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October 2010

State of Pak economy

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PROFESSOR DR KHAWAJA AMJAD SAEED

ARTICLE  (October 31, 2010) : The success story of a country depends upon accomplishments on four fronts namely, Political (strong democratic set up for the well-being of the people of the country), economic (socio-economic development with prosperity across the board), social (elimination of social evils and ensuring social stabilisation with peace and harmony in the country) and technology (institutional framework through a breakthrough with innovation and invention as logistical support to all-round development of the country).

However, this piece looks at the broad framework focusing on economy of Pakistan. Recently, the Annual Report of State Bank of Pakistan for 2009-10 has been released. It presents a forthright analysis of the state of affairs of the economy of Pakistan. It generates food for thought and provides insights for forward thinking.Read More »State of Pak economy

Pentagon faults US official for creating spy ring in Pakistan: NYT

A senior U.S. Defence Department official violated the department’s rules and “deliberately misled” senior military officers when he set up a spy operation using private contractors in Pakistan and Afghanistan, The New York Times reported Friday, citing a Pentagon inquiry report.
The report accuses Michael Furlong, the official, of running what amounted to an illegal spying ring of military contractors.
The Times quoted Pentagon spokesman Colonel David Lapan as saying the probe found that “further investigation is warranted of the misleading and incorrect statements the individual made” about the legality of the spy programme.Read More »Pentagon faults US official for creating spy ring in Pakistan: NYT

Renewable Energy

Sources of energy derived from biological sources may reduce global dependence on fossil fuels that emit harmful gases, but they entail the use of large volumes of water and pose the risk of introducing undesirable crops into ecosystems, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) warns in a report.
The report, ‘Accessing Biofuel,’ recommends new planning and management approaches to balance the beneficial effects of the production of biofuels — which do not produce gases associated with climate change — with their environmental and social consequences.
“There is no doubt that we need to decrease our reliance on fossil fuels and move to cleaner, more environmentally friendly options,” said UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner. “But we need to make sure we are not creating more problems than we solve. Read More »Renewable Energy

The Fate of Democracy in Pakistan

By Qaisar Sultan

There is an interesting question arising from the legal challenges to a fragile democracy in Pakistan: Can a constitutional democracy amend the very spirit of the constitution that it is based upon? Who is to decide these matters and to accept without any reservation? The Supreme Court is mainly concerned about its survival and any proposed amendment has to protect the power of justices for the appointments of judges. In USA, the decision of appointing chief justice and justices of the Supreme Court judges lies within the power of the president; and requires the approval from the senate.  The elusive constitutionality of the 18th.amendment and the executive order to bring back the judges have been kicked around as a tattered doll dragged between the Supreme Court justices and wicked democrats defending their positions by sharing and playing with the absurdities and ambiguities inbuilt and revised in the constitution. While the contestation goes through peak to valley, the vagueness and distortion of the constitutional issues of the state, carried out by less than mediocre inept and dishonest politicians and judges, the relief and justice to flood ravaged country is nowhere to be found, except for the American aid and promises.Read More »The Fate of Democracy in Pakistan

The real game behind the great game

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By Waqar Ahmed  All the pilots who crashed planes at the Pentagon and the World Trade Centre were Arabs. They were trained within America, and American security agencies were ignorant of it? Most of these pilots were from Saudi Arabia and the rest from Egypt. Then why did America attack Afghanistan and Iraq, while no Afghans and Iraqis participated in the terrorist events of 9/11.
Without any evidence, some American intellectuals blamed Osama Bin Laden, for providing financial backing to the terrorists. That accusation was rejected by Osama. But the US particularly invaded Afghanistan and destroyed the whole country.
At that time, even the American media was astonished and said that without evidence, blaming Muslims for terrorism was wrong. And now events in this decade since September 11 have proved that the incident was part of a larger design to control the routes to the Central Asian states and their mineral wealth.Read More »The real game behind the great game

AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT AMERICA

ALI SUKHANVER

Division, addition, subtraction and multiplication; these are not simply the basic functions of mathematics but the most possible solutions to so many complex and complicated problems of life. Al around us from Iraq to Afghanistan and from the balkanized states of USSR to India, the whole strategy is revolving on the axis of these four mathematical actions. When the US authorities felt the growing unison of different Afghan groups and tribes in shape of a nation, they started planning to create differences and distances among them so that they might not become a challenge to the US hold ,authority and vested interests  in the region. Unfortunately this ‘division’ could not do much better from the US point of view, so the next rule, the rule of ‘addition’ was applied to the situation by staging the 9/11 incident. This incident provided the US authorities a Read More »AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT AMERICA

Faith-By Qaisar Sultan

A Shudder Hindu stood on one leg for ten years with full conviction that by enduring pain and suffering he would come back as a prince in his next life. The self-immolation of the monks of Vietnam, burning alive, was a horrified political weapon to be used. The self- immolation has been demonstrated with pride by the Christians in Mexico putting themselves on cross and nailing down their hands and legs to the wooden planks. The self- immolation is also practiced by Hindus, Christian monks, Buddhists and some Muslims. The sati tradition in Hindu culture was revered when a “devoted” wife jumped in the burning fire on her husband’s cremating ceremony.  The monks are known to lash themselves till they bled profusely, sometimes to their death. What we call a man or woman deciding to commit a suicide in the name of Mighty God; and end up killing himself and other innocent people in the passage to heaven.  The idea is to wish an audience with his Maker to let Him know that he disposed of the gift of life in the hope to have an eternity full of bliss. That is the power of faith used poorly. “They marched away enduring a belief/ Whose logic bought them, somewhere else to grief” The Shields of Achilles by Auden.Read More »Faith-By Qaisar Sultan

LAHORE: Taseer readies 100-point report on Kalabagh Dam benefits

Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer with the assistance of renowned water experts has prepared a 100-point report, which highlights benefits of Kalabagh Dam (KBD) construction.
Talking to Nawa-i-Waqt Sunday, Salmaan said the project had been made a political issue.
“If the benefits of KBD reach the people of all the four provinces, I am certain that they will definitely force their provincial governments to decide in favour of the dam,” he maintained, adding that only the PPP could ensure construction of the KBD. The governor also called upon the PML-N and other parties to make efforts to pave the way for the much-delayed project.
He said both internal and external forces were against the construction of KBD. Salmaan regretted that the internal hands had failed to contemplate its benefits.Read More »LAHORE: Taseer readies 100-point report on Kalabagh Dam benefits

Interview with Head of Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation UAE Mr. Muhammad Ali Zainal Al Bastaki

Mehmood-Ul-Hassan Khan 1. On going deadly super floods has a multiplier effect on macro-economy of Pakistan. Would you please tell us about your latest integrated relief operations/programs in the country? Undoubtedly, Pakistan is passing through… Read More »Interview with Head of Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation UAE Mr. Muhammad Ali Zainal Al Bastaki