You want Geo on its knees, once, twice, three times: Asma

LAHORE: Human rights activist and former president of the Supreme Court Bar Association Asma Jahangir has said she supports freedom of expression and the independence of the media, and punishing any TV channel is not an act of any pillar of the state but of dictators.

Addressing a lawyers gathering at the Aiwan-e-Iqbal here on Thursday, Asma said whatever Geo did was not fair. No journalistic ethics permit putting the picture (of any official) on the TV screen for hours over mere allegations, she said, adding that there was nothing new in this, however, as “Geo as well as all other TV channels have done it to us all in the past”.

“You may fine it (Geo) for the mistake, you may force them to apologise”, but what is this attitude, she asked. “You say no pardon, you say you will bring this organisation to its knees, once, twice, thrice, and there seems to be no end to it,” she added. She said if the army rulers believe they can strangle the freedom of expression in this country, they are mistaken.

Asma said when the judiciary indulges in politics instead of providing justice, we criticise it. “We did it earlier, and we do it even today,” she added.

Asma regretted that the media have started dictating even to lawyers. “They say a lawyer must ask them (the media) before taking up any case. If they will permit, you take up a case, and if they don’t want you to, you don’t go for it,” the lawyer leader said.

Asma said the government claims that their heart bleeds at the misuse of public money. “If it is public money then why have you provided six employees at government expense to the former CJ, whose son is still staying in the guest house,” the rights activist asked. She also questioned the appointment of Faqeer Hussain as the director general of the Federal Judicial Academy after his retirement as the Supreme Court registrar, and termed it in violation of merit.

Sussanne: You cannot blame Arjun Rampal for my separation from Hrithik Roshan

Sussanne has put to rest all the buzz surrounding her relationship with good friend Arjun

Hrithik Roshan and Sussanne’s separation took their family, friends and fans by surprise. When Hrithik issued a statement to the media announcing his split with wife Sussanne, there were also rumours doing rounds about the reason why the once ‘it’ couple of B-town was heading for a separation. Reports suggested that Sussanne growing proximity with Hrithik’s good friend Arjun Rampal was what caused trouble in their marriage. However soon after this Arjun Rampal too issued a statement denying all these reports. Rumour mills were pouring out details of how Arjun’s wifey Mehr Jessia was mighty pissed with her hubby and even suspected that her husband had gotten too close for comfort with friend Sussanne on the pretext of supporting her during tough times.

However yesterday’s scene at Bandra 190 store launch had stark contrast to all that was said and heard in the last few days. Friends of the Roshans came in full support of Sussanne everyone from Arjun Rampal-Mehr Jessia, Shahrukh and Gauri Khan, Salman Khan, Arbaaz and Malaika Arora Khan were present. Not only that, Sussanne also decided to clear Arjun’s name from the rumours, she said, “You can’t blame anyone for this. It is sad to blame anyone. We are close-knit friends. It’s not right to blame anyone. There is no reason. Sometimes you have to do this because of a situation.”

The Rock On!! actor too decided to take this opportunity and clear his name, the actor told reporters, “If Sussanne and Hrithik are happy staying separately they should, one should close and old chapter and start a new one. I have stood by Sussanne because she is like my family member.”

BlackBerry’s new flagship on the way. Now you know why BlackBerry Z10 got a price cut.

The BlackBerry Z10 is now selling for Rs 17,990

If you were planning to cash in on the price cut and buy BlackBerry Z10 then you might have to wait a week or so to get your phone, for the smartphone has almost vanished from stores across India.
Now, available for a limited period offer price of Rs 17,990, the phone is sold out at most online as well as brick and mortar dealers. We could not find the phone is stock with most top NCR dealers. Some of them said new stock should be in by March 10.
When contacted, Sameer Bhatia, Director, Distribution, BlackBerry India, confirmed to indianexpress.com that the phone had indeed been “stocked out”. “We have seen great response to the commemorative offer for BlackBerry Z10 and it is true that we have been stocked out.
MUST-READ: BlackBerry Z10 is a big deal at Rs 17,990. Here is why
Yes, we are looking at bringing fresh stocks in the next few days, so as to  ensure that more and more users are able to enjoy the cutting edge experience of a full-touch device combined with a revolutionary operating system,” he said.
However, despite the huge price cut, marking BlackBerry’s tenth anniversary in India, online portals like Flipkart still have units selling for as high as Rs 22,990. Bhatia said this was because in the market place model any seller could list any product at their own price. “On Flipkart, authorized BlackBerry product is sold via WS Retail. At present, WS Retail is stocked out.”
The BlackBerry Z10, the first smartphone to feature the new BB10 OS, was launched at a price of Rs 43,990.
There are suggestions that BlackBerry is working on a new flagship phone to win over new customers. Recently, BlackBerry CEO John Chen said in Barcelona that a new flagship is on the way, though he did not guarantee when.  The new price cut could be a way to get rid of old stocks before it brings in the new devices.
MWC: BlackBerry goes classic with Q20′s QWERTY keypad and menu, back buttons

8 Things you need to know about your heart

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

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

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

Think before you speak

What political chicanery - the chief of a political party which sits in the elected houses both federal and provincial has asked the army to take over. Altaf Hussain couldn't be more illogical if not utterly undemocratic. No doubt there is a narrative that army and elected government are not on the so-called 'same page' on the issue of military action in North Waziristan, and quite a few people want an end to this 'drama of mazakrat' (talks) with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. But the manner in which Altaf Hussain put across his mind on the issue in an interview with a private channel it was unworthy of a political leader who - of late if not for always - goes hoarse in advocating the cause of democracy in Pakistan. "Pakistan is more important than democracy for us" - to that extent one may overlook his expression as the pent up feeling of a concerned Pakistani. But then what he adds to his remark is terribly wrong as it is grossly violative of the constitution. "I will request the army chief and prime minister of the country to come on the same page for tackling terrorists, and if the elected regime does not join hands with the army towards getting rid of terrorists then I would suggest the military to step forward on its own". Not only does his suggestion earn him legal culpability under Article 6 of Constitution, it also appears to be poignantly disrespectful of the emerging political consensus, oblivious of sacrifices made for revival of democracy and no less immensely embarrassing to his own party men. Rightly then, the local leaders of the MQM leadership are struggling to deflect public outrage and seem to be succeeding given their past experience of covering up their leader's occasional off-the-cuff controversial standpoints on national issues. First things first, the MQM members moved a resolution in the Sindh Assembly as an expression of solidarity with the armed forces but clearly staying away from Altaf Hussain's long-distance worldview of realities on the home ground. Perhaps the local MQM leadership would like to come up with a formal retraction from what their leader happened to have conceived and said, and is of so much pain to the general public and frustration to his workers.

The fact on the other hand is that never before did the GHQ and an elected government come so close to an agreement on myriad national matters and issues. The army high command and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his civilian aides meet almost every day and review the evolving counter-terrorism scenario in tribal areas and elsewhere in the country. Even before his eleventh hour U-turn on the move to strike at militants hideouts in Fata following terrorist attacks in Bannu and Rawalpindi, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had a meeting with Army Chief General Raheel Sharif and surprised everybody by opting for 'one last offer' of talks to Taliban. And this is no secret that the just announced national security policy is a joint venture of military and civilian leadership. There is no doubt whatsoever that it is the armed forces who are tasked by constitution to secure lives and properties of citizens against internal and external aggression. But there is no doubt now also that the forces would move only when ordered by an elected government. This is a change, and a historic departure from the past when an army chief could hand over military airbases to an outside power and the public would come to know of it years later. That Altaf Hussain should be moving past his party's horrible treatment at the hands of dictatorial powers not even once looking back is indeed a sad moment. That he seems to be reading from the same page as the Taliban who too wish quick demise of democracy in Pakistan is disgusting. Presently, the government and the military seem to be in agreement that targeted surgical strikes would serve the purpose. But in case a fuller action in North Waziristan is warranted that is also on the table and will take place. One must not lose sight of facts that terrorist activity in Pakistan has an unmistakable colour of a guerrilla movement and the evolving geo-strategic situation in the region tends to radiate critical ramifications for Pakistan. It is, therefore, imperative that top political leaders are extremely circumspect in the choice of their diction in their comments and be not as simplistic and therefore unrealistic as reflected from the MQM chief's interview.