Loud Thinking

Archive for the ‘My Views’ Category

The news published at ESPNcricinfo.com quoted as below, that ICC is not willing to send its officials for supervising the planned cricket matches to be played between Pakistan and Bangladesh, scheduled in April 2012, is really disappointing to say the least. Rather than ICC helping revive international cricket in Pakistan, by sending a world XI, it is relegating the BD cricket teams tour to Pakistan, almost to a nonevent, as if it was hockey or rugby and does not pertains under the ambit of ICC. This is NOT Cricket.

Quote. “ICC news

ICC frames plan for ‘unsafe’ series
Nagraj Gollapudi
March 7, 2012

The ICC has introduced a “special dispensation” to be made only in “exceptional circumstances” in order to ensure that bilateral series take place even if the ruling body has determined it “unsafe” to appoint its officials for such series. This would allow such series to be manned by “non-neutral match officials”, a departure from the ICC’s Standard Playing Conditions, pending permission from the ICC’s Executive Board.

The dispensation, announced at the end of the ICC’s Chief Executive Committee (CEC)’s two-day meeting in Dubai, will have special significance for the proposed tour of Pakistan by Bangladesh, the planning for which is at an advanced stage.

The CEC stated that it had limited powers to take a decision over safety issues as to whether tours should take place or not. It reiterated that the ICC’s role in bilateral series was “limited to considering the safety and security of the match officials after a tour had been confirmed and a security plan produced.” The decision as to whether a particular tour should take place or not was, the CEC stated, “one for the participating countries.”

The CEC statement has ensured that the ICC’s own officials need not be appointed for Bangladesh’s tour of Pakistan. That could be seen by Pakistan as a stumbling block towards hosting top-level international cricket; other nations would be wary of touring if the ICC deemed the situation was not safe for their officials.

For Bangladesh, the seal of ICC’s approval would have ensured greater vigilance around security issues. Last week, a nine-member Bangladesh delegation, led by their cricket board president Mustafa Kamal, gave a nod to the security arrangements at various venues after a two-day visit. Both Kamal, and Zaka Ashraf, the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman, had said that they would approach the ICC to approve the tour.

It is understood that the ICC dispatched individual letters to both the PCB and BCB on Monday, saying that it could not give the tour a go-ahead. The CEC’s introduction of this special dispensation around “non-neutral match officials” did not make a specific reference to the ICC’s disapproval of the series or that the tour had been deemed “unsafe” for its match officials to stand in. The dispensation however, creates the opportunity for the series to go ahead with Pakistani or Bangladeshi umpires and match-referees.

There had been two itineraries proposed for the tour, one of which includes a three-match ODI series, and the other a series of two ODIs and one Twenty20 international, to be completed in one week in April. Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium and Karachi’s National Stadium are the venues expected to host the matches.

ESPNcricinfo understands that Bangladesh’s security team had expressed its reservations in playing in Karachi, and instead hope to play all the proposed matches in Lahore. Earlier, Rawalpindi was dropped as a venue from the plan.

“It is important the tour goes ahead for Pakistan cricket to show the country can host games again,” Subhan Ahmad, the PCB’s chief operating officer, told Reuters. “We will have the highest level of security possible.”

Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief executive, pointed out that special dispensations however should not become a norm. “Bearing in mind that safety and security is the sole responsibility of individual member boards for bilateral matches, the CEC regarded this as an exceptional circumstance in which the appointment of non-neutral match officials could be justified but stated clearly that it should not to be regarded as a preferred option or precedent if the dispensation were to be granted,” Lorgat said.

There has been no international cricket in Pakistan for exactly three years now after masked terrorists attacked the Sri Lankan team bus and the van carrying ICC match officials, who were on their way to the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on March 3, 2009, on what was the third day of the second Test.” Un-quote.

The above mentioned decision of ICC means that they want to inflict upon Pakistan, a perpetual punishment of banning genuine and authentic International cricket from this cricket loving country forever. And too, by ignoring all the huge human and material sacrifices Pakistan gave as a front line state, in the war against terror, while standing with the world community to make this planet a secure and safe place of freedom, peace and liberty.

This is called playing into the hands of terrorists. In fact, this gives a clear cut signal that terrorism pays.

But remember, what happened at Munich Olympics where so much blood was shed? IOC did not succumb to the unbearable pressures of security concerns and the majestic Olympics flame and its movement goes on, despite severe security threats all over the world.

ICC must know that the way it is approaching security issues in Pakistan, it is not only retrogressive but discriminatory, as well. However, leaving aside the negative effects on Pakistan cricket, the biggest sufferer will be the game of cricket, for which ICC will rue for a long time to come, when posterity will give its verdict that not terrorism, but ICC, with its myopic policies, destroyed growth & development of the glorious game of cricket.

If nations and organizations start succumbing to the threats of black mail or security concerns, then nothing will stop their decay into wilderness. Look how serious security threats were posed by the Mumbai 26/11 attack, but English cricketers continued their tour of India, sending a clear message of solidarity and steadfastness with freedom, peace and liberty.

Timidity, only gives longevity to the nefarious designs of the evil. And this was the reason England never surrendered in the Second World War to the mighty German onslaught, despite unbearable sufferings sustained for many years. Similarly, Pakistan as a front line state in war on terror is standing for more than a decade, like a rock of Gibraltar, to protect world from the spread of terrorism. As such, Pakistan deserves more than any other country in the world to be supported, even out of the way, for its sacrifices for the peace of the entire world.

So come on ICC, show some true spirit of cricket, as it is not the game for timid perons, stand up and be counted for freedom, peace and liberty.

Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, Prime Minister of Pakistan, may we ask that you also being the leader of the house in the Parliament, when will you awake and sack your Minister for water and power for his contempt of the parliament, in telling the biggest lie of the year to the nation, that too, on the floor of the house, that electricity load shedding has been terminated. 

Sir, believe me these silly persons have made your government and the PPP look as the most irresponsible and callous government, ever witnessed by this planet. People faced the hardships of all the load shedding of electricity, gas and water, they also borne the burden of price hikes of every conceivable item in their daily lives, they also put up bravely with all the law and order chaos and mega corruption scandals, but please don’t be so heartless by further rubbing salt into their wounds already inflicted by your most inefficient government.

All the previous tenures of the dictators in Pakistan look like an era of paradise, if compared with your regime of last four years.

In fact, now you and your government has become a laughing stock. Hope you remember that in early November, 2011 Dr. Asim, your another talented minister for minister for gas & natural resources, boasted that gas load shedding will end in the year 2012. 

Mr. PM, then you have the audacity to say every now and then that there are conspiracies against the democracy. Sir, with this inept performance, who needs to conspire against you. 

Remember, if you will not act, someone else will. Don’t create your own demise. Since, elections   are almost due, it is humbly suggested to pull up your socks and start delivering immediately. 

You and your government must know that future is not ahead of you, it has already happened. Unfortunately, it is more ruthless and callous, then all of you combined in the government. It grinds slowly but it’s mesh is very very fine.

With best of the hope that you will act, before it’s too late. You are not only the Prime Minister of Pakistan but you are also the custodian of the great & shining legacy, image and reputation of the Shaheeds Zulfiquar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto.

Dear Melinda and Bill Gates,
 
Greetings.
 
This is to profoundly thank you for your generous help extended to Pakistan in 2010 floods, for its 20 million suffers.
 
We also understand that your 50$ million assistance was the single largest aid to the flood affected people of Pakistan. However, you will be extremely sad to know that even now the malnutrition in the affected areas has exceeded the Sub-Saharan Africa conditions, as reported by the daily “DAWN” dated 16 February 2012.
 
In this regard, it is once again appealed to you to kindly come forward in helping this very serious humanitarian issue in Pakistan, at your earliest, as time is the essence in this problem.
 
 May Allah bless you for your all the monumental services to the humanity.
 
 Thank you.
 
 Syed Nayyar Uddin Ahmad
 +92-321-940217
 Lahore – Pakistan
 
 DAWN news dated 16 February 2012 is reproduced as below.
 
 
Malnutrition in flood victims, far worse than in Sub-Saharan Africa. At least 2.5 million people are still without food, water, shelter, sanitation and healthcare.

ISLAMABAD: A feeble international response to Pakistan’s second major flooding crisis in two years has left millions of people at serious risk of malnutrition and disease, aid groups warned Thursday.
 
 The Pakistan Humanitarian Forum (PHF), a network of the 41 largest international charities in the country, called on the international community and Pakistan to take urgent steps with the next monsoon season months away.
 
 “With funds drying up, millions will find it extremely hard to make it through the next few months. Donors and the government of Pakistan must step up their response immediately,” said Oxfam’s country director Neva Khan.
 
 At least 2.5 million people are still without food, water, shelter, sanitation and healthcare, putting them at serious risk of malnutrition, disease and deepening poverty, said the coalition of international charities.
 
 
 “The floods have exposed and deepened a food crisis in Sindh that has resulted in malnutrition rates far worse than those in Sub-Saharan Africa, “said David Wright, country director for Save the Children.
 
Around 43 per cent of affected people are severely short of food and malnutrition levels were already well above the emergency threshold in the provinces of Sindh and Baluchistan before the floods struck.
 
Last September, the United Nations launched an appeal for $357 million, but it has been less than 50 per cent funded, the groups said.

“Six months on, the crisis seems to have been forgotten by the international community,” said Naseer Memon, chief executive of the Strengthening Participatory Organization.
 
“The needs of the communities affected by the floods are still enormous with women, children, the elderly and disabled particularly vulnerable,” said Aine Fay, chair of the Pakistan Humanitarian Forum.
 
Tens of thousands of people are still displaced in flood-affected areas, while others have returned home to little or nothing.
 
The floods have devastated agriculture and hundreds of thousands of farmers are struggling to recover. A quarter of farmers missed the planting season late last year, because their land was flooded or they did not receive help in time.

Heartiest congratulations to Pakistan on an unbelievable (3-0) white wash of English cricket team at the Test cricket series 2012 played at UAE. 

No doubt it’s an epoch making historical victory, achieved with Kind Blessings of Allah, sincere guidance of new PCB leadership, sheer hard work and disciplined game of Pakistani cricket team led by its able captain Misbah ul Haq and it’s tour management, led by the coach Mohsin Hassan Khan. It looks we are watching a miracle in our dreams. 

Now it is high time that ICC must facilitate Pakistan and lend it’s helping hand, in holding international matches in Pakistan, without any further delay. 

Thank you Pakistani cricketers you made us proud. For us,  it’s joy which is more than winning the world cup. Keep up your good work.

Honourable Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani,
 
AoA.
 
It will not be out of place to begin with a news item published in the news papers today i.e., Wednesday 1 Feb. 2012, stating that the Indian Supreme Court warned on Tuesday that corruption posed a “grave danger” to the world’s largest democracy quoted as below.
 
Quote ” Today corruption in our country not only poses a grave danger for the concept of constitutional governance, it also threatens the very foundation of Indian democracy and the rule of law.” Unquote. The above was said by Justice A.K. Ganguly, while delivering a ruling in connection with the alleged underpriced selling of telecom licenses, which the national auditors says may have cost the country up to $39 billion.

An excerpt from a Times of India news published on Wednesday, 2nd Feb. 2012 is also given below for the information of Mr. Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, Finance Minister of Pakistan, who says he expects only $800 million from the COMBINED telecom auction of 3G, (4G LTE) and (5G LTE-A.) (India got $69 billion for ONLY 3G, exactly two years ago, as per TOI news quoted below.

“The 122 licences were given by Raja for over Rs 9,000 crore, while 3G auctions for a smaller number of licences had fetched the government a sum of Rs 69,000 crores.”

 
In the same context of selling of telecom licenses in Pakistan, a mega scandal is also brewing, for which your kind attention is invited to immediately intervene, so that the nefarious designs of  unscrupulous elements to defame the PPP and its government, is nipped in the bud.
 
                                          DETAILS OF THE CASE  

With the recent publication of the advertisement of PTA  in the news papers for “Invitation for Expression of Interest” (EOI) with application for AUCTION of Mobile License/Spectrum (3G/4G/LTE [long term evolution] etc), the following questions needs answers to safeguard the national interest by all and sundry.
 
1. Why the LOW base price of US $ 155 Million for one Mobile Cellular License/Spectrum (800 MHz), when this license was sold for 291 US $ Million eight years ago in the year 2002? OK, it is being auctioned for 8 years instead of 15 years, but is there no premium for above 68 % mobile teledensity which was not there eight years ago?
 
2. Why the license will be technology neutral? Which means no licenses will be required for any future launches of 4G, 5G so on so forth. this also means selling all future long term evolution inductions free of cost. This happens no where in the world. Even in Pakistan when 2G was sold in 2004, it was not permitted to launch 3G without fresh license. So why now 4G onwards is being sold free of cost?
 
3.i. Why the LOW base price of US $ 210 Million for the auction of Three Mobile Cellular Licenses/Spectrum (1900/211MHz/3G/4G/LTE etc.)? 
 
3.ii. Here it should be noted that 2G license was auctioned by PTA in 2002 at US $ 291 Million, when there was much less teledensity than 68% as of now and in the next 15 years (the period for which new licenses are being auctioned), it will obviously increase to higher levels. 
 
3.iii. And above all this auction is technology neutral, which means license for 3G is also valid for FREE for 4G, 5G onwards. Under this situation this base price of US $ 210 Million is ridiculously low.
 
4. As per IM (Information Memorandum) on PTA website all three telecom companies winning the technology neutral AUCTION of Mobile License/Spectrum (3G/4G/LTE [long term evolution] etc) will be required to pay half of the bid value within 30 days in USD or PKR. Also Rest of the amount can be paid in USD or PKR in five equal yearly installments. This virtually means that Telecom companies will NOT bring any fresh foreign investment and also the remaining 50% amount will be deposited on PAY AS YOU EARN basis. This tantamount to robbing the nation of valuable FDI in the garb of auction terms, particularly when bidding is only allowed in minimum 2 million USD and maximum 10 million USD. So when bidding is in USD payment should also be in USD.
 
5. Why PTA has shown less figures of total Teledensity of Pakistan (68.39) in 2010-11 at para 3.7 of (IM [information memorandum] on its website) whereas, according to its own figures in the graph shown in  the para 3.7, the total comes to (68.43)?
 
6. Why the PTA advertisement published in the news papers of 24 January, 2012 states mobile teledensity as 62% against the figures of 64.9% shown in IM at their website? 

7. India is not 70 times bigger than Pakistan in economy or any way, but it got $69 billion, that too, two years ago, from it’s auction of ONLY 3G. Why our Finance Minister has kept a budgeted amount of ONLY $800 million as expected income from the auction of NOT only 3G but 4 & 5G as well?

 
Submitted for consideration and immediate corrective action before it is too late.

————————————————

It was reported recently on a TV channel, that Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Sheikh expects 800 million USD revenue, from the auction of 3G (fast Internet) license to telecom companies.
 
It is reported that government has fixed the base price for auction to held on March 28 and 29, 2012 for 3G and 4G as 210 million USD. Whereas, 8 years ago 2G was sold at 291 million USD. (Please check and confirm this data from PTA).
 
Here, I must forewarn all and sundry, that under no circumstances, the worth of this auction amount can be less than 10 billion dollars. India got 69 billion USD from the same auction in April 2010 i.e. two years ago. Details are available at link:- https://www.snayyar.com/3g-telecom-technology-pakistan-can-earn-billions-of-usd-by-just-selling-air.html.
 
It will not be out of place to state that as reported today i.e., Wednesday 1 Feb. 2012 the Indian Supreme Court warned on Tuesday that corruption posed a “grave danger” to the world’s largest democracy quoted as below.
 
All patriotic citizens and institutions must be alert, lest we may not be cheated again, by those who sold our valuable national assets, for even less than the peanuts, in Musharraf era.

As reported by the daily Tribune, President Barack Obama signed a sweeping US defense funding bill on Saturday, which includes new sanctions on financial institutions dealing with Iran’s central bank, and curtailing up to $850 million in aid to Pakistan. Link :- http://tribune.com.pk/story/314833/obamas-new-years-gift-signs-bill-freezing-aid-to-pakistan/

Now, (after President Barack Obama approved sanctions over Pakistan, effective 1st Jan. 2012), it is very appropriate time that Pakistan closes it’s air space for US and NATO planes, on the premise that sanctions are not imposed on friends.

It’s an extremely unfriendly act and sanctions means they consider Pakistan as enemy. So, we must also act in our own interest, in a firm and bold manner. Stand up Pakistan, its now or never.

If the US has no consideration of our enormous sacrifices of men and material, we should also not go with them any further mile in their imposed war on terror. Why should Pakistan suffer eternally, for the intelligence failure of American agencies in preventing 9/11 attacks on America, in which no Pakistani was ever found to have been involved. Moreover, if Osama Bin Laden was involved in 9/11 attacks, he too was a made in America product. All said and done, Pakistan is being  punished continously for the crime of  siding with America, in their imposed war on terror, for which no country on earth has suffered more than Pakistan.  

For Pakistan, enough is enough. America can’t have cake and eat it too.

Dear Mr. Barack Obama,

Salaam.

Pakistan still remembers that you said “Pakistan was an enormous country”, during your last visit to India and now Mr. Leon Panetta, has very rightly said that stable Pak-US relations are critical to Afghan success.

In my opinion, after you Excellency, your Secretary of Defense, is the only man in the world, who can restore the snapped relations with Pakistan, provided he is given the ultimate authority to negotiate new terms of engagements, which in the end, must be a win win situation, for both the parties.

However, it must be remembered  that stability of our relations won’t come over the blood of our martyred soldiers. Muslims are never taught to offer the other cheek, if slapped on one.

US and the NATO must understand our psyche, before even thinking of building stable relationship with Pakistan.

The only way to reach out Pakistan, for it’s cooperation and friendship, is to first recognize what it has sacrificed, for the imposed war and then deal on mutual and equal terms. Else, acrimony will stay permanently, even if some ad-hoc measures, diffuse the situation for the time being.

Wishing you, your family and all Americans, a very happy Christmas and Seasons Greetings.

Best regards,

Syed Nayyar Uddin Ahmad

Lahore – Pakistan.

Daily the Nation reported today under a head line, that “Pak nuclear asset unsafe as its military penetrated by extremists: Gingrich” link :-http://nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Politics/08-Dec-2011/Pak-nuclear-asset-unsafe-as-its-military-penetrated-by-extremists-Gingrich

In this regard,  Leading Republican Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich has reported to have said that the Pakistani Army is so penetrated by extremist elements, its nuclear assets of about 100 weapons are not safe.

Mr. N Gingrich should leave the phobia of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal and purge his own military killing machine, which has killed in recent years, millions of Muslims in Iraq, Afghanistan & Pakistan, on the wrong inte…lligence of WMD’s (as admitted by Bush, Blair and Powel) and false war on terror.

America has specialized in killings of innocent Muslims and the latest example is it’s attack on Pakistani check post on 26/11, at Pak-Afghan border killing our 28 troops, who were there to protect American and NATO soldiers, from the attacks of Taliban.

The best way to safeguard the consumer interest, is to make it mandatory by law, the printing (at a prominent place) of retail prices, on the product packing of all and every item sold in the market. Plus,  mentioning of retail prices in all media advertisements of any item, advertised in any media of Pakistan.

In this regard, all Senators, MNA’s & MPA’s of Pakistan are urgently requested to legislate the above proposal at the earliest.

The nation will hold the democracy in high esteem, for this monumental favour by the elected representatives.