44 replies to this topic

[Tekno Arkitect]

And this War of Terror is just an American propoganda. Serious kind of bullshit. Everyone here know the fact how the WTC collapsed. Dont take us to be so stupid and ignorant. American policies to get oil out of Iraq when there were no weapons of mass destruction, n go into Afghanistan for another reason, next coming Pakistan and Iran; and aiming to go for china. We dont need sympathies but the fact that these two dates where there was a mob in Lahore and Karachi has nothing go to do with war on terror, infact the state failed to provide security, they dont forsee the problem and complain later onwards. I was in univ the day 14th feb 2006 mob was taking place, the police came 3 hrs later when all offices n banks weree looted n burnt on the mall road. and juss telling u the fact that daily around 300 policemen juss stand outside my univ in anarkali and a few thousand more on the way to punjab assembly. The govt thinks they are ruling over retard people infront of whom they can play their cards the way they like without letting us be known where they are bluffing and where not!

[Zain Abbass]

Harsh steps needed to stabilise economy, says Dar

By Ihtasham ul Haque

ISLAMABAD, April 9: Accusing the PML-Q and caretaker governments of fudging figures and mismanaging economy, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar has said that the new government will have to take harsh measures over the next 75 days, including increase in oil prices and rationalisation of taxes, to put the economy on the right track.

“The budget expenditure overruns amount to Rs522 billion which the government needs to arrange in the next two and a half months to maintain the level of fiscal deficit at 6 per cent by June 30 against the target of 4 per cent. Then we will have to secure $2.5 billion to increase foreign exchange reserves to $15 billion from $13.5 billion,” the finance minister said at a news conference. He was accompanied by Information Minister Sherry Rehman.

If these measures were not taken, Mr Dar said, the fiscal deficit would rise to 9.5 per cent of the GDP, and at that level, the deficit would be “almost unmanageable”.

Interestingly, President Musharraf had levelled similar allegations when he had removed the Nawaz Sharif government in October 1999. He had also come up with a long charge-sheet of economic mismanagement.

He said that the largest portion of the budget overrun was because of the Rs138 billion subsidy on petroleum products and Rs70 billion on account of non-payment to Wapda, adding that no budgetary provisions had been made in that regard. An additional expenditure of Rs45 billion was incurred on importing wheat and there was no budgetary provision for that either.

He conceded that the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) had to be cut to enable the government to handle growing financial difficulties and said that while he did not want to give the impression that everything had been lost or the situation was incurable, “some … mechanism has to be in place to deal with this serious economic situation.”

He said that the Senate’s Finance Committee and the new Public Accounts Committee would summon former prime minister Shaukat Aziz, former finance minister Dr Salman Shah and the two previous finance secretaries to explain their roles in what he termed “bringing the country to a dangerous point”.

“Nobody will get away. Everyone will have to face accountability,” he said.

Mr Dar said that the new government had acquired a $300 million oil facility from Saudi Arabia which would be used to lower the fiscal deficit. He also hinted that foreign aid would be sought to pull through till June 30. However, he promised that the government would not borrow from banks to meet its expenditure. The government planned to stabilise the economy by reviving agriculture and manufacturing sectors.

The strategy, he said, also envisaged tackling energy crisis by increasing generation capacity and conserving energy, arresting the spiralling inflation. He called for re-orienting monetary and fiscal policies to support growth and said spending on pro-poor programmes would be increased, targeted social protection programmes would be launched and fiscal deficit and balance of payments deficit would be contained.

[Zain Abbass]

This idiot Dar was in charge during the economic collapse of the 90's. If anything this guy should be answering for his horrible policies.

[Zain Abbass]

I have an excellent quote for you Techno Sahib…
Pakistanis (irrespective of their standing in society) exult gossip, paranoia, superstition, and conspiracy theories more than the science of history- H Khan

I am taking very personal offense to your assertions that the WTC attack was staged or a conspiracy theory. The threat of terrorism is very real and the idiots in Pakistani society like Shahid Mansoor try to say otherwise just to sell a story that will sell. Not only that, he is not qualified in any possible way to making such assertions. He is nothing but a conspiracy theorist and he shouldn’t be allowed to give his opinion to the Pakistani media.

Do you realize I live 6-10 miles away from the World Trade Center? I saw the towers go down and they were several people from my town that never made it back home. Did you know that I was with Jilawatan during the Liberty Bombing and I was hurt? Enough is enough!
Do you have any proof that the war on terror is American propaganda? If it is propaganda why are there terrorist attacks in Pakistan? How can you be so blind when living on the frontlines of this war?

The American policies to get oil out of Iraq are failing considering I am paying 4 dollars at the pump. I am sure in Pakistan you are paying much much less since the government subsidizes oil. Iraq was invaded because of their supposed WMD’s not because of the war on terrorism. Yes, there turned out to be no WMD’s and now the US is suffering in Iraq but at least the truth came out in the end.

The mob in Lahore and Karachi are POLITICAL issues and you should condemn and blame the parties responsible. Instead of attacking the Government perhaps it would be more productive to fully attack and punish the parties responsible for the violence. Pakistanis need to change their mindset otherwise these parties will always remain the same. By the way, have you ever heard of the race riots in the UK or the riots in LA? They happen in the US too when situations get tense and even then it is difficult to control the area for the police.

And did you ever think that perhaps they think the Pakistani people are stupid is because they TRULY ARE STUPID?

[Tekno Arkitect]

Whoz talking about Shahid Mansoor btw? Many Pakistanis economic told me the day this event of 9/11 happened, it was totally planned! Killing 1000 american doesnt mean anything when u have other goals to achieve. The usual number of visitors and worker inside the WTC were over 10,000 on a average and that day mossly muslims came to WTC and hardly no jews, how is that possible, only less than 4000 ppl attend it. How could a steel structure collapse, under what circumstance, when the melting point of steel was far more than that of the fire inside. That is totally rediculus! American media was the first to portray the other side of the image n not other, eventhough like I said I wuz told that this is all planned. there are so many american documentaries on it already. Shahid mansoor just reinterpreted them several years later.

We never had suicide bombing or attacks at such a greater scale than before! Life was very peaceful over here! U r sitting miles away just assuming what happening inside a container, but the life inside the container is really different dude!!

Quoting for me----"Pakistanis (irrespective of their standing in society) exult gossip, paranoia, superstition, and conspiracy theories more than the science of history- H Khan", ohh...cummon man, who doesnt! n btw Are you or nt a Pakistani too? then this also goes for u dear

Whoz attacking the govt btw, the parties are the one in the govt so blaming govt and parties who r in power is the same issue!

Yes Ive seen videos of mobs in the west, but here mobs are politically planned and exploited and that is what happened in karachi so MQM is truely to be blamed for it. and PML for the 14th Feb 2006 mob!

[MAA]

Musharraf asks Aziz to return in a week

The Post Report

ISLAMABAD: On the instructions of President Pervez Musharraf, former prime minister Shaukat Aziz will return to the country in a week, Channel 5 reported Thursday.

According to sources, Shaukat has been asked to return and defend himself against the allegations regarding his polices that he formulated during his tenure.

According to another report Shaukat Aziz was appointed as finance minister by the Government of Pakistan in November 1999 shortly after the army chief's 1999 military coup with the task of revitalizing the sagging economy. As the finance minister, Shaukat's familiarity with the global banking came as an advantage. He was given the responsibility for managing country's finance, economic affairs, statistics, planning and development and revenue divisions. He was also the chairman of the Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet; chairman Executive Committee of National Economic Council and chairman Cabinet Committee on Privatization. He became a senator in 2002.

Shaukat Aziz was criticised for his policy of downsizing in the public sector but he asserted that he made these institutions viable when these were on the verge of collapse.

Another allegation against Shaukat Aziz is that as a finance minister his policies were not aimed at alleviating poverty as he seldom offered relief to the poor sections of the society.

But it is claimed by many analysts that he achieved his target and strengthened the country's economic base; the recent economic figures prove his policies have worked. He improved the country's growth rate by 6.4 percent a year. For the first time in Pakistan's history revenue collection targets were met during his tenure and allocation for development increased by about 40 percent, though this success is attributed largely to debt reduction and securing of hundreds of millions of dollars in loans and aid in return for Pakistan support in the US-led war on terror.

Moreover, despite a series of internal and external distresses, economic situation of Pakistan improved significantly and reserves increased to US$ 10.56 billion on June 30, 2004 as compared to US$ 1.2 billion Oct 1999. Exchange rate became stable and predictable. Inflation rate dropped to 3.5 percent in last 3 years as against 11-12 percent in 1990's.

source: http://thepost.com.p...i...=2&catid=14

[MAA]

New govt plans to thank, say ’bye to Iftikhar

* Iftikhar Chaudhry may be reinstated, then forced to retire

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) is drafting a constitutional package likely to sideline sacked chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Chaudhry.

The PPP is expected to submit the proposal for parliamentary scrutiny as soon as next week. It is honour bound to reinstate the judges sacked on November 3 within 30 days of the formation of the government, under a pact between PPP Co-chairman Asif Zardari and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif.

Pakistan’s new political order will thank Chaudhry for precipitating the political shift that led to the defeat of pro-Musharraf parties in February’s elections, reinstate him and then try to wave him goodbye, analysts and others said. “Restoration will redeem his honour,” said a senior PPP official in government. “But this is about reforming the judiciary, not making heroes out of people.”

“If there is any compromise on this issue then there are serious threats to the coalition,” Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, a senior minister from the PML-N, told Reuters, adding that for now “all is well”.

Independent analysts say Zardari has Nawaz’s approval to remove Chaudhry without the issue breaking the coalition, but that Nawaz won’t say so publicly as he has to manage dissent in the PML-N. “They are together on the fundamental issue, that this time the civilians will prevail,” the PPP official said. The restored judges could revive challenges to Musharraf’s re-election in October while still army chief, or go after the president for his November 3 actions.

The PPP wants to avoid an early confrontation with Musharraf.

The PPP faces several problems including stabilising its government, averting possible economic crisis, and fighting Al Qaeda-inspired militants.

”Who benefits from upheaval?” asked the PPP official. “There’s a difference between a compromise and a sell-out.”

It has been argued that forcing Chaudhry into early retirement could go some way to defusing a potentially explosive situation.

“The other option is not to remove him, but to reduce his personal power,” the PPP official said.

That would entail removing the chief justice’s right to allocate judges to cases, and choose which judges sit on benches.

Aitzaz Ahsan, president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, warned of more agitation if Chaudhry is removed.

“There will be no closure of the issue. There will be continued uncertainty and instability,” he said. reuters

source: http://www.dailytime...11-4-2008_pg1_9

[MAA]

I think Dar should take the oppurtunity next week to get Shaukat Aziz into his team and to work with him.

And look at the PPP and Nawaz now. They promised the people that they will restore the CJP, they got so much sympathy for this, the lawyers to supported them and now look they r back tracking. They have lied to the entire country and now the media should hassle them and get it out of them as to why this has occured.

[Zain Abbass]

Whoz talking about Shahid Mansoor btw? Many Pakistanis economic told me the day this event of 9/11 happened, it was totally planned! Killing 1000 american doesnt mean anything when u have other goals to achieve. The usual number of visitors and worker inside the WTC were over 10,000 on a average and that day mossly muslims came to WTC and hardly no jews, how is that possible, only less than 4000 ppl attend it. How could a steel structure collapse, under what circumstance, when the melting point of steel was far more than that of the fire inside. That is totally rediculus! American media was the first to portray the other side of the image n not other, eventhough like I said I wuz told that this is all planned. there are so many american documentaries on it already. Shahid mansoor just reinterpreted them several years later.

We never had suicide bombing or attacks at such a greater scale than before! Life was very peaceful over here! U r sitting miles away just assuming what happening inside a container, but the life inside the container is really different dude!!

Quoting for me----"Pakistanis (irrespective of their standing in society) exult gossip, paranoia, superstition, and conspiracy theories more than the science of history- H Khan", ohh...cummon man, who doesnt! n btw Are you or nt a Pakistani too? then this also goes for u dear

Whoz attacking the govt btw, the parties are the one in the govt so blaming govt and parties who r in power is the same issue!

Yes Ive seen videos of mobs in the west, but here mobs are politically planned and exploited and that is what happened in karachi so MQM is truely to be blamed for it. and PML for the 14th Feb 2006 mob!

It doesn't matter how far we might be sitting from Pakistan but certainly we have a better CLEAR UNBIASED understanding of what is going on in Pakistan.

[Tekno Arkitect]

Sir G u got the medal!
Im going on a tour for one week so wont be available for unbiased comments!

[Tekno Arkitect]

[Zain Abbass]

This new government is trying to kill the NSC, which most will accept is a great thing Musharraf did during his term. It was done to prevent another military coup but it looks like we are about to walk into another coup very soon.

[Mohsin Ahmed]

Unelected advisers outnumber ministers

Thursday, June 26, 2008

By Ansar Abbasi

ISLAMABAD: Unelected advisers have outnumbered the duly elected ministers in Yousuf Raza Gilani’s cabinet and the first violation of the Constitution was committed on Wednesday when the sixth adviser to the prime minister was named whereas only five were permitted.

Presently, the total number of federal ministers in the government is 15. However, the number of advisers to the prime minister or those holding some other key positions but enjoying the status of federal minister or minister of state has gone up to 16.

This is perhaps for the first time in the country’s history that such a team of unelected advisers has outgrown the size of regular ministers. Article 93 of the Constitution says that the president may, on the advice of the prime minister, appoint not more than five advisers, on such terms and conditions as he may determine.

Gilani presently has six advisers, including Maj-Gen (retd) Mehmud Ali Durrani, Adviser on National Security, Rehman Malik, Adviser on Interior, Hina Rabbani Khar, Adviser on Finance, Shahnaz Wazir Ali, Adviser on Social Sectors, Manzoor Wattoo, Adviser on Industries and Special Initiatives, and the latest is Syed Hamid Saeed Kazmi, Adviser on Religious Affairs.

Kazmi was appointed on Wednesday but was not clear if he had been given the status of a full federal minister or minister of state. All the other advisers are enjoying the status of federal minister.

Constitutional advisers to the prime ministers not only attend cabinet meetings but can also attend sittings of both the houses of parliament. In addition to these six advisers, there are at least 10 individuals holding different public offices but enjoying the status of federal minister or minister of state.

They include Justice (retd) Malik Muhammad Qayyum, Attorney-General of Pakistan, Prof Dr Attaur Rehman, Higher Education Commission Chairman, Altaf Salim, Chairman, National Vocational and Technical Education Commission and Chairman Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority, Maj-Gen (retd) Inayatullah Khan Niazi, Chairman, Federal Land Commission, Dr Asim Hussain, Chairman National Reconstruction Bureau, Salman Farooqi, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission and Ambassador at Large, Khalil Ahmed, Ambassador at Large; Sharifuddin Pirzada, Ambassador at Large, Dr Nasim Ashraf, Chairman National Commission on Human Development and Dr Khalid Masood, Chairman Council of Islamic Ideology.

Except for the last two, all enjoy the status of federal minister. Ashraf and Masood have been given the status of ministers of state. Those who have been given the status of federal ministers and ministers of state do not write with their name federal minister or minister of state. Such hidden ministers also do not take oath of their office, which is mandatory for formal federal ministers and ministers of state.

[MAA]

I dont think there is anything wrong with having many advisors. But they should take oath.

[Suprah™]

Zardari and Nawaz - with all of Noon league and PPP - should jump off a cliff and die

[Mohsin Ahmed]

One cover, three faces.

[MAA]

Cabinet to be strengthened, reshuffled soon: PM

DUBAI ( 2008-07-10 19:29:48 ) :Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Thursday said the government would soon strengthen the cabinet besides reshuffling the portfolios of ministers. Addressing the workers and office bearers of Pakistan Peoples Party here, the Prime Minister said the number of ministers and state ministers would be increased to have better coverage of different areas of public importance.

The Prime Minister mentioned the 100-day plan to resolve problems of the common man, and hoped his government would come upto people’s expectations.

He said the issues of 0.8 million expatriate Pakistani community in Dubai would be settled on priority and directed the Ministry of Labour and Manpower to focus in this regard.

The Prime Minister said Pakistan Peoples Party was a political party with strong roots in all provinces.

He said the PPP, as a symbol of federation, unity and integrity, would continue working for the uplift of the common man.

source: http://www.aaj.tv/ne...116_detail.html

[MAA]

Nawaz quit coalition.

[Zain Abbass]

Nawaz quit coalition.

No one here is suprised!

[MAA]

President Zardari calls for $100bn grant from world community

Updated at: 1343 PST, Sunday, October 05, 2008
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has called for international community to give $100 billion in grant for Pakistan’s stability and survival.

He cited the threat posed by militants along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and the possible economic meltdown, asking world community to provide $100 billions in grant for Pakistan.

“I need your help, if we fall, if we can’t do it, you can’t do it,” President Zardari repeatedly said during an interview with a foreign magazine, published on Saturday.

In the interview, Zardari also called for a broader free trade agreement with India and said: “India has never been a threat to Pakistan. “I, for one, and our democratic government is not scared of Indian influence abroad,” he said.0

President Zardari termed the Hurriat leaders in occupied Kashmir as “terrorists”, adding that he had no objection to the India-US nuclear cooperation pact so long as Islamabad was treated “at par” with New Delhi.

“Why would we begrudge the largest democracy in the world getting friendly with one of the oldest democracies in the world?”

He “has a simple and powerful argument to make that the world cannot allow his government to fail not when it’s becoming increasingly plausible that Pakistan itself, with its stockpile of as many as 200 nuclear warheads, could be toppled by Al Qaeda and its allies”.

In asking the international community for infusion of $100 billion into Pakistan’s economy, Zardari was keen to insist that it not be described as aid. “Aid is proven through the researches of the World Bank to be bad for a country,” Zardari said. “I’m looking for temporary relief for my budgetary support and cash for my treasury which does not need to be spent by me.

“It is not something I want to spend. But it will stop the outflow of my capital every time there is a bomb, In this situation, how do I create capital confidence, how do I create businessmen’s confidence?”

On US-Pakistan differences to conduct the war on terror, President Zardari was anxious to downplay any differences with the US. “I am not going to fall for this position that it’s an unpopular thing to be an American friend. I am an American friend,” Zardari said time and again.

On the incident last month in which Pakistani troops allegedly fired at US aircraft, Zardari said: “It was merely an incident, and while incidents do happen, they are not important.” He acknowledged that the US was carrying out Predator missile strikes on Pakistani soil with his government’s consent. “We have an understanding, in the sense that we’re going after an enemy together.”

Zardari also conceded “the problem that had be devilled past efforts at US-Pakistani cooperation, particularly in intelligence sharing: the widely held suspicion that Pakistani intelligence services continue to cooperate with, and even arm, the Taliban.” “You know, you keep an uglier alternative around so that you may not be asked to leave,” he says in reference to charges that former president Pervez Musharraf was not sincere in fighting militancy.

Zardari hoped that with the intelligence problem out of the way, a new era of cooperation can open up with the US. “We want to be able to share US intelligence,” he said. “We need helicopters, we need night goggles, we need equipment of that sort.”

He said there was a need for precision and finesse in fighting militants, rather than large-scale military force. “My eventual concept is that we should be taking them on as they are, as criminals.”

Of Osama bin Laden, Zardari said: Osama Bin Laden and all other terrorists are enemies of Pakistan.

Referring to reports that Pakistan has deployed F-16s against militants in tribal areas in part because the army’s own troops have been routinely routed in ground fighting, he said: “Their problems aren’t simply tactical. What kind of a joke is this that I cannot pay my security personnel more than the Talibs are paying?”

“Those terrorists are paying their soldiers 10,000 rupees; I’m paying seven or six thousand rupees. “The effects of such a disparity are increasingly in evidence.

source: http://www.geo.tv/10-5-2008/26324.htm