Sunday, March 26, 2017

US drone strike kills man behind Marriott Hotel bombing, Pentagon says







By Ryan Browne and Faith Karimi

A US airstrike in southeast Afghanistan killed an al Qaeda leader responsible for the deadly attack on the Marriott Hotel in Pakistan, the Pentagon said.
Qari Yasin was killed in a drone strike in Paktika Province on March 19, the Pentagon said late Saturday.
The September 2008 suicide truck bombing at the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad killed more than 50 people, including two US service members. It sparked a fire that charred the hotel, which is near the diplomatic section of Islamabad.
    Yasin is responsible for other carnage, including an attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team, which was visiting Lahore, Pakistan, in March 2009. In that incident, gunmen sprayed the team's tour bus with bullets as it neared the stadium, killing eight people -- six police officers and two civilians -- and leaving several visiting players wounded.
    The attack was a huge blow for the future of international cricket in Pakistan. In the years that followed, international teams backed out of playing in the country, citing security concerns. In 2015, visiting teams played in Pakistan for the first time since the incident.
    "The death of Qari Yasin is evidence that terrorists who defame Islam and deliberately target innocent people will not escape justice," Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said in a statement.
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    Pakistan - Save Punjab University


    Unless Jamaat-e-Islami reins in IJT, its claims as a democratic party would remain suspect

    Enjoying the patronage of Zia-ul-Haq Islami-Jamiat-e-Tulaba (IJT) turned Punjab University campus into a battlefield and its hostels into torture centres. IJT’s main targets at the time were students with left or liberal leanings who demanded end of military rule and holding of elections. In later years IJT’s targets were Shia students organised in ISO who were harassed and beaten. During the last four years students from Balochistan and KP who have their own organisations have been attacked because the IJT does not allow any other student organisation to strike roots in the University, which it considers its fief.

    The IJT has all along tried to impose its narrow code of conduct on the student community by sheer force. Boys seen talking to girls have been given thrashing. Cultural shows have been attacked. Finding itself an unpopular minority, the IJT has illegally settled in the hostels scores of musclemen brought from outside. University teachers with different views have been tortured. In 2014 the Punjab University Academic Staff Association passed a strongly worded resolution against IJT’s lawlessness

    The present incident where Pushtun and Baloch students have been targeted must not be ignored as before by the University administration or Punjab government. Thanks its misguided policies and ill-conceived tactics the Punjab administration is already being accused of ethnic profiling. It has to act decisively to prosecute those who attacked the function instead of injudiciously balancing its action by involving the victims also. Political exigencies must not be allowed to stand in the way of national unity.
    .
    The Punjab University has to set an example by awarding maximum punishment to those who disturbed the event. Stifling dissent and putting an end to free debate on ideas has led to the degeneration of the Punjab University which in a more tolerant and open era produced two Nobel Prize winners, Dr Abdus Salam and Hargobind Khorana. Using force against students with different views, sects or ethnicity is not only atrocious but out of sync with an era which values democratic norms like freedom of opinion, openness and transparency.
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    Prices of textbooks to witness 5% to 10% increase




    The retail prices of text books for secondary school will witness a surge up to 5 percent to 10 percent.
    The increase will take place in the garb of using quality cardboard for title covers, including glossy fine paper for text pages.

    Book publishers Oxford University Press, Gaba, FEP International and Paramount have more than 75 percent of market share collectively. More than 80 percent of English medium schools in Karachi prescribed a number of books of these publishers for class I to VIII. Besides they also recommend text books of these publishers for Montessori level (nursery and kindergarten level).
    The publishers usually announce a discount up to 10 percent to buyers on start of every academic year but this offer will off-colour the rebate on pretext of anticipating increase in price.
    In absence of any monitoring authority on government level to monitor the prices of text books, these publishers unilaterally increase the price of books. A senior member of All Pakistan Paper Merchants Association (APPMA) Rauf Ansari said, “Increase in the prices of paper and paperboard has affected the local price of notebooks, copies, textbooks and office stationery.” The leading publishers usually import around 60 percent of all types of paper and paper board for their requirements and rest of the produce need has been acquired from local purchase.
    The commercial importers were paying minimum 25 percent more on imports, now actual cost has been increased to 32 percent, he added. Country imports around 76,000 tonnes paper products of all kinds annually. While under customs tariff, paper is treated as finished goods under section (X) chapter 48 of Pakistan Customs Tariff, at high customs duty slab, at the rate of 20 percent to 25 percent, while in customs policy, raw material is at 10 percent or zero rate duty slab.
    He said the increased sales tax has increased the import cost by around Rs 8 per kg on all kinds of paper. “We import paper and duplex box paper from Indonesia, China, UK and other countries to meet our domestic requirements, while local mills cater around 65 percent of our requirements.” He said around 60 percent imported material is used for making office stationery and high-grade paper products and imported cardboards cater around 35 percent of our needs.
    The import cost on all types of paper and paperboard comes around $750 a metric tonne to $850 a metric tonne. Around 25 percent imported material is used for making notebooks and high quality paperbacks books while more than 50 percent local paper is used in making secondary and higher secondary school books.
    Prices of different standards of paper have also risen by Rs 6,200 per tonne in the local market just before the start of manufacturing and printing season of textbooks and copies. The price of semi-fine paper has increased to around Rs 57,200 from Rs 48,400 per tonne, which is used in the production of textbooks. The price of lower quality and normal paper increased from Rs 49,500 to Rs 54,000 per tonne, which is used in the production of copies and other items.
    The price of fine quality paper used in different value-added products has increased to Rs 66,000 from Rs 56,000 per tonne. Around 75 percent paper merchants buy paper from local paper companies that supply paper to majority of the publishers and manufacturers of various paper products. Pakistan imports different qualities of paper from Japan, Indonesia, China and some other countries but the 60 percent import duty discourages the publishers and printers to use imported paper.
    A senior member of Pakistan Pulp Paper and Board Mills Association (PPPBMA) said, “We are importing wood pulp at around $920 per tonne from Canada, USA, Indonesia and Sweden, besides paying one percent excise duty including regular taxes and sales tax.” Due to rising wood pulp prices in international market and higher customs duty on commercial import, prices of paper and paperboard have increased in the country. Around 100 units of PPPBMA were braving high cost of business, energy crisis and production loss, but still we were selling our products with a minimal increase of around 10 percent.
    Local mills prepare around 3,600 to 4,500 tonnes of paper every month and increase their output by 45 percent during April to July when demand goes up on the back of publishing school books and copies. The manufacturers normally manufacture three qualities of paper, fine paper, semi-fine paper and normal paper. They have already demanded the government to rationalise tax policy and revise duty and sales tax on the paper and board. A book publisher said surge in the basic raw material of books and copies would definitely increase the prices of these items in the coming academic session, which will start in mid-April in Sindh and mid-September in Punjab.
    The provincial textbook boards usually use locally manufactured paper in their products and import only when the local paper suppliers show their inability to provide them required quantity.
    Prices for the end users can be controlled if the government reduces customs duty to a uniform level of 10 percent from 20 to 25 percent on two categories, (uncoated and coated paper and board), representatives of PPPBMA and APPMA said.
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    Pakistan - Female polio staff face insults, harassment in Multan





    Female polio workers go through trials and tribulations to work towards a nation free from the scourge of the debilitating disease.
    Multan is the only district in southern Punjab where all frontline polio workers happen to be women. Around 4,000 are currently on duty in the city, which has a population of more than six million, out of which one million are below five years of age.
    A female polio worker in the district, who requested anonymity, said that her job is extremely difficult as staff must confront challenging environments.
    The polio worker said that during campaigns certain residents harass, insult or even abuse them. Notwithstanding, the staff continue to perform their duties diligently keeping in mind the dream of having a polio-free Pakistan.
    Another female polio worker said that to manage her job and raise her children at the same time is a tough job. She added that it would all be worth it to see a polio-free Pakistan one day.
    The polio worker claimed that the feudal lords of Multan create hindrances for the campaign.
    Another polio worker said that certain residents believe the vaccination causes infertility. She added that they say that our campaign is against the tenets of Islam.
    Some residents have even threatened to kill polio staff.
    A seasoned polio worker who has been working for the past 10 years said that even if a single case is detected, staff negligence is blamed for the detection.
    Residents are reluctant to allow us inside their homes now owing to the rise in robberies, she said.
    “Our salaries are released late, even on occasions such as Eid,” she added.
    The polio worker said that even during Ramazan our timings are not changed and the female staff must work in the extreme summers.
    She said that some residents shout at them and admonish them to not visit their residence again. “However, we are steadfast in our work because we know that the eradication of polio is a national cause,” she added.
    Certain residents appreciate and encourage us and offer us hospitality, she said.
    New Vision Foundation President Shahbaz Gurmani said that 52 incidents of harassment, as well as attacks, were reported in the last 10 years.
    These incidents were observed in Multan, Dera ghazi khan, Bahawalpur, Sahiwal and Sargodha divisions. In this regard, 23 FIRs were lodged and 33 persons have been arrested in the cases.
    Community engagement
    The areas religious and political parties support and assist the anti-polio campaign staff. Wafaqul Madaris alArabaia (WMA) General Secretary Mohammad Haneef Jalandhri, who heads the largest grouping of seminaries in the country, claimed that the WMA has been fully cooperating with polio staff.
    Jalandhri added that he has directed seminary staff to guarantee that no child under the age of five is missed.
    In the wake of the recent polio case detection in Lodhran, several parliamentarians have played an active role in the field monitoring of polio workers. Abdul Qadir Gillani, son of former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani said that he had personally been overseeing the activities of the anti-polio campaign. Gillani said he had monitored campaigns in Lutfabad, Nehalaywala, Shadi Wali as well as areas of 17 Kassi and 19 Kassi in Multan.
    The former parliamentarian said that female polio workers had been performing their duty diligently.
    Parliamentarian Shaukat Bosan said that to achieve a polio-free Pakistan it is imperative that citizens cooperate with the campaign’s staff.
    Executive District Officer Health Zafar Iqbal said that female workers are playing an indispensable role in eradicating the disease.
    Multan Commissioner Nadir Chatta said that polio workers perform their duty even in the most testing conditions.
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    Pakistan - Last time was in shackles, now I am in the field: Zardari

    Pakistan People’s Party Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday said that during the last general elections in 2013, he was ‘in handcuffs’ but now the situation has changed and he is in the field.
    The PPP leader was addressing a press conference in Lahore, where he said that his son, PPP Chairman, Bilawal Bhutto and his daughters are ready for the next elections.
    “The time for the elections has come, now people will know what elections are,” he said.
    The PPP president reiterated that the party lost in the last elections in Punjab, due to ‘RO elections’, making an indirect reference to the elections being rigged.
    For transparent elections, the PPP would consult with all the political parties, said Zardari.
    “When Shaheed Bibi (Benazir Bhutto) used to visit Lahore, the city would close down,” Zardari said, adding “it would happen again, entire Lahore would shut down.”
    He said that by looking at the enthusiasm of the party workers one could safely assume that the PPP is ready to compete. 
    "The PPP is ready for the elections in Punjab," said the former president.

    https://www.geo.tv/latest/135586-Last-time-was-in-shackles-now-I-am-in-the-field-Zardari
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    Pakistan - Zardari says border management with Afghanistan critical for peace

    Former President Asif Ali Zardari has said that border management with Afghanistan with mutual consultation is critical for addressing issues in militancy and terrorism and for
    peace in the region.


    Proper securing of borders with mutual consultation will put an end to allegations of cross border incursions of militants that has vitiated the relations between the brotherly neighbors Pakistan and
    Afghanistan, he said.

    The former President said this while commenting on reports today that fencing of border with Afghanistan along the border areas in Bajaur and Momand has started.

    He said it was unfortunate that the relations between the two countries had plunged low in recent times and called for concerted and sincere efforts by both countries to overcome mistrust and suspicions.

    “Border management with mutual consultation has long been delayed” the former President said adding that decision on it should no longer be delayed.

    A decision delayed is not a problem avoided, it is crisis invited, the former President said.

    Asif Ali Zardari expressed the hope that the move to begin border fencing will be welcomed by all those wanting an end to militancy and to the counter- productive allegations of cross border incursions.
    https://mediacellppp.wordpress.com
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    Saturday, March 25, 2017

    Video - Beyoncé - If I Were A Boy (GRAMMYs on CBS)

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    Video - #Republicans Can't Get Their S**t Together on Health Care: The Daily Show

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    Hillary Clinton: 'Today Was a Victory for All Americans'


    As President Donald Trump cast blame on Democrats for not supporting the GOP-crafted effort to repeal and replace President Barack Obama's signature health care law, his former opponent, Hillary Clinton, took to Twitter to hail the bill's defeat as America's victory.
    "Today was a victory for the 24,000,000 people at risk of losing their health insurance, for seniors, for families battling the quiet epidemic of addiction, for new moms and women everywhere," she tweeted. "Most of all, it's a victory for anyone who believes affordable health care is a human right."

    "The fight isn't over yet," her statement continued. "But we are reminded today that there is no substitute for standing up and defending our values."
    She followed her statement with a series of Tweets highlighting stories of people who had been helped by the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.
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    Missing black girls in DC spark outrage, prompt calls for federal help

    By Laura Jarrett, Samantha Reyes and David Shortell





    Two months ago, the Washington Metropolitan Police Department's new commander, Chanel Dickerson, made a pledge: Let's find our missing girls.
    Now, as the department posts profiles of missing black and Latina girls in the nation's capital on its Twitter feed almost daily, members of the Congressional Black Caucus are calling for a federal investigation.
    In a letter Tuesday, the lawmakers asked Attorney General Jeff Sessions and FBI Director James Comey to "devote the resources necessary to determine whether these developments are an anomaly, or whether they are indicative of an underlying trend that must be addressed."
      "(W)hen children of color go missing, authorities often assume they are runaways rather than victims of abduction," they added.
      Sessions was briefed on the issue Friday, Justice Department spokesperson Sarah Isgur Flores said.
      "The Attorney General is aware of the reports and is looking into the issue," she said.
      The FBI declined to comment on the matter.
      Although Dickerson, who heads the department's Youth and Family Division, said Friday that the number of missing girls is decreasing, an outcry on social media has drawn increased attention to the issue this month and triggered the calls for federal law enforcement officials to investigate.
      The Metropolitan Police Department recorded 501 cases of missing children so far in 2017, and said 22 cases were open as of Wednesday.
      "We have received a lot of media attention and a lot of concern from the public because of the number of releases," Dickerson said at a news conference on Friday. "There have been concerns that young girls in the District of Columbia are victims of human trafficking or have been kidnapped, or that there's an increase in the number" who have gone missing.
      "And I say this without minimizing the number of missing persons in DC -- because one missing person is one person too many -- but there's actually been a decrease," she added. "There is always a concern of human trafficking, but we have no evidence for this."
      Annual statistics show cases of missing children have remained relatively steady in Washington over the past several years -- with 2,222 cases in 2014, 2,433 in 2015 and 2,242 in 2016.
      CNN has requested a monthly breakdown of these figures to see how the 2017 numbers compare, but the Metropolitan Police Department did not immediately return requests for comment on those specific figures.
      Still, numbers alone do not tell the entire story, DC City Councilmember Trayon White told HLN's Michaela Pereira in an interview Friday.
      "What the community is alarmed about -- we had a 10-year-old girl missing the other day, but there was no amber alert," White said. "We just feel like, you know, if this was a white person or from another neighborhood, there would be more alarm about it."
      "(A)ny time you have a 10-year-old missing for any amount of hours and no one knows where he or she is, that is rules for immediate attention, that's an alert that needs to be sent out," White added. "Because the more time that goes past, the less likely we are to find him or her."
      Numbers and Amber Alerts aside, Robert Lowery, a vice president at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, said he is grateful an important conversation about missing children is happening.
      "I think the narrative is good," Lowery said. "The more the public becomes aware of this issue of missing children, the more lives that can be protected and potentially even saved."
      While Lowery said the number of child abductions is down across the country, the level of runaway cases seen in DC and other major cities is particularly disturbing.
      "Our frustration is, we deal with a very desensitized public," Lowery said. "The natural inclination (about a runaway) is the child's behavioral problem is why they've left. We also see significant numbers of runway children who are running away from a situation, whether it's abuse or neglect or sexual abuse in the home. These children face unique risks when they're gone so we applaud the conversation and we applaud the attention that this issue is being given."
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