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THURSDAY . APRIL 30 . 2015 -Sawr 10, 1394 HS www.afghanistantimes.af www.facebook.com/ afghanistantimeswww.twitter.com/ afghanistantimes

GHANI S INDIA TRIP: All set to defend Kabul to sign five pacts with New Delhi country, fight terrorism: MoD of Pakistani militants killed in the operation, but the ID cards that AT News Report taken by the army troops in the we have recovered from the in- past few days. About Kunduz surgents show that some of them security, he said that additional AT News Report ing on in Gor Tepa, Qala-e-Zal, are officers of Pakistani army, the KABUL: Amidst growing insecu- rity in parts of the country, the troops have been sent the prov- Dasht-e-Archi and Ali Abad dis- source added. The fighting start- ince along with air forces and cur- KABUL: At least 152 Taliban tricts of the province. Safi said ed in different parts of Kunduz Ministry of Defense (MoD) on militants including foreigners have Wednesday said the security forc- rently security is under control of that 37 insurgents have been killed province on Friday, after that the the corps and the militants are been killed over the past five days on Wednesday out of which 10 Taliban announced their spring es are well prepared to fight ter- in northern Kunduz province, said rorism and ensure security in ev- escaping the areas. are foreigners. The killed foreign offensive. A number of parliamen- No district is under control an official source on Wednesday. militants include four Tajikistanis, tarians recently raised concerns ery hook and nook of Afghanistan. The governor of Kuduz, Muham- No village will fall in hands of the Taliban. The militants use two Usbekistanis, one Kirgiz, two that the province may fall into locals as defense shield in Kun- mad Omar Safi, Afghan security Chechens and one Turkish citi- hands of the Taliban, if the gov- of the Taliban. The Afghan Na- forces in crackdown on militants tional Army (ANA) troops are all duz, therefore the security forces zen, he added. Bokhdi News ernment did not sent backup continue their clearance operation killed 152 and wounded 115 oth- quoted a source on condition of troops. However, security offi- set to defend the country in case ers. He told a press conference that of any threat by militants, the carefully in a bid to avoid civilian anonymity as saying that Paki- cials assured people that neither casualties, he noted. the Islamic State fighters were also stani fighters were also among Kunduz, nor any other provinces MoD deputy spokesperson, involved in the attacks. Accord- Dawlat Waziri, told a press con- According to him, roadside those killed in Kunduz fighting. are going to fall into the Taliban s blasts are also a challenge for se- AT News Report tions. They called on the interna- ing to sources, fighting is still go- I don t know the exact number hand. tional community to severely deal KABUL: Afghanistan and India with the safe havens for terrorists shown readiness to sign five agree- that continue to threaten regional Russia worried about insecurity 70 militants killed in ments within three months during and global security. Prime Minis- President Ashraf Ghani three-day ter Modi and President Ghani dis- IN NORTHERN AFGHANISTAN Ghazni s Khanjar visit to India. A press statement cussed the efforts undertaken by operation: Governor said the documents include Ex- President Ghani to launch an Af- ussian Ambassador to Kab Asian states that have been sourc- tradition Treaty between India ghan-led and Afghan owned rec- ul Alexander Mantytsky es of foreign insurgents fighting AT News Report and Afghanistan, Agreement on onciliation process within the said on Wednesday that his alongside the Afghan Taliban and Transfer of Sentenced Persons framework of the Afghan consti- R KABUL: More than 70 militants between India and Afghanistan, tution and the internationally ac- government's concern for security al-Qaeda since the NATO invasion have been killed in a large-scale Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty cepted red lines. President Ghani conditions in Afghanistan has in 2001. For that reason, it is like- military operation in Ghazni prov- (MLAT) in Criminal Matters, strongly affirmed that the hard grown in recent weeks, pointing ly Moscow's fear of spillover and ince, said the provincial governor. Bilateral Treaty for Mutual Legal won political, social and econom- to heightened militant activity in upheaval near its borders that Musa Khan Akbarzada told Assistance in Civil and Commer- ic gains over the last 14 years, northern parts from the country drives its heightened concern as reporters on Wednesday that Af- cial Matters between India and Af- protection of basic human rights as well as the abundant presence northern Afghanistan is embattled ghan security forces in a clearance of Central Asian insurgents, such in clashes between Afghan securi- operation under the title of Khan- ference. Hinting at military oper- ghanistan, Motor Vehicles Agree- of Afghan citizens, especially as the Uzbekistan Islamic Move- ty forces and Central Asian mili- curity troops in the province. ment For The Regulation of Pas- women and children, Afghani- tants. Russia previously helped jar killed more than 70 militants ations carried out in several parts ment, Eastern Turkistan Fighters in Nawa district of the province. of the country, he said 21 military The MoI spokesperson, senger, Personal And Cargo Ve- stan s unity, plurality and sover- and fighters from Chechnya. As a equip the Afghan National Securi- Sediq Seddiqi, said the security hicular Traffic Between India and eignty, can never be diluted in any ty Forces (ANSF), but the assis- He said that foreign militants were operations are ongoing in 13 prov- regional threat, the Russian Am- also among those killed in the op- forces have full concentrate on Afghanistan, and MoU on visa effort to promote the reconcilia- bassador emphasized the impor- tance stopped after the Ukraine inces, where insurgents sustained free entry for holders of diplomatic tion process. President Ghani eration. However, he did not give heavy casualties. He said that Kunduz and the Taliban militants tance of cooperation between crisis. "Unfortunately, our coop- have suffered heavy casualties in passports. It was Ghani s inau- welcomed the steps taken by In- eration with the United States and further details in this regard. Af- nearly 58 militants were killed, 41 Moscow and Kabul, along with ghan security forces around four Imam Sahib, Gor Tepa and Qala- gural visit to India after assuming dia to promote business links and other regional nations, in stemming western countries stopped after wounded and 10 others were ar- the presidency in September trade between the two countries the early days in April last year, days ago for the first time entered rested in past two days. He add- i-Zal districts of the province in the tide of militant extremism. Nawa district of the province and recent days. War is under con- 2014, which continues the tradi- and India s decision as a fourth However, Ambassador Matytsky due to the conditions in Ukraine," ed that 65 mines recovered and tion of regular high-level exchang- party to join the recent Pakistan, Ambassador Matytsky said. "But regained control of the remote dis- trol of the security troops and also challenged the United States trict from the Taliban. Security neutralized during the military they have defeated the Taliban in es between the two countries that Afghanistan, Tajikistan Trade and to live up to its commitments to from our view, if we have good operations. Different districts has been established since 2002. Transit Agreement (PATTTA) ne- cooperation in fighting against ter- forces have also destroyed a mili- Kunduz clash, he added. President Ghani and Indian Prime gotiations that would allow the ar- Afghanistan and provide the sup- rorism in parts of Syria and Iraq, tary center of Taliban in Bazar-e- cleared of insurgents in Ghazni, He assured the citizens that Minister Narendra Modi held ex- rangement to contribute in a mean- port the country needs. "We are then this assistance must continue Jahangir area of the district, Ak- Kunar, Nangarhar, Zabul and the security forces are well capa- tensive discussions that covered ingful manner to the vision of wid- concerned over the security situa- as well. Then, your government barzada went on as saying. He Badakhshan provinces, he said. ble of defending the country, and a review of bilateral cooperation er regional economic integration. tion in your country, especially in and members of parliament must added that the Taliban were mak- He said that lusts of rebels were said: Taliban will fail against the activities and the international re- Afghanistan also welcomed Badakhshan and Kunduz provinc- ask the United States and other ing suicide vests and improvised killed in Badakhshan and the be- security forces same as the past gional security environment con- the Indian stewardship of the es," the ambassador said on western countries why the aid has explosive devises (IEDs), which headed soldiers revenge has been years. fronting both countries. Both lead- Trade, Commerce and Investment Wednesday. "We want to see your been stopped and say that we must were being used in terrorist activ- ers reaffirmed their commitment Confidence Building Measures country free of insurgents and we continue this assistance." The ities in different parts of the coun- Abducted EMERGENCY to patiently and systematically (TCI-CBM) under the Afghan-led hope that the government of Af- newly appointed ambassador sug- try. Akbarzada said that clearance work towards strengthening of the Heart of Asia process whose ac- ghanistan, in cooperation with for- gest that some countries do not of Nawa district from presence of health worker AID PROVIDED TO India Afghanistan Strategic Part- tivities remain focused on show- eign troops, will be able to elimi- want Russia to have a role in Af- the Taliban and destruction of the nership, with a clear focus on the casing Afghanistan s potential and nate these challenges. The United ghanistan, though he refrained from military center has direct impact released in Ghor landslide-hit people long term relationship between the its unique location at the Heart States and other western countries pointing the finger at any particu- on improvement of security situ- have committed to this. It is very lar nation directly. In addition to FEROZKOH: A health worker two countries. of Asia . Recognizing the special ation in seven other provinces. In was on Wednesday freed after in Badakhshan: important, because you [Afghani- counter-insurgency and counter- the meantime, the Ministry of President Ghani reiterated Af- role that India is playing in Af- terrorism, Moscow has indicated spending six days in Taliban s cap- ANDMA ghanistan s perspective on the ghanistan s reconstruction efforts stan] have signed pacts with west- Defense (MoD) said that securi- tivity in western Ghor province, ern countries, based on which interest in collaborating with the ty forces have conducted around foundational nature of Afghani- through its capacity building pro- Afghan government in combating officials said. Acting governor AT Monitoring Desk stan s ties with India, and the fact grams, President Ghani welcomed these countries are to help you in 21 military offensives against mil- Syed Anwar Rahmati told Pajh- the fight against terrorism." Rus- the illegal drug trade in the region. itants in different provinces of Af- that India figured in four of the India s decision to extend the 1000 (TOLONews) wok Afghan News Dr. Ghulam We have sent Afs3.5 five circles of Afghanistan s for- scholarships per year scheme by sia borders many of the Central ghanistan. Hussain, hailing from Ghazni million to the eign policy priorities. another 5 years (till the academic province, had been abducted by affected people Noting that there is no justifi- year 2021-22). The two sides 3 POLICE KILLED Project educating Afghan, militants on Thursday last from along with both edible and cation for acts of terrorism, the agreed to increase the number of north of Ferozkoh, the capital of inedible items to the area leaders expressed determination to scholarships for such technical AS REBELS BRIEFLY Ghor. He said fighters loyal to Maulvi Nek Mohammad, a Tali- through helicopters. A team work together, along with the in- fields as medicine, nursing, engi- CAPTURE POST Pakistani students launched of medical doctors have also ternational community, to combat neering, mining, as well as techni- ban commander in the Charsada QALA-I-NAW: Three policemen KABUL: The UN refugee agency ny at a government girls high school district, had kidnapped the doc- been dispatched to the area and defeat the scourge of terror- cal, vocational training and skills were killed, two wounded and as to treat the injured people, ism in all its forms and manifesta- development. (UNHCR) in collaboration with in Rawalpindi. They also had an tor. Security forces and local el- many were missing after insurgents the United States Embassy in Is- informal discussion with a group ders had been able to secure his he added. attacked their post in northwest- lamabad has launched two educa- of Afghan and Pakistani students safe and unconditional release, he ern Badghis province on Wednes- tion projects benefiting more than who talked about what education added. Dr. Ghulam Hussain has KABUL: The Afghanistan Natu- Balance of trade sees day, an official said. Provincial In- been associated a World Health Or- telligence Chief Col. Mohammad 1,850 Pakistani and Afghan stu- meant to them. Under the RAHA ral Disaster Management Author- dents. As part of the Refugee Af- funding, the high school in Rawal- ganisation (WHO) polio vaccina- ity (ANDMA) said that emergen- Qayyum Angar told Pajhwok Af- tion campaign for the past six imports jump, exports drop ghan News the attack took place fected and Hosting Areas (RAHA) pindi would receive additional fur- cy relief supplies have been pro- in Sabz Kotal locality on the out- initiative, the two projects have nished classrooms and new latrines, years. Dr. Ghulam Nabi Yagana, vided to landslide affected people Afghanistan trade deficit jumped also result in a decrease in imports. skirts of Qala-i-Naw, the provin- been inaugurated in Pakistani cit- and the Government Elementary Ghor health director, said health in Badakhshan province. to 95 percent in the year 1393 This will also prevent millions of cial capital. Bahauddin, a member ies of Rawalpindi and Taxila near School in Taxila would have three workers were not affiliated with A landside in Khwahan dis- (2014), with the total value of trade dollars from leaving the country of the provincial council member, Islamabad, the nation s capital. additional furnished classrooms, a any political party and should not trict of Badakshan killed more than reaching $8.697 billion USD, of every year." The Afghan Chamber confirmed militants had captured Principal Deputy Assistant Sec- new veranda, and extra latrines. In be targeted by any of the warring 50 people and destroyed more which $7.697 billion USD were of Commerce and Industries the police check-post in the area. factions. He insisted health work- than 100 houses. retary of Population, Refugees, September 2014, the United States ers should be allowed to perform The Taliban claimed six police had and Migration Bureau at the State contributed nearly $9 million to the While the affected people are been killed and one captured dur- duty without any fears. Yagana Department, Simon Henshaw, and RAHA programme in Pakistan, said four health clinics had been in severe need for assistance, the ing the attack. Four Kalashnikovs UNHCR s Representative in Pa- supporting 40 projects throughout concerned officials says that dif- and some ammunition were also shut within 20 days in Teora and ficult terrain and impassable seized while two vehicles were kistan, Indrika Ratwatte, partici- the country, which will benefit near- Pasaband districts following Tali- pated in the inauguration ceremo- ly 300,000 people. (Pajhwok) ban warnings. (Pajhwok) routes are one of the main chal- torched, the group said. lenges before provision of aid to the affected people. Muhammad Aslam Sias, the deputy head of the ANDMA, told Azadi Radio that they have pro- vided emergency relief supplies through helicopters to the area. He said that the organization is try- ing to supply more assistance to imports and only $571 million (ACCI) has warned that political the area. We have sent Afs3.5 USD were exports. As a country infighting among National Unity million to the affected people that has strived to bolster indus- Government leaders has distracted along with both edible and inedi- try and improve exports over the from much needed economic re- ble items to the area through heli- years, a trade deficit of $7.126 bil- form and initiative. "A 95 percent copters. A team of medical doc- lion USD is not a good sign. Af- deficit in the trade balance of a tors have also been dispatched to ghanistan continues to import far country is concerning, but govern- the area to treat the injured peo- more than it exports, sending more ment leaders are still busy with ple, he added. According to re- currency abroad than the country distribution of power and have not ports, the landslide has forced 237 is bringing in. According to offi- paid any attention in this regard," families to leave their houses. cials at the Central Statistics Of- ACCI Financial Deputy Tawfiq In the meantime, the Afghan fice (CSO), last year was one of Dawari said. "We warn that if the Red Crescent Society (ARCS) the worst economically for Af- government does not work toward said it has provided 50 tents to ghanistan on record. "Afghanistan increasing domestic products, the the affected families. It added that is a country dependent on imports, country will go toward an eco- it stands ready to provide more and this shows a lack of govern- nomic crisis. If that happens, these aid to the landslide-hit area. The ment management," CSO Eco- leaders will not be able to do any- acting governor of Badakhshan, nomic Director Azizullah Faqeeri thing." According to Central Sta- Shah Waliullah Adib, stressed on said on Wednesday. "The govern- tistics Office data, in the year immediate provision of aid to the ment must lay out economic plans 1393, most of Afghanistan's ex- affected people in Khwahan dis- and increase exports by using the ported goods were dry and fresh trict and said that the government available resources. Increase in ex- fruits, carpets and gems. Food, oil should take all necessary measures ports will not only increase em- and fuel products were among its A family stands next to a tent in front of their destroyed home. They prefer to stay here instead of sheltering in a school to prevent from repetition of such ployment opportunities, but it will major imports. (TOLONews) because they are worried about their valuables being plundered from the rubble, Sankhu, Nepal, April 29, 2015. (Photo: VOA) incidents in the future. 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. THURSDAY . APRIL 30, 2015 AFGHANISTAN TIMES NEW SOCKS NEVER WORN: How Afghanistan SURVIVED THE WAR

By Tom Seymour, Thomas Cox and Jon Max Spatz amine how the landscape shift the fields it makes this place a One girl's story ahead of and changes. All my work s green oasis. It s a salute to the bril- fter a 12-year occupation, ward the war as well. I don t about archaeology. I see this place liance of the Afghan farmer as this Britain has left Afghani think there s anyone who s been as one of great ruins. I m interest- engineer of the landscape. If you Afghanistan's fighting season Astan. No-one photographed to Afghanistan who hasn t fallen ed in the idea that great empires go to Afghanistan, it s easy to ask the landscapes of the war as much in love with the place a little bit; are built on the rubble of great where the culture is. Why is there as Simon Norfolk. In an exclusive this love affair with the country s empires. I put the camera on the no opera? Why is there no pho- film, Norfolk reveals his photo- beautiful people and amazing same place over the course of a tography here? You re really look- graphic love-letter to the chang- landscapes. I wanted my feelings year -you see the landscape ing in the wrong place, because ing seasons of an ancient country. about this place to communicate breathe and fall. You can see the the culture is embedded into the I ve been photographing in Af- itself, after spending a dozen years snowline go up the mountain and landscape, crafted and combed by ghanistan for more than a dozen photographing the land through- come back down the mountain in hundreds of hours of manual la- years, I first went there in No- out the war. I went to the poor- the autumn. You can see the level bour, backbreaking manual labour. vember 2001 when the war really est province of one of the poorest of the field rises because the grass You visit these villages in the hadn t started. I ve been going countries on earth . The mountains is tall, then the sheep go on the mountains. If you take away that back for 14 years so in the centre of Afhanistan in the field, the grass goes down. kid s plastic shoes and that buck- I photographed the entire arc of Hindu Kush, these are a kind of When a tree leans into the cor- et and that generator, I can see in the war. When I heard the war mountain fortress against he Tali- ner of the frame in the summer it my angle of view is from the year was going to come to an end, I ban. The people there are Shia fills full of water and it leans of 1600. thought it was a time for reflec- Muslims, so the Taliban hate them down. Then in the autumn it leans That s how permanent and ul- tion. We know the war as this high- as much as anyone else. They re back again. So the life of the land- traconservative these villages are energy, high intensity. That was not like the rest of Afghans, they scape is this slow breathing. these little mountain fortresses what got on the telly in the West. sort of live up there and really just This part of Afghanistan up there in the Hindu Kush are Underneath this was a lower en- want to be left alone. I went up is technically a desert, so the Af- as close to untouched in the world. ergy level, a lower amplitude, a there with acamera and photo- ghan farmer is this unsung, bril- They are genuinely a last wilder- permanent Afghanistan. That has graphed what I call stratographs. liant hydrological engineer, capa- ness. been there for hundreds of years, I m placing the camera in the ble of taking water from really high See more of Simon Norfolk s it continued all the way through same place every month over the up in the mountain, down these work here. the war and will continue after- course of a year to intensely ex- little channels and gullies to (British Journal of Photography) Student avoids suicide bombings and kidnappings in Kabul Gulalay will undergo surgery in the coming weeks University of Canterbury that there was no light at the end my education and because I was Canterbury research analysis I student who has just grad of the tunnel not only for our fam- away from school for a long time faced many problems such as no KABUL: Gulalay is excited. She "A few days later, when there civilians, program coordinator Auated with a commerce de- ily but for the whole country, and due to my lack of English I electricity. Billions of dollars of is getting ready to celebrate her was relative calm, we returned to Luca Radaelli told IRIN. gree completed much of his thesis therefore we had to leave Pakistan did not do very well during the aid poured into Afghanistan but sixth birthday. She has been to the Sangin to fetch our belongings from There have been times when in Afghanistan, avoiding suicide as well. They decided to send first years at university. Eventu- because of widespread corruption, local bazaar with her grandfather the house." we have had a victim on a bed and bombings and kidnappings. Najib me out to New Zealand to. I ally I adjusted myself into the new Afghanistan still does not have and bought herself a new frock, a When the snows melt in Af- the one responsible for his trauma Hedayatullah gives his own in- moved to NZ and became an asy- life as a student and I managed to good electricity generating plants. colourful hairband and a pair of ghanistan, the water feeds down on the next bed. We are doctors, sight of what he had to face along lum seeker and eventually was ac- receive my first undergraduate They import electricity from the hand-knitted socks. Frolicking on from the Hindu Kush and brings we don t get into politics. For us, his journey of gaining a Master of cepted as a refugee in my new degree majoring neighbouring counties. Security her way home, Gulalay cannot see life to the valleys and plains. But it is all about saving lives. Commerce from the University of home. I chose to live with a Kiwi inmanagement and information was another challenge, suicide the improvised explosive device for more years than most here care Casualties have risen year Canterbury. Gaining his masters family to better understand the systems and accounting, I then bombings and kidnappings were buried in the dirt. One unfortunate to remember, spring also means upon year. Emergency admitted degree is a great achievement, es- New Zealand culture. I learnt the received two more postgraduate major worries. step is all it takes. She was thrown death, as the fighting season be- 4,832 patients in 2014, more than pecially given the challenges he New Zealand way of life and how degrees including a Master of Every morning when I was several feet up in the air. The blast gins in earnest. In the first three double the number from 2010. faced writing it up from Kabul. to support myself in a country Commerce. leaving home I was not sure if I tore off her legs, said 65-year-old months of 2015, 136 civilians were This reflects the escalation of Najib was a refugee and came thousands of kilometres away As I was analysing data for would get back home alive. So the Bari Dad Aka, a tear in his eye as killed and 385 wounded in ground the conflict, especially in the to Christchurch from Afghanistan from the protective arms of my my thesis Afghanistan was going above factors had put me under he recalled the awful moment his engagements in Afghanistan, an southern provinces of Kabul and as a teenage refugee and had to parents. through elections which was an enormous mental pressure, but granddaughter s life changed for- eight percent rise on 2014, accord- the north of Helmand, a recent make his own way. His supervi- The main reason I chose New opportunity for my home coun- when I was thinking why I was in ever. Aka carried the bleeding Gu- ing to the United Nations Assis- Emergency report said. The blar- sor Associate Professor Colleen Zealand was to bring the rest of try to head down a path of stabil- that country it was worth it. lalay in his arms to a police post in tance Mission in Afghanistan. ing siren of an ambulance an- Mills says Najib went from re- the family out of danger, so with ity and prosperity. I had the Although my family and I the southern town of Sangin from The trend is expected to get nounced the arrival of more pa- peatedly failing to get a the help of my host family and choice of staying in peaceful are now back living in where she was flown in an Afghan worse with the onset of the Tali- tients. Another dangerous trend bachelors degree to achieving an their family lawyer I succeeded Christchurch and continue my re- Christchurch I am going back to army helicopter to a hospital in ban s traditional spring offen- is that the fighting season is get- honours degree then a masters. to bring my parents and a brother search or to go to Kabul and par- Afghanistan to assist technocrats Kabul. Doctors from Emergency, sive, scheduled to begin this week. ting longer, said Radaelli, adding He is an inspirational young and sister to Christchurch as well. ticipate in the historical and trans- following the election and contin- a humanitarian NGO specialising The Taliban now hopes to capital- that was getting harder to distin- man. I met him as a 300-level stu- Although it was not easy to formational event. With my wife ue my work in assisting Afghani- in emergency treatment for war vic- ise on a lack of ground and air sup- guish between summer and win- dent who was determined to suc- find jobs in a new country, in a and two children - eight months stan building its first railway net- tims, amputated what was left of port thanks to the withdrawal of ter. Nurses wheeled in the latest ceed even though it was very completely different culture and and two years old • - I became work of 6200km. her legs. Lying in the hospital bed, most US and NATO forces. victims of Afghanistan s intermi- tough studying in English and run- language, I managed to find two part of a movement which assist- According to the strategic her arms in bandages, Gulalay In response to the expected nable 14-year conflict: three sis- ning his business to make ends jobs and I worked hard to ensure ed the nation in taking on democ- plan of the new government this stared at the socks on the corner upsurge in violence, Emergency is ters from the outskirts of Kabul. meet. Najib says his life changed that I provided the basic life ne- racy. network will be the backbone for table between howls of agony, un- opening a third operating theatre Gulalay shrieked. The effect of the in the early 1990s when the war- cessities for my family upon their I now have a job as advisor turning Afghanistan to a transpor- aware she would never be able to at its hospital in Kabul, partly painkillers seemed to be wearing lords broke into Kabul, the capi- arrival. to the director-general and the tation hub linking China to the wear them. Aka explained that the funded by a $279,000 UN grant. off. A doctor tried to reassure the tal of Afghanistan. During the fac- I will never forget the day I chief executive of the Afghanistan Middle East and Europe and link- Afghan army had launched an op- The NGO, which operates distraught Aka, telling him every- tional fighting that followed many received a letter from Immigration Railway Authority. I am also the ing central Asian states to south- eration against the Taliban near Gu- two dedicated hospitals for the thing s fine. atrocities were committed and New Zealand confirming that my project manager of a $20 million ern Asian countries. As I enter a lalay's house in Helmand province. war wounded in Afghanistan, as After regaining his composure, about 60,000 Kabulis were killed. family could join me in New project for the management, op- business career, based in "To counter the offensive, the well as a maternity centre, 44 clin- the grandfather somehow found a I along with my parents both Zealand, which was the happiest eration, maintenance and training Christchurch, I am grateful to the Taliban began capturing homes in ics and 15 first aid bases, is also positive thought. Thanks to the of whom were civil servants had moment of my life and my big- of people involved in the Afghan- University of Canterbury and staff the area. They took over my neigh- investing in new equipment and doctors, Gulalay will be able to to leave Afghanistan and moved gest achievement, saving my fam- istan rail line. who have been fantastic for help- bour's house and were approach- infrastructure. We treat everyone celebrate her next birthday, he to Pakistan. After living there for ily. During my stay in Kabul and ing me achieve my goals. ing ours when we fled," he said. government forces, insurgents, said. (IRIN) a few years, my parents realised I then decided to continue in the course of my University of (Scoop Independent News) For Afghanistan s abandoned children, help is scarce Taliban execute man for killing wife in wife and issued a fitwa ordering He was executed in compliance UP TO 6.5 MILLION AFGHAN CHILDREN LIVE IN DANGER OF ABUSE Helmand his execution. with a decree issued by the Tali- The man was shot dead in ban judges in accordance with Is- tarved and beaten by his step LASHKARGAH: Taliban mili- front of a crowd by his father-in- lamic Law. mother, the little boy with tants publically executed a man law, Khan said. The local resident, Sadiq, said Sbig brown eyes was already accused of killing his wife in the A local resident, Mohammad Taliban enforced Islamic Law on withdrawn and unhappy by the Nad Ali district of southern Hel- Sadiq, said Taliban leaders and criminals, but police often released time his father banished him from mand district, an official said on judges discussed the matter before such people against bribes. the family home and sent him to Wednesday. ordering the man s execution. The incident comes two an orphanage in the Afghan capi- The district chief, Fathullah Qari Yousaf Ahmedi, a Tali- weeks after the Taliban executed tal, Kabul. There, the beatings and Khan, told Pajhwok Afghan News ban spokesman, confirmed the two persons on charges of kidnap- the abuse continued, this time by a Taliban jury found the man execution, saying the man had pings for ransom in the Kajaki dis- older boys, and it took a while be- guilty of intentionally killing his killed his wife few months back. trict. (Pajhwok) fore a teacher at school noticed just how much in pain the 10-year-old was and slowly got him to tell her Young girls in Afghanistan are his story. The boy s mother had become sick and died, he said, and when his father remarried, the new skateboarding to fight for gender equality wife took against the boy and his sister, often beating them, and For women in Afghanistan, riding development. As recently as 10 ment. Photographer Fulford-Dob- withholding food for days on end. a bicycle is a big no-no. On the years ago, almost all women were son credits her success in part to It would have been an all too spectrum of cultural taboos, it excluded from education systems skateboarding. skate girls kabul af- ranks between driving a car and and institutions in Afghanistan. ghanistan 1Jessica Fulford-Dob- common story in Afghanistan had keeping company with a man who Skateistan seeks to overcome those son "I met so many impressive not the teacher reached out to a is not a relative. But no one ever deep social barriers by bundling ac- woman and girls in Afghanistan," parliamentarian, who got in touch Afghan abandoned children eat their lunch at a shelter in Kabul, Afghanistan. - AP said anything about riding a skate- ademics and skateboarding in one Fulford-Dobson wrote in a press with a government rights commis- board. Frankly, so few people school. Students enrolled in les- release, "[who were] passionate sion, which then contacted a non- sense. They still have a parent liv- ghan children are on the verge of a is even more dire, he said. With owned them in the country's cap- sons may also participate in an about being seen as strong and will- government organisation that in ing but one who is not willing humanitarian crisis and desperate- the withdrawal at the end of last ital, that it was never an issue. Now, arts-based curriculum, which fo- ing to fight for themselves, rather turn provided a lawyer and af- or financially capable of caring for ly need more of everything, includ- year of international combat troops thanks to non-profit Skateistan, cuses on developing the tools than as victims of circumstance." ter a complicated cascade of events the child. At Hagar, many of the ing shelters. Between 6 million and much of the international girls from marginalized and dis- young people need to express She met teachers "as tough and the boy was eventually brought to children experience education for and 6.5 million children in Afghan- NGO presence, Afghanistan now placed families can learn to ride for themselves, think critically, and determined as any man," and chil- a shelter run by Hagar Internation- the first time and acquire skills that istan are either directly in danger faces an economic crisis that is ex- free at the largest indoor sports solve problems abroad in their own dren who lit up with the unadul- al, the NGO. After almost four de- could one day help them earn a or are slowly moving toward dan- pected to exacerbate poverty, arena in Afghanistan. And they backyard. In addition, Skateistan terated fun that can only come cades of war, two generations of salary. But most importantly, they ger, Babarakzai said. Few inde- which is likely to perpetuate the become all the more badass for it. offers an accelerated learning pro- from sports. Afghans have no experience of life learn that their lives have value and pendent or government organisa- violence that afflicts the desperate Photographer Jessica Fulford- gram and a leadership initiative. To learn more about the skater without a backdrop of brutality. they are treated with dignity, said tions focus on children s issues or across the country. Afghanistan is Dobson visited Skateistan's Kab- The little girl shown below was girls, you can check out Jessica The 10-year-old was one of the Sara Shinkfield, Hagar s country provide shelters for victims of vi- one of the poorest countries in the ul location, one of the largest in- lucky few to escape what can ap- director in Afghanistan. One of olence and other abuse, he said. world, and is regularly listed as one door sports sports facilities in the pear to be a never-ending cycle of the difficulties in this job is that In a country like Afghanistan of the worst to be a woman be- country, in 2012 and captured every day, we are meeting clients where more than half of the popu- cause of the level of abuse against these portraits of the participants. violence. Human rights officials In 2007, Australian skateboarder and those working with aban- who have been through hell, they lation lives in abject poverty, the women and girls that is generally have been through the worst that dangers are many, he said, listing accepted and rarely dealt with by Oliver Percovich relocated to Kab- doned, orphaned or unwanted chil- ul when his former girlfriend took dren say up to 6.5 million Afghan life can offer, they have been treated trafficking, rape, forced marriage, law. a job there. He began cruising on children live in danger of abuse. without dignity, they have been prostitution and domestic violence Since the foreign forces left and his skateboard to pass the time, The country, with an estimated treated as less than human, said among a plethora of threats. Chil- Afghanistan was no longer the pri- and noticed crowds of children population of around 30 million, Shinkfield. Currently Hagar is car- dren who are victims of abuse and mary focus of global charities and marvel as he passed. They would has had much of its services dev- ing for more than 40 women and violence often become abusers governments, many organizations follow him around, asking for rides astated by the conflict and has lit- children, boys and girls, at its two themselves, Babarakzai said. like Hagar have been struggling for and lessons. Shortly after, Percov- tle capacity to care for them. On a Kabul shelters. The children study Treating these children and help- the same share of the ever-shrink- ich dedicated himself to the cre- recent visit to the Hagar shelter for and have classes as they would in ing them come to terms with their ing funding pot, said Shrinkfield. ation of a small non-profit skate vulnerable minors in Kabul, The school mathematics, geography, experiences, rather than internal- I think you could have 100 or- school, the country's first. Using Associated Press gained access to history, along with English and ising their pain, can help them de- ganisations and still it wouldn t be the three boards he brought with a tiny fraction of those children. computers. There is time for play velop into normal, insightful enough, she added. him from Australia, he began teach- With the permission of the shelter and they are regularly taken on adults. Hamidullah Habib, the di- Meanwhile, the progress made ing a handful of young adults on managers who are the children s field trips. In recent months, rector of the government s child by the brown-eyed boy who was the streets of Kabul. Fired up by legal guardians and with the groups from the shelters visited the protection services at Action Net- brought to Hagar is a rare success their rapid progress, Percovich, city s only amusement park, the work, says that in Kabul, a city of story. After a year of treatment and who the kids call "Ollie," set out consent of the 10-year-old himself, to build an indoor skatepark and the AP talked to the boy about his Green Park, as well as Kabul s fa- more than 4.5 million people, there care at the shelter, he now lives mous Babur Gardens, the Nation- are only 20 children s shelters with an uncle, attends a private education facility. Using land do- life since his father sent him away. nated by the Afghan National It is the AP s policy not to identi- al Museum and the National Ar- all with a limited capacity and ex- school paid for by Hagar, and is Olympic Committee, his dreams fy minors who have been subject- chive. They also have drawing and pertise for treating traumatized making plans for his own future. came to fruition in October 2009. ed to abuse. painting classes their artwork minors. They are very good part- I want to become a doctor, be- Today, the organization operates The shelter, in the western often revealing the profound pain ners with the Afghan government cause if anyone gets sick I will give schools in Afghanistan, Cambodia, suburbs of the capital, is one of they have suffered and in many in providing assistance to children him medicine, he said on a visit to and South Africa, and reaches two in Kabul run by Hagar Inter- cases, still keep hidden. in need, Habib said of the existing Hagar, a big smile lighting up his 1,200 youth each week. The op- national, which for the past five According to Najibullah services. But unfortunately, their face. portunity is especially meaning- just seven years old at the time the Fulford-Dobson's website and her years has aimed to provide a range Zadran Babarakzai, national coor- projects are based on foreign For more news from Khaleej ful for the school's female stu- photo was taken. She's since upcoming book, "Skate Girls of of services for children who have dinator for the rights of children funds. So when the funding ends, Times, follow us on Facebook at dents, who make up 40% of the passed three educational grades and Kabul." A photography exhibition suffered extreme abuse. Many are with the Afghanistan Independent the project is over. facebook.com/khaleejtimes, and class. For them, the skatepark enrolled in the national school sys- of the same name is now under- not orphans in the traditional Human Rights Commission, Af- Outside Kabul, the situation on Twitter at @khaleejtimes serves as a platform for personal tem an incredible accomplish- way at Saatchi Gallery in London. 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. THURSDAY . APRIL 30, 2015 AFGHANISTAN TIMES Afghanistan s first female pilot Niloofar Rahmani, 23, exits a fixed-wing Afghan Air Force aviator aircraft in Kabul. (AFP) India will always stand firmly beside Afghanistan: President Pranab NEW DELHI: Asserting that the cooperation between New Delhi and Kabul has neither an expiry date nor a timeline, President Pranab Mukherjee has said that India will always stand firmly beside Afghanistan as a friend and neighbour. President Mukherjee, who yesterday welcomed Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf MERGENCY Ghani on his first state visit to E India, said India supports an Af- CALLS ghan led and Afghan owned na- tional reconciliation process with- in the framework of the Afghan Police Constitution. India-Afghanistan co-operation has neither an expi- 100 - 119 ry date nor a timeline. As a friend and neighbour, India will always stand firmly beside Afghanistan. Hospitals India considers it a privilege to share its capabilities and experi- ence in nation-building and inclu- FMIC Hospital sive development with people of Behind Kabul Medical Afghanistan, he added. President Mukherjee, who also hosted a University: banquet in his honour, said India 0202500200-+93793275595 was proud of its close relations with Afghanistan. It was Afghan- istan s first strategic partner. In- Rabia-i-Balkhi Hospital dia shares the Afghan President s Pule Bagh-e- Umomi goal of building a strong, prosper- ous and independent Afghanistan. 070263672 It appreciates the work he is do- ing and the formation of a nation- al unity government which adds a Khairkhana Hospital new dimension to the process of 0799-321007 democratic evolution in Afghani- stan, President Mukherjee said. 2401352 President Mukherjee also con- veyed his condolences over the tragic death of 52 persons in a land Indira Gandhi Children slide in the Badakhshan Province. ith a hint of swagger, Af time warp. change, she is cautious not to dis- The President said efforts Hospital, Wazir Akbar ghanistan's first female Rahmani says she was heart- respect cultural norms in a coun- should be made to expand bilater- Khan, Kabul 2301372 Wpilot since the fall of the broken when a mob in Kabul sav- try known for its strict gender seg- al trade which in 2013-14 stood Taliban is defying death threats and agely lynched a young woman regation. One recent morning, at USD 683.10 million. 72 Indi- archaic gender norms to infiltrate called Farkhunda last month after when a male colleague at the base an companies have invested Ibn-e- Seena what is almost entirely a male pre- an amulet seller, whom she had reached out to shake her hand, she around USD 17 million in Afghan- serve. castigated, falsely accused her of declined. Why not? he said, dis- istan from 2003-2013. India will Pul-e-Artan, Kabul Dressed in khaki overalls, avi- burning the Quran. appointed. encourage more companies to in- ator shades and a black headscarf, Read: Afghan woman lynched Rahmani smiled politely and vest in Afghanistan. He expressed 2100359 23-year-old Niloofar Rahmani cuts over Quran-burning was innocent: later told AFP she didn't want to confidence that Afghan President s visit will further strengthen the a striking presence as she struts minister Animals don't do this to send out the wrong signal. In a pic- two countries successful co-op- Wazir Akbar Khan across the tarmac at the Kabul Air other animals, she said of the day- ture taken on April 26, 2015, Af- eration in all spheres of shared Hospital Force base, which is otherwise light murder which sparked nation- ghanistan's first female pilot Niloo- interest, he added. Responding devoid of women. Ever since I wide protests. This wasn't done far Rahmani, 23, poses for a pho- to President Mukherjee, the Af- 2301741, 2301743 was a child, when I saw a bird in by the Taliban. These were ordi- tograph alongside a fixed-wing Af- ghan President said it was a sin- the sky, I wanted to fly a plane, nary people, the young Afghan ghan Air Force aviator aircraft in gular honour to be invited to stay she told AFP at the base, hemmed generation. Rahmani also recalled Kabul. AFP In a picture taken in Rashtrapati Bhavan and an im- Ali Abad in by rolling dun-coloured hills. about flying aces in the US Navy. quit. The threats grew so menac- a flight mission when she defied on April 26, 2015, Afghanistan's portant recognition granted to the Many girls in Afghanistan have It is believed there were female ing in 2013 that she was forced to orders from a superior who first female pilot Niloofar Rah- people of Afghanistan. He Shahrara, Kabul dreams... but a number of prob- Afghan pilots during the pre-Tali- leave the country for two months. stopped her from airlifting wound- mani, 23, poses for a photograph thanked President Mukherjee for 2100439 lems, threats stand in the way. ban Communist era, but details are They threatened to hurt me ed soldiers in a restive southern alongside a fixed-wing Afghan Air his condolences and expressed Rahmani, who grew up in Kabul, scant. Nearly 14 years since the and my family, she said over the province. Women are traditionally Force aviator aircraft in Kabul. sympathies for the people of Ne- enlisted for an air force training Taliban government was toppled roar of military transport planes. forbidden from transporting the AFP In conservative Afghanistan, pal dealing with the aftermath of Malalai Maternity programme in 2010 and kept it in a US-led invasion, Afghan wom- My only choice was to be dead or wounded in Afghanistan even a simple gesture such as a the earthquake. He conveyed ap- Hospital secret from her relatives who be- en have taken giant strides of strong and ignore them. Rahmani as many believe that females have handshake between men and wom- preciation for India s leadership lieve a woman does not belong progress, with female lawmakers always carries a pistol for her pro- a small heart and are too emotion- en can sometimes be interpreted in natural disaster management and 2201377/ 2301743 outside the home. Two years later and security personnel now com- tection and though she has grown al, Rahmani said. Upon complet- as a sign of bad character. Rahmani called for a regional framework for the purpose. President Ghani said she became the first female fixed- monplace. That marks a sea change accustomed to the ogling eyes of ing the task, I told my command- is only one of three Afghan wom- Afghanistan hopes it will have a Banks wing aviator in Afghanistan's his- in women's rights, as previously men, she never leaves the base in er, 'punish me if you think I did en who have trained to become shared destiny and destination tory and the country's first wom- women weren't allowed to leave uniform, lest it make her a target. anything wrong', she recalled. pilots since the 2001 invasion, and with India in Asia. Later in his ban- Da Afghanistan Bank an pilot since the ouster of the their homes without a male chap- Simple things like walking in the He smiled and said: 'you did one of them has since quit the air quet speech, President Mukher- Taliban regime. The once-unimag- erone and were brutally consigned streets, going shopping is no long- good'. In order to be treated on a force. When asked how long it jee said although the Afghan Pres- 2100302, 2100303 inable feat recently won her the to the shadows. But gender parity er possible. My freedom has all par with her male colleagues, Rah- would be before the air force has ident has travelled India in his pre- US State Department's Interna- still remains a distant dream as gone, she said. 'I have hope' But mani says she can't afford to dis- an equal number of men and wom- vious capacities on a number of Kabul Bank tional Women of Courage Award, conservative attitudes prevail. more than physical threats, it is play jangled nerves. I have to be en pilots, she was forthright. occasions, this is a special visit. and earned her the sobriquet Af- Rahmani has received threat- pervasive conservatism that hurts tough -- so tough, showing no emo- Not anytime soon. Maybe 20 This time he is visiting India as 222666, 070285285 ghan Top Gun on social media, ening calls and letters purportedly the most, with Afghanistan stuck tion, she said. But while Rahmani or 30 years, she said. But I have leader of the National Unity Gov- after the 1986 Tom Cruise film from the Taliban, warning her to in what many deride as a medieval is pushing at the boundaries of hope. (AFP) ernment in Afghanistan and as Azizi Bank President of a nation with whom 0799 700900 India has a cherished history of Taliban unable profound cultural, religious and Pashtany Bank 4 injured as bomb 8 rebels killed as forces civilisational bonds. to occupy district President Mukherjee said In- 2102908, 2103868 or province recapture Faryab villages dia believes that the enduring trust goes off in Lashkargah and mutual understanding between Air Services After wide-spread concerns of LASHKARGAH: A bomb-rigged an official said. MAIMANA: Security forces er villages had been cleared of in- India and Afghanistan goes be- MPs that Taliban may occupy motorcycle went off in front of a A security official, who de- killed eight rebels, regained con- surgents as a result of the opera- yond political and strategic con- large areas, spokesmen for the min- mosque where a memorial service clined to be identified, told Pajh- trol of eight villages and reopened tion codenamed as Khanjar. siderations. The two countries Safi Airways shared history and geography is a istries of interior and defense made wok Afghan News the injured a major highway in northwestern He said the ongoing offensive 020 22 22 222 it clear on Wednesday that Taliban persons included a brother of Faryab province, officials said on would continue until militants compelling factor in nurturing our are not able to occupy any district Wednesday. were completely eliminated in the close ties. Because of this histor- or province. Brigadier General Lashkargah s 4th district police ical reality, there has been strong Ariana chief. Basher, giving an eyewit- Police chief Abdul Nabi Elham district. He said security forces Dawlat Waziri, spokesman for the told Pajhwok Afghan News anoth- had so far suffered no casualties. and sustained support in India for Ministry of Defense in a joint press ness account, told Pajhwok Af- its engagement with Afghanistan 020-2100270 conference in Kabul said that cur- ghan News the explosives had er 10 insurgents were wounded A resident of Qaiser district, in its post-conflict economic re- rently there are 21 military opera- been planted on a motorcycle during an ongoing operation in- wishing to go unnamed, said Tali- construction effort. India is con- Kam Air tions ongoing in 13 of the country parked between two cars in front volving Afghan National Army ban fighters fled the area as the air fident that over the next few in which militants are suffering of the mosque. (ANA) and police personnel strikes began, but the ground forc- years, Afghanistan will see a sig- 0799974422 heavy casualties. He said 48 mili- An official at the Emergency- backed by air support from the es did not chase them and they nificant transformation across its tants were killed, 42 wounded and run hospital said they had been Afghan Air Force in the Qaisar staged a comeback after the air- sectors and in all areas of its so- Hotels 10 others arrested by security forc- delivered four wounded persons district. Meanwhile, Gen. Sherin strikes had ended. cial and economic advancement. es during past 24 hours. from the scene. Two of them were Shah Kohabandi, the spokesman The Taliban said nothing The President said India remains Safi Landmark Waziri added that Afghan na- in critical condition, he said. for the 1st brigade of 209th Sha- about their casualties, but claimed deeply conscious that Afghani- tional security forces are strong was being offered in the capital of There was no immediate word hin Military Corps, said Du Abi, killing 10 security men and cap- stan s unity, independence, secu- enough to defend the country and Kunjuk, Chaharshanba, Bashal- turing four check-posts in Qaisar. rity and stability are critical - not 020-2203131 they won t let any district or prov- southern Helmand province on of responsibility for the blast. Wednesday, injuring four people, (Pajhwok) mast, Buland Ghor and some oth- (Pajhwok) only for itself - but also for India ince fall into the hands of militants. and for peace and progress in en- SERENA Sediq Sediqi, spokesman for tire neighbourhood. The President the Ministry of Interior told re- of Afghanistan in his banquet 0799654000 porters during the press conference speech said for many Afghans that the number of Afghan securi- who grew up in the 1950s, India New Rumi Restaurant ty forces is way higher than the was not the country that was number of militants. He said that over there . national security forces are also 0776351347 stronger than militants but they are It was part and parcel of carrying out their operations care- how they learned their values, Internet Services fully because militants are using sense of history, and commitment villagers as human shields. Sediq to building a free and just nation. UA Telecom Sediqi asked members of parlia- For the children of 1950s Afghan- 0796701701 / 0796702702 ment not issue statements that cre- istan, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, ate panic and requested them to Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal trust their security forces. Ongo- Nehru were not just distant fig- Exchange Rate ing fighting between Taliban and ures. They were inspiring writers security forces in Kundoz Sediqi whose texts gave a generation of Purchase: added that security forces are mov- Afghans their understanding of the ing forward in the fight against in- oppressive nature of British co- surgents in Kundoz province. lonialism, of India s noble quest One US$ = He said the backbone of Tali- for freedom, and the profound 57.83Afs ban has been broken after their commitment to justice that in- commander Mullah Mustafa was spired that heroic generation of One Pound Sterling= killed with his group in Imam Sa- leaders, he added. President 85.35Afs hib District yesterday. Sediqi add- Ghani said despite difficulties, ed that Taliban cannot win the Afghanistan can be a critical part- One Euro = ground from Afghan forces because ner for India for the project of 62.04Afs thousands of troops with air sup- building an integrated Asian pow- 1000 Pak Rs = port have been deployed while on erhouse that is to come. Afghan- the other hand Taliban are only in istan is not just metaphorically but 560Afs hundreds. Revenge of Badakhshan literally located in the heart of attack taken Government spokes- Asia. With commitment, invest- Sale: men also said that national securi- ment, peace, railways, pipelines, One US$ = ty forces have taken the revenge highways, fiber-optic networks 58.03 Afs of Badakhshan attack in which and the ideas and people that will One Pound Sterling= militants had martyred and be- connect Central, South and West headed a number of soldiers. Brig. Asia to each other and with the 86.15Afs General Dawlat Waziri said that market centers of the world can One Euro= the main group behind the terror- more easily flow through Afghan- 62.64 Afs ist act has been eliminated during istan than through any other the ongoing military operation in BOYS PLAY SOCCER ON A HILLTOP OVERLOOKING KABUL. (PHOTO: REUTERS) route, he added. (Znews) 1000 Pak Rs= 568Afs Badakhshan province. (KP) 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. THURSDAY . APRIL 30 , 2015 AFGHANISTAN TIMES British PM offers India help to make better jets claim in full but rule in part. Sharif said his acceptance of an invitation last May to Prime than Rafale Minister Narendra Modi's inaugu- Praising India's initiative to become Aeronautic Defence and Space ration was "an exceptional deci- a global manufacturing hub, Brit- Company (EADS). sion". ish Prime Minister David Cameron During a recent official visit to Sharif attended Modi's swear- has offered assistance to India to France, Modi agreed to buy 36 ing-in ceremony. help develop its "own world class Rafale fighter aircraft off the shelf. But months later, India with- fighter aircraft" which is "better This was part of a $24 billion de- drew from talks after Pakistan's than Rafale". fence deal for 126 aircraft aiming ambassador in India met Kashmiri Cameron said Britain is ready to replace outdated Russian-built separatist politicians. to help India's state-owned Hin- MiG aircraft with modern Medi- Sharif said that was a "frivo- dustan Aeronautical Limited to um Multi-Role Combat Aircraft lous pretext". develop world class fighter jets. (MMRCA). "There is no sign of India de- "The British offer of Euro- But the deal is under cloud as siring resumption of dialogue with fighter Typhoon to India is still on France is reportedly hesitant to us," he said. table," Cameron said. "It will come share the technology to build the Pakistan's military, which has along with technological and engi- remaining lot of Rafale in India. ruled for about half of its history neering assistance for India to de- "India is going to play a very since 1947, traditionally sees rela- velop its own world class fighter big role in the success of British tions with India as its of responsi- aircraft. It will be a better deal than economy," Cameron said. bility, even during civilian rule. Rafale," IANS quoted the British "Trade and investment rela- Sharif's aim to improve ties prime minister as saying in an ex- tions have improved in the last five with India was widely seen as clusive interview to London-based years and we need more political cause of friction with the army, Asian Lite newspaper. cooperation on climate change and though tension has eased since last Cameron was commenting on other issue," he added. "I am look- year when the coup-prone military India's decision to buy Rafale ing towards to meet Prime Minis- helped calm anti-government pro- fighters from France over the Eu- ter Narendra Modi to discuss a tests. rofighter Typhoon of European heavy agenda." A government insider said at the time Sharif would stay in pow- er but had to "share space" with the army on issues such as rela- tions with India and security. Sharif said Pakistan was ready for "constructive dialogue for ne- gotiated settlement of all issues, including the issue of Jammu & Kashmir". ISLAMABAD: India has failed to in a 2013 election, raising hopes changes of fire along their disput- been reciprocated," Sharif told the India was angered this month respond to Pakistan's desire for that a Pakistani civilian government ed border, but there has been little Saudi Gazette in an interview dur- when a Pakistani court freed on good relations, Pakistani Prime would finally wrest control of for- sign of progress in ties. ing a recent visit that was pub- bail Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, who Minister Nawaz Sharif said, in rare eign policy from the powerful mil- READ ALSO: Narendra Modi lished in Pakistani newspapers on was accused of plotting a 2008 rebuke of a neighbour with which itary. writes to Nawaz Sharif, says all Wednesday. assault on the Indian city of Mum- he has promised to mend ties. The nuclear-armed neighbours' issues can be resolved through di- The neighbours have fought bai. India said the release "rein- Sharif made improving rela- top diplomats met in Pakistan last alogue three wars since 1947, two of them forced the perception that Paki- tions with India a priority when month, after at least a dozen peo- "Our desire for good neigh- over the divided Muslim-majority stan has a dual policy on dealing he swept to power for a third time ple were killed in a series of ex- bourly relations with India has not region of Kashmir which they both with terrorists". Bangladesh local elections marred Sri Lanka parliament votes by vote-rigging allegations to curb president’s powers DHAKA: Pro-government candi- forced out opposition polling dates, their workers and the press” League activists outnumbered vot- dates swept to victory in city coun- agents. had set a “new low for the coun- ers. cil elections that took on added sig- Election officials said they had try’s politics.” Hasan Mahmud, a leader of the nificance with the main opposition witnessed no irregularities, and Sharmeen Murshid, executive Awami League, accused opposi- party fielding candidates after boy- Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad, the chief director of Brotee, a nonprofit elec- tion supporters of launching at- cotting national elections last year. election commissioner, said the tion-monitoring group, said: tacks. He said Awami League ac- In elections marred by allega- election had been “largely free and “Based on our observations, these tivists had not targeted journalists. tions of irregularities, vote-rigging fair.” elections did not meet the parame- Outside the Kabi Nazrul poll- and intimidation of voters and the Awami League officials denied ters for free and fair polls. Although ing center in Dhaka’s Shakhariba- press, Awami League candidates accusations of intimidation and we saw only sporadic violence, we zar neighborhood, a would-be vot- Annisul Huq and Sayeed Khokon said the BNP was trying to under- did observe widespread intimida- er said he had decided to leave af- were elected mayor of Dhaka mine the elections. tion of voters and opposition ac- ter clashes broke out. Another said North and Dhaka South councils However, in both Dhaka and tivists and in some cases, outright she had arrived at the polling cen- respectively. Nasir Uddin, anoth- Chittagong, independent election rigging.” ter only to find someone else had er ruling party-backed candidate, observers reported intimidation, Ms. Murshid added that turn- voted in her name. won the race for mayor of Chit- multiple voting and ballot-box out was low, especially among fe- In a statement, the U.S. em- tagong city, election officials said stuffing at some polling stations. male voters, indicating that voters bassy in Dhaka said: “We are dis- Wednesday. The opposition’s withdrawal did not feel safe. “There was an appointed by widespread, first- The main opposition Bang- dashed hopes that Bangladesh atmosphere of fear,” she said. hand, and credible reports of vote- ladesh Nationalist Party, which has would move away from the frac- Other analysts said the BNP’s rigging, intimidation and violence been waging often-violent street tious politics and violence that withdrawal early on Tuesday had … and the BNP’s decision to boy- protests to unseat the government, have claimed more than 100 lives also affected turnout. cott the city corporation polls.” nominated candidates to challenge since January. The Election Commission said The statement called on the elec- the Awami League in Dhaka and Local media were heavily crit- voter turnout figures would be pro- tion commission and the govern- Chittagong—Bangladesh’s biggest ical of the elections on Wednes- vided later in the week. ment to investigate alleged irregu- Sri Lanka's parliament has voted to curb the powers of the president and restore a two-term limit for cities. However, on Tuesday, as day. “Awami League Wins, Democ- At a college hosting a polling larities. incumbents. Former leader Mahinda Rajapaksa, who suffered a shock defeat in elections in January, had balloting was going on, the BNP racy Loses” was the headline car- station in southern Dhaka, stick- Political analysts in Dhaka expanded his powers. The amendment had been promised by his successor, Maithripala Sirisena. Deputies announced it was withdrawing ried by Prothom Alo, a Bengali- wielding activists chanted in sup- said violence in the run-up to the also voted to remove the president's power to dissolve parliament until it has completed four-and-a-half from the elections, citing polling language newspaper with the larg- port of the ruling Awami League elections may have frightened vot- years of its five-year term. Before, the president had the power to sack parliament after only one year. Mr irregularities. At a news conference, est circulation in the country. Dha- as they chased away supporters ers. Khaleda Zia, the leader of the Rajapaksa spent a decade in power. He scrapped two-term limits for the president after he was re-elected in opposition-backed candidates said ka’s Daily Star newspaper said of a rival group. At several other BNP, was attacked on three con- 2010, allowing him to stand a third time. He also granted himself greater powers over the police, civil service ruling-party activists had “taken “widespread vote rigging, and in- polling centers, the atmosphere secutive days during campaigning and judiciary allowing him to appoint all the top judges. President Sirisena was elected on a pledge to fight control of polling centers” and had timidation of BNP-backed candi- appeared to be tense and Awami last week. corruption. Election tribunal: PTI Rahul Gandhi attacks Modi, suggests he downplays speculations, says probe visit Punjab while 'visiting India' NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi made body stands dissolved another jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi today in Parlia- ISLAMABAD: A day after Paki- ment, this time on his visits abroad, stan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) Elec- when he said, "The PM is visiting tion Tribunal held a meeting in de- India, let him also visit Punjab and fiance of party chairman Imran see the situation for himself." Khan’s decision to dissolve the The Congress vice-president, body, the party deemed media re- just back from a tour of Punjab's ports on the development as ‘un- grain markets where he met farm- fortunate’. ers distressed at the slow purchase In a statement, the party’s in- of their produce, said in another formation secretary Dr Shireen swipe, "Does the farmer not make Mazari said, “The two-man tribu- in India?" nal formed to probe petitions re- “The tribunal chairman (Jus- This was a reference to the lating specifically to the 2013 in- tice retired Wajihuddin Ahmed) PM's massive manufacturing push tra-party elections stood dissolved himself acknowledged that the in the country, Make in India. The by the chairman PTI.” chairman of PTI had all the author- Congress leader alleges that the Mazari termed it unfortunate ity to take decisions in its report,” Modi government's policies are that the media has continued to added Mazari. designed to benefit rich industrial- delve on this issue while the tribu- Explaining the role of the tri- ists at the cost of poor farmers. nal and its members had become bunal’s head, Mazari said, “It is "They are crying and your functus officio once they had com- sad that Justice Wajihuddin, whom government did nothing when hail- pleted the task of looking into the the entire party holds in utmost storms destroyed their crop," intra-party complaints. respect, confused PTI’s affairs Rahul Gandhi said. Read: Growing rifts: PTI tri- with the working of courts of the Amid ruckus in the house af- bunal head ignores Imran’s deci- state.” ter his short speech, BJP ally Akali sion On the other hand, Justice Dal's Harsimrat Kaur, who is a To substantiate her point, she Wajihuddin has said that, “Just as minister at Centre, shot back, pointed out that the tribunal had General Pervaiz Musharaf on Feb- "Where was Rahul Gandhi when itself informed the chairman of ruary 26, 2000, was truncating the there was hailstorm. After he came having disposed all the electoral Supreme Court, on a day when, back from holiday, has he visited complaints it had received. across the border, India were cele- his own constituency?" Unfortunately, she maintained, brating their Republic Day; we on Political rivals criticised Mr that it had started to intervene in the party’s founding day have dis- Gandhi, 44, for taking off on a two- other organisational matters out- banded our own intra-party tribu- month sabbatical abroad even as side of its purview. Nonetheless, nal.” the crucial Budget session of Par- in the spirit of tolerance and de- Commenting on the develop- liament was beginning. Since his mocracy, the PTI chief had accept- ment, Akbar S Babar, one of the return earlier this month, Rahul ed some of the suggestions. These PTI’s founding member who had Gandhi has been unusually aggres- included appointing a new chief filed a petition before the ECP re- sive and politically active, attack- election commissioner who would garding allegations of corruption in ing the Modi government at every inform the party on when elections collection of donations, told The opportunity, especially on the dis- could be held. The membership Express Tribune that the decision tress of farmers. This evening Mr trek 15 km to highlight their plight. The BJP rules both Punjab and Maharashtra, along with allies. It also rules Haryana, where a minister shockingly committee was also put under the of PTI chairman is akin to ‘a dec- Gandhi will go to Vidarbha in Ma- said yesterday, "Suicide is a crime. According to Indian law, suicide is a crime. A person who commits suicide runs away from his responsibilities. CEC so that a rational date could laration of martial law’, issued on harsahtra, where many farmers Such people are cowards and the government cannot stand by such cowards or criminals." Rahul Gandhi brought that up too in his attacking speech, be ascertained, she added. the day the PTI was founded. have committed suicide, and will his third in Parliament in the last two weeks. Before this he had made three in 10 years. 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. THURSDAY. APRIL 30 , 2015 AFGHANISTAN TIMES US senate rejects bid to toughen Iran nuclear review bill WASHINGTON: The U.S. Sen- as an amendment to the Iran Nu- publicans were among those vot- to toughen the bill, which they say til last week, when leaders of the Tehran would drastically scale back that he will allow Iran to develop a ate rejected an effort on Tuesday clear Review Act, a bill requiring ing for the amendment, despite an would kill its chances of becoming foreign relations panel agreed on a its nuclear program in exchange for nuclear weapon. They say a tough- to require any nuclear agreement an Iran nuclear deal to be reviewed emotional appeal against it from law by alienating Democrats and compromise that removed many an easing of crippling economic er stand in Congress would help with Iran to be considered an in- by Congress. Senator Bob Corker, the Republi- provoking a veto by Democratic of the measure's strictest provi- sanctions. The White House has convince Tehran to compromise in ternational treaty, which would The amendment's backing by can chairman of the Senate For- President Barack Obama. sions. Secretary of State John Ker- made clear the veto threat would the nuclear talks. Several backers have forced any deal to be ratified 39 Republicans signaled that there eign Relations Committee and au- Corker announced on Tuesday ry said Monday that Washington be back in place if the measure of the bill insisted that supporting by two-thirds of the Senate's 100 could be intense debate in the com- thor of the bill. that his bill has 67 co-sponsors, and other major powers were clos- were significantly amended as it the Corker bill was not an endorse- members. ing days as the Senate hammers Corker and Senator Ben Car- enough to override a presidential er than ever to a deal with Iran, moves through the Senate and ment of a final nuclear agreement. The Senate voted 57-39 to re- out its final version of the legisla- din, the committee's top Democrat, veto. Obama had threatened to although more tough talks lay House of Representatives. They argued that opposing it ject the measure, which Republi- tion. Majority Leader Mitch Mc- have been working against so-called veto the bill as a threat to ongoing ahead of a June 30 deadline for Many Republicans worry that would take away Congress' best can Senator Ron Johnson offered Connell and other top Senate Re- "poison pill" amendments seeking nuclear negotiations with Iran un- reaching a final agreement in which Obama is so eager for a nuclear pact chance to weigh in. Israel lets 14,000 Houthis kill 12 civilians in Yemen’s Aden tons of building material into Gaza Israel allowed 14,000 tonnes of by Palestinian militants to make building material into war-devas- weapons and build attack tunnels. tated Gaza on Wednesday, the de- But the international commu- fense ministry said of the largest nity has warned that without seri- single shipment since a July-Au- ous reconstruction of the coastal gust conflict ended in the blockad- territory, where Israeli bombard- ed territory. ment destroyed or damaged more COGAT, the coordinating than 100,000 homes during the 50- body for Israeli government poli- day war, another conflict could be cy in the Palestinian territories, looming. told AFP that some 354 trucks The United Nations says that passed through the Kerem Shalom 100,000 Gaza residents are still goods crossing in the southern homeless since last summer's war, Gaza Strip carrying "construction which killed about 2,200 Palestin- materials", without elaborating. ians and 73 people on the Israeli Under Israel's eight-year side. Militant groups in Gaza, un- blockade of Gaza, the entry of ce- der the de facto rule of the Islamist ment and iron has mostly been movement Hamas, fired thousands banned, with the Jewish state fear- of rockets at Israel in the conflict ing such materials could be used and have vowed to rearm.

Houthi militia’s tanks and sniper several more streets in the port Residents and city officials said the Several Arab air strikes pound- dominant position on battle fronts fire killed at least 12 civilians over- city. The Houthis took the capital group shelled government buildings ed Houthi positions in the city's across Yemen, which have barely night in Yemen's Aden as they ad- Sanaa in September, demanding a and residential neighborhoods con- suburbs, residents said. moved, and no visible progress has vanced toward the center of the more inclusive government, and trolled by their armed opponents, About 200 km to the north, been made towards peace talks. city, residents said, and a Saudi- swept south, rattling top world oil and dozens of families had fled. Arab aircraft dropped weapons for Talks with President Abd-Rab- led coalition airdropped arms to exporter Saudi Arabia and its al- "The world, the coalition and the tribal and Islamist militiamen fight- bu Mansour Hadi collapsed in ear- anti-Houthi fighters in the city of lies, who fear what they see as ex- United Nations need to step in ing the Houthis in the city of Taiz, ly April and he went into exile. Taiz. Local fighters backed by Arab panding Iranian influence in the urgently to save our neighborhood, where they have been battling the Chaos then set in as the Iran-allied coalition air strikes nationwide region. Fighting was still raging in which has truly become a disaster group with heavy artillery in city Houthi forces fought their way have been battling the Iran-allied the Khor Maksar district of Aden, area after this indiscriminate shell- streets for days. south, battling loyalist army units, Shi'ite Houthis for a month but on seen as the main bulwark against ing," resident Ali Mohammed Despite weeks of bombing, regional tribes and al Qaeda mili- Wednesday the rebels had taken the Houthis, early on Wednesday. Yahya said. the Houthis have retained their tants. Largest forgotten humanitarian Nigeria army Turkey acquits all 26 rescues nearly crisis looms in CAR: UN 300 females The humanitarian crisis in the Cen- leaders of 2013 protests tral African Republic is in danger of becoming the largest forgotten A Turkish court on Wednesday from Boko humanitarian crisis, the UN refu- acquitted more than two dozen gee agency has said. activists who helped launch mass Indonesia defends Haram Almost 900,000 people from protests in 2013 against President the country have been forcibly dis- Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a case execution of drug convicts Nigerian troops rescued nearly 300 placed, both to neighbouring coun- slammed by rights campaigners. girls and women during an offen- tries and internally, by ongoing The 26 suspects are all leaders Indonesia has defended the execution of eight drug convicts, including sive against Boko Haram fighters fighting in the country since De- of Taksim Solidarity, an umbrella seven foreign nationals, saying that the killings were necessary to fight in the northeastern Sambisa For- cember 2012, the UNHCR said in group of civil society, union and the country's "war against drugs". Attorney General Muhammad est, the military said. a statement on Monday. An esti- political groups that was at the Prasetyo told reporters in Cilacap, the gateway to the high-security Al Jazeera's Yvonne Ndege, mated 2.7 million people are in forefront of demonstrations mark- prison island of Nusakambangan where the executions took place, that reporting from Abuja, said on need of aid in CAR and in its neigh- ing the biggest challenge yet to the the firing squad had executed the prisoners shortly after midnight local Wednesday that the Nigerian mili- bouring countries, it said. government. The activists, who in- time on Wednesday morning. Local pastors and officials told Austra- tary was planning to release pho- "We must prevent the Central clude doctors, architects and engi- lia's Fairfax media that the eight prisoners joined together to sing "Amaz- tos and more information of the African republic from becoming a neers, had been charged with in- ing Grace" immediately prior to the executions and chose not to wear women and girls rescued. forgotten crisis," said Claire Bour- cluding founding a crime syndicate, blindfolds."The executions have been successfully implemented, per- "What we understand is that geois, the UN's humanitarian co- violating public order and organis- fectly," Prasetyo said. "All worked, no misses," he said of the execu- there is a screening process to find ordinator in the CAR said. ing illegal protests through social tions of two Australians, four Nigerians, a Brazilian and an Indonesian out where they are from. We man- "The current funding for the media and faced years in prison. man.OPINION: Indonesia's dramatic executions hide the real problem aged to speak to Nigeria's military strategic humanitarian response “All of us were acquitted,” Mu- "I would like to say that an execution is not a pleasant thing. It is not a spokesman who believes some of does not allow us to ensure the cella Yapici, one of the leaders, told fun job," Prasetyo said. "But we must do it in order to save the nation the women are wives of Boko protection of all these displaced AFP. “It was an absurd case which from the danger of drugs. We are not making enemies of counties from Haram fighters," our correspon- persons or to provide the minimum organisations and the Muslim com- Council has approved keeping a meant to declare Taksim Solidari- where those executed came. What we are fighting against is drug-related dent said. of what is needed to meet the huge munity. peacekeeping force in the CAR for ty a criminal organization.” The crimes." Profiles: Drug smuggling convicts executed in Indonesia Mar- The army announced the res- humanitarian needs." With the humanitarian crisis in another year due to the continuing suspects went on trial at an Istan- tin Anderson, 50, Nigeria, arrested in Jakarta in 2003 with 50g of hero- cue on Twitter on Tuesday and Muslim Seleka rebels seized the country largely underfunded, violence in the country. bul court in June 2014 a year after in. Jamiu Owolabi Abashin, 50, Nigeria, arrested in 1998 at Surabaya said it was screening and interview- power in March 2013, overthrow- it is likely to take precedence at The council in March ap- the protests which started as a airport with about 5kg of heroin. He was originally sentenced to life in ing the abducted girls and women. ing then president Francois Bozize the forum in the country's capital, proved a resolution authorising an small environment battle to save prison, which was reduced to 20 years by the High Court, then changed who responded with reprisal at- Bangui, commencing on May 4. additional 1,030 military and po- Gezi Park -- one of the few green to death by the Supreme Court on appeal by prosecutors. Sylvester Nearly 300 schoolgirls were tacks by Christian anti-Balaka A total of almost $613m in re- lice personnel for the nearly spots in the country's mega city. Obiekwe Nwolise, 49, Nigeria, arrested in 2003 on arrival at Jakarta seized from the northeastern town fighters. lief aid is required inside the coun- 12,000-strong peacekeeping force. The protests snowballed into a airport from Pakistan with 1.2kg of heroin. Okwudili Oyatanze, 45, of Chibok by the armed group Lack of funding try and $331.2m outside the coun- A transitional government is nationwide wave of anger against Nigeria, arrested in 2001 on arrival at Jakarta airport from Pakistan Boko Haram in April 2014. The The statement by the UN try. Thus far, only $85m has been supposed to be organising elec- Erdogan, who was then prime min- with about 2.5kg of heroin. Zainal Abidin bin Mahmud Badarudin, 50, fighters took the schoolgirls in agency comes just days ahead of a received for internal aid and $29m tions for August this year, but in- ister, and were ultimately put down Indonesia, arrested at his home in 2000 with about 59kg of marijuana. trucks into the Sambisa Forest. forum bringing together the key for external aid. stability threatens that goal. by the police. Rights campaigners Rodrigo Gularte, 42, Brazil, arrested in 2004 on arrival at Jakarta Dozens escaped, but 219 remain stakeholders in the crisis: the armed The country's humanitarian United Nations and French had called for the charges to be airport with about 6kg of cocaine hidden in several surfboards. missing. The Associated Press groups, trade unions, media, dis- aid deficit is $830.2m, according troops are currently trying to sta- dropped, with Amnesty Interna- Myuran Sukumaran, 34, and Andrew Chan, 31, Australia, arrested news agency, however, quoted an placed people, employers, politi- to the UNHCR. bilise the impoverished and land- tional calling the process a “polit- in 2005 for attempting to smuggle more than 8kg of heroin to Australia army spokesman, Colonel Sani cal parties, platform of religious Separately, the UN Security locked country. ically motivated show trial”. as part of a group dubbed the Bali Nine. Usman, as saying that the 200 ab- ducted girls and 93 women "are not the Chibok girls". International campaign Nige- ria confronts Boko Haram by re- Baltimore hit by clashes for second night building schools Boko Haram has abducted an unknown number of Demonstrators and police clashed the latest touchstone in a national 1968. girls, women and young men to be briefly in a second night of pro- debate over police use of force RELATED: Riots occur when used as sex slaves and fighters. tests in the US city of Baltimore, [AP] marginalised groups see no other Many have escaped or been re- where a curfew has been imposed Violent protests erupted on outlet leased as Boko Haram has fled a to quell rioting triggered by the Monday, shortly after the funeral President Barack Obama said multinational offensive that began death of a black man in police cus- for a black man who died on April that the group of youth who stole at the end of January. Earlier this tody. 19 after he was injured in police from businesses and burned build- month, rights group Amnesty In- Police used tear gas canisters custody a week earlier. ings and cars should be treated as ternational published a report say- and pepper balls against at least So far, at least 20 officers have criminals. ing that the armed group has ab- 200 protesters on Tuesday night been hurt in the clashes. One per- ducted at least 2,000 women and in order to enforce the citywide son was critically injured in a fire, Educating Black Boys girls since the start of 2014. Boko curfew from 10pm to 5am. more than 200 adults and 34 juve- He condemned the group for Haram has used girls and women But Al Jazeera's Gabriel Eli- niles were arrested, and nearly 150 the "counterproductive" riots, but as suicide bombers, sending them zondo, reporting from the city in cars were burned, police said. stressed the need for soul search- into crowded market places and Maryland state, said that there was Renewed national debate ing in the country. elsewhere. little incidence after the brief clash- The death of 25-year-old Fred- Demonstrators threw bottles A month ago the Nigerian mil- es. die Gray renewed a national de- at police and picked up the canis- itary began pounding the Sambisa "There were very brief clash- bate on law enforcement and race ters and hurled them back at offic- Forest in air raids, an assault they es with police and about 200-300 that was sparked by the killing of ers. But the crowd rapidly dis- said earlier they had been avoiding protesters that refused to listen to unarmed black men by police last persed and was down to just a few for fear of killing the Chibok police orders to disperse. Some year in Ferguson, Missouri; New dozen people within minutes. schoolgirls, or inciting their cap- tear gas was used but it was fairly York and others. Gray was arrested April 12 tors to kill them. Two weeks ago, minor overall," he said. But rioting and looting in a after running away at the sight of counterinsurgency spokesman He added that most residents pocket of Baltimore's west on police, authorities said. He was Mike Omeri said a multinational in the city did obey the curfew. Monday prompted the governor held down, handcuffed and loaded offensive that began at the end of Larry Hogan, the governor of to declare a state of emergency, into a police van. Leg cuffs were January had driven Boko Haram the state, said 2,000 National deploying the National Guard - the put on him when he became irate from all major towns in the north- Guard members and 1,000 police first time in Baltimore since the inside. He died a week later after east and that Nigerian forces were officers would be in place over- unrest that followed the assassi- incurring a spinal injury. investigating how and when he suffered the spinal injury - during the arrest or while he was in the van, where concentrating on the stronghold in night. Gray's death has become nation of Martin Luther King in Authorities said they are still authorities say he was riding without being belted in, a violation of department policy. the Sambisa Forest. 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.

THURSDAY .APRIL 30, 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] Email: [email protected] By Javid Ahmad www.afghanistantimes.af The Islamic State’s followers are Photojournalist: M. Sadiq Yusufi making significant inroads and steadily gaining strength in Af- Advisory editorial board ghanistan, as demonstrated by Saduddin Shpoon, Dr. Sharif Fayez, Dr. Sultana Parvanta, Dr. Sharifa Sharif, their recent vicious attack in Jalal- abad that left 35 people dead. How- Dr. Omar Zakhilwal, Setara Delawari, Ahmad Takal ever, new reports have surfaced, though unproved, that the group’s Graphic-Designers: emergence represents “a rebrand- Mansoor Faizy and Edriss Akbari ing of marginalized Taliban” that Marketing & Advertising: has splintered from Taliban fac- tions and pledged allegiance to the Mohammad Parwiz Arian, 0708954626, 0778894038 self-declared caliphate of Islamic Mailing address: P.O. Box: 371, Kabul, Afghanistan State in Iraq and Syria. But has the caliphate really Our Bank Accounts: Azizi Bank: 000101100258091 / 000101200895656 arrived in the region? Or could this Printed at Afghanistan Times Printing Press rebranding be part of a new tactic employed by Pakistan’s security apparatus to disguise the Taliban, The constitution says its historical proxies, as the Islam- ic State, to support its sinister re- gional statecraft? It is certainly speculative, but it is nonetheless worth examining. Article 126: Pakistan and Afghanistan have Supreme Court judges shall receive lifetime pensions at the end of their term of service provided they do not admittedly been in an undeclared hold state and political offices. state of hostility for the last three decades, and although both coun- tries have made conciliatory ges- While Pakistan has signaled will- killing 30 Afghan soldiers. Both noticeable rift appears to exist be- Editorial tures, the matter remains unre- ingness to persuade the Taliban to groups represent and operate un- tween the two groups; otherwise solved. Afghan leaders seem to negotiate, it naturally wants to der the same poisonous ideology there should be some degree of ran- believe that Pakistan has never ac- keep its options open by creating and have enlisted people with lit- cor, at least on the Taliban side, cepted Afghanistan as a neighbor a smokescreen to ensure that it tle difference between their iron towards the Islamic State in order Security situation in Kunduz and that Islamabad will always maintains a toehold as a key inter- discipline and rough-and-ready jus- to bolster its reputation. aggravate ethnic tensions to turn locutor and disrupt the peace talks tice that wins the affection of the Nonetheless, if the emergence Security officials said Wednesday that 154 Taliban fighters have Afghanistan into a pliant state should the negotiations not tilt in marginalized. Intriguingly, both of an Islamic State Afghan offshoot been killed in northern Kunduz province. As many as 134 oth- through its proxies. After the Is- its favor. Simply put, Pakistan groups seems to share the same is in fact a reality, then Taliban lead- lamic State crept into their coun- would, on the one hand, use the targets, their messaging in social ers, as its primary rival, will be in ers were injured. Security officials also said that among the try, Afghan authorities initially re- Taliban leaders to negotiate a fa- media are remarkably similar, and a tricky spot. The Taliban would dead at least 30 were foreigners. Now that NATO/ISAF have ferred to them as mere terrorists vorable political settlement with they both have shown unfailing appear to be at risk of losing its formally concluded their combat mission and they are staying and later as splinter Taliban Afghan government, while on the alertness in the field. To an extent, aura of deliverance, as the group groups that shifted allegiances by other, it would exploit Taliban foot Pakistan’s hand in this abortive that forever altered the Afghan around to train and develop Afghan security forces and police, changing their name and flag. But soldiers to pose as the Islamic affair appears somewhat obvious. political equation. How that might it is now fully in the hands of the country’s 352,000 soldiers assume there is an element of truth State in Afghanistan. Doing so of- For instance, one of the key char- affect its support base or the vigor and police. Logically with the end combat mission of the inter- to Pakistan’s complicity in the re- fers Pakistan a discretionary tool acteristics of the Islamic State is of its fighters is not yet clear, but branding, it is no doubt carefully to undermine Afghan state through that it focuses on its competitors it makes a political solution to national coalition forces, prospect for peace talks with the in- constructed to shrewdly alternate sporadic attacks and violence. and it crushes them whole, as evi- peace more problematic. surgents must have become promising, but the stubborn and Pakistan’s positions between the Second, while the caliphate’s denced in both Syria and Iraq. No Regardless, while the Islamic bloodthirsty Taliban are hell-bent on destroying every sign of Taliban and the Islamic State’s Af- dominion in Iraq and Syria is ex- such thing, however, has happened State’s Afghan front, whether it ghan offshoot in its favor. traordinarily well-financed, if com- with respect to Taliban, either in truly exists or not, could stage development and change that took place in the last 14 years. For Pakistan, adopting such a pared to its other ideological sib- Afghanistan or Pakistan. In fact, spectacular attacks, they will not Afghan security forces have made a lot of progress however masked tactic would appear allur- lings, the Islamic State’s Afghan despite the anti-state Pakistani be able to persuade the Afghan ing for at least three reasons. offshoot has limited resources. The Taliban joining forces with the Is- people to fight for a retrograde re- they still need international support as they continue to devel- First, it takes the Taliban, Afghan group may be able to stage lamic State, no attack targeting the ligious philosophy to carry Islam op. In Kunduz, Helmand and elsewhere Afghan security forces which Pakistan’s army has histor- scattered attacks, but it cannot Pakistani government or its secu- across the region. Crucially, the demonstrated worth commending defense capabilities however ically backed, out of the public operate without external logistical rity institutions has yet occurred infliction of deliberate torture for spotlight, at least for now. In re- support, especially money, weap- in which the Islamic State has its own sake, or as a method of 2014 had been a deadly year for all defense forces—army, para- cent months, this has become par- onry, and manpower. However, claimed responsibility. Yet, in the administration, has never been an military and police, with around 5,000 death recorded so far. ticularly important as Pakistan Islamic State’s nearest base of op- Jalalabad attack, a man allegedly Afghan penchant, although a smol- Most of those deaths, or around 3,200, have been policemen, feels mounting pressure from the erations is 1,500 miles away in Iraq associated to the Islamic State dering resentment for foreign in- region, especially from China, to but Islamic State fighters report- claimed responsibility through a terventions has certainly manifest- according to ex-EUPOL chief. The European Union Police Mis- bring the Taliban to the negotiat- edly infiltrate Afghanistan through statement on Twitter in Urdu, Pa- ed in violence. sion (EUPOL) funds and trains a police force of 157,000. Ear- ing table to politically accommo- Pakistan and the group’s leader is kistan’s national language. The To be sure, there is no tangible lier there were rumors that Kunduz will fall into the hands of date the Afghan government. Al- a former member of the Pakistani Taliban, however, condemned the evidence to suggest that Pakistan though Afghanistan has historical- Taliban. Hence, it is fair to believe attack as evil, adding that “on ISIS is indeed pursuing this erratic the Taliban, but the fighting between security forces and mili- ly been uncharted territory in Chi- that without material support and we don’t comment,” warily dis- course. However, given the coun- tants, which has entered its 6th day is now near to end in Imam na-Pakistan relations and Beijing safe haven from Pakistan’s securi- tancing itself from the group in a try’s history of producing and fos- Sahib, Qala-e-Zal, Dasht-e-Arche, and Gor Tapa districts, which has a record of non-interference in ty institutions and their loyal way that only raises more doubts. tering insidious elements, it is rea- Pakistan’s Afghan policy, Islama- proxy networks that are available More significantly, swearing sonable to believe that if anyone clearly shows the province has been brought under security con- bad has, at times, adjusted its be- to groups like the Islamic State, allegiances aside, the Afghan front were a contact for the Islamic State trol. Last year, the Taliban launched the deadliest coordinated havior to cater to Chinese de- money and people would not trav- does not seem to be under the di- in Afghanistan, it would be Paki- attacks in Helmand. The attacks were so much deadliest that on mands. China wants to both sub- el. Third, the Islamic State’s Af- rect control of Abu Bakr al-Bagh- stan, trying to use the group as an due the Uighur separatists in its ghan front has adopted tactics and dadi, the Islamic State’s leader in instrument to create a smokescreen one occasion, police chief of Sangin district, Ahmadullah An- Xinjiang region who are actively manners that are akin to those used Iraq and Syria, nor does the group and achieve its objectives. Regard- wari said that sometimes up to 200 Taliban attack their check- struggling to take control of the by Taliban itself. Similar to the appear to be getting instructions less, the emergence of the Islamic province, and to deter the possi- Jalalabad event, the Taliban fre- from al-Baghdadi about targets. State’s Afghan front is a trouble in points and if there were no army reinforcements, they would bility of Uighers finding sanctu- quently stage attacks targeting Indeed, it is unknown whether the the making. But unlike Syria and have lost the fight. He said that it shames him to say that they ary and support in Afghanistan. public and government institutions Afghan group has made any con- Iraq, Afghans will refuse to sub- didn’t have enough weapons and equipment, but this was a stark Smokescreen and killing indiscriminately. Two tact with the caliphate. Addition- mit themselves to the rule of any As an all-weather friend, Chi- weeks ago, for example, a bevy of ally, despite the Islamic State’s al- other, and Afghanistan will not be reality. The US, which provides the bulk of NATO troops in na wields a degree of political and insurgents spilled into Afghanistan leged success in tempting some part of the Islamic State’s domin- this war-ravaged country, has funneled some $61 billion into economic leverage over Pakistan. and stormed a military outpost renegade Taliban groups to join, no ion. training of the 350,000-strong security force. For many the end of combat mission is a lynchpin of a plan to exit its longest war, but for some it is an attempt to transfer its war to the govern- ment of Afghanistan. Whatever is the reason, but it’s a stark fact that Taliban have stretched their presence, the methodology has not changed, indicating a lack of insurgent military capacity de- spite the rise in their attacks, however this phenomena has ex- posed another issue as well—defense forces are lacking weap- ons and equipment. Moreover, the Taliban’s strategy is also a demonstration of complete insanity. They send gunmen and sui- cide bombers to blow up the front wall of a military compound, police stations, or markets where they achieve nothing. This is insanity and this is barbarism. For the US the war might be over, but for Afghans it has entered another phase. Subscription Rates Categories Fee Afghanistan Times Annual Afg: 3600 at your door step ers abb Six Months Afg: 1800 For fast delivery service gr Afghanistan Times seeks the and names, addresses of your L International Organization $200 per year organizations and the number of copies you want. 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.

THURSDAY.APRIL 30 , 2015 AFGHANISTANTIMES Neglecting all weather friends

By KWK Basharmal freethinking society and pragmat- ic culture in the past. We were the The early civilizations, Egyptian, pioneer of musical tools, tones, and Sumerian, Babylonian, Greek, mental prosperity, but this was By Geoff Raby Chinese and Indian, have unique dashed to ground by the promo- qualities in their intrinsic forms. tion of fundamentalism and alien In his latest book Henry Kissing- The Indian civilization has played cultures and traditions. er anticipated China’s initiative to Still we don’t prefer to go an important role in the promo- create the first new international tion of humanistic feelings across through the culture of brutality and history. The class based society violence imported by the people organization of the 21st century. and its culture were different, but where they look for vested inter- He didn’t foresee the Asian Infra- mostly were politically and reli- est in the Afghan current mindset. structure Investment Bank (AIIB) giously based and the good was The artificial hollow emotional re- as such, but argued that as China ligious bigotry can’t prevent Af- that they were materialistic. We continued to increase its global can find different codes of conduct ghan generations from natural ap- and rules and regulations for con- preciation of nature and contem- economic weight, it would inevi- trolling city-states’ masses in In- porary technology. We strongly tably seek its security, in part, by dian history. The current astonish- believe in the revival of rational building international organiza- ing population of India is a vital enlightened traditional approach- tions in which it sat at the center. es of Afghanistan’s rich culture as example of a peaceful society for And that this would rightly or the world. we have in the past. Now, the land of Siddhartha The international community wrongly be seen as a challenge to Gautama is really itself in a posi- does need to review their policies the post-World War II US-centric tion to understand the pains and against the Afghan masses. They international architecture. worries of the Afghan people while need to establish a non-violent and China and other major devel- liberal society in regards to this. helping Afghanistan in its current oping economies have long ex- juncture. The peaceful culture and The new Afghan government will arts of India can contribute to the not go back on the implementa- pressed their dissatisfaction with solution of the problems of Af- tion of the policies of non-violence US and European dominated in- ghanistan. Our philosophy of non- and democratic thought; our gov- ternational institutions created at violence is co-authored and com- ernment is fully willing to work the end of WWII. China’s efforts mon through the heroic efforts of for peace, justice, freedom of to increase its contributions and Bacha Khan and Mahatma Gan- speech, and the introduction of dhi during the struggle for freedom intellectual progress. The Afghan hence voting power in the IMF, against our common foes. On our government, in coordination with for instance, have been stalled for side, Bacha Khan had proved that the Indian government, has to years in the US Congress. The res- he was not struggling to get a piece work for a peace-loving, humanis- ervation of the top job in each of of luxury where we could spell the tic society and good terms with the World Bank and the IMF for luxury “fighting for power.” our neighboring countries based on The political contradiction be- the promotion of peaceful creative citizens of the US and EU, respec- tively, is offensive. tween Congress was evident and feelings and concepts. contributed the bulk of its capital, Xiaoping’s maxim of “hide your ly self-sufficient in natural resourc- Australia has understood and re- India can contribute by con- The deal between the two that has dangerous enough when Abul this is guaranteed. Early propos- light, bide your time.” Foreign pol- es and energy. But since its econo- sponded creatively to changes in Kalam Azad Khan, Khan Abdul veying the message to the interna- stuck for over sixty years smacks als suggest that the AIIB’s initial icy had one principal objective my began to grow rapidly in the the region. APEC, for instance, was Ghaffar Khan “Bacha Khan”, Pan- tional and regional players that of a global Tammany Hall racket. dit Nehru, Sardar Patel and Shri they have to recognize Afghan-In- capitalization might be in the or- beyond China’s security and that mid-1990s, it has found itself in- visionary in its anticipation That China would build its Rajagropalachari, and on the other dian interests and the internation- der of US$100 billion, with China was to support China’s economic creasingly dependent on interna- of future regional developments. own international bodies, and side, Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Rajen- al community needs to know our contributing about half. More re- development. Although China had tional markets for the resources It’s difficult then to understand natural environment should be will continue to do so, shouldn’t dra Prasad, Acharya Kripalani, and cently, this seems to have been begun to take a leadership role in and energy it needs to sustain the policy confusion in Canberra Shri Shankar Rao Deo made fronts honored and praised by the inter- be a surprise. In response mainly wound back to around $50 billion, international institution building growth. over the AIIB. In the end, Austra- against each other within the par- national peacekeepers so the Af- to increasing US presence in Cen- ty, but in the last decisive stage, ghan intelligentsia can contribute with countries only required to and to adopt a more assertive pol- And nearly all of these imports lia has managed to achieve the tral Asia—especially after the Bacha Khan went to apply his to international knowledge, sci- contribute a small portion of their icy under Xi’s predecessor, Hu must go through the Straits of worst of all possible results. We American’s gained permission from charismatic role to get in confi- ence, and technologies for the sake overall commitments, including Jintao, Xi’s incumbency marks a Malacca. China’s at least 20 to 30 have lost early mover advantage of humanistic development for fur- Uzbekistan to base air force as- dence Abdul Kalam’s team not to China. China will still be the big- break with Deng’s approach and years away from being capable of to influence and shape the institu- fight with the other team. Bacha ther successes in the material and sets there for the Afghanistan cam- gest contributor, but its approach the adoption of a more muscular challenging the US militarily in the tion, especially its governance, and Khan convinced them that their conceptual areas. paign—China created the Shang- mutual confict would create nega- The existence and thinking of is likely to be more measured than foreign policy. This can be seen in Straits. For strategic planners in we’ve not supported an ally who hai Cooperation Organization tive propaganda which would make Afghan masses should be recog- originally suggested, and as such the South China Sea, in the Sen- Beijing this is a major vulnerabili- lobbied against the AIIB’s creation. (SCO). Since its inception in 2007, them vulnerable in the freedom nized and should allow them to will still carry the most weight in kaku/Diaoyu Islands dispute with ty. The New Silk Road is there- We have joined the Bank not at the it has expanded its membership and struggle against the Britain. think freely. In this plight, when the new organization. China also Japan, and in a number of initia- fore intended to give Beijing outset as invited to do so but at Furthermore, the world knows the world exists from hand to increased its activities, including wants to recycle its foreign ex- tives from institution building to strategic options, and the AIIB is the tail end of a 57-country body, that many times Mahatma Gan- mouth and facing brutality and regular heads of state meetings and dhi’s frustration led him to try to havoc in their everyday life, and change reserve holdings and to re- agreements with the US on green- a means to pay for it. somewhere between Luxembourg joint military exercises. commit suicide, but the strong lead- the arms race is another burning duce the share held in US house gas emissions controls. The China could have tried to and Norway. We’ll need a big dip- The SCO is a multilateral or- ership and politics of Bacha Khan question; so we consider it impor- treasury notes. Its experience in AIIB also fits well with Xi Jin- achieve this solely through bilat- lomatic effort to regain some of the ganization that achieves three im- had made it evident that India tant that Afghanistan, India, and direct investment in major resource ping’s far-reaching, ambitious New eral investments and loans. In- lost influence. would gain its independence un- Pakistan should work to spread the portant strategic objectives for projects offshore has also been Silk Road initiative. As is standard stead, it has decided to bind itself Those in the Obama adminis- der the umbrella of Congress and didactic peaceful thoughts of China: bringing Russia into a re- Bacha Khan and Mahatma Gan- mixed at best with some invest- in China, the articulation of policy in part in the rules of an interna- tration who jumped on the phones that was exactly what happened gional security forum that China in reality. The world also knows dhi. We need to work to translate ments resulting in massive losses. often follows what has already tional organization. This is already to pressure advisers to our minis- leads; increasing China’s influence why Bacha Khan moved to his and spread all co-authored writ- Increasing the use of the Renminbi been put in practice. In this case, contentious in China as some are ters breached one of the cardinal in Central Asia; and providing native land after partition of Bhar- ings of Mahatma Gandhi and Bacha for both international trade and Beijing has been building pipelines arguing that it shouldn’t constrain rules of diplomacy: don’t ask al- at in 1947. But with many com- Khan for the prolonged peaceful something of a bulwark against capital transactions is also a high across Central Asia and Myanmar, itself in this way, but should in- lies to make choices that may be plaints, still we believe that the society of India, Pakistan, and Af- further US encroachment in Cen- ghanistan. There should be centers priority for the Chinese govern- train lines from Chongqing to Du- stead act unilaterally. Regardless, against their interests. Interests Indian contribution in current Af- tral Asia. China also initiated the ghanistan can keep many anti-Af- to work for peace and conceptual ment, although the RMB’s status isburg in Germany, and road links the leadership has decided that a will ultimately prevail over friend- BRICs Bank in 2012. The BRICS ghan states under pressure. development in the region. We con- as reserve currency alongside the into Pakistan and a new port near multilateral institution will give ship. The arch realist Kissinger (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) We also consider Indian role in sider both Mahatma Gandhi and US dollar is a long way off. The Karachi for years. greater legitimacy to its strategic would have understood this. Afghanistan a part of the power Bacha Khan to be high caliber and had little in common at the time, Bank’s founding coincides with an These massive infrastructure objectives. Geoff Raby served as Austra- balance in the region and there is a charismatic messengers of peace, other than an easily remembered economic development and pros- important change in China’s for- projects all have at their heart a Inevitably the Asia–Pacific is lia’s Ambassador to the People’s time to convey the message of label. China was most unlike its peace to China to put pressure on perity in the region. The regional eign policy under Xi Jinping. Since single geopolitical, strategic objec- being reshaped by China’s emer- Republic of China from 2007 partners. Apart from its authori- Pakistan for fighting against ter- players should be proud of having the late 1970s, China’s foreign tive for Beijing. Throughout its gence as the dominant economic to 2011. This piece first appeared tarian political system, China has rorism. Chinese President Xi Jin- these two respected personalities. policy has been governed by Deng entire history, China has been large- power. Over the past thirty years, in ASPI’s The Strategist here. ping’s intention to launch projects Their intellectual, philosophical, nearly $US4 trillion in foreign re- of energy and infrastructure worth and novelty of non-violence should serves and only a tiny amount of $46 billion on a visit to Pakistan, be introduced to the war duped foreign currency denominated April 20, 2015, is another sign of countries of South and Central Asia good terms for India and Afghani- and the Middle East. debt. China doesn’t have to fear stan. We can’t expect any kind of There is a great need to hold capital flight in the event of an end radio silence from China on the conferences, media workshops, to US quantitative easing when matter of Muslim separatist fight- discussions, as well as issue pub- interest rates would start to rise. ing and their wish for combating lications, on the great deeds of both It’s likely that we may not hear fundamentalism within China, as leaders on national and internation- the Xinjian is an eyewitness which al levels. The messengers of peace much more of the BRICS Bank, is purely linking with Pakistani have the right to be respected and especially now that the AIIB has hardliners as known as “Jihadis.” promoted in the region. The prox- been established. In contrast the By Michael Stephens al-Jubeir. Stability and continuity bin Nayef, assumes his rightful to remove Mugrin has bypassed But this is all-important to ies’ war duped country Afghani- AIIB plays to all of China’s Salman took the Kingdom’s throne place in the chain of command. structures put in place to ensure understand that the current artifi- stan has no other way but non- strengths. Over the past two de- Out with the old in with the new, in January promising stability and King Salman has torn up Abdul- smooth transitions marked by con- cial flux of terrorism, fundamen- violence and even temperament. It cades, Chinese construction com- so it seems with the latest move in continuity on the country's estab- lah's playbook, and moved the king- sensus among the top Princes. If talism, and violence is just as arti- is time to install Mahatma Gandhi Saudi Arabia's cabinet that has set lished course, both internally and dom back towards what might be the king wants to ensure his son's panies have demonstrated remark- ficial in Afghanistan. Kabul was a and Bacha Khan biographies as a gossip flying and rumours swirl- externally. In reality, it has been considered a more natural footing rise, the ease with which he re- city of freethinkers, and studious subject or an article in the syllabus able capacity to build infrastruc- ing as to the intrigues of this most anything but stable, and almost in which the prince long groomed moved the standing crown prince culture and was doomed by differ- of Afghanistan, Pakistan and In- ture, be it power stations, express- Byzantine of ruling elites. "Riy- immediately the new king set about for kingship, Mohammed bin does not bode well for the future. ent proxies’ policies of major pow- dia. We need to make it practical ways, ports or high-speed trains. adhology" is an imprecise science, removing the sons of the previous Nayef, assumes his rightful place Should Salman pass away before ers in the last three decades due to to dampen the temptation of greed- To some extent, China’s infrastruc- and the first rule of analysing pol- king from their posts. The only in the chain of command. However his son has a chance to bed into his its natural and geographic impor- iness and selfishness in practice, itics in the Kingdom is to under- exception being Miteb bin Abdul- the ascension of his son to second post (even if he becomes Crown tance. Thousands of unmonitored while eradicating the mindset of ture is becoming built out and stand that outside of the ruling elite, lah, whose place in power is as- deputy prime minister (long seen Prince) then there is nothing to seminaries (religious madrassas) of occupying each other for our elite’s Beijing is looking increasingly to there is almost no real knowledge sured by the allegiance of the King- as the position for second in line to stop the family moving to elimi- Pakistan have contributed to the base, vested interest. exporting this capacity. On straight as to how these changes occurred, dom's National Guard whose core the throne) might raise a few eye- nate Salman's influence from gov- physical and mental destruction of The trilateral cooperation, commercial grounds, China’s con- and to what extent personal in- officer ranks are loyal to him. brows. Meteoric rise Mohammed ernment in similar fashion. In this the people of Afghanistan. The common culture and common in- trigue trumped the need for meri- Therefore the removal of Mugrin, bin Salman's meteoric rise under the sense, the king has set a precedent struction companies would be well people of Kabul were very much terest of Afghanistan, Pakistan and tocratic reform. In short, don't be- a stalwart ally of King Abdullah, stewardship of his father is still that may actually harm his son's in favor to study, search for truth, India can lead the region towards positioned to grab the lion’s share lieve the rumours, they are rarely and likely guarantor of his legacy quite difficult to absorb for most future career as much as aiding it. and discussion of the most ratio- prosperity, power balance and eco- of the bank’s funded business. But true, and almost impossible to just three months into Salman's kingdom watchers, who have got- Regardless of the potential for in- nal philosophical issues. We had a nomic development. as China has founded the Bank and prove. But make no mistake, this tenure is not altogether surprising. ten used to slow gradual change as ternal problems, there is little latest Cabinet shuffle is important Although a friendly, and compe- being the modus operandi in Saudi doubt that the injection of fresh and will have big impacts on the tent man, generally liked by all political life. At just 34 years of blood into the executive rungs of Kingdom both domestically and branches of the Saudi family, Mu- age, the young defence minister is the Saudi system was also enacted LETTER TO THE EDITOR internationally. The Crown Prince, grin never quite possessed the pres- now in the hot seat to one day be- with external relationships in mind, Mugrin bin Abdulaziz al-Saud has ence and stature of a king in wait- come king, without yet having prov- and the Saudi reshuffle has gone been relieved of his duties, and his ing. It was always difficult to imag- en himself to the family over a long down well in the US and the UK. position is taken by a grandson of ine him in anything more than a period of time, which for any as- Competency and diligence Both Ibn Saud, Prince Mohammed bin prince regent role, who, as a trust- piring king is vital. Much has been countries have built long standing City’s problems Nayed bin Abdulaziz al-Saud. ed favourite of King Abdullah, was made of the young prince's stew- relationships with Mohammed bin How does Saudi Arabia's reshuffle put in place to oversee the transi- ardship over a very challenging con- Nayef and it is no secret that gov- affect succession? Into the post of tion of power to a younger gener- flict in Yemen, which has not quite ernment officials in the West rate From air pollution to poor canalization system and from sub-standard roads to lack of traffic signals and second deputy prime minister ation of princes, giving time for the achieved the strategic aims that his competency and diligence high- lights, Kabul is surrounded with several problems. These problems can affect the residents and have steps King Salman's son, Defence Kingdom's subjects to adjust to Riyadh had hoped. Salman has ly. Alongside Adel al-Jubeir with affected them at much extend. Hundreds of buildings have been built out of standards. Their waste water Minister Mohammed bin Salman. changes. King Salman has torn up placed his faith in his son to deliver his media friendly personality and goes nowhere but into streets and also into streams. Some shopkeepers through water of these streams on Additionally, the long standing Abdullah's playbook, and moved on perhaps the toughest foreign popularity in the United States, roads in order to overcome spreading of the dust outside of their shop but they are unaware of the fact that Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal the kingdom back towards what policy file that exists in Riyadh at the Saudis will look to reinvigo- water of the streams double the danger of the dust and also increases the air pollution as water of such has stepped down from his post might be considered a more natu- present, and Prince Mohammed has rate their flagging influence in Wash- streams is full of dangerous elements to human’s health. If we ignore this problem, there is another to be replaced by the Saudi Am- ral footing in which the prince long not yet delivered the goods. Herein ington DC, and strengthen their line challenge and that is the abnormal treating of some residents when you travel in public busses or vehicles. bassador to Washington, Adel groomed for kingship, Mohammed lies the problem. Salman's decision into Western capitals. You will find some guys or men in public busses that are talking loudly on phone and are not caring about the people around them. It is really urged from them to avoid such an act. And also it is urged from local media outlets to raise public awareness in this regard, as they are the only source that can prove vital for managing this problem. Turning Kabul into a modern city requires indefatigable efforts from both the government and general masses. Therefore, we should everyone should Disclaimer: work for make Kabul a clean and green city. Moosa Joyinda, 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. THURSDAY . APRIL 30, 2015 AFGHANISTANTIMES Asian students Hariri: cram for SATs Aggressive with bootleg action beyond tests Yemen to As students around the world cram counter Iran for this Saturday’s SAT college entrance exam, many in Asia are poring over old tests in hopes the College Board will again reuse a test that has leaked ahead of time. These bootleg tests are widely available on Chinese websites to download for free. Students and tutors were amazed in January af- ter thousands who flocked to re- gional testing hubs in Hong Kong and Singapore discovered they were given the same exam admin- istered in Asia the previous June. In the intervening months, copies of the exam freely circulated on the web, giving students in Asia a leg up in the fight for prized slots at premier U.S. universities. The re- cycled test was all the more sur- prising because the College Board, which owns the SAT, has been plagued for years by test leaks and other security breaches in Asia. The problems have prompted tens of thousands of test score delays Albeit a power-sharing govern- across Asia and raised questions ment, and a dialogue that is in play about the integrity of the exam, a between his party and Hezbollah, central piece of U.S. university but former Lebanese Prime Min- applications. Students from Chi- ister Saad Hariri is leaving no room na and South Korea, where the for doubt when it comes to the new most widespread problems have “united Arab front in countering been reported, represent two out the Iranian influence.” Coordinat- of every five foreign undergradu- ing some form of a safe zone in ates enrolled in U.S. colleges. “The Syria and arm-twisting measures recycling of tests is serious. It is across the greater Middle East are giving Asian students a huge ad- in the works Hariri says, in what vantage over American kids,” said experts interpret as a direct reac- Duc Luu, founder and CEO of The tion to “U.S. abandonment” of the Edge, which provides test prep and region. college consulting services to stu- In a closed meeting with Arab dents in Hong Kong and mainland journalists during his current visit China. Unless the College Board to Washington, Hariri said “Oper- puts out new tests for each sit- ation Decisive Storm,” which Sau- ting, he said, “They are going to di Arabia and a regional coalition give students the incentive and launched in Yemen on March 25, ability to cheat.” All SAT tests are is “the beginning of a united Arab copyrighted, the College Board t is my fourth day here in Kathmandu. "What time is the next earthquake," is a question I'm often asked. "I heard 10am tomorrow." Explaining the science of the general front against Iranian influence.” says, and cannot be copied or dis- unpredictability brings some comfort to those here, but there's still an expectation that another quake will come, no matter how shady the source may be. Kathmandu is now a The Lebanese leader, who met U.S. tributed legally unless the board collection of small tent cities dotting its open areas. These cities are for the luckier ones - many are just sleeping out in the open. Anyone wanting to know when relief supplies will Vice President Joe Biden on Fri- specifically releases them as prac- I reach the disaster's epicentre just has to look around and witness the lack of relief in Nepal's capital itself. Those living in makeshift tent cities have been subjected to aftershocks, rain day and was received by Saudi tice tests. Even then, the exams can and cold nights [AP] Since Saturday, many people have fled their homes, some staying in hotels if they can afford to, but many more living among the elements. They have been subjected King Salman bin Abdulaziz prior only be purchased from the Col- to aftershocks, rain, and cold nights. Durbar Square, an historic area of the city and UNESCO world heritage site, has its own tent city enclave. Recently a few large tents have been to arriving in DC, laments that “the lege Board itself, the organization erected there so people wouldn't be sleeping out in the open. But besides a small amount of food and water, "relief" is still something people are waiting for. Relief may have reached international community will says. When students register for Kathmandu, but much of it is still stuck at the airport. The city's infamous single runway can't handle all the planes, or even all the sizes of aircraft trying to bring in vital supplies. Small stand with the strong, and this is a the SAT, they agree to the test’s tent cities have sprung up among damaged buildings in Kathmandu, with locals fearing another earthquake [Getty Images] Search and rescue teams are one thing, but aid is another. Seeing fact we have realized in Yemen and terms and conditions, which state: video and pictures of hard-hatted rescuers combing through rubble doesn't mean those living in a tent or out in the open have received the aid they needed. When I look upon the tents beyond,” adding: “we have to be “Test materials are secured before, and people sleeping, sitting, living out in the open, I shake my head. Despite all of the international attention, these people have so far received so little help. Then I think of the people as aggressive to counter Iran.” Safe during and after the test. You are in the towns and villages near the epicentre, cut off from all access and communication, and my stomach sinks. Zones in Syria? prohibited from accessing secured While airstrikes in Yemen are test materials at any time before a “game changer” in Arab action in or after the test.” Yet in February, the region, Hariri does not expect the College Board announced some an exact blueprint of this in target- international scores from the Jan- ing Iran’s other spheres of influ- uary test were being delayed “due ence. He tells Al-Arabiya News to a potential security violation”, that “we might find it in different without elaborating. It was the forms against Iranian influence, in fourth consecutive test in Asia that Africa, in Sudan, in Nigeria, and in had widespread score delays and Syria.” The fate of the Assad re- cancellations because of cheating gime is “the joint” of Iranian re- allegations. ‘Fair testing environ- gional influence Hariri says, and ment’ College Board spokesman what happens in that conflict over Zach Goldberg said the company the next few months “will have a is committed to ensuring “all stu- domino effect on Iranian influence dents have access to a fair testing in Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon and even environment and to fulfilling our inside Iran raising question marks responsibility to deliver test scores over billion they spent on Assad”. with integrity.” He declined to dis- Establishing safe zones, or at cuss the decision to reuse the June the very least providing “air cov- test in January. “As a matter of er” in the areas where the Syrian test security, we do not share any rebels are advancing in the North information that could aid anyone and South, are “inevitable” says seeking an advantage,” he said. Hariri, warning that “they have to Goldberg added that media ac- go into parallel with uniting the counts “purporting to reveal how opposition, and organizing the agencies and individuals attempt non-ISIS rebels.” This sentiment to cheat on the SAT have been ei- is echoed by Turkish officials who ther simplified or inaccurate.” He have recently visited Washington declined to elaborate. Test prep and requested according to West- tutors in Asia told Reuters the Jan- ern sources an “air cover” to be uary score delay affected thou- added to the U.S.’ “train and equip sands of students from Korea and program" for Syrian rebels. mainland China who took the test. For Hariri, however, such ac- The bulk of those scores have since tion in Syria could come regard- been released, the tutors said. Sev- less of Washington’s position or en years ago, the College Board whether it strikes a nuclear deal cancelled the SAT scores of 900 with Iran or doesn’t by the end of South Korean students after some June. The main Arab objective as students saw sections of the exam Hariri spells it out, is “restoring ahead of time. In May 2013, exam Arab will after years of Iran trying leaks forced the cancellation of the to break it.” As for ISIS, he says SAT across South Korea. Educa- “we are against ISIS and we will tion Testing Services (ETS), which get rid of ISIS but without nation- is contracted by the College Board al reconciliation in Iraq between to make and administer the SAT Sunnis and Shias and Kurds, and worldwide, subsequently tight- If Assad stays, we will keep get- ened security in Korea, centraliz- ting ISIS with a different name or ing test storage and reducing the The world’s longest serving for- raeli invasions of Lebanon in 1978, tained a knack for mental acuity. light: capable of intense focus only you are solving one problem and something worse. “ Reaction to number of local test dates. Yet eign minister, Saudi Arabia’s Prince 1982 and 2006, the Palestinian in- Tentatively asked in early 2012 on the one area where the king and creating five more problems,” he U.S. abandonment? breaches have spread in Asia. In Saud al-Faisal, was replaced on tifadas that erupted in 1987 and if he thought it was a good idea to Prince Saud were most interested, said in a British television inter- Hariri’s forceful talk about a October 2014, ETS withheld Wednesday after 40 years repre- 2000, Iraq invading Iran in 1980 arm Syria’s rebels, he briskly re- but unable to follow up when at- view. regional front, is an attempt by scores for every student from main- senting the conservative Islamic and Kuwait in 1990, and a U.S.- torted: “I think it’s an excellent tention shifted elsewhere. Compli- In a sprawling ruling clan prone U.S.’ traditional allies to “reassert land China and South Korea, caus- kingdom, as Riyadh faces a period led coalition’s occupation of Iraq idea.” cated history to clique-building, Prince Saud themselves in the Middle East,” ing chaos for thousands of high- of unprecedented regional crisis. in 2003. Prince Saud, a son of King Fais- When he was appointed in proved one of the closest allies of says Ghaith Al-Omari, a senior school seniors. Test results in No- His departure comes as the Despite the tumult of that his- al, was born in 1940 in the moun- March 1975, the region was dom- the late King Abdullah. fellow at the Washington Institute vember and December, along with world’s top oil exporter attempts tory, he leaves the Arab world in a tain city of Taif near Mecca where, inated by Cold War rivalries and When Abdullah, then crown for Near East Policy. “There is the scores from January, were also to navigate regional turmoil caused more parlous state than at any in 1989, he helped Saudi Arabia secular, pan-Arab nationalism prince, embarked on his trademark definitely a feeling that the U.S. delayed. In December, the College by the 2011 “Arab Spring,” set point in recent decades, with civil negotiate the agreement that end- seemed to carry the promise of the set of economic reforms in 2000, has abandoned its allies, is invest- Board acknowledged in a state- against the backdrop of an over- war in Syria and Iraq, chaos in Ye- ed Lebanon’s 15-year civil war. future. it was Prince Saud, drawing on his ing in Iran and withdrawing from ment on its website that some peo- arching rivalry with Iran and men and Libya and an uncertain A degree at Princeton in the Egypt and Israel had not yet oil ministry experience, who the region” Al-Omari says in a ple and organizations had “illegal- bumps in its alliance with Wash- political transition in Egypt. 1960s was followed by years at made peace, Yasser Arafat led the worked with him to offer foreign phone interview with Al-Arabiya ly obtained and shared test mate- ington. Equally at home in Arab robes the Petroleum Ministry, where he Palestine Liberation Organization energy firms access to Saudi gas News. The former advisor to the rials.” Fierce competition for ad- From second left, Saudi For- or tweed suit and tie and as fluent was taken under the wing of his from shell-pocked refugee camps fields. Two years later, he pushed Palestinian negotiating teams says missions The cheating scandals are eign Minister and Prince Saud Al in English as in Arabic, Prince Saud father’s political alter ego, the can- in Lebanon, Iran’s shah ruled from Abdullah’s biggest foreign policy “the sense I hear in the region is a sensitive issue for the College Faisal, French President Francois has proved adept at cutting ny and charismatic oil minister his Peacock Throne and, in Iraq, a initiative, an Arab plan for peace the U.S. punishes its friends and Board, whose scores are a key part Hollande, Foreign Minister of the through flowery diplomatic nice- Ahmed Zaki Yamani. young Saddam Hussein was plot- with Israel in return for a with- rewards its adversaries.” This was of a university application. Test United Arab Emirates Abdallah bin ties to deliver Saudi Arabia’s mes- His career as a diplomat began ting his path to power. drawal from all occupied land and on display according to Al-Omari scores have become especially im- Zayid Al Nuhayyan and Jordani- sage with pith and wit. with trauma: the new King Khaled Riyadh’s relationship with a resolution of the refugee prob- starting in 2011 and “Washington portant as entry into America’s an Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh U.S. Secretary of State John named him as foreign minister be- Saddam, which went from wary lem, with similar gusto. abandoning former Egyptian Pres- elite colleges and universities has pose prior to their meeting on de- Kerry, left, talks with Saudi For- cause of the assassination of Prince support during the Iran-Iraq war U.S. Secretary of State Hill- ident Hosni Mubarak, then in 2013 grown more competitive. Appli- velopments in Syria at the Elysee eign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal Saud’s father Faisal, who had re- to fierce enmity after the invasion ary Clinton smiles during a joint erasing the redline on chemical cations to elite colleges have soared Palace, Paris, Friday, Sept. 13, bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, after Ker- tained the foreign affairs portfolio of Kuwait, dominated long peri- press conference with Saudi For- weapons use in Syria” and turning in recent years. But top schools 2013. (AP) ry arrived in Riyadh, Saudi Ara- after being made king in 1962. ods of Saudi foreign policy during eign Minister Prince Saud al-Fais- “a blind eye to Iran’s regional role have barely increased enrolment, Although foreign policy in the bia, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013. (AP) For all his talents as a diplo- Prince Saud’s tenure. al. (AP) while focusing the negotiations on becoming ever more selective. This monarchy is ultimately determined During a moment of tension in mat, however, Prince Saud has However, despite that compli- “All the neighborhood, if you the nuclear file.” year, Stanford University admit- by the king, Prince Saud has played Saudi ties with its main ally the failed to build the kingdom’s for- cated history, Prince Saud public- will, will be at peace with Israel, The “trust is broken” says al- ted just 5 percent of applicants. an important role in shaping the United States in 2004, he described eign ministry into a body with great ly argued against the U.S.-led in- will recognize their right to exist. Omari between the Obama admin- Nearly all U.S. colleges and uni- country’s response to the many the relationship as “a Muslim institutional depth. vasion of Iraq in 2003, presciently If this doesn’t provide security of istration and the traditional region- versities require applicants to take crises affecting the Middle East. marriage” in which the kingdom Ministers pose for a group fearing a chaotic aftermath that Israel, I assure you the muzzle of al allies. In an event of an Iran deal, either of two standardized tests: His successor, former Wash- could retain different wives if it photograph before conducting a could destabilize the region. a gun is not going to provide that the expert predicts more “pro-ac- the ACT, which is sponsored and ington ambassador Adel al-Jubeir, treated them all with fairness. meeting of the 'London 11', from Saudi Foreign Minister Saud security,” he said at the time. tive local Arab action,” whereas if run by the non-profit ACT Inc., will inherit a heavy workload that Even in recent years, when a the Friends of Syria Core Group, al-Faisal bin Abdulaziz meets with Israel never agreed to the plan the negotiations falter, he antici- and the SAT, which is owned by has represented situation normal chronic back complaint and other in Lancaster House Tuesday Oct. Britain's Prince Charles in Riyadh, and Prince Saud has frequently pates “a convergence of interest” the College Board and administered for a Saudi foreign minister since maladies have made his hands ap- 22, 2013 in London, England. (AP) on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2014. (AP) spoken of the failure to help cre- between Washington and Middle by ETS, which are also non-profit Prince Saud was appointed in Oc- pear shaky and his speech slurred Diplomats in Riyadh have said “If change of regime comes ate a Palestinian state as the big- East allies without “restoring organizations. tober 1975. His tenure included Is- during public appearances, he re- Saudi foreign policy is like a search- with the destruction of Iraq, then gest disappointment of his career. trust.” 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. THURSDAY . APRIL 30, 2015 AFGHANISTANTIMES Barclays takes extra $1.2b hit for potential forex settlements ISLAMABAD: In a bid to pacify the Punjab population amid a LONDON: Barclays (BARC.L) growing energy crisis in the prov- set aside another 800 million ince, the federal government on pounds ($1.2 billion) on Wednes- Tuesday approved two projects day to cover potential settlements to transmit electricity from the for alleged foreign exchange manip- 2,400-megawatt Liquefied Natural ulation, hitting profits and reflect- Gas-fired power plants that will ing its struggle to put past prob- be set up in the province. This was lems behind it. in addition to clearing half a dozen Barclays said it had now set education sector schemes. aside 2.05 billion pounds ($3.2 bil- Headed by Minister for Plan- lion) to cover any settlement, but ning and Development Ahsan offered only limited clues on how Iqbal, the Central Development soon a deal might come. Working Party (CDWP) approved U.S. and British authorities are 12 projects worth Rs30 billion and investigating the allegations. Bar- recommended another four clays pulled out of a settlement schemes amounting to Rs14 bil- between some authorities and six lion for final approval of Execu- rival banks in November because tive Committee of National Eco- it had not reached a deal with New nomic Council (Ecnec). The cost York's regulator. of these projects was over Rs3 bil- "That (extra provision) re- lion, which is the maximum bench- flects the further discussions we've mark for CDWP approval. been having with a number of reg- The CDWP approved Rs1.6 ulators and agencies around the billion scheme to transmit power world across multiple jurisdic- from 1200MW RLNG based com- tions," Finance Director Tushar bined cycle power plant that will Morzaria told reporters. be setup at Haveli Bahadur Shah Barclays wanted to settle the District Jhang. allegations with as many agencies The project will be completed as possible in one go and Morzaria in 18 months and mainly financed said the bank did not regret pulling by international financing institu- out of the earlier settlement. tions. The CDWP recommended New York's banking regulator another project costing Rs3.5 bil- has said it could reach a deal with lion to Ecnec for final approval, Barclays next month if it excluded which will also be implemented in a probe of the possible rigging of 18 months to transmit power from rates through computer programs. 1,200-MW RLNG Based Com- It could take several more months bined Cycle Power Plant at Ballo- if that trading is included. ki District Kasur. Barclays could settle next Under the Pakistan-China month with a host of regulators, Economic Corridor, the govern- and leave any settlement with ment wants to set up three LNG- New York's regulator on comput- fired power plants in Punjab and er trading until a later date. Bar- is eager to complete them before clays also set aside another 150 the end of its term in order to ful- million pounds for compensating fill the promise of bringing an end customer mis-sold insurance prod- to load-shedding in Punjab. ucts in Britain, which has now cost The CDWP cleared another Barclays 5.4 billion pounds and all project, Jagran-I Hydro Power British banks more than 26 billion. transmission line, worth Rs4.7 bil- Britain's four biggest banks have lion to connect future projects in paid out 42 billion pounds in charg- the Neelum Valley with the grid es related to misconduct in the past station. The project is located five years, and face paying out 90km from Muzzafarabad. The He said this was an unprece- aimed at establishing the first ever versity at Quetta was approved at dents, a project aimed to be imple- The Fulbright Scholarship Sup- another 19 billion pounds over the project will help provide electrici- dented number of HEC projects, sub-campus of the university. Pri- a cost of Rs696 million with an mented in the next six years. port Program will cost Rs12.6 bil- next two years, Standard & Poor's ty to villages in Jagran and sur- showing the government’s commit- or to initiating academic activities estimate completion date of two The project will award schol- lion and 79% of the cost will be said this week. Under Chief Exec- rounding areas. Educational ment towards higher education. at campus, a detailed academic fea- years. With an estimated cost of arships to around 12,468 students borne by the US government. As utive Antony Jenkins, Barclays has projects He directed HEC to develop a sibility study was carried out and Rs209 million, the CDWP ap- in areas of engineering and tech- many as 816 Fulbright scholar- abandoned its ambition of being a The CDWP approved six 10-year human resource plan for 35 academic programs were iden- proved construction of a boys and nology, agriculture and veterinary ships will be awarded, including Wall Street powerhouse, shrinking schemes in the higher education Pakistan to guide PhD scholarship tified which will be implemented girls hostel (100 capacity for each) sciences and other basic and social 550 scholarships for masters/M its investment bank in favour of a sector. As many as 38 higher edu- programmes. in phases. The project will be com- at Islamia College University Pe- sciences. phil and 266 PhD in priority ar- return to its retail roots. He is cut- cation projects have been ap- The project of developing a pleted in three years. shawar. The CDWP also cleared a joint eas. At a cost of Rs176 million, ting 19,000 jobs and shedding un- proved during the last two years, new campus of GC University The project of providing aca- In addition, with the cost of project of United States Agency the CDWP approved to setup a wanted assets and businesses to which is a record, said Planning Lahore at Kala Shah Kaku was demic and research facilities at Sar- Rs6.2 billion, the CDWP cleared for International Development and Safe Blood Transfusion Services cut costs and improve returns and Minister Ahsan Iqbal. approved a cost of Rs982 million dar Bahadur khan Women’s Uni- 3,000 scholarships for Afghan stu- Higher Education Commission. project in Gilgit-Baltistan. its capital strength. Qatar opens $1b environmental gas project LONDON: Stocks fell in Europe Treasury yields that took the 10- ing risk off the table and that can (IBM.N) shares after the compa- FOMC with the view it will bore on Wednesday, following Asian year yield over 2 percent for the continue at least this week," Mike ny raised its quarterly dividend by as much as possible. The risk is stocks lower, while the dollar held first time in a month. Reuter, a broker at Tradition said. 18 percent, the biggest increase in that what is neutral to the Fed may near two-month lows before a Fed- The euro (EUR=) was up 0.1 MSCI's broadest index of Asia- five years. be surprisingly upbeat to the mar- eral Reserve policy statement ex- percent at $1.0994, having hit a Pacific shares outside Japan re- Apple (AAPL.O) hit a record ket," said analysts at Citi. pected to show the U.S. central three-week high on Tuesday and treated 1 percent having touched high after stellar results, but still "We would not see this as a bank in no hurry to raise interest come within a whisker of $1.10. their highest since early 2008 at ended down 1.6 percent. Shares of big near-term boost to the dollar rates. The yen (JPY=) was down 0.1 one point. Chinese shares rose, Twitter (TWTR.N) dropped as and bond yields, but more a re- The Fed wraps up its two-day percent at 118.90. however, with gains in resources much as 24 percent after its re- minder that the Fed remains hope- meeting with the U.S. economy in European shares gave up ear- stocks and start-ups offseting loss- sults disappointed, before closing ful that data will improve suffi- something of a soft patch - data ly gains to trade slightly lower on es in banks. The CSI300 index of with a loss of 18.2 percent. ciently for a lift-off in September." due later on Wednesday is expect- Wednesday as investors digested the largest listed companies in In European fixed income mar- Oil prices fell as oversupply ed to show growth slowed sharp- a batch of mixed corporate results Shanghai and Shenzhen rose 0.7 kets, investors awaited a slew of and weak demand outweighed un- ly in the first quarter - that has from bank BBVA (BBVA.MC) and percent. Trade in Asia was thinner bond issuance, from Germany, It- certainty over the impact of Saudi weighed on the dollar and, in the UK retailer Next (NXT.L), among than usual with Japanese markets aly and Portugal. King Salman bin Abdulaziz's deci- view of many analysts, pushed others. The pan-European FT- closed for a holiday. The Fed's policy statement is sion to sack his younger half-broth- back the first U.S. rate rise since SEurofirst 300 index (.FTEU3) On Wall Street, the Dow (.DJI) due at 1800 GMT. Before that, er as crown prince in favor of his 2006. was down 0.1 percent. had ended Tuesday with gains of data is expected to show the U.S. nephew. Brent crude (LCOc1) fell The dollar index (.DXY), "If corporate results are good 0.4 percent, while the S&P 500 economy grew at a 1.0 percent 28 cents to $64.36 a barrel. which measures the greenback you can continue to see positive (.SPX) rose 0.28 percent and the annual pace in the first quarter, Gold traded near three-week against a basket of currencies, fell openings and some stocks will Nasdaq (.IXIC) dipped 0.1 per- down from 2.2 percent in the pre- highs with the dollar soft. Spot gold 0.2 percent to its lowest since perform very well but the move cent. The biggest boost to the Dow vious three months. (XAU=) last traded at $1,207.72 March 5, despite a rise in U.S. yesterday suggests people are tak- was a 1.9 percent gain in IBM "Investors are approaching an ounce. Shipping company Oman plans floating storage Qatar officially unveiled what it gas. LNG is gas cooled to -160 de- says crew of vessel said is the world’s biggest environ- grees Celsius until it turns into a for DME crude delivery mental project, a $1 billion plant liquid and can be transported by to capture wasted gas. boat. Kaabi said the scheme was seized by Iran is safe The Jetty Boil-Off Gas Re- driven by environmental concerns covery Project (JBOG) would not economic factors, despite pre- BERLIN : The operator of a Marshall Islands-flagged cargo vessel boarded capture enough gas to power dictions that resource-rich Qatar’s by Iranian forces as it was traversing the Strait of Hormuz said Wednes- 175,000 cars per year or 300,000 dominant position in the LNG day it has confirmed the crew is safe but that the company is still trying homes, Qatari officials said. market could come under increas- to determine why the ship was seized the previous day by Iran. The It also allows Qatar, the larg- ing threat from competitors such MV Maresk Tigris was en route Wednesday to Bandar Abbas, the main est producer of liquefied natural as the United States or Australia port for Iran's navy, under escort by Iranian patrol boats, according to gas (LNG) in the world, to recover in the next few years. Maersk Line, the company that had chartered it. Tehran has not offered a further 29 million cubic feet of “This is nothing to do with it,” any clarification on the incident, which comes at a critical time during gas per year. said Kaabi. “It’s a purely environ- Iran's relations with the United States and the West. Cor Radings, a Qatari officials said it would mental project.” spokesman for the ship's operator, Rickmers Ship Management in Sin- save the equivalent of 1.6 million The scheme has been opera- gapore, said the company had been in touch by phone with the crew tonnes of CO2 each year. tional since October and has re- earlier in the day. "We have had the confirmation that they are in rela- “It is the largest (environmen- covered gas from over 500 ships. tively good condition and safe on board the ship," he said.Iranian forces tal) project in Qatar,” said Saad It was officially inaugurated on remain on board the ship, Radings said, adding there has been no contact Sherida al-Kaabi, the Qatargas Tuesday by a number of high-rank- yet with Iranian authorities. Iranian forces boarded the MV Maresk chairman. ing Qatari officials, including Prime Tigris on Tuesday after firing warning shots across the bridge, prompt- “It is also the largest in the Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin ing the U.S. Navy to dispatch a destroyer and a plane to the area in world, others can confirm to me Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani. response. Radings confirmed reports that there were no Americans on whether that is right or wrong.” Kaabi added that there were board, identifying the 24 people crew members as "mainly from Eastern The JBOG project salvages no industrial accidents or man Europe and Asia." He said the ship was owned by "private investors" gas normally lost and burnt off in hours lost during the construction but would not elaborate. Iranian state television on Tuesday said the a flare when the fuel is transport- of the JBOG plant. crew members were from Britain, Bulgaria, Romania and Myanmar and Oman Tank Terminal Company make more oil available that can be July so that the storage space ed onto ships. “There’s a lot of talk about that the ship was seized based on a court order due to unspecified (OTTCO) plans to start operat- delivered against the futures con- would be allocated before Septem- Officials say it will result in a Qatar and the welfare of workers. violations. Iranian officials could not be reached for comment. Danish ing a floating storage facility later tracts. OTTCO, majority owned ber when trade in November-load- 90 percent reduction in flaring at I think we have shown how much shipper Maersk Line chartered the container ship and was hauling com- this year to help to boost trading by the Oman Oil Company ing cargoes starts, the sources said. the Ras Laffan port in northern care we have taken at this com- mercial goods and had no "special cargo" such as military equipment, in crude oil futures on the Dubai (OOC), will lease storage space on OTTCO, a joint venture between Qatar, the largest LNG export ter- plex,” he said. said Radings, speaking by phone from Spain. Maersk Line spokesman Mercantile Exchange (DME), trade board a Very Large Crude Carrier, OOC and Takamul Investment minal in the world. Some 3,500 workers and 22 Michael Storgaard would only identify the goods on board as "general sources said . The storage will help via a tender process to four com- Company, said it had received Instead of the wasted gas be- million man hours went into the cargo" and said his company was still trying to determine why the to increase monthly trade volumes panies for a year, they said. Each feedback from traders on the pos- ing burnt off, JBOG would collect construction of the plant. Iranians had boarded the ship. "We are not able at this point to establish on the DME by 2 million barrels company will have space to store sible floating storage solution and the fuel and transport it to an area Qatargas operates JBOG on or confirm the reason behind the seizure," Storgaard said, adding the and also help to curb price volatil- one cargo, or 500,000 barrels. The the project was still a work in where it is compressed to be ready behalf of Qatar Petroleum and ship is en route to Bandar Abbas under Iranian escort. ity, they said. The storage will tender could be issued in June or progress. for use again either as LNG or fuel RasGas. 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. THURSDAY . APRIL 30, 2015 AFGHANISTANTIMES Movie Review: SANIA MASKATIYA Vergara to go big with wedding ‘Margarita with NOMINATED FOR a straw’ takes International Woolmark your breath Prize twice in a row away

irector Shonali Bose de serves a round of applause Djust for taking on an intense and sensitive issue of frustrations and helplessness attached to the unfulfilled sexual desires of a dis- abled person. Attempting to talk about this to a world which large- ly treats disabled people as sex- less beings and conveniently looks away, this is an absolutely brave move. This is the story of Laila (Kal- LOS ANGELES: Actor Sofia Ver- Vegas’, because I wanted a small was engaged to businessman Nick ageing is that now you know more ki Koechlin), a young girl suffer- One of the leading ladies of the Lakhani, Pakistan, Bashar Assaf, gara wants a ‘big’ wedding to please wedding, but then I thought it has Loeb until May 2014 and after Joe, about life so you can make better ing from cerebral palsy (a condi- fashion front Sania Maskatiya has Lebanon and Mira Hayek, Leba- her fiancé Joe Manganiello. The to be super-special for Joe because 38, publicly admitted she was his choices, such as with Joe, but not tion that leads to impaired muscle once again been nominated the pres- non. Menswear nominees include Modern Family star initially asked it’s his first marriage. So, it’s going crush, the pair publicly embarked just because he’s hot. I’ve been out coordination making it difficult for tigious International Woolmark Suket Dhir, India and Thamanyah, the Magic Mike XXL actor to tie to have to be big,” said the 42-year- upon a romantic journey. Vergara with short, tall, skinny, fat… I the patient to walk or move other Prize [IWP] in the India and Mid- UAE. the knot with her at a ‘small’ cere- old. This will be Vergara’s second thinks she has been able to find don’t have a problem with any of body parts). She is bound to her dle East nominees for the year On the brands nomination for mony in Las Vegas, but then she marriage as she was previously love with Joe because she knows that,” she said. No date is set for wheelchair. Her condition, howev- 2015/2016. the IWP, Chief Executive Officer changed her mind because he has married to Joe Gonzalez, with what she wants now that she’s in the couple’s wedding yet, but they er, has not stopped her from ven- While the designer was also and partner at Sania Maskatiya, never been married before. whom she has a 23-year-old son, her 40s. plan to get married sometime this turing out to lead an independent nominated last year as well, an- Umair Tabani stated: “IWP has “I said, ‘Joe, let’s just go to Manolo. The Colombian beauty “The important thing about year. 'normal' life as she has the support other name, Misha Lakhani for become among the most coveted of her strong, sensitive yet no-non- womenswear and Republic for designer awards of our time. We sense mother (Revathi), a loving menswear have also been nominat- were first put forward for nomi- father (Kuljeet Singh) and her ed this year. nation by the Pakistan Fashion Salman Hindu-Muslim: Pleads not guilty in arms case young brother (Malhar Khushu). Commencing in 1953, the year- Design Council in 2014/15 owing Thanks to her family and her ly awards are an initiative of Inter- to our credentials and our dedicat- The Dabangg Khan pleaded not column which needs to be filled so Salman's counsel to ensure his pres- tected animal under the Wildlife own personality, Laila's world national Wool Secretariat and ho- ed focus on fabric and print." guilty in a case under the Arms you will have to tell.`To which Sal- ence in the court on April 29. On Protection Act, were killed on the doesn't seem any different from nours designers from across the “The experience and exposure Act. On wednesday the actor stat- man said, `I am both Hindu and Wednesday, the actor was present outskirts of Kankani village near any other awkward, unsure teen- globe for their services to the fash- of being nominated was phenome- ed that he has no religion and he is Muslim. My father is a Muslim and in the court along with his counsel Jodhpur. Salman is accused of car- ager grappling with their sexual ion industry. Famous recipients of nal. We are delighted to be able to Hindu- Muslim both. The magis- mother is Hindu.` Salman was in and answered the questions posed rying and using illegal arms in that desires. Laila's strength of person- the awards include Karl Lagerfield represent Pakistan and its fashion trate asked Salman his cast, to his Jodhpur to record his statement by the court. Salman and a few other incident. He is also alleged to have ality comes to the fore when she and Yves Saint Laurent. design at this global platform for a reply Salman very dramatically under Section 313 of the Criminal Bollywood stars were accused of been carrying arms with expired initiates an intimate moment with Other nominees for womens- second year now,” he added. answered, `I am an Indian`. Can Procedure Code in the chief judicial poaching blackbucks on the midnight licence. Salman's sister Alvira and another wheelchair-bound class- wear include: AKAARO, India, Popular designer Feeha Jam- you recall ?? Yes Akhsay Kumar's magistrate's (CJM) court in Jodh- of October 1-2, 1998, during the his bodyguard Shera were present mate, Dhruv (Hussain Dalal). Nachiket Barve, India Taller Mar- shed has also been nominated for dialogue from the movie Baby. pur in the 17-year-old case. CJM shooting of Hindi movie "Hum Saath during Wednesday's proceedings in However, her heart beats for Nima mo, UAE, Bleach, UAE, Misha the same prize earlier in 2013. Then the judge said, `There is a Anupama Bijlani on April 23 asked Saath Hain". Two blackbucks, a pro- an overcrowded courtroom. (Tenzin Dalha), and when he turns her down, it seems as crushing and heartbreaking as would be with any ‘Avengers’ stars Evans, teen rejected by her first love. ‘An American in Paris,’ ‘Fun Home’ What works for this film is the realistic, practical and matter-of- Renner apologize for fact treatment of Laila's condition, just like the way her mother and lead Broadway's Tony nominations the rest of the family go about Black Widow comments treating her. There is no melodra- Two new musicals, An American ma, no lamenting, no openly dra- in Paris, a romance based on the matic outbursts to remind Laila Oscar-winning film, and the lesbi- that she is different from the oth- an coming-out story Fun Home led ers. The mother clearly worries the Tony nominations, theater's about her sexual curiosity but she highest honors, on Tuesday with doesn't make it too obvious. 12 nods each. The first half grips you as you Both shows earned nomina- get involved in Laila's fascinating tions for the top prize, best musi- life, sometimes delightful some- cal. An American in Paris also times painful, even when she strug- scored nominations for leads Rob- gles to come to terms with her grow- ert Fairchild and Leanne Cope, as ing desires, through desperate mea- did Michael Cerveris and Beth sures or natural progression. Malone for their leading roles in The second half, however, dis- Fun Home. appoints as it slows down to a te- Something Rotten! a bawdy dious pace and the script serves parody of Broadway musicals set too many complications on one in 1590s Tudor England which plate. Laila goes abroad and gets scored 10 nods, and The Visit, involved in a lesbian relationship about a wealthy widow returning with a blind girl. And then there is to her hometown to seek revenge, grave illness and death in the fam- will also compete for the top mu- ily, adding to all the misery. Un- sical prize. But producer Harvey ination for best musical score for Music Hall on June 7. CBS will Broadway debut in The Curious fortunately, this otherwise bright, Weinstein's Finding Neverland and The Ship, his first Broadway ef- broadcast the live two-hour show. Incident of the Dog in the Night- optimistic film ends up succumb- the musical's stars Matthew Mor- fort which closed earlier this year. Three-time Oscar nominee Time. ing to a rather convoluted script, rison and Kelsey Grammer were Bruce Willis and Mary-Lou- Bradley Cooper earned a best ac- Nominees for best play include making it absolutely unbelievable shut out. Hollywood actors Jake ise Parker announced the nomina- tor nomination for his role as a dis- The Curious Incident of the Dog at a certain point of time. Gyllenhaal, Hugh Jackman, Glenn tions on Tuesday on CBS This figured man in The Elephant Man. in the Night-Time, Pulitzer Prize However, certain extremely Close, James Earl Jones, Ewan Morning. Tony winner and nomi- He will compete against Bill Nighy winner Disgraced, Hand to God Actors Chris Evans and Jeremy way. Just poking fun during an ex- sensitive, touching moments do try McGregor, John Lithgow and Lar- nee this year Kristin Chenoweth (Skylight), Ben Miles (Wolf Hall and Wolf Hall Parts One & Two, Renner apologized on Thursday hausting and tedious press tour." and make up for the flaw in the ry David were also snubbed. will host the 69th annual awards One & Two), Steven Boyer (Hand based on Hilary Mantel's histori- for making "tasteless" and "juve- The two actors are currently on script - scenes like the one where Rock star Sting scored a nom- with Alan Cumming at Radio City to God) and Alex Sharp in his cal novels. nile" comments in which they the European leg of a global pro- Laila wakes up to the noise of her called their Avengers co-star Scar- motional tour for the new "Aveng- otherwise easygoing father's help- lett Johansson's superhero charac- ers" film. less sobs in the middle of the night, ter "a slut." Evans, who plays They made the comments in Lon- or when her mother leaves her to Review: Child 44—A killer behind the Iron Curtain Captain America in Walt Disney don in a video interview with the dress for herself after a fight are Co's Marvel "Avengers: Age of Ul- online entertainment outlet Digi- memorable. While Russia’s shortsighted ban on is about as thrilling as being stuck of Ministry of State Security Vasili (Joel Kinnaman) who is en- tron," said he and Renner were tal Spy, when asked about Black The star cast is pretty good. A Child 44 for ‘distortion of histori- in Moscow during one of its infa- (MGB). Our hero is a respected vious of Leo’s position and his re- asked about rumors that Johans- Widow's romance with The Hulk special mention has to be made of cal facts’ cannot be condoned, at mous rush hours. Child 44 is es- member of the secret police until lationship with Raisa. Soon the son's Black Widow wanted to be in the film. "She's a slut," Renner the ever dependable Revathi, who least its saves its audience from pecially disappointing, because its he displeases the powers that be couple is thrown to the wolves in a relationship with their charac- responded in a deadpan manner, yet again delivers a convincing act. the displeasure of viewing a dense plot -- based on the real convicted by siding with his wife Raisa (metaphorically speaking), and Leo ters. "We answered in a juvenile as Evans burst out laughing and But of course, it is Kalki who takes ‘thriller’ where the long list of tal- serial killer Andrei Chikatilo—has Demidova (Noomi Rapace) against finds himself demoted and em- and offensive way that rightfully added "I was going to say some- your breath away with a superla- ented American and European ac- all the ingredients for a cracking the establishment. Raisa, a school ployed as an officer at an uninvit- angered some fans," he said. "I re- thing along that line. Complete tive performance. Undoubtedly tors speak in thick Russian accents film. teacher, is accused of being a spy, ing factory town. Here, the Demi- gret it and sincerely apologize." whore. She's a slut." Avengers: Age with one of the finest performanc- for over two hours. I say ‘thriller’, Set in Stalin’s Russia during but her husband will have none of dovs find a kindred spirit in Gen- Renner, who plays superhero of Ultron is the sequel to 2012's es in recent years, Kalki lives and because this dreary film based on the 1950s, Child 44 stars Tom it. Leo’s predicament is to the plea- eral Nesterov (Gary Oldman) who Hawkeye, added, "I am sorry that Avengers, the third-highest-gross- breathes Laila with such amazing the bestseller by Tom Rob Smith Hardy (Leo Demidov) as an agent sure of his snakelike fellow agent shares their passion for investigat- this tasteless joke about a fictional ing movie of all time, and is ex- ease and conviction that she stays ing a series of child murders that character offended anyone. It was pected to be the biggest blockbust- in your head for a long time after the government refuses to accept not meant to be serious in any er film of summer 2015. you have left the theatre. as anything other than accidents. This stance seems especially odd in the face of piling evidence, but Child 44 explains that acknowledg- HERE’S WHY PRIYANKA CHARTERED ing a serial killer would have been very inconvenient for a government A PLANE TO HYDERABAD a brand event in Hyderabad during intent only on portraying Soviet the afternoon and had only a four- Russia as a utopian nation. In on a tight schedule, chartered a hour break before she joined the terms of narrative, Child 44 is like plane to Hyderabad for an endorse- film unit. So she opted for a char- an unpalatable Borscht that car- ment deal tered flight." ries an abundance of impurities. We have told you that Priyan- It is said that PeeCee did her Adapting a complex book into a ka Chopra is currently on a non- make-up and changed her clothes film is a challenge that requires sac- stop 90-day schedule as she has on the go. "The plane was kept rificing the many subplots for the given back-to-back dates to her waiting outside the venue. As soon sake of narrative flow, while at the films and endorsement deals. So as the event got over, she flew back same time staying true to the when she had to honour a brand to Mumbai in time to resume source material. Unfortunately, commitment in Hyderabad in the shooting." Priyanka's spokesper- Child 44 carries too many dull sub- midst of a film shoot here, she de- son confirms the story. plots that overwhelm the main sto- cided to charter a jet - for nearly During Salman Khan's sister ryline. What’s more, the audience four hours. Arpita's wedding in Hyderabad isn’t rewarded with a satisfactory A source says, "Priyanka has last year, Pee Cee had taken a char- payoff for the numerous narrative been shooting for Sanjay Leela tered plane with her mother, threads, resulting in tedious view- Bhansali's 'Bajirao Mastani' in night Madhu to participate in the fes- ing. Priyanka Chopra, who is working shifts. Recently, she had to attend tivities. 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. THURSDAY . APRIL 30, 2015 AFGHANISTANTIMES

Messi, Suarez and Neymar go past 100 goals for the season as La Liga leaders march on.

Hafeez fifty guides Pakistan after Sami dismissal

Pakistan, replying to Bangladesh's lunch for speedster Wahab Riaz to for 25. first innings score of 332, were 84 clean up the tail, taking his wick- Mushfiqur Rahim (32) and for one at tea on the second day of ets tally to three. Soumya Sarkar (33) put on 62 for the first Test in Khulna on Wednes- Yasir went into the break with the sixth wicket before Pakistan day. Mohammad Hafeez was un- three for 84, while off-spinner hit back with three wickets in the beaten on 52 and Azhar Ali was on Mohammad Hafeez and left-arm- space of seven runs. 12 after debutant Sami Aslam was er Zulfiqar Babar chipped in with Sarkar was dismissed by an- caught behind off Taijul Islam for two wickets each. other good catch by Asad in the 20. The hosts, who resumed their covers off Hafeez before Yasir had Bangladesh, who resumed at first innings at the overnight total Rahim caught in the covers and their overnight score of 236 for of 236 for 4, were confronted by bowled Taijul Islam round his legs. Barcelona's Lionel Messi, Luis kicks for club and country. ward Neymar 32. Playmaker Xavi, er Cristiano Ronaldo of Real, with four, were dismissed soon after steady spin bowling by the Paki- At lunch, Shuvagata Hom was Suarez and Neymar motored past Suarez clipped a volley into making his 501st league appear- a whipped shot into the top cor- lunch. stanis on a good pitch at the unbeaten on 11 and Mohammad 100 goals for the season to fire the the net from Messi's floated pass ance for the Catalan giants, curled ner two minutes after the break Leg-spinner Yasir Shah took Sheikh Abu Naser stadium. Shahid was on six. La Liga leaders to a 6-0 rout of in the 25th and Neymar weaved a superb shot into the top corner before Getafe managed to repel two of the four wickets to fall in Bangladesh lost the early wick- Bangladesh had swept the pre- Getafe that stretched the gap over into space to fire low into the cor- on the half hour and Suarez netted waves of attacks for the remainder the morning session as Bangladesh et of star all-rounder Shakib Al ceding one-day series 3-0 and also Real Madrid to five points. ner three minutes later, the 100th his second after a flowing move of the game. moved to 325 for 8 at lunch. Hasan, who was smartly caught at defeated Pakistan for the first time After Suarez was felled, Mes- goal for Messi, Suarez and Ney- five minutes before the break. It Barcelona have 84 points with It did not take long after the leg-slip by Asad Shafiq off Babar in a Twenty20 international. si set treble-chasing Barca on their mar in all competitions this term. was the first time Getafe, who are four matches left, while second- way with a dinked penalty in the Messi is on 49 goals, Uruguay 13th, have conceded five goals in placed Real can trim the gap back ninth minute at the Nou Camp, the striker Suarez, whose ban for bit- the first half of a La Liga match. to two points if they win their first time the Argentina forward has ing an opponent expired at the end Messi took his league tally to game in hand at home to Almeria attempted a "Panenka" in 75 spot of October, has 21 and Brazil for- 38 this term, one behind top scor- on Wednesday. Klitschko extends nine-year Pliskova defies VALVERDE SPRINTS REIGN AS CHAMPION THE 39-YEAR-OLD UKRAINIAN BEATS JENNINGS ON POINTS AT MADISON SQUARE GARDENS TO rain to advance TO LIEGE WIN REMAIN WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION Spaniard beats Julian Alaphilippe and Joaquim Rodriguez

Spain's Alejandro Valverde won the joined on the podium by Julian prestigious one-day classic Liege- Alaphilippe, left, and Joaquim Bastogne-Liege for the third time Rodriguez, right Valverde was in a 10-man sprint finish on Sun- joined on the podium by Julian day. Valverde (Movistar), who also Alaphilippe, left, and Joaquim triumphed in 2006 and 2008, Rodriguez, right "It makes me even chased down a late attack from happier taking the victory here Dani Moreno (Katusha) and still because of that, doing it in a mon- had enough energy left over to beat ument of cycling, and claiming a Julian Alaphilippe (Etixx - Quick- third one is entering history." Step) into second place and Liege-Bastogne-Liege is the fourth Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) into of the season's Monument classics third. It was the 35-year-old Span- - the five most coveted one-day iard's sixth victory of the year and races - and this year took place concluded his outstanding week in over 253km. the three Ardennes classics, hav- The race came to life with ing finished second at the Amstel around 19km to go when Roman Gold Race last weekend and won Kreuziger (Tinkoff-Saxo) attacked

Top seed Karolina Pliskova bat- nent. She was defending and run- tled through the rain and past An- ning very well." Pliskova added on nika Beck into the second round www.wtatennis.com: "It is tough of the Prague Open. to play in such a cold and rain, but Top seed Karolina Pliskova I don't complain, it was the same battled through the rain and past for both of us. "The court was in Annika Beck into the second round perfect condition, just the rain was Wladimir Klitschko used his big which numbered more than 17,000, punches I wanted to land, punch- of the Prague Open. too strong." jab to extend a nine-year reign as lavished cheers and chants on the es landed on his arms. Unfortu- The Czech, ranked 14 in the The 23-year-old will next face world heavyweight champion with champion and his older brother, nately, I didn't defend as impres- world, overcame two delays to Tsvetana Pironkova after the Bul- La Fleche Wallonne on Wednesday. on the day's penultimate categor- a unanimous points decision over former champion and now Kiev sively as I usually do." delight the home supporters who garian got through with little trou- The result also takes him above ised climb, the Cote de la Roche- a game but limited Bryant Jennings mayor Vitali Klitschko, who Two judges scored it 116-111 had braved the weather as she came ble against qualifier Olga Govorts- Team Sky's Richie Porte at the top aux-Faucons, and was followed by at Madison Square Garden. helped warm up the winner prior and the third judge made it 118- from behind to beat the German 2- ova 7-5 6-1. Those supporters of the UCI WorldTour rankings. Giampaolo Caruso (Katusha) and Returning to the US and the to the bout. 109 for Klitschko, despite the 6 6-1 6-3. Tennis Betting Bet £5 who had stayed out on Centre Valverde said: "All my three vic- Jakob Fuglsang (Astana). The trio Garden for the first time in seven "Bryant Jennings was really champion being docked one point Get £20 Free "It was my first Court later saw Plzen's Barbora tories here have been beautiful; opened up a lead of more than 20 years, the 39-year-old Ukrainian mobile and really tough to hit," said in the 10th for holding. match on clay so it took me while Zahlavova Strycova defeat Amer- winning in Liege is phenomenal. seconds, but a strong chase led by regretted not being able to over- Klitschko, sounding apologetic for Klitschko, who tied the heavy- to get used to it," she said. ican Madison Brengle 7-6 (7-5) 6- However, today's is even more Zdenek Stybar (Etixx - Quick- power the American challenger as not supplying a knockout finish weight record set by Joe Louis in "The first set was bad, I was 3. Elsewhere, number seven seed special after such a complete week: Step) and then an injection of pace he outboxed his opponent in an to a bout in which he was defend- contesting his 27th heavyweight freezing, could not move, condi- Belinda Bencic of Switzerland lost second in Amstel, winner in Fleche, from Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) saw 18th consecutive successful title- ing five versions of the world title. title fight, improved to 64-3 as Jen- tions were perfect for my oppo- to Croatian Ana Konjuh. winner in Liege. Valverde was them caught with 6km to go. defence. The pro-Klitschko crowd, "I couldn't find the key to land nings fell to 19-1. Mikko Ilonen relishes Jordan Spieth FORTUNE FAVOURS BRAVE PALMER challenge at WGC Match Play either side of his record-breaking victory at Augusta National, but Ilonen has an excellent match play record having won the British Amateur Championship back in 2000 before lifting the Volvo World Match Play title last October, de- feating Henrik Stenson in the fi- nal. "Hey, it's match play and any- thing can happen, we all know that," Ilonen said. "I definitely don't have anything to lose against Jordan. If you look at how good he has been recently, and as much as I hate to say it, how bad I have been lately, then there really is nothing for me to lose. "My form has been poor but we know how quickly it can turn in this game and maybe match play is what I need to get going. I have a pretty good ugo Palmer retains full match play record. "That win (last faith in the stamina of October) is basically what got my HHome Of The Brave as he The new format may have spared Ilonen will instead take on Mas- ranking high enough to sneak in puts the final touches on the colt's Mikko Ilonen a win-or-bust show- ters champion Jordan Spieth, Ry- here and beating a lot of the Euro- QIPCO 2000 Guineas preparations. down with Rory McIlroy, but the der Cup star Lee Westwood and pean Ryder Cup players in that The son of Starspangledbanner has Finn is relishing an equally daunt- American Matt Every in the new tournament so soon after they had a speedy pedigree and was a winner ing opening contest in the WGC- round-robin format. Ilonen was won in Gleneagles gave me a lot of over six furlongs as a juvenile, but Cadillac Match Play this week. As first reserve for the tournament confidence and belief that I can do he showed an extra furlong holds no the lowest ranked player in the 64- when he left Shanghai on Sunday well in this format." Group match- fears when successful in the Euro- man field, Ilonen would usually evening having finished joint 18th es will be played on Wednesday, pean Free Handicap at Newmarket handler said: "I believe he will stay ride if Maftool doesn't run, but Pat Palmer is not convinced he will have been paired with the world in the Volvo China Open, but dis- Thursday and Friday and the win- earlier this month. Saturday's Clas- a mile. There's a big difference be- Smullen has agreed to be the super necessarily stay at a mile, with the No 1 in a first-round knockout covered upon landing that he was ner of each group advances to the sic is run over a mile and Palmer tween staying a mile and being good sub. I'm in a privileged position to new Group One Commonwealth match at Harding Park in San Fran- in the field after Phil Mickelson last 16 on Saturday morning, with believes he will get the trip, although enough to win a Guineas, but he have a choice of two of the world's Cup over six furlongs at Royal cisco. But with the players now withdrew for personal reasons. the quarter-finals on Saturday af- he is not quite sure yet who will be was certainly not stopping at the best jockeys." Even if Home Of The Ascot already on the radar as a split up into 16 groups of four, Spieth has been in brilliant form ternoon. doing the steering. The Newmarket end of his trial. "James Doyle may Brave triumphs at Headquarters, possible option. 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. THURSDAY . APRIL 30 . 2015 -Sawr 10, 1394 H.S Vol:IX Issue No:264 Price: Afs.15

Govt asked to choose India over Pakistan Nepal quake toll tops Abdul Zuhoor Qayomi 5,000 as aid reaches that President Ghani should es- that Kabul-New Delhi relations mani said the national interests of with New Delhi, he said. He add- tablish close ties with India, more should be well managed aimed Afghanistan should be preferred ed that Pakistan has never been n the wake of President Ashraf than some other countries like them useful for both the countries. by the Afghan government as one sincere towards helping the peace area near epicenter Ghani s trip to India, a number Pakistan, as Pakistan has lost its Mohammad Sarwar Osmani, an of its top priorities. It is Islama- process in the country and has Iof lawmakers on Wednesday credibility among Afghans and MP from Farah, termed India as bad that has fueled conflicts in never wanted to uproot militancy suggested the government to boost they will no more trust Islamabad time-tested friend of Afghanistan, nine northern provinces of Af- and terrorism in Afghanistan. up its relations with India and due to its double policy towards and said the two countries rela- ghanistan therefore Kabul should But on the other side, India has make better use of the current Afghanistan. Islamabad has tions should be strengthened fur- strengthen its ties with the real always tried to root out wards in opportunity. They said Pakistan failed to prove its honesty in its ther. India has been one of the and honest countries, he suggest- Afghanistan and make the coun- has failed in establishing honest relations Kabul, because it was major supporters of Afghans from ed. He blamed Pakistan for creat- try as a trade hub for its prod- relations with Kabul, thus the not succeeded to bring the Tali- the past but Pakistan has always ing hurdles before trade and tran- ucts. It is impossible to have good Afghan government should leave ban to the table of negotiations been harsh against Afghans and has sit of Afghanistan, and said Af- relations both with New Delhi no stone unturned to improve and while the National Unity Govern- sent terrorists to the country to ghans cannot trust on Pakistan and and Islamabad at the same time, extend its ties with New Delhi. ment (NUG) set a six-month dead- disrupt security here, he added. its agreements as it has never im- he opined. Hinting at opening of The MPs termed the Ghani s line for Pakistan in this regard, He said the President s trip to In- plemented its commitments in Chabahar port for Afghan inves- state visit to India as fruitful, and she added. She termed Ghani s dia is a good omen, adding that several aspects. Lawmaker Shir- tors, the lawmaker said that it will said friendly and close relations visit to India as useful, and said Kabul can sign different agree- wali Wardak said that terrorism is overcome transit problem in the with India can prove vital for Af- Kabul should further its ties with ments with New Delhi in econom- a threat to the world therefore war country. It is comes as civilian ghanistan, in compare with its ties New Delhi as India as powerful ic, military and security fields, but on terror needs joint efforts by all government of Pakistan has al- with Islamabad because India has economic country will benefit the the deals should not violate the regional states. Relations with ways claimed that has been as been honest with Afghans in the Afghan economy and will boost national interests of Afghans. In India should be used in favor of close friend of Afghanistan, and course of history. Nilofar Ibrahi- up investment in several develop- reply to a query about rivalries Afghanistan as Pakistan will nev- has rejected allegations about send- mi, an MP from Badakhshan, said ment projects. However, she said between India and Pakistan, Os- er tolerate Kabul s good relations ing terrorists to Afghanistan.

Local volunteers from the Bhaktapur district Red Cross chapter walk past damaged buildings following an earthquake in Almost $500m at risk in Hope for Kunduz residents Bhaktapur near Kathmandu, Nepal in this Red Cross handout picture taken on April 28, 2015. (REUTERS) Afghanistan: Watchdog GUMDA: Hands pressed togeth- villages identified as the worst hit AS TROOPS PUSH BACK TALIBAN er in supplication, the Nepalese by Saturday's 7.8-magnitude earth- he U.S. s $104 billion-and- different programs resulting in By late Wednesday Kunduz resi- returning to school. "We believe the ficials say however that Daesh in- women pleaded for food, shelter quake, from which it will almost counting efforts to rebuild duplication and projects that dents were able to breathe a sigh security forces will win and our volvement is confirmed and Mullah and anything else the helicopter certainly take years to recover. TAfghanistan are under con- weren t planned well enough to of relief as many started returning province will not fall into Taliban Abdul Salam, from Quetta in Paki- might have brought on an in-and- As in many villages, though, stant scrutiny for falling short on be sustainable, the auditors said. to their normal lives after days of hands," said one local. This comes stan, is leading the insurgent attack. out run Wednesday to this the death toll in Gumda was far coordination and oversight, which Without sound sustainabili- fighting between security force after Afghan National Forces Salam is believed to be a senior mem- smashed mountain village near the lower than feared, since many vil- has put much of that money at ty planning within and among all members and Taliban insurgents. launched a massive ground assault ber of Taliban's Quetta council. On epicenter of last weekend's mam- lagers were working outdoors risk. The federal auditor tasked agencies active in Afghanistan s Kunduz residents told TOLOne- Tuesday against the Taliban in the Tuesday security force officials moth earthquake that killed more when the quake struck at midday. with keeping tabs on where U.S. extractive industries, the $488 ws that they have put their faith area. By Wednesday these troops launched the operation in Imam Sa- than 5,000 people. Unlike in Ne- Of Gumda's 1,300 people, five tax dollars are going has repeated- million U.S. government invest- in the security force and were op- were being backed up by airstrikes hib and expanded it to include Gor pal's capital, where most buildings were killed in the quake and 20 ly flagged vulnerabilities that jeop- ment in efforts to develop Afghan- timistic about troops being able to and were then able to embark on a Tepa and other districts on Wednes- were spared complete collapse, the more were injured. ardize the overall program. Just istan s extractive industries could clear the area of the Taliban. In ad- house-to-house search for insur- day. According to officials, fighting tiny hamlets clinging to the remote As the helicopter landed last week, the Special Inspector be wasted, SIGAR said. dition, they said businesses were gents who are believed to be hid- in Ali Abad continues although spo- mountainsides of Gorkha District Wednesday with 40-kilogram (90- General for Afghanistan Recon- The report included being reopened and students were ing out in the homes of locals. Of- radically. (TOLONews) have been ravaged. Entire clusters pound) sacks of rice, wind and rain struction (SIGAR) said that the several examples demonstrating of homes were reduced to piles of whipped across the crest of the Pentagon can t account for how how uncoordinated the agencies stone and splintered wood. Orange mountain. Seeing the conditions, its spent more than $1.3 are. plastic tarps used for shelter now the U.N. World Food Program's billion intended to build In one instance, a senior offi- 38-km roads rehabilitated, graveled in Wardak dot the cliff sides and terraced rice Geoff Pinnock shouted over the roads, bridgesand schools. cial at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul paddies carved into the land. "We roar of the propellers, "the next Now, a new report from the said that the embassy didn t know MAIDAN SHAHR: Reconstruc- trict of central Maidan Wardak spokesman, Attaullah Khugyani, are hungry," cried a woman who shipment has to be plastic sheets. auditors suggests that agencies anything about a $40 million tion work on a 6.1-kilometer road province, officials said on told Pajhwok Afghan News the gave her name only as Deumaya, These people need shelter more involved in the rebuilding are strug- TFBSO project until Afghan gov- has been launched in the Chak dis- Wednesday. The acting governor s project would be completed in gesturing toward her stomach and than they need food." gling to coordinate their efforts. ernment officials thanked the am- three months at a cost of 22 mil- opening her mouth to emphasize About 200 villagers huddled SIGAR reported that a $488 bassador for the support. lion afghanis, which had been pro- her desperation. Another woman, under a few umbrellas and plastic million fund intended to help prop The auditors recommended vided by the Ministry Rural Re- Ramayana, her eyes hollow and tarps as they waited to receive the up the country s mining, oil and that the three agencies improve habilitation and Development haunted, repeated the plea: "Hun- aid, some with runny noses and gas industry is vulnerable to communication strategies and de- (MRRD). He said the road would gry! We are hungry!" chattering teeth. With the erratic waste, fraud and abuse because the velop a system to better track what be reconstructed from Spina But food is not the only necessity Himalayan weather, aid workers agencies responsible for the pro- each of them is doing to bolster Khawra area to Kharyan village. in short supply out here beyond are worried about keeping people gram the State Department, Afghanistan s oil and gas indus- Separately, a 32-kilometre road the reaches of paved roads, elec- warm, fed and safe. USAID and the Pentagon s Task try. has been rehabilitated in the tricity poles and other benefits of "More helicopters, more per- Force for Business and Stability Officials from USAID, State, Markazi Bihsud district at a cost the modern world. These days, sonnel and certainly more relief Operations (TFBSO) are disor- and TFBSO all conceded that co- of 2.1 million afghanis. Acting even water is scarce. Communica- supplies including medical teams, ganized and don t talk to each oth- ordination efforts had all but fall- Governor Abdul Hameed Khogy- tion is a challenge. And modern shelter, tents, water and sanitation er. en apart by last year and agreed ani said construction of roads in medical care is a luxury many have and food are obviously needed," The lack of coordination has to the auditors recommendations. rural areas would benefit residents never received. said Pinnock, who was coordinat- led the agencies to each implement (The Fiscal Times) of far-flung areas. (Pajhwok) Gumda is one of a handful of ing the aid relief flights. 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.