As the world food summit takes place in Rome, the FAO (Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) estimates that 1.02
billion people are suffering from chronic hunger in the world,
mostly in Africa and South Asia. This is the highest number since
1970, the earliest year for which comparable statistics are
available. The increase has been due to three factors: (1) neglect
of agriculture relevant to very poor people by governments and
international agencies. (2) The current worldwide economic crisis.
(3) The self-created conflict in many under developed countries. (4)
The significant increase of food prices in the last several years
which has been devastating to those with only a few dollars a day to
spend. About 1.02 billion people is 15 percent of the estimated
world population of 6.8 billion, . Nearly all of the undernourished
are in developing countries. —Via email
World Trade Organisation
Syed Hira Naqvi
The world trade organization (WTO) is global international
organization which deals with the rules between trades within
different nations of the world. At its core are World Trade
Organization (WTO) agreements, negotiated and signed by accumulation
of world’s trading nations and sanctioned in their parliaments by
different members of the trade world. The most important purpose of
world trade organization is to assist producers of goods and
services, exporters, and importers to conduct their business in a
fair environment. The World Trade Organization offers opportunity
for negotiating agreements which are focused mainly at reducing
obstacles to international trade and ensuring a fair trade between
different nations and level playing field for all, thus contributing
to economic growth and development. The World Trade Organization
also presents a legal and institutional structure for implementation
and monitoring of these agreements, and also helps in settling
clashes arising from their interpretation and application. The
recent body of trade agreements including the world trade
organization consists of 16 different multilateral agreements and
two different plurilateral agreements.
The main important aim of world trade organization is to resolve
trade issue or conflicts which often arises between nations while
opening trade boundaries for each other including those painstaking
negotiation in the world trade organization system and those issue
or conflicts often needs interpreting. The most satisfying way to
settle these differences or conflicts is through some neutral
procedure based on an agreed legal underpinning. That is the major
purpose behind the dispute settlement process written into the world
trade organization agreements. Hence there are a number of ways of
looking at the WTO. It’s an organization for liberalizing trade.
It’s a forum for governments to negotiate trade agreements. It’s a
place for them to settle trade disputes. It operates a system of
trade rules. —Via email
Providing therapy
Mr Mansoor Sarwar
The PCP is a non governmental support organization comprising
eminent citizens, civil society and corporate leaders working to
expand the knowledge base and facilitate organized giving. The
Centre also provides support to the Fund for Inclusion of People
with Disabilities Programme - (FIPD) besides many others. PCP
ensures the selection of high impact projects and additional funding
to such organizations for scaling up activities through FIPD. Lahore
Speech Centre is one of the organizations which have received
funding through this programme. This was stated by PCP office
bearers in a press briefing at a local hotel in Islamabad. They were
expressing about their successful project completion. While
disseminating the details of the project, PCP representative told
success story of the project.
They said that providing therapy session to children with language
and speech impairment and enabling them to succeed in mainstream
education system. A spark in her eyes was clearly visible. Momina, a
mother of two hearing impaired kids cold never even think of
experiencing this level of satisfaction with life before coming to
LSC. Her 7 years Amina and 8 years Bilal are studying in a
mainstream school of Lahore, with kids blessed with all five senses.
They said that children are as confident, competent and sporty as
all others of their age. Their mother is no more worried about their
future because Mrs. Salma (Chairperson-LSC) has infused a new spirit
in their lives – the spirit of being able to interact with the outer
world through lip-reading.
Their mother feels deeply indebted for the hope and faith Mrs Salma
has given her. Remembering her time of despair and tribulation when
she first discovered about the disability of her kids, she couldn’t
stop her tears. She explained that a doctor had recommended her to
consult Mrs. Salma for therapy sessions. She thinks that the course
of her life changed its direction altogether the day she first
stepped at LSC. Mrs Salma not only provided therapy session to her
kids but trained her also. As a result her kids are now moving ahead
in life and she is also working as an assistant trainer at LSC.
—Islamabad
Obama’s most exacting justice
S H Faruqi
This is apropos of the news item abaout Gitmo detainees to stand
trial in New York. Though the news and its rhetorics of US
President, Attorney General on face value may be heartening for a
few but the truth is that it reflects the covert designs of US
administration regarding the fate of alleged five accused terrorists
who have already been persecuted, inflicted and tortured physically
and mentally to extract confessions by the US military and
intelligence agencies. And this inhuman and unlawful exercise was
undertaken at the most notorious Guantanamo Bay prison.
Mr Obama’s statement: “Khalid Sheikh Muhammad will be subject to the
most exacting demands of justice” implies that he (Mr. Sheikh) is
not going to get justice from US Government. Further, justice has
always been and is simply “justice” nothing more nothing less. The
term “most exacting justice” therefore, affords a lot to be read
between the lines. I also dare to submit to Mr. Obama with due
respect that if he himself would have been subjected to the physical
and mental torture meted out to Mr. Khalid he himself would have
confessed as master mind of the 9/11 event. An American lady author
Ms Petra Bartosiewicz in her recent article on Dr. Aafia Siddiqi in
the well read Harper’s Magazine of New York, has indicated that
“During his initial months of detention, Khalid Sheikh Muhammad was
‘Water boarded’ 183 times”. Water boarding is simulated drowning.
She also reports that Khalid Sheikh Muhammad has later said “I gave
a lot of false information in order to satisfy what I believed the
interrogators wished to hear”. Petra further adds: “Our demand for
intelligence far outstrips the supply of prisoners. We outsource the
work to countries, like Pakistan, whose political circumstances
allow them to produce prisoners with far greater efficiency”.
—Islamabad
A Commando par excellence
Zainab Haroon
A year has gone past since Maj Gen Amir Faisal Alvi (R) was gunned
down in a terrorist act in Rawalpindi. It was a high profile event
noticed by own and international media. Then all kinds of opinions
and perceptions started floating around. However, now it has been
undoubtedly established that the late general was a victim of target
killing by the hardcore terrorists and they wanted to avenge the
killing of their fellow terrorists and punish the former for his
active involvement in counter-terrorist actions as the General
Officer Commanding of the elite Force of Pakistan Army, the Special
Services Group. Hence all the rumours about the reasons behind his
assassination died their own death.
Gen. Alvi was a thorough professional soldier with a style and
swagger of his own. He was a daring Special Forces warrior who is
remembered for his intimate connection with his subordinates and
audacity deeply ingrained in his character. The troops adored him
for his concern for their welfare and the fact that he would be
alongside them during operations. He upheld the tradition of the
Special Services Group by leading from the front. There was no bar
on any soldier calling him at any time of the day or night for
redress of problems. Even retired soldiers would frequently approach
him with total confidence that the General would extend all possible
help.
No surprise that when he was martyred all members of the Special
Services Group, his friends, his colleagues and his superiors were
in tears. During counter-terrorist operations, Gen. Alvi, as the
General Officer Commanding of Special Services Group, performed
exceedingly well. He conducted few very daring and challenging
operations against the Taliban terrorists and infused true combat
spirit in the Commandoes. The Force conducted a successful campaign
against the terrorists including risky and daring helicopter
counter-terrorist operations. Amongst other factors, it was the
generalship of Faisal Alvi that significantly contributed towards
this success. Indeed it was these successes which proved to the
cause of the General’s martyrdom. He embraced Shahadat after his
retirement, a unique honour for this professional soldier. —Via
email
