Gene flaws may protect against heart disease

WASHINGTON: A rare set of genetic mutations found in fewer than one percent of the population may cut the risk of heart disease by 40 percent, researchers said Wednesday.

The findings in the New England Journal of Medicine show how certain flaws in a gene called APOC3 work to reduce a certain type of fat found in blood, known as triglycerides.

About one in 150 people carry one of these four genetic mutations, said the findings based on a study of the DNA of nearly 4,000 people of European and African ancestry.

Normal levels of triglycerides are generally less than 150 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL).

Among those with any of the four APOC3 mutations, triglyceride levels were around 85 mg/dL."Based on our findings, we predict that lowering triglycerides specifically through inhibition of APOC3 would have a beneficial effect by lowering disease risk," said senior co-author Alex Reiner, a research professor of epidemiology at the University of Washington´s School of Public Health.

Drugs already exist that can lower triglycerides -- which like cholesterol are a type of lipid in the blood -- but these have not been proven to lower the risk of heart disease, perhaps because they don´t lower the lipids enough, researchers said.

Recent studies have also suggested that the long-running effort to improve Americans´ "good" cholesterol, or high-density lipoproteins (HDL), was not the magic bullet against heart disease that some experts had hoped.

"The combination of our genetic results, together with recent clinical trials of drugs that raised HDL levels but failed to prevent heart disease, are turning decades of conventional wisdom on its head," said senior author Sekar Kathiresan, a Broad Institute associate member and director of preventive cardiology at Massachusetts General Hospital.

"It has long been presumed that low HDL is the causal factor in heart disease, and triglycerides are along for the ride.

But our genetic data indicate that the true causal factor may not be HDL after all, but triglycerides.

"Heart disease is the leading killer in the United States, taking nearly 600,000 lives per year.

PTI govt in KP may struggle to pass budget

PESHAWAR: The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and its allies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly would definitely have difficulty in passing the next annual budget if the disgruntled members including deputy speaker from the treasury benches boycotted the upcoming budget session.

The 14-member ‘forward bloc’ led by PTI MPA Qurban Ali Khan from Nowshera had walked out from the assembly proceedings in protest against what they called ‘false and fabricated’ campaign against Deputy Speaker Imtiaz Shahid Qureshi.

They threatened to boycott the budget session if their grievances were not addressed and the elements behind the smear campaign against the deputy speaker and his family were not exposed.

Though Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser formed a committee to probe the matter, the disgruntled PTI lawmakers didn’t end the protest and stayed away from the assembly business.

In the 124-member House, the PTI and its coalition partners, Jamaat-e-Islami and Awami Jamhoori Ittehad Pakistan, enjoy the support of 69 members including an independent MPA Jamshed Mohmand. It would be difficult for the treasury benches to pass the budget if the 14 PTI dissidents stick to their guns.

On the other hand, the five-party opposition benches would definitely give a tough time to the government as the 10-member Qaumi Watan Party would be more aggressive against Chief Minister Pervez Khattak-led government as the Aftab Sherpao-headed party was part of the treasury benches during the last budget session in 2013.

When contacted, Qurban Ali Khan said that they had not taken any step against the party manifesto or their own government in the provincial assembly, but had sought justice for Deputy Speaker Imtiaz Shahid Qureshi.

“We are waiting for Imran Khan’s return to the country and the decision of the committee formed by the speaker. We have no trust in some of the government functionaries,” said Qurban Khan, who was elected to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly from PK-16 Nowshera.

PTI, PAT, PML-Q leaders may form alliance

 

LONDON: Leaders of three parties have gathered in London giving rise to speculation that the stage is being prepared for an anti-government alliance between the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) and Pakistan Muslim League-Q.
PTI Chairman Imran Khan and Pakistan Muslim League leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain arrived in London on Wednesday afternoon almost at the same time.

The PML-Q as a political unit has no presence in Britain because all the units defected to the PML-N but an aide of Chaudhry Shujaat said that Chaudhry was in contact with Imran Khan’s party and during his stay in London would like to meet Altaf Hussain as well.

He said a meeting with Dr Qadri and Imran Khan was on the cards but didn’t say when and where. He said the PML-Q will join any party that supports mid-term elections and ouster of the current government.

Speaking to ‘The News’ late on Thursday evening, PML-Q leader Chaudhry Shujaat confirmed that he will be meeting Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri along with his party delegation.

He said: “We have deep relations with each other and we will be meeting Dr Qadri. Our agenda is one point: betterment of Pakistan and empowerment of democracy. We agree with each other that the current government has failed and new alliances need to be made. We will release more details tomorrow after the meeting.”

On Thursday afternoon, PAT leader Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri also reached London unannounced. It’s the timing of Dr Qadri’s arrival that is of importance because the PAT sources had earlier said that he would be arriving here in the second week of June.

His party spokesman said that Dr Qadri had arrived in London for “medical check-up” although Dr Qadri himself has said that he prefers to live in Toronto, Canada, for medical reasons. A senior leader of PAT confirmed in a twitter message that PTI, PAT and PML-Q chiefs will “finalise anti-govt strategies in London” but later on retracted it.

When contacted by the News, a PAT source said that a meeting was likely and the three parties were in contact but “nothing is finalised yet”.

Dr Qadri was scheduled to reach London in June from Toronto and then fly out from here to Pakistan for what’s now called the “Shahadat Proof Bunker Dherna” but his sudden arrival in London means that he was asked to arrive for talks while the like-minded leaders were also around.

The PAT source said that all the three parties agreed on the need to launch a movement against the PML-N government. “The mandate of this government is fake and it needs to be ousted. We are contacting all the parties in this regard.”

A PTI source said that Imran Khan was in London to spend time with his two sons and “also to attend a fundraiser for the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital on Saturday”. He didn’t deny that a meeting might take place between the three parties.

Some sources have said that the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) will also be taken into confidence and Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri will lead the efforts to bring the MQM on board.

“Dr Qadri is very close to the MQM and Altaf Hussain is his key supporter and has supported Dr Qadri whenever his campaign related to Punjab where both have a common enemy in the shape of the PML-N. Imran Khan and Shujaat also have the same agenda against the PML-N. Their alliance is natural. They have been once key allies of Pervez Musharraf and all of them benefitted from Musharraf in one way or the other. Pervez Musharraf needs them more than ever. This government needs to be brought under pressure to provide an exit route to Musharraf and that will happen when there is a grand opposition alliance in place as a cover,” said a source familiar with the London developments.

The MQM will have no issue giving its support to an opposition alliance as far as it concerns agitation in Punjab and in any case a movement against the PML-N government only benefits the MQM.Reports said that Chaudary Pervaiz Elahi has also been called to London.

Childhood trauma may leave its mark in blood vessels

LONDON: Young adults who were exposed to adverse experiences as children have greater signs of unhealthy blood vessel function than young people without a traumatic past, a new study finds.

The results suggest that early-life stress may raise the risk of heart disease later on by affecting blood vessel function and blood pressure in ways that can be detected during young adulthood, the authors say.

“We have translated ideas that we had from animal research and found that it’s true in humans,” Jennifer Pollock told Reuters Health.

Pollock, part of the research team, co-directs cardio-renal physiology and medicine in the nephrology division at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

She and her colleagues looked for elevations in blood pressure and other indicators of how well blood vessels constrict or relax, as well as signs of stiffness in blood vessel walls.

“All of this was highly correlated with people who have more of these stresses during childhood than the people who had no stressors in childhood,” she said.

Pollock said that household dysfunction was the most common adverse event, followed by neglect and abuse.

For their study, which was published in the journal Hypertension, Pollock and her colleagues analyzed data on 221 healthy adolescents and young adults recruited for a study of cardiovascular risk factors that started in 1989.

The research team looked at markers of blood vessel health including blood pressure, the heart’s output of blood, characteristics of the pulse and levels of a substance called endothelin-1, a protein that constricts blood vessels and increases blood pressure.

They calculated adverse childhood event (ACE) scores based on a questionnaire answered when the participants were about 21 years old. Those who reported one traumatic event were classified as having mild ACE and those with two or more traumatic events were classified as moderate or severe ACE.

The researchers found that participants who had one traumatic event in childhood had plasma endothelin-1 levels that were an average of 18 percent higher than those who had reported no traumatic events, and those who had two or more traumatic childhood events had levels that were 24 percent higher.

Participants with two or more adverse events also had elevated measures of blood pressure and blood vessel stiffness.

The study didn’t follow up to see if those young people ended up having more heart attacks, strokes or other illnesses. And it cannot prove that the early-life traumas were the cause of the cardiovascular differences.

Nonetheless, Pollock said that in the future she’d like to determine if behavioral therapies may change the course of the cardiovascular risk factors in people who have these early life stressors.

“Exposure to psychosocial stress triggers a biological response aimed at improving adaptation to challenges,” said Dr. Andrea Danese, of the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London.

“Although the biological responses to stress are vital in the short term, they may become detrimental when chronically activated,” he told Reuters Health in an email. “For example, immune mediators including inflammation proteins can damage blood vessels leading to atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.”

Danese, who was not involved in the new study, said researchers are increasingly interested in finding ways to reverse such damage to help individuals who experienced childhood adversity.

“We know little on the topic at present, but once we are able to confidently point to mechanisms through which child stress is translated into biological risk for disease, we will be able to target biological abnormalities before the onset of clinical symptoms,” he said.

This does not necessarily mean giving children medications, he said. “In contrast, we can also use this information to see if psychosocial interventions, such as psychotherapy, could help remediate the detrimental effects of childhood adversity on physical health as they often do for mental health.”

Special operations forces may get 'Iron Man' suit

TAMPA: In the 2008 movie "Iron Man," the main character becomes a superhero after building a suit of armor with an exoskeleton that gives him incredible strength.

Today, elite U.S. special operations forces may be a few short years away from donning a similar suit, one that can monitor the user's vital signs, give him real-time battlefield information and be bulletproof from head to toe. The suit might eventually have other features unheard of only a few years ago, including an exoskeleton made of liquid armor, smart fabrics that could help stop hemorrhaging, enhanced sensory capabilities and Google Glass-like visuals.

The Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit (TALOS) project is coordinated through the Special Operations Command headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa. Prototypes are expected to be shown to military commanders in June, with hopes that the suit will be given to high-risk units in 2018.

While the project sounds like something out of a science fiction novel, its mission is simple, said James Geurts, the Deputy for Acquisition of the U.S. Special Operations Command at MacDill.

"We've lost a lot of guys to gunshot wounds and explosions," he said. "If there's anything I can do to more rapidly field technology, give better protection, better capability, any progress, I think we've done well."

Some companies working on the TALOS project are in Tampa this week for the International Special Operations Forces conference. The four-day event showcases special military technologies, gadgets and tools - from pen-like systems collecting chemical vapors to underwater robots. Several top analysts and military brass are also scheduled to speak, including SOCOM commander, Adm. William McRaven.

McRaven is widely credited with initiating the TALOS project. Last year, he described SOCOM's unique approach to the project: By harnessing the expertise of professional engineers, the creativity of students and possibly even "local garage tinkerers," the military will end up with a truly innovative project.

"I am very committed to it because I'd like that last operator we lost to be the last one we ever lose in this fight or the fight of the future, and I think we can get there," McRaven said last July.

What might be more remarkable than the whiz-bang technology of the suit is how Geurts and his team are reaching out to recruit contractors in non-traditional ways.

SOCOM has held "Monster Garage"-type events for people with potential ideas, and even Geurts acknowledged: "It's certainly not the traditional Department of Defense model."

"Looking for #collaborators to help #invent the next generation of #sof combat gear via #talos @SOFTALOS," Geurts tweeted in September.

Frost & Sullivan Aerospace and Defense Senior Industry Analyst Brad Curran said this approach is novel for the military.

"A trend of toward seeking more academic and industry input is picking up as DoD seeks to save research and development funds, shorten acquisition schedules, and leverage commercial technology," said Curran.

The biggest current challenge is making the suit light and comfortable for the soldier.

"For every pound the operator has to carry in armor, there's an additional energy supply," said Dan Stamm, a research scientist at Battelle, an Ohio-based defense contractor that's the lead contracting consultant on the TALOS project.

Dan Rini, president of Rini Tech in Orlando, is one of the contractors on the project. His company has made a "personal thermal protection system" for the military that runs off a 3 1/2-pound battery and uses cold water and tubes to keep people cool.

Rini said he's trying to adapt that invention to the TALOS suit.

"We don't want that person inside the suit to get overcome by heat stress," Rini said "He might have to be in it for a long time."

Michael Fieldson , the civilian TALOS project manager, said the battery pack for the cooling system and the exoskeleton present the biggest weight hurdles.

"Nature did a pretty good job of designing the human body and we're trying to mimic that," said Fieldson. "Hollywood did a pretty good job of showing us what Iron Man could do on the screen, and the system may do some of those things - but we're not planning on flying."

Whether the suit is adopted by special operations forces, even in part, will remain to be seen, said Curran. He suggested that partial exoskeletons to help ease the strain on solder's knees would be likely used first.

"It is more likely that certain aspects of the suit research will be applied incrementally, rather than a complete rollout all at once," he said. "Integrated helmets with communications, night vision, and heads-up visor displays that are used by pilots may be deployed by ground troops as well. Lighter weight and less bulky body armor with better ballistic protection is needed by all. I think at least some aspects of the research will be applied in the near future."

 

BISP chief may quit after rift with secretary

ISLAMABAD: Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) Chairman Anwar Baig is likely to tender his resignation within a couple of days after severe administration crisis in multi-billion project, ‘The News’ has learnt reliably.

According to sources privy to Mr Baig, the powerful secretary of BISP has taken over the affairs of the multi-billion programme asking the junior staff not to engage with the chairman.Sources said the rift between the two top officials has jeopardized the future of 5.5 million families benefiting from Rs70 billion poverty alleviation programme.

This situation has put the entire BISP staff in a dilemma whether to follow the orders of the influential secretary or the chairman who was appointed by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.Sources said no policy decision had been taken regarding the crucial affairs related to BISP for the last few weeks owing to complete breakdown of communication between the chairman and the secretary.

Sources said the foreign donors were also concerned over the internal crisis in the mega project.BISP is a flagship poverty alleviation programme which is partially funded by the international donors. An amount of Rs70 billion had been allocated for the programme for the financial year 2012-13 to provide cash assistance to 5.5 million families, which constitutes almost 18 percent of the entire population. The programme is aimed at covering almost 40 percent of the population below the poverty line.

The rift started when BISP Secretary Rab Nawaz made a payment of Rs2.6 million to an NGO owned by a US-national without approval of the scrutiny committee just a few days after assuming his post. The company chairman, however, said it was a Pakistani company registered with SECP and it had nothing to do with US. He said the company accomplished its task of conducting spot checking and holding surveys in 66 districts of the country and its work was approved by BISP but the payment of over Rs 220 million was pending since last June 2013 because of ongoing infighting in BISP.

The powerful secretary had also immediately removed an honest internal auditor who had unearthed the corruption of Rs150 million in award of a consultancy contract worth Rs2.63 billion.

The BISP chairman took strict notice of the irregularities and sought explanation from Rab Nawaz. However instead of giving any explanation, Rab Nawaz ordered the entire BISP staff not to engage with the chairman.

When contacted, BISP Chairman Enver Baig confirmed the rift and said he would request the prime minister to intervene for the future of 5.5 million families who are living below the poverty line.

The matter even came to the attention of Parliament where three ruling party MNAs and one legislator of Muttahida Quomi Movement (MQM) moved separate calling attention notices. However even the parliamentary notice could not improve the situation in BISP as sources said the secretary is backed by a group of very influential bureaucrats and a powerful cabinet member who are supporting the secretary despite his tainted past.

Sources said the issue had become a test case for the prime minister who would have to decide soon whether to allow Grade-20 bureaucrats to run the affairs of the government or let the politicians control their respective departments and be answerable for their performance.

Sources said the incumbent BISP secretary was removed twice by the PML-N’s Punjab government for dismal performance and negligence.

First he was removed from the post of the Punjab Irrigation and Power Secretary after he was found guilty of negligence during devastating floods of 2010 by a judicial commission constituted by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.

The commission had not only recommended immediate removal of Rab Nawaz from the post but also asked for inquiry against him after he was found responsible for loss of hundreds of lives and of property worth tens of billions of rupees.

The report of the commission concluded that the officer had failed to meet the monumental challenge of two floods in the River Indus during the 2010 monsoon, causing widespread devastation. But the officer of the powerful District Management Group again managed to get the prize posting in the province as secretary energy. However, he could not satisfy the fast-paced chief minister with his performance in the energy sector and was subsequently removed for failing to initiate any new power project in the province.

Despite repeated calls and messages on his mobile phone for last five days, Rab Nawaz did not respond to The News for his version.However talking to this correspondent earlier this month, the BISP secretary denied committing any irregularity. He said the payment of Rs2.7 million was released on merit. He said the service provider had submitted his bill six months ago but the scrutiny committee never met nor examined his case.

“So I asked the service provider to hold a presentation in the presence of the committee members and when no one objected to the performance of the said service provider, I directed them to release the payment,” he said.

Referring to the transfer of the internal auditor, Rab Nawaz said the officer had completed his five-year tenure so he was transferred. He also claimed that there were certain audit paras against him.

The secretary added that he was asked to work in BISP on the basis of his past experience with poverty reduction programmes in Pakistan and abroad and with foreign funding agencies.When asked about the reports that he was removed twice in Punjab over poor performance, Rab Nawaz denied these reports and said that it was a matter of official record if someone would bother to check. And as far his integrity and repute was concerned, that could easily be verified from anyone in the offices he previously served.

He was asked about the reports that the Flood Enquiry Tribunal had held him responsible for poor management of the flood, he replied that Punjab government had not agreed to the commission’s findings and therefore, no action was initiated against him.

About the institutional issues in BISP, the secretary said that no proper rules had been framed in BISP to define the roles and guide the work of various offices. Once the rules were framed, there would be no issue in proper working of BISP, he said.

Pemra may be used to victimise media

LAHORE: The media community, civil society and democratic forces will not accept any measures to curb the press freedom, said representatives of various organisations on Wednesday.
The promise came as representatives of the All Pakistan Newspapers Society, Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Lahore Press Club and South Asian Free Media Association (Safma) along with print and broadcast journalists met at the South Asian Media Centre and passed a resolution.

The participants condemned the heinous attack on Hamid Mir and threats to other journalists, and the campaign launched by various quarters to harass media persons. Alarmed by increasing tension between the media and security establishment, they rejected any move to gag the media houses and journalists.

The resolution said they were encouraged by the response of the media, working journalists, civil society, political parties and international media community in solidarity with Hamid Mir and other journalists under threat.

It also expressed concerns over the rivalries among various media houses that undermined the freedom of expression and solidarity and security of the journalists’ community.Noting the concerns expressed by the ISPR about the allegations levelled by Hamid Mir’s family members and colleagues indicating the alleged suspects behind the attack, the Safma appreciated the appointment of a judicial commission by the Chief Justice of Pakistan.

It showed concerns about the current nominated structure of Pemra, which may be used to victimise one or other media groups. It called for caution and restraint from all sides to let the judicial commission and independent inquiry take its due course to a logical conclusion.

The resolution emphasised that right to life, freedom of expression, fundamental rights, accountability of all, observance of media ethics and security of journalists must be upheld and could not be compromised on any pretext whatsoever. Unity among all sections of media must be kept on issues like freedom of press/ expression and security of journalists, regardless of any kind of differences.

According to the resolution, restrictions and prohibitions on media and harassment of media persons is not to be condoned. A free media, independent judiciary, sovereign parliament and civil and political rights are the imperatives of modern-day nationhood, while civil-military and media-military relations are to be defined within the parameters of democratic values and constitutional framework.

The resolution demanded that an independent inquiry must be ensured and the judicial commission must investigate not only the Hamid Mir case but also all aspects of the conflict between media and security establishment to not only find the real culprits but also propose such measures as could ensure the security of journalists from various quarters. Findings of the judicial commission must be made public and implemented.

It further demanded that all media houses must observe media ethics and demonstrate solidarity on the issues of media freedom and security of media persons, instead of indulging in mudslinging against each other. The media must avoid casting aspersions against any segment of national institutions, while all state institutions must respect right to life and fundamental rights, including press freedom. No measures to curb press freedom will be acceptable to the media community, civil society and democratic forces.

Restraint and caution must be observed by all sides and no interference be allowed in the affairs of the media by various arms of the executive, it said, adding that media should evolve its code of ethics and observe it diligently and Pemra should be reconstituted making it a representative body.Prominent journalists including Imtiaz Alam, Hussain Naqi, Khawar Naeem Hashmi, IA Rahman and Arshad Ansari spoke on the occasion.

‘Malaysian jet may have skirted Indonesian airspace’

AP A U.S. Navy plane P-8 Poseidon takes off from Perth Airport on the route to rejoin the search operation for the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 in Perth on Sunday.

A Malaysian government official has revealed that the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 avoided Indonesian airspace after leaving Kuala Lumpur, The Sydney Morning Herald reported Monday.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to talk to the media, said Indonesian authorities said the plane did not show up on their military radar.

The plane could have deliberately flown around Indonesian airspace to avoid detection, or may have coincidentally travelled out of radar range, he said.

The revelation came as searchers for the missing Malaysia Airlines jet intensified in the southern Indian Ocean to determine whether a few brief sounds picked up by underwater equipment came from the plane’s black boxes, whose battery-powered pingers are on the verge of dying out.

Meanwhile, Australia’s Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC) said Monday that up to nine military planes, three civil planes and 14 ships will assist in search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

The search area is expected to be approximately 234,000 sq km.

Royal Australian Navy’s ship Ocean Shield is continuing investigations in its own area.

HMS Echo was en route to assist the Chinese vessel Haixun 01, which detected pulse signals in the Indian Ocean.

A Chinese ship picked up an electronic pulsing signal Friday and again Saturday, and an Australian ship carrying sophisticated deep-sea acoustic equipment detected a signal in a different area Sunday.

Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 vanished mysteriously about an hour after taking off from Kuala Lumpur shortly after midnight March 8.

The Boeing 777—200ER was scheduled to land in Beijing the same day. The 227 passengers on board included five Indians, 154 Chinese and 38 Malaysians.

Despite extensive scouring of the remote southern Indian Ocean area by planes and ships off the coast of Perth, where the plane is believed to have crashed, no trace has been found.

Underpasses, flyover project halt may harm heritage site

KARACHI: The suspension of construction of two underpasses and a flyover in the Clifton area would pose a risk of permanent damage not only to the heritage site in the vicinity but also other projects in the area including the Abdullah Shah Ghazi Shrine, a shopping mall, park and hospital, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation contended in its appeal against the High Court’s stay order on the Rs1 billion mega construction project.
Being aggrieved with the SHC’s stay order on the Defence Housing Society’s lawsuit against the construction of the underpasses and flyover project in the Clifton area that was financed and executed by a private builder, the KMC defended the construction of the flyover stating that the project was initiated after the approval of the Environment Protection Agency (EPA).

The metropolitan authority argued that the Supreme Court and the high court were also seized with identical cases with regard to the construction and no restraining order had been issued yet in the matter except the impugned order in the appeal. The KMC apprehended if the project in the present condition was exposed to the rain, the entire area would be at risk of collapsing beside material at the project site would also become defective causing loss of billions of rupees.

The SHC on April 2 restrained the construction work for two underpasses and the flyover on the DHA lawsuit that questioned the construction of the mega project without the approval of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

The KMC submitted in its appeal that private builder was in the process of developing a multi-storey building on plot 5 and 6 sectors block CF-1-5 Old Clifton for which all necessary approval had been obtained as such plots are situated within the jurisdiction of the KMC.

The appellant submitted that Sindh High Density Development Board on November 19, 2011 approved construction on said plots with the observation that owner along with the KMC’s Traffic Engineering Department and the Sindh Building Control Authority would finalise the management of the traffic load. Subsequently, the appellant said that as per SHDDB recommendation, it was proposed that two underpasses and a flyover be built around the area of Park Tower and the AT Naqvi roundabout.

The KMC said that that the project was carried out in accordance with the law and based on international standards with the sole purpose of providing relief to commuters and the people of Karachi in general, adding that in pursuance of section 12 of Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, KMC submitted an Initial Environment Assessment to Sindh Environmental Protection Agency that was approved on March 18.

The appellant submitted that huge investment was being made on the project and major portion of the construction work including excavation had already been completed and plinth was being put for carrying out the construction work. It stated that once the development work was completed it would ameliorate the traffic congestion around the area of Park Tower and the shrine of Abdullah Shah Ghazi.

The KMC argued that the DHA had no locus standi to raise a question over the construction on the ground that instead of the IEA, Environment Impact Assessment should have been sought by the appellant as such project upon completion would ease flow of traffic considerably and would also be significant in the beautification of the entire vicinity.

The KMC alleged that the DHA’s assertion made in the lawsuit was devoid of any logic rational and was a figment of its imagination as it was well aware of the heritage site and historical structure of the Hindu temple as well as the Jahangir Kothari parade and all steps were being taken to ensure the historical site should remain unharmed.

It was submitted that the heritage site of the temple and Kothari Parade had nothing to do with construction of the said project and assured the court that the KMC would not take any such action which might damage any piece of heritage site. The appellant submitted that project needed to be completed expeditiously due to monsoon season and if the same was not completed, there would be a risk of permanent damage not only to the heritage site in the vicinity but also other projects including the Abdullah Shah Ghazi’s shrine, shopping mall, park and the hospital.

The appeal was taken up by the SHC’s division bench headed by Justice Irfan Saadat Khan for urgent hearing of the case. However the appellant counsel withdrew the application for urgent hearing and court dismissed it as same was not pressed.

Malaysia police: Jet mystery may never be solved

KUALA LUMPUR: The investigation into what happened to Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 may take a long time and may never determine the cause of the tragedy, Malaysia´s national police chief warned Wednesday.

Khalid Abu Bakar said the criminal investigation was still focused on four areas — hijacking, sabotage and personal or psychological problems of those on board the plane.

"Investigations may go on and on and on. We have to clear every little thing," Khalid said. "At the end of the investigations, we may not even know the real cause.

We may not even know the reason for this incident."The plane disappeared March 8 on a flight to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur with 239 on board.

No trace of the plane has been found, although searchers are now focused on a crash site in the southern Indian Ocean.

Khalid said that police had conducted more than 170 interviews with family members of the pilots and crew members.

"We must be very thorough and we need all the time ... you cannot hurry us," he said.

Police are also investigating the cargo and even the food served on the plane to eliminate possible sabotage, he said.

Relatives of the passengers have been critical of the handling of the search for the plane, especially as the focus of the hunt has shifted.

After experts analyzed the limited radar and satellite data from the plane, the search area was moved from the seas off Vietnam, to several areas in the Indian Ocean west of Australia, and finally to a 221,000-square-kilometer (85,000-square-mile) area roughly a 2½-hour flight from Perth.

The search resumed Wednesday, with the first of nine planes heading out to the search zone, about 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) west of Perth, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority said.

Nine ships also were scouring the area. Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott reiterated his commitment to the search ahead of meeting his Malaysian counterpart Najib Razak later Wednesday in Perth.

"Look, it´s one of the great mysteries of our time," Abbott told Perth Radio 6iX. "It´s a terrible tragedy.

There are 239 devastated families. ... We owe it to the world, we owe it to those families to do whatever we reasonably can do get to the bottom of this.

"Najib´s trip to Perth also will include a visit to the joint agency coordinating the multinational search effort.

Malaysia police: Jet mystery may never be solved

KUALA LUMPUR: The investigation into what happened to Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 may take a long time and may never determine the cause of the tragedy, Malaysia´s national police chief warned Wednesday.

Khalid Abu Bakar said the criminal investigation was still focused on four areas — hijacking, sabotage and personal or psychological problems of those on board the plane.

"Investigations may go on and on and on. We have to clear every little thing," Khalid said. "At the end of the investigations, we may not even know the real cause.

We may not even know the reason for this incident."The plane disappeared March 8 on a flight to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur with 239 on board.

No trace of the plane has been found, although searchers are now focused on a crash site in the southern Indian Ocean.

Khalid said that police had conducted more than 170 interviews with family members of the pilots and crew members.

"We must be very thorough and we need all the time ... you cannot hurry us," he said.

Police are also investigating the cargo and even the food served on the plane to eliminate possible sabotage, he said.

Relatives of the passengers have been critical of the handling of the search for the plane, especially as the focus of the hunt has shifted.

After experts analyzed the limited radar and satellite data from the plane, the search area was moved from the seas off Vietnam, to several areas in the Indian Ocean west of Australia, and finally to a 221,000-square-kilometer (85,000-square-mile) area roughly a 2½-hour flight from Perth.

The search resumed Wednesday, with the first of nine planes heading out to the search zone, about 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) west of Perth, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority said.

Nine ships also were scouring the area. Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott reiterated his commitment to the search ahead of meeting his Malaysian counterpart Najib Razak later Wednesday in Perth.

"Look, it´s one of the great mysteries of our time," Abbott told Perth Radio 6iX. "It´s a terrible tragedy.

There are 239 devastated families. ... We owe it to the world, we owe it to those families to do whatever we reasonably can do get to the bottom of this.

"Najib´s trip to Perth also will include a visit to the joint agency coordinating the multinational search effort.

Armed forces personnel may be booked for torture: Pervaiz

LAHORE: Information and Broadcasting Minister Pervaiz Rashid has said that according to the amended law, a First Information Report (FIR) can also be registered against the armed forces personnel under the torture allegations.

Addressing a regional conference, organised here under the auspices of the Democratic Commission for Human Development (DCHD), the minister said the democratic government of Pakistan Muslim League-N was opposed to any type of torture.

The Constitution of Pakistan barred from all types of human rights violations. He admitted that police torture was a reality but the Fair Trial Article of the 18th Amendment provides protection from torture, the minister said.He said that the conference recommendations would provide a guideline to the government to do legislation to end all types of torture in the country.

Will Katrina share stage with Aishwarya, Freida, Sonam at Cannes this May?

Katrina Kaif

While Mumbai will be bearing the brunt of the sweltering heat this May, it remains to be seen if the atmosphere around Cannes Film Festival will be warm or cold. Reason being that the sponsor, cosmetic giant L'Oreal's Indian brands ambassadors Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Freida Pinto and Sonam Kapoor are expected to attend the event. But the bigger question is if the latest addition, Katrina Kaif will also make her presence felt at the prestigious event.

Though Aishwarya is the oldest associate of the brand, as its ambassador for over a decade, she reportedly avoids scheduling her appearances in Cannes around the time Freida and Sonam are also there. She's said to commit to only those events either before or after the two younger actresses have arrived and left. But now with a third younger actress, it remains to be seen how their appearances will be timed.

According to reports, when Katrina's name was chosen as the latest face of the brand, Aishwarya apparently expressed her interest to welcome the actress to the L'Oreal family in a press release sent out. Reason being whispered that she wanted to avoid any speculation that she was either unaware or unhappy about Katrina being added as an ambassador.

Gossip is that Katrina might not be asked to travel to Cannes this year, just like Sonam wasn't in her first year with the brand. But of course, we're all waiting to see who shares what rapport with the others at Cannes.

Salman May Marry Lulia by Year End?

We hear that Bollywood's most eligible bachelor, Salman Khan is getting a bit too tired of his single status. We hear that he recently dropped quite a broad hint that he might marry Lulia Vantur by the end of this year. Speaking at a recent event, he said, "Now I'm in transit period and I like it. From the age of 15, I did not get a transit period. For the first time, I have such a chance to sigh. I am sighing more since it has been two-and-a-half years. It's time to stop sighing because something soon will happen in my life."

"I follow humanity. I follow Islam, Christianity, and follow right thing as much I can. I have been kind of blessed. Father is Pathan, mother is Hindu, second mother is catholic, and brother-in-law is Punjabi. Wife, I am thinking to bring from outside." We wonder if he is referring to Lulia.

Malaysia says missing plane may have turned back

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia on Sunday said a missing airliner carrying 239 people may have inexplicably turned back as authorities launched a terror probe into the plane's sudden disappearance, investigating suspect passengers who boarded with stolen passports.
The United States sent the FBI to investigate after Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing vanished from radar early Saturday somewhere at sea between Malaysia and Vietnam, but stressed there was no evidence of terrorism yet.
Indications that the plane may have deviated from its route only compounded the anxiety of relatives, many of them Chinese, desperate for news of their loved ones.
"There is a distinct possibility the airplane did a turn-back, deviating from the course," said Malaysia's air force chief, General Rodzali Daud, citing radar data.
But Malaysia Airlines (MAS) chief executive Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said the Boeing 777's systems would have set off alarm bells.
"When there is an air turn-back the pilot would be unable to proceed as planned," he said, adding authorities were "quite puzzled" over the situation.
Malaysian authorities have expanded their search for wreckage to the country's west coast after initially concentrating to the east in the South China Sea.
A total of 40 ships and 22 aircraft from an array of countries including Malaysia's neighbours, China and the US are now involved in the hunt across the two areas, officials said, with two Australian surveillance aircraft also due to join the search.
After it emerged that two people boarded the flight with stolen European passports, Malaysia's transport minister Hishammuddin Hussein said he was looking at four suspect passengers in all.
The minister declined to offer details, saying authorities were examining "the entire manifest", but confirmed the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was dispatching personnel to Malaysia.
"At the same time our own intelligence has been activated, and of course, the counter-terrorism units... from all the relevant countries have been informed," Hishammuddin said, refusing also to rule out the possibility of a hijack.
A Malaysian civil aviation official said authorities still so far believe only two passengers had used stolen passports and were examining CCTV footage of them.
"We will review all security protocols and, if needed, we will enhance them," Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was quoted as saying in The Star newspaper.
He stressed: "If necessary, because we still do not know the cause of the incident."
Flight MH370 had relayed no distress signal, indications of rough weather, or other signs of trouble. Both Malaysia's national carrier and the Boeing 777-200 model used on the route are known for their solid safety records.
Technical advisors from Boeing and the US Federal Aviation Administration are en route to Asia to help in the probe.
In a statement, Boeing offered "its deepest concern to the families" of the missing passengers and crew.
The flight vanished about an hour after taking off from Kuala Lumpur. A total of 153 Chinese nationals were on board, and relatives camped out at the main international airport in China's capital bemoaned the lack of news Sunday.
"The airline company didn't contact me, it was a friend," a middle-aged woman surnamed Nan told reporters, holding back tears, after finding out her brother-in-law was on the flight.
"I can't understand the airline company. They should have contacted the families first thing," she said.

Review: Total Sipayaa's music may become popular after film's release

Total Siyapaa packs in some good numbers, writes Joginder Tuteja.

One expects a fun score for the film Total Siyapaa, which is a comedy of errors.

Ali Zafar is the central protagonist, as well as the singer-composer for the soundtrack. Not just that, he also writes most of the songs, with Kumaar and Aqeel Rubi chipping in.

The title song, Total Siyapaa, is quite humorous. Kirron Kher's dialogues pepper this three-minute piece a la the song Maa Da Laadla Bigad Gaya (from Dostana). The track is an all round show by Ali Zafar (with Kumaar contributing on lyrics).

It has a good rhythm and the song also has an eye-catching music video that features Ali and the other members of the film’s cast, Yami Gautam and Kirron Kher, quite prominently. Expect this one to play as the end credits roll, though one does feel that in the album it comes way too early.

Next up is Palat Meri Jaan, which is a chartbuster all the way.

It starts slow, and rightly so, as by the time the hook of Palat Meri Jaan arrives, you have been sufficiently warmed up by Ali Zafar's soft vocals.

A romantic number that has a lively feel to it and is well complimented by a well shot video, Palat Meri Jaan moves on seamlessly to the antara portions that have a feel-good factor that seldom fails. This one deserves to be played on loop.

There is a Spanish sound in the beginning of Nahin Maloom. Ali Zafar sings this song which has a rhythmic feel that is well complimented by the overall melody.

With prominent use of the guitar, this number maintains a good pace right through its four-minute odd duration. Ali is joined by Fariha Parvaiz, an established singer in Pakistan for many years.

Together they ensure that Nahin Maloom is an entertaining number.

Ali continues his stint behind the mike for Asha, which is leading lady Yami Gautam’s name in the film.

A conversational number, this one too is high on beats, but with a certain child-like feel to it. It is a sweet sounding number and is situational. Like Nahin Maloom, the picturisation will determine whether it has a long run.

The album concludes with Bulley Shah's traditional number Chal Buleya. A slow-moving sombre track, it shows a different facet of Ali Zafar. He sings it well, with the right amount of pathos. However, the number is strictly situational and one hopes that it doesn't slow down the pace of Total Siyapaa which is expected to be a fun-filled film.

Total Sipayaa starts off quite well with a cracker of a number in the title track. It is followed by one more number (Palat Meri Jaan) which can easily rise up the popularity charts.

The rest of the songs, though decently tuned and sung, are primarily situational and may become popular after the release of the film.