US fed up with troops dying to prop up Karzai

A long and dusty road ahead…an Afghan shoe polisher takes a break and reads a book in Kabul Photo: AFP
IT SEEMS that Hamid Karzai just can’t be trusted on his own.

UK prime minister promises commitment, demands reform in Afghanistan

London, England (CNN) — In a major speech on Afghanistan, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Friday that Britain “cannot, must not, and will not walk away” from its mission there.
But Brown also warned that reform in Afghanistan is necessary if British troops are to remain.
“I am not prepared to put the lives of British men and women in harm’s way for a government that does not stand up against corruption,” Brown said.
The prime minister spoke three days after an Afghan National Police officer opened fire on the British troops who were training him, killing five British soldiers and wounding six others.
Their deaths brought to 93 the number of British service personnel killed in Afghanistan this year, Brown said. Britain has 9,000 troops in the country.
Brown said the fight in Afghanistan must continue because the main terrorist threat facing Britain comes from both Afghanistan and Pakistan. He said three-quarters of all terrorist plots originate from the two countries’ shared border region.

Video: Soldiers die in ambush Video: Afghan police training struggle Video: U.N. to beef up security
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“Our mission must not fail,” Brown said. “It is not easy, the choices are not simple, there is no strategy that is without danger and risk, but that is the responsibility of leadership of government and of our armed forces — to do what is necessary, however difficult, to keep the British people safe.
“We cannot, must not, and will not walk away,” Brown said.
Brown put pressure on Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who recently won a second term after an election widely marred by fraud, to clean up his new government. Karzai’s main challenger dropped out of the vote because of alleged corruption.
“People are right to ask whether our soldiers should be placed in harm’s way if the government of Afghanistan is unable or unwilling to meet its obligations to the Afghan people,” Brown said.
Brown said he has told Karzai to make a “contract with the Afghan people” against which they can measure his success. Brown said he also proposed that Karzai enact a new anti-corruption law that allows for investigation and prosecution.
Karzai promised to take “decisive action against corruption,” the prime minister said.

30,000 women die during childbirth every year

The Mother and Child Health Week is being observed in all areas covered by lady health workers (LHWs) from November 2-7.

The week include activities focusing on prevention and management of pneumonia, de-worming of children aged between 2-5 years, immunisation of children up to two years of age, administration of Tetanus Toxoid injections to all pregnant women and public awareness sessions to provide safe delivery practices and exclusive breastfeeding.

Majority of health experts, however, believe that the state of mother and child health continues to pose a great challenge in Pakistan.

Awareness regarding nutritional needs of the mother and child during and after pregnancy periods is extremely poor among the general population.

Statistics reveal that three out of four mothers do not feed their own milk to the infant within one hour after delivery and a sizeable number of women especially in rural areas and with low education, believe that colostrums (brown secretion before milk) is harmful for the baby. More than three fourths of the total births in Pakistan take place at home. Most of them, nearly 80% are attended by untrained ‘Dais’ or relatives.

“Observing these types of weeks may help in improving health of mothers and children, provided evaluation is done competently at conclusion of the week,” said Head of Community Medicine at Islamabad Medical & Dental College Dr. Muhammad Ashraf Chaudhry while talking to ‘The News’ in connection with Mother and Child Health Week.

He said that on an average, every year 30,000 mothers die due to causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. Forty per cent of pregnant ladies suffer from acute anaemia, which is due to iron deficient nutrition and repeated pregnancies. Deaths of infants under one year of age, account for more than a quarter of all deaths in Pakistan.

About half of these deaths occur within the first month of birth. On an average, 900 infants die each day, most due to infections such as pneumonia and diarrhoea. Most of these deaths are preventable, said Dr Ashraf.

Pneumonia in winter and diarrhoea in summer are the two major killer diseases of children in Pakistan and each year, about 70,000 children die because of the two diseases. “About 44% under-five children are suffering from some form of parasitic infection, which is the major cause of malnutrition in children. Less than 80% children are fully immunized,” he added.

He said that prevention of pneumonia in children is an essential component of a strategy to reduce child mortality and immunisation against Hib, pneumococcus, measles and whooping cough is the most effective way to prevent pneumonia.

“Adequate nutrition with exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life is very effective in preventing pneumonia,” he said while responding to a query.

He added that addressing environmental factors such as indoor air pollution and encouraging good hygiene in crowded homes and avoidance of parental smoking also reduces the number of children who fall ill with pneumonia. “Routine immunisation of children against tuberculosis, polio, diphtheria, pertusis, tetanus, measles and hepatitis B must also be ensured less than two years of age.

Pakistan Beat France in Hockey WC Qualifiers

Pakistan: Pakistan Beat France in Hockey WC Qualifiers, Pakistan recorded its third consecutive win Hockey World Cup 2010 Qualifiers when it hit France at the Metropole Club Ground here.
Pakistan Beat France in Hockey WC Qualifiers
The green shirts, who won their first two ties with Italy and Russia with the same margin of 5-0, defeated the hosts 4-2 in the line of wind, cold and rainy.

Previously, Italy, Japan won 3-0 after leading 1-0 at halftime and Poland beat Russia 2-1 after leading 2-0 at lemon break in the other two contests of the day.

The visitors, who were leading 2-1 after the conclusion of the first half, showed some excellent hockey to France, which had the home ground advantage and the crowd. Pakistan took a few minutes to find his rhythm in the cold, but soon took control of the game. During the two sessions, Pakistan dominated the process, without much danger, although the Frenchman added one more goal to his account in the second half.

“We played according to our plan and won, the coach said Shahid Ali Khan told reporters after the game. He said Pakistan had almost qualified for the finals.” Now we have to play three games – against Poland, Japan and the end ” .

Pakistan opened the account through an excellent field goal Akhtar Ali, at 8 minutes. The French, led by a friendly crowd of fans reacted and the equalizer came on 23 minutes through Frederic Soyez, a field goal. Despite the rain to a large extent, the game continues in the same tempo. Pakistan closed three more goals in the corner 26 (penalty), 37 (penalty corner) and 55 (field goal) minutes through Sharp Shooter Sohail Abbas and Rehan Butt, respectively, to the amusement of a handful of people in Pakistan this in the stadium.

The French figure was reduced in the 67th minute when Arnaud Becuwe converted a penalty corner, but in vain. The result certainly not in doubt again, the decreased intensity of the game and Pakistan players had more time and space to showcase their individual skills.

Train crash victims recall ordeal

KARACHI: ‘He was in my arms, sleeping soundly, when the accident shook us all. The only thing I remember now is that I lost consciousness and a grip on Abdur Rehman when something fell on me. He was barely three months’ old. I am shattered,’ said Kausar Ramzan, sobbing.

She is among the three parents who got injured and lost their minor children in the train crash that occurred near the Juma Goth railway station, Landhi Town, on Tuesday.

The accident occurred when a Karachi-bound Allama Iqbal Express coming from Lahore collided with a goods train.

Kausar, with a fractured leg, was admitted to the emergency section of the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) along with 45 others. The tragedy, which seems to be the result of negligence, claimed the lives of many people.

Iqbal, Kausar’s husband, was waiting for his wife’s arrival at the Landhi junction and rushed to the scene as soon he got the news of the accident.

‘I talked to her around 10 to 15 minutes before the accident and told her to keep all the baggage at one place and be ready to get off at the Landhi junction. Later someone told me that the train had had an accident,’ grieving Iqbal, a restaurant worker and resident of Korangi, told Dawn.

Both husband and wife had shifted to Karachi a decade ago. Kesar, their adopted daughter, and Nasir, Kausar’s brother, also received injuries in the accident. The couple had a child after 10 years of marriage.

‘I had taken my son for the first time to my mother’s place in Lahore.

Some people at the hospital told me that he was alive when he was taken out of the train and died at the hospital. His body hasn’t been handed over to us yet,’ added Kausar.

Mohammad Arshad, another injured at the JPMC emergency section, was coming to Karachi after attending a wedding in Lahore. He lost his eight-month-old son, Mohammad Shayan, in the tragedy.

‘The berths fell and we got stuck. I kept shouting for two-and-a-half hours before I got help. I lost my son, my brother has fractured both his legs. We are still in a state of shock,’ says Arshad as he wiped off his tears.

Arshad, a rickshaw driver in Lyari Town, had also received minor injuries along with his wife and another son.

Six-year-old Manisha and her uncle, who were coming to Karachi with the entire family from Kamoki, Punjab, to attend a wedding in Korangi, were also among the victims. Sitting outside the JPMC emergency section all their relatives were in great shock.

‘We had been preparing for the wedding ceremony for so long. But our happiness has turned into grief. We could never have imagined this. I had made so many suits for the little Manisha. Her uncle who died in the accident had got married just two months ago,’ mourned Sakina, one of the relatives.

Looting spree

Shock and pain hit 50-year-old Mohammad Aslam, too. Six hours after the accident, his relatives had no clue to the whereabouts of Aslam’s son, 15-year-old Tariq. Lying on the hospital bed with fractured legs, he was crying for the safety of his son.

‘Please pray for my son’s life. All my belongings have been taken away following the crash.’ Aslam’s house is mortgaged and he has been asked to vacate it once he returns to Lahore.

‘Please mention my condition (in your report), so that I am given some time to recover, physically and financially, and not forced to vacate my house,’ he requested.

The injured not only complained about the delay in the rescue operation, but also said that the ‘looting that followed the accident was highly distressing’.

‘We want our belongings back. I had a suitcase which contained books, clothes and also my cellular phone,’ said Waris Ali, a college student who had boarded the train at Khairpur and suffered minor injuries in the accident.

At the hospital, Waris was by himself. He was being administered a drip and was told that he could go home now. But none of his family members were informed about the misfortune that befell him on his way back to Karachi.

‘My mother is a heart patient. I don’t want the news to reach home. I will manage on my own as soon as I gather some strength. I wish someone returns my luggage,’ he said.

Giving details about the injured, Dr Seemin Jamali, head of the JPMC emergency section, said that most of them got fractures and had been shifted to different departments.

‘Most of them are now in a stable condition and 15 people have already been discharged. All bodies have been identified.’

Referring to the problems that the hospital staff had faced in the morning due to an unruly mob, Dr Jamali said: ‘Too many bystanders were a major obstacle to delivering quick emergency aid today. We desperately need security and there needs to be an awareness programme to educate people on how to behave in emergencies.’

Pakistan Army Hasn’t Taken Taliban Redoubts, Ex-Commander Says

By Anwar Shakir and James Rupert

Nov. 4 (Bloomberg) — Pakistan’s capture of Taliban controlled-villages in South Waziristan may have limited strategic value unless soldiers pursue militants into their mountainous hideouts, said a former special forces commander.

“Infantry forces are moving along the main roads and not up into the side valleys,” ex-army brigadier Javed Hussain said in a telephone interview from Islamabad. With winter snows only weeks away, the offensive has stuck to three highways, he said.

Troops are clearing an area near the village of Sararogha in one of the battle zone’s three main valleys, the army said yesterday in the latest report on the 19-day-old campaign. Soldiers are trying to take control of the South Waziristan homeland of the Mehsuds, an ethnic Pashtun tribe that supplies the core of the largest Taliban force, about 10,000 fighters.

The most secure areas for guerrillas are in two forested mountain ranges, one west of Sararogha that includes the Asman Manza valley. The other is the Shawal range, near the Afghan border, with peaks exceeding 3,700 meters (11,000 feet).

The Taliban say their forces are falling back deliberately before advancing troops to fight what spokesman Azam Tariq called a “long war,” the Associated Press reported yesterday. Areas that “the army is claiming to have won are being vacated by us” to draw the army into a trap deep inside South Waziristan, he said.

Escape Routes

Accounts of the fighting are difficult to confirm as Pakistan bars foreigners from the tribal areas and local journalists have been forced out by the government and Taliban.

The army has said it dropped groups of soldiers onto strategic mountain ridges to protect its advance. Those forces are too small to enter the forested valleys and ravines where the Taliban will regroup, Hussain said.

Pakistan says the offensive in South Waziristan has cut off escape routes to prevent the Taliban from fleeing in large numbers. The army began the operation, its largest against Islamic militants, on Oct. 17, and said it has killed about 300 guerrillas. The Taliban has responded with suicide bombings and attacks that have killed more than 300 people.

“There is no place for the Taliban in Pakistan,” the Associated Press of Pakistan cited Interior Minister  as saying in a radio interview yesterday in Islamabad. “The entire nation has said ‘no’ to the Taliban.”