Loud Thinking

Archive for October, 2024

Excellency Damodardas Narendra Modi,

Greetings.

It would have been a great honour for us in Pakistan to personally welcome you at the SCO meeting. While we regret your absence, we deeply appreciate your government’s positive gesture in sending Dr. S. Jaishankar, Minister for External Affairs, to represent India at the SCO summit held here.

In this spirit, we propose that the current leadership of both India and Pakistan seize this opportunity to foster peace in our region. We suggest adopting a new approach identifying the core, complex issues that require trust to be resolved and, for a decade, freezing all disputes that cannot be immediately addressed.

During this period, India and Pakistan can focus on restoring full diplomatic and friendly relations. Confidence-building measures could include a gradual withdrawal of troops from the Line of Control (LoC), visa-free travel for citizens, enhanced trade opportunities for businesses, and cultural exchanges. Additionally, easing restrictions on sports, cultural visits, and media access between our two nations would help promote mutual understanding and goodwill.

A temporary “no-war pact” could be established, including a 90% reduction of troops in Jammu and Kashmir and a full withdrawal from the Siachen region for the next ten years. To prevent any misunderstandings or escalations, joint patrolling of the LoC by Indo-Pak troops alongside UN observers should be considered as part of this peace initiative. Such measures would not only ease tensions but also unlock immense economic potential for millions in both countries.

Your Excellency, the common people of India and Pakistan are tired of the ongoing hostility between our two closest neighbors. They desire peace and prosperity, as demonstrated by the gratitude Indian farmers have shown towards Mr. Asif Sharif, a renowned Pakistani agricultural expert whose guidance has greatly improved their chemicals free farming practices. This shared human connection highlights the potential for collaboration, rather than conflict, to improve lives across the subcontinent.

Now, we are presented with a rare and golden opportunity. It is time for the leadership of both nations to come together to eradicate poverty, hunger, and disease, as Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has often advocated. Let us work hand in hand to realize the dreams of peace for over 1.5 billion people.

This opportunity for peace may not come again for decades. It is crucial that India’s political and military planners recognize that strategies based on low-intensity conflict, covert operations, or “offensive-defense” tactics are obsolete in the face of nuclear realities. Both nations, being nuclear-armed, must evolve beyond these outdated paradigms. The specter of mutually assured destruction (MAD) necessitates a fresh vision focused on preventing any nuclear provocation, regardless of no-first-use policies or retaliatory doctrines.

If Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi can share a Nobel Peace Prize for their dedication to education and child rights, imagine how history will honor the courage of Narendra Modi and Shahbaz Sharif in resolving the challenges of poverty, disease, and illiteracy for over 1.5 billion people in the region.

Excellency, war brings only death and devastation, while peace brings hope, prosperity, and happiness. We should aspire for India and Pakistan to live not as divided as Korea, but united in a spirit of cooperation, like Europe.

With best wishes and kind regards,

Syed Nayyar Uddin Ahmad
Lahore, Pakistan.

An Open Letter to Dr. S. Jaishankar, Honourable Minister of External Affairs, Government of India.

Your Excellency Dr. S. Jaishankar

Greetings

On behalf of the people of Pakistan, it is with great respect and anticipation that we welcome you on your maiden visit to our country in connection with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Islamabad. This visit holds profound significance, not only in the context of the multilateral framework of the SCO but also in the historical narrative of our bilateral relationship. At this pivotal moment, we must seize the opportunity to reflect on our shared history, our present challenges, and, most importantly, the immense potential of a peaceful and prosperous future for both India and Pakistan.

As we welcome you, we extend our warm wishes to all the people of India for a happy, peaceful, and prosperous future. We, the people of Pakistan, would like to communicate to our Indian brothers and sisters that if we are to genuinely pursue friendship, that friendship must be true, devoid of pretension or hypocrisy. Authentic relations can only be built on the foundation of mutual respect, understanding, and a sincere commitment to peace. It is in this spirit that we urge both our nations to move beyond the distrust that has defined much of our shared history and to embark on a new journey of cooperation.

The truth is, neither Pakistan nor India has anything to gain from hostilities. Even if, hypothetically, either side harboured ambitions of domination, the reality of today’s world, particularly in light of our nuclear capabilities, renders such notions futile. A conflict between our nations would bring nothing but devastation for both, and indeed, for the broader region. The idea that one can emerge victorious without severe consequences is an illusion. We are intertwined not only by geography but by the shared futures of over one and a half billion people. It is time to recognize that war, in any form, is not an option — for either of us.

So why continue to waste precious time, energy, and resources in sustaining policies of enmity that only perpetuate this futile cycle of hatred? Why should we remain prisoners of the past, clinging to historical grievances that offer no solution for the future?

It is time to bury the bitterness of the past and embrace a new era of genuine friendship, akin to the remarkable transformation witnessed in Europe. There, nations that were once bitter enemies — countries that fought two devastating world wars — now live in peace and harmony. Their borders are open, their economies integrated, and their collective energies focused on development and progress rather than conflict. Europe’s story is one of reconciliation and renewal, and it serves as an inspiring example for South Asia.

We echo the timeless sentiment:

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Let us, too, have genuine peace — not the mere absence of war, but the presence of trust, cooperation, and mutual benefit. Let us take the bold step of removing military forces from our borders, not out of weakness or naiveté, but out of the confidence that peace is the only path forward. By doing so, we would signal to the world, and to each other, that we are serious about our commitment to a peaceful subcontinent.

Together, let us wage a war, not against each other, but against the true enemies of our people: poverty, hunger, disease, and illiteracy. Let us transform our region into a bastion of peace and a haven of prosperity, where future generations can live without the shadow of conflict hanging over them.

Ring out false pride in place and blood,
The civic slander and the spite;
Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.
Ring out old shapes of foul disease,
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.

India and Pakistan, with their rich histories and immense human potential, only need a decade of genuine peace to emerge as global economic and cultural powerhouses. The talent, creativity, and resilience of our peoples, once unburdened by conflict, will propel both nations to unprecedented heights. But this transformation hinges on one critical condition: authentic peace. A peace that mirrors the unity of Europe, a region once riddled with conflict but now thriving as a model of cooperation and collective progress.

Why should India and Pakistan continue on a path that keeps us divided, much like the Koreas? Why not strive instead to emulate the unity of Europe, where former adversaries now work hand-in-hand for the common good? Europe’s success was born out of pragmatism, not sentimentality. It was the realization that cooperation, not conflict, was the key to a brighter future.

Today, both India and Pakistan possess nuclear arsenals, and the concept of one nation “conquering” the other has been rendered obsolete. A full-scale war between us, especially a nuclear one, would result in mutual destruction, leaving no winners, only desolation. The very idea of a “victory” through war is a dangerous delusion. History has shown us, through figures like Hitler and Mussolini, that such ambitions only lead to catastrophe.

Thus, peace is not just a choice for India and Pakistan — it is the only option. Challenges between our nations will always exist, but we must prioritize peace above all else. It is time to transcend our differences, not by ignoring them, but by managing them in a way that fosters understanding rather than conflict.

One key issue that continues to strain our relationship is Kashmir, the unfinished agenda of the partition. While this issue remains deeply emotional and complex, it must be resolved fairly, with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people at the forefront. The UN resolutions provide a framework, but the best way forward may be to give the people of Kashmir, on both sides of the Line of Control, a ten-year cooling-off period. During this time, unhindered trade and hassle-free travel should be allowed, enabling Kashmiris to build bridges of understanding.

Excellency, let us turn a new page in our history with a simple yet profound slogan: Long live the friendship of the teeming millions of India and Pakistan. Together, we can build a future where both our nations thrive, and our people prosper in peace and harmony.

Best wishes for your visit,

Syed Nayyar Uddin Ahmad
Lahore, Pakistan.

Proposals for Constitutional Amendments to Serve the Public Interest

1. Ban on Export of Raw and Unprocessed Minerals
   A constitutional amendment should immediately impose a ban on the export of raw and unprocessed minerals, precious minerals, gems, gemstones, and rare earth metals from Pakistan. This step will preserve the country’s natural resources for domestic value-added industries.
2. Capital Punishment for Acid Attack Offenders
   Those convicted of acid attacks, including accomplices, should face a public death sentence. The complete judicial process, including any mercy appeal to the President of Pakistan, should be concluded within 30 days, with courts working continuously, even during holidays, to ensure swift justice.
3. Death Penalty for Food and Medicine Adulteration
   Individuals involved in food adulteration—including items such as bottled water, beverages, dairy products, and the use of harmful chemicals—should be sentenced to death. This penalty also applies to the adulteration of all types of medicines. The legal proceedings should be concluded within 27 days, with the convicted parties publicly executed within three days of the final judgment.
4. Life Imprisonment for Unnecessary Cesarean Surgeries
   Medical professionals who conduct unnecessary cesarean surgeries should face life imprisonment. Legal proceedings must be completed within 15 days. In addition, medical regulatory bodies should develop strict, internationally-aligned guidelines for cesarean procedures and publish surgery statistics daily on their respective websites, including details of the doctors, hospitals, and clinics involved.
5. Punishment for Disrespecting Pakistan’s National Anthem
   A five-year rigorous imprisonment (RI) sentence should be imposed on any Pakistani or foreign national found disrespecting the national anthem of Pakistan.
6. Decentralization of Governance to Empower Regional Units
   The Constitution of Pakistan should be amended to convert all the civil divisions into independent administrative units or provinces with nomenclature of PK-1 onwards granting them maximum financial and administrative autonomy. Moreover, these units can be given be named as PK-1 onwards, which will also help minimise the menace of provincialism and regionalism. This model can draw inspiration from Switzerland’s federal structure, where cantons hold sovereignty in areas not explicitly reserved for the central government. Implementing this change in its true spirit would significantly reduce terrorism and lawlessness, which have escalated like a Frankenstein’s monster in Pakistan. Additionally, this “bottom-up” governance system would enable faster economic growth, helping to combat the exploding population and alleviate pressures on the health and education sectors.
   Conclusion
   These proposed amendments aim to bring about substantial improvements in minimising the increasing scrouge of terrorism and general lawlessness, governance, and economic development, ensuring a more secure and prosperous future for Pakistan.
   Syed Nayyar Uddin Ahmad
   +92 321 9402157
   Lahore
   October 14, 2024

After reading the following three eye-opening articles of Dr. Ikram ul Haq, there remains no doubt that despite the cover-up of almost all the previous governments of Pakistan still if the herculean task of retrieving untaxed/ill-gotten assets of Pakistanis stashed abroad is given to Dr. Ikram ul Haq (with free hand and full protection) we can get so much funds that very soon Pakistan can become an income tax tax-free country for the general public.

1. Assets Stashed Abroad and Dirty Games of Politicians
   5 October 2024

https://thefridaytimes.com/05-Oct-2024/assets-stashed-abroad-and-dirty-games-of-politicians

2. The Hunt for Dirty Money in Pakistan
   6 April 2024

https://thefridaytimes.com/06-Apr-2024/the-hunt-for-dirty-money-in-pakistan

3. Retrieving untaxed/ill-gotten assets – II

20 February 2020

https://www.brecorder.com/news/574853

Proposed Amendments in the Public Interest:

1. Capital Punishment for Acid Attack Offenders and Accomplices

It is proposed that any individual found guilty of perpetrating or abetting an acid attack should be sentenced to death. The court should adjudicate the case at all levels within 15 working days, and if convicted, the offender and accomplices should be executed by public hanging within three days of the final verdict.

2. Capital Punishment for Food and Medicine Adulteration Offenders

Any person involved in the adulteration of food, including bottled water, beverages, processed or unprocessed milk, foods, sweets, and the use of non-food-grade chemicals or colors, as well as the manufacturing of substandard or harmful food products, medicines, should face the death penalty. The legal process must be concluded at all levels within 15 working days, with public execution of the convicted parties within three days following the final judgment.

3. Life Imprisonment for Unnecessary Cesarean Surgeries

Medical professionals, including both licensed and unlicensed practitioners, who perform unnecessary cesarean surgeries should be sentenced to life imprisonment. Legal proceedings should be completed within 15 days. Furthermore, professional medical bodies should develop clear, internationally-aligned guidelines for cesarean operations. This should include the mandatory daily publication of relevant surgery statistics, including the details of doctors, hospitals, and medical centers involved, on their respective websites.

4. Award of 10 years RI punishment for any Pakistani or foreign citizen disrespecting national anthem of Pakistan.