Police Investigate Asir Sisters’ Complaint About Abuse in Family
Hayat Al-Ghamdi, Arab News
ABHA, 4 December 2007 — Authorities in Asir region are investigating the case of two sisters, aged 13 and 11, who have allegedly been sexually abused by their father and 15-year-old brother.
The girls are being kept at the Civil Hospital in Khamis Mushayt while authorities investigate their case.
“The elder girl was brought to the emergency room at the hospital last Wednesday by her father. She had pain in the right side of her stomach,” said a hospital source, adding that the father insisted that his daughter be placed in the men’s section to allow him to accompany her.
However, hospital staff refused the request and the girl was placed in the women’s section. “The father then brought along his younger daughter to accompany the older girl,” said the source.
“Both girls were in bad shape. Their health was poor and they looked bad. They didn’t want to talk at first. The younger sister was more willing to talk about the abuse than the older one,” said the source, adding that she cried and told staff not to tell her father or sister.
The source added that the younger sister claimed that her father, his girlfriend and elder brother had been abusing them. However, the older girl, who was reluctant to talk, said it was only her brother who was abusing them. Both girls also said that their father had introduced them to porn movies.
The girls live with their father and three siblings. The children’s mother, who lives and works in Jeddah as a cleaner, is divorced and sends SR1,000 for the children each month. She also regularly telephones them, but is oblivious of the abuse.
The hospital source criticized the authorities for not adequately investigating the case. The source said this was also true of human rights bodies, which have shown to be reluctant to take action in previous cases.
This reporter was asked by hospital staff to contact police to urge them to investigate the case. Officers were initially reluctant but then later came and took statements from the girls.
The source added that they are unable to examine the girls without the prior permission of a judge or legal guardian, which in this case is the father.
Maha Al-Manif, executive manager of the Secure Family Program at the National Guard Hospital in Riyadh, said that it was difficult to get approval from a judge to examine a victim because the Kingdom’s judiciary is unorganized.
When asked if a 15-year-old could abuse a girl, Al-Manif said, “At this age the boy is considered to be an adult and is able to perform sex.”
Monday, December 03, 2007
Sharif Barred From January Vote
Azhar Masood, Arab News
LAHORE, 4 December 2007 — Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) leader Nawaz Sharif was barred by the Election Commission yesterday from taking part in the Jan. 8 election as the former prime minister continued his quest for an opposition boycott of the vote by meeting Pakistan People’s Party leader Benazir Bhutto in Islamabad.
In the morning, Sharif was disqualified from the elections, with the elections body citing his criminal record as the reason for the rejection. Sharif, who returned from seven years of exile on Nov. 25, says the convictions secured against him in the wake of his removal were politically motivated.
Sharif brushed off his disqualification by an election official in Lahore, and vowed to fight on against what he called dictatorship. “Let them reject the nominations ... 10 times or even 100 times. I will serve the people with much more vigor and resolve,” he told his supporters.
Sharif’s party was quick to blame President Pervez Musharraf for the turn of events. “Musharraf is responsible ... This is the most blatant form of rigging possible,” said Sharif’s spokesman, Nadir Chaudri.
The PML-N was already put in a fix when election officials barred Sharif’s brother, Shahbaz, from running last week, citing financial irregularities.
Sharif, asked if he would appeal against his disqualification, said: “That amounts to recognizing the courts which Musharraf has recently constituted which we don’t consider legitimate.”
Despite the latest setback, Sharif met Benazir for talks late yesterday to discuss whether to boycott the Jan. 8 general election.
Sharif arrived at Benazir’s house in Islamabad after flying in from Lahore, but he did not speak to waiting media. “They will discuss whether or not to boycott upcoming elections,” Farhatullah Babar, a spokesman for Benazir’s party, said earlier.
Sharif and his allies, including the second biggest religious party and the party of former cricket hero Imran Khan, say taking part in the election would legitimize Musharraf’s unconstitutional moves to hold on to power.
Sharif is demanding that Musharraf reinstates the judges he dismissed after he declared emergency rule on Nov. 3.
LAHORE, 4 December 2007 — Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) leader Nawaz Sharif was barred by the Election Commission yesterday from taking part in the Jan. 8 election as the former prime minister continued his quest for an opposition boycott of the vote by meeting Pakistan People’s Party leader Benazir Bhutto in Islamabad.
In the morning, Sharif was disqualified from the elections, with the elections body citing his criminal record as the reason for the rejection. Sharif, who returned from seven years of exile on Nov. 25, says the convictions secured against him in the wake of his removal were politically motivated.
Sharif brushed off his disqualification by an election official in Lahore, and vowed to fight on against what he called dictatorship. “Let them reject the nominations ... 10 times or even 100 times. I will serve the people with much more vigor and resolve,” he told his supporters.
Sharif’s party was quick to blame President Pervez Musharraf for the turn of events. “Musharraf is responsible ... This is the most blatant form of rigging possible,” said Sharif’s spokesman, Nadir Chaudri.
The PML-N was already put in a fix when election officials barred Sharif’s brother, Shahbaz, from running last week, citing financial irregularities.
Sharif, asked if he would appeal against his disqualification, said: “That amounts to recognizing the courts which Musharraf has recently constituted which we don’t consider legitimate.”
Despite the latest setback, Sharif met Benazir for talks late yesterday to discuss whether to boycott the Jan. 8 general election.
Sharif arrived at Benazir’s house in Islamabad after flying in from Lahore, but he did not speak to waiting media. “They will discuss whether or not to boycott upcoming elections,” Farhatullah Babar, a spokesman for Benazir’s party, said earlier.
Sharif and his allies, including the second biggest religious party and the party of former cricket hero Imran Khan, say taking part in the election would legitimize Musharraf’s unconstitutional moves to hold on to power.
Sharif is demanding that Musharraf reinstates the judges he dismissed after he declared emergency rule on Nov. 3.
Sunday, December 02, 2007
Why Impose Restrictions on Women Worshippers at Prophet’s Mosque?
Dr. Hatoon Al-Fassi, Arab News
The restrictions being imposed on women’s praying at the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah raise many questions about women’s religious rights.
Despite the Islamic and historic evidences that confirm that women used to pray at the three holy mosques in Makkah, Madinah and Jerusalem, we have seen authorities impose so many restrictions on women’s praying at the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah citing various reasons including space constraints.
There are several sayings of the Prophet (peace be upon him) that tell Muslims not to prevent women from praying at mosques. I would like to focus this article on the situation of women worshippers at the Prophet’s Mosque.
Throughout history the Prophet’s Mosque has been open to male and female worshippers. Women used to pray at the mosque without any barriers as they prayed standing behind the rows of men until about 30 years ago. I remember how during my childhood, women were allowed to enter through the gate that leads straight to the chamber where the body of the Prophet and his righteous caliphs are buried.
We prayed at the Rowda, which was then open to all people irrespective of their gender.
Our whole family including my mother, father and sisters spent a lot of time at Rowda, one of the most revered places where prayers are answered. After paying homage to the Prophet and the caliphs, we used to visit the Baqi Graveyard where we prayed for the wives of the Prophet as well as his daughters and son and companions. We then would visit the historic places such as Uhud, Quba Mosque, Qiblatain Mosque and the Seven Mosques.
Some of the historic monuments have been wiped out during the past decades while some have been replaced with new ones. This is not our topic of discussion today. Even at these mosques women are given prayer places at the second or third floors without considering the difficulties and inconveniences caused to the pregnant or elderly or sick among them. The prayer areas for women are surrounded by high walls that prevent them from enjoying the splendor of the mosque.
Speaking about the Prophet’s Mosque, I would like to say that there are three main developments that put constrains on women praying there. First, the barriers to separate women from men are placed in such a way that women are unable to see the remaining part of the mosque and the imam.
This prevents women from fulfilling the conditions of congregational prayer such as seeing the imam (if he or she is not blind). The Prophet’s wife Aysha (God may be pleased with her) told a group of women who were praying in her room that this would prevent them from following the imam. According to the Hanbali school of thought, seeing the imam and the worshippers behind the imam is one of the conditions of the congregational prayer. So, I request authorities of the Prophet’s Mosque as well as other mosques to remove the barriers in order to help women fulfill the conditions of congregational prayer. Women also face a lot of restrictions at the Rawdah Sharief, which is one of the holiest places in Islam. The Prophet has said that what is between his house and his minbar (podium) is a garden (Rawdah) from the gardens of Paradise. It is one of the most revered places where prayers are answered.
After paying homage to the Prophet, every Muslim would love to pray at this holiest site called Rawdah. This area is open to men throughout the day while only a small portion (not exceeding four meters) is set apart for women and that too for a few hours — about three hours before Dhuhr prayers — between 7 and 10 a.m. and one hour before Asr Prayers between 2 and 3 p.m. Many female intellectuals have protested at this discrimination toward women in Rawdah, saying they feel dejected knowing that authorities give lesser value to visits, prayers and presence of women at the mosque.
These restrictions lead to so many undesirable things such as pushing, pulling and fighting for space in the area. These prevent women from having an atmosphere of peace and tranquility while praying in Rawdah.
A number of female writers like Fareeda Shatta, Nabeela Mahjoub, Manal Al-Sharief, Fatin Ibrahim Hussein, Najeeb Essam Yamani, Dr. Ameera Kashghari, Haleema Muzaffar, Iman Quwaifeli and Nahed Bashatah have written against the restrictions aimed at the women at the Prophet’s Mosque saying such things have no precedents in the history of Islam.
There are certain other objectionable practices at the Prophet’s Mosque such as discriminating female visitors on the basis of their nationalities and searching them in a humiliating manner. I don’t want to dwell on these points in detail due to space constraints. What I want to emphasize here is that authorities should allow women to pray at the Prophet’s Mosque with dignity without showing any discrimination. They also consult prominent female scholars in the Islamic world before taking decisions on matters related to women.
— Hatoon Al-Fassi is a Saudi historian based in Riyadh. She can be reached at: Hatoon-alfassi@columnist.com.
The restrictions being imposed on women’s praying at the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah raise many questions about women’s religious rights.
Despite the Islamic and historic evidences that confirm that women used to pray at the three holy mosques in Makkah, Madinah and Jerusalem, we have seen authorities impose so many restrictions on women’s praying at the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah citing various reasons including space constraints.
There are several sayings of the Prophet (peace be upon him) that tell Muslims not to prevent women from praying at mosques. I would like to focus this article on the situation of women worshippers at the Prophet’s Mosque.
Throughout history the Prophet’s Mosque has been open to male and female worshippers. Women used to pray at the mosque without any barriers as they prayed standing behind the rows of men until about 30 years ago. I remember how during my childhood, women were allowed to enter through the gate that leads straight to the chamber where the body of the Prophet and his righteous caliphs are buried.
We prayed at the Rowda, which was then open to all people irrespective of their gender.
Our whole family including my mother, father and sisters spent a lot of time at Rowda, one of the most revered places where prayers are answered. After paying homage to the Prophet and the caliphs, we used to visit the Baqi Graveyard where we prayed for the wives of the Prophet as well as his daughters and son and companions. We then would visit the historic places such as Uhud, Quba Mosque, Qiblatain Mosque and the Seven Mosques.
Some of the historic monuments have been wiped out during the past decades while some have been replaced with new ones. This is not our topic of discussion today. Even at these mosques women are given prayer places at the second or third floors without considering the difficulties and inconveniences caused to the pregnant or elderly or sick among them. The prayer areas for women are surrounded by high walls that prevent them from enjoying the splendor of the mosque.
Speaking about the Prophet’s Mosque, I would like to say that there are three main developments that put constrains on women praying there. First, the barriers to separate women from men are placed in such a way that women are unable to see the remaining part of the mosque and the imam.
This prevents women from fulfilling the conditions of congregational prayer such as seeing the imam (if he or she is not blind). The Prophet’s wife Aysha (God may be pleased with her) told a group of women who were praying in her room that this would prevent them from following the imam. According to the Hanbali school of thought, seeing the imam and the worshippers behind the imam is one of the conditions of the congregational prayer. So, I request authorities of the Prophet’s Mosque as well as other mosques to remove the barriers in order to help women fulfill the conditions of congregational prayer. Women also face a lot of restrictions at the Rawdah Sharief, which is one of the holiest places in Islam. The Prophet has said that what is between his house and his minbar (podium) is a garden (Rawdah) from the gardens of Paradise. It is one of the most revered places where prayers are answered.
After paying homage to the Prophet, every Muslim would love to pray at this holiest site called Rawdah. This area is open to men throughout the day while only a small portion (not exceeding four meters) is set apart for women and that too for a few hours — about three hours before Dhuhr prayers — between 7 and 10 a.m. and one hour before Asr Prayers between 2 and 3 p.m. Many female intellectuals have protested at this discrimination toward women in Rawdah, saying they feel dejected knowing that authorities give lesser value to visits, prayers and presence of women at the mosque.
These restrictions lead to so many undesirable things such as pushing, pulling and fighting for space in the area. These prevent women from having an atmosphere of peace and tranquility while praying in Rawdah.
A number of female writers like Fareeda Shatta, Nabeela Mahjoub, Manal Al-Sharief, Fatin Ibrahim Hussein, Najeeb Essam Yamani, Dr. Ameera Kashghari, Haleema Muzaffar, Iman Quwaifeli and Nahed Bashatah have written against the restrictions aimed at the women at the Prophet’s Mosque saying such things have no precedents in the history of Islam.
There are certain other objectionable practices at the Prophet’s Mosque such as discriminating female visitors on the basis of their nationalities and searching them in a humiliating manner. I don’t want to dwell on these points in detail due to space constraints. What I want to emphasize here is that authorities should allow women to pray at the Prophet’s Mosque with dignity without showing any discrimination. They also consult prominent female scholars in the Islamic world before taking decisions on matters related to women.
— Hatoon Al-Fassi is a Saudi historian based in Riyadh. She can be reached at: Hatoon-alfassi@columnist.com.
‘Oops! I Killed My Mother by Mistake’
Arab News
HAFR AL-BATEN, 2 December 2007 — A Saudi man accidentally killed his mother, at least on paper, when he tried to help his foreign friend, Al-Watan reported. The saga started when the foreign friend asked the Saudi to admit his relative to the hospital as his own mother in order to receive treatment last Ramadan. The Saudi agreed to help and admitted his friend’s relative under his own mother’s name. The officials at the hospital did not suspect anything and the medical treatment proceeded smoothly. The Saudi never dreamed that the woman’s condition would worsen and after few days she died! The Saudi man was left with no option but to declare his “own” mother dead on paper so they could bury her. After many months, with his real mother very much alive and not knowing that she had been legally declared dead, the Saudi man felt guilty and confessed to hospital officials the whole story. Police have opened an investigation on this case.
Sorry, It Was the Wrong Foot
JIZAN, 2 December 2007 — A careless doctor put a cast on the wrong foot of a child suffering from a broken leg, Okaz reported. The doctor insisted on putting the cast on the right foot of the child claiming that he knew best because he was the doctor. He decided the child’s right foot was broken just by feeling it and not X-raying it. The father returned home with his child thinking that the doctor had done his job, but was shocked when he later discovered that the wrong foot had been treated. The father then angrily returned to the hospital where the errant doctor corrected his mistake.
HAFR AL-BATEN, 2 December 2007 — A Saudi man accidentally killed his mother, at least on paper, when he tried to help his foreign friend, Al-Watan reported. The saga started when the foreign friend asked the Saudi to admit his relative to the hospital as his own mother in order to receive treatment last Ramadan. The Saudi agreed to help and admitted his friend’s relative under his own mother’s name. The officials at the hospital did not suspect anything and the medical treatment proceeded smoothly. The Saudi never dreamed that the woman’s condition would worsen and after few days she died! The Saudi man was left with no option but to declare his “own” mother dead on paper so they could bury her. After many months, with his real mother very much alive and not knowing that she had been legally declared dead, the Saudi man felt guilty and confessed to hospital officials the whole story. Police have opened an investigation on this case.
Sorry, It Was the Wrong Foot
JIZAN, 2 December 2007 — A careless doctor put a cast on the wrong foot of a child suffering from a broken leg, Okaz reported. The doctor insisted on putting the cast on the right foot of the child claiming that he knew best because he was the doctor. He decided the child’s right foot was broken just by feeling it and not X-raying it. The father returned home with his child thinking that the doctor had done his job, but was shocked when he later discovered that the wrong foot had been treated. The father then angrily returned to the hospital where the errant doctor corrected his mistake.
Women Make a Windfall Selling Gold
Arab News
RIYADH, 2 December 2007 — With the price of gold having dramatically increased by over 27 percent in the last two months, jewelers across the Kingdom are reporting huge numbers of women selling their gold.
The jewelers say much of the gold that is currently being sold was bought when prices were low, according to Al-Eqtisadiah newspaper.
“I took advantage of the increase in gold prices and sold my wife’s gold making a 30 percent profit on what I had paid three years ago,” said Yahya Shrahili.
“The price of gold had been going down for quite some time, but the recent surge secured me a profit,” said Shrahili, adding that he made SR25,000 from the deal.
Raid Al-Aseeri convinced his wife to sell her gold to pay off debts that he incurred during the stock market crash. “It’s helped us out. I know quite a few people who’ve been busy selling their gold,” he said.
Meanwhile, there are some people who are complaining that they had to postpone marriage plans because of the steep rise in gold prices.
Majed Al-Haqbani, a young Saudi, said he postponed his wedding because he could not afford to buy gold for his bride.
“The budget I had set aside in order to buy jewelry for my fiancé is not enough anymore. I’m going to have to work a bit more and save up,” he said.
Gold retailers across Saudi Arabia have been grappling with falling sales as the price of the precious yellow metal rose to a 28-year peak. A weak dollar, record high oil prices and geopolitical tensions have been given as some of the main reasons for the rise in gold prices.
Jewelers say that most people are selling rather than buying. Saleh Al-Harthi, who owns a jewelry shop, said the market was experiencing an all time-low. “I don’t know how long this is going to continue, but I hope it ends quickly,” he said.
Prices are expected to go further up as a result of increasing demand from investors looking for safe-haven assets
RIYADH, 2 December 2007 — With the price of gold having dramatically increased by over 27 percent in the last two months, jewelers across the Kingdom are reporting huge numbers of women selling their gold.
The jewelers say much of the gold that is currently being sold was bought when prices were low, according to Al-Eqtisadiah newspaper.
“I took advantage of the increase in gold prices and sold my wife’s gold making a 30 percent profit on what I had paid three years ago,” said Yahya Shrahili.
“The price of gold had been going down for quite some time, but the recent surge secured me a profit,” said Shrahili, adding that he made SR25,000 from the deal.
Raid Al-Aseeri convinced his wife to sell her gold to pay off debts that he incurred during the stock market crash. “It’s helped us out. I know quite a few people who’ve been busy selling their gold,” he said.
Meanwhile, there are some people who are complaining that they had to postpone marriage plans because of the steep rise in gold prices.
Majed Al-Haqbani, a young Saudi, said he postponed his wedding because he could not afford to buy gold for his bride.
“The budget I had set aside in order to buy jewelry for my fiancé is not enough anymore. I’m going to have to work a bit more and save up,” he said.
Gold retailers across Saudi Arabia have been grappling with falling sales as the price of the precious yellow metal rose to a 28-year peak. A weak dollar, record high oil prices and geopolitical tensions have been given as some of the main reasons for the rise in gold prices.
Jewelers say that most people are selling rather than buying. Saleh Al-Harthi, who owns a jewelry shop, said the market was experiencing an all time-low. “I don’t know how long this is going to continue, but I hope it ends quickly,” he said.
Prices are expected to go further up as a result of increasing demand from investors looking for safe-haven assets
Lahori women are beautiful
* French artiste says travelling in rickshaws needs faith in God
By Hina Farooq
LAHORE: Lahori women are very beautiful and have sharp features, said Django Reinharut, member of French band Caravan Quartet that is performing at the World Performing Arts Festival (WPAF).
Reinharut said he had fallen in love with Pakistani women, food and music. He said Pappu Saeen was fascinating with the dhol (drum). He said Pakistani and Indian cultures were alike. He had seen many Indian performances in Paris, but since there were not many Pakistani performances in France, this was the first time he was seeing the diversity of the Pakistani culture at the WPAF. However, said Reinharut, Pakistani music was no new thing to the French. He said the music of Zakir Hussain, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Zahoor Saeen was as familiar to the French as their food. He said Lahore was full of people. “There are people and activity everywhere,” he said.
Reinharut was amazed how Pakistanis trusted the rickshaw so much. “You need to have faith in God to travel in that funky cart.” He said the only way to travel in the rickshaw was to “close your eyes as you get in and open them only when you reach your destination”.
“At Lahore, I saw the most beautiful mosque in the world – the Badshahi Masjid,” Reinharut said. He said he had seen many mosques all over the world, but Badshahi Masjid’s redbrick structure fascinated him the most.
He said the WPAF was a treat to watch. He said it gave a diverse viewing because it showed many cultures of the world.
Caravan Quartet is visiting Pakistan for the second time in five years to perform at the World Performing Arts Festival and the French Centre. The band has held more than 400 concerts worldwide and has five albums to its credit. Reinharut said the band worked on manouche jazz, a combination of gypsy jazz and Afro-Cuban notes. The band’s performances at the WPAF are a fusion of swing and manouche jazz. Reinharut said the band was trying to fuse in some Pakistani effect into its performances at the WPAF. He added that the group was reviving the music of the 1930s combined with some contemporary compositions.
By Hina Farooq
LAHORE: Lahori women are very beautiful and have sharp features, said Django Reinharut, member of French band Caravan Quartet that is performing at the World Performing Arts Festival (WPAF).
Reinharut said he had fallen in love with Pakistani women, food and music. He said Pappu Saeen was fascinating with the dhol (drum). He said Pakistani and Indian cultures were alike. He had seen many Indian performances in Paris, but since there were not many Pakistani performances in France, this was the first time he was seeing the diversity of the Pakistani culture at the WPAF. However, said Reinharut, Pakistani music was no new thing to the French. He said the music of Zakir Hussain, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Zahoor Saeen was as familiar to the French as their food. He said Lahore was full of people. “There are people and activity everywhere,” he said.
Reinharut was amazed how Pakistanis trusted the rickshaw so much. “You need to have faith in God to travel in that funky cart.” He said the only way to travel in the rickshaw was to “close your eyes as you get in and open them only when you reach your destination”.
“At Lahore, I saw the most beautiful mosque in the world – the Badshahi Masjid,” Reinharut said. He said he had seen many mosques all over the world, but Badshahi Masjid’s redbrick structure fascinated him the most.
He said the WPAF was a treat to watch. He said it gave a diverse viewing because it showed many cultures of the world.
Caravan Quartet is visiting Pakistan for the second time in five years to perform at the World Performing Arts Festival and the French Centre. The band has held more than 400 concerts worldwide and has five albums to its credit. Reinharut said the band worked on manouche jazz, a combination of gypsy jazz and Afro-Cuban notes. The band’s performances at the WPAF are a fusion of swing and manouche jazz. Reinharut said the band was trying to fuse in some Pakistani effect into its performances at the WPAF. He added that the group was reviving the music of the 1930s combined with some contemporary compositions.
Five facts on Pakistan's new army chief, Kayani
Nov 28 (Reuters) - Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf stepped down as army chief on Wednesday, as his hand-picked successor, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, the former head of the main spy agency, took over command.
Here are five facts about Kayani.
* Born into one of northern Punjab province's largest and most powerful clans, Kayani, 55, studied at a military college in his home region of Jhelum, before training at the U.S. army's Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and the National Defense College in Islamabad.
* After fighting as a lieutenant in the 1971 war against India, Kayani slipped into politics as deputy military secretary to Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in 1988. He won accolades for sensitively overseeing troop movements in a tense 2001-2002 border standoff between Pakistan and India as the army's chief operational commander.
* In September 2003, Kayani was promoted to command the army's elite 10 Corps in the garrison town of Rawalpindi. The chain smoker headed investigations into two December 2003 assassination attempts against Musharraf, securing several convictions, before being appointed director-general of the powerful Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) spy agency in October 2004.
* Closely involved in Pakistan's anti-terrorism initiatives, the low-profile military man is said to be well-regarded by U.S. counterparts. His promotion to general and appointment as vice army chief in early October came as part of Musharraf's planned transition to civilian leader.
* This year, Kayani was involved in inconclusive negotiations with Bhutto on a power-sharing deal whereby Musharraf would continue as civilian president and Bhutto, Kayani's former boss, returned to politics. Seen as largely apolitical, Kayani is also president of the Pakistan Golf Federation with a handicap of 18, according to Pakistan-focused blog The Insider Brief.
Sources: Reuters, The Insider Brief, (www.pakintel.com/2007/09/23/kayanis-next-role-and-renewed-negot iations/) (Writing by Gill Murdoch, Singapore Editorial Reference Unit, editing by Rob Birsel and David Fogarty)
Here are five facts about Kayani.
* Born into one of northern Punjab province's largest and most powerful clans, Kayani, 55, studied at a military college in his home region of Jhelum, before training at the U.S. army's Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and the National Defense College in Islamabad.
* After fighting as a lieutenant in the 1971 war against India, Kayani slipped into politics as deputy military secretary to Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in 1988. He won accolades for sensitively overseeing troop movements in a tense 2001-2002 border standoff between Pakistan and India as the army's chief operational commander.
* In September 2003, Kayani was promoted to command the army's elite 10 Corps in the garrison town of Rawalpindi. The chain smoker headed investigations into two December 2003 assassination attempts against Musharraf, securing several convictions, before being appointed director-general of the powerful Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) spy agency in October 2004.
* Closely involved in Pakistan's anti-terrorism initiatives, the low-profile military man is said to be well-regarded by U.S. counterparts. His promotion to general and appointment as vice army chief in early October came as part of Musharraf's planned transition to civilian leader.
* This year, Kayani was involved in inconclusive negotiations with Bhutto on a power-sharing deal whereby Musharraf would continue as civilian president and Bhutto, Kayani's former boss, returned to politics. Seen as largely apolitical, Kayani is also president of the Pakistan Golf Federation with a handicap of 18, according to Pakistan-focused blog The Insider Brief.
Sources: Reuters, The Insider Brief, (www.pakintel.com/2007/09/23/kayanis-next-role-and-renewed-negot iations/) (Writing by Gill Murdoch, Singapore Editorial Reference Unit, editing by Rob Birsel and David Fogarty)
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