Everything should be fair in this terror war

DUBAI: Now that the political government of Nawaz Sharif has come on the same page with the Pakistan Army and a full-fledged military operation has been launched against the terrorists, a full-fledged security and media plan for the rest of the country is immediately needed to face the blowback.

Some of the instant decisions that should be, and obviously will be, part of this whole operation, its planning, strategy and tactics, must include, if not already done:

— Instead of repeated announcements of Red Alerts, all major cities should declare night curfews, at least for three to four weeks, starting at 9 pm to 6 am.

— In sensitive localities, shooting orders be given if anyone violates the curfew and does not stop when checked.

— All businesses in all major cities must shut down at 8 pm so that people can get back to their homes by 9 pm. No exceptions should be allowed except for those with security passes.

— A War Council or War Cabinet must be announced in the Centre and in provinces.

— Other activities of parliament and the cabinet must be put in low gear and diverted to coordinating the war effort for at least three to four weeks. These should include taking care of those hit, affected or displaced by the war.

The army must be deployed at all key installations to protect them from terrorist attacks.

In sensitive cities and super sensitive localities like many areas of Karachi, door-to-door search operations should be carried out when the curfew sets in.

Special summary courts should be set up to try and convict all those who are caught with illegal arms, terrorist equipment like suicide jackets, hand grenades etc and the death penalty should be given to those convicted and sentenced without delay.

Special bulletins should be issued on the Zarb-e-Azb Operation daily or even more frequently and the media should only cover these. Total cooperation of political parties and the media must be ensured.

There can be more such actions taken but if this is a war, it has to be fought like a war. And as now we have decided to fight this war, then lets follow the saying: “Everything is fair in love and war.”We will get to the love portion when we cross the war zones.

The immediate agenda to get us out of this mess

DUBAI: This may sound a bit drastic to many interested parties and vested interests and some may say I have gone out of my mind, but the fact is that Pakistan and its critical institutions have collapsed and it is now time for a major, immediate, almost earthshaking, political and administrative renovation effort, to get back control before everything spins out of hand.
This major effort would need input and agreement of everyone, whether within or even slightly outside the strict ambit of the constitution and whether someone likes it or not. Legal or judicial approval has to be and will be quickly obtained for this effort.

This has to be done quickly as the military launches a decisive operation against the terrorists, now in close coordination with the US/Nato help, definitely inviting a severe blow back from terrorists all round the country.

Politicians who know or have been given hints and desperate political forces have already launched what they think would be a decisive strike against the existing inefficient and collapsing political set up. Once these forces get unleashed, the steering wheels would get jammed and there would be no going back.

The collapse that I am talking about is at various levels and these include:

- Non-existent civilian control, direction, vision and responsibility on matters of national importance and survival, including national security, safety and protection of the people and safety of vital institutions, installations and organisations.

- Failure of parliament, federal and provincial governments to inspire confidence and give hope in the present supposedly democratic system, elected though it may be but dysfunctional as it is.

- Lack of leadership by giving confidence and assurance to the people that this leadership can handle and protect national, regional and international geo-political and strategic interests of the country.

- Failure to provide for the day to day lives of the people, their present, their future, their economy, education, health or whatever. The sense of despair has aggravated beyond limits.

- Failure of governments, political parties and organisations to take a high moral ground by taking control and accepting responsibility or carrying out any accountability at any level, be it for failure to perform their duty or for financial loot and plunder, in the past or the present.

- There is not one case when anyone in authority has taken responsibility for any big or small blunder or lapse whether while running the government, managing the economy or providing security.

- Failure of government and politicians to frame policies without keeping personal vested interests in mind. Every party, big or small has been showing lack of leadership and confidence, taking major and minor U-Turns and demonstrating a lack of wisdom, vision and authority. Except blaming others there is nothing common in uttered words and deeds and acts of omission and commission.

- Every major economic initiative has back-fired, including the hundreds of billions spent, almost wasted, on load shedding, circular debt, inflation, oil and gas prices, exports and remittances. At best the economy is drifting, big claims and fiddling with the figures apart.

- All government successes claimed have been in borrowing billions of dollars and signing long-term projects, which may end up in smoke if all other prerequisites like physical and economic security, infrastructure development and uninterrupted flow of goods and services, are not guaranteed. No one is in a position to do that.

- The military has been bogged down, unnecessarily on external, internal and even political fronts, pitched against the terrorists and the politicians lately, weakening its confidence and resolve at worst and confusing it at best. This is not a good sign for a major war against local and foreign terrorists that is about to be waged.

- With no one to lead, or take control or accept responsibility, the country is spiralling towards internal and social anarchy leading eventually to be declared a failed state.

-So what to do in such a mess. Here are some suggestions that are being discussed and debated in drawing rooms but many agree the time for action on these lines has come:

- An immediate declaration of national emergency is needed, administrative and constitutional

as well as on security and economic fronts.

- Security and running of all key installations must be handed

over to the army including airports, seaports, sensitive buildings like Parliament etc so that the verbal diarrhoea on the media exchanging blame and responsibility for failures can be avoided.

- Parliament should be suspended for six months to a year.

- Cabinet must be dissolved and a 10 to 12-member Emergency Council be set up, with honest, competent civilians (politicians or technocrats or both), representing each province and the centre, the judiciary and the army.

- This Council should hire competent, honest and experienced/tested people to run the affairs of key institutions and installations without political influence or favouritism. Short and Medium Term tasks should be given and strictly monitored. Those not up to the mark must be quickly replaced.

- Provinces should be handed over to similar Emergency Councils, with clean politicians, judges, technocrats and generals on the same pattern as the centre.

- The first task given to them should be to fight the terrorists and run the affairs through a clean, effective and transparent administration, with zero tolerance for corruption, past or present.

- All unnecessary and juicy mega projects must be scrapped or put on hold until the country settles down on the internal war front.

- The media should be told to understand the needs of the national emergency and cooperate.

- Politicians should be told to take a back seat for a while.

This agenda will, as obviously expected, be described by many as a recipe for a military takeover.

In fact what is needed is not a takeover but implementation of this agenda to prevent a military takeover.

Muscle and push to implement it must come from supporting political parties, the civil society, a responsible media, an understanding judiciary and a military not having political ambitions.The firepower to help this national agenda get on the track should be provided by the army, using force at times, if need be. The alternate to this will ultimately be a ruthless military intervention which no one will like. So better take a bitter pill now than face an invasive surgery soon.

This issue must end now

ISLAMABAD: A six-word tweet — “Pemra action: ISI ruling, Govt retreating!” — by one Dr Nadia Khan on Friday said it all.

Geo’s suspension for 15 days and Rs10 million fine by the government-backed Pemra is an extreme step that the civilian leadership has been compelled to take after the military establishment was not ready for anything less than the closure of the Geo Network.

Rightly or wrongly, the rank and file of the Pakistan Army were badly hurt by the controversial April 19 telecast of Geo and more so by the consequent stoking of the fire by the anti-Jang Group vultures in the media. The Geo’s apology did not work which has now taken all of us to the present suspension of the Geo News for 15 days by Pemra.

The matter must end now. We all now need to move forward for the sake of Pakistan, its institutions and the rule of law. If Geo did something wrong on April 19, the subsequent days and weeks witnessed the repeated wrongs and flexing of muscles by the other side. If the DG ISI was unfairly treated by Geo on April 19, the whole world knows that all channels of Geo network were also illegally blocked, copies of Jang and The News were set on fire, Jang-Geo’s properties were destroyed, its employees were beaten and harassed.

To this day, I could not understand how the coverage relating to DG ISI became an attack on Pakistan Army but the reality is it was made to look like so. We the media people could not think of fighting against any of our institutions, what to talk of the Pakistan Army, which is already faced with serious challenges, including the Musharraf-gifted terrorism. But still it was made a Geo-Pak Army/ISI fight.

The ISI is undoubtedly our first line of defence and is critically important for the national security of the country. We the media will defend and protect our freedom but cannot think of doing anything aimed at demolishing any of our state institutions, including the army and the ISI. However, mistakes and wrong editorial judgments should not be taken as conspiracies unless proven. The media does make mistakes and so do other institutions, including the Pakistan Army and the ISI. If Geo wrongly handled the post-Hamid Mir attack situation, there are too serious and too many blunders that were made by our defence institutions in the past. If the media crosses the limits or the red lines, it should be proceeded against as per the law of the land. But being a watchdog of the society, it is the prime responsibility of the media to highlight the wrongs of the state institutions, governments, rulers and the mighty ones to safeguard the interest of the people and to uphold the rule of law and constitutionalism.

Geo had made a public apology and has now even been penalised for its mistake. Whether we like it or not, Pemra, despite being a controversial and toothless body, has given a judgment against Geo, which has the right to challenge it in the court of law but Pemra’s decision should be implemented in letter and spirit.

The other side, particularly the ISI, also needs to review its grey areas like the controversial role that it had played during the recent weeks. We love our ISI for what it does for the security and defence of Pakistan, including its double games against the enemy states.

However, the ISI is badly required to make corrections for those wrongs which make it controversial at home and in the eyes of its own people. The ISI needs to learn that it should never use its muscles against its own people, institutions and governments. Like any other institution, the ISI should also ensure that all its officials do not go or act beyond legal and constitutional limits. The Geo-ISI/army tiff must end now because furthering it would destroy and damage all of us.

PM to visit UK this month, says Sartaj

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will visit the United Kingdom for a summit level meeting later this month and discuss with his British counterpart the means to boost trade between the two countries.

Advisor to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said this while speaking as chief guest at a reception hosted by the British High Commissioner to Islamabad Philip Barton here on Tuesday to mark the 88th birthday of Queen Elizabeth 11.

Sartaj Aziz said the annual bilateral trade between Pakistan and the UK had already gone up from 1.6 billion pounds to 2.3 billion pounds and the two sides were targeting to take it to 3 billion pounds during the current fiscal year. He said the British entrepreneurs had been making very useful investments in Pakistan that would help further strengthen the trade and economic cooperation between the two countries.

Besides, the two countries were also working to promote relations in the areas of arts, culture and music, Sartaj said. The British high commissioner praised Pakistan’s sacrifices in the war against terrorism and said Britain stood behind it in its drive against “the evil of terrorism”.

“These continue to be challenging times for Pakistan and we pay tributes to its people who have sacrificed so much. The UK stands behind Pakistan and its people as it tackles the evil of terrorism,” he said.

The event was attended by around 1,000 guests and representatives of political parties, military, diplomatic corps, civil society, media and business. The year 2014 marks the 62nd anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s accession to the throne.

Biden to travel to Ukraine later this month

WASHINGTON: Vice President Joe Biden will visit Ukraine later this month to meet with government and citizen leaders.

The White House says Biden will travel to the capital of Kiev on April 22 for a visit that will focus on the international community´s efforts to help stabilize and strengthen Ukraine´s economy.

The White House said Saturday that Biden also will assist Ukraine in its efforts aimed at constitutional reform, decentralization, anti-corruption, and free and fair presidential elections set for May 25.

As Ukraine deals with possible bankruptcy, uprisings in the east by pro-Russian separatists and Russian troops deployed along the Ukrainian border have unsettled the country.

President Barack Obama will be on a trip to Asia at the same time Biden visits Ukraine.

 

‘Main Tera Hero’ review: Varun tries everything in his repertoire to be this hero

 

Main Tera Hero movie review: Varun tries everything in his repertoire to be this hero.

Movie Review: Main Tera Hero

Star Cast: Varun Dhawan, Arunoday Singh, Ileana D’Cruz, Nargis Fakhri, Rajpal Yadav, Anupam Kher, Saurabh Shukla, Evelyn Sharma, Manoj Pahwa, Shakti Kapoor

Director : David Dhawan

 

A beefy cop besotted by a college girl goes about spouting knock knock jokes. Taking a cue from him, I’ll start with one of mine. Knock knock. Who’s there? Err, me. Me who? Me trying to hoot, that’s who.

I did manage to find a few laughs in ‘Main Tera Hero’, David Dhawan’s showcase created solely for his son Varun, but it was hard work. Because this is David precariously close to making my eyes glaze over, with long stretches of flatness, and forced laughter.

The film may be a Telugu remake, but the template is very Dhawan, with the usual mix of buffoons and goons and mistaken identities playing ‘I spy’ in a Bangkok hotel masquerading as a home.

Layabout Seenu (Varun Dhawan) reaches Bengaluru with the single aim of earning a college degree. Instead, he starts chasing the pretty Sunaina (Ileana D’ Cruz), who is being menaced by a tall, burly policeman (Arunoday Singh). A rival for Seenu’s affections pops up, in the shape of the curvy, lippy Ayesha (Nargis Fakhri), and things get complicated.

That heroes will float around Bollywood colleges without hefting a single book is a very old story: nary a one is to be seen here, nor a classroom. That they will leap from one idiocy to another is equally old. There was a time when Dhawan’s brand of idiocy was sublime. The good Govinda fronted for him, David used his superlative editing skills to keep up a rat-a-tat-pace, and we all happily rolled down the aisles. But it’s been a while since Dhawan hit his stride.

‘Main Tera Hero’ is not as ghastly as a few recent Dhawans have been, but only because it takes itself not at all seriously, and becomes as silly as it should be for some of the second half . The rest of it has its share of the usual unsightly and tasteless gags about women and protruding body parts and the mandatory fat guy in a wheelchair.

“Purani haveli ke paas chikni chameli” is equal to “oh, this old guy with that babe”.  Clap, clap. Here’s another: “ek popat ki do maina” (one parrot, two `mainas’). And a whole series of lines about ‘bajaana’ : either you can tamp down all standards and go hyuk-hyuk at this sort of thing, or you can just sit there and wonder if anything can get worse.

Varun tries everything in his repertoire to be this hero: he fights, dances, and tries to be funny, topping it all up with a man-boob-mobile-nipple moment. But he is no light-on-his feet, beautifully-timed Govinda.  The effort shows. The flimsily-clad Ileana D’Cruz

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.

Aamir Dedicates This Year to Satyamev Jayate

Actor-filmmaker Aamir Khan, who turned 49 Friday, is happy with the way his Bollywood career shaped up last year courtesy Dhoom 3. He has planned to dedicate all his time in 2014 to his social issue-based TV show Satyamev Jayate.

Besides one Hindi movie, Rajkumar Hirani's Peekay, which is slated for release on Christmas, Aamir has no other film lined up. Talking to reporters at his residence, where he celebrates his birthday with media persons every year, Aamir said: "Last year was great. I was happy with the success of Dhoom 3, and I was glad that all our hard work paid off."

"This year, I am dedicating all my time to Satyamev Jayate. Only Raju's Peekay will release towards the end, but there's no other film. So, my whole year is for the show." Satyamev Jayate is a platform where Aamir brings socially relevant issues to the fore and discusses startling facts about them.

He said the show's telecast has been divided into three parts this time. Of the four episodes that were slated for March, two have already been aired. "We will return with a few episodes in July, and then we will come back with some episodes in a month towards the end of 2014," he said. During the second season, he has so far raised his voice against 'rape' and 'police'.

When curious media persons asked him about the issues he will raise in the forthcoming episodes, he said: "We don't tell the issues."

Recently, Aamir had to register a complaint with the Mumbai police in the wake of a defamatory campaign against him on a social networking website.

Lamenting such defamatory acts, he said: "It makes me sad when people do good work and then people react this way. Such people are less in number, but they are trying to spread rumours about me via social media."

"Social media is also such where people can spread any information anonymously. I feel sad. I am trying to do my bit, but I know our janata (people) know what's true. They have been seeing me and my work for 25 years. They know what's right," he added..

Besides one Hindi movie, Rajkumar Hirani's Peekay, which is slated for release on Christmas, Aamir has no other film lined up. Talking to reporters at his residence, where he celebrates his birthday with media persons every year, Aamir said: "Last year was great. I was happy with the success of Dhoom 3, and I was glad that all our hard work paid off."

"This year, I am dedicating all my time to Satyamev Jayate. Only Raju's Peekay will release towards the end, but there's no other film. So, my whole year is for the show." Satyamev Jayate is a platform where Aamir brings socially relevant issues to the fore and discusses startling facts about them.

He said the show's telecast has been divided into three parts this time. Of the four episodes that were slated for March, two have already been aired. "We will return with a few episodes in July, and then we will come back with some episodes in a month towards the end of 2014," he said. During the second season, he has so far raised his voice against 'rape' and 'police'.

When curious media persons asked him about the issues he will raise in the forthcoming episodes, he said: "We don't tell the issues."

Recently, Aamir had to register a complaint with the Mumbai police in the wake of a defamatory campaign against him on a social networking website.

Lamenting such defamatory acts, he said: "It makes me sad when people do good work and then people react this way. Such people are less in number, but they are trying to spread rumours about me via social media."

"Social media is also such where people can spread any information anonymously. I feel sad. I am trying to do my bit, but I know our janata (people) know what's true. They have been seeing me and my work for 25 years. They know what's right," he added.

Micromax Canvas Knight A350 review: This phone does not look Indian

Micromax Canvas Knight will be priced at Rs 19,999

First things first. This is a phone from Micromax, but it does not look like a phone from Micromax. In fact, it looks like a phone from a well-heeled international brand, the sort that Micromax wants to become in the near future. This is the Micromax Canvas Knight, the phone that will take over the flagship mantle for the company from today.
Quick Tech Specs: 5-inch IPS display (1920×1080 pixels, 443 ppi) | 2GHz Tru Octa core MediaTek MT MT 6592 processor | 2GB RAM | 32 GB storage + no microSD slot | 16MP rear camera, 8MP front camera, 1080p Full HD video | 3G, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 | 2350mAh battery | Android 4.2 JellyBean
Price: Rs 19,999
 
Power and volume keys on the side
Design: As I said this phone does not look like a Indian phone. In fact, it has the cuts and sides of the Apple iPhone 5s and even reminded me a bit of the Lava Iris Pro 30, which also had a similar design language. The unibody design is reinforced by what seems, and feels, like a graphite frame. There are mico-SIM slots on both sides that can be accessed by a pin. And, no there is no space for a SD card. Another thing that sets this phone apart is the power key, that is now placed along with the volume keys on the right. This take a bit of getting used to.

The camera, the 16 MP sensor that it houses, results in a significant bump on the rear and there is an extra rear cover to sort of protect it. This feature is a bit like the one on the Nokia Lumia 502 and it becoming common in slim phones with large cameras. The phone is very light and easy to handle despite the large screen.

Screen & Audio: The Full HD IPS panel is one of the best features of this phone. To start with, there is hardly any light bleed on the sides. The phone can be bright enough to be legible in bright sunlight. The audio quality is good, but not great. The overall experience, however, is quite good.
Performance: This is a Tru Octa core phone. So performance should not be, and is not, and issue at all. In fact, the Antutu benchmark scored it in the top draw and exclaimed ‘amazing’. Yes, that doesn’t mean much for an average used. What matter for him is the fact that there is no lag anywhere and that multi-tasking is a breeze. We tried multi-tabbed browsing on Chrome and the experience was superb. However, with some games we noticed that the device did heat up quite a bit near the camera. Remember, the heat is coming through an extra layer of protection due to the rear cover.
 
Memory: The phone has 32GB internal memory, out of which you get to use about 24GB. That is decent as you can download large apps and run them comfortable. The 2GB RAM should also stand you in good stead.
Software: The phone runs Android Jelly Bean with a tweaked UI that I did not like all that much. I suggest you switch to a new launcher that gives the slick look a phone with these specs needs. There is quite a bit of bloatware that you can easily delete.
Camera: The two cameras certainly show a lot numbers. The rear camera for a change gives decent pictures even in low light and indoors. It is not great, but much better that most other Android cameras in this price range. There is a bit of noise in the images, but then there is also good detail when needed. The 8MP front camera is better than most phones, but is sluggish and is best used only for video calls and the occasional selfie. The camera comes with features like 3D panaroma, which is too much of work if you ask me.
 

This is shot early in the morning with hardly any sunlight.


   

See the detail here. There is a bit of noise too if you blow up.
Battery: The 2350 mAh battery lasted a full day with average use and on low brightness. With full brightness and regular use with video and gaming, you will be lucky to get 10 hours out of this battery. This means the phone will be good for a regular day in office or college and last till the time you come back home. But if you are planning to hang out with friends on a gaming face-off, or want to go on a binge  video watching spree on a long train journey, you will need to invest on a power bank.
Special Mention: For some time now, Micromax has been packaging its phones in boxes that mean business. It does this again with the Canvas Knight, the packaging gives a reassurance to the customer that they have bought something good. Even the printed material in the box and the accessories make you feel good.
Verdict: If you are looking for a high-end phone, but don’t want to spend a month’s salary on the same, the Micromax Canvas Knight can be a good pick. It packs almost everything you expect from an Android phone. The Micromax canvas Knight shows how Indian companies can also produce world class hardware that is stylish, functional and durable (or feels like it). The Knight is right there in the league of top-end Android phones, even though we know that it won’t cost that much. This one costs just Rs 19,999.

Salman Khan hints at marriage this year to Romanian beauty Iulia Vantur

Salman Khan said, “It's time to stop sighing because something soon will happen in my life.”

Superstar Salman Khan has hinted at a possibility of getting hitched by the end of this year as he is tired of being single for a long time.
The 48-year-old ‘Jai Ho’ star did not rule out the chances of marrying Romanian beauty Iulia Vantur, whom he is allegedly dating for quite sometime.
“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…,” Salman said.
Salman has often been linked with his co-stars and also being termed as a ‘possessive’ boyfriend. He admitted that he was a miserable lover but a great friend.
“When you are in a relationship you try everything to see that she doesn’t leave you. You try to be good. You give her a silent treatment. You yell, cry and when nothing works you say go.
“I thought they were the most correct people for me… Great girls bad boyfriend. I have not been like the most incredible boy friend. I could be the friend and I have heard this from the ex girlfriends also that (he is) a great friend but miserable boyfriend,” Salman said.
The actor also thanked his parents – father Salim Khan and mothers Sushila Charak Khan and Helen – for being with him at his worst times.
“No child would have given them as may problems. I was a naughty kid. They had to hear slanderous things about their son from others – the jail episodes, the cases that have come. If these things would not have come, my father and mother would have looked as young as I look now,” he said