Threats to participating teams overshadow start of PFF Cup

KARACHI: The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) Cup was aimed at reviving the game in the country following eight months of inaction.

But as the tournament kicked off with the qualifying round on Thursday, reports emerged that the participating teams had been threatened with dire consequences as the vicious power struggle for control of Pakistan football threatened to spill on to the pitch.

So far the power struggle had only been limited to the courts as two factions of the PFF fought it out to resolve a dispute that began in the lead-up to the June 30 presidential elections of the country’s football governing body.

Now, though, it has seen teams being targeted.

As the PFF split into two factions following the controversial elections of the Punjab Football Association (PFA) in April, the Lahore High Court (LHC) intervened and ordered a stay on the presidential polls.

Incumbent PFF chief Faisal Saleh Hayat, though, went ahead and held the elections which led the LHC to declare the polls null and void whilst also making retired Justice Asad Munir the PFF administrator.

In subsequent orders, the LHC also declared that any football activity in the country could only be conducted by Munir.

The announcement of the PFF Cup brought relief to most departmental sides who had been crying out for football action in the country.

However, the Sindh Football Association (SFA) — in what seems to be a violation of the court orders which have empowered Munir to hold the tournament — threatened teams from the province with “severe disciplinary action” if they were to take part in the PFF Cup.

A letter, seen by Dawn, by SFA president Khadim Ali Shah — a Hayat ally — to departments and clubs in the province, the clubs are warned against “participation in [an] unauthorised football tournament”.

“This is to inform you that a so called group is trying to hold a football tournament without obtaining permission from the proper authority and SFA,” declares Khadim in the letter.

“All the departmental teams are hereby advised to refrain and avoid participating. Any team participating in the said so called tournament will be taken to task and severe disciplinary action will be taken.”

The letter prompted a furious response from National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) head coach Nasir Ismail.

“We departments aren’t bound to follow SFA,” Nasir told Dawn on Thursday. “So many departments have disbanded their football teams lately and never has the SFA raised a voice.

“The SFA has never given the departments a single penny and instead of being thankful to the PFF administrator, who is organising the tournament, they’re trying to steal the bread and butter of players who have been under immense pressure with no football lately.”

There was a word of praise for the PFF Cup from Zia Dogar, president of the Fame Sports Club and Academy in Lahore where Saif Textile, in Group III of the qualifying round, warmed up for the tournament with a 2-2 draw against Group IV contestants Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL).

“The PFF Cup is a source of inspiration and has raised hope of game revival after a long stagnant period [for football],” Dogar was quoted as saying in a news release.

Bilal hat-trick

There were goals galore for Ashraf Sugar Mills (ASM) in the first game of the PFF Cup as a hat-trick by Mohammad Bilal saw them rout Pakistan Steel 6-0 here at the KMC Stadium.

Victory saw ASM take early charge of Group ‘I’ which was reduced to three teams after Social Welfare Team (SWT) failed to “reach Karachi from Chaman due to unavoidable circumstances”, according to tournament director Rauf Bari.

Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) are the other team in the group with the top two teams from each of the four qualifying groups advancing to the final round which begins from February 9.

Bilal opened the scoring in the 20th minute before ASM took Pakistan Steel to the sword in the second half.

Imran Ali doubled their advantage five minutes into the second half with Mohammad Imran making it 3-0 in the 53rd. Bilal added two more in quick succession to complete his treble in the 67th before substitute Kashif Amin rounded off the scoring in the 85th.

PFF Cup organising committee chairman Ali Bahar Brohi, who in a news conference two days ago denied that the tournament was a one-faction event — as stated by Khadim, inaugurated the tournament by kicking the ball.

Khadim’s letter remained the main talking point of the day with Bari slamming the accusations that the tournament was being organised by a faction.

“The PFF Cup is being organised and staged with the permission and under the authority of the PFF administrator and with a view to ensuring that notwithstanding the current issues facing Pakistan football, the teams should not be denied an opportunity of participating in a national event since the Pakistan Premier Football League (PPFL) has already been cancelled for this season,” Bari told Dawn in a statement on Thursday.

“Therefore Khadim’s letter to the participating teams is not only a violation of the PFF constitution but significantly, his actions trying to undermine an event authorised by the PFF administrator is tantamount to contempt of Court.

“The references in his letter to the PFF Cup being an ‘unauthorised’ event ‘without obtaining permission from the proper authority’ and threatening the participating teams with ‘severe disciplinary action’ are not only false to his knowledge, but defamatory and contemptuous, in which regard, PFF reserves all its rights including issuing a legal notice and initiating appropriate legal proceedings including for contempt.”

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Friday’s fixtures (all kick-offs at 3:30pm)

Group ‘II’: Karachi United v Gwadar Port Authority (KPT Stadium, Karachi); Sindh Government Press v Pakistan Police (KMC Stadium, Karachi).

Group ‘IV’: Higher Education Commission v Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (Jinnah Stadium, Islamabad).

Attack on Shia mosque in Saudi Arabia kills three people: Arabiya TV

DUBAI: A shooting at a Shia mosque in eastern Saudi Arabia killed three people and wounded seven others Friday during prayers, security officials and a witness said, the latest violence to strike the region.

The attack struck the Imam Reza Mosque in the neighborhood of Mehasin during prayers.

Images on social media showed wounded people laying on the mosque's floor.

The security officials said the three deaths were an initial toll. They spoke on condition of anonymity as a formal announcement had yet to be made.

An activist, citing witnesses, told Reuters earlier that an explosion was followed by gun attack on Imam Reza Mosque in the town of Mahasen in al-Ahsa region in the Eastern Province.

Residents said security forces were exchanging gunfire with five “terrorists”.

Mohammed al-Nimr told The Associated Press the attack struck the mosque during Friday prayers.

Al-Nimr, who is the brother of the executed cleric, Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr. said security forces and ambulances quickly surrounded the mosque.

He said that the attack was a shooting and that worshippers stopped the attacker from detonating a suicide bomb belt.

Saudi state media did not immediately report on the attack.

Shias in Saudi Arabia previously have been targeted in attacks by the Islamic State group in the kingdom.

Earlier this month, Saudi officials also executed a prominent Shia clericfrom the region, raising tensions in the area.

FBR notifies rules to select cases for tax audit

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on Thursday notified rules to select cases for sales tax, federal excise duty and income tax audit to nab tax evaders.

The rules, issued through three different statutory regulatory orders (SROs), will help the FBR to identify short filers, nil filers and those who misrepresent their sales and incomes.

According to SRO54, the apex tax collecting body notified several steps to select and conduct audit of sales tax cases. The data of all sales tax returns, filed electronically or manually, will be utilised as a basic data for audit.

The FBR will decide the cases of persons or classes of persons, which are to be excluded from audit selection and such exclusion will be publicised each year through FBR’s website and the data of the remaining cases will be utilised for computer ballot for audit selection.

The whole balloting system for audit selection will be based only on the national tax numbers (NTNs) or computerised national identity cards (CNICs) of the filers. The cases selected for audit will be communicated to regional tax offices (RTOs) concerned, and large taxpayers units (LTUs). The FBR issued through the same SRO detailed procedures for selecting cases for sales tax audit.

Through SRO55, the FBR issued rules to select cases for auditing federal excise cases. The amendments were made in the Federal Excise Rules 2005.

The bureau, through SRO52, has notified draft rules to audit income tax cases. It sought feedback from stakeholders within seven days before finalising the rules.

Corps Commander Karachi discusses law and order situation with CM, governor Sindh

KARACHI: Corps Commander Karachi Lieutenant-General Naveed Mukhtar called on Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah and Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan on Friday to discuss the law and order situation in the metropolis.

Matters related to the ongoing targeted operation in Karachi, implementation on the decisions of apex Committee and overall law and order in the city were discussed in the meeting held between Lt Gen Naveed Mukhtar and Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, reported Radio Pakistan.

During the meeting, the corps commander appreciated the decision of establishing ten more anti-terrorism courts in Karachi.

Lt Gen Mukhtar later met Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan at the Governor House where the two discussed issues related to the National Action Plan and security situation in Karachi.

The security concerns facing educational institutions and the future course of action regarding the issue also came under discussion during the meeting, official sources told DawnNews.

The meetings come two days after Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Gen Raheel Sharif met heads of intelligence apparatuses of the armed forces, the corps commander and the Sindh Rangers chief at the Corps Headquarters Karachi.

In a statement issued after the high-level huddle, the COAS “vowed to go to any length” for peace in Karachi, sending out a message that there would be no let-up in the Rangers-led operation in the city.

Crackers lobbed at Rangers checkpost, market in Karachi

KARACHI: Attackers hurled a cracker at a Rangers checkpost in North Nazimabad area here on Friday, police said.

SSP Central Muqaddas Haider said attackers threw the cracker on a Rangers checkpost from over a bridge in North Nazimabad's Block B however, Rangers personnel remained unhurt.

The bomb went off with a loud explosion spreading fear and panic in the area.

A contingent of Rangers cordoned off the area after the blast.

According to Bomb Disposal Squad, the cracker was a home-made bomb and 250 grams of explosive material was used in its making, DawnNews reported.

Later in the day, a cracker was thrown in Liaquatabad supermarket which exploded with a loud bang.

No injuries were reported in this incident, SSP Muqaddas said.

Law-enforcement personnel are regularly targeted in Karachi, where an extensive ‘operation’ against criminal elements was initiated back in September 2013.

Karachi operation was launched after the federal cabinet empowered Rangers to lead a targeted advance with the support of police against criminals already identified by federal military and civilian agencies for their alleged involvement in targeted killings, kidnappings for ransom, extortion and terrorism in Karachi.

I am negotiating with agencies, claims Maulana Abdul Aziz

ISLAMABAD: Deposed Lal Masjid cleric Maulana Abdul Aziz has alleged that an officer from the country’s premiere intelligence agency “was conspiring against him”, while other officials were in contact with him in an effort to sort out the differences between the two sides.

In a written statement and a video message, released via the official Facebook page of Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa, Maulana Aziz claimed he was in negotiations with an officer of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

However, he claimed that while the negotiations were moving in the right direction, another senior ISI officer was acting as a ‘spoiler’.

“I have been told by one of my followers that a brigadier in ISI, who belongs to the ‘other sect’ is conspiring against me,” he said, adding, “I know they are making false videos about me [accusing me of] taking extortion money...”

He also claimed that the intelligence authorities were promoting extremism in the country with their attitude.

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Deposed Lal Masjid cleric’s latest video levels allegations against intelligence officials, disparages other sects

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“A major recently called and I invited him for a meeting so that we can understand each other,” Maulana Aziz said in the video.

But an ISI spokesperson Dawn spoke to rejected the cleric’s claims of meeting a major belonging to the agency, terming it “propaganda”.

“Maulana Abdul Aziz has a track record of fabricating stories and there has been no contact between him and any agency personnel,” the spokesperson said.

But ICT officials, on condition of anonymity, said that Islamabad police personnel and members of the civic administration had visited the cleric and tried to persuade him to obtain pre-arrest bail from the courts.

“This is strange; we have seen him visiting various parts of the city, buying fruit from street vendors on the sidewalk near the vacant plot that used to be the Children’s Library,” an ICT official said.

In the video, Maulana Aziz also made sectarian remarks, claiming that people with names such as ‘Shah’, ‘Haideri’ and ‘Shaheedi’ were involved in the killings of clerics from the Ahle Sunnat school of thought, including his own father.

“First a false case was registered against me and now they want me to obtain bail,” the cleric said, adding, “since the istakhara (divine guidance) is unfavourable, I am reluctant to post bail now.”

The issue of posting bail arose after PPP Senator Farhatullah Babar sought to move a privilege motion against the interior minister, who had earlier claimed in the Senate that there were no cases against Maulana Abdul Aziz. But Senator Babar showed documents that included an Islamabad High Court arrest warrant, issued around 11 months ago.

Talking to Dawn, he took the government to task over the release of the cleric’s latest video. “This is a clearly a violation of multiple laws and the question is where is the National Action Plan.”

“The violations are related to hate speech, fanning militancy, instigating sectarianism, inciting terrorism and challenging the state again,” he said, adding that either the government, including the interior minister, were complicit, or they were afraid of one man.

Mascarenhas to quit as New Zealand bowling coach

WELLINGTON: The New Zealand cricket team are to lose their third bowling coach in five years with Dimitri Mascarenhas announcing Friday he will step down following next month's tour by Australia.

The former England international, who took over the coaching position less than a year ago, said he was stepping down to spend more time with his family.

The 38-year-old follows former Black Cap Shane Bond and South Africa's Allan Donald, who have also filled the role since early 2011.

In that time they have developed a bowling stable spearheaded by Trent Boult and Tim Southee, both top-10 Test bowlers, with Boult also the top-ranked ODI bowler.

“At first I thought I could balance the responsibilities but I no longer think that's feasible. I need to be closer to my family,” Mascarenhas said when announcing his resignation.

“I had an amazing time with the team. It's probably been the best time I've had in cricket, either as a player or as a coach.”

Head coach Mike Hesson said he was sorry to be losing the Englishman.

“While obviously disappointed, we understand that family comes first and the demands of the international calendar are not always compatible with that,” he said.

“We look forward to having Dimi with us through to the end of the Australian series and wish him well in the future.”

New Zealand's second and final Test in the Australia series starts in Christchurch on February 20.

Upbeat Van Gaal denies ‘resignation’

MANCHESTER: Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal thanked executive vice chairman Ed Woodward for his support on Thursday as he denied reports he had offered to resign.

Van Gaal has faced a trying week following the home defeat by Southampton which saw the Old Trafford crowd turn on the veteran Dutch manager.

But Woodward has been steadfast in his support of van Gaal, who has 18 months remaining on his contract, and appears determined to keep him in place until at least the end of the season.

Reports suggested van Gaal had even offered to resign following the Southampton setback and that Jose Mourinho had been increasingly put forward as a potential replacement should United decide to make a change.

But van Gaal's position appears safe for the time being, although he conceded that the unwavering support of Woodward and the board bring with it a greater level of pressure.

“It is fantastic of course, but that also gives you a lot of pressure,” he told a news conference on Thursday.

“When the board has such confidence, the pressure is much higher than when they say it is your last game or something like that,” said van Gaal, speaking ahead of Friday's FA Cup fourth-round tie away to second-tier Derby County.

“When your confidence is not so high, you can fight against it. When you can fight, you have bigger motivation than when they support you.

“But I am always fighting.”

Van Gaal's fighting spirit has certainly been tested to the full of late.

United have fallen well out of title contention and now look to be struggling even to secure a top four finish and, with it, an all-important place in the Champions League.

But van Gaal insisted that, contrary to reports, he had never offered to resign.

“I have not mentioned that, ever,” he said.

“This is the third time that I have been 'sacked' and I am still sitting here for you. I have always faced this (scrutiny).”

Van Gaal also appeared far more upbeat, and defiant, than had been the case following the Southampton defeat when he apologised to United supporters.

“It is always like that when you lose a game, certainly in the last minute, that you are fed up,” he said.

“How we have played is not always the main issue because you can play badly and win. When that happens, you are not so fed up.

“But we have played very well and lost, like Chelsea away last season, so when that happens you are more fed up than ever.

“It is your duty as a manager and a player to stand up again and do what you do because that is a professional attitude,” he insisted.

Djokovic puts down Federer fightback to reach Australian Open final

MELBOURNE: Champion Novak Djokovic foiled a stirring fightback from Roger Federer to defeat the Swiss 6-1 6-2 3-6 6-3 at the Australian Open on Thursday and charge into a fifth successive grand slam final.

Storming to a two-set lead within an hour, Djokovic appeared destined to complete a stinging humiliation but the net-rushing Federer responded brilliantly in the third as a partisan crowd roared him on at a flood-lit Rod Laver Arena.

In a fourth set rivened by tension, Djokovic broke Federer in the eighth game and served out the match to love in two hours and 19 minutes.

The world number one will bid for a record sixth title at Melbourne Park in the professional era, and will meet the winner of second seed Andy Murray and 13th seed Milos Raonic who play in the second semi-final on Friday.

Iran, Israel could ratify nuke test ban treaty, says UN official

VIENNA: The head of the United Nations nuclear test ban treaty organisation says arch enemies Iran and Israel are the closest of the eight holdout nations to ratifying the treaty and assuring the world they will never conduct a nuclear test explosion.

Lassina Zerbo said this week that having Iran and Israel ratify together would certainly lead to Egypt's ratification, and pave the way for a nuclear test-free zone in the Middle East.

The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, known as the CTBT, has 196 member states, 183 that have signed the treaty and 164 that have ratified it.

But the treaty has not entered into force because it still needs ratification by eight countries that had nuclear power reactors or research reactors when the UN General Assembly adopted the treaty in 1996: the United States, China, Iran, Israel, Egypt, India, Pakistan and North Korea.

Zerbo, speaking during a week-long conference marking the 20th anniversary of the treaty being opened for signing, said he doesn't expect immediate results on ratification, but is hoping to visit both Iran and Israel and talk to their leaders because “I think that they're the ones who can unlock what is stopping the CTBT from moving.”

In a briefing and an interview, he said that implementation of last summer's deal to rein in Iran's nuclear programme and confirmation from Israeli and international scientists that Tehran can't produce nuclear weapons would mean “the biggest threat for Israel is gone and over”.

Zerbo said the next step should then be to ratify the CTBT, which both Iran and Israel signed in 1996. He called this “a low-hanging fruit,” toward the goal of nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament.

“Israel and Iran can make a huge difference for this treaty, and they have nothing to lose ... absolutely nothing,” Zerbo said.

“Both of them can take leadership and show carte blanche to the world to say we have together decided to ratify the CTBT.”

He said ratification by Iran and Israel would help defuse tensions between the countries, build trust and provide momentum, first for Egypt to ratify the CTBT and then to start negotiations for a nuclear test-free zone in the Middle East.

Zerbo said a nuclear test-free zone is an achievable step toward the much more difficult goal of establishing a nuclear weapon-free zone in the Middle East.

“You can't jump and get a weapon-free zone in the Middle East if the CTBT isn't ratified,” he said.

Arab nations have been calling for a nuclear-free zone since the mid 1990s but efforts to hold a conference to discuss the possibility have failed.

One key issue has been differences with Israel, which is widely believed to have an arsenal of hundreds of nuclear weapons but has avoided confirming or denying their existence.

But if Israel, Iran and Egypt ratify the CTBT, Zerbo said this will put pressure on the United States to ratify as well.

“President Barack Obama wants to ratify the treaty”, he said. “But his hands are tied by the ‘Republican controlled’ senate.” Zerbo said ratification by the three Middle East countries should convince conservative Republicans in the US Senate to reconsider their opposition and support the treaty.

Looking at the current world situation and the other holdouts, Zerbo said, China won't ratify before the US, India won't ratify before China, and Pakistan won't ratify before India — which means US action is also crucial. North Korea, the only country to test nuclear weapons in the 21st century, is least likely of the eight key countries to ratify the CTBT, he said.

Zerbo said the international community needs to change the way it engages with North Korea, which earlier this month said it exploded a hydrogen bomb in its fourth nuclear test, which has not been confirmed.

“What they need at this point in time is … maybe a bit of respect and dignity in the dialogue we have with them,” he said.

“Instead of bang, bang on their head, maybe we have to come to sit with them around the table and say: ‘Hey guys, if this is confirmed that it's the fourth test, we don't want this to happen again. How can we work?'”

Zerbo said this should have happened after North Korea's first test in 2006.

Sweden, Finland plan to deport tens of thousands of migrants

STOCKHOLM: Finland joined Sweden on Thursday in announcing plans to deport tens of thousands of failed asylum seekers in a bid to contain the migrant crisis, as at least 31 more people died trying to reach the European Union.

The two Nordic countries are both struggling to cope with an influx of refugees and migrants fleeing misery in the Middle East and elsewhere ─ receiving amongst the highest numbers of arrivals per capita in the EU.

The Finnish government expects to deport around two thirds of the 32,000 asylum seekers that arrived in 2015, Paivi Nerg, administrative director of the interior ministry, told AFP.

"In principle we speak of about two thirds, meaning approximately 65 percent of the 32,000 will get a negative decision (on their asylum applications)," he told AFP.

In neighbouring Sweden, Interior Minister Anders Ygeman said Wednesday that the government is planning over several years to deport up to 80,000 people whose asylum applications are set to be rejected.

"We are talking about 60,000 people but the number could climb to 80,000," he told Swedish media, adding that, as in Finland, the operation would require the use of specially chartered aircraft.

Related: Schengen zone faces collapse if migrant crisis doesn’t end: EU chief

He estimated that Sweden would reject around half of the 163,000 asylum requests received in 2015.

Swedish Migration Minister Morgan Johansson said authorities faced a difficult task in deporting such large numbers, but insisted failed asylum seekers had to return home.

"Otherwise we would basically have free immigration and we can't manage that," he told news agency TT.

The clampdown came as 25 bodies, including those of 10 children, were discovered off the Greek island of Samos, in the latest tragedy to strike migrants risking the dangerous Mediterranean crossing in a bid to start new lives in Europe.

The Italian navy meanwhile said it had recovered six bodies from a sinking dinghy off Libya -- and in Bulgaria, the frozen bodies of two men, believed to be migrants, were found near the border with Serbia.

More than one million people travelled to Europe in 2015 ─ the majority of them refugees fleeing conflict in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan ─ in the continent's worst migration crisis since World War II.

Nearly 4,000 people died trying to reach Europe by sea last year, according to the International Organization for Migration.

Related: Drowned toddler sparks fresh horror over Europe migrant crisis

'Illegal' plan to send back migrants

As Europe struggles to respond to the unprecedented influx, a top Dutch politician said the Netherlands was working with some EU members on a plan to send migrants back to Turkish soil.

The proposal would see asylum granted to up to 250,000 others already hosted by Turkey, Diederik Samsom said.

But rights group Amnesty International blasted the plan, saying it was "fundamentally flawed since it would hinge on illegally returning asylum seekers and refugees".

In Britain, the government said it would take in an unspecified number of migrant children who have been separated from their parents by conflict in Syria and elsewhere.

Officials will work with the United Nations' UNHCR refugee agency to identify youngsters eligible to take up residence in Britain, the interior ministry announced.

Flimsy boats packed with migrants are still arriving on Greek beaches every day, undeterred by Europe's wintry conditions.

Athens is under increasing pressure to stem the influx, with the European Commission on Wednesday saying Greece had "seriously neglected" its duty to protect the bloc's borders.

Greece could face border controls with the EU's passport-free Schengen zone if it does not protect the bloc's frontiers, Brussels warned.

Also Read: Cameron under fire for 'bunch of migrants' comment

With the influx showing little sign of abating, many countries ─ including Austria, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and France ─ have tightened asylum rules in a bid to discourage new arrivals.

Sweden has seen the number of new migrants entering the country plunge since it brought in systematic photo ID checks on travellers on January 4.

Concerns have grown over conditions in Sweden's overcrowded asylum facilities, however, and officials have called for greater security after an employee at a refugee centre for unaccompanied youths was stabbed to death earlier this week.

A 15-year-old boy is accused of attacking 22-year-old Alexandra Mezher at the centre in Molndal on Sweden's west coast.

Her death has led to questions about conditions inside some centres, with too few adults and employees to care for the children, many traumatised by war.

Sweden took in around 35,400 unaccompanied minors in 2015.

Rouhani-Hollande lunch scrapped after French insistence on serving wine

IRAN’S President Hassan Rouhani had been due to eat lunch with French President Francois Hollande in an upmarket restaurant on Thursday, but negotiations broke down after the Iranians requested a halal, alcohol-free meal.

French officials insisted on serving traditional local food and wine, saying making a meal “Iran friendly” went against their values.

The Elysee Palace suggested the heads of state share breakfast instead, but this was rejected as “too cheap”.

An official told a French radio station: “The leaders have missed out on a great opportunity to meet in the relaxed environment of a meal.”

His visit to Italy went much more smoothly as officials kept alcohol off the menu at state dinners and even covered up ancient nude statues in Rome as they signed deals worth 12 billion pounds.