TRDPs Research Study on Thar Coal & Sustainable Development

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Dear Folks   I fee immense pleasure to share this news with you that an updated research study on Thar Coal is going to be released next month by Thardeep Rural Development programme (TRDP).   A base line research study was done by Thardeep Rural Development programme (TRDP), Thar’s leading civil society and research organization. Expertise of some of the leading/prominent researcher and development practitioners of Sindh were hired for that work.   Keeping in view the current status of Thar Coal issue and significance for national economic priority TRDP is again launching / re-producing the same report with update situation analysis. The aim of the re-production of the research study is to provide baseline information and scientific data to the policy and decision makers, legislators, line departments, civil society, media and other stakeholders.   This research study will help to understand the demographic and geographic patterns of Thar, community, environmental issue, socio-economic realities, and political landscape and project related issues like displacement, rehabilitation, burdens for the local people and effected communities.   This report is re-produced in Sindhi, English and Urdu. Arrangments of the launch of the report through a civil society dialogue in mid May 2009, are ging on.   Profound Regards Zulfiqar Halepoto Senior Advisor Policy Advocacy and Civil Society Interface Thardeep Rural Development programme (TRDP)     A brief about Thar and coal:   Thar is known as purgatory of poverty and drought. On the contrary Thar Desert enjoys the availability of enormous resources including Coal. These natural resources of Thar can benefit entire Pakistan and the whole economy. Thar Coal and its connectivity with Keti Bandar project can add billions of rupees to the national exchequer. That Coal can really end the energy crisis of this country. That Coal can be (to certain degree) converted in to drinking water for Tharees.   Shaheed Benazir Bhutto in her last government envisaged the idea and by realized the potential of Coal and understand it s support to the overall economy and gave priority to the project buy knowing the merits and profits of the project.   This government has again initiated upon Benazir Bhutto's vision to supplement to the national economy was treated as "Sindh Interest" and project was suspended. Still this project has merits and need priority focus of the policy makers. Here are two articles in this regard. Please go-through these reading, which are exclusively written to high-light this issue of national interest.     Notes from one of the articles of Syed Mohibullah Shah (energy and coal expert) Government has promised to solve the manifold problems of the poor people of the most backward area of the country. The dark and difficult days for the people of Tharparkar will be over as soon as the Thar Coal project started.   The problems of the people of Tharparkar are known to all but have remained neglected despite repeated studies on the region, plans, seminars, conferences and visits by our policymakers. What has been conspicuous by its absence throughout the years has been the will to implement and act upon these studies and deliver the benefits to the people. The almost total absence of any employment opportunities, drinking water, health and educational facilities have created sub-human living conditions, and bear testimony to a serious lack of commitment. But for the destructive style of our governance, the poor people of Tharparkar would, by now, be actually enjoying the benefits of employment of their skilled as well as unskilled workforce, along with drinking water, health and educational facilities and an extensive communication network. Here is a test to demonstrate the seriousness of their commitment and do something really worthwhile to eradicate the poverty and misery that the people there have been subjected to for generations. They can show the seriousness of their commitment by reviving a well-researched, integrated, tried and tested, investor-supported, long-term and sustainable development initiative which was meant to tackle not only the problems of the people of Tharparkar, but also open up employment and economic opportunities for the rest of the country. Here are some basic facts to get them going. Ever since 1964, when the first feasibility study for the use of Thar coal was completed, a number of similar studies have been carried out by experts, establishing the huge abundance of good quality, easily extractable coal and other mineral deposits in Tharparkar and their potential benefits for Pakistan. (There are over 175 billion tons of proven reserves of good quality coal spread over 9,000 square kilometres of the Thar desert. Compare the figures to India's total coal deposits of 140 billion tons.) Yet, for 40 years, these reserves remained untapped, and employment and economic opportunities was denied to the people. Water scarcity in Thar has reduced the quality of life to almost sub-human level. Yet technology exists to produce potable water from coal at the same time the mineral is utilized for power generation. Thar coal has a very large water content (over 40 per cent of its weight) which is capable of providing an abundant water supply. Coal has been extensively used elsewhere - in Europe, the United States, Australia, China and many other places. It was employed in the industrialization of these countries in the 19th and 20th centuries. Even today, in the 21st century, 40 per cent of the total global power generation comes from coal. In some countries, this figure is over 60 per cent. Yet, Pakistan, sitting on one of the five largest coal deposits in the world, provides for less than a pitiable three per cent of its electricity needs from the same resource. It is a paradox that, given this situation, successive governments in Pakistan have continued to increase the country's dependence on imported fuel oil. This policy obliges Pakistan to make huge annual payments in foreign exchange from its meagre earnings, creating jobs and profits in foreign lands while denying the same benefits to its citizens in the country. Further, where is the wisdom in increasing the country's dependence on external energy sources over whose availability, transportation and price Pakistan has no control? Especially when a rich indigenous source of energy has been lying untapped for decades? If the surface is scratched, one can see why the Thar coal project never materialized. After many arguments, discussions and delays, a breakthrough was finally achieved when a detailed and long-term development initiative through private foreign investment was completed for the extensive exploitation and development of Pakistan's coal reserves through its Thar coal fields. It was envisaged that this would spearhead major economic development and employment generation activities throughout the country. With over 200,000 jobs flowing from it over the years, the project could have ranked right at the top among all investments made in Pakistan - domestic or foreign. The project, which was widely marketed to investors from many countries, attracted $1.8 billion in direct foreign investment and included the development of coal mines, power generation of over 5,000 MWs, the construction of infrastructure including roads and railway lines and a port at Keti Bandar. This port would also be available to handle the country's other international trade at extremely competitive rates. All funding was in the form of direct foreign investment. There was no funding required for the project - in rupee or foreign exchange - from the government of Pakistan. The Thar coal/Keti Bandar project received the approval of all related federal and provincial authorities. The Keti Bandar port project was also cleared by the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee headed by ACM Farooq Feroze Khan in a briefing in early 1997, and an NOC was issued. Despite the fact that after detailed research and extensive marketing, a major labour-intensive investment project had finally materialized for one of the poorest regions of the country, work on the project was abruptly cancelled by the Nawaz Sharif government within a few months of its induction. No reason was given. The investors (by then an Atlanta-based American company had purchased from the original investor - Hong Kong tycoon Gordon Wu - the Asian segment of his company covering investment projects in Indonesia, Thailand and Pakistan) were forced to abandon the project, close their offices and leave the country. Since the investment project was being closed for no reason other than the insistence of the government, the latter was obliged to pay the investors $5 million of their performance guarantee deposited with the Sindh government. The poor people of Tharparkar had lost again. Only this time, their pain and resentment was so much greater. Although the project had cleared all hurdles of scrutiny and independent assessments by two reputed investor groups from different parts of the world, who had committed nearly $2 billion in the project, it was shot down by the then government interested more in settling scores than serving the people. If government wants to help the people of Tharparkar and indeed step up economic activity in the country, it would do well to revive this important project on which so much work had already been completed rather than let another round of delaying tactics start all over again. Foreign investors have grown so wary of our style of governance that whichever group is attracted to this project would require the government to provide credible guarantees for responsible governance under recognized provisions of international investment laws and settlement of investment disputes, in accordance with internationally recognized dispute resolution mechanisms. Ultimately, however, all investments, and indeed every claim to "development" must translate into the peoples' well-being and prosperity. Balancing the accounting books, controlling waste and corruption, improving efficiency, curbing nepotism etc are good management practices and must be done fairly, objectively and across the board. That is good management. But that alone is not good governance. The concept of governance is much larger and more inclusive than mere administration or management. The "good" in good governance comes from the utilitarian concept of "the greatest good of the greatest number". In the corporate sector, good corporate governance maximizes the value for the shareholders - who are the owners of the corporation. That is the ultimate test of good corporate governance and all strategies and internal and external control factors are "good" measures only in so far as these contribute towards the ultimate objective of corporate governance i.e. increasing benefits to the shareholders. Similarly, in public governance; sound administrative measures and management practices must contribute to good governance, as these are the means towards achieving the end - increasing the well-being and prosperity of the people. Therefore, "governance" must be seen in the context of the benefits flowing to the governed from all these and other good management practices. No claim to good governance can be taken seriously unless it is measured on the index of the benefits and prosperity it brings to the governed - the people who are the owners of the state. It is about time that the people got an opportunity to benefit from good governance, not in the shape of a few crumbs marketed as "development projects", but in the swift and honest implementation of the Thar coal/ Keti Bandar project.

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

WB team visits region: Coal field belongs to Sindh, say Tharis By A.B. Arisar Thursday, 30 Jul, 2009 | 04:41 AM PST   http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/national/wb-team-visits-region-coal-field-belongs-to-sindh%2C-say-tharis-079   UMERKOT, July 29: It was a welcome surprise that the World Bank, before embarking upon the developmental activities in Thar Coal Field, sent its mission in the area for reviewing the socio-economic issues of the community and its impact on the environment. A three-member IBRD team visited the coal field for taking into consideration the news and views of the community and civil society activists before preparing a policy framework. The team members included Ms Ekaterina N. Mikhaylova, Senior Project Officer Oil, Gas, Mining and Chemicals Department; Mr Robert Murphy, Consultant Oil, Gas, Mining and Mining Policy Division; Consultant Kazim Saeed, Shariq Raza Mines and Mineral Department, Government of Sindh, and officials of the Sindh Coal Authority. Ms Ekaterina N. Mikhaylova briefed the community representatives and civil society activists about the involvement of the Bank in Thar Coal project and assured that the policy would only be framed after deliberating on all aspects. The policy would complete in a year’s time, she said. However, the community representatives and civil society activists gave impressive input and feedback on socio-economic and political issues of the area and their concerns and expectations about the project. Though, they realise the energy crisis but sought guarantee to the rights of the local population. They questioned as to at what cost this development would take place? Community representatives reiterated their demand of giving the ownership rights solely to provincial government and not to federal government as it has nothing to do with the project. They also sought the involvement of elected representatives in decision making, especially those of the field area. They objected to giving weight to technical, tariff and exploration issues while keeping on back burners, welfare of the area people in Thar Coal project. They reminded that the Sindh had a bitter experience of the IFIs engagement in projects in different sectors which had made the community more apprehensive in trusting the investors. They also sought proper relocation of displaced people, protection to national and cultural heritage and religious sites and employment guarantee to locals over outsiders, compensation as per current rates of land and belongings, maximum forethought in regard to the landscape, its impact on water and other farm products.

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Dear Friends   Sindh Democratic Forum (SDF) has initiated two policy papers on Provincial Autonomy and National Finance Commission (NFC). Government of the day is emphasizing on both the issues. We have sent our recommendations/policy papers to the relevant ministries. Here are some details of SDF’s stand on current NFC settings, election of Shoukat Tareen from Sindh and other finance and resource related issues of Sindh and Islamabad.   Regards Zulfiqar Halepoto Secretary Sindh Democratic Forum (SDF)   NATIONAL Unfair distribution of resources makes rich Sindh suffer: SDF By Aziz Malik Saturday, 01 Aug, 2009 | 03:46 AM PST | http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/national/unfair-distribution-of-resources-makes-rich-sindh-suffer-sdf-189?pagedesign=Dawn_PrintlyFriendlyPage HYDERABAD, July 31: Sindh is the richest province of the country, but the injudicious and inequitable distribution of financial resources forces its people to living in pervading poverty and misery, the Sindh Democratic Forum has said. Speaking at a news conference at the press club here on Friday, forum’s convener Abrar Kazi, and members Nazeer Memon and Aslam Baloch alleged that the resources of Sindh and Balochistan were being transferred to the two northern provinces since the inception of Pakistan. But during the last many years, there had been a marked increase in the transfer of resources from the two rich provinces, they said. Abrar Kazi alleged that the civil bureaucracy sitting in Islamabad had been depriving Sindh of its resources. He said the federal government’s money came from income tax, general sales tax, central excise duty and customs duty which formed the divisible pool. As per the NFC formula those resources were distributed on population basis alone. He pointed out that according to the constitution of Pakistan, the GST collected on services such as telephone and electricity was purely a provincial subject. The bureaucrats sitting in the Q-block of Pakistan secretariat in Islamabad had been collecting this tax forcibly, illegally and unconstitutionally as a federal tax, he said. Sindh collected 46 per cent of GST on services which amounted to Rs40 billion a year, Abrar Kazi said and added, that had been happening since year 2000. The federal government had collected Rs360 billion from Sindh, he said. He said that with Rs360 billion, the entire irrigation network of three barrages of Sindh could have been remodelled, modernised and upgraded. Same went for the octroi duty, the convenor said. Giving the background, he said the Nawaz Sharif government through an ordinance in 1997 had abolished octroi duty throughout Pakistan and raised the GST from 12.5 per cent to 15 per cent. An understanding was given that 2.5 per cent GST would be distributed among the provinces on pro-rata basis, he said. Sindh remained the main sufferer as 60 per cent of total octroi tax was collected from Sindh, Abrar Kazi said. He said according to the population based formula, Sindh was losing Rs5 billion a year through this rip-off. Abrar Kazi pointed out that the defence budget of Pakistan was Rs335 billion a year while another Rs40 billion were paid as pension to the defence personnel. He said Sindh and Balochistan had hardly any representation in the defence forces, especially in Air Force and Navy, and alleged that even in the army, a Sindhi or a Balochi could not go beyond the rank of brigadier. He claimed that according to history, the people of Sindh and Balochistan were sea faring people and they had been trading with Muscat and Oman as far back as 2000 BC. Why Sindhi and Baloch people were not being enrolled in Navy, he questioned. He also referred to the anomalies in the matter of highways in which Sindh was being neglected. He demanded that the constitution must be implemented in letter and spirit as far as the levy of GST on services and octroi duty were concerned and Rs5 billion GST a year be paid to Sindh through the new NFC award and Rs360 billion of the last nine years should also be reimbursed to Sindh. He demanded that in the new NFC award, it should be recommended that the defence budget should be collected from the provinces according to the defence personnel strength of each province. Inductions in the armed forces, especially in the Navy, should be made commensurate with the population of each province, he added. He said from now on appointments in the finance ministry, right from federal secretary to the peon, should be placed on the provincial quota to safeguard the interests of the smaller provinces. He demanded that the Super Highway must be returned to the Sindh government as well as its oil, gas and coal resources. All income generated through those resources should be handed over to the province, he added. He appealed to the people of Sindh, political parties, parliamentarians, students and other stakeholders to raise their voice for the return of financial resources of Sindh to its people to alleviate poverty, disease and hunger.

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/national/unfair-distribution-of-resources-makes-rich-sindh-suffer-sdf-189 Copyright © 2009 - Dawn Media Group

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

ECONOMIC-AND-BUSINESS REVIEW Thar coal: concerns of local community By Zulfiqar Halepoto Monday, 03 Aug, 2009 | 12:58 AM PST |

ON July 27, a three-member team of the World Bank experts on coal and mining visited Thar coal fields and met the representatives of civil society organisations and the local community. The team also visited village Thario Halepoto near Islamkot, Tharparker. The first concern countered by the WB team was the fear of local people whether Thar and Sindh will actually benefit from the exploitation of the world’s largest resource of energy. Perhaps it was the first-ever official visit and initial brain-storming meeting of the World Bank officials of this nature to look at the Thar coal issues. The team comprised Ms Ekaterina N. Mikhaylova, Senior Project Officer Oil, Gas, Mining and Chemicals Department, Mr Robert Murphy, a Consultant of Oil,Gas, Mining Policy Division. They were accompanied by officials of the Sindh Mines and Mineral Department and the Thar Coal Energy Board. Officials of the Sindh Energy Board and Minerals and Mining Department claimed that the development of Thar coal reserves has been included in the priority list of projects likely to be launched during the current financial year. Members of the WB team said their mandate was to hear the views of the community and civil society representatives to prepare their policy framework expected to be completed in one year. Representatives of leading Thar-based NGOs including TRDP were present. Ever-since 1964, when the first feasibility report on the use of Thar coal was completed, a number of similar studies have been carried out by experts, establishing the huge abundance of good quality, easily extractable coal and other mineral deposits in Tharparkar and their potential benefits. An estimated over 175 billion tons of proven reserves of good quality coal is spread over 9,000 square kilometers of the Thar Desert. Compare it with the figures of India’s total coal deposits of 140 billion tons. Yet, for 40 years, these reserves have remained untapped. People in Thar live in sub-human conditions and remain deprived of even access to safe drinking water, sewerage, healthcare, transport and education. Other issues include bonded labour and violation of the fundamental rights to employment and access to food availability. Thar coal expert Syed Mohibullah Shah is of the view that technology exists to produce potable water from coal while the mineral is utilised for power generation. Thar coal has a very large water content (over 40 per cent of its weight) and +is capable of providing an abundant water supply for the locals. People of the area acknowledge that the country is under severe electricity and energy crisis and Sindh is ready to cater the needs but ask as to who will guarantee the protection of the rights of the local people. The community is of the view that it should be the first beneficiary of any coal project. Thar Coal exploitation can spearhead major economic development and employment generation activities. With over 200,000 jobs flowing from it over the years, the project could rank right at the top among all investments made in Pakistan - domestic or foreign. The first-ever baseline survey of the area and people was shared with the World Bank team and the Sindh officials were advised to do more studies and surveys to understand the area and community. Keeping in view the importance of the issue, Thardeep Rural Development programme (TRDP) has done a baseline survey on the socio-economic and environmental aspects of this project. The report is re-produced in Sindhi, English and Urdu. The aim of the re-production of the research study was to provide baseline information and scientific data to policy and decision makers and other stakeholders for an open debate. This research will help to understand the demographic and geographic patterns of Thar, local community, environmental issues, socio-economic realities, and human landscape and project related issues like displacement, rehabilitation, burdens for the local people and the affected communities. The input/feedback/ briefing by the local civil society activists on socio-economic and political situation of the area and community’s concerns and expectations of the project was very impressive in terms of their level of fundamental knowledge about the project. WB team was very impressed by the level of community’s understanding and information regarding Thar coal issues including technical and socio-economic and environmental impact. From the technical issues of gasification and tariff controversy and the ownership of the recourse, every issue was discussed at length. Following issues were tabled by the community representatives: Policy level issues: Ownership of the project should be solely with government of Sindh; elected representatives of the area be given visible charge/control in decision making; the community (especially field area) should be part of decision-making body. There should be a single body controlled by the provincial government to deal with investors and other issues. Community issues: There is no clear policy for community welfare in Thar coal project; Sindh has a bitter experience of IFIs engagement in different projects and a lack of trust between the community and the donors/investors. Displacement issues: Protection of cultural, heritage and religious sites; guarantees of employment for the local people; compensation issues as per current day rates of the lands and other belongings and; change in environmental landscape, impact on water and other livelihood commodities The local community is happy to see its area developed but wants protection of political, social, economic, cultural and environmental rights for which a genuine effort on the part of Sindh government is required. The community feels more comfortable with the Thar Coal and Energy Board (TCEB) which it believes be treated as the only notified legal and authorised body to exercise all powers in deciding matters pertaining to mining and power generation from Thar coal. It should also address all the concerns and fears of the local people.
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/in-paper-magazine/economic-and-business/thar-coal-concerns-of-local-community-389

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

HAPPY RAKHSHA BANDHAN Democratic and progressive people of Pakistan are bleeding tears because of religious extremism and bigotry against the innocent citizens of Pakistan, the religious minorities. All religious minorities living in Pakistan are under severe attack of jihadis produced by military dictatorships and unjust system and still sponsored by agencies. Innocent Christians are brutally killed in Gojra in Punjab. In Sindh Hindu girls are still kidnapped and forcibly converted to Islam. Dalits are still treated as untouchables in this truly Islamic Republic of Pakistan. We have to fight against these evil forces…One weapon is to celebrate and enjoy all the festivities of religious minorities. HAPPY RAKHSHA BANDHAN TO THE ENTIRE HINDU COMMUNITY Regards Zulfi

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Dear Folks,   Sorry 4 cross-posting.   Please review this eye-opener report on Balochistan Situation by an American Think tank, Carnegie Endowment for Peace   http://www.carnegieendowment.org/files/cp65.grare.final.pdf   Regards Zulfiqar Halepoto

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Dear Friends Muhtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed used to seriously see and reply all important emails related to development, politics and people of Pakistan. Every positive suggestion and criticism from important quarters was always welcomed by her. Emails from country’s socio-economic and political satiation to her party’s matters and her personal conduct were her permanent source of updating herself about the other side of the story. She had a great level of realization that consultation and viewpoint sharing is a tool to improve knowledge base and perceptions. Due to her that potential and positive attitude she used to enjoy an impressive and very influential ‘International Constituency’ of admirers, critics and well-wishers, through email and blackberry systems. People from a union council level party leader to the intellectuals and media persons had a constant linkage with MBBS. Her direct link and communication with party workers, leadership, civil society, writers, development practitioners, diplomats, journalists and ordinary citizens was a great strength of her personal understand of the issues and simultaneously that was a great way of integration to her country people. She had a great heart full of passions and respect for genuine people and she used to take every criticism, comment, analysis and dis-approval as source of learning to disseminate future strategies and directions. Sometimes we used to use very offensive and derogatory language but to her grace she never took it personal because she knew that people had hopes in her and that’s why people became angry. Now the chairman of PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has asked the workers and civil society to contact him through his personal email. This will perhaps be the first direct communication start of the people with the chairman of Pakistan’s leading progressive party. I don’t know who is going to check his emails and whether his team is going to let him know about what is happening in today’s Pakistan??? Pakistan today is the worst example of over-centralization of policy and political decision making, worst governance is the order of the day, corruption is crossing the heights of Himalaya, workers and voters of PPP are at thousand miles distance from presidency under the name of so-called security issues, there is no single controlling authority, state affairs are run on the criteria of being a class fellow of Cadet College Petaro or fellow of jail times. In the last 6 months 23 women are killed in the home district of Chief Minister Sindh, law and order is worst in Sindh, Ministers are conducting the Jirga of dacoits, under reconciliation all anti-Sindh forces are enjoying absolute powers. Social infra-structure and development pace is not up to the mark, rural Sindh is dying due to abject poverty, and shortage of water is collapsing Sindh’s economy. Political moral of the nation is declining. Terrorists are threatening that an if a THUG orders. They can kill all Sindhis in 6 days. Where is Zulfiqar Mirza????? Why he is not replying to Karachi City Nazim Mustafa Kamal, who insulted the entire nation… The commitments of CoD, PPP Election manifesto are gone sour. Shaheed BB wanted the change the Pakistan but the present regime has become a stooge to maintain the statuesque, which will ultimately support the establishment to further weaken the democratic forces and process. People of the country are of the view that the present conduct is totally against the promises, dreams and commitment of Shaheed BB.     Bilawal is too little to understand the complex political chasse game of Pakistan but he is now the incharge and he has to understand all. May GOD give strength to Bilawal Bhutto to read this and all other coming emails with passions as Shaheed BB used to read and reply Please write to Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on chai...@ppp.org.pk Personal email of Shaheed BB is still functional ; you can write on it... sazd...@emirates.net.ae You can write to president AAZ through Presidential Spokesperson Senator Farhatullah Babar on drkh...@nayatel.pk Regards Zulfiqar Halepoto Secretary Sindh Democratic Forum 0300 8377241

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

LETTERS-TO-THE-EDITOR Debate on provincial autonomy   Thursday, 13 Aug, 2009 | 01:09 AM PST | TWO months ago an advertisement appeared in leading national dailies in which the ministry of provincial coordination, government of Sindh, solicited civil society to submit proposals and recommendations to the government regarding provincial autonomy. The content of the advertisement gives an impression that provincial autonomy is an important issue and the centre is seriously seeking suggestions from provinces to resolve the autonomy issue. The formation of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) and the National Finance Commission to work out for fair distribution of resources are the arguments given by the government about the seriousness of the regime to decentralise powers of the centre. However, during its 15 months in power the government has only demonstrated overcentralisation of power in the presidency. In the context of Sindh, the issue of PPP-MQM love-and-hate relationship and the issue of the ownership of Thar coal are clear examples of the encroachment of the presidency upon the affairs of the provincial administration. Distribution of powers between the federation and federating units, an essential part of federalism, still remains the most controversial issue. Although the 1973 Constitution and the 1940 Lahore Resolution give autonomy to the provinces, so far it has remained unimplemented because of political confusion created by military dictatorships and authoritarian democratic regimes. The lack of provincial autonomy had caused dismemberment of the country in 1971 and eroded the people’s trust in the centre. This could directly be attributed to the federal government having a greater say in legislative affairs, its frequent meddling into administrative affairs of the provinces, unilateral decisions regarding mega projects, and reduced provincial autonomy over natural resources. In March 2009 a resolution passed by a meeting of the PPP parliamentary party in Islamabad and co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, said that the PPP, on behalf of the people of Pakistan, apologise to the people of the province of Balochistan for the atrocities and injustices committed against them and pledge to embark on a new highway of healing and mutual respect. This statement was considered a serious effort by the government in the light of Benazir Bhutto’s commitment to the nation in the Charter of Democracy and Election Manifesto, but later on the continued operation against the citizens of the province proved a political statement only. In other resolutions in the same meeting, the party pledged to “work to give maximum provincial autonomy to the provinces” within the framework of the 1973 Constitution, and demanded deployment of traditional local levies instead of the police in Balochistan. The move was in line with a recent statement by Mr Zardari that the party would like to talk even to people “who have gone to mountains” (to fight) in search of a national reconciliation. This was also the thinking of assassinated PPP leader Benazir Bhutto who had specially gone to Balochistan after her return home from self-exile to offer condolences over the killing of former provincial governor Akbar Khan Bugti in a military operation in August 2006. Same commitments were made by the president to the people of Sindh on fair distribution of water, NFC and governance issues of Sindh. If rulers are sincere, they should give provinces freedom to take their own decisions, and the centre should address provinces’ apprehensions as regards the ‘national and democratic’ status of the country. ZULFIQAR HALEPOTO Secretary, Sindh Democratic Forum Hyderabad http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/letters-to-the-editor/debate-on-provincial-autonomy-389

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Dear All What a pleasant moments…. Thadri, birthday of lord Krishna and 14th august come together.. Let us celebrate all festivals to defeat those forces who want to destroy our secular and progressive values. I wish you all Happy Thadri and 14th August. Zulfi

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Civil Society dialogue on “Equitable distribution of Finances under National Finance Commission Award”  August 21st, 2009 (Friday) @ Main Auditorium, SZABIST, 90 Clifton, Karachi Pakistan is a federation in which distribution of finances between the federation and the four federating units is a constitutional obligation of the National Finance Commission (NFC). The NFC is supposed to distribute the finances equitably so that the backward and less privileged people and areas are given preference and the country progresses and prospers uniformly.   However, in practice, this has not been happening. Sindh, which is rich in natural and human resources, has progressively become poor and destitute because of constant transfer of finances and resources to other provinces.   The present elected and democratic government has promised strongly that all provinces will be given their due and equitable share of finances and resources in the coming NFC Award.   Keeping this in mind Social Sciences & Economics Faculty @ SZABIST and Sindh Democratic Forum (SDF) are holding a civil society dialogue on August 21st, 2009 (Friday) @ Main Auditorium, SZABIST, 90 Clifton, Karachi, to present before the government the perspective of   academics, economists, writers, intellectuals and concerned citizens of Sindh on the subject.  Panel will be comprised of Abdul Karim Lodhi, Fazalullah Qureshi, Dr Asad Saeed, Abrar Kazi, and Barrister Zamir Ghumro  For further information please contact  Manzoor Ali Isran                                                                   Zulfiqar Halepoto SZABIST                                                                                                 SDF 0334 2720 635                                                                                   0300 8377241

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Civil Society dialogue on

“Equitable distribution of Finances under National Finance Commission Award”

August 21st, 2009 (Friday) @ 5 pm sharp, Main Auditorium, SZABIST, 90 Clifton, Karachi                       --- On Tue, 8/18/09, Fiza Qureshi <fizaqu...@yahoo.com> wrote: From: Fiza Qureshi <fizaqu...@yahoo.com> Subject: Re: SZABIST-SDF Dialogue on NFC Award To: "Zulfiqar Halepoto" <zhal...@yahoo.com>, "worldsindhinet" <worldsi...@yahoogroups.com>, wsc-n...@egroups.com, sind...@yahoogroups.com, sindhi...@yahoogroups.com, sindk...@yahoogroups.com, sindh-p...@yahoogroups.com, Sind...@yahoogroups.com, inv...@yahoogroups.com, sana_...@yahoo.com, sindh...@yahoogroups.com, educat...@googlegroups.com, Cab...@yahoogroups.com, opinio...@yahoogroups.com, punjab_ngos_coor...@yahoogroups.com, writer...@yahoogroups.com, pak-you...@googlegroups.com, WW...@yahoogroups.com, pip...@yahoogroups.com, shaf...@gmail.com, cha...@comsats.net.pk, tasneem....@gmail.com, sat...@post.harvard.edu, b...@pes.comsats.net.pk, shaha...@hotmail.com, mb...@hotmail.com, an...@fas.harvard.edu, azizk...@gmail.com, wiz...@cyber.net.pk, sazd...@emirates.net.ae, yna...@cyber.net.pk, jawed...@gmail.com, p...@comsats.net.pk, Writer...@yahoogroups.com, Pak-You...@googlegroups.com Cc: "Humera Alwani" <alw...@cyber.net.pk>, akashan...@yahoo.com, "Sehar Gul Bhatti" <sgbh...@yahoo.com>, alyi...@hotmail.com, "Ardeshir Cowasjee" <ar...@cyber.net.pk>, "Zamir Ghumro" <barriste...@hotmail.yahoo.com>, "Muzamil Halepota" <muzamil....@gmail.com>, "Akhtar Hussain" <akht...@cyber.net.pk>, "Manzoor Isran" <m_i...@hotmail.com>, "Sohail Kalhoro" <kal...@gmail.com>, "Ibrar Kazi" <abra...@yahoo.com>, "Muqtida Khan" <muqti...@hotmail.com>, "Irshad Laghari" <irshad...@hotmail.com>, "Mumtaz Langah" <mumtaz...@yahoo.com>, "Dr. Talib Lasharai" <talibl...@hotmail.com>, "Nusrat Lashari" <n_la...@hotmail.com>, "Fatah Marri" <fat...@yahoo.com>, "Shazia Marri" <shazi...@yahoo.com>, "Dr. Ali Matlo" <cha...@yahoo.co.uk>, fayaz...@hotmail.com, "Imran Niazi" <nia...@hotmail.com>, "Haider Nizamani" <hniz...@hotmail.com>, "Sarmad Palejo" <conec...@yahoo.com>, "Sassui Palejo" <sas...@hotmail.com>, "Dr Karim Rajpar" <drra...@hotmail.com>, "Idris Rajput" <idris...@hotmail.com>, "Aamir Raza" <engra...@hotmail.com>, "Shahban Sahito" <shahba...@gmail.com>, "Agha Saleem" <agha_...@hotmail.com>, "Kamran Shafi" <ksh...@yahoo.co.uk>, "Shahid Shah" <shahi...@inbox.com>, "Dr Ayoub Shaikh" <ayoub...@hotmail.com>, "Inam Sheikh" <inams...@hotmail.com>, amars...@yahoo.com, "Imdad Soomro" <imdad...@gmail.com>, "sajid syed" <sajids...@hotmail.com>, "Mushtaque Talpur" <mushtaq...@gmail.com>, "Ishaq Tunio" <itu...@hotmail.com>, "yaseen veesar" <yaseen...@gmail.com>, "Rafi Wasan" <rafi_...@yahoo.co.in>, "Mushtaque Rajpar" <mra...@yahoo.com>, kinza...@yahoo.com, khang...@thardeep.org, han...@yahoo.com, hees...@hotmail.com, shis...@yahoo.com, sako...@yahoo.com, awar...@yahoo.com, karama...@gmail.com, "Zulfiqar Shah PILER" <zulfiq...@yahoo.com>, sharafa...@hotmail.com, ayesh...@gmail.com, yuvs...@gmail.com, sing...@hotmail.com, cyr...@gmail.com, mahir.w...@gmail.com, nasim...@hotmail.com, cal...@hotmail.com, beena....@gmail.com, a...@ahmedquraishi.com, ba...@pattan.org, kamil...@hotmail.com, ise...@pathfinder9.com, huma....@gmail.com, drkh...@comsats.net.pk Date: Tuesday, August 18, 2009, 9:30 AM Dear Zulfikar,   I will appreciate if you can mention the program timings as well.   Thanks   Fiza Naveed Executive Director,SRSP Tel: +92-22-2654446 Cell: +92-300-3150296 Cell: +92-333-2607012 From: Zulfiqar Halepoto <zhal...@yahoo.com> To: worldsindhinet <worldsi...@yahoogroups.com>; wsc-n...@egroups.com; sind...@yahoogroups.com; sindhi...@yahoogroups.com; sindk...@yahoogroups.com; sindh-p...@yahoogroups.com; Sind...@yahoogroups.com; inv...@yahoogroups.com; sana_...@yahoo.com; sindh...@yahoogroups.com; educat...@googlegroups.com; Cab...@yahoogroups.com; opinio...@yahoogroups.com; punjab_ngos_coor...@yahoogroups.com; writer...@yahoogroups.com; pak-you...@googlegroups.com; WW...@yahoogroups.com; pip...@yahoogroups.com; shaf...@gmail.com; cha...@comsats.net.pk; tasneem....@gmail.com; sat...@post.harvard.edu; b...@pes.comsats.net.pk; shaha...@hotmail.com; mb...@hotmail.com; an...@fas.harvard.edu; azizk...@gmail.com; wiz...@cyber.net.pk; sazd...@emirates.net.ae; yna...@cyber.net.pk; jawed...@gmail.com; p...@comsats.net.pk; Writer...@yahoogroups.com; Pak-You...@googlegroups.com Cc: Humera Alwani <alw...@cyber.net.pk>; akashan...@yahoo.com; Sehar Gul Bhatti <sgbh...@yahoo.com>; alyi...@hotmail.com; Ardeshir Cowasjee <ar...@cyber.net.pk>; Zamir Ghumro <barriste...@hotmail.yahoo.com>; Muzamil Halepota <muzamil....@gmail.com>; Akhtar Hussain <akht...@cyber.net.pk>; Manzoor Isran <m_i...@hotmail.com>; Sohail Kalhoro <kal...@gmail.com>; Ibrar Kazi <abra...@yahoo.com>; Muqtida Khan <muqti...@hotmail.com>; Irshad Laghari <irshad...@hotmail.com>; Mumtaz Langah <mumtaz...@yahoo.com>; Dr. Talib Lasharai <talibl...@hotmail.com>; Nusrat Lashari <n_la...@hotmail.com>; Fatah Marri <fat...@yahoo.com>; Shazia Marri <shazi...@yahoo.com>; Dr. Ali Matlo <cha...@yahoo.co.uk>; fayaz...@hotmail.com; Imran Niazi <nia...@hotmail.com>; Haider Nizamani <hniz...@hotmail.com>; Sarmad Palejo <conec...@yahoo.com>; Sassui Palejo <sas...@hotmail.com>; Fiz Qureshi <fizaqu...@yahoo.com>; Dr Karim Rajpar <drra...@hotmail.com>; Idris Rajput <idris...@hotmail.com>; Aamir Raza <engra...@hotmail.com>; Shahban Sahito <shahba...@gmail.com>; Agha Saleem <agha_...@hotmail.com>; Kamran Shafi <ksh...@yahoo.co.uk>; Shahid Shah <shahi...@inbox.com>; Dr Ayoub Shaikh <ayoub...@hotmail.com>; Inam Sheikh <inams...@hotmail.com>; amars...@yahoo.com; Imdad Soomro <imdad...@gmail.com>; sajid syed <sajids...@hotmail.com>; Mushtaque Talpur <mushtaq...@gmail.com>; Ishaq Tunio <itu...@hotmail.com>; yaseen veesar <yaseen...@gmail.com>; Rafi Wasan <rafi_...@yahoo.co.in>; Mushtaque Rajpar <mra...@yahoo.com>; kinza...@yahoo.com; khang...@thardeep.org; han...@yahoo.com; hees...@hotmail.com; shis...@yahoo.com; sako...@yahoo.com; awar...@yahoo.com; karama...@gmail.com; Zulfiqar Shah PILER <zulfiq...@yahoo.com>; sharafa...@hotmail.com; ayesh...@gmail.com; yuvs...@gmail.com; sing...@hotmail.com; cyr...@gmail.com; mahir.w...@gmail.com; nasim...@hotmail.com; cal...@hotmail.com; beena....@gmail.com; a...@ahmedquraishi.com; ba...@pattan.org; kamil...@hotmail.com; ise...@pathfinder9.com; huma....@gmail.com; drkh...@comsats.net.pk Sent: Monday, August 17, 2009 6:57:41 PM Subject: SZABIST-SDF Dialogue on NFC Award

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Dear Folks Sindh Education Foundation claimed to be the most active and advanced NGO in promoting education on modern lines in Sindh. Please go to the website of this very active organization where Justice Qadir Halepoto is still placed as chief minister of Sindh and Chairman BoG-SEF. Mr.Shujaat Ali Baig is placed as Minister for Education, Government of Sindh and Vice Chairman, BoG-SEF and likewise secretary finance and education of caretaker time. Under the title of latest news 18 months old news is placed on the website. My dear friend Pir Mazhar often quote the expertise and effective working of SEF who has granted a million dolor World Bank education reforms programme grant. Plz visit the website and enjoy the Vision of education Ministry. http://www.sef.org.pk/latestnews.asp   Regards Zulfi

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

NATIONAL Think tank rejects mega city plan: ‘Revival’ of 300 towns proposed Bureau Report Thursday, 20 Aug, 2009 | 04:21 AM PST | HYDERABAD, Aug 19: The Sindh Democratic Forum (SDF) has expressed surprise over President Asif Ali Zardari’s desire to establish Zulfiqarabad, a new city near Thatta, and said that looking at the accelerated economic, social and cultural decline of about 300 smaller towns of Sindh, the president’s noble intention is a defective dream at a wrong time. SDF convener Abrar Kazi and secretary Zulfiqar Halepoto said in a statement that Sindh had 100 talukas (tehsils) each having about three big towns. These 300 once prosperous towns were dying primarily because of kidnappings for ransom, tribal feuds, zero employment opportunities and poverty, they said. As compared to the fast growing small and medium cities of Punjab, they said, fresh industrial activity in the Sindh towns had been non-existent for a long time, resulting into migration of a large number of their residents to Karachi and Hyderabad in search of employment and sustenance. They said that the migration had caused an additional, and great, loss to Sindh because as a result of that the cultural heritage and historical places of the provinces had fallen prey to neglect. The biggest example of such economic and cultural decline was Thatta district itself where the new city was proposed, said the leaders of the SDF, a think tank focusing on burning issues of Sindh. “This once prosperous area now presents a pathetic picture of a dying delta, extremely poor fishermen community, vanishing Ramsar sites and deteriorating agriculture and cultural heritage sites like Makli and Shahjahan Mosque,” they said. At this stage and time, revival of the smaller 300 towns of Sindh should be given priority over creating a new city, the Forum officials said. Besides, they added, a concerted effort should be made by the Sindh government to establish industries, using local agricultural or mineral raw material, to create employment opportunities and skill throughout Sindh. They suggested that architecture and town planning institutes should be tasked to prepare master plans for the rehabilitation of the towns so that they could be developed in an aesthetic and orderly manner. They appealed to parliamentarians, political parties and civil society and rights activists to help initiate an effort to start a social and cultural revival of the smaller cities of Sindh so that prosperity and wellbeing was uniformly spread throughout the province. They said that the president and the government of Sindh should drop the idea of Zulfiqarabad and be realistic in their approach. STP: Sindh Taraqqi Pasand Party chairman Dr Qadir Magsi has also reacted to the idea of Zulfiqarabad which, in his opinion, is aimed at settling “outsiders.” Mr Magsi said in a statement that there was no objection to the founding of a mega city but the settlement of outsiders would not be tolerated at any cost. “For thousands of years, Sindh has been the motherland of Sindhis and it is not the Jagir (estate) of the president or any minister of the Pakistan People’s Party,” he said. “These people have no authority to dispose of the property of Sindh,” the STP leader warned. He pointed out that more than four million illegal aliens were settled in Sindh, and said that 15 million “outsiders had taken over the cities, employment and business of the province.” “On the other hand, the owners of Sindh are committing suicide due to hunger, poverty and unemployment and, on the other, they are facing the threat of being converted into a minority in their own province,” he said. He said that three youths – two activists of the STP and another of the Sindh United Party -- had died in the struggle against the influx of “outsiders” into Sindh. http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/national/think-tank-rejects-mega-city-plan-revival-of-300-towns-proposed-089

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Civil Society dialogue on

“Equitable distribution of Finances under National Finance Commission Award”

August 21st, 2009 (Friday) @ 5 pm sharp, Main Auditorium, SZABIST, 90 Clifton, Karachi

expert Openion: Abdul Karim Lodhi, Fazalullah Qureshi, Dr Asad Saeed, Abrar Kazi, Barrister Zamir Ghumro, Dr Fateh marri, Dr Manzoor isran

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

FRONT-PAGE Water shortage greatest threat to Pakistan: book By Anwar Iqbal Friday, 21 Aug, 2009 | 03:08 AM PST | WASHINGTON, Aug 20: Water shortages present the greatest future threat to the viability of Pakistan as a state and a society, warns a new book on Pakistan. Author Michael Kugelman argues that “while this assertion may be overblown, one can hardly dispute its underlying premise”. The book points out that Pakistan’s water situation is extremely precarious. Water availability has plummeted from about 5,000 cubic metres per capita in the early 1950s to less than 1,500 per capita today. According to 2008 data from the Food and Agriculture Organisation, Pakistan’s total water availability per capita ranks dead last in a list of 26 Asian countries and the United States. The book warns that Pakistan is expected to become water-scarce (the designation of a country with annual water availability below 1,000 cubic metres per capita) by 2035, though some experts say this may happen as soon as 2020, if not earlier. Mr Kugelman, a programme associate with the Asia Programme at the Woodrow Wilson International Centre for Scholars, warns that several dramatic demographic shifts are intensifying Pakistan’s already-rampant water insecurity. The book notes that at least 90 per cent of Pakistan’s dwindling water resources are allocated to irrigation and other agricultural needs. This is not entirely surprising, given that Pakistan is an overwhelmingly arid country with an agriculture-dependent economy. Unfortunately, however, intensive irrigation regimes and poor drainage practices have caused waterlogging and soil salinity throughout Pakistan’s countryside. As a result, vast expanses of the nation’s rich agricultural lands are too wet or salty to yield any meaningful harvests. With the lion’s share of Pakistan’s limited water supplies dedicated to agriculture, less than 10 per cent is left for drinking water and sanitation. The book notes that some of the starkest manifestations of the crisis can be found in the parched regions of Sindh. As the country’s population has surged, large volumes of water from the Indus have been diverted upstream to Punjab to satisfy soaring demand for agriculture and for consumption in cities. “Consequently, downstream in Sindh, the once-mighty Indus has shrunk to a canal, and in some areas shrivelled up to little more than a puddle.” The river’s disappearance throughout much of Sindh, the book argues, has snuffed out livelihoods throughout the river delta, particularly those of fishermen — who are now forced to gather firewood for a living and to buy their water (at high cost) from trucks. The book quotes one Pakistani environmentalist as lamenting how the Indus Delta is suffering through “severe degradation”, sparking “coastal poverty, hopelessness, and despair”, causing great damage to the delta’s mangroves and destroying entire ecosystems. Perhaps the most powerful accelerant of Pakistan’s water crisis is global warming. The Indus River Basin — Pakistan’s chief water source — obtains its water stocks from the snows and rains of the western Himalayas. However, few — if any — areas of the world are suffering from the effects of climate change as much as this legendary mountain region. Many of its glaciers are already thinning by up to a metre per year. This rapid melting pattern — coupled with another consequence of global warming, high-intensity precipitation — is expected to aggravate river flooding. Once the glaciers have melted, river flows are expected to decrease dramatically. What does this entail for Pakistan? According to the World Bank, it means an exacerbation of the “already serious problems” of flooding and poor drainage in the Indus Basin over the next 50 years, followed by up to a “terrifying” 30-40 per cent drop in river flows in 100 years’ time. http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/water-shortage-greatest-threat-to-pakistan-book-189

Copyright © 2009 - Dawn Media Group

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

LETTERS-TO-THE-EDITOR Resource distribution   Saturday, 22 Aug, 2009 | 01:07 AM PST | THE newly reconstituted National Finance Commission has been empowered to make recommendations on matters of sales tax on services (CE mode), examine the question of rationalisation of payment of royalties on crude oil and of surcharge on natural gas collected by the federal government and to develop a mechanism that can enforce fiscal discipline at federal and provincial levels. Pakistan is a federation in which distribution of finances between the federation and the four federating units is a constitutional obligation of the NFC. The NFC is supposed to distribute the finances equitably so that underdeveloped areas and less privileged people are given preference and the country progresses and prospers uniformly. In practice, this has not been happening. The present elected and democratic government has promised that all provinces will be given their due and equitable share of finances and resources in the coming NFC Award. Therefore, any equitable distribution of resources is also seen to be a big challenge for the PPP government. Sindh, which is rich in natural and human resources, has progressively become poor and destitute because of constant outflow of capital, transfer of finances and resources to other provinces. The government of Sindh must have chalked out a comprehensive plan for getting maximum share for the province in the upcoming NFC award. But civil society groups, nationalists and other stakeholders should plead a strong case before the federal government by designing specific goals in order to get its due and equitable share in the award. Resources of Sindh and Balochistan were being transferred to the two other provinces since the inception of Pakistan. But during the last many years, there had been a marked increase in the transfer of resources from the two rich provinces. The civil bureaucracy sitting in Islamabad has been depriving the two provinces of its resources. The federal government’s money comes from income tax, general sales tax, central excise duty and customs duty, which forms the divisible pool. According to the NFC formula, these resources are distributed on a population basis alone. According to the Constitution, the GST collected on services, such as telephone and electricity, is purely a provincial subject. The bureaucrats sitting in the Q block of the Pakistan secretariat in Islamabad has been collecting this tax forcibly, illegally and unconstitutionally as a federal tax. Sindh collects 46 per cent of GST on services which amounts to Rs40bn a year since year 2000. The federal government has collected Rs360bn from Sindh. With Rs360bn, the entire irrigation network of three barrages of Sindh could have been remodelled, modernised and upgraded. The same goes for the octroi duty. It is unjust that Sindh’s money is being spent in other provinces. The Nawaz Sharif government through an ordinance in 1997 had abolished octroi duty throughout Pakistan and raised the GST from 12.5 per cent to 15 per cent. An understanding was given that 2.5 per cent GST would be distributed among the provinces on a pro rata basis. Sindh remains the main sufferer as 60 per cent of the total octroi tax is collected from this province. According to the population-based formula, Sindh is losing Rs5bn a year through this rip-off. The defence budget of Pakistan is Rs335bn a year while another Rs40bn is paid as pension to the defence personnel. Sindh and Balochistan have hardly any representation in the defence forces, especially in the Air Force and the Navy. In the new NFC award, it should be recommended that the defence budget should be collected from the provinces according to the defence personnel strength of each province. Inductions into the armed forces, especially into the Navy, should be made commensurate with the population of each province. The Constitution must be implemented in letter and in spirit as far as the levy of GST on services and octroi duty were concerned and Rs5bn GST a year should be paid to Sindh through the new NFC award and Rs360bn of the last nine years should also be reimbursed to Sindh.

ZULFIQAR HALEPOTO Secretary, Sindh Democratic Forum Hyderabad

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/letters-to-the-editor/resource-distribution-289

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

NATIONAL ‘Govts encouraged criminalisation of student politics’ Bureau Report Saturday, 12 Sep, 2009 | 03:44 AM PST | HYDERABAD, Sept 11: The Sindh Democratic Forum has blamed what it terms ‘anti-Sindh governments’ at the centre and its agencies for deliberately encouraging criminalisation of student organisations to smother growth of progressive and nationalist ideas among Sindhi youth. The convener of the forum Abrar Kazi and secretary Zulfiqar Halepoto said in a joint statement issued on Friday that the tragic murder of a Mehran university student and subsequent closure of the universities in and around Jamshoro had once again brought to the fore the enormous loss to the process of learning in a province that was already trailing behind all provinces of the country, and most countries of the world. They said that it was the direct consequence of criminalisation of student politics, inefficiency and lack of commitment of the faculty and apathy and indifferent attitude of the government. They said that over a period of four decades the anti-Sindh governments at the centre and its agencies had deliberately encouraged criminalisation of student organisations. The task had been carried out through ‘selected’ political groups who played in the hands of enemies while championing freedom and deliverance of Sindh, they said. They caused near death of education and learning in the province, the leaders said, adding that parents of the children studying in these universities were extremely worried and held the political groups, including different factions of Jeay Sindh and the Pakistan People’s Party, responsible for the protection they had provided to criminals and murderers. The SDF simultaneously held the Sindh and Mehran universities’ administrations responsible for the crisis because the murderers reportedly enjoyed backing of higher officials of Sindh university and district administration, they said. They demanded that these students should be rusticated immediately and put behind the bars on murder charges. The SDF thought that Sindh could no more withstand ignorance and illiteracy because a nation could not be built without sound education, they remarked. It was, therefore, imperative that top priority should be given to maintaining peace and order in the higher seats of learning for which the responsibility rested equally with the government, faculty, administration and civil society, the leaders said. They demanded that student politics carried out by the student wings of different political parties should be banned and only healthy union activities should be allowed to flourish on the campuses. They demanded that all such students who, in any way, disrupt classes or insult teachers should be awarded major punishment of rustication. They appealed to Sindhi society to join hands and raise a collective voice against the crimes being committed in the name of student politics in the institutions of higher learning. Unless the citizens raised their voice and criticised the political groups openly and vociferously for their patronage of criminal elements in student politics, this curse would never come to an end, they said. RUSTICATION: The vice-chancellor of the Mehran University of Engineering and Technology has rusticated for a year Ahmed Hussain Jatt and Mohammad Hussain Jatt in light of report of the disciplinary committee, according to a notification. The students who reportedly belonged to the Sindh People’s Students Federation were accused of creating chaos and law and order situation on the campus from time to time. The notification said that an FIR had been registered against them at Jamshoro police station, which accused them of the murder of JSSF activist Asadur Rehman. The students were issued show-cause notices on two occasions, asking them to appear before the committee but they remained absent, it said. http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/national/govts-encouraged-criminalisation-of-student-politics-299

Copyright © 2009 - Dawn Media Group

Error occur while retrieving date.

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

EID Mubarak   Zulfiqar Halepoto Senior Advisor Policy Advocacy & Civil Society Interface Thardeep Rural Support Programme (TRDP) F-178/3, Block 5, Kehkashan, Clifton, Karachi Tele:021-5868791-3 Fax: 021-5867300, Cell: 0300 8377241 MUNAIZAS, 15/A, Latifabad #03, Hyderabad, 0223 867545

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

PILER-Pakistan Institute of International Affairs (PIIA) Cordially invites you to participate in a lecture on “The Current Socio-Political Situation in Bangladesh and its Implications for South Asian Region” By: Mohiuddin Ahmad On Sunday, 27th Sep 2009 @  05:00 – 07:00 PM @ Venue: Pakistan Institute of International Affairs (PIIA) Library ,Karachi Regrets to: Humaira Saleem Khan / Danish Siddiqui Tel # :  021-6351145- 47 Fax # : 021-6350354 Email: pi...@cyber.net.pk ================================================================= Mr. Mohiuddin Ahmad has a wide range of research experience in issues pertaining to human and socio-economic development. He is an eminent writer, development researcher, poet and the founder-chairperson of Community Development Library, Bangladesh (CDL). Mohiuddin is a well-known solidarity activist in the region, and a founder member (2001) of the South Asian Alliance for Poverty Eradication (SAAPE), Kathmandu. He is the founding Co-Director of the M.A. Course on NGO Studies, involved in teaching, thesis supervision, curriculum development and student counselling at SungKongHoe University. Mohiuddin worked as a staff correspondent in a national daily, the Gonokontho. Mohiuddin Ahmad has authored and edited more then 36 books. Some of his publications include Breaking the Barriers: Inter-Asia reader on democratization and social movements. (2008), Dream Merchant (2001), NGO’s and people’s praxis (2000), Bangladesh in the new Millenium (2000).

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Reconnecting to the past Reviewed by Shamim-ur-Rahman Sunday, 04 Oct, 2009 | 07:47 AM PST |    http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/in-paper-magazine/books-and-authors/reconnecting-to-the-past   Dedicated to the memory of Pakistan’s assassinated leader, Benazir Bhutto, the book presents impressions gathered by a peace activist from the province of Sindh about India, its people and the challenges facing developing countries in general. The writer had travelled to New Delhi to participate in a conference on ‘Universalising Socio-Economic Security in South Asia’ held from February 17 to 20, 2008, at a time when Pakistan was going through the electoral process minus Bhutto. It is interesting that the writer being a Sindhi chose to write the travelogue in Urdu and has done well in conveying his point of view in simple language. The book also contains useful information about some leading Sindhi personalities in different walks of life as many chose to seek refuge in India, owing to the blood-bath that followed partition. Stressing the need for universalising social justice, Zulfiqar Halepoto endorses the views held by the World Social Forum and World Economic Forum. He is opposed to the neo-liberal agenda which has resulted in imbalanced globalisation. Like all peace activists connected with NGOs he also emphasises the need for creating a world free from hunger and poverty, unemployment, discrimination and injustice, terrorism and wars. He is in favour of a world where democratic principles and human rights are respected and practiced in spirit. While dealing with the new world economic order the writer maintains that globalisation had seriously affected governing structures. Taking a historical view he says that in different phases state structure had been revolving around different power structures. But in the present phase of history it was influenced by economic power. He believes that as economy has become globalised the world is moving towards a global state structure. He is also of the view that in the process we are laying the foundation of a new exploitative world order dominated by IMF, NAFTA, GATT and other international financial institutions. Zulfiqar Halepoto has rejected the traditional concept of security which is dependent on the maintenance of a huge military establishment armed with lethal, conventional and nuclear weapons. He believes that the traditional concept of territorial security was not the right approach and has raised the fundamental issue by asking whether complete security is really possible. While in Delhi he visited the graves of Mirza Ghalib, Amir Khusro, Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia, Abul Kalam Azad and others. He was so overwhelmed at Ghalib’s final resting place that he decided to write his travelogue in Urdu. He had also the opportunity to meet some leading Sindhis who had migrated to India and had settled there after partition. He met Sindhi writer, columnist and formerly an employee of Times of India, Lachman Komal Bhatia, who has written a book on migration to India in 1947. He has referred to his meeting with another Sindhi, Ram Jethmalani who was once deputy chief of the Indian Navy. His daughter is a leading fashion designer of India. There are many others whom he met during this visit. His meeting with Khushwant Singh is very interesting who had decided to meet him, despite his old age, only because he had come from the land of Benazir Bhutto and wanted to hear about her. He also recalls the account of a few Indians about Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto. Wing Commander Nandlal while giving his impression of ZAB at Simla said he was very confident despite being the leader of a defeated country.   The writer has also spelt out his conversation with the common Indians who were grieved at Benazir’s assassination.   Dili Darshan By Zulfiqar Halepoto Fiction House, Lahore 112pp. Rs160

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Sorry 4 cross-posting...Thanks Erselan for sharing      SOUNDS OF THE SUBCONTINENT: Theory vs. Oral Tradition   A Lecture by   Dr. Regula Burckhardt Qureshi University of Alberta, Canada   Performance and Demonstration by   Saffia Saleem Beyg Director, Sampurna   and   Gul Mohammad (Sarangi)	Hasan (Tabla)	Turab Ali (Sitar)

 

Sponsored by Aga Khan University- Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Karachi

 

Wednesday, October 21, 2009 – 4 to 6 PM

AKU Auditorium, Stadium Road

Please write to us with any queries: fas.academ...@aku.eduOr call 4994350/4985169 Ext: 114/208

 

Admission is free and on first come first serve basis

 

---

 

You are invited to a Lecture and Musical Demonstration

on our rich classical musical heritage

 

by

 

Dr. Regula Burckhardt Qureshi…

 

Regula Burckhardt Qureshi, FRSC, is Professor of Music and Director of theFolkwaysAlive! project as well as founder and director of the Canadian Centre for Ethnomusicology at the University of Alberta, Canada.  A cellist and sarangi player, she is interested in the poetics and politics of music and has published widely on South Asian and Islamic performance practices, including ‘Sufi Music in India and Pakistan: Sound, Context and Meaning in Qawwali’ and (co-edited) ‘Muslim Society in North America and Muslim Families in North America.’ Her research in oral tradition and political economy includes the edited volume ‘Music and Marx: Ideas, Practice, Politics,’ and ‘Master Musicians of India: Hindustani Sarangi Players Speak.’ Her interest in women musicians extends from the co-edited ‘Voices of Women: Essays in Honor of Violet Archer,’ to her current book project ‘Female Agency and Patrilineal Constraints: Situating Courtesans in 20th Century India.’ Dr. Qureshi will lecture on ‘Ethnomusicology in South Asia – Theory vs. Oral Tradition.’

 

…and Saffia Saleem Beyg

 

Saffia Saleem Beyg is a self-taught vocalist and instructor who has dedicated her life to the cause of preserving classical music in Pakistan. Her first and only ustad was Pakistan's ace sarangi player Ustad Hamid Husain. In 1999, she set up Sampurna, a labor-of-love non-profit association, to inspire the interest of Pakistani youth in classical music. Saffia will explain the nuances of Eastern classical music and the origins of the three instruments featured. With the help of promising young Sarangi, Tabla and Sitar players, Saffia will demonstrate how these different instruments work with each other in a performance. She will also sing classical ragas and get you to sing along…so you can start exercising your vocal chords now!

 

 

            Lecture: Ethnomusicology in South Asia – Theory vs. Oral Tradition

Performance Demonstration: Saffia Saleem Beyg with Gul, Hasan and Turab Ali

 

AKU Auditorium/ 4 to 6 PM October 21, 2009

Refreshments will be served

---

 

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Dear Folks Please read the full text of press conference of SDF on Kerry Lugar bill issue… This is published in Pakistan’s leading national dailies. We request all progressive and democratic political forces to read the entire draft and then issue their statements. SDF supports the stand of World Sindhi Congress, presented in their official statement issued to the press. We also request JSQM and its leader Bashir Khan and Dr safdar sarki and other groups to avoid Jamait-e- Islami like statements and please first carefully read the content of the revised bill… Regards Zulfiqar Halepoto Secretary Sindh Democratic Forum (SDF) Hyderabad: 0300 8377241   Sindh Democratic Forum (SDF)   Press Conference    Gentlemen, a raging debate has started in the country about the about the contents of the Kerry-Lugar Bill. Electronic media has especially had a field day and so has the print media which is also plastered with the news of the Bill on daily basis. Most of you know what the Kerry-Lugar Bill is. It started as enhanced partnership with Pakistan Act 2009. It was initiated in the Senate on 6th Jan 2009. Later Breman Bill pertaining to aid to Pakistan was amalgamated and the Bill was passed by the Senate on 24th June 2009. The Bill was then further revised and the final version was passed on September 24th by the Senate and on 30th September by the US Congress. Senators John Kerry and Richard Lugar have worked extremely hard to pilot the Bill through both US houses and to get it passed. The Bill is therefore named after them. The most noteworthy point in the Bill is that it is oriented to the people of Pakistan and democracy and not its government or military. In the very beginning of the bill in the section “Findings” support for Pakistan’s nascent democracy comes first, then comes the economic development of people and then, at the third stage comes the clauses regarding counterterrorism etc. In the next section, that is, the “Policy Statement” also democracy gets precedence, next comes economic development and then the fight against terrorism and extremism. This is a new, and welcome change in the American attitude towards the people of Pakistan. In all previous protocols with Pakistan the United States tilted heavily towards security related measures and therefore relied on the army and strong armed dictators who ruled Pakistan then. This attitude of the US helped the dictators who had come to power by toppling civilian elected governments and gave them strength and international acceptance, who then went on to further stifle democracy and the will of the people of Pakistan. People of Pakistan were therefore rightly skeptical about the US policies and accompanying US aid. People of Pakistan suffered, but the people of Sindh suffered the most under such a policy. People of Sindh are democratic and secular in nature. Their representation in the armed forces has been kept minimal under a well thought out plan. They have therefore no representation in the army and during army rule they are excluded from decision making. All the decisions of national importance of the Zia-ul-Haq era and the Musharraf period that have given us guns, heroin, militancy and religious extremism which have become the hallmark of Pakistan and which have not engulfed the country in a fight for its very existence, are a gift of both these dictators who were sustained by US policies towards Pakistan. It is sad that the corps commanders have raised objection to the language of the Bill. The Sindh Democratic Forum has gone through the final version of the Bill very carefully and it considers that the objections are misplaced. Let me be more specific. In section 203 of Title II, Security Assistance for Pakistan, under the clause, “Limitation of Certain Assistance”, the Secretary of State of the US is to certify, after consultation with Secretary of Defence and National Security Advisor that the security forces of Pakistan are 1.      Are making concerted efforts to prevent Al-Qaida and associated terrorist groups from operating in the territory of Pakistan. 2.      Are making concerted efforts to prevent Taliban… from using the territory of Pakistan… to launch attacks within Afghanistan. 3.      The security forces of Pakistan are not materially and substantially subverting the political or judicial process of Pakistan. Then there is Section 302 of the Title III, “Strategy , Accountability, Monitoring and other Provisions”, in which there is a long list of measures that are to be reported (not certified) to the appropriate congressional committees. Most of them are about counterterrorism, one is about the aid not being directed to acquiring nuclear and another about nuclear non-proliferation. However at 15 is a clause which I need to inform you about. It says that (the congressional committees be informed) an assessment of the extent to which the government of Pakistan exercises effective civilian control of the military, including a description of the extent to which civilian executive leaders and parliament exercise oversight and approval of military budgets, the chain of command, process of promotion for senior military leaders, civilian involvement in strategic guidance and military involvement in civil administration. We think that all of these points must be given a dispassionate thought by the civil society, the media, the parliament and also the military itself. It is a long standing demand of the whole country that the military budget must come under scrutiny in the parliament. After all 30% of our taxes that is about Rs. 350 billion are eaten up by the armed forces in their upkeep, salaries and pension. Not all of this amount is spent judiciously. Presently even the non-defense related expenditure is not made public. The audit of such expenditure has indicated enormous waste. Therefore such demand is not only the demand of Kerry-Lugar Bill but also the whole nation of Pakistan. There can be no two views about military involvement of civilian affairs. After the disasters of the last 30 years the people of Pakistan have had more than enough of the military’s rule. The military itself is suffering enormous casualties because of the follies of Zial-ul-Haq’s policies. So far the promotions of senior military officers are concerned and the matter of the chain of command, it can only be said that there must be a serious flaw in the way military commanders reach senior level. We know now what material Yahya Khan and his corps commanders were made of in those days Pakistan lost its East Wing and we had to face the unprecedented humiliation of 90,000 prisoners of war. Zia-ul-Haq and his corps of commander’s disastrous policies are still haunting the country and the army itself. He had to be blown out of the sky from a military base to get rid of him. No bet on who was involved. In the last rule of Musharraf and his corps commanders we had the most senseless adventure of all time – Kargil. We lost 2000 jawans. In retaliation of Kargil when the Indians mobilized their troops we had to mobilize ours, spending more than Rs. 30 billion and also helping the hard-line BJP win an election. In the end the Prime Minister of Pakistan had to beg for a step down before an American President, after promising that the Pakistan’s territory will not be used again for terrorist attacks on India. If so many corps commanders make so many blunders at so many occasions pushing the people of Pakistan in such shame and such catastrophe there must be a serious problem with the selection of senior army commanders. A word about the chain of command what is the good of the present chain of command if the same commander keeps giving himself extensions for years on end while no one in the corps dares to oppose him? This is exactly what was done by Zia-ul-Haq and Musharraf. We believe that the Chief of the Army Staff has rightly said that all these matters must be decided by the parliament who should develop a methodology for the chain of command and also for the promotion of the senior commanders of the armed forces.             We in SDF and all the people of Sindh stand for democracy. We agree with the Kerry-Lugar Bill that democracy and rule of law must get precedence over everything else.             I would like to inform you, and through you and all Pakistani people and all liberal and progressive people around the world that Sindhi people are democratic and secular. They do not have the sins for which Pakistan has earned a bad name around the world.             For example Pakistan is infamous for trade in narcotics but the Sindhi people are not part of this ignoble trade. Pakistan is dishonored by the hordes of illegal immigrants but the Sindhi people are not part of that dishonor. Pakistan is notorious for its Jihadis and suicide bombers but Sindhi people are not part of religious extremism. Sindhi people deserve far better than what they are getting now. We wish to declare that Sindhi people will stand only and only for democracy and rule of law howsoever defective it may be.             We welcome the Kerry-Lugar Bill because it calls for strengthening democracy, welfare of the people and Parliaments control over the armed forces.

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Invitation Civil Society dialogue on "Pakistan's Water Sector Strategy & Strategy to Resolve Criticcal Water Issues"    Network for Rivers Dams and People (PNRDP) in collaboration with Shirkat Gah organizing a civil society dialogue on "Pakistan's Water Sector Strategy & Critical Water Issues" on Saturday 7th, November 2009, at Sindhi Language Authority @ 10.00 A.M sharp Syed Murad Ali Shah: Minister for Water & Irrigation, Government of Sindh will chair the session and Mr. A N G Abbassi (former chairman technical Committee on water Resources) will deliver the key note presentation   All relevant stakeholders, representatives of farmers and growers' organizations, abadgars, technocrats, water and agriculture experts, affected communities of different mega projects, partners NGOs, politicians, academia, media and other civil society groups will attend the session.       Programme:   10.00-10.15:       Registration 10.16.11.15:     Key Note Presentation by Mr. A N G Abbassi (former chairman technical Committee on water Resources) will deliver the key note presentation on Water Resources Management & the Case of Affected Communities and Provinces" 11.16-11.45:      Question & Answer Session 11.46.12.30:     Concluding speech by the chair: Syed Murad Ali Shah: Minister for Water & Irrigation: Government of Sindh     For further details please contact   Zubaida Birwani PNRDP Sindh Chapter/Shirkat Gah 92-21-35830563/35831140/35379211/35824320 zbir...@yahoo.com     Zulfiqar Halepoto Senior Advisor: Policy Advocacy & Civil Society Interface Thardeep Rural Development Programme (TRDP) 0300 8377241 zhal...@yahoo.com      Conference Concept Note   It is an undisputed fact that water is a vital source of sustaining life. However this has become one of the most disputed resources on earth. Fast growing human population has mounted enormous pressure on this precious resource. States and policy makers are striving to strike a balance between ever ballooning human needs and confined water resources. This has led to undertake water resource development and management projects. However imprudent development planning has proved that such development projects have unfolded yet another chapter of human misery. Most of the water resource development projects result in mass displacement, environmental havoc and chain of long-term effects. Countries with poor governance and weaker political institutions coupled with unfavorable climatic conditions are particularly facing serious challenge of sustainable development of water resources.   History of water resource development projects in Pakistan is a strong reference to this effect. Over the past half century, several mega water projects were commissioned, each associated with a huge number of direct and indirect affectees. Belonging to voiceless class of society, these affectees are always ignored and pay huge cost in the name of so called national interest. Mega projects of water sector such as Tarbela dam, Mangla dam, Chotiari reservoir, CRB Canal rendered several thousand people homeless, who suffered not only on account of loosing their livelihood but also paid an unaccounted colossal social cost. Most of these affectees are still uncompensated even after decades. Decision makers never paid due consideration to the problems of these hapless people.   Under its water Vision 2025 program and country water sector strategy , Pakistan has planned numerous projects and approved them for construction without appropriate consultation or consent of potential affectees. These projects include Kalabagh dam, Basha dam, Sukurdu dam, Satpara dam, Dhok Pathan dam, Sanjwal dam, Akhori dam, Bhater dam, Rohtas dam, Yugo dam, Chiniot reservoir, Hingol dam, Naulang dam, Gajnai dam, Mol and Khadeji dam, Rohtas dam, Mirani dam, Sabakzai dam, Gomal Zam dam, Kalam dam, Kachhi canal, Chashma right bank canal, Greater Thal canal, Rainee canal, Sehwan barrage, etc. As has been the practice in the past, most of these projects have been designed to benefit influential interest groups at the cost of thousands of poor people who are the likely losers of these projects.   Civil society forums, which are sensitized to human sufferings of these people, are probably the only ray of hope for the vulnerable affectees. Pakistan Network for Rivers Dams and People (PNRDP) is a policy and support network with decentralized roles and responsibilities for different member organizations and individuals as an Advocacy and Solidarity Group Legitimate to develop an alternative vision of water sector projects in Pakistan. PNRDP also launched advocacy and lobbying with policy maker. PNRDP as a solidarity network strongly feel gaps among the affectess of mega water project in Pakistan. Realizing this need, PNRDP decided to convene this dialogue to hear the voice of the people.   This dialogue is aimed to provide an opportunity of highlighting their voice in front of people, policy maker, decision makers and media. This dialogue will provide an opportunity to bring together the affectees of the mega projects of water sector from all parts of the country. It is envisaged that this dialogue will provide an opportunity to seek means and ways to struggle for their water and environmental rights.

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Senate of Pakistan Committee on Water visiting Indus Delta        Senate Committee on Water & Power, Senate of Pakistan is visiting Hyderabad/Thatta/Badin on 7th and 8th November, 2009 under the chairmanship of Senator Lashkari Raisani. The purpose of the visit is to review the issues of extensive deforestation, sea intrusion, heavy migration and displacement, industrial pollution and global warming   are affecting the vegetation, agriculture and wildlife of the Indus delta, flora fauna and other issues.   Senators from all four provinces of Pakistan are the members of this committee. Ms Sassui Palijo and Dr Sikander Mendhro are invited to join this committee to brief them about the latest situation in Thatta and Badin.   I still don't know that whether civil society and affected communities of these areas, fisher folk representatives and representatives of agriculture bodies of the local peasants and growers are invited for interaction or not.      I am not sure that even the most important ministries of irrigation and Power and Agriculture  in Sindh are fully informed of this trip or not...      I request Thatta and Badin friends to must meet the committee through their known elected representatives like Ms Sassui Palijo and Dr Sikander Mendhro so that the committee should have a clear picture of the ground realities and their tour should not be a picnic like previously all committees does at the expense of the taxes of poor people of resource rich Sindh. I have invited to join this team but I have shared my concerns with the relevant people and wrote to the spokesperson of President of Pakistan about this ill-prepared trip of the committee to Sindh Regards Zulfi

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

NATIONAL No one bothers about water problem: Abbasi By Mohammad Hussain Khan Sunday, 08 Nov, 2009 | 02:51 AM PST | HYDERABAD, Nov 7: Eminent water expert and former chairman of the Technical Committee on Water Resources A.N.G Abbasi has said his report on water should be buried once and for all as no one seems to be ready to implement it. He was speaking at an interactive session on “Pakistan’s Water Sector Strategy and Alternative strategy to Resolve Critical Water Issues” organised by Shirkat Gah in collaboration with Pakistan Network of River, Dam and People (PNRDP) at the Sindhi Language Authority auditorium. Mr Abbasi said Pakistan was counted among the countries facing shortage of water and the issue dated back to the Indus Water Treaty when three rivers were given away to India. He said that important issues had been made terms of reference of the technical committee and he had dwelt at length on each of them. He expressed dissatisfaction over the water management and operation of canals besides the hydraulic conditions, their operations and distribution. “I think those in powers don’t value the importance of water and we don’t realise our past mistakes as well,” he said. He said: “We are adamant that these mistakes should not be rectified and I don’t see any plans of moving ahead in the right direction.” He said that people had pinned hopes that the PPP would realise its responsibilities to redress their grievances, but the result was for everyone to see. Speaking on the occasion, Sindh Minister for Irrigation Syed Murad Ali Shah said distribution of water by the Indus River System Authority among provinces on the basis of three-tier formula had no legal sanction, therefore it was illegal. He ruled out any new water accord in the presence of 1991 Water Apportionment Accord for irrigation water’s distribution in the country and pledged that the report of A.N.Abbasi on water resources would be implemented. He said that the water accord was by and large implemented till 1999. But, he said, Irsa had no legal authority to distribute water on the basis of three-tier or any other formula, adding that the only approved formula available with Irsa is 1991’s accord. He said: “We have to demand our rights but we can’t stifle the voice of Punjab Assembly as far water issue is concerned.” “It is often Sindh versus the rest of provinces on the issue of water as even Balochistan accuses us of water theft. It is because of follies of our own Sindhi people. I won’t name them,” he said. The minister said that he did not believe that any new accord would be workable to get water more than what was enshrined in the 91 accord. He said that when water was stored in Mangla then Sindh did not had water in Kharif season while it was denied water from Jehlum river. He said that the federal government was approached to control Irsa on operation of Taunsa-Panjnad and Chashma-Jhelum link canals. He said that as long as the PPP government was there, Kalabagh Dam would not be built, adding that it were some Sindhi-speaking people who had accorded approval to greater Thal canal. “Still we are pursuing this issue, though we have not achieved success because one province and vested quarters have their interest in it,” he remarked. He emphasised the need for water conservation and said a Rs62 billion programme had been taken in hand to line 509 water channels and out of them work on 107 had started. He said that drip irrigation system had some negative aspects. He said that the president had called for treating saline water of the Right Bank Outfall Drain and consultants had submitted a preliminary report on the issue. He said that from Hamal Lake to Manchhar Lake half a dozen treatment plants would be set up to treat saline water for irrigation and a desalination plant would be set up in periphery of Manchhar Lake to make it drinkable. “I will not give my consent unless I am satisfied as far as Manchhar lake’s rehabilitation is concerned. I have told them to provide alternate source of water through Rice canal or Indus for filling Manchhar,” he said. He said that factories would be asked not to dispose of their untreated water into Indus, failing which they would not be allowed to release effluent in Indus. He deplored the state of irrigation department and said that officials working there only know how to write account books. Sindh Water Committee secretary Nazeer Memon, Sindh Democratic Forum’s Abrar Kazi and Zulfikar Halepoto and Sindh Abadgar Board’s Bashir Nizamani also spoke on the occasion. http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/national/no-one-bothers-about-water-problem-abbasi-819

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Today is Faiz Ahmed Faiz's Death Anniversary   bahaar aa_ii bahaar aa_ii to jaise ek baar lauT aaye hai.n phir adam se vo Khvaab saare, shabaab saare jo tere ho.nTho.n pe mar miTe the jo miT ke har baar phir jiiye the nikhar gaye hai.n gulaab saare jo terii yaado.n se mushk_buu hai.n jo tere ushshaaq kaa lahuu hai.n ubal pa.De hai.n azaab saare malaal-e-ahavaal-e-dostaa.N bhii Khumaar-e-aaGosh-e-mahavashaa.N bhii Gubaar-e-Khaatir ke baab saare tere hamaare savaal saare, javaab saare bahaar aa_ii to khul gaye hai.n naye sire se hisaab saare Written in April 1975 Published in 'Shaam-e-Shahr-e-YaaraaN'

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Benazir and Balach: Let us cry today Oppressed nations, subjugated territories, and exploited Sindhi and Balouch want to delete the black and unfortunate months of November and December from their solar calendars and dairies. These two months have caused a great damage to their struggle of sovereign homeland and right to rule their motherlands by killing Muhtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed and Mir Balach Mari. Sindh and Baluchistan and rest of the progressive and radical mass of other oppressed nations have lost two great freedom fighters. A real son of Balouch soil and the finest daughter of Sindh. Sindh and Baluchistan have lost their best son and daughter in one stroke…. We are sad, feeling pain and crying over state atrocities…..we have an unending pain and wounds in our hearts and heads. But Pain is a must for struggle…without pain e cannot move forward… let us mourn the departure (martyrdom) of these great souls but this pain, soreness and hurt shall be capitalized to assemble together to fight against common enemy. Establishment is underestimating the anger of Sindhis as they did with Balouch and Bengalis. Let us cry today Long live Muhtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Long live Mir Balach Mari. Grieved but Optimistic Zulfi, Munaiza, Shafa, Saif and Saad

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Invitation Lecture on “Pak-US Relations & Prospects for Democracy”   Sindh Democratic Forum (SDF) and Strengthening Participatory Organization (SPO) cordially invite you to attend a lecture “Pak-US Relations & Prospects for Democracy” by Dr Haider K Nizamani, a well know scholar, political analyst, author and faculty at University pf British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada on 25th November, 2009 at SPO House, Alamdar Chock, Qasimabad, Hyderabad…   for Further details please contact Zulfiqar Halepoto- Secretary SDF 0300 8377241…. Mustafa Balouch SPO 0300 8370170

[saleha athar]

Dear Halepota, It will be good and thoughtful lecture but I can not come to Hyderabad due to my health problem, I hope you will send this lecture to us ( if it is possible) thanks. saleha

---

From: Zulfiqar Halepoto <zhal...@yahoo.com>
To: worldsindhinet <worldsi...@yahoogroups.com>; wsc-n...@egroups.com; sind...@yahoogroups.com; sindhi...@yahoogroups.com; sindk...@yahoogroups.com; sindh-p...@yahoogroups.com; Sind...@yahoogroups.com; inv...@yahoogroups.com; sana_...@yahoo.com; sindh...@yahoogroups.com; educat...@googlegroups.com; Cab...@yahoogroups.com; opinio...@yahoogroups.com; punjab_ngos_coor...@yahoogroups.com; writer...@yahoogroups.com; pak-you...@googlegroups.com; WW...@yahoogroups.com; pip...@yahoogroups.com; shaf...@gmail.com; cha...@comsats.net.pk; tasneem....@gmail.com; sat...@post.harvard.edu; b...@pes.comsats.net.pk; shaha...@hotmail.com; mb...@hotmail.com; an...@fas.harvard.edu; azizk...@gmail.com; wiz...@cyber.net.pk; sazd...@emirates.net.ae; yna...@cyber.net.pk; jawed...@gmail.com; p...@comsats.net.pk; Writer...@yahoogroups.com; Pak-You...@googlegroups.com
Cc: Humera Alwani <alw...@cyber.net.pk>; akashan...@yahoo.com; Sehar Gul Bhatti <sgbh...@yahoo.com>; alyi...@hotmail.com; Ardeshir Cowasjee <ar...@cyber.net.pk>; Zamir Ghumro <barriste...@hotmail.yahoo.com>; Muzamil Halepota <muzamil....@gmail.com>; Akhtar Hussain <akht...@cyber.net.pk>; Manzoor Isran <m_i...@hotmail.com>; Sohail Kalhoro <kal...@gmail.com>; Ibrar Kazi <abra...@yahoo.com>; Muqtida Khan <muqti...@hotmail.com>; Irshad Laghari <irshad...@hotmail.com>; Mumtaz Langah <mumtaz...@yahoo.com>; Dr. Talib Lasharai <talibl...@hotmail.com>; Nusrat Lashari <n_la...@hotmail.com>; Fatah Marri <fat...@yahoo.com>; Shazia Marri <shazi...@yahoo.com>; Dr. Ali Matlo <cha...@yahoo.co.uk>; fayaz...@hotmail.com; Imran Niazi <nia...@hotmail.com>; Haider Nizamani <hniz...@hotmail.com>; Sarmad Palejo <conec...@yahoo.com>; Sassui Palejo <sas...@hotmail.com>; Fiz Qureshi <fizaqu...@yahoo.com>; Dr Karim Rajpar <drra...@hotmail.com>; Idris Rajput <idris...@hotmail.com>; Aamir Raza <engra...@hotmail.com>; Shahban Sahito <shahba...@gmail.com>; Agha Saleem <agha_...@hotmail.com>; Kamran Shafi <ksh...@yahoo.co.uk>; Shahid Shah <shahi...@inbox.com>; Dr Ayoub Shaikh <ayoub...@hotmail.com>; Inam Sheikh <inams...@hotmail.com>; amars...@yahoo.com; Imdad Soomro <imdad...@gmail.com>; sajid syed <sajids...@hotmail.com>; Mushtaque Talpur <mushtaq...@gmail.com>; Ishaq Tunio <itu...@hotmail.com>; yaseen veesar <yaseen...@gmail.com>; Rafi Wasan <rafi_...@yahoo.co.in>; Mushtaque Rajpar <mra...@yahoo.com>; kinza...@yahoo.com; khang...@thardeep.org; han...@yahoo.com; hees...@hotmail.com; shis...@yahoo.com; sako...@yahoo.com; awar...@yahoo.com; karama...@gmail.com; Zulfiqar Shah PILER <zulfiq...@yahoo.com>; sharafa...@hotmail.com; ayesh...@gmail.com; yuvs...@gmail.com; sing...@hotmail.com; cyr...@gmail.com; mahir.w...@gmail.com; nasim...@hotmail.com; cal...@hotmail.com; beena....@gmail.com; a...@ahmedquraishi.com; ba...@pattan.org; kamil...@hotmail.com; ise...@pathfinder9.com; huma....@gmail.com; drkh...@comsats.net.pk

Sent: Tue, November 24, 2009 7:13:51 PM
Subject: [Pak-Youth-Forum] Lecture on Pak-US Relations by Haider Nizamani

--
Group address: http://groups.google.com/group/Pak-Youth-Forum
To post to this group, send email to Pak-You...@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe, send email to Pak-Youth-For...@googlegroups.com

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Eid Mubarak TO ALL   From Munaiza, Nissa, Saif, Saad and Zulfi

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Join SDF Sindhi Topi rally in Hyderabad GEO TV anchors and Urdu print media are insulting centuries old signs of cultural identities of Sindhi nation. Sindhi people greatly love and value the culture of their motherland.  To protest against such an offensive and vile attack on the signs of Sindhi culture, Sindh Democratic Forum has called a protest march on December 6th, 2009 @ 12.30 PM sharp from Gymkhana Chock to Press Club  Hyderabad Street. Leading intellectuals, writers, peace, human rights and women activists, lawyers, columnists, journalists and concerned citizens will join the march. Everyone is directed to wear Sindhi Topi and Ajrak to express their love to these great signs of Sindh’s identity.   Sindh Democratic Forum (SDF) Sindh Democratic Forum met today in an emergent meeting and deliberated on the issue raised by all such print and electronic media that are pursuing anti-Sindhi policies and continuously malign Sindh culture and language. SDF showed its dismay over the launch of a media trail against 5000 years old civilization by focusing President Asif Ali Zardari for wearing a Sindhi Topi during his diplomatic visit to other countries as head of the state. Wearing century’s old sings of great Indus civilization and culture is also a fundamental right of the president of Pakistan as a Sindhi. GEO TV anchors and Urdu print media are insulting centuries old signs of cultural identities of Sindhi nation. This campaign must be stooped and government shall intervene to talk to the media houses to implement citizen’s right to information and code of ethics. SDF further said that Sindhi people greatly love and value the culture of their motherland.  They all love all the cultures, languages and signs of heritage of other nations, other groups and ethnic minorities living in Pakistan.  The nation feels great dismay and resentment over the ugly campaign of a specific lobby of media against Sindhi culture and sings of civilization. Sindhis have felt that this attack on Topi is an attack on their cultural identity and on the nation as a whole. SDF Further said that criticism on the conduct of present regime is a fundamental right of professional bodies of civil society including media. Sindh’s civil society is too vigilant of the governance failures of the regime of PPP but attack on a nation’s culture and dress cannot be at any cost tolerated and forgiven. SDF has appealed to all journalist unions, forums and press houses to intervene in this matter and talk to their colleagues not to become so partisan, non-profession and biased to the rich culture of Indus valley. To protest against such an offensive and vile attack on the signs of Sindhi culture, Sindh Democratic Forum has called a protest march on December 6th, 2009 @ 12.30 PM sharp from Gymkhana Chock to press Club Hyderabad Building. Leading intellectuals, writers, peace, human rights and women activists, lawyers, columnists, journalists and concerned citizens will join the march and everyone is directed to wear Sindhi Topi and Ajrak to express their love to these great signs of Sindh’s identity. Abrar Kazi (Convener) Zulfiqar Halepoto (secretary)

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Practices similar to slavery  Wednesday, 02 Dec, 2009 | 01:12 AM PST | ALTHOUGH the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 1956 UN Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade and Institutions and Practices Similar to Slavery have prohibited every form of slavery, it exists today despite the fact that it is banned in most of the countries where it is practised. Millions of men, women and children around the world are forced to lead lives as slaves. Although this exploitation is often not called slavery, conditions are the same. People are sold like objects, forced to work for little or no pay and are at the mercy of their employers. According to the International Labour Organisation and other forums working against slavery, bonded labour, child domestic labour, early and forced marriage, forced labour, slavery by descent and human trafficking are the worst modern form of slavery existing throughout the world. Forced to work through mental or physical threat, owned or controlled by an ‘employer’, usually through mental or physical abuse or threatened abuse, physically constrained or has restrictions placed on his/her freedom of movement and dehumanisation like treated as a commodity or bought and sold as property are the fundamental characteristics that distinguish slavery from other human rights violations Women in Pakistan are bonded into prostitution, children are trafficked between provinces and men are forced to work as slaves on agricultural lands by feudal lords. Women and children are the worst victims of modern slavery in agriculture land, in households as domestic workers, in factories making products such as matches, plastic toys, fireworks and glassworks, on the streets as beggars, outdoor industries as brick kilns, mines and construction, in sexual exploitation and as soldiers. A baseline survey of Thardeep Rural Development Programme says that only in the arid zone districts of Dadu, Jamshoro, Tharparkar and Umerkot there are 14,000 to 16,000 children — under child labour category — working on agriculture lands, as well as in households. Religious minorities like Kohli, Bheel and Manghwar (Dalits) are exploited on the basis of most marginalised and non-Muslim communities. Forced conversion of Hindu girls to Islam is a common phenomenon in Sindh. Last year two Christian girls were drugged and kidnapped and forcibly converted to Islam and were sold as sex slaves in Gujranwala, Punjab. According to TRDP, SPARC and ILO surveys, there are at least 1.7 million people in bonded labour in the agriculture sector in Pakistan and the majority are from Christian and Hindu communities. Agriculture employs nearly 85 per cent of the total workforce in rural Sindh and a large number of peasants are treated as slaves under bonded labour tag. The government of the Pakistan People’s Party, which claims to be the most progressive and peasant-and poor-friendly political party, has a great responsibility towards dealing with these issues.

ZULFIQAR HALEPOTO Secretary, Sindh Democratic Forum Hyderabad

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/letters-to-the-editor/practices-similar-to-slavery-229

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Beyond ‘Sindhi topi’   اسين رونشي ۾ خوش ڇو آهيون؟ http://www.dailyibrat.com/     امداد سومرو جيڪڏهن ثقافت به مصنوعي طريقي سان فيڊ (feed) ٿيڻ لڳي ۽ اها به ڪنهن متعصب ماڻهوءَ/ دشمن/ گروهه پاران ردعمل جي صورت ۾ اسان وٽ 'رونشي' جو سبب بڻجڻ لڳي ته پوءِ اعتبار ڪريو ته اسان هڪ اهڙي ڦري ويل نسل ۾ تبديل ٿي چڪا آهيون جنهن کي مقصد ۽ نه ڪو vision آهي. توهان خالي دٻن (empty tins) جو آواز ٻڌو آهي–– گذريل ڪجهه ڏيهاڙن کان هزارين نه بلڪه لکين ايس ايم ايسز جيڪي سمورا ٽوپي، اجرڪ ۽ ثقافت سان بغلگير ٿي پهتا، اهي پڙهي مون کي محسوس ٿيو ته اسان ڪيتري اجائي آزمائش ۾ مصروف رهڻ ۽ خوش ٿيڻ وارا ماڻهو آهيون. جي اسان ڪنهن وڏي محاذ تي ويڙهه ۾ مصروف هجون ۽ دشمن اسان لاءِ هڪ غير اهم ۽ خالي جذبات تي مشتمل مامري ۾ مصروف ٿيڻ لاءِ ڪو هڪ ريمارڪ ڏئي ڇڏي ته اسان اهي هونداسين جيڪي محاذ ڇڏڻ ۾ هڪ گهڙي به دير نه ڪنداسين.   حالانڪه اها ڳالهه وڻي ٿي جڏهن اسان جهومندڙ نوجوانن کي ٽوپي ۽ اجرڪ ۾ نچندا ڪڏندا ڏسون ٿا. صدر آصف علي زرداريءَ سنڌي ٽوپي پائي سنڌي ٽوپي جو استعمال ائين وڌايو آهي جيئن 70ع واري ڏهاڪي ۾ ذوالفقار علي ڀُٽي شلوار قميص پائي ان جي اهميت وڌائي ڇڏي هئي. پر چوڻ جو مطلب آهي ته ان ۾ اها ڪهڙي انفراديت ۽ خصوصيت آهي جو اسان ان تي قومي فخر ڪيون؟ ثقافتي جذباتيت ٿئي ٿي ۽ اها فطري آهي. پنهنجي لباس کي عالمي ڊيڪور تي ڏسي خوشي ٿئي ٿي، پر ان جو مطلب اهو ڪٿي آهي ته اسان کي اهو به ڪو اينڪر ياد ڏيارائي يا اسان ان کي بنهه racist واري نقطه نگاهه کان ڏسون.   سنڌي ٽوپيءَ وارو ”ٽوپي ڊرامو“ کيڏڻ وارن مان اڪثريت– ۽ مان اها ڳالهه دعويٰ سان چوان ٿو– جو اولاد نه سنڌي ٻوليءَ ۾ تعليم پرائيندو هوندو ۽ نه سنڌي ڳالهائيندو ۽ پڙهندو هوندو. نه رڳو اهو پر نيوز ۽ ويوز (News & Views) کي ڇڏي باقي انٽرٽينمينٽ ۾ سنڌي ڪلچر کي سنڌي ٽي وي چئنلن جيڪي چار چنڊ لڳائي ڇڏيا آهن اهي به اسان سڀ ڄاڻون ٿا جو لکين ايس ايم ايسز جي روزانو ڊليوريءَ مان پورو اڌ تعداد اهڙن ايس ايم ايسز جو آهي جيڪي سنڌي ٽي وي چئنلن تي هلندڙ ڊرامن ۽ گانن متعلق آهن. اجرڪ، ٽوپي ۽ ڪهاڙي انهيءَ ڪلچر جي عظيم فروخت جو مسلسل اسٽال آهي جيڪو اسان سنڌي چئنلن تي ڏسون ٿا.   سنڌي ٽي وي چئنل نيوز ۽ ويوز ۾ سنڌي پرنٽ ميڊيا وانگر آهن. اهي نه racist  آهن ۽ نه اهي باقي اردو چئنلن وانگر آهن. پر ظاهر آهي ته buy ڪرڻ لاءِ کين مارڪيٽ سنڌي آهي ان ڪري اهي هڪ حد تائين ان کان متاثر ضرور ٿين ٿا. ڪڏهن کان اسان سنڌي ڪلچر کي ڪموڊٽي بڻايو آهي. گهٽ ۾ گهٽ ان جو اڳ اهڙو مثال نه ٿو ملي جهڙو هاڻ اسين هنن ڏيهاڙن ۾ ڏسي رهيا آهيون.   اعتراف ته صدر زرداريءَ جي تقرير سنڌين جي اڪثريت کي وڻي آهي ۽ ان کان وڌيڪ اسان جي گهرو وزير ڊاڪٽر ذوالفقار مرزا جي. ڇو ته ان ۾ ايم ڪيو ايم کي چتاءُ ڏنو ويو هو. پر مون کي نه ٿو لڳي ته سياسي مامرا ائين هلي سگهندا. اهو بهتر آهي ته ڊاڪٽر ذوالفقار مرزا جيئي سنڌ قومي محاذ (جسقم) جي چيئرمين بشير خان قريشيءَ تائين ائپروچ ڪئي. پر ايم ڪيو ايم آڏو جهڪڻ کان سواءِ ايم ڪيو ايم سان مصلحتي يا مفاهمتي فارمولو پيپلز پارٽيءَ لاءِ سنڌ توڻي مرڪز ۾ ضروري آهي. ڪير چوي ٿو ته ايم ڪيو ايم آڏو گوڏا کوڙڻ جي ضرورت آهي. پر اڻٽر حقيقت اها آهي ته ايم ڪيو ايم سان پارلياماني سطح تي توڻي رستن تي پيپلز پارٽي منهن ڏئي سگهي ٿي. باقي ايم ڪيو ايم سان ٺهي هلڻ سنڌين جي فائدي ۾ آهي ۽ ڪراچيءَ جي پوزيشن اهو ئي گهري ٿي. اوهان کي هڪ ئي وقت پنجابي اشرافيه جي تعصب ۽ ملٽري اسٽئبلشمينٽ جي اجارداريءَ کي منهن ڏيڻو آهي ته ساڳي وقت اردو ڳالهائيندڙ متعصب بيوروڪريسي کي به منهن ڏيڻو آهي. بلوچن سان اسان ڪيترو قريب آهيون ۽ پٺاڻن کي اسان ۽ اسان کي هو ڪيترو پيارا آهن اهو به اسين خوب ڄاڻون ٿا. توهان هڪ ئي وقت سڀني محاذن تي وڙهڻ گهرو ٿا ۽ ساڳي وقت هڪ ريمارڪ اوهان کي ڪپڙن لاهڻ جي ويجهو پهچائي ڇڏي ٿو.   جيڪڏهن اسان ان حد جي جذباتيت ٻين اشوز تي ڏيکاريون ها ته هن وقت سنڌ جي حالت تبديل هجي ها. هڪڙي متعصب اينڪر جي ريمارڪ تي اسان ان حد تائين اجائي ردعمل ۾ هليا وڃون ٿا، ڪاش اسان اهو ردعمل باقي مامرن تي به ان حد تائين ڪريون ها ته جيڪر اسان جا گهڻا بحران حل ٿي چڪا هجن ها. اسان ان پوزيشن ۾ هجون ها جو اسان کي ڪپڙن مان ڪڍڻ لاءِ ريمارڪ ڏيندڙن کي هڪ نه پر سؤ ڀيرا سوچڻو پئي ها.   پر هو پنهنجي مقصد ۾ ڪيئن نه ڪامياب وڃن ٿا. هو اسان کيirritate  (اڪسائڻ) ڪرڻ لاءِ ڳالهه جو هڪڙو پٿر اڇلين ٿا ۽ اسان ان تي ردعمل به ايترو ئي متعصب ۽ زهرناڪ ڪيون ٿا جيترو هو ڪنهن نه ڪنهن حوالي کان ڪندا رهن ٿا.   اسان کي ايترو محدود ۽ تنگ نظر نه ٿيڻ گهرجي ۽ امريڪا جي مشهور بينڊ جي ڳايل گيت ‘We are the world’ وانگر وسيع القلبي ۽ نگاه جو مظاهرو ڪرڻ گهرجي. جي وسيع جگري اسان جي سڃاڻپ آهي ته اسان کي اها نه ڇڏڻ گهرجي. جي ڪير اهو سمجهي ٿو ته تذليل (humiliation) تي به خوش ٿيڻ گهرجي ته اهو ڪير چوي ٿو. پر اسان کي واقعي به ان ۾ امتياز ڪرڻ گهرجي. ڪنهن جي طنز تي اسان کي پنهنجو behave (سلوڪ) تبديل ڪرڻ جي ضرورت نه آهي ۽ اهڙي ضرورت اجاگر ڪندڙ دراصل پنهنجو دڪان چمڪائي رهيا آهن.   اسان ايترو سستا نه آهيون، نه اسان کي ايترو آسان سمجهيو وڃي. 60ع ۽ 70ع وارن ڏهاڪن ۾ سنڌي ثقافت ۽ ٻوليءَ جي حوالي کان اسان هڪ سنجيده صورتحال کي منهن ڏنو ۽ ان وقت جي اديبن، شاعرن ۽ ساڃاهه وندن اها ويڙهه انتهائي ڏاهپ ۽ صبر سان وڙهي هئي ۽ هو ائين نه وڳا هئا جيئن خالي ٽن وڄندا آهن. اياز جي عظيم آرٽ ان جو نعم البدل هئي. اياز، لطيف سائين جي ثقافت ۽ ورثي کي ديوار چين جهڙو تحفظ ڏنو هو. اها ويڙهه ايس ايم ايسز ذريعي، يا ٽي وي چئنلن پاران ”ٽوپي ڊي“ ملهائي نه وڙهي وئي هئي. ٻول کي وڏي طاقت آهي ۽ هنن ٻول، موسيقي ۽ آرٽ ذريعي اها ويڙهه وڙهي هئي. عملي طور سنڌي ٻوليءَ ۾ چاڪنگ ڪرڻ، ووٽر لسٽون لکڻ ۽ سنڌ جي واهڻ واهڻ وستي وستيءَ ۾ ساديون پر پُروقار شامون ملهائي هنن سنڌي ثقافت کي اجاگر ڪيو هو. ”سنڌي شام“ ان دؤر جي happening هئي.   هاڻ زندگي گهڻو بدلجي وئي آهي ۽ سنڌو ان وچ ۾ سڪڙجي سوڙهي ٿي وئي آهي. اسان هاڻ ان انداز ۾ ويڙهه وڙهي نه ٿا سگهون، پر اسان ايتري سستي ويڙهه وڙهڻ جا به متحمل به ٿي نه ٿا سگهون. جيڪڏهن ان کي اڃا به rationally وٺو ته پاڪستان جهڙي رياست ۾ اسان پنهنجو ٿانءُ جنهن سليقي سان بچايو آهي ان کي هاڻ سنڀالڻ جي ضرورت آهي. هن رياست ۾ پنجابين جو ڪردار ڪهڙو رهيو آهي ۽ اردو ڳالهائيندڙن جو رويو ڇا رهيو آهي؟ پختون مذهبي انتهاپسنديءَ جي ور چڙهي ويا ۽ بلوچ هڪ ڌنڌ ۾ ويڙهه وڙهي رهيا آهن. مذهبي تنگ نظريءَ سڀني جو پاڻي زهر آلود ڪيو پر سنڌين پاڻ کي ان کان انتهائي ڪمال سان بچايو آهي. انفرادي ۽ گروهي سطح تي اسان وٽ مذهبي توڻي قومپرستي واري تنگ نظريءَ جا مثال ضرور آهن پر اجتماعي طور اسان پنهنجي اندر ۽ ٻاهر کي گهڻي حد تائين محفوظ رکيو آهي. پر اسان کي اجائي آزمائش ۾ پوڻ نه گهرجي. اسان تعصب کي تعصب سان ختم ڪرڻ جي ايڪسرسائيز تي هلڻ شروع ٿيا آهيون ۽ اهو دڳ ڪنهن به صورت ۾ درست ناهي. ان ۾ اسان محدود پيا ٿيون. اسان جي ثقافت اسان جي روح جي جڙن ۾ آهي ۽ ان کي ڪير به اکوڙي نه پيو سگهي. اسان جي ثقافت جي پاڙ ڌرتيءَ اندر آهي ۽ ان جي پاڙ ٺڪريءَ تي نه آهي جو ڪير ان کي اتان ڪڍي اُڇلي ڇڏي. هُش ۾ خوش واري سنڌي چوڻيءَ تي ڌيان ڏيڻ جي ضرورت نه آهي.   ڪٿي اسان ٻين جي ثقافتي فسطائيت کي اپنائيندي پاڻ ثقافتي فسطائيت جو ته شڪار نه ٿي رهيا آهيون؟ اسان کي هٽلر واري racism جي ضرورت نه آهي. اسان جي قومي پاليسي دراصل لطيف سائين عالم سڀ آباد ڪرينءَ چئي ڪيترو وقت اڳ ڏئي چڪو آهي. ان جو مطلب پنهنجي حقن ۽ مامرن تان هٿ کڻڻ ڪنهن به صورت ۾ نه آهي. انتهائي باريڪ سٽ آهي جنهن جو مفهوم سمجهڻ جي ضرورت آهي.   اسان جي ثقافت گهڻو ڪجهه ٻيو به آهي. ان ۾ هڪ ٻي پرک به آهي جيئن عظيم لطيف ”وکر سو وهاءِ، جو پئي پراڻو نه ٿئي“ وارو فرمان جاري ڪيو هو. ٻئي جي اشاري تي نچڻ ڪڏهن کان اسان جو وکر رهيو آهي؟ اهو کوٽو وکر اسان جو نه آهي.   پيپلز پارٽي انتهائي تيز ڌار واري رسيءَ تي هلي رهي آهي ۽ ان کي اجائي قومپرستيءَ واري rhetoric ۾ پوڻ بجاءِ پنهنجي سياسي مقصد تان ٿڙڻ ٿاٻڙجڻ جي ضرورت نه آهي. سنڌ، هڪ نجي چئنل يا اينڪر کان وڏي آهي ۽ محفوظ آهي. جي ان کي هڪ اينڪر مان خطرو ٿي سگهي ٿو ته يقين ڄاڻو ان کي پوءِ ڪير به بچائي نه ٿو سگهي. ان ڪري سنڌي ماڻهوءَ کي پنهنجي تاريخي ثقافتي ڪسوٽي تان پري ٿيڻ جي ضرورت نه آهي، هن کي جر تي ڦوٽي وانگر هر ايري غيري ڳالهه تي اڌ ٿيڻ جي ضرورت نه آهي. ڪنهن به صورت ۾ ضرورت نه آهي. imdad...@gmail.com

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Mohammad Nauman, Professor (19 December 1951-14 November 2009)   In memory of our beloved Professor Muhammad Nauman we are gathering at NED City Campus (adjacent DJ Science College, near Pakistan Chowk) at 2.00 pm on Saturday 5th December 2009.   Nauman was professionally an electrical engineer, but more so remained a man for the cause of social engineering in our society. He worked hard for the poor and weak and will always remain in the hearts of those who want to improve this society.   The meeting is expected to be addressed by his former colleagues and his comrades who struggled with him for the rights of our fisher folk, folks affected by Taunsa Barrage, Chotiari Dam, Lyari Expressway, LBOD, Chashma Canal, worked against the privatisation of Karachi Electric Supply Corporation and Karachi Water and Sewage Board, for the cause of alternate energies and technologies and so much more.   All his friends, comrades, colleagues, students and admires are requested to attend the Saturday’s meeting to join us in paying tribute to this noble soul.   For inquiry Mr. Abdul Hai at HRCP, Tel: 021-35637132/ 0333-3046674

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

8th Hamza Alavi Lecture    "Pakistan and the nature of the State: Revisionism, Jihad and Governance" Speaker:  Mr. Khalid Ahmed, Director SAFMA, Lahore. Wed. 16 Dec 09 at 5 PM @ Jinnah Medical College Admission:  Free All are welcome.

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

ECONOMIC-AND-BUSINESS National Drinking water policy and ground realities By Zulfiqar Halepoto Monday, 14 Dec, 2009 | 08:37 AM PST |

IN September this year, on the eve of World Water Day 2009, the government finally announced the new drinking water policy aimed at improving the quality of life of the people. The policy is designed to ensure provision of adequate quantity of safe drinking water to the entire population in an equitable, efficient and sustainable manner. While the policy is a good step,there are concerns about its goals being realistic and sustainable. The policy aims to establish a new drinking water supply system and to upgrade the existing systems in urban and rural areas for ensuring sustainable access to safe drinking water to the poor by 2020. The policy sets specific guidelines for increasing access to safe drinking water, protection and conservation of surface and groundwater resources, water treatment, appropriate technologies and standardisation. The policy has suggested various legislative measures to ensure its effective implementation and monitoring, which will be coordinated by the environment ministry in collaboration with provincial Fana, Fata and AJK governments. The policy will be reviewed and updated after every five years by a committee constituted exclusively for the purpose. It has placed special emphasis on setting up of new drinking water systems, rehabilitation and upgradation of the existing ones, sustainability of water supply infrastructure, water conservation, water quality improvement, water treatment and drinking water sector management information system. It emphasises that respective tiers of the government will devise strategies and action plans in pursuit of the policy. Under the policy, the responsibility of ensuring safe and clean drinking water has been entrusted to the environment ministry. A recent study on the state of drinking water supply and usage reveals that only 21.4 per cent of the people have easy access to clean and safe drinking water. Almost 77 per cent of the rural population does not have government water supply provisions; 54 per cent have access to drinking water through hand-pumps or motor pumps, 5.8 per cent through river/lake/canal, 14.4 per cent from fountain, three per cent from well and only 1.3 per cent use bottled water for drinking purposes. Estimated water, sanitation and hygiene related diseases cost the economy around Rs112 billion per year, over Rs300 million, a day in terms of health cost and lost earnings. Out of this, the cost associated with diarrhoeal diseases alone is estimated at around Rs55-80 billon per year. Lack of adequate drinking water and sanitation facilities in schools is one of the contributing factors for low enrolment and high drop out of from girls’ schools. About 80 per cent of all diseases are caused by unsafe drinking water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene. Over Rs30 billion is spent on healthcare for those who suffer from waterborne diseases.A fraction of that amount spent on safe water could save a lot of human sufferings. Another study suggests that as of 2008, approximately 49.5 million people lacked access to safe drinking water and 50.7 million lacked access to improved sanitation. One of the World Bank’s Country Assessment Report estimates that environment and natural resource damage costs the economy about Rs365 billion annually. Of this, drinking water, sanitation and hygiene-related diseases have been estimated to cost about Rs112 billion per year or over Rs300 million a day. Water scarcity and its poor management could lead to loss of biodiversity and agricultural production, increase in malnutrition and diseases, reduced economic growth, social instability, and conflict. Water stress threshold being defined as renewable water resources below 1700 cubic meter per person per year whereas its availability is just a little over 1000 cubic meter per person per year, making Pakistan water stress country. Urbanisation and inefficient use of water for irrigation and dependence of the agricultural sector on chemicals and fertilisers, has resulted in deterioration in water quality and contamination of lakes, rivers and ground water aquifers. The population in rural areas it relies on hand or motorised pumps. A quarter of rural households continue to draw water from un-improved sources, such as open dug wells, rivers, streams, canals and ponds. Water from these sources is mostly unfit for consumption unless treated. Over 90 per cent of water resources are consumed by agriculture and hardly 10 per cent is left for drinking and other purposes. Now the real challenge is to make that 10 per cent of water available for every citizen. There are serious ideological flaws in the policy which focused on pricing of water, tariff and privatisation, which will not be acceptable for the majority of the poor living in rural areas and urban slums. Poor budget allocation, bad governance, zero checks and balances and zero accountability and ageing infrastructure are some of the other factors which will make this policy a sour dream. Installation of water filtration plants across the country by the year 2015 is also an unrealistic idea as the main execution agency; the district governments have failed to successfully implement the previous projects. During the Musharraf regime under Clean Drinking Water for All (CDWA) project, Rs15bn were allocated for installation of 6,626 filtration plants by Dec 2007. This has not happened. The CDWA was to be a joint venture between the federal government as financier and the district, tehsil and town governments providing land, labour and electricity. The provincial government was to be the executor. Up to 204 plants for clean drinking water have been installed in Sindh under CDWA project. Mere policies cannot deliver. Pakistan is facing serious challenges due to its inability to define water rights and implement equitable water regulation policies throughout the country. Under the policy, the government has decided to install water filtration plants not in each town but in every village. However, nobody knows that from where the huge amount required for the programme would be generated. It is time for every stakeholder to recognise the fact that collective future depends on the collective actions.
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/in-paper-magazine/economic-and-business/drinking-water-policy-and-ground-realities-429

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Regime Change… Who will be the main loser??? Who will be the main loser, if present government is going to be dislodged? Off course majority of the progressive, secular and democracy loving people of the country. They don’t have choice. PPP is still a lesser evil choice for them.  They are in dilemma. They are at the cross road. Conservative forces have lot of choices, JI, MMA and PMLN…extremist mindset. But progressive people have to have their choices and options too. PPP has a habit to take people for granted. Today their lack of commitment, poor governance, corruption reaching the heights of Himalayan mountains, favoritism, nepotism, zero accountability, weak social services delivery to the poor people and crisis of credibility and leadership is not only a threat to present democratically elected government and PPP as a party but it is a great below to the progressive and secular people of Pakistan, who want to see Pakistan a true democratic state with strong institutions and rule of law and constitutionalism. We hate military dictatorships and authoritarian rules by conservative forces but is there a chance for PPP to mind its business. Most of the leaders will run away from country and others will bargain with NAB and other agencies. But the progressive values, democratic polity and we will be the ultimate losers. So we shall demand that let the people decide to change the government in coming elections. Let the voters to decide the fate of the regime. They are elected by the people…but are they ready to listen to the sentiments of the people. The federal government’s lawyer Kamal Azfar on Monday stunned the Supreme Court bench hearing challenges to the controversial NRO by saying that he alluded to the American CIA and the GHQ (General Headquarters) when he cautioned in the petition he had filed last week about threats that could derail the democratic system in Pakistan.   ‘You want me to say it more openly? The danger comes from the CIA and the GHQ,’ Mr Azfar responded after the 17-judge bench repeatedly asked him what apprehensions he had in mind about the democratic set-up. ‘Look what we have done to Pakistan which otherwise (was) destined to become an Asian tiger, but one prime minister, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was hanged while the other, Benazir Bhutto, was killed,’ Mr Azfar bemoaned. Now see to pictures below and find out the difference …in one picture beadier Bhutto’s Shaheed’s photos is there and after a hue and cry by fanatic media and agencies the photo of BB Shaheed was removed from the table of the president of Pakistan. Is BB Shaheed still a security risk for Pakistan? Were she not loyal to Pakistan and to the nation as Mr Jinnah was. Shame on establishment and agencies to still disown the sacrifices of Bhuttos . And shame on those who are compromising the blood of BB for sharing a meager piece of cake with the establishment. Regards Zulfi

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Sindh university Campus Mirpurkhas is organizing a 2 day National Conference on 19-20th December 2009 on the topic of “ The Role of NGOs and private Sector in Social and Economic Development of Pakistan”   @ State Life building Auditorium, Mirpurkhas…papers will be presented on Education & Health issues, Social Welfare and service delivery, Women in Development, Gender Perspective, Role of Civil Society in Promoting Advocacy of Human Rights, Micro-Credit and Sustainable development, Urban Planning and issues, Poverty, Demography and Youth Development etc.   My paper is on "Thar Coal, Energy crisis and the concerns of Cummunity" For invitation please contact 0300 3657851. http://usindh.edu.pk/Brochure.jpg See More

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Climate change poses a major threat   Thursday, 17 Dec, 2009   By: ZULFIQAR HALEPOTO http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/letters-to-the-editor/climate-change-poses-a-major-threat-729   CLIMATE change is emerging as a major driver of disasters, with frequent and intense floods and storms, increasing forced displacement as an extremely likely consequence. Heightened drought risk, desertification, sea level rise, and changes in the availability of water and fertile land, reduced access to basic resources, will also fuel longer-term migration and forced displacement. Climate change, therefore, has the potential to displace millions of people in coming decades. A recent report of UN University, CARE International and Columbia University said that environmentally-induced migration and displacement has the potential to become an unprecedented phenomenon – both in terms of scale and scope. In coming decades, climate change will motivate or force millions of people to leave their homes in search of viable livelihoods and safety. The science of climate change was too new to forecast exact projected numbers of migrants, but it cited an international organisation for migration estimate of 200 million environmentally-induced migrants by 2050. The Global Commission on International Migration’s recent report, ‘Migration in an interconnected world: New directions for action’, says that immigration by people who are seen as being strongly different creates a tension between demand for labour and perceived erosion of the integrity of local cultures. Intensifying rural poverty is likely to increase internal migration. Although most societies have a long history of adapting to the impacts of weather and climate, climate change as we are experiencing it today poses new risks that will require new investments in adaptive responses. Apart from economic and environmental degradation, migration is going to be the most potential crisis in near future for Pakistan as a result of climate change. Pakistan is among the countries which will be hit hardest by effects of climate change even though it contributes only a fraction to global warming. A recent report on ‘Climate change and migration issues in Pakistan” has described Pakistan as the 12th most vulnerable country of the world whose environmental degradation would cost five per cent of the GDP every year. Although Pakistan contributes least to global warming --one-35th of the world’s average of carbon dioxide emissions --temperatures in the country’s coastal areas have risen since the early 1900s from 0.6 to 1 degree Centigrade. Water supply, which is already a serious concern throughout the country, will decline dramatically and it will affect food security thresholds. The severe droughts in 1999 and 2000 are the main examples that caused sharp declines in water tables and dried up wetlands, severely degrading ecosystems. Precipitation has decreased 10 to 15 per cent in the coastal belt and hyper-arid plains over the last 40 years while there is an increase in summer and winter rains in northern Pakistan. Already vulnerable coastal belt and communities in Karachi, Thatta and Badin and their livelihood resources like fisheries will also be affected, while coastal areas risk being inundated, flooding the homes of millions of people living in low-lying areas. On the other hand, health of millions would also be affected with diarrhoeal diseases associated with floods and drought becoming more prevalent. Climate change is an economic, developmental and environmental problem. Given the enormity of the impact, adaptation and mitigation measures are critically important. It is the government’s prime responsibility to develop strategies and programmes to reduce the impact of such changes as are likely to hit Pakistan and the lives of its people. Pakistani experts working at national, regional and international forums are exploring measures to combat the threat posed by the climate change. The government must get involved in consultation with those experts, organisations and forums. ZULFIQAR HALEPOTO Karachi

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Gham-e-Hussain Aeen Sham-e-Benazir Let us mourn two great tragedies together 0n December 27th, 2007 Sindh suffered the irremediable  loss of Benazir Bhutto that will haunt and sadden the hearts of all Sindhis and lover of democracy, tolerance and secularism for centuries to come. The day also falls on 9th Muharam, when another monumental tragedy that of Karbala was taken place.  Our slain queen, Benazir also fell at the hands of the Yazids of her times. Sindh Democratic Forum (SDF) invites all peace and democracy lovers, all those who believe in secular and progressive values to come outside Radio Pakistan Hyderabad Building @ Miran Muhammad Shah Road (near Hyderabad Press Club) @ 4 PM sharp on 27th to mount a candle lit vigil  to pay homage to the finest daughter of Sindh. One Rose, a candle and a tear drop is all that the memory of BB Shaheed demands of you. Zulfiqar Halepoto Secretary SDF 0300 8377241

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

"There goes a sunset and here comes a dawn"   Let us meet at River Indus to say good bye to 2009   "Those who lost their path, searching the rocks, learnt much from the lost path, giving up both the worlds, beaten track they follow not. Dust on their bodies for the Beloved they gather, some knowledge of Lahut seems to possess these wanderers." .................Bhitai [Sur Khahori]     Dear All Every year on December 31st we start our journey to see how gorgeous Sindh witness sunset and sunrise. This 12 hours journey has a purpose to resolve our commitment for a prosperous Sindh and a peaceful world. We witness this moments by visiting historical places of Sindh.   Every year this journey from dark (sunset) to dawn (sunrise) means a lot to us, because in that little time of 12 hour we shall go to the remarkable symbols of our national pride and identity.   Dear friends this years’ journey will start from the mightiest identity of Sindh, Sindhu Daryah (River Indus) and will end at Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai (great Sindhi poet and the sign of Sindhi secularism and plural Sindhi society) and at another legend of Sindh, Shaikh Ayaz (the modern Sindhi poet)   On this day of 31st December we have the following programme     The Last Sunset of 2009:   "Sun sets, Sasui weeps tears of blood, No messenger, no traveller from whom to ask of that place, Confused she remains, but does not think of going back." ..............Bhitai [Sur Sasui Abri]   We will go to Almanzar, Jamshoro to witness the last sunset of 2009 under the stolen water of Indus.   We will observe 2 minute silence for the Shaheeds of karbala, martyrdom of Shaheed of Benazir Bhutto, tragedy of Karachi, departure of Sindh’s legends Shaikh Ayaz, Sarmad Sindhi, Ayaz Qadri, Zarena Balouch, Dr Dur-e-Shahwar Syed and will read the pledge and charter (Sindh Wachun) to fight a peaceful and democratic struggle for the rights of Sindh.   Candles and Diyas will be torched. Roses will be offered to river Indus   After this activity we will go the MAZAR (shrine) of great Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai and will remain there till 12.00 midnight and we will pay tribute to this great poet, a sign of secular, liberal and democratic Sindh.   The first Sunrise (dawn) of 2010:   We shall witness the first dawn of the year 2009 at the Mazar of heroic sign of the resistance of Sindh, Shaikh Ayaz and will pray for the peace and prosperity of World and Sindh and Sindh people.     There is no host, no guest; it’s our common agenda. The entire programme and the events are the events of Sindh, organized and celebrated by Sindh; it is all-open for all.   Join us to send a loud massage to the rest of the world that we Sindhis are a civilized, cultured and peaceful nation; we love our heroes, heritage, history, legends and culture.   Join us to send this massage to the rest of the people that despite living in a constant slavery we believe in democracy, peace and integrality of the values of human rights because we are a liberal and secular nation.     "Go not far, Sasui! Nor give the quest, Walk not with your feet, yet sit not quite content, All connection with joys of life snap, Walk with your heart, that journey may soon end." .........Bhitai [Sur Sasui]   Regards The entire team of Sindh Democratic Forum (SDF) For further contact: Zulfiqar Halepoto, Secretary SDF 0300 8377241

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Dear Friends   President of Sindhi Association of North America (SANA) and some other office bearers and members including Dr Valeed Sheikh, Dr Maqbool Halepota, Dr Aijaz Turk, Sunny Panhwar, Sarfraz Abassi and some other friends are visiting Sindh from 4th January 2010 to 7th January 2010. They will be meeting different political groups, leaders, civil society networks, scholars, writers, development practitioners, educationists and others during their stay in Karachi and Hyderabad. Here is the formal schedule of their activities:- January 4th, 2010 (5.00 PM – 08.00 PM)   Discussion on the ‘development issues of Sindh’ followed by dinner with Karachi based Sindhi intellectuals. Scholars, writers, development practitioners, educationists and journalists at TRDP office hosted by Dr Sono Khangharani and Zulfiqar Halepoto. This session will cover issues of development, political economy, poverty, education and other social and economic issues of Sindh. January 4th, 2010 (08.30 PM) Interview at Sindh TV Karachi with Fayyaz Naich Current Affairs Program JAIZO and meeting with Dr Karim Rajpar, CEO Sindh TV   January 5th, 2010 (9.30 AM -10.00 AM)   Tea with Mazhar-ul-Haque Siddiqi @ Vice chancellor House, Sindh University  Jamshoro January 5th, 2010 (10.30 AM -1.00 PM)   Reception by Professor Aijaz Qureshi at his residence. A brief discussion on the ‘Issues of education and Economic Development in Sindh’ will be held with Hyderabad based Sindhi intellectuals. Scholars, writers, development practitioners, educationists and journalists. January 5th, 2010 (2.00 PM)   Interview with Mehran TV January 5th, 2010 (3.00 PM) Tea reception by Mr Mahesh Kumar and governing body of Hyderabad Press Club @ Hyderabad Press Club building January 5th, 2010 (5.00 PM) Meeting with Bashir Khan Qureshi, Chairman JSQM @ the residence of Zulfiqar Halepoto January 5th, 2010 (7.00 PM) Reception by Dr Qader Magsi, Chairman Sindh Taraqi Pasand Party @ Tarki Pasand house, Qasimabad January 6th, 2010 (10.00 AM) Meeting and formal presentation by the honorable minister for education, Sindh on the updates and latest situation and state of affairs of education in Sindh. 1.00 PM lunch by Pir Mazhar-ul- Haque @ his residence   January 6th, 2010 (3.00 PM) Tea by Ms Sassui Palijo, Honorable Minister for Culture & Tourism, Sindh    January 6th, 2010 (5.00 PM) Tea party by Khursheed Abassi, Senior journalist and editor Daily Awam @ Karachi press Club and meeting with Karachi Press Club Body  January 6th, 2010 (7.00 PM) Visit of Sindh Assembly Building and tea with Nisar Ahmed Khuhro   January 6th, 2010 (109.00 PM) Interview at KTN with Manzoor Sheikh’s Current Affairs Program   Regards Zulfiqar Halepoto 0300 8377241

 

 

 

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Dear Friends On January 4th, 2010 (5.00 PM – 08.00 PM sharp) a team of Sindhi Association of North America (SANA) including president Dr Valeed Shaikh, Mazhar Lakho, Dr Maqbool Halepota, Dr Aijaz Turk, Sunny Panhwar, Sarfraz Abassi and some friends will be interacting  with karachi based leading Sindhi intellectuals. Scholars, writers, development practitioners, educationists and journalists at TRDP , Clifton, Karachi. Dr Sono Khangharani  will give a detailed briefing on some ongoing programmes of development in Sindh through rural development perspective. Leading thinkers Zamir Ghumro, Javed Kazi, Kazi Fazalluah, Zafar Junejo, Manzoor Chandio, Dodo Chandio, Masood Khan, Aijiz Jamali, G N Mughal, Shuhab Osto, Adam malik, Raheema panhwar, Zulfiqar Shah, Sikander Brohi, will take part in the discussion on the ‘development issues of Sindh’ This session will cover issues of development, political economy, poverty, education and other socio-economic and political issues of Sindh. Regards Zulfiqar Halepoto

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

ECONOMIC-AND-BUSINESS Denying local rights over oil resources By Zulfiqar Halepoto Monday, 04 Jan, 2010 | 07:50 AM PST | THE National Petroleum Exploration and Production Policy 2009 is aimed at encouraging direct foreign investment and promoting local participation including 50 per cent of non-skilled jobs for locals. Under the policy, legislators in their respective areas of oil exploration and the district administrations are empowered to spend the ‘production bonus’ on social development. Earlier, the federal government had the authority to do so. The new policy committees headed by district coordination officers would include MNAs as members. But a careful reading of the policy document shows that the Petroleum Policy 2009 is designed primarily to encourage foreign companies to invest rather than targeting the socio-economic progress of the local people from whose area the resources will be extracted. Currently, there are as many as 42 companies, mostly international or their joint ventures with local investors with 119 exploration licenses and 127 leases. Yet the desired results have not been achieved. The 2009 policy is not much different from 2007 policy, which was drafted and finalised by foreign consultants in 14 months at a cost of over $500,000 and has failed to attract investment. Not even a single exploration license was issued under 2007 policy over the past two years. The exploration activities had remained stagnant because the petroleum policy of 2007 had ignored local companies. Under the new policy, oil companies would have to pay 12.5 per cent royalty and 40 per cent income tax to the government and the criteria for pre-qualifications have been simplified. Discount during the extended well test (EWT) phase has been reduced to 10 from 15 per cent to encourage companies for early production and the bids will be evaluated on the basis of best work programme. The policy envisages payment of royalty at the rate of 12.5 per cent of the value of petroleum at the field gate. The royalty will be paid on liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons (LPG, NGL, solvent oil, gasoline and others) as well as substances like sulphur produced in association with the hydrocarbons. The lease rent will not be deducted from the royalty. Tax on income will be payable at a rate of 40 per cent of profit or gains in accordance with the 5th schedule of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001. Royalties will be treated as an expense for the purpose of determination of income tax liability. Small local companies will be allowed to join consortiums with exploration and production (E&P) companies as non-operator in order to gain necessary industry experience and expand their capacity to take on operating roles in future. If a local company does not have requisite operating experience it will be required to enter into an agreement with an internationally renowned E&P/services company or produce a technical and management team of calibre with proven track record of overseeing and managing operations in the international petroleum industry. If the current crude price is fixed at $50 a barrel, exploration and production companies will get $4.08 per MMBTU (million metric British thermal unit) under the new policy, compared to $3.65 per MMBTU offered under the 2007 petroleum policy and $2.99 under the 2001 policy in zone-I. For the zone-II, the government has offered $3.82 per MMBTU to the companies, compared to $3.35 per MMBTU in the 2007 policy and $2.8 per MMBTU in the 2001 policy. For zone-III, the companies will get $3.55 per MMBTU, compared to $3.1 per MMBTU in the 2007 policy and $2.61 per MMBTU in 2001. The new policy also focuses on corporate social responsibility (CSR) by raising social welfare obligation in exploration phases by $5,000 in every zone i.e. from $25,000 to $30,000 a year.. The government wants exploration of more areas in Sindh, Balochistan and Pakhtoonkhwa. Security problems have hampered exploration work in the past but now the PPP government in Balochistan is holding talks with Baloch leaders and trying to get security clearance for 16 of the 25 blocks where activities were stopped. The seismic survey of Dhaddar block in Balochistan was completed in 2004, but the well could not be drilled because of the law and order situation. However, with the support of local stakeholders, work has started last week. The government spent over $5 million to provide security to a single block over its life of three to four years. If there is a solution of the issues of the ownership of resources, the money can be spent on the people of the area who, in return, would ensure a safe environment for exploration activities. Recently, a leading rights-based civil society organisation; ActionAid Pakistan arranged a wide range of consultations in Sindh, Balochistan and Islamabad to review the policy from the perspective of people’s rights. The consensus was that the government should recognise local people’s rights over their natural resources. The new policy has offered lucrative incentives to the oil companies while the provisions about the community development are quite vague. The oil and gas extraction entails environmental disasters. However, the policy does not take such disasters into account. It is ironical that the districts of Sindh and Balochistan making most significant contribution to the national output of oil and gas are the most poor and backward areas in terms of human development index. While the current policy says that priority will be given to providing jobs to the locals by the oil and gas companies in their areas, complaints abound about employment of locals. The policy offers nothing to redress the grievances during the course of its implementation. There should be constitutional guarantee of the protection of people’s right and there should not be open handed sale of province’s coastal and off-shore resources to oil corporations. The local people of any area were the real owners of resources. The policy did not recognise their right over their resources. The contribution of Sindh in the overall production of oil is 56.36 per cent, whereas in the gas production it is 70.77 per cent. But the oil and gas producing districts of Sindh including Badin, Dadu, Qambar-Shahdadkot, Tando Muhammad Khan and rural Hyderabad are facing worst poverty. The Policy recommended an implementation committee to be headed by federal minister of petroleum and natural resources including the director general petroleum concession and a number of bureaucrats but not the representatives from the affected communities and provinces. While the foreign companies are supposed to pay certain amount as production bonus for community welfare, the public companies have been exempted. There are two pages in the policy dedicated to maintaining data secrecy, which is clear violation of the right to information. Exploration and extraction of petroleum resources has nothing to do with national security. The community and the civil society representatives point out the numerous flaws in petroleum exploration and production policy-2009 with regard to the investment in the local community welfare, provision of jobs, production bonus, protection of environment and livelihood resource. While demanding that the policy should be reviewed to help fulfill oil and gas companies’ obligations towards local communities, they said the government was issuing unlimited licenses for off-shore exploration without taking people of the coastal belt of Sindh including Karachi, Thatta and Badin into confidence. As per constitution, President of Pakistan is authorised to make agreements with the companies under Petroleum Concession Agreement (PCA). It is time for the present democratic government to grant these powers to the respective provincial assemblies. http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/in-paper-magazine/economic-and-business/denying-local-rights-over-oil-resources-410

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

NATIONAL Appointment of new SU VC mockery of merit: SDF Bureau Report Saturday, 09 Jan, 2010 | 12:54 AM PST | HYDERABAD, Jan 8: Sindh Democratic Forum (SDF), a think tank, has voiced its dismay over the government’s decision to appoint Prof Dr Nazir A. Mughal as new vice-chancellor of the University of Sindh and described it as a mockery of principles of merit and good sense. The forum, which met here on Friday, said that the ‘surprising’ decision emanating from the President’s House in Islamabad was in violation of rules and procedures laid down by the Higher Education Commission for appointment of a vice-chancellor. The HEC’s involvement in the process of appointment was mandatory, said the meeting. The decision also went against the principles of the search committee, which was tasked to choose a suitable VC, it said. Mr Mughal, the meeting said, was not even short-listed for the post by the search committee and no advertisement appeared in any newspaper about the post, which indicated that the PPP government was continuing with the disastrous policy of nepotism and favouritism at the cost of merit and transparency. The forum leaders alleged that it was common knowledge that Mr Mughal, who had earlier been a teacher in the Sindh University before he resigned and went to the United States, had illegally and unethically claimed a huge amount as salaries. For this petty and self-serving act he was indicted by the university syndicate, which he would now lead, they said. His wrongdoings almost brought the university to the verge of administrative and financial collapse, they said. Universities are centres of higher learning which produce critical minds through quality education and shape individuals into responsible citizens and future leaders, they said. Mr Mughal’s appointment showed the PPP government had once again shown its contempt for the highest seat of learning in the province, which was a beacon of light and knowledge for thousands of Sindhi youths, they said. “The SDF will oppose this appointment and will not allow the government to destroy this oldest institution,” warned the meeting. As per rules and constitution of higher education the post should be advertised and a new VC should be appointed through a transparent and open procedure, said the meeting. The SDF appealed to civil society, teachers’ fraternity and members of general public to raise voice against this appointment and mount pressure on the government to take back its anti-people and anti-education policies. The forum’s convener Abrar Kazi, secretary Zulfiqar Halepoto and members Fazalullah Qureshi, Mohammad Hashim Laghari, Nazir Memon, Aslam Baloch, Prof Saeeda Bashir and Munaiza Zulfiqar attended the meeting. http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/national/appointment-of-new-su-vc-mockery-of-merit-sdf-910

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Invitation “Save River Indus” In support of KTN-Kawish call to stand up and demonstrate national unity to regain the peak of River Indus Sindh Democratic Forum (SDF) and Strengthening Participatory Organization (SPO) cordially invite you to attend one day dialogue on the topic of “Save River Indus” On 22nd, January, 2010 @ SPO House, Alamdar Chock, Qasimabad, Hyderabad…  Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, Dr Qadir Magsi, Jalal Mehmood Shah, Bashir Khan Qureshi, Ayaz Latif Palijo, Abrar Kazi, Dr Rajab Memon, Jami Chandio, Naseer Memon and other leading water experts, technocrats, civil society activists and concerned citizens will share their views.   For further details please contact Zulfiqar Halepoto- Acting Convener SDF 0300 8377241 Mustafa Balouch Regional Head SPO 0300 8370170

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Dear Folks   I am delighted to share this news with you all that Saeen Ali Nawaz Memon, Senior Vice President PPP, USA, Author of Development thoughts and Senior Financial and Institutional Development Consultant Good Governance Support Group is visiting Hyderabad, Badin, Shikarpur, Larkana and Karachi, Sindh from 22nd January, 2010 till 26th, January, 2010.   Following are his programmes in Hyderabad   22-01-2010:   ·         Lunch with Nisar Ahmed Khuhro and SDF team at the residence of Zulfiqar Halepoto @ his residence 1 pm ·         ‘Save River Indus Conference’ by SDF & SPO in Hyderabad at SPO House Qasimabad, Hyderabad 3 pm ·         Dinner by Dr Fateh Mari, Professor Sindh Agriculture University, Tando Jam @ Hyderabad, Gymkhana.  8 pm      23-01-2010 ·         Tea with Dr Qader Magsi, Chairman Sindh Taraqi Pasand party @ STP House. Qasimabad, Hyderabad. 10.am ·         Lunch by Jami Chandio, ED, CPCS, Hyderabad @ CPCS office, Qasimabad, Hyderabad 1. pm ·         Chief Guest at ‘Sindh language Conference’ by Sindhi Adabi Sangat Markaz @ Hyderabad. 4 pm  Dinner by Profeesor Aijaz Qureshi @ his residence in Hyderabad    Regards Zulfiqar Halepoto

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Read more about another unethical decision made by our honourbale President of Pakistan, Mr. Asif Ali Zardari Saheb   VC: a mix of Viagra, corruption!   Sunday, January 17, 2010 By Rauf Klasra http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=26722 ISLAMABAD: The newly-appointed Vice Chancellor of the University of Sindh — Dr Nazir Moghul — has landed in a controversy within the first seven days of his appointment, as it has now been revealed after about 10 years that during his previous term at the university as its VC (1995-1999), he had been getting the bills of Viagra tablets paid from the university budget in the name of his “medical treatment” in the US. The official copies of these bills (available with The News) containing the details of Viagra tablets make an interesting reading. The documents showed that a set of 30 Viagra tables was purchased in the US when Dr Moghul had gone there in the name of “medical treatment” and claimed the bill when he returned to the university. The copy of the bill, paid by the university, confirmed that it was purchased from the Rite Aid Pharmacy and Dr Singh Karpia had prescribed Dr Nazir Moghul the use of 100mg Viagra tablets. Dr Singh had written in his prescription that Dr Moghul was a “senior citizen”, so he should be given Viagra on demand. The total cost of the 30 Viagra tablets was $243. The documents showed that on his return to University of Sindh, the secretary of Dr Moghul prepared the medical bill of the VC for payment. The medical treatment was shown in the US. In his letter to the director finance, University of Sindh, Jamshoro, the secretary wrote: “I am enclosing herewith the medical bills of Dr Nazir Moghul, the vice chancellor, during his visit to the US for medical treatment, giving the details of each bill.” Four medical bills were mentioned in this letter (a copy of which is available with The News), including the Viagra tablets bill No 0237683945. The secretary wrote that the amount of these bills was paid by the vice chancellor out of his own pocket in the US and the same might be reimbursed. The bill was immediately reimbursed to Dr Moghul. The official documents showed that this was not the only controversy which might hit the university, but at the moment, it had been revealed that Dr Moghul was also linked to some admission fraud that had taken place in the university where he used to teach. The evidence available with this correspondent confirmed that Dr Moghul had spent many years at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. At Edinboro, he was accused of getting financial benefits from foreign students for giving them false certificates to enable them to enter the US. He was the incharge of the international student office at the Edinboro University and kept in his custody the letter pads from a number of institutions. After getting some financial benefits, he would approve on the Edinboro stationary false statements that were written on blanks forms. Meanwhile, using his connections, Dr Moghul got himself appointed at University of Sindh during the second PPP tenure. In his absence from Edinboro, the blank forms scam had found place in a local newspaper, The Pittsburgh Press. Its correspondent, Lee Bowman, had filed a story that said the federal immigration authorities were probing that some Edinboro state college officials illegally issued blank forms that would allow Iranian students to enter the US. The report said: “The blank forms contain the signature of Nazir Moghul, who, until recently, was in charge of the recruitment supervising foreign students.” The report said Dr Moghul was in Pakistan on leave without salary. However, when the correspondent sought his views the university administration denied he had issued any blank forms to any student with his signature. The university spokesman said to Bowman: “When he (Dr Moghul) returns in May, we will sit down with him and decide what appropriate steps should be taken. I don’t know what the federal officials may do.” Meanwhile, this correspondent made several attempts for two consecutive days to get the version of Dr Moghul, but he was not available. His cell phone and residence numbers went unattended. Even messages sent on his mobile with specific questions were not replied. However, on behalf of Dr Moghul, the spokesman for the University of Sindh, Majeed Panhwar, strongly defended Dr Moghul and completely rejected these allegations. Panhwar said actually a group was active against Dr Moghul in the university since his first tenure as the VC SU and it had been spreading the propaganda against Dr Moghul for political gains. Panhwar said: “After his departure from the university in 1999, the opponents who replaced him could not prove a single charge against Dr Nazir Moghul.” He rejected the charge that Dr Moghul had got bills of Viagra paid by the university. He also rejected the allegations of probe into Edinboro University for issuing the blank forms to the foreign students to enter into the US after taking money from them. Panhwar claimed that Dr Moghul had helped 1,200 Pakistani students get scholarships in the US.

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

NATIONAL Govt should not build small dams, says Abbasi By Mohammad Hussain Khan Saturday, 23 Jan, 2010 | 05:55 AM PST | HYDERABAD: Eminent water expert and former chairman of the Technical Committee on Water Resources (TCWR) A.N.G. Abbasi said on Friday that small dams were more harmful than Kalabagh dam and advised the government to refrain from building them. He said Kalabagh dam was not harmful if rules of the game were set and strictly adhered to. But since there were no rules, it was not acceptable to the people of Sindh, he added. Addressing a conference on “Save River Indus”, organised by Sindh Democratic Forum (SDF) and Strengthening Participatory Organisation (SPO), Mr Abbasi said that at the time of partition, River Indus used to get 80MAF of water, but after the 1960’s Indus Water Treaty, it was being given 8MAF of water. He said, under the treaty India was competent to even store floodwater. The treaty authorised it to irrigate 1.35 million acres of land, of which India had brought 800,000 acres under cultivation. He said it was also entitled to build hydel project and it was not bound to share shortage of water with Pakistan under the treaty. He said that since the NWFP and Balochistan were not bound to share water shortage, there remained no justification for them to be part of Indus River System Authority. He said that whenever there was a shortage of water, Punjab always got maximum water in connivance with Irsa. He called for deciding operational measures of Greater Thal Canal before its construction should be allowed. He said that the federal government had announced that Kalabagh Dam would not be built, but certain quarters still wanted its construction. He said construction of dams was always linked with availability of additional water, but there would be no water available in future in our system. He claimed Punjab got water from two link canals of River Indus which was equal to the storage capacity of two Kalabagh dams. Punjab was always adamant to lift this water, he said. Sindh Assembly Speaker Nisar Khuhro said that Benazir Bhutto had staged a sit-in at Kammu Shaheed in Ghotki during her struggle for water. He said the present government had announced scrapping of Kalabagh dam, but friends did not appreciate it. STP chairman Dr Qadir Magsi urged technocrats of the province to guide people properly and be steadfast in their stand. He said River Indus belonged to the people of Sindh for thousands of years and people drew benefits from it. He said that even British rulers avoided building reservoirs over River Indus after hearing objections of lower riparian. Awami Tehrik president Ayaz Latif Palijo rejected People Party’s contention that since massive work had taken place on Greater Thal Canal, it could not be stopped. Sindh Abadgar Board president Abdul Majeed Nizamani said that existing status of River Indus would have to be maintained at all costs. RESOLUTIONS: The conference adopted following resolutions, supporting a Jan 24 call for River Indus Day by a local media organisation and urging people to gather in riverbed or on banks of its canals. It appreciated statements of President Asif Ali Zardari and ANP chief Asfandyar Wali describing Kalabagh Dam against the interests of federation, Sindh and Pakhtoonkhwa. It called for scrapping Wapda’s Water Vision 2025 and plans of dams/cuts on Indus.It expressed concern over deterioration of Indus delta, saying that such degradation had multidimensional effect on people, millions of living creatures dependent on water, language and culture of delta population. It urged the government to sign UN Protocol on “Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses” which demands from states sharing international rivers to release adequate water for all living beings and fish and to ascertain that deltaic environment is sustained. http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/national/13+govt-should-not-build-small-dams%2C-says-abbasi-310-za-13 Copyright © 2010 - Dawn Media Group

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Water flow: Sindh’s position LETTERS-TO-THE-EDITOR Saturday, 06 Feb, 2010 | 01:37 AM PST | THIS year the Indus flow is expected to be the worst in the last five years, causing serious problems for the coming kharif crop in Sindh. As of June, Sindh will suffer 34 per cent shortage as compared to 14 per cent by Punjab. For this reason alone, Sindh feels justified in pleading for closing the Chashma-Jhelum flood canal, Taunsa-Panjnad flood canal, Panjnad link canal and Thal canal, which flow from the Indus. This will help to reduce Sindh’s problem because the crop season in the province begins earlier. Owing to an abnormal fall in the flow of the Indus it is justified to demand that guidelines and major principles of recommendations of A.N.G. Abassi, head of the Technical Committee on Water Resources (TCWR), should be followed for operational criterion of Chashma-Jhelum and Taunsa-Panjnad canals. The report says: “The lower Punjab tributary areas linked to the Indus through the Chashma-Jhelum and Taunsa-Panjnad links cannot be treated as a permanent burden on the Indus main. The link canals are inter-provincial canals and should be regulated as such.” Instead of regulating these canals on the basis of the indent of one province, the Indus River System Authority should operate them on the basis of equitable distribution under the water accord on an all-Pakistan basis. The recent construction of a 44 megawatt hydropower project on the Chashma-Jhelum flood canal, on the plea of power generation, would convert the non-perennial canal into a perennial one to irrigate lands in Khushab, Bakhar and Layyah districts and 2.1m acres of Cholistan. This would intensify desertification in Sindh, ruining its agricultural economy and rendering a fatal blow to Tando Mohammed Khan, Tando Allah Yar, Matiari and Hyderabad districts after destruction of deltaic districts of Thatta and Badin. It is unjust that four arid districts of Punjab should be irrigated at the cost of six fertile districts of Sindh. Punjab is undertaking powerhouse construction, though Sindh rejected the project on June 20, 2009 terming it unfeasible. The resolution by the Punjab Assembly in favour of power plant is an alarming message for Sindh. We appeal to the Punjab coalition government of the PML(N) and the PPP to refrain from creating confrontation between the two provinces. Owing to the non-perennial status of the Chashma-Jhelum canal, Irsa had termed the Nepra licence for the project non-feasible. The country is faced with a water crisis. Sindh is getting 40 per cent less than its due share. Any construction of a power-generation plant by Punjab on a flood canal would further deepen Sindh’s sense of deprivation. The Chashma-Jhelum and Taunsa-Panjnad link canals and Greater Thal Canal, which were constructed only to be streamlined during floods, are being operated as regular canals. Punjab is planning to make the Chashma-Jhelum canal perennial on the plea of operating hydro-power project. The Chashma-Jhelum canal continues to carry 22,000 cusecs and Taunsa-Panjnad canal 12,000 cusecs. This means Sindh is losing 34,000 cusecs of water. This floodwater is now being diverted to irrigate Punjab districts through link canals which used to flow below Kotri, sustaining mangrove forests from Karachi to Kutch and the livelihood of millions of fishermen and farmers. At least two districts below Kotri have now turned barren. The centre should ask Punjab to withdraw its projects, ensure release of at least 10 to 35 MAF water downstream Kotri and implement the water accord. ZULFIQAR HALEPOTO Convener Sindh Democratic Forum Hyderabad http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/letters-to-the-editor/water-flow-sindhs-position-620

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

International Mother Language Day Languages are the most powerful instruments of preserving and developing tangible and intangible heritage. All moves to promote mother tongues will serve not only to encourage linguistic diversity and multilingual education but also to develop fuller awareness of linguistic and cultural traditions throughout the world and to inspire solidarity based on understanding, tolerance and dialogue. UNESCO declared 21 February International Mother Language Day  to pay tribute to the Bangla language movement and martyrs. The day is celebrated to promote linguistic and cultural diversity, multilingualism and ethno-linguistic rights of people around the world. The eleventh International Mother Language Day will be celebrated in the framework of the International Year for the ‘Rapprochement of Cultures’. On the occasion of the Day, Deputy High Commission for Bangladesh and Sindh Democratic Forum cordially invite you to attend a policy dialogue on International Mother Language Day on February 21st, 2010 @ 3.30 pm @ Avari Towers Hotel, Karachi, Sindh. Leading linguists and scholars will share their views Sufi music is arranged by Ministry of Culture, government of Sindh. Artists will perform in different national languages of Pakistan.   Saquib Ali                                                                                         Zulfiqar Halepoto Deputy High Commissioner                                                     Convener DHC Bangladesh                                                                   Sindh Democratic Forum 92 21 35340032/35340184                                                    92 300 8377241

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

NATIONAL SDF urges govt to make core committee decisions public By Aziz Malik Friday, 12 Feb, 2010 | 12:40 AM PST |

HYDERABAD, Feb 11: Sindh Democratic Forum has expressed grave concern over the news of handing over five districts of Sindh, including Karachi, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Nawabshah and Sukkur to Muttahida Qaumi Movement to decide the appointment of administrators and demanded that all the decisions taken by the core committee of PPP and MQM should be made public. The Forum expressed surprise that under so-called reconciliation, the PPP government is giving undue advantage to MQM in those areas where even MQM has no political say and following. This non-political and non-democratic approach of PPP is against the wishes of the people of Sindh, who expect that the government would observe rules of the game to appoint administrators on merit basis to ensure the accountability of outgoing local governments and ensure free and fair elections on promised timeframe. SDF was of the view that surprisingly only MQM and PML-Q are in favour of district government system to protect their interests and, for this matter, MQM wants to appoint their favourite administrators to avoid audit and accountability. This decision would further strengthen the fiefdoms of one party, which is only Karachi and Hyderabad based. A statement mailed to Dawn here on Thursday, SDF said that local government system was introduced by Pervez Musharraf to divide and rule Sindh on the basis of ethnicity through his protégés as they, in connivance with each other, had destroyed the earlier local bodies system. SDF said that even the appointment of administrators on the choice of coalition partners would introduce a new culture of favouritism and nepotism, which would ultimately politicise and divide bureaucracy into ‘loyal servants’ of the political parties. It demanded that PPP government should respect the will and announcement of party’s assassinated leader Benazir Bhutto to reverse the decision of bifurcation of Hyderabad and Karachi into its previous position of five districts. All the decisions of core committee should be made public, the SDF demanded. It said that administrators should be appointed on merit having integrality to avoid further divide of system on ethnic basis. A complete audit of all district government including Karachi and Hyderabad, which were exempted by the chief minister of Sindh under section 115(8) and Section 132 (C) of the Sindh Local Government Ordinance 2001, should be done before the next elections.
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/national/sdf-urges-govt-to-make-core-committee-decisions-public-220

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Solidarity Peace Caravan-Karachi to Peshawar (13-17 February 2010) Dear Friends and comrades, We would like to share that under the banner of Pakistan Peace Coalition is organizing a Solidarity Peace Caravan. Representative of many of the leading NGOs and civil society activists under PPC banner is about to leave Karachi today on 13th February 2010 at 8.30 from Cantonment Railway Station and will reach Peshawar by Khyber mail on 15th February.   From 15th to 17th two day activities are planned in Peshawar which will mainly focus on expressing solidity with victims of terrorism. Following are main objectives of the March/ caravan To express solidarity with people of Pakhtoonkhwa in general and workers in particular; ·         Make an attempt to break the silence of majority population which has become irrelevant in this issue; ·         Mobilize public opinion in favour of peace and against war; ·         Involve workers in peace related efforts ·         Put pressure on government to find sensible solutions of the conflict, which is also a threat to the democratization of Pakistani society; ·         Raise voice against militarization and jingoism; All peace loving people, concerned citizens, human rights activists, civil society leaders and journalists are invited to join.

For further details please contact

Zulfiqar Shah, PILER/ PPC: 0300 2119637 Zulfiqar Halepoto TRDP/PPC 0300 8377241

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

The “Peace Caravan” organized by Pakistan Peace Coalition (PPC) via Khyber Mail to express solidarity with people of  Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday received warm welcome from workers, political activists and members of the civil society of Hyderabad, Sukkur, Rahim Yar Khan, Multan, Khanwal  and other railway station on its way. The Caravan, which left Karachi Cantt. station for Peshawar through Khyber Mail on Saturday night was joined by social workers, labour leaders, peasants, peace activists, intellectuals, writers and poets at Hyderabad station. A large number of civil society members, who came to see them off their colleagues at the railway station, were carrying banners and placards and raised slogans, condemning the terrorist incidents across the country. At Rohri railway station participants of the Caravan from Khairpur and Sukkur districts joined the caravan. At Rahim Yar Khan railway station, the local civil society organizations in general and trade union of Uniliver welcomed the caravan with slogans against terrorism. They expressed solidarity with peace loving people and condemned the bomb blasts in different parts of the country. They said extremism and Talibanization has destroyed the peace in the country. A large crowd of men, women and children had gathered at Multan railway station to welcome the caravan. Intellectuals, labour leaders, writers, journalists and members of Multan civil society also joined the caravan, who would continue their journey till Peshawar. The local leaders Nadeem Parwaz, Saleem Lodhy, Munazza Hashmi, advocate in their speeches appreciated the organizers of Peace Caravan for expressing solidarity with people of Pakhtunkhwa province. They condemned the terrorist acts. The next reception for the participants of Peace Caravan was organized by Anjuman-e-Mazareen at Khanawal railway station. Peasant leaders Christopher and Akeela Naz in their speeches appreciated the efforts of Pakistan Peace Coalition and Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER) for mobilizing the civil society against terrorism. They said through negotiations all the problems can be solved. The participants condemned the latest terrorist act of bomb blast in Dadu, which caused death of 2 people and injuries to many others. Besides receiving warm welcome at railway stations, the other passengers of Khyber Mail have shown enthusiasm and solidarity with the participants of the Peace Caravan. They were happy that civil society of other parts of the country is expressing solidarity with people of Peshawar. The organizers of the Caravan explained them the objectives of the Peace Caravan: •             Express solidarity with people of Pakhtoonkhwa province and Peshawar in particular  •             Mobilize the working class, civil society and political parties against terrorism •             Build pressure on the government to fulfill its responsibility of maintenance law and order •             Raise voice against US-lead international war on terror and massacre by Taliban • Create harmony among working people in their difficult times. The following are demands of the Peace Caravan: · All the areas of Pakhtoonkhwa province should be declared as “Calamity Hit” and the federal government should provide financial assistance to the people of Pakhtoonkhwa. All the unemployed/out of work people of the province should be provided social protection and compensations. · Financial assistance be provided to the people of affected areas of Swat, Malakand, Waziristan and other areas so that they can restart their normal life. ·The state should ensure to uproot the elements that are supporting Talibanization. · Stringent measures should be taken against the elements that are spreading extremism and sectarian strife in the society. ·US intervention in Pakistani foreign policy and Drone attacks in Pakistani areas should be stopped forthwith. · The government should prepare a comprehensive and effective programme for rehabilitation of the terrorism-hit families. · Special measures be taken for protection and rehabilitation of terrorism affected women and children. ·US intervention and Drone attacks should be stopped forthwith. · All the unnecessary defence expenditures should be stopped and the funds should be spent on providing social protection to the working people. · The people should be provided all the essential services like education, health, clean drinking water, electricity, gas, employment and easy justice. Representatives of the following civil society organizations are part of the “Peace Caravan”. Pakistan Peace Coalition (PPC), TRDP, Muttahida Labour Federation, Pakistan Trade Union Federation, Peoples Workers Union KESC, Awami Party Pakistan, ActionAid Karachi, Hosiery Garments Textile Workers Union, Karachi, Child and Labour Rights Welfare Organization, Bhandar Hari Sangat Hyderabad, Sungi Foundation Islamabad, Anjuman-e-Aishia Awam Lahore, Labour Quomi Movement Faisalabad, All Pakistan Bhatta Mazdoor Union, Railway Workers Union Pakistan, Humkhiyal Group Faisalabad, Omer Asghar Development Foundation Abbotabad, All Pakistan Trade Union Federation, Pakistan Workers Federation, Peoples Bureau, Awami National Party, Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER), Sawera Welfare Organization, Karachi Power Loom General Workers Union, Choori Workers Union Hyderabad, Green Rural Development Organization Hyderabad, South Asia Partnership Pakistan (SAP-Pk), Bonded Labour Liberation Front, Labour Rights Committee Faisalabad, Awaz Foundation Multan, Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum, Sahara Development Foundation Haripur, Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC), Pakistan Peoples Party (Sherpao), Aman Tahrik.

[farooq tariq]

The institutions of the capitalist feudal state are in consternation

An astute action by PLMN, PPP making history of retreats,

A Left view on present crisis

By: Farooq Tariq

Pakistan Peoples Party leadership has made a mistake. They had not done aptly their home work. They miscalculated the situation. Even if they did this deliberately knowing all the outcomes, it was a very bad move. They did what the constitution allows them to do according to their interpretations. The notification of two judge’s appointments and elevations was not a big deal in ordinary times. However, this is not an ordinary time. The institutions of the capitalist feudal state are in consternation.

The feudal capitalist state institutions are publically opposing each other. They have no agreement for the future strategies. The priorities of each institution are in direct contradiction with the other. All the dust under the carpet has come in public. They are weakening each other and in this fight PPP seems at the trailing end. PMLN is on a fast route of changing their political strategies in favor of more conflict with PPP.  

The reaction of Muslim League Nawaz was not a surprise. They wanted to oppose the government in their own terms. They had been waiting for this moment. Mian Nawaz Sharif very subtly has taken up a position to oppose president Zardari. They have not opposed the government on any class exploitation issues. They had been working together with American imperialism to implement all the neo liberal policies and have given full support in the “fight against terrorism”. The unprecedented price hike in all walks of life was not an issue for Mian Nawaz Sharif to stand up to Peoples Party.

Mian Nawaz Sharif wants to become president as Asif Ali Zardari wanted desperately the same in 2008. He is targeting the president for a very conscious reason. He wants to split PPP leadership. Admiring one and exposing the other is his political strategy. It was the same mistake that PPP has done in relations to the present notification of the judges. PPP leadership wanted to split the judiciary by this gambit. They failed and Mian Nawaz Sharif will also fail in his strategy to split the PPP. The reason is very simple. Pakistan Peoples Party is totally dominated by Bhutto family, and without Zardari, it will not be PPP but a splinter group very similar to Choudry Shujat  PMLQ

GEO, the largest private television channel could not find a better occasion to score the points against PPP leadership. The state advertisements have been out of their reach after they started a conscious campaign to malign the PPP leadership on the charges of corruption. So it was their time to settle the scores. However GEO and Jang should be the last one to claim for fighting corruption. They are the mouth piece of American imperialist propaganda. The Jang group is part of the ruling class which has different priorities than that of PPP at the present time.

It is an opportunist media baron who has tried their best to exploit the media workers. Most of the workers at Jang group work on contract basis at a very low wages. Some of their anchor persons are in close links with the intelligence agencies; hence they are always there to “break the news”. The present crisis cannot be understood if we believe Jang group propaganda. They have their own commercial motives to do that.

Why Pakistan Peoples Party leadership took a decision that they did not have the ability to implement it. Now PPP leadership is on retreat as usual. What a charlatan justification by the Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani when he says that they will respect the decisions of the higher courts.  Pakistan Peoples Party is creating a new record of retreats under mass pressure. They have done that in case of restoration of judges, NRO and now on elevating the judges.

Who is derailing democracy?

First and for most, the present ruling class under the direct leadership of Pakistan Peoples Party is derailing the frail and fragile democracy. They do not need enemies. They are in their own ranks. No one can shove democracy aside if Pakistan Peoples Party leadership would have done some positive for the masses. They have done all the harm to themselves. They have to help themselves in saving the democracy.

All the conditions of the IMF and World Bank loans have been implemented by PPP leadership and the price have been paid by the masses. The electricity price has gone up 35 percent. The energy crisis has deepened despite the lofty claims of the federal energy minister. The sugar price is over 75 Rupees a kilo because of the sheer mismanagement and cartel policies of sugar bosses both from PPP and PMLN. There is growing annoyance against the policies of the PPP leadership and also against PMLN among the masses, both in partner in implementing neo liberal policies.

There was no better occasion by PMLN leadership to break their comfortable power relationship with PPP at a time when their “popularity” was challenged by the masses in several occurrences. It was astute action by PLMN. They have been doing this all the time. They called for a boycott of general elections of 2008 along All Parties Democratic Movement (APDM), an alliance started by them. They ditched APDM on the direct instructions of the American imperialism and contested general election.

The present crisis is not for implantation of the constitution. The constitution is described and explained as it suits to the parties. PPP now wanted to implement on the principles of the Charter of Democracy in relation to the present notification of the top judges. That means the senior top judges will be given priority. Earlier during the last two years, when they appointed a whole lot of judges to High Courts and Supreme Court, the criteria was not the seniority but who is more loyal to PPP. PMLN is now banking on a 2002 judgment of Supreme Court that was given under General Musharaf where no seniority was to be observed.

It is political divergence between the two parts of the ruling class in Pakistan. The issue of judiciary is been used to manifest their democratic credentials. Both the PPP and PMLN have their weak points and both are not clean.

There is a split among the lawyers movement on the question. The rallying point among the lawyers for opposing the military dictatorship is no more there. Now the political affiliations of the lawyers have taken over their neutrality. They are taking sides on party basis and not on integrity basis. Their views should not be guiding points for the activists of the Left movement.

 Where do the Left stand?

In principle we are all out for the defense of independent judiciary. We fought shoulder to shoulder with the top judges and lawyer’s movement when they stood firm against the military dictatorship. It was the right action and all the pride to fight for this historic movement should not be colored by an inch of doubt.

The top judges of the Supreme Court have taken some very good decisions in favor of ordinary people since their restoration. However, we want them to do more for the social, political and economic uplift of the most down trodden strata of society.  They have not taken up the most important issues regarding the trade union rights and peasants right to land.

We know they are not revolutionaries and will not do any revolutionary actions. They are for reforms in the capitalist system and the system is so rotten that any advancement towards reforms will be met with resistance by one or another group of the ruling class. We support their reform agenda but we are not the reformist.

We will oppose any effort by any section that is paving the way for a more undemocratic structure or going further to depose this fragile democracy. There will be no justification for any reason to derail the democracy, what so ever we have. That does not mean that PPP policies will not be criticized or exposed. Opposing PPP does not mean siding with PMLN or other right wing forces. There is not much difference between PPP and PMLN. Both are right wing political parties totally dominated by capitalists and feudal class and enjoy an unending support by American imperialism.

PPP is no more what it was. It is not even a refuge anymore for progressive ideas. It has left far behind its heritage of reform agenda. It is all out for counter reforms. PPP efforts and motives to split the top judges and lawyers movement cannot be supported. So is the case for PMLN.

We have to take more independent position and on issue to issue based on principles of workers democracy and Socialism. There is not much to choose between PPP and PMLN. We will support any court decision that takes the problems facing the working class in general. We will oppose their decisions that will benefit the bosses and the capitalist system. We will judge them on class basis and not on any other criteria.

The appointment of the top judges is a very political question and not a technical constitutional issue. We oppose PPP and PMLN efforts for trying to appoint their own judges at top positions. The political appointments of the top judges by capitalist and feudal parties must be stopped. PMLN has done it in the past and PPP has been doing for the last two years. A more independent professional approach for appointment of the top judges must be observed in consultation with the judiciary, political parties, civil society and workers and peasant’s organizations.  It should not be left at the mercy of one political group at the top.

In the present crisis, we demand that PPP take back their notification of elevation and appointment of the two top judges from Lahore High Court. The matter must be resolved in consultation with the present judiciary. The top judiciary must refrain itself to become part of any political party or trend.   

 

Farooq Tariq

spokesperson
Labour Party Pakistan
40-Abbot Road Lahore, Pakistan
Tel: 92 42 6315162 Fax: 92 42 6271149  Mobile: 92 300 8411945 

labour...@yahoo.com  www.laborpakistan.org  www.jeddojuhd.com 



 

---

 

---

Your E-mail and More On-the-Go. Get Windows Live Hotmail Free. Sign up now.

[farooq tariq]

Dear Sarwar Bari,
 
Thanks for your comments, Yes, we must come to a joint position on the issue, we can not let it go. I agree that right wing are doing their best to damage the democratic process, however, the democratic process is also doing a great harm to themselves by siding with the most natorious policies in every field of life. We can not give an unconditional support to this democratic process.
 
I urge to call a meeting of the the coordination committee of the progressive parties to discuss the issue and take up a joint position if possible,
 
Fraternally,

Farooq Tariq

spokesperson
Labour Party Pakistan
40-Abbot Road Lahore, Pakistan
Tel: 92 42 6315162 Fax: 92 42 6271149  Mobile: 92 300 8411945 

labour...@yahoo.com  www.laborpakistan.org  www.jeddojuhd.com 

 

---

From: sarwa...@gmail.com
To: faroo...@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: An astute action by PLMN, PPP making history of retreats, A Lweft view
Date: Mon, 15 Feb 2010 07:56:48 +0500
CC: pak-you...@googlegroups.com; sana_...@yahoo.com; punjab_ngos_coor...@yahoogroups.com; pip...@yahoogroups.com; shaf...@gmail.com; cha...@comsats.net.pk; tasneem....@gmail.com; sat...@post.harvard.edu; b...@pes.comsats.net.pk; shaha...@hotmail.com; mb...@hotmail.com; an...@fas.harvard.edu; azizk...@gmail.com; wiz...@cyber.net.pk; sazd...@emirates.net.ae; yna...@cyber.net.pk; jawed...@gmail.com; p...@comsats.net.pk; alw...@cyber.net.pk; akashan...@yahoo.com; sgbh...@yahoo.com; alyi...@hotmail.com; ar...@cyber.net.pk; muzamil....@gmail.com; akht...@cyber.net.pk; m_i...@hotmail.com; kal...@gmail.com; abra...@yahoo.com; muqti...@hotmail.com; irshad...@hotmail.com; mumtaz...@yahoo.com; talibl...@hotmail.com; n_la...@hotmail.com; fat...@yahoo.com; shazi...@yahoo.com; cha...@yahoo.co.uk; fayaz...@hotmail.com; nia...@hotmail.com; hniz...@hotmail.com; conec...@yahoo.com; sas...@hotmail.com; fizaqu...@yahoo.com; drra...@hotmail.com; idris...@hotmail.com; engra...@hotmail.com; shahba...@gmail.com; agha_...@hotmail.com; ksh...@yahoo.co.uk; shahi...@inbox.com; ayoub...@hotmail.com; inams...@hotmail.com; amars...@yahoo.com; imdad...@gmail.com; sajids...@hotmail.com; mushtaq...@gmail.com; itu...@hotmail.com; yaseen...@gmail.com; rafi_...@yahoo.co.in; mra...@yahoo.com; khang...@thardeep.org; han...@yahoo.com; hees...@hotmail.com; shis...@yahoo.com; sako...@yahoo.com; karama...@gmail.com; zulfiq...@yahoo.com; sharafa...@hotmail.com; sing...@hotmail.com; mahir.w...@gmail.com; beena....@gmail.com; a...@ahmedquraishi.com; ba...@pattan.org; kamil...@hotmail.com; ise...@pathfinder9.com; huma....@gmail.com; drkh...@comsats.net.pk

Thank you for taking a position on the ppp-judiciary conflict. 

In my view, we need to take position in favour of democratic process which is being damaged both by judiciary and Nawaz Sharif. Both seems to have some understanding. It is not a coincidence that he and other wing forces are siding with the judiciary. 

The Pakistani left must not repeat the old mistake. It must not join right wing forces in this situation. They have no credibilty. Left under the platform of progressive coordination committee should come out with it's joint position.

 

Sarwar Bari

Cell # 03008545572

---

Hotmail: Trusted email with Microsoft’s powerful SPAM protection. Sign up now.

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Meet with a Marxist Literary Theorist in Karachi In Conversation with Aijaz Ahmad Saturday, 20th February 2010 | 6:30 pm Join us for an evening with Marxist literary theorist and political commentator, Aijaz Ahmad   Professor Aijaz Ahmad has taught at universities in the US, India and Canada. In New Delhi, where he resides, he has been a Professorial Fellow at the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library. He has also held the Rajiv Gandhi Chair at Jawaharlal Nehru University and the Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan Chair at Jamia Millia Islamiya University . Currently, he is on the editorial board of the Delhi-based publishing house, LeftWord, and Senior Editorial Consultant for news magazine Frontline, where his political essays appear frequently. He writes in English, Hindi and Urdu. Some of his books in English are Ghazals of Ghalib, In Theory: Classes, Nations, Literatures, and Lineages of the Present, Globalization and Culture: Offensives of the Far Right, and Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Imperialism of our Time. His work-in-progress is provisionally entitled In Our Time: Empire, Politics, and Culture. The discussion will be moderated by: Syed Jaffar Ahmed - Professor of Politics & History at Karachi University Dr. Asad Sayeed - Economist Nadeem Khalid - Activist Date: Saturday, 20th February 2010: Time: 6:30 pm Minimum Donation: Anything you like. Please support our vision of intellectual poverty alleviation by donating generously Venue: T2F 2.0, 10-C, Sunset Lane 5, Phase 2 Extension, DHA, Karachi Directions & Map: http://www.t2f.biz/category/location Seats are limited and will be available on a 'first come, first served' basis. No reservations. For further details please contact: 0300-823-0276 | sab...@peaceniche.org

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

The Music Society, Institute of Business Administration (IBA) Karachi in collaboration with Rauf Ansari Foundation presents a 3-day classical music conference 16 – 18 February 2010 at Arts Council lawn to celebrate Golden Jubilee of APMC – Lahore Schedule of Performances Day 1:  Tuesday, 16 February 2010 08:00 pm- 08:30 pm:  IBA students  08:30 pm-09:00 pm: Turab Ali, Sitar recital 09:10 pm-09:30 pm: Abdullah Khan, Shehnai    09:30 pm-09:50 pm: Salman Alvi, Ghazal    10:00 pm-10:30 pm: Ustad Salamat Husain, Flute 10:30 pm-10:50 pm: Sajid Hussain, Sitar 11:00 pm-12:00 am: Farid Ayaaz and Abu Muhammad, Qawwali         Day 2:  Wednesday, 17 February 2010        08:00 pm- 08:15 pm: Junior musicians of classical gharaanay    08:20 pm-08:50 pm: Saffiya Beyg, Classical vocal    09:00 pm-09:50 pm: Mehnaz, Dadra /Thumri    10:00 pm-10:30 pm: Akhtar Husain, Sarangi recital    10:30 pm-10:50 pm: Sara Zaman, Classical vocal  11:00-12:00am:Ustad Rais Khan, Sitar   Day 3:  Thursday, 18 February 2010        08:00 pm-08:30 pm: Asad Qizalbash, Sarod    08:40 pm-09:10 pm: Salamat Ali, Thumri & Ghazal 09:20pm-10:00pm:Aaliya Rasheed Dhurpad 10: pm-10:50 pm: Shafqat Salamat     10:50pm-11:05 pm: Shabbir Hussain Jhari,Tabla  11:15pm-12:00am: Ejaz Qaiser, Ghazal Maestro

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP - NEW REPORT Reforming Pakistan’s Civil Service http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?l=1&id=6528   Islamabad/Brussels, 16 February 2010: If Pakistan’s deteriorating civil service is not urgently repaired, public disillusionment and resentment could be used by the military to justify another spell of authoritarian rule.   Reforming Pakistan’s Civil Service,* the latest report from the International Crisis Group, analyses the structure and functioning of Pakistan’s civil bureaucracy. It identifies critical flaws as well as measures to make it more accountable and able to provide essential public services. Military rule has left behind a demoralised and inefficient bureaucracy that was used to ensure regime survival. Low salaries, insecure tenure, obsolete accountability mechanisms and political interference have spawned widespread corruption and impunity. If the flaws of an unreformed bureaucracy are not urgently addressed, the government risks losing public support.   “Public perception is that the country’s 2.4 million civil servants are widely unresponsive and corrupt, while bureaucratic procedures are cumbersome and exploitative”, says Samina Ahmed, Crisis Group’s South Asia Project Director. “Bureaucratic dysfunction and low capacity undermine governance, providing opportunities to the military to subvert the democratic transition and to extremists to destabilise the state”.   The civil service’s falling standards impact mostly Pakistan’s poor, widening social and economic divisions between the privileged and underprivileged. With citizens increasingly affected by conflict and militancy, the government’s ability to ensure law and order, as well as to provide services such as education and health care, will be as vital to containing the spread of radicalism countrywide as the use of force against militant groups.   Accountability of officials must be effective, impartial and transparent. Incentives for corruption could be reduced significantly with higher salaries and benefits, and better conditions of employment. The civilian government should also focus on transforming the civil service into an effective, more flexible and responsive institution. Reform should therefore include drastic changes to a rigid and over-centralised structure that has been unable to address local fiscal needs and underdevelopment, by delegating important administrative and financial functions to lower tiers.   Bureaucratic rules, procedures and structures should be modernised. Training programs need to be geared towards not just producing a class of capable civil servants, but to restoring a spirit of public service. The international community too can help to improve governance by supporting civil service reform, expanding training programs and providing technological support and expertise to modernise methods of administration.   “The future of the current democratic transition will not only depend on political reconciliation between the ruling party and its opposition, and constitutional amendments to restore parliamentary rule”, says Robert Templer, Crisis Group’s Asia Program Director. “It will also depend on restoring links between the citizens and the state”. To support our work in Asia and around the world, please click here. *Read the full Crisis Group briefing on our website: http://www.crisisgroup.org Contacts: Andrew Stroehlein (Brussels) +32 (0) 2 541 1635                 Kimberly Abbott (Washington) +1 202 785 1602  To contact Crisis Group media please click here

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Those who are in karachi on Friday must attend this   Sarod Recital by Pt. Mukesh Sharma   Pandit Mukesh Sharma (www.panditmukeshsharma.com) is a leading exponent of sarod. Having learnt from legendary sarod player Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Pt. Sharma has been teaching classical instrumental music for the last 25 years in India and abroad besides giving performances the world over. His CDs have been released in India as well as in many European countries. This is Pandit Mukesh Sharma’s maiden visit to Pakistan. Ticket for Sampurna life and annual members is Rs. 500 each while for guests it is Rs. 1000. To confirm and reserve tickets, please contact us at (0213) 5850031, 0301-2226050 and 0302-8241303.   Host: Sampurna - promoting classical music in Pakistan Type: Music/arts - Performance Network: Global Date: Friday, 19 February 2010 Time: 20:00 - 21:30 Location: D-77, block 2 Clifton Karachi

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

‘Water Issues between Sindh and Punjab’ SDF Open letter to Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, Quaid Pakistan Muslim league (Nawaz)   Dear Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif Saheb We the members of Sindh Democratic Forum (SDF), a Sindh based political think tank comprised of intellectuals, educationists, thinkers, economists, writers, professionals and concern citizens extend our support and compliments to you for your struggle for the restoration of democracy in Pakistan. During the military dictatorship of Pervez Musharraf your party came closer to the civil society and people of Sindh due to its support to Sindh’s struggle against the authoritarian and anti-Sindh decisions of a military ruler. Your clear stand and struggle on the issues on NFC, water and provincial autonomy was seen with respect and high admiration and was widely accepted by the peoples of Pakistan, especially those of the smaller provinces including Sindh. These political and economic issues between two important federating units of Pakistan were used as weapon of ‘divide and rule’ by the military and dictatorial regimes. When you joined Anti Greater Thal Canal and Anti Kalabagh Dam Committee ( a committee comprised of Pakistan’ leading federal and nationalist parties including the parties of ARD, APDM and MMA alliances) and later your singing of Charter of Democracy (CoD), people of Sindh gave you great response to stand for the rights and just cause of Sindh. When after 2008 general election your party emerged as leading party in Punjab and made the government, we were expecting the implementation of the commitments made by you during your last opposition time. The acceptance of multiple criteria for NFC by the Punjab government gave a new trust to the people of Sindh that your party is serious to strengthen democratic culture in Pakistan by recognizing the legal and constitutional demands of Sindh and other provinces.  But unfortunately the recent moves of your party’s government in Punjab on the issue of water distribution between Sindh and Punjab are seen as against your already made commitments to resolve the issues of confrontation with mutual trust and just decisions. The recent move of illegal opening of Chashma Jhelum link canal allied by setting up power plant, from Punjab, strongly supported by PMLN, has given a shock to the people of Sindh. This has resulted in diminution of PMLN credibility and integrity among the masses of Sindh for which water has been a matter of life and death for decades. Dear Mian Saheb, before we inform you about the facts regarding the illegal, immoral and unconstitutional operation CJ Link Canal and Power plant project, I would like to inform you about some facts which will let u understand the technical, moral, environmental and political dimensions of the water case of Sindh. The natural geo-agricultural pattern has made in such a way that the Chenab meets the Jhelum near Trimmu, the Ravi meets the Jhelum downwards, and the Sutlej meets the Jhelum at Panjnad, and still down, the combination of these rivers meets the Indus at Mithankot. Then the Indus flows down into Sindh. There are three barrages in Sindh while all other waterworks are upcountry. Another fact is that in Punjab’s all rivers and waterworks are interconnected by channels and links as under: C-J link (Chashma-Jhelum link) connects the Indus at Chashma with the Jhelum above Trimmu. U-J-C link (upper Jhelum Chenab Link) connects the Jhelum from Mangla to the Chenab above Khanki headworks. R-Q link (Rasul-Qadirabad link) connects the Jhelum at Rasul with the Chenab at the Qadirabad barrage. M-R link (Marala-Ravi link) connects the Chenab at Marala with the Ravi at Shahdara). Q-B link (Qadirabad-Balloki link) connects the Chenab at Qadirabad with the Ravi at Balloki. T-S link (Trimmu-Sidnai link) connects the Jhelum at Trimmu with the Ravi at Sidnai. S-M link (Sidnai-Malsi link) connects the Ravi at Sidnai with Malsi that passes through the Sutlej. The BRBD link is about a 100-mile-long channel from a branch of Marala across the Ravi towards the Sutlej. B-S I & II (Balloki-Sulemanki) are two links which connect the Ravi at Balloki with the Sutlej at Sulemanki. These waterworks, links and connecting channels form a network of water systems through which deficiency of water in one can be met by another. Thus, the entire Punjab has an effective water system for its agriculture and other purposes. The policy of government of Punjab to control water flows and forcibly opening of flood canals like TP and CJ and erecting power plant on CJ has triggered a movement in Sindh which is likely to affect PMLNs political say and credibility in Sindh. We would like to bring some more facts to your attention. As you know, this year the Indus flow is expected to be the worst in the last five years, causing serious problems for the coming Kharif crop in Sindh. As of June, Sindh will suffer 54 per cent shortage as compared to 14 per cent by Punjab. For this reason alone, Sindh feels justified in pleading for closing the Chashma-Jhelum flood canal, Taunsa-Panjnad flood canal, Panjnad link canal and Thal canal, which flow from the Indus. This will help to reduce Sindh's problem because the crop season in the province begins earlier.

Owing to an abnormal fall in the flow of the Indus it is justified to demand that guidelines and major principles of recommendations of A.N.G. Abassi, head of the Technical Committee on Water Resources (TCWR), should be followed for operational criterion of Chashma-Jhelum and Taunsa-Panjnad canals. The report says: "The lower Punjab tributary areas linked to the Indus through the Chashma-Jhelum and Taunsa-Panjnad links cannot be treated as a permanent burden on the Indus main. The link canals are inter-provincial canals and should be regulated as such."

Instead of regulating these canals on the basis of the indent of one province, the Indus River System Authority should operate them on the basis of equitable distribution under the water accord on an all-Pakistan basis. The recent construction of a 44 megawatt hydropower project on the Chashma-Jhelum flood canal, on the plea of power generation, would convert the non-perennial canal into a perennial one to irrigate lands in Khushab, Bakhar and Layyah districts and 2.1m acres of Cholistan. This floodwater is now being diverted to irrigate Punjab districts through link canals which used to flow below Kotri, sustaining mangrove forests from Karachi to Kutch and the livelihood of millions of fishermen and farmers. At least two districts below Kotri have now burned barren.

This would intensify desertification in Sindh, ruining its agricultural economy and rendering a fatal blow to Tando Mohammed Khan, Tando Allah Yar, Matiari and Hyderabad districts after destruction of deltaic districts of Thatta and Badin. It is unjust that four arid districts of Punjab should be irrigated at the cost of six fertile districts of Sindh. Punjab is undertaking powerhouse construction, though Sindh rejected the project on June 20, 2009 terming it unfeasible.

IRSA had termed the NEPRA license for the project non-feasible. The country is faced with a water crisis. Sindh is getting 40 per cent less than its due share. Any construction of a power-generation plant by Punjab on a flood canal would further deepen Sindh's sense of deprivation. The resolution by the Punjab Assembly in favour of power plant is an alarming message for Sindh. We appeal to you and your coalition partners in Punjab to refrain from creating confrontation between the two provinces. The Chashma-Jhelum and Taunsa-Panjnad link canals and Greater Thal Canal, which were constructed only to be streamlined during floods, are being operated as regular canals. Punjab is planning to make the Chashma-Jhelum canal perennial on the plea of operating hydro-power project. The Chashma-Jhelum canal continues to carry 22,000 cusecs and Taunsa-Panjnad canal 12,000 cusecs. This means Sindh is losing 34,000 cusecs of water. Now we would like to inform your goodself that after Indus basin Treaty, in which a dictator has unilaterally decided to sell out three rivers to India, all the development of dams, reservoirs and structures were built at the expense of all provinces including East Pakistan.  So the entire Pakistan has legitimate share in these systems. There is a clear mention in all water related documents that CJ and TP will be built provided the funds are available and for enabling devises. Mangla as specifically built to take care of those areas, which were deprived of water after the sale of Ravi, Sutlej and bias rivers to India. We can quote many international laws, obligations and commitments which show that in multistate water courses the entire water should be part of the system including river and rechargeable water. In this case the underground water of Punjab is also a property of all the provinces and especially of downstream Sindh. Same international treaties and laws suggest that a certain amount of water is a must for deltaic aquifers including mangroves and fisheries. There are countries where there are no rivers and no dams. Yet they generate substantial electricity. There are several other sources of power, including coal and thermal power plants, solar power generation and windmill power generation plants. Hence the recent decisions by the Punjab government of Punjab should be in no way a necessity for power generation at the cost of creating conflict among the federating units of Pakistan. We feel that it has become PML(N) responsibility to ensure Punjab to withdraw its projects, ensure release of at least 10 to 35 MAF water downstream Kotri and ask Punjab to withdraw and shun all such projects which are likely to have negative impact on the future political relationship of Sindh and Punjab and future of a viable federation.   Dear Mian Saheb, Sindh appreciate your stand for the rights of the people but now you have government in Punjab and there is a feel in Sindh that you are not practically doing which you used to talk in your political rallies and press conference. Today you have a golden opportunity to resolve this issue so that we shall trust your words. We may say that the mainstreaming of true and democratic political spirit and culture is the only solutions to get the right track to endorse the real concerns and legitimate demands of the smaller provinces and nations including Sindh.   With Profound Regards The entire team of SDF Zulfiqar Halepoto (convener) Muhammad Ibrahim Joyo Fazalullah Qureshi Professor Aijaz Qureshi Professor Mushtaq Mirani Nazeer Memon Dr Rajab Memon Abrar Kazi Dr Nazir Shaikh M Aslam Balouch Fateh Mari  Naseer Memon  Nazir Essani Syed Shafiq Shah Professor Saeeda Bashir Chandio  Munaiza Zulfiqar     SDF Office MUNAIZAs, 15/A, Latifabad # 03, Hyderabad, Sindh, Pakistan (71000) 0092 300 8377241- 0092 223 867545

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Dear All Read an excellent article on local communities, indigenous people, minorities and especially those of Dalits perceptions, perspectives and opinion about their largest natural resource of the region, Thar Coal. article is written by our lovely friend Manzoor Chandio, a senior analyst working in DAWN.   Thar coal: development for whom?  By Manzoor Chandio   http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/in-paper-magazine/economic-and-business/thar-coal-development-for-whom-220

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Dalits are still vulnerable in democracy in Pakistan An appeal to the President and Prime Minister of Pakistan, Chief Minister and Home Minister of  Sindh, Central PPP Leadership, Human Right Organizations, Civil Society Organizations and individuals to protest and pressurize the local PPP leadership and police which is playing the role of their subordinate for arrest of the rapist and release of innocents arrested from Dhana Gam. We are preparing an appeal for honourbale Chief justice of Supreme Court of Pakistan to take sou motto.   Dear friends This is very sad story of human rights violation in democratic regime by the office bearers of Pakistan’s largest progressive party, the PPP. PPP leadership is more worried about Khoso baradari ‘vote bank’ instead of the protection of the lives and respect of local minority communities. All anti-women dying Sindhi feudal, who were bootlickers  of Musharraf are now enjoying power under reconciliation and killing innocent citizens and women under karo kari and tribal feud doctrine. In 2009, only in the district of CM Sindh, which is now gifted to Pagaro as ‘political dowry’, there were 37 honour killing cases. Where is the writ of law and rule of constitutionalism in Sindh?????????  I am emailing this note to my respected friend Farhatullah Babar, spokesperson of the President of Pakistan to take notice of this.   A 17 Year Old Girl Kasturi D/O Navoo Kolhi resident of Village "Mokryo" Taluka Nangarparkar District Tharparkar was kidnapped by PPP leaders of Taluka Nangarparkar Ramzan Khoso and his companions and was gang raped. Next day her father Navoo Kolhi approached Nangarparkar Police to register the case against rapists but Police denied. On 12.02.2010 large number of people of Kolhi community and civil society organizations protested and pressurized police to register case. Sindh High Court Hyderabad circuit Bench to issue the notice to Nangarparkar Police for lodging FIR. On expected orders pressure of honourbale Court, police registered FIR on 17.11.2010 against Habibullah Khoso, Ramzan Khoso, Ghulam Nabi Khoso, and Veroo Mehraj. But as usual the police protecting the rapist and providing shelter to them. Before lodging FIR they called a Jirga with local Kolhi community leaders and advised not to make this case familiar and in the meantime made a shameful offer to handover the girl to them as they could change her religion and in this way to marry her with some of the young one of their tribe. They also threatened dire consequences if FIR may lodge against them. But on the orders of High Court police unwillingly lodged FIR on 17.02.2010. On the next day Police Mobile with a large number of police force in civil vehicles raided on Village Dhana Gam U/C Pithapur, a native village of Mr. Veerji Kolhi Coordinator Mehargarh Sindh Hyderabad (he played main role in making appeal in High Court for lodging of FIR) beaten badly women and children and arrested 13 people, Kamoon Kolhi, Perbhu Kolhi, Gangdas Kolhi, Jhamoon Kolhi, Veerji Kolhi, Aishwar Kolhi, Heero Kolhi, Mohan Kolhi, Rashi Kolhi, Mero Kolhi, Kalji Kolhi, Kheemchand Kolhi and Gomdo Kolhi on the charge of cutting "Gugraal".( All the persons arrested are close relatives of Veerji Kolhi) Police also threatened that if you follow the rape case, further smuggling cases will be charged against you. Please read DAWN for civil society protest http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/national/solidarity-expressed-with-assault-victim-220

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Pak-India dialogue a welcome move Zulfiqar Halepoto  Friday, 26 Feb, 2010 | 01:41 AM PST | THIS is apropos of your editorial ‘Pak-India bridges’ (Feb 12), which correctly says that dialogue is the only option which offers us the best, safest and peaceful forum where each side can pursue its agenda. India’s resumption of bilateral talks with Pakistan is seen as a welcome move because it will lead to a resumption of the composite dialogue, which was suspended after the 26/11 Mumbai attack. The majority of the people of the two countries, peace and human rights activists, journalists, writers, intellectuals and civil society leaders expect for a meaningful dialogue to bring the real time peace and sustainable development in the region. Since the emergence of a strong and vibrant civil society in Pakistan, the debate on peace has turned into a new deliberation which primarily urges the governments to focus on a range of non-traditional human security challenges like poverty, gender inequality, human rights, cultural liberty, unemployment, human and drug trafficking, economic disparities, demilitarization. There are also issues of inter-and intra-state migration, sectarian and ethnic divide, visa regime, poor governance, conflict on water resources that includes river diplomacy and environmental peacekeeping and climate change that need to be taken up honestly and seriously. South Asia accounts for a fifth of the world’s population. In statistical terms the figures are astounding as the region’s share in world population is 22 per cent. It contains more than 40 per cent of the world’s poor. It is home to some of the world’s most dangerous threats like nuclear weapons, religious extremism, terrorism, corruption and high fiscal deficits. These challenges require peace between the two nuclear states and increase in investment, productivity, and the quality of labour, while addressing the problem of lagging regions and poor service delivery. South Asia can also benefit from regional cooperation in trade, water and energy, among other things. Peace between Pakistan and India will bring prosperity to the region. It is very interesting to note that because of fraught situation in Afghanistan, the international community, especially the US government, has been pressuring New Delhi to re-engage with Islamabad. The United States, battling the Taliban in Afghanistan, is keen for the two rivals to keep the rest of the region trouble-free. On the other hand, India’s concerns over Taliban appeasement in Afghanistan are driving New Delhi toward engagement with Islamabad. India knows the only way it can edge into the Afghanistan dialogue and hope to influence Taliban negotiations is to first reopen a diplomatic channel with Pakistan. Americans are realising that the ‘regional security and strategic’ interests of Pakistan and India vis-a-vis Afghanistan have a link with regional peace. Richard Holbrooke, US special representative for the Pakistan-Afghan region, and US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen have played a major role in back-channel diplomacy and said the US would ‘applaud and encourage’ any step the two countries would take to initiate the dialogue. But both Pakistan and India should have their own agenda instead of external pressure. ‘Politics of development and economy’ is dominating the traditional box of politics of ‘security and geographical boundaries’. Countries are turning into regional bloc identities to counter economic and social challenges. Border-free threats and vulnerabilities need border-free vision to cope up. The peace process is important not only for India and Pakistan but also for South Asia as a whole and the region has the potential to serve as a democratic and economically vibrant union like the EU, Asean, Ecowas, Mercosur, Nafta and the latest move of Mediterranean Union. ZULFIQAR HALEPOTO Convener, Sindh Democratic Forum Hyderabad http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/letters-to-the-editor/pakindia-dialogue-a-welcome-move-620 Pak-India dialogue a welcome move Zulfiqar Halepoto  Friday, 26 Feb, 2010 | 01:41 AM PST | THIS is apropos of your editorial ‘Pak-India bridges’ (Feb 12), which correctly says that dialogue is the only option which offers us the best, safest and peaceful forum where each side can pursue its agenda. India’s resumption of bilateral talks with Pakistan is seen as a welcome move because it will lead to a resumption of the composite dialogue, which was suspended after the 26/11 Mumbai attack. The majority of the people of the two countries, peace and human rights activists, journalists, writers, intellectuals and civil society leaders expect for a meaningful dialogue to bring the real time peace and sustainable development in the region. Since the emergence of a strong and vibrant civil society in Pakistan, the debate on peace has turned into a new deliberation which primarily urges the governments to focus on a range of non-traditional human security challenges like poverty, gender inequality, human rights, cultural liberty, unemployment, human and drug trafficking, economic disparities, demilitarization. There are also issues of inter-and intra-state migration, sectarian and ethnic divide, visa regime, poor governance, conflict on water resources that includes river diplomacy and environmental peacekeeping and climate change that need to be taken up honestly and seriously. South Asia accounts for a fifth of the world’s population. In statistical terms the figures are astounding as the region’s share in world population is 22 per cent. It contains more than 40 per cent of the world’s poor. It is home to some of the world’s most dangerous threats like nuclear weapons, religious extremism, terrorism, corruption and high fiscal deficits. These challenges require peace between the two nuclear states and increase in investment, productivity, and the quality of labour, while addressing the problem of lagging regions and poor service delivery. South Asia can also benefit from regional cooperation in trade, water and energy, among other things. Peace between Pakistan and India will bring prosperity to the region. It is very interesting to note that because of fraught situation in Afghanistan, the international community, especially the US government, has been pressuring New Delhi to re-engage with Islamabad. The United States, battling the Taliban in Afghanistan, is keen for the two rivals to keep the rest of the region trouble-free. On the other hand, India’s concerns over Taliban appeasement in Afghanistan are driving New Delhi toward engagement with Islamabad. India knows the only way it can edge into the Afghanistan dialogue and hope to influence Taliban negotiations is to first reopen a diplomatic channel with Pakistan. Americans are realising that the ‘regional security and strategic’ interests of Pakistan and India vis-a-vis Afghanistan have a link with regional peace. Richard Holbrooke, US special representative for the Pakistan-Afghan region, and US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen have played a major role in back-channel diplomacy and said the US would ‘applaud and encourage’ any step the two countries would take to initiate the dialogue. But both Pakistan and India should have their own agenda instead of external pressure. ‘Politics of development and economy’ is dominating the traditional box of politics of ‘security and geographical boundaries’. Countries are turning into regional bloc identities to counter economic and social challenges. Border-free threats and vulnerabilities need border-free vision to cope up. The peace process is important not only for India and Pakistan but also for South Asia as a whole and the region has the potential to serve as a democratic and economically vibrant union like the EU, Asean, Ecowas, Mercosur, Nafta and the latest move of Mediterranean Union. ZULFIQAR HALEPOTO Convener, Sindh Democratic Forum Hyderabad http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/letters-to-the-editor/pakindia-dialogue-a-welcome-move-620 LETTERS-TO-THE-EDITOR Pak-India dialogue a welcome move  Zulfiqar Halepoto   Friday, 26 Feb, 2010 | 01:41 AM PST |

THIS is apropos of your editorial ‘Pak-India bridges’ (Feb 12), which correctly says that dialogue is the only option which offers us the best, safest and peaceful forum where each side can pursue its agenda. India’s resumption of bilateral talks with Pakistan is seen as a welcome move because it will lead to a resumption of the composite dialogue, which was suspended after the 26/11 Mumbai attack. The majority of the people of the two countries, peace and human rights activists, journalists, writers, intellectuals and civil society leaders expect for a meaningful dialogue to bring the real time peace and sustainable development in the region. Since the emergence of a strong and vibrant civil society in Pakistan, the debate on peace has turned into a new deliberation which primarily urges the governments to focus on a range of non-traditional human security challenges like poverty, gender inequality, human rights, cultural liberty, unemployment, human and drug trafficking, economic disparities, demilitarization. There are also issues of inter-and intra-state migration, sectarian and ethnic divide, visa regime, poor governance, conflict on water resources that includes river diplomacy and environmental peacekeeping and climate change that need to be taken up honestly and seriously. South Asia accounts for a fifth of the world’s population. In statistical terms the figures are astounding as the region’s share in world population is 22 per cent. It contains more than 40 per cent of the world’s poor. It is home to some of the world’s most dangerous threats like nuclear weapons, religious extremism, terrorism, corruption and high fiscal deficits. These challenges require peace between the two nuclear states and increase in investment, productivity, and the quality of labour, while addressing the problem of lagging regions and poor service delivery. South Asia can also benefit from regional cooperation in trade, water and energy, among other things. Peace between Pakistan and India will bring prosperity to the region. It is very interesting to note that because of fraught situation in Afghanistan, the international community, especially the US government, has been pressuring New Delhi to re-engage with Islamabad. The United States, battling the Taliban in Afghanistan, is keen for the two rivals to keep the rest of the region trouble-free. On the other hand, India’s concerns over Taliban appeasement in Afghanistan are driving New Delhi toward engagement with Islamabad. India knows the only way it can edge into the Afghanistan dialogue and hope to influence Taliban negotiations is to first reopen a diplomatic channel with Pakistan. Americans are realising that the ‘regional security and strategic’ interests of Pakistan and India vis-a-vis Afghanistan have a link with regional peace. Richard Holbrooke, US special representative for the Pakistan-Afghan region, and US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen have played a major role in back-channel diplomacy and said the US would ‘applaud and encourage’ any step the two countries would take to initiate the dialogue. But both Pakistan and India should have their own agenda instead of external pressure. ‘Politics of development and economy’ is dominating the traditional box of politics of ‘security and geographical boundaries’. Countries are turning into regional bloc identities to counter economic and social challenges. Border-free threats and vulnerabilities need border-free vision to cope up. The peace process is important not only for India and Pakistan but also for South Asia as a whole and the region has the potential to serve as a democratic and economically vibrant union like the EU, Asean, Ecowas, Mercosur, Nafta and the latest move of Mediterranean Union. ZULFIQAR HALEPOTO Convener, Sindh Democratic Forum Hyderabad
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/letters-to-the-editor/pakindia-dialogue-a-welcome-move-620

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Eid Milad-un-Nabi & Holi: Sindh respects and celebrate all Dear All What a great moments … On the one hand the vast majority of Pakistani Muslims are celebrating Eid Milad-un-Nabi on Saturday (tomorrow) to mark the birth of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Coincidently, very next day on Sunday thousands of Pakistani Hindus will be celebrating one of their special festival of colours called Holi Sindh respects all religious celebrations belong to all religious and sectarian communities living in Sindh. Tolerance, equality and non-violence are the fundamentals of land of mystics. Though the institutional violence is swiftly proliferating in the province but the core values of nonviolence and tolerance of Sindhi society and the message of Sufi saints and political leadership have played a great role to defeat religious extremism and protect social harmony in our society. So Let us celebrate all festivals with same spirit to defeat those forces who want to destroy our secular and progressive values of our society.  I wish you all a very happy Eid Milad-un-Nabi and Holi. Regards Zulfi

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Pak-India Dialogue: Civil Society Follow up & Future prospects On Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010 @ 4.00 P.M @Karachi Press Club As we all know that dialogue is the only option which offers us the best, safest and peaceful forum where each side can pursue its agenda. Present round of bilateral talks between Pakistan and India is seen as a welcome move because it will lead to a resumption of the composite dialogue, which was suspended after the 26/11 Mumbai attack. The majority of the people of the two countries, peace and human rights activists, journalists, writers, intellectuals and civil society leaders expect for a meaningful dialogue to bring peace and sustainable development in the region. Civil society believes that the debate on peace shall also be focus on a range of non-traditional human security challenges like poverty, gender inequality, human rights, cultural liberty, unemployment, human and drug trafficking, economic disparities, demilitarization. There are also issues of inter-and intra-state migration, sectarian and ethnic divide, visa regime, poor governance, conflict on water resources that includes river diplomacy and environmental peacekeeping and climate change that need to be taken up honestly and seriously.

These challenges require peace between the two nuclear states and increase in investment, productivity, and the quality of labour, while addressing the problem of lagging regions and poor service delivery. South Asia can also benefit from regional cooperation in trade, water and energy, among other things. Peace between Pakistan and India will bring prosperity to the region.

Keeping in view the present scenario Sindh Democratic Forum (SDF) and Pakistan Peace Coalition (PPC) in coloration with Karachi Press Club (KPC) are organizing a dialogue  ‘Pak-India Dialogue: Civil Society Follow up & Future prospects’ On Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010 @ 4.00 P.M @Karachi Press Club. Leading peace and human rights activists, journalists, writers, intellectuals and civil society leaders will share view point. You are cordially invited to join us. Zulfiqar Halepoto        Dr Tipu Sultan                       Imtiaz Ahmed Faran Convener SDF               President PPC Karachi         President KPC 0300 8377241              03008237633                          03002112204

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

LETTERS-TO-THE-EDITOR International women’s day today  Monday, 08 Mar, 2010 | 02:02 AM PST | MUNAIZA ZULFIQAR Sindh Democratic Forum (SDF) Hyderabad EVERY year International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8 across the world. This year’s women day is the third time under an elected government of a party, whose leader Benazir Bhutto was not only a woman herself but also championed women’s rights. Unfortunately, crimes against women are on the rise from sexual harassment at workplaces in urban areas to acts of karo-kari in rural areas. Despite the fact that the government has claimed that projects like distribution of land among landless Hari (peasant) women, Benazir Bhutto income support programme, Union Council-Based Poverty Reduction Project and Benazir Low-Cost Housing Scheme are as per the vision of their assassinated leader Benazir Bhutto and part of the commitments of the PPP’s election manifesto, there is a dire need to demonstrate political will to change the mindset. Economic empowerment is linked with their say in political and social spheres of life. Women should not be treated ‘equal’ on the basis of headcount but should be respected on the basis of equity. In 2009, about 39 women were killed on the pretext of karo-kari in the district of the Sindh Chief Minister. All misogynist Sindhi feudal lords who were hand in glove with Musharraf are now enjoying power under reconciliation and ordering killing of innocent women under harsh tribal code of jirga. Recently a Kohli (dalit) girl was allegedly kidnapped and assaulted by some influential people of Khoso tribe in Nangarparkar. In another case, 60 families migrated to Mithi because their girls were threatened with kidnapping and rape. Party cadre, legislators and government people were approached but ‘vote bank’ took precedence over respect for minority communities and women specifically. Civil society and human rights organisations are raising their voice but then who cares. There is a need of a paradigm shift of mindset. There is a need of a radical change from gender blind syllabus to state laws and implementation of women empowerment projects and their say in policy and decision making process. It is time the media and civil society put in serious efforts to educate people about their individual responsibility to enforce human rights and respect the rights of their women. Change starts at home. http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/letters-to-the-editor/international-womens-day-today-830

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

A new wave of persecution of Dalits and other minorities is started on the basis of religion in the most peaceful and progressive are of Sindh, Thar. The fake representatives and criminal Arbab  are absconders and enjoying safe hideouts under reconciliation policy of PPP. Other PPP friends are in the hangover of power. Then who cares. Is there anybody to take notice of it……. http://thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=227595     71 Dalit families leave ancestral village to protest girl’s abduction Sunday, March 07, 2010 By Jan Khaskheli Karachi In the first incident of its kind, 71 Dalit Meghwar families of the Aaklee village, comprising 400 members, have left their ancestral village to protest against the alleged abduction of a 15-year-old Meghwar girl Daya. According to the villagers, the teenager was forcibly married to a Muslim influential. This is the second incident of abduction of a girl from the minority Dalit community during the last two months. Earlier in January 2010, Kasturi, a young girl from the Kolhi community in Nagarparker, was kidnapped and gang-raped. The Meghwar families have now set up their makeshift huts on the plains near Mithi Town and are demanding protection for their young daughters, who they believe are not secure after the kidnapping of Daya. The protestors said that they not yet lodged an FIR against the accused out of the fear of more kidnappings of their women. Daya was kidnapped on January 23 from her hut in the night. Soon after the incident, it was declared that she has converted to Islam at an old Madrassa in Samaro town and married with one Mumtaz Hingorjo, son of a local influential. According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), Sindh Taskforce, the alleged abductors, Mumtaz and his father Talib Hingorjo, have threatened the community to stay quite on the issue or else they would kidnap other girls from the community. Former Member of the Sindh Assembly, Engineer Gianchand, who also belongs to the Meghwar community and is the general secretary of Scheduled Castes Federation of Pakistan, told The News that the people are in great trouble. “They are practically living on the ground. Nobody from the government has come forward, extending a helping hand in this difficult time. They are starving and they don’t have any access to potable water,” Gianchand said. The ex-MPA’s family has given a piece of land to the protesting villagers to settle down. The Meghwar community members are considered traditional supporters of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). However, the community elders maintain that though they had conveyed the issue to the party leaders, all they received are empty assurances. Ratna and Khaku, parents of Daya, believe that the accused had forced their daughter to change her religion. “It is a forced conversion,” they claimed. Pirbhu Satyani of Thardeep Rural Support Programme, a local NGO, rejected the claim of the Madrassa head and the abductors regarding the girl’s change her faith on her will. “The girl is only 15 years old, which means she is ineligible for marriage according to the law of the land. Secondly, the girl should be produced before the court where her statement should be recorded before the magistrate,” he added. Satyani said that Thardeep was providing the protestors with food and other necessities. He said the families need shelter immediately and the cost to build a single hut ranges between Rs15, 000-17,000. He regretted that the government was doing nothing for these families except distributing some 100 forms of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP). Mehendro Meghwar, a local activist, said, “No one can imagine how difficult it was for us to leave our ancestral village. We have decided not to go back to our village.” When asked about their immediate needs, majority of the protestors said that they were worried about the education of their children because the exams had already started. Besides, they said, they had lost their jobs. They also sought a piece of land from the government. According to a statement issued by the HRCP’s, Pir Ayoob Jan Sarhandi, who heads the Madarssa in Samaro, has claimed that they have converted 40,000 non-Muslims to Islam so far. “Not a single case of forced conversion has been proved against us. In this case, the girl showed her willingness,” the HRCP statement quoted Sarhandi.

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Sindh Body of Pakistan Peace Coalition (PPC) & Resolutions March 18: Leaders of civil society organizations have condemned the spate of terrorist incidents in the country, especially in the Province of Punjab and the NWFP and demanded that serious efforts should be made to get rid of extremist elements from the country. In resolutions, passed on the occasion Sindh Provincial Convention of Pakistan Peace Coalition (PPC) held at PILER Centre here on Wednesday, the participants from all over Sindh condemned the grave human rights violation in Sindh as well as in rest of the country. “We consider the issue of missing people as much more serious than NRO issue and we demand the Supreme Court to seriously take up it,” a resolution said. Over 200 participants from all districts of Sindh attended the PPC Sindh Convention, which also elected its new body, which included: Dr. Tipu Sultan – President, Zulfiqar Halepoto - General Secretary, Ms. Zahida Detho - Vice President, Paryal Mari - Joint Secretary and Ms. Sauleha Athar - Finance Secretary. A 20-member Executive Committee was also nominated, which included Suleman Abro, Adam Malik, Abdul Khaliq Junejo, Shakeela Asghar, Sharafat Ali, Riaz Bano, Latif Mughal, Zulfiqar Shah, Manzoor Badayooni, Abdul Rahman Sarhandi, Zain Daudpoto, Shaikh Majeed, Lala Hassan Pathan, Mirza Maqsood, Ayesha Rahim, Dr. Ghulam Haider Malookani Ghulam, Murtaza Baloch, Riaz Nawab, Zahid Farooque and Kanji Mal Bheel A resolution demanded from the government of Pakistan that all disputed issues be resolved through continuous dialogue. “The state should also take its responsibility to prevent women and children from the effects of violent conflicts.” Violence is increasingly becoming an intrinsic part of all levels of domestic and national conflicts. Women and children are the biggest victim of these conflicts. The participants condemned the tribal feuds in rural Sindh and said in the recent past the society has experienced anarchy and moral degradation due to tribal feuds particularly in the Upper Sindh. This has not only caused loss of precious human lives and assets, it has forced people to live in a state of insecurity and a compromised safety environment due to armed conflicts between tribes. “We demand the government to take administrative measures to stop tribal feuds and provide protection and security to people of the region.” A PPC resolution demanded the government to provide at least 27 million acre feet (MAF) water as recommended by IUCN to downstream Kotri barrage area to save lives and livelihood of people in Indus Delta area. The meeting expressed serious concern over the shortage of water in the River Indus, which has caused grave economic losses to the agriculture-based economy of the Province while also restricting access to drinking water for the population of the region. Sindh’s coastal areas, particularly the Indus Delta region is facing socio-economic challenges due to the termination of water flow in the downstream Kotri Barrage.  A large number of people have either migrated or are forced to live in absolute poverty due to the non-availability of fresh water. Millions of acres of agricultural land have come under sea water due to the shortage of fresh water. Simultaneously house demanded that India should respect the bindings of Indus Basin Treaty (IBT) and shall not stop frequent flow of water of Jhelum and Chenab rivers coming to Pakistan. PPC condemned the recent incident of kidnapping and gang rape of, and delay in justice to, a Scheduled Caste Hindu girl in the Tharparkar District. The minorities in general and low caste Hindus in particular are facing socio-economic discrimination and injustice in the Pakistani society. There have been regular reports in the local press about abduction or forceful conversion of Dalit girls, which create sense of insecurity and uncertainty among the minority communities of the country. The meeting demanded all the minorities should be provided equal rights as ensured under Constitution of Pakistan. Violence against workers and poor is a cause of concern to the civil society. Recently, the Vice President of a labour union in Mari Gas Company, Usman Mahar was kidnapped and tortured for two days for his campaign against the contract system in his organisation. The kidnappers forcibly shaved his head and pierced his nose. “We condemn this brutal treatment to the worker and demand strict action against those involved in the heinous crime and against the contractors who supervise an unfair system against labour and violate their rights,” the resolution said. A resolution condemned the statement of Lahore High Court Chief Justice in which he stated that Muslims do terrorist activities, but Hindus finance them. The meeting demanded to remove such a biased judge and a case be prepared for sending to Supreme Judicial Council for a stern action against him. The meeting demanded the government to restore trade union activities in all industrial units and action be taken against those units where there is no Collective Bargaining Agent. The meeting also demanded to hold elections of students unions in all educational institutions of the country. At regional level, the meeting welcomed the recent initiative of the Indian Government to start dialogue with the Government of Pakistan. “We urge both the Government of Pakistan and the Government of India to initiate the process of dialogue without wasting any time. We demand both the governments to stop issuing controversial statements in the media. All public statements should come only after both parties engage in thorough deliberations and arrive at a consensus on all bilateral issues,” the resolution said.  The meeting expressed concern over increase in the military budgets of both Indian and Pakistani governments. India has raised its military budget and Pakistan has diverted a major portion of funds from the Public Sector Development Programme to defense expenditure. “We believe that these steps would accelerate arms race and add to unrest among the people of South Asian countries. We demand both India and Pakistan to include de-nuclearization and demilitarization of the region in the agenda of any future negotiations.” The meeting condemned the victimization of fishermen in both India and Pakistan. Officials from both the countries regularly arrest each other’s fishermen. The resolution demanded both the governments to stop unnecessary arrests and harassment of fishermen. “We also urge both the governments to release all arrested fishermen and those citizens who have completed their sentences in the prison.” Recently, both India and Pakistan have made their visa issuing policies more stringent, which creates hardships for the people of both the countries, particularly the members of the divided families. The meeting demanded the governments of both India and Pakistan to relax the visa issuing conditions and bring the visa policy back to normal course. The meeting demanded that both the governments should give permanent visas and citizenship to the spouses from each other’s country so that the families can be united. House demanded that all provincial languages of federating units shall immediately be declared as national languages and all the illegal immigrants shall expelled from Sindh. (END)

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Dear Folks…..Sorry for cross-posting.   Please review the resolutions of National Conference' on 'A New Social Contract On The Basis Of 1940 Resolution-The Only Way To Save Pakistan organised by Save Sindh Movement. Leading political leaders, intellectuals and thinkers addressed the conference.   Rasool Bux Palijo, Syed Jalal Mehmood Shah, Mir Hasil Bazenjo, MNA Marvi Memon, Abrar Kazi, Shah Muhammad Shah, Zamir Ghumro, Ali Hasan Chandio, BNP leader Jhanzaib Khan of BNP, Yousuf Masti Khan, Ayub Shar, Zulfiqar Halepoto  and others addresses the conference.   Conference was attended by a large number of political leaders and workers, civil society leaders, writers, intellectuals, lawyers and concerned citizens.   Regards Zulfi                                                    Resolutions                    A NEW SOCIAL CONTRACT ON THE BASIS OF 1940 LAHORE RESOLUTION-THE ONLY VIABLE WAY TO SAVE PAKISTAN   The All India Muslim League vide its Resolution dated 23rd March 1940 (Lahore Resolution), promised an arrangement whereby the states/units will be sovereign and autonomous. The 1940 Resolution had clearly envisaged Pakistan as “a federation comprising autonomous units which shall be completely sovereign.”   Pakistan is a “multi-nation state” consisting of people with diverse cultures, languages and historical backgrounds and it came into being on the basis of an agreement on the basis of Lahore Resolution that each of the federating units would enjoy the status of a “sovereign unit.” Pakistan was not formed by the federation or center but the federating units and nationalities had formed it instead.   However, the National Question and issue of Rights of the Federating Units has been plaguing Pakistan since the early years of its existence. To be more precise, the problem started from the day the founding principle of Pakistan's creation namely, a democratic federation of "autonomous and sovereign constituent units" as contained in the 1940 Lahore Resolution began to be violated by covert and overt actions of those who came to power from time to time.   Instead of respecting the autonomy and sovereignty of federating units, guaranteed by the Lahore Resolution of 1940, the nations of federating units have been subjected to systematic discrimination, hostility and exploitation, threatening  their existence.   Although the original concept of the state structure was “confederal,” over time it was distorted with the introduction of unitary concept and was followed by the introduction of a highly centralized form of governance, thereby paving the way for autocracy and military rule.   The lack of provincial autonomy caused dismemberment of the country in 1971 and eroded the people’s trust in the centre. This is directly linked to federal government having a greater say in legislative affairs, its frequent meddling into administrative affairs of the provinces, unilateral decisions regarding mega projects, and reduced provincial autonomy over natural resources.   In terms of natural and economic resources, federating units are rich and self sufficient, particularly the Sindh being the richest province of Pakistan, but unfortunately the people of people of smaller federating units, particularly  Sindh remain amongst the poorest.   Sindh is home to two major sea ports and the largest international air port and the trade worth billions of US. Dollars is done in and through the province. Majority head offices of the banks, financial institutions and multinational companies are based in Karachi, the capital of Sindh, making it the commercial and financial nerve centre of the country.   Whereas Sindh is the largest producer of oil and natural gas. Sindh accounts for 99% of the coal reserves of the country which are located at Larkha, Sonda, Thar, Badin and Metting-Jhampir, with Thar coal field being largest in the world.   Sindh contributes the lion’s share of the national revenue but is always in deficit due to the step-motherly treatment meted out by every federal government and even when the same political party is in power both in the province and at the centre, Sindh has to keep on complaining about its share from the federal funds.   All the incidences of injustice, exploitation and maltreatment meted out to the people of Pakistan, particularly the people of Sindh are directly linked to Pakistan’s present constitutional composition, wherein one majority province has predominance over all others in every respect.   The strong centre has snatched due rights of the smaller provinces. This has led to a situation where even the provincial autonomy is fast becoming irrelevant, because the Balochs do not want autonomy, but to go beyond it. The centre has betrayed the smaller federating units/provinces for the last 60 years, ultimately weakening the centre itself. This Conference, after careful consideration, is of the considered view that If the Federation of Pakistan is to avert a replay of the tragedy of East Pakistan, Pakistani rulers ought to go beyond cosmetic, make-believe, constitutional changes like striking down the Concurrent List and such other minor adjustments here and there.  Nothing short of a NEW SOCIAL CONTRACT reflecting the 1940 Lahore Resolution in letter and spirit can avert the impending disaster and save Pakistan.   The problems being faced by the federal units could not be resolved merely by abolishing the concurrent list. Only New Social Contract giving autonomy to the federating units will pave the way for a strong and viable Pakistan as a federation. Therefore, it is resolved that following just and equitable steps provide the only viable way to save Pakistan:   1.       That the elections for the new constituent assembly shall immediately be                     announced to enact a New Social Contract among the federating units                  on the basis of 1940 Lahore Resolution. 2.       That the complete autonomy shall be given to the federating units, as                guaranteed under the Lahore Resolution, wherein, only Defence, Foreign                 Affairs, & Currency shall be the federal subjects and all the remaining                    subjects and residuary powers to be exercised by the federating units. 3.       The power of taxation shall vest in the federating units. 4.       That federating units' inalienable right over all their existing explored              resources and           unexplored resources including its oil, gas, coal and other           mineral resources  and also over its marine resources in the Arabian Sea             shall be recognized and guaranteed. 5.       The NFC award shall be abolished and a new mechanism shall be                                  devised whereby the federating units shall contribute, through a formula to    be devised in the new social contract, to contribute towards a federal fund,                to provide the adequate funds to the federal government for running of its               affairs.   6.       Enhanced legislative/financial/administrative powers for the Senate and                      the Council of Common Interest, enabling them to play the role of                          guardians to prevent undue interference in or violation of the autonomy of                 the federating units. 7.       The Senate of Pakistan shall be directly elected and it shall consist of                 members from the federating units, with no representation to the federally                  controlled territories. 8.       The government of federating units shall be allowed to maintain a para-                       military force in order to contribute effectively towards national security. 9.       That the distribution of water amongst the federating units shall be made                    under 1945 agreement. 10.    That no dam and/or canal shall be constructed on Indus River, except with                 prior approval of the People Sindh. 11.    That the control and ownership of sea ports shall vest in the respective                        federating units and not to the federal government. 12.    That Sindhi, Panjabi, Pashto, Balochi and other main native   languages of         federating units shall be declared as national languages. 13.    That the thousands of acres of land given in prize to civil and     military                       bureaucracy shall be taken back distributed among landless    peasants.

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

‘PUKHTANO TA DE PAKHTOONKHWA MUBARAK SHI’ Dear Folks Though most of the changes in 17th amendment done by racist dictator Musharraf through 18th amendment by Raza Rabbani Committee are against the will of the people of small provinces, specially the issue of the control of center on the natural resources of Sindh and Balochistan and other provinces. (I will write a detailed note at some other time on the details of Raza Rabbani Committee and the role of the members of committee from SINDH). Same promises were delivered during NFC signing ceremony but what happened finally? Sindh was deprived of GST and other revenue related promises and commitments. But it is time to celebrate the positives of the amendments. Nation is jubilant on the name of PAKHTOONKHWA Khyber. Those who believe in strong federation of four nations and their centuries old cultures and national identities and historical motherlands are very glad on this decision. The pious land of a nation who fought against dictatorships, tyranny and authoritarian rules, Pakhtoons who fought for the restoration of democracy and progressive rule of the people in Pakistan, who scarifies hundreds of their young minds in the war of terror was nameless. The entire team of SDF congratulates our Pakhtoon comrades on their decades old demand and a real victory. ‘PUKHTANO TA DE PAKHTOONKHWA MUBARAK SHI’ Regards                                                                Zulfiqar Halepoto Convener: Sindh Democratic Forum (SDF)           Secretary General: Pakistan Peace Coalition Sindh Chapter 0300 8377241

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

What the hell is going on in Sindh? Despite the presence of democratically elected PPP government, things are not moving towards good. On the contrary Sindh is witnessing deteriorating in different critical sectors including law and order, social services, infra-structure, health and education and so far so forth. Today even Himalaya feels shy on the height of corruption. Sindhis have suffered a lot under racist Musharraf’s military rule with this determination that BB Shaheed’s party will bring change and therefore prosperity for Sindh and Sindhis. But we are back to square one. Only in the district of Chief Minister Sindh 39 women were killed in Karo Kari last year. At least I feel ashamed if not the ‘honourbale’ CM and so-called progressive and women rights champion Nafisa Shah, who exploited the unprecedented support of civil society and later on joined the camp of anti-women feudals of Sindh. Here we understand the phenomenon of an opportunist middle class mindset. Khairpur is worst in terms of law and order. Prime minister’s son is married to another anti-Sindh feudal Pir Pagaro’s granddaughter and thus the district was gifted to Pagaro as ‘political dowry’. People don’t have schools for their BAKHTAWARs and ASIFAs. Is anybody bothering about the future of poor Sindhis who have voted for a change? I have an email from a friend of Khairpur…..I am so upset after reading this that even today when this ‘garrison state’ Pakistan claims to be a nuclear power, the great daughters of the soil are deprived of high schools to get educated….. Why the ruling feudal elite of Sindh don’t bother and just playing a musical chair game to protect the vested interests of their class. What the hell is going on in Sindh? If not we then who will get up for a change…???   Zulfiqar Halepoto A poor citizen of a diamond land Sindh   Your support can save a generation: Support your poor BAKHTAWARs and ASIFAs   Zawar Suleman Channa is a small village in tahsil Sobho Dero of Khairpur district. A dedicated and hardworking teacher Syed Ahmed Shah Bukhari has been teaching in the school since several years. In this remote village, he took personal efforts and mobilized community to educate their girls.   After a long struggle he was able to enroll a good number of girls from the village. Recently 8 girls were able to complete their primary education.   Girls (and their parents too) are willing to continue their studies, hwoever the village does not have a girls’ high school or middle school.   The nearest girls school is located in tahsil headquarter. Unaffordability is the major challenge for them. The girls, their parents and the teacher have earnestly requested for your generous support so that this great inititiave of teaching mothers of future should not be discontinued. Here are the names and other details for your consideration   Ms. Shazia kosar, 1st position in whole taluka (tahsil) Ms. Mehnaz, A-1 Ms. Shabroz, A grade Ms. Ghulam zuhran, A grade Ms. Naheed, B grade Ms. Marvi, A grade Ms. Zaibun-Nisa A grade Sayed Kanez Zahra, 1st position in centre   Estimated cost of their one year schooling would be as under   Initial Cost (Books, uniform, etc) = 2,500 Rs. Monthly expenses = 500 X 12 = 6,000 Rs. ------------------------------------------------- Cost to educate per girl child for one year = 8,500 Rs. For 8 girls (one year) = Rs. 68,000 --------------------------------------------- It would be great if you may consider supporting a part of this, may be one (or more) girls for a year. If you want to support this great cause, you may directly contact the teacher Syed Ahmed Shah Bukhari.   His cell number is 0333-7586799, 0345-3878077   Kind Regards Zulfiqar Halepoto

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

NATIONAL SDF wants draft of amendments made public Bureau Report Saturday, 03 Apr, 2010 | 12:41 AM PST | HYDERABAD, April 2: The Sindh Democratic Forum has praised show of ‘unprecedented unity’ among parliamentary parties on the draft of 18th amendment to the Constitution and urged the government to immediately make the draft public. The leaders of the forum, a think tank, said at a meeting here that the work was half done because some critical clauses of the 17th amendment relating to discriminatory laws against women and provinces’ right to control their natural resources and the very critical issue of recognition of Sindhi, Pashto, Balochi and Punjabi as national languages had not been removed yet. Despite that, they said, the historic consensus had given nation hope that form now onwards constitutionalism and democratic norms would rule the country. The nation feels a breath of fresh air in the form of democratic dispensation after 10 years’ undemocratic and authoritarian rule by a military dictator, they said. They said that the 18th amendment would undo impact of the eighth amendment (enacted by General Ziaul Haq) which had altered over 90 articles, and the 17th amendment (enacted by Gen Pervez Musharraf) which had altered 26 articles of the Constitution. The draft recommends removal of the infamous article 58 (2) (b), which had first been inserted into the Constitution by Gen. Zia ul Haq allowing the president to dissolve the parliament, and which was re-enacted by Gen. Pervez Musharraf. The forum leaders also welcomed abolition of concurrent list, giving relatively more provincial autonomy and additional powers to the Council of Common Interest. The draft reportedly “purges” the name of Gen Ziaul Haq as president from the Constitution although it was not yet clear what it meant in practice, they said. They described it as a great achievement by a democratic government after 1973 Constitution but stressed the need for implementation of the proposed recommendations. They said that more than half the population of the country lived below poverty line, unemployment had attained catastrophic levels, all indices of human development including education, health, provision of safe drinking water, sanitation and transport had nosedived and the level of corruption had skyrocketed from millions to billions. Above all, danger to life and property had become so acute that even President Zardari was inaugurating mega projects in the most ludicrous way, uncovering plaques while sitting in his safe confines miles away from the project sites, they said. Even this day, they said, most of the government departments and corporations, including educational institutions, were being run by former military men. On the external front, friendly neighbours had turned hostile because of irrational policies of Musharraf, they added. They warned that if these issues were not resolved on priority basis, the country would fall deeper and deeper into the abyss of irreparable crisis. The convener of the forum Zulfiqar Halepoto chaired the meeting, which was attended by Mohammad Ibrahim Joyo, Abrar Kazi, Nazir Memon, Professor Aijaz Qureshi, Dr Nazir Shaikh, Saeeda Bashir Chandio, Aslam Baloch and others. http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/national/sdf-wants-draft-of-amendments-made-public-340

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Civil Society dialogue On Does 18th Amendment Ensure Provincial Autonomy?   As you all know that the present government has announced a package of Constitutional Reforms Bill 2010, which is asserted to guarantee a new era of relationship between provinces and the federation of Pakistan through decentralization of political and fiscal powers and to ensure rule of constitutionalism and democratic dispension.   Does this bill of proposed amendments really ensure the autonomy to the provinces as promised by the government and all political parties who are signatories of this proposed amendment bill 2010? Keeping in view the current debate on this bill Sindh Democratic Forum (SDF) and Strengthening Participatory Organisation (SPO) cordially invite you to attend Civil Society dialogue to review the proposed amendments on Thursday 8th, 2010 @ 10.30 AM @ SPO House, Qasimabad, Hyderabad. The aim of this dialogue is to collect the feedback of Sindh based civil society on the proposed amendments and share with the concerned authorities.    Leading constitutional experts, legislators, civil society leaders and concerned citizens will share their views.  Zulfiqar Halepoto (SDF)                                 Mustafa Balouch (SPO) 0300 8377241                                                        0301 8370170

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

NATIONAL 18th Amendment to hurt Sindh, say civil society leaders By Mohammad Hussain Khan Friday, 09 Apr, 2010 | 09:57 AM PST | HYDERABAD, April 8: A group of civil society leaders has made quite a critical evaluation of 18th constitutional amendment bill on Thursday and said that Sindh remained the major loser once again because neither the issue of provincial autonomy nor of natural resources was properly addressed under the package. Sindh Democratic Forum (SDF) convener Zulfikar Halepoto and former vice-chancellor of the Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam Dr Rajab Memon, who has now joined the Sindh Tarraqi Passand Party and former bureaucrat Hashim Leghari, blamed the PPP government for once again failing to represent the people of Sindh on such matter of significant importance. Mr Halepoto and Mr Memon spoke of their assessment of the 18th constitutional amendment almost clause by clause at a discussion on “Does 18th amendment ensure provincial autonomy”, held at the Sindh Participatory Organisation in Qasimabad. Crux of SDF convener’s presentation was that important articles were not either touched deliberately or properly defined. It was described that the amendment was gender blind and not sensitised towards gender issues. Consultation between the prime minister and the president over strategic issues and appointments (Article 243) is not explained precisely. Eligibility of a citizen to become a member of parliament (Article 62) is not touched and minorities have recorded their reservations over it always. Article 23 which deals with right to vote remained untouched while issues pertaining to the Concurrent List remained ambiguous. Mr Halepoto was quite critical that not a single dissenting note had been incorporated by the PPP or those representing Sindh, whereas on the contrary the MQM had given proposals that were progressive in nature and it was from their own political viewpoint. Senate has been ignored on question of power sharing and the National Assembly will have the sole authority to do whatever it deems fit, implying that if there is absolute majority of one party it can go ahead with Kalabagh Dam’s construction. “Stage is all set for a Punjab’s prime minister to have absolute powers in future and Sindhi-speaking president stands deprived of his powers, but he himself is also responsible for it too,” Mr Halepoto added. He said that on the curriculum issue the PML-N sought to undermine lingual diversity by seeking curriculum’s outlook. Presentation by Dr Memon targeted Petroleum Minister Naveed Qamar of the PPP for not making any input to it from Sindh’s perspective. “Unfortunately this has been the track record of his (minister’s) family in Sindhi right from Meeran Mohammad Shah to Naveed Qamar as far as Sindh is concerned,” he said. He discussed the Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Reforms (PCCR) numerically to say that Sindh-speaking people remained under-represented and the committee had transgressed its authority by taking upon itself to reform entire constitution which was not its mandate. The PCCR made terms of reference on its own which otherwise should have been come from the National Assembly Speaker. It was to only strike down the 17th constitutional amendment and Article 58(2)b, but appreciated that the seventeenth amendment had been struck down. On provincial autonomy, the PCCR met with an utter failure as it didn’t adhere to commitments made on some points of the Charter of Democracy that called for formation of truth and reconciliation commission, independent accountability commission, national democratic commission, scrutiny and review of military and cantonment lands. Composition of the National Economic Council (Article 156) remains questionable as it will have four chief ministers and four others to be nominated by the prime minister. Nominees could be from one province to undermine Sindh’s interests. Resources’ ownership has been attributed to the centre instead of the provinces.

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/national/18th-amendment-to-hurt-sindh-say-civil-society-leaders

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Dear Folks Prominent politician, parliamentarian and author of a popular book ‘Jinnah: India-Partition-Independence’ published by Pakistan’s leading publication house, the Oxford University Press, Jaswant Singh is coming to the heart of Sindh, Karachi. Come, meet and listen to him on ‘Culture, Politics and change in South Asia’, a lecture series by Oxford University Press and Mohatta Palace Museum on April 13th, 2010 @ 5 PM @ Mohatta Palace Museum, Hatim Alvi Road, Clifton, Karachi. He became popular when on 17 August 2009 a book of his titled  ‘Jinnah: India-Partition-Independence’ was released in which he claimed Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru's centralised polity was responsible for partition. He was later expelled from the primary membership of BJP as a result of the ensuing controversy. In interviews with media he quoted BJP as narrow-minded and to have limited thought. His book was later banned in Gujarat. Singh said of the ban "The day we start banning books, we are banning thinking".   For invitation please contact:  021 11 683873 the Oxford University Press   Regards Zulfi   Key Excerpts from: Jinnah: India – Partition – Independence     “The basic and structural fault in Jinnah’s notion remains a rejection of his origins; of being an Indian, having been shaped by the soil of India, tempered in the heat of Indian experience. Muslims in India were no doubt subscribers to a different faith but that is all; they were not any different stock or of alien origin.” =================== “It is in this, a false ‘minority syndrome’ that the dry rot of partition first set in, and then unstoppably it afflicted the entire structure, the magnificent edifice of an united India. The answer (cure?), Jinnah asserted, lay only in parting, and Nehru and Patel and others of the Congress also finally agreed. Thus was born Pakistan”. ================== “His opposition was not against the Hindus or Hinduism, it was the Congress that he considered as the true political rival of the Muslim League, and the League he considered as being just an ‘extension of himself’. He, of course, made much of the Hindu-Muslim riots (1946; Bengal, Bihar, etc.) to ‘prove the incapacity of Congress Governments to protect Muslims; and also expressed fear of “Hindu raj” to frighten Muslims into joining the League, but during innumerable conversations with him I can rarely recall him attacking Hindus or Hinduism as such. His opposition, which later developed into almost hatred, remained focused upon the Congress leadership’ (M.R.A. Baig, Jinnah’s secretary).” =================== “Religion in all this was entirely incidental; Pakistan alone gave him all that his personality and character demanded. If Mr. Jinnah was necessary for achieving Pakistan, Pakistan, too was necessary for the fulfillment of Mr. Jinnah.” ======================= “However, it has to be said, and with great sadness, that despite some early indications to the contrary, the leaders of the Indian National Congress, in the period between the outbreak of war in 1939 and the country’s partition in 1947, showed in general, a sad lack of realism, of foresight, of purpose and of will.” ====================== “As (Maulana Azad) wrote in his memoirs, he had come to the conclusion that Indian federation should deal with just three subjects: defence, foreign affairs and communications; thus granting the maximum possible autonomy to the provinces. According to the Maulana, Gandhi accepted this suggestion, while Sardar Patel did not.” ======================= “For, along with several other there is one central difficult that India, Pakistan, Bangladesh face: our ‘past’ has, in reality never gone into the ‘past’, it continues to reinvent itself, constantly becoming our ‘present’, thus preventing us from escaping the imprisonment of memories. To this we have to find an answer, who else can or will?”

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Sorry 4 cross-posting   Please review full report of the United Nations Commission of Inquiry into the facts and circumstances of the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto   http://www.un.org/News/dh/infocus/Pakistan/UN_Bhutto_Report_15April2010.pdf   Regards Zulfi

--
Group address: http://groups.google.com/group/Pak-Youth-Forum
To post to this group, send email to Pak-You...@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe, send email to Pak-Youth-For...@googlegroups.com

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

LETTERS-TO-THE-EDITOR 18th Amendment: do more  Friday, 16 Apr, 2010 | 12:53 AM PST | This is apropos of your editorial ‘Historic’ (April 9). It is significant that after many decades a parliamentary committee composed of different political parties and ideologies has done a great job of removing anti-people amendments to the Constitution by the military, but there is still space to do more. If we look at the terms of reference, the committee was supposed to deal with three main areas, namely the 17th Amendment, the Charter of Democracy (CoD) and the provincial autonomy. Although they have done justice with the 17th Amendment repeal except some clauses related to women’s seats, joint electorate and voters’ age, many important articles were either not touched deliberately or properly defined related to the CoD and provincial autonomy. Basically, the committee had transgressed its authority by taking upon itself to reform the entire constitution which was not its mandate. On the other hand, the Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Reforms (PCCR) made terms of reference on its own which otherwise should have been done from the National Assembly Speaker’s Secretariat. The CoD had promised to establish a truth and reconciliation commission, independent accountability commission, national democratic commission, and scrutiny and review of military and cantonment lands, and inclusion of Fata into Pakhtoonkhwa. But the PCCR met with utter failure as it didn’t adhere to commitments made by Benazir Bhutto. In Article 243, consultation between the prime minister and the president over strategic issues and appointments is not explained precisely. Article 62 regarding the eligibility of a citizen to become a member of parliament is not touched and it is a clear threat for minorities and other progressive and secular people of Pakistan. In Article 156, the composition of the National Economic Council remains questionable as it will have eight members from each province, including chief ministers and four others, who will be nominated by the prime minister. Sindh is under heavy migration influx, but Article 23, which deals with the right to vote, remained untouched while issues pertaining to the Concurrent List remained vague. On the other hand, resources’ ownership has been attributed to the centre instead of the provinces. The issue of provinces’ right to control their natural resources and recognition of Sindhi, Pashto, Balochi and Punjabi as national languages had not been addressed. Pakistan is a bicameral parliamentary system. But the Senate has been ignored on question of power sharing and the National Assembly will have the sole powers to control all decisions of the federation. Unfortunately, all 100 changes are mostly related to the power-sharing formula between powerful lobbies sitting in Islamabad. ‘Democracies must necessarily be forward-looking’ but not at the cost of denial of centuries’-old national identities and deprivation of control over natural resources. ZULFIQAR HALEPOTO Convener Sindh Democratic Forum Karachi http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/letters-to-the-editor/18th-amendment-do-more-640

Copyright © 2010 - Dawn Media Group

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Sorry for cross-posting. We may differ some points of the analysis of Robert G Wirshing but it is a worth reading book for those who are interested in the politics of a naturally decaying state due to the politics of civil and military establishment of Pakistan . Regards Zulfi   Baloch Nationalism And The Geopolitics Of Energy Resources: The Changing Context Of Separatism In Pakistan By Robert G. Wirsing

• This monograph examines the energy context of the simmering Baloch separatist insurgency that has surfaced in recent years in Pakistan's sprawling Balochistan (baluchistan) province. In particular, he looks at how Pakistan's mounting energy insecurity--a product of rapid increase in demand coupled with rising scarcity and the region's intensified energy rivalry--has both magnified the importance of this province while complicating Pakistan's efforts to cope with the resurgent tribal separatism. Pakistan's government needs to overhaul its counterinsurgent policies to avoid protracted conflict and to enlist the Baloch (Baluchis) as partners in energy development, not as antagonists of it.

Read some pages through this link of amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/Baloch-Nationalism-Geopolitics-Energy-Resources/dp/1441470077#reader_1441470077

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

sorry 4 cross-posting Zulfi     Sindh Sufi Institute Cordially invites you to attend 67 Martyrdom Day of Shaheed Allah Bux Soomro Former Premier of Sindh Former President of ‘Azad Muslim Conference’ (Non-Communal Party of the Muslims of Asian subcontinent) A Hero of the Freedom Movement of Asian Subcontinent Champion of the Rights of Oppressed Peoples and Nations A symbol of Liberal and Tolerant politics   Time & Date: 04:30 P.M May 14, 2010 Venue: SAFMA Media Centre 4-B, St. 62, Parbat Road, F-7/4, Islamabad   Speakers: Marvi Memon, Rehmat Shah Afridi, Fazalullah Qureshi and Ashfaq Saleem Mirza   Looking Forward: Khadim Hussain Soomro, Chairman, Sindh Sufi Institute 0300-2350742, Email: sufi...@gmail.com   (Booklet on Allah Bux Soomro authored by Khadim Hussain Soormro will be distributed)

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

If he dies, will die the dream and hope   My dearest friends   I just need two minutes to concentrate on this mail   30 Km away from Nagarparkar, Thar desert in Patia village, some used to think that vicious circle of abject poverty, illiteracy and backwardness is their permanent fate.   Some generations died with this taboo. Mainstreaming of their families, children access to schools, safe drinking water, health and sanitation and transport facilities were ‘sour dream’ for them. They had almost surrendered their hopes and dreams.   But a poor boy Samar, an untouchable, touched many milestones with his courage, commitment and will. His poor family was not in a position to afford his education but he fought and become a doctor, a role model for many desert are villages and youth.   A non-touchable has touched many hearts to go to schools with the dream that they can change their lives break the vicious circle that they are here to die in hunger and poverty and there will be no change in their lives. Bravo Dr Samar has done it.   After passing his professional degree and competitive exam of SPSC, he opted to go to his ancestral village to serve his poor people. But today a doctor, who is saving many lives are fighting for his own life.   Today he is suffering from the dangerous disease of “Blood Cancer”. He needs our help and if (god forbid) he dies; I think there will be the death of the hope of many generations in humanity and change. Let us save the dreams of the poorest of the poor of Sindh. Let us come forward…..   Zulfi         Please read the details of his case and come forward.   For the last two years Dr Samar is suffering from the dangerous disease “Blood Cancer”. Doctors have advised him for bonemero transpiration for that surgery he have required Rs. 20, 00,000.   Dr Samar said, he belongs from the very backward area of Tharparkar. His village is comprised of 1500 population in which he is only highly educated. In the village there is only one primary school so he passed his primary education in village. Fatefully he was son of the poor farmer so he had no support from parents to give him higher education, but he was interested in education so with financially support from friends and some support of government scholarships he completed his higher education and then got degree of MBBS in 1998. In 1999 he started house job than he established his own medical center in Mirpurkhas. In meantime he also completed his diploma in Tuber clauses (TB).   In 2008, he passed exam of Sind public service commission with good numbers resulting in January 2009 he got offer order from Government and appointed as medical officer in village Vahgo bajeer Taluka Nangarparkar. In that village he served only for four months of his job instantaneously this terrible disease – Blood Cancer indentified in him and that was big shocking news for him and his whole family.       Dr Samar said, when Doctors had suggested him to conduct bone mero transpiration on that time he had no money because he already had spent all his assets on his health. Hence he had only way to get support from government. Therefore he separately met with all elected representatives including, Senator Dr. Khatau Mal, MNA Dr. Mahesh Malani, MPA Sharjeel memon, Dr. Zulfiqar Mirza and Gul Mohd Lot and requested them for financially support to conduct his surgery, in which some of them had assured for support but there is no practical action from their side as yet. Even he said he met with chief minister (CM) Sindh when he came to Tharparkar during last marathon race. The CM wrote to secretary health to provide him support and then secretary wrote to DCO and EDO health Tharparkar but when he met with those district government officials they refused him by saying that they are not allowed to expend this huge amount only on his health.   Dr. Samar said now he has no hope from any side. Drs gave him time to get this surgery within six month that time has passed. The government health department is doing nothing for him except only granted six-month leave. The mother of Dr Samar is too much anxious about her son’s life even once she tried to suicide and jumped into well but fortunately  life saved but she got injured.   Talking with Dr. Samar on phone about his surgery he said, surgery of bone mero transpiration is successfully perform in India, Thailand but recently it can be perform in our own country Pakistan in Karachi and Lahore. He said once again he has received appointment date of 19 May form AKUH Karachi where he will be diagnosed. The AKUH Drs. has assured him to link his case to social welfare department to get discount of 30%. He said if he get this discount then he will need to pay estimated Rs. 14, 00000.   Dr. Samar is professional Doctors and serves his duty with honesty in the remote area at one of Government dispensary in Taluka Nangarparkar of District Tharparkar. Where he saves life of hundreds of patients on daily basis but now his own life is on risk. Therefore, our genuine support is required to save life of doctor Samar who he belong to very backward area and backward caste in our country.     Contact: PIRBHU SATYANI for further details 0333- 2512844, 0232-261462- 261661  pirb...@yahoo.com Dear Pirbhu: Please open a joint account in any Mithi based accessible bank that the donation shall be monitored and maintained in smooth and transparent manner.

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

LETTERS-TO-THE-EDITOR Nuclear weapons in South Asia Tuesday, 11 May, 2010 | 12:54 AM PST | MAY is known as a sinister month for peace in South Asia when on May 11, 1998, India tested three devices at the Pokhran underground testing site, followed by two more tests on May 13, 1998. On May 28 the same year Pakistan exploded five underground nuclear devices in response to India’s nuclear tests. Tests were justified as an instrument of ‘deterrence’ to avoid any conventional war in the future. Both the moves had provoked worldwide condemnation and fears of a nuclear conflict in one of the world’s most volatile regions. Pakistan suffered most in terms of economic sanctions and isolation from the global community. India somehow managed its political and economic linkages with the rest of the world due to its changing political economy ‘demand’ in terms of China’s emergence and more than a billion people’s market. The bilateral Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement signed on July 18, 2005, was a clear example of those strategic and economic considerations. On the other hand, Pakistan was refused the same opportunity by the Obama regime. Washington-based correspondence of Dawn reported on March 1: ‘The Obama administration has told Pakistan it would not get an atomic power plant or a civilian nuclear deal from the US’ It is estimated that the USSR (now defunct) had approximately 39,000 nuclear weapons stockpiled at the time of its collapse, and after the collapse a debate on the need to have ‘bread, not bomb’ began throughout the world. This was so because nuclear arsenals had failed to protect fundamental human needs and political freedom. The non-traditional human security issues like food, livelihood, water and environmental started dominating the spheres of traditional territorial and ideological sovereignty of the states. The same year the 1998 Human Development Report of the UNDP ranked India and Pakistan 139 and 138, respectively, on the Human Development Index (HDI). By comparison, the gross national product of India and Pakistan in 1997 was just $373.9bn and $67bn, respectively. On a global scale, their ranking in per capita GNP in 1997 was 102 (India) and 97 (Pakistan). Today after a decade the situation is even worst in terms of human development. Both South Asian states are among the poorest countries in the world in terms of people’s access to fundamental human needs, including education, health, transportation, safe drinking water, gender disparity, caste system divide, feudalism, forced migration and other socio-economic menaces. Pakistan should realise that unresolved issues like control on religious extremism, terrorism, energy crisis, water scarcity, disharmony among provinces, control of military and civil bureaucracy on political decision-making are the weak areas which can threaten Pakistan’s external security discourse. Keeping in view the internal crisis of Pakistan, we are often threatened by the powers that the atomic or nuclear ethnology of Pakistan is not safe. This can be saved when there will be rule of law and constitutionalism in the country. Education and other social service sectors should get priority over military budget and the use of nuclear technology for human development purposes. Both non-NPT countries should immediately sign Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. The collapse of the USSR with 39,000 nuclear weapons stockpiled is a great lesson to be learnt where bread, not bomb, got priority by the people. ZULFIQAR HALEPOTO Secretary-General Pakistan Peace Coalition Karachi http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/letters-to-the-editor/nuclear-weapons-in-south-asia-150

Copyright © 2010 - Dawn Media Group

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

National SDF calls for restoration of districts’ old status Bureau Report Monday, 17 May, 2010 | 10:06 AM PST | HYDERABAD, May 16: The Sindh Democratic Forum has called for restoration of the old status of Karachi and other districts divided by the Arbab Ghulam Rahim government. The leaders of the forum who met here on Sunday said that the provincial assembly should take a decision on the issue because the issues of demarcation and demographic changes were more political than administrative. The meeting demanded immediate restoration of the old status of Hyderabad because, it said, the city had been divided by a military dictator on ethnic lines to reward the MQM for its support for his illegal and unconstitutional rule. The meeting criticised MQM’s opposition to the restoration of Hyderabad district and accused it of having turned the urban areas of the province no-go areas for Sindhis. The meeting expressed disappointment over contradictory views of the PPP leadership and criticised it for “first raising the issue and then suddenly deciding to keep quiet over it”. They said that the PPP had failed to protect Sindh’s rights and end lawlessness. The party failed to stop theft of Sindh’s water share and to close illegal canals, which were operating in Punjab in clear violation of the 1991 water accord. They criticised MQM chief Altaf Hussain’s warning of ethnic conflicts and said that the MQM should be charged as instigator in the event of an ethnic dispute cropping up in the province. The meeting said that destruction of the historical city should not be allowed to be continued. It ridiculed MQM’s stand about keeping Karachi with a population of over 15 million as one district and retaining four districts carved out of the original Hyderabad district with a total population of only about 2.5 million. The SDF leaders termed the demand illogical and unjustified. http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/national/sdf-calls-for-restoration-of-districts-old-status

Copyright © 2010 - Dawn Media Group

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Sorry 4 cross-posting Islamabad based friends and specially youth must attend this. Regards Zulfi     Pre-Budget Dialogue Jointly Organized by National Press Club and Sustainable Development Policy Institute At National Press Club, Islamabad  28 May 2010, at 10:00- 19:30 (In collaboration with FES )             Speakers:     ·        Mr. Nazar Mohammad Gondal, Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture- Key Development Challenges and PSDP ·        Senator Professor Khurshid Ahmed- Budget making process ·        Ms. Fouzia Wahab, MNA, Chairperson, Standing Committee on Finance & Revenue, National Assembly- Revenue Generation and Strengthening Confederating Unit ·        Mr. Shahid Khaqan Abbassi, MNA(PML-N), Member Standing Committee on Finance- Budget Making Process and Pakistan’s Macro-Economic Realities ·        Senator Saleem Saif Ullah Khan- Budget—what is in it for us? ·        Mr. Hamayun Akhter, Former Federal Minister for Commerce, -Revenue Generation and Strengthening Confederating Unit ·        Dr. Ashfaq Hassan Khan- VAT (value Added Tax) ·        Mr. Kamran Khan, MNA ·        Dr. Saqib Sherani, Principal Advisor, MoF- Budget Making Process and Pakistan’s Macro-Economic Realities ·        Mr. Zia-ud-Din, Group Editor, Express Tribune, Role of IFI’s for Budget ·        Mr. Kashif Shabir– PSDP ·        Mr. Shamim ur Rehman – PSDP ·        Dr. Abid.Q.Suleri, Executive Director, SDPI- PSDP ·        Mr. Arshad H Abbasi, Energy Expert, SDPI, Budget—what is in it for us? ·        Mr. Khaleeq Kiani, Senior Journalist- What is in it for us? ·        Rep FPCCI- What is in it for us? Budget—what is in it for us?     Sadia Sharif Policy Advocacy Unit Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) 20 Hill Road , F-6/3, Islamabad , Pakistan Tel: (92-51) 227 8134, Ext: 216 Fax: (92-51) 227 8135 Email: sadia@sd...@sdpi.org

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Sungi Development Foundation has organized a two days Conference on ‘People’s perspective on Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan Package and 18th Amendment: Implications, Implementation and Way Forward’ on June 11-12, 2010 @ 09:00am to 05:00pm @ National Library Hall, Islamabad. Please contact Aimal Khan for invitatoion 0300 8599340

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

World Day against Child Labor -12 June   Invitation   On the eve of World Day against Child Labor -12 June, Thardeep Rural development Programme (TRDP) is organizing a civil society dialogue on June 12th, 2010 @ 5.00 P.M @ Hyderabad Press Club.   The objective of this dialogue is to highlights the issues of child domestic labour at forefront to declare it hazardous and include in employment of children act. Sensitization and awareness raising in community on the issue of child domestic labour and its consequences and media mobilization to bring up the issue of child domestic labour at forefront    Leading civil society leaders, child rights activists and researchers will share their views.   You are cordially invited to attend and participate   For further details contact TRDP Jamshoro/Hyderabad office 0092 222 771143

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Water Sector Projects in Pakistan sans Resettlement Policy By Zulfiqar Halepoto Monday June 14th, 2010 | 01:13 AM PST | EBR Often development projects involving lands have a cost which sometimes results in a massive voluntary and forced mass migration of displaced people who are not among the intended beneficiaries of the uplift programme. Physical assets, livelihood means and cultural roots may be the first victims. At best, the stakeholders apply resettlement policy for compensation and rehabilitation. Unfortunately, there is no policy or legal framework for addressing resettlement issues holistically, which may keep in view the enormous problems and issues faced by displaced persons. Realising the need, a visionary development practitioner and economist late Omer Asghar Khan has initiated a consultation to develop a draft `national resettlement policy’ during his stay in the Musharraf cabinet as minister for environment, local bodies and rural development in 2002. But after his tragic death, it was not approved by the government. Resettlement policy is used through a water-tight box approach of Land Acquisition Act (LAA), which only compensates land owning. On the contrary the latest definition of displacement says that people are not deprived of their physical belongings during migration or displacement but the indigenous communities are deprived of the moral, emotional, cultural and psychological assets and identities. Keeping in view the current definitions and changing demands, almost all development agencies have defined their policies of intervention through prescribed safeguard policies and social security nets. But unfortunately, successive governments launched ambitious mega projects in both urban and rural areas without any comprehensive rehabilitation and resettlement plan. One of the document of the World Bank says: "Bank experience has shown that resettlement of indigenous peoples with traditional land-based modes of production is particularly complex and may have significant adverse impacts on their cultural survival." Last week Pakistan Network of Rivers, Dams and People (PNRDP), a network of organisations and forums working on water rights and resettlement issues of mega dam affected people organised a conference in Islamabad titled: ‘Draft National Resettlement Policy, Affected communities and a way Forward’. Besides concerned officials of ministry of environment, water experts, parliamentarians, donors and media persons representatives of affected communities of various projects including Mangla dam (Mirpur, Kashmir), Tarbella dam (Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa), Ghazi Barotha (Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa), Bhasha (Gilgit-Baltistan), Chotiari dam (Sanghar, Sindh), Indus Delta (Karachi, Sindh), Manchar Lack (Thatta, Sindh), Nelum Jehlum Hydro-Electric Project (Muzafrabad, Kashmir) and Right Bank Outfall Drainage (RBOD) and Left Bank Outfall Drainage (LBOD) Sindh participated. The consultation was mainly aimed to draw attention of policy makers and bring about the desired policy changes in the outdated draft of resettlement policy. Participants and the directly the affected people of water related projects resolved that the development is inevitable and necessary but it caused huge displacement particularly the construction of big dams, water reservoirs, link canals, drainage schemes and other water related mega development projects. On the other hand, various developmental projects are in the planning phase, like expressways, highways, roads and fly-overs which will cause a huge forced displacement. Our record on evicted people, proper compensation, delayed payments, relocations and integration of dislocated communities is quite disappointing. Representatives of the affected communities argue that Land Acquisition Act (LAA) of 1894 requires consultation and appropriate compensation as it does not cover resettlement, relocation, loss of livelihood, or the rights of affected persons without a land title or those with usufruct rights. The second session on Social and Resettlement Policies and Practices and experts asked the government to kick off a new discussion and public hearing on social issues related to public sector investment projects including land acquisition, social and resettlement policies, and implementation problems. The conference recommended adoption of an inclusive, enabling, and participative resettlement policy covering all types of losses with clear guidance in the planning and implementation of involuntary resettlement. Participants stressed the need to identify and include all stakeholders, particularly the vulnerable groups including women, peasants, and labour and establish an efficient, accessible, and transparent grievance, redressal mechanism by mega projects in public sector. Participants said that resettlement of displaced persons is widely recognised as the most critical challenge faced by governments. In many developing countries there exist comprehensive resettlement policies and laws for addressing the issues and problems faced by the development-induced displaced persons. In the absence of any policy and legal framework, the resettlement issues are getting deteriorated and causing social tension and unrest. Participants further said that the National Resettlement Policy was drafted after wide consultation with relevant stakeholders. Many member organisations of PNRDP were actively involved in the consultation process but even after eight years the government has failed to announce it. The house demanded a quick official launch of the report and immediate adaptation for the future projects. Construction of Tarbella Dam was the first project in which the policy of resettlement with development was translated into practice. Affected people have shared their horrific stories of the broken promises and false claims of the governments and development agencies. The restoration of livelihoods in the event of involuntary resettlement is commonly based on providing compensation to those who are displaced. This policy has led to a series of horror stories. For this reason, it is proposed that by conducting resettlement as a development project in its own right, the performance of resettlements can be improved and the benefits will accrue to the local population. Representatives of the affected communities and experts resolved that: Draft resettlement Policy 2002 is an outdated document and it should be reviewed critically and holistically keeping in view both physical and non-physical assets of displaced people. Fresh round of public hearing and consultation with communities and stakeholders should be done. Pending cases of delay payments, compensation package, rehabilitation and replacement costs of the affected communities of Mangla, Tarbella, Ghazi Barotha, Chotiari dams, Indus delta, Manchar Lack, Nelum Jehlum Hydro-Electric Project, RBOD) and LBOD should be settled on priority basis. Participants rejected the ambitious hydropower projects of Wapda: ‘Vision 2025’, which includes various dams, water reservoirs, improvement of existing dams, drainage schemes, link canals and which is likely to add to a great number of displaced. Sindh and Pakhtoonkhwa opposed the land acquisition and resettlement plans for the Kalabagh, Bhasha, Akhori and other dams. http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/in-paper-magazine/economic-and-business/water-sector-projects-sans-resettlement-policy-460

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Where is the state?????     Rs 2,453 billion are the total outlay of the budget of Pakistan (2010-11) Rs 1,711 billion tax revenue from the FBR. Rs 1,157 billion (6.9 percent of GDP) budget deficit Budget deficit for 2011-12 will be Rs 1,181 billion (6.4 percent of GDP) and 2012-13 will be Rs 1,243 billion (6.1 percent of GDP) excluding grants. The overall fiscal deficit for the government (Federal + Provinces) is estimated at 5.3 percent of GDP (at market prices) for 2010/11. Defence spending are being upgraded from Rs 378 billion (2.5 percent of GDP for 2009-10) to Rs 442 billion (2.7 percent of GDP for 2010-11). Interest payments in debt servicing is at Rs 672 billion for 2010-11, Rs 717 billion for the year 2011-12 and Rs 774 billion for 2012-13. GDP growth rate is 4 percent 1.23 percent allocation to education 1.29 percent allocation to health.   Poverty, lawlessness, unemployment and terrorism are order of the day.   Hundreds of the people are dying due to flood and rain disasters. The gap of have and have not is increasing at an alarming stage...The entire economy is either taken over by the so-called democratic authoritarian rulers of day or by the criminal generals of the army. Our agencies are supporting talibanization of the region   So do we still say that David Cameron is wrong??????...   Alas...When the poor people of this rich land are going to get out of the miseries, which are imposed on them by the ruling elites of barbaric feudal, bankrupt industrialist, characterless bureaucracy and corrupt generals   Zulfi

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

-  Falsehood has an infinity of combinations, but truth has only one mode of being. Jean Jacques Rousseau Even if there was willing to reveal the facts, and there isn't, it would be difficult to get at the records.  This is evident from my photo study of Sindh University's data storage method seen in "Drowning in Paper":  http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Drowning-in-Paper/457674?project_id=457674 Nazir Mughal, the VC, and Zulfiqar Mirza, Interior Minister of Sindh, are reported to be complicit in this Sindhgate Scandal. HEC surprise visit catches Sindh University off guard VC unable to provide documentation to support verification of some degrees. ISLAMABAD: A special team of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) paid a surprise visit to Sindh University on Monday in connection with the process of verifying legislators’ academic credentials and caught the university administration off guard. Sindh University has been in the spotlight for reportedly delaying the verification process in an effort to protect big political names from public humiliation in the country-wide effort to weed out falsification of academic records. According to officials who wish to remain unnamed, an HEC scrutiny committee, headed by Dr Syed Mehmood Raza, made an unannounced stop on the campus and sought a briefing from Sindh University’s vice-chancellor (VC). The briefing focused on cases of legislators’ degrees that Sindh University had found genuine. However, the vice-chancellor was unable to provide the documentation to affirm the authenticity of the degrees that were cleared – dragging its already muddied feet through the quagmire of the degree verification process. The HEC had already shown concerns regarding the degrees of Railways Minister Ghulam Ahmed Bilour of the Awami National Party (ANP) and federal lawmaker Faryal Talpur, who is President Asif Ali Zardari’s sister, among others. It may be noted Talpur is said to have graduated from Sindh University in 2003 and Bilour in 2006. When contacted, the spokesperson for HEC confirmed that Dr Raza had paid a surprise visit to Sindh University. ... Published in The Express Tribune,  August 3rd, 2010. Isa Daudpota ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Why is the world unmoved by the plight of Pakistan? Angry flood survivors are turning to a banned Islamist charity, reports Andrew Buncombe from central Punjab   http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/why-is-the-world-unmoved-by-the-plight-of-pakistan-2051331.html   AP A flood survivor in tears as she talks about her home being washed away by heavy flooding

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Dear Friends, Due to violent monsoon and floods thousands of people have already migrated from Ghotki, Sukkur, Larkana, Shikarpur and Jacobabad. In a latest development 90% of Jacobabad has been evacuated. Special trains have been mobilized for the refugees, heading towards Hyderabad and Karachi. Humanitarian Community is requested to respond accordingly. There may be some other camps but so far four camps are identified in Karachi by our civil society teams, political parties and media friends. KARACHI: Chakra Goth, Korangi: In this camp at least 40 families, migrated from Thul, Jacobabad are living in very vulnerable conditions. To babies were born during floods and they are in a very critical health conditions. (Nazir Hussain Dewro 0333 2284 325) Shah Rasool Colony, near Abdullah Shah Ghazi mazar, Saddar Town: 32 families are migrated from Kachho of Larkana, majority are women and minor kids. Please contact Wazir Thaheem, TRDP Karachi office 0333 7221751- 021 35868791-3) or ADO Saddar  Town, Imtiaz Ali Bughio 0300 700 2815) Mehmoodabad Graveyard:  45 families from different flood hit areas of upper Sindh are there and looking for help. Wazir Thaheem, TRDP Karachi office 0333 7221751- 021 35868791-3) Sachal Goth: hundreds of flood survivors, displaced and now living on footpaths in a very pathetic situation. (Ali Hasan 0345 8097712) HYDERABAD: There are many camps in Hyderabad and looked after by different people/forums/organizations but the organized one is arranged by IDO. You can contact TRDP Jamshoro office 0300 8377241 or Zain Daudpoto and Adee Sahar Rizvi ( 0331 3556353) for your support and aid.  More than 300 people are living in this camp. People living in camps badly need food, safe drinking water and medicines. Please come forward for the support, your little input can bring a major change. This is to further inform you that subject to mass evacuation of Jacobabad due to flood waters that are approaching fast to the city, Sindh Government has decided to move the IDPs from Jacobabad to Karachi, Hyderabad and Jamshoro. The current update is that CDGK has identified following four locations in Karachi where the IDPs will be brought in 1.      Gaddap Bin Qasim Town Kiamari Toll Plaza Flood survivors badly need camps, food, shelter, safe drinking water and health related stuff.  We have been informed that two trains have already left Jacobabad carrying the IDPs to Karachi. Further updates will be shared as soon as received. Dear Friends: There is a mix of opinion about charity and aid. Some friends called and refused to support government initiatives, some are of the view that they shall participate through NGOs, and some already sent their contributions to different foundations including EDHI. So whatever medium suit you…please come forward and support the cause.   This email is based on the information collected different sources. Some friends and forums may have more information to ad so they are welcome. For further details don’t hesitate to contact me at any time Regards Zulfiqar Halepoto 0300 8377241 zhal...@yahoo.com Friends living abroad can send their contribution to TRDP Operational Account number: 10650 – 4 at NBP Model Branch (1027), Clifton, Karachi  or whatever organization they like.

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Dear Mirbahar saheb Thank you very much for your valuable feedback and concerned shown by you. AS a political worker, I understand the meaning and spirit of the words so I cant use word refugees.  I have again and again read my mail….. You have discussed a long shopping list of what to do…which is a correct one . But your signature shows that you are member of at least on dozen international groups…so what you and your forums are doing in that case.  Regards zulfi --- On Fri, 8/13/10, Nadeem Mirbahar <nadeem....@yahoo.com> wrote: From: Nadeem Mirbahar <nadeem....@yahoo.com> Subject: [SindhPost] Re: [CabNet] Flood IDPs in Sindh only demand one bread and a glass of water To: Cab...@yahoogroups.com, "worldsindhinet" <worldsi...@yahoogroups.com>, wsc-n...@egroups.com, sind...@yahoogroups.com, sindhi...@yahoogroups.com, sindk...@yahoogroups.com, sindh-p...@yahoogroups.com, Sind...@yahoogroups.com, inv...@yahoogroups.com, sana_...@yahoo.com, sindh...@yahoogroups.com, educat...@googlegroups.com, opinio...@yahoogroups.com, punjab_ngos_coor...@yahoogroups.com, writer...@yahoogroups.com, pak-you...@googlegroups.com, WW...@yahoogroups.com, pip...@yahoogroups.com, shaf...@gmail.com, cha...@comsats.net.pk, tasneem....@gmail.com, sat...@post.harvard.edu, b...@pes.comsats.net.pk, shaha...@hotmail.com, mb...@hotmail.com, an...@fas.harvard.edu, azizk...@gmail.com, wiz...@cyber.net.pk, sazd...@emirates.net.ae, yna...@cyber.net.pk, jawed...@gmail.com, p...@comsats.net.pk, Writer...@yahoogroups.com, Pak-You...@googlegroups.com Cc: "Humera Alwani" <alw...@cyber.net.pk>, akashan...@yahoo.com, "Sehar Gul Bhatti" <sgbh...@yahoo.com>, alyi...@hotmail.com, "Ardeshir Cowasjee" <ar...@cyber.net.pk>, "Zamir Ghumro" <barriste...@hotmail.yahoo.com>, "Muzamil Halepota" <muzamil....@gmail.com>, "Akhtar Hussain" <akht...@cyber.net.pk>, "Manzoor Isran" <m_i...@hotmail.com>, "Sohail Kalhoro" <kal...@gmail.com>, "Ibrar Kazi" <abra...@yahoo.com>, "Muqtida Khan" <muqti...@hotmail.com>, "Irshad Laghari" <irshad...@hotmail.com>, "Mumtaz Langah" <mumtaz...@yahoo.com>, "Dr. Talib Lasharai" <talibl...@hotmail.com>, "Nusrat Lashari" <n_la...@hotmail.com>, "Fatah Marri" <fat...@yahoo.com>, "Shazia Marri" <shazi...@yahoo.com>, "Dr. Ali Matlo" <cha...@yahoo.co.uk>, fayaz...@hotmail.com, "Imran Niazi" <nia...@hotmail.com>, "Haider Nizamani" <hniz...@hotmail.com>, "Sarmad Palejo" <conec...@yahoo.com>, "Sassui Palejo" <sas...@hotmail.com>, "Fiz Qureshi" <fizaqu...@yahoo.com>, "Dr Karim Rajpar" <drra...@hotmail.com>, "Idris Rajput" <idris...@hotmail.com>, "Aamir Raza" <engra...@hotmail.com>, "Shahban Sahito" <shahba...@gmail.com>, "Agha Saleem" <agha_...@hotmail.com>, "Kamran Shafi" <ksh...@yahoo.co.uk>, "Shahid Shah" <shahi...@inbox.com>, "Dr Ayoub Shaikh" <ayoub...@hotmail.com>, "Inam Sheikh" <inams...@hotmail.com>, amars...@yahoo.com, "Imdad Soomro" <imdad...@gmail.com>, "sajid syed" <sajids...@hotmail.com>, "Mushtaque Talpur" <mushtaq...@gmail.com>, "Ishaq Tunio" <itu...@hotmail.com>, "yaseen veesar" <yaseen...@gmail.com>, "Rafi Wasan" <rafi_...@yahoo.co.in>, "Mushtaque Rajpar" <mra...@yahoo.com>, kinza...@yahoo.com, khang...@thardeep.org, han...@yahoo.com, hees...@hotmail.com, shis...@yahoo.com, sako...@yahoo.com, awar...@yahoo.com, karama...@gmail.com, "Zulfiqar Shah PILER" <zulfiq...@yahoo.com>, sharafa...@hotmail.com, ayesh...@gmail.com, yuvs...@gmail.com, sing...@hotmail.com, cyr...@gmail.com, mahir.w...@gmail.com, nasim...@hotmail.com, cal...@hotmail.com, beena....@gmail.com, a...@ahmedquraishi.com, ba...@pattan.org, kamil...@hotmail.com, ise...@pathfinder9.com, huma....@gmail.com, drkh...@comsats.net.pk Date: Friday, August 13, 2010, 11:32 PM Dear Zulfiqar, This is great effort & appreciatory. Please don't call these people refugees (they are on their own soil) these are displaced and flood affected. We are passing from critical times in Sindh and across the country due to this great catastrophe of the worst flood. I have noticed that we have no Disaster Management Experts and their is lack of planning and efforts on the govt side. Our people have not been able to priorities and prepare check list for relief and rescue and present before the world community. There is no daily media briefing for  global community of nations to get there support in this emergency period. Government should come forward and make an open appeal to global community on daily development of flood for immediate support, food supplies, medicines, tents and aid from the UN nations. Some priorities for flood affected areas are; Water Purification tablets  High energy biscuits Protein rich ready packed food Medicines for prevention  of gastro and  stomach related diseases Medicines for skin diseases Glucose Channa (roasted gram packets) Sugar cane cakes (gurr) Life saving jackets Irani Cakes (Packed) water proof & winterized Tents (cold season will follow) Provision of life saving boats Transportation  to relief camps Settlement of relief camps Watson facilities at camps (to avoid the disease threat) Un-interrupted Food supplies to camps Please also consider ecosystem around  every where (before and after the activities) to reduce the adverse effects. Disturbing ecosystems will aggravate the situation in near future. (Incorporating Environmental Concerns in Disaster Risk Management IEC-DRM is very important) Regards & best wishes Nadeem Mirbahar Ecologist & ENR Expert Member of the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)- Commission on Ecosystem Management (CEM) for West Central Asia & South Africa Member-Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) CEM IUCN (TG) Member-Disaster Risk Reduction (DDR)CEM IUCN (TG) Member-Mangroves, Coral Reefs, Sea Grass Connectivity CEM IUCN (TG) Email: nadeem....@yahoo.com, nadeem....@gmail.com @IUCN nadeem....@iucn.org, http://www.facebook.com/nadeem.mirbahar    Karachi Pakistan. Cell +92-345-2890-037 Links: http://www.iucn.org, http:www.iucn.org/about/union/commissions/cem/ P Please don't print this e-mail unless you really need to. Save Ecosystems, Save life. From: Zulfiqar Halepoto <zhal...@yahoo.com> To: worldsindhinet <worldsi...@yahoogroups.com>; wsc-n...@egroups.com; sind...@yahoogroups.com; sindhi...@yahoogroups.com; sindk...@yahoogroups.com; sindh-p...@yahoogroups.com; Sind...@yahoogroups.com; inv...@yahoogroups.com; sana_...@yahoo.com; sindh...@yahoogroups.com; educat...@googlegroups.com; Cab...@yahoogroups.com; opinio...@yahoogroups.com; punjab_ngos_coor...@yahoogroups.com; writer...@yahoogroups.com; pak-you...@googlegroups.com; WW...@yahoogroups.com; pip...@yahoogroups.com; shaf...@gmail.com; cha...@comsats.net.pk; tasneem....@gmail.com; sat...@post.harvard.edu; b...@pes.comsats.net.pk; shaha...@hotmail.com; mb...@hotmail.com; an...@fas.harvard.edu; azizk...@gmail.com; wiz...@cyber.net.pk; sazd...@emirates.net.ae; yna...@cyber.net.pk; jawed...@gmail.com; p...@comsats.net.pk; Writer...@yahoogroups.com; Pak-You...@googlegroups.com Cc: Humera Alwani <alw...@cyber.net.pk>; akashan...@yahoo.com; Sehar Gul Bhatti <sgbh...@yahoo.com>; alyi...@hotmail.com; Ardeshir Cowasjee <ar...@cyber.net.pk>; Zamir Ghumro <barriste...@hotmail.yahoo.com>; Muzamil Halepota <muzamil....@gmail.com>; Akhtar Hussain <akht...@cyber.net.pk>; Manzoor Isran <m_i...@hotmail.com>; Sohail Kalhoro <kal...@gmail.com>; Ibrar Kazi <abra...@yahoo.com>; Muqtida Khan <muqti...@hotmail.com>; Irshad Laghari <irshad...@hotmail.com>; Mumtaz Langah <mumtaz...@yahoo.com>; Dr. Talib Lasharai <talibl...@hotmail.com>; Nusrat Lashari <n_la...@hotmail.com>; Fatah Marri <fat...@yahoo.com>; Shazia Marri <shazi...@yahoo.com>; Dr. Ali Matlo <cha...@yahoo.co.uk>; fayaz...@hotmail.com; Imran Niazi <nia...@hotmail.com>; Haider Nizamani <hniz...@hotmail.com>; Sarmad Palejo <conec...@yahoo.com>; Sassui Palejo <sas...@hotmail.com>; Fiz Qureshi <fizaqu...@yahoo.com>; Dr Karim Rajpar <drra...@hotmail.com>; Idris Rajput <idris...@hotmail.com>; Aamir Raza <engra...@hotmail.com>; Shahban Sahito <shahba...@gmail.com>; Agha Saleem <agha_...@hotmail.com>; Kamran Shafi <ksh...@yahoo.co.uk>; Shahid Shah <shahi...@inbox.com>; Dr Ayoub Shaikh <ayoub...@hotmail.com>; Inam Sheikh <inams...@hotmail.com>; amars...@yahoo.com; Imdad Soomro <imdad...@gmail.com>; sajid syed <sajids...@hotmail.com>; Mushtaque Talpur <mushtaq...@gmail.com>; Ishaq Tunio <itu...@hotmail.com>; yaseen veesar <yaseen...@gmail.com>; Rafi Wasan <rafi_...@yahoo.co.in>; Mushtaque Rajpar <mra...@yahoo.com>; kinza...@yahoo.com; khang...@thardeep.org; han...@yahoo.com; hees...@hotmail.com; shis...@yahoo.com; sako...@yahoo.com; awar...@yahoo.com; karama...@gmail.com; Zulfiqar Shah PILER <zulfiq...@yahoo.com>; sharafa...@hotmail.com; ayesh...@gmail.com; yuvs...@gmail.com; sing...@hotmail.com; cyr...@gmail.com; mahir.w...@gmail.com; nasim...@hotmail.com; cal...@hotmail.com; beena....@gmail.com; a...@ahmedquraishi.com; ba...@pattan.org; kamil...@hotmail.com; ise...@pathfinder9.com; huma....@gmail.com; drkh...@comsats.net.pk Sent: Fri, August 13, 2010 4:21:21 PM Subject: [CabNet] Flood IDPs in Sindh only demand one bread and a glass of water   Dear Friends,

Due to violent monsoon and floods thousands of people have already migrated from Ghotki, Sukkur, Larkana, Shikarpur and Jacobabad. In a latest development

90% of Jacobabad has been evacuated. Special trains have been mobilized for the refugees, heading towards Hyderabad and Karachi. Humanitarian Community is requested to respond accordingly. There may be some other camps but so far four camps are identified in Karachi by our civil society teams, political parties and media friends. KARACHI:Chakra Goth, Korangi: In this camp at least 40 families, migrated from Thul, Jacobabad are living in very vulnerable conditions. To babies were born during floods and they are in a very critical health conditions. (Nazir Hussain Dewro 0333 2284 325)Shah Rasool Colony, near Abdullah Shah Ghazi mazar, Saddar Town: 32 families are migrated from Kachho of Larkana, majority are women and minor kids. Please contact Wazir Thaheem, TRDP Karachi office 0333 7221751- 021 35868791-3) or ADO Saddar  Town, Imtiaz Ali Bughio 0300 700 2815)Mehmoodabad Graveyard:  45 families from different flood hit areas of upper Sindh are there and looking for help. Wazir Thaheem, TRDP Karachi office 0333 7221751- 021 35868791-3)Sachal Goth: hundreds of flood survivors, displaced and now living on footpaths in a very pathetic situation. (Ali Hasan 0345 8097712)HYDERABAD:There are many camps in Hyderabad and looked after by different people/forums/organizations but the organized one is arranged by IDO. You can contact TRDP Jamshoro office 0300 8377241 or Zain Daudpoto and Adee Sahar Rizvi ( 0331 3556353) for your support and aid.  More than 300 people are living in this camp. People living in camps badly need food, safe drinking water and medicines. Please come forward for the support, your little input can bring a major change.This is to further inform you that subject to mass evacuation of Jacobabad due to flood waters that are approaching fast to the city, Sindh Government has decided to move the IDPs from Jacobabad to Karachi, Hyderabad and Jamshoro. The current update is that CDGK has identified following four locations in Karachi where the IDPs will be brought in 1.      Gaddap

Bin Qasim Town Kiamari Toll Plaza

Flood survivors badly need camps, food, shelter, safe drinking water and health related stuff.  We have been informed that two trains have already left Jacobabad carrying the IDPs to Karachi. Further updates will be shared as soon as received.Dear Friends: There is a mix of opinion about charity and aid. Some friends called and refused to support government initiatives, some are of the view that they shall participate through NGOs, and some already sent their contributions to different foundations including EDHI. So whatever medium suit you…please come forward and support the cause.This email is based on the information collected different sources. Some friends and forums may have more information to ad so they are welcome.For further details don’t hesitate to contact me at any time

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Fragile Independence and Flood Disaster in Sindh Read my openion in DAWN http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/letters-to-the-editor/flood-and-independence-day-480       WE are celebrating the 63rd Independence Day of Pakistan with shattered hopes under an unstable democratic political system, bad governance, disappointing socio-economic indicators and the country’s worst humanitarian disaster in the form of turbulent rains and floods. UN systems and some international NGOs working on disaster management and Humanitarian Affairs have already declared that the number of people suffering from the massive floods in Pakistan could exceed the combined total in three recent mega-disasters: the Indian Ocean tsunami (2004), the Kashmir earthquake (2005), and the 2010 Haiti earthquake (2010). This comparison would help to understand the scale of the crisis and to frame a foolproof strategy to deal with it. The science of disaster mitigation suggests that initiation of four clusters (Health, Shelter & NFI, Food and Water, and Sanitation & Hygiene), as explained by the Dawn editorial (Aug 11), is an immediate must. Rehabilitation and resettlement of millions of displaced will be another great challenge for the government in the near future. On the other hand, the UN aid envoy to flood-stricken Pakistan has already warned that the people’s misery can always be exploited by those who have political or militant aims. Victims’ access to aid and basic livelihood items is the fundamental responsibility of the state. Hundreds of people are dead, millions are displaced, waterborne diseases are emerging rapidly and the relief and protection systems of the government are inadequate to meet the challenges of this tragedy. Looting and plundering of the valuables of religious minorities and other vulnerable groups goes on in the affected areas located in Sindh as law and order forces are engaged in relief work. According to the rural survivors in Sindh, their lives may have been spared by the flood but now hunger is killing them. Disaster neither possesses civic sense nor does it care about gender, culture and history. So the recent wave of monsoon and flood are ruining different archeological, historical and cultural sites of great importance from Kashmir to Keti Bandar. The centuries-old Sadh Bello temple under the mouth of the Indus at Sukkur barrage has been heavily damaged by the flood. Moen Jo Daro is already in a vulnerable situation due to criminal negligence of the authorities concerned and now due to heavy monsoon rains. Although the government has made high claims to control the situation, but the people are not going to trust its words as it has lost its credibility due to its governing style, corruption and capacity to deal with such great crisis. I have visited some of the areas of rural Sindh; hence I am of the view that if all parliamentarians treated this disaster as their election campaign work, there would be a different scenario in Sindh. Now every stakeholder needs to make sure that the victims of this unprecedented disaster are provided full support, including food, water, medicine and shelter to enable them to stand on their own feet. I request everyone to kindly help as much as they possibly can. Your support will make a huge difference. ZULFIQAR HALEPOTO Convener, Sindh Democratic Forum (SDF) Hyderabad

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

If you see any camp/settlement of flood effectees, please inform.   Respected Friends, Due to violent monsoon and floods thousands of people have already migrated from Ghotki, Sukkur, Larkana, Shikarpur, Dadu and Jacobabad. They are now heading towards Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Kotri and Karachi. Though government has already identified some camps but lot of people don’t know about these camps and are getting settled scattered in different parts of Karachi and Hyderabad and need help and support. In Karachi and Hyderabad lots of unorganized camps/settlements are identified by our by our civil society teams, friends from various political parties and media persons. There is a need to inform the relevant authorities including friends sitting in UN relief systems, in provincial and district government systems including PDMA about those camps/settlement. Please come forward and look into your surroundings and if you find any camp of displaced persons, temporary settlement of flood affected people, please inform us through email or phone and any focal or contact person so that we shall share that information with relief agencies and relevant stakeholders. Authorities are ready to rehabilitate and support all, your information sharing and efforts will make a great change.   Regards Zulfi 0300 8377241 zhal...@yahoo.com

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Disaster scale too high, capacity is low, what is best strategy..??? Dear Friends The entire country from Kashmir to Keti Bander is in the grip of holocaust sort of disaster. Catastrophic damages are increasing day by day and due to slow pace of relief and humanitarian services the situation is getting worst day by day. All stakeholders are trying hard to coup up with the situation but the scale of calamity is more than the capacity. Food shortage, access to food especially by women and children, shortage of shelters and now the abrupt emergence of different diseases among children and elders are the major challenges for our conscious to work hard to what extent we shall go. Rest is the responsibility of the state In this situation we can’t cover the entire country ….So now what to do…?????? The best strategy is to look after the camp, close to your home, neighborhood, workplace, town or city. With this strategy we are mobilizing friends not to get confused and disappointed at the scale of disaster, we love all our citizens and humanbeings but we all shall make MICRO focuses and start looking after nearby camps of flood victims and survivors. This strategy is successful in different camps of Karachi and Hyderabad. Today I received an email from one of our know civil society activist and Joint Secretary of Pakistan Peace Coalition (PPC), Saeen Paryal Mari, his team is looking after Shikarpur High School # 1, where hundreds of people are sheltered, now at least 1500 children and women are now encountered by various health problems due to non-hygienic environment and non-availability of safe drinking water. Survivors residing in this camp immediately needs health related drugs and medicines. You are requested to contact Saeen Paryal Mari (0300 3138617) and support his team’s effort to help the effected people. Regards Zulfi

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Dear all   Health and hygiene conditions in IDPs camp in different locations/cities/towns and areas are pathetic. This is a very critical aspect and need immediate humanitarian focus that would cause more human loss than has been caused by violent rain and flood itself. Aid should be hygiene and sanitation sensitive.   In this regard peace activists and different organizations including SAFMA India chapter are ready to bring 400 doctors to help aid workers and organization to improve health situation. This a great offer and government of Pakistan shall issue visas to all who are willing to work in disaster areas. For security reasons they are advised to be camped in different districts of Sindh.     I have sent the details to Farhatullah Babar Saheb to explain the situation to the President of Pakistan.   Zulfiqar Halepoto Secretary Pakistan Peace Coalition (PPC) Sindh chapter 0300 8377241     http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\08\17\story_17-8-2010_pg12_1   Treatment of flood victims ‘400 Indian doctors to arrive in Sindh’ By Amar Guriro KARACHI: As nations around the globe are planning to help Pakistan's flood victims, Indians have also decided to play their role by sending teams including 400 doctors and paramedical staff to work in the flood-hit districts. The Indian civil society, who wants to see peace between both nuclear rivals, will make all arrangements to send these teams. The Indian doctors will work in flood-affected districts of Sindh province, but will avoid visiting Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa because of Taliban threat. An Indian delegation of peace activists including Shri Sandeep Pandey of Voice of Ayodhiya, Mazher Hussain of Confederation of Voluntary Associations (COVA), Mumbai-based prominent human rights and social activists Feroze Mithiborwala, Gurudial Singh Sheetal, Monika Wahi, Zaid Ahmed Shaikh and others arrived in Pakistan on Sunday after holding rallies from Mumbai to Amritsar as part of recently announced Pakistan-India Peace Caravan, the 'Aman Ke Badhte Qadam'. During a meeting with peace activists of Pakistan, Mazher Hussain offered to send doctors' teams to flood-hit districts. "We want to see peace between both countries and if in situations like this, help comes from India, it will send a message of love. So we will send doctors and medical experts with medicines to help the flood-affected people," he said. COVA is an Indian Hyderabad-based network of over 800 organisations working in nine districts of Andhra Pradesh, and in the states of Gujarat, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir on different issues including peace. During the meeting Pak-India Joint Flood Relief Committee was formed comprising Shri Sandeep Pandey, Mazher Hussain and Feroze Mithiborwala from India and Adam Malik, BM Kutty, Karamat Ali, Pakistan Medical Association president Dr Tipu Sultan, South Asia Partnership Executive Director, Muhammad Tahseen and Dr AH Nayyar from Pakistan. "We will manage the arrival of the Indian doctors here so that they may start their work in flood-hit areas as soon as possible," said Mithiborwala. The meeting also decided that the Indian doctors would work in Sindh, a southern province of the country. "The law and order situation in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa is not good, so it will not be advisable to send them there, therefore we have decided to send them to areas in Sindh where they will be safe," said Kutty. Talking to Daily Times, committee member Adam Malik said that there was no Taliban presence in Sindh and the people would welcome the Indian guests with open arms. "Besides that in Sindh everyone will help Indian doctors work easily in the flood-hot areas," said Malik. The Indian members will manage the affairs till the teams reach Wagah from where the Pakistani members of the committee will take charge to bring them to the flood-hit areas. "In the meeting we also decided that the Indian members besides sending doctors would also collect funds, medicines, tents and dry food items in Indian cities," said Pak-India Peace Caravan spokesperson, Sharafat Ali. He said that the Indian delegation also brought 35,000 Indian Rupees and submitted the amount to the Labour flood relief camp, set up by Labour Party Pakistan. "We are also talking to Edhi Foundation to start relief work in flood-hit areas," he said. After causing widespread devastation in the north western and central parts of Pakistan, the floods, worst in 80 years, struck the southern Sindh province and badly affected more than five million people. In such conditions, the decision by Indian civil society to send doctors will boost the ongoing peace process.

[Zulfiqar Halepoto]

Flood Relief through Technology: Secretary Hillary Clinton used his personal cell phone and donates $ 10 for flood victims in Pakistan. She encouraged Americans to text "SWAT" to 50555 to help with relief efforts in Pakistan and assist those devastated by the historic floods that have so far killed at least 1,500 people and adversely affected 3 million. You'll be making a $10 donation to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees that will go toward providing tents, food, clothing, and clean water. (Reply with "yes" to confirm the gift.). I think this is one of technologically advanced and modern style of aid support. It is a good gesture by HC. http://hillary.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2010/08/04/clinton_help_pakistan_text_swat_to_50555   --- On Wed, 4/15/09, Zulfiqar Halepoto <zhal...@yahoo.com> wrote:

From: Zulfiqar Halepoto <zhal...@yahoo.com> Subject: [WorldSindhinet] TRDPs Research Study on Thar Coal & Sustainable Development To: "worldsindhinet" <worldsi...@yahoogroups.com>, wsc-n...@egroups.com, sind...@yahoogroups.com, sindhi...@yahoogroups.com, sindk...@yahoogroups.com, sindh-p...@yahoogroups.com, Sind...@yahoogroups.com, inv...@yahoogroups.com, sana_...@yahoo.com, sindh...@yahoogroups.com, educat...@googlegroups.com, Cab...@yahoogroups.com, opinio...@yahoogroups.com, punjab_ngos_coor...@yahoogroups.com, writer...@yahoogroups.com, pak-you...@googlegroups.com, WW...@yahoogroups.com, pip...@yahoogroups.com, shaf...@gmail.com, cha...@comsats.net.pk, tasneem....@gmail.com, sat...@post.harvard.edu, b...@pes.comsats.net.pk, shaha...@hotmail.com, mb...@hotmail.com, an...@fas.harvard.edu, azizk...@gmail.com, wiz...@cyber.net.pk, sazd...@emirates.net.ae, yna...@cyber.net.pk, jawed...@gmail.com, p...@comsats.net.pk, Writer...@yahoogroups.com, Pak-You...@googlegroups.com Cc: "Humera Alwani" <alw...@cyber.net.pk>, akashan...@yahoo.com, "Sehar Gul Bhatti" <sgbh...@yahoo.com>, alyi...@hotmail.com, "Ardeshir Cowasjee" <ar...@cyber.net.pk>, "Zamir Ghumro" <barriste...@hotmail.yahoo.com>, "Muzamil Halepota" <muzamil....@gmail.com>, "Akhtar Hussain" <akht...@cyber.net.pk>, "Manzoor Isran" <m_i...@hotmail.com>, "Sohail Kalhoro" <kal...@gmail.com>, "Ibrar Kazi" <abra...@yahoo.com>, "Muqtida Khan" <muqti...@hotmail.com>, "Irshad Laghari" <irshad...@hotmail.com>, "Mumtaz Langah" <mumtaz...@yahoo.com>, "Dr. Talib Lasharai" <talibl...@hotmail.com>, "Nusrat Lashari" <n_la...@hotmail.com>, "Fatah Marri" <fat...@yahoo.com>, "Shazia Marri" <shazi...@yahoo.com>, "Dr. Ali Matlo" <cha...@yahoo.co.uk>, fayaz...@hotmail.com, "Imran Niazi" <nia...@hotmail.com>, "Haider Nizamani" <hniz...@hotmail.com>, "Sarmad Palejo" <conec...@yahoo.com>, "Sassui Palejo" <sas...@hotmail.com>, "Fiz Qureshi" <fizaqu...@yahoo.com>, "Dr Karim Rajpar" <drra...@hotmail.com>, "Idris Rajput" <idris...@hotmail.com>, "Aamir Raza" <engra...@hotmail.com>, "Shahban Sahito" <shahba...@gmail.com>, "Agha Saleem" <agha_...@hotmail.com>, "Kamran Shafi" <ksh...@yahoo.co.uk>, "Shahid Shah" <shahi...@inbox.com>, "Dr Ayoub Shaikh" <ayoub...@hotmail.com>, "Inam Sheikh" <inams...@hotmail.com>, amars...@yahoo.com, "Imdad Soomro" <imdad...@gmail.com>, "sajid syed" <sajids...@hotmail.com>, "Mushtaque Talpur" <mushtaq...@gmail.com>, "Ishaq Tunio" <itu...@hotmail.com>, "yaseen veesar" <yaseen...@gmail.com>, "Rafi Wasan" <rafi_...@yahoo.co.in>, "Mushtaque Rajpar" <mra...@yahoo.com>, kinza...@yahoo.com, khang...@thardeep.org, han...@yahoo.com, hees...@hotmail.com, shis...@yahoo.com, sako...@yahoo.com, awar...@yahoo.com, karama...@gmail.com, "Zulfiqar Shah PILER" <zulfiq...@yahoo.com>, sharafa...@hotmail.com, ayesh...@gmail.com, yuvs...@gmail.com, sing...@hotmail.com, cyr...@gmail.com, mahir.w...@gmail.com, nasim...@hotmail.com, cal...@hotmail.com, beena....@gmail.com, a...@ahmedquraishi.com, ba...@pattan.org, kamil...@hotmail.com, ise...@pathfinder9.com, huma....@gmail.com, drkh...@comsats.net.pk

Date: Wednesday, April 15, 2009, 5:35 PM Dear Folks   I fee immense pleasure to share this news with you that an updated research study on Thar Coal is going to be released next month by Thardeep Rural Development programme (TRDP).   A base line research study was done by Thardeep Rural Development programme (TRDP), Thar’s leading civil society and research organization. Expertise of some of the leading/prominent researcher and development practitioners of Sindh were hired for that work.   Keeping in view the current status of Thar Coal issue and significance for national economic priority TRDP is again launching / re-producing the same report with update situation analysis. The aim of the re-production of the research study is to provide baseline information and scientific data to the policy and decision makers, legislators, line departments, civil society, media and other stakeholders.   This research study will help to understand the demographic and geographic patterns of Thar, community, environmental issue, socio-economic realities, and political landscape and project related issues like displacement, rehabilitation, burdens for the local people and effected communities.   This report is re-produced in Sindhi, English and Urdu. Arrangments of the launch of the report through a civil society dialogue in mid May 2009, are ging on.   Profound Regards Zulfiqar Halepoto Senior Advisor Policy Advocacy and Civil Society Interface Thardeep Rural Development programme (TRDP)     A brief about Thar and coal:   Thar is known as purgatory of poverty and drought. On the contrary Thar Desert enjoys the availability of enormous resources including Coal. These natural resources of Thar can benefit entire Pakistan and the whole economy. Thar Coal and its connectivity with Keti Bandar project can add billions of rupees to the national exchequer. That Coal can really end the energy crisis of this country. That Coal can be (to certain degree) converted in to drinking water for Tharees.   Shaheed Benazir Bhutto in her last government envisaged the idea and by realized the potential of Coal and understand it s support to the overall economy and gave priority to the project buy knowing the merits and profits of the project.   This government has again initiated upon Benazir Bhutto's vision to supplement to the national economy was treated as "Sindh Interest" and project was suspended. Still this project has merits and need priority focus of the policy makers. Here are two articles in this regard. Please go-through these reading, which are exclusively written to high-light this issue of national interest.     Notes from one of the articles of Syed Mohibullah Shah (energy and coal expert) Government has promised to solve the manifold problems of the poor people of the most backward area of the country. The dark and difficult days for the people of Tharparkar will be over as soon as the Thar Coal project started.   The problems of the people of Tharparkar are known to all but have remained neglected despite repeated studies on the region, plans, seminars, conferences and visits by our policymakers. What has been conspicuous by its absence throughout the years has been the will to implement and act upon these studies and deliver the benefits to the people. The almost total absence of any employment opportunities, drinking water, health and educational facilities have created sub-human living conditions, and bear testimony to a serious lack of commitment. But for the destructive style of our governance, the poor people of Tharparkar would, by now, be actually enjoying the benefits of employment of their skilled as well as unskilled workforce, along with drinking water, health and educational facilities and an extensive communication network. Here is a test to demonstrate the seriousness of their commitment and do something really worthwhile to eradicate the poverty and misery that the people there have been subjected to for generations. They can show the seriousness of their commitment by reviving a well-researched, integrated, tried and tested, investor-supported, long-term and sustainable development initiative which was meant to tackle not only the problems of the people of Tharparkar, but also open up employment and economic opportunities for the rest of the country. Here are some basic facts to get them going. Ever since 1964, when the first feasibility study for the use of Thar coal was completed, a number of similar studies have been carried out by experts, establishing the huge abundance of good quality, easily extractable coal and other mineral deposits in Tharparkar and their potential benefits for Pakistan. (There are over 175 billion tons of proven reserves of good quality coal spread over 9,000 square kilometres of the Thar desert . Compare the figures to India 's total coal deposits of 140 billion tons.) Yet, for 40 years, these reserves remained untapped, and employment and economic opportunities was denied to the people. Water scarcity in Thar has reduced the quality of life to almost sub-human level. Yet technology exists to produce potable water from coal at the same time the mineral is utilized for power generation. Thar coal has a very large water content (over 40 per cent of its weight) which is capable of providing an abundant water supply. Coal has been extensively used elsewhere - in Europe , the United States , Australia , China and many other places. It was employed in the industrialization of these countries in the 19th and 20th centuries. Even today, in the 21st century, 40 per cent of the total global power generation comes from coal. In some countries, this figure is over 60 per cent. Yet, Pakistan , sitting on one of the five largest coal deposits in the world, provides for less than a pitiable three per cent of its electricity needs from the same resource. It is a paradox that, given this situation, successive governments in Pakistan have continued to increase the country's dependence on imported fuel oil. This policy obliges Pakistan to make huge annual payments in foreign exchange from its meagre earnings, creating jobs and profits in foreign lands while denying the same benefits to its citizens in the country. Further, where is the wisdom in increasing the country's dependence on external energy sources over whose availability, transportation and price Pakistan has no control? Especially when a rich indigenous source of energy has been lying untapped for decades? If the surface is scratched, one can see why the Thar coal project never materialized. After many arguments, discussions and delays, a breakthrough was finally achieved when a detailed and long-term development initiative through private foreign investment was completed for the extensive exploitation and development of Pakistan 's coal reserves through its Thar coal fields. It was envisaged that this would spearhead major economic development and employment generation activities throughout the country. With over 200,000 jobs flowing from it over the years, the project could have ranked right at the top among all investments made in Pakistan - domestic or foreign. The project, which was widely marketed to investors from many countries, attracted $1.8 billion in direct foreign investment and included the development of coal mines, power generation of over 5,000 MWs, the construction of infrastructure including roads and railway lines and a port at Keti Bandar. This port would also be available to handle the country's other international trade at extremely competitive rates. All funding was in the form of direct foreign investment. There was no funding required for the project - in rupee or foreign exchange - from the government of Pakistan . The Thar coal/Keti Bandar project received the approval of all related federal and provincial authorities. The Keti Bandar port project was also cleared by the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee headed by ACM Farooq Feroze Khan in a briefing in early 1997, and an NOC was issued. Despite the fact that after detailed research and extensive marketing, a major labour-intensive investment project had finally materialized for one of the poorest regions of the country, work on the project was abruptly cancelled by the Nawaz Sharif government within a few months of its induction. No reason was given. The investors (by then an Atlanta-based American company had purchased from the original investor - Hong Kong tycoon Gordon Wu - the Asian segment of his company covering investment projects in Indonesia, Thailand and Pakistan) were forced to abandon the project, close their offices and leave the country. Since the investment project was being closed for no reason other than the insistence of the government, the latter was obliged to pay the investors $5 million of their performance guarantee deposited with the Sindh government. The poor people of Tharparkar had lost again. Only this time, their pain and resentment was so much greater. Although the project had cleared all hurdles of scrutiny and independent assessments by two reputed investor groups from different parts of the world, who had committed nearly $2 billion in the project, it was shot down by the then government interested more in settling scores than serving the people. If government wants to help the people of Tharparkar and indeed step up economic activity in the country, it would do well to revive this important project on which so much work had already been completed rather than let another round of delaying tactics start all over again. Foreign investors have grown so wary of our style of governance that whichever group is attracted to this project would require the government to provide credible guarantees for responsible governance under recognized provisions of international investment laws and settlement of investment disputes, in accordance with internationally recognized dispute resolution mechanisms. Ultimately, however, all investments, and indeed every claim to "development" must translate into the peoples' well-being and prosperity. Balancing the accounting books, controlling waste and corruption, improving efficiency, curbing nepotism etc are good management practices and must be done fairly, objectively and across the board. That is good management. But that alone is not good governance. The concept of governance is much larger and more inclusive than mere administration or management. The "good" in good governance comes from the utilitarian concept of "the greatest good of the greatest number". In the corporate sector, good corporate governance maximizes the value for the shareholders - who are the owners of the corporation. That is the ultimate test of good corporate governance and all strategies and internal and external control factors are "good" measures only in so far as these contribute towards the ultimate objective of corporate governance i.e. increasing benefits to the shareholders. Similarly, in public governance; sound administrative measures and management practices must contribute to good governance, as these are the means towards achieving the end - increasing the well-being and prosperity of the people. Therefore, "governance" must be seen in the context of the benefits flowing to the governed from all these and other good management practices. No claim to good governance can be taken seriously unless it is measured on the index of the benefits and prosperity it brings to the governed - the people who are the owners of the state. It is about time that the people got an opportunity to benefit from good governance, not in the shape of a few crumbs marketed as "development projects", but in the swift and honest implementation of the Thar coal/ Keti Bandar project. __._,_.___ Post message: WorldSi...@yahoogroups.com Subscribe:  WorldSindhin...@yahoogroups.com Unsubscribe:  WorldSindhine...@yahoogroups.com List owner:  WorldSindh...@yahoogroups.com Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required) Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe __,_._,___