Sunday, December 19, 2021
Democrats Slam Manchin For Saying He Can't Vote For Biden's Build Back Better Plan
“He has continued to move the goalposts, he has never negotiated in good faith,” Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) said of Manchin in an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
White House press secretary Jen Psaki also appeared to question Manchin’s integrity, saying his decision, which he announced on “Fox News Sunday,” is “at odds with his discussions this week with the President, with White House staff, and with his own public utterances.”
“Senator Manchin promised to continue conversations in the days ahead, and to work with us to reach that common ground. If his comments on FOX and written statement indicate an end to that effort, they represent a sudden and inexplicable reversal in his position, and a breach of his commitments,” she said.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, similarly accused Manchin of betraying his promise to work with Biden on the environmental, medical and social issues addressed in the bill.
“He routinely touts that he is a man of his word, but he can no longer say that. West Virginians, and the country, see clearly who he is,” she said in a statement.
Manchin declared Sunday that he has “tried everything humanly possible” and cannot support the plan, citing its $1.75 trillion price tag and concerns about the nation transitioning too quickly to clean energy.
Manchin, whose family has a lucrative coal business in his home state, said he doesn’t believe the plan — which would fight climate change, expand Medicare benefits, and lower the cost of prescription drugs and childcare — would be good for West Virginia and said he “can’t vote for it.”
“Manchin’s excuse is bullshit,” a Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) tweeted bluntly. “The people of West Virginia would directly benefit from childcare, pre-Medicare expansion, and long term care, just like Minnesotans.”
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), head of the Senate Budget Committee, similarly fired back at Manchin’s apparent resolve, arguing that the plan would in fact do a world of good for West Virginia, considering the economic hardships its residents are facing.
“West Virginia is one of the poorest states in this country. You’ve got elderly people, you’ve got disabled people, who would like to stay home but are forced into nursing homes. He’s going to have to tell the people of West Virginia why he doesn’t want to expand medicare to cover dental, hearing and eyeglasses,” said Sanders, who expressed disappointment in Democrats’ apparent failure to unite in support of working families and against corporate interests.
“I would have hoped that we could have had at least 50 Democrats on board who had the guts to stand up for working families and take on the lobbyists and the powerful special interests,” he said. “Corporate profits are an all-time high. And what some of us are saying, maybe, maybe we will stand up for working families for a change. But, apparently, we don’t have the 50 votes that we need.”
Sanders said he still plans to bring the bill up for a floor vote, which he said would put Manchin in the spotlight while voting against it.
“If he doesn’t have the courage to do the right thing for the working families of West Virginia and America, let him vote no in front of the whole world,” Sanders said.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/democrats-slam-manchin-build-back-better_n_61bf5856e4b04b42ab60eee5
#Pakistan - Shattering stereotypes - The women of Parachinar have found empowerment through women-owned businesses
Standing on a roadside, I was waiting for the male interviewee who had established a shop for his sister. Two women opened the door of a black Toyota Fielder and entered a shop, where a red curtain was drawn. The women had come at a shop owned and run by a woman. Shalozan, one of the most populated villages in Upper Kurram, at a distance of 10 kilometres from Parachinar city, is where the men have empowered women. They have helped women establish shops attached to their homes. In the last 20 years, the number of shops run by women has been increasing. The village has at least 13 female-run shops now. The men are of the view that with growing population, awareness and girls’ education, the number of female shops, commonly known as “women shopping centres” will further increase in the Kurram tribal district. Ashiq Hussain, 55, a father of seven daughters in Shalozan, has established a shop for one of his daughters. The shop is attached to their home and has two doors; one opens towards the street, the other into the home. The shop is clean, full of women’s and children’s clothing, bags, shoes, make-up and other items. “We invested three hundred thousand rupees, but in a year-and-a-half the shop has raised well over a million“, he says. Ashiq Hussain never attended school. In the patriarchal setup of Tribal Areas, fathers take pride in having a male heir, but Ashiq is a proud father of daughters. Many people now know him because of his eldest daughter. Shattering stereotypes He has also transformed his stable into a shop. One of his daughters, a college student, who has completed a beauty parlour course in Peshawar, is running the shop, teaching the tricks of the trade to local girls. The father helps the daughter coordinate with vendors in Peshawar, “my wife and I look after the shop while our daughter goes to college in the morning. When she returns, she takes charge,” he says. Some thirty years ago, women did not have much agency, Ashiq remembers. They would need a male member from the family to accompany them even to the local market. “Now, the women of our village have many options. They can now get everything in the village at their doorstep,” he adds. Compared to the other six tribal districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, men in Parachinar are cooperative and encourage women start-ups. These shops have empowered the tribal women who once had few opportunities to grow and find financial stability. “When I was young, we lived in poverty. Men were responsible for feeding entire families. Now, women are supporting men in every field, and the quality of life has improved,” he adds. Rehmat Hussain, established a women’s shopping centre for his wife and sister in Shalozan twenty years ago. Compared to Peshawar and other cities, Parachinar is expensive. “When my family shopped in Peshawar and compared the rates with the local market, we found that Parachinar shopkeepers were selling items at a higher price. My sister came up with the idea of setting up shops run by women in the village. The idea worked. Now they purchase materials for women from Peshawar to sell in the village,” says Rehmat. Rehmat had invested fifty thousand rupees at the start. After 20 years, the women shopping centre is worth five million. “My sister purchases women’s clothing, make-up and other items from Peshawar-based vendors. I support them as help with the logistics,” he says. Running a women’s shop in a tribal district comes with many challenges. “When we buy items in Lahore, where most of the vendors sell locally produced items, we do not face logistical issues. But in Peshawar, a majority of vendors deal in items made in China and Korea, mostly non-custom paid. Due to official restrictions we are then unable to take these to Parachinar,” he adds. The Khyber Karobar Support Programme and Insaf Rozgaar Scheme are two flagship programmes launched by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government. The government is encouraging women entrepreneurs in seven tribal districts to apply for loans. In Kurram, under the Insaf Rozgaar Scheme, a total of 31 women have benefitted so far. A majority of women in the area have set up start-ups and small shops at home. A few have opened salons. The Bank of Khyber (BOK) has established a dedicated micro finance department in KP, which is facilitating socio-economic development through increased access to financial services. According to BOK open-source data, it has disbursed Rs 1.3 billion in loans to more than 27,000 borrowers. A majority of the loans are below Rs 50,000 per client. Akhuwat has also established a centre in Parachinar and provides small interest-free loans to local women. Nasir Hussain, a father of three, says, “my wife and other women in the family shop in the village. These women shops facilitate them. Now they can buy anything, and they no longer need to visit city markets for latest trends.” Haji Gulfam Hussain, a former president of the Parachinar Trade Union, says that in Upper Kurram, out of a total of 8,000 shops, 600 are owned and run by women. “We are proud of our women who now work shoulder to shoulder with men. Education has broadened the minds of our men, who now encourage women to work,” he adds.The women of Parachinar have found empowerment through women-owned businesses.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/tns/detail/917819-shattering-stereotypes
کے پی بلدیاتی الیکشن: پیپلز پارٹی نے الیکشن کمیشن کو تحریری شکایت بھیج دی
خیبر پختونخوا کے بلدیاتی الیکشن میں مبینہ دھاندلی سے متعلق پاکستان پیپلز
پارٹی (پی پی پی) نے الیکشن کمیشن کو تحریری شکایت بھیج دی۔
پیپلز پارٹی نے اپنی شکایت میں لکھا ہے کہ پشاور کے تقریباً 22 پولنگ اسٹیشنز کے فارم 45 سے پی ٹی آئی امیدوار کے نتائج غائب ہیں اور اس فارم کا صرف پہلا صفحہ جاری کیا گیا ہے۔
پیپلز پارٹی کی جانب سے الزام عائد کیا گیا ہے کہ حکمت عملی کے ساتھ پی ٹی آئی کے امیدوار کو مجموعی ووٹوں کی گنتی میں فائدہ پہنچانے کے لیے فارم 45 کے دوسرے صفحے پر لکھا جائے گا۔
پی پی نے الیکشن کمیشن سے درخواست کی کہ کے پی بلدیاتی الیکشن میں متعلقہ عملے کو پی ٹی آئی امیدوار کے نام کے ساتھ فارم 45 جاری کرنے کی ہدایت کی جائے۔
Former Afghan president Hamid Karzai slams Pakistani 'propaganda' on Afghanistan
Is Pakistan's COVID-19 mortality rate much higher than global data? Here's a report
https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/is-pakistans-covid-19-mortality-rate-much-higher-than-global-data-heres-a-report-438225
#Pakistan - The City-State of Medina and Political Gimmick of the Incumbent Government
By Naseebullah Achakzai“You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.” Abraham Lincoln The city-state of Medina – the first welfare state on mother earth was a miracle of the last Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). After the demise of the Holy Prophet, his companion further cemented his legacy. After the martyrdom of Hazrat Ali, the Umayyad Caliph Umar bin Abdul Aziz was, to some extent able to resemble his caliphate on the footprints and rules of the city-state of Medina – since then, no country can acclaim to be as per the rules and regulations of the city-state of Medina. The state was a complete example of socioeconomic justice, protection of human rights, patience, responsibility, piety, austerity, an admirable governing system, meritocracy, was a blow to nepotism, and a place for respect. There was neither a doctrine of necessity nor anyone who was above the law. The incumbent prime minister of Pakistan Mr Imran Khan after assuming power as premier announced that he will run the government in the footprints of the city-state of Medina. It has been three and a half years that the new Pakistan of Imran khan has been in a quagmire and out of track which he wished and promised for. There is no single evidence in the affairs of the city sate of Medina when nepotism had penetrated, where merit had been compromised, or when corrupt people had been given provided a safe passage. Unlike the city-state of Medina, the proponents of new Pakistan are involved in nepotism, by compromising meritocracy and leaving the corrupt unanswered. In the city-state of Medina, no one even could ever think of corruption, but here in New Pakistan, the country has plunged into Corruption. Even though, irregularities of Rs 40 billion have been found in the Corona relief fund. We have witnessed many scandals such as the Medicine scandal, Wheat and Sugar scandal, and the Ring road scandal__ where the right and left of Mr Khan have either fled abroad or have been left unquestioned. On the economic front, Riba was banned in the city-state of Medina. Whereas in the affairs of the new Pakistan, it has prime importance__in both national and international level. Piteously, a loan has been taken from Saudi Arabia at a 4 per cent interest rate for one year. The so-called exaggeration of Imran Khan by naming politicians as corrupt, dacoits, and murderers and saying that he will never make an alliance with them has defaced his hypocritical political aims for the fulfilment of his vested interests. His collation with the PML Q, the MQM, and favouring turncoats for his party are short of the norms of the city-state of Medina. Austerity was another important feature of the city-state of Medina. At current, the salary of the prime minister is around 2 lac whereas the ministers have been living luxurious life at the expense of the people. A separate aeroplane for the prime minister and his journey from prime minister house to Bani Gala does not reflect the austerity as like of the City of Medina. Administratively, the paraphrasing of Hazrat Umar “If a Dog dies on the banks of the River Euphrates, Umar will be responsible for dereliction of duty.” speaks volumes of his calibre as an administrator, and as a representative of the ruled. Dissimilarly, in Naya Pakistan, people are starved. Millions have been trapped in poverty and millions have lost jobs. People are compelled to commit suicide. The government has failed to control price hikes, hoarding, and inflation. There was a separation of personal business and state affairs in the city stare of Medina. The Caliphs used to stop their business activities after assuming the charge. But in Naha Pakistan, the scenario is reversed. The President of the state uses its office for personal business regardless of conflict of interests. The proponent of Naya Pakistan Mr Imran Khan has zipped his lips on a private agreement (between President family private business centre Alvi Dental with Bringing Smile USA worth 25 million dollars) which was signed in Governor house Sindh in the presence of President Dr Arif Alvi The above shortcomings had already penetrated Pakistan before Mr Imran Khan took the oath as prime minister. He should have the foresight that he could not be able to revamp these challenges as per the city-state of Medina. It has been three and a half years in his power, along his ministers are still exaggerating that Pakistan resembles the city-state of Medina. This political gimmick might not work for them any more__as ground realities gesticulate that the policies of the incumbent government are far from the basic rules and regulations of the city-state of Medina.
https://en.humsub.com.pk/3465/the-city-state-of-medina-and-political-gimmick-of-the-incumbent-government/