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Thousands on the road in Pakistan opposition rally

By WTOP Staff

ZAHEER BABAR
Associated Press

LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — Thousands of opposition protesters on Thursday joined large convoys headed to Pakistan’s capital Islamabad for a mass rally to demand the ouster of the prime minister over allegations of vote fraud, as police foiled a possible attack on an airport in the southwest.

The rally is seen as the strongest challenge yet to the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, just a year after he took office in the first democratic transfer of power in a country long plagued by military coups.

The protesters set out on Thursday morning from the city of Lahore in cars, trucks and buses, while others walked or drove motorcycles as they embarked on the 300 kilometer (187 mile) journey to Islamabad. Initially 5,000 protesters were on the march, but the number steadily increased. The slow-moving convoy covered just five kilometers in seven hours.

The convoy is led by Imran Khan, a famous cricketer-turned-politician who heads the Tehrik-e-Insaf party, the third-largest in parliament. The demonstration was called to coincide with Pakistan’s Independence Day.

“I am going to Islamabad to seek resignation from Nawaz Sharif,” Khan told supporters in a speech Thursday evening.

“Get ready to win the match,” said Khan, who is revered in Pakistan for leading the national team that won the 1992 cricket World Cup.

Sharif’s ruling party has rejected Imran’s demand, saying the elected democratic government would complete its term, which ends in 2018.

Thousands of policemen were deployed across Islamabad and along the convoy’s route while the capital’s entry points have been blocked since earlier this week with large shipping containers. Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan told reporters that the government had allowed peaceful rallies but that “anyone trying to disrupt peace would be dealt with an iron hand.”

He said authorities had made arrangements to handle as many as one million people in Islamabad.

The protesters were moving slowly and were expected to arrive in Islamabad on Friday, a day later than planned.

Khan’s convoy got off to a colorful start in Lahore, with protesters dancing to the beat of drums and singing patriotic songs. Many women had the green and white of the Pakistani national flag painted on their cheeks, along with the red and green of Khan’s party.

A separate march Thursday was led by Tahir-ul-Qadri, a Pakistani cleric who is also a Canadian national and who commands a loyal following of thousands through his network of mosques and religious schools in Pakistan. He left Lahore with thousands of his followers and was expected to join Khan’s rally on the road or in Islamabad.

Qadri’s convoy also moved slowly, covering a distance of eight kilometers in seven hours.

“Over 200,000 people are with me and I am going to Islamabad to bring a peaceful green revolution in Pakistan,” he told The Associated Press by phone from Lahore. Qadri refused to hold any talks with Sharif and urged him to step down.

Both Qadri and Khan have called for new elections, claiming last year’s vote was invalid due to widespread rigging by government supporters.

“We are out on the streets to do our struggle for a change in the system,” said one of the protesters, Mohammad Faheem.

Pakistan, a nuclear-armed country of 180 million people, has largely been ruled by military dictators since it was carved out of India in 1947.

Sharif, who was overthrown in the 1999 coup that brought former army chief Pervez Musharraf to power, has met regularly with top advisers ahead of the rally. The government has also invoked a rarely-used article in the constitution allowing the military to step in to maintain law and order if needed.

Speaking at an Independence Day ceremony in southwestern Pakistan, Sharif criticized the rally, calling it “negative politics.”

Sharif said Khan would be better advised to “work to alleviate poverty and improve law and order” in Pakistan.

The large numbers expected at the rallies have raised fears of violence in a country already grappling with a Taliban insurgency.

Late Thursday, Pakistani security forces foiled an attack on a complex housing an airport and air force base in Quetta, the capital of southwestern Baluchistan province, police said.

Senior police officer Abdul Razzaq Cheema said two men armed with guns and grenades tried to enter but security forces returned fire.

Razzaq said both attackers were killed and eight policemen were wounded in the shootout. Police and troops backed by helicopters were searching the nearby area for any associates of the attackers, he said.

Air force spokesman Taariq Mahmood said the air base was safe.

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Associated Press writers Asif Shahzad and Zarar Khan in Islamabad, and Abdul Sattar in Quetta contributed to this report.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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