London, February 12
After doctors, other highly skilled professionals from India in Britain also face the prospect of returning home with the Home Office deciding to challenge a judicial review of recent changes in immigration rules. Thousands of those affected by changes to the Highly Skilled Migrants Programme (HSMP) in November, 2006, filed a judicial review application on February 6. Its admissibility is likely to be decided later this week.

In a letter to the Home Office, lawyers representing the HSMP Forum said: "There could be no greater unfairness than enticing people to come to the UK and to commit their future lives here for the benefit of the UK, only to change the rules under which they entered."

The Home Office responded to the notice by saying that the Secretary of State would contest the judicial review, adding: "It is important that those who pass the test at the extension stage are those who will make the greatest contribution to the UK economy." The letter added that those in Britain under the HSMP would be entitled to a permanent settlement after completing the qualifying period, but that there was "no guarantee of this".

The November, 2006, changes affected thousands of highly skilled professionals from India and other non-European Union countries. Other skilled professionals under the work permit category were also affected by changes made in April, 2006, that raised the qualifying period of settlement from four to five years. Those affected under the work permit are also preparing to file a judicial review petition.

Amit Kapadia, a coordinator of the HSMP Forum, told IANS: "The UK Home Office, in order to make HSMP immigrants’ lives miserable in the country, have been coming up with stringent new rules and expectations. It clearly shows their attitude to drive immigrants out of the country by making things very difficult.”

"It is preposterous that a programme that was initially promised to be for settlement is being converted into just a moneymaking spree for the Home Office and immigrants are solely treated as cash machines and not human beings." Kapadia added that the new points-based system (PBS) for the HSMP category stipulated the capacity to earn high salary at younger age. Many employers do not consider HSMP holders for permanent employment because their visa is for a limited period.

"People below 32 years don't get any points for age. This is contradictory to the fact that 80 percent of the HSMP holders in the UK have been above 28 years old at the time of entry into the programme and can't grow younger everyday. Also, the new PBS ignores any points for experience when most of the HSMP holders initially qualified for the programme because of their experience," Kapadia added.

In discussion boards and chat-rooms, those affected have been lamenting the changes and animatedly discussing the possibility of any relief from the judicial review. Several have already initiated plans to return home or to other countries.

“ We are undergoing the worst phase of our lives." — IANS

Islamabad, February 12
The government has conceded that more than 64 per cent people in the country are dissatisfied with the standard of basic health services and over 40 per cent have a negative perception about schooling.

This is revealed in the annual progress report for 2005-06 released last week by the finance ministry as part of its poverty reduction strategy.

The report also contained public perception about family planning, veterinary hospitals, agriculture and police, but its full findings were withheld due to a very bleak picture perceived by the general public about the state of governance in the country, sources told Dawn on Sunday.

The report revealed depressing figures relating to the participation of women in local council meetings and their access to development budgets, they said.

The figures are basically extracted from the Pakistan social and living standards measurement survey of 2004-05 that had been kept secret for over 18 months. And now, a few aspects of this survey have been made part of the annual progress report.

The reason why the public perception about schooling facilities in the country remained on the positive side may be linked to the fact that the respondents also talked about private schools.

The level of satisfaction regarding the basic health services is more or less same in all the provinces except the NWFP, where it is relatively higher, 52 per cent, says the finance ministry’s report, adding the level of satisfaction in rural areas regarding basic health units is higher than in urban areas.

The data suggest that in urban areas, more than 70 per cent people are dissatisfied with the facilities of health and 34 per cent with those of schooling. And in rural areas, more than 59 per cent people are unhappy with the health facilities.

By arrangement with the Dawn

Baghdad, February 12
Thunderous explosions and dense black smoke swirled through the centre of Baghdad today when at least one car bomb blew up in an underground parking garage, setting off dozens of secondary explosions and killing at least 59 persons, the police said. A second bombing nearby killed at least nine persons.

The blast shattered the city centre on the first annivesary, according to the Muslim calendar, of the bombing last year of the important Shiite Golden Dome shrine in Samara. That attack by Al-Qaida in Iraq militants set off a torrent of sectarian bloodletting that has turned Baghdad and much of central Iraq into a battleground.

Ambulances and pickup trucks rushed many of the nearly 125 wounded to nearby al-Kindi hospital in the largely Shiite region that has been hit by a series of bombings recently.

The worst carnage occurred about 12:25 p.m. (2.55 pm IST) shortly after the Iraqi government called for a 15-minute period of commemoration for the bombing of the shrine in Samarra a year ago.

There were conflicting accounts about whether one or two car bombs were involved, but the blast obliterated the shops and stalls in a central building in the Shorja market district and billowing smoke blackened the entire area on a beautiful sunny day in Baghdad. — AP

Los Angeles, February 12
The mob epic "The Departed" and the road-trip comedy "Little Miss Sunshine" won top honors at the Writers Guild of America Awards.

William Monahan yesterday won the adapted-screenplay prize for "The Departed", Martin Scorsese's saga about rival moles who have infiltrated the police and a crime gang. The film was based on the Hong Kong thriller "Infernal Affairs".

With his debut script, Michael Arndt received the award for original screenplay for "Little Miss Sunshine", directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris' tale of a family's outrageous mishaps on the way to their little girl's beauty pageant. Arndt and Monahan are nominated in the same categories for February 25 Academy Awards. Both films also are competing for the best-picture prize.

The Writers Guild gave its award for documentary screenplay to writer-director Amy Berg for "Deliver Us From Evil", a portrait of families victimized by a Roman Catholic priest who admitted to sexually abusing at least 25 children. "Deliver Us From Evil" is also nominated for best documentary at the Oscars.

"Little Miss Sunshine" co-star Steve Carell earned two Guild television honors, one for writing the "Casino Night" episode of the comedy "The Office", and a second shared with other scribes of the show for best comedy-series writing. Carell also stars on the "The Office".

The Guild's other television awards included: "The Sopranos", dramatic series writing; "Ugly Betty", new series writing; Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer for episodic drama for the pilot of "Big Love"; Nevin Schreiner for long-form writing for the September 11 drama "Flight 93". — AP

Islamabad, February 12
Warning that extremists have the potential to destroy Pakistan, President Pervez Musharraf said their political strength is a nightmare for the country.

"Politically, the extremists are strong. At the moment I am involved in a struggle to make the masses realise that while we are Muslims, we should not follow the extremists as they will destroy Pakistan," the President said in a documentary telecast by the BBC.

"We are staunch Muslims. We pray, fast, go for Hajj, give Zakat and perform other rituals," the General said.

Musharraf, who said Osama Bin Laden is in Afghanistan's tribal belt bordering Pakistan, admitted the Al-Qaida chief could be on the "Pak-Afghan border, switching sides". — PTI

Washington, February 12
There is no indication that Taliban fighters have received Iranian weapons, but security organisations within Iran maintain contacts with the Afghan extremists, the former US commander in Afghanistan, Lieutenant- Gen Karl Eikenberry, has said.

He spoke yesterday after senior US defence officials said in Baghdad that Iranian-built bombs smuggled into Iraq have killed at least 170 US and allied soldiers since June, 2004, and wounded 620 more.

Eikenberry told CNN television:"We do not have any indicators in the provision of equipment from Iran to Taliban extremists. There are indications, however, that different security organisations within Iran do maintain contacts with the Taliban.” Eikenberry had commanded US forces in Afghanistan for nearly two years until recently.

But he said US officials were "not entirely sure" about the nature of the connection. "There could be aspects of financing. There could be aspects of training that are going on."

"Our sense is that the Iranian government, which is Shiite, certainly does not want to return to Taliban extremism, which is Sunni. However, they may be hedging their bets and maintaining tactical types of alliances with extremists in Afghanistan," he said.“But we have no indications that they're fundamentally opposed to the Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s administration”.

Earlier in Baghdad, defence officials said Iran was involved in supplying explosively formed projectiles, or EFPs, and other material to Iraqi extremist groups. — AFP 

Islamabad, February 12
Prisoners are on a indefinite fast in Pakistan's Adiala Jail following an order by Jail Superintendent Shahid Baig disallowing inmates involved in sectarian violence, terrorism and other heinous crimes from offering collective prayers and free movement on the prison premises.

Following the Superintendent's orders, the prisoners launched the stir, Online news agency reported.

Eighteen prisoners are stated to be in a critical condition and most of them have refused to take food or medical treatment for the past six days in the Rawalpindi jail.

The prisoners also complained of unhygienic food and torture at the hands of the jail staff. The Jail Superintendent has "spurned" the demands of the prisoners, it is said.

The Home Secretary had recently, in a surprise visit to the jail, suspended Superintendent Abdul Rauf for torturing a prisoner. — PTI

London, February 12
Bollywood blockbuster “Rang De Basanti” lost out to Mexican film “Pan's Labyrinth” at the British Academy of Film and Television awards in the best foreign language film category.

The film, which is already out of the Oscar race, was competing with Mexican Guillermo del Toro's Pan's “Lanyrinth”, Mel Gibson's “Apocalypto”, Pedro Almodovar's “Volver” and Paul Verhoeven's “Black Book”.

The team of “ Rang De Basanti” was present at the Royal Opera House in London last night for the award ceremony. The BAFTA awards are renowned as the British Oscars.

The film starring Bollywood actors Aamir Khan, Kunal Kapoor, Soha Ali Khan and Alice Patten depicts the awakening of a whole new generation inspired by Indian freedom fighters.

India's official entry to the Oscars, “Rang De Basanti” was voted out of the Best Foreign Film in the shortlist ahead of the nominations for the category last month.

Directed by Rakyesh Omprakash Mehra, the film has earned critical acclaim and commerical success at home. — PTI

Karachi, February 12
Accusing the police of inaction, a 13-year-old Pakistani girl who was allegedly gang-raped has threatened to immolate herself if the accused are not brought to justice.

The girl, who was allegedly raped by four men for three days in her village near Dadu in the interior Sindh province last month, staged a protest here with her father and other relatives, all of whom carried placards demanding the arrest of the culprits.

She was released after they obtained her signature on a plain paper forcibly, he  family claimed.

The victim told reporters outside the Karachi Press Club that she had been forced to protest publicly because the police was harassing her and her family.

“Since this incident happened, the police has not cooperated at all and it has become a nightmare for me and my family. My sisters have also stopped going to school,” she said.

A student of class VIII, she said if she didn’t get justice she would set herself on fire. Her father also repeated the threat. — PTI