Giving credit where it is due
Published in the Daily Times Giving Credit Where it’s Due (Daily Times 04/26) By Agha Haidar Raza Pakistan recently had two major delegations visiting the US. Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi led the first contingent under the auspices of a new ‘Strategic Dialogue’ with the US. In the second trip, Prime Minister Gilani led his team to President Obama’s first Nuclear Summit. Attended by over 47 heads of state, the summit was the largest gathering of world leaders to descend upon the US soil since the 1940s. Recognised as one of the world’s safe-keepers of a nuclear stockpile, Pakistan gained a nod of approval from the world’s seven nuclear bomb carriers. I am unaware if many journalists or citizens in Pakistan read foreign newspapers, magazines or even blogs, but over the course of the … Read entire article »
Filed under: Army, Benazir Bhutto, Constitution, Democracy, Economy, Egalitarian Pakistan, India, Islamabad, Judiciary, Liberal Democratic Pakistan, Pakistan, public policy, state, Taliban, Terrorism, USA, Yusuf Raza Gillani, Zardari
Room for optimism
['The audacity of hope'? 'Hope dies last'? Or, just the reality of Pakistan in its many aspects? Here's how Mohsin Hamid sees it. - PTH] Dawn, Friday, 09 Apr, 2010 EVER since returning to live in Pakistan a few months ago, I’ve been struck by the pervasive negativity of views here about our country. Whether in conversation, on television, or in the newspaper, what I hear and read often tends to boil down to the same message: our country is going down the drain. But I’m not convinced that it is. I don’t dispute for a second that these are hard times. Thousands of us died last year in terrorist attacks. Hundreds of thousands were displaced by military operations. Most of us don’t have access to decent schools. Inflation is squeezing our poor and middle class. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Democracy, Economy, Education, Identity, Judiciary, Languages, Media, Pakistan, Religion, Society, state, Terrorism
Pakistan, the Lost Generation
http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/pakistan901/video_index.html It’s morning in Lahore, the capital of Pakistan’s biggest province, and the country’s next generation is headed to school. But what children are finding when they get there is of increasing concern for those who want peace in Pakistan’s future. For 12-year-old Fatma, school is an abandoned brickyard. “I study at the Government Primary School in Lahore,” she explains. “I study English language, and I like it. There are no chairs. We have to sit on the ground. It’s a problem in the winter. When it rains, there is nowhere to sit.” … Read entire article »
Filed under: Economy, Education, Lahore, Pakistan, poverty, Punjab, Religion, Rural, Taliban, USA, youth
Zardari signs 2 laws aimed at protecting working class
“The government’s job is not only to maintain a good balance sheet but also work for the welfare of the people,” Zardari Staff Reporter Daily Times March 06, 2010 President says govt has handed over 10% shares of state-owned entities to employees for free KARACHI: President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday signed two laws passed by parliament to repeal the Removal from Services (Special Powers) Ordinance, 2000 and amend the Services Tribunal Act. The president signed the bills at a ceremony held at the Sindh chief minister’s house. According to an official statement, Zardari said the government would preserve the rights of the working class while ensuring a conducive environment for business, setting the stage for another phase of prosperity and development in Pakistan. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Democracy, Economy, Egalitarian Pakistan, Labour, Law, Left, Marxism, Pakistan, Rights, Zardari
Frustrated Strivers in Pakistan Turn to Jihad
By Sabrina Tavernise and Waqar Gillani Published: February 27, 2010 Cross Post from The New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/28/world/asia/28youth.html?hp LAHORE, Pakistan — Umar Kundi was his parents’ pride, an ambitious young man from a small town who made it to medical school in the big city. It seemed like a story of working-class success, living proof in this unequal society that a telephone operator’s son could become a doctor. Lahore has enduring social problems like chronic unemployment. But things went wrong along the way. On campus Mr. Kundi fell in with a hard-line Islamic group. His degree did not get him a job, and he drifted in the urban crush of young people looking for work. His early radicalization helped channel his ambitions in a grander, more sinister way. Instead of healing the sick, Mr. Kundi went on … Read entire article »
Filed under: Al Qaeda, Army, Economy, FATA, Islamabad, Lahore, Pakistan, poverty, psychology, Taliban, Terrorism, USA
Let's refocus: Kashmir, not Kabul
We are publishing a Canadian view here at PTH. This op-ed was published today in the well respected Canadian Newspaper The Globe and Mail. It is written by Doug Sanders, Globe’s respected Pulitzer Prize winning Chief of European Bureau. Mr. Sanders urges the West to help resolving the Kashmir Issue. This issue has been used by Pakistani Army and the Establishment to keep the impoverished nation of ours mainly as an India competing nation. The issue has contributed towards our inability to focus on developing our society as a modern, progressive entity; a society that focuses primarily on protection, health and education of all of its members (PTH) By Doug Sanders, cross post from The Globe and Mail, Published February 20, 2010 http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/lets-refocus-kashmir-not-kabul/article1475138/ Acting like an especially convivial nightclub manager, Pervez Musharraf storms the room and opens with a … Read entire article »
Filed under: Afghanistan, Army, Democracy, Economy, Education, Identity, India, Islamabad, Kashmir, Liberal Democratic Pakistan, North-West Frontier Province, Pakistan, Terrorism, USA
Trading Religion: Profits are mine, the Losses You Cover
By Ahmad Nadeem Gehla Starting a new business is all about possibilities, optimism, hard work and risk of losses. However owning a business in any famous markets of Pakistan is considered as a guarantee for success because of high volume of ready customers. High returns on investment push high the property prices and rentals, only real wealthy can afford to do business in these markets. The powerful ‘traders unions’ of these wealthy business owners safeguard them from tax authorities and make them immune to laws and business regulations. A comprehensive package of insurance essential for businesses in any civilized society also remains absent as business owner are not willing to spare a small percentage of their profits for insurance costs. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Economy, Justice, Multinational Corporations, Pakistan, Society, state
NRO- The monster finally caged!
The monstrous crimes committed, to fabricate illogical laws and illegal ordinances, created by these criminals to protect their own self and others who participated in those practises to ruin Pakistan has now finally taken place with Supreme Court’s verdict on 16th December. The looters, plunderers will have to face the consequences of their actions and face those trials which they avoided through any means available to them- through NRO, through political needs of survival in … Read entire article »
Filed under: Activism, Army, Citizens, Civil Service, Democracy, Economy, Education, human rights, Islamabad, Jinnah, journalism, Justice, lawyers movement, Media, movements, Multinational Corporations, Pakistan, Parliament, Politics, poverty, Zardari
Grow up Guys
Cross Post from Daily The Dawn December 10, 2009 By Cyril Almeida Afghanistan is so last week. What with the NRO hearings, suicide bombings, drone strikes, talk of the Quetta shura and Al Qaida’s safe havens there really is too much going on for anyone to think about Afghanistan right now. In any case, so much has been written and said about Afghanistan post-Obama’s speech that it is difficult to imagine anything new or original being added to the debate. Except, having digested much of what has been talked about here in Pakistan, there is a nagging feeling that the state has missed yet another chance. A chance if not for a fresh start, then to be creative or even add something positive to the mix. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Afghanistan, Army, Democracy, Economy, India, Iran, Islam, Islamabad, Pakistan, quetta, Taliban, Terrorism, USA, war
The Loan Writeoff Scam; Myth and Reality
by Ahmad Nadeem Gehla The government banks and private financial institutions waived loans worth Rs60 billion during the 8 year from 1999 to 2007. Those who got their loans written off include politicians, bureaucrats, former military officials and various business groups. The finical institutions which got their loans written off include National Bank, Pak-Kuwait Investment, IDBP, Pak-Oman Investment, Agricultural Development Bank, SME Bank, Bank of Khyber, Punjab Provincial Cooperative Bank, Pak-Libya Holding, Saudi-Pak Investment and IDBP. All these institutions are incorporated under ‘Banking Companies Ordinance’ and supervised by State Bank of Pakistan. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Economy, Islamabad, Justice, Pakistan, Parliament
The Text of Balochistan Package, presented to the Joint Session of the Parliament
http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\11\25\story_25-11-2009_pg7_29 Islamabad: The government on Tuesday presented the Aghaaz-e-Huqook Balochistan to a joint sitting of parliament. The landmark package contains several initiatives to address the problems of the Baloch people and bring them into mainstream. Following is the text of the Aghaaz-e-Huqook package presented by Senator Raza Rabbani. Preamble “Conscious, that the provinces have a sense of deprivation, in political and economic structures of the federation; Recalling, that the provisions of the 1973 constitution in particular relating to the federation-province relationship have been circumvented; … Read entire article »
Filed under: Army, baluchistan, Economy, Islamabad, Pakistan, Politics, Rural
Energizing Peace
By Saleem H Ali and Parag Khanna Foreign Policy The lessons of geography appear to be ignored by policymakers in Washington D.C. these days. The Obama administration is pursuing tenuous negotiations with Iran regarding its supply of low-enriched uranium, in the hopes of taking the first step to erase the longstanding animosity between the two countries. It is also rethinking its Afghanistan and Pakistan policy to emphasize reconstruction and economic development. These two strategies are unfortunately disconnected — despite the fact that Afghanistan shares a 600-mile-long strategic border with Iran. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Afghanistan, Economy, India, Iran, Pakistan, Taliban, USA
Poem: The Explosion
Wrapped up In delicacies and intricacies of life – As the morning mist clears Whatever thrown at me, At us as a nation. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Activism, Democracy, Economy, Education, Elections, Heritage, History, human rights, Identity, Jinnah, Pakistan
Govt should do more
Bilal Qureshi I have noticed strange things in Pakistan during my recent stay there, but two things stand out for me. One, it is the unbelievably weird ability of Pakistanis to connect every bad thing to American and how America with Israel and India is relentlessly trying to destroy Pakistan, but Pakistan is surviving against all odds. Second, it is the unusual talent of Pakistanis to ask the government to solve all there problems, do more, and more and more, without being specific. For example, prices of daily commodities go up, and the people start repeating the same thing: government should bring down the prices … Read entire article »
From Russia with Love: Main Ney Russia Mee kya Dekha
Bradistan Calling When Pakistan came into existence in 1947, Russia was known as the Godless Empire of Union of Soviet Socialist Republics under brutal dictator Joseph Stalin. This inherent difference in ideologies resulted in tensions from the very start, but the refusal of the first prime minister of Pakistan to accept the cordial invitation of the Soviet leadership to visit USSR started the full scale Cold War. The rest, as they say, is history. Pakistan decided to accept the invitation of United States of America (the head of ‘Free’ Capitalist and Godly world).Pakistan joined anti-communist military pacts and gave its logistic support for Korean War in 1950s.Despite the unwavering loyalty of Pakistani military and landlord elite, USA refused to provide military assistance and spare parts during 1965 Kashmir war with India. The … Read entire article »
Filed under: Activism, Afghanistan, Al Qaeda, Army, baluchistan, Citizens, culture, Economy, Education, Europe, FATA, History, human rights, Identity, Imperialism, India, Islam, journalism, Labour, Left, magazines, Media, minorities, North-West Frontier Province, Pakistan, Peshawar, Politics, Punjabi, quetta, Religion, Sindh, south asia, Taliban, Terrorism, Urdu, USA, youth, Zardari
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