10/01/2011
3/15/2011
Pakistani minister assassinated in Islamabad
Islamabad Fashion Week
8/30/2010
Pakistan Cricket.....!
Yesterday I was preparing to write about the shame of our feeble capitulation in both innings of the fourth test.
Tonight, I would give anything if that were the only form of embarrassment we had to suffer at the hands of our team – but it isn’t. An abject defeat would be too easy a let-off. Our team couldn’t resist dragging a country’s reputation through the mud as the icing on the cake.
As the whole world knows by now, a British tabloid broke a story implicating several Pakistan cricket players in a “spot-fixing” scam. The video evidence is damning, showing Mazhar Majeed, the mastermind behind the operation, assuring an undercover reporter that no-balls would be bowled at specific points in the match in exchange for cash. Sure enough, the said deliveries were duly bowled.
Anyone that saw the match live must remember being astounded at the extent of Amir’s overstepping. It seemed too exaggerated to be genuine. It wasn’t. I don’t think the evidence against Hansie Cronje was ever as conclusive as the video taken showing Wahab Riaz and Umar Amin, ostensibly acting as gophers for the likes of Salman Butt and Kamran Akmal, meeting with Majeed and accepting a coat carrying possibly upwards of £10,000. Officials reportedly later found around £25,000 in a Pakistani player’s room.
I’ve watched this clip disbelievingly over and over again, probably out of some masochistic impulse. It’s difficult not to feel a little sick as Majeed silently, calmly flips through a wad of bills, computing the value of the honour of our players as if it’s an item on the shelf of a supermarket. In a seedy hotel room, our players were bought and sold.
In the interests of fairness, let’s establish what Asif and Amir did not do. As far as I’m aware, they did not under-perform. Money was accepted to perform certain, seemingly trivial, actions on the field of play. No catches were dropped. No wickets were gifted while we batted. In fact, the no-balls in question were bowled while we were in the ascendancy and our grip over the match was absolute. So far, there is no evidence to suggest that we deliberately let England off the hook after having them at 47-5.
It’s debatable whether it is fair to punish the accused with life bans for something relatively minor. Would Amir have hesitated to take the cash if it required him to ensure that Pakistan lost the game? Maybe not. Maybe Asif and him just figured: “It’s only a measly no-ball. What does it matter in the broader scheme of things?”
It does matter guys.
This is not a question of degrees. Going by that logic, there shouldn’t be a death penalty for killing a homeless, destitute man because he “doesn’t matter” as much as you or I. Where does one draw the line at what an acceptable form of bribery is and what’s not? That’s a rhetorical question because there is no line. Once you start attaching notional levels of reprobation to an offence, you immediately diminish the gravity of that offence as a whole. I don’t want young kids thinking that bowling an inconsequential no-ball for some cash is relatively harmless. I want them thinking that accepting money for doing something you otherwise wouldn’t do on the field is a serious crime.
To make matters worse, the scene of the crime was the home of cricket. Say what you want about the English, but they have done a lot for us since Pakistan was deprived of international cricket, going as far as to host a “home series” for us against Australia. It’s ironic how the title of the series was meant to represent the sincerity of the gesture: “Spirit of Cricket”. Talk about not doing justice to those ideals. If any team right now can be accused of disgracing the spirit of cricket, it’s ours. Our team literally walked into someone else’s home who gave them room and board, made themselves comfortable, and then proceeded to defecate all over it.
Let me address a few reasons why some may find these crimes excusable.
Majeed himself mentions that some players are forced into this situation because they earn peanuts from the PCB. Not true. All the players involved in the scandal are on a central contract, which guarantees them a better life than they’re used to. Add match fees and substantial product endorsements and you have enough income to live comfortably. So don’t dismiss this because our players don’t make enough to make ends meet. Condemn it because they want more than they deserve. It’s greed – plain and simple.
A more compelling argument is that of education. Amir, Asif, Kamran and many others are propelled into international stardom devoid of any scholastic fine-tuning. Schooling is not a priority for our players, and if one is bereft of the principles and disciple that comes with education it becomes harder to develop a moral compass. Furthermore, it doesn’t help when the PCB compounds the problem through an inconsistent and whimsical application of its own rules and penalties. From bans to exoneration, the PCB has cultivated a culture of misplaced benevolence. Pariah one day, savior the next. Our players simply are not taught accountability by the management.
And now they are going to have to learn it the hard way.
In my last blog, I called this the best bowling attack in the world because I truly believe that. I also mentioned that our bowlers portray to the world the best that Pakistan has to offer. Sadly there is a dichotomy inherent in that boast as the same players can also exhibit the worst qualities of our country.
We don’t need that kind of exposure right now. We have millions of people displaced by floods who don’t have access to aid and resources because donations have been conspicuously low. Donors and charities are unsure of the sincerity of a notoriously corrupt government and fearful of their donations being redirected into selfish hands.
This scandal has the capacity to vindicate those fears. If the mainstream cricketers are crooks, what does it say about the institutions that sponsor them?
6/11/2010
Pakistan offers mediation to settle Iran N-conflict
As Iran maintained a stiff upper lip in face of some of the strongest sanctions against its nuclear programme, Islamabad called for a negotiated settlement.
“Pakistan has always called for a negotiated settlement of the issues surrounding Iran’s nuclear programme. We will continue encouraging all the parties concerned to reengage in purposeful diplomacy and settle differences in the spirit of cooperation and accommodation. Beyond that I would not like to speculate as to the implications for the region or why this sanction has come about, as we already know the background. We all know what has led to this resolution,” the spokesman at the Foreign Office told the weekly media briefing.
However, as the world powers ensure that Iran is economically ‘strangulated’, the spokesman said its ongoing cooperation with Iran on the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline would not be hit by these sanctions.
“As far as our IPI project is concerned, it is a commercial agreement to meet our energy deficit and beyond the purview of this resolution,” the spokesman responded to a query.
Israel’s blatant blood letting on the Freedom Flotilla and Iran’s nuclear programme were pointed out to the spokesman. “On Israel, you would remember that there was a presidential statement from the Security Council, condemning the attack on the Freedom Flotilla. Now, efforts are afoot to see as to how international investigations could be conducted into that serious crime committed by Israel,” the spokesman said.
Israel’s nuclear programme, which appeared to have been sidelined by the UNSC, was also raised at the briefing as well as the expansion of the UNSC. The spokesman pointed to the recently held NPT Review Conference in New York where there was a resolution to make the Middle East a Nuclear-Weapons Free Zone.
“I think the international community needs to work together to achieve this objective. As far as Pakistan is concerned, our position on the UNSC reform is clear. We do want this body to become democratic. We nevertheless do not support expansion in the permanent category of the Council. We are working within the framework of the Uniting for Consensus (UFC), along with other like-minded countries. We have put our proposals on the table and we will see how things evolve in the weeks and months ahead,” he added.
As eyebrows were raised when US Secretary of State Robert Blake publicly took an Indian ‘friendly’ stance and said the upcoming foreign ministers meeting between India and Pakistan would not ponder over Kashmir, the spokesman did not agree, saying Pakistan had a right to discuss ‘all’ the issues.
Even on Thursday, official voices in New Delhi said it was not going to discuss substantive issues like Kashmir with Pakistan in the proposed rounds of dialogue, but was only attempting to create the “right atmosphere” for removing the trust deficit for a broad dialogue later.
The spokesman responded: “I think you all understand that the trust deficit, which exists between Pakistan and India, is not a new phenomenon. It is there since decades for several reasons and you are all aware of those. We believe that in order to move forward meaningfully with a view to bridging this trust deficit, it is important that, as agreed by the two prime ministers at Thimphu, we discuss all the issues, which continue to bedevil our relations and this is what we intend to do when the two foreign ministers meet in Islamabad in July.”
Nevertheless, Pakistan is in a preparatory mode for the upcoming interactions with India. The spokesman recalled Foreign Minister Qureshi’s meeting with the Indian Commerce Minister on the sidelines of the CICA Summit in Istanbul and Wednesday’s meeting between Pakistan’s high commissioner and the Indian home minister in New Delhi in the context of the upcoming Saarc meeting of home/interior ministers in Islamabad, which would take place on June 26.
“The meeting was also about a bilateral interaction between our interior minister and his Indian counterpart on the margins of the Saarc meeting in Islamabad. Overall, I think both countries agree that we need to move forward in a sustained manner, so that the engagement process may not be disrupted again. There is also a realisation that it is important that we take meaningful steps forward, so that the trust deficit, which exists between our two countries, may be bridged,” said the spokesman.
Pakistan has not shied away from hard facts that it can do much better to improve its human rights record, as pointed out in the latest Amnesty International report.
“The democratic government of Pakistan is fully committed to improving the human rights situation in Pakistan. There is no denying the fact that there are problems, there are issues that need to be handled and handled effectively. Having said that I would like to say that the government of Pakistan is sparing no effort in order to overcome these with a view that human rights of all our citizens are ensured in accordance with the Constitution,” said the spokesman.
6/03/2010
Emergency imposed at coastal areas as cyclone Phet nears
KARACHI: Tropical cyclone Phet barreled toward the coast of the Gulf Arab state of Oman on Wednesday, strengthening quickly on its way to becoming a powerful category five storm.
Phet was not expected to make landfall in Oman, but should instead turn to skim parallel to the Sultanate's shore before roaring northeast toward Pakistan, according to met office.
As the cyclone is gaining momentum some 900 kilometers away from Karachi, a series of torrential rains have hit lower parts of Sindh province. Badin, Thatta, Tharparkar, Umerkot, Mirpur Khas, Hyderabad and other districts received heavy rainfall Wednesday evening, while Karachi is also expected to receive thunderstorm by tomorrow.
Phet would steer clear of the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, through which 40 percent of all seaborne oil trade passes, or about 17 million barrels per day (bpd).
Phet was a Category 3 storm on Wednesday, with sustained winds of over 130 mph (over 200 kph). It was expected to become a Category 5 storm, the most powerful with winds of over 156 mph (250 kph), in the next 24 hours.
Phet would lash Oman's eastern region shores with hurricane-strength winds through Friday before moving northeast. It was expected to weaken before coming ashore just south of Karachi as a Category 3 storm on Sunday, met office said.
The storm was expected to turn northeast before reaching Muscat.
6/02/2010
Army declares victory in Orakzai
ISLAMABAD: The army declared victory over militants in Orakzai Agency on Tuesday and said that the military operation in the area had been completed and civilians could expect to return home soon.
The announcement about the operation’s end was contained near the end of a short press release describing a visit to Orakzai and neighbouring Kurram tribal regions by Chief of Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani.
“Kayani’s visit to Orakzai Agency marks the successful conclusion of operations in the agency,” the statement said, adding: “He appreciated the professional conduct of the operation which has cleared the agency of terrorists.”
The statement also said civilians who fled Orakzai could expect to return home soon. More than 200,000 people are believed to have poured out of the area since the end of last year.
The announcement about the Orakzai tribal region may free the army to send some troops to other districts where militants have bases.
But the victory could also be fleeting — the army has declared success in other trouble spots in the past, only to see militants regroup and resurge.
The offensive in Orakzai came on the heels of an operation against the Pakistani Taliban in South Waziristan. Many militants in South Waziristan were believed to have fled to Orakzai, though the top Pakistani Taliban leaders are believed to be in North Waziristan, an area the army has resisted attacking.
For months, the military pounded Orakzai with air strikes, eventually staging a ground operation as well. The offensive intensified in March, with the reported daily death tolls of suspected militants sometimes in the dozens.
Information from the region has been nearly impossible to verify independently because not only is Orakzai remote and dangerous, but access to any part of the tribal belt is severely restricted.—AP
Dawn Correspondent adds: Eighteen militants, some foreigners among them, were killed and six injured when military planes pounded their hideouts in upper Orakzai on Tuesday, security officials said.
Sources said that militants were meeting at a hideout in Kot Kali area when they were hit by the planes.
The officials said two hideouts had been destroyed.
The casualties could not be confirmed from independent sources because journalists do not have access to the area.
Gen Kayani addressed a jirga of tribal elders in Kalaya, the regional headquarters. He said people should share responsibility for restoring peace in the area.
Meanwhile, hundreds of people displaced by clashes in Orakzai held a demonstration in Hangu in protest against Pakistan Red Crescent Society’s alleged discrimination in distribution of relief goods.
The protesters blocked the Hangu-Kohat road. They accused the Red Crescent Society of ignoring the people of Orakzai and said they had been provided food ration after a lapse of two months. They also said that their people in camp faced an acute shortage of food.
5/27/2010
Pakistani Taliban leader killed in Afghanistan
A top leader of Pakistani Taliban may have been killed in a clash with Afghan forces near the border, a senior Afghan police officer said on Thursday.
Maulvi Fazlullah, the head of a Taliban faction in Swat Valley, was reportedly killed along with six of his comrades in the Barg Matal district of Afghanistan's Nuristan province, which lies close to the border with Pakistan, said Mohammad Zaman Mamozai, chief of the Afghan border force for the eastern region.
"Maulvi Fazlullah was killed in direct clash with Afghan border police...last night," he said.
He did not have further details. The Afghan Taliban have confirmed the fighting, but insist no foreign militants were involved.
The news of Fazlullah's death comes after reports of several days of clashes between Afghan forces and militants in Barg Matal.
Maulvi Faqir Mohammad, who heads a Pakistani Taliban faction based in the Bajuar tribal region, denied media reports that Fazlullah was leading any assault in Afghanistan.
"He could be in Nuristan because the Taliban have been moving back and forth along the (Pakistan-Afghan) border," he told Reuters by telephone prior to reports of Fazlullah's death.
"He may be living in Nuristan but he is not engaged in any fighting there," he said.
In a BBC interview in November, Fazlullah said he had escaped to Afghanistan after a Pakistani military offensive against the Taliban in his Swat Valley stronghold in April last year.
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