Posted on 13 February 2012 by Tea Server
Mazhar Iqbal A senior lawyer-cum-politician from Gilgit Baltistan (GB)-a territory disputed between India and Pakistan and currently governed by Pakistan-backed government, has recently sent a communiqué to the president of Pakistan soliciting representation for this region in the upper house of the parliament. Advocate Amjad Hussain, member Gilgit Baltistan Council and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) [...]
Posted on 13 February 2012 by Tea Server
PROFESSOR ALI SUKHANVER A few days back, Chaudhry Aslam khan, the SSP CID Karachi said in an interview with a private TV channel that unless courts give a legal authenticity to the evidence of the police officials particularly in cases of terrorism, the giant of terrorism cannot be chained. It is a common complaint that [...]
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Posted on 12 February 2012 by Tea Server
India and China have had tensions since a 1962 border war, and New Delhi
has watched with dismay in recent years as Beijing has increased its
influence in the Indian Ocean.
China has financed the development of ports in Pakistan, Sri Lanka,
Bangladesh and Myanmar, and its recent effort to get access in the
Seychelles prodded New Delhi to renew its own outreach to the Indian
Ocean island state off western India.
With its recent purchases, running into tens of billions of dollars,
India is finally working to counter what it sees as aggressive
incursions into a region India has long dominated.
Posted on 12 February 2012 by Tea Server
Details are not known but Dassault confirmed the agreement with the
Mumbai-based Mukesh Ambani-led Indian conglomerate. It was signed a week
or so after the Government announced the Rafale as the winner in the
Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) fray Jan 31.
In a statement, the French company said: Dassault Aviation, a major
player in the global aerospace industry has entered into an MoU with
Reliance Industries Ltd., India’s largest private sector company, for
pursuing in strategic opportunities of collaboration in the area of
complex manufacturing and support in India.
Dassault manufactures Rafale combat jets and Falcon business jets, and
the proposed venture should foray into both these sectors.
Company sources also pointed out that much of the tooling and weapons of
IAF’s Mirage 2000, which are being upgraded to Mirage 2000-5 standards,
are common with those of the Rafale, and therefore it would be easier
to absorb the new generation technologies, both in manufacturing and
operations.
Posted on 11 February 2012 by Tea Server
Why is the drought of Miss World and Miss Universe crowns for Indian women since 2000. Does this mean Indian women are not the most beautiful in the world. Did Indian women win continuously for several years because suddenly a crop of especially beautiful women had appeared? Or was it because the beauty business had [...]
Posted on 11 February 2012 by Tea Server
By Surojit Gupta for The Times of India
Trade ties between India and Pakistan are expected to get a boost as New Delhi reaches out to the business community across the border, starting Monday to assure them about the positive impact of normal trade ties. Commerce minister Anand Sharma will undertake a rare journey to Pakistan, leading a large delegation of senior officials and top businessmen as the two hostile neighbours take baby steps to normalise trade and economic relations.
The private sector led by industry chambers has put up an “India show”, in Lahore and Karachi – the first ever trade exhibitions from India where over 100 exhibitors are participating. Firms representing pharmaceuticals, textile, gems and jewellery, chemicals and petro-chemicals are showcasing products.
The move is a follow up to the efforts to normalise trade ties. The Pakistan government announced granting of Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to India in November last year. But, criticism from a section of industry in Pakistan has forced Islamabad to take measured steps on the issue. But, officials said they were optimistic that by the end of 2012, the transition to full MFN status would be complete.
Officials said they will launch outreach programme to assure businessmen in Pakistan that Indian goods will not swamp the Pakistan market if trade is normalised. “We will tell them that there are enough trade safeguards measures to ensure that Indian goods do not flood the Pakistani market. Let us first liberalise trade and see the impact,” said a senior government official.
Pakistan allows exports to India but has a positive list of 1,938 items which are officially allowed to be imported from India. Latest data shows that formal trade between India and Pakistan rose to $2.7 billion in 2010-11 from $144 million in 2001, while informal trade including third country trade is estimated at $10 billion, according to a Ficci status paper. “I have no doubt in my mind that bilateral trade, which currently stands at $3 billion, can be raised to $10 billion if trade through third countries (Dubai, Singapore and Central Asian countries) is channelised into direct exchange between the two countries,” said R V Kanoria, president, Ficci.
The government has undertaken a series of measures to increase bilateral trade. There is a move to open a second gate at the Attari-Wagah border, which is expected to increase the number of trucks crossing the border to 500-600 daily from 150-200 at present. Pakistan has agreed to remove restrictions on the number of commodities traded by the land route once the infrastructure in Wagah is ready, while both countries have agreed to avoid arbitrary stoppage of goods at ports. Suggestions have been made for opening up of an additional land route at Monabao-Khokhara Par on the Sindh border for faster movement of goods.
“We are taking significant steps to improve the border infrastructure. India has invested nearly Rs 150 crore to develop infrastructure at the Integrated Check post near Attari,” said a senior government official. He said the visa regime for business travel is also expected to be liberalised soon with multiple entry visas for 10 Indian cities, along with exemptions for police reporting. The formal announcement is expected to be made soon. Talks to expand trade in petroleum products are progressing, while efforts are also on to start negotiations for trade in electricity between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. Both sides have agreed on grid-connectivity between Amritsar and Lahore, which would pave the way for trade of up to 500 MW of power.
Trade experts said they were optimistic about the latest moves and said the effort will go a long way in helping faster regional integration. “The positive spin off for normalisation of trade is enormous. Pakistan has given signals and India now needs to take the initiative. Normalisation of bilateral trade relations will help in putting much of the political bickering on the backburner,” said Biswajit Dhar, director-general at Research and Information System for Developing Countries, an economic and trade thinktank. Experts said there was huge potential for forging joint ventures between Indian and Pakistani companies in sectors such as information technology, fish-processing, drugs and pharmaceuticals, agro chemicals, chemicals, automobile ancillary and light engineering.
Pakistanis for Peace Editor’s Note- The best chance of peace between India and Pakistan can only be achieved through trade and normalization of ties. The India Show at the Lahore International Expo Centre Feb 11-13 will go a long ways to bridging the gap and move us closer to achieving peace one day, which is the best scenario for both nations long term.
Filed under: Desi, India, Pakistan, Pakistanis, Peace, SAARC Tagged: Amritsar, Anand Sharma, Attari, Attari-Wagah Border, Biswajit Dhar, Dubai, Ficci, India, India Inc, India Pakistan Trade, India Show, Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Lahore Expo Center, MFN, Monabao-Khokhara Par, Most Favored Nation, Most Favoured Nation, New Delhi, Pakistan, Pakistan-India Relations, R V Kanoria, Research and Information System for Developing Countries, Singapore, The India Show, Trade Tariffs
Posted on 10 February 2012 by Tea Server
India’s Supreme Court ordered telecoms licences issued under a scandal-tainted 2008 sale be revoked, striking a decisive blow against corruption that plagues the country and roiling the world’s second biggest cellular market. The ruling applies to 122 licences held by eight operators including Norway’s state-backed Telenor which said it may quit India rather than wait [...]
Posted on 10 February 2012 by Tea Server
“Pakistan is a rich, rich country,” says Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s, Imran Khan, in an interview to the Indian publication, Hardnews.
Posted on 10 February 2012 by Tea Server
Campaign of murder, terror & harassment against Kashmiri students studying in various parts of India. Student tortured and murdered. Hung with his hands tied. Indian Police dismiss it a suicide. Refuse to investigate.
Kashmiri Student ‘Murdered’ In Lucknow
In a bizarre incident, a Kashmiri student doing his MBA course in Uttar Pradesh has allegedly been murdered but the Lucknow police closed the case without either registering a case or conducting any investigation.
…
However, the family sources said, that on seeing clear marks of violence over the body, which convinced them he had not ended his life but had been murdered. At this, the body was photographed and videographed in presence of the deputy superintendent of police, Uri, after which it was laid to rest at the ancestral graveyard.The family sources alleged it was a clear case of murder and the body had been hung from the tree to show it as suicide. “If at all, Danish had to end his life, he could have done it at the hostel itself. Why should he have gone missing and hanged himself from a tree away from the college that too having his hands tied up,” they asked, adding Danish had gone to Lucknow to pursue his studies and had no signs of any mental stress.
Reports said it was the sixth case of Kashmiri students being subjected to harassment outside the state which has claimed one precious life with this incident and which has created a sense of insecurity among all their fellow students studying in various Indian states.
…
Posted on 09 February 2012 by Tea Server
Posted on 09 February 2012 by Tea Server
Posted on 09 February 2012 by Tea Server
Head of the Department of Philosophy, Government College for Women University of Mysore, Mandya-571401 (Karnatika).
Re-printed from “Islam and Modern age”, Hydrabad, March 1978.
Posted on 08 February 2012 by Tea Server
Almost at the verge of its operational collapse in India as a result of its license being cancelled on account of spectrum auction curruption case, the Ab Mera Number Hai operator Telenor is reported to shift its financial focus in Pakistan and double their investment here.
Report from an English daily in Norway, The Foreigner, also states that Telenor is content with relaxed policies of Pakistani Authoriries as compared to the counterpart in India.
It is worth mentioning here that the news of such investments from Telenor comes at the time when it has posted 20% revenue growth in the last quarter and is in the race to bid for the upcoming 3G spectrum auctions in March 2012.
Excerpt from the report follows:
Telenor representatives immediately approached the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority Chairman to set their forthcoming agenda in Pakistan following the revocation of partner Uninor’s license in India. Senior sources in the office of the PTA Chairman informed The Foreigner that Telenor is to invest double the amount in Pakistan after winding up their business in India.
These officials also revealed that Telenor is content with the PTA’s relaxed policies compared with the very strict rules and regulation and their implementation in India.
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority Chairman Dr. Muhammad Yaseen, who has already been the subject of media criticism for being extra favorable to Telenor, refused to comment on this issue when approached by The Foreigner by mobile.
No senior Telenor representatives in Pakistan would make any statement to The Foreigner regarding the current situation and revocation of the Uninor license in India either. Company Corporate Media Communication heads are trying to the stop the publication of the news by major media outlets in Pakistan by pressuring journalists and media moguls.
Telenor in Norway has not commented on the issue after being contacted by The Foreigner.
via The Foreigner
Posted on 08 February 2012 by Tea Server
By Jamie Alter for Cricket Next
Pakistan’s 3-0 sweep of England, the No. 1 Test team, in the UAE was the most glittering result for a team that has managed to hold its own on the field despite facing a mountain of problems off it. Here’s a look at the key players in Pakistan’s resurgence as a Test team.
Misbah-ul-Haq
Ten months ago, Misbah-ul-Haq was a condemned man whose time as an international cricketer seemed over after he was made the scapegoat for Pakistan’s defeat to India in the World Cup semi-final in Mohali. Today, he is being heralded as an astute leader of a team bristling with pride and rightful claims to being a top-level Test side. Handed the captaincy ahead of Pakistan’s series against South Africa in the UAE in 2010, the soft-spoken, almost laidback Misbah has been hugely influential in steering Pakistan from a host of troubles and to series wins over New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and England – not to forget a draw with South Africa – and just the anomaly of a 1-1 scoreline against West Indies.
He hasn’t always been a proactive captain – his reluctance to push for a win against Sri Lanka in Sharjah last November attracted criticism – but his numbers as leader have been highly impressive: 15 matches, 1165 runs, average 64.72, with one century and 12 fifties. That one century – an unbeaten 102 in the second innings at Basseterre – played a big role in Pakistan leveling the two-Test series in the West Indies in May 2011. Innings of 99 and 70 not out earned him the Man-of-the-Match award in Wellington in January 2011, and those were clutch innings in a draw that gave Pakistan their first series victory outside the subcontinent since a triumph in New Zealand in 2003-04, and their first anywhere since 2006-07. In the first innings of the second Test against England in Abu Dhabi, Misbah top-scored with 84 on day in which the opposition dominated, and what a key innings it proved.
Saeed Ajmal
If there is one player who personifies Pakistan’s new-found aggression and fluency, it is the leader of their immensely proficient spin attack. Ajmal, 34, has been a constant threat to opposing teams with his accurate, nagging and attacking offspin, with his doosra causing batsmen much strife. His role as a strike bowler – he has bowled 696 overs in those 12 Tests, the most for any Pakistan bowler – has taken pressure off Umar Gul and meant he has been relied on to consistently take wickets. His success is staggering.
In 12 Tests under Misbah, Ajmal has reaped 77 wickets an average of 22.63 and strike-rate of 54.20 – significantly lower than career figures of 26.70 and 61.20. Along the way he picked up Man-of-the-Match awards for eight wickets in a nine-wicket win over Sri Lanka and in Dubai and 10 – including a career-best 7 for 55 – in a 10-wicket win over England at the same venue. He was the leading Test wicket-taker in 2011, and so far this year he has grabbed 24 wickets in three Tests against England.
In this recent series, the England batsmen were largely baffled by Ajmal’s variety. In the second Test, he became the fastest Pakistan bowler to 100 Tests, and to make his achievement more remarkable, he has not played a single of his 20 Tests at home.
Abdur Rehman
If Ajmal has been an expected success during Pakistan’s run under Misbah, then the 31-year-old Abdur Rehman has been a surprise package. In 13 Tests, this canny left-arm spinner – enjoying unexpected success in his late-blooming career – has been a constant threat with 64 wickets at an average of 26.57. With an almost immaculate line and length he has attained turn and dip while convincing batsmen to play back when they should have been forward. Nothing summed this up better than the series against England, when he made several reputed batsmen appear hapless against spin, none more so than Eoin Morgan.
However, it was Rehman’s Man-of-the-Match performance against New Zealand at Hamilton in January 2011 that really made him a certainty in the playing XI. His three wickets in each innings and a crucial innings of 28 helped propel Pakistan to victory in the first Test. This year, a career-best 6 for 25 routed England for 72 as Pakistan grabbed the series in Abu Dhabi, and in the final Test his 5 for 40 was decisive in Pakistan reducing England’s lead to 42. His 19 wickets in the series played a huge role in a 3-0 scoreline, and highlighted what a key ingredient Rehman has been for Pakistan.
Like Ajmal, he has bowled a lot of overs – 683.4 – while rarely allowing the batsmen to dominate. Rehman’s batting has been handy too, with an average of 13.s8 and a half-century offering some stability to the lower order.
Umar Gul
The only fast bowler to play consistently under Misbah, Umar Gul has carried himself with discipline all throughout. Ajmal and Rehman have hogged the wickets, but Gul’s 49 victims at 29.79 have been every bit as crucial in the team’s success.
The reliance on spin has eased Gul’s workload – he has bowled 452.5 overs in 13 matches – and this has undoubtedly led to the tall fast bowler not breaking down from injury, as he was prone to do so earlier in his career. His eight-wicket haul at Wellington was a stand-out effort in overseas conditions, and even on tracks in the UAE he has plugged away relentlessly, as 29 wickets from eight matches show.
In the first Test in Abu Dhabi, Gul responded to a flat surface with a hostile spell on the third day – during which he surpassed 150 Test wickets – as his new-ball incursions bagged him four wickets before Ajmal and Rehman wrapped up the rest. In the third Test in Abu Dhabi, Gul’s four wickets on the final day set the course of the match categorically towards Pakistan. The spinners have been the talking point of Pakistan’s success, but Gul’s role cannot he underestimated.
Mohammad Hafeez
At last looking like he belongs at Test-match level, Mohammad Hafeez has flourished in his latest avatar as opener and key ingredient in Pakistan’s spin-heavy bowling attack.
With the bat, he has offered solidity to a top order that has for too long been shaky, scoring 967 runs in 15 Tests at an average of 38.68, including two centuries and four fifties. With Taufeeq Umar – another cricketer enjoying a new lease on his international career – Hafeez has stitched together three century stands and four of 50 or more. For a side that used to regularly chop and change openers during the last decade, Hafeez’s pairing with Taufeeq over 15 Tests has been nothing short of solid.
Relied on heavily with the ball – he has bowled 250 overs – Hafeez has repaid the faith with 51 wickets at 26.36. His brisk offspin has helped Ajmal and Rehman take much-needed breaks in the field, and when tossed the new ball in Guyana he responded with wickets. The highlight of Hafeez’s run over these 15 Tests was a fine all-round performance against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo, where Hafeez followed a quick-fire 119 with four wickets and a brisk 38 in a successful chase.
Taufeeq Umar
Given an extended run as opener after a four-year hiatus, the 30-year-old Taufeeq has scored 1055 runs in 15 Tests under Misbah while averaging 39.07. His batting hasn’t always been attractive, as a strike-rate of 43.18 indicates, but the fact that he has been able to deliver platforms has been immense. Two fifties in New Zealand helped blunt the threat of the home team’s pace bowlers in seam-friendly conditions, and his 135 in the second innings against West Indies at Basseterre helped Pakistan level the series.
A career-best 236 followed against Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi, as Pakistan drew the first Test. It was a marathon effort that helped grind Sri Lanka patiently through the second day, and Taufeeq was just pipped by Kumar Sangakkara for the Man-of-the-Match award. A seventh Test hundred would come against Bangladesh soon after.
Taufeeq’s form trailed off after a fifty in the first innings of the series against England, but his success in Pakistan’s resurgence merits further persistence.
Younis Khan
The former Pakistan captain has come back excellently from a ban imposed by the PCB after allegations that he had been partially responsible for infighting within the team. His 1138 runs at 66.94, including four centuries and four fifties, have been invaluable to Pakistan.
His presence in the middle order has steadied the team numerous times, not least when he scored centuries against South Africa and Sri Lanka to go with twin fifties against New Zealand at Wellington. But his most responsible innings came in the second innings of the third Test against England, as an out of form Younis took the game away from the opposition with a superbly crafted century. Yet again, he had summoned the resolve to produce a century when his detractors were gunning for him.
Azhar Ali
Of the younger players that have flourished under Misbah, 26-year-old Azhar Ali has been the most successful. His 1220 runs from 15 matches at 50.83 include two centuries and 11 fifties, and he has been a consistent performer at No. 3. Three consecutive half-centuries against South Africa got him going after an indifferent start to his career, and from there he ploughed on with fifties against each of the teams he played. His two centuries – 100 against Sri Lanka and 157 against England – were proof that Azhar has a long career ahead of him.
Filed under: cricket, England, Pakistan, Pakistan Cricket Tagged: Abdul Rehman, Alastair Cook, Azhar Ali, cricket, Dubai Stadium, England, England Cricket, India, Kevin Pietersen, Misbah-ul-Haq, Mohammad Hafeez, Pakistan, Pakistan Cricket, Saeed Ajmal, South Africa, South African Cricket, Sri Lanka, Taufeeq Umar, Test Cricket, Umar Gul, Whitewash, Younis Khan