According to Shahid Rafi, power tariffs were to be raised by 12 percent under the International Monetary Fund (IMF) while 1.6 percent hike, withdrew last time, has also been included in the new rates.
The new tariff will also be applicable on the consumers, using less then 100 unit a month.
He further said that agricultural consumers would also not be exempted from the raise.
The first air-to-air refueller aircraft of the Pakistan Air Force has arrived, a PAF spokesman said on Saturday. Three more refueller aircraft are expected to be delivered to Pakistan by mid-2010, the spokesman said, adding that PAF’s overall potential in terms of its effectiveness to defend the airspace would be enhanced by virtue of its capability to refuel air defence aircraft in air.
With this facility the PAF has joined the rank of those developed air forces which have the air refilling system. An aviation expert said this was a force-multiplier ability because the strength of the existing number of fighter jets would be doubled with the induction of the refueller aircraft.—APP
The Nation
Babar Ali, a prominent Pakistani businessman and philanthropist, citing leadership as Pakistan’s biggest problem has said, “Nobody is bothered about the masses.” What is most urgently needed, he told The New York Times, is “a good leader who will not think of himself first.” Babar Ali’s comments were carried in the course of his profile carried by the newspaper on Saturday, noting that as two decades older than Pakistan, he has witnessed every turn in its tumultuous history. “Now, at 83, he feels he has earned the right to give it a bit of advice,” The Times correspondent, Sabrina Tavernise, wrote from Lahore.
“Mr. Ali is an institution in Pakistan,” according the write-up. “He has started some of the country’s most successful companies. But perhaps his most important contribution has been his role in creating the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), begun as a business school but now evolved into the approximate equivalent of Harvard University in Pakistan.”
“Pakistan’s biggest problem, he believes, is one of leadership,” the dispatch said. “A corrosive system of privilege and patronage has eaten away at merit, degrading the fabric of society and making it more difficult for poor people to rise. The growing tendency to see government positions as chances to profit, together with the explosion in the country’s population, has led to a sharp decline in the services that Pakistan’s government offers its people”.
“It did not start that way,” Babar Ali says. “Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Pakistan’s visionary founder, criticised Pakistan’s system of feudal power, in which rich landowners reaped profits from land worked on by impoverished peasants, calling the system ‘vicious’ and saying it made the rich ‘so selfish that it is difficult to reason with them’”, the dispatch said.
“Pakistan was created as a haven for the Muslim minority of the Indian subcontinent, but Mr. Jinnah was adamant that the country should protect all faiths and be a fair society, where the poor, through hard work, could advance themselves.
With Ali Azmat on Aag TV
Zaid Hamid and Ali Azmat (formerly of Junoon) take live calls and discuss ideology, vision and mission of Allama Iqbal and its relevance with the current times, and answer questions from the youth of Pakistan in his latest episode of “Iqbal Ka Pakistan” series.
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Zaid Hamid and Ali Azmat (formerly of Junoon) take live calls and discuss ideology, vision and mission of Allama Iqbal and its relevance with the current times, and answer questions from the youth of Pakistan. [SHARE ON FACEBOOK]
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PKKH Exclusive
They have been weaving filthy conspiracies, they have left no stone unturned to exercise their corrupt methods, they employed all kinds of tools and instruments to fill their pockets with our homeland’s wealth and serve the purposes of their masters. But there is an end to every nightmare and a dawn for every dark night. They made cunning plans to commit unprecedented crimes and historic treachery but what they didn’t know and realize is that Allah Almighty is the best of planners! The traitors in Pakistan are now being cornered from all four directions. A revolution and resistance is gradually building up from almost all righteous factions of society and Allah’s plan is now being executed.
Enough of their treachery and betrayal, deception and lies. It is now time for justice and fairness to prevail. Its now time for them to pay the heavy price of what they have been doing to our homeland and to face the dire consequences of their pernicious acts.
The winds of change have already started to blow and the situation is now altering its face. Initial steps are now being taken to bring the traitors to justice and soon they will be adequately punished for their crimes. If they wouldn’t mend their ways, the time is not far when they will be hanged from the lampposts of Islamabad….
The final countdown has already begun….
May Allah bless Pakistan and crush all of its enemies (Ameen)
Pakistan Hamesha Zinda-O-Paindabaad
Zaid Hamid and Ali Azmat (formerly of Junoon) take live calls and discuss ideology, vision and mission of Allama Iqbal and its relevance with the current times, and answer questions from the youth of Pakistan. [SHARE ON FACEBOOK]
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Zaid Hamid and Ali Azmat (formerly of Junoon) take live calls and discuss ideology, vision and mission of Allama Iqbal and its relevance with the current times, and answer questions from the youth of Pakistan. [SHARE ON FACEBOOK]
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After my four hour long informal interaction with US military chief Admiral Mike Mullen and Ambassador Richard Holbrooke at the residence of US Ambassador on the rainy evening of April 6, 2009, I had in my comments mentioned that now the ISI was the immediate target of the US Establishment. This was no “breaking news” as everyone who keeps an eye on the ongoing war on terror knew well that US was hell-bent on:
1.Getting the Pakistan Army sucked into domestic turmoil in Swat, FATA and beyond Waziristan, and
2.Reining in what the US calls “rogue elements” in the ISI
There are confirmed reports that to achieve its objectives the CIA hired the services of at least a dozen Afghan warlords inside Afghanistan and provided through them arms and finances to militants in FATA and Swat to carry out extensive death and destruction by devastating attacks in the country. It was like a double-edged sword not only to get the Army to launch attacks against Taliban on Pakistani side of the border but also to give a message to the ISI that the CIA can use the Pakistanis – Taliban of the TTP- against their own security forces.
It was in this background that after putting up with so much for so long, the prime intelligence agency of the country ultimately confronted the CIA Director Leon E. Panetta with some highly classified and irrefutable evidence. Panetta was startled when Director-General ISI, General Ahmad Shuja Pasha, a no-nonsense General, placed the facts before him in Islamabad on November 20, 2009.
The “deliberate leaks” after the meeting of the spy chiefs of the two countries spoke of the mind of the ISI and the armed forces of Pakistan. General Pasha had earlier conveyed the facts about the interference of CIA in acts of terrorism in Pakistan to the Government but realizing that either the message was not strongly conveyed to the Americans or it had no desired impact on them, finally put its foot down and expressed serious concerns over the CIA’s crude interference in the country’s internal matters.
The proof about instances of covert US support to some hardened militant outfits and terrorist activities they carried out over the past few weeks and months were presented to Panetta. It was indeed a startling revelation for the top US spy and a bold maneuver of Pakistan Army. General Pasha’s move surprised Panetta as the evidence presented was categorical in proving that the CIA officials provide assistance to perpetrators of some of the most serious and deadly attacks on offices and key persons in Pakistan’s security services. He was told that in view of the negative impact on Pakistan’s efforts in its ‘war on terror’ the CIA must stop such activities. The clarity with which the information was meant to be a loud message to Washington and CIA headquarters at Langley that if they wanted Pakistan’s cooperation in the war on terror; it must give up playing a double game. Pakistan has publicly expressed concerns over the freedom enjoyed by the Indian intelligence agency RAW is operating from Afghanistan. RAW is not only involved in acts of terrorism in the NWFP but also in Balochistan. India cannot undertake such wide-scale activities in this region without the approval and backing of the CIA. The question is: how did India develop such a huge presence in Kabul?
What has raised alarm bells in Islamabad is that Maulvi Fazlullah who escaped from Swat is living openly in Afghanistan under the protection of Afghan intelligence. The TTP leaders including Hakeemullah Mehsud have also being protected and allowed to operate from Afghanistan. All this could not happen without the knowledge of Americans.
There are reports that TTP leaders are provided satellite phones operated by a Gulf based Western company and they have been talking freely to BBC and other media organizations without any fear of being detected and targeted by drones or missiles. Then there are also credible reports that a helicopter that flew from Afghanistan before Oct. 17, when operation Rah-e-Nejat in South Waziristan was launched, evacuated the top leadership of the TTP from Waziristan to Afghanistan. The Americans also vacated some of the crucial posts along the border with South Waziristan in an apparent bid to provide safe passage to the fleeing Pakistani Taliban. The terrorists arrested in Pakistan during the operation told their interrogators about their links with the US and Indian agencies. There is credible information that full logistic and auxiliary support is still being provided to anti-Pakistan Taliban from Nuristan Province and several top officials from Afghan and Indian intelligence networks were seen active in the area.
So, it is CIA’s agenda to get the Pak Army and now the Air Force also spend itself in internal security operations and erode the morale and capabilities of ISI so that Pakistan’s nuclear assets could be targeted in one way or the other. The CIA’s new agenda started to be implemented as soon as the present Government took over. On many occasions since, Washington has been publicly blaming ISI for its links with some of the Taliban leaders including the Haqqani group. During the meeting with Prime Minister Gilani in Washington in August 2008, Director CIA presented him with a charge sheet against Pakistani intelligence agencies for their alleged involvement in Jihadi activities. In order to justify its intended interference in Balochistan, the CIA also raised the bogey of the presence of Taliban Shura in or around Quetta.
PPP’s History of Undermining ISI
The whole scenario became very grim as the Government appeared to have succumbed to American pressure to cut the ISI to size and make it a carpet lion. It was in this backdrop that a notification was issued in mysterious circumstances placing the ISI under the Interior Ministry; the notification was withdrawn the same day when the move backfired. It is no coincidence that during the two stints of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto as Prime Minister, a perception developed that the PPP undermined the effectiveness of the ISI. That perception was also based on facts. On the instructions of the BB Government, Lt. Gen. Javed Ashraf Qazi, the then DG ISI, purged 125 officers of the Agency [from the ranks of Major General to Colonel] who were identified to be “rogue elements” by the CIA. Now there is a strong perception that the present leadership is not presenting the interests and concerns of the state of Pakistan to its ‘Americans friends’ and is just raising issues in a casual manner. Perhaps that was the reason that the Army leadership had to make unusual public remarks in a press release, issued by the ISPR after the Corps Commanders meeting in October 2009, expressing serious concern over the Kerry-Lugar Bill saying that certain of its clauses were intrusive and against the national interests and were thus unacceptable. The Presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar snubbed the Pakistan Army accusing it of ‘crossing the line’ bringing the differences into the open setting a new precedent and further undermining the state of Pakistan.
The crude interference by the CIA in Pakistan’s internal affairs has not gone well with the Establishment and infuriated the Pakistan Army. If the Americans did not stop its activities to help the Pakistani Taliban against the Army, cooperation with the US in the war in Afghanistan would come to an abrupt end. I am quite sure that if the Army says NO the whole nation will back it. It was owing to this reason that COAS General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, while talking to newsmen on the occasion of rolling out of first JF-17 Thunder Aircraft at Kamra on November 24, declared that the US would have to take Pakistan into confidence and taking into consideration the armed forces know-how to defend the country.
This report was first published by Pakistan Observer on Dec. 7, 2009.
Mr Zaid Hamid exposes the lies and propaganda of India against Pakistan and Pakistan Army regarding the 1971 war and exposes RAW’s role in the 1971 conspiracy to break Pakistan.
American diplomats have also been stopped repeatedly at Pakistani checkpoints as part of what U.S. officials say is a wider focus on foreigners working in Pakistan. The U.S. cars are searched, although diplomats are told to open the trunk but to refuse access to the passenger compartment.
The U.S. diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe sensitive interaction between the two countries, said that the visa clampdown seems to be a reaction to widespread anti-American sentiment, even though many of the affected workers would be doing jobs that bring aid and other help to Pakistan.
The official said the reaction is probably temporary and that the U.S. does not plan to do more than press Pakistani authorities to relent.
The U.S. embassy is already large and expanding, with plans to go from about 500 employees to more than 800 over the next 18 months. Most of the growth is related to the expansion of U.S. aid to Pakistan, some of which comes with requirements for accounting and oversight that have rankled Pakistanis.
The official said that at the embassy, several employees have gone home for Christmas leave and will be unable to return because the Pakistani authorities have not expended their visas. In all, 135 visa extensions have been denied, the official said. Other visa applications have been rejected outright, but U.S. authorities have not collected data on how many.
The official said Pakistani authorities have not provided a comprehensive response to American complaints, and that several ministries are involved. That allows Pakistani authorities to spread the blame, the official said.
The official said that among those whose visas were held up are mechanics who tend to a fleet of U.S. helicopters that supports Pakistani military operations in the frontier areas.
The helicopters stopped flying when there were insufficient mechanics to maintain them, the official said. Some visas were approved after Pakistani authorities inquired about the grounded helicopters.
In October, President Barack Obama signed into law a $7.5 billion aid package for Pakistan. Pakistan’s military criticized the aid as American meddling in the country’s internal affairs.
The measure provides $1.5 billion annually over five years for economic and social programs and comes as Pakistan faces a string of violent militant attacks and bombings as its military orchestrates an offensive into the Taliban heartland.
The law is the Obama administration’s attempt to strengthen the weak civilian government in Islamabad and encourage its fight against Taliban and al-Qaida militants operating along the border with Afghanistan, where the United States is fighting an eight-year war.
The stability of a nuclear-armed Pakistan is deemed crucial to U.S.-led efforts to battle extremists in South Asia.
The White House said the law, which was passed unanimously by Congress, is “the tangible manifestation of broad support for Pakistan in the U.S.”
The legislation requires the secretary of state to report to Congress every six months on whether Pakistan’s civilian government maintains effective control over the military’s budgets, chain of command and top promotions.
The White House said the requirements are “accountability measures” placed on the United States to ensure that the aid directly benefits the Pakistani people. It said that the law does not seek to micromanage Pakistani military or civilian affairs, “including the promotion of Pakistani military officers or the internal operations of the Pakistani military.”
Zaid Hamid and Ali Azmat (formerly of Junoon) take live calls and discuss ideology, vision and mission of Allama Iqbal and its relevance with the current times, and answer questions from the youth of Pakistan.
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For sheer spotlessness, efficiency and emptiness there is nothing like the M2 in the rest of South Asia. –File Photo
If you want a slice of peace and stability in a country with a reputation for violence and chaos, try Pakistan’s M2 motorway. At times foreign reporters need to a give a nation a rest from their instinctive cynicism. I feel like that with Pakistan each time I whizz along the M2 between Islamabad and Lahore, the only motorway I know that inspires me to write.
Now, if the M2 conjures images of bland, spotless tarmac interspersed with gas stations and fast food outlets, you would be right. But this is South Asia, land of potholes, reckless driving and the occasional invasion of livestock.
And this is Pakistan, for many a ‘failed state.’ Here, blandness can inspire almost heady optimism.
Built in the 1990s at a cost of around $1 billion, the 228-mile motorway — which continues to Peshawar as the M1 — is like a six-lane highway to paradise in a country that usually makes headlines for suicide bombers, army offensives and political mayhem.
Indeed, for sheer spotlessness, efficiency and emptiness there is nothing like the M2 in the rest of South Asia.
It puts paid to what’s on offer in Pakistan’s traditional foe and emerging economic giant India, where village culture stubbornly refuses to cede to even the most modern motorways, making them battlegrounds of rickshaws, lorries and cows.
There are many things in Pakistan that don’t get into the news. Daily life, for one. Pakistani hospitality to strangers, foreigners like myself included, is another. The M2 is another sign that all is not what it appears in Pakistan, that much lies hidden behind the bad news.
On a recent M2 trip, my driver whizzed along but kept his speedometer firmly placed on the speed limit. Here in this South Asian Alice’s Wonderland, the special highway police are considered incorruptible. The motorway is so empty one wonders if it really cuts through one of the region’s most populated regions.
‘130, OK, but 131 is a fine,’ said the driver, Noshad Khan.
‘The police have cameras,’ he added, almost proudly. His hand waved around in the car, clenched in the form of a gun.
On one of my first trips to Pakistan. I arrived at the border having just negotiated a one-lane country road in India with cows, rickshaws and donkey-driven carts.
I toted my luggage over to the Pakistan side, and within a short time my Pakistani taxi purred along the tarmac. The driver proudly showed off his English and played US rock on FM radio. The announcer even had an American accent. Pakistan, for a moment, receded, and my M2 trip began.
Built in the 1990s by then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, it was part of his dream of a motorway that would unite Pakistan with Afghanistan and central Asia.
For supporters it shows the potential of Pakistan. Its detractors say it was a waste of money, a white elephant that was a grandiose plaything for Sharif.
But while his dreams for the motorway foundered along with many of Pakistan, somehow the Islamabad-Lahore stretch has survived assassinations, coups and bombs.
A relatively expensive toll means it is a motorway for the privileged. Poorer Pakistanis use the older trunk road nearby tracing an ancient route that once ran thousands of miles to eastern India. The road is shorter, busier and takes nearly an hour longer.
On my latest trip, I passed the lonely occasional worker in an orange suit sweeping the edge of the motorway in a seemingly Sisyphean task. A fence keeps out the donkeys and horse-driven carts.
Service centres are almost indistinguishable from any service station in the West, aside perhaps from the spotless mosques.
The real Pakistan can be seen from the car window, but in the distance. Colourful painted lorries still ply those roads. Dirt poor villagers toil in brick factories, farmers on donkey carts go about their business.
Of course, four hours of mundane travel is quite enough.
Arriving in Lahore, the road suddenly turns into South Asia once again. Dust seeps through the open car window, endless honks sound, beggars knock on car windows. The driver begins again his daily, dangerous battle for road supremacy.
As Pakistan unveils itself in all its vibrancy, it is exciting to be back. But you can’t help feel a tinge of regret at having experienced, briefly, a lost dream.
‘Motorway good — but Pakistan,’ Noshad said at the last petrol station before we entered Lahore.
‘Terrorism, Rawalpindi,’ he added, referring to the latest militant attack on a mosque in the garrison town which killed dozens. —Reuters
Tags: Motorway,M2 motorway,Pakistan motorway
Mr Zaid Hamid exposes the lies and propaganda of India against Pakistan and Pakistan Army regarding the 1971 war and exposes RAW’s role in the 1971 conspiracy to break Pakistan.
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