The most effective short-term step that can be taken to ease the power crisis and help prevent its spread is to improve load management. Electricity customers need to be given incentives to conserve energy, when it would do the most good from a power market standpoint. For those customers who are particularly risk-averse, a fixed-price rate can still be offered, but with an ‘insurance premium’ tacked on to protect against rising rates. Large customers can be offered special rates to interrupt power when conditions are tight, or opportunities to sell power they generate. Probably, the most effective option is to institute time-of-use rates and real-time pricing. In this way, the customer would know the price of electricity at any given time. The price reflects the cost of power generation and delivery at that given time, changing minute to minute, hour to hour. Other technologies can be applied on the supply side in the medium-to-long-term. A renewable energy plant can be set up, and transmission system capacity, too, can be improved by advanced technology, even before new lines are added. Now is the time for engineers to help policymakers better understand the technical complexity of power systems and become aware of new technological opportunities for solving the current problems before they spread even further.
Iran Pakistan Gas pipeline project initiated in 1993 has finally entered in its operational phase. On March 16, 2010 the Heads of this agreement were signed between Iran and Pakistan at Turkish capital According to this agreement Iran will supply 750 million cubic feet gas to Pakistan in next 25 yearsThis deal is crucial to averting a growing energy crisis already causing severe electricity shortages in the country. Foreign office spokesman Mr Abdul Basie in his official statement about this project have said “ It is our legitimate economic interest ”.
Other than this project there are many grounds on which these two Geo-strategic brotherly Islamic nations must proceed. Our historic relations with Iran are not a secret, same is for our common faith and heritage. In last decade some irritants caused this friendship of ours a major blow. Trade and economic cooperation is the key to the bilateral relations among two states. Pakistan and Iran due to their national interests in Afghanistan went far from each other. Still their trans-national responsibilities as Muslim states and their Geo-strategic presence in the region, specially after 9/11 incident asks them to join hands of cooperation and collaboration to face the regional challenges.
Iran, Pakistan and China are major powers of this region having same trans-national responsibilities as well as national interests. We are in contact with each other but not extending our full cooperations as required. For Pakistan, Iran and China are major allies who never turned their backs in testing times. USA and NATO are interested in the potentials of this region, we have tested these powers many times leaving no good results. Our common interests are very few. They left us alone in 1971 and again deprived us in war against former USSR. We have to derive a foreign strategy based on our national interests and trans-national responsibilities which is also acceptable to our time tested friends in the region.
Making it simple, I must say that Iran, Pakistan and China must build an economic and defensive bloc in the region, in which these major powers of the region and the main focus of the world powers must evolve common strategies to protect their common national and international interests. We must improve our economic and business relations, China and Iran are exploring the world in this regard based on their national interests. We must make it feasible to transfer this gas up to China as this pipe line could become a life line, and a bond of cooperation among Iran-Pakistan and China. China is the leader in technology it can fulfill technical requirements of Pakistan and Iran. Through mutual cooperation and collaboration we can emerge as Asian tigers. Which is not only in the better interests of our nations but also is good for the region.
It is reported in an international news agency, Integrated Regional Information Networks, (IRIN) that “The Experts say it is only a matter of time before wind carries a deadly wheat stem pathogen into Pakistan, the ninth largest wheat producing nation in the world. Known as Ug99, the disease could potentially decimate the country’s highly vulnerable wheat crop and cause a huge food security problem”. Although media has much earlier drawn attention of the agricultural higher-ups sitting in Islamabad and provincial capitals regarding impending threat to the most vital crop of our country, yet sadly no remedial measures seems to have been initiated so far. So much so that even the farmers have not been informed /educated/warned about the threat of virus. The Ug99 was first discovered in Uganda in 1999, and spread with the wind to Iran where it was discovered two years ago.
Crop scientists say that next destination of this ‘time bomb’ is obviously Pakistan and then India. The scientists have though identified a mere half dozen genes that are immediately useful for protecting wheat from Ug99 but incorporating them into crops using conventional breeding techniques for each of the thousands of wheat varieties is a nine-to 12-year-long process. I request the Prime Minster to issue directions to the federal and provincial ministries of food and agriculture to enlighten our farmers about the looming threat through media campaign and also suggest precautionary measures to minimize its effect when it hits the crop. At the same time the international agricultural scientists who are already working on the threat may be contacted for seeking their help to face the lethal viral assault.
Shahbaz Sharif should be very careful in making statements which have very adverse effect, particularly in view of the fact that he is the C.M. of the biggest province of Pakistan. One does not believe that he would be begging terrorists to spare Punjab which by implication carries a very sinister massage that they could operate in the other parts of the country. He should clarify what exactly he had said so that the controversy comes to an end as well as his image which has been tarnished by his statement should get rectified.
But what is more unfortunate is that the Governor of Punjab who is supposed to be apolitical person is acting as a typical jiala of PPP. This he does to please Mr. Zardari so that his position as a Governor remain secure. Unfortunately Mr. Zardari should be a symbol of federation, but he is acting all the time for his party’s interests. This is ridiculous in parliamentary democracy. He was voted into power to strengthen the institutions rather then render them weak and anti-democratic. How long will the nation wait for true democracy to emerge in Pakistan?
Pakistan’s general election of 2002, held under General Musharraf, opened up the doors for active and free media, particularly electronic media. After that, for the first time in the history of Pakistan, all the major political parties started receiving prominent airtime in the media to put across their point of view. General public also for the first time started getting view points of Pakistani politicians from horses’ mouths! Soon, the programmes containing political discussions and debates pushed aside entertaining programmes in general popularity.
In view of the popularity of such debates between political stalwarts, which very often than not look like some cock fight or free style wrestling, thus creating immense interest for the viewers, all the Pakistani TV channels are now-a-days airing 3 or 4 programmes of the same nature daily. These political debates between various political personalities are still continuing unabated. But now that, general public have heard in detail almost all who’s who in Pakistan politics, and that they have learnt almost every thing about the political parties and their views and stands, I think, the time has come to reduce the number of such verbal-wrestling programmes. The TV channels now should stress more on educating general public about the stands and stances of political parties, particular the mainstream parties, on economic and political issues. TV channels should telecast independent and unbiased analysis of the stands and actions of the political parties. At the same time, TV channels should present programmes in such way that will help Pakistani people to educate themselves about the basics of economic and political theories and practices. Most importantly, people need to be educated about academic texture of democracy, so that they may equip themselves against emotional onslaught of some people or group of people in the name of democracy.
India has miraculously averted a terror strike on Mumbai in a nick of time! As the date for US-Pakistan strategic dialogue is approaching though it seems India is averting more and more terror strikes everyday! One wonders if US-Pakistan dialogue is making Indian counter terrors efforts rather efficient! Last week, it was a strike in couple of days but this week few in a day!
The UPA government has been proclaiming time and again that health and education is their top priority. But nothing could be further from the truth. While the revelation that allocation for women centric schemes in the Union budget dropped from 9.2 % in 2004-2006 to 3.2 in 2009-2010 is benumbering, what is more shocking is that gender specific schemes form only 2.4 % of the women and child development ministry’s total budget . This proves once more that India’s record of treating its women is most disheartening. At the same time, it reminds us yet again that a vast gulf separates official claim from reality.
The CBGA reveals that child development schemes form 97.2 % of the WCD ministry’s budget leaving merely 2.4 % for women related issues. This does not speak well for a government that is insensitive to women’s right to equal opportunity and the need for specific measures to enable them to overcome handicaps arising from gender disparity in the country. Despite the UPA’s claims of creating a separate ministry for prioristing women and child related programmes, nothing much has been achieved on the ground. This deserves more than passing attention because it reflects the deep irony that characterizes the position of women in India. Many have, no doubt, forged ahead in all fields of life but there are millions of women who have no control over their destiny. They suffer not only denial of opportunity to develop their full potential but also suffer the worst kind of violence and oppression. The shame is that despite breaking through the glass ceiling in their respective callings, they have to contend with discrimination and sexual harassment. Statistics reveal that over 120,000 women die due to childbirth related problems every year as a consequence of abysmal-public facilities. Also, about 35 % women in India experience physical or sexual violence.
While the state and the centre invariably claim that there has been a remarkable improvement in women healthcare, year after year the data paints a grim picture. This year’s report, released on the occasion of the International Women’s day, is no different and the indices for India remain as shocking as ever, reminding us once again of the lack of priority given to women by the UPA government. This is a glaring irony given that such facts are usually not associated with economies that are growing at a tremendous rate as India’s. Statistical details contained in the report are indicative of the situation that prevails across the country. For instance, according to the report prepared by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). India has the maximum number of women dying in the Asia-Pacific region due to the discriminatory treatment in healthcare, nutrition access and sex selective abortion. The report recognizes that in 2007, about 42.7 million women died due to these reasons. What is shocking is that maternal mortality rate is still over 300 per one lakh deliveries. Another indicator of women’s condition is that India has the lowest percentage of female population after Butan in the Asia-Pacific region despite a better sex-ratio at birth. The report also emphasizes the shocking levels of gender disparity in the country by revealing the wide gap between male and female child mortality rates. While about 72 out of 1000 male children under the age of five died in 2006, it was 81 in the case of female children. This is a pointer to the unusual challenge India faces in female healthcare even as its economic growth rates move up. Also, the report says that women in Asia pacific region suffer from the lowest rates or political representation, employment and property ownership. The government may talk itself hoarse about gender empowerment but how earnest is the present regime in priorotesing women centric issue is evident from the details of the UNDP report.
Nineteen years in a coma. Jan Grzebski, the 65 year-old Polish man, occupied a distinguished role within the Media around the world. And, for an extraordinary fact he woke up from his long physical absence, other than spiritual. His profession was that of a rail worker, and in 1988 he suffered a serious labor related accident. And, he fell into a deep coma. However, he regained his consciousness back completely. He affirms that during all these passed years he was aware of all that was happening around him, even though he couldn’t move nor speak. His wife never abandoned him. Her profound faith in God made her hope for a miracle; that her husband, and father of her children, would come back to life. She never lost hope in God. She had strongly opposed the usage of euthanasia, in order for Jan not to suffer, they would suggest to her. She didn’t accept it because she had faith and believed that her husband would recover.
What great confusion for those scholars blinded by their arrogance, and believe to be in possession of the truth, about good and evil, of the destinies of human beings. Jan affirmed that he owes his life to his wife, for whom he will profess a profound gratitude for the rest of his existence. He would hear the conversation that his doctors had and their arrogant commentaries about him not surviving. Moreover, the only thing he wanted to do was live. He ardently wished to exist while his doctors planned for his elimination. He heard all the doctor’s order conversations. Jan was alive and was conscious of all that was happening around him. No one can authorize the death of a transcendental being, even if he or she is an incurable and agonizing ill person, or is in a deep state of coma. Medical citizens are a remedy for these hurtful situations.
