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After Pakistan Day Reception, General VK Singh Tweets of ‘Disgust’ and ‘Duty’
Edited by Abhinav Bhatt | Updated: Mar 23, 2015 23:56 IST

VK Singh looks on as Pakistani Envoy Abdul Basit speaks during a reception on Pakistan National Day at Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi (PTI Photo)
New Delhi:
Just after he attended a reception by the Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit in Delhi, union minister and former army chief General VK Singh tweeted of “disgust” and “duty”.

#DUTY The force that binds one morally or legally to one’s obligations

Vijay Kumar Singh (@Gen_VKSingh) March 23, 2015

#DISGUST To sicken or fill with loathing

Vijay Kumar Singh (@Gen_VKSingh) March 23, 2015

The tweets are being seen as rebellion by the minister, who was asked to attend the event by the government, and an embarrassment for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. After he was allegedly asked to clarify his tweeter, the minister tweeted that he was “disgusted to see certain sections of the media are twisting this issue.”

The Pakistan envoy’s dinner was to mark his country’s Republic Day. Among the attendees were Kashmiri separatist leaders like Mirwaiz Uaar Farooq, the chairman of the Hurriyat Conference. Though invitations to the separatists are standard practice, the envoy’s remark irked India.

“I do not think the Indian government will have objections,” Mr Basit said this morning of his invite to Kashmiri separatist leaders.

“There should be no scope for misunderstanding or misrepresenting India’s position on the role of the so- called Hurriyat. Let me reiterate there are only two parties and there is no place for a third party in resolution of India-Pakistan issues,” rebuked Foreign Ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin.

However, the government then decided that General Singh, who is Minister of State for External Affairs, should attend the dinner. He had been invited a few days ago.

PM Narendra Modi tweeted that he had greeted his counterpart Nawaz Sharif for Islamabad’s Republic Day, which was marked after seven years with a parade in the Pakistan capital.

“There is nothing stronger in the world than gentleness.”

— Han Suyin

Why not in Pakistan underwater wave farm for power & water, as in Australia? http://t.co/Bpy1jsWEIt

After a speech one day, Zig Ziglar was approached by someone in the audience who said:

“Zig, it was a great speech, but…motivation doesn’t last.”

Zig said, “Bathing doesn’t either. That’s why I recommend it daily!”

THE MANAGEMENT TIP OF THE DAY: Harvard Business Review

March 23, 2015

Build a Relationship with Your Virtual Boss

Working virtually requires taking a proactive approach for building a relationship with your boss. To develop trust, ensure clear communication, and establish accountability:
Set rules for communication. People on virtual teams assume that connecting more often solves the problem of distance. But this usually leads to information overload. Instead, set an appropriate cadence of communications: Is it a daily call or a weekly call?
Build interpersonal trust. Commonalities bind virtual teams together. Send an email to your boss sharing more about who you are. Have regular personal-professional check-ins at the start of meetings by spending 30 seconds or so sharing what’s going on personally and professionally in your life, including happy events and challenges.
Go overboard to help your boss. Generosity accelerates emotional bonding and shows you care about your boss’s success.
Agree to be candid. Don’t be conflict-avoidant – it’s one of the most destructive attributes of many company cultures.

Adapted from “Working Smoothly with a Virtual Boss” by Keith Ferrazzi.

Wake up Pakistan : Jaag Pakistan Jaag

Latest update about the ever worsening economic foundations of Pakistan from a news item titled “Rs4 trillion bonds may deal a blow to economy” published by the daily “Dawn” dated April 12, 2015 quoted as below:

Quote.”The high-yielding long-term Pakistan Investment Bonds (PIBs) could deal a blow to the economy as volume of bonds crossed Rs4 trillion on March 31, the State Bank reported on Friday.

As over-dependence on PIBs hurts, and borrowings piles up domestic debt, it cripples the banking system, compromising its capacity to serve as an important institution for development of economy.

The banks’ rising profits are the direct outcome of government’s debt servicing. Another report of State Bank said the government had to pay Rs746bn as debt servicing during July-Jan FY15.

The amount can easily cross Rs1.2tr in the remaining five months, a huge burden on economy struggling to contain its fiscal imbalances.” Unquote.

(Kindly peruse below an OLD but still very relevant article on the economic downslide of Pakistan, where now we are forced to take fresh loans, to repay the old loans, which in economic terms is NOT virtual, but REAL bankruptcy).

This has reference to the news item of 01 December 2012, by Mehtab Haider titled “Total debt scales Rs.14.5 trillion mark” published by the daily “The News” link :- http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-3-145837-Total-debt-scales-Rs145-trillion-mark

The gist of the above reveals the extremely precarious economic situation of Pakistan, as below.

1. Pakistan’s public debt and liabilities crossed Rs.13.5 trillion by end-September 2012, as per SBP data released on 30 November, 2012. However, a closer look reading of the data showed that the size of total debt is Rs.14.5 trillion.

2. According to SBP data total debt and liabilities at end of September 2012, touched $66.24 billion.

3. BY THE END OF JUNE 2012, PAKISTAN’S DEBT-TO-GDP RATIO STOOD AT 61.5%.

4. According to the former economic adviser Dr. Ashfaque Hassan Khan. “Even now, interest repayments are consuming 56 percent of the FBR’s revenue. And these unsustainable levels of public debt will be a burden on future generations who will service this debt through exorbitant taxation.”

5. Analysts say that irresponsible fiscal management, sharp depreciation of the Rupee (from Rs.60 to a dollar to Rs.97 to a dollar – in the last four years) and low economic growth, have caused the surge in public debt.

In view of the foregoing, it is clearly evident that we have reached a stage, where even alarm bells ringing time has passed. The economy of Pakistan is not sinking, it has already sunk. Imports are more than the double of the exports. Foreign exchange reserves are fast depleting.

However, what is very alarming and strange that the entire government and the parliament is silent over the issue, as if, they are in collusion with each other, on (God forbid) this virtual economic demise of the country. Otherwise, at least a single person from the entire parliament would have raised his voice, over violation of the binding on the government, for not exceeding the debt-to-GDP ratio over 60%. (Please refer para 3 above).

We should remember that USSR was not dis-membered due to the violation or collapse of its geographical boundaries. Rather, it was the collapse of its economy, which destroyed a superpower overnight. The USSR broke down without firing of a single bullet, just due to its economic melt down. If, even at this later stage, patriotic Pakistanis won’t raise their voice over this virtual economic collapse of the country, then be ready, history will never forgive us, for our collective Harakiri. No amount of military or nuclear power, can save a nation from its demise, due to the economic collapse. Yes, collective will power of its people, can save a nation from any crisis, but that too if the people are are not too late, as time and tide waits for none.

Although, Pakistan is in a perpetual state of war, for more than a decade yet, the government never acted in a manner, that would reflect even slight realisation on its part, to make its expenses in a more prudent manner. No economy measures imposed to either reduce the size of the bloated cabinet, stop payments of foreign exchange to top government functionaries who are entitled for such perks, or even restrict purchase of new cars etc. This is extreme callousness with the nation. On the other side, high and mighty are enjoying benefits which even a rich country like Switzerland, can not afford to its VIP’s, for example allowing instalment payment of power bills of their factories, over a period of 2000 YEARS. The Pakistani VIP class is enjoying such facilities and benefits which even the Queen of England would envy.

Now business as usual can not be continued.

The economic treason with the state of Pakistan, by all the concerned, looks like a fit case for the patriotic people in the government, opposition (in and out of parliament) and the entire civil society, to demand the immediate formation of a very lean national government, which should impose an economic emergency and also take necessary action on the question that “why all the concerned remained silent when the debt-to-GDP ratio exceeded 60%, that too, five months back on 30 June, 2012.” Don’t forget when the same problem was faced by the US government, even the salaries were not paid, till such time, President Barack Obama, got approval from the law makers, for enhancing the expenditures limit.

It will not be out of place to end this note with quote of the Midwestern tycoon Warren Buffett, who once gave an easy solution to America ’s debt problem on CNBC:
“I could end the deficit in five minutes. You just pass a law that says that anytime there is a deficit of more than three percent of GDP all sitting members of congress are ineligible for reelection. “