THE Pentagon and our military came up with quick denials of the phoney firing on two US helicopters trying to land inside the tribal territory early Monday. A foreign wire agency quoted a security official as saying that the US-led coalition troops in choppers came close to the border and tried to enter Pakistani territory, but were forced to return to their base camp in Afghanistan after our troops fired on them. There were conflicting accounts of the incident. Another version: two Chinook helicopters dropped several American troops at 1 pm on the Afghan side of the border near the Saway Waray area of Angoor Adda. They then started moving towards the Pakistani border villages with a helicopter gunship flying over them apparently providing air cover. Major Murad of the ISPR confirmed that there had been shooting, but maintained neither US helicopters had crossed into our airspace nor Pakistani troops were involved in the firing. In Washington, US Defence officials rejected reports of the firing as "false". "I've checked into that and find it to be spurious," Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman told journalists.
These denials were however contradicted by Pakistani civilian officials and villagers in Angoor Adda, who have seen the US troops causing death and destruction in the area two weeks ago during the first known foreign ground assault in the tribal region. It was bound to deepen resentment among tribesmen. But the Bush administration does not seem to relent in its tyranny. Leader of the House in the Senate Raza Rabbani believes that the Americans are annoyed with the current democratic dispensation because of General Musharraf's ouster and are launching attacks in our territory to pressurize the government to deal with the issue of terrorism the way they want. Mr Rabbani went to the extent of saying that the day the government announced its plan to impeach Musharraf, it came under immense pressure from the then President's foreign backers. But it was good to hear from him that the democratic leadership would not let anyone violate Pakistan's territorial integrity.
This is what an elected government is expected to do. But then there should be some consistency in the ruling leadership's approach in meeting the challenges facing the country. President Zardari expressed his optimism while talking to reporters after his meeting with UK PM Gordon Brown on Tuesday that the United States would not launch attacks in our territory, whereas Prime Minister Gilani observed a few days ago that Pakistan could not go to war against the Americans. It was Army COAS Gen Ashfaq Kayani who was the first to reproach the Bush administration for violating Pakistan's sovereignty. It is time that those in authority devise a comprehensive strategy to tackle the growing threat of militancy, demonstrating a complete unity between the civilian and military leaderships about the goals to be achieved.


PML(Q) leader Ch Pervaiz Elahi, very much aware of the widening gulf between the PPP and the PML(N), said on Monday that his party could contribute to the ouster of the Punjab government. This indicates that his party is keen to play a role in upsetting the delicate balance of power in the province. To one's utter disappointment, Ch Pervez did not hesitate from saying that court decisions regarding Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif's disqualification might soon be announced.
Ch Pervez aired these views just a day after tendering his resignation as the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly amid reports that he was being offered an olive branch by the PPP in the form of some ministry at the Centre in return for his support. Now that Mr Zardari has become President, it is obvious that the PPP has emerged as the most powerful player in the political arena, but using that leverage to pull the rug from under the feet of its former coalition partner would not benefit anyone, let alone the poor masses waiting for their leaders to perform miracles. There are reports that party's bigwigs, especially the Punjab Governor, are willing to go the extra mile to topple the PML(N)'s set up. Recently Mr Taseer met Chaudhry brothers in an effort to cobble a relationship and direct that against the provincial government. The PPP cannot afford to turn a blind eye to the repercussions that would follow. In the past, both parties suffered heavy losses merely because of the zero-sum game they played against one another. No sooner had the government been formed after the elections, than the mutual rivalry had started to drive a wedge between the two. Yet in another way both the PML(N) and the PPP are in the same boat and must therefore avoid creating trouble for the other. Just as the former is the single largest party in Punjab but not the majority party, more or less same is the case with the latter at the Centre. On the other hand, one is also dismayed to see that the PML(N), in an effort to save its set-up, is resorting to measures, which go against its stated stance of practising the politics of principle. It too is trying to woo the forward bloc in an effort to strengthen its rule.
There is no disputing the fact that the PML(Q) owes its political resurrection to the mutual acrimony between the PPP and the PML(N). Their rigid positions and failure to reach a consensus on vexing issues confronting the nation has brought the former King's Party back to the limelight. The leadership should end the constant bickering that so far appears to be the hallmark of their political philosophy. Time is running out.


THE generic term for fuel in the local vernacular is "petrol". So when the government reduces the price of petrol by five rupees, it is to be met with relief by the general public. Only later do the plebeians realize that the fuel that affects them far more directly, diesel, has had a price hike of Rs. 3.50 per litre. It now stands at Rs 60 per litre. Diesel is the where-it's-at as far as fuel costs in the country are concerned. To put things in perspective: there is 1:8 ratio between usages of petrol and diesel.
This is going to have a direct bearing on the prices of a lot of commodities. First of all, diesel-fuelled freighting rates for commodities are going to go higher, resulting in price hikes in the goods market. Second, diesel-fuelled public transport fares are going to go higher. But dismissing the reduction in petrol prices as beneficial only to the elite would not be correct. Motorcycle and scooter owners, a larger, less affluent demographic than car owners in the urban centres, are definitely going to benefit from the decrease.
Criticizing the government at every opportunity one gets might not be in good taste. International fuel markets are, after all, in a state of madness. But it would be better, then, if our government were to have a method to its madness as far as pricing is concerned. We need to know with more clarity what the different factors are that go into OGRA recommendations and Finance Division approvals to the former. If a hike in the international prices of crude is used to justify price hikes, then why doesn't the argument hold, like it should now, when the price of Arabian light crude has fallen to $87 per barrel? The relation between crude prices and end-consumer prices are moderated by a number of variables. They all need to be brought to light. If the consumers cannot have cheap fuel, they at least deserve transparency.

source : http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-ne...8/Another-blow

THE American armed incursion of September 3 into the tribal area and the outrage it evoked from Pakistan was but the latest sign of trust deficit that had evidently been there for quite some time between the two key allies in the US-led War On Terror. Strangely enough, the US raid that killed 15 innocent civilians came at a time when Pakistan's six-week long military operation in Bajaur had elicited praise from Washington. As the climate of tension could neither be helpful to Pakistan nor the US and only benefit the militants, the unannounced visit of Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to Islamabad could be viewed as an attempt to bridge the trust deficit. He met on Wednesday morning COAS General Ashfaq Kayani and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani where National Security Adviser Mahmood Ali Durrani and Defence Minister Mukhtar Ahmad were also present. It is not clear whether there is any truth in the unconfirmed reports that the Admiral gave the Pakistani authorities the assurance that no further ground attacks would take place in future. Nevertheless, the order of the army, revealed on Tuesday, to the forces on the ground to "open fire" in case another such incursion takes place conveys a message about Islamabad's attitude towards safeguarding the country's territorial integrity. Army spokesman Maj-General Athar Abbas was right in saying that the army had to take into account local sensitivities in tackling militancy. The US would do well to recognise that position rather than show desperation and mess up relations with an ally whose cooperation is vital to realising its goals. It also does not serve the purpose of fighting terrorism if the Bush administration officials were to keep picking holes in ISI's trustworthiness, as Assistant Secretary of State Boucher has again done, despite Pakistan's stand.
As part of Islamabad's diplomatic efforts to remove US-Pak misunderstanding, President Asif Ali Zardari met British Prime Minister Gordon Brown in London on Tuesday to stress that incursion into Pakistan's territory did not help democracy in the country. He told the media that there was understanding among British leadership that Pakistan be helped in this regard.
Armed incursions into another country's territory being a serious matter about which close friends must be consulted, General Kayani's proposed visit to Beijing seems to be well timed. While Islamabad and Washington ought to iron out their differences since clear understanding between them is the demand of the situation, the exchange of views on the matter with other friendly countries always proves useful. China, one of the closest friends of Pakistan, must invariably be kept in the picture on matters of crucial importance to us.


IT is highly worrisome to note that the economy has continued to deteriorate over the last six months. The Asian Development Bank has forecast 4.5 percent growth, which is below the 5.5 percent targeted by the government. This is understandable on account of the economic woes the country is currently going through. It suffers from the double whammy of budget and current account deficit, falling rupee value, shrinking forex reserves, and unending power shortages. The inflation is highest in the last decade and half. The stock market has fallen to a 28-month low. Domestic debt has surged by 137 percent to hit a historic level of Rs 3.26 trillion in FY08. With liquidity drying up, the cost to protect $2.7 billion sovereign bonds from default is increasing. The financial crunch the government faces has led to a phenomenal inter-corporate circular debt that has forced the private sector energy companies, who are touching their borrowing limits, to shut down a number of power production units further adding to the power shortage.
Much of these economic woes emanate from the skewed economic policies of the Musharraf era based on a development strategy that prioritized sectors providing fewer employment opportunities and allowing the transfer of huge profits abroad. Besides adding to the number of the unemployed, the policy failed to provide enough revenue to the state. The new government's preoccupation with political crisis, partly caused by its own faults, diverted its attention from the economic challenges. There have been reports of an imminent sovereign debt default, which can hopefully be avoided now on account of the falling price of oil, reduction in subsidies and larger remittances compared to the last financial year.
The IMF has underlined the need for substantial external financing. What the government needs to do is to revive the economy rather than depend entirely on foreign assistance. It has to revise its economic strategy giving priority to sectors like agriculture and industrial production, which provide a larger number of jobs, help improve the balance of payments and add substantially to the government's revenues. Besides being sustainable, economic development has to provide urgent and visible relief to the masses. One hopes that as the cabinet is expanded next month, the ministries related to economy are manned by competent people. The government has meanwhile to take measures to bring down political polarisation and improve the law and order situation through a multi-pronged strategy rather than brute force.


NEW Delhi's act of blocking about 0.2 million cusecs of water flowing into River Chenab at a time when crops in Pakistan are in dire need of irrigation is highly condemnable. It is reported that the water India is diverting is being stored in the controversial Baglihar dam built in violation of the Indus Waters Treaty. Islamabad has sought arbitration under the treaty. Concurrently it has asked India to compensate the loss by releasing water into Sutlej, Ravi and Chenab.
It is contrary to international law and practice for India not to have sincerely accepted Pakistan's right as a lower riparian also recognised by World Bank, which first intervened in 1948 when India blocked the water flow to Pakistan. Though a treaty was brokered in 1960, New Delhi has continued to create trouble for us by diverting the channels flowing into Pakistan. At present it is engaged in building 58 dams and water reservoirs on Rivers Chenab, Jhelum and Indus in gross violation of the treaty that grants the control of these rivers to Pakistan. The Baglihar dams' size is so huge that it allows India to block about 8000 acre feet of water. Pakistan's economy is predominantly agrarian in nature. The food crisis is still not over and yet there are fears that the prevailing water scarcity caused by our eastern neighbour might deal a severe blow to the wheat and rice crops next year. The farmers in Punjab are helpless as all the major canals and tributaries supplying water to their fields have almost dried up. Likewise the water reservoirs in Cholistan area are left without a drop of water. This shortage is also fuelling power crisis, directly having a negative effect on our ability to produce electricity.
One wonders whether Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was really serious when he aired his views on improving bilateral relations, as his government appears keen to spoil them because such pressure tactics reflect poorly on its desire to bring peace to the region.

Source: http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-ne...The-water-bomb

__________________
You are an eagle, flight is your vocation:
You have other skies stretching out before you.

HARDLY had the US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, uttered the assurance that his government respected Pakistan's sovereignty that a village in South Waziristan became the target of missiles fired by the now familiar drones. And the Pentagon did not mince its words owing up to the strike at a compound in Baghar Cheena and claiming that the missiles had hit an ammunition storage facility of the Taliban, in which an Al-Qaeda member and three militants were killed. Since the US officials maintained that they had shared the information with the Pakistani authorities before launching the attack, one really wonders what understanding the top military commander had reached with Islamabad where he held meetings with Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and COAS General Ashfaq Kayani. Or should one assume that the Admiral had in mind a different connotation of the words he was using from the one understood by at least Mr Gilani? Otherwise, the Prime Minister would not have condemned the missile attack, as reported by a private TV channel.
Nevertheless, even under the circumstances of sheer desperation by the mightiest military power in the world, intent on scoring some tangible gains before President Bush comes to the end of his second term at the White House, the Pakistani authorities must continue to make efforts to bring home to the US administration not to do anything that hurts the pride of an ally that is playing a key role in the fight against militancy.
The US persistent attitude of disregarding Pakistan's territorial sovereignty would leave a deep scar behind, with far-reaching implications for the future of bilateral relations. It sounds quite strange that the Pakistan military operation under way in Bajaur should evoke appreciation not only from Admiral Mullen but also US Defence Secretary Robert Gates on the one hand, but the Pentagon drones should be attacking our villages, on the other. One should have imagined that the US army would be passing on the intelligence to its Pakistani counterpart for undertaking an operation it does on its own. If Washington believes, as Admiral Mullen has conveyed, that there is need for further development of US-Pakistan coordination in the critical issues that challenge the security and wellbeing of the people of both countries, it would have to review its present aggressive approach of utter disregard of its ally's sensitivities. While the people would like the end of militancy at the soonest, it has to be at a minimum cost of innocent lives. That the so-called collateral damage has been very heavy reflects the dimension of indiscriminate use of force by the US. That can only aggravate a sense of alienation and thus further strengthen hands of militants.


WITH the nomination of Ch Nisar Ali Khan as the Leader of the Opposition and the promise to soon allot seats to the PML-N on the opposition benches, a new chapter will open between the PPP and PML-N. In his remarks soon after his nomination, he called on the PPP to refrain from destabilising the Punjab government, warning that this could have a domino effect. Ch Nisar Ali Khan being a seasoned parliamentarian one expects that while he keeps a watchful eye on the administration's performance, would set an example of how a responsible opposition should function. His remark that his party does not seek early elections indicates that he is aware of the need to allow the system to work smoothly. The ruling coalition too needs to reciprocate by respecting the right of the PML-N to rule Punjab.
At long last, the process to appoint the chairmen of the National Assembly's Standing Committees has also been initiated. MNAs Maulana Fazlur Rehaman, Isfandyar Wali and Mustafa Shah have been respectively elected chairmen of committees on Kashmir, Foreign Affairs and Water and Power. One hopes the chairmen of the rest of the committees too would be appointed at the earliest to allow the NA to efficiently pursue the task of legislation. What needs to be done in days to come is to restore the full powers of the NA as visualized in the Constitution as it existed before the 1999 military takeover. For this the 17th amendment and 58(2)b have to be repealed. A constitutional amendment to achieve this should not be difficult because both the PPP and PML-N are already committed to it while the government also enjoys the additional support of a number of MQM and PML-Q legislators now.
The leaders of both the PPP and PML-N claim that they have learnt from their mistakes and would not revert to the type of infighting that characterized the 1988-99 period. For this they need to undertake a firefighting exercise in Punjab. To avoid an unhappy situation where there is a likelihood of the tail wagging the dog, the race to enlist the support of PML-Q legislators by both sides has to be brought to an end. The two iftar dinners on Wednesday by the PML-N and PML-Q were a show of strength. That the PPP leadership in Punjab was reportedly involved in providing logistic support to Ch Pervaiz Elahi indicated to many that it would seek whatever support was available to turn the tables on the PML-N. Similarly the way the latter is courting the Q-League Forward Block indicates that it too would go for anything, even if it violated sound political principles, to maintain majority in the PA.


PRESIDENT Asif Ali Zardari should be complimented for using a commercial flight on his way back home. However the appreciation cannot be unqualified because the flight, scheduled to arrive in Lahore from London, was diverted to Islamabad and reached Lahore late putting the passengers to great inconvenience. One hopes, though, that the good precedent of travelling on a regular flight would be followed by other government functionaries. It is also good to hear that Mr Zardari is taking a routine flight on his forthcoming visit to the US and staying at Hotel Roosevelt owned by the Pakistan government. As he would be accompanied by only three ministers and two officials, one also hopes that the old habit of the head of state and chief executives taking huge entourages including members of their extended families as well as large media teams causing a big hole in the national exchequer would come to end. Setting such norms of behaviour is certainly welcome and should be followed by other members of his government. Unfortunately, so far its promise to practice austerity measures goes, not much has been done: the governors, chief ministers and ministers continue to travel in large convoys and use luxury planes purchased from the hapless taxpayers money and that also in precious foreign exchange.
Comparisons can be made with the previous regime. Former President Musharraf immediately after he took over used commercial flights giving preference to the economy class. That certainly earned him a ringing praise all around but unfortunately the practice died away soon. Not only General Musharraf but also some cabinet members would feel no scruples in wasting away millions on their luxury trips to western countries. According to reports ex-premier Shaukat Aziz's junkets cost no less than Rs 750 million.
Given the tendency of our rulers to misuse the public office and spend funds, which are allocated for the betterment of populace, to satisfy their whims, it remains to be seen how the government would deal with this financially disastrous habit. For starters the federal as well as the provincial governments should sell off their not so insignificant in numbers airplane fleets and their functionaries get used to flying commercial.

source : http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-ne...ng-the-mindset

__________________
You are an eagle, flight is your vocation:
You have other skies stretching out before you.

sept/20/08

Leaders' role

PRESIDENT Asif Zardari's address to Parliament comes at a crucial time for the seven-month-old elected government. As the statement by US Defense Secretary Robert Gates indicates, the Bush Administration is bent on continuing a policy of brinkmanship in the tribal areas in pursuit of electoral gains, caring little for Pakistan's protests. While the Prime Minister has reiterated once again that Islamabad would never concede on national sovereignty, the US continues to lean on the new government. Meanwhile, despite military operations in Bajaur and Swat, there is no respite to militant acts. The massive internal displacement caused by the operations has given birth to widespread alienation in the tribal areas and has put a heavy burden on the country's resources. Pakistan also faces a grave economic situation which the government needs to address seriously. The rivalry between the PPP and PML(N), and the attempts by both to woo the PML(Q), combined with statements by hotheaded leaders, have caused concerns about the future of the fledgling democracy.
With President Zardari continuing to be in full control of the levers of power like his predecessor Gen (retd) Musharraf, while at the same time holding the office of the Co-Chairman of the PPP, the entire responsibility for the success or failure of dealing with these challenges lies on a single leader, which is by no means a comfortable situation. There are many who think the sooner he gets the 17th Amendment and Article 58(2b) rescinded, handing over most of the powers to the PM and Parliament, thus allowing the parliamentary system to function with full confidence and strength, the better for the government and the country. On Tuesday he would be meeting President Bush who is likely to press him to do more in the tribal areas and not to object to the US attacks inside FATA. Will he be able to change the mind of a desperate President who is ready to employ any means that can help the GOP win the Presidential race? While it is understandable on the part of the government to seek good relations with the US, people rightly expect that it would not in any case bargain on national sovereignty.
With the grave challenges facing the country, there is need on the part of the political parties to rein in their rivalries and stop scoring points. Smaller coalition partners should resist the temptation to make unrealistic demands on the government. The situation requires that the government go an extra mile, if needed, to maintain good working relations with the opposition. Similarly the opposition must not use the situation to arm-twist the administration or to play to the gallery. The PPP and PML(N) should act with a sense of responsibility so that the country can cope with some of the gravest challenges in its history.


THE lawyers' movement, in the words of President SCBA Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan, has certainly entered a crucial phase. Out of the 18 remaining judges, some more have thrown feelers to get themselves reappointed through a fresh oath. According to reports, deposed Chief Justice Sindh High Court Justice Sabihudduin Ahmed, a staunch supporter of Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry along with a few others, are expected to take oath as judges of the Supreme Court. The Lahore Bar Association, not very happy at this piecemeal approach, banned the entry of Law Minister Farooq H Naek to the bar and cancelled the membership of Attorney General Latif Khosa. The government's strategy, nevertheless, of resolving the crisis cannot be just rejected away as a mere failure. Precisely this is the reason why cracks have started to appear in the lawyers' movement with more and more members getting double-minded as to what should be their approach. The clash between two groups of lawyer in Multan on Friday is a case in point. Notwithstanding the legality principle, there is nothing anyone could do about the judges who have taken the fresh oath: they are now part of the judiciary and according to the Law Minister, the government, through placing the judges back on the bench, has successfully been able to reverse the actions of the former general.
In the meanwhile, it would be worth the effort to go into the pros and cons of the movement itself. The lawyers, for their overall contribution, deserve a pat on the back in highlighting the importance of independent judiciary. They launched a heroic struggle at a time when opposition of any sort could not stand up to the harsh and arbitrary rule of the Musharraf regime. They raised public consciousness and continued their struggle for more than a year, bringing the previous regime to its knees. More important, their struggle was symbolic in the sense that they were striving to do away with the repugnant law of necessity that gave past military rulers the legal cover to subvert the people's will. But as they say, every masterpiece has its own flaws. While Pervez Musharraf failed to divide the legal fraternity, with him gone the PPP government faced no difficulty in persuading the judges to take oath, thereby creating dissentions in the lawyers' ranks.
There is a need for the black coats to build on the struggle they have been waging so far and reconsider their decision to continue the agitation. One feels like calling upon the legal activists to exercise restraint and strengthen the democratic process. A continuous confrontation suits neither the legal community nor the fledging democracy.


THE Central Development Working Party has, in its inaugural meeting for 2007-8, approved 51 schemes with a total cost of Rs 262.4 billion. The highlight of the meeting was its approval of land acquisition for the Bhasha-Diamer Dam at a cost of Rs 116 billion. This is the very first step towards the construction of the Dam, and must be welcomed by all true Pakistanis, especially in these times.
First of all, there is an ongoing power crisis, which will not be solved when the 4500 MW of planned power come online, because by then, as much as eight years from now, the demand-supply gap would have increased correspondingly. Similarly, with India having stopped the supply of Chenab water to Pakistan, the new Dam's storage capacity will be equally welcome, but it will not solve the problem, for which India must learn that it must abide by the Indus Waters Treaty which it signed back in 1960.True, this is the biggest project of Pakistan, at $8 million, in terms of cost, which is being met from indigenous resources mainly because India showed its new friendliness by opposition to a loan at the World Bank Board of Directors.
However, the enthusiasm over the new project, should blind no one to the fact that a project with much the same yield in terms of power generation and irrigation water storage capacity, and which was found eminently feasible in the relevant necessary studies, has been shelved. This eminently suitable project is the Kalabagh Dam Project, which was pushed aside by the Musharraf government after decades of delay, in favour of the Bhasha-Diamer Dam Project, though the latter is no substitute for the former, and even though the demands of the population and the land for more power and more water are such that it will have to be built, but will not meet that demand. The present government must rise above narrow provincial prejudices and should be ready to initiate the building of the Kalabagh project, just as it has initiated the Bhasha-Diamer Project.

source: http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-ne...uilding-Bhasha

__________________
You are an eagle, flight is your vocation:
You have other skies stretching out before you.

sept/21/08

IT seems that Islamabad has finally agreed to allow US advisors to train the Pakistan Army in counter-insurgency measures, after resisting the offer for quite some time. One possible explanation could be that the decision was reached as a trade-off during the visit by the Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm Michael Mullen to Islamabad, after he had assured the authorities that the Pentagon would not violate its sovereignty. The clue to this understanding comes from an interview he gave later in which he said that the selection of the training site was the real hitch in starting the programme. He believed, "I do see it (the training) happening." Referring to Pakistan's stand on foreign incursions, the Admiral maintained, "clearly we have no desire to get into any engagement with the Pakistan military." Ideally, there should not have been any need for such a trade-off and the presence of US military personnel, even in the guise of advisors, avoided. The sanctity of territorial sovereignty is a fundamental right of every state recognised in international law. One hopes that Islamabad would make sure that the advisors concern themselves strictly with the training work and refrain from indulging in any activity harmful to our interests.
In the meantime, Britain has come out openly against US strikes inside Pakistan, and this might also be an indication of Washington's rethinking on the issue.
It is a heartening sign that the President, the Prime Minister and the COAS are on the same wavelength about violations of sovereignty. At a meeting on Friday, they reaffirmed the stand that they would not make any compromise on this issue. There can be no doubt in their conclusion that the US military action within Pakistan would further add to its problems in tackling militancy in the tribal region. The US must realise that, since the purpose of the two countries is to eliminate the scourge of extremism and terrorism, creating difficulties for an ally whose role is crucial might even frustrate the desired outcome.

PRESIDENT Asif Ali Zardari’s address to a joint sitting of Parliament, the first ever by any elected president in more than a decade, fell far short of public expectations in many ways, since it failed to provide policy guidelines on some of the major challenges facing the country. The good thing was that he did not mince his words while stating that Pakistan would not tolerate the violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity by any power in the name of combating terrorism. The comment comes in the wake of massive bombing of our tribal region by the coalition forces over the past couple of weeks, that continued despite repeated assurances from the Bush Administration that there would be no more border violations. There was, however, no point in reiterating the government’s resolve not to allow the use of its soil for carrying out terrorist activities against any foreign country at this stage, when Pakistan itself has been the target of crossborder attacks. The President in his address also talked about the domestic political situation while reaffirming his government’s commitment to uphold the sanctity of the Constitution, supremacy of Parliament and rule of law. There is no disputing his observation that “never before in the history of this country has a president given away his powers.” But when it comes to actually stripping himself of the powers to dissolve assemblies and dismiss the elected government, he simply called upon Parliament to form an all-party committee to “revisit” the 17th Amendment and Article 58(2b). It was no use deferring the matter in this manner, when by and large all political forces across the divide are prepared to support the repeal of these draconian powers tagged on to the Constitution by successive dictators. As regards improvement in relations with neighbouring countries, he proposed to form a bipartisan caucus for the purpose of resolving outstanding disputes with India, including Kashmir. But while he talked about liberalising the visa regime, expanding people-to-people contacts and establishing new facilities for the visiting Sikh Hindu pilgrims, he did not mention even once Pakistan’s adherence to its principled stance for resolving the Kashmir issue in accordance with the UN Resolutions.
The President, taking a cue from Martin Luther King’s famous speech, said, “I have a dream for Pakistan” but stopped short of elaborating, leaving it to the nation to keep guessing what goals he has in mind and how he plans to achieve them. Now that he is embarking on a five-day visit to the United States, it is hoped he will take a firm position in his meeting with Mr Bush with regard to the frequent US missile strikes in our territory. These attacks came at a time when Pakistan is already grappling with a rising tide of extremism. In a latest incident of suicide bombing at Marriott Hotel Islamabad on Saturday evening 30 people were killed and more than 250 others injured.


IN an effort to get over the energy crisis, the government has planned to install two nuclear power plants with the help of China. Besides, a plan to import electricity from Iran has been chalked out. Both projects would be of great help but the more important of the two is the nuclear package, involving the construction of plants on the model of the Chashma nuclear power plant. That could go a long way in bridging the supply-demand gap that currently stands at nearly 5000MW and is expected to rise in future. Meanwhile other options are also being explored. The construction of Bhasha Dam would start pretty soon. The Kalabagh Dam Project, whose feasibility report had been completed long ago, must also be taken out of the deep freeze. As ill luck would have it, the problem here again is the lack of consensus. Any attempt at gaining political capital at the cost of the national interest must be frustrated. At the same time the country must switch to other sources like coal, wind, solar, etc. It is worth mentioning that windmills in the West have emerged as one of the most efficient and environment-friendly means in the production of energy.
India also faces the same power shortage problem, but has turned to the US for civilian nuclear technology. When Islamabad demanded the same, it only got cold-shouldered. One must be thankful to our Chinese friends for once again coming to our rescue.


POLICE in Lahore has arrested a man accused of killing homeless people by bludgeoning their heads with stones. The police caught him as he was about to smash a man's head in Green Town area. This is a commendable job indeed, but given the situation of surging crime in our cities there is lot more that needs to be done. The man arrested was just a member of the serial killing gang, which means that the scourge still prevails. Incidents of the sort had been reported in the past, but unfortunately the officials had downplayed them by saying that the man involved was a psychotic. But as evidence suggests, there are organised gangs, which are operating for quite some time. Javed Iqbal, who claimed to have killed 100 children, belonged to a similar group of criminals. While one should praise the officers who caught the man redhanded, it is a pity that a large part of the Department remains plagued by corruption, errant officials, thana culture and a number of other evils. There is urgent need for reforming the department to improve the security situation. The traffic warden system and the rescue service have both made some difference, though not to the extent they were supposed to. The police should take a cue from them and do better.

source: http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-ne...ommendable-job

__________________
You are an eagle, flight is your vocation:
You have other skies stretching out before you.

Sept/22/08

THE death and destruction, which an explosive-laden vehicle caused as it rammed into Islamabad’s Marriott Hotel on Saturday barely an hour after iftar, has jolted the nation once again to a devastating evil that has come to accost the country with deadlier effect and greater frequency. With flames that stubbornly refused to die until they had claimed the lives of 60 persons including that of the Czech Ambassador to Pakistan, wounded another 260, left the five-star hotel virtually all in a rubble and shaken the entire country, one can no longer pretend that the War On Terror is an alien exercise. Its arena next door, our full-scale collaboration in it, its indiscriminate conduct by the US and allied forces that tends to brutalise the ordinary, innocent Afghans and its fall-out on their co-ethics in the FATA - the sequence of developments has brought the scourge to our doorstep: if it had started as an American war, the events have trapped us in it also.
While it is pointless to look up to the indoctrinated militants to show human feelings, the pity is that they could penetrate into the capital’s high security zone with such ease on the day of President’s address to the joint sitting of parliament when the security should have been extremely tight. But what else one could expect if Advisor to Prime Minister on Interior Rehman Malik had boasted only two days before that the terrorist activity had been put to an end. He should now be tendering his resignation with good grace. If he does not do it voluntarily the PM should ask him to quit. The bloody incident was a massive security failure; a truck carrying 1,000kg of explosives should have been detected at a point of entry into Islamabad rather than allowed to freely reach a spot deep inside of it. It is such poor understanding of the basics of security that are exploited by the enemy. Before we could blame RAW, KHAD and CIA for it, we had better check nuts and bolts. There is, therefore, dire need for training of our security personnel in latest techniques and make equipment that could detect explosive devices available to them.
The best option for the government would be to devise a coherent policy and take different political forces on board. The religion’s clear verdict against suicide and in favour of the sanctity of life must be widely propagated. Besides, the relevance of Iqbal and Quaid-i-Azam’s message of pluralism, under which no group enjoys the veto power over another, and its relevance in the modern context have to be brought home to the misguided lot.

ECONOMIC catastrophes do not grab headlines as much as gruesome acts of terrorism do. This is perhaps because of the large immediate death count and the fact that the perpetrators had specific malicious intent. The world sees evil that day. Not so in financial crises. These are caused by fiscal mismanagement, greed from the private sector, corruption, bad international conditions and perhaps, yes, even the occasional bits of malicious intent. But they do contribute to making life miserable. As in terrorism, economic crises make life "nasty, brutal and short."
Contrary to what the naysayers might say, the Pakistani economy is not in a free fall. There was no reckless seigniorage a la Zimbabwe; no hyperinflation. There is no dollarization. The institutions of the state are not in a state of Rwandan collapse. Low standards to compare with, granted, but necessary for keeping things in perspective in times with much rhetoric of gloom and doom.
Things are, however, far from ideal. Our currency has devalued in terms of the dollar significantly, increasing the quantum of external debt that we have to pay off in rupee terms. Our forex reserves have been plummeting rapidly and we have a severe case of inflation. And then there is the fiscal deficit that the government just cannot control. These are all interrelated variables. The inflation is due to the mismatch between aggregate supply and demand. There needs to be supply side restructuring to that effect. But that is a long term effort. More immediately, there is a need to cut the fiscal deficit down to the 4.7 percent of the GDP that the government had pledged. The steps required to that end are going to leads to public resentment but are necessary. The subsidies on electricity and fuel need to go, in addition to other measures. A way for the political leadership to assuage the masses, however, is to undertake a strict austerity drive themselves.


THE protests sparked by the Kashmir government's decision to allot a state land to a Hindu shrine board continue to persist, leading to a complete shutterdown strike in the business centers across the occupied state on Saturday. The one-day strike call was given by the Jammu-Kashmir Coordination Committee to draw the world's attention to gross human rights violations against those struggling to liberate themselves from the Indian yoke of repression. News reports indicated that the police lobbed teargas shells and fired rubber bullets to disperse protestors throwing rocks and chanting slogans against India. Several people were injured in the clash. "Protest against Indian occupation peacefully," comes a message from Syed Ali Geelani, APHC leader. Addressing a public gathering in Srinagar, APHC Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq called upon the OIC to intervene and help Kashmiris secure the right of self-determination. Expressing concern over the situation in Jammu where innocent people were being tortured and arrested, he rightly warned the Indian leadership not to forget that the people's movement could not crushed with force.
It must be depressing for New Delhi to find former Held Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed picking holes in its policy of suppressing the freedom movement through military means. And he suggested that the government of India engage in constructive, comprehensive, purposeful and productive dialogue not only with Pakistan but also with the people of Jammu and Kashmir. This wake-up call from an erstwhile puppet need not to be ignored by the Indian leadership since it is in consonance with the world's view of the state of affairs in the Indian occupied state.


THERE is bad news. Polio, which was once thought to have been completely eradicated, is again rearing its ugly head. Endangering the future of our younger generation, it is more threatening than other crisis facing our poor nation. Radical measures are needed for the control of this crippling disease that causes permanent disabilities among the patients. The Senate Standing Committee on Health was shocked to notice the rising cases of polio detected across the country and expressed its concern over the lack of any tangible effort made to eliminate it altogether. The committee called for monitoring and evaluation of polio control. The observation came amid media reports that the vaccine administered to children of up to five years of age was found to be expired. The situation requires the federal and provincial health ministries to deal with the problem on war footing.

sorce : http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-ne...lio-resurfaces

__________________
You are an eagle, flight is your vocation:
You have other skies stretching out before you.

SUCH is the state of confusion at the highest level that the Prime Minister and his Interior Advisor have different views about what the suicide bomber really wanted to target, the former insisting that he wanted to hit the Parliament building and Prime Minister House and the latter maintaining that his destination was the Marriott Hotel. One hopes that the investigation team constituted by the government clarifies a number of things that need explanation.
Both Prime Minister Gilani and PM's Advisor Rehman Malik, however, agree that there was no security lapse, a view that few are likely to share with them. That unauthorized persons were able to acquire, without being noticed, 600 kilos of high-intensity military explosive, known as TNT and RDX, indicates a failure on the part of the security agencies. Some officials have apparently not performed their duties exactly as they should have, or there are loopholes in the security system and those above have shown laxity in detecting and removing them. What is equally surprising is that the perpetrators of the crime managed to get a truck laden with the deadly material inside the Red Zone of the capital city, where strict security measures are supposedly taken round the clock, including patrolling by police commandos. Was there a lapse in these measures? Intelligence agencies have played a crucial role in suppressing terrorism all over the world. Unless they improve their working in Pakistan, incidents of the sort will continue to take place. The attack on the Marriott Hotel also underlines the need for proper training of the security guards placed at key buildings that are likely to be targeted by terrorists. The guards deployed at the hotel sacrificed their lives while trying to extinguish fire before it exploded the explosive-laden truck. Better trained guards might have acted more effectively during the four minutes they got. There is a need for regulating the private security agencies that neither hire people properly trained for dealing with such incidents nor pay them enough salaries.
The deadly attack on the Marriott Hotel has caused widespread concern all over the country. As suicide attacks once again become more frequent and deadlier, the people look up to the elected government to provide them security. What is badly needed is full clarity about the enemy behind the attacks. Parliament needs to be given a briefing on how the Army and the security agencies perceive the situation. Subsequently, a comprehensive policy to meet the growing threat, that takes into account the input provided by peoples' representatives, needs to be formulated. What is equally important is to take the public into confidence so that the government and the law enforcement agencies have its full support.


ANYONE who has ever held a piece of agricultural land would have a story to tell about the local patwari. Though these operatives of the revenue department also figure in urban property, their actual nuisance value comes up with full force when it comes to agricultural land in the peripheries and rural areas. Things can get pretty ugly, extortion and corruption being the norm, but even a descent to all-out hooliganism is not out of the realm of possibility. Particularly if there is a land dispute, you really don't want the other side to have warmed up to the local patwari.
The news of the Punjab government's plan to computerize its land records in an attempt to do away with the patwari system, therefore, is welcome. If this works out in the province, it could be emulated, after having seen the possible glitches, in the other provinces as well. It would be incorrect, however, to assume that the post is going to be eliminated in its entirety. Mere tabulation is not the only reason the system is in place. Were that the case, the British government would have had these posts only for that, with the records constantly being sent over to the provincial headquarters. There are certain discretionary powers that the patwari exercises in addition to maintaining records, which necessitate the presence of a revenue official in the patwar circle.
The computerization of the records, however, would reduce the scope of corruption. The mere intention to sell off one's land empowers the patwari immensely, a copy of the land papers from him being a necessity. The times ahead are going to require a lot of innovation in the agricultural sector. There is a huge food crisis going on, both nationally and internationally. We cannot have impediments to business, such as the local revenue system, come in the way of the desired innovation. The plan is commendable and should be executed as soon as the necessary homework is done.


THE discovery of a cache of arms dumped near the gymnasium inside Punjab University consisting of five Kalashnikovs, 12 hand-grenades and a large number of other explosives is a matter of serious concern. The weapons were stored obviously for some kind of terrorist activity on the campus. The presence of arms at the university bears testimony to the fact that the security measures there are not up to the mark, putting a big question mark on the safety of students. No doubt, the huge campus divided into several sectors makes it easy for law-breakers to sneak in and create mischief; yet there is an obvious need for tightening these measures. The security personnel stationed at the gates ought to be invariably alert to check the entry of any suspicious persons or goods. Since the PU has a long history of rival student groups clashing with each other, the possibility of other caches of weapons stored elsewhere cannot be ruled out. Therefore, the university administration ought to beef up the security, ensure that the campus is free from all kinds of weapons and see to it that discipline is maintained at all costs.
Serious efforts must be made to reform the culture at our universities. Some groups with vested interests have been using the students to achieve their petty ends. The shootout in Karachi University a month ago that claimed the lives of three students and injured many, is a case in point. One hopes that the government would wake up to its duty and stop the miscreants from destroying the fabric of our educational institutions.


GIVEN the long history of our bitter relations with India, there seems to be little justification for establishing commercial relations with it until the Kashmir dispute, that has been the principal sore point between the two, has been resolved. Somehow, our leaders have come round to New Delhi's view of the benefits trade could provide to either side. Now the just concluded Indo-Pak talks at New Delhi reportedly gave final shape to starting trade across LoC. This is particularly strange, in the backdrop of Indian claims of Pakistan's involvement in any terrorist activity against it and the atrocities its security forces are committing on innocent people in Held Kashmir. The previous regime showed a great deal of flexibility, but that has failed to bring about a change of heart in India. In the meanwhile there are reports that tensions are mounting along the border and incidents of crossfire are common now. New Delhi is also going ahead with its nefarious design of diverting the water flowing into Pakistan. Presently it is storing water in the Baglihar dam, built in violation of Indus Waters Treaty, knowing full well that it would destroy our crops. It is unwise to put the core issue on the backburner under the circumstances.

source: http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-ne...ade-across-LoC

__________________
You are an eagle, flight is your vocation:
You have other skies stretching out before you.

Sept/24/08

PRESIDENT Asif Zardari's observation that American forces should stay away from our soil and let the Pakistani forces do the job comes three days after he warned in his inaugural address to a joint sitting of parliament that no tolerance of the violations of our sovereignty and territorial integrity would be shown. "Pakistan is capable of combating terrorism... and we are there to stand shoulder and shoulder with the world, looking the terrorists in the eye," he said in an interview with NBC news channel on Monday. The interview was aired at a time when the media reported another incursion by US assault helicopters in the tribal region. Local authorities were quoted as saying that shots from the ground, fired by Pakistani troops and tribesmen, forced the intruding choppers to return to Afghanistan. A US Defence Department spokesman meanwhile speedily denied that such an event took place.
The Americans must be aware that the reported incursion would accentuate tension between Pakistan and the United States, caused by the recent cross-border attacks in the restive region. But the Bush Administration is becoming extremely impatient with the efforts Islamabad has been making to purge the tribal areas of militants without realizing that strikes on Pakistani soil would make the current democratic dispensation weak and irrelevant. The point was very aptly raised by The New York Times editorial on Monday. It suggested that even though Mr Zardari is "an undeniably flawed leader", he deserves a chance, and American support, to fulfil his promises to "bolster democracy...and work with the United States to defeat terrorism". The argument that the rising number of civilian casualties in the region bordering Afghanistan is driving more and more tribesmen into the hands of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan and other extremist groups cannot be rejected outright. But the United States needs to understand that there is no point in launching attacks inside Pakistani territory as they will not only aggravate anti-US sentiment but also undermine the democratic regime whose support it requires to curb militancy.
The fallout of US adventurism on Pakistan can be seen from the spill-over across the country of violence that was previously confined to the tribal areas. Governor NWFP Awais Ghani pointed out at a media briefing on Monday that militancy is now gaining root in South Punjab. Before it spreads further, the Bush Administration needs to review its new strategy that has already complicated the ongoing fight against terrorism. President Zardari can draw the attention of the international community towards this situation in his address to the 63rd session of the General Assembly as well as his meetings with the world leaders on its sidelines.


THE one-on-one meeting between PPP's Senior Minister Raja Riaz Ahmed and Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif on Monday was important in the sense that both the leaders on behalf of their parties decided to bury the hatchet and develop a working relationship. The PPP representative assured the CM that his party would extend all-out support and discourage any attempt to destabilise the provincial government. Mian Shahbaz reciprocated by saying that the PML(N) would also support the PPP in the Punjab and would see to it that the grievances of the PPP ministers were removed. It appears that both the camps have finally realized that the zero-sum game going on for quite some time was in no one's benefit.
This could open a new chapter of reconciliation rather than acrimony. More important, this meeting put paid to the ugly prospect of some errant elements trying to bring down the Punjab government, which had arisen because of the confrontation between Governor Salman Taseer and the PML(N). The mutual hostility in the province had reached such a level that there were reports about the PPP leadership resorting to extreme methods like asking the CM to take a vote of confidence. Another fact that should be highlighted is that it was precisely the hard feelings between the two that was allowing the PML(Q) to stage a comeback. The PML(Q) had been declared by the PPP as qatil league after the assassination of Chairperson Benazir Bhutto while the PML(N) referred to it as untouchable, but unfortunately because of their mutual rivalry there was no other way except to woo it. As ill luck would have it, the PML(Q) rather than realizing what was in the interest of the country, started to fish in the troubled waters, playing one against the other. On the one hand, the party's bigwigs kept assuring the PPP that it was ready to form an alliance with them in the province, and on the other it tried to foster its relations with the PML(N).
Another thing that both parties ought to understand is that they both happen to be in the same boat. Just as the PML(N) is the largest party in the Punjab, but not the majority party, the PPP's situation at the Centre is more or less the same. Hence both players need cooperation from the other if their governments are to survive. Concurrently, there is need to abolish Article 58(2b) and resolve the judicial crisis amicably. The people of the country genuinely want their grievances removed and are little interested in seeing politicians crossing swords. Only cooperation at all levels can elevate people's lot. A better performance would also allow the government to complete its term.


THERE is still an insistence that the President, Prime Minister, members of the federal cabinet, the services chiefs and other dignitaries invited to an iftar-dinner at the Marriott were the targets of the suicide bomber whose attack killed and injured so many, and led to the gutting of what had been Islamabad's premier hotel. This insistence is maintained almost singlehandedly by PM's Interior Adviser Rehman Malik, who claims that this was the real target of the suicide bomber, who would have landed in the midst of such a dinner, had it taken place, along with his deadly load.
However, though the hotel has been virtually destroyed, enough has survived for the hotel authorities to say categorically that there was no booking made for any such dinner. Thus the PM's Adviser is shown beyond all reasonable doubt to have made a statement which is not true. This comes in the wake of the incorrect statement by the same Adviser that PM House was the actual target. The occasion, according to Mr Malik, was the same: a dinner to mark the success of President Asif Zardari's inaugural address to Parliament, which had taken place earlier the same day. If this is the situation in which Mr Malik finds himself, he should vacate his office as soon as possible.
After all, he has been appointed not just an adviser, but has been placed in charge of the Interior Ministry, because he is supposedly eminently qualified for the task of pointman in the War On Terror, and the undeniable fact that he has not been elected to either House of Parliament, has been overlooked. Indeed, the IB and ISI were also recently placed under his Ministry's control. He is obviously someone who enjoys the trust of the powers that be, but equally obviously someone who does not enjoy a command over his ministry, or at least over its subject matter. The PPP is close to a cabinet expansion, which provides a good opportunity to find a suitable parliamentarian for the Interior portfolio.

source: http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-ne...e-of-confusion

__________________
You are an eagle, flight is your vocation:
You have other skies stretching out before you.

Sept/25/08

WHILE acknowledging President Zardari’s strong defence of Pakistan’s “sovereign right and sovereign duty” to protect the country, President Bush assured him that the US wanted to help maintain its integrity. Mr Zardari had earlier, in an interview with an American TV channel, firmly stated that Islamabad would demand any US force entering the country to withdraw and that it would have to do that. Intrusion by outside troops was against the UN Charter and, besides, Pakistan’s own armed forces had not only the right to defend their country but also the capability to do so. He was certain that with international cooperation, Islamabad would be able to get rid of the scourge successfully.
Information Minister Sherry Rehman told the media, after the two leaders had met on the sidelines of UN General Assembly session at New York on Tuesday, that Mr Bush also held out the assurance that his country would respect Pakistan’s sovereignty. Strangely, though, at the same time both the US Defence Secretary and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff were quoted as saying that the Americans had the right to take action and will use it, since the tribal areas posed the greatest danger to their country. Not only that. The Pentagon’s spy planes continue to intrude into our airspace freely. There are reports that one such pilot-less drone was shot down by the local tribesmen near the border. Official sources have, however, simply used the word, ‘crashed’, leaving one in doubt whether it was hit by ground fire or came down on its own for some other reason. Whatever the truth, it is clear that the US feel no hesitation in violating Pakistan’s sovereignty despite the fact that Mr Bush gives verbal assurances to respect it. Obviously, the Pentagon could not possibly take action in disregard of his wishes.
These circumstances confront Pakistan as well as the US with a serious challenge. Besides, Islamabad not only faces the menace of growing terrorism against its own people but also resentment if commitments are more often breached than honoured. It must make it clear to the world’s most formidable military might that force might result in temporary gains but it permanently alienates the hearts and minds of the people. When Pakistan is extending full support, there remains little ground for the US impatience. Washington’s apparent concern seems to be to secure some tangible ground in the War On Terror before the expiry of Mr Bush’s term at the White House, but it would do well to rationally view the situation and desist from harming the interests of a key ally in the process.


STUNG by allegations of security lapses in the wake of Marriott Hotel catastrophe, the government has set up a high-level committee to improve the efficiency of departments dealing with terrorism. It is common to see a flurry of activity by the administration whenever a high-profile crime takes place. Minor functionaries are suspended and scores of suspects rounded up. Committees are formed to investigate. However, within a few weeks, the issue is forgotten and the government dozes off till shaken by another tragic incident. One hopes this time the committee will evolve a comprehensive strategy to foil suicide hits in future. There must be a reasonable timeframe for it to complete the work and take into account the issue's multifarious aspects.
Despite the government facing a financial crunch, it will have to arrange funds to ensure that the police is equipped with modern weapons, speedy vehicles and advanced means of communication. The firefighting equipment in all big towns is either out of date, in bad shape or simply insufficient. The security staff is not trained to deal with terrorists. Similarly, the cameras installed to detect crime are often out of order or not properly managed.
What remains the crux of the problem is having a policy on terrorism that enjoys national consensus. Unless this is in place and is owned by the major political parties, it will be difficult to deal effectively with terrorism. As things stand, there is lack of unanimity even among the ruling coalition on the issue, with the JUI(F) on one end of the spectrum and the MQM on the other. To evolve a national consensus, Parliament needs to be provided a briefing by the security agencies and the Army to enable it to take into account the various dimensions of the issue. It would also be advisable to take the parties outside Parliament into confidence too. Once a national policy has been formulated, it should be widely publicised for the education of the common man. The strategy should be finalised soon after the Eid.


MOODY's decision to lower Pakistan's bond ratings from stable to negative reflects the gravity of its economic woes. The main cause it cited was the depleting forex reserves, now standing at a paltry $8.9 billion, barely enough for two months of imports. The ratings, since they are crucial in attracting foreign investment, would slow down the inflow of capital that is badly needed at the moment. The area the credit agency seemed equally worried about was the deteriorating law and order situation and lack of political stability. There is little doubt that factors like the US unilateral missile strikes and the wave of bomb blasts have the potential to turn a country into an economic wasteland. It bears repeating that Standards and Poor too had cut its rating from B-plus to B back in June, declaring that the environment in Pakistan was not very conducive to business.
The government in the meanwhile has come up with an economic plan to check the downslide; yet it remains to be seen how it would implement it. Among others, the budget deficit and the declining value of the rupee, that has gone down over 20 percent this year, are exacting a heavy toll on the economy, pushing it to an insolvency-like situation. Liquidity is fast drying up. Add to this the report issued by Transparency International, which ranks Pakistan higher than before among the list of nations plagued by corruption. One would thus conclude that the trouble in major part is of our own making. An efficient team of financial managers and the right dose of good governance would certainly lessen the damage.


IT is comforting to see Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif taking interest in areas of public welfare. His resolve that he would not rest until illiteracy was brought to an end, has provided hope to a neglected education sector. His initiative, of setting up an endowment fund for providing free education to the needy, is commendable indeed. During his pervious stint, he also focused on this area, unearthing ghost schools and rooting out what was known as the booti mafia.
However, later education greatly suffered. The CM should start with introducing reforms in government schools and raising their level to that of private institutions. This is extremely important, as it would go a long way in ending the present dual education system that tends to perpetuate divisions in society as those unable to afford elite institutions are at great disadvantage in the competition for decent jobs. Education facilities in rural areas must also get Mian Shahbaz's attention. One wishes him Godspeed in his fight against illiteracy.

source: http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-ne...nst-illiteracy

__________________
You are an eagle, flight is your vocation:
You have other skies stretching out before you.

Sept/26/08

PRESIDENT Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who met at New York on Wednesday during their visit to New York to attend the 63rd UN General Assembly, agreed to work for "an early and full normalisation" of relations between their two countries on the basis of "mutual respect, peaceful co-existence and non-interference". Dr Singh hoped that the induction of a democratic government in Pakistan would pave the way for a profound transformation in their bilateral ties to enable them to attain peace and prosperity.
But it is unfortunate that these pious intentions, often expressed by the Indian leadership, should have hit a snag every time the core issue of Kashmir came up for meaningful talks. Its illegal occupation of the state has been the main bone of contention and at the root of keeping the two neighbours during most of their existence at loggerheads. New Delhi, which claims to be running the largest democracy in the world, should sense the pervasive global urge for democracy and, if it is genuinely interested in seeing peace and harmony prevail in Held Kashmir and improving its ties with Islamabad, it would have to review its current policy and grant Kashmiris the promised right of self-determination. Instead, it is making matters worse: cutting off the flow of water coming down from the hills in the state to the plains of Pakistan, in disregard of the sanctity of the right of the lower riparian.
The two leaders also decided to schedule the 5th round of composite dialogue by the end of the year. It is a pity that the four rounds failed to settle even relatively minor issues, except that Islamabad opened virtually a floodgate of CBMs in an attempt to persuade New Delhi to see the wisdom of genuine understanding between the Subcontinent's two major countries. Mr Zardari is also reported to have particularly raised both issues at the meeting: Kashmir and water. He was right in saying that if Islamabad's attempts at resolving Kashmir did not bear fruit, it would approach the UN, but the agreement on the liberation of trade with India is hardly justified. Held Kashmir, which is in ferment, ought to have received priority. On the canal waters issue, there is little cause for optimism in Dr Singh's assurance that his government would honour the Indus Waters Treaty "in letter and spirit", while it has built Baglihar Dam and is in the process raising 50 odd other dams in contravention of the treaty. Over the years, Kashmir has become more complicated as there has been accretion of other issues, like water. Lasting peace and harmony can only return to the Subcontinent once the principal contentious issue between Pakistan and India is settled on a just and equitable basis taking into account the aspirations of the people.


PRESIDENT Zardari's talks with President Bush and important members of administration have brought home to him the gravity of the situation Pakistan faces leading him to observe, "We are in a state of war, which we cannot wish away." While Mr Bush noted Mr Zardari's concerns regarding US military incursions inside Pakistan's tribal areas, he did not extend any ironclad assurance that this would not happen again which should be worrisome for our policy makers. Reports appearing in the international media also tell of the Pentagon trying to find alternative supply routes to Afghanistan indicating its determination to pursue its current aggressive policy even if Islamabad was to deny it the logistic support. Statements by Defence Secretary Robert Gates and Security Advisor Stephen Hadley also point to the mood prevailing in Washington which now considers Pakistan's tribal areas as focus of all international terrorism and crushing the Taliban and Al-Qaeda as the cornerstone of their military strategy.
The recent attacks by the US inside FATA combined with a new series of suicide attacks in various cities, the latest on Marriott Hotel, have caused widespread concern in Pakistan. As the public looks to the government for guidance, it gets contradictory signals in return. Within days of the assurance by the Interior Advisor that suicide bombings have been brought to an end, a horrific attack took place right inside the Red Zone in Islamabad. Subsequently a distraught public was warned that more terrorists have entered big cities, adding to its anxieties because it has no means to deal with terrorists Reports about mounting civilian casualties in Bajaur and Swat torching schools and even banks, with no light visible at the end of the tunnel, continue to add to the people's worries. One hopes that soon after Mr Zardari's return a process is initiated to take the entire nation into confidence on the gravity of the situation and the means at government's disposal to deal with it. The cabinet's decision to call a conference of all political parties inside and outside the Parliament is a step in the right direction in case adequate preparations are urgently initiated. It is time the legislators were briefed by the security agencies and the army and a national policy is formulated to deal with the situation before it is too late.
Meanwhile, what is urgently required is an end to policies leading to more political polarisation. The ongoing confrontation in Punjab where the PPP and PML-N remain divided over a power sharing formula should be abandoned forthwith by both the parties. If the country is really in a state of war the two partners have to cooperate with each other ignoring their narrow party interests.


THE general apprehensions expressed a few months back that the country would have to resort to foreign assistance on a large scale to end the liquidity crunch have proven true. The Friends of Pakistan Conference is being held in New York today. Its purpose is to pull Pakistan out of economic turbulence by collecting about $3 to $5 billion dollars from G-8 members and other rich nations around the globe.
Organized with the help of the US, the UK and Saudi Arabia, the conference is being hosted by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and British Foreign Secretary David Miliband indicating the fact that these countries want a prosperous Pakistan. It is heartening to know that our Saudi friends have assured us of their all-out support. Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Ali Awadh Asseri has observed that his country was very much aware of our problems. Guaranteeing that the Saudis were willing to do anything for us, he assured that the deal on availability of Saudi oil facility on deferred payments would be finalized soon. As the Saudis have come to our rescue in the past also and enjoy a position of respect in Pakistan, the present gesture will tend to reaffirm their genuine concern for us. Islamabad is trying to negotiate a similar deal with Kuwait.
The country's forex reserves are depleting at such a pace that it has pushed the rupee to record lows. While the worsening rupee-dollar parity continues to deal a heavy blow to economic growth, foreign investment is virtually becoming nonexistent. The inflation at home has eroded people's power to buy basic commodities. Moody's downgraded our credit rating the other day and thus changed the outlook on our bonds in market to negative from stable. The conference would certainly be of some help but it is clear that it is just a stopgap measure that would allow the country to prevent default. One hopes the government in the meanwhile would put its act together in order to turn the corner.

source: http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-ne...ds-of-Pakistan

__________________
You are an eagle, flight is your vocation:
You have other skies stretching out before you.