DWS, Sunday 07th July to Saturday 13th July 2013

	DWS, Sunday 07th July to Saturday 13th July 2013
The DAWN Wire Service (DWS) is a free weekly news-service from Pakistan's largest English language newspaper, the daily DAWN. DWS offers news, analysis and features of particular interest to the Pakistani Community on the Internet. DWS is sent by e-mail every Saturday. What’s Inside? National News | Editorial | Columns & Articles	For suggestions and comments: Email: webmaster@dawn.com Website: http://dawn.com Fax: +92(21) 35693995 Please send all Editorial submissions and Letters to the Editor to: letters@dawn.com
NATIONAL NEWS
Explosion shakes Lahore; 3 killed By Our Staff Reporter LAHORE, July 6: Two young men and a six-year-old girl were killed and 44 others suffered injuries in a bomb explosion at the crowded Old Anarkali Food Street on Saturday evening. . Police identified two of the dead as six-year-old Sadia and 20-year-old Fahad Tasleem. Twenty-eight of the injured were in a critical state at hospitals. The Punjab capital had so far remained immune to the wave of bombings that has terrorised the three other provincial headquarters over the past four years. Observers found the timing of the attack — exactly one month after the PML-N government came to power — intriguing. Television channels quoted the provincial police chief as having told his force to be on alert as “more acts of terror” could follow “within 72 hours”. Preliminary police inquiries suggested that a time device had been placed between chairs near Bokhara Restaurant. It created a one-foot deep crater when it exploded. Mostly lower middle class families dine in the open at one of the oldest food spots of the city on weekends. Witnesses and police said the street was almost packed to capacity when the device went off. The diners started crying and running here and there in utter confusion. The blast was so intense that it damaged some cars and motorcycles parked on nearby roads and also an electricity transformer. Some shops were damaged. It left tables, chairs and other articles of furniture scattered all over the place. Shopkeepers closed their shops soon after the blast. Policemen and officials of other law enforcement agencies in large numbers cordoned off the place and both ends of the food street. Footages from CCTVs installed at some shops were obtained by police to identify the culprits. The blast occurred in a high security zone which is home to government offices, including the Central Police Office. An extensive search operation was conducted in the area a few days ago. Capital City Police Officer Chaudhry Shafique Ahmad told Dawn that an explosive device weighing about 500 grams and hidden in a shopper bag was apparently used in the blast. Rescue 1122 spokesman Jam Sajjad Hussain said 26 of the injured were taken to Mayo Hospital, five to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and as many were admitted to the Services Hospital. DIG (Investigation) Zulfiqar Hameed said that apparently the target was ordinary people dining at restaurants. He said the explosion a crater five to six inch deep, adding that police investigators and bomb disposal squad officials were gathering evidence and recording witness accounts. Poice had not determined the nature of the explosives. CCPO Ahmed said that anti-state elements were involved in such incidents and that they wanted to sow fear among people and create an anarchic situation. The culprits would be captured and dealt with iron hands, he claimed.
Zardari for action to restore order in Karachi By Our Staff Reporter KARACHI, July 6: President Asif Ali Zardari ordered law enforcement agencies on Saturday to take action against criminals in Karachi ‘irrespective of their political association’. . He called for drastic action in Lyari to stem the renewed wave of violence that has claimed at least 12 lives in a week and forced families to leave the area in search of safety. According to a senior official, the president was briefed by officers of police and Sindh Rangers on the law and order situation in Karachi. The recent breakdown of law and order in Lyari, a stronghold of the Pakistan People’s Party, also came under discussion during a meeting presided over by the president. Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah and legislators belonging to the PPP attended the meeting. “The meeting was not particularly about Lyari,” Sindh information minister Sharjeel Memon told Dawn. In a grim episode last week, gunmen indiscriminately fired at public near Machchi Miani Market and killed three people, including a woman. Violence has persisted in several localities of Lyari for several weeks with the area from the Kamela bus stand to Agra Taj and Bihar colonies gravely affected, forcing residents to migrate in large numbers. Their migration continues with both dominant communities — Kutchhis and Baloch — equally affected.
14 die as train smashes into rickshaw near Sheikhupura SHEIKHUPURA, July 6: Fourteen members of an extended family were killed and three others critically injured when a speeding train hit a motorcycle rickshaw at an unmanned level-crossing near Khanpur village on Saturday. . According to Rescue 1122 and police personnel, the ill-fated family was going to attend Urs celebrations of Shah Sheen Bukhari when the Lahore-bound Karakoram Express hit the rickshaw. Eyewitnesses said the cause of the accident was sheer negligence of the rickshaw driver because he tried to cross the level-crossing without taking into account the train’s speed. Officials said at least two children were among the dead. “Twelve people died on the spot. Four people with critical injuries were taken to hospital. Two of them died,” Mohammad Asim, a doctor said. “Two of them were children under 12 years old,” he said, adding that many bodies were mutilated beyond recognition. Some of the victims were identified as Waseem (driver), Mukhtar Ahmad, Rani Bibi, Shazia Bibi, Rabia, Nasira and Irum. After learning about the accident, senior officials and rescue teams reached the spot. Police officer Humayun Tarar said two of the injured were in serious condition. He said many of the victims died before rescue workers reached the place. Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafiq and Federal Minister for Defence Production Rana Tanveer Hussain sought a report on the incident. Talking to APP, a senior official of Pakistan Railways, Hameed Razi, said that unmanned railway crossings had been constructed on the demand of the people of the area and it was their responsibility to take precautionary measures. Talking to media personnel at the PR headquarters in Lahore, Mr Rafiq expressed sadness over the accident. He ordered an inquiry and formed a committee for the purpose. The minister said it had been decided at a meeting that no new manned or unmanned level-crossing would be allowed on the main railway line, adding that NOC would be issued only for underpasses and flyovers. He said the total number of unmanned level-crossing in the railway record were 2,442. About 400 of these had already been declared critical. However, he added, the matter was already under consideration due to its severity and that he held a meeting with the chief secretary of Punjab on the issue on Saturday. The minister issued instruction for conducting a survey to assess how many unmanned level-crossings could be removed and how many could be converted into manned ones. The minister said the driver of Karakoram Express, which hit the rickshaw, told him that he had applied emergency brakes but the train hit the rickshaw nevertheless. Mr Rafiq said action would be taken if a railway employee was found guilty. He appealed to the people to be careful while crossing unmanned railway crossings. Provincial minister Rana Mashhood announced an amount of Rs500,000 for the heirs of each victim on behalf of the Punjab chief minister.—Agencies
PM invites Chinese investment in energy sector SHANGHAI, July 6: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Saturday that his “pro-business and pro-investment” government would welcome Chinese investment for tackling Pakistan’s energy crisis. . Speaking at the Pakistan-China Energy Forum, Mr Sharif said he was leading the government’s efforts to revive a moribund economy. Over 50 prominent Chinese businessmen and investors attended the function. The prime minister vowed to eliminate all bottlenecks in the way of investment in the energy sector and expressed the hope that Chinese investors would take advantage of the opening. He said after success of the first five-year agreement, the two countries were now cooperating for execution of 36 projects in different sectors during the second five-year phase of the trade cooperation pact. “The energy policy and energy security have been part of my party’s manifesto and we are striving hard to implement it. Although short-term policies will provide instant relief, we are focusing on long-term strategies,” the prime minister observed. Mr Sharif said his government had started implementing the energy roadmap. The government had resolved to provide uninterrupted power supply to the industry for spurring business activities, he added. Inviting the Chinese companies to invest in hydroelectric projects, Nawaz Sharif said the Neelum-Jhelum project was being executed by a Chinese company. The project, which will be completed by 2015, has a capacity of generating 696MW. “If needed, we will slash our non-development expenditure to accelerate the project.” He said three other power projects — in Karot, Kohala and Taunsa — being executed by China’s Three Gorges Corporation would add 2,000MW to the national grid. Mr Sharif said his government looked forward to Chinese investment in the renewable energy sector, particularly wind and solar, as Pakistan’s accumulated potential has been put at a staggering 60,000MW. The Three Gorges Corporation was already working on a wind power project in Jhimpir. The Diamer Bhasha and Bunji hydropower projects would generate more than 7,000MW of electricity, the prime minister said. Pakistan had coal reserves of 185 billion tons with a capacity to generate 100,000MW for 300 years, Mr Sharif observed. The prime minister said the government would encourage investment in the alternative energy sector and the Alternative Energy Development Board would provide updated guidelines to Chinese investors. He said Chinese financial institutions were also investing in Pakistan and the two governments had recently agreed to a currency swap programme. He insisted on more free trade through a sustained institutional mechanism to stimulate growth, development and enhanced connectivity. Mr Sharif said that during Premier Li’s recent visit to Pakistan, “we agreed to set up a Pak-China trade corridor, which will change the economic landscape of the region”. The corridor envisaged enhanced connectivity and economic relationship, also linking vast regions like China, South Asia, Central Asia and Middle East. The prime minister assured the investors of his government’s all-out support for setting up energy projects in his country. Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said the government would also welcome Chinese investment in solar and wind energy projects.—APP
Audit of secret fund exposes anomalies in ministry By Nasir Iqbal ISLAMABAD, July 6: The audit of the information ministry’s special publicity funds, popularly known as List A, carried out by the Directorate General of Audit has exposed weak internal controls and expenditures made without adhering to legal procedures. . A hefty amount of Rs177.9 million was paid to journalists and media organisations from this fund under different heads from July 2011 to April 9 this year. On April 22, the Supreme Court ordered the ministry to publish details of expenditure by placing the list on its website. But the court withheld the publication of List B, according to which an expenditure of Rs86.8m was made from the ministry’s secret service fund. The ministry claimed privilege on the information. The lists were placed before the court by the ministry in response to petitions filed by Hamid Mir, Absar Alam and other journalists seeking disclosure of the names of beneficiaries from the secret funds. The publication of List A had caused consternation among journalists, prompting them to move applications before the apex court in which they denied that they had received the money as shown in the list. Subsequently, a three-judge bench, headed by Justice Jawwad S, Khawaja, ordered the department concerned to carry out an audit of the expenditures from List A. The bench will resume hearing of the case on Monday (July 8). The audit report submitted in the court described internal controls as policies, procedures and activities developed to meet particular objectives in an organisation. “Internal controls are the critical risk mitigating factors in any organisation,” it said and added that one of the objectives of the audit was to assess whether the controls were properly designed, implemented and effectively working in the ministry. The report recommended that the secret service funds should not be kept outside the ambit of the audit authorities. The PML-N government has already abolished secret funds maintained by different ministries, except those of intelligence agencies. The audit report stated that Rs35m was paid to the Vision Network Television Limited without any contract or deliverables. Similarly Rs37m was paid to the Midas Private Limited against invoices raised for the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) for a song on its assassinated leader Benazir Bhutto. Likewise, Rs61.5m was paid to the Institute of Regional Studies, Islamabad, for salaries and other operating expenditure but the audit department was not shown a government decision authorising the expenditure. Similarly Rs4m was paid to the Media Commission out of the secret service fund though the assignment given to it did not involve any activity of secret nature. The report also highlighted what it called unauthorised and unjustified payment of Rs2.6m to different press clubs and similar payment of Rs2.7m to different journalists and other personalities for unknown activities. It said that the ministry withdrew in an unauthorised and unjustified manner Rs4.68m in the name of public relation activities and spent Rs6m in a similar way to extend financial assistance to journalists and other persons. The ministry also made an unauthorised expenditure of Rs2.56m on the installation of electronic media monitoring system and procurement of books without open tendering process and payment of Rs290,000 to the directors general of the electronic media regulations wing, Islamabad, and press information department of Lahore. The report also highlighted payment of Rs10.707m for boarding, lodging, air tickets, refreshment etc in an unjustified and unauthorised manner. The report called for fixing responsibility for irregular utilisation of the secret service fund, recovering the money indicated in the report and formulating a criteria and policy for the grant and utilisation of the funds.
New order for aviation causes uncertainty By Baqir Sajjad Syed ISLAMABAD, July 6: A sudden decision by the government to separate civil aviation from the defence ministry and create an independent division to administer its affairs has pushed the aviation sector into a whirlwind of uncertainty.. Soon after assuming office, the government announced the creation of an aviation division which, critics say, was done in haste and with little homework. The transfer of civil aviation from the defence ministry began a fortnight ago, but the process would take a few more weeks to complete. The aviation wing at the defence ministry had been dealing with the administrative and financial matters of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Airport Security Force (ASF), Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and the Met Department. The new arrangement has put these organisations under the newly formed aviation division. Fears and uncertainties in the aviation sector are being fuelled by the absence of a coordination mechanism for dealing with issues that would continue to be under the defence ministry’s domain. At the core of the problem are the CAA and the ASF. Most airports are dual-use facilities in that they are used both for civilian traffic and military purposes by the Pakistan Air Force. The air traffic is jointly controlled by the CAA’s air controllers and the PAF personnel. Besides, serving military men form the nucleus of the ASF. “Right now there is no interface for coordination between the defence ministry and the aviation division and issues would soon arise. Internationally, interfaces exist where separate aviation ministries run civil aviation,” a senior officer, who oversaw the aviation sector, feared. Captain Sohail Baloch, president of the Pakistan Airline Pilots Association, agrees to the need for having a functional coordination mechanism. The aviation official pointed to the sensitivities of use of airspace — an issue that may always remain contentious between security institutions and civilian managers of aviation. Dealing with air violations, whether by military or civil aircraft, is the job of the air force, the officer explained and said that unified command of the CAA and the PAF was always helpful. The most recent air violation by the Indian Air Force aircraft in the Attari sector was spotted by the CAA’s air controllers who communicated it to the PAF and fighter aircraft were scrambled to challenge the intruders. Such swift coordination, it is feared, may not be possible in the new arrangement. There are also apprehensions about the sensitive national security data being compromised when two separate institutions will be dealing with the airspace. “There are at times secret missions whose confidentiality has to be maintained, but when there are two separate agencies dealing with the information there is always a chance of its leakage,” a security official said. Presence of a serving PAF officer as the number two in the CAA hierarchy illustrates the imperativeness of the cooperation and coordination between the two organisations. AIRPORT SECURITY FORCE: The ASF is currently commanded by serving army men and its personnel are governed by the Manual of Pakistan Military Law. There are apprehensions that putting these people under civilian command could lead to legal complications. There are already indications that police officers may be brought in to replace military officers. This move, security officials warn, will be disastrous for the security of airports given the track record of police in dealing with terrorism. Backdated promotions (from 2008) of PIA employees Rashidullah and Sajidullah, brothers of PML-N Information Secretary Senator Mushahidullah, is cited as an example of how affairs may be run in future. CONFLICT OF INTEREST: While questions are being asked about the haste shown by the government in the creation of a division for running the civil aviation, appointment of Shujaat Azeem as prime minister’s adviser on aviation has also raised several eyebrows. Mr Azeem, who was the chief executive officer of Royal Air Service — a ground handling company — before assuming the new assignment, is reportedly a partner of Chaudhry Munir, the main infrastructure contractor for the New Benazir International Airport, Rawalpindi. Airports come under the CAA, which is now a subordinate department of the aviation division being led by Mr Azeem. This, it is said, is an example of the conflict of interest. Mr Azeem is a former pilot of the Lebanese Hariri family and had started his career as a PAF pilot. His appointment also signals softening of the PML-N’s stance on dual nationality for public office bearers. In addition to being a Pakistani national, Mr Azeem also holds Canadian citizenship. According to a military source, Mr Azeem was court-martialled during his stint in the PAF and his not-so-good memories in the air force may be unhelpful for developing the interface with the defence ministry for coordination.