Pak News Wire

More rain is on the way

More rain is on the way

Malawi floods displace 200,000 people and CNN's Derek Van Dam reports that more rain is on the way.

Policeman killed in Karachi’s polio team attack

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/824078/policeman-killed-in-karachis-polio-team-attack/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/824078-Poliophotocopy-1421649144-544-160x120.JPG" width="160" /> 			</a> 			KARACHI: A policeman was killed on Monday when unidentified men attacked a polio team in Banaras Orangi Colony of Karachi, Express News reported. The deceased was identified as Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Tabassum, sources confirmed. The assailants, riding a motorcycle, opened fire at the policeman who was performing his duties in the area. Soon after the incident, the polio team halted immunisation activities in the area. On January 18, the government had finalised security arrangements for a countrywide polio vaccination drive. The National Crisis Management Cell (NCMC) of the Ministry of Interior also decided to work closely with the Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) for polio to ensure security for health workers. According to Expanded Programme for Immunisation (EPI) national manager Dr Rana Muhammad Safdar, the vaccination drive was postponed in five Balochistan districts —Musakhel, Qila Saifullah, Zhob, Loralai, Sherani — and Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency for security concerns.

Policeman killed in Karachi’s polio team attack

KARACHI: A policeman was killed on Monday when unidentified men attacked a polio team in Banaras Orangi Colony of Kar...

New Airbus Beluga super transporter set for the skies

New Airbus Beluga super transporter set for the skies

Can love win a presidential election?

Can love win a presidential election?

David Ginola was full of passion in detailing his pitch to unseat FIFA president Sepp Blatter. But has bid fallen at the first hurdle?

35 Syrian soldiers killed in plane crash

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/824002/35-syrian-soldiers-killed-in-plane-crash/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/824002-damascus-1421643714-341-160x120.jpg" width="160" /> 			</a> 			<div>BEIRUT:  At least 35 Syrian soldiers were killed overnight when an army cargo plane crashed in bad weather in the northwest of the country, a monitor said on Sunday. </div> The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the plane crashed after hitting electricity lines in heavy fog in Idlib province, a claim echoed by Syrian state media. But Syria’s al Qaeda affiliate al Nusra Front claimed on Twitter that it had shot down the aircraft. Syrian state media reported the crash without giving a death toll. “A medium-sized cargo plane crashed last night while landing at the Abu al-Duhur military airport because of bad weather conditions and heavy fog, killing the crew on board,” state news agency SANA said. It gave no further details on the incident. The Observatory said regime forces were involved in heavy clashes with Al-Nusra fighters in a bid to reach and recover the bodies of those killed in the crash. On one of its Twitter accounts, al Nusra claimed it shot down the plane and posted photos it said showed some of those killed in the crash. Published in The Express Tribune, January 19th, 2015.

35 Syrian soldiers killed in plane crash

BEIRUT: At least 35 Syrian soldiers were killed overnight when an army cargo plane crashed in bad weather in the nort...

Rejoinder: Nation has rejected politics of deception, says Rashid

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/823992/rejoinder-nation-has-rejected-politics-of-deception-says-rashid/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/823992-PervaizRashid-1421642805-104-160x120.jpg" width="160" /> 			</a> 			<div>ISLAMABAD:  Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid said on Sunday that a majority of Pakistanis have turned their backs on “the politics of lies and deception”, mocking the four-month sit-in campaign carried out by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). </div> “All the four constituencies have been opened for scrutiny and [PTI chief] Imran Khan faced embarrassment in all the four cases,” he said, referring to the controversy Imran had raised over the 2013 election results. He questioned the performance of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government against terrorism. “When Imran Khan tours Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa people shout ‘go Imran, go’. Can he say anything about it?” Rashid said. He asserted that Pakistan was facing internal and external threats and this was not the time to play politics. Published in The Express Tribune, January 19th, 2015.

Rejoinder: Nation has rejected politics of deception, says Rashid

ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid said on Sunday that a majority of Pakistanis have turned their backs o...

Sprinter Sacre makes comeback

Sprinter Sacre makes comeback

Chelsea fire up title challenge with easy win at Swansea

Chelsea fire up title challenge with easy win at Swansea

Goals galore for Chelsea as Oscar and Diego Costa score twice to boost English Premier League title hunt.

Icy roads cause hundreds of wrecks

Icy roads cause hundreds of wrecks

The mayor of Danbury, Connecticut, appears to be the first to give the Northeast's ice storm a hashtag: #Icezilla.

Del Potro pulls out of Australian Open

Del Potro pulls out of Australian Open

Juan Martin Del Potro has pulled out of the Australian Open, citing persistent concerns surrounding a wrist injury that has ravaged much of ...

Africa Cup kicks off in style

Africa Cup kicks off in style

Last minute hosts Equatorial Guinea denied victory as the Africa Cup of Nations opens against a backdrop of controversy.

Arsenal sweep Man City aside

Arsenal sweep Man City aside

Arsenal put a huge dent in Manchester City's title hopes after a comfortable 2-0 victory at the Etihad Stadium.

Del Potro pulls out of Australian Open

Del Potro pulls out of Australian Open

Juan Martin Del Potro has pulled out of the Australian Open, citing persistent concerns surrounding a wrist injury that has ravaged much of ...

Arsenal sweep Man City aside

Arsenal sweep Man City aside

Arsenal put a huge dent in Manchester City's title hopes after a comfortable 2-0 victory at the Etihad Stadium.

Israeli strike kills son of top Hezbollah commander

Israeli strike kills son of top Hezbollah commander

12 teams to vie for President’s Gold Cup

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/823952/12-teams-to-vie-for-presidents-gold-cup/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/823952-cricketballFILE-1421615042-976-160x120.jpg" width="160" /> 			</a> 			KARACHI: After a successful Pentangular Cup, which played a crucial role in the selection of the 15-man squad for the World Cup, 12 teams will now take part in the second domestic event of the year, the Haier President’s Gold Cup, which commences today. The one-day cup will feature the top six departmental and the top six regional teams divided into two pools of six each – three regions and as many departments. SNGPL and NBP are the favourites for the trophy, while Peshawar Panthers will be looking to claim their second title of the year. The last edition had no result as the trophy was shared between finalists NBP and KRL due to heavy fog which caused the match to be abandoned and sparked a debate over the choice of venue. In order to ensure the incident is not repeated, all 18 matches will be played in Karachi and Hyderabad from January 19 to February 1. The opening three matches – Karachi Dolphins v SNGPL, Rawalpindi Rams v NBP and Peshawar Panthers v ZTBL – will be played in different grounds of Karachi and Hyderabad from January 19. Published in The Express Tribune, January 19th,  2015. Like <a href="https://www.facebook.com/EtribuneSports">Sports on Facebook</a>, follow <a href="https://twitter.com/ETribuneSports">@ETribuneSports</a> on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.

12 teams to vie for President’s Gold Cup

KARACHI: After a successful Pentangular Cup, which played a crucial role in the selection of the 15-man squad for the...

Vonn equals World Cup record

Vonn equals World Cup record

Fifth Australian Open crown at stake for Djokovic and Federer

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/823900/fifth-australian-open-crown-at-stake-for-djokovic-and-federer/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/823900-AustralianOpencopy-1421606365-861-160x120.JPG" width="160" /> 			</a> 			MELBOURNE: Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer begin their quest for five Australian Open titles, while Serena Williams is chasing her 19th Grand Slam crown in the year’s first major. World number one Djokovic looms as the player to beat in the men’s draw, having won four of the last seven editions. “There are so many players who are contenders to win the title,” said the Serb. “Considering the success that I have had in my career in this tournament, I have enough reason to believe I can go far.” While Djokovic has never lost a final in Melbourne, Federer will again be the sentimental favourite at 33, pursuing his 18th major title. “I would hope that I’ve improved over the years. I’m serving stronger and consistently than I ever have,” said Federer. However, there are question marks over Rafael Nadal’s match fitness after playing few matches since Wimbledon last July following a wrist injury and later an appendectomy. Nadal suffered a shock defeat in his first match of the season to German Michael Berrer. “It’s true that having a grand slam this early in the season after the injuries I’ve had is not the ideal thing. But here we are,” he said. Nadal has won 14 grand slams, but only won one of them in Australia where he also had two runner-up finishes, including in last year’s final to Stan Wawrinka. Britain’s Andy Murray has lost three finals in Melbourne and will have to get past Federer and Nadal to make his way into his fourth. Meanwhile, defending champion Wawrinka is a last start winner, having captured back-to-back Chennai Opens on the way to Australia. “I feel great coming here. Been getting a lot of confidence, winning the first tournament of the year,” said the Swiss. “I know I can do it, that’s not the question.” Number one spot up for grabs  World number one Serena is tied with Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova with 18 grand slams behind all-time leader Margaret Court (24). Adding spice to the women’s side of the draw is that the top four seeds – Serena, Maria Sharapova, Simona Halep and Petra Kvitova – all have a chance to end the tournament as world number one. Injured Del Potro pulls out  Grand Slam winner Juan Martin del Potro yesterday pulled out of the Australian Open after a recurrence of his troublesome wrist injury. The giant Argentine spent almost a year on the sidelines before making his return at the Sydney International last week.  Published in The Express Tribune, January 19th,  2015. Like <a href="https://www.facebook.com/EtribuneSports">Sports on Facebook</a>, follow <a href="https://twitter.com/ETribuneSports">@ETribuneSports</a> on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.

Fifth Australian Open crown at stake for Djokovic and Federer

MELBOURNE: Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer begin their quest for five Australian Open titles, while Serena Williams ...

Mourinho praises ‘perfect’ Chelsea

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/823899/mourinho-praises-perfect-chelsea/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/823899-EPLcopy-1421606366-947-160x120.jpg" width="160" /> 			</a> 			SWANSEA: Jose Mourinho said Chelsea had produced the ‘perfect’ performance after a 5-0 win away to Swansea City on Saturday saw them extend their lead at the top of the Premier League. Oscar and Diego Costa both scored twice in the first half at the Liberty Stadium to leave Chelsea 4-0 up before the break and substitute Andre Schurrle added a fifth goal 11 minutes from time. “It was a perfect performance,” said Chelsea manager Mourinho, whose side made light of a potentially awkward encounter in south Wales. “The way everything went our way was just perfect.” Chelsea may have scored five goals but their Portuguese boss praised the Blues’ defence, adding: “I thought the team played very well and were solid defensively. “The team has a clear identity. Sometimes you have good teams who play well, but without a clear identity. This team has been going in a certain direction and with a certain identity.” Subs save Man United On-loan striker Radamel Falcao returned to the Manchester United starting eleven at second from bottom Queens Park Rangers, but spurned a good early chance to score when he was denied by a Rob Green double-save. United manager Louis van Gaal persisted with a three-man defence and with the visitors toiling, their fans made their dissent plain at half time by chanting: “4-4-2” Van Gaal introduced Marouane Fellaini and 19-year-old striker James Wilson early in the second half, tweaking United’s shape, and within seconds the visitors were in front. Antonio Valencia motored to the byline on the right and cut the ball back for Fellaini, who took a touch before languidly shooting past Green from 12 yards. Wilson completed a 2-0 victory in injury time, finishing at the second attempt after his initial shot was repelled by Green. Liverpool climb to seventh Improving Liverpool climbed to seventh, five points below the Champions League places, after winning 2-0 at Aston Villa. With Steven Gerrard rested, Liverpool took a 24th-minute lead when Fabio Borini slid in to convert Jordan Henderson’s delicate cross before Rickie Lambert added a second with 11 minutes to play. Other fixtures Christian Eriksen claimed an 88th-minute winner as Tottenham Hotspur won 2-1 at home to Sunderland, who gave striker Jermain Defoe a debut against his former club. Meanwhile, Crystal Palace came from two goals down to claim a stirring 3-2 win at fellow relegation contenders Burnley. Bottom club Leicester City remain three points adrift of safety after Bojan Krkic’s 63rd-minute strike earned Stoke City a 1-0 win at the King Power Stadium.  Published in The Express Tribune, January 19th,  2015. Like <a href="https://www.facebook.com/EtribuneSports">Sports on Facebook</a>, follow <a href="https://twitter.com/ETribuneSports">@ETribuneSports</a> on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.

Mourinho praises ‘perfect’ Chelsea

SWANSEA: Jose Mourinho said Chelsea had produced the ‘perfect’ performance after a 5-0 win away to Swansea City on Sa...

Junaid’s story: From tobacco fields to the Adelaide Oval

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/823902/junaids-story-from-tobacco-fields-to-the-adelaide-oval/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/823902-JunaidKhancopy-1421606370-687-160x120.jpg" width="160" /> 			</a> 			Every Pakistani left-arm pacer who has emerged in recent years wants to emulate Wasim Akram did; to imitate the epic craft and then try going a step further. However, only the banned Muhammad Amir and Junaid Khan have come close enough to draw comparison.  Junaid, essentially a product of professional tennis ball cricket — just like Anwar Ali, Sohail Tanvir, Amir Awais Zia and Shahzeb Hasan — fell in love with tapeball cricket in his early days. Unfortunately, the 25-year-old who hails from a small Matra village near Sawabi, had no proper grounds available to him near home and this led him to the main city, where he would play competitive matches after encouraging teams to hire his skills. “I started playing tapeball cricket at the age of 13 and as I grew older, I became a quick bowler,” Junaid told The Express Tribune. “Later on, the teams began to hire me to play for them in bigger tournaments. If I would play in a final for someone, I used to charge Rs2,000 to Rs3,000, while for a full tournament it would be somewhere between Rs8,000 and Rs10,000.” A mischievous youngster, Junaid and his friends would spend many of their days secretly going out to get fruits and targeting their neighbour’s bulbs, a cheeky way of challenging each other’s accuracy. However, his group was often caught and punished with a beating from either their neighbours or their families. Brought up in Sawabi, Junaid had a special love for his families’ farms — where they had tobacco crops — and would spend hours in the fields with the farmers. However, his father refused to allow him to work despite the bowler desperate to literally get his hands dirty. But Junaid had other things in mind to keep his passionate nature alive. With the lack of facilities available to him during his early days, he and his friends would anxiously wait for the harvesting season to arrive so they could resume their love affair with cricket. “Our village only had crops all over so there were no playing fields. We would just wait for the crops to be harvested in order to get two months’ playing time. Once the harvesting was completed, we would gather and level the land by using spades and shovels,” he recalled. “Dozens of people would then run on the land for a couple of days to make sure that the field is even enough to play. After levelling the field, we would collect stones and extra sand to make a hard pitch on it, which was just slightly higher from the ground. And thus, my love for cricket developed.” It happened by chance but it was good enough for him; good enough to give his cricketing journey a big boost. On his cousin’s insistence, Junaid ended up bowling with the hard ball as he was made to give trials for the Abbottabad U19 team after their tapeball match had ended early in Sawabi. He was around 15 when he bowled at the nets, with selector Ehteshamuddin monitoring the trials. And, it took him just a few balls to impress Ehtesham with his seam movement. <img alt="" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/nabeel.jpg" /> “As I started bowling, I wasn’t getting the same speed but my ball was moving both ways and the batsmen were not able to play it. Sincerely speaking, I had no idea how the ball was tailing in and moving out,” Junaid, the second of three siblings, recalled. “After that, Ehtesham called me to know my age. I told him that I was just over 14 so he asked me to play at the U16 level because I was too young.” He made quick strides and performed well in both U16 and U19 inter-regional tournaments, which prompted a call-up to the Pakistan U19 side, where he and Amir played together. Both made their marks but Amir was the first to take international cricket by storm while Junaid followed in 2011 after strong performances in both domestic cricket and Pakistan A. Even after becoming a part of the national team, Junaid continued his love affair with tapeball cricket and kept on playing for a while longer. Coming from a well-educated family, his studies were left behind after eight grade, but he managed to complete his intermediate exams after cricket became the primary focus in his life. He credits his father, Matiullah and Amir Nawab  — local cricketing heads of Sawabi and Abbottabad respectively — for their initial support and his  cousins for accompanying him to Abbottabad, as his father would not allow him to go there alone given the four-hour drive. Even though his life has seen a drastic change, Junaid is still in touch with his roots; he loves spending time with the farmers and his childhood friends. “I and my family take pride in my name being part of the international cricket fraternity, but that stardom is only for the neutrals,” he said. “I’m still the same with people who know me from my early days and spend quality time with them on the field. “I’m lucky that I was spotted and praised by Wasim Akram after breaking into international cricket. He’s helped Pakistani bowlers a lot and he advises me regularly even without me asking.” For Pakistan’s premium fast bowler, it has been a long journey from harvested fields of tobacco to the lush grass of the awaiting grounds Down Under, but Junaid still feels equally comfortable on both. Published in The Express Tribune, January 19th,  2015. Like <a href="https://www.facebook.com/EtribuneSports">Sports on Facebook</a>, follow <a href="https://twitter.com/ETribuneSports">@ETribuneSports</a> on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.

Junaid’s story: From tobacco fields to the Adelaide Oval

Every Pakistani left-arm pacer who has emerged in recent years wants to emulate Wasim Akram did; to imitate the epic c...

De Villiers slams record in West Indies nightmare

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/823944/de-villiers-slams-record-in-west-indies-nightmare/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/823944-Ledecopy-1421605767-335-160x120.jpg" width="160" /> 			</a> 			<div>JOHANNESBURG:  AB de Villiers hit the fastest century in ODI history as South Africa overwhelmed the West Indies in the second ODI at the Wanderers in Johannesburg yesterday. </div> De Villiers raced to his century off 31 balls – five balls fewer than the previous record – on the way to an astonishing 149 off 44 balls. With opening batsmen Hashim Amla and Rilee Rossouw also hitting centuries in a South African record first-wicket stand, South Africa piled up a massive 439-2. The West Indies were never likely to chase down a world record target but managed a respectable 291-7 to give South Africa a 148-run win and a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. The target was never likely to be within the reach of the West Indies, especially after big-hitting Chris Gayle was caught at deep midwicket off Morne Morkel for 19 in the fifth over. Dwayne Smith made 64 off 65 balls and Denesh Ramdin contributed 57 off 55 deliveries. Amla (153 not out) and Rossouw (128) put on 247 for the first wicket — a record partnership for any wicket by the Proteas. Rossouw was dismissed off the third ball in the 39th over. De Villiers promoted himself to number three and struck the ball out of the middle of his bat from the first delivery he faced, which he thrashed for four past Jerome Taylor. He reached the half century mark in 16 balls, one fewer than Sanath Jayasuriya’s previous record for the fastest half-century, for Sri Lanka against Pakistan in 1995-96, then powered his way past Corey Anderson’s record for the fastest century. He took five balls fewer than Anderson’s hundred for New Zealand against the West Indies in 2013-14. The South African captain’s innings included 16 sixes, equalling the world record set by Rohit Sharma, when he hit 209 for India against Australia in Bangalore in 2013-14, while he also hit nine fours. South Africa went past their own previous highest total – the 438-9 they scored in a record run chase against Australia on the same ground in 2005-06 – and Sri Lanka’s world record of 443-9 against the Netherlands in 2006 seemed set to fall. But De Villiers hit the fourth ball of the final over from Andre Russell to deep cover and Amla could not score off the final two deliveries. Amla’s 153 not out was scored off 142 balls with 14 fours, while Rossouw hit his 128 off 115 balls, with 11 fours and two sixes. After the game, Man of the Match De Villiers said he had refused to back down when he found out he was closing in on the record. “I had a lot of time to warm up in the changing room, thinking about how I was playing,” he said. “I actually wanted David Miller to go in but Russell made a great call, he told me to go. I played my knock even before I came out to bat; I really wanted to do well today. I was on 92 when I knew the record was close and I wasn’t going to take singles!” Meanwhile, West Indies captain Jason Holder said they had to put this disastrous encounter behind them. “It was a tough game, De Villiers took it away from us. We weren’t doing too badly in the middle overs but he took it away from us. We just need to put this behind us now.”  Published in The Express Tribune, January 19th,  2015. Like <a href="https://www.facebook.com/EtribuneSports">Sports on Facebook</a>, follow <a href="https://twitter.com/ETribuneSports">@ETribuneSports</a> on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.

De Villiers slams record in West Indies nightmare

JOHANNESBURG: AB de Villiers hit the fastest century in ODI history as South Africa overwhelmed the West Indies in th...

Petrol crisis: Business owners ask govt to clear circular debt

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/823935/petrol-crisis-business-owners-ask-govt-to-clear-circular-debt/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/823935-fslbd_petrolpump_jan-1421612336-870-160x120.jpg" width="160" /> 			</a> 			ISLAMABAD: The business community has said it is solely the government which is to blame for the ongoing petrol shortage in the country. The Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), in a statement on Sunday, said the petrol crisis had disrupted transportation of raw material and finished goods across the country. The chamber said that fuel shortage had caused losses to the business and industry. <img alt="" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/ICCI-said-PSO.jpg" /> “Industry and the public were already facing power and gas load-shedding. The petrol crisis has added fuel to this fire,” said the press release. The body said that the government had failed to steer the country out of crises. They said the petrol issue had been brewing for long as Pakistan State Oil (PSO)’s receivables had exceeded Rs200 billion due to which it started defaulting on its obligations in November 2014 while banks also refused loans to it. “However, despite these ominous conditions, the government did not take any corrective measures to stem the rising crisis.” They said PSO meets almost 65 per cent of the petroleum needs of the country, but was facing a serious liquidity crunch. “The government should urgently help it out of its current troubles because if left stranded, the economy would come to a grinding halt.” ICCI said PSO had reportedly sought an amount of Rs100 billion to restore oil imports and keep the energy cycle running. The chamber urged the government to immediately release funds to PSO as piecemeal payments would not help in coping with the issue. The statement termed the surging power sector circular debt, which has now crossed Rs500 billion, the main reason behind the current crisis and stressed that the government take urgent measures to deal with the issue. “If a sustainable solution of circular debt was not found, the whole energy chain of the country could collapse that would plunge the business and industry as well as the whole economy into deep crisis,” the statement said. Published in The Express Tribune, January 19th, 2015.

Petrol crisis: Business owners ask govt to clear circular debt

ISLAMABAD: The business community has said it is solely the government which is to blame for the ongoing petrol short...

Remembering a leader: Jeay Sindh Tehreek workers mark GM Syed’s 111th birth anniversary

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/823871/remembering-a-leader-jeay-sindh-tehreek-workers-mark-gm-syeds-111th-birth-anniversary/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/823871-GMSYed-1421605361-968-160x120.jpg" width="160" /> 			</a> 			HYDERABAD: Thousands of workers of all the factions of Jeay Sindh Tehreek marked the 111th birth anniversary of their late leader GM Syed in Sann, Jamshoro district, on Saturday. Sindh United Party’s president Syed Jalal Mehmood Shah recalled how Syed united the people of Sindh, who were earlier divided among tribes and clans. “We follow Syed and his way of peaceful political struggle,” said Shah, who is also Syed’s grandson and a former Sindh Assembly speaker. Shah blamed the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) for reneging on its promises. “We formed an election coalition with the PML-N on seven points, which included complete autonomy, followed by real steps to curb corruption.” He regretted that none of the pledges were fulfilled. <img alt="" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Syed-Jalal-Mehmood-Shah.jpg" /> The SUP leader disapproved of the 21st constitutional amendment arguing that the legislation is tantamount to creating a parallel judicial system in the country. “The people will get punished under this system but they will not get justice.” He demanded a renewed National Finance Commission (NFC) award after a population census in Sindh. The former chief minister, Arbab Ghulam Rahim, accused the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)-led provincial government of exploiting the provincial autonomy secured through the 18th Amendment. He blamed PML-Functional leader Imtiaz Shaikh for the failure of the 10-party alliance in Sindh ahead of the 2013 elections. “We will have to form a formidable alliance of several political parties in Sindh,” he said. “No party alone can present itself as an alternative to the PPP.” Qaumi Awami Tehreek’s leader Qadir Ranto said the people of Sindh mounted a united struggle against the divisive local government system in 2012. “We now need to translate this unity into an electoral base,” he said. Meanwhile, seven separate public meetings were also held to mark the occasion. Addressing Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz’s (JSQM) public meeting, the party’s young chairperson, Sanan Qureshi, reiterated his resolve to continue to struggle until the independence of Sindh. JSQM’s vice-chairperson Dr Niaz Kalani said his party also believes in non-violent political struggle and religious harmony. “Syed also believed in peaceful struggle and religious harmony not only for Sindh but for the entire world,” said JSQM general secretary Amjad Mahesar. He pointed out that the party is carrying forward the legacy of the late Bashir Qureshi of resolving tribal clashes and vendettas in rural Sindh. Safdar Sarki, the self-exiled leader of his Jeay Sindh Tehreek faction, said the followers of Syed will offer sacrifices and languish in prisons but remain non-violent to pursue their aim. Jeay Sindh Mahaz’s leader Riaz Chandio announced that they will hold protest rallies in Karachi and other districts on February 14 to demand the expulsion of illegal immigrants and against religious extremism. He alleged that the provincial government is deliberately destroying the agricultural economy, which will plunge rural Sindh into grinding poverty. Shafi Burfat, the fugitive leader of the banned Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz, said the struggle for independence cannot be suppressed through coercive measures. In his telephonic speech, he asked the workers to observe hunger strikes against military courts. Published in The Express Tribune, January 19th, 2015.

Remembering a leader: Jeay Sindh Tehreek workers mark GM Syed’s 111th birth anniversary

HYDERABAD: Thousands of workers of all the factions of Jeay Sindh Tehreek marked the 111th birth anniversary of their...

37 amazing sports photos

37 amazing sports photos

The great wall of KSA: Saudi to construct 600-mile wall to keep IS out

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/823680/the-great-wall-of-ksa-saudi-to-construct-600-mile-wall-to-keep-is-out/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/823680-rtrdnyz-1421563016-750-160x120.jpg" width="160" /> 			</a> 			RIYADH: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is building a 600-mile long “Great Wall,” a combined fence and ditch which will separate the country from Iraq to the north in a bid to keep militant organisation the Islamic State (IS) out of its borders, <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/saudiarabia/11344116/Revealed-Saudi-Arabias-Great-Wall-to-keep-out-Isil.html" target="_blank">The Telegraph</a> reported.   Most of the area on the Iraqi side is controlled by the IS, which considers Saudi’s capture as its ultimate goal. The proposal to build this wall has been discussed since 2006, when the Iraqi war was at its height. Work on the wall, however, began in September last year after IS’s charge through much of the west and north of the country gave it a substantial land border with the Kingdom to the south. The border zone now includes five layers of fencing with watch towers, night-vision cameras and radar cameras. Further, Riyadh has also sent an extra 30,000 troops to stay guard at the area. It has also created a physical barrier along parts of the even longer, 1,000-mile border with Yemen to the south.

The great wall of KSA: Saudi to construct 600-mile wall to keep IS out

RIYADH: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is building a 600-mile long “Great Wall,” a combined fence and ditch which will s...

Pageant Queen dies during liposuction surgery

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/823742/pageant-queen-dies-during-liposuction-surgery/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/823742-catherinecandofb-1421601415-302-160x120.jpg" width="160" /> 			</a> 			A young pageant queen from Ecuador died on the surgery table during a liposuction operation. She had received the procedure as a prize for winning the competition reported Al-Arabiya News. Catherine Cando Cornejo, a 19-year-old student was named as the “Queen of Duran” in October 2014. Family members of Catherine termed the incident a case of medical malpractice. They said that Catherine was taken in for surgery at the Guayaquil clinic for waste reduction which was supposed to take off centimetres (one inch) off her body but almost 10 hours later the family members were notified of her death. “My sister did not want the operation because she was afraid, but the doctor insisted on several occasions, and convinced her to undergo surgery,” said her brother, Daniel Zavala Cornejo. Carlos Reyes, the family lawyer said the cause of death was cerebral edema or swelling of the brain. “The clinic lawyer said the death was due to cardiac arrest, but we have a copy of the autopsy and it turns out the cause was stated as cerebral edema; this is presumably due to problems with anaesthesia,” Reyes told members of the press. As per the complaint filed by the family, the surgery had been awarded to Catherine for winning the beauty pageant but a spokesman for the mayor revealed that a doctor who was on the jury for the pageant had given the winner a $ 1,000 coupon for the surgery. He told AFP that, “We made it clear that the prizes we hand out, our prizes were a car and tablet.” Authorities are said to have been investigating the matter but are yet to make any arrests pertaining to the case. Under the laws of Ecuador medical malpractice is punishable with up to three years imprisonment. Ecuadorian president, Rafael Correa had previously spoken against beauty pageants and had ordered the ministry of education in 2010 to ban the event in public schools on the basis that they were sexist and had absolutely no educational value. Published in The Express Tribune, January 19th,  2015. Like <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ETLifeandStyle">Life & Style on Facebook, </a>follow <a href="https://twitter.com/ETLifeandStyle">@ETLifeandStyle</a> on Twitter for the latest in fashion, gossip and entertainment.

Pageant Queen dies during liposuction surgery

A young pageant queen from Ecuador died on the surgery table during a liposuction operation. She had received the proc...

Diversity out of the picture in Oscars race

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/823737/diversity-out-of-the-picture-in-oscars-race/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/823737-gonegirlfb-1421600539-367-160x120.jpg" width="160" /> 			</a> 			LOS ANGELES: Within minutes of the announcement of Academy Award nominations on Thursday, up popped a Twitter hashtag to frame a fresh debate about the lack of diversity in Hollywood: #OscarsSoWhite. Before long, it became the social network’s top US trending topic. The slate for the 87th Academy Awards was a reminder of the glacial pace of change in Hollywood’s film industry, even after what looked like progress for black actors and filmmakers last year stemming from the best picture winner, 12 Years a Slave. All 20 actors nominated in the four acting categories this year are white and no women are nominated for either best director or screenwriter. Award watchers called it “the whitest Oscars” in years. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has some 6,000 members, who are selected for the quality of their work and recommendations by existing members. Academy branches, such as for actors and directors, nominate for their categories, and everyone can nominate best picture contenders. “The Academy is about 90 per cent white and 70 per cent male and we’re seeing the sad result of that in voting,” said Tom O’Neil, founder of awards tracker Gold Derby, referring to figures from a 2012 Los Angeles Times study on Academy voters. Race and gender are not considered, although behind-the-scenes, members say there are debates at branch level about how to make membership more diverse. David Oyelowo, the star of Selma, and the film’s director Ava DuVernay, both failed to garner nominations despite having been nominated for Golden Globes for their parts in the movie about African-American civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. DuVernay made history as the first black woman to be nominated for a Golden Globe best director award. Some historians had said the film misrepresented President Lyndon Johnson’s stand on voting rights, but critics were quick to point out that Selma was only the latest historical picture to draw scrutiny over its accuracy. The film scored a best picture Oscar nomination, and Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs — who herself made history as the first black female president of the organisation — drew attention to that. “I am extremely happy to note that Selma is up for best picture, which means the talent that it took to bring Selma to the screen was recognized, and I think that’s important,” she said. But Selma’s exclusion in all the other key Oscar races and in the director, producer, actor and writer guild awards, is likely to hurt its chances at winning best picture on Oscars night, said O’Neil, the awards tracker. “Critics proclaimed it’s the best movie of the year and the Oscars shunned it in most categories, so that means something’s wrong,” he said. Last year, 12 Years a Slave made history as the first film by a black director, Steve McQueen, to win best picture. African-American John Ridley won best adapted screenplay and Lupita Nyong’o won best supporting actress. But if race is a big part of the debate, so is gender. All of this year’s best picture nominees — American Sniper, Birdman, Boyhood, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Imitation Game, Selma, The Theory of Everything and Whiplash — were male-driven stories with male-dominated casts.  Published in The Express Tribune, January 19th,  2015. Like <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ETLifeandStyle">Life & Style on Facebook, </a>follow <a href="https://twitter.com/ETLifeandStyle">@ETLifeandStyle</a> on Twitter for the latest in fashion, gossip and entertainment.

Diversity out of the picture in Oscars race

LOS ANGELES: Within minutes of the announcement of Academy Award nominations on Thursday, up popped a Twitter hashtag...

‘Bolo Na’ in memory of our lost future: Farhad

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/823738/bolo-na-in-memory-of-our-lost-future-farhad/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/823738-BoloNacopy-1421597328-189-160x120.jpg" width="160" /> 			</a> 			KARACHI: It has been one month since the tragic Peshawar school massacre, but its after-effects continue to reverberate in the country. Rock band Overload recently released a song titled Bolo Na, especially in memory of the children who were killed at the hands of terrorists in the tragic event. <iframe src="http://www.dailymotion.com/embed/video/x2es46b" width="620" height="348" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> According to the band’s official Facebook page, the song, which was released on January 15, pays homage to all those children who lost their lives last year. “In 2014, we lost a chunk of our future. This is for our parents, our children, for Peshawar, Tharparkar, Balochistan, and for all that we are silently enduring. This is Bolo Na,” said a statement on the Overload Facebook page. In a video posted on the Facebook page, the band’s frontman Farhad Humayun said, “This song (Bolo Na) and Nimmi Nimmi had been recorded by us almost three to four years ago. We were looking for the right time to release these songs as we wanted them to have the impact we had hoped for.” He added, “This was not the time to make dance music,” stating that, as artistes, “it is their responsibility to speak about the issues being faced by them and the society at large.” Humayun likened the feel of the song to a “boat sailing on water with the feel that the waves of the water are dictating the direction of the song.” Published in The Express Tribune, January 19th,  2015. Like <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ETLifeandStyle">Life & Style on Facebook, </a>follow <a href="https://twitter.com/ETLifeandStyle">@ETLifeandStyle</a> on Twitter for the latest in fashion, gossip and entertainment.

‘Bolo Na’ in memory of our lost future: Farhad

KARACHI: It has been one month since the tragic Peshawar school massacre, but its after-effects continue to reverbera...

Need NFL primer? Here are 5 things to keep you in game

Need NFL primer? Here are 5 things to keep you in game