Bharat Rakshak

Prem wrote:Why not ask Naik if he is a human being or Muslim first?

r_subramanian wrote:Heavy bomb blast in Karachi
Breaking news

A heavy explosion occurred in the posh locality of Defense Housing Authority in Karachi near Darakshan police station early on Monday morning, DawnNews reported.
According to initial reports, the blast occurred outside the residence of SP Crime Investigation Department (CID) Chaudhry Aslam Mehfooz.
...

dawn_link

SBajwa wrote:With Z. naik two old indian proverbs come to mind.

1. Jo bhaunkhte hain vo katthe hai (barking dogs seldom bite)
2. Laaton ke bhoot baaton se nahi maante (Can somebody translate this)

...It takes huge quantities of water to produce electricity from a plant powered by nuclear energy or fossil fuels.........According to Mr. Hightower, more than 50 percent of the water withdrawn every day from rivers and lakes in the United States goes toward energy production.

Power plants discharge almost all of that water back into rivers or ponds after it has helped cool the plant (which explains the difference between 4 percent consumption and 50 percent withdrawals).

However, this means that in times of drought, when rivers or reservoirs are drying up, power plants may have trouble finding enough water, even if they end up discharging most of it.

saadhak wrote:

SBajwa wrote:With Z. naik two old indian proverbs come to mind.

1. Jo bhaunkhte hain vo katthe hai (barking dogs seldom bite)
2. Laaton ke bhoot baaton se nahi maante (Can somebody translate this)

Here's a crude attempt for 'Laaton ke bhoot baaton se nahi maante':
"People of certain dispositions do not listen to reason; need to be tough with them to get them to agree"

On the funnier side: Javed Jaffry's character from Salaam Namaste "ghost of the kicks not listening to the talks":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... _Ns#t=320s

Why not ask Naik if he is a human being or Muslim first?

19 September, 2011

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will end 12th loan programme, with tag of unsuccessful after 11 days out of total signed loans of 18 in last 53 years history of relations between two sides as Islamabad got first loan programme from the Fund in 1958.

The existing Standby Arrangement (SBA) programme will again repeat the old history as it is going to expire on September 30, 2011, on unsuccessful note under which Islamabad failed to draw last two tranches of $3.4 billion.

Pakistan’s history of using IMF resources can be divided into three distinct phases. In the first period—1970 to 1988—Pakistan had four one-year SBAs followed by one three year Extended Fund Facility (EFF).

The special characteristics of this phase were (a) with the exception of two, rest of the SBAs were fully disbursed, (b) there was little emphasis on structural reforms (except in EFF), and (c) repeated approach to Fund resources, in between periods of break.

In the second period, 1988 to 1999, Pakistan had both the short term and multiyear arrangements with the IMF.

Unlike the first phase, these arrangements emphasized on variety of structural reforms along with demand management policies. Almost all the arrangements went off-track sooner or later on account of policy slippages. As a result, throughout this period Pakistan was continuously under one or other IMF programme.

In the third period, 2000-2004, Pakistan availed one facility of SBA and PRGF each. These arrangements were completed successfully as Pakistan met most of the structural performance criteria. With the recovery from macroeconomic crises, Pakistan exited from IMF programme in 2004.

The bad patch relation between Islamabad and the Fund started since 1958 when Pakistan had signed 25 million Special Drawing Right (SDR) under SBA programme, but that programme remained unable to draw single penny and met with failure.

The SDR is an international reserve asset, created by the IMF in 1969 to supplement the existing official reserves of member countries. SDRs are allocated to member countries in proportion to their IMF quotas. Its value is based on a basket of key international currencies.

The exchange rate in terms of one SDR in comparison with US dollar is standing in the range of $1.3. The second IMF programme was signed in 1965 by securing loan amount of 37 million SDRs that program ended on March 15, 1966, in which Islamabad remained successful for drawing the whole amount during the tenure Gen Ayub Khan.

Third programme under SBA was obtained by Pakistan on May 18, 1972, by signing loan amount of 100 million SDR out of which the country had withdrawn 84 million SDR till the completion of the programme on May 17, 1973.

Pakistan and the Fund had signed fourth SBA programme on August 11, 1974, during the tenure of former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and that programme ended on successful note on August 10, 1974, as Islamabad had drawn the whole loan amount of 74 million SDR.

Fifth and sixth programmes were signed by Pakistan during the tenure of ZA Bhutto in 1974 and 1977 and both these programmes remained successful as Pakistan had drawn 75 million and 80 million SDR programmes respectively.

During the tenure of another dictatorial regime of Ziaul Haq on November 24, 1980, Pakistan and the IMF had signed loan agreement of 1.268 billion SDRs out of which Pakistan drew 1.709 billion SDRs till 1983.

After long tenure of Ziaul Haq then democracy restored in the country in 1988 and late Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto was elected as Prime Minister with baggage to implement the IMF programme under Structural Adjustment Facility (SAF) that remained successful by obtaining 382 million SDRs till 1992. On the other hand, Islamabad’s economy was facing balance of payment crisis in 1988.

End.

19 September, 2011

ISLAMABAD: After its existing loan package with the IMF ends on September 30, Pakistan has decided to start planning to print currency at the maximum to plug the big hole in the power sector which sucks about Rs280 billion every year, a senior official told Our Sources.

“Under its master plan to clinch the next general elections, the government will not increase the power tariff by Rs15.6 percent in 2011-12 as worked out by the ministerial committee on energy,” the official said. “The government will not implement power sector reforms or introduce efficiency in collecting electricity bills and running electric power generation and distribution companies to turn the bleeding power sector into a profit-making sector.”

According to the official, the government will lose its authority and powers to meddle in the affairs of Gencos and Discos if power sector reforms are implemented, Pepco is dissolved by October 31, new chief executives are appointed from the open market in all electric power distribution companies and board of directors of Gencos are constituted and notified as done in the case of Discos. “Since the government has made a plan to recruit its own party workers and well wishers to pave the way for victory in the coming elections, the implementation of power sector reforms is in jeopardy,” the official said.

According to one estimate, running defaulters owe Rs89 billion as of today, but since they are influential business tycoons and feudal lords, Pepco will continue to extend them electricity supply despite the fact that they are not paying their bills. “The government, no more under IMF compulsions after quitting its programme, will not be in a position to offend influential defaulters keeping in view the future elections,” the official said.

The government will go for a massive surge in printing currency notes to generate liquidity to overcome the chronic issues of circular debt of Rs247 billion and bridge the gap of 20 percent (Rs1.60 per unit) between the determined and notified tariff. This decision, the official argued, might help win the hearts of the masses, but printing currency notes will ultimately cause a massive surge in inflation, already hovering at 14 percent.

“This means the masses for whom tariff rationalisation is not materialised will be the losers in the end as printing currency is inflationary,” the official added. “The government may harness short terms gains out of its master plan, but the country will be the loser as the economy will collapse as a result of a massive printing of currency.”

The government would, the official feared, also flout the understanding given to the IMF by not surrendering its rights to Nepra about notifying the electricity tariff. “It seems, in case the power regulator gets the power to notify the electricity tariff as earlier agreed with IMF, the government will stand nowhere among the masses because it would be left with no option but to increase the tariff to be notified by the power regulator,” the official added.

End.

BijuShet wrote:Govt plans massive printing of currency

A Lloyd's insurance syndicate has begun a landmark legal case against Saudi Arabia, accusing the kingdom of indirectly funding al-Qa'ida and demanding the repayment of £136m it paid out to victims of the 9/11 attacks.

Our leader of the opposition in the parliament, who thunders against the US at the drop of a hat, was rattled by a WikiLeaks cable that exposed how his family members were US citizens! He organised a press conference and defended his anti-Americanism.

Forget the leader of the opposition. The great polemicist, Qazi Hussain Ahmad of the Jamaat-i-Islami, who leaves no opportunity to identify and condemn ‘agents’ sent his children to the US for college. Reportedly, few of his children are also US nationals.

vishvak wrote:There is this TV he runs called Peace TV. It is banned in India per http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes ... l-telecast (IPC per the same). He was openly blaspheming Hinduism, Christianity, Jews, and so on and on, that too on stage, as per videos. Those who believe in what he said would jump on non believers to 'prevent non-believers from going to hell' and so on, not to mention the kind of skewed image in the mind of pious. Downright offensive.

BijuShet wrote:Govt plans massive printing of currency

abhishek_sharma wrote:Dengue fever: Pakistan's recurring nightmare

Pakistan wants emergency dengue drugs from India so out comes the begging BOWL!!

Islamabad, Sep 12 (IANS) Dengue medicines should be immediately imported from India, Shahbaz Sharif, chief minister of Pakistan's Punjab province, has demanded.

Shahbaz Sharif Sunday ordered immediate import of medicines from India during an emergency meeting, reported The Nation Monday. He asked the provincial...

Rangudu wrote:India should tell TSP to go dengu itself, maybe?

chetak wrote:

abhishek_sharma wrote:Dengue fever: Pakistan's recurring nightmare

]Islamabad, Sep 12 (IANS) Dengue medicines should be immediately imported from India, Shahbaz Sharif, chief minister of Pakistan's Punjab province, has demanded.
Shahbaz Sharif Sunday ordered immediate import of medicines from India during an emergency meeting, reported The Nation Monday. He asked the provincial...

arun wrote:Given the BBC has indicated that the arrests are connected to an investigation that “relates to suspected Islamist extremism” this is an appropriate thread to solely post for now.

As for the future, given the predilection of individuals originating in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to indulge in acts of Islamic Terrorism, I expect this story will shortly need to be X posted to the Pakistani Role in Global Terrorism thread:

Seven held in Birmingham anti-terror operation

Six arrested in Birmingham counter-terrorism raids

Police feared al-Qaida-inspired plot for attack in Britain which they believe was at an 'advanced stage' of planning

Vikram Dodd and Richard Norton-Taylor
guardian.co.uk, Monday 19 September 2011 14.17 BST …………….

The six men were arrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of an act of terrorism in the UK. They were aged 25 to 32. All are British citizens and some are believed to be of Pakistani heritage. …………………….

Guardian

Khan stirs his cappuccino angrily. "Most humiliating of all was that the CIA chief Panetta says that the Pakistan government was either incompetent or complicit. Complicit!" But surely Leon Panetta had a point, didn't he? The world's most wanted man was living a mile from Pakistan's military academy, not in some obscure cave. "They're talking about a country in which 35,000 people have died during a war that had nothing to do with us. Ours is perhaps the only country in history that keeps getting bombed, through drone attacks, by our ally."

"A country that relies on aid? Death is better than that. It stops you from achieving your potential, just as colonialism did. Aid is humiliating. Every country I know that has had IMF or World Bank programmes has only impoverished the poor and enriched the rich." And American aid, he argues, has had a calamitous effect on his homeland.

He argues that if Pakistan's two greatest problems, corruption and tax evasion, can be solved, then the country will become solvent. "We have the lowest tax-GDP ratio in the world: 9%. If we get it to 18%, which is India, we're solvent." Not only does Khan believe he can tax the rich but also that exploiting Pakistan's huge mineral reserves will help the country escape its current mess. "A country that has no power is sitting on the biggest coal reserves in the world!"

saip wrote:I see this refrain. Pakistan has largest coal reserves in the world, Pakistan has great reserves of Uranium, Pakistan has largest reserves of Copper. If all that is true why are they so goddamn piss poor?

Shitistan will have floods every year, except when monsoons fail. When they will have drought

chetak wrote:Pakistan wants emergency dengue drugs from India so out comes the begging BOWL!!

SSridhar wrote:
Mani Shankar Aiyar runs a weekly programme 'Inside Pakistan' in NewsX channel. Happened to see it a few days back. He was talking to two senior members of prominent Sindhi families, Ms. Hamida Kuhro (whose father was the first Sind CM and who was dismissed later by Jinnah because he refused to allot a few extra gardeners to Liaquat Ali Khan's bungalow or office) and Soomro.

Both of them felt that trade with India was not only feasible and desirable but also essential. Why was it so ? Because, Pakistan was under great economic stress and India could help. It would be tremendously advantageous to Pakistan. Ms. Hamida also said that Indian universities must enroll Pakistani students. When Mr. Aiyar asked about cross-border terrorism (it was so kind of him to have popped that question for I never thought he would do so), Ms. Hamida threw up her hand and simply said she didn't know anything about that. Mr. Soomro decided to remain silent. Mr. Aiyar seemed satisfied by that display of perfect perfidy.

That was inner Pakistaniyat in full flow from all three participants.

jrjrao wrote:LA Times op-ed in tomorrow's edition by that familiar George Idiot-e-Which.


Changing the direction of U.S.-Pakistan relations -- Until now, the United States has treated Pakistan as an instrument for fighting or spying on territory around Pakistan. That has to change.

...the ISI is obsessed with preventing America's new favorite friend, India, from gaining inroads there (Afghanistan).

The United States also needs to correct the impression that Pakistani interests and lives mean less than the interests and lives of Indians. When Indians are killed by terrorists linked to Pakistan, the U.S. rightly decries the loss of life and demands that Pakistan bring the perpetrators to justice and curtail the operations of violent extremists. But when Pakistanis and Muslims in Kashmir and other parts of India have been the victims of terrorism, pogrom-like attacks and excessive use of state force, Washington has been relatively quiescent, not wanting to complicate improving relations with India. This demoralizes and often enrages Pakistanis, undermines U.S. credibility and makes it more difficult for progressive Pakistanis to campaign against violent extremist forces in their society.

Kufr US should condemn pogrom of shias in pakistan
http://tribune.com.pk/story/254945/clas ... es-1-dead/

LAHORE: It was all too predictable. After being released from jail on bail, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi leader Malik Ishaq’s presence has already managed to cause violence and death on Sunday morning when members of his entourage clashed with a Shia community in Muzaffargarh district, resulting in at least two deaths and ten injuries.

Ishaq, a leader of the banned anti-Shia militant organisation, has been charged with the murder of 70 people, most of them Shia. He was released on bail on July 16 and has been travelling the country, preaching his message of bigotry against the Shia community ever since.

Ishaq had planned on travelling to Alipur in Muzaffargarh district on Sunday. Supporters of his organisation, as well as the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (formerly the Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan), had begun preparations on Saturday night, putting up banners and chanting slogans.

The Shia community of Alipur, had raised concerns with the police over the intention of the LeJ leading a procession through a Shia neighbourhood. Police officials dispersed the LeJ supporters on Saturday night and assured the Shia community that the event would be addressed by ASWJ leader Khadim Hussain Dhiloon and would take place indoors.

“We believed the police’s assurances,” said Kazim Ali Haideri, a local leader of the Punjab Shia Ulema Council.

At 4 am on Sunday morning, however, a welcoming party comprising approximately 800 young men on motorcycles chanting anti-Shia slogans started to ride into Alipur on the road from Panjnad.

For three kilometres on either side of the road is a Shia-dominated neighbourhood called Ghalwaan. While passing through that neighbourhood, at a point called Petrol Pump Wala Chowk, the young LeJ supporters encountered members of the Shia community.

It is unclear exactly what happened next, but given the toxic mix of armed young men confronted with people they have been taught to hate, it is perhaps sadly predictable that somebody started shooting (both sides claim it was the other).
The shootout lasted for several hours, during which at least two LeJ supporters were killed. Another 10 people were injured, including six from the Shia community. At least one police officer, Subinspector Shaukat, however, was confirmed injured by the police.

Following the armed clash, around 9.30 am, both sides retreated into their respective sanctuaries. The Shia community regrouped at the Sallonwala Imambargah while Ishaq’s supporters gathered at the Madrassah Jamia Hussainia.

During the clash itself, most of the police in the area, barring a few officers who had been posted nearby, did not go close to the warring parties.

Until the filing of this story, both sides remained holed up in their respective hideouts. The police are trying to negotiate a way for both sides to eventually leave, but had not been successful as of the time The Express Tribune went to print.
“They provoked the clash,” said Haideri.

It is unclear how Ishaq was allowed to leave his hometown in the first place, since he is on an anti-terrorism watch list whereby he is required to ask permission before leaving the jurisdiction of his local police station.

abhijitm wrote:Campaign against blasphemy polio vaccine is finally paid off.
polio terrorism by pakistan

It's cross-border terror of a different kind. India is on high alert against the deadly polio virus coming into the country from Pakistan and the health ministry has asked the Punjab government to mandatorily vaccinate all children aged 0-5 years coming to India from Pakistan.

Pakistan till now has recorded 84 cases of polio of which 83 are of the P1 strain - the most dangerous since it travels faster and infects more people.

India's polio campaign has generated remarkable results this year, recording just one case. In fact, it has now been more than eight months since India reported its only polio case - January 13 in West Bengal. The ministry is worried that an imported case can destroy all the good work. Punjab has been polio free since 2009.

Number of polio cases globally till date in 2011 - 380
Polio cases in endemic countries - 130
Polio cases in non-endemic countries -- 250
Pakistan - 84
Afghanistan - 19
Nigeria - 26
India - 1
China - 7
Chad - 112
Congo - 77

QUETTA: With two more polio cases reported each in Loralai and Pishin districts their number has risen to 37 in the province.

The toll of confirmed polio cases detected in various districts of the Balochistan during 2011 has risen to 37. Qilla Abdullah District has been declared the worst affected area where as many as 13 cases have so far been reported.

PAKISTAN Railways (PR) dead trains toll completed its century on Monday with over a hundred trains being suspended while for the first time in PR history, both rail cars from Lahore to Rawalpindi have been cancelled.

The train-drain is breaking all records with the ministry concerned and PR choosing to stand akimbo. The rail cars scheduled to leave at 4:30 pm and 12:30 pm were both cancelled with absolute apathy to the miseries of masses that use these trains.

The PR top brass too has the same old answers to every added blow to the national institution. Yet, they have now started avoiding stating these excuses too, as the General Manager Operations Saeed Akhtar switched off his mobile phone for most part of the day and did not choose to answer it when he finally switched it on.

The system at the Pakistan Railways headquarters seems to be running on its own as no sense of urgency to solve the crisis is visible among the doers of one of largest national institutions.

However, like always the spokesperson for PR cited lack of locomotives as the reason of the crumbling PR. This justification cannot be taken seriously as with the funds flowing from the federal government and the repair workshops running; PR has no excuse for cutting down on more and more trains everyday as the number of locomotives is constant. The number of engines at PR disposal at any given day has not decreased from its already bleak count; yet, the number of trains being suspended goes up everyday. Despite a bailout package of rs11 billion being gifted to the lazy earning management of the PR, things have gone from bad to worse as the maintenance of Locomotives is still held hostage to the bureaucratic red-tapism and culture of maximum favouritism in most procurement deals.

Pakistan Railways very conveniently suspended 106 trains on Monday, not all of which were on short routes. The impact of these suspended trains is massive as the condition and views of people at the railway station clearly depicts. As if in a race with the dengue, everyday the number of dead trains swells adding misery and alarm among those who were regular train commuters while it s just a matter of paperwork for those sitting at the headquarters. The matters of fuel consumption too are a riddle as does the financial management regarding payments.

What is left of the remaining rail operations is a mockery of the schedule as trains running as much as twelve hours are adding insult to injury to the thousands waiting at railway stations all across the country and thousands more travelling by these hell-rides.

Awami Express reached Lahore 12 hours late while Tez Gam and Jaffer Express trains both were delayed by around five hours. All other trains operating in the country were four to six hours late as not a single train reaches its destination on time.

Almost, all medium to short route trains from Lahore to Faisalabad, Kasur, Shorkot, Wazirabad, Jaranwala, Sargodha and Narowal were suspended on Monday, which translated into a board-me-if-you-can challenge for the commuters. Despite a number of people giving up on rail travel, the trains presented an excruciatingly overloaded picture.

Airavat wrote:Pakistan doesn't need financial aid, claims ex-cricketer playboy

"A country that relies on aid? Death is better than that. It stops you from achieving your potential

Upendra wrote:Pakistan Railways completes century of suspended trains

PAKISTAN Railways (PR) dead trains toll completed its century on Monday with over a hundred trains being suspended while for the first time in PR history, both rail cars from Lahore to Rawalpindi have been cancelled.

However, like always the spokesperson for PR cited lack of locomotives as the reason of the crumbling PR.

SSridhar wrote:quote="Upendra"]Pakistan Railways completes century of suspended trains

PAKISTAN Railways (PR) dead trains toll completed its century on Monday with over a hundred trains being suspended while for the first time in PR history, both rail cars from Lahore to Rawalpindi have been cancelled.

However, like always the spokesperson for PR cited lack of locomotives as the reason of the crumbling PR. /quote]

PR was planning to buy Chinese locomotives (even after most of those bought earlier became junk very quickly) when the Americans intervened and complained bitterly that they were being neglected. Then GE entered the fray. While Pakistan should not buy the Chinese junk, they should not also buy the fanciful GE engines which would be too sophisticated for Pakistani engineers and too costly to buy and maintain. I have a suggestion. The Goldenrock Railway Workshops at Trichy converts very old metre gauge engines into broad gauge ones and exports them to Sudan, Ghana, Chad etc. Pakistan should go only for these engines as they will be cheaper to buy and operate. While they would still be sophisticated for PR engineers, it can be overcome through rigorous training through Hindi. For any repairs, they can always turn to nearby kufr India.

Aditya_V wrote:Why SSridhar, that will be only an additional people to people contact opportunity to send Terrorists across.

Airavat wrote:Pakistan doesn't need financial aid, claims ex-cricketer playboy

"A country that relies on aid? Death is better than that. It stops you from achieving your potential