Pakistan - News and Discussion 6

06-01-2006, 08:46 PM

QUOTEMr Akram Malik said that using the same methodology, the poverty level in 2001 was now estimated to be 34 per cent while the earlier âflawedâ methodology had put it at 32.1 per cent
Did they missed square root or delta in formula? <!--emo& Big Grin

--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' />

QUOTEPrime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Wednesday said that poverty had been reduced from 34.46 per cent in 2000-01 to 23.9 per cent in 2004-05. He said that urban poverty had declined from 22.7 per cent to 14.9 per cent and rural poverty had dropped from 39.26 to 28.1 per cent.
Around 6 million pakis are better off within 4 years. <img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/ohmy.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='ohmy.gif' />

This is called greatest achievement of modern world. World should hire Pakistani planner and managers to reduce poverty in Muslim and African nations within 2 years.
They can make Sudan most prosperous nation on earth in decade.

Naresh · 06-01-2006, 10:43 PM

Mudy Ji :

To know the Pakistani Leaders better please read Catch 22.

Colonel Cargil epitomizes the Pakistani Military and other Leaders.

From memory Colonel Cargil is described on Page 36.

If you have any difficulty then let me know and check it with the book.

P.S. If you do find the description then grateful your posting it.

Cheers <img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cheers.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='cheers.gif' />

**acharya** · 06-02-2006, 01:32 AM

Rasheed Khan

Who are you? If you had not written your name I would have thought you are a Hindu. From what you say, I hope thoughtlessly, you are acting like an Indian agent because you are disseminating Indian propaganda.

Dr Momin Chowdhury of East Pakistan has published a book exposing how 30,000 became 3 million. Until Sheikh Mujib came to London after being freed from Jail in West Pakistan, where he was under trial for treachery (Agartalla Conspiracy), the numbers killed in East Pakistan, as stated in the press, was 30,000. Even 30,000 is not a small number and it has since been proved to be exaggerated but it did not suit the hyperbole addict Sheikh Mujib. So his aides increased the figure to 3 lakhs. Uneducated demagogue as was, he did not know that 3 million was ten times 3 lakhs. When he spoke to the press in London in his unintelligible English he said Ã¢â¬Ë3 millionÃ¢â¬â¢. How can an India sponsored traitor be wrong? So, all books and writers in India quote him as the authority for that figure and it has remained stuck at 3 million.

Since Kerbala, war between Muslims Ã¢â¬â on whatever pretext Ã¢â¬â has been considered treacherous. But the war in Kashmir waged by the Mujahideen against Indian occupation is not a civil war. It is a legitimate war with a clear objective Ã¢â¬â liberation. It has a legitimate cause Ã¢â¬â India going back on its agreement to hold a plebiscite. The only civil war in Kashmir is between civilians Ã¢â¬â Hindus and their Muslim collaborators on the one side and true leaders of the people represented by Syed Ali Geelani and the APHC. As I have said before, political disagreement on the best way forward is the hallmark of democracy. But when resistance begin the fight against occupation, they need and deserve the support of the entire nation. That applies as much to Pakistan as to Jammu and Kashmir. After Jihad in Kashmir began, its detractors are traitors, nothing else. That is why I consider that the IKA and UKPNP etc Ã¢â¬â all the detractors of Jihad in Jammu and Kashmir Ã¢â¬â traitors who should be treated as such.

Brigadier Â® Usman Khalid
Director London Institute of South Asia
www.lisauk.com

**acharya** · 06-02-2006, 01:33 AM

>
> The cat is out of the bag. India is now openly
> promoting its collaborators
> as new leaders in Azad Kashmir. We could guess from
> their writing that IKA,
> UKPNP etc were sponsored by India. Now we know.
>
>
>
> It appears Pakistan has learnt no lesson from the
> debacle in East Pakistan.
> It recognised Indian agents like Sheikh Mujib as
> legitimate politicians. We
> know the result; he opened the door for the Indian
> Army to enter East
> Pakistan.
>
>
>
> Kashmir has already suffered a great deal from the
> antics of Sheikh Abdullah
> and his progeny who have been Hindu collaborators.
> Now India is producing a
> new crop of quislings, collaborators and traitors.
>
>
>
> Brigadier Â® Usman Khalid
>
> Director London Institute of South Asia
>
> www.lisauk.com

**acharya** · 06-02-2006, 01:37 AM

Lies, Lies and More Indian LIES!!

The current Indo-Pak engagement, duly substantiated by a set of Confidence Building Measures (CBM) stands out as the longest sustained and most substantive of the endeavours made by the two countries in search for a solution of the Kashmir Issue. Both countries have agreed to initiate measures for creating conducive environment for tackling the thorny, yet central Issue of Kashmir by working around its periphery.

The portents have been encouraging. The cease-fire, in place and holding since November last, is the longest such pause since last 57 years. The April 7 inauguration of the Muzaffarabad to Srinagar Bus Service comes about as the first civilian movement across the Line of Control to take place since Indian Forces took the control of the State of Jammu and Kashmir in 1947. The talks to open up more arteries of communication facilitating travel between the two countries are under deliberation. We have just seen another round of talks between the Defence Secretaries of the two countries to find a solution to the Siachin Issue. The rhetoric of turning Siachin into a "Mountain of Peace" was by a person no less than the Prime Minister of India.

While this flurry is going about with considerable vigour for the last eighteen months, what remains conspicuously amiss is the lack of meaningful initiatives by India to provide relief to the brutalised Kashmiris, whose sustained sacrifices and struggle, in the first place, have provided the stimulus to bring Indians to the negotiating tables. Indian inaction is particularly disconcerting since Pakistan, at its end, has taken steps to tone down the heat of insurgency in the IHK. Indian politico-military leadership has admitted that infiltration from across the border has considerably scaled down and the combatant Groups too have toned down their operations against the Indian security forces and on the basis of these facts, Indians were expected take tangible steps to rein in their forces in the IHK and firmly ensure the respect of human rights by their trigger happy troops.

This keenly awaited CBM, so essential to win over the trust and support of Kashmiris, remains conspicuously lacking. In this context it is instructive to note that taking advantage of the cease-fire; Indians have quickly completed fencing along the LoC, a project that had remained unfulfilled due to resistance by the Pak Army. It is also unfortunate that despite announcement of withdrawal of forces from IHK by the Indian Prime Minister, no actual movement of troops has taken place out of the IHK and even we hear from Indian Rulers that Demilitarisation Plan is no longer on the negotiating Table while dealing with Kashmiri Issue.

Consequently a perception is taking hold that playing for time through the CBM game, Indians are pulling a fast one by turning their guns inward to smash the Kashmiri Civilians - once and for all. This insidious approach has seen enhanced level of violence against the civilian population of Kashmir. According to figures release by the Kashmir Action Committee, ever since the cease-fire along the LoC came into effect in Nov 2003, over 2500 Kashmiris have been murdered, 329 women molested, 495 women widowed, 1410 children orphaned and over 600 houses and shops torched by the Indian forces. Only the first fortnight of May 2005 in the IHK saw 72 Kashmiris murdered, 8 women molested, 17 women widowed and 29 children killed. Incidents of rape have particularly increased; showing a pattern that this despicable crime was being employed as a psychological weapon to break the will and demoralise the Kashmiri People. The recent rape of a mother-daughter duo, by an Indian Army officer in Hindwara made headlines in Indian media; even though it is a willing partner in the conspiracy of silence involving cover up of such incidents. Custodial deaths and unexplained disappearances have become common occurrence in the IHK. Still 15 school girls in different parts of the region are missing and the authorities are unmoved.

"In September [2003] the government fulfilled its election pledge to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) which it said had been "grossly misused" and which had led to widespread human rights violations. However, there were concerns over amendments to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, which included provisions similar to those in the POTA. There were also concerns that the definition of "terrorist acts" in the bill remained vague and open to broad interpretation. Several states indicated that they would introduce legislation containing provisions similar to those in the POTA", observed the AI report.

Empowered by these Draconian legislations Indian security forces continue to make a mockery of CBMs and the ongoing process of Indo Pak engagement. There is a swell op opinion that if the process of engagement has to yield results, progress on CBMs has to be orchestrated in tandem with initiatives to cut through the Gordian knot of the Kashmir Issue. This calls for a visible and sincere endeavour by India to console and comfort the Kashmiri population which stands bruised and bloodied by the no holds barred, collateral damage intensive operations by the Indian security forces.

Winning over Kashmiris' confidence and ensuring their participation in the ongoing process is essential since by sacrificing over one hundred thousand of their kith and kin over a decade and a half, they have won an inalienable right as a party to the issue resolution process. This aspect appropriately driven home during the recent visit of APHC delegation to Pakistan. While speaking at the reception by Governor Sind in Karachi, Chairman of the APHC Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said that CBMs could not contribute anything positive unless they addressed the miseries of Kashmiris. Here is the moot question: what is the point in pursing CBMs geared towards resolution of the Kashmir Issue if these don't ease the pain of Kashmiri population in the IHK? Kashmiris have shown their willingness to give peace a chance by toning down their resistance and the Indians have to respond in kind to move the process forward. Violence begets violence and if Indians persist with their ingrained practices, it will only provide fresh blood and this time not only Kashmir but all India in whole would be dragged in this stormed mess. In such a scenario, the painstakingly assembled edifice of CBMs and the accrued goodwill shall evaporate in thin air in no time.!!

--------------------

CBMs have built Confidence of India to kill wantonly and oppress blatantly

I endorse the message by Scientific Souls entirely. The people of Jammu and Kashmir have lost 100,000 lives fighting the occupation of their state by India but the silence of guns along the Line of Control has not led to peace but intensification of the genocide in Kashmir. The âflexibilityâ of Pakistan, for which neither the Kashmiris nor the Pakistanis were consulted, has been seen in India as its victory and in Kashmir as another âlet downâ by Pakistan.

The UN recognises Pakistan to be an equal party with India in the dispute. Both Pakistan and India pledged before the UN Security Council that the people of Jammu and Kashmir would decide their political future in a plebiscite. India has gone back on its agreement that led to all out war in 1965, 1971 and limited Kargil operations that did not bring any change. The case of Pakistan is that the UN Resolutions entailed agreement on two points: cease fire and plebiscite. Pakistan agreed to a cease fire because India agreed to plebiscite. Now that India has gone back on its agreement to hold a plebiscite, the agreement to hold fire is null and void. Kashmir would be liberated by guerrilla war which has been fought half heartedly by Pakistan since 1989. Pakistan has a right â no, a duty â to support it with confidence; that is the CBM that the people of Jammu and Kashmir want.

Cowards argue that it would lead to an all out war. The fact is that India can afford an âall out warâ even less than Pakistan. Since both are now nuclear powers, such war would be nuclear holocaust. Besidesâ India is embarked on a path to rapid economic progress and it cannot continue unless it resolves the 17 insurgencies going on in different parts of India. There are many good people in India who believe that the Kashmiris should be given their right of self determination; it is costing India too much to maintain hostility with Pakistan, the Muslim World and with China and get a bad name in process. These people of goodwill in India would be emboldened if Pakistan takes a stand that it will not negotiate any further agreements with India until the existing agreements: to hold a plebiscite in Kashmir and the Indus Basin Water Treaty, are honoured. Pakistan not being able to take a firm and principled stand is the cause of the Kashmir Dispute having remained unresolved fir so long. Even though it is the Indian troops who killed 100,000 Kashmiris, raped countless women, and destroyed countless homes of the already most repressed on this earth, Pakistan also bears responsibility for not showing resolve.

Brigadier Â® Usman Khalid
Director London Institute of South Asia
www.lisauk.com

**acharya** · 06-02-2006, 02:09 AM

You do have a point Manzar Bashir. The principal leader of the Muslims of Jammu and Kashmir is Syed Ali Geelani; General Musharraf (not Pakistan) has been trying to sideline him. We should all accept him as Quaid e Kashmir and respond to his call and his alone.

Brigadier Â® Usman Khalid
Director London Institute of South Asia
www.lisauk.com

-----Original Message-----
From: bashir manzar [mailto:manzarbashir@yahoo.com]
Sent: 17 May 2006 11:14
To: usmankhalid@lisauk.com
Subject: RE: [kashnet] Dr Shabir Choudhry to take part in Delhi Conference

Got ur news alert. May be you are right in saying that
India was now openly promoting its collaborators as
new leaders in Azad Kashmir. But what about Pakistan
promoting its collaborators as leaders in my part of
Kashmir (under Indian control)? Dear friend, unless
some miracle happens and some leader emerges who is
neither India's and nor Pakistan's stooge but through
and through a Kashmiri, nothing is going to change.
Enough is enough. We have fought too much for India
and Pakistan, let's now fight for ourselves, our own
people.
bashir

**acharya** · 06-02-2006, 06:37 AM

Friday, June 02, 2006
Hindu womanâs cremation in limbo

* Government and Hindu community unwilling to take responsibility to cremate Radha

By Rana Kashif

LAHORE: The government and the Hindu community have refused to take the responsibility to cremate a Hindu woman who recently died in a senior citizensâ home.

The woman, 70-year-old Radha, had been living in a senior citizensâ home of the Punjab Social Welfare Department for the last three years. She died in Mayo Hospital on May 30.

The Hindu community has refused to take the body for cremation on grounds that Lahore did not have a single shamshaan ghat (cremation site), as opposed to 11 at Partition.

Non-government organisation (NGO) South Asia Partnership (SAP) told Daily Times that it was willing to make arrangements for the cremation provided Radhaâs autopsy report was finalised and placed on record. âI have already spoken to senior officials of the Auqaf and Social Welfare departments but to no avail,â SAP Executive Director Muhammad Tahseen said. He said that officials of the Social Welfare Department had told him that they had spoken to the Edhi Welfare Trust and it had agreed to arrange the cremation. However, Edhi Welfare Centre supervisor Athar Iqbal denied having been contacted by any government official.

The Sikh community at Nankana Sahib also expressed its willingness to cremate Radhaâs body if the government had no objection to it. âIf the government and the Hindu community are not prepared to undertake the womanâs cremation, we will do it if the district administration has no objection,â Gurdawara Parbhandak Committee President Wishand Singh said.

District Coordination Officer Mian Muhammad Ijaz said that the district government had no objection if someone were willing to cremate Radha.

âI have contacted officials of the Social Welfare Department and the Evacuee Property Trust Board, but no one is prepared to take responsibility to cremate the woman,â said Jacqueline Tressler, Punjab Minority Advisory Council General Secretary. âThe government is trying to protect the rights of minorities and fund its departments for it, but government officials are not ready to cooperate.â

Social Welfare Department Secretary Tauqeer Ahmed told Daily Times that he was not in the city and did not know of Radhaâs death. He said that his department could not do anything on the issue, but he would speak to the Community Development executive district officer to resolve the issue.

When Daily Times contacted Chief Ministerâs Adviser on Social Welfare Sabah Sadiq, she expressed ignorance about the issue. The Lahore district nazim was also not available for comment, while the Minoritiesâ Information Secretary Sabha Munawar Chand was abroad.

A member of the Hindu community told Daily Times that cremation sites that existed in Lahore at Partition had either been demolished or converted into houses. He said that the Hindu and Sikh communities in Lahore had been trying for years to obtain the governmentâs approval for the construction of a cremation site. The Evacuee Property Trust Board had granted land for the purpose in 1976, but some Pathans had settled on the land before construction could begin and had claimed it as disputed property, he said. He said that the Board of Revenue had allocated another 45,000 square feet of land for the purpose on Bund Road in 1999, but the area had never been officially handed over. He said that cremation was an expensive ritual, and required at least 800 kilogrammes of wood and at least two canisters of ghee. The only remaining option for them was to have their dead cremated in Nankana or bury them in the city, which most Hindus chose to do, he said.

Naresh · (This post was last modified: 06-02-2006, 04:27 PM by Naresh.)

The Second Article in the Pakistani Media in the last week or two criticising Religious Political Parties and the formation of States due to Separatist Nationalism which I take it to be of not only the Racial-Ethnic but also the Religious, Linguist etc. types

Our foreign policy fantasies âKhaled Ahmedâs Review of the Urdu press <img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Flush.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='Flush.gif' />

QUOTEIn Balochistan the elected government means nothing. The power lies with the three sardars and they want a new dispensation for the province with a lot of general Baloch nationalist support. It is also axiomatic that a state formed on the basis of separatist nationalism begins to gestate further separatisms after becoming free.

Cheers <img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cheers.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='cheers.gif' />

06-02-2006, 06:55 PM

QUOTEThe bad outweighs the good in our economy 
FT
Farrukh Saleem : Our economy is freer than India's; yet, foreigners do not invest here. Why?Â <!--emo& Big Grin

--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' />
Â Â
First, the good news: according to The Heritage Foundationâs âIndex of Economic Freedomâ Pakistanâs economy is âfreerâ than Indiaâs, Chinaâs and Bangladeshâs. Pakistanâs trade policy is liberal than Indiaâs. In India, according to the US Trade Representative, ânon-tariff barriers remain extensive, including a high level of confusing bureaucracy, onerous standards and certifications on many goods, discriminatory sanitary and phytosanitary measures, and a negative import list that bans or restricts imports.â

The Indian governmentâs intervention in the economy is much higher than Pakistanâs. On foreign investment, according to the US Department of Commerce, âIndia controls foreign investment with limits on equity and voting rights, mandatory government approvals, and capital controls.â According to The Economist Intelligence Unit India is âa difficult market for foreign companies. Most economic activities are bound by restrictions, public services and infrastructure are poor, and the government continues to impede the free flow of capital across its borders.â The Government of Pakistan, on the other hand, allows foreign investors to own up to 100 percent of most businesses.

In India, according to the US Department of Commerce, âBusinesses must contend with extensive federal and state regulation. Firms have identified corruption as one obstacle to investment. Indian businessmen agree that red tape and wide-ranging administrative discretion serve as a pretext to extort money.â Additionally, labour laws are rigid in India but not so stern in Pakistan. To be certain, property rights are better protected in India than they are in Pakistan.

For the record, Pakistan started opening up its economy in 1988 (the Zia-government had promulgated the first Disinvestment Ordinance on July 16, 1988). Whereas, India was a latecomer to the liberalisation game (India began opening up in 1991 when Manmohan Singh was appointed finance minister on June 21, 1991).

Our trade policy is liberal, government intervention is low, corporate taxes are competitive and we allow 100 percent ownership to foreigners. So far so good. Musharraf zindabad. Why arenât foreigners then queuing up to invest in Pakistan?

Reasons: internal security is the first followed by political instability. The third is a lack of economic depth. We continue to be a 2-commodity, 1-port economy.

Four, the market size, particularly Pakistani purchasing power, is not at a level whereby it can attract serious dollars. Shaukat Aziz has done what he could and 9/11 has done what it could. Pakistan can attract serious-investment dollars only if multinationals can be assured access to the Indian market (to be sure, the Iran pipeline is feasible only if India is a buyer). <!--emo& Big Grin

--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' />

Five, and most importantly, it makes little sense to talk about attracting foreign investment when national security is the priority and economics a mere subsidiary. When âstrategic depthâ is the priority, education takes a backstage and Pakistan, as a consequence, now lacks the human capital that would be needed to produce anything worth producing.

06-02-2006, 06:59 PM

QUOTEThe Government of Pakistan, on the other hand, allows foreign investors to own up to 100 percent of most businesses.

Govt of Pakistan allows US citizens to be PMs of TSP too, see how 'freer' they are. Even their nuke installations are under US security. Truly a 'freer' society!

06-02-2006, 07:09 PM

Worth reading, some interesting thought <!--emo& Smile

--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' />
QUOTEOur rejection of culture as entertainment 
Khaled Ahmedâs : A n a l y s i sÂ
It is shocking how most of our culture is linked to entertainment, and we are not sure whether entertainment is permitted by our ideology. Most of what passes for culture-as-entertainment is contingent and may not seem sustainable. Most of it will go if the clerical alliance the MMA comes to power in Islamabad. Even a rudimentary discussion among them in the cabinet room will have the effect of destroying whatever culture there remains in Pakistan. The four JUI MPAs removed in Peshawar after the 2006 Senate elections have attributing their rebellion to the MMA government not sticking to its ideological pledges of social change. (Vows of social change are always directed at culture as âfahashiâ). When the clergy thinks of collective piety it usually focuses on a cultural purge a la Taliban in Afghanistan.

The world has not found a proper definition of culture. It is accepted in all scholarly quarters that there is no acceptable definition of culture. One very broad one is offered by some authors with disclaimers, as this one: âCulture is the system of shared beliefs, values, customs, behaviours, and artefacts that the members of society use to cope with their world and with one another, and that are transmitted from generation to generation through learningâ. A UNESCO effort in 2002 yielded this: âCulture is the set of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional features of society or a social group, and that it encompasses, in addition to art and literature, lifestyles, ways of living together, value systems, traditions and beliefs.â

Culture as revolt against Islam: Writing in Jang (26 March 2006) Ataul Haq Qasimi referred to a statement made by singer Abrarul Haq on the question of music as a source of peace of mind. A lady had asked if namaz was not the only source of this tranquillity. The columnist stated that the ulema were not united on the concept of entertainment in Pakistani culture. Were music, photography, singing, painting, poetry and cinema allowed as entertainment or not? It all boils down to entertainment in the case of Pakistan. If you donât have consensus on the items listed by Qasimi, then you have only calligraphy to fall back on. The folk tradition has to be rejected because it is intertwined with entertainment. It appears that the mass of the people express their culture only when they want to be entertained. When the state becomes harshly anti-entertainment, the people rely on what is termed as âliminalityâ, a kind of reaching out to neighbouring cultures.

This is what happened when the state under General Zia began to judge entertainment as fahashi (obscenity). The people, closed off from entertainment, reached out to India. Under Zia, Islamisation drove the urban populations to watching video cassettes of Indian films and buying satellite TV dishes. Interestingly, the dishes were bought only after Indian programmes became available on them. This means that American âcultureâ was not acceptable to them. Quite understandably the state of Pakistan is more upset about the âcultural invasionâ from India than with the American one that comes in through globalisation. Yet, the fact is that Indian culture â and not Afghan or Iranian culture â is acceptable in Pakistan because of a cultural interface. This takes us to the phenomenon of liminality, of people trying to live together when the states wonât.

Living on cultural borders: In the book Lived Islam in South Asia: Adaptation, Accommodation & Conflict (2004) the phenomenon is discussed by a number of scholars. As hardline orthodox religion makes it comeback in South Asia, the tradition of social accommodation and integration between faiths that had gone on for centuries is threatened. Clergies are busy stiffening their theologies to drive out and mop up communities that had learned to coexist on the border (lime) of formal, potentially hostile religions. These âliminalâ communities are today stigmatised as âmarginalâ heresies that deserve to be stamped out to create a pure state. Will the âpureâ state last after having destroyed the âlivedâ pluralism of these communities? Needless to say, the process of âexclusionâ so favoured in South Asiaâs new politics doesnât bode well for the survival of the state.

Muslims were always worried about âliminalismâ under Muslim rule. Hinduism which had a more pronounced inclination to âliminalityâ in the past is now in the process of pushing the state towards an imitative âpurificationâ and âexclusionâ. Both Hindu and Muslim communities are selectively pushing each other away. The majority community isolates and excludes while the minority community particularises and withdraws from the integrative chemistry of âliminationâ. Ideology is articulated by intellectuals and the religious elite; and the culture which consists of local and popular interpretations of a religious tradition is attacked.

Communities trying to survive through culture: It is interesting that the Pushtun were âliminisedâ in Afghanistan in the same manner as the Tamil-speaking Muslims of Sri Lanka who set up the tomb of Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani near Adamâs Peak. Just as Sheikh Jilani appeared in dreams, Hazrat Ali the Fourth Caliph of Islam was the inspiration behind building a shrine for him in Mazar-e-Sharif. Mullah Umar first took the robe of Prophet Muhammad out of a shrine in Kandahar and wore it in front of a large crowd before falling on Mazar-e-Sharif in the North. The Meos of India aroused the puritanism of Deoband because of their hybridisation with Hinduism and it was the Meo immigrant community of Raiwind near Lahore who donated the land to site the headquarters of Pakistanâs most virulent theological Deobandi movement, now spread to Bangladesh too: the Tablighi Jamaat. Before the Taliban, the Shia of Central Afghanistan coexisted with the Sunnis and with the Buddhist statues of Bamyan because of the overlap of âpopular religionâ.

The reform against traditional culture has not only gradually become the basis of state ideology in Pakistan but also among the Muslim communities of India under pressure now from the âpurificationâ politics of Hindutva. How tradition was invaded is explained by the Rishi Tradition in Kashmir which was invaded by Deobandi and Wahhabi warriors from the north and by a ârespondingâ tightening of Hindu theology from the BJP-supporting south. But what was happening in the Kashmiri âheresyâ was a historical âcultural cross-pollinationâ. Gujarat in India was the other âliminalâ experience where two religions have now begun to clash. Gujarat gave its Parsis, Ismailis, Bohras, Memons and Hindus to Bombay and Karachi. Indian scholar Asghar Ali Engineer is of the view that Bohra-Ismaili community decided to call itself Bohra in gratitude for the acceptance shown them by the Vohra Hindus of Gujrat. These remain the most âliminalâ communities in the region.

Mysticism and culture and the state: Mysticism dominates the culture of Pakistan with strong linkages in India. In both countries the tradition of mystical poetry or bhagti came as a revolt against religious orthodoxy. It began in the Indian South as a revolt against the Brahmin religious elite and spread to the north and northwest as a revolt against Muslim orthodoxy. For Pakistan, the most significant expression of âbhagtiâ came from Guru Nanak in the 15th century. It was in Guru Granth, the holy book of the Sikhs, that the Muslims of Punjab discovered their first âsufiâ poet Baba Farid, a predecessor of Nanak whom he revered. Baba Farid was followed in the times of Akbar by Shah Hussain of Lahore who loved a Hindu boy and sang wahadat-ul-wujud of Ibn Arabi and advaita (unity) of the Hindu Upanishads. Orthodox Mughal king Aurangzebâs brother Dara Shikoh was converted to mysticism and wrote Sakinat-ul-Aulia, a biography of Mian Mir, a saint of Lahore, whom Guru Arjun took to Amritsar to lay the foundation of the Golden Temple.

In the NWFP, the cultural tradition was mystical and nationalist. Rehman Baba and Khushal Khan Khattak wrote and sang during the Mughal period. Khushal Khan was a soldier-poet in the tradition of the Pakhtun King Ahmed Shah Abdali and fought the armies of Mughal King Akbar. So deep is the Pakhtun devotion to Rehman Baba and his Islamic sufi message that the Pakhtuns often say that had there been no revealed text, they would have elevated his poetry to the divinity of the Holy Quran. He represents the pride of the tribal code in the NWFP. In Punjab and Sindh, two poets have arisen like Khushal Khan to represent a sub-national identity: Ghulam Farid of Punjabi-Seraiki and Shah Abdul Latif of Sindhi. Sometimes they lend themselves to feelings of revolt against the federal establishment. The Baloch tradition springs from the provinceâs pastoral tradition and is still in the phase of ballad-singing, serving as the vehicle of Baloch cultural expression.

Ideology versus culture: General Zia after 1980 started a debate about the tashakhus (identity) of Pakistan in which only the orthodox clergy could participate because of its expertise in the knowledge of the Holy Quran and the fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence). Pakistani cinema, an offshoot of the Bombay film industry, was put under strict moral censor. State-run television became dominated by orthodox preaching which reinterpreted culture as an Indian accretion. The abolition of uriani (obscenity) became politicised; even the secular parties attacked the television station, protesting obscenity to put the government on the defensive. Films on the foreign TV channels were heavily censored; even animal-life movies on the Discovery Channel were censored for ânudityâ. The âculturalâ response of the urban population came in the shape of the satellite âdishâ on which most Pakistani middle class watched Indian channels considered hostile by state authorities.

The wars in Afghanistan and Kashmir have affected cultural attitudes in Pakistan within a very narrow time-frame. The religious seminaries General Zia had funded with the money he received from Saudi Arabia have spread a more puritanical Islam among a people who have always considered religion a significant part of their culture. The more libertarian version of Islam, called âBarelviâ, is on the retreat, while the more stringent version called âDeobandiâ is on the rise together with the âWahhabiâ version imported from Saudi Arabia. Authoritarian Iran inaugurated its own era of puritanism and prepared the hapless Shias of Pakistan for confrontation with the Deobandi and Ahle Hadith seminaries.

Culture is on the retreat. More and more people who throng the mosques have started calling in question the heritage their ancestors accepted as culture. Religious literalism has invaded the judiciary, and most civil servants who embrace the faith find themselves threatened by the sectarian divide. Tourism in Pakistan has declined as much on account of terrorism and kidnapping as the changing attitude of the common man towards culture. The arbiter of culture therefore is not the Pakistani intellectual but the cleric whose charisma is that of the warrior-priest fighting for Islam. Pakistanâs culture is at risk because the constitution upholds a process of religious âpurificationâ, striking at the root of the traditional ways of entertainment for the masses.Â

06-02-2006, 07:22 PM

QUOTEGovt of Pakistan allows US citizens to be PMs of TSP too, see how 'freer' they are. Even their nuke installations are under US security. Truly a 'freer' society! 
Some Indians are trying Italian to be India's PM.

Naresh · 06-03-2006, 12:38 AM

QUOTE(Viren @ Jun 2 2006, 06:59 PM)Govt of Pakistan allows US citizens to be PMs of TSP too, see how 'freer' they are. Even their nuke installations are under US security. Truly a 'freer' society!
[right][snapback]52018[/snapback][/right]

Viren Ji :

Muslim Societies in General and those from the Indian Sub-Continent in Particular can never be free â so âfreerâ does not come into the picture â as long as they are being subjugated under the heel of the Bedouin Religion-Culture

BTW : Short Cut As Is has not been made a Prime Minister of TSP. He has been imposed upon TSP as a buffer between Mush the Tush and The Viceroy

Cheers <img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cheers.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='cheers.gif' />

**acharya** · 06-03-2006, 06:36 AM

Saturday, June 03, 2006

Mysticâs truth?: Military dictator fulfilled a saintâs prediction

By Shahzad Raza

ISLAMABAD: Followers of Bari Imam believe that the saint had predicted in the 17th century that a city would be established around his tomb that would serve the cause of Islam. And it was in 1961, that a military dictator decided to shift the federal capital from Karachi, the largest city of Pakistan, to an arid hilly area, which was given the name Islamabad.

Half of the saintâs prediction has come true that of a city standing around his tomb. However, the remaining part of the prediction about the city serving the cause of Islam remains to be seen.

The shrine dedicated to the imam has fallen into dereliction and has become a sanctuary for drug addicts and has also faced security risks with a suicide bomber blowing himself up last year, killing 20 pilgrims at the shrine and injuring others.

The saint was much revered during his lifetime and still has thousands of devotees that visit his shrine each year on his urs (death anniversary). Some people say that the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb Alamgir himself came to pay respects to the saint. Noorpur Shahan has become famous for the mirror-studded shrine of the saint. There is a cave in the Margalla Hills on the back of the shrine where Bari Imam is believed to have meditated.

The shrine is located behind Prime Ministerâs House and the Presidency, which is obviously a sensitive part of the city and open to threats. A senior police official said that more than 60,000 people live in the area surrounding the shrine, but it still gives a deserted look especially after dark.

After the suicide attack last year, floodlights were installed in an outside the tomb with plain-clothes policemen patrolling the area to keep a check on all âsuspiciousâ activity.

Drugs addicts have become a common feature of the shrine, although drug trafficking and consuming had never been part of the teachings of the saint. Hashish is widely sold at the urs. The Bari Imam shrine offers a safe-heaven to addicts. There are allegations from visitors to the shrine that the administration of the shrine gives cover to the criminals.

**acharya** · 06-03-2006, 06:38 AM

Saturday, June 03, 2006
When Push(tun) comes to shove, they rally

By Aziz Sanghur

KARACHI: As planned, the Pukhtoon Action Committee (Loya Jirga) held a rally Friday by calling out hundreds of rickshaws, trucks, buses and minibuses to parade from Lasbella Chowk to the Karachi Press Club, virtually bringing life at the center of the city to a standstill from 4:00 p.m. till dusk.

The rally stretched nearly 10 kilometres long and ran opposite the flow of traffic. Traffic was blocked for hours at all the main points to Saddar - Lucky Star, Metropole hotel, Zainab market, all of I. I. Chundrigar Road.

The rally was called for three main reasons all related to the grievances of the Pashto-speaking people of Karachi; they are being evicted from settlements where they have been living since Partition, Pashto-speaking students without Karachi-based matriculation certificates are denied admission to government institutions and Pashto-speaking transporters who control a vast majority of the public transport system are being harassed by the traffic police.

The rally started from Lasbela Chowk at 4:00 pm and reached the Karachi press club at 5:30 p.m. The people who took part in the rally festooned their vehicles with red flags and others hoisted high banners with slogans. 'Stop demolition of katchi abadis', 'We want protection from the authorities' and 'Halt army action in Wana and Balochistan'.

The flags of several political and nationalist parties were waving: Pakistan Peoples Party, Pakistan Muslim League, Awami National Party, Pakhtoon Khawa Mili Awami Party, Tehreek-e-Insaf and the Pakhtoon Students Federation. Portraits of Wali Khan, Bacha Khan, Benazir Bhutto and Mehmood Achakzai were also seen dotting the parade.

Pakhtoon Loya Jirga president Syed Shahi led the rally which was so large that there wasn't space to breathe outside the Karachi Press Club. Thousands of participants had to remain content with staying on Zaibunnissa Street outside the Pakistan Coast Guard's Mess, in front of the YMCA ground.

Speakers said that the Pathan was the founder of the city which had been built with his hands. But now they were living like third-class citizens. Pakhtoon populated areas were being razed by the city district government without any reason or prior notice, the speakers said.

More than 3.5 million Pashto-speaking people are being threatened by the Sindh and city district governments. "It is a peaceful rally and the government should learn a lesson from it. Out next step would be to surround Governor House and Chief Minister House, if the government does not address our problems," said Syed Shahi.

The government should regularize all informal settlements where thousands of the Pashto-speaking people have been living since the inception of the country, he added. "Four generations of Pathans live in the city. We are not new; we are not strangers. We built this city."

He said that the authorities had demolished a large number of localities, including Jumma Goth, Sikandar Goth, Mansehra Colony, Bilal Colony, Allahwallah Colony, Gulshan-e-Bunnair, Abdul Rehman Goth, Ramzan Goth.

"Pakhtoon students are facing a lot of problems. They are not allowed to enroll in government educational institutions because they did not possess Karachi-based matriculation certificates," said Amin Khattak, a leader of the Loya Jirga. Most the Pashto-speaking students come from the NWFP and Balochistan after passing their matric examinations, but the present government issued an order that Pakhtoon students should not be enrolled in the city's colleges and universities.

**acharya** · 06-03-2006, 06:40 AM

Saturday, June 03, 2006

âIslami Jamiat Talaba campaignâ: âStop music, stop drama and danceâ

* PU âstudentsâ circulate handbill against Punjab governor
* Music should be taught as a subject: education minister
* MTM referendum against music today

By Ali Waqar

LAHORE: A handbill widely distributed by the Islami Jamiat Talaba (IJT) in the Punjab University denounced Punjab Governor Lt Gen Â® Khalid Maqbool and Punjab governmentâs policy to start music and drama courses at higher education institutions.

The handbill, distributed after Friday prayers at the main PU mosque and allegedly representing PU students, effused determination to resist secularism and enlightened moderation in educational institutions and called for promoting Islamic ideology on campus. Handwritten posters also sprung up at different spots in the Punjab University saying, âStop music, Stop drama in the university.â

The IJT and the Muttahida Talaba Mahaz (MTM), an alliance of eight student organisations, have announced a campaign against music and against the governor from today (Saturday), and a referendum on all campuses on the subjects. On the other hand, Punjab Education Minister Mian Imran Masood said about the referendum that the governmentâs policies could not be stopped. He added that music and drama should be taught, and they were the essence of society.

Trying to demonstrate how ludicrous the protest was, he referred to police and army bands playing music everywhere, mostly so at weddings. He said there was no point interfering with the government and if some religious partiesâ youth wings had reservations, they should ask their political wings to raise the issues in parliament. He added that there could be a referendum, but only with permission from the educational institutions. The pamphlet in Urdu, in bold font, asks questions of the governor and begins with Iqbalâs verse praying God to give direction to the misled.

The Urdu handbill reads [translation]: Pakistan was achieved in the name of Islam after thousands of sacrifices to make a society living according to Islam. Educational institutions are the base of that ideology and their youth is a guarantee for practicing those Islamic ideological teachings. But the current [government] authorities had reversed this objective and started to focus on âso called enlightened moderation.â They are misleading youth.

The handbill reads that PU students were justified in asking the governor/chancellor: âIs Islam not the ideology of this state? Can music defend the ideological boundaries of Pakistan? Is stage drama a guarantee of the ideology of Pakistan? Which secular objectives were being achieved with such policies?â It read that âso called enlightened moderationâ was making society rudderless and personal motives were being gained from educational institutions.

The handbill added that PU students were determined to defend the ideological boundaries of the state at all cost. They would oppose secular agenda and âobscenityâ in the name of music and drama would be resisted. Moreover, some students that at the last Friday prayers (May end) the Khateeb of the PU main mosque shocked the PU teachers and deans when he asked how they tolerated the statement by the governor at a post-book fair dinner encouraging music classes in the Punjab University. âIt is teachersâ responsibility to prepare youth to defend Islam and Pakistani ideology,â they quoted the Khateeb as having said.

The MTM has condemned the governmentâs âliberalâ ideology by saying that eliminating Islamic studies from early classes was a step aiming to satisfy âforeign mastersâ. Comments from Pakistani doctors, teachers and political and religious leaders will be taken in the referendum and results will be announced the next day. MTM alleges that the governor has abolished productive activities, so musical functions were being held at PU instead of Quran recitation and book fairs.

Naresh · 06-04-2006, 02:27 AM

[center]Tauba Tauba â Underwear Friend makes Muslims of the land of the Pure war Non-Hallal Pig Leather Shoes![/center]

Chinese shoes losing charm

People search for durability which Pakistani footwear provides

KARACHI: Chinese shoes have lost popularity among masses, particularly in rich and upper middle class, as they now prefer locally-made leather shoes due to good quality and durability.

Some years ago, Chinese shoes made inroads into the local market in a big way, attracting consumers especially poor and lower middle class, who bought these shoes due to their fascinating look and cheap prices.

These cheap Chinese shoes became a real threat to the domestic industry, hitting local shoe manufacturers hard.

According to a rough estimate, around 30 to 40 per cent local shoe manufacturers have wrapped up their business owing to uncontrolled influx of cheap Chinese shoes into the market.

âThousands of small and medium sized shoe manufacturers closed down their business, but ladiesâ shoe manufacturers are doing very well,â Muhammad Anwar, Director English Boot House told The News.

Two years ago, different varieties of Chinese shoes could be seen everywhere in the metropolis from famous Lunda Bazaar of Light House to shops located in posh shopping areas including Defence, Clifton, Tariq Road, Muhammad Ali Society and Hyderi Market.

Initially, Afghan traders in Pakistan imported Chinese shoes, but later commercial importers also found it a lucrative business and imported huge quantities including slippers, joggers, office shoes, casual cloth shoes, children shoes and ladies shoes and sandals.

The cheap and fascinating Chinese shoes lured customers, particularly poor and lower middle class, who bought these from different outlets and open stalls erected at different places.

In a very short span, local shoes vanished from shops and even some reputed names like Service, English Boot House and Bata Shoes displayed Chinese products in their showcases in order to compete with others.

Two years ago, these shops were displaying 50 per cent Chinese shoes, but now they are selling around 20 per cent Chinese shoes as demand weakened, a random market survey showed.

âThe year 2004 was a peak period for Chinese shoes when reputed companies displayed Chinese shoes at their shops to compete in the market. But now shoppers are reluctant to purchase these low-quality shoes,â M Anwar told The News.

He said finishing of Chinese shoes was very good but they had pig and Rexene lining, adding consumer complaints about fungus effect due to Chinese shoes were very high.

He said they gave one-year warranty to customers in case of Pakistani shoes, but could not offer warranty on Chinese shoes. Unauthentic people, mainly Pathans and commercial importers, were importing Chinese shoes, who were reluctant to import quality products because their cost was higher than locally-made shoes.

He said domestic shoe manufacturers, who had earlier closed their factories, âare now gradually re-opening them.â

However, the low-income group of society, who find it difficult to buy a pair of shoes for Rs1,200, can purchase three pairs of shoes at the same cost. This group still prefers to buy Chinese shoes regardless of their quality and durability.

However, local ladiesâ shoe manufacturers are completely intact as imports could not hit this section because of difference between the taste of Pakistani and Chinese women. Ninety-nine per cent ladiesâ shoes are manufactured in Pakistan.

Similarly, traditional men and women shoes including ladies fashion footwear, Khussa slippers (beaded and embroidered), flat Khussa (beaded), Khussa shoes and bridal shoes kept their market share.

A manager at a Service shop at Zaibunnisa Street said Service was doing a good business compared to pervious years and ânow profits have risen manifold.â However, he said small Service shops located in poor localities had been affected by the import of cheap Chinese shoes.

Market sources say many big shoe manufacturers including Bata had relocated their factories in China and were selling Chinese products by just stitching their tag on shoes.

However, Bata sources dispelled the impression, saying two factories of Bata company were working full-fledged at Batapur Lahore.

Sources said in the year ended December 31, 2005, Bata - a subsidiary of Canadian multinational firm - registered record net sales, gross and operating profit and paid 40 per cent cash dividend, the second highest in the last six years.

Bata sources said value added footwear output had increased substantially, but plastic footwear production stood low.

Zaki, a shopkeeper at Jama Cloth Market, said Chinese shoes could not compete with locally produced leather shoes because Pakistani products did not affect human health, while consumer complaints about Chinese shoes generating extra heat were high.

He said âChinese shoes are hazardous to health, particularly they are very dangerous for eyesight compared to domestic shoes in which Halal leather is used which doctors say is health-friendly.â

In the beginning, he said, he also followed market trend and put on sale Chinese shoes, but removed all such items after receiving complaints from customers.

He said âChinese manufacturers use machine technology in making shoes whereas local manufacturers stitch shoes by hand,â adding a shoemaker could hardly stitch 8 to 10 pairs of shoes a day.

A cobbler Shahbaz Ahmed Pathan belonging to NWFP said his shoe mending work had been affected badly during the last three years as people preferred to buy new Chinese shoes instead of repairing old one.

However, he said his work mainly consisted of polishing and small stitching while earlier he used to change soles of 10 to 12 old shoe pairs every day.

Cheers <img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cheers.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='cheers.gif' />

Naresh · 06-04-2006, 05:05 AM

Petition seeks probe into railway scam

ISLAMABAD: A petitioner on Saturday sought Supreme Court (SC) directions for the NAB to begin fresh investigations against three former railway officials â all of them retired army officials - who allegedly lost the national exchequer Rs 5 billion in a dodgy deal to purchase locomotives from China.

Petitioner Muhammad Siddiqal Farooq, PML-N central leader, accused the officials of receiving kickbacks and commissions on a deal to purchase Chinese locomotives. He sought court directions for NAB to submit previous inquiry reports against former railway minister Lt Gen Â® Javed Ashraf Qazi, former chairman Lt Gen Â® Saeeduz Zafar and former general manager Maj Gen Â® Hamid Butt. Farooq said that the verdict of the PAC - that the accused officials made decisions in good faith - should be declared void. He said that Pakistan Railways should be directed to submit the complete record of its deal with Chinese exporters and the deal between the Pakistan Army and the Pakistan Railways Carriage Factor. He asked the court to declare the deal malafide and order recovery of the losses from the accused. shahzad raza

Cheers <img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cheers.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='cheers.gif' />

06-04-2006, 07:33 AM

QUOTEhttp://www.financialexpress.com/latest_ful...ntent_id=129103
Pak to get killer 'US' missiles, IndiaÂ endangered
REUTERS

WASHINGTON, JULY 01:Â The Bush administration said Wednesday it was planning
to letÂ Pakistan buy advanced Boeing Co. Harpoon anti-ship missiles and
relatedÂ equipment valued at up to $370 million in "a significant upgrade" of
the AsianÂ nation's existing weapons systems.Â

Of the total "Block II" Harpoon missiles sought by Pakistan, 50 would be forÂ
launch from submarines, 50 from surface ships and 30 by air, the Pentagon'sÂ
Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a notice to Congress required byÂ
law.Â

The equipment would provide "a significant upgrade to Pakistan's existingÂ
systems and allow for improved target acquisition," said the agency, whichÂ
handles U.S. government-to-government weapons sales.Â

The notice does not mean that a sale has been concluded. In addition,Â
Congress can interfere.Â

"This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and nationalÂ
security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a friendlyÂ
country that continues to be a key ally in the global war on terrorism," theÂ
agency added.Â

Chicago-based Boeing describes the advanced Harpoon as capable of knockingÂ
out coastal defenses, surface-to-air missile sites and exposed aircraft as well
as ships in port. It uses a satellite-aided inertial navigation system.

The upgraded targeting capability "significantly reduces the risk of hittingÂ
noncombatant targets, thus improving Pakistan's naval operational
flexibility,"Â the agency told Congress.Â

Pakistan, which has fought three wars with neighboring India since partitionÂ
of British India in 1947, plans to use the Harpoon on its Lockheed Martin
Corp.Â P-3 maritime surveillance aircraft, surface ships and submarines, the
agencyÂ said.Â
The Bush administration last June signed a 10-year defense pact with IndiaÂ
outlining expanded two-way defense trade, missile-defense cooperation plans and
increased opportunities for technology transfers and weapons co-production.Â

Last year, Pentagon officials gave India aÂ classified briefing on Patriot
Advanced Capability (PAC-3) short-range missileÂ defense systems built by
Bethesda, Maryland-based Lockheed and Raytheon Co. ofÂ Waltham, Massachusetts.

**acharya** · 06-04-2006, 11:37 AM

Sunday, June 04, 2006

VIEW: Economic growth under military rule âAhmad Faruqui

Even though Pakistanâs economy has grown faster during periods of military rule, it is unlikely that this would have taken place without large infusions of foreign aid. Such aid has strengthened the militaryâs determination to hold on to power. Military rule has invariably heightened inter-provincial tensions and threatened the polity. This has led to lower economic growth rates during succeeding civilian administrations

Itâs budget season in Islamabad and the clear message in the governmentâs pre-budget presentations is that it has delivered on its economic agenda. The hidden message is that military rule is best for the country. Does this jibe with historical record?

During its first half century, Pakistanâs economy grew at an average rate of 5.5 percent, as measured by the year-to-year growth rate in Gross Domestic Product (GDP). But there was much year-to-year volatility in growth, caused by bad weather, pest infestations, external economic shocks and mismanagement. This volatility (measured by the standard deviation of annual growth rates) was almost half the size of the average growth rate: 2.1 percent. Per capita GDP growth averaged 2.4 percent, and its volatility was almost of equal size at 2.2 percent.

The economyâs performance varied quite a bit by decade:

The (civilian) fifties. The growth pattern was poor and volatile. Within a few months of independence, the first war (with India over Kashmir) erupted. The political situation was unsettled for much of the decade due to domestic squabbling among politicians. On average, GDP grew at three percent a year, barely higher than the rate of population growth. Per capita GDP registered a miniscule rate of growth of about half a percent a year.

The (militarised) sixties. Growth rates picked up enormously, attaining the highest levels that the country has yet seen. GDP grew at 6.8 percent a year and per capita GDP grew at 3.8 percent a year. Unfortunately, income inequalities grew as well and this, coupled with the let down in expectations that followed the inconclusive war with India over Kashmir in 1965, led to massive social unrest that unseated the military government of Field Marshal Ayub Khan.

The (hybrid) seventies. Growth dipped in response to the protracted civil war in East Pakistan, the subsequent war with India and the secession of the eastern province, the first and second oil price shocks, and the statist economic policies of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. GDP growth averaged 5.2 percent and per capita GDP growth averaged 2.1 percent.

The (militarised) eighties. Economic liberalisation policies of Zia ul Haqâs military regime stimulated economic growth. The economy grew at 6.5 percent with per capita GDP growing at 3.2 percent. Large amounts of US foreign aid flowed into Pakistan to help the army mount a counterinsurgency against the Soviets in Afghanistan. Substantial remittances from Pakistanis working in the Middle East provided another boost. Poverty levels declined. However, due attention was not paid to managing the macro-economy and the budget deficit averaged 7.1 percent of GDP.

The (civilian) nineties. There was a significant deterioration in the economic performance due to the fallout of the Soviet-Afghan war and decline in remittances from the Middle East. GDP growth fell to 4.1 percent and per capita GDP growth to 1.1 percent. The sharp slowdown in economic growth was accompanied by mounting financial difficulties, increasing social tensions, and growing governance problems. Economist Parvez Hasan commented, âThe pattern of Pakistanâs development with its heavy reliance on foreign savings, with its neglect of domestic savings, exports and investments in human capital, and continued high protection to industry was essentially unsustainable.â

Prima facie, growth was higher in the militarised decades. In October 1999, the military took over for a fourth time. In the first year (1999/00), GDP growth was 3.9 percent. During the second year, it dropped to 1.8 percent. In the third year, the 9/11 attacks took place but the economy grew at 3.1 percent. After an initial slump, there was a resurgence of economic growth thanks to a massive US aid programme, which provided $91 million in the first year and $706 million in 2005.

The US forgave all bilateral debts to Pakistan, helped reschedule debts involving multinational lenders, provided billions in economic and military assistance, and encouraged international banks to provide even larger amounts of aid. As a result, Pakistanâs foreign debt declined from $47.8 billion to $30.3 billion (todayâs estimate). Foreign exchange reserves, boosted largely by the transfer of large sums of money from expatriate Pakistanis, rose to $12 billion.

In the fourth year (2002/03), the economy grew by 5.1 percent, in the fifth year by 6.4 percent and in the sixth year by 8.4 percent. In the current fiscal year, growth is projected to dip to 6.4 percent. Overall economic growth has averaged 5.9 percent per year (volatility of 2.4 percent) in the seven years of the Musharraf interregnum.

This performance, while in line with that of prior military regimes, is overshadowed by other factors. Much of the success is coming from foreign aid, one-time remittances from expatriates and cash raised by the ill-conceived and rushed privatisation programme that has the potential of turning Pakistan into Arabistan. The economy is over-heating, with inflation in the near double-digit range, and both the fiscal and current account deficits exceeding four percent of GDP.

Even if one accepts the governmentâs estimate of a 25 percent poverty rate, that leaves 40 million in Pakistan below the poverty line. In addition, while a small portion of the population has become quite wealthy, as evidenced by the opening of a Porsche dealership in Lahore, rising prices and taxes are squeezing the salaried class. On the social front, half the population is illiterate and women continue to face threats, not only to their civil liberties but also to their lives.

While several speakers at the recent Pakistan Development Forum praised the governmentâs reforms, a few noted that Pakistan had a history of boom-bust cycles. These pose a risk to the economic outlook and undercut Shaukat Azizâs prognostications of an eight percent growth rate over the next five years, much higher than the 6.1 percent rate being forecast by the Economist Intelligence Unit for next year.

Forecasts of economic growth in the eight percent range are un-sustainable, given Pakistanâs low rates of savings and investment, its dependence on drought-and-pest sensitive agriculture and its exposure to high oil prices.

Even though Pakistanâs economy has grown faster during periods of military rule, it is unlikely that this would have taken place without large infusions of foreign aid. Such aid has strengthened the militaryâs determination to hold on to power. Military rule has invariably heightened inter-provincial tensions and threatened the polity. This has led to lower economic growth rates during succeeding civilian administrations, which are therefore blamed on the politicians, but whose roots can be traced back to the generals.

If the military wants to find a justification for its intervention in politics, it should look beyond the sphere of economics.

Dr Ahmad Faruqui is director of research at the American Institute of International Studies and can be reached at Faruqui@pacbell.net

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