OIC

The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) is the second largest inter-governmental organization after the United Nations which has membership of 57 states spread over four continents. The Organization is the collective voice of the Muslim world and ensuring to safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony among various people of the world.
In 1970 the first ever meeting of Islamic Conference of Foreign Minister (ICFM) was held in Jeddah which decided to establish a permanent secretariat in Jeddah headed by the organization’s secretary general. Prof Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu is the 9th Secretary General who assumed the office in January 2005 after being elected by the 31st ICFM.
The Organization has consultative and cooperative relations with the UN and other inter-governmental organizations to protect the vital interests of the Muslims and to work for the settlement of conflicts and disputes involving Member States. In safeguarding the true values of Islam and the Muslims, the organization has taken various steps to remove misperceptions and have strongly advocated elimination of discrimination against the Muslims in all forms and manifestations.
Under the Charter, the Organization aims, inter alia, to:

• Enhance and consolidate the bonds of fraternity and solidarity among the Member States;

• Safeguard and protect the common interests and support the legitimate causes of the Member States and coordinate and unify the efforts of the Member States in view of the challenges faced by the Islamic world in particular and the international community in general;

• Respect the right of self-determination and non-interference in the domestic affairs and to respect sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of each Member State;

• Ensure active participation of the Member States in the global political, economic and social decision-making processes to secure their common interests;
• Reaffirm its support for the rights of peoples as stipulated in the UN Charter and international law;

• Strengthen intra-Islamic economic and trade cooperation; in order to achieve economic integration leading to the establishment of an Islamic Common Market;
• Exert efforts to achieve sustainable and comprehensive human development and economic well-being in Member States;
• Protect and defend the true image of Islam, to combat defamation of Islam and encourage dialogue among civilizations and religions;

• Enhance and develop science and technology and encourage research and cooperation among Member States in these fields;
In order to realize these objectives, Member States shall act, inter alia, in accordance with the following principles:

• All Member States commit themselves to the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter;

• Member States are sovereign, independent and equal in rights and obligations;

• All Member States shall settle their disputes through peaceful means and refrain from use or threat of use of force in their relations;

• All Member States undertake to respect national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of other Member States and shall refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of others;

• Member States shall uphold and promote, at the national and international levels, good governance, democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law.


Pakistan enjoys an excellent privilege status in the Organization of the Islamic Conference. In terms of population, it is the OIC second largest member. It status as the Muslim Ummah only nuclear state, boosting a highly disciple world seventh-largest standing military force, with a unique ability to locally produce technologically demanding military hardware within Pakistan, through research at NESCOM and DESTO and a high quality labor workforce working in various Muslim countries plays a significant role in its prominence. Pakistan has one of the highest levels of economic integration with other Muslim countries.

OIC role in Pakistan-Bangladeshi relationship

It was under the pretext of the 2nd summit of OIC held in Lahore between 22–24 February 1974 that Pakistan recognized the former or ex-Eastern Pakistan as the People's Republic of Bangladesh.Pakistan had initially not invited Bangladesh to attend the summit. However as members of the OIC group gathered in Lahore, several heads of the state from the Arab world put pressure on Pakistan then prime minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, to invite Sheikh Mujibur Rehman to attend. A seven member delegation from OIC in fact visited Dacca to invite Mujib to participate in the summit. As a result of the 2nd OIC summit, Pakistan formally recognized Bangladesh on February 22, 1974, and Mujib was flown by a special aircraft from Dacca to Lahore to attend the summit. Bhutto subsequently visited Dacca in July 1974. Established relations on 18 January 1976.

OIC on the issue of Kashmir

See also Kashmir conflict, OIC dispute with Republic of India.
Pakistan has always used OIC as a platform to gather support on the Kashmir conflict against the Republic of India. In 1969 King Hassan of Morocco invited the Government of India for the 1969 Summit in Rabat. But after Pakistan then ruler Gen Yahya Khan threatened to walk out, an embarrassed King Hassan apologized and requested the Indian delegates not to attend the meeting.
During the OIC 1994 Conference in Tehran, Pakistan succeeded in persuading the member countries to create the "OIC Contact Group on Kashmir".

karachi firing

Five people including a political worker have been murdered while one Rangers personnel among eight others also killed in firing incidents in the metropolis.

According to the police, unidentified armed men opened fire in Baldia Town No. 8 near football ground, killing three people. Deceased were identified as Sajid Baloch, Jehangir and Zahid Hassan.
In Federal B Area, a man, identified as Jawad Afzal (24), was gunned down near Naseerabad area. ANP Sindh spokesman said that deceased was a worker of ANP Gulberg ward.
In another incident, unidentified gunmen opened fire at car on MT Khan road, killing 25-year old Zaran Ghazali.

QADHAFI not leaving yet

Libyan leader Moamer Qadhafi said yesterday he would never leave the land of his ancestors after fresh international calls for him to go and as rebels pressed their campaign to overthrow him "They are asking me to leave. That's a laugh. I will never leave the land of my ancestors or the people who have sacrificed themselves for me," he said in a loudspeaker address to supporters in Zawiyah, some 50 kilometres west of Tripoli.

Qadhafi blamed the rebels taking hostage of the people in Misarata, Bin Ghazi and western hilly areas and they were being used as the human shields, who soon be freed.
Western and regional powers met in Istanbul on Friday for the fourth gathering of the Libya contact group, which saw a new call on Qadhafi to go after more than four decades in power.
The Libyan leader has for five months been faced with an armed rebellion unprecedented since he came to power in 1969.

the arrivals

I don´t know if you´ve seen the documentary “The arrivals” .But if you´re into the paranormal and conspiracy theories….you will love this documentary.
Basically the conspiracy theory behind it is that the hidden secret new world order runs the world and the big events and revolutions around the world, and the documentary shows different signs and aspects of this.

The paranormal perspective of the arrivals documentary, is that the new world order has roots in back into the ancient Egypt and devil worshippers and that Freemasons are the ones that runs the new world order. An example of this is the pyramid and the all seing eye on the American u.s dollar.This is a great documentary, however it will chock you….and it will show and prove how the Bush family is connected to devil worshippers, by pictures and documents. I sound weird i know, and I’m not saying that I believe in all of it. But check it out yourself, and ask yourself this: What if 1 % of this documentary is true…..it will change your life.
That would prove the paranormal realities that so many people deny, and the secret new world order.

pso in trouble

Pakistan State Oil (PSO) has sent an SOS to the ministries of finance and petroleum and natural resources for an immediate release of Rs60 billion enabling it to overcome the acute liquidity crunch getting beyond control.

Sources told Geo News that PSO facing difficulties in making payments to the international suppliers and Kuwait Petroleum. Therefore, the PSO payables to the international suppliers have piled up to Rs110 billion, which with the PSO payables to local suppliers added mounts to Rs135 billion.

In this backdrop, PSO has sought from the government immediate release of Rs60 billion enabling it to meet at least its international obligations so that the new purchase orders of oil in the days to come do not get dishonored.
PSO as against its payables of Rs135 billion has an accumulated outstanding amounts of Rs151 billion due for recoveries from different organizations.

MQM Deputy Convener, Farooq Sattar said that the Rangers were deployed to Kati Pahari after the intervention of DG ISI, Geo News reported.

Sattar said that the government and Interior Minister, Rehman Malik did not listen to the MQM and did not send the Rangers to Kati Pahari for four days. He said that MQM Chief Altaf Hussain contacted DG ISI, Lt General Shuja Pasha and informed him of the situation after which Rangers were sent to the area.

The MQM Chief informed the ISI Chief that it had become essential to deploy forces in order to bring an end to the killing of innocent people and firing on mosques and imam bargahs.

After the conversation took place, Rangers entered the area within 6 hours and cleared it.

elections 2008

In addition to winning the largest number of seats in Pakistan's National Assembly, Pakistan People's Party has demonstrated its national appeal by winning seats in all four provincial legislatures. In spite of its losses and third place finish, PML (Q) is the only other party with this distinction. All of the other parties, including the PML (N) with the second place finish, have won seats in only one or two Pakistani provinces.
The table on the right shows the respective positions of all the parties at the federal and provincial levels. There are several other observations that should be made based on Pakistan Election Commission's data.

1. Pro-Musharraf parties (Q,MQM, Functional League, PPP Sherpao) together got
more votes than either PPP or PML(N). According to ECP statistics, former ruling alliance comprising Pakistan Muslim League, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Pakistan
Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) and Pakistan People’s Party-Sherpao (PPP-S) secured 40% votes of the total while expected ruling parties PPPP and PML-N got 37% and 23% votes respectively.

2. Together, the pro-Musharraf forces won the second largest number of seats after PPP.

3. Out of total votes cast, the former ruling coalition received 10,844,233 votes followed by PPPP with 10,055,491 votes and PML-N with 6,240,343 votes.

4. The religious parties, represented by the MMA, suffered the worst ever defeat in Pakistan's history.

The fact that the PPP, the largest single party in the National Assembly, truly represents all parts of the nation is good for Pakistan's federation. The final result appears to be a split verdict: Without giving an absolute majority to any one party, the people wants the politicians of all parties to work together to serve the nation rather than dissipate their energies fighting each other. The defeat of the right wing religious parties explodes the myth that Pakistan is in danger of falling prey to the fundamentalists.

stupid politician

He was addressing the media at a dinner arranged by Awami National Party’s Sindh chief Shahi Syed’s residence, Mardan house here on Wednesday.
Mirza said that “if someone says that Afaq Ahmed is a criminal and a murderer, then I will say Altaf Hussain is a 100-times bigger criminal than Afaq.” he that Ahmed was facing jail time without being convicted of a crime.
He said that he will continue his fight against criminals, murderers, and extortionist as long as he was alive.
Talking about calls for the division of Sindh, Mirza said that no one had the courage to divide Sindh. He said “I appeal to the people of Karachi and Hyderabad to get rid of these people (who are asking for Karachi to be made a separate province)”.

I cannot express my feelings on this issue. I am very sad to see this entire situation and the worst part is that although we have been handicapped in 1971 we are still raising slogans of ethnicity. We have not learned anything from history. I accept that the statement of Zulfiqar Mirza was very stupid but there is some responsibility of the politicians also who fanned the flame and took political advantage.MQM must not spoil the issue and generalize this as an ideology of whole Pakistan. It is just some stupid’s like him who thinks like this but as a whole Pakistani public always respect the sacrifices.
The worst part of the situation is I am observing from days that politicians are repeatedly using the term “Urdu bolne walo ki qaum”,”Sindhi qaum” and others. This is stupidity at its extreme. There is only nationality and that is Pakistani.

economy decline

As the PPP and PML leaderships continue their political posturing, the larger story is the massive loss of confidence by business/investment community in Pakistan. It is worrying to see a sudden halt to foreign investments and the flight of capital by Pakistani investors to investments elsewhere in the world.
State Bank has raised interest rates from 10% to 12.5%, the rupee is in free fall, the dollar reserves are disappearing and both S&P and Moody’s have cut Pakistan’s credit ratings.
KSE 100 index has lost 2992 pts during May 2008 starting at 15122 & ending at 12130. The index has lost 879 pts during the week ended May 30th , 2008, standing at a nine month low.

Unfortunately, it takes time and serious effort to create confidence in markets and economy. But it is very quick and easy to destroy such confidence by ill-conceived, impromptu statements. Zardari's comments such as Pakistani economy heading toward a "meltdown" add fuel to the fire and weaken confidence in Pakistan's economy and drive away investors. What Pakistan needs more than anything else is a sense that the leadership understands the issues and working seriously in a focused manner to resolve the economic issues? They need some sense of political stability and predictability.

is this democracy ?

Pakistan has a new prime minister elected by the new parliament chosen by the people in largely free, fair and peaceful general elections held by President Musharraf's government last February. As expected, the new Prime Minister Makhdoom Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani comes from an influential feudal family in Southern Punjab. In the absence of a large, powerful middle class, this is the best that one could hope for as an outcome of the electoral process. But does this mean we are closer to a functioning democracy now?
In India's case, Prime Minister Nehru and the Indian National Congress leadership, mostly from the middle classes, seized control and successfully emasculated the Indian feudal class by extensive and real land reform immediately after independence. This never happened in Pakistan. Even though most of India is mired in deep poverty, an average Indian is better educated than an an average Pakistani and the enrollment rate of children in school is much higher, giving hope for a better future. India is beginning to emerge as an industrial economy and acquiring global industrial units like Corus steel and Jaguar.

Pakistan can possibly evolve from feudal to industrial society with a large middle class but it is likely to be a very long and slow evolution, given the history of our recalcitrant feudal leadership. Under Musharraf, the middle class has grown rapidly. I think this is likely to slow down to suit the whims of the feudal class for continuation of the patron-client society they prefer.

TEA , Good for economy

Pakistan is the world’s third-largest importer of tea with nearly 175 million kg of annual consumption, costing an estimated $500 million, and increasing at about 4% a year. It imports tea from 21 countries, with the lion's share of black tea imports coming from Kenya, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. The country's green tea requirements are met by imports from five countries led by Indonesia and Vietnam. Only a small fraction of Pakistan's tea imports come from neighboring India.

Tea prices, which hit record highs in 2009 due to droughts in India, Sri Lanka and Kenya, should stabilize in 2010 as weather has returned to normal in the main producing regions in Asia and Africa, the Food and Agriculture Organization(FAO) said. It is estimated that global tea production has been cut by as much as 20% this year.

With the rising tea consumption and growing import bill, it is important for Pakistan to give incentives for investments for tea cultivation. Such a policy can help create jobs in the northern regions where they are most needed, while at the same time providing economic opportunity to young people to take a step toward creating the much-needed peace and political stability for the entire nation.

ZARDARI-MUSHARRAF BONDING

Asif Ali Zardari reviews his political options and the PPP-PML(N) coalition takes shape, there are clear indications that the PPP is ready to work with President Musharaf rather than seek confrontation. "The ground reality is that we do not have two-thirds majority in both the houses of Parliament" that would be required for a successful impeachment. Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and leader of the party that won the most seats in parliamentary elections last week, said his coalition will be unable to impeach President Pervez Musharraf, and that he would instead seek a working relationship with the embattled leader.

I believe that it is in the best interest of Pakistan, its democracy and its economy for all the key players to move forward in a conciliatory manner and focus on the serious challenges ahead rather than waste energies fighting each other. The conciliatory course is the wisest course for Mr. Zardari as the senior partner in the new coalition. Let's hope that Mr. Zardari can persuade Mr. Nawaz Sharif to abandon his personal vendetta against Musharraf. This will be the first real test of the coalition being formed.

U.S GO WRONG

Eighty-one percent of Americans believe the US is headed in the wrong direction, says the latest NY Times/CBS poll conducted recently. This is the worst ever reading of dissatisfaction since this particular poll began in the 1990s. Although the public unhappiness has been rising since the early days of the Iraq war, it has taken a new turn for the worse in the last few months, as the economy has seemed to slip into recession. There is now nearly a national consensus that the country faces significant problems.

While it is not clear from the polls whether the people see a direct connection between the misguided conduct of the war on terror, the recent books such as "The Three Trillion Dollar War" by Nobel laureate economist Joseph Stiglitz are helping make that connection.

This poll confirms that Pakistanis are not alone in how they feel about the negative impact of the US policies on economy and security. Like their American counterparts, Pakistanis share similar feelings of dissatisfaction . Pakistanis have already spoken in recent elections. All the indications are that the Americans will also send a similar message in the November elections to the US Congress and elect a Democrat as the new President. The real question is whether the new governments in US and Pakistan will listen and act on what they are hearing from their people.

WOMEN'S EXCEPTANCE

As the world celebrates International Women's Day today, it is natural to ask if Pakistani women have made substantial real progress in the last 5 years under President Musharraf. The answer to this question depends on who you ask and how you judge women's progress. In terms of the women's political representation in the nation's parliament, there has clearly never been a better time. The discriminatory laws such as the Hudood ordnance have been repealed. There are other indicators such as women's presence in the traditional male professions such as law, medicine, business, the police and the military. We have seen women inducted and grow in numbers in each of these male-dominated areas. Women's ranks have also grown in the nation's mass media and they are much freer than ever to express themselves in the choice of appearance, speech, dress, arts, entertainment etc. The women in parliament have not been particularly vocal in raising the women's issues in parliament and they have not offered any serious legislation other than the Women's Protection Bill that was offered and passed because of President Musharraf's personal intervention.

In summary, the Musharraf era has seen measurable progress in improving the situation for women. However, a lot more needs to be done. What is really needed is a fundamental change in social attitudes toward women, particularly in rural Pakistan. A massive effort is required to make both men and women aware of the need and the benefits of women's empowerment for a better future of Pakistan. Healthy, educated and empowered women can help bring up better children to build Pakistan as a modern society that cares for its people.

HOLY PROPHET (P.B.UH)

As the Muslim world celebrates the birthday of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) today, it's important to remember his teachings and the life he lived to learn how to deal with the serious crises Muslims face today. Here is how I remember the Prophet I know from my reading about his life:

Secular Education:
The Prophet I know instructed Muslims to "go as far as China to seek knowledge". It was clear at the time that China was not a Muslim nation. It is therefore safe to conclude that the Prophet encouraged all necessary efforts to seek all knowledge including secular education.

Faith and Reason:
The Prophet I know brought the Holy Quran to humanity, the Book that repeatedly and emphatically challenges readers to "Think" and "Ponder" for themselves. This is the best proof that Islam wants Muslims to embrace and reconcile faith and reason. It was this teaching that brought greatness to Muslims in seventh through thirteenth centuries following the death of Prophet Muhammad.

Compassion:
The Prophet I know showed compassion and understanding when a Bedouin person entered the Prophet's mosque in Medina and urinated, an act that infuriated the Prophet's companions. He restrained his companions and asked them to show understanding for the ignorance of the Bedouin.

Brevity:
The Prophet I know spoke softly and briefly. His last khutbah was a mere 430 words lasting a few minutes. He did not make long, fiery speeches.

Response to provocation:
The Prophet I know responded to abuse by prayer. When the people of Taif threw rocks at him, he responded by praying to Allah to give guidance to those who abused him.

Respect for Life:
The Prophet I know brought the Holy Quran, the Book that equates " unjust killing of one person" with "the killing the entire humanity". It commands respect for life.

It is more important than ever for Muslims to make a serious effort to understand what Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) stood for and how he lived his life. The issues of education, faith, reason and compassion need to be understood in the light of the Quran, the Sunnah and the Hadith. It is this understanding that will help guide the Ummah out of the deep crisis it finds itself in.

peace foe economy

The business community in Karachi welcomed the support of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement for the new Prime Minister Mr. Gillani. Good relations between Pakistan People’s Party and the MQM are considered vital for the business community in Pakistan.
Peace in Karachi is considered crucial for Pakistan's economic growth and prosperity. According to Wikipedia, Karachi is the financial capital of Pakistan and the biggest port city; it accounts for the lion's share of GDP and revenue. It generates over 65% of the total national revenue (federal and provincial taxes, customs and surcharges. Karachi produces about 42 percent of value added in large scale manufacturing and 25% of the GDP of Pakistan. In February 2007, the World Bank identified Karachi as the most business-friendly city in Pakistan.

In the past, the clashes between the ruling parties and the MQM, Karachi's biggest political force, have resulted in serious economic difficulties in Pakistan. The last several years, however, have seen robust economic growth and a close cooperative relationship between the MQM and the ruling coalition in Islamabad. Any progress toward maintaining a positive relationship between the MQM and the PPP would go a long way in sustaining Pakistan's economy for the benefit of the entire nation.

pakistan decline

A recent report on Pakistan’s Geo TV said that Pakistani real estate companies have been moving capital out of the country to the tune of at least $15 billion so far to invest in Gulf real estate. Such steep loss of capital will inevitably lead to job losses in Pakistan and contribute to further economic and political instability.

As the average Pakistanis' suffering deepens with the growing lack of "roti, bijli and paani" (food, electricity and water), the elitist media and the self-proclaimed "civil society" led by the lawyers and the Nawaz league appear to be completely disconnected from the ground realities. They continue to harp on restoring deposed judges and are bent on exacting revenge from Musharraf, regardless of the disastrous consequences of their actions on common people's livelihood.

This coalition, while well-intentioned, now appears to have been a serious negative distraction for Mr. Zardari and the PPP government. It is time for Mr. Zardari and Prime Minister Gillani to acknowledge this reality and get on with focusing on the real priorities of the people to address their basic economic issues of survival.

energy deal

This hydroelectric project, first formally announced by former Minister Omar Ayub on June 10, 2007, is finally starting in earnest under the PPP government of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani. Prior to this project, the new Pakistani Prime Minister signed a deal with a Chinese company, Dong Fong, for setting up 525 MW thermal power plant with an investment of $450 million at Chichoki Mallian (Sheikhupura). Both of these projects are expected help partially close the 3000 MW gap that exists today between supply and demand in Pakistan.
Both power and water projects are crucial for Pakistan's economy in the intermediate and long term. The challenge for the Pakistani government is to make up for the neglect of several years in the power and water sector. It means that the government must ensure that the water and power projects get started and stay on schedule to begin to address the growing shortage of water and electricity in Pakistan.

pakistan facing problems

Pakistanis are facing growing dangers to their political, economic and physical security. There is almost a total leadership vacuum in addressing the growing dangers and reassuring the people. This situation raises many questions: How long cans the current situation last? What options are there for Pakistan, in case the current political leadership fails? Will there be fresh elections? If so, can Pakistanis expect a more competent leadership to emerge? Or will there be the return of the military rule as a lesser evil? Does the military even want to enter this mess? Is Pakistan in danger of collapsing and becoming a failed state like Afghanistan or Somalia or Iraq?

These are troubling questions, particularly because Pakistan possesses a nuclear arsenal. I hope the current leadership is thinking about these questions. I hope they are capable of providing the leadership necessary under the most difficult circumstances Pakistan finds itself in today. The stakes are much higher now than they have ever been for Pakistanis.

Economy boost

Regardless of the criticism of President Musharraf's politics or personality, there is general agreement among independent economists that, through his structural reforms and economic management, President Musharraf left Pakistan's economy in much better shape than he found it when he seized power in 1999
Here are some of the key highlights of the results of Musharraf era economy:

Pakistan's tax base and government revenue collection more than doubled from about Rs. 500b to over Rs. 1 trillion. Pakistan's GDP more than doubled to $144b since 1999.Most recent figures in 2007 indicate that Pakistan's total debt stands at 56% of GDP, significantly lower than the 99% of GDP in 1999.Pakistan attracted over $5 billion in foreign direct investment in the 2006-07 fiscal year, ten times the figure of 2000-01. The Karachi stock market surged tenfold from 2001 to 2007.
Pakistan positioned itself as one of the four fastest growing economies in the Asian region during 2000-07 with its growth averaging 7.0 per cent per year for most of this period. As a result of strong economic growth, Pakistan succeeded in reducing poverty by one-half, creating almost 13 million jobs, halving the country's debt burden, raising foreign exchange reserves to a comfortable position and propping the country's exchange rate, restoring investors' confidence and most importantly, taking Pakistan out of the IMF Program.
Since the takeover by the PPP-PML (N) coalition, there has been a sharp decline in Pakistan's economy.
It was on "dictator" Musharraf's watch that Pakistan saw unprecedented deregulation of the mass media, prolific growth, and vibrant debate that had never occurred before him. None of the "democrats" or "dictators" who ruled before him gave such a gift to the people of Pakistan.

It is this media freedom that I think is Musharraf's best legacy that cannot be easily denied or reversed. It'll serve Pakistan well by shining light on the misdeeds of Pakistan's leaders now, and in the future.
Musharraf was doing a good job under the circumstances, to modernize and raise the std of living in Pak. Seriously, i am feeling sad on his departure, he was a brave leader who faced crises both internally and externally, but now challenging period has been started for existing government, let’s see that what government elected by people can do for them. :-)

government failed

A US official who participated in developing the report summarized the estimate's conclusions about the state of Pakistan as: "on the edge" with "no money, no energy, and no government." According to him, the NIE report also talks about "Pakistani army's reluctance to launch an all-out crackdown" on the insurgents. The economic difficulties are compounded by growing insurgency, infighting within Pakistani government and deep mistrust between the civilian and the military leadership, according to the estimate.
The accuracy of the NIE and the motives behind it are hard to gage, but it is clear that the situation in Pakistan is very chaotic with growing unrest among the population because of the falling rupee, dwindling foreign exchange reserves and skyrocketing prices of food and fuel. President Zardari is trying to line up significant emergency economic aid from the US, the Europeans and the Chinese to bail out Pakistan. His government will probably not last long if he fails.

I feel scared and worried seeing all such reports but then i think of our history. The history tells us when even we have come across a crisis situation our people have come together. As iqbal said Islam zinda hota hai har karbala ke baad. May this crisis situation is very alarming but i hope it can help us to reunite. And by us i do not only mean the people of Pakistan but the whole Islamic countries.

wind power projects

The Asian Development Bank has agreed to a loan to help fund the first privately owned and financed wind farm in Pakistan. The output from the plant will provide much-needed additional power for Pakistan, improve the country’s energy security, and lower reliance on fossil fuels. Zorlu Energy Electric Uretim, will use the$36.8 million loan to install wind turbines to increase the output of its wind farm – located in the southern Sindh province, 100 kilometers northeast of Pakistan’s commercial hub of Karachi – from the current 6 megawatts to a total of 56.4 megawatts. The existing 6 megawatt wind farm project is currently selling power to the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company. In addition to high wind speeds near major centers as well as the Gharo and Keti Bandar corridor, Pakistan is also very fortunate to have many rivers and lakes. Wind turbines that are situated in or near water enjoy an uninterrupted flow of wind, which virtually guarantees that power will be available all the time.

Pakistan's Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB) is trying to boost local private investment in alternative energy by offering incentives and access to wind turbine makers and operators such as Siemens, Nordex SE, Coolwind, SWEG and General Electric, according to Reuters.
While 250 MW of windpower is very modest to fill the current supply-demand power gap of thousands of megawatts, it does represent a good start toward serious use of renewable to generate electricity in Pakistan. Given the uncertainty about cost, availability and environmental impact of hydrocarbons, it is important for Pakistan to rapidly diversify into renewable such as water, wind and sun.

Talibanization V/s Globalization

With Pakistan's growing population and rising expectations of its young people, it appears to me that the radical Islam is now spreading beyond its traditional home in NWFP and FATA to Pakistan's heartland of Punjab. It is also clear that the new generation of Pakistanis do not want to accept life under a feudal or tribal system that denies them basic human dignity.
According to Rand corporation estimates, the Taliban pay about $150 a month to each fighter, much higher than the $100 a month paid by the governments in the region. This fact has been amply illustrated by recent growth of the Punjabi Taliban who have been found recruited by terrorist groups for suicide bombings and violence within and outside Pakistan.

Pakistan has to be part of globalization or you end up with Talibanization. Until we put these (Pakistan's) young people into industrialization and services, and off-farm work, they will drift into this negative extremism; there is nothing worse than not having a job.we just have to hope it's not already too late

Pakistan's Sugar Crisis

At 4.89 million tons of annual sugar production, Pakistan is the tenth largest sugar producer in the world, and yet it has to import sugar, exposing it to the effects of sugar shortages and rising prices in the world. Pakistanis consume over 25 Kg of sugar per person versus India's 20Kg. Sugar cost Rs 25 per Kg (30 US cents) at the start of 2009 and now costs more than Rs 50, says independent economic analyst A.B. Shahid. This doubling of the price is likely to further enrich the large number of sugar producing politicians who are already rich and powerful.

One way to alleviate the sugar crisis in Pakistan is to reduce sugar consumption and substitute it with greater intake of fruits and vegetables. There is an urgent need for better health and nutritional education through strong public-private partnership to promote healthier eating in Pakistan.

China Signs Power Plant Deals With Pakistan

China has agreed to build several power plants in Pakistan to help the South Asian nation deal with its worsening electricity crisis. When completed over the next several years, these plants, including Nandipur (425 MW, Thermal), Guddu(800 MW, Thermal) and Neelam-Jhelum(1000 MW, Hydro), Chashma (1200 MW, Nuclear) will add more than 3000 MW of power generating capacity for the energy-hungry country. Pakistan is currently facing a deficit of 4,000 to 5,000 megawatts, resulting in extensive load-shedding (rolling blackouts) of several hours a day.
Under another agreement, China has agreed to invest about $600 million for setting up an integrated coal mining-cum-power project in Sindh. The project will produce 180 million tons of coal per year, which is sufficient to fuel the proposed 405 MW power plant.

Clearly, the Chinese objectives are not entirely altruistic. Their strategy is driven by enlightened self-interest in the developing world, which they see as source of commodities that their industries need as well as growing export market for their products and services. But the Chinese want to do good and do well at the same time by helping to lift people out of poverty in the developing world. By doing so, they want to be seen as friends and partners by the people in Asia, Africa and Latin America. The strategy enhances China's status as the new superpower that takes its global leadership role seriously.

Raise Exports, Attract Foreign Investments

Gross domestic product (GDP) is calculated by adding up public and private consumption, investments and net exports (exports-imports). As Pakistan's GDP has more than doubled over the last decade, itsFDI has increased dramatically and its exports have grown at 16% CAGR till 2007, the consumption component has continued to be stubbornly high at about 80%, with about 20% of it coming from investments and exports. In spite of the fact that about 80% of Pakistan's GDP depends on domestic consumption, the nation has been highly vulnerable to external shocks related to the need for imports, particularly the oil price volatility. Since the major missteps by the Zardari government in 2008, the economic crisis has worsened as the investors have pulled out and business confidence plummeted amidst serious security concerns raised by the Taliban insurgency in the country. It has also hurt Pakistan's exports. The recent devastating floods have added to the already serious economic woes. The only positive news has been the rising remittances by overseas Pakistanis which increased to nearly $9 billion last year.

In addition to reviving the national economy from its current slump, the biggest long-term challenge for Pakistan's economic leadership is to improve the nation's ability to deal with external and internal shocks. This will require learning from the experience of India or other Asian economies in building sufficient internal revenue base for public expenditure, attracting greater foreign investment, expanding and diversifying exports and strengthening hard currency reserves. Inability to deal with these challenges will doom Pakistan to perpetual dependence on IMFand consequent loss of sovereignty to it.

Can Pakistani Military Defeat Taliban?

On Thursday, Pakistan's Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani declared in a televised national address that the Pakistani government would pursue no further peace deals with the Pakistani Taliban but was rather dedicated to eliminating them and reasserting national writ in the northwest of the country. The speech marked a major shift in policy for the Pakistani government, which has fought militants in the Pushtun areas off and on for years. President Pervez Musharraf was the first to attempt to conclude a truce with them, in 2006
There are lessons to draw from such research that can help in dealing with the Taliban insurgency in Pakistan:
Pakistan needs an interferon strategy to disrupt the growth of Talibanization in Pakistan. With international help, such a strategy should rely on extensive use of soft power that creates economic incentives for young men to stay away from the Taliban.
The use of military force, the equivalent of the killer T-cells in the body, to respond to Pakistan's Taliban insurgency needs to be carefully calibrated to do the job effectively. These soldiers (T-cells) must minimize the death of innocent civilians (healthy cells) or collateral damage. Too little force will not stop the insurgents. But too much force can create a powerful backlash against the military's efforts and become counterproductive.

Watching public opinion in Pakistan is the key to success for all parties involved in bringing peace and stability to Pakistan. With Taliban’s recent well-publicized excesses in Swat, Pakistan public opinion has begun to turn against the Taliban. But public opinion is fickle and it can change again. While it is understandable that there will be refugees who must be well cared for, the Pakistani public opinion will shift against Pakistani government if the military is seen as displacing or killing large numbers of innocent civilians caught in the battle, or the US continues its attacks that end up killing innocent civilians. There is a lot of sensitivity required during the counterinsurgency operations.

Military Mutiny in Pakistan?

Pakistani military is a disciplined force. Its soldiers have a long history of acting in strict accordance with the orders of senior military commanders through various crises, coups, insurgencies, national emergencies, natural disasters and external hostilities the nation has seen since 1947. However, the cohesion and discipline of Pakistan's armed forces is being tested like never before, as the fears of a mutiny within the ranks are rising in the aftermath of America's Bin Laden raid in Abbottabad and PNS Mehran terrorist attacks in Karachi.

The discovery of bin Laden, he added, “has stung them as much as it has stung the whole world.” “This is a security failure,” Shehzad Chaudhry, a retired air vice marshal, said on Geo TV. The need of the hour is to focus on the security forces and their capability, instead of on the question of who could be behind the Taliban who are attacking the Pakistani military, he said. “There is a need to develop national counterterrorism policy and bring our own house in order first.”

Deflecting mounting criticism by blaming America or India will no longer do. Pakistan's military and intelligence leaders must accept responsibility for their massive failures, and clean house if they wish to regain the public confidence and the support of their rank and file which they are rapidly losing.

militancy involvement

On Tuesday, news agencies reported that authorities detained a Pakistani Army officer, Brigadier General Ali Khan, on suspicion of links to banned militant outfit Hizb ut-Tahrir (HuT). According to the New York Times,
The group was banned in Pakistan under Pervez Musharraf‘s regime, but continues to operate relatively freely in the country, reports Reuters, “clandestinely distributing leaflets and sending e-mail and text messages.” On HuT’s UK website, the group notes that Pakistan “is a powerful nuclear-armed country, let down by a corrupt government, absence of Islamic rule and subservience to the West.”
Analyst Imtiaz Gul told the news agency that the outfit, which claims to have a peaceful agenda, has some influence within the military. “They basically address educated people, educated Muslims, middle-class, lower middle-class.” In Britain, where they are not banned, the group allegedly attracts well-educated British Pakistanis as supporters, and told Reuters that HuT has not specifically targeted Pakistan’s military, but “works with all sections of society.”

Americans (CIA + Black water) have successfully developed a network in Pakistan. With the full cooperation of Pakistani civil and military establishment, they have acquired unannounced license to kill and capture. With the help of their Pakistani agents on the ground they have successfully staged a OBL topi drama and of course with the help of General Kiyani and Pasha who are successfully fighting a ” Noora Kushti ” with their American counter parts and you are searching a so called connection with Hizb ut tehreer with some army officers

Pakistan Demographic Trends Worry MQM

Why did the Muttahida Qaumi Movement(MQM) react so strongly to the PPP's aggressive stance in the recent Azad Kashmir elections that it decided to pull out of the ruling coalition? Why has the MQM leadership replaced "Mohajir" with "Muttahida" in its name? Why is the MQM so eager to expand its base from the exclusively Urdu-speaking urban Sindh to other provinces and regions?
To answer these questions, let's look at the changing demographics in Sindh province. A combination of rapidly declining birth rates of mohajirs and the rising tide of migration of northern pathans into urban Sindh is causing increasing concern among the leaders of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement(MQM) about their party's future as an ethnic and regional political force. This concern has been further reinforced by the influx of new Pathan and Sindhi migrants into Karachi after the massive 2010 floods.
If MQM is really serious about appealing across ethnic lines to become a truly national force, it needs to start by genuinely reaching out to all ethnic groups in Karachi, a cosmopolitan urban center which represents a true microcosm of all of Pakistan.

I also think that MQM's genuine pursuit for the mantle of a national party should, therefore, be seen as a positive rather than a negative. It should be supported by all those who believe in a united and harmonious Pakistan which helps every Pakistani, regardless of ethnicity, achieve his or her dream of peace and prosperity as one people striving to make Quaid-e-Azam M.A. Jinnah's Pakistan a reality.

Under Pressure

On Tuesday, the NY Times came out with a punchy, no-holds-barred piece, reporting that Obama administration officials believe that the ISI was behind journalist Saleem Shahzad‘s death last month. Well, there’s no evidence like new evidence (*jazz hands*). The NY Times cited new intelligence obtained before Shahzad’s May 29th disappearance, showing that senior ISI officials had “directed the attack on him in an effort to silence criticism.” further explored the ISI-related development, discussing how journalists like Najam Sethi and Ejaz Haider heavily criticized the military/ISI for their alleged role in Shahzad’s torture and subsequent murder. In the article, Omar Waraich wrote, “The ISI denies that it ever threatened Shahzad or was involved in the kidnapping or killing of the journalist. The ISI has contacted Sethi, Haider and other journalists whom it feels have unfairly represented the spy agency.” Sethi told TIME, “For what I’ve been saying since the bin Laden raid, I have incurred the wrath of the ISI. The agency has officially expressed its anger and annoyance and irritation.”

Journalists are being pulled into this prevalent conflict. Pakistan is being categorized as one of the most dangerous places for journalists in the world, as they are continuously being pressured from both sides of the fence. It is imperative that the true circumstances behind the murder of not only Saleem Shahzad but also other journalists should be investigated and revealed.

Pitfalls of a Religious National Identity

There is myth in the public politics of the nation that underwrites the political narrative of religious political parties. It is a myth of a sacred and unsullied past. The common belief is that if the nation could, somehow, retrieve and emulate this idealized past then all our problems will be solved. Now, we know that even at the height of its symbolic and political power, Islam was by and large a very pragmatic political system. As the Muslims conquered the Persian and Eastern Roman empire, their approach to governance was based in tolerance and acceptance: they accepted and appropriated the differences that they could appropriate, but also allowed their non-Muslim citizens a fair degree to fluidity and freedom in practicing their particular religions. This, sadly, is not the case with the religious-minded political parties in Pakistan. Yes, they pay lip service to the rights of minorities, but the system that they envision creates a national space divided between those considered full citizens–Muslim men–and those not so equal.

Religion, in my humble opinion, will fail to solve our problems and would rather fracture the nation even more. We know what happened when a certain group with a certain specific view of Islam came to power: Afghanistan became a death world. If we continue on this path of unreflective Islamization of the public sphere we will also become such a death world.

Tourism in Pakistan

Pakistan is a home to some of the most beautiful and scenic places on earth but unfortunately, our tourism industry is breathing its last. In a report presented at the World Economic Forum, Pakistan was ranked 113 in tourism out of the 133 countries. Needless to say, its the hub of mountaineering, the Karakorum range has some of the highest peaks of the world here such as the mighty K-2 (second highest peak after Everest), the Himalaya range also has its highest peak here commonly known as the Nanga Parbat (9th highest peak in the world), its famous as the killer mountain due to its extremely difficult tracks - even more difficult than Everest and K-2 and the third famous range is the Hindu Kush with its highest peak Trichmir - are all located in Pakistan . It has its fair share of the famous 'SILK ROAD', the legendary Karakorum Highway, valleys full of cherry blossoms, beautiful weather, distinct seasons and of course, its 'very hospitable people'.

Focus must be on domestic tourism - it can be revived against all odds. I am confident that we can do well, actually much better! We have a great potential and a long standing tradition of tourism in Pakistan. Historically, people of the region have loved outdoors like going to the parks or resorts - which is evident from the times of the Mogul empire. All we need at this point is to take time out to 'relax' by turning off TVs, computers, cell phones and take a look around the cities we live in, delve in its history, architecture, local delicacies, music, museums and parks -simply put, revive local tourism!

Pakistan 4 a common women

Pakistan is the third most dangerous place for women in the world. What can make any country dangerous? Some of the characteristics that are common among the list of countries deemed dangerous include: political instability, feudalism, anarchy, extremism (on every front), failed governments, patriarchy, poverty, illiteracy and militancy to name a few. Hid marriage and forced marriage are a threat. Women who defy expectations have faced acid attacks as well as punishment by stoning. Indeed, more than 1,000 females die in honor killings every year, Pakistan's Human Rights Commission reports, and 90 percent of women are victims of domestic violence at some point.

In Pakistan, in some cases, even if a husband and wife go out together- they have to keep with them their Nikkah Nama (marriage deed), because in the past, couples have been humiliated, harassed and abused. Women in rural areas have a very different set of difficulties than those in urban areas...but life on both ends is really tough!

Schooling in Baluchistan

Mustang district is located in the north western part of Baluchistan and prior to 1991, it was a part of Kalat District - situated between Quetta and Kalat at an elevation of 6,000 feet (1,800 meters). It has a population of 180,349 people as of 2005.. The valley of Mustang is famous for its irrigated crops of potatoes, onions, tobacco, spices, melons, vegetables, almonds, apricots, peaches, plums, grapes and apples.
According to the BBC report, roads and education system has improved a lot over the past few years, now there is a girl’s high school there. The principal said that their main problem is 'non availability' of transport for girls. They only have one school bus that makes 3 trips to pick students from all the different areas & in winters the girls get back home by sunset. Parents cannot afford to hire private transport and hence, girls just cannot attend school. However, the students who are lucky to join this school are excited about it and were keenly learning the basics of how to use a computer besides other subjects - when asked if any of them have a computer at home, the answer was in negative. It was indeed great to hear that at least they get a chance to work with and know about computers at school.

I really wish and hope that we have a Chief Minister, Prime Minister or President from every town in Pakistan for a while - because this is the only way to develop these cities (constituencies), having have proper schools and basic amnesties of life otherwise...education, healthcare, sanitation will remain a distant cry for most of the Pakistanis

Pakistan Wins Release of Indian and Pakistani Sailors

In a humanitarian gesture, Pakistan raised funds to help secure the release of 22 sailors, including 11 Egyptians, 6 Indians, 4 Pakistanis and a Sri Lankan. The sailors were held captive for ransom by the Somali pirates for over 10 months aboard a hijacked Egyptian vessel MV Suez. The ship is now sailing to freedom escorted by Pakistan Navy's PNS Babar after a second hijack attempt by Somali pirates. Pakistani ship came to the rescue of the Suez after the Indian Navy ignored its repeated calls for help, according to India's NDTV.
Of the $2.5 million ransom, the ship’s owner paid $1 million and the Ansar Burney Trust raised the remaining $1.5 million with the help of Pakistani officials, according to the Indian Telegraph newspaper. The freed Pakistanis are the ship's captain Syed Wasi Hasan and crew Muzzamil, Mohammed Alam and Ali Rehman. Captain Wasi Hasan told Geo News that his captors had threatened to kill him. He thanked the nation and the media and particularly praised Ansar Burney for the role played in securing the sailors' release.

India acts like Israel and shows no respect or favors to Pakistan in just about all situations. However, India is always quick to blame Pakistan for all bad things. This behavior will not lead to resolutions of problem between two countries and both countries will keep on building military at the expense of human development.

Endorsement

Celebrities (actors, musicians, sportsmen, etc.) have long been used to promote and sell brands. It may not be a revolutionary concept anymore, but studies show that a famous face can still effectively move a product off the shelves. Celebrities (actors, musicians, sportsmen, etc.) have long been used to promote and sell brands. It may not be a revolutionary concept anymore, but studies show that a famous face can still effectively move a product off the shelves.
The benefits of using celebrities are obvious: they create hype for the brand, their popularity and star appeal draws people to watch the commercial (and potentially buy the product) and they come with a certain level of credibility attached to them, which should ideally rub off on the brand.All of this and more is possible but some important provisos apply. The celebrity has to be the right fit for the brand; the brand and the celebrity should ideally share the same personality, beliefs and basic values; and the celebrity should have some kind of credibility and popularity among the brand’s target audience.
Pakistani brands have gone down the celebrity endorsement route in the last couple of decades with varying results. In recent years, the nature of celebrities has changed considerably so that where star status was once strictly reserved for sportsmen (usually cricketers), actors and musicians, the term ‘celebrity’ has now been extended to include TV chefs, political analysts and newscasters, social commentators, philanthropists, social workers, etc.

Pakistan cricket team and the lack of any big names on the idiot box or the silver screen, music is the only industry in Pakistan that is still capable of producing a celebrity in the true sense of the term. The fact that the music industry has consistently been able to turn out fresh and promising talent has paved the way for the mix between music and marketing.

The new consumer order

82% of all new product launches in the USA failed last year. That’s because they were products that consumers could see no real need for.Marketers bravely come up with new extensions, new variants and new takes on old brands just to try to keep us interested and most of the time they fail miserably. Still, the money they spend does help keep the economy chugging along and right now it needs as much chug as it can get.
The point is, consumers have always had more common sense than marketers and you would imagine that in all those research groups they are given the opportunity to help brand managers avoid expensive mistakes. It’s not that marketers are not listening, but that they are asking all the wrong questions and in the wrong ways and in the wrong places. In truth, the consumer has changed, yes. But that doesn't mean we need to change how we address him and her. It means we have to change everything we do; how we organise our companies, how we manufacture our products and how we price them.As a result of the digital revolution, the consumer can be, even should be, an active participant in the four P’s of marketing – in helping to create the product then place it, price it and promote it.

The trouble is, like so many organizations, they are working hard to preserve the status quo, to keep processes and procedures exactly as they are. The companies that will succeed in these bold new times are those that actively set out to create and manage change, knowing that if they do not, change will come and engulf them anyway. It is not so much that there is a new consumer nowadays as a whole new order.

karachi meeting

President, Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q), Chaudhry Shujaat Husain has said that heads of all political parties should sit together to jointly resolve Karachi situation, Geo News reported.
He was talking to media after meeting MQM Rabitta Committee members at Nine Zero on late Tuesday.
MQM Rabitta Committee Deputy Convener Dr Farooq Sattar said that MQM would continue to support for peace and stability unconditionally .
Shujaat said that he did not convey any message of President Asif Ali Zardari to MQM. “I am in contact with Altaf Hussain and will support MQM in every situation’

China pledges support for Pakistan

China pledged its support for close ally Pakistan on Tuesday, after the United States announced it would suspend $800 million worth of security aid to Islamabad.
"Pakistan is an important country in South Asia. The stability and development of Pakistan is closely connected with the peace and stability of South Asia, foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei told reporters. China has always provided assistance to Pakistan, helping it improve people's livelihood and realize the sustainable development of its economy and society. China will continue to do so in the future."

Chinese premier in his speech has wished for the prosperity, stability and development of the Pakistan. He also announced development projects and cooperation in different sectors. The relationship between Pakistan and China is between the two nation and not confined to the two governments. Leader of the opposition has also welcomed the speech of Chinese Prime Minister which is nice and good for Pakistan that all political forces are united when there is need and political parties have always showed harmony, maturity on national issues.

EXPERIMENTAL MARKT

The concept of experiential marketing is simple, whereby brands become proactive and allow consumers to experience the product first hand. This concept can have a profound effect on consumers if done effectively. We have witnessed construction projects coming up with fully furnished model flats on site to entice potential customers to buy into that dream and become part of an illusion (I call it an illusion, at least until the time the project is completed). We have also experienced door-to- door sampling from various brands.
Without extensive media airing, or social website blogging, this venture would not have gained the hype it created. The result is that halfway across the world I am now sharing my experience.

Give a free hand to advertising agencies and brand activation companies to come up with ideas that will create a snowball effect, that have a media strategy incorporating all communication platforms. Yes it will require big budgets and this is where synergising with other brands will play its role. (The Charmin activity was a joint venture between Kohler, a leading bathroom fixtures brand, Samsung and iPod.) The return on investment if done with passion will be substantial.

NEW FACE OF LUX

Lux soap has been synonymous with beauty, glamour and stardom for many decades. Globally, Lux has an intrinsic relationship with the film industry and the brand’s advertising exudes the luxury, charm and allure that are reminiscent of cinema and all things associated with it. The ‘beauty soap’ has been endorsed by reigning queens of the film industry, be it Hollywood, Bollywood or our very own Lollywood.

In Pakistan, of course, the ‘Lux Girl’ was (almost) always a Pakistani star; that is until recently when with a break from tradition, the local Lux campaign featured Bollywood beauty and actor Katrina Kaif in the coveted role of the new Pakistani ‘Lux Girl’. Pakistan has had its share of Lux beauties and this is the first time that a foreign actor has endorsed Lux for Pakistani audiences in such a major campaign. Despite the fact that Kaif is popular, beautiful and not Indian, some Pakistani audiences were offended by this break with tradition that seemed to suggest that Lux has given up on local beauties. Although globally Lux is known as the soap of film stars, in Pakistan the limits were stretched to include icons from the fashion world such as Vaneeza Ahmad, Aaminah Haq and Iman Ali, all of whom act on television off and on; beautiful they may be, but they are also old news. The brand no doubt needed to move beyond those faces in order to bring freshness to its campaigns.

Unilever and the Lux team are working on ensuring that sooner rather than later there will be big Pakistani stars to endorse the brand in keeping with the Lux tradition. Currently the brand is involved in promoting film and fashion through the Lux Style Awards, and is sponsoring the development of cinema by offering performing arts scholarships to students at various institutions every year.

pakistan ready 4 3G ?

Cellular technology has changed considerably in the last decade, transforming the cell phone from a rich man’s tool to a common man’s necessity. Now that mobile network operators are increasingly looking beyond plain vanilla ‘voice’ and moving towards providing faster data and information access via cell phones, the next stage in this evolution is 3G.
Simply put, 3G is the third generation of wireless technologies. Unlike previous technologies, 3G offers high speed data transmission and advanced multimedia access. By using 3G, mobile subscribers will be able to surf the internet at higher speeds and make video calls (among other things) while on the move; governments can use the same technology to provide wider access to healthcare and education; thus the possibilities are enormous.


There are no benchmarks available to determine whether a country is ready for 3G or not. The technological evolution is inevitable but the degree of success depends on how the above variables pan out. In my opinion, Pakistan may be ready for 3G on some fronts but not on others, although it is only a matter of time before the technology is introduced. However, it is extremely important that the PTA does not see this opportunity as merely a money making proposition. It has to be a win-win situation for all three stakeholders (PTA, telecom operators and consumers). Like businesses, technologies have their lifecycles and the critical question for telecom operators is how much incremental revenue 3G will bring in relation to the amount of investment required to make it work. The PTA will have to take into account the opinion of all the stakeholders before determining the timeframe for issuing 3G licenses, and based on the current market and economic dynamics, this can wait for at least another two years.

shoe fit or not ?

Bata and Servis have been household names for over five decades, dominating Pakistan’s shoe market until the 90s. The turning point came with the import of branded and unbranded footwear, as well as with the start-up manufacturing of shoes and sandals for women by small, local shoemakers.

For the first time, Bata and Servis had competition and along with that came the realisation that they needed to adapt to this changed environment. Bata (a foreign company) brought in brands from its own international markets (such as Marie Claire, Bubblegummers and Weinbrenner etc.) and adapted the designs for wear in Pakistan, whereas locally owned Servis signed agreements with big names such as ECCO, Hush Puppies and Nike.
According to the Pakistan Footwear Manufacturers Association, the local shoe market is worth 100 billion rupees, of which 80% is made up of unbranded manufacturers and international brands, while Bata and Servis account for 20%. About 225 million pairs of shoes are produced in Pakistan every year and unsurprisingly, 75% of the sales revenue is generated by women’s shoes.
In spite of all these measures, Bata and Servis understand that there will be plenty of challenges in the future. A factor to be considered is the influx of more international brands, which will provide serious competition particularly in the top tiers (where Bata and Servis hope to draw their margins from). Secondly, as Abd points out, both Bata and Servis will have to manage a dual market.

But most importantly (and both companies agree on this), the biggest challenge will be to remain relevant in a discerning market. In spite of all these measures, Bata and Servis understand that there will be plenty of challenges in the future. A factor to be considered is the influx of more international brands, which will provide serious competition particularly in the top tiers (where Bata and Servis hope to draw their margins from). Secondly, as Abd points out, both Bata and Servis will have to manage a dual market.
But most importantly (and both companies agree on this), the biggest challenge will be to remain relevant in a discerning market.

here 4 good ?

If any, banks can claim that they have done well, let alone posted profits in the last couple of years. While many financial institutions have gone bust or needed a government bailout or a crutch of some sort to keep going, the story at Standard Chartered is quite different.
We were doing well in a sector that was in crisis, so we must have been doing something good.”
That ‘something good’ is what the bank wanted to highlight when it embarked on a search for a campaign and brand promise that would capture its ethos.

There were in-depth interviews with a range of stakeholders, including analysts, customers, clients and frontline staff across the globe as well as with the bank’s management. The objective was to determine what made Standard Chartered different from its competitors, This is the first global positioning campaign by the bank in 40 years and is visible throughout the Africa, Asia and Middle East regions where Standard Chartered is the market leader.

Moreover, the bank has a one year Banking Associate program too which develops front-end officers for retail and commercial banking. Majority of the trainees are recruited from premier business schools. The Bank may have made plenty of loans to government officials for housing, transport and personal expenses a.k.a. daughters weddings but the amount was still miniscule compared to such favours extended by many other banks. Furthermore, the loan recovery rate is very good. Please look around and see that there aren't many international banks left. Standard Chartered Bank on the other hand, is here for good.