Canadian Pakistani Times Thursday May 16, 2013 Volume 1, 58

US launches drone from aircraft carrier

A drone the size of a fighter jet took

off from the deck of an American aircraft car-

rier for the first time on Tuesday in a test flight that could eventually open the way for

the US to launch unmanned aircraft from just

about any place in the world.

The X-47B is the first drone designed

to take off and land on an aircraft carrier,

meaning the US military would not need per-mission from other countries to use their

bases.

”As our access to overseas ports, for-ward operating locations and airspace is di-

minished around the world, the value of the

aircraft carrier and the air wing becomes more

and more important,” Rear Adm. Ted Branch, commander of Naval Air Forces Atlantic, said

after the flight off the Virginia coast. ”So to-

day is history.”

The move to expand the capabilities

of the nation’s drones comes amid growing

criticism of America’s use of Predators and Reapers to gather intelligence and carry out

lethal missile attacks against terrorists in Iraq,

Afghanistan, Pakistan and Yemen. Critics in

the US and abroad have charged that drone strikes cause widespread civilian deaths and

are conducted with inadequate oversight. Still,

defense analysts say drones are the future of

warfare.

The new Joint Strike Fighter jet

”might be the last manned fighter the US ever

builds. They’re so expensive, they’re so com-plex, and you put a human at risk every time it

takes off from a carrier,” said James Lewis,

senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and

International Studies in Washington.

”This is the next generation of mili-

tary technology – the unmanned vehicles, the unmanned submersibles, the unmanned air-

craft. This will be the future of warfare, and it

will be a warfare that is a little less risky for

humans but maybe a little more effective when it comes to delivering weapons and ef-

fect.”

While the X-47B isn’t intended for operational use, it will help Navy officials de-

velop future carrier-based drones. Those

drones could begin operating by 2020, accord-ing to Rear Adm. Mat Winter, the Navy’s pro-

gram executive officer for unmanned aviation

and strike weapons.

The X-47B is far bigger than the

Predator, has three times the range and can be

programmed to carry out missions with no

human intervention, the Navy said. While the X-47B isn’t a stealth aircraft, it was designed

with the low profile of one. That will help in

the development of future stealth drones, which would be valuable as the military

changes its focus from the Middle East to the

Pacific, where a number of countries’ air de-

fenses are a lot stronger than Afghanistan’s.

”Unmanned systems would be the likely

choice in a theater or an environment that was

highly defended or dangerous where we wouldn’t want to send manned aircraft,”

Branch said.

During Tuesday’s flight, the X-47B used a steam catapult to launch, just as tradi-

tional Navy warplanes do. The unarmed air-

craft then landed at Naval Air Station Patuxent

River in Maryland.

The next critical test for the tailless

plane will come this summer, when it attempts to land on a moving aircraft carrier, one of the

most difficult tasks for Navy pilots.

Earlier this month, the X-47B suc-

cessfully landed at the air station using a tail-hook to catch a cable and bring it to a quick

stop, just as planes setting down on carriers

have to do.

The X-47B has a wingspan of about

62 feet (19 meters) and weighs 14,000 pounds

(6,350 kilograms), versus nearly 49 feet (15 meters) and about 1,100 pounds (499 kilo-

grams) for the Predator.

While Predators are typically piloted via remote control by someone in the US, the

X-47B relies only on computer programs to

tell it where to fly unless a human operator

needs to step in. Eventually, one person may be able to control multiple unmanned aircraft

at once, Branch said.

The group Human Rights Watch said it is troubled by what it described as a trend

toward the development of fully autonomous

weapons that can choose and fire upon targets

with no human intervention.

”We’re saying you must have mean-

ingful human control over key battlefield deci-sions of who lives and who dies. That should

not be left up to the weapons system itself,”

said Steve Goose, director of the arms division

at Human Rights Watch. Developed by North-rop Grumman under a 2007 contract at a cost

of $1.4 billion, the X-47B is capable of carry-

ing weapons and providing around-the-clock intelligence, surveillance and targeting, ac-

cording to the Navy, which has been giving

updates on the project over the past few years.

The X-47B can reach an altitude of

more than 40,000 feet (12,192 meters) and has

a range of more than 2,100 nautical miles

(3,890 kilometers), versus 675 for the Preda-tor. The Navy plans to show the drone can be

refuelled in flight, which would give it even

greater range.

Reducing Auto Insurance Costs for Ontario Drivers

Ontario Government Proposes Strategy to Help

People Lower Household Expenses

... Premier Kathleen Wynne was in Brampton

today, where she highlighted the government's

strategy to help people lower their household

expenses by reducing auto insurance premiums

by an average of 15 per cent.

This strategy was outlined in the 2013 Budget,

which was released last week.

To achieve this reduction, the strategy would

reward safe drivers and crack down on fraud.

If the Budget bill is passed and pro-

claimed, Ontario drivers could save on average

up to $225 per insured vehicle each year.

This, along with other elements of the govern-

ment's strategy, would benefit more than nine

million drivers across Ontario.

This strategy is part of the government's

plan to create jobs and help people in their eve-

ryday lives.

The government also wants to support small

business, invest in roads and transit, and help

build strong communities, where people re-

ceive the health care they need when they need

it.

02 May 16, 2013

Christy Clark leads B.C. Liberals to surprise majority But loses her own riding of Vancouver-Point Grey to NDP

Christy Clark will heads a majority B.C.

Liberal government after leading her party to a stunning come-from-behind victory in Brit-

ish Columbia's 40th provincial election.

But Clark lost a tough fight to hold on to

her seat in Vancouver-Point Grey, to high-profile NDP candidate David Eby by 785

votes. Despite the riding defeat Clark can

still be premier, but it is expected she would seek a seat in a byelection in a safer Liberal

riding.

The last time a B.C. party leader became premier but failed to win their seat was in

1924, when both Premier John Oliver and the

Leader of the Opposition William John

Bowser were defeated in the general election.

The Liberals won 44.4 per cent of the

popular vote and 50 Liberals were elected in the province's 85 ridings, giving Clark one of

the most remarkable political comebacks in

the province's history.

Not only did Clark defy countless polls

predicting her defeat, she increased her

party's majority in the legislature by five

seats and became the first woman to be

elected premier in a general election in B.C.

The NDP won 39.5 per cent of the popu-

lar vote, giving them 33 seats in the legisla-ture, three seats less than they held before the

election.

Green Party candidate Andrew Weaver

won the first provincial seat for the party in

the Vancouver Island riding of Oak Bay-Gordon Head, but party leader Jane Sterk

failed to win her seat in Victoria. Overall the

Greens won eight per cent of the popular

vote.

Independent Vicki Huntington was re-

elected in Delta South, making her the only

one of three independent MLAs to hold on to

her seat.

Clark started the campaign as the clear

underdog in the poll, trailing by 20 percent-age points. But during the course of the 28-

day campaign she closed the gap signifi-

cantly with a campaign that focused on debt

reduction and economic growth.

The Liberals and their supporters also ran

a slew of attack ads casting the NDP and its leader, Adrian Dix, as untrustworthy and out

of control with billions of dollars in cam-

paign promises.

During the campaign Clark also proved

herself to be a much more personable cam-

paigner than Dix, who appeared nervous dur-

ing the only televised leaders' debate.

Clark reaches out in speech

Clark joined her party supporters at the

Wall Centre in Vancouver just after 11 p.m.

Tuesday to celebrate her victory and thank

her supporters.

• Most of Clark's cabinet ministers win

re-election

"Well, that was easy," she joked as she

opened her speech.

"Tonight we have received a mandate

from the people of British Columbia. And I

say to the citizens of British Columbia: You have humbled us tonight with this opportu-

nity and the tremendous obligation you've

placed on our shoulders. Together we will

make British Columbia better.

"British Columbians will always know

what I stand for," said Clark, who stuck close

to her campaign message of growing the economy, balancing the budget and creating

a "debt-free B.C."

"Together we have succeeded in keeping B.C. on the right track … Our future has

never been brighter."

Clark said she re-entered politics on a

mission.

"Two years ago I came back into public

life because I wanted to rebuild trust in our government and I wanted to renew our party.

We worked hard to control spending, to bal-

ance the budget, so that we could secure to-

morrow for our families.

"We had a vision to implement our B.C.

jobs plan and to seize the once-in-a-lifetime

opportunity that liquefied natural gas repre-

sents for strengthening our economy. And that vision will give us a chance to secure a

debt-free B.C. for us and for all the genera-

tions that follow us in British Columbia.

"Together we have succeeded in keeping B.C. on the right track. British Columbia has

never been stronger and our future has never

been brighter. It's a growing economy that allows us to build schools and build hospitals

and build roads.

"This province was built by people who worked hard and by people who dreamed

big. Tonight, thanks to British Columbians,

we have a strong new team to implement our bold vision for this province. "The work be-

gins anew with this strong new team, with a

renewed party, a renewed mandate, and the

confidence of British Columbians to build this economy, to make sure we live in the

province we all dreamed of for our children,

and to make sure our children inherit a future

that we have all dreamed for them."

Clark’s victory will be welcome news for

the oil and gas industry.

Developing the province’s natural gas

reserves was a major plank in Clark’s plat-

form and she also left the door open for two controversial oil pipeline projects to go

ahead, but only under certain terms.

03 May 16, 2013

Parliament Hill

Room 530

La Promenade Building

House of Commons

Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6

Tel.: 613-995-5381

Fax: 613-995-6796

Constituency

160 Main St. South

Unit 29

Brampton, ON L6W 2E1

Tel.: 905-846-0076

Fax: 905-846-3901

KYLE SEEBACK Member of Parliament

Brampton West

News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION May 14, 2013

MP SEEBACK LAUNCHES CALL FOR PROPOSALS TO INCREASE

OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMMIGRANT WOMEN

BRAMPTON, ON- Kyle Seeback, Member of Parliament for Brampton West made an announce-

ment today calling for projects to increase opportuni-

ties for immigrant women, as part of a Call for Pro-posals to create new economic opportunities for

women in Canada.

“I am pleased that our Government continues to dem-onstrate its support for the economic security and

prosperity of women in Canada,” said Kyle Seeback,

MP. “I encourage all interested organizations in Brampton to apply and help make a difference for

women and girls in our community.”

Whether immigrant or Canadian-born, women con-

tinue to work in traditional female sectors, most com-

monly in sales and services as well as in business, fi-nance and administrative fields. In 2006, 29% of Can-

ada’s female immigrant labour force worked in sales and services and 25% were employed in business, finance and administrative

occupations.

Projects under this call will engage women directly in enhancing their economic options by tapping into opportunities in their com-

munities. Through local partnerships, these projects will identify and address the unique challenges women face, and link them to

promising economic opportunities.

“Through this Call for Proposals, the Government is supporting and empowering immigrant women in the workforce”, commented

Salima Tejani, Brampton Multicultural Centre.

The Harper Government is committed to supporting projects that yield concrete results for women and girls while strengthening

families, communities and the country. The government’s support through Status of Women Canada for community-based projects

has nearly doubled since 2007, supporting over 600 projects.

Applications under this Call for Proposals will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time on May 31, 2013.

For more information, please visit women.gc.ca.

kyle.seeback@parl.gc.ca

04 May 16, 2013

OTTAWA — The Is-

lamic centre in Saskatoon is ex-

periencing growing pains.

Friday services have been split

into two, so local streets aren’t

clogged with traffic. City officials

and nearby residents are working

with the centre to answer questions

such as: where to put more park-

ing?

“We have been experiencing

this kind of steady increase for a

while,” said Amin Elshorbagy,

president of the Canadian Islamic

Congress and a Saskatoon resident.

“We can see this in terms of the

need to expand our infrastructure.

Most of our Islamic centres are be-

coming very crowded.”

Statistics released Wednes-

day confirm what can already be

seen: more mosques with busier

prayer services and the increasing

prevalence of women dressed in

hijabs and niqabs in all walks of

life. Islam is the fastest-growing

religious group in the country.

Across Canada, the Muslim

population is growing at a rate ex-

ceeding other religions, according

to Statistics Canada. It is even

growing faster than the number of

Canadians who identify themselves

as having no religion, though just

barely, according to the National

H o u s e h o l d S u r v e y r e -

leased Wednesday.

The Muslim population ex-

ceeded the one-million mark in

2011, according to the survey, al-

most doubling its population for

the second-consecutive decade.

Muslims now represent 3.2 per

cent of the country’s total popula-

tion, up from the two per cent re-

corded in 2001.

The majority of growth in the

Muslim population is the result of

immigration, as it is with Sikhs,

Hindus and Buddhists, with the

largest share coming from Pakistan

over the past five years, according

to Statistics Canada.

Muslims are also the youngest

religious group in the country with

a median age of about 28 years

old.

“The phenomenon of the

younger age for groups such as

Muslims and Hindus is a reflection

of the immigration trends,” said

Tina Chui, chief of immigration

and ethnocultural statistics at Sta-

tistics Canada. “People tend to mi-

grate when they’re younger.” The

growth of the Muslim population is

part of a larger trend: minority reli-

gious groups becoming a larger

slice of the Canadian cultural mo-

saic, although Christian religions

still dominate with almost 70 per

cent of the population.

That raises questions of accom-

modation and integration of a re-

ligion that experts say is often un-

fairly viewed through a lens of

fear.

“Polling has shown that Cana-

dian Muslims are proud to be Ca-

nadian, more so than the average

Canadian,” said Ihsaan Gardee, ex-

ecutive director of the Canadian

Council on American-Islamic Re-

lations. “Canadian Muslims very

much want to integrate and be part

and parcel of the society.” One-on-

one, non-Muslims can have fa-

vourable views of their Islamic

colleagues, but that feeling doesn’t

always extend to the wider Muslim

population, said Pamela Dickey

Young, a professor of religion and

culture at Queen’s University.

“It isn’t like Canadian Muslims

have not tried to educate the Cana-

dian populace … but for some rea-

son there’s still that edge with it

that some Canadians have prob-

lems getting over,” Dickey Young

said.

The survey results should be

taken with caution. Experts say the

voluntary nature of the National

Household Survey, which replaced

the mandatory long-form census,

leaves some gaps in the data from

groups that tend not to respond to

such surveys, such as new immi-

grants. Experts believe the data

provide a fairly good, broad pic-

ture of Canada, but data on smaller

groups may provide less reliable

information.

There are also no breakdowns

within the different religious

groups. For instance, the survey

provides no breakdown of type of

Muslims living in Canada, as the

survey didn’t ask respondents

whether they were Shiite or Sunni.

“People keep blocking us into

one cohesive mass and we’re not

that at all,” said said Alia Hogben,

executive director of the Canadian

Council of Muslim Women.

“We need to sit down as Mus-

lims — not as a community be-

cause there isn’t one community

— and decide what we want to be

accommodated and what we want

to give up.”

That internal debate in the Mus-

lim community gets sidetracked

because of the backdrop of vio-

lence done in the name of religion,

which Canadian Muslims regularly

and quickly condemn.

“It is an additional pressure and

a big one on the Muslim commu-

nity,” Elshorbagy said.

“We need to be extra nice just

because we’re Muslims. We need

to go beyond certain limits, which

is very unfortunate for people like

me,” he said. “Sometimes the me-

dia will call something Islamic ter-

rorism — once you call it Islamic,

you’ve brought me into the picture

even though I haven’t done some-

thing wrong.”

National Household Survey shows Muslim population fastest-growing religion in Canada PostMedia News

People are ready to vote this

week in Pakistan, everyone is

hopeful for a change with a hope

for better government to work for

the betterment of common man.

Polling stations have recieved all

the required stuff to be used for

voting, Army has been deployed at

their quick response centres. Many

& many polling stations all over

the country has been declared as

sensitive & dangerous, so far so

g o o d . .

Let...s see the the other side of this

episode.Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan

leader Hakimullah Mehsood has

announced through his spokesman

in a letter to Reuters to attack and

carry out suicide blasts all over the

country during Election day as

they do not accept the system of

infidels called democracy, he has

warned everyone to stay indoors

on election day for their own

safety. Blasts at the candidates of-

fices all over the country has be-

come an order of the day. .

Sindh the land of Sufi's is also un-

der bomb attacks since last few

months but now a new trend has

been seen as on May 9th when

blasts hitted government school in

Qambar Larkana, before this two

spritual leaders of saintly families

have faced suicide bombers..

Last week a suicide bomber at-

tacked a candidates vehicle in Suk-

kur as well.. As per election com-

mission rules candidates cant have

private guards while police is re-

fusing them protection on pretext

of providing security for elections,

returning officers and other gov-

ernmental officials.. Election com-

mission is also busy in identifying

the most tense areas all over Paki-

stan during elections .

Schools has already been de-

stroyed by bomb blasts in KPK,

Balouchistan & now this trend has

satrted in Sindh as well.. The ques-

tion now is, who will risk his life?

who will go out on voting day?

Law and order situation is as clear

as sun itself, now the threat of Tali-

ban's is another headache for the

hopeful of change through vote..

Pakistan is walking on two edged

sword, people wish for a change &

dream a strengthened democracy

h e r e . .

Analysts and polititical pundits are

pointinting towards a split man-

date, when asked why? They say

that Pakistan always had a pre

planned results as we are not so

independent country in the eyes of

the developed world.. split verdict

means weak government & parm-

liment, which is very important till

USA successfully pulls out of Af-

ghanistan & from this part of

voilent world.. Pakistan needs a

strong government to take bold

steps to change the future of coun-

try and to bring it on the urge of

development, Strong government

can solve many issues with India,

Afghanistan & USA, which is not

in favour of those countries..

Elections in under developed

countries is a celebration for poors

as they enjoy holiday, its ceremo-

nial as they are covered by TV and

shown world over as an exercise of

their agenda here.. Delegations

from other country also comes to

supervise the elections and enjoy

t h e p a r t i e s a f t e r t h a t . .

Lets pray that all my thinking is

just my assumptions and may

Pakistan have a free and fair elec-

tions today to bring the change

Pakistanis are hoping for.. Amen

Zahid H Daudpota

05 May 16, 2013

SPORTS

LONDON: New Zealand's Trent Boult

hopes to succeed where cricket hero

Wasim Akram failed by getting his name

on the Lord's honours board during this

week's first Test against England.

Left-arm seamer Boult proved a

thorn in England's side with six wickets

in the drawn third Test at Auckland in

March where the tourists hung on to

claim a draw with just one wicket stand-

ing as a thee-match series ended all

square at 0-0.

Pakistan great Akram was the pre

-eminent left-arm fast bowler of his gen-

eration, and arguably the best of all-time.

Yet for all the occasions he was

too hot to handle for England's batsmen

with his blend of reverse swing and pure

pace, he never managed the five-wicket

innings haul, or 10 wickets in a Test, that

would have put his name on the Lord's

honours board.

“Idolising Wasim Akram and

what he did, it has always been with me

that I want to be a swing bowler,” Boult

told reporters at Lord's on Tuesday.

“That's what started me off. It

doesn't get much better than him, in re-

gards to world-class bowlers and left-arm

bowlers around the world.

“I watched a lot of him growing

up. I didn't really mould myself on what

he does but I like how he moves the ball

and bowled at a pretty good clip.

“He was the master of a lot of

things. Obviously conditions where he

came from suited reverse-swing, but he

could still move the ball conventionally.”

In New Zealand, England captain

and key opening batsman Alastair Cook

fell four times to either Boult or his fel-

low left-armer Neil Wagner.

“There is no doubt Cook is a

world-class player, but I personally enjoy

bowling to left-handed batsmen,” Boult

added.

“I'm not going to say I'm going to

try and target him - but if we as a bowl-

ing group deliver our plans to him, we

could be pretty successful.

“If the ball does tend to swing I

feel like I'm always in the game to left-

handed batsman. If 'overheads' are right it

suits our bowling group.”

‘Akram was the master’

“Idolising Wasim Akram and what he did, it has always been with me that I want to be a swing bowler,” Boult told reporters at Lord's on Tuesday. -

Photo by Reuters

DUBLIN: Ireland coach

Phil Simmons on Tuesday

named an unchanged squad

for the two upcoming one-

day international matches

against Pakistan, who are

using the series as a warm-

up for the Champions Tro-

phy.

Simmons has kept faith with

the squad that moved a step

closer to qualifying for the

2015 World Cup with back-to

-back wins over United Arab

Emirates in March.

Ireland's only 50-over suc-

cess against Pakistan arrived

at the 2007 World Cup but

they suffered a 2-0 home se-

ries defeat in Belfast two

years ago.

They will be without all-

rounder John Mooney for the

opener on May 23, after he

was banned following Twit-

ter comments he made about

the death of former British

prime minister Margaret

Thatcher. Ireland squad to

face Pakistan in Dublin on

Thursday, May 23 and Sun-

day, May 26: William Porter-

field (captain), Alex Cusack,

George Dockrell, Trent

Johnston, Ed Joyce, John

Mooney, Tim Murtagh,

Kevin O'Brien, Niall O'Brien

(wkt), James Shannon, Max

Sorensen, Paul Stirling, An-

drew White, Gary Wilson.

Ireland unchanged for Pakistan ODI series

Ireland face Pakistan in Dublin on May 23 and May 26. -Photo by AFP

06 May 16, 2013

NEW YORK: Angelina Jolie revealed on

Tuesday that she has undergone a preventive

double mastectomy because she had a very

high risk of breast cancer.

The 37-year-old American actress wrote

in an opinion piece entitled “My Medical Choice” in The New York Times that she

had chosen the procedure because she carries

a faulty gene that increases her risk of both

breast and ovarian cancer.

Jolie, one of Hollywood’s best-known

faces and the partner of actor Brad Pitt, said

that because of this gene, known as BRCA1, her doctors estimated she had an 87 per cent

risk of breast cancer and 50 per cent risk of

ovarian cancer.

Her mother died of cancer at the age of

56, she said.

“Once I knew that this was my reality, I

decided to be proactive and to minimize the

risk as much I could. I made a decision to

have a preventive double mastectomy,” she

wrote.

“I started with the breasts, as my risk of

breast cancer is higher than my risk of ovar-ian cancer, and the surgery is more com-

plex,” Jolie wrote.

She said that on April 27 she completed

the three months of medical procedures that

the mastectomies involved.

Jolie said her chances of developing

breast cancer are now down to five per cent.

Jolie and Pitt have three adopted and

three biological children.

“I can tell my children they don’t need to

fear they will lose me to breast cancer,” Jolie

said.

Angelina Jolie: I had double mastectomy

Pakistani film 'Lamha' wins award at DC South Asian Film Festival

Pakistani feature film, Lamha (also

known as Seedlings) won the Best Feature Film Award at the DC South Asian Film Fes-

tival – where it was the only Pakistani film to

be aired.

The award was presented by the Indian

Ambassador to the US, Nirupama Rao, to

Producer Meher Jaffri.

Jaffri, who is also an actor, also spoke

during a panel discussion on independent

cinema in Pakistan and India at the festival.

While saying that it was difficult to compare the film industry in both countries, she

added, “We in Pakistan are standing on the

cusp of an emerging independent film scene aided by industry veterans who are beginning

to listen to the increased demand by audi-

ences and filmmakers alike to figure out so-lutions and make space for Pakistani inde-

pendent films that are already gaining ac-

claim internationally.”

Previously, Lamha has also won two

awards at the New York City International

Film Festival – the Best Feature Film

(Audience Choice) and Best Actress in a

Lead Role award, which went to Aamina

Sheikh.

Indian Ambassador to the US, Nirupama Rao, presenting the award to Producer Meher Jaffri.

Producer Meher Jaffri on the red carpet. — Photo: Publicity.

07 May 16, 2013

We have been following the

upcoming filmmakers and their

work on feature length films

since the past few months. With a

handful of films under produc-

tion and some set to hit the thea-

tres soon, everyone can finally

anticipate watching good movies

coming out of our local cinemas.

After a gap of two years, a Paki-

stani film Chambaili hit the theatre

last month and is successfully run-

ning across the country. Dawn.com

yesterday had an opportunity to

cover the curtain-raiser of Paki-

stan’s latest movie “Josh” (Against

the Grain) which will be released in

Pakistan on Eidul Fitr. Josh is the

story of a privileged woman whose

life is shattered in a single moment

as she embarks on the search for a

dangerous truth. A story of the big-

gest challenge to Pakistan’s still

reining feudalism: the country’s

youth. The film explores the inter-

nal debates the young are strug-

gling with, and how solutions can

be attainable if and when they

stand united.

The film has an interesting en-

semble of some of the finest actors

from the Pakistani entertainment

industry, who include Aamina

Sheikh, Mohib Mirza, Khalid

Malik, Navin Waqar, Adnan Shah

Tipu, Salim Mairaj, Kaiser Khan

Nizamani, Nyla Jafri, Parveen Ak-

bar, Ali Rizvi and Faizan Haqquee.

A remarkable effort for the film-

makers and enthusiast by Nadeem

Mandviwalla and Jarjees Seja un-

der the name of “The Platform”

was launched at The Atrium cine-

mas on May 7, 2013.

“The Platform” has been created

to showcase movies being made by

young Pakistani filmmakers in pur-

suit of their dreams to make a con-

tribution to Pakistani cinema and to

share their fresh and unique vision

of the world.

“Our mission is to give an op-

portunity to these unheard or un-

seen voices but to be able to make

film a hit, is the public’s choice,”

Nadeem Mandviwalla, owner of

Atrium Cinemas and the managing

director of Mandviwalla Entertain-

ment said.

He also spoke about how every-

one keeps on debating on the fact

that cinemas are being built but

films are not being made out of the

country. Till the time there are no

cinemas in the country films will

not be made, he stated.

Presenting his thoughts on the

occasion, Mohammad Jerjees Seja,

CEO, ARY Digital Network said, a

few years back there was no sight

of box-office in Pakistan and it be-

came a long forgotten thing. Cine-

mas were converted into in shop-

ping malls – but today box-office is

being created, now is the time

when we need to support our local

productions, he stated.

However, Seja also said that eve-

ryone is looking for something

really grand to happen with bigger

setups and popular casts. In regards

to this, he mentioned Humayun

Saeed, who is working on a film

which will be released on Eidul Fitr

as well.

“But we felt there is a gap, a sort

of a vacuum where we need to

bring in new voices and young tal-

ent to be heard and seen. Our only

motive in this initiative is that we

give opportunity to the young tal-

ented filmmakers and actors to

come forward and show the world

what Pakistan is made of,” Seja

said.

Josh had its first world premier

in Mumbai film festival (MAMI)

and has been having various

screenings in different cities of

Canada and USA since the past few

months. Writer and Journalist

Ethan Casey writes about Josh on

Dawn.com, “Americans are accus-

tomed to seeing other countries, es-

pecially Pakistan, as refractions of

our own national worries and self-

regarding obsessions. That is our

problem, not Pakistan’s, and Josh

serves us well by declining to pan-

der or spoon-feed. It is a very good

film, well conceived and executed

on a small budget, and the question

in my mind as I left the cinema was

whether and how it might be possi-

ble to shoehorn such a serious

piece of Pakistani storytelling into

the awareness of some measurable

fraction of the millions who know

Pakistan only through TV news and

Hollywood movies such as Zero

Dark Thirty.”

Speaking about her debut feature

film, Josh, Iram Parveen Bilal, the

film writer, director and producer

said, “Despite having made films

for six years, shorts films that have

travelled around the world and

have won awards, I now feel like a

complete filmmaker because this

one is a full length feature where

you can buy popcorn and drinks

and watch it on the magnificent big

screens of the cinemas and share it

with hundreds of others at the same

time as this is the power and the

strength of the cinema which re-

minds one of the humanity and

love. How in one room, hundreds

of people are crying and laughing

together at the same time, this

makes one realise that we all are

the same. Come watch the film

with passion and unity, this is an

honest film made out of dedicated

blood, sweat and tears and it is

made for you Pakistan and it is

made by Pakistan.”

The launch of “The Platform”

was very much needed for the re-

birth of a film industry which was

under heavy rubble since past two

decades. Hopefully, it will bring the

new breed of cinema crowd as well

as upcoming filmmakers of Paki-

stan who ready to tell their story to

the world. And who wouldn’t want

to watch good quality local produc-

tions and share their experience

with dozens of others in a cinema.?

Pakistani film Josh to hit the screens this Eid

Eefa Khalid

08 May 16, 2013

M&M Meats Shop annual charity BBQ in Brampton - Ontario - Canada

Ontario Government Fos-

ters Regional Economic

Growth to Create Jobs

Premier Kathleen Wynne vis-

ited Anchor Concrete in King-

ston today, where she high-

lighted the government's com-

mitment to supporting small

businesses, allowing them to

create more jobs and support

regional economic growth.

The new 2013 Budget in-

cludes an increase to the Em-

ployer Health Tax (EHT) ex-

emption, which would bring re-

lief to small businesses and

make it easier for them to hire

new employees.

If the Budget bill is passed

and proclaimed, the exemption

would be increased from

$400,000 to $450,000 begin-

ning Jan. 1, 2014.

This would have a positive

impact for more than 60,000

employers across Ontario, in-

cluding 12,000 that would no

longer pay EHT.

The government is also sup-

porting regional economic

growth through initiatives such

as the Eastern Ontario Develop-

ment Fund (EODF) and the

Southwestern Ontario Develop-

ment Fund (SWODF), which

support local companies, pro-

mote regional economic devel-

opment and enhance Ontario's

overall economic competitive-

ness.

Through the 2013 Budget,

the government wants to create

jobs and support regional

economies, while helping peo-

ple with their everyday lives.

Supporting Small Businesses in Eastern Ontario

09 May 16, 2013

Human coconut peeler in Panama claims he is Guinness-worthy

Panama: With jaws of steel that have

earned him the nickname “Coconut Peeler,”

Andres Gardin, at the tender age of 64, is hell

-bent on gnawing his way into the Guinness

Book of World Records.

Sure, lots of gents his age might be think-

ing about retirement or whiling away time at

the bar.

But when you have a set of vice-like

teeth, you have a duty, don’t you?

Gardin, who styles himself in an thor-

ough homage to the old American classic TV

character Mr T. and drives a cab when not making headlines, is not one to shirk from

skills he has honed since he was a coconut-

chomping lad of 11.

That makes over five decades of training,

and more than 100,000 coconuts shredded -

good enough for Guinness he maintains. Yet

no one has come to verify his feats.

Here, on a worn out basketball court in a

small town on Panama’s Caribbean coast, he

demonstrated how he can often gnaw his way

through a single coconut in a rather astonish-

ing eight seconds.

Visitors often stare, their mouths gaping in surprise, filming it on cell phones for pos-

terity.

“Peeling coconuts is not as easy as you

all think,” he tells a crowd of mesmerized

fans.

“To peel coconuts, you’ve got to have

jaw power. You’ve got to have teeth power. And you’ve got to have God’s power” on

your side.

His neighbors are stunned that his achievements have not brought him the re-

cord or greater rewards. And Gardin says he

has even tried to get the president’s office

involved, so far without luck.

“I want to get in the Guinness Book, be-

cause I know that I have what it takes,” Gardin tells AFP, waiting for his date with

destiny, and the record books.

Who’s going to stop him? Pity the fool.

Panamanian Andres Gardin, 64, popularly known as “Coconut-peeler”, “Wari-Wari” or “Mister T”, gets ready to perform in a public exhibition in Rio Alejandro, about 85 km

north of Panama City.–Photo by AFP

KARACHI: The inflow of foreign

direct investment (FDI) slightly im-

proved during the first 10 months of

this fiscal year. However, the size of the

FDI was extremely poor when com-

pared with the inflows five years ago.

The State Bank reported on Wednes-

day that the FDI rose by 3.9pc to $622

million during the July-April period of

2012-13. The portfolio investment regis-

tered an increase of 59pc to $820m during

the period.

The total foreign investment in 2011-

12 was just $760m which showed a steep

fall when compared with the inflows of

$2 billion in 2010-11.

With the election of new government,

bankers and currency dealers believe the

inflows would increase particularly from

Saudi Arabia given PML-N chief Nawaz

Sharif’s special relations with that coun-

try.

The hypothesis of improvement in in-

flows and betterment in overall economy

also dominated the currency market

where the rupee-dollar parity remained in

favour of local currency after general

elections.

Chairman Exchange Companies Asso-

ciation of Pakistan Malik Bostan strongly

believed that the economic scenario

would change in coming months and

weak local currency would get strength.

The local currency gained at least 40

paisa in the open market on Wednesday

as the US dollar was traded at Rs99.55-

60. He was hopeful that the local currency

will appreciate more.

Foreign investment disappeared during

the last five years mainly due to wave of

terrorism across the country. The negativ-

ity hit financial and political plans and as

a result economic growth plunged.

The business circles hope that the new

government could improve the law and

order situation which boost economy and

help attract foreign investment.

When the previous government of

Pakistan Peoples Party took charge, the

total foreign direct investment in 2008

was recorded at $5.4bn.

Banking and financial experts ex-

pressed the hope that things would start

changing within six months after the new

government settles in.

It is worth noting that India attracted

$22.78bn FDI in 2012 against $34.62bn in

2011, a decline of 34pc.

In the first quarter of 2013 China at-

tracted $29.9bn FDI suggesting that huge

liquidity is available in the global market

for investment.

FDI slightly improves

10 May 16, 2013

Canada adds Taliban, Haqqani network to terror list Canada is first NATO country to use domestic laws to outlaw the Taliban, government says

More than a decade after going to war

against the Taliban in Afghanistan, the

Canadian government has officially de-

clared them a terrorist group.

The Taliban has been added to the so-

called list of entities, along with the

Haqqani network, an Islamist group be-

lieved to be behind ongoing attacks on

international coalition forces in Afghani-

stan.

Both were added by Public Safety

Minister Vic Toews earlier this month,

bringing to 46 the number of groups on

the terrorist list, which was set up in the

wake of the 9/11 attacks.

Any person or group on that list can

have their assets seized, and criminal

penalties exist for assisting so-called

listed entities with the aim of helping

them carry out extremist activities.

Canada had effectively barred Cana-

dian institutions from doing business with

the Taliban in 1999, when it signed on to

the al-Qaeda Sanctions List developed by

the United Nations.

The addition of the Taliban to Can-

ada's own list makes Canada the first

NATO country to use domestic law to

outlaw the group, said Julie Carmichael,

a spokesman for Public Safety Minister

Vic Toews.

"The first job of any government is to

keep Canadians safe from those who

wish to harm us, and this is a responsibil-

ity our Conservative government takes

very seriously," she said in an email.

"Our government has taken a number

of actions to equip law enforcement and

the courts with more tools to combat ter-

rorism, including the recently passed

Combating Terrorism Act."

When asked why Canada was listing

the Taliban now, as opposed to at any

point over the course of the last decade of

conflict in Afghanistan, Carmichael did

not give a direct answer.

• Taliban pledge support for Af-

ghan polio campaign

"While there are already a number of

measures in place against the Taliban and

its members, a Criminal Code listing

would facilitate the prosecution of perpe-

trators and supporters of terrorism and

plays a key role in countering terrorist

financing," she said.

In recent months, a number of Canadi-

ans have been linked with international

terrorist activities, including a bus bomb-

ing in Bulgaria, an explosion at a gas

plant in Algeria and a plot to attack train

lines between Canada and the United

States.

Various factions of al-Qaeda and Hez-

bollah are believed to be involved in all

of those attacks; both groups are already

Canada's black list. Canada's listing of

the Haqqani network as an official terror-

ist group follows similar actions last fall

by both the United States and the United

Nations.

The group, dubbed the "Sopranos of

Afghanistan," has been responsible for

several high-profile attacks in Afghani-

stan, including on Kabul hotels, the

United States Embassy and the Interna-

tional Security Assistance Force head-

quarters.

"The Haqqani network has also been

involved in a number of kidnappings, and

has co-operated with the Taliban and

other militant organizations in Afghani-

stan," the UN said.

But outlawing the Haqqani group has

been seen as potentially posing a risk to

reconciliation efforts between the interna-

tional community, the Afghan govern-

ment and insurgent groups.

Those efforts come as the international

community moves ever closer to the 2014

deadline for the end of military engage-

ment in Afghanistan.

Canada's combat mission ended in

2011 but a small contingent of Canadian

soldiers remains in Kabul, helping to

train the Afghan army.

Former Afghan Taliban members hand over their weapons after joining the Afghan government's reconciliation and reintegration program in Herat province on March 19, 2013. (Mohmmad Shoib/

Reuters)

PESHAWAR: A blast at public meeting of

the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) in cen-

tral Kurram tribal region's Para Chamkani

area in Sewak village killed 15 persons and

injured 42 others on Monday.

Assistant Political Agent of central Kurram

region, Mohammad Fazal told Dawn.com that

at least 15 people had died in the incident

whereas 42 others were injured.

Moreover Political agent Riaz Masood con-

formed that the explosion occurred when a

planted device detonated inside the madressa

where the rally was taking place. A rally of JUI-

F's Munir Khan Orakzai, a former lawmaker

from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas

(Fata) who is contesting the upcoming elections

from NA-38 constituency, was taking place

when the explosion occurred.

Munir Orakzai had previously won the elec-

tions independently from the constituency, this

is the first time that political parties are partici-

pating in the election process in the tribal ar-

eas. Emergency and rescue forces reached the

spot and shifted the victims to nearby hospitals.

Security forces cordoned off the area as a probe into the incident went underway.

Blast at JUI-F rally in Kurram region kills 15, injures 42

Security forces cordoned off the area as a probe into the incident went underway. — File Photo

11 May 16, 2013

12 May 16, 2013

Nigeria declares emergency in areas hit by Boko Haram

ABUJA: Nigerian President Goodluck

Jonathan declared a state of emergency in

three northeastern states on Tuesday, or-

dering in more troops to try to stem an

increasingly violent Boko Haram-led in-

surgency.

Boko Haram has intensified its attacks on security forces and government targets in its

northeast stronghold this month, prompting

Jonathan to declare an emergency in Borno,

Yobe and Adamawa states.

“We are facing ... a rebellion and insur-

gency by terrorist groups which pose a very

serious threat to our national unity,” Jonathan said in a televised address. “They have at-

tacked government buildings and facilities.

They have murdered innocent citizens and state officials. They have set houses ablaze,

and taken women and children as hostages.

These actions amount to a declaration of

war.”

His orders followed growing evidence that Boko Haram now control parts of the

northeastern territory around Lake Chad,

where local government officials have fled.

Security officials say they control at least

10 local government areas of northeastern

Borno state, the epicentre of the insurgency.

Dozens of Boko Haram fighters in buses

and machine gun-mounted trucks laid siege

to the town of Bama, in Borno, last week, freeing over 100 prison inmates and leaving

55 people dead, mostly police and other se-

curity forces.

Days earlier, scores were killed in the fishing village of Baga, also in Borno, on the

shores of Lake Chad, when troops from Ni-

geria, Niger and Chad raided it looking for

militants.

Local residents said soldiers were respon-

sible for many civilian deaths.

Jonathan ordered his chief of defence to

deploy extra soldiers to the states.

The decree is likely to bring him into

conflict with the powerful governors and northern leaders, with whom he already has a

tense relationship.

On Monday, the Nigeria Governors' Fo-rum, representing the governors of Nigeria's

36 states, warned Jonathan against imposing

emergency rule in response to the insur-

gency.

Umar Gusau, spokesman for the Borno

state Governor Kassim Shettima, declined to

comment on the decree. Other influential

northern figures were against it.

“It's not the right thing to do,” said Bashir

Tofa, a former presidential candidate and

northern politician.

Boko Haram and other militant groups

such as Al Qaeda-linked Ansaru have be-

come the biggest threat to stability in Africa's

second biggest economy and top oil exporter.

Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau

said in a video this week that the group had kidnapped several women and children in

retaliation against security forces who, it

says, have detained the wives and children of

its members without just cause.

In December 2011, Jonathan declared a

state of emergency over some limited local government areas in the states, after a church

bombing blamed on Boko Haram killed 37

people, but he lifted it in July last year.

There has been an uptick in violence in other regions of Nigeria too, with 46 police

officers killed by gunmen in an ambush in

the central state of Nassarawa last week.

Officials blamed a local cult and not the

Boko Haram or any Al Qaeda-linked militant

group.

LAHORE, May 15: Retired Gen Pervez Musharraf, who is

being tried in a number of cases of serious nature and de-

tained at his Chak Shahzad farmhouse sub-jail, will leave

the country before the swearing-in of the new government,

says PML-Z chief and MNA-elect Ijazul Haq.

Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday,

Mr Haq said his party would support the PML-N in forma-

tion of the new government at the centre.

The PML-Z leader, who won the NA-191 Bahawal-

nagar seat, said he had taken the decision in national inter-

est.

Mr Haq, who also contested from NA-190 but lost to PML-

N’s Tahir Bashir Cheema, accused his rival of poll rigging

and said he would move the Election Commission of Paki-

stan. In reply to a question about Gen Musharraf’s future,

he said the former president would leave the country before

the new government took charge in Islamabad.

Musharraf will leave country soon: Ijaz

Former president, Retired Gen Pervez Musharraf. — File Photo