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August 2010

Pakistan: Drowning in a sea of incompetence —Dr Syed Mansoor Hussain

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Over the years, more and more people in positions of relative power and authority assume those positions because of connections or outright bribes and once employed, hone their skills of sycophancy and develop connections to assure promotions or lucrative appointments

Sometimes things look so bad that even an optimist like me has a hard time finding some silver lining to the ‘dark clouds’ hanging over Pakistan. Man-made disasters, natural disasters, terrorism, target killings and now the complete collapse of the Pakistani cricket team.
Read More »Pakistan: Drowning in a sea of incompetence —Dr Syed Mansoor Hussain

Why does the PPP not govern? —Shahzad Chaudhry

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Politics at the moment is about power, not about serving the people. It seems that the president knows the difference well, but he is content to pursue his own plan even if it means handing over the reins to the PML-N at the end of his five years

Within the last two weeks Pakistan has faced three major disasters. An Airblue flight went down in the Margallas, and exposed the inadequacies of the governing structure in proffering an organised effort to search and rescue. We became the laughing stock of the world because of the manner of our non-existent sense of response, capability and capacity in such calamities.
Read More »Why does the PPP not govern? —Shahzad Chaudhry

Musharraf donates Rs 10 million for flood affectees

ISLAMABAD: Former president General (r) Pervez Musharraf has donated Rs 10 million for the flood affectees, Chaudhry Shahbaz Hussain, All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) chief coordinator and former federal minister said on Sunday. He made these remarks while addressing a press conference. Hussain said that both the federal and provincial governments had failed to provide any relief to the flood affectees. The APML chief coordinator said that millions of people were still waiting for relief goods from the higher authorities. Read More »Musharraf donates Rs 10 million for flood affectees

Poverty reduced to half in Musharraf rule: WB report

By Mehtab Haider

ISLAMABAD: A World Bank survey has revealed that poverty in Pakistan was reduced by 50 percent on consumption-led growth of the economy under the rule of the former president, Pervez Musharraf.

“The percentage of the people living below the poverty line in Pakistan fell from 34.5 percent in 2001/02 to 17.2 percent in 2007/08,” World Bank said in its Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) paper, based on a survey conducted in fiscal year 2007/08. The bank is going to provide $6 billion to Pakistan on the basis of CPS findings.

According to Planning Commission officials, the PPP-led government asked the commission to conceal the results of the survey because the poverty started rising after the Musharraf’s regime.Read More »Poverty reduced to half in Musharraf rule: WB report

Drowned by Deprivation –Bushra Zulfiqar

I was up in the lush greens of Nathia Gali undergoing a management course when rains started after weeks of scorching heat in Pakistan. Initially an enjoyable and much awaited gift of nature, I celebrated with friends and colleagues over tea and steaming pakoras. Little did I know that within the next few hours, it would transform into a dangerous and deadly monster, having no mercy for anyone. I stayed awake all night distracted by the sound of rain drops hitting against the steel sheets of the newly built roof. The next morning, newspapers and TV channels screamed about the massive floods hitting all major parts of the country causing deaths and destruction, keeping us glued to the common television screen in the hotel.Read More »Drowned by Deprivation –Bushra Zulfiqar

Sleep at weekends boosts brain power

Scientists have discovered that an extra dose of sleep is more than just a luxury – it provides an essential boost to brain power ahead of the working week.

Those who return to work on Monday morning refreshed from a long lie-in the day before perform better than those who spent less time in bed at the weekend, research has found.

A single lie-in is all that is required to replenish the brain and boost energy, alertness and attention span after a week of restricted sleep, the study showed.Read More »Sleep at weekends boosts brain power

Karachi: Bakhatawar makes entry into politics

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By Tahir Hasan Khan
The daughter of former prime minister Shaheed Benazir Bhutto and President Asif Ali Zardari, Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari, has forayed into politics formally after attending a meeting with party members on Wednesday.

Bakhtawar is being groomed to take control over the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) as per the wishes of her father. The political activities of Bakhtawar formally began with a party meeting held at Bilawal House where party leaders briefed her about the reason of formation of the PPP, working of late chairman ZA Bhutto and late Benazir Bhutto as well as the party structure.

The meeting was convened by chief of PPP’s Women Wing, Faryal Talpur who also chaired the meeting. Secretary General, PPP Sindh, Taj Haider briefed Bakhtawar about the party functions and activities. Leaders who attended the meeting also introduced themselves to Bakhtawwar and further briefed her about the working of different party wings and policies as well. The party leaders and workers expect that Bakhtawar will be the next chief of the women’s wing of the party.
Read More »Karachi: Bakhatawar makes entry into politics

LAHORE: FIA starts crackdown against ‘fraudulent’ student consultants

* Agency has so far registered cases against 150 consultants, rounded up dozens of others.

By Imran Chaudhry

The Federal Investigation Agency in Punjab has launched a crackdown against student consultants who are involved in illegal activities such as human trafficking and minting money from people through fraudulent practices.

There are hundreds of such consultants working across the province who allure students mostly from the middle and lower classes in the name of making them win scholarships and providing easy visas to different countries across the world.

Sources in the FIA told Daily Times that a number of criminals were even running human trafficking businesses in the guise of student consultancies and that they had connections with the “international mafia of human smugglers in the region”.
Read More »LAHORE: FIA starts crackdown against ‘fraudulent’ student consultants

General Ashfaq Kayani’s Extension and its Interrelated Serious Geo-Political and Geo-Strategic Issues

Mehmood-Ul-Hassan Khan As expected Chief of Army Staff, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has been given another three years tenure in office. Many political pundits in the country are predicting its long term complicated consequences on… Read More »General Ashfaq Kayani’s Extension and its Interrelated Serious Geo-Political and Geo-Strategic Issues