Houston, Karachi to become sister cities

Houston and Pakistan’s largest city, Karachi, will officially become sister cities on March 3.

The city council approved the establishment of a sister city relationship last month, and the Hon. Syed Mustafa Kamal, Mayor of Karachi, will visit Houston to sign a sister cities agreement with Mayor Bill White on March 3.

Karachi is a seaport and the financial capital of Pakistan.

The Houston-Karachi Sister City Association becomes the 17th “citizen diplomacy” relationship for Houston under the umbrella of Sister Cities of Houston, a program that develops intercultural understanding and promotes international trade and commerce, economic development and tourism.

Houston has sister city relationships with Abu Dhabi, U.A.E.; Baku, Azerbaijan; Chiba, Japan; Grampian Region (Aberdeen), Scotland; Guayaquil, Ecuador; Huelva, Spain; Istanbul, Turkey; Leipzig, Germany; Luanda, Angola; Nice, France; Perth, Australia; Shenzhen, China; Stavanger, Norway; Tampico, Mexico; Taipei, Taiwan; and Tyumen, Russia.

Hamara Karachi Festival ‘Malakhda Competitions’: ‘Only the poor have kept this sport alive’

KARACHI: The civilisation of Sindh has sustained its primary characteristics and most of the themes from different eras, although, many have also vanished from the screen.
Traditional wrestling, which is an inevitable and integrated part of the Sindh civilisation, is as alive as it was thousands of years ago and it will remain so till the end of time. Gadap Town Nazim Ghulam Murtaza Baloch stated this while addressing a gathering of people from Gadap Town on the Hamara Karachi Festival ‘Malakhda Competitions’ held at Thado Dam in Gadap Town on Saturday.
Talking to Daily Times, Baloch said that Malakhda is a popular sport in rural areas of Sindh, Balochistan and Punjab but only the poor have kept this sport alive. The competition attracted Malakhda wrestlers from all districts of Sindh including Karachi, district Lasbella in Balochistan and district Multan in Punjab.
The City District Government Karachi (CDGK) registered the Karachi Malh Association so that the sport can be promoted. However, there is an urgent need for an exclusive Malakhda Stadium in the city while the Malakhda wrestlers should be patronised and they should be given employment just like other sportsmen have been facilitated financially, suggested Baloch.
“I request City Nazim Mustafa Kamal to consider establishing a dedicated Malakhda Stadium in the city and offer jobs and other facilities to the wrestlers,” said Baloch.
Talking to Daily Times, CDGK City Council Treasury Bench Leader Asif Siddiqui, who represented the city naib nazim at the competition, said that it was nice to see the way the people of the rural outskirts of the city celebrated the festival and these joint celebrations will promote relations between the two social classes of the province.
The Malakhda competition is a traditional sport of Sindh and it will be ensured that such sports events are held in every town of the city during the next Hamara Karachi Festival, said Siddiqui.
CDGK City Council Member Advocate Sarwat Arif told Daily Times that Gadap Town has the largest number of rural people in the city. Malakhda is one of the most popular sports in these areas and it should be promoted. In this regard, the MQM members in the City Council will fully support a resolution tabled as Donkey Racing has already been patronised.
The unique and colourful show of Malakhda attracted thousands of people from all over Sindh while more than 40 Malakhda wrestlers from different districts of Sindh took part in the competition.
Malakhda wrestler Nadim Palari of Palari Goth near Sohrab Goth defeated Rahim Bux Sheedi of district Thatta and won the first prize in the competition along with Rs 10,000. Wrestler Sher Muhammad Sheikh of district Dadu defeated wrestler Shakoor Sheedi of district Thatta and was the runner-up, he was given Rs 7,000. Wrestler Lal Muhammad alias Guldasta of Karachi defeated wrestler Shafi Chandio of district Nawabshah and was given the third position with a cash prize of Rs 5,000.( Irfan Aligi)

CID report reveals Taliban presence in Karachi

By Samir Qureshi

A report by the CID Special Branch has revealed that Taliban are present in the city.

According to details, the special branch additional IG has sent a written report to the DIG and Sindh Government about the secret hideouts of Taliban in the city. Sources in the report have revealed that Taliban, belonging to tribal areas, were residing in Sohrab Goth and Quaidabad in the small motels in the areas. Apart from that, the Taliban were also hiding in the hills of Manghopir and Orangi town as well as in other low-income areas and slums. The report said that the Taliban has huge caches of weapons and ammunition with them and they could take the city hostage at any point. Sources have also said that the Naib Ameer of the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban, Hasan Mahmood, was also hiding in Karachi.

After the report, police and security personnel are said to be terrified, as already the MQM has said many times that the Taliban were in the city. Some time ago, on a tip off, Anti-Violent Crime Cell’s head SSP Farooq Awan, along with a police party, had raided a guesthouse in Sohrab Goth but the Taliban apprehended them instead. The Taliban were trying to execute the policemen when another police party intervened. Though the policemen managed to get away, two policemen died while Awan and 11 other policemen were seriously injured. After this operation, CID SSP Fayyaz Khan and Aslam Khan raided the location and arrested eight men who were said to be pro Taliban militants and were involved in the attack on Awan.

Meanwhile, on the directives of the Sindh government, a survey has been undertaken on the rest houses all over Karachi while police high-ups have asked for surveillance of these facilities.

‘Sindh Tenancy Act report to be presented in next assembly session’

KARACHI: Sindh Assembly Deputy Speaker Shehla Raza assured the participants of the Sindh Hari Long March on Thursday that a report compiled by the last Sindh Assembly regarding certain changes in the Sindh Tenancy Act will be presented in the provincial assembly’s forthcoming session.

She made this announcement while addressing a gathering of hundreds of the long march participants outside the Sindh Assembly building. The participants, including women, reached the assembly building on the 12th day of their march. They had started their march from Hyderabad on February 15, under the banner of the South Asia Partnership Pakistan. The organisers of the march also handed over a memorandum to the deputy speaker, stating that they want changes in the Sindh Tenancy Act and the introduction of agricultural reforms.

Raza told the participants that a committee, constituted by the last provincial assembly, had compiled a report gauging certain changes in the Sindh Tenancy Act. However, she added that the committee had not been allowed to present the report in the provincial legislative house. According to her, PPP’s Anwar Maher had headed the committee; Maher is also a MPA in the present assembly.

Raza, who belongs to the ruling PPP, also found the gathering an opportunity to criticise the PML-N and justify the central government’s act of imposing governor rule in Punjab. She rejected PML-N’s criticism over the PPP government for not permitting the Punjab assembly session to be held, saying that today they are crying on this but they did not feel sorry when they restrained the Sindh Assembly members from holding its session in 1998.

Without naming the PML-N, the deputy speaker said that they are engaged in organising protest demonstrations on an decision taken as a result of a judicial order, however, she stated that they did nothing when their aeroplane was not allowed to land despite the court orders (during former president Pervez Musharraf’s tenure). She warned that the removal of memorial banners displayed in Punjab in the memory of PPP’s assassinated chairperson Benazir Bhutto will result in a strong reaction from PPP workers and supporters.

Provincial Minister for Zakat and Ushr Sajid Jokhio, Sindh Chief Minister’s Special Assistant on Media Waqar Mehdi and PPP MPAs Anwar Maher and Farheen Mughal accompanied the deputy speaker on the occasion. The South Asia Partnership Pakistan’s Zulfiqar Shah, Awami Party’s Ramzan Memon, Sindh Hari Porhiat Council’s Punhal Sario and Azhar Jatoi were also present on the occasion.

Woman cries for justice outside court

By Fawad Ali Shah

KARACHI: Hajra lies half conscious outside a local court. Her eyes are wet and her face betrays wrinkles. She is crying for justice because she was mercilessly widowed and the killers of her husband have escaped justice.

Her hair has prematurely turned white, the fatigue of a long journey has torn her black shoes. “They have escaped prison despite court orders,” the middle-aged women, gripping her head with both hands kept yelling. Hajra is one of the hundreds of women who having been pleading cases of their slain husbands, brothers and sons in courts for years. And even after they win and come close to getting justice their enemies manage to escape prisons due to police negligence. This happened to Hajra on Wednesday. Additional District and Sessions Judge Ubaid Hamza rejected the bail before arrest application of the alleged murderers of her husband. “According to the law, in murder cases, police arrest the accused after the rejection of applications of bail before arrest. However, the accused in the murder case of Rahim Khan, my husband, all the three men (Behraman, Bakht Amin and and Abid) escaped from the premises of the court,” Hajra said. According to a police report, her husband was killed on December 30, 2008 within the jurisdiction of Mominabad Police Station. Hajra had lodged an FIR of her husband’s murder in the police station concerned. She accused the police officials of being accomplices of her enemies. Now that the alleged killers of her husband have escaped the court, she fears for her life. “They are free now and will threaten me again to not pursue the case,” she narrates her sorrow ordeal. “Now that they have escaped arrest, they will kill me,” she says, cursing her fate and the police system. “They are not the police, they are dacoits themselves.”

When asked by the scribe, none of the police officials concerned offered any comments, however, the court officials confirmed that the court rejected the bail application of the accused killers. “Where should I seek justice now,” she asked this scribe, adding that the custodians of her life, the police, have turned out to be her enemies. (Daily Times)

Younis Khan excels on pitch of his own choice

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

It’s really childish to believe that the newly installed Pakistan captain, Younis Khan, had no say in the preparation of the pitch that very nearly produced a result on the final evening at the National Stadium, Karachi.

Equally bewildering was the statement of the Pakistan coach, Intikhab Alam, at the end of the second day in which he had blasted the curators for preparing a pitch where the Sri Lankans had piled up a huge total.

It’s an open secret that the curators had prepared the pitch in accordance with the guidelines from the Pakistan management that indeed included both Intikhab Alam as well as Younis Khan.

Obviously the home team desired a track that did not assist the spin bowling because Sri Lanka had a couple of great spinners in their folds. They didn’t dare putting their own batsmen to risk by ordering for a lively track with the procession that followed in the third One-day International at the Qaddafi Stadium, Lahore, still at the back of their minds.

When you don’t wish a pitch that doesn’t assist the spinners or fast bowlers then what else are you going to get other than a perfect batting strip. So why blame the ground staff if you yourself are short of confidence. It was Pakistan's first home Test in 16 months and they were not willing to take chances.

Intikhab Alam, it’s generally believed, had a go at the curators at the end of the second day because he was still unsure whether the home batsmen will be able to cope with the pressure after Sri Lanka had posted a mammoth total.

Much to the satisfaction of the home batsmen, the pitch remained as docile on the last three days as it was on the first couple of days. Younis Khan was the major beneficiary, scoring a triple century. He was in fact eyeing Brian Lara’s record of 400 when play began on the final day.

The Pakistan skipper made the most of the favourable batting conditions before being finally dismissed after scoring 313, easily his highest Test score. The Sri Lankan bowlers faced greater embarrassment as wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal slogged them at will. He could have a gone on to score a triple century had the innings not been declared.

Sri Lanka would not have hoped for conceding a first innings lead of 123 after having rattled 644 for 7. Pakistan declared at 765 for 6 and more drama was to follow in the afternoon. The visitors could have become the first team to lose a Test match after having 600 runs in the first innings.

Sri Lanka faced defeat after losing fifth wicket when still in the red. Pakistan were still in with a chance of pushing for a victory but the visitors played out the final overs to earn a draw.

The lackluster captaincy of Mahela Jayawardene passed the impression that he had made a correct decision of giving up the leadership at the end of the tour. He did score a double century in the first innings but his body language in the field was not all that positive and his soft dismissal in the second outing didn’t help the cause of his team either.

Yunus Khan’s captain inning ends at 313

KARACHI: The last day play of the first test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, being played in the National Stadium here, continued when the host captain Yunus Khan after brilliantly scoring triple ton finally lost concentration at 313 and went back to the pavilion.

Yunus Khan yesterday added feather to his cap as the only batsman thus far scoring triple ton against Sri Lanka and playing a record captain’s inning from Pakistan.

Yunus Khan today came to the field having an eye on Brian Lara’s record and was seen chasing the highest ever score of 400 runs, but sadly he couldn’t achieve the target, as he was bowled out by Sri Lankan bowler Fernando at 313, when his team’s score was at 596.

Pakistan team with four wickets in hand, still struggling to equalize the Sri Lankan first inning scores and save the follow-on.

Hijacked school van recovered in Karachi

KARACHI: Unknown militants abandoned school van of special children in Lines Area Karachi on Monday, police sources said.

Three gunmen hijacked special children’s school van on gunpoint while children were on board from Nazimabad. After a while, they let children get away from van in Temoria police station jurisdiction and made off with van, police sources added.

Police said they do not know why suspects abandoned school van in Lines Area. Meanwhile, police have taken it under their control.

Ehsan Qureshi’s Fiasco launched with great fanfare

By Mohammad Nazakat Ali

Ehsan Qureshi’s masterpiece by the name of Fiasco was launched at the picturesque Karachi Club Annexe on the evening of February 20. What a wonderful setting it was and even more glittering was the presence of Pakistan’s cricket luminaries.
There could not have been a better venue for the launching of such a wonderful book. Although the day had been unusually hot by February standards there was plenty of cool breeze in the banquet hall of the Karachi Club Annexe when the ceremony started about an hour before the sunset.
Fiasco: An Eyewitness Account of World Cup 2007 is presented in hardbound and there are 272 pages between covers. It’s sixth book to be authored by Ehsan Qureshi, working as the Senior Sports Reporter at the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) for the past couple of decades.
Fiasco contains many untold stories about the mega event in which Pakistan crashed and coach Bob Woolmer died under mysterious circumstances has been published by Jumbo Publishing and its priced Pak Rs 800.

Federal Sports Minister, Pir Aftab Hussain Shah Jilani, who was the chief guest in the launching ceremony, demanded an apology from Jamaican Police for mental torture, trauma and embarrassment caused to the Pakistanis in the alleged Bob Woolmer murder case.
“The Jamaican Police had gone overboard with their investigations and they should not have treated the Pakistan cricketers and journalists as suspects. The then officials of PCB did not handle the situation properly which allowed the Jamaican Police to act freely,” the Federal Minister believed.
Pir Aftab Jilani, himself a former cricketer, spoke at length about the issues of the game and assured the governmental support to the present PCB setup headed by Ijaz Butt, whom he considered a committed and energetic administrator.
The Minister disclosed that he had been stunned to learn some of the facts that have been brought to light by Ehsan Qureshi in his book. He lauded the efforts of the author for coming up with an excellent publication.
The Chairman of the PCB, Ijaz Butt, who presided over the ceremony, did not throw light on the World Cup 2007 but he commended the author for having done a fabulous job.
He reckoned that the journalists and authors producing books should be encouraged by the PCB as well as government and private sector.

The Pakistan Captain Younis Khan, who was a part of the World Cup 2007 team in Caribbean, hoped that the national team would be performing better and their goal was to win the 2011 World Cup.
The Pakistan coach Intikhab Alam showered Ehsan Qureshi with praise for producing his fourth book on the World Cup and sixth overall.
The Group Sports Editor, Jang Group of Newspapers, Gul Hameed Bhatti, was of the opinion that such books are of great historical value and Ehsan Qureshi’s contribution needs to be acknowledged.
Ehsan Qureshi, in his speech, talked about the distress caused to him and his family by the screening of the footage by BBC in their programme Panaroma in which he and fellow journalist Abdul Majid Bhatti were shown as the last persons to have met Bob Woolmer before his death.
Seniors journalist Abdul Qadir Qureshi, who is also the mentor of Ehsan Qureshi, presented the vote of thanks. The ceremony was conducted in his vintage style by the famous anchor Sardar Khan.
The Sindh Sports Minister, Dr.Muhammad Ali Shah, Pakistan’s vice captain Misbah-ul-Haq, ex-captain Shoaib Malik, Danish Kaneria, Faisal Iqbal, former cricketers Waqar Hasan, Mushtaq Muhammad, Aaqib Javed, Shoaib Muhammad, Iqbal Qasim, Yawar Saeed, Salahuddin Ahmed, Abdul Raquib, hockey Olympian Islahuddin Siddiqui, KCCA Vice Presidents, Ajmal Ansari and Nadeem Omar were also present on the occasion.
There was a large turnout of the media professionals as well. The duo of A Aziz Rehmatullah and Haji Abdul Razzaq, who had launched the Cricket World Quarterly in late 1970s, was very much there as was Riaz Ahmed Mansuri, who brought out the famous magazine The Cricketer Pakistan.

PSO among the top 100 companies of the Muslim World for 2008

Pakistan State Oil (PSO) ranked 29th among the list of top 100 companies of the Muslim World released here.
US Consultancy, Dinar Standard in their 5th Annual Ranking released the list of 100 top companies of 57 member countries of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), which depicted Turkey�s 23 companies among the list bagging most, while the largest oil company of the world Aramco topped the list.
PSO ranked 29th whose revenue as compared previous year was seen surged by 41 percent. Previous year PSO was ranked at 31st and Sui Northern Gas at 99th.