Polio eradication setback: Another case surfaces in Khyber

The Express Tribune

Despite deadlines and determined calls for its eradication, polio is far from becoming history in Pakistan. Yet another case of type-1 poliovirus has surfaced in the Khyber Agency, the only tribal district in Asia where both type-1 and type-3 poliovirus are still prevalent. And in the absence of concrete anti-polio efforts, the disease can spread quickly through the region’s children and, in turn, the rest of the country. The National Institute of Health (NIH) confirmed the case from Khyber Agency on Sunday, raising the official national polio count to 22. This is the 9th case from Khyber Agency and the 7th from Bara Tehsil this year. The victim is 18-month-old Mudassir, a resident of Akka Khel area. The child had not received any dose of oral polio vaccines either through routine or supplementary immunisation activities. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) officials, extraordinary measures are needed to counter the spread of polio in Khyber Agency. They maintain that access is urgently needed to ensure that all children are vaccinated. The officials feel special counters set up at different transit points such as railway stations and bus stops are not enough to curb the plague. WHO’s senior coordinator for polio eradication, Dr Elias Durry, also feels special efforts need to be made to ensure that the virus does not spread. However, the prime minister’s focal person on the issue, Shahnaz Wazir Ali has repeatedly cited security concerns, saying many tribal areas cannot be accessed by polio teams due to the ongoing militancy.

The Arsalan affair

EDITORIAL:DAILY TIMES

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry’s son, Dr Arsalan Iftikhar, has in a statement submitted in the Supreme Court (SC), strongly refuted any relationship, intimacy or acquaintance with real estate tycoon Malik Riaz, his daughter or son-in-law. The statement is a rebuttal of the allegations by Malik Riaz leaked to the media, that Arsalan had received Rs 400 million from him to influence the cases Malik Riaz faces in the SC, along with other benefits such as travel, accommodation abroad, shopping, etc. Dismissing the allegations as “baseless, frivolous and unfounded”, Arsalan argues that no “cogent and logical evidence” has been submitted to substantiate the accusations, and even the media persons who have been fanning the story admit they have no proof of the matter and therefore their statements should be dismissed as hearsay. If and when any cogent and admissible evidence is presented against him, Arsalan said he would furnish a comprehensive reply. Arsalan has prayed to the court to deal strictly with Malik Riaz according to the law for besmirching his name and dragging him into court. Arsalan stressed that whenever he had travelled abroad, it was always at his own expense. While the two-member bench hearing the case will no doubt take account of Arsalan’s refutation of the charges against him, it will have to wait until the ‘ailing’ Malik Riaz returns to the country and deposes, as he has promised, before the court. Strictly speaking, while the charge of besmirching Arsalan’s repute has weight, it cannot be said that it is Malik Riaz who has dragged Arsalan into court. It was the suo motu notice of the spreading scandal by none other than his father, the honourable CJP, that brought the affair into the legal domain. Initially the CJP seemed inclined to head the bench, attempting justifications by recourse to Islamic history examples, but then it seemed that better sense had prevailed and the CJP appropriately recused himself from the bench. Meanwhile Malik Riaz’s plea to constitute a larger bench to hear the case of immense importance with national level implications has been turned down by the CJP in his order of June 7. Other parties have by now also jumped into the fray. Barrister Zafarullah Khan of the Watan Party has petitioned the SC to issue a red warrant against Malik Riaz in order to bring him back to the country and present him before the court. That petition is still pending, but Malik Riaz’s counsel has stated that the ill Malik Riaz will return soon and depose before the SC. Musharraf’s All Pakistan Muslim League General Secretary Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif wants a commission (‘tis the season for commissions methinks) to be formed with former judges and heads of investigation agencies to probe the allegations against Arsalan. He thinks a probe by the SC would not be within the parameters of justice, implying a lack of confidence in the impartiality of his brother judges in a case involving the CJP’s son. The Pakistan Bar Council has similar views, arguing for the SC to distance itself from the case and hand it over to any investigation agency. These objections and reservations on the matter being dealt with by the SC constitute a vote of no confidence in the impartiality of the SC bench in such a sensitive matter having ramifications for the CJP himself. Whether these reservations are valid or not, and without imputing any partiality to the honourable judges of the bench hearing the case, the argument that since the case involves the CJP’s son, it may be considered too close to the SC for it to be appropriate for the SC itself to conduct investigations and hearings into it, is not without merit. While there are two opinions about the appropriateness of the CJP’s swift response through a suo motu notice of the Arsalan affair, since the matter is sub judice, it would not be in the fitness of things to say more than plead for a thorough, impartial, fair probe. This is critical for the reputation of the CJP, the SC, the entire superior judiciary, and indeed, for the country as a whole.

UN Worried Over Pakistan 'Rights Abuses'

http://www.rferl.org

The United Nations has voiced concern over allegations of "very grave" rights violations and forced disappearances during Pakistani military operations against insurgents and militants. At the end of her four-day visit to the country on May 7, UN human rights chief Navi Pillay said that she is concerned about allegations of grave abuses in the context of counterterrorist and counterinsurgency operations. She told journalists in Islamabad that such abuses "include extrajudicial killings, unacknowledged detention and enforced disappearances." Independent watchdogs have accused Pakistani security forces of mass arrests and extra-judicial killings in the southwestern province of Balochistan, where a separatist insurgency began in the in 2004. Pillay urged Islamabad to pass legislation on crucial issues such as torture, education, and women’s rights.

US, Pakistan beginning to look more like enemies

You know a friendship has gone sour when you start making mean jokes about your friend in front of his most bitter nemesis. So it was a bad sign this week when the U.S. defense secretary joshed in front of an audience of Indians about how Washington kept Pakistan in the dark about the raid that killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden a year ago. "They didn't know about our operation. That was the whole idea," Leon Panetta said with a chuckle at a Q&A session after a speech in New Delhi, raising laughs from the audience. The Bin Laden raid by U.S. commandos in a Pakistani town infuriated Islamabad because it had no advance notice, and it was seen by Pakistan's powerful military as a humiliation. The U.S. and Pakistan are starting to look more like enemies than allies, threatening the U.S. fight against Taliban and al-Qaida militants based in the country and efforts to stabilize neighboring Afghanistan before American troops withdraw. Long plagued by frustration and mistrust, the relationship has plunged to its lowest level since the 9/11 attacks forced the countries into a tight but awkward embrace over a decade ago. The U.S. has lost its patience with Pakistan and taken the gloves off to make its anger clear. "It has taken on attributes and characteristics now of a near adversarial relationship, even though neither side wants it to be that way," said Maleeha Lodhi, who was serving as Pakistan's ambassador to the U.S. at the time of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks and was key in hurriedly putting together the two countries' alliance. The latest irritant is Pakistan's refusal to end its six-month blockade of NATO troop supplies meant for Afghanistan. Even if that issue is resolved, however, the relationship may be on an irreversible downward slide. The main source of U.S. anger is Pakistan's unwillingness to go after militants using its territory to launch attacks against American troops in Afghanistan. On the Pakistani side, officials are fed up with Washington's constant demands for more without addressing Islamabad's concerns or sufficiently appreciating the country's sacrifice. Pakistan has lost thousands of troops fighting a domestic Taliban insurgency fueled partly by resentment of the alliance with the U.S. Panetta's comments about the bin Laden raid may have been unscripted, but others he made while in India and Afghanistan seemed calculated to step up pressure on Pakistan. He stressed Washington's strong relationship with India — which Islamabad considers its main, historic enemy — and defended unpopular American drone attacks in Pakistan. He also said in unusually sharp terms that the U.S. was running out of patience with Islamabad's failure to go after the Pakistan-based Haqqani network, considered the most dangerous militant group fighting in Afghanistan. Many analysts believe Pakistan is reluctant to target the Haqqanis and other Afghan militants based on its soil because they could be useful allies in Afghanistan after foreign forces withdraw, especially in countering the influence of India. Pakistan lashed out at Panetta on Saturday and denied the country was providing safe havens for militants. Panetta "is oversimplifying some of the very complex issues we are dealing with in our efforts against extremism and terrorism," the Foreign Ministry said. "We strongly believe that such statements are misplaced and unhelpful in bringing about peace and stability in the region." A senior U.S. official described the relationship as "the worst it has ever been." "This is from Washington's point of view and from Pakistan's point of view, and even among the real well-wishers on both sides who are appalled and befuddled that we can't get past all of this and move beyond," said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. After years of frosty relations caused by Pakistan's nuclear weapons program, Washington and Islamabad were thrust together on Sept. 11, 2001, when al-Qaida attacked New York and Washington. The U.S. demanded Pakistan support the war against bin Laden and his Taliban hosts in Afghanistan. The U.S. directed billions of dollars in aid to Pakistan and sought to convince Islamabad it was not simply interested in a "transactional" relationship based on counterterrorism cooperation, but wanted a long-term strategic partnership. U.S. officials have largely abandoned that argument over the past 18 months as the relationship has suffered repeated crises. "Because of the toxic atmosphere on both sides, the two countries cannot even work in a transactional way," said Lodhi, the former Pakistani ambassador. In January 2011, a CIA contractor sparked outrage when he shot to death two Pakistanis in the city of Lahore who he claimed were trying to rob him. Anger over the incident was still simmering when the U.S. killed bin Laden in May. In November, American airstrikes killed 24 Pakistani troops at two Afghan border posts. The U.S. has said it was an accident, but the Pakistani army claims it was deliberate. Pakistan retaliated by kicking the U.S. out of a base used by American drones and closing its border to NATO supplies meant for troops in Afghanistan. Negotiations to reopen the route have been hampered by Islamabad's demand for much higher transit fees and Washington's refusal to apologize for the deaths of the Pakistani troops. The U.S. has attempted to bridge the difference over money by offering to repave highways used by the supply trucks, said a U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. But Pakistani officials have made clear the route will not reopen without some kind of apology. The U.S. has expressed its regret over the incident but has refused to apologize for fear it could open the Obama administration up to criticism by Republicans upset with Pakistan. A senior U.S. defense official, Peter Lavoy, arrived in Pakistan on Friday to participate in the negotiations. But Panetta's comments could complicate matters. Such statements do "water down the willingness to cooperate with the United States," said Imtiaz Gul, director of the Islamabad-based Center for Research and Security Studies. President Barack Obama showed U.S. anger over the supply issue at a NATO summit last month in Chicago by refusing a one-on-one meeting with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari. However, the U.S. and Pakistan both have reasons to walk the relationship back from the brink. The U.S. continues to receive some intelligence cooperation from Pakistan on militants and has been able to continue drone strikes in Pakistan's tribal region despite public protests, likely because of tacit agreement by Pakistani military leaders. Both could be threatened if the relationship heads farther south. Just as important is Pakistan's support on the Afghan war. Pakistan is seen as key to striking a peace deal with the Taliban and their allies in Afghanistan that will allow the U.S. to withdraw most of its combat forces by the end of 2014 without the country descending into further chaos. Pakistan is keen on freeing up over a billion dollars in frozen U.S. aid, which will only be released if it reopens the supply line. Also, Pakistan can ill afford to become a true enemy of the U.S. at a time when it is struggling to contain its own Taliban insurgency and right its stuttering economy. But politics on both sides make breaking the impasse difficult, particularly with U.S. elections this fall and Pakistani elections due early next year — possibly even sooner. Historically, Pakistan's army has steered the relationship with the U.S. But fearing public backlash in a country where anti-American sentiment is rampant, the generals have tossed the NATO supply line issue to Pakistan's weak and unpopular civilian government. The politicians are reluctant to do anything that could hurt their election prospects. "The longer Islamabad delays and dithers, the opinion in Washington is hardening," said Lodhi. "Time is the enemy of a reset in relations."

Ahmad Faraz: Governor, poets pay homage to late Faraz

To pay homage to the renowned poet, late Ahmad Faraz, Anjuman-e-Taraqi-e-Urdu Kohat arranged a Mushaira at Kohat wherein the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor, Barrister Masood Kausar was the chief guest. More than twenty prominent poets from across the country, besides a large number of their local counterparts, educationists, writers and elites of the city participated in the event. The Mushaira was a major event of the 2-day Kohat Cultural Festival arranged by the District Administration, Kohat. The Secretary of the Anjuman, Shahid Zaman conducted the Mushaira. The Governor who is the younger brother of the late poet, in his brief remarks on this occasion said that late Ahmad Faraz was a great asset for the country and being the towering personality of Urdu literature in particular, he influenced the countrymen in general and the Kohatians in particular to an extent that they not only used to but still consider him as one of their family members. Appreciating the Anjuman-e-Taraqi-e-Urdu and the Kohat administration, for remembering the great poet, the Governor said that late Ahmad Faraz is still alive because of his works in the minds and hearts of the people and the presence of such a large number of poets as well as other dignitaries is a clear depiction of this reality in this respect.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa budget

Dawn.com

IF the purpose of the 18th Amendment was to improve service delivery by devolving these responsibilities to the provinces then that purpose is clearly in jeopardy. For yet another year, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has announced a budget that channels resources into current consumption while health and education languish. Moreover, revenue mobilisation has been brought down by Rs70m with the revenue target at Rs7.88bn. Salaries of government employees will rise by 20 per cent, and 8,300 more government jobs will be created. Likewise, the Annual Development Plan will rise to Rs97.4bn, an all-time high. Some of the government’s pressures are understandable. The salary increase is made necessary by a similar announcement by the federal government in its budget. The provincial government cannot allow too large a difference between the salaries of its officials and those of the federal government, and is therefore constrained to follow suit. But what was the point of announcing a ‘laptop scheme’ of Rs1bn? And what good sense is there in budgeting this as a ‘pro-poor’ measure? Schemes for the poor are allocated a paltry Rs5.2bn, of which one-fifth is already eaten up by the ‘laptop scheme’. This is not in keeping with the spirit of the 18th Amendment. Neither is the lack of capacity to absorb incremental resources highlighted by the Rs9bn of unutilised foreign grants from last year’s pool of Rs16bn. The idea behind devolving services to the provinces was to improve service delivery by bringing the delivery mechanisms closer to the intended recipients. Instead it seems social services have become the victims of neglect given the political priorities of provincial governments. A four per cent allocation for education is to be lauded, but much more effort is required in this area. We understand it is election year, but a focus on governance cannot be allowed to waver on that account.

WHO concerned at polio cases in Khyber

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has expressed concern over emergence of polio cases in Khyber Agency, saying that circulation of the virus will continue unabated as long as anti-polio programmes continue to miss a significant number of children either due to insecurity or poor quality campaign. “We need to administer oral polio vaccines to every child below five years of age to safeguard them against the crippling disease,” head of WHO Polio Eradication Section Dr Elias Durry told Dawn. Cases in Federally Administered Tribal Areas again demonstrate the mammoth risk of not reaching every child in Fata, he said. Khyber Agency last week registered its 8th case, most by any of the 10 infected districts/agencies in the country. Zabia, a 23-month-old daughter of Noor Jan, a resident of Akakhel tehsil of Tirah in Khyber Agency, was the latest case recorded in the agency where the world health agency says 150,000 children had not been immuised against polio. Zabia didn’t receive any dose of oral polio vaccine, as the area where she lived was not visited by any vaccination team since September 2009 due to insecurity. The WHO official said that environmental surveillance system had clearly proven persistent circulation of wild poliovirus in cities like Lahore and Rawalpindi in Punjab, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and children in these areas stood vulnerable to the virus. This is the 8th polio case reported from Khyber agency this year and the first from Tirah, while the other seven were reported from Bara. Khyber Agency is the only area in Asia having both the wild poliovirus-1 and ‘3’ types and posed a huge threat to the efforts of polio eradication in the country (and globally), especially when there is ongoing large-scale population movement from Fata, particularly Khyber Agency, to other parts of the country. “The essence of polio eradication is not only to have fewer cases, but to ensure that there is no virus circulating anywhere, including in environmental (sewage) samples,” he said. Dr Azam Wazir, agency health official, said that “May, June and July are peak months for spread of poliovirus and Bara being a high risk area we are making all-out efforts to rein in this crippling disease,” he said. He said that due to coordinated efforts the problem of inaccessibility was on the decline. “We are working in close liaison with various stakeholders and also encouraging participation of general public to overcome this menace,” he said. Meanwhile, the political administration arrested four health workers and withheld salaries of at least two others for dereliction of duty during the recent polio campaign in Jamrud and Landi Kotal. Officials said that they had also sent health teams to the far-flung areas of Bagh and Maidan in Tirah valley. They said that though actual figures of vaccination were not yet available, but the three-day campaign went smoothly and without any resistance from any quarter.

PPP rejects Punjab budget

The News

Pakistan People's Party Punjab Secretary Information Raja Amir Khan has rejected the Punjab Budget 2012-13 and termed it as fraud with the people. Commenting on the budget here on Saturday, he said the budget was not according to the actual expectations of the people. He said the people could not forget " laptop scheme" as billion of rupees of the national exchequer were looted through this scheme. He said the PML-N did not have ability as well as honesty for any project to be completed successfully. Criticising the Yellow Cab Scheme, he said the PML-N had embezzled billions of rupees as kick backs and commissions in the scheme when it was introduced first time. He expressed his apprehensions on the new schemes introduced in the budget and said it could not be successful as the PML-N leadership was not sincere with the masses.

Millions of Dollars of U.S. Gear to Combat IEDs Wasted in Pakistan

Millions of dollars of U.S. gear meant to combat the threat of roadside bombs is being wasted in Pakistan which refuses to let the equipment leave its customs warehouses. The U.S. procured 110 IED jammers for the Pakistani military at a cost of nearly $23 million in 2009 in an effort to ease the threat of the improvised explosive devices that have been the main cause of U.S. casualties in neighboring Afghanistan and taken a toll on Pakistan authorities as well. So far, not one of the jammers has been put to use, according to a report released Wednesday by the Government Accountability Office. The GAO report found that "55 jammers were still in Karachi awaiting release from Pakistani customs, and the remaining 55 jammers were being kept in storage in the United States until the initial 55 were released." Leaving the unused jammers in a Pakistani warehouse also raises the cost of the shipment since the U.S. must pay the storage fees, a GAO spokesman told ABCNews.com. The U.S. has had difficulty getting Pakistan to accept additional gear meant to help Pakistan reduce the IED threat. "Other U.S. procured counter-IED equipment under review and still in U.S. storage includes kits for use by combined explosive exploitation cells, explosive ordnance disposal items, and portable trace explosive detectors," the report states. Despite the frustrations of getting Pakistan to accept the equipment, the U.S. is buying more remote-controlled IED jammers for Pakistan at a cost of $12.1 million, as well as $64 million worth of route clearance vehicles, according to the GAO. Combating the construction and detonation of IEDs is a major concern for the U.S. military in Afghanistan. In 2011, 16,500 IEDs were discovered or detonated against U.S. forces in Afghanistan. More than 80 percent of those bombs were made from calcium ammonium nitrate, known as CAN, a fertilizer that is made in Pakistan and smuggled into Afghanistan. "Pakistan's ability to stem the flow of CAN and other IED precursors is a life and death issue for U.S. and coalition troops in Afghanistan," the GAO report said. Nevertheless, the two countries' ability to cooperate on the issue has actually worsened since the U.S. assassination of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan. "U.S. agencies have encountered some challenges to providing assistance to Pakistan to counter IEDs, and events over the past 6 months have strained this important bilateral relationship," the GAO concluded.

FATA: Two more cases of polio confirmed

dunyaTv

Two more cases of polio have been reported in South Waziristan and Khyber agency.The recent cases have mounted the total number of polio cases to two in South Waziristan and eight in Khyber agency.The polio virus has been confirmed in twenty one-month-old Zabia in Bara Aka Khel area of Khyber agency and four-year-old Syed Mohsin in Tehsil Mirmal of South Waziristan.

China Signals Interest in Afghanistan

By JANE PERLEZ

In a sign of China’s growing interest in neighboring Afghanistan after the departure of the United States and NATO led forces, President Hu Jintao met the Afghan leader, Hamid Karzai, in the Great Hall of the People on Friday and announced a new strategic partnership between the two countries. Mr. Karzai was given special attention this week at the summit meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a group of six countries organized by China that includes Russia and Central Asian nations bordering Afghanistan. China is trying to ensure that a Muslim separatist group in a western region does not benefit from the Taliban when Western forces leave Afghanistan. In a joint statement, China and Afghanistan said they would step up cooperation in security and the fight against terrorism, as well as increase intelligence sharing. No specifics were given. A modest $23 million aid grant for unspecified projects that accompanied the new partnership indicated that despite concerns about the stability of Afghanistan after 2014, when most United States and allied troops are expected to be gone, China had no immediate plans to play a major development role. This was Mr. Karzai’s fifth, and most prominent, visit to China. No Chinese leader has been to Afghanistan since the 1958 visit of Prime Minister Zhou Enlai. China’s major worry is the prospect of a Taliban-dominated Afghanistan lending sanctuary to the separatist group, the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, led by ethnic Uighurs, a Turkic-speaking, largely Muslim people in the autonomous western region of Xinjiang . The group wants a breakaway homeland in Xinjiang. In official statements, the Chinese government refrains from specifying the threat of Afghanistan's harboring Uighur separatists, but an orderly transfer of power that would stop short of a Taliban takeover appears to be of uppermost importance for China. At a Foreign Ministry press briefing shortly after the warm welcome for Mr. Karzai, a spokesman said China supported a “step by step” process that allowed for a role by other countries after the withdrawal of Western troops. In efforts to work toward some semblance of stability in Afghanistan after the Americans leave, Chinese and American diplomats have been talking for more than a year about the shape of the post-2014 political landscape, American officials and Chinese analysts say. A new kind of Great Game, a competition for influence among Afghanistan’s neighbors, many of whom belong to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization or play a role in it, is a likely outcome from the Western withdrawal, the analysts say. China has already put down investment stakes in mineral-rich Afghanistan, signing an oil and gas deal late last year, and beginning development at a copper mine four years ago. But from the discussions between the United States and China, it was clear that China would not play any significant security role inside Afghanistan, a decision consistent with its noninterference policies abroad, the American officials and analysts say. The Chinese government has refused to contribute to a $4.1 billion fund for sustaining the Afghan Army after 2014, but has offered to train a small number of Afghan soldiers, particularly in antiterror techniques. In a show of cooperation with the United States, China admitted 15 young Afghan diplomats to the China Foreign Affairs University last month as part of a joint American-Chinese program. The State Department will also sponsor training for the Afghan diplomats. China’s main concern is about how post-2014 Afghanistan will affect China’s internal security, the analysts said. “China’s first concern is national security and to make sure the Uighurs don’t get more strength,” said Yun Sun, a Washington-based analyst specializing in China’s neighbors. “The official line is that the Uighurs get terrorist training in Afghanistan and Pakistan.” “China supports the international community in its efforts in Afghanistan, but stays away from direct military involvement,” Zhao Huasheng, director of the Center for Russia and Central Asia Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai, wrote in a recent paper. China dislikes the Taliban because of their close relations with the East Turkestan group, but deals with the Taliban on a pragmatic basis, he wrote. Looking toward the uncertainties of post-2014 Afghanistan, China has already established some forms of communication with elements of the Taliban through the channels of the Pakistani military, said Sajjan Gohel, the international security director of the Asia-Pacific Foundation, a London-based group. “Beijing wants guarantees that the Taliban will not give sanctuary or support to the Uighur terrorists should they develop an open presence in Afghanistan after the troop handover,” Mr. Gohel said. The prospects of instability in Afghanistan have not discouraged China’s investments in big energy and mining projects. The China National Petroleum Company signed a deal in December to explore oil and natural gas in the Amu Darya River Basin, an area where the Soviet Union held concessions during its occupation. As part of the deal, the Chinese company pledged to build Afghanistan’s first oil refinery within three years. In 2008, the China Metallurgical Construction Company invested more than $3.5 billion in the Aynak Copper Mine in Logar Province in Afghanistan, not far from the Chinese border.

Khayber Pukhtunkhaw budget of Rs303 billion presented

DunyaTv

Budget of Rs303b for FY 2012-13 has been presented in Khayber Pukhtunkhaw assembly today. In the KPK assembly session presided over by the Speaker Karamutallah Khan, provincial Finance Minister Humayun Khan presented the budget amounting to Rs303 billion. A sum of Rs87 billion will be allocated for the annual development programme (ADP). Seventy percent of ADP amount will be spent on the ongoing projects, according to the proposal. According to budget details, Rs 12 billion have been allocated for education while Rs 7 billion for health department. Malakand Division has been exempted from any kind of tax. Apart from this, the province would get about Rs 183 billion issued by the federation and Rs 22 billion as expenditures for war on terror. Government employees’ salary increase by 20 percent will also be announced. Sources said that a raise in the KPK share in PSDP and an increase in the electricity annual net profit will also be demanded from the federal government.

Pakistan: Child prisoners increasing

The Nation

Noted human rights activist Hina Jillani presented the Annual Report on Child Prisoners 2011 at the Lahore Press Club on Thursday. The report reveals the number of under trial child prisoners, their age groups, offences, period of pre-sentence detention, duration of stay in police custody and number of convicted prisoners. On average, 593 children were detained monthly in Punjab prisons in 2011; while the total number of new entries in 2011 was 2,610, the report informs. This figure shows a substantial increase in the number of children detained in Punjab prisons over 2010 when 1,061 children met the same fate. Of the children found in prisons, 0.76 per cent were in the age group of 7-11 years; 31.06 per cent in the age group of 12-15 years; and 68.17 per cent in the age group of 16-18 years. Most of the new entrants were also aged between 16 and 18 years, as was the case in 2010. In 2011, the youngest detainee was an eight-year old boy in Central Jail Sahiwal, charged with the offence of murder. As was the case in the previous year, a downward trend was witnessed in the age group of 7-11 years. It rose slightly in 2009; however, it has declined again in 2011 forming 0.76 percent of the number of children entering the prisons in 2011. Approximately, 7 percent increase was also observed in the children entering the prisons in 2011 in the age groups of 12-15 and 16-18 years.

Saudi regime protester Manal al-Sharif cancels US trip over death threats

A Saudi woman who publicly defied the country's ban on female drivers has been forced to cancel a planned trip to the United States after receiving multiple death threats and learning that she is the subject of a fatwa issued by a fundamentalist Muslim cleric. Manal al-Sharif became a global symbol of the struggle for gender equality in the Middle East after a video of her driving through the streets of Khobar was uploaded to YouTube last April, at the height of the Arab Spring. She was later arrested and imprisoned for nine days. On Wednesday this week she had been due to be honoured for her high-profile activism at an awards ceremony in Washington organised by Vital Voices, a US-based pressure group which campaigns for women's rights and has close ties to the Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. But 48 hours before the event, organisers were told that Ms Sharif, a divorced single mother, had reluctantly decided to stay in Saudi Arabia, amid what appears to be growing fears for both her personal safety and that of her family. In an email, she said a recent filmed speaking appearance at the Oslo Freedom Forum, a human rights conference held annually in Norway, had brought a slew of threats from conservatives angered by her feminist critique of Saudi Arabia's highly-repressive laws and social conventions. Tensions are also rising in advance of 17 June, the first anniversary of an organised "protest drive" that saw Ms Sharif and dozens of female supporters get behind the wheel in defiance of misogynistic laws which make it illegal for women to drive in the country. Explaining her decision to stay at home, she said: "Threats I was faced with after speaking in Oslo made me take the decision to keep a low profile to be able to prepare for the first anniversary of 17 June." It is not the first time Ms Sharif has been targeted for her activism. Last month, she told The Independent how her growing political profile had led to her losing a job at Aramco, a Saudi-controlled oil company where she had worked in information security for more than a decade. She has since been the subject of a fatwa issued by Sheikh Abdul Aziz al-Tarifi, a cleric who follows Wahhabism, one of the most unbending forms of the Muslim faith which has a huge following in the Islamic state. He declared Ms Sharif a "hypocrite," a designation which amounts to questioning her religious allegiance and therefore placing her safety at further risk. Initial reports of her last-minute decision to cancel the US trip suggested that she had been the subject of threats by un-named "Saudi officials". But in an email to The Independent, Ms Sharif stressed that no threats against had come directly from members of the country's government. Despite her absence from Washington, Ms Sharif did not go entirely unrecognised at the Vital Voices ceremony which was to have seen five "heroines" of the Arab Spring receive medals. When the four other honourees were called on to the stage at the Kennedy Center Opera House, they left a gap to represent where Ms Sharif should have been standing.

Russia Seeks to Halt Saudi, Qatari Help for Syrian Rebels

http://www.businessweek.com

Russia is looking to a proposed international conference on Syria to pressure Saudi Arabia and Qatar to halt help for rebels against President Bashar al-Assad, a senior lawmaker in the Russian ruling party said. Russia and China on June 6 proposed a meeting to back peace efforts by United Nations envoy Kofi Annan. The two nations, along with the U.S., the U.K., France, the European Union, the Organization of Islamic Conference and Arab League states, Turkey and Iran should take part, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in Beijing after talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart, Hu Jintao. “Boats carrying weapons are being dispatched and they are getting financing too because Saudi Arabia and Qatar are paying salaries to members of the Syrian Free Army,” Alexei Pushkov, the head of the foreign-affairs committee in the lower house of parliament, said in a telephone interview yesterday in Moscow. “Instead of supporting the armed actions of the opposition, we want them to exert a restraining influence.” Putin, who returned to the presidency for a third term last month, has signaled that Russia won’t insist on Assad staying in power. A U.S. delegation, led by Fred Hof, the State Department’s special envoy to the Syrian opposition, began talks with Russian officials including Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov today in Moscow. A statement will be issued after the meeting, the Russian Foreign Ministry said. Veto Threat Russia has shielded the Assad regime, its biggest Middle East ally, vowing to veto any attempt at imposing sanctions on the Syrian government through the UN Security Council. The threat has hobbled 15 months of international efforts to pressure the Assad government as the conflict deteriorated from peaceful protests into an armed fighting with sectarian undercurrents. The U.S. delegation will try to forge a common approach to moving Assad aside, with the goal of replacing him with someone acceptable to both sides in the conflict, according to two U.S officials speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. Saudi Arabia and Qatar, ruled by Sunni monarchies that are at odds with Syria’s mainly Shiite ally, Iran, have publicly voiced support for arming the rebels. Syria’s ambassador to Russia said last week that the two countries are sabotaging the UN plan by continuing to arm rebels in violation of a cease-fire agreement reached in April. Arms Shipments “Weapons are entering Syria through its borders with Lebanon and Turkey,” Riad Haddad said in a June 1 interview. “And these are heavy weapons.” Lebanese authorities at the end of April seized a ship originating in Libya that was carrying anti-tank and anti- aircraft missiles destined for Syrian opposition groups, Haddad said. The U.S. in turn has accused Russia of propping up Assad’s regime by supplying weapons to Syria. The latest shipment was delivered by a boat owned by billionaire Vladimir Lisin on May 26, a person with direct knowledge of the matter said. Annan, who visited Syria in the wake of the May 25 massacre of more than 100 people in Houla, called on Assad’s government and opposition forces to halt the violence and abide by the cease-fire agreement. Russia, China and other countries received a request from the Syrian government to investigate the massacre in Houla, Pushkov said. ‘No Proof’ “There’s no proof of either the involvement of pro- government or opposition forces,” he said. “If you listen to Western media, you hear witnesses who say pro-government militia carried it out, but if you listen to Syrian media, you hear witnesses who say that it was opposition fighters.” The UN Human Rights Council called for a probe into the Houla killings, including dozens of children, which it said were carried out by “pro-regime elements” and government forces. Syria blamed terrorists for the atrocity. The timing of the Houla massacre, as well as reports two days ago by opposition activists of the killing of 78 people, more than half of them women and children, in a village in Hama province, point to the involvement of rebel fighters, according to Pushkov. The first massacre happened a day before Annan visited Syria and the latest just before UN Security Council discussions on Syria, he said. ‘Absolutely Counterproductive’ “To carry out such acts on the eve of such events is absolutely counterproductive for the Syrian government,” Pushkov said. “To the contrary, I can see that for rebel fighters, especially Islamist rebel fighters for whom blood is cheap, as shown by experience in Afghanistan, Iraq and many other places, there is a direct political benefit.” Syria has found evidence that fighters from Libya and Tunisia with ties to al-Qaeda are among the rebels and some of the Houla massacre was filmed, the Syrian ambassador to Russia said. “The main aim is to cause failure of the Annan plan and to provoke foreign military interference,” he said.

PESHAWAR: 21 killed in Peshawar bus blast

Civil secretariat employees were on board the bus when explosion occurred. At least 21 people including several women were killed and many others got injured as remote-controlled bomb struck a civil secretariat bus on Charsadda road in Peshawar. According to details the explosion took place within the limits of Dawoodzai police station. SP Rural while confirming the blast said 8-kilogram explosives were used in the attack. Rescue teams reached the site of the incident and injured people were rushed to Lady Reading Hospital. At the blast site, the back of the colorfully decorated bus was torn apart, leaving a mass of snarled metal. Peshawar is on the edge of Pakistan`s tribal region and has been targeted by many militant attacks in the past five years. Violence has declined in the past year, but attacks still occur relatively frequently.

Pakistan's opposition lawmakers : Ugly shows

Editorial:THE FRONTIER POST

Who are the opposition lawmakers entertaining with their ugly parliamentary spectacles of rowdyism, heckling and shouting nowadays, anyway? It is only a cheering media where they are hitting the headlines. Not at all on the street where not a taker they have for their obscene shows to clap on. Indeed, it is only jeers and sneers that they have there for their exasperating antics. Then who are they trying to impress? The electorate had sent them to the parliament to espouse the people's causes, not to fight their own political battles. So, the people are infuriated the way these grandees have pushed back their woes to pursue their own political objectives. They cannot even imagine with how much scorn are the people's hearts filled for them when a grandee from amongst them walks in jollily, points out lack of quorum in the house childishly and then walks out laughing amidst the sounding bells to call the truants to the session. Ironically, in respected democracy, which these jokers pretend we have become but actually we have not, the opposition parliamentary party holds a strategy session to decide what issues it will take the treasury benches on, what will be the party stance on it and who will speak out that stance. Here these clowns hold a session to work out the strategy as to how to disrupt the parliamentary proceedings. It is not the issues their strategy session dwells on. It is if it will be a bhangra dance, pulling the hair, or a straight boxing match that their strategy session ponders on. But who are these eminences kidding? Do they know that the mass of our people deem them wholly unfit and incapable of understanding, what to talk of debating, serious things like a budget? Do not they know that the people from one to all are perfectly aware that the bulk of these eminences don't turn over even the first page of bulky budget documents placed on their desks? And are they not aware either that the people know that most of these eminences do not bother even to remove those documents from their desks but leave them there untouched? And those few who do carry them to their cosy homes and luxurious parliamentary lodges simply dump them there, not read them. In any case, what point are these eminences trying to make with their obscene show? Of course, the prime minister could have taken the sting out of their antics, had he taken a high moral stance and stood down from his office, which still remains controversially mired in court challenges. Nevertheless, the opposition lawmakers too could have taken the most logical step if they have a problem with his continued incumbency. They could have just terminated their own membership of the parliament in protest. That would have carried some conviction with the mass of the people about their own credibility. But they have not, making them look as great charlatan as the prime minister in the popular eye. But is the hard-pressed taxpayer shelling out enormous sums from his hard-earned money for these gaudy shows of the opposition lawmakers? Mind you, every parliamentary session costs a lot of buck. On each sitting, millions of rupees are consumed up just in paying the lawmakers their daily allowance and conveyance allowance, and on the security and air-conditioning of the premises for their safety and comfort. The wages of attendants and parliamentary staffs is a hefty extra. If the taxpayer is to have a circus show, why would he go for these eminences' discordant, disjointed, amateurish performance? Wouldn't he go for the Lucky Irani Circus, where the act will be lyrical, rhythmic and pleasing? And also it would cost him just a pittance compared to what a staggering sum he has to expend on the ugly show of these eminences? Enough is enough. The electorate has had enough of chicanery from the swaggering political elite across the spectrum. The people are now fed up with their antics, with which they have belittled the very concept of democracy in the people's estimation. The people are not ready to have any more of it. For a change, these elite must deliver and help deliver the people their needs and wants. And they must stand down, if they cannot. A stop they must put to their jugglery at once, anyway. Just intolerable have they become.

‘Extraordinarily dissatisfied’ with Pakistan: Dempsey

PakistanToday

The Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin E. Dempsey joined Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta Thursday in expressing unhappiness with Pakistan’s progress in battling the Haqqani network’s use of safe havens in Pakistan. Pakistan is working to battle other threats within the federally administered tribal area, or FATA, Dempsey told reporters. “Although we are extraordinarily dissatisfied with the effect that Pakistan has had on the Haqqani network, we are also mindful that they are conducting military operations, at great loss elsewhere,” Dempsey said. Regional Command East, which includes Khost and Logar provinces, has seen an uptick in activity, largely due increased activity by the Haqqani network, Dempsey said. The Haqqani network is as big a threat to Pakistan as it is to Afghanistan and the United States, Dempsey said. He added that the US will continue to work with Pakistan to find common ground on ways to deal with the cross-border threat posed by the Haqqani network and other groups. In addition to the recent activity by the Haqqani network, Dempsey said al-Qaida remains a threat in Pakistan, particularly within the FATA, and to a lesser extent within Afghanistan. Coalition efforts have been very successful in eliminating al-Qaida leaders, though others continue to take their place, he added. Dempsey cited the June 4 death of Abu Yahya Al-Libi, al-Qaida's second in command, as an example of those successes, calling it a significant loss for the terror group. “He had long-standing credibility and he had operational skills that are tough to grow overnight, and so that will be something that affects the al-Qaida network globally, not just in south Asia,” Dempsey said. “Most of those who 10 years ago we began tracking are no longer a part of al-Qaida, they’re no longer part of any organization,” Dempsey said. “We are at war with al-Qaida and we will pursue them wherever we find them,” he said.

Pakistan: Are we prepared for floods this year?

As the facts and figures of the recently released Economic Survey and the Federal Budget are examined closely, the size of economic distortions is highlighted. One of these is the fact that by March 2012, current expenditure of the federal government exceeded its target by a hefty Rs 317 billion. By end-June, this figure could only go up - a tradition that has been sustained since 2008. For 2012-13, the federal budget has projected a fiscal deficit of Rs 1,105 billion (assuming that the provinces will generate a surplus of Rs 80 billion). Doubts already exist about this target not being exceeded. One reason thereof is that the budget doesn't provide for repairs to the infrastructure damage arising out of the floods expected in 2012. On May 17, Chairman National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) had warned that as in 2010 and 2011, in 2012 too Pakistan will experience a "terrible" flood because of the ongoing unfavourable climate changes, heavy rains and consequent overflowing of the Swat and Kabul rivers and floods that could affect 29 million people in Charsadda, Peshawar, Nowshera, Muzzafargarh, Rajanpur, Laiyyah, Khushab, Muzzafarabad, Sargodha, and lower Sindh. Besides, massive land sliding was also expected in Gilgit-Baltistan. Floods are expected because of the heavy snowfall in the north of the country, and the strong possibility that this would cause both rains, and flooding of the rivers when snow starts melting on account of the climate-change. This trend is likely to continue for years in the Rajasthan, Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan belt. As per latest research-based assessment by the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change, Pakistan is now among the world's most climate-vulnerable countries including Nepal, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and lower China. This was reason enough to create a regular expense head for flood relief and repair work in the budget. According to the Economic Survey, floods in 2010 and 2011 caused losses to the agriculture, transport and communication, energy, environment, forestry, water supply and sewerage sectors to the tune of Rs 324.5 billion but repair outlay amounted to Rs 239 billion, clearly indicating that the job wasn't done fully. The losses caused by floods in 2010 and 2011 are blamed for excessive borrowing by the federation. True; the losses did occur and had a huge impact since they also forced import of essential food items and drained Pakistan's foreign exchange reserves. But gross waste of resources on repair work was unfortunate. There were repeated disclosures about river banks not being raised adequately keeping in view the past experience of their overflowing, and repair work, especially lining of the banks exposed to river water with stones, was often ignored raising the fear that they could be eroded quickly by the expected powerful tidal flows. This scenario does not build high hopes about containing the losses expected from the flood. There are still places in Sindh where floodwater is stagnating over vast tracts of land even in villages and small towns. Parliamentarians elected by people from these areas don't visit these areas anymore. NDMA's warning called for long-term planning ie dredging of riverbeds, raising of the river banks, their strengthening on lasting bases, and building small dams to store rain and floodwater to assure its year-round availability for the agriculture sector. These steps could increase crop output and employment opportunities in the agriculture sector. It calls for selecting contractors based not merely on the lowest bid but on a satisfactory track record of finishing work on a timely basis as evidenced by their experience-based expertise and resources (requisite manpower and hardware). Advance planning of repair work and emergency strategies could spare millions the miseries they experienced in 2010 and 2011. But what appears more likely is a repeat of those tragedies because damages caused to canal networks haven't been repaired completely. City dwellers must prepare not just for sending relief supplies to the flood-affected areas but also for sheltering the flood-affected people in a manner that doesn't push them into committing petty crimes. Let us not forget that UN estimates of the 2010 floods losses highlighted the fact that that disaster was more devastating than the tsunami that hit South Asia in 2004, the 2005 earthquake in Pakistan, and the earthquake that hit Haiti in 2010.

Facing the music: Performers’ haven threatened in Banr

The Express Tribune

After dancing rituals became the centre of controversy in Kohistan, the performers’ community of Banr seems to be taking a share of the spotlight. The community, which depends solely on singing and dancing for a living, has been banned by the police from performing the cultural activities in the district. Ironically, the news comes as efforts are underway by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government to give Banr the status of a “cultural industry”. The ban has upset the locals who would perform in houses and hujras to entertain people, said Javed Iqbal, a local singer. “We get Rs200 to Rs400 for a single music and dance performance, which is our sole source of income. If these things are stopped we will have no other option but to beg or commit suicide,” he lamented. Another artist, Gul Wadood, who lay sick in his bed, was perturbed over the matter. “The police have besieged us in our homes,” he said. Wadood added that as a single concert earns for up to 10 families, banning such performances will render his community homeless. The artist said that under the government of the last ruler of Swat, locals had the freedom to perform their crafts. He said that a high court legalised the activities in 1977 by giving a verdict in their favour. “However, the Taliban came and not only banned the practice but also punished those involved in it; and now the police are doing the same,” he added. “We had guests over when the police raided our place. They disgraced our families and took us to the police station where they beat us and warned of dire consequences if we continue performing music and dance, said a wounded Mushtaq. “They tell us to sell tomato in the Grain Square instead,” he added. The community members claim that the police have threatened to shave their women’s heads if they violate the ban. “This is exactly what the Taliban did during their regime,” added another artist, requesting anonymity. “We are starving and have nothing to eat; if the government wants to ban our profession, it should provide us an alternate means of earning livelihood,” said Dilawar. “Unfortunately, the police are only harassing the poor community and letting the rich get away,” he added. A performing artist, holding her medical reports and medicines, said she has to buy medicines worth Rs300 and pay Rs6,000 house rent every month. “How should I make ends meet with a ban on our profession?” she questioned. She said the government should present a solution before banning us from singing and dancing. With similar woes, an old Rahat said that as four of her sons have died of a “mysterious” disease, her daughter supported the family through singing. She appealed to the prime minister, K-P chief minister and the Supreme Court to allow them to practice their profession. Svastu Arts and Cultural Association Chairman Usman Ulas Yar said, “instead of banishing cultural activities, the police should improve their performance. Music and dance is part of the Pakhtun culture and peace can never prevail without them,” he said. When contacted, Deputy Superintendant of Police Mingora Amjad Ali Khan said that they have implemented restrictions on logical grounds over cultural activities which lead towards criminal lines. Then he got furious and hung up.

Pakistan probes 'honour killings' of four women

http://www.surgar.net

Officials in Pakistan are travelling to a remote north-western region to find out if four women, who apparently sang and watched as two men danced, have been murdered in an honour killing. Video footage of the men and women, who gathered as part of a wedding celebration, has been widely seen. Villagers say the women were later killed. Local officials deny this. The men in the video appeared in court on Wednesday charged with creating conditions for tribal violence. Local officials not only failed to produce the women in the court on Wednesday but were also unable to produce any proof they were still alive, as directed by the court earlier. Tribal elders' decree? The video, first circulated about two months ago, shows four women sitting on the floor of a room, chatting and singing wedding songs while clapping their hands. A fifth woman is said have been an accomplice. A decree was allegedly issued by tribal elders for them to be killed because it was thought their actions brought dishonour to their community which frowns on men and women fraternising or dancing together. Also seen in the video are two young brothers, one of whom dances to the sound of the women's song. The other films the video, at one point turning the camera to himself. The BBC's M Ilyas Khan in Islamabad says that there is no shot of the men and women together, and it is unclear if they were in the same place at the same time.On Wednesday, the Chief Secretary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province - where the incident in Kohistan district is alleged to have happened - argued that local custom did not allow women to travel in male company or face questions from male members of a judicial bench. He said this could lead to local legal complications. He suggested that a commission be constituted, including officials and human rights activists, to conduct an inquiry in Kohistan and submit its report to the court. But the court ordered that the women, if they were alive, should be brought to Islamabad. It suggested that the authorities should take some women activists with them who could provide the Kohistani women with female company during their journey.The village is at least two days' journey on foot from the nearest highway, and only helicopters can reach the area quickly.

U.S. losing patience with Pakistan

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said on Thursday the United States was reaching the limits of its patience with Pakistan because of the safe havens the country offered to insurgents in neighboring Afghanistan. It was some of the strongest language used by a U.S. official to describe the strained ties between Washington and Islamabad. "It is difficult to achieve peace in Afghanistan as long as there is safe haven for terrorists in Pakistan," said Panetta, speaking in the Afghan capital Kabul where he arrived for talks with military leaders amid rising violence in the war against the Taliban and a spate of deadly attacks, including a NATO air strike said to have killed 18 villagers. "It is very important for Pakistan to take steps. It is an increasing concern, the issue of safe haven, and we are reaching the limits of our patience," he told reporters. The United States has long pushed Pakistan to do more to help in the war against militancy, but the relationship has received a series of blows, not least by a unilateral U.S. raid into Pakistan to kill Osama bin Laden last year that humiliated Islamabad. Panetta also urged Pakistan to go after the Haqqani militant network, one of the United States' most feared enemies in Afghanistan, and said Washington would exert diplomatic pressure and take any other steps needed to protect its forces. "It is an increasing concern that safe havens exist and those like the Haqqanis make use of that to attack our forces," he said. "We are reaching the limits of our patience for that reason. It is extremely important for Pakistan to take action to prevent (giving) the Haqqanis safe havens, and for terrorists to use their country as a safety net to conduct attacks on our forces." The comments came as Washington appears to be looking to other allies in the region for help in the face of Pakistan's foot-dragging. Panetta arrived in Kabul after a visit to India, Pakistan's old enemy, where he urged New Delhi to take a more active role in Afghanistan. NATO has signed an agreement with three countries to the north of Afghanistan for land routes as the U.S.-led alliance begins a withdrawal of its forces from the country next year. NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen said earlier this week the "reverse transit" deal was signed with Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Pakistan closed the shorter and cheaper routes through its territory last year to protest a cross-border NATO air attack that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. Discussions to reopen the Pakistan routes have stalled. Other irritants in U.S.-Pakistan ties include drone attacks in the lawless areas of Pakistan near the Afghan border where several militant groups operate but seen by many Pakistanis as a violation of sovereignty. Washington says the attacks are crucial to attack militants and four days ago, a U.S. drone strike in northwest Pakistan killed al Qaeda's second-ranking leader, Abu Yahya al-Libi. It was the biggest blow to the militant group since the killing of bin Laden. Tensions between Washington and Islamabad have also flared because a Pakistani doctor accused of helping the CIA find bin Laden was jailed for 33 years for treason last month. FULL-SCALE The United States wants Pakistan to launch a full-scale offensive in the North Waziristan border region to go after the Haqqani group, which is close to the Afghan Taliban and al Qaeda. "We have made that clear time and time again, and will continue to make clear that it is an intolerable situation to have those people attacking our people, our forces and to have the convenience of being able to return to safe havens in Pakistan," Panetta said. "We intend obviously to take whatever steps necessary to protect our forces. That's a principle we always stand by. For that to happen, we have to have Pakistan cooperation to take steps to control the Haqqani threat from their side of border." Pakistan has strong traditional links with the Afghan Taliban and other militant groups. Islamabad denies allegations it uses them as proxies to gain leverage in Afghanistan ahead of any settlement to the war, or in case a civil war breaks out after most foreign combat troops leave in 2014. The South Asian nation has said its military is too stretched fighting homegrown Taliban militants to take on the Haqqanis, and it alone would decide when to take action. Islamabad's cooperation is considered critical to U.S. efforts to stabilize Afghanistan before most foreign combat troops withdraw. But Washington will find it difficult to persuade Pakistan to both go after the Haqqani network and re-open the supply routes. Anti-American feelings runs deep over issues like drones, and with a general election expected in early 2013, no politician will want to be seen as soft on the Americans. U.S. President Barack Obama, for his part, will have to look tough against militancy during an election year in the United States, where many people may ask why the United States backs a country where bin Laden was said to have lived for years.

Punjab govt sidelined Rs 10b energy projects

DUNYA NEWS

Rehman Malik has lambasted Mian Shahbaz Sharif for sidelining Rs10 billion of energy projects. Advisor to the Prime Minister on Interior, Rehman Malik has lambasted Mian Shahbaz Sharif for sidelining Rs10 billion of energy projects for the Province. Replying to a question, while talking to media in NADRA Headquarters on Wednesday, he termed Punjab chief minister as a major con artist and dacoit who had committed a massive fraud worth Rs.1.7 billion in his Province. “Had he spent Rs.10 billion for electricity needs of Province, instead of defrauding nation, he would not have indulged in meaningless and futile dramatizations”, he retorted, while also accusing Nawaz Sharif of dramatizing issues while sitting in tents. He said that history of PPP was replete with ‘sacrifices’, while Nawaz Sharif had rather joined hands with “A-team” of former President Pervez Musharraf. Declaring former PM, (late) Z A Bhutto as a great leader who still ruled the minds and hearts of leaders of today, he said that Gaddafi Stadium was a part of nation’s heritage and history, which should not be broken. He also strongly condemned continuous drone attacks by America, demanding their forthwith cessation; and also declared FATA as a place of the brave and honorable, who had proudly joined hands with Army and FC against the negative elements of militancy and terrorism.

Putin says to push military ties with China

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday he will boost military cooperation with China, including holding more joint exercises, after the United States announced plans to shift most of its warships to the Asia-Pacific by 2020. Putin referred to recent Sino-Russian joint navy exercises in the Yellow Sea as an example of military cooperation which, he said, would go on. "We will continue cooperation also between our military," he told Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping in Beijing, where he is attending a security summit and meeting his Chinese counterpart, Hu Jintao. "Recently joint navy exercises were held in the Yellow Sea, and they were the first of such exercises. We have agreed with Chairman Hu that we will continue such cooperation," Putin said. Chinese and Russian naval forces held six days of exercises in the Yellow Sea off China's east coast in April, with drills including anti-submarine operations and the rescue of hijacked vessels. China deployed 16 ships and two submarines, while Russia sent four warships from its Pacific fleet, according to Chinese state media. "We assign an important role to the joint initiative on strengthening security in the Asia-Pacific region and in this context we will maintain the relationship between our militaries," Putin said in an earlier statement. "We favor the formation of an open and equal-minded security and cooperation architecture in the region, based on the principles of international law," he said. China and Russia have forged close economic and diplomatic ties following years of hostility and suspicion during a large part of the Cold War, and both have looked askance at U.S. military involvement in what they view as their backyards. U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said on Saturday the United States would reposition its naval fleet so that 60 percent of its battleships would be in the Asia-Pacific by the end of the decade, up from about 50 percent now. China has long been wary of U.S. intentions, with hawkish voices in the People's Liberation Army saying that the United States was bent on encircling China and crippling its rise. China's fast-modernizing navy has stirred worries among neighbors, including in Southeast Asia, where several countries are in dispute with China over territorial claims in the South China Sea. Under the U.S. plans, Panetta announced the Navy would maintain six aircraft carriers assigned to the Pacific. Six of its 11 carriers are now assigned to the Pacific, but that will fall to five when the USS Enterprise is decommissioned soon. The number will return to six when a new carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, is completed in 2015. The U.S. Navy had a fleet of 282 ships as of March. That is expected to slip to about 276 over the next two years before beginning to rise toward the goal of a 300-ship fleet, according to a 30-year Navy projection released in March.

China vows to support building a terrorism-free Afghanistan

Xinhua

China on Wednesday vowed to continue its aid to Afghanistan in building an independent, peaceful and prosperous country without terrorism and illicit drugs. "We hope to enhance cooperation with Afghanistan in such areas as resource exploration, infrastructure building, energy and human resource," Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin told a press briefing. Afghan President Hamid Karzai is in Beijing to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday. Afghanistan is expected to be accepted as an observer state at the summit. "It (the acceptance as observer state) will contribute to closer cooperation between Afghanistan and the SCO in security, economic and social areas," said the spokesman. He said China will continue to back Afghanistan's efforts in safeguarding sovereignty and territorial integrity, promoting peace and development. Liu said the SCO has convened several consultations and meetings regarding the Afghanistan issue since 2009, and nailed down cooperation plans. "The SCO will continue to back Afghanistan's reconstruction efforts and hopes to play a greater role in the process," he added. The SCO was founded in Shanghai on June 15, 2001, and currently has six full members -- China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Mongolia, Iran, Pakistan and India are four observer states, and its dialogue partners include Belarus and Sri Lanka.

Pakistan: Lollywood's demise

Pak security out to kill me, says Asma Jahangir

Leading rights activist Asma Jahangir has said she has received information that Pakistan’s powerful security establishment is planning to carry out a “murderous attack” on her, prompting civil society groups to condemn the threat to her life. Jahangir, who is also a leading lawyer and campaigner for democracy, told TV news channels about the threats to her life late Tuesday night. She said a credible source had informed her about a “murderous attack” planned on her by state agencies, following which she had restricted her movements and decided to remain at home. She contended that the plan to kill her had been hatched at the “highest level” of state agencies, which were apparently angered by her efforts to highlight human rights violation by security forces in the restive province of Baluchistan. Jahangir also provided details of what she said were steps taken against her by Pakistan’s intelligence agencies. She alleged when a group of lawyers recently tried to book a venue for a meeting in which she was to participate, they were barred from doing so by the Inter-Services Intelligence agency. On another occasion, some lawyers detained two persons who were part of a group that tried to attack her at a court complex, Jahangir said. “One of these persons had an Intelligence Bureau identity card and the other had an ISI card,” she told a TV channel. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said a “highly credible source” had provided information about a serious threat to Jahangir. “What makes the reported conspiracy to liquidate Asma Jahangir especially serious is, firstly, the environment of target killings in which dissident persons’ dead bodies are being dumped all over, and, secondly, the fact that the finger of accusation has been pointed at the extraordinarily privileged state actors,” HRCP said in a statement. Condemning the threats to Jahangir, the HRCP has made it clear to “all concerned, especially those who preside over the security apparatus,” to not underestimate the consequences of any harm caused to Jahangir. Jahangir recently defended Pakistan’s former ambassador to the US, Husain Haqqani, in the Supreme Court after he was accused of being behind a mysterious memo that sought US help to stave off a coup in Pakistan.

Asma Jahangir: Rights activist vows to fight on despite threats; to meet press today

Former President SCBA Asma Jahangir has vowed to continue her mission of bringing facts to the fore in the interest of the nation no matter what it costs. Talking to The News late Monday night, she said the establishment had worked on a plan to assassinate her, which, somehow got leaked. It was learnt the information in this regard was passed on to her by an insider who asked her to remain vigilant to the imminent threat. Asma, however, kept the identity of the insider secret. “I have well-wishers everywhere. I just cannot reveal the identity of the person. All I can say is it was a credible piece of information,’’ Asma said. The renowned human rights activist simply refused to budge on her cause, saying she would fight for the rights of Pakistanis till the end, and didn’t care much about such threats. It was learnt her address in the recent Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) seminar might have triggered this response from the establishment. Asma, on the other hand, refused to comment on it. She said she had a plan to visit Belfast (N. Ireland) on the coming Wednesday, where she had been invited to attend a seminar of lawyers. Now, she said she would cancel the appointment in view of the emerging scenario back home. She said she would stay in Pakistan so as to convey a clear message to the powers that-be she was not scared of anybody. She informed The News a contingent of Rangers had been deployed at her residence in the wee hours of Monday, around 2:30am, on the direction of the Ministry of Interior. She said she was in contact with the government on this count. Asma said she would hold a press conference on Tuesday (today) for making public certain facts on the issue.

US ends funding for Pakistan's 'Sesame Street'

The U.S. has terminated funding for a $20 million project to develop a Pakistani version of "Sesame Street" in response to alleged corruption by the local puppet theater working on the initiative, U.S. officials said Tuesday. The organization in question is the Rafi Peer Theater Workshop, a group based in the city of Lahore that jointly developed the show with Sesame Workshop, the creator of the American series. The show, which includes Elmo and a host of new Pakistani characters, first aired at the end of last year and was supposed to run for at least three seasons. The U.S. hoped it would improve education in a country where one-third of primary school-age children are not in class. It was also meant to increase tolerance at a time when the influence of radical views is growing. The U.S. cut off funding for the project and launched an investigation after receiving what it deemed to be credible allegations of fraud and abuse on a telephone hotline set up by the U.S. Agency for International Development in Pakistan, said U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner. "So rather than to continue to throw good money after bad, we thought it was prudent to cut off this program and wait for the results of the investigation," Toner told reporters in Washington. A total of $6.7 million had been spent on the show so far out of a total of $20 million that was planned, he said. The U.S. did not provide details about the alleged corruption. The Pakistan Today newspaper reported Tuesday that the graft included using the U.S. money to pay off old debts and awarding lucrative contracts to relatives, citing unnamed sources close to the project. Faizaan Peerzada, the chief operating officer of Rafi Peer and one of several family members who run the organization, denied the corruption allegations. He claimed the U.S. ended its participation because of the lack of additional available funds. "Rafi Peer is proud of its association with the project and of the quality of children's educational television programming created within Pakistan as a result," the group said in a statement sent to The Associated Press. If the corruption allegations prove true, it would be an embarrassment for the multibillion-dollar U.S. aid program in Pakistan, which some analysts have criticized for lacking focus and not achieving results. Rafi Peer plans to seek alternative sources of funding to continue producing the local version of "Sesame Street," which is called "Sim Sim Hamara," or "Our Sim Sim." The original goal was to reach 3 million children, 1 million of whom are out of school. The show is led by a vivacious 6-year-old girl named Rani who loves cricket and traditional Pakistani music. Her sidekick, Munna, is a 5-year-old boy obsessed with numbers and banging away on Pakistani bongo drums, or tabla. Other new characters include Baily, a kindly donkey who loves to sing, and Haseen O Jameel, a vain crocodile who lives at the bottom of a well. The action revolves around a mock-up of a Pakistani town, complete with houses, a school and Baaji's dhaba, a small shop and restaurant found in many places in the country. The town also includes a large Banyan tree, known as the wisdom tree in South Asia, in the shade of which the children often play. Each episode is based around a word and a number, like the U.S. version, and tackles general themes like friendship, respect and valuing diversity. This last theme is particularly important in Pakistan, where Islamist extremists often target minority religious sects and others who disagree with their views. The American version of "Sesame Street" first aired in 1969, and the U.S. government has worked with the company since then to produce shows in about 20 foreign countries, including Muslim nations like Bangladesh and Indonesia. Sesame Workshop, the creator of the American series, said it was dismayed to hear about the corruption allegations against Rafi Peer and noted that it received separate funding from USAID for its work on the Pakistani show. "It is our hope that the achievements of Sim Sim Hamara, and the gains we have made in the lives of children in Pakistan, will carry on," it said in a statement.

President Putin arrives in Beijing for 3-day visit

Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Beijing for a 3-day official visit. This is Putin's first time in China since regaining the Russian Presidency in May. This is his first trip to Asia under his new Kremlin mandate. Putin is accompanied by six cabinet members, the heads of Russia’s energy giants and major players in Russian business circles. Economic issues are set to figure prominently on the 3-day trip. China is Russia’s largest trading partner, whereas Russia is China’s fastest growing one. The two sides have set a goal to reach 200 billion US dollars in bilateral trade by 2020, a substantial increase from the current volume of nearly 80 billion US dollars. Inter-bank cooperation is expected to be strengthened. In particular, Russia’s Bank of Foreign Economic Activity, where Putin himself is the chairman, is set to sign a series of agreements with the China Development Bank. Energy cooperation is also high on the agenda. The two sides hope to deepen cooperation in oil, natural gas, electric power, and the peaceful use of nuclear energy. One major project is a natural gas deal where Russia will supply China with nearly 70 billion cubic meters of natural gas every year for the next 30 years. A framework agreement was signed back in 2009, but the two countries have yet to work out differences over pricing. The two countries also hope to coordinate their positions on international issues, including Syria, the Iranian nuclear crisis, and other regional and global security affairs. During his stay in Beijing, Putin will also attend the Beijing Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. The annual Summit will bring together Russia, Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, with China as presiding country this year. This isn't President Putin's first visit to China, but it might rank among his most important. Over the next couple of days, Putin will exchange opinions with Chinese leaders on a host of issues ranging from bilateral trade to regional security. The talks are aimed not only at strengthening the strategic ties between China and Russia, but also at shaping future relations in a changing region.

Punjab: Development, but at what cost?

The Punjab government has wasted millions of rupees in uprooting and replacing plants, saplings and trees, as well as changing the design of some under construction projects, on Ferozpur Road, apparently with a view to the road’s widening and remodelling.TheNation has reliably learnt that the Transport Engineering and Planning Agency (TEPA) and the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA), in collaboration with some other government departments, have uprooted hundreds of precious and costly plants from the greenbelt and road dividers, constructed in the middle and at both sides of Ferozpur Road.Sadly, this practice continues because different government departments are launching new projects – such as reconstruction of Ferozpur Road; construction of overhead bridges and underpasses on Ferozpur road; and construction of a special track in the middle of Ferozpur Road for plying special buses – to please Shahbaz Sharif.Sources in the PHA informed this scribe that the provincial government had also decided to construct a service road side by side the Ferozpur Road, from Kot Lakhpat Overhead Bridge (at the left side of Old Model Town Bridge on Ferozpur Road) to Qaddafi Stadium and alongside the Nawaz Sharif Park Model Town. “Unfortunately, government departments, particularly TEPA and the PHA, are slated to to cut down more trees because they are a hurdle in the construction of such a service lane,” the sources added.TEPA also uprooted dozens of old trees planted by the PHA on the opposite side of the Nawaz Sharif Park just because its engineers changed the design of the footpath and under construction greenbelt, causing a loss of millions of rupees to the national exchequer, said the sources, adding: “It is difficult to calculate how much public money has so far been wasted by government departments that damaged trees and newly-planted saplings alongside the service road on Ferozpur Road.”The sources further said though the new projects initiated by the government were public welfare-oriented and were likely to add to the City’s beauty and facilitate the citizens, the point not to be missed here is that the government was wasting millions of rupees in planting and uprooting precious plants and changing the design of Ferozpur road repeatedly. “The government could have used the same funds on some other projects, especially roads, streets and sewerage pipeline-laying projects in backward areas of the provincial capital that are pending for construction for months or even years because of the lack of financial resources,” the sources maintained.“No pains, no gains!” remarked TEPA Director Mazhar Hussain Khan, who also heads the Bus Rapid Transport System project, while talking to TheNation. He said the govt had launched these projects to facilitate the citizens. “Though government departments had to uproot dozens of plants and trees to complete the project, the govt has not only directed TEPA and the PHA to save the uprooted trees, but also asked them to replant the same with new saplings in the green belts,” Mazhar contended.

The growing Pakistani carbon footprint threatening quality of life

Environmental pollution is a rapidly growing threat in Pakistan which is damaging the climate and human and wildlife health. Highly inefficient energy use, the accelerated growth of vehicle population, increasing industrial activity without adequate air emission treatment or control, open burning of solid waste, including plastic, use of ozone depleting substances (ODSs), pressure horns, use of generators in industries and CNG stations, the noise from vehicles and auto rickshaws and loud speakers are some of the major causes of the deterioration of the ambient air quality as well as the overall climate. According to the official data available at the District Environment Department, rapidly growing energy demand, fuel substitution such as coal and oil were the key factors contributing to air pollution. The state of air quality has been assessed by examining the emission levels of air pollutants and ambient air quality. The average increase in sulphur dioxide across major emitting sectors like industry, transport and power has increased 23-fold over the past 25 years. Similarly, nitrogen oxides increased 25 times in the power sector and carbon dioxide increased an average of 4 times. However, Pakistan’s per capita greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are far below the global average. Ambient air quality data shows that carbon monoxide levels in Karachi and Lahore considerably exceed WHO’s recommended levels while particulate matter content cross safety levels in the major industrial cities in the Punjab province. According to the District Environment Department, thousands of two stroke auto rickshaws are continuously damaging the climate by emitting noise and contaminated smoke. The city government, acting on the recommendations given by the Environment Protection Agency, the Transport Department and other government and private agencies, had banned the use of two stroke auto rickshaw and motorcycle rickshaw in December 2005 due to their damaging effect on the environment. However, the ban was revoked after the rickshaw drivers went on strike against the move. Another major issue causing environmental pollution is the improper dumping of waste. The dumping sites at various city locations were allocated to dump 7800 tonnes of solid waste. However, the people living around the dumping site at Kahna complained of severe health issues. The management of private housing colonies and factories throw their waste in various drains and the River Ravi causing water pollution. Lahore also has large industrial units that are operating without proper planning. Another alarming threat to the environment is the hospital waste which is capable of spreading deadly diseases. The city government started a campaign to ensure the proper disposal of hospital waste through incinerators and so far, 135 hospital and clinics have been fined.

Pakistan: Saudi military officer should be thrown in jail:

Source: lets build Pakistan

We pay tribute to the honourable ASF officers who sought to implement standard security procedures notwithstanding one’s nationality or higher status. We urge the government of Pakistan to award a commendation certificate and medal to the ASF officers who upheld the rule of law and were in pursuit of their duty abused and attacked by the Saudi official. We also urge Pakistan’s Chief Justice to take suo moto notice of this incident and place the said Saudi official’s name in the Exit Control List until an independent inquiry is conducted and due punishment awarded to him.

Names of honourbale Pakistanis: Idris Ahmed (ASF) Abdul Rehman (ASF) Abid Ali (ASF) Zafar Iqbal Mohammad Saleem Names of rude and violent Saudis and those who supported their violence: Group Captain Saeed Al-Shehri (Saudi Air Force) Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador in Pakistan Abdul Aziz Ibrahim al-Ghadeer Director General ASF Minister Defence Ahmed Mukhtar Minister Interior Rehman Malik Secretary Defense Nargis Sethi Muhammad Saleh Zaafir (Jang Group)

According to news reports, a Saudi military official (name: Saeed Al-Shehri) shoved a Pakistani airport security official at the Islamabad and they in turn gave him a reasonable amount of thrashing. After getting slapped, ASF (Airport Security Force) officials handled the Saudi Army Officer in Pakistani style – and now the Saudi dude is in a local hospital ASF personnel at Benazir Bhutto International Airport (Islamabad) were assaulted and abused by a Saudi military officer who refused to be searched and refused to follow the standard security procedures of the ASF. In return, the said Saudi national was allegedly thrashed by the ASF officers. The scuffle took place when airport security officials stopped Al-Shehri for routine security check. Following the incident the Saudi ambassador to Pakistan reached the airport. ASF sources say, the man was not an official of the Saudi embassy, adding he was here for a military course. His seat was also not confirmed, the sources added that a high-level inquiry has been launched into the incident. On the other hand, sources in the Saudi Airline claimed that the military man is a member of the Saudi embassy and he was to leave for Riyadh via flight SV 732. Airport sources told that Saeed Alshehri bound for Riyadh via Flight 732 was asked for security clearance by the Airport Security Force (ASF) but the Saudi military officer used offensive language against Pakistani security official and abused him. Saudi military official also attacked and injured Pakistani staff physically and as a result a serious clash was reported between them. Saudi Military official claimed he received at least nine injuries as a violent clash between security officials of two brotherly Muslim countries. Secretary Defense Nargis Sethi also took the notice and ordered the DG ASF to submit report within 24 hours. Minister Defence Ahmed Mukhtar and Minister Interior Rehman Malik also expressed concern on the incident. Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador in Pakistan Abdul Aziz Ibrahim al-Ghadeer visited the injured at the hospital. FIR of the incident has also been registered at the Airport Police Station, said police sources. The injured Saudi man had been shifted to Benazir Hospital of Rawalpindi for treatment. News report: A Saudi military officer assaulted Airport Security Force (ASF) personnel at Islamabad Airport when he argued with an official over the stopping of his son during the security check-in of passengers for a Saudi Arabian Airline flight on Thursday. In turn, ASF personnel thrashed the Saudi military office who is reportedly to have been mildly injured. Pressurized by their Saudi masters, Interior Minister Rehman Malik and Defence Secretary Nargis Sethi sought reports about the incident from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). According to security sources, Group Captain Al Ashri Shukri Saeed of Saudi Air Force, who was attending a professional course at the National Defence University, reached the airport along with his son and a nephew at around 5pm for the 6.15pm flight SV-723 to Riyadh. His nephew had cleared the security check, while his son bypassed the walk-though gate thus breaking the standard security procedures. When the boy was spotted heading towards the lounge, a security official called him to return and follow the security check-in procedure. Mr Saeed, used to the servant like attitude of Pakistan army and government, was annoyed when he saw his son being called back by the security staff for regular security screening. He started abusing the security officer and physically assaulted and injured them. Argument between security official Idris Ahmed and Mr Seed, the sources said, turned into a brawl. When ASF’s Abdul Rehman saw the man (Mr Saeed) quarrelling with his colleague and beating him, he came to help his colleague and got involved in the fight. ASF officer Abid Ali and Inspector Zafar Iqbal and Mohammad Saleem rushed to the place and rescued his colleague and tried to restrain the extremely violent Saudi passenger, who suffered minor injuries in this entire incident. Senior officials of the ASF and airport management immediately intervened and settled the matter, at least for the time being. Police took Mr Saeed to the Benazir Bhutto Hospital. “Multiple X-rays of the victim were taken and a medico-legal report was prepared, although the radiologist’s final report is awaited,” the hospital’s Medical Superintendent Dr Asif Qadir said. Soon after Mr Saeed had been taken to the BBH, senior officials of the Saudi embassy arrived there. “Doctors tried to clean an injury he had suffered on his left eyebrow, but a Saudi diplomat stopped them and said he would be taken to Islamabad for treatment,” Dr Qadir said. He was taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in the federal capital and admitted to a VVIP room.

Obama remains more popular than Romney

YAHOO NEWS

President Barack Obama remains more popular than Mitt Romney, according to a CNN/ORC International survey released Monday. Romney's favorable rating among Americans has jumped from 34% in February to 48% now. Forty-two percent say they see Romney in a negative light. Romney still trails the president, however, who currently has a 56% favorable rating, with 42% saying they have an unfavorable opinion of Obama, the CNN/ORC poll shows. The president's favorable and unfavorable ratings are unchanged from CNN polls in March and April. "The biggest gap between Obama and Romney's favorable ratings is among younger Americans. More than two-thirds of those under 30 have a favorable view of Obama, compared to only four-in-ten who feel that way about Romney. Romney is much stronger among senior citizens, but the gap is not nearly as big," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "Romney may have a small advantage among independent voters, but that is offset by his lower favorable rating among Republicans than Obama has among Democrats." Three other findings of note: Vice President Joe Biden has lower ratings than Obama. Only 41% of Americans have a favorable view him, with 44% having a negative opinion. And 65% say they have a favorable rating of first lady Michelle Obama, with 27% saying they see her in a negative light. The survey found that two-thirds of the public has a favorable opinion of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The CNN poll was conducted by ORC International between May 29 and May 31, with 1,009 adults nationwide, including 895 registered voters, questioned by telephone. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus three percentage points, with a sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points for registered voters.