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WEDNESDAY. APRIL 01 . 2015 -Hamal 12, 1394 HS www.afghanistantimes.af www.facebook.com/ afghanistantimeswww.twitter.com/ afghanistantimes

White House looks to be more serious to bring the Afghan war to a rational end. Obama wanted to end the mission in Afghanistan before the end of his tenure AT Monitoring Desk KABUL: Following the recent vis- as they are currently engaged in Pakistani Taliban groups as they stan has cut its support to the Af- it of Afghan leaders to the United training and assisting Afghan forc- were being hit by terrorist attacks. ghan Taliban, but there is a much States where the US President es. Rubin went on saying that Pres- The Afghan government has more positive environment there, Barack Obama agreed on slowing ident Obama has yet to change the not seen evidence so far that Paki- he said. down its troop s withdrawal from plan of 2016 complete withdraw- Afghanistan, Philadelphia Inquir- al from Afghanistan. Very clearly er quoted an American analyst, the President wanted to end the KABUL: The ex-President Hamid Karzai talking to tribal elders from Trudy Rubin as saying that Presi- war before leaving his office, she southern Uruzgan province at his office on Tuesday. The elders expressed dent Obama is overeager to leave said. Terming Afghan forces brave concerns over reactivation of Bagram prison. Afghanistan. President Ashrf and capably Rubin said that they Ghani and CEO Dr. Abdullah Ab- still needed US help with air, in- dullah trip to Washington last week telligence, and logistic support, as had opened a new chapter in bilat- well as financing after 2016. Our US may extend eral relations of the two countries. 10,000 advisors have symbolic Work on CASA-1000 President Obama would uti- value that transcends its military Afghan lize this opportunity in order to importance. It signals to the world bring war in Afghanistan to a hap- that the United States is still com- mission: py ending, Rubin said. This time mitted to a stable Afghanistan, to kick off soon the White House is looking more she said. She said that decision and OFFICIAL AT Monitoring Desk serious to bring war into a rational deadline to keep US forces until end and also committed to help end of 2016 in Afghanistan had AT Monitoring Desk KABUL: Ministry of Foreign Af- and transitional parts of the new government in stabilizing Af- brought new changes in thinking fairs (MoFA) said Tuesday that project have been given final touch- ghanistan, Rubin said. She adds of the Taliban as they have already KABUL: A senior US official said that Obama agreed to delay pull- decreased interest in negotiating Uzbek group in Afghanistan pledge that Washington might extend the work on CASA-1000 power tran- es and construction work on the out of the last 10,000 US troops peace deal with new government. stay of American troops in Af- sition project will kick off in near project will kick off in near future. The insurgent groups say they allegiance to Islamic State ghanistan beyond 2016. future as the stakeholders during a The project is scheduled to be would never hold peace talks until At a time when most of the meeting have reached vital im- completed in 2018. Afghanistan TALIBAN complete pullout of foreign troops Agroup of Uzbeks in northern Afghanistan, claiming to be from the US officials are stressing on with- provements in this regard. will import 300 megawatts of from the country. The deadline Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), says it is pledging allegiance drawal of troops from Afghani- MoFA spokesman Shekib power and Pakistan 1,000 mega- commander would definitely have negative to the Islamic State extremist group. A person calling himself Sadulla stan, the senior National Security watts of power. impact on president Ghani s ac- Urgenji said the IMU no longer views Taliban leader Mullah Omar as A number of critics say they detained in Kabul tivities to persuade Pakistan, Iran, leader since he has not been seen for some 13 years and, according to Council official, Jeff Eggers, said India, and China to come to the that option to extend the stay of were optimistic about the govern- Shari a, can no longer be leader. Urgenji said his group was recogniz- AT News Report fore and jointly work for stabiliz- ing the authority of the Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, leader of the Islamic troops in 2017 is open for discus- ment s recent struggles for start- ing Afghanistan, she said. She said sion. ing mega economic projects that that Abdullah Abdullah, Chief Ex- State group. The group also posted a video online that showed mem- The New York Times quoted can bring seismic changes in Af- ecutive of the National Unity Gov- bers beheading an Afghan soldier. Urgenji said Afghan forces had cap- Eggers as saying, However, it still ghans life and can improve econo- ernment, in Afghan embassy told tured several female IMU members in Faryab Province recently and in remains the intent to consolidate my of Afghanistan. the author that they have seen a retaliation the group took 30 Afghan soldiers captive. He said Afghan and complete the retrograde down Radio Azadi quoted Taj Mo- change in tone in Pakistan howev- authorities ignored an offer to exchange the soldiers for the IMU wom- hammad Akabar, an analyst in eco- er adding that there was a lot of en supporters so the group decapitated one of the soldiers and prom- to a Kabul-based security cooper- interaction between civil and mili- ation office mission in 2017. Mostaghni told newsmen in Kab- nomic affairs, as saying that the ised to execute more unless their demand was met. tary leadership. Abdullah said that Afghan authorities have not commented on the video. (RFE/RL) According to military termi- ul that the World Bank, USAID government should work serious- Pakistan impelled to make target nology, retrograde is a process of and other organizations which are ly on the projects. He said the troops and material withdrawal. funding the project have underlined CASA-1000 project is not only He expressed optimism over the need for finalizing the impor- important for Afghanistan but also Resolute Support: Georgia nods to future of Afghanistan and said that tant project. for Pakistan and its people. ties with between Kabul and Wash- He said the World Bank has He added that several Afghans DEPLOY TROOPS TO AFGHANISTAN ington are going in the right direc- pledged $526 million for comple- will be provided job opportunity tion. Obama and President Ghani tion of CASA-1000 power project. through the project and Afghani- AT Monitoring Desk have started discussing the Afghan He said that after announcing stan can receive transit tax from rienced and prepared to perform launched this year in January. The government s desire for further financial support for the project the project once it was completed. their new job efficiently in Afghan- Resolute Support Mission in- in March, the World Bank has Despite the optimism about KABUL: The National Director- KABUL: Georgia has decided to flexibility in the US withdrawal deploy its troops in Afghanistan istan. cludes 14 NATO members and plans for next year, he added. vowed $526 million as part of the CASA-1000 project, a number of ate of Security (NDS) on Tuesday said that a Taliban commander was long with the US Marines to sup- Despite strained relations be- partner nations contributing more Spokeswoman for the Nation- $17 billion cost of the scheme. analysts believe that the main hur- tween the European Union and than 12,000 personnel to train, According to him, candidates dle for the project is insecurity and arrested in an operation in Kabul. port the NATO s new mission al Security Council, Bernadette Russia, Georgia is major contribu- advice and assist the Afghan Na- Meehan, said the US President for installation of multi-terminal insurgent activities which will im- In a press statement issued called Resolute Support. HVDC converter stations in Af- pede its implementation. here, the spy agency said that its A ceremony in this connection tor to the NATO s post-2014 mis- tional Security Forces. Barack Obama is firmly standing sion in Afghanistan, in terms of Deputy Commander of the on his plans to limit the role of ghanistan, Pakistan and Tajikistan However, security officials agents succeeded in arresting the was held last Tuesday at Vaziani along with HVDC Line from Sang- have assured that will leave no most dreaded insurgent command- Training Area, not far from Rus- troop size. We don t [get] the US Marine Corps Forces Europe troops to only embassy after th 2016. tuda to Peshawar through Kabul stone unturned to provide safe er, Hamidullah, in the 5 district sia s border. The ceremony was at- chance to choose our country, to and Africa, Brig. Gen. Norman L. Eggers s statement gives a will be announced in the upcom- environment for implementation of of Kabul. tended by Chargé d Affaires of the choose our neighbors, or to choose Cooling, said: It is truly impres- glimpse into uncertainty within the ing month. He said that financial the CASA-1000 project. The arrested Taliban leader US Embassy in Tbilisi Nicholas when we serve but by support- sive how far we have come togeth- Obama administration as the US was involved in different terror Berliner, and deputy commander ing international security, you guar- er as a team in our ability to pros- activities in Ghazni, Paktika and authorities are confused over time- Senate OKs law on wedding of US Marine Corps Forces Eu- antee the safety and security of ecute a mission on behalf of NATO frame of troops withdrawal and Kabul provinces. Hamidullah was your own country, Kapanadze and the international coalition. sent to Kabul for assassination of rope and Africa, Brig. Gen. Nor- their duties. dress, guest numbers man L. Cooling. said. Cooling said the Georgian bat- Gossips in Washington indi- foreign citizens, the statement said. Georgia has deployed entire talion which is going to be de- KABUL: The Meshrano Jirga on till 11pm. A wedding hall owner vi- The arrested Taliban com- Chief of Defense of Georgian cate that the United States might Armed Forces, Major General Va- battalion annually to support the ployed in Afghanistan has trained consider revamping strategy to end Tuesday approved a draft law ban- olating the law would be fined 30,000 mander confessed that he was in- volved in multiple terrorist activi- khtang Kapanadze, told his troops US-led ISAF mission since 2010. well and is among the most so- the ongoing war in Afghanistan. ning un-Islamic dress at wedding afghanis for the first time. A second NATO s new mission was phisticated of any forces . However, analysts say that with parties and limiting the number of violation would entail the wedding ties. that they were well-trained, expe- bullets the US could not end the guests to 500. Drafted by the judi- hall s licence cancellation, Munsif war but through peace efforts cial commission of the Wolesi Jir- warned. But a lawmaker from north- only. Recently, the Taliban denied ga (lower house), the legislative ern Baghlan province, Faisal Sadiqi, talking to the Afghan government. measure had been referred to the believed limiting the number of The insurgent group said that it Senate for approval on January 7, guests could damage investments in was annoyed by the Obama s re- 2014. Mohiuddin Munsif, the the country. In response, Munsif cent decision to delay pullout of commission head, hoped the law said: I agree that well-off people the US troops. would help revive Afghan culture, can afford to invite more guests but Foreign and Afghan political discourage prohibitively high dow- others people cannot. This law is and military affairs experts are not ry, prevent moral corruption and applicable to all people. I don t think so optimistic about role of the US cement couple relationships. it would affect investment. Under troops in post-2014 Afghanistan. Based on the draft law, a maximum the draft law, men cannot wear They say that when large number of 500 wedding guests could be women s dress or dance at wedding of foreign troops could not defeat invited and such functions will parties. It will also outlaw the use the insurgents then how could few have to conclude by 3pm. Night of alcoholic beverages, tobacco thousand troops will do this job. wedding parties will have to end products and smoking. (Pajhwok) Father of raped toddler seeks CAPITAL PUNISHMENT FOR RAPISTS I will commit suicide in front of the Presidential Palace if my plea goes unaddressed, says Nooruddin AT Monitoring Desk KABUL: Two-year-old Nilofar, who has no idea about ups and downs in life and her eyes are only familiar with toys which she plays with, became the victim of gang rape by three men in northern Takhar province six months back. Her father, Nooruddin, says he wants capital punishment for those behind his heinous act. He was quoted by Radio Azadi, as saying that he is seeking justice for her girl for past six months but his plea has gone unnoticed so far. The Supreme Courte Directorate asked me to give Afs200,000 [nearly $3500] to proceed his daughter s case, he said. I urge the president to kill me with my family. I don t have the ability to pay taxi fare. How will I be able to pay this heavy amount? he asked. He said that according to Shari a Law and the Constitution he wants capital punishment for those behind raping his daughter. He also said that three gunmen sexually abused his daughter in Rustaq district of Takhar but no one notices his plight because the perpetrators are powerful men. Nooruddin has spent several days in front of judiciaries and courts. He said one of the three men is Azizullah who is under custody. He noted that his family was threatened by relatives of Azizullah since he has started seeking justice for his two-year-old daughter. He said that he will commit suicide in front of the Presidential Palace if his demand was not addressed and if the men were not hanged. Nooruddin has left Takhar to Kabul because of the threats he received from families of the three men. He blames judiciaries for not addressing his problems. He said he loans money to pay taxi fare for visiting judiciaries. In the meantime, spokesman for Attorney General Office (AGO), Basir Azizi, said those behind gang rape of the child are under pupil carrying his quilt walks on a mountain road in Nongding Village of Bansheng County, south China s Guangxi custody and their dossiers have been sent to the Supreme Court for further proceedings. The dossier of AZhuang Autonomous Region. There are about 250 students from all 22 villages of Nongyong. Every Monday, most of Nilofar has been followed up first in AGO office in Takhar and it has been sent to Kabul. We have sent the them have to walk over hills on their way to the school. In weekdays, about 30 children share seven or eight beds in a small dossier to the Supreme Court and we are waiting for the court s decision, he said, as quoted by Radio Azadi. However, Nilofar s father urges the government to feel his pain and give exemplary punishment for those room less than 20 square meters. Their main source of drinking water is recycled rainwater. However, rough teaching and who have committed the atrocious act with his daughter. living facilities did not change their deep desire for knowledge. Photo by Xinhua This document was created with Win2PDF available at http://www.win2pdf.com. The unregistered version of Win2PDF is for evaluation or non-commercial use only. This page will not be added after purchasing Win2PDF. WEDNESDAY. APRIL 01, 2015 AFGHANISTAN TIMES Basic development projects The ascent of Afghan women completed in Kunar province By Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson As many as 24 development According to NSP Provincial Zahra Karimi Nooristani, 18, cau- ethnic and socio-economic mix. proved attendance at the training projects have been completed in Manager in Kunar province, these tiously works her way down a rock They are also from the national sessions. Nurgal, Narang and Sarkani dis- development projects include the face high above Kabul as her coach, Taekwondo and mountain climb- All 12 girls showed up and tricts of Kunar province. construction of a 1,002-meters re- Farhad Jamshid, guides her. ing teams. The new joint team wolfed down the spinach stew and Costing 40,455,116 AFN, taining wall, an irrigation reservoir, It is hazardous for his top fe- trains at Kabul s main sports com- roasted chicken. It was the first these projects were implemented a 1,074-meter rural road, a 7,495- male student to be rappelling here, plex, called Ghazi Stadium. meal that day for many of them. by the National Solidarity Program meter sidewalk, a 7,229-meter not only because of the steep Building up the girls strength They eat inside the mountain (NSP), which works within the water supply network and exca- drop, but because she is using a and stamina is a top priority. They climbing federation office at Ghazi framework of the Ministry of Ru- vation of 34 wells. frayed, nine-year-old rope handed are supposed to train for 90 min- stadium, where pictures of the ral Rehabilitation and Develop- Approximately, 3,656 families down from the men s mountain- utes three or more times a week in men s team adorn the wall. ment. in various communities have been The local community had a able to gain access to basic human 10% contribution to the imple- needs upon completion of these mentation process. projects. Wadsam Dried Apricots becoming a new productive source of income for women

Farming is generally a male-domi- grams aimed at increasing household income. One of such programs is apricot sulfur drying. Sakina heard of nated occupation in Afghanistan. the training from her neighbors who had already attended it earlier. And with the new techniques and skills In homes where women serve as received at the training Sakina started receiving more money for her apricots. We ve been doing it in a the head of the family they rely traditional way spreading apricots on a roof to dry in the sun, later we wash them, but the quality still almost entirely on agricultural-re- remains bad, and it doesn t bring much revenue in a local market. she said. Sakina s husband is an apricot lated activities for their household farmer with a small piece of land inherited from his grandfather. While Sakina and her six children help in a income. Sakina, 34, from Parwan field, she d like to do more to contribute to the family income. There is no school in our village, so I want to Province participated in the sulfur hire a teacher to teach my children. Earning more money will allow my kids to receive appropriate education, apricot drying training. In Afghan- she said. Wadsam istan farmers often dry their apri- eering team. this Spartan gym with no bathroom LeGree says the space is not cots in the sun on bare ground. Sun- Another danger she faces is the or showers. In keeping with Af- ideal, given the steady stream of dried apricots are hard and dark 15 terror suspects arrested in Wardak prospect of her neighbors finding ghanistan s conservative heritage, interruptions by male federation brown color that makes their val- AT News Report out she s climbing at all. they train in loosely fitting track members. She wants to keep the ue in local markets low. To help Afghanistan is a mountainous suits and most of the girls cover girls focused on their training, so farmers improve their incomes, KABUL: Afghan security forces detained 15 suspected militants in central Maidan Wardak province, country, but scaling the peaks for their hair with headscarves or caps she is searching for a house or USAID s Commercial Horticulture said a local official. sport is a new concept here. Moun- while exercising. apartment to accommodate them. and Agricultural Marketing Pro- The provincial police chief, Muhammad Khalil Andarabi, said that Afghan security forces conducted a taineering is considered an odd While the federation has on But for now, training contin- gram (CHAMP) provides training military operation against the militants, responsible for killing civilians on Kabul-Ghazni highway. The pastime for men, let alone women occasion paraded the girls in front ues in earnest at Ghazi Stadium, on the drying apricots techniques operation was conducted in Jang-e-Pain and Jang-e-Bala areas of Sayedabad district of the province, he whose modesty Afghan society of Afghan television cameras, As- where they sprint up the bleach- using sulfur, converting apricot added. Andarabi said that security forces arrested 15 suspected militants, including son of Mullah Sher, a demands be protected at any cost cend has taken pains to keep them ers and rappel down 23-foot-high harvests into a high-value product. Taliban commander. Mullah Sher is a Taliban commander, who was allegedly involved in killing of 13 even death. out of the limelight. The NGO has walls. CHAMP integrates women civilians on Kabul-Ghazni highway in the province. Zahra says her father, who blocked its Facebook page in Af- One of the trainees is Ascend into many areas of its program- It is worth mentioning that insecurity has mounted on most highways of the country recently. Around carves gravestones for a living, has ghanistan and neighboring Paki- Program Coordinator Nargis Az- ming, particularly training pro- five incidents of kidnapping have taken place on highways over the past two months. told her he is prepared to move stan, plus kept the date of the Mt. aryun, who says the stadium vis- the family to protect her and her Noshaq climb secret to try to pro- its are bittersweet. When she was three sisters, who are also budding tect the girls from the Taliban or a young child, the Taliban used the climbers. He and his daughters are other extremists here who might facility for public executions Afghanistan script their World Cup moment adamant they be allowed to prac- try to harm them. most memorably of women. One would have expected to see and kept his and team's poise well. Major disappointment Verdict tice their new skills. The risk isn t keeping the four She thinks of the Taliban s vic- fast bowler Shahpoor Zadran race The dedication of the Nooristani sisters away. The tims every time she enters the gates. Most valuable player While Afghanistan bowlers For any Associate team, a win across the field with hands out- Samiullah Shenwari topped bowled their heart out, they were under their belt in a World Cup is a Nooristani girls and the devotion coaches say they come to training Azaryun recalls being fright- stretched in celebration after tak- of their father inspires Marina more than any of the other girls. ened the day the Taliban fell in the run-charts for Afghanistan with more often than not defending low proud moment, and for Afghani- ing a wicket, but the tall and strap- 254 runs at an average of 42.33 totals as the batting failed to live stan, whose rise to international Kielpinski LeGree the force There is Rabia, 17, who s still 2001. To celebrate, a male cousin ping bowler had the opportunity behind the girls training. In the in high school; Zahra, the high put a burka on a broom and lit it and was able to hold the otherwise up to the expectations. cricket has been nothing less than to do that after hitting a four in the fickle batting order together. He is Former skipper Nawroz Man- phenomenal, to put up a fight image below, she s sitting with school senior; Farnaz, 20, who has on fire. Azaryun says she was con- last over, taking his team to victo- Afghan colleague Faisal Naziry, applied to go to medical school; vinced the militants would return not a technically gifted player, but gal is an experienced campaigner against the likes of Sri Lanka and ry against Scotland in the ICC his unorthodox approach was rath- who has played a big role in shap- Bangladesh was heartening to see. and Malang Darya, a well known Niloofar, 21, who has applied to and punish them. Cricket World Cup 2015. It was Afghan climber. midwifery school. Fourteen years later, the 22- er successful. ing this team and for him to score They did not shy away from show- Afghanistan's glory moment that He had played a crucial part just 108 runs in six matches at an ing their potential and by includ- LeGree, a 36-year-old resident Zahra is painfully shy, but also year-old college student revels in everyone wanted to see and look- of Norfolk, Va., who has spent fearless, and her trainers say she is pushing boundaries. in Afghanistan's big win over Bang- average of 18.00 was just disap- ing the likes of Javed Ahmadi, Af- ing back at their maiden World Cup ladesh in the Asia Cup and from pointing. The only Afghanistan sar Zazai and Usman Ghani in the years shepherding development the team member most likely to She s sort of den mother to the campaign they should be proud of projects in northeastern Afghani- make it make it to the top of Mt. girls, whom she joins on a bus that being a handy lower-middle order player to score a century in ODIs, squad; they showed that they have what they achieved. They were bat, the 28-year-old has trans- expectations from Mangal were already started investing in the fu- stan, directs a non-profit called Noshaq. takes them to one of the team s expected to win against a weaker Ascend that funds and organizes The sisters live with their par- weekly practice ascents on the formed himself in to the team's really high, but the 30-year-old fell ture, which, by the way, looks re- team like Scotland which they did, mainstay. short. ally promising. Cricbuzz not only the training, but leader- ents and other siblings in two outskirts of Kabul. but the way they ran teams like ship classes for the Nooristani sis- rooms in a hilly, impoverished, It feels amazing, she says of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh close ters and a handful of other Afghan Kabul neighborhood called Chehel the climbs. It feels like you are gave us a glimpse of their poten- girls recruited to be mountain Sotoon or Forty Columns. It s just born and you have a chance to tial. But like any other smaller climbers. widely said to be home to Muslim conquer the world. team, Afghanistan too were unable LeGree says her goal is to cre- extremists who fly the black flags But the team is missing every to sustain their early momentum ate a crop of Afghan heroines pas- of the self-described Islamic State. kind of apparel and equipment and fizzled away as the league sionate about improving their The women of this ultra-con- needed to scale a mountain, some- phase progressed. country and who inspire other servative neighborhood rarely thing LeGree says she s desper- Record in the WC Played 6, women here to break barriers. leave the mud-walled compounds ately trying to rectify. Won 1, lost 5, Points 2 It s a profound thing that s in which they live. At this army base, the girls line High Point been missing for a while in Afghan- The girls describe mountain- up before the hike in everything Recording their first win at a istan throughout the war and cha- climbing as liberating. There s from sneakers to cheap knockoffs World Cup will most definitely be os and everything else, LeGree freedom up there, Rabia says with of brand-name hiking boots pur- the highest point of the World Cup says. It doesn t mean the house- a nervous giggle, adding that she s chased at the Bush Bazaar for the Asians minnows, but they wife who is in her compound in amazed at how much stronger she (named for the former U.S. presi- had to toil very hard for that. Af- Kandahar is going to go start climb- feels than when she began training dent), a market that once traded ter Shahpoor (4/38) and Dwalat ing mountains, but she will know last fall. Back then my lungs were in goods acquired from the U.S.- Zadran (3/29) had restricted Scot- another Afghan woman did it and burning, she says. The first time led coalition. Some of the girls land to 211, it took a special effort that message is really important. up was really hard. Someone had aren t even wearing socks. from Samiullah Shenwari (96) to The new team s ultimate test to pull me up the mountain by my But shabby shoes and falling take his team closer to a win be- will come later this year, when hand. snow don t stop the girls. They fore the last pair of Hamid Hasan Ascend takes the young women The girls say their role model take less than two hours to hike and Shahpoor sealed a historic win to the remote, northeastern corner is their cousin, Sediqa Mayar up the trail-less slopes. Once on at Dunedin. The match will also of Afghanistan to scale the coun- Nooristani, 22. She became some- top, they pose for selfies and dine go down as one of the best of this try s highest peak. Mt. Noshaq. thing of a celebrity after learning on kebabs rappelling is out be- edition along side New Zealand- Only two Afghans have ever made to climb when she was 14, when cause of the bad weather. Australia's low-scoring thriller and it to the 24,580-foot-high summit European mountaineers were train- LeGree joins them on the hikes the 1st semi-final fixture between and they were men. One was ing her father and other Afghan when she s in the country, and is New Zealand and South Africa - Darya. men. visibly fond of the girls. But she s both at Auckland. But the climb itself may prove She now heads the national not sure any of them will reach the Low Point less difficult than organizing a via- mountain climbing federation, but summit of Mt. Noshaq. Considering a lot was expect- ble team. rarely trains with the Ascend team, She says rag-tag practice ed of Afghanistan's bowling unit Afghanistan s national moun- which is why you don t see her in climbs aren t enough. She s also and the fact that they had the op- tain climbing federation, which these pictures. But she does go on frustrated that most of the girls position batsmen in a spot of both- claims authority over the women s most practice climbs and says she aren t showing up to every train- er more often than not, conceding team and coaches, has refused to plans to scale Mt. Noshaq. ing session. a 412 runs in their 50 overs to formalize an agreement with As- In the Chehel Sotoon neighbor- I ve been worried from the Australia will be something they cend. Its board has demanded the hood, few know the four sisters very beginning about a baseline of will like to forget rather quickly. American NGO turn over all funds are training to be mountain climb- physical fitness because technical David Warner's 133-ball 178 blew and gear to them. That s something ers. If anyone asks where they go skills or not, you are not going to away Afghanistan and the misery LeGree and her Afghan employ- every day, the family says they be getting up that mountain if you was piled on by Steven Smith (95) ees refuse to do because they fear are taking English classes. The girls are huffing and puffing, LeGree and a Glenn Maxwell special (88 the money could be misappropri- have no workout clothes other explains. off 39 balls). The batting unit was ated. Afghan President Ashraf than the blue tracksuits and sneak- And there s a strong possi- no match to Australia's superior Ghani recently ordered audits of ers Ascend bought them. bility that at least half of them just bowling attack and the Associate all Afghan sports federations on We know they partially won t be able to get to the top. nation pummelled to the biggest suspicion of corruption. come because we feed them and The Afghan Mt. Noshaq loss (runs) in any World Cup los- The federation s demands are provide transportation and that s climber, Malang Darya, put the ing the tie by 275 runs. hardly unique. Some Afghans as- totally fine with me, LeGree says. odds even lower, predicting only a Captaincy verdict sume when an ex-pat becomes That s how lots of scrappy ath- third will make it. Mohammad Nabi the player involved in a project they may have letes developed. That s why LeGree has decid- did not do much in the World Cup lots of money, says Naziry, As- They want it. Any day, give ed to recruit six new girls from scoring just 90 runs in six matches cend s operations manager. The me people who want something Wakhan region, where Mt. Noshaq and taking three wickets at an av- money becomes their priority. and are willing to work for it and is located. They are expected to erage of 87.00 with a run-rate of In Ascend s case, the roughly we can provide them (with) ev- arrive in Kabul to begin training 5.71. But as a captain, Nabi has $30,000 LeGree says has been erything else. next month. (NPR) always been an inspirational fig- spent so far has largely come from And as LeGree discovered, the Editor s Note: The mountain ure and they way he the lead the her own pocket. Afghan women s team needs ev- climbing federation office at Ghazi team as remarkable. The most LeGree also had a hard time erything, including food. Stadium in Kabul where the girls striking moment of Nabi's captain- finding Afghan girls who can com- Ascend arranged with several were eating their meals was cy came when Afghanistan were mit to the rigorous training and the local restaurants to send lunches destroyed early Sunday in a fire closing in on a win against Scot- eventual climb, so the current Mt. with fresh vegetables and lean caused by a wood-burning stove. land. Samiullah Shenwari's heroics Noshaq team only came together meats to the girls after their work- The men s and women s teams both had the Afghanistan camp all ex- last fall. outs. The daily, $5 per climber in- lost equipment in the fire, but no cited, but Nabi ensured that the The 12 members are a diverse vestment has dramatically im- one was hurt. team didn't go berserk after the win This document was created with Win2PDF available at http://www.win2pdf.com. The unregistered version of Win2PDF is for evaluation or non-commercial use only. This page will not be added after purchasing Win2PDF. WEDNESDAY. APRIL 01, 2015 AFGHANISTAN TIMES An exhibition of Afghan govt agencies may have wasted Afghanistan s economic achievements to BILLIONS IN US AID: PENTAGON be held in Dushanbe Highlighting the Afghan government's money-management weakness, the U.S. De- fense Department officials have been reported by Washington Examiner as saying A delegation of the Afghanistan that the Afghan government agencies may have wasted billions of dollars in direct Chamber of Commerce and Indus- U.S. aid. tries (ACCI) met with the Tajiki- The source revealed that the officials with the Combined Security Transition stan Chamber of Commerce and Command-Afghanistan (CSTC-A) told the Pentagon's Inspector General that they Industries representatives in Dus- felt "pressure to maintain hard-fought gains" in the development of Afghan security hanbe to discuss expansion of forces and as a result, were willing to "overlook" troubled contracts made possible by trade and economic cooperation U.S. and coalition funds. between the two nations. "The Pentagon watchdog found that Afghan agencies enforced no formal spend- The two parties reportedly ing requirements to protect the flood of funding the U.S. and other nations poured reached an agreement on holding into the country to support the developing national security forces," it added. an exhibition of economic achieve- The inspector general, according to Washington Examiner, has warned that Af- ments of Afghanistan in Dushan- be in August of this year. ghanistan would not be able to continue functioning without uninterrupted support EMERGENCY of NATO contributions if it didn't address the contracting problems. According to reports, as many "Until it mitigates these challenges, [the government of Afghanistan] will contin- as 85 Afghan enterprises are cur- CALLS ue to depend on coalition-provided capabilities," the report said. "Future direct assis- rently operating in Tajikistan. tance funds are vulnerable to fraud and abuse." Afghanistan and CSTC-A, however, Last year, the trade between Afghanistan and Tajikistan was Police have already signed a bilateral agreement to safeguard U.S. assistance against waste valued at USD 106mn, which con- and abuse. sisted of USD 54mn worth of ex- 100 - 119 "Afghan Ministry of Defense overpaid more than $180 million for fuel it pur- ports from Tajikistan to Afghani- chased that was intended for fleets of vehicles that didn't even work," the source stan and Tajikistan s USD 52mn added. worth of imports from Afghani- Hospitals The Pentagon, according to Examiner, has pumped $3.3 billion into Afghanistan's stan. Wadsam security forces between 2010 and 2013 and plans to contribute another $13 billion between 2015 and 2019. FMIC Hospital The Afghan analysts, meanwhile, urge the government to bring all the corrupt Behind Kabul Medical Afghan defense ministry officials to justice. University: "Those who are involved in this corruption should be brought to justice, and the future contracts should be monitored transparently," MP Sayed Ali Kazimi said. 0202500200-+93793275595 Soon after taking the oath as the new president of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani promised to fight corruption which has caused that the country to be known globally Rabia-i-Balkhi Hospital as the most corrupt country in the world. Tolonews Pule Bagh-e- Umomi 070263672 Kandahar governor orders 6 Taekwondo 36 militants killed in different ops swoop on amulet sales, sorcery athletes selected Khairkhana Hospital AT News Report 0799-321007 KANDAHAR CITY: The gover- situation is markedly different to face national 2401352 nor of southern Kandahar prov- from six years ago. KABUL: Afghan security forces ince on Tuesday asked police to While appreciating enhanced team have killed 36 insurgents and in- crack down on amulet sales, sor- coordination among security forc- jured many others in a series of Indira Gandhi Children cery and other superstitious prac- es, he suggested more training op- military operations launched tices with grave social consequenc- portunities for police both at home against anti-state elements in dif- Hospital, Wazir Akbar es. and abroad. ferent insecure parts of the coun- Khan, Kabul 2301372 Chairing a meeting on the se- Pointing to a surge in poppy try, official sources said on Tues- curity situation in the province at cultivation and smuggling, he said day. his office here, Dr. Toryalai Weesa the current eradication of the con- The 215th Maiwand Military Ibn-e- Seena called for curbing dodgy activities traband efforts would not work; Corps in a media statement said of amulet sellers, faith-healers and stringent measures were needed to that 33 militants were killed and Pul-e-Artan, Kabul magicians. discourage the illicit business. seven others injured in the past 24 2100359 He also noted with concern the Drugs can be easily found in hours during operation in Sangin increasing presence of dancing boys Kandahar City. Women and chil- district of Helmand province. in marriage parties, calling the prac- dren are selling hashish and other The statement said that huge Wazir Akbar Khan tice inconsistent with Afghani- drugs in the garb of beggars. Simi- cache of arms and ammunitions wounded in a separate operation much vital to maintain peace in the Hospital stan s cultural and religious values. larly, some police officials are in was also seized in the operation. in Momandara district in eastern country as in the past 24 hours 2301741, 2301743 The governor went on to un- connivance with them. The illegal But the Taliban insurgents Nangarhar province, official said. two explosions claimed the lives derscore security of educational activity should be tackled with an claimed killing eight troops in San- It s worth mentioning that of nine people where seven of institute, saying students should iron hand, he maintained. gin operation. Other three mili- clearance operations being con- them were belonged to same fami- Ali Abad not be allowed under any circum- Deputy Governor Abdul Ali tants were killed and five others ducting by Afghan forces are very ly in Ghazni province. stances to enter schools and uni- Shamsi directed security officials Shahrara, Kabul versities with arms. to extend all-out cooperation to in order to become a successful A two-day taekwondo competi- Girls urged to use education woman. Brikhna on the occasion 2100439 Weesa praised police for im- journalists and allow them to visit tion ended in Kabul on Tuesday provement in the overall security areas where incidents were taking said that despite numerous prob- with selecting six top athletes out as a medium for change lems she was committed to con- environment in the city. However, place. Col. Rehmatullah Atrafi, the of more than 100 competitors to tinue her education with the hope Malalai Maternity he hastened to explain there was provincial police chief, informed face the national team. AT News Report to serve the nation one day. still room for more measures. participants of the meeting a secu- The competition was held in The two speakers stressed on Hospital He linked progress on the se- rity strategy had been devised for the six categories, and the top six LAGHMAN: In a conference held Member of the Wolesi Jirga from importance of education for girls curity front to better police train- Kandahar City and would be im- here, the speakers encouraged Laghman, Zifunoon Safay, and and discussed different issues 2201377/ 2301743 athletes would meet the national young girls to pursue education Legal Advisor to the provincial faced by the country s womenfolk ing, discipline and more polite be- plemented in letter and spirit. side, from which, six leading ath- haviour with the public. Today s (Pajhwok) and use knowledge as weapon for health department Brikhna Safay including insecurity, social taboos, letes would be selected for the social change. talked about women s rights and discrimination and violence. Banks World Taekwondo Championship Hundreds of young girls at- their experiences. The UN s recent report on the due to be held on May in Russia. tended the conference on women Recalling her past to encour- implementation of the Elimination Da Afghanistan Bank More than 100 athletes from empowerment organized by the age the young female students to of Violence against Women 2100302, 2100303 Kabul and other provinces took United Nations Assistance Mis- play active role in the society, Zi- (EVAW) law, released in Decem- part in the competition. sion in Afghanistan (UNAMA) funoon Safay said that her father ber 2013, found that Afghan au- with the Directorate of Women s was a farmer with little income thorities registered more cases of Kabul Bank "First we held a competition Affairs, the Education Department while her mother used to sell chick- violence against women in 2013, between the talented athletes of and non-governmental organiza- en and eggs to educate her. but the number of prosecutions and 222666, 070285285 Kabul and other provinces from tion Development and Change. She said that despite insuffi- convictions under the law remained which we selected six athletes," The conference put special cient income and poverty she low, with most cases settled by Azizi Bank said Mirwais Bahawi, head of Af- emphasize on girls education. wanted to complete her education mediation. ghanistan's Taekwondo Federa- 0799 700900 tion. Pashtany Bank "These six selected athletes S-Arabia donates 54 tonnes of dates to Afghans will meet the national team so that KABUL: Saudi Arabia donated 54 tonnes of dates to 2102908, 2103868 we can select six top athletes for Afghanistan through the World Food Programme the world championship." (WFP), an official said on Tuesday. Air Services Athletes from more than 150 Mohammad Alhaq Albani, director of the Saudi countries will participate in the finance ministry, and Claude Jibidar, WFP represen- Safi Airways mega event in Russia. tative for Afghanistan, signed an agreement in this ANA brigade Nangarhar poppy In 2009, Mahmood Haidari regard in Kabul. Albani told reporters the dates would 020 22 22 222 and Hussain Rezai were the Af- be distributed to school students in Badakhshan, Nim- blamed for civilian eradication drive ghan athletes who brought home roz and Nuristan provinces. Ariana silver and bronze medals from the Last year, he said the WFP also distributed aid to casualties in to be launched World Championship held in Den- 3.6 percent of Afghans and the process would con- 020-2100270 mark. tinue in the future. Pajhwok GHAZNI soon: Official Kam Air GHAZNI CITY: A number of res- JALALABAD: Counternarcotics 0799974422 idents on Tuesday accused the 3rd directorate said on Tuesday that Afghan National Army (ANA) poppy cultivated on more than Hotels corps of causing civilian casualties 18,000 acres of land in 13 districts during an ongoing offensive, a of eastern Nangarhar province Safi Landmark charge vehemently rejected by the would be eradicated this week. Ministry of Defence. The exact figures of poppy 020-2203131 Led by the ANA, the offen- cultivated on land could not be aser- sive -- codenamed Nasrat -- is un- tained but officials noted that the SERENA derway in Andar and Deh Yak dis- growth of illicit crop registered tricts to purge the localities of anti- record surge as compared to last 0799654000 state elements. Tens of rebels and year. 70 civilians have reportedly suf- Muhammad Idrees Sapi, direc- New Rumi Restaurant fered casualties. tor counternarcotics, told Pajhwok Locals and tribal elders said the Afghan News: Our survey is yet 0776351347 third brigade of 203rd Thunder to be completed but the cultiva- Corps had hand in civilian casual- tion of the illicit crop is much more Internet Services than past year, he recalled. ties. Dozens of tribal elders from UA Telecom the two districts visited the gover- He added poppy had been 0796701701 / 0796702702 nor s house for the third time to planted in 13 remote districts of register their complaints. the province, where they were Haji Abdul Ahad, an elder from planning to eradicate them. He said: We have implement- Exchange Rate Andar district, said the anti-insur- ed welfare projects in the areas gent campaigns in the two districts cleared of poppy. We will imple- Purchase: had inflicted more casualties on ment projects worth $220,000 in civilians. those areas under poppy crop af- Locals did not need any more One US$ = ter erdicating the crop. 57.72Afs the brigade, he said, adding they Ahmad Zia Abdulzai, the were not against the operation but governo rs spokesman, said that One Pound Sterling= they were complaining about the local administration had been 84.94Afs unfair approach of Commander tasked to launch campain agianst One Euro = Ghulam Haider Nekpi. poppy eradication. (Pajhwok) Roohullah, another resident of 62.46Afs Deh Yak district, alleged ANA sol- 1000 Pak Rs = diers intentionally targetted civil- ian houses in compliance with or- 560Afs ders from Nekpi. The ANA was Sale: hitting positions where there were One US$ = no militants, he claimed. But acting Governor Musa 57.92Afs Khan Akbarzada said the opera- One Pound Sterling= tions were planned and directed by 85.74Afs the central government. He as- One Euro= sured the elders their grievances ANGARHAR/TORKHAM: Afghan boys carry foreign-made spare car parts as they cross into Pakistan 63.06 Afs would be conveyed to the central through the rugged mountainous Toorkham crossing line. (epa/Ghulamullah Habibi) government. (Pajhwok) N 1000 Pak Rs= 568Afs This document was created with Win2PDF available at http://www.win2pdf.com. The unregistered version of Win2PDF is for evaluation or non-commercial use only. This page will not be added after purchasing Win2PDF. WEDNESDAY . APRIL 01 , 2015 AFGHANISTAN TIMES EU to ban scrapping ships on Indian, Pakistan, Bangladesh

ISLAMABAD: A high-level Paki- beaches stani delegation has left for Riy- adh to discuss important matters European, Turkish and Chinese of bilateral interest with Saudi lead- recyclers are set to benefit from ership in the wake of current crisis strict new European Union rules in Yemen. The delegation compris- on breaking up old ships, but the ing Defence Minister Khawaja practice of dismantling them on Asif, PM’s Advisor Sartaj Aziz and beaches in South Asia – at great representatives of three armed forc- human and environmental cost – es will assess the situation, dis- will still be hard to stop. Of 1,026 cuss modalities and timing of send- ocean-going ships recycled in ing Pakistani troops to Saudi Ara- 2014, 641 were taken apart on bia. “It was decided that a delega- beaches in India, Bangladesh and tion would visit Saudi Arabia to- Pakistan, according to figures from day for holding discussions on the the NGO Shipbreaking Platform, matter”, an official communique which campaigns for an end to the issued stated. Earlier today, Prime hazardous practice. Tankers, Minister Nawaz Sharif also direct- cruise liners and other old vessels ed the relevant authorities to bring are rammed onto beaches and back stranded Pakistanis from Ye- stripped down by hundreds of men immediately, Express News unskilled workers using simple reported. “We will evacuate tools such as blowtorches. Chem- stranded Pakistanis from the war- icals leak into the ocean when the torn country as soon as possible,” tide comes in. There is also a hu- the premier assured while address- man cost: the Tata Institute of So- ing a top-level meeting at PM cial Sciences in Mumbai estimates House in Islamabad. During the that some 470 workers have died meeting, PM Nawaz was briefed in the past 20 years in accidents in on the current situation in Yemen Alang Shipyard-Sosiya, the and the status of the remaining world’s largest stretch of ship- Pakistani expats in Yemen. The breaking beaches, in Gujarat. Some meeting was attended by several 35,000 mostly migrant and un- federal ministers. The prime min- skilled workers operate there. The ister was also pleased to note that new rules aim to stop what Kar- the first phase of evacuation was menu Vella, European Commis- completed in a satisfactory man- sioner for the Environment and ner. Read: First PIA aircraft carry- Maritime Affairs, called “the ing stranded Pakistanis from Ye- shameful practice of European men arrives in Karachi PM Nawaz ships being dismantled on beach- was told that the stranded nation- es”. They will require that EU-reg- als who have safely returned from istered ships be recycled only at Yemen appreciated the steps tak- sustainable facilities, and a list of en by him in the matter. Foreign these is expected to be published Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry next year. It is likely to include in an interview said territorial in- yards in China, Turkey, North tegrity and sovereignty of Saudi America and the European Union, Arabia is important for Pakistan, but not South Asia. “The Europe- Radio Pakistan reported. He said an list will split the market into a efforts are underway to bring back safe market and a substandard all Pakistanis stranded in Yemen. market,” said Patrizia Heidegger of Shipbreaking Platform. It will be the first large-scale implementa- Pak govt tion of the International Maritime Organisation’s 2009 Hong Kong Japan eyes defence endorses India sends 5 ships, 4 planes convention on ship recycling, summary to get 8 which until now has only been rat- ified by three countries — Congo ties with India to submarines from to evacuate Indians Republic, France and Norway. LOW STANDARDS, HIGH China, defence PROFITS The incentive to part counter China committee told with an old vessel at a South Asian stranded in Yemen facility is huge. Rules on dispos- NEW DELHI: Amid increasing tivity, an official statement said. ISLAMABAD: Naval officials in- ing of asbestos, for example, are Chinese assertiveness in the Indo- Parrikar welcomed Japan's initia- formed the Standing Committee on generally more lax, meaning the Pacific region, Japan today sought tive to strengthen bilateral ties. Defence Monday that the federal profits for breaking up a ship are enhanced cooperation with India in India and Japan are looking at deep- government has endorsed a sum- higher. Depending on raw-materi- defence and security sector includ- ening bilateral defence cooperation mary to get eight submarines from al prices, ship owners can make ing in the field of maritime security. amid Tokyo's ongoing tussle with China. The committee was in- up to $500 per tonne of steel from Making it clear that India considers Beijing. Japan has been witness- formed that Secretary of the Eco- an Indian yard, compared with relations with Tokyo of "great im- ing conflict with China over con- nomic Affairs division Muhammad $300 in China and just $150 in portance", Defence Minister Mano- trol of private islands in South Saleem Sethi would be leaving for Europe. To counter this, the Euro- har Parrikar said Japan is a privi- China sea. A territorial dispute even China tomorrow where the issue pean Commission is looking at leged partner in the 'Make In India' exists between China and Japan is expected to come under discus- ways to reward ship owners for initiative including the defence tech- over the Senkaku Islands, which sion. The officials also said that recycling at approved facilities, nology sector. Parrikar, who is on a Beijing refers to as the Diaoyu Is- the national security committee although details are still to be de- four-day visit to Japan, today held lands. India considers relations will give the final nod to go ahead cided. Indian shipyard owners see talks with Japanese Foreign Min- with Japan very important, which with the plan to get eight subma- the new rules as a ploy to fill emp- ister Fumio Kishida. During the is evident from the fact that he rines from China. "Other propos- ty yards in Europe. Fewer than 4 talks, Kishida emphasised on the chose Japan as the first country to als are under consideration as well. percent of all retired ocean-going commonality of strategic interests visit after assuming office of De- The Pakistan navy is also in touch ships passed through European between the two countries and con- fence Minister, Parrikar said. Jap- with Germany, Britain and France facilities in 2014. Haiderali G. veyed Japan's desire to enhance bi- anese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, to purchase used submarines," of- Meghani, director of International lateral defence and security coop- who met with Parrikar yesterday, ficials informed the committee. Steel Corporation, a large ship re- eration including in the field of mar- had told him that "a strong" India- Keeping in view the level of threat cycling firm based in Alang, said itime security. He said Japan would Japan partnership was not only in and the present status of subma- NEW DELHI: India has sent a other, AI-312, would fly in from poration of India - Kavaratti and concerns about poor safety and like to further enhance economic co- the "national interest of the two" rines, naval officials said Pakistan total of five ships and four planes Muscat. It would fly through Saudi Coral - have also sailed out of Ko- environmental standards in India operation with India and work but also "important for peace and needed the latest submarines. The to evacuate about 4000 Indian na- Arabian airspace, which is closed to chi to bring back stranded Indians. were misplaced. “We are almost jointly to enhance regional connec- security in the region". naval officials also revealed that tionals stranded in civil war-torn India's military aircraft, to the Yeme- They are to evacuate Indians from near to European standards,” he France had refused to provide sub- Yemen. Minister of State for For- ni capital, Sana'a, which is safe for the Al-Hudaydah port on the Ye- said. The European rules have one marines to Pakistan. They said eign Affairs, General VK Singh is civilian flights. PM Narendra Modi men's west coast to Djibouti. They big loophole: owners can change a Myanmar govt battles there seemed to be various reasons presently in Djibouti to oversee Seeks Saudi Help for Evacuation of can carry about 200 people each. ship’s flag or sell it on to a third behind France's refusal to sell sub- the evacuation efforts. The aircraft Indians From Yemen Anxious Fami- The Indian Navy's destroyer INS party outside Europe, who can marines to Pakistan — including being used for the evacuation will lies Await the Return of Their Loved Mumbai and stealth frigate INS then scrap it at a non-approved ethnic army near an issue of technology transfer. On have a three-hour window in which Ones From War-Torn Yemen Paki- Tarkash have sailed out of Mum- facility. But ship owners are like- the other hand, they said France they have been assured passage in stan to Join Saudi Coalition Against bai, to join the offshore patrol ves- ly to face harsh criticism if they was selling its submarines to In- and out. Prime Minister Narendra Yemen Rebels: Senior Official Two sel INS Sumitra, which is already resort to such practices under the Bangladesh border dia. The naval officials rejected Modi had spoken to Saudi Ara- of the Indian Air Force's C-17 Globe- in the region, in the evacuations new regime. European shipping some committee members' con- bia's King Salman bin Abdul Aziz master transport planes have been operations. The Centre has so far groups such as Denmark’s Maer- Heavy fighting between Myanmar government forces and the Arakan sk and Germany’s Hapag-Lloyd ethnic army has occurred near Myanmar Rakhine-Bangladesh border, cerns that Chinese technology was Al Saud last night, during which position in Djibouti, on the African already conducted evacuations of not of satisfactory quality.They he was assured of all help to get coast across the Red Sea. They can stranded Indians from Yemen. have already adopted policies to the ruling party's Union Daily reported . The battle came one day ahead recycle only at facilities that meet of the resumption of the 7th day of the 7th round peace talks between said there was no such issue at hand stranded Indian nationals out of carry 180 people each. After evacu- About 400 people were taken by Yemen. Two passenger aircraft ating people back to Djibouti, the ship from the Yemeni port city of international environmental stan- peace negotiators of Myanmar government and ethnic armed groups in as JF-17 has proven to be a world dards. At the Galloo ship recycling Yangon after recess for a week. During the clashes between the govern- class military jet. The officials in- from Air India would be involved Globemasters are to fly to two des- Aden to Djibouti, on Africa's east in the evacuation efforts. While one tinations in India - Mumbai and Ko- coast across the Red Sea, and then yard in Ghent, Belgium — the larg- ment forces and the Arakan Army on Sunday, shells fell on the govern- formed the standing committee est in Europe. ment's military camp, forcing the government troops to abandon the that Pakistan's defence relations has been positioned in Oman, the chi. Two ships of the Shipping Cor- flown to India. camp and retreat, the Arakan Army's press release was quoted as say- with Russia were also improving. ing. One army officer was arrested, while one soldier of the government On the other hand, there appeared side was killed with weapons seized by the ethnic army, the release said. to be a divide among committee The Arakan Army is described as one of the few ethnic armies which members whether Pakistan should helped in alliance with the Kokang ethnic army in its recent fight with send troops to Saudi Arabia. De- the government forces. During peace talks in Yangon, fighting also erupt- fence Secretary Lieutenant Gener- ed in some more areas in the northernmost Kachin state with the Kachin al (retd) Alam Khattak said that Independence Army (KIA) and in Ta'ang or Palaung area with the Ta'ang the Pakistan Army would abide by National Liberation Army (TNLA). Meanwhile, the Myanmar military the government's decision on claimed total control of Kokang region in northeastern Shan state in whether to send troops to Saudi series of heavy fighting which erupted since Feb. 9, according to an Arabia to partake in a military cam- Law strips those serving prison earlier report of the daily. paign in Yemen. sentences of political party mem- berships, including jailed former President Nasheed. The Maldives' parliament has passed a law that India skips Iran oil imports for strips people serving prison sen- tences of their political party memberships, a rule critics say is first time under US pressure designed to oust jailed former Pres- ident Mohamed Nasheed from NEW DELHI: India halted oil im- tracking services on the Thomson 11 million tonnes, slightly below politics. The law was passed by a ports from Iran for the first time Reuters terminal. Refinery sourc- shipments in the previous year. 42-to-2 vote in the 85-seat parlia- in at least a decade in March as es said this was the first time in at Days ahead of a visit by U.S. Pres- ment on Monday. Members of New Delhi responded to U.S. least a decade that no imports were ident Barack Obama to India in Nasheed's Maldivian Democratic pressure to keep its shipments made over the space of a month - January, the oil ministry had told Party protested and did not take from Tehran within sanction lim- indicating how Washington is try- Essar Oil, Mangalore Refinery and part in the vote. President Yameen its during the last month of negoti- ing to maximise economic pressure Petrochemicals Ltd and Indian Oil Abdul Gayoom's party holds an ations on a preliminary nuclear on Tehran amid the talks aimed at Corp - the Indian refiners that buy overwhelming majority in Parlia- deal. Iran and six world powers stopping Iran from gaining the ca- from Iran - to cut their imports ment and critics say he uses it have ramped up the pace of nego- pacity to develop a nuclear bomb. over February and March to keep against his opponents. Parliament tiations this week ahead of the "There is pressure from the U.S. the fiscal-year figure in line with is also considering another bill that Tuesday deadline for reaching an on all Asian buyers to stick to the sanctions limits. Refiners in India would strip Nasheed of his allow- initial accord on a final nuclear sanctions regime," said Johannes had raised imports during the ance and security protection as a agreement. Both sides have warned Benigni, chairman of JBC Energy April-December period by more former president. Nasheed was it was crucial to overcome differ- GmbH in Vienna. The halt in than 40 percent, leading U.S. au- sentenced to 13 years in prison ences that could still wreck any March comes after February im- thorities to raise the alarm with earlier this month for ordering the chance at a deal. India is Iran's ports hit a 1-1/2-year low for India's foreign ministry ahead of arrest of a senior judge when he second-biggest buyer on an annual monthly imports, which together Obama's visit. The sanctions cur- was in office three years ago. Party politician Evan Abdulla said the party has decided that the new law will not affect them and Nasheed basis after China, yet it did not brought India's annual crude and rently restrict Iran's overall exports Nasheed's supporters say the will continue to be its leader. Nasheed became the first democratically elected president of the Indian Ocean take any crude from Tehran in condensate purchases from Iran in to 1 million-1.1 million bpd, with charge was aimed at preventing him archipelago in 2008, ending 30 years of rule by Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. Nasheed resigned amid public March, according to tanker arrival the year to March 31 to an average Asian buyers required to keep their from contesting the 2018 presiden- anger over the arrest of the judge in 2012 and the following year lost a presidential election to Yameen Abdul data from trade sources and ship 220,000 barrels per day (bpd) or purchases near end-2013 levels. tial election. Maldivian Democratic Gayoom, a half-brother of the former leader. This document was created with Win2PDF available at http://www.win2pdf.com. The unregistered version of Win2PDF is for evaluation or non-commercial use only. This page will not be added after purchasing Win2PDF. WEDNESDAY . APRIL 01 , 2015 AFGHANISTAN TIMES Saudi-led strikes again hit Yemen overnight ADEN: Air raids by a Saudi-led coalition again hit Houthi militia With a deadline hours away, Iran actual preliminary understanding targets across Yemen on Monday and six world powers ramped up that is agreed might remain confi- night, striking the group's north- the pace on Tuesday in negotia- dential. It was also possible they ern stronghold of Saadeh, the cap- tions over a preliminary deal on would not agree on anything. "We ital, Sanaa, and the central town of Tehran's nuclear program, while are preparing for both scenarios," Yarim, residents and media said. officials cautioned that any agree- another Western diplomat said. "There were huge blazes in the ment clinched would likely be frag- Officials said talks on a framework mountains outside Sanaa. It looks ile and incomplete. For nearly a accord, intended as a prelude to a like they hit a missile depot and it week, the United States, Britain, comprehensive agreement by the was on fire for half an hour or so. France, Germany, Russia and Chi- end of June, could yet fall apart. Then there was anti-aircraft fire na have been trying to break an "There still remain some difficult until dawn," a Sanaa resident said. impasse in the talks, which are issues," U.S. Secretary of State The strikes, which began on Thurs- aimed at stopping Iran from gain- John Kerry told CNN. "We are day, are aimed at stopping the ing the capacity to develop a nu- working very hard to work those Houthis from taking more territo- clear bomb in exchange for easing through. We are working into the ry and pressing them and former international sanctions that are night." French Foreign Minister president Ali Abdullah Saleh to crippling its economy. But dis- Laurent Fabius and his German negotiate a power-sharing deal agreements on enrichment research counterpart Frank-Walter Stein- with President Abd-Rabbu Man- and the pace of lifting sanctions meier canceled plans to go to Ber- sour Hadi. The Houthis are from a threatened to scupper a deal that lin for a French-German summit Yemeni Shi'ite sect and are allied could end a 12-year standoff be- on Tuesday. "The negotiations are to Iran, Saudi Arabia's main region- tween Iran and the West over Te- at a critical and difficult phase, al rival. The Saudis and other Sun- hran's nuclear ambitions and reduce making the presence of both min- ni Muslim countries in the region the risk of another Middle East isters in Lausanne essential," a fear the advance of the Houthis war. Officials played down expec- German government source said. will ultimately threaten the world's tations for the talks in the Swiss The real deadline in the talks, West- top oil exporter. However, the city of Lausanne. For days they ern and Iranian officials said, is not Houthis and forces loyal to Saleh have been trying to agree on a brief Tuesday but June 30. They said have continued to advance on the document of several pages outlin- the main sticking points remain the southern port of Aden, the last big ing key headline numbers to form removal of U.N. sanctions and Ira- center still under control of Hadi, the basis of a future agreement. nian demands for the right to un- who left Yemen on Thursday and Officials said they hoped to be able fettered research and development is now in Riyadh with other mem- to announce something, though into advanced nuclear centrifuges bers of his government. View gal- one Western diplomat said it after the first 10 years of the agree- sion of Iran's most sensitive nu- lieved there was a good chance of Tehran has recently backed away that for at least the next 10 years lerySmoke billows near military would be "incomplete and kick ment expires. Iran said the key is- clear work. Tehran, which denies success. "The chances are high. from proposals it previously indi- Iran is at least one year away from barracks in the Jabal al- some issues down the road". Ne- sue was lifting sanctions quickly. it is trying to develop a nuclear They are probably not 100 per- cated it could accept, such as on being able to produce enough fis- Jumaima … Smoke gotiations among the parties on "There will be no agreement if the weapons capability, demands a cent but you can never be 100 per- shipping enriched uranium stocks sile material for an atomic weap- billows near military barracks in sticking points went into the night sanctions issue cannot be re- swift end to sanctions in exchange cent certain of anything. The odds to Russia. Officials close to the on. In exchange for temporary lim- the Jabal al-Jumaima mountain and continued on Tuesday. They solved," Majid Takhteravanchi, an for temporary limits on its atomic are quite 'doable' if none of the talks said dilution of the stockpiled its on its most sensitive atomic following an air strike near S … were expected to run late and pos- Iranian negotiator, told Iran's Fars activities. Russian Foreign Minis- parties raise the stakes at the last uranium was an option, noting that activities, Tehran wants an end to Shooting continued in Aden dur- sibly into Wednesday. Officials news agency. "This issue is very ter Sergei Lavrov, who was due minute, he said. Both Iran and the the stockpiles issue was not a deal- sanctions. Iran and the six powers ing the night, a Reuters reporter said they were hoping to agree on important for us. The six powers back in Lausanne in the afternoon, six have floated compromise pro- breaker. The goal of the negotia- have twice extended their deadline said. If the Houthis took the city, some kind of declaration, while any want more than a 10-year suspen- told reporters in Moscow he be- posals, but Western officials said tions is to find a way to ensure for a long-term agreement. it would represent a significant defeat for the Saudi-led coalition, which has repeatedly said protect- Major power Opposition ing the presence of Hadi's govern- Yemen FM calls for Arab ground intervention ment there is a major objective. An outage hits leader Buhari air strike on Monday killed at least 40 people at a camp for displaced ahead in tight people in northern Yemen, human- cities and itarian workers said, in an attack apparently aimed at the Houthis. provinces Nigeria poll Saudi Arabia's military spokesman Opposition leader Muhammadu said he could not confirm a camp across Turkey Buhari has opened up a slight lead had been hit, but said jets might A major power outage hit cities and over President Goodluck Jonathan have returned fire on anti-aircraft provinces across Turkey on Tues- in a tight Nigerian election that is weapons placed in civilian areas. day, including the capital of Anka- expected to go down to the wire Hadi's foreign minister, Riyadh ra and the biggest city, Istanbul, when the vote count resumes on Yassin, blamed Houthis for the where parts of the subway sys- Tuesday. Nigeria's Independent explosion. Qatar-based Al Jazeera tem were shut down and shopping National Electoral Commission television reported air raids at an malls were plunged into darkness. (INEC) suspended the vote count army camp in Saadeh, while Sau- Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu late on Monday night, with Bu- di-owned Al Arabiya reported said all possible causes of the out- hari leading the overall count by raids on the Red Sea port of Hu- age were being investigated and did more than two million votes. The daida. A Sanaa resident said strikes not rule out sabotage, but said that electoral commission announced had also hit Sanaa's international trouble with transmission lines that the opposition All Progres- airport. Beirut-based al-Maseer- sives Congress (APC), the party ah television, which is linked to was the most likely reason for the problem. “Our main target right of presidential challenger Buhari, the Houthis, reported that raids took the most votes in Oyo, Kogi, now is to restore the network. This struck a gas plant in the central Kwara, Katsina, Kaduna, Osun, town of Yarim, killing eight peo- is not an incident that we see fre- Kano, Jigawa and Ondo states. ple and wounding another 28. In quently,” Energy Minister Taner President Jonathan's ruling PDP Riyadh, the campaign's spokes- Yildiz said during a trip to Brat- took the most votes in Nasawara, man, Brigadier General Ahmed islava, in comments broadcast on Ekiti, Enugu, Abia, Imo, Akwa Asseri, on Monday showed foot- Turkish television. “Whether or Yemen’s foreign minister called on Tuesday for Arab ground intervention against the Houthis “as soon as possible.” Asked in interview by Al Ibom, Plateau and Anambra states age of air strikes hitting what he not terrorism is a high possibility Arabiya News Channel’s sister channel Al Hadath whether he sought Arab ground intervention, Riad Yassin said: “Yes, we are asking for that, and and the FCT. The vote count re- said were Yemeni army tanks un- or a low one I can’t say at this soon as possible, in order to save our infrastructure and save Yemenis under siege in many cities." Yassin also revealed that Yemeni President sumed on Tuesday morning the der Houthi control as well as arms stage. I can’t say either whether it Abdrabbu Mansour Hadi will be officially asking to join the Gulf Cooperation Council within the coming days Yassin added that the war that has INEC said. The election pits Pres- depots he said were held by the is a cyber attack,” he said in re- plagued Yemen is the doing of the Houthi rebels. For six days, a Saudi-led coalition of ten regional countries has bombed Iran-allied Houthi fighters ident Jonathan, 57, against 72- militia. A U.S. official said the Sau- sponse to questions from report- and army units linked to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh. Saudi Arabia has vowed to keep up the raids until the rebels abandons their year-old former military ruler Bu- dis had shown little appetite for a ers. Broadcaster NTV said power insurrection against Hadi, who has fled to Riyadh and whose last bastion in the southern city of Aden was heavily shelled overnight. Saudi Arabia’s hari for the favour of an electorate ground invasion if it can be avoid- cuts were reported in more than Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal also reiterated on Tuesday that the air campaign, dubbed “Operation Decisive Storm,” will continue until divided along a complex mix of eth- ed. "The objective here is to get to 40 of Turkey’s 81 provinces. The Yemen is “stable and unified.” “Operation Decisive Storm will continue to defend legitimacy in Yemen,” al-Faisal said during his speech at the nic, regional and in some cases re- a point where the Houthis halt their power transmission company weekly meeting of the Shura Council in the capital Riyadh. “We are not advocating war, but we are ready for it,” he said. Yassin also revealed that ligious lines. To win the election, a destabilizing actions and come back TEIAS could not immediately be his ministry is resuming its work in the Saudi capital Riyadh for the time being, and that it is working tirelessly to find solutions for some Yemeni candidate needs to win more than to the table," the official said. reached. citizens who are stranded in some countries. 50 percent of the total votes na- tionally - and take at least 25 per- cent of the vote in two thirds of the states. Confusion and contest- South Africa EU doubles Syria aid pledge to $1.2b ed results Results from Nigeria's elections, potentially the closest contest since the end of military braces for Marikana The European Union announced a lars with experts warning of a “hu- international non-governmental ery day brings more death, dis- rule in 1999, trickled in on Mon- pledge of nearly 1.1 billion euros manitarian catastrophe” unfolding organizations pledged $506 mil- placement and destruction,” the day after a weekend vote marred (almost $1.2 billion) in humanitar- in the war-torn country. The Unit- lion, way higher than funds prom- U.N. report said. With the con- by confusion, arguments and spo- massacre report ian aid for war-torn Syria at a do- ed Nations has launched an appeal ised at two previous NGO confer- flict now in its fifth year, almost radic violence. NIGERIA DE- nor conference in Kuwait, double to raise $8.4 billion this year, and ences. U.N. humanitarian affairs half of all Syrians have been forced CIDES: Read more of our special the amount the bloc promised last hopes to receive major pledges at chief Valerie Amos said the donor to flee their homes, the U.N. Of- The official report into the police some "some weighty conclusions". coverage of the closest race in years killing of 34 South African miners year. "The needs are overwhelm- the one-day conference which will response at Tuesday’s conference fice for the Coordination of Hu- The United Nations and the Afri- Mining house Lonmin was widely ing and an extraordinary effort is be attended by delegates from 78 “needs to be comprehensive. manitarian Affairs said. Of the $8.4 in 2012 is due to be submitted to criticised during the inquiry for can Union, which both had elec- President Jacob Zuma, with rights needed by the wider donor com- nations. U.N. Secretary-General ” She said the humanitarian situa- billion needed, $5.5 billion is for tion observers on the ground, said failing to engage with the workers' munity to mobilize significant Ban Ki-Moon chaired the third In- tion had deteriorated in Syria with refugees in neighboring nations and groups demanding that its findings wage demands. the vote in Africa's most populous are published immediately. Phuti funding," EU aid commissioner ternational Pledging Conference for no reduction in violence and chil- $2.9 billion for people inside Syr- nation was broadly in line with Setati, secretary of the Marikana Christos Stylianides said in a state- Syria. “Failing to meet the required dren particularly affected. At the ia, it said. International aid agency "continental and regional princi- Commission, told AFP news agen- Thai leader ment. The United States pledged funds risks resulting in a horrify- first and second conferences, also Oxfam on Monday criticized the ples". On Sunday, protesters in cy that the Farlam report would $507 million towards addressing ing and dangerous humanitarian hosted by Kuwait, pledges of $1.5 international response to the Syr- Rivers state, the headquarters of be submitted to the president on moves to lift the humanitarian crisis in Syria, catastrophe,” Abdullah al-Maatuq, billion and $2.4 billion were made. ia crisis, saying the funds were Africa's biggest oil industry, de- Tuesday but said the commission U.S. ambassador to the United U.N. special envoy for humanitar- However, the United Nations has woefully inadequate. clared the voting as fraudulent. had no influence over whether or martial law, Nations Samantha Power told the ian affairs, has said. complained that not all pledges Last year was the deadliest yet in Even before preliminary tallies when it would be published. The impose absolute international summit. Saudi Ara- The conference is being held as were honored. the conflict, with at least 76,000 were recorded, the opposition shooting at Marikana, a town out- bia said it was providing an addi- the humanitarian situation deteri- Ban said in a report last week that people killed out of a total of more APC rejected the process in Riv- side Rustenburg in the North West power tional $60 million. Earlier, summit orates in Syria with many interna- devastation from the fighting in than 215,000 since it began in ers state and denounced the vote province in South Africa, was the host Kuwait pledged $500 million tional aid agencies complaining that Syria had left around 7.6 million March 2011 with peaceful pro-de- there as "a sham and a charade". In worst violence witnessed in the BANGKOK: Thailand's military- towards the U.N.-backed humani- a shortage of funding could lead to people internally displaced. An- mocracy demonstrations. Close to a sign the opposition will challenge country since the advent of democ- installed prime minister said Tues- tarian appeal. The major confer- their operations being halted. other 3.9 million have sought ref- 850,000 people have also been results elsewhere, the APC gover- racy in 1994. Evidence presented day he plans to lift martial law 10 ence aims to raise billions of dol- Ahead of the meeting, around 40 uge in neighboring countries. “Ev- wounded. nor of the southern Imo state, at the inquiry tarnished police months after staging a coup, but Rochas Okorocha, denounced on claims that they acted in self-de- will invoke a special security mea- television the conduct of the elec- fence when they gunned down the sure that critics say is more draco- tion in his region and accused the striking miners. In the days before, nian. The development has military of meddling in the result. 10 other people were killed in oth- sparked concern from human rights Attahiru Jega, INEC chairman, er violence around the platinum groups, lawyers, political parties said he was concerned about the mine - including non-striking min- and scholars who say the measure, Port Harcourt complaints, which ers, security guards and two po- Article 44 of a junta-imposed in- alleged that opposition agents were lice officers who were hacked to terim constitution, gives Prime kicked out of vote-tallying meet- death. 'Police revenge' Lawyers for Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha un- ings, and had launched an investi- the dead miners' families blamed checked authority over all three gation. Nigeria's 2015 elections ex- the killings on a bout of police re- branches of government. Prayuth, plained in 60 seconds Voting was venge, and accused officers of a the former army commander who pushed into an unscheduled sec- cover-up. The Marikana Commis- led the May 22, 2014, coup that ond day on Sunday after failures sion of Inquiry, headed by retired overthrew an elected government, in controversial new technology judge Ian Farlam, was established told reporters Tuesday that he is designed to "read" biometric iden- two years ago by Zuma to investi- seeking King Bhumibol Aduly- tity cards to combat electoral fraud. gate the deaths. "President Jacob adej's approval to revoke martial Among those whose card did not Zuma must make public the full law. The monarch's approval is work was the president himself. report as a priority," Deprose considered a formality. Prayuth has Boko Haram has dominated the Muchena, of Amnesty Internation- faced growing pressure to scrap campaign, with military opera- al, said. "The surviving victims of martial law, which places the mili- tions against the rebels forcing a the tragic events of Marikana and tary in charge of public security six-week delay to the scheduled the families of all those who died nationwide and has been criticized February 14 election. A series of have a right to receive justice." The as a deterrent to tourists and for- suspected attacks on polling sta- Marikana Support Campaign eign investors. Thai media have re- tions in Gombe state on Saturday group demanded that the report ferred to Article 44 as "the dicta- killed at least seven. Boko Haram should be published within two tor law." Under a similar law in the leader Abubakar Shekau had vowed months, adding that the evidence 1960s, a Thai dictator carried out to disrupt the election, calling it heard by the inquiry pointed to summary executions. "un-Islamic". This document was created with Win2PDF available at http://www.win2pdf.com. The unregistered version of Win2PDF is for evaluation or non-commercial use only. This page will not be added after purchasing Win2PDF. WEDNESDAY .APRIL 01, 2015 AFGHANISTANTIMES

We a r e a n a t ion a l in st it u t ion a n d n ot t h e voice of a gov t or a p r iva t e or ga n iza t ion AFGHANISTAN TIMES Editor: Abdul Saboor Sarir Phone No: +93-772364666 E-mail: [email protected] By Xiao Bin tary bases in Kandahar and Jalala- appeared to be gradually increas- it may better serve the US policy bad open. The US would also pro- ing. On the 2014 Global Terrorism on Central Asia to let the Afghan Email: [email protected] Half a year since a national unity vide $800 million to bolster US-Af- Index, Afghanistan’s score rose from problems linger. The US backed government was formed in Afghan- ghan relations and Afghan economic 5.83 in 2002 to 9.39 in 2013. The the New Silk Road Initiative to www.afghanistantimes.af istan, the government is still con- reforms and fund Afghan security US even weakens its hostility to- facilitate the economic ties in Cen- Photojournalist: M. Sadiq Yusufi fronted by deteriorating security forces at least into 2017. These aids ward the Taliban to help improve tral and South Asia and to gain an situation and vulnerable economy can alleviate the pressure on Ghani’s security in Afghanistan. Besides, the upper hand in competing for big- Advisory editorial board even after the Afghan National unity government moderately, but issues in Afghanistan can only be ger influence with Russia in Cen- Army (ANA) took over responsi- in addressing challenges facing Af- tackled through multilateral coop- tral Asian countries. After the Saduddin Shpoon, Dr. Sharif Fayez, Dr. Sultana Parvanta, Dr. Sharifa Sharif, bility for national defense in Janu- ghanistan, the US will only play a eration. World powers like Britain Ukraine crisis, it has become more Dr. Omar Zakhilwal, Setara Delawari, Ahmad Takal ary. To prevent the situation from limited role. US President Barack and the Soviet Union attempted to obvious that the US wants to worsening, Afghan President Obama and his administration are control Afghanistan but failed, and weaken Russia’s weight in Central Graphic-Designers: Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive not able to meet Ghani’s vision. Af- Afghanistan was known as the Asia. As Afghanistan serves as a Mansoor Faizy and Edriss Akbari Abdullah Abdullah paid a visit to ter decades of warfare, the unity “graveyard of empires.” The US is trump card, it benefits the US that the US on March 21 and met with government is keen to strengthen the highly aware of the importance of Washington keeps the problems Marketing & Advertising: US heavyweights including Secre- country’s security and boost its eco- cooperation since 49 countries in under control before finding an al- Mohammad Parwiz Arian, 0708954626, 0778894038 tary of State John Kerry, Secre- nomic development, and enormous all had participated in its anti-ter- ternative. All in all, the US refers Mailing address: P.O. Box: 371, Kabul, Afghanistan tary of Defense Ashton Carter and investment is needed. In January, ror operations in Afghanistan by the primarily to its own national in- Secretary of Treasury Jacob Lew. the Afghan parliament’s lower end of 2014. The reconstruction of terests in dealing with Afghanistan. Our Bank Accounts: Azizi Bank: 000101100258091 / 000101200895656 Apparently, Kabul expected more house approved the 2015 budget to- social and economic order is essen- Unless an alternative scheme that Printed at Afghanistan Times Printing Press aid from the US to help stabilize taling $7.6 billion, with almost $2.4 tial to Afghanistan, but it is also a can meet its demands for national the country. After meeting with billion from domestic fiscal revenue huge project of international coop- interests emerges, Washington will Ghani and Abdullah, Kerry hailed and the rest from international aid. eration that requires the US to work be unlikely to help Afghan unity The constitution says the talks as “productive” and said The financial gap is nearly 70 per- with its Western allies and other government to achieve its goals.— the two countries shared “a com- cent and grows drastically every powers as well as Afghanistan’s (Global Times) The author is an mitment to security and peace and year. Although Washington is able neighboring countries. This was assistant research fellow at the In- a desire to promote prosperity and to fix the gap, it expects the unity pointed out by the US Congress in stitute of Russian, Eastern Euro- Article 106: social progress.” Washington an- government to achieve its goals on a February report. Of the $4.1 bil- pean & Central Asian Studies of The quorum for voting of each House of the National Assembly shall be complete with the majority nounced that by the end of 2015 its own. In fact, there has been no lion annual spending by the ANA, the Chinese Academy of Social presence of members and decisions shall be taken with the majority of votes of members present, unless this roughly 9,800 US troops would substantial improvement witnessed $2.3 billion was provided by the Sciences and an adjunct researcher Constitution states otherwise. remain in Afghanistan instead of in Afghanistan’s security situation US, $500 million by the unity gov- at the Research Center for Geo- 5,500 as originally planned, and since NATO forces arrived in 2003. ernment and $1.3 billion by the in- politics of Central Asia of Xinjiang Editorial that the US would keep its mili- Instead, violence and terror attacks ternational community. Moreover, University. Islamic State goes official in South Asia War on terror and human Although its prospects in the region are likely limited, IS could losses in Afghanistan bring further death and destruction to South Asia. By Arif Rafiq ing that they have “fulfilled the Sunni Sufi shrines and mosques in tored into their bilateral discus- And here comes a grisly report on human losses—the losses this conditions and met the require- addition to targeting the Shia. Like sions with U.S. officials. If it can nation sustained in the US war on terror during the past 14 years. The group that describes itself as ments” for the establishment of a the attacks on the Shia, there is avoid direct confrontation with the Islamic State (IS, also known wilayah. What those conditions and precedent for Sunni jihadists tar- fellow Sunnis in its formative pe- This figure is horrific. The report says this war has left nearly 220,000 as ISIS or ISIL) has formally en- requirements exactly are is unclear. geting Sunni Sufis in Pakistan. As riod in Khurasan, IS may have an tered the fray in South Asia, re- At the helm of IS in Khurasan is the Pakistani Taliban spread across opportunity to position itself as people killed following the 9/11 attacks in the US. This report has cently announcing the formation Hafiz Saeed Khan, the former lead- Pakistan’s Pashtun belt beginning an anchor for outlier jihadist groups of a wilayah (province) in the re- er of the main Pakistani Taliban fac- in 2007, it attacked Sufi shrines in the region – especially if the been the joint work of the Physicians for Social Responsibility, gion. IS is positioning itself as a tion in the Kurram Agency of Paki- generally associated with Sunnis. Afghan Taliban moves toward a competitor to the Afghan Taliban stan’s Federally Administered Trib- But eventually the pace of these political settlement with Kabul. Physicians for Global Survival and the Noble Prize-winner Interna- and al-Qaeda in South Asia. It is al Areas (FATA). Hafiz Saeed and attacks slowed due to opposition Disgruntled commanders from the tional Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War. It reveals that a unlikely to supplant the two several other commanders in the from the general public and per- Haqqani Network and the Islamic groups. Still, the establishment of group come from tribal areas and haps even al-Qaeda. IS command- Movement of Uzbekistan could total of nearly 1.3 million people, directly and indirectly, have lost a wilayah in the region raises the districts that have featured sectari- ers could also target other jihadist choose to work under its umbrel- risk of an increase in sectarian at- an violence between militants from groups, including al-Qaeda. In re- la. The Pakistani Taliban faction their lives to the war including 220,000 in Afghanistan, 80,000 in tacks not just against Shias in Pa- the Sunni Deobandi subsect and Sh- cent weeks, the group has come led by Maulvi Fazlullah (who kistan and Afghanistan, but also ias. To be clear, IS is not introduc- close to engaging comes from the Panjpiri sect, Pakistan and one million people in Iraq. The report says the figure against fellow Sunnis. It may also ing anti-Shia sectarianism into Pa- in takfir (excommunication) of al- which is similar to Salafism) may complicate the Kabul government’s kistan. Just last week, anti-Shia ter- Qaeda’s central leadership. A choose to ally with IS, especially is probably ten times higher than what the general public, analysts, efforts at reconciliation with the rorists bombed a Shia imambargah former al-Qaeda member writing after his group’s attack on the Pe- decision makers, believe, and what has been projected by media Afghan Taliban and give IS an op- in Shikarpur, killing over sixty peo- in the January edition of IS’s flag- shawar school was condemned by portunity to use the region to at- ple. Anti-Shia sectarian agitation and ship publication both the Afghan Taliban and al- and NGOs. The report titled—”Body Count: Casualty Figures after tack Shia Iran. On January 26, Abu violence goes back to the 1980s in Dabiq excoriates non-Salafi mili- Qaeda. Similarly, as Lashkar-e Tai- Muhammad al-Adnani, the IS Pakistan. Antipathy to the Shia is tants in Pakistan’s tribal areas and ba refrains from large-scale attacks 10 Years of the War on Terror” says it was just a conservative spokesman, officially recognized an integral part of the Taliban phe- lambasts al-Qaeda for its compro- on India, disaffected members of the wilayah of Khurasan – a re- nomenon in Pakistan, and to a less- mises with them. [Since the 1990s, the Salafi jihadist group could fall estimation. It says the total number of killed in the countries where gion that encompasses Afghani- er extent, Afghanistan. In fact, the the Salafi al-Qaeda has been allied into IS’s welcoming arms. And stan, much (if not all) of Pakistan, spread of the Pakistani Taliban was with militants from the Sunni Sunni jihadist groups in there war on terror is going on, could go beyond 2 million. The way and parts of neighboring countries. a major contributor to Deobandi subsect predominant in Balochistan that target Pakistan the US started its war on terror was a blunder from the very outset. IS commanders in Khurasan con- the upsurge in sectarian violence in Pakistan and Afghanistan.] The and Iran may find common cause trol little terrain, and so the wilyah Pakistan beginning in 2007. Simi- aforementioned IS writer con- with IS. IS has a lot going against it Soon after the 9/11 attacks, a gory state—the United States ran is more notional than physical. larly, the Afghan Taliban hosted the demned the top figures in al-Qae- in South Asia. The governments But, importantly, IS has formed a Pakistani anti-Shia Lashkar-e da’s new South Asia affiliate for of neither Afghanistan or Pakistan after those who carried out bombings on its soil, but lost the sight single group operating on both Jhangvi group during its rule over being “Sufis.” And Mullah Omar, are interested in giving it patron- sides of the Durand Line. In con- Kabul, and massacred Hazara Shi- the Afghan Taliban leader and a age. The region’s decades-old jiha- of the enemy and caused death and destruction in countries whose trast, al-Qaeda has largely worked as in the 1990s. Nonetheless, the Deobandi, is viewed by IS as dis- dist infrastructure is dominated by through Taliban groups operating Afghan Taliban has since abstained credited, having allegedly made Sunnis from the Deobandi subsect nationals were never part of the terror squad of 9/11. The US start- separately in Afghanistan and Pa- from sectarian violence. In fact, last grave errors in religion. Al-Qaeda who have a long partnership with kistan. IS has yet to identify the year, its spokesman, Zabihullah owes its rise and resilience in South al-Qaeda. And while sectarian vio- ed its war in a land where it shouldn’t have. The United States boundaries of Khurasan, and so it’s Mujahid, asserted that “Shias and Asia to its pragmatic association lence has grown in Pakistan, and could have eliminated al-Qaeda leaders in targeted operations, but unclear whether this wilayah in- Sunnis live in Afghanistan as broth- with Sunni Deobandi jihadist could become a factor in Afghani- cludes all of Pakistan, or whether ers” and that the Taliban “don’t con- groups and clerics such as the Af- stan once again, it is not a primary Washington has its own political and security objectives. The US the provinces of Punjab and Sindh sider them infidels.” Sectarian vio- ghan Taliban. In contrast, for IS, social cleavage in either country, fall outside of its orbit. The recog- lence will undoubtedly be a key ideological purity – the adoption in contrast to Iraq and Syria. We could have saved the lives of 1.3 million people. A terror squad nition of the Khurasan wilayah component of IS operations in Pa- of Salafism – is a prerequisite for may see major jihadist groups comes after many entreaties to Abu kistan and Afghanistan. And there association. For this reason alone, “bandwagon” with regional states killed nearly three thousand Americans and the US killed over a Bakr al-Baghdadi, the IS leader, are indications it won’t simply be IS is unlikely to establish a wide- against IS in South Asia. But their made over the past year and a half directed at the Shia. IS spokesman spread foothold in South Asia, collective opposition to al-Bagh- million Afghans, Iraqis and Pakistanis. To avenge the deaths of 3,000 by disgruntled Taliban command- al-Adnani called on commanders in where Salafism has limited appeal dadi’s organization won’t preclude people, the US killed 220,000 Afghans. Is this justice? The journey ers in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Khurasan – whom he described as and most militant groups are it from bringing more death and The former Pakistani Taliban “muwahhideen” or monotheists – Deobandi. IS’s prospects in South destruction to a region ravaged by of Afghanistan from a theocratic setup to democratic transforma- spokesman, Sheikh Maqbool, made to join “a new fight” to “enforce Asia will be further constrained by conflict for decades. (Courtesy: at least five pledges of allegiance to tawhid (monotheism) and vanquish the governments of Pakistan and The Diplomat) Arif Rafiq tion has been deadliest and when this troubled nation has already al-Baghdadi from 2013 into this shirk (polytheism).” It is a call to Afghanistan, which are keen to en- (@arifcrafiq) is president of Vizier year. Finally, last week, IS accept- violently “purify” Islam in this het- sure that the group will die in its Consulting, LLC, which provides suffered so many huge setbacks, the US must not simply wrap up ed the pledges made by Maqbool erogeneous, but Sunni Muslim-ma- infancy. They have arrested a few strategic guidance on Middle East and other former Pakistani and jority region. And so we should not militants they claim are affiliated and South Asian political and se- its mission. Though 14 years have lapsed, but this war doesn’t Afghan Taliban commanders, stat- be surprised if IS militants attack with the group. IS has also fac- curity issues. show any sign of coming to an end. Unfortunately, Afghanistan is driven by a never-ending war because since the then USSR inva- sion of Afghanistan till date the war has never ceased but has kept changing its shapes and phases. It’s not only driven by a never- ending war but also hit by occasional visits by natural disasters such as drought, landslides, earthquakes and avalanches. Women and children continued to be the worst victims of the war and natu- ral disasters. In such a situation, the US decision to slow its military drawdown is worth appreciation. Logically, the US shouldn’t have waged such a fierce and deadliest war just to punish a few terrorists and when it has started, it must take it to a satisfactory end. 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WEDNESDAY .APRIL 01, 2015 AFGHANISTANTIMES

By John Elliott ….and Beijing makes moves on possible Afghan Taliban peace talks China is winning, of that there can now be no doubt at a time when rare criticism of a long time friend. and it is forecast in the FT to do be rid of its Afghanistan role, and most world powers are falling in “We are wary about a trend to- so by June. Australia said yester- India which would like a larger say with its plans, either in kow-tow ward constant accommodation of day that no one country should in the country, seem content with mode like the UK or with a some- China, which is not the best way control the bank. India became in- China’s initiatives. The semi-offi- what more upright stance like In- to engage a rising power,” the un- volved last year when the bank was cial line from Delhi is that Afghan- dia, or somewhere in-between. The named official told the Financial first mooted, demonstrating prime istan needs all the help it can get weakest-looking country in this Times. David Cameron, Britain’s minister Narendra Modi’s pragmat- and, if that can usefully come from scenario is the US, whose super- (possibly out-going after the May ic approach to dealing with China. Beijing, so be it. This does not power status is being challenged 7 UK general election) prime min- When President Xi visited India mean that India will trust initia- rather faster than it expected, caus- ister, deserved the kow-towing last September (right), Modi se- tives that China takes, any more ing it to lose influence over its al- reprimand because he cured pledges of $20bn investment than it trusts it to make much lies including the usually-eager UK. has constantly followed a pro- in (unspecified) infrastructure progress in talks on its border dis- The trigger for this assessment is China line since Beijing side-lined projects over five years. The AIIB pute (there was little movement not renewed Chinese aggression in him as a punishment for meeting is a potential challenger to the when the two sides met in Delhi east Asia, the South China Sea or the Dalai Lama in London in May World Bank and Asian Develop- last week). India has in the past the borders of India, nor is it Chi- 2012. He mended his ways in ment Bank, over which the US and often bowed to Beijing’s wishes, na’s power plays in established Beijing’s eyes and met President Japan exert extensive but under Modi it is being more international organisations or finan- Xi in the Chinese capital in De- influence. The US and others have robust, strengthening its defence cial markets. Instead it is China’s cember 2013 (above) with a posse resisted reforms in the control of installations and infrastructure on plans for a new Asia of other British ministers. In prac- those two banks, and of the Inter- the mountainous border and Infrastructure Investment Bank tical terms, Cameron hopes that national Monetary Fund, so it is speaking out when necessary, (AIIB), plus its growing interest doing what China wants will in- scarcely surprising that China is while welcoming Xi Jinping last in becoming involved, maybe rath- crease investment in the UK, creating an alternative Asian pow- year and trying to boost economic er more precariously, in Afghani- though there is little evidence yet er centre for infrastructural invest- co-operation.The lesson that In- stan’s expected peace talks. Both of that happening. US allies line ment. Meanwhile China’s initia- dia has learned, but does not initiatives demonstrate the diver- up The UK was the first of Amer- tives in Afghanistan are more ten- always apply, is that China re- sity of its growing international ica’s European allies to line up and tative. There have been various spects toughness that is soundly self-confidence and ambitions un- was followed later by France, Ger- moves since President Ashraf based. Where it detects weakness, der President Xi Jinping, who many and Italy. Others saying they Ghani took office in Kabul last year based for example on economic took office a year ago. The initia- want to become members have in- and these have included Chinese self-interest (as with the UK), it tives fill gaps that China has spot- cluded Russia, Denmark, South meetings with Taliban leaders in responds toughly and expects ted in existing arrangements – Korea, the Netherlands, Brazil Beijing as well as Pakistan and more favourable treatment. “India Asia’s need for massive infrastruc- and Turkey. America’s Quetta (where the Taliban has an is probably one of the last coun- ture investment, and the diplomatic staunch ally Australia held out till office). This is somewhat un- tries to accommodate China on employee, put this rather neatly ‘This is a fallen world’ “It would be son however of China’s AIIB and vacuum left in Afghanistan at a March 29, then caved in. The US known territory for China, which anything – and at the end of the in a recent column, when he wrote: good if China’s lender were as pure as Afghanistan moves is that the time when talks with the Taliban is now having to reassess its posi- has no track record in internation- day, they work very well togeth- “Jack Lew, US Treasury secretary, the driven snow. But this is a fallen world – and especially the US – seem likely and the US gradually tion. The only significant ally it al diplomatic mediation, but it fits er,” a Mexican diplomat told The has voiced American concerns that world,” said Wolf. He approved of all needs to be ready for President Xi’s withdraws. Tomorrow, March 31, has left after losing Australia is in with Beijing’s wish to become Guardian . Many of those who the Asian bank would not live up the countries joining the AIIB because next initiatives, whatever they may is the deadline that China has set Japan, which fears Chinese domi- more established on the world have flocked to the AIIB also do to the ‘highest global standards’ for it “would be better with a broad mem- be. He clearly intends to use his for countries to apply nation of the bank’s decisions and stage. Chinese leaders are also con- not trust China to influence the governance or lending. As a former bership than without it”. Wolf’s “fall- time in office to spread his coun- for founding membership of the a lack of attention to environmen- cerned about civil unrest in Mus- bank along ethical lines – any more staff member of the World Bank, I en world” presumably referred to cor- try’s power and influence, weak- new AIIB, and nearly 30 have al- tal protection and controls over lim-dominated areas of its eastern than the US has in the World must smile. Mr Lew might like to ruption and other declining ethical ening those who stand in his way, ready done so. The UK hit the fundraising and quality of projects. province of Xinjiang increasing if Bank. Martin Wolf, the Financial study the Bank’s role in funding standards that are widespread inter- as the US has been weakened over headlines when it said it would join, Japanese businessmen are howev- the situation in Afghanistan wors- Times’ leading economic commen- Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire, one nationally, and not to a world increas- the AIIB. This article was seen at prompting a US official to issue a er lobbying for the country to join ens. Both the US, which wants to tator and a one-time World Bank horrifying example among many”. ingly influenced by China. The les- The Independent. Don’t let the US try and solve Arab world problems By Andrew Bacevich Just a decade ago, in June 2005, Condoleezza Rice visited Cairo to By Danielle Moylan servative values The consequenc- like Kabul. But the opposite ap- for money like animals … we are make what the State Department es of this crisis are devastating for pears to be true. Across Afghani- often sold to widowers, blind men, had advertised as a major foreign all of Afghanistan’s displaced peo- stan, young women and girls are disabled or old men and we have policy address. "For 60 years," the Look around any of Afghanistan’s US secretary of state declared, the large cities - Kabul, Herat, Mazar- ple, but displaced women and girls being educated, including at uni- no choice to refuse marrying United States had "pursued sta- e Sharif, Kandahar - and it is easy suffer disproportionately to men. versities, at impressive and higher them”. Psychological trauma It bility at the expense of democracy to see that Afghanistan is facing an In Afghanistan, female IDPs - who rates than ever before. But 71 per is not surprising that these wom- in this region here in the Middle internal displacement crisis. already face significant challenges cent of the displaced women and en and girls are not coping. Up- East - and we achieved neither." Camps and settlements for Af- in a country still dominated by girls we interviewed reported that rooted from their homes, family No more. "Now," she continued, "we are taking a different course. ghanistan’s 820,000 internally dis- deeply conservative values and they had never attended school at and community support struc- We are supporting the democratic placed people (IDPs); forced by lack of protection for their rights - all. In fact, only 40 percent said tures break down and their access aspirations of all people." Obama conflict or natural disaster from are even more unlikely to have ac- they were allowed to leave their to traditional or formal justice sys- Presidency: how will it be remem- their homes, sprawl out for miles cess to basics like education, health- tiny and ramshackle dwellings to tems diminishes. The testimony in bered? Coming from the principal on the city fringes, with thousands care and work. Even more worry- visit friends, and only half said the report confirms that many ur- diplomat of a great imperial pow- er, Rice's cavalier dismissal of sta- East is a dumb idea. Whether or gone, as events everywhere from of new arrivals every week. With ingly, Afghan women and girls they were allowed to visit a doc- ban IDP women and girls are ex- bility was astonishing. Maintain- not the claim of subordinating sta- Libya to Yemen to Syria to Iraq an ongoing civil war, a land prone when displaced are likely to be tor when they fell ill. Simply, Af- periencing high levels of psycho- ing stability holds the key to the bility to democracy was sincere make abundantly clear. Former US to devastating floods, avalanches exploited by desperate families ghanistan’s displaced women and logical trauma and are unable to successful management of empire. turns out to be beside the point. Secretary of State Condoleezza and drought, this year that figure struggling to survive. A new report girls are being trapped in their tiny access critically needed support. Furthermore, although the stabili- By invading Iraq, the United States Rice [AP] Semblance of calm Yet is expected to climb to one mil- by the Norwegian Refugee Coun- homes by deeply conservative Many committed members of Af- ty of the Middle East over the pre- lit a fuse, which blew the powder in responding to the chaos that lion. Afghanistan’s IDP camps are cil and Afghanistan has shed some families, unable to learn, work, ghanistan’s humanitarian commu- vious decades might qualify as pre- keg sky high. It's far too early to Rice and her colleagues did so much determine where all the pieces are to foster, US President Barack new light on the disproportionate socialise, seek help from others, nity are already working to re- carious, it was hardly to be sniffed miserable places. As part of my at. Sacrosanct borders By and large, going to land. It's not too early to Obama clings to the expectation work with the Norwegian Refugee risks Afghan displaced women and or even see the world outside. spond to the needs of Afghan fe- borders had remained sacrosanct. conclude that the age of empire in that US military power, wielded Council, I regularly see the appall- girls face and how, trapped in a These women and girls are also male IDPs. But it is clear there are Once installed in power, regimes the Middle East has now ended directly or through proxies, can ing conditions that families are cycle of inadequate assistance and going hungry. Many told us that enormous gaps. We need to do persisted. For the most part, suc- for good. New imperial order Af- somehow or other restore a sem- forced to live in. Children play in growing impoverishment, they they eat only one meal a day - typ- more to address the specific prob- cessions occurred in an orderly ter World War I, having engineered blance of calm, however partial or the demise of the Ottoman Em- imperfect. Credit Obama with hav- filthy and rubbish-strewn areas describe living in “prison-like”, ically just bread - and nearly half lems Afghan women and girls face fashion. Although the potential for war was omnipresent, actual in- pire, Great Britain (with France a ing learned one important lesson alongside stray animals, unem- deplorable conditions in Afghani- of those interviewed are forced to in displacement. We must actively stances of interstate conflict were willing accomplice) created a new from his predecessor: Sending US ployed men wander around idle and stan’s urban IDP camps. Those buy food on credit. They also re- seek out the unseen and unheard fairly infrequent and, with impor- imperial order that lasted barely a troops to invade and occupy coun- frustrated, and there is little access interviewed reported high rates of ported suffering high rates of do- women to better understand their tant exceptions such as the Iran- half-century. Britain's withdrawal tries in the Greater Middle East is to running water or appropriate domestic violence, were more like- mestic abuse, typically at the needs. It is clear that more atten- Iraq War, tended to be brief. In no from "East of Suez" in the 1960s a dumb idea. Fault him for not ap- hygiene facilities. Women and girls ly married off at a younger age and hands of their husbands, brothers, tion is needed prevent and respond sense was the region "at peace". marked its demise. London no long- preciating the larger lesson that US to settle debts, and suffered from and mothers-in-law, and were to domestic violence and gender Yes, the Middle East was a pow- er possessed sufficient power to military intervention in this part are rarely seen. Due to cultural der keg. But through whatever maintain its position in the Mid- of the world is inherently counter- norms, they are often required by unacceptable and dangerous levels more at risk of forced and early exploitation, such as early marriag- combination of skill, luck, or di- dle East and prudently got out. In productive. Air strikes, drone their families to stay secluded in- of hunger. There is a general ex- marriage. For desperately poor es. And with so many clearly not vine favour, the keg didn't blow its place, the United States erect- strikes, cyber strikes, special op- side rudimentary homes. The pectation that women and girls dis- IDP families, young women can coping, mental health - especially up. In short, as Rice made her dra- ed a new imperial order based on a erations forces dispatched to ad- lucky ones live in cramped, one- placed from their more conserva- represent a form of income when a for female IDPs, but also for all - matic pronouncement, with its series of shifting alliances. At one vise or train or kill: None of these room mud shelters. Many only tive rural homelands should be able suitor is able to pay a dowry. One must start being properly ad- vow to radically change the polit- time or another, Saudi Arabia, Iran, will suffice to check the anarchic Iraq, Egypt, and Israel all played forces that the United States itself to enjoy fewer social constraints young woman told us that IDP dressed in any humanitarian re- ical landscape, things could have have simple tarpaulin tents too been worse. Today they are. At important roles. This order too helped let loose. Americans tend small to stand up in. Deeply con- in a freer, more progressive big city girls “are being sold in exchange sponse. Afghanistan has over- the time, cynics dismissed Rice's lasted approximately a half-centu- to think of history as a series of whelming and underfunded human- speech as an ex post facto justifi- ry. We may date its demise from problems that the United States is itarian needs and we are in real dan- cation of the Iraq War, which the December 2011, when US forces called upon to solve. That view is LETTER TO THE EDITOR ger of failing Afghanistan’s wom- United States had initiated two withdrew from Iraq. Even in this mistaken. To think of history as en. We are continually calling on years earlier. With the Bush ad- one country, US power had not tragedy comes closer to the truth. ministration's case for that war - sufficed to bring the promise of In the Middle East, tragedy un- donors to step up their efforts and Saddam Hussein's arsenal of weap- the Freedom Agenda to fruition. folds before our eyes. To imagine ensure that the gains achieved in ons of mass destruction and his The great conceit of the Freedom that US power can put things right Take concrete measures the past 10 years are not lost. Al- collaboration with al-Qaeda - now Agenda was that the United States is to succumb to an illusion on a ready disadvantaged by their gen- exposed as nonexistent, the Unit- possessed the capacity - primari- vast scale. Prudence demands that der, the specific needs that Afghan ed States needed to contrive a new ly measured in armed might - to the United States itself - the last against militancy females face when displaced must rationale for mess it had created in discard one US-devised order and imperial power - get out before Iraq. The so-called Freedom Agen- replace it with another more to its inflicting even more harm. Andrew be recognised and addressed by the da - the United States now claim- own liking. In Iraq that enterprise J. Bacevich is professor of history At least 10 people have been killed in two separate bomb blasts in Kabul during past week. People are international community and Af- ing to promote democratic change failed irredeemably. In Washington, and international relations emeri- complaining about insecurity and unrest in their areas in some parts of the country. Kohistanat and Sozma ghan government. It cannot be out everywhere in the Islamic world - however, the implications of that tus at Boston University’s Pardee filled the bill. Credit Obama with failure, stemming primarily from a School of Global Studies. The Qala districts of northern Sar-i-Pul province are likely fall to the Taliban. The national unity government of sight, out of mind - for many Afghanistan’s women and girl having learned one important les- reckless misuse of military pow- views expressed in this article are leaders vowed during election campaigns that will beef up security after taking office, but six months have son from his predecessor: Sending er, have yet to sink in. Today the the author's own and do not nec- IDPs, they simply do not have passed and they are still to form the cabinet. The Ministry of Defense is without minister. Their pledges have US troops to invade and occupy limited stability that Rice treated essarily reflect Al Jazeera's edito- anyone else to turn to for help. countries in the Greater Middle with such disdain is well and truly rial policy. not been implemented yet. To bring law-and-order and ensure citizens’ safety, the government should come up with concrete measures against militancy. Security forces should be equipped with state-of-the-art weapons. In the meantime, people should cooperate with security forces and help them in thwarting militant activities. Afghan forces are well capable of ensuring security countrywide, what they Disclaimer: lack is planning and better management. Khalid Ahmadi, Taimani, Kabul The views and opinions expressed in the articles are those of the author(s) Letter to editor will be edited for policy, content and clarity. All letters must have the writer’s name and address. You may send your letters to: and do not reflect the views or opinions of the Afghanistan Times. [email protected] This document was created with Win2PDF available at http://www.win2pdf.com. The unregistered version of Win2PDF is for evaluation or non-commercial use only. This page will not be added after purchasing Win2PDF. WEDNESDAY. APRIL 01, 2015 AFGHANISTANTIMES Ukraine’s ‘blue train’ forges path through the chaos In the conflict-torn eastern Ukraine "I'm afraid of the shooting, but town of Yasynuvata, residents are I hope it will all go OK," Panova overcoming their fear and board- said. "My husband stayed at home ing a popular local train for the first and is very worried about me." time in many months, spurred by At times, the train passes just the chance to see loved ones. a few kilometres from the front The rail link between Yasynu- line, covering a distance of around vata and the city of Lugansk, both 140 kilometres (87 miles) that nor- controlled by pro-Russian sepa- mally takes about three hours. ratists, reopened Saturday follow- Semyon Kuzmenko, transport ing a seven-month break, as a frag- "minister" of the rebels' self-de- ile ceasefire signed last month be- clared Donetsk People's Republic, tween the rebels and the Ukraini- was on hand at the platform in an authorities continued to hold. Yasynuvata to reassure nervous The lull in fighting has finally travellers. allowed for the repair of rails, pow- A few seats away from Pano- er lines and stations damaged in va, Alexander Zavgorodny, 42, re- August last year, at the height of vealed his desperation to get to the hostilities. Lugansk and see his wife and his After days and nights spent in son, who has just turned 11. cellars seeking refuge from the "I haven't seen them for two bombing, a train ride is a cause for months, and before that it was six celebration. Even if the "blue train" months because they were seek- -- so called because of its colour -- ing refuge in (the government-con- is fronted by an anti-mine carriage, trolled city of) Odessa," said the scanning the tracks for explosives. truck driver, explaining that the "I am very, very happy! I alternative bus journey was time- haven't seen my mother for a year," consuming and dangerous. said Yelena Panova, her eyes bright - Return to normal life - with excitement. Rail staff Lyudmila, Viktoriya "I'm so glad, I hope the jour- and Yelena have waited seven ney never ends!" she added, months to put on their uniforms clutching an imitation snakeskin again. bag. There may only be a dozen Panova, who works at a sau- passengers, but the women are just sage factory, came loaded with in- relieved to be back at work, even sulin, meat and tinned food for her waving through a passenger who 75-year-old diabetic mother, who has arrived ticketless. lives around half-way through "Our lives have resumed," said Lugansk. 54-year-old Lyudmila, a 20-year "Thanks to the train, I will also veteran of the ticket office. scape, past metallurgical plants of the cab, cap on his head and but the train is not the same size," people." from the start point, people come be able to visit the family ceme- "It has been very difficult, and pumping out white smoke, cigarette butt hanging from his lips. he explained. After a short wait, the prob- out to greet the train while smiling tery before Easter," said the 51- of course we are afraid about the bombed-out homes and dead trees. The train, it turns out, is too high "I expected a problem like this, lem is fixed and the passengers children frantically wave at the year-old. safety of line, like everyone else," An hour-and-a-half into the to connect properly with the over- it's normal. It will be repaired," he continue their journey, wracked by passengers. It is clear that for them, Many Orthodox believers in she added. trip, suspicious noises force the head power lines on this section added. nerves. getting this symbol of normality the former Soviet Union keep a A sombre silence descends on train to stop. Anxiety grips the of the tracks. "I know that today I am not Approaching the separatist- back on the rails has been worth tradition of visiting family graves the carriage as the train winds its carriages as the train backtracks. "We tried the journey yester- just the train driver. It is essential controlled town of Vuglegirsk, at Easter. way through the scarred land- Sergei, the driver, marches out day (Friday) with a locomotive, that I don't disappoint all these around 35 kilometres (22 miles) the effort. AFP Indiana: Law OK, will add clarity Hillary Clinton also used iPad for email Indiana's legislative leaders on hold 40 of the 50 Senate seats and men's basketball tournament, Monday joined Gov. Mike Pence 71 of 100 in the House. which will take place Saturday and WASHINGTON: Hillary Rodham that time could have potentially in saying that they planned to Pence told The Indianapolis Monday. In a statement Thursday, Clinton emailed her staff on an iPad split her accounts, reverting to an amend a new religious freedom law Star on Saturday that he was tak- NCAA President Mark Emmert as well as a BlackBerry while sec- official State.gov email account and to make clear that it did not allow en aback by negative reactions to said the organization was "deeply retary of state, despite her expla- BlackBerry for work and leaving discrimination against homosexu- the law, called the Religious Free- concerned" about the legislation. nation she exclusively used a per- her personal email on her iPad. als, while still insisting that the law dom Restoration Act. Similar laws Tim Cook, the chief executive sonal email address on a homebrew Clinton has said she exchanged did not do so in its current form. in other states have drawn relative- of Apple, wrote an opinion article server so that she could carry a about 60,000 emails in her four The law, approved by the Re- ly little attention. for The Washington Post calling single device, according to docu- years in the Obama administration, publican-dominated General As- "I support religious liberty, the law discriminatory, and noting ments obtained by The Associat- about half of which were work- sembly and signed Thursday by and I support this law," the gover- that similar bills had been intro- ed Press. related. She said none contained The dispute over her emails classified information, and that her has cast a shadow over Clinton, private email system did not suf- the front-runner for the Democrat- fer any security breaches. ic presidential nomination who is The highly unusual practice of widely expected to announce her a Cabinet-level official physically candidacy next month. running her own email server gave The State Department re- Clinton complete control over ac- leased a total of four emails be- cess to her message archives. tween Clinton and her top advis- Clinton said she deleted emails ers as part of a Freedom of Infor- — some 30,000 in total — that mation Act request filed in 2013 she described as personal in na- by the AP, which sought Clinton's ture, such as yoga routines, plans correspondence with senior advis- for her mother's funeral or her ers over a four-year period relat- daughter's wedding. It's not clear ing to drone strikes overseas and how Clinton handled emails that U.S. surveillance programs. mixed personal and official busi- While limited, the emails offer ness, such as the exchange with one of the first looks into Clin- Abedin. ton's correspondence while secre- Rep. Trey Gowdy, chairman tary of state. The messages came of a House committee investigat- from and were sent to her private ing the 2012 Benghazi attacks that email address, hosted on a server killed four Americans, said Clin- at her property in Chappaqua, ton wiped her email server "clean," New York, as opposed to a gov- permanently deleting all emails ernment-run email account. from it and has declined to relin- They show that Clinton, on at quish her server to a third party least one occasion, accidentally for an independent review. mingled personal and work mat- Clinton's attorney said she had or received during her tenure and it would make no sense to turn over her ters. In reply to a message sent in turned over to the State Depart- server, since "no emails … reside on the server or on any backup sys- September 2011 by adviser Huma ment all work-related emails sent tems associated with the server." AP Abedin to Clinton's personal email Pence, also a Republican, set off a nor said. "But we are in discus- duced in other states. "On behalf account, which contained an AP firestorm, with both critics and sions with legislative leaders this of Apple, I'm standing up to op- story about a drone strike in Paki- Violence wanes in Chicago, but fear some supporters saying it would weekend to see if there's a way to pose this new wave of legislation - stan, Clinton mistakenly replied allow businesses to deny service clarify the intent of the law." - wherever it emerges," he wrote, with questions that appear to be to gay consumers on the basis of But a day later, appearing on but he did not elaborate on what about decorations. LOOMS OVER MAYOR’S RACE their religious beliefs. The conse- ABC's This Week, Pence did not form that opposition might take. The other emails between quences for Indiana promised to give clear answers to some ques- Marc Benioff, the chief execu- Clinton and her advisers provided A few years ago, violence on Chicago streets thrust a recently elected mayor into the national spotlight as be economic as well as political, tions from the host, George Steph- tive of Salesforce.com, said last by the State Department contained shootouts in some of the city's most troubled neighborhoods fueled nearly constant bloodshed. with businesses vowing to shun anopoulos, about how the law week that his company would halt a summary of a 2011 meeting be- Rahm Emanuel spent nearly $200 million over two years to flood those streets with police working the state. would work, such as whether it all corporate travel to Indiana. On tween Sen. John McCain and se- overtime. His police department also collected a trove of information about individual gang members and set "It is not the intent of the law would allow a Christian florist to Saturday, Mayor Ed Murray of nior Egyptian officials in Cairo. It up meetings between gang members and the parents of homicide victims to illustrate the high human cost of to discriminate against anyone, and deny service to a same-sex couple. Seattle announced a ban on city was uncensored and did not ap- gunfire. Since then, the city's overall violence has declined, but the number of slayings in some minority it will not be allowed to discrimi- Asserting that the legislation was employees traveling to Indiana for pear to contain sensitive informa- neighborhoods actually jumped. And while police boast of historic drops in the homicide rate, many frustrat- nate against anyone," David Long, not about discrimination, he said, work using city funds. tion. That email was forwarded to ed families in those areas say their communities have seen little to no improvement or have actually deterio- president pro tempore of the state "The issue here is, you know, is The same day, Bill Oesterle, Clinton's private account from rated. "It's worse," said Anthony Jackson, a 62-year-old retired maintenance man as he made his way to his Senate, said Monday at a news tolerance a two-way street or the chief executive of Angie's List, Abedin's government email ad- home in the heart of a neighborhood that last year saw a dramatic spike in homicides — to about half the conference with Brian Bosma, not?" said his company would abandon dress. number of the entire city of Washington, D.C. "We're just out here on our own." speaker of the state House of Rep- The legislative leaders ex- a deal with Indiana and Indianapo- In another note, Clinton ex- The stubborn violence contributes to the mayor's overall challenge in his bid for a second term and puts resentatives. pressed frustration Monday that lis to expand its headquarters. His pressed apparent dismay at leaks him in the somewhat awkward position of simultaneously touting his success against crime while acknowl- "We hope to have a fix very Pence had not stated more explic- opposition was seen as an indica- of classified U.S. government in- edging that much more needs to be done. "The truth is that as much progress as we've made over the past four soon," Long said, adding that law- itly and forcefully that the law did tion of dissatisfaction with the law formation to the media. Referenc- years, we simply have to do better," Emanuel said in a speech. makers hoped to "calm the seas not permit discrimination. Asked beyond the liberal political left. ing a CNN story, which described The total number of homicides in Chicago fell from more than 500 in 2012 to just over 400 last year, the here." if they were holding their news Oesterle was the campaign direc- "loose lips" in the Obama admin- lowest level in a half-century. But the number of shootings climbed 12 percent, from 1,866 to 2,084, during But both men said they did not conference because of the gover- tor for Mitch Daniels' successful istration, she asked two officials if the same period. The discontent goes beyond the bullets. Despite Emanuel's success in attracting companies know what form that fix would nor's performance, Bosma said, "I Republican bid for Indiana gover- she should comment on the matter to the thriving Loop district, the only businesses that seem to survive in many minority neighborhoods are take, adding that it needed to be think the fact that he did not an- nor in 2004. The public-employee as had Leon Panetta, the former dusty markets, fast-food restaurants and dollar stores. The result was that Emanuel did not receive enough discussed among their colleagues. swer some questions clearly, yes." union known as AFSCME an- Central Intelligence Agency direc- votes last month to avoid an April runoff with Cook County Commissioner Jesus "Chuy" Garcia. Much of The law aims to protect indi- Critics have noted that some nounced Monday that it was can- tor. the support the mayor had from black voters four years ago vanished in the primary. Though Emanuel was viduals or companies from being states with similar statutes also celing a planned women's confer- "I think this is both dishonor- the clear winner in every majority-black ward, he received fewer than half the votes in them. Four years ago, forced to take actions that impose have civil-rights laws that explic- ence in Indianapolis this year be- able and dangerous and want to find he received more than half the votes in every single one. Jackson voted for Emanuel in 2011, but he doesn't a substantial burden on their reli- itly prohibit discrimination based cause of the law. The band Wilco way to say it," she wrote. know who he will support in the April 7 election. gious beliefs. Some people on both on sexual orientation. But homo- said it was canceling a May per- Clinton spokesman Nick Mer- In the Harrison police district, where Jackson lives, the number of homicides climbed from 35 in 2013 to sides of the debate say that means sexuals are not a protected class formance. Virginia Gov. Terry rill said early Tuesday that the sec- 51 last year, and the number of shootings climbed at more than double the citywide rate. Police have not businesses can discriminate. under Indiana's civil-rights laws, McAuliffe issued an open letter retary used her iPad from time to offered a definitive reason other than to point to what Superintendent Garry McCarthy calls "severe gang "We don't believe that is the and Indiana lawmakers cast doubt to Indiana corporations saying Vir- time, primarily to read news clip- conflicts." And Emanuel's decision to close dozens of schools added more boarded-up buildings to streets effect," Bosma said. Democratic on the prospects of giving them ginia is a business-friendly state pings. already littered with them, with residents complaining that the schools became larger versions of the aban- lawmakers said the law should be such protection. that does "not discriminate against At the United Nations earlier doned houses that are magnets for gangs and drug dealers. repealed entirely. Scott Pelath, the "Big policy discussion to toss our friends and neighbors," while this month, Clinton said she chose "What people see is these parts of the city have been abandoned, and the investment has gone else- House minority leader, said only a in here, four weeks before the end Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel a personal account over a govern- where," said Marshall Hatch, a prominent minister on the city's West Side, standing near the shuttered repeal would clearly avoid discrim- of the session," Bosma said Mon- sent letters to more than a dozen ment one out of convenience, de- Goldblatt Elementary School. ination and begin to reverse the day. "I think that's an uphill bat- Indiana businesses, urging them to scribing it as a way to carry a sin- Statistically, there is plenty of evidence that the city's crime-fighting strategies are paying off. Since damage done to the state's reputa- tle." Asked about the idea Sunday, relocate to a "welcoming place to gle device, rather than one for work 2012, reports of every major crime have dropped, some significantly. tion by the uproar. Bosma said the governor said he would not seek people of all races, faiths and coun- emails and another for personal The 504 homicides that caught the attention of the nation in 2012 have fallen to a level not seen since the Monday that repealing the law such a change. "That's not on my tries of origin." The backlash has messages. mid-1960s. It's the same story with robbery, aggravated battery, burglary and motor-vehicle theft. There isn't "a realistic goal at this point." agenda," he said on This Week. been an unexpected political head- "Looking back, it would have were fewer reports — sometimes hundreds fewer — of those crimes than two years ago, including in "I'm looking for a surgical so- On Saturday, thousands of ache for Pence, who is juggling been probably, you know, smarter Jackson's community and other largely black neighborhoods. lution, and I think the least intru- protesters gathered at the State- whether to run for re-election or to have used two devices," Clin- For example, in the Grand Crossing district on the South Side, 2014 ended with 18 homicides — less than sive surgery is to clarify that [the house as companies and other gov- for president in 2016. Defending ton said. Her office that day re- half the 42 recorded in 2012. law] cannot be used to support the ernments announced a halt to busi- the law in the interviews with The leased a statement saying she Still, even in that area and in other nearby communities, Emanuel did not receive nearly the percentage of denial of goods, facilities or ser- ness with the state and the capital, Star and Stephanopoulos, the gov- "wanted the simplicity of using votes that he did in 2011. vices to any member of the pub- Indianapolis, over the law. ernor pointed to its origins in fed- one device." In his campaign, the mayor has addressed the fears stirred up by the death of an 11-year-old girl who was lic," he said. The debate has cast a shadow eral legislation signed by President Clinton became secretary of killed by a bullet that pierced a wall while she made s'mores during a sleepover. And he acknowledged the The future of the law lies in over preparations in Indianapolis Bill Clinton and adopted by about state in 2009, a year before Apple slaying of Hadiya Pendleton, a 15-year-old honor student killed shortly after returning from President Barack the hands of Republicans, who for the Final Four of the NCAA 19 other states. AP Inc. released the iPad. Clinton at Obama's inauguration. AP This document was created with Win2PDF available at http://www.win2pdf.com. The unregistered version of Win2PDF is for evaluation or non-commercial use only. This page will not be added after purchasing Win2PDF. WEDNESDAY. APRIL 01, 2015 AFGHANISTANTIMES Libyan oil guards demand state firm to Asia up on Wall Eurozone Street rally and China hopes, euro price falls REOPEN THE TWO BIGGEST OIL PORTS sags on Greece A Libyan state oil security force ease in has called on state oil firm NOC to TOKYO: Asian stocks rose on reopen the Ras Lanuf and Es Sider Tuesday after a rally on Wall Street oil ports, the country’s two big- and steps by China to shore up its March gest, after a rival force pulled out economy boosted risk appetite, Eurozone consumer prices fell for from the area following months of while Greek debt worries again the fourth straight month in fighting, a spokesman said. haunted the sagging euro. An oil official said earlier it was Tracking overnight gains in US March, but at the slowest pace too soon to say when the two ter- shares, MSCI's broadest index of during that period, easing fears that minals, which have a combined Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan the currency area is at risk of a capacity of 600,000 barrels a day, was up 0.4 per cent. Japan's Ni- slide into deflation. could resume work. kkei added 0.9 per cent and Aus- The European Union's statis- A force loyal to a self-declared tralian shares rose 1.3 per cent. tics agency on Tuesday said con- Tripoli government withdrew The Dow and S&P 500 both sumer prices were 0.1 per cent low- troops from near the ports, which climbed more than 1 per cent Mon- er than a year earlier, having fallen it had been trying to seize since day with sentiment boosted by 0.3 per cent in February and 0.6 December, another official said on Chinese equities, which soared to per cent in January. Saturday. The ports halted work a seven-year high on hopes for Prices began to fall in Decem- then. more infrastructure spending and ber, prompting the European Cen- “The oil ports are safe,” said monetary easing. tral Bank to launch a program of Ali al-Hassi, spokesman for a After unveiling details over the quantitative easing that will see it force guarding the ports on behalf weekend for a modern "Silk Road" buy more than one trillion euros of the official government based in that could pump tens of billions the east. “We call on NOC to lift of dollars into investment, China ($US1.09 trillion) of mostly gov- force majeure from the ports so late on Monday announced steps ernment bonds by September the oil companies can resume to ease housing taxes and lending 2016. work.” rules to prop up sliding house pric- ECB policy makers had ex- NOC had declared the con- es imperilling the world's second pected prices to fall throughout the tractual waiver in December. largest economy. first half of this year and the cen- But the oil official said securi- "Tax cuts, reductions to down tral bank's economist have forecast ty and technical checks needed to payments on second homes, along that prices will be flat in 2015. The be conducted first. “We need to with further moves to requirement prospect of an earlier-than-expect- check whether pipelines and stor- ratios have all been introduced to ed end to the period of falling pric- age are undamaged,” he said, ask- fighters loyal to the militant group the ousting of leader Muammar out from camps west of Es Sider spokesman for National Oil Corp assist China's slowing housing sec- es has already led to speculation Islamic State of Iraq and Syria Qaddafi. to tackle a growing threat from ISIS (NOC) said. ing not to be identified. Storage tor and will be a medium term pos- in financial markets that the ECB tanks at Es Sider were hit by a rock- (ISIS). The North African country’s in Sirte, a central city. But NOC had to declare force itive in the global growth story," The militants are exploiting a official government has been con- Libya has boosted oil output majeure this month at 11 oilfields may end its bond purchase before et in late December, burning for a Evan Lucas, market strategist at September 2016, or buy smaller week, as fighting raged. security vacuum, just as they did fined to the east since a rival group in recent weeks despite turmoil in the Sirte basin south of Es Sider IG in Melbourne, said in a note to amounts of debt. The region south of the ports in Syria and Iraq, created by a seized Tripoli in August, setting gripping much of the country. Pro- after ISIS attacked at least three clients. is home to several oilfields that struggle between two governments up its own administration. duction hit 564,000 barrels per day facilities and kidnapped up to 10 The common currency fell But ECB President Mario were attacked in recent weeks by vying for control four years after The Tripoli force had moved and is expected to rise further, a foreign oil workers. against the dollar on worries about Draghi last week stressed that the whether Greece can secure aid be- QE program will last for at least fore it runs out of cash in three 18 months and continue until pol- US oil production growth at weeks. Greece's biggest creditor icy makers are convinced that in- Germany demanded that it show flation will stabilize near annual record 100-yr high in 2014, EIA more commitment to reform while rates of 2 per cent. Athens said it cannot make an "un- The slowdown in the pace of US crude production increased to 1.2 million barrels per day (mbpd) to conditional" agreement with lend- price falls has largely been due to a 8.7 mbpd in 2014, the largest volume rise since 1900, the date the US ers. modest rebound in energy costs. Energy Information Administration started keeping records. The dollar was little changed This is the sixth consecutive year that the US, with the help of Energy prices were 5.8 per cent at 120.02 yen after surging from lower than a year earlier in March, horizontal drilling and fracking, has increased crude production. an overnight low of 119.105. Surges in output hailed from fracking states such as North Dakota, having been down 7.9 per cent in The Australian dollar found February and 9.3 per cent in Janu- Texas, and New Mexico, the EIA’s report, published on Monday, said. little support from prospects of ary. The US shale revolution has made the US a net exporter and not an more stimulus and monetary eas- importer of oil. This major change in output level has had a downward ing from China, Australia's key However, there was a remind- trend on oil prices, which lost more than 50 percent in 2014 due to the trading partner. er for policy makers that lower global supply glut. In terms of the growth rate, US oil production was The Aussie was little changed energy costs may lead to slower up 16.2 percent last year, the biggest increase since 1940 and the largest increases or outright declines in the yearly rise in more than six decades. U.S. Energy Information Adminis- at $0.7656 after skidding more than one per cent overnight amid per- prices of other goods and services, tration, Petroleum Supply Monthly Source: U.S. Energy Information as the core rate of inflation fell to Administration, Petroleum Supply Monthly “Annual increases in crude sistent expectations of further in- oil production regularly surpassed 15 percent in the first half of the 20th terest rate cuts by the Reserve 0.6 per cent from 0.7 per cent in century, but those changes were relatively less in absolute terms be- Bank of Australia. February. cause production levels were much lower than they are now,” the report US crude extended losses as Europe is an importer of ener- said. OPEC, the group of 12 Gulf State oil producing nations, led by the Mar. 31 deadline loomed for gy and economists often compare Saudi Arabia, has forecast a possible decrease in shale production by the Iran and six world powers negoti- a fall in prices of oil and natural end of 2015, since tight oil production is more vulnerable to low, recent- ating a deal for Tehran's nuclear gas to a tax cut, as it leaves con- ly slashed oil prices. Weak global oil market prices have forced several programme. If a deal is reached to sumers with more money to spend US oil companies to either close down rigs, or worse, file for bankrupt- end Western sanctions, Iran would on other goods and services, many be able to ship more crude into an cy. In March 2015, there were 734 less active oil rigs in the US, accord- of which are produced within the already saturated market. ing to Texas-based oil service company Baker Hughes. This compares bloc. with the total of 66 lost internationally. The next rig count will be US crude was down 0.3 per cent at $48.54 per barrel. Rather than push the eurozone published on April 2 at 1:00pm EST. into deflation, lower energy costs appear to have delivered a boost to the currency area's still modest Western banks axed economic recovery, helped by the Taiwan to join China-led regional bank, ECB's stimulus, and the weaken- ing euro. 59,000 jobs last year Surveys released last week LONDON: Top European and US through the banking industry in JAPAN SAYS NOT NOW showed private-sector activity in- banks axed 59,000 jobs last year 2013 as trading income slumped creased at the fastest pace in al- as they restructured and cut costs, and economic growth slowed. Japan is not planning to join the tutions such as the Asian Devel- would accept Taiwan's member- In Tokyo, Suga did not say most four years in March, while a with headcount expected to shrink “In a world where growth is China-led Asian Infrastructure In- opment Bank, which by conven- ship in the regional bank, though Japan would never consider join- separate survey released Monday further in Europe as bosses strive harder to come by, I’m more con- vestment Bank, its government tion is headed by a Japanese offi- its leaders have said it is open to ing the bank. Recently, Finance showed businesses and consum- to improve profitability that has vinced than ever that costs will spokesman said Tuesday, while cial, and the U.S.-dominated World all countries. Minister Taro Aso indicated it was ers became more optimistic about been hit hard by tougher regula- remain the strategic battleground Taiwan announced it would apply Bank and International Monetary In Beijing, Foreign Ministry a possibility, but later backpedalled their prospects than at any time tion. for our sector over the coming for membership, joining dozens of Fund. It contends the bank might spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on the issue. Japanese media re- since June 2011. Lenders have also sold or shut years,” Barclays Chief Executive countries in signing up to an initia- extend credit without adequate Taiwan's application should re- ports Tuesday said the ruling Lib- tive opposed by Washington. environmental, labor and social spect China's requirement that the eral Democratic Party was still However, economic growth is Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshi- safeguards. island not be identified as a sepa- considering its stance. likely to remain weak by compar- hide Suga told reporters that Ja- Beijing set a March 31 dead- rate country. In other instances, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ison with other developed econo- pan, the world's No. 3 economy, line for founding members to ex- such as sports events and interna- told party leaders, "There is no mies such as the US and the UK, is still seeking answers about how press interest in joining the AIIB. tional gatherings, Taiwan is often need to participate hastily," Kyo- and it will therefore take many the regional financing institution Taiwan's Finance Ministry issued identified as "Chinese, Taipei" to do News Service reported. He in- months before the unemployment would be governed. "As of today, a notice Tuesday saying it was pre-empt complaints from China. dicated Japan was siding with its rate falls back to pre-crisis levels. Japan will not join AIIB and a clear applying to join, following earlier Hua said applications from 30 powerful ally the U.S. on the is- Eurostat Tuesday said the eu- explanation has not been received comments by leaders in favor of countries to join the infrastructure sue, adding that "The United States rozone's rate of unemployment from China," Suga said. the idea. bank had been approved and still now knows that Japan is trust- fell in February to 11.3 per cent The U.S. has found itself iso- China claims Taiwan, a self- more had only recently applied. worthy." from 11.4 per cent in January, al- lated in its resistance to the bank, governing island, as part of its ter- The total number of founding Suga denied reports Japan was though the January figure was re- with more than 40 countries in- ritory and has vowed to respond members will be confirmed on seeking more time to decide on the vised higher from 11.2 per cent. cluding major allies in Asia and to any formal independence decla- April 15, she said. issue. Eurostat said the number of peo- Europe moving to join. ration with force, but the two sides "On Japan, we said all are wel- "We want to ensure there is ple without work fell by 49,000 Washington says the Beijing- have extensive economic and trade come to join, but we also respect clear governance," he said. "We based regional bank should work ties. their decisions on whether or not want to make sure no other lend- during the month, leaving 18.2 mil- in partnership with existing insti- It is unclear whether China to join, or when to join," Hua said. ers would be damaged." lion people without work. The decline in the jobless rate businesses to narrow their focus Antony Jenkins said last week. to avoid falling foul of regulators Barclays shed 7,300 jobs last looks set to continue. Germany's concerned that some have become year as part of Jenkins’ three-year Labor Agency Tuesday said the too big and complex. plan to cut 19,000 staff, or one in seasonally adjusted unemploy- Analysts said that European seven employees, and save more ment rate fell to its lowest level banks, especially those in the eu- than 2.4 billion pounds ($3.6bn) a since German reunification in rozone, are likely to wield the knife year. The biggest cuts last year March, reaching 6.4 per cent, after again because they remain the most were made by banks in the United 6.5 per cent in February. The agen- unprofitable in the world. “The States, Britain, Italy and Spain. cy said that unemployment de- screws will stay tight on head- Royal Bank of Scotland shed clined by 15,000 in adjusted terms count,” said Aymen Saleh, manag- 10,000 staff and more could fol- in March, which beat the fall of ing director at Boston Consulting low as it sells overseas businesses 12,000 expected by economists in Group in London. “A handful of and shrinks its investment bank a Wall Street Journal survey. banks globally have really looked further. Some banks added staff However, German retail sales at structural change and taken a big last year after sharp cuts in 2013, fell in line with expectations in cut from their cost base.” Eighteen including HSBC, Standard Char- February, slightly reversing the of Europe’s biggest banks cut a tered and BNP Paribas, the data combined 21,500 jobs last year, showed. US banks with large con- solid expansion seen in the previ- but that was less than half of the sumer operations, such as JPMor- ous two months, while the annual 56,100 jobs cut by the same banks gan and Bank of America, made reading suggests that consumer in 2013, according to data compiled substantial job cuts in the past two spending remains a key pillar of by Reuters. Six of the biggest US years as they worked through trou- growth in Europe's largest econo- banks cut a total of 37,500 jobs bled mortgages left by the finan- my. last year, having shed 45,700 in cial crisis and refinanced many In France, consumer spending 2013. That means more than loans at lower interest rates. Citi- rose 0.1 per cent on the month and 160,000 jobs have been cut across group also eliminated jobs as it 3.0 per cent on the year in Febru- the 24 banks in the past two years. consolidated back offices and quit ary, both in line with economists' The six US banks shed 7.3 per cent some international markets. Banks forecasts. of staff in the period, against 4.1pc are also closing branches and lay- With growth weak and unem- for the Europeans, the data shows. ing off staff as a growing number ployment high, a fresh decline in An IMF study last year of 300 of customers shift to mobile and energy prices could revive the large banks showed that only online banking. The shift to digital threat of deflation, and some poli- about 30pc of eurozone lenders had banking and more efficient pro- a structure that was able to make a cessing is expected to exert re- cy makers will continue to worry reasonable rate of return over time, newed pressure on staffing in the that businesses and households will compared with 80 per cent of US coming years. Analysts at Citi last start to postpone spending deci- banks. Second wave: Tens of thou- month estimated that 54pc of fi- sions in the expectation that goods sands of staff were axed during and nancial services jobs were at “high will be cheaper in the future, low- after the 2007-09 financial crisis, risk” from the impact of digitisa- ering output and putting further but a fresh wave of cuts swept tion. downward pressure on prices. This document was created with Win2PDF available at http://www.win2pdf.com. The unregistered version of Win2PDF is for evaluation or non-commercial use only. This page will not be added after purchasing Win2PDF. WEDNESDAY. APRIL 01 , 2015 AFGHANISTANTIMES TribuneThis or that?: Amal ‘TUM KAUN’ Clooney sports bohemian chic walks a fine line She’s the image of sophistication, both in the courtroom and on husband George Clooney’s arm for Holly- wood’s most prestigious occasions. Lately, Amal Clooney has been taking fashion-forward steps by adorn- “People might not like some of the ‘invaluable’, he said it has left an ing daring bohemian outfits in New York, and it has somewhat paid off with one of her looks hitting bull’s stuff being said and done in the indelible mark on his current pro- eye. Elegantly untied, the human-rights attorney wore her dark locks down and kept her make-up almost too play, so I would advise you to duction. understated. Looking slightly gaunt and tired, the luminary should’ve polished her complexion with some watch it with a soft heart. If there According to Ahmed, none of luminous base and kajal, but she went minimal with a modest berry lip. are any children under 16 and if the jokes or language used in the The 37-year-old activist sported a pair of high-waisted and colourful bell bottoms, as she flashed a hint their parents don’t want them to play was unnecessary. “Our jokes of her midriff in a black shaggy-furry crop top. The zigzag pattern of the yellow pants was leaning towards watch R-rated content, then they may have been a little loud but tacky of the bohemian fashion spectrum and the addition of fur was a definite style-fail. have the right to leave the theatre they weren’t put forth at the ex- Striking a charming pose, Amal completed her attire by accessorising with a thick and long black winter hall and can have their tickets re- pense of our structure,” he noted. coat, carrying a simple box clutch and her pink-encased cell phone for the outing. imbursed.” This was a cautionary Although many jokes in the play Embodying a bohemian flare, the Lebanese-born lawyer left her voluminous locks out in large curls. disclaimer announced by a faculty were aimed at an adult audience, Adding a dash of foundation make-up, Amal rocked a flawlessly peachy complexion, sporting a bold scarlet member of the National Academy Ahmed acknowledged it was im- pout, neat eyeliner and flushed cheeks. of Performing Arts (Napa) on Sun- portant to draw a line to ensure Mrs Clooney was stylish as ever in a retro-inspired leopard print jacket from Giambattista Valli’s Pre- day, ahead of showing the play that they don’t go overboard with Fall 2015 collection, featuring cream trim detail and a sheepskin collar. The light-blue, extreme-flare jeans by Tum Kaun, a collaborative effort the humour. Free People tickled our fancy in particular. Now, that’s bohemian fashion done right. between the alumni of Napa and “Having grown up during the Keeping up her status as one of Hollywood’s leading ladies, the modish barrister teamed her chic India’s National School of Drama. Zia regime, my sense of self-cen- ensemble with a gold and black box-style clutch, diamond drop earrings and plenty of dainty rings. The play, which had generat- sorship is very strong and I rea- ed word-of-mouth prior to being lised that this is the farthest we staged, set some tongues wagging can go without compromising on after its initial performance on Sat- the script,” he shared. “It is one urday, with many audience mem- thing to do such comedy when it bers not receiving the jokes and is being validated but it would be language used in the comedy too wrong to employ such a style just well. Mixed with witty one-liners to gain the audience’s attention,” and bawdy jokes about extra-mar- he added. ital affairs and exploring sexual “I had worked with Maqsood identities, Tum Kaun was bound sahab on plays, such as Sawa 14 to attract some criticism but was August (as a lighting designer), and also appreciated by several audi- I loved the way he presented seri- ence members. ous issues in a comical manner, An elderly couple thought which was engaging for the audi- about leaving the show half way ence,” remarked Ahmed. He noted through but, as the show pro- that people may argue that, with gressed, they decided against it. “A such writing, the writer may com- problem with us, Pakistanis, is promise on the story and dramatic Taher Shah that we are very impatient and element, as the character doesn’t Movie review: quick to judge. You need to watch face any obstacle. But it is, in fact, wins American the whole thing and think before for a greater cause. NH10 - shattering Prestige award you pass any judgment,” said Zain Set in the backdrop of a desi stereotypes and for lyrics defying According to an entry in Taher conventions Shah’s official blog published on March 25, his music video Eye to It is rare that one gets to see a Eye has won the American Pres- woman driving a car in a chase scene tige award in the Lyrics category. in Bollywood. It is rarer to see one Singer-songwriter Taher Shah smoking on screen. Rarer still is catapulted to fame with his music the sight of a woman murdering video Eye to Eye. First released in the evil villain. When you combine April 2013 on various music chan- all three together, you know you nels and video sharing website have a movie on your hands that is YouTube, the song then proceed- sure to shatter all sorts of stereo- ed to go viral on social media, de- types. spite a ban on YouTube in Paki- Neil Bhoopalam and Anushka stan. Sharma play husband and wife The video of Eye to Eye fea- Arjun and Meera, a quintessential tures Taher Shah, with his long yuppie couple that hails from the curly locks, dressed in a white suit Ahmed, the play’s director. This wedding between an Indian boy land of shiny apartment buildings, with matching white shoes, in a is a sentiment the said couple and a Pakistani girl, the play ex- malls and corporate offices. Yet all Deepak Perwani and the brand he’s crafted needs no introduction. From winning big in the country and gaining white background with white fur- seemed to ultimately show as, de- plores the prejudices and hypoc- it takes is one double murder for international fame by being positioned at sixth place for being the world’s most innovative brand in the world niture, where he sings about “sen- spite their initial hesitance, they risies prevalent in our part of the their lives to transform from a care- by BFA (Bulgarian Fashion Awards), the designer is a high-achiever. Next up for the designer is Telenor sational eyes, emotional eyes, co- were among those who gave the world and how it may be wrong to fully constructed and sanitised Fashion Pakistan Week, 2015 (TFPW15), where he will be offering an interesting mix of designs. “We’re lourful eyes, exciting eyes, fabu- artists a standing ovation at the talk to a stranger but okay to mar- bubble to utter and complete anar- showcasing a women’s wear collection Spring/Summer at TFPW15. The new strategy for my brand will be lous eyes, spectrum eyes, human conclusion of the play. ry one. Ahmed believes, as an art- chy. It is this transition that forms that in we’ll exhibit women’s wear in the summer and menswear in the winter time,” he says, adding, “We eyes, my eyes, your eyes…”. After the play, Ahmed spoke ist, it would not be sensible to re- the key story line of the movie. might just show an amalgamation of women’s and men’s wear collections so nothing has been decided for sure The music video gained noto- to THe Express Tribune about strict oneself to a particular kind The story is full of blood and yet.” Talking about the Deepak Perwani e-store — his latest enterprise, the designer says, “Our e-store is riety for its absurd and nonsensi- why he decided to take things up a of theatre and that one needs to gore, there should be no expecta- doing very well. We’ve got a new outreach, since people from all over the world can make purchases and the cal English lyrics and for its depic- notch with his latest directorial keep experimenting. “It’s just like tions to the contrary. But NH10 is brand now isn’t just restricted to Pakistan, India and the Dubai market.” tion of Taher Shah as he swings venture and adopt a style that music, where there is a variety of not your typical mindless slasher Perwani feels privileged that a designer, whose roots belong from a third world country like Pakistan has from side to side to the song while many people may consider as be- genres, such as pop, rock and clas- become a part of the international fashion scene. “To be counted as one of the most innovative design houses singing and blinking coyly at the ing loud and abrasive. “I didn’t feel sical. Just because someone in the world is exhilarating. I’d love to thank the entire country and the entire design body for giving us an screen, flipping his curly mane. like doing anything serious and in- doesn’t like pop or rock music inroad opening into the international arena.” Talking about the progress of fashion in Pakistan over the years, An Urdu version of the song tense. I wanted to do something doesn’t mean it should be done he asserts, “Fashion has progressed tremendously in Pakistan.” Listing milestones in the Pakistani fashion comical in nature,” he said. Term- away with. There is an audience front, he says, “The fact that fashion is now regulated by Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter with professional ing the experience of working with out there for all sorts of music,” fashion weeks in place, professional management and lawns and midsummer collections coming out yearly playwright Anwar Maqsood as stated Ahmed. and the fact that we now launch Valentine’s day, New Year and Eid collections shows a huge regulation and movement in Pakistani fashion.” As to where Pakistani fashion is headed towards at a global level, he says, “I think there’s a huge curiosity about the Pakistani fashion at a global echelon.” The designer recalls the trends in the Paris and London fashion week last year. “We saw the amalgamation of the shalwar kameez and the kurta dress — obviously inspired by Pakistan and not India, as India has already been a part of the Interna- tional market for a very long time. Pakistani fashion has a very bright future.”

Barely a week after former 1D star was accused of cheating on his film. In barely an hour and fifteen was also released in June 2013, but fiancee Perrie Edwards, the couple was spotted house-hunting together minutes of screen time, you get an Ariana Grande did not meet with the same level for their wedding home. Accompanied by Zayn’s mother Trisha, the insight into a side of India that the of criticism. rock star and his fiancee Perrie Edwards viewed a £2 million mock- typical glitzy Bollywood fare hes- The singer thanks his fans for Tudor mansion located in Hertfordshire 30 miles outside London. The itates to show its viewers. announces making this possible in his unique house is set over four acres of land and is equipped with seven bed- There are definitely some glar- style, ”My worldwide fans are me rooms, five bathrooms, four reception rooms, a gym and games room. ing lapses in the script, bordering real soul as they appreciates, ad- The couple began dating in 2011 and announced their engagement in on ridiculousness at some points. SUMMER mires, my creative inventive work August 2013. However wedding bells were put on the back burner But as you keep watching, the ac- and its proved the epic success as because of Zayn’s commitments to One Direction and Perrie’s to her tion sequences take over and you my written song Eye to Eye debut can think of nothing else. music video received so many re- band Little Mix. After Zayn announced his decision to quit One Direc- What is truly refreshing about wards just because of fans true love tion, and rumours regarding him cheating on Edwards surfaced, mutual NH10 is its portrayal of its female TOUR towards for my work hence the friends have claimed that the two are expected to tie the knot this spring. characters. Anushka Sharma has song entire rewards belongs to all Perrie Edwards look unfazed by the rumours of the past week as the played the most convincing role in fans as its their success always feels couple looked the perfect picture of togetherness as they viewed the her as-yet-fledgling career, demon- great that my fans are my real soul”. property together. strating that all she needs to prove her mettle as an actress is one good Ariana Grande is ready to embark film. Her transformation from the on a second "Honeymoon," in a contemporary Indian woman to manner of speaking. I managed to do what my father never did, I the emotionally scarred wife and The rising young vocal star's then to the gritty woman with re- "Honeymoon Tour" launched Feb. venge on her mind even as she 25 and concludes April 16. Appar- wields iron rods keeps you root- ently that was a prelude to an ex- debuted as a director in Karachi: POOJA BHATT ing for her throughout. tensive summer leg of her tour, Sharma is ably supported by which was announced Monday Ever since the National Academy daughter”, narrated the legendary dia representatives, Pooja Bhatt 2, Pooja was hopeful continuing who helps her father beat his ad- Neil Bhoopalam, as her husband morning. Her summer concert trek of Performing Arts (NAPA) had director-producer. spoke of how her production com- her association with Pakistani ar- diction to alcohol and rekindle their Arjun and Darshan Kumar as Sat- will visit 35 cities. It begins July announced the schedule for their He added that such moments pany has been collaborating with tistes, “I will try and ensure that relationship. bir, the brother out to regain his 16 in Florida, concludes Oct. 15 in International Theatre Festival, one in life were very valuable to him Pakistani artistes on an “unoffi- there is a collaboration between our Directed by Danish Iqbal, the ‘honor’ by killing his sister. Deep- El Paso and includes a Sept. 9 San play that had been labelled as the saying, “Life wrote this story for cial” level. artistes in every film regardless of play is being performed by the ti Naval makes a cameo as the vil- Diego date at Sleep Train Amphi- top draw for the event was Daddy me and I ended up stealing from “For instance the music Rahat whether our government’s give us Mahesh Bhatt Group of India and lage matriarch and packs a power- theatre. Prince Royce will be the as it was going to be presented by it.” (Fateh Ali Khan) and Ali (Azmat) the green signal for this or not. As is part of a series of Indian plays ful punch in the brief screen time opening act on all dates. none other than Mahesh Bhatt While referencing the father- gave me for Paap; if you remove there are no boundaries for ar- being performed at the ongoing allotted to her. This portrayal in The winner of the 2103 Best himself. daughter relationship in Daddy, that music from the film then you tistes”. theatre festival with the other itself is a breath of fresh air in an New Artist trophy at the Ameri- After several weeks of antici- Mahesh Bhatt credited his own have taken the rooh (soul) out of The play Daddy, which is an plays being Tum Kaun and Ka- industry which prefers, nay re- can Music Awards, Grande, 21, pation and an anti-climactic build daughter, Pooja for being an im- the movie”, exclaimed Pooja Bhatt. adaptation of the 1989 film of the sumal Sapno. quires, its leading ladies to be little was up for two Grammy Awards up in the form of visa issues faced mense pillar of support for him Having previously directed same name directed by Mahesh Daddy will also be performed more than plastic dolls both on and in February, but went home emp- by the Indian theatre artistes, throughout his entire life. popular films like Paap and Jism Bhatt, tells the story of a daughter on March 31 and April 1 at NAPA. off screen. Against this back- ty-handed. Her 2014 single, "Prob- Mahesh Bhatt finally arrived in “I am very grateful to my ground, Anushka has put her name, lem," which teamed her with Aus- Pakistan alongside his daughter, daughter for bringing out in me the reputation and even her bank ac- tralian rapper Iggy Azalea, entered actor-turned-director, Pooja Bhatt colour that I was completely un- count on the line for a film that the charts at No. 1 in 65 countries. on Monday evening. aware of,” remarked Mahesh few would have dared touch. She Grande rose to prominence in While addressing the audience Bhatt. has a total of five wardrobe chang- 2009, after being cast in the Nick- in a completely packed auditori- His daughter, Pooja Bhatt re- es throughout the movie. Her hair elodeon TV series "Victorious." um Mahesh Bhatt, at the conclu- ciprocated her father’s sentiment appears disheveled, her make-up Tickets for her summer tour sion of the play, lauded the direc- by quoting a dialogue from the smudged. When was the last time go on sale to the general public tor for bringing his film to life on movie that, “It’s not only the right you saw that happen to the lead Saturday, April 4, at 10 a.m. at all stage while pointing out to a scene of the parent to be proud of its female character of a Bollywood Ticketmaster outlet, online at from the climax of the play which child, but also the right of the child movie? The result is a dark film livenation.com and by phone at reminded him of his own personal to be proud of its parent.” which offers no relief in the form (800) 745-3000. A fan club pre- struggles with alcoholism. Pooja noted that she shares a of item numbers or scantily clad sale begins at 4 p.m. today, Mon- “I still remember the night special bond with Karachi as she heroines dancing in bars and clubs, day, as does the pre-sale for VIP when Pooja had gone to sleep af- debuted her first film as a director and still manages to retain its touch packages. A pre-sale for Citi card ter rehearsing her dialogues and I in Karachi at the Kara Film Festi- on reality without coming across holders begins Tuesday at 10 a.m. had already proclaimed to the val and jokingly adding, “It wasn’t as filmi and melodramatic. The A Live Nation Mobile App pre- world that I had quit drinking. With a great film but I still did what he music blends perfectly into the sale begins Thursday at 10 a.m. my daughter asleep and no one else never did, I debuted here [Kara- narrative, while still remaining Tickets for her Sept. 9 San watching I felt that a sip would do chi]. And today here I am with you melodious. If anyone ever needed Diego concert are priced at $28.50 me no harm but then I heard this people watching my first film that proof that Anushka Sharma does to $86.50, plus service charges voice from within my heart that, I did 26 years ago.” not hesitate to break boundaries (which brings those respective to- ‘Mahesh Bhatt you can lie to the In a separate conversation with and defy conventions, this is it. tals to $34.75 and $105.30). whole world but not to your the members of the press and me- This document was created with Win2PDF available at http://www.win2pdf.com. The unregistered version of Win2PDF is for evaluation or non-commercial use only. This page will not be added after purchasing Win2PDF. WEDNESDAY. APRIL 01, 2015 AFGHANISTANTIMES Woods falls out of world's top-100 The 39-year-old former world Woods's last major title was number one and 14-times major the 2008 US Open but he won five champion, who has not played PGA Tour events in 2013 and Basking in her latest victory, a since pulling out of the Farmer's topped the rankings in May 2014 beaming Venus Williams stood near Open in early February due to back before suffering injury problems her changeover chair launching au- problems, has slipped to 104th in and a loss of form. tographed balls into the stands, the rankings. He shot a round of 82 at the steering her shots with body En- The American first topped the Phoenix Open in January, the glish and applauding the fans who list in 1997 and has spent 683 worst of his professional career. scrambled for the souvenirs. weeks as world number one, more Woods hopes to return to play For Williams, tennis is still than twice as long as any other in next week's U.S. Masters, the fun. She's 34 but on the rise in the player. first major of the year. rankings, and she beat former No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki 6-3, 7-6 (1) Monday to reach the Miami Open quarterfinals. Williams is a three-time Key Biscayne champion, but her most recent title came in 2001. Seeded 16th, she's into the quarterfinals at the tournament for the first time since 2012. ''Tennis has always been a blast,'' Williams said. ''But, you know, I'm feeling good out there.'' She could meet her sister Sere- na in the final. Serena, who has won the tournament a record sev- en times, advanced by beating 2006 champion Svetlana Kuznets- ova 6-2, 6-3. American Sloane Stephens made it to the final eight at Key Biscayne for the first time by beat- ing 18-year-old Belinda Bencic 6- 4, 7-6 (5). In men's third-round play, four-time champion Novak Djok- ovic defeated qualifier Steve Dar- cis 6-0, 7-5 and will next face Al- exandr Dolgopolov. No. 4 Kei Nishikori and No. 5 Milos Raonic also won. No. 22 John Isner, the lone remaining American in the men's draw, defeated No. 9 Grigor Dim- itrov 7-6 (2), 6-2. WIGGINS TO TACKLE While Serena Williams, 33, has All UFC 185 fighters drug tested, been ranked No. 1 for the past two HREE AYS OF E ANNE years, Venus' fortunes are only late- T D D P ly on the upswing after health is- Britain's world and Olympic time- Sky jersey before returning to the sues caused a long slump that trial champion Bradley Wiggins track to focus on the team pursuit stirred retirement speculation. will ride for Team Sky at the Three for next year's Rio Olympics. In January at the Australian Days of De Panne race this week. De Panne is a three-day, four- Open, she reached her first Grand Wiggins is building up for a tilt stage race in West Flanders that Slam quarterfinal in five years be- at the prestigious Paris-Roubaix takes in some of the course used in fore losing, and with the victory Spring Classic in just under two this coming Sunday's Tour of over Wozniacki, she's 4-0 in 2015 weeks time. Flanders. Thomas, who finished against top-10 players. He rode Gent-Wevelgem on eighth in Flanders and seventh at Venus skipped Indian Wells, Sunday but in dreadful conditions Roubaix last year, will be one of where Serena recently ended a 14- with driving rain and gusts of up the favourites on Sunday having year family boycott after being to 90kph (56mph) he climbed off won E3 Harelbeke, the first of four booed there as a teenager. Venus his bike after less than 100km of cobbled classics, last week. said it was wonderful to see the the 240km race, in which compa- Cobbled Classics specialists warm reception her sister received triot and Sky teammate Geraint Fabian Cancellara and Tom Boonen Thomas finished third. -- who between them have won there this month, but was noncom- Wiggins was ninth at Paris- the two Monument races 13 times mittal regarding whether she'll re- Roubaix last year and his crack at out of the last 20 editions -- are turn. this year's race will be his last in a both out injured. Given the way she's playing lately, she might have several chanc- es. Williams credits her persistence and optimistic nature for her re- cent resurgence, which comes more than three years after she was di- agnosed with an autoimmune dis- ease that can cause joint pain and sap energy. ''I don't give up, and I believe in myself no matter what the odds are and what you may experience,'' she said. ''I have always seen it as something to overcome, and not All 24 fighters on the recent UFC 185: Pettis vs. dos Anjos fight card were drug tested, and all of them returned negative results. something that could stop me.'' The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation on Monday confirmed to MMAWeekly.com that every fighter provided a urine sample on Unlike her sister, she has nev- fight night. All of the test results came back on Monday and revealed no performance-enhancing drugs or substances of abuse. er tired of tennis, a problem for Former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis lost his belt to Rafael dos Anjos in the UFC 185 main event on March 14 in Dallas. some top players even before their Following on the heels of news that UFC 184 also revealed no banned substance use, the UFC had to see it as welcome news to have back-to- skills decline. back pay-per-view events with everyone testing clean. ''I never get bored, actually,'' The promotion was reeling in January after UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones tested positive for cocaine, Nick Diaz tested positive Venus said. ''Tennis is definitely for marijuana, and Anderson Silva and Hector Lombard tested positive for steroids. That pushed the UFC in February to announce its own efforts not pushing paper. I mean, when to ramp up out-of-competition testing for its fighters and to push for stiffer penalties from regulatory bodies. you get out there you have no idea The UFC’s new drug testing policy is expected to go into effect on July 1, 2015. what's going to happen in the point. You can try to plan it the Raptors’ DeRozan best you can, but it's all up in the New Zealand’s Vettori calls time on international career air. You have to improvise every gets better of old single time. That never gets bor- friend WELLINGTON: Long-serving runs. (team) environment as well so he’s with so many different players is great player, and extremely glad I ing.'' New Zealand cricketer Daniel Vet- New Zealand captain Brendon going to be very hard to replace. an amazing thing,” he said. don’t have to play against him any- Williams won Monday with TORONTO - Growing up in the tori called time on his internation- McCullum revealed that Vettori “We’ll have a nice celebration “He’s had a fantastic career. more.” her familiar high-wire approach, Compton area, DeMar DeRozan al career Tuesday, saying the pulled a calf muscle when exercis- for him tomorrow … and we’ll be He’s a great bloke and he’ll cer- South African all-rounder JP swinging aggressively from the first played against James Harden World Cup final was his last ap- ing between innings in the World able to toast the success of his ca- tainly be missed.” Duminy was equally glowing in his baseline. Sometimes she missed when the two California natives pearance for the Black Caps. Cup final but still managed to send reer and his impact on this game. Vettori was a popular player praise, tweeting: “Congrats Daniel badly, but she hit 40 winners to were around 12 years old. “It was my last game for New down five overs taking none for We’ve been lucky to have the priv- and the cricketing world was also Vetorri on an outstanding career. "He didn't have no beard [back nine for Wozniacki. Zealand so it was a lovely way to 25. ilege of playing with him.” quick to pay tribute, with Sri Lan- On of the best of all time. Been a then]," the Raptors' guard joked finish,” the former captain told re- “In typical Dan style he still Fellow New Zealander Kane kan batting star Kumar Sangakka- privilege playing against you.” ''Today I played similar to how after going head-to-head with his young V would have played, ei- porters as the team returned from went out there and tried to get the Williamson said Vettori would be ra tweeting: “#ThanksDaniel great Vettori succeeded Stephen good friend on Monday night. Sunday’s final to a heroes’ welcome job done,” said McCullum. missed. pleasure playing with you mate.” Fleming as his country’s captain ther knocking a winner or knock- "I mean it's definitely cool be- despite being beaten by seven “We’re going to lose one of our “Just his experience in the Australian Glenn Maxwell in 2007 and led New Zealand in 32 ing an error,'' she said, with a grin. cause we've been playing against wickets by Australia at the Mel- all-time great players, we’re also group — he’s such a leader — and added: “Congratulations to this Test matches and 82 ODIs, before ''It's fun to just hit out, though. It each other since we were kids. bourne Cricket Ground. going to lose a great bloke from the to play for such a long time and bloke on his career! Great bloke, Ross Taylor took over in 2011. feels good.'' That's one of my closest friends in “Obviously it would’ve been She moved forward more of- the league to this day." great to win but I’m really proud ten than in the past, winning 14 Harden is one of four or five of everyone and the way we’ve points at the net, and used her long players vying for the league's MVP gone about things the last six strides to chase down balls in the award while DeRozan, an all-star weeks.” corners and extend rallies. a year ago, has had a trying season New Zealand Cricket added in The stadium crowd applaud- derailed by injury. But, for at least a tweet: “Daniel Vettori officially ed Williams' staying power. So did one night, the Raptors' leading announced he has played his last the 21-year-old Stephens, who scorer got the better of his old pal. game for the @BLACKCAPS.” could face her in the final. "He knows my competitive The left-arm spinner, current- ''She is a superhuman,'' spirit, I know his," said DeRozan, ly ranked as the 12th best ODI Stephens said. '' I don't know how who scored a career-high 42 points bowler in the world, took 15 wick- and matched a personal best with she does it.'' ets in the World Cup, the eighth 11 rebounds in Toronto's 99-96 win best performance, including four ''She just has so much belief in over the Rockets. "And every time herself and her ability,'' said U.S. for 18 against Afghanistan. we go out there and play against The 36-year-old’s announce- Fed Cup captain Mary Joe Fernan- each other we're going to go at each ment was no real surprise after an dez, an analyst for ESPN. ''It is a other and have fun with it. So that's 18-year international career. great story for sure.'' all it was." Vettori played his first Test as Key Biscayne has always DeRozan had 17 points at the an 18-year-old against England in ranked among Williams' favorite half. He took a bunch of seeming- February 1997 and became his tournaments, because she lives 90 ly impossible jumpers, as per usu- country’s most-capped Test play- minutes up I-95 in Palm Beach al, hitting some and missing the er. Gardens. She's playing in the event others. He was having a good game, He went on to feature in 113 for the 16th time, which leaves lots but it wasn't until the third quarter Tests, taking 362 wickets at an of room for reminiscing. that most realized they were average 34.36 while scoring 4,531 ''My first match here, there watching something special. runs including six centuries. was a rat in the stands,'' she said, "He came up big," said Amir Alongside India’s Kapil Dev with a laugh. ''They had to stop Johnson, DeRozan's teammate in and England’s Ian Botham, he is the match. That was intense.'' Toronto for the past six seasons. the only player to have taken more She enjoys looking back, and "He stepped up. It was a huge than 300 Test wickets and scored game. There are some games where also looking ahead. She'll face Car- more than 4,000 runs. he just goes off. Tonight his shot In his ODI career, Vettori la Suarez Navarro on Tuesday was falling from everywhere. He night for a berth in the semifinals. played 295 matches, taking 305 closed the game for us." wickets at 31.71 and scoring 2,253 This document was created with Win2PDF available at http://www.win2pdf.com. The unregistered version of Win2PDF is for evaluation or non-commercial use only. This page will not be added after purchasing Win2PDF. WEDNESDAY. APRIL 01 . 2015 -Hamal 12, 1394 H.S Vol:IX Issue No:236 Price: Afs.15

Industrial festival opens in Kabul Civil society seeks exemplary punishment for Farkhunda s killers TO PROMOTE DOMESTIC PRODUCTION By Farhad Naibkhel The National Industrial Festival undertake the necessary steps to KABUL: A cluster of civil rights da s killing case, Shahla Farid, said pened all of sudden in the area. Till opened in the Loya Jirga tend in introduce these products to the groups on Tuesday asked the gov- the findings showed that Farkhun- date, 28 people have been arrested Kabul this week, presenting an people," AISA Deputy Ibrahim ernment for exemplary punish- da was innocent and made a scape- and their dossiers have been sent opportunity for Afghan business- Shams said on Tuesday. ment to all those who were in- goat by the opportunities. to the Attorney General Office, es from around the country to The products at the trade volved in killing of Farkhunda. She said that provoking of the she said. showcase their products in hopes show represented a variety of dif- Farkhunda, who was wrongly passersby led to lynching of The arrested persons are most- of expanding their presence in do- ferent sectors and sub-sectors of accused of burning the Holy Qu- Farkhunda by the mob. ly uneducated or less literate. Min- mestic markets. the economy, presenting a wide ran in Shah-e-Do Shamshira Participants in the trade show spectrum of Afghan-made alterna- Shrine, was lynched two weeks praised the Afghanistan Invest- tives to the foreign products that ago in the area by a mob and burnt ment Supporting Agency's (AISA) currently dominate the market. after brutally killed. efforts to promote increased reli- The products being showcased at Mawlana Mohammad Abdul- ance on domestic goods rather than the event include, but are not lim- lah, a rights activist, said that imports, as has been the case tra- ited to, construction materials, food Farkhunda s killing case had to be ditionally. In the presence of Pres- items, home appliances, home dec- pursued transparently. ident Ashraf Ghani, who visited orations, medical equipment, car- Speaking at a press conference the fair, they called on the govern- pets and detergents. "We have here, he said the government should ment to continue industrial devel- reached self-reliance with 17 prod- bring all the killers to the court of opment and domestic product pro- ucts and those products have been justice and prosecute the case with- motion. displayed in today's exhibition," a out any discrimination or favorit- "We should prove our capa- factory owner named Mohsin pendent economic analysts and industrial growth is key to sustain- ism. bility of production and growth of Amiri told TOLOnews. Members government officials all agree that able economic development in Af- He said that relevant judicial national products to the people and of the business community, inde- boosting domestic production and ghanistan. TOLONEWS body, fact finding commission and Shahla added that police at the istry of Interior said that all those the government should assess rea- spot also failed to act profession- policemen who were present at the Efforts on to decide sons and share all information with ally and prevent people from kill- site were fired for not preventing Trucks overloading damaged 40pc public. The government shall also ing the innocent girl. The lynch- people from killing the 27-year old timeframe and provide security to Farkhunda s ing was not preplanned but it hap- girl. venue for peace family, he said. roads: KABUL MUNICIPALITY The rights groups released a Abdul Zuhoor Qayomi talks: MoFA resolution on the occasion, con- Security forces ready to AT Monitoring Desk demning illegal acts. KABUL: Overloading of the er can pay it and easily break the roads. However, the proposal had They termed lynching as pun- trucks destroyed around 40 per- rule. Most of the roads were de- not been finalized, so far, he said. KABUL: The Ministry of Foreign ishment an illegal act and against forestall ISIS threat: Seddiqi cent of roads in the capital city, stroyed due to crossing of the high Overloading of trucks with Affairs (MoFA) said that efforts teachings of Islam. The resolution construction materials including are underway to determine time- reads, The government must pre- AT Monitoring Desk steel, girders, bricks, cement and frame and venue of peace talks with vent such incidents. We want fair the Taliban. KABUL: Amid rising concerns other materials are damaging the trial of all those who committed over presence and activities of the roads, said Ulomi, adding that This came at a time that lead- negligence in their duties and were ers of the national unity govern- Islamic State of Iraq and Syria roads in Silo and Pul-e Charkhi ar- present at the spot of incident. (ISIS) in different parts of the eas saw the most devastation. ment had said that peace parleys between the government and the The activists said the govern- country, an official in the Minis- Regarding preventive mea- Taliban will start in March. ment and parliament should avoid try of Interior (MoI) assured that sures he said the municipality in Shekib Mustaghni, spokesman spontaneous Fetwa (declaration) Afghan security forces were fully cooperation with capital police has for the MoFA, told reports on and prevent groups from misusing capable to ward off the threat. totally banned crossing of the high Tuesday that that the government the religion and creating anarchy Seddiq Seddiqi, spokesman for tonnage trucks through the capi- hasn t decided over schedule and in the society. They said that such the MoI, told Azadi Radio that tal. place for peace talks yet. Efforts illegal activities would provide an Afghan security forces were ready Only those trucks loaded are underway to determine time opportunity to the anti-state ele- to eliminate the terrorist group and venue of the talks, he said, ments to destabilize the country. with vegetables, fresh fruit, sand adding that the government will before reaching its nefarious ob- and bricks are allowed to enter, but Appreciating the religion jectives in Afghanistan. country. share details of the talks with peo- scholars and the ministry of Hajj they may also be banned in future ple of Afghanistan. It is crystal clear that the ISIS Nadir Khan Katawazi, a law- said Kabul Municipality on Tues- tonnage trucks through the capi- from entering the city, he said. He and religious affairs for their role is hell-bent on killing people of maker, said that despite Afghani- day. tal, lamented the deputy mayor. Hajji Sayed Dawoud, a politi- added that special areas should be cal expert told Azadi Radio that in Farkhunda s case, they said the Afghanistan, but whoever they are stan s north, ISIS is active in dif- In a press conference here, the Ulomi said that as per the reg- government should put ban on ac- build at the entrance of Kabul City some groups in Pakistani spy agen- and from wherever they have ferent other parts of the country. deputy mayor of Kabul City, ulations overloaded trucks are cies were out to prevent from tivities of the soothsayers and hailed from they will be eliminat- He added that the security forces Khojhman Ulomi, said that each finned Afs100 to 3,000. He termed for unloading of the trucks loaded those who are using Islam for their with vegetables and fresh fruits. peace talks with the Taliban. ed. Security forces stand ready to instead of fighting the Taliban truck entering into the capital is the amount once again insufficient Pakistani Prime Minister own personal gains. tackle the terror group, he said. should focus on tackling the inter- loaded with 60 tons to 100 tons and said the municipality is not He went on saying that the Nawaz Sharif and Chief of Army In the resolution they said: As municipality has built four special This came at a time that Uzbek national terrorist group. goods which devastated roads in authorized to increase it. Staff Raheel Sharif want Afghani- we condemn any illegal act in the fighters in Afghanistan recently Some military experts suggest the city. He said the roads were I have asked the relevant or- stocks for supply of the heavy stan s peace talks to be started. name of religion, similarly, we se- material at four gates of the city. However, some groups in the swore allegiance to ISIS. that security forces should take constructed only for 25 tons. ganizations to increase the amount riously denounce any blasphe- Some lawmakers also ex- drastic steps to ward off the ISIS The amount of fine decided by of fine to Afs100,000 in order to The deputy mayor said that these country are against peace talks, as mous act. they are still striving to storm Af- pressed concerns over the pres- threat before that the weather gets the Council of Ministers for over- prevent high tonnage trucks from materials would be brought into Meanwhile, member of the fact ence of ISIS in various parts of the warmer. loading is insufficient. Every driv- overloading and damaging the the city through small trucks. ghanistan, he said. finding commission on Farkhun- This document was created with Win2PDF available at http://www.win2pdf.com. The unregistered version of Win2PDF is for evaluation or non-commercial use only. This page will not be added after purchasing Win2PDF.