STORY BEHIND THE PICTURE

Gareeb Ka Bachaa

2012-04-02T09:18:00.000-07:00

MUST READ ♥

Kyun K Main Gareeb Ka Beta Hoon ! :((

Zindagi Ko Sitam Main Kehta Hoon

Majbooriyo mein Bhi Khush Rehta Hoon

Chand Bondon Se Pait Bhar Leta Hoon

... Kyun K Main Gareeb Ka Beta Hoon

Thand Main Thithor Leta Hoon

Barsat Main Bheeg Leta Hoon

Garmi Jo Paon Jalati Hai

Toh Patharon Pe Main So Leta Hoon

Kyun K Main Gareeb Ka Beta Hoon

Kabhi Sabzi, To Kabhi Kuch Na Milay Namak,

Roti Pe Main Jee Leta Hoon

Zakham Chahe Jaisa Bhi Ho

Thodi Haldi Main Laga Leta Hoon

Kyun K Main Gareeb Ka Beta Hoon

Ek Kameez, Ek Patloon
Roz Bina Sabun Main Dhota Hoon

Bari Dukanon Ki Ronaq Dekh Kar Aksar Khush Main Ho Leta Hoon

Kyun K Main Gareeb Ka Beta Hoon

Gham Bhi Bohat Hain, Dard Bhi Hai

Dil Main Sab Daba Leta Hoon

Kabhi Akele To Kabhi Sab k Samne Ankhon Se Angootha Bhigo Leta Hoon

Kyun K Main Gareeb Ka Beta Hoon ! :( :(

RAISE YOUR VOICE AS WELL

2012-03-31T13:40:00.001-07:00

Major newspaper (including DAWN) and TV channels yesterday carried this story by APP claiming that widespread availability of cheap unlimited text message plans has made the service as preferred mode of communication for youngsters and its excessive use is leading to health problems among them.

Report said that SMS has surpassed rest of the forms of daily interaction amongst youngsters like face-to-face conversations, voice calling, etc.

It said that 60 per cent of youngsters send and receive over 125 text messages daily to interact with their peer group.

Report claimed that excessive texting is leading to a number of problems for kids such as insomnia, depression, lack of eating, isolation etc.

Almost 90 per cent of those interviewed by APP admitted that they sleep with their cell phone lying next to them and thus, keep slightly awake most of the time during their sleep.

Majority of respondents admitted that they are often awakened by a phone call or a text message after going to bed and the lack of sleep has affecting their work and progress.

On a related note, very similar survey with almost similar results was conducted by Indianindustry body Assocham back in July 2011. Interestingly APP’s findings exactly match with this study done by ASSOCHAM. And don’t get amazed if we tell you that we had revealed exactly similar impacts of SMS/Night Packages on youth back in July 2008.

Here’s what exactly we reported in 2008:

These night packages have made people lazy. As they don’t enjoy sound sleep at night and of course they have to do a lot of work at day as well so it is making them both physically and mentally sick.

Eating disorder is common among these people. They don’t go to anyone’s home as they can’t afford to waste any “free” night.

IT AWARDS in PAKISTAN

2012-03-31T13:35:00.001-07:00

TeraData National IT Excellence Awards were held last Sunday (March 18th, 2012), in which 13 Awards were given to the best of the best in the information technology industry; that’s how organizers define them.

We know of few winners, those who told us directly or we got to know about them through sources.

Here’s the list:

Khuram Mujtaba – Excellence in IT Business Intelligence
Shahid Arif – Excellence in Software Development
NetSol Technologies Limited – Excellence in Software Export
Dr. M. Sadiq Ali Khan – Excellence in Networking
Aamir Malik, Excellence in IT Media & Publication
Tariq Malik, CIO of the Year Award

We don’t know of other winners, who they are and what they won. TeraData’s official website wasn’t detailing any of the winners till yesterday. Today there are four winners mentioned on website out of 13 total awarded.

We called the numbers given on the website, but of no luck. In fact when I dialed a cell number mentioned on awards’ website the person told me that he is not associated with Teradata and can’t give me the list. He was probably from KPMG Taseer Hadi & Co., the firm responsible for the audit of awards.

I have been trying Teradata’s phone number, for over a week now; no one responds there but an answering machine.

Public relation email id for Teradata Pakistan mentioned on this page http://www.teradata.com/contact-us/public-relations/ is bouncing back. Probably because Sameera Siddiqui isn’t with the Teradata any more but page was never updated.

At the end, I gave up today and thought of asking you to share the award list, if by any chance you have it.

Health Information Technology

2012-03-31T13:31:00.003-07:00

Owing to the technology having improved and sharpen our lives to a much larger degree, in addition to stressing its involvement in different facets, inclusion of Information Technology (IT) applications in health sector also need proper attention.

Health Information Technology (HIT) refers to the use of IT and its applications by health personnel, patients and service providers etc. The usage may cater to cover a multitude of purposes i.e. keeping health records, facilitating appointments and assisting the physician etc.

Involvement of HIT in health sector is spreading at rapid pace in developed nations. However, in developing countries, particularly Pakistan, its applications are limited to administrative and financial purposes.

Our health system needs proper consideration. With an annual population growth of 2.1%, initiatives to tailor the health-sector to modern tech-tools seem mandatory for sake of a prosperous healthy Pakistan.

There is an urgent need to consider using HIT in the country’s health sector, as major occurrences of medical accidents occur due to lack of collaboration between medical practitioners, inaccessibility to latest medical tools and unavailability of patients’ log in emergency cases.

In a proper functional HIT, the medical records are computerized, internet is used for sharing documents, electronic identification for patients is used, and the system is fully centralized. Due to their nature of demanding quick care and treatment, health-related matters need integrity, quality of service, promptness and fast delivery. Using latest information technology tools promises such objective.

Some of its applications include reduction in paper work, which, in addition to lowering the chances of medical errors, is also eco-friendly. Also, the maintenance of a patient’s medical history in digital form relieves him from taking medical test repetitively. By accessing health information actively medical-professionals can get themselves updated with latest trends and latest communication tools can allow long distance collaborations.

For underdeveloped countries, the major reason preventing them to include HIT is the lack of proper IT and telecom infrastructure. However, in our case, the technological advances allow even far-flung areas to get connected via Internet, which can be considered as backbone of HIT. Moreover, the country is blessed with talented IT professionals and engineers. However, it lacks planning and support from the respective authorities.

Some of the suggestions are as:

In addition to planning and initiating the idea, training arrangements should be made for concerned medical as well as technical professionals. A fragment of such professionals should be cross-trained and HIT related courses should be included in the medical curriculum.
To evaluate its feasibility, research and statistical studies need to be carried. Proper allocation of funds is also necessary as in previous fiscal year, among Rs. 663 billion allocated for public sector development, only Rs. 16.9 billion were fixed for health division.
Due to cultural and social setup, general tendency to adopt a change is lower. To help solve such quandary, the authorities must emphasize the need to adopt HIT.
Initially the newly HIT-based setup should run in parallel with conventional system and to rule-out chances of starting errors, back-up arrangements must be available.

Israel active in pakistan

2012-03-31T13:25:00.000-07:00

Social Media especially Facebook and Twitter are very much popular all around the globe. Every one is using them whether he/she is a student, businessman, housewives, religious scholars etc.

Name anyone from any class of life and you will find him a user of any of the above mentioned media.

The popularity is increasing by every passing day. We have already seen that businesses are advertising and winning customers through Facebook whereas recruiters are recruiting potential candidates through Facebook too. Some are making friends while others are searching for their life partners. All this and many more activities like games, information gathering are being carried out through these social networks.

All of the above mentioned activities may not look odd to anyone but what is interesting about the Facebook is that it may be the first time that social media is being used to develop relationships with other country.

As we all know that Pakistan has no diplomatic relations with Israel and infect Pakistan hasn’t recognized Israel till yet but in an attempt to foster relationships with Pakistani people, especially with youth, Israel has decided to use much popular social media Facebook.

They have created a page on Facebook by the name of Israel in Pakistan.

At first, by the title of Page, it looks as if Israeli embassy is working in Pakistan but when you go into “info” tab, only then situation gets little clearer.

The information mentioned on the page is as below:

Since Israel and Pakistan do not enjoy formal diplomatic relations, this online embassy serves to foster friendship between nationals of Israel and Pakistan on Facebook. Hopefully we can soon build real embassies in Pakistan and Israel, Shalom!

Mission

“The Embassy of Israel in Pakistan has created this Facebook page as a resource of information on Israel and provides updates on the Mission’s activities to the general public.”

For the time being they have also allowed user postings on the page and till date 2350 people have joined the page. The page is being advertised rigorously through Facebook adverts. Till now most of the postings on the page contain hatred and racism against Jews & Israel.

Let’s see how much they will be successful in their attempt to develop relations with Pakistan. But one thing that people should do that despite the hatred with Israel they should comment or post in a civilized manner as they are representing Pakistan.

Right now people are posting in an offensive, uncivilized manner which is bringing disrepute for them and country as well.

Moreover this matter should be taken at Pakistan Government level and government should devise a strategy in this regard too.

Who is this. ?

2012-03-31T13:11:00.000-07:00

VOTE CONFORMATION

2012-03-31T12:49:00.002-07:00

National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has announced that it will include name of polling station in service reply (as SMS) specifically launched for verification of vote status.

Though it didn’t clarify on when the information about polling status in verification SMS will be included.

Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in collaboration with NADRA and mobile phone operators had launched the world’s biggest SMS service for 83.2 million Pakistani voters, besides displaying new electoral rolls across the country.

Name of polling station would also be included in SMS reply in future, so that a voter can have the knowledge where he/she would cast vote.

Critiques are opining that NADRA and ECP should have included this (polling station) information at the launch of the service, as customers will have to repay for vote verification SMS service to know about their polling station.

How to Check your Vote Status?

Simply send your CNIC (without dashes) to 8300
Example: Send “3740541882200” to 8300

You will soon receive a reply with following information:

Your CNIC Number
Polling Station name, with. District, Tehsil and city/town/village
Block Code
Serial Number

Charges:

Rs. 2 plus tax per SMS

Note: Reply message is likely to have words in Urdu (unicode). You may not be able to read the text message if your phone doesn’t support unicode.

Election Commission said that it has purposefully not included the voters’ name and home address to avoid any privacy violations. Still, according to some, inclusion of polling station information can pose risk on privacy of individuals.

Service has been used by more than 6 million subscribers in Pakistan, since its launch last month. Those with any objections in voters’ status can contact 50,000 display centers, specifically established for corrections.

NADRA revealed that Mobilink’s share in total SMS utilized for the purpose is 31.17 percent. Telenor is second as far as using the particular service is concerned. Its share is 28 percent. Ufone is third in a row with 22 percent in total SMS, Warid with 10 percent and Zong with 9 percent in total SMS share.

Tibbet Protest in INDIA

2012-03-31T12:44:00.000-07:00

Get The IELTS Score YOU WANT.

2012-03-27T13:05:00.000-07:00

Don't waste too much time on Task 1. Learn all specific writing structure for each type of task 1. In the real test, you just have to apply that structure with new data and suitable verb tenses. Read sample essays and take note good structure to have a wide range of academic structures for this task. Below are some model sentences and phrases frequently used for task 1:

4 model sentences:

The period from... to... witnessed/saw a drastic rise in the number of cars sold in England.

The proportion of female students in North High school from ...to... underwent/experienced a substantial growth of roughly.....

A minimal growth of around 12% was recorded for the period from.....to.....

There was a remarkable increase of about 23 million in the number of............

For describing a slight increase/decrease

(slight/gradual/minimal/minor/marginal/slow/modest/fractional) incease/growth/climb//decrease/reduction/decline/drop/fall

For describing a sharp increase/decrease

(sharp/dramatic/substantial/rapid/drastic/erratic/remarkable) incease/growth/climb//decrease/reduction/decline/drop/fall
*remarkable : only for postitive meaning

Strong verb for “increase”

rocket

Strong verb for decrease

plumet/slump/dive/plunge

For describing a peak

The number of cars attained/peaked/troughed/ at 2000
The number of cars reached a peak/hit a trough/rose to a peak/ of 2000

For describing stability

The number of cars flattened off/levelled off/stabilised/remained unchanged/remained consistent/remained constant/remained stable at 200

For describing the lowest point

The number of students hit a trough/troughed at/plunged to a trough of. 2000

For describing a fluctuation

The number fluctuated between 1 and 3
The number fluctuated wildly around 1 and 4

Some words for describing “approximately”

about/around/approximately/well over/roughly

Grade 12 English Writing Task 1

2012-03-27T12:32:00.001-07:00

Grade 12 English @ ATHS Dubai: Writing Task 1

Helpful Tips For IELTS

2012-03-27T12:29:00.002-07:00

Many people have told me that they are very scared of the speaking test as in the real test their minds seem to be in the fairy land. They dont know how to answer the questions or what they are talking about. To tell the truth, neither do I :">. Though I got 8.0 in total, I only got 7.0 for speaking skill :( . To achieve a high band score in IELTS speaking, you should use a wide range of structures, vocabulary and show off your knowledge as well. In this post, I'll show you how to give a better answer .

Question: Tell me about your family.
Common Answer: There are 2 people in my family.
Better Answer: In Vietnam today, almost families have 4 members, and my family is no exception.
Note: This sentence is built with three parts. First is the place, Vietnam. Second is the situation, many families with three people. Third is this person's family.

Question: What is your hometown like?
Common Answer: My hometown is very nice.
Better Answer: Although my hometown is not very famous, it has several advantages that make it a great place to live.

Question: How do you feel about your job?
Common Answer: I like my job very much.
Better Answer: Although you might not believe it, I really enjoy my job every day.

Question: What do you dislike about your classes?
Common Answer: Studying is very difficult.
Better Answer: When I think about how hard my classes are, I feel like quitting, which is one reason I've decided to go abroad.
Note: The question is about a feeling and the answer is about a feeling. Good!

Question: What do you want to do in the future?
Common Answer: I want to be a lawyer in the future.
Better Answer: I first thought about being a lawyer when I was a child, and now, after many long years of study, it seems my dream will become reality.
Note: Excellent! Compare the past dream with the present hard work to show the bright future!

Better Answers for IELTS students

2012-03-27T12:10:00.000-07:00

IELTS Speaking Exercise: Sentence Building ( Continued)

Question: What do you do in your free time?
Common Answer: In my free time I like to play sports.
Better Answer: If I ever had free time, I would probably do many different things, including playing sports, listening to music, and going out with my friends.
Note: Good examples.

Question: Tell me about a typical day in your life.
Common Answer: My typical day begins when I wake up.
Better Answer: After resting all night, I wake up every morning looking forward to a new day.

Question: What will you do when you go abroad?
Common Answer: I want to study Computer Science in Australia.
Better Answer: If I am able to get a visa, I hope to learn about Computer Science in Brisbane, Australia, so that I can come back to China and work for a successful local company.

Question: What are some typical jobs that people do in your country?
Common Answer: Many people in China work as farmers.
Better Answer: One of the biggest industries in China is agriculture, so there are a large number of people working as farmers.

Question: Tell me about a celebration or festival in your country.
Common Answer: The Spring Festival is the biggest holiday of the year in China.
Better Answer: When winter is coming to an end, which means a new spring is not far behind, and that is when we in China have our largest celebration of the year, the Spring Festival.

Question: Do you like to go shopping?
Common Answer: I hate shopping, but I have to do it.
Better Answer: When I think of shopping, I think of all the crowds, all the difficult choices, and all the money I will have to spend, so I hate to go shopping

TIPS FOR YOUR HOUSE

2012-03-26T12:00:00.001-07:00

9 Quick Tips for Keeping Your Home Feeling Serene and Organized.

I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about—you guessed it!—how to be happier at home. Here are a few very simple suggestions. These aren’t the most profound things you can do to make your home feel more serene and organized, but they’re steps you can take fairly quickly.

1. Be wary of bargains, sales, hand-me-downs, and give-aways. Do you really need this thing? Or love it? Beware: because of the “endowment effect,” we value things more once we own them. Once that thing enters your home, it will be tough to get it out again.

2. Never label anything “Miscellaneous.”

3. Remember: most decisions don’t require extensive research. Aim to be a satificer, not a maximizer.

4. Don’t let yourself fall into “empty.” Keep cash in the house. Keep gas in your tank. Keep an extra roll of toilet paper squirreled away. Keep your phone charged.

5. Don’t keep excessive amounts of anything. Those glass vases that come from florists. Those ketchup packets that come with take-out food. A house with two adults probably doesn’t need fifteen mismatched souvenir coffee cups.

6. Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Lower the bar. Actually spending ten minutes clearing off one shelf is better than fantasizing about spending a weekend cleaning out the basement.

7. Clean while you cook (literally and metaphorically).

8. Put things away in a specific place. It’s much easier to find things later, and it’s oddly satisfying to slot things into their precise places. “Ah, this particular basket on this shelf is the place for the AAA batteries.”

9. Make your bed. I know it sounds trivial, but it’s a bigger happiness booster than you’d expect.

Sugar Got You Down

2012-03-26T11:52:00.002-07:00

Sugar Got You Down? 10 Steps to Help You Break Free.

Every day I teach people how to cook with nutrient-dense foods and explain the risks associated with eating a processed diet. I think it would surprise many of my students and readers that I am a recovering addict—a sugar addict. There was a time when I couldn’t make it through a day without my sugar fix, whether it was ice cream, candy, or bakery sweets. My need for sugar was even more intense when I was stressed out or feeling overwhelmed. When I would eat a brownie, I could feel my whole body relax. But all this excess sugar took a toll on my physical and mental health. It was keeping me from being the person I wanted to be.

I have a feeling many of you will relate to this. While others may be in denial—how can sugar be classified as addictive? And even if it is, what’s the big deal? Let me give you a taste:

Sugar is completely non-nutritive, terribly acid-forming to our system, pro-inflammatory, fuels yeast, fungus, cancer, contributes to depression, and raises triglycerides and cholesterol. If that doesn’t raise an eyebrow, sugar also breaks down the collagen in your skin and ages you more quickly than you need to.

Worst of all, sugar is just as addictive as cocaine.

If you’re one of those fortunate people that can consume sugar in moderation, e.g. after dinner on Friday and Saturday, then you don’t have anything to worry about. But for the majority of this country, for whom sixteen percent of their daily calories comes from sugar or its derivatives—we need to make a change. Here are some of the strategies that helped me kick the sugar habit.

1. Educate yourself about the potential dangers of sugar.

You will be more motivated to let go of sugar once you really understand and accept the negative effects it has on your health. A few resources include, the book Sugar Blues by William Dufty, the NY Times Magazine article Is Sugar Toxic? by Gary Taubes, and the video Sugar: The Bitter Truth by Dr. Robert Lustig.

2. Identify and understand your sugar triggers.

These can be stress, intoxication, boredom, hunger, feeling tired, or a post-lunch dip in energy. Commit to a plan for other outlets to deal with these triggers in order to break this habitual behavior. For example, if you know that every day at 3:00 p.m. you look for candy in the breakroom, tell yourself you will go for a walk or drink a hot tea instead. If you’re concerned you’ll be hungry, plan for a satisfying, non-sweet snack, such as hummus with raw vegetables or plain yogurt with almonds and coconut.

3. Eat well.

It may seem obvious, but when the body is well-nourished, it doesn’t seek empty calories. It is also important to eat enough at breakfast and lunch so that you’re not constantly craving food.

4. Start your day with something savory.

You are more likely to trigger sugar cravings during the day if you eat something sweet for breakfast. Instead, choose the opposite, such as a vegetable omelet or bowl of soup.

5. Choose nutritive forms of sweet.

We still need to satisfy the body’s desire for sweet, but we can do that with more nutrient-dense “sweet” foods such as sweet potatoes, roasted root vegetables, even cooked onions. Other foods you can use to mimic sweetness without adding sugar are spices like cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg; vanilla powder; unrefined coconut oil (I cook pancakes and French toast with coconut oil and sauté Swiss chard and kale with it); and almond milk, particularly in coffee and smoothies. If you struggle with sugar cravings, be careful about consuming excess fresh fruit.

6. Commit to three days sugar-free.

I normally recommend incorporating dietary changes gradually, but sugar cravings are best tackled cold turkey. Many people find that after three days of no sugar, the cravings stop completely. Beware of hidden sources of sugar in foods such as power bars, sauces and salad dressings, cereal, tomato sauce, and non-dairy milks. If you’re not sure, read your labels!

7. Don’t switch to artificial sweeteners.

Don’t make the mistake of swapping one poison for another. The only things more acid-forming than sugar are artificial sweeteners such as Splenda and Aspartame. Not only that, studies show that artificial sweeteners promote weight gain and, you guessed it, more sugar cravings.

8. Sugar is sugar.

Although it may be tempting to load up on alternative, “natural” sweeteners such as maple syrup or coconut palm sugar which may be less refined, boast a few more nutrients than processed sugar, and may be slightly less acid-forming, they will still fuel any addiction you might have to sugar. Stevia, a naturally sweet, carb-free herb, seems to be one of the few natural sweeteners that doesn’t trigger cravings.

9. Remove all sweets from the house.

Do a full clean-out – no mercy here. If you are uncomfortable throwing food away give it away to a neighbor or co-worker, but do not rely on your willpower.

10. Try an acupuncture addiction treatment.

If you feel like you need extra support, acupuncture can be effective in two ways. It helps to naturally restore the homeostatic state in the body, thus decreasing cravings for sugar that simply mask deeper issues. It also can work on the psycho-emotional aspect of addiction—in this case, sugar—by creating a sense of well-being without the need to fill any voids with sugar or other temporary mood enhancers, like alcohol, cigarettes, etc.

Media by Shah G.

2012-03-25T10:41:00.000-07:00

Jungle ka Qanoon by MOHSIN E PAKISTAN

2012-03-25T10:21:00.000-07:00

Charagh taly Andhyra

2012-03-25T10:08:00.000-07:00

Future clock

2012-03-25T10:05:00.003-07:00

Nobel Peace Prize

2012-03-25T09:59:00.000-07:00

Pakistani charity founder nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

Known for establishing the world's largest ambulance service, a Karachi man is now in line to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Abdul Sattar Edhi's is one of the most famous men in Pakistan. He opened a medical clinic which eventually spawned the world's largest ambulance service and an international charity.

Boycott Israeli Dates

2012-03-25T09:39:00.000-07:00

Check the Label - Boycott Israeli Dates
Ramadan is a time of year when we remember those who are less fortunate than ourselves. It would be an affront if at such a time we helped support oppression

Every year, Israel exports millions of pounds worth of dates to the world, which many people unknowingly buy and use to break their fasts. These dates are grown in illegal settlements in the west bank and the Jordan Valley, on land that has been stolen from Palestinians. By buying these dates, we are in fact helping Israel to continue its occupation and oppression of the Palestinian people.

As a guide please avoid the following companies:

Carmel
Agrexco
Jordan Plains
Jordan Valley
Hadiklaim
King Soloman Dates
Jordan River

There are varieties of dates from various other countries to source your dates from.

Making Money from the Occupation
- Dates were Israel's leading fruit export, most of which come to Europe
- The total income for Israel from dates in a year is approximately €80 million.

Palestinian Workers
Israelis will claim that Palestinians are allowed to work on the land of these settlers and therefore they are provided with jobs and a boycott will harm them. In actual fact, these Palestinians are employed for paltry wages, and they are required to do the back-breaking work that the Israeli settlers will not do themselves. This means the Israeli settlers reap the rewards for the harvests while doing very little of the work themselves.

Palestinian children are employed by these settlers, and they are forced to work long hours under a hot baking sun for small sums of money. This exploitation means that these children miss out on an education.

Sada C Bat

2012-03-25T09:14:00.001-07:00

Ibadat by javed choudhary

2012-03-25T08:56:00.002-07:00

Can the PM now pass ‘honesty test’ in SC?

2012-03-25T08:51:00.001-07:00

The latest statements of the Attorney General of Pakistan and of the senior senator who just retired, on the prime minister’s stance taken in the Supreme Court in the contempt case, has further raised doubts whether the Pir-o-Murshid of Multan’s ‘Gaddi’ is “Ameen” and “honest”, as the Constitution of Pakistan so explicitly requires.

In their exclusive talk with The News, Attorney General Maulvi Anwarul Haq, as well as senior SC advocate SM Zafar, had given the lie to the “facts” as narrated by Gilani in his recent reply filed before the apex court through his counsel.

Gilani gave in writing to the apex court that he was not informed of different decisions of the SC in the NRO implementation case but his own attorney general told this newspaper that after every decision, he had been meeting the prime minister to brief him on the court verdicts and directions.

Submitted in writing before the apex court, the prime minister referred to Article 10-A of the Constitution to prove that this part of the 18th Amendment was introduced to deal with cases like the one he presently faces in the apex court.

However, SM Zafar, who had proposed the insertion of this very article in the Constitution and was part of the 18th Amendment committee of parliament, said that this stipulation was adopted specifically to afford a “fair trial and due process of law” to civilians tried under the Army Act, having no right of appeal in civilian superior courts.

This situation has exposed the prime minister as misrepresenting and distorting facts despite the fact that the Supreme Court, in its January 10 order, had already raised the question if the prime minister was “Ameen” and “honest” but his latest reply filed before the apex court has increased such doubts.

In its January 10 decision, the apex court, on the issue of non-implementation of NRO decision by the prime minister, had said: “.....the apparent persistent, obstinate and contumacious resistance, failure or refusal of the chief executive of the federation, i.e. the prime minister to completely obey, carry out or execute the directions issued by this court in the case of Dr. Mobashir Hassan (supra) reflects, at least, prima facie, that he may not be an honest person on account of his not being honest to the oath of his office and seemingly he may not be an ameen due to his persistent betrayal of the trust reposed in him as a person responsible for preserving, protecting and defending the Constitution and also on account of allowing his personal political interest to influence his official conduct and decisions.”

In his recent reply in the contempt of court case, the PM said: “I submit that I have been informed that this hon’ble court cannot and should not attribute knowledge to an accused person on a mere presumption. Knowledge must actually be proved. It cannot be presumed. Even the documents presented by the prosecution (Attorney General) that comprise a series of orders passed by this Hon’ble Court, were not contemporaneously brought to my knowledge in my capacity as the prime minister or otherwise. I was not apprised of the proceedings of this hon’ble court although they may well have been in the knowledge of the learned Attorney General, the Law Secretary and the Law Minister.”

In response to this written argument of the PM, the AG told The News on Wednesday last that he always conveyed all the orders and directions of the Supreme Court to all concerned, including President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Gilani, in the cases relating to contempt and non-implementation of the judgment on the NRO. “It is a mere allegation, having no basis,” Maulvi Anwarul Haq said.

Claiming that he had encouraged parliament to adopt a new fundamental right, enshrined in Article 10-A in the Constitution through 18th Amendment, the prime minister objected that the present seven-member bench cannot hear the contempt case.

But to Pir-o-Murshad’s bad luck, the very originator of Article 10A of the Constitution on “right to fair trial”, SM Zafar, has trashed the line of reasoning of Prime Minister Gilani and his lawyer in the contempt proceedings in the Supreme Court by saying that this stipulation was adopted specifically to afford a “fair trial and due process of law” to civilians tried under the Army Act, having no right of appeal in civilian superior courts.

“It was at my initiative alone that Article 10A was added to the then under consideration 18th Amendment in the 26-member multi-party parliamentary committee on constitutional reforms, which prepared its draft,” leading legal expert SM Zafar had told The News on Thursday.

He said the basic and primary reason behind introducing this article was to provide respite to those civilians who are prosecuted under the Army Act but have no right of appeal to high courts or the Supreme Court.

These two statements of the AG and former senator and the very originator of Article 10-A has not only further spoiled PM’s case in the apex court but also furthered the doubts if such a person, who distorts and mutilates facts before the Supreme Court could be an “Ameen” and “honest”, which are the most important pre-conditions for a member of parliament and provincial assemblies.

Is this just another case waiting to be filled in the Supreme Court to judge whether the chief executive of the country qualifies to be so? Will he pass the honesty test? The evidence is strong against him.

Facebook privacy

2012-03-25T06:17:00.000-07:00

Facebook on Friday blasted employers that want to peer at what workers have posted on their personal accounts at the world's leading social network.
Facebook chief privacy officer Erin Egan urged members of the online community not to share passwords with current or potential employers and warned companies to resist pressing for access.
"In recent months we've seen a distressing increase in reports of employers or others seeking to gain inappropriate access to people's Facebook profiles or private information," Egan said in a blog post.
"The most alarming of these practices is the reported incidences of employers asking prospective or actual employees to reveal their passwords."
She argued that snooping employers undermine the privacy of workers, and their friends at Facebook, while exposing themselves to legal risks.
For example, prospective employers could be accused of discriminating against an applicant based on seeing Facebook account information revealing someone's age or sexual preference.
"You shouldn't be forced to share your private information and communications just to get a job," Egan said.
"As the friend of a (Facebook) user, you shouldn't have to worry that your private information or communications will be revealed to someone you don't know and didn't intend to share with just because that user is looking for a job."
To enforce the point, Facebook made it a violation of its policy to share or solicit an account password.
"We don't think employers should be asking prospective employees to provide their passwords because we don't think it's right the thing to do," Egan said.

Who They Are?

2012-03-25T05:39:00.000-07:00