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Shandur Polo Festival

Shandur Polo Festival is going to be held on 7th to 9th July in Shandur. Shandur polo ground is located bout 3738 meter an above sea level and lies midway between Chitral and Gilgit. This three days polo tournament will be organized by the Gilgit and Chitral polo clubs and Sarhad Corporation Tourism. The tournament will be held on Shandur Pass, the highest polo ground in the world at 3,700 meters (the pass itself is at 3,800m).Shandur create a center of attention for visitors to experience the traditional polo tournament which is being held since 1936 on annual basis in July between the teams of Chitral and Gilgit. The festival also includes Folk music, Paragliding, dancing, bonfire and a camping village is set up.

Gilgit, Chitral and Skardu have always played the game of polo closest to its original form. In the past, local Khans, Mirs and Mehtars were the patrons of the game. At times, more than 50% of the annual budget of their principalities would be spent on supporting the game.

Field polo requires two teams of 4 players. A full-size of large grass field is 300 yards long, and either 200 yards or 160 yards wide if there are side boards—these are generally 6" high. There are tall collapsible goalposts at each end of the field spread 8 yards apart. The object of the game is to score the most goals by hitting the ball through the goal. Polo teams change direction after each goal in order to compensate for field and wind conditions. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a long-handled mallet.

A polo game has periods of play, known as chukkas (also chukkers or chuckers). This term originated in 1898 and is derived from Hindi chakkar from Sanskrit chakra "circle, wheel” or duration of rounds (compare chakka). Depending on the rules of the particular tournament or league, a game may have 4, 6 or 8 chukkas; 6 chukkas or rounds are most common usually, each chukka or round is 7 minutes long, but some games are played in shorter chukkas. Between chukkas, the players switch to fresh ponies. In less competitive polo leagues, players may play only two ponies, alternating between them.

A game first played in Persia (Iran) at dates given from the 5th century BC, or much earlier, to the 1st century AD and originated there, polo was at first a training game for cavalry units, usually the king's guard or other elite troops. Polo found popularity in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Pakistan and the United States of America.

James Gordon Bennett, Jr. organized the first polo match in the United States at Dickel's Riding Academy at 39th Street and Fifth Avenue in New York City. During the early part of the 20th century, under the leadership of Harry Payne Whitney, polo changed to become a high-speed sport in the United States, differing from the game in England, where it involved short passes to move the ball toward the opposition's goal. Whitney and his teammates used the fast break, sending long passes downfield to riders who had broken away from the pack at a full gallop.

Polo is now an active sport in 77 countries, and although its tenure as an Olympic sport was limited to 1900–1939, in 1998 the International Olympic Committee recognized it as a sport with a bona fide international governing body, the Federation of International Polo. The World Polo Championship of Polo is held every three years by the Polo. But Shandur Polo is held every year on same dates in summer.

Like every year, a large number of foreign and local audiences are expected and the national airlines will charter special flights for the occasion from all around the country to Chitral. An estimated 10,000 people attended the event in 2009 and similar numbers are expected this year.

Establishment of festival announced the special arrangement for national and international visitors.

An official of Sarhad Corporation Tourism told that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Sports, Culture & Tourism Syed Aqil Shah will request President Asif Ali Zardari and other international guests to attend the event as chief guest.
This type of events shows and proves that Pakistan is stable, moderate and peace making country and Pakistanis are peace loving people and nobody can bulldoze our peace.

Anti-Islam Guerrillas Attack at two Qadiani’s mosques.

Eighty persons were killed and several others injured when unknown terrorists opened fire and hurled hand grenades at worship places of the minority Qadianis at Model Town and Ghari Shahu here Friday. Police sources said that SP Cantt Haider Ashraf and his gunman also received bullet injuries in firing by terrorists. More than three hundred persons were present in the Model Town worship place when the terrorists attacked.

According to initial reports, 74 persons were killed in Model Town and Garhi Shahu in firing indiscriminately and lobbing grenades by unknown guerrilla terrorists. Three suicide terrorist explode themselves in the mosques when 1,500 worshipers were busy in worshiping in the two mosques for the Friday prayers.

Meanwhile, Inspector General Police Tariq Saleem Dogar along with heavey contingent of police reached the spots and started rescue operation in Garhi Shahu in the worship places the police added.

Talking to the media at Garhi Shahu, the IGP said that police have arrested two terrorists while they accomplice were inquired in police firing .the attacker was wearing explode vest which was defused after arrested him. The terrorists also exploded a vehicle packed with explosives, killing three police personnel and critically injuring some others.

We arrested two terrorist and start investigation Khasro Pervaze commissioner told to media. Today is our nuclear power day and our enemy can’t see our achievement .RAW is involved in this attack, he added.

Muslim Shia and Suni communities said that Muslim can’t do this bloody attack. Filthy anti-Islam army and anti Muslim is hidden behind this action.

Life Wife and Love Based on Money

It is a story of poor Mohammad Ahmad 45 years old tourist guide who is still unmarried. He told me about his love story and his love with some one but he cannot marry with her because he is poor and her father has many demands asbride groom has own home, good bank balance and car. But it is verydifficult for him to mange all these.He siad that Egyptian Marriage is very difficult for men. The customs of gulf countries are different from other western countries and that is the reason he is collecting money for his marriage.

He is working with a tourist agency and also drives a Taxi after his office time. He is making his bank balance gradually and looking reasonable apartment for starting his new married life. It is the tradition and Islamic custom that man can provide every thing to his life partnerwhen he got married. He also told me that the poor people andespecially poor can not marry cause of high demand from the girl’sfather and family. The high demands of the bride’s father is just toprotection and safeguard the material rights of his daughter and herfuture life. The poor class could not fulfill these demands and thefinancial issues are different from our culture. The real reason whyfamilies ask for lots of money and a house for the bride is simplythat men are untrustworthy ‘if taken only at face value,' and whenthey make financial commitments, they become more serious’.

Marriage was an expensive mater for Egyptian men. Most Egyptian menhas just one wife.According to him Egyptian weddings are mostly arranged and both thefamilies of bride and groom making inquires of the relative,colleagues, neighbors and friends as to the other’s status andaccomplish.He also told me that there is no age limit for marriage. Making yourhome in Cairo or any province of the Egypt is very difficult and bigtask for bride groom. Men perfer to to find a foreigner life partner like European or western girls because they have not any special demands.

I told him that why you do not sit with her father, explain anddiscuss what you have and that you will be willing to offer her thebest you can afford, and yes everything in Egypt is negotiable, eventhis issue. And if they turn you down because you can't afford somebricks in Cairo where cockroaches will have a blast while you're gone most of the year, then save yourself from the trouble and let them decide for the future of their daughter.

He said that he loves her too much and he can not live without her. He said that he has many beautiful dreams with her but the financial barrier doesnot allow him to fulfill his dreams. He told me that he often went on date with her at any coffee shop or parks but he want to live a happy married life with her.I could not help him because this issue is very critical. I was very dishearten to meet and heard his love story. He was struggling for eight years to get his love. In our country marriage is not such a difficult task for man but unfortunately it is a hard task for girls and her families, they face many difficulties for this social marriage contract.I hope that he will get marry with his beloved after tough, hardstruggle and fulfill the demand of her’s father to give her all basicsocial rights.

Daughter of Pakistan Victimized by American Injustice

Who will be Muhammad Bin Qasim rescue to Dr Aafia from Americans?

America lost its confidence and reputation after the verdict of Dr Afia Saddiqui among whole Muslim world. Family members of her and all Pakistani impatiently waiting the verdict of Aafia .They know that she is Innocent and she will be released after the judgment.

But the court in the United States has found Pakistani scientist Dr Aafia Siddiqui guilty of attempting to kill Americans in Afghanistan. How could she ?

The foreign ministry spokesman of Pakistan said that the government was disappointment by the guilty verdict of Aafia. Government would be in touch with her lawyer and family and help them.

Dr Aafia’s family and all Pakistan anger over the guilty verdict. A sister said that the guilt verdict demonstrates that America can not provide justice to innocent people. And her mother said that the verdict was in a humiliation for the US .Her family become stronger after guilty verdict of Aafia by US court .It is the judgment of injustice people they believe.



Dr Aafia Saddiqui born in Karach March 2,1972 in KArachi had earned her doctorate from a highly prestigious University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology better known as MIT. She had obtained a prestigious degree from a prestigious University while she was in twenties. Thus it could be said she was not an ordinary student.

She was known for being a fiery and a prominent speaker in the University and that too at a place known all over the world for maintaining very high standard of education.

Dr Aafia Siddiqui held very strong views on many matters and on that basis had earned a name for herself. She often criticized the policies of the United States in international affairs. This did not make her dear to the Americans.

Somebody who had lived among them and received education in their prestigious university should be critical of their policies. No, this was something they could not tolerate.

Democracy is a matter of pride for the Americans but it faltered when they had to deal with Dr Aafia Siddiqui .But it is not pride and good news for US because the wrong verdict is create more tension and destabilize the relations between east and west .

People in Pakistan had followed the proceedings of the trial with great suspense. They had waited anxiously for the verdict and had hoped it would be announced in acquittal of Dr Aafia.

The Government of Pakistan too had hoped that the agony of Dr Aafia would come to an end. The government paid dollar two million to meet various expenses during the trial.

President Asif Ali Zardari has offered assistance to her family in further pursuing the case. This shows how seriously the people of Pakistan are concerned over the matter.

She was convicted of seven charges. These were listed as attempting to kill US nationals, abroad, armed assault on US officers and employees, using and carrying a firearm.

Dr Aafia Saddiqui had also been accused of having links with Al-Qaeda. But this charge was not brought up during her trial. At least the jury did not mention it in its verdict. It could therefore be said this allegation did not have hard evidence.

Dr Aafia Siddiqui was convicted by a 12- member jury. It consisted of seven women and five men. The decision was unanimous. It was announced after the jury deliberated it for two days.

The court convicted her on Feb 3 but the sentence would be announced on May 6. Affia for full three months would languish in jail. She would suffer both physical and mental torture.

The Americans have themselves admitted that she was in their custody at the time of the incident. She was charged with having used M-4 rifle in her attempt to kill US officials.

One particular point is significant in the verdict. The jury said Aafia did not commit the crime with premeditation.

This means the incident or the crime as the jury thought it fit to be called was not pre-planned. It should be stated here, that the crime thus committed is not dealt with such harshness as it has been done in this case.

It is unfortunate that the jury thought it otherwise and handed down extremely harsh verdict. Even in American courts, the lawyers point it out if they ever find the incident was not premeditated. They do it for the reason to obtain benefit for their client.

Why then the jury in the case of Dr Aafia Saddiqui behaved differently, it is best known to them. However, it is certain that they could not provide best answer to the question. Rather this could be best described as murder of justice.

It could only be said the law had taken a different course when it came to convicting Pakistani scientist.

The other important matter that needs to be mentioned is immediate reaction of Dr Aafia Siddiqui to the verdict as soon as she heard it.

She said "this verdict of the jury is not supported by the people of the United States".She also appealed to the people of Pakistan to stay calm. This comment clearly reveals that she holds the people of the United States in high esteem. It shows she has faith in humanity. It speaks for her courage. She still trusts the honesty of common man.

The question that arises is then how did it happen. She was arrested on July 17, 2008near an American military base in Afghanistan. She was alleged to have fired at American officials on the following day.

Aafia was reported missing since March 2003.She was on her way to Karachi Airport from her home along with her three minor children when she went missing. One child has been handed over to her family in Karachi but the other two are still reported missing. Where they now could be, nobody knows it.

The Government of Pakistan and Aafia's family members have time and again demanded that since her children were innocent, they should be immediately released.

Member of Dr Aafia Siddiqui's family and her son who has been released by her captors is mentally disturbed. They say that he does not even remember his name.

Her sudden disappearance from the scene was widely reported by Pakistani media.
People of Pakistan wanted to know of her whereabouts. Everybody in the country knew that she had gone missing.




All protests against her disappearance and efforts to trace her out by her family members went in vain.

At that time Pervaiz Musharraf was the President of Pakistan. The time has shown that he was not keen to find the whereabouts of missing Pakistanis.

So many of them had disappeared during his tenure and if one more went what difference it would make for him.

How did she come to possess a rifle while she was under detention? Her captors have a ready- made answer. She had snatched it from the American soldiers who were holding her a prisoner and busy interrogating her about terrorism.



She was the only female present on the scene. A lone and physically weak woman had the strength to grab a rifle from stout and healthy male Americans. They had all the means at their disposal to defend themselves against a person who was completely at their mercy.

The Americans claim they fired at her in self-defense. They had to say this to lay claim to their innocence.

They leveled this allegation against Dr Aafia because they did not have any other choice.

Dr Aafia lay critically wounded in front of them and they knew well this would and an explanation would be sought from them.

Dr Aafia Siddiqui suffered wounds in the abdomen and a leg. She has still not fully recovered from the wounds she suffered at the hands of her captors. She was sexually abused during confinement .She had deteriorated physically and mentally by the American officers.

Dr Aafia Saddiqui said in fact the American officials had fired at her when she tried to look outside. She was wounded and fell back.

Her statement is supported by hard evidence. She was admitted to a hospital in Texas. This is an adequate proof of her injuries. What else the reason for admitting her to hospital.

If any further evidence is needed about her having been admitted to a hospital, it has been provided by her meeting with a Pakistani delegation.

The delegation had then proceeded to the United States from Pakistan. The members of the delegation did not go there just on a pleasure trip. They had support of the people of Pakistan.

The citizens of Pakistan felt disappointed when the delegation failed to bring Dr Aafia Saddiqui back home as they had wished or provide any relief to her from her pain.

The American lawyers who have pleaded on behalf of Dr Aafia Siddiqui said after the announcement of the verdict that they full faith in the system of justice in their country. They would appeal to the higher courts of their country to seek justice.

Let's hope they succeed and get justice as they have hoped for it. People of Pakistan too share their optimism and sincerely hope that would seen to have been done.

Let us also hope that the words of Dr Aafia Siddiqui come true that this verdict does have the support of the people of the United States of America.

Let us also hope that in the end it is not might but it is justice that has triumphed.

Dr Aafia Siddiqui may have to spend her entire life in jail if justice fails to come to her rescue. That indeed would be a tragedy for Aafia and her family.

She would be ruined and who would be blamed for the agony. Nobody would take the blame. The people of Pakistan would remember this unfortunate episode for a long time to come. It would also continue to haunt the Americans long after her exit.

Security has become a major problem

Security of Pakistan as well as of citizens has become crucial for the future of the state.

It has come to pose a challenge for both the government and the people in Pakistan.
Prior to the emergence of current situation, many people believed that Pakistan had to counter only the external threat. Now the internal threat too had become crucial. Rather this demands as much vigilance as the external threat.

The security and the well-being of the country now depends how best it deals with these two threats.

The events that followed Sept 11, 2001 have changed the situation all over the world.


Former Germnan Chancellor Schroeder had rightly said that the world would now be different. He said it would certainly not remain the same.

Violence has hit the country hard. Some say it is on decline but many others strongly challenge this argument. They say it is not on decline rather it is on rise.
Whether it is on rise or decline, people have begun to live with it as a dreadful part of their life.

All the people being aware of the menace keep thinking how best they could meet the challenge. They put forward different strategies. On one point they all agree that the problem of security demands immediate and prompt attention of all.

It appears that something has gone wrong somewhere. People do not feel themselves safe and secure as they did about ten years ago.

Everybody has to be on guard. Officials or private citizens, elderly or youth, men or women now feel compelled to take precautionary measures.

The security agencies constantly advise the people to remain alert. They should report to the police if they feel suspicious about any person in the area.

Similarly, they had better keep themselves away if they find anything by the roadside that might arouse their suspicion.

Some people go so far as to say that they do not know when they leave their homes whether they will be able to return or not.The common men find his life, property and unfortunately sometime even his honor at risk.

The reasons for the situation having deteriorated to such an extent are varied and many in number.

The spread of militancy practically to all parts of the country has been the main reason for giving rise to fear and insecurity.


The militancy has unleashed terror in many forms. These include bomb blasts, suicidal bombing, target killing kidnapping for ransom and street violence and robberies at gun point.

Bomb blasts and suicidal bombing from Khyber to Karachi have made the people think more about their safety. Such incidents as these can make anybody become an easy target and it could occur anywhere.

This fear has begun to haunt the people at homes, the streets in their offices and you name any other place, they feel it there.

According to reports, 87 suicide attacks took place across the country last year. Nearly 1300 people were killed in these attacks. This figure is an increase of about forty percent in comparison with the preceding year.

About fifty bomb attacks occurred in the final quarter of last year. Around 500 people are reported to have lost their lives during this period.

The number has been on the rise during the year 2009 itself.Most of these attacks have been carried out by teenagers.

According to the report of Dawn News hundreds of teenagers have been trained to be used as suicide bombers.

The personnel of security forces have suffered heavily in such acts but neither the women nor children were spared.

The educational institutions especially those in the NWFP have been attacked by militants. They have been very harsh against the schools for girls.

About 100 schools for girls were destroyed alone in Swat. The militants had taken over Swat. The life there stood paralyzed.

The whole world felt shocked. The place was a major attraction for tourists from home as well as abroad. But the tourists had stopped going there. Everything had come to a halt.Pakistan had to take action.

Pakistan army came to the rescue of the country. It launched operation to take back the land well known for its scenic beauty.

The armies succeed in taking it back but many of its brave soldiers had to render the supreme sacrifice of their life to restore the writ of the state.

The common citizens too had to pass through agony.About two and a half million local people had to leave the area during the military operation against militants. They moved to safer places and had to live in tents during the menacing heat of summer. They became to be known as Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) - refugees in their own country. What more horrible situation could be there?

However, it goes to the credit of the Pakistani Nation that it stood united to meet the challenge.

The Internally Displaced Persons did return to their homes after the Army took back Swat, but could life remain same for the people. No, it would not be possible.
Life from now onwards would be new for them and thus their conduct and their attitude would also be different.

The threat to life and property has also had its effects on economic and social life of the people.

The military operation also had to be conducted in South Waziristan. It had become the stronghold of militants and the State had to take action to restore its writ. It was launched last October and though militants have been driven out from large areas, the military operation has not ended as yet.

Action also has been taken in the Orakzai Agency and other places of the Federally Admisitered Tribal Areas. Never before has military action ever been taken on such a large scale in the history of FATA which stretches over a period of hundreds of years.

This alone adequately describes the serious situation that prevails there.