Karate team received by huge crowd on return

By Shahzada Usman
Published: November 26, 2011

The Pakistani mens and womens karate teams are garlanded at the Wagah border, after returning triumphant from the South Asian Karate championship in India. Pakistan defeated the Indian team to claim gold. PHOTO: NNI

LAHORE: The triumphant Pakistan contingent arrived at the Wagah Border yesterday after clinching the inaugural South Asian Karate Championship held in New Delhi.
Pakistan bagged 14 medals, including seven gold, four silver and three bronze, to stand on top of the podium, ahead of India and Sri Lanka.

The team received a vociferous reception at the border with a huge crowd praising its effort in the eight-nation tournament. The female players clinched eight of the 14 medals, with Kulsum winning two gold, a silver and bronze medal and Beenish Akbar claiming two gold and a bronze medal. Beenish Khan won one gold, while in the men’s events, Saadi Abbas, Imtiaz and Baz Mohammad clinched gold medals for Pakistan.

Abbas termed the triumph as a huge achievement for the country and praised the performance of the 23-member squad.

“I’m very happy about my team’s performance,” Abbas said after his arrival. “We worked hard for the tournament and this is a very special moment for all of us. Beating India wasn’t easy since they’re a tough side. We were received with a warm reception in India and it felt really good. Tours like this one will improve relations between the two countries.”

The female members were ecstatic as well and appreciated the work put in by the coaching staff that yielded the positive result.

“We had a good time in the championship and were welcomed by the hosts,” said Akbar. “The coaching staff worked really hard with us for this championship and this is a result of our hard work and concentration.”

While the Pakistan contingent arrived via the border, the Indian wrestlers, who took part in the Indo-Pak dangal, left for their country via the same route as well.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 26th, 2011.

EDITORIAL: Murder in Muharram

Whenever an occasion even remotely religious in nature comes round in Pakistan, everyone braces themselves for the potential dangers ahead. That the occasion — Muharram — is one that is specially revered by Shias is all the more cause for worry and security concerns. These concerns were quickly realised in the very beginning of the holy month of Muharram this year when Karachi was targeted by an apparent sectarian crime. A protest rally taken out by members of the Sipah-e-Sahaba near Numaish Chowrangi turned violent when its members started firing indiscriminately into a Shia camp that had been set up in that area as part of a Muharram procession. Two people were killed and some 11 people were injured in the incident. It is fortunate that the police arrived on time at the scene as the assailants were apprehended. However, a mob gathered and demanded that the gunmen be handed over so that they be delivered some ‘mob justice’. As we all know, after the Sialkot lynching case, such action has seriously negative repercussions. The crowd grew quite rowdy and had to be diffused after a round of baton charging. The enraged crowd torched vehicles and created a riot. Muharram has only just begun.

In light of how Muharram has come and gone in past years with violence and bombings taking place at venues and processions where Shias have gathered to commemorate the occasion, it is a wonder that our security and law enforcement agencies still leave so much to be desired. There is always potential for trouble in Muharram with so many hate groups against the Shia community thriving in Pakistan, Sipah-e-Sahaba being one of them. Why was there no security in place at a very likely target such as this Shia camp? Why were law enforcement bodies so obviously missing in action that members of a hate group were able to fire into the crowd and kill and maim so many people? Authorities are well aware of the risks that many religious communities face in this country yet they still have not done enough to prevent sectarian strife. Agreed, the security forces in our country have been stretched very thin due to the war that is raging in the tribal areas and the urban centres but that does not mean that the many crimes against different sects in this country go ignored. One need not remind our law enforcement agencies of the kind of hate Shias face in Pakistan — the brutal murder of Shia Hazaras in Balochistan is a case in point. When they can be gunned down on just about any day of the year, what makes our security agencies feel that they can relax on an occasion of specific importance to the Shia community?

The malaise of sectarian killings is not confined to the boundaries of any specific area or metropolis. It is a whirlpool of brutality that knows no limits. The rampant running amok of groups such as the Sipah-e-Sahaba, which are allowed to hold rallies in the cities of this country, is an example of how we are leaving behind any last remnants of civility and gradually falling into the abyss of barbarity. Such fanatical Sunni groups are waging their own war against the state and the law enforcement agencies seem unconcerned. Instances such as this one in Karachi, right at the beginning of Muharram, ought to serve as a warning to our security agencies that more such attacks could be right round the corner.

Daily Times

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SAIL consortium gets rights to develop 3 Afghan mines

Press Trust of India / New Delhi November 28, 2011, 20:37 IST

A seven-member consortium led by state-run Steel Authority of India (SAIL) has bagged the development right to mine three out of four iron ore reserves at Hajigak in Central Bamiyan province of Afghanistan, sources in the know said.

However, when contacted SAIL Chairman CS Verma said there was no official communication from the Afghanistan government as yet.


"We are yet to get any official communication from the government of Afghanistan. I am in touch with the embassy," Verma said.
Sources said the Indian consortium had got the rights to mine B, C and D, having reserves of 930 million tonne, 357 million tonne and 175 million tonne respectively. Mine A has gone to a Canadian firm.

The mines, located across the Hindu Kush Mountains, between Bamyan and Maidan Wardak provinces, are known for rich source of iron ore. The cumulative reserves in the four mines are estimated to be over 1.8 billion tonne.

SAIL will have the majority 20% stake in the special purpose vehicle (SPV), which is to be created for the development of the mines, while two other state-run firms - Rashtriya Ispat and NMDC - would have 18% stake each.

Private players - JSW Steel and Jindal Steel & Power will have 12% stake each in the SPV. JSW Ispat and Monnet Ispat would have the remaining between them.

The Central Bamyan province is largely peaceful. However, the Afghan government has already started construction of security posts around the mine, sources said, adding that law and order would unlikely to cause any problem to carry out the mining job.

In fact, Verma had also earlier said he would not like to think security could be a concern as development stands always atop over terrorism. The $6 billion likely investment by the Indian firms would also be a boon for the cash-strapped and war-ravaged Afghanistan.


Business Standard