Sunday, November 25, 2012

4Pakistani.com

4Pakistani.com

Pakistani fish seller’s song gets record deal with Warner Music

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 12:36 PM PST



LONDON: A 31-year-old Pakistani fish seller at a London market seems like an unlikely pop star. But the moment he starts to sing his One Pound Fish Song, he is suddenly surrounded by a sea of fans.

The song goes Come on ladies, come on ladies, have a, have a look, one pound fish. Very very good, very very cheap, one pound fish.

The One Pound Fish Song by Mohammad Shahid Nazir has led him to sign a record deal with Warner Music, The Sun reported.

Nazir was spotted after a YouTube video of him singing at the Queen's Market, Upton Park, got more than 3.6 million views.

British star Alesha Dixon and US boy band Mindless Behaviour have both recorded versions of the song.

Nazir said the attention is not unusual.

"People have come from Australia, the US, Canada and all over Europe. They don't come here to work or shop, they come for One Pound Fish Man," he told the daily.

Shahid moved to Britain just over a year ago with the hope of making enough money to send to his wife and four children in Pakistan.

On his first day at the fish stall, his boss told him to shout to customers to get their attention. He said he did not like shouting, and so made up a song.

Youth guard Ashura: ‘I may be tired, but I am not afraid’

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 11:38 AM PST



LAHORE: Shivering from a mixture of adrenalin and nerves, Farwa Sajjad took up guard duty outside the Jamia-tul-Muntazir in Lahore’s Model Town, the evening of Muharram 6.

The petite 18-year-old was on edge after news reached of the attack on Rawalpindi’s Dhok Syeddan, which claimed 23 lives just hours earlier. However, when she saw a woman charging toward the gate of the Imambargah, knew what she had to do.

“Farwa went after her, thinking she is a bomber, the shock has left her with a fever now,” explained Zahra Naqvi, one of the three young women on volunteer security outside the Jamia. Fortunately for all concerned, the woman was not a suicide bomber but an over-enthusiastic mourner eager to hear the Majlis.

As Pakistan grapples with a surge in sectarian violence, hundreds of young people in Lahore, like Farwa are placing themselves in harm’s way amid growing doubt that the state is capable of providing security. The trust in the police to afford any kind of protection is at an all-time low.

Inside the small tent like make-shift partition, set up for the women devotees' body search, Farwa took rest while her two friends strictly checked each woman and even their babies.

"Aunty you cannot bring a huge handbag and please next time, use a transparent bag for Niaz (food for distribution among mourners and devotees) too," said Zahra Naqvi with an authoritative tone, to the slightly annoyed woman attendee of the Majlis.

"We do not care what people think about us being strict, this is for their own good and protection, they must understand and follow the rules," Naqvi said, in between the alert body searches.

Meanwhile, Saba Syeda Naqi, one of the trio on duty, and their course mate at the religious school of Shia Islam inside the Jamia-tul-Muntazir, explained how the girls ended up working security.

"We were asked by our teachers at school, because after the Gamay Shah attack, we needed to protect our own and there is a huge difference between our security and police's," she emphasised.

"We cannot trust the police, you see they just fulfill the formality, and we satisfy our hearts through this security too."

The Karbala Gamay Shah Imambargah, the main site of Shia Muslims' procession, saw suicide bombing which killed at least 18 and injured scores, on the death anniversary of Caliph Ali (RA), on Lahore's Lower Mall, in September 2010.

After this attack, on the following Ashura in 2011 and at the current one the community has made a concerted effort to call young volunteers for security.

"We were at the procession and the security was not enough," said Naqvi.

"That is why my cousins and I volunteer in different parts of the city during Muharram."

Right outside the women's security tent on the main road, two male students of the Jamia, were on duty checking male attendees. On the main road, leading toward the Jamia, armed policemen were standing on pickets, but the final and thorough check was being done by the youth volunteers.

Lahore has had a Haidri Scout Volunteers group for years, but the primary job of the group had been providing first aid to the mourners during the Ashura procession, and then help distribute sabeel or food.

Nabeel* a 21-year-old volunteer for the Nisar Haveli, one of the central sites of Lahore's main Ashura procession discusses the trust deficit towards the state.

"We do not trust the police's body search at all. So we ensure that we should at least do those ourselves," he said.

Other than the Ashura procession of Nisar Haveli which concludes at Karbala Gamay Shah, Model Town has been the site of another procession attended by thousands since partition in Lahore.

Rakhshanda Zaidi or Baji Rakhshanda as she is known by those who visit the Jamia-tul-Muntazir regularly is the organiser of security in the women's section and looks after administrative affairs.

Baji Rakhshanda said, "The government is soft on the Taliban and groups attacking the Shia Muslims, there is definitely a lax in security somewhere, which leads to the sectarian groups attacking us."

Media creates fear: Rana Sanaullah

The Punjab government has been criticised for their inability to control sectarian outfits like the banned Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) with roots in the province and now operating in their midst.

Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah holds the media responsible for the prevailing fear among the people of Pakistan and especially the Shia Muslims.

"We have had bombings with very high death tolls in Punjab, but now the tolls are not as high, but the entire nation is scared, which is primarily due to the media's focus on terrorists' conquests."

Sanaullah adds that the image of the terrorist as the winner and the security forces and government as the losers is constructed by the media.

"We try our best and have increased the security. The routes are well-guarded. But in an open arena, with thousands of people gathered at one place, ensuring that the security is foolproof is not possible," Sanaullah says.

"It is not that the rituals of Ashura take place within closed walls, where it would be easy for us to provide foolproof security, but we do try our best."

Sanaullah lamented that the policemen on security duty need people's support instead of criticism.

Attacks on Shias to persist, fear analysts

Human rights organisations at home and abroad have repeatedly stated that the Pakistani state has failed to protect Shia Muslims.

Dr Hassan Askari Rizvi said that since Pakistan's religious discourse is sectarian and since the state is in retreat in the case of terrorism already, the country would need a generational process to undo the process of religious orthodoxy in politics.

The matter of protecting the vulnerable sections of the society has gone beyond the domain of the police or just one government department, opined Wajahat Masood, Assistant Professor at BNU and political analyst who has written extensively on secularism in the country.

"Security cannot be ensured in a compartmentalisation. The political and economic patronage of every armed group needs to be taken away. Such views, that a group involved in militant activity in Afghanistan or Kashmir, serves a purpose for Pakistani state, need to be forsaken altogether."

Masood added that the roots of sectarianism run deep, and the ensuing violence may eventually extend to all Pakistanis.

"Saying that just one outfit like the SSP is sectarian is not correct; every outfit with arms like the Taliban are anti-Shia and religious minorities. My fear is that yesterday they came for Ahmadis, the Christians, today they are coming for Shias and tomorrow they will come for me."

Despite the imminent threat during Ashura, volunteers like Farwa and her friends keep guard with the help of one lady police constable at the Jamia.

As an afterthought, Farwa added, "I might be tired, but please do not think that I am scared because I am the servant of my Imam and I will not deter."

Room for dialogue: ‘JI may join MMA if JUI-F accepts demands’

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 10:36 AM PST



PESHAWAR: 

The Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) will only join the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) if their demands are accepted by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam – Fazl (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, said the JI provincial leader, Mohammad Ibrahim Khan.

Talking to reporters at JI provincial headquarters, Khan said that the JI will seek other parties for an alliance if it does not work out with the JUI-F, adding that his party was not an obstruction in the restoration of the MMA.

He said that their door is always open for talks. Khan hopes that religious parties will support each other in the elections even if they do not unite on a single platform.

The JI also opposes any military action in North Waziristan, he said, adding that law and order situation will only worsen if the army goes ahead with the offensive.

It is unlawful to kill people for having a difference of opinion and we condemn suicide attacks across the country, Khan said, adding that the government has not taken satisfactory security measures.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 25th, 2012.

Egypt judges in showdown with Morsi over sweeping powers

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 09:33 AM PST



CAIRO: Defiant Egyptian judges hit back at President Mohamed Morsi on Saturday, demanding he reverse a decree giving him sweeping powers that put him beyond judicial oversight and calling for a nationwide strike.

Egypt’s Judges Club, a body that represents judges throughout the country, called for “the suspension of work in all courts and prosecution administrations,” after several hours of emergency talks in response to what they called Morsi’s “ferocious attack on Egyptian justice.”

As the judges met, civil groups led former UN nuclear watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei, and former presidential candidates Hamdeen Sabbahi, Amr Mussa and Abdelmoneim Abul Futuh, said there could be no dialogue with Morsi until he rescinded the decree.

“We refuse any dialogue with the president until he cancels the constitutional declaration,” according to a joint statement read out at a news conference.

Earlier, protesters tried to storm the High Court where the judges were meeting but were dispersed when police fired tear gas. Just a few streets away, anti-riot police had fired tear gas to disperse anti-Morsi protesters camped out in Cairo’s Tahrir Square as Western governments voiced growing concern over the political crisis.

Several judicial bodies have condemned Morsi’s decree, with the Supreme Judicial Council, denouncing it as “an unprecedented attack on the independence of the judiciary and its rulings.” Earlier, the Judges Club of Alexandria announced a strike in the provinces of Alexandria and Beheira and said they “will accept nothing less than the cancellation of (Morsi’s decree),” which violates the principle of separation of powers, club chief Mohammed Ezzat al-Agwa said.

The president already held both and executive and legislative powers, and his Thursday decree puts him beyond judicial oversight until a new constitution has been ratified in a referendum. The decree also means that the panel drawing up a new constitution can no longer be touched and gives it a two-month extension until February to complete its work.

The measures are valid only until the new charter is adopted, and supporters argue they will hasten what has been a turbulent and seemingly endless transition to democracy.

But in Cairo, a statement by around 20 “independent judges” said that while some of the decisions taken by the president were a response to popular demands, they were issued “at the expense of freedom and democracy.”

Morsi has ordered the reopening of investigations into the deaths of some 850 protesters during the 2011 uprising, and hundreds more since. New prosecutor general Talaat Ibrahim Abdallah said new “revolutionary courts” would be set up and could see former president Hosni Mubarak, his sons and his top security chiefs retried “should there be new evidence.”

Mubarak and his interior minister were sentenced to life over the killing of protesters in last year’s popular uprising against him, but six security chiefs were acquitted in the same case sparking nationwide outrage.

In an address to supporters outside the presidential palace on Friday, Morsi had insisted Egypt remained on the path to “freedom and democracy”, despite his move to undercut the judiciary.

Rallies by Morsi supporters, foes

A hard core of opposition activists spent the night in Tahrir Square — epicentre of the anti-Mubarak uprising — where they erected some 30 tents, an AFP correspondent reported.

When others attempted to join them in the morning, police fired volleys of tear gas and forced them to retreat into surrounding streets. The mainly secular liberals say they are determined to keep up the momentum of protests against Morsi’s decree and have called a new mass protest in Tahrir for Tuesday.

The Muslim Brotherhood called on its own supporters to take to the streets in Abdeen Square, just streets away from Tahrir, to show their support for Morsi.

“Egypt is at the start of a new revolution because it was never our intention to replace one dictator with another,” activist Mohammed al-Gamal told AFP, showing his broken spectacles and hand in a plaster cast than he said were the result of police action.

Washington, which on Wednesday voiced fulsome praise for Morsi’s role in brokering a truce between Israel and Gaza’s Hamas rulers to end eight days of deadly violence, led international criticism of the president’s move. But a spokesman for the Freedom and Justice Party, headed by Morsi before his election, said the president’s decree was necessary to cut short the turbulent transition.

“We need stability,” said Murad Ali. “That’s not going to happen if we go back again to allowing the judges, who have personal reasons, to dissolve the constituent assembly in order to prolong the transitional phase.”

Hottie of the week: Ali Safina

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 08:32 AM PST



Status: Committed  -  Born: Multan  -   Birthday: December 18

Who is he?

He is the owner of that deep, gruff voice most girls anticipated after a day's work from 12 am to 2 am slot on FM 96. Our multitalented hottie is a radio jockey, video jockey, disc jockey, aspiring actor and a musician – what more could a girl ask for? He lived in Glasgow and spun discs as a hobby and profession but later the gung-ho Punjabi in him forced him to come back home. He enrolled himself at the National Academy of Performing Arts and soon became the force to reckon with in the Pakistani entertainment industry.

Why we're crushing on him

He is the overbearing, boisterous Punjabi, who would hee-haaw and "ballay ballay" in your ear till you finally give in and be a part of the crazy thing he calls life. He is the life of the party, the ultimate urban party starter who doesn't mind acting like a monkey on crack if it means getting the fun started. His endearing voice and his quirky boy-next-door looks have earned Ali Safina the title of the witty heartthrob. He has a degree in Computer aided mechanical engineering and even though we don't know what that brings to the table, we can't resist a man who is this intriguing mix of smart and goofy.

What you might not know

Ali admits that he loves to cook, clean and wash dishes. "I'm sughar that way," he says cheekily.  Imagine waking up on Sunday morning and being treated to breakfast in bed! It gets even better because he enjoys doing his own laundry. Looking for a boy who doesn't want you to nanny him? This one has "check, check" written all over his face. Even though he is committed to a "beautiful and talented woman" (psst, we have heard she's a model!) you'd be happy to know that "an honest and fun loving person" is his ideal. "She should be able to make do with whatever life has to offer and we can tackle things together as true partners. Lastly, she should have strong morals and an innate sense of what's right and what's wrong," he adds. So if you have all these traits, just stand in the line and wait for God to make things happen.

Published in The Express Tribune, Ms T, November 25th, 2012.

Like MsT on Facebook and follow at @TribmagMsT for your dose of girl talk

Follow footsteps of Karbala martyrs: Imran

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 07:31 AM PST



LAHORE: 

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan said on Saturday that Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) was the torch bearer of truth and courage against tyranny, and urged people to follow in his footsteps.

In a statement, the PTI chief paid tribute to the Holy Prophet's (pbuh) grandson, saying, "As Muslims we pay rich tributes to the sacrifices offered by Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) who was the real liberator of Islam."

Imran said that Pakistan is at a stage where values such as honesty, tolerance, solidarity and welfare for the poor are challenged, and adopting teachings of Islam could "save us from the prevalent evils in society."

He said that Karbala changed the direction of Muslim history, adding that Pakistan should take a stand against social ills like corruption, bad governance and cruelty that has caused immense damage.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 25th, 2012.

Muharram security: Police retrieve two defused shells

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 06:30 AM PST



HYDERABAD: 

The police retrieved two shells of an anti-aircraft gun in Gharibabad but later found that that they were already defused.

On Saturday, an anonymous call to the 15 helpline jolted the Hyderabad police into action. The caller pointed to two suspicious bags lying near a garbage heap in Gharibabad. "The timing of such information [about possible bombs] was alarming," said the Hyderabad SSP Pir Farid Jan Sarhandi.

With the majority of the police force stationed along the main procession routes, the remaining ones rushed to the site along with the bomb disposal squad. They later found out that the shells were already defused. During the search, the police asked the residents of nearby buildings to leave the area until their search was over. In the following raids, the police picked up four suspects but refused to reveal their identities. Sarhandi claimed that as many as 17 suspects, mostly from banned outfits, have been detained over the last two days.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 25th, 2012.

Muharram 9 processions: Despite security threats, thousands of mourners swarm roads

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 05:30 AM PST



KARACHI / SUKKUR: 

Thousands of mourners swarmed the city's roads on Saturday to take part in the Muharram 9 processions, undeterred by looming terrorist threats and a bomb blast in Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where at least seven people were killed.

"No terrorists can deter us – even with bombs," Abbas Ali Shah, a young mourner, told The Express Tribune. "The spate of terrorist attacks has made us stronger. The more the terrorists strike, the more resilient we will be become."

Ali Haider, who was attending the procession with his wife and children, told The Express Tribune that terrorists' threats would not deter his family. "A blast happened in the country on the same day (Saturday) and we still came."

Under tight security, the main procession began from Nishter Park and marched towards Hussainian Iranian imambargah in Kharadar. The mourners passed through Sir Shah Nawaz Bhutto Road, MA Jinnah Road, Preedy Street and Bombay Bazaar. Law enforcers perched on rooftops watched the crowd closely from above, ready to swoop in.

Several small processions, which originated from various parts of the city, joined the central one at Nishter Park, where a grand majlis was held at noon. Maulana Syed Shehenshah Hussain Naqvi shed light on the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) and his companions at Karbala. He also criticised the government and said it has failed to protect the lives of innocent citizens as more than 450 members of the sect had been killed in different parts of the country this year.

After the majlis, the mourners marched to Imambargah Ali Raza, Numaish Chowrangi, where hundreds of mourners performed Namaz-e-Zohrain.

Security arrangements

The provincial government had tried to provide foolproof security to the processions and imambargahs. Over 30,000 law enforcers, including police and paramilitary forces, had been deployed along the route of major processions. The gatherings were also being monitored through aerial surveillance and close circuit as well as mobile cameras.

Law enforcers were deployed outside mosques and imambargahs and other sensitive areas and the routes of the main procession had been sealed.

Law enforcement agencies had amplified security to ensure mourners' safety. Law enforcers and scouts also used scanners at the entrance of the procession to check for concealed weapons. Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan has asked Karachi Electric Supply Corporation's (KESC) management to ensure that there is no load-shedding on Ashura.

Across Sindh

Apart from 11,000 policemen in Sukkur, Khairpur, Naushahro Feroze and Ghotki, about 1,000 Rangers personnel were also patrolling the streets. Control rooms to monitor the Muharram processions have been set up in the offices of DIGs and SSPs in all four districts. Besides law enforcers, a large number of Hussaini and Haideri scouts have been deployed at Imambargahs and along all processions' routes.

About 1,524 policemen and 200 Rangers have been deployed in Shikarpur. Around 36 police mobiles are out on the streets. As many as 20 sensitive areas have been identified in Shikarpur where and a large contingent of law enforcers have been deployed. Special police squads are also on standby at the Madadgar police centre on Hazari Gate Road.

On Ashura, 16 processions will be organised at 16 imambargahs in city and 21 more in other parts of Shikarpur.

Tight security measures have also been deployed in other cities and towns of upper Sindh, including Mirpur Mathelo, Daharki, Ubauro, Shikarpur and Jacobabad.

With input from PPI

Published in The Express Tribune, November 25th, 2012.

Doctors’ strike: Balochistan to suspend protesting medics

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 04:27 AM PST



QUETTA: 

With the doctors' strike entering its 38th day, the Balochistan government is contemplating the suspension of 80 protesting doctors, withholding their salaries and barring them from travelling abroad.

Addressing a news conference on Saturday, Health Secretary Asmatullah Kakar said that 80 protesting doctors, against whom a First Information Report (FIR) has been registered, ought to be suspended. A decision in this regard, however, will be taken after Muharram.

Regarding withholding their salaries, Kakar said that a summary has been forwarded to the chief secretary, and the protesting doctors would be barred from getting their remuneration for November.

He added that investigations would be launched against doctors who are set to go abroad, and those against whom an FIR has been registered will also face a travel ban.

Kakar informed the media that action would also be taken against doctors who are working in private hospitals without No Objection Certificates (NOCs).

He added that an investigation will also be carried out against un-registered hospitals and that the Heart and General Hospital would be sealed. New doctors would be appointed in place of those suspended, Kakar said.

The annual budgets of the Bolan Medical Complex and the Civil Hospital are under inspection and would be transferred to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH). According to sources, a complaint against the protesting doctors has been sent to the chief minister, who has directed strict action against them.

Doctors in Balochistan went on a strike after Dr Saeed Khan, an eye specialist at the LRBT, was kidnapped on October 16.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 25th, 2012.

 

Court call: KESC told to set up a camp office in Shah Latif Town

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 03:28 AM PST



KARACHI: 

The Karachi Electric Supply Company may be unpopular but for some residents of Shah Latif Town, the power utility is a saviour. For long, they have been fleeced by a contractor, who gave them illegal power connections and that too at double the official tariff.

Ghaffar and 29 other residents of Shah Latif Town's Sector 16/A went to Sindh High Court against the KESC management for not providing electricity connections in the neighbourhood, thus leaving them at the mercy of a "kunda" contractor, who has been minting millions of rupees by issuing illegal connections.

Citing the KESC, National Electric Power Regulatory Authority, Shah Latif Electricity Company and the contractor as respondents, the petitioners submitted that around 400 to 500 houses have not been given power connections despite filing a number of applications. People have been compelled to get illegal power lines, for which the contractor charges Rs12,000 for a single-phase and Rs36,000 for a three-phase connection, they stated.

The court had restrained the private contractor from harassing the residents to pay undue power charges. "The residents are ready to pay legitimate dues so that power may be provided on regular basis in a legal manner," the petitioners said, appealing to the court to direct the KESC to provide them electricity.

During the last hearing, a lawyer representing the KESC informed the judges that the power utility desires to regularise all illegal and unauthorised connections so that the residents may be at peace of mind and not forced to pay excessive amounts to the "Kunda" operator.

After hearing his version, Chief Justice Mushir Alam, who was heading the SHC division bench, ordered the KESC to establish its camp office at the neighbourhood to facilitate the petitioners to apply for new "legal" connections. The lawyer requested the court to grant some time to obtain instructions from the KESC management as to when such office could be established. Allowing time, the bench put off the hearing indefinitely.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 25th, 2012.
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