ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFIED NEWSPAPER Sunday 29 September 2013 23 Dhul-qa’da 1434 - Volume 18 Number 5837 Price: QR2 Miss Philippines Arsenal go clear crowned Miss at top; United World 2013 and City slump Philippines | 11 Sport | 28 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 4455 7741 | Advertising: 4455 7837 / 4455 7780 Panel formed Citizens angry to study illegal visa trade at reports on DOHA: A special committee has been set up to study the ille- gal practice of trading in visas. The committee has launched workers’ plight a field survey among expatriate labourers as part of the project, Al Sharq reported yesterday. The theoretical aspect of the study has British newspaper biased, say many been completed. The survey team will col- DOHA: Several citizens believe the largest French firms,” wrote lect information from labourers that the controversy raging in another. through a questionnaire. Once the the international media over Another commentator said study is complete, a report will be the plight of foreign workers in such campaign against Qatar submitted to the Prime Minister Qatar is part of a campaign to was coming from a country “that and Interior Minister H E Sheikh tarnish the image of the coun- claims professional ethics while Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa try ahead of the 2022 FIFA it is not followed by their press” Al Thani. World Cup. “About work injuries, we face Some fake companies in the The current debate was trig- this problem all over the world construction sector get involved gered by an article in Britain’s and it has nothing to do with the in the visa trade by misusing their Guardian newspaper last World Cup,” he said. licence to obtain visas, and then Thursday investigating the death “This is not new, they are still sell them out. Victims of such of Nepalese workers in Qatar, who in shock to see that an Arab coun- illegal trade are mostly Africans the daily said were employed in try is going to host the World Cup from countries like Nigeria, projects related to the World Cup. that will take place whether they An underground tank explosion at Al Andalus Petrol Station in Doha yesterday caused a cave-in, also damaging Egypt, Comoros, Morocco and The article went viral on like it or not,” wrote another. two cars. (ABDUL BASIT) Tunisia, said the daily, quoting a social media, with many citi- There were also commenta- source. zens expressing their anger and tors who partially agreed with These companies would hire disappointment. the views expressed in the Cave-in after blast at petrol station labourers by taking huge sums The investigation into a seg- article. of money from them and giving ment of foreign workers has “If the report is true, it is not them attractive offers, but once been viewed by many as explicitly good to host the World Cup at the BY FAZEENA SALEEM Muntazah is closed by the Civil There was no fire or smoke at the they land in Qatar, they would biased and highly exaggerated. cost of people,” said a commenta- Defence “because of the droop- site although the ground had mul- find themselves jobless. Even deaths of workers caused by tor. He however put the blame on DOHA: An explosion in the ing of tanks ground. No injuries tiple cracks. THE PENINSULA heart attacks have been linked to companies for such abuses. underground tank of a petrol were recorded,” said a tweet by About 40 people, mostly Asians, work site abuses, they said. “Work in summer is hell. Why station on C-Ring Road yes- the Ministry of Interior at around were working at the petrol station “This is a clear media war are the companies not being terday caused the ground to 3pm yesterday. and the attached service centre at against the Qatari 2022 bid… At forced to provide air-conditioned cave in leading to panic in the “An underground fuel tank was the time of the incident. Several Today’s edition of least we don’t have any homeless buses to transport their labour- area. No one was injured, the damaged due to the pressure cre- outlets, including those of popu- The Peninsula people with no work nor a place to ers?” said a comment on Qatar Ministry of Interior said. ated during maintenance work,” lar fast food chains Subway and includes live in,” read a popular comment Share, a Qatari social network- Two cars parked at the the Ministry said in another Baskin Robbins, are located in on Twitter. ing site. Al Andalus Petrol Station were Arabic tweet. Police and Civil the premises. “We heard a loud “I am disgusted at the Guardian Reacting to the issue, promi- damaged and lay perched on the Defence personnel cordoned off explosion and the ground col- report on Lusail. Reporting one nent Qatari businessman top of the debris thrown up by the the area. Investigations were con- lapsed. It all happened within week before the FIFA meeting Ahmed Al Khalaf also said the blast. Some residents were seen ducted for more than three hours a few seconds and we just fled,” GUIDEGUGUIDIDE is no coincidence. Lusail City is Guardian article was biased. leaving the area after the explo- after the incident by a safety and said a Bangladeshi worker at the SEPTEMBER 2013 not part of the World Cup and THE PENINSULA sion at about 12.45pm. security team. People working petrol station. THE PENINSULA it is managed partially by one of Continued on page 3 Al Andalus Petrol Station in in nearby shops were evacuated. Continued on page 3 SUNDAY 29 SEPTEMBER 2013 02 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com HOME Raf drive to help citizens jailed for loan default DOHA: The Sheikh Thani loans. In addition, if they had suf- In all its humanitarian inter- bin Abdullah Foundation for fered any losses, their business ventions initiatives, it has a clear Humanitarian Services (Raf) should not have been against vision and a noble message that has launched an initiative to Islamic teachings. does not discriminate in the form win the release of Qatari citi- Only cases of individuals who of gender, nationality or culture. zens jailed for failing to repay do not have a history of loan To ensure the success of its loans. defaults will be taken up by Raf. message, Raf has adopted the Raf has set up a fund to get the The move aims to bring back values of humanity, quality, neu- loan defaulters freed, and priority smiles on the faces of family trality and universality. Raf also will be given to women, Dr Yahya members of the prisoners before establishes humanitarian part- bin Hamad Al Naimi, Acting Eid Al Adha. nerships with different founda- Director General of Raf, said at Raf is one of the foundations tions who share the same goal, as a press conference yesterday. in Qatar concerned with humani- a formative and executive mecha- Citizens can benefit from this tarian work for relief and social nism to achieve local and interna- campaign only if it is proved that development, both locally and tional programmes and projects. they have no means to repay their internationally. THE PENINSULA SUNDAY 29 SEPTEMBER 2013 HOME www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 03 Judiciary enjoys Call for enhanced safety at petrol stations Continued from page 1 Several residents said they heard a loud bang and felt the independence, ground vibrate, which left them panicked. “We were on the second floor and felt a sound and shaking and we thought it was an earthquake,” says SJC chief said two employees in an office located less than a kilometre from the petrol station. A Filipino family said they were Plans to have more Qatari judges so scared that they decided to move for a few days. They were DOHA: The number of court means of dispute resolution, Al preparing to leave with their cases in Qatar’s Supreme Ameri said that the law deals belongings in their car when Judiciary Council (SJC) with such cases in cooperation The Peninsula met them in front amounted to 81,452 in 2012 and with the Supreme Council for of their house behind the petrol verdicts were issued on 65,363 Family Affairs and the Family station. cases, latest statistics reveal. Consulting Center. Qatar also deals “We want to move,” said a Although the number of Qatari with rental disputes through com- woman of the family, looking A police officer directing employees of Al Andalus petrol station after an explosion yesterday. ABDUL BASIT judges is on the rise, they comprise mittees formed for settlement of shaken. 60 to 65 percent of the total judges rental disputes. Al Ameri said that Brigadier General Abdullah Hamad Al Dahimi, Director of of a petrol station in Hilal area the Mall roundabout in January in the Council, Chairman of the there are plans to raise the number Al Suwaidi, Director General the Control Room, visited the site. injured over 50 people. this year, calling for enhanced SJC Massoud bin Mohammed Al of Qatari judges. of General Department of Civil A similar incident in 2009 due Also, a fire broke out in a small safety measures at such places. Ameri told Qatar News Agency “Efforts are in place to increase Defence and Brigadier General to a gas explosion in diesel tanks cafeteria in a petrol station near THE PENINSULA (QNA) in an interview yesterday. the national cadres in the field of He said that Qatar has sur- judiciary. The process needs a long passed several countries as far time and experience, and we try to as independence of judiciary was blend the two for those who finish concerned in the region.