Pakistan News And Discussion-12

[Guest]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Nuggets from the Urdu press </b>
TFT 
   
<b>Suspicious disease in Taxila</b>
As reported in daily Khabrain, a 10th grade student in Taxila is suffering from a strange disease, and all the doctors, hakims and amils have declared her incurable. For the last two years, whenever the girl prays blood marks appear on her whole body, and she then faints due to the pain. The girl’s grandfather appealed to all the doctors and hakims to cure her so that she could pray before God.

<b>Lal Masjid victim of war between two agencies</b>
As reported in daily Jang, Mufti Muneeb ur Rehman of Wafaqul Madaris said that the tragedy of Lal Masjid happened because of a war between two rival secret agencies. One agency said that nothing would happen to Ghazi Abdul Rashid, while the other agency, which was close to President Musharraf, won the war. He said the myth of not attacking a madrassah was broken.

<b>President on a dangerous path</b>
As reported in daily Jang, the head of Jamia Banoria, Mufti Mohammad Naeem, has shown apprehension at his feeling that Pervez Musharraf has chosen a dangerous path, which could lead to a civil war in Pakistan. He said that the recent spate of suicide bombings is, to a large extent, limited to Pakhtun areas, where sympathy for the Taliban, traditional religious sentiments and tribal customs have deep roots.

<b>Ulema promoting themselves using Lal Masjid</b>
In daily Jang, chairman of Pakistan Ulema Council and ex advisor to the Punjab government, Hafiz Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi, said that Jamia Fareedia and Jamia Hafsa should not be handed over to Wafaqul Madaris. He said that the MMA and Wafaqul Madaris tried to further their political agenda and to promote themselves. He said that if they had played their role we could have avoided the tragedy of Lal Masjid.

<b>Pakistan zindabad!</b>
Lyrical columnist Irfan siddique wrote in daily Nawa-e-Waqt, that the judiciary has broken the cage of ‘Guantanamo,’ and has thrown away its orange uniform. With this verdict, the judiciary has accepted a grand responsibility. Today, the whole nation is with them. With such a large army, they should advance with style to remove the disease of dictatorship from the face of the country.

<b>Al Qaeda supports Lal Masjid</b>
As reported in daily Nawa-e-Waqt, a senior leader of Al Qaeda in Afghanistan, Abu Yahya Alibi, said (in an internet video) that Lal Masjid students were supporters of the Taliban, and their sacrifice has added a chapter to the history of martyrs. He appealed to Pakistanis to remove Pervez Musharraf and his government in Pakistan.

<b>New name game for NWFP</b>
As reported in daily Nawa-e-Waqt, the provincial government of NWFP has decided to change the name of the province to ‘Afghania,’ and has sent a summary document to the Federal Government. The NWFP Law Minister discussed the issue with political parties. They chose Afghania from five different names: Pakhtunkhwa, Pakhtunistan, Khyber, Sarhad, and Afghania.

<b>Madrassah is not a political institution </b>
In daily Jang, columnist Khurshid Nadeem wrote that he couldn’t understand the stance of religious leaders and madrassah organisers when it came to the Lal Masjid issue. They say that Lal Masjid’s demands were correct, but that its methods were wrong. How can a person’s (or group’s) demands be correct when they cross all limits? The purpose of a madrassah is to spread religious teachings and to defend traditions. The establishment of an Islamic political system is not he mandate of a madrassah. If any one wants to struggle for an Islamic political system, he should leave the madrassah and join a political party.

<b>Ghazis, shaheeds, orphans and family planning</b>
Columnist Saad ullah Jan Barq wrote that the recent interest developed in Pakistan to be a ghazi or shaheed is not going to stop. Two benefits for Muslims are that they will be ghazis or shaheeds, and the third benefit would be of family planning; suicide bombings would take care of our population problem. The fourth benefit for the Muslims would be that they could run orphanages and then earn sawaab (blessings).

Agencies are involved in suicide bombings
As reported in daily Express, the President of the clerical alliance, Qazi Hussain Ahmad, said that America instigated Pakistan to carry out the Lal Masjid operation. Now every house has become a Lal Masjid or a Jamia Hafsa. He said that the female students of Jamia Hafsa added an illuminating chapter in the history of Islam. He said that agencies are responsible for pre-planned bomb blasts, with a view to keep people away from large political gatherings.

<b>Ultrasound report creates unrest at hospital</b>
As reported in daily Khabrain, the Pathan relatives of a woman gathered to protest at the Services Hospital. They refused to accept that her baby was a girl. They said that administration staff at the hospital had changed a boy with the girl, as an earlier ultrasound report showed that the woman was pregnant with a boy. Doctors convinced the Pathans, after two days of negotiations, that the ultrasound report could be wrong and that the girl resembles her parents.  <!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->

<b>Why did the Americans release Abdullah Mehsud?</b>
In daily Express, columnist Dr Matloob Hussain wrote that Abdullah Mehsud lost one leg in 1996 because of a landmine explosion. He was first arrested in Kundooz by the forces of Abdul Rashid Dostum. He was then shifted to Guantanamo Bay prison, and the Americans released him because they considered him harmless as a one-legged man. He kept his Pakistani identity secret, and the Americans believed him to be an innocent Afghan tribesman.

<b>Al Qaeda divided over attacking Musharraf</b>
As reported in daily Khabrain, the inner circles of Al Qaeda were divided when Amin al Zawahire didn’t consult Osama bin Laden over the plan to remove President Musharraf after the attack on Lal Masjid. Some leaders think that Amin al Zawahiri is trying to succeed Osama bin Laden<b>. Some senior Al Qaeda leaders are of the view that attacking Musharraf could annoy the army and that Al Qaeda could lose their safe havens on the borders of Pakistan as a result.</b><!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Guest]

Today on US media Bhutto came openly against Mushy and even linked him with world wide terrorism. It means no deal.

[Guest]

<b>Bush Says U.S. Expects `Swift Action' by Pakistan </b>
Bush and Bhutto both are hitting Mushy left and right.

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Condi's phone call behind reversal </b>
DILSHAD AZEEM
ISLAMABAD - President General Pervez Musharraf withdrew the decision of imposing emergency following late night telephone call by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, The Nation has learnt here.
“The decision is reversed after Condoleezza Rice strongly opposed the option of proclamation of emergency and conveyed to Musharraf strong reservations of the United States of America particularly those of Democrats-dominated US Congress,” diplomatic sources said.
Condoleezza Rice discussed with General Pervez mainly two issues; his plan to impose emergency in the country on various grounds, and his non-participation in the Afghan Jirga, being held in Afghanistan.
“She told Musharraf in categoric terms that there will be tough response on the part of US administration and democratic institutions if he goes for the proclamation of emergency,” said the sources privy to the late night telephonic conversation between the two after electronic media aired emergency related reports.
According to sources, the President had signed the proclamation of emergency papers just before he received the call from Condoleezza Rice. “Besides the question of emergency, Musharraf and Rice discussed in detail as to why the former did not proceed to Afghanistan to take part in Afghan Jirga and preferred to send Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.”
link
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[Guest]

<b>14 FC personnel kidnapped</b> <!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->

[Naresh]

[center]<b><span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>Mangla depletion threat upsets Rabi storage</span></b> <!--emo&:flush--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Flush.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='Flush.gif' /><!--endemo-->[/center]

Lahore - The less than expected Jehlum river inflows potentially threaten the storage benchmarks for Mangla Dam for the upcoming Rabi season as well as the remaining part of the Kharif season. Irrigation sources told Nation that on Saturday the water inflow into the dam was so low and the demand for irrigation purposes was pressing that nothing was retained in the dam and all the 20 thousand-cusec was allowed to pass on. The Punjab irrigation sources were further concerned over the fact that the water inflow showed a shortfall of 4110 cusecs as on Friday the inflow was 24110 cusecs while on Saturday it was 20000 cusecs.

The sources said that the normal storage bench mark for the coming season was to save at least 10 thousand cusecs daily so that when the rainy season ceases and the dry months of October till December start there is enough in the reservoir to satisfy the irrigation related needs.

The sources feared that if the water inflow levels continued to fall as was happening due to nil rainfall in the Jehlum and Chenab catchment area, the reservoir might deplete at an alarming rate not leaving much to depend upon in the Rabi season.

The sources pointed out that last year normal rainfall in the catchment area caused the Jehlum river inflow to the tune of 51000 cusecs on August 11 2006 while the outflow was 42000 cusecs with 9000 cusecs saved for the reservoir. They also pointed out that last year the dam was almost filled while on Saturday August 11 2007 the situation was such that there was addition to the resources from Friday and it stood at 1199 feet.

The sources also pointed out that in Chenab the situation was not encouraging either. In August 2006 the water level was 95000 cusecs while on Saturday it was 60000 much below the flood danger level. They also pointed out that the respite was in the case of Indus inflows into Tarbela where there were enough opportunities for the filling of the dams. It may be mentioned here that river Kabul contributes to the Indus before it reaches Tarbela.

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

[Naresh]

[center]<b><span style='font-size:21pt;line-height:100%'>Pakistanis Express Ire at Army and Musharraf</span></b> <!--emo&:clapping--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/clap.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='clap.gif' /><!--endemo--> [/center]

[center]<b><span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>CARLOTTA GALL and SOMINI SENGUPTA</span></b>[/center]

<b>ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Aug. 8 — <span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>“Before, our children would salute our soldiers when they passed.</span> <span style='font-size:21pt;line-height:100%'>Now they spit on them.”</span></b> <!--emo&:thumbsup--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/thumbup.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='thumbup.gif' /><!--endemo-->

That is how Zahoor Ahmed described the feelings of his hillside village, Kohu, a three-hour drive from the capital, Islamabad. It is a sentiment expressed openly in Pakistan these days, rare for a country where the military has long dominated everything, including the fear of speaking out. Mr. Ahmed’s immediate anger was set off by the government’s decision to storm the Red Mosque, an armed, pro-
<b>Taliban</b> bastion in the heart of the capital, where several girls from his village attended a religious school.

But nearly eight years into Gen. <b>Pervez Musharraf’s</b> rule as president of Pakistan, the Red Mosque siege is hardly the only cause for grievance. Conversations with ordinary Pakistanis reveal uncommonly outspoken anger and antipathy toward General Musharraf specifically and the military’s involvement in politics generally. Analysts and opinion polls support the impression.

“The consensus that is emerging in Pakistan is that the military has no role in politics,” said Rasul Baksh Rais, a professor of political science at Lahore University of Management Sciences. “The military has lost its supporters in the media, in intelligentsia and also among politicians. As an institution it’s really isolated. Its capability to dominate and control Pakistan is not possible anymore.”

The broad dissatisfaction is rooted in many things, including a sense of everyday insecurity and rising prices, dislike of General Musharraf’s alliance with the Bush administration and anger that the military has reaped rewards for itself but not fulfilled its promises to the people.

During General Musharraf’s tenure, two of Pakistan’s four provinces have turned to armed revolt against the military — Baluchistan where tribe members are demanding more autonomy, and the tribal areas, where <b>Al Qaeda</b> and its Taliban allies have established a stronghold.

But the discontent also reaches into the corridors of government. Civil servants, university administrators and professors complain that civilians have been passed over for top jobs taken by military personnel.

A public opinion poll, part of which was released last week by the International Republican Institute, an American organization financed partly by the government and containing several prominent <b>Republicans</b> on its board, found that General Musharraf’s approval ratings had plummeted to 34 percent from 60 percent in June 2006. Nearly two out of three Pakistanis polled said they believed he should not run for re-election.

The poll was based on interviews with 4,000 adults in rural and urban Pakistan between mid-June and early July, before the Red Mosque assault; it carried a margin of error of plus or minus 1.58 percentage points.

On whether the government had done a good job “on issues important to you,” 58 percent gave the government poor or very poor marks; 56 percent said they felt less safe than a year ago.

More detailed questions on the military, the results of which were to be released Thursday, showed that it remained one of the most highly regarded institutions in Pakistan, with a steady 80 percent approval rating.

But the poll also found that a growing number of people disapproved of the military’s intrusion into civilian government. Sixty-two percent of respondents said General Musharraf should resign as army chief if he were to remain as president.

The president’s spokesman, Gen. Rashid Qureishi, declined to comment on the poll results until he had seen them. But he said that General Musharraf declared in Karachi this week that he would run for re-election by the national and provincial assemblies between Sept. 15 and Oct. 15. “Knowing him and gauging the public mood, we are very confident that he will win,” said General Qureishi, who has retired from the military.

Asked if the military’s image had been damaged by its operations at the Red Mosque and in the tribal areas, where the government deployed additional Pakistani troops last month, the army spokesman, Maj. Gen. Waheed Arshad, maintained that they were carried out on the orders of the government and enjoyed broad public support.

“It is up to the public from what perspective they look at it,” he said. Referring to the Red Mosque siege, he added, “It has had a positive effect because the operation was carried out against people who were using a place of worship for their own interests.”

When he took power in a coup in 1999, General Musharraf was welcomed by Pakistanis disillusioned with years of unstable civilian governments dogged by corruption. He was at first credited with reining in some of the worst excesses of avaricious politicians and with overseeing a growing economy and a more open Pakistani society.

But since General Musharraf’s pledge to cooperate with the United States-led battle against terrorism after Sept. 11, 2001, it is the military that has been by far the biggest beneficiary of about $10 billion in official American aid for Pakistan.

While the economy has expanded, so has the reach of the military’s many enterprises, which extend into virtually every corner of the economy, including bottled water plants, cement factories and lucrative real estate developments.

“Pakistan’s military today runs a huge commercial enterprise,” says Ayesha Siddiqa, author of a recent book, “Military Inc.: Inside Pakistan’s Military Economy,” in which she estimates that the military’s internal economy is worth billions of dollars.

The military’s dominance of the political, economic and social life of Pakistan has matured to such an extent under General Musharraf, Ms. Siddiqa contends, that the military has ensured a long-term, if not permanent, role for itself in politics. “Even members of the opposition and civil society have openly or discreetly admitted that the organization cannot be got rid of,” she said.

That higher visibility also means that the military is blamed for many problems. Complaints about government corruption are still common. So is grumbling about the military government’s inability to control inflation or to maintain law and order.

Uncertainty pervaded even Rawalpindi, the neighboring garrison town.

Muhammad Rasheed, 80, a roadside barber complained about the rising prices of flour and oil, saying he could not afford even to replace the broken mirrors on his wall. Then he complained about insecurity.

“There is no law here,” he said. “The government has no control. Musharraf can’t even shake hands with ordinary people. He is so scared of his life.”

Aqeel Anjum, 19, a laborer nearby, said the army had failed to “feed the stomachs of the poor” and accused it of pocketing money meant for development.

The general’s own political missteps have not helped, including his attempt in March to oust Pakistan’s chief justice, <b>Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry</b>, a move overturned by the Supreme Court. In the International Republican Institute poll, 72 percent opposed the president’s decision.

As General Musharraf’s standing has eroded, speculation has grown about a possible power-sharing deal with his political nemesis, the opposition leader <b>Benazir Bhutto</b>, who lives in self-imposed exile in Dubai and London to avoid corruption charges.

This week there was fresh talk that General Musharraf was considering a state of emergency, which his information minister, Tariq Azeem, told The Associated Press, “cannot be ruled out.”

Such a step would give General Musharraf and the military enhanced powers and postpone elections, and only insert the military all the more into the running of government. It would also probably meet strong resistance from the political opposition and could risk even greater instability, already a chronic problem in the country.

A <b>World Bank</b> assessment recently ranked Pakistan in the lowest 10th percentile for political stability and said corruption was as bad as it was in 1998.

That was just a year before General Musharraf seized power from Ms. Bhutto’s successor, <b>Nawaz Sharif,</b> accusing him of gross corruption and mismanagement.

<i>Carlotta Gall reported from Islamabad, and Somini Sengupta from Islamabad and New Delhi. Salman Masood contributed reporting from Islamabad.</i>

Cheers

[Naresh]

[center]<b><span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>Capital suggestion</span></b>[/center]

[center]<b><span style='font-size:21pt;line-height:100%'><i>O' Pakistan</i></span></b> <!--emo&:flush--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Flush.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='Flush.gif' /><!--endemo-->[/center]

[center]<b><span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>Dr Farrukh Saleem</span></b>[/center]

<b><span style='color:red'>Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear Pakistan. Alas, deep inside a sizzling hellhole. All our chestnuts on fire, all these stark contradictions. All these dark closets. All these suicide bombers. Seriously troubled, deeply flawed. Every time I think, I get such a fearful fright.

O' Pakistan, 'Islamic Emergency of Pakistan'.</span></b> We call you 'Islamic' and we call you 'Republic'. O' Pakistan, you are neither divinely guided nor ruled by your people. O' Pakistan, you are neither 'Islamic' nor a 'Republic'. O' Pakistan, you are sixty but what are you? A nomad with neither a name nor an aim. A country without ideology. O' Pakistan who should rule Pakistan. Gun or law, mind or matter, Talibanised shariah or constitution. O' Pakistan we have neither a clue nor a sign.

<b><span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>O' Pakistan, your president wears a uniform.</span></b> Your parliament a mere stamp of rubber. O' Pakistan, leaders leading you nowhere. Your Shujaat wants to kill. Kill anyone who says anything against thy army. O' Pakistan, your Shujaat, judge, jury and executioner all in one. Your Afzal also wants to kill. Kill all blasphemers. A speaker to kill blasphemers with his bare hands. Vow! O' Pakistan, your Afzal, judge, jury and executioner all in one. O' Pakistan, your leaders thirsty. Thirsty for blood. Red blood, human blood.

<b><span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>O' Pakistan, America's favourite whipping boy.</span></b> O' America, we can live neither with you nor without. O' America, you buy all our exports. O' America, no one gives us export surplus but you. O' America, no one sends us tens of billions but you. O' America, you love no one but our generals. Ike loved Ayub, Tricky Dick adored Yahya. And, Bonzo found Zia irresistible.

<b><span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>O' Pakistan, your thirteen thousand madressahs.</span></b> Some teach hate other self-immolation. Your two hundred fifty thousand schools. Some teach literature most preach hate literature. O' Pakistan, your classrooms full of death worshippers. Streets with deadly missiles, Muslims killing Muslims. Every time I think, I get such a fearful fright.

<b><span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>O' Pakistan, my home has fallen on bad days.</span></b> I can't save a thing by telling lies. Truth is bitter, may do some good though. Devoid of logic, my home has fallen on bad days. Devoid of reason, my home has fallen on bad days. Bad days because we didn't listen to Bullhe Shah: "Let the prayers go to dust and fasts to the mud. Bullhe found the Beloved in the heart."

<b><span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>Fallen on bad days, listen to Sultan Bahu :</span></b> "I peeped in to the heart and found Him there. I found him even nearer than the vein. We are in Him and He is in us. So near was He, but Bahu remained ignorant."

<b><span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>Fallen on bad days, don't hide behind veils.</span></b> Open thy minds to Bullhe Shah: "Oh sisters, I removed the veil and danced. Wither I glance I see Him. I say in Thy name, there is no one else." Pakistan at sixty, at war with herself. At war with her past. Pakistan at sixty got no friends. A hundred and ninety-two to choose from. Got no friends. Four neighbours to choose from. Pakistan at sixty, got foes as neighbours, got no friends. Friendless and clueless we sleep alone, I cry alone.

<b><span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>Bad days will be over.</span></b> Over soon, turn around we shall. Blackcoats danced in wajad (ecstasy) and blackcoats danced in qabd (despondency). Blackcoats danced for four long months. O' Pakistan, batons have lost bhangara has won. Pakistan danced in bast (happiness) and Pakistan danced in sahu (awakening).

<b><span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>Bad days will be over. Over soon, turn around we shall. Pakistan at sixty, chief justice has finally gotten justice. Pakistan my home, my home with a heart of gold. Punjab my home, home to Ravi, Chenab, Sutlej, Jhelum and Beus. Sindh my home, home to Sachal Sarmast, Mian Mir, Shah Inayat and Lakhino Latif. Frontier my home, Khushal Khan Khattak's home. Balochistan my home, Iftikhar Chaudhry's home. Every time I dream, I dream a turn around. Happy birthday Pakistan.</span> My Comment : The "Good Doctor" has "Phorgotten" The INDUS

<i>The writer is an Islamabad-based freelance columnist. Email: farrukh15@hotmail.com</i></b>

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

[Shambhu]

<!--QuoteBegin-Naresh+Aug 12 2007, 02:58 PM-->QUOTE(Naresh @ Aug 12 2007, 02:58 PM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->[center]<b><span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>Capital suggestion</span></b>[/center]

[center]<b><span style='font-size:21pt;line-height:100%'><i>O' Pakistan</i></span></b> <!--emo&:flush--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Flush.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='Flush.gif' /><!--endemo-->[/center]

[center]<b><span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>Dr Farrukh Saleem</span></b>[/center]

<b><span style='color:red'>Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear Pakistan. Alas, deep inside a sizzling hellhole. All our chestnuts on fire, all these stark contradictions. All these dark closets. All these suicide bombers. Seriously troubled, deeply flawed. Every time I think, I get such a fearful fright.

O' Pakistan, 'Islamic Emergency of Pakistan'.</span></b> We call you 'Islamic' and we call you 'Republic'. O' Pakistan, you are neither divinely guided nor ruled by your people. O' Pakistan, you are neither 'Islamic' nor a 'Republic'. O' Pakistan, you are sixty but what are you? A nomad with neither a name nor an aim. A country without ideology. O' Pakistan who should rule Pakistan. Gun or law, mind or matter, Talibanised shariah or constitution. O' Pakistan we have neither a clue nor a sign.


<i>The writer is an Islamabad-based freelance columnist. Email: farrukh15@hotmail.com</i>[/b]

Cheers <!--emo&:beer--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cheers.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='cheers.gif' /><!--endemo-->
[right][snapback]72032[/snapback][/right]
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<!--emo&:bevil--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/b_evil.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='b_evil.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--emo&:bevil--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/b_evil.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='b_evil.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--emo&:bevil--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/b_evil.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='b_evil.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Pukes keep thinking there is something "divine" in islam, and keep lamenting that the "divine" guidance is not forthcoming for the terrorsit S*** hole of Pak.

Keep dreaming, pukes (and other islam-pasand lightbulbs)... Cancer patient who keep brushing his teeth in hopes of a cure onlee... <!--emo&:f*(k--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/f*(k.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='f*(k.gif' /><!--endemo-->

[Guest]

Today Paki Ambassador is on every morning show, telling world, Mushy is a brave man fighting Al-Queda. <!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--emo&tupid--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/pakee.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='pakee.gif' /><!--endemo-->

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->“Before, our children would salute our soldiers when they passed. Now they spit on them.”<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Too little too late.

[Naresh]

<b>Mudy Ji :</b>

Despite the bravado of the “Generals, Mullahs and Politicians” the Pakistani Intelligentsia is slowly realizing “The Pakistani Facts of Life” and the following Article is an Eye Opener :

[center]<b><span style='font-size:21pt;line-height:100%'>A day of confessions : Amar Jaleel</span></b>[/center]

Pakistan celebrates its 60th Independence Day two days from today on August 14, 2007. The Independence Day celebrations have become a routine affair. Nothing worthwhile happens to commemorate the day millions of Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs were uprooted, devastated, and massacred six decades ago. On this day was permanently drawn the line of demarcation between the Muslims and the Hindus being two different people, politically and religiously. The bond of nationhood that evolves through living together for centuries in one country was broken. <b>A small segment of the Muslims fled to Pakistan,</b> already a densely Muslim populated one-fifth portion of India that was earmarked as an independent country for the Muslims of the subcontinent. Among them were the genuine casualties of partition of India, and others were the fortune hunters in search of greener pastures. <b>An overwhelming majority of the Muslims, a number exceeding Muslims in Pakistan, either preferred to stay back or were left behind in India by the stalwarts of the All India Muslim League who were eager to hold the reins of the newly-created country.</b>

The Indian Muslims live under the ominous shadow of the Two-Nation Theory inculcating in their minds a strong feeling, if not of racial superiority, at least that of being different people from the rest of the Indians, especially the Hindus -- thus their lot is an isolated existence. The Two-Nation Theory has permanently placed the Indian counterparts of Pakistani Muslims in precarious uncertainty. However, the All India Muslim League succeeded in prevailing upon the British to partition India and carve out a piece from the subcontinent for the Muslims of India. On the part of the British their concurrence to the demand for partition was a political shift for their convenience. Pakistan became a reality between the night of 14 and 15 August, 1947. Since then Pakistan celebrates its Independence Day on 14 August every year. The term independence in its intrinsic meaning hints at another term, dependence. The two terms are interrelated. One depends on the other and vice versa. By merely being dependent doesn’t indicate that you will attain independence someday. It is your innate dislike for dependence and strong desire for being independent that ultimately leads you to independence. <b>Prior to 1947 Pakistan was nonexistent. Since Pakistan was not in existence its dependence on certain elements is nothing more than a hyperbole. It was India that was in shackles. It was in the subjugation of the British. The people of India launched a massive movement for independence. The force behind the persistent movement was the Indian people’s cherished desire for freedom from British yoke. <span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>We are probably better off not discussing here how significant was the role of the Muslims in ousting the British from India. Let us leave it for some other occasion.</span></b>

[center]<b>------------------------------------------------------------------------

<i>Do we, as a nation, deserve to celebrate our Independence Day?</i>

------------------------------------------------------------------------</b>[/center]

As regards Pakistan’s independence, the question arises: independence from whom, the Hindus? Sounds irrational. Prior to 1947 India was not ruled by a Hindu raja. India was a part of the Great Britain. For about 200 years kings and queens of England had remained the rulers of India. At the time of partition in 1947 King George VI was the ruler of India. Thus, on the face of it India achieved independence from the British Raj. <b><span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>Being nonexistent Pakistan was not under domination of an alien rule. A country not in existence couldn’t have launched a movement for independence. In fact, what we celebrate is not an Independence Day. It is Pakistan Day, for on this day Pakistan was created.</span></b>

I am hinting at an irrefutable juncture in history the coming generations are certain to confront someday when the truth would be separated from beliefs and ideologies. <b><span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>What is being taught to our children in the name of history and Pakistan Studies in schools is far from the truth. It is irritating stuff that is altered from time to time according to the whims of the succeeding rulers who outmaneuver each other frequently.</span></b>

August 14 is the day of analytical assessment of the turbulent 60 years in which millions have suffered silently the ignominies of existence -- insults, humiliations, hunger and pain. The people of this Promised Land have continually experienced bad governance for six decades. A nation that sustains itself on grants and aids is looked down upon internationally. It is a day that we came out of self-deception and looked at our crooked image in the universal mirror. What is our worth in the world? In fact, it is a day of confessions. Sixty years is sufficient time for a nation to prove its worth.

<b><span style='color:red'>Mismanaged Pakistan disintegrated after 24 years. East Pakistan battled its way to freedom from West Pakistani civil-military setup of dictators in 1971. It is disgusting to discuss what goes on in the country and around us. The backdoor entrants to power, the generals and the presidents strive to rule the country till doomsday. A former prime minister vying to become prime minister for a third time has joined hands with a dictator in an unholy alliance. Being poor, needy, and weak Pakistan has become a virtual colony of America. The White House decides who would be our next president or PM. Do we deserve to celebrate our Independence Day?</span></b>

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

[Guest]

<b>Seven soldiers, 15 Freedom Fighters killed in North Waziristan clashes </b>

[Guest]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Nuggets from the Urdu press</b>
<b>Maulvi arrested for making explicit movies</b> <!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
As reported in daily Jang, the khatib of a mosque, Maulana Safdar Ali, who also practiced hikmat (traditional medical practice) had illicit relations with village women and installed a hidden video camera in his bedroom to make nude films on CDs. When a young fellow, Nasir, borrowed a CD from the maulvi’s brother and saw the movies, he called the whole village and showed them the films. Safdar Ali shaved his beard and was trying to escape, when the police arrested him and sent him to Sargodha jail.

<b>RAW responsible for suicide attacks</b>
As reported in Daily Pakistan, provincial law minister Malik Zafar Azam said in Karak that the army came to NWFP without the consent of the provincial government. He said that the law and order situation is deteriorating because of the wrong foreign policy of the federal government. He said that RAW is responsible for suicide attacks in the province.

<b>Ekta Kapoor is responsible</b> <!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
In daily Express, columnist Saad ullah Jan Barq wrote that Ekta Kapoor is responsible for the long plays that don’t end especially, Kyun Keh Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. A serial is being aired from Dubai called, Kyun keh jalawatan bhi kabhi wazir e azam tha. From Waziristan a serial is on air, Kyun keh dhahshatgard bhi kabhi mujahid tha. Now Islamabad is playing, Kyun keh jaj bhi kabhi wakeel tha. These serials are being launched by a person called Mahakta kafur (fragrant camphor).

<b>Woman can't be head of a Muslim state</b>
As reported in daily Jang, after the meeting of Pervez Musharraf and Benazir Bhutto, the ulema have again started saying that women are not entitled to be heads of state according to Islam. Secretary General of Wafaqul Madaris, Qari Hanif Jalandhri, said that Islam doesn’t allow a woman to be head of state. The majority of ulema agreed that women can’t be made Qazis or imams of a mosque, so there is no question of a woman head of state according to Islam.

<b>Mosque burnt in England</b>
As reported in daily Express, miscreants burnt a mosque in Bradford, according to a private TV channel. The mosque is situated in an area where the worst of the anti Muslim riots happened five years ago.

<b>Parents responsible for extremism in England</b>
As reported in daily Express, member of the British House of Lords, Lord Nazir Ahmad, said that the rise of extremism in England is due to the lack of education. He said that during the Mughal period Britain was establishing universities while the Mughals were building Shahi mohallas (prostitute bazaars) in the Subcontinent. He said illiterate immigrants came to Britain, while professional immigrants went to America. He said that there are 8,700 Muslims in British jails, which is 11 percent of the total number of prisoners. He said the parents are responsible for the bad character of youth in Britain.

<b>Saudi Arabia was guarantor of Nawaz Sharif </b>
As reported in daily Nawa-e-Waqt, the provincial head of a secret agency said during the dinner by British Member of Parliament Chaudhry Sarwar that if the court allowed Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif to return to Pakistan they would not be returned from the airport but would be allowed to go to Raiwind. He said that Saudi Arabia gave a guarantee to keep the Sharif family out of the country for ten years, and they would ask them to return to Saudi Arabia.

<b>Muslims are following Jewish culture</b>
As reported in Daily Pakistan, the amir of Jamaat ahl Hadees Hafiz Abdul Ghaffar Ropari said that it’s a shame that Muslims have left the teachings of Islam and are following the Jewish culture. The new generation instead of saying “Asalam-e-Alaikum” are using “hello” and “hi.” He said all ulema should unite to fight the rulers who are backing Jews.

<b>American conspiracy to arm Arab states</b> <!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
As reported in Daily Pakistan, Hassan Nasrullah, the head of the armed militia Hezbullah, said that it’s an American conspiracy to supply arms to the Middle East and Arab countries. He said America wants civil war by supplying arms to Arab countries. America has planned to provide arms worth US$ 20 billion to Saudi Arabia and has promised to increase military support to Israel.

<b>Saudis and Kuwaitis donate 24 million </b>
As reported in daily Nawa-e-Waqt, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have donated 24 million pounds for the renovation of the oldest mosque in Liverpool in England. The name of the builder of this mosque was William. He accepted Islam after he travelled to Morocco and Algeria for two years. His Muslim name was Sheikh Abdul Kalyam.

<b>Pakistan on the verge of destruction</b>
As reported in daily Nawa-e-Waqt, quoting from The Guardian, Pakistan is on the verge of destruction and Pervez Musharraf has exhausted all options. Musharraf’s meeting with Benazir Bhutto is the last hope. The newspaper wrote that the Quaid-e-Azam created Pakistan so that Muslims could live in peace, but the country is now on the brink of destruction. Islamabad has no control in the tribal areas, and Al Qaeda leaders are openly threatening to kill Musharraf.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Guest]

FT.com
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Nation, state and religious identity</b>
Najam Sethi's
The “nation-state” evolved over 200 years ago, so Pakistan is relatively immature at 60. It is beset with problems of insecurity, identity and governance. Its insecurity is derived from the bloody pangs of a Caesarian birth and its identity crisis reflects an attempt to cut the umbilical chord with secular South Asia and seek its destiny in the Islamic Middle-East.

Pakistan’s crisis of governance flows from its inheritance – a relatively developed colonial state apparatus representing the army and bureaucracy before the consolidation of a Pakistani nationhood. This led to the creation of a state-nation standing above the people rather than the other way round in the historical formation of nation-states in which the people formed a nation, then hammered out a consensual or constitutional state.

This Pakistani state-nation has sought to legitimize and entrench itself on the basis of religious ideology. It has tried to stamp a singular identity on the people with the objective of swamping their historically created and enduring multiple sub-identities of ethnicity, language, class, region and sect. By contrast, the historical nation-state, as in India, is predicated on the principles of pluralism and secular democracy in which unity is an acknowledgement, rather than a denial, of religious, linguistic, ethnic and class diversity among the people.

A state-nation built on a singular, solitary, centralizing religious identity, which is by definition exclusivist, polarizing and intolerant because it sets up categories of “us” and “them”, is more prone to bouts of internal and external violence than a nation-state based on pluralist multiple-identity secular democracy. In Pakistan, the state-nation/nation-state problem is compounded by one powerful contradiction based on its singular religious identity: Islam is a brotherhood that transcends the nation-state by demanding loyalty to a Khilafat which undermines the notion of loyalty to a national state bounded by geography with limited political sovereignty. Thus Pakistan’s attempt to forge an “Islamic nationalist” identity is a violent contradiction in terms of the state-nation/nation-state paradigm.

In 60 years, this ruling singular ideology has led to the establishment of a political culture of authoritarianism, violent dismemberment, debilitating regional wars, internal insurgencies, sectarian strife and a prohibitive arms race that has effectively blocked the trickle down effects of economic development to the vast majority of Pakistanis. All these elements signify progressive state-nation failure. What is the way forward?

First, we need less state religious ideology, not more, to make our multi-national state more temporal, peaceable and viable. This is not incompatible with increasing personal religiosity. To do this, however, we must rewrite history, revise the core education curricula, educate the media and cleanse the constitution of all manifestations of any singular religious destiny. We must also insist that the army and bureaucracy serve the cause of a civilianised nation rather than lord over it for reasons of misplaced religious (national) security. Therefore we must encourage civil society pluralism and autonomy in opposition to the centralism of the religious state. We must also support the peoples’ movement for greater democracy and liberal constitutionalism and insist on the irrevocable retreat of the military and clerics from the dominating heights of the state. Finally, our state’s relations with our neighbours should be based on peaceful co-existence and trade rather than territorial or religious ambitions. How does this translate practically?

General Pervez Musharraf must be compelled to shed his uniform and take the army back to barracks. Free and fair elections should return political parties to power which are at least united on a one point national agenda: to establish a political order that is democratic, that recognizes the pluralistic nature of our society and revises the Objectives Resolution in the constitution to engage with multiple impulses, including those of the judiciary and civil society groups, and disentangles the state and constitution from any singular religious identity.

The debate in Pakistan should not only be about choosing religious moderation over extremism or about civilian control over the military. It should be, above all, about the nature of the relationship between our pluralistic nation and our singular state. If this state -nation remains mired in singular religious ideology and identity, it can never be peaceable or democratic, regardless of whom among civilians, clerics and military men rule. But if a national consensus between the civilians and the military can be cobbled on this fundamental issue, the other contentious issues can be tackled. Is this possible?

Unfortunately, in the current religious mood of the people – in which anti-Western passions and clash of civilizations figure more prominently than notions of democracy, civil society or even economy – this seems unlikely. Hence a power-sharing deal between General Musharraf and Benazir Bhutto, whatever its transitional legitimacy, will not be able to redesign the state as required. For that to happen, the unequivocal support of Nawaz Sharif in a government of national consensus will be needed. Since that is not on the horizon, Pakistan may be fated to suffer many more trials and tribulations. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Guest]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Pak-Afghan Relations   
Great game 3.0 </b>
Alexis Debat
The scars of the Afghanistan-Pakistan relationship run far deeper than any jirga can reach 

It is hard to condemn President Musharraf for his lukewarm commitment to the Pakistan-Afghanistan “peace jirga”, which he personally concluded this week. In fact, it is difficult to imagine why he endorsed this public relations event in the first place. As all of us know, the road to hell in the Pashtun areas is paved with jirga statements, “peace agreements” and commitments to reconciliation. Those in Kabul or Washington who expected a true peace process to emerge from this half-baked exercise in tribal diplomacy will have a long and rainy way home. The scars of the Afghanistan-Pakistan relationship run far deeper than any jirga can reach; the remedies offered so far speak volumes about the true commitment of Afghanistan’s friends and protectors to its edifice.

It is striking to see how little has changed in the relationship between Afghanistan and its eastern neighbor in the past century. Kipling himself would feel at home in the intricacies and verbal logorrhea of bilateral relations. This is because the stakes have not changed, and they are still of the tallest order. If Kashmir sits at the apex of Pakistan’s existentialism, Afghanistan is the cornerstone of its geopolitical ambitions. To put it bluntly, Pakistan’s capability to control Afghanistan is what gives the former its strategic value. First, as a gateway to the “heartland” (a term coined in 1904 by British geographer Sir Harold Mackinder to label the Eurasian landmass), and second, as a crossroads between the two most crucial regions of the 21st century: Asia and the Middle East. This, in turn, raises Afghanistan’s own stakes in the relationship to a level nothing short of existentialist, as Pakistan has made clear for the past 30 years that it would not allow a viable Afghanistan outside of its orbit. At the same time, Kabul’s centralized and chronically inefficient government continues to invite the sponsorship and various agendas or timetables of many foreign powers.

The strategic “game”, then, is almost the same. And it is nothing but “great”. But the players are new, and Pakistan’s hand in weaker than ever. In one of the most dramatic miscalculations in modern history, Islamabad paid the highest price for its failure to put Osama Bin Laden on a plane to Washington by losing its most valued strategic asset: its unique and historical leverage on Afghanistan. The United States abruptly and blindly replaced the Taliban with an inefficient and barely legitimate government supported by Pakistan’s enemies: the Northern Alliance and India. The latter, which since the mid-90s had been funding the former, moved very quickly to consolidate this strategic advantage and turn Afghanistan into its own protectorate. It sent a military unit, the “Border Roads Organization”, to build infrastructure across the border from Pakistan. It opened more consulates and trade missions in Afghanistan than in the United States (including in such odd locations as Spin Boldak, from where the Indians are rumored to fund and arm Baloch insurgents in Pakistan). The message was clear: by denying Pakistan its strategic depth and its geopolitical ambitions, India is gaining crucial leverage against a potential flare-up on Kashmir; or even, once NATO and the US leave, positioning itself to impose on Pakistan the dreaded “grand bargain”: Afghanistan against Kashmir.

One of President Pervez Musharraf’s main foreign policy goals in the past 6 years has been to try and leverage the Taliban movement to undermine what is essentially an adversary government in Kabul. So when US officials kindly ask the Pakistani government to step up its efforts against Taliban sanctuaries in the tribal areas, it simply asks Pakistan to send its army to war against its own people to salvage a regime supported by its enemies. Everything you need to know about the state of US foreign policy lies in this fundamental, inexplicable denial that in South Asia, as in the Middle East, there is no escaping the big picture. A “grand bargain” between Pakistan, India and Afghanistan is possible, but it will involve simultaneous compromises (including Taliban factions in the Afghan government), tradeoffs (a comprehensive agreement on Kashmir) and a bold military effort (in Pakistan’s tribal areas). The irony is that only the US government can operate on such a broad and ambitious level to deliver peace in the region, yet at the same time no foreign power is currently less capable of delivering this kind of Kissingerian diplomacy.

<i>Alexis Debat is a Senior Fellow at The Nixon Center, Washington DC where
he directs the Centre’s programme on Terrorism and National Security. He
is contributing editor of The National Interest and formerly a counter-
terrorism official in the French government </i><!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Naresh]

<b>Pakistan's External Debt and Liabilities</b> <!--emo&:flush--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Flush.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='Flush.gif' /><!--endemo-->

<b>31/03/07 : US Dollars : 38.864 Billion

30/06/07 : US Dollars : 40.172 Billion</b>

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

[Guest]

<b>AQ Khan 'elected' Pakistan's 'president'</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Abdul Qader Khan, the detained scientist who pioneered Pakistan's nuclear weapons programme, was "elected" the country's president, defeating the incumbent, Pervez Musharraf, in a mock poll held by lawyers.

Musharraf received only one vote and Khan, whom he has placed under detention since January 2004, got 2,103 votes in the "presidential referendum" organised by the Save Judiciary Committee of the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA).

Daily Times newspaper did not give details of the people behind the "referendum", but said the balloting started at 9 am and continued till 2 pm on Saturday.

.............<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd--> <!--emo&:beer--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cheers.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='cheers.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--emo&:rocker--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rocker.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='rocker.gif' /><!--endemo-->

Nareshji,
Yeh kya ho raha hai.

[Shambhu]

<!--QuoteBegin-Mudy+Aug 20 2007, 01:11 AM-->QUOTE(Mudy @ Aug 20 2007, 01:11 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>AQ Khan 'elected' Pakistan's 'president'</b><!--QuoteBegin--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Abdul Qader Khan, the detained scientist who pioneered Pakistan's nuclear weapons programme, was "elected" the country's president, defeating the incumbent, Pervez Musharraf, in a mock poll held by lawyers.

Musharraf received only one vote and Khan, whom he has placed under detention since January 2004, got 2,103 votes in the "presidential referendum" organised by the Save Judiciary Committee of the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA).

Daily Times newspaper did not give details of the people behind the "referendum", but said the balloting started at 9 am and continued till 2 pm on Saturday.

.............<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd--> <!--emo&:beer--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cheers.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='cheers.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--emo&:rocker--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rocker.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='rocker.gif' /><!--endemo-->

Nareshji,
Yeh kya ho raha hai.
[right][snapback]72240[/snapback][/right]
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

..and that is because Mohammad ibn Usama bin Ladin was not one of the candidates in in this moq poll...

[Naresh]

<!--QuoteBegin-Mudy+Aug 20 2007, 01:11 AM-->QUOTE(Mudy @ Aug 20 2007, 01:11 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>AQ Khan 'elected' Pakistan's 'president'</b>Abdul Qader Khan, the detained scientist who pioneered Pakistan's nuclear weapons programme, was "elected" the country's president, defeating the incumbent, Pervez Musharraf, in a mock poll held by lawyers.

Musharraf received only one vote and Khan, whom he has placed under detention since January 2004, got 2,103 votes in the "presidential referendum" organised by the Save Judiciary Committee of the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA).

Daily Times newspaper did not give details of the people behind the "referendum", but said the balloting started at 9 am and continued till 2 pm on Saturday.

<!--emo&:beer--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cheers.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='cheers.gif' /><!--endemo-->  <!--emo&:rocker--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rocker.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='rocker.gif' /><!--endemo-->

<b>Nareshji,
Yeh kya ho raha hai.</b>
[right][snapback]72240[/snapback][/right]
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

<b>Mudy Ji :</b>

The news is confirmed by the Daily Times - quoted by Hindustan Times :

<b>Dr AQ Khan elected president of Pakistan</b>

LAHORE: Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan on Saturday was again elected as president of Pakistan defeating General Pervez Musharraf on the 12th day of the ‘presidential referendum’ being held by the Save Judiciary Committee at the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA). <b>According to the results of the referendum, Dr khan bagged 2,103 votes hile Gen Musharraf secured only one. Balloting started at 9am and continued till 2pm. staff report</b>

Methinks that the Lahore Lawyers have made a point to <b>"Kick Mush in the Tush as well as in Mush's Teeth</b> <!--emo&:flush--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Flush.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='Flush.gif' /><!--endemo-->

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

[Naresh]

[center]<b><span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>Pakistan Governmentt awards TAP pipeline contract to US company</span></b>[/center]

<b>ISLAMABAD : The Pakistan government has awarded the contract of laying the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (TAP) gas pipeline project to the United States International Oil Company (IOC) with an estimated cost of $10 billion.</b>

Geo News quoted a press release issued by the oil company’s liaison office stating that the contract for the 2,200-kilometre TAP gas pipeline, scheduled for completion within three years, had been awarded to the US-based company. It said two oil refineries and four thermal powerhouses, with a capacity of 1,000 megawatts, would also be established under this project.

It further reported that the pipeline would be built up to Gwadar and would supply two million barrels of oil and four billion cubic feet of natural gas to Pakistan every day. APP quoted IOC’s press statement as saying that a $3.5-billion refinery would also be built at Gwadar under the terms of the contract.

Online reported that the project envisages the construction of a Hydro-cracker to facilitate the production of JP-1 and JP-4 petroleum products in Pakistan for the first time in the nation’s history.

<b>According to sources in the International Oil Company, the matters of security and insurance in Afghanistan during the laying of the pipeline have been finalised between the oil company and authorities, and a signing ceremony confirming the mega-project agreement would be held shortly. agencies</b>

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

[Guest]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Dr AQ Khan elected president of Pakistan<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--emo&:roll--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/ROTFL.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='ROTFL.gif' /><!--endemo-->
I remember back in say '99 or '00 Pakis in different forums would compare President Kalam with their Photochor Khan.

Let's just say the comparison is now 400% complete <!--emo&:blow--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blow.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='blow.gif' /><!--endemo-->