from IRIN A military operation that is going after the Taliban has forced the displacement of thoudands in a village in Pakistan. Bad weather in the reagon has made the situation worse. - KaleMohammad Jameel, aged around 30, along with his extended family of 35 people, is among thousands of local residents forced to flee their village in the restive Bajaur tribal agency, north of Peshawar.The rate of displacements has picked up since last week, when the Pakistani authorities launched a military operation against pro-Taliban militants in the area, say residents."We hired three big vans, each costing Rs 1,000 [about US$14] per trip and reached Lower Dir safely," said Jameel, speaking in Timergarah, the main town of the district that borders on Bajaur to the east. They were able to take...
from the San Francisco Chronicle A story on selling organs on the black market in Pakistan. - KaleAyesha Akram-Nasir, Muhammad Amjad wipes his forehead with a grimy handkerchief before explaining the handwritten banner spread across the back of his vehicle that reads: "Kidney for sale, blood group A+.""What can I do? There is no other way to make ends meet," said Amjad, 34, a motorized-rickshaw driver in this northwestern city. "Every time I go home, I see my children and wife looking at me with hunger in their eyes."Amjad is one of many poverty-stricken Pakistanis driven to desperation by rising inflation and price increases in food and gasoline at a time when the nation's new coalition government has reduced state subsidies. Almost one-third of the population - about 40 million...
Carpetblogger loves to shop and we love a challenge! We are here to announce our discovery of an on-line store we've discovered that has everything for the fashionable AND modest woman!And, for the woman who is neither but has to go to Saudi Arabia.
Like all business travel, this trip presents wardrobe-related logistical challenges for girls. To start with, it's not just Saudi, but includes Pakistan and Yemen as well. Both have slightly differing standards of female modesty. Second, it's August, which means it will be 150 degrees and humid in seaside Jedd-ah and tail end of monsoon in Islamabad. Sana'a sits at 7500 feet. The only way this trip could suck more is if it fell in September, which is Ramadan, and included a visit to Kabul. (Vigilant ancestors will be pleased to know the...
In
Saudi Arabia,
Religion,
Fashion,
Yemen,
the desert store,
chador,
abaya,
what to wear in Saudi,
shalwar,
miswak,
Pakistan
Acumen Fund investee Kashf Foundation is the featured 5 Diamond profile of this month on the MIX Market, a global microfinance information platform on the web. The MIX Market rates Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) on their transparency in reporting, by scoring them on a scale of one to five “diamonds”, with 5 being the highest possible level of accuracy and clarity in financial and operational program reporting. The MIX is seen as a global leader in championing financial transparency, accountability and disclosure standards in microfinance.
Kashf Foundation is one of Pakistan’s fastest growing microfinance institutions, with a mission of financial inclusion and providing women in Pakistan with access to microfinance products and services. Acumen Fund has been investing...
Family firms have long been excluded from the debate on good governance, since corporate governance is conventionally viewed as applicable only in the domain of public corporations. Yet only 15 percent of family-owned businesses survive until the third generation, indicating a great need for improved governance.
In his Feature Service article, Mr. A. Razak Dawood, Chairman of the Pakistan Business Council and the former Federal Commerce Minister of Pakistan, addresses crucial problems faced by family firms, such as inadequate focus on preserving their human and intellectual capital rather than just financial assets. He also talks about the ways in which governance in family firms can be improved, starting with the formulation of a statement outlining the purpose, values, and goals of...
from Reuters Alert Net This details a preetyhorrid incident that happened in Pakistan. The stock exchange in that country plans on giving free meals to the poor. KaleMUZZAFARGARH - Poverty and deprivation are evident everywhere as one drives out of the southern Punjab city of Muzzafargarh, some 400km southwest of the provincial capital Lahore.However, an incident that took place recently in Basti Badani village, in the south of Muzzafargarh District, has left everyone shocked.Several days ago labourer Abdul Salam clubbed to death four of his six children (ranging in age from 11 years to 18 months). Two others, who had also been badly beaten, survived. Salam said he did this as he could not feed his children.He later told the daily Dawn newspaper he had killed his children because he was...
from NDTV Profit, India It's been a long time since we have had a story about Pakistan on here. Here is a report on current economic factors in the country, and how it effects people in poverty. - KaleUnprecedented inflation in Pakistan has hit common people very hard with petrol having risen by 46 per cent in the last three months, food items by 30-50 per cent and rice by more than 100 per cent. While the government has launched schemes to help the poor, many people have committed suicide in despair.The inflation rate in Pakistan has increased by 19 per cent since the new coalition government led by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) took over power in March this year - which is a record rise in prices of daily use items. The inflation is due to the high prices of petroleum and gold and...
from the Times Online Zahid Hussain in IslamabadBritain is doubling its aid to Pakistan to almost $1 billion, reflecting concern over rising Islamic militancy which threatens the battle against the Taleban in neighbouring Afghanistan.About a third of the money is expected to be spent in provinces abutting the porous western border, where the Taleban and other militant forces are increasingly challenging the authority of the government.Douglas Alexander, the International Development Secretary, today announced the £480 million package that will make Pakistan the second largest recipient of British aid by 2011.More than £250 million will be earmarked for education, with plans to get five million Pakistani children into school and to boost training opportunities for young people. Much of...
Immediate Moratorium Should Precede Abolition
The newly elected government in Pakistan should abolish the death penalty, Human Rights Watch said today in a letter to Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gillani....
from the Daily IndiaWashington, In its latest report, the World Bank has advised the Pakistan government to withdraw subsidies on wheat, and also warned that half of the country's 160 million people may soon be unable to buy food because of rising prices. "The poverty impact of the surge in food prices could be high and in some areas it could wipe out years of gains in poverty reduction," said the Bank's report on global development finance.The report also warned that Pakistan's slower growth outcomes would compress government revenues and make further consolidation more difficult, reported the Dawn.The World Bank also said that continued smuggling of wheat to the neighbouring countries could also lead to an acute shortage of food, causing unrest and instability. "Given tight domestic...
What should be included in Pakistan’s National Youth Policy? And who should have input into how the policy is written? The answer to the second question is easy – young people themselves should have the opportunity to make recommendations for incorporation into such a policy before it is passed. But, that almost did not happen – a draft National Youth Policy for Pakistan was written by the previous government and was set to be passed without any input from stakeholders.
However, the outgoing government ran out of time to approve the policy, which presented a unique opportunity to facilitate dialogue between the new government and youth. Earlier this week, CIPE, the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), and the Ministry of Youth Affairs held a conference in Islamabad on...
from the Asia Times OnlineBy William SparrowBANGKOK - Prostitution in the Islamic nation of Pakistan, once relegated to dark alleys and small red-light districts, is now seeping into many neighborhoods of country's urban centers. Reports indicate that since the period of civilian rule ended in 1977, times have changed and now the sex industry is bustling.Early military governments and religious groups sought to reform areas like the famous "Taxali Gate" district of Lahore by displacing prostitutes and their families in an effort to "reinvent" the neighborhood.While displacing the prostitutes might have temporarily made the once small red-light district a better neighborhood for a time, it did little to stop the now dispersed prostitutes from plying their trade. Reforming a neighborhood,...
from IRINKAMRA, Until recently, Mohammad Nafees was like most children in his village when it came to relieving himself.“I used to poop outside. Just over there,” the nine-year-old giggled, pointing to the green field near his family’s home in the mountain village of Kamra, about 70km east of Islamabad.“We didn’t have a latrine in our house. I thought everyone did that,” he quipped.His assumption about basic toilet protocol amongst Kamra’s 1,871 residents is largely correct.“You can’t imagine how difficult it is for women,” Zarqa Saeed, told IRIN.Recently arrived from the urban sprawl of Rawalpindi to live with her in-laws, it took some time for her to get used to residents’ ways.“I had never gone outside in the open air,” the 25-year-old teacher laughed. No...
from One World netMir Ghulam ShahUntil just a year ago, Jan Bibi and her five daughters aged between 6 and 18, began their day by getting up before sunrise, walking a couple of hundred metres from their home to a filthy enclosed communal space, digging a small hole and relieving themselves. The alternative was to find some thick bushes and tell someone to watch out for prying eyes.In this primitive manner the women of Mir Ghulam Shah village in Sanghar district of Sindh Province, 300 km east of Karachi in Pakistan, answered nature's call.In 2007, however, the Sindh Agricultural and Forestry Workers' Coordinating Organisation (SAFWCO) began building 289 low-cost toilets in eight villages. Her uneducated husband, Fazal Din, a farmer, decided to pay.He still defecates in the field, believing...
Curbs on Journalists Hamper Election Reporting
Threats and censorship against the independent media, bias in state television, and a widespread ban on live broadcasting are limiting the public’s right to information as Pakistan goes to the polls, Human Rights Watch said today. Recent curbs on the media prohibit coverage of election rallies, live call-ins, live talk shows, live coverage of protests, or any live broadcasts that could show the government in a negative light, severely restricting the right to free expression ahead of Pakistan’s election on February 18, 2008....
Audio Recording Calls Into Question Government’s Commitment to Fair Elections
In an audio recording obtained by Human Rights Watch (http://hrw.org/audio/2008/urdu/pakistan0208.htm), Pakistan’s Attorney General Malik Qayyum stated that upcoming parliamentary elections will be “massively rigged,” Human Rights Watch said today....
Electoral Machinery Controlled by Musharraf Appointees
The failure of Pakistan’s Election Commission to act on allegations of irregularities means the electoral machinery for national elections due on February 18, 2008 cannot be considered impartial, Human Rights Watch said today. The structure of the commission, which has wide powers to investigate complaints and take action, also suggests it will not rule fairly in the election....
Independent Judiciary Critical Safeguard for Free and Fair Elections
The continued detention of independent judges, the recent re-arrests of lawyers on spurious grounds, and the large-scale induction of President Pervez Musharraf’s appointees into Pakistan’s judiciary will have a serious impact on the credibility of the national elections scheduled for February 18, Human Rights Watch said today....
from The South Asian PostBy Muhammad NajeebPolitical turmoil has deepened Pervez Musharraf’s unpopularity in Pakistan. However, flour shortages and rising food prices may well be the most pressing issue for Pakistanis before next month’s elections. They may even overshadow concerns about violent attacks that have rocked the country. Pakistan is running short of flour which is needed to make bread. A government decision in early 2007 to export a half-million tonnes of Pakistani wheat after it over-projected the national harvest, has contributed to the shortfall. This is prompting fears of further instability in the country. “I agree with the government’s claim that it’s putting in extra efforts to eradicate poverty... and I believe they will be successful, but by killing the...
Free Elections Require Restoration of Independent Judiciary
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown should tell visiting Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf that free and fair elections will be impossible without the full restoration of Pakistan’s judiciary, Human Rights Watch said today....
Independent International Investigation Needed to Conduct Credible Probe
The UK’s Scotland Yard should not be part of a flawed Pakistani investigation into the assassination of former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch urged Pakistan to seek an independent international investigation of the murder, such as under United Nations auspices....
from The Toronto StarSonya FatahSPECIAL TO THE STARKARACHI, Pakistan–A class full of children – all of them boys – sit bent over their books, rocking back and forth as they collectively repeat after their instructor.Mufti Naeem smiles as he watches the scene on one of four security monitors on his office desk at the Jamia Binoria, a madrassa, or religious seminary, in Karachi's northern district.This is one of Karachi's allegedly reformed madrassas, where Islamic and secular subjects are taught to the 4,000 students at its sprawling campus.In 2002 the Pakistani government launched a five-year program called the Madrassa Reforms Project, a post-9/11 directive aimed at modernizing religious seminaries by broadening their curricula, establishing educational standards and reining in the...
Sequence of events:
Benazir Bhutto assassinated.
Pakistan goes postal.
Telecoms/internet disrupted.
Although Masud’s post isn’t clear about what specifically brought the internet went down, or how they brought it back up again, he does have a good point about why these things happen, and what urban planners / architects / anybody who’s listening might do about it:
PTCL Telephone exchanges stand out among buildings. Banks, Telephone Exchanges, Shops and the like are the first target of an unruly mob. TWA1 or other small operators are not that evident. No one knows the whereabout of their landing stations,Points-of-Presence etc. So, during rioting, they do not make identifiable targets.
So a) small is beautiful as far as internet providers are concerned, and b) make sure...
From Ahmed Rashid's column in today's Washington Post:In recent weeks, she had publicly taken on the Taliban extremists — something Musharraf has not dared to do, despite all his bluster and bonhomie with President Bush since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. With Bhutto gone, there is no one who can play such a role.Plain and simple, folks.Update: But which book?Coming Anarchy found an article from Hindustan Times that claims, "In 2002, [Bhutto] sent a book by Robert D Kaplan [to Indian Opposition Leader LK Advani] as a gift, writing a note saying she thought of him when she saw the book."I must...
Crucial to Uphold Fundamental Rights to Prevent Turmoil
The assassination of Benazir Bhutto is a tragic event with serious implications for Pakistan’s transition to democracy, Human Rights Watch said today....
Free and Fair Elections Impossible With Dismantled Judiciary
Scores of lawyers, judges and other government critics remain detained in Pakistan despite the lifting of the state of emergency on December 15, Human Rights Watch said today in a new report. President Pervez Musharraf’s dismantling of an independent judiciary and the crackdown on the vocal lawyers’ movement mean free and fair elections, scheduled for January 8, 2008, will be impossible....
Pakistan’s outgoing government initiated a study to help draft a comprehensive employment policy for Pakistan. According to the draft report (point 2.2.1), Pakistan’s informal sector has been growing at an unprecedented pace and today 72.9 per cent of the non-agriculture workforce is employed by this sector. In conservative estimates, out of the $140 billion economy, $32 billion plus is in the informal sector, providing a huge opportunity to its businessmen to evade taxes every year. With the 20 per cent plus growth in the informal sector (2003-2006), the issue has become a matter of great concern, and the government is considering a proposal to bring the informal sector in the mainstream through its “decent work” program.
The report emphasizes that despite this growing size,...
Amendments Give Immunity to Army and President
Lifting the state of emergency will not restore real constitutional rule in Pakistan unless President Pervez Musharraf also withdraws changes he made to the constitution and reinstates the judiciary, Human Rights Watch said today. Musharraf imposed a state of emergency and suspended constitutional rule on November 3, 2007 on the pretext of fighting terrorism....
from the International Herald TribuneISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Poverty, a culture of weapons and reliance on schools that teach little but religion have fostered a growing wave of child militants, particularly in Pakistan's troubled tribal areas, experts said Thursday."Islamic militancy, in and of itself, is the major problem," said Attiya Inayatullah, a board member of the Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child. "Any use or exploitation of a child is unacceptable. We need to have a strong movement that says 'no.'"Pro-Taliban militants have asserted growing control over Pakistan's impoverished northwest in recent years, challenging the authority of the state. As well as trying to impose an extreme brand of Islam, they have also recruited youths as fighters, reportedly offering...
from the Pakistan DawnBy Masood HaiderNEW YORK, Villagers in Punjab have criticised President Pervez Musharraf’s government in interviews with the international news media, saying that prices of essential food items soared during his tenure.“God knows who will be the leader after Musharraf,” a shop owner in a destitute village of 2,000 families was quoted as saying. “Each leader is worse than its predecessor.”President Musharraf had challenged western journalists in an interview with the New York Times to journey to the villages of Pakistan and gauge public opinion.President Musharraf had recommended them to take a trip to Punjab, the province that holds 55 per cent of the country’s population.Westerners overestimate the popularity of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, he...