Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Egypt descends into political turmoil
Arab Spring nations slip in corruption index
Egypt falls six places and Syria 15 but Libya manages slight improvement in Transparency International's league table.Egypt has fallen in a global league table of perceived official corruption in the past year, and the Arab Spring revolutions have yet to produce serious anti-corruption action across the region, Transparency International (TI) says. In its annual Corruption Perceptions Index, released on Wednesday, the Berlin-based group said Egypt had fallen six places to 118th out of 176 countries as levels of bribery, abuse of power and secret dealings remain high in the Arab world's most populous nation. The public-sector league table - on which the higher the ranking, the cleaner a country is - produced a mixed picture for nations swept up in last year's unrest. Tunisia slipped two places to 75th while Morocco, which experienced less turmoil, fell eight spots to 88th. Syria, which is engulfed in a civil war, dropped 15 places to 144th but Libya managed an improvement from a very low base, rising to 160th from 168th. Egypt was in a five-way tie with the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Indonesia and Madagascar with a score of 32. European rankings Greece has scored the worst ranking of all 27 European Union nations, falling below ex-communist Bulgaria as public anger about corruption soars at a time of crisis. The index on state sector corruption also showed other struggling eurozone countries scoring poorly such as Italy which ranked below Romania. Greeks have long complained about corruption but anger has soared, particularly about tax evasion among the rich, as the government has imposed wave after wave of austerity that the country's international lenders have demanded. The EU has kept Bulgaria and Romania out of its Schengen zone, which allows passport-free travel between member states, due to concerns about corruption. A recent study showed Bulgarians gave about 150,000 bribes to civil servants every month last year, more than in 2010. Portugal and Ireland, which like Greece have received eurozone rescues, were placed 33 and 25 respectively in the table. BRIC economies TI said there was a stronger public recognition worldwide, including in big emerging BRIC economies such as China and Brazil, of the costs of corruption and a growing refusal to accept it as an inevitable fact of life. Overall, Denmark, Finland and New Zealand were in a first-place tie with scores of 90 on a new scale where 100 stands for most clean and 0 for most corrupt. Somalia, North Korea and Afghanistan shared last place. Among the major global economies, the US ranked 19, up from 24, Germany was at 13, up from 14, Japan and Britain tied for 17th place and France was at 22, up from 25 last year. China meanwhile saw its ranking slip to 80 from 75 last year.
White House calls for calm in Egypt
http://www.politico.comAs protests continued in Egypt on Wednesday, the White House declined to take sides in the conflict, noting that the United States has an important relationship with Egypt, but called for all sides to refrain from violence. When asked at a White House briefing if President Obama supports Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, press secretary Jay Carney said, "The president has an important relationship, well, the United States has a very important relationship with Egypt. The president has worked effectively with President Morsi on key issues, including recently the negotiated ceasefire in Gaza. We are monitoring the situation." Carney did not say whether Obama has spoken with Morsi or taken any other action. A White House official later confirmed to POLITICO that the president did stop by a meeting between national security adviser Tom Donilon and Morsi adviser Issam Al-Haddad. The official did not say what they spoke about. Protests in Cairo turned violent for a second day Wednesday, with protestors supporting and opposing Morsi throwing fire bombs and rocks at each other outside the presidential palace, CBS reported. The opposition demonstrators want Morsi to rescind declarations he made exempting himself from judicial oversight and to throw away a draft constitution quickly passed by his allies last week. Carney said the administration thinks dialogue between all Egyptians is "urgently necessary." "It must be a two-way dialogue that includes a respectful exchange of the concerns of the Eyptian people themselves about the constitutional process and the substance of their constitution. The Egyptian people want and deserve a constitutional process that is open, transparaent and fair and does not unduly favor one group over any other," he said. He added that most demonstrations so far have been large but "generally peaceful." " As Egyptians continue to express their views, we look to the government of Egypt to respect freedoms of peaceful expression and assembly and to exercise restraint. We also continue to call on demonstrators and political parties to take all possible measures to avoid confrontation and violence."
At least one killed as anti-Mursi protests flare outside Cairo’s presidential palace
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Following Malala's footsteps, Pak girls defy Taliban to get educated
Afghanistan: Education attacked
http://www.afghanistantimes.afAfghanistan has become a country where rhetoric pulls more crowds than reason and rationalism. Our current and as well as coming generations are faced with a bleak and challenging future because in a society where reason, debate culture, and intolerance have gone missing then it is quite difficult to give them a secure and prosperous future. Sectarianism, tribal feuds, militancy, corruption, ethnic tensions, and internal bickering are some of the social evils that have made home here which collectively are pushing back this country into the age of barbarism, intolerance and deadly dormancy, for we have become a nation that doesn’t make efforts on its own to overcome its own problems but ogles for outside support, always. We are quite expert in blaming others for our own blunders and problems but quite blockhead to keep our house in order ourselves. Just ask anyone on a road or in a university that who is responsible for the miseries of this miserable nation and you will get a long list, starting from Israelis, Americans, Pakistanis, Iranians, and Indians but hardly you will hear that we ourselves are responsible for our current plight. Who killed a Kabul University student and injured 28 others in the violent clashes stirred by an attempt by Shiite students to flagellate themselves at the main mosque on the campus during the Ashura rituals? The response is, no Israeli, no American, no Pakistani, and no Indian but Afghans. Then why to blame others? Our illiterates are being killed by NATO, Americans and the Taliban whereas our students are being killed by students. Earlier the children of the nation witnessed a setback over political move when a University name was renamed after the then peace interlocutor, Prof. Burhanuddin Rabbani whereas the anger of the students was not allayed that Kabul universities’ students received another setback. The sectarian clashes in the Kabul University’s hostels have led to the extension of vacation for three months. Though initially the government has declared classes will remain suspended for 10 days but to control the hostile situation that was triggered on the day of Ashura has left a bad mark on the history of our education. The decision has been taken by the government in such a time when university exams were quite near while now they will have to take their exams in February 2013. It was a good decision by the government to pacify the searing anger of the Sunni and Shiite students but the government will have to take two steps, either to impose ban on political and certain other sensitive activities in education institutions that could potentially put the peaceful environment of universities in danger or ensure freedom of speech and act until it is in contrast to law of the land. Moreover the religious minority should keep their rituals away from university when they have other places to perform freely with no hindrance. Why our universities have turned into centers for sordid politics, and that too, a politics of polarization and hatred. Those behind the sectarian violence in the university should be trialed and those found guilty should be sent behind bars. Such like incidents are badly affecting our collective behavior and those students who want to stay aside from politics are reluctantly pushed into the whirl of ethnic politics and the politics of sectarianism. Earlier our education was in danger from the insurgents and now unfortunately education has been endangered by students themselves. What difference is there between the insurgents and those students who have disturbed the environment for education? Both should respond to the nation as the nation asks them why they have been doing it, at whose behest, and for whose advantage.
Central Asia: A Look at Sources of Violence and Instability
http://www.eurasianet.org.August 7, 2012 There is a general assumption that Afghanistan is a notorious exporter of violence and that the pullout of US and NATO troops in 2014 from the country portends trouble for the neighboring states of Central Asia. Yet this assumption rests on shaky evidence. The recent fighting in Tajikistan reminds us that disorder and violence in Central Asia are homegrown phenomena. Experts in Russia, China, the U.S., and Europe are worried that Afghanistan’s evil twins – drug trafficking and the export of religious extremism – will bring chaos and violence to Central Asia after 2014. To address these threats policy makers agree that security assistance to Central Asian governments needs to be ramped up. Highest on the list of what needs to be done is an expansion of train-and-equip programs for border guards and local security forces. In addition, the United States is considering leaving armored personal carriers and other military equipment in the region after the pull-out from Afghanistan. Russia, meanwhile, is negotiating with Tajikistan to extend a base deal that would permanently station 6,000 Russian troops in the country. While these policies may seem like sound strategy, the problem is that none of them address the causes of instability in Central Asia, and some may even exacerbate existing problems. The basic truth is that security threats in Central Asia develop from within, and are not imported from elsewhere. An example: two weeks ago, as Tajik soldiers were engaged in firefights with gunmen in Khorog, the capital of the autonomous region of Gorno-Badakhshan, I was skyping with a friend in Dushanbe. In reply to my question of what was going on he said: “It’s simple: one gang of drug traffickers is fighting with another gang of drug traffickers over their turf. Both wear official Tajik uniforms.” His explanation resonates with many inside and outside Tajikistan. Even if the Tajik government initially stressed links to Afghan militants and spoke of eight Afghan nationals with possible links to the Taliban, al Qaeda or the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan that had been detained, little evidence or even logical arguments could be produced to bolster these claims. In fact there is very little to indicate that Afghanistan’s evil twins after 2014 will influence the security situation in Central Asia more than they do already. Take the export of religious extremism: the Tajik civil war in the 1990s did have a religious component, and United Tajik Opposition commanders enjoyed a safe haven in Afghanistan. But the conflict itself arose out of internal political contradictions, rather than being exported from Afghanistan. Similarly, recent flare-ups of violent religious extremism in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan developed within a local context and as a reaction to repression of religious and other fundamental civic and economic rights of Central Asian citizens by their governments. Looking at drug trafficking, opium derivatives such as heroin are generally not smuggled into the region, but cross the border by the truckload on established roads and through official checkpoints. Few seriously contest that the biggest drug traffickers in Central Asia are government officials, or at least individuals or groups closely connected to the governments in the region. If one considers instances of violence in Central Asia over the past two decades – including the riots in Uzgen and Osh in 1990, the Tajik civil war in the mid-1990s, the events in Andijan in 2005, the violent revolutions in Kyrgyzstan in 2005 and 2010, the clashes in Osh in June 2010, the riots in western Kazakhstan in 2011 or the fighting in Tajikistan in 2010 and 2012 – Afghanistan really isn’t a factor. A multitude of local factors were behind these outbursts of violence, including the political dynamics inherent in non-democratic states, conflicts over resources and the inability of states and societies to manage conflicts. Traditional security assistance to Central Asian governments as currently conceived in Brussels, Washington, Moscow or Beijing does little to address these problems. Given some evidence that governments in the region are more part of the problem than they are of the solution current assistance programs are counterintuitive. Even initiatives that specifically include an element aimed at professionalizing relations between uniformed officials and civilians such as western-funded police training or border management assistance programs generally fail to deliver results in these areas. The stated aim of foreign security assistance in Central Asia is to promote stability in the region itself. The first step towards providing such assistance should be to stop assuming that Afghanistan is the biggest threat to regional stability and to acknowledge the homegrown nature of the threat. Editor's note: Cornelius Graubner is a Central Asian policy expert affiliated with the Central Eurasia Project of the Open Society Foundations (OSF) in New York. EurasiaNet publishes under OSF’s auspices.
White House to Ask for $50 Billion in Hurricane Relief Aid
U.S. reducing plans for large civilian force in post-2014 Afghanistan
Obama Takes Fiscal Plan to Business Leaders
Watch Obama Says No Deal Without Tax Rate Increase on the Rich on PBS. See more from PBS NewsHour.
The president warned that if Republicans want to preserve lower tax rates for the top 2 percent of wage earners, then it would mean painful cuts elsewhere. "It's not me being stubborn. It's not me being partisan. It's just a matter of math," Mr. Obama said. "You know, there's been a lot of talk that somehow we can raise $800 billion or $1 trillion worth of revenue just by closing loopholes and deductions, but a lot of your viewers understand that the only way to do that would be if you completely eliminated, for example, charitable deductions. Well, if you eliminated charitable deductions, that means every hospital and university and not-for-profit agency across the country would suddenly find themselves on the verge of collapse. So that's not a realistic option." Bloomberg's Julianna Goldman asked when he and Boehner would sit down again for another round of face-to-face negotiations. "I don't think that the issue right now has to do with sitting in a room," Mr. Obama said. "The issue right now that's relevant is the acknowledgment that if we're going to raise revenues that are sufficient to balance with the very tough cuts that we've already made and the further reforms in entitlements that I'm prepared to make, that we're going to have to see the rates on the top 2 percent go up. And we're not going to be able to get a deal without it." Boehner, meantime, said that for an agreement to happen, the president needs to put forward a serious counter-offer to the plan submitted by Republicans. "If the president really wants to avoid sending the economy over the fiscal cliff, he has done nothing to demonstrate it," Boehner said in a statement. "With our latest offer we have demonstrated there is a middle ground solution that can cut spending and bring in revenue without hurting American small businesses. The president now has an obligation to respond with a proposal that does the same and can pass both chambers of Congress. We're ready and eager to talk with the president about such a proposal." Behind the scenes, House Republicans are weighing their options, including a measure to extend only the tax rates on families making less than $250,000 annually, reports Jonathan Weisman of The New York Times: Senior Republican leadership aides say they are contemplating a fallback position since a standoff over expiring tax rates will be portrayed by Democrats as evidence that the opposition is willing to allow taxes to rise on the middle class to keep taxes from rising on the rich -- and their intransigence could mean taxes go up on rich, poor and middle class alike. The leadership officials now say that if no deal can be struck to avert the automatic expiration of all the Bush-era tax cuts and the onset of deep, across-the-board spending cuts, they could foresee taking up and passing legislation this month to extend the tax cuts for the middle class and then resume the bitter fight over spending and taxes as the nation approaches the next hard deadline: its statutory borrowing limit, which could be reached in late January or February. Politico's Manu Raju and Jake Sherman, meanwhile, look at the intra-party fight brewing among Republicans over the issue of revenue increases: Speaker John Boehner's pitch of $800 billion in new tax revenues already has tea party-backed conservatives accusing GOP leaders of peddling a plan that would destroy job growth. Conservative outside groups are urging their party's rank and file to rebel and reject any new taxes. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and his leadership team pointedly declined to endorse the proposal. All told, it points to a party still struggling to find a way out that doesn't destroy its reputation with the activist base or take the nation over the fiscal cliff. The question remains: Does it hold firm by its party's small government principles and reject any new taxes -- no matter the cost? Or does it try to stake a middle ground and cut a bipartisan deal to end the partisan gridlock, even if it means latching on to a deal that would force the conservative base to recoil? Amid the public posturing and internal squabbling, a poll released Tuesday by the Pew Research Center and The Washington Post found that Americans by nearly a two-to-one margin would lay most of the blame for going over the fiscal cliff on House Republicans. Fifty-three percent of respondents said the GOP would be most at fault, compared with 27 percent who chose Mr. Obama. Twelve percent of those polled said the two sides would share in the blame equally. On Tuesday's NewsHour, congressional correspondent Kwame Holman updated the state of play from Capitol Hill.Attack on an Ahmadi graveyard: Chilling act
EVEN in a country where unspeakable violence is inflicted on the living as a matter of course, the visceral hatred evident in Monday’s attack on an Ahmadi graveyard in Lahore is chilling. Shortly after midnight some 10 to 15 masked men scaled the walls of the burial ground. Armed with weapons and excavation tools, they either destroyed or pulled off the headstones of over 100 graves. Half an hour later, the last abode for those meant to rest in peace had been rendered a wreckage of broken stone and tile. The message sent out could not have been starker, signalling the extreme hatred shown by certain sections — perhaps not too many numerically but inclined always to employ violent means — towards a persecuted community. The latter’s scars from the May 2010 massacre of scores in twin attacks on Ahmadi places of worship in the same city have not yet healed. That Monday’s attack occurred in the Model Town locality and a stone’s throw from the family home of the Sharif brothers is a matter of deep shame. In the context of Monday’s vandalism, the police have said that an FIR will be registered and an investigation launched. Tellingly, however, they say that it will not be possible to deploy policemen outside such graveyards. While the desecration must be condemned in no uncertain terms, criticism must also be reserved for this attitude — which is far from restricted to police ranks. The Ahmadi community has long faced serious levels of persecution from various quarters, not least the state. Hostile legislation has been passed, people have been targeted and there are other instances of burial grounds being desecrated. The state needs to step up to its commitment to protect all citizens. Resources have to be found to protect members of the Ahmadi community and their properties.
Swedish Aid Worker Shot In Pakistan, In Critical Condition
Pakistan unsafe for Western charity workers
Afghan bank scandal shows extent of corruption
Clinton: NATO must 'step up' for Afghanistan
US secretary of state tells alliance meeting in Brussels it is "crucial" for donor nations to fulfill pledges of $4.1bn.
NATO Claims Progress in Afghanistan
http://www.voanews.comNATO is claiming significant progress on security in Afghanistan, based on a report its commanding general there made Wednesday via video link to alliance foreign ministers meeting in Brussels. NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen says statistics presented during the briefing “clearly prove” NATO's strategy is on track to hand over full security responsibility to Afghan forces in two years. He said the briefing from U.S. Marine Corps General John Allen indicates there has been a “significant decrease” in violence in parts of Afghanistan that have already been handed over to Afghan forces, which include areas where 70 percent of the Afghan people live. “It proves that we are pursuing the right strategy," said Rasmussen. "We hand over in a gradual process lead responsibility to the Afghans. The Afghan security forces are quite capable to take on that responsibility.” The secretary general's optimistic comments came even though officials acknowledge that Taliban insurgents remain capable of launching significant attacks, and NATO plans to keep a significant number of combat troops in Afghanistan as the transition to Afghan control continues. NATO plans to move to an advise-and-train mission at the end of 2014. As the foreign ministers' meeting ended Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton repeated the U.S. commitment to continue to help Afghanistan beyond that time. And she said a political settlement must be part of the country's long-term plan for stability. “We also continue to support an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned reconciliation process," she said. "Ultimately, we believe there has to be a political resolution to the ongoing disputes among Afghans themselves.” Clinton said the United States would like to see “all Afghans” denounce violence and join the political process and help move the country toward stability and respect for human rights. The Washington Post reported that the U.S. government is launching a new effort to get the Afghan reconciliation process moving, and that Secretary Clinton discussed the issue on Tuesday with Pakistan's foreign minister. Secretary Clinton noted that this was likely her last NATO meeting. She plans to step down early next year. She claimed “impressive” progress at NATO during the last four years, including an improved situation in Afghanistan, a successful military mission over Libya, better relations with Russia, the addition of Croatia and Albania and movement toward having Georgia join the alliance, and the development of a missile defense shield for Europe. She said NATO is critical, and is needed “more than ever.” And she called on her fellow officials to make clear to their often skeptical populations that the alliance is well worth the investment of money and effort.
Suicide bombers kill 3 soldiers in Pakistan
Associated PressA pair of suicide bombers rammed their truck filled with explosives into the gate of an army camp in northwestern Pakistan on Wednesday, killing three soldiers and wounding more than 20, intelligence officials said. Many were wounded when the blast caused the roof of a military hospital at the camp to collapse, said intelligence officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media. Some of the soldiers were critically wounded, and officials warned the death toll could rise. The attack occurred in Wana, the main town in the South Waziristan tribal area, which was the most important sanctuary for the Pakistani Taliban until the army launched a major ground offensive in 2009. The army says it has made great progress in flushing the militants out of the area, but attacks still occur periodically.
India ranked 94th in Corruption Perception Index ratings
Finding a Win-Win Solution to Doctors’ Strike in Balochistan
The Baloch Hal
By: Malik Siraj AkbarAt least 12 patients, all in critical conditions, have died in Balochistan for not receiving immediate medical treatment because of the ongoing protest initiated by disillusioned doctors. More injured and sick people are destined to die in a similar indifferent fashion as the strike shows no signs of coming to an end in the near future. Uncompromising positions taken by the Balochistan government and the doctors has hindered a quick settlement of the standoff so that people in the province, who have access to the poorest health facilities in Pakistan, once again receive whatever medical treatment is available. For more than six months, doctors have been on the roads protesting for one or the other reason. Earlier in the year, the Young Doctors Association protested, and also clashed with the local authorities, while demanding an increase in salaries. They demanded packages equal to what their counterparts received in the Punjab province. The ongoing strike, which began 49 days ago, draws attention to a more important and genuine concern: The issue of deadly attacks on doctors and their kidnapping for ransom. These are very pressing concerns the doctors have raised and they have every reason to be upset with the government for utter inaction against those involved in unchecked crimes. Doctors were forced to go on a strike when, on July 22nd, 2012, Bolan Medical College (B.M.C.) surgeon Dr. Din Muhammad Bangulzai was kidnapped from Mastung district on his way to Quetta. The Pakistan Medical Association (P.M.A.) played a wonderful role in mobilizing the doctors to stand up for their rights. However, when the government could not do anything to release Dr. Bangulzai, his family had to pay Rs. 8 million (against the earlier demand of Rs.50 million) to the kidnappers as ransom to secure his safe release. While Dr. Bangulzai safely returned home on July 30, another prominent doctor and educator at Balochistan’s lone medical college, Dr Ghulam Rasool, a psychiatrist, was kidnapped on August 1, by armed men who intercepted his car and took him away. After remaining in the custody of his kidnappers for more than two weeks, Dr. Rasool was eventually freed on August 17 presumably after his family too paid ransom to the kidnappers. This did not end the cycle of violence against the doctors. Because the government’s failures further emboldened the kidnappers. Hence, on October 16, Dr. Saeed Khan, an eye specialist affiliated with the Layton Rahmatullah Benevolent Trust-run hospital in Quetta as its Superintendent, was also kidnapped for ransom. The kidnappers helped Dr. Khan for nearly 42 days before releasing him on November 28. According to Dawn, Dr. Khan’s family had to pay “heavy ransom” (approximately Rs. 8 million) for his release. While endeavoring to press the government to ensure Dr. Khan’s release, the doctors encountered stiff government resistance. Embarrassed over its failures, the government, on November 19, arrested at least 70 doctors who had taken out a rally on Zarghoon Raod, where the official residences of the Governor and the Chief Minister are located, in support of kidnapped Dr. Khan. Furthermore, the government gave a 24-hour ultimatum to the doctors to end their strike or face termination. On November 25, Balochistan’s Health Secretary announced at a press conference that the government had officially suspended at least 73 protesting doctors, stopped their salaries and ordered them to evacuate the their official residences. The government said it reprimanded the doctors because they had entered the ‘red zone’ of the city where they were not allowed to demonstrate. The doctors, on their part, defied the official warnings, tightened their protest by deciding not to attend even emergency duty during the hypersensitive month of Muharram when the government had warned of possible terrorist attacks from Sunni militant groups against the Shias. In order to grapple with the uncontrolled frenzy, the Balochistan government requested the Pakistan army to send military doctors to the province. Despite the safe release of Dr. Khan, the P.M.A. refuses to call off its strike. It has put forward a list of demands to the government. The organization says now it has given the government an ultimatum of at least seven days to meet their demands. The P.M.A. has warned of a nation-wide strike on the lines of what is being currently observed in Quetta if the government does not comply with its demands. Firstly, the P.M.A. wants the Balochistan government to pay back the amount the doctors have had to pay to the kidnappers because, they rightly argue, it is the government’s job to protect the citizens and bring them back safely if and when they are kidnapped by the criminals. The doctors also want the government to withdraw all the cases registered against the protesting physicians and and reinstate those who were suspended from their jobs. While we fully support all demands tabled by the doctors, we would also like to implore their top leadership to immediately find a way to end this strike in the greater interest of the ailing patients. People’s sufferings are increasing day by day in Balochistan because of this prolonged strike. The doctors should understand that they are not the only victims of bad governance and rampant lawlessness that has engulfed the province. Almost everyone in Balochistan lives in a constant state of fear of being killed, kidnapped, tortured or robbed. The best thing the doctors can and should do is to tell their patients and fellow citizens that they, unlike the government, do care for them.
Pakistan: Targeting terrorism: Only 4% of terror suspects convicted
Lahore: Victims of red tape, ambulances going waste in LGH’s basement
Pakistan: Wheat support price raise
THE FRONTIER POSTThe Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) on November 22 rightly increased the support price of wheat by Rs 150 per 40 kilogramme allowing the farming community to sell their commodity at Rs1200 instead of the existing price of Rs1050. Some may think the raise has been given to woo farmers in the lead-up to the coming parliamentary election but the fact is that such hikes are a routine matter to make agriculture an attractive and profitable activity as the farming community has been lamenting over the escalating costs of various inputs and every year this cost is going higher and higher. What actually made the ECC to take the decision was to formalise a barter trade deal with Iran for which the committee session was held earlier than the schedule. This meeting was scheduled for November 26 but the government rescheduled it for November 22 seizing the opportunity of the presence of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Islamabad to participate in the D-8 summit conference. Tehran had earlier showed reservation over buying Pakistani wheat at $300 per ton but later changed its mind when international prices started going beyond $350 per ton. Pakistani wheat is cheaper than the international price because of low transportation charges. Thus, when the Iranian president arrived here for D-8 moot, he informed Pakistani authorities that his country would push the barter trade deal with Islamabad. Iran will purchase one million tons of wheat and 500,000 tons of rice. In return, it will sell oil, raw iron ore and fertilizers to Pakistan. What is, however, is matter of concern is that the cost of agricultural produce has gone higher but the per acre yield is on the decline. Its consumption of fertilizer per hectare is approximately 133 kg whereas the yield is substantially low. Agriculture is the mainstay of Pakistan's economy, contributing 24 per cent of the GDP, employs 48 per cent of the country's labour force and contributes about 60 per cent to export earnings. That is why the farming community thinks it is no longer a sustainable productivity which depends on a whole-system approach with an overall objective of preserving the health of the land and people. This activity warrants a long term solutions instead of short term treatment. A host of problems are contributing to lower than potential productivity and soil degradation, depletion of water resources, mismanagement of irrigation systems, age-old and poor farming practices, and, above all, unjust distribution of land holdings, are some them. And shortage of energy makes the issue further complex. The use of farm inputs, particularly of fertilizers, is inadequate and inefficient and land energy use is low. Besides, the availability of quality seed is limited. Agricultural research is lagging behind new challenges. Agricultural extension services are not tuned to modern technology. Likewise, the flow of information from research to farmers is inadequate and coordination between policy, research and extension is not keeping pace with the world. The government extends more thanRs50 billion every year in agricultural loans to farmers but this amount seems on the lower side of the requirement and that, too, is not reaching small farmers. In nutshell, the governments at the center and in provinces do not seem to be giving importance to agriculture which it should have given as the national lifeline activity. These governments should have set up united networks on agricultural extension and the use of fertilizers with experts' cooperation; a programme to give on-the-soil training of the use of fertilizers should have been initiated; agro-ecological zones should have been established for a long term plan on testing soils in different regions for nutrient supplying capacity with a focus on various crops; and examine the environmental impacts of fertilizers, especially that of fertilizers on soil fertility and agricultural product quality. However, what surprises is how and why agriculture has lagged behind in the overall national activity when landlords have been holding political sway over all governments in the past and also at present. What, however, stand is being ignored in the whole milieu is the tiller of the land who still hardly keeps body and soul together. How can farming be profitable when the peasantry is deprived of its genuine rights? Will mere raising the support price of one commodity make any difference in the overall scenario?
Malala's Friends: KP Govt decides to shift Kainat to Peshawar
The Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has taken the decision after the girl injured along with Malala Yousafzai namely Kainat was hit by unidentified miscreants at her home. Sources said the provincial government is making efforts to tighten security of Kainat and Shazia Ramzan. On Wednesday, extremists blew up the house located in the neighbourhood of Kainat’s residence. After this, the provincial government decided to arrange proper accommodation for the two girls in Peshawar. Sources further said that Kainat’s family members have shown consent to move to Peshawar or Islamabad.
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Zardari will not lead election campaign
President Lee Meets with Visiting Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari
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