Why is Dr Qadri being singled out?

ISLAMABAD: The gearing up of FIA to probe financial matters of Dr Tahirul Qadri is a case of political victimisation as this initiative was not taken by the government as a routine matter but following the recent launch of anti-government campaign by Qadri.
There may have been some dubious dealing on part of the PAT Chief but the initiation of investigations against Dr Qadri by the FIA at this stage speaks volumes about how the state institutions are still used as tools for political gains of the rulers.

The tax matters and financial dealings of many political figures including cabinet members, MPs, opposition leaders and others are doubtful but hardly in any case during the last one year of the present government’s tenure, the FIA has moved against any bigwig of Pakistani politics.

The FIA is one of the leading state agency that besides doing other jobs has also been mandated the role of checking corruption.However, after the creation of National Accountability Bureau, the FIA hardly did any major anti-corruption work. Instead, because of massive corruption, incompetency and politicisation of the FIA; the need for the creation of NAB was felt.

In its official website, the FIA defines its “Vision” as “A law enforcement agency which not only enjoys respect of the society, for its integrity, professional competence, and impartiality but also serves as a role model for provincial police forces.” However, in reality it continues to be used as a tool for political gains of the rulers.It is said that after the recent emergence of Dr Tahirul Qadri as an anti-government voice, the FIA all of a sudden woke up to initiate a probe into the financial matters of the PAT Moulana. Not only the details of money transferred by the PAT chief during recent years were collected but his tax matters and bank accounts were also probed.

Of late the FIA has approached the Election Commission of Pakistan to get Qadri’s nomination paper along with the details of his assets as were submitted by him while contesting the 2002 elections for the National Assembly. It is believed that the information gathered by the FIA is quite convincing to proceed against Qadri, however, there is no explanation as to why only Qadri and not others, and why at this point of time.

The recent killings at Model Town Lahore was also the consequence of the government’s drive to remove illegal encroachments of Minhjul Quran. The authorities were confronted by the Qadri followers, which led to a bloody clash between the two and culminated in the killing of more than 10 persons.

In that case too, the authorities decided to remove the years old encroachments of Minhajul Quran only at this time when Qadri emerged in a confrontational mood against the government.

It is suspected that Qadri is playing someone else’s game to derail the system but the dealings of Lahore municipal and police authorities as well as that of the FIA show the extent of the politicisation of the institutions.

Because of the politicisation, systems here have become non-responsive to general violators and corrupt etc. Any action taken is as per the wishes and whims of the rulers.All these proceedings against Qadri could be justified only if other influential tax evaders, money launderers, encroachers etc are also proceeded against.

Circles close to the federal government, requesting anonymity, told The News that it was wrong to assume that Dr Qadri was being singled out. They said that institutions like FIA could only proceed upon availability of some solid evidence and facts which, in the instant case, surfaced during recent active demonstration by him.

They said that the government institutions are working independently to their full capacity. The PML-N government and its Finance Minister Ishaq Dar had brought many members of the parliament into the tax net, the added.

Besides, they said, that the FBR was in action against private parties in cases of tax evasion and other financial issues and the same had also been reported by media. Two former prime ministers had also been proceeded against by the NAB.

Therefore the impression of sparing the influential figures and singling Dr Qadri out was incorrect, the circles maintained. The said that the government has hardly completed a year in office and its achievements on the issues mentioned above are unparalleled, they concluded.

Why does Qadri want to land in the capital, asks Nisar

 

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Sunday questioned the intentions of the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri for landing in Islamabad while he had planned to proceed to Lahore.
“There should be no doubt that no one will be allowed to conduct any march on Islamabad in the guise of a rally or sit-in,” Chaudhry Nisar said in a statement from his office after a high-level meeting called to discuss security matters relating to Dr Tahirul Qadri.

The minister said due to severe security threats, it was the responsibility of the government to safely guide Dr Qadri and his companions to Lahore.The minister said everyone was allowed to take part in political gatherings but lawful action would be taken against those intending to destablise the government through unconstitutional means.

Nisar said that currently the attention of all the security institutions was towards the war against terror, and it was beyond understanding why Tahirul Qadri wanted to create a disturbance at this critical moment.

It is understood that once Dr Qadri lands in Islamabad, he will be immediately dispatched to Lahore by air. He will have to face some questioning about allegations of money laundering at the airport by the officials concerned before proceeding, the sources said.

The government has decided to keep the federal capital an ‘out of bounds area’ for processions and any huge rally that could be termed a ‘long march’. The government in close and extensive consultations at the high-level has reached the conclusion that Islamabad being the seat of power of the federal government must be protected against any agitation since such activities become a symbol of the erosion of the authority of the administration.

APP adds from Lahore: A spokesman for the Home Department Punjab said Dr Qadri was facing a security threat.He said after the military operation in North Waziristan, terrorists had announced attacks on important political and religious leaders and added that there was also a threat of terrorism at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport Islamabad and other airports.

The spokesman said terrorists could also target the slow moving convoy of the PAT on the GT Road. He said that leaders of the Tehrik-e-Minhajul Quran had been informed about the security threats.

Why Jang Group’s other channels are off air, asks President SAFMA

KARACHI: President South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA), Imtiaz Alam Tuesday asked that PEMRA had only suspended Geo News then why is it that Jang Group’s other channels continue to remain off the air.

“Attack on a section of media is tantamount to an assault on the entire freedom of expression,” Imtiaz Alam observed while addressing a seminar at Karachi Arts Council.

He said what channels of other media groups have done on the issue of Geo had actually muzzled the freedom of expression. “The media infighting has put the lives of hundreds of journalists in danger,” he noted.

President SAFMA further said no drums of celebration should beat on the blackout of Geo’s channels.

“PEMRA had taken a decision only against Geo News, then why the group’s other channels have continued to remain shut?” he asked.

Why Musharraf’s name can’t be removed from ECL

 

ISLAMABAD: The law ministry had a detailed study of General (retd) Musharraf’s request to get his name removed from the ECL, and reached the conclusion that such a request could not be favourably entertained by the government because of multiple reasons.
Not only that a Supreme Court direction is a major hurdle in letting Musharraf go out of Pakistan, such a concession offered to Musharraf would be in violation of the fundamental rights, besides being against the public interest.

According to sources, the major hurdle in the removal of Musharraf’s name from the ECL is the April 8th, 2013 direction of the Supreme Court in the Moulvi Iqbal Haider vs. Federation of Pakistan case, which reads as: “The Counsel representing the petitioners particularly Mr A K Dogar and Mr Hamid Khan have submitted that the respondent General Retd Pervaiz Musharraf be taken into custody to ensure that he remains available within the country for the purpose of trial under Article 6 of the Constitution read with the provisions of High Treason (Punishment) Act, 1973. We are, however, of the opinion that in the first instance, notice of these petitions be served on the said respondent for tomorrow. The Inspector General of Police, Islamabad, and, if necessary, the Inspectors General of Police in the provinces, shall ensure service on the aforesaid respondent. The Secretary, Interior shall also make sure that if the name of the aforesaid respondent General Retd. Pervaiz Musharraf is not already on the Exit Control List, this shall be done forthwith and a compliance report of this order shall be submitted in Court during the course of the day. The Federation and all its functionaries shall also ensure that the respondent does not move out of the jurisdiction of Pakistan until this order is varied/modified.”

Although, on July 3rd, 2013, the SC disposed of the above-mentioned petition, the law ministry believes that the federal government cannot remove Musharraf’s name from the ECL unless the order dated April 8th, 2013 is recalled, varied or modified by the apex court.

In the December 2013 ECL case of Musharraf, the Sindh High Court was told by the then Attorney General Munir A Malik that the Supreme Court had directed that in case Musharraf’s name was not on the ECL, it should be placed on the ECL. Following the arguments of both the sides, the SHC rejected Musharraf’s plea to get his name removed from the ECL while explicitly mentioning the reference made by the attorney general.

According to the law ministry’s advice, recently submitted to the government in the wake of order dated April 8th, 2013 passed by the SC Musharraf’s name cannot be removed for the following reasons:

a) The SC has specifically ordered, “The Federation and all its functionaries shall also ensure that the respondent does not move out of the jurisdiction of Pakistan until this order is varied/modified.”

b) Despite the disposal of relevant petitions, the order dated April 8th, 2013 still holds the field and has binding effect as also argued by the attorney general and accepted by the SHC.

c) Gen (retd) Musharraf is facing multiple charges in various courts of different federating units. In any case, whether he is on bail or otherwise, it remains a legal obligation of the federal government to ensure his appearance and production before the concerned courts in order to fulfil the mandate of Article 9, 10 and 10A of the Constitution. His absence from Pakistan may gravely prejudice the rights of private complainants who have reposed their confidence in the judicial system of Pakistan.

d) Gen (retd) Musharraf is also being tried for the offence of High Treason under Article 6 of the Constitution before the Special Court where in the course of 36 hearings his attendance could be produced only twice for one reason or the other. Prima facie, it appears that the accused may be avoiding trial. In the interest of justice and to fulfil a constitutional obligation to take the trial to its logical conclusion and to ensure substantial compliance of Article 9, 10 and 10A of the Constitution, it is imperative that he remains present in the country. His absence from Pakistan will cause grave and serious prejudice to the ends of justice by impeding the trials.

e) Sending him abroad will amount to creating an exception which will impinge upon the fundamental right of equal treatment guaranteed by Article 25 to all other persons facing trials and would be against public interest.

f) Allowing him to leave the country by an executive order may raise serious legal questions about the role and intentions of the executive branch leading to multiple litigations costing the public exchequer.

g) Furthermore, it has been reported in the press that the government has very graciously offered him air ambulance, etc., to bring his mother to her homeland and to provide best medical facilities.

Why Imran did not respond to Jang Group’s notice — the real story

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan has developed a habit of hurling baseless allegations against the Jang Group, apparently at the behest of angels.

After losing the May 11 election, he had been crying of rigging. First, he accused the judiciary and now the Jang Group of depriving him of an imminent victory, which the angels had assured him.

Last year, when Geo Television Network’s winning the bid of rights of Pakistan vs Sri Lanka cricket tournament series caused sleepless nights for local media and dark hidden forces, Imran came out with so-called allegations that Geo was favoured by Najam Sethi, the then acting chairman of Pakistan Cricket Broad. However, Imran kept a mysterious silence over a similar series rights (Pakistan vs South Africa) awarded to an Indian sports channel in which Zee TV owns 95% of the shares and is headquartered in Mumbai.

Here are some facts for Imran Khan: This was the first time that a Pakistani TV channel had acquired world rights of an international series with the responsibility to produce in High Definition and the venture was only set to upgrade the standards and expertise of a Pakistani company and production resources.

Importantly, Najam Sethi had no role whatsoever in the bids process of the two series rights. The entire process of award of media rights to sports channels was done through Pakistan Cricket Board’s bids committee. Regarding Pakistan Cricket Board’s bids committee that awarded Pakistan-Sri Lanka series rights to Geo Super after transparent and competitive bidding, it is stated that its chairman was none other than Ehsan Mani.

Mani is a former ICC president and has managed ICC’s bundling of commercial rights since 2000. It included media rights for ICC events that valued millions of dollars. He has also successfully managed media rights for West Indies and South Africa and also PCB since 1993. He has been one of Trustee of 15-member Board of Trustees of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital. He also has been Chairman Audit Committee of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital.

Other members of the bids committee included PCB Chief Operating Officer Subhan Ahmed — Masters in Business Administration with 19-year experience in cricket. He has worked with the ICC and wrote the contingency plans for ICC Cricket World Cups in 2003 and 2007; Chief Financial Officer Badar M Khan — Chartered Accountant with pertinent experience of cricket finances and good business practices; Member of PCB’s Governing Board Rafiq Bughio who oversaw and monitored the entire process, and an independent member Justice (R) Shabar Raza Rizvi, former judge who authored the report of Sri Lanka team attack. The whole process was monitored by an independent audit firm Ernst and Young, one of the leading audit firms hired to observe and report on the bid process for transparency.

The bidding committee submitted its recommendations to PCB governing board for approval after finishing their proceedings. This transparent process helped sell media/ broadcasting rights both for South Africa and Sri Lanka at a price more than what it got from the 5-year media rights deal which it had with an India-based sports TV channel for the same South Africa and Sri Lanka series played in Dubai/ Abu Dhabi. In fact, the PCB got around $1 million more from this South Africa and Sri Lanka series as compared to what it got in the last series played against both the countries at the same venues in the UAE.

Geo TV did bid in 2008 for securing media rights for five years, however, these rights were not given to Geo TV, though Ehsan Mani was heading the Bids Committee at that time too. Ten Sports got the contract for 5 years, which expired in 2013. In the case of Pak-SL series, it was the PCB Governing Body which approved the media rights contract and Najam Sethi remained out of this process.

It should be remembered that the Jang Group had issued a notice to Imran Khan for leveling basesless allegations at that time which made Imran angry. Instead of replying to the Jang notice, a hue and cry was made on the pretext of freedom of speech. The Jang Group then sent to Imran all the record showing its clear position and asked him to get the record examined through independent auditors. He should have replied to the notice then so that the Jang Group could move courts to prove his allegations wrong. The Jang Group did not pursue the notice and kept waiting for Imran Khan’s reply till todate. Now Imran had again started leveling the same allegations and Jang Group will have to also pursue its notice. Particular people including Lal Top Wala are following angels’ agenda on a particular channel. Imran Khan has visited that particular channel for five times. The Jang Group has moved courts against this particular channel.

Regarding the bidding process, Imran Khan is informed that the PCB floated a tender for two home series at different venues in the UAE - one against South Africa and the second against Sri Lanka on August 8, 2013. Against which, technical and financial proposals were sought from the interested parties. Two-stage tender process involved opening of financial and technical proposals, of which, the later was to evaluate financial standing, prior sports broadcasting and television production experience, details of company ownership including parent company/ share holdings etc and international distribution plans in case if their bids are successful.

On 30th of August, after careful evaluation, the Bids Committee approved India-based TV channel and Geo TV’s technical proposals and proceeded to the second round of opening the financial proposals. According to the process laid out, the Bids Committee announced reserve price for each series before opening of financial proposals which was not met by either Ten Sports or Geo TV for both series after which both parties were given the opportunity to submit revised offers the next day i.e. August 31, 2013 by 10 a.m. In the second round, Geo TV’s financial offer exceeded the reserved price for Sri Lanka series whereas India-based TV channel retained its original offer which was still lower than the PCB reserve price and not capable of acceptance by any standard and hence Geo TV was declared the successful bidder for Sri Lanka series. On South Africa series, both Geo and India-based sports TV channel could not meet the PCB reserve price and bidding committee decided to award rights to India-based sports TV channel on the basis of comparatively higher offer, though this offer was around $0.8 million, less than the reserve price fixed by the PCB.

The PCB, however, in line with a term of bidding document awarded contract to India-based sports TV channel without further negotiations. However, no one, including Imran Khan, raised any objection for the reasons best known to him.

Importantly, Abdul Rahman Bukhatir had sold 50% stakes in the company (Ten Sports) to India-based Zee TV Network for $57 million in November 2006 with Zee further acquiring further 32.2% stakes against $31 million in February 2010 and finally adding another 12.8% stakes against $13.4 million to take up its stake in the company at 95%. With the completion of 95% of control in Ten Sports by Zee, the corporate headquarters are now based in Mumbai and the entire up-linking operations of channel have now been shifted to Noida in India.

Ten Sports was the rights holder of Pakistan home series during the term 2008-2013 and in this period major changes in its parent company’s shareholding took place. Most television broadcasting agreements done by cricket boards do not allow such changes of corporate/ management controls without prior written consent by the cricket board concerned. In this case, the PCB can clarify whether it actually provided its consent to Ten Sports to continue working as its host broadcaster during the period 2009-2010 when India-based Zee Network gained 95% controlling shares of the company. Imran Khan preferred keeping mum when Indian channel had all the media rights for five years and only woke up when Geo got the rights of only one series.

Why should I be hanged?

ISLAMABAD: I am a traitor and so are Umar Cheema, Ahmad Noorani and everyone else associated with the RAW-sponsored Geo Group. One of the leading traitors from the same media house — Hamid Mir — has been taught the lesson and now it is for the rest to face the music. We deserve either to be hanged or pushed to India.

More importantly, Hamid Mir’s episode is a well-planned conspiracy hatched by the Jang and Geo management itself to malign the institutions of the Pakistan Army and the ISI.

While a great number of people are appreciating our stance, I am also hearing, reading and sensing what is mentionedabove since Hamid Mir’s brother Amir Mir’s disclosure about those nominated by Hamid Mir in his earlier recorded statement as his possible killers. I was getting the vibes of displeasure even before my stance on General Musharraf’s case but after the HM episode and my viewpoint on DG ISI Lt Gen Zaheerul Islam, no doubt has been left about my being anti-Pakistan, anti-Islam and what not.

Poor Cheema, Noorani and several others are grilled because they have raised the question about the past wrongdoings of the agencies. We have been condemned unheard and now we should also wait for the bullets from the faceless killers — one by one.

Pakistan has really become a difficult place to live in, and more so for media persons. Our words, our work and our writings everything is distorted to make us look like real monsters and agents of the enemy.

If we talk against a retired dictator and head of a political party, it is deemed an attack on the institution. Without being judgmental on what HM had accused, if we talk about an individual and seek his stepping down and that too for the respect and sanctity of the institution even then we are dubbed as the enemy’s men. An advisor to PPP patron Bilawal Bhutto Zardari viewed my statement as an effort to further the agenda of the Taliban. On this premise, the security forces should be given the right even to kill me and declare me a “terrorist” — no trial, no evidence required.

Umar Cheema, who has already been thrashed allegedly by the agencies, has now become a hard nut to crack. He is a sensitive man, loves Pakistan, follows liberal and secular ideas and at the risk of his own life struggles to make Pakistan prosperous. His latest crime is the outcome of his struggle to make the rich and affluent of this country pay taxes.

But Cheema is such a foolish agent of Pakistan’s enemies that he lives in a rented house and drives a car that he had purchased on depreciated price from the organisation, that too on installments of Rs10,000 per month. After having been beaten black and blue allegedly by the agencies, he did not pick up arms to fight against the state and its institutions but opted to fight for legislated parliamentary check on intelligence agencies.

Ahmad Noorani is an angry young man, who never minces words when it comes to corruption, bad governance and suppression of the underdogs. At times though he becomes upset but his integrity is beyond any doubt. He is so stupid that instead of making a fortune by following the trouble-free tricks and trades of journalism, he too is out to enrage the powerful and the mighty. He drives a real ‘Khatara’ Mehran and believes that he can change Pakistan.

We have no dearth of such fools around in journalism both within our group and outside. Being a member of the industry for the last 24 years let me assure you that everybody in the media is not on sale. They can’t be bought, they can’t be browbeaten. Hamid Mir and the likes of him are the shining stars of our media. You may differ with their views, their style of work and their approach but their love for Pakistan and their services for the people of this country are unmatched.

And it is also true that none of us is an angel. We do make mistakes. If anyone does any wrong, he should be taken to task as per the law of the land. If there is an agent of the enemy amongst us, expose him on the right forum instead of unleashing propaganda through tainted persons both within the media and outside. If the Jang Group has a Jewish connection or it works for RAW or US interests then please bring all the evidence before a court of law. I am constrained to say that such allegations have been levelled against the Jang Group in the past. The Group had moved the courts on these baseless allegations. The courts ought to decide these cases at the earliest because these are very important and subject of discussion at present. These cases are pending in the courts for months. The decision on these cases would bring the facts to fore. Since working with the Jang Group I have seen that whenever the powerful think that this Group does not suit them they start levelling allegations against it. This happens perhaps because this is Pakistan’s biggest and most credible media group.

We have a choice to keep quiet and enjoy our lives without giving a fig about those looting and plundering the nation’s wealth, those playing with the state institutions, those undermining rule of law, those misusing their authority to serve the vested interest, those being kidnapped and declared missing, those wronged by the powerful and mighty.

But we have opted for the tough path where we create faceless enemies, face the anger of the rulers and invite the wrath of the establishment. We create troubles for our families and even endanger our own lives and those of our dear ones. We annoy state actors, non-state actors, the Taliban, criminal gangs, political parties, business tycoons and all sorts of mafias but there is no security for us. Instead we are made more vulnerable when are declared traitors and RAW agents.

These days I am advised by many of those who love and care for me to keep quiet. I tell them I have nothing against anyone, I am not against any institution. I tell them neither Musharraf is an institution nor my views on DG ISI have any disrespect for the ISI or its chief. Instead what I had feared is proving right. I merely expressed my opinion and know well the difference between institutions and individuals. I am told that I am right but still warned that it is not what I think is right but what really matters is how “they” think about you. My dilemma: I have to say what I sincerely believe is in the best interest of the country we created in the name of Islam.

Why was I not released from jail for my father’s funeral?

 

ISLAMABAD: “Why is Musharraf being allowed to go abroad on the pretext that his mother is ailing? Why was I not allowed to perform the last rites of my father when I was in jail. Why do they have a different law for commoners like me and the powerful like Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf?” These three questions were addressed to me by Rana Faqir Hussain, 59, who spent eight long years behind bars for allegedly playing some role in the multiple suicide attacks on December 25, 2003 on former president and army chief Pervez Musharraf.
Rana Faqir was cleared by the courts and subsequently released in September 2013. Rana Faqir lost his father, M Yousaf, mother-in-law, Hameeda Bibi and a couple of his uncles when he was detained by the law enforcement agencies. Despite requests and applications, he was not allowed to take part in their funeral prayers. Rather, he and each member of his family were tortured brutally to accept their role in the multiple suicide attacks on Musharraf back in December 2003.

We were sitting in his drawing room where his wife, Anwaar Fitrat, and his daughter-in-law, Shazia Mubasher, were also present. Each one of them was arrested by the intelligence agencies and then by the police and later were cleared by the courts, after a long and tiresome judicial process. Faqir’s son, Rana Naveed, was also cleared by the courts in the same case. However, he is still behind bars as he was declared guilty by a military court for his role in instigating the army men under section 31(D) of the Military Act.

I was treated to Samosas, Gulab Jamuns and Jalaibis along with a cup of tea. I had met this family a couple of years back. This time, they contacted me as they were upset to hear the rumours that the former military dictator was being allowed to go abroad. Their rented house, in a poor locality of Islamabad bordering Rawalpindi, was a reflection of their poverty.

White-bearded Rana Faqir who also served in the army (1972 to 1976) recalled that he was working as a driver with a retired Major, Rao Suleman, when he first heard that the then president and army chief Pervez Musharraf was attacked again by the militants in Rawalpindi on December 25, 2003. Musharraf had also been attacked only 14 days ago the same year. He said that things had been normal. However, after a couple of days on December 31, 2003, he went to his job where his boss participated in New Year’s night celebrations. When Rana Faqir came back home the next morning, his wife Anwaar told him that some agencies had picked up Rana Naveed, their son, from his workplace (Zarai Taraqiati Bank) located near Zero Point, Islamabad. Naveed was living separately in a government residence which was allotted to him by the bank.

“Initially, we could not understand why he was picked up,” said Faqir. However, we thought that they could be following his son because of his wife Shazia’s brother who was a ‘jihadi’.

He said that he started making calls here and there but could not find a clue about his son. Meanwhile, on the same evening, his wife and their daughter-in-law, Shazia Mubasher, went out to make a telephone call to the latter’s house back in Bahawalpur in southern Punjab on a PCO. That was a time when mobile phones were not that common.

When both the women were coming back to their home, located near Zia Masjid, Rawalpindi, Faqir along with his wife present in the room claimed that some plainclothes people holding guns asked them about the residence of Rana Faqir. The plainclothes men did not know that the ladies were actually related to him. The two ladies feigned ignorance about Rana Faqir. However, they rushed back home hurriedly and told Rana Faqir that the agencies were all set to arrest him.

“The women persuaded me to flee home but I had nothing in my mind and I was confused. Meanwhile, there was a knock at the door,” recalled Faqir. He said that he went to the rooftop and fled the house with only 100 rupees in his pocket. He told me that at that time he had only one thing in his mind that he would come back once everything is settled as he was still unaware why the police and agencies were after him.

After his departure, the intelligence operators arrested five out of eight of his children, including Rana Waseem, Rana Azeem, Abubakar and his two daughters, Saadia and Samia. Rana Naveed, his eldest son, was already in their custody. On the fourth day of January 2004, they also arrested his wife, Anwaar Fitrat, and his daughter-in-law, Shazia (wife of the arrested Rana Naveed) who was with an 11-month-old infant. Shazia was in Bahawalpur by that time. They also arrested some of their relatives who were visiting them and some relatives were arrested from Faisalabad too.

His sons, Waseem and Rana Azeem, remained in the custody of the intelligence agencies and police for two and a half years and Abubakar and two of his daughters, Sadiaa and Samiaa, remained in their custody for one year. Nothing could be proved against them and after complete satisfaction of the law enforcement agencies, they were released one by one.

Rana Faqir, after fleeing the scene, reached Raiwind, where he spent some time. Next year, when the news of the release of his daughters reached him he contacted them through a family friend and brought them to Lahore where he started living with them in Shadbagh from where he was arrested in December 2005. Meanwhile, he came to know that their family was actually being pursued and arrested in connection with the attacks on Pervez Musharraf.

The old man was badly tortured by the police and law enforcement agencies during his arrest. He mentioned in particular the bad treatment meted out to him by two Rawalpindi police officers, SSP Raja Bisharat and SSP Rana Shahid. “Incidentally both are my friends. They not only tortured me but used very dirty language during the investigations,” a depressed Rana Faqir said in front of his wife and daughter-in-law.

Rana Faqir was released on September 18, 2013 from Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi. I was not the first rather the only one to interview him outside the jail for Geo News. In his drawing room, he shared that he had lost everything as two of his sons had become heroin addicts. His small car was confiscated by the Civil Lines Police, Rawalpindi, and had not been returned yet. Precious jewellery was also missing and he had no clue about it yet. He said that though he and his family were cleared by the courts, they were still facing psychological as well as social problems and wherever they went for jobs so they could live a normal life, the people thought that they were terrorists.

Rana Faqir said that one of his daughters got divorced because of this incident and they were unable to marry the youngest of their daughters because they were tagged as “terrorists.”

The poor man was upset when an Anti-Terrorist Court arranged the hearing for the former dictator at his farmhouse. He wrote him a two-page letter telling the general how badly he was treated by his agencies when he was in power. The old man is still waiting for an answer from the former president who had recently shifted back to his farmhouse after his almost three-month stay at the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology (AFIC). “We should end the duplicity of the law and double standards in our country,” he said.

Faqir said that being poor and a common citizen, he felt insulted and degraded when he faced such problems merely because he was “alleged” of being involved in terrorism.

When he thanked the present military leadership that it was not supporting Musharraf’s exit from the country and was not taking part in this dirty game, I could not resist a smile. Our meeting lasted almost three hours. While writing his story, I still don’t have answers to any of his questions addressed to me.

Why did Sunny Deol agree to play a Haryanvi character in Dishkiyaoon?

This will be the first time that the dhai kilo ka haath wala actor is playing such a character

Actor Sunny Deol, who plays gangster Lakwa in Dishkiyaoon, says he fully enjoyed his first Haryanvi character in the movie. ”It’s (Dishkiyaoon) a good film…has a good story and I loved my character in the film,” Sunny said on Tuesday at the press conference of the film.

“This is the first time I am playing a Haryanvi character in a film. I really loved doing this character,” he added. Dishkiyaoon, produced by Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra, will also see Harman Baweja and newcomer Ayesha Khanna. It will release this Friday.

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

Why Malaysia Airlines jet might have disappeared

In this file photo Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200ER that disappeared from air traffic control screens Saturday, taking off from Roissy-Charles de Gaulle Airport in France. (AP)

The most dangerous parts of a flight are takeoff and landing. Rarely do incidents happen when a plane is cruising seven miles above the earth.
So the disappearance of a Malaysia Airlines jet well into its flight Saturday morning over the South China Sea has led aviation experts to assume that whatever happened was quick and left the pilots no time to place a distress call.
It could take investigators months, if not years, to determine what happened to the Boeing 777 flying from Malaysia’s largest city of Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
“At this early stage, we’re focusing on the facts that we don’t know,” said Todd Curtis, a former safety engineer with Boeing who worked on its 777 jumbo jets and is now director of the Airsafe.com Foundation.
If there was a minor mechanical failure _ or even something more serious like the shutdown of both of the plane’s engines – the pilots likely would have had time to radio for help. The lack of a call “suggests something very sudden and very violent happened,” said William Waldock, who teaches accident investigation at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Ariz.
It initially appears that there was either an abrupt breakup of the plane or something that led it into a quick, steep dive. Some experts even suggested an act of terrorism or a pilot purposely crashing the jet.
“Either you had a catastrophic event that tore the airplane apart, or you had a criminal act,” said Scott Hamilton, managing director of aviation consultancy Leeham Co. “It was so quick and they didn’t radio.”
No matter how unlikely a scenario, it’s too early to rule out any possibilities, experts warn. The best clues will come with the recovery of the flight data and voice recorders and an examination of the wreckage.
Airplane crashes typically occur during takeoff and the climb away from an airport, or while coming in for a landing, as in last year’s fatal crash of an Asiana Airlines jet in San Francisco.  Just 9 percent of fatal accidents happen when a plane is at cruising altitude, according to a statistical summary of commercial jet airplane accidents done by Boeing.
Capt. John M. Cox, who spent 25 years flying for US Airways and is now CEO of Safety Operating Systems, said that whatever happened to the Malaysia Airlines jet, it occurred quickly. The problem had to be big enough, he said, to stop the plane’s transponder from broadcasting its location, although the transponder can be purposely shut off from the cockpit.
One of the first indicators of what happened will be the size of the debris field. If it is large and spread out over tens of miles, then the plane likely broke apart at a high elevation. That could signal a bomb or a massive airframe failure. If it is a smaller field, the plane probably fell from 35,000 feet intact, breaking up upon contact with the water.
“We know the airplane is down. Beyond that, we don’t know a whole lot,” Cox said.
The Boeing 777 has one of the best safety records in aviation history. It first carried passengers in June 1995 and went 18 years without a fatal accident. That streak came to an end with the July 2013 Asiana crash. Three of the 307 people aboard that flight died. Saturday’s Malaysia Airlines flight carrying 239 passengers and crew would only be the second fatal incident for the aircraft type.
“It’s one of the most reliable airplanes ever built,” said John Goglia, a former member of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board.
Some of the possible causes for the plane disappearing include:  
- A catastrophic structural failure of the airframe or its Rolls-Royce Trent 800 engines. Most aircraft are made of aluminum which is susceptible to corrosion over time, especially in areas of high humidity. But given the plane’s long history and impressive safety record, experts suggest this is unlikely.
More of a threat to the plane’s integrity is the constant pressurization and depressurization of the cabin for takeoff and landing. In April 2011, a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 made an emergency landing shortly after takeoff from Phoenix after the plane’s fuselage ruptured, causing a 5-foot tear. The plane, with 118 people on board, landed safely. But such a rupture is less likely in this case. Airlines fly the 777 on longer distances, with many fewer takeoffs and landings, putting less stress on the airframe.
” It’s not like this was Southwest Airlines doing 10 flights a day,” Hamilton said. “There’s nothing to suggest there would be any fatigue issues.”
- Bad weather. Planes are designed to fly through most severe storms. However, in June 2009, an Air France flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris crashed during a bad storm over the Atlantic Ocean. Ice built up on the Airbus A330′s airspeed indicators, giving false readings. That, and bad decisions by the pilots, led the plane into a stall causing it to plummet into the sea. All 228 passengers and crew aboard died. The pilots never radioed for help.
In the case of Saturday’s Malaysia Airlines flight, all indications show that there were clear skies.
- Pilot disorientation. Curtis said that the pilots could have taken the plane off autopilot and somehow went off course and didn’t realize it until it was too late. The plane could have flown for another five or six hours from its point of last contact, putting it up to 3,000 miles away. This is unlikely given that the plane probably would have been picked up by radar somewhere. But it’s too early to eliminate it as a possibility.
- Failure of both engines. In January 2008, a British Airways 777 crashed about 1,000 feet short of the runway at London’s Heathrow Airport. As the plane was coming in to land, the engines lost thrust because of ice buildup in the fuel system. There were no fatalities.
Loss of both engines is possible in this case, but Hamilton said the plane could glide for up to 20 minutes, giving pilots plenty of time to make an emergency call. When a US Airways A320 lost both of its engines in January 2009 after taking off from LaGuardia Airport in New York it was at a much lower elevation. But Capt. Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger still had plenty of communications with air traffic controllers before ending the six-minute flight in the Hudson River.
- A bomb. Several planes have been brought down including Pan Am Flight 103 between London and New York in December 1988. There was also an Air India flight in June 1985 between Montreal and London and a plane in September 1989 flown by French airline Union des Transports Aériens which blew up over the Sahara.
- Hijacking. A traditional hijacking seems unlikely given that a plane’s captors typically land at an airport and have some type of demand. But a 9/11-like hijacking is possible, with terrorists forcing the plane into the ocean.
- Pilot suicide. There were two large jet crashes in the late 1990s _ a SilkAir flight and an EgyptAir flight_ that are believed to have been caused by pilots deliberately crashing the planes. Government crash investigators never formally declared the crashes suicides but both are widely acknowledged by crash experts to have been caused by deliberate pilot actions.
- Accidental shoot-down by some country’s military. In July 1988, the United States Navy missile cruiser USS Vincennes accidently shot down an Iran Air flight, killing all 290 passengers and crew. In September 1983, a Korean Air Lines flight was shot down by a Russian fighter jet.

Juhi Chawla on why she chose to play a ‘mean’ character in ‘Gulaab Gang’

Juhi Chawla in Gulaab Gang

‘Mean’ingful suggestions
Juhi Chawla has always been seen in fun-filled and positive roles. Ask the bubbly actress as to what made her take on a negative role in Gulaab Gang, and she bursts out laughing, giving the clichéd line of having loved the script of the film, when director Soumik Sen read it out to her. At the end of it, she exclaims of her character, “She is just mean!”
It was on her insistence that the character was rewritten, adding some softness to it. “But the film kind of died. I told them to retain the original as that had a spark to it,” reveals the actress, who is awaiting the release of her first ever negative role in a 30-year old film career.
Another hurdle for Chawla, when signing the film was that being the ‘hero’ of the film, Madhuri Dixit Nene would have all the punch lines, along with a longer role, songs, dance and fights. “I thought if Madhuri gets to do everything, what am I doing besides being mean? But later I began looking at it differently. I thought if ‘I’ play this character, there will be a different spark to the entire film. It would also be a challenge for me. So putting aside my ego, I started enjoying my work,” said the actress, who was taught by Sen the art of being mean. In the film, she said, being mean is not about snarling into the camera, but about smiling or sometimes just cutting the person with sweet talk. “It was very refreshing for me, to give different expressions to those little twisted lines,” she laughs.
Breaking the ice
Chawla was working with Dixit for the first time in their 30-year film career. Except for exchanging pleasantries in the passing, they had never really interacted at length, she says. When the director realised that the duo had never really met, he put them in a room when they visited his office and left them. “We spoke, shared our thoughts and that meeting broke the ice. When I went for the shoot, there was a much warmer feeling,” beams the actress, recalling that the first six-day schedule of the film was with only these two actresses.
Empowerment of the women
Gulaab Gang has a strong message, that of women empowerment. Chawla, who till a few years was a carefree person, began realising the problems plaguing the society and has done been doing her bit for it. “I have supported social causes. I saw disease and death up close in my family and realised what it is like when people need your help. So I start helping them. When I had my own children, I realised how much I love them and how protective I am of them. Yet there are kids growing on the streets. Since the last ten years I have been feeding these children who I never noticed earlier. It is your experiences that teaches you. I don’t think I ever thought of anyone else apart from myself earlier. When I felt the pain and hurt, I realised other’s pain and hurt. However, when the opportunity arises I would like to do something for such people,” says the actress getting misty-eyed.
Gulaab Gang vs Gulabi Gang
A smile comes to her lips when she is asked about the similarity between her film and Gulabi Gang, the documentary on Sampat Pal’s group that works against domestic abuse and violence against women. While justifying, Chawla says, “The title of our film and the gulaabi (pink) sarees are inspired from them, but our story is commercial, larger-than-life and entertaining whereas the documentary is based on the real gang and its achievements. Keeping aside our film, I look up at them with admiration and respect. Those women come from smaller homes, they have so little yet they have the courage to take the time out and help other women. We have so much today, yet how much of our time do we devote to others. Hence I say, aap (Pal and her gang) humse bahut aage hain.”
The chain of violence targeting women of late is exactly why Chawla is all out to endorse the importance of education for women. “Education is important, especially for little girls because that is one of the most important ways of empowering women. This gives them a chance to grow up to be a better person,” states the actress, who will be seen next in a special appearance in Manjeet and Gurdas Maan’s Punjabi film slated to release in May. Juhi will also be seen in a Steven Spielberg production, her first Hollywood film. Directed by Lasse Hallström, The Hundred-Foot Journey will see Om Puri play her husband.

WHY SUNNY IS NOT ALLOWED TO PROMOTE ‘RAGINI MMS 2’ IN INDORE?

Sunny Leone was all set to visit Indore to promote her upcoming film ‘Ragini MMS 2’. But, the actress was not allowed in the city.

It is learnt that she was going to promote the flick in a mall in Indore, but one of the political party warned the owners of the mall that they would show their violent behavior if the porn star turned Bollywood actress visits the mall.

The locals from the hotel, where the cast and crew were about to stay says that the booking of the hotel is currently on hold.

Well, if this report is true, we can only say that it’s a wrong gesture of the political party.