Loud Thinking

Posts Tagged ‘My Views’

An open letter to the Indian PM

Dear Mr. Narendra Modi Sahab,

Greetings.

We in Pakistan, really appreciated the desire to visit Pakistan, expressed by the former Prime Minister of India, Mr. Manmohan Singh, in his press conference on 3 January, 2014.

In this regard, I would like to suggest to the current leadership of both the countries, to take advantage of the conducive atmosphere prevailing in the region; and let India and Pakistan try a NEW APPROACH towards the peace: by first deciding upon a list of such core thorny issues, which are complicated and can only be resolved after full confidence, between the two nations is restored; and freeze all such issues or problems, for a short period of just one decade.

In the meantime, India and Pakistan should restore full friendly relations, by genuinely restoring confidence, by further pulling back troops from the LOC and start immediate cooperation in all the fields of economic activities, visa free to and fro, travel (for all the cities) of citizens of both the countries, special facilities for the businessmen of the two nations for opening of trade offices, banks, business shops and show rooms, in each others country, removal of all restrictions on cultural and sports teams visits and full permission of the TV channels, to be viewed in each other’s country.

It will be just of a sorts of a no war pact (which should also include 90% withdrawal of troops from the entire valley of Jammu and Kashmir and 100% withdrawal of troops from the Siachin area, for a limited period of ten years).

Moreover, it should also be decided that in order to avoid any misunderstandings, on account of any illegal crossings from the LOC, joint LOC patrolling of Indo-Pak troops along with the UN observers, should also be considered as a part of the overall peace agreement, which is surely expected to work wonders, like a magic, in the economic emancipation of the teeming millions of both the countries.

Sir, hope you know very well that ordinary people of both the countries are fed up with the acrimony between the two closest neighbours; and earnestly desire hundreds of years of peace, for which the only impediment, is the lack of statesmen and visionary people in the policy making arena of both the countries.

Now, your and our leadership has got a golden chance of a life time, to jointly work for the peace of about 1.5 billion humanity.

Please extend your hands to meet the gestures of genuine peace, already offered at EVERY occasion, by the Pakistani PM Mr. Nawaz Sharif, to make the peace aspirations of the hundreds of millions of residents of the sub continent, come true.

Remember, may be this golden chance for the peace between the two nations, if missed now, may not come again in decades.

Also please inform all those military and political planners in your country, not in favour of genuine peace with Pakistan that low intensity war named as offensive defensive operations, or other covert hostile methods, are no more a long or short term options for, as well as, against; a nuclear power, which possesses more military nuclear arsenal (as reported today by Times of India) than India.

All such paradigms are out dated being a ZERO sum game, in the ultimate nuclear scenario. Such policy planners have no business to stay in the past non-nuclear status frame of mind; and they must develop a NEW and FRESH vision, to guide a major nuclear nation, like India.

Policy makers of nuclear powers must not have a mindset of a non nuclear state. And the foremost responsibility of these policy makers must be to ensure, at all costs, that under ALL circumstances, nuclear flare up or provocations under offensive defensive doctrine, MUST be ruled out: irrespective of the defined policy of no first use of nuclear weapons or retaliatory use of WMD’s.

Sir, if Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi can be awarded Nobel Peace Prize for their noble campaign for peace through education and child rights, just imagine how kindly the world will remember the immortal bold acts of Mr. Narendra Modi and Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, in ameliorating the hardships due to hunger, disease and illiteracy of more than 1.5 billion humanity of the entire region.

Please remember that war results only in devastation, deaths and destruction, whereas, dividends of peace are construction, prosperity and happiness.

Last but not the least, it must be a very clear objective of the leadership of both the countries, to ensure that India and Pakistan must not live like divided Korea, rather, we should live, like the united Europe.

Seasons Greetings and Best Wishes for a very Happy New Year 2015.

“I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they’re right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.”

— Marilyn Monroe

Heartiest congratulations to Pakistanis and cricket lovers all over the world.

The performance of Pakistani cricket team in the 1st Test vs Australia was really something to sing about.

The comprehensive 221 runs win of the 6th ranked (Pakistani) team over the #1 ranked (Australian) team is a sort of coup (a highly successful, unexpected stroke, act, or move; a clever action or accomplishment).

By the Grace of Allah, this Test match victory is a very sweet gift on the 1st day of the Islamic New Year 1436 Hijri.

The secret of success of the Pakistani team, which defeated Australia with a huge margin of 221 runs, was the superb team work and much improved fielding and running, between the wickets.

Misbah ul Haq has beaten the year 1896 record of WG Grace, by becoming the oldest ever captain of a team which beat Australia.

Sharif brothers lie about no business with India: Mazari

ISLAMABAD- Central Information Secretary PTI, Dr Shireen Mazari today stated that once again the Sharif brothers have lied to the nation by claiming they have no business dealings with India.
Chairman PTI Imran Khan had stated in Gujrat that PM Sharif’s inexplicable silence over the Indian aggression and Indian PM’s hate-filled statements were a result of the Sharifs business deals with Indian business houses.
She said despite the Sharif brothers issuing a denial, the facts expose this as a brazen lie. Facts about one such deal between House of Sharif and India is as follows: Hussain Nawaz purchased an Induction Furnace from Inductotherm (India) pvt Ltd for $ 3.3 million, she added
She noted, “To conceal the payment, the money was transferred from Hill Metal Bank Account No 462-75201-4567892 Al-Rajhi Bank Jeddah to Chase Manhattan Bank for credit to Account number 001-1-406717.”
The Information Secretary further said from Chase Manhattan Bank the money was transferred to DDFC Bank, Navrang Pura Branch, Ahmedabad India – beneficiary Inductotherm (India) pvt ltd Gujarat India, Account No 00-62-000-7605. Mazari demanded to know how PM Sharif will explain away these facts and his denial which is now an established lie.

The only reason of the sudden ascendancy of the Pakistani cricket team, which to my mind is that the team is free, of any politics.

Australia is NOT in trouble. They are in DEEP trouble.

My comments on the below mentioned article: Quote.”Finally the time has come that the poor of this world can b… http://t.co/ihllyxmruI

My comments on the below mentioned article:

Quote.”Finally the time has come that the poor of this world can be better served by abandoning and shutting down the institutions like the World Bank and the IMF etc., which are not only useless but actually responsible for increased number of suicides in the debtor countries by creating more hunger(which in turn breeds terrorism), joblessness, environmental miseries and increasing the number of poor people on this planet.

And for the proof of what I am saying the book titled ‘Confessions of an economic hit man” by John Perkins, is the biggest testimony of the devastation caused by the World Bank and the IMF etc., in the third world countries.” Unquote.

The World Bank: Rebellion in ranks

October 15, 2014, 11:33 AM IST Seema Sirohi in Letter from Washington | India, World | ET

As rebellions go, the one currently simmering at the World Bank is essentially between the haves and have-mores. The plush building on H Street is Discontent Central and President Jim Yong Kim – the Marie Antoinette on the scene – is trying to contain angry employees.
The revolt burst into public view just as finance ministers and central bankers from around the world were descending on Washington last weekend for the annual World Bank-IMF meetings and getting ready to reduce everything from poverty, hunger, deficits, global warming to Ebola.
Kim managed to preside over the gathering but not before conceding to appear for a mini trial. Try as I might, I can’t find my bleeding heart to bleed for the cause of those who make upwards of $100,000 annually, travel first class and in the unkindest cut of all – pay no taxes. But let’s try to be “objective,” maintain the journalistic canard and examine the ferment. How the bank is governed is important for India as it is for others. Besides, India is the bank’s largest borrower of concessional funds.
The bank’s rank and file reached a tipping point when they learnt that Kim had given a bonus of $189,000 to his chief financial officer, Bertrand Badre, as price for unduly taxing Badre’s brain which was already working hard at a paltry salary of $379,000 a year.
Badre’s job was to come up with $400 million in cost-cutting measures through downsizing, salary slimming and restructuring. How delicious the irony that Badre, a French gentleman with the correct pedigree of Sorbonne and Ecole Nationale d’Administration whose job it was to eliminate other jobs, should be outed by another French man, Fabrice Houdart, a mere “senior country officer” for the Middle East. It was the 40-something Houdart who poured over data, found egregious misuse of privilege and Badre’s bonus.
Houdart, now a Che of sorts among followers, asked piercing questions on internal blogs. The people rose up. Already afraid they might be among the 10,000 employees to get Badre’s axe, the “masses” in “G” class, who form the bulk of the work force at salaries between $93,000 to $170,000, exchanged furtive e-mails, phone calls and forced the masters up in the “I” and “J” classes, who make anywhere between $280,000 to $300,000 to pay heed. Are you still with me? Kim was forced last week to call a town hall meeting given the unprecedented anger. A total of 8,000 bank employees either attended or live-streamed the event. The mood was surly, the questions blunt. By some accounts Kim was even booed when he tried to duck the hard balls.
The people wanted to know why there was no transparency in his down-sizing plans and why the hacker of jobs got a “scarce skills premium” (corporate jargon for bonus) while the worker bees were asked to tighten their belts. Why had the budget for 2015 still not been revealed?
In the two years as president, Kim has spent a whopping $12.5 million on outside consultants such as McKinsey, Deloitte and Booz Allen to tell him what to do and how to do it. The “it” being bank’s reorganisation, which, incidentally is the rollicking call every president, going back at least four, has made. The “people” at the bank question Kim’s choices – of Badre and the A to Z of consulting companies to restructure a development bank. “What do they know about development and the complexities of what we do?” an irate Banker asked. Insiders say that besides appointing the wrong outsiders, Kim also put the wrong insiders to manage the “change.” Monsieur Houdart, the sleuth, found examples of questionable behaviour at the top – private jets, misuse of travel benefits such as “rest stops” and frequent visits to home countries.
Others point out that some of the new “senior directors” Kim appointed after a “global search” were either lightweights or had allegations of corruption in their home countries. A Google search reveals interesting results on at least three.
In short, Mr President is clearly out of his depth. It’s a mess and not very different from the countries the bank so courageously tries to clean up. Intrigue, corruption, topdown management and low morale among workers who now have to pay for their own breakfast when traveling. Imagine.