For Indian troops in IHK suicide is a common end

Tacstrat

A recent report issued by the Indian Defence Ministry has indicated that around 780 Indian troops have committed suicide since 2005 in Indian Held Kashmir.

According to KMS, a study conducted by two Indian psychiatrists shows that 38.56 per cent of Indian forces are schizophrenic, 14.17 per cent suffer from alcohol dependence syndrome and 9.8 per cent are struggling with depression.

Experts are of the opinion that the growing numbers are due to the rigors of dealing with protesters in occupied Kashmir and the remote northeast. The Indian troops have mainly been used for guarding restive borders, quelling civil riots and rescuing operations during natural calamities such as floods, cyclones and earthquakes.

Analysts believe that Indian forces are under tremendous stress, which is a result of low morale, bad service conditions, insufficient home leave and low pay.

Sheikh Showkat, a political analyst, told newsmen that the troops were over-stretched by continuously being in the field with hostile conditions.

“They are not able to go and see their families. They are living in areas where people do not perceive them to be their own people. All this has landed the troopers to psychological stress. The psychological stress makes them go for killing each other or committing suicide,” he added.

Not Such a Super Power

By Ahsan Waheed
Tacstrat

The discovery of a very large consignment of adult pampers in a consignment meant for US troops in Afghanistan has led to laughter all around especially among their hosts—the Afghans. Apparently the pampers are used by troops so that they do not have to get out of their bunkers at night and so that they are not caught in vulnerable positions by enemies lurking all around them.

Earlier a video had surfaced showing US Marines urinating on the corpses of Taliban fighters. Such desecration is particularly repugnant to Islam and such treatment of the enemy dead is seen as cowardly and immoral. The US has indicated that the Marines involved in such shameful behavior have been identified. Even if they are punished the damage is done because it shows a mind set and reflects poorly on discipline and training of US personnel. There was also the much publicized case of Western troops cutting off body parts of dead Taliban to take home as trophies. This had sent a surge of hatred and violence not just in Taliban ranks but all Afghans—even those forced to accept them as allies.

Much earlier in Iraq there was the scandal of ill treatment of Iraqi prisoners—even sexual abuse by US male and female soldiers. Even dogs were used and the sole purpose was humiliation of the enemy when he could not retaliate. Iraqis will not forget. Similar abuses and torture have been reported in detention centers in Afghanistan. President Karzai has been forced to publicly condemn the infamous night raids on Afghan households where not even women and children are spared. Karzai has also acted against the US contractors who are drawn from the ranks of jobless veterans and are truly at the bottom of the food chain in their homeland. These agents have no ethics or morals and are trigger happy killers as the Raymond Davis affair indicated to the whole world. Guantanamo is too well known to comment upon and now there is the new US law under which people can be detained indefinitely on suspicion of terrorism.

Some concerned quarters are now raising concerns over the large numbers of Iraqis and Afghans killed in the US war on terror. US statistics only tally American deaths—there are no statistics on others killed and maimed. The effect on US servicemen is however extreme as is evident from the large numbers suffering from post trauma stress disorder-a euphemism for the reaction from brutalities seen and carried out. As more troops head home the violence in the ‘homeland’ is sure to increase and will be directed at the most vulnerable segment of society. In the countries where the US has operated a backlash of hatred is already evident making new US allies like India wary and careful how far they go in an embrace that always betrays. An article in the NY Times Jan 15 details the post US reaction in Iraq against US contractors.

ISI Cleared In Journalists Murder Probe

ZoneAsia-Pk

The secretary of the Saleem Shehzad Commission on Tuesday presented its probe report to Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on the mysterious murder of the journalist, giving a clean chit to the country’s security agencies, including the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Saleem Shehzad was an investigative journalist who had claimed of receiving life threats and pointed fingers at the country’s security agencies, especially the ISI, only a few days before his murder.

A source privy to the details said the 140-page report had recommended the prime minister make the report public. “The commission found no involvement of any security agency, including the ISI, in the killing of the journalist. Moreover, none of the journalists interviewed gave any evidence or shared information about the involvement of agencies. No one even blamed any intelligence agency of involvement,” added the source. However, the source said the commission directed the intelligence agencies to streamline their working vis-à-vis media and maintain proper record of their interactions with journalists.

The commission further directed the Islamabad and Punjab police departments to continue their respective investigation process to identify the perpetrators of the crime. The commission further asked the government to pay compensation amount to the family of the slain journalist and also cater for the educational needs of his children. “Though the commission was given six weeks to compile its report, it took six months to finalise the probe due to the sensitive nature of the matter. During the period, the commission recorded interviews of 41 individuals that have been made a part of the report,” the source said.

Oil prices drop as situation in Europe and Iran worsen

Tacstrat

Oil fell for a third day in New York as bets that Europe’s debt crisis will worsen and curb fuel demand countered concern that tension with Iran may disrupt Middle East crude exports.

Futures declined as much as 0.5 per cent before German and French leaders meet in Berlin today as they seek to craft a plan for rescuing the euro over the next three months. The US will act to reopen the Strait of Hormuz if Iran blocks the channel, Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman General Martin Dempsey said in an interview on the CBS “Face the Nation” program yesterday. Brent oil’s premium to West Texas Intermediate crude rose to the highest in almost two months.

“It’s a matter of two factors for the market,” said Ric Spooner, a chief analyst at CMC Markets in Sydney. “We have concerns about potentially significantly reduced economic activity emanating from Europe, and Iran. Any potential disruptions have to be taken seriously because it won’t take much to put us into a supply problem.”

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Crude for February delivery slipped as much as 46 cents to $US101.10 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It was at $US101.26. The contract fell 0.3 per cent to $US101.56 on Jan. 6, the lowest close since Dec. 30.

Brent oil for February settlement was at $US113.17 a barrel, up 11 cents, on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange. The European benchmark contract’s premium to WTI was at $US11.91, the highest gap based on closing prices since Nov. 15. The difference rose to a record $US27.88 on Oct. 14 as the uprising in Libya curbed supplies of light, sweet crude.

Berlin meeting

“Oil prices have been volatile, caught between a weakening Europe and tensions around a key supply route,” Sharon Zollner, senior economist at ANZ in Wellington, said in a note today.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy will meet in Berlin to flesh out a new rulebook for fiscal discipline negotiated at a Dec. 9 summit. Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria and Germany plan to sell bonds this week, offering a gauge of market confidence. Spanish 10- year yields rose by the most in almost 17 years last week.

Factory orders in Germany, Europe’s largest economy, dropped the most in almost three years in November. Orders, adjusted for seasonal swings and inflation, slipped 4.8 per cent from October, the Economy Ministry in Berlin said Jan. 6. That’s the biggest drop since January 2009.

Strait of Hormuz

Iran has the ability to block the Strait of Hormuz, a transit route for a fifth of the world’s oil, “for a period of time,” according to Dempsey. The US tightened economic sanctions against the Persian Gulf nation over its nuclear program on Dec. 31 and the European Union is weighing a ban later this month on purchases of Iranian crude.

A pipeline that would allow oil from the United Arab Emirates to bypass the Strait of Hormuz separating it from Iran has been delayed because of construction difficulties, two people with knowledge of the matter said yesterday. The 1.5 million barrels-a-day link would ensure the U.A.E. can export crude without risking a blockade at the channel.

The $US3.3 billion project won’t be ready until at least April, one of the people said. Abu Dhabi, holder of most of the UAE’s oil reserves, had planned to start exports in January 2011 through the pipeline to a port outside the strait, Dieter Blauberg, the project’s former director, said in May 2009.

Hedge funds increased bullish positions 4.1 per cent in the week ended Jan. 3, according to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s Commitments of Traders report. Open interest advanced 3.5 per cent, rising for a second week after falling in December to the lowest since May 2007, according to the CFTC

Cuts in military budget for US will not change World’s #1 ranking

ZoneAsia-Pk

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta cautioned global rivals on Sunday not to misjudge U.S. plans to slash military spending over the next decade, saying America would still field the world’s strongest military and nobody should “mess with that.”
Panetta, speaking on CBS’s “Face the Nation” ahead of Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary, also reminded Republican presidential contenders who have criticized the Pentagon’s new military strategy that the decision to cut $487 billion in defense spending was made by a bipartisan Congress.

Some Republicans have expressed concerns about the cuts and their impact. Leading Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney charged that President Barack Obama’s new military strategy unveiled this week was “inexcusable and unthinkable” because it would reduce U.S. global military capability.

The new strategy, which is meant to guide defense spending over the next decade as the military cuts back, calls for greater emphasis on Asia even as the Army and Marines shrink to become smaller and more agile forces.

“I think this country has to deal with the reality of the situation that we’re confronting,” Panetta said in a pre-recorded interview. “We’re coming out of a decade of war. We’re facing a huge budget crisis in this country. The Congress said … we have to reduce the defense budget by $487 billion.”

General Martin Dempsey, the top U.S. military officer as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told “Face the Nation” he worried that some countries might misunderstand the debate Americans are having over changing strategy and the need to cut defense spending.

“There may be some around the world who see us as a nation in decline, and worse, as a military in decline. And nothing could be further from the truth,” Dempsey said.

He said such a miscalculation could be “troublesome” in dealing with countries like Iran or North Korea but it could also cause close friends to wonder if the United States would continue to be a consistent ally.

“What I’d like to say right now is we’re the same partner we’ve always been, and intend to remain that way,” Dempsey said.

Panetta said U.S. rivals should not misunderstand the situation.

“I think the message that the world needs to understand is: America is the strongest military power and we intend to remain the strongest military power and nobody ought to mess with that,” he said.

Asked whether it would be difficult to take out Iran’s nuclear capability, Dempsey said it was his job to plan and understand the risks associated with any military option and “all those activities are going on.”

Pressed on whether the United States could take out Iran’s nuclear sites without using nuclear weapons, Dempsey would only say: “I absolutely want them to believe that that’s the case.”

“They need to know that … if they take that step, they are going to get stopped,” Panetta added. The United States is concerned that Iran’s nuclear program is aimed at producing a weapon, but Tehran insists it is for peaceful energy production.

Obama and Congress agreed in August to cut some $487 billion in defense spending over the next decade as part of efforts to bring of the nation’s $14 trillion debt under control.

Defense spending could be cut by another $600 billion as part of the August spending deal unless Congress compromises on an alternative. Congress missed the deadline for reaching an agreement but could still take action to override the cuts before they are due to go into force next year.

Obama, in unveiling the new defense strategy at a Pentagon news conference on Thursday, noted that even with the $487 trillion in cuts to projected spending, the defense budget would continue to grow in nominal terms.

He also said the U.S. defense budget would still be by far the world’s largest – roughly the size of the 10 next-biggest defense budgets combined.

If the second round of defense cuts takes place, the Pentagon’s base budget would fall to roughly $472 billion in fiscal 2013 – about the level of fiscal 2007 in inflation-adjusted dollars, according to an analysis by Todd Harrison of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments.

That represents a real cut of about 11 percent. It would remain at roughly the same level for about eight years, growing only at about the pace of inflation, Harrison’s analysis said.

Panetta told National Public Radio on Sunday the Pentagon was not ready for cuts of that magnitude.

“If we had to do over a trillion dollars in cuts in this department, I have to tell you that the strategy that we developed, we’d probably have to throw that out the window and start over,” he said.

Obama campaign adviser David Axelrod downplayed the likelihood that the second round of cuts would actually occur, telling ABC’s “This Week” program “we expect we’re going to deal with that … during the course of this year.”

Saudi brothers have declined Pak request for oil on credit

All rhetoric of brotherhood notwithstanding, two ‘friendly’ Arab countries have refused to supply oil to Pakistan on long-term credit.

Plagued by circular debt, and faced with high international oil prices, Pakistan had requested Kuwait and Saudi Arabia to extend their credit term for oil payments.

During his two-day visit in August last year, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani had requested Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz to either restore ‘free oil facility’ or extend the credit term for oil payment from the existing 30 days to one-year.

Saudi Arabia had granted Pakistan a ‘free oil facility’ in 1998, in the aftermath of the nuclear tests and subsequent economic sanctions from the United States and Europe.

“Saudi Arabia has turned down Pakistan’s request on grounds that since it exports oil to other countries, they may demand similar treatment,” said sources, quoting Saudi officials.

Saudi authorities also said that oil export is a commercial business for them and they would offer Pakistan the same terms that are offered to other countries, sources added.

Pakistan had also requested Kuwait to extend its credit terms for oil payments to six months, from the current two-month deferral period.

A formal request in this regard was made during President Asif Ali Zardari’s visit to Kuwait on May 7, 2011. At that time, Kuwait said it would discuss the matter with concerned authorities and let Pakistan know later.

Kuwait is the only country that supplies oil to Pakistan on a two-month deferred payment plan, an arrangement secured during the 2008 financial crisis. Other Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia, export oil on 30-day credit term.

When contacted, however, Petroleum Minister Dr Asim Hussain said he had no knowledge of such requests.

Earlier, Iran had been supplying 45,000 barrels of crude oil to Pakistan on a three-month deferred payment plan until January 2011. UN-imposed sanctions, however, brought a halt to these due to difficulties in opening Letter of Credits from global banks for oil imports from Iran.

Since then, Iranian oil is largely smuggled to Pakistan. Officials say people of Baluchistan meet most of their requirements with smuggled oil.

Cash crunch at PSO

With almost Rs200 billion due to pay local and international fuel suppliers as of January 6, 2012, the largest public sector oil marketing company, Pakistan State Oil (PSO), is in dire straits.

Of that amount, PSO owes almost Rs114 billion to international fuel suppliers, including Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC). “PSO is facing an emergency-like situation and has no money to pay for oil supplies,” sources said.

“The situation has been aggravated due to nonpayment of dues by power sector and some other clients; PSO’s receivables have piled up to Rs185.2 billion,” sources added.

The company is mainly dependent on oil imports since oil refineries in the country are operating at 70% capacity due to circular debt, sources added.

Siraiki Suba divides Punjab Assembly

As the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and its allies plan to table a bill on the creation of a Seraiki province in the next National Assembly session, the situation in the Punjab Assembly (PA) remains uncertain, with legislators from both sides of the divide staying strongly aligned to their party affiliations.

For a bill to succeed in the Punjab Assembly, it has to have a bipartisan consensus and must include the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) which holds the lion’s share of seats in the house.

The PML-N’s position on the Seraiki province is that the new unit must be based on administrative requirements, instead of ethnic or linguistic factors. The PML-N is not eager to embrace the Seraiki cause mainly out of suspicion that the PPP is using it as a political ploy to retain its vote bank in south Punjab while eroding its own political appeal in the province. The reason is clear: the party draws its power from central and northern Punjab and would not like to see its sphere of influence shrunk to one-third once a Seraiki province is carved out.

However, there are signs that if a resolution or a bill is taken to the voting stage in the Punjab Assembly, it will be very difficult for members of south Punjab to vote against the aspiration of their constituents. “Though I am tied to my party policy on the province in south Punjab, I definitely feel that not returning the state of Bahawalpur to the Bahawalpur people would be a grave injustice,” said Haji Zulfiqar, a PML-N legislator from Bahawalpur.

“Compared to the Seraiki province, a separate province for Bahawalpur is a more just cause and it is not all that difficult as the state of Bahawalpur, annexed by Pakistan in the early sixties, can be returned to its people through an executive order,” said Zulfiqar, whose party baulks at the idea of a Bahawalpur province.

The PML-N’s Mohsin Leghari, who is a vocal force behind the Seraiki province, says he did not see a problem with a bill or a resolution for the Seraiki province being presented in the National Assembly. “Actually, it has to start from the National Assembly after the amendment in the constitution in 1985. A province containing Multan, DG Khan and Bahawalpur divisions has to be carved out as it makes administrative, economic and political sense,” Leghari said.

However, the PPP’s constitutional wizard Senator Raza Rabbani has warned against starting the amendment process from the National Assembly. Addressing the media on Friday, Rabbani said that the process should start from the concerned provincial assembly otherwise it would look like a centrist attempt. “My party and I support the constitutional position on this,” Leghari said.

Article 239, clause 4 reads “A bill to amend the constitution which would have the effect of altering the limits of a province shall not be presented to the president for assent unless it has been passed by the provincial assembly of that province by votes of not less than two-thirds of its total membership.”

PPP’s senior member of the provincial assembly Nazim Hussain Shah said that the Seraiki province is a reality, and historically, areas inhabited by Seraikis had been an administrative unit. “We want our own province at all costs – even if we have to go to civil war for it. We know that we don’t have a two-thirds majority in the assembly, but how would a Seraiki member oppose the resolution or a bill on the province?” Shah said.

So far, Punjab Assembly Speaker Rana Iqbal has held off all attempts by Seraiki members to bring a resolution in the house, pitting Seraiki members against the PML-N.

During the last session, members belonging to Seraiki areas frequently huddled together in meetings to evolve a bipartisan consensus on the issue.

Blochistan enters third day without gas

As temperatures continue to plummet in Balochistan, gas supply remained suspended for the third consecutive day in the province on Sunday causing serious inconvenience to people.

Despite repeated claims by officials of the Sui Southern Gas Company that supply will be restored within hours, residents in provincial capital Quetta kept waiting for gas supply.

Supply to Quetta, Kalat, Mastung, Pishin, Ziarat and other districts was suspended about three days ago after an 18-inch gas pipeline was blown up twice near the troubled Dera Bugti region. But despite the lapse of three days, the damaged pipeline has not been repaired.

According to an SSGC official, repair work has begun after receiving the security clearance. He claimed that the pipeline will take a few hours for repair.

Quetta’s residents, meanwhile, faced great difficulty in going about normal activities, including cooking food. “Every winter we face this problem when gas is desperately needed,” said a despairing resident Muhammad Babar. Most people went to work without even having breakfast and long queues were seen outside bread shops, he said.

On removing the crosses

The crosses at Camp Pendleton erected to memorialize fallen Marines are a sensitive issue. On the one hand, the religious symbols are a way to honor people who scarified their lives for our country. On the other, there’s the constitutional issue of separation of church and state.

The editorial board weighs in on this issue in Wednesday’s pages, putting it bluntly:

The military, like any other government agency, cannot allow people to install large religious symbols wherever they want on public property. Once in place for any length of time, those symbols (and usually that means a cross) tend to be seen as established markers, and proposals to remove them are wrongly viewed as anti-religion and, specifically, anti-Christian.

But the board also offers a compromise:

One course of action that would allow the new crosses to remain would be to invite Marines of other religious beliefs to add their own symbols to the hill. That would ensure the separation of church and state while also being sensitive to the sense of loss suffered by those in the armed services. It would create a place where all people in uniform can remember the sacrifices made by so many.

The majority of readers debating on our discussion board are less flexible. In between commenters calling The Times a communist newspaper and The L.A. Slimes, there are passionate arguments that share a range of perspectives. Some respond directly to the editorial, while others are responding to the debate generally. Here’s a selection of comments.

A note from a Marine

You know, I hear a lot of whining and complaining from outsiders who will never see this memorial on the base. We Marines fight to protect American freedoms — which includes the freedom of religion. You decry these individuals who have gone out on their own time with their own resources to honor the fallen in their own way. Instead of complaining, then step up to establish other memorials, but do not ask others to conform to your views. I and my brother/sister Marines fight to protect the rights of ALL Americans, not just a vocal minority that want it all their own way instead of learning how to live with others and respect the fact that there are many divergent views in this country.

– an old Marine

The casualties overwhelmingly borne by Christians

The casualties in these latest wars are overwhelmingly being borne by Christians — active or nominal. The Jewish weekly ‘Forward’ did a profile of all the Jewish casualties they could find, there were something like 35 — less than three quarters of one percent of casualties. I suspect similar figures for Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Wiccans, etc. If there are to be other religions represented, then the proportionality of casualties should be represented also.

–JohnDrakeSloat

Soldiers’ rights

Since when do soldiers have the right to set up personal monuments on military bases? It seems to me that it is more of a military discipline issue than a Constitutional issue …

– Songquo

A mission to destroy our Constitutional government

God please save us from Christians. They will not rest until they destroy our Constitutional government and replace it with a religious-fascist state.

–GaryRath

In favor of equal access

I don’t recall anything in the Constitution that specifically addresses such things as Miranda rights, bi-racial marriage or segregation in the schools, but every one of these were Constitutional issues that were decide by the Supreme Court.

But personally, I say just allow others to erect memorials using their respective religious symbols and presto; equal access and no Constitutional issue!

– HiVeloCT

*For clarity purposes, spelling errors in the above comments have been corrected.

ALSO:

Video: A cross to bear

Camp Pendleton’s other big cross

Dispute over cross casts light on four fallen Marines

–Alexandra Le Tellier

Seraiki province to be expected in the future: Gillani

Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani said here on Sunday that his government was determined to set up a new province in the Seraiki belt.

“People are seeking their rights and it is my promise to them that a Seraiki province will soon emerge and the people of the area will soon get their own province and the assembly,” the prime minister said while addressing a public meeting at Khanpur Maral.

He said that although some people in the opposition termed the issue of Seraiki province an election stunt of the PPP, but, he added, his party was sincere in its promise to set up new province.

“They (opposition) should suggest ways which should be used for creation of the Seraiki province. They should say whether they want the new province to be created through the ballot or through a protest movement.” He asked the opposition to tell the people what course should be taken.

Referring to severe power and gas shortages which have triggered riots and disturbances across the country, the prime minister claimed that his government would resolve the crisis within a few months.

Mr Gilani said the government had strengthened provinces by giving them autonomy, adding that the PPP was a federal party with roots in the entire country.

“Two things are necessary for security of the country; one of them is the Constitution and the other is a federal political party,” he said, adding that attempts to weaken the federal political party would weaken the country.

He said the government was committed to solving all problems of the country to accomplish the mission of assassinated PPP leaders.

He claimed that the PPP government was moving forward in accordance with the Constitution and people who were accusing the PPP of not acting in accordance with the Constitution, were “misleading the masses”.

Dubai Government reduced business fines by 40%

The Dubai government, in a bid to facilitate business community in the emirate, will reduce the value of fines imposed on the economic establishments up to 40 per cent.
In this regard a decree was issued on Sunday by His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE, in his capacity as the Ruler of Dubai.

Top government officials, businessmen and business consultants welcomed the move and said it would help reduce cost of doing business in the emirate and also boost confidence of business community. “The violations which existed prior to the issue of the decree on January 5, 2012, only will be eligible for reductions,” Wam reported.

Early settlement of dues will provide higher amount of reduction in fines while late settlement will reduce the fines by 20 per cent.

“Forty per cent of the amount will be waived on fines payable from the date January 1, 2012, until February 29, 2012. A total of 30 per cent will be reduced from fines payable between the dates March 1, 2012, and April 30, 2012, and 20 per cent from fines payable between May 1, 2012, and June 29, 2012,” according to the news agency.

The first decree of 2012 by Shaikh Mohammed brings relief for the business community and specially for small and medium enterprises in the emirate.

“Another great initiative by Shaikh Mohammed for the betterment of the large business community. This will be a big relief, especially to the small and medium businesses operating in Dubai and help them clear their dues with ease,” Yusuffali MA, managing director of EMKE/Lulu Group, told Khaleej Times.

Yusuffali urged all business leaders to grab this opportunity and settle their dues once for all and start afresh this new year.

Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry Director-General Hamad Buamim said the decree reflects the commitment of the Dubai government to support businesses in the emirate.

Buamim said the farsighted and prudently planned decision, which will beef up investors’ confidence in Dubai, reflects a hard-working government that provides all facilities and potentialities to back the private sector.

Sami Al Qamzi, Director-General of the Dubai Department of Economic Development (DED), said the gesture reflects the trends of our sagacious government in upgrading and developing the business environment in the emirate.

“It also stems from his realisation to the importance of studying all the effective factors in the cost of practising business in the emirate, and review its reduction to boost the position of Dubai on the world map of investment, and create a competitive investment environment,” Al Qamzi noted.

NMC Healthcare managing director and chief executive officer Dr B.R. Shetty also welcomed the decree and said it is a good news for business community at the start of the year. It is an opportunity by the Dubai government for companies to streamline their businesses by paying off pending dues with up to 40 per cent discount, he said, adding that it will help them improve their performance and keep on their growth journey.

Divya J Gianchandani, a partner in Jitendra Consulting Group, said: “Concession on fines is a big relief for many residents and business community, particularly for large SMEs operating in the UAE, which represent more then 95 per cent of UAE’s businesses.” Many SMEs are not able to renew their trade licenses due to deteriorated business and hence not able to cancel or apply for new visas, she said, adding: “I think it is a good time for them to correct the legal position. The new decree will definitely improve the business environment in the country.”

Musharraff heads home to lead APML

Exiled former president Pervez Musharraf said on Sunday he would return to Pakistan later this month to lead his recently formed party in campaigning for a parliamentary election, despite the possibility of his arrest and concern over his security.

“There are efforts to scare me, but these people don’t know that I’m not among the afraid,” Musharraf told a rally of about 8,000 supporters in the commercial centre Karachi via video link from Dubai.

The former general said he would return between January 27 and 30 and dismissed concern about his security. “I have fought wars. I am not scared of danger.”

Musharraf’s return, to lead his All Pakistan Muslim League’s campaign for an election due by 2013, would add to the political uncertainty at a time of tension between the weak civilian government and the powerful military, which sets foreign and security policies.

Musharraf resigned and went to live abroad after his allies lost a parliamentary election in 2008 and the new coalition government threatened him with impeachment.

His popularity had plummeted after he became embroiled in a row with the judiciary and briefly imposed a state of emergency in 2007.

Saudi and Pakistani sources told Reuters on Sunday that Musharraf, who seized power in a 1999 coup, planned to travel to Saudi Arabia to seek the kingdom’s backing before going home.

SAUDI INDLUENCE

Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter, has considerable influence in political circles in Pakistan because of its assistance to the South Asian nation’s fragile economy.

“Musharraf will be travelling to Saudi soon in order to get support before he goes back to Pakistan,” said a Gulf-based Saudi source familiar with the matter. A Pakistani source also said Musharraf, who is in Dubai, would go to Saudi Arabia soon.

The source declined to say what form of support he was seeking. Some reports have said Musharraf, who faces possible arrest on charges of failing to provide adequate security to former prime minister Benazir Bhutto before her assassination in 2007, will seek Saudi guarantees that he would not be detained.

He also faces threats to his life from Islamist militants seeking revenge for the crackdown he ordered against them.

In 2007, Saudi King Abdullah helped broker the return to Pakistan of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who Musharraf had sent to Saudi Arabia in 2000 under what his government said was an agreement that Sharif would stay in exile for 10 years.

Saudi sources say their country is concerned about the friction between Pakistan’s army and government in recent months.

“The stability of Pakistan is very important to the region and has to be maintained,” said a second Pakistani source.

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari is facing his biggest political crisis since taking office in 2008, over an unsigned memo to the Pentagon seeking U.S. help to rein in Pakistan’s generals, who have ruled the nation for more than half its history.

Businessman Mansoor Ijaz, in a column in the Financial Times, said a senior Pakistani diplomat had asked for the memo to be delivered. Ijaz later identified the diplomat as Husain Haqqani, Pakistan’s then ambassador in Washington and a close Zardari aide.

Haqqani denies any involvement, and no evidence has emerged that the military was plotting a coup.

The Supreme Court has ordered an investigation into the matter, which could further threaten the civilian government, especially if it established a link between the memo and Zardari.

Internal Instability and rift in KPK might win PML-N support

At a time when most of the political parties are strengthening their position by enticing workers of rival groups, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz faces a threat of losing key leaders in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa if their reservations are not removed swiftly.

Owing to internal differences the party has to delay naming of its provincial office-bearers for over a year, but its effort to keep the dispersed activists united are yet bear fruit.

PML-N president Mian Nawaz Sharif visited Peshawar on December 28 and held meetings with the disgruntled leaders, particularly former central general secretary Saranjam Khan and former provincial minister Abdul Subhan Khan, but his efforts to satisfy these leaders remained fruitless.

Though, Mr Saranjam turned up at the council meeting at Nishtar Hall on December 28, but walked out in protest when Rehmat Salam Khattak’s name was announced as provincial general secretary.

Three candidates, including Shazia Aurangzeb, Mr Khattak and Mehr Sultana, were in the run and their respective supporters were shouting slogans and as result of the disturbance Mr Sharif had to come to the rostrum where the women withdrew their papers and resultantly Mr Khattak was declared successful.

Ms Shazia was the nominee of Mr Saranjam and as she withdrew her papers he along with his supporters left the hall.

Mr Sharif had arrived a day before the council meeting to meet and woo the disgruntled leaders, but the issues remained unresolved. Both Mr Saranjam and Mr Subhan have resigned from their party offices and are likely to form a pressure group in the party.

“A party delegation, including Anwar Kamal Marwat and Farid Toofan, came to my residence and assured me of meeting our demands within 10 days. A meeting with Mr Sharif has is also being planned in Islamabad to review these issues. Let’s see what happens,” Mr Saranjam told Dawn on Sunday.

About his conditions, he said that Mr Khattak should be replaced and the party office-bearers at Mardan and Karak re-appointed. “Otherwise none of my friends is ready to accept leadership of Mr Khattak and thus our ways will be separate,” he said.

However, Mr Saranjam said he would remain a Muslim Leaguer as in this age he could not join any other party though he was contacted by PTI chairman Imran Khan and PML-Q provincial president Amir Muqam for his support.

He said that his nominee Ms Shazia was compelled to withdraw in favour of Mr Khattak, but she could not disclose the details due to fear of Mr Sharif.

Abdul Subhan, on the other hand, even avoided attending the December 28 council meeting where he was appointed provincial vice-president, the seat he refused.

Mr Subhan said he did not accept the provincial council as an independent body, as its members were nominees of Mr Khattak and Sardar Mehtab Abbasi, who, he added, was against Saranjam group.

“According to the party constitution no one can become member of the provincial council if he/she has spent less than three years in the party, but those recently joining the party were also appointed members of the council,” he revealed.

Mr Subhan said that party leadership had failed to redress grievances of the party activists and leaders and that was why staunch leaders like Javed Hashmi had left the party.

He claimed that the party had parallel groups in every district of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He said that meetings of old workers had been planned in Mardan to decide future line of action for getting their rightful place in the party.

“During his government Pervez Musharraf had offered me Rs20 million for his support when Nawaz family was out of the country, but I rejected the offer and then faced police actions and imprisonment only for the party cause,” he recalled.

Mr Subhan said he did not attend the council meeting as Mr Sharif had already disclosed his decision that he wanted Mr Khattak as provincial secretary despite opposition by majority.

When contacted, Mr Khattak told this correspondent that efforts were being made to remove differences in the party, as replacement of anyone in the provincial cabinet was impossible.

CIA to resume drone strikes

America’s Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is likely to resume the drone campaign that it had apparently called off following a deadly Nato airstrike on Pakistani border posts in the Mohmand tribal region on November 26, 2011. However, this time around, the frequency and intensity of attacks by pilot-less aircraft would not be as high as it was in the past.

Sources told The Express Tribune on Sunday that both sides have almost agreed on ‘fresh terms of engagements’ to resume drone attacks against suspected al Qaeda members and their local facilitators hiding in the tribal areas, including North and South Waziristan.

The deadly aircraft operated from the CIA Headquarters at Langley in McClean, Virginia, would now be flying from American airbases in Afghanistan, said an official privy to the developments taking place behind the scene.

The Bagram airbase, just outside the Afghan capital Kabul, might be the new launch pad for drone attacks inside Pakistan in the future, said the official.

Conditions

Though the parliamentary committee on the national security is still working out new terms of engagement with the US, it was recently reported that top intelligence officials from Pakistan and the US were already busy in secret talks to lower tensions.

Officials said the resumption of drone strikes might be under new conditions. They added that Pakistani negotiators had convinced their American counterparts on at least a couple of conditions: First, the drone strikes should not be as frequent as they were in 2010 and 2011. And second, the CIA should narrow the stripe the aircraft were targeting under the approach known as ‘box formation’ in military terms.

“We don’t want them to be that frequent … it creates problems for us by invoking public anger,” the official added, saying Pakistani authorities believed drones were ‘strategically harmful but tactically advantageous’.

About the box approach, he added that the areas the Pakistani military had already claimed to have cleared must not be hit. “We want them to be within a smaller radius,” the official explained.

Top Achievers of 2011!

Area 14/8

2011 is almost over,and one hell of a roller coaster ride it was. The OBL assassination (controversial as it was),the Memogate Scandal (as controversial a document as was its source),terrorism,ethnic violence,bombing of schools,NATO strike,the steep economic downturn:you name it! Amidst all chaos and dissatisfaction we forget that there are people amongst you and me who are trying to,in their own way,make a difference. Be it on an individual level,or a societal scale,we have amongst us those who have made us proud of being Pakistani,even if for just a moment.

PEACE EFFORTS:

2011 has definitely made us brave. Ever wondered how you can have a positive impact on your surroundings? Here are a few examples of people like you and me who actually have.

1. Abdul Sattar Edhi’s Peace Prize nomination for 2011:
   Undoubtedly one of the most active and dedicated philanthropists Pakistan and the World have ever seen,Edhi was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007. Edhi foundation,started off as a one man show in Karachi,is today the world’s largest ambulance service and welfare oragnization with more than 300 centers operating nationwide. The Edhi foundation has targeted the basic and most crushing problems which plague Pakistani Society. They plan campaigns against narcotics,focus on family planning and basic hygiene. Edhi received 9 international awards (including the Lenin Peace Prize in 1988) and 8 national awards (including Nishan-e-Imtiaz in 1989). The Edhi Foundation was also mentioned in the Guiness World Records (2000).
   

   This year Edhi has been nominated for the 2011 Trippery National Award amongst 6 other renowned personalities worldwide for his contribution to society.

2. Deputy Superintendent Shahzadi Gulfam of Pakistan received the 2011 United Nation’s award for International Female Police Peacekeeper Award:

   

   The United Nations Police Division in the Office of Rule of Law and Security Institutions (OROLSI),Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO),and the International Association of Women Police (IAWP) International Scholarship Committee had awarded the 2011 International Female Police Peacekeeper Award to Deputy Superintendent Shahzadi Gulfam from Pakistan.

3. Malala Yusafzai wins International Children Peace Award:
   It takes guts,bravery and obviously skill to stand against the Taliban,the invincible force that has terrorized the World. Taliban in the Northern area have targeted and destroyed over 4000 schools in Pakistan’s Northern Province Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Malala Yusafzai started blogging for BBC Urdu under an alias when she was 11,about Taliban’s ban on girls schools in Swat. Her writing was personal,courageous and moving while she encouraged girls in her community to stand against oppression.

   

   Yusafzai beat 93 contestants from 42 countries and will be presented the award by Nobel Peace Laureate Desmond Tutu.

4. Moin Khan- A Different Agenda:
   On 10 June,2011 a 26 year old embarked upon a world tour on a solo motorbike journey with the agenda of promoting the soft nature of the silent majority of Pakistan. The Pakistani citizen,residing in San Francisco,has made headlines worldwide. The 26 year old spontaneously decided to pack all his belongings,quit his job,got a bike,and collected sponsors for his zigzag journey across the globe. He is expected to reach Lahore just before New Years after visiting 22 countries in approximately six months.

   

   When asked by BBC UK as to why,Khan stated he wanted to be an ambassador of peace and spread awareness about his people. “I was sick of all the negative news about Pakistan”.

SPORTS:

1. Pakistan Cricket:
   Pakistani Cricket team has braved a tough year. After the whole match fixing scandal,rather despite the scandal and getting ripped off of some of their best players,under the leadership of Shahid Afridi, Pakistan made it to the World cup semi final. Another major achievement for the Pakistani team is in test cricket where they have beat their own winning streak and outperformed all cricket teams worldwide by winning all 6 test series and 24 out of a total of 32 matches.

   

   This victory,that might not have been possible without the sound leadership of current Captain Misbah-ul-Haq,has given a well needed boost to a team that is striving to improve their image. Taking each hurdle as it comes;Rameez Raja and other first-class critics have applauded the team’s current strategy. Rather than looking at the bigger picture,with so much pressure to build their image,looking in the long run will only pressurize rather than prove conducive.

2. Aisam-Bopanne duo wins title in Paris:
   The exceptionally talented 31 year-old tennis player Aisam-ul-Haq has been participating in international tennis as a Junior at a Junior level spectacular World Ranking of No.7. This year Aisam’s partnership with an Indian player Rohan Bopanna won their first ever ATP tournament. The duo also paired up in the name of Indo-Pak peace,as Pakistan’s image building has been Aisam’s main agenda throughout his career. With the slogan ‘Don’t make War,play Tennis’ the two Tennis champions sent a mass message to the World that Pakistanis and Indians are not looking for tense relationships and received the ‘Ather Ashe Humanitarian of the year’ award in 2010.

   

   Aisam has even before,in 2002,partnered with Israeli tennis champion Amir Hadad,to send out a similar message of peace and humanity. In November 2010 he was appointed the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) goodwill ambassador. Qureshi is now also a member of the ‘Champions for Peace’ club,a group of 54 athletes from across the globe. With a booming career,a healthy family life,promoting peace Aisam has in many ways become the ideal an entire generation of Pakistanis aspires towards.

3. Pakistan Hockey wins against China:
   Even though hockey happens to be Pakistan’s national sport,it has much less fanfare and followers than cricket. However as the Hockey board continues to promote the sport on an international level,the quality of the game,the commitment of the players and the media response to updates has taken a very positive trend in recent years. This year Chinese hockey team was visiting Pakistan for a tournament in Karachi and Faisalabad,which the Pakistani team won. More importantly,the Chinese team’s visit was a milestone of an achievement as it brings Pakistan one step closer to the International platform. China has also invited the Pakistan Hockey team for a tournament in China next year.

   

EDUCATION:

1. Dr Umar Saif named amongst top innovators:
   This year a professor from the Pakistani University LUMS has been named amongst the World’s top 35 innovators for his contributions to Information Technology by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). His work will make internet available to millions of Pakistanis for much cheaper. Umar Saif will join a group of elite innovators including co-founder of google and Marc Zuckerberg,the founder of facebook. Dr. Saif has won various awards previously for his technology innovation for the developing world. He has received a PhD from the University of Cambridge and is also a fellow of the Cambridge Commonwealth Trust.

   

   He wishes to stay in Pakistan and help,in his own way,his people and the country by making Information Technology more accessible. Dr. Umar Saif sets an example for academics and researchers in Pakistan.

2. Ibrahim Shahid sets O Levels world record:
   The Beaconhouse Islamabad student set O Levels World Record for maximum number of As by receiving 23 As in a total of 24 subjects. The boy is not a nerd, as his peers and teachers emphasize. Active in extra-curricular,he humble even admits that it isn’t a high IQ but smart studying and hard work that achieved him this success. Students previously,like Ali Moeen Nawazish who last year set the World record for maximum A-level A’s (22) and Aarifa Karim,the World’s youngest MCP at age 11. Such remarkable achievements by Pakistani students encourage higher achievers in the future and enable students to set higher standards for themselves.

   

   To encourage a positive outlook and to inculcate the desire and motivation in our masses to bring a change,we should acknowledge the efforts of these people. The year 2011 has been bittersweet for all of us,but through optimism and by awakening our patriotism we can all make a difference and together make 2012 less bitter and more sweet.