Breaking News:Magnitude 7.0 quake hits Japan

Magnitude 7.0 quake hits Japan


A major 7.0-magnitude earthquake rocked Tokyo on Sunday as Emperor Akihito led Japan's New Year celebrations by urging people to work together in rebuilding the nation from March's quake-tsunami disaster. The tremor struck at 2.28 pm (0528 GMT) with its focus deep at about 370 kilometres 

(230 miles), Japan's Meteorological Agency said. The US Geological Survey put the depth at 348 kilometres.

Its epicentre was located near Torishima, a northwestern Pacific island about 560 kilometres south of Tokyo.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injury and no tsunami warning was issued.

The mid-afternoon quake swayed buildings in Tokyo and surrounding areas but it did not disrupt the final of the Emperor's Cup football tournament under way at the National Stadium.

"Some people, who were walking, did not seem to notice the quake," a spokesman for Tokyo Disneyland said, adding business went on as usual at the theme park after some rides were automatically shut down.

He did not give the number of visitors on the day but estimated it at several tens of thousands.

Train runs and airline flights in and around the capital area were not affected.

A 9.0-magnitude quake and monster tsunami ravaged the country's northeast on March 11, killing more than 19,000 people, and crippled a nuclear power plant which has been since leaking radiation into the environment.

In a New Year message, Emperor Akihito said: "Our country is now going through difficult times because of the earthquake and other factors."

"But I hope that the people's hearts will always be with the afflicted, and that everyone will persevere and work together to build a brighter tomorrow."

Wishes for the nation's recovery appeared to have dominated as the new year started in Japan with tens of thousands of people flocking to Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples to offer money and pray for good fortune.

Where have the loyal workers of PTI gone??

HEC recognizes NUST as the best University

NUST produces the highest number of research papers in 2010

According to HEC has NUST produced  the highest number of research papers in the years 2010 COMSATS got second position in that race

via http://www.hec.gov.pk/InsideHEC/Divisions/QALI/Others/Documents/Research%20Output/IT%20n%20Engineering.pdf

Pakistan's Anna Hazare joins PML-N

ISLAMABAD / LAHORE: Reposing confidence in the leadership of Nawaz Sharif, local political worker and human rights activist Jahangir Akhtar announced joining Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) on Wednesday. 

  

Akhtar, while speaking to The Express Tribune said that he decided to join the PML-N because he has faith in Nawaz’s leadership and believes that he can take the country out of the crisis as he is the only mature politician in the country.

The human rights activist listed the reasons why he joined the PML-N which included Nawaz’s positive stance towards Pak-India friendship, his efforts for education for poor people like Danish schools and his support for the Lawyers’ Movement.

Commenting on the politics of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Akhtar said that the PPP is a party of feudal lords and not of politicians.

“One doesn’t become a politician by just being someone’s daughter, son or husband,” Akhtar said. “In my opinion, the only party that can help Pakistan is the PML-N,” he added.

When asked about his anti-corruption movement, Akhtar said that the PML-N has promised him that if the parliamentarians fail to pass the accountability bill, it will unilaterally submit it to the house.

Akhtar also announced that if the bill was not proposed within four days, he will start his hunger strike again.

The current rift between the PPP and the PML-N over the bill, according to Akhtar, is about who should head the commission.

“The PPP wants to appoint retired judge, while on the other hand the PML-N wants to appoint a serving judge,” Akhtar explained.

Earlier while addressing a press conference along with PML-N central leader Senator Zafar Ali Shah at the National Press Club (NPC), Akhtar said that the PML-N leadership played a key role in strengthening democracy and democratic institutions in the country.

Welcoming the participation of Akhtar, Senator Shah said that every political party would like to have workers like Akhtar. He pointed out that Akhtar had been working for the last 40 years for the promotion of democracy and human rights in the federal capital.

The 68 years old former army gunner has spent the better part of his life campaigning for progressive causes and reduction in the defence budget. For his trouble, he was sent to jail for a year along with 10 lashes during the military dictatorship of General Ziaul Haq.

PML-N’s Inamullah Niazi quits party

Khan Niazi announced his resignation from PML-N on Wednesday.

Addressing a press conference at Lahore Press Club with his brother Najeebullah Khan Niazi, he said, “I am raising voice against the humiliations and exploitations meted out to the senior leaders of PML-N including Javed Hashmi, Ahsan Iqbal, Tehmina Daultana and others who faced hardships during the dictatorship of Pervez Musharraf.”

He further said that Hashmi’s resignation from the party was the first drop of rain but people would see a tremor in PML-N within a few days.

Inamullah added that Imran Khan was his cousin but he was not going to join Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and he would remain a PML-N worker.

“A few PML-N workers including me, Iqbal and Hashmi faced jails and a lot of problems during the Musharraf regime and presented a decorated PML-N to our leaders but a certain group is trying to ruin the party which has already made another party within the PML-N,” he revealed.

To a question regarding the future of the PTI, he said, “I had informed Mian Nawaz Sharif about the real threat of PTI in London in 2006 but to no avail… Sharif brothers would have to see more threats in the coming weeks if they do not open their eyes.”

via  http://tribune.com.pk/story/313159/pakistans-anna-hazare-joins-pml-n/

[With additional information from APP]

Role of Jamate Islami and Pakistani establishment in 1971

What a Pakistani military officer said about Bangladesh's Jamaat-e-  Islami:

 http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=9188 Daily Star, Dhaka, Bangladesh Sunday, October 28, 2007  1971 Liberation War - Pak major's account reveals Jamaat's evil role By Julfikar Ali Manik and Emran Hossain Accounts of the occupation force members too bear out how Jamaat-e- Islami Bangladesh and its paramilitary wings styled Razakar, Al Badr, and Al Shams Bahini worked fervently against the country's war of independence. For instance, Siddiq Salik, who was serving the Pakistan army as a major in Bangladesh in 1971, in his book 'Witness to Surrender' recounts the anti-liberation role of Jamaat, Muslim League and Nizam-i- Islam. He observed that Jamaat leaders collaborated with them [Pakistan army] not only to advance their ideals of Pakistan as an Islamic state, but also to wreak vengeance on people they were at enmity with. Referring to the drives against Bangalee freedom fighters, he wrote, "These operations were only a partial success because the West Pakistani troops neither knew the faces of the suspects nor could they read the lane numbers (in Bengali). They had to depend on the cooperation of the local people. The Bengalis, by and large, still cherished the hope of Mujib's return and assumed an attitude of passive indifference." He continued, "The only people who came forward were 'the rightists like Khwaza Khairuddin of the Council Muslim League, Fazlul Qader Chaudhry of the Convention Muslim League, Khan Sobur A Khan of the Qayyum Muslim League, Professor Ghulam Azam of the Jamaat-e-Islami and Maulvi Farid Ahmed of the Nizam-i-Islam Party." Describing his experience working with the Bangladeshi collaborators, the book reads, "They had all been defeated by the Awami League in the 1970 elections and carried little appeal for the Bengalis. The people generally felt that they were outdated coins being given currency by the Army once again. "But the Army, out of sheer necessity, valued their presence and followed their advice. I suggested in one of the meetings that instead of propagating the statements of this 'outdated coins,' it would be better to seek the cooperation of teachers, lawyers, artists and intellectuals who command respect in their respective fields." Salik began his career as a lecturer after graduating in English literature and international affairs from Punjab University. He had been in journalism before joining the army as a public relations officer. He came to Bangladesh in January 1970 on a tour of duty that ended with the defeat of Pakistan on December 16, 1971. He was taken as a prisoner of war (POW) in India and was released after two years. He was in the army until his death in 1988. Published by University Press Limited, Salik's book is the detailed professional account of the war. It deals mainly with his days during the war and as a POW in India.  Talking about how some members of the Pakistan army conducted themselves during the war, he said, "During these operations, some troops, to the shame of all, indulged in looting, killing and rape. Nine cases of rape were officially reported and the culprits were severely punished, but the damage had been done. How many cases there were in all, I do not know.... "The stories of these atrocities naturally alienated the Bengali population. They were not very fond of us before, but now they hated us bitterly. No serious effort was made to arrest this trend or diminish the hatred. Hence there was no question of mass co-operation by the Bengalis. Only those people joined hands with us who, in the name of Islam and Pakistan, were prepared to risk everything." On the collaboration groups, Salik said, "These patriotic elements were organised into two groups. The elderly and prominent among them formed Peace Committees, while the young and able-bodied were recruited as Razakars (volunteers). The committees were formed in Dacca as well as in the rural areas and they served as a useful link between the Army and the local people. "Razakars were raised to augment the strength of the West Pakistani troops and to give a sense of participation to the local population. Their manpower rose to nearly 50,000 as against a target of 100,000." The chapter named 'Insurgency' reads, "In September a political delegation from west Pakistan complained to General Niazi that he had raised an Army of Jamaat-e-Islami nominees. The general called me to office and said, 'From now on, you will call the Razakars, Al-Badr and Al Shams to give the impression that they do not belong to one single party." Referring to the 'dedication' displayed by the collaborators, it adds, "The Al Badr and Al Shams groups were a dedicated lot, keen to help the army. They worked hard and suffered hard. About 5,000 of them or their dependent suffered at the hands of the Mukti Bahini for the crime of co-operation. Some of them displayed a sense of sacrifice comparable to the best troops in the world." In the chapter titled 'An Opportunity Lost', Salik wrote, "Some of them were genuinely interested in the integrity of Pakistan and they risked their own lives to cooperate with the Army, but a few of them also used their links with the Army to settle old score with pro-AL people." He continued, "For instance, a rightist politician arrived one day in Martial law headquarters with a teen aged boy. He met me by chance on the Veranda and whispered in confidence that he had some vital information to impart about the rebels. "I took him to the appropriate authority where he said that the boy, a nephew of his, had managed to escape from a rebels' concentration in  Keraniganj across the Burhi Ganga river. The boy added that the rebels not only harassed the locals but also planned to attack Dacca city at night. "A 'cleaning operation was' immediately ordered. The commander of troops was briefed. The field guns, mortars and recoilless rifles were readied to 'soften' the target in a pre-dawn bombardment. The troops were to make a pincer move to capture it at day-break. "I watched the progress of the action in the operations room where the gunfire was clearly audible. Soon some automatic weapons also joined the battle. Many people feared that the attacking battalion might not be able to bag all the 5,000 rebels reported in the locality. The operation was over after sunrise. It was confirmed that the target had been neutralised without any casualties to our troops." To stress the point once again that the Bangladeshi collaborators had purposes other than pursuing the ideology of an Islamic state, Salik recollects, "In the evening I met the officer who carried out the attack. What he said was enough to chill my blood. He confided. 'There were no rebels, and no weapons. Only poor country-folk, mostly women and old men got roasted in the barrage of fire. It is a pity that the operation was launched without proper intelligence. I will carry this burden on my conscience for the rest of my life'."

Imran Khan Speech at Karachi Jalsa

Imran Khan jalsa Live streaming

http://live.geo.tv/default.asp