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2016

The 14-second stare

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rafiazakariyaRishiraj Singh is the excise commissioner in the Indian state of Kerala. In the most recent photograph of him that I could find, he sports the khaki uniform of his position and a formidable moustache. In the last half of August, however, Rishiraj Singh has become known for something else, an edict against men who stare at women.

While addressing a small group of people in the city of Kochi on women’s safety, Singh declared that any man found staring at a woman for more than 14 seconds could be put in jail. Since India is a country of men who like to stare, his statement provoked immediate attention and ire; the Indian newspaper India Express labelled the statement ‘absurd’ and included an interview with a lawyer who said that there was no such law.

Others largely took the same tone: how dare Indian men be threatened with imprisonment for staring at Indian women. In the words of one Indian attorney: “There is no such provision in any law of this country and there cannot be such a mindless provision of law in any other country of the world. Period.” The message to women, Indian and otherwise: it’s a man’s world and staring at women must necessarily be a part of it.Read More »The 14-second stare

New Islamabad Airport to open from 14th August 2016

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Associated Press of Pakistan

The new Islamabad international airport will be operational by Aug 14 next year as 82 per cent of the work on the project has been completed.

“I will inaugurate the new airport on Aug 14, 2017,” said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif while chairing a meeting on aviation affairs.

He was briefed on the status and progress of work on airports in different parts of the country, including Bannu and Mansehra.

The prime minister was informed that efforts were being made to complete the airport project within the allocated financial resources.

The project was divided into three main packages — airside, passenger terminal and landside.Read More »New Islamabad Airport to open from 14th August 2016

DEAD! PROVE YOU WERE EVER BORN?

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By Muhammed Javed –  29 August 2016

 

javed f3Mathew Craig Barrett, the US National, black listed by the Government of Pakistan, obtained a four-year multiple-entry Pakistani Visa “within 24 hours” from the Pakistan Consulate in Houston.  Earlier, a few years back he remained in hiding in Islamabad.  A father and his son, both FIA Immigration officials “both at the same time on duty” at the airport cleared him despite their computer cautioned them handling that passenger. Etc.  Earlier a few years back the US authorities had tipped Pakistan that its Mission in USA had issued Visas to some “doubtful” people, inquiry started which as usual “silently died”.

  1. Bahraini nationals including Pakistani origins, are given visa in 4-5 days, which till in the recent past used to be issued invariably next day and sometime even the same afternoon.  In 2008 friendship between Bahrain and Turkey witnessed growth.  The Turkish authorities in token of practical action despite the fact there was no written agreement to that effect yet, eased visa facility for Bahrainis viz visa on arrival.   Friendship between Bahrain and Pakistan was inked few years back with about 30 MOUs but practical side?
  1. A month back I approached our Embassy at about 01.45 pm with filled in Visa Application Forms in respect of a Pakistani Origin and his two children.  His mother had died one and a half hour ago.  Knowing well the atmosphere generally, I entered with pre-arranged, as tradition is generally a tool in the society we live in, a “high influential سفارش”.  The counterman without even having the routine remotest courtesy of reciting انا لله وانا اليه راجعون  and without any sign of remotest natural remorse or any care what was the age of the person standing in front of the counter retorted “embassy is closed  تم کل آنا .   Since I had earlier experience of getting Pakistani Visas just on the basis of Application Forms and photographs, this time too I had with me just Forms and Photographs.  But this time, on a death related case I was asked to attach copies of CPRs, birth certificates of two children.  And hold your breath my dear Pakistanis, the copy of marriage Certificate?? You don’t believe me!!   This senior citizen in his this old age can’ holding Holy Quran in his hand, can take solemn oath that it was demanded and I deposited this marriage certificate.   Leave apart that it was a death related case which needed a little lacking humanity,  yet it is a wonder what marriage certificate had to do with all this since wife of my colleague was not applying at all for Visa.  I was asked by the concerned staffer when this death was “expected” for the last two weeks, why did not you kept “ready” all these photocopies.  As the dead was not just mother of my colleague but also the wife of my 33 years old close friend and I myself was still trying to overcome the grief to accomplish the work related to repatriation to Pakistan the dead body, prudence demanding, I could not counter question the said staffer that had his/her mother been since two weeks in coma, death looming over her, had this staffer taken measurement of the coffin box,  made pre-hand visa application copies ready foreseeing the death of his/her mother?

Read More »DEAD! PROVE YOU WERE EVER BORN?

Pakistani elite must stop abusing power

If nation is to progress, says outgoing UNDP country chief

Marc-Andre Franche, the former country director for United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Pakistan, has said that a critical change in the country can happen only when the elite, the politicians and the wealthy sections of society sacrifice their short term goals and stop abusing their power to enrich themselves, or favour their friends and extended families.

Franche, who had been the UNDP country director for the last four years, bid farewell to Pakistan to take up the position of Chief of Financing at the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund. He made these remarks during an interview to a Pakistan daily shortly before his departure.

“If there is one thing I leave with, it is a sense that the only way a critical change will happen in Pakistan is when the elite of this country, the politicians and the wealthy sections of the society, will sacrifice their short term, individual and family interest, in the benefit of the nation,” Franche said.Read More »Pakistani elite must stop abusing power

Pakistan Property transfer business nosedives since last budget

The business of property transfers has nosedived since the announcement of the new evaluation system and imposition of fresh taxes on real estate sector in the budget for 2016-17.

Property dealers told The Nation on Sunday that the new system introduced by the federal government had totally halted registration of properties all over Pakistan, causing frustration among applicants and huge losses of revenue to the government.

Senior Vice Chairman of Association of Builders and Developers of Pakistan (ABAD) Arif Yousuf Jeewa said that the registration of properties had completely stopped throughout the country due to rigid attitude of the registrars, who now asked the applicants to produce stamp duty according to property valuation notified by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) instead of DC rates.

“All registrars, throughout the country, are rejecting those property cases presented on the basis of DC valuation, saying that they will only accept those applications having stamp duty according to immovable property valuation fixed by the FBR.Read More »Pakistan Property transfer business nosedives since last budget

BASELESS HOSTILITY AGAINST PAKISTAN

ALI SUKHANVER

Ali display picAfter Narendra Modi’s speech on August 15 this year, the severe reaction of brave people of Balochistan was neither unexpected nor strange. They were already in a state of rage and fury against the activities of R&AW in Balochistan and they no doubt hold Modi responsible for all such activities; Modi’s speech simply added fuel to fire. Unfortunately some Indian supported elements, very much active in Afghanistan, tried to exploit the situation in their favour. In response to public response in Balochistan against Modi’s speech a group of Afghan demonstrator not only burnt Pakistan’s flag but also attacked the friendship gate at Chaman. After this incident the border security forces of Pakistan closed the Pak-Afghan border to avert any untoward incident. The situation resulted in suspending the movement of trade shipments between two countries along with supplies for NATO forces in Afghanistan. According to different media reports there are long queues of vehicles on both sides of the border; with people on both sides facing problems as a result of the border closure but more in trouble are the people of Afghanistan. This situation could have been avoided if the Honourable president of Afghanistan Mr. Ashraf Ghani had played his role positively and sensibly.Read More »BASELESS HOSTILITY AGAINST PAKISTAN