Sialkot Police Claims Arrest of those Behind Threatening Calls to Zulqarnain

According to a report published in news papers, Sialkot police arrested around 8 persons who were involved in gambling on cricket matches.

Police recovered more than 200 mobile phones and ammunition from the arrested men. According to the police sources arrested persons have accepted that they made threatening calls to wicket keeper Zulqarnain Haider.

Dawn News and Samaa TV Teams Attacked and Kept Hostage by Zarai Taraqqiyati Bank People

Wedenesdya, 27 April, Samaa TV and Dawn News teams , covering a raid by Old Age Benefit Scheme on Zarai Tarraqiyati Bank, were kept hostage and attacked by the ZTBL administration.

They were covering a raid on the bank by EOBI , for the bank failed to pay benefits to 5500 beneficieries involving an amount of  Pak Rs. 85 millions.

Media teams were manhandled in the presence of a federal minister .

Target Killing in Karachi: Destroying Market Norms and Taboos

Lawlessness in Karachi is not something new . After the ominous incident of 1984 when Bushra Zaidi and other four students from a local college died in a brutal accident, the city has never seen peace.

However, according to the natives of Karachi, with the advent of new mafia players in the city , and owing to President Zardari's reconciliation politics, the situation is worst than ever.

Karachi has now become the ground for the mafia tax collection wars. Territories and boundaries are not yet well defined , and mafias fight with each other territorial battles. They kill each others workers for transgressing boundaries. Citizens are also being victimized, and every now and then a trader or a common citizen is victimized for this indecision. Workers of two or more mafias demand money and the poor trader or citizen does not know to whom the tax should be paid. And this indecision proves fatal.

Even if the decision is made to select one out of the two as the recipient of tax , the other in its anger kills the person.

At times mafias increase their demand and ask for huge sums of money from a market, resulting in non payment and then massacre.

This situation has caused serious threats to the poor citizens of Karachi, and no one is listening to them. Government also collects tax . So, the citizens of Karachi have to pay taxes to everyone, yet these tax collectors do not care for basic market and business norms and values. Though it is said that mafia has it own business ethics, but in Karachi all the principles , even of evil marketing are kept aside.

Once a citizen has paid the tax , his life should be protected; this is the law mafia follows everywhere in the world, but in Karachi even this is violated. The basic market norm, or rather a taboo in a established market is this: give everybody his due share.

So, if in a transaction, a trader has paid the price for his life and security, then he should be granted the right to live and security. Mafia is selling a product; they sell security to the citizens from a danger and threat which they themselves are. But , in transactions with mafia, common citizen despite paying the money does not get security, and this is a deviation from the most basic market norm. Citizens are not getting anything in against their money.

If Mafias continue this attitude, people will no longer believe them and even their own basic interests will be threatened.

Furthermore, tax rates should not be increased irrationally. One such incident , according to some citizens , took place in the scrap market of Shershah, where mafia demanded huge sums , and when shopkeepers, unable to arrange for the money, did not pay that amount , they opened straight fire in the crowded market leaving dozens of innocent people dead.

Earlier this week Hindu community protested and blocked the business hub of Karachi, they were protesting against the murder of a 16 year old boy who was killed by the tax collecting mafia. They were saying that even if they pay the tax their life is not safe , and they are no longer able to continue living in this situation.

Karachi needs a new social contract, for the government is quite unable to establish its writ . Political parties in Karachi have demanded for military intrusion in the situation , for they don't believe that civilian administration is able to handle this situation.

For some even military interference is not the proper solution , and these issues should be resolved through proper negotiations.

Priam to Meet Achilles: Reports of Manmohan Calling General Kyani for a Secret Meeting

Just as in Homer's Iliad  King Priam of Troy  met Achilles , the Prime minister of India according to News reports has shown an intent to meet General Pervez Kyani.

Pakistan and India have a long standing dispute over Kashmir, the Helen of Troy , of a valley.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has initiated a peace process about which people are still uncertain keeping in view the history of Military impact on India Pakistan relationship.

In 1999 , when Nawaz Sharif and Vajpaye started the peace process, it was General Musharraf who , attacking Kargil cut it short.

International leaders functioning as arbitrators between India Pakistan , have always reckoned Army as the chief impediment in achieving these goals.

This shows that this time Priam has to meet the Achilles, to ensure peace in the region.
The core of military educational values in India and Pakistan is inspired from the traditional rivalry that fills the soldiers on the two sides with enthusiasm and courage necessary for them. It is from this enmity that  the soldiers draw their inspiration and courage.

So, changing this means to appease soldiers on both sides, to divest them off their basic education and belief.

This however cannot be achieved without changing the educational curriculum for military in which both countries claim each other as the greatest enemy on the earth. 

India and Pakistan Trade Talks: Major Breakthroughs Expected

The talks between India and Pakistan trade secretaries , started in Serena Hills , Islamabad at 11.30 a.m with a delay of 2 hrs.

These talks are starting after a two years' halt caused by Mumbai attacks. Both sides have pretty high expectations from these talks and major breakthroughs are expected.

The talks are being hold to increase bilateral trade and mutual economic interests as preconditions for a longer lasting peace between the neighbors.

In case talks succeed in guaranteeing electricity imports in Pakistan from India, then it will be considered as a major breakthrough by most of the Pakistanis. Pakistan economy and society both are greatly suffering from power outages, and there is no better and immediate solution to this problem other than import of electricity from India .

India is likely to offer petroleum refined products and Electricity exports to Pakistan. According to the sources the issue of India opposing Pakistan export to EU will also be raised.

These talks are taking in the context of a will on both sides to increase economic interests to stabilize the mutual relationships.

Prime Mininster Gilani has already stressed the point that Pakistan want to engage India in positive relations.

During these talks export of Indian Petroleum products to Pakistan, lifting of tariff from Pakistani products in India, Import of Indian cotton to Pakistan, and Import of Indian Jute to Pakistan along with other measures to increase mutual trade will be discussed.

Pakistan produces only 50% of refined petroleum products. In case India provides petroleum on softer conditions, then Pakistan will cease this opportunity , as trade with India will reduce the transportation cost.

Pakistan want to import Indian petroleum goods, Indian Jute and Cotton and want India to lift tariff from Pakistani exports to India. 

Death Toll in Kabul Airport Incident Rises to 9

According to ISAF authorities , the death toll due to an exchange of firing between an Afghan Pilot and NATO soldiers rises to 9. Earlier in the day , it was reported that an Afghan Pilot fired on his colleagues on Kabul Airport, in which six soldiers were killed.

Taliban , according to news reports have also claimed the responsibility of this incident saying that the pilot who fired on the ISAF soldiers was a Taliban loyalist.

On the 23rd of April , Taliban claimed that they had shot an ISAF helicopter in which all those on board died. Two days ago  Taliban plotted a successful and dramatic escape from a Kandahar jail, in which a long tunnel was dug to reach inside the jail from the southern side. In this incident more than 500 Taliban escaped.

WikiLeaks Allegedly Reveal the Person Behind the killing of 11 French Engineers in Karachi in 2002

It may be a coincident that two navy buses are attacked by the terrorists in Karachi on the same day when WikiLeaks revealed that an MI6 informer, who was also an Al-Qaida Terrorist , was involved in an attack on a Navy bus in Karachi in 2002, killing 11 French engineers.

That was high a profile case for both France and Pakistan and investigations in Pakistan concluded that there was a big commission received by the officials in the deal. However, no link of this commission issue was established by any investigation in Pakistan to the bombing of the Navy bus, killing 11 French citizens in Karachi.

In France the families of the killed engineers pursued the case and it was revealed that some part of the funds was utilized in the election campaign of Edouard Balladur, who fought against Chirac in 1995. The present president Sarkozi was his campaign manager. Moreover Sarkozi was managing the budgets when the Agosta deal was signed.

Both Sarkozi and Balladur denied these allegations.

According to WikiLeaks, Mr. Hamili, who was detained in 2003 and was sent to Guantanamo, was allegedly involved in 2002 bombing of a bus in which 11 French engineers were killed.

He was also linked with MI6 and Canadian intelligence agencies as an informer.