Posts Tagged ‘Flood’

15 killed in floods in Afghan Balkh province

Continued heavy rains and floods have claimed the lives of 15 people and destroyed hundreds of houses in Balkh province 305 km north of capital city of Kabul, a local official said. “At least 15 people died and several others injured in Sholgara and Goshinda districts over the past two days due to heavy rains and flooding,” head of provincial council, Mohammad Afzal Adieb said. More than 300 …

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Quench that thirst: The loquat season is here

HARIPUR: The loquat, the famous seasonal fruit of the Hazara division, has ripened and started flooding the market in different cities. It seems popular with Pakistanis of all ages and backgrounds, the pulpy, sweet-and-sour fruit quenching thirst as the heat intensifies across the country.

Although seasonal changes like water shortage, attacks from pests and the lack of proper upkeep of loquat trees in Haripur district have affected the produce considerably, this season the crop is of better quality than the last two years.

“Yes, this time the crop is better than previous years and farmers are expecting to earn better income if the weather remains unchanged,” said Sher Afzal, a local farmer.

It was observed that the rates per kilogram have gone up. Last year a 5 kg carton was available in the local market for Rs200 to Rs250 but this time at the start of the crop the consumers are getting the same quantity with 80% to 90% increases in price.

“The cost of watering, picking, packing, transportation and security have witnessed an unprecedented increase, along of course with the fuel prices,” said Noor Elahi another fruit contractor who exports his produce to Punjab, where his earnings are considerably more than in his local market.

The district of Haripur has orchards of citrus, guava, lichee, loquat and others in an area of 1,292 acres, but the orchards of loquat alone are spread over 190 hectares with 1,884 tonnes of annual produce, according to the crop reporting centre’s statistics.

According to botanists loquat is of the rose family, Rosaceae, and has many names referring to its Japanese origins. To the Italians, it is nespola giapponese; to French-speaking people, it is néflier du Japon, or bibassier. In the German language, it is japanische mispel, or wollmispel; in Spanish, nispero, nispero japonés, or nispero del Japón; in Portuguese, ameixa amarella, or ameixa do Japao.

Loquat is grown in clusters of four to 30, is one to two inches long with smooth or downy, yellow to orange, sometimes red-blushed skin, and white, yellow or orange pulp, of sweet to subacid or acid flavour.

The loquat is indigenous to southeastern China and possibly southern Japan, though it may have been introduced into Japan in very early times. It is said to have been cultivated in Japan for over a thousand years. The western world first learned of it from the botanist Kaempfer in 1690. There are reportedly over 800 varieties of this fruit in the world while in the sub-continent we have over 11 varieties.

Pakistan has a favourable temperature and soil for growing the fruit. Indeed, it is the second biggest fruit after citrus that is exported to cities around the country. In Pakistan Loquat start ripening by the end of March and remain in the market till May.

According to horticulture experts and local farmers the Loquats reach maturity in 90 days, with the full development of colour for each cultivar the best guide to ripeness. It also has medicinal advantages, which experts believe acts as a sedative and is eaten to stop vomiting and thirst. Some local Hakeems also advise diabetics to eat loquat.

Hundreds of labourers are engaged annually in the process of its watering, picking, packing and transportation to other cities. Roadside makeshift kiosks on Abbottabad Road, Khanpur-Taxila Road are another source of livelihood for the local farmers that attract the attention of travellers.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 23^rd, 2012.

LEAs given free hand to keep peace, says CM

Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Qaim Ali Shah addresses press conference at CM House in Karachi on Sunday, April 22, 2012. — (Rizwan Ali/PPI Images).

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has said that the law-enforcement agencies (LEAs) have been given a free hand to initiate action wherever necessary to maintain law and order.

Referring to a delay in holding the local government elections, he said there were certain problems, including non-finalisation of voters’ lists and delimitation of constituencies, confronting his government to hold the LG elections forthwith.

Reiterating that the Pakistan People’s Party-led government fully honoured every decision of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, including the one about holding LG elections, he said his government would present its opinion before the apex court in this regard Flanked by Federal Minister Syed Khurshid Shah, Sindh Information Minister Shazia Marri, Irrigation Minister Jam Saifullah Dharejo and PPP women’s wing chief Faryal Talpur, the CM told a press conference on Sunday that in a big city like Karachi it was not possible for any government to eliminate crime.

He said that his government was committed to maintaining peace and security in the city and the PPP, Muttahida Qaumi Movement and Awami National Party had reached an understanding on carrying out an across-the-board operation by law-enforcement agencies in the city wherever required for ensuring safety of the life and property of the people.

He said that the police and other law-enforcement agencies had been asked to carry out action against criminals and to ensure that the common man did not suffer unduly.

Mr Shah dispelled an impression that any operation was going on in the Lyari area and said that the law-enforcement agencies had only been carrying out raids on selective places only in those areas where they were informed about the presence of criminals.

He said the police and Rangers had been told to continue their action against criminal elements without any discrimination and pressure.

He said the core committee of coalition parties, which met on Saturday, also emphasised the need for curb crime without any consideration. “We will seek cooperation from all, including the ulema, as maintenance of law and order in Karachi is our first priority.”

In reply to a question, he said the law-enforcement agencies had been delaying action in the troubled parts of Orangi Town for some reasons, but not due to any pressure.

He said it was not correct to term all murders as targeted killings because those killed included victims of sectarian violence.

He said the government would pay compensation to the heirs of the victims.

Referring to the slogan of roti, kapra aur makan, he said his government had provided technical training to over 150,000 youths and 30,000 had started their own trade.

He said over 65 per cent population in the province was involved in agriculture and those who used to have bicycles now owned motorcycles, which was an indication of improvement in the lifestyle of the common man despite the devastation caused by the last floods.

In addition to providing a grant of Rs20,000 to each flood-affected family, the government was paying Rs1,000 per month per family under the women support programme.

Earlier, welcoming Haji Khan Chachar on his rejoining the PPP, the chief minister said that the trend of joining PPP by various influential persons had dispelled the impression that the party was losing its popularity.

Khursheed Shah said on the occasion that a consensus resolution by parliament had sent a good message to the entire world that the Pakistani nation and its parliament had complete harmony on the issue of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation supplies.

Faryal Talpur said the government had formulated a strategy to provide relief to the people in the coming budget.

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Via DAWN.com

Two women drowned in Musa Khel

QUETTA -Two women were swept away in floodwater in Musa Khel district of Balochistan on Saturday after several districts, including provincial capital received heavy showers.  According to reports reaching here, two women fell into floodwater in Killi Ghorzai area of Musakhel district and drowned. Sources said that the body of one woman was retrieved while search was underway for the …

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Midnight knocks turn blood into water

-Illustration by Feica.

“What shall I tell my children when they ask, ‘Dad, how was home?’ I want them to learn to love before they learn to hate. So I will share my story with you, not them. Not until they are old enough to understand.”

This was Dawar, a political refugee, and a member of Virginia’s Alif Laila Tavern of storytellers. And this is his story.

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A midnight knock wakes fear in the heart, chills blood and numbs the mind. May God save you from midnight knocks! But you can’t escape them if you visit our city.

Our city has no name or maybe it has many. Take any name from dozens of cities spread across the globe and it will fit the description.

In our city, demons stalk people in sleepy winter nights and take out their hearts. And a blind, faceless hatred rules the streets. This hatred is unfathomable and alive. It spits fire and smoke, sucks blood and lives on human flesh.

The hatemongers rule over the city with such viciousness that blood thins to water as they look into your eyes. Once trapped, you also learn to hate. You fear all, so you hate all.

Love and understanding do not come easy to a land laden with poverty and sucked barren by centuries of misuse. Misunderstanding sprouts like weeds in this soil and slowly  grows into hatred — pure, blind hatred.

And that’s why most of the killings in our city are done by our own, not outsiders. It is always a brother against a brother. A friend against a friend. A neighbor against a neighbor. They hunt each other, lust each other’s blood. Sometimes the killers wear uniforms. Sometimes they don’t. They can kill you for many reasons: being in the wrong ethnic neighborhood, praying in someone else’s place of worship or simply because you were the nearest target.

Dozens of ethnic and religious groups live in our city but the main division is between “them” and “us.” The definition of them and us varies from place to place. In one neighborhood, you could be one of us and in another one of them. In one mosque, you are among us, in another among them. It is so confusing that no matter how hard you try, you can always make a mistake.

There are some who don’t accept this divide. I still remember a man from the other ethnic group who lived in our neighborhood instead of somewhere where his group was a majority. When the riots began – and riots are common in our part of the world – he refused to move out and go to his people. He continued to live among “them,” trusting those he had lived with for decades. But when the midnight-knockers went to his door, none of his neighbors came to his rescue. A few gunshots and it were all over. In the morning, everybody said he was good but foolish. He should have moved to his people before the riots started.

This hatred is compounded by extreme poverty, overpopulation and lack of civic facilities. Millions live here, but our city does not even have a proper transport system. The buses are few and uncomfortable. Trains do not run, at least not on time. The roads are bad, in some places so bad they are beyond any repair. The streets are narrow and often dark. Most people can’t afford private transport.

The city has no drainage system, so when rain comes it floods the whole city. Except a few posh areas, most neighborhoods have open drains. They remain clogged with mud and filth, constantly heaving forth an unbearable stench. The municipality bins overflow with rubbish and are hardly ever emptied.

The city’s economy cannot provide jobs to all who live here and to those who come from other areas looking for jobs that do not exist. Most neighborhoods have large numbers of unemployed, both educated and half-educated. Bored and frustrated, they are always ready to fight with anyone willing to oblige them.

The young and the old, the male and the female, the noble and the wicked, the devils and the angels, all live together in half-lit, congested, and poor neighborhoods which offer little more than worries and diseases. The most common diseases are those of the stomach, caused by unclean water, adulterated food and malnutrition.

But even more common are intolerance and anger stemming from uncertainty and bad living conditions.

Children born here grow into frustrated adults. As they grow, their desires grow with them, but absence of a healthy outlet to fulfill these desires plays havoc with their bodies and minds. Most of them look to be born old. Even the teenagers wear a deadly serious look, far beyond their age.

Growing up in a city like this is not easy. When I was young, I often walked in the streets after midnight to calm my nerves. But this was before the present madness caught the city and turned some people into beasts.

In those days, we could walk in the streets at night and return home unharmed. We could hear our footsteps rather than the gunfire that echoes the streets now. The midnight knocks had not yet started and the bloodthirsty beasts had not yet begun to prowl our streets.

The echo of one’s own feet in a dark deserted street after midnight invokes fear in a peaceful city too. But I liked that echo. I liked listening to it. I enjoyed walking through densely populated neighborhood after most people had gone to bed, leaving the streets to
mangy dogs and me.

The dogs were so wracked with fatigue and hunger that the feeble sound they made attempting to bark did not intimidate anyone. Not even someone as cowardly as I was.

I liked walking late because the night adds a mysterious romance even to ordinary sounds. I loved listening to the sound of a distant train or a bus brought to me in the silence of the night, sounds that drown in the commotion of the day.

I also liked listening to the tired, worn-out engines of distant trucks groaning under their heavy loads. It seemed as if they were protesting against being put to work so late at night. They sound very different from the well-oiled engines of newer vehicles. To me old trucks are like horse carts. And like the animals that drive these carts, they seem to have a soul of their own.

In fact, their drivers will be offended if I describe these trucks as mere machines. For them, they are living beings, each having a body and a soul. They dress them up with colorful lights, plastic flowers, colorful flags and religious signs and symbols.

When their vehicles are ill, the drivers tie amulets around their necks and also pray for their fast recovery. They do go to motor mechanics but only after saying their prayers.

Hearing these trucks at night also reminded me of journeys I had taken and places I had seen. Also of places I had not seen but hoped to see one day.

When I heard the constant noise a train makes while struggling against loose, rusty tracks, I would visualise the faces of tired passengers in a dirty old compartment, trying to sleep on rough wooden planks designed to break their ribs.

Even now, my imagination works faster when the streets are deserted and everybody within sight is sleeping. If I listen hard, I can hear their dreams tiptoeing around them in a hushed silence.

In those days, I had a sharper imagination. So when I went out at night I watched my steps and suppressed the desire to sing loudly to fight my fear of darkness. I also tried not to hit uprooted bricks lest I disturbed the silence.

As I turned into a narrow street, the silence spoke to me. The wind picked up the whisper of a newly married couple. The words were inaudible. The female voice was weaker than that of the male. The wind also mixed the rustling of curtains with the whisper.

Those were very poor neighborhoods where some houses did not have proper doors. Instead, people would hang a piece of cloth on the entrance to protect their privacy. But it seldom worked. When the wind blew, it exposed much.

I was in my late teens and so were most of my friends. No, our teenage time was not full of dreams – we could not afford to live in dreams. Realities of our lives were too crude to afford us this luxury.

It does not mean that we did not dream. We did. But our dreams grew out of our surroundings: narrow streets, open sewers, hellishly hot small houses and a sense of helplessness that was like a hand, holding us down, preventing us from coming out of our holes.

But sometimes we allowed our imagination to run wild, especially when dreaming about women. Our fantasies knew no limits. We fantasized about every woman we saw, whether in the bazaar or on the television screen.

Our local market was more like a traditional oriental bazaar, but we preferred to call it a market – perhaps to feel equal with the city’s posh areas which had Western-style supermarkets rather than bazaars.

Our bazaar also was a recreation center for the entire community. It started with two rows of stalls selling newspapers and flowers, which led to a chaotic market where butchers sold meat next to a garbage dump. The people who arranged burials sat next to those who decorated bridal rooms. The donkeys and camels stood shoulder to shoulder with trucks and van.

And it was here that one of my friends was shot dead by the police.

Even now when I go past that spot, I see him lying there, half dead, half alive. He looked like a big bird, looking at everybody but unable to speak. Blood was oozing out of his mouth mixed with water that people tried to make him drink.

In our culture it is considered bad to let someone die thirsty. So when people see someone dying, they try to make his transition from life to death as smooth as possible by offering him water.

Only minutes ago he was a young man, full of life and energy, but now limp and lifeless. He was shot by the police while participating in a demonstration against the government, another common practice in cities like ours.

When I lifted him, his eyes were still alive and still conveyed his desire to live. It seemed as if he was saying: “Please help me, please don’t let me die.” But we had already given up. We waited till he died, and then we started running around.

Someone went and fetched a doctor, who confirmed what we already knew: “The patient” had died. Patient he was, for he waited patiently for his death.

A group went to inform his parents. Another started throwing stones at the policemen who had withdrawn into another alley after shooting him. Some went to call the elders of the area to decide what to do next.

It was our first encounter with death.

The author is a correspondent for Dawn, based in Washington, DC.

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Via DAWN.com

At least 15 dead in two China mine floods

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Chinese coal mines. — File Photo

BEIJING: At least 15 miners were killed in two mine floods in China over the weekend, as rescuers frantically pumped mining shafts in search of seven still missing in the accidents, state press said Sunday.

The death toll in a flood that occurred early Friday at the illegally operating Shanfu coal mine in north China’s Shanxi province rose to 10, Xinhua news agency said. One miner remains missing and rescue operations continue.

Investigators have discovered that the mine was operating with an expired production license, Xinhua added. The mine owner, manager and 19 others have been taken into police custody as part of the investigation.

In a separate incident, five workers were confirmed dead and six others missing when the Yulongyuantong coal mine in central China’s Henan province flooded on Saturday, Xinhua said in a separate report.

It said 53 miners were in the shaft at the time of the flood, and 42 managed to escape.

Latest figures show 1,973 people died in coal mining accidents in China in 2011, a 19 percent fall in fatalities compared to a year earlier, the government reported.

Labour rights groups, however, say the actual death toll is likely to be much higher, partly due to under-reporting of accidents as mine bosses seek to limit their economic losses and avoid punishment.

China is the world’s leading consumer of coal, relying on the fossil fuel for 70 percent of its growing energy needs.

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Via DAWN.com

Drug quota scandal: Premier takes Cabinet into confidence over son

ISLAMABAD: As media hype surrounding his son’s alleged involvement in a drug scandal gains momentum, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani took his Cabinet colleagues into confidence against what he termed “a malicious campaign” against Ali Musa Gilani.

The cabinet is said to have expressed solidarity with the prime minister on the issue.

The premier, at a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, said that inquiries conducted by various departments and ministries made no mention of influence exercised by Ali Musa in their findings.

An official statement issued by Prime Minister’s House said that an inquiry committee was set up under the Senate Standing Committee on Interior, and included the federal drug inspector, the deputy director of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the chairman quality control Islamabad. The committee did not find any evidence of Ali Musa’s involvement.

The chairman of Senate Standing Committee on Interior constituted another committee to ascertain the substance used by pharmaceutical companies in the country and the second committee arrived at the same conclusion, with no mention of Ali Musa, the press release said.

A joint investigation committee constituted by former health minister was tasked to establish the violation of the procedure in granting quota to the recipients and that team, too, found no evidence of Ali Musa’s involvement in the case, the press release added.

Ephedrine, the drug in question, is to be dealt with under the Drug Act 1976 and not under Control of Narcotics Substance Act 1977 because it is a “locally-manufactured, controlled chemical, distributed yearly by the Ministry of Health under Drug Act 1976,” the statement said.

There is no evidence that ephedrine is converted to manufacture ecstasy or cocaine in Pakistan, it stated, adding that the local price of the drug is about Rs7,000 per kg and the “figure of billions of rupees is a conscious effort to mislead the people.”

The premier also recalled that his elder son, Abdul Qadir Gilani, was also incriminated in the Hajj scandal earlier – and later the Chief Justice of Pakistan directed the authorities to register a case against the MNA who leveled allegations on Abdul Qadir merely on the basis of hearsay, he said.

Briefing the media after the Cabinet meeting, Information Minister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said the federal Cabinet expressed solidarity with the prime minister over the issue.

Cabinet members expressed “grave concern” over the “character assassination” of the premier’s family members, she added.

Other decisions

Earlier on Wednesday, the Cabinet reviewed its performance and granted approval to several decisions.

The Cabinet secretary briefed lawmakers about the Citizens Damage Compensation Programme underway in the areas affected by the 2010 floods.

So far, 1.7 million families have been paid through Watan Cards, the secretary said.

Meanwhile the finance secretary briefed the Cabinet on the consumer price index, saying that prices of 28 items have increased during the last week.

The Cabinet granted its approval for initiating negotiations on draft agreements with China, Oman and Kyrgyzstan on cooperation in combating illicit traffic of narcotics drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors.

The Cabinet also reviewed the implementation status of its decisions pertaining to Religious Affairs, Revenue and Science & Technology Research Divisions. The body was informed that 87%, 79% and 78% of decisions pertaining to the three divisions respectively have been implemented.

The Cabinet also prayed for the early recovery of the Army personnel and civilians trapped under snow in Siachen.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 12^th, 2012.

Ephedrine case: Law ministry says ANF action illegal in drugs scandal

In a written communiqué, the law division forwarded its legal opinion to MoNC on April 4, the same day that ANF summoned Khushnood Lashari, principal secretary to prime minister (PSP) for questioning.

Lashari was holding the office of the federal health secretary when M/s Berlix Lab international of Rizwan Ahmed Khan and Danas Pharma of Ansar Farooq and Col (Retd) Tahir brother of Rauf Khalid former drug controller were allotted huge quota of 10,000 kilogrammes (kg) allegedly in sheer violation of Drug Act 1976.

These accused firms had allegedly converted the entire quota of ephedrine into addictive drug and flooded the local market with it. According to the ANF, the accused firms had allegedly made a windfall gain of Rs7 billion in the deal.

An official source told Express Investigation Cell that the MoNC conveyed the Law Division’s legal views to ANF on April 4, and again demanded it to seek withdrawal of the case scheduled to be heard by the SC on April 20. The MoNC also used the law division’s opinion to dismiss ANF chief, Major General Syed Shakeel Naqvi handing over the charge of the force to secretary MoNC, Zafar Abbas Luk. ANF has challenged the government decision of sacking its boss before the apex court.

The two firms in question had managed to get huge quota of ephedrine in 2010, claiming they had export orders from Iraq and Afghanistan. The accused also produced import orders of two foreign companies. Interestingly, both the accused firms are new entrants in Pakistan’s pharmaceutical industry. Multan-based M/s Berlix Lab International was registered in 2009 and it is not a member of Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Association (PPMA). Since these firms were allegedly linked to the country’s top decision-makers, they were granted abnormally higher ephedrine quota which was used to make addictive drugs.

The ANF probe into the matter was started in January 2010. In February 2011, the ANF gave a detailed briefing to MoNC in which the role of the two firms in question in the alleged ephedrine scam was hinted at. The MoNC gave the ANF the go ahead to complete the investigations. The ANF’s investigations spread over almost one year had established by end 2011 the alleged role of Ali Musa Gilani and Khushnood Lashari in facilitating the accused  which in turn necessitated the summoning of the two for formal questioning by the investigators.

This development led to a change of guard at the MoNC as secretary, Sohail Ahmed who reportedly refused to stop the ANF from continuing the investigation was replaced by Luk. Next the ANF also lost its boss, Major- General Shakeel Hussain who faced the same fate for not stopping his juniors from investigating high profile suspects.

The Gilani government appears bent upon forcing ANF to withdraw the case from the SC before its next hearing. But ANF seems convinced that its action to challenge the case before the apex court is as per rules.

Sacking of ANF chief in drug case is the second high profile case for which Gilani government used law division’s opinion. Earlier, it had sacked Naeem Khalid Lodhi, defence secretary, for submitting reply to SC in the Memo case without the government’s consent.

The law division’s entry into the controversy ahead of hearing by the SC is of extraordinary significance. It may open up a new Pandora box in coming days.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 10^th, 2012. 

50% Pakistanis remain food insecure: WFP

In an exclusive interview with The Express Tribune, WFP representative and Country Director for Pakistan Jean Luc Siblot said that while Pakistan’s government has taken an initiative to cater to the problem, the process will still require much time and resources.

“The recent agreement to donate 500,000 metric tonnes of wheat by the newly created Pakistan Ministry of Food Security and Research (MFSR) might be a step to combat malnutrition and improve food security among vulnerable groups across the country,” said Siblot. “This donation is the largest in recent years by any country where WFP has operations.”

Siblot, who recently came to Pakistan, stressed that the on-ground situation is very different from how the international media portrays it. A huge part of the population is malnourished and this needs to be given top priority.

One result of recurrent natural and man-made crises has been a sharp increase in food insecurity across the country, despite sufficient national food production to meet the needs of Pakistan’s 170 million people. According to WFP, some 83 million people, almost 50 per cent of the population, were food insecure by 2010 – a massive increase from 38 per cent in 2003. In the aftermath of the 2010 flooding, this figure is believed to have risen to 90 million people and may have increased further after the recent floods.

“People do not have access to food items which have the nutritional value to meet their requirements. This would lead to issues with biological and mental development of the people,” Siblot informed.

The WFP representative believes the actual challenge is raising fund for transforming wheat into products that target certain segments of the population, such as baby food and high-energy biscuits. According to him, Pakistan does have resources but lacks the capacity to cater to this problem.

“The reason why the government has asked WFP for support is because our priorities are very well defined” he said.

The agency is likely to make an appeal to raise approximately US$100 million in funds needed for this process. According to Siblot this donation will encourage the international community to step up and support Pakistan in addressing food insecurity in the country. The WFP will begin the project in a few months, as soon as the donation is handed over to the agency by the government. The donation, valued at $144 million, will be handed over to the agency soon.

“The rate of malnutrition, especially amongst children and lactating mothers, is very alarming and something to worry about” stressed Siblot.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 9^th, 2012.

Rallies paralyse Faisalabad

FAISALABAD – For the first time in its history, Ghanta Ghar or Clock Tower, the centre of eight bazaars of the city, was draped in black from top to toe on Sunday to observe the black day as a protest against discriminatory gas and electricity loadshedding here.
The whole city was flooded with black flags, black banners marking the black day. At the entrance points from all sides, Sheikhupura …

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Zardari, Singh to talk trade over lunch

He is, however, also likely to seek the saint’s blessings for Pakistan-India bilateral trade because sources say that would be the core issue at his luncheon with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Although the visit is termed ‘private,’ it will be the first visit by a Pakistani head of state to India since 2005.

According to the official schedule, the president will have lunch with Singh and then head to the shrine in Ajmer.  While the agenda for the luncheon has been kept open, sources say the two leaders are likely to talk trade.

Talking trade

“The two leaders will be having discussion over some issues,” said the foreign office without further elaboration.

Indian diplomats based in Islamabad were equally elusive. “We have not set any agenda for the meeting,” a diplomat said.

But sources say President Zardari and Prime Minister Singh are likely to finalise  the date of implementation of the Most- Favoured Nation (MFN) status to India.

The two leaders will provide their assent to a technical draft prepared and agreed upon earlier by commerce ministers of both countries and discuss and resolve political non-tariff barriers (NTB), sources told The Express Tribune.

While India had granted the MFN status to Pakistan in 1996, implying no restrictions to bilateral trade, Pakistan decided in November 2011 to reciprocate the gesture.

The countries have decided to lower the existing barriers step-wise until their complete abolition by December 2012.

Draft agreed upon

Commerce Minister Makhdoom Amin Fahim and his Indian counterpart Anand Sharma almost finalised the draft of the agreement during their last meeting, sources said.

The draft already agreed upon includes Pakistan’s assent, in principle, to grant the MFN status to India and a finalised negative list of non-tradeable items which will be phased out by the year’s end. It also includes NTBs which India will withdraw in the meanwhile.

While the trade and commerce ministries have almost finalised the technical NTBs, political barriers have been left for discussions between Zardari and Singh.

The two leaders will give a go-ahead to that draft and finalise the date of announcement of the implementation of the agreement, sources said, adding that they will also discuss and add their political input in the draft with the support of interior and foreign ministries.

The new suggestions will be incorporated in the draft by commerce ministers at their upcoming meeting scheduled for April 12 and 13, sources said.

After the meeting of commerce ministers, the Indian and Pakistani premiers will sign and announce the final agreement.

Political barriers

According to sources, the two leaders will discuss softening of borders and visa relaxation, especially for traders and businessmen, and trade in local currencies.

The added that the president will suggest to Singh that traders are stamped a visa at the border, and that banks from both countries open branches in the other country.

Sources said President Zardari wants to give a ‘breakthrough’ to the people of Pakistan through opening up unhindered trade with India.

Trade between the two countries stands at $2 billion at present but can potentially soar to $10 billion once all barriers are removed with the implementation of MFN status, a federal Cabinet member said while speaking to The Express Tribune.

The president, meanwhile, talked to a delegation of Lahore’s Chamber of Commerce on Saturday and attempted to dispel their reservations that Indian goods will flood Pakistani markets and harm local industry.

According to the Presidency, Interior Minister Rehman Malik, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will accompany the president to India on a special aircraft.

Trioka meets

On the eve of his visit, the president also met with Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and Chief of Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani on Saturday evening. Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar and the interior minister also attended the meeting. (WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT BY QAMAR ZAMAN IN ISLAMABAD)

Published in The Express Tribune, April 8^th, 2012.

Titanic still captures imagination 100 years on

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The Titanic leaving Southampton on her ill-fated maiden voyage on April 10, 1912. — Photo AFP

LONDON: A century since the grandest liner ever built sank on its maiden voyage with the loss of more than 1,500 lives, the legend of the Titanic still captivates the imagination the world over.

The story of the so-called unsinkable ship, which went down on April 15, 1912 after hitting an iceberg, remains a fascinating tale, laced with luxury, industrial achievement, disaster, heroism, bravery and unspeakable horror.

The White Star Line ship was on her first crossing of the Atlantic from Southampton to New York when disaster struck.
As the icy water gradually flooded the ship over two hours and 40 minutes, the fate of those on board was decided: while 710 were saved in the lifeboats, 1,514 perished.

But when Titanic vanished below the waves it was not the end of the story but the beginning of a century of fascination at such an unimaginable tale.

“The sinking of Titanic probably had the same effect in 1912 as 9/11 did in our time,” said Philip Littlejohn, whose grandfather Alexander Littlejohn was a first-class steward on the ship and survived.

“There have been other ships which have sunk with far greater loss of life, but people are still fascinated by Titanic because it was a microcosm of society at that time,” he told AFP.

“The rich and famous would never come into contact with a steerage passenger — the Titanic disaster was the end of that era. Two years later the whole world changed with the outbreak of World War I.”The centenary is being marked by the release of a new 3D version of James Cameron’s epic 1997 film, “Titanic”, as well as a British television drama sold to 86 countries and a flurry of new books and music.

Julian Fellowes, who wrote the four-part “Titanic” series being shown on Britain’s ITV, said the innocence of the victims was the essence of any spellbinding disaster tale.

“This happened. This was real. There really were men and women running around the decks, as our extras are, and a hell of a lot of them are going to die. That just can’t fail to move you,” he said.

“Titanic is a true disaster movie because it involves all sorts of people, all kinds, all ages, and they had done nothing to deserve it.

“The fact that it was a trailer for World War I obviously adds to its resonance.”Four composers have been moved to write music to mark the centenary.

Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees has composed “The Titanic Requiem”, which has its premiere performance by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London on April 10.

“The ship was built in an age when everyone was fully confident they’d conquered the elements … but everybody knows how the story ends,” Gibb told The Times newspaper.

Cities across Britain have been making the most of their Titanic heritage.

In Belfast, where the ship was built, the world’s biggest Titanic visitor attraction has been built in the derelict Harland and Wolff shipyards.

The shimmering building, shaped like four Titanic-sized prows, tells the story of the liner from its inception in Belfast’s industrial boom years through to its launch, its sinking and the aftermath.

Meanwhile Southampton on the southern English coast wants to tell the largely forgotten story of the crew, three-quarters of whom came from the port.

Some 549 Southampton residents died in the disaster and the city’s new SeaCity museum focuses on the stokers and stewards that worked on the ship.

Events are also taking place in Cobh, southern Ireland, Titanic’s last port of call.

The Canadian port of Halifax, where 150 victims were buried after they were picked up by rescue ships, will commemorate theanniversary with a sombre candlelight vigil.

Stephen Cameron, co-founder of the Belfast Titanic Society, said the resurgence in interest was striking.

“There was very little interest in it worldwide before the wreck was discovered in 1985,” the author of “Titanic: Belfast’s Own” told AFP.

“On our very first tours, I can remember going on a bus, for free, with two people on board. Last year, we had 1,200 people in two weeks.

“It amazes me how it still captivates people after all these years.”

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Via DAWN.com

Zardari-Sharif diatribe continues

Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif with brother and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.—File Photo

LAHORE: President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday said that he had always considered Nawaz Sharif an elder brother, but the PML-N chief proved disloyal.

Speaking to reporters at the Governor’s House in Lahore,the president said that he had trusted Nawaz as a sibling, but the latter did not fulfill his responsibilities.

Zardari said that he was powerless since he had handed over all his powers to the Parliament. I am aware that politicians talk of having me hanged, he added.

On Thursday, the president had launched a fiery verbal assault at the Sharif brothers, that has transformed into an ongoing war of words.

“Lahore is PPP’s city. Sharif brothers are refugees here. They are alive in politics only because of me. The power they are enjoying is a gift of the PPP which can send them home any time, but for the politics of reconciliation of the BB Shaheed that it is following,” Zardari had said.

The PPP co-chairman continued his attack on Friday while speaking to party activists at the Governor’s House when he said the Sharif brothers had ‘stiff necks’ and he knew how to humble them.

“I gave concession to the Sharif brothers only to send Gen Musharraf packing,” the president had said.

Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Saturday responded by saying that he would rather prefer to resign than throw a reception for Zardari.

The rulers have plundered the country with both hands and have hid the loot in Swiss bank accounts, said Shahbaz, as he delivered another fiery speech at a rally in Arifwala.

“With the help of the rental power projects, the President hurled 180 million people of the nation further into darkness,” said Shahbaz. “The courts have also ruled the RPPs as illegal.”

Even during the time of the floods, Zardari had deserted the people and had fled to France, added Shahbaz.

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WB to give $850m for Tarbela extension

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Wapda General Manager (Hydro) Planning Hasnain Afzal, briefing the delegation said that 20 million acres of virgin land could be developed for agriculture provided water is made available by constructing new dams. – File photo

LAHORE: The World Bank will provide about $850 million for the Tarbela 4th Extension Project, which is expected to be completed in four years and generate 1,410MW additional electricity.

This was stated by Wapda Member (Water) Syed Raghib Abbas Shah while addressing a delegation of Pakistan Navy War College here. After completion of Tarbela 4th Extension Project, the generation capacity of Tarbela Power Station will rise to 4,888MW.The Member (Water) said that in view of the increasing needs of water and power in the country, Wapda is implementing a number of projects in the two sectors.

Diamer-Basha Dam (with gross water storage capacity of 8.1 million acre feet and power generation capacity of 4,500 MW), Bunji (7,100 MW) and Dasu (4,320 MW) hydropower projects, Munda Dam multipurpose project (gross water storage capacity 1.29MAF and power generation capacity 740 MW) and Kurram Tangi Dam (gross water storage capacity of 1.2 MAF and power generation capacity of 84 MW) are to name a few, he added.

The Member (Water) said that three projects with cumulative generation capacity of 350MW will be completed this year, while 969MW Neelum Jhelum and 106MW Golen Gol hydropower projects are scheduled to be completed in 2016.

The Member (Water) said that the Government is simultaneously implementing short, medium and long-term strategies to control floods.

Earlier, Wapda General Manager (Hydro) Planning Hasnain Afzal, briefing the delegation said that 20 million acres of virgin land could be developed for agriculture provided water is made available by constructing new dams. He also informed the delegation about Wapda’s achievements, future projects, and new initiatives etc. Pepco General Manager (Coordination & Monitoring) Ziaur Rehman briefed the delegation about electricity demand and supply scenario, national power sector energy plan and issues related to electricity tariff.

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Tribesmen want more govt support to make their lands fertile

The tribesmen have accused officials of providing seeds and plants to their favourites, ignoring the rest. Officials of the forest and agriculture departments said the accusations were baseless.

Some tribal elders complained at the Landi Kotal Press Club that they have tired of trailing behind officials.  They said they wanted to cultivate crops and plant trees to protect the environment and to earn a living.

Our mountains are all barren and without trees; we need to plant trees on a large scale to make them green, which can also help fight environmental degradation, the tribesmen said.

They also demanded of the government to erect boundary walls around their fields to protect their crops against floods.

Hazrat Shah Shinwari said that he wanted to plant trees and grow crops on his vast holdings of barren land, but he said he was unable to get any support or guidance to realise his wish.

Sabir Afridi, an official of the agriculture department said they planned to provide seeds, fertilizers and plants as well as tractors at very cheap rates.

He said the department would also offer food packages to those who had already cultivated vegetables and crops.

The package is “food for work” which can be availed by people who have cultivatable lands.

The plants, seeds and food package are provided to farmers interested in cultivating crops and planting trees on their lands.

The initiative is aimed at increasing forest cover and providing sources of income for poor tribesmen, he maintained. Our filed workers are trying to create awareness to encourage people to plant trees.

Another official from the forest department, Falak Naz Khan said the forest department has cultivated plants on 350 acres in Bacha Mena and Dargai in Shelman. He said that it was the official policy to plant 350 trees per acre.

The local people are now taking interest in growing plants and are trying their best to cultivate their barren lands.

Locals are now more aware of environmental issues and their repercussions, Imran Shinwari observed.

“The government should offer tribal people more support and incentives to encourage plantation across the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata),” he added.

It is also a fact that every year the government pledges to provide plants to tribesmen to make their  barren lands fertile, but the initiatives are barely visible in Fata, said a tribesman, who wished not to be named.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 1^st, 2012.

Reading skills of 100m children to improve: Mazhar

KARACHI – Senior Education and Literacy Minister Pir Mazharul Haq has said that Sindh Education Department has initiated Sindh Basic Education Programme to enhance quality education.
The programme will also cover reconstruction of flood-affected schools, consolidation, upgradation and merger of schools, community mobilisation, technical assistance, monitoring and evolution and improving teaching …

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CEO Etisalat Group calls on Rehman Malik

Mr. Ahmad Abdulkarim Julfar, CEO Etisalat Group called on Federal Minister for Interior, Senator A. Rehman Malik at Ministry of Interior. The Interior Minister thanked United Arab Emirates (UAE) authorities particularly Etisalat for doing very excellent work in Pakistan. The people of Pakistan are also benefiting from their hospitals and continued support of the flood victims/flood relief. …

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