Month of blissful awareness

Khalid A

Ramazan is here. The whole nation observes the ritual of Traveeh wherein we listen to the 30 paras of the Holy Qur’an. Soon we would say: “ The Quran has been completed”. I am of the older generation. In the subcontinent, we were led to believe that mere listening to or reciting of the Quran, without understanding it, was sufficient for us to become good Muslims. Having travelled and lived in four continents, I feel very strongly about the lost opportunity of understanding the Quran, and I am trying to make up for the long lost years. I would like to make the following observations. The Quran was never meant to be read without understanding it. It was revealed in Arabic — the language of the Arabian people. If Allah wished early Muslims to be enchanted and enthralled with the rhymes and rhythm only, He would have revealed it in an alien language. The Book is full of admonitions and commandments. It is not enough to be able to enjoy its recitation. We are required to follow it as a guide for earthly life, in preparation for the Hereafter. We, in the subcontinent, are very lucky to have the same script and numerous common words with Arabic. It is fairly easy for us to start understanding Quranic verses. I have seen Europeans and others struggling to cope with Arabic script and pronunciations and yet they do it with total determination. They are baffled beyond belief when they discover that we memorise and recite verses without knowing what they mean. No wonder we have wandering thoughts and cannot concentrate on our Salaat because we do not know what we are saying. Even in our Du’aa, we do not know what we are asking. I concede that some people try to read ‘line by line’ translation of the Quran. But one must learn Arabic to be able to read and recite it in a meaningful manner. One cannot have the facility of translation during Traveeh and other prayers. Only with the knowledge of Arabic language, can one appreciate the awesome and majestic thunder in some verses and stirring melodious glory in others. God has bestowed upon us the magnificent and glorious gift of the Quran yet we refuse to ‘unwrap’ the gift. One is reminded of the Persian proverb: ‘Zubaan- i-yaar-i-mun turki wa mun turki namee danum’—London

Appeal to CJP

M Yousaf Awan

A person named Mr. Noor Qadir Tawakal took 6.3-millions rupees from me for making investment in his stock exchange business on condition of 8% profit per month. Initially he gave me some profit but for the last 14-months he is not giving me any thing. On my demand he agreed to refund my principal amount. He issued me cheques against my principal amount of 6.3 millions but all cheques have bounced. I made contact with Noor Qadir Tawakal so many times regarding cheques bounced but every time he made lam excuses and told me new story. At last, I filed a FIR at Meetha Dar Police Station Karachi dated 10.08.2009.FIR number is 762/09. But no action has been taken against Noor Qadir Tawakal so far.

I don’t have a single penny with me. My 16-year professional career in textile industry has also been finished due to Noor Qadir Tawakal and I have been fired from my job. Mr. Noor Qadir Tawakal completely destroyed my life. He destroyed all my family. My kids left school because I could not pay their fees. I am very much in trouble. If I could not recover my money from Noor Qadir Tawakal then I will finish my life. Because I can not face my both small kids when they ask me “Papa why are you not sending us to school”?

I can not afford court fees, lawyer fees and other expenses to file a case against Noor Qadir Tawakal in Civil Court. That’s what I would like you to please, help me in the recovery of my income of whole life. And Noor Qadir Tawakal should be strictly punished by law so that he doesn’t cheat some one else in future.

My humble request is that my application should be given preference and my money should be get recovered from Noor Qadir Tawakal as soon as possible. I and all my family will be grateful to you for this act of kindness. —Karachi

Give the devil his due as well

Col Riaz Jafri (R)

One can understand Mian Sahib’s unrelenting persistence on Musharraf’s trial under article-6 for violating the constitution but his outright condemning the later for ruining Pakistan and Pakistan’s economy during his eight year rule is not justified. In one of his recent Press Conferences Mian Sahib was repeatedly asking the press and the nation through them, “Iss dakoo nay qaum ko dia kia hay, swaye barbadi aur andheron ke?” (words to that effect). Whether one likes it or not, the man did a lot of good too in almost all fields of the nation building for Pakistan. Since the Mian Brothers (nay - the Mian family with bag and baggage and cooks too) were out of the country they may not be aware of his achievements. Also as the family essentially hails from the business community, only the following economic gains which may be easily understood by them are reproduced for their consumption and information from a website http://presidentmusharraf.wordpress.com/about/, which has also links to the World Bank, the IMF, the ADB etc. to support the achievements.

Quote: President Musharraf led a great team of economists and professionals with ex-PM Shaukat Aziz, to mark their achievements that caused Pakistan to emerge as a geo-strategic important country with a 100% better economy! In 2006, Pakistan was the 3rd fastest growing economy of the world and world’s preferred destination for Investment! In President Musharraf’s era: Pakistan’s economy grew by 100% — to become $ 160 billion Revenue grew by 100% — to become $ 11.4 billion Per Capita Income grew by 100% — to become $ 925 Foreign Reserves grew by 500% — to become $ 17 billion Exports grew by 100% — to become $ 18.5 billion Textile exports grew by 100% — to become $ 11.2 billion Karachi Stock Exchange grew by 500% — to become $ 75 billion Foreign Direct Investment grew by 500% — to become $ 8 billion Annual Debt servicing decreased by 35% — to become 26% Poverty decreased by 10% — to become 24% Public development Funds grew by 100% — to become Rs 520 billion

President Musharraf’s vision and policies helped Pakistan come out of the list of Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) while setting it on path of prosperity, growth and economic reforms. — the world institutions like the World Bank, IMF and ADB have been praising Pakistan for its reforms, fiscal policies and macro-economic policies —— Unquote Dear Mian Sahib, while you are right in upholding the constitution, but please also give the devil his due as well where he deserves.—Rawalpindi

Interest not principles

Moez Mobeen

The public outrage at the release of Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi, who was convicted for the bombing of the Pan Am Flight in 1988 has also led to widespread condemnation of the Libyan regime over it’s handling of the release of Al-Megrahi. The US has criticised the Scottish government for releasing a terrorist on compassionate grounds when he should have served his full term for the murder of 243 passengers.

Whist criticism of Libya has been fierce from the US, the European response has been mixed and centred around condemnation of the celebrity welcome Al-Megrahi received as he landed in Libya. In the United Kingdom, rumours are rampant that Secretary Peter Mandelson negotiated al-Megrahi’s release in return for lucrative energy deals for British Petroleum in Libya.

There are however strategic reasons behind the UK and Europe’s acceptance of Libya. President Hans-Rudolf Merz’s of Switzerland offered an apology to Libya on the same day as al-Megrahi’s release. Merz travelled to Tripoli to apologize in person for the arrest in July 2008 of Hannibal Gadhafi, the son of Libyan President Moammar Gaddafi and his pregnant wife by Geneva police, who claimed that the two were abusing their servants in a Geneva luxury hotel. The incident last year led the Libyan leader to cut off oil exports to Switzerland.

UK exports to Libya have risen to £280 million since Gaddafi was welcomed back into the international fold after years of sanctions. As UK foreign secretary David Miliband feebly denied the charge that Megrahi’s release was linked to commerce with Libya, Jack Straw, the justice secretary, rushed through the ratification of the treaty that allowed the release of al-Megrahi, warning that a delay would damage relations with Libya. Libya has Africa’s largest oil reserves and at the heart of this incident is the simple fact that Europe’s efforts to diversify away from Russian energy are leading the continent right into the outstretched arms of corrupt rulers like Gaddafi. Since the Ukrainian gas crises, Europe has attempted to diversify its energy sources away from Moscow, which has used its natural gas exports to achieve geopolitical goals.

It was during Tony Blair’s tenure that Europe led by Blair worked diligently to rescue Gaddafi’s government from the clutches of American neo-conservatives who after 9/11 wanted regime change in Libya. The only alternatives to Russian energy for Europe is the Middle East and North Africa and with the Persian Gulf firmly under US patronage countries such as Libya will find itself receiving much appeasement from Europe. Despite talk of promoting ‘human rights’ the UK and European governments only really care about securing economic and strategic interests. When it comes to the foreign policy of capitalist States, it is interests that matter - not principles. The empty words uttered by these politicians cannot mask their greedy actions. What this episode shows is that business interests mean more to both the UK and European governments than the lives of ordinary people.—Islamabad

Science & Tech University

Hashim Abro

National Institute of Science and Technical Education (NISTE) spread over 30 acres in Islamabad, is an apex Institute of the Ministry of Education. The NISTE is, in fact, a brainchild of Quaid-e-Awam Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Shaheed. Presently, various academic programmes are undertaken at the NISTE. These include: science education, vocational and technical education, electronics, civil, electrical, mechanical, auto and diesel, refrigeration, air-conditioning and computer science

The NISTE can be named through a Resolution of the Parliament coupled with little legislation as Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Science and Technical Education University (SMBBSTEU) with its campuses in rural Pakistan i.e. all the four provinces, to cater the futuristic needs at national and regional levels in the filed of science and technical education. The other programmes such as progressive farming, corporate farming, agri-business education, music education, marketing education of agri-products, handicrafts, and industrial home products, can be included in the programme chart of the proposed University.

It is apt to point out that the NISTE has complete infrastructure in all respects to be converted into a University and that will be considered as one of the landmark achievements of the PPP Government. President of Pakistan and Prime Minister are requested to issue dircetives in this regard that so that NISTE may be converted into a university. —Islamabad

Quetta

Muzaffarabad

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