We can change our fortune the way we won the final

Azhar Aslam and Shaista Kazmi

So how did we do it? Was it sheer luck? Hardly any one would agree. Was it faith only? Some would argue for that. Was it the sheer talent of Afridi, Akmal, Razzaq and Gul? Many would vouch for that. As I write this, my mother has come and sat next to me and stated: ‘wasey kamala he hey jaisey Allah nein Dilshan ko out kiya!’. I won’t say I rest my case with my mother (at least not on one this occasion). Since I prayed too and said Allah O Akbar to myself just before we won. And it was a great sight to see them all bow to Almighty in the home of consumerist capitalist neo-imperialism..

The best thing was the manner it was won. With eight wickets intact, and eight balls to spare! What makes this even more memorable is that Pakistanis beat South Africans in the semi-final. Hence they beat both pre final favourites. So how did we do it? In brief, we won because we were better team on the day. But this was not achieved without sheer determination and proper planning. While I am not privy to behind the scenes, it was clear by watching the match that Pakistani team had done their home work. Thorough analysis had been done, strategy had been drawn, tactics had been decided and action plan finalised. Finally it was all executed in clam, cool and professional manner under a bold captain. The remarks made by Afridi and co in post match interviews showed immense respect for Younis Khan.

Update Swabi Camp

With every passing day the situation of the IDPs living in the camps is getting worse. The weather is getting warmer day by day  making it more and more miserable and affecting the health of the people  badly. The most vulnerable group are children and women (specifically the women who are pregnant). They are suffering the most and need urgent attention.

The average number of people visiting the medical camps has increased significantly, according to the medical assistant, Salma, working in the population welfare department.  She has told us that nearly fifty patients visit their camp daily, out of which 10 are women who are pregnant. She told us that due to insufficient nutrition they are weak and developing complications According to Salma there is no doctor available in the Population welfare department’s camp to see the patients. When we asked her that how do they treat the serious patients she answered that they refer them to the other medical camps serving in the colony.  Unfortunately these camps are hardly any better. 

The other depressing issue is that women are giving birth to children in an unhygienic environment. Due to this the new born are highly susceptible to infections. Another volunteer, Riaz Mohammad, who has been working in the camps for past couple of  months, informed us  that two infant baby girls died a couple of days ago due to heat and inappropriate healthcare services.

 Riaz Mohammad also observed that while initially there were numerous  relief activities and volunteers and  there was a steady flow of aid , the situation is much harsher now. He told that the activities have now slowed down with the passage of time and are not sufficient enough to meet the needs of the camp populations. While on the other hand the IDPs are more in need of help compared to earlier. He told that one of the three medical camps set up a month ago has been closed in the time when people need it more .  Riaz Mohammad said that there are other camps managed by the private organizations which are performing better. But again the problem is that the service is not sufficient for alleviating the problems of IDP

 The need now is to not let the ‘ donor fatigue’ set in. And help in any way we can. Vision 21 is now working on a plan to provide nutritional supplements and such for pregnant women and children.  

To help us deliver this please call us on  +92 51 250 5030 or email on info@thevision21.org.

 

A Dismal Performance

Dawn Editorial

Fiscal improvement at the cost of socioeconomic development is not sustainable for long and if wasn’t for agriculture, we might have posted negative economic growth this year. - APP/File photo

THE

Economic Survey of Pakistan 2008-09 tells us that the economy is crumbling, even if it hasn’t collapsed fully. We all understand that. Like previous such documents, this year’s survey also tells us about the huge gap between the tall budgetary targets our planners set each year and what they actually achieve. What do they hope to gain by making unrealistic claims? We remain in the middle of a huge economic crisis and yet don’t know who to blame for it: the global recession, economic mismanagement of the previous government under Gen Pervez Musharraf or the deteriorating security environment. The government argues that all three factors have contributed to the country’s economic slide. True. But it must also acknowledge its failure to take timely action to stop the decline, which did complicate the situation.

Like many previous years, the government has missed almost all the targets for the outgoing fiscal: growth has slowed down, tax revenue collection is feared to fall far short of the target, private investment is down, inflation is yet to be controlled, external debt liabilities are rising, foreign investment is falling, exports are dwindling, and so on and so forth. The massive cut in development spending to rev up the macroeconomy has hit the public healthcare system hard. Education too remains underfunded. Millions are still without piped water and other public services. The economic infrastructure is in a shambles and the energy crunch is taking its toll on industry. If it weren’t for agriculture, we might have posted negative economic growth this year. As a result, hundreds of thousands of jobs have been lost and millions pushed below the poverty line.

Yes, there have been certain improvements in some areas during the last one year. The fiscal deficit has also been brought down a little. Nevertheless, the improvements in the fiscal picture achieved at the cost of social and economic development cannot be sustained for very long. The current account gap has narrowed a bit. But the possibility of rising imports and stagnating exports and foreign inflows continue to pose a serious risk to the balance-of-payments position. There is little possibility of sustainable improvements in the economy unless the government decides to tax the big fish irrespective of the source of their income. At the same time it will have to learn to live within its means. But will it? We’ll soon know when the budget for the next year is announced.

My visit to Swabi: Red Crescent & UNHCR Camps Colony

Sawabi is one of those cities where a large number of IDPs have taken shelter after fleeing from the restive areas. International organizations, local NGOs and government institutions have gathered there to perform the relief activities after the huge displacement occurred as a consequence of the military operation in Swat. There are complaints from IDPs that situation is much worse than other relief camps that are mainly managed by local government authorities. As a part of our assessment about the plight of IDPs we decided to visit Sawabi where both UNHCR and RED CROSS are running the relief camps for the IDPs.

It took me almost one hour and 45 minutes to reach Sawabi from Rawalpindi . The camps are situated at a distance of 3 kilometers from Sawabi interchange on the motorway. The camp colonies on the both sides of road accommodate approximately 20,000 displaced people. When I stepped out of the cab (especially hired for the purpose), barefooted children welcomed us, asking for chocolates and ice creams. It was a very hot day and the sufferings due to harsh conditions were written all over on their faces.  

A tragedy of errors and Cover-ups – By The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP)

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) is convinced that the cost of the insurgency in the Malakand Division has been increased manifold by the shortsightedness and indecisiveness of the non-representative institutions and their policy of appeasing the militants and cohorting with them. While the ongoing military operation had become unavoidable, it was not adopted as a measure of the last resort. Further, the plight of the internally displaced people has been aggravated by lack of planning and coordination by the agencies concerned, and the methods of evacuation of towns/villages and the arrangements for the stranded people have left much to be desired.

 Based on reports by HRCP activists in the Malakand Division and other parts of NWFP/Pakhtunkhwa, visits to IDP camps by its activists and senior board members, and talks with many displaced people and several Nazims and public figures, the commission has released the following statement on the situation, its conclusions and recommendations:

Changing the way we have been By Ayaz Amir

( Comment by Awaam :  So long as men worship the Caesars and Napoleons, Caesars and Napoleons will duly arise and make them miserable—-Aldous Huxley )

The stakes couldn’t be higher nor the opportunity hidden in this hour of seeming distress more promising. Provided we don’t prove exceptionally unlucky once more — or exceptionally stupid — the crisis in which we find ourselves is an opportunity to change the face of Pakistan, change our direction and our established modes of thinking and make up for all the lost years — years lost to mediocre leadership, both civil and military.

It is not us who have created this moment of opportunity. Indeed it lay not in our power to do so. It has come our way through a combination of factors: America’s presence in Afghanistan; the growing Taliban threat within Pakistan; and Barack Obama as US president.

It is Obama’s approach to Afghanistan which has enhanced Pakistan’s importance — whether Pakistan’s inept leadership understands this or not. Crucial to any American success in Afghanistan — anything that enables the US to make a half-dignified exit from there — is Pakistan’s role or, specifically, the role of its army.

Global poverty: the human-rights dimension by Kate Allen

 Kate Allen is UK director of Amnesty International

The worldwide economic recession is working its way through every level of the global economy. Most people in the rich states of the west in one way or another are experiencing its negative effects with regard to their jobs, savings, prices for basic goods, and career-prospects. But the recession’s impact on people in the poorest and most conflict-ridden parts of the world – who were already living with great insecurity of employment, food and shelter – is even greater. Amnesty International’s latest annual report on the state of the world’s human rights, published on 28 May 2009, documents the devastating consequences of the crisis on the world’s poorest people – and finds that the economic problems they face are at their heart human-rights problems too. We are concerned that world leaders’ tendency to reduce the recession to a financial issue that requires limited technocratic solutions ignores this deep human-rights dimension.

Who will bell the cat ? And How ?

Here are three pieces published in daily ‘The News’. These represent a cross section of views. Although they discuss the problem of Swat Operation and IDPs from different perspective, the common theme is ‘What needs to be done and how it should be done?’. However no one clearly comes up with the answer to the question ‘Who’ needs to do this. And if the government is failing, as they all say or imply, how the hell are we going to change this?

Is any one listening? Who will bell the cat?

On the other side of despair. by Ali Asghar Khan, 

No escape from hell by Noreen Haider    and     

Winning the peace by Dr Maleeha Lodhi

On the other side of despair. by Ali Asghar Khan

“Where does one go from a world of insanity? Somewhere on the other side of despair.” –T S Elliot

Amidst the insanity, the brutality, hate and intolerance, there remains an overwhelming desire for peace and security. In the face of daunting issues and powerful actors, many may doubt their ability to contribute to change and question the relevance of making an effort. The importance of raising citizen concerns individually or collectively for creating checks and balances is greater now than ever before. We as citizens must demand that the manner in which we resolve our problems reflects our reality and our interests. For ordinary citizens to abdicate this role under the present circumstances is simply suicidal.

Hypocrisy, fast becoming a national pastime, should no longer be tolerated.

The next phase. Dawn Editorial Sunday, 31 May, 2009

 FOUR weeks into the military operation in Malakand division, the flow of mixed news continues. Militarily, successes are being achieved; the latest good news is that Mingora has nearly been secured by the army. But on the humanitarian front troubling news continues to pour in: on Friday, the NWFP information minister claimed that the number of IDPs in the northwest has touched 3.4 million, and this at a time when international aid agencies are running short of money and supplies. Overall, the picture that is emerging is one of a reasonably successful military operation set against a humanitarian crisis of staggering proportions.

Indians and American weapons used by Tehreek e Taliban Terrorists

Now that Indian made weapons have been found in Swat, will the civilian government take up the matter on a diplomatic level?

By Sabeen Hafiz.  Originally published on ‘thecurrentaffairs.com’.

Briefing reporters about the progress of operation Rahe Rast, military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas yesterday revealed the extent of foreign support that the TTP terrorists are getting from Afghanistan. Large caches of weapons of US and INDIAN origin have been found as the security forces completely secure control of Mingora city, destroying various training centres of terrorists and killing important militant commanders, the military said.

The Americans have their excuses in order – Earlier this year it was revealed that over 200,000 US weapons – including assault rifles and grenade launchers – are ‘missing’ from the US army’s inventory in Afghanistan. The US army is unable to provide serial numbers for a large number of the missing weapons and no records have been maintained for the location or disposition for the rest.

Pakistan’s war on civilians by Paul Rogers

This article was published on ‘Open Democracy’. Paul Rogers is professor of Peace studies in Bradford, England. He writes regularly on Open Democracy and for the Oxford Research Group. We do not agree with all of what he says, but he does raise questions we all need to think about and find answers for.

 The car-bombing in Lahore of a police station and the local headquarters of  Pakistan’s Inter Service Intelligence (ISI) agency on 27 May 2009 is more than the seventh major attack on the city since January 2008 – and the third since March 2009, when the Sri Lankan cricket team and a police academy were targeted. The bomb, which killed twenty-seven people and and injured over a hundred, is a further indication of the systemic, interrelated and deep-rooted nature of Pakistan’s internal-security troubles. Lahore, after all, is Pakistan’s cultural centre, a sophisticated city that lies close to India and is a long way from the intense fighting currently being waged in the Swat valley in North West Frontier Province (NWFP). If it can be repeatedly attacked with apparent impunity, it tells its own story about how the different parts of the country are becoming implicated in an all-consuming conflict (see Ayesha Siddiqa, “Pakistan: a country on fire“, 24 September 2008).