Jazba Blog|Seeking For Truth|

Meera's Interview Skill

2009-11-06T06:51:00.000-08:00

Watch how the Pakistani Actress Meera trying to learn English to take an interview, watch the reaction of the person sitting in front of him.

Zardari shows his acting utmost skill in a Pakistani movie of late sixties

2009-10-14T07:05:00.000-07:00

A video clip of black and white film of Pakistan, released in late sixties has become talk of the town these days in which President Asif Ali Zardari played the role of confidant young Waheed Murad and performed this character with utmost skill.

The name of the film was Salgira and it was released in 1969. Asif Ali Zardari, according to his birthday, was 14 years young when he worked as a child star in this film.

The film had a melodious love story which was directed by Qamar Zaidi and produced by Najma Hassan.

The film cast Waheed Murad, Shamim Ara, Tariq Aziz, Santosh Rissal, Nirala, Nighat Sultana and Talish

It was a super hit film and it also has all time nation's favourite songs “Meri zindagi hai naghma” and “Lay aai phir kahan par” sung by Melody Queen Noor Jehan.

The video shows a scene in which the co actor said to Zardari that he is not going school today as he has pain in his stomach. Asif Ali Zardari in reply said that this is your routine play. The co actor then said to Zardari not to go school so we both play together, in reply the little Zardari said “go state to school”.

The perfect dialogue delivery made Zardari a confidant child star actor in that film. Although Asif Ali Zardari, who is the current president of Pakistan, has not seen, showing his acting skills again in any other film of Pakistan.

CCTV video footage of the UN WFP suicide attack released

2009-10-11T10:33:00.001-07:00

A private TV Channel has released the CCTV video footage of the suicide attack carried out here at UN World Food Program office on Monday.

In the video footage one can easily identify a suicide bomber, wearing black uniform of FC personnel and holding a bottle in his hand. He entered the central gate right after a man dressed in two-piece suit. In a lightening span of the next few seconds he blew himself up at the reception of the office.

Fight of Women: Kashmala Tariq vs Firdose Ashiq

2009-09-19T10:08:00.001-07:00

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Shahrukh Khan stopped at US airport for questioning

2009-08-15T05:19:00.000-07:00

Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan said he was detained for questioning Saturday at a US airport because he has a Muslim name.

Khan, known as the "King of Bollywood", said he was questioned at Newark Airport in Newark, New Jersey, for two hours but was let go after the Indian embassy in the United States intervened.

Khan "is a Muslim name and I think the name is common on their checklist", the 43-year-old actor told an Indian television station by telephone from Chicago.

Khan, named as one of the top 50 most influential men in the world in 2008 by US magazine Newsweek, was detained by US immigration officers early Saturday.

The immigration officers wanted to know why the actor was visiting the United States after his name popped up on the computer screen at the counter.

"I was waiting for my bags... I thought it was nice of them to take me to another room... but that was apparently a second check," Khan said, adding: "I had my papers in order."

"I was really taken aback," Khan told the CNN-IBN television station.

"I did not want to say anything just in case they took everything wrong because I am little worried about Americans because they do have this issue when your name is Muslim," he added.

US airport officials are frequently accused by human rights groups of racially profiling Muslims.

The actor, who was heading to Chicago to take part in celebrations Saturday to mark India's Independence Day, said the incident was a "little embarrassing" for an entertainer of his stature.

India's government reacted sharply, saying many such incidents have taken place in the United States.

"I am of the opinion that the way we are frisked -- for example I too was frisked -- we should also do the same to them," Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni told reporters in New Delhi.

In the Indian capital, US Ambassador Timothy Roemer described Khan in a statement as a "global icon" who is a welcome guest in the United States.

"We are trying to ascertain the facts of the case -- to understand what took place," he said. AFP

Ballot Result through Telephone and SMS message

2009-08-10T10:14:00.001-07:00

Successfull Applicant will have to deposit Original Machine Readable International Passport with the same bank branches within seven (7) days of the ballot, otherwise, they will be declared un-successful.

Ballot Result - Hajj 2009

Ballot Result through Telephone:

The Ministry has arranged telephone enquiry for Hajj Ballot Results from 08:00 AM to 12:00 PM on Telephone Nos: 051-9205696 and 051-9201564

Ballot Result through Mobile Short Message Service

To facilitate the Hajj applicants, Ministry has made arrangements this year with VectraCom to provide ballot results through Mobile SMS services. If an applicant wishes to obtain result through Mobile, simply write HS Application Form No. (only first six digit)

(Example: HS 123456) in the message box and send to 32532.

This service will return status of Hajj Applicant against valid Application Number.

Intimation Letter to Successful and Un-Successful Applicants:

Congratulation Letters to successful applicants and intimation letter to unsuccessful applicants would be dispatched through post on 11th August 2009.

Swine flu death toll in India climbs to four: govt

2009-08-09T11:13:00.000-07:00

Two more people have died from swine flu in India taking the death toll to four, an official said Sunday, as the government reviewed measures to control the virus.

The latest deaths were reported overnight from the western states of Maharashtra and Gujarat, a federal health ministry spokesman said.

One of the dead was a 43-year-old who arrived in Gujarat on July 31 from the United States, his uncle told AFP by phone.

The other was a 42-year-old Maharashtra school teacher, the Press Trust of India news agency said.

According to Indian health authorities, about 800 people have tested positive for the A(H1N1) viral infection, which was first reported in Mexico and the United States in April.

A health ministry statement said 511 of the 800 had been treated successfully, adding that swine flu was also responsible for the death Saturday of a 53-year-old woman from Mumbai who was suffering other medical problems.

India's first swine flu casualty was 14-year-old girl who died on Monday.

Following the increase in infections across the country, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh ordered the health ministry to co-ordinate action with state governments, a spokesman said.

The World Health Organization said last week that more than 1,150 people have died from swine flu and the virus was now in 168 countries and territories. Nearly 90 percent of deaths have been in the Americas.

Nearly one million people flee China typhoon.......

2009-08-09T11:09:00.000-07:00

China rushed nearly one million people out of harm's away as Typhoon Morakot slammed into its coast Sunday after triggering Taiwan's worst flooding in 50 years, leaving at least four people dead.

After also leaving tens of thousands trapped in Taiwan, the powerful storm landed in China's Fujian province at 4:20 pm (0820 GMT), the provincial meteorological bureau said.

Earlier in the day, a four-year-old child died in the Chinese city of Wenzhou after his family's house collapsed in heavy rains and winds, the official news agency Xinhua reported.

The child was buried along with four adults in debris and died after emergency treatment failed, Xinhua said, citing the city's flood-control headquarters.

Morakot pounded Taiwan over the weekend with powerful winds and torrential rain, forcing the government to deploy the military to rescue stranded residents, officials said.

Television footage showed a woman in tears reporting that her daughter and husband had plunged into a river when a flash flood swept away their car in the central county of Nantou.

"My daughter called me twice saying: 'We're being washed away! Hurry, hurry!' Then I lost them," the sobbing woman told reporters.

Officials said three people were confirmed dead and at least 31 were missing as Morakot dumped a record 2.5 metres (100 inches) of rain on the southern county of Pingtung.

At least 10,000 people were trapped in three coastal townships, Pingtung deputy magistrate Chung Chia-pin said, and officials said tens of thousands of other people were also trapped in the counties of Tainan and Chiayi.

"This is the worst flooding in Chiayi in 50 years," county magistrate Chen Ming-wen told reporters.

A typhoon that struck Taiwan in August 1959 killed 667 people and left some 1,000 missing.

Across the Taiwan Strait, more than 505,000 people were evacuated from the Fujian coast and another 490,000 were relocated in the neighbouring province of Zhejiang, Xinhua reported.

Zhejiang issued a red alert earlier Sunday as it registered a maximum wind speed of nearly 180 kilometres (113 miles) an hour around the coastal city of Taizhou, Xinhua said.

Gale-force winds were expected to persist for at least three days and waves were forecast to reach as high as seven metres.

More than 35,000 ships were called in to port as the storm approached, Xinhua quoted Zhejiang flood-control headquarters as saying.

A cargo ship was stranded in rough seas and rescuers were trying to rescue its eight sailors, the agency reported.

Among the missing in Taiwan were 14 workers who disappeared when their makeshift shelter beside a river in southern Kaohsiung county was washed away by rising floodwaters early Sunday.

A bridge linking Kaohsiung and Pingtung counties collapsed and a local television station cited a motorist who narrowly escaped plunging into the river as saying he feared two cars had fallen in.

Armoured vehicles and marine landing craft, as well as rubber dinghies, were mobilised in a rescue operation involving at least 1,200 troops, Taiwan's defence ministry said.

Television footage showed a six-storey hotel in Taitung, southeastern Taiwan, collapsing in the floods. Staff and guests had already been evacuated, the reports said.

The typhoon has caused at least 2.1 billion Taiwan dollars (64 million US) in agricultural damage while 170,000 houses were left without power and 440,000 homes without water, according to officials.

Morakot also left floods and landslides in its wake after grazing the Philippines on its way to Taiwan.

The Manila government's civil defence office said the storm had left a total of 21 people dead, including two French tourists and a Belgian, with seven other people still missing.

China says plane diverted to Afghanistan by threat

2009-08-09T11:06:00.000-07:00

BEIJING – A plane scheduled to land in China's western region of Xinjiang that was rocked by ethnic riots last month was diverted to southern Afghanistan by a bomb threat, state media said Sunday.

Xinhua News Agency did not identify the airline or the type of plane, but said the airport in the Xinjiang capital of Urumqi had been told to not to allow the plane to land.

Urumqi was the scene of the worst ethnic violence in China in decades when rioting killed 197 people and injured more than 1,700, according to official count.

Xinhua had earlier reported that the plane had been hijacked, but then said it had landed in Kandahar, Afghanistan, after a bomb threat.

However, a press officer for NATO forces in Afghanistan, which control the Kandahar airport, said the alliance had received no report of a plane forced to land there.

"I doubt that anything like that has taken place based on the information we have right now," U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Brian Naranjo said. "That's a significant activity. If something that significant happens we would know about it."

A Xinjiang regional government duty officer, who refused to give his name, said he had not received any information about the incident, while calls to the region's public security bureau rang unanswered.

Calls to the Urumqi airport's information counter also rang unanswered.

The government has said that Urumqi has slowly been returning to normal since the rioting erupted on July 5 after police stopped a protest by ethnic Uighur residents. The Uighurs went on a rampage, smashing windows, burning cars and beating Han Chinese — the nation's dominant ethnic group. Two days later, the Han took to the streets and attacked Uighurs.

The government said the violence was the work of terrorists, separatists and foreign forces as part of a plot to carve up China.

In early August, an Internet message purportedly from the leader of an Islamic group fighting Chinese rule in a western province urged Muslims worldwide to attack Chinese interests in retaliation for what it called the oppression of minority Uighurs.(AP)

Hidden Talent of Musharraf : Musharraf sings “ Lagi ray tusay Lagi” beautifully

2009-08-08T11:22:00.000-07:00

Musharraf’s hidden talent of singing has been exposed in a video in which he was singing the classical song “Lagi ray tusy Lagi, lagan tusay lagi” (I am attached with you) for more than 2 minutes.

The famous classical singer Ustad Hamid Ali Khan was singing this song in a private party when suddenly Pakistan’s two times President and Former Army Chief of Pakistan started singing along the singer and amazed everyone with his singing talent.

Wife of Musharraf, his son, Former Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, his wife, and other bureaucrats and friends of Musharraf were also presented in this party.

It was the same party in which Chairman Federal Board of Revenue of Pakistan Abdullah Yousuf danced.

Former Presedent Musharraf has also showed his dancing skill in this party which unfortunately has not captured because when Musharraf stands up for the dance the cameraman moved the camera towards the walls but not on Musharraff.

Clash over Baithullah' s succession issue claims lives of 2 nominees

2009-08-08T10:33:00.000-07:00

During the Shura meeting of banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) for the nomination of Baithullah Mehsud' s successor, fierce clash had been reported between two faction of Taliban Groups, resultantly 2 nominees Hakim Ullah Mehsud and Mufti Wali-ur-Rehman were killed.

According to media report, Shura meeting of TTP was going on at some unidentified place here Saturday in South Waziristan for the nomination of deceased Baithullah Mehsud's successor, during which Mufti Wali-ur-Rehman and Hakim Ullah Mehsud exchanged hot words with each other, that later turned into cross-firing against each other, resultantly 4 people were reported to be kill including Hakim Ullah and Mufti Wali-ur-Rehman.

Sources further informed that TTP Ameer, Baithullah Mehsud had nominated Hakim Ullah Mehsud to decide over the nomination of new Ameer and after the killing of Baithullah Mehsud, and Hakim Ullah Mehsud presented himself as successor of Baithullah Mehsud.

During the Shura' s meeting of TTP both the Taliban commanders exchanged hot words with each other, as Hakim Ullah Mehsud was stiff for his nomination as Baithullah' s successor, while majority members of the Shura were agreed for nomination of Mufti Wali-ur-Rehman as Taliban's Ameer.

Resultantly both the sides exchanged firing against each other after exchange of hot words and in the cross firing both the nominees of Taliban's Ameer were reported to be killed: while sources have also affirmed the death of Hakim Ullah Mehsud.

No summary signed to abolished the local bodies system: Spokesman

2009-08-08T10:30:00.000-07:00

Presidential Spokesman, Farhat Ullah Babar has said that neither government received any summary regarding abolishment of local bodies system nor President of Pakistan signed it.

Farhat Ullah Babar said that all the four provinces have not submitted their recommendations for the abolishment of the local bodies system yet; hence, it was impossible to sign the summary.

He ruled out the media reports about the singing of the summary by President Asif Ali Zardari for the abolishment of the local bodies system.

Hillary Clinton Dancing

2009-08-08T08:04:00.001-07:00

Former Foreign Sec Niaz Naik found dead in mysterious condition

2009-08-08T06:53:00.000-07:00

Former Foreign Secretary Niaz A Naik was found dead in the mysterious condition at his house in Sector F-7/3 of the capital in the jurisdiction of Police Station Kohsar on Saturday.

Police sources said that they were informed that the lights of the residence of Niaz A Naik were on but there was no movement in the house.

The police, when arrived, knocked the door and waited for some time but later broke the door and found the dead body of the former Foreign Secretary, which according to police, could have been three or four days old; saying the reason behind the death would be ascertained after postmortem report.

The police sealed the house of Niaz A Naik, after shifting the dead body to PIMS hospital and started collecting evidences and the investigation was underway.

Meanwhile the postmortem report revealed that Ex-foreign secretary Niaz A Naik was subjected to torture before his death. The postmortem report further revealed four ribs and jaw of the Niaz A Naik were fractured. Margalla police is investigation the real causes and motive behind this incident.

It is said that Niaz A Naik was one of the close aides of former president Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf and he had play magnificent role as backdoor channel negotiator along with former National Security Council Secretary, Tariq Aziz for restoration and resumption of Pak-India composite dialogues.

He had also outstanding role in meetings of Pervez Musharraf with High US, UK and UAE Officials. He was a seasoned ambassador and used to play his role through backdoor diplomacy.

On the other hand President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, PML-N Chief Nawaz Sharif have condoled the sad demise of former Foreign Secretary Niaz A. Naik.

Former Foreign Secretary Niaz A. Naik was found dead on Saturday at his residence in a posh sector of the federal capital under mysterious circumstances.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Saturday expressed deep grief over the death of former foreign Secretary Niaz A Naik. In their message issued here on Saturday, they paid tributes to the services of former secretary and prayed that may Allah rest his soul in peace.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi condoling the demise of Niaz A. Naik said, "Mr. Niaz A. Naik was a distinguished diplomat who served Pakistan with great commitment and professionalism. The Foreign Ministry and the nation will always remember his services"

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its officers and staff extend their heartfelt condolences to the members of bereaved family. May Allah Almighty rest his soul in eternal peace.

Mr. Niaz A. Naik was an eminent diplomat who served the nation with great pride and distinction. He made his mark in both bilateral and multilateral diplomacy. His professionalism was acknowledged internationally. His services to Pakistan will always be remembered, they said Speaker National Assembly Fehmida Mirza, Chairman Semite Farooq Naik have also condoled the death of Niaz Naek.

Hajj Balloting under the Government Hajj Scheme-2009 will be held at 03:30 p.m

2009-08-08T06:49:00.001-07:00

Computer based draw for selection of Hajj pilgrims under the Government Hajj Scheme-2009 will be held at 03:30 p.m. in the Ministry of Religious Affairs on 10th August, 2009.

According to a press release issued by the Office of the Spokesman for Ministry of Religious Affairs here today, the ballot result can be had from Ministry's website www.hajjinfo.org or telephone Nos. 051-9205696, 051-9201564 or through SMS, (simply write HS Application form No. only first six digits and send to 32532. Congratulation letters to successful applicants and intimation letters to unsuccessful applicants would be dispatched through post on 11th August, 2009.

Afghanistan Elections:First Round of Voting Likely to Produce No Clear Winner

2009-08-07T08:36:00.001-07:00

With the growing probability of a tense run-off in the Afghanistan election, the International Council on Security and Development (ICOS) today called for the immediate development of a contingency plan to avoid political and ethnic instability during a run-off period.

Security fears in Afghanistan’s south and east could lead to a low voter turnout in the heartland of President Hamid Karzai’s support. This, combined with high turnout in the Tajik north of the country in support of the main challenger, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, indicates a growing probability that President Karzai will not win the 50% of votes necessary to secure a first-round victory.

“If a run-off is needed, or there is a strong voter response to allegations of election fraud, the chances for civil unrest are high,” ICOS said in its report issued today.

The winner may have difficulty claiming a legitimate mandate if insecurity in the south means large numbers of Pashtuns, Afghanistan’s largest ethnic group, do not vote.

“If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, and elections go to a second round, Afghanistan could be plunged into political and ethnic violence, which of course will also provide more opportunities for the Taliban to step up attacks and expand their territory,” said Norine MacDonald QC, ICOS President and Lead Field Researcher.

“The Afghan government and the international community urgently need clear plans to deal with the dynamics of a run-off in this pivotal election. They must immediately identify potential election run-off scenarios and develop contingency plans to ensure stability in Afghanistan during what could be a very tense period with the potential for significant problems, particularly in the capital, Kabul,” MacDonald said.

Last December, ICOS reported that the Taliban held a permanent presence in 72% of Afghanistan. Poor security was noted particularly in the south, President Karzai’s key Pashtun voting base.

First Round Voting Scenarios Fraught with Issues

“The ideal scenario would see the smooth running of polls with no serious disruption by violence and voter abstinence. Afghanistan would welcome a new president, either in the first round or in a run-off, and his mandate would be recognized as legitimate by all major contenders and parties”, said Jorrit Kamminga, ICOS Senior Policy analyst. “However, the election faces a number of political, logistical and security challenges related to the lack of security in the south and the already growing rumours of widespread election fraud.”

The report lays out three main scenarios:

Firstly, in the run-up to August 20th, the day of the elections, Taliban insurgents could mount a successful campaign of voter intimidation and attacks on polling stations. This may prompt President Karzai to declare a state of emergency and postpone the elections.

Secondly, a purported first-round winner could have his legitimacy questioned by allegations of fraud which could destabilize the country and raise the possibility of political violence. Elements of the Tajik community may respond dramatically if they perceive that President Karzai stole the election from Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, his main rival and an ethnic Tajik.

Thirdly, there is also the possibility of unrest during the first round of voting and run-off period, which along with logistical issues in organizing the second round could also lead to the declaration of a state of emergency.

The first round of voting is on August 20, just before the start of the holy period of Ramadan, with results to be announced around September 3. A run-off voting day would be held on or around October 1, with the winner of that round announced around October 15.

After eight years of working to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a safe haven for terrorist groups, the international community’s best hopes for success lie in a stable Afghan government led by a capable, legitimate president. The success or otherwise of this election will be crucial. Promises of legitimate, transparent elections may prove more difficult to fulfil than had been hoped, according to the ICOS report.

“There is little doubt that the security situation remains extremely volatile in Afghanistan. The Taliban shows no sign of weakening, and fears about corruption and bribery have led many to doubt that the election will be free and fair,” said MacDonald.

Taliban Threats Against Afghans Marked by Indelible Ink

To prevent repeat voting in the presidential elections, voters will have their fingers dipped in indelible ink, marking them as having voted. ICOS has received reports of Taliban “night letters” issued in southern Afghanistan threatening violence against Afghans marked by indelible election ink. The ink is specially manufactured to resist removal and can remain visible for up to a week.

“These elections are critical for Afghanistan’s future,” said Jorrit Kamminga. “This type of specific threat by the Taliban is unfortunately very clever. It will not only be a question of Afghans making their way safely to and from the polls on August 20. By making the decision to vote, they will be concerned about Taliban reprisals for the days following the poll. It is quite possible this type of threat will affect voter turnout in the south.”

Almost 7,000 polling centres will be opened on August 20. Out of a population of 33.6 million, 17 million Afghans are registered to vote.

No formal confirmation concerning Mehsud's death: DG ISPR

2009-08-07T08:27:00.000-07:00

Director General ISPR Major General Athar Abbas on Friday made it clear that formal confirmation regarding killing of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan Chief Baitullah Mehsud cannot be made as we have no substantial evidence in this regard.

While talking to Online on Friday, Director General ISPR Major General Athar Abbas said that we have information regarding the killing of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan Chief Baitullah Mehsud but no solid/relevant evidence hence we cannot confirm his killing at the moment.

He was of the view that some time is required for confirmation of killing of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan Chief Baitullah Mehsud.

He further added that next 24 to 48 hours are critical in knowing the exact position in which we are to say that Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan Chief Baitullah Mehsud is killed/not killed thus confirmed or contradict in this regard.

Supreme Commander banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan Baitullah Mehsud is believed to be killed along with his wife and bodyguards in a drone strike two days ago in Ladha area of South Waziristan.

Irans's women Football team visits National Assembly

2009-08-07T08:26:00.001-07:00

Acting Speaker National Assembly, Faisal Karim Kundi has said that Pakistan values its relations with Iran in high esteem and both the countries are tied in the bonds of religion, culture and history.

Talking to the players of visiting Women Football Team of Iran that called on Acting Speaker after witnessing the proceedings of NA session in the Parliament House today, the Acting Speaker said that sportsmen were the ambassadors of their country and they play vital role in developing friendly relations with people and government of the country they visit.

He said that the visit of Iranian Women Football Team revealed the spirit and closeness of friendly relations between the two fraternal countries. He said that such visits always generate goodwill and this visit of the Iranian Women Football Team will bring further closer the governments and people of Iran and Pakistan.

Minister for Sports Pir Aftab Hussain Shah Jilani, MNA Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat and MNA Mrs. Yasmeen Rehman were also present on the occasion. While welcoming the Iranian Women Football Team they said that relations between the two brotherly countries were exemplary. They said that visit of Iran's Women Football Team proved that Pakistan was a peaceful country where foreign sporting teams play matches safely.

The Captain of the Iranian Women Football Team while expressing gratitude for Pakistan's hospitality said that it was an honor for them to be here and witness the NA proceedings. She appreciated the sporting spirit of the Pakistani people and the security arrangements in Pakistan

No Tention: Musharraf on a joy trip to Italy and West Indies Islands

2009-08-02T06:36:00.000-07:00

Former President Pervez Musharraf along with his wife and close aides has left for Italy on through Caribbean Cruise on a joy trip while in Pakistan a 14-member Bench of the Supreme Court, has declared all the steps taken by former President Musharraf of 03rd Nov as extra-constitutional.

The former General’s eye browses are not even raised on this decision as he is still sticking to his stance that November 3 , 2007 actions were correct and in accordance with the law and he would continue to defend them.

To get some more fresh air he decided to visit Italy, after this former president Gen (Retd) Pervez Musharraf will also proceed to West Indies islands

He would return to London on August 10 on the conclusion of his joy trip and he had no intent to return to Pakistan at present. However he is kept informed about day-to-day proceedings of Supreme Court in regard to case against him.

Sources informed Pervez Musharraf was much displeased over his past allies as no one among them was supporting him in the prevailing situation particularly gulf between him and Chaudhrys of Gujarat had widened.

6 burns to death, riots erupts in Gojra over sacrilegious of Quran

2009-08-01T09:32:00.000-07:00

At least 6 people including 4 women and 2 children have reported to be burnt to death and dozens others have received critical injuries, when riots erupted in the city between Christian community and Muslims over alleged sacrilegious of Quran in Tehsil Gojra of District Toba Tek Sing.

According to details members of banned Sippha-e-Sahaba along with other religious organizations were staging a protest rally against the alleged incident of sacrilegious of Quran by Christians on 26th July and when the rally reached near the Christian Colony, the agitated members start pelting stones at the Christians Colony, resultantly both the sides hurled stones against each other and also resorted to firing.

Click here to see Pictures

The agitated members of the rally also torched the houses of the Christian Community resultantly 6 people including 4 women and 2 children burned to death and 19 others received critical injuries in cross firing including DSP and TMO Gojra.

Miscreants from both the confronting groups resorted to aerial firing and stopped the railway service at Gojra Railway Station, while IG Punjab Tariq Saleem Dogar after reaching in Gojra deployed additional contingents of police to control the situation.

It was pertinent to mention that on 26th July, it had been reported that in the area of Koriyan near Gojra during a marriage ceremony of Christian Community Quran-ul-Mubarak was torched, resultantly the people of the area caught the culprit and handed him over to police, however the Police after conducting preliminary investigations released the alleged man.

At this the agitated members of the religious organizations staged a protest rally here on Saturday and get into confrontation with the Christian Community and while passing near their colony torched their houses.

After the incident senior Provincial Advisor to Chief Minister Punjab Daust Muhammad Khosa and Provincial Minister for Minorities Affairs Kamran Michel arrived on the scene and tried to reconcile between the confronting groups, but the agitated mob did not reconcile, but later after seeing the elite police disrupted.

Chief Minister Punjab Mian Shahbaz Sharif taking strict notice of the incident has constituted a judicial inquiry committee to probe the incident and has also sought the report from IG Punjab.

While Federal Interior Minister taking notice over the incident has directed to deploy rangers in the Gojra city along with Police to control the peace situation in the city.

FBISE supplementary exams of SSC from August 25

2009-08-01T09:12:00.000-07:00

Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE) will hold supplementary exams of Secondary School Certificate (SSC) from August 25.

The last date for the submission of admission forms along with normal admission fee is July 17. However, the last date for submission of forms with double fee is July 24.

According to official sources of the board, the candidates are advised to ensure the submission of forms on or before due date as no admission form will be entertained after July 24. The admission fee for ex/private candidates of Science and Humanities group is Rs450 for SSC-I and Rs500 for SSC-II. While the fee for additional subjects and improvement of marks is Rs350 and Rs150 respectively. The candidate of Islamabad and Rawalpindi can remit their fee either by pay order, bank draft or directly in the Board's account through Bank Challan at HBL, FBISE branch, H-8/4.

However, all other candidates are directed to remit their fee only through pay order or bank draft in favour of the Controller of Examination (Conduct), FBISE, Islamabad with candidate's name, nature of fee and city name.

One-child policy debate reignites in the China again

2009-08-01T05:28:00.001-07:00

SHANGHAI nurse Lu Ming wants a second baby but it is not China’s one-child policy that is holding her back. If anything, she is being encouraged to increase the size of her family as the city faces the challenge of providing for its ageing population. Last week it reminded couples such as Lu and her husband - both of whom are only children because of the policy - that they are eligible to have a second child. Comments by Shanghai family planning director Xie Lingli published on the front page of the government-run China Daily were initially seen as a signal that the one-child policy was about to be relaxed after 30 years.

However, days later a report by China’s official Xinhua news agency quoted Xie as saying she was simply stating rules that had been in place for years and that Shanghai never pursued measures that parted from national policies. Yet for young university-educated mothers such as Lu, who said she was aware of the policy exceptions for having a second child, government officials’ words alone mean little in the face of the rising costs of raising a bigger family. “I had one child and now I want to have a second one,” the 31-year-old said. “But not every family can afford to have a second child,” she added. “To raise a second child you have to take all the financial costs into consideration, otherwise it’s not responsible.” Nevertheless, analysts say recent media attention reflects a struggle between demographers alarmed by a shrinking workforce and ageing population and officials clinging to the mindset that China has too many people. “The fact this caused such a media storm shows the wind is blowing the other way and it’s about time,” said Wang Feng, a sociology professor at the University of California, Irvine.

“It’s a monumental decision that China has to face: what to do about a policy that came out as an emergency measure and was supposed to last for only a generation,” Wang said. Regardless of whether China decides to phase out the one-child policy, population decline is inevitable after more than 15 years of fertility rates below the replacement level of 2.1, Wang said. The government has yet to understand that young career-minded women and rising living costs signal demographic trends similar to those in Western Europe, and birth rates will fall even further, Wang said. “China needs to realise there is a demographic crisis quickly in order to prevent it from deepening,” he said. Even though the rules for having a second child are not new, by publicly encouraging people to take advantage of them Shanghai officials may be trying to counter propaganda tilted towards encouraging only one child, he said.

“Having a second child is often portrayed as if it’s a sign of backwardness and not contributing to the country’s goal of controlling population growth,” Wang said. A senior Shanghai district family planning official insisted that encouraging eligible couples to have a second child had been going on for nearly five years since new exceptions to the one-child policy were introduced. Couples are asked a series of questions when they register to marry to determine if they can have more than one child, the official said, declining to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue. She provided a bright booklet distributed in Shanghai since 2005 which spells out who is eligible to have a second baby, with children’s book-style illustrations showing a young father with two children hanging off his arms.

Conditions include one of the couple being disabled, one working on a fishing boat at sea for five years, and one being an only child from a rural household. Urban couples who do not meet the criteria but have a second child nonetheless, are fined the equivalent of three times the per capita income in their city, the booklet said. The fine for a Shanghai couple, based on 2008 figures, would be about 80,000 yuan (11,800 dollars) - a price wealthy families are often willing to pay. But in a Shanghai park bouncing her six-month-old grandson on her knee, 51-year-old Huang Yuanxiang said that, for most of the younger generation, the biggest barrier to having more than one child is economic. For her grandson to prosper, he will have to go to good schools that cost money. “In my generation, none of us was rich and things were not expensive so it cost little to have more than one child,” she said. “We didn’t face the same financial burden as they do.” afp

Gojra: Clash and exchange of fire between two groups killed 6

2009-08-01T05:13:00.000-07:00

A DSP, TPO and several other persons were injured during a clash and exchange of fire between two groups outside railway station in Gojra tehsil of Toba Tek Singh.

Also, two houses have been torched with the clash still in progress unabated with armed people on rooftops firing gunshots.

According to police, a group took out a procession. As the procession passed from the rival group area, gunshots were fired, injuring six, followed by stones hurling from both sides.

The injured include zubair, Asif, Nadeem, Ali Raza, Safdar and Irfan, who have been transported to Tehsil Headquarters Hospital.

The incident unleashed tension in the area and the demonstrators had blocked the road, burnt tyres and set on fire two houses located in a colony in front of railway station.

Police resorted to tear-gassing to break up the crowd. Rail traffic has been halted due to tense situation.

The hurling of stones between the groups injured at least seven including DSP Akbar Niazi, a gunman Khalid and TMO.

To dilute the tension, MPA Muhammed Khosa, Kamran Michael and Faisalabad Commissioner and DIG appeared on the spot to negotiate with the demonstrators.

Virtual education... for free, no degrees no tuition charge

2009-08-01T04:58:00.000-07:00

They don’t offer degrees but then they don’t charge tuition either. Colleges and universities across the US are offering free courses online on virtually every subject imaginable, including videotaped lectures by some of their most distinguished professors. Video-sharing site YouTube recently created a hub called YouTube EDU at youtube.com/edu for the more than 100 US colleges and universities offering free online learning.

Among the thousands of videos on YouTube EDU are the celebrated classroom theatrics of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) physics professor Walter Lewin, whose clips have been viewed hundreds of thousands of times.

Other leading institutions of higher education posting videos to YouTube include the University of California at Berkeley, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Duke, Harvard, Princeton, Stanford and Yale. Interested in dentistry? Then the YouTube channel of the University of Michigan School of Dentistry may be the place for you, serving up a total of 426 videos. The courses offered on YouTube EDU are free and not for credit but the number of schools offering online classes which count towards a degree is booming.

According to a November 2008 study done for the Sloan Consortium, more than 3.9 million students in the United States were taking at least one online course in 2007, the latest year for which full statistics were available. That was a 12 percent increase over the previous year, according to Sloan, a non-profit whose mission is to “integrate online education into the mainstream of higher education.” The economic downturn, rising unemployment and higher gasoline costs were cited in the study as factors expected to fuel demand for online education. afp

Emraan Hashmi denied house in Mumbai’s upmarket

2009-08-01T04:54:00.000-07:00

MUMBAI: “Am I a criminal or a terrorist?” asked an upset Emraan Hashmi on Friday. The Bollywood actor alleged he had been denied a house he wanted to buy in the upmarket Pali Hill area of Mumbai because he was Muslim. The actor, who was not given a no-objection certificate (NOC), believes the housing society in Pali Hill was hiding the real reason for its refusal. “This has political connotations, so they don’t want to talk about it openly.

Yesterday (Thursday), they told me that I can’t get the NOC. I asked them why aren’t you giving me the certificate – am I a criminal, or a terrorist or have I done anything illegal?” Emraan told reporters here with his uncle and well-known filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt by his side. “It is strange that they don’t tell you on your face that you can’t get a house because you are a Muslim. It would have been easier if they would have told me openly.

What they told me is that they can’t allow me to live there because I am a serial kisser and my presence will have a bad influence on the children staying there. “Being a celebrity if I’m facing problems in buying a house here, I wonder what kind of problems others would have been facing. All the time we are talking about secularism but with such incidents what secularism are people talking about?” asked the actor. Emraan said someone suggested to him that he purchase the house in the name of his wife Parveen, who is a Hindu.

“I can do that, but why should I do that?” he asked. Bhatt said such discrimination was a serious problem plaguing India. Emraan has filed a complaint with the State Minorities’ Commission, demanding action against the society members. courtesy the times of india