Views on news international
THE US should neither seek to the push the world into a new Cold War nor put Pakistan on trial yet again, says Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, because learning from experience Pakistan has shifted from geo-political to a geo-economic paradigm in the fast changing global scenario demanding friendship with all and animosity and rancour to none.
It is therefore incumbent upon the big brother Uncle Sam to lead the way to peace by helping the battered Afghan people and making its withdrawal from Afghanistan meaningful; Release its rightful reserves and erase your blot over futile occupation by providing succour and recompense to the country you have left in dire straits.
After the UN call for resource mobilization and Saudi initiative to hold an extraordinary meeting of the Islamic Forum, Pakistan offered to host the current OIC FM’s Meeting calling upon the Muslim brotherhood to rise to the occasion and come up with a comprehensive plan to alleviate the sufferings of the Afghan people in crisis.
With Prime Minister Imran Khan and his team issuing a worldwide call for helping the cause, it is heartening to note that besides members of the OIC and a delegation of the Afghan Government led by its interim Foreign Minister, troika plus including the United States, China and Russia are also participating which points to a very positive response to this human tragedy; the UN Secretary General being the first to arrive days ahead.
“Saudi Arabia says ready to normalize ties with Israel-Riyadh is committed to Arab parameters for peace with Israel.
” Factual news is the reverse formulation of the story, which reiterates the standing Arab position on the Arab-Israeli conflict which has not changed, and which underscores the necessity for Israel to vacate Arab territories it occupied in 1967 and accept the UN mandated Palestinian State with Jerusalem as its Capital.
Giving a news story some spin by the Press to catch attention is another thing provided that it does not twist facts.
Some Arab States have unilaterally extended the olive branch to Israel without any reciprocation from the Israeli side.
One expects these countries to make their position clear lest it is misconstrued as abandoning the Arab position.
The latest Saudi declaration that not only Arabs but the entire Muslim world would recognize the Jew State, if Israel responds positively to this offer and opportunity for peaceful coexistence and vacate occupied Arab Lands, is unambiguous.
“Indian police probes Mother Teresa’s Charity for forced conversions;” Another feather in the Secular cap of the Indian Union which trounces its own propagated reason for being, and unmasks its true face of a highly polarized and intolerant of other religions Hinduvta Society, which brazenly discriminates and bashes its own low caste Shudars and Dalits who form bulk of its Hindu population.
Needless to say that India championed as greatest democracy has forever been ruled by an elitist minority of Brahmin and Kashatriya lineage Hindus.
Domestic: “The Asian Development Bank apprehends further price escalation in Pakistan, and yet says that Pakistan’s economy looked to be on track for recovery.
” Does ADB mean that rising prices were a sign of economic recovery; strange logic is it not, that the common man should keep paying more for the lollypop of recovering economy!
Make up your mind lending fellows.With the price of petrol raised from Rs 127/- to Rs 146/- per litre in the last 8 weeks with global oil prices constantly declining and the Government announcing relief of Rs 5/- per litre; a word of advice to Pakistan’s Information Minister who says, “so what” to raise in prices of medicines and edibles, and the Prime Minister insisting that Pakistan was still the cheapest country; please do not rub salt on common man’s wounds gasping for breath in this spate of price hikes.
“With Gas Reserves depleted, its availability will not be cheap,” screams a leading newspaper banner headline.
Why did Pakistan not utilize its reserves cautiously and commensurate with exploration at the very outset; by buying cheaper gas from external sources and releasing only part of its own reserves alongside, and redoubling efforts to strike oil and gas in the vast untapped areas of the country one keeps hearing about.
In the spate of the current oil price hike, the US has fallen back on its own reserves which it had been saving for crunch situation such as now.
That is what nations with forward planning do in anticipation.
There nonetheless has to be a rational strategy to overcome the current crisis, but Pakistan choking gas supplies to its industries is hardly the way out, as it further dampens their prospects of compatibility in the world market to earn direly required foreign exchange.
Provided that the supply is uninterrupted throughout the country, by all means resort to rationing gas for the domestic consumer; turning the tap on for four hours thrice a day ie, 5 to 9 am; 12 to 4 pm and 6 to 10 pm.
This would save more than 60% on domestic consumption and discipline the domestic consumer against wasteful use of gas on timeless eating habits and room heating for which they must revert to woollies as warmers.
But for God’s sake, do not choke your industries.“NAB destroys cases by not proceeding according to law.
” This is not the first time that the superior judiciary has castigated the National Accountability Bureau, which is flawed in many ways.
Despite knowing the fact that it has held several persons for years without being able to prosecute them; mostly politicians in the Opposition, in line with the objective of its mentor Gen Pervez Musharraf who had created the instrument to sort out opponents, it underscores the need to scrap the Body and form an Accountability Institution for unbiased and transparent scrutiny through a unanimous Act of Parliament.
No institution can be allowed to character-assassinate individuals and not be answerable itself; should be the benchmark for such a Body.
“No need to give any importance to Statements of Jokers like Wajihuddin over Bani Gala Expenses,” this kind of remark coming from no less a person than the Information Minister of the country, is regrettable to say the least.
It is derogatory to the reputed personality of a former Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan who was PTI’s candidate for the country’s presidential election in 2013.
Conversely, the revered Justice coming out with such personal observations ought to have stayed away from dirty politics as such indulgence was hardly commensurate with the personality and reputation of the Honourable Jurist of yesteryears.
But now with Jehangir Tareen negating accusation by the former judge, that Tareen ran Imran Khan’s Bani Gala kitchen, people do expect the retired Justice to prove his contention, and his reason for making the allegation after so many years.
—The writer is a media professional, member of Pioneering team of PTV and a veteran ex Director Programmes.
