ventures launched with the Chinese assistance and the Thar coal project.Nawaz informed the gathering that the work on Lahore-Karachi Motorway was to be started soon and an amount of Rs50 billion had already been released to acquire land for the purpose.He was very confident while saying all energy and other projects would be completed during his tenure.

Those protesting and holding marches should wait four years: PM Nawaz

LAHORE: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Wednesday that the politics of the 1980’s and 90’s would no longer work.

Addressing a ceremony to mark ‘Youm-e-Takbeer,’ the prime minister said those holding protests and rallies should step out of the politics of the 80’s and 90’s and wait four years and let the people decide who they want to elect.

“The politics of delivering and fulfilling peoples’ promises will now work not that of the 80’s and 90’s,” Prime Minister Sharif said.

Prime Minister Sharif added that the government’s agenda was the development of Pakistan and asked what the agenda of those holding protests was.

According to the prime minister Pakistan should focus on economic growth.

Jang and Geo largest media group, won’t be banned, says Sana

 

TOKYO: Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Thursday said the issue of restrictions on Jang and Geo should end after Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif’s final and clear statement on it.
In a special talk with Jang ere, he said the Jang-Geo Group is the largest media group in Pakistan and it won’t be closed, adding, the government had no intention to ban any media group. He said the circumstances originating from the murder attempt on Hamid Mir were troublesome but the government stuck to its stand on the freedom of expression, as press was an important pillar of democracy.

He further said everyone was satisfied with the recovery of Hamid Mir and the Centre was assisting the provincial government in investigating the attack and arresting those responsible for it.

Rana Sanaullah remarked that the army and the media both were national institutions which had to resolve matters through mutual understanding, avoiding blame-game.He said Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif had formed an exemplary system for resolving the problems of overseas Pakistanis and its fruits would become visible in the near future.

Afghan election run-off between Abdullah and Ghani: results

KABUL: Afghanistan´s presidential election is set for a second-round vote, preliminary results showed Saturday, as opposition leader Abdullah Abdullah and former academic Ashraf Ghani both failed to secure a decisive victory.

"Based on our results, it appears that the election goes to the second round," Ahmad Yusuf Nuristani, head of the Independent Election Commission, told a press conference in Kabul.

Abdullah, a former foreign minister, secured 44.9 percent of the vote, with his main rival Ghani on 31.5 percent, according to the preliminary results.

The final official result is set to be announced on May 14 after a period for adjudication of hundreds of complaints over alleged fraud.

As no candidate gained more than 50 percent, a run-off between the two leading names is required under the Afghan constitution.

Nuristani, who announced that the second round would be held on June 7, said nearly seven million people voted in the April 5 election out of an estimated electorate of 13.5 million -- well above the 2009 turnout.Of those who voted, 36 percent were female -- a figure likely to be seen an impressive sign of women´s improving status in Afghanistan, a deeply conservative Muslim country.

The eventual winner will have to oversee the fight against a resilient Taliban insurgency as 51,000 US-led NATO combat troops leave Afghanistan this year, as well as strengthen an economy that relies on declining aid money.

- Disputes over fraud claims? -
Another expensive and potentially violent election could be avoided by negotiations between the candidates in the coming weeks, but Abdullah has dismissed talks of a possible power-sharing deal.

Ghani, a former World Bank economist, has also vowed to fight on in a run-off.Serious fraud allegations are being investigated in the vote to choose a successor to President Hamid Karzai, who has ruled Afghanistan since the Islamist Taliban regime was ousted in 2001.

The 2009 election, when Karzai retained power, was marred by fraud in a chaotic process that shook confidence in the multinational effort to develop Afghanistan and also marked a sharp decline in relations with the United States.

Votes involved in alleged ballot-box stuffing and other cheating have not been counted, and Saturday’s announcement is expected to be followed by fierce debate over disputed voting papers.

Preliminary results were delayed by two days due to fraud investigations, with officials vowing to sift out all suspect votes before they were counted.

Five NATO soldiers died on Saturday in a helicopter crash in the south of the country, officials said, adding that the cause of the incident was being investigated.

Karzai, who is constitutionally barred from serving a third term, has pledged to stay neutral in the election.

But he was widely thought to have backed former foreign minister Zalmai Rassoul, who took just 11 percent of the vote.

Rassoul could still play a key role in power-brokering before the next president is chosen, as could former Islamist warlord Abdul Rab Rasoul Sayyaf, who collected a seven percent.

All leading candidates have pledged to explore peace talks with the Taliban and sign a deal with the US that could allow 10,000 US troops to stay on after this year on a training and counter-terrorism mission.

Karzai´s surprise decision to refuse to sign the bilateral security agreement last year after agreeing to the draft text plunged relations between Afghanistan and its biggest donor to a new low.

The outgoing president has had several public disagreements with Washington in recent years, underlining efforts to establish his reputation as an independent, nationalist leader despite relying on US aid and military power during his reign.

IHC and LHC dismiss petitions against Geo News

ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) and Lahore High Court (LHC) dismissed petitions against Geo News and the channels senior anchors on Friday.

The IHC dismissed a petition which called for a treason case against Geo News and its senior anchors and the cancelation of the channels license. The IHC stated that the petition was non-maintainable.

The petition called for the federation, PEMRA, Geo management, Ansar Abbasi, Najam Sethi, Idrees Bakhtiar, Muneeb Farooq, Imtiaz Alam, Iftikhar Ahmad, Umar Cheema, Dr. Aamir Liaquat Hussain, Asma Shirazi and Amir Mir to become parties in the case.

The petition filed by a local journalist maintained that Geo management, Geo anchors, Amir Mir and private channel anchor Asma Shirazi disgraced the army during a transmission and should be tried for high-treason. The petition also called for the cancellation of Geo’s license.

Meanwhile, the LHC also dismissed a petition against the Jang/Geo group filed by the anchor of a private news channel.

During proceedings Justice Ejazul Hasan remarked that the petitioner had not read article 6 of the constitution which states that the petition should be submitted to the federal government. The constitution outlines procedures for a treason case, Justice Ejaz remarked. He further said that this court was not the appropriate forum for these charges.

Justice Ejaz told the petitioner that he was not an affected party as the allegations had been leveled against the ISI in the case, adding that the Defence Minister and federal government had already taken notice. Justice Ejaz further said that a judicial commission had been formed and its report should be waited for.

Hamid Mir conscious and stable: AKUH

 

KARACHI: Senior anchorperson of Geo Television Hamid Mir is now conscious and his condition is stable following a lengthy surgery at the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), said a hospital spokesman on Monday.
Hamid Mir was critically injured in an armed attack in Karachi on Saturday evening when he was shot multiple times by an armed assailant on the Shahrah-e-Faisal when he was going to the offices of Geo TV after arriving in the city from Islamabad.

The spokesman for the AKUH said Hamid Mir was shifted to his room on Monday afternoon but few visitors were being allowed to see him to reduce the risk of infection and due to other health factors.

Doctors and surgeons at the AKUH will continue to monitor the health of Hamid Mir for the next few days, he said, adding that Hamid Mir continues to recover.He was able to talk on Sunday afternoon and exchanged a few words with his family.

Pakistan warns Afghan Taliban and Haqqani Network

 

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani establishment has made it clear to the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network that the time has come for them to choose between the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and the state of Pakistan, if they want to stay friends with Islamabad.
The unprecedented warning from the Pakistani establishment has come at a crucial time when the Pakistani Taliban are holding peace talks with the government in Islamabad, amidst demands to release over 800 Taliban prisoners and to set up a free peace zone in Waziristan.

According to well-informed sources, the warning from the establishment was prompted by the growing cooperation among the Afghan Taliban, the Haqqani Network and the Pakistani Taliban, which has reinforced the martial power of TTP in its current conflict with the security forces of Pakistan.

The TTP spokesman, Shahidullah Shahid, already admitted on October 6, 2013 in an interview that the Afghan Taliban were financially supporting the Pakistani Taliban besides providing them sanctuary in Afghanistan.

The fugitive TTP Ameer, Mullah Fazlullah, who had claimed responsibility last year for killing GOC Swat Major General Sanaullah Niazi is also being sheltered by the Afghan Taliban in the Kunar Province. However, what seemed to have angered the Pakistani establishment the most were the allegations coming from the Afghan and the Pakistani Taliban, blaming the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) for the November 11, 2013 mystery murder [in Islamabad] of Dr Nasiruddin Haqqani, the top fundraiser and organiser of Haqqani Network as well as its liaison man with the Pakistani security establishment.

Dr Nasiruddin, the real brother of Sirajuddin Haqqani, was killed by unknown gunmen in the federal capital 10 days after the November 1, 2013 killing of the TTPAmeer in a US drone attack in North Waziristan. Both were laid to rest in the Dandey Darapa Khel area of North Waziristan which also headquarters the Haqqani Network as well as the TTP.

The decades-old cozy ties between the Pakistani establishment and the Haqqanis were shattered with the mystery murder of Dr Nasiruddin when a spokesman of Haqqani network (Najeebullah) immediately blamed the Pakistani intelligence agencies. He said: “Dr Nasiruddin had been mediating between a powerful intelligence agency and the Pakistani Taliban for peace talks. But he had refused to mediate further following Hakimullah’s death and the subsequent announcement of TTP not to hold peace talks with the government. Nasiruddin’s reluctance to mediate anymore after Hakimullah’s killing must have annoyed the agency which decided to eliminate him physically,” the Haqqanis’ spokesman was quoted by the media as saying.

On his part, the TTP spokesman, Shahidullah Shahid, also blamed a Pakistani intelligence agency for the murder, vowing to take revenge. “Nasiruddin Haqqani has been martyred by none other than the ISI. He was killed because he had bravely backed our Ameer Hakimullah Mehsud,” Shahidullah told AFP when asked about possible killers.

However, on their part, the ISI circles had refuted the allegations of involvement in the murder, saying Dr Nasiruddin Haqqani was either killed by the TTP or by the Afghan National Directorate of Security.

The allegations leveled by the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network were followed by Pakistani intelligence reports that both the groups were supporting and financing the TTP in its terror spree against the khakis and the civilians alike.

Indeed, the Pakistani and the Afghan Taliban are closely allied and both aim to impose a strict version of Islamic laws or Shariah on their societies. However, their leadership and targets differ with each other. While the Pakistani Taliban mostly focus their terrorist attacks in Pakistan against the security forces which they think are an American ally, the Afghan Taliban target the Afghan and the Allied forces. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif recently told Reuters in an interview that the Pakistan government was worried about the possibility of increasing convergence between the Pakistani and the Afghan Taliban. “Then the Pakistani Taliban will have a powerhouse behind them,” Khawaja Asif had said. Analysts believe that these concerns might have prompted the Pakistani security establishment to warn the Haqqanis and the Afghan Taliban against backing the TTP.

However, the close nature of ties between the Afghan and the Pakistani Taliban can be gauged from the fact that the central Shura of TTP has already referred their internal differences to the Afghan Taliban while asking Mullah Omar to intervene and send a delegation to resolve the tiff between two major factions of Mehsud militants from South Waziristan.

A senior TTP commander has been quoted in the media as saying that the Shura thought that the intra-TTP tussle was too serious and critical for them and, therefore, they decided to approach the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, a term usually referred to the Afghan Taliban.

There are already reports that the Ameer of the Afghan Taliban is persuading the Pakistani Taliban to end their infighting in South Waziristan as he wants to secure their support against the foreign troops in Afghanistan to launch the annual spring offensive.

Analysts believe the Pakistani security establishment’s warning was meant to dissuade the Haqqanis and the Afghan Taliban from siding with the Pakistani Taliban in their conflict with the state of Pakistan at a time when the Allied forces are set to withdraw from Afghanistan and both the Afghan militia groups would require the crucial support of Islamabad to stage a comeback in Kabul. In fact, the ultimate agenda of the Pakistani Taliban is the establishment of their own state — the Islamic Emirate of Waziristan [on the pattern of Mullah Omar’s Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan] in Fata where they can impose the Islamic Shariah. On the other hand, the ultimate agenda of the Afghan Taliban is the revival of the lost Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

Therefore, following the Pakistani establishment’s warning, Mullah Omar will have to decide whether to befriend the Pakistani Taliban or the state of Pakistan. Commander Sirajuddin Haqqani of the Haqqani Network is bound to follow suit being a disciple of Mullah Omar just like the Pakistani and the Afghan Taliban. Well informed sources in the establishment say logically speaking Mullah Omar would like to remain a friend of Pakistan instead of inviting its wrath by befriending the TTP.

However, there are those in the Taliban circles who believe that if the Afghan Taliban succeed in regaining power in Kabul after the withdrawal of the Allied troops, there would be greater chances of their joining hands with the Pakistani Taliban whose aims and objectives and those of the Ameerul Momineen are the same. However, the establishment circles say, in such an eventuality, the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network must know that “strategic depth” would no longer be a consideration of the establishment if the Pakistan government finally orders a military action in North Waziristan after the failure of the talks with the TTP.

Sixth joint move of Nawaz and Zardari in six years

 

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and PPP Co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari are committed to moving forward jointly for the sixth major success of the democratic system in the last six years.
Six months ago, Nawaz Sharif hosted a farewell for the outgoing president Asif Ali Zardari at the Prime Minister’s House. Zardari made a brief speech in the presence of the then military leadership and assured Nawaz Sharif that he will not play any dirty political games against the PML-N government for the next five years. He fulfilled his promise. He was standing behind PM Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday in Islamabad to assure his full support for the democratic system against any non-democratic adventure. No doubt, the government sources tried to downplay the tense relations between the civilian and non-civilian forces but Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan admitted this tension publicly a few days ago and it is not a secret why Zardari met Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday.

It was Zardari who announced on December 27, 2013 in Larkana that he would not allow the “billa” to run away from Pakistan. Powerful supporters of Musharraf disliked this statement and they conveyed their displeasure to Zardari through different channels but he never changed his position. At that time, many PPP leaders were expecting that the PML-N government would not dare start a treason trial of former president Pervez Musharraf. When Musharraf’s trial started, these PPP leaders suggested to Zardari that he should stay away from it but Zardari told them that Musharraf’s trial was a must for the rule of law and stability of the system. He told his party leaders that he would not leave Nawaz Sharif alone and in these difficult times all the major political forces must stand behind the democratic government. The Nawaz Sharif government started facing problems from some seen and unseen hands when Musharraf was summoned by the special court in the treason case. Zardari was not ready to play the role of a silent spectator. He called Nawaz Sharif many times and assured him of his support. He came to Rawalpindi and attended the proceedings of a NAB court. He gave a message that a former civilian president was ready to appear in a court but the former military dictator refused to do so. Finally, Musharraf was forced to appear in the special court.

Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari are old political rivals but they resolved their personal differences in the Karachi jail after the 1999 military coup. Zardari met Nawaz Sharif in Saudi Arabia in 2005 and then in England in 2006. It was Zardari who tried to remove misunderstandings between the late Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, which resulted in the signing of the Charter of Democracy in London. Nawaz and Zardari came closer after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto in 2007. Nawaz Sharif was not ready to contest the elections after the tragic death of Benazir Bhutto but Zardari convinced him to change his boycott decision. Nawaz Sharif could not contest the elections of 2008 but his party was able to make the government in the Punjab province while Zardari made governments at the Centre and in two provinces. It was their first success. Then Zardari forced Nawaz Sharif to join the federal government with the condition that his government will restore the judges deposed by the Musharraf regime. Both of them announced the impeachment of Musharraf in August 2008 and forced him to resign. It was their second joint success.

Zardari and Nawaz Sharif developed differences over the restoration of the deposed judges but things were settled after the restoration of judges in March 2009. They again collaborated with each other for the third time and made a huge breakthrough for democracy by introducing the 18th Amendment in the Constitution. Ishaq Dar and Raza Rabbani played a vital role in developing a consensus between the two parties. They not only removed the changes made by the Musharraf regime in the Constitution through the 17th Amendment, they also tried to minimise the threat of further military coups by incorporating some new clauses in the Article 6. According to a new clause (2A), introduced in Article 6, any act of treason shall not be validated by any court, including the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

Their fourth collaboration came out in the form of the Swat operation. The Punjab government helped the federal government and the KPK government in looking after the IDPs of Swat. Zardari was not happy with Nawaz Sharif when the latter exploited the Memogate scandal by filing a petition in the Supreme Court but Nawaz Sharif realised immediately that the memo was a trap. They resolved their differences once again.

They helped each other the fifth time when Dr. Qadri crippled Islamabad with a few thousand supporters in December 2012 and demanded to delay the elections. Nawaz Sharif invited important political leaders to Lahore and stood behind the Zardari regime. Now Zardari is standing behind Nawaz Sharif against some internal and external players putting pressure on the government to stop the trial of Musharraf.

Delegations of the PPP and the government discussed many issues on Wednesday afternoon but the real issue was discussed when Nawaz Sharif spent some time exclusively with Zardari. They agreed that there was a need for showing political unity for the rule of law without offending any particular institution. Close associates of both Nawaz Sharif and Zardari are concerned that some forces are trying to create misunderstandings between the army chief and the prime minister. They think that some important non-civilian functionaries are near retirement this year and these functionaries are playing a major role in putting pressure on the government in the name of Musharraf trial.

Their actual goal is to get some extension. Other sources say that the media is overestimating the situation. The prime minister is going to attend a passing out parade at the Pakistan Military Academy next week and all rumours will die soon. Nawaz Sharif and Zardari are committed to making history by not bowing down to those who want Musharraf to run away from Pakistan but certainly they have some differences. They differ with each other on some aspects of talks with the Taliban and the Protection of Pakistan Ordinance but both agreed to resolve the small differences as soon as possible for achieving some big political goals.

Waheeda Rehman was against wearing bikini and changing name

 

Waheeda Rehman said, “I had incorporated a clause in the contract that I would have the final say on the costumes.”

Veteran actress Waheeda Rehman said that she was clear on two things when she started her film career – one that she will not wear a bikini and other that she would not change her name as was the phenomenon at that point of a time.

Though some actresses of her times featured in films wearing a bikini, feels she did not have the figure to carry it well.

The book titled ‘Conversations with Waheeda Rehman’ by author Nasreen Munni Kabir was launched this evening by the actress.

“I remember when I was working with Guru Dutt I had incorporated a clause in the contract that I would have the final say on the costumes and won’t wear costumes that I don’t like. He (Guru Dutt) wanted me to watch his films which I did, but I was adamant about having the clause,” Rehman said at the book launch event here.

“I didn’t want to wear a bikini as I feel I don’t have the figure. In fact I have never worn a sleeveless blouse also be it in films or in my personal life,” she said.

When asked about today’s actresses, who wear bikini on screen, Rehman says that times have changed and that those who have figure can afford to wear it.

Rehman was also sure she won’t change her name as was the case that time with actors like Dilip Kumar, Madhubala and others.

“People told me my name was long and lengthy and had asked me to change it. That time change of name was a fashion then as actors like Dilip Kumar, Madhubala, Meena Kumari had changed their names. I was adamant that I will not change my name as it was given by my parents,” she added.

Of all the roles that she portrayed on screen the character of Rosie from the film Guide was something that Rehman liked a lot.

  

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“I think I was destined to play Rosie as Vijay Anand and Satyajit Ray both were contemplating to make a film like this. But it was Vijay who made it. I got the chance to dance as no one thought I could do it. The role was different as most of them were not ready to play the role of a married woman, who lives with another man as she is abandoned by her husband,” Rehman said.

“I wanted to play a different kind of roles. I am glad this part came to me. It was challenging and I loved doing this film,” she said.