Monthly Archives: October 2010

Economy, Pakistan, Punjab, Sindh

Kalabagh dam : they want to control the water of Sindh for Punjab

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Hypocrisy

By: M. Khan Sial, Karachi

Some of our friends belonging to Punjab are bent upon proving that havoc brought out by recent surplus flood water in the country, could have been averted if the controversial Kalabagh dam in Punjab existed and release of fresh water in sea to check sea intrusion is wastage. This is technically wrong contention as nowhere in the world surplus flood water are deposited in normal dams like Kalabagh due to their technicalities. Further, if any effort is made to control sudden spate of flood water, it did not succeed as spate of high flood water washed out the whole dam. Further superb floods come after 22 years in Pakistan. If we presume the water of flood is absorbed in proposed Kalabagh dam, should we wait for 22 years to fill the dam after spending billions of rupees on its construction and maintenance?

Further, the experts in various seminars have expressed their views that site of controversial Kalabagh dam is in earthquake zone and also underground range of salt mines existed there. Since some people want to control the water of Sindh for Punjab, they are trying to spread misinformation. Sometimes, they call it release of water in sea as wastage despite in the 74 deltas of the world, fresh water is released to push sea water back. It is very unfortunate pro-Kalabagh dam lobby belonging to Punjab, are claiming they are only well-wishers of rest three provinces and also of the country whereas people of three provinces are not well wishers of their own provinces or country.

What hypocrisy! Such people are unable to tell why they remained mum on untimely demise of Indus delta? Why “Water Accord – 1991” after its signing on it and passing 19 years, was not implemented in letter and spirit? Internationally recognised IUCN has recommended release of 35MAF water downstream Kotri but mighty Punjab is not allowing this resulting in mass migration in the area and ruination of eco-system, increase of poverty and dangerous sea intrusion.

Continue reading Kalabagh dam : they want to control the water of Sindh for Punjab →

Pakistan, Religion

Poonam, a Hindu girl, was abducted to be forcefully ‘converted to Islam’

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13-year-old Hindu Dalit girl abducted, forcibly converted to Islam …

Karachi, Sept 11 (ANI): An incident involving forced religious conversion of a 13-year-old Hindu girl belonging to a Dalit community has surfaced in Lyari Town of Pakistan.

The girl- Poonam- was kidnapped from the neighbourhood in Lyari Town on Wednesday, and the neighbours informed her family of her presence at a Madrassa in the town, the Daily Times quoted the girl’s uncle, Bhanwroo, as saying.

He said that when the family went to the Madrassa, they found out that “she was very scared and under the influence of maulvis. She told us they will not let her go, so she will stay with them as a Muslim.”

The family tried to lodge an FIR of kidnapping at Chakiwara Police Station, but the policemen refused to register the case.

Read more >> ThaindianNews

News, Politics, Sindh

Meet with Dr. Karim Rajpar and Fayaz Naich of SindhTV in Washington

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Washington : Dr. Karim Rajpar and Fayaz Naich of SindhTV are currently visiting USA. Washington Sindhis would like to take an advantage of their presence to hear from them the real-time take on political situation in Sindh and Pakistan.

Washington Sindhis look forward to a very serious discourse on most pressing issues confronted by our kith and kin. SindhTV has consistently taken moral stand on vital social and political issues of our times from its inception.

Washington Sindhis will meet at 3:00 PM on Sunday, October 10, 2010 at 1910 Holly Ridge Drive, # T2 in McLean, Virginia.

Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, Punjab, Sindh, Sindhi

Kalabagh dam : Unable to understand why they see the world only with the eyes of Punjab?

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Violation of oath

By Mohammad Khan Sial, Karachi

I was amazed to read the letter of — of Lahore (July 28) entitled: “Violation of oath…high treason” claiming that Prime Minister’s oath has been violated by saying: “Kalabagh dam has become victim of politics”.

I am unable to understand why people like — see the world only with the eyes of Punjab? Dr Bhatti must know who after taking oath compelled ‘majority’ of our population to get separation from ‘minority’? Who despite utilizing natural resources of Balochistan for 60 years, pushed the people of Balochistan to further backwardness and utilized their resources on the basis of un-justified population being sole criteria for distribution of natural resources, for the benefit of Punjab? Who did not allow to release at least 10MAF water downstream Kotri in Sindh after passing 19 years to signing on “Water Accord – 1991”?

Who was responsible for sea intrusion inundating 2.6 million acres of land in Sindh due to non-implementation of the said Accord? Who is responsible for untimely mass destruction of Indus delta? Who is compelling people of Sindh to live 80 per cent below the internationally recognised dateline of poverty despite Sindh is meeting 75% gas and 59% oil requirements but its people are still poor? want to tell Dr Bhatti, let us start from Balochistan and later Sindh to know who in the various governments discriminated the two provinces by violating the oath? Why people like Dr Bhatti are not worried about rest of Pakistan except Punjab. Perhaps such people think Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa are not parts of Pakistan? Very sad.

Courtesy: THE FRONTIER POST, Saturday 31, 2010

http://www.thefrontierpost.com/News.aspx?ncat=le&nid=1855&ad=31-07-201

Pakistan, Politics, Religion

Mullah-military nexus has subverted public opinion: Wajahat Massod

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Al-Qaeda, Taliban, jihadis, sectarian groups, and so-called parliamentary Islamic groups have a global agenda and as such are natural allies.

Pakistan’s religious/missionary parties and the Taliban constitute “an archipelago of evil”, says Wajahat Massod. Presently working as Editor Coordination with Lahore-based Urdu-language daily Aaj Kal, Wajahat Massod is a known human rights activist. Previously, he has worked in editorial positions with different publications and has authored a number of books as well as working papers on politics both in Urdu and English. In an interview with Viewpoint, he discusses various aspects of Talibanisation and Islamisation in Pakistan …

Read more >> ViewPoint

Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, Politics, Punjab, Sindh

Pakistan: Kalabagh dam threatens livelihood of millions

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by Ray Fulcher

– GREEN LEFT

… construction of a massive dam in 2016 on the Indus river at Kalabagh, near the border between the Punjab and North West Frontier provinces. Opponents of the World Bank-funded dam project see it as another grab for water by the Punjabi ruling elite, which dominates federal politics in Pakistan.

The government claims that the dam is necessary for Pakistan’s economic development, that it will provide 3600 megawatts of hydroelectric power and 35,000 jobs.

Musharraf has said that the dam project will proceed against any opposition and that the federal and Punjabi governments will topple any provincial government that opposes the project. Of Pakistan’s four provinces, three provincial parliaments — North West Frontier (NWFP), Sindh and Balochistan — have passed resolutions opposing the dam.

On December 31, four progressive parties in Punjab united to protest against the proposed dam. The rally, held in Lahore, was charged by police, and activists of the four parties — the National Workers Party, the Labour Party Pakistan (LPP), the Pakistan Mazdoor Mehaz and the Mazdoor Kissan Party — were beaten.

Farooq Tariq, an organiser of the rally and national secretary of the LPP told Green Left Weekly by phone: “The LPP opposes the dam because it will deny Sindh its share of water and turn it into a desert. We oppose the construction of big dams on environmental grounds. Furthermore, this dam will benefit the Punjab ruling class and will add to the exploitation of Sindh. All provinces except the Punjab have repeatedly opposed the construction of this dam. This democratic verdict should be taken as a referendum and the dam abandoned.

Continue reading Pakistan: Kalabagh dam threatens livelihood of millions →

News, Pakistan, Politics, Sindh

We are not religious extremists

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Sindh – Hyderabad : October 03, 2010-  Tens of Sindhis held peaceful protests on October 03, 2010 in different cities of Sindh against terrorist acts of religious right on NATO supplies. By condemning these acts of violence we are separating the people of Sindh from those who thrive on religious & ethnic hatred in Pakistan. We are sending a clear message to the world that the land of Bhittai believes in tolerance, peaceful co-existence and respect of all religions of the world. We are working on G.M. Syed’s true & real message of brother hood & humanity. These are the teachings of G.M. Syed that are giving us courage to stand up against religious right in Pakistan. ….

Read more in Sindhi >> wesindhi

News, Pakistan, Politics

Musharraf spills the beans

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BIRMINGHAM: Former military ruler Pervez Musharraf has said that graft cases against slain PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto and her spouse Asif Zardari in Switzerland’s courts were not proven.

In an exclusive interview with Daily Express, Musharraf revealed that a letter was also written to Swiss authorities during his regime showing displeasure at the lengthy trial.

He said the rounds of negotiations he held with Benazir Bhutto were always one-on-one.

He said people on TV talk shows make noises about NRO and talk incessantly about the deal even though they know nothing about the facts.

Replying to a question, he said his meetings with Benazir Bhutto in Abu Dhabi used to span three to four hours, and they were always one-on-one. Rehman Malik accompanied the PPP leader but did not participate in the negotiations.

He recalled that when in the first round of talks Benazir asked for abolition of 58-2 (b) “I refused point blank”. He said when talking about the cases instituted against her during Nawaz Sharif government, Benazir used to become misty-eyed.

The ex-president said that the cases against Benazir Bhutto and Asif Zardari were neither proved in Swiss courts nor in Pakistan’s, while both were acquitted in many cases.

He said he had written to the Swiss courts that their performance was even worse than Pakistani courts as they failed to decide the cases, “but the fact of the matter is that there was nothing in those cases”.

Read more >> The Express Tribune

News, Pakistan, Politics

CIA Escalates in Pakistan

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By ADAM ENTOUS, JULIAN E. BARNES And SIOBHAN GORMAN

WASHINGTON—The U.S. military is secretly diverting aerial drones and weaponry from the Afghan battlefront to significantly expand the CIA’s campaign against militants in their Pakistani havens.

The shift in strategic focus reflects the U.S. view that, with Pakistan’s military unable or unwilling to do the job, more U.S. force against terrorist sanctuaries in Pakistan is now needed to turn around the struggling Afghan war effort across the border. …

Read more >> WALL STREET JOURNAL

Pakistan, Politics

Muddled Washington

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By Huma Yusuf

…. In Washington, too, politicians and pundits are rethinking their strategy for engaging with the two faces of Pakistani power. Recent talk of coups, revolutions, orphans and actors have left many scratching their heads, wondering what the Pakistani political set-up is fated to be in coming months.

Previously, Washington has known that it could rely on the Pakistan Army in turbulent times to stabilise the country, check the excesses of the civilian government, and protect US interests on the ground. At this juncture, too, the US needs to be confident about the reach of GHQ’s puppet strings. In the run-up to November’s mid-term elections, with the situation in Afghanistan deteriorating, Washington will be counting on our army to keep bickering politicians on a tight leash, and instead focus on striking at Pakistan-based militants and, eventually, brokering a deal (the key to a US exit strategy) with the Taliban. …

To read full article >> DAWN

Religion

Dalit dog – by Dr Manzur Ejaz

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A distinction should be made between feudalism as an economic phenomenon and feudal culture, which can retain its grip for a very long time; the feudal culture can survive or take other forms long after the economic base has been changed from feudalism to industrialisation

According to a BBC report, in Madhya Pradesh, India, a dog named Shero was thrown out by his owner, Amrat Lal, because he was fed by a Dalit (untouchable) woman, Sunita. Further, the donating Dalit was fined Rs 15,000 by the village panchayat (court) for feeding the dog of a higher caste Rajput Hindu. Now the poor dog has been left tied to a tree in a predominantly Dalit area and Ms Sunita has lodged a complaint in the police station against the village court and the matter is being handled by the authorities. …

Read more >> WICHAAR

India, Politics, Religion

Ayodhya Verdict: Musings of a Now Hardened Agnostic – By Yoginder Sikand

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As neither a Hindu nor a Muslim, but, rather, now a hardened agnostic who suspects there is an invisible force behind the universe but is fully distrustful of all religions, I could not be bothered in the least if a temple or a mosque or a profane structure—or, indeed, nothing at all—is now to occupy the disputed spot in Ayodhya. As far as I know, the force that I want to believe exists and pervades the entire universe and beyond is supremely indifferent to who the new owners of the contested spot are to be. This force knows no distinction of religion, caste, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, and so on and so forth. For all I care, you can smear your head with ash and fall flat in front of the toy-like idols that now stand on the disputed spot and mumble mantras in incomprehensible Sanskrit, or you can don a skull-cap and bend and bow while muttering phrases in Arabic of which you understand not a word if the mosque that once stood on the spot is reconstructed. The universal force I sort of suspect exists is, I know, supremely unaffected by what you do on that measly bit of earth. …

Read more >> indianmuslimobsever

Pakistan, Politics

Media Tasked to Build Grounds for Martial Law?

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The most active topic on entire Pakistani media is weather army should take over and remove incompetent government. The storm started shortly after three hours long meeting of MQM’s leader Altaf Hussain with American consular in London, followed by his speech where he demanded Martial Law against current government. …

…. Regarding the role of media, is it justified to discuss the martial law or what kind of system Pakistan should have when every single minute of air time should be dedicated for information and help of 20 million flood victims? Has media been given task by army through agencies to build grounds for martial law (code word “Maahol Banao”) in shortest possible time?

Is this the reason why some columnists and anchors are now actively and shamelessly advocating the biggest crime in the law of land in their columns and programs? …

Read more >> PKPOLITICS