Interview | Ahsan Iqbal
This interview was published in Weekly Nidaiemillat dated May 28, 2015
Saturday, May 30, 2015
Friday, May 22, 2015
100 MW solar project | A report published in Nidai Millat
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Wednesday, May 20, 2015
China Pakistan Economic Corridor | Province Wise List of Projects
Brilliant description of Pak-China corridor, the projects under the Corridor .. The 3 routes explained! #Pakistan pic.twitter.com/laB4xJVTmI
— Dr Faisal Ranjha (@fasiranjha) May 18, 2015
Railway decay seems reversing
Railway decay seems reversing
NASEER AHMAD
KARACHI: “If you find a train arriving late, set your watch right,” remarked a smart young porter hurrying down the platform overloaded with several pieces of a passenger’s luggage. “Trains don’t arrive late these days!”
I recently set off from Rawalpindi by Tezgam for Karachi. Exactly at 8.30am it whistled and after a few seconds a second whistle blew and the train began to chug. A relative texted me the train’s travel timetable. All along I checked it with the train’s arrival at the various stations, and everywhere it was ahead of schedule. I got suspicious of the genuineness of the timetable. At Multan I asked a vendor how long the train would stop over there. “It will be here for half an hour, sir. Don’t worry,” he said and added with a justified sense of elation: “It arrived here ahead of time by 15 minutes.”
When the train pulled in at Karachi’s Landhi station, it was around an hour earlier.
Also read: China offers to invest $3.8bn in railways
Trains arrival and departure has always been a serious issue. Throughout the several decades a train arriving on time was an anomaly. If a train arrived within a few hours of its due time, people were content with it. The perennial delay was blamed on the driver’s greed for overtime which he purportedly earned at the cost of the passengers’ precious time. That could be true or may not be so, but train delays had been a common phenomenon in the past. But following the assassination of Benazir Bhutto in December 2007, the destruction of numerous train bogies and locomotives made the railways go haywire. It never recovered from that unfortunate episode till the last government lasted. Former railway minister Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour himself was so pessimistic about the railways’ future that he declared that the system was doomed and he could not help revive it.
Critics started alleging that since the minister had his own transport business, he was deliberately trying to ruin the railways.
Anyway, trains were late, sometimes by days not just hours. In one such unfortunate episode a train reached from Karachi to Rawalpindi in almost a week instead of the 26-hour journey. People waiting at railway stations were often told that the train was on its way from the other end, it would arrive here after so many hours delay, then it would be rolled to the washing yard before it arrived on the platform to pick passengers. The causes mentioned for the inordinate delays were various, from fuel shortages to engine breakdowns and non-availability of spare locomotives. This forced many regular passengers to opt for other modes of travel, particularly buses, which have since flourished, offering fantastic facilities and luxuries –– free cold drinks and snacks presented by women attendants, working air conditioning, films etc. But that trend appears to be reversing now with trains getting back on the track.
The prime minister’s inauguration of a new train, called Greenline train, on Friday may be proof of it. Railway officials claim that the train is not only centrally air-conditioned, it offers “WiFi connection throughout the route, three-time quality meal, tea, mineral water, newspaper and standard bedding” to the passengers during the travel between Islamabad and Karachi.
Timing is not the only area where the trains have shown some improvement. Water supply and sanitation have also markedly become better than before. The trains are swept at least once during the journey.
During the last few months the steadily rising fares seems to have been reversed. For instance, earlier an AC sleeper ticket between Karachi and Rawalpindi cost Rs6,300; now it is for Rs4,700. Similarly, at the station, coolies roam about offering their services to whoever wants them. Their role has changed considerably from that of an agent of corrupt officials who sold tickets in black market through these men in red shirts and white shalwars. Now they only help passengers with their luggage and comfortably lodge them in their already reserved seats. Black-marketing of tickets is uncommon now. Even the porters are supposed to charge official rates for carrying luggage pieces, though most passengers are unaware of or do not care much about it and just bargain with them.
The trains are comfortable with mostly having bogies imported from China, punctual and in some cases luxury too. Yes, what is called AC sleeper has various compartments for four, three and even two passengers.
Most people credit the present government for the turnaround. “Minister Saad Rafiq really deserves commendation for this improvement,” said Iftikhar Hussain, an employee of the Sui gas company, who says he cannot afford to travel by air and cannot sit for long hours in a bus either.
“Credit for this goes to the PTI. If it were not for Imran Khan’s sit-ins, this government wouldn’t have done anything for the public during its first four years,” said Mohammad Tufail, a PTI supporter.
Whether the credit goes to Minister Saad Rafique, the PTI’s dharnas or the changed internal and external circumstances, China’s assistance, passengers don’t care. They want a dependable, comfortable and affordable mode of travel and they seem to be getting it. With Greenline train on the tracks, I’m looking forward to enjoying a trip to the capital and back with the promised cool VIP treatment on it.
The government’s enthusiasm shows that the privitisation process set in motion with Business Train and Shalimar Express is not in favour of the people. Privatisation is just adding to their woes with higher fares. And they have no economy class, only which most Pakistanis can afford.
Published in Dawn, May 19th, 2015
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Saturday, May 16, 2015
FACTS about Pak China Economic Corridor (PCEC)
CHINA-PAK ECONOMIC CORRIDOR
Overview:
CPEC is the name of a portfolio of projects that has four part utilisation of Gwadar Port, energy portfolio in which Chinese companies would initiate more than 16,000 MW projects in Pakistan, infrastructure development connecting roads, railways and airports with the corridor establishment of industrial parks across the corridor.- CPEC was kick-started in July 2013 when PM Nawaz Sharif visited China to sign the MoU between the two countries
- CPEC has ushered in era of geo-economics
- CPEC is not a single road but multiple networks of sea, air, roads linking Gwadar to China and the region
- CPEC is mega-developmental project that will link Kashghar in Western China with the deep sea Port in Gwadar, Pakistan through a mesh of communication networks
- CPEC communication networks will include a world-class seaport, commercial sea lines, an airport, highways, railways, fibre optic cables as well as oil and gas pipelines.
- Under CPEC, joint cooperation committee has been formed with Ministry of P,D & R and NDRC China.
- Pak-China Joint working groups have been meeting since past year to shortlist and approve projects.
- Media reports that only discussed us a terrorism haven are now talking about Pakistan as a safe haven for 46 bil $ Chinese investment The investment in various projects of CPEC has generated positive signals across globe for our economy
Transport/Infrastructure:
- Gwadar will be linked to Kashgar via multiple routes.
- Three principle alignments to link Gwadar-Khunjrab passing through eastern, central and western parts of the country.
- Currently Gwadar is linked to upcountry only through Karachi, work well underway on western route
- First the western route will be made operational linking Gawadar to Sorab, Qilla Saifullah, Quetta and DI Khan
- 195 km Gwadar to Hoshab section to be completed by 2015 by FWO
- Work is underway on N-85 Hoshab to Surab missing link, to be completed by Dec 2016
- About 65 percent work on Gwadar-Hoshab and 30 percent work on Sorab to Hoshab has been completed.
- FWO workers have completed 100-200 km of road from Gwadar to Sorab, 15 workers were killed by insurgents.
- Zhob to DI Khan road will be upgraded with assistance from ADB.
- 110 km Khuzdar to Bessima road in Baluchistan to be completed in short term
- Eastbay Expressway from Gwadar to Karachi included in CPEC infrastructure projects.
- Multan-Sukkur stretch is being completed as part of PM’s longstanding vision to link Karachi to Peshawar via motorways.
- Up-gradation of 440 km KKH Phase II from Raikot to Islamabad to be upgraded with 3500B USD.
- 1,736 km of railway tracks to be constructed/upgraded linking Gwadar with Kashgar.
- In short term existing railway network M1 to be upgraded under CPEC
Not a single inch of original route plan has been changed.Controversy about route change is not based on facts, serving the agenda of anti-state elements Detailed map of CPEC routes has been shared in newspaper ads
Gawadar:
- Gwadar is the centerpiece of Pak-China cooperation.
- Gwadar will be transformed into a world-class port by 2017.
- Gwadar projects include International Airport, Technical Vocational Center, Fresh water treatment plant, Hospital, Breakwaters
Energy:
- $34 billion investment in energy sector under CPEC.
- 10,400 MWs capacity will be added to the national grid through early harvest energy generation projects to be completed by 2017/18.
- Energy projects include Coal, Hydel, Wind and Solar Plants spread across all provinces.
- Hydro power projects in Suki Kinari KP worth 870 MWs costing 1,802 Billion dollars.
- Hydro power projects in planned for AJK: Karot 720 MW and Kohala 1,100 MW worth 3,187 Bil dollars each.
- Coal Power Plants in South Punjab, Interior Sindh, Baluchistan by 2017/18.
- Coal plants in Interior Sindh including Thar, Jamshoro, Port Qasim.
- Power projects in Balochistan include Gaddani, Gwadar.
- Punjab energy projects in Sahiwal, RahimYarKhan.
- Solar Park in Baluchistan will be largest in the world producing 1000 MW, a triumph for renewable energy.
- Thar coal reserves untapped for past 67 years, to be transformed into energy capital of the world.
Role of Provinces:
- National Harmony is crucial to reap benefits of CPEC projects.
- Gwadar, Quetta, Peshawar, Khunjrab, Lahore, Sukkur, Karachi all major nodes of CPEC.
- Less developed areas like Gilgit-Baltistan, Thar and Gwadar regions will be taken into the folds of active development
Today history has offered us a great chance in shape of CPEC, Pakistan has missed economic opportunities in the past
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Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Friday, April 10, 2015
Bombs, protests, blackouts fail to cripple Pakistan's economy
Bombs, protests, blackouts fail to cripple Pakistan's economy
KARACHI, Pakistan — Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has had a rough six months. He's seen street protesters nearly oust him, some of the worst fuel shortages in recent memory and a child massacre that shocked the world.
Beyond the negative headlines, he's also managed to start turning around the economy. Lower oil prices, higher remittances and increased consumer spending are pushing growth toward a seven-year high. Corporate earnings are soaring, stocks have surged and the currency is among the world's top performers.
The steady economic upturn as growth prospects weaken in many emerging markets has underpinned Sharif's political support, with his party gaining in a Senate election held this month. While much more needs to be done to fix an economy dependent on financing from the International Monetary Fund, the perception of Pakistan is starting to change.
"Sharif's government has improved things with the help of the IMF," Sayem Ali, head of investments strategy and advisory at Standard Chartered's Karachi unit, said by phone. "They have put Pakistan back on the radar in terms of international investors."
When Sharif took power in May 2013, he faced a balance-of- payments crisis that forced him to seek help from the IMF. Foreign exchange reserves have doubled in the past year to $16 billion, the budget deficit has narrowed and inflation is easing as global oil prices fall.
Pakistan last month said it regained its eligibility to borrow from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, making it eligible for $2 billion of credit over the next four years. The IMF also is optimistic it will meet the conditions of the $6.6 billion loan it received two years ago.
"I see Pakistan breaking with past precedent of failed IMF programs and half-completed reforms, which set the stage for a crisis," Jeffrey Franks said last month, when he was IMF mission chief. The country has a "good foundation" for further growth, a delegation led by his successor said on March 9.
The IMF forecasts Pakistan's economy to expand 4.3 percent this year, compared with the five-year average of 3.6 percent. Pakistan's moves to bolster its public finances are credit positive, Moody's Investors Service said in a report on Monday.
"It is striking that reforms have continued despite disruptive domestic political challenges over the last year, and heightened security threats from Islamist terrorism," Moody's analysts wrote.
Pakistan's middle class more than doubled to 84 million in 2002-2011, according to a study by Jawaid Abdul Ghani, a professor at the Karachi School for Business and Leadership. That's brought almost half the nation into that segment for the first time, boosting profits at Nestle Pakistan and Lucky Cement to record levels.
Sharif is aiming to raise $2 billion from asset sales in the year ending June 30 to meet conditions attached to the IMF loan. Up for grabs in the next few years are stakes in Habib Bank Ltd., the nation's biggest lender by assets, and Pakistan International Airlines Corp., the national carrier.
The benchmark KSE100 stock index has rallied 62 percent since Sharif took office, the sixth-best performance among 93 world gauges tracked by Bloomberg. Over the past six months, Pakistan's rupee has outperformed every major global currency.
"The private sector is coming into play," said Nadeem Siddiqui, Pakistan head at the International Finance Corp. "But the main problem will not be solved overnight."
As always with Pakistan, caveats abound. Political protests last year showed that a few thousand protesters camped on the streets could trigger fears of a coup, a common occurrence in a nation where the military still calls most of the shots on foreign policy and internal security.
The slaughter of 134 students in December underscored the ongoing risk from Taliban militants, part of an insurgency that has killed more than 50,000 people since 2001. Sharif has stepped up an offensive into border regions and improved ties with neighboring Afghanistan in a bid to stem the violence.
Sharif canceled a trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos in January as fuel shortages left motorists stranded across the country. Shortly afterward, a terrorist attack triggered a blackout that left 80 percent of the country without power.
Plans to sell state assets have also hit stumbling blocks. The government was forced to scrap a November sale of shares in Oil & Gas Development Co. Ltd., its biggest energy company, due to political unrest and falling oil prices.
Fixing Pakistan's weaknesses are "a tall order, requiring political will, good governance, patience and capital," said Hasnain Malik, head of frontier markets strategy at Exotix Partners in Dubai. "The long-term economic benefits are huge, but so are the organizational and political challenges standing in the way."
Sharif is looking abroad for help. He's asked the Chinese to help set up coal-based power plants to reduce reliance on imported oil. The nation's first liquefied natural gas terminal is expected to receive its first shipment this month from Qatar.
One key test will be Sharif's ability to boost one of the world's lowest tax collection rates. Government data show that less than 1 million people, or 1 percent of the world's sixth- largest population, file tax returns.
In the 12 months through June, Sharif's first full-year in office in this term, Pakistan earned about $9 billion from direct taxes. Of that, the nuclear-armed nation spent more than two thirds on defense. The budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1 will probably be presented in the last week of May or early June, according to a statement from the Finance Ministry on Monday.
"It may seem bizarre that something as mundane as tax collection will be such a critical determinant of Pakistan's economic future, but it's absolutely true," said Michael Kugelman, an analyst at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington. "Getting the common people to pay more taxes is politically risky enough, but not nearly as risky as pressuring powerful players in the agricultural industry and the military."
It remains to be seen if Sharif will take tougher steps to boost the economy. While his Pakistan Muslim League party nearly doubled its seat total in a Senate election this month, the memory of protesters blocking streets in the capital of Islamabad is still fresh.
"Sharif has gained very good ground and should now make long-term decisions," said Qazi Masood, a professor at the Institute of Business Administration in Karachi. "The next three years are very important. If they are short-sighted, then they will be wiped out."
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Thursday, March 19, 2015
Sunday, March 8, 2015
Unprecedented Saudi protocol for the PM
The Saudi King waves at Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif as he sees him disembark.
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
پاکستان | کرپشن کی شرح میں کمی
پاکستان 20 سال بعد کرپشن کی شرح میں کمی کے بعد 126ویں نمبر پر آگیا، ٹرانسپیرنسی انٹرنیشنل
برلن / کراچی: دنیا بھر کے ممالک میں کرپشن کی شرح کا جائرہ لینے والے عالمی ادارے ٹرانسپیرنسی انٹرن نیشنل کے کرپشن پرسپشن انڈیکس کے مطابق پاکستان میں کرپشن کی شرح میں کمی واقع ہوئی ہے۔
ٹرانسپیرنسی انٹرن نیشنل کے کرپشن پرسپشن انڈیکس کے 20ویں ایڈیشن کے مطابق پاکستان اس بار 29 پوائنٹس حاصل کر کے دنیا بھر کے 175ممالک میں سے 126 ویں نمبر پر آگیا ہے جو اس کی 1995 شروع ہونے والی سی پی آئی کے بعد سے سب سے بہتر کارکردگی ہے۔ چیئرمین ٹرانسپیرینسی انٹرنیشنل پاکستان سہیل مظفر نے کہا ہے کہ امید ہے اب حکومت کرپشن کے خاتمے کے لئے نئے جوش و جذبہ سے کام کرے گی۔ کرپشن پرسپشن انڈیکس 2014 میں 175 ممالک میں سے دو تہائی نے 50 سے کم سکور کیا ہے۔ ڈنمارک 92 پوائنٹس کے ساتھ پہلے جب کہ شمالی کوریا اور صومالیہ 8،8 پوائنٹس کے ساتھ آخری نمبر پر ہیں۔
سی پی آئی میں چین کو 36، ترکی کو 45 اور انگولا کو 19 پوائنٹس ملے ہیں۔ ترکی کے اسکور میں گزشتہ سال کی نسبت 5، چین، ملاوی، انگولا اور روانڈا کے سکور میں 4، 4 پوائنٹس کی کمی آئی۔ آئیوری کوسٹ، مصر، سینٹ وینسٹ اور گرینیڈائنز کے سکور میں 5، 5، افغانستان، اردن، مالی اور سوازی لینڈ کے سکور میں 4، 4 پوائنٹس کا اضافہ ہوا۔ بھارت کا سکور 38، روس کا 27، برازیل کا 43، موریشئس کا 54 اور قبرص کا 63 ہے۔
انڈیکس میں پوائنٹس شفافیت کو ظاہر کرتے ہیں۔ جس ملک نے جتنے زیادہ پوائنٹس حاصل کئے وہ اتنا ہی کرپشن سے پاک ہے۔ انسداد کرپشن گروپ ٹرانسپرینسی انٹرنیشنل نے کہا ہے کہ کرپشن تمام معیشتوں کےلئے بہت بڑا مسئلہ ہے، یورپی یونین اور امریکہ کو چاہیے کہ وہ تیزی سے نشوونما پانے والی معیشتوں کے ساتھ مل کر کرپشن کی روک تھام کئ لئے کام کریں، بڑی معیشتوں میں کرپشن بنیادی انسانی حقوق کا راستہ روکتی ہے اور گورننس کے مسائل بھی پیدا کرتی ہے۔
چیئر آف ٹرانسپیرینسی انٹرنیشنل جوزے اگاز کے مطابق سی پی آئی 2014 سے معلوم ہوتا ہے کہ جب رہنما اور اعلیٰ عہدیدار عوامی پیسے کا اپنے ذاتی مقاصد کیلئے غلط استعمال کرتے ہیں تو معاشی نشوونما متاثر ہوتی ہے اور کرپشن روکنے کی کوششیں بھی سودمند ثابت نہیں ہوتی۔ بدعنوان حکام غیرقانونی طریقے سے کمائی ہوئی دولت بیرون ملک بھجوانے کے لئے بیرون ملک کمپنیوں کو استعمال کرتے ہیں، عوامی حقوق کے تحفظ کیلئے کرپشن کے خلاف انقلابی اقدامات کرنا چاہئیں۔ چین کا سکور 40 سے گر کر 36 ہوگیا حالانکہ چین نے انسداد بدعنوانی مہم بھی شروع کر رکھی ہے، ضرورت اس امر کی ہے کہ حکومت بیرون ملک اثاثے چھپانے والے حکام کا پیچھا کرے۔ جنوری میں لیک ہونے والی دستاویزات کے مطابق چین اور ہانگ کانگ کے بیرون ملک 22 ہزار کلائنٹس ہیں۔ چین کا سکور چینی کمپنیوں کی ناقص کارکردگی پر ٹرانسپیرینسی انٹرنیشنل کی کارپوریٹ ڈسکلوزر پریکٹسز کی رپورٹ کی بھی تصدیق کرتی ہے جس میں چین کی تمام 8 کمپنیز نے 10 میں سے 3 پوائنٹس لیے۔ کرپشن اور منی لانڈرنگ برکس کے دیگر ممالک کیلئے بھی ایک مسئلہ ہے۔
رواں برس ایک بڑی آئل کمپنی کی برازیل میں سیاستدانوں کو رشوت دینے کیلیے خفیہ کمپنیاں بنانے کے حوالے سے بھی سوالات اٹھائے گئے ہیں۔ بھارت کی جانب سے رشوت کیلئے موریشئس، روس کی جانب سے قبرص میں بینک اکاؤنٹس کے حوالے سے بھی سوالات اٹھائے گئے ہیں۔ انڈیکس کے ٹاپ پر معیشتوں کو منی لانڈرنگ اور کرپشن کیلئے خفیہ کمپنیاں بننے سے روک کر بدعنوانی کی روک تھام میں کردار ادا کرنا چاہیے۔ پہلی پوزیشن پر آنیوالے ڈنمارک میں قانون کی حکمرانی ہے اور حکام کے حوالے سے واضح اصول ہیں، ڈنمارک نے رواں برس نومبر میں کمپنیوں کی ملکیت کی معلومات کے حوالے سے پبلک رجسٹر بناکر ایک مثال قائم کی ہے۔ ایسے ہی اقدامات کا ہی برطانیہ اور یوکرین میں بھی اعلان کیا گیا۔ ٹرانسپیرینسی انٹرنیشنل کے ایم ڈی کوبس ڈی سوارٹس کے مطابق کمپنیوں کی ملکیت کے حوالے سے معلومات کرپشن کی روک تھام میں اہم ہوسکتی ہے۔
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
CPI hits 11 years low
Consumer Price Index: With sharp fall in oil prices, inflation hits 11-year low
Falling prices of oil and commodities in the global
market led to the reduction in rates of petroleum products at home.
CREATIVE COMMONS
ISLAMABAD:
For the first time in the last 11 years, inflation dropped to
3.96% in November on the back of a steep fall in prices of petroleum
and food groups, beating even expectations of the government that
estimated the figure at around 5.5%.
The slowdown in the pace of increase in prices measured by the
Consumer Price Index (CPI) compared to November last year was reported
by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) in its monthly inflation
bulletin on Monday. It was the lowest level since November 2003 when the
index stood at 4.2%.The CPI covers price movements in 481 commodities every month.
Falling prices of oil and commodities in the global market led to the reduction in rates of petroleum products at home.
Though the government has passed on the impact of oil price dip to domestic consumers, they are yet to enjoy the benefits of falling global prices of palm oil, wheat and rice.
Last month, prices of kerosene oil were reduced by 12.25% and motor spirit (petrol) by almost 10%, said the PBS. However again, it did not include the two surcharges imposed on electricity consumers into the calculations, raising doubts about the credibility of numbers.
The electricity bills for November include the Universal Obligation Fund surcharge at Rs1 per unit on people consuming between 301 and 700 units and 50 paisa for consumption of over 700 units.
Similarly, a debt servicing surcharge of 30 paisa per unit has also been included in the bills. Both the surcharges are above the 30 paisa per unit revision in power tariff under the monthly fuel price adjustment for August and another 51 paisa per unit for September, according to media reports, which the government did not deny.
According to the PBS, food inflation in November stood at 2.1% year-on-year – the index had been recorded at 5.2% in October. It showed a decline of 3.1 percentage points in a single month.
On a monthly basis, overall prices decreased in November against October as the index was negative 0.4%.
The pace of increase in non-perishable food items was recorded at 3.6% in the month compared to November last year. Prices of perishable food items, however, decreased 10.6% year-on-year.
Fuel and food-adjusted inflation, called core inflation, also slowed down to 6.9% year-on-year with a reduction of 0.9% in a single month.
With the slowdown in both core inflation and the headline inflation, the SBP may have to further cut its discount rate. In the last announcement, the SBP lowered the discount rate by 50 basis points to 9.5%.
Average inflation during first five months of the current fiscal year (July-November) was registered at 6.45% compared to the corresponding period of previous year, according to the PBS. For this year, the government has set the inflation target at 8%.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 2nd, 2014.
Friday, November 21, 2014
Real story of Media Military allaince during Fsadi March of TUQ and IK
THE SOUTH ASIA CHANNEL
Not Fit to Print: An Insider Account of Pakistani Censorship
Imran [Khan], [Tahir ul] Qadri, and the ISI [Inter-Services Intelligence] are our best friends," our weekly editorial meeting at Pakistan's Express Tribune was (jokingly) told on Aug. 13, 2014, a day before the two political leaders began their separate long marches from Lahore to Islamabad, and plunged the country into crisis. "We know it's not easy, but that's the way it is -- at least for now. I promise to make things better soon," said the editor, who had called the meeting to inform us about the media group's editorial policy during the sit-ins and protests that would eventually, momentarily paralyze the Pakistani government.
The senior editorial staff, myself included, reluctantly agreed to the orders, which came from the CEO, because our jobs were on the line. Media groups in Pakistan are family-owned and make all decisions unilaterally -- regardless of whether they concern marketing and finance or editorial content and policy -- advancing their personal agendas through the influential mainstream outlets at their disposal. A majority of the CEOs and media house owners are businessmen, with no background (or interest) in the ethics of journalism. The owners and publishers make it very clear to their newsrooms and staff -- including the editor -- that any tilt or gloss they proscribe is non-negotiable. As a result, serious concerns persist about violence against and the intimidation of members of the media. In fact, Pakistan ranks 158 out of 180 countries in the 2014 World Press Freedom Index.
Yet there is also a more elusive problem within the country's press landscape: the collusion of Pakistan's powerful military and the nation's media outlets. I experienced this first-hand while I worked as a journalist at the Express Tribune during the recent protests led by Khan, the populist cricketer-turned-politician, and Qadri, a Pakistani-Canadian cleric and soapbox orator.
During this time, the owners of Pakistani media powerhouses -- namely ARY News, the Express Media Group, and Dunya News -- received instructions from the military establishment to support the "dissenting" leaders and their sit-ins. The military was using the media to add muscle and might to the anti-government movement in an attempt to cut Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif down to size.
The media obliged.
At the Express Media Group, anything related to Khan and Qadri were inexorably the lead stories on the front page or the hourly news bulletin. I witnessed polls showing support for Sharif being censored, while news stories on the misconduct of the protesters, along with any evidence that support among the protestors for Khan and Qadri was dwindling, were axed. While the BBC was publishing stories about how Qadri's protesters were allegedly being paid and Dawn, the leading English-language Pakistani newspaper -- and the Express Tribune's main competitor -- was writing powerful editorials about the military's role in the political crisis, we were making sure nothing negative about them went to print.
Day after day, my national editor told me about how he received frantic telephone calls late in the evening about what the lead story should be for the next day and what angle the article should take. First, we were told to focus on Khan. "Take this as Imran's top quote," "This should be in the headline," "Take a bigger picture of him" were the specific directives given by the CEO. Shortly after, the news group's owner was agitated that the newspaper had not been focusing enough on Qadri. We later found out that the military establishment was supporting the two leaders equally and the media was expected to do the same.
In their professional capacities, the editor and desk editors tried to put up a fight: they allowed some columns against the protests slip through; they did not extend the restrictions to publish against Khan and Qadri to the Web version of the newspaper; and they encouraged reporters to focus on the paper's strengths, such as investigative and research-based reports. However, it was difficult for the staff to keep its spirits high with the CEO's interference and his readiness to abide by the establishment's instructions. To be sure, the dictates were never given to the senior editorial staff, of which I was a part, directly. They were instead relayed to the editor or the national editor (who heads the main National Desk) via the CEO and then forwarded to us.
People often speculate about the media-military collusion in Pakistan, but in the instance of the current political standoff in the federal capital, as well as the Geo News controversy -- where the establishment was seen resorting to extreme methods, such as forcing cable operators to suspend Geo's transmission and impelling competing media houses to publish news stories against Geo, to curtail the broadcast of the largest and most-watched television channel for accusing then-ISI chief Zaheer-ul-Islam of being behind the gun attack on Hamid Mir, its most-popular anchor -- the media and the military worked hand-in-hand.
In most cases, it is common knowledge that the heavyweight broadcast anchors have strong ties to members of the military establishment, and they personally take direct instructions that are then conveyed to the owners of their respective media groups. This bias is often reflected in their coverage.
The anchors not only indulge in inaccurate reporting, but also shape political discourse against the democratically elected government and even the efficacy of democracy itself. Former Pakistani government officials have corroborated this by narrating their experience. One senior official told me: "Television anchors receive funds from the military establishment, if not the civilian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Today, all the Pakistani intelligence agencies and the military have media departments that ostensibly only disseminate background information and press briefings, but are actually guiding and managing discourses and the national narrative."
And this narrative is pro-army. Consider one example in particular.
On Aug. 31, when Khan's and Qadri's protesters had stormed the Parliament's gates, Mubasher Lucman, a television anchor for ARY News -- now the most-watched TV channel in Pakistan after Geo's transmission was illegally suspended -- saluted the army during a live broadcast and invited the military to take over "and save the protesters and the country." Earlier on Aug. 25, he welcomed the "sound of boots" (a reference to the military), as he had no sympathy for corrupt politicians who looted the country.
As if this was not enough, Lucman and his fellow anchors at ARY, some of whom are known to have strong ties to the army and the ISI, also made unverified claims on live television that seven protesters had been killed by riot police in the ensuing clash. (It was reported by other news outletsthat three people had died, one by accident.) Moreover, when Javed Hashmi, the estranged president of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) party, came out in public on Sep. 1 to reveal how Khan was banking on the military and the judiciary to end Sharif's government, Lucman slammed Hashmi, while his fellow anchor, Fawad Chaudhry, insisted that Hashmi had been "planted in [the] PTI" by the prime minister's closest aides.
Hashmi, who is known for his principled politics and who has been tortured and imprisoned by the military over the years, made the claims about Khan in a press conference where he revealed that: "Imran Khan said we cannot move forward without the army...He told us that he has settled all the matters; there will be elections in September."
Soon after this, we at the Express Tribune were instructed by the military to highlight statements released by the army's Inter-Services Public Relations office about how it was not a party to the crisis. When the military was on the defensive, issuing rebuttals to Hashmi's "revelations," we saw the instructions lessen and the powerful institution backing off. Yet media discourse throughout Pakistan's history has been influenced by the military, the most powerful institution in the country, or, in a few cases, has been strong-armed and intimidated by civilian heads of state until they were ousted by the military. There is a structural bias against democratic institutions and elected officials in Pakistan, and such a discourse has the not-unintentional effect of making the military seem like a better alternative, thereby reinforcing the notion that democracy does not work.
Media owners seem to "choose" the military establishment as it has been the most potent force and the only constant in Pakistan's polity. The institutional context of the country's power structure and patronage politics compels organizations and individuals to be a part of the system, which begins and ends with the military and its premier intelligence agency, the ISI. Abiding by the system without asking questions is rewarded. But even in a country with a deeply problematic history, the intensity of the recent interference is shocking.
Before the current political standoff, the establishment was dictating headlines and editorial policies during Sharif's trip to India for the inauguration of his counterpart, Narendra Modi, on May 26. While working at the Express Tribune, I was instructed to change the lead story on the Sharif-Modi meeting to give it a negative tint, concentrating on how the Indian prime minister was not welcoming as he focused on security issues. The phrase "show-cause" had to be inserted in the headline, which was a direct order from the CEO, who was getting instructions from the military.
To be sure, the Express Media Group and its staff have been attackedseveral times during the past year for raising sensitive issues. And here too it tried to balance the military-sponsored anti-government slant by giving room to other opinions in the form of editorials and separate stories. But it also had to survive in a system where the military dominates every aspect of public life. It is a tough choice as the military refuses to protect the country's journalists, even as the media continues to safeguard the military's image and ostensible apolitical status.
Neha Ansari worked as a senior sub-editor and shift-in-charge at theExpress Tribune's national desk in Karachi, Pakistan from 2013 to 2014. She is now a visiting researcher at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, D.C.
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Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Punjab | Electronic Stamp papers introduced
E-Stamp Paper Introduced For The First Time In Pakistan
The Punjab Board of Revenue has decided to introduce e-stamp paper in Pakistan to facilitate the citizens online. This step promises to diminish fraud and bogus stamp papers which, previously, led to a loss of millions of rupees. Here is how the e-Stamp process will work.
Any person willing to buy a high value non-judicial stamp will only require an internet connection to access the system online. The information required to be entered in the system will be the names of the buyer, seller and the person from whom stamps were purchased along with their CNIC.
The entered CNIC information will be verified online through NADRA database in real time. After verification, a challan form 32-A will be generated based on the provided data.
The stamp paper buyer will then take the issued challan form to the nearest branch of National Bank/ Bank of Punjab or at any dedicated bank counters established in the offices of sub-registrars. Once the stamp duty fee is paid, the bank will print and handover the stamp paper on especially designed legal size paper. After the agreement, the stamp paper will be submitted to the sub-registrar/housing society/ authority/land developers or as the case may be.
Stamp paper serve different purposes in Pakistan including purchase and sale of land. The e-stamp paper will make the purchase of land property easy while also restricting the land mafia. The project will also help facilitate women in Pakistan who struggle to acquire inherited property.
An Indian state Karnataka started e-stamp paper in 2006 which resulted in controlling fake stamp papers and land mafias.
The Punjab government has already computerized its land records which let citizens to access their land records within 15 minutes without any charge. The e-stamp process is expected to be launched for the public in a month.
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Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Interview
Barjees Tahir | Federal Minister of Kashmir affairs and GB
This interview was published in Nawai Waqt dated October 26, 2014.
Saturday, November 1, 2014
Pakistan Oilfields earnings up 15pc
Pakistan Oilfields earnings up 15pc
KARACHI: Pakistan Oilfields Limited (POL) recorded an after-tax profit of Rs4.2bn for the first quarter of this fiscal year, translating into earnings per share (eps) at Rs17.62.
It represented a growth of 15pc over Rs3.6bn profit (eps Rs15.25) in the year-ago period.
Investment analyst Muhammad Affan Ismail at BMA Capital Management Ltd said the results were above consensus forecast on account of lower-than-estimated amortisation charges (down 30pc year-on-year) primarily due to high base effect. “To recall, POL reported a hefty amortisation write-off pertaining to reserve downgrade at Manzalai field last year,” he said.
The surge in earnings during July-September could also be attributed to 11pc increase in sales to Rs9.8bn on account of 19pc higher oil production.
Other income of the company declined by 32pc to Rs830m on account of 20pc lower dividend from APL at Rs174m and absence of payout from NRL.
Published in Dawn, November 1st, 2014
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Improvement in PIA
PIA has cut losses of Rs13.5bn this year: aviation adviser
ISLAMABAD: Adviser to Prime Minister on Aviation Affairs Shujaat Azeem said on Friday that the annual loss of Pakistan International Airline (PIA) had been reduced to Rs18 billion from Rs31.5 billion during the previous year.
He said the PIA was also paying Rs3.29 billion interest on legacy loans that were taken in 1992.
Speaking to reporters in the federal capital, the premier's adviser said that 10 more narrow-body airbuses and five aircraft manufactured by French-Italian manufacturer ATR would be inducted in PIA by the end of December this year.
Induction of more aircraft would help boost PIA's performance which would assist in generating more revenue, Azeem said.
Praising the initiatives for the improvement of the national carrier, he said the government was working towards introducing a new aviation policy to discourage corruption within PIA.
PIA had received delivery of its eight A-320 aircraft acquired on long-term dry lease from General Electric, Azeem added.
He also said that the PIA has 25 operational airbuses and 11 ATR aircraft at present and increasing the number would also help overcome its financial difficulties.
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