Pashtuns: Chowkidars or noble savages?

Writer Akbar S Ahmad writes in Foreign Policy Magazine (Code of the Hill May 6 2011), about the death of Osama Bin Laden and talks about his time posted in the tribal agency of Waziristan, a part of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata). He writes somewhat glowingly about the people of the region preferred honour over a life of paying taxes. He cites the Pashto proverb “Honor (nang) ate up the mountains; taxes (qalang) ate up the plains.”

He describes the society of which he is a product off as one where “people pay rents and taxes and live within the state system in hierarchal societies that are dominated by powerful feudal, political, or military authority”. Unlike in the mountain areas, leaders in qalang societies have their status bestowed on them by birth or through economic or political means. He then expands on this arbitrary distinction between societies of honour and societies of taxes by arguing that the Military establishment is a product of the “qalang” society. He then emphasises how societies of honour are freedom loving and the importance of honouring tribal identity when developing the region.

I write with respect for Akbar S Ahmad’s knowledge, personal ties to the region, long service in the tribal areas and Pashtun belt. However, I believe his article misrepresented Pashtuns of Waziristan and the tribal belt.

He tries to justify the present situation by citing the Pashtun honour code of Pashtunwali, of “doing Pashto” as the cause for the regions backwardness. This centuries old code advocates living an honourable life which honours oneself, being hospitable to strangers, punishes ones enemies and does not dishonour others. While the code does exist today in many variations, to assume that it turns Pashtuns into people to whom the normal rules of human life do not apply is misleading. This is a classic stereotype of the “noble savage” that has been promoted for long about Pashtuns. During the time of the British Raj, the closer the British got to the Frontier the more savage the local Pashtuns got; conversely the further away the nobler Pashtuns were perceived.

In fact, within Pakistan this stereotype often co-exists with the cultural one of the “ignorant chowkidar”. The ignorant chowkidar is mocked for his poor grasp of Urdu, his lack of intelligence and lack of interest in the trappings of modern society. Neither of these simplistic generalisations are true, it is just an easy way out of understanding complex societal structures.

Traditionally, Fata was a part of the country where the Frontier Crimes Regulation applied. Under Article 1 of the Constitution, Fata is a part of Pakistan; that was governed by political agents as the government representative working through government backed Maliks and jirgas.

It exists in an anomalous situation, where locals are subject to collective punishment, arbitrary arrests and in its time, the FCR gave the political agents unbridled power. In fact as per Article 247 (7) of the constitution, the courts have no jurisdiction over the region. Under these laws, children as young as two years old have been convicted under the FCR. Jurists like the late Chief Justice A.R Cornelius in 1954 described the FCR as “obnoxious to all recognised modern principles governing the dispensation of justice”.

The FCR, was brutally effective in ensuring state control of the region, if not its development. Things have since changed radically, the constant conflict in the region and deployment of the military has shifted power away from the political agents to either the military or militant leaders. Most major decision making is now in the hands of the military the old system has collapsed.

The factors contributing to this collapse are not hard to see, a generation has been depoliticised and radicalised, large numbers of locals are working in the Middle East, the old Maliks have been killed or forced to flee. Finally we have an international brigade of people from all over the world who have created an occupied emirate in Islam’s name using the locals as cannon fodder.

Akbar Ahmad argues “They should consult the elders and utilize the jirga in order to introduce schools and health schemes within their traditional systems so that the people of the nang areas have a sense of hope for the future.”

This would be possible has the old systems existed now, they do not anymore with militant commanders ruling parts of the region. The socio-economic figures on the region are even more shocking, the literacy rate in Fata is about 17 per cent and only three per cent of the total women population. The most recent 2009-10 census reported a school dropout rate of 63 per cent among boys and 77 per cent among girls, while 54 per cent children quit schools before completing secondary education. This is easily the highest dropout ratio in the country. So how does one invest in structures that barely exist anymore?

What is really needed is radical reforms in the region, allowing political party’s to operate in the region, opening up existing roads in the region to the locals, investing in the IDPs and investing in development like the, seemingly forgotten reconstruction opportunity zones. There are precedents that are worth studying closely, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa provincial government has successfully merged the former provincial tribal agency of Kala Dhaka into the new district of Tor Ghar (literally black mountain). They did this by working through the remnants of the old jirga system and in exchange offering large scale investments as an incentive.

While we should not forget the past; we should not allow the memories of the past that Akbar Ahmed so deftly writes about, confuse traditionalism with a generation of radicalisation. Instead of Nang versus Qalang we should recall the poetry of the late Ajmal Khattak

Leave me alone if you will
The modern (hypocritical) Aurangzebs haunt me still
I am the Pashtun of my age

The truth is there is nothing noble about being radicalised or living a life of enforced deprivation and there is definitely nothing noble in being considered a savage.

Monetary expansion up by 14pc......

KARACHI: The massive government borrowing has contributed around 90 per cent in the monetary expansion which grew by 14.24 per cent in the 2010-11 ended June 30, 2011, the State Bank reported on Tuesday.
Monetary expansion through the private sector is a requirement for economic growth, but massive government borrowing from banking system only inflates the economy as was reflected in above 13 per cent inflation rate in the last fiscal year.
The central bank in its third quarterly report for FY11, which was issued on Monday, noted the government borrowing for budgetary support, fiscal slippages and inadequate external funding had recorded over 30 per cent increase during July 1-May 28, 2010-11.
“This accounts for 89.7 per cent of the expansion in broad money,” said the SBP. The latest report up to June 25 showed that the monetary expansion was up by Rs824 billion reflecting absolute domination of the government borrowing. The government had borrowed Rs716 billion.
The Net Foreign Asset (NFA) of the banking system showed an expansion of Rs170.8 billion mirroring the comfort in the external account during this period.
However, Net Domestic Asset (NDA) increased sharply by Rs507.1 billion, said the SBP. Up to June 25, the borrowing for budgetary support reached Rs716 billion, much higher than Rs452 billion of the preceding year.
The third quarterly report, which covered the period of July-May, said while private sector business continued to utilise bank credit, there was hardly any credit demand for new investment activities in the economy.
Specifically, the growth of credit to private sector was slightly lower at 3.4 per cent during July to May 28, 2011 compared to 3.6 per cent over the same period in FY10.
The report said the working capital loans during July-April 2011 jumped to Rs144.7 billion against Rs47.4 billion in the corresponding period of FY10.
The exorbitant price increase of raw materials played a key role in the higher demand for the working capital.
“This three-fold increase in demand for working capital loans is due to the rise in raw material prices, especially of cotton, sugarcane and edible oil,” the report said.
The surge in exports increased the demand for trade loans. These loans increased by Rs68 billion during July-April 2011 compared to Rs21 billion in the previous year. The sector-wise distribution of trade loans reflects the dominance of the textile sector, which accounts for 71.6 per cent of the rise. The textile sector which boosted its export by 22 per cent during the last fiscal got highest amount as working capital.
“Both textile and sugar sectors accounted for 68.5 per cent of the rise in working capital loans over the period of analysis,

Cut in GST, FED: Consumers still paying high prices pakistan

KARACHI: Consumers await relief in prices of various packed household items after one per cent cut in general sales tax followed by removal of other taxes and duties at different stages.
All the measures announced in the budget have come into effect from July 1, 2011 but so far there has been no change in prices of general items such as soaps, toothpaste, detergents and food products. Even beverages (soft drinks) are still selling at higher rates despite reduction in Federal Excise Duty to six per cent from 12 per cent in the budget.
A beverage maker in Karachi claimed that the price of beverages in Punjab has risen by Rs5 on 1.5 liter bottle from Rs70 after the budget.
In Karachi, he said the producers of soft drinks were planning to raise the price by Rs2 to 3 on regular bottle and Rs5 on 1.5 liter bottle due to rising cost of production on account of high gas and power rates, sugar, and higher transportation charges.
He said decline in FED to 6 per cent from 12 per cent is definitely a relief due to which the beverage makers had decided not to raise the prices now.
The government has cut the FED by Rs200 per ton followed by cut in GST from 17 to 16 per cent on cement and according to market analysts it should result in price fall of Rs21 for 50 kg cement bag.
However, only few cement producers had reduced the rate by Rs6 to 10 per 50 kg bag instead of Rs21 as per taxation benefits announced by the government.
Meanwhile, commodity retailers said that so far they have got old stocks of packed items with old price tags and there is no indication from the companies for any price reduction.
The government has yet to check the delaying tactics of the manufacturers of various goods in passing the impact of tax relief to the consumers.
As Ramazan is only 25 days away, consumers had started swallowing bitter pill of rising price trend in flour, sugar, and pulses, etc.
A random price survey showed hike in flour No 2.5 rate to Rs32-34 per kg from Rs28 per kg as compared to last month, while the price of 10kg bag flour has also risen to Rs340 from Rs300.
Consumers, previously paying Rs32 and Rs35 per kg for fine atta and chakki flour, are now paying Rs36 and Rs37 per kg depending on the area.
Flour millers had been making frequent increase in the prices due to rising prices of wheat in the open market.
Retail price of sugar has also risen to Rs70-72 per kg from Rs66 per kg last month due to increase in rates by the millers.
Masur pulse No 1 quality also became costlier to Rs90 from Rs88 per kg last month, while mung (washed) rate also rose to Rs148 from Rs145 per kg. Gram pulse rate had increased to Rs73 from Rs68 while white gram rate rose to Rs120 from Rs112 per kg.

Renewed Karachi violence claims 10 lives

KARACHI: At least 10 people were killed and 29 others injured in renewed incidents of violence in the city on Tuesday. The incidents took place mostly in Orangi Town, but the tension spilled over to other parts of the city.
The day-long violence led to a ban on pillion riding till further orders.
Police said the violence was apparently triggered by an attack on Rahim Khan Swati, district information secretary of the ANP, in Qasba area of Orangi Town. He was injured in the attack and taken to a private hospital.
Pitched gunbattles continued throughout the day in different parts of Orangi. A bus came under attack in Qasba. Two passengers were killed and three others wounded.
Earlier in the day, heavy firing near Hasan Square created panic in the congested locality.
Police failed to restore calm, despite getting reinforcement from the Special Protection Group. Armoured personal carriers were also sent to the violence-hit area.
However, Rangers which recently got special police powers, were missing from the scene.
Meanwhile, MQM chief Altaf Hussain urged the government and the ANP leadership to end the violence and warned that if attacks on its supporters continued his party would be forced to launch peaceful protests.
The ANP appealed to the government to convene a meeting of coalition partners to help prevent violence.

Israel’s Barak blocks return of militants’ remains

JERUSALEM: Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak has blocked plans to hand over to the Palestinians the remains of 84 militants killed since 1967, a statement from his office said early on Tuesday.
Barak’s intervention came just hours after the military confirmed the transfer had been recently approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“Defence Minister Ehud Barak ordered a halt to dialogue with the Palestinians about the possibility of transferring the bodies,” it said, indicating it was inappropriate in light of the continued captivity of Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier who was snatched by Gaza militants in 2006 and is still being held.
“This is to check and ensure that it is not a case of transferring bodies that it would not be right to hand over in light of the negotiations for the release of Gilad Shalit or for other considerations,” it said.
Netanyahu spokesman Mark Regev refused to comment on Barak’s intervention, and would not say whether there had been a change in the premier’s stance, although he did refer back to the military’s statement which spoke of a decision taken “a number of months ago.”
Details of the transfer were first revealed on Monday by Palestinian civil affairs Minister Hussein al-Sheikh who told AFP Israel had given the green light to return the bodies of 84 militants who were killed in armed clashes or in suicide bombings since the 1967 Six Day War.
The announcement was later confirmed by the military which released a statement saying: “A number of months ago, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved the transfer of 84 bodies from the Jordan Valley cemetery of enemy combatants to the Palestinian Authority.”
It said the two sides had been holding talks to determine the “execution of the transfer and its exact timing” although it did not refer to the identities of the dead.
Israeli public radio suggested many of them were suicide bombers, including one who carried out a 2003 restaurant bombing in Haifa, which killed 21 people.
The bodies are currently interred in numbered, rather than named, graves in Israel and will have to be identified before they can be returned to their families.
The Palestinian minister said a first batch of 84 would be handed over “in the next few days, after DNA checks.”
Salem Khala, a Palestinian campaigner for the return of the militants’ remains, said a total of 334 Palestinian combatants were currently buried in Israeli graveyards.

Elements other than Moonis behind my suspension: Qureshi

LAHORE: Zafar Qureshi, the suspended Additional Director General of Federal Investigation Agency, believes that elements other than those involved in the Moonis Elahi case are equally responsible for his latest predicament.
“Federal Commerce Minister Amin Fahim, Interior Minister Rehman Malik and a son of an influential person are other people responsible for the suspension,” a source in FIA quoted Mr Qureshi as saying.
“Mr Fahim and others fear that I may unearth their ‘share’ in the National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) scam while Mr Malik pressurised me to follow his instructions in future investigations,” the former ADG was quoted as saying by the source.Mr Qureshi was reinstated in the FIA after the Supreme Court suspended on July 1 the notification of his transfer to the National Police Foundation.
After assuming the office on Saturday, Mr Qureshi wrote a letter to FIA Director General Tahseen Anwar Shah, asking him to restore deputy director Javed Shah, assistant directors Mohammad Ahmed and Khalid Anees and inspector Mohammad Sarwar (transferred to DI Khan, Turbat, Peshawar and Gwadar, respectively) – to their previous place of posting (Lahore) as they had assisted him in the NICL probe.
The letter said: “The transfer of the officials in question is tantamount to violation of the Supreme Court orders. It shows mala fide intention and aims at creating hurdles in the investigation of the scam.”A copy of the letter was also dispatched to the Supreme Court registrar.
The establishment division on Sunday issued a letter to Mr Qureshi asking him to explain his position for “releasing the letter’s content to media and talking to it over the issue”. Following Mr Qureshi’s ‘unsatisfactory’ reply, the interior ministry suspended him on Monday under Rule 9 of the Government Servants (Efficiency and Discipline) Rules, 1973.An FIA official told Dawn that names other than that of Moonis Elahi had also surfaced during the investigation of the scam. “No investigator other than Mr Qureshi could lay hand on them after gathering concrete evidence,” he said.
There are reports that Mr Fahim had conveyed his ‘anger’ to President Asif Zardari over the reinstatement of Mr Qureshi and demanded his immediate removal. After that, Rehman Malik summoned Mr Qureshi to Islamabad and warned him not to create any further trouble for the government. Mr Qureshi, however, reportedly refused to ‘oblige’ his boss. “The government then had no other option but to suspend him,” the FIA official said.
The PML-Q circles are of the view that since Mr Qureshi had done all the ‘damage’ that he could in the Moonis case, he was no longer a threat to him (Moonis).
“Qureshi had interrogated Moonis for 14 days in the FIA custody and submitted a challan of his will in the banking court. Now all the witnesses have testified and an acquittal application has been filed in court. What can he do now? Will Qureshi dictate the court to give a verdict against Moonis?” a senior PML-Q leader said while talking to Dawn.
“People in the PPP have sent Qureshi packing to pre-empt his future ‘moves’,” he said.
According to the FIRs registered with Lahore office, Mohsin Habib Warraich’s company, Messrs Privilege, purchased 803 kanals from the NICL at Mauza Toor, Lahore, for Rs1.68 billion in February last year. The company allegedly sold the land without getting the property mutated in its favour.
In another case, the NICL sold the land measuring 20 kanal at Lahore Airport Road to Mohsin Warraich for Rs1.7 billion. It sold the land at the rate of Rs53 million per kanal although its market value was much higher, causing a loss of Rs915 million to the exchequer.
The FIA has arrested 13 people, including former NICL chairman Ayaz Khan Niazi. Three other accused Mohsin Habib Warraich, Amin Qasim Dada and Javed Syed are at large. An amount of Rs420 million is yet to be recovered from the accused and ‘suspects’.

Banking court judge refuses to hear NICL scam case

LAHORE: The judge of a special court for banking offences refused on Tuesday to further proceed with a case relating to financial corruption in the National Insurance Company Limited when the counsel for accused Moonis Elahi, an MPA and son of PML-Q leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, challenged the court’s jurisdiction to record the statement of co-accused Muhammad Maalick under Section 342 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).
Judge Malik Abdul Rasheed wanted to hear the investigating officer in the case before deciding on an application for acquittal of Moonis Elahi, but his counsel Muhammad Amjad Pervez and Rai Bashir insisted that the application should be decided the same day.
Arguments by the counsel and the judge’s replies turned into a heated debate.
The hearing was proceeding smoothly with arguments by Advocate Amjad Pervez in support of the acquittal application of his client. But when the judge wanted to record the statement of Muhammad Maalick, the manager of a company owned by Moonis Elahi, under section 342 of CrPC, Advocate Rai Bashir raised an objection and argued that the court had no jurisdiction to record the statement at this stage of the case. He also read out the section 342.
But the judge insisted that under the section the court could record the statement of any accused at any stage of the case.
Earlier, Muhammad Maalick said he was ready to answer any question asked by the judge, but refused to record his statement after the counsel had raised the objection.
The counsel requested the judge to announce his decision on the acquittal plea of Moonis on the basis of record available with the court and arguments advanced by them. The judge observed that the court could not take a decision without hearing FIA investigating officer Sarwar.
When the counsel stuck to their point the judge refused to further proceed with the case and referred it to the Lahore High Court chief justice for fixing the matter before another court.
The judge observed: “The counsel are trying to influence the court and, therefore, I cannot hear the case.”
Moonis Elahi was taken back to a sub-jail in an armoured personnel carrier.
PML-Q workers and supporters, including women, who had gathered outside the court chanted slogans against judiciary. They demanded release of Moonis.
Earlier, Advocate Amjad Pervez informed the court that FIA Deputy Director Basharat Shahzad, investigating officer of the first FIR in the case, had written a letter to then FIA director of Punjab Zafar Qureshi in which he said there was no evidence against Moonis Elahi.
The counsel presented the letter in the court and said that Mr Shahzad had stated that Mohsin Habib Warraich, the main accused in the NICL scam, was still at large and till his arrest there could be no progress in the case.
The FIA was satisfied with written replies submitted by Moonis Elahi in response to a questionnaire sent by the agency, the counsel quoted the letter as saying.
Advocate Amjad said that on the basis of supplementary statements of the arrested accused the agency later attributed a role to his client (Moonis) that bank accounts used for transferring the embezzled amount of the NICL had been opened and were being operated on the direction of Moonis.
The counsel argued that the investigating officer himself became a complainant against his client when there was no private complainant, adding that this showed a mala fide intention on the part of the FIA.
The judge said the court had to first decide whether the bank accounts were genuine or bogus.
The counsel said that even if the bank accounts were proved to be bogus, no case could be made out against his client.
He said all private prosecution witnesses alleged that the FIA had fabricated their statements. “Under such circumstances, the court is left with no option but to acquit Moonis Elahi of the charges,” he argued.

Sudan: immigrant boat fire, 197 people were drowned

Khartoum. . . .. . ... Sudan illegal immigrants from Saudi Arabia to take the boat fire 197 peopledrowned. Sudanese officials, immigrants fromvarious neighboring countries, the boat illegally in Saudi Arabia were being. Red Sea in Sudanwaters within the boat caught fire causing all thepeople drowned. Sudanese officials say the number of boat people on board was 197. do notknow the exact details are none

Sukkur: prisoners are not released yet by police officers hostage to rent

Sukkur. . . . ... . Sukkur Central Prison during the strife of the ten policemen hostage by prisoners is yet to be made not. Unknown persons opened fire outside the prison colony died a prisoner. Sukkur Central Jail in one prison staff and prisoners on Sunday more bitter feud that had angina and died on the stage reached a fighter. The prisoners took hostage eleven officers, including one been released. demolitions of prisoners in the barracks, the prison administration, prison Planning District police station and also participated in the operation. prqabu strife to get police on the prisoners of the shelling. sprytndnt prison ten officers hostage, according to Ms. Qazi is not yet krayajaska the three officials in emergency 6 afradzkmy are also included. The Central Forest resident colony out of jail the night air was heavy firing by unidentified detainee standing on the brake while the prison administration and prisoners died in the talks were a result bgyrktm prphncy. 

Faisalabad: The gas supply industries kuaj closed for three days

Faisalabad. .. . . . . . Ludmynjmnt gas industries ofFaisalabad under Schedule 6 o'clock this morningfor three days gas supply will be stopped.Ludmynjmnt Plan under the Department of the gasindustries of Faisalabad from July 9 to July 6, threedays will stop for gas supply. manufacturers saythe industry should tykstayl crisis that should be taken immediately to remove the normalproduction process to reduce losses locker.

Israel: Jelly Fish off the paurplant kakdsh

Hdyrh. . . . . . . Israel in the Mediterranean off theblubber of the power plant is expected pydahugya.Hdyrh Power Station located in the city is builtalong the Mediterranean. The sea water coolingsystem is used for today. hot weather, tons of totalsea jelly fish by having the power station coolingsystem. shrkuandyry company workers to avoiddrowning in jelly fish caught daily in thousands ofsystems out of mind. administration has expressedfears that If unchecked, this problem was found to lock the power plant.

Karachi, Gulshan Iqbal, 5 bodies recovered from the bus

Karachi. . . . .. . . . Karachi Gulshan area 5 bodiesfound in the bus. SHO Gulshan Gulshan Iqbal Blockas one of the five bodies were found shot has beenfired. Lauras just met one of the bodies identifiedcan not. corpses are being transferred to hospital.

Canada has banned Tehrik Taliban Pakistan kublyk List

Autauh. . .. .               . .. . Canada banned the Talibanmovement in Pakistan added to the list of terroristorganizations. Kynydaky Minister of Public Safetyto list the tuyyzny kublyk Pakistani Taliban, said ina statement the move because of the fight againstterrorism, efforts to protect your community is an essential part. kakhnathakh the militant groupTehrik-e Taliban Pakistan. jupakstan aurnyuyark inthe blasts is involved in planning the failedbombings. tuyyz the New York Times Squaremzydkhakh TTP prdmaky several suicide attacksin Pakistan's complicity and responsibility hzarsyclaimed owed ​​more than half of which have beenafradmary. Blacklist of banned Tehrik-e-TalibanPakistan Canada tyntalysuan terrorist group isbeing added.

Division IA ahlkaraurjasus ayrbys fame mujudhyn aircraft, American officials

Washington. . .      .  . . . U.S. officials have claimed that Pakistan-based airline's board and officials of the CIA spy drone aircraft are limited to monitoring auruhan operation will continue. British news agency said U.S. U.S. high officials of Pakistanandrayrbys use will continue from there. drones for surveillance operation against Taliban insurgents continue attacks gatahm will not be there. ansdaddhst the official U.S. terrorist operations in Pakistan for the entire board ayrbys will turpraprysnl though some Pakistani But officials made clear the demand preferable ayrbys drone from Afghanistan, the ship will continue operation. khnatha U.S. officials also said the CIA and Pakistan on board ayrbys ahlkarmujud U.S. drones continue flights over Pakistan's involvement will continue brqrarrhny shall be deemed to mean that Islamabad will dytarhy with U.S. operations. 

MQM still part of government: PM

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani said Tuesday that the MQM was still part of the government and he was in constant contact with them, Geo News reported.

The PM stressed that democracy and the government was under no threat from the opposition or corruption

Moonis case sent to High Court

LAHORE: A Special Banking Offences Court Judge Justice Abdul Rasheed refused to hear Moonis Elahi's case and sent it to Chief Justice Lahore High Court after a harsh exchange of words with Elahi's lawyer.

Moonis Elahi's lawyer had submitted an application for his client's acquittal in the banking court. The argument broke out when Justice Abdul Rasheed asked Moonis Elahi's manager Abdul Malik to record his statement. Moonis Elahi's manager refused to record the statement and answer any questions as Elahi's lawyer stressed that the court should focus on the acquittal application rather than recording statements.

Justice Abdul Rasheed stressed that the court can record statements at any time of the hearing and asked them to present the refusal in writing. This fueled an argument between the judge and Elahi's lawyer leading Justice Abdul Rasheed to leave the court room after shifting the case to Chief Justice Lahore High Court.

Moonis Elahi was sent back to Jail and his lawyer said that the case has been sent to the High Court for no reason. 

Last wave of the wand for Harry Potter film series

LONDON: The final Harry Potter film has its world premiere in London on Thursday, an action-packed finale bringing the curtain down on a saga that has enthralled audiences worldwide.

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 2" will see the boy wizard take on the evil Lord Voldemort in an epic showdown.

Stars from the highly successful film series will walk down the red carpet in London for the premiere of the final movie, the second of two films based on the seventh and final Potter book by British author J. K. Rowling.

Daniel Radcliffe, who plays Potter, is taking time off from appearing in a Broadway musical to attend the premiere, along with Hermione Granger actress Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, who plays Ron Weasley.

The central trio of actors have made their fortunes but now face the challenge of throwing off their on-screen characters and forging careers outside the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

The film will be released in British and US cinemas on July 15 and is the first Potter movie to hit the screens in a 3D version as well as the regular release.

The first Harry Potter film was released in 2001, four years after Rowling published her first book, and the seven films so far have earned 6.4 billion dollars (4.4 billion euros) globally.

Fans have waited eagerly since the release of "Part 1" in November last year for the concluding chapter.

"Part 2" covers the final third of the book and will be an action-packed adventure -- a marked contrast to "Part 1", a slow-paced scene-setter for the final, explosive battle between Potter and his allies and Voldemort's dark forces.

The movie is directed by David Yates, who has shot three of the previous seven films, including Part 1, which was made at the same time. Principal photography on both parts ended in June 2010.

When Rowling, then a struggling single mother, published her first Potter novel, "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" in 1997, she set off a global craze for the fantasy world she created.

More than 400 million copies of the Potter books have been sold and they have been translated into 69 languages.

The films have likewise been adored the world over.

“It's been beyond my wildest dreams," said producer David Heyman.

"I could never have imagined when we embarked on the first film the level of response from audiences through the years."

The main Potter actors have all earned a fortune -- Radcliffe #42 million ($67.5 million, 46.5 million euros), Watson #22 million and Grint #20 million, according to The Sunday Times newspaper's rich list -- but have had varying degrees of success in moving on.

Radcliffe, 21, has taken critics and the public by surprise by singing and dancing in the 1950s musical "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" in New York, but he concedes that the Potter films have marked him forever.

"I know I'll never see a frame of these films that I don't connect immediately to a memory of a place or a time or a person," he said.

"Even now I can't fully express how important it's been to me, but I can say it was a great time and it's something I will never be able to recreate."

As for Rowling, she laid down her pen -- and Harry's magic wand -- when she finished the seventh book in 2007. But the author has yet to let go of her creation.

Last month she unveiled an interactive website featuring new material about Potter's world, and announced that his adventures would be sold as e-books for the first time.

Her fortune is estimated at #530 million, according to The Sunday Times rich list.

Fight in Afghanistan to turn eastward: Petraeus

KABUL: The outgoing commander of US and Nato forces in Afghanistan said Monday that the focus of the war will shift in coming months from Taliban strongholds in the south to the eastern border with Pakistan where insurgents closest to al Qaeda and other militants hold sway.
On his last Fourth of July in uniform before becoming the new CIA director, General David Petraeus said that come fall, more special forces, intelligence, surveillance, air power will be concentrated in areas along Afghanistan’s rugged eastern border with Pakistan. There will be substantially more Afghan boots on the ground in the east and perhaps a small number of extra coalition forces too.
“There could be some small (coalition) forces that will move, but this is about shifting helicopters — lift and attack. It’s about shifting close-air support. It’s about shifting, above all, intelligence, surveillance and recognizance assets,” he said in interviews with The Associated Press and three other news outlets.
The US-led coalition has concentrated most of its troops and attention in Helmand and Kandahar provinces in southern Afghanistan. That’s where the majority of the more than 30,000 US reinforcements were deployed last year. They have made gains in clearing the territory and now are trying to hold it as the Afghan authorities and international donors rush in with plans for development and better governance.
However, the civilian effort in the south has lagged behind the progress on the battlefield and the fight continues.
According to an Associated Press tally, 26 of the 65 international troops, including Americans, who died in Afghanistan last month, were killed in Helmand where the coalition is now pushing north into other hotbeds of insurgents. Five others were killed in neighbouring Kandahar, the birthplace of the Taliban insurgency.
“The priority has been central Helmand province and Kandahar,” Petraeus said. “We have made significant progress there…it remains a tough fight because the enemy wants to come back and try to regain the momentum the Taliban had until we took it away sometime last fall.”
“We intend to hang on to those areas and solidify that progress and transition, increasingly, to a greater Afghan presence.”
That, he said, will allow the coalition to shift focus to the east, which is home to the Afghan Taliban and other groups such as the al-Qaeda affiliated Haqqani network and Lashkar-i-Taiba.
Petraeus spoke at the US-led coalition headquarters where troops, carrying paper plates of hotdogs, steak and lobster were celebrating the Fourth of July.
Earlier in the day he spoke at re-enlistment ceremonies for several hundred troops.
“You raised your right hand and said ‘Send me,’ and today you raised your right hand again and said ‘Send me again, if needed,’” he told the soldiers at the first stop at Kandahar Air Field.
The trip was one of the last of his command. Petraeus will be succeeded by US Marine Lt. Gen. John Allen at a ceremony scheduled for July 18.
Petraeus’ exit from Afghanistan comes as the United States begins a 15-month drawdown of some 33,000 troops by September 2012. He and other military officials had recommended that President Barack Obama adopt a longer timeline — one that would extend through next year’s fighting season. Petraeus was not in the mood to discuss the differing recommendations.
“I think it’s probably time to stop second-guessing the decision that only the president can make. Only he has the full range of issues, considerations that he has to deal with,” Petraeus said. “That decision has been made…it is our job to get on with it and do the absolute best we can.”
On Sunday, three US senators visiting Afghanistan criticized the pace of withdrawal and expressed concern that it may leave Nato with too few troops to deal a decisive blow to the insurgency. Senator John McCain, the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the drawdown was too aggressive and amounted to an “unnecessary risk” and that there may not be enough forces to “finish the job” in the east.
Petraeus said that after the surge forces leave, 68,000 US troops will remain on the ground plus at least 30,000 to 40,000 non-US coalition forces. During the drawdown, he said there will be an increase of 70,000 Afghan police and soldiers.
While the Afghan security forces have made strides, there is still concern about their ability to protect and defend their homeland.
One measure will be how well they do when they take the lead for security later this month in provincial capitals of Lashkar Gah in southern Afghanistan, Herat in the west, Mazer-i-Sharif in the north and Mehterlam in the east. In addition, Afghan police and soldiers will take charge in all of Bamiyan and Panjshir provinces, which have seen little to no fighting, and all of Kabul province except for the restive Surobi district.
The strength of the Afghan security forces was tested last week when nine insurgents wearing suicide vests attacked Kabul’s Inter-Continental hotel, killing 20 people including the attackers. Residents of the capital noted that fire from a coalition helicopter helped end the hours-long siege, but Petraeus praised the Afghan response.
“Do you realise how quickly they cleared a massive hotel?” he asked. “These guys were all wearing suicide vests. They (the Afghan forces) took it down in a single night.”
On other issues, Petraeus said there was no question that US relations with Pakistan had become increasingly strained in recent months. Pakistani officials viewed the Navy SEAL raid that killed al Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden in Pakistan in May as a violation of its sovereignty and were incensed that they didn’t get advance word of the operation. The US has repeatedly complained that Pakistan is not doing more to stamp out hideouts on its side of the border where militants plot attacks on Afghan and coalition forces in Afghanistan.
The US-Pakistan relationship is like a “roller coaster ride” at times, Petraeus said.
“I have repeatedly been very forthright in noting that there is no question that there needs to be more done. Pakistani leaders note this as well.” he said.
“What we need to do is figure out how to get back on with it — how to make our way together so that we can work together to combat extremists.”
As Petraeus joined troops to celebrate the United States’ 235th birthday, violence continued across Afghanistan.
A missing British soldier was confirmed dead Monday in an apparent insurgent attack in southern Afghanistan, hours after British Prime Minister David Cameron arrived in the country to hail improved security and announce plans for the withdrawal of hundreds of his nation’s troops.
The killing curtailed his plans for security talks with political leaders in the transition site of Lashkar Gah.
Britain’s defence ministry confirmed the soldier, who was reported missing in the early hours of Monday from a base in central Helmand, had been found shot dead following a huge search effort across the province.
Another Nato service member was killed Monday in a bomb attack in the east, bringing to 275 the number killed so far this year, including at least 197 Americans.
Also in the east, the Afghan Border Police arrested seven insurgents dressed as women in the Nazyan district of Nangarhar province, said Aminullah Amerkhail, the eastern region border chief. They were travelling from Pakistan and at least one was strapped with an explosive vest. The border police confiscated six AK-47 rifles. Five of them men were Pakistani and two were Afghans.

Blast targets FC in Turbat; five killed

QUETTA: A roadside bomb targeting a Frontier Corps (FC) convoy killed five FC personnel and wounded six in Balochistan’s Turbat area, officials said.
The attack occurred in the Mand Ballo area of the district.
“Unknown men had planted explosive material beside a road and detonated it with a remote control device when a convoy was passing through,” official sources told APP.
As a result of the explosion, five personnel were killed and six others sustained serious injuries, they maintained.
They said that the wounded personnel were given immediate medical aid in Turbat and later were referred to Quetta.
According to doctors, condition of two of the six injured personnel was very critical.
Official sources confirmed that a search operation has been launched in the area lying along the Pak-Iran border in Turbat district and some suspected individuals had been taken into custody.
Further investigation was underway.

Balochistan is the scene of a low-level insurgency by ethnic Baloch separatists who seek more autonomy for the province and a greater share of the wealth from its natural resources.

PPP government not afraid of any alliance: Firdous

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan on Tuesday said the Pakistan People’s Party had come to power through the mandate given by the masses and it was not afraid of any grand alliance.
Speaking to media representatives after addressing the opening session of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) media seminar here, she said that history was witness that in the past several alliances were created to block the way of the PPP but always the masses voted it back to power.
Citing the example of the recent Azad Kashmir elections, she said that the masses supported the policies of the government and the PPP was the party of the people.
Welcoming the reported meeting between senior Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) leaders and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leadership in London, she said that meetings of political leaders were a good omen for democracy as dialogue was an important component of democratic culture.
Talking about the July 5, 1977 overthrowing of democratic government she said that if the path of dialogue was followed at that time, the country would not have faced long dictatorial rule.
Answering a question about additional director general Zafar Qureshi of FIA, she said since the issue of National Investment Corporation Limited (NICL) was sub judice, she would not comment on the issue.
She said that the Shamsi airbase issue was the legacy of the previous dictatorial regime and the present government was trying to re-engage international allies keeping in view the national interests and guidelines given in the unanimous parliamentary resolution.
She said as the matter was related with the Ministry of Defence thus Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar was the better person to reply to such queries.

Twin suicide attacks kill 35 north of Baghdad

BAGHDAD: Twin suicide attacks ripped through the city of Taji north of Baghdad on Tuesday, killing at least 35 people, officials said, after Iraq suffered its deadliest month so far this year in June.
“Thirty-five people were killed and 28 wounded when a car bomb and an improvised bomb exploded simultaneously outside a government office where national identification cards are issued, and the provincial council offices,” the official said.
A police officer in Taji said that one suicide bomber in a car and a second with an explosives belt had caused the carnage.
“A car bomb exploded at the entrance of the identity-cards office, which is next to the provincial council building.”
“When people gathered, a suicide bomber in their midst exploded his belt,” he said.
He added that the mayor of Taji, security officials from the city and tribal leaders were in a meeting at the provincial council offices when the bombers struck. There was no immediate word on who the casualties were.