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Voice of People
A story of two houses
Adnan Gill
Pakistan maybe short on food, water, literacy and electricity, but
remains surplus in sagacity. Look right to President’s House, look
left to Zardari House; you will see peremptoriness oozing out of the
powerhouses. The source of their lordliness is much debated; however
the similarities between the two cant be blanketed. One grabbed
power to (allegedly) save the federation; the other to (allegedly)
save the nation. Both suffer from the messiah-complex, hence landed
in the power-complex. Both kneel to the House that is White, but not
the one that is right. Both love to lecture endlessly, but can’t
listen even momentarily. Both believe in the freedom of unrestrained
power for self; moreover believe in freedom of restrained speech for
the rest. Both swore their allegiance to the ‘establishment’, which
never ceases to implement their commandments. Both defend the hand
that penned the PCO and NRO. Most importantly, both share antipathy
for the judiciary. Collapse of ‘London Talks’ confirms, what
everyone predicted for months; President’s House and Zardari House
are the same and one. What shocked even the most seasoned political
analysts is how brazenly and how daringly, Asif Ali Zardari
sabotaged every chance of restoration of judiciary. If entered a
dead-end street, reverse out of it with speed. Reverse the dead-end
PCO hurriedly, and then worry about the NRO’s legality.
Considering Zardari’s wisdom, naturally one wonders about the
conundrum: 1. For how long the public will live in a state of
uncertainty, before the parliament would deliberate with certainty?
2. How many minutes Zardari deliberated on the Constitutionality of
NRO? Doesn’t the same principal apply on the PCO? 3. Which law
covers the disputed NRO, which was mothered by the prohibited PCO?
In paramount interest of national integrity, Musharraf bestowed NRO
on his fraternity. Reciprocating Musharraf’s generosity, Zardari
crossed the party lines to be comradely. Cognizant of spirit of
national reconciliation, would the NRO be given to the plebeians?
Would they extend the NRO to the deposed judiciary too, so the
masses could move on without a worry too?
—Via email
High price wheat
M Akram Khan Faridi
The wheat price has increased manifold and its procurement is become
a big problem because the wheat flour mill owners and people belong
to different walks of life are running from pillar to post to secure
and store it for future. In the market the 40 kg is available at Rs
700/- to 725/-. It was observed that with the passage of time the
prices would increase due to extreme desire for wheat acquiring
among the masses. It is the beginning and no doubt the prices of
wheat would increase further.
The government is either reluctant or lacked mechanism to control
the prices. The prices of other commodities have also increased
manifold. The wheat seekers alleged that the mill owners were
responsible for pushing the prices upward because they offered
higher prices than the common people. They are still applying the
same formula and the same tactics to deprive the people from
acquiring the wheat. They said that the mill owners created an
unhealthy competition as such how the poor class could compete with
the affluent class. They demanded that instead of securing wheat
from the open market the mills should rely on the government supply.
If mills are buying from the open market they should not offer the
high prices because it made difficult for them to get wheat, they
said. They alleged that the mill owners as well as the traders had
been involved in the wheat smuggling into war-ravaged Afghanistan to
get more profits at the cost of their own masses. If the wheat flour
smuggling to Afghanistan is controlled by the government there might
be no serious wheat flour crisis in the country.
—Sheikhupura
Tsunamis galore
Jalal Ahmed
While Shoaib Akhtar of Pakistan swept Kolkata Knight Riders like a
bowling tsunami on 13 May 2008 with figures of 4 wickets for 11 runs
against Delhi, Sanat Jayasurya of Sri Lanka swept Mumbai as a
batting tsunami the next day with 11 sixes and 9 fours in his 114
not out off 48 balls against Chenna.
—Muscat
Failure of entrepreneurial culture
Sadia Zahid, Hina Imam
There is no dispute among management scientists and economists on
the importance of the role played by commercial entrepreneurship in
the socioeconomic development of a society. The historical evidence
clearly suggests that, in Pakistan, when we talk about commercial
entrepreneurship, it implies informal sector; the small scale
enterprises which dominates our lives but unfortunately has been
continuously ignored in our economic policies. These enterprises are
created by certain communities/networks, which in other words are
one of the major sources of commercial entrepreneurship in the
country.
In West such communities do exist but these communities are linked
with another very important source of business wisdom that is the
universities/business schools which work in parallel with these
communities to provide idea, platform and incubation. This is
primarily because the linkage/relationship between the business
school and the business community is very strong,
Unfortunately, after 61 years of independence Pakistan could not
catch-up with the rest of the world in much needed “Entrepreneurial
culture” framework. The root cause for this conundrum is that there
is no clubbing together of basic research and teachings with
industrial innovation. Business institutes which are working are not
provided with substantial business network subvention which is
resulting into lack of advocacy and awareness, curriculum
development and incubation centres.
—Islamabad
Zardari’s Press conference
G Omar
Mr Zardari’s Press conference has left the nation all the more
confounded. Perhaps it was not required. It looked all in all
Musharraf compliant on matters of judiciary or whatever. It was
purely Zardari specific: egocentric: myopic and personalized. The
oft-repeated argument that two wrongs cannot make one right cannot
be true of constitution, which is abiding and statutory.
Musharraf-MQM suit him better than ML-N who hold principal stand on
constitution, Judiciary. Musharraf will never let deposed CJP-judges
to hold courts nor PPP-Zardari. Musharraf is scared of his
unconstitutional conducts and PPP-Z for NRO.PPP has lost its trust
for backing out with ML-N on judges issue for vested interest. PPP-z
and Musharraf should both leave to rid nation of poverty dungeon
they have thrown the nation into and will sink it deeper.
—Peshawar
Kasur Railway Station
Abdul Nasir Khan
Kasur Railway station had historical back ground like Kasur City.
Before partition this station had cardinal importance in railway
business. It was one of the biggest junction from where four lines
led to four different cities of subcontinent Kasur-Delhi,
Kasur-Khaim Karan, Kasur-Lahore and Kasur-Pakpathan sections. This
station was worth seeing and condition of station remained worth
looking. But now this station is loosing its charming beauty and
facing lot of problems due to corrupt and inefficient railway
authorities.
The condition of track around this station has become dilapidated,
while condition of track from kasur. Lahore is extremely deplorable.
Wooden made sleepers have disappeared from place to place. The
incident of derailment have become the order of the day. The waste
water of suburbs located around the station is damaging the tracks.
The rail way engineering department are fully responsible for this
situation. There is only one train shuttling between Lahore Karachi
via Kasur and Pakpathan namely Al-Fraid express. Plundering is on
the peak by the guard ST, Police man traveling with this train are
in the run to take excel in this regard child tickets are issued to
unknown persons A C parlour of the train is filled with the
passengers traveling with out ticket.
—Islamabad
