20 Feb 2016

CMYK 

CMYK 

CMYK 

Metropolitan: 

MQM launches 

four-day hunger 

strike against Altaf's 

media blackout 

Page 2 

National: 

Three 

more die 

in drought-hit 

Thar 

Page 4 

Biz: 

NBP 

records 

51% growth 

in profit 

Page 6 

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Reg. No. 1655 

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Rs 10.00 Vol. VIII No.51 8 Pages 

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Govt ready to hold 

census in March 

ISLAMABAD, Feb 19: 

The government is ready to 

hold population and housing 

census in March this 

year in case army personnel 

were available. 

This was stated by 

Parliamentary Secretary for 

Finance, Revenue, 

Economic Affairs, Statistics 

and Privatization, Rana 

Muhammad Afzal Khan at 

the National Assembly on 

Friday. He was responding 

to a calling attention notice 

of Shekih Slahuddin and 

others about delay in holding 

of census in the country, 

causing grave concern 

amongst the public. 

ASP turns out to 

be ring-leader of 

drug dealers 

KARACHI, Feb 19: 

Special Branch of Sindh 

Police has revealed on 

Friday that an ASP Bilal 

Qayyum is found to be the 

ring leader of a drug dealer 

gang. An inquiry report has 

been sent to Karachi Police 

Chief in which it has been 

revealed that Bilal Qayyum 

used to take share from the 

smuggling of Iranian petrol 

and diesel. ASP Qayyum 

was posted in Kemari. It is 

reported that he is a close 

relative of a top bureaucrat. 

Prof Dr Nergis 

Mavalvala invited 

to visit Pakistan 

WASHINGTON, Feb 19: 

Pakistan ambassador to 

the US Jalil Abbas Jilani 

has invited Pakistani-born 

astrophysicist Dr Nergis 

Mavalvala to visit 

Pakistan. 

Jilani through a letter 

sent to Mavalvala has conveyed 

message of congratulations 

to her on behalf of 

Prime Minister Nawaz 

Sharif for the services she 

has rendered in the field of 

science. The success 

achieved by Mavalvala is 

source of encouragement 

for Pakistani women, the 

ambassador said. 

RAWALPINDI, Feb 19: 

Chief of Army Staff General 

Raheel Sharif on Friday said 

that security forces are ready 

to pay any price to turn the 

China Pakistan Economic 

Corridor (CPEC) dream into 

reality. 

“We are aware of all the 

campaigns against CPEC,” 

said the army chief. 

During his visit to the 

headquarters of the newly 

raised Special Security 

Division (SSD), responsible 

for the security of CPEC 

projects, the army chief 

instructed the force to take all 

possible measures to make 

all CPEC related projects a 

success. 

COAS was given a 

detailed briefing over raising 

of the force and the security 

threats faced by the CPEC 

project. 

Gen Raheel Sharif reiterated 

the army’s commitment 

to provide security for CPEC 

and the work force involved 

in the projects, terming the 

plan a game changer for 

Pakistan and its people. 

On arrival, COAS was 

received by Lieutenant 

General Malik Zafar Iqbal 

and Major General Abid 

Rafique, Commander SSD. 

The CPEC is a 3,000-kilometer 

network of roads, railways 

and pipelines to transport 

oil and gas from Gwadar 

Port to Kashgar city, northwestern 

China’s Xinjiang 

Uygur autonomous region. 

Proposed by Chinese 

KARACHI EDITION – Saturday, February 20, 2016, Jumada-al-Awwal 11, 1437 http://www.dailymessenger.com.pk 

Army will turn CPEC 

dream into reality: COAS 

FAISALABAD, Feb 19: In 

violation of ban imposed by 

the local authorities, citizens 

in Faisalabad are celebrating 

basant festival on Friday. 

The event is being celebrated 

on a call given by Kite 

Flying Association in the city 

while on the other hand the 

district administration has 

imposed section 144 against 

kite flying. 

RAWALPINDI: COAS shaking hand with an officer during his visit to newly raised Special 

Security Division for CPEC. 

Premier Li Keqiang during 

his visit to Pakistan in May 

2013, the CPEC will act as a 

bridge for the new Maritime 

Silk Route that envisages 

linking three billion people in 

Asia, Africa and Europe. 

An official agreement on 

the corridor was signed 

between the two countries 

last year during President Xi 

Filing of NAB reference against Dr Asim approved 

ISLAMABAD, Feb 19: The filing 

of references against Dr. 

Asim has been approved during 

a meeting of the National 

Accountability Bureau’s 

(NAB) irregularities board on 

Friday. The meeting that was 

chaired by Chairman NAB 

Qamar Zaman decided to provide 

references to the accountability 

court against the various 

cases in which Dr. Asim is 

involved; these cases include: 

unlawful distribution of land, 

unfair distribution of natural 

gas and money laundering. 

The board has also paved 

way to initiate investigation 

against Dr. Asim regarding 

irregularities being noted while 

giving away contracts by him 

through the Sui Gas company 

and the Oil and Gas 

Development Company 

Limited (OGDCL), giving a 

hard blow to the national treasury 

of about 10 billion rupees. 

Pharmaceutical companies, govt 

enter tiff in medicines' prices row 

ISLAMABAD, Feb 19: Ten out of eleven pharmaceutical 

companies which were scheduled to 

hold talks with the government have refused to 

meet the representatives in hiked prices row, 

reported Friday. The two sides were supposed to 

hold a dialogue at 10am. Not a single representative 

of the companies that had acquired stay 

order from courts reached the talks site. 

Secretary Health and State Minster for 

National Health Services and Regulations, Saira 

Afzal Tarar among others waited for the companies’ 

delegations. 

Faisalabad locals celebrate 

basant despite govt's warning 

Last night, police conducted 

raids in different 

areas but failed to tackle 

large number of kite flying 

enthusiasts. 

Kites in large number 

could be seen flying in 

Mansoorabad, Canal Road, 

Nishatabad, Jaranwala Road 

and Jhang Road areas. 

Pakistan has seen many 

accidents involving kite flying. 

Kite-flying is a cultural 

festival which is misused by 

applying copper wire and 

metallic strings causing 

number of incidents as large 

number of people had lost 

their lives. 

Some strings are laced with 

metal shards, others are treated 

with abrasive chemicals in a 

bid to cut the string of an opponent‘s 

kite in a dog-fight. 

FAISALABAD: People celebrating Basant on the rooftop of a house in Faisalabad. 

Jinping’s historic visit to 

Pakistan. 

The project links China’s 

strategy to develop its western 

region with Pakistan’s 

focus on boosting its economy, 

including the infrastructure 

construction of Gwadar 

Port, together with some 

energy cooperation and 

investment programs. 

Petroleum prices 

to reduce by 

Rs5.45 per liter 


Prices of petroleum products 

could decrease further 

by Rs5.45 per liter from 

March 1. 

According to sources, 

petrol price could go down 

by Rs4.61 per liter, high 

speed diesel Rs5, high 

octane Rs5.45, keronese oil 

Rs4.72 and price of light 

speed diesel is likely to 

reduce by Rs5.10 per liter. 

Sources further told that 

fall in petroleum prices will 

be witnessed due to 

Pakistan’s recent agreements 

but prices could go 

up from April if tax ratio 

remained unchanged. 

On the contrary, price of 

Arab Light Crude Oil 

increased by $7 per barrel 

from January 1, thus, the 

petroleum and finance ministries 

of Pakistan have 

opposed reduction in prices 

from March 1. 

GUJRANWALA, February 

19 (Online): Former prime 

minister and Pakistan 

People’s Party (PPP) leader 

Raja Pervez Ashraf has 

dared the Punjab government 

to face National 

Indian air base attack FIR 

registered in Pakistan 


Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif 

while taking serious notice of 

sub-standard work at a newly 

renovated school in 

Islamabad has directed the 

CADD minister to ask the 

contractor to carry out quality 

work once against for the 

same sum allocated to him 

under a contact. 

During a visit to Azan 

Khan Shaheed School in 

Sector F-8/3, where the premier 

inaugurated the 

Montessori section as part of 

the Prime Minister Education 

Reforms Programme on 

Friday, he took strong exception 

to the faulty work carried 

out by the CDA saying, “public 

money should not be wasted 

and drained by carrying 

GUJRANWALA, Feb 19: 

Police in Pakistan have filed a 

complaint against ‘unknown 

terrorists’ in the Pathankot airbase 

attack case on Friday. 

The First Information 

Report (FIR) has been registered 

by Counter Terrorism 

Department (CTD) Punjab 

Police in Gujranwala on a 

complaint filed by Deputy 

Home Secretary Aitzaz-ud- 

Din. Seven Indian soldiers 

were killed in the January 2 

attack by six gunmen who 

entered the high security 

Pathankot air base in the northern 

state of Punjab. 

India had handed over evidence 

to Pakistan which 

reportedly includes recordings 

of phone calls between the terrorists 

and their alleged handlers 

in Pakistan. 

Earlier on January 13, 

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif 

announced arrest of several 

suspects belonging to Jaish-e- 

Mohammed group believed 

to be behind attack on Indian 

air base. Islamabad is also 

considering sending a team to 

Pathankot to seek "additional 

information" to spur the 

investigation. 

The attack a rare targeting 

of an Indian military installation 

- threatened to undermine 

improving relations 

with Pakistan after decades of 

fractious ties. It came just a 

week after Prime Minister 

Narendra Modi became the 

first Indian leader to visit 

Pakistan in 11 years. 

Foreign secretary level 

talks between the countries 

were also postponed after the 

incident, however, the Foreign 

Office on Thursday urged 

India to announce date of dialogue 

at earliest. 

During a weekly news 

briefing in Islamabad, 

Foreign Office Spokesperson 

Muhammad Nafees Zakria 

said the date of the foreign 

secretary level talks should 

now be finalzied as early as 

possible following the Indian 

policy statement not to link 

talks with the progress on 

Pathankot incident. 

He said both the sides are in 

contact on the issue, but no 

date has yet been fixed. 

PM fumed over faulty work at 

a renovated govt school 

out poor quality work, which 

also puts students lives at 

stake”. He said that billions of 

rupees were being spent on 

the renovation and up gradation 

of schools and so far, 22 

schools have been renovated 

under the education reforms 

programme. Nawaz said that 

laboratories and libraries 

should be equipped with all 

facilities and the students 

should also have access to 

better sports facilities. 

Nawaz said that the students 

were the future leaders 

and they have to play an 

important role for the 

progress and bright future of 

the country. He also directed 

that security arrangements 

should further be strengthened 

at all educational institutions. 

The premier also directed 

CADD Minister Tariq 

Fazal Chaudhry to provided 

sports kits to the students 

showing exceptional results. 

The prime minister also 

noted that the security situation 

in the country has 

improved significantly as a 

result of successful operation 

against terrorists. 

He said that the forward 

march will continue and the 

country will be completely 

rid of terrorism. 

The rime minister also 

called for bringing improvements 

in syllabus to ensure 

quality education in government 

schools. He said that 

bringing improvements in the 

education sector was part of 

the the PML-N’s manifesto. 

ISLAMABAD: Students of newly established Montessori system at Islamabad Model School 

for Boys (F-8/3) welcome Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif in their classroom. 

Former premier asks Punjab Govt to face NAB 

Accountability Bureau 

(NAB) if they are clean of 

corruption. 

The former prime minister 

said that Pakistan 

People’s Party (PPP) fully 

cooperated with National 

Accountability Bureau and 

Rangers in Sindh. 

“If accountability can 

take place in Sindh then 

Punjab should also bravely 

welcome it”, he added. He 

added that his party did not 

raise any criticisms when 

former Prime Minister Syed 

Yousuf Raza Gillani was 

being investigated by the 

probe agency. 

“Everyone should be held 

accountable”, Ashraf said. 

“Why those people claiming 

themselves to be free of corruption 

are having problems 

over facing the accountability 

bureau”, he asked. 

Nawaz, Modi meeting likely on sideline of 

nuclear summit in Washington 

ISLAMABAD, Feb 19: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will likely be meeting his Indian 

counterpart Narendra Modi in Washington next month on the sidelines of a nuclear summit 

hosted by United States President Barack Obama, according to a media reports. 

Both Sharif and Modi have accepted President Obama's invitation to attend a nuclear 

summit. This summit will be hosted by Obama in Washington on March 31 and April 1. 

However, considering the volatile relationship between the two neighbouring countries 

no confirmation has been made about the meet. 

"The chances are strong, very strong, but knowing the history of India-Pakistan talks, 

you cannot be certain about an event until it has happened" said an Indian senior official. 

If the meeting does go through, it will the first time that both Indian and Pakistani 

Prime Ministers will be attending the nuclear security summit, which was started by 

President Obama in 2010. 

Paramilitary forces 

deployment in Islamabad 

extended for 90 days 


Deployment of Pakistan paramilitary 

forces in the federal 

capital has been extended on 

Friday by as many as 90 days. 

The federal interior ministry, 

on summery of chief 

commissioner Zulfiqar 

Hyder, has issued an official 

notification in the matter. 

Interior minister Chaudhry 

Nisar had approved extension 

in deployment of Rangers 

and Gilgit-Baltistan Scouts in 

Islamabad for 90 days. 

The extension was 

approved under amendmentact 

of ATC. 

Paramilitary soldiers have 

been deployed in Islamabad 

for security purposes. 

At least 1500 soldiers of 

Rangers and 50 personnel of 

Rangers and Gilgit-Baltistan 

are performing duties in the 

federal capital now days. 

CMYK 

CMYK 

CMYK

2 

Saturday, February 20, 2016 

Metropolitan 

MQM launches four-day hunger 

strike against Altaf's media blackout 

Irfan Ali 

Staff Reporter 


Muttahida Qaumi 

Movement (MQM) has 

launched a four-day symbolic 

hunger strike against 

media coverage ban on party 

chief Altaf Hussain’s statements, 

reported Friday. 

Dr Farooq Sattar, 

Muhammad Hussain and 

Kaiful Wari officially 

launched the strike among 

other party members in 

Karachi Press Club at 11 

o’clock in the morning. 

The strike will continue 

for the coming three days 

from 11 am to 11 pm. 

While addressing a press 

conference at Khursheed 

Begum Secretariat on 

Thursday party’s deputy 

KARACHI: MQM Leader Dr Farooq Sattar and others, sitting on a token hunger strike camp, 

outside Karachi Press Club. 

convener, Dr Sattar had said 

that workers would consider 

KARACHI, Feb 19: Children 

Seerat Conference, comprised 

recitation of holy verses, 

hamd, na’ats and speeches was 

held yesterday under the auspices 

of Hamdard Naunehal 

Assembly at a local hotel. 

Speaking on the occasion, 

Mrs. Sadia Rashid, President, 

Hamdard Foundation Pakistan 

said that acquiring of education 

and knowledge was a religious 

obligation in Islam. The 

youths of Pakistan should take 

education and knowledge, particularly 

scientific knowledge 

as their religious duty that 

would not only open the doors 

of all success in the world but 

also in hereafter. The life of 

Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h) was not 

an exemplary life for Muslims 

staging sit-ins after the fourday 

strike. 

It should be mentioned 

here that a day before 

Sindh govt decides to strengthen security 

of educational institutions 

KARACHI, Feb 19: The 

Sindh government on Friday 

decided to beef up security 

of the educational institutions 

by taking some concrete 

preventive and protective 

measures. 

The measures included 

strengthened further intelligence 

work, patrolling along 

the borders of Sindh with 

Punjab and Balochistan and 

deployment and patrolling 

of police and Rangers in the 

areas where schools are 

19 dengue fever 

cases reported 

last week 

KARACHI, Feb 19: Last 

week, 19 patients of 

Dengue fever were reported, 

out of which 17 were 

from Karachi, and one each 

from Hyderabad and 

Shaheed Benazirabad. So 

far, 219 patients have been 

affected by Dengue fever 

across Sindh this year. 

This was informed in a 

meeting, chaired by Health 

Minister Sindh Jam 

Mehtab Hussain Dahar in 

Sindh Assembly building 

office. Program Manager 

Dengue Control Program 

Dr Masood Solangi also 

attended the meeting. 

The health minister said 

that all stakeholders should 

be taken on board to control 

dengue because health 

department could not do 

the job alone. 

Unless we all gather on 

one platform we wouldn't 

be able to achieve our 

desired goal. 

Selection 

Board must for 

promotion: KU 

KARACHI, Feb 19: Karachi 

University (KU) Registrar 

Prof. Dr. Moazzam Ali Khan 

has notified that KU 

Syndicate has approved the 

up gradation as per incentive 

Pay Scale Scheme for Office 

B-16 And above and clarified 

vide its resolution no. 

1(a) dated 23-01-2010 that, 

those officers who have 

been awarded next higher 

pay scale according to 

incentive pay scale scheme, 

after being awarded next 

higher grade, they will have 

to qualify the Selection 

board of the existing scale. 

located. 

This decision was taken 

in meeting chaired by Sindh 

Chief Minister Syed Qaim 

Ali Shah here at the CM 

House, said a statement. 

Those who attended the 

meeting were Sindh 

Ministers Nisar Khuhro, 

Jam Khan Shoro and Mola 

Bux Chandio, DG Rangers 

Major General Bilal Akbar, 

Secretary to CM (U&B) 

Iqbal Durani, Secretary 

Home Syed Jamal Shah, 

Children Seerat Conference held 

KARACHI: Mrs. Sadia Rashid, President, Hamdard Foundation Pakistan, Chief Guest, 

physician, social worker and member of Shura Hamdard, Dr. Rizwana Ansari and Child 

speakers at the Children Seerat Conference, held under the auspices of Hamdard Naunehal 

Assembly at a local hotel. 

Dr SJA Jafri 

KARACHI, Feb 19: A large 

numbers of Hindu community 

staged a protest on Friday in 

front of Karachi Press Club 

(KPC) against the attack at 100 

years old historical Satla Mata 

Mandir situated at Karachi 

Zoological Garden under the 

umbrella of Satla Mata Mandir 

Bachao Committee 

(SMMBC). 

Protesters demanded the 

immediate termination of 

Secretary Finance Sohail 

Rajput, Commissioner 

Karachi Asif Hyder Shah, 

Additional IGP Sindh 

Bhatti, Additional IGP 

Karachi Mushtaq Maher and 

other notables. 

"We have to work out a 

concrete plan to protect educational 

institutions whether 

they are operating in public 

are private sector," he said. 

"It was the collective 

responsibility of the government 

and its concerned institutions. 

It was pointed out in 

the meeting that around 180 

educational institutions have 

been identified as sensitive 

in terms of their security. 

Therefore, police and 

Rangers personnel assigned 

schools' security have started 

coordinating with school 

administration." 

SOPs for the security of 

the schools have been 

framed and shared with all 

the public and private 

schools, he said. 

but for all humanity and a great 

source to achieve all the success 

in world as following the 

footprints of the Holy Prophet 

his companions emerged as 

great power in the world and 

subdued to the major powers 

of the world of that time. 

Because they had the Holy 

Quran and the flag of knowledge 

in their hands, she said, 

adding that if Muslims of 

today would do the same they 

would be successful in achieving 

their lost greatness and dignity. 

Chief Guest, physician, 

social worker and member of 

Shura Hamdard, Dr. Rizwana 

Ansari said the only complete 

name in the world is only the 

name of “Muhammad 

(p.b.u.h.)” as he was the greatest 

man of the world and all 

human qualities were assembled 

in his person. 

‘To act and live according 

to the teachings of Holy 

Prophet is the best way to 

express love for him and to 

make all the success and to 

have all worldly achievements 

of the world’, she said adding 

provided all Muslims should 

get united shunning all differences 

of colour and race and 

make acquiring of knowledge 

as their motive of life. 

Child speakers, Umaima 

Hayat, Sumera Shafique, Sajid 

Ali Sheikh and Umer Farooq 

also spoke. A mehfil-i-na’at 

and rasm-e-bismillah of a girl 

child, Romisa Ghazzanfar 

were also held on the occasion. 

Administrator, Karachi 

Metropolitan Corporation 

(KMC), the Inspector General 

of Police (IGP) Sindh and 

other concerned officials those 

neither fulfilled their responsibility 

to save the Satla Mata 

Mandir nor ready to accept the 

temples historical background. 

Addressing to the protestors 

Maharaj Hira Lal , 

Chairman of the Saltal Mata 

Mandir Bachao Committee 

said that police providing shelter 

to the land grabbers and 

stop worshipers for their worship 

hence, the Law Enforcing 

Agencies (LEAs) did not provide 

security and safety to 

Mandir as well as Hindu community. 

Mharaj further warned 

all opponents and police that 

no one can stop Hindu community 

for their religious performance 

and if any one resists 

or try to interfere in Hindu 

community’s religious matter 

they will knock the door of 

announcing hunger strike, 

MQM’s rabita committee 

had asked the locals to 

“stock up food at homes for 

coming 15 days as something 

big is likely to happen.” 

Media was barred from 

covering Altaf Hussain’s 

statements and addresses 

around six months ago however, 

Sattar said that decision 

pertaining to length of 

the ban was not decided by 

the authorities. Dr Sattar 

called for lifting the ban 

under Article 19 of the 

Constitution of Pakistan. 

Altaf’s media blackout 

was ordered by Lahore High 

Court (LHC) in September 

2015 by after his controversial, 

allegedly seditious 

speech against state institutions 

and Pakistan Army. 

More efforts urged 

to eradicate polio 

KARACHI, Feb 19: Focal 

Person, Expended Program 

of Immunization (EPI) 

Sindh, Dr Raaj Kumar Friday 

said polio cases have 

decreased by 99 percent 

across the world but efforts 

will continue till its complete 

eradication from remaining 

countries. 

This he said at a media 

sensitization session organized 

on the topic of “IPV in 

routine immunization and 

child healthcare in Pakistan” 

by Mediations in support 

with UNICEF and Expanded 

Program on Immunization 

(EPI) here in a local hotel. 

Speakers included Dr 

Amjad Ansari from UNICEF, 

Executive Director 

Mediations Pakistan Wajeeh 

Akhter and Secretary 

Karachi Press Club AH 

Khanzada. Senior journalists 

Halima Mansoor and Hasan 

Mansoor also shared their 

experiences. 

Bilawal condoles 

the death of wife 

of M Aslam Qazi 


Bilawal Bhutto Zardari 

Chairman Pakistan 

Peoples Party on Friday 

expressed deep grief and 

sorrow over the sad 

demise of wife of 

Mohammad Aslam Qazi 

Chief Executive Officer of 

Kawish and KTN Group. 

In a message, Bilawal 

Bhutto Zardari condoled 

with Mohammad Aslam 

Qazi and other members of 

his family. He prayed to 

Almighty Allah to grant 

eternal peace to the departed 

soul and courage and 

fortitude to members of 

bereaved family to bear 

this irreparable loss with 

equanimity. 

SMMBC demands termination of IGP, Administrator KMC 

Hindu community stages protest against attack at temple 

concerned court of law, he 

blamed that police and some 

suspicious culprits usually stop 

Hindu community for their 

worship and threaten them for 

dire consequences. 

Protestors those carried 

play cards, banners and pamphlets 

in their hands on which 

they demanded to handed over 

the security of the Madir to the 

Sindh Rangers and provide 

fool proof security arrangement 

for worshipers. 

KARACHI: Administrator DMC Malir, Tariq Hussain Mughal along with Municipal 

Commissioner DMC Malir, Manzoor Hussain Abbasi exchanging views with PPP’s Raja Razaq. 

KARACHI: Administrator DMC Korangi, Ghullam Rasool inspecting ongoing operation 

against illegal sign boards. 

Karachi: Deputy Commissioner MDC East, Asif Jan Siddiqui along with Administrator DMC 

East, Rehmatullah Shaikh presiding a meeting with Motor Dealer Association Chairman, 

Amir Ali Khan regarding illegal parking at M.A Jinnah Road. 

KARACHI: Municipal Commissioner DMC West, Ashfaq Ahmed Mallah chairing meeting with 

Municipal Officers. 

KARACHI: Preparation for holding flower show this year are in full swing in CBC's Bukhari 

Park Phase VI, DMA Karachi. 

KARACHI: Project Director S-III, Misbahuddin Farid presiding a meeting on S-III project. 

KARACHI: A view of the smoke rising from the site after fire erupted in Cold Storage, at New 

Sabzi Mandi. 

Walkathon for a weapon-free society 

Let us walk together for peace 

KARACHI, Feb 19: Citizens 

working for a peaceful and 

weapon-free Pakistan have 

organised a peace walk on 

Sunday the 21st Feb 2016. The 

walk will begin at 11AM from 

McDonalds at Sea View to 

Chunky Monkey Restaurant 

and back. The walk aims to 

build societal awareness. It 

also aims to build pressure 

around two of its core objectives. 

These are (1)Possession 

of arms must be declared as the 

exclusive domain of the State 

and no citizen, regardless of 

his/her rank or status, must be 

allowed to possess, carry or 

display any weapon of any 

kind. (2) All private militias 

regardless of their patrons be 

completely disbanded. 

KARACHI: Artist Hamid Alvi briefing about his own paintings.


National 

3 

Determined to pursue Pathankot 

attack case: Rana Sanaullah 

LAHORE, Feb 19: Punjab 

law minister Rana 

Sanaullah on Friday said 

that Pakistan is determined 

to pursue Indian airbase 

attack case with full commitment. 

"Registration of the case 

is a proof that Pakistan is 

serious to pursue the case 

with full commitment," 

Sanaullah told reporters in 

Lahore. 

Police in Punjab has registered 

case against unidentified 

persons about the 

attack on an Indian airbase 

last month, he said. 

The FIR or First 

Information Report has 

been registered in a police 

station in Gujranwala, the 

law minister said. 

"The interrogators will 

confront all the suspects on 

the basis of the evidence," 

the minister said. He said 

India should not doubt 

Pakistan's commitment to 

fight terrorism. 

Seven soldiers were 

killed when a group of 

Qasimabad residents demo against 

HESCO for exaggerated bills 

HYDERABAD: Hyderabad Electric Supply Company employees 

are protesting against Chief Engineer during demonstration 

held at Hyderabad press club. 

Abbas Kassar 

HYDERABAD, Feb 19: The 

residents of Qasimabad 

marched from Old Campus to 

press club where they held 

protest demonstration against 

Hesco for sending exaggerated 

and detection bills. The 

protest was led by Zain 

Dawoodpoto community 

leader and editor of Sindhi 

daily Porhyo,Feroz Mangi, 

Irfan Joyo, Dad Muhammad 

Brohi and Ali Ujjan. Dharna 

PUBLIC NOTICE 

CHANGE IN NAME/FATHER'S NAME 

I Saima Numan D/O 

Muhammad Numan Ansari 

Resident of House no. 4, Block 

B-1, Cantt Bazaar, Malir Cantt, 

Karachi appeared in SSC 

Annual Examination 2009 

under Roll No. 152047 and 

Registration No. 0933082028 

announce through Daily 

Messenger Karachi that my 

actual Name/Father's Name are 

Saima Numan D/O Muhammad 

Numan Ansari. Whereas on my SSC Result Card and 

Certificate mistakenly written as Saima Nouman D/O 

Muhammad Nouman Ansari, hence it is requested that 

the same may be changed/corrected. 


Muhammad Hashim lqbal 

s/o Muhammad Nayyar lqbal, 

resident of 41-E, Askari-3. 

School Road, Karachi Cantt 

appeared in SSC Annual 

Examination 2009-10 under 

Roll No. 114939 and 

Registration No. 1033091051 

announce through this Daily 

MESSENGER Karachi that 

my actual Name/Father's name 

are Muhammad Hashim lqbal 

s/o Muhammad Nayyar lqbal whereas on my SSC 

Card/Certificate mistakenly written as M. Hashim lqbal 

s/o Nayyar lqbal, hence it is requested that the same 

may be changed/corrected. 


I Reem Numan D/O 

Muhammad Numan Ansari 

Resident of House no. 4, Block 

B-1, Cantt Bazaar, Malir 

Cantt, Karachi appeared in 

SSC Annual Examination 

2013 under Roll No. 160719 

and Registration No. 

1333082026 announce through 

Daily MESSENGER Karachi 

that my actual Name/Father's 

Name are Reem Numan D/O 

Muhammad Numan Ansari. Whereas on my SSC 

Result Card and Certificate mistakenly written as Reem 

Nouman D/0 Muhammad Nouman, hence it is requested 

that the same may be changed/corrected. 

LAHORE: Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah talking to the media persons outside 

Punjab Assembly Building. 

was largely attended with participants 

chanting slogans 

against Hesco. They told that 

Hesco administration was taking 

away transformers from 

Qasimabad after delivering 

exaggerated and detection 

bills even to those who pay the 

bills regularly plunging the 

whole Qasimabad municipal 

city of more than 7 lac people. 

They condemned this action 

of Hesco and told that they 

had complained to higher 

authorities but of no redress. 

armed men attacked the 

high-security Pathankot air 

base in Indian Punjab on 

Jan. 2. 

Indian investigators had 

earlier stated a Pakistanbased 

group "Jaish-i- 

Mohammad" was involved 

in the attack and they had 

traced phone calls to substantiate 

their claims. 

Pakistan detained chief 

of "Jaish-i-Mohammad" 

Maulana Masood Azhar and 

several other militants days 

after the Indian authorities 

blamed the group for the 

attack. The government had 

also sealed some religious 

seminaries belonging to the 

group. 

The case was registered 

at a time when Pakistan 

Interior Minister Chaudhry 

Nisar Ali Khan said that 

Islamabad plans to send an 

investigation team to India 

to discuss matters related to 

the case. 

Registration of the case 

is seen as a major step by 

Pakistan to remove the 

grievances of India. 

India had postponed official 

talks with Pakistan 

scheduled to be held in mid- 

January. 

SC restores PTCL employees’ 

govt ‘servant’ status 

KHAIRPUR, Feb 19: The 

Two PhD Seminars were held 

in the Department of 

Archaeology, Shah Abdul 

Latif University, Khairpur 

presided over by Prof. Dr. 

Mumtaz Hussain Mahar, 

Dean, Faculty of Physical 

Sciences. The both seminar 

were supervised by Prof. Dr. 

Qasid Hussain Mallah. 

The first PhD seminar was 

ISLAMABAD, Feb 19: The 

Supreme Court (SC) while 

restoring the PTCL employees’ 

government ‘servant’ 

status has ordered for payment 

of their pension and 

other perks they enjoyed 

prior to the privatisation of 

the entity. 

Dismissing a review petition 

filed by the PTCL management 

against the 

Islamabad High Court verdict 

the apex court said in a short 

order, “the PTCL employees 

enjoyed the government 

employees status prior to its 

privatisation. Therefore, they 

should be granted pension 

and other perks as per ‘government 

employees’. 

Justice Amir Hani Muslim 

remarked, “the PTCL was a 

state-run entity which was 

sold and privatised by those 

at the helm of the affairs. Had 

it been a private institute or 

entity, no one would have 

sold it. The government sells 

out government entities 

whenever it wanted so. 

Justice Mian Saqib Nisar 

remarked “the PTCL 

employees will be given pension 

and perks they were 

entitled to prior to privatisation 

because they were getting 

these perks as govern 

ment employees”. 

Chief Justice Anwar 

delivered by Syed Shakir Ali 

Shah on Interpretation & 

Analysis of Built Heritage of 

Sukkur District. 

Syed Shakir Ali Shah said, 

the entire Sindh is dotted 

with ancient monuments and 

archaeological sites. In 

Sukkur District, very few 

standing monuments were 

reported or published with 

architectural details. I have 

Zaheer Jamali remarked that 

“such steps create crisis like 

situation in the country. “You 

privatise entities, but what 

about privatisation (layingoff) 

of people working in 

such entities,” he questioned. 

At the start of hearing, 

Khalid Anwar appeared on 

behalf of PTCL and other 

counsel represented the 

employees. 

On completion of arguments 

from both sides, the 

court dismissed the review 

petition with an observation, 

“the government status 

enjoyed by the PTCL 

employees before its privatisation 

remains restored. 

Justice Ghulam Mustafa takes oath of AJK CEC 

MUZAFFFARABAD Feb 

19: Chief Justice of Azad 

Jammu and Kashmir High 

Court (AJKHC) Justice 

Ghulam Mustafa Mughal on 

Friday took oath as chief 

election commissioner 

(CEC) of Azad Jammu and 

Kashmir (AJK) to conduct 

the up coming general electionsin 

AJK to be held in 

MIRPURKHAS Feb 19: 

Hundreds of deserves 

women of Benazeer Income 

support programme 

Mirpurkhas division held 

demonstration here on 

Friday outside the director 

office of BISP Mirpurkhas 

division to protest against 

receiving allegedly half 

amount of their total money 

by officials and their agents 

through making difficult 

process of payments. 

Led by Lachmi Bai, 

Guddi and Rani raised slogans 

against the officers of 

the office of BISP 

Mirpurkhas division. 

Talking to media on this 

occassion protesters alleged 

that they were compelled to 

pay half amount of their 

total money under this BISP 

system otherwise their cases 

were not passed by oficers 

including Director Zameer 

Thaheem, Khuram Bajwa, 

Ghazi, agents Shahid Noon, 

Jurio Nohri, Nursing, 

Amolakh, Bhullo, Aijaz 

Khokhar etc. 

They alleged that they 

were standed outside the 

office whole day without 

any facility of drinking 

water, seating arrangements 

etc. 

They lamented that officers 

had made very difficult 

this system of payments 

under BISP as if they 

refused them to pay half 

summer this year. 

Chief Justice Azad 

Jammu and Kashmir 

Supreme Court (AJKSC) 

Justice Muhammad Azam 

Khan administered the oath 

in a simple but dignified ceremony 

at the supreme court 

building. Among others who 

attended the swearing in ceremony 

included AJK ministers 

Syed Bazil Ali 

Naqvi,Abdul Majid Khan , 

Advisor to the President 

Raja Sajid,Chief Secretary 

Skindar Sultan Raja, additional 

chief secretary (G) 

Syed Asif Shah,senior member 

board of revenue Naeem 

Shiraz,secretary law Adrees 

Abbasi,honourable judges 

and lawyers. 

Deserving BISP Miruprkhas deprived of 

their half payments by corrupt officers 

MIRPURKHAS: Deserving women protesting outside BISP Mirpurkhas office and telling 

their grievances to local media men. 

MA Rehmani 

money of their total amount 

then they rejected/invalid 

their sims and refuse to pay 

their money as result they 

were compelled to give them 

half of their payments. 

They further regretted 

that their agents were contacted 

with them and assured 

them of their complete 

process of payments on 

promise of half of the payments 

of the total money. 

They blamed that inside 

the office Omny branch was 

setup secretly and through it 

deserves were paid of their 

half of the money and half 

amount go into pockets of 

director 

Zameer 

Thaheem,Ghazi, Khurram, 

Imran Kumhar etc. 

Two PhD seminars held in Department of Archaeology 

KHAIRPUR: Prof. Dr. Mumtaz Hussain Mahar, Prof. Dr. Qasid Hussain Mallah, Syed Shakir Ali 

Shah and Mr. Zaheeruddin Shar speak during the PhD seminars held in the Department of 

Archaeology, Shah Abdul Latif University. 

Waheed Phulpoto 

SHIKARPUR, Feb 19: Two 

Station House Officers [SHO], 

15 Madadgar In-charge and 17 

other police personnel booked 

in a murder case of a villager 

who died in police lock-up at 

New Faujdari police station on 

late Thursday night. 

According to details, the 

heirs of a villager Wahid 

Bakhsh Shar of village Alam 

Shar went to death after 

alleged police torture in police 

lock-up blocked the road and 

staged a protest demonstration 

at Jacobabad-Shikarpur Indus 

highway and demanded to 

register an FIR against 

involved police personnel. 

SSP Shikarpur Nasir Aftab 

Khattak taking the notice of 

the protest demonstration and 

alleged police torture ordered 

to register an FIR against 

tried to comb the Sukkur 

District and the selected job 

is expected to bring to light 

all the diverse aspects of history 

and culture. He revealed 

that such comprehensive and 

scientific work was not carried 

out before in this region. 

He said, two environmental 

causes i-e water logging and 

salinity was destroying the 

monuments. 

2 SHO, 15 In-Charge and 

17 police personnel booked 

SRINAGAR, Feb 19: 

Several Kashmiris wounded 

as Indian security forces on 

Friday scuttled a march here 

by a group of youth carrying 

posters of Afzal Guru and 

messages like 'Thank you, 

JNU', leading to clashes near 

the historic Jamia Masjid. 

Soon after the Friday 

prayers at Kashmir's main 

mosque, a group of youth, 

shouting pro-freedom slogans, 

tried to take out a 

march towards Nowhatta 

Chowk, Indian police said. 

involved police personnel in 

this regard on the complaint of 

deceased son named 

Muhammad Panah Shar 

police have registered a murder 

case against SHO New 

Faujdari Muhammad Ayub 

Pathan, SHO Lakhi dar 

Muhammad Tahir Qadri, 15 

Madadgar In-charge Abdul 

Majeed Sadhayo, Writing 

Head Constable [WHC] 

Muhrab Hakro, Police 

Constable [PC] Amjad Hakro, 

Shahid and 14 other police 

personnel at New Faujdari 

police station but have failed 

to arrest involved police personnel 

till Friday evening. 

Muhammad Panah Shar 

told the journalists that my 

father was not involved in any 

case despite of that police 

were arrested him and gave 

mentally torture therefore he 

died in police lock-up. 

Indian forces scuttle 

Kashmiris march, several hurt 

Some of the youth were 

carrying the flags of 

Pakistan as also the posters 

of Afzal Guru who was 

hanged in New Delhi's Tihar 

Jail on February 9, 2013, 

police said. 

A youth was also carrying 

a poster which read: 'Thank 

You JNU', the police added. 

Indian occupier forces 

stopped the march, triggering 

clashes in Nowhatta area 

which spread to adjoining 

areas like Gojwara, and 

Saraf Kadal, they said.

4 


National 

KARACHI: Head office: 509, Land Mark Plaza, I.I Chundrigar Road, Karachi, Pakistan. 

Ph: +9221-32214988- 32214990, Fax: +9221-32214989 

messengerdaily@yahoo.com, editor@dailymessenger.com.pk 

Chief Editor: Muhammad Taqi Alvi 

Associate Editor: Ali Razavi - Hyderabad Bureau Chief: Abbas Kassar 

ISLAMABAD –– LAHORE –– RAWALPINDI –– KARACHI 

MORALITY is our guiding light. Morals without 

empathy or concern equals lack of morals. They are the 

opposite of one another. Our morals are what guide our 

day to day decisions; they allow us to make good decisions 

and allow us to be aware of bad decisions that 

may hurt or harm others as well as self. A person without 

morals, is a person without a conscience. Morality 

is a social construct that has developed because it 

makes living in a group better for everyone but that's 

possible when rights of all persons in a group are protected. 

Otherwise, a just system won't be in place. 

IF one does not care for others, one wouldn't act 

morally, unless one is afraid of the consequences. 

BUT even that requires concern for well-being, 

even if only for your own. If you don't even care about 

yourself, you wouldn't be able to develop any moral 

sense. Morality is well-being itself. Low moral standards 

can function fine with little empathy. And when 

people start demanding moral standards without a 

sense of empathy, there dawns tyranny. Then we justify 

cruel punishment when we decide that someone is 

wrong if they don't fit our small minded ideals. 

OFTEN politics and morals work against each 

other. The reason is because many times what is politically 

expedient is not morally correct. Often, politicians 

are too caught up in political games and they lack 

any real power to effectively change the status quo 

because there is too much political force being spent on 

maintaining the status quo. 

POLITICS can make or break morals in raising a 

good or bad society. So, a great responsibility is borne 

by the politicians. However, politics once held in highest 

of esteem with almost every school going child 

wanting to become a politician, politics is now dehumanized 

and degenerated to an extent that very few 

may like to become a politician. For, nowadays, in 

order for someone to be a successful politician they 

must have the capacity to lie. Since lying is morally 

considered a wrongful act it cannot be ignored that 

politicians are sometimes expected to lie in order to 

achieve their goals. This makes them less moral. Any 

time you are in politics in order to gain power or gain 

votes you must say one thing while you likely will take 

action the exact opposite way, If you are going into the 

political field you have to be ready to bend your morals 

in order to win. Or stick to your morals and suffer a 

defeat. 

WHILE it's not so nowadays, unlike the past, politics 

can serve with application of morality in real 

world. Morality is the theory of what is right, without 

regard to its results in real world. Politics is the practice 

of governing in the real world where real world 

By Alex Vatanka 

Two weeks ahead of critical elections, Iranian 

President Hassan Rouhani can boast of achieving 

two of his key election pledges from 2013: He 

secured a groundbreaking diplomatic nuclear deal with 

world powers and has removed crippling sanctions on the 

country. Rouhani should, therefore, feel confident ahead of 

the February 26 vote and see himself as well on course to 

winning re-election in 2017. 

Unfortunately, not all in Iran have welcomed the president’s 

political ascendance. Now, they are rushing to put the 

brakes on Rouhani’s vision to open the country up economically 

and politically. 

Iranian hard-liners, mostly connected to the Islamic 

Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), have launched a 

relentless campaign, attacking Rouhani’s every step ahead 

of the February 26 parliamentary and Assembly of Experts 

elections. They will do anything to make him the first oneterm 

president in the history of the Islamic Republic and are 

banking on a strong showing this month to mark the beginning 

of the end of his reign. 

Invested reactionaries 

While there are no dependable public opinion surveys on 

the question, popular support for Rouhani is by most 

accounts still solid, despite plenty of frustration among ordinary 

Iranians about the slow arrival of the economic benefits 

promised at the time of the nuclear agreement. 

If he has a weakness, it’s in his questionable ability to 

maintain the cross-factional consensus that enabled Tehran 

to make nuclear concessions in order to bag a deal. 

When Rouhani was elected President in June 2013, all 

three main interest groups in the regime — the presidency, 

the Office of the Supreme Leader, and the IRGC generals — 

were in agreement that a nuclear compromise was needed to 

save the economy from collapse. It is now apparent that this 

was a temporary alignment: With the lifting of sanctions 

achieved, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his 

close allies in the IRGC have since shifted to putting the 

brakes on the rest of Rouhani’s agenda at home and abroad. 

As Rouhani has repeatedly warned, his enthusiasm for 

international engagement has powerful detractors in Tehran. 

They fear his vision of a new Iran will come at their expense 

and weaken their influence in the Iranian pyramid of power. 

EDITORIAL 

Media Morals: A Great Issue, 

Or 'No Issue At All'?. 

Clear It Or Clean It! 

(I) 

OPINION 

outcomes have meaning. With bad politics, fortunes 

are lost, lives destroyed and people die, as good politics 

and good morals are ignored. Governments and 

people are corrupted and needless lives are lost and 

fortunes and growing economies destroyed when 

morality is abandoned. Therefore, morality and principles 

for good living overall for everyone is a noblest 

deed which is never cared for and is even considered 

by some as height of stupidity! 

VALUES have assumed opposite meanings now, 

compared to the past. Morality and values are going 

downhill. It may not always be because traditions are 

being discarded and new opinons voiced and lifestyles 

lived. It is also because we are living in a culture that 

lauds celebrity over talent. On the other hand, this 

opinion can be differed: Morality and values do not 

decline but people change in thinking and doing. 

DIFFERENCE in outlook, thoughts and actions 

over time that demands or force a change to be accepted 

or rejected by people for benefit or loss may be one 

point overlooked. One person's morality and values are 

different than another person. When a mass of peoples 

morality and values switch and start to match, then 

theirs are the morality and values of the subjective 

area. Seeing it as a decline, if change is positive, is 

simply seeing the shift in morality and values as new 

hard to accept change that is looked upon negatively, 

instead of the inevitable change it is. That is one perspective. 

ANOTHER open dimension often quickly stashed 

inside a carpet and not discussed due to one's own 

criminal nature, accepted negative imposition due to 

financial reasons, is a system that thinks good economics 

can make a good life and living. Nothing can 

be farther from the truth. Non-financial factors, not 

monetary gains, determines better quality of thinking 

and living that is not machinistic or materialistic. With 

money -- as a main condition of happiness -- is gone, 

selfish care for each other ends. Non financials sustain 

a relation, after financial stability is terminated. 

THINK of a change for better in a system that produces 

selfish individuals who make up a family which 

in turn makes up a society, a nation: Good deeds without 

benefits are regarded as stupid acts. Evil deeds with 

benefits are considered as smart and clever. Hence, 

good is punished and bad is rewarded. This trend can 

reverse itself, if anything good is to become of human 

beings in this society. It's most dangerous to continue 

with such evil system, and it can change for the better. 

Needless to say, all are invited to it, but very few 

answer the call in practice. However, there is a need to 

be clear on media morals or else a need to clean it! 

Iran’s internal power struggles 

Take the attacks on Rouhani for his recent trip to 

Europe, a direct dividend from the nuclear agreement. 

Hussain Shariatmadari, head of the influential Kayhan 

newspaper who was hand-picked by Khamenei, 

claimed that Rouhani had “shown contempt for the 

Iranian people” by letting the French foreign minister 

greet him at the airport and not President Francois 

Hollande. 

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was 

flabbergasted by hard-liner suggestions that Rouhani had 

been deliberately humiliated. “By God, that is not true,” 

Zarif responded angrily on national television. 

While the hard-liners’ accusations may seem petty on 

the surface, they are part of a systematic media campaign 

to depict Rouhani as someone mesmerised by the 

West, but who is only sneered at by Western leaders. 

IRGC-controlled media also belittle Rouhani’s hopes 

that trade and investment from western countries will 

help revive the ailing Iranian economy. As Fars News 

Agency put it, in reference to Iran’s multibillion-dollar 

purchase of 118 Airbus passenger aircraft, “new aircraft 

will not tackle inflation and unemployment”. 

Rouhani’s basic premise is that without restoring the 

economy, Iran’s entire Islamist order could collapse. To 

that end, foreign trade and investment and access to 

international technological know-how, particularly in 

the critical oil and gas sector, are pivotal for regime survival. 

Unsurprisingly, key projects in Iran’s oil and gas 

industry were at the heart of his recent negotiations in 

Rome and Paris. Rouhani has set ambitions targets, 

including the creation of 900,000 to one million jobs per 

year and a GDP growth of 5 to 8-per cent for the upcoming 

Iranian year (March 2016 to March 2017). 

The Rouhani government is undeterred by current 

low oil prices. In the latest national budget, oil export 

revenue is projected to make up only 23 per cent of the 

government’s income — the lowest ever. Thanks to 

years of sanctions, Iran is one of the oil exporters best 

placed to deal with significantly less oil income. Still, 

Bijan Namdar Zangeneh, Iran’s Oil Minister, aims to 

find new markets for the country’s abundant natural gas 

and oil reserves, which would allow it to regain its presanctions 

position as Opec’s (Organisation of Petroleum 

Exporting Countries) second-largest exporter. 

Three more die in 

drought-hit Thar 

THARPARKAR, Feb 19: 

Famine in Tharparkar 

claimed three more lives on 

Friday. 13-days-old Maryam 

in Civil hospital Mithi, threemonths-old 

Mushtaq Samejo 

and one-year-old Sara 

Samejo in Chachro’s native 

village Maigy Jotar lost their 

lives in the drought-hit Thar 

Desert. 

Atleast 81 children are 

under treatment in Civil hospital 

Mithi and Chachro 

Talqa Hospital. 

Diseased children from 

affected areas are continuously 

arriving in the hospitals. 

However; no implementation 

has been done regarding 

the announcement to 

provide transport for transferring 

sick children to the 

hospital. Besides this the distribution 

of wheat has also 

not started yet. 

Famine-struck people 

have demanded the government 

to announce a package 

for their ease as poor 

arrangements in hospitals 

KOTLI, Feb 19: The former 

Prime Minister Azad Jammu 

and Kashmir (AJK) and 

president Pakistan Tehrik 

Insaf (PTI) AJK chapter barrister 

Sultan Mehmood 

Chaudhry has said that the 

upcoming election in AJK 

should be conduct under the 

army. 

Speaking with the journalists 

at central secretariat 

and lack of basic facilities 

are adding to the severity of 

the issue. 

Tharparkar is a home to 

more than 60 lac cattle which 

provide source of income to 

residents. However, locals 

have started migrating to 

other areas as fodder for their 

cattle is all consumed before 

the expected time. 

of PTI in AJK he said that 

we will give an exceptional 

reception to Imran Khan on 

February 24 and the political 

gathering of Imran Khan in 

Kotli will open a new chapter 

in AJK politics. 

He said Imran Khan has 

elaborated his statement on 

Kashmir cause and it is not 

necessary to argue on his 

statement. The PTI stance on 

According to the World 

Health Organisation (WHO) 

guidelines, if the Global 

Acute Malnutrition (GAM) 

rate among children and 

women is above 15 percent, 

it is to be considered an 

emergency situation. 

During the National 

Nutrition Survey conducted 

in 2011, the GAM rate in the 

Sultan wants election under army in AJK 

Waheed Phulpoto 

SHIKARPUR, Feb 19: A 

community dialog program in 

connection to create awareness 

among villagers under 

the banner “problems, reasons 

and solutions” organized by 

Strengthening Participatory 

Organization [SPO] in collaboration 

with Oxfam and 

Novib in village Qasim near 

here on Friday. 

Speaking on the occasion 

Abida Zafar the representative 

of SPO, said that SPO 

have launched a campaign 

drive for creating awareness 

among villagers to identify 

their problems, reasons and 

the solutions and SPO will 

perform a role to resolve the 

basic problems of the villagers 

which were being faced 

by them since long adding 

SPO is performing the role of 

a bridge between district 

administration and among the 

villagers so that they could 

resolve their problems. 

Furthermore, if the problems 

were not resolved from 

district level then SPO will 

make help province level 

adding SPO has been working 

in Pakistan for 20 years 

with the help of civil society 

organizations and political 

parties to make better governance 

in Pakistan and now 

we are part of citizen’s first 

project further added the 

aims and objects of first citizen 

project is to build the 

peaceful Pakistan through the 

citizens first project. 

On the occasion the villagers 

presented the basic 

problems of the village 

including drainage system, 

dilapidated condition of primary 

boys school,graveyard 

was submerged in the 

drainage water and no basic 

facility of Health available 

in the village Qasim. 

Kashmir cause is vivid he, 

added. He further said that 

the Nakyal tragedy is government 

failure. Pakistan 

Peoples Party (PPP) and 

Pakistan Muslim league 

Nawaz (PML N) scoring 

their political points on dead 

bodies, he added. He 

requested the party workers 

to join political gathering in 

Kotli on 24th February. 

Problems will be resolved with the help 

of district administration: Abida Zafar 

2 robbers gunned 

down near Hyderabad 

Abbas Kassar 

HYDERABAD, Feb 19: 

Two robbers were gunned 

down in an encounter with 

police on Muqbara link road 

within the limits of Seri 

police station late Thursday 

night, police said. 

SHO Seri Gulshan Mehar 

said that police got a tip-off 

about presence of two notorious 

robbers at the locality. 

Police party headed by the 

SHO reached the spot where 

the robbers challenged the 

police which also retaliated. 

Both the robbers were 

gunned down in the 

encounter with the police, he 

said. they were shifted to 

Liaquat University Hospital 

(LUH) Hyderabad where 

they were identified as Mian 

Dad Soho son of Muharram 

Khan and Yousuf Chandio 

alias Bhalu son of 

Mohammad Fazal Chandio. 

Police got kalashnikov 

with a magazine from possession 

of Soho and a pistol 

from Chandio, SHO said 

adding that both the robbers 

were involved in more than 

10 cases including murders, 

armed robberies, attacks on 

police and others in several 

districts including 

Hyderabad, Larkana, 

Jacobabad, Shaheed 

Benazirabad and others. 

The first citizen group of 

youths of the village was 

constituted so that the problems 

of the village may be 

resolved with the support of 

the district adiminstration. 

Abida Zafar directed to 

the first citizen group to 

write the applications of the 

problems of the village separately 

to concerned departments 

so that their problems 

will be pursued. 

Pervaiz Abro, Ishfaq 

Ahmed were also addressed 

on the occasion. 

Muhammad Hafeezullah 

Mahar coordinator, Nazeer 

Ahmed the deputy coordinator, 

Haque Nawaz the secretary, 

Bashir Ahmed the 

deputy secretary, Masood 

Bhayo the communication 

secretary and Muhammad 

Hajan Mahar, Abdul 

Rahman Mahar and others 

were selected the members 

of the first citizen project. 

province of Sindh is 17.5 per 

cent and the Severely Acute 

Malnutrition (SAM) is 6.6 

per cent. 

In 2014, the Sindh government 

announced establishment 

of Thar 

Development Authority to 

address the problem, however, 

the draft is still pending 

for approval. 

Lioness gave birth 

to three cubs at 

Lahore Zoo 

LAHORE, Feb 19: Director 

General Wildlife & Parks 

Punjab Khalid Ayaz Khan has 

said that three lionesses have 

given birth to three cubs each 

at Lahore Safari Zoo Park. He 

said that after the birth of 

these cubs, the number of 

lions has become 23 in 

Lahore Safari Zoo Park. 

He disclosed this while 

talking to media-men at his 

office, here today. He said 

that the lionesses giving birth 

to cubs is one mother (Kaloo) 

while other two are lionesses 

are Kajil and Rani. He told 

that Kajil and Rani had also 

born at Lahore Safari Zoo 

Park. He said that staff of 

Wildlife Department is looking 

after lionesses properly. 

KP Tourism Department 

seeks slogan from 

general public 

PESHAWAR, Feb 19: The 

Tourism Corporation Khyber 

Pakhtunkhwa (TCKP) has 

invited entries from the general 

public to suggest a slogan 

for the province that 

reflects the significance of 

tourism, culture, geography, 

history and heritage of the 

region, stated the Managing 

Director TCKP Mr. Mushtaq 

Ahmad Khan. 

He said during media 

briefing that the competition 

titled "Suggest a Slogan" is 

one of the innovative ideas 

of the TCKP to involve general 

public, be it events, writing, 

blogs and photography 

competitions, to elicit their 

valuable views and opinions 

about the values, culture and 

tourism". 

As the name suggests, the 

aim is to give a slogan to the 

beautiful province of Khyber 

Pakhtunkhwa. 

HYDERABAD: HESCO officials along with Sindh Rangers busy 

in operation against payment defaulters and electricity thieves.


International 

5 

US aircraft hit militants in Libya, 

more than 40 reported dead 

TRIPOLI, Feb 19: U.S. warplanes 

carried out air strikes 

early on Friday morning in the 

western Libyan city of 

Sabratha, where Islamic State 

militants operate, killing as 

many as 40 people. 

A U.S. military spokesman 

said the attacks targeted a senior 

Tunisian militant linked to 

attacks in Tunisia last year. 

Sabratha's mayor, Hussein 

al-Thwadi, told the planes 

struck at 3.30 a.m. (0130 

GMT), hitting a building in 

the Qasr Talil district in which 

foreign workers were living. 

He said 41 people had been 

killed and six wounded. The 

death toll could not immediately 

be confirmed with other 

officials. 

Tunisian security sources 

have said they believe 

Tunisian Islamic State fighters 

have been trained in camps 

near Sabratha, which is close 

to the Tunisian border. 

Two major attacks in 

MOSCOW, Feb 19: Russia’s 

envoy to the UN on Friday 

warned long-term ally 

President Bashar al-Assad 

over his vow to retake all of 

Syria, saying he faced dire 

consequences if he did not 

comply with Moscow over 

the peace process. 

"Russia has invested very 

seriously in this crisis, politically, 

diplomatically and 

now also militarily," Vitaly 

Churkin told Kommersant 

newspaper, referring to an 

international agreement to 

cease hostilities sealed in 

Munich last week. 

"Therefore we would like 

Assad also to respond to 

this," he said, adding that the 

Tunisia last year claimed by 

Islamic State - one on a 

Sousse resort hotel and another 

on a Tunis museum - were 

carried out by gunmen who 

officials said had trained in 

Libya. 

The New York Times earlier 

reported that Friday's air 

strikes targeted a senior 

Tunisian operative, 

Syrian leader’s stance "is not 

in accord with the diplomatic 

efforts that Russia is making." 

At their meeting in 

Munich, the 17-nation group 

backing Syria’s peace 

process agreed to work for a 

ceasefire, the lifting of starvation 

sieges and the 

resumption of talks. 

In an interview last week, 

Assad defiantly pledged to 

retake the whole of the 

country, speaking before the 

plan for a nationwide "cessation 

of hostilities" in Syria 

was announced. 

If Syria "follows Russia’s 

leadership in resolving this 

crisis, then they have a 

Noureddine Chouchane, connected 

to both of last year's 

attacks. 

The mayor said officials 

visited the site of the strike 

and found weapons in the 

building, but he did not give 

any further details. Some 

Tunisians, a Jordanian and 

two women were among the 

dead, he said. 

chance to come out of it in a 

dignified way," Churkin 

stressed. 

"If they in some way 

stray from this path -- and 

this is my personal opinion - 

- a very difficult situation 

could arise. Including for 

them," he warned. 

"If they proceed on the 

basis that no ceasefire is 

necessary and they need to 

fight to a victorious end, 

then this conflict will last a 

very long time and that is 

terrifying to imagine." 

Churkin however also 

suggested that Assad’s comments 

were made for political 

impact. 

"It isn’t worth putting too 

Several Tunisians who had 

recently arrived in Sabratha 

were among survivors. 

Since Libyan leader 

Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown 

in 2011, the north 

African country has slipped 

deeper into chaos with two 

rival governments each 

backed by competing factions 

of former rebel brigades. 

Russia warns Assad on vow to retake all of Syria 

Palestinian shot dead after stabbing 

Israeli policemen in Jerusalem 

JERUSALEM, Feb 19: 

Israeli security forces shot 

dead a Palestinian man on 

Friday after he stabbed two 

police officers outside 

Jerusalem's walled Old City, 

police said, as a wave of 

heightened violence persisted 

into its fifth month. 

The bloodshed has raised 

concern of wider escalation a 

decade after the last 

Palestinian uprising subsided. 

"The terrorist attacked a 

police team from behind, 

stabbed and lightly wounded 

them. The team responded by 

gunfire and neutralized the 

terrorist," police spokeswoman 

Luba Samri said, 

adding that the man was 

killed. 

On Thursday two 

Palestinian 14-year-olds 

stabbed and killed an Israeli 

in a supermarket in the occupied 

West Bank before an 

armed civilian shot and 

wounded the teens, who were 

taken for treatment to Israeli 

hospitals in Jerusalem. 

Since October, stabbings, 

shootings and car rammings 

by Palestinians have killed 28 

Israelis and a U.S. citizen. 

Israeli security forces have 

killed at least 164 

Palestinians, 108 of whom 

Israel says were assailants, 

while most others were shot 

dead during violent anti- 

Israeli protests. 

Many Palestinian attackers 

have been teenagers. 

Tensions have been stoked 

by factors including a dispute 

over Jerusalem's al-Aqsa 

mosque compound and the 

failure of several rounds of 

peace talks to secure the 

Palestinians an independent 

state in Israeli-occupied territory. 

Palestinian leaders have 

said that with no breakthrough 

on the horizon, desperate 

youngsters see no 

future ahead. Israel says 

young Palestinians are being 

incited to violence by their 

leaders and by Islamist 

groups calling for Israel's 

destruction. 

Security officials have 

also pointed to economic 

hardship and social media as 

playing a role in triggering 

attacks. 

much significance into one 

statement or another and 

dramatising them," he said. 

"We should be guided not 

by what he says, with all 

respect for the statements of 

a person at such a high level, 

but by what he finally does." 

Churkin said of the 

Munich agreement that 

"Damascus, as I hope, 

understands this is a unique 

chance for Syria after five 

years of unremitting destruction." 

Russia launched air 

strikes in Syria in September 

last year to support Assad 

and fight "terrorists", saying 

it was targeting the Islamic 

State group and other militants. 

US making conflicting 

statements over 

Syrian Kurdish YPG 

ISTANBUL, Feb 19: Turkey's 

foreign minister accused the 

United States on Friday of 

making conflicting statements 

about the Syrian Kurdish YPG 

militia, in a sign of deepening 

divisions between the NATO 

allies over policy in Syria. 

Mevlut Cavusoglu said 

U.S. Secretary of State John 

Kerry had told him the 

Kurdish insurgents could not 

be trusted, in what Cavusoglu 

said was a departure from 

Washington's official position. 

Washington's support of the 

YPG in the fight against 

Islamic State in Syria has 

enraged Ankara, which fears 

advances by the Kurdish militia 

in northern Syria would 

stoke separatism among its 

own Kurdish minority. Turkey 

says the YPG was responsible 

for a car bombing in Ankara 

that killed 28 people this week. 

"Resorting to terrorist 

groups like the YPG in the 

fight against Daesh in Syria is 

above all a sign of weakness," 

Cavusoglu said, using an 

Arabic acronym for the 

Islamist group. 

As Islamic State has 

expanded in Libya, taking 

over the city of Sirte and 

attacking oil ports, so too have 

calls increased for a swift 

Western response to stop the 

group establishing a base outside 

its Iraq and Syria territory. 

Western officials and 

diplomats have said air strikes 

and special forces operations 

are possible as well as an 

Italian-led "security stabilization" 

plan of training and 

advising. 

U.S. and European officials 

insist Libyans must 

invite help through a united 

government, but say they may 

still carry out unilateral action 

if needed. 

Last November the United 

States said it carried out an air 

strike on Libya's Derna to target 

Abu Nabil, also known as 

Wissam Najm Abd Zayd al 

Zubaydi, an Iraqi commander 

in Islamic State. 

N.Korea leader 

calls for more 

rocket launches 

SEOUL/SOUTH KOREA, Feb 

19: North Korean leader Kim 

Jong-Un says his reclusive 

nation plans more “satellite 

launches” which the West sees 

as a cover for ballistic missile 

tests calling space exploration a 

“strategic goal”, state media said 

Friday. “Conquering space is … 

a fierce class struggle against the 

hostile forces seeking to usurp 

our peace and sovereignty”, 

Kim was quoted as saying at a 

Wednesday awards ceremony 

for those involved in this 

month’s rocket launch. 

He also underscored the need 

to successfully launch “more 

working satellites”, 

Pyongyang’s said. “The advance 

toward space… is the DPRK’s 

(North Korea’s) strategic goal”, 

he said. Calling the scientists 

involved in the February 7 

launch “best patriots and 

admirable heroes”, Kim gave 

out medals, prizes and wristwatches 

bearing ames of two 

late leaders of the Kim dynasty 

Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il. 

NAIROBI, Feb 19: 

Wildlife rangers on Friday 

hunted for two lions who 

escaped from Nairobi’s 

national park and meandered 

into “highly populated” 

areas of the Kenyan 

capital. 

Kenya Wildlife Service 

(KWS) issued an appeal, 

“for help to get two 

lionesses that strayed from 

the Nairobi National 

Park.” 

Armed rangers, as well 

as KWS vets with dart 

guns, scoured bush and 

agricultural land alongside 

the Kibera district, one of 

Africa’s largest slums. 

“Lions are dangerous 

wild animals. Avoid provoking 

the lions by confronting 

them,” said KWS 

I will be happy if I achieve what 

Maneesh wanted 

MUMBAI, Feb 19: A more 

than two-decade long illustrious 

career with close to 

100 movies, but superstar 

Shah Rukh Khan says he felt 

incompetent filming his 

upcoming drama "Fan" The 

50-year-old actor believes 

without director Maneesh 

Sharma's guidance, he 

would not have been able to 

do justice to the character of 

Gaurav. 

"Fan" shows Shah Rukh 

in double avatars--a superstar, 

Aryan Khanna and his 

young look-alike admirer 

Gaurav. While Aryan is 

close to how the "Dilwale" 

star is in real life, it took him 

some time to understand the 

psyche of a fan. 

"I won't say it was easy 

because I was playing a 

movie star, the way I do in 

real life so it doesn't take 

you away from the real 

world... Maneesh and the 

whole team had a great 

understanding of how 

Gaurav was. 

"50 per cent of what you 

see Gaurav is a physical 

transformation-- prosthetics 

and the VFX have been 

used. 100 per cent Gaurav is 

Maneesh's vision. I don't 

think I have done 100 per 

cent what Maneesh may 

have wanted because he was 

very clear about it," Shah 

ABUJA, Feb 19: At least 19 

people have lost their lives in 

twin bomb attacks targeting a 

local market in Cameroon’s 

volatile northern region, 

security officials say. 

Military sources said two 

bombers on Friday detonated 

their explosives at the market 

in Meme, a department of 

Southwest Province, killing 

19 people and injuring about 

50 others. 

No group or individual has 

so far claimed responsibility 

for the Friday attack, but the 

Nigeria-based Boko Haram 

terrorist group has carried out 

similar assaults in the northern 

parts of the country over 

Rukh told reporters here. 

The actor said he is fine with 

taking credit for a lot of 

characters he had played in 

his career, but for this particular 

role he had to go by the 

thought process the director 

had. 

"I wouldn't have been 

able to play the role. I just 

knew the superficiality of 

fan before Maneesh told me 

the past months. 

On February 10, two 

female bombers killed six 

civilians in a northern 

Cameroon region bordering 

militancy-wracked Nigeria. 

The assaults hit the village 

of Nguetchewe, where people 

had joined the follow-up to a 

funeral ceremony 

Cameroon has joined a 

regional military alliance 

alongside Niger, Chad and 

Nigeria in the battle against 

Boko Haram. 

Cameroon has lost some 

1,200 people to attacks by 

Boko Haram, which spread 

its campaign of terrorism to 

the country in 2013. 

the depth and how well 

understood was Gaurav. If I 

achieve what Maneesh 

wanted then I will be very 

happy. I don't know what I 

was playing; I was just following 

Maneesh's instructions." 

SRK was all praise for 

the "Band Baaja Baaraat" 

helmer and his team for 

"bearing with him." 

Twin bombing kills 19 in 

northern Cameroon 

spokesman Paul Udoto. At 

least two lionesses are 

reported to have late 

Thursday left the park, 

spread over 117 square 

kilometres (45 square 

miles) where buffalo and 

rhino roam just seven kilometres 

from the bustling 

high-rise city centre. 

Local media reported as 

many as six lions might be 

on the loose. 

It is not the first time 

lions have prowled into 

town. The big cats are 

under growing pressure as 

one of Africa’s fastest 

Over 100 people have 

reportedly been killed in the 

far northern region in about 

20 bomb blasts blamed on the 

Daesh-affiliated Takfiri group 

since July 2015. 

The Boko Haram militancy 

began in Nigeria in 2009, 

when the terrorist group started 

an armed rebellion against 

the government. At least 

17,000 people have been 

killed and more than 2.5 million 

made homeless ever 

since. 

The terrorists have 

pledged allegiance to the 

Takfiri Daesh terrorist group, 

which is primarily operating 

inside Syria and Iraq. 

Panic as lions on the loose in Kenyan capital 

growing cities creeps onto 

ancient migration routes 

and hunting grounds. 

Sometimes the lions are 

killed by livestock farmers 

protecting their herds, 

other times they prowl 

leafy gardens giving residents 

a fright. 

“These are highly populated 

areas and that is why 

we are intensifying the 

search,” Udoto said. 

“Anyone with information 

about them should share it 

with us immediately.” 

Lock up your children 

Udoto said two lionesses 

were last sighted around 

Nairobi’s Langata district. 

“Our teams comprising 

veterinary officials have 

been in Langata looking 

for the animals,” he said. 

Austria enforces plan to limit daily refugee numbers 

VIENNA, Feb 19: Austria 

was to impose daily caps on 

Friday on the number of 

refugees entering the country 

despite EU warnings that the 

move runs contrary to the 28- 

nation bloc’s law. 

Vienna said it would 

implement the plan to only let 

in 3,200 people a day, adding 

it is also slated to limit the 

number of asylum claims at 

80 a day from Friday. 

“I am very happy with our 

decision and we will stick to 

it,” Interior Minister Johanna 

Mikl-Leitner as she arrived 

for a summit of EU leaders, 

adding Vienna “will have to 

reduce these upper limits further.” 

The decision comes 

despite a warning by the EU’s 

top migration official, who 

said the plan is against the 

continental body’s law. 

“What the Austrians have 

decided is not according to 

European laws,” EU 

Migration Commissioner 

Dimitris Avramopoulos said 

on Thursday. 

“There are some principles 

and laws that all countries 

must respect and apply,” he 

added. 

On Thursday, Austria’s 

interior minister brushed 

aside criticism of her country’s 

plan to limit daily 

refugee numbers, saying the 

plan would be put into operation 

as foreseen. 

She said Germany’s past 

decision to introduce limits 

remains legal and “is of 

course also so for Austria.” 

Europe is facing an 

unprecedented influx of 

refugees who are fleeing conflict-ridden 

zones in Africa 

and the Middle East, particularly 

Syria. 

The continent has failed to 

come up with a coherent and 

effective response to the 

worst refugee crisis since 

World War II. 

Most asylum seekers have 

tended to use Austria, a key 

place of transit in 2015, as a 

means of reaching Germany. 

Merkel’s open-door policy 

‘total failure’ 

Some 1.1 million asylum 

seekers entered Germany last 

year, sparking heavy criticism 

of Chancellor Angela 

Merkel’s open-door refugee 

policy. Russia and France 

have criticized Merkel’s policy 

for the inflow, saying the 

strategy is a “total failure” 

and not sustainable in the 

long run. “European migration 

policy is a total failure, 

all that is absolutely frightening,” 

Russian Prime Minister 

Dimitry Medvedev said in an 

interview with the leading 

German language business 

newspaper Handelsblatt last 

week. 

Medvedev further noted 

that he attaches “great value 

to humanity” and wants “to 

help refugees” displaced by 

conflicts in their homelands 

The Russian premiere, 

however, warned that 

“among these people, there 

are also many, perhaps hundreds, 

or even thousands, of 

thugs who have come to 

Europe on a ‘countdown mission.’ 

In similar remarks last 

week, French Prime Minister 

Manuel Valls said Merkel’s 

policy was “unsustainable in 

the long term,” saying Europe 

“has to regain control over its 

borders, over its migration or 

asylum policies.” 

On January 30, Merkel 

defended her refugee policy, 

arguing that asylum seekers 

from Syria and Iraq would go 

back home once the conflicts 

there end. 

“We need ... to say to people 

that this is a temporary 

residential status and we 

expect that once there is 

peace in Syria again, once IS 

(Daesh) has been defeated in 

Iraq, that you go back to your 

home country with the 

knowledge that you have 

gained,” she said. 

Austria deported hundreds 

of refugees back to neighboring 

Slovenia in December 

2015 on the ground that they 

had allegedly lied about their 

nationality in a failed attempt 

to be granted asylum. 

Observers say major 

European powers are to 

blame for the exodus as their 

policies have led to a surge in 

terrorism and war in those 

regions, forcing more people 

to flee their homes. 

Certain Western media 

outlets, along with far-right 

activists, have taken advantage 

of the refugee crisis 

unfolding in Europe to fuel 

Islamophobic sentiments 

across the continent.

6 


Biz 

NBP records 51% growth in profit 

NBP Shows Phenomenal Growth, Exceeding Analysts Expectations 

KARACHI, Feb 19: Meeting 

of the Board of Directors of 

National Bank of Pakistan 

was held on February 19, 

2016 at Bank’s Head Office 

in Karachi to approve the 

Financial Statements of the 

bank for the year ended 

December 31, 2015. The 

bank achieved profit of Rs. 

33.2 billion in 2015 that is an 

increase of 51% from 2014. 

This is a complete turnaround 

from 2013 profit of 

Rs.7.1 billion (368 % 

increase). After tax profit 

growth was impacted by 

Rs.2.3 billion additional tax 

charge due to last year’s 

Federal Budget changes. 

However, despite this additional 

burden of increase of 

tax of Rs. 2.3 billion, after 

tax profit is Rs. 19.2 billion 

which is 28% higher than 

previous year. These results 

were achieved through an 

effective execution of strategy 

which encompassed 

improving deposits mix for 

higher net interest income, 

ISLAMABAD Feb 19: The 

Federal Government has 

agreed to give Afghanistan 

trade access to India while 

using Pakistani soil, while in 

response Afghanistan has 

agreed to give Pakistan land 

trade access to Sher Khan 

Bandar, a border area of 

Tajikistan. 

Sources said that one year 

before, a proposed trilateral 

agreement had been drafted 

for land trade among 

Pakistan, Afghanistan and 

Tajikistan which had to be 

portfolio optimisation and 

re-profiling, cost controls, 

automation of entire branch 

network, expansion of footprint 

through ATMs and 

branch network and focused 

strategy towards recoveries 

signed. At the time of signature, 

Afghanistan had put the 

condition to include India in 

agreement, however Pakistan 

opposed the Afghan’s condition 

and after it trilateral transit 

trade agreement has 

become uncertain which 

could not be signed so far. In 

these circumstances, the government 

has agreed to give 

Afghanistan trade access to 

India. 

“The government has 

agreed that Afghan trucks 

can use the route of Wagha, 

against non-performing 

loans. With this performance 

all key ratios have improved 

significantly. For example 

after tax return on equity and 

assets stands as 17.0% and 

1.2% respectively, key ratio 

of cost to income is in top 

bracket at 0.48,an improvement 

from 0.55 of last year. 

Bank’s key ratios are also 

solid with provision coverage 

at over 89 % and capital 

adequacy ratio at 

17.6%.Testament to the 

while taking goods to border 

area and also decided to give 

permission to Afghan trucks 

to use the routs of Torkham 

and Chaman for transferring 

the goods, similarly the 

Afghan government has 

agreed that Pakistan to use 

Sher Khan Bandar, a border 

of Tajikistan to access the 

land trade”, sources added. 

Sources further told that 

Afghan trucks have been 

allowed to export Pakistani 

products on returning from 

Wagha while Pakistani trucks 

above-stated outstanding 

performance is the fact that 

NBP has been recently 

awarded “Bank of Year 

Award – 2015” by the prestigious 

“The Bankers-UK”, a 

subsidiary of Financial 

Times Group. The bank 

made significant infrastructural 

growth through adding 

48 branches and making 

technological advancements. 

During the year 500+ new 

ATM points were added and 

the entire branch network 

has now been made functional 

on Core Banking 

Application. The entire 

branch network of 1,400 

plus, including those in 

remote and outlying areas 

are Online branches now. 

This has not only significantly 

improved the bank’s operational 

efficiency but will 

also enable it to launch technology 

based products. The 

bank is a pioneer in lending 

program for small business 

entrepreneurs. Since the 

launch of Prime Ministers 

Youth Business Loan product 

(PMYBL), the bank has 

made significant progress 

towards enabling youth to 

improve their earning capacity 

with a positive multiplier 

effect on the economy 

through financial inclusion 

of the youth. The bank is 

expanding and investing in 

alternate delivery channels 

including alliance with 

Telco’s for greater outreach 

and improved customer services. 

On YoY basis, core net 

interest income increased by 

Government agrees to give trade access to Afghanistan 

Govt initiatives 

to promote 

Renewable Energy 

KARACHI, Feb 19: The current 

power shortfall in Pakistan 

reaches upto 6000MW and is 

estimated to cost the economy 

more than two percent of GDP 

each year. With the energy 

demand growing at about eight 

percent per annum, it is necessary 

that other renewable 

sources are added to the energy 

mix to prevent further damage. 

The Government through 

various incentives such as 

exemption from income tax, 

smoother capital flow and 

100% equity participation 

seeks to increase investments 

in the renewable energy realm. 

The Government has also 

approved the Net-Metering 

policies for encouraging smaller 

scale renewable energy 

investments. Inam ur Rahman, 

CEO Reon Energy Limited 

says, Our current energy mix is 

heavily reliant on oil, natural 

gas and coal that makes the us 

susceptible to both economic 

and environmental damages. 

lifting of sanctions on Iran. 


Pakistan has lifted sanctions 

on Iran pursuant to UN 

Security Council Resolution 

2231, said a statement issued 

here on Friday. 

The modalities for lifting 

of sanctions were finalized in 

an inter-ministerial meeting 

chaired by Minister of 

Finance, Senator Mohammad 

Ishaq Dar, it said. 

“The formal notification 

issued by the Ministry of 

Foreign Affairs, following the 

meeting, will revive economic 

and commercial relationship 

CCP Chairperson Calls on Deputy 

Speaker National Assembly 

ISLAMABAD: Chairperson Competition Commission of 

Pakistan (CCP) Wadia S Khalil called on Deputy Speaker 

National Assembly Murtaza Javed Abbassi. 


Deputy Speaker National 

Assembly, Mr. Murtaza Javed 

Abbasi, called a meeting in his 

chamber in the parliament 

house on Friday in which the 

Chairperson, Competition 

Commission of Pak, Vadiyya 

Khalil, briefed Deputy Speaker 

on the mandate and performance 

of CCP in the enforcement 

of Competition Law. 

While briefing the Deputy 

Speaker on the Law, Vadiyya 

Khalil said that the Competition 

Act, 2010 is a state-of-the-art 

law passed by the parliament 

and the CCP has been set up as 

an autonomous body under the 

law. The Competition Act is in 

between Pakistan and Iran, 

including the areas of trade, 

investment, technology, banking, 

finance, energy,” the 

statement said. 

All previous notifications 

giving effect to UN Security 

Council sanctions on Iran 

stand repealed with the 

issuance of the new notification 

by the Ministry of Foreign 

Affairs, in keeping with the 

Security Council resolution 

2231. 

Pakistan had welcomed the 

Joint Comprehensive 

Programme of Action 

would be permitted to export 

products on return from Tajik 

border. The government of 

Pakistan also agreed upon to 

consider the Afghan proposal 

to eliminate existing negative 

list for Afghan Transit Trade. 

In this connection, Afghan 

Pakistan Transit Trade 

Coordination Authority 

(APTTCA)’s meeting was 

held on February 14 and 15 

in Islamabad. In the meeting, 

both the countries agreed 

upon different matters, 

sources concluded. 

Pakistan lifts sanctions on Iran 

ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar chairing meeting regarding 

line with the competition laws 

of over 150 countries that have 

implemented the modern competition 

regimes. 

Under the Competition Act, 

CCP is empowered to take 

action against abuse of dominant 

position under Section 3, 

cartelization under Section 4, 

deceptive marketing practices 

under Section 10 and approval 

of mergers under Section 11 of 

the Act. Moreover, CCP has the 

power to review the policies of 

the Government of Pakistan 

under Section 29 of the 

Competition Act and 

suggest/recommend changes in 

the policies where it is required 

for protecting competition. 

(JCPOA) agreed between Iran 

and European Union, China, 

United States, Germany 

France, United Kingdom and 

Russia. 

With the lifting of restrictions, 

economic and trade relations 

between the two neighbourly 

countries will receive a 

new boost. It will enable the 

two countries to fully reinvigorate 

various bilateral and 

multilateral arrangements for 

promoting investments and 

cooperation in across all sectors 

including banking, 

finance, industry and energy. 

17% from Rs. 45.8 billion to 

Rs. 53.7 billion, while noninterest 

income increased by 

15% from Rs. 30.4 billion to 

Rs.35.0 billion in 2015. 

Administrative expenses 

were kept under control and 

increased marginally by 

5%.The bank is aggressively 

endeavouring to increase its 

market share. Deposits are at 

Rs.1. 43 trillion, increasing 

by 16% in 2015 YoY, higher 

than the sector growth and 

low cost CASA deposits constituting 

77% of the domestic 

deposits. Total assets of the 

bank have crossed Rs.1.7 

trillion mark. The Board of 

Directors have proposed 

final cash dividend of Rs. 

7.5 per share (75%) for the 

year ended December 31, 

2015 which is 36% higher 

than last year. This translates 

into 92% dividend pay-out 

of the bank’s distributable 

profit for the year 2015 

(after statutory reserve allocation) 

and is the highest in 

the banking industry. 

Businessmen Group 

and Karachi Chamber 

appreciate PM's 

remarks against NAB 

KARACHI, Feb 19: The 

Chairman of Businessmen 

Group (BMG) Siraj Kassam 

Teli and President Karachi 

Chamber Younus Bashir said 

in a statement that Prime 

Minister's remarks have 

increased the business community's 

confidence. While 

appreciating Prime Minister 

Mian Muhammad Nawaz 

Sharif's standpoint over the 

actions by National 

Accountability Bureau 

(NAB) against Business and 

Industrial Community, they 

said that it will go a long way 

in not only restoring local 

investors' confidence but will 

clear the air for foreign 

investments as well. 

The Chairman 

Businessmen Group and 

President KCCI said that they 

fully support Prime Minister's 

remarks as no Law 

Enforcement Agency including 

NAB, FIA, FBR or any 

other institution should have 

the right to misuse their powers 

to harass Industrialists or 

Businessmen without a solid 

proof. 

A statement issued by the 

Businessmen Group and 

Office Bearers of Karachi 

Chamber stated that such 

practices by NAB shattered 

the confidence of the entire 

business and industrial community, 

resulting in flight of 

capital and businesses from 

Pakistan which will have a 

severe negative impact on the 

economic performance of the 

country. 

Bestway Cement records consolidated 

profit of Rs 8.9b in1HFY15/16 

KARACHI, Feb 19: The Board 

of Directors at Bestway Cement 

Limited(BCL) announced 

financial results forhalf-year 

from July to December, 2015. 

Bestway’s net turnover on a 

consolidated basis soared by 

45.5% from Rs 14.5 billion to 

Rs 21.1 billion. This was largely 

due to acquisition of Pakcem 

Limited, increase in domestic 

demand and stable retention 

prices during the period. Gross 

margin of Rs8.9 billion grew by 

more than 61.9% over the same 

period last year. Profit before 

tax for the period amounted to 

Rs 7.6 billion, showing an 

increase of 37% as compared to 

Rs 5.6 billion during the corresponding 

period ended 

31December, 2014. The 

Company’s consolidated profit 

after tax also registered a 

growth of 47% to reach Rs 5.7 

billionin the half-year against 

Rs 3.9 billion from the corresponding 

period of FY0214-15. 

On a consolidated basis, 

domestic sales volume 

increased by 47% from 2.1 million 

tones to 3.1 milliontonnes. 

Overall, dispatches by the 

industry increased by 6.3% during 

the reporting period to 18.2 

million tones from 17.1tonnes, 

while exports saw a decline of 

26% from 4.1 million tonnes to 

3.0 million tones in this period. 

Despite fierce competition, 

Bestway was able to maintain 

its market share in the north 

zone and retained its position as 

the largest exporter of cement to 

Afghanistan and India. 

KARACHI: Federal Minister of Commerce Khurram Dastagir, was chief guest at launching 

ceremony of British Business Centre Pakistan at British Deputy High Commission Karachi. 

Photo shows chief guest with other prominent guests. –Messenger Photo 

Corporate Corner 

Engro Corporation announces 

PAT of PKR 13,784Mn 

KARACHI, Feb 19: Engro Corporation today 

announced its year end results showcasing a strong performance 

overall in its businesses. However, on a consolidated 

basis the stellar performance of fertilizer, the 

commencement of commercial activities at the LNG 

Terminal and the signing of major financial agreements 

for SECMCwere kept in check by a challenging business environment in its rice and 

polymer businesses. 

Overall, Engro Corporation had another great year running with record revenue of 

PKR 184,264 million vs. PKR 175,958 million in 2014 on a consolidated basis, achieving 

a 4.7% YoY top line growth. Despite the challenges posed in some of its key businesses, 

the Company posted a consolidated profit-after-tax (attributable to owners) of 

PKR 13,784 million as opposed to PKR 7,007 million during 2014. Profitability was 

driven by Engro Fertilizers which had anotherunprecedented year on the back of 2-plant 

operations owing to continued gas supply throughout the year. Engro Corporation successfully 

restructured its fertilizer trading and rice businesses as EXIMP was acquired by 

Engro Fertilizers and Engro EXIMP Agriproducts was acquired by Engro Corporation. 

However, the profitability was partially offset by losses in rice business primarily due to 

non-cash impairment loss of PKR 3,384 million booked against Property, Plant & 

Equipment and Stores & Spares.Also, the Petrochemicals business, in line with the bearish 

global commodity prices, suffered losses due to declining Ethylene-PVC price delta. 

The Company also announced a final cash dividend of PKR 7/share for the year ended 

December 31, 2015 

EngroPowergen, a wholly owned subsidiary of Engro Corporation, which owns and 

operates EngroPowergenQadirpur Limited (EPQL) and which entered into a joint venture 

with the Government of Sindh to form the Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company completed 

overburden removal of 3.7 million Banked Cubic Metre (BCM) under SECMC as 

well as signing major financing agreements for the project in December’15. Financial 

close of the project is expected within the year of 2016. 

Engro Corporation’s LNG terminal was built in record time and began operations on 

March 29th, 2015 and initiated delivery of re-gasified LNG to SSGCL. During the year, 

the terminal handled 17 cargoes and 1,030,557 MT of LNG. 

Having celebrated 50 years of its journey in 2015,Engro Corporation's long-term rating 

was upgraded to AA while maintaining a short-term rating of A1+. Engro Corporation 

remains committed to its mission of helping solve the country’s energy crisis by developing 

Pakistan’s largest hydrocarbon reserves - Thar coal, through integrated mining and 

power generation project. 

Samsung adds ‘Airlink’ as its new 

distributor for Mobile Phones 

KARACHI: Mr. J. H. Lee the President of Samsung Electronics with newly appointed distributor 

of hand held devices in Pakistan CEO Airlink Muzaffar Hussain Paracha. 

KARACHI, Feb 19: Samsung Pakistan is a global technology leader. Its powerful 

Hand-held devices and other award-winning innovations enjoy tremendous popularity, 

fulfilling the needs of diverse consumer segments in Pakistan too. Samsung has already 

established an extensive distribution network all over Pakistan. In pursuit of further 

expanding the dealer network, Samsung has recently added ‘Airlink Communication’ as 

a new distribution partner for Hand-held Devices (Mobile phones) in Pakistan. This 

resourceful collaboration will further enhance the consumers’ retail experience and ease 

product availability, as Airlink has been appointed due to its world-class service standards, 

vast network of outlets and 45 years of professional experience, with specialization 

in distribution of advanced telecom devices and Mobile phones. 

A press-conference was held in Lahore, to officially announce this valuable new partnership, 

while Samsung’s top officials also appreciated the robust performance of 

Samsungs existing distributors - Muller & Phipps Pvt. Ltd. and Green TECH, who are 

successfully marketing the wide range of Samsung devices and products all over 

Pakistan. As Samsung is at the forefront of nurturing growth of the hand-sets market in 

Pakistan, it has meticulously selected Airlink – which is established as the leading service 

provider with strong international presence. 

Speaking on the occasion, the President of Samsung Pakistan – Mr. J. H. Lee stated 

that: “The appointment of Airlink as a distribution partner is a major milestone for further 

enhancing our distribution capabilities and outreach. As Samsung continues to 

inspire and empower the consumers with innovative technologies and revolutionary 

devices, we are consistently expanding our network and enriching the retail-experience 

for the consumers. 

Airlink’s vast experience in marketing telecom devices will also play a critical role in 

further elevating the brand-image and consumer-perception of the Samsung ‘Galaxy’ 

range of premium smartphones , which are already the most preferred smart phone 

devices in the Pakistan market. 

The President of Samsung Electronics Pakistan (SEPAK) – Mr. J. H. Lee was the 

Chief Guest at this media event, held at the ‘Royal Palm Country Club” in Lahore. It was 

attended by the senior management of Samsung Pakistan, officials of Samsung’s distribution 

partners, along with many prominent personalities and dozens of media personnel, 

news publications and TV channels. 

TDAP organizes Pakistan Pavilion at Paris fair 

KARACHI, Feb 19: Thirty fabric and garments manufacturers took part from Pakistan 

at Texworld - Apparel Sourcing, Paris. Pakistani ambassador in Paris visited Texworld - 

Apparel Sourcing, Paris. 

The February 2016 event marked a turning point for Apparel Sourcing, the trade fair 

for sourcing the widest range of international ready-to-wear products, from 15-18 

February 2016 at Paris, Le Bourget. The trade fair is experiencing a good increase of 

around 30% of clothing and textile accessories manufacturers, currently more than 230 

exhibitors. This increase was visible at the fair. 

Pakistan had a national pavilion at Texworld - Apparel Sourcing and with national 

pavilions from Bangladesh, Vietnam, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, India and 

Turkey. Morocco made an impressive entrance in February with a pavilion the show 

remains an important meeting place for fashion and sourcing. 

Ms. Ambreen Iftikhar Commercial Counselor, Embassy of Pakistan in Paris was highly 

pleased with the outcome of the fair. Texworld - Apparel Sourcing will result in more 

exports of Pakistani fabrics and garment. Pakistani stands were seen busy with trade 

inquiries and buyers from USA, UK, Turkey, Germany, France and other European and 

Central Asian countries. 

Pakistani companies were located in Hall 2 with the exhibitors including product 

groups both Denim and Fabric such as Arshad Group, Denim International, Liberty Mills, 

Kassim Textile, Master Textile, Kohinoor, Nishat, S.M Denim, Sapphire, Siddiqsons and 

Sarena dyeing. Whereas in Garments Al - Awwal International, Creative Apparel, MI 

Industires, Multan Fabrics and others participated.

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7 

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Malik steps down as 

Karachi Kings captain 

Dr 

DUBAI, Feb 19: Karachi 

King’s skipper Shoaib Malik 

has resigned from captaincy. 

Ravi Bopara will be leading 

the Karachi-based side 

in Malik’s stead in the playoff 

round of the inaugural 

HBL Pakistan Super League 

(PSL). 

“I want to focus on my 

cricket, and [desire] best for 

the team. I hope the new 

captain will bring new fortunes 

for Karachi Kings,” 

said Malik while addressing 

a press conference in Dubai. 

“Even if I have to look 

after the management side 

and not contribute as a player, 

I want my team to win 

and will always support 

them.” Bopara had previously 

criticised Malik’s decision 

to bat first in Kings’ match 

against Peshawar Zalmi, 

which the Karachi side lost 

by five wickets. 

“Bopara’s comments, I 

believe were taken out of 

context,” said Malik. “He 

has lived all his life in the 

United Kingdom, and does 

not know what can become 

news in this part of the 

world.” 

News of rift with team 

owner Salman Iqbal is completely 

false, added Malik. 

The England all-rounder 

had censured the team’s 

overall performance in the 

tournament, claiming his 

side did not deserve to qualify 

for the next round. 

“We played poorly 

throughout the league, we do 

not deserve to be through to 

the play-offs, if I be brutally 

true,” said Bopara. 

Vivian Richards likely to mentor, 

coach Pakistan for World T20 

M. Arif Hafeez 

Sports Reporter 

KARACHI, Feb 19: West 

Indies great Sir Vivian 

Richards is likely to assume 

the charge of Pakistan cricket 

team’s batting coach and 

mentor before the commencement 

of World 

Twenty20, scheduled to take 

place in India next month. 

Sir Viv, former Pakistan 

all-rounder Azhar Mehmood 

is also being contacted by 

the Pakistan Cricket Board 

(PCB) to replace current 

bowling consultant Mushtaq 

Ahmed. 

The former Pakistan legspinner 

is likely to assume 

the charge of National 

Cricket Academy’s head 

bowling coach the slot that 

fell vacant following the 

resignation of Peshawar 

Zalmi coach Mohammad 

Akram. 

Sir Viv Richards is currently 

the Quetta Gladiators 

mentor and had earlier 

expressed his desire to work 

with the Pakistan team. 

“Waqar Younis at present 

is doing a great job with the 

Pakistan team, but if given 

an opportunity to take up a 

coaching assignment with 

Pakistan cricket, I would 

definitely give it a shot as I 

believe I have a lot to offer 

to the game,” he told the 

Indian media. 

He played 121 Tests 

scoring 8,540 runs with an 

astounding average of 50.23 

with 24 centuries and 45 

half-centuries. 

The West Indies master, 

who played a key role in his 

side’s World Cup triumphs 

in 1975 and 1978, had 

scored 6,721 runs in 187 

One Day Internationals 

(ODIs) at an average of 47 

with a fantastic strike-rate 

of 90.20. 

Jubilee Insurance 41st National 

Snooker Championship 2016 

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Riaz Pirzada defends Pakistan’s performance at SAG 



Pakistan’s poor performance 

in the 12th South Asian 

Games in India, the Minister 

for Inter-Provincial 

Coordination (IPC) Riaz 

Hussain Pirzada said some 

players were unfortunate not 

to clinch gold medals. 

“In some cases we missed 

gold medals narrowly. In 

javelin throw we just missed 

the top honour and Maria 

Toor Pakay in squash was 

unfortunate not to claim gold 

despite her fine effort,” 

Pirzada said. 

Pakistan finished third 

with 12 gold, 37 silver and 57 

bronze medals in the biennial 

event held in the Indian cities 

of Guwahati and Shillong 

from February 5-16. 

“Our wrestlers and a few 

boxers also were unlucky not 

to get gold medals,” Pirzada 

said. “We had sent a 446- 

member contingent and 

ensured maximum participation 

of women in the competitions,” 

he said. 

When asked what his ministry 

now planned for sports, 

Pirzada said the federations 

had already been instructed to 

work hard and produce quality 

players and the government 

would assist them. 

When quizzed what his 

ministry planned for enhancing 

the annual grants of the 

federations, Pirzada said 

some grants were released 

through special approval of 

the Prime Minister. “In some 

areas we are helpless but still 

our ministry will try to 

increase the annual grant if 

possible,” Pirzada said. 

When he was told that 

Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) 

did not utilise properly the 

budget allocation for hiring 

foreign coaches, Pirzada said 

the federations had been told 

if they needed foreign coaches 

the government would 

manage it for them. 

It was only in judo that 

Pakistan had a foreign coach, 

Iran’s coach Sajjad Kazemi. 

A few other federations 

had also requested the PSB 

for foreign coaches but the 

Board did not facilitate them. 

The PSB plans to organise 

the Inter-Provincial Games in 

April in Islamabad. A heavy 

purse of Rs100 million has 

been preserved for the purpose. 

When the minister was 

asked if there was any chance 

of using the same budget 

judiciously in other important 

areas for sports development, 

Pirzada said the event was 

KARACHI: Silver Medalist of South Asian Women’s 2016 Taekwondo Championship, Ayesha 

Noor showing her medals to the media. 

1st Amar Cables Club Cricket Championship 

Ali Ghar Club beat Apollo Club by 

1-wicket and qualify the semi final 


LAHORE, Feb 19: 1st Amar 

Cables Club Cricket 

Championship 3rd Quarter 

Final Match Ali Ghar 

Cricket Club V/S Apollo 

Cricket Club Played at Ali 

Ghar Cricket Ground. Ali 

Ghar Club won by 1 Wicket 

and qualify the Semi Final. 

Apollo Club Batting First 

DUBAI, Feb 19: The Pakistan 

Super League (PSL) may be a 

huge success and produce several 

superstars but former captain 

Mohammad Hafeez has 

warned authorities to not let 

the tournament gloss over the 

fact that country's domestic 

structure is in shambles, a 

cricket website reported on 

Friday. 

Hafeez, who opens the batting 

for Peshawar Zalmi in the 

PSL, said there was a dire need 

to focus on club-level and 

First-class cricket if Pakistan 

are to solve their batting crisis. 

“There are no two-ways 

about it. A tournament like 

301 all out after 44.5 overs. 

Qaiser Abbas 71, Agha 

Salman Ali 71, Taimoor 

Sultan 56, Muhammad 

Ikhlaq 25 and Khurram 

Hamayoun 22 Runs Not Out. 

Ali Ghar Club Bowling 

Bilawal Iqbal 3/44, Zia 

Shahzad 2/54, Rehan Rauf 

2/75 and Jamshaid Ali 1/41 

Wickets. In reply Ali Ghar 

Cricket Club 305/9 after 44.5 

PSL can help you unearth 

some talent which can function 

well under pressure, but if you 

want quality batsmen, you will 

need to fix the quality of 

domestic cricket,” Hafeez said 

in an interview with 

Pakpassion. 

Pakistan have experimented 

with more a dozen opening 

pairs in the last five years 

while Misbah-ul-Haq and 

Younis Khan have held things 

together. But with both players 

set to retire soon, Hafeez 

has warned that the team may 

face a crisis. “We need to pay 

attention to club level cricket 

and First-Class cricket. Both 

overs. Sami Aslam 84, Imran 

Ashraf 68, Haris Nazar 22, 

Zia Shahzad 22 and Bilawal 

Iqbal 47 Runs Not Out. 

Apollo Club Bowling Qaiser 

Abbas 2/40, Asad Rafique 

2/52 and Ahsan Bhatti 1/37 

Wickets. Rana Sohail 

Manzoor, Saif Ullah Umpire 

and Sajid Usman was the 

scorer. Bilawal Iqbal 

Declared man of the match. 

PSL not the answer to Pakistan's 

batting woes: Hafeez 

of these types of cricket need 

to be developed into a highly 

competitive level of cricket if 

we are to produce these world 

beater and high quality batsmen.” 

The 'Professor' said 

the solution to Pakistan's batting 

problems may be as simple 

as changing the quality of 

balls being used on the 

domestic circuit. 

“If we are even compromising 

on the quality of balls 

being used in domestic cricket 

then we cannot improve the 

quality of our domestic batsmen, 

nor can we produce quality 

fast-bowlers or spinners for 

that matter.” 

important as new talent could 

be hunted through this. 

When he was reminded 

that Pakistan Olympic 

Association (POA) already 

had a programme for holding 

National Games and Inter- 

Provincial Games, the minister 

said the matter would be 

discussed. “We will look if 

the same amount could be 

used in any other area,” 

Pirzada said. 

The Inter-Provincial 

Games were scheduled to be 

held last summer but were 

postponed on the advice of 

the Prime Minister because of 

extremely high temperature. 

In the SAG, India won a 

record 308 medals, which 

included 188 gold, 90 silver 

and 30 bronze. 

Sri Lanka finished second 

with 25 gold, 63 silver and 98 

bronze. 

India end as overall 

champions with 

record 308 medals 


KARACHI, Feb 19: India’s 

medal tally of 308 is a massive 

jump from the previous edition 

in 2010 where they won 175, 

including 90 gold. 

India’s regional supremacy 

went unchallenged as the hosts 

were crowned overall champions 

for the 12th consecutive 

time after notching up a recordbreaking 

haul of 308 medals, 

dominating the final day of 

competitions as well in the 

SouthAsian Games in Shillong. 

With women boxers scooping 

all the three gold medals on 

offer and the judokas also bagging 

two gold and two silver on 

the last day of the Games, 

India’s final tally came to 188 

gold, 99 silver and 30 bronze 

medals. 

It was a massive jump in 

medal count for the Indians, 

who had won 175, including 90 

gold, in the previous edition of 

the Games in 2010. 

At the distant second spot 

were Sri Lanka with a haul of 

186 medals (25 silver, 63 silver 

and 98 bronze). Pakistan held 

on to the third spot with a final 

count of 106 medals (12 gold, 

37 silver and 57 bronze). 

DUBAI, Feb 19: Sara Errani of 

Italy advanced to her second Dubai 

Tennis Championships final with a 

6-4, 6-4 win over 21st-ranked Elina 

Svitolina of Ukraine on Friday. 

The 22nd-ranked Errani was a 

2013 finalist, losing to Petra Kvitova 

of Czech Republic. 

The match was a 1 hour, 51 minute 

battle of long rallies and games, featuring 

eight service breaks. Errani 

prevailed with a final break in the 

ninth game of the first set and seventh 

game of the second set. 

"It was really tough," said Errani, 

who will seek her ninth WTA title. 

"Every point, every game was really 

long. It's unbelievable for me to be 

playing in another final." 

Errani will play the winner of the 

semifinal between 38th-ranked 

Caroline Garcia of France and 47thranked 

Barbora Strycova of Czech 

Republic. 

Pak to take 

part in junior 

Davis Cup 


Pakistan will take part in the 

forthcoming Junior Davis 

Cup Asia Oceania pre-qualifying 

round Competition, 

scheduled to be held at the 

clay courts of SLTA, in 

Colombo, the Sri Lankan 

capital, from 10th March . 

Pakistan finished runners 

up in the same event held in 

Malaysia last year and qualified 

for the main qualifying 

round held at Shapperton, 

Australia. 

PTF conducted trials at 

the Islamabad S. D. Abbas 

PTF Complex and selected 

three players, Sahibzada 

Muhammad Ali , Saqib 

Khan and Shoaib Khan to 

represent the country this 

year . Moin Shah will 

accompany the team as 

Captain/coach. 

20 Asian tennis playing 

nations have confirmed 

their participation in this 

annual event, including 

Bahrain, Bangladesh, 

Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia 

Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, 

Lebanon, Maldives, Nepal, 

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, 

Singapore Sri Lanka, Syria, 

Tajikistan, Turkmenistan & 

Yemen. 

NEW DELHI, Feb 19: T20 

captain Shahid Afridi said 

thateExtraordinary performances 

by a player in the 

ongoing PSL can still earn 

him a place in the Pakistan 

team for the Twenty-20 

World Cup, Indian media 

reported on Friday. 

In interview to NDTV, 

Afridi said the selectors and 

team management will also 

closely watch performances 

in the Asia Cup T20 to be 

held in Bangladesh from 

February 24 before deciding 

whether to make any change 

in the already-announced 

15-member squad for the 

two back-to- back events of 

the shortest format of the 



Muhammad Majid Ali (PJB) 

beat Muhammad Asif Toba 

(PJB) 4-3 (68-46, 33-80, 76- 

21(61), 53-65, 17-118(57), 

76-40, 48-11) 

Muhammad Majid Ali 

(PJB) bt Rashid Mehmood 

(KPK) 4-0 (67-33, 95- 

14(51), 65-28, 66-10) 

Babar Masih (PJB) beat 

Khurram Agha (Sindh) 4-0 

(99-0(99), 57-42, 58-37, 

102-15(89),) 

Farhan Noor (PJB) beat 

Shahid Aftab (PJB) 4-0 (75- 

51, 60-10, 63-24, 75- 

22(74),) 

Sharjeel Mehmood 

(KPK) bt Saeed Ahmed 

(BAL) 4-2 (50-62, 52-42, 

66-33, 42-67, 65-15, 82- 

0(62),) 

game--Asia Cup and World 

Cup with latter to be played 

March 8-April 3. 

"I hope that we don't need 

to make changes in the 

squad and it plays in both 

events but if any player (s) 

fails to click in the Asia Cup 

then there can be changes 

made in the side for the 

World Cup," NDTV quoted 

Afridi as saying. 

The International Cricket 

Council (ICC) has set March 

8 as deadline for those teams 

who have qualified for the 

super round to make last 

minute changes in their 

selected squads. 

"If there are players who 

impress everyone in the 

Muhammad Faheem 

(PJB) bt Abdul Raziq (BAL) 

4-0 (106-19, 84-08, 67-45, 

79-27) 

Aakash Rafique (KPK) 

bt Hunain Amir (PJB) 4-1 

(33-55, 68-24, 69-60, 63-16, 

51-23) 

Sohail Shehzad (Sindh) 

bt Muhammad Yousuf (PJB) 

4-1 (56-23, 46-58, 74- 

09(50), 70-63, 83-16) 

Asjad Iqbal (PJB) bt 

Muhammad Aqeel (KPK) 4- 

0 (68-42, 94-0(94), 80-31, 

72-28) 

Muhammad Afzal (PJB) 

bt Agha Bilawal (Sindh) 4-2 

(86-50, 53-47, 49-08, 13-55, 

78-47, 52-32) 

Ian Mark John (Sindh) bt 

Muhammad Ijaz (PJB) 4-0 

(52-13, 60-25, 65-25, 75- 

06) 

Pakistan Super League they 

can be considered for the 

World T20," he said. 

Afridi said he himself, 

the team management and 

selectors "gave full confidence 

and support to every 

player but unfortunately the 

same response was not 

forthcoming from players". 

Pakistani selectors have 

picked five players in their 

Asia Cup and World T20 

squad who have yet to play 

T20 Internationals. The 

selectors also axed experienced 

opener Ahmed 

Shehzad, Muhammad 

Rizwan, Sohaib Maqsood 

and Umar Gul for the two 

events. 

Muhammad Iftekhar 

Khan (Sindh) bt Ahmed 

Shah (BAL) 4-1 (73-12, 70- 

14(67), 18-51, 54-50, 49-43) 

Abu Saim (PJB) bt Aamir 

Shehzad (KPK) 4-0 (66-35, 

67-42, 49-13, 59-31) 

Muhammad Asif Toba 

(PJB) bt Muzammil Khan 

(Sindh) 4-0 (67-55, 90-06, 

72-01, 96-01(79),) 

Muhammad Jawed (PJB) 

bt Ubaid Khan (BAL) 4-1 

(59-43, 73-30, 74-12, 60-68, 

60-18) 

Muhammad Jawed 

Ansari (Sindh) bt Raja 

Rashid (ISB) 4-0 (77- 

26(63), 78-11, 108-15, 84- 

10(75),) 

Zulfiqar A. Qadir (Sindh) 

bt Fawad Khan (KPK) 4-3 

(41-52, 107-02, 52-67, 89- 

06, 60-36, 52-55, 76-27). 

PSL super performers can be picked up 

for T20 world cup: says Afridi 

Afridi said he could claim 

with confidence that in his 

captaincy every player who 

was in the team got full 

chances to show his performances. 

"I don't believe 

in dropping someone after 

just one or two matches. 

Every player who played in 

the team got full support and 

confidence from me, the 

coach and selectors." 

"Unfortunately our players 

lack consistency. I am 

hoping that if the PSL is held 

regularly for the two to three 

years then new talent will 

emerge and also get a chance 

to polish itself playing in 

front of crowds in the PSL," 

he said. 

Sara Errani beats Elina Svitolina to reach second Dubai final 

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India top court refuses to hear 

bail plea of JNU student leader 

KARACHI, 

NEW DELHI, Feb 19: 

India's top court declined to 

hear a bail plea of a student 

leader charged with sedition, 

saying that to do so would 

send the message that lower 

courts were "incapable", 

Indian media reported on 

Friday. 

However, it transferred 

Kanhaiya Kumar's bail plea 

to the Delhi high court, saying 

that the atmosphere in 

the trial court was "not proper". 

Mr Kumar was attacked 

in the court premises by slogan-shouting 

lawyers. 

His lawyers told the top 

court that they feared for his 

safety. Mr Kumar, the student 

union leader from 


Senate standing sub-committee 

of finance recommended 

to refer the transactions 

of Higher 

Education Commission to 

NAB/FIA for investigation 

of corruption. 

The federal watchdogs 

asked to probe into privatization 

process of HEC to 

determine whether the 

HEC Chairman/Secretary, 

the top management and 

NEW DELHI: File photo of students and activists shouting slogans. 

Delhi's prestigious 

Jawaharlal Nehru University 

(JNU) was arrested after a 

rally against the 2013 hanging 

of Mohammed Afzal 

Guru at which anti-India slogans 

were allegedly raised. 

Afzal Guru was convicted 

over a 2001 plot to attack 

India's parliament - charges 

he always denied. 

The attack was carried 

out by Kashmiri militants 

and left 14 people dead. 

the consultants were 

involved in corruption 

and embezzlement. 

Chairman Senate 

Standing Committee on 

Finance, Revenue and 

Privatization, Senator 

Saleem Mandviwalla during 

meeting said that HEC 

Privatization case is proof 

of total failure of 

Privatization Commission. 

The Privatization 

Commission had committed 

willful and criminal 

negligence by having a 

lackluster and sloppy 

approach toward the complete 

Privatization 

process of the HEC, as 

was evident in the transaction 

committee meeting 

and Privatization 

Commission meeting on 

the selection of the bidder 

for the HEC. 

The Privatization commission 

dealt with the 

At Friday morning's hearing, 

the Supreme Court said 

it would tell the high court to 

take up the bail hearing 

quickly. 

It also asked the Indian 

government and the Delhi 

police to ensure that adequate 

security was put in 

place at the high court to 

ensure Mr Kumar's safety. 

Wednesday's attack on 

Mr Kumar in the Patiala 

house court had taken place 

despite the Supreme Court 

laying down strict guidelines 

Senate body asks NAB to probe 

into HEC privatization process 

Siraj suggests government for 

justice to restore peace 

QUETTA: Ameer Jamaat e Islami Siraj ul Haq speaks during a ceremony at JI Office. 

QUETTA, Feb 19: Ameer 

of Jamat Islami Siraj ul Haq 

has said that the political 

elite has captured 

Pakistan’s resources .The 

major reason of mayhem in 

the country is non availability 

of justice to the 

common man . 

He was speaking to 


Prime Minister Nawaz 

Sharif has said civil servants 

have a key role for 

the progress and development 

of the country. 

He was talking to officers 

recently promoted 

to grade 22 in Islamabad 

on Friday. 

Nawaz Sharif said 

people have pinned great 

expectations with the 

government officials to 

work towards their welfare 

by taking timely and 

correct decisions. Civil 

servants have a key role 

for the progress and 

development of the 

country, PM Nawaz 

Sharif. 

media on Friday . He said 

that the people of 

Baluchistan are angry as 

they are deprived of their 

basic rights. The educated 

PM approves transfers, appointments in bureaucracy 

Civil servants have key role 

for country's progress: PM 

He said our aim 

should be rule of law and 

public service and for 

this purpose we should 

work as a team. 

The Prime Minister 

said transparency and 

merit is being ensured in 

the promotion of officers. 

He said the performance 

and attitude of the 

officers have been set as 

the benchmark for promotions. 

Congratulating the 

officers on their promotions, 

the Prime Minister 

said we expect the highest 

level of integrity and 

transparency from civil 

servants. 

youth, while taking the 

degrees in their hand is 

strolling office to office in 

search of job 

He said that it is fundamental 

duty of the government 

to take care of the 

rights of the people and 

resolve their issues and politics 

of personal interests 

should be shun . He was of 

the view that the rulers 

should take positive steps 

towards dispensation of 

justice to the poor. 

NA boy approves PSDP 

budget of Rs 1687 

million for next year 


National Assembly Standing 

Committee on Information 

and Broadcasting has 

approved Public Sector 

Development Programme 

worth about 1687 million 

rupees for the Ministry for the 

next financial year. 

Its meeting held in 

Islamabad on Friday was 

chaired by Muhammad 

Aslam Bodla. The Ministry 

proposed over 602 million 

rupees for 32 ongoing and 

over 1084.5 million rupees 

for 12 new projects and initiatives 

in respect of the 

Ministry and its allied organizations 

for the next financial 

year. The Committee appreciated 

the Ministry for its initiatives 

for preservation of 

national cultural heritage. 

HEC transaction in highly 

unprofessional, callous 

and reckless way. 

Senator Mandviwalla 

said that It is strongly recommended 

to refer the 

matter to NAB/FIA to 

investigate into the HEC 

transaction to determine 

whether 

the 

Chairman/Secretary, the 

top management and the 

consultants were involved 

in embezzlement or not. 

Accepting extra charges 

from visa applicants is 

condemnable: Nisar 


Interior Minister 

Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan 

has expressed serious 

reservations on the 

alleged irregularities in 

the agreement between 

Gerry's and Pakistan High 

Commission London in 

getting Pakistani visa. 

In a statement, he 

directed Federal 

Investigation Agency to 

submit a detailed report wrong deed 

about alleged irregularities 

in award of the agreement 

by the previous government. 

The minister also asked 

the ministries of interior 

and foreign affairs to 

ensure that now no 

Pakistani High 

Commissioner or 

Ambassador can sign 

such kind of anti-people 

agreement to protect 

monetary interests of 

someone else. 

He said accepting extra 

charges from the applicants 

for Pakistani visas 

are condemnable and 

undesirable. Chaudhry 

Nisar Ali Khan also said it 

should be reviewed that 

whether Pakistan can 

annul this agreement. 

QUETTA, Feb 19: Custom 

intelligence officials in 

Quetta have seized 165-kilogram 

chars hidden in a car 

here on Friday and the vehicle 

was taken into custody. 

The drugs are worth over 

Rs 10.6 million. 

While talking to media 

persons in his office, 

Deputy Director Custom 

Intelligence Inam Ullaha 

Khan Wazir said that 

Custom officials have 

seized more than one-ton 

chars and 7 kilograms of 

heroin worth Rs 150 million 

in the last one and a 

after a previous hearing into 

the case also turned violent. 

Meanwhile, thousands of 

people across India marched 

on Thursday to protest 

against Mr Kumar's arrest. 

Organisers said about 

10,000 people gathered in 

the capital, Delhi. 

Protests have also spread 

to other universities across 

the country. Students from 

the southern city of Chennai 

(Madras) clashed with the 

police on Thursday morning, 

while agitations in a top university 

in the eastern city of 

Kolkata (Calcutta) turned 

violent. Political parties have 

also joined the fray, with 

opposition groups condemning 

the government action. 

However, angry government 

ministers have not 

backed down, and vowed to 

punish the "anti-national 

elements". 

Cases against 

Zardari were not 

made with bad 

intentions: Saif 


The former chairman 

National Accountably 

Bureau (NAB) Saif-ur- 

Rehmen has said during his 

tenure in NAB cases were 

made against ex president 

Asif Ali Zardari on truth 

and honesty. The main aim 

of these cases was to save 

the system from plunderers 

and not to victimize any 

peculiar person. 

He said that after the 

PML(N) government was 

toppled in the past his 

family was maltreated due 

to which his father was 

died .Replying a question 

he said he has neither made 

his mind to comeback to 

Pakistan nor to take part in 

the politics of the country. 

This he said while talking 

to the media on Friday. 

He said that he I never 

begged pardon from 

Zardari. He recalled his 

memories that once he was 

in prison and bad time was 

going around at that time 

then he prayed that Allah 

may forgive him for any 

and mistakes. 

He said that he has not 

any kind of link with Pak 

Qatar Gas Pipeline. 

–Online 

APNS welcomes appointment of Imran 

Gardezi as Secretary Information 

Feb 19: The 

APNS welcomes the 

appointment of Mr. S. M. 

Imran Gardezi as Secretary 

Information 

and 

Broadcasting, Government 

of Pakistan and hopes that 

during his tenure in office, 

the cordial relations between 

the Federal Government and 

LOS ANGELES, Feb 19: 

Actress Kristen Stewart says 

she hates it when people sell 

their lives to the media in 

other to get publicity. 

When asked about the 

matter, Stewart said that she 

strongly disagrees with 

celebrities who did the 

action to bring them to fame 

and raise money, reports 

aceshowbiz.com. 

“People who are interested 

in selling a life as if it's a 

comic book story? It's just 

money, money, money, 

money," Stewart was quoted 

as saying by An Other magazine. 

“It's just bulls**t distraction, 

and a lot of people 

make a lot of money on that, 

because we wanna get distracted,” 

she added. 

The Twilight star went on 

to say that at one point in her 

life she also needs some distraction, 

but she hardly finds 

a place for it. She says that 

she wants to go to a place 

where she can dance like 

nobody is watching. 

"I danced the other 

night, and it felt so 

f**king good. And it's so 

not like me. I envy people 

the All Pakistan Newspapers 

Society will be more 

strengthened. 

The President and the 

Secretary General, APNS 

expressed their immense 

pleasure that a recipient of 

APNS Public Relations 

Award (1999-2000) and a 

close friend of media has 

like that so much. I'm 

pretty physical, but I really 

need to let myself go. 

been nominated as 

Secretary Information. The 

APNS also expressed its 

confidence that during his 

tenure, the APNS would 

enjoy active cooperation 

and assistance from the 

Government of Pakistan in 

addressing the problems 

faced by the newspapers. 

Kristen Stewart slams celebs 

for ''selling'' their lives 

ISLAMABAD Feb 19: 

Federal Minister for Kashmir 

Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan 

Chaudhry Muhammad 

Birgees Tahir on Friday 

expressed grave satisfaction 

over the appointment of Chief 

Election Commissioner in 

Azad Jammu and Kashmir 

(AJK) and said that after the 

oath taking ceremony of CEC, 

the way of transparent general 

elections in AJK has paved, 

which would more strengthened 

the democratic values 

and traditions. 

In a statement issued here, 

he said that opinion of 

Supreme Court regarding 

CEC was the victory of constitution 

and law and it is not the 

victory of any political party 

or person. 

“The oath taking ceremony 

of CEC in AJK has ended the 

situation of uncertainty ultimately 

and now all political 

parties can focus on upcoming 

general elections”, he added 

and maintained now it was the 

obligation of all political parties 

to cooperate with CEC to 

ensure upcoming elections 

free, fair and transparent. 

Chaudhry Birgees said that 

old electoral rolls were main 

hurdle in holding transparent 

elections which needs to be 

Honestly, I just wish I 

could f**king dance more. 

That's all,” she said. 

CEC’s appointment transparency 

in AJK polls: Birgees 


National Assembly was 

informed that the Neelum- 

Jhelum Hydropower Project 

will be made operational by 

June next year. 

Minister of State for Water 

and Power Abid Sher Ali told 

the House during question 

hour that Neelum-Jhelum 

project is very critical and the 

government and the Prime 

Minister is giving full attention 

for its timely completion. 

He said upstream dams are 

imperative to conserve water 

and stop flooding. 

He said these will also 

help avoid future water crisis. 

He pointed out that the government 

is working on different 

projects in this regard and 

said land acquisition process 

for Diamer-Bhasha Dam is 

going on. 

He said the Patan 

Hydropower Project will be 

constructed on 1943 acres of 

land. He said at present, project 

is at study stage and work 

is going for joint venture with 

a German company. Abid 

Sher Ali informed the House 

that Sindh and Khyber- 

Pakhtunkhwa have some 

reservations on Akhori Dam. 

He said work will start on it 

after creating a consensus. He 

said the dam can be completed 

computerized and expressed 

the hope from new CED to 

play his vital role in making 

electoral rolls computerized. 

The federal government 

would cooperate with him in 

this regard. 

He expressed the hope that 

new CEC would evolve a new 

code of conduct for elections 

in AJK and ensure its implementations. 

Only free and fair elections 

can be beneficial for the development 

and stability in AJK. 

The elected representatives of 

the people would serve them 

as per their aspirations, he 

concluded. 

NA informed Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower 

Project to be operational by next year 

Custom seizes 165kg chars in Quetta 

QUETTA: Customs Intelligence staffs are showing drugs recovered from a car during raid 

in Kachlak area of Balochistan, during a press conference held at Customs Directorate. 

in five years once a consensus 

is created and the federal government 

is fully ready to cooperate 

in this regard. 

Parliamentary Secretary for 

National Health Services, 

Regulation and Coordination 

Dr Darshan told the House that 

Federal Health Regulatory 

Authority is being formed to 

regulate the fees being charged 

by the private doctors and hospitals 

in Islamabad. 

half month. 

Narrating the incident to 

the media persons, he stated 

that Custom officials have 

tried to stop a car en-rout to 

Quetta from Kachlak but it 

did not stop and attempted 

to escape. The driver stop 

the car near a populated 

area and ran away. While 

searching the car, Officials 

have found the drug placed 

in secret boxes. 

Custom officials are putting 

their best effort to curb 

the menace of drug smuggling 

in Baluchistan, he 

added. 

CMYK CMYK 

CMYK 

Chief Editor and Publisher Muhammad Taqi Alvi, Office No.509, Land Mark Plaza, I.I. Chundrigar Road Karachi. Tel. 021-32214988/32214990 Fax: 021-32214989 Printed by Jilani Printing Press ST-8 Block-10/A Gulshan-e-Iqbal Karachi.

20 Feb 2016

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