Loud Thinking

Archive for June, 2014

Is the cat out of the bag..?

Rigging charges:

NADRA concedes ballot stuffing in NA-118 constituency

By Arif RanaPublished: June 26, 2014

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In its verification report to election tribunal on June 9, it said 259 polling bags contained bogus votes. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
ISLAMABAD:

The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has finally conceded in its verification report that 259 out of the 325 polling bags of constituency NA-118, Lahore, contained bogus ballots, Express Investigation Cell (EIC) learnt on Wednesday.

According to experts, NADRA had submitted its verification report to the election tribunal on June 9, which spoke of unprecedented rigging in NA-118 in last year’s general elections.

Some officials of the database authority partook in adding bogus votes in the constituency’s polling bags during the last week of May to change the result in Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s favour.
NADRA authorities allegedly switched off CCTV cameras of the office where they were carrying out the illegal activity.

After the incident was reported in the media, NADRA authorities reportedly forced officials responsible for security to give a back-dated written statement that CCTV cameras were out of order much before May 22, revealed officials.

Interior minister Chaudhary Nisar summoned Imtiaz Tajwar to his chamber in parliament last week to seek an explanation from him about why NADRA indulged in such dubious activities, they added.

Moreover, it was revealed that the body’s networks director, Shehzad, and his team who were responsible for CCTV cameras were transferred from the headquarters to Nadra Technologies Limited (NTL) in the third week of June.
In response to an EIC questionnaire, NADRA’s spokesperson Faik Ali denied the accusation that acting NADRA chairman had called the security chief and other officials concerned on June 7 (Saturday, a weekly holiday) to force them to give the desired statement of the cameras being out of order before May 22.

He maintained that NADRA has footage of the election material being handed over to officials in the presence of Justice (Retd) Munir Ahmed Mughal and there was no possibility of any change in the result of the constituency.
Officials claim that NADRA has submitted an ambiguous verification report to the election tribunal to intentionally add more confusion in the case. It confirmed that the database authority received election material of NA-118 consisting 325 polling bags from 251 polling stations of the constituency but still said, in the following paragraph, that NADRA needs the complete election material from the constituency for further verification.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 26th, 2014.

My Twitter Message….

@nayyarahmad: @GenKhalidRabani

Sir, why not to allow Malik Riaz to look after the IDP’s as he has requested?

My Twitter Message:-

@nayyarahmad: @GenKhalidRabani

Sir, Pak should make efforts to deploy drones for surveillance around sensitive airports like Peshawar, Karachi Quetta etc

He (Altaf Hussain) said – while criticizing the government over handling of Tahirul Qadri’s arrival – that if he revealed the details of how Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri’s plane circulated in the air seven times, those sitting in Raiwind will start feeling dizzy.

Dunya News

“The most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the government and I’m here to help.”

— Ronald Reagan

How to control prices in the holy month of Ramzan?

All the provincial and district governments must ensure that the government approved rate lists of each and every item, must be BOLDLY and PROMINENTLY displayed at each and every shop, Khokha and Rehri; and must also be advertised daily in the media.

Although, this will NOT completely eliminate the overcharging and extra profiteering by the sellers; yet, it will be a big deterrent and relief in over charging and to a large extent, will also be very effective against the hoarders, as well. Basically, the hoarders are responsible for the Ramzan price hikes.

Moreover, telephone numbers of the concerned officials of the district administration, should also be printed on the price lists, in bold font, for the public to register their complaints for swift action, against the sellers who are found to be overcharging, during the Holy month of Ramzan.

Secondly, a public volunteers team should also be formed, to assist the local administration, in enforcing sale of items on government’s fixed rates.

Thirdly, to instil fear of law into the hearts of the overcharging persons, such unscrupulous persons, must immediately be jailed (without bail) for 30 days, after same day court trials.

All MNA’s, MPA’s, retired government servants of grade 20 and above and ALL serving government servants of grade 17 and above, should be vested with the powers of the 1st Class magistrate to speed up the trial process, in this regard.

“Most of us, swimming against the tides of trouble the world knows nothing about, need only a bit of praise or encouragement — and we will make the goal.”

— Robert Collier

“Sometimes, reaching out and taking someone’s hand is the beginning of a journey. At other times, it is allowing another to take yours.”

—Vera Nazarian (born 1966);
Author

Choose the Right Words in an Argument

by Amy Gallo | 9:00 AM June 16, 2014

Link:- http://blogs.hbr.org/2014/06/choose-the-right-words-in-an-argument/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+harvardbusiness%2Fweekly-hotlist+%28HBR+Blog+Network+Newsletter+Feed+-+Weekly+Hotlist%29&cm_ite=WeeklyHotlist-062314+%281%29&cm_lm=sp%3Anayyar51%40hotmail.com&cm_ven=Spop-Email

Why Women Don’t Negotiate Their Job Offers

by Hannah Riley Bowles | 2:00 PM June 19, 2014

Link:- http://blogs.hbr.org/2014/06/why-women-dont-negotiate-their-job-offers/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+harvardbusiness%2Fweekly-hotlist+%28HBR+Blog+Network+Newsletter+Feed+-+Weekly+Hotlist%29&cm_ite=WeeklyHotlist-062314+%281%29&cm_lm=sp%3Anayyar51%40hotmail.com&cm_ven=Spop-Email