Lahore: The Pakistan Cricketing Board (PCB) took a u-turn today on fixing time frame for ban imposed on former captains, Younis Khan and Muhammad Yousaf. PCB said there was no specified term on the ban in the recommendations made by the probe committee. As and when the PCB deems appropriate, these players will be considered for selection for the national team, PCB said.

“Media has interpreted the first recommendations of the inquiry committee regarding Younis and Yousaf as being a life ban on these two players from playing for Pakistan.”

“PCB clarifies that the recommendation of the Committee is not a life ban on these cricketers”, said a spokesman of the PCB in Lahore on Wednesday.

“There is no specified term in the recommendation for these two players. As and when the PCB deems appropriate, these players will be considered for selection for the national team”, he added.

ON Younis, Yousaf bans, the probe committee said, “keeping in view their infighting which resulted in bringing down the whole team, their attitude has a trickle down effect which is a bad influence for the whole team should not be part of national team in any format.” Obviously no mention of time frame was made because it is well understood it meant a timeless (permanent, albeit life-term) punishment”, said one cricket observer.

Earlier, the board’s legal adviser Taffazul Rizvi told the Associated Press, “Younis and Yousuf both cannot represent Pakistan in any international games, but they can play in domestic cricket and compete in county cricket.”
Both Yousuf and Younis were involved in infighting while on tour, which resulted in bringing down the whole team, the PCB said in a statement.

“Their attitude has a trickle down effect which is a bad influence for the whole team,” it said.

The PCB said it will implement the recommendations of an inquiry committee for 12-month bans to Shoaib Malik and Rana Naved and heavy fine on Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal and Umar Akmal.

The inquiry committee comprised PCB chief operating officer Wasim Bari, board member Wazir Ali Khoja, director of cricket operations Zakir Khan, team manager Yawar Saeed and Rizvi.

The penalties were the largest handed out in almost 10 years, since Justice Qayyum’s report on match-fixing in 2000 when Salim Malik and Ata-ur-Rehman were handed life bans and several players including Wasim Akram and now national coach Waqar Younis were fined.

Karachi: Kareena Kapoor aka Bebo, a Bollywood style icon, has made her presence felt in the fashion circuit across the Indo-Pak border in neighboring Pakistan.

Bebo recently shot for Pakistan’s Firdous Textiles.

Firdous Textile, based in Faisalabad, produces, markets and exports quality high end printed garments nationwide and worldwide.

Bollywood superstar Kareena Kapoor was hired to do a photo shoot for their upcoming Firdous catalogue.

This is the first time that she has been hired by Pakistan fashion world.

Kareena Kapoor said “I’m really impressed with the quality of designs which were presented to me.”

In keeping with the nation’s sensibility, Kareena’s dresses are modern yet traditional.

In vibrant hues she looks glamorous and the shalwar-suits from the Pakistani fashion designer house makes her look elegant.

See photos of Kareena Kapoor photoshoot for Firdaus Textiles

More Kareena Pak fashion photoshoots can be viewed here: Kareena Kapoor Pakistan Fashion Photo Shoot

Lyari may face new bloodbath

KARACHI: The six-year-old gang war in Lyari, which ended last year when the now-deceased Sardar Abdul Rehman Baloch alias Rehman Dakait and Arshad Pappu gang’s Ghaffar Zikri reached a peace agreement, is speculated to break out again in the near future as the Arshad Pappu gang is again gaining strength in Lyari to challenge its rival group, Daily Times learnt on Sunday.

It is also believed that the People’s Peace Committee affiliated with the Rehman Dakait group would contest the upcoming local bodies elections against the Pakistan People’s Party in Lyari as well as other Baloch-dominated areas in the city since the committee is losing the support of the PPP.

Sources claimed that Shehra and Hamid, brothers of Pappu, along with their associates including Tariq Irani, Captain Hassu, Amjad Lashari and Lashari’s brother Rauf Baloch, also a former union councillor of Lyari, have reestablished the group.

Lashari and his brother Baloch were also relatives of Dakait and were considered his ‘right and left hands’.

Following the killing of Dakait in an alleged encounter, his associates tried to kill the brothers believing that they had sold out on their chief.

Later, the dispute between them was resolved, but some reservations remained and the brothers went into hiding.

The sources said Baloch escaped out of the country to Dubai and Lashari joined hands with the Arshad Pappu gang and is presently trying to reestablish the gang. Meanwhile, Baloch is maintaining links with the gang while staying abroad.

The Arshad Pappu gang is now endeavouring to take over Lyari. Some members of the reestablished group are hiding in Lyari while most of them are hiding in neighbourhood areas.

They frequently enter Lyari and escape after shooting and abducting people of the rival group. The sources further said that Zikri is still loyal to the Dakait gang.

Recently, Dakait’s successor and other associates have killed a man named Fateh in Pak Colony over suspicion that he was an informer of Lashari.

The residents of Lyari have demanded that police officials, who have experience in dealing with the gang war in Lyari, especially SSP Choudhry Mohammad Aslam Khan, should be deputed in the town.

They have also demanded to revive the Lyari Task Force. “Around 2,000 people including passersby and policemen have lost their lives in the gang war and if the government does not take serious action to stop the resurrecting conflict, more lives could be lost,” the residents said.

“The charges against SSP Khan should be dropped and the government should depute him in Lyari.” (Daily Times)

NEW YORK: Afghan Taliban’s supreme leader Mullah Omar’s son-in-law has been arrested in a raid conducted in Pakistan’s seaport city of Karachi.

Mohtasim Agha Jan – Mullah Omar’s son-in-law ranked seventh in terms of seniority in the Taliban Shura hierarchy.

Sources cited by Daily Times newspaper said that Jan was arrested from a house in Ahsanabad area of Karachi late Wednesday night. They said while “some aides” accompanied Jan at all times, he was alone in the house at the time the raid was conducted. Citing two intelligence officials, the Associated Press news agency confirmed Jan’s arrest.

Meanwhile, Afghan Taliban spokesman Qari Yousef Ahmadi denied Jan had been arrested. The sources said Jan had held various important Taliban posts after the end of the Cold War. They said he held the office of prime minister during the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. They said he was the seventh most senior leader of the Taliban Shura.

Jan’s capture marks the third major scalp for Pakistani security forces in a crackdown on the Taliban leadership. The latest success follows the arrests, also in Karachi, of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar – the Taliban military commander – and Mullah Omar’s former spokesman . Three other “top-ranked al Qaeda members” were also arrested along with Baradar.

The arrests have been hailed by US officials and several analysts as a major blow to the Taliban in Afghanistan, although they caution that the group has rebounded from the death or detention of previous leaders. There had been speculation that Mohtasim was in the running to replace Baradar.

TTP commander arrested from Karachi

The Crime Investigation Department (CID) of Sindh police has claimed the arrest of a Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan commander from the provincial capital. The TTP commander has been identified as Alam Mehsud. A CID team – led by Senior Superintendent of Police Fayyaz Khan – raided Alam’s hideout in Surjani Town and arrested him. The SSP said Alam was a close aide of slain TTP chief Baitullah Mehsud, and was the leader of the Taliban in Sararogha, South Waziristan.

NEW DELHI: Pakistan faced England in crucial hockey World Cup game in New Delhi today but got defeated. Pakistan is therefore virtually out of Hockey World Cup 2010 now.

Pakistan was back in contention for a semi-final slot after their hard-fought win against Spain in the hockey World Cup but the European champions England in a group ‘B’ encounter on Thursday defeated Pakistan, virtually throwing latter out of Hockey World Cup 2010.

Captain Barry Middleton and Jonty Clarke scored twice each to lead England over Pakistan 5-2 in the field hockey World Cup today.

Ashley Jackson also scored for England, which blew a 2-0 halftime lead when Shakeel Abbasi and Rehan Butt scored in a four-minute span to level.

Middleton broke the deadlock in the 52nd minute to set England on course for a third successive victory, still atop Pool B and closer to a spot in the semifinals.

Pakistan versus England World Cup Head-to-heads

-This will be the 8th time England play Pakistan at the World Cup and the first time since 2006, when England beat Pakistan 1-0 in the Final 5-6 through a 67th minute field goal by Martin Jones.
-England have won 3 of their 7 World Cup matches against Pakistan, drawing 2 and losing 2.
-At the 1998 World Cup Pakistan beat England twice: 7-5 in the Pool match and 4-2 in the Final 7-8.

Prominent media personality and journalist Mr. Najam Sethi claims that the Head of government of Pakistan, Heads of government of Punjab and Sindh and the chief of the Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) are maintaining more than one wife.

In March 2 talk show called “Tonight With Najam Sethi” on Dunya TV, Mr. Najam Sethi and Muneeb Farooq discuss polygamy (having more than one wife) as being practiced in Pakistan taking advantage of the legal and religious laws, how the legal system and the family laws are addressing the matter, and the ground realities.

Ambreen Moeen, a family law expert also participates in the discussion on polygamy in Pakistani society – common law and Islam.

Interestingly, Najam Sethi discloses names of several prominent politicians and public figures who are maintaining more than one wife. To top the list are the head of government of Pakistan, Heads of government of Punjab and Sindh and the head of the Peoples Party Parliamentarians.

Namely: Prime Minister Yousuf Reza Gilani, PPPP Chief Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif, Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, and Yar Muhammed Rindh, Manzoor Saleem, Latif Jamali, to name a few others, according to Sethi.

The other day polygamy was supported in the Punjab assembly by Samina Khawar Hayat and subsequently it found its way for further discussion in the National Assembly. Sardar Nabeel Gabol (PPP MNA) disclosed on the floor of the assembly that to the best of his knowledge, eighty percent of the MNAs and Senators were maintaining more than one wife.

WATCH the entire discussion on polygamy on Tonight With Najam Sethi 2 March on Dunya TV:

It was announced late Tuesday that the United States Air Force plans to deliver 1,000 laser-guided bomb kits to Pakistan this month to assist Islamabad in its battle against insurgents on the Afghan border.

America is providing the kits after having delivered 1,000 MK-82 bombs last month to the Pakistani military.

The increased military assistance underscores Washington’s role in Pakistan’s escalating campaign against militants widely believed to be associated with the Taliban and Al-Qaeda.

Pakistan army on Tuesday revealed a vast Taliban and Al-Qaeda hideout dug into mountains near the Afghan border and captured in an offensive that killed 75 local and foreign militants.

The offensive has the military and political backing of Washington, NATO and its allies fighting the militants in Afghanistan.

Pakistan commanders gave journalists a guided tour of the bastion in Damadola, carved into sheer rock within clear view of the snow-capped mountains of eastern Afghanistan and said by one general to comprise 156 caves developed over five to seven years.

Pakistan seized the complex in its latest offensive against militants in its semi-autonomous tribal belt.

Analysts say the latest offensive came following US pressure on the country to eliminate Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked groups who attack Western troops in Afghanistan.

New Delhi: “She suckered us. Suckered us…..this woman suckered us.” So said an enraged US president Richard Nixon of Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi after learning that war had broken out on the subcontinent on Dec 3, 1971, and Indian forces had made a decisive push towards then East Pakistan that it recognised as Bangladesh three days later.

Nixon, who had met Gandhi just a month earlier in Washington, had sought assurances from her that India would not take any precipitate military action pending efforts by the US to find a political solution that would not “shatter the cohesion of West Pakistan” and end up “overthrowing President Yahya (Khan)” who was pivotal to America’s China initiative afer 22 years of diplomatic freeze.

Nixon had then made it clear to Mrs Gandhi that “nothing could be served by the disintegration of Pakistan” and even warned darkly that “it would be impossible to calculate with precision the steps which other great powers might take if India were to initiate hostilities”.

Nixon’s presentations were heard with “aloof indifference” by Mrs Gandhi, Secretary of State Henry Kissinger was quoted as telling author Kalyani Shankar in her just published book “Nixon, Indira and India – Politics and Beyond (Macmillan/Rs. 445).

Nixon’s frustration at not being able to make Mrs Gandhi back off from war reflected in his telephone conversation with Kissinger on Dec 6. Almost fumbling for words without breaking into expletives at the turn of the situation in the subcontinent at a time when Yahya Khan’s propping up was imperative for American foreign policy interests, Nixon wondered if he was “too easy on that goddamn woman when she was here”.

Even as Kissinger tried to pacify a fuming president by saying he was only following advice to be “gracious” to a visiting dignitary, Nixon agreed at one point with Kissinger that he should have probably “brutalised” her and followed up by threatening: “But let me tell you she is going to pay. She is going to pay.”

Nixon even asked Kissinger whether the Chinese would make threatening moves towards India. But the Chinese, much to the chagrin of the Americans did not agree to “intimidate the Indians”, as the author points out, because the Chinese thought that “independence for East Pakistan was a foregone conclusion.

“It (China) was prepared to endorse UN proposal for a standstill ceasefire and forgo a demand for mutual troop withdrawal,” the book states.

When even the Soviets refused to put pressure on New Delhi for a ceasefire, Nixon ordered the Seventh Fleet into the Indian Ocean in a threatening gesture. The Fleet, consisting of an aircraft carrier and four destroyers, was to move towards Karachi with the publicly stated aim that they would stand by for “possible evacuation” of Americans although the intention was to browbeat India in case the government in New Delhi did not agree to an immediate ceasefire and withdrawal.

India did finally agree to a ceasefire, but that was only on Dec 17 after Indian forces marched into Dhaka (then Dacca). There was a ceasefire also in the west with India assuring that it had no desire to seize the territory of West Pakistan, an assurance it delivered to Washington via Moscow.

The book provides a fascinating insight for foreign policy researchers into the Nixon era and his famous tilt towards Pakistan based on now declassified ’top-secret’ documents and top-level telephone transcripts pertaining to Nixon’s visit to India in 1969 and Mrs Gandhi’s visit to Washington in 1971 that were obtained from the United States National Archives and the National Security Archives.

LAHORE: Cricketer Mohammad Asif has tied the knot with close friend Sana Hilal here.

The wedding ceremony of Asif, 27, and Sana Hilal, took place at a wedding hall near the Allama Iqbal Airport.

Only close relatives of Asif and bride Sana participated in the function.

Fellow cricketers of Asif could not attend the ceremony as they were busy playing T20 Cup in Karachi.

Former cricketers were not invited. Asif is a Right-arm fast-medium bowler but bats left-handed. He was born in Sheikhupura, Punjab on Dec 20, 1982.

Asif was also busy playing the T20 cricket in Karachi, but he reached Lahore for one day to participate in the celebration that continued till late night.

Sana is Asif’s own choice. The news came as a surprise as past reports claimed that Asif was seeing film and TV star Veena Malik. Last May, there were reports that Asif and Veena got secretly married in England.

The two denied the reports, though Veena admitted that they were close friends

Asif said the rukhsati will take place after his England tour.

News of Asif’s marriage comes as reports say that the fast bowler won’t be joining his team-mates in Dubai this month for Twenty20 series against England.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had last week made a fresh appeal to Dubai authorities requesting them to revoke the traveling restrictions imposed Asif, who was banned from entering the UAE after being stopped with a small quantity of opium in June 2008, but it has been dismissed, cricinfo reported.

“We made a request with the UAE authorities but they turned it down as it’s not possible under their laws,” Wasim Bari, the PCB’s chief operating officer, told AFP.

The PCB had earlier attempted to get clearance for Asif, 27, to play in the UAE last year for the New Zealand series, but failed in its attempt.

LAHORE/NEW YORK: It seems to be all over for temperamental Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has not included him in the list of 30 probables for ICC World T20 Championship scheduled to be held in West Indies in April.

Announcing the list of players short-listed for the coveted tournament, PCB chairman Ijaz Butt said selectors did not consider Akhtar as he has not played in any international event since last May.

Akhtar, 34, had said that though he has not played much international cricket in the recent past, he will make a comeback soon.

The Rawalpindi Express would be seen in action leading the Islamabad Leopards in the upcoming domestic T20 tournament, the National Twenty20 Cup.

Injured fast bowler Sohail Tanvir has also been ruled out of the T20 World Championship.

“Tanvir will undergo knee surgery in Australia and the doctors are not sure when he will regain the fitness,” The Daily Times quoted Tanvir, as saying.

The left-arm speedster was part of the Pakistan squad, which won the T20 World Cup last year.

Butt also confirmed that the PCB has offered the job of national coach to former fast bowler Waqar Younis and is waiting for his reply.

“We would like to see him take charge, we have made him an offer and we are now waiting for a reply from him,” he said.

Butts statement clearly suggests that Intikhab Alam is likely to be removed from the post, though he still has eight months remaining in his two-year contract with the PCB.

30 probables for T20 World Cup:

Imran Nazir, Imran Farhat, Khalid Latif, Mohammad Hafeez, Salman Butt, Shahzaib Hassan (openers), Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Naveed Yasin, Hasan Raza, Kamran Younis, Misbahul Haq, Babar Azam, Fawad Alam (middle order batsmen), Abdul Razzaq, Shahid Afridi, Yasir Arafat, Hammad Azam, Rana Naveedul Hasan (all-rounders), Umar Gul, Mohammad Aamir, Mohammad Asif, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Sami (pace bowlers), Saeed Ajmal, Raza Hassan, Abdul Rehman (spinners), Kamran Akmal, Sarfraz Ahmed and Zulqarnain Haider (wicketkeepers)

The flow of high-grade intelligence from Pakistan’s leading security organization that has led to the recent capture or death of a dozen top Taliban chiefs was the result of high-level pressure from Saudi Arabia, diplomatic sources said.

The close links established over the years between the Saudi royal family and the upper echelons of Pakistan’s powerful military and intelligence establishments has given Riyadh unusual influence in Islamabad.

The Inter-Services Intelligence, Pakistan’s powerful intelligence service which helped create the Taliban in the 1990s, was persuaded to cooperate with the United States by the powerful head of Saudi Arabia’s principal intelligence service, the General Intelligence Presidency, Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz, younger half-brother of King Abdallah.

He conducted shuttle diplomacy between Riyadh and Islamabad, where he convinced Lt. Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, the chief of staff of the Pakistani army, to order the ISI to play ball.

Saudi petrodollars had a lot to do with that. The sources say that Riyadh has been helping the Pakistani military pay for its recent offensive against the Taliban.

Riyadh partly financed Pakistan’s $1.6 billion purchase of three Agosta 90-B diesel attack submarines built by DCNS of France in 1994 and to buy Lockheed Martin F-16 fighter jets from the United States.

At the same time, Western governments, hit by the global recession, have been urging Riyadh to finance efforts to buy off some of the more “moderate” Taliban leaders in an effort to negotiate a settlement that would isolate the hard-line elements within the fundamentalist movement in much the same way the Americans bought off Sunni insurgents in Iraq to allow U.S. forces to withdraw.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who has been advocating a negotiated settlement for some time, enlisted the Saudis two years ago, which resulted in a meeting between Karzai’s envoys and Taliban chieftains in Riyadh.

Karzai visited Saudi Arabia in February, supposedly on a personal pilgrimage to Mecca, but in fact to meet King Abdallah and Muqrin to discuss Saudi help in accelerating efforts to bring about a settlement.

Muqrin met several times with Kayani, who was director general of ISI from October 2004 to October 2007 and retained immense influence with that organization when he was promoted to chief of staff in November 2007 to replace Gen. Pervez Musharraf when he relinquished his army commands.

Kayani has long been close to the Saudis. In May 2006, while still ISI’s chief, he visited Riyadh with Gen. Mohammad Zaki, then head of ISI’s counter-terrorism section, for closed-door talks with Muqrin on intelligence cooperation.

Amid all this activity, U.S. and British intelligence chiefs have been involved with the Saudis, too.

CIA Director Leon Panetta and John Sawers, who took over as head of Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service, better known as MI6, in June 2009, have both visited Riyadh in recent weeks.

At the behest of the Pakistani military, the Saudis sent their long-serving foreign minister, Prince Saud al Faisal, to New Delhi in a bid to reduce tension with arch-rival Islamabad so that the Pakistani military could pull troops from the northwestern border to move against the Taliban.

For now, at least, the ISI appears prepared to work with the Americans against the Taliban but the Islamists are believed to still have many sympathizers within the powerful and highly secretive organization.

It remains to be seen whether these elements will sabotage the new-found cooperation with Western forces.

One indication may have been provided by the ISI’s refusal to hand over Abdul Ghani Baradar, military commander of Afghanistan’s Taliban and its No. 2 figures after leader Mullah Mohammed Omar, captured while hiding in Karachi Feb.16, to the CIA for interrogation.

However, the U.S. global security consultancy Stratfor notes that the fact that Baradar was arrested at all underlines a significant shift in ISI policy.

Nonetheless, there remains considerable distrust of the CIA and other Western intelligence services within some sections of the ISI and it remains to be seen how long the policy of cooperation will continue. (EU News Network)

Pakistan played a role in helping Iran arrest its most wanted Jundallah chief Abdolmalek Rigi who was seized on board a flight from Dubai, Islamabad’s ambassador to Tehran Mohammad Abbasi said on Wednesday.

Islamabad’s disclosure of actionable intelligence cooperation with Iran comes amid US denial that Rigi, the leader of the Sunni Muslim militant group Jundallah, is its puppet.

“I must tell you that such action cannot be carried out without the cooperation of Pakistan. I am happy that he has been arrested,” Ambassador Abbasi told a media conference at Islamabad’s mission in Tehran.

Without elaborating, Abbasi said details of Pakistan’s help to Iran in arresting Rigi would be revealed in “two or three days time.”

The Al Jazeera news channel said Pakistan handed Rigi over to Iranian authorities a week ago. Rigi and his group has been siding with Baloch separatists who want to carve out an independent Balochistan from western Pakistan and eastern Iran’s Baloch-speaking areas. Both Pakistan and Iran have been fighting these Balochistan separatists since 1970s when Shah of Iran ruled the Persian empire and Z A Bhutto ruled Pakistan.

Related stories:
Jundullah Behind Karachi Ashura Blast: Report
Karachi Twin Blasts Toll Rises to 25
Pak Territory Used as Springboard, Says Iran

Rigi, the head of shadowy rebel group Jundallah (Soldiers of God), was captured on a flight from Dubai to Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday.

An airport official from Bishkek told AFP on condition of anonymity on Tuesday that the passenger plane Rigi was travelling in was forced to land on Iranian territory by two Iranian jet bombers.

Iran’s official Press TV, quoting an unidentified source speaking on condition of anonymity, added on its English-language website that Rigi was seized along with one of his deputies.

It said they “were captured after their plane was brought down by security forces in an airport in the Iranian Persian Gulf city of Bandar Abbas.”

Declaring Rigi’s arrest on Tuesday, Iran’s Intelligence Minister Heydar Moslehi told reporters that the militant had been at a US military base in Afghanistan just 24 hours before he was nabbed.

”We are warning America and European countries that the intelligence services of the West should stop support for such groups and their terrorist acts,” he said. ”We have clear documents proving that Rigi was in co-operation with American, Israeli and British intelligence services.”

At a dramatic press conference, he flourished a photograph that he said showed Rigi outside the base, though he gave no details of where the base was, or how or when the photograph was obtained.

The photograph gave no clues to the location. Photographs were also shown of an Afghan passport and identity card said to have been given to Rigi by the Americans.

Mr Moslehi also alleged that Rigi had met Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, the then NATO secretary-general, in Afghanistan in 2008, and had visited European countries. He said agents had tracked Rigi’s movements for five months.

Iran has repeatedly claimed that Jundullah, which has carried out bombings in support of demands for better treatment for the border region of Baluchistan, is backed by Pakistan, Britain, Israel and the US. It has been alleged by Western media that in 2007, the CIA gave funding and weapons to Jundullah.

But the rebel group countered Iran’s narrative, insisting its leader was captured by US, Pakistani and Afghan intelligence and handed over to Iran as part of a backroom deal. The rebels did not say where he was taken.

”Very soon, we will produce documents proving American, British and regional intelligence services’ co-operation with the [Iranian] regime,” said a statement posted to the movement’s website, Junbish.blogspot.com.