Friday, March 29, 2024
01:28 PM (GMT +5)

Go Back   CSS Forums > General > News & Articles > The Express Tribune

Reply Share Thread: Submit Thread to Facebook Facebook     Submit Thread to Twitter Twitter     Submit Thread to Google+ Google+    
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Search this Thread
  #891  
Old Monday, August 25, 2014
Nayyar Hussain's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Larkana
Posts: 185
Thanks: 27
Thanked 34 Times in 26 Posts
Nayyar Hussain is on a distinguished road
Default 25-08-2014

The rise of ISIS

During the worst days of the civil war after the American occupation of Iraq, there was a spate of kidnappings of Western journalists and officials, led by al Qaeda operative Abu Musab al Zarqawi. The frequent beheadings, most notably of American businessman Nicholas Berg, became so notorious that al Qaeda had to issue a message asking to exercise restraint. It is no surprise then, that al Qaeda, of all groups, distanced itself from the depravity of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) endorsing the more ‘moderate’ Nusra Front.The group had already overrun large parts of north-eastern Syria and northern Iraq; conducted mass executions of Shias; exiled Christians, Yazidis and other minorities; and taken over Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city. It may have launched a full-scale assault on Iraqi Kurdistan, had it not been for the well-organised Kurdish militias — Peshmergas — and some belated American air strikes. Yet, the ISIS danger has grown considerably, at least in the eyes of the public, after it ruthlessly executed American journalist James Foley on camera and posted the video on YouTube.

The ISIS’s rise has been gradual. There was an element of Sunni radicalism that has been growing steadily in both Syria and Iraq. In Syria, the ISIS quickly sidelined and then overwhelmed the secular Free Syrian Army (FSA). At the time, the US and its allies grossly underestimated the threat. Their hesitance to arm the rebels meant that the FSA was weak from the outset. It also meant that the arms that were coming in, from Saudi Arabia among others, went to Sunni extremists because they considered Assad to be a bigger threat than the groups they were arming. The Saudis, now vociferously against the ISIS, realised their folly much later. Through its mixture of terror and military prowess, the ISIS has become one of the more powerful actors in the Syrian war.

In Iraq, the ISIS’s rise has had much to do with former Iraqi prime minister Nuri al Maliki’s despotic, sectarian rule. America had wrongly hoped that a Shia-led government after years of minority Sunni rule under Saddam Hussein would be egalitarian and inclusive. Maliki’s rule had been anything but this, and it angered many Sunnis who felt excluded, and had legitimate grievances against the government. The ISIS is the emphatic response to those grievances. Despite its psychopathic tendencies, the ISIS is formidable, well run, and ambitious. It has taken over oilfields and maintains organised crime rackets for its income (including kidnapping Westerners for ransom); it has acquired tons of weapons that the Americans left behind (the irony of Americans bombing American weapons was not lost on many); it controls many checkpoints on the border between Iraq and Syria so that it is able to transfer troops and equipment, and has space to manoeuvre. (One might say it’s the ISIS’s own version of ‘strategic depth’.)

The ISIS’s strength, coupled with a hapless Iraqi army, a deadly stalemate in Syria, and America’s desperation to get out, have all contributed considerably to the anarchy in Iraq and Syria, and the entire Middle East, broadly speaking. America’s departure has emboldened regional powers, including Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Iran, to take a proactive role in local conflicts, particularly in Syria, and now in Iraq. Still, it has also provided an opportunity for Iran and the US to work together, given the threat that the ISIS poses to both.
Foley’s execution may have also inadvertently mobilised the American public to care for what happens in the Middle East again. The outpouring of sympathy for Foley’s family and for journalists that are currently held in captivity — Steven Sotloff, another American journalist, was dragged in front of the camera in the video in which Foley was executed — has led to a renewed interest in the crisis in Iraq and Syria, and the journalists who risk their lives to cover them. This renewed interest, hopefully, may lead to a more proactive, beneficial role from the powers that be.


Women’s labour rights


It is about time a discourse regarding women’s labour rights began in Pakistan. The recent meeting held by HomeNet Pakistan and partners of the Gender Equity Programme to discuss the lack of consideration for women in existing labour laws is welcome, indeed. With more women becoming educated and being eligible to enter the workforce, there is a need to revise our laws to accommodate and facilitate female workers. According to the Ministry of Labour and Manpower, the annual growth rate of females in the workforce is 6.5 per cent. The long drawn stereotype of men being primary breadwinners and the role of women as being one confined strictly to the household is slowly fading. There are single mothers, wives whose husbands are disabled and unable to find employment and women who have been widowed. These situations have rendered women with no choice but to find work and take on the role of being primary breadwinners. The advent of having more women in the working world engenders the need to revise labour laws to accommodate them.

As the situation currently stands in Pakistan, women are sometimes considered the lesser equal halves in practice. They are automatically assumed to be physically and mentally weaker than men and are often considered less intelligent than their male counterparts. Furthermore, there is no consideration given to the fact that nature has given women the responsibility of bearing and rearing children, a role that is physically and mentally challenging in itself. Since many labour laws were created when the country’s workforce consisted of a mostly male population, a revision is crucial.

Until our laws support women’s rights in the workforce, we cannot achieve true progress as a nation. Implementing revised labour laws would encourage more women to enter the labour force if the laws acknowledge the familial and childbearing responsibilities that most women in the Pakistani culture have to plan for in life. If we can recognise that women are an asset to the country especially if educated and ensured their rights, our country would advance towards efficiency must faster, as women would bring in many talents that men were not able to bring in the past.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 25th, 2014.
__________________
"I am still learning."
Reply With Quote
  #892  
Old Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Nayyar Hussain's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Larkana
Posts: 185
Thanks: 27
Thanked 34 Times in 26 Posts
Nayyar Hussain is on a distinguished road
Default 26-08-2014

Through the bottleneck?


Whichever side your sympathies lie, the government’s assertion that it is willing to accept all but one demand made by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan should be taken as a positive development — a rare one at that amidst this unrelenting standoff between protestors and the government.
Though it seems even longer, the protests have continued for 12 long days — holding hostage not only the state but the entire country at a time where we are confronted with a number of other pressing issues. Until a few days ago, there was no end in sight — particularly since the government was stubborn in its reluctance to negotiate. However, the formation of two negotiating committees by the government to speak to the PTI and Dr Tahirul Qadri’s Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) has provided some of a breakthrough, as has the protesters’ willingness to talk. Although it is probably too soon to get hopes up too high, it is difficult not to be positive about the breaking of the ice between the two sides at least giving some sort of shape and form to a possible solution. The points that the government has ostensibly agreed to merit repetition, for they are no small matters.
They include the formation of a judicial commission to investigate whether or not the 2013 general elections had been rigged (although the prime minister had already agreed to this in an address to the nation on August 12); that, if rigging is proved, fresh elections would be held. The appointment of a ‘non-controversial’ head of the National Database Registration Authority (Nadra), as well as an Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) secretary and of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). There should be daily hearing of the judicial commission and completion of investigation in 30 days, and for findings of the commission not to be in the form of recommendations but, instead, should issue directions to parties concerned; FIRs be registered in the Model Town clashes case, as per the findings of the Lahore sessions judge. Other, older demands, which would obviously only happen if evidence of large-scale rigging is found, include re-election after dissolution of assemblies; the formation of an impartial caretaker set-up with consensus of all political forces; electoral reforms (for which a committee has already been set up); resignation of all members of the ECP and finally that all those found guilty of rigging should be put on trial under Article 6 of the Constitution.
The one demand that is the sticking point is obviously the main one: that of the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. But even in this demand, there has been a relatively realistic reconfiguration that now calls for the premier to resign for 30 days — the period during which investigations take place into allegations of rigging in the 2013 elections. That bodes well for all parties, but the reality is that all involved will have to compromise somewhere for this impasse to end. Prolonging things will only increase differences and run the risk of irreparable and insurmountable damage. Then there is the threat of this issue spiralling out of control and engulfing other areas — the biggest risk which comes from undemocratic, and indeed anti-democratic, forces, which loom large in this country and are beginning to take advantage of the situation by giving it a dangerous hue.
One must appreciate the effort of some political forces in the country that have remained neutral and scrambled back and forth to defuse the crisis and bring both (or shall we say, all three) parties to the negotiating table. In this regard, former president Asif Ali Zardari’s assertions after he met Prime Minister Sharif on Saturday merit contemplation. No stranger to handling and surviving political controversies during the five-year tenure of his party, Zardari urged that the only way forward in a democracy was “dialogue, dialogue, dialogue.” Both sides would be wise to heed his words.

Neglected IDPs


How wonderful it would be if one were able to live life in a systematic manner, to drop off their children daily at school and go to work. It is unfortunate for the hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the ongoing military operation in North Waziristan that they live each day in uncertainty in a strange place, not knowing when they will be able to return home and to normalcy. Issues faced by IDPs have been outlined in a recent release titled the Multi-Clustered Initial Rapid Assessment (MIRA) Bannu Report by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority. The issues highlighted point to the question of whether the government and the army are truly taking care of these IDPs and calls for much introspection regarding the quality of life of IDPs, in terms of meeting their basic health, education and safety needs.
The IDPs camped in Bannu require immediate implementation of security to prevent all harassment, threat and assault. Furthermore, it is unfair that women heads of households are unable to obtain aid due to lack of documentation and tribal elders prohibit them from going to distribution facilities — the latter for which a security force should also be in place. Finally, this is an ideal opportunity for Nadra to register citizens who lack official documentation, who may otherwise never be registered in their lifetimes. In going forth with Zarb-e-Azb, there is a desperate call for prudent thinking and planning on the state’s part.
While the majority of people might be satisfied with the army and government providing shelter to IDPs, the ground realities are far from positive. With schools soon reopening, school buildings need to be made available for displaced children and the IDPs shifted elsewhere. As the situation currently stands, with low school attendance and the occupation of schools by IDPs who have nowhere else to go, the province — because of the lack of our state’s foresight— is breeding a whole generation of uneducated children, which is the last thing this nation needs. Proper infrastructures and facilities should have been put into place prior to the start of the operation — the ramifications of which the IDPs are now suffering.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 26th, 2014.
__________________
"I am still learning."
Reply With Quote
  #893  
Old Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Nayyar Hussain's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Larkana
Posts: 185
Thanks: 27
Thanked 34 Times in 26 Posts
Nayyar Hussain is on a distinguished road
Default 27-08-2014

Anti-polio drive faltering


Efforts to eradicate polio from Pakistan have been dealt yet another blow at a time when fresh cases from all over the country are creating fear. All the campaigns conducted over the years have depended on mostly female vaccinators and Lady Health Workers (LHW’s) to administer the drops. They are poorly paid for what has become dangerous work and dozens have been killed by those that oppose the vaccination drives. It is now reported that LHW’s who were due to carry out the latest drive are boycotting the campaign on the reasonable grounds that they have not been paid for the past three months. Furthermore, about 300,000 children in North and South Waziristan and parts of the Khyber Agency are going to miss their drops because of the poor security situation. The boycott means that the 2.8 million children who were the target group may miss being vaccinated, but the LHW’s are adamant they will not begin work unless they are paid.

There are 16,300 vaccinators, most of them from poor families. They are dependent on their meagre salaries to feed their families; and they rightly point out that they can hardly be expected to care for the children of others when they cannot feed their own. Considering that the number of cases of polio reported this year in Pakistan far exceeds that of last year and 85 of the 117 reported cases were from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, it is grossly incompetent of the administration to delay the pay of the very people who are in the front line of the battle for its eradication. If you do not pay your troops in the end they will mutiny, and that is precisely what the LHW’s have done. Eradicating polio appears ever further from the national grasp, and it is occurrences such as this which are entirely the making of the local and provincial administrations, that are going to prolong the persistence of this crippling and preventable disease in Pakistan. It is an abdication of collective civic responsibility to the detriment of the children of the nation, to say nothing of its effect on our international standing. Pay the LHW’s what they are owed and get the anti-polio campaign back on track.

Ukraine simmers


The struggle for control of Ukraine has moved into yet another phase. At the heart of the conflict is whether Ukraine aligns with the west and Nato; or the east and the resurgent Russia that is attempting to turn the tide of history and re-boot the Soviet era — sans Communism. Ukrainian government forces have retaken much of the territory that was held by pro-Russian separatists who were seeking what in effect was a partition of the country. Russia has now made a direct intervention in the form of a convoy of about 260 trucks loaded with what it claims are items of humanitarian aid. Eventually the convoy delivered its cargoes and swiftly left the country without further incident, with Russia deaf to claims of a violation of Ukrainian sovereignty.
The Ukrainian government in Kiev has termed the Russian action ‘a direct invasion’; and it is certain to complicate the peace talks that were due to begin on August 26 in Minsk between Ukrainian president Poroshenko and president Putin. Leaders of the Western powers supporting the Kiev government have been vocal in their condemnation of the Russian move but in reality can do little or nothing about it. Equally ineffectual is the UN Security Council. The US warned of ‘additional consequences’ if Russia does not remove the convoy — a further irrelevance as the Russians removed it themselves. Sanctions have already been imposed on Russia as a consequence of its support for the separatists — sometimes with bizarre consequences. The closure of four outlets of a global fast-food chain in Moscow and a boycott by Russia of Polish apples being but two. Since the Russian takeover of the Crimea earlier in the year the Bear has become ever more muscular, and is rumoured to have eyed up the possibility of taking under its paw the Baltic States, once a part of the Soviet empire. Ultimately the struggle is about control of valuable natural resources, and the outcome uncertain.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 27th, 2014.
__________________
"I am still learning."
Reply With Quote
  #894  
Old Thursday, August 28, 2014
Nayyar Hussain's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Larkana
Posts: 185
Thanks: 27
Thanked 34 Times in 26 Posts
Nayyar Hussain is on a distinguished road
Default 28-08-2014

A Swiss fantasy


Perhaps one of the worst attributes of modern Pakistani political discourse is virtually an absolute lack of a sense of proportion and a cavalier attitude towards accuracy — and plausibility — of numbers. One of the most outrageous numbers being thrown around these days is that the Pakistani elite has somehow stashed $200 billion in illicit money in private banks in Switzerland. This is the sort of outlandish theory that would have made the Russian Tsar’s secret police proud. Let us put this number in context. Pakistan’s GDP last year — the total value of all goods and services produced in Pakistan in that year — was $231 billion. The total amount of tax collection last year was roughly $20 billion. How believable is it that the total amount of ill-gotten wealth stashed in Switzerland alone is nearly equal to the entirety of Pakistan’s economic production and ten times that of its tax collection? Does this at all sound logical?

The Swiss ambassador to Pakistan has politely expressed his puzzlement as to where this number comes from, because the Swiss government is certainly not aware of its origins. The Swiss central bank publishes numbers every year that list how much money in its banking system is owned by foreign citizens and it breaks down the numbers by citizenship. The latest available number for Pakistan is roughly equal to $1.3 billion. How much of that is legal or illegal wealth is not known, but that number does not sound like a lot. To put it in context, that number would not even cover six months of electricity subsidies in Pakistan.

What disturbs us much more than the lunacy of the number is the thinking behind it: that somehow Pakistan’s economic problems can magically vanish if we could just manage to procure an obscenely large sum of money from abroad. This kind of thinking ignores that kind of sclerotic institutions that make wealth generation from within the country so difficult. Pakistan is not poor because rich countries have not given it more aid or because our elite have stashed all the money in Swiss banks. We are poor because we stifle creativity, opportunity and economic freedom through poorly designed institutions. If we can fix those, we will not miss any money that has been siphoned away in banks abroad, no matter how big or small.

Arson in Panjgur


It is a struggle to get an education in Panjgur district of Balochistan. There are 23 private English-medium schools and coaching centres and early this year they began to receive threats from a group calling itself Tanzeem-ul-Islam-al-Furqan. This group wanted the schools to stop teaching English and end co-education. Eventually after bus and taxi drivers and students and school principals and teachers had all been harassed and threatened, the schools closed for three months. In a remarkable push-back against the group that forced their closure the schools opened again on August 7, many with much-reduced number of students as families had migrated to Quetta and Karachi in search of a better education for their children. The threats against the schools continued after they re-opened and have been acted upon, with one school being the target of an arson attack.

Two men entered the school, doused it with petrol and set the principal’s office on fire and also destroyed computers and other classroom equipment. The police have lodged a complaint against ‘unknown assailants’ — but it may well be that they are not as ‘unknown’ as the police would lead us to believe. The group making the threats is well known to local people, who also know where they are based. If local people know, then it is a reasonable assumption that the police, or their informants, know as well. It is also reported that the arson attack was in retaliation for the arrest of ‘close aides’ of those making the threats — which considerably increases the likelihood that the police know exactly who is carrying out the harassment and attacks. Teachers at the schools are displaying considerably more backbone than the police. The teachers are saying that they ‘will not close the schools for a single day’ and they remain open, an act of considerable defiance. Once again there is an instance of the police failing to come up to the mark in terms of protecting the public. They are slow to act for reasons that can only be speculated upon — and none of them are likely to be innocent.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 28th, 2014.
__________________
"I am still learning."
Reply With Quote
  #895  
Old Friday, August 29, 2014
Nayyar Hussain's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Larkana
Posts: 185
Thanks: 27
Thanked 34 Times in 26 Posts
Nayyar Hussain is on a distinguished road
Default 29-08-2014

A fast-debilitating relationship


Given recent events, hope hasn’t taken us very far and as suggested by an eminent political scientist, “hope is not a policy”. The unacceptable rise in cross-border firing across the LoC has made a mockery of the ceasefire that has held for the better part of a decade. Civilians on both sides have been killed, many forced to abandon their homes. India scrapped secretary level talks after Pakistan’s high commissioner to India met with Kashmiri leaders, a routine affair. Moreover, India remains on course to build the Kishanganga Dam, a hydro-electric project that could seriously affect Pakistan’s already tenuous inflow of water. Meanwhile, hundreds of fishermen continue to languish in Indian and Pakistani jails in deplorable conditions. The ‘good will’ gestures that ordinarily signify their release have not recently been forthcoming. Why the break in relations? After all, Nawaz Sharif made better relations with India a campaign promise. Despite fears that a BJP government — especially a BJP government led by Narendra Modi — would be bad for relations with Pakistan, his decision to invite Nawaz to his inauguration was very welcome. That was the high point, however, as things went downhill swiftly afterwards. Hope, it seems, was not followed up by policy.

Both countries are to blame for fresh round of fierceness. Ceasefire violations have now become a daily occurrence. Times are such that it hardly matters who shot first; enough casualties on both sides indicate that even if one side started it, the other most emphatically ended it. Yes, India has legitimate grievances with Pakistan. Despite picking a more benign title — ‘Non-Discriminatory Market Access’ — instead of Most Favoured Nation, Pakistan has yet to grant India the status in either form, failing to stimulate better trade between the countries despite repeated assurances. Prime Minister Modi’s actions have not helped either. That Modi went to Kargil (of all places) and accused Pakistan of waging a ‘proxy war of terrorism’ is not a move conducive to friendliness. Nor is brusquely calling off high-level talks just days before they are scheduled to begin. India must understand that the fact that Pakistan’s foreign secretary met with Hurriyet leaders is neither unusual nor a betrayal of Pakistan’s commitment towards normalisation. Pakistan has always maintained that Kashmiris themselves are stakeholders in their future — which is hardly a stance worth boycotting. If India has objections, it should voice them in the talks themselves — sensibly, level-headedly. Instead, the scuttling has cut off the opportunity for both countries to voice their concerns in person.

The lack of dialogue has made intractable, complicated issues like Kashmir or water distribution seem impossible to solve. It’s a tragedy that negotiations, a policy Pakistan has preferred so insistently with militants and between warring political parties is a stance that hardly gets much traction when it comes to relations with India. The cross-border firing is an indication that both countries seem to prefer the more expedient option of ‘shoot first, talk later’. Such a policy is hardly to going change the reality that Pakistan might receive less than a tenth of the water that currently flows in to the country from the Kishanganga River. The gravity of the issue cannot be overstated, and it requires Pakistan and India’s best efforts at dialogue to avert an impending political — and water — crisis. That has not been the case. Pakistan’s own domestic turmoil has sidetracked political discourse and compelled everyone to look elsewhere rather than at the debilitating relations next door.
India’s own domestic politics have also prompted a more hawkish stance. Modi once goaded former prime minister Manmohan Singh for his ‘soft’ stance on terrorism, and is determined to adopt a more ‘muscular’ foreign policy, which includes a more confrontational stance with Pakistan. A suffering India-Pakistan relationship is as old as the countries themselves, but if the politicians on both sides don’t stem the tide, the relationship is about to get a lot worse — and lethal. And that isn’t good for anybody.

A barbaric incident


Due to the inquisitive nature of humans, there are many questions we ask ourselves on a daily basis — what is something called, where does something come from, what is the history behind a certain idea or concept? In Pakistan, one of the things the humanitarians in us question very frequently is how does someone come to develop a certain mindset — the mindset of cruelty, injustice and superiority over another race or gender? This is the same question we ponder upon a recent story appearing in this newspaper about a woman being declared kari after she shook hands with her maternal uncle in rural Sindh. It is appalling that tribal elders — who for so long have been given authority over people without following any just process of law — ordered the woman’s husband to deal her harsh treatment after she shook hands with her uncle. The only heinous crime here is the abuse committed by the husband over the woman in the past five years. Furthermore, tribal elders should be banished for their dictatorial practices without any knowledge of state law.

The woman who has been facing trauma at the hands of these men would be better off without the animosity of her in-laws. However, who will take the responsibility of her safety and protection from the threats of her in-laws? Certainly, this type of story, once again, calls for the attention of the authorities and the human rights commissions to ensure that women are not treated as objects whose fates and futures are decided by men. We need to empower our women. Instead, we propagate ideologies of women being the lesser, weaker being — both physically and mentally. We have examples of women being made to stand in queues separate from men and being treated differently only to question, why it is necessary. The rural cultures of our country’s provinces are, indeed, backward. They severely impinge on women’s rights and it is time that the state took action to root out these antediluvian mindsets and ideologies.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 29th, 2014.
__________________
"I am still learning."
Reply With Quote
  #896  
Old Saturday, August 30, 2014
Nayyar Hussain's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Larkana
Posts: 185
Thanks: 27
Thanked 34 Times in 26 Posts
Nayyar Hussain is on a distinguished road
Default 30-08-2014

A culture of impunity


Though Pakistan is not a failed state, it has large areas which have become either paralysed or seemingly amputated. One such is the rule of law in Balochistan which to all intents and purposes lies beyond the Pale, that mythical fence beyond which darkness prevails. No crime is too heinous or too grisly to avoid prosecution. Murder, rape and robbery all happen with routine regularity, and now another three people, two of them journalists, have been killed as they sat in their office in Quetta. Irshad Mastoi was a senior journalist and Secretary General of the Balochistan Union of Journalists, Abdul Rasul was a trainee journalist and Mohammed Younus an accountant who was probably in the wrong place at the wrong time. All were shot multiple times in the head and chest and their two killers escaped, leaving the same way they came in. No group has claimed responsibility for the killings, no motive is known — at least on the surface. Journalists lead dangerous lives in Pakistan generally, but more dangerous than most in Balochistan. This is one of the deadliest countries in the world for journalists intent on exposing corruption and malpractice, or simply reporting in an even-handed manner which ruffles the feathers of any number of armed groups that resent a critical eye being cast in their direction. ‘Reporters Without Borders’ issued its annual report in February 2014 which showed that four out of seven reporters killed in Pakistan in 2013 came from Balochistan. The report also stated that none of the cases had ever been thoroughly investigated, there had been no arrests in connection with any murder of a journalist anywhere in the country, and the successful prosecution of those who murder journalists is vanishingly small.

The Balochistan government was swift to issue a statement saying that it condemned the attack and that “it stands by journalists in this difficult time.” That is patently untrue. A falsehood. A lie. The Balochistan government provides no security for journalists anywhere in the province and never has. No murderer of a journalist has ever been brought to book, and the culture of impunity that typifies every aspect of the wholesale breach of the rule of law in the province, cloaks and protects the guilty. Journalists face daily threats to their lives and the lives of their families. Just how little the government of Balochistan cares for journalists is exemplified by the fact that the chief minister for Balochistan, Dr Malik Baloch, announced several months ago that he was forming a judicial tribunal to investigate the murders of journalists. Nothing has happened since. There is no committee, or if there is it is working completely incognito, and there are no reports of any investigations being carried out. The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists also condemned the attack and called for the arrest of the killers — a very faint hope. Freedom of the press is a concept that in many ways in Pakistan is both partial and conditional. It is not just the murder of journalists, it is the way in which governments both provincial and federal choose to limit freedoms. Censorship may be imposed via the growth and maintenance of a culture of fear to speak out, or it may be by direct intervention, such as the blocking of YouTube for which there can now be no justification. The offices of this newspaper in Karachi have been attacked twice with guns and grenades, and staffers from our sister TV channel were murdered as they sat in their van. Press freedom is constrained also by self-censorship, with the media houses seeking to protect their employees by not treading on sensitive toes and all of this against the background of the culture of impunity. Until that is challenged and brought down the journalists of Pakistan will continue to pay with their lives as they tell the stories that some do not want to hear.

Cutting trees


When it comes to saving the environment or adopting environmentally-friendly policies, Pakistan has fallen quite behind. With the focus of the government geared towards its own survival, militancy and unreliable neighbours, protecting the environment comes last on the country’s to-do list. Pakistan may not be proactive in going green, but recent events reflect that it is actively harming the environment. The large number of marchers in Islamabad have destroyed its green belts and cut down many trees to make way for containers. In Lahore, the government lost a long battle with the civil society after it had planned to chop down the trees lining Canal Road as part of its road-widening project. In Karachi also, the city administration cut down trees lining pavements to make space for billboards. In fact, the chopping of trees along Sharae Faisal had reached such an unprecedented number that the Sindh High Court had to issue a stay order to stop all stakeholders from cutting trees along the main thoroughfare.

In a recent example of such environmental brutality, the city managers are planning to chop down more than 1,400 trees planted on a three-acre piece of land right across Dolmen City in Clifton. According to news reports, a group of advertisers are trying to put pressure on the authorities to clear this forest-type area to make space for billboards and hoardings. Given the roaring business that the city’s largest mall does, this forest is an ideal spot to place billboards as far as the advertisers are concerned. The trees on this were steadily being removed by restaurants in the vicinity to make space for their tables and the authorities should have taken action earlier. But there is still time to save the remaining trees. The authorities should not bend under pressure, even if there are political agents involved, and make sure this piece of land retains its green cover. Karachi has lost much of its greenery over time and the small green spaces that are available here and there should be preserved. If not, the residents will be forced to live in a harmful environment and will face health issues in the long term.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 30th, 2014.
__________________
"I am still learning."
Reply With Quote
  #897  
Old Sunday, August 31, 2014
Nayyar Hussain's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Larkana
Posts: 185
Thanks: 27
Thanked 34 Times in 26 Posts
Nayyar Hussain is on a distinguished road
Default 31-08-2014

A new target


The scourge of bigotry and hate seems to be growing deeper and deeper roots in our country, reaching into areas that have as yet been left untouched. On August 28, in an attack in a remote area of Awaran district in Balochistan, unknown gunmen shot dead six people at a Zikri place of worship. At least seven others were injured in the attack. The Zikris, based primarily in Balochistan, have rarely come under attack before. What happened in Awaran then suggests a new and more dangerous trend. The police say they are investigating the killings, but appear convinced they are linked to the growing extremism creeping over our country like an unhealthy layer of fungi. The place of worship that was attacked is said to be relatively small, but well known because it is visited by Zikris across the province. There have as yet been no claims of responsibility, but it is not hard to guess who is behind the mowing down of innocent persons practising their belief.

Groups like the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi have been associated with attacks on minority sects in Quetta and other cities of Balochistan in the past. It is perhaps also not irrelevant that religious outfits had moved into Awaran, long a stronghold of Baloch nationalist forces following the earthquake that hit the region in September 2013. It is possible the influence has lingered on in the most dangerous form. Militancy is a problem and we will need to deal with it on an urgent basis. It is simply destroying our country bit by bit, piece by piece — tearing communities apart. A two pronged strategy has to be developed for this. We must go after the extremist outfits and attempt to weaken and vanquish them. At the same time, hearts must also be won over by persuading people to see what dangers lie in the growth of hatred and how crucial it is that we develop a greater sense of harmony. This can best be done through the media and by using school curriculums as a means to reach into the minds of those who will form the future generation of a torn country.

A damaging turn of events


For an example of just how saturated the current political crisis has become and how issues at the heart of the matter are now being pushed into the background, one need look no further than the rhetoric surrounding August 29’s “controversy” over who asked for the Army chief’s mediation would be it. During the night, the government said that the army chief, General Raheel Sharif, had been asked to play a “facilitative” role to end the deadlock between the government and protesters of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT). Shortly after, Gen Sharif met PTI chief Imran Khan and PAT chief Dr Tahirul Qadri — both of whom had set that very night the “final deadline” before they took their “next step” (no one knew what this step would be, and there was understandable apprehension). Both put off their deadlines, and held separate late night meetings with the Army chief. Predictably, the move to involve the army had extreme reactions. The next morning, the government took to the floor of the National Assembly to respond to criticism. Both the premier and the interior minister held that the involvement of the army chief was done on the insistence of Imran Khan and Dr Qadri. The response by the PTI and the PAT was that the government was “lying”. Later, the army would also respond, perhaps unnecessarily, through a statement on social media, that the government had asked the Army chief to play a “facilitative role.” This then turned into an intense debate about whether the prime minister and his interior minister had “lied” and diverted from the actual matter at hand.

The real concern at the heart of the matter is dragging the Army into political controversies by political forces themselves in a country where such interference has long been identified as a problem. At the end of the day, whoever initiated this involvement, it is not as if the other party didn’t willingly accept it. If it was the PTI and the PAT that insisted on meeting the Army chief, then the government could easily have rejected the request. On the other hand, if it was the government that initiated this intervention, then Imran Khan and Dr Qadri are guilty of playing along. Both could have respectfully turned down the offer — as they have others. In fact, in a statement to the Supreme Court on August 30, the PAT praised the move. Then there is the acceptance of the role by the Army chief. Indeed, one can hold that the general was just following orders, and it was a bid to help the country come out of a prolonged crisis — but the Army chief could have politely declined. It’s not as if it hasn’t in the past.

All or any of the parties involved could both have said that they do not want the Army dragged into politics — especially in a matter that has turned as ugly and dirty as the current one has. They could have held that it was not the Army chief’s job and that the country’s armed forces, particularly its top brass, need to concentrate on a decisive operation currently underway in North Waziristan as well as mushrooming clashes along the border with India. But they did no such thing.The outcome will be damaging for all of them. Not only has the government come out looking weak and unable to handle a crisis, it has also alienated many political forces standing behind them in this entire ordeal. The PTI’s and PAT celebration of the Army’s mediation has put a big question mark over their intentions, even among their sympathisers and neutral observers, and has only served to strengthen the argument that they want to derail democracy and involve non-democratic forces. For the Army, having its chief publically involved in this fracas opens it up to a lot of scrutiny and possible criticism. The bottom line here is that political forces need to resolve political matters by themselves and band together to stave off non-democratic incursions in all shapes and forms. Only then will democracy truly move forward and flourish.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 31st, 2014.
__________________
"I am still learning."
Reply With Quote
  #898  
Old Monday, September 01, 2014
Nayyar Hussain's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Larkana
Posts: 185
Thanks: 27
Thanked 34 Times in 26 Posts
Nayyar Hussain is on a distinguished road
Default 01-09-2014

Game of Losers


By late afternoon on Sunday 31st August 2014 the Battle of D Chowk remained in the balance but there were going to be no winners, only losers. The battle started on the evening of the 30th August when Imran Khan urged his supporters to advance on the PM house and there wait peacefully for the oft-demanded and never given resignation of the PM. Dr Qadri urged his supporters forward in step with those of his co-revolutionary and the stage was set for violent confrontation because this was never going to end peacefully. There will be an endless dissection of the circumstances in which violence broke out, but it is something of an irrelevance. The police are reported to have been ordered to use non-lethal munitions such as tear-gas and rubber bullets, the protesters were quickly revealed as far from peaceful, armed with sticks and slingshots and backpacks full of rocks, and battle was joined. The protesters used a truck to breach the gates of parliament but the police lines held amidst clouds of tear-gas, there was no discharge of live rounds, and by midday on the 31st the casualty list was three confirmed dead and anywhere between 300 and 500 wounded, mostly with injuries unlikely to prove fatal. There were some synchronized protests in Karachi and Lahore but the rest of the country remained peaceful for the most part, and the called-for popular uprising never materialised. Far from flocking to the revolution, the numbers of protesters dwindled as the night wore on.

The political protagonists remained obdurate and it appears that the seventh round of talks between the government and Imran Khan and Dr Qadri were deemed a failure. The protesters had failed to dislodge the Nawaz Sharif government, and they had failed to ignite any national desire for the ouster of the incumbents that translated into spontaneous action. The government had failed to provide national leadership and the PM appeared to be little more than a mute glum cypher. His government had appeared leaden-footed and slow to grasp or manage the evolving confrontation. The involvement of the army as an honest broker between the government and those seeking its downfall, was clumsily handled and quickly deteriorated into an argument about semantics. It was also roundly condemned by politicians of all parties, particularly as the PM had so publicly reposed his confidence in the ability of parliament to resolve the crisis. Even if he survives to fight another day Nawaz Sharif is seriously weakened, and unlikely to play much of a role in shaping foreign policy or managing the relationship with India, both now reportedly in the hands of the military.

Imran Khan and Dr Qadri had painted themselves into their respective corners. Dr Qadri is not a mainstream political figure and may melt away as he did two years ago, but Imran Khan leads the third largest party in Parliament, and he has some hard questions to answer not least from his own MNAs and party office holders. His decision to order the protesters to march on the PM house and cross the ‘Red Line’ was said by Javed Hashmi to have been made after Imran Khan received a messages. The content of the messages were not revealed; but very soon after Imran Khan made a unilateral decision to move his troops – against what he had agreed with his own Core Committee. Within the hour the Battle of D-Chowk was joined. It was covered by the media who became casualties themselves as they were brutally attacked by the police several times, and PTI supporters attacked the offices of a media house; but the most gravely wounded at the end of the day was Pakistan. The incompetence and immaturity of our political cadre stood exposed. Billions have been lost in revenue. It may take years to recover and the Battle of D Chowk is not over yet.

PSL postponed — again


For the second time in 18 months, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has shelved the Pakistan Super League (PSL). The announcement despite being expected has disappointed the stakeholders, followers and players (hoping for financial rewards) alike. The PCB had repeatedly made tall claims of holding the league either in Pakistan or in the UAE this year but called time on the project by stating that there was a ‘paucity of lead time’. Board insiders, though, blame the musical chairs for the chairman seat between Zaka Ashraf and Najam Sethi, the court wrangling and the uncertain political situation in the country as the reasons for yet another postponement (The league was also postponed in February 2013). So far the PCB has spent millions of dollars on planning the league which includes a dedicated staff working on the project for more nearly two years. Former International Cricket Council (ICC) Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat was reportedly paid $25,000 for his consultancy services when the showpiece venture was in the works under Ashraf besides perks and hospitality expenditure.

Two years in the running, the PCB has failed to live up to its promise which once again raises some serious concerns about the state of the management and whether the board actually has the requisite skill set in place. One also feels that the cricketing body is unnecessarily increasing expectations by claiming that they want to pull off a special show, whenever they launch the show! There is at present no guarantee of the success of the tournament, and it may easily turn out a damp squib. By mulling too much on making it ‘perfect’ the league might never get off the ground. After the delay it has become doubly important for the PCB to take the right steps and win the confidence of the investors by announcing proper road map if they are indeed keen on staging the league. The role of the chief operating officer must not be underestimated in this context since amid all the uncertainty and constant changing and chopping he remains the only constant who has been nurtured as an immovable object at the PCB. We can only hope that this idea bears fruit soon, especially given that even minnow Bangladesh has such a league.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 1st, 2014.
__________________
"I am still learning."
Reply With Quote
  #899  
Old Tuesday, September 02, 2014
Nayyar Hussain's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Larkana
Posts: 185
Thanks: 27
Thanked 34 Times in 26 Posts
Nayyar Hussain is on a distinguished road
Default 02-09-2014

Burning the house down in protest


In 1968, the United States military, as part of the infamous Tet Offensive, heavily bombarded a town in Vietnam called Ben Tre. There were heavy civilian casualties and an estimated 550 people were killed and another 1,200 were wounded. What distinguished this battle from others in the Vietnam War was a quote from an anonymous US soldier about the offensive: “We had to destroy the village in order to save it.” While that quote may since have become disputed, it does appear to accurately reflect the attitude of the protestors in Islamabad about Pakistan: if they are not allowed to “save” the country as they deem fit, they are willing to destroy it. The damage done to Pakistan’s fragile democratic transition by Imran Khan’s PTI and Tahirul Qadri’s PAT has by now been well documented and lamented by the few responsible sections of the press remaining in the country. What is less understood or appreciated, however, is the extent to which this protest movement has damaged the economy (the attack on PTV being a particular case in point). From the shattered trust of investors — both local and foreign — to the higher transaction costs of imported goods due to a higher exchange rate, the full cost of the protests in Islamabad is likely to far exceed the cost of cleaning up the Red Zone.

To even begin a tally of the damage to the economy done by the Islamabad protests is a difficult task. We will not even count the many short-erm losses — the sharp decline in the exchange rate, the likely ensuing spike in inflation, the stock market decline, the foreign investment decline, etc. No, the real impact on the economy will be the long-term damage, for which the blame lies squarely with the PTI and Imran Khan. For starters, there was the moronic civil disobedience call to stop paying taxes and utility bills. This stroke of genius relies on the following premise: let us solve the major, though manageable, problem of electoral fraud by exacerbating the two biggest challenges facing the Pakistani economy, namely electricity theft and tax evasion. We suspect Asad Umar was hiding his face in shame somewhere when this happened. The deeper damager, however, is psychological. Following the peaceful transition of power, the Pakistani market — both the stock market and the broader capital market for investment — saw what is described in economic terms as a “re-rating”. Simply put, investors saw the political transition as a sign of stability and would thus the volume of potential investment into Pakistan grew substantially, as evidenced at least partially by the growing foreign ownership of stocks listed on the Karachi Stock Exchange. Foreign investors now own more than 30 per cent of the free float in the stock market, compared to around 20 per cent before the 2013 elections.

How does the PTI think those investors feel about Pakistan after seeing protestors wearing shirts sold by one of the three major political parties in the country storming and damaging buildings in the heart of the capital? This is not simply the concern of investors. It matters for the rest of Pakistan. People are far more likely to make the kind of long-term investments that create stable, well-paying jobs if they are relatively certain that a democratic government will not suddenly be overthrown by a rash populist who appears to have at best a callous indifference about the economic fate of the country. Imran Khan’s supporters are fond of pointing out the costs of the corruption of politicians belonging to other parties and that corruption no doubt needs to be addressed. But what use is Imran Khan’s supposed sincerity and honesty to the textile worker who will not be employed because the factory she works at is not getting export orders, or the farmer who cannot sell his stock at good prices because the multinational consumer goods company that was about to set up a production plant cancelled their investment plan? Malicious corruption has its costs. But so does incoherent, incompetent sincerity. In the world of dollars and cents, intentions do not matter. Actions do. And Imran Khan’s actions demonstrate that he is far from ready to lead the Pakistani economy.

Split in militants?


The Jamatul Ahrar claimed its first attack in Mohmand Agency on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border by targeting a vehicle of the security forces. The militant group which is the new breakaway faction of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has emerged as one of the most serious threats to national security, considering the groups that are included within this umbrella organisation and their previous roles. While tensions on the Durand Line have increased with more than twelve instances of cross-border attacks in the last two months, the reemergence of the militant leadership in their respective areas after operation Zarb-e-Azb was launched in North Waziristan, threatens not only the local populace which have been displaced for years but points towards a larger problem with the Afghan Taliban gaining momentum across the border. The Jamatul Ahrar has been very clear about its objectives in an hour and a half long video message, which is to implement the already tested model of ‘Islamic Emirates’, an allusion to the Taliban rule in Afghanistan. The video message has all the undertones of a transitional jihadist movement.

Qasim Khursani, who has been appointed as the new Amir of the group, previously headed the Ahrarul Hind, a militant group which was opposed to talks with the government and struck right in the heart of the capital Islamabad by targeting the High Court. In its ranks are powerful militant commanders like Omar Khalid Khusarani, the Amir of the Mohmand Taliban, Qari Shakil and others who have had strong ties to groups like al Qaeda. While the TTP has split under the leadership of Mulla Fazlullah, the smaller urbanised groups have aligned with larger groups from the tribal belt excluding both the Waziristans. This does not only forebode a larger turf war in cities like Karachi, where militant groups have established themselves over time but in other parts of the country where they have carried out targeted attacks together. If the purpose is to eradicate militancy from its roots, the time is ripe to strike the anvil, while the groups are still dispersed. The operation will need to be expanded but not in the tribal areas alone.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 2nd, 2014.
__________________
"I am still learning."
Reply With Quote
  #900  
Old Wednesday, September 03, 2014
Nayyar Hussain's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Larkana
Posts: 185
Thanks: 27
Thanked 34 Times in 26 Posts
Nayyar Hussain is on a distinguished road
Default 03-09-2014

Parliament rises to the occasion


The lines drawn in times of crises can be self-defeating. Often, the voice that is drowned out amidst the commotion is the one really worth listening to; but unfortunately it is heard only when the crisis has crescendoed to a point where it is perhaps too late. One hopes this is not the case when it comes to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s dissident president Javed Hashmi, who on September 2, delivered as stern a message to the entire political system of the country. Hashmi’s speech during the joint session of Parliament should serve as an eye-opener for all sides involved in this current crisis. He lashed out at what he termed the ineffectiveness of the Parliament and its members’ preoccupation with personal political battles instead of serving the people who elected and sent them there. The Parliament, he said, is indeed the most supreme and sacred of institutions, but it hasn’t been used to alleviate the troubles of millions of Pakistanis as it should. Instead, it has, for years, been used by those in power to serve political ends — as it is currently being used. “Prime ministers, once elected, wish that Parliament would just disappear,” thundered an emotional Hashmi. No one will disagree with that. Respect for institutions, no matter how sacred, will not simply stem from grand superlatives and lofty ideals, or from repetition of their sanctity, but from efficiency and indeed efficacy in the eyes of the people they are meant to serve. This is particularly so in a country such as Pakistan, which suffers from multiple socio-economic afflictions.

The seasoned politician from Multan lost his place in the PTI because he went public with his disagreement with the party chief’s strategy during this now 19-day protest, but he stepped onto the floor of the Assembly to effectively present Imran Khan’s case — and voiced concerns with the decorum of the current government. He urged caution and reformation — particularly in the way Parliament is run and how the prime minister conducts himself. Some of the speeches that came before him took aim at Imran Khan, who is technically still a member of the National Assembly. Many of the points raised against him were personal and political attacks — particularly by his arch-rival Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who called for Imran to be tried for treason. But Hashmi urged that the Parliament should not attempt to corner and isolate Imran Khan, pointing to his genuine support amongst millions. Defending the PTI chief, he said that the one that should be put on trial should not be Imran Khan, but Parliament itself. One may disagree with Imran Khan’s methods and words, but the answer to how the current crisis will be resolved will not come from attacking the PTI chief. The Parliament needs to play a bigger role than that.

The support put forward for beleaguered Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for the sake of democracy and democratic principles — as Aitzaz Ahsan beautifully articulated in his speech — is very welcome. He is, after all, the elected prime minister. But, let it not end at this. Let Parliament step forward as a platform that is not simply used to prop up a government and attack dissident forces at times of crisis. Let Parliament come forward and resolve this and remind the country why it is so sacred and important. Thus far, the army and the Supreme Court have tried to play a role in solving this matter. For one, this is the job of neither, and least of all to offer directions to an elected government. The army has too long had a political role, and while its current stand supporting democracy (though not, as some would say, in 1958, 1977 and 1999) is commendable, it is perhaps not for them to advise an elected government on political matters — particularly in public statements on policy issues such as time frames for resolution of issues and whether or not force should be used, such as the ones we have seen of late. It will be said that there were failed attempts by political players to resolve this matter. While these efforts are commendable, they have come from the platform of political parties thus far. Parliament as an institution has thus far done little but pass resolutions in favour and against people. Let the rut end at this critical hour.

An even stronger Erdogan


Turkey has a new president. Recep Tayyip Erdogan was sworn in on August 28, becoming the first Turkish president to be elected by popular vote. He had served three terms as prime minister and has said that he will arrogate greater power to the office, which had hitherto been entirely ceremonial. He was voted to the post by a slim majority and today he leads a deeply polarised country. Uniting his countrymen and women will be a formidable challenge, but he is by far the most successful politician in the modern era in Turkey. His many critics say that his extension of presidential powers will only make him more authoritarian — and he already has a well-founded reputation as an authoritarian ruler. Members of the opposition parties walked out of the inauguration in protest, a less-than-promising start to the healing process. As he took the presidential oath he vowed to protect Turkish ‘independence and integrity, to honour the constitution and adhere to the principles of the founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.’

It is those secular principles on which Ataturk reshaped the country that many in the Opposition see as being threatened by what they see as Islamist leanings by Erdogan. He is not popular with many of his European neighbours and no Western European country sent a head of state to the Erdogan inauguration, and the US sent a low-ranking representative from its Ankara embassy — seen by some as a snub. As the ceremony concluded, the police were using water cannon to disperse protesters in Istanbul. Polarised Turkey may be politically, but there is no doubt that under Erdogan, the economy has been rejuvenated and Turkey has moved from a ‘hands off’ position in respect of foreign policy to playing an active part in events surrounding the Arab Spring. Mr Erdogan has the solid support of the conservative middle class that are the most obvious beneficiaries of his years as prime minister, but it is the 48 per cent of the Turkish people that did not vote for him that form the mountain he has yet to climb.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 3rd, 2014.
__________________
"I am still learning."
Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
editorials, express tribune

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
All about Pakistan Muhammad Adnan General Knowledge, Quizzes, IQ Tests 78 Wednesday, May 16, 2012 09:50 PM
Opinion: The Express Tribune Saqib Riaz News & Articles 1 Monday, December 27, 2010 10:59 AM
The Express Tribune: Saving face: K-P reverses dubious land lease Mohsin Mushtaq News & Articles 0 Thursday, December 16, 2010 08:46 PM
A good editorial... Nonchalant Journalism & Mass Communication 2 Sunday, March 23, 2008 07:31 PM
Role/Aim of Editorial Nonchalant Journalism & Mass Communication 0 Tuesday, February 19, 2008 02:10 PM


CSS Forum on Facebook Follow CSS Forum on Twitter

Disclaimer: All messages made available as part of this discussion group (including any bulletin boards and chat rooms) and any opinions, advice, statements or other information contained in any messages posted or transmitted by any third party are the responsibility of the author of that message and not of CSSForum.com.pk (unless CSSForum.com.pk is specifically identified as the author of the message). The fact that a particular message is posted on or transmitted using this web site does not mean that CSSForum has endorsed that message in any way or verified the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any message. We encourage visitors to the forum to report any objectionable message in site feedback. This forum is not monitored 24/7.

Sponsors: ArgusVision   vBulletin, Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.