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Jahangir World Times
Published: March 2014
























 No Dadagiri in World Cricket
This is unbelievable! Through a surreptitious manoeuver, the world's three most
influential cricketing countries have managed to divide the world cricket on the basis of
money-making clout and credentials.
War for Peace
Saturday, March 01, 2014

What an irony that in their lust for power and money, world's three most influential cricketing
countries, India, Australia and England claiming to be the champions of democracy and
equality, recently joined together in opting for most undemocratic means in acquiring arbitrary
control over world's cricket. Money was the endgame.

India's BCCI was at the back of this whole sinister plan. It had been threatening cricket's power-
brokers for quite some time to withdraw from major global events unless there was radical
reform of the International Cricket Council (ICC). It finally managed to take Australia and
England on board and formulated the divisive plan in the name of the self-avowed Big-Three
or B-3 giving their cricket boards arbitrary decision-making powers and creation of two
'divisions' for test cricket with no change in their own status by virtue of their own commercial
importance and also because between them they represent the game's wealthiest nations.

The B-3 thus not only grabbed control of the five-member executive committee atop the ICC
Board in charge of all policy but also will remain immune from relegation in a new two-tier
competition, and extract vast "contribution costs" that are essentially appearance fees for their
participation in ICC events such as the World Cup and the World T20. At stake is also the
current ICC Future Tours Programme (FTP), a system that ensured all the 10 test-playing
nations played each other over a set period with no selectivity or exclusion, guaranteeing, in
particular, the smaller countries won't be starved of Test cricket.

The very concept of Big Three smacks of discrimination. Dividing the cricketing nations in
two unequal classes is nothing but a neo-colonial adventurism in sports. By virtue of their
money power, the B-3 have become a new elitist privileged club with complete control over
ICC. It reduces the other seven countries (Bangladesh, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, New
Zealand, West Indies and Zimbabwe) into a non-consequential group of Scrawny-Seven if
not Subordinate-Seven or S-7. It is demeaning for them.

A BCCI official was candid enough to admit the B-3 plan was meant only to formalise dadagiri
(an Indian equivalent of bullying or throwing one's weight around) in cricket. In Pakistan, we
call it Qabza Group. The world is already familiar with India's power-wielding 'Qabza'
proclivities as witnessed in its continued military occupation of Kashmir in violation of the June
03, 1947 Partition Plan and UN Security Council resolutions. No wonder, a vast majority of
cricket fans all over the world were shocked at BCCI-led dadagiri in global cricket
management.

Despite global reaction, the B-3 bullies managed to bulldoze their devious plan at ICC Board's
meetings in Dubai and Singapore in a pre-choreographed setting. 'Carrot and stick' was used to
bring intense pressure upon the other seven boards, especially the vulnerable ones, forcing them
to submit to their power game. They threatened them of 'isolation' in world cricket if they did
not go along but promised them of 'benevolence' if they became obedient followers of their
planned architecture of global cricket hierarchy. New Zealand and Zimbabwe surrendered
immediately.

The real challenge for the boards of other five countries, Bangladesh, South Africa, West
Indies, Sri Lanka and Pakistan was to act fast and act jointly to preempt the controversial B-3
plan. They had the potential in terms of their numerical strength (population) and cricketing
credentials to counter the B-3 agenda and should have been coordinating among themselves as
well as with the Federation of International Cricketers' Association (FICA) whose chairman
Paul Marsh, the son of Australia's great Rodney Marsh, had publicly castigated the B-3 plan
which in his view will not serve the best interests of the global game.

Unfortunately, Pakistan Cricket Board's ongoing internal wrangling and poor leadership
inspired no confidence among the other four cricket boards which initially looked at Pakistan
for steering the second B-5 grouping but soon discovered the PCB was too enmeshed in an
internal crisis of its own to forge a credible alliance against the masterful gang of B-3. No
wonder, they could not align their future with a weak and unreliable partner and grudgingly
accepted the B-3 package. Typically representing our national scene, PCB was caught clueless
of the brewing B-3 conspiracy and now stands totally isolated.
Nevertheless, no one with genuine cricket conscience can accept the B-3 take-over that makes
the BCCI, Cricket Australia and the England and Wales Cricket Board virtually a privileged
oligarchy of world's cricket. There couldn't be greater tragedy for the game of cricket. Might
always considered wrong was never claimed so right. They seemed to have lost sense of time
altogether. This is the 21st century. The era of colonialism and apartheid is long gone. Other
than the notorious P-5, a post-World War Two anachronism in the UN system, there is no room
for any more vestiges of power.

But the money-conscious cricketing boards of world's three principal democracies seem to have
lost not only the sense of time but also of the fundamental values and norms including the
cardinal principle of sovereign equality on which is predicated the very moral edifice of today's
global order. Instead of seeking to create elitist centres of power and privilege, these boards
should have been promoting greater democracy, participation, transparency and accountability
in the work of the ICC. But they shamelessly signalled to everyone in cricket world: Ok guys,
enough with democracy. Forget about high ideals or moral codes. Power and money are the
new spirit of cricket.

Three former heads of the ICC found the B-3 plan totally unacceptable. "Giving into blackmail
never works," said one, "what will the next demand be? Another former ICC president
questioned the very integrity of the plan by exposing gross inaccuracies in its facts and figures
calling for an independent review of the document. Ironically, nowhere in the document was
there any serious attempt to grapple with the underlying problems of administrative
incompetence and venality within the ICC hierarchy. Whatever the pros and cons of the B-3
plan, its auspices were highly questionable if not malafide. They never engendered an
environment of trust or fair dealing.

The newly-appointed PCB chairman has all the abilities and skills needed to negotiate. One
hopes despite his known Indophile proclivities, he will not accept the B-3 fait accompli.
Pakistan is not a small country and has its own cricket stature. It just cannot be treated like this.
At stake are the fundamental principles and values. Any surrender in this case will not be
without negative impact on our principled stand on other larger issues.
At the UN, for nearly two decades, Pakistan has successfully steered an international campaign
against expansion in the permanent category of UN Security Council membership. We started
this campaign with a small group of six countries initially called the Coffee Club which today
has become a large group of 154 countries known as Uniting for Consensus as a bastion of
sovereign equality and democracy. No matter what, we also remain steadfast in our
commitment to the cardinal principle of self-determination.

Najam Sethi, this is the test of your grit. Play the game but not the losing one. In any case, your
cricket team is at its weakest level. Because of security situation at home, it is almost out of
international cricket. Instead of giving in to the B-3 blackmail for the sake of foreign cricket
tours, focus inwardly and consolidate your cricketing stature. You need to shed the dead wood
and chisel up a new talent pool altogether. More domestic cricket is what you need, not falling
in line with another India fait accompli.

The writer is a former foreign secretary

Shamshad Ahmad

Dr Mira Phailbus Sitara-e-Imtiaz Punjab

Ombudsperson Against Harassment of
Women at Workplace
Numerous working women in public and private sector are still oblivious of their due rights
War for Peace
Saturday, March 01, 2014
Jahangirs World Times (JWT): In the light of your invaluably long experience in the
field of education, what are the major flaws in our education system?

Mira Phailbus (MP): I think there are a number of flaws but the major drawback that has
thwarted our countrys development is the sheer lack of an effective teacher-training
mechanism. Though, we do have some training courses at certain levels, those cannot be
considered a true training mechanism. See, we have Pakistan Military Academy for the training
of army officers and the Civil Service Academy for that of the civil servants, but none proper
institution is there to impart training to the teachers. It is a harsh fact that in our country, if a
person fails his attempts to get a good job, he or she joins the teaching profession let alone the
aptitude for teaching or the required caliber and will to go for this noble profession.

JWT: You are also heading the institution Ombudsperson of Punjab Against
Harassment of Women at Workplace. What is the contribution of this institution to the
protection of working women in Punjab?

MP: The office of Ombudsperson of Punjab Against Harassment of Women at Workplace

was established to protect the rights of working women in the province. The Punjab provincial
Assembly passed Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act in 2010 and
some amendments were made to it in 2013. Since March 2013, this office is fully functional and
has emerged as a source of security as well as encouragement for working ladies. To guard our
women against all sorts of discrimination or maltreatment, initially, we have written letters to
all public and private sector organizations to get special committees established in order to deal
with the women-related issues. It is a relatively new office and people arent well aware of its
utilities and functions. We are putting in lot of efforts to create awareness among people
regarding this institution. I have personally visited almost the entire province to meet with the
civil society activists, officials of NGOs to make the services of ombudsman more and more
people-oriented. We also maintain our liaison with the DCOs of all the districts. Despite paucity
of funds, we have been involved in a mass awareness campaign for substantial improvement as
well as to highlight the provincial governments vision and initiative for creating a harassment-
free working environment for women.

JWT: Are you going to launch any specific awareness programmes in this regard?

MP: Yes, we are soon going to launch our new project namely Harassment Awareness
Volunteer Program (HAVP) in this regard. In fact, its a joint effort of Women Development
Department and the Ombudsperson Punjab to disseminate information and awareness among
the working women. Actually, working womens ignorance of their legal rights as well as social
taboos along with their lack of confidence in the system, prevent them from reporting any act of
harassment at the workplace. On the other hand, numerous working women in public and
private sector are still oblivious of their due rights. They dont even know what type of
behaviour at the workplace amounts to sexual harassment or what is the legal mechanism and
procedure to get justice from enquiry committees at department or at district or organization
level. Nor do they know about the office of the Ombudsperson.
Dr Mira Phailbus, an educationist par excellence, and a Pakistani known across the globe for
her services to the betterment of Pakistans educational sector, is a source of inspiration to the
millions of Pakistani women. For over forty years, she has served as the principal of Kinnaird
College for Women Lahore, where she kept the original ethos of the college at their peak.
Owing to the groundwork that she did, the college successfully made a transition to achieve a
university status. People who know Dr Phailbus see her as a steel magnolia.

Dr Phailbus has made a wide-ranging contribution to womens development and education in

Pakistan. In recognition of her services, the Government of Pakistan had conferred Sitara-e-
Imtiaz on her.

Dr Phailbus has also served as the Minister for Education and Minority Affairs in the caretaker
government of the Punjab.
She is the first, and incumbent, Ombudsperson for Protection against Harassment of Women,
Punjab.

JWT: What Pakistan must do to empower the women of the country?

MP: I think a number of steps by the Punjab government are a whiff of fresh air in this regard.
Establishment of the office of Ombudsperson Punjab is one instance and, you know, there is
always room for improvement but one thing that must be done at the earliest is to change the
collective conscience and thinking of Pakistans patriarchal society. This is inevitable and
through this effort only, we can empower our women and give them their due constitutional
rights. Only the making of law by the legislature and their implementation by the executive is
not sufficient. Unless society supports these efforts, and we change the mentality of people
through education by improving our curriculum and training of teachers, this cherished dream
shall remain elusive.
JWT: Recently, the cases of torture on maids, especially the girls, have soared quite
alarmingly. What the victims should do to get justice and ensuring that the culprits are
punished befittingly.

MP: I agree that the women workers, employed at homes or offices, are facing sexual
harassment. I also admit that cases of abuse of and torture on such women have soared. But,
regrettably, sexual harassment cases are least reported by the victims due to social taboos as
well as trust deficit. However, we have established provincial liaison offices at Sargodha,
Rawalpindi and Multan, besides Lahore central office. Such victims may contact any of these
offices to lodge complaints and get their grievances redressed. They can also send us their
complaints by post or through e-mail.

JWT: What are your future plans to make this institution more effective?

MP: I think it is my responsibility to provide protection to women workers as per the mandate
given to me by the Women Harassment Act-2012 which prescribes my role as semi-judicial.

We have complains regarding the exploitation of women in jails, especially that of the female
inmates who are subjected to mental torture and other kind of exploitation. I would, shortly,
visit all jails across the province to ascertain factual position and resolve problems faced by
women during imprisonment.
Waqas Iqbal
 The Greatest Threat to World Peace
The United States polls higher than Pakistan, Iran and China as a perceived menace to
peace.
War for Peace
Saturday, March 01, 2014

As the year 2013 drew to an end, the BBC reported on the results of the WIN/Gallup
International poll on the question: Which country do you think is the greatest threat to peace in
the world today?

The United States was the champion by a substantial margin, winning three times the votes of
second-place Pakistan.

By contrast, the debate in American scholarly and media circles is about whether Iran can be
contained, and whether the huge NSA surveillance system is needed to protect US security.

In view of the poll, it would seem that there are more pertinent questions: Can the United States
be contained and other nations secured in the face of the US threat?

In some parts of the world the United States ranks even higher as a perceived menace to world
peace, notably in the Middle East, where overwhelming majorities regard the US and its close
ally Israel as the major threats they face, not the US-Israeli favourite: Iran.
Few Latin Americans are likely to question the judgment of Cuban nationalist hero Jos Mart,
who wrote in 1894, The further they draw away from the United States, the freer and more
prosperous the [Latin] American people will be.

Marts judgement has been confirmed in recent years, once again by an analysis of poverty by
the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. The UN report shows that
far-reaching reforms have sharply reduced poverty in Brazil, Uruguay, Venezuela and some
other countries where US influence is slight, but that it remains abysmal in othersnamely,
those that have long been under U.S. domination, like Guatemala and Honduras. Even in
relatively wealthy Mexico, under the umbrella of the North American Free Trade Agreement,
poverty is severe, with 1 million added to the numbers of the poor in 2013.

Sometimes the reasons for the worlds concerns are obliquely recognized in the United States,
as when former CIA director Michael Hayden, discussing Obamas drone murder campaign,
conceded that Right now, there isnt a government on the planet that agrees with our legal
rationale for these operations, except for Afghanistan and maybe Israel.

A normal country would be concerned by how it is viewed in the world. Certainly that would be
true of a country committed to a decent respect to the opinions of mankind, to quote the
Founding Fathers. But the United States is far from a normal country. It has had the most
powerful economy in the world for a century, and has had no real challenge to its global
hegemony since World War II, despite some decline, partly self-administered.

The US, conscious of soft power, undertakes major campaigns of public diplomacy (aka
propaganda) to create a favourable image, sometimes accompanied by worthwhile policies that
are welcomed. But when the world persists in believing that the US is by far the greatest threat
to peace, the American press scarcely reports the fact.

The ability to ignore unwanted facts is one of the prerogatives of unchallenged power. Closely
related is the right to radically revise history.

A current example can be seen in the laments about the escalating Sunni-Shiite conflict that is
tearing apart the Middle East, particularly in Iraq and Syria. The prevailing theme of US
commentary is that this strife is a terrible consequence of the withdrawal of American force
from the regiona lesson in the dangers of isolationism.

The opposite is more nearly correct. The roots of the conflict in Middle East are many and
varied, but it cannot be seriously denied that the split was significantly exacerbated by the
American- and British-led invasion of Iraq. And it cannot be too often repeated that aggression
was defined at the Nuremberg Trials as the supreme international crime, differing from others
in that it encompasses all the evil that follows, including the current catastrophe.

A remarkable illustration of this rapid inversion of history is the American reaction to the
current atrocities in Fallujah. The dominant theme is the pain about the sacrifices, in vain, of the
American soldiers who fought and died to liberate Fallujah. A look at the news reports of the
US assaults on Fallujah in 2004 quickly reveals that these were among the most vicious and
disgraceful war crimes of the aggression.

The death of Nelson Mandela provides another occasion for reflection on the remarkable impact
of what has been called historical engineering: reshaping the facts of history to serve the
needs of power.

When Mandela at last obtained his freedom, he declared that During all my years in prison,
Cuba was an inspiration and Fidel Castro a tower of strength. [Cuban victories] destroyed
the myth of the invincibility of the white oppressor [and] inspired the fighting masses of South
Africa .a turning point for the liberation of our continentand of my peoplefrom the
scourge of apartheid. What other country can point to a record of greater selflessness than
Cuba has displayed in its relations to Africa?

Today the names of Cubans who died defending Angola from US-backed South African
aggression, defying American demands that they leave the country, are inscribed on the Wall
of Names in Pretorias Freedom Park. And the thousands of Cuban aid workers, who sustained
Angola, largely at Cuban expense, are also not forgotten.

The US-approved version is quite different. From the first days after South Africa agreed to
withdraw from illegally occupied Namibia in 1988, paving the way for the end of apartheid, the
outcome was hailed by the Wall Street Journal as a splendid achievement of American
diplomacy, one of the most significant foreign policy achievements of the Reagan
administration.
The reasons why Mandela and South Africans perceive a radically different picture are spelled
out in Piero Gleijeses' masterful scholarly inquiry Visions of Freedom: Havana, Washington,
Pretoria, and the Struggle for Southern Africa, 1976-1991.

As Gleijeses convincingly demonstrates, South Africa's aggression and terrorism in Angola and
its occupation of Namibia were ended by Cuban military might accompanied by fierce black
resistance within South Africa and the courage of Namibian guerrillas. The Namibian
liberation forces easily won fair elections as soon as these were possible. Similarly, in elections
in Angola, the Cuban-backed government prevailedwhile the United States continued to
support vicious opposition terrorists there even after South Africa was compelled to back away.

To the end, the Reaganites remained virtually alone in their strong support for the apartheid
regime and its murderous depredations in neighboring countries.

Though these shameful episodes may be wiped out of internal U.S. history, others are likely to
understand Mandela's words.

In these and all too many other cases, supreme power does provide protection against reality
to a point.

The Countdown Has Begun

Interests of all regional actors in Post-2014 Afghanistan
War for Peace
Saturday, March 01, 2014
Several factors have been taken into account by a number of renowned analysts and experts on
Afghan politics and they have predicted a number of scenarios but all this remains only
contemplations. However, the future developments in Afghanistan, as well as the region, are
significant from varied perspectives for regional and extra-regional actors. The three
dimensions: geostrategic, geo-economic and geopolitical, are important to neighbouring
stakeholders like China, Iran, Central Asian states, Pakistan and India whereas the US and
Russia appear as a constant reality in Afghan politics.

Russia has always considered the US as a part of the problem in Afghanistan rather than a
mitigator. Russian policymakers do not take only Afghanistan as a country in transition rather
they consider the entire South Asia and Central Asia in transition in post-drawdown era. For
Russia, there is a wider political landscape where the country needs to work on following
regional alignments or resettlements after the US withdrawal. Central Asian states also have
apprehensions as they believe that instable Afghanistan would mean regional instability. The
polarized Afghan society is being considered as a grave threat to the region as it may spur
further ethnic divisions in the region leading to socio-ethnic tensions in neighbouring countries,
particularly Central Asian states.

In a previous article, I have elaborated China's concerns and policy shifts vis--vis Afghanistan,
and how the country places itself in a changing regional scenario. Together with Russia,
particularly with reference to Shanghai Cooperation Organization, China would be extra-
cautious of any major shift in the region that may lead to political, socio-ethnic or economic
instability. As China expands and attempts to increase its influence in the region, it would
surely opt for a policy of alliances and collaboration to discourage forces of instability and
chaos.

If efforts towards collaborative arrangement are made, India would be the greatest beneficiary
after China. India is striving for a key position in the region after US withdrawal, putting
Pakistan's interests at stake.

For Iran, it will be highly important to balance its equation with the upcoming Afghan
government to avoid any fall-out given the foreign policy challenges before it, particularly with
reference to the US.

A high probability is of a balance of power game among all the actors. Russia,

So much has been speculated about the post-US-drawdown scenario in Afghanistan since
the Obama Administration announced the withdrawal of forces from Afghanistan in 2014.
The year began and how predictions, apprehensions, fears, concerns and expectations
about Afghanistan and the region beyond 2014 are galore. Precisely, every political forum
centres on Afghanistan these days while future scenario in the country is likely to be the
most challenging.

China and Central Asian states, to a greater extent, share common concerns regarding
Afghanistans future. The US is highly likely to keep its influence and deter other actors from
persuading their interests in the future setup. On the other hand, India is vying for a
collaborative arrangement where its own interests would be fulfilled. Pakistan is in a midst as
the country itself is faced with internal instability and requires a concrete future strategy to deal
with domestic and foreign policy challenges ahead.

In this complicated scenario, where regional and extra-regional actors are vying for greater
influence in Afghanistan and the region as well, four important factors are the most daunting
challenges for competing forces as well as Afghan government. Security, peace, socio-political
stability and reconciliation in Afghanistan and the region may sound routine issues but in post-
2014 Afghanistan, to achieve peace, socio-political stability, provision of security, and
reconciliation among different sectors state and non-state actors and strata would be a
formidable task for all stakeholders. All the four factors are intertwined as the society is
strangulated socially and economically. For the Afghan society, mindset plays a major role and
without reconciliation among different sections and actors, security, peace and socio-political
instability would remain a far cry.

Other states should collectively opt for measures to help new Afghan government in combating
the challenges and risks ahead. With their efforts towards balance of power, they may
effectively and efficiently deal with the challenges and mitigate the risks the future scenario is
about to unfold. Circumstances may turn critical as non-state actors would be far more active
than today; however, any socio-political or socioeconomic fall down in the country would be
perilous for the entire region.

It has been repeatedly learnt that the troop drawdown would not be a complete withdrawal of
the forces; there would be a gradual departure. The US presence, apparently, would not let any
major shift in regional politics to take place. Also, the US has yet to disclose its comprehensive
plan or strategy for the future of Afghanistan. All we know is that the US makes commitment to
remain engaged with Afghan government. However, things change and everyone can attest
to the fact that even a slightest shift in world politics sometimes may change the entire
geographical and political landscape. Afghanistan and the region would experience change;
however, it may be slow and subtle. South Asia may remain volatile in after US withdrawal.
Precisely, nothing like a big change is expected in Afghanistan but the challenges and risks
are numerous and these have a tendency to worsen the socio-political landscape in an already
fragile country. The major actors are required to collectively consider the options and work on
common grounds to assuage the forces of instability as the countdown begins

The writer is an Associate Editor, JISR-MSSE, at SZABIST, Karachi. e-mail: coldpath1@gmail.com

Nabiha Gul

THE GEOPOLITICS OF THE UKRAINE

CRISIS
Ukraine has recently experienced the most dramatic days in European history since the
fall of the communist regimes. After unprecedented violence in the streets of Kiev, the
situation is still uncertain. President Viktor Yanukovich has left behind him a power
vacuum that will potentially reshape the balance of power in the region between Russia
and the European Union.
War for Peace
Saturday, March 01, 2014
As governmental forces disappeared from the streets of Kiev, several key questions remain:
Who can claim legitimate authority? Is there a future for a united Ukraine? How will the current
evolution impact Russian and European presence and control over their shared neighbourhood?

The immediate political next steps have been swiftly and overwhelmingly agreed on by the
Parliament: A return to the 2004 Constitution that reaffirms the authority of the Parliament (the
Verkhovna Rada) over the president and new presidential elections in May. If this ensures a
return to a well-known institutional framework established 10 years ago, it doesn't ensure long-
term stability by any means.

None of the opposition parties can claim to legitimately represent the popular uprising by itself.
Fatherland, a coalition of parties behind former president Yulia Tymoshenko has traditionally
been at the forefront of the contestation to Yanukovich.

However, the party was rejected by the population during the 2010 elections and the return of
Tymoshenko - a polarising figure in Ukraine - on the forefront of the political stage comes with
its fair share of liabilities in the attempt to reunite the country. Fatherland is also flanked by
two other opposition parties who took a central part during the popular revolt on the Maidan:
Svoboda and the Democratic Alliance for Reform.

Svoboda, a nationalist party led by Oleh Tiahnybok, was at the frontline of the resistance to
Yanukovich's Special Forces (the Berkuts) during the last weeks of the contestation and its
momentum culminated when police forces from Lviv (the birthplace of Svoboda) joined the
movement. Similarly, former heavyweight boxing champion Vitali Klitschko, who heads the
Democratic Alliance for Reform, emerged as a key opposition leader and gained credibility
over the last weeks.

It remains unclear how each opposition force will manage to govern the country in coalition
until the next elections or with which legitimacy since more than a hundred parliamentary
members supporting Yanukovich did not take part in the most recent votes.

On the bright side, recent attempts by the recently deposed president to divide the opposition by
proposing governmental positions to Yatsenyuk and Klitschko were unsuccessful. This tends to
show the capacity and will of opposition leaders to work together during the conflict. Yet, now
that the conflict seems to have tipped in favour of the opposition, agreeing on a common
political platform including Svoboda will be another challenge.

From instability to Geopolitical Fractures

The political instability in Kiev is limited however in comparison with the ever-growing rift
between the Eastern and Western parts of Ukraine. The country is deeply divided between two
regions which have very few in common. One is resolutely turned towards the European Union
and advocates for a liberal market economy. Its majority Christian Catholic and well-educated
population speaks Ukrainian and has always supported opposition.

Ukraine is a central card in Putin's hand to revitalise the Russian strategy, hoping to
renew with its status of leading geopolitical power in Europe and Asia.

On the other side of the country, Crimea and the Eastern provinces still firmly back the former
president. The population there is, in majority, orthodox, speaks Russian and looks confidently
towards Moscow for the stability and economic security of the Ukraine.

The division of the country is nothing new. The Western part of Ukraine has long been under
Polish control while the Eastern part was governed by Russia. The very existence of Ukraine as
a unitary country has been contested throughout modern history, as shown by the treaty of Riga
in 1921 dismantling the country, and the emergence of a common Ukrainian identity only
gained momentum in the 19th century.

The result is that while half of the country cheered over the destitution of the president, the
other half still calls for a return of Yanukovich and protection from the Kremlin against fascist
forces.

This division also answers a wider geopolitical fracture between the European Union and
Russia. Ukraine is a central card in Putin's hand to revitalise the Russian strategy, hoping to
renew with its status of leading geopolitical power in Europe and Asia.

If Ukraine drifts towards Europe, the political project of Eurasian Union defended by Putin will
be strongly challenged. More importantly, Ukraine also controls most of the transit of Russian
gas towards the West and thus Putin's energy grasp over the European Union. Putin has suffered
a salient geopolitical defeat underestimating the European Union capacity to intervene.

Indeed, the current evolution in Ukraine has shown that the European Union could finally lead
an effective common foreign policy. After the stammering and hesitations and the incapacity to
agree on an ambitious European support to Ukraine, the visit to Kiev of the foreign ministers of
France, Germany and Poland has been essential in stopping the violence and in drafting a truth
agreement between both parties to the conflict. By agreeing on common sanctions towards
Ukrainian oligarchs, the EU isolated Yanukovich from its domestic support.

As a conclusion, if the future of Ukraine remains uncertain both in terms of the sustainability of
its political transition and its capacity to remain united, what this crisis has demonstrated is that
when united, the European Union is able to be an effective foreign policy actor and stand in
front of Russia.
 CHINAS DUAL RESPONSE TO
THE US PIVOT
Two years after the United States announced its rebalancing towards the Pacific, China
seems to have delineated a two-pronged strategy in response that became more apparent
recently.
War for Peace
Saturday, March 01, 2014

On the one hand, it has approached Southeast Asian and Central Asian states, proposing the
establishment of two Silk Roads through the signing of investment, infrastructure-building
and free-trade agreements. On the other, it has reinforced an assertive posture against the
Philippines and Japan, countries which are more aligned to a China containment strategy.

The Obama administration has announced, through high level official declarations, its
Strategic Pivot to Asia strategy which affirmed that the US would direct the center of its
foreign and security policies to the area around Asias Pacific coast, from the Indian
subcontinent to Northeast Asia.

This way, the diplomatic, military, and economic presence of the United States in the region
would be enhanced. This reorientation was adopted based on the assumption that Asias
economic growth, Chinas in particular, and the Chinese military modernization process make
the region critical for interests of the US, especially in the wake of US withdrawal from
Afghanistan.

This pivot to the Asia Pacific potentially has a dual character: it can be part of an engagement
strategy with the region and increase of its presence, as well as be part of a China containment
strategy. However, what has fundamentally been put into practice is a containment strategy,
exemplified by a more flexible and distributed military presence in the region, with the
allocation of troops to the Philippines, Australia, and Singapore.

A military strategy aimed at a future conflict with China has been adopted, which is anchored in
the Air-Sea Battle operational concept. In addition to that, negotiations have been stepped up on
the Trans-Pacific Partnership. This free-trade agreement that would exclude China was
proposed by the US during Bush regime, and it has clauses that include relaxation of labour
legislation and liberalization of services, and strong protection to intellectual property; it has
been negotiated by eleven countries on both sides of the Pacific.

In response to that, China seems to have adopted a dual approach as well: It demonstrates that it
will firmly respond to a containment strategy at the same time that it welcomes an engagement
strategy. China demonstrates the potential benefits of cooperation by proposing commercial
agreements and a Silk Road economic belt. But the establishment of an air defense
identification zone (ADIZ) overlapping its Japanese counterpart and the insignificant assistance
provided to Philippines after the devastation caused by Typhoon Haiyan, indicates that China
will not tolerate provocations in disputed territories.

The Dual Response: Military Deterrence and Two Silk Roads

The establishment of the ADIZ in the East China Sea is a response to the increasingly
aggressive posture of Japan, which welcomes the United States project of rebalancing towards
the Pacific in its most evident containment character: economically by adhering to the Trans-
Pacific Partnership, and militarily by being favorable to the Pentagons aggressive Air-Sea
Battle concept, besides by having significantly raised its defense budget.

The military exercises conducted by China and Malaysia may represent this same course of
action. It remains to be seen what Chinese reaction to the rapprochement between Japan and
India will be, relevant countries in terms of military capabilities and economic power.
As part of a broader diplomatic offensive, characterized by analysts as a charm offensive,
three high-level government trips were made by the China to several countries in Southeast and
Central Asia in September and October 2013. In Central Asia, President Xi Jinping visited
Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Kyrgyzstan. An important oil supply agreement
with Turkmenistan and a strategic partnership with Kyrgyzstan were then signed.

Afterwards, in October, almost simultaneous visits by Xi and Premier Li Keqiang were made to
Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Brunei. On that occasion, a US$25 billion agreement was
offered to Malaysia, as well as a treaty about the disputes in the South China Sea. Obamas
absence at the summits of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Asia-Pacific
Cooperation grouping due to domestic issues with the US Congress gives even more weight to
such facts.

In their Southeast and Central Asia tours, Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang proposed the
establishment of two new Silk Roads: one by land in Central Asia and a maritime one through
Southeast Asia. Such concepts echo the commercial routes by which spices and other goods
were commercialized in the Middle Ages. The land version connected the Chinese civilization
to the West through Central Asia, reaching its height during the Mongol Empire. The maritime
version had the Indic Ocean as its main section.

Chinas economic rise and the subsequent raise in its demand for energy and consumption of
goods revitalized (the need for) such routes. Though most of the Chinese energy supply is
transported by sea, this new Silk Road would encompass a series of energy and transportation
infrastructure projects which would connect East Asia to Europe by Eurasia. The maritime
route, announced in the East Asia Summit, would be materialized through the increase of
maritime flows and building of seaports in Southeast Asia.

Yet, it was actually the United States that has first proposed the construction of a new Silk
Road in Eurasia as a means to stabilize Afghanistan after its withdrawal of the country, by
transforming it into regional hub for commerce and energy. While there have been advances in
this sense, it is China who is leading the investments in infrastructure. In its speech in
Kazakhstan, Xi proposed the New Silk Road to be not only a transit route, but a Prosperity
Belt extending from the Pacific Ocean to the Baltic Sea.

At Balis APEC summit, Xi has also defended that any arrangement should lead to a
cooperative relationship, not a confrontational one; an open mindset, not an exclusive one; win-
win results, not a zero-sum outcome; and integration, not fragmentation, in a clear reference to
the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Although the negotiations have recently progressed, some issues,
such as restrictions to the action of state-owned enterprises, have met resistance from Malaysia,
Vietnam, and Brunei.

On the same occasion, the Chinese president established the goal of elevating bilateral
commerce between China and ASEAN to $1 trillion until 2020. In Brunei, at the China-ASEAN
summit, Li reaffirmed the intention of establishing a free-trade area - known as the Regional
Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) - between ASEAN and the five countries with
which the regional organization at present maintains free-trade agreements (China, Japan, South
Korea, Australia, and New Zealand).

Both leaders highlighted the current Chinese role in the foreign trade of every country visited
by them, and they established ambitious foreign trade and infrastructure building aims,
demonstrating Chinas importance to any economic project in the region.

China initiated this reconciliation with ASEAN in June 2013, when it signed a 10-point
cooperation program with Vietnam which covered issues from security cooperation agreements
to joint gas prospecting in the Gulf of Tonkin. Although the disputes between these two
countries in that area were resolved in 2005, such an agreement may serve as a basis for solving
the Spratlys and Paracel territorial disputes.

This acquires notable relevance due to the fact that Vietnam was, along with the Philippines,
one of the leaders of the opposition to China within ASEAN, whose multilateral forums were
used to tackle Chinese claims in the South China Sea. By demonstrating the advantages of
major ties with China, ASEAN countries as a whole have become more cohesive and
predisposed to improve relations with China, thereby isolating the Philippines in its systematic
opposition to its largest neighbor.

The March to the West

Chinas increasing attention to Central Asia, South Asia and the Middle East has been identified
with a strategy of March to the West, as proposed by the Dean of the School of International
Studies at Peking University, Wang Jisi. Its central idea is to project China diplomatically and
economically in areas where the country has common interests with the United States, such as
Afghan stabilization and securing oil supply flows. Its aims are the diversification of energy
supply lines, the stabilization of its western border region, and the demonstration of the
cooperation potential with the United States.
Other indicators of this march are the construction of transportation and energy infrastructure in
Central Asia; the increasing Chinese investments in Afghanistan; the visit of a PCC Politburo
Standing Committee member to Afghanistan; the Chinese-promoted China-Pakistan-
Afghanistan trilateral consultations; the rapprochement with Pakistan; and the Turkish decision
to acquire the Chinese HQ-9 air-defense system.

Although most of the initiatives dont collide directly with US interests, frequently even
accommodating them, some movements can be interpreted as expansionist. The sale of the air-
defense systems to Turkey and the US protests regarding the Turkish decision illustrate this
point.

The growing Chinese presence in this region, associated with the challenges the United States
faces in the Middle East, also demonstrates the necessity for the US to remain attached to the
region as part of its strategy towards China.

The argument that the difficulties in the Middle East would make pivoting to Asia impossible
seems to be fading. Despite Obamas absence from the Asian summits and the Chinese
diplomatic and economic offensives, the US defense budget and doctrine documents are still
directed towards the development of Air-Sea Battle capabilities, the military branch of the US
pivot to Asia.

While the containment of China is the center of the current strategy of rebalancing to the
Pacific, the dual character of the Chinese response seems to leave the door open for more
cooperative relations in the region as well as with the US. On the other side, actions such as the
establishment of the ADIZ may be perceived in the United States as an indicative of a more
aggressive and assertive China when it comes to the defense of its interests.

In the epilogue of On China, Henry Kissinger delineated the vision of a different perspective on
the United States rebalance to Asia. He proposed the building of a Pacific Community, a sort
of multilateral environment in which the United States, China and the rest of the Asian-Pacific
countries could develop strategic trust instead of elevating tensions and increasing competition.
That is an engagement-biased view on the pivot to the Pacific, as opposed to the containment
option currently being put into practice.

The dual character of the US pivot, as well as Chinas dual response, express the programmatic
and ideological division of both countries strategic planners and correspond to the dilemma that
China and the US face right now: accepting the possibility of mutual engagement and
cooperation or freezing their relations and turning foreign policy into a zero-sum game, possibly
leading to a conflict.

Courtesy: Asia Times Online.

 The Imperial Presidency of BARACK
OBAMA
Of all the troubling aspects of the Obama presidency, none is more dangerous than the
president's persistent pattern of lawlessness, his willingness to disregard the written law
and instead enforce his own policies via executive fiat.
War for Peace
Saturday, March 01, 2014

Mr Obama recently acted unilaterally to raise the minimum wage paid by federal contracts. The
president's taste for unilateral action to circumvent Congress should concern every citizen,
regardless of party or ideology. The great 18th-century political philosopher Montesquieu
observed:

There can be no liberty where the legislative and executive powers are united in the same
person, or body of magistrates.

America's Founding Fathers took this warning to heart, and the Americans should too.

Rule of law doesn't simply mean that society has laws; dictatorships are often characterized by
an abundance of laws. Rather, rule of law means that the Americans are a nation ruled by laws,
not men. That no oneand especially not the presidentis above the law. For that reason, the
US Constitution imposes on every president the express duty to take care that the laws be
faithfully executed.
President Obama has openly defied this by repeatedly suspending, delaying and waiving
portions of the laws he is charged to enforce.

When Mr Obama disagreed with federal immigration laws, he instructed the Justice Department
to cease enforcing the laws. He did the same thing with federal welfare law, drug laws and the
federal Defense of Marriage Act.

On many of those policy issues, reasonable minds can disagree. Mr Obama may be right that
some of those laws should be changed. But the typical way to voice that policy disagreement,
for the preceding 43 presidents, has been to work with Congress to change the law. If the
president cannot persuade Congress, then the next step is to take the case to the American
people. As President Reagan put it:

If you can't make them see the light, make them feel the heat.

President Obama has a different approach. As he said recently, describing his executive powers:
I've got a pen, and I've got a phone. Under the Constitution, that is not the way federal law is
supposed to work. The Obama administration has been so brazen in its attempts to expand
federal power that the Supreme

Court has unanimously rejected the Justice Department's efforts to expand federal power nine
times since January 2012.

There is no example of lawlessness more egregious than the enforcementor non-

enforcementof the president's signature policy, the Affordable Care Act. Mr Obama has
repeatedly declared that it's the law of the land. Yet he has repeatedly violated ObamaCare's
statutory text.

The law says that businesses with 50 or more full-time employees would face the employer
mandate on January 1, 2014. President Obama changed that, granting a one-year waiver to
employers. How did he do so? Not by going to Congress to change the text of the law, but
through a blog post by an assistant secretary at Treasury announcing the change.

The law says that only Americans who have access to state-run exchanges will be subject to
employer penalties and may obtain ObamaCare premium subsidies.

This was done to entice the states to create exchanges. But, when 34 states decided not to
establish state-run exchanges, the Obama administration announced that the statutory words
established by State would also mean established by the federal government.

The law says that members of Congress and their staffs' health coverage must be an ObamaCare
exchange plan, which would prevent them from receiving their current federal-employee health
subsidies. At the behest of Senate Democrats, the Obama administration instead granted a
special exemption (deeming individual plans to be group plans) to members of Congress
and their staffs so they could keep their pre-existing health subsidies.

Most strikingly, when over five million Americans found their health insurance plans cancelled
because ObamaCare made their plans illegaldespite the president's promise if you like your
plan, you can keep itPresident Obama simply held a news conference where he told private
insurance companies to disobey the law and issue plans that ObamaCare regulated out of
existence.

In other words, rather than go to Congress and try to provide relief to the millions who are
hurting because of the train wreck of ObamaCare, the president instructed private companies
to violate the law and said he would in effect give them a get-out-of-jail-free cardfor one
year, and one year only.

In the more than two centuries of America is history, there is simply no precedent for the White
House wantonly ignoring federal law and asking private companies to do the same.

Eleven state attorneys general recently wrote a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary
Kathleen Sebelius saying that the continuing changes to ObamaCare are flatly illegal under
federal constitutional and statutory law. The attorneys general correctly observed that the only
way to fix this problem-ridden law is to enact changes lawfully: through Congressional action.

Many in Congressand the presshave chosen to give President Obama a pass on his pattern
of lawlessness, perhaps letting partisan loyalty to the man supersede their fidelity to the law.

Is the Obama presidency failing? In a word, 'yes'. And if, as Luce claims, Obama is relegated
to permanent lame duck status, so be it. That may give the country an outside chance to
survive this administration.

In all of this one is reminded of the wisdom of Bibles Book of Proverbs, which warns that
pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. The president has been shown to
be a man out of his depth time and again. But here's the problem: Mr Obama's failures have
inflicted great and durable harm on the United States. This may be worth keeping in mind the
next time an eloquent community organizer decides he's ready to be commander in chief.

STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS

The following are highlights from U.S. President Barack Obama's State of the Union address in
Washington on Tuesday.

JOBS AND THE ECONOMY

Obama would create a starter retirement savings account available through employers for
workers who can afford to save only small amounts at a time.
He also wants to drop retirement tax breaks that apply to wealthy Americans.

Obama would raise the minimum wage for workers holding federal contract jobs to $10.10. The
current federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour.

Obama will start four more manufacturing innovation institutes this year and wants Congress to
create up to 45 more.

He also will pursue a trans-Pacific partnership and an agreement with the EU to boost US
exports.

Obama urged Congress to pass an extension of emergency unemployment insurance.

He also called for bringing outsourced work back to the United States and advocated
discrimination protection for women and gays at the workplace.

EDUCATION
Obama said a further 15,000 schools and 20 million students from kindergarten through 12th
grade would have access to high-speed internet service in the next two years.

Apple, Microsoft, Sprint and Verizon will be part of the education-tech push and more
partnerships will be announced soon.

CLIMATE AND ENERGY

Obama proposed incentives for medium- and heavy-duty trucks that run on alternative fuels and
he will continue his broader campaign to move America toward clean energy sources. He also
called for safe natural gas production.

IMMIGRATION
Obama renewed his call for securing US borders, cracking down on those who hire illegal
immigrants and offering a path to citizenship, saying such reforms would create thousands of
jobs and boost the economy by $1 trillion over two decades.
GUANTANAMO AND FOREIGN POLICY
Obama said the US prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, should be closed this year. He did not
mention plans for troop levels in Afghanistan, but said America must move off permanent war
footing. He stood by an international interim agreement to get Iran to curb its nuclear
programme.

DOMESTIC POLICY
He would continue working for voters' rights and against gun violence. Obama renewed his call
to wind down mortgage-finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

War Drums in Asia Back to the European

Future?
This year marks the centenary of the First World War in Europe and has prompted comparisons
with rising tensions between China and Japan, and the United States and China.

War for Peace

Saturday, March 01, 2014
A small or accidental clash combined with alliance commitments could cause a wider war.
China's fast-growing economy, increased military spending, growing influence and demands for
resources have unnerved established powers and their close allies. China and Japan have strong
trade ties, but the Japanese prime minister has pointed out that strong economic links between
Germany and Britain did not prevent war in 1914. The two nations also quarrel over small
islands. Patrols and small clashes between the Japanese and Chinese could lead to larger
conflict that could force Asian nations to take sides.

Historical analogies often take the place of analysis even more so when the implications of
analogy are too horrendous to be spelled out. As we prepare to mark the centenary of the
outbreak of First World War, ominous parallels are being drawn between rising tension between
Japan and China and that between Germany and Britain before the outbreak of the World War.
Such comparisons are relevant. China and the United States and its ally, Japan, today may not
be the mirror image of European powers which came to blows, but the cascading alliances that
led to the conflagration in 1914 still hold lessons for today. The parallel to 1914 grabbed
international headlines when, during a meeting in Davos Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo
Abe said the situation between China and Japan was similar to that between Germany and
Britain a century ago. By evoking 1914, the prime minister knew the image he conjured.

The reaction to Abe's comments suggests that drawing analogies between 2014 and 1914 may
not only be potentially misleading, it can also add to the tension: China responded by accusing
Japan of being a troublemaker the role many have ascribed to Germany in the run-up to
the First World War.

If those 1914 comparisons are to hold true, then China would be seen as playing the role of
Germany, the rising power, challenging the established power, the United States, in the role
Britain played a century ago. This is often called the Thucydides Trap, named for the Ancient
Greek historian of the Peloponnesian War, during which Sparta had confronted the rising power
of Athens.

Washington and Beijing are clearly wary of each other, yet it's also clear both want to avoid
conflict. While Chinese economy will continue growing faster and top US GDP in the next
decade or so, the two countries are economically and financially interdependent. China is also
modernizing its military and developing its navy and air force, so it can secure the sea lanes it
now depends on to import the energy and raw materials on which its economy depends, and this
challenges the US dominance of the seas in Asia maintained since the Second World War.
The Obama administration has pursued its rebalance or pivot to Asia for the past three
years. This has involved focusing military as well as economic attention on the region and has
raised suspicions in China where many see it as a Cold Warstyle containment policy.
American officials insist the pivot is not containment and avoid any appearances of the US
calling the Chinese out; instead US officials are urging Beijing to be more transparent about its
military capabilities and to develop crisis management mechanisms so accidental conflict can
be avoided.

For its part, President Xi Jinping's government is calling for a new type of great power relations
with the US, and Beijing seems to want to improve relations with Washington.

Yet tension in East Asia is rising especially between China and Japan. Unlike relations
between Germany and Britain a hundred years ago, the present-day tension between China and
Japan has its roots in past conflicts between the two countries.

Many Chinese do not think the Japanese leadership has fully accepted the country's
responsibility for the invasion of China in the 1930s and 1940s. China and Japan also have a
long-running territorial dispute over control of the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands in the East China
Sea arising out of the first Sino-Japanese war of the modern era in the 1890s. After the Second
World War, unlike other territories conquered by the Japanese, they were not returned to China,
but instead occupied by the Americans. In the early 1970s, China was ruled by the Communist
Party and Japan was a US ally, so Washington returned the islands to Japanese control.

Growing more powerful in recent years, China has increased pressure on Japan to acknowledge
there is a dispute over the islands. China now regularly sends ships and planes to patrol near the
islands, and the likelihood of an accidental clash is increasing. So even if comparisons with
1914 are off the mark, conflict between China and Japan could still be a possibility.
Abe is a nationalist who would like Japan to move on from the pacifism imposed on it by the
US after 1945. He wants to change Japan's defence posture, so the armed forces take a more
assertive role and he justifies this by pointing at China's growing military capabilities and
doubts over Beijing's intentions.

In Beijing, Xi is focused on reforming the economy and cleaning up the corruption that's
undermining the Communist Party's legitimacy, which would suggest he does not want a war.
But for his reforms to succeed, maintaining tension with Tokyo and a sense of threat from
abroad is useful as it encourages loyalty to the centre. Xi will also need support of the military
and security apparatus for his reforms as he takes on vested interests in the party leadership,
provincial governments and large state enterprises, and this makes compromise with Japan
more difficult. Chinese public opinion is also hostile to Japan, evident in opinion polls, social
media and the ease with which anti-Japanese boycotts occur.

So, domestic politics as well as geopolitics are driving both China and Japan to be more
assertive, and this worries Washington. When Abe visited the controversial Yasukuni shrine for
Japanese war dead at the end of December, it not only stoked tension with China and South
Korea which issued strong protests, the United States publicly stated it was disappointed.

In his comments at Davos, Abe, presumably thinking of the strong trade links between his
country and China, said the economic links between Germany and Britain did not prevent war
in 1914. Some listening to the Japanese prime minister came away with the impression he
thinks pecuniary interests may not be strong enough to deter a military clash.

If a conflict between Beijing and Tokyo were to break out, the US could not bank on its other
ally in the region, Seoul, given the tense relations between South Korea and Japan which have
their own territorial and historical disputes. So Washington would choose between honouring
its defence treaty with Japan and avoiding direct conflict with China. As Washington would
stand to lose the trust of many allies in the region and is not noted for eating humble pie, the
odds would suggest support for Japan. So if there is any parallel with 1914, it could turn out to
be in how cascading alliance commitments can cause a wider war.
 Working for the Few Political capture and
economic inequality !
In November 2013, the World Economic Forum released its 'Outlook on the Global
Agenda 2014', in which it ranked widening income disparities as the second greatest
worldwide risk in the coming 12 to 18 months.
War for Peace
Saturday, March 01, 2014

Based on those surveyed, inequality is 'impacting social stability within countries and
threatening security on a global scale.' Oxfam shared its analysis with an aim that the 2014
World Economic Forum may make the commitments needed to counter the growing tide of
inequality.

Some economic inequality is essential to drive growth and progress, rewarding those with
talent, hard earned skills, and the ambition to innovate and take entrepreneurial risks. However,
the extreme levels of wealth concentration occurring today threaten to exclude hundreds of
millions of people from realizing the benefits of their talents and hard work.

Extreme economic inequality is damaging and worrying for many reasons: it is morally
questionable; it can have negative impacts on economic growth and poverty reduction; and it
can multiply social problems. It compounds other inequalities, such as those between women
and men. In many countries, extreme economic inequality is worrying because of the pernicious
impact that wealth concentrations can have on equal political representation. When wealth
captures government policymaking, the rules bend to favor the rich, often to the detriment of
everyone else. The consequences include the erosion of democratic governance, the pulling
apart of social cohesion, and the vanishing of equal opportunities for all. Unless bold political
solutions are instituted to curb the influence of wealth on politics, governments will work for
the interests of the rich, while economic and political inequalities continue to rise. As US
Supreme Court Justice
Louis Brandeis famously said, We may have democracy, or we may have wealth concentrated
in the hands of the few, but we cannot have both.
Oxfam is concerned that, left unchecked, the effects are potentially immutable, and will lead to
opportunity capture in which the lowest tax rates, the best education, and the best healthcare
are claimed by the children of the rich. This creates dynamic and mutually reinforcing cycles of
advantage that are transmitted across generations.

Given the scale of rising wealth concentrations, opportunity capture and unequal political
representation are a serious and worrying trend. For instance:

Almost half of the worlds wealth is now owned by just one percent of the population.2

The wealth of the one percent richest people in the world amounts to $110 trillion. Thats 65
times the total wealth of the bottom half of the worlds population.3

The bottom half of the worlds population owns the same as the richest 85 people in the
world.4

Seven out of ten people live in countries where economic inequality has increased in the last
30 years.5

The richest one percent increased their share of income in 24 out of 26 countries for which we
have data between 1980 and 2012.6

In the US, the wealthiest one percent captured 95 percent of post-financial crisis growth since
2009, while the bottom 90 percent became poorer.7
This massive concentration of economic resources in the hands of fewer people presents a
significant threat to inclusive political and economic systems. Instead of moving forward
together, people are increasingly separated by economic and political power, inevitably
heightening social tensions and increasing the risk of societal breakdown.

Oxfams polling from across the world captures the belief of many that laws and regulations are
now designed to benefit the rich. A survey in six countries (Spain, Brazil, India, South Africa,
the UK and the US) showed that a majority of people believe that laws are skewed in favor of
the rich in Spain eight out of 10 people agreed with this statement. Another recent Oxfam poll
of low-wage earners in the US reveals that 65 percent believe that Congress passes laws that
predominantly benefit the wealthy.
The impact of political capture is striking. Rich and poor countries alike are affected. Financial
deregulation, skewed tax systems and rules facilitating evasion, austerity economics, policies
that disproportionately harm women, and captured oil and mineral revenues are all examples
given in this paper. The short cases included are each intended to offer a sense of how political
capture produces ill-gotten wealth, which perpetuates economic inequality.

This dangerous trend can be reversed. The good news is that there are clear examples of
success, both historical and current. The US and Europe in the three decades after World War II
reduced inequality while growing prosperous. Latin America has significantly reduced
inequality in the last decade through more progressive taxation, public services, social
protection and decent work. Central to this progress has been popular politics that represent the
majority, instead of being captured by a tiny minority. This has benefited all, both rich and
poor.

RECOMMENDATIONS
Those gathered at Davos for the World Economic Forum have the power to turn around the
rapid increase in inequality. Oxfam is calling on them to pledge that they will:

Not dodge taxes in their own countries or in countries where they invest and operate, by using tax
havens;

Not use their economic wealth to seek political favors that undermine the democratic will of their fellow
citizens;

Make public all the investments in companies and trusts for which they are the ultimate beneficial
owners;

 Support progressive taxation on wealth and income;

Challenge governments to use their tax revenue to provide universal healthcare, education and
social protection for citizens;

Demand a living wage in all the companies they own or control;

Challenge other economic elites to join them in these pledges.

Oxfam has recommended policies in multiple contexts to strengthen the political representation
of the poor and middle classes to achieve greater equity. These policies include:

A global goal to end extreme economic inequality in every country. This should be a major
element of the post-2015 framework, including consistent monitoring in every country of the
share of wealth going to the richest one percent.

Stronger regulation of markets to promote sustainable and equitable growth; and

Curbing the power of the rich to influence political processes and policies that best suit their
interests.

The particular combination of policies required to reverse rising economic inequalities should
be tailored to each national context. But developing and developed countries that have
successfully reduced economic inequality provide some suggested starting points, notably:

Cracking down on financial secrecy and tax dodging;

Redistributive transfers; and strengthening of social protection schemes;

Investment in universal access to healthcare and education;

Progressive taxation;

Strengthening wage floors and worker rights;

Removing the barriers to equal rights and opportunities for women.

 Child Prodigy Rai Haris Manzoor
Rai Haris Manzoor, a wonderkid from Rawalpindi, has created history with a world
record in O-Level exam. At the age of only 9 years, he has passed the prestigious, world-
class O-Level exam from the University of Cambridge, UK. The whole Pakistani nation is,
undoubtedly, proud of him. Haris went on to make history with utmost care and attention
by his parents. They truly deserve accolades for their son's remarkable achievement.
War for Peace
Saturday, March 01, 2014

Jahangir's World Times (JWT): Please tell us about your early education.
Rai Haris Manzoor (RHM): Well, I did not go to any institution for my pre-schooling and
early classes rather may parents taught me at home. Though, I joined a private school at
Rawalpindi, wherefrom I passed four classes in September, 2012, I had to leave this school
because my family shifted to Lahore.

JWT: How did you achieve this incredible feat?

RHM: Actually, my parents had made a lot of efforts to instil in me the qualities which enabled
me to achieve this honour. They taught me at home from my pre-schooling through early
classes, and even afterwards when we shifted to Lahore.
JWT: Wasn't it difficult for you to get through at the age of nine years only?
RHM: Not at all. Actually, I have the unique distinction of completing seven classes i.e. from
class 5th to O-Level final in just 15 months. On average, I passed one class in 65 days only. So,
it was not difficult in spite of the fact that the normal age for passing the O Levels is 17 or 18
years. I did it at the age of only 9 years. My twin brother Shoaib is still studying in class three.

JWT: What were your subjects in O-Level exam?

RHM: I have passed O-Level exam with science subjects i.e. Physics, Chemistry, Biology and
Mathematics.

JWT: What are your hobbies?

RHM: It might be surprising for many but it's a fact that I am fond of eating. Pizza, French
fries, biryani and crispy burgers are among my favourites. You can assess my fondness for food
from the fact that my weight is 46 kilograms while that of my brother Shoaib is nearly half to
me i.e. 23 kgs.

JWT: What are your fave pastimes?

RHM: Playing cricket, shooting, and playing Piano are my favourite pastimes. I love to play
with toys as well.

JWT: What is your fave TV programme?

RHM:Tom and Jerry Show is my favourite programme. They are my favourite cartoons
characters.

JWT: Who are your fave actors and sportsmen?

RHM: Momo (Hina Dilpazeer) and Faisal Qureshi are my favourite actors whereas among
sportsmen I like Shahid Afridi the most.
JWT: Share with us any interesting incident of your life.
RHM: During my exams, I faced only one problem. I was unable to bolt the washroom from
inside due to my short height. So, every time, I was to answer the call of nature, I requested the
invigilators to guard the door from outside.

JWT: What are your future aspirations?

RHM: I want to become a barrister from London. I am sure that it will take me only just four
years, Insha Allah! I aspire to be a barrister at the age of less than 14 years. I want to become a
world-class Islamic Scholar.

Criminal Law & The Eighteenth

Amendment
The general perception is that the 18th Amendment is watershed legislation as far as
inter-provincial issues are concerned, as the Concurrent List, which appeared on the
Fourth Schedule of the Constitution, was abolished.
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Saturday, March 01, 2014

INTRODUCTION
A lot have been written on the implications of the Eighteenth Amendment to the constitution of
Pakistan, incorporated through the Constitution (Eighteenth Amendment) Act, 2010; however,
an in-depth analysis of the impact of this Amendment on the criminal law in Pakistan is yet to
be undertaken. The instant piece is an attempt to conceptually touch upon the issues involved in
the enterprise of examining the criminal law qua the Eighteenth Amendment in Pakistan.

New Criminal Concurrent Field

The general perception is that the 18th Amendment is watershed legislation as far as inter-
provincial issues are concerned, as the Concurrent List, which appeared on the Fourth Schedule
of the Constitution, was abolished. The core of abolishing the Concurrent List lied in narrowing
the legislative competence of the federal legislature and hence expanding the space for
provincial legislatures, which could, in application, culminate into provincial autonomy. The
general perception, however, did not address the nuanced point introduced by Article 142(b) of
the 18th Amendment. The modified Article 142(b) reads:

Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) and a Provincial Assembly shall have power to make laws with
respect to criminal law, criminal procedure and evidence.

When read with Article 143, it holds that in case of non-conformity between the provincial and
federal legislations, the latter shall prevail. The combined legal effect of the two Articles is that
a new Criminal Concurrent Field has been established as far as criminal law, criminal
procedure and evidence are concerned. The newly-created Criminal Concurrent Field, when
analyzed in the legal hierarchy of rules, is found more deeply pegged into constitutional legality
as compared to the erstwhile Concurrent List, which derived its legality as part of the Fourth
Schedule and not as a substantive constitutional provision. Its also worth mentioning that in the
pre-Eighteenth Amendment scenario, the criminal law, criminal procedure and evidence were
reflected as items 1, 2 and 4 on the Concurrent List respectively.

What Constitutes the Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure and Evidence?

The brevity of modified post-Eighteenth Amendment Article 142(b) has infused more
ambiguity to the already confused terms i.e. criminal law, criminal procedure and evidence.
An illustration in point is the recent debate in the Punjab over the meaning of criminal law as
a legislative subject matter. The issue became a moot point when the present Government of the
Punjab tried to introduce a package of amendments to the Police Order 2002. The initiative met
some resistance in the Punjab Police. Police officers contested the legality of the proposed
amendments on the grounds of modified Article 142(b) (as introduced by the 18th Amendment)
and Article 143 of the Constitution of Pakistan. Taking note of the differing points of view
between the Home Department and Police officers, the Government of the Punjab opted to
solicit legal opinion from the Office of the Advocate General of the Punjab. The Advocate
General got the matter researched through its Research Cell whose opinion is available at
(http://advocategeneral.pitb.gov.pk/research_cell). The crux of this opinion was that police
law was not a criminal law, and therefore, Articles 142(b) and 143 of the Constitution of
Pakistan were not attracted to legislation on police. The opinion stated that the Provincial
Legislature was fully competent to legislate on the subject of Police.

Based on the opinion, the provincial legislature, in July 2013, initially through the Punjab
Police Order (Amendment) Ordinance, 2013 got the amendments made to the Police Order
2002. Subsequently, the Ordinance was placed before the Punjab Assembly which passed the
law as an Act of the Assembly and the amendments were enacted through the Punjab Police
Order (Amendment) Act, 2013 on September 11 2013.

The point was settled administratively, but its generally believed that the term criminal law as
a subject matter for legislative competence is as ambiguous today as it was prior to the opinion
of the AG Punjab. Chapters XVI and XVII (from Articles 139 to 159) of the Police Order 2002
outline offences and punishments; such legal provisions squarely fall in the domain of criminal
law. Likewise, Article 18 of the Police Order 2002 that deals with the procedure for change of
investigation is surely part and parcel of the criminal procedure. Based on the foregoing, the
constitutional question that begs serious consideration is what can be categorized as criminal
law, criminal procedure and evidence for the sake of determining the subject matter for
legislative competence as envisioned under Article 142(b) of the Constitution of Pakistan, 1973.

Impact on Other Criminal Legislation

The Protection of Pakistan Ordinance 2013, the Investigation for Fair Trial Act 2012 and many
other pieces of legislation have elements of criminal law, criminal procedure and evidence;
the question in the post-Eighteenth Amendment scenario, then is, that what is the legislative
competence of Federal Legislature in enacting the aforementioned laws.

Tests for Categorization of Subject Matter

The chief constitutional test for determining the categorization of subject matter for legislative
competence is the textual basis of the Constitution itself. However, given the level of ambiguity
as far as what constitutes criminal law, criminal procedure and evidence, the inevitable resort
to case-law becomes the default position. In this context, the case-law is ripe. Mr. A. K. Brohi,
in his magnum opus, the Fundamental Law of Pakistan has referred to at some constitutional
tests enunciated by the courts; brief rsum of each will provide a conceptual platform for
further deliberation:
1. The Pith and Substance Doctrine
The opinion of the Advocate General Punjab, in case of amendments to the Police Order 2002,
was based on the doctrine of pith and substance based on the authority of Progress of
Pakistan Co. Ltd v. Registrar Joint Stock Companies Karachi and Islamic Republic of Pakistan
(1958 PLD 887 SC) which held:

It is beyond question that when an enactment apparently relates to subjects which are within
the competence of two Legislatures, then, in order to determine the question of the validity of
the legislation, it is the pith and substance of the impugned legislation that is to be looked to. It
is clear too that in order to determine the pith and substance, we first consider the whole scheme
of the distribution of powers as between the Centre and the Provinces, and we then look to the
object of the legislation as well as its effect.

The judgement of the Supreme Court of Pakistan about the pith and substance of a piece of
legislation is holding the field and many other judgements of superior courts in Pakistan are
modelled on it.

2. The Doctrine of Incidental Trespass

The doctrine is not in vogue in Pakistan and is a jurisprudential idea for the courts here. The
concept is based on Small v. Smith that was decided in the UK in 1884. The doctrine
encourages liberal interpretation of constitutional instruments and assumes existence of some
powers that may not be present in a legal instrument, but maybe deemed to be there for making
the legislation functional.

3. The Doctrine of Occupied Field

The doctrine is more relevant to Article 143 of the Constitution of Pakistan as compared to
Article 142(b). The doctrine is based on the idea of dominant legislature in case of non-
conforming legal provisions of two competing legislations. In case of Pakistan, the Federal
Legislature has been expressly declared dominant in case of non-conformity and its legal
provisions hold the field when there is some incongruence.

Concluding Remarks
Perceptibly, the impact of the Eighteenth Amendment on criminal law, criminal procedure and
evidence will be far-reaching. All aspects of criminal justice system and of evidentiary rules
starting from DNA testing to cyber law may ultimately be hit by Article 142(b) of the
Constitution, warranting a different scheme of legislation. Given the jurisprudence of courts in
Pakistan, the venues of forum shopping and negotiations in criminal legislation may populate
resulting in feeble law enforcement and prosecution.

Kamran Adil
 Taliban & US-Pak Strategic Dialogue
We recognize that Pakistan is a vital partner in supporting a secure Afghanistan, and we
know how closely Pakistan's own security is linked to Afghanistan's success. That's why
addressing the threats posed to both Pakistan and Afghanistan by cross-border militancy
is a key aspect of our conversations this week. (John Kerrys remarks at the US-Pakistan
Strategic Dialogue: January 27, 2014)
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Saturday, March 01, 2014

After a hiatus of three years marked by irritants and breakdowns, Pakistan and the US embarked
on a strategic dialogue. Pakistani delegate was headed Prime Ministers Adviser on National
Security, Sartaj Aziz. The talks took up where they left off because although the interaction
began in 2010, it was interrupted again and again by crises in relations between the two sides,
including the 2011 US raid that killed Osama bin Laden.

The Strategic Priorities

A retrospective look at the events reveals that both the countries decided to resume this dialogue
process during Mr Sharifs recent visit to the US. They decided to revive five groups of which
antiterrorism and non-proliferation are of higher importance.
The strategic priorities for the five working groups include:
(1) Law Enforcement and Counterterrorism;
(2) Economics and Finance;
(3) Energy;
(4) Security, Strategic Stability, and Non-Proliferation; and
(5) The Defense Consultative Group

Opening of the Dialogue

Given the age-old inbuilt resilience underlying the Pak-US relationship, the week-long strategic
dialogue opened on a positive note warranted more so now by the evolving regional
geopolitics. During the talks, while US Secretary of the State, John Kerry, tried to project
positivity in his opening remarks, Sartaj Aziz qualified his view of the Pakistan-US relationship
with some persistent lacunae. While underlining the desire for a transition from a purely
transactional relationship to one that could answer to the description of a deeper strategic one,
Sartaj Aziz cautioned the US not to see Pakistan exclusively through the lenses of Afghanistan
and terrorism. He dilated on Pakistans concerns by pointing out that Pakistans security
considerations were neither taken account of by the US when it washed its hands of
Afghanistan during the 1990s nor when it invaded and occupied that country in 2001 following
the 9/11 attacks.

Varied Interests
It is to be understood that the interests of both countries in the evolving dynamics of the region
can be different on many levels. Washington seeks Pakistans assistance to ensure its
withdrawal process proceeds smoothly and leaves behind a negotiated political settlement
between the Taliban and Kabul to stabilise Afghanistan and avoid a descent once again after the
foreign troops leave into full-scale civil war in that country.

Pakistan needs not only help of other countries but US as well to overcome these security
problems. In the realm of economy, there is need that US considers the destabilization of its
economy for being frontline state in the war against terrorism. Islamabad as a key ally and
strategic partner then it should play due role in their development with focus on provision of
latest military hardware to help contain insurgency, support them to resolve energy crisis and
provision of market access.

Afghanistan Issue
While ostensibly on the surface things between the two countries appear better, there are serious
questions regarding the way relations will play out around issues of mutual concern in the short,
medium and long term. Afghanistan, of course, looms large on the horizon for both countries.
The US may feel the Nawaz Sharif government would make a potentially stronger partner than
the previous government since its political position is stronger. However, the Nawaz
governments performance so far has exposed its limitations in both matters. Domestically, the
government has wasted many months in plugging its preferred option of talks with the Pakistani
Taliban to negotiate peace. Pakistan therefore is still wrestling with the hiatus and paralysis in
its anti-terrorism policy.
On Afghanistan, the PML-N government has stated repeatedly that Pakistan has no favourites in
that country and supported an Afghan-owned and -led peace process. However, despite reports
the government has made efforts to facilitate talks between the Karzai government and the
Afghan Taliban, not much result can be seen. The more important issue is the presence of the
Afghan Taliban in safe havens on Pakistani soil, permitting them to fight the US-NATO-
Afghan army with relative success. So if the US is pinning its hopes for elusive stability in
Pakistan and even more elusive stability in Afghanistan on the Nawaz Sharif government, this
could turn out once again to be a difficult enterprise.

Conclusion
Keeping in view the above-mentioned facts, there is a need that bilateral relations should be
sustainable promoting comprehensive and mutually beneficial cooperation and not on ad hoc
basis. Pakistan was an independent and sovereign nation therefore it should not accept
conditional aid and mismatched relations should be the part of theses dialogues. Recent
conditions imposed by the US administration had not gone down well with the business
community. Pakistan had paid heavily in the war on terror, it had drained public exchequer
while increasing cost of doing business with common man as an ultimate victim, the
responsibility of the outcome of dialogue lies on the negotiators of both the countries. Pakistan
should try for a meaningful outcome while matters of lesser importance should not harm the
negotiations.
 The Ankara Summit 2014
The Eighth Trilateral Summit of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Turkey concluded in Ankara
on 13 February, 2014. The theme of the Afghanistan-Pakistan-Turkey Trilateral Summit
this year was A sustainable peace in the heart of Asia.
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The main topics of the summit were security in Afghanistan after the NATO troop pullout,
efforts to negotiate with the Taliban and measures to restore peace and promote reconciliation
in the country as well as the region. The report released at the end of the summit emphasised the
importance of a political settlement within the framework of the Afghan constitution, to ensure
durable peace in Afghanistan. The talks were held for the future and significant developments
that may have impact on efforts to promote peace and security in the region are expected to take
place.

Afghanistan, the heart of Asia, is going through a decisive period of its history. The region is
faced with formidable challenges, ranging from extremism and terrorism to socioeconomic
development. But the outcome of the summit does not appear as momentous as expected; no
solid results were achieved as far as improvement in Pak-Afghan relations is concerned.
Nevertheless, it did reinforce recognition that a stable and peaceful Afghanistan is essential to
regional peace and stability and three countries reaffirmed their resolve to continue collective
efforts and enhanced cooperation to ensure sustainable peace and security in the region. The
summit had also asked the international community to continue to contribute to the efforts
aiming at supporting Afghan-led and Afghan-owned processes, including those concentrating
on further enhancing the Afghan National Security Forces.
The two-day summit, possibly the last in the series attended by a lame duck President Hamid
Karzai, was characteristically regional in form and content, with Afghanistan imbroglio more as
a regional affair and not of the West-dominated United Nations. Of course, the Afghan leader
didn't have much to add to these perceptions. Not only is he increasingly critical of so-called
counterterrorism operations of foreign troops, he is also trying to win back the support of the
Afghan Taliban just the opposite of his rejection of Washington-planned Doha peace
process; he then had dubbed as a Pak-US conspiracy. That he has let off some 50 Taliban
prisoners in clear defiance of the Americans and remains adamant that not he but the next
Afghan president would sign the Bilateral Security Agreement is a development that shows that
President Karzai is perhaps undergoing some kind of ideological metamorphosis. Still, it is a
better late than never situation. If President Karzai is now talking to the Taliban while others
at the Ankara summit were supportive of his move then there is every hope of stitching up an
Afghan-led and Afghan-owned solution.

A pronounced sentiment prevailed at the summit to lend regional context to the member
countries inter-state differences, a trend Pakistan would very much like to hold the field. But
even a relatively subdued Hamid Karzai would not look at it in that spirit. Since intelligence-
sharing was high on the agenda of the Ankara summit the ways and means to do it extensively
figured at the meetings and a broad agreement to that was reached between the summit leaders
and the delegates. Pakistan had expected a cooperative input from the Afghan president on the
issue of Maulana Fazlullah now sheltered in bordering provinces, but it was not to be. Asked if
his presence on the Afghan soil came under discussion and was there any agreement on it,
President Hamid Karzai as usual was hiding behind clichd debate over the Durand Line. To
him, it was a 'complicated issue' rooted in history, and a direct consequence of 'inaction' an
oblique reference to Kabul's insistence that the present Pak-Afghan border should be redefined.
He offered no hope of action against Maulana Fazlullah, the chief of Pakistani Taliban, though
he signed the joint statement committing the two countries not to allow terror sanctuaries on
both sides of the common border. Having served western interests to the hilt for over a decade
Hamid Karzai is trying to look nationalist at the fag-end of his presence in the Kabul
Presidency; after all, nationalism is a social construct, belief, creed or political ideology that
involves an individual identifying with, or becoming attached to, one's nation. There is the
concern and trepidation that his antics would foreshadow the march of events as they unfold in
the wake of drawdown of foreign troops from Afghanistan. His refusal to sign the Bilateral
Security Agreement insisting this should be left for the next government tends to inject
uncertainty into the already fragile Afghan political scenario. This would diminish chances of
accord being signed before September 2014. So, as the leaders at Ankara summit have
reaffirmed their resolve to enhance sustainable peace in the region, they have to work to help
Kabul overcome its inhibitions and determinedly move towards a peaceful political transition.

Regional Dimensions of PAKISTAN'S

FOREIGN POLICY The Iran Factor
Relations between Pakistan and Iran can be seen from the prism of global politics in more
ways than one. Domestic constitutive features notwithstanding, it may be argued that
global politics has been a major determinative feature of Pak-Iran relations.
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Saturday, March 01, 2014

Thus, the fluctuation in their bilateral relations can be seen from the perspective of what both
countries NOT need or desire from each other but more so from the compulsions of superpower
dynamics. This makes sense because the historically constructed (not inherent or essentialist)
Shia-Sunni divide between the two states is only a product of recent history and has acquired
significance only because of the global (and regional) political dynamics.

During the Cold War, Pak-Iran relations became intrinsically linked with the US foreign policy
imperatives. After Mosaddeqs ouster in 1953, Reza Shah backed by British and American
imperialists run Iran in accordance with the whims of the Western powers. An oil-rich state
Iran acquired a pivotal position owing to its geographical proximity with the Soviet Union and
the latters support to Irans Tudeh Party, which was seen as destabilising to the socio-political
fabric of the Iranian state. Pakistan, on the other hand, jumped on the bandwagon of the US due
to its security needs. This brought Pakistan and Iran closer; first, in the Baghdad Pact or the
Central Treaty Organisation (Cento) in which the US was the main guarantor; and second in the
Regional Cooperation for Development (RCD) which also included Turkey, a pro-US alliance
banded together in order to stave off Communism in the Middle East and South Asia. The close
relationship between Pakistan and Iran was also defined by way of a common Baloch
problem. Iran, in this instance, came to Pakistans aid in fighting the Baloch rebels when the
insurgency hit Pakistan i.e. from 1973 till 1977.

The relations between the two countries hit snags with Iranian Revolution of 1979 and a new
regime in Pakistan led by General Mohammad Zia-ul-Haq. The sectarian dimension of these
relations increasingly acquired urgency and it intensified further primarily due to Irans anti-
imperialist foreign policy. While Iran derided both the superpowers as Great Satans, the
Pakistani state was arm in arm with the US to fight against the Communist Soviet Union in
Afghanistan. Thus, the more anti-imperialist tone Iran acquired, the more its relations with
Pakistan were affected.

The situation further aggravated during the 1990s with the emergence of Taliban in Afghanistan
and intensification of sectarian tone in domestic and regional politics. The essential question
worth probing is the utility of the sectarian dimension in explaining the tense relations
between Pakistan and Iran. The sectarianism, bred by the revolutionary dynamics of the Iranian
state, was increasingly restrictive. There was no threat from Irans revolution to either Saudi
Arabia or Pakistan, or to other states including Iraq and Bahrain. Unfortunately, the sectarian
dimension turned inhumane and barbaric that negatively impacted Pakistan and Iran.

Former Iranian President Rafsanjani rightly said that Pakistan and Iran are not enemies or
rivals; and that if someone thinks that both countries are competing for influence in Afghanistan
then, no doubt, he is crazy! Also, the Pakistani government objected to the American policy of
intervention in the internal affairs of Iran and stood by the Iranian people. However, all did not
go well despite the official proclamations because a nasty sectarian war started in the 1990s
with the rise of new militant organisations like Sipah-e-Sahaba and Sipah-e-Muhammad.
Pakistan, unfortunately, had become a battleground of Saudi- and Iranian-backed militants.
Pakistans alignment with the US in War on Terror also harmed Pak-Iran relations. A renowned
American journalist, Seymour Hersh, in an article in 2008 signalled the Bush Administrations
policy of destabilising Iran from within by funding covert operations against the countrys
religious leadership. Hersh also mentioned the militant Baloch Sunni organization, Jundullah,
also known as the Iranian Peoples Resistance Movement as beneficiary of the US support. In
2009, the Jundullah killed 42 people in a suicide attack, including 15 members of the Iranian
Revolutionary Guard in the Sistan-Balochistan province of Iran. This carnage earned the ire of
Iran which condemned the US, Britain and Pakistan for patronising Jundullah. Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad accusing Pakistani agents of involvement in the attack called on Pakistan to arrest
the culprits. Once again, the US factor was more than evident. In all, Pakistan was not expected
of funding a militant organisation against Iran. Hence, the US alliance with Pakistan and
enmity with Iran has put Pak-Iran relations in doldrums. Is this ever going to change?

The recent overtures between Pakistan and Iran are a welcome development. In recent years, the
economic imperatives have become significant in relations between the two states. The 2700-
kilometre-long Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline is a landmark project which aims to
transport 2.8 billion cubic feet of gas daily from Irans huge offshore South Pars field to
terminals in Pakistan and India.

Despite the positives, the American shadow still hangs over Pak-Iran relations. The Americans
are fervently against Irans participation in regional economic partnerships. However, the recent
rapprochement between the P5+1 and Iran bodes well for Pak-Iran relations. Years of isolation
and economic sanctions have hurt the Iranian state and society. The Iranians have shown their
desire for change in by electing Hassan Rouhani in recent presidential elections who is
evidently opposed to his predecessor. However, the recent phase of Pakistan-Iran relations once
again demonstrates that their relations cannot be understood without factoring the United States
into equation.

Dr. Farhan Hanif Siddiqi

 INDO-PAK TRADE
In January, at the end of a week-long visit to India by Pakistan's Commerce Minister and
negotiations with his Indian counterpart, both countries agreed to allow round-the-clock
movement of goods via the Wagah-Attari border, signalling the warming up of relations
after a year-long freeze caused by skirmishes on the Indo-Pak borders.
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Saturday, March 01, 2014

After the parlays, Indias Minister of Trade announced that We have agreed that we will open
the Wagah-Attari border 24/7, which presently stays open from dawn to dusk. Both commerce
ministers also approved a liberalised visa policy for businessmen to facilitate interaction and
increasing bilateral trade which, in 2012-13, was barely $2.5 billion.

Both sides agreed to provide non-discriminatory market access (NDMA) to businesses from
both countries to harness full potential ($10 billion annually) of bilateral trade, and to facilitate
it, State Bank of Pakistan proposed to the Reserve Bank of India to grant banking licences to
three Pakistani banks, and promised to reciprocate this initiative.

Agreeing on NDMA aims to dilute any political fallout from trade concessions in the election
year (2014) in India, thats what politics demanded. While Pakistan has now agreed to
unrestricted imports (compared to only 137 items at present), India hasnt, although IMF sought
both countries to give each other the Most Favoured Nation status.

While both sides promise to expand bilateral trade, relaxation in Indias non-tariff barriers
(NTBs) and bureaucratic red-tape that block access to its markets remains uncertain. India
continues to maintain high import tariffs; on textiles they add up (ad valorem plus specific duty)
to almost 100 percent. A question mark therefore hangs on trade expansion.

Both sides agreed to convene regular meetings of the Indo-Pak Joint Business Forum and of
working groups from customs, railways, banking, and energy sectors, and regulators that set
quality standards, to devise effective implementation measures for expanding trade in textile,
energy, light engineering, pharmaceutical and tourism sectors.

All this sounded promising because it conveyed the impression that, finally, both countries had
accepted the fact that sharing a common land mass implies a shared future, and given the oil
price hike, it is only rational that by trading among themselves they optimize the benefits that
accrue from the lowest transportation cost of goods.

Sadly, however, two days later, things took an adverse turn. While the media reported that
Pakistan was waiting for Indias response to finalise a much-touted deal whereby Pakistan
would import 500MW of electricity from India, trade across the Indo-Pak border came to a halt
because Pakistan was blamed for exporting narcotics to India.

Pakistans Deputy High Commissioner in New Delhi was summoned to Indias Foreign Office
over Pakistans retaliatory suspension of Srinagar-Muzaffarabad and Rawalakot-Poonch bus
services because a Pakistani truck driver, was arrested in India for allegedly smuggling
narcotics in 114 packets (reportedly worth Rs 1 billion) across the Line of Control in Kashmir.

One media report said these packets contained brown sugar while another said they contained
almonds but the Indian version said they contained narcotics. While it remained unclear which
version was true, 48 other truck drivers from Azad Kashmir were detained at Salamabad Trade
Facilitation Centre after the stand-off freezing the cross-border trade began.

The incident showed how vulnerable are the two governments to what unskilled, incompetent or
politicised low-level staffers in their administrations can do, and the way governments react to
suspect events Pakistans Deputy High Commissioner being summoned to explain an event
whose truth wasnt even investigated, let alone established credibly.

The logical course for India was to invite Pakistans Customs Authorities on the border
crossing, and show them proof of the crime committed by the detained Pakistani truck driver,
not create the scene India created. Besides, allegedly, the suspect item was narcotic material,
not arms, and it was dumb to assume Pakistani governments involvement in its export.
Such rash reactions suggest that ministerial-level Indo-Pak parlays are mere charades; both
sides (India doing so often) kill the initiatives for normalizing bilateral relations, which
strengthens the argument of those who insist that India never reconciled to partitioning of the
subcontinent i.e. creation of Pakistan. Deep-rooted enmity still reigns supreme.

Indias non-tariff barriers limit its imports. While national interests do need safeguarding,
securing them at the cost of neighbours has had harsh consequences. Trading practices based on
fairness alone can expand regional trade. Given the rise in poverty in South Asia, realism not
blind nationalism, should guide policies governing regional trade.

In the 2012 round of trade talks, a Mutual Recognition Agreement for validating the
certification of quality verification by agencies in both countries was agreed. According to
reports, during the recent negotiations too, Pakistan sought a clear understanding on the critical
quality issue that leads to imposition of NTBs on Pakistans exports to India.

While India insists that NTBs arent Pakistan-specific, experience proves otherwise. The other
barrier is the negative list of goods; although Pakistans commerce ministry says that during
his forthcoming visit to Pakistan, Indias Commerce Minister will announce a reduction in
them, it seems unlikely in an election year when being anti-Pakistan certifies contestants
patriotism.

Trading activities that help Pakistans industrial sector to regain its earlier level of efficiency
will be welcomed. Above all, this could slow an inflationary trend that is worsening the current
economic slide. It is such benefits Indias regional obligations that India overlooks, and
consequently, SAARC continues to fail in delivering on its lofty promises.

For their collective benefit, instead of producing everything, South Asian economies should
focus on sectors wherein they have competitive advantage, and to enhance import substitution,
prioritize combining these capacities regionally a focus shift requiring meaningful
deliberations to devise a strategy that they also commit to follow.
Pakistans trade bodies complain that, while India intends to increase exports to Pakistan it
doesnt realize that some exports could cause business closures in Pakistan e.g. in the auto
sector. India must focus on export of processed raw materials to improve the cost-efficiency of
Pakistans industry the sector handicapped by deficiencies in Pakistans physical
infrastructure.

India and Pakistan must rewrite history for their common good. Indians and Pakistanis no
longer want conflicts; wars pushed them farther away though, sharing a common land mass,
they must come closer. That, however, is possible only if their governments arent misled by
short-sighted or politicised bureaucrats, as was the case in January this year.

Until 1965, there were 11 crossing points on the Indo-Pak border. While so many crossing
points arent required (nor feasible for security and control reasons), Wagah-Attari border
crossing alone is insufficient for expanding trade to $10 billion level; Khokhrapar-Monabao
crossing too needs reopening that Pakistans federal government isnt bothered about.

A B Shahid

THAR COAL The Future of Energy in

Pakistan
After the precarious law and order situation, Pakistans biggest problem these days is the acute
energy crisis. However, its not a new phenomenon; its roots can be traced back to 1980s when
cuts in power supply ranging to two and four hours in urban and rural area respectively started.

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Saturday, March 01, 2014
The failure of this venture made the government decide to turn to gas for electricity production.
But, in contradiction to the government decision, almost all the production units resorted to oil
for electricity generation. This not only increased the cost of production but making payments
to oil supply companies became virtually impossible. Resultantly, electricity theft started to
increase.

Its important to mention here that after the culmination of Cold War in 1990, the terms like
New World Order and WTO became in vogue. With this, the ways and standards of political,
industrial, economic and trade relations also changed. But, due to rampant political wrangling,
domestic and foreign terrorism and other problems, no government could pay attention towards
it and no robust policies were chalked out keeping in view the urgency of the situation. This
further intensified the already-acute energy crisis.

Pakistan Peoples Party held the reins of the country in 2008, at a time when numerous
industries were either being shut down or the investors were turning to other countries like
Bangladesh. During those days, Pakistans total generation capacity was 21103 megawatt
(MW) out of which 13637MW was being produced from oil and gas, 6654MW from hydro
resources and only 812MW from nuclear power plants. But, with a fall of almost 50% in
production, the situation became aggravated and the loadshedding in rural areas reached up to
22 hours while in urban centres up to 18 hours a day. Irked by this, millions of
Pakistanis came to streets and violent protests were witnessed in the every nook and cranny of
the country.

Since Pakistan is located in a region characterized by extreme variations of temperature,

summers, here, are too hot. Moreover, a rise in urban populace has increased the density of
population in these areas where, owing to this phenomenon, vagaries of weather are becoming
unbearable with every passing day. Due to hours-long electricity cuts, people cannot have a
good sleep and, resultantly, nervous breakdowns, irritation and other ailments had become
omnipresent. In addition, they cannot work properly, so, a loss of hundreds of millions of
rupees occurs that is still unaccounted for. After the culmination of winter, the summers are
knocking at the door. If this crisis is not resolved, it will further deteriorate the already-faltering
economy. Furthermore, an extreme public reaction, in form of countrywide protests, cannot be
rule out. It will only cause mighty problems for the government.

In the 1990s, many new phenomena took the world by storm. Among these, environmental
pollution was a big issue. Keeping in view its gravity and need of urgent measures to solve this
issue, environmentalists and scientists emphasised on halting the use of coal. These experts
believed that due to use of coal, 8666 million tonnes of carbon dioxide has been emitted to the
environment since 1999. They further argue that coal used to generate one megawatt of
electricity produces 2000 lbs CO2. Pakistani authorities, already combating with economic
crisis, were unable to take bold and daring steps in this regard.

After the precarious law and order situation, Pakistans biggest problem these days is the
acute energy crisis. However, its not a new phenomenon; its roots can be traced back to
1980s when cuts in power supply ranging to two and four hours in urban and rural area
respectively started. At that time, the negotiations on the issue of construction of
Kalabagh Dam were initiated, but soon the process hit the snags, and ultimately was
stalled. Afterwards in 1988, private sector was called into play but it rendered the
electricity prices soaring quite frequently. Moreover, the incumbent government came
under the diatribe for its alleged corruption. The electricity supply by these units was too
low to meet the consumers demand.

In Pakistan, no government, unfortunately, had come up with ingenious and robust plans and
policies for generation of electricity from coal. Pakistan possesses huge supply of high quality
coal resources, but oil and gas had always been depend upon for electricity generation and
today the situation is grim as gas reserves depleting fast. Notwithstanding, no consolidated
efforts or sound planning has been made yet.

A huge chunk of Pakistans foreign exchange goes to import of oil. This oil, when used for
electricity generation, leads to hikes in electricity prices, which affects all the sectors of
economy. Nevertheless, Pakistan can still be on the track of paced development, if it produces
cheap and abundant electricity from coal. We had successfully achieved this feat in Quetta in
1962, when a coal-based power plant at Shaikh Manda, near Quetta, started electricity
generation from the Dagri Mines low quality coal. Ironically, even this plant was later
converted to oil. Had we used coal and hydro resources at that time, we would have no crisis of
electricity or gas today. A comparison of the data regarding Pakistans electricity generation
and that of the US is as follows:

Pakistan*

Sources Total Share

Oil & Gas 65%
Water 31%
Nuclear 4%
(Astonishingly, not even 1% electricity comes from coal.)
The US
Sources Total Share
Coal 44%
Gas 23.4%
Nuclear 20.3%
Hydro 6.9%
Kinetic & Solar 3.6%
Petroleum 1.1%

Similar is the case with China and India who are producing most of their electricity from coal.
British scientist Michael Faraday discovered electricity and in 1831 its regular production was
started. Since then, coal is the most used source of electricity generation.
A look at the sources of electricity generation across the globe is as follows:

Sources Contribution
Coal 41%
Gas 21%
Nuclear Fuel 13%
Oil 5%
Solar, Kinetic & Others 3-4%

An analysis of the worlds coal reserves and electricity generation from them suggests that with
reserves of more than 274500 million tonnes, which are 25.9% of the worlds total coal
reserves, China is at the top of the list. The US is at second place with 23.3% or 246643 million
tonnes, while the country having the third largest coal reserves in the whole world is Pakistan
that has 19.3% of the worlds total coal with 185050 million tonnes.

Other seven countries in this list of Top 10 countries are as under:

Country Reserves (million

tonnes)
Russia 157010
India 92445
Australia 78500
South Africa 48750
Ukraine 34153
Kazakhstan 31270
Poland 14000

However, regarding the generation of electricity from coal, it is to be noted that many countries
in the world even import coal to generate electricity. A study was conducted in 2007 regarding
the use coal for electricity generation. It showed the following list of top ten countries in the
world.
S. No. Country Contribution of Coal
1 China 25.6%
2 USA 16.2%
3 EU 9.2%
4 India 7.5%
5 Australia 6.2%
6 Russia 4.9%
7 South Africa 4.2%
8 Germany 3.2%
9 Indonesia 2.7%
10 Poland 2.3%
Pakistan has worlds third largest reserves, but unfortunately, its usage in electricity generation
is almost zero. Here, the coal is used only in brick-kilns.

When seen in this context, Thar Coal Project is of utmost importance for us and probably its
for this reason that the Prime Minister is quite keen regarding this project. His attention was
and it still is inevitable, especially in the wake of a soon-to-come ban on the use of coal for
electricity generation as part of the international efforts to save environment from pollution that
has reached at an alarming level. Till these curbs are imposed, the existing units may continue
to produce electricity from coal. After that no installation of new units will be possible. Thats
why we have seen an unprecedented increase in installation of such units in China and India in
China they, recently, have established coal-based units at an average speed of one unit per
week.

Keeping in mind the above facts and figures, how ghastly is the fact that we are entangled in
this web of miseries and are touching the depths of this crisis when we have scientists including
Dr Samar Mubarakmand, who amply know the techniques and processes to make this specific
use of coal with minimal emission of pollution.

Presiding over a meeting of the Standing Committee recently, the chief minister Sindh, Syed
Qaim Ali Shah, said:

The project would have the capacity to generate 660MW coal-based energy in its
first phase and it would be increased up to 1320MW in its second phase. This project
would have 230km transmission line to link the power in national grid for
distribution, accordingly.

At present, though Pakistan is producing 65% of its electricity from oil and gas, in a few
coming years, it would be virtually impossible to continue this practice. The contribution of
hydroelectricity, which currently is 31% of the countrys total production, can be increased by
constructing new dams. Its the cheapest source with minimum pollution. In addition, nearly 4%
is gained from nuclear resources; it also needs be enhanced. Nevertheless, our first priority must
be the coal and its contribution to electricity production must be 40% at the minimum.

Chief Minister of Punjab, Mian Shahbaz Sharif, in meeting with a Japanese delegation recently,
elaborated that to run the industrial units in the country, eliminating energy crisis is inevitable.
Reports suggest that the construction of 5-6 coal-based power houses in Punjab is in the offing.
Pakistan must carve out a consolidated and robust policy to overcome the energy crisis by
generating electricity from coal, hydro and nuclear resources, at the earliest. In this way,
Pakistan will not only be able to save foreign exchange worth millions of dollars that is spent on
oil imports, it will also reduce electricity rates significantly.

One thing must be clear to everyone: Pakistan cannot be blamed for contributing to the world
pollution because the major contributors to this menace are the US, China, the European Union,
India and Japan. As far as the matter of producing electricity from nuclear resources is
concerned, the tsunami that hit Japan a couple of years back has made it vulnerable to the
hazards of nuclear radioactivity.

Time has come that the world must acknowledge that the pollution emitted from the use of coal
is much lesser than the nuclear ones.

Huge Employment Opportunities and up to 4000 megawatt generation capacity

Hidden in the deserts of Thar, these reserves of black gold are considered the worlds third
largest. This is the abounding wealth from which Pakistan has not benefitted yet. If the work on
this project continues with complete sincerity and devotion, then the day is not far when we will
see its fruition. After the ground-breaking of the project at Thar Block II, it is expected that the
project would generate 660MW coal-based energy in its first phase and it would be increased
up to 1320MW in the second phase. Afterwards, its production will gradually be raised to 4000
megawatts. This project will cost nearly US$ 1.6 billion and will be, God willing, completed in
2017. With keen interest of the Prime Minister, Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, and Chief
Minister Sind, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, it is expected that the project will be completed within the
tenure of the present government.

Prime Minister has inaugurated this project at a time when a monstrous energy crisis is making
the running of the large- and small-scale industries almost impossible and is affecting the
masses as well. We can expect that once this project is completed, people will have cheap
electricity available to them for a longer period of time. The first phase of the project that has
an estimated cost of US$ 1.6 billion -- would see a comprehensive methodology to extract 3.5
million tonnes coal every year as well as 660 megawatts of electricity, and it would complete in
three and a half years. In the next two years of this phase, it is expected that the production
capacity would be enhanced to 6.5 million tonnes coal and 1200 megawatts of electricity In the
second phase, the electricity generation capacity would be enhanced to 2400 and 3600
megawatts.

Thar Coalfield, located in District Thar Parkar of Sindh province, is a vast area that
encompasses a total area of 79.6 square kilometres. This project will not only benefit the whole
region, but will also provide the skilled as well as non-skilled labour with huge employment
opportunities that will ultimately result in the per capita income of the people of this Thar.

Dr. Irfan Ahmad Baig

 Race to The Arg
Who will be Next Afghan President?
War for Peace
Saturday, March 01, 2014

The United States is winding down more than 12 years of military involvement in Afghanistan.
At the same time, Afghans are entering uncharted territory. The election for the next President
of Islamic republic of Afghanistan is going to be held on April 5. This is the third presidential
poll since the fall of the Taliban.

President Hamid Karzai, who has led Afghanistan since shortly after the Taliban were ousted in
2001, is barred from running for a third term. So Afghanistan is poised to do what it's never
done before: change leaders through a democratic election.

Eleven candidates are trying to replace Karzai in the election. Ten are Pashtuns, the dominant
ethnic group.

Here are sketches of the top tier candidates according to political analysts.

1. ABDULLAH ABDULLAH
Abdullah has a clear advantage in name recognition and political organization. He was a close
aide to the late Ahmad Shah Masood. He has a strong following among ethnic Tajiks in
Afghanistan's north, but his perceived weak support among Pashtuns could keep him from
gaining a majority of votes, even though he is half-Pashtun.

2. ZALMAI RASSOUL
A former foreign minister, Rassoul has been national security adviser to the government and is
seen as close to Karzai. He could end up being a consensus candidate among many political
factions. A Pashtun like Karzai, he has a medical degree and is fluent in five languages,
including French, English and Italian.

3. ASHRAF GHANI
Ghani is a former finance minister who ran in the 2009 presidential election but received just 3
per cent of the vote. A well-known academic with a reputation as a somewhat temperamental
technocrat, Ghani chairs a commission in charge of transitioning responsibility for security
from the US-led coalition to Afghan forces.

4. ABDUL RAB RASOUL SAYYAF

Sayyaf is one of the more controversial candidates among Afghanistan's foreign allies because
of his past as a warlord during the 1990s civil war and allegations of past links to radical
jihadists including Osama bin Laden. As a Pashtun and charismatic speaker, he may appeal to
Afghanistan's large number of religious conservatives.

5. QAYYUM KARZAI
A businessman and the elder brother of President Karzai. He studied in the United States and
previously served in the National Assembly. He is not seen as his brother's favoured successor,
and the Karzai name could be a double-edged sword, since many Afghans are frustrated with
the current government's corruption.

6. QUTBUDDIN HILAL
An engineer by training with experience in Afghanistan's Defence Ministry, Hilal once headed a
military commission tasked with uniting jihadi organizations. He twice served as first vice
president in 1993 and 1996 and also served as deputy prime minister.
7. ABDUL RAHIM WARDAK
Karzai's longtime defence minister until he was removed by Parliament in 2012, the US-
educated Wardak was one of the top Afghan officials most trusted by Washington. A Pashtun
from Wardak province, he earlier served as a senior commander fighting against the Soviet
occupation.
8. MOHAMMAD SHAFIQ
Popularly known as Gul Agha Sherzai, Shafiq also earned the nickname of "the bulldozer" for
serving as public works and transport minister. Previously a mujahedeen commander in
Kandahar, he also has served as governor of Kandahar and later governor of Nangarhar.

9. MOHAMMAD NADER NAEEM

Naeem is the grandson of Sardar Dawood Khan, a former president of Afghanistan. He earned a
computer science degree in London and served as chief of staff to Afghanistan's King Zahir
Shah.

10. AMIN ARSALA

Amin was the first Afghan to work at the World Bank. Later, he joined the fight against the
Soviet occupation. He had served as finance minister and as foreign minister. After the collapse
of the Taliban, he served as commerce minister as well. Arsala also headed the Independent
Commission of Administrative Reforms, the National Statistics Commission and the Economic
Cooperation Committee.

11. MOHAMMAD DAOUD SULTANZAI

A pilot by training, Sultanzai defected to Germany after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and
then settled in the US. He returned to Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban and went on to
serve as a member of Parliament. Sultanzai is also known as an Afghan political commentator
and talk show host.

M. Sheraz

PRIVATISATION PROS & CONS!

A controversy about the privatisation of Pakistan's State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) has been
brewing from the very onset of this (PML-N) government taking office. Regrettably, the
uncertainty about the fate of our public sector organizations compounds with each passing day
and 'uncertainty' as we know in the corporate world is any organization's worst enemy.

War for Peace

Saturday, March 01, 2014
In its typical autocratic style, the PML-N government is wanting to embark upon perhaps the
countrys biggest ever privatisation drive some say with an estimated value in excess of Pak
Rupees 1 trillion and that too (once again) without first doing a proper homework on merits
and de-merits of each transaction separately or sharing in a transparent manner the long term
objectives cum post-sale projections of each entity selected for the alteration. Ironically, the
Board of the Privatisation Commission (PC), which is already claiming victory on the front of
ensuring transparency, is itself embroiled in controversy. The Chairman of the PC will be well
served by realizing that a clean chit on transparency has to come from neutral observers and
stakeholders and cannot be self-proclaimed.

Sadly, the concept of states role in the corporate arena and subsequently the selling and
managing of states assets in an economy is a phenomenon that continues to be mismanaged in
Pakistan since the 70s, if not earlier. All along, what the various managers (managing the
national privatisation portfolio) failed to understand was that the scope of privatisation is not
just limited to sale of states companies or assets. In fact the opposite is true. The real duty of
the Ministry of Privatisation is to optimize governments return on its assets while disposing-off
un-desire able portfolios can at best be just one of the many functions it ought to be performing.

In essence the PC should be overseeing Corporation Pakistan like a management board that uses
multiple tools like: private-public partnerships, stock swaps, liquidation where necessary,
international joint ventures, strategic portfolio build-ups, mergers and acquisitions, managing
agency contracts, instilling professional management, market-share leveraging, etc to ensure
that not only does the government overcome its overall deficit in its corporate affairs but also
generates revenue from its interests. However, in doing so, it is imperative that the Commission
behaves as a state and not as a private manager because in some cases the intangible benefits
being driven from a governmental enterprise can far outweigh its financial underpinnings. In the
developing world the role of SOE is not merely limited to profit making. Especially in a highly
populated country like Pakistan, they also in addition tend to provide a sense of equilibrium in
the domestic markets. If managed competently and used effectively they perform crucial
national functions like helping to check inflation through supply side consistencies, providing
employment, aiding growth, strengthening anti-trust legislations, ensuring equitable distribution
of resources and opportunity, and through the sheer dint of their public-ownership sentiment
they help in keeping the nation gelled together.

The past quarter of a century has seen several bursts of selling by the worlds governments,
mostly but not always in benign market conditions. Those in the OECD, a rich-country club,
divested plenty of stuff in the 20 years before the global financial crisis. The first privatisation
wave, which built up from the mid-1980s and peaked in 2000, was largely European. The drive
to cut state intervention under Margaret Thatcher in Britain soon spread to the continent. The
movement gathered pace after 1991, when Eastern Europe put thousands of rusting state-owned
enterprises on the block. A second wave came in the mid-2000s, as European economies sought
to cash in on buoyant markets. But activity in OECD countries slowed sharply as the financial
crisis began. In fact, it reversed. Bail-outs of failing banks and companies have contributed to a
dramatic increase in government purchases of corporate equity during the past years. Now, one
can elaborate here about how the faulty privatisation vision in the banking sector at home has
led to a situation today where the central banks leveraging over our banking sector stands
dangerously diluted and how our banking sector is currently so visibly ridden with the element
of conflict of interest, but leaving this discussion for another time, the point to note for now is
that the recent financial crisis has taught us a thing or two about the importance of states
presence even in a free market mechanism. Further, we notice that there are quite a few
privatisation experiences in Africa and Eastern Europe where the results have not been very
encouraging. Instead of helping employment generation and alleviating poverty the sales merely
created oligarchs, promoted rent seeking and concentrated wealth in a few hands thereby
widening the gap between the rich and the poor. More dangerously, a wrong privatisation push
or an unhealthy mix between the private and public sector market presence can end up seriously
compromising the power of the regulator and the element of fair play. In a startling report
released in 2012 by Kim Moody of UKs Labor Party, he explains how the British Rail system,
which was dismantled and sold off between 1993 to 97, became a mere profit-seeking operation
with gross disregard to consumer satisfaction and safety. In the 30 years before privatisation
British Rail saw only one fatal accident due to track failure, whereas, in just five years after
privatisation there were five fatal accidents caused by signal failures and 39 track maintenance
workers were killed between 1998 and 2004 due to lax safety. Indian Railways on the other
hand makes a fine example on how a state-owned enterprise can be optimized in terms of
service, revenue and employment opportunity.

The notion that the government should not be in the business of running businesses, though
partially true, needs to be looked at from the prism of history of economic management. The
history of the dawn of capitalism is full of ventures where governments took upon themselves
to assume investment risks for services and product innovations that otherwise would either
have just become non-starters or remained confined to only a few select areas or segments of
people without yielding benefits to the overall national canvas or the mankind in general. In fact
even today most of the multinationals in a way thrive on western governments backing and
patronage and also if one looks deep down at Indias recently rising global corporate footprint,
one notices that the success drives its roots from the notorious and infamous London Club of
Indian businessmen that meets regularly at Mayfair and is facilitated in quite a few ways by the
Indian Government!

Lately, though the crisis of Western liberal capitalism has coincided with a challenge of a
different kind from the new aspirants in this great economic game. A tool itself used sometime
back by the likes of East India Company: the rise of powerful new form of state capitalism in
emerging markets. State capitalism tries to meld the powers of the state with the powers of
capitalism. It relies on government to pick winners and promote economic growth by using
capitalist tools such as listing state owned companies to ensure managements accountability
and by embracing globalization. Today they are flourishing in the worlds emerging dynamic
economies and also striding out onto the global stage. State-owned companies account for 80%
of the market capitalization of the Chinese stock market, more than 60% of Russias, and 35%
of Brazils. They make up 19 of the worlds 100 biggest multinational companies and 28 of the
top 100 among emerging markets. And here we are proposing to sell even our profit-making
state owned enterprises and eroding national asset portfolio by selling stakes even in those
entities whose stock prices are soaring and where professional management and private-sector
oversight is already well entrenched?
No one could have phrased it better than Joseph Stigliz, Asset should be a blessing, not a
curse. They can be but it will not happen on its own. And it will not happen easily. The
challenge for the Privatisation Commission also lies in first finding ways and means to turn
around our key public sector enterprises and in case a particular sale is necessary to then
transparently share a comprehensive plan on how the sale will be a win-win for all stakeholders:
the state, employees, buyers, market and the organization itself. Because, tomorrow if that
transaction does not yield the desired results then the PC board can be held accountable. In a
relatively small economic space, critical sectors like oil and communications tend to be the
mainstay of an economy Going by this, for example a corporation like PSO (Pakistan State
Oil) would be too important to be doled out to foreigners or to a few individuals. History tells
us that when the power of the state to exercise its writ on the markets gets excessively
marginalized the main sufferer tends to be the common man.

THE PARADOX OF TALIBAN

PEACE TALKS
Since assuming power last year, the PML-N has shown chronic political ambiguity and
ambivalence regarding the issue whether to hold talks with Taliban or take firm military action
against the outfit. The PTI also has vacillated on the TTP issue. Recently, PTI chief Imran Khan
divulged that his party's and the KP government's inability to initiate dialogue with the TTP was
due to absence of authority from the Centre and a lack of power over the security services.

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Saturday, March 01, 2014
It seems that the growing rift between the federal and provincial governments, and also their
political indecisiveness, have paved the way for the TTP to make more assaults with impunity.
With the possibility of military retaliation in the air, both the TTP and the government decided
to hold talks that soon hit the snags. However, a pall of confusion hangs over the future, owing
in part to the haphazard nomination of TTP negotiators, which may lead to delays in the peace
process.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif nominated his negotiating team comprising Irfan Siddiqui,
Rustam Shah Mohmand, Rahimullah Yousafzai and Major Amir Khan (former official of ISI).
Ironically, the members of this team don't have high expectations. Mr Yousufzai and Mr
Mohmand both expressed reservations. Faced with the prospect of multiple insurgent groups
attacking the state's sovereignty, the negotiators seem left in a flux, without knowledge of the
government's strategy, what to communicate, or indeed what the end result of negotiations will
be. They seem more like mediators shuttling between the two sides than negotiators.

On the other side, in an apparent attempt to delude the government into believing the peace
talks might work, the TTP nominated Imran Khan (PTI), Maulana Samiul Haq (JUI-S), Mufti
Kifayatullah (JUI-F), Maulana Aziz (of Lal Masjid) and Professor Muhammad Ibrahim (JI).
The disparate construction of the committee would have made it hard to solve national security
problems at the negotiating table. Maulana Fazlur Rehman expressed his dismay at the
nomination and also at the lack of implementing a jirga (council) system for talks. The choices
reflect that the TTP is aware of rifts between the parties and is mindful of their inability to find
a consensus. Moreover, none of them are actively a part of the TTP, so their ability to hold the
group to its promises appears limited. No wonder, Imran Khan and Molana declined their
nominations.

Besides this, another issue is how peace talks can help when the writ of the state is under attack.
The TTP offer of protection for government negotiators in areas under their control only serves
to show the state's incompetence at providing security for its own people. That the government
should claim victory through peace seems like a romantic illusion when it is unable to guarantee
the security of its representatives. The TTP's call for talks then appears to be more of a hoax,
with both sides embroiled in a verbal tug of war.

The TTP mysteriously denied responsibility of the grenade attack in one of Peshawar's oldest
cinemas, which killed five people, and a 'third force' was assumed to have been involved in a
bid to derail the negotiation initiative. However, the government continues to move at a snail's
pace, casting a shadow over the peace building process for which understanding the necessity of
military action against terrorists is a prerequisite. Instead, it seems indifferent to the idea of
revamping our national security policy and has kept mum over a military operation against the
TTP.

There is also apprehension about opposition to the talks: the Ittehad-i-Millat Conference, led by
the Sunni Ittehad Council and Majlis-e-Wahadat-i-Muslimeen, slammed the government's
decision to hold peace talks with the TTP and threatened a long march on Islamabad if a
military operation does not begin. The conference was the consequence of carnage of pilgrims
from Mastung. The assurance by Nawaz Sharif of eventual military action in Quetta has raised
some concerns as to who will be the target the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) or the
Lashkar-e-Jhangvi. Either way, an imprudent military action in Quetta could compound the
city's current internal problems.

The recent Ittehad-i-Millat conference, led by the Sunni Ittehad Council and Majlis-e-
Wahadat-i-Muslimeen, slammed the government's decision to hold peace talks with the
TTP and threatened a long march on Islamabad if a military operation does not begin.

Meanwhile, the PPP leadership is demanding that the government launch a military operation in
an attempt to establish the state's writ. As Bilawal Bhutto said, Negotiation could be possible if
Taliban first announce a ceasefire and abide by the constitution of Pakistan that guarantees the
coexistence of Muslims and non-Muslims. The current, very precarious situation requires a
full-fledged military operation against the Taliban, not solely to eliminate the factions of their
organisations but to eradicate the deep roots of fundamentalism, extremism and terrorism.

Conventional wisdom claims that it is not always wise to take up arms to end armed conflicts;
nonetheless, negotiations will only be the best way to cope with growing tensions. Even if the
government seriously tries for dialogue with the TTP, what guarantee is there that the talks will
be unconditional? The Taliban talks are a gamut of paradoxes; what kind of an olive branch
does the TTP have to offer to the government? Similarly, what does the government have to
soothe the Taliban? Will the government cease its alliance with the US or then cede its authority
in North Waziristan to the TTP?

It seems reasonably clear that no conciliatory course can be or should be adopted when
national security is challenged so significantly. Why does military action not become inevitable
when citizens live in a constant state of apprehension? Most importantly, there should be an
agenda and priorities set out to formulate a policy to combat terrorism. Pakistan's lamentable
political situation has continued for more than a decade while growing fear of terrorism cripples
the nation. It is high time the government sought pragmatic and plausible options to maintain
the country's prestige.

IS DEMOCRACY SUITABLE FOR

PAKISTAN?
Ever since the emergence of Pakistan on the map of the world as an independent state, there has
been an intense debate over the model of governance to be adopted in order to run the affairs of
the country. Constitutions have been formulated with unanimous consensus by the parliaments,
have been subject to fundamental amendments, and have been abrogated by the dictators under
the pretext of shielding the integrity of the state from the imminent collapse.

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Saturday, March 01, 2014

After a marathon campaign spanning over six decades to stitch up a constitution that would
embody all the ingredients of a smoothing sailing country, the nation is still stranded in the
abyssal confusion with democracy and dictatorship vying for the levers of power by knocking
down each other successively. The quest for a perfect model of governance has precipitated the
demand to explore other set of models proposed by the political ideologues.

One of the proverbial philosophers of Greek, Aristotle in his treatise Nicomachean Ethics
defines the political frameworks at play in every state. He asserts with his analytic prowess that
the best form of government is monarchy in which a king looks after the interest of his
subjects. But, he argues that there is a tremendous degree of likelihood in monarchy morphing
into tyranny which is the worst deviation-form. As a result, democracyeven though a
deviation, is most practical form of government for any nation. Yet the gripping question that
escapes a comprehensive answer is whether a particular model of governance is compatible in
every country with its own set of political culture, behavioural proclivities, religious
sensitivities and historical backdrop? Or to be precise, does democracy that sits well with the
social and political frameworks of the Western countries have the ingredients to be installed in
its true spirit in Pakistan?

There are four mainstream political parties in Pakistan which have the lions share of the
political dispensation in terms of parliamentary seats. All the four parties contested the recent
elections by effectively campaigning against one another for political mileage. Pakistan
Tehreek-e-Insaf was branded to be the political arm of the military by the opposition parties,
whereas Pakistan Peoples Party was dubbed as the product of NRO.

The religious parties with a substantial combined vote-bank manipulated the religious
scriptures to gravitate naive devotees. Since, a majority of population is illiterate and hardly has
an understanding of the political maneuverings; the political parties play to the gallery, whip up
effective propaganda, arouse religious sentiment and exercise every act of coercion to solicit
votes in the run-up to elections. The preponderance of voters casts its votes either for personal
benefit or is forced to choose a particular candidate by the thugs rented out by the political
parties. Often, the voters are charmed by the personality of the party leader.

In the entire process of casting the ballot, neither the character of the candidate is examined nor
is the national interest of the country looked after. The illiteracy of the general population
brings to power the political parties which have neither the ability to govern the country nor the
desire to run the government without corruption. Pakistan Peoples Party is considered to be the
most corrupt government ever in a survey conducted by Transparency International across
Pakistan just two years before. On the contrary, the general population of the Western countries
is comparatively more literate and is less liable to fall prey to the propagandas. How can a
democratic project that requires citizens to be cognizant of basic political dynamics and socio-
economic indicators be run successfully in a country where the bulk of the population does not
have the rudimentary education that could enable them to write even their names?

Gripped by the question to lay out a system that would be keeping with the social, cultural and
religious expression of Muslims in Iran, Khomeini, in his book Hukumat-e-Islami: Wilayat al-
Faqih, proposed strategies to craft the state on the lines of theocracy. He proffered a
sophisticated system of governance revolving around the theme of theocracy that would entail a
greater ability to enhance the smooth functioning of the state. This model of governance would
arrogate tremendous political power to the clergymen who would be ruling the roost with
absolute authority. The Supreme Leader of Iran will be vested with the powers to appoint the
Commanders of Armed Forces, designate the chief judge and reject any law legislated by the
unanimous consent of the parliament; as a result, wields tremendous clout.

Vali Nasr, a leading contemporary political theorist, claims that the idea of theocracy peddled
by Khoemeni is imported from the aristocratic form of government designed by Plato. Toeing
the same line of thinking, Maulana Maududi attempted to synthesize a system more
characterized by the combination of theocracy and democracy through limited popular
sovereignty calling it theo-democracy totally in line with the traditions of Islamic tenets. But,
the excessive powers concentrated at the hands of the religious figures and the non-
representative nature of the government in the center might rob the masses from their basic right
to contest the elections without any gender and religious discrimination.

Perhaps, some radical changes after having been injected into this system by transforming it
into a technocratic-led government from a theocratic state or a theo-democracy might help
repair the friction between its detractors and advocates. The central figures of the government
responsible to assume key portfolios must be selected on stringent merit without any religious
and gender discrimination by the mutual understanding of the Army and the Judiciary which are
the most fortified and decorated institutions in Pakistan. The parliament, after been elected by
the general public, would legislate the laws which will be subject to scrutiny by a council of
experts having expertise on multiple disciplines. In other words, a government of technocrats
and elected body will come into existence which will not only be representative of the will of
the general populace, but will have the ability to steer the nation away from the state of anarchy
to the track of prosperity.

Our adamancy to install democracy, by hook or by crook, should not shrink us away from
exploring other avenues since the ultimate goal of governance model is to serve people rather
than proving a particular version of state-crafting right or wrong.
 ARAB RULE in Pakistan
It is believed that the Arab conquerors stepped in the land of present-day Pakistan
through the province of Sindh in 92 AH, and established their first-ever state, under the
marvellous leadership of Muhammad bin Qasim.
War for Peace
Saturday, March 01, 2014

But, the great warrior Muhammad bin Qasim and his regiment were not the first to tread on the
land of Sindh and to make it their dwelling place, because the trade relations, by sea and land
simultaneously, have been established between Arabia and India long ago. It is said that the
Prophet Solomon (AS) used to get gold, silver, ivory and peacocks imported from Sindh and
Hind (India).

Early Arab Attempts to conquer the land of Pakistan

After the emergence of Islam in the Arab Peninsula, the map of the world changed within a
span of years, and the trade relationships between the Subcontinent and Arabia got a new
impetus. During the years of the caliphate of Hazrat Umar (634-45 AD), Muslims penetrated
into Iran and occupied the Arabian Gulf which was a great Iranian trade hub as well as a
harbour of trade-ships leaving for the Subcontinent, China and Alexandria in Egypt. This
geographical change caused the opening up of the political relations between the Subcontinent
(Pakistan) and Arabia which culminated, at last, in the conquest of Sindh by the Arabs.
Since the year 15 AH, some Arab commanders started attacking the Subcontinent. The
manoeuvrings continued even in the reigns of Hazrat Usman and Hazrat Ali until they
succeeded in capturing the Province of Makran in the south-west of Baluochistan.
Early Arab raids on Sindh

15 AH: The first Arab army attacked the land of Pakistan under the command of Usman bin
Abil aas Al-saqafi, the governor of Oman and Bahrain, in the reign of Hazrat Umar.

23 AH: Seven years later, four Arab generals, namely Hakam al-Taghlibi, Shihab al-Mazni,
Suhail bin Adi and Abdullah bin Utbah, again marched on Makran and captured it. When they
tried to enter the land of Sindh, they were stopped by a Hindu commander Raasil who resisted
fearlessly on the bank of Indus River. After getting rid of Raasil, they planned to cross the river,
but were called back again by the Caliph Umar.

29 AH: Another expedition was sent under the command of Hakeem bin Jablah by the
Governor of Iraq to survey the land and people of Sindh as instructed by the Caliph Usman.

39 AH: During the Caliphate of Hazrat Ali, a force of 1000 men was sent to quell the rebellion
from the people of the city of Kalat in Balochistan.

42 AH: The people of Kalat again started posing threats to the Arab state. A commander
namely Haris Al-abdi along with his regiment was sent to tackle the problem. But he was killed
and the Arab army had to retreat.

44 AH: To avenge the killing of Haris al-Abdi, Muhallab bin Abi Sufrah was appointed new
governor of Makran who severely attacked on Kalat and subdued the populace. He was the first
Muslim general who had entered the sub-continent through the Pass of Khyber.

46 AH: The people of Kalat killed Abdullah bin Sawwar, the new governor of Makran, and
repulsed the Arab army.

51 AH: The region of Kalat was rapidly going out of the hands of the Arabs. Rashid bin Amr
Al-Hadeedi was appointed as new governor. He kept on fighting for whole year. On his
returning back to Makran in 53 AH, he was killed by the Meds near the city of Sehvan Sharif in
Sindh.

56 AH: Sinan bin Salma attacked Kalat but he, too, was killed.

59 AH: Munzir bin Jarood al-Abdi was appointed as the governor. He was, at last, able to
establish a regular cantonment in Kalat. Besides this, he conquered the cities of Buqan and
Khuzdar in Balochistan.

75 AH: Hajjaj bin Yousufs rise to the position of viceroy-ship of Iraq and Eastern Provinces
happened to be turning point in the history of the region. He re-opened the issue of the Sindh
after it had been put into cold storage in the reign of Abdul Malik bin Marwan ( 65-75 AH).
Had there not been the threat of
Allafi Brothers- the enemies of the Umayyad Dynasty, who had fled to the land of the Sindh,
collected a band of supporters and got the protection of Raja Dahir-, Hajjaj would have left the
issue of the Sindh un-attended. He sent Saeed bin Aslam Al-kilabi to fight them, but they got
him killed and started growing stronger and stronger, and, by the year 80 AH, occupied the
whole Province of Makran.

85 AH: Hajjaj deputed Majaah bin Misar to teach them the lesson. No sooner had he reached
Makran than the enemies fled away and took refuge in the court of Raja Dahir.

90 AH: The first direct naval attack on Debul from Iraq under the command of Abdullah Al-
Sulami took place. The apparent cause of the attack was the incident of Debul which so
gravely affected the Arab Umayyad politics that Hajjaj had to conquer the whole province of
the Sindh now called Pakistan. Famous Hindu historian KS Lal says:

The king of Ceylon had sent to Hajjaj bin Yousaf Sakafi, the governor of the eastern provinces
of the Caliphate, eight vessels filled with presents, Abyssinian slaves, pilgrims and the orphan
daughters of some Muslim merchants who had died in his dominions, but the vessels were
attacked and plundered by pirates off the coast of Sindh. Hajjaj sent a letter to Dahir demanding
reparation, but Dahir replied that the pirates were beyond his control and he was powerless to
punish them.

Besides this, there are some facts which cannot be ignored. They are:

1. The lower strata of the Hindu society, like Jats and Medes, were hostile to the Hindu ruler.
They had been forbidden to ride in saddles, wear fine clothes and to uncover the heads.

2. The Buddhists which formed the bulk of the population were averse to fighting and were
always eager to make submission to the invader without even a show of resistance.

3. The king of Sindh, Raja Dahir, was unpopular and was considered to be a usurpers son
because after the death of the last Shudra King, Sahasi, his throne was seized by Chach, the
father of Dahir.
Hajjaj sent his army to fight the culprits, but they were defeated and a lot of Arab warriors
including their commander were killed.

91 AH: Hajjaj was not ready to digest the defeat so easily. Next year he sent another well-
supported army under the command of Budail bin Tahfah Al-bajli, but, too, was severely
punished by the son of Raja Dahir. The commander of the Arab army was mercilessly killed.

An Organised Arab Conquest

92 AH: The consecutive defeat of the Arab army at the hands of the Hindus shook the policy-
making circles in the Umayyad administration. Hajjaj sent to the Caliph a detailed report of the
events demanding permission for a full-fledged military operation to conquer the Sindh. Caliph
Waleed bin Abdulmalik, after showing reluctance initially, approved the plan. So a huge army,
with 6000 Syrian horse, 6000 men, a camel corps of 3000 and a baggage train of 1500 camel,
was sent, under the command of Muhammad bin Qasim, a cousin and son-in-law of Hajjaj

An Overview of the Arab Strategy

The Arab military establishment exercised a marvellous multi-pronged strategy to occupy the
land now called Pakistan. Here is a quick look at the major two phases of the military operation:

A. On the Western Side of the Indus

Muhammad bin Qasim landed on Makran in 92 AH and started occupying the cities situated on
the western bank of the Indus. The first major victory achieved was in 93 AH when the city of
Debul was occupied after a protracted fighting and all the Arab prisoners including women
were released. Next came the turn of the city of todays Hyderabad which was captured without
any resistance. The Arab army then advanced to the city of Sahvan Sharif which was subjugated
after a complete siege of seven days. Before crossing the River, the Arab Conquerors also took
the cities of Boodhia and Bhakkar.

B. On the Eastern Side of the Indus

The crossing of the Indus by the Arab army proved to be decisive step in the ensuing war
between the Arab Muslims and the Hindus. Had Raja Dahir stopped the Arabs at the bank of the
River, the situation would have been quite different. He let the Arab army cross the river easily
which proved fatal not only for him but also for his kingdom. The Arabs made him the first
victim of their onslaught. They besieged his city of Rawar for days and a bloody war continued
between the armies till he was killed in the holy month of Ramazan, 93 A.H.

After the death of Raja Dahir, all other citadels of the Sindhhies, like Alwar, Brahmanabad,
Harawar, Basmand and swandhri, were no more than a wall of sand. They all were occupied
one by one in 94 AH.

... To be continued
 JIHAD REALITIES AND
MISCONCEPTIONS
Man has always longed for peace: war per se has never been his cherished ideal. Yet wars have
always been an undeniable fact of life. Notwithstanding the human desire for peace, at times wars
do become indispensable.

War for Peace

Saturday, March 01, 2014

However, opinions differ as to when wars could be justified on moral grounds and when they
are just a matter of sheer transgression. In tune with its claim to universality, both in terms of
time and space, Islam has propounded its own everlasting concept of war, based on Divine
wisdom and consideration of human welfare. Unfortunately, however, over a period of time,
Islam's position on war has been shrouded in confusion and misguided misinterpretations.

Jihad is perhaps the most misunderstood Islamic doctrine by many Westerners, and even some
Muslims. To many people, the mention of the word Jihad normally evokes images of bearded
men shaking their fists, smoke bellowing from two towers and hooded men wielding grenade
launchers. To make matters worse, more often than not, Jihad has come to be equated with
terrorism something which runs counter to the spirit and substance of Islam. This has more to
do with the actions of a few misguided religious zealots than the intellectual handiwork of even
fewer iconoclastic elements. Nevertheless, decidedly an overwhelming majority of Muslims,
not only the intelligentsia but also the common believers, are and have always been averse to
waging wars beyond the strict limitations prescribed in Quran and Sunnah of the Prophet
(PBUH).

To many Muslims, Jihad is the answer to all their sufferings, but to non-Muslims it is perhaps
become the primary reason to dread Muslims. In a world that is populated by almost 1.5 billion
Muslims, this issue assumes phenomenal importance. The word Islam comes from the root
word salam, which literally means safe or peaceful. How, then, can a religion that
declares itself to be peaceful be so violent and bloodthirsty? It is apparent that in recent history,
the term jihad has been used wantonly to imply that Islam is violent and bloodthirsty.

In religious context, as described by the Quran and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad
(PBUH), jihad has many meanings. It can refer to internal as well as external efforts to be a
good Muslims or believer, as well as working to inform people about the faith of Islam. In the
words of Glen:
Jihad is the inner struggle of a believer against all that stands between the believer and
God.

The True Meaning of Jihad

Jihad is usually associated with Islam and Muslims, but in fact, the concept of Jihad is found in
all religions including Christianity, Judaism and political/economic ideologies, such as,
Capitalism, Socialism, Communism, etc. Islam defines Jihad as striving and struggling for
improvement as well as fighting back to defend one's self, honour, assets and homeland. As
Campanili clarifies through al-Ghazalis teachings, there are two meanings for jihad.

1. The great jihad is the struggle for self-purification, in order to conquer the evil inclinations
of character and behavior

2. The small jihad corresponds to war.

Also, Jihad is interpreted as the struggle against evil, internal or external of a person or a
society. Jihad, in Islam, means doing any or all but not limited to the following:

1. Learn, teach, and practice Islam in all aspects of one's life at all times to reach the highest and
best education in order to benefit oneself, family and society.
2. Be a messenger of Islam everywhere, in every behaviour and action.

3. Fight evil, wrongdoing, and injustice with all ones power by ones hand (action), with ones
tongue (speech), or at least with ones heart (prayer).

4. Respond to the call for Jihad with money, effort, wisdom and life; yet, never fight a Muslim
brother, a Muslim country, or a non-Muslim society that respects its treaties and harbours no
aggressive designs against Islam or Muslims.

5. Suicide under any pretext is not condoned as Jihad in Islam.

6. Converting people to Islam by force or coercion is never Jihad but a crime, punishable by
law.

Does Jihad Mean Holy War?

In Islam, there is no such thing as holy war. This terminology was generated in Europe during
the Crusades and their war against Muslims. Islam recognizes Jews and Christians as the
People of the Book because they all follow the Prophet Abraham, believing in Moses and
Jesus teachings. For many centuries, Muslims have peacefully coexisted with Christians, Jews,
and people of other faiths, maintaining social, business, political and economic treaties. Islam
respects all humans and faiths as long as there is no religious oppression, forbidding Muslims
from serving Allah, preventing others from learning about Islam, and not respecting treaties.

Difference between Jihad and Terrorism

Jihad and terrorism are essentially two divergent, mutually exclusive concepts.

Jihad is primarily meant for the reformation of unhealthy trends and developments in society
while terrorism leads to destruction and obliteration of the whole fabric of society. Terrorism
involves calculated perpetration of crimes against humanity, including physical and mental
torture of soldiers as well as non combatant civilians, destruction of public and private property,
and destroying civil and military infrastructure to instil fear and harassment among the masses.
None of these things are brooked in Jihad.

In fact, Jihad is itself obligatory against such actions. Unlike terrorism, Jihad is never initiated
for the fulfilment of any human desire or objective: it aims only at the establishment of an
Islamic social order in accordance with Allahs commandments as revealed through his
Messenger. Jihad seeks to resist all those forces which destroy the peace and prosperity of in
humane society, whether such forces operate apparently for political ascendancy or other
material gains. There is nothing that narrows the gap between the two, no matter how one may
try to drag the actions of a few misguided individuals and groups into the fold of Jihad. It would
be highly unjust and misleading to equate the wrong actions of a few with the noble concept of
Jihad. Jihad can and should be seen in the light of the teachings of Quran and Sunnah, and not
on the basis of the actions of this or that outfit.
Comparative Results of Jihad and Terrorism
As a result of Jihad, the honour, life and property and places of worship are protected. It
eliminates injustice, oppression, fear and harassment, savagery and lawlessness and terrorism
and the wronged gets relief. Although some blood is shed in the battlefield but this blood
actually guarantees prevalence and supremacy of justice, equity and peace in society at large.
That is why the blood of the martyr is so sacred that on its first drop falling on the battlefield,
Allah forgives all the sins of the martyr.

Terrorism, on the contrary, leads to sheer destruction, disorder, fear, chaos and insecurity in
society. Large-scale populace is wiped out, properties are destroyed, and even flora and fauna
bear the brunt at times. Business and social activities are adversely affected. In short life comes
to a standstill and the world becomes a hell. Terrorists are, therefore, like a cancerous part of the
body, the sooner it is chopped off, the better for the rest of the body. Jihad is a means of
eliminating those cancerous parts of human society in the interest of peace and prosperity of
mankind at large.

Conclusion
Jihad has absolutely nothing to do with terrorism at all and the two are poles apart, in theory
and action. Terrorism is an evil, Jihad is a blessing; terrorism the cause of human sufferings and
destruction whereas Jihad is an antidote against suffering and destruction. Terrorism has no
civilised norms and knows no bounds, Jihad is a measured and disciplined response to the
challenge posed by anti-social and anti-state elements, be they in the form of invading armies or
morally depraved within the same society. Terrorism jeopardises the very fabric of society and
obliterates noble human values while Jihad aims at restoring justice, equality, rule of law,
respect for human beings, peace and tranquillity. There never was, nor will ever be, any
common ground between the mutually antithetical concepts of terrorism and Jihad.
 QUERIES of CSS, PMS, PCS Aspirants
To help aspirants better prepare for CE-2015, CSS GURU will be sharing the HOW TO
PREPARE techniques on compulsory as well as optional subjects through Jahangir's
World Times form this issue onwards.
War for Peace
Saturday, March 01, 2014

Dear Guru
Please suggest me the book for economics according to CSS perspective.
Sadia Muzafar

Dear Sadia,
Please refer to following books for better preparation of Economics for CSS:
For Paper I
Economics by Paul Samuelson
Economic Development by Michael Todaro
For Paper II
Issues in Pakistan Economy by Akbar S. Zaidi
Pakistan Economy at the Crossroads by Parvez Hasan
Moreover, for a more up-to-date knowledge, you should regularly consult:
Economic Survey of Pakistan (Latest Edition)
DAWN special edition of Business & Finance

Respected Sir,
I have done MBA. Now, I want to take the PMS exam but the dates have not been
announced yet. I have already prepared for the exams. Can you suggest when the exams
are going to be held?
Mohammad Akbar

Dear Akbar,
Generally, PMS exams are held every three to four years. Last exams were held in 2012 and the
next batch is expected to be recruited in 2015-16. You should prepare well for these papers as
next chance would be too late.

Assalam-o-Alaikum Sir,
I am currently studying in MBBS 3rd year. I want to take CSS exam at the end of my
house job. As there are no specific subjects of medicine in CSS, I have chosen Psychology
and Zoology as optional subjects. Please suggest which other subjects should I choose and
also suggest some books which can be consulted for these subjects.
Siraj Ahmed Hyderabad

Dear Siraj,
As a student of MBBS you should be looking for such subjects that would improve your general
knowledge related to current affairs or history. You should opt for one/two of subjects like
History (Indo-Pak/British), International Law, Sociology, etc.

Dear Guru!
I am going to appear in CE-2015 with philosophy as one of the optional subjects. Kindly
suggest me some good books which could get me cover part one as well as part two. And
also do share some suggestions for preparation.
Raja Ali

Dear Raja,
Please refer to following books for Philosophy:
Introduction to Logic by I.M. Copi
History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell
History of Muslim Philosophy Vol. I & II by M. M. Sharif
Complete guidance of all compulsory as well as optional subjects is available in ALL ABOUT
CSS: BEGINNERS' GUIDE by CSS Guru published by JBD Press.

Geography makes the most popular choice of CSS candidates and, not surprisingly, has
consistently been the optional subject of most of the position-holders.

Remarks of Geography Examiner

There is a message in these remarks that you need to give to-the-point and precise answers. Go
through past papers to have a clear idea of how questions are put forth. Unnecessarily lengthy
and irrelevant answers should be avoided.

Significance of Diagrams & Maps

Drawing specific diagrams and illustrations is essential for obtaining good scores in Geography.
Generally, about one-third of your answers must consist of diagrams, maps, flow-sheets and
tables as per requirements of each question. Review your diagrams and flow sheets if you are
left with extra time. Maps need to be properly labelled specifically for the question asked.
Encircle areas/countries/regions on map and give as much relevant information as possible.

Paper I
Physical & General Geography

1. Elements of Weather and Climate

(a) Insolation; Global Radiation and Heat Balance
(b) Wind systems local and global, Monsoon
(c) Clouds formation & types
(d) Air Masses, Fronts and Cyclones/Hurricanes
(e) Climate Classification; Monsoon, Tropical Rainforests, Mediterranean Climate System

2. Landforms
(a) Rocks Cycle & Classification of Rock
(b) Internal Structure of the Earth; Earthquakes and Volcancity
(c) Weathering, Mass Wasting, Erosion
(d) Landforms: Karst; Fluvial; Wind Dune; Glacial

3. Oceans: Sea Floor; Waves, Currents of Atlantic, Pacific, & Indian Oceans
4. Study of Maps: Types of maps; Map Projections; Diagrams & Graphs

Paper II
Human, Economic & Regional Geography

1.Human Geography: Environmentalism and Possibilism; World Population-distribution, and

growth models; migration; rural and urban Settlements
2.Economic Geography: Agricultural systems; Major Cereal and Non-Cereal Crops; Forests and
Fisheries; Power Resources; Major Industries
3.Regional Geography: Economic and Social Regions of the world especially South Asia &
Pakistan

CSS Guru
 English PARTS OF SPEECH
A recent FPSC report revealed that most failing candidates commit grave grammar
mistakes while writing the answers.
War for Peace
Saturday, March 01, 2014

The report highlights the importance of a sound knowledge of grammar. It is to be understood

that the most crucial element of writing is to structure a sentence clearly. Jumbled syntax
fuddles the examiner and the writers point is not properly conveyed which results in failure. To
avoid such an embarrassing situation, learning grammar is inevitable.

Noun/pronoun
As you probably remember from elementary school, a noun is the name of a person, place or
thing. It might be easier to remember as something you can point to or something you can have.
Chair, town and happiness are all nouns. Pronouns are words that take the place of nouns, and
there are a limited number of them: he, she, it, we, they, you are the ones that can be used as
subjects of sentences, and him, her, us, them are those that can be objects. These are the two
primary uses of nouns and pronouns: they perform an action (subjects) or have an action
imposed upon them (objects).

Verb
Two main types of verbs are important in English: linking verbs and action verbs. Linking
verbs, also called be verbs, focus on a state of being: am, is, are, was, were, are the big five.
Other verbs are an action something you can perform, such as talk, sit, smile, etc. If you
are trying to decide if a word is a verb, ask yourself if you can stand up and do it. If you can't,
it's probably not a verb.
Adjective
An adjective modifies or describes a noun. It might be a word that explains colour, size, or type.
Any word you can put in the blank here would be an adjective: the _____ dog. It might be a big
dog, purple dog, electric dog, neighbours dog.
A special type of adjective is the article, of which there are only three: a, an, the.

Adverbs
Adverbs are busier than adjectives. They modify pretty much everything else in a sentence:
verbs (casually walked), adjectives (incredibly stupid) and other adverbs (really well). These are
the words that typically answer the question how and end in -ly.

Preposition
Prepositions can be difficult to find, so writers should find a strategy to help reveal them. Here
again, a fill-in-the-blank can be very helpful, such as this sentence: The squirrel ran _____ the
tree. Any word you can put in here is a preposition: between, in, up, down, through.
Prepositions usually are not by themselves but function as part of an entire phrase. This phrase
begins with the preposition and continues through the object, which can be found by asking
what about the preposition. For example, looking the the squirrel sentence and using the
preposition up, I would ask myself, The squirrel ran up what? The answer to my question is
the tree, so up the tree is the prepositional phrase. That object in that phrase must be a noun
or pronoun.

Conjunctions
Conjunctions come in lots of different types. What they all have in common is that they are
connecting words; what they connect differs. For instance, the coordinate conjunctions (for,
and, nor, but, or, yet, so) can connect single ideas or complete sentences, things that are on an
equal level of importance. She plays softball and basketball would be an example. Adverbial
conjunctions (such as however, therefore, consequently, next) serve as transitional devices,
words that explain a certain causal or time relationship between ideas. For example, She is not
an English major; however, she knows grammar very well. Finally, subordinate conjunctions
(like while, since, because) indicate that one clause is less significant than another. Although
he is taking French, Russian literature is his major is an example here.

Interjections
Interjects are easier to learn than the other parts of grammar because they are so different. These
are the words that express surprise or some other strong emotion and are typically written with
an exclamation mark if alone: wow!, ouch!, darn!, are examples.

Learning the basics of grammar helps writers know where to best place the various parts of
speech. Knowing the labels for grammar, as well, helps writers have cogent conversations with
others about how to improve syntax. Good communication is the key to good grades, good jobs,
and good potential. Good grammar is the key to all.
 Strengthening of Institutions by
Administrative Accountability
Public Administration as a practice is as old as the human civilization. When human
beings started living in society in an organized way, they started the practice of
administration, because they started to live cooperatively in society.
War for Peace
Saturday, March 01, 2014

It is an inevitable consequence of the existence of social life and examines the phenomenon of
management, organization, decision-making and implementation processes, while
simultaneously trying to make sense of and explain political, social, and economic changes.

In public administration, the word Public stands for government. Therefore, public
administration is simply government administration. The discipline is not very old while its
recent history doesnt span over a hundred years. In recent times, the countries, particularly the
developing ones, are in a quandary regarding public administration.

In Pakistans context, the administrative reforms have, therefore, been necessitated and it has
been promised by successive governments too. In this regard different commissions, task forces
and committees have been constituted which have done marvellous job in coming up with
recommendations to meet the modern-day challenges. It is, however, to be seen that to what
extent we have been able to ameliorate our administrative culture in order to harness maximum
dividends from these recommendations, if implemented in true letter and spirit.

Administrative culture is sometimes confused with organizational culture. Notwithstanding, it

needs much attention to turn public entities into effective and efficient ones. What lacks in
Pakistans institutions is a strong administrative culture with inbuilt mechanism of
accountability. There can be no two opinions on holding those accountable who have been
entrusted to deliver what is expected from them in the light of the given mandate. The supreme
institution to hold executive and administrative bodies, working in the country, accountable is,
indubitably, the parliament. It acts as a horizontal accountability body.

The other relatively autonomous bodies and institutions which take notice of the wrongdoings
of government officials and bring them to the book, if they are found guilty, are Auditor
General of Pakistan (AGP), Ombudsman, National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Security and
Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), and State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). They are
authorized to nab those whose actions are against the spirit of their duties and/or in violation of
countrys law. This can be termed as formal arrangements of accountability. But, this is not
sufficient in a developing country like Pakistan where social and economic development is not
at par with the international standards or those of developed countries.

Despite having a well-structured, inbuilt mechanism of accountability, these institutions are not
contributing, sufficiently, towards improving the working of administrative bodies. One such
example in this regard would be the reports of Auditor General of Pakistan who had unearthed,
but after the lapse of significant time, financial bungling in the state institutions. The lapse of
time between occurrence of a financial irregularity and finding it out by the Accountant General
Office needs to be minimized, though the situation has improved a lot in recent years owing to
frequent meetings of PACs.

This underpins the role of informal mechanism of accountability, also called the vertical
accountability. This system or mechanism comprises civil society, NGOs, media, and other
such bodies directly linked with public. These can play a pivotal role in exposing the
weaknesses of governance and holding those responsible for this fiasco accountable, and since
the last ten years or so, they have been the torchbearers in this regard.

Taking initiatives to produce tangible results is the utmost requirement to make people feel the
difference. These measures may comprise strong commitment to foster a healthy administrative
culture along with steps to revamp, revitalize and reengineer the institutions. This reform
process must start from Public Sector Enterprises (PSEs), so that a significant chunk of our
national budget is not wasted away in bailing them out owing to ever-increasing deficits. Only
the meritocracy must prevail and the professionals with high administrative capabilities and
talent, selected on merit through an open and fair method, should be handed over the charge of
these entities with operational autonomy, with no political interference at all. If they do not
produce the desired result of maximum efficiency of that enterprise, then they should be held
accountable. This will certainly help nurture an administrative culture in the country.

A common man has to look up to local government functionaries to get his grievances
redressed. In the absence of a local self government an important component of democratic
setup the accountability of local government officials insofar as performing duties diligently
is concerned, will remain a far cry. This situation calls for a system of District Ombudsman to
check maladministration at local level and bringing efficiency in delivery of services.
An approach is required to harness an accountability culture where misdoings and acts of
misdemeanour could be exposed immediately followed by disciplinary actions against the
culprits. This exercise should remain in vogue and reflect the commitment of top hierarchy in
improving the affairs. The disciplinary rules and regulations should also be sublimated so that
the culprits are taken to task promptly. The information about those punished should also be
made available on the websites of the organization.

Last but not least, its our responsibility to expose malpractice, corruption, and misuse of
powers by government officials for the sake of larger interests of the nation and bringing
transparency in the government business. This will change the perception business as usual.

Muhammadramzan2001@hotmail.com
Muhammad Ramzan

Hijab
Recently, the news of Delhi gang rape has flabbergasted the women not only in India but
in Pakistan too. The bestial incident is horrendous and dreadful.
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Saturday, March 01, 2014
Unfortunately, in the so-called biggest democracy, the democratic leaders do assert that
women should join the workforce to boost the economy, but any consolidated efforts for their
security are still not in sight. In Pakistan, though situation is not so affrighting, yet those at the
helm must take u his matter on urgent basis.

In the wake of rise in such heinous crimes and growing insecurity among the women, it is
apropos for us to go back to the basics and find that Islam has provided the condition of Hijab
for them. A woman is a valuable and revered being. Islam has given much vitality to women
along with the rights that are unprecedented in any other religion. Islam does not direct the
women to remain confined within the four walls of home; she is allowed to go anywhere
even to the markets and work in any field but with certain limitations. Women are asked to
veil their faces while they are out of their homes.

The word Hijab comes from the Arabic word Hajaba which means to hide or to conceal.
In contemporary world, Hijab refers to covering of faces of women. Here a question may arise
that why do Muslim women wear Hijab? The simple answer would be: Muslim women wear
hijab because Allah has told them to do so. But a more rational answer is: A woman who wears
hijab liberates herself from the vain and selfish desire to show off her beauty and to compete
with other women around her. Furthermore, the following verse is sufficient to believe that
hijab saves a woman from any sort of abuse.
Allah says in Surah Ahzab, verse 59:

O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down
over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known
and not be abused. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.

The words ...they will be known and not be abused... are of special import here.

Today, even in our Islamic society, women are subjected to harassment. The very reason
behind their suffering is that she is not fulfilling the commands of Shariah. Women, even young
girls of merely 12 or 13 years of age, get influenced by the fashion fascinations through media.
This leads many of them to portray the vulgarity through attitudes and attributes. They feel
pleasure in revealing and exposing off their beauty in front of non-mahram to appeal and attract
them. This attitude negatively affects the minds of opposite sex. Ironically, many females are
opinionated that they have every right to wear what and how they want; males should mind
their own business and they must know their own limits.

I wonder that how naive and uninstructed they are. All religious commandments were ordained
according to the inherent human nature. Allah, the Creator, made both sexes of humans and
instilled in them the attraction for each other. But, where Allah has commanded men to observe
certain limits, He has also commanded women to veil their faces, to guard her body and also to
keep her voice and gaze lower.

Allah commands in Surah An-Nur, Ayah 31:

And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts and
not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof and to wrap [a
portion of] their headcovers over their chests and not expose their adornment except to their
husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers,
their brothers' sons, their sisters' sons, their women, that which their right hands possess, or
those male attendants having no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private
aspects of women. And let them not stamp their feet to make known what they conceal of their
adornment. And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed.

Being a working woman myself, I can easily understand the fact that a woman is not able to
follow all the commandments; sometimes she has to speak gently to her colleagues or
subordinates, she cant be rude with her boss(es). All these are considered welcome notions to
the male opponents. But, if men also follow Allahs commandments in letter and spirit, then it
wont create problems which we are mired in at present.

Allah almighty had ordered women to cover themselves from head to toe to avoid any fitna and
to maintain their own dignity and chastity. The command to put on the veil does not, in any
sense, curbs the freedom and other rights of women. It is a known fact that the rate of rape
incidents in the worlds most advanced countries such as USA is much higher than in Muslim
countries. A recent report by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that in
every minute, 24 Americans suffer sexual or intimate-partner violence. It is an eye-opener for
our so-called women rights activists.

Muslims must comprehend the true philosophy behind hijab rather than making changes in
Shariah through ijtehad by submitting to pressure of human right activists particularly Women
Rights Activists and Feminists.

Munazza Khan
 How Social Media Changed the World
When Harvard student Mark Zuck-erberg launched facebook.com in February 2004, even he
could not have imagined the forces it would unleash. His intent was to con-nect college students.
Facebook, which is what this website rapidly evolved into, ended up connecting the world.

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Saturday, March 01, 2014

To the children of this connected era, the world is one giant social network. They are not bound
- as were previous generations of humans - by what they were taught. They are limited by their
curiosity and ambition. During my childhood, all knowledge was local. You learned everything
you knew from your parents, teachers, preachers and friends. If you were privileged and had
access to a library or an encyclopedia, you could learn a little more. You surely could not follow
and reach out to the people that you read about; learn what people all over the world had to say;
or ask the difficult, uncomfortable, questions.

With the high-quality and timely information at their fingertips and encouragement from each
other, todays children are rising above the fears and biases of their parents. That is why youth
in the Middle East are fermenting revolutions and the Chinese are getting restless.

Adults are also participating in this revolution. Indias normally docile middle class is speaking
up against social ills. Silicon Valley executives are being shamed into adding women to their
boards. Political leaders, such as US President Barack Obama, are marshalling the energy of
millions for elections and political causes. All of this is being done with social media
technologies that facebook and its competitors unleashed.
As does every advancing technology, social media has created many new problems. It is
commonly addictive and provides a tool for stalking children. Social media is used by
extremists in the Middle East and elsewhere to solicit and brainwash recruits. And it exposes us
and our friends to unsavoury spying. We may leave our lights on in the house when we are on
vacation, but through social media, we tell criminals who may want to rob us exactly where we
are, when we plan to return home and how to blackmail us.

Governments do not need informers any more. Social media allows government agencies to spy
on their political masters, their own citizens, in a way that would make Big Brother jealous. We
record our thoughts, emotions, likes and dislikes on facebook; we share our political views,
social preferences and plans. We post intimate photographs of ourselves. No spy agency or
criminal organisation could actively gather the type of data that we voluntarily post for them.
We tell governments our friends names, email addresses and contact numbers, and we tag
photographs of them. And as computers become more powerful, they will be able to analyse our
social-media information and correlate it with what our friends and acquaintances say about us.

The marketers are also seeing big opportunities. Amazon is trying to predict what we will order.
Google is trying to judge our needs and wants based on our social-media profiles; it wants to be
our personal assistant. We need to be aware of the risks and keep working to mitigate the
dangers.

Getting back to the bright side, major changes are happening in fields such as health care
because of social media. Already, by analysing Google searches, researchers can track the
spread of disease across the world. Patients are able to converse with others who have had the
same ailment as they now have and learn which remedies or methods worked for others and
which did not. People all over the world are providing each other with advice and moral
support.

The might of social media already has the Chinese government trembling. Its people are
informing each other of local government officials atrocities and their abuses of power. In New
Delhi, we witnessed a political revolution happen as an anti-corruption party came out of
nowhere to gain power in the state elections. Political scandals in the US have become more
common because people speak up immediately.

There is no greater force for democracy than social media and this will empower the masses. So
far, only about two billion of the worlds seven billion people have come online. During this
decade, another three billion will gain connectivity through cheap tablets. Devices that have
capabilities similar to iPads will be available for less than $50 (Dh183.9). Already, basic tablets
with 7-inch screens are available for as little as $40 in China and India. Before last Christmas,
Datawind made them available in the US for as little as $38.
It is likely that the majority of the rising billion will use social media. However, the winner will
not necessarily be facebook. People will use social networks that are special-purpose, geared
towards local communities and in local languages. In parts of New Delhi, for example,
localcircles.com is gaining popularity. It connects neighbourhoods by allowing them to
exchange information about water availability and domestic help; find blood donors; and report
corruption. In China, Renren, Weibo and Weixin - which have their own specialties - each have
hundreds of millions of users.

Regardless of what social media people use and whether we celebrate facebooks next 10-year
anniversary, one thing is certain: We are in a period of exponential change. The next decade
will be even more amazing and unpredictable than the last. Just as no one could predict what
would happen with social media in the last decade, no one can accurately predict where this
technology will take us. I am optimistic, however, that a connected humanity will find a way to
uplift itself.

The Rise of Islamic Finance 4 lessons that

western banks can learn from their Islamic
counterparts
Perhaps, Islamic banks can teach its western counterparts some basic principles very much
linked to common sense which could enhance their financial stability three years after the credit
crisis.

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Saturday, March 01, 2014
During 2008, UK accountants joked about the balance sheet of their banks: On the left side
there is nothing right; on the right side there is nothing left. Languages in other countries did
not offer the same potential when referring to the balance sheet of banks, yet the underlying
situation was more or less the same. However, it is remarkable the strength that Islamic banks
(those subject to Islamic finance) have shown over these years. Three years after the ignition of
the crisis, several lessons can be learned from these banks, but the four most important are:

First
Islamic banks can stabilise credit growth. A major danger for an economy lies in excessive
credit growth. Central banks can influence this inter alia through interest rates, but sometimes
this tool is ineffective, banks lend too much in good years and too little in bad years, creating
Hyman Minskys credit cycles that can worsen economic cycles. In good years non
performing loans come down, there is plenty of liquidity and it is very easy to obtain credit,
which in turn further drives down NPLs (non-performing loans). The opposite occurs during
bad years. We have learned from this crisis that (a) incentives drive human behaviour, and (b)
an incorrect incentive scheme can lead to exponential credit growth that creates the basis for
future banking and economic damage. As Islamic finance only allows financing to happen as
long as it is linked to the value-creating real transactions, ultimately credit growth (although
under Islamic finance credit should be read as coinvestment) is very much restricted by
growth in productivity and income, creating a natural brake for credit growth in good years.
Structural reforms in the western banking system point towards creating similar brakes for
credit growth normally linked to incentive schemes.

Second
One bank can lose most of its investment in a complex to value synthetic product, such as a
CDO (Collateralised debt obligation), a CDO squared or a CLO (Collateralised loan obligation),
yet if the investment is a physical asset (property, infrastructure, energy) the risk of losing
100% of the position is almost nil. As Islamic banks are only allowed to invest in physical
assets generating free cash flow, valuation of these instruments is more transparent; as a
consequence financial stability is intuitively reduced compared to that of an investment in a
theoretically risk-limited AAA rating CDO squared. Indeed, reforms in Basel II and III in
general penalise in capital consumption the holding of positions without underlying physical
assets.

Third
Systemic risk is reduced if risk-managing instruments are used in tandem with wealth creating
activities rather than trading risk independent of economic productive transactions. Comparing
the replacement value of global derivatives with global GDP shows how side-betting can grow
to almost reach world production of goods and services mostly through over-the-counter (OTC)
transactions which enhance systemic risk. Islamic finance allows risk-taking only if it is
integrated with wealth creation, rather than pure zero-sum side-betting (betting would be
forbidden under the principle of gharar). This has produced the fact that Islamic banks were
much less affected by the OTC derivatives meltdown that followed the demise of Lehman
Brothers. The recent US reforms of the financial system which seriously limit proprietary
trading could illustrate this vision.

Fourth
Too much leverage is bad. This is a consistent lesson throughout history. Islamic finance
prevents investing in the equity of companies if they use leverage (debt to assets must be one
third at maximum) and investments in assets which are financed heavily through interest
bearing debt (these would be considered too risky and consequently unlawful). The result is a
low beta investment portfolio that will yield low in good years, but very resilient to changes of
cycle. New trends in banking regulation will also impose caps on the absolute level of debt a
bank can use to finance its operations.

These lessons do not imply that Islamic banks are free of risk. Other significant perils can arise.
On one hand, limiting finance to physical assets can create asset bubbles, due to an imbalance
between liquidity and collateral, which sooner or later can create a serious banking crisis. Spain
is a good example of a banking system that invested in physical assets (property developers)
and saw credit growth exceed 20% during the credit boom. The result was an intense banking
crisis. On the other hand, the recent default of some Islamic Sukuk (hybrid instruments which
work as a bond) could damage some of the Islamic banks holding these assets.
What is the difference between a bank and a hedge fund? A bank is a hedge fund with much
more leverage. On average a hedge fund uses a leverage of one to three; a bank uses a leverage
of one to twenty. In 1900, banks in the West would use a leverage of one to three. During the
summer of 2007, many banks had reached positions of one to thirty and one to forty. Priced for
perfection, but as behavioural finance teach us, human beings are imperfect. Perhaps, Islamic
banks can teach us some basic principles very much linked to common sense which could
enhance financial stability. Indeed, it was during the XIII century that the Catholic Church
stopped its prohibition of charging interest rates on loans; exactly when the 800 years of
financial folly described by Professors Rogoff and Reinhart started!

Gadgets to look for in 2014

Since this time a year ago, we've seen a number of popular releases that have changed the
dynamic of the tech world. All we have been using in 2013 seems out of date now. What have we
got to look forward to during 2014? Here are the top 10 things to watch out for in the new year.

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Saturday, March 01, 2014
1. 4K TVs
When we switched from normal telly to high-definition, the change in picture quality was
massive. Now imagine taking that up a few notches further and moving from HD to Ultra HD
or 4K. 2014 should be the year these screens start their extension into the mainstream with
prices lowering enough to make them affordable for early adopters.

It won't be until late 2015 that these will be within reach of us all but in the meantime, along
with thinner and even curved TV screens, this is a trend to watch.

2. iPhone 6
The next yearly update for Apple's flagship product will be crucial. With the 5S bridging the
gap with its fingerprint reader, it will take a huge jump in technology and design for the iPhone
6 to really garner positive headlines and satisfy investors. Apple usually has a trick or two up its
sleeve but facing stiff competition now in the smartphone space, it will have to conjure up the
sort of magic that set the original iPhone apart from the rest.

3. Internet of Things
This catch-all term for appliances in our home talking to each other is yet another buzzword but
it will come further to fruition hopefully in 2014. It speaks of a world where washing machines,
fridges, kettles and ovens connect to the internet and can be controlled via mobile phones or
tablet computers.

4. Big Screen Apple TV

Will Apple launch its own TV set in 2014? Well, it's been talked about since 2012 and we are
still none the wiser.

But it would make sense to enter that market and take on rivals Samsung and Sony. A
touchscreen telly backed by iOS and all of Apple's apps and games would be a massive
disrupter in the TV space. However, it would surely cost a premium price and that marks out
one major issue for the US giant as it battles to extend mainstream reach of the iPhone and iPad.

5. Wearable tech
The year 2014 will be the year of technology that you wear - and not just on your wrist or nose.
The whole sector looks set to increase throughout our lives on the back of the growing trend for
wearable fitness devices that track exercise progress and healthy living. Expect to see products
built into clothing as well as stuff you can physically wear yourself.

6. Smart watches
Hot on the heels of the Pebble and Samsung Galaxy Gear smart watches, will surely come
newer and more innovative mobile-linked wrist-pieces. But 2014 will be the year Apple
launches one. Or maybe it wont. Both of which would be a big story.

The first would show the potential power of these products and the second would dismiss the
idea as a fad if a company like Apple fails to take up the gauntlet.

7. Google Glass
Developed by Maximiliano Firtman, Google glasses, a wearable computer with an optical head-
mounted display (OHMD), is going to be launched very soon. Enabling you to interact with the
world around you in a totally different way, Google Glass lets you get info from the web and
take pictures using voice commands.

8. Livescribe Echo Smartpen

This Smartpen allows you to record audio while youre taking notes, and then play them back
later. You can save and share interactive notes to your computer, iPad or iPhone via a micro-
USB connector that also allows you to recharge your pen. The memory storage holds 400 or
800 hours of recorded audio, depending on the model, and includes an OLED display that
makes it easy to navigate smartpen apps.

World in Focus Jan-Feb 2014

News from National & International Press
War for Peace
Saturday, March 01, 2014

National
Jan 16: At least 10 people were killed in an explosion at a Tableeghi Markaz in Peshawar.
Jan 16: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif declared that operation launched in Karachi by law
enforcement agencies would continue.

Jan 16: 17 schoolchildren, two teachers and a van driver perished in a road accident at
Daulatpur near Nawabshah.

Jan 16: Akram Khan Durrani and Abdul Ghafoor Haideri of the JUI-F and Abbas Afridi, a Fata
legislator, were inducted into the federal cabinet, raising its strength to 36.

PML-N's Khurram Dastagir, already in the cabinet as a minister of state, was sworn in as
commerce minister.

Jan 16: The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan (ICAP) restructured the Chartered
Accountancy (CA) qualification by incorporating latest developments in curriculum and
syllabus.

Jan 16: The national proficiency testing services were formally launched to strengthen the
quality infrastructure and certification of export commodities and consumer items.
Administered by the National Physical and Standard Laboratory (NPSL), the testing services
will facilitate the export market and ensuring availability of safe food and consumer items in the
local market.

Jan 16: A Lahore-based lawyer Salman Aslam Butt was appointed as the attorney general of
Pakistan making him the fifth attorney general to have been appointed since March 2008 and
the second to serve during the PML-N government.

Jan 16: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government bifurcated Kohistan district in Upper and Lower
Kohistan, raising the number of districts in the province to 26.

Jan 17: An accountability court in Islamabad indicted former prime minister Raja Pervez
Ashraf and nine others in a case relating to the rental power project scam.

Jan 17: The World Health Organisation (WHO) announced that Peshawar is the largest
endemic poliovirus 'reservoir' in the world and more than 90 per cent of the current cases in the
country are genetically linked to the city.

Jan 18: Objecting to the December 10 verdict of Supreme Court in the case of 35 missing
persons, the ministry of defence filed a review petition pleading that holding the Pakistan Army
responsible for enforced disappearances by the court would demoralise the troops engaged in
combating terrorists in Swat and Malakand.

Jan 19: At least 20 soldiers were killed and 30 others sustained injuries in an explosion
targeting a military convoy in Bannu city.

Jan 19: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif cancelled his visit to the Swiss city of Davos following a
deadly attack on security forces in Bannu.

Jan 20: A suicide bomber killed 14 people and injured 34 others close to the army
headquarters, Rawalpindi.

Jan 20: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia started talks on bilateral defence cooperation under the 'New
Era of Strategic Partnership' between the two countries.

Jan 20: The federal cabinet allowed import of electricity from India despite internal opposition.

Jan 20: Ameer Bakhsh Bhutto, adviser to the prime minister, resigned from his post.

Jan 21: In a tit-for-tat response to the militant bombings in Bannu and Rawalpindi Pak Army's
air strikes in North Waziristan killed at least 40 people.

Jan 21: Rejecting compromise applications between the victim's family and Rangers men, an
appellate bench of the Sindh High Court upheld the conviction of five Rangers personnel in the
2011 Sarfraz Shah murder case.
Jan 21: The National Assembly's Standing Committee on Interior approved the Protection of
Pakistan Ordinance (PPO) bill. A meeting of the committee, presided over by its chairman Rana
Shamim Ahmed, approved the bill with majority votes.

Jan 21: Saeed Ahmad assumed the charge of the office of Deputy Governor (DG), State Bank
of Pakistan (SBP) for three years.

Jan 22: The Interior Ministry, on the advice of FIA DG Saud Ahmad Mirza, replaced FIA
Lahore Director Qudratullah Marwat with Dr Usman Anwar.

Jan 22: The government brought amendments, through another ordinance, to the Protection of
Pakistan Ordinance (PPO) that regulates detention for more than three months of suspects of
terrorism and waging war against the country.

The new ordinance provides a legal cover for those persons who are in detention of the security
agencies. Under the new provisions, these persons will not fall in the category of enforced
disappearances. Besides this, the law has authorised the law enforcement agencies to detain a
suspect for more than 90 days.

Jan 22: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed Hajj agreement 2014 at Hajj Ministry, the Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia.

Jan 22: The judge of the Anti-Terrorism Court of Sibi, Muhammad Nawaz Khan Barakzai,
acquitted provincial Home Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti, his father Mir Ghulam Qadir Bugti and
chief of the Baloch Republican Party Nawabzada Brahmdagh Bugti in two separate cases
because the prosecution failed to prove charges against them.
Jan 23: More Fulbright students from Pakistan studied in the United States in 2012 than from
any other country except Chile, an official report said.

Chile sent 287 students to the United States in 2012, followed by Pakistan and Germany, 248,
Indonesia, 205, Colombia, 176, Brazil, 172, and Russia, 114.

Jan 23: President Mamnoon Hussain promulgated the Gas Theft Control and Recovery
Ordinance 2014 which enunciates that any person tampering with gas supply lines will be liable
to a punishment of between 5 and 10 years of imprisonment, and a fine of up to Rs 3 million.
Those tampering with the main lines or installations may be awarded imprisonment of between
7 and 14 years, and a fine of up to Rs 10 million. Whereas those tampering with domestic
meters can be awarded a punishment of up to 6 months or a fine which may extend to Rs
100,000, or both.

Jan 23: Punjab Educational Endowment Fund (PEEF) and Department for International
Development (DFID) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) under which DFID will
provide Rs 1.62 billion to PEEF to award 28,000 scholarships to meritorious and needy students
in a period of five years.

Jan 26: National Security and Foreign Affairs Adviser Sartaj Aziz reached Washington for US-
Pakistan Strategic Dialogue resumed after a three-year gap to redraw a blueprint for a
future relationship between the two allies. The Dialogue focussed, mainly, on economic and
security cooperation between the two countries.

Jan 26: Former justice Sardar Muhammad Raza Khan was appointed as chairman Missing
Persons Commission to take up the matters of missing persons of the country.

Jan 27: Irfan Siddiqui, a seasoned columnist, analyst and author was appointed as Special
Assistant to Prime Minister on National Affairs. He would hold status of a federal minister.

Jan 27: A Lahore High Court division bench restrained the Punjab government from
dispossessing the owners of the properties/land being acquired for establishing the Garments
City on Sheikhupura Road.

Jan 27: At the 27th meeting of the Provincial Development Working Party of 2013-14 fiscal
year, presided over by Punjab Planning and Development Board Chairman Irfan Elahi, the
Punjab government approved establishment of a medical college at Gujrat besides 14 other
development schemes with an estimated cost of Rs. 13.259 billion

Jan 27: Authorities in Azad Jammu and Kashmir refused to allow a bus from India to enter,
thereby continuing the deadlock over the cross-LoC trade and the peace bus service in Jammu
and Kashmir.

Jan 28: Punjab University's Hailey College of Commerce launched PhD classes.
Jan 28: Pakistan released an important Afghan Taliban commander Mullah Mansoor Dadullah,
according to the Afghan Islamic Press (AIP).

Jan 29: Announcing the much-awaited policy statement regarding dealing with terrorism in the
National Assembly, the Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif gave Taliban another chance for
peace talks that each side has alternately offered the other. The gesture came as the prime
minister made his first appearance in the National Assembly in more than seven months.

He constituted a four-member committee, headed by his Advisor on National Affairs, Irfan

Siddiqui, to establish contact with the Taliban and pave the way for a dialogue.

Jan 30: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif directed the authorities to form a committee for initiating
a reconciliation process and negotiations with disgruntled Baloch nationalists.

Jan 30: The federal government accepted the resignation of the governor of State Bank of
Pakistan, Yaseen Anwar, with effect from January 31.

Jan 30: The Supreme Court threw out a petition of former president retired Gen Pervez
Musharraf seeking review of its judgement of July 31, 2009, on the grounds that it contained
irrelevant precedence and was also time-barred.

Jan 30: The federal government notified MNAs Abdul Rehman Kanju and Shazia Marri as
members of Press Council of Pakistan. They will replace Yasmin Rehman and Saira Afzal
Tarar. They will hold office until October 17, 2014.

Jan 31: Ashraf Mahmood Wathra was appointed acting governor of the State Bank of Pakistan.

Jan 31: Peshawar High Court (PHC) Chief Justice Dost Muhammad Khan took oath as
Supreme Court judge. Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Tassadduq Hussain Jillani, administered
the oath.

Jan 31: The special court issued arrest warrants for former president retired Gen Pervez
Musharraf in the high treason case. The court also dismissed his application seeking cardiac
treatment in the United States.

Jan 31: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and former president Asif Ali Zardari jointly performed
the ground-breaking of a coal project in Islamkot, near Thar Coal Block-II.

An important part of the project is a 660MW coal-based power plant which is expected to be
completed in 2017 at a cost of $1.60 billion.

Jan 31: Mohammad Ramzan Chaudhry won the election of vice chairman of the prestigious
Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) for one-year term.
Feb 01: The Balochistan assembly passed six bills, three of which pertained to threefold
increase in the salary, allowances and privileges of the chief minister, ministers and speaker,
deputy speaker and members of the provincial assembly.

Feb 03: The Sindh Assembly unanimously passed the prevention of defacement of private and
public property bill, making contravention of its provisions punishable with up to six-month
imprisonment or a fine up to Rs. 5,000 or with both.

Feb 03: Inefficiency, clash of interests and vested interests of officials in the Punjab Textbook
Board (PTB) and the Punjab Curriculum Authority (PCA) have fallen hard on class X students
as they are studying Physics (English medium) textbook that is replete with conceptual and
technical mistakes.

The PTB had identified 1,066 spelling, grammatical, technical, conceptual and illustrative
mistakes in the manuscript of the physics X, which was approved by the PCA for publication.

Feb 03: The Supreme Court disqualified PML-N's Swat MPA, Qaimoos Khan for his fake
degree and rigging in 2013 general elections.

Feb 06: The government and Taliban negotiators held their first formal meeting at the Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa House to pave the way for an agreement on ending violence that has claimed tens
of thousands of lives.

Feb 06: The United States put Malik Ishaq, a co-founder of Lashkar-i-Jhangvi, on its list of
specially-designated global terrorists and maintained its ban on the organisation as well.

Feb 06: The Sindh police in collaboration with the United States designed 'modern training
curricula' to enhance professional skills of the officers with main focus on criminal
investigations.

Feb 06: The government pushed two anti-terror bills through the National Assembly in the first
legislation of more than eight months of the life of the house.
The bills, seeking to amend the Anti Terrorism Act of 1997 to counter financing of terrorist
organisations through money-laundering and providing for shoot-at-sight orders to law-
enforcement agencies, were based on two of the three anti-terrorism presidential ordinances that
the house also extended for further periods of 120 days each to save them from lapsing within
the coming few days.

Feb 06: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) set aside the December 2 order of the federal
government to suspend the supply of natural gas to the CNG filling stations in the winter.

Feb 06: The Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) started operating the state of the art
Power Distribution Control Centre (PDCC) installed with technical and funding assistance of
the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Feb 07: United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) Director
General Irina Bokova and the Pakistan's Minister of State for Education, Training and Standards
in Higher Education Muhammad Baleeghur Rehman signed $7 million Malala Funds-in-Trust
agreement to support better access, improved quality and safe learning environment for girls in
the hard-to-reach areas of Pakistan.

Feb 07: The United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan (USEFP) opened a Fulbright
Centre at the Forman Christian College (FCC).

The centre will offer advisory and counselling services, preparatory classes and prometric
testing facilities for admissions to universities in the United States.

Feb 07: The Sindh government established its own Higher Education Commission (HEC) and
appointed former petroleum minister, Dr Asim Hussain, as its chairman. The post of chairman
is equivalent to a provincial minister.

Feb 08: The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) included
Pakistan in the list of 51 'Fragile States 2014' report for mobilising less than 14 per cent of GDP
in tax revenue and high level of security situation.

Feb 08: A Pakistani feature film Zinda Bhaag won the Special Jury Award at the closing
ceremony of the Jaipur International Film Festival 2014.
Feb 09: The International Monetary Fund reported a better-than-expected GDP growth in the
country. The IMF also pointed that Pakistan had met nearly all of its quantitative performance
markers and its reform programme remained broadly on track.

Feb 09: The provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa launched Green Growth Initiative
(GGI) to end power outages in the province.

Feb 10: At the 25th meeting of the Council of Common Interests (CCI), chaired by Prime
Minister Nawaz Sharif and attended by the chief ministers of all the provinces, the government
received approval from the four CMs to go ahead with privatisation of the power sector.

Feb 11: Girls' access to basic education got an impetus with the opening of around 30 schools
in six districts of Sindh with a Japanese grant of Rs 829 million.

Feb 11: During the inter-provincial education ministers' conference at Planning Commission
Auditorium, Islamabad, the federal government and the provinces evolved consensus on
establishing a National Curriculum Commission (NCC) to bring uniformity in education syllabi
of all provinces.

Feb 11: The federal government, after due diligence and consultations with the provinces,
decided to induct Provincial Management Service (PMS) officers into the prestigious Pakistan
Administrative Service (PAS), erstwhile District Management Group (DMG). The step
dismantled over 40 years of patent anomaly in law and ad hoc practices pursued regarding the
promotion of officers to senior policy and management positions in the provinces and the
federation.

Feb 12: With the provision of $900 million by the Asian Development Bank for Jamshoro
supercritical coal-fired power plant to produce 1200MW, Pakistan has stepped into the arena of
producing low-cost energy and improving energy mix. Documents for the loan were signed and
exchanged by Secretary of Economic Affairs Division Nargis Sethi and ADB Country Director
Werner Liepach at the PM secretariat. The project is expected to be completed by December
2018.

Feb 12: The media watchdog group Reporters Without Borders said in a report that Pakistan
remains one of the most dangerous countries in the world for working journalists.

Feb 12: The Punjab Assembly passed The Punjab Commission on the Status of Women Bill
2013.

The commission aims at empowering women, expanding opportunities for their socioeconomic
development and eliminating all forms of discrimination against them.

Feb 13: Pakistan, Turkey and Afghanistan reaffirmed their resolve to continue collective efforts
and enhanced cooperation to ensure sustainable peace and security in the region at the eighth
trilateral summit, hosted by Turkish President Abdullah Gul. Leaders of the three countries
expressed satisfaction over the outcome of the summit held in an environment of fraternity.

Feb 14: The Punjab government decided to do away with English as a medium for instruction
from classes 1-3 after realising students can learn better in their mother and local languages.

The change will be implemented from the next academic session beginning April 1.

Feb 14: US Consul General Nina M. Fite formally inaugurated the Lincoln Corner Bahawalpur
via digital video conference with Islamia University of Bahawalpur Vice Chancellor Dr
Muhammad Mukhtar.

Feb 15: Country's first Parliamentarians Tax Directory, was issued by the Federal Board of
Revenue. Barring a few worthy exceptions, the sums paid as income tax by most of the elected
representatives are laughably low. Of the 319 MNAs who filed their tax returns, 108 paid no tax
at all. The MNAs who paid less than Rs. 100 as income tax include Asyia Naz Tanoli (Rs. 88),
Tahir Bashir Cheema (Rs. 55) and Mohammad Zain Elahi (Rs. 72).

Feb 15: The Punjab government decided to abolish the Frogh-i-Taleem Fund being charged
from public school students. The government will itself fill the gap by providing Rs 2.5 billion
additional funds to schools.

International
Jan 16: The annual survey by Indian education research group Pratham showed that the
standards of education in rural India have declined almost every year since 2009 despite huge
government investments.

Jan 16: Crime caper American Hustle and 3D space spectacular Gravity topped the Oscars
nominations list with 10 each. Historical drama 12 Years a Slave was close behind with nine
nominations.

Jan 16: The US lawmakers set condition that Pakistan will receive $33 million only after
release of Dr Shakil Afridi. They also demanded withdrawal of the allegations levelled against
him.

Jan 17: President Barack Obama trimmed the powers of the US eavesdropping agency by
calling for new privacy safeguards, but allowed bulk phone data sweeps to continue as an anti-
terror tool.

Jan 18: With a massive crowd gathering to pay last respects to Dawoodi Bohra community's
spiritual leader Syedna Burhanuddin, a stampede killed at least 18 people.

Jan 18: President Barack Obama signed a $1.1 trillion spending bill that eases his budget
conflicts with Congress but also puts conditions on the continuation of US aid to Pakistan.

Jan 20: The world's elite have rigged laws in their own favour undermining democracy and
creating a chasm of inequality across the globe, Oxfam said in advance of the annual get
together of the world's most powerful at Davos.

Jan 20: International tourist numbers surged to nearly 1.1 billion in 2013 with growth in the
Asia-Pacific region leading the industry to a strong year despite global economic troubles, the
Madrid-based World Tourism Organisation announced.

Jan 20: In a statement issued by his office, the White House spokesman Jay Carney said the
White House had received a report from the International Atomic Energy Agency, stating that
Iran had taken the initial specific steps it committed to do by Jan 20 and now the United States
was ready to ease its sanctions.

Jan 20: India successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable strategic missile Agni-IV, with a strike
range of about 4,000 km, from a test range off the Odisha coast.

Jan 21: Thailand declared a 60-day state of emergency in Bangkok and surrounding areas to
tackle protests aimed at overthrowing the government.

Jan 21: The United Nations barred Iran from the peace conference on Syria after it refused to
back calls for a transitional government to end the country's strife. The unprecedented
diplomatic action averted a Syrian opposition boycott of the talks, which are scheduled to start
in the Swiss town of Montreux.

Jan 21: The New York-based Human Rights Watch, in its annual report, said that the United
States is setting a dangerous example for the world with its sweeping surveillance programmes,
giving governments an excuse for mass censorship of online communications.

Jan 23: Australian police cracked a major global money-laundering ring with operatives in
more than 20 countries and funds syphoned off to groups reported to include Hezbollah.

The Australian Crime Commission seized more than Aus$ 580 million (US$512m) of drugs and
assets, including Aus$ 26 million in cash, in a year-long sting codenamed Eligo.

Jan 23: A 20-year-old tribal woman was allegedly gang-raped in India's West Bengal province
by 13 persons on orders of a kangaroo court that opposed her affair with a man from a different
community.

Jan 24: Chinese president Xi Jinping was named as the head of a new national security
commission, emphasising his firm grip on power.
Premier Li Keqiang and Zhang Dejiang, the head of China's parliament, were appointed deputy
heads of the new commission.
Jan 24: The United Nations called on Myanmar to investigate reports that dozens of men,
women and children were killed in attacks on Rohingya Muslims with the alleged involvement
of police.

Jan 25: The Philippine government and the rebel Moro Islamic Liberation Front completed
talks on a deal to end four decades of fighting. The accord was signed at Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia and says that:

There will be Muslim self-rule in parts of the southern Philippines in exchange for the
deactivation of the rebel force.

Military presence in the proposed autonomous region would be restricted.

The Philippine government will grant amnesty to Muslim guerrillas, who are facing or have
been convicted on rebellion-related charges.

Jan 26: Former UN chief Kofi Annan, head of a group of ex-global leaders known as the
Elders, started a visit aimed at boosting dialogue between Iran and the international community.

Annan was accompanied by Martti Ahtisaari, a former president of Finland, South Africa's
Nobel Peace Laureate Desmond Tutu and Mexican ex-president Ernesto Zedillo.

Jan 26: India and Japan signed agreements on cooperation in areas including energy and
telecommunications during Shinzo Abe's visit to New Delhi.

Jan 27: French electro duo Daft Punk won big at the Grammys and rappers Macklemore and
Ryan Lewis honoured same-sex marriage as they were named best new artist at music's version
of the Oscars.

Jan 27: Tunisia's leaders signed the new constitution, a key goal of the revolution three years
ago that touched off the Arab Spring.

The historic document, seen as one of the most modern in the Arab world, was signed by
outgoing Islamist premier Ali Larayedh, Speaker Mustapha Ben Jaafar, and President Moncef
Marzouki during a ceremony at the National Constituent Assembly.

Jan 27: British HR campaigner and well-known activist Peter Tatchell dedicated his receipt of
an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from De Montfort University to people of Balochistan and their
struggle for human rights.

Jan 28: Ukraine's Prime Minister, Mykola Azarov, and his entire government resigned in a bid
to defuse country's deadly crisis.

Jan 29: New online neighbourhoods opened when a US company started offering web
addresses ending in .guru, .bike and even .singles.

Donuts Inc. plans to launch seven new generic top-level domains (gTLDs). In the mix initially
are addresses ending in guru, bike, singles, as well as clothing, holdings, plumbing and
ventures.

Jan 30: The head of the main Bangladeshi Islamist opposition party was among 14 people
sentenced to death on charges of smuggling weapons to a rebel group in neighbouring India.

Among those convicted and sentenced to death was Mati-ur-Rahman Nizami, head of the
country's main Islamist opposition party Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and the former industries minister
in the 2001-2006 cabinet of the then Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.

Jan 31: The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) downgraded India after conducting an
audit of the country's aviation regulator that found 31 issues of safety concern.

Jan 31: At an Anglo-French summit held at an airbase in Oxfordshire, west of London, French
President Francois Hollande dealt a blow to Prime Minister David Cameron's hopes of
renegotiating Britain's membership of the EU before a referendum in 2017, saying treaty change
was not a priority.

Jan 31: It was born at the end of the Great Depression and survived World War II - and an
attack by youths - but Greater, the world's oldest known flamingo, died at a zoo in Australia
aged 83.

Jan 31: President Obama nominated Vice Adm. Michael S. Rogers as the new director of the
National Security Agency (NSA). Major Rogers is a recognized expert in the art of designing
cyber weapons, but someone with no public track record in addressing the kinds of privacy
concerns that have put the agency under a harsh spotlight.

Feb 01: A glimmer of hope surfaced in the effort to keep the Houston Astrodome _the world's
first multipurpose domed stadium from being torn down with its addition to the National
Register of Historic Places.

Feb 03: An opinion poll in the US showed that for the first time, the majority of people in the
United States view war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan as failures.

Feb 03: The US Treasury Department allowed the transfer of $550 million in Iran's frozen oil
revenues to the country under an interim nuclear deal.

Feb 03: Corruption across the EU's 28 countries costs some 120 billion euros ($162 bn) per
year, the European Commission said, urging member states to do more to stamp out the
problem.

Feb 04: Shouting anti-Pakistan slogans, dozens of Shiv Sena activists disrupted the press
conference of a Pakistani music band at the Mumbai Press Club.

Feb 05: The United States added Saidullah Jan, Yahya Haqqani and Muhammad Omar Zadran,
the three members of the Haqqani network to its list of specially designated global terrorists.

The US has already declared the Haqqani network a terrorist outfit.

Feb 06: Syria reached a deal with the United Nations to allow civilians to leave the besieged
rebel-held city of Homs, potentially the first positive result after deadlocked peace talks in
Switzerland.

Feb 07: Thousands of Muslims fled for their lives from the capital of Central African Republic,
with Christian crowds cheering as the truckloads of Muslim families made their way out of
town. One man who fell off a truck was subsequently killed and his body mutilated,
highlighting the savagery faced by those Muslims who stayed behind.

Feb 08: The International Criminal Court opened an initial probe into war crimes in the Central
African Republic.

Feb 08: War took an increasing toll on Afghanistan's civilians in 2013 as fighting intensified
between the government and insurgents, the United Nations said in a report, with total
casualties rising 14 per cent.
Feb 10: Sushil Koirala was elected Nepal's new prime minister with vows to steering the strife-
torn country towards stability. Koirala, 75, is president of the country's oldest party, the Nepali
Congress. Three of his relatives have been prime minister in the past.

Feb 10: Iran successfully test-fired two missiles, including a long-range ballistic weapon.
Iran already has surface-to-surface missiles with a range about 2,000 kilometers (1,250 miles)
capable of reaching Israel and the US military bases in the region.

Feb 11: China and Taiwan held their first government-to-government talks since they split 65
years ago after a brutal civil war a symbolic yet historic move between the former bitter rivals.

Feb 11: A military aircraft C-130 Hercules crashed in Algeria's mountainous Oum El Bouaghi,
some 380 kilometres east of the capital, Algiers, killing all 103 people on board.

Feb 11: Indian leaders celebrated the eradication of polio, reminding doubters that something
once thought impossible had been achieved and promising to tackle other diseases which still
blight the country. In January, the country of 1.2 billion people marked three years without a
new case of the crippling virus, which means it will soon be certified as having wiped out the
scourge.

Feb 12: The exodus of tens of thousands of Muslims from Central African Republic amounts to
ethnic cleansing, a top UN official and Amnesty International said.

Feb 12: The UN food agency launched one of its largest-ever emergency food airlifts. The
World Food Programme's first cargo aircraft, loaded with 80 tonnes of rice, landed in the
Bangui the capital of Central African Republic.

Feb 12: North and South Korea stared their highest-level government dialogue since the North's
nuclear test last year prompted fears of armed conflict on the divided Korean Peninsula.

The meeting at the truce village of Panmunjom on the border between the two Koreas was
suggested by the North, which has recently called for better ties.

Feb 13: Twenty-seven countries announced the launch of The Global Health Security Agenda
in an effort to improve the ability to prevent, detect, respond to and contain outbreaks of
dangerous infectious diseases.

Feb 14: Rare talks between the rival Koreas ended on an even rarer note of agreement, allowing
an under-threat reunion for divided families to go ahead and fuelling hopes of further
constructive engagement.

The agreement pointed to a significant concession by North Korea which had strenuously
objected to annual South Korean-US military drills that would overlap with the February 20-25
reunion for family members separated by the Korean War.
Feb 14: Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta resigned in a fast-paced political drama in Rome
that paves the way for 39-year-old centre-left leader Matteo Renzi to take his place.

Feb 14: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal after a 49-day stint resigned after losing
Congress party's support over a key anti-corruption bill.

Feb 14: A picture of African migrants standing on the shore of Djibouti City, their glimmering
phones held aloft to catch a weak signal, won the World Press Photo prize for American
photographer John Stanmeyer of the VII Photo Agency.

Feb 14: The Belgium Parliament passed a bill, allowing euthanasia for terminally ill children
without any age limit. The law was backed by 86 votes to 44, with 12 abstentions. When the bill
is signed by the king, Belgium will become the first country in the world to remove any age
limit on the practice.

In the Netherlands, Belgium's northern neighbour, euthanasia is legal for children over the age
of 12, if there is parental consent.

Feb 14: US Secretary of State John Kerry warned China against unilateral moves to set up a
new air defence zone, saying such a step could threaten regional stability at a time of heightened
tensions.

After a day of talks with senior Chinese leaders including President Xi Jinping, Premier Li
Keqiang and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Kerry stressed that he had also highlighted the need to
ease concerns over Beijing's territorial ambitions.

Feb 15: Turkey's parliament passed a contested bill tightening the government's grip on the
judiciary.

Feb 15: The UN's Syria envoy Lakhdar Brahimi said he was very, very sorry as peace talks in
Geneva broke off with no progress made and no date set for a third round.

Feb 15: Lebanon announced the formation of a compromise government after a 10-month
political vacuum during which the war in neighbouring Syria exacerbated longstanding
divisions.

The 24-member government brings together the Hezbollah and its allies with the Sunni-led bloc
of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri for the first time in three years.

SPORTS
Jan 24: Pakistan women's team outclassed their South African counterparts by seven wickets in
the PCB Qatar Women's T20 Tri-series final.
Jan 25: Chinese ace Li Na won the Australian Open final by defeating Dominika Cibulkova.
She is now the oldest women's champion.

Jan 26: Fancied filly Prosperity lived up to her star billing when she powered to victory in the
1000 Guineas of Pakistan during the Lahore Winter Meeting at the Racecourse Park, Lahore.

Jan 26: Stanislas Wawrinka routed Rafael Nadal to win the Australian Open, his maiden Grand
Slam title.

Jan 26: Australia beat England in the fifth ODI to win the five-match series 4-1.

Jan 26: The pair of Daniel Nestor of Canada and Kristina Mladenovic of France won the
Australian Open mixed doubles title with a win over sixth-seeded Sania Mirza of India and
Horia Tecau of Romania.

Jan 27: Team Puri comprising Yasser Rahim, Khaled Mohiuddin, Mirza Ziaullah Baig, Hamed
Mohiuddin, Junaid Saeed and Mohammad Mubashir Puri won the 20th National Bridge
Championship.

Jan 30: Kenya lost One Day International (ODI) status after the national team's three-wicket
loss to Scotland in their World Cup qualifier.

Jan 30: New Zealand umpire Kathy Cross became the first woman to be named in the ICC
Associate and Affiliate panel of umpires.

Jan 31: New Zealand crushed India in the fifth and final ODI to win the series 4-0.

Feb 02: Genzebe Dibaba of Ethiopia set a world indoor record in running 1,500 metres in 3
minutes, 55.17 seconds at the Karlsruhe indoor meet.

Feb 02: Libya won their first continental tournament after beating Ghana in the African Nations
Championship final.

Feb 07: Russia's Winter Olympics officially got underway on the Black Sea coast in the resort
town of Sochi, where a colourful show at the gleaming Fisht Stadium.

Feb 07: Kumar Sangakkara became the second batsman in history to score a triple century and
a hundred in the same match. Left-handed Sangakkara followed his 319 in the first innings with
105 in the second, joining former England captain Graham Gooch as the only batsmen to
achieve the rare feat. Gooch made 333 and 123 against India at Lord's in 1990.

Feb 08: The International Cricket Council approved wide ranging changes to its structure after
eight of the 10 Test nations voted for the proposals that put India, England and Australia in
control of the world game and with it most of the money.
Feb 09: India's suspended Olympic body elected world squash chief N. Ramachandran, whose
elder brother N. Srinivasan was picked to lead the International Cricket Council, as its
president.

Feb 09: Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Scrutiny Committee Abdul Jalil Khan
resigned.

Feb 10: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif removed Zaka Ashraf from the post of PCB Chairman.
He has been shown the door for the second time in eight months. Mr Ashraf served only for 25
days this time.

Feb 11: Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Suresh Raina, along with four other capped
players, were declared guilty in the Mudgal Panel report.

Feb 11: Former Pakistan captain Moin Khan was named Head Coach of Pakistan team and
former Test cricketer Azhar Khan was appointed acting chief selector.

Feb 13: Female martial art players from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa won the title of the national
junior women judo championship.

Feb 14: Director General (DG) Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Javed Miandad resigned.

Feb 15: The 19-year-old Japanese prodigy, Yuzuru Hanyu, became the youngest Olympic
men's figure skating champion in 66 years when he won Japan's first ever title in the discipline
at the Sochi Games.

Economy
Jan 16: The growing gulf between the rich and the poor represents the biggest global risk this
year, the World Economic Forum declared ahead of the Davos summit.

Jan 17: The Karachi Stock Exchange signed an agreement with Borsa Istanbul, the main bourse
of Turkey. The MoU highlights ways to strengthen cooperation and mutual relationship
between the two markets.

Jan 20: The global energy share can reach and exceed 30 per cent by 2030, while energy
efficiency and improved energy access can advance the share of renewables in the global
energy mix to as much as 36 pc, the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) said in a
report entitled Remap 2030.

Jan 21: The government appointed Syed Ahmad Iqbal Ashraf as president of National Bank of
Pakistan (NBP).

Jan 21: Spain retook the number three spot in world tourism in 2013, overtaking China by
luring a record 60.6 million international visitors. This has boosted the eurozone's fourth largest
economy after a long, job-wrecking recession.

Jan 23: The government issued 50 provisional licences for exploration of oil and gas to eight
local and two foreign firms having minimum investment commitment of $371 million.

Jan 24: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government approved a fund valuing Rs 10 billion for
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (KPOGDCL) with a plan to
accelerate work on oil and gas exploration in the province.

Jan 27: Mobilink received the Highest Taxpayer Award by the Pakistan Customs, Islamabad
Directorate.

Jan 27: China's Export Import (EXIM) Bank provided the first installment of a $448 million
loan to Pakistan for the Rs 278 billion Neelum-Jhelum hydropower project.
The bank will release further installments after receiving satisfactory reports on the construction
of the powerhouse.

Jan 27: Google and Samsung Electronics signed a broad agreement to cross-license a range of
each other's patents.

Jan 29: The government raised liquidity more than the quarterly target through auction of
Pakistan Investment Bonds (PIB), indicating that borrowings from the private sector are now a
high priority.

Jan 30: Pakistan was ranked second in the world in terms of business growth in a survey
conducted by the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO).

Jan 30: Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL), the largest ICT service
provider in Pakistan, is investing in one of the largest international submarine cable consortium
system, in collaboration with the leading telecom operators of the world.

Jan 30: Karkey Karadeniz Elektrik Uretim A.S (Karkey) the Turkish energy firm filed a claim
at the World Bank's International Centre for Investment Disputes (ICSID) seeking $2.1 billion
damages against the Government of Pakistan.

Feb 06: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) granted licence to Sindh Bank for the
commencement of Islamic banking operations.

Feb 07: The MCB received approval from the central bank of the United Arab Emirates (UAE)
and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to open a wholesale banking branch in Dubai, UAE.

Feb 10: The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources signed petroleum concession
agreements and exploration licences in 12 blocks with Oil and Gas Development Corporation
(OGDCL) and Pakistan Petroleum (PPL) for exploration of hydrocarbon reserves.

The licences and petroleum concession agreements are for blocks in Ladhana, Fatehpur,
Ranipur, Armala, Baratai, Rasmalan, Parkini, Nausherwani, Bela West, Karsal, Hisal and
Sadiqabad with a minimum firm work commitment of $176 million covering the total area of
22619.3 square kilometres.

Feb 10: A contract under which Pakistan will sell Super Mushshak Aircraft to Iraq was signed
by General Anwer Hamad Ameen Ahmed, Commander Iraqi Air Force and Air Marshal Sohail
Gul Khan, Chairman PAC Kamra.

Feb 11: Pakistan received $352 million from the United States under the Coalition Support
Fund (CSF) for the January-March quarter of 2013.

Feb 11: Pakistan paid the 27th installment under IMF/SBA facility amounting to US$147
million.

Feb 12: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government launched Rs 2 billion interest-free micro credit
programme, aiming to reduce poverty through creation of self-employment and job
opportunities. The 'Khud Kifaalat' (self-employment) scheme will be earmarked Rs2 billion
annually for the next five years.

Feb 15: The Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) was awarded high-level
laurels at the 37th Annual FPCCI Export Awards.

Everyday Science
Jan 17: A critically endangered species of marine turtle was found for the first time in Pakistan.
The hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricate) having a 47-centimetre-long carapace was caught
in a tuna gillnet off Ormara, Balochistan.

Jan 23: The dwarf planet Ceres, one of the most intriguing objects in the solar system, is
gushing water vapour from its unusual ice-covered surface, scientists said in a finding that
raises the question of whether it might be hospitable to life.

Using the European Space Agency's Herschel infrared space telescope, researchers spotted
plumes of water vapour periodically spewing from Ceres, the largest object in the asteroid belt
residing between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.

Jan 23: The fastest ever broadband speed was achieved in a test in London, raising hopes of
more efficient data transfer via existing infrastructure. Alcatel-Lucent and BT said speeds of 1.4
terabits per second were achieved during their joint test enough to send 44 uncompressed HD
films a second.
Feb 11: Researchers found a gene linking intelligence to the thickness of so-called grey
matter in the brain. An international team of scientists analyzed DNA samples and brain scans
from more than 1,500 healthy 14-year-olds and gave them a series of tests to establish their
verbal and non-verbal intelligence during the test.

Feb 11: Astronomers found an old and distant galaxy that is believed to date back to a time
when the universe was just 650 million years old, a fraction of its current age.
The galaxy, known as Abell 2744_Y1, is about 30 times smaller than the Milky Way, but
pumping out stars at a prodigious rate.

Obituaries
Jan 17: The spiritual head of the Dawoodi Bohra community, Syedna Mohammed
Burhanuddin, died of a cardiac arrest.

Jan 17: Suchitra Sen, Bengali cinema's lifelong sweetheart and Dilip Kumar's fabled Paro in
the Hindi version of Devdas, died. The 82-year old legend had disappeared from public view
three decades ago.

Jan 17: Sunanda Pushkar, wife of Indian minister Shashi Tharoor, was found dead in a five-star
hotel, a day after she had a flaming row in a series of tweets with a Pakistani journalist she
accused of having an affair with her husband.

Jan 17: Jose Sulaiman, who ran the World Boxing Council (WBC) for 38 years, died. He was
82.

Jan 29: Professor Laiq Ahmed, an educationist, compare and host of a number of PTV
programmes, was laid to rest. He was 80.

Jan 31: Prof Dr Khawaja Amjad Saeed, the Founder Principal of Hailey College of Banking &
Finance, University of the Punjab, and a notable economist died.
He was an M.Com, ACMA, MBA, FCA and PhD himself and became the first head of the
Institute of Business Administration, Punjab University, at a very young age; the IBA Punjab
was the second business school of Pakistan after the IBA Karachi.
He also served as President of the Association of Management Development Institutions, South
Asia (AMDISA).

Feb 02: Oscar-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman was found dead in his New York
apartment. He was 46.

Feb 02: Maximilian Schell, the ruggedly handsome Austrian-born actor who won an Academy
Award for his role in Judgment at Nuremberg died at 83.

Feb 05: Young politician Sardar Khurram Nawab Khan passed away. He was 41.
Feb 07: Veteran actor Ghayyur Akhtar passed away at 69.

Feb 09: AKM Yusuf, one of the top leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and its Naib Amir who
was falsely charged with crimes against humanity committed during Bangladesh's 1971 so-
called liberation war against Pakistan, died in Dhaka where he was imprisoned and denied
proper treatment after suffering cardiac stroke.

Feb 11: Shirley Temple, the Hollywood child star who captured hearts in Depression-era
America with her trademark blond ringlets and dimpled smile, died at the age of 85.

Feb 12: Director General Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) Ameer Hamza Gillani passed away.

Feb 13: Sid Caesar, who pioneered TV sketch comedy during the 1950s as the star and creative
force of Your Show of Shows, a launch pad for the likes of Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner and
Woody Allen and an inspiration to generations of comedians, died. He was 91.

Places in News
Beijing
On Jan 16, China's capital was shrouded in dangerous smog, cutting visibility down to a few
hundred metres as a count of small particulate pollution reached more than 25 times
recommended levels.

University of Agriculture Faisalabad

On Jan 16, a seminar titled Climate Changes Adaptation Strategies to Ensure the Food
Security was organized by the University of Agriculture Faisalabad in collaboration with the
Agriculture Model Inter-comparison and Improvement Project (AgMiP).

The experts were of the view that high resistant crops are need of the hour to fight climate
changes as Pakistan is facing its worst impact and has been ranked eighth in climate change hit
countries. The country's temperature would rise by 2.8 degree Celsius in day timings by 2070
that will heighten the food insecurity threat.

Panama
On Jan 19, Panama earned a Guinness world record when 5,084 children painted a mural
simultaneously for three and a half minutes as part of 100th anniversary celebrations for the
Panama Canal. The previous record was held by a group in Saudi Arabia, when some 3,860
participants painted together.

Abu Dhabi
On Jan 20, the 2014 World Future Energy Summit opened at the Abu Dhabi National
Exhibition Centre.
Pretoria
Jan 21: A 29.6 carat blue diamond, one of the rarest and most coveted in the world with a
possible price tag of tens of millions of dollars, was discovered at a South African mine by
Petra Diamonds.

New Delhi
On Jan 21, South Asian business leaders recommended the ratification of the Saarc agreement
on trade in services and up-gradation of south Asia free trade agreement into a comprehensive
economic framework agreement in the joint declaration of the fifth Saarc business leaders
conclave (SBLC) concluded in New Delhi.

Tongi
On Jan 26, Biswa Ijtema, the second largest congregation of Muslims, concluded in Tongi,
Bangladesh.

Islamabad
On Jan 28, the 5th meeting of Pakistan-Russia Joint Working Group on Counter-terrorism was
hosted by Pakistan in Islamabad. Pakistan delegation was led by Acting Secretary Imtiaz
Tajwar. The Russian side was led by H.E. Alexander V. Zmeyevskiy, the Special
Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for International Cooperation in the
Fight against Terrorism and Transnational Crime.

Venezuela
On Jan 29, a Guinness record for the place with the most lightning was won by an area of
Venezuela with 20,000 dashes of it per hour.
The natural phenomenon in the western state of Zulia is called the Catatumbo Lightning, which
generates myriad electrical storms from April to November at the mouth of the River
Catatumbo, at the southern end of Lake Maracaibo. The numbers of lightning bolts are indeed
staggering: an estimated 18 to 60 per minute, more than 20,000 per hour and 1.2 million a year,
with each flash packing enough juice to light up 100 million light bulbs.

Addis Ababa
On Jan 31, the 22nd African Union summit was concluded in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital
city.

Moenjodaro, Sindh
On Feb 01, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party, inaugurated the
Sindh Cultural Festival at Moenjodaro, associated with one of the world's first urban societies,
the Indus Valley civilisation. The festival aims to publicise the cultural heritage of the country's
south.

Islamabad
On Feb 06, the first ever two-day Pakistan-Finland Business Summit concluded in Islamabad.
The summit was inaugurated by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs
Syed Tariq Fatemi. Finnish Ambassador Rauli Suikannen complimented the government on its
investor-friendly policies. The event was attended by prominent companies from Finland.

Karachi
On Feb 15, the official opening of Earth Hour 2014, a worldwide campaign aimed at creating
awareness of protecting the environment, took place in Karachi.
Earth Hour 2014 Ambassadors include Humaima Malik, Faryal Ali Gauhar, Ahsan Khan,
Sarmad Khosat and Zoe Viccaji.

People in News
Benjamin Netanyahu
On Jan 16, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made an unannounced visit to
neighbouring Jordan for talks with King Abdullah II on the Middle East peace process.

Rafik Hariri
On Jan 16, nearly nine years after a truck bomb killed former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik
Hariri and 22 others, the trial started for four Hezbollah suspects accused of plotting the
assassination that turned a Beirut seaside street into a manmade hell.

Sports Journalist Qamar Ahmed

On Jan 16, a renowned sports journalist Qamar Ahmed achieved the unique distinction of
covering 400 Test matches.

Mahela Jayawardene
On Jan 16, Mahela Jayawardene became the second Sri Lankan after Kumar Sangakkara and
seventh batsman overall to hit 1300 or more fours in Tests.

Sylvia Day
On Jan 16, St. Martin's Press agreed to pay an eye-popping eight-figure advance to Sylvia Day,
a romance writer, for her next two books. The books, a series called Blacklist, are a follow-up
to Ms Day's Crossfire series, which has sold more than 13 million copies since its release
began in 2012.

Lui Che-woo
On Jan 17, Macau's gambling tycoon Lui Che-woo replaced Hong Kong multibillionaire Li Ka-
shing as Asia's richest man. Lui, the head of Macau casino operator Galaxy Entertainment, saw
his fortune rise $3.5 billion to $29.6 billion, about $100 million ahead of Li, whose fortune
stood at $29.5 billion on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Nawaz Sharif
On Jan 17, Nawaz Sharif was awarded an honorary degree of Doctorate of Philosophy in
recognition of his services for the nation by the GCU, Lahore.
Glynn Reynolds
On Jan 23, the inventor Glynn Reynolds along with other researchers unveiled a new, safer
system called Tri-Pin using colours and symbols as well as numbers that could cut ATM fraud
dramatically.

Rai Haris Manzoor

On Jan 24, Rai Haris Manzoor, a student from Rawalpindi, made a new world record by passing
the O-Level examination of the University of Cambridge at the age of only nine years.
He passed the exam in Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics.

Troy Jenkins
On Jan 26, Troy Jenkins, a teenager, took the controls of a light plane for more than half an
hour after the pilot passed out during a joy flight over rural Australia. The single-engine Cessna
150 was only 10 minutes into a flight from the New South Wales state farming town of Forbes
when the pilot Derek Neville lost consciousness.

Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz

On Jan 31, Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz took over as African Union
chairman, replacing Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn for the one-year post.

Dr Zenko Hrynkiw
On Jan 31, Dr Zenko Hrynkiw, a neurosurgeon, hit the news when he, beating all odds like
snowstorm, traffic-jam and a daunting six-mile walk through fresh powder, got to the hospital
where he was needed for emergency surgery.

Dr Zenko Hrynkiw had to travel from Birmingham's Brookwood Medical Centre to Trinity
Medical Center to perform the operation.

Dr Shamshad Akhtar
On Feb 03, Pakistan's representation at the United Nations gained new heights when Dr
Shamshad Akhtar, a former governor of the State Bank, assumed charge as executive secretary
of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (Escap) at its headquarters in
Bangkok.
Ms Akhtar is the second Pakistani civil servant to rise to the top position after Rafeeuddin
Ahmed who served as head of Escap from 1992 to 1994.

Janet Yellen
On Feb 03, a respected economist Janet Yellen was sworn in as the first woman chair of the
Federal Reserve. She inherits the mantle of the world's most powerful central banker from Ben
Bernanke.

Sachin Tendulkar
On Feb 04, retired cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar was awarded India's highest civilian
award, the Bharat Ratna, making him the first sportsperson and the youngest-ever Indian
recipient to receive the honour.

Irina Bokova
On Feb 06, Irina Bokova, the director general of Unesco, was conferred Hilal-i-Pakistan award
by President Mamnoon Hussain.

Shimon Peres
On Feb 06, Israel's 90-year-old president Shimon Peres, who is also a Nobel Peace Prize
winner, won a Guinness record when he taught the largest online civics class in the world. Peres
reached out to 9,000 students nationwide.

Mohsin Ali
On Feb 08, Mohsin Ali, an eight-year-old Pakistani boy who is the grandson of Pakistan's noted
climber Rajab Ali, set a new world record by climbing the summit of a 6,050-metre high
mountain in Hunza. Hailing from a small town of Shimshal in the Hunza valley, Mohsin
became the world's youngest mountaineer to achieve this amazing feat of climbing the Minglik
Sar peak.

Traian Basescu
On Feb 10, an agency fined Romania's president 600 lei ($185) for saying Roma avoid work
and make a living by stealing. The National Council for Combating Discrimination first
declined to take the case because President Traian Basescu had made his comments out of the
country, during a 2010 news conference in Slovenia. But the Supreme Court ordered the
autonomous body under the control of Parliament to take the case, and it fined Basescu for
having said very few of them (Roma) want to work and traditionally many of them live off
stealing.

Dr Atia Zafar
On Feb 12, Atia Zafar, a housewife who became a medical practitioner in the face of
overwhelming odds, died at 88. She is survived by her three sons and six daughters all
medical professionals.
Born in Desna, a remote village in the Indian state of Bihar, in 1926, Ms Zafar lost her parents
when she was barely eight and began to look after her four younger siblings.
She started her education from scratch on the insistence of her husband who was running a
school in Lyari's Atmaram Preetamdas Road area. Interestingly, when she made it to the final
year of her MBBS in the Dow Medical College in 1962 her eldest son, now a prominent doctor,
Dr Tipu Sultan, also got admission there.

Sidra Iqbal
On Feb 12, the GR8 Women Awards, for the first time, nominated a Pakistani woman, Sidra
Iqbal, to receive one of their prestigious trophies. She is one of 16 women from across the
Middle East region to be recognised and celebrated this year.
Munawar Mughal
On Feb 12, noted business leader Munawar Mughal assumed the charge of Vice President of
Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) for the year 2014.

Mirza Ali and Samina Baig

On Feb 12, Pakistani siblings Mirza Ali and Samina Baig reached the summit of Mount
Kilimanjaro (5895m), Africa's highest peak, in Tanzania.

MCQs National
1. On Jan 16, Akram Khan Durrani, Abdul Ghafoor Haideri and ______ were inducted into the
federal cabinet as federal ministers.
A. Tariq Malik B. Abbas Afridi
C. Basit Cheema D. Enver Baig

2. Pakistan's federal cabinet consists of ______ members.

A. 32 B. 34
C. 36 D. 38

3. The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan (ICAP) is headquartered at ______.

A. Karachi B. Islamabad
C. Lahore D. Hyderabad

4. On Jan 16, Salman Aslam Butt, was appointed as ______ of Pakistan

A. Auditor General
B. Attorney General
C. Accountant General
D. Federal Ombudsman

5. On Jan 16, the KP government created the Lower Kohistan district, raising the number of
districts in the province to ______.
A. 24 B. 26
C. 30 D. 34

6. On Jan 17, a report of the World Health Organisation (WHO) termed ______ as the largest
endemic poliovirus 'reservoir' in the world.
A. Peshawar B. Kabul
C. New Delhi D. Nairobi

7. On Jan 20, the federal cabinet allowed import of electricity from _____.
A. Iran B. Qatar
C. India D. China

8. Ameer Bakhsh Bhutto, who resigned from his post on Jan 20, was a(n)______.
A. Federal Minister
B. Minister of the State
C. Auditor General of Pakistan
D. Advisor to the Prime Minister

9. On Jan 21, the National Assembly's Standing Committee on Interior presided over by
______, approved the Protection of Pakistan Ordinance (PPO) bill.
A. Ch. Nisar Ali Khan
B. Javed Hashmi
C. Syed Khurshid Shah
D. Rana Shamim Ahmed

10. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed Hajj agreement 2014 on ______.
A. January 18 B. January 20
C. January 22 D. January 26

11. The ministerial-level US-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue resumed after a three-year gap on
______.
A. January 22 B. January 24
C. January 26 D. January 28

12. The incumbent chairman of Punjab Planning and Development Board is ______.
A. Irfan Elahi B. Shahbaz Sharif
C. Zaeem Qadri D. Khwaja Sharif

13. On Jan 28, Prime Minister appointed renowned columnist Irfan Siddiqui as his Special
Adviser on ______.
A. National Security
B. Antiterrorism
C. National Affairs
D. Regional Affairs

14. On Jan 31, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and former president Asif Ali Zardari jointly
performed the ground-breaking of a coal project in_____, near Thar Coal Block-II.
A. Islamkot B. Larkana
C. Umer Kot D. Shahdadkot

15. The government and the Taliban negotiators held their first formal meeting at the Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa House on ______.
A. Jan 28 B. Jan 31
C. Feb 4 D. Feb 6

16. On Feb 6, a state of the art Power Distribution Control Centre (PDCC) was installed at
______ with the help of USAID.
A. Faisalabad B. Bahawalpur
C. Lahore D. Gujranwala

17. On Feb 07, the Sindh government established its own Higher Education Commission (HEC)
with ______, as its chairman.
A. Sharjeel Memon
B. Awais Muzaffar
C. Sharmila Farooqi
D. Dr Asim Hussain

18. On Feb 08, a Pakistani feature film ______ won the Special Jury Award at the Jaipur
International Film Festival 2014.
A. Saving Face B. Waar
C. Zinda Bhaag D. Lamha

19. On Feb 9, the ______ government launched the Green Growth Initiative to end power
outages in the province.
A. Punjab B. Sindh
C. KP D. Balochistan

20. The ex officio chairman of Pakistan's Council of Common Interests is ______.

A. President B. PM
C. Finance Minister
D. Chairman BISP

21. ______ is the Country Director at Asian Development Bank's Pakistan Resident Mission.
A. Rune Stroem B. Werner Liepach
C. Clare Wee D. David Binns

22. On Feb 13, Pakistan, Turkey and Afghanistan held their ______ trilateral summit at Ankara.
A. Fifth B. Sixth
C. Seventh D. Eighth

23. Saadat Hassan Manto, the most renowned short story writer of the Urdu language died in
______.
A. 1955 B. 1967
C. 1973 D. 1979

24. Pakistan has the world's ______ largest untapped cooper reserves.
A. 4th B. 5th
C. 6th D. 7th

25. Syed Sadequain Ahmed Naqvi, a world-renowned Pakistani calligrapher and a______, died
in 1987.
A. Painter B. Poet
C. Sculptor D. Prose Writer

26. On Feb 14, US Consul General Nina M. Fite formally inaugurated the Lincoln Corner at
______.
A. University of Gujrat
B. Sargodha University
C. University of the Punjab
D. Islamia University Bahawalpur

International
1. Oxfam International, a confederation of ____ organizations working in approximately 90
countries worldwide, is based at Oxford, UK.
A. 17 B. 18
C. 19 D. 20

2. On Jan 20, India successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable strategic missile Agni-IV, with a
strike range of about ______.
A. 3,000 km B. 3,500 km
C. 4,000 km D. 4,500 km

3. Human Rights Watch, an international non-governmental organization that conducts research

and advocacy on human rights, is headquartered at ______.
A. Bonn B. Geneva
C. Hague D. New York

4. World Tourism Organisation is based at ______.

A. Canberra B. Madrid
C. Brasilia D. Santiago

5. On Jan 21, a report by the Human Rights Watch accused the _____ for setting a dangerous
example for the world with its sweeping surveillance programmes.
A. United Nations
B. European Union
C. United States D. Germany

6. On Jan 23, Australian police cracked a major global money-laundering ring with operatives
in a year-long sting codenamed ______.
A. Syphon B. Lucifer
C. Iago D. Eligo

7. On Jan 24, the UN called on _____ to investigate reports of ethnic cleansing of Muslims with
the alleged involvement of police.
A. India B. Russia
C. Central African Republic
D. Myanmar

8. On Jan 25, the accord between Philippine government and the rebel Moro Islamic Liberation
Front to end four decades of fighting was signed at ______.
A. Kuala Lumpur B. Manila
C. Istanbul D. Beijing

9. The Elders is a group comprising ex-global leaders, headed by ______.

A. Desmond Tutu
B. Kofi Annan
C. Ernesto Zedillo
D. Martti Ahtisaari

10. Tunisia's leaders signed the new constitution on ______, 2014.

A. Jan 24 B. Jan 25
C. Jan 26 D. Jan 27

11. Moncef Marzouki is the current President of ______.

A. Chad B. Angola
C. Tunisia D. Libya

12. On Jan 27, Peter Tatchell, a famous ______ HR campaigner, dedicated his receipt of an
Honorary Doctorate of Laws from De Montfort University to the people of Balochistan.
A. British B. German
C. Canadian D. Russian

13. The world's oldest known flamingo, who died at a zoo in Australia on Jan 31 was named the
______.
A. Greater B. Hornswoggle
C. Tara D. Leonardo

14. On Jan 31, President Obama nominated Vice Adm. Michael S. Rogers as the new director
of the ______.
A. NSA B. Pentagon
C. CIA D. NASA

15. On Feb 03, the ______ Treasury allowed the transfer of $550 million in Iran's frozen oil
revenues to the country under an interim nuclear deal.
A. US B. Germany
C. EU D. Switzerland

16. On Feb 06, Syria reached a deal with the ______ to allow civilians to leave the besieged
rebel-held city of Homs.
A. Israel B. Rebels
C. Jordan D. United Nations

17. The capital of Central African Republic is ______.

A. Monrovia B. Bangui
C. Asmara D. Tripoli

18. The International Criminal Court opened an initial probe into war crimes in the Central
African Republic on ______.
A. Feb 2 B. Feb 4
C. Feb 6 D. Feb 8

19. On Feb 10, Sushil Koirala was elected as the new prime minister of ______.
A. Nepal B. Bhutan
C. Maldives D. Myanmar

20. On Feb 11, China and ______ held their first government-to-government talks since they
split 65 years ago.
A. Singapore B. Taiwan
C. Philippines D. Thailand

21. Algiers is the capital of ______.

A. Angola B. Algeria
C. Cambodia D. Chad

22. On Feb 13, ______ countries launched The Global Health Security Agenda to improve the
ability to prevent, detect, respond to and contain outbreaks of dangerous infectious diseases.
A. 27 B. 65
C. 82 D. 136

23. On Feb 14, Chief Minister of India's ______ state, Arvind Kejriwal, resigned after a 49-day
stint.
A. Delhi B. Bihar
C. Maharashtra D. Orissa

24. Swayambhunath Stupa, aka the Monkey Temple is a holy shrine of Buddhists atop a hill in
______.
A. Thailand B. Tibet
C. Philippines D. Nepal

25. M K Gandhi was assassinated by Nathuram Godes on January 30,

______.
A. 1948 B. 1949 C. 1950 D. 1951
26. The world's ninth largest nation by area with a population of just 17 million, ______ is the
largest economy of the post-Soviet region.

A. Azerbaijan B. Kazakhstan
C. Turkmenistan D. Kyrgyzstan

27. YouTube was founded by Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim in ______.
A. 2002 B. 2003
C. 2004 D. 2005

Sports
1. On Jan 25, ______ ace Li Na became the oldest women's champion when she won the
Australian Open final.
A. Singaporean B. Japanese
C. Thai D. Chinese

2. On Jan 30, lost One-Day International (ODI) status after the national team's three-wicket loss
to Scotland in their World Cup qualifier.
A. Kenya B. Ireland
C. Denmark D. Afghanistan

3. Kathy Cross, the first woman to be named in the ICC Associate and Affiliate Panel of
Umpires belongs to ______.
A. Australia B. New Zealand
C. South Africa D. England

4. On Feb 02, Genzebe Dibaba of ______ set a world indoor record in running 1,500 metres.
A. Kenya's B. Algeria's
C. Nigeria's D. Ethiopia's

5. The resort town of Sochi, where Russia's Winter Olympics officially got underway on Feb 7
is situated on ______ coast.
A. Black Sea B. Red Sea
C. Aral Sea D. Atlantic Sea

6. On Feb 07, Kumar Sangakkara became the second batsman after ______ in history to score a
triple century and a hundred in the same match.
A. Donald Bradman
B. Steve Waugh
C. Graham Gooch
D. Tony Greig

7. The term Big Three in the International Cricket Council refers to India, England and ______.
A. New Zealand B. South Africa
C. Sri Lanka D. Australia

8. On Feb 15, the 19-year-old ______ prodigy, Yuzuru Hanyu, became the youngest Olympic
men's figure skating champion in 66 years.
A. Japanes B. Thai
C. Serbian D. Hong Konger

9. ______ of Pakistan is the ex officio Patron-in-Chief of the Pakistan Cricket Board.

A. President B. Prime Minister
C. POA Chief D. Minister Sports

Muhammad Usman Butt

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