Wednesday, May 16, 2012
US to pay additional $365m a year for NATO supply
Veena Malik on controversies, “If I sneeze tomorrow, it’s going to be breaking news.”
Saudi monarchy against democratic reform in Bahrain
Bahrain activist says charge over tweets 'vindictive'
UN must take action on Bahrain
Oil extraction in N. Afghanistan to begin in 5 months
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Mines has announced that oil extraction from the northern Amu Darya Basin will begin during the next five months, Press TV reports.
Ministry officials noted that an estimated daily amount of 5,000 barrels of crude will be extracted from the basin in the initial phase of the plan.
The figure will increase to 45,000 barrels per day (bpd) in the later phases of development.
Amu Darya Basin is situated in Faryab and Sar-e Pol provinces in northern Afghanistan and, based on Afghan government’s estimate, contains about 87 million barrels of crude oil.
The Afghan government has signed a contract with China National Petroleum Corporation for oil extraction from Amu Darya Basin and the company has taken preliminary measures in this regard.
The Afghan government has also signed a deal with a Dubai-based Canadian company to start oil exploration in other areas in the northern part of the country.
Despite reports on the abundance of natural resources in Afghanistan, many experts still believe that it is too early to talk about the exact value of those reserves.
G8 and NATO-athon, with Pakistan at the table
Ready or not, Afghan security transfer accelerating
Afghans hurt by Pakistan blockade
Pakistan's president says he will go to Chicago for a NATO summit on Afghanistan, which is an indication that Pakistan may be willing to reopen the coalition's supply routes into Afghanistan.Pakistan blocked the routes in November in protest over a US air raid that killed 24 Pakistani troops.The closures, a consequence of a major dispute between Pakistan and the US, have also affected Afghan citizens' lives for the worse. Jennifer Glass reports from Kabul, where the blockade has prevented some schools from receiving much needed supplies.
Pakistan backs quick deal on NATO supplies
Shahbaz instigating masses against federation
Sectarian violence: Hazara community under attack in Quetta
The Express Tribune
ANP to support govt on Nato supply resumption
Thar coal exploration
EDITORIAL:THE FRONTIER POSTFirst Australians, then Japan last year, followed by the United States in January this year and now Germany has shown keenness in investing to the exploration of huge Thar coal reserves, one of the largest in the world, for the production of electricity and gas. China is also said to be not far behind. Nuclear scientist Dr Samar Mubarkmand, chairperson of the governing body of the project, is working on a project to produce 2,300MW from coal-fired power plants and this is said to be in an advanced stage of execution in four to five years. However, he has, of late, been in the firing range of the lobbies which probably don"t want the exploitation of this enormous gift of nature. One of them is the furnace oil lobby which even influenced a member of the Planning Commission of Pakistan to assert that the project is not feasible and that it was begun without a feasibility report. Another example is that Australian authorities had also been planning to shut down the 30MW power generation project because it was also not said to be feasible. One of the major factors for delay is the release of funds by the federal government which made available only $10 million during the last three years although it was committed to release $115 million during the period. What more evidence can be found in the project being feasible than burning of coal about 250 feet underground at Islamkot area of Thar in December last year in addition to successfully finding of gas in this coalfield. Dr Mubarikmand has said that Pakistan has gigantic potential of power generation over decades. Meanwhile, tender for power plant has been floated to generate 100MW electricity and the project is expected to be executed soon after the funds are made available. Estimates about the project in hand say that these limited coal resources will hopefully generate 10,000MW electricity for 30 years and produce 100 million barrel diesel each year. The project is to cost Rs9 billion with a foreign exchange component of Rs6 billion that was approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council last year. Latest reports suggest that four more coal wells were set on fire last week and, as a result, gas production from these will hopefully begin by the end of May. A flame will be lit from gas as emission begins from these wells towards the end of this month. Dr. Samar has said that through underground gasification technology, electricity can be generated at Rs3 to 4 per unit while diesel can be produced at $40 per barrel. The average rate of power production through furnace oil comes to Rs20 per megawatt. How critically vital Thar coal is for the country, needs no emphasis. But the government will have to demonstrate it really feels its importance and take matching measures to complete the project. This emphasis is unfortunately missing so far.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Balochistan: the FC and missing persons
Daily Times
BY:Dr Qaisar RashidThe case of the missing Baloch is reverberating throughout the country. The sympathies of all Pakistanis are with the Baloch One wonders if the Frontier Constabulary (FC) deployed in Balochistan is above the law of the state. At least the demeanour of the FC speaks of its haughtiness. It is shocking to note that the Inspector General (IG) of the FC Obaidullah Khattak did not comply with the orders of the Supreme Court (SC) to appear in person and explain the position of the FC on the missing persons’ case until repeated notices. His act is tantamount to ridiculing the court and is a breach of the constitution. The hearing took place at the Quetta Registry of the SC on May 11. After more than 60 years of its formation, Pakistan has entered the phase of mastering the strategy of abducting its citizens to ensure the state’s survival. If this is not decadence, what is? Instead of listening to the voice of citizens, the state is bent on muffling it, and strangulating the necks producing the voice. This attitude falls in the category of a welfare state or a state calling itself an Islamic Republic? By the way, on non-compliance with the court orders, if the prime minister of this country can be convicted, why can’t the IG FC? By his deed of disobedience, the IG FC tries to convince all that the concept of the state’s security is different from the notion of upholding the constitution. That is, he is serving in the khaki uniform to ensure the integrity of the state but not of the constitution. This is the problem with those donning the khaki uniform. The military deems itself a custodian of the integrity of the state but not of the constitution, which actually makes the military a type of the executive supposed to adhere to the court’s orders. What is the meaning of the statement of Major Sohail representing the FC at the court that the IG FC was busy elsewhere? Was he busy in abducting more people? The IG FC deliberately violated the court’s orders and should be held accountable for that. The SC is also relying on the police to implement its orders. It is heartening to note that the DIG Operations Balochistan Police, Hamid Shakeel is ready to obey. He has informed the SC that the police possessed CCTV footage of a private hotel showing an FC vehicle picking up three persons who went missing afterwards. The statement of Hamid Shakeel indicates that the police are handicapped owing to the overbearing role of the FC, which needs be curtailed. Secondly, his point shows that the police are ready to obey the orders of the SC and are capable of maintaining law and order in Balochistan if given a free hand. The police, weaker at the core, can neither comply fully with the orders of the SC nor jettison the FC from the governance equation. If the SC is making the police answerable, it should also issue orders to strengthen the role of the police in Balochistan. The SC has made an apt observation that the Centre is not taking any interest in resolving the Balochistan issue. There are three plausible reasons for that. First, the regime in the Centre is mired in issues of its own survival. Second, the regime in the Centre is annoyed with the SC and would be keen to witness a spate of confrontation taking place between the SC and the FC (or the military). Third, the Centre is reluctant to retrieve Balochistan from the military (which is being controlled through the FC) because the military wants to have its sway over the province. As per the constitution, the FC should be at the beck and call of the chief minister of Balochistan but on the ground, the FC is independent in its actions and dictates its terms to him. Perceivably, the IG FC does not take orders from the chief minister of Balochistan but from GHQ. That is the paradox engulfing Balochistan. The same absurdity is a hindrance to an early resolution of the Balochistan crisis. It seems that the military is not realising the fact that by its actions, it is being demeaned in society. The case of the missing Baloch is reverberating throughout the country. The sympathies of all Pakistanis are with the Baloch. In any developed country, by delivering good governance, the state makes itself noticeable in the sight of its citizens. Unfortunately, in Pakistan, the state makes itself palpable through its coercive arms such as the FC in Balochistan. In this way, the state fails to project its soft image in the eyes of people. Despite the presence of a democratic dispensation at the Centre, Balochistan is still experiencing the problems characteristic of the military era. Across the country, there is not a single Pakistani who does not sympathise with the Baloch and who does not criticise the highhandedness of the military in Balochistan. The Lahore High Court Bar is in the process of passing a resolution on Balochistan to express its solidarity with the Baloch and strengthen the hands of the SC in its decisions on Balochistan. Making the Baloch go missing is not a solution, the military should understand. The Balochistan crisis is in need of a dialogue. The military should leave space open for that. Gagging the media with one PEMRA Ordinance or another may keep the voice of the Baloch dissidents off the air but cannot solve the Balochistan problem. What is missing in Pakistan is that the state does not understand its limits vis-à-vis the rights of people. The state cannot pick up a citizen and make him disappear, notwithstanding the nature of allegations. The citizens abducted by the state have to be produced before a court. The state is a creation of citizens and not vice versa. Thus, a state should stay subservient to its citizens and avoid dictating to them.
Mehdi Hassan in critical condition
Hosting Dalai Lama must come at a high price
Hollande and Merkel hold euro talks in Berlin
Newly inaugurated French President Francois Hollande has pledged to work with Germany to resolve the EU's economic crisis.
He was speaking in Berlin following talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, hours after being sworn in.
Both leaders said they wanted to keep debt-stricken Greece in the euro. They will hold an informal summit on 23 May.
Mr Hollande said "everything must be put on the table by everyone" that could promote growth.
He included the possibility of eurobonds, which would pool the debts of eurozone nations, backed by all 17 member governments.
Germany has always rejected the idea of eurobonds.
'Dimension of growth'
During his election campaign, Mr Hollande said he wanted to renegotiate the EU's fiscal pact, which will require its signatories to balance their budgets. Mrs Merkel has said the terms of the agreement cannot be changed.
"As president of the [French] republic, I want to renegotiate what was accepted at a certain stage to give it the dimension of growth," he said, standing alongside Mrs Merkel at a news conference in the German capital.
For her part, Mrs Merkel said France and Germany were willing to "study the possibility of additional growth measures in Greece".
Greece is struggling to enact the austerity measures required by the EU and International Monetary Fund (IMF) in return for a bailout of 130bn euros ($170bn; £105bn).
Both Mr Hollande and Mrs Merkel said they wanted Greece to stay in the euro.
"We wish to have Greece within the euro and we know that the majority of the Greek population agrees with us," Mrs Merkel said.
As the eurozone's two biggest economies - and biggest contributors to its bailout funds - Germany and France are key decision-makers over the strategy supposed to pull Europe out of crisis.
According to official figures released on Tuesday morning, the French economy showed no growth in the first quarter of 2012. Growth in the final quarter of 2011 was also revised down to 0.1% from 0.2%.
However, Germany's economy grew by a stronger than expected 0.5% in the first three months of the year.
Pakistan: LOCAL JOBS FOR LOCALS ONLY
EditorialIn the recent years, the Ministers had emerged more powerful and they are dictating the terms and order in violation of laws of the land and the constitution. There is no check to the highhandedness of the Ministers misusing official and administrative powers for their personal advantage. There is no institutional check on this administrative anarchy which may lead the Province to a great disaster sooner or later. Even senior most officials were found helpless as the Ministers are enjoying the support from the Chief Executives for the past two decades of more. The Chief Minister had granted complete autonomy to the Ministers to do whatever they want to do or deal with the administration or even with their own electorate. Since the Chief Minister needs the support of the parliamentary groups, all pressure groups of vested interests, they are dictating their terms and playing havoc with the economy and the administration. This trend had started following the partyless elections of General Ziaul Haq who allowed loot and plunder in return for political support to his highly personality rule over Pakistan. During this period, the funds were allocated to the Members of the Parliament and the Provincial Assemblies to win their support in forming the Government at the Centre and also in the provinces. From that period, the politics of PSDP had started and planning had gone to vultures and MPs resorted to day-to-day planning instead of long term planning for development meeting the basic economic needs of the people and the country. To this date, this policy is continuing. Every year Balochistan is wasting Rs 36 billions of its development funds as all the schemes included in the Provincial PSDP are worthless and having no economic impact. There is no intention to increase the revenue of the Provincial Government by spending money on development schemes generating revenue for the state. There is no intention to reduce poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy in Balochistan. Similarly, the Provincial PSDP has no option to create more jobs for the army of jobless people. Every year, more than 20 graduates and highly qualified people are passing out from the Universities of Balochistan and there is no plan to provide jobs for the qualified educated people by the elected representatives. In recent years, the Ministers were found involved in auctioning or selling Government jobs to the highest bidders or to their political constituents. Even small jobs reserved for local people at the local level had been transferred illegally to their own constituency through a manipulated administrative order and recruitment of their own political constituent is made without any fear that tomorrow they can be made accountable in courts of law when a more responsible Government takes over. In the recent past, a score of Ministers were caught, tried and convicted for such irregularities and massive embezzlement of public money. They remained in jail for long. Two of them were rescued by their party leaders by blackmailing the majority leader at the time of ministry formation. Both the detained and convicted Ministers were released from jail following a bargaining in ministry making. There must be a check on transfer of posts, mainly posts of low paid public servants, from one region to another only for the purpose of illegal recruitment of their own political constituents, close relatives are auctioning the posts to the highest bidders. This practice should be stopped and economic interests of local people and their right on post reserved for lowest paid employees are defended and Ministers are barred from committing any irregularity. Secretaries of the Administrative Departments should take a firm stand for not being part and parcel of the irregularities committed by their concerned Ministers. Let the Ministers take the legal responsibilities as the coming days will be very hard for the Ministers in which they will be made accountable. All the Ministers cannot escape to Dubai or to any safe haven after committing irregularities.
QUETTA: Target killings: 2 Shia Hazaras killed, 1 injured in Quetta attack
The Express Tribune News Network.Target killings continue in Quetta as two Hazaras were killed and another was injured when unidentified gunmen on motorcycles opened fire at them on the Joint Road on Tuesday. According to a senior police officer, Mohammad Tahir and Mohmmad Qadir had come to the office for passport-related work and were attacked outside the main gate of the office at around 7:15am. The assailants immediately fled the scene. “Both the brothers were killed on the spot and another man of the Hazara community received bullet wounds,” the police confirmed. The bodies and injured were taken to the provincial Sandeman Hospital, where stringent security measures were adopted to thwart possible attempt of terrorism. The injured Manzoor Ali was later referred to the Combine Military Hospital (CMH) due to security reasons, sources at the hospital said. “It was a sectarian killing,” another senior investigation officer added. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the killings till the filing of this report. It is pertinent to mention here that around 28 people of Hazara community were killed this year. Some police officers investigating the sectarian killings were also killed in Quetta during the past week. On the other hand, some Sunni religious scholars have also fallen victim to targeted attacks in the provincial capital and religious parties believe that some elements are trying to instigate sectarian violence in Balochistan.
INDIA: The Republic Of Hunger
Al Jazeera World
Every third malnourished child in the world is from India, so what is the government doing to feed its millions?More than 40 per cent of India's 61 million children are malnourished, prompting the prime minister to declare the problem a "national shame". A recent report reveals that levels are twice that of sub-Saharan Africa, making every third malnourished child in the world an Indian.India has one of the fastest-growing economies in the world and runs one of the largest child feeding programmes.But critics say only a fraction of aid reaches the needy. 101 East travels to India and asks what the country is doing to feed its millions.
Obama says JPMorgan loss proves reform needed
US President says even Wall Street's "smartest" need regulating, as bank boss admits $2bn trading loss was "stupid".US President Barack Obama has said that the huge trading loss at JPMorgan Chase, the country's biggest bank, has demonstrated the need for Wall Street reform. "JPMorgan is one of the best managed banks there is. Jamie Dimon, the head of it, is one of the smartest bankers we got and they still lost $2 billion and counting," Obama said on ABC's "The View," according to a transcript released by the US network on Monday. "We don't know all the details. It's going to be investigated, but this is why we passed Wall Street reform," Obama said, adding that the same kind of error at a less stable bank could have required government intervention. Dimon has led US banks in fighting the proposed Volcker Rule, which would ban so-called proprietary trading, when banks trade on their own accounts. Banks are also resisting curbs on their hedging activities. Dimon told US network NBC's "Meet the Press" programme that the big loss incurred by the New York-based bank, which triggered a slide in banking shares on Friday, was "stupid" and damaging, but not bad enough to stop the company from making a profit this quarter. Asked if JPMorgan's losses had given regulators new ammunition to clamp down on Wall Street after the US government spent billions to bail out financial institutions during the 2008 crisis, Dimon replied: "Yes, absolutely. This is a very unfortunate and inopportune time to have had this kind of mistake." Martin Hennecke, associate director at Hong Kong-based financial advisory firm Tyche Group, told Al Jazeera that JPMorgan's loss was another indictment of the US banking system. "We are particularly not fond of the US banking industry, which is like a casino gambling industry, especially since the Glass-Steagall Act was repudiated," he said, referring to the 1933 legislation established to regulate and limit speculation by banks which was repealed in 1999. "The Glass-Steagall Act needs to be implemented again, otherwise it seems the banks pretty much do what they want. "If they mess it up they get a bailout and if they do it right they don't care about what limits were broken, and so they would all be heroes and get huge payouts and bonuses." Hennecke said: "So, we don't think the US banking industry is safe or stable to invest in. The much chastised Chinese banks that everybody loves to hate are much safer to invest in than banks in the US and Europe as well for that matter." Al Jazeera's Kristen Saloomey, reporting from New York, said the JPMorgan's trading loss had reignited the debate in the US on regulating financial instutions. "It [JPMorgan] is the largest bank in the US and it weathered the financial crisis in 2008 better than other financial institutions in the country," she said. "And since then Dimon has been one of the most outspoken critics of efforts to regulate the finance industry, precisely the kind of risky trades that led to this huge loss. He has been quoted as describing efforts to regulate the market as infantile. He ridiculed the notion of banks being too big to fail. "Now we are hearing calls for new congressional hearings on what went wrong with JPMorgan and renewed calls for tougher regulation to prevent it from happening again and putting the US and world economy at risk." Top officer quits Meanwhile, Ina Drew, JPMorgan Chase's chief investment officer, has announced her retirement in the wake of the loss, with two more senior execuitves expected to quit the company. Drew is "retiring" after more than 30 years at the bank, JPMorgan said, but her departure came days after the bank reported a huge "egregious" loss that came under her responsibility at the bank's chief investment officer (CIO). Our correspondent said that Drew's departure was an effort by JPMorgan to limit the fallout ahead of a shareholders' meeting on Tuesday. "This is a woman who was considered one of the most powerful women in Wall Street. Someone who was a top earner for the company," she said. "But these massive losses happened on her watch. So the company in an effort to limit the fallout from these huge losses is now taking steps to cleanhouse. The shares for the company plummeted on Friday by 9.3 per cent. "Clearly this is an effort to stabilise things ahead of a shareholders meeting that is expected on Tuesday." The Wall Street Journal said two other high-ranking executives were set to leave during the week: Achilles Macris, who heads the London-based desk that placed the trades, and trader Javier Martin-Artajo, a managing director on Macris' team. London-based trader Bruno Michel Iksil, nicknamed the "London Whale" for the large positions he took in credit markets, is also likely to leave though it remains uncertain when he will do so, the Journal said.
Bahraini doctor: 'We became automatic witnesses'
Saudi woman driver: I was pressured out of my job for my activism
US Ambassador To Kabul Asks Afghan Neighbors Not To Support Terrorism
Bakhtar NewsThe US ambassador to Afghanistan asked the neighbors of Afghanistan not to support terrorism. The ambassador who went to Nangarhar to meet the local authorities there said that support to terrorism would harm the Afghan neighbors. He added that “outside circles at the neighborhood of Afghanistan should not support the extremist groupings, the Taliban and the Haqani network; as such a support undoubtedly will harm themselves.” “Apparently this US diplomat points to the Pakistan, the country that time and again has been accused by the international community for its continued support towards extremists. He also accused the neighbors for their misunderstanding of the provision of strategic cooperation agreement between Afghanistan and the US and asked them so they should precisely study the agreement and then can show reaction. The ambassador did not name any country in his discussion, however, lately the Iranian ambassador in Kabul while showing reaction towards the strategic cooperation agreement asked the Afghan authorities including the chief of the Afghan Senate not to adopt that agreement as on his view the long-term presence of the West harms Afghanistan and the region. The ambassador in an unprecedented manner warned that those who through supporting terrorism want to continue destruction of Afghanistan, should know that the US in the struggle against others interventions in Afghanistan will be on the side of the Afghans. The US ambassador attributed signing of the strategic cooperation agreement between Afghanistan and the US for supporting reconstruction and stability of Afghanistan till 2024 and said that this period can extend on the basis of the will of Afghans. Recalling the years of former Soviet aggression to Afghanistan and the domestic wars in Afghanistan he said that the US does not want to leave Afghanistan alone any more so that once again with the support of the outside circles the terrorism and extremism invade this country.
François Hollande sworn in as French president
François Hollande was officially sworn in as the seventh president of France's Fifth Republic in a low-key ceremony at the Elysée Palace on Tuesday, where he reiterated his vow to turn the page on eurozone austerity.Francois Hollande was sworn in as France's first Socialist president since 1995 on Tuesday at a solemn ceremony overshadowed by the debt crisis threatening to unravel the eurozone. After brief ceremonies in Paris, the 57-year-old career politician was to dash to Berlin to confront Chancellor Angela Merkel over their very different visions as to how to save the single currency bloc. "Power will be exercised at the summit of the state with dignity and simplicity," Hollande declared in an inaugural address to Socialist leaders, trade unionists, military officers, churchmen and officials. "Europe needs plans. It needs solidarity. It needs growth," he said, renewing his vow to turn the page on austerity and invest for the future, and implicitly underlining his differences with Merkel. "To our partners I will propose a new pact that links a necessary reduction in public debt with indispensable economic stimulus," he said. "And I will tell them of our continent's need in such an unstable world to protect not only its values but its interests." Hollande was also to make the much-anticipated announcement of who will lead his government as prime minister, with Jean-Marc Ayrault, the head of the Socialists' parliamentary bloc, tipped as favourite. The new president was welcomed to the Elysee Palace by his predecessor Nicolas Sarkozy, who led him to the presidential office for a private head-to-head and to hand over the codes to France's nuclear arsenal. Then Hollande ushered Sarkozy to his car for a final farewell, outgoing first lady Carla Bruni exchanging kisses with successor Hollande's partner Valerie Trierweiler, elegant in a dark dress and vertiginous heels. Hollande then signed the notice of formal handover of power and headed back in to the palace ballroom. No foreign heads of state were invited to what was a low-key ceremony for a post of such importance, leader of the world's fifth great power. After the swearing in, Hollande rode up the Champs Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe in an open-topped Citroen DS5 hybrid, waving to the crowd. But the real work was to begin later in the afternoon, when Hollande was to fly to Berlin from an airbase north of Paris, for tense talks with Merkel, the leader of Europe's biggest economy and France's key ally. Merkel was a Sarkozy ally and the architect of the European Union's fiscal austerity drive. Hollande opposed the speed and depth of the cutbacks demanded by Berlin, and wants to renegotiate the eurozone fiscal pact. Germany is committed to budgetary discipline, and Merkel has repeatedly insisted since Hollande's election that the pact, signed by 25 of the 27 EU countries and already ratified in some, is not open to renegotiation. But observers say there is room for compromise, with Hollande likely to agree to additional stimulus measures without a rewrite of the pact. And with political paralysis in Greece raising the spectre of the country being forced from the eurozone, the heads of Europe's two largest economies will be keen to reassure worried markets they can work together. New figures released Tuesday showed France's economy still stagnant, with official statistics agency INSEE saying it recorded no growth in the first quarter of 2012. The agency also revised downward the growth figure for the fourth quarter of 2011, to 0.1% from 0.2%, while maintaining that the economy grew by 1.7 percent overall in 2011. Before he heads to Berlin, Hollande's first order of business will be to nominate a prime minister, who will be tasked with forming a government before a first cabinet session likely on Thursday. Ayrault, a 62-year-old longtime Hollande ally, is considered first in line for the job, but other names are circulating. Once the cabinet is named, the focus will move to the Socialists' campaign to win a parliamentary majority in June's legislative elections -- a key test for the party after Hollande's win. After the talks with Merkel, Hollande heads to the United States where he is to meet President Barack Obama at the White House on Friday ahead of back-to-back G8 then NATO summits.
Shahbaz responsible for load shedding in Punjab
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