LAHORE: PPP’s information secretary Qamar Zaman Kaira hit out at the critics of the armed forces on Wednesday and said it was unfair to expect from the army and intelligence agencies to detect the US helicopters which had taken part in the Abbottabad operation in which Osama Bin Laden was killed.

He said in a statement that the helicopters had flown from an airbase in Afghanistan and were equipped with the latest stealth technology which no other country had, adding that the people blaming the Pakistan Air Force for not being able to track the US helicopters knew nothing about such technology.

He said it was the lack of technological capability of the armed forces which hindered their ability to pre-empt the intrusion of the US helicopters into the country’s airspace.

He said the presence of Bin Laden in Afghanistan, Pakistan or along the border was also a failure of the CIA and MI6 and other international agencies which had been engaged in hunting down the world No-1 fugitive.

The PPP leader said it was unfair to expect from the national security apparatus to contain the operational reach of the only superpower with unimaginable resources.

He said the Abbottabad Commission should withdraw its report and determine whether the country’s armed forces had the capability to see the helicopters with stealth technology on their radars.

WASHINGTON: Former Pakistan ambassador to the United States Husain Haqqani has rejected the Abbottabad Commission’s suggestion that as ambassador he issued visas without authorisation or was responsible for CIA agents coming into Pakistan in large numbers.

Mr Haqqani said in a statement that the US Navy SEALS who found Osama bin Laden did not come with visas and the entire controversy over visas had been manufactured to distract attention from the two vital questions. “The first question is, why Pakistan’s bloated security agencies failed to find OBL for nine years and the second, how were the US SEALS able to come into Pakistan without detection by our security forces,” he said.

The former ambassador said the commission interviewed him on Dec 19, 2011 in Islamabad and he informed it that he did not have access to official records for visas at the time but the commission had not recorded that point in its report. He added that the figures for visas were provided by officials at the embassy and the foreign ministry after he had resigned and to say that these came from him was “an absolute falsehood”.

Mr Haqqani also said that giving a visa to a person does not make him invisible within Pakistan. “Entry of that person is still recorded at the airport and he can be followed like thousands of Pakistanis and foreigners are followed by intelligence agencies,” he said.

NOTTINGHAM: Hanif Mohammad, first of the greats of Pakistan batting and arguably the best of his era, was successfully operated for liver cancer at London Bridge Hospital on Wednesday evening. Hanif is now stable and out of danger, according to his surgeon Robert Hutchins.

Hanif, a veteran of 55 Test matches, was diagnosed four weeks back only by chance when he went to a hospital in Karachi complaining of itching on top of his stomach. Dr Nihal Masood then discovered what was wrong with the ‘Little Master’ and advised him to have immediate attention to get the tumour in his right liver lobe removed.

Only days later Hanif, 78, flew over to London for a second opinion which was later confirmed. Only a few days ago I went to see Hanif immediately after arriving in London to cover the Ashes. At his daughter’s home in Wembley, he looked cheerful despite what he was going to go through in the next few days — an operation to remove the affected part.

“I am feeling fine. The surgeon has told me that it is just the start and it has not spread and that I have got to get it out,” Hanif stated.

While talking to me he looked as much confident about going through the operation as he was when facing the fastest bowlers of his time.

“I would have loved to watch the Lord’s Ashes Test but it seems that I will not be able to because I am told that I will have to stay in ICU and hospital for a week, and then will have to rest for a month,” Hanif told me.

I was informed by Hanif’s youngest son Shahzeb Mohammad that the surgeon removed his right liver lobe and the gall bladder as well to make sure that the problem was fully addressed.

The legendary batsman still holds the record of playing the longest innings in Test cricket when he scored 337 in 970 minutes against the West Indies at Bridgetown, Barbados in 1957-58 to draw the six-day Test after Pakistan were asked to follow on as they were a massive 473 runs behind.

And only next season in Pakistan he made a mammoth 499 before getting run out at KPI ground in Karachi against Bahawalpur in the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy to break Sir Don Bradman’s first-class cricket world record of 452. After 34 years, Hanif’s proud feat was surpassed by Brian Lara when he made 501 against Durham in county cricket.

In 1967 as Pakistan captain he made a brilliant unbeaten 187 against England in the Lord’s Test. Hanif, the iconic figure of Pakistan cricket, is also considered the inventor of reverse sweep and could bowl with both arms with equal dexterity.

At a tough time like this he needs the support and the prayers of the people of his country.

“Please ask the people in Pakistan to pray for me,” Hanif had said before going for the surgery.

QUETTA: Despite threats and intimidation, students of Sardar Bahadur Khan Women University appeared to be determined to carry on their educational journey.

SBK women university was opened amid tight security on Wednesday after 25 days of deadly suicide bombing, which left more than a dozen female students dead.

Academic activities were resumed in Balochistan's only female university.

The students gathered at the site of deadly blast and chanted full throated slogans against the government and university administration for their failure to avert the tragedy, which struck the university on June 15.

Around 40 female students reached university to resume their studies. "We will not bow our heads before terrorists", an emotionally charged female student Bakhtawar Bibi told Dawn.com.

Women university was closed for an indefinite time soon after the bombing. Intelligence officials revealed that a female suicide bomber had carried the attack inside the university bus. "We will continue our struggle despite odds", she said.

Vice Chancellor SBK Women University Farzana Jabeen told reporters that strict security measures were adopted to ensure protection of female students.

"Secret cameras have also been installed to make sure proper monitoring inside university", she said.

Moreover, scanners have also been installed at the entrance gate of university to check vehicles and barbed wires were placed at walls.

Shaista, another female student told Dawn.com that her parents stopped her from going to university owing to looming security threats. "I will be coming to university, no matter what happens", Shaista said.

Police and paramilitary troops were also deployed outside women university to avoid occurrence of any untoward incident.

KARACHI: A suspected suicide explosion targeting President Asif Ali Zardari's chief security officer killed at least three people in Karachi on Wednesday, police said.

Eleven others were injured in the powerful explosion which rocked the busy New Town neighbourhood in the heart of Karachi, less than a kilometre from the Quaid's mausoleum.

“Three people, including the president’s chief security officer, Bilal Sheikh, were killed in the bombing,” said Superintendent Police Usman Bajwa.

Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari said that "Bilal had rendered many sacrifices for the PPP and that he was not just a bodyguard but more like a son."

President Zardari also appealed to party workers to offer fateha for Bilal.

The president added that Bilal had accompanied Benazir Bhutto when she was attacked in Karachi on Oct 18, 2007.

Bilal Sheikh was an active worker of the Pakistan People’s Party, the ruling party in Sindh province.

A spokesman for the Bilawal House, President Zardari's private residence in Karachi, had earlier confirmed Sheikh’s death. Sheikh's driver was also killed in the explosion.

Bajwa said the attack appeared to be a suicide bombing. “Bilal Sheikh’s vehicle was the target of the attack,” he said.

Officials said the wounded included six police officers and one FIA personnel. The injured were shifted to a local hospital where a state of emergency was imposed.

Bilal Sheikh was said to be a trusted aide of President Asif Ali Zardari, had previously been in charge of Zardari's private residence in Karachi, and was also responsible for the security in Karachi of Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, the president’s son and PPP co-chairman.

Sheikh had also been in charge of security for Zardari's wife, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto when she returned to Karachi from exile on October 18, 2007, two months before her assassination.

The explosion came on the eve of the holy Muslim month of Ramazan, due to be observed in Pakistan from Thursday.

Bajwa said Sheikh and his driver had gone to buy food for Ramazan, the fasting month, when his vehicle was targeted. "He had never taken this route before, and he always had security with him," he said.

Sheikh had survived two previous attempts on his life.

No militant group has claimed responsibility of the attack as yet, but the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan have previously targeted the Pakistan People's Party for it's "secular views".

President Zardari and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif “strongly condemned” the attack, state media said.

In a statement, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also condemned the attack, blaming an "anti-democratic and extremist mindset" to be behind the bombing. "We will not be intimidated by such cowardly acts and such acts will not deter our resolve to fight terrorism," he said.

In a riotous final session, the hosts lost their last four wickets for two runs in crumbling to 215 all out before tearing through Australia's top order with the new ball to reduce them to 75-4.

Peter Siddle was Australia's outstanding performer on an overcast day which offered plenty of assistance to swing bowlers, removing five of England's top seven to finish with figures of 5-50.

But Steven Finn dismissed Shane Watson and Ed Cowan in successive balls and James Anderson took two wickets of his own to leave the match beautifully poised, with Steve Smith on 38 not out.

If England can dismantle the remainder of the Australian batting order on Thursday, they could yet escape with the first innings lead they were targeting when captain Alastair Cook won the toss and chose to bat on a dry pitch hardened by several days of sunshine.

It was a decision that appeared justified as the hosts found the boundary 19 times in the first session and advanced to a promising 178-4 in the afternoon.

But a combination of poor shot selection and fine swing bowling saw them lose their last six wickets for 37 runs to round off an innings that had lasted just 59 overs.

With Stuart Broad off the field receiving treatment to a shoulder injury he suffered while batting, Australia began their innings positively. Shane Watson struck successive fours off Finn as they took the total to 19 off as many balls.

But the Middlesex fast bowler gained his revenge with a double strike as first Watson, then Cowan were drawn into chasing balls outside off stump, sending thick edges through to a gleeful England slip cordon.

If Finn's intervention had altered the course of the match, Anderson was about to turn things full circle with the wicket of Michael Clarke for a six-ball duck.

The Australia captain, averaging 66 in his 24 previous Tests as skipper, was beaten by a ball that moved away at the last moment and kissed the top of his off stump.

Anderson's 308th Test wicket took him past Fred Trueman into third on England's all-time list, and his 309th followed soon afterwards as Chris Rogers was trapped lbw to a ball which replays revealed would have brushed the outside of leg stump.

It was a breathtaking finale to a day that began with fireworks and a fly-by from the Red Arrows to mark the renewal of hostilities in one of sport's oldest rivalries.

Australia sprung a huge surprise before the start of play by handing 19-year-old spinner Ashton Agar his Test debut at the expense of Nathan Lyon.

The tall left-armer, of Sri Lankan background, had only played 10 previous first-class matches and was lining up in the Home Counties Premier League for Henley earlier this season.

James Pattinson, one of five Australians playing in their first Ashes Test, was given the responsibility of delivering the first ball of the series. But as a hush descended over the 17,000 fans inside a sold-out Trent Bridge, the 23-year-old sent down a high and wayward bouncer that was rightly called a wide.

Left-armer Mitchell Starc delivered a similarly inauspicious first over, but once their nerves settled Australia's new ball pair found plenty of swing and beat the bat with regularity.

Pattinson claimed the wicket of the England captain in the ninth over as Cook aimed a forceful shot at a ball outside off stump and got a healthy nick through to wicketkeeper Brad Haddin.

Jonathan Trott quickly wrested the initiative back England's way, striking consecutive boundaries in Siddle's first over and cracking Agar's first delivery - a full toss - to the cover fence.

Joe Root had appeared equally assured in a partnership of 51 before he was clean bowled by a superb away-swinging yorker from Siddle.

Kevin Pietersen and Trott followed soon after lunch, the former edging an expansive shot to second slip for 14 and the latter deflecting an equally reckless drive on to his stumps.

Ian Bell and Jonny Bairstow revived England with a counter-attacking partnership of 54, but the wicket of Bell - caught at first slip off another fine delivery from Siddle - proved pivotal as England's lower order folded miserably.

Matt Prior lazily slapped Siddle to point for one and Broad top-edged a pull shot to gift Pattinson the simplest of caught and bowled dismissals.

Bairstow was bowled after playing around a full ball from Starc, with Finn caught behind off the following delivery.

Anderson survived Starc's hat-trick ball but in the following over Graeme Swann prodded tamely to cover to complete the rout.