Don't be afraid to change opinions

Cost of Inaction vs Status quo

2017-06-13T06:19:00.001-05:00

People are afraid of making decision due to the fear of failures, but they most often neglect the cost that is incurred for not making the decision and sticking with status quo, which is mostly higher than failed attempts

Don't mess with engineers

2014-04-09T02:45:00.000-05:00

An Engineer was not getting a job even after two years after his passout.....so he decided to open a
"Any treatment in Rs.300/- & if we cant treat, we will pay you back Rs.1000/-"
clinic and wrote outside the clinic:

A CLEVER Doctor thought he will make the engineer fool and comes to do fraud & thinking to get Rs.1000.
He says to the Engineer:
I cant feel any taste on my tongue...
Engineer asks the Nurse to put few drops of medicine from box no 22.
After that the MAN shouts: "What d _____ ...its URINE!!
The doctor says congratulations your sense of taste is back now.
The CLEVER Doctor was angry as he lost Rs.300.
After 2 weeks the same doctor comes back again & this time he thinks to get back his previous 300 too.
CLEVER Doctor : I've lost my memory.
Engineer: Nurse! Please put some drops of medicine from Box no 22 on his tongue.
C. DOCTOR : Wait Engineer but that medicine is for sense of taste.
Engineer: Congratulations your memory is back.
Moral: Don't try to be over-smart with Engineers...
Dun mess wid engg...!!

Medal of Honor - Mission Karachi

2014-04-08T02:53:00.000-05:00

Story of Halal Food in American Airline - Javed Chouhdry

2014-04-03T05:25:00.001-05:00

٭ نیٹ ورک ٭
(از: جاوید چوہدری)
میں نے کھانے کی ٹرے کھولی‘ کانٹے سے گوشت کا ٹکڑا اٹھایا‘ ہونٹوں کے قریب لے کر آیا مگر منہ میں ڈالنے سے قبل رک گیا‘ مجھے محسوس ہوا یہ گوشت شاید حلال نہ ہو‘ میں نے یہ خیال آتے ہی کانٹا ٹرے میں رکھ دیا اور دائیں بائیں دیکھنے لگا‘ غیر ملکی ائیر لائینز میں یہ معاملہ روٹین ہے‘ یہ لوگ حلال حرام کی تمیز نہیں رکھتے چنانچہ ان کی خوراک بالخصوص گوشت میں حرام کی گنجائش موجود ہوتی ہے‘ میں نے ٹرے آگے کھسکائی اور سیٹ کے ساتھ پشت لگا کر لیٹ گیا‘ میرے ساتھ درمیانی عمر کا ایک خوبصورت امریکی بیٹھا تھا‘ وہ مزے سے کھانا کھا رہا تھا‘ ہم نیویارک سے شکاگو جا رہے تھے‘ میں نے ایک دن شکاگو میں رک کر آگے نکل جانا تھا‘ آپ کو انٹرنیٹ پر مختلف ’’پے اینگ‘‘ میزبان مل جاتے ہیں‘ آپ ویب سائیٹس پر جائیں اور کسی منزل کا نام ڈالیں‘ آپ سے مختلف فیملیز رابطہ کریں گی‘ یہ لوگ معمولی رقم لے کر آپ کو چند دنوں کے لیے اپنے گھر میں ٹھہرا لیتے ہیں‘ آپ کو ان ویب سائیٹس پر ایسی فیملیز بھی مل جاتی ہیں جو آپ کو اپنے پاس فری ٹھہرا لیتی ہیں‘ ان کا مقصد اجنبی لوگوں سے ملاقات ہوتی ہے‘ یہ لوگ اجنبیوں کو اپنا گھر‘ اپنا ٹائون دکھانا چاہتی ہیں۔
چنانچہ یہ لوگ اپنا گھر سال میں چند دنوں کے لیے اجنبیوں کے لیے کھول دیتے ہیں‘ میں نے شکاگو سے دو گھنٹے کی مسافت پر ایک گائوں میں ایسا ہی خاندان تلاش کیا تھا‘ یہ لوگ مکئی کاشت کرتے تھے اور سال میں ایک بار کسی ایشیائی باشندے کو اپنا مہمان بناتے تھے‘ میں نے انٹر نیٹ پر اس خاندان کو تلاش کیا اور اب میں نیویارک سے ان کے پاس ٹھہرنے اور شکاگو کی دیہاتی زندگی کو انجوائے کرنے جا رہا تھا لیکن جہاز میں حلال خوراک کا ایشو بن گیا‘ میں نے لمبی سانس لی اور آنکھیں بند کر لیں ’’ برادر یہ کھانا حلال ہے‘ آپ کھا سکتے ہیں‘‘ یہ فقرہ اچانک میری سماعت سے ٹکرایا‘ میں نے گھبرا کر آنکھیں کھولیں‘ میرا ہم سفر امریکی مسکراتی نظروں سے میری طرف دیکھ رہا تھا‘ اس نے میری آنکھوں میں حیرت پڑھ لی‘ وہ دوبارہ بولا ’’آپ کا کھانا حلال ہے‘ آپ اطمینان سے کھا سکتے ہیں‘‘ میں نے اس سے پوچھا ’’ آپ یہ دعوے سے کیسے کہہ سکتے ہیں‘‘ اس نے اپنا کانٹا نیچے رکھا‘ میری ٹرے سے کھانے کا ریپر اٹھایا اور اس کے کونے پر انگلی رکھ دی‘ ریپر پر سبز لفظوں میں حلال لکھا تھا‘ میں حیران ہوگیا۔
میں نے اطمینان سے کھانا شروع کر دیا‘ کھانے کے دوران میں نے اس سے اس کے وطن کے بارے میں پوچھا‘ اس نے جواب دیا ’’ میں امریکی ہوں‘ آرلینڈو میں رہتا ہوں‘‘ میں نے ڈرتے ڈرتے پوچھا ’’ کیا آپ مسلمان ہیں‘‘ اس نے بلند آواز میں ’’الحمد اللہ‘‘ کہا اور پھر بولا ’’ میں نے سات سال قبل اسلام قبول کیا تھا‘ میں آج کل عربی سیکھ رہا ہوں‘‘ میری حیرت میں اضافہ ہو گیا‘ میں نے اس سے پوچھا ’’لیکن امریکن ائیر لائین میں حلال کھانا کیسے آ گیا‘‘ وہ مسکرایا اور نرم آواز میں بولا ’’میں جب بھی ہوائی سفر پر نکلتا ہوں‘ میں ائیر لائین کے کچن میں فون کر کے پانچ حلال کھانوں کا آرڈر کر دیتا ہوں‘‘ میں نے پوچھا ’’ پانچ کیوں؟‘‘ اس کا جواب بہت دلچسپ تھا‘ اس کا کہنا تھا ’’ امریکن ائیر لائین میں عموماً چار پانچ مسلمان مسافر ہوتے ہیں‘ میں مسلمان ہونے کی وجہ سے ان کا مسئلہ سمجھتا ہوں‘ میں جہاز میں سوار ہو کر عملے کی مدد سے مسلمان مسافروں کو تلاش کرتا ہوں اور بعد ازاں یہ حلال کھانا انھیں پہنچا دیتا ہوں‘ میں جب فلائیٹ میں سوار ہوا تو میں نے لسٹ میں آپ کا نام پڑھ لیا چنانچہ میں نے آپ کے لیے حلال خوراک کی درخواست کر دی اور یوں آپ کو بھی حلال کھانا فراہم کر دیا گیا‘‘ میں نے اس سے پوچھا ’’لیکن جہاز کا عملہ آپ کو مسافروں کی لسٹ کیوں دے دیتا ہے‘‘ اس نے قہقہہ لگایا اور بتایا ’’ میں ایف بی آئی میں کام کرتا ہوں‘ میرا سروس کارڈ یہ مرحلہ آسان بنا دیتا ہے‘‘۔
وہ عبداللہ تھا‘ اس کا پرانا نام ایڈم تھا‘ وہ آرلینڈو کا رہنے والا تھا مگر ان دنوں وہ نیویارک میں کام کر رہا تھا‘ ٹریننگ کے لیے شکاگو جا رہا تھا‘ اس کے اسلام قبول کرنے کا واقعہ بھی اس کی شخصیت کی طرح حیران کن تھا‘ اس نے بتایا‘ وہ ٹیلی کام انجینئر تھا‘ وہ ایک پرائیویٹ کمپنی میں کام کرتا تھا‘ اس کی والدہ کا انتقال ہو چکا تھا‘ والد دہریہ تھا‘ وہ بوڑھا ہو کر اولڈ پیپل ہوم میں پڑا تھا‘ اس کا اپنی گرل فرینڈ کے ساتھ جھگڑا ہوا‘ یہ جھگڑا طول پکڑ گیا‘ وہ شدید ڈپریشن کا شکار ہوا اور اس ڈپریشن نے اسے شراب‘ کوکین اور چرس کا عادی بنا دیا‘ وہ چوبیس گھنٹے نشے میں ڈوبا رہتا‘ اس کی راتیں شراب خانوں میں گزرتیں‘ وہ دھت ہو کر شراب خانے میں گر جاتا اور شراب خانے کے ملازمین اسے اٹھا کر فٹ پاتھ پر پھینک جاتے‘ وہ اگلے دن اٹھتا تو گرتا پڑتا گھر پہنچتا‘ اس کی نوکری چلی گئی‘ اس کے سارے اثاثے بک گئے‘ اس پر دوست احباب کا قرض چڑھ گیا اور وہ پوری دنیا میں تنہا رہ گیا۔
وہ بری طرح برباد ہو چکا تھا لیکن پھر اس کے ساتھ ایک عجیب واقعہ پیش آیا‘ وہ ایک رات نشے میں دھت ہو کر شراب خانے میں گرا‘ شراب خانے کے اسٹاف نے اسے اٹھایا اور فٹ پاتھ پر لٹا دیا‘ وہاں سے ایک نوجوان گزرا‘ اس نے اسے اٹھایا‘ وہ اسے اپنے فلیٹ میں لے آیا‘ گرم تولیے سے اس کا جسم صاف کیا‘ صاف سلیپنگ سوٹ پہنایا اور اسے صاف بستر پر لٹا دیا‘ صبح اس کی آنکھ کھلی تو اس نوجوان نے اسے ناشتہ کرایا‘ اپنے کپڑے پہنائے اور اسے اس کے فلیٹ پر چھوڑ آیا‘ وہ اس رات دوبارہ شراب خانے گیا‘ اسے اس رات بھی حسب معمول فٹ پاتھ پر لٹا دیا گیا‘ وہ نوجوان دوبارہ آیا‘ اسے اٹھایا اور اپنے فلیٹ پر لے گیا اور اس کے بعد یہ معمول بن گیا‘ وہ روز رات کے آخری پہر فٹ پاتھ پر گرا دیا جاتا‘ وہ نوجوان آتا اور اسے اٹھا کر لے جاتا‘ یہ اس اجنبی نوجوان کے ساتھ بدتمیزی بھی کرتا لیکن وہ ہٹ کا پکا تھا‘ وہ مسکراتا رہتا اور اس کی خدمت کرتا رہتا‘ اس سارے عمل کے دوران معلوم ہوا‘ وہ نوجوان فلسطینی مسلمان ہے‘ وہ پیزا ہٹ پر کام کرتا ہے اور فارغ وقت میں اس بگڑے ہوئے امریکی کی خدمت کرتا ہے‘ یہ سلسلہ چلتا رہا یہاں تک کہ وہ دونوں دوست بن گئے‘ ایڈم فلسطینی نوجوان عبداللہ کے رویئے اور خدمت سے متاثر ہوا اور آہستہ آہستہ اسلام کے حلقے میں داخل ہونے لگا اور پھر ایک دن اس نے اسلام قبول کر لیا‘ یہ اس کہانی کا ایک باب تھا‘ کہانی کا اگلا باب اس سے بھی زیادہ حیران کن تھا۔
ایڈم نے اسلام قبول کرنے کے بعد اپنا نام عبداللہ رکھا اور اسلام کا مطالعہ شروع کر دیا‘ مطالعے کے دوران اسے معلوم ہوا اسلام میں والدین کا بہت مقام ہے‘ والدین کی خدمت کرنے والے لوگ جنتی ہوتے ہیں‘ یہ معلوم ہونے کے بعد عبداللہ سیدھا اولڈ پیپل ہوم گیا اور اپنے والد کو اپنے گھر لے آیا‘ اس کا والد کینسر کے مرض میں مبتلا ہو چکا تھا‘ وہ دہریہ تھا‘ وہ کسی مذہب اور خدا پر یقین نہیں رکھتا تھا‘ اس نے پوری زندگی کوئی عبادت کی اور نہ ہی کسی مذہب کا مطالعہ۔ اس نے بس گستاخی میں پوری عمر گزار دی‘ عبداللہ ایڈم والد کو گھر لے آیا اور اس نے والد کی خدمت شروع کر دی‘ وہ ایک اسٹور میں چار گھنٹے کام کرتا اور اس کے بعد گھر آ کر اپنے فلسطینی دوست کے ساتھ مل کر والد کو نہلاتا تھا‘ وہ اسے اپنے ہاتھوں سے کھانا بھی کھلاتا تھا‘ اسے ویل چیئر پر بٹھا کر سیر کے لیے بھی لے جاتا تھا‘ وہ اسے کتابیں پڑھ کر سناتا تھا اور اس کی باتیں سنتا تھا‘ والد کے لیے یہ رویہ عجیب تھا۔
امریکا میں بچے اپنے والدین کے ساتھ یہ سلوک نہیں کرتے‘ وہاں والدین کی آخری عمر ہمیشہ تنہائی اور اولڈ پیپل ہوم میں گزرتی ہے لیکن نو مسلم عبداللہ نے یہ روایت بدل دی‘ اس نے والد اور والد کے دوستوں کو حیران کر دیا‘ یہ سلسلہ چلتا رہا یہاں تک کہ والد کینسر کی آخری پر پہنچ کر اسپتال داخل ہو گیا‘ عبداللہ اسپتال میں بھی والد کی خدمت کرتا رہا‘ اس خدمت کا یہ نتیجہ نکلا اس کا وہ والد جس نے زندگی بھر اللہ کے سامنے سر نہیں جھکایا تھا‘ اس نے انتقال سے چھ ماہ قبل اسلام قبول کر لیا‘ وہ ایمان کی حالت مین دنیا سے رخصت ہوا‘ والد کے انتقال کے بعد عبداللہ نے مختلف جابز کیں‘ وہ ان نوکریوں سے ہوتا ہوا ایف بی آئی میں پہنچ گیا۔
وہ اس وقت میرے ساتھ بیٹھا تھا‘ وہ مسلمان تھا مگر اس کا حلیہ مسلمانوں جیسا نہیں تھا‘ وہ حلیئے سے امریکی لگتا تھا‘ میں نے اس سے پوچھا ’’آپ نے داڑھی کیوں نہیں رکھی‘‘ اس نے اس سوال پر ایک عجیب انکشاف کیا‘ اس نے بتایا ’’ہم نے امریکا میں تبلیغ کا ایک نیٹ ورک بنا رکھا ہے‘ ہم لوگ اپنا حلیہ نہیں بدلتے‘ ہم امریکا میں امریکی بن کر زندگی گزارتے ہیں‘ ہم غیر مسلموں کو صرف اپنے رویئے‘ خدمت اور محبت سے مسلمان بناتے ہیں‘‘ میں نے اس سے عرض کیا ’’لیکن آپ یہ کام داڑھی رکھ کر بھی کر سکتے ہیں‘‘ عبداللہ نے قہقہہ لگایا اور جواب دیا ’’ہاں لیکن ہمارا خیال ہے ہم نے اگر اسلامی حلیہ اپنا لیا تو شاید امریکی لوگ ہمارے قریب نہ آئیں اور تبلیغ کے لیے دوسرے فریق کا آپ کے قریب آنا ضروری ہوتا ہے‘‘ میں نے اس سے پوچھا ’’آپ کی یہ تکنیک کس حد تک کامیاب ہوئی‘‘ اس نے ہنس کر جواب دیا ’’ہم الحمداللہ اس تکنیک سے سیکڑوں لوگوں کو مسلمان بنا چکے ہیں‘ یہ سب نو مسلم میری طرح ہیں‘ باہر سے ایڈم اور اندر سے عبداللہ‘‘

China and the elusive superpower status

2014-01-16T07:44:00.001-06:00

The world waits with bated breath about China’s superpower status. The world has become unipolar. Since the demise of the Soviet Union in 1990, the United States has been the head honcho. It has been the judge; the jury and the executioner (ask Saddam Hussain). But, as a student of history, I never considered the Soviet Union as a superpower. It did not have the support systems to underpin its superpower status. When Gorbachev unleashed “glassnot” and “perestroika”, watchwords for the renovation of the Soviet body politic and society, the Soviet Union collapsed like a deck of cards.

The million-dollar question is how long will it take for China to attain superpower status? Let’s separate fact from fiction, the noise from the news. First, let’s take a hard look at the numbers. Numbers don’t lie unless they are compiled by the Federal Bureau of Statistics. China has a land area of 9.569 million square kilometres with water resources of only 27,000 square kilometers. It has land boundaries with 15 countries. Its maritime zone extends 200 nautical miles, 14.86 percent of the land is arable and 456,000 square metres is irrigated land.

China has ample mineral resources, bearing hydrocarbons. It has the world’s largest hydropower potential. China has a population of 1.336 billion with a median age of 34.9 years for males and 36.2 years for females. The birth rate lies at about 12.29 births for every 1,000 people in the population. Shanghai has a population of 16.575 million and Beijing (capital) of 12.214 million. Life expectancy at birth is 74.68 years. There is an intermediate risk from major infections disease. The major religions are Taoist and Buddhist. Christians account for 4 percent of the population and Muslims account for 1.3 percent. The literacy rate is 91.6 percent. The country has 23 provinces, and five autonomous regions. China has a GDP (PPP) of $11 trillion. GDP at the official exchange rate is $5.87 trillion and the growth rate is approximately 9-10 percent. The GDP per capita is $6.9/. China’s oil production is 3.991 million barrels per day while oil consumption is 8.2 million barrels per day. Exports in 2011 were $1.506 trillion while forex reserves last clocked in at $2.622 trillion, the largest in the world. (Source: CIA).

These are largely positive indicators, considering the country primarily took off in the 1980s. But trouble lies ahead. China will have to consider the following before it can become a real superpower. It may take another 25 years or more.

Military power

China has a military budget of $200 billion (2013). The Pentagon has budget in excess of one trillion dollars, which can be further supplemented by presidential prerogative. China only has one aircraft carrier, opposed to the seven possessed by the US Navy. China cannot project power beyond the South China Sea while the US controls all the sea lanes of the world. The five choke points are all controlled by the US – Suez, Panama, Dardanelles, Hormuz and the Strait of Malacca. Ninety percent of world trade takes place through these points. It will at least 25 years before China can attain parity with the US in this regard.

Soft power

China has very little soft power. Even a middling country such as the United Kingdom has abundant soft power (the Royal Family, Harry Potter, James Bond etc.). In the top 100 Brands (2013), China only has one entry. China will need to build its brands in the coming decades. Interestingly, Beijing now has a Ministry of Branding, which is helping Chinese corporations build their image in the first world. Chinese companies will need to become multinationals in the true sense. Three Chinese Banks are in the top 10, but they have very little international presence or pull. They will need to expand into Europe, the US, Middle East, Africa etc. China will need to build tourism. The Chinese airline and shipping industry will also need expansion. The Chinese Airline Cathay Pacific, which operates out of Hong Kong, will need to rebrand itself. Nobody even understands what Cathay means. The Confucius institutes of China should be expanded to all corners of the world to spread the Chinese language, culture and brands.

Currency

Eighty percent of world trade takes place in US Dollars. The Yuan has only a six percent share. If China has to be a superpower, it will need to make the Yuan more omnipotent.

In my humble opinion, China is on the right track to become a superpower but it will have to manage its economy, politics and diplomacy in a mature manner if it wants to be a realistic candidate to become a superpower by 2040.

Author: Farooq Hasan

Farooq Hasan

By Farooq Hasan

Source: http://magazine.thenews.com.pk/mag/moneymatter_detail.asp?id=7027&magId=10&catId=179

Hassan Nisar's best about Corrupt & Looter elite of Pakistan

2013-06-23T04:54:00.004-05:00

Hassan Nisar talking about irrational support of political leaders by Pakistan people, fighting each other like dogs for the same leaders who do not care for the well being of their own voters and supporters. Also, he discusses about the irony that laborer is being represented by industrialists, poor farmers are being represented by Landlords (Wadaira, Jageerdar, Sardar elite).

Where USAID money to Pakistan goes?

2013-06-23T04:04:00.002-05:00

American government provides a few million dollars every year to Pakistani government as aid to support its war on terror.

Although the aid has been significantly lower than the economic and life losses that Pakistan has suffered, an estimated $150 Billions in last ten years and more than 50,000 people killed including the terrorist attacks inside the country and drone attacks carried out by CIA. USAID is considered a kind of compensation for all the losses that Pakistani people have suffered and continue to suffer, however, its benefits never reach to common Pakistanis. These funds only support the political and military elite of the country that keeps its black money to safe-havens like Swiss banks.

Following report published in the mainstream Pakistani newspapers is an eye-opener for American people keeping in mind the fact that Pakistan is several times smaller economy than India and our businessmen are even less competent globally than Indian businessmen:

ZURICH/NEW DELHI: When it comes to money in Swiss banks, Pakistan has a slight edge over India with total funds amounting to 1,441 million Swiss francs (about Rs9,200 crore) held there by Pakistani individuals and entities, says a report in Times of India.

However, this was the lowest level for such funds ever since Switzerland’s central bank began compiling this data in 2002 and was less than half of the record high amount of over 3 billion Swiss francs recorded in 2005. The previous record low of 1.95 billion Swiss francs was seen in the year 2010.

In their local currency, the total funds held by individuals and entities from Pakistan in Swiss banks stood at over 15,000 crore Pakistani rupees as on December 31, 2012.

This marked a decline of nearly 32 per cent from 2,119 million Swiss francs (about Rs23,000 crore Pakistani rupees) at the end of 2011, as per the latest annual report of Switzerland’s central bank on banks operating in the country.

The issue of alleged stashing of black money in Swiss banks has been a matter of intense debate in Pakistan, as there have been reports of some top former government leaders having kept their money in banks in the European country due to their hugely popular ‘safe-haven’ status.

However, a higher amount than Indian entities assumes significance because Pakistan is a much smaller country in terms of population and area.Still, the quantum of money held by Swiss banks for their Pakistani clients was about 1.5 per cent higher than the equivalent figure for Indians at 1,421 million Swiss francs (about Rs9,100 crore) at the end of 2012, the latest data compiled by Swiss National Bank (SNB) shows.

Source: Pakistanis beat Indians in Swiss banks

Related: Mr PM! There are three options to avoid IMF loan

US Government supporting terror networks in Pakistan - Says RT

2013-06-17T07:12:00.000-05:00

A brief report about the importance of the province of Baluchistan for different world powers like China and United States and possible support for several Terrorist networks to destabilize the region.

Checklist to find the best Private Hajj Packages in Pakistan

2013-06-09T08:06:00.000-05:00

I am writing this checklist for people planning Hajj trip in this year (2013) or next couple of years to help them find the best hajj package they can afford.

1. Distance from Haram in Makkah and Masjid Nabawi (SAW) in Madinah

Lesser the distance, the better, but costs higher. Government packages are usually far away from the Harams of Makkah and Madinah

2. Maktab in Mina

It should be closer to Jamarat for Rami (Stoning the devil). Most preferred Maktab number should be 1 & 2 and subsequently 3, 4 etc. These days some Maktabs are at larger distances, but have the option of commuting through trains.

3. Stay in Aziziah

Aziziah is a neighborhood of Makkah, but distant from the Haram and closer to Mina. Other than the 5-6 hajj days, it provides cheap stay as compared to hotels around the Haram. It might be difficult and expensive to visit Haram while staying at Aziziah. Expensive packages usually offer minimum stay in Azizia

4. Meals

Most Hajj operators will provide all the meals during the 5-6 days of Hajj as part of package. You should try to find the package that offers meals throughout the tour if you want to focus on what are you going to do there.

5. Room sharing

Most Hajj packages arrange for separate bedrooms for ladies and gents to save costs, and one room is usually shared among four persons. If you are going with your spouse, you might want to find a deal with double-bed rooms.

6. Air Travel

Air line carriers (Saudi Airline, PIA, Emirates, Gulf Air etc) and mode of transportation (connected vs direct) also impact the cost of package

7. Payment terms:

Before paying any advance to any tour operator, make sure to understand payment terms and cancellation policies. Most tour operators will take 50% or less of the total payment to initiate the application process

Banana News Network Slides - June 7, 2013

2013-06-08T11:26:00.004-05:00

I will take revenge by defeating Imran Khan in Mianwali - Haneef Abbasi
Orig: Imran Khan ko Mianwali mein hara kar shikast ka badla lunga

Bringing Pervez Khattak's relatives in assemblies is part of Change - PTI
Orig:Pervez Khatak k rishte daron ko assembly mein lana tabdeeli ka hissa hay

It's only show of weapons that is banned, buying and selling will go on as usual - Sindh Government
Orig: Aslahe ki sirf numaish per pabandi hay, kharid o farokht mamook k mutabiq jari rahe gi

Sharmila Farooqi being considered for Adviser of "Spread simplicity" scheme
Orig: Sharmila Farooqi ko musheer barae sadgi apnao scheme banae jane ka imkan

We will develop Sindh to become like Tokyo in next three years under the leadership of Qaim Ali Shah - Sharmila Farooqi
Orig: Qaim Ali Shah ki qayadat mein Sindh ko agle teen saal mein Tokyo k barabar la khara karenge

We have strongly protested to India for torturing diplomat, India has promised they will inform us before torturing in future - Foreign Office
Orig: Hum ne Bharat se sifaratkar per tashaddud k hawale se shadeed ehtijaj kiya hay, Bharat ne wada kiya hay ainda tashaddud karne se pehle agah kiya jae ga

I can only suspend SHO, higher officers start yelling at me - Qaim Ali Shah
Orig: Sirf SHO ko suspend kar sakta hun, bara afsar gussa kar jata hay

We don't believe in politics of violence - Taliban
Orig: Tashaddud ki siyasat per yaqeen nahi rakhte

You must visit PM house during summer vacations - Caretaker PM Mir Hazar Khan Khoso in his last address to Kids
Orig: Garmion ki chuttiyon mein PM House zaroor jaen

Purple hair color makes them look beautiful, strongly feel purple color missing from PTI flag - Shirin Mazari
Orig: Jamni rang ka hair color balon ko khubsurat banata hay, jamni rang ki kami PTI k jhanday mein bahut shiddat se mehsoos karti hoon

I was alive yesterday and I am alive today - Qaim Ali Shah
Orig: Mein kal bhi zinda tha, mein aj bhi zinda hun

Less than seven thousand people will be killed in Karachi in next five years - Qaim Ali Shah
Orig: Karachi mein agle panch saal mein saat hazar se kam log marenge

Rod-in-the-neck disease has no cure - Khawaja Saad Rafiq
Orig: Gradan mein sirye ki bimari la ilaaj hay

Source: http://pkpolitics.com/2013/06/08/banana-news-network-7-june-2013/

BISP to be replaced by Social Entrepreneurship - PMLN

2013-06-08T09:58:00.000-05:00

BISP (Benazir Income Support Program) was launched in October 2008 to provide social security cover to families living under absolute poverty with an initial allocation of Rs34 billion by the government which increased to Rs70 billion during 2011-12 to cover almost 5.5 million families across the country. The program was just another miserable attempt of PPP to make billions in corruption, however, not for Swiss accounts only this time, since the funds were distributed to lower class PPP supporters (and potential supporters).

Pakistani Tax payers' over Rs139 billion were poured down the drain in a project without any ROI (Return on Investment) and positive impact on poverty alleviation. The main focus of the program was to retain voters in several areas of Sindh and South Punjab. In one cabinet meeting, Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh was reported to have said that the economy would not improve when it was not going in the right direction, and when the government was offering billions of rupees in cash to the people. The loans were best suited for income-generating projects, not for direct or indirect subsidies, he had said.

PML-N, its manifesto says, will introduce the concept of social entrepreneurship to ensure that the additional cash grants given to vulnerable communities for supporting their limited income do not end up being counterproductive.

It will encourage public-private partnerships to take full advantage of the capacity already built by numerous community organisations to respond to emergencies and national calamities. It plans to legislate the ‘Right to Food’ as a fundamental right to make sure that the poor have access to affordable food grains in all parts of the country. The procurement programmes will be strengthened so that all farmers receive the guaranteed support price for grains.

PTI, however, does not talk about any cash transfers or loans to the poor. Research has shown, its manifesto says, that economic growth does not always benefit the poor. Nor is there evidence that micro-finance has led to reduction in poverty. Instead, it is the ownership or access to assets (land and/or cattle) which is the single most powerful variable in the rural areas that reduces the chances of being poor by 55 per cent. In urban areas, employment reduces the chances of being poor by 45 per cent. Rural poverty incidence among families owning some land, even as low as one acre, is 17 per cent and among families that own no land, it is 32 per cent.

The focus of PTI’s poverty reduction strategy is on rural land reforms under which the maximum number of rural households should own a minimum-specified area of land. Similarly, the state and military controlled land in urban areas needs to be allocated for development of housing estates, with on average three marla/80 square yards plots. Pakistan People’s Party plans to raise the amount of monthly cash payments to the very poor from Rs1000 to Rs2000 which it can do in Sindh only where it is forming its government.

Source: New governments to fine-tune BISP

Annual Fishing ban in Karachi from Jun 1 to July 31 by KFHA

2013-05-28T06:23:00.000-05:00

Karachi Fish Harbour Authority (KFHA) has set a deadline of May 28, asking all vessels to return ashore and comply with the annual fishing ban. The ban will start from June 1 and last till July 31 and the new fishing season will begin from August 1 this year, according the KFHA notification.

In line with the section 25 of the Sindh Fisheries Ordinance 1980, the KFHA will implement the annual ban to bar the fishermen from hunting of a number of shrimps and fish species, officials told Business Recorder. "Shrimp species are including Kalari, Jaira and Kiddi and freshwater fish species are: Rahu, Mori and Thaila whose hunting will be banned from June 1 till July 31, 2013 in the province sea and freshwater," they said.

The KFHA will not allow landing of fish and shrimp during the ban period at Karachi Fish Harbour, they said and warned that the violators will be punished with confiscating of their all catch according to the relevant rules. Issuance of port clearance documents to crew of deep sea going vessels will be stopped by May 28 to begin the ban implementation, they said.

Source: KFHA sets deadline asking fishing vessels to return ashore

Why Pakistan suffers from Loadshedding?

2013-05-28T05:28:00.003-05:00

Load Shedding, An Overview: This sudden dramatic increase in the load shedding, to 16-18 hours, in the last few days may have political motivations as feared by many of you. However the crisis, as we all know is genuine. Though we have an installed capacity of any where from 15,000 MW/Day to around 20,000 MW/day, but we produce only around 9000 MW/Day. Reasons are purely financial so any simple increase in production by new expensive Thermal Units will not solve this. We need to carefully understand this, for solution won't emerge until we all know what the real problem is.
All of you may remember Govt. announcing "No Load Shedding on Eid Days" How do you think it was possible if they could not produce extra for 2-3 days? there is no mechanism, at least in Pakistan, where we can store 15,000 MW to be used later...production can quickly increase if more oil is supplied to Thermal Stations (something which Interim govt is trying to do by releasing funds for furnace oil) however governments can not do it for any longer period of time since we don't collect enough revenues from distribution of electricity to enable us to sustain high production and supply..(last year such losses were around Rs. 750 billion; govt paid Rs. 402 billion to reduce the loss but the circular debt still increased by a net 350 billion)

Author: Moeed Pirzada
Source: http://www.facebook.com/MoeedPirzada/posts/478272975574852

The real core problem lies in: electricity theft, ie large sections of Pakistani populations, rural farms with hundreds of tube wells, government departments, residents of FATA and large pockets of populations in Karachi, Sindh, Seraiki belt, KPK and Baluchistan etc not paying at all or not paying full bills for the cost of electricity they are consuming. (so around Rs. 750 billion last year, approximately) They have been doing this ever since, or for the past several decades and these losses of revenue were absorbed by other citizens and institutions across other parts of country. However 10-15 years ago we had a larger share from cheap hydro-electric energy from Rs. 1- 1.50 per KWH (Mangla, Tarblela and Warsak) so it was relatively easy to absorb these losses and thefts. Now we produce around 70-72% from Gas and Oil; basically around 40% from Oil which costs us around Rs. 16-17/KWH. It is no longer possible to absorb that 25-30% loss and theft built into the system. In addition most of our Thermal Units have old engines which consume lots of oil making it even more expensive to produce through them. (corruption too is involved here)

Dr. Mifta Ismail, (Phd, Public Finance, Wharton Business School) a strategist par-excellence with PMLN Team will explain in today's program that the new PMLN/Nawaz govt has three strategic steps to take: One, clearing the Rs. 500 Billion Circular Debt with immediate effect to let the system breathe (how they will do it, we don't know?) Second, to increase production from Gas fed Units which are relatively cheaper than Oil - costing around Rs. 5-6/KWH as compared to Rs. 17-18 for Oil -; Third, by diverting Oil supplies to efficient Units instead of inefficient Units, something which PPP government should have done but did not do.

However these are only short term strategies and will not provide long term relief unless we control the massive theft that is going all across Pakistan and is being referred to as "Line Losses"...which is by the way around 32% in India as compared to 20-25% in Pakistan; this is a political and governance problem...I have certain solutions in mind which I have discussed in this Monday program with Dr. Mifta Ismail, Dr. Farrukh Saleem and Mr. Shamsul Haq, Ex-Chairman Wapda...watch it and I will try explaining them in another note...we need innovative strategies to deal with this challenge and that will the real test of the new governments in the Center and the provinces...including the PTI government in KPK because that province has high incidence of theft and revenue loss....

Let's stay in touch on this issue of vital national importance and let's find a solution...

Getting paid for Hacking & Breaking Network Security

2013-05-27T11:58:00.002-05:00

Thirty-four-year-old Atiqur Rehman Khan is an information technology enthusiast who spends a sizable part of his day detecting weaknesses in local and foreign computer networks. His objective is clear – to let the administrator know the vulnerabilities of the system, which could potentially cause serious financial losses. In return, he is rewarded in cash and kind.

“Most of the time, the response from a foreign enterprise is quite encouraging,” he says. “They appreciate an effort to disclose a bug in their network.”

Khan says the reward could be in the form of an acknowledgement of the administrator’s help on the company website and its monetary value may range from $2,000 to $20,000 per report, depending on the critically of the vulnerability.

“It is a sizable amount,” he answers, clarifying: “that is so for reporting and not for fixing.”

“Patching earns a security solution provider additional money,” says Khan. He recounts accessing the admin panels of various country-specific domains of PayPal, eBay, etc.

Khan placed the logo of his cyber security solutions company on the lending (main) pages of the international payment gateway PayPal with domain names such as .ca, .de, .fr, etc.

These ventures are known as “bellwether” in the ecommerce industry. Therefore, their acknowledgement to Rehman’s reporting was obvious.

Author: Tariq Ahmed Saeedi
Source: Hacking: boon and bane
Publication: Money Matters (Jang Group) - May 27, 2013 Issue

Unfortunately, Pakistani enterprises do not understand the significance of having a sound and secure cyber presence, say IT experts here.

Their reasoning is simple. When a foreign venture, using advanced technology and a strong firewall, may be vulnerable to cyber attacks, how can a Pakistani venture, featuring less sophisticated technology, be cyber-secure?

Khan has received a positive response from the banking sector. He detected a bug in the website of a leading private bank. “I can’t disclose the name of the bank, with which I am in negotiations at the moment,” he says.

Hacking is not a new term. It has been in use for the last five decades, which is how long we have been interconnecting a set of computers/servers. In the past, hackers were known for their ability to spot weaknesses in a system and exploit them for personal gain. These days, computer geeks enjoy considerable prestige for alerting IT-dependent enterprises of their vulnerability to a cyber intrusion.

In cases where information and communication technology are core components of companies, they allow penetration testing of their computer network to find loopholes in their system and resolve them.

Apart from companies, defense and aerospace sectors also use the services of skilled hackers to prevent cyber espionage by other hackers motivated by malicious intent.

“Cyber criminals and hacktivists will strengthen and evolve the techniques and tools they use to assault our privacy, bank accounts, mobile devices, businesses, organisations, and homes,” stated the McAfee 2013 Threats Predictions report.

“Near-field communications-enabled phones are becoming more common. As users are able to make “tap and pay” purchases in more locations, they’ll carry their digital wallets everywhere. That flexibility will, unfortunately, also be a boon to thieves,” it added.

Companies and governments allocate resources to build defensive shields against cyber attacks and ward off threats to public property and life. Recently, cyber intrusion on the Iranian nuclear facility has been reported in the media. A tussle between US and China over Internet theft is also ongoing.

The hacking industry is growing on free flow of information over the Internet. Books on hacking techniques and e-tutorials can be downloaded from the Internet.

Senior IT expert Sultan Hamdani says one can use Google and other search engines to learn how to hack. There are numerous tutorials available on the Internet whereby one can learn the basics of hacking; advanced courses are also available, he adds.

Others say it’s not quite so simple. Afaque Ahmed of Breezecom says hacking is a science that also requires a degree of creativity for the hacker to play with codes.

The community of charity (good) hackers in Pakistan also fears legal prosecution against them in case of a bug reporting, comments a programmer. They say that administrators of infected systems do not take too well to any attempt that identifies weaknesses in their system.

“An executive of a bank was infuriated when I told him about the vulnerability of the bank’s network,” recalls Rehman. “He could have accused me of hacking,” he says.

Unlike developed countries, in Pakistan, there are no comprehensive laws on the subject of cyber crime, which could govern all aspects of the information and communication technology sector.

“It is not all about the law; rather, how it is being enforced,” argues Ahmed. “In developed countries, if there is a law to control cyber crime so is the ability to trace suspects and crimes,” he says. There are disclosure terms and conditions related to bug reporting governed by a relevant law in those countries, adds an expert.

In Pakistan, law enforcement agencies do not know which provision within the present legal framework should be invoked to prosecute an electronic offender. Subsequently, victims do not know how to seek justice.

The government enforced the Prevention of Electronic Crime Ordinance 2007 and made the Federal Investigation Agency with a special wing of the National Response Centre for Cyber Crimes (NR3C) responsible for tackling all kinds of electronic offences in the country. However, the ordinance has lapsed.

The objective of establishing the NR3C is not only to develop a mechanism to fight against electronic fraud but also to educate people about cyber crime. However, this wing has been reduced to a weak institute sans comprehensive laws and regulations.

“Now, what we have is the Telegraph Act to deal with an e-crime,” says a senior FIA official, who requested anonymity. The section 36/37 of the Electronic Transactions Ordinance is also invoked to prepare a charge sheet against a suspect.

In some cases, the application of this section is ridiculous, remarks Ahmed, who represented Pasha in the government-constituted committee, which drafted the cyber crime bill. The bill has been gathering dust in the power corridor for some time now.

“When a person is arrested in connection with a cyber crime, he is prosecuted under irrelevant sections of the given law. Technical knowledge is low and so people cannot question its relevance,” he says.

Funny police driver in Karachi

2013-04-27T12:31:00.000-05:00

You can always expect the unexpected in Karachi traffic, but the story I am about to share is not about any Raksha wala (Rickshaw driver), it's about a police car just like the image on the side.

I started noticing ambulance like sirens around Karsaz and wanted to give way as usual by keeping my car on the left side of the road to act like a responsible citizen. However, the police car was not able to take over and in my own self-righteous mind, I started thinking that other drivers around me could have little courtesy to let that police car pass and also get immediately rewarded with lesser noise.

The funny part was introduced in the story when I realized that other drivers were also trying to let that police car take over but the police driver himself did not know what to expect and kept trying to anxiously take over all the cars from the right side. I enjoyed the scene till FTC building, so next time, keep a watch for such drivers and don't miss a chance for entertainment.

Commodities trading in Pakistan and role of PMEX

2013-03-09T02:47:00.001-06:00

Commodity trade has achieved several milestones in the last few years. The gold rally, which carried on for 10 years till 2012, has increased the interest of domestic investors in the metal. Individual investors and financial institutions have also shown interest in crude oil, rice and other commodities. Pakistan Mercantile Exchange (PMEX), acting managing director Amjad Khan talks to Money Matters about the exchange and what investors can expect in the future.

What is the purpose of a commodities exchange?

PMEX is the first technology driven, web-based, demutualised commodities exchange in Pakistan. It is licensed and regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) and has 100 percent institutional shareholding. PMEX started its operations in May 2007 as a fully electronic exchange with nationwide reach. We are committed to providing a world-class commodity futures trading platform for market participants to trade in a wide spectrum of commodity derivatives. It name was changed from National Commodity Exchange Limited in March 2011 to better reflect its broad mandate and scope of activity to trade all types of futures contracts. The vision of PMEX is to bring international markets to a domestic platform – gold, silver, crude oil etc. – and to provide our domestic markets a gateway to international cotton, rice, wheat and sugar markets. The purpose of PMEX is to provide a platform for retail investors, corporations, farmers, millers and hedgers to make use of price discovery and price risk management (simply called hedging) according to their needs. PMEX does this by providing its target audience a legal, regulated and transparent 21-hours operational market for trading and investing in commodity futures.

How many commodities have been traded at the exchange and what are the lots?

Our product portfolio consists of metals [gold, silver, crude oil] which are internationally traded contracts, agri [rice–IRRI 6, sugar, wheat, cotton, palm olien] and financial [KIBOR] futures contracts. Each futures contract has a different unit of quantity. The lot size defines the total quantity per futures contract. If an individual wants to purchase 100oz. of gold, he/she has two options at the exchange. Either opt for 10 contracts of 10 oz. each, or buy one contract of 100oz. If one wants to buy 400 barrels of crude oil, then there is only one contract that has a lot size of 100 barrels. Thus, one would have to purchase four of these contracts.

How did the volume for the last calendar year compare with that for the preceding year and which commodities were popular?

In 2012, the volume traded at PMEX was Rs1.16 trillion. This represents a growth of almost 45 percent as compared to Rs802 billion traded in 2011. The most popular commodity in 2012 was our internationally traded gold contract, including the popular mini gold and tola gold physically deliverable contracts as well. The total value of gold traded on the exchange was Rs716 billion in 2012 and Rs580 billion in 2011.

What are future plans for PMEX?

PMEX envisions more commodities futures products in order to tap a larger customer base. Some of the products that are in the pipeline are international and domestic cotton futures, cottonseed oilcake futures, currency futures like USD-Japanese yen, USD-euro and USD-UK pounds, treasury bills futures, copper and steel futures and refined petroleum product futures. PMEX also intends to introduce shariah-compliant products. The opening of new offices in order to have presence in other cities across the country is also under consideration. We are working closely with asset management companies to launch commodity-based open-ended funds targeting the retail and corporate audiences.

What is the procedure for trading on the PMEX?

The first step is to open an account with a PMEX registered broker (the list can be found on the PMEX corporate website). Secondly, it is essential that the investor should be conscious of the fact that he is investing in a leveraged product and must not utilise all the leverage available or at least have extra funds at hand to deal with unforeseen volatility. The general precept for all investors is to invest only as much as they can afford to risk. The final step for opening an account is the payment of margin (which is a certain percentage of the contract value) after which the investor has the choice to trade directly on the market or place his orders with the broker who acts as his agent. However, in both the cases, the broker is the obligor to the exchange. It is advisable to demand access to an online account for the statements from the broker, and reconcile positions regularly.

Is it beneficial to start trading through mercantile exchanges or through licensed and approved brokerage houses?

An investor can only trade on PMEX through a PMEX-registered broker who is liable to the exchange in all matters pertaining to investor trading once the account is opened by the client. Make sure you don’t open your account with any commodity broker other than a registered broker.

How many brokerage house or companies have been allowed in and how many individual clients do you have?

Currently, we have 320 members on the exchange, of which 70 are actively trading. Our client portfolio consists of both retail and corporate investors; however, the majority falls in the latter category. With increasing awareness about the benefits of commodities trading, a lot of corporations are looking into the possibility of hedging their price risk using our futures contracts. The primary benefit of using futures contracts to hedge oneself is that an investor can benefit from both the scenarios i.e. price increase or decrease.

How many mercantile exchanges are operative around the world?

As of now, more than 70 exchanges exist worldwide. The Chicago Mercantile Exchange was the first modern day commodities exchange.

Is there any tax on profit made through PMEX or transaction fee charged by the exchange?

Net profit/gain from trading in futures contract is taxable as per the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001.The exchange charges a small fee per lot on each side of the trade that varies according to the contract. The brokerage house also charges a nominal fee for the trade from the buyer and seller.

How can crude oil, gold, silver or any product be tradable?

A futures contract is a legally binding agreement to buy and sell a commodity at a fixed price on a date in the future. Very simply, a futures contract (say, crude oil) derives its value from an underlying asset (in this case, crude oil – an international commodity). The settlement of contracts can be in the form of cash or physical delivery, as per the future contract specifications. Futures require a daily mark to market mechanism, along with margin requirements. This allows an opportunity for businesses and retail investors to hedge their price risk in the futures market. The writer is the head of the business desk at GEO TV.

Author: Haris Zamir
Source: Understanding the PMEX

Do you believe in Elections & Voting? It does not matter

2013-03-07T08:45:00.001-06:00

A lot of people spend a lot of time cursing the current government for corruption, incompetence and terrorism and yet they don't realize they are equally responsible for all this mess by not voting against parties that have been given several chances and yet fail to deliver. Pakistan's official voter turnout in Election 2008 was 46%, which most probably include bogus votes. See what Seth Godin says about the necessity of voting:

...Here's what political marketers learn from people who don't vote:

Nothing.

If you don't vote because you're disappointed with your choices, disgusted by tactics like lying and spin, or merely turned off by the process, you've opted out of the marketplace.

The goal of political marketers isn't to get you to vote. Their goal is to get more votes than the other guy. So they obsess about pleasing those that vote. Everyone else is invisible.

Steakhouses do nothing to please vegetarians who don't visit them, and politicians and their handlers don't care at all about non-voters.

The magic of voting is that by opting in to the system, you magically begin to count. A lot.
If you don't like negative ads, for example, then vote for the candidate who ran even 1% fewer negative ads. Magically, within a cycle or two, the number of negative ads begins to go down.
One reason that people don't vote (a real, usually unspoken reason) is that they don't want to feel responsible for the person who wins. The other reason is that they don't want to live with the disappointment of voting for someone who loses. Both of these reasons ignore the marketing reality: not voting doesn't make marketing or politics go away. It merely changes the person the marketers are trying to please.

Vote tomorrow. Bring a friend. If enough smart people start voting again, things will improve, because billions of dollars in political marketing will suddenly be trying to please you.

Source: Why vote? The marketing dynamics of apathy

Best way to start any Project, Meeting, Sales call etc.

2013-03-07T07:19:00.000-06:00

The road to success starts with asking--and answering--one simple question.

"What would make this call wildly successful for you?" he said.

I froze.

I'm usually not at a loss for words--I may not (okay, often don't) find the right words, but I can usually find some words.

Not this time.

I'm embarrassed to admit I thought, "A wildly successful phone call? Phone calls are phone calls. Interviews are interviews. Wildly successful--who thinks that way?"

Mike Williams, the president and CEO of the David Allen Company (the Getting Things Done folks), does.

After I stopped stammering Mike said, "A great way to be significantly more productive is to start anything you're about to do with one question: What does a wildly successful outcome for this meeting, project, conversation--whatever it might be--look like? If you ask that question up front you co-create success: Everyone knows what you're shooting for and actively works towards making it happen."

It sounded cheesy, but then I thought about it: It was the perfect question to ask. Why wouldn't you want a wildly successful outcome? Why wouldn't you want a wildly successful outcome for every other person involved?

I had planned to interview Mike for an Inc. article, and normally I would have said something like, "I'm looking for five or six tips readers can use to be more productive."

That's fine... but it's also pretty bland. And it sets up the interview to be pretty bland. I don't sound enthusiastic, I don't sound into it, and I definitely don't sound like I'm excited to talk to Mike (which I was, but at first I did a terrible job of showing it).

I should have said, "I'd love to get five or six great tips that small business owners can use to really supercharge their day. Not just to get more done but to feel great about themselves: to feel more efficient, more effective, more in charge. I'd love to get five or six great action steps that readers will immediately be excited to try and I know you're the perfect person to supply them."

Voila! Now it's not just any old phone call. Now it's not just any other conversation, one to have and check off the calendar. I'm excited. He's excited--and flattered. Now we have a real purpose. Now, together, we're going to try to create something great.

And with that kind of start, we most likely will.

To be more productive and truly engage other people, always start with that one question: What does a wildly successful outcome for this meeting, this project, this sales call, etc. look like?

Don't start anything until you know the answer.

Author: Jeff Haden, one of my most favorite writers at inc.com
Source: Best Way to Start, Well, Anything

Punjab Government (PMLN) responsible for Terrorism in Karachi and Quetta

2013-03-06T04:59:00.002-06:00

Our brilliant interior minister, Doctor Abdur Rehman Malik, has found the root of all evils and ready to attack Punjab assembly for causing chaos in Karachi and Quetta

And this evil Punjab government is sending terrorists through hired motorcyclists inspired to see the cities in Sindh and Baluchistan. I wish people remember this in coming elections

Source:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=623140344379689&set=a.419297821430610.117115.419255268101532&type=1&ref=nf

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=496282113752385&set=a.168471949866738.33227.168013623245904&type=1&ref=nf

Memon Popeye By Saleem Gabrani

2013-03-02T07:28:00.002-06:00

Interview of Chairman, Arif Habib Group

2013-03-02T04:42:00.001-06:00

In 1971, Arif Habib, chairman and chief executive of Arif Habib Group, began his journey in the stock market with an investment of Rs32,000 only. Thereafter, he launched his own securities exchange company in 1990 with an initial capital of Rs10million. Today, he is one of the most renowned businessmen in Pakistan.

From stock brokerage to asset management and private businesses, Arif Habib has had a successful journey whereby he has turned many sick units into profitable ones.

Habib is the chairman of Arif Habib Corporation Limited, Pakarab Fertilizers Limited, Fatima Fertilizer Company Limited, Thatta Cement Company Limited and Arif Habib Dubai Multi-Commodities Centre. He also serves as a director in various companies, including Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Company Limited.

Having been elected as the president/chairman of Karachi Stock Exchange six times in the past, Habib is also the founding member and former chairman of the Central Depository Company of Pakistan Limited.

An ardent cricket fan, Habib started playing cricket in 1967 when he was 14 years old. Even today at 60 years of age, he still plays the sport. He believes that if he was not a businessman then he would have been a retired cricketer.

Other than cricket, he enjoys listening to ghazals, especially ones that have good poetry and his favorite poet is Habib Jalib. Despite the deteriorating law and order situation in Karachi, Habib loves to drive town alone, without any of his bodyguards.

Q. In an era of specialisation, Arif Habib Group has several businesses that are not related. How do you manage this?

A. We began as a brokerage firm and then we entered asset management business. Initially, the company invested in listed companies only and when there were adequate funds, private equity investment to non-listed companies was also offered. In this process, the company also participated in the government’s privatisation programme.

Some of the investment we made as private equity investors were successful as our model was to identify technical partners, invest with them and assist them in financial structuring, fund raising and for introducing corporate governance principles.

The entire process went well, however during 2008’s financial crisis, some companies faltered and some partners couldn’t contribute additional capital to support our company. Thus, we had to provide additional capital to support those companies, whereby we also had to take over management and create capacity within the Arif Habib Group.

Q. What are the group’s future investment plans?

A. The fertiliser business is doing well and the group is setting up a company in Indiana, USA. We will be acquiring 51 percent shares of Midwest Fertiliser Corporation for a total investment of $1.7 billion.

The government of Indiana has raised $1.26 billion loan requirement for the project at five percent interest rate and $44 million will be contributed by the group.

Other than that, we are also establishing Sachal Energy Development (Pvt.) Limited’s wind power project in Gharo, Sindh. With an investment of $130 million, the project will be completed in two-and-a-half years and it will produce 50 MW.

Q. What’s your take on Pakistan’s current economic scenario?

A.It is challenging mainly because of weak public finance. The government has not taken effective measures to contain the rising fiscal deficit and current account deficit. However, businesses in Pakistan are thriving and most economic sectors seem to be making profits.

A large chunk of our GDP does not contribute to taxation, which is why the tax-to-GDP is dismally low. In fact, agriculture and trading sectors account for 41 percent of GDP but they contribute only three percent to total tax revenue collection. There’s immense scope to increase tax revenue collection if the government takes serious steps to bring these sectors into tax net.

Q. What are the sectors that have high investment potential?

A. At present, foreign investors are reluctant to invest in Pakistan as it’s a high-risk region. This has an adverse impact on the country’s current account. However, if the law and order and energy situation are improved then there’s great scope for investment in Pakistan.

The agriculture sector has high investment potential. Despite being blessed with fertile land and favourable weather conditions, agriculture yield in Pakistan is low as compared to other countries. Hence, there is still room for improvement and a lot can be done to give a boost to this sector. It is pivotal to develop a corporate farming culture and bring in educated people to the agriculture sector in order to get good results in a short time period.

The oil and gas exploration sector is another sector where good profit margins are also available. Other sectors that offer high potential for investment include textile, real estate and retail.

The media has created a negative perception of Pakistan. Although there are several grave challenges that need to be adressed, there is also a lot of positive in Pakistan that should be highlighted by the media to attract foreign investment.

Q. The general elections are around the corner. Will a change in government help address Pakistan’s economic woes?

A. Things on the economic front will improve if the elections are held on time and the democratic process continues. However, the business community should understand that the economic situation cannot be changed overnight. It will take time like any other process.

Q. In the current scenario, are you bullish on Pakistan?

A.Despite all odds, Pakistan has a good track record of providing high profitability margins to investors.

In the last twelve years, the Karachi Stock Exchange has given an annual return of 35 percent to investors. Since 2001, the Pakistani rupee has depreciated by five percent per annum and the market has given a 29 percent return in dollar terms to investors. Such type of investment is not available to investors anywhere in the region. A lot of new developments, which have already taken place in other parts of the world, are yet to occur in Pakistan. This will provide further opportunities to investors and offer high returns to them.

Q. What are the major challenges faced by Pakistan’s business sector?

A. Deteriorating law and order, energy crisis and lack of good governance. The d law and order and energy situation are the results of lack of planning and mismanagement by the government. If the government is able to tackle these issues and revive investors’ confidence, both local and foreign investment would increase.

Q. Real estate is among your key businesses now. How do you view the sector?

A. Corruption in the regulatory framework and the existence of land mafia are challenges that impede the sector’s growth. Despite these challenges, there is enormous potential in low income housing projects and high-end property and the profit margins are also high in the real estate sector.

There is a need to form a department which would deal with the challenges faced by the sector. The government should endeavour to provide long-term housing loans to people.

The Arif Habib Group is in the process of launching Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). Once the REITs are launched, small investors will be given an opportunity to invest in real estate projects as the minimum rate of return will be 12 percent and more. In addition, REITs will also help to finance different real estate projects, which are otherwise difficult to launch by single investors.

Q. And the stock market?

A. The stock market is trading at price earnings multiple of seven, while regional markets are trading at price earnings multiple of fourteen. I still believe that the stock market has not reached an all-time high because last time when it was trading at price earnings multiple of twelve, it had reached the 26,000 level.

Author:Hina Mahgul Rind
Source: From rags to riches

From rags to riches

Achievements of Democracy in Pakistan

2012-07-17T06:31:00.000-05:00

The following article by Javed Chaudhry mentions the golden era of Pakistan under the dictatorship of President Ayub Khan. When Pakistan was considered the Oxford of South Asia. When students from Muslim countries dreamed about getting education in Pakistan. When Pakistan denied providing 500,000 laborers to Germany given all the facilities and great compensation packages. When Pakistani president used to receive historical welcome by American President and citizens. When ambassador from Washington used to wonder which will be the most modern & developed city of the world in 1980 picked from Karachi, London and Washington.

The article mentions a lot more than that, but that is the unfortunate tale of the past. Democracy has screwed up the country from every perspective. This ethnically divided nation can only be controlled and developed by a string dictator, when will people understand that?

Real face of Democracy (or Hypocrisy) - Orya Maqbool Jaan

2012-03-06T06:48:00.000-06:00

Democracy is a good modern name for a process that helps an idiot to become a king, a dictator with a perception that the person has been selected by the masses. There was one good thing about the fascists, warriors, mass murderers and dictators of the past, they were called what they actually were. They were not called elected representatives of the people.

The world has already suffered a lot from this hypocrisy, and Pakistan also suffers at regular intervals from this. This post is based on the idea presented be renowned senior journalist Orya Maqbool Jaan. Please watch the following video to listen him:

PM Yousuf Raza Gilani's letter to Swiss Government

2012-02-15T10:09:00.000-06:00

This is the most funniest thing I came across on facebook today. A parody of the letter written by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to Swiss President. This might be translated to something like:

Dear President, Switzerland,

I am in trouble here, but hope you are well. As you already know how much effort our "martyred queen" and her husband have put in to rob the country and to deposit all the wealth in your banks, however, a crippled judge is after me and insists on writing a letter to you in this era of wireless technology. You are then requested to take good care of our wealth to make sure we could use it during the time of disgrace.

Love to your family and kids,

Prime Minister of Pakistan

Karachi - Least Expensive City in the World

2012-02-15T04:39:00.002-06:00

Herald Sun has published a survey conducted by The Economist that compared the price of 160 products and services in 130 cities. According to the survey, Karachi has become the least expensive city in the world.

This is most probably due to the weak rupee that makes us least expensive even during the high inflation.

Source: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/travel/news/melbourne-ranked-8th-most-expensive-city-in-the-world/story-fn32891l-1226271407342?sv=a9f8be57234ffda924ce7f6a8969fb04