Pak News Wire

1992 World Cup: The returning champions

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/832797/1992-world-cup-the-returning-champions/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/832797-splashcopy-1423063901-767-160x120.jpg" width="160" /> 			</a> 			Twenty-three years after claiming the world champion title, the Pakistan cricket team is all set to return to the historic grounds of Australia and New Zealand to recreate moments that earned them a permanent spot on the cricketing map. What happened on the field in 1992 might be etched in the memory of every cricket fan in the country and is refreshed every four years by the barrage of video clips and pictures that flood social media and television screens. Few know what happened behind the scenes. And only one man, who trailed the cricketers closely throughout the event as the team’s official photographer, capturing every move and emotion, can shed light on their state of mind and recall intimate details that lead to the momentous victory. Today, Iqbal Munir uses the power of his pictures and memory to take us back in time when Pakistan cricket was all about the glory of the game. An uneven pitch <img alt="" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/b-copy.jpg" /> <blockquote>Imran Khan picks up a newspaper to read before his flight to Adelaide, South Australia.</blockquote> When Munir was appointed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to cover the event, he got straight down to the task. Equipped with his Nikon F3, he boarded a flight to Australia to join the team that had flown out a month before. Everyone was optimistic that Pakistan would emerge victorious that year, owing to the team’s confidence. Munir was, therefore, not prepared to digest what he came across next. While going through some of the in-flight newspapers, he was shocked to read an article in which Imran Khan, the captain for the 1992 World Cup, was quoted as saying, “We lost the occasion to win in the semi-final against Australia in Lahore in ’87. Now it’s difficult to win the World Cup in Australia.” In contrast to what millions in the country believed, Imran seemed to have little hope of winning the trophy. Munir’s hopes were further crushed when he heard Australian legend Greg Chappell rate Pakistan as the fifth best bet to win the nine-nation tournament. <img alt="" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/11a-copy.jpg" /> <blockquote>Flexing their muscles during a drinks break.</blockquote> <img alt="" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/20copy.jpg" /> <blockquote>Imran in consultation with his vice captain Javed Miandad during New Zealand’s innings in the semi-final.</blockquote> This cynicism was in stark contrast to the false sense of confidence Munir had witnessed at the conditioning camp set up in Lahore. All the cricketers, except Imran perhaps, were in consensus that they’ll make it to the semi-finals since it was a matter of winning only four matches. The squad, however, looked disinterested and seemingly went through the motions, he reveals. “Imran Khan was nursing his shoulder injury, Javed Miandad was cringing in pain due to a back problem and Waqar Younis was down with a stress fracture,” he says. “The camp lacked vigour and enthusiasm and was bereft of coordination and a sense of purpose. [There was] only overconfidence and arrogance.” The players assured that they would easily take down India, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and South Africa. <img alt="" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/It-wasn%E2%80%99t-until.jpg" /> But when the team eventually left for Australia on January 15, 1992, a lot had changed. They were travelling without Miandad, and Imran had instead picked out Zahid Fazal and Inzamamul Haq as his potential match winners because of the promise they had shown.  The fall before the rise <img alt="" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/005_1-copy.jpg" /> <blockquote>Top view of a packed Melbourne Cricket Ground during the final match.</blockquote> According to Munir, the team went through a series of emotional highs and lows throughout their World Cup journey. In Melbourne, on the eve of the opening clash between Pakistan and West Indies, Munir confronted Imran’s skepticism first-hand. The captain was visibly disgruntled with the performance of the team in the warm-up matches. “Even after a month in Australia, there’s a lack of application and whole heartedness amongst the players,” he confided in Munir. Even during the opening match, Imran was seen huffing and puffing at the team’s performance, which lost to its opponent by 10 wickets. <img alt="" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/15-copy.jpg" /> <blockquote>Imran Khan wears his lucky tiger T-shirt and wins the crucial toss against Australia.</blockquote> Unlike Imran, Miandad, who rejoined the team during the last warm-up match, gave the players a much-needed boost of confidence. Not only did he practice earnestly, but motivated others to do the same. He even guided Wasim Haider to maintain his line and length and much of his positive influence can be seen in the numerous practice shots captured by Munir. <img alt="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Iqbal-Munir.jpg" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Iqbal-Munir.jpg" /> Imran, on the other hand, did little to keep the team’s morale high. Even while flying to Adelaide, in South Australia, Imran was particularly quiet and aloof. He preferred to spend his time reading a newspaper rather that interacting with the rest of the team. During the match against England on March 1, Pakistan’s weak batting was brutally exposed and this drilled a deeper hole in Imran’s confidence. But a sudden downpour midway during England’s batting brought the match to a halt and earned both teams a point. “This one point can turn our fortunes around,” Miandad told Munir and proved to be crucial in pushing Pakistan further in the tournament. <img alt="" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/12-copy.jpg" /> <blockquote>Javed Miandad mocks Kiran More’s excited appeal by jumping in the air.</blockquote> The team, however, suffered another major blow soon when they lost to arch-rivals India. In Brisbane, they even lost to South Africa despite Haq’s promising 48 runs off 45 balls. At this point, the team had visibly lost all hope of bringing the cup home, including Miandad, who skipped the match due to stomach flu. And it wasn’t until he spoke to his mother over the phone that he was able to let go of the guilt. The forward approach With only three matches left to play now, Pakistan could not afford to lose a single game. The players were desperate to claim back-to-back wins but none of them believed they could. And it wasn’t until they landed in Perth that their fortunes took a turn for the better. That night, they attended a welcome reception that was organised to raise funds for Imran’s charitable cancer hospital. Overwhelmed by the gesture, the captain formally addressed his team at the event and said, “We’re Muslims and Islam teaches us never to lose hope. To lose hope is a sin.” Something seemed to have changed in Imran, Munir recalls, and this renewed energy transferred to the rest of the players in the coming days. <img alt="" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/05_1-copy.jpg" /> <blockquote>Pakistani supporters out in full force for the final.</blockquote> At Perth’s Western Australian Cricket Association ground, the team held a meeting in the dressing room which continued for hours. The media was quick to pick up on this and the following day, Munir recalled reading an article in a newspaper, which stated, “In Perth, instead of nets the Pakistani team was locked up inside the dressing room.” But the meeting was crucial in reshaping the team’s destiny, Munir shares. “It was here that Pakistan devised their strategy to win the World Cup. They came out of the dressing room as champions.” Imran resumed the reins of captaincy and swayed the team with inspirational words, including senior batsmen Salim Malik and Ramiz Raja, who were particularly disgruntled with the team. And the result of this dressing-room talk was evident in the way Pakistan emerged victorious against host team Australia and Sri Lanka in the following days. The man behind the lens Iqbal Munir, son of late cricket commentator and journalist Munir Hussain, was always passionate about cricket. In 1978, he began cricket photography as a hobby, taking pictures for his cricket publication Akhbar-e-Watan. Recognised for his work, he was later asked to be the official photographer for Pakistan at the 1992 World Cup. <img alt="" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Iqbal-Munir-copy.jpg" /> Munir has since travelled all across the cricketing world in pursuit of his passion and has been involved in cricket development, education and awareness programmes for the last several years. He even went ahead and compiled his World Cup pictures in the book Pakistan: World Champions. In 1987, he also penned his first book An Eye on Imran, which was followed by two further editions. He also contributes regularly to various local and foreign newspapers and magazines.  The victory lap In their winning streak, Pakistan even managed to take down New Zealand — a formidable team that had already qualified for the semi-finals by winning seven matches in a row, owing to favourable home conditions. But the win against New Zealand was only half the job done. The team had to now place their bets on West Indies losing the match to Australia to send them straight into the semi-finals. <img alt="" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/04-copy.jpg" /> <blockquote>Javed Miandad bats to a thundering applause.</blockquote> Fortune was on their side and Australia won the match. “The entire atmosphere in Christchurch hotel, where the team was staying, turned festive,” Munir recalls. “Yeh cup hamara hai, is ne hamain pukaara hai (The World Cup is ours, it is calling out to us),” the players chanted commentator Iftikhar Ahmed’s slogan in unison. The spirits at the time were so high that one could have almost believed that Pakistan had already won the World Cup. The next day a confident Pakistani team arrived in Auckland, New Zealand, for the semi-final against the host. After practice, they left to offer Friday prayers at a mosque. This was followed by a casual lunch date organised for Imran’s charitable initiative, which was attended by Salim Malik, Inzamamul Haq, Ejaz Ahmed, Aaqib Javed, Mushtaq Ahmed and Zahid Fazal. “There was unity and laughter and the group speculated about how Pakistani fans would receive the ‘world champions’,” Munir remembers. <img alt="" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/08-copy.jpg" /> <blockquote>Inside the dressing room players lift their trophy.</blockquote> This restored self-belief came across on the field the next day through a defiant and rearguard action against New Zealand. Haq’s fluent strokes were particularly praise-worthy. Imran himself scored a notable 44 and Moin Khan managed to seal the deal with a monstrous six. “I froze these unforgettable moments on film,” Munir shares. He also recalled that it was Imran’s wish to play the final against England, which became a reality after Graham Gooch’s team went past South Africa in the other semi-final. When the big day arrived, Imran emerged on the field of the packed Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) wearing his lucky tiger T-shirt for the toss with Gooch. He wanted to be the first to bat, Munir reveals, since England had failed to chase the target in previous two World Cup finals. And after Imran won the toss, Pakistan’s victory became almost tangible. <img alt="" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/06-copy.jpg" /> <blockquote>Players rejoice after taking another wicket.</blockquote> Pakistan created history that day. “The skipper held the coveted crystal trophy of the fifth World Cup and the world champions took the victory lap of the MCG amidst thundering applause,” says Munir. “I had dreamt of this final moment in Melbourne,” Munir recalls Imran saying at the presentation ceremony. Later the blaring sound of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s ‘Mera Vird Hai Dam Dam Ali Ali’ shook the foundations of the pavilion. Everyone rejoiced as the players went berserk dancing, singing and screaming. “The 1992 World Cup was won by the team that looked to dismiss its opponents. Pakistan did not have players in bits and pieces but had specialist batsmen and specialist bowlers,” former cricketer Sunil Gavaskar aptly commented after the World Cup. “They all knew what was expected of them and when the chips were down, they responded as cornered tigers and recorded a terrific victory,” he added. <img alt="" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Sunil-Gavaskar.jpg" /> Pakistan has time and again proven that they can swing any match in their favour if they put their mind to it. And perhaps at the 2015 World Cup, they will recapture that moment and put Pakistan on the list of victors for the second time. Emmad Hameed is an editorial consultant at The Express Tribune. He tweets @Emmad81 Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, February 8th, 2015.

1992 World Cup: The returning champions

Twenty-three years after claiming the world champion title, the Pakistan cricket team is all set to return to the hist...

Art review: Never forget Peshawar

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/832771/art-review-never-forget-peshawar/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/832771-imagecopy-1423061201-296-160x120.JPG" width="160" /> 			</a> 			There are a number of things that make the recent artwork exhibit from Peshawar special. It was the first time Karachi showcased the work of seven artists from Peshawar and people found catharsis in art since the brutal December 16 attack on Army Public School. The featured artists included Abbas Ali, Abdur Rehman, Ghulam Shabbier, Jehanzeb Malik, Sajid Ali, Tayyeba Aziz and Zakir Ali. From portraits to landscapes, these artists brought out their best works in a bid to represent the more peaceful side of their city — without letting anyone forget the recent tragedy. According to the organisers, it was a gesture of support for the families affected by the act of terror. <img alt="" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/image003-copy.jpg" /> <blockquote> A painting from the ‘Dreams and Drapes’ series by Tayyeba Aziz. PHOTO COURTESY: FOMMA DHA ART CENTRE </blockquote> Although most of the paintings at the exhibition were equally captivating, two of Aziz’s paintings which appeared to be images of blood-stained drapes from her ‘Dreams and Drapes’ series, particularly stood out. The artist, who holds a masters degree in fine arts from the University of Peshawar, skilfully played with colours and light to recreate an image of the tragedy. The rustic shade of red gave the painting an intentional blood-like quality and managed to evoke powerful images of blood-stained clothes worn by the children who lost their lives in the Peshawar school massacre. The background, however, painted in shades of light blue and white, blended together lightly, managed to uplift the painting and create an illusion of hope. The use of those colours, although subtle, came as a respite from the pain that accompanies the memory of the loss of 132 children along with several others. While some of the paintings at the exhibition were gloomy and acted as strong reminders of the tragedy, the rest were relatively less intense, but nonetheless powerful. One such example was Rehman’s rich and engaging illustration of nature. His detailed painting of two huts was effective in transporting one to the northern countryside and although the huts were in a dilapidated state, the beauty of the serene landscape remained untainted. While one was drawn in by the beauty of the landscape, it managed to shed light on the harsh lives of residents in the war-torn province at the same time. <img alt="" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/19-copy.jpg" /> <blockquote> Zakir Ali’s portrait of a horse. PHOTO CREDIT: AYSHA SALEEM </blockquote> Another painting that depicted the turbulent city was Zakir Ali’s portrait of a horse. Despite being one of the younger artists in the group, his work was very promising. The horse was purportedly used as a symbol of war and was strategically placed right next to his other work which appeared to be an enlarged image of the horse’s eye. Since people often fail to empathise with the emotions of others, Ali lay special emphasis on it by being as literal with his strokes as possible, painting hints of grief and despair, accompanied by a glimmer of hope. <img alt="" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/image010-copy.jpg" /> <blockquote> Ghulam Shabbier paints the undying charm of old buildings. PHOTO COURTESY: FOMMA DHA ART CENTRE </blockquote> Overall, the artwork on display was rich and insightful, depicting a resilient Peshawar. “‘Aray wahan toh pata nahin kis tarha ka kaam kar rahay hon gay’ (who knows what kind of artwork is being produced by artists in Peshawar) is what people used to say about Peshawar’s artists. But today we can see their talent,” remarked artist Nahid Raza, present at the exhibition. The exhibition was indeed a curtain-lifter on the potential of Peshawar’s artists, who have proven that they are more than capable of going head-to-head with artists across the country. Minerwa Tahir is a trainee subeditor at the Karachi desk with an interest in writing on art. Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, February 8th, 2015.

Art review: Never forget Peshawar

There are a number of things that make the recent artwork exhibit from Peshawar special. It was the first time Karachi...

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There is still hope, ladies: Ranbir Kapoor is not engaged to Katrina

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/835006/there-is-still-hope-ladies-ranbir-kapoor-is-not-engaged-to-katrina/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/835006-ranbirkapoor-1423384787-342-160x120.jpg" width="160" /> 			</a> 			Bollywood heartthrob Ranbir Kapoor is an extremely private person. He does not like to talk about his personal life, especially about his relationship with starlet Katrina Kaif. However, after his relationship with her has been under heavy media scrutiny, Ranbir has finally opened up to the Bombay Times, in an exclusive interview, reports <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/Ranbir-Kapoor-I-cant-hide-an-engagement-And-no-I-am-not-yet-engaged/articleshow/46155501.cms" target="_blank">The Times of India</a>. When asked if he is engaged to Katrina, Ranbir said: “No, I am not. Engagement is to tell the world that right now we are promised to get married. I have not reached that place in my life.” “I really wished that tabloids, magazines and news channels stop making conjectures about that as it spoils the spontaneity of it when it finally happens,” he added. Ranbir said that when he does get engaged, he won’t hide it from the media. “If I have to get engaged, I can’t hide that. I want to have a family, have children. So, when I get engaged, I will certainly announce it,” he said. Further, Ranbir also shared that he might be venturing into writing for movies. He said that directors Ayan Mukherjee and Imtiaz Ali encouraged him to do so. “Katrina told me that I don’t have an imaginative mind. And that challenged me and hurt me. I decided to come up with a story and prove her wrong. Imtiaz has told me to think and write just a scene a day and that’s what I am right now doing,” Ranbir said. Hotshot director Rajkumar Hirani has approached the 32-year-old to play Sanjay Dutt in Hirani’s biopic. However, Ranbir affirmed that nothing is confirmed yet. “Playing Sanjay Dutt will be exciting for me; Mr. Hirani has not confirmed that to me yet. Raju Hirani is not a director who you can keep calling and asking, if that film is happening or not,” Ranbir said. Ranbir will next be seen in the Vikramjit Singh directed Roy alongside Arjun Rampal and Jacqueline Fernandez. The film is slated for a February 13 release.

There is still hope, ladies: Ranbir Kapoor is not engaged to Katrina

Bollywood heartthrob Ranbir Kapoor is an extremely private person. He does not like to talk about his personal life, e...

North Korea’s trash talk

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Misbah unsure reinstated Ajmal will make World Cup

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/834987/misbah-unsure-reinstated-ajmal-will-make-world-cup/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/834987-ajmalmisbahafp-1423377053-472-160x120.jpg" width="160" /> 			</a> 			SYDNEY: Captain Misbahul Haq said Sunday he was unsure whether Saeed Ajmal would participate in the World Cup after the off-spinner’s bowling action was cleared. The 37-year-old had originally withdrawn from the World Cup, which begins on Saturday, after he failed to correct his action in time for the 15-man squad announcement last month. Ajmal was reported during the Galle Test in Sri Lanka in August last year and he was subsequently suspended by the governing body ICC from bowling at international level after his action was assessed a month later. His withdrawal left Pakistan’s World Cup plans in tatters as they lost four one-day matches – two warm-up and two one-day internationals – in New Zealand. Ajmal was on Saturday cleared by the ICC (International Cricket Council) to play again, sparking talk of a surprise call-up for the World Cup. “You never know, there are a lot of ifs and buts,” Misbah told a press conference when asked of Ajmal’s chances of appearing in the showpiece event. “The main concern is that he hasn’t played any cricket yet, let’s see how it goes in the next week because the team is already announced and everybody is here so I can’t just say anything about that,” he added. Ajmal played two unofficial one-day matches for Pakistan’s second string against Kenya in Lahore in December, bowling only 12.1 overs. Misbah said that Ajmal himself had doubts whether he would be ready to play. “I can say he is not sure about that because you need some cricket behind you before such a big event,” said Misbah. The media have reported that the team’s management were not in favour of reinstating Ajmal, and the rules state a player can only be added when injury rules out a member of the original squad. Misbah admitted his team’s poor form was a concern, having lost three one-day series last year and going down 2-0 against New Zealand this month. “I think we are not having good times in the ODIs… but I think this team is capable of turning that around. “I am excited about this team. This is a bunch of youngsters and a few senior and we are a team which can surprise anybody at any stage. “I am really hopeful that we are going to improve our performance but we can do that in the World Cup.” Pakistan open their campaign against arch-rivals and defending champions India in Adelaide on February 15, a day after the tournament begins in Australia and New Zealand. Misbah said loss of key paceman Junaid Khan to injury was another setback. “Definitely, Junaid’s loss is  a big blow,” said Misbah. Junaid failed to recover from a leg injury and was replaced by Rahat Ali last week. “Junaid had been our key bowler, especially in the one-days and it’s big blow to lose our best bowler but other bowlers need to stand up and play to their best. “We need a big effort from all the players. As sportsmen we need to be hopeful. We know that it’s the ODIs and whenever you try to do your best and get the momentum you have chances against any side.”

Misbah unsure reinstated Ajmal will make World Cup

SYDNEY: Captain Misbahul Haq said Sunday he was unsure whether Saeed Ajmal would participate in the World Cup after t...

Rand Paul stakes out libertarian claim in Iowa

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UAE to rejoin coalition strikes against Islamic State

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/834592/uae-to-rejoin-coalition-strikes-against-islamic-state/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/834592-Pakistanairforcepaffphotoppi-1423330206-562-160x120.jpg" width="160" /> 			</a> 			ABU DHABI: After <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/833236/uae-withdrew-from-air-strikes-against-is-after-jordanian-pilots-capture-us-officials/" target="_blank">withdrawing</a> in December from the US-led strikes against Islamic State (IS) group following the Jordanian pilot Maaz al Kassasbeh’s capture, the United Arab Emirates on Saturday ordered a squadron of F-16 warplanes to be stationed in Jordan to support it in strikes against the militant group. The UAE rejoined the strikes after the US military on February 6 <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/833848/us-moves-pilot-rescue-aircraft-to-iraq-official/" target="_blank">deployed</a> aircraft and troops to northern Iraq to boost rescue capabilities for downed coalition pilots. The move came after the UAE had requested American forces to position rescue assets closer to operational zones to improve chances of for pilots such as Jordan’s Kassasbeh, downed over hostile territory. The WAM, UAE’s official news agency, on Saturday said that Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahayan, deputy head of the UAE armed forces, had ordered the move. “The initiative… reaffirms the UAE’s unwavering and constant solidarity with Jordan and its leading role and immense sacrifices for the security and stability of the region as embodied by martyr and hero Maaz al Kassasbeh,” the Jordanian pilot burned alive by IS, the agency reported. WAM said the deployment was aimed at supporting Jordan’s military in the fight against “the brutal terrorist organisation” IS, without specifying the number of aircraft involved or their role. It said the militant organisation “showed all the world its ugliness and violation of all religious and human values through abominable crimes” that caused “outrage and disgust” among Arab peoples. After Kassasbeh’s warplane crashed in Syria in December, the UAE withdrew from the US-led coalition’s strike missions over fears for the safety of its pilots. However, a US official said on Friday, after Secretary of State John Kerry met Gulf ministers in Munich, that UAE flights were likely to resume “in a couple of days”. Abu Dhabi had also “reaffirmed its commitment to the coalition” brought together by the United States to try to defeat the militants who have taken over a swathe of territory in Iraq and Syria. Another US official said that among all the Gulf countries the pilot’s brutal immolation by IS “has been a unifying event doubling their resolve to take the fight to Daesh”, using an Arabic acronym for the militant group.

UAE to rejoin coalition strikes against Islamic State

ABU DHABI: After withdrawing in December from the US-led strikes against Islamic State (IS) group following the Jord...

Baghdad erupts in joy after decade long nightly curfew ends

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/834948/baghdad-errupts-in-joy-after-decade-long-nightly-curfew-ends/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/834948-baghdadnightcurfewphotoreuters-1423348860-324-160x120.jpg" width="160" /> 			</a> 			BAGHDAD: Iraq’s years-old nightly curfew was raised on Sunday in a bid by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to ease restrictions on daily life despite persistent violence plaguing the country. Doing away with the curfew — which most recently was in effect from midnight to 5:00 am — ends a longstanding policy aimed at curbing violence in the capital by limiting movement at night. The curfew, in place since the aftermath of the US-led invasion of 2003, did little to curb the deadly bombings that plague the capital, which are carried out during the day or early evening with the aim of causing maximum casualties. The hours the curfew has been in force have varied over the years, and it has been lifted completely before only to be reinstated again. Illustrating the persistent danger of violence in Baghdad, bombings in the capital killed at least 32 people and wounded more than 70 on Saturday. The decision to lift the curfew comes as Iraqi forces battle to regain ground from the Islamic State (IS) militant group, which spearheaded an offensive that overran large areas north and west of Baghdad last June. Abadi ordered the move this week, a decision his office said was taken so there would “be normal life as much as possible, despite the existence of a state of war”.

Baghdad erupts in joy after decade long nightly curfew ends

BAGHDAD: Iraq’s years-old nightly curfew was raised on Sunday in a bid by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to ease rest...

National Action Plan: Govt committed to eliminating terror, says Nisar

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/834864/national-action-plan-govt-committed-to-eliminating-terror-says-nisar/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/834864-chaudhrynisarINPx-1423369439-616-160x120.jpg" width="160" /> 			</a> 			ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan said on Saturday that the National Action Plan (NAP) was a manifestation of the firm resolve of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government to root out the menace of militancy and extremism from the country.      Talking to the UK high commissioner, Philip Barton, he said Pakistan would continue to play its role for peace in the region and beyond. Matters like Pak-UK bilateral relations, war against extremism, strengthening of counterterror cooperation, capacity enhancement of the law-enforcement agencies and regional situation were discussed during the meeting, according to a press release. The minister said Pakistan has abiding interest in peace and prosperity of the neighbouring country and would continue to assist Afghan institutions in their capacity enhancement. Sharing the borders, Pakistan and Afghanistan also share common issues and challenges which can only be addressed through greater cooperation and collaboration. He added that the level of cooperation between Pakistan and Afghanistan was never as good as it was today. While appreciating UK support to Pakistan in various areas, the minister observed that further strengthening our cooperation in capacity building of law-enforcement and investigating agencies and the fight against extremists will go a long way towards achieving our shared goal of ensuring lasting peace and sustainable development in the region. Barton appreciated the sacrifices made by the people and law-enforcement agencies of Pakistan against militants and reassured his government’s possible support to the country in its mission to eradicate extremism and promote development in the region. Published in The Express Tribune, February 8th, 2015.

National Action Plan: Govt committed to eliminating terror, says Nisar

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