The Londoner

Some 1,036 million dollars would be invested in Gwadar till 2018 on different projects related to improving basic road infrastructure and power projects on the basis of grant and interest-free loans. Talking to The News, Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal said the projects to be completed in Gwadar included Gwadar Coal Power Project (360 million dollars), new Gwadar Airport (260 million dollars), construction of breakwaters (130 million dollars), water treatment plant (114 million dollars), state-of-the-art hospital (100 million dollars), Free Economic Zones (35 million dollars), dredging of channels (27 million dollars) and technical and vocational institute (10 million dollars). He said all the projects in Gwadar would be completed on the basis of loans that have been converted into grants and interest-free loans so the cost of the overall basket can be reduced to a considerable level. The minister said the bidding process for the China-Pakistan Economic Cor...

KAJAKI, Afghanistan — Navy corpsman Andrew Sieber leaned over the injured Afghan policeman, who had a gunshot wound to his right shoulder. Sieber, 24, inspected the policeman's bandages and then helped load him onto a vehicle for the short but bumpy ride to a landing zone ringed by mountains. Within moments, the policeman was whisked away by an American helicopter that had squeezed over a steep mountain range and landed in a blast of dust. "He'll be fine," Sieber said, removing his rubber gloves. "We haven't lost anybody yet." He said they get three or four wounded Afghans a week. The war in Afghanistan has changed. The Afghan forces are doing most of the fighting and taking a larger share of the casualties, as U.S. forces withdraw. But Afghanistan's military remains dependent on Americans for medical evacuation helicopters, surveillance and equipment to counter roadside bombs. Afghan commanders worry the withdrawal of American force...

Gilgit-Baltistan    is the northernmost political entity in Pakistan . Gilgit-Baltistan is home to some of the world's highest mountains, including five of the eight-thousanders. The main focus of attention for many travelers is the world's three highest mountain ranges--the Karakoram, the Himalaya, and the Hindu Kush, with five peaks over 8,000 meters and many peaks over 7,000 meters, and having the largest glaciers in the world (other than those in the polar region). Wild rivers and unique landscapes make this area a "mountain paradise" for mountaineers, trekkers, and tourists. The administrative center of  Gilgit  was an important city on the  Silk Road , through which Buddhism was spread from India to the rest of Asia. A large number of Buddhist Sanskrit texts, including the long version of the Heart Sutra have been unearthed in Gilgit. The Dards and Cizinas also appear in many of the old Pauranic lists of peoples, with the former finding mention in Pt...

Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) approved revised TV/Radio Broadcasting Operation Regulations making it possible for the licence holders to launch FM radio in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). The revision of the operation regulations has removed a number of anomalies in old version of regulation enforced after the enactment of Pemra Act 2007 and Pemra Rules 2009. In the 73rd meeting held at Pemra headquarters on Tuesday, the authority also approved opening up Phase-X for awarding FM licences in 30 districts of the country including GB and AJK. Though Pemra awarded 154 FM licences across the country, there are still a number of areas having inadequate FM radio service or either no service at all. The new phase has been opened for media outreach in such areas. The meeting also decided to impose fine of Rs500,000 each on three major FM radio licensees namely Mehran Media, Media Solutions and Solar Communication for illegally transferr...

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 s...

By Sikander Hayat I have always been very interested in Gwadar and have been a keen observer of the scaremongering that Western and Indian media have been spreading for a long time. They have never understood what Gwadar really is and what are its implications for the people of Baluchistan . Their only concern is China and how China has helped Pakistan build this port of Gwadar to achieve its own strategic objectives.  To understand Gwadar you have to understand Balochistan and its sense of deprivation over last many decades. Balochistan has no proper urban centres apart from the capital city of Quetta and this capital city lies on the Pakistan Afghanistan border. It has suffered hugely from the influx of Afghan refugees and general law and order condition over the border in Afghanistan . It does not make sense to have a capital of a large entity like Balochistan on a volatile frontier and then to hope that this city will become the engine of growth of all of...

By Sikander Hayat Since Hasina Wajid has come to power in Bangladesh, relations with Pakistan are steadily going downhill. Pakistan has no borders with Bangladesh , there is no water or land issue and there is no reason for the Bangladeshis to keep hating Pakistan. A different generation of Pakistanis was responsible for the separation of Bangladesh and whatever took place in 1971. If a country wants better relations with another country, she will do that despite any issues and if a country wants to pick a fight than again it does not need a reason. Currently, Hasina Wajid's government is trying to rake up dirt at every possible moment. Here are some of the issues which this government is using to make sure that they always use Pakistan as a safe whipping boy: 1. War reparations2. Apology for civil war in East Pakistan3. Division of assets4. Opposing Pakistan at the WTO 5. Treason trial against those who supported the united Pakistan ( East & West) One can un...

By Sikander Hayat  Pakistan is looking to revoke its agreement with Singapore Port Authority (SPA) because of the fact that no work of substance has been carried out at the project and the purpose for which it was being built is not anywhere near being met. The main purpose of this port is to make Gwadar the hub of trade for the landlocked Afghanistan & other central Asian republics. Given the fact that Pakistan is feeling the huge impact economically by the on-going war against the terrorists and large deployments of Pakistan army on its western border, Gwadar project has acquired huge significance for the revival of Pakistani economy and bringing out of poverty large areas of Baluchistan. I have written previously on this blog that Gwadar must not be abandoned ad the bastard child of dictatorship. Just because Musharaf took a keen interest in developing Gwadar especially and Baluchistan generally does not mean that the new government let it slip into degradation. Pervez Mush...

The following article has been written by by Ardeshir Cowasjee on Sunday, 08 Aug, 2010 in Dawn newspaper. I find it really interesting and agree with the suggestion made by Mr Cowasjee . I think that it is high time we took this decision. I do not for one moment think that it will not be objected to but it needs to be done. Here goes the article by Mr Cowasjee: "This country is suffering manifold miseries, as it has for many a year, but now more than ever, mainly inflicted by the forces of nature ably aided by the incompetence and follies of mankind. That every nation has the government it deserves does not right now aptly apply to Pakistan since it has, to all intents and purposes, a non-government incapable of doing what it was elected and is paid to do. Amidst the massive loss of life from north to south and the suffering of countless innocent deprived citizens, to offset the national and international negativity besetting us and to give a little light relief (with w...

By Sikander Hayat Multan is my city and my favourite place in the world. It is situated in the Punjab Province of Pakistan. It is located in the southern part of the province. Multan District has a population of over 3.8 million and the city itself is the sixth largest within the boundaries of Pakistan. It is situated on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about 966 km (600 mi) from Karachi. There is a strong desire in the people of Multan to be declared a separate province of Pakistan as it is the heartland of the Saraiki speaking people. The new Multan province will have all of South Punjab included in it with the city of Multan declared the capital of South Punjab. Majority of Punjabi & Urdu speakers in Multan also support the demand for new province as well. Multan is known as the City of Sufis due to the large number of shrines and Sufi saints from the city. The city is full of bazaars, mosques, shrines and ornate tombs. ...

By Sikander Hayat All the pictures are from Azad Kashmir First let’s talk about the geography & political structure of Azad Kashmir. The Azad State of Jammu and Kashmir, usually shortened to Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) or, simply, Azad Kashmir, is the southernmost political entity of Pakistan. It covers an area of 13,297 km² (5,134 mi²), with its capital at Muzaffarabad , and has an estimated population of about four million. The state's financial matters, i.e., budget and tax affairs, are dealt with by the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Council, instead of by Pakistan's Central Board of Revenue. The Azad Jammu and Kashmir Council is a supreme body consisting of 11 members, six from the government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and five from the government of Pakistan. Its chairman/chief executive is the president of Pakistan. Other members of the council are Azad Kashmir's own president and prime minister and a few other AJK ministers. Azad Jammu and Kashmir has its ...