Thesun 2009-03-04 Page01 Al Fresco Sitting

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No. 4709 PP 2644/12/2009 (023092)

Wednesday March 4, 2009

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An investigator inspects a police vehicle involved in the attack in Lahore.

Eight killed in attack on Sri Lankan cricket team LAHORE: Six Sri Lankan cricketers and their British assistant coach were wounded when gunmen attacked their bus as it drove under police escort yesterday to a stadium. A city administration official, Sajjad Bhutta, said eight people were killed. Officials and witnesses said they included six police and the driver of a second coach travelling behind the team bus. Gunmen fired AK 47s and rockets and hurled grenades at the Sri Lanka team bus as it slowed near the 60,000-seater Gaddafi stadium, according to Lahore Police chief Habibur-Rehman. Gunmen with rifles and backpacks were seen running through the streets and firing on people and vehicles around the massive stadium in the morning attack. “I saw them from the window of my office firing at the police escort first. When the police dispersed after the shooting, they started firing at the bus of the Sri Lankan team,” said Mohammad Luqman. Punjab Governor Salman Taseer said the assailants had been chased into a nearby commercial and shopping area. A massive security sweep was taking place across the city. Police were searching buildings but had lost track of the men’s whereabouts. “We don’t know where they are,” said Habib. It was the first major attack on an international sporting team since Palestinian militants attacked Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympics in Munich. The attack highlights Pakistan’s seeming inability to defeat militancy spreading inside and outside the country and comes at a time when the United States is putting pressure on the government to do more to fight the Taliban and Al Qaeda. It had echoes of an attack on the Indian city of Mumbai last November in which around 170 people died and which led to the Indian cricket team cancelling its planned tour of Pakistan. The Sri Lankan team accepted an invitation to replace the Indians (Sri Lanka pay price of unwanted tour – page 25). “One thing I want to say, it’s the same pattern, the same terrorists who attacked Mumbai,” said Governor Taseer. A spokesman for the Sri Lanka High Commission in Islamabad said six players were wounded along with assistant coach Paul Farbrace, a Briton. Sri Lankan and Pakistan media said Thilan Samaraweera seemed to be the worst hit, suffering a thigh injury. The other player admitted to hospital was Tharanga Paranavithana. Reserve umpire Ehsan Raza was also critically wounded, according to Ejaz Butt, chairman of Pakistan’s Cricket Board. It was unclear whether their injuries were caused by bullets, shrapnel or flying shards of glass. Sri Lanka immediately cancelled the rest of the tour. A helicopter airlifted the Sri Lankan squad from the stadium, including the two players brought from hospital, and they were all expected to be flown home later. – Reuters

Open air assembly ... Sivakumar (in full robe and headgear, below) and PR assemblymen gather under an angsana tree for the emergency sitting after police prevented the elected representatives from entering the state secretariat building. One of the three motions approved during the 15minute sitting called for fresh elections in Perak.

Al fresco sitting PERAK ASSEMBLY MEETS UNDER TREE AFTER ASSEMBLYMEN BARRED FROM ENTERING STATE SECRETARIAT by Charles Ramendran [email protected]

POH: In what will probably become local legend, Perak’s legislative assembly yesterday convened under a raintree to approve three motions after the Pakatan Rakyat assemblymen were denied entry to the heavily-guarded Perak Darul Ridzuan complex. After a brief showdown with a group of unidentified men, and later the police at the complex entrance, an embattled state assembly speaker V. Sivakumar and 27

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law-makers from DAP, PAS and He warned that Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) the water cannon gathered under a tree about would be used 100m from the complex, should they defy and under the “doctrine of orders. Sivakumar necessity” the speaker condeclined to enter KL High Court will decide Friday if application by vened the emergency sitting, the building and Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin challenging the latest event in the state’s remained with his Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir’s appointment as Perak constitutional crisis. colleagues. Mentri Besar is to be moved to the Federal Court as The motions expressed At about 10am, requested by Senior Federal Counsel Datuk Kamaludin support for Datuk Seri MoSivakumar and Mat Said yesterday. hammad Nizar Jamaluddin the group gave in Ipoh High Court grants injunction sought by Datuk as mentri besar; called for the to police orders Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir and the six State Executive Coundissolution of the state assemand took shelter cillors to stop speaker V. Sivakumar from convening any bly to enable fresh elections under the tree state assembly sitting. to be held and affirmed the opposite the state Court also ruled that Sivakumar’s five lawyers have speaker’s decision to suspend secretariat. no legal standing to represent him in the case filed by Barisan Nasional Mentri Besar The crowd Zambry to seek a declaration that Sivakumar’s decision Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir of supporters to suspend him and his executive council was unconand his six state executive cheered loudly stitutional and unlawful. councillors from the assembly. on seeing SivaKhalil Idham Lim (Titi kumar put on the Serong) tabled the first motion, speaker’s robe and songkok before Chang Lih Kang (Teja) the second Federal Reserve Unit (FRU). announcing the assembly would Several minutes later, a group convene at the spot. and Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham (Pantai of men tried to stop them from Remis) the third. At a press conference later Sivakumar adjourned the 15- heading to the building. The at the DAP office, Nizar said he minute sitting at 10.30am, after assemblymen pushed forward, would seek an audience with the the motions were passed by the al only to be stopped by the FRU. Sultan of Perak as soon as possible Standing atop a water cannon to present the assembly’s decision fresco “House”. Earlier in the morning, Siva- truck, Ipoh police chief ACP Azis- to dissolve the assembly to pave kumar, the assemblymen and man Alias used a loud hailer to the way for state elections. about 300 supporters gathered order the elected representatives Asked what he would do if at the back entrance of the state to keep away from the building as the sultan refused to give his secretariat complex on Jalan he was under orders from State consent, Nizar said it would only Istana about 9am under the Secretary Datuk Abdul Rahman prolong the problem and affect the watchful eyes of more than 100 Hashim to disallow them, except » Turn to Page 6 police personnel, including the Sivakumar, entry.

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