Internet, SMS easy, quick services to send greetings

Wishing New Year was never as easy as it has become now due to the advent of technology where people just pressed a button in order to wish their loved ones the good luck to be followed on coming year.

The internet and mobile phones have fast replaced the tradition of sending post cards and greeting cards, which is why there were just a few shops that bothered to display the cards of Happy New Year.

SMS being the most popular and cheap way of communication was largely adopted by the people where the messages comprising New Year wishes, quotes and poetry was forwarded to the dear and near ones in a large number.

“Its something really convenient to send a good message by a single click rather than purchasing a post card and posting it while spending a good sum of money and time,” said Shams-ul-Hassan.

Hassan said that it was not only the matter of time, but one has to take hassle by purchasing card days before the event and then making it sure that it has been received by the concerned person on time. People started sending new year messages from early morning of December 31, but the process gained momentum after evening where most of the mobile networks got jammed around 12.

“I intended to send New Year wish to all my friend at sharp 12:00 midnight, but to my utter disappointment I could only manage to send it at 1:00 a.m., as I was getting the message of ‘message sending failed’ each time I tried to send it,” said Nooria Ahsan, a student of BBA.

Ms Ahsan said that SMS were the true substitute of post cards and greeting cards rather it was better as it was fast, cheap and reliable.

Besides that people also sent greetings through internet via email and face book. “It is the quickest way to wish besides that it costs nothing,” said Usman Murtaza.

Murtaza said that internet was a convenient way of wishing some occasion as one could easily browse the suitable messages through the various websites and send it to the relevant person. However there are number of people who do not consider the technology as a substitute of fast declining tradition of greeting cards. “The pleasure of receiving some greeting cards was unexplainable, which can’t be achieved by thousands of SMS and emails that we receive on the occasions like new year,” said Ghousia Bangash, a housewife.

She said that the real feel of celebration was only felt when they used to head towards market to buy the greeting cards for the loved ones and would post it and then would wait for the cards to be received by them. “The joy of opening, reading and then decorating these cards was unimaginable,” she argued.

The new year messages that started from December 31 continued till the evening of January 1, which not only included the prayers for the receiver, but also prayers for the stability and progress of Pakistan.LINK

US closes its Yemen embassy after Al-Qaeda threats

SANAA — The American embassy in Yemen closed on Sunday after Al-Qaeda threats to attack US interests, as Britain and the United States vowed to support the impoverished country in its fight against Al-Qaeda.

The move came after US President Barack Obama blamed a Yemen-based Al-Qaeda affiliate for the foiled Christmas Day attack on a US airliner and a day after a visit by the American regional military commander, General David Petraeus.

Al-Qaeda's franchise in Yemen had called on Monday for embassies to be targeted as it claimed responsibility for the thwarted attack on the Detroit-bound Northwest airliner.

"The US Embassy in Sanaa is closed today, January 3, 2010, in response to ongoing threats by Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) to attack American interests in Yemen," said a statement posted on the embassy's website.

On Thursday the US mission sent a warden message to American citizens in the country reminding them of the "continuing threat of terrorist actions and violence against American citizens and interests throughout the world."

AQAP on Monday urged further attacks on Westerners in the Arabian Peninsula.

"We call upon every Muslim who cares about his religion and doctrine to assist in expelling the apostasies from the Arabian Peninsula, by killing every crusader who works at their embassies or other places, declare it an all-out war against every crusader on Mohammad's peninsula on land, air and sea," an AQAP statement said.

Both London and Washington have agreed to fund Yemen's special Counter-Terrorism Unit after Obama on Saturday for the first time singled out the Al-Qaeda franchise in Yemen for the thwarted attack.

The special force had in the past received US training and assistance.

On September 17, 2008, the US embassy was the target of an attack claimed by Al-Qaeda in which 19 people were killed -- seven attackers and 12 others, including Yemeni guards and civilians, one of them an American woman.

Last month the defence ministry newspaper said that a raid north of the capital on December 17 killed four suspects and foiled a plot to bomb the British embassy in Sanaa.

Yemen on Sunday welcomed the British and US decision to fund the special force.

"Any assistance provided to Yemen's counter-terrorism force will be most welcome," a government official who requested anonymity told AFP.

The official also said that Sanaa would need help to modernise its coastguard "in light of the danger coming from Somalia."

Somalia's Shebab insurgents pledged on Friday to send militants across the Gulf of Aden to Yemen to help the Al-Qaeda affiliate behind the failed US airliner bombing.

Obama on Saturday blamed Al-Qaeda's Yemen branch for the attack on the US jet by 23-year-old Nigerian suspect Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab.

"We know that he travelled to Yemen, a country grappling with crushing poverty and deadly insurgencies," Obama said in an address posted on the White House website.

"It appears that he joined an affiliate of Al-Qaeda, and that this group, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, trained him, equipped him with those explosives and directed him to attack that plane headed for America."

General Petraeus on Saturday personally delivered a message from Obama to Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh on bilateral cooperation against terror groups.

Britain, meanwhile, has called an international meeting on combating extremism in Yemen for London on January 28, in parallel with a conference on Afghanistan drawing senior ministers or leaders from more than 40 nations.

Yemen is the ancestral homeland of Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden.LINK

Pirates seize second UK-flagged cargo ship

Handout

Somali pirates captured the Singaporean chemical tanker M.T Parmoni with 24 crew members aboard in the Gulf of Aden on New Year's Day.

A UK-flagged cargo ship with 25 crew has been seized by pirates off the coast of Somalia.

The Asian Glory was taken 620 miles off the Horn of Africa, the Bulgarian foreign ministry said yesterday. The vessel, which has many Bulgarian crew members, is the second UK-flagged ship hijacked in days, after chemical tanker St James Park was seized on Monday.

British officials said there were no UK nationals on board. The exact time and location of the hijacking are not yet clear. The 13,000-tonne ship was reportedly transporting cars from Singapore to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.

It is estimated the ship could take up to three days to reach the Somali coast, from where pirates usually hold ransom talks....LINK.

Taliban: CIA Attack Was Retaliation for Drone Strikes

KABUL -- A senior commander connected to the Afghan Taliban and involved with the attack against the CIA that left eight people dead said Saturday that the bombing was retaliation for U.S. drone strikes in the Afghan-Pakistan border region.

"We attacked this base because the team there was organizing drone strikes in Loya Paktia and surrounding area," the commander said, referring to the area around Khost, the city where the U.S. facility was attacked. The commander, a prominent member of the Afghan insurgency, spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The suicide attack, which dealt the biggest loss to the agency in more than 25 years, killed a woman who was the station chief along with six other CIA officers and one private security contractor.

"We attacked on that particular day because we knew the woman who was leading the team" was there, the commander said.

The claims could not be independently verified late Saturday night and the CIA was not available for comment.

Both the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban have claimed responsibility for the attacks. The Pakistani Taliban have claimed responsibility for attacks in the past that Western officials have later rejected.

Some drone strikes had been coordinated from the base, Western officials said. The strikes were to target senior leaders of al Qaeda, the Pakistani Taliban and an Afghan group called the Haqqani Network. The CIA operatives located on Forward Operating Base Chapman, which is near the Pakistani border, were involved in cultivating informants to target insurgent leaders using ground raids and drone strikes.

A number of key leaders of these three groups have been killed by the strikes, which mostly occur on the Pakistani side of the border. Al Qaeda and the leadership of the Haqqani Network are believed to have bases in this area. The strikes have caused considerable anger in the tribal border areas triggered by claims that civilians have also been killed.

U.S. officials maintain that the strikes are necessary to target insurgent leaders who use the border area as a sanctuary.LINK

Battle Over Use of 'Allah' Continues in Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR -- Malaysia is bracing for a bruising linguistic battle after its government vowed to challenge a court ruling allowing local Roman Catholics to refer to God as Allah.

NAJIB ABDUL RAZAK

The legal tussle is raising tensions between Malaysia's ethnic-Malay Muslim majority, who comprise around 60% of this resource-rich nation's population, and its large ethnic-Chinese and Indian minorities. Muslim groups already are preparing demonstrations against a High Court ruling on New Year's Eve to overturn a three-year-old government ban on the Catholic Church using the Arabic word Allah as a translation for God in its Malay-language newspaper.

Government spokesman Tengku Sharifuddin Tengku Ahmad said Sunday the government will file an appeal against the ruling. Among other things, the verdict potentially upholds the constitutional right of the Church's Herald newspaper to refer to Jesus Christ as the son of Allah -- something that might inflame many Muslims here and set back Prime Minister Najib Razak's efforts to bring Malaysia's different religious groups closer together.

The Arab word Allah has been used by Malay-speaking Christians for centuries, much as it is used by Christians in Arabic-speaking countries or in Indonesia, where, like Malaysia, the concept of a single God was introduced by Arabic-speaking traders. Rev. Lawrence Andrew, editor of the Herald, says there's no other appropriate term for God in Malay.

Many powerful Islamic leaders here disagree, however, and fear some Muslims could be misled by Christians using the word Allah. The say the word should be reserved for Islam alone.

Now the controversy is quickly becoming a lightning rod for dissent against what some minority groups and moderate Muslims see as part of a broader Islamization of Malaysia that could deter investors.

Malaysia was, and many cases still is, a moderate, Muslim-majority nation. Its large Chinese and Indian minorities have encouraged trade links and investment, while multinationals helped create a large technology industry to complement Malaysia's large natural gas and agricultural reserves and propel it into the ranks of the world's top 20 exporters.

Nonetheless, Muslim Shariah courts have spread quickly, encouraged in part by a government eager to co-opt the agenda of radical Muslims who hope to eventually turn Malaysia into Southeast Asia's first Islamic state.

Muslim-oriented lobby groups exert a strong influence over the government. In the last six months, a Shariah court for the first time sentenced a woman who drank beer in a hotel to be caned, while a group of Muslim men near Kuala Lumpur threw a severed cow's head onto the site of a proposed Hindu temple -- a gross act of sacrilege.

"Despite official boasting about the country's diverse population and commitment to pluralism, Islam and the government have essentially merged," says Maznah Mohamad, a Malaysian political scientist at the National University of Singapore.

The New Year's Eve ruling penned by Judge Lau Bee Lian was one of the few times that a secular institution has intervened to block the advance of an increasingly political interpretation of Islam in Malaysia. She ruled that under Malaysian law, Christians have "a constitutional right to use [the word] Allah."

The Herald newspaper filed a lawsuit in 2007 challenging a government ban on it using the word Allah as a translation for God, complaining that the prohibition discriminated against Malay-speaking indigenous tribes who converted to Christianity decades ago. The newspaper has a tiny circulation of about 14,000 and is only available in Catholic Churches, although Muslims have complained that it is possible to look up Malay-language material using the term Allah on the Herald's Web site.

Muslim activists were quick to mobilize as soon as the high court verdict was delivered on Thursday afternoon. The National Union of Malaysian Muslim students urged the government to take the case to the Appeals Court, arguing that Christian missionaries using the word Allah could trick Muslims into leaving their faith, and the influential Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement is planning a large demonstration against the verdict in Kuala Lumpur on Friday.

The Malay-language Utusan Malaysia newspaper, meanwhile, reported that the influential mufti of northern Perak, Harussani Zakaria, called the verdict "an insult to Muslims in this country."

Former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said Saturday that authorities should set strict conditions for non-Muslims using the word Allah to avoid to provoking a Muslim backlash.

"What I am afraid of is that the term 'Allah' might be used in such a way that could inflame the anger of Muslims, if [non-Muslims] were to use it on banners or write something might not reflect Islam," the state news agency Bernama reported him as saying.LINK

Report: Egypt opens Rafah crossing at Gaza border for three days

Egypt opened its border with the Gaza Strip on Sunday for a scheduled three-day period, state-run newspapers reported.

Palestinians with travel plans and visas for foreign countries would be allowed out, along with patients in need of medical care, Al-Ahram daily said.

The Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip has generally been closed since 2007, when infighting between Palestinian factions raged, culminating in the Islamist Hamas movement taking over the territory.

Most recently, on December 23, Egypt opened the border for several hundred patients.

Gaza's only other crossing points lie along its border with Israel, which imposes a tight blockade on the territory.

Egypt's border with the Palestinian territory has been the source of protests recently, as hundreds of international activists marched on Rafah, demanding the authorities open the crossing point.

The Egyptian government eventually allowed 86 members of the group entry into Gaza.

Cairo has also come under increasing criticism for reportedly strengthening a wall along the border, with Palestinians concerned it might affect underground smuggling tunnels used to bring in basic supplies, such as food, but also weapons.LNIK

Seven militants arrested in Khyber

A military operation against militants was underway in Bara tehsil. — Photo by Reuters

LANDI KOTAL: Security forces arrested seven suspected militants and recovered a huge cache of explosives from the Akakhel area of Khyber agency’s Bara tehsil.

A military operation against militants was underway in Bara tehsil.

A curfew was also imposed in the area and heavy forces were deployed on the main check post in Bara.

At least 100 local and foreign Taliban militants were killed during the operation, security officials said. Over 200 militants were arrested and most of the area was cleared during the ongoing operation, they said. — DawnNews

LINK
Tags: Khyber agency,Bara tehsil,Landi Kotal

‘Democracy, govt inaction cannot co-exist’

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif has said democracy and the government’s inaction cannot co-exist, a private news channel reported on Saturday. Nawaz said parliament should be made supreme and matters of national interest must be resolved through consultation. Presiding over the provincial organising committee meeting of the PML-N, he demanded the government bring those involved in the assassination of Nawab Akbar Bugti to justice. He said those who got their loans waived off and violated the constitution should also be held accountable. During the meeting, the PML-N chief was briefed on the draft local government law, which has been prepared for introduction in the Punjab Assembly. He was informed that amendments had been made in the bill after feedback from representatives of the government at the district and division level. Intra-party elections, tentatively scheduled for March were also discussed in the meeting. Nawaz said democratic societies do not forgive corruption, and no compromise would be made on national interests. He said electricity, gas and water crises should be solved on war footing. staff report.........LINK

India hands over 31 fishermen, including three children

NEW DELHI: India on Saturday handed over 31 Pakistani fishermen – including three children – at the Wagha-Atari border.

An Indian official said the authorities brought the fishermen to the border from the Bhuj prison in Gujarat for repatriation. A Pakistan High Commission official arrived at the border from New Delhi with emergency travel permits for the released fishermen. Pakistan released 100 Indian fishermen on December 26. Islamabad has been demanding the release of over 700 Pakistani prisoners and more than 63 fishermen in Indian custody. app.........LINK

‘Charter of Democracy should have been implemented’

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. — Reuters photo

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Sunday said that the Charter of Democracy (CoD) should have been implemented immediately in the country as per commitment.

Speaking to the media in Islamabad, Gilani said soon the people of Pakistan will hear good news on the controversial 17th amendment, 58(2)-b and removal of the bar on becoming prime minister for the third time.

Praising the achievements of the government, Gilani said Aghaz-i-Huqooq-i-Balochistan package, army action against militants, Gilgit-Baltistan elections and consensus of all provinces on NFC Award top the list.

He reiterated that there is mutual understanding between the government and the armed forces. He said militants were now targeting civilians in a state of disappointment as security forces were hitting them hard in Waziristan and other areas.

Prime Minister Gilani said 2.5 billion rupees were given to the NWFP government for rehabilitation of people from South Waziristan while 9.6 billion rupees were allocated for rehabilitation of those in Malakand.

Gilani said the government doesn’t believe in political confrontation and that the Nawaz-league was cooperating with the government. — DawnNews

LINK
Tags: Yousuf Raza Gilani,Charter of Democracy,17th amendment

PAF to get eight new F-16 jets by June 2010: Qamar

Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman delivers a speech during the induction ceremony of the first Saab-2000 Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AEW&CS) aircraft in the PAF fleet at PAF Base Minhas in Kamra on Dec 29, 2009. - APP photo

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman has said that the country will get eight new F-16 fighter jets by June 2010.

The Air Chief Marshal said that after the induction of hi-tech Saab-2000 Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AEW&CS) aircraft in the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), the country’s frontiers have become more secure.

In an exclusive interview with DawnNews, the air chief said that the PAF was in the process of getting more advanced weapons which would significantly enhance its capability.—DawnNews

LINK

Tags: F-16,F16,air force,jet,jets,plane,aircraft

India told to beware of strategic mistake

General Tariq Majid, Chairman Joint Chief of Staff Committee. –APP/ File photo

ISLAMABAD: Any misadventure by India against Pakistan will be a strategic mistake and amount to putting itself on the road to destruction, the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, said here on Saturday.

Commenting on the Indian army chief’s statement about preparations to fight China and Pakistan simultaneously, Gen Tariq Majeed said: “Leave alone China, Gen Deepak Kapoor knows very well what the Indian armed forces cannot do and Pakistani armed forces can pull off militarily.”

He expressed doubt about the statement attributed to Gen Kapoor, saying he could not be so “outlandish in strategic postulations to put India on a self-destructive path”.

Gen Majeed, however, said that if the report were correct, the uncalled-for rhetoric only depicted a lack of strategic acumen.

The statement by Gen Majid followed a tit-for-tat reply the previous day to the Indian army chief by his Pakistan counterpart, Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, warning India against treading an adventurous path and declaring that the Pakistan Army was prepared to respond to any existing, potential or emerging threat.

An official told Dawn that Pakistan’s quest for peace in South Asia must not be misconstrued as weakness. “Pakistan’s armed forces have all the ability to frustrate evil designs of the enemy.” He lamented that instead of coming out with a positive response to Pakistan’s efforts for resumption of the stalled peace process, such irresponsible statements were emanating from New Delhi, along with claims of Kashmir being an integral part of India.

LINK

Tags: General Tariq Majid,General Deepak Kapoor,india pakistan armed forces,india pakistan relations

Court exempts Malik from personal appearance

RAWALPINDI: The Special Accountability Court on Saturday exempted Interior Minister Rehman Malik from appearing in person before the court in two references.

Earlier, Malik appeared before the special accountability judge in two references, submitted copies of bail – granted by the Lahore High Court – and sought exemption from appearing before the court in person. The court admitted his application and issued notices to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) before adjourning the hearing until January 12.

According to details, after the winter holidays, special accountability judge Najamul Hassan began hearing the cases that had been reopened after the Supreme Court decision regarding the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).

In his application, Malik stated that it would not be possible for him to personally appear before the court owing to official engagements, both in Pakistan and abroad.

Talking to reporters after appearing before the court, the minister said the judiciary was completely independent and “we all respect it”.

“I will appear before the court whenever the court summons me. The people who have lodged these cases against me will also have to appear before courts,” he added......LINK.

Dhoni seeks consistency

Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni begins the new year grappling with a double-headed problem as he seeks to maintain consistency in the triangular one-day tournament in Bangladesh which also involves Sri Lanka.

Their star-packed side has often looked amateurish in the field with catches - several of them sitters - being dropped with regularity. Dhoni has the added problem of an inaccurate attack - his best bowlers were blasted around the park by Sri Lanka's depleted line-up - on his hands, but he believes redemption is around the corner.

"Our bowling and fielding is a matter of concern," Dhoni said. "Our bowling, especially at the death, has been a problem area for sometime, although we seemed to have shown some improvement recently."

He added: "We have been good in patches, but we are not consistent enough and I don't see why we cannot be consistent.

"We are at a low at the moment, but it is only a matter of time before we get it right."

Hosts Bangladesh take on Sri Lanka in the opening match of the tournament on Monday and although India and Sri Lanka are favourites to make the final, India opening batsman and vice-captain Virender Sehwag is not taking the home side lightly.

"We expect both Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to be very competitive," Sehwag said.

"Sri Lanka are the toughest considering their strength, but there is no question of taking anyone for granted.

"Bangladesh are a tough team to play at home and on their day they are capable of beating any team in the world.

"We have got to play good, competitive cricket and once we do that the results will take care of itself," he said.LINK

Australians show worrying lack of fight

Punted ... Pakistan players celebrate as Mohammad Sami, fourth from left, sets up a potential hat-trick with Australian captain Ricky Ponting's wicket at the SCG yesterday. Photo: Getty Images

By no means was yesterday's track at the SCG a brute. Batting was not impossible. After all, the bounce was even. Pitch preparation is not an exact science. Given a day's sunshine it might have favoured the batsmen - arguably the most protected species in sport. Instead, it remained dank and the ball continued to dart about. It is on tracks of this sort that famous innings are played. Grafters like Bill Lawry, Ken Barrington, Hanif Mohammad and others prided themselves on their ability to dig in until conditions improved. They displayed enough grit to tar a road. Amongst the Australians yesterday, only Shane Watson seemed capable of remaining intact until peace was restored. Modern batsmen are trained to attack but not repel. Most of the wounds were self-inflicted. Watson's judgment of deliveries to be ignored, willingness to move decisively and to wait until the ball was under his chin set him apart. He looked every inch an opening batsman and it took a fine delivery from Mohammad Sami to find his edge and remove him. Watching Sami, it was hard to work out why his average is so high (51.37 runs per Test wicket). Informed sources suggest that he kicked a cat whilst walking under a ladder. Yesterday, however, he generated sharp pace and added some testing movement in several unflagging stints. None of the other top-order batsmen showed the required tenacity. Phillip Hughes was as sketchy as Rolf Harris. His brief innings contained numerous flaws, including uncontrolled cuts and drives executed without any discernible movement of the pegs. It was the innings of a young player caught between yesterday and tomorrow. Fortunately, Test cricket gives batsmen a second chance. Ricky Ponting's batting was sadly lacking in its customary clarity. Injuries can cloud the mind. All sorts of things can affect a cricketer's thinking. Batting captains are loath to elect to bowl because it makes them appear reluctant to walk into the den. Nursing a wound, Ponting was torn between tempers and the skipper paid the penalty. Nor did Australia's middle order rally. Michael Clarke was upended by a corker. Throughout, the Pakistan bowlers kept a full length. Barely once were the batsmen allowed to step back and let the ball do its worst. Michael Hussey resisted diligently until his judgment deserted him. Marcus North was unable to carry out his assigned task of changing the mood of the match. Brad Haddin drove without due care and attention. Durability has a part to play in any game worth tuppence. Flat tracks and tame attacks have inflated batting records. In the 1990s Test wickets cost an average of 31.65 runs apiece. In the past decade, that figure rose to 33.79. Global warming cannot compare with that. In the 1990s, only four batsmen averaged over 50, a mark widely regarded as a reliable definition of greatness. In the decade completed last week, the figure rose by leaps and bounds to 21. It is an astonishing change that long ago ought to have alarmed those responsible for retaining the vital balance between bat and ball. They cannot all be great, or else the word has been stripped of meaning. All the more reason to relish yesterday's tussle. It was a rigorous and even-handed battle for supremacy.LINK

PBF mismanagement spoils boxing tournament

Benazir international boxing organisers come under fire from Iraq and China for failing in running the scoring system and absence of electronic scoreboards.–File photo

KARACHI: The ongoing Benazir Bhutto international boxing became a farce on the opening day owing to mismanagement by the organisers who came under fire from China and Iraq officials for failing in operating the scoring system.

Much-vaunted and publicised by the Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF), the event was virtually a flop on the opening day as the computer scoring system worth millions of rupees recently bought by the national federation from Switzerland did not work.

The third bout between Pakistan Greens’ Mohammed Waseem and Tharindu Dhashilath of Sri Lanka had to be stopped several times as the scoring system did not work and the bout had to be restarted since the judges were unable to give points.

Again during the fifth fight between Hussein Aqeel of Iraq and Yong Dang of China the scoring system stopped working, forcing the referee to stop and start the fight several times, hoping that system would work out well.

As the system failed to work, the technical delegate Nieva Embuldeniya had to personally go and instruct all the five judges to record the points manually. The points were then collected by the referee after each bout before presenting it to the jury for the announcement of the result. Although the work done manually consumed a lot of time, the technical officials did not have a better option.

Investigations revealed that it was not the faulty system, but the person responsible for running it who failed. Waheed Maqsood, the official in question, was sent to foreign tours along with team to get first-hand knowledge about the software which was introduced by International Boxing Association (AIBA) in 2006 and replaced the Chowdhry Scoring System.

While the system worked perfectly at 2006 Doha Asian Games and 2008 Beijing Olympics, it could not work in Pakistan as Waheed Maqsood failed to operate it despite getting familiar with the new software on tours abroad. It is learnt that he might be replaced tomorrow (Sunday) for smooth functioning of the show.

Not only the organisers failed to operate the scoring system, but there were no electronic scoreboards at the venue which is a prerequisite for international competitions. Instead, small computers were installed at the two corners for the coaches.

Ironically, when there was confusion and chaos in the boxing hall, the PBF president Doda Khan and secretary Akram Khan were outside, waiting to receive the ‘dignitaries’ who usually reach late in the sports competitions.

Iraqi chief of delegation, Ghazi Abdul Samad Ahmad, was furious over the mishap, saying the competition had lost its competitiveness because of mismanagement on the part of the organisers.

“The scoring system, the computer, the electronic scoreboards, nothing is working here. The people even don't have the correct names of the boxers, refereeing is very, very poor. The opponent of my boxer was using his palm to hit which is a foul but the referee did nothing. Everything is being done manually. There is total confusion. There is no bell and a person has to shout to start and stop the bout.

“The jury, the judges and the referees, they all know nothing about anything or what’s happening over here. And this is happening in the presence of people from AIBA,” said Ahmad while talking to Dawn.com on Saturday after the bout which the Iraqi boxer lost 5-0.

Ahmad also blamed the oganisers for not making technical arrangements, but said he would not be lodging an official protest after being requested by the technical delegate since the tournament was being organised after the name of former Pakistani prime minister.

“I wanted to lodge a protest, but the technical delegate asked me not to do so as this is Benazir Bhutto tournament. But I will certainly protest at the technical meeting the next morning,” said the Iraqi official.

China team manager Tseng Tzu Chiang also complained about the mismanagement and competition being run in disorderly fashion, violating the rules of AIBA.

“We don’t want anything more than a fair competition. But if the organsers will not be able to run the computers and scoring system, then how will the boxing be promoted. If the bout stops for a longer time for reason which has nothing to do with the fight, then what will the boxer do. He might lose his concentration and the match naturally.

“If the organisers really want to promote boxing, then they must come up with better arrangements. There was no proper scoring system and no electronic scoreboards which is necessary in international competitions,” said the Chinese official who is also the chief coach.

The boxing fans were also disappointed when PBF failed to fulfill its promise of screening the bouts outside the stadium, while the first session was without the ringside bell.

LINK

Tags: shazad ali,dawn,Pakistan,china,iraq,mismanagement,pbf,benazir boxing

Waseem shines as four Pakistanis make quarters

KARACHI: Pakistan’s four boxers, including the most promising, Muhammad Waseem, Mohib Bacha, Abid Ali and Adnan Hussain won their respective bouts to make it to the quarter-finals as Shaheed Benazir Bhutto International Boxing tournament started here at the KPT Benazir Sports Complex on Saturday.

Quetta-born Muhammad Waseem remained the only Pakistani boxer on Saturday who played in domineering way to oust his Sri Lankan rival Thrindu Dhashilath 9-0 in the flyweight category.

Nineteen-year old Waseem, who remained the most successful boxer for the country last year with two bronze medals at international level, played in aggressive manner and was leading 4-0 in the first round.

However, in the second round he played cautiously to shield himself from a possible blow but was able to add three more points to his total. He got two more points in the third round to finish with a 9-0 victory.

“It was an easy win for me. After taking control of the situation in the first round, Cuban coach Francisco Roldan told me to play with ease and try to avert any possible injury. I have started this year with a victory which is a great thing and I would love to win gold for the country in this event,” Waseem told ‘The News’ after the fight.

Meanwhile, in the light flyweight, Mohib Bacha, who is representing Pakistan Whites, faced no resistance against G Dugarkhuu from Mongolia to advance into quarter-finals.

In the featherweight Abid Ali, representing Pakistan Greens, outgunned Khujabekov Shokhrukh from Uzbekistan. Abid played valiantly and kept his opponent under pressure right from the first round.

Abid made good use of his footwork and his rallies were unstoppable for his Uzbek rival. Abid, who has also the experience of playing in the Olympic Qualifiers, at the end got the fight 9-4.

In the lightweight, Adnan Hussain defeated Miklos Varga from Hungary 9-6.

However, Ali Muhammad lost his bantamweight battle against M Faseeh Al Mousa of Syria 2-3 while Arshad Hussain conceded his light welterweight fight to B Tuvshinbat from Mongolia 3-8.

Three Pakistani boxers including Nadir Khan (51kg), Abdul Waheed (51kg) and Niamatullah (54kg) got byes in their respective bouts. Syrian boxer Mousa was tired as he had reached with his side on Saturday morning, but in spite of it he put the long, sturdy Ali Muhammad in persistent trouble throughout. Mousa won the bout 3-2.

Similarly, in the featherweight another Syrian Wessam Salamana beat Janos Mihaly from Hungary 10-2.

In other featherweight fight, Ketchemi Justin from Cameroon ousted Mustafa Qasim from Iraq 9-0.

The Indian boxer Sanjay Singh lost to Nazarov Olimjon of Uzbekistan 0-1 in the flyweight category.

In the bantamweights, Yong Dang (China) beat Hussein Aqeel (Iraq) 5-0 while Chin Yuan Kao (Chinese Taipei) edged out Damith Wijerathne 2-1.

Earlier, an opening ceremony was held which was also graced by Federal Minister for Sports Mir Aijaz Hussain Jakhrani, Federal Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Pir Aftab Shah Jilani, President of the Pakistan Olympic Association General Arif Hassan, Senator Almas Parveen and Sindh Sports Minister Dr Muhammad Ali Shah.

The march past of the participating nations and cultural dances of the federating units added to the charm of the ceremony. Nadir Khan took an oath on behalf of the boxers while Ghulam Hussain Patni did that on behalf of referees/ judges.........LINK

Fielding woes a mystery for Yousuf

SYDNEY: Mohammad Yousuf has seconded his coach Intikhab Alam’s assessment that Pakistan cannot transform their butter-fingered players into world class fingers through shortcuts, saying that it would need long-term efforts to overcome this weakness.

The Pakistan skipper told ‘The News’ in an interview here at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Saturday that even a specialist fielding coach will be unable to address the problem, saying that such a step was taken in the past but yielded little success.

“We had Jonty Rhodes before the tour of England and went on to spill around 20 catches during that series,” said Yousuf referring to South African great Rhodes’ brief stint as a fielding consultant three years ago. Pakistan went on to lose the four-match Test series against England 0-3.

Fielding has been Pakistan’s biggest concern on the twin tours of New Zealand and Australia and many experts have warned that without better catching they cannot do well against top sides like Australia.

Pakistan floored six catches in their 170-run loss against Australia in the first Test in Melbourne. There were several dropped catches during the Test tour of New Zealand earlier in the season when Pakistan barely managed to draw the three-match series 1-1.

There have been reports that the Pakistan Cricket Board is mulling over the idea of roping in a specialist fielding coach even though it appointed former Test pacer Waqar Younis as the team’s bowling and fielding coach.

Yousuf said that he and his teammates have tried everything in the book to improve the fielding performance. “We have been carrying out extensive fielding sessions. What else can you do,” he said.

The captain finds nothing wrong with the way his players go for their catches. “I don’t know why we drop so many catches because all of these guys are good fielders,” he said.....LINK.

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