Europe releases another 10 million euros to Pakistan

BRUSSELS: Europe released 10 million euros in emergency aid to help Pakistan's flood victims on Wednesday, taking total humanitarian aid over the past 12 months to more than 110 million euros.

The European Commission decision “takes immediate effect and comes as an addition to the 30 million euros for humanitarian assistance allocated” on July 30, said a statement from the EU's day-to-day executive.

“My heartfelt condolences go to all those affected by this crisis and the European Union stands ready to support Pakistan both in financial and political terms in dealing with the consequences of this terrible event,” said Catherine Ashton, EU foreign affairs chief.

The floods have affected nearly 14 million people already, with a third of the country under water, almost 300,000 houses damaged and the more populous south now endangered.

The money will go towards clean drinking water, shelter, food, blankets, hygiene kits and medical assistance, the commission said.

Pakistan issued fresh flood warnings on Wednesday and called on foreign donors to step up aid to contain the country's worst humanitarian disaster.

The United Nations was to launch an international appeal in New York. It believes 1,600 people have died in the floods while Pakistan has confirmed 1,243 deaths.

The United States announced on Tuesday it would increase its flood aid by another 20 million dollars to 55 million dollars.

Incompetent board affecting team: Mani

ISLAMABAD: Former ICC president Ehsan Mani says the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is not equipped to revive international cricket in Pakistan while Ijaz Butt is in charge.

“There’s a possibility of an international XI touringPakistan within one year, but it’s impossible for the present board working under Ijaz Butt to fully revive international cricket in Pakistan,” Mani was quoted as sayng in a local daily on Wednesday.

The PCB is yet to submit a report on last year’s militant attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team’s bus at Lahore that left six police officials and a van driver dead. The gunmen also injured several Sri Lankan team players and officials.

A Lahore high court judge has heavily criticized senior police officials in his report for being ill-prepared, poorly equipped and incompetent in their efforts to prevent the attack on March 3, 2009.

“Until this report is handed over to the ICC, revival of international cricket in Pakistan is impossible,” he said.

Mani said the PCB had promised presidential level security to the Sri Lankan cricket team, but “it has thus far not been able to fix the responsibility of the attack on anyone.”

Mani said he was willing to help Pakistan, but he needed complete independence to run the affairs of cricket.

“If the board is run like it is nowadays, it will affect the team’s performance,” he said.

“There is a lot of confusion in the decision making of the PCB which is also damaging country’s image.”

Mani also said the actions of PCB chairman Butt should be more accountable saying: “without accountability there is no chance of improvement.”

Parliamentarian Iqbal Mohammad Ali has also written a two-page letter to President Asif Ali Zardari, the PCB’s patron, calling for the removal of Butt as PCB chairman.

Butt took over from Nasim Ashraf in Oct. 2008, but has since come under severe criticism by former test cricketers and parliamentarians.

President Zardari rejects criticism of foreign trip

SINGAPORE: President Asif Ali Zardari has defended his decision to travel abroad while the country battled the worst floods in decades, saying he had helped focus international attention on the plight of the victims.

Zardari has faced the brunt of public anger as the administration struggles to help an estimated 14 million people hit by the floods, compounding the misery of a nation tackling a deadly militancy and a failing economy.

But in an opinion piece for the Wall Street Journal, Zardari said he had used his trip to France and Britain to mobilise foreign assistance, money and food for the flood victims.

“Some have criticised my decision, saying it represented aloofness, but I felt that I had to choose substance over symbolism,” he said.

The British government had pledged $24 million in aid, following his meeting with Prime Minister David Cameron, Zardari said. He had also been in touch with the US
government, which had promised $35 million in relief funds.

The floods triggered by heavy monsoon rain over the upper reaches of the Indus river basin have ploughed a swathe of destruction more than 1,000 km long from northern Pakistan to the southern province of Sindh. More than 1,600 people have died.

The United Nations says the disaster is the biggest the country has ever faced and it would cost billions of dollars to rehabilitate the victims and rebuild ruined infrastructure.

“As I return to Pakistan, I bring back tangible results that will help the flood victims in the short run and lay the foundations for national recovery in the long run,” Zardari said.

“I might have benefitted personally from the political symbolism of being in the country at the time of natural disaster. But hungry people can't eat symbols. The situation demanded action, and I acted to mobilise the world.”

Even before the floods struck, Zardari's approval ratings had been falling. Only one in five Pakistanis viewed him positively, a poll by the US-based Pew Research Center released late last month showed.

His prime rival, ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif, had a 71 per cent favourability rating, according to the poll.

Parts of Sindh, Punjab on alert as fresh flood warning issued

SUKKUR: Pakistan issued fresh flood warnings on Wednesday, putting parts of Punjab and Sindh on alert and calling on foreign donors to step up to contain the country's worst humanitarian disaster.

The United Nations was to launch an international appeal in New York, calling for hundreds of millions of dollars to provide urgent assistance to six million people it says now depend on aid for survival.

Pakistan's government has admitted being unable to cope with the scale of the crisis and an outpouring of rage from survivors and the political opposition is compounding pressure on President Asif Ali Zardari.

Religious charities have plugged some of the vacuum.

The meteorological service warned of floods in Hyderabad district, which could spread devastation further south in Sindh province, and issued a “significant” flood forecast for Kalabagh and Chashma in Punjab.

Local governments in both provinces, considered the breadbasket of Pakistan, also issued warnings about more flooding in the days ahead, although the chief minister in Sindh acknowledged that the immediate danger had passed.

Punjab officials said more than 90 per cent of the town of Kot Addu had emptied and that flooding had cut electricity and gas production, shutting down thousands of factories.

The chief minister of Sindh, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, told a small group of reporters that up to 3.5 million people could be affected in the province, although loss of life had been negligible.

“Up to 40 kilometres of Indus Highway is inundated and has been closed. The initial rough estimates show that losses of 35 billion rupees, excluding crops, have been suffered by Sindh,” he said.

“I think the actual losses will be much higher. We feel that without substantial foreign assistance it will be difficult for Sindh and rest of the country to redevelop and rehabilitate its people.”

“What we need is substantial foreign aid and not peanuts. The aid being pledged so far is peanuts and not enough to meet the enormous challenge ahead.

“The immediate danger is almost over, but we are concerned about the next possible big wave of flooding as predicted by the Met department.

“If it is progressive flow it should be fine, but if it comes at once then it will be a trouble.”

Pakistan says 14 million people are facing direct or indirect harm, while the United Nations has warned that children are among the most vulnerable victims, with diarrhoea the biggest health threat and measles a serious concern.

SC hears petitions challenging 18th Amendment

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry on Wednesday said that in the parliamentary form of government, the prime minister is the chief executive and his role in the process of judges' appointments cannot be restricted.

Chief Justice Iftikhar made these remarks during a hearing of petitions challenging the 18th Amendment.

A 17-judge full court was hearing the petitions challenging certain clauses in the amendment.

During the hearing, Chief Justice Iftikhar said that in case the government completes its five year term, the judicial commission will become defunct for a period of 90 days.

"Will judges' appointments and confirmations remain suspended for that period...institutions need to be functional under all circumstances," he said.

LHC extends judicial remand of Hamesh Khan

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court adjourned the hearings of Hamesh Khan for two weeks on Wednesday. Khan is the main accused in Punjab Bank scandal.

Khan’s lawyers filed a bail application in the Lahore High Court, claiming that there were still no proofs against their client, despite him being in physical remand since the past 90 days.

Answering the application, Chief Justice Lahore High Court, Khawaja Muhammad Sharif said that Hamesh Khan had been in exile since many years and asked why he was in a rush for bail.

The LHC also dismissed another application which was filed by Khan’s lawyers who were requesting to transfer the case to another bench.

Australian planes to deliver aid in Pakistan floods

SYDNEY: Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard Wednesday committed two military planes to assist relief efforts in Pakistan, saying Australians wanted to help those facing catastrophic floods.

The C-17 Globemaster aircraft, which will deliver emergency supplies, are in addition to the 10 million dollars (9.04 million US) in aid Australia had already committed, she said.

“Many Australians are deeply concerned by the worsening humanitarian crisis as the rains continue,” Gillard said in a statement.

The floods have left six million people dependent on humanitarian help for their survival, according to the United Nations, which has estimated that 1,600 people have died as a result of the rains.

Gillard said the unfolding disaster in Pakistan required a global response and Australia was committed to helping the country recover and rebuild.

“As Pakistan's needs become clearer, Australia will consider what further assistance to provide,” the prime minister said. – AFP

Kashmir separatists reject Singh’s autonomy offer

SRINAGAR: Separatist leaders in Indian-administered Kashmir dismissed Wednesday overtures from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh about political autonomy in the region following months of anti-India unrest.

Appealing to Kashmiri Muslims to “give peace a chance”, Singh had said Tuesday that his government would consider any consensus proposal for autonomy as long as it remained “within the ambit” of the constitution.

He also announced the creation of a panel of experts that would draw up a “jobs plan” for Indian-administered Kashmir where rampant unemployment — especially among young people — has fuelled resentment against Indian rule.

But senior Kashmir separatists rejected Singh's initiative.

“Our fight is for independence, not autonomy,” Javed Mir, a former militant commander turned separatist politician, told AFP.

“We will continue our fight for our goal through peaceful protests,” said Mir, who had been among the first Kashmiris to take up arms in 1989 when frustration against Indian rule boiled over into a full-blown insurgency.

Under the terms of its accession to India in 1947— after independence from Britain and the sub-continent's division — Kashmir was granted a relatively high degree of autonomy, excluding areas like defence and foreign affairs.

But those powers have been eroded over the years, and renewed promises of greater autonomy gain little traction in separatist circles.

“Our struggle is not for restoration of autonomy. It is to seek our right to self-determination,” Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, an influential moderate separatist, told AFP.

“We should be allowed to decide whether we want to remain with India, accede to Pakistan or carve out an independent state,” he said.

Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan, which both claim the region in full and have fought two wars over their territorial dispute.

The Kashmir legislative assembly in 2000 passed a resolution favouring full restoration of the state's autonomy, but it was rejected by the then Hindu-nationalist government in New Delhi.

Autonomy is the main demand of the ruling National Conference, the state's biggest pro-India political party.

US raises Pakistan aid to $55 million

WASHINGTON: The United States on Tuesday announced an additional $20 million for flood victims in Pakistan, bringing its contribution to date to $55 million.

“This disaster is so vast … and as we get better insight into the scope, our contribution may well grow as well,” said US Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Daniel Feldman while announcing the new package.

“We obviously are closely monitoring what is an unfolding and ongoing disaster in Pakistan,” said P.J. Crowley, Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs.

Mr Feldman said that since weather in Pakistan on Tuesday was good, US helicopters were able to fly and move about 100,000 pounds worth of humanitarian commodities and transported more than 700 Pakistanis stranded in the remote areas.

“Just as the flood is moving south, we are going to move south,” he added. “We are going to expand those activities with new organisations and existing organisations.”

At the White House, a senior official declared that US-Pakistan relationship was “much bigger” than the war against terrorists and that’s why Washington was eager to help Pakistan cope with the floods.

“We … look at every one of the requests that come in through official channels to make sure that we are doing all we can to help alleviate some of the terrible human tragedy that is happening over there,” White House Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton said.

When asked whether the militants were using the floods to expand their influence, Mr Burton said: “We certainly hope that they are not using this opportunity to inflict even more pain on the people of Pakistan.”

At the State Department, Mr Feldman encouraged the American public to go to USAID’s website and click on the flood response, providing links to websites for major NGOs working in Pakistan.

“All of them would gladly receive private contributions at this point to add to the effort,” he said.

Mark Ward, acting director, US Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, noted that while immediate repercussions of the flood were dramatic, “yet almost more importantly is the fact that this is very much a medium- to longer-term issue, with food security, with the economic infrastructure, and with needs that will be ongoing for many months, if not years”.

Four bodies found in rainwater-filled pits, drains

KARACHI: As heavy rains stopped falling on Tuesday after a four-day intermittent spell, at least four bodies including that of a teenage girl and a six-year-old boy were found in rainwater-filled pits and storm-water drains in different areas of the city, officials and charity volunteers said.

The body of the girl aged between 13 and 15 years was found in a rainwater-filled pit near Banaras Chowk. She was believed to have drowned at least a day earlier.

Her body was moved to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital before being shifted to the Edhi morgue at Sohrab Goth for want of identification.

In New Karachi police found the body of a young man in a huge pond, formed by the recent rains. The dead was later identified Tahir.

“The body was found in Khameeso Goth. We reached the spot after a call from the area police,” said an official at the Chhipa Welfare Association that recovered the body and shifted to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.

An hour later the body of another young man was found in a storm-water drain in Ayub Goth within the remit of the Sohrab Goth police station. The victim was identified as 26-year-old Irfan.

A six-year-old boy was found dead in a storm-water drain in Akhtar Colony.

The deceased, identified as Osama, had left home in Kashmir Colony on Sunday evening amid heavy rains to play outside but never returned.

Sectarian killing

A man in his late 50s was gunned down near Baloch Colony on Tuesday in what appeared to be a fresh incident of targeted killing on sectarian grounds, officials said.

They said 58-year-old Agha Abib Shirazi was targeted near the Duty Free Shop along Sharea Faisal by a single gunman on a motorbike when he was leaving for his office after a stopover at a friend’s place.

“He was driving a car down a busy commercial area to land onto Sharea Faisal from the service lane,” said an official at the Ferozabad police station. “All of a sudden a man riding a motorbike came close to him, forcing Mr Shirazi to pull the brakes. The gunman then pulled out a 9mm pistol and fired multiple shots at him.”

The victim sustained at least three bullets and died on the spot, said an official, adding that the people around saw a man accelerate the two-wheeler towards one of the narrow lanes connecting the service road.

“Initial investigations found the attacker alone with no apparent support by anyone else,” said SSP Amir Farooqi of the Ferozabad police station, who suspected a sectarian motive behind the killing.

The deceased was associated with the construction business. He was the father of a son and three daughters. Resident of Muhammad Ali Cooperative Housing Society, he was also the brother of a trustee of the Azakhana-i-Zehra Trust, Agha Asghar Shirazi.

The incident came as a grim reminder of the multiple targeted killings on sectarian grounds that kept the city under fear till early July before the assassinations on ethnic and political grounds began.

Allama Abbas Kumaili of the Jafria Alliance Pakistan condemned Mr Shirazi’s murder and questioned the role of the security administration.

“For the last seven months targeted killings on sectarian grounds have continued unabated,” he said in a statement. “We have demanded an operation against the banned outfits, but unfortunately the government doesn’t seem interested in it. Not a single suspect of targeted killings has been arrested so far.”

The recent wave of targeted killings on sectarian grounds reemerged earlier this year that has claimed nearly 30 lives. Killings of political activists and on ethnic grounds remained a separate challenge for the law-enforcers to handle as it has seen nearly 200 people losing their lives this year alone.

Though the investigators claimed to have ‘found a few clues’ to determine the appearance of the attacker on Mr Shirazi and recovered casings of spent bullets of the 9mm gun used in the attack, fears run high ahead of Ramazan and religious leaders see it as a conspiracy to spark sectarian unrest mainly in the holy month.

“This is high time to show solidarity and unity so that we meet the challenge of terrorism together. But at the same time it’s the prime responsibility of the people at the helm of affairs to move before it’s too late.”