Loud Thinking

Archive for the ‘Pakistan’ Category

It is absolutely the right time to fully appreciate PCB and Pakistani cricket team for basically two achievements. Firstly, for winning the ODI series against India 2-1 and secondly, for completing a very sensitive tour, absolutely incident free.

Now, this is also very appropriate time for the PCB, to finalise its short and long term future plans, with regard to the policy of categorising players for the teams for Test’s, ODI’s and T20’s. This is necessary, because Pakistan will be competing for Test Championship, Champion’s Trophy, T20 World Cup and the ODI World Cup, all within next 36 months.

So, with an eye on the future, the PCB planning should focus on such potential players, who have the capacity or who can be groomed to have the capacity, to deliver for Pakistan, in the days to come. We should not waste time, energy and money on such players, who are past their prime and per se wants to continue playing, just for selfish reasons; but they are practically blocking the future of up coming and young players, for an indefinite period.

In this connection, PCB recently, took a difficult, bold and wise decision of dropping Shahid Afridi from the ODI version of the game. While, not taking anything from the past contributions of Shahid Afridi, PCB’s decision was very progressive and forward looking, but in my opinion, was still a bit late. National interests must not be compromised for personal wishes.

Now, again the time has come to select the players for the different versions of the game, on the basis of talent and capacity of the players, with prime objective of INVESTING in future. PCB should adopt a policy of bearing with the failures of the fresh lot with patience, rather than pursuing with old horses, who have even lost the strength, to easily hit sixes or even boundaries to reasonably good bowlers, or take three or four runs without being exhausted, on a slightly bigger grounds.

According to my observations, PCB must think about the future of the following players in a very rational manner.

1. Misbah ul Haq. He is not at all capable to play till the 2015 ODI World Cup. Even now, he is over age and not capable of steering the team out of a crisis situations, in front of WORLD CLASS bowling, particularly against out of sub-continent teams. So, why not to groom a fresh batsman instead of MUH and on the other hand, give the captaincy to Muhammad Hafeez, for gaining the experience for the coming Champions Trophy and the ensuing ODI World Cup?

2. Younis Khan. Our selectors took a retrogressive action in recalling him from the ODI retirement. Even his presence in the team today in the 3rd ODI, couldn’t save Pakistan from a mere 10 runs defeat against India. His selection for the Indian tour has cost us heavily, in not giving experience to a youngster. He should be decently thanked for his services and let him not block the future of any budding batsman. PCB should not be so callous with the new generation of batsmen, that retired batsmen be made to come in their way. If PCB had recalled Muhammad Yousaf or even Inzamam ul Haq, may be, they would have scored runs more than the newcomers, but then we can’t and must not live in the past, under any circumstances. For that matter, if India lost the ODI series against Pakistan, no heavens have fallen. Similarly, if we had lost to India with fresh legs, it would have been a gain of experience, rather than winning with recall, of retired persons.

3. Kamran Akmal. Just like Shahid Afridi (who can still be selected for few more weeks and months for his bowling abilities) Kamran Akmal is a spent cartridge; and to continue with him is in fact, deceiving ourselves. He may still give some performances against mediocre bowling, but against world class bowlers, his batting is absolutely UN-DEPENDABALE. As far as his wicket keeping is concerned, it is OK. However, there is no shortage of young generation of agile wicket keepers and hence, further continuation with Kamran Akmal, is like living in a fools paradise.

4. Shoaib Malik. There is no doubt that he was past his prime many months ago. He has reached a stage, where its impossible for him to perform against quality bowling, particularly in ODI and T20 versions of the game. If we argue that he performed well in domestic level, then the selectors should be told that domestic level performances are for the new players. International players are judged on their performances against foreign teams. These are two separate criterions for the different levels of players. If the selectors still wants to retain some old horses, for Test matches for some time, then PCB management shall be the better judge. However, these old players must not be used in a way to stop the career of the budding players.

5. Umar Akmal. He was touted in the past to be a player with immense talent. However, he has proved wrong all his fans and well wishers. In fact, he is the most UN-DEPENDABLE batsman in the team. Not to play him is a risk. However, to play him is a bigger risk. While batting, he is a very risky person for the batsman at the other end. Moreover, mostly his shot selections are very poor. He never puts a price on his wicket. Also it looks that in his failures, there is a big hand of his head coach. Somehow, this man looks a fit case for sending him to a psychologist, for making him a person with some sense of responsibilities and strong mental power, who should be able to focus on teams goal achievement. Till such time he is transformed into a mature person, Umar Akmal seems to be an utterly misfit player in the national squad.

So much for the PPP TV advertisements about the shining Sindh.

The below given extracts are from a letter of Mr. Hashim Abro, published on 4 January, 2013 in the daily “Pakistan Observer”.

This letter must be an eye opener for ALL the Pakistani ruling elites, including major & minor political parties, who are unable to digest the un-precedented public support, Allama Dr. Tahir ul Qadri, is getting for his slogan of CHANGE.

One thing is for sure that this mammoth public support, may or may not be for the personality, charisma or oratory of Allama Dr. Tahir ul Qadri, but definitely, its against the callousness of the incumbent government; which not only deprived the general public from the safety and security of their lives and property, but even snatched the basics of daily life from the teeming millions, like food, health (people are dying in hordes, almost daily, due to measles and spurious medicines), electricity, gas and CNG. Obviously, under these miserable living conditions, mention of education as basic human right, looks like a joke in Pakistan.

Suicides due to economic hardships, have become order of the day in Pakistan.

However, it was HARAM on the government to impose austerity measures to save few pennies to give any sort of relief to the poor.

And now, the politicians are advising the poor suffering masses of Pakistan, to support the old system against Allama Dr. Tahir ul Qadri, who has taken up cudgels, to free them from all the exploitations of the corrupt politicians.

Link:- http://pakobserver.net/detailnews.asp?id=190078

“Shockingly, the reliable statistics from a few research organizations and NGOs reveal that every day more than a dozen people of all age group, particularly, young people, somewhere in the upper and lower regions of the province, attempt suicide. This makes suicide the third major cause of death, after prevalent diseases, tribal killings and honour killings. The gone year was the worst year in which a huge number of Sindhi youth committed suicides. Only a few were reported but numerous were unreported due to fear and terror of police.”

Hope the above explicitly explains the answers, why the general masses wants to get rid of this decadent system in Pakistan, which only gives disease, hunger and death to the poor.

However, the Pakistani ruling elite is still living in a state of denial, like the French Princess; and are continuously trying to befool the people, with media advertisement campaigns worth billions of Rupees, to make them believe that canals of milk and honey are overflowing in Pakistan, as a result of their five years GOLDEN rule.

Now, after wasting almost a year’s time, the government of Pakistan is again active in proceeding with the telecom auction of 3G spectrum. However, this time GOP or PTA has appointed three consultants for advising on the whole process of auction to ensure transparency (as being told to the general public).

In this regard, we invite the attention of all stake holders of this telecom auction, to the pit falls of the previous IM (information memorandum); and the terms of tender documents duly elaborated in my February 2012 open letter to the then PM Pakistan, Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, reproduced as below for the benefit of the all concerned, to ensure that Pakistan is not cheated in the ensuing 3G telecom auction, planned in the coming weeks and months. Plus the mew IM must mention that any telecom company like Etisalat, will not be allowed to participate in the bidding process of the auction, if it is a defaulter of the GOP, notwithstanding the fact that it has gone to the court or got an stay order etc. Any such party must deposit the outstanding amount in lump sum. However, if at any later stage, the defaulting company gets courts order in its favour, the GOP must be bound to immediately return the disputed amount.

$10 Billion Impending 3G Auction Scam – My Open Letter to PM in February 2012, Still Relevant Today.

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 IRS69 billion for ONLY 3G, exactly two years ago, as per TOI news quoted below.

“The 122 licences were given by Raja for over IRs 9,000 crore, while 3G auctions for a smaller number of licences had fetched the government a sum of IRs 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 2004? 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 2004 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, then why NOT 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. Indian economy is about 7-9 times bigger than Pakistan, but it got IRS69 billion, that too, in April 2010, 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.

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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 also 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 IRS69 billion 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 above.

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.

In Pakistan, every body knows that we are no less behind any nation in corruption.

Moreover, we are also no less behind in raising hue and cry against corruption. But, the problem is that corruption can neither be curbed with hollow slogans nor by declaration of assets by the politicians and government employees.

Times of India reported on 19 November, 2011(Link:-http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Black-money-India-to-sign-agreements-with-42-more-nations/articleshow/10793795.cms) that After signing agreements with 48 countries, India will shortly ink pacts with 42 more nations to bring backblack money stashed abroad, Union minister of state for parliamentary affairs Harish Rawat said. Once these agreements are signed, India will be in a position to bring back black money stashed in different banks abroad, he told reporters here.

Corruption can only be minimised by deterrent legislation; which ensures that crime of corruption will not pay, neither in the short nor in the long term.

And effective judicial verdicts, like the one announced today by the Delhi court in which former Indian 86 years old telecom minister Sukhram, has been sentenced for five years jail, for taking Rs 3 lakhs as bribe to give a lucrative contract to a private firm in 1996. He pleaded for leniency in court on grounds of his old age while the CBI called him a “habitual offender” and sought maximum punishment for him.The 86-year-old former minister was held guilty for misusing his official position during his tenure as telecom minister in P V Narasimha Rao’s cabinet in giving a contract worth Rs 30 crore to a private company, Haryana Telecom Limited (HTL), to supply 3.5 Lakh Conductor Kilometers (LCKM) ofPolythene Insulated Jelly Filled (PIJF) cables to the telecom department.

We in Pakistan, must realise that our main problem is not the existence of corruption. Rather, the fertile culture which help breeds corruption pay, as the most lucrative and profitable activity in Pakistan.

Till such time, we attack the very roots of this cancerous culture of corruption in Pakistan, no positive improvement should be expected in any sphere of life.

And we must be aware of the fact that, corruption is a bigger menace than terrorism.

Since, we have all the required institutions and no dearth of honest and honourable people, what is required is developing a system to post these DYNAMITE people to be head of NAB, FIA and Anti-Corruption departments of provincial governments.

Towards the achievement of this goal, a committee is proposed to be constituted, consisting of Chief Justice of Supreme Court, all Chief Justices of High Courts and leader of the opposition of National and all provincial assemblies, for appointing on a tenure post, all heads and key personnel of NAB, FIA and Provincial anti-Corruption departments.

Moreover, NO person in the country from civil, military, judiciary and any other department should have the immunity from interrogation, on corruption matters before these departments.

It is earnestly hoped that the above said mechanism if, put in place, will strike such a fear in the hearts of all and sundry, that no one will dare even think, of doing corruption in Pakistan.

IS THIS THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF ISLAMABAD OR OF PAKISTAN?

The National Assembly of Pakistan has at last unanimously passed the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Bill 2012; which is related to free and compulsory education for all the children from the age of five to sixteen, as a fundamental right; and its provision is a responsibility of the state. 

However, our NA passed the aforesaid bill which is only applicable to the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT). Now the general public is right in  asking the question to the Pakistani National Assembly members, whether other areas of the country does not come under the Parliament? And why they have limited the partial and vital scope of the bill to the capital areas of Islamabad only. 

The bill also bounds private schools. to give free education to 10% of the poor children in the vicinity of their school. In India. this ratio is 25% and since, we are much behind India and all other SAARC nations in the field of education, this percentage at least should have been 30%, and that too FOR SCHOOLS ALL OVER PAKISTAN AND NOT ONLY IN ISLAMABAD. IS THIS THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF ISLAMABAD OR OF PAKISTAN?

May be, our NA members are afraid of the private schools owners? So much for the love of the poor, by our parliamentarians.

May be, such performances of our Parliamentarians has created hatred for politicians and democracy in the minds of the general public, which always, repeat always welcomes military takeovers in Pakistan.

Now our economic malaise has reached such a stage that business as usual, is going to jeopardise our statehood, not in years, but in months.

The degree of the sovereignty of a country, is directly proportional to the state of the economy of that nation. Actually, in constant growth & development lies our salvation. Secondly, we Pakistanis must know, that without any doubt, the …

Definition of Banana Republic in Wikipedia

A banana republic is a politically unstable country that economically depends upon the exports of a limited resource (fruits, minerals), and usually features a society composed of stratified social classes — a great, impoverished working class and a ruling plutocracy, composed of the élites of business, politics, and the military.

Kleptocracy, government by thieves, features influential government employees exploiting their posts for personal gain (embezzlement, fraud, bribery, etc.), with the resultant government budget deficit repaid by the native working people who earn money, rather than make money. Because of foreign (corporate) manipulation, the kleptocratic government is unaccountable to its nation, the country’s private sector–public sector corruption operates the banana republic, thus, the national legislature usually are for sale, and function mostly as ceremonial government.

Look at the level and difference of Pakistani government’s slavery to America, compared with Afghanistans.
Afghanistan’s government, which is an occupied country, stopped NATO supplies for 17 days (July 22 to August 07) into their own country from Pakistan, for non payment of a paltry sum of Rs.80 million i.e. Pak Rupees 8 Crore. 
In contrast to the Afghan government’s action stated above, Pakistani government doesn’t even thought of stopping NATO supplies, for the years of over due payments, of billions of US dollars. 
Even now, the US has not paid any amount, due since last June 2011. 
Under the circumstances, it can be easily said that, Pakistani government of a nuclear nation, has allowed the US to treat Pakistan, worse than the occupied Afghanistan, which doesn’t even have a regular army.
The moral of the story :- The sovereignty of a nation is not dependent on the nuclear power or the strength of its armed forces, rather, on the guts of the government.

Link :- http://dawn.com/2012/08/09/afghanistan-restores-nato-supplies/

QUETTA: The Afghan authorities restored on Wednesday Nato supplies after private companies paid a customs duty of Rs80 million.

Nanhiali Faizi, a senior official of Afghan Customs, said the issue had been settled and now there was no restriction on the entry of Nato containers into Afghanistan.

Later, 20 containers were allowed to cross the Chaman border into Afghanistan.

Pakistani officials in Chaman confirmed that the Afghan authorities had restored Nato supplies.

Afghanistan had put restrictions on the entry of Nato containers on July 22 for non-payment of duty.—Staff Correspondent (DAWN).

Nation Calling PCB to Answer 7 Questions 

1.Chief Selector Iqbal Qasim, says that Abdul Razzaq, Imran Nazir & Kamran Akmal  were selected on the basis of experience, then why Raza Hassan selected  over EXPERIENCED Abdul Rehman?

2. The worthy genius chief selector further said, that Asad Shafiq was selected on the basis of his performances in Sri Lankan Test matches series. However, he should know that it is going to be a T20 world cup. And if there is no difference between the two games, why separate teams and  captains for the two formats? Moreover, if performances in the Test matches were the criteria, then who performed better than Junaid in Test matches? and who performed worse than Sami? So, why Junaid excluded from the team and Sami included?

3. And taking the overseas performances as  a basis of selection for Abdul Razzaq, who else performed better than Azhar Mahmood as an all rounder in BPL and IPL? Similarly, Shahzad was the best Pakistani fielder in ODI world cup held in 2011, in India, BD & SL. Plus, he was the most outstanding and destructive batsman in BPL, why he has been given a bad name for axing from the selection? 

4. Just give one reason for the selection of  spent cartridge Shoaib Malik, rated as the most pathetic performer in T20  INTERNATIONAL games, and also give one reason for non-selection of Wahab Riaz.

5. Similarly, every expert says that technically and in all other aspects, Adnan Akmal is a better wicket keeper than Kamran Akmal, who is too much over weight also; then why drop Adnan Akmal, who also batted exceptionally well, in SL Test series?

6. Why there is an emphasis on old spent cartridges rather than fresh legs and promising players.

7. Why the team has been selected in a great haste when there was time till 18, August 2012?

This chief selector previously resigned when Pakistani teams selected by  him consecutively lost 14 matches. The Team Pakistan is not the chief selectors personal or his fathers team. 

Since its a national matter, Pakistani public demands from the chairman PCB to personally answer the above questions, for the satisfaction of the Pakistani cricket lovers all over the world.