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Posts tagged with: Pakistan
Aug 31, 2020    |      Comments Off on Analyzing Pakistan & India’s response to COVID-19 handling

Analyzing Pakistan & India’s response to COVID-19 handling

Analyzing Pakistan’s ‘Handling‘ of the Coronavirus and India’s ‘Mishandling‘ of the pandemic

India & Pakistan demographics are quite similar (cultural, poverty & possibly a weaker virus strain?) but the number of cases are drastically different

My observations below ↓

India in terms of population is 6 TIMES more populus than Pakistan (1,382 mln vs 221 mln)

In population terms Pakistan should have by now over 528,000 cases but it’s fortunately ‘⅒’ of India

Pakistan has avoided the disaster – even Bangladesh is no where near India’s disaster

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Jun 2, 2019    |      Comments Off on His Last Speech — Usman, the Rehri Wala

His Last Speech — Usman, the Rehri Wala

written by Aon Abbas Buppi – Managing Director of Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal

Usman, Speaking to the guests at the Presidency on the World Thallasemia Day

While going through my messages at this hour (morning of 31st May 2019 during Sehri time) I have just received a call from a colleague of mine sharing the news that Usman, The Rehri Wala has, died …….

The story begins in last year November when Rauf Klasra sb sent me an article from one of his friends Mr Nasir Sheikh from Multan who wrote about a young brave 23 year old boy from tehsil Mailsi (District Vehari) who have been fighting for his life with Thallesemia. Usman was the fourth son of his parents and his three brothers had already passed way due to Thallesemia. I had promised Rauf Klasra sb that I will go and visit Mailsi soon.

Finally I went on 21st November, I met this boy Usman (The Rehri Wala). He used to sell popcorns on a Rehri and earn his livelihood through this. So as usual, I asked if I can be of any assistance and he replied that I don’t need anything and can earn enough to have blood transfusion and he also commented that he can afford to have the iron Chelation drug (a necessary medicine given to all thallesemic kids to control the excessive iron in blood due to continuous blood transfusion needed throughout their lives and normally costs RS 150,000 per month). But instead he requested me to arrange this iron Chelation for 300 registered thallesemic kids of Mailsi who can’t afford this medicine. His passion and love for other kids moved me and I decided to set up a Pakistan Bait-ul-Maal Thallesemic center in Mailsi.

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Oct 1, 2016    |      Comments Off on The DJ’s of ‘Political Combat’

The DJ’s of ‘Political Combat’

Guest Blog by Zeeshan Khan (@ZeeshChohan)

Perhaps there was no better time to pen this down. With the rising tensions between India and Pakistan lately, the ‘online’ soldiers from both sides have grabbed their keyboards to administer the proceedings between both countries. As the DSL connections became more and more common, there emerged a whole new generation of political supporters. The generation for who the internet revolved around MIRC, msn etc was slowly but gradually politicized. Even at a time when ORKUT was creating a buzz in the online community of Pakistan, no one ever thought that this online space will once become a battleground for future political zealots. But then, they choose sides. Skip to 2015 and no one would have in their wildest imaginations thought that many political parties would have dedicated social media cells managing their online presence. Whether it’s good or bad, is a completely different debate? Just for the sake of argument, greater participation in the political process ensures a more vibrant political canvas. And yes politics is actually about influencing your thought process in some way, so it’s kind of fair too. Having said that, there is still something immensely wrong with this ‘participatory’ element in Pakistan?

During a recent online surfing marathon I came across this line in an article, the line goes like

“Developing your own honest, genuine political beliefs. Not because you want to sound smart at parties, but because as you get older, you’re starting to become less naive and more concerned about important issues that your country faces.”

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Mar 19, 2016    |      Comments Off on Cricket Pitch Curation at Kolkata in Pakistan vs India T20 Match

Cricket Pitch Curation at Kolkata in Pakistan vs India T20 Match

Shoaib Malik almost says what he wanted to say “it’s not the curators fault — he can’t control the weather ”

But last two matches the ball was coming up and good, for seam, At the toss pundits were saying win the toss and bat first – but dhoni to the surprise of many opts to bowl first

While India plays spinners

It’s a match let’s play it, but historically ground curators have tweaked their pitches ever so gently to favor their own team 😉 #PAKvsIND – shared by Awab Alvi on Facebook

Nov 27, 2014    |      Comments Off on Nawaz Sharif’s – Defeatist Body Language

Nawaz Sharif’s – Defeatist Body Language

The fundamentals of good leadership is to present yourself with a positive and confident body language, be it limited to mere visual optics, but every public opportunity one needs to be on-top of his game and each photograph taken should portray confidence combined with the subtleties of a good tailored suit, well groomed hair and even if need be a dash of good makeup.  All these subtle tactics present the leader well, even if its only for sake of mere pictures

Sadly, every time the people of Pakistan have seen their Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in public and specifically on the global stage, quite shockingly he has come forth with a weak and a defeatist body language, slouched shoulders, fumbling words, mindlessly gazing into thin air, oft caught with a worried & tense frown, very rarely even a smile?  The subtle message coming through the camera lens is of a stressed out leader, leading a failed state.  Granted I may have a bias against him, but I still do remain a Pakistani and he represents my country on the global stage.

Sparing a few scattered “good-PR” shots, most images that end up being circulated, even by the media houses (Dawn, Tribune, SamaaTV), reflect the mindset of an uninspiring leader, if that alone was the problem it may have been ok, but when he goes to speak, then again the potential for a possible inspirational magic dissipates into thin air, for example a few months back during his joint press conference with the US President Obama at the White House, he as seen to be shuffling ragged pieces of paper, honestly there is no harm in carrying notes, but at this global stage the stakes for visual optics are high and a genuine leaders rises up to the occasion, others flounder in search of glory, and the Pakistani Prime Minister did a massive belly flop, in search of glory.

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Jan 23, 2014    |       2 comments

10 Lessons Pakistan can learn from the Northern Ireland Conflict

Pakistan has suffered extensively from a war which has bled this nation with hundreds and thousands of lives lost to a ruthless enemy called TTP & Talibans. Pakistan needs to come out of this conflict for the survival of our own existence – but to solve this crisis, we as a nation are forced to stand at a cross-roads – to either go headlong into a “military action” or explore a “ceasefire option”.

The choice is not, one or the other, but the choice is to explore a combination of both, using good cop – bad cop approach, try to head into a ceasefire talks but use strategic & timed military force to drag the militants back onto the peace table

Truly the bleeding hearts of every Pakistan screams, to beat the hell out of these murdering terrorists, but for the sake of Pakistan, and as, educated Pakistanis we must avoid being lead into a mindless war without exhausting avenues and all non-military options, for the fear of loosing our country further.

I share a paper published by London School of Economics and Political Science titled Ten Lessons for Conflict Resolution from Northern Ireland by Jonathan Powell is a great paper to read it sheds light on the lessons that can be extracted from the Northern Ireland conflict. Jonathan Powell was the principal negotiator on Northern Ireland and was instrumental in bringing about a lasting peace in that troubled province after centuries of conflict this

I accede even prior to quoting this paper in context of Pakistan there is no way to convinceably argue that the conflict in Pakistan is similar to the Northern Ireland, but it is equally wrong to suggest that there are no lessons to be learned, from the mistakes the British made and from the successes they achieved.  These lessons can be applied elsewhere, with care, by people like us in Pakistan to learn and seek a lasting settlements to this armed conflict.
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Aug 3, 2013    |       7 comments

Another rigged election?

Rigged Elections in PakistanGuest Blog by By M. Fahid Saleem

“These are the most important elections in the history of country, this will determine the destiny of Pakistan” said different politician and pundits before elections. Unfortunately, the post election debate which should have been focused on its results and its policy implication on Pakistan’s future is surrounded by rigging allegations by every party (PML in Sindh, JUI-F in KPK, Nationalist in Baluchistan and Sindh, PTI in Punjab, PPP in Punjab and other provinces, JI in Karachi etc.)

So much have been written and shown on TV however ECP is convinced that these were free and fair elections. As a business student I did some analysis on election results of ten seats in Lahore (NA-118 to NA-127).

Total number of register voters in most of these ten national assembly seats have no difference with the total number of register voters in their respective provincial assembly seats except in three constituencies (NA-123, NA-124 & NA-126). Number of registered voters in these NA constituencies is greater than their respective provincial seats (68, 2590, 150 respectively). However, unfortunately there is not a single constituency where total number of votes polled for NA is equal to its respective provincial seats. Difference ranges from minus 7055 (Votes polled on respective pp seats are more than that of NA seat) to positive 2841 (Votes polled on NA seat is more than its respective provincial seats). Though the total number of votes polled on most of NA seats were more than their respective PP seats except in case of NA-125 and NA-127, where total votes polled at NA are less than their respective PP seats (4600 and 7055 respectively). Every voter polls two votes, one for NA seat and other one for provincial seat; it means total number of votes polled in NA should be equal to their respective provincial assembly seats. How is this possible a person voted for provincial candidates but not for NA candidates and vice versa? I think ECP is in the best position to answer this question.
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Jan 23, 2013    |       7 comments

Are they “Children of a Lesser God?”

Drones Kill Children TooYou must have abundantly heard about School shooting in the US where children are brutally murdered by maniacs, the world gushed a shock at the inhumanity of how a person could have the heart to kill a child.

What people seem to forget amongst another statistics are the CHILDREN killed in Pakistan courtesy of US Drone action in Pakistan.  Drones Watch has aggregated a list of the names of about 97 Pakistani children killed by US Drones attack in Pakistan – The data has been extracted from The Bureau of Investigative Journalism – The excuse is that these highly accurate equipment is necessary to coordinate targeted attacks designed to take out various Al-Qaeda militants hiding in the tribal belt of Pakistan.

With the presented list of over 97 children under the age of 18 – is this a mere accidental casual collateral damage or are these actual innocent human children suffering due to shear ignorance of the Pakistani Parliamentarians to not stop the drone menace in Pakistan.  No one has heard about these children, probably no one wanted this list to be compiled – but what fault is it of these children to have been killed for no fault of their own – mind you this is a list of 97 children whose names have been documented and recorded – I fear to think how many hundred more there might be who simply dont get counted.

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Dec 19, 2012    |      Comments Off on Drone Pilots: Did we just kill a Kid? No .. it was a dog with Two Legs

Drone Pilots: Did we just kill a Kid? No .. it was a dog with Two Legs

Drone PilotsA drone operator sitting in front of a video screen in New Mexico after he just bombed a target to oblivion

“Did we just kill a kid?” he asked the man sitting next to him.

“Yeah, I guess that was a kid,” the pilot replied.

“Was that a kid?” they wrote into a chat window on the monitor.

Then, someone they didn’t know answered, someone sitting in a military command center somewhere in the world who had observed their attack. “No. That was a dog,” the person wrote.

They reviewed the scene on video. A dog on two legs?

I have no words to express my frustration at reading this narration from a Drone Pilot sitting in New Mexico –

Mr Obama – TIME 2012 Person of the Year – please shed a tear for that DOG with TWO LEGS

LINK: Dreams in Infrared: The Woes of an American Drone Operator – SPIEGEL ONLINE

– shared on Facebook by Awab Alvi

Apr 19, 2012    |       15 comments

STAY GRANTED: Constitutional Petition Preventing PTA from Blocking of Websites

On the 17th of April 2012, seven individuals, Dr. Awab Alvi, Sana Saleem, Faisal Kapadia, Nazim Haji, Naeem Sadiq, Noman Quadri and Ayesha Tammy Haq, through their lawyer Haider Waheed with Basil Nabi Malik, petitioned the High Court of Sindh at Karachi challenging the arbitrary and random acts of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) in blocking/ censoring and restricting access to various websites in violation of the fundamental rights of the owners of the websites/online forums as well as the public at large, and without affording the aggrieved persons an opportunity of being heard or due notice.

It was prayed in the said petition that no website could be blocked/ censored or restricted without affording the aggrieved parties (including the public at large) due notice and an opportunity to be heard in accordance with Articles 4, 9, 10-A, 18, 19, 19A, 20 and 25 of the Constitution of Pakistan, 1973, read with Section 6 of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority Act, 1996.

The Honorable High Court of Sindh issued notice to the Federation of Pakistan, through the Secretary, Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication, and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, through its Chairman, and furthermore ordered the PTA not to block any website other than in accordance with the provisions of the Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-Organization) Act, 1996.

It may be noted that as per the PTA Act, the correct procedure to be followed before blocking or censoring of websites is as per Section 6 of the said Act, which states,

Section 6:  Responsibilities of the Authority.—In exercising its functions and powers under this Act, the Authority shall ensure that—

  • Rights of licensees are duly protected;
  • All of its decisions and determinations are made promptly, in an open equitable, non-discriminatory, consistent and transparent manner;
  • All applications made to it are disposed of expeditiously;
  • The persons affected by its decisions or determinations are given a due notice thereof and provided with an opportunity of being heard;
  • Fair competition in the telecommunication sector exists and is maintained
  • The interests of users of telecommunication services are duly safeguarded and protected.

The said petition has not been made to stop the banning of any website or forum contrary to the rules already laid out by the PTA but has instead the objective of bringing the entire process under judicial review to insure its fairness, transparency and to provide a proper system of redress of the parties owning these websites and forums and protect the fundamental rights of the public at large, including internet users, in Pakistan.
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