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July 2010

US Congressmen Call For Resolution of Kashmir

Washington 29 July 2010:  The underway youth led, indigenous and spontaneous movement, non-violent pluralistic and resilient youth   for right to self-determination in Jammu and Kashmir is at a critical juncture calls upon the United Nations to ‘lead the effort to achieve a fair and lasting settlement of the Kashmir dispute’, were the opening remarks of Dr. Ghulam Nabi at the inaugural session of the two day Eleventh International Kashmir Peace Conference organizaied by the Kashmiri American Council/ Kashmir Centre and Association of Humanitarian Lawyers in Washington wall.
The conference held in glittering hall of the Cannon Building  in the Capitol Hill was attended by  large number of delegates from India, Pakistan, both the sides of Jammu and Kashmir, Kashmir Diaspora from all over the world, United State’s thinks, Congressmen,  diplomats from various countries stationed in Washington D.C., prominent US columnists and opinion makers.Read More »US Congressmen Call For Resolution of Kashmir

Zardari fares poorly, Kayani more popular: poll

Kaira says survey based on presumptions

53 pc Pakistanis see India as biggest threat

Nawaz popularity rating 71pc
WASHINGTON: Only one in five Pakistanis view their president, Asif Ali Zardari, favourably while the country’s army chief gets a more positive rating, according to a new opinion poll released Thursday.

The US-based Pew Research Center said of about 2,000 adults interviewed in Pakistan in April, only 20 per cent saw Zardari positively, down from 64 per cent in a poll two years ago. The margin of error was plus or minus three percentage points. Read More »Zardari fares poorly, Kayani more popular: poll

Pakistan Financial Year 2009-10: Government pays $3.136 billion in debt servicing

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* Receives $3.647 billion from donors in same period

By Ijaz Kakakhel

ISLAMABAD: The government reportedly paid $3.136 billion as debt servicing from July 2009 to June 2010, sources told Daily Times on Wednesday.

Out of the total payment, an amount of $2.380 billion was paid as principal amount and $756 million as interest on foreign loan. In June 2010 alone, the government paid $196.605 million as debt servicing i.e. $140.190 million as principal amount and $56.415 million as interest on foreign loan, the sources maintained.
Read More »Pakistan Financial Year 2009-10: Government pays $3.136 billion in debt servicing

Is IMF catching Pakistan in a debt trap?

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Khalid Mustafa

Pakistan’s public debt has alarmingly swelled to whopping figure of Rs9 trillion meaning thereby that every person and even a child who is yet to be born will come to this world with a gift from the incumbent regime of debt of Rs54,000.

The incumbent regime has virtually failed to improve its economic landscape as it could neither succeed in enhancing the tax base for revenue nor curtail its expenditure owing to which budget deficit is not being controlled.

The domestic debt stood at Rs3275 billion till June 2008 that swelled by Rs586 billion to Rs38,616 billion by June 2009. Now the domestic loan has increased by Rs792 billion to Rs4653 billion from June 2009 up to June 2010. In last two years, the debt increased by Rs1378 billion pulling up the public debt to over Rs9.2 trillion. Pakistan’s debt to GDP ratio has increased to 61 percent from 55 percent.

Apart from the huge debt, in the outgoing fiscal, the budget deficit stayed at 6.2 percent against the revised target of 5.2 percent which was originally at 4.9 percent.

So much so the government has failed to implement VAT from July 1, 2010 and it also seems that the government will not be able to implement the reformed GST from October 1, 2010 if the rifts between the centre and provinces on GST collection on services are kept in view.

The incumbent regime also ostensibly lacks the will even to withdraw the exemptions from 5 powerful sectors of economy.
Read More »Is IMF catching Pakistan in a debt trap?

ISLAMABAD: Roadmap to eliminate energy deficit in Pakistan

By Tahir Khalil

The Energy Sector Task Force Report (ESTFR) of the FODP provides a roadmap to eliminate energy deficit in Pakistan in the next three years.

It includes a detailed set of recommendations and an action plan to enable the country to achieve energy security and sustainability.

The report recommends five key areas of reforms and investments to sustain Pakistan’s energy sector and expand its capacity to meet the present and future requirements. The ultimate objective for the energy sector is to achieve complete financial and technical sustainability. The immediate objective is to eliminate loadshedding in the next three years.
Read More »ISLAMABAD: Roadmap to eliminate energy deficit in Pakistan

Pakistani Cellular operators directed to sell SIMs by mail

By Muhammad Yasir

Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik has directed all cellular operators to establish a system to sell SIM (Subscribers Identity Modules) by post to applicant subscribers within 15 days.

Briefing the media at the conclusion of exclusive meeting on prevailing law and order situation of Karachi, he said every mobile phone company should ensure accurate SIM registration with Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) number of subscribers on war footing being used illegally in terrorist attacks.Read More »Pakistani Cellular operators directed to sell SIMs by mail

Islamabad: Cut in budget likely to force HEC to drop 80% of students

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By Noor Aftab
A drastic cut in the annual budget is likely to force Higher Education Commission (HEC) to drop 80 per cent of students for foreign scholarships due to non-availability of required funds, sources told ‘The News’ here on Friday.

The data showed that HEC set a target to select 800 students for foreign scholarships in MS, MPhil leading to PhD in universities of US, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, Singapore, Germany, France and Cuba.

The annual PSDP budget for the HEC has been reduced from Rs22.5 billion to Rs15.7 billion and now it is finding it difficult to provide required funds to 640 students for foreign scholarships.
Read More »Islamabad: Cut in budget likely to force HEC to drop 80% of students

THE UNLUCKY SUICIDERS-ALI SUKHANVER

Why do people commit suicide? Are they really fed up with their life or the circumstances around them compel them to do so? According to various psycho-analysts suicide is nothing but an extempore reaction of some emotional disturbance resulting by some unexpected failure or some irreparable loss. Most of the time a feeling of helplessness in response to some injustice also forces a man to deprive himself of his life; surely the most precious thing one has. The phenomenon of suicide is not limited to those who are physically week or spiritually fragile; sometimes people having a very strong physical condition and unbeatable type of nervous system also fall a prey to this ‘helpless – reaction’. Discussing the increasing rate of suicide, generally in the American society and particularly in the US army, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki said at a suicide prevention conference, “Of the more than 30,000 suicides in this country each year, fully 20% of them are acts by veterans. That means on average 18 veterans commit suicide each day. Five of those veterans are under our care at VA. So losing five veterans who are in treatment every month, and then not having a shot at the other 13 who for some reason haven’t come under our care, means that we have a lot of work to do.”

Read More »THE UNLUCKY SUICIDERS-ALI SUKHANVER