The Londoner

By Sikander Hayat Asif Ali Zardari is the 11th president of the Republic of Pakistan and due to Pakistan’s parliamentary system, he was elected by the majority of the members of the National Assembly, the four provincial assemblies and the Senate. Each provincial assembly has an equal say in the election of the president; because he is the president of Pakistan, President Zardari is my President and I have the right to point out the intended or unintended mistakes made by his administration. My first and foremost problem with him and his administration is the general lack of cohesion and the backbone in the foreign policy matters. A lot of ministers in his cabinet are making statements which are disjointed, far removed from reality; at best cowardly and humiliating at worst. For example, his defence minister Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar, when asked about the reasons behind the decision of declaring JuD a terrorist organisation, said that if that was not done Pakistan would have been branded...

By Sikander Hayat December is the month when Pakistan lost its eastern half of East Pakistan which became Bangladesh in 1971. The cold chilly nights of December send shivers down the spine of Pakistanis forcing them to contemplate about what went wrong. Why our brothers who created Muslim League, who suffered partition of Bengal, who were at the forefront of the movement for the independence of Pakistan felt so angry that they decided to part their ways from the rest of Pakistan. I do not want to blame our brothers from Bengal (East Pakistan) for wanting to secede as they gave us 24 years to correct our wrongs but leaders of West Pakistan, the intelligentsia, the elite and the general public attitude never considered East Pakistan as their integral part. There was a hint of racial, intellectual and martial prejudice and then there was a feeling in Eastern Pakistan that West Pakistan considered them the insignificant other. It has been 37 years but the wounds are still not anywhere near...

By Sikander Hayat How can Pakistan save itself from false Indian accusations and prosper as a country where people of all creeds and colours can live in harmony. This should be the ‘to do’ list of people in charge of Pakistan fir the near future. 1. Pakistan has a presidential; system in practice, it must be codified in the constitution as such to make it easier for the people of Pakistan to elect a president directly which will give chance to people who want to serve the country and break the shackles of the current ruling class. For example a person like Imran Khan or the Chief Justice Iftikhar Choudary will have a chance in the presidential system. 2. Pakistan must be turned into a true federation where all its constituents have equal voting powers in the presidential elections where a Baloch, Kashmiri, Pakhtoon, Sindhi, Punjabi or a person of any ethnicity has the same chance of becoming a president as anyone else. This will help dissipate the perception t...

By DAN BILEFSKY SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina — Thirteen years after the United States brokered the Dayton peace agreement to end the ferocious ethnic war in the former Yugoslavia, fears are mounting that Bosnia, poor and divided, is again teetering toward crisis. On the surface, this haunted capital, its ancient mosques and Orthodox churches still pocked by mortar fire, appears to be enjoying a renaissance. Young professionals throng to stylish cafes and gleaming new shopping malls while the muezzin heralds the morning prayer. The ghosts of Srebrenica linger — recalling the worst massacre in Europe since World War II — but Sarajevans prefer to talk about President-elect Barack Obama or the global financial crisis. Yet for the first time in years, talk of the prospect of another war is creeping into conversations across the ethnic divide in Bosnia, a former Yugoslav republic that the Dayton agreement divided into two entities, a Muslim-Croat Federation and a Serbian Republic. The po...

Islamabad—Indian fighter planes Saturday violated Pakistan’s air space by entering two places in Kashmir and Lahore. Planes of Pakistan Air Force (PAF), which were already on alert, quickly came into action and forced the India’s fighter jets to leave Pakistan air space, a private TV channel reported. The sources further said that the Indian planes were fully equipped with warheads. Meanwhile, another TV channel has reported that a loud blast was heard in Arabian Sea between Badin and Jati cities Saturday night. However, further details about the blast were not received. The cause and exact location of the blast is being ascertained. The local people were in a state of fear after the blast, sources said. The Indian fighter planes penetrated four kilomaters inside Pakistani territory. The TV channel further reported that President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani were awaken by Pakistan Air Force Chief and informed about the violation of Pakistan Air space by ...

Captain Mohammad Sarwar Shaheed Born: 1910, Singhori Village, District of Rawalpindi Commissioned: 1944, Punjab Regiment During the Kashmir Operations soon after the birth of Pakistan, as Company Commander of the 2nd Battalion of the Punjab Regiment, Captain Sarwar launched an attack causing heavy casualties against a strongly fortified enemy position in the Uri Sector under heavy machine gun, grenade and mortar fire. But on the 27th July 1948, as he moved forward with six of his men to cut their way through a barbed wire barrier, he died when his chest was riddled by a burst of heavy machine gun fire. Major Tufail Mohammad Shaheed Born: 1914, Hoshiarpur Commissioned: 1943, 16th Punjab Regiment Early in August 1958, Major Tufail, a Company Commander in the East Pakistan Rifles, encircled an illegal Indian post, which violated the internationally recognized boundary between the two countries, in the Lakshmipur area. And, though mortally wounded in the hand-to-hand encounter that foll...

Farida Khanum is a renowned Pakistani Ghazal singer from Punjab. Farida Khanum has been given the title "Malika-e-Ghazal" (Queen of Ghazal) in tribute to her singing talents. The ghazal she is most famously associated with is "Aaj Jaane Ki Zidd Naa Karo". In 2005, she was awarded the Hilal-e-Imtiaz, Pakistan's highest civilian honour by President Pervez Musharraf. Farida Khanum was born in Calcutta and raised in Amritsar. She migrated to Pakistan after independence in 1947. She started learning Khayal from her sister Mukhtar Begum at age seven and later learnt classical music from the renowned maestro of Patiala Gharana, Ustad Ashiq Ali Khan. She gave her first public concert in 1950, where renowned singers like Zeenat Begum and Iqbal Begum also sang. Farida Khanum lives in Lahore, Punjab and performs at select musical gatherings.

Indian air force violates Pakistan airspace and has been repulsed by the Pakistan air force. Indian planes entered through Azad Kashmir and Lahore sectors. Pakistan airspace has been violated for the first time in many years and is being seen in Pakistan as a grievous breach and Pakistan air force is on red alert.

President Asif Ali Zardari wants to give a corporate image to Pakistan and he himself is visiting different friendly countries to win their confidence. “The ministry has been created to (realise) his vision and ensure return of investment. We are not seeking any financial relief directly and this was not the thrust of President Zardari’s visits to different countries. We are immediately looking at deferred oil payments from Saudi Arabia and UAE to get some economic relief”, Federal Investment Minister, Senator Waqar Ahmad Khan said in an exclusive interview with the Gulfnews.com. Senator Waqar said that Pakistan is creating a special task force to protect investment and provide security to potential investors in the country. The Task Forces, he said comprises officials from the ministries of interior, defence, investment and finance. He added the task force will “protect investors round the clock”, Senator Waqar said the new Ministry of Investment has been created to safeguard investor...

Muhammad Arshad Islamabad—The Pakistan Economy Watch on Thursday said India should reverse its foreign policy and exploitation of religious minorities at home to avoid further terror attacks and ensure peace and prosperity. Elimination of terrorism needs more than threatening calls and venomous statements against Pakistan. India’s Afghan policy and will to dominate the region will continue to contribute towards miseries of the one-third of the population of this planet. It will keep the pace of economic activities slower. “India will have to choose between its Afghan policy or learn to compromise on internal peace and economic development,” said Dr. Murtaza Mughal, President, Pakistan Economy Watch. He said whole world has failed to tame Al Qaeda and Taliban; they have all the capabilities to destabilize India. Testing these elements will prove a costly endeavour for New Delhi. “India should rather focus on its vulnerabilities like highly divided society, social, political and religiou...

By Farhan Sharif Dec. 11 (Bloomberg) -- Pakistan’s inflation eased from near a three-decade high in November after the central bank raised its benchmark interest rate four times this year. Consumer prices in South Asia’s second-largest economy increased 24.68 percent from a year earlier after gaining 25 percent in October, the Federal Bureau of Statistics said in Islamabad today. Prices fell 0.12 percent from October. The decline in the inflation rate probably isn’t enough to prevent the State Bank of Pakistan from increasing rates further in its next monetary policy statement in January, economists said. The central bank promised the International Monetary Fund as part of a $7.6 billion bailout that it would raise borrowing costs if foreign reserves drop too low. “The central bank might want to avoid an interest-rate rise, but it seems they will increase again on the IMF’s suggestion,” said Asif Ali Qureshi, head of research at Invisor Securities Ltd in Karachi. “There are very high c...

KARACHI, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Pakistan's trade deficit narrowed to $1.196 billion in November from $1.62 billion in November 2008, and fell even more sharply from last month's deficit of $1.94 billion. According to the Federal Bureau of Statistics data released on Thursday, exports stood at $1.53 billion in November, little changed from $1.54 billion in the same period of last year. Imports fell to $2.72 billion in November from $3.16 billion a year ago, the data showed. 'Exports have not seen a rise, but imports have seen a sharp decline over October and also from November last year,' said Farhan Rizvi, an analyst at JS Global Capital Ltd. 'A decline in imports may be because of a decline in international oil prices and other commodities.' Details of exports and imports have not yet been released. Imports in November fell 21.5 percent from October and 14 percent from November last year. Comment On This Story Global oil prices have fallen $100 from a record peak o...

By Sikander Hayat Even as Indian officials on Thursday blamed Pakistan for terrorism and dismissed its crackdown on extremist groups as inadequate in the wake of last month’s attacks in Mumbai; they have no stomach for a war with Pakistan. Rather, Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee told members of Parliament that it would take time for India to put its own house in order and that war was “no solution.” His words signalled India’s delicate and somewhat circumscribed options. If it were to carry out even limited military strikes against Pakistan, Pakistan will strike back with all her might and limited war may not remain limited. Also, it would be likely to lose the support of its allies, namely the United States, which fears that Pakistan would then divert troops from its western border with Afghanistan to its eastern one with India. India’s options include suspending peace talks and to create a string security apparatus to counter any internal threats from its own indigenous militants...

By STEVEN LEE MYERS WASHINGTON — A final push by President Bush to complete an agreement to dismantle North Korea’s nuclear weapons program collapsed Thursday, leaving the confrontation with one of the world’s most isolated and intractable nations to the administration of President-elect Barack Obama. Four days of negotiations in Beijing ended in an impasse after North Korea refused to agree to a system of verifying that it had ended all nuclear activity, which it had pledged to do. Among other things, the North Koreans have objected to allowing soil and air samples to be taken near nuclear facilities and sent overseas for testing. North Korea could still return to the bargaining table, as it has after previous rifts. Officials, however, indicated that any talks were unlikely to resume before Mr. Bush stepped down in less than six weeks, depriving him of the chance for the breakthrough that the White House had hoped to reach with the North Koreans in the sunset of his presidency. “What...

By ASIF ALI ZARDARI Islamabad, Pakistan THE recent death and destruction in Mumbai, India, brought to my mind the death and destruction in Karachi on Oct. 18, 2007, when terrorists attacked a festive homecoming rally for my wife, Benazir Bhutto. Nearly 150 Pakistanis were killed and more than 450 were injured. The terrorist attacks in Mumbai may be a news story for most of the world. For me it is a painful reality of shared experience. Having seen my wife escape death by a hairbreadth on that day in Karachi, I lost her in a second, unfortunately successful, attempt two months later. The Mumbai attacks were directed not only at India but also at Pakistan’s new democratic government and the peace process with India that we have initiated. Supporters of authoritarianism in Pakistan and non-state actors with a vested interest in perpetuating conflict do not want change in Pakistan to take root. To foil the designs of the terrorists, the two great nations of Pakistan and India, born togethe...

By Greg Bruno, Council on Foreign Relations Reports of Saudi-brokered talks between Afghan officials and the Taliban in late 2008 prompted a new round of speculation about the role Riyadh might play in the future of Afghanistan. Amid U.S. calls for a regional approach to the Afghan crisis, observers and politicians--including President-elect Barack Obama during the U.S. presidential campaign--have said Saudi intervention could shape the success of the Western-led mission, from fostering talk with militants to encouraging Pakistan to help stabilize Afghanistan. But some analysts say Saudi brokering is motivated by more than just a desire to bring peace to Afghanistan. Following the reported September 2008 talks, only Iran condemned the negotiations; some believe the Afghan war zone has become a battleground for influence (ISN) between Riyadh and Tehran, as it was during the 1980s and 1990s. Saudi Arabia's ties to Afghanistan exploded into view on September 11, 2001. Saudi national O...

By Sikander Hayat If predictions of climate change and rising water levels true than about 50% of Bangladesh is going to be submerged permanently with the global weather changes happening. The population of Bangladesh is about the same as Pakistan and in case East Pakistan had not seceded from Pakistan in 1971, the present day Pakistan would have been swamped by the climate refugees from Bangladesh. It was a blessing in disguise that we parted our way pretty early after the independence from Britain otherwise being the other half of the same country, Pakistan would have collapsed under the weight of refugees in such large numbers. As it happens it will be India, which will bear the brunt and all those people who would have migrated to West Pakistan in the unified Pakistan will now do so towards India. The states of West Bengal & Assam will be the biggest recipients of any such migration which will deepen the scarcity of resources and may trigger new local conflicts. Ind...