Nato to provide planes and ships for Pakistan aid

BRUSSELS: Nato said on Friday it would provide ships and aircraft to transport aid to flood-stricken Pakistan, a day after Islamabad warned that militants were trying to exploit the disaster.

A statement from the Western military alliance, which is battling militants in Pakistan's neighbour Afghanistan, said a Nato aircraft would fly in power generators, water pumps and tents donated by Slovakia on Sunday.

The mission followed a decision by the 28 Nato nations on Friday to “provide airlift and sealift for the delivery of aid donated by nations and humanitarian relief organisations”, the statement said.

A Nato spokeswoman said future missions would depend on requests from the Pakistani authorities, donors and aid agencies.

Nato mounted a major relief operation after the devastating 2005 earthquake in Pakistan's Kashmir region. Earlier this month it said it was taking on a coordinating role for flood aid deliveries from its members and partners.

More than 4 million Pakistanis have been made homeless by nearly three weeks of floods, making urgent the critical task of securing enough aid. Twice that number are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari warned on Thursday that militants were trying to exploit the floods to promote their agendas, as they did after the Kashmir earthquake.

Islamic charities have moved swiftly to fill the vacuum left by a government overwhelmed by the scale of the disaster and struggling to reach millions of people in dire need of shelter, food and drinking water.

The United Nations has issued an appeal for $459 million of aid to help Pakistan deal with the floods, of which Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said about 60 percent had been pledged.

The United States led a stream of new aid pledges for Pakistan on Thursday, upping its total pledge to $150 million, to rectify a humanitarian response that has been criticised as too slow.

The European Union promised a further 30 million euros ($38.5 million) on top of 110 million euros already committed. -Reuters

Taliban kill up to 30 in south Afghanistan attack

KABUL: Taliban insurgents killed up to 30 Afghans working for a road-building company in the volatile south of the country, officials said on Friday.

Violence has surged across Afghanistan despite the presence of almost 150,000 foreign troops, with military and civilian death tolls reaching record levels.

The Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said three of its service members had been killed in two roadside bomb attacks in the south on Thursday and Friday.

There was no immediate explanation for the attack late on Thursday in the Sangin district of Helmand province in which the roadcrew workers and security guards were killed, although construction crews are frequently targeted.

“A group of Taliban attacked the site with machine guns and rockets, killing 25 of my workers,” said an official from the Afghan Construction company who identified himself as Aqa Jan.

Mohammad Mamaluddin, the Helmand deputy police chief, said later the death toll had risen to 30 and that another 17 were wounded.

He said the attackers had also set fire to machinery and taken about 12 four-wheel drive vehicles.

Dawood Ahmadi, a spokesman for the Helmand governor, said 12 bodies had been taken to a hospital in the provincial capital Lashkar Gah, along with some of the wounded.

With Washington winding down its commitment in Iraq while stepping up efforts in Afghanistan, the toll of foreign military dead in the Afghan conflict since the Taliban were ousted in 2001 passed the grim milestone of 2,000 a week ago.

A UN report has also said civilian casualties spiked by 31 per cent in the first six months of the year, more than three-quarters of them blamed on insurgents.

In neighbouring Kandahar province, the birthplace of the Taliban, ISAF said the body of an Afghan civilian had been found tied up between two roadside bombs which had apparently been laid to target anyone trying to help the man. The man had been shot in the head, it said. -Reuters

Cook century extends England lead over Pakistan

LONDON: Alastair Cook likely saved his place in the team by returning to form with a much-needed century that steered England to 194-3 and a lead of 119 runs against Pakistan at tea on day three of the third test on Friday.

Cook was out for 110, leaving Jonathan Trott 36 not out and Kevin Pietersen on 23. Cook faced 173 balls and struck 16 boundaries, while combining in a crucial third-wicket stand of 116 with Trott in England's second innings at The Oval.

Left-handed opener Cook played with aggression and abandoned the anxiety that he brought into the innings after his worst-ever run of form threatened his place, having endured eight innings without reaching 30.

He reached his 100 in bizarre fashion when he defended a ball from Mohammad Asif, who then picked up and threw over the wicketkeeper's head to the boundary, giving Cook his century with overthrows, sparking laughter among the batsmen and cheers from the capacity crowd.

There were no wild celebrations from the relieved Cook, just a rueful smile and a happy acknowledgment towards his teammates and the applauding spectators. He was dismissed to a catch down the leg side off Wahab Riaz, but received a standing ovation for his 13th test century.

Trott, who has faced 125 deliveries, played a subdued innings and was happy to support Cook, who contributed 78 on reaching their 100 partnership. Pietersen, though, was intent on attack and took three fours off one Asif over before tea.

Pakistan, 2-0 down in the four-match series, need to win here and the final test at Lord's next week to salvage a series draw. England is seeking a seventh straight test victory.

Cook, who began the day on 0, passed his previous highest score in the series (17) before lunch with a clip off his legs through midwicket from a Mohammad Amir ball heading outside his off stump.

Two consecutive Cook boundaries edged between second and third slip off Asif were false strokes but maybe was the luck he needed.

When debutant Riaz was introduced, Cook smashed a pull shot through midwicket as soon as the left-armer dropped short. There was no cautiousness despite Riaz's first innings 5-63.

One clear error from Cook, when on 23, came when he slashed Riaz at head height between Imran Farhat at first slip and Yasir Hameed at second. Both fielders left the ball for each other.

Perhaps Cook's finest stroke of the day was a cover drive off Amir, pushed through the infield from a long stride off the front foot.

He jogged up to the middle of the pitch and as the ball bounced over the boundary rope he turned his back on Trott to return to his crease rather than give the habitual touching of gloves, such was his focus.

Nightwatchman James Anderson was out before lunch to Saeed Ajmal's first ball of the morning, edging to wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal on 11. The floodlights were turned on after lunch as conditions turned gloomy. -AP

Pakistanis should live away from flood areas: UN

GENEVA: The UN disaster prevention agency said Friday that communities should have been kept away from flood-exposed river banks in Pakistan, as it underlined the human hand in a string of catastrophes.

“If people had not settled on the river banks, definitely the disaster would have been less, because that is the main cause of the disaster,” said Salvano Briceno, director of the UN's International Strategy for Disaster Reduction.

The ISDR also pointed to landslides in China, wildfires in Russia and drought in Niger as examples of how communities and towns were increasingly placed or left in harm's way.

“The vulnerability of human settlements is on the rise and is not yet being addressed by governments or communities,” added Briceno.

Briceno argued that while extreme weather or climate change and poverty added to the challenges, the biggest source of harm was people living in hazard-prone areas while too little was done to reduce the risks they face.

“It is clearly human responsibility in the making of the disaster, disasters are not natural,” he added, urging local authorities, donors and aid agencies to bolster long-term steps to cut those risks with the recovery.

Briceno acknowledged that all four countries were doing something but the pace of change was too slow and scattered worldwide.

It was also hampered by poverty, war and displacement, notably in Pakistan, and a focus on the response to disasters rather than preventing their impact.

The UN official noted that the South Asian country confronted annual monsoons rains, faced added melting from Himalayan glaciers with global warming and disruptive shifts in weather patterns.

“There are clearly, from nature's perspective, some aggravating factors. But the reality is that those river banks should never have been (open) for people to settle on,” Briceno said, calling it a known risk.

He nonetheless praised Pakistan's flood alert system and the response by the disaster management authority.

“What is worrying is the long term effect, the displacement. By moving they might go to other risk areas,” such as fragile slopes or quake zones, Briceno said. -AFP

China to send more humanitarian aid to Pakistan

BEIJING: China said on Friday it would send 1,000 tents and other emergency equipment to Pakistan to help with the nation's devastating floods.

The news comes as Richard Holbrooke, the US point man on Pakistan, called on China, which has already sent 60 million yuan (8.8 million dollars) in aid, to “step up to the plate” with regards to helping the flood-hit country.

The United States has pledged a total of 150 million dollars to Islamabad.

China’s defence ministry said that the aid, which includes 69 sets of machines such as generators, draining and water-purification devices, would be airlifted to Pakistan “in days,” according to a report on its website.

Nearly 1,500 people have been killed by the devastating floods in Pakistan, whose Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said Wednesday that 20 million people had also been affected.

China is itself battling with its worst floods in a decade, which have left thousands dead or missing.

Floods may wipe out millions of livestock: UN

ROME: Pakistan's devastating floods have killed or are threatening millions of heads of livestock, the UN food agency warned Friday, launching an urgent appeal for animal feed.

The livestock are “badly in need of food and medicine,” the Rome-based Food and Agriculture Organisation said, adding that the floods have affected intensive livestock farming areas.

Some 200,000 cows, sheep, buffalo, goats and donkeys have already been lost, but the toll will possibly be in the millions including poultry, the FAO said in a statement.

Many animals have died because people have had to abandon them when they were rescued from the floods, it said.

“You can put chickens, goats and sheep in the boat and take them with you, but you can't take a buffalo or a cow,” said FAO livestock expert Simon Mack.

Livestock makes up about half of agricultural output in Pakistan, where three weeks of flooding has claimed nearly 1,500 lives and submerged about a fifth of the country — roughly the size of England.

“The main priority — and challenge — is to get feed to those animals,” said David Doolan, who heads FAO programmes in Pakistan.

The United Nations has asked for an initial 5.7 million dollars in emergency assistance for livestock, the FAO said.

“We are still trying to get a feel of how much feed is available in country, as much of it has been destroyed. Then we have to transport the feed which is also challenging with so much of the infrastructure damaged,” Mack said.

One killed, two injured in firing in D.I. Khan

DERA ISMAIL KHAN: One policeman was killed and two injured when unknown gunmen opened fire on a police check post near Multan road in Dera Ismail Khan on Thursday.

Two passer-bys also got injured during a stampede that broke out after the firing.

The culprits opened fire when policemen were opening their fast at the check post.

The government once again shut down cell phone services which were opened for few days after 11 months of closure. The government said that target killers were using mobile phone service for killings.

Police has so far failed to arrest the culprits behind the target killings in Dera Ismail Khan. After target killings in the city, police has often arrested suspects, however they are mostly released after no evidence is found against them.

Iran test fires surface-to-surface missile

TEHRAN: Iranian Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi said on Friday that Iran had test fired a surface-to-surface missile, Qiam, footage of which was shown on state television.

The images showed the sand coloured Qiam (Rising) blasting into the air from a desert terrain.

Vahid announced the test firing of the missile but did not say when the launch took place.

Pakistan accepts India’s offer, appeals for more aid

NEW DELHI: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi appealed to the international community to provide more and immediate aid to cope with the humanitarian crisis due to the floods.

Moreover, Pakistan has decided to accept flood aid from its neighbour India, saying the offer was a “very welcome initiative” as both countries look to improve their tense relations.

Foreign Minister Qureshi told India's NDTV television in an interview broadcast Friday that Islamabad would take India's offer of five million dollars which was made last Friday.

“I can share with you that the government of Pakistan has agreed to accept the Indian offer,” Qureshi said from New York, where he addressed a special session of the UN General Assembly called to boost aid for flood victims.

“I think this initiative of India is a very welcome initiative.”

India and Pakistan have made major efforts in recent months to build confidence in their relations, which were badly strained by the Mumbai 2008 terror attacks, which Indian blamed on militants from Pakistan.

The United States urged Pakistan earlier this week to accept the Indian offer and not let rivalry stand in the way of helping its citizens in flood-ravaged regions.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh rang his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani on Thursday “to express his sense of sorrow and to condole the deaths resulting from the huge floods,” Singh's office said.

The catastrophic floods in Pakistan have claimed nearly 1,500 lives and affected 20 million people. – AFP

Banned outfits not allowed to visit flood-hit area: Malik

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said it will clamp down on charities linked to militants trying to exploit anger among flood victims, amid fears their involvement in the relief effort would undermine the fight against groups like the Taliban.

While Pakistan's government overwhelmed by the scale of the disaster has struggled to reach aid to millions of people, Islamic charities with much smaller resources have moved in swiftly to fill the vacuum.

It would not be the first time the government has announced restrictions against charities tied to militant groups. Critics say any banned organisations often re-emerge under new names, with authorities uninterested in stopping their operations.

“The banned organisations are not allowed to visit flood-hit areas,” Interior Minister Rehman Malik told Reuters.

“We will arrest members of banned organisations collecting funds and will try them under the Anti-Terrorism Act.”

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and a senior US senator warned on Thursday that militants were trying to promote their cause during the floods, similar to what happened after an earthquake in Pakistan Kashmir in 2005.

More than 4 million Pakistanis have been made homeless by nearly three weeks of floods, making the critical task of securing greater amounts of aid more urgent.

Eight million people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.

US Senator John Kerry, who visited flood-hit areas with President Zardari on Thursday, said action must be taken to prevent anyone from exploiting frustrations.

“We need to address that rapidly to avoid their (Pakistani's) impatience boiling over, and people exploiting that impatience and I think it's important for all of us to understand that challenge,” Kerry said, in a clear reference to the Taliban. “We also share security concerns.”

In a sign of growing concerns over the ramifications of the floods, Kerry said $200 million from the $7.5 billion US aid package for Pakistan over five years, which he co-authored, would be diverted to the relief effort.

Zardari, who drew a hail of criticism after he left on a trip to meet the leaders of Britain and France as the disaster unfolded, also said militants could capitalise on the floods. – Reuters

World powers aim for Sept. 2 Mideast talks

VINEYARD HAVEN, Mass: World powers will invite Israelis and Palestinians to begin direct peace talks on Sept. 2 in Washington, a diplomatic source said on Thursday.

Envoys from the so-called Quartet of powers -- the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations -- agreed to the details on Thursday, the source told Reuters. A formal statement is due to be issued on Friday.

“They've got an agreement that the talks will start on Sept 2 in Washington,” said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The Israelis and Palestinians were expected to agree to attend, and President Barack Obama would be present at the talks, the source said.

Earlier, diplomatic sources said the Quartet was discussing a draft statement inviting Israel and the Palestinians to embark on direct talks intended to conclude a treaty in one year.

The Quartet said in June that peace talks would be expected to conclude in 24 months. The new draft says 12 months. The Palestinian Authority government intends to have established all the attributes of statehood by mid-2011.

Diplomats say the idea that a unilateral declaration of statehood could win support if talks do not start or collapse in the next 12 months is gaining interest.

The peace process resumed in May after a hiatus of 19 months but is stalled over the terms of an upgrade from indirect talks mediated by US envoy George Mitchell to direct negotiations.

Israel insists it is ready for direct talks provided there are no preconditions. The Palestinians are ready provided there is a clear agenda. Israel says an agenda means preconditions.

The White House declined to comment. Obama is currently on vacation in Massachusetts. – Reuters

Pakistan to ask IMF to restructure loan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will ask the IMF to ease restrictions on a $10 billion loan in the face of the worst floods in the country's history, the Financial Times reported on Friday.

It quoted Pakistani officials as saying Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Shaikh would visit Washington next week to ask the International Monetary Fund to restructure the current loan, which was made in 2008, or consider new financing because the flooding means it cannot meet the loan's conditions.

The flooding has made more than 4 million homeless. An estimated eight million are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.

Even before the floods, there were strong doubts over Pakistan's ability to meet requirements under the current IMF loan. The floods, which have ravaged crops, are certain to cut economic growth.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said in New York on Thursday that the government would “revisit” its budget and that officials would have to talk to the IMF, which made the emergency loan to help the country avert a balance of payments crisis.

The two sides are due to meet on Aug. 23 to review Pakistan's performance and the release of a sixth tranche of the loan. – Reuters

UN seen meeting aid goal for flood-hit Pakistan

UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations appeared to have met its target of $460 million in immediate aid for flood-stricken Pakistan on Thursday after the US and other nations significantly upped their pledges.

The rush of promised help came after UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, addressing a hastily called meeting of the General Assembly, urged governments and people to be even more generous than they were in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and this year's Haiti earthquake, because the floods were a bigger ''global disaster'' with the Pakistan government now saying more than 20 million people need shelter, food and clean water.

''This disaster is like few the world has ever seen,'' Ban told the meeting. ''It requires a response to match. Pakistan needs a flood of support.''

Before the meeting, he said, donors had given half the sum the UN appealed for to provide food, shelter and clean water to up to 8 million flood victims over the next three months. But Ban insisted all the money was needed now _ and much more will be needed later.

After listening to speeches by high-level representatives of some 20 countries, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said he was assured that the $460 million goal ''is going to be easily met,'' including ''$100 million plus'' from Saudi Arabia.

Aid groups and UN officials had worried about a slow response to the flooding, theorising that donors who have spent heavily on a string of huge disasters in recent years are reluctant to open their wallets yet again.

Richard Holbrooke, the US special envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan, told reporters before the meeting that he believed that where the tsunami and Haiti catastrophes happened suddenly, ''for about 10 days people didn't realize that this wasn't just another flood.''

Earlier Thursday, after visiting flood areas with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, US Sen. John Kerry warned of extremists who might ''exploit the misery of others for political or ideological purpose, and so it is important for all of us to work overtime.''

Zardari spoke of militants who might take orphaned children ''and train them as the terrorists of tomorrow.''

Holbrooke said it's impossible to assess whether al-Qaida or others are taking advantage of the floods because ''we can't even get in there.''

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced that her government, already the biggest donor, would contribute an additional $60 million, bringing its total to more than $150 million, and that about $92 million would go into the UN's relief coffers.

The European Union raised its pledge to more than $180 million. In addition, Britain said it would double its contribution to nearly $100 million, on top of $25 million in public donations, and Germany raised its aid to $32 million.

Holbrooke warned that ''many billions'' will eventually be needed to rebuild Pakistan. He challenged other countries, especially China, Pakistan's close ally, which was recently crowned as the world's second largest economy, to ''step up to the plate.''

China's intentions were expected to become clear when its representative addresses the second session of the meeting on Friday.

At a gathering before the UN meeting, Qureshi said the Chinese had increased their cash assistance, supplied relief goods and taken responsibility for providing food, water and shelter to some 27,000 people in an inaccessible area in the north, ''so if you put this all together, it's substantial.''

For the Obama administration, Pakistan is vital for stabilizing neighboring Afghanistan and enabling American troops to withdraw. Washington has already committed to spending $7.5 billion over the next five years in the country.

''I want the people of Pakistan to know: The United States will be with you through this crisis,'' Clinton said. ''We will be with you as you replant your fields and repair your roads. And we will be with you as you meet the long-term challenge to build a stronger nation and a better future for your families.''

The floods have affected about one-fifth of Pakistan's territory _ an area larger than Italy or Arizona _ straining its civilian government as it also struggles against al-Qaida and Taliban violence.

Qureshi, the Pakistani foreign minister, said every 10th Pakistani ''has been rendered destitute,'' crops worth billions of dollars have been destroyed, and things are likely to worsen as monsoon rains continue.

He said Pakistan's army has made ''substantial'' gains against the terrorists, ''But the peace and relative calm achieved ... are still fragile and need to be consolidated.''

Famed Pakistani musician Salman Ahmad, who joined Holbrooke and others at the gathering before the UN meeting, stressed that 100 million of Pakistan's 175 million people are under 25 and ''feel abandoned by the world.''

They ''have two possible futures _ one of following their dreams, the other of being sucked into extremism,'' he said. – AP

PAF says Shahbaz airbase under its control

JACOBABAD: The Pakistan Air Force said on Thursday that the Shahbaz airbase was under its complete operational control and brushed aside reports that floodwaters had been diverted to save the base.

“There is no threat of flooding to the airbase because it is five feet above the ground level and the flow of water could have only touched the floors of the base in the worst case scenario,” Air Vice Marshal Arshad Quddus of the Southern Air Command told Dawn.

The PAF took media representatives from Islamabad to Jacobabad, Sibbi and Sukkur. The trip was arranged at a short notice apparently because of a statement made by a senior health ministry official in the Senate Committee on Health that relief operations in Jacobabad were not possible because the only airbase in the area was under the use of Americans.

Taking the media around the base, which appeared to be inhabited by Pakistani armed forces personnel, AVM Arshad spoke about the role the base was playing in relief operations.

He said: “An air bridge has been set up between the Shahbaz Airbase and other strategic airbases to supply a chain of relief goods, besides evacuating the stranded people in and around the areas of Jacobabad.”

He said that medical health assistance was continuously being provided to the affected people in the towns near the airbase.

“The Shahbaz Airbase is under complete operational control of the PAF. If you see any American let me know…. seeing is believing… there are no drones and no Americans,” he said.

He said that a few Americans were present at the airbase only to provide technical assistance to the air force which had recently acquired the upgraded F-16 fighter jets from Washington.

The AVM made it clear that the statement of the heath official was out of context.

He said: “I don’t know why a senior federal health ministry official commented over the airbase… I think he is not aware.”

The ripples created by reports about health official’s statements was also evident from the fact that the health ministry issued a clarification which said that “the domain of the Ministry of Health is restricted to a health response,” as it expressed gratitude to the PAF for designating an airbase for Jacobabad’s flood victims. The team was also taken to the Sibbi Airbase, which has been made operational after about 10 years.

AVM Asrhad said: “It was closed due to security concerns. But it is now being used to provide maximum relief services to the people in Balochistan on the direction of Air Chief Rao Qamar Suleman.”

While he was showing the journalists around, a C-130 plane landed at the airbase carrying 200 tons of relief goods.

“The relief goods will be provided to the people of Dera Allah Yar, Usta Mohammad and other adjoining areas from the Sibbi airbase” he said.

Punjab estimates Rs107bn flood losses

LAHORE: The Punjab government has estimated an initial loss of Rs107 billion caused by the floods, seeking around Rs25 billion from the federal government for immediate rescue and relief measures, and restoring the communication network.

Official sources informed Dawn on Thursday that as per initial estimates, the provincial government immediately needed Rs37.5 billion for these three tasks.

Since it lacked such amounts, it had requested the federal government to immediately provide it with Rs25 billion.

The province would be requiring, as per the initial estimates, another Rs67 billion for rehabilitating the areas and people direly affected by the floods especially in the river Indus.

“These are the initial estimates and the cost can rise because flood water is still affecting Muzaffargarh and adjoining places,” a senior official said.

The gravely affected places include Muzaffargarh, Qamar Mastani, Issa Khel, Daira Din Panah, Kot Addu, Jampur, Mithankot, Sinawan, Chachran Sharif and Rojhan.

As per initial estimates 3,000 villages, 8.2 million people, 5.23 million acres and crops over 3.5 million acres were affected by the floods. As many as 100 people were killed in the floods which also leveled 500,000 houses.

The floods have affected two types of people: one, those settled in the riverine areas and along the beds of the river Indus; two, settled in urban areas. Those living along the riverside have not been badly affected and they face temporary displacements, say the officials.

They can be rehabilitated by waiving their water cess, providing them with loans for the next crops and funds for reconstructing their houses, and grains for sustenance.

The urban areas have never seen such calamity. These areas included Rojhan, Kot Addu, Muzaffargarh and Rajanpur.

In Sindh, the floods mainly affected those settled in the riverine areas. And the main problem was being faced in the settled area of Ghauspur and those located across the river.

Officials said the people and infrastructure in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan suffered the most because of the driving rain and flash flooding.

“Settlements in the path of the river Indus and other rivers or nullahs have proved to be the main human fault,” an official said.

Edhi declines to join ‘commission’

HYDERABAD: World renowned social worker Abdul Sattar Edhi has refused to be part of the commission proposed by Nawaz Sharif, saying he can’t work with capitalists “if anyone wants to work for people in distress they should do it directly”.

Speaking to journalists during a visit to New Sabzi Mandi relief camp on Thursday, Mr Edhi said that he liked to work independently and advised the government to do its duty and he would continue to do his job individually.

He said that it was a vestige of British colonial rule to form a committee if one wanted to sit on an issue. The government had always complained of empty coffers and he just made an appeal for donations and they started pouring in, he said.

He said that he knew how to beg in the streets and on roads.

He said that it was deplorable that rulers of the country were going on foreign trips when millions had been displaced by the worst floods of the country.

He said that Nawaz Sharif had proposed that he be part of a commission but he refused because he could not work with capitalists. The commission should not be formed because it would be tantamount to ridiculing people, he said.

He said that he was not a politician and whenever he asked for help he got positive response and collected millions of rupees. Because of spiralling prices and political crisis people did not come forward for donations the way they did after 2005 earthquake, he said.

He said that he had been in Gilgit, Chitral and Balochistan for the last 90 days and now he had started visiting Sindh with his first visit to Sukkur.

US sets up new fund to help Pakistan

WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told Dawn on Thursday that the United States has set up a new fund for Pakistan’s flood victims, besides contributing $150 million more to relief efforts.

In an exclusive interview in her office, the top US diplomat also said that she understood that the Pakistani military had to divert its resources from the war on terror to attend to the flood victims and while it might hurt the war, it was necessary to do so.

“The Department of State has established the Pakistan Relief Fund for all Americans to join in this tremendous relief, recovery and reconstruction effort,” she said.

“The pictures we see coming out of Pakistan are painful images of human suffering at its worst. In surveying the lives and landscape affected by this disaster, we see brothers and sisters; mothers and fathers; daughters and sons,” she added.

“We see 20 million members of the human family in desperate need of help. This is a defining moment – not only for Pakistan, but for all of us,” she said. “And now is a time for our shared humanity to move us to help.”

Obviously moved and saddened by the suffering of the Pakistani flood victims, Secretary Clinton angrily rejected the suggestion that America was helping Pakistan to boost its image in a key allied nation in the war against terror.

“It is an unfortunate characterisation,” she said. “Americans have always been the most generous responder to natural disasters anywhere in the world.”

Addressing the American nation, the secretary said: “I call on you to do what you can. Every dollar makes a difference. $5 can buy 50 high energy bars providing much, needed nutrition; $10 can provide a child or mother with a blanket; and about $40 can buy material to shelter a family of four.”

She urged Americans to go to the Department of State’s Pakistan Relief Fund and send $20 through their mobile phones by texting the word FLOOD, F-L-O-O-D, to 27722.

“If we come together now, we can meet this challenge and ensure that future generations in Pakistan have a chance to have the bright future they deserve and fulfil their own God-given potential,” she said.

“No, I don’t think so,” said Secretary Clinton when asked if perceived or real corruption in Pakistan was preventing the international community from contributing generously to flood relief funds.

“The extent of this disaster is overwhelming, how you know how and where and when to deliver resources when the disaster is ongoing. It hasn’t stopped,” she said.

“Why the US makes corruption a big issue in Afghanistan and not in Pakistan?” she was asked.

“Corruption is a cancer that eats away the body politic, and unfortunately it diverts resources from where they were intended,” she said.

“I have been very straightforward in my visits to Pakistan and in my interviews in saying that we want to see the democratic government of Pakistan to do better, really deliver services to people.”

“So what would say to those in the media who portray corruption as a major reason for the world’s reluctance to help Pakistan?” she was asked.

“I would say save lives. Save property. Do what we can. Corruption, unfortunately, has been with us, is with us and always be with us. It must be attacked and it must be rooted out but I don’t think it does a service to the people who are suffering to have some diversionary side conversation about corruption,” she said.

“Let us get as much done and as quickly as possible. Let us be sure that the funds flow where they are intended to.”

Gilani-Nawaz idea finds few takers

ISLAMABAD: A new phase of reconciliation between the two main political parties of the country in the aftermath of floods did not last even a week.

Ignoring an agreement Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and PML-N chief Mian Nawaz Sharif had reached last week to set up an independent commission to oversee and monitor relief work and utilisation of aid, a high-level government meeting on Thursday decided to set up what is being described here as a ‘toothless’ National Oversight Disaster Management Council (NODMC) comprising representatives of the four provinces.

Although the two leaders had agreed to set up a commission comprising ‘men of integrity’ to ensure transparency in collection, management and distribution of flood relief funds, the proposed council will mere have the role of overseeing the funds.

The government said: “The NODMC will not only ensure transparency in utilisation of relief funds, it will also go ahead with implementation of the reformed general sales tax on October 1.”

The names proposed by the PML-N chief for the commission are not included in the NODMC.

The names mentioned by the two leaders in their press conference included those of Justice Rana Bhagwandas, Justice Nasir Aslam Zahid and Justice Fakhruddin G. Ibrahim.

The meeting decided a new formula for forming the council. “The provinces will name the members who could be nine to 13 and will be from the private sector. The council will be formed in a few days”, Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira told reporters after the meeting.

The decision led to a new round of recriminations between the two main parties. PML-N members told Dawn that Mr Sharif had called Prime Minister Gilani before the start of the NDMC meeting to protest against lack of progress on the promise made at the join news conference.

He was told by the prime minister that he had to take on board all stakeholders who did not agree to the idea.

Apparently this argument did not go down well with Mr Sharif who said he was present when the prime minister made telephone calls to ANP chief Asfandyar Wali and Farooq Sattar of the MQM before the press conference to get their approval.

No wonder then that the PML-N announced on Thursday its own committee — ‘Coordination Committee for Flood Relief’ — comprising two members from each province, Gilgit-Baltistan and AJK to evolve a mechanism to manage and distribute relief goods and ensure coordinated efforts for rehabilitation of the flood-affected people.

The meeting presided over by the prime minister was attended by the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, three services chiefs, governors and chief ministers of the four provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan CM, AJK prime minister and federal ministers.

The information minister claimed that Rs1.580 billion had been deposited in the prime minister’s relief fund. The amount, however, did not include donations given by various departments and those collected by embassies.

The meeting decided that as a preliminary relief, each flood-affected family would be given Rs20,000 from an amount of Rs40 billion to be pooled by the federal and provincial governments.

The damage and needs assessment would be carried out by the provinces while the World Bank and ADB would supervise and facilitate the process.

Several Gandakha villages inundated

QUETTA: A fresh torrent of 80,000 cusecs entered Jaffarabad on Thursday after breaches were made in a dyke while floodwaters from Saifullah Magsi canal inundated several villages in Gandakha tehsil.

Sources said that the floodwater started moving towards Gandakha town as Saifullah Magsi canal developed breaches at three places. The town was evacuated after reports about breaches in the canal.

Six villages in Gandakha were completely submerged, Hayat Jamali, a resident of the area, told Dawn. The affected villages are: Goth Ghulam Mohammad, Goth Doda Kahn Sayal, Choki Jamali, Goth Gul Mohammad Jamali, Faizal Faqir and Goth Sattar Shah.

The fresh flooding in Jaffarabad aggravated the misery of thousands of displaced people from Sindh and Balochistan who could not reach safe places and had taken refuge near Pat feeder canal and other high places.

ANP leader shot dead; violence grips Karachi

KARACHI: Karachi descended into a fresh spate of violence on Thursday after at least eight people were killed, 20 others injured and 12 vehicles set ablaze by unknown people in different parts of the city after the killing of an Awami National Party leader and his co-worker at the Quaid-i-Azam International Airport.

The provincial security-in-charge of the Awami National Party (ANP), Obaidullah Yousafzai, 52, and his colleague Saleem Akhtar were shot dead by unknown assailants near PIA cargo terminal at Quaid-i-Azam International Airport on Thursday.

Police said that both the victims were employees of the national flag carrier and were heading home when the incident took place.

A senior police officer said that as Obaidullah came out of the cargo terminal along with co-worker Saleem Akhtar who had asked for a lift in the car, a silver Cultus car intercepted them on the Cargo Terminal Road. The car was carrying four men.

One of the armed men came out of the Cultus and moved towards the car of Obaidullah, who, sensing danger, also came out of his car and tried to run back to his office, but the attacker sprayed him with gunfire, killing him on the spot.

Saleem Akhtar, a Christian, kept sitting in the car, but he too was not spared. The assailant shot a single bullet into his chest, SSP Investigation East 1 Niaz Khosa told Dawn.

After carrying out the shooting, the culprits managed to flee from the scene. Quoting hospital sources, police said the slain ANP leader suffered four gunshot wounds in the head and back. Police have collected one spent bullet casing and a 9mm magazine containing nine bullets from the scene, SSP Khosa said.

Police, quoting friends and family of the deceased, said that in view of security concerns, the ANP leader had recently moved to Malir Cantonment which was considered to be a relatively safe area.

The slain office-bearer of ANP had recently held the marriage ceremony of his son.

After the two bodies were taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for postmortem, a large number of ANP workers and supporters gathered outside the mortuary.

The agitated workers and supporters raised slogans against the government.

Police said that they also resorted to firing, creating panic in the area. Witnesses said that armed men also fired at passing cars, but fortunately no-one was hurt.

As the news of the killing spread, panic gripped the city as unknown people resorted to firing in different parts, forcing shopkeepers to down shutters. Body of Mr Yousafzai was flown to Peshawar on Thursday night.

MQM CONDEMNATION

The Rabita Committee of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement condemned the killing of the ANP leader.

The committee called for an early arrest of the culprits. It also offered condolence to the bereaved family.

ANP MOURNING

The Awami National Party has called for a three-day mourning in the city and warned that if culprits were not arrested within 72 hours, it would turn its mourning into a strike call and would consider leaving the provincial government.

Asfandyar Wali, the ANP chief, had been informed about decisions taken by the party’s Sindh chapter, a statement said.

VIOLENCE

Arson attacks and killings were mostly reported in Landhi, Banaras Chowk, Sohrab Goth, Abul Hasan Ispahani Road, Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Korangi, Sultanabad and Merewether Tower.

City police chief Waseem Ahmed said that eight persons were killed in the city following the assassination of the ANP leader.

Quoting hospital figures, he said seven bodies were shifted to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre and another was taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.

At the Civil Hospital Karachi, eight wounded persons were brought for treatment, he added.

As the news of Yousafzai’s assassination spread to city areas, residents took to the streets and hurled stones at passing vehicles. Protesters also burnt tyres and placed barricades to block the National Highway.

Gunfire was also heard crackling through various localities, forcing the closure of markets.

The first casualty of the violence was reported in Gulistan-i-Jauhar, where a government officer was shot at and wounded.

Police said that Syed Fayaz Husain Shah stopped his official car (GP-1203) near Rado Apartments in Block 12 of Gulistan-i-Jauhar and went to a shop to buy something, leaving his wife in the car.

As he walked towards the shop, armed men riding a motorcycle opened fire on him and sped away. The victim was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, the police said, adding that the motorcyclists had perhaps come to force closure of shops in the commercial area.

Rangers reportedly arrested some suspects from Abul Hasan Ishapani Road after a motorcycle was set on fire there.

In Landhi, the driver and loader of a pick-up truck, later identified as Chenzeb and Ajmal Khan, were killed and three others wounded when armed men intercepted them and sprayed them with bullets.

Police said that the truck was coming out of a factory after loading some merchandise when the firing took place. The incident occurred within the remit of the Awami Colony police station.

An unidentified man was targeted near Dawood Chowrangi in Landhi.

Another man was shot at and wounded within the jurisdiction of the PIB police station. Azhar Ali was shot at by unidentified armed men. The victim was rushed to the JPMC, where he was pronounced dead on arrival, the police said.

Armed men opened fire on a car near Banaras Chowrangi, leaving one dead and two others wounded. The deceased victim was identified as Obaid.

Additional police surgeon of the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital Dr Liaquat Memon said that Obaid was brought dead to the hospital. Besides, six people with gunshot wounds were treated at the hospital.

A man was shot dead near Al Asif Square by unknown attackers. Two persons were killed within the remit of the Korangi and Zaman Town police stations where unidentified assailants opened fire on them.

At least 12 vehicles, including buses, cars and motorcycles, were damaged in arson attacks in different part of the city.

A coach was set on fire within the remit of the Jackson police station. It was destroyed before the fire brigade could reach the scene.

Three buses were set on fire in Landhi No 1. Similarly, unidentified persons set fire to a bus near Merewether Tower.

A car was set ablaze on the M.T. Khan Road near Sultanabad.