Zardari to Nawaz – Stop criticising the army

By Abdul Manan

The political positions of the two leading parties in the country have come full circle since the 1990s. In a letter written to the eponymous leader of the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz, President Asif Ali Zardari asked Nawaz Sharif not to criticise the army or the government.

In reply to Nawaz Sharif’s address against govt, president urges all parties to help instead of pointing fingers.

The letter, which was highly critical of the PML-N leadership in polite but pointed language, was made public through a press release by the Punjab government’s information department.

Using references to the highly divisive politics of the 1990s, the president appeared to be playing the role of an elder statesman, asking the leader of the country’s largest opposition party to focus on helping the people of the one province that the PML-N governs rather than concerning themselves with criticising the federal government’s every move.

“The nation does not need provocative speeches, but rather a treatment for dengue fever,” the president’s letter was quoted as saying, in a reference to the dengue epidemic that has plagued Punjab over the past few days.

(Read: Alarming proportions – ‘Dengue out of Punjab government’s control’)

Teaching hospitals in Lahore, the provincial capital, report receiving as many as 600 dengue fever patients a day. A Pakistan Peoples Party spokesperson in Punjab claimed that 10,000 people had been affected by the disease so far.

The president also asked Sharif to spare a thought for the flood victims in Sindh, Zardari’s home province.

“If you do not want to visit Sindh because of me, visit it for the sake of the poor, marooned people of the province,” the president was quoted as having written.

The president even offered Sharif his personal residence in Nawabshah for his stay in Sindh and implied that his hospitality would be a repayment in kind for Zardari’s stay in Kholi (a prison), a reference to the time that Zardari was imprisoned on corruption charges (that were never proven) during the Sharif administration in the 1990s.

“Let’s come together to support the nation and get her out from the clutches of natural calamities,” the press release quoted the president as having said.

(Read: President visits flood hit areas, ensures relief and rehabilitation for affectees)

Allusions to plots

Yet the main thrust of the president’s letter appeared to be to convince Sharif of the need to support democracy in the country and not take any actions to destabilise it. In veiled terms, the president appeared to be referring to reports that have emerged in recent months that the PML-N is planning to seek early parliamentary polls before the March 2012 Senate elections.

Zardari reminded Sharif that the ouster of the PPP government in 1996 by then-President Farooq Leghari gave the PML-N a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly but did not secure democracy in the country, leading ultimately to the military coup by General Pervez Musharraf.

“Democracy requires a hundred years to take hold in a nation but it can be destroyed in an instant,” the president was quoted as saying. “Come out of the world of imagination, idealism and adventurism or else there will come a time when neither you will be able to call me in Kholi nor will I be able to call you.”

That veiled reference to the possibility of another military coup was accompanied with the request to Sharif to stop criticising the army, something that the PML-N leader has been doing very frequently and publicly since the May 2 US raid on Abbottabad.

(Read: ‘Zardari conspiring to create Nawaz-Army rift’)

Zardari asked Sharif to remember what the president considered to be the achievements of the PPP-led government, including the restoration of the 1973 constitution, freedom of expression, and the institutionalisation of the supremacy of parliament and the independence of the judiciary.

Rising political temperatures: Military brass opposed use of force against MQM

Amidst straining relations between the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and its estranged coalition partner, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), the military brass is learnt to have opposed a series of moves that could have adversely affected an already tense situation – including any move to launch an operation in Karachi.

Army also opposed ‘sensitive’ post for Zulfikar Mirza; PPP says no operation planned against its former ally.

The military brass had also expressed displeasure over the possible induction of controversial former Sindh home minister Zulfikar Mirza on a sensitive post in the federal or provincial cabinet, The Express Tribune has learnt.

“Mishandling Karachi’s situation, or using coercive means against the MQM, is not something the country can afford at this point in time,” brass as telling top civilian authorities. The military has advised the government against launching any operation against the MQM, which pulled of the ruling coalition last month.

However, PPP’s information secretary Qamar Zaman Kaira said that the government was not planning any operation against the MQM. But at the same time, he added, “I don’t think the military would stop the government from taking action against the law breakers in Karachi.”

Sources said that the PPP was planning either to make Mirza governor of Sindh or to assign him a portfolio in the federal cabinet after getting him elected to the Senate. Reports of such a move had earlier begun appearing in the media. But the military is said to have precluded such a move.

Sources said that the PPP had planned an operation against the MQM, particularly against it supporters among the Kacchi community in Malir. And Mirza, who has good relations with the Sindh police, had alerted the police officials belonging to interior Sindh but serving elsewhere in the country. Mirza’s plan envisaged an operation against the Urdu-speaking people in order to coerce the MQM into compliance. Mirza’s recent meeting with Afaq Ahmad, the chief of MQM-Haqiqi, was actually a message to the MQM.

When contacted by The Express Tribune, Presidential spokesperson Farhatullah Babar refused to comment on the issue and instead switched off his cell phone when pressed hard.

Sources said that the military brass contacted MQM chief Altaf Hussain and assured him that the government would not launch any operation in Karachi. Following the assurance, Altaf cancelled a scheduled address to a general party workers meeting on Monday.

Babar Ghauri is said to have contacted PML-N Senator Ishaq Dar to seek support against any operation in Karachi. And PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, in return, held out an assurance that his party would oppose any operation against the MQM in Karachi. Sources said that the two parties would soon start a movement against the PPP-led government from the platform of a grand opposition alliance.

The Express Tribune has learnt that, following its failure to muster military support against the MQM in Karachi, the government’s top leaders took a ‘U-turn’ and decided to send PML-Q leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain to Nine-Zero to assure the MQM on behalf of the president that the government would not launch an operation in Karachi. Qamar Zaman Kaira said that the government’s coalition partner might have endorsed Shujaat’s trip to Karachi.

However, the MQM said the Chaudhry was in Karachi to attend a wedding ceremony and not to reconcile the MQM with the PPP. “Shujaat visited Nine-Zero to sympathise with the MQM over the atrocities the party has been facing in the city,” MQM’s Joint Incharge Information Secretary Qamar Mansoor told The Express Tribune.

He claimed that the PPP has made the PML-Q a coalition partner at ‘gunpoint’. And the day Moonis Elahi, son of Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, was released, the Chaudhrys would pull out of the ruling coalition. Moonis has been in police custody for his alleged involvement in the multi-billion -rupee land scam in the National Insurance Company Limited (NICL).

Petrol Shortage: Pakistan Oil Refineries Broken / Out-of-Order

Karachi-Confronted with acute financial crisis due to non-payment of fuel bills by power generating companies refineries have drastically cut import of crude oil causing petrol shortage in the country.

Talking to Pakistan Observer, Kaleem Siddiqui, President Byco Petroleum Marketing said some of the refineries were borrowing from banks to import crude oil but how long they would keep on importing at costly borrowed money if timely payments were not made.

Meanwhile delayed implementation on the decisions taken by the government regarding pricing mechanism and regulation of oil prices are expected to increase margins or commission of the refineries and the oil marketing is said to be another factor behind prevailing petrol shortage.

It may be noted that the petrol shortage that was persisting in Punjab for over a month is now affecting cities in Sindh as the refineries are not producing the petrol to press the government for early implementation on the decisions which have to be approved by the Economic Coordination Committee, said oil marketing sources while talking to Pakistan Observer here today. Though the government on its part had resolved the pricing and margin issue yet the decisions are in pending for formal approval by the ECC, sources said.

Informed sources however divulged that Plateformer of three refineries namely Attock Refinery, Pakistan Refinery, Byco Refinery and National Refinery are out of order which are either being replaced or repaired, otherwise there is no shortage of gasoline inventory in the country. However, formalities and approval process which is taking time must be trying the patience of the oil marketing companies and the refineries. Sources strongly recommended that to avoid disappointment of the stakeholders implementation on decisions is vital to restore normalcy in oil regime.

Budget 2011-2012: Who will suffer the most?

Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Sheikh has unfolded the budget of Pakistan for the year 2011-12. In Budget 2011-12 the main debating point is, how the government handles the huge fiscal deficit and the degree up to which the economy boost. According to the estimates, the budget outlay for the coming year is set at 2.767 trillion rupees ($32 billion) i.e. 14.2 per cent greater than last year. The total budget amounts to Rs. 3.7 trillion, out of which 933 billion is expected to go to provinces while 2.7 trillion would be for federal allocation.

The security related expenditure has been raised by 15 percent to Rs 835 billion. The huge sum of Rs 786 billion consumed by interest repayments on public debt does not include repayments of the principal amount, funds for which will be financed through local and external borrowing. It is also surprising that no provision has been made for the repayment of IMF loan installment becoming due in February next year. Fiscal deficit is being targeted at 4.3 percent of the GDP. This is what has been agreed to with the IMF. The proposed budget has an allocation of Rs.730 billion Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) for the year 2011-12. The federal component of the PSDP is Rs.300 billion, while the component of provinces is Rs.420 billion. Defense budget is around Rs 495 billion.

The budget deficit has been estimated at four per cent of the GDP, or Rs. 850 billion. Recommendations have been given for a 15 per cent increase in government employee’s salaries. Tax increased to 17% from 16% on fertilizer, machinery, tractors, plant, machinery and pesticides; Exemption withdrawn and 17 percent tax imposed on buses, trucks, dumpers, trailers, prime movers and road tractors Due to massive dwindling of foreign inflows, economic managers have faced with the difficult choice of relying heavily on domestic borrowing to bridge the fiscal deficit of more than 4 percent of GDP in the next fiscal year 2011-12. For some reason, the Budget is silent on specific poverty figures, but low GDP growth, decrease in income, rise in unemployment, are clear indicators that poverty has swelled to an unmanageable level. Yet, at the same time, it has been claimed in the Budget that per capita income has risen to $1,254 which is absolutely misleading.

Agriculture growth has gone down at 1.2 percent in 2010-11 against the target of 3.8 percent, Nothing special; No clarity on direction or future vision and it is totally directionless budget, for whom, why and what is the impact. The current budget is no different from previous budgets presented during the last three years. Mr. Hafeez Shaikh, in his short budget speech highlighted the same old trade deficits and the same old missed export targets and the same old difficult economic conditions. Enhancing revenues to minimize dependence on external finances, cutting down the government expenditures, enhancing growth through a new growth strategy and job creation have not been featured in the budget.

In the last 3 years, essential commodities including petrol prices have shot up and the Government instead of controlling inflation, is rather making people habituating to it. The poor people are not beggars to get Rs.1000 per month of BISP which even does not suffice to meet the vegetable inflation cost per month. Think on taxing the political assets and privileged classes who earn 10 folds more than employed persons and still don’t pay tax. As usual Taxes are readjusted/ imposed to be collected from the poor. Rich once again remains inadequately taxed or untaxed. The budget has brought no cheerful news to most of Pakistan’s toiling masses. The power rates have already gone up and will increase in the months ahead. Gas prices are slated to rise; it may also be denied to domestic consumers this winter. The economic mangers of the government have tried to fool the masses by twisting the figures.

The percentage of inflation is much higher than what is projected at the national level by the Government. For common man, inflation means rise in the prices of wheat and flour. The poverty-stricken people are committing suicides in the country at an alarming rate. The Pakistan Government failed to provide employment to its vast population. Controlling inflation and taking a stand on disinvestment of loss sustaining public enterprises is not found on the cards with some solid proposal, and any opinion on implementation of Direct Taxes Code replacing the inflationary Indirect Taxes has been shown. To pull up some socks budget has taken some commodities and services presently free of excise duty to tax regime further fueling the already high inflation prevailing in the country.

What Pakistan needs is a radical new approach towards the economy. Pakistan’s strengths lay in its huge agricultural landscape and its mineral resources. No positive suggestion is available in the budget regarding measures to expand the economy. Pakistan’s economy (GDP) is $164 Billion, Israel and Singapore with populations smaller than Lahore have economies larger than Pakistan. Pakistani budgets follow no consistent policies and the poor continue to get poorer. Interesting things to watch out is that the budget has not addressed the cause of fiscal consolidation, rather than launching worthless schemes. The Budget does not speak something on how we will overcome energy deficit and how we align our industries on to alternate technology to bring about inclusive growth.

Most of the industries have remained sick for many years but there is nothing in the budget to rehabilitate them. If they become operational there may not only be job opportunities but it may increase the supplies of goods in the country. Pakistan should have a budget that can fund an agricultural led industrialisation. Such a policy will allow Pakistani industry to cater for its agricultural strengths and at the same time allow it to convert its immense minerals into material that can drive an industrial revolution in the country. This in turn will create millions of jobs and increase national wealth.

Inflation cannot be brought down merely by fiscal measures, although they are very crucial. No significant proposal have been made in the Budget to overcoming the energy crisis, improving security situation, lowering of interest rates, reducing the cost of production and increasing exports, in the absence of which we cannot expect to achieve and sustain a higher growth rate in manufacturing, services and agriculture.

The Budget this year has aimed no focus on inclusive growth and ensuring food security. There is nothing in the budget improving investment climate, strengthening infrastructure and fiscal consolidation. No steps can be seen in the Budget to control the emergence of double digit food inflation badly affecting the common man. The Government should have set in motion steps to bring down the inflation and ensure better management of food security. The current system sucks all economic activity out of the economy as it is not a budget for Pakistan, but a budget for a few opportunist politicians at the behest of the IMF and the US. The current system in Pakistan will continue to fail the people as it is designed to cater for a handful of elite.

IMF is influencing Pakistan to maintain a “vigilant” attitude on monetary policy in order to avert a stimulation of inflation. “The relaxation of the fiscal policy stance, electricity tariff increases and the rebound in oil prices will add to inflationary pressures. Moreover, the present round of wage increases in the public sector, if not managed properly, may trigger an economy-wide realignment of wages, with attendant effects on inflation and competitiveness,” said the IMF in its report. Currently, shaky business environment, the food & power shortages and rising prices are putting an extra burden on the economy. Formulation of an appropriate policy is not as important as its successful implementation; however it is a bit hard job for State Bank of Pakistan to achieve its monetary policy targets in the current economic situation.

Nowadays, Pakistani economy is under the heavy burden of macroeconomic imbalances with extremely high foreign and domestic debts, high budget and current account deficits, low foreign exchange reserves, high inflation, high nominal interest rates and low economic growth. The average economic growth over 40 years is around 4 per cent.

Thus, the main focus of any policy should be to achieve a sustainable growth pattern. However, due to various macroeconomic imbalances such as: high budget deficits, extremely high indebtedness, low savings and investment rates, lack of fiscal discipline, undeveloped financial markets, unstable exchange rates along with high population growth and huge defense expenditures made this task almost impossible.

PNS Mehran — how many attackers?

The filing of the FIR by the Pakistan Navy in the PNS Mehran case seems to suggest that the civilian and military authorities are not on the same page regarding possibly the worst attack ever on our armed forces. While the government, through the interior minister, has said that terrorists were part of the attack, and of these two may have escaped, the FIR, filed in Karachi on May 24, states that between 10 to 12 people stormed the naval base, out of which only four were killed while the rest escaped. This discrepancy may seem minor, especially when compared to the massive intelligence failure that permitted such an attack to be successfully pulled off, but by now the authorities should have known how many people were involved in the attack, what their names were and where they lived, given that the attack wasn’t something that happened and was over in a flash butlasted almost 17 hours. That they can’t even agree on the number of attackers shows that an investigation has barely begun and this will only serve to embolden the militants.

Flames and smokes belches out from a Pakistani military air base after an attack by militants in Karachi on May 22, 2011. Militants stormed one of Pakistan’s biggest military bases in the country’s largest city late May 22, At least 10 people were wounded as blasts and gunshots rang out at the sprawling base used by the Air Force and Navy in the centre of Karachi.

The ease with which military installations were attacked and how, according to a BBC report, the attackers knew, for instance, the barracks where Chinese engineers were being housed, hints at some kind of collusion or help from the inside. Those who may have sympathy for the cause of the terrorists may be in low-level positionsbut they need to be identified and removed from the services. Another internal inquiry, which is what the government has promised, will not suffice since these may be less concerned with gathering information and more with hiding failures.

What is needed even more than independent enquiries is an improvement in the intelligence-gathering capabilities of the agencies. Even if they do not support militant groups now, we know that the military used them as part of their Kashmir and Afghanistan policies of the 1990s. This alone should be a huge advantage in gathering intelligence about them. Without knowing where militant groups are going to attack in advance, the agencies all but ensure they will attack often and successfully.

Suicide attackers are enemies of Islam, Pakistan: SIC

LAHORE: The suicide attacks are forbidden and totally against the teachings of Islam, and suicide bombers are the great enemies of Islam and Pakistan.

The Sunni Ittihad Council urged the judiciary to take strict action against those involved in suicide attacks on mosques and shrines.

This was the crux of the speakers at ‘Istehkaam-e- Pakistan Sunni Conference’ organised by Sunni Ittihad Council (SIC) at Minar-e-Pakistan (Iqbal Park) on Sunday.

The SIC Chairman Sahibzada Haji Muhammad Fazal Karim, in his address, condemned the terrorist attacks in various parts of the country, especially on mosques and shrines of saints. He called for an open trial of those arrested for their alleged involvement in terror activities.

Fazal Karim said that at Minar-e-Pakistan, they took oath for making every effort to save Pakistan, adding, now the country’s politics would be done on merit and the SIC would raise up a leadership from middle class of the society.

He said that SIC would not tolerate any negative change in the textbooks of various educational institutions of the country, and would ensure an equal educational system for the rich and the poor.

Since the masses are well aware and awakened to achieve their rights, he said, the SIC would not be at peace until it establish ‘Nizam-e-Mustafa’ in the country.

Fazal Karim urged the judiciary to take strict action against those involved in the heinous crimes of suicide attacks on mosques and shrines.

He also demanded the government to expose the elements resorting to target killings especially in Karachi, the largest city of Pakistan. He also impressed upon the government to improve further the law and order situation in the country.

The SIC advocates the proposal of the formation of new provinces for better administration and management, he added.

Ulema, Mushaikh, Shrines’ Sajadanasheen, and religious scholars including Syed Mushahid Hussain Gardezi, Mufti Muhammad Haseeb Qadri, Allama Naeem Javed Noori, Pir Safdar Shah, Ejaz Sarwat also addressed the conference.

Gaddafi’s sons show psychological warfare is not all on the western side

As the Libya conflict enters its third month, Whitehall is full of whispered talk of secret defections and cloak-and-dagger deals with more “reasonable” elements within the much-weakened Tripoli regime. The embattled sons of Muammar Gaddafi are looking for a way out, and may even be prepared to dump their father to save their own skins – or so the grapevine has it.

Back door deal: Saif al-Islam Gaddafi.

Security analysts and diplomatic insiders see things differently. It’s clear, they say, that after weeks of inconclusive conflict, neither side can win a military victory. Without a western ground invasion, the rebels are not strong enough to dislodge Gaddafi. So instead, Britain and the US are increasingly engaged in psychological warfare in the hope of fomenting internal dissension and regime collapse. This campaign includes disinformation about the other side’s intentions.

The revamped approach apparently scored a big success this week with the defection of Moussa Koussa, Gaddafi’s foreign minister. But two can play at this game. Gaddafi’s most prominent sons, Saif al-Islam and Mutassim, the national security adviser, were also waging their own “war of nerves”, the sources said. They appeared to be calculating that the Nato-led coalition will run out of time, split apart, and forfeit crucial Arab and domestic support.

Far from genuinely looking for a solution, the brothers’ strategy comprises unofficial “back door” offers of time-consuming talks, floating vague ideas of an “honourable” exit for their father, and impracticable suggestions that they could help form a unity government, the sources suggested.

“Psychological warfare is being waged by western governments in order to hasten the crumbling of the regime,” said Jonathan Eyal, director of international security studies at the Royal United Services Institute in London. “The big hope for western strategy is to avoid a drift into stalemate and avoid putting boots on the ground and hope it [the regime] collapses from within.

“But they don’t have much time. So they are saying, look, the foreign minister has defected to London, there are lots of other defections, look, the [regime] structure is folding. They say this to sow confusion in Tripoli and also to reassure the media, people like yourselves, that they know what they are doing. The London conference [on Libya last Monday] delivered the same message,” Eyal said. “There is a slight element of hype. It suits western governments to fluff it up as much as possible.”

A diplomatic source with close knowledge of Libya expressed scepticism about uncorroborated suggestions that Saif, Mutassim and another Gaddafi son, Saadi, had proposed a deal in which they would stay in office but their father would give up real power.

The Guardian disclosed on Friday that one of Saif’s close aides, Mohammed Ismail, has held talks in London with government officials.

“Saif has had to do what his dad says,” the source said. “He’s had to choose between family loyalties and the need for reform and bringing Libya up to date. For the past eight or nine years, he chose reform. But blood has proved stronger.”

The idea of a national unity government including Gaddafi’s sons and members of the rebels’ national council was probably unworkable and would not satisfy the western coalition as, under that scenario, the Gaddafi clan would have survived in power. At the same time, the sons were too tainted by their close association with the regime to hope to successfully distance themselves from it at this late stage, the source added.

“It’s a pretty dire look-out for all the brothers. No one wants them. Where would they live? What sort of life would it be? We can’t just tell them to surrender and come to the UK. The law would catch up with them,” the source said.

“There are a lot of rumours being put about. A lot of material has been put in play. The fact is, they [the Nato coalition] have not had a lot of success in getting rid of Gaddafi. They don’t want to put boots on the ground. They’ve said they’re going to do it legally. But they can’t do it militarily. So they’ve found other means of proceeding.”

Psychological pressure on the regime increased significantly on Thursday when the New York Times and the Washington Post had stories, quoting unidentified US officials, claiming that Barack Obama had secretly authorised covert operations inside Libya to assist the rebels. David Cameron’s statement this week that Britain has not ruled out supplying arms to the rebels in eastern Libya also appeared to be part of the escalating war of nerves. No weapons have actually been sent.

Eyal said it was likely Gaddafi’s sons were also pursuing a form of psychological warfare by making proposals that could deflect the US and Britain from their purpose of removing Gaddafi.

“It’s plausible that feelers [about a deal] are being put out. But it’s unlikely anyone is going to like it. It would indicate a certain sense of desperation in the Gaddafi ranks,” Eyal said.

“It may also be an attempt to divide the coalition and knock out the Arab countries. The Arabs are hardly involved already. What the regime is saying to the Arab world is that there could be a reasonable deal on the table and the west won’t take it. They want to turn the conflict into the west versus the Arabs.”

NICL fraud: Chaudhrys and Warraichs strike deal for Moonis’ release

LAHORE: Moonis Elahi may soon be released from prison as part of a deal struck between Elahi’s family and one of the other accused persons in the National Insurance Company Ltd (NICL) fraud case.

Sources say that the Elahi’s family requested the family of Mohsin Habib Warraich, one of the principal accused in the case, to take the blame for the entirety of the fraud so that Moonis Elahi can then be acquitted in court.

The specifics of the deal are as follows: Mohsin Warraich will take responsibility for, and pay back to the government, the remaining Rs420 million that is still unrecovered in the Rs2,750 million NICL fraud case. The prosecutors at the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) will then be able to claim a 100 per cent recovery of the embezzled amount, allowing them to close the investigations against any other accused persons, including Moonis Elahi.

Sources say that Warraich’s father-in-law, former Federal Health Minister Naseer Khan, served as an intermediary. The Elahi family made it clear to Khan that Moonis was to be the Pakistan Muslim League Quaid’s (PML-Q) nominee for Punjab chief minister in the 2013 elections.

If Moonis is convicted, he is ineligible to run for any elected office. It remains unclear if any quid pro quo was promised in return for the Mohsin Warraich taking the fall in the NICL case.

The Warraich family, through some of the companies they own, have deposited 10 post-dated cheques worth Rs420 million as well as other documents showing their willingness to pay back the entire amount embezzled in the case, plus interest owed on those amounts.

The FIA has been able to track Moonis Elahi’s and his family’s accounts and determine his degree of involvement in the NICL scandal. FIA investigators believe they have proof that Elahi was a beneficiary of the NICL scandal, based on the deposit and withdrawal activity in his accounts.

Many of those accounts, both within Pakistan and abroad, have been frozen while the FIA conducts its investigation. When confronted with the evidence of his involvement, Elahi was unable to offer a plausible explanation, according to investigators familiar with the matter.

Meanwhile, the Serious Organized Crime Agency (SOCA) in Britain, at the request of the FIA, has asked Mohsin Warraich, currently in London, not to travel to any country without clearing his travel plans with Pakistani authorities.

Warraich’s accounts in the UK have also been frozen by British authorities after the FIA presented them with evidence against Warraich in the NICL scandal, investigators said.

Students, teachers out to save sinking ship of HEC

By Mahtab Bashir

ISLAMABAD: Considering protest demonstration as a last straw to stop devolution of Higher Education Commission (HEC), hundreds of university students, faculty members of universities, educationists and officials of HEC on Tuesday held a protest in front of HEC Secretariat.

All voices were requesting Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, who is the controlling authority of the HEC, to intervene and stop the process of devolution in the larger interest of the country.

Holding banners, placards, and Pakistani flags, to show solidarity for a cause to salvage the HEC pride, earned in last decade and its future fragmentation, the protestors raised full throat slogans ‘Save HEC, Save Education, Save the nation’, ‘Stop disintegration of HEC’ and ‘HEC khappay’. They also requested Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary to take suo motu action on this particular issue.

Over 2,000 protestors gathered in front of HEC Secretariat Sector H-9 were of their opinion that staging protests on the roads was the only option left to convince the government to revert its decision of devolution of the commission to provinces.

“There is an impending disaster looming in front of us regarding devolving the functions of the HEC to the provinces that has been decided by the cabinet (on the recommendation of a parliamentary committee on devolution headed by Raza Rabbani) to tear higher education to shreds and hand over the pieces to the provinces,” students maintained with wrath.

On the occasion, senior teaching staff members from QAU, IIUI, NUML, AIOU, NUST, and others said the HEC was created as an autonomous federal regulatory institution with the prime minister of Pakistan as its controlling authority. The composition of the commission reflects a balanced federal structure with representation from each province, as well as the secretary education and secretary science and technology, together with eminent academic and research experts, they said. “All powers and functions of the HEC defined under its legislation are covered and protected in the provisions of the 18th Amendment. But, alas, who cares about what is legal and what is not,” they explained.

The senior faculty members of various universities on the occasion said that Pakistan had made remarkable progress during 2002-2008 in higher education. “There was a 600 % increase in scientific publications in international journals and a 1,000 per cent increase in citations in this period. Today, several of our universities are ranked among the top 500. The University of Karachi was ranked at 223 in the world, NUST at 260 in the world and Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) at 270 in the world, in the field of natural sciences. This is no ordinary achievement after decades of stagnation. The World Bank, USAID and the British Council published comprehensive reports on the higher education sector, applauding it and calling it “a silent revolution”, they maintained.

The protestors pleaded government to stop this suicidal madness. “Something good happened in Pakistan after some 55 years of neglect. Let us not destroy this wonderful initiative,” they added.

HEC should remain intact: PTI:

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) believes that the concept of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) should stay despite devolution of education to the provinces according to the 18th Amendment, said PTI secretary general Arif Alvi at party delegation of educationists here at a party secretariat.

He said HEC should remain as an important directional body that could continue to play a major role in a sector where Pakistan was severely deficient.

Dr Alvi said that it was surprising to note that even appointments of vice chancellors in Pakistan were political and it was not even necessary for the appointee to have a PhD. The result was that such appointees who had no academic excellence ensured that meritocracy in academia was defeated.

Pakistan to compensate US drone strike families: official

MIRANSHAH: The government will pay compensation to the families of 39 people who died in a US drone strike last week, an official said on Saturday.

Civilians and police were among those killed when missiles hit a compound in Datta Khel on March 17.

Civilians and police were among those killed when missiles hit a compound in Datta Khel in North Waziristan on March 17. In protest, Pakistan refused to participate in a trilateral meeting with US and Afghan officials and belligerent condemnation came from the prime minister and the army chief.

Tribal administration official Asghar Khan said that a compensation package was ready for the victims’ families. “Each of the families will be paid Rs300,000, while Rs100,000 will be paid to each of the six injured,” Khan said, adding that payments would commence from Monday.

Compensation is paid to police and civilians who are killed in bomb blasts or terror attacks but this is the first time that compensation has been announced to US drone attack victims even though hundreds have reportedly died in the attacks that increased steeply when US President Barack Obama took office.