UBC researchers find new substance that could impact perfume industry

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UBC researchers find new substance that could impact perfume industry

April 6, 2012. 3:45 pm • Section: Live@5, Opinion

A team of researchers at the University of British Columbia have identified a gene in balsam fir trees that produces a fixative very similar to a mixture of seashells, fish bones and sticky inner-stomach substance that sperm whales regurgitate.
The compound is a key ingredient in high-end scents and the find could have a big impact on the perfume, fashion and advertising industries.
The promotional possibilities are endless…how about: “Synthetic Whale Vomit presents The Real Housewives of Vancouver”?

BELLS BEACH RIP CURL PRO SURFING FINAL
Kelly Slater vs Mick Fanning
Good Friday in Victoria, Australia…

مجید نظامی پاکستان کی نظریاتی سرحدوں کے تحفظ میں مثالی کردار اداکررہے ہیں، ان کی شخصیت ملک و قوم کے لئے اثاثہ ہے۔ وزیراعظم یوسف رضاگیلانی

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مجید نظامی پاکستان کی نظریاتی سرحدوں کے تحفظ میں مثالی کردار اداکررہے ہیں، ان کی شخصیت ملک و قوم کے لئے اثاثہ ہے۔ وزیراعظم یوسف رضاگیلانی

   

07 April 2012 , Waqt News,

نوائے وقت گروپ کے ایڈیٹر انچیف مجیدنظامی کی ادارت کے پچاس برس مکمل ہونے پراپنے تہنیتی پیغام میں وزیراعظم یوسف رضاگیلانی کا کہنا تھا کہ مجید نظامی نے صحافت کے میدان میں اہم سنگ میل عبورکرلیاہے، اور ان کی خدمات کا اعتراف لیاقت علی خان نے بھی کیاتھا۔ انہوں نے کہا کہ مجید نظامی پاکستان کی نظریاتی سرحدوں کے تحفظ میں مثالی کردار ادار کررہے ہیں جس کی بدولت ان کو لائف ٹائم اچیومنٹ ایوارڈ، نشان امتیاز، ستارہ پاکستان اور ستارہ امتیاز جیسے اعزازت ملے۔ وزیراعظم کا کہنا تھا کہ مجید نظامی نے فکراقبال اورقائداعظم کی حیات وخدمات کومشعل راہ بناتے ہوئے قوم کی رہنمائی کا مشن جاری رکھا ہوا ہے ۔ وزیراعظم نے کہا کہ مجید نظامی نے ہمیشہ آمریت کے تکلیف دہ ادوارمیں کلمہ حق کہنے کی روش جاری رکھی ہے۔ یوسف رضاگیلانی کا کہنا تھا کہ اہم قومی معاملات میں نوائے وقت کی خدمات گراں قدر ہیں اورمجید نظامی کی شخصیت ملک و قوم کے لئے ایک اثاثہ ہے۔وزیراعلٰی بلوچستان نواب محمد اسلم رئیسانی نے اپنے پیغام میں کہا کہ جمہوریت کی بحالی اور استحکام کے لئے مجید نظامی کی خدمات قابل ستائش ہیں۔ انہوں نے کہا کہ مجید نظامی کی مثبت تنقید حکومتوں کے لئے درست راہ متعین کرتی ہے۔ اسلم رئیسانی کا کہنا تھا کہ مجید نظامی کی پچاس سالہ خدمات صحافت کے میدان میں ایک روشن باب کی حیثیت رکھتی ہیں، بلوچستان کے گورنر بلوچستان نواب ذوالفقار مگسی کا کہنا تھا کہ صحافت کے فروغ کے لئے مجید نظامی کی خدمات کو ہمیشہ یاد رکھا جائےگا۔ نواب ذوالفقار مگسی کا کہنا تھا کہ نواجون نسل مجید نظامی کی شخصیت، زندگی اور کردار سے رہنمائی حاصل کریں اور ان کے نقش قدم پر چلتے ہوئے ملکی تعمیر و ترقی کے لئے کام کریں۔

زرداری نےجوکچھ میرے والدکےبارے میں کہا وہ انتہائی افسوس ناک ہے۔ پیپلزپارٹی نے چارسال میں ملک کوتباہ کردیا.میاں نوازشریف

   

07 April 2012, Waqt News

پشاور میں مسلم لیگ ہم خیال کے رہنما امیرمقام کی ساتھیوں سمیت مسلم لیگ ن میں شمولیت کے موقع پر مسلم لیگ ن کے صدرمیاں نواز شریف نے کہا کہ وہ امیر مقام اور ان کے ساتھیوں کو خوش آمدید کہتے ہیں۔ نوازشریف نے حکومت کو تنقید کا نشانہ بناتے ہوئے کہا کہ حکومت کی کارکردگی صفر سے بھی کم ہے لوڈ شیڈنگ انتہا کو پہنچ گئی ہے اسکے خلاف احتجاج جائز ہے۔ نوازشریف کا کہنا تھا کہ زرداری نے انکے والد کے بارے میں جو کچھ کہا وہ انتہائی افسوسناک ہے، انکے والد کا انتقال جلاوطنی کے دوران ہوا اور اللہ کے گھر لاکھوں کے ہجوم نے جنازے میں شرکت کی، جدہ ائیرپورٹ پر والد صاحب کی میت کو جہاز میں رکھا لیکن مشرف نے ہم میں سے کسی کو پاکستان آنے نہیں دیا اس وقت انکی کیا حالت تھی صرف وہ ہی جانتے ہیں، نوازشریف نے کہا کہ صدر کے اتنا کچھ کہنے کے باجود وہ زرداری کے والد کی بخشش کیلئے ہمیشہ دعاگو رہیں گے۔
انہوں نے کہا کہ اگرہماری حکومت کو چلنے دیا جاتا تو دہشتگردی اور بیروزگاری نہ ہوتی۔ ہم بھارت کو بجلی دینے کے بارے میں سوچ رہے تھے لیکن آج بھارت ہمیں بجلی کی پیشکش کررہا ہے۔

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Swann floats England into contention

By AFP

Published: April 7, 2012

0097333194530 On a wearing pitch, Swann took four wickets in the second-innings to dent Sri Lanka’s hopes and give his side a great chance of levelling the two-match series. PHOTO: AFP

COLOMBO:  Off-spinner Graeme Swann grabbed four wickets to leave a rejuvenated England on the brink of a series-levelling win in the second and final Test against Sri Lanka.

The hosts, trailing by 185 runs in the first-innings, ended the fourth day’s play on 218 for six in their second knock, a lead of 33 on a wearing pitch. Mahela Jayawardene stood in England’s way with an unbeaten 55, showing the form that has already fetched him two centuries in the series, including one in the first-innings.
England who lost the first Test and need a win to retain their number-one ranking, will return for the final day’s play looking to polish off the rest of the Sri Lankan batting quickly.
Prior eyes under-150 target
England wicket-keeper Matt Prior said that his side will look to minimise the target.
“Hopefully we’ll be chasing less than 150,” said Prior. “But we know we’ve got the ability in the dressing room to chase down anything. But first and foremost we have to take the four wickets.”
Prior said it was more important to make it 1-1 in the series than think about the rankings.
“Every bloke wants to be part of the best team in the world and we want to prove we’re  the best. We want to win because we want to win every Test we play, not because it counts in our rankings.”
Dilshan still optimistic
Tillakaratne Dilshan, meanwhile, refused to write off his team’s chances.
“If we bat out the first session, there’s  a good chance we may win it,” said Dilshan. “If we can set a target of 150, we believe we can win. It’s not an easy pitch to bat on. It has turn and bounce and we have some very good spinners in our side.”
Swann does the trick
The tourists were hoping for a swift closure when Swann grabbed the key wickets of Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara in the post-lunch session. But Thilan Samaraweera (47) and Jayawardene kept the England attack at bay.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 7^th, 2012.

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Analysis: How Byco’s new refinery might change the industry

By Farooq Tirmizi

Published: April 7, 2012

The group imported a refinery that was owned by Chevron in Milford Haven, UK. The entire refinery was taken apart and moved to Byco’s 600-acre site in Hub, Balochistan where it has since been re-assembled. It took almost two years – from 2007 to 2009 – just to move the refinery and another three years to reassemble it. PHOTO COURTESY: BYCO

KARACHI:  By global standards, Byco’s new refinery is not technologically very advanced. In fact, it is not even new, having first been set up in the United Kingdom in 1967. But it represents an important step forward for the country’s refining sector, and Byco’s competitors are likely to have noticed.

Byco Petroleum currently operates the smallest refinery in the country, which has a capacity of processing about 36,200 barrels per day. Its parent group, however, plans to expand the refining operations by adding about capacity for about 120,000 barrels per day.
To do this, the group imported a refinery that was owned by Chevron in Milford Haven, UK. The entire refinery was taken apart and moved to Byco’s 600-acre site in Hub, Balochistan where it has since been re-assembled and re-calibrated to operate in the Pakistani environment. It took almost two years – from 2007 to 2009 – just to move the refinery and another three years to reassemble it.
Byco’s main sponsors – the Abbasi family and the Dubai-based private equity firm Abraaj Capital – have thus far invested $750 million into the refinery project. “We will begin commissioning in the third quarter of 2012 and will begin commercial production from October,” said Muhammad Akram Paracha, the head of refining operations at Byco.
Yet it is not the size of the refinery that is impressive. After all, the Khalifa Refinery being built not much further down the Balochistan coast will be even bigger, with a capacity of about 250,000 barrels per day. What distinguishes this refinery is its ability to process crude oil beyond a level that is currently possible in Pakistan.
Tucked away in the massive refinery complex at Hub is a small segment called the isomerisation unit, the first of its kind in Pakistan and the pride and joy of the company’s engineers. This unit will allow the refinery to convert 12,500 barrels per day of naphtha into motor gasoline, commonly known as petrol. That may not sound significant, but in the world of refining, it is big news.
A majority of the product produced by most refineries in Pakistan yield negative margins, meaning that they sell for below the price of the crude oil that went into making them. Furnace oil, liquefied petroleum gas and naphtha yield either negative margins or at best flat margins. Refineries make their money off diesel fuel and petrol, and even there, the margins are quite narrow, often in the single digits.
Taken together, petrol and diesel constitute about 50% of the refinery’s production. If, however, a refinery is able to add the roughly 8% of its production that is naphtha and yields negative returns into petrol – which yields positive returns – the refinery will significantly boost its profitability.
Byco’s refinery may be old, but it is the only one in Pakistan that will have the capacity to do so, boosting the company’s returns significantly.
Other refineries are also trying to boost their processing capabilities. Pak-Arab Refinery Company, currently the owner of Pakistan’s largest refinery company, wants to begin producing asphalt out of furnace oil, which yields higher margins.
So why are investors not happy?
Despite plans of becoming the largest refinery in the country, most investors appear unimpressed with Byco. The reason: the new refinery will not be owned by the publicly-listed Byco Petroleum, but rather its unlisted parent company, Byco Oil Pakistan.
“Investors are not interested because it [the new refinery] is not going to be part of the listed company,” said Fawad Khan, a research analyst at KASB Securities. “There could be synergies going forward, but the retail investor will get not benefit for now.”
Published in The Express Tribune, April 7^th, 2012.

Syria crisis: UN chief Ban Ki-moon condemns attacks

 

7 April 2012

Syria crisis: UN chief Ban Ki-moon condemns attacks

Activists and witnesses say there has been an intensification of violence in recent days

Continue reading the main story

The head of the UN, Ban Ki-moon, has condemned the Syrian government for fresh military assaults despite agreeing to a deal to end the violence.

Mr Ban said the 10 April ceasefire deadline was "not an excuse for continued killing" by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad.
Activists say at least 100 people have been killed over the past two days as troops intensified operations.
Earlier, Turkey said it may need UN help after a surge in refugee arrivals.
After speaking to Mr Ban, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said the rate of refugees had doubled since Mr Assad agreed to implementing the UN-Arab League plan.
The six-point peace plan, mediated by envoy and former UN chief Kofi Annan, envisages cessation of armed violence by all parties from 10 April, with a full ceasefire on 12 April.

However, the Syrian opposition, the US and many regional countries have expressed scepticism that Syria is committed to the plan.

In Friday's statement, Mr Ban said the recent attacks on civilians "violate" the UN's demands and demanded the government halt military operations.
Mr Ban "deplores the assault by the Syrian authorities against innocent civilians, including women and children, despite the commitments by the Government of Syria to cease all use of heavy weapons in population centers," it said.
"The 10 April timeline to fulfill the Government's implementation of its (ceasefire) commitments, as endorsed by the Security Council, is not an excuse for continued killing," it said.
Earlier, Turkey said that if the influx of refugees continued at the current rate, it would need international assistance. More than 2,800 Syrians have crossed over the border in 36 hours, with the total now near 24,000, Mr Davutoglu said.
Many of the refugees have reported intense bombardment by government forces.

Continue reading the main story 

 

On Friday, activists said violence was continuing across the country.

The BBC's Jim Muir in Beirut says that in Homs and some other areas the approach of the deadline to halt all violence seems to have brought an escalation rather than a reduction.
He says activists are accusing the government of trying to complete its crackdown come what may; but government officials say it is the rebel fighters who are exploiting the impending withdrawal of the military from towns and cities.
A UN team is currently in Damascus to negotiate the possibility of deploying UN monitors to oversee any ceasefire.
Mr Annan has said that if the truce is successful a small mobile UN monitoring mission of some 200-250 observers could be brought into Syria.
The UN estimates more than 9,000 people have died in the year-long uprising against the rule of President Assad.

Poker face?: Nawaz unruffled

By  Correspondent

Published: April 7, 2012

“I am not commenting on the ‘taking away shine’ [comment by the president],” says PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif. PHOTO: Express

PESHAWAR:  In retaliation to the president’s continued tirades against him, Nawaz Sharif played it cool on Friday – and refused to take the bait.

The chief of the principal opposition party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), seemed to take the moral high road in his brief interaction with the media in Peshawar, saying: “I am not commenting on the ‘taking away shine’ [comment by the president]”. About being called a ‘refugee’ by the president, he said that such statements will further polarise nation and should be avoided.
The most surprising statement by President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday, regarding the number of people present for the funeral of Nawaz’s father, was met by an equally surprising response by the PML-N chief.
He recalled that, when the president’s father was ill in London, he had gone to enquire about his health – and added that he still prays for his salvation.
Nawaz did say that the incumbent government’s performance was ‘below zero’.
Another party of the opposition, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam–Fazal (JUI-F), however, was more vocal in its response.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that the president had politically lowered himself by issuing derogatory statements regarding the funeral of Sharif’s father.
He advised the PML-N not to respond to the remarks, and said that it now appeared that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)’s politics was not that of reconciliation.
Punjab law minister
While Nawaz remained silent, the PML-N’s other senior leaders responded in kind to the president. Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said that the statements of President Zardari are a proof of his ‘mental bankruptcy’. He added that one can hardly believe that the head of a state can use such words in a speech. He said that President Zardari owes his ‘shine’ to the looted wealth.
In a statement, Rana Sanaullah said that President Zardari can visit Punjab to his heart’s content but the people of this province will show him his true level of popularity here.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 7^th, 2012.

JK Wedding Entrance Dance

Lanvin Runway Show - Paris Fashion Week Spring 2012 PFW | FashionTV - FTV 

 

Armed and ready to play Tak Ball, a stunning game

 

Armed and ready to play Tak Ball, a stunning game 

 Published on Mar 6, 2012

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L.A. Nightlight's Thomas Taylor runs with the ball to score a goal as Philadelphia Killawatts' players chase him with stun guns during an Ultimate Tak Ball (UTB) game in Bangkok on March 2, 2012. The rules are simple: throw a ball into the goal to score a point. But what makes this game unlike any other is that all the players are armed and ready with stun guns. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

 BANGKOK (REUTERS) - The rules are simple: throw a ball into the goal to score a point. But what makes this game unlike any other is that all the players are armed and ready with stun guns.
It's Ultimate Tak Ball, the brainchild of a few hardcore sports fanatics who say it is the sport of the future and are in Bangkok for an exhibition game.
Each game consists of three periods that last for 7 minutes each, with two teams of four players each. Any player in possession of the 60cm medicine ball is open to unlimited shocking by the players on the opposite team.
The stun guns pack 3 to 5 milliamps of electricity, which is only about 10 per cent of the power of the taser stun guns used by police. Fired on contact with an opponent, the guns produce a twitching feeling, according to players. 'It never gets better, you just get less afraid of the stun,' a smiling Mr Damien Ryan, 24, said during a break in a match in Bangkok. 'But it's one of the best feelings ever.

Client exodus to push BlackBerry fees down

 

 Research In Motion (RIM) will be forced to slash the fees it charges carriers for BlackBerry service this year, an analyst said on Monday as another United States government customer edged away from the service, cutting into a pillar of the struggling smartphone company's business model. -- PHOTO: AP



(REUTERS) - Research In Motion (RIM) will be forced to slash the fees it charges carriers for BlackBerry service this year, an analyst said on Monday as another United States (US) government customer edged away from the service, cutting into a pillar of the struggling smartphone company's business model.

RIM runs its own network infrastructure, enabling it to encrypt, compress and push data to BlackBerry phones via a cellular network. The Canadian company brought in almost US$1 billion (S$1.2 billion) from this high-margin service last quarter, one-fifth of its total sales.
But a second US government agency in as many months, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), said on Monday it would remove its BlackBerry servers in favour of a nimbler alternative that offers support for a wider variety of devices.
According to Northern Securities analyst Sameet Kanade, RIM - once the only option for secure mobile communication - has moved too slowly to counter the threat posed as companies and governments increasingly allow employees to use their own mobile devices for work. Meanwhile, carriers have soured on paying the BlackBerry service's fee, he said.

DonDon't Watch It If You Are Under 18.Very Dangerous Video

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LPG prices hit record high at Rs118,429 per ton

 

Sunday, March 04, 2012, Rabi-ul-Sani 10, 1433
Karachi—Local producers have raised price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) by Rs5353 to a record high of Rs118,429 per ton in accordance with Saudi Aramco Contact Price. This was stated by the chairman of FPCCI Standing Committee on LPG and Pattern in Chief of All Pakistan LPG Distributors Association (APLDA) Abdul Hadi Khan here Saturday.
He said Saudi Armco Contract Price (CP) has surged to record high due to increase in prices of butane by $ 140 per ton while propane is up by $ 220 per ton.
Hadi pointed out that domestic price of LPG has been increased by Rs5 to Rs135-145 per kilo, 11.8 kilo cylinder by Rs66 to Rs1520-1580 and 45.4 kg cylinder by Rs243 to Rs5850-6075. Expressing serious concern over this rise, Hadi said that distributors will protest agaisnt this rise and said an emergency general body meeting of APLDA has been convened for next week to prepare a line of action against the government and local producers.
He said that 6000 distributors will hold protest rallies and block gas fields and refineries over this rise. He said LPG sale has declined by 49 to 50 percent due to high prices, further shrinking the business of more than 6000 LPG distributors in the country and their survival is in danger. He urged Petroleum Minister to reduce dependance on imported LPG and concentrate on enhancing local production.

Cricket: Malik, Farhat axed by new-look selectors

By Nabeel Hashmi

Published: March 4, 2012

The series offers captain Misbahul Haq (right) an opportunity to redeem himself after series defeats against England led to calls from some quarters for a change of leadership in the shorter formats of the game. PHOTO: AFP

KARACHI:  The Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) new-formed selection committee made its objectives clear by axing Shoaib Malik, Imran Farhat and Adnan Akmal from the Asia Cup squad that will be held in Bangladesh from March 11.

Instead, Nasir Jamshed and specialist wicket-keeper Sarfraz Ahmed were recalled to the One-Day International (ODI) squad as the selectors made note of Umar Akmal’s inconsistent show behind the stumps and Pakistan’s inability to lay a solid foundation.
Calls for Misbahul Haq to be replaced as ODI captain were shot down when the batsman was retained as skipper for the regional event that also includes India, Sri Lanka and the hosts.
Jamshed’s recall was a surprise to many, especially after his passport was seized in Bangladesh following the arrest of the Karachi-based bookie Sajid Khan during the recently-concluded Bangladesh Premier League.
New chief selector Iqbal Qasim, along with the selection committee that includes Saleem Jaffar, Azhar Khan, Farrukh Zaman and Asif Baloch, held a two-hour meeting with Misbah before naming the squad.
“The selectors were not ready for this as we thought we’d be put incharge after the Asia Cup,” Qasim told The Express Tribune. “However, we’ve tried hard to work on the grey areas and name the best available in the space of 24 hours after consultation with Misbah.”
Dearth of wicket-keeper, pacemen concern Misbah
Meanwhile, an official close to the proceedings revealed that Misbah showed grave concerns over the inability to find Kamran Akmal’s replacement with the team having used the services of Mohammad Salman, Adnan, Umar Akmal and Sarfraz Ahmed since Kamran was snubbed after last year’s World Cup.
Misbah also remained worried over the lack of penetration shown by the fast-bowlers.
New coach Dav Whatmore, however, remained a silent participant in the meeting, opting to observe proceedings for now with his input starting after the four-nation event.
Onus to perform on Sarfraz
Qasim, though, sounded out a stern warning to Sarfraz, highlighting the various chances he had been given and how another failure will spell the end.
“When you don’t have a good wicketkeeper-batsman, the balance of the whole team gets disturbed. It is high time that Sarfraz finally comes good with the bat otherwise we will be forced to look elsewhere,” added Qasim, hinting that a talent-hunt scheme could solve the issue, if needed.
Sarfraz, meanwhile, knows he needs to perform and that another failure could be harmful for his prospects.
“I have not been able to show my prowess with the bat but I am looking forward to playing decent knocks in the Asia Cup and finally repaying the selectors’ trust in me,” said Sarfraz.
“Like everybody else, I just need one good innings to break the shackles and hopefully I will be able to transform my domestic batting heroics in the international arena.”
Jamshed keen to make an impact
Jamshed, who made his debut against Zimbabwe back in 2008, vowed to grab this opportunity with both hands.
“My aim is to cash in on this opportunity as much as I can so that I don’t regret this,” he said, before adding that the BPL controversy was behind him and the few tough days he faced were part of a learning curve and a lesson for him.
Squad
Misbahul Haq, Mohammad Hafeez, Nasir Jamshed, Younus Khan, Umar Akmal, Hammad Azam, Asad Shafiq, Shahid Afrid, Azhar Ali, Sarfraz Ahmed, Saeed Ajmal, Abdul Rehman, Umar Gul, Aizaz Cheema, Wahab Riaz
Fixtures
Mar 11, 1300 PST
Bangladesh v Pakistan
Mar 13, 1300 PST
India v Sri Lanka
Mar 15, 1300 PST
Pakistan v Sri Lanka
Mar 16, 1300 PST
Bangladesh v India
Mar 18, 1300 PST
India v Pakistan
Mar 20, 1300 PST
Bangladesh v Sri Lanka
Mar 22, 1300 PST
Final
Iqbal Qasim
“The selectors were not ready for this as we thought we’d be put incharge after the Asia Cup. However, we’ve tried hard to work on the grey areas and name the best available in the space of 24 hours after consultation with Misbah.”
Nasir Jamshed
“My aim is to cash in on this opportunity as much as I can so that I don’t regret this. The BPL controversy is behind me and the few tough days I faced were part of a learning curve and a lesson for me.”
Sarfraz Ahmed
“I haven’t been able to show my prowess with the bat but am looking forward to playing decent knocks in the Asia Cup and finally repaying the selectors’ trust in me. I just need one good innings to break the shackles.”
Published in The Express Tribune, March 4^th, 2012.

Presidency, ISPR denials based on assumptions: Mansoor

http://paktribune.com/news/Presidency-ISPR-denials-based-on-assumptions-Mansoor-248004.html

Presidency, ISPR denials based on assumptions: Mansoor

04 March, 2012
 

LONDON: The central figure in memo scandal, Mansoor Ijaz, said that telephonic conversation between President Asif Ali Zardari and Chief of Army Staff Ashfaq Pervez Kayani regarding US Navy SEALs raid on Osama Bin Laden compound in Abbottabad on May 2, 2011 based on assumptions that now require complete clarification.
In his email sent to Dunya News, Mansoor Ijaz clarified that he himself was not sure of the authenticity of the transcript he entered into evidence during Thursday's Judicial Commission hearing, and had presented it to the court with a disclaimer to view it on its own merit.
He said that denials by Presidency and ISPR are based on a set of assumptions that now require complete clarification.
"Nowhere in the transcript is there any mention of a direct call between President Asif Ali Zardari and Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kayani. There is repeated mention of calls between the offices of the two men, but none that took place directly between them," he said.
"I asked that the transcript be sealed during Thursday's hearing for precisely this purpose — that I myself was not certain of its authenticity or accuracy, but since it was one factor of many in my decision to ask Gen James Jones to forward the message to Adm Mike Mullen which had been dictated to me by Husain Haqqani on May 9, 2011, it was a relevant fact to the Commission's search for truth about the purpose of the Memorandum, he said.
"I asked Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa to evaluate the document on its merit with both his esteemed colleagues before making a judgment about its value to the proceedings," he said.
"ISPR and the Presidency picking up on one specific point based on media reports of what is contained in the transcript demonstrates continuing distortions in the search for truth about the alleged complicity of President Zardari in the Memorandum affair and the events of May 2nd. What about the other 40 or so entries in the logs of what happened on that night? Why has ISPR and the Presidency not yet commented on the veracity — or not — of those points as well," he asked.
Earlier, Spokesperson to the President Farhatullah Babar and the Inter Service Public Relations (ISPR) on Saturday denied any conversations between President Asif Ali Zardari and Chief of Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani on the night of May 2 when US troops raided Osama bin Laden's hideout.
The Presidency dismissed as "absolutely untrue and unfounded" some media reports about President Zardari's phone call to Gen Kayani regarding the May 2 raid.
"A section of the media has carried reports implying that President Zardari had informed chief of the army that the operation had been conducted with his approval," said the spokesperson.
The ISPR spokesman also clarified that there was no conversation between the president and the army chief on the night between May 1 and 2, 2011.
The spokesman said that there were no telephonic conversations between the president and the COAS.
"The military leadership has briefed the joint session of parliament as well as the Abbottabad Commission on the subject matter and there was nothing more to add to it," the spokesman added.
End.

Poetry in mood (Aye Khuda tu ne Mohabbat yeah banae kiun hay)

Lahore win gold in karate, basketball

By: Our Staff Reporter | March 02, 2012 | The Nation

LAHORE - Lahore clinched gold medals in karate, weightlifting and basketball matches on the fourth day of Inter Divisional Punjab Sports Festival 2012 which is in full swing here at the various venues of the city.
In weightlifting university male competitions, Lahore bagged first position, Gujranwala secured second while Sargodha got third. In general public, basketball matches, Lahore scored first position while Faisalabad was second in the final competitions. In basketball boys’ college competitions, PCC Lahore scored 65 points with first position, PCC Faisalabad earned second with 41 points. In university basketball boys’ competitions, UCP Lahore secured first position with 61 points while BZU Multan remained second. In the general public final volleyball matches, Faisalabad defeated Sahiwal 3-1. Faisalabd also got victorious in the college boys’ semi-finals beating Sahiwal 2-0 while Gujranwala beat Lahore 2-1.
In the girls’ matches of volleyball college female semi-finals, Rawalpindi beat Bahawalpur 3-0, Faisalabad thrashed Multan 3-0. In the hockey college male matches, Faisalabad beat Sahiwal 6-0, Gujranwala defeated Rawalpindi 2-1, DG Khan beat Rawalpindi 1-0, Bahawalpur beat Multan 5-1. In the general public hockey matches, Faisalabad beat Sahiwal 5-1, Gujranwala beat Multan 2-0. In karate university girls events, Madeeha Hussain of Lahore clinched gold in 45kg while Masooma Ijaz of Faisalabad earned silver. Marium Lodhi of Lahore secured gold in 50kg, Pamela of Faisalabad got silver whereas in +50kg, Anza Tahir of Lahore won gold and Rubab of Gujranwala silver.
In the boys’ university karate competitions, Waqas of Lahore won gold in 48kg while Sajjad Hussain of Bahawalpur won silver. Ayaz of Lahore grabbed gold in 55kg while Zulqurnain of Bahawalpur got silver. Shahid of Lahore claimed gold in +55kg while M Abbas of Sahiwal secured silver.
Bahawalpur dominated with 13 points to win first position in university wrestling male competitions. Islamia College University Bahawalpur shone with two golds and one silver to win the finals. Lahore won second position with 11 points earning one gold and two silvers. In college athletics competitions, Tanveer Abbas of Sargodha won 100m race, Tariq Mehmood of Lahore won 200m, M Shahid of Gujranwala 400m, Zahid of Bahawalpur 1500m and Ehsan Ijaz of Faisalabad won 800m while in the long jump, Adnan of Lahore, in shotput M Sajjad of Bahawalpur whereas in javelin throw, M Qasim of Lahore secured first positions.

Intelligence agencies not above law, observes SC

By: Terence J Sigamony | March 02, 2012

ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court on Thursday expressed dissatisfaction over the replies submitted by the intelligence agencies in Adiala Jail missing prisoners’ case.
The court issued the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Military Intelligence (MI) a stern warning that they must not consider themselves superior to the civilians and work under the law of the land. The court also said that there is a common perception that agencies are involved in abduction and extra-judicial killings in Balochistan.
Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry heading a three-member bench  hearing a petition filed by Rohaifa, the mother of three of the prisoners  said they were surprised to read the report of the intelligence agencies.
The chief justice said the replies does not justify under which law the civilians were picked up by agencies and kept in detention for more than a year. “Who gave you the right to hound people?” the CJP questioned. He told the MI and ISI counsel Raja Muhammad Irshad, “Take this out of your mind that you (ISI and MI) are superior and others (civilians) are inferior.”
Eleven missing persons were allegedly picked up by the agencies after their release from Adiala Jail. Out of them four prisoners Muhammad Amir, Tahseenullah, Said Arab and Abdul Saboor died in the custody.
The CJP said that they were frightened to the see the condition of prisoners. The court should be informed which agencies kept them in their custody. If these people had attacked GHQ, even then it is necessary for you to produce evidence against them for fair trial. You must go by the book,” Justice Chaudhry said.
The chief justice said whatever the agencies do should be done within the limits of law as the agencies are not ‘above the law’. “If a judge is bound not to break a traffic signal, then why will he allow you to subvert the constitution of the country,” Justice Khilji remarked.
The chief justice said that the agencies have become ‘insensitive’ to the issues. He said that the things have become so bad that mother of three sons, killed in the custody, also died after seeing the condition of the prisoners. He said they would be held accountable to God even if one prisoner is proven innocent. “We are grateful to God that rest of the prisoners have been saved,” he said.
The chief justice said there is a hue and cry throughout the country that agencies abduct people and later their bodies are found in hospitals. He said the agencies are also blamed for the missing persons. Balochistan is burning and people are blaming the intelligence agencies of the country.
Raja Irshad, counsel for ISI and MI, held that the prisoners were getting funds from abroad and were involved in anti-state activities. He said that foreign elements involved in instilling terrorism in Balochistan are active and the agencies cannot work with their ‘eyes closed’ to the issue.
The chief justice said that if this attitude is not changed then the warlords would become powerful. “Who have set Balochistan on fire? We ask you time and again and you always tell us stories. Are we here to listen to your stories?”
The chief justice addressing Raja Irshad said if your child becomes sick you become worried about him. Raja Irshad said that officials of the agencies also understand this thing that missing persons issue is becoming very important.
“After reading your poorly-drafted reply, I thought whether we are thinking against the country here? As much as you consider yourself loyal to this country, perhaps we are more loyal than you,” the chief justice observed. Justice Khilji Arif Hussain said that the 1965 war is evidence that the people of the country were on the forefront rather than the army to fight against the enemy.
The chief justice said that the government officials were apathetic as the relatives of the missing persons who were protesting in the open sky in cold weather, while they were sitting in their rooms in front of heaters. For the last 15 days the relatives of missing persons are sitting in front of the parliament, but no one cared for them.
The court also expressed displeasure over the statement of Raja Irshad about parliament that the current parliament ‘does not represent the will of the people’. The CJP said: “Had the parliament not been working then there would have been martial law in the country.”
The court observed that the parliament should do some legislation in this regard. It noted that the parliament has passed so many bills and on the order of the Supreme Court has passed 20th amendment.
Raja Irshad briefed the court about the sacrifices of his clients, saying: “The persons whom I am representing are also lying on the snow-capped mountains.” Justice Khilji Arif Hussain said that they recognise their commendable services but violation of the law cannot be allowed. The honourable judge said everyone is equal before law.
The chief justice praising the governor and chief secretary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa said now the Adiala prisoners were in safe hands. The KPK governor has a good knowledge about of law. The court appreciated KPK chief secretary for presenting comprehensive report regarding health of the prisoners, saying he had done wonderful job. The KPK chief secretary was directed to keep on submitting medical reports of seven prisoners after every four days. The hearing was adjourned till March 16.

Pakistan’s interest first, says Gilani

Pakistan’s interest first, says Gilani By: Waqt News | March 02, 2012 Pakistan’s interest first, says Gilani ISLAMABAD – Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Thursday said Pakistan as a sovereign nation would make decisions which served its interests, as he asked the United States not to interfere in the country’s internal matters. He said Pakistan would benefit through trade with Iran, adding that an agreement was expected with Tehran for 1000MW of electricity supply to cater the energy needs in the country. Gilani was answering questions on the US pressure regarding Pak-Iran ties in a live programme on Waqt News and Prime Minister Online programme of the state-run PTV. The prime minister said the resolution tabled in the US Congress was inconsequential, as it did not represented Washington’s policy. He asked the US to restrain from meddling in Pakistan, saying such attitude generated anti-Americanism in the country. The Pak-US relations had witnessed many ups and downs, but Pakistan wanted to ensure ties based on mutual respect, as both the countries had shared objectives in the war against terror, Gilani noted. The prime minister rejected the impression that the democracy was threatened and said matters pertaining to security situation were discussed during the Wednesday’s meeting with the army chief, adding the undemocratic elements would only be disappointed. However, he refused to answer a question about the possible extension in the tenure of ISI chief Lt-Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha, saying, “No comments.” He recalled his early statement in which he had said that everything would be cleared in the spring. Talking about the 20th Amendment, Gilani said it had made the free and transparent elections a reality. Now, the prime minster would not be imprisoned, sent abroad or killed because of the transfer of power under the constitution, remarked Gilani and said he would announce the next polls after taking the allies into confidence. Replying to a query about Pak-India relations, Gilani made it clear that Pakistan’s principled stance on Kashmir would never be changed and talks were underway to resolve the multiple issues between the two neighbours. “We want good relations with India, China, Iran Afghanistan and other neighbouring countries, as improved ties will ensure progress in the region. A country, which does not enjoy normal relations with neighbours, can never develop,” he remarked. On the Balochistan issue, the prime minister said it was Nawaz Sharif who had first suggested an All Parties Conference (APC), but when he talked about it, the PML-N leader termed it a futile exercise and presented some conditions. “APC is not my problem. It is a national issue. I will decide whether to call it or not after the consulting all the stakeholders,” he said, adding that the Baloch people were patriotic and the government would accept all their demands in the space provided by the constitution. Gilani also talked about the energy crisis and rising petroleum prices. He said Pakistan could not remain immune to the trend in the international market, adding that the federal government was giving a subsidy worth Rs 8 billion and the provinces should also to contribute in subsidising the prices. “I want to organise an energy conference in Lahore so as to include the provincial government in the process, because the provinces have also be authorised to produce electricity,” he added. But he declined giving a deadline about ending the power outages, saying he would not do so, as all the promises had always been joked. Gilani reiterated that the next budget would be tax free and said the finance advisor had been directed to create job opportunities for 0.15 million people, while the health insurance project would soon be launched from Faisalabad. The government aimed at improving the infrastructure without which distribution of laptops was useless, he remarked with obvious reference to the Punjab government. On the memogate, he said Mansoor Ijaz did not enjoy good reputation; therefore, his claims had no importance. The prime minister said he respected judiciary and would appear in person before the court, whenever asked to do so. Gilani rejected the possibility of curbing media freedom and said he in his first speech after assuming the office had announced repealing the black laws concerning media.

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