Woman moves LHC over harassment by FBI
VOH Monitor
RAWALPINDI, Dec. 23: The Lahore High Court has sought written comments from federal secretaries of the ministries of foreign affairs and interior on a petition filed by a woman doctor alleging that the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had tried to kidnap her. Justice Asad Munir ordered the secretaries on Tuesday to file their replies within three weeks in response to the petition of Dr Mehwish Saleem Baig. She had alleged that she was being harassed by FBI officials after being detained in the US consulate in Karachi for over two hours. Dr Mehwish stated that she had gone to the United States in 1998 after getting married to Dr Faheem Nusrat and both obtained US nationality. She returned to Pakistan this year with her daughters Ayasha Faheem, 9, and Fatima Faheem, 5, after her husband divorced her over domestic issues. Before returning to Pakistan, she obtained legal custody of the girls through a court after getting permission from their father, she said. She said she had left the US because she was facing financial problems there.The petitioner said she wanted to renounce her and her daughters’ US citizenship and she got an appointment on Nov 10 from US Consul Tracy Brown, who assigned a member of her staff for the meeting, Dawn news reported.




Journalists in mourning at press club attack

VoH Monitor
PESHAWAR, Dec. 23: The investigation team has been constituted to probe into suicide attack, launched on main gate of Peshawar press club yesterday, meanwhile, the human body parts, obtained from blast site, have been sent for DNA examination today (Wednesday), Geo news reported. It has been learnt that journalist community are observing Mourning Day in press club on Wednesday – second day of suicide attack – with tying black bends on shoulder. According to sources, additional police contingents have been deployed at press club gate while journalists, belonging to different school of thoughts, are constantly visiting club for registration of their solidarity with journalists.Geo News




PPP critic of Kamran Khan, Shaheen Sehbai, Ansar Abbasi and Dr. Shahid

VoH Watch dog
RAWALPINDI, Dec.22: The PPP Punjab President Rana Aftab Ahmad Khan and senior provincial minister Raja Riaz Ahmad Khan have declared that enough is enough and from now on, the party would adopt the course of confrontation instead of the traditional conciliatory policy so far adopted. They said Kamran Khan, Shaheen Sehbai, Ansar Abbasi and Dr Shahid Masood should not become movers and shakers in politics. The hands of those who are attempting to demolish the government would be amputated. They were talking at the PPP provincial secretariat in Lahore on Monday after presiding over the meeting of the party’s executive council, federal council, district presidents and general secretaries. They said right from the beginning our politics had been based on ideology. They warned that those targeting the Aiwan-e-Sadr and residing in palaces built of glass would not be spared. They said the PPP had offered tremendous sacrifices for democracy and the country’s security. Now that we are in power it is because of the leadership of Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari.
Raja Riaz said power to the PPP had not come through charity but because of a heavy mandate given by the people. Criticizing Geo TV channel, he warned Kamran Khan and Dr. Shahid Masood to avoid becoming champions of politics. The hands of those who tried to dismantle the democratic government will be amputated.
Expressing complete confidence in the party leadership Raja Riaz
said the PPP is facing a media trial but everyone must know that the party and Pakistan are inseparable. PPP leaders also criticised Shaheen Sehbai, Group Editor of The News, and Ansar Abbasi, Editor Investigations of The News for their writings. It was alleged that Ansar Abbasi writes an elegy every day, Geo news reported.





‘Interfaith harmony answer to terrorism, extremism’
VoH Monitoring desk

ISLAMABAD: Leaders of different faiths have said that interfaith harmony can help eliminate terrorism, extremism, and sectarianism. Talking to APP on Monday, F-8 Fatima Jinnah Church’s Father Rahmat Hakim said every religion taught its followers peace, love, tolerance, and respect to other religions. He said some people wanted to destabilise the country in the name of religion but the nation stood united to thwart such intentions. He said Christmas gave out the message of interfaith harmony. Bishop Joseph Counts said all religions preached peace, love and brotherhood. He said joint efforts were needed to counter terrorism, extremism, and sectarianism. He urged religious minorities to come forward and play their due role for the country’s progress and prosperity to meet future challenges. Parliamentary Secretary of Science and Technology Aysia Nasir said protecting rights of the minorities was the government’s top priority. He said the government would abolish discriminatory laws against minorities so that they would be given honour and equal respect. She expressed the hope that religious minorities would continue playing due role for promoting peace and bringing about socio-economic development. Bishop Anthony Lobo stressed that international community should promote interfaith harmony to bring communities of different religions closer to fought terrorism. Maulana Muhammad Abdul Khabir urged people to get united against extremists and terrorists, saying such elements endangered the country’s future. Pandat China Lal and Sardar Charan said all religions taught its followers respect to other religions. They said interfaith harmony was best answer to terrorism and extremism. They said like Muslim majority, minorities enjoyed complete religious freedom in Pakistan. Maulana Fateh Chishti and Allama Niaz Hussain Naqvi said both Muharram and Christmas were about love, peace, and interfaith harmony. They said it was the responsibility of religious leaders to create positive thinking among the people for the country’s peace and development. app




SC told Rs7.5bn of Rs9bn BoP loan scam recovered
VoH Monitor

ISLAMABAD, Dec. 22: The Supreme Court was told here on Monday that Rs7.5 billion, out of the Rs9 billion Bank of Punjab (BoP) loan scam, had been recovered from Sheikh Afzal, the chief executive of the Haris Steel Industry, and his accomplices by seizing foreign and domestic assets owned by the accused. A three-judge bench, comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain, which had taken up the petition of the Bank of Punjab against the steel concern also withdrew the protection it earlier had granted to Seth Nisar, one of Sheikh Afzal’s brothers and co-accused in the scam, when it was informed that he was not cooperating with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
The court ordered the bureau and other investigating agencies to proceed against him according to the law. On Nov 24, the court had granted protection to Seth Nisar when he turned himself in and showed willingness to clear liabilities. Sheikh Afzal, who was brought back from Malaysia last month, confessed in a statement recorded by the provincial NAB authorities in Punjab that he had paid a lot of money to a lot of people out of fraudulently withdrawn funds. In his confessional statement, he urged the court to recover the money that he had paid to aforementioned people.
According to Mr Afzal, he had initially engaged Irfan Qadir to represent him in court in May last year and paid Rs1 million as legal fees for filing a petition against NAB proceedings in the Lahore High Court (LHC). When NAB officials raided his house, his lawyer suggested him to engage a panel of prominent lawyers to influence the court. He then contacted advocates Wasim Sajjad and Sharifuddin Pirzada. In June 2008, when the NAB seized his office, Sheikh Afzal claimed that Ali Wasim, Wasim Sajjad’s son, contacted him and said: ‘Mr Afzal, Insaaf Lainay Ke Liye Kuch Aur Bhi Karna Parta Hay (Mr Afzal, if one wants to get justice, one has to do ‘other’ things) and offered to let his office vacated because he had a very close association with a son-in-law of an LHC judge. He said he paid Rs7.5 million to Ali Wasim through Irfan Ali (manager of Haris Steel). Tony Shah, a mutual friend of Ali Wasim and Sheikh Afzal who was involved in a business that concerns cricket matches, also told the NAB that after failing to do the job Ali Wasim did not pay back the money he had gotten from Mr Afzal, but said he would pay only half the amount because he had partially succeeded in getting the desired results.When the case was fixed before the LHC in May-June last year, Mr Afzal said he paid Rs3.5 million to Mohsin Naqvi, a journalist friend of his, when he offered to get the case ‘ quashed’ because ‘he enjoyed good relations with the LHC judge’. In June 2008, Malik Mohammad Qayyum allegedly told him that he knew all of LHC judges and even told him that he had spoken to relevant LHC judges on telephone in the presence of his lawyer and assured him that he would get relief.
Malik Qayyum even assured him (Sheikh Afzal) that if the high court asked about Qayyum’s opinion, he would support Sheikh Afzal. Thus Rs3.5 million was delivered to Malik Qayyum. Later, when the case was transferred to the Supreme Court, Advocate Malik Qayyum told Sheikh Afzal that he and Advocate Sharifuddin Prizada had held a number of meetings with an apex court judge. Apart from legal fees, Sheikh Afzal alleged that he had paid Mr Pirzada Rs10 million during July-August last year. The amount, he claimed, had been paid in return for orders obtained in July. Mr Pirzada attributed the success to his relations with a judge of the apex court. SheikhAfzal also alleged that Mr Qayyum informed him that the counsel had allegedly paid Rs1 million to Advocate Ibrahim Satti (private counsel representing NAB in the apex court) in July last year through Advocates Qayyum and Pirzada and in September 2008 Rs1.5million to former Attorney-General Sardar Latif Khan Khosa. Dawn news


Thick fog blankets Punjab

VoH Monitor
LAHORE, Dec. 22: Thick fog blanketed Lahore and other parts of Punjab on Monday as mercury further dropped down. On the other hand, several vehicles collided on Motorway and other roads due to heavy fog. Meteorological department predicted that spell of fog will continue in coming few days.According to Met office, haze disrupted the schedule of all international and domestic flights. The fog also covered Sialkot, Faisalabad, Multan, Bahawalpur, Jehlum and Khanpur.
Met office forecast cold and dry weather during next 48 hours in different cities of Punjab including Lahore.
Meanwhile, several people were injured when many vehicles collided at Kala Shah Kaku interchange at Motorway and Multan Road near Chohang. Geo News


Suicide attacks' fatwas helps WOT says Rehman Malik
VoH Monitor
ISLAMABAD, Dec.21: Interior Minister Rehman Malick has said that positive results of the fatwas issued against suicide attacks have started coming in and potential suicide attackers are dissenting from the terrorist organizations training them for future attacks. Malik was addressing a rally of ulemas in front of the Parliament House. He said that suicide bombers are questioning the terrorist organizations, who are training them for the attacks. He said that the potential suicide attackers have become aware of the fact they are being used in the name of Islam. Malick said that those getting paid for murdering people are looking for places to hide but they will not get protection anywhere. He said that the next generation will be given books instead of Kalashnikovs and their future will be bright. Samma Tv




Disagreement on LG system persists betwen PPP and MQM
VoH Watch Dog

KARACHI, Dec. 21: ( Shamsuddin Muhammad) Private news channels on Monday, aired the news regarding the out come of the core-committee meeting of Pakistan Peoples Party(PPP) and Muttahid Qaumi Movement (MQM) to resolve the issue of Local government system in country in general and Sindh in particular. Muttahida has suggested to restore Local Government system in order ot ensure grass root empowerment of masses and appointment of political administrators in the new draft of proposed amendments in municipal system till the next poles in the country.
On sunday, MQM presented the draft in a meeting to PPPleadership held at Chief Minister House, Karachi. The core-committee comprised of Dr Farooq Sattar, Syed Sardar Ahmed, Kanwar Naveed Jamal, Mustafa Kamal of MQM and Pir Mazhar-ul-Haq, Syed Mirad Ali Shah, Agha Siraj Durrani, Rafque Engineer, and Rashid Rabbani of PPP sat together to resolve issue consensusly . Neverthless, accoring to some other reliable sources, the meeting ended without any development regarding appointments of proposed administrators with political background.




Gilani emphasizes over resumption of meaningful and result oriented dialogue with India

Voice of Hunza
ISLAMABAD, Dec, 21: (Shamsuddin Muhammad) According to the news bulletin of an Urdu private news television channel, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has emphasized on resumption of meaningful and result oriented dialogue with India. Non-resolution of all outstanding issues between both countries is impending efforts to effectively counter terrorsim, prime minister said this while speaking and chairing 44th session of the Azad Jamu and Kashmir council. He claimed that the he always stressed that peace and stablity in the region could only be gauranteed iff all outstanding issues between India and Pakistan, including Kashmir were resolved.




Haqqani rules out coup against Zardari
VOH Watch
WASHINGTON, Dec. 18: Pakistan’s ambassador in USA Hussain Haqqani said there is no coup being hatched in Pakistan against President Asif Ali Zardari and his government, Geo News reported late Thursday night. Talking to journalist Wolf Blitzer on a US-based news channel by phone, he said he hoped there is no coup being cooked up in Pakistan, adding the past coups have turned out to be greatly detrimental to the country. Everybody including Pakistan’s high military leadership have achieved consensus that the Army should focus on guarding the national borders and elected government should run the national affairs in accordance with the Constitution and the courts should deliver verdicts on criminal and constitutional matters in the light of law, he maintained. Geo News


NRO verdict internal matter of Pak, says US
VoH Monitor
WASHINGTON, Dec. 18: The United States respects the Supreme Court’s decision to rescind the NRO and hopes that all Pakistani leaders will act in accordance with their Constitution, the US State Department said on Thursday.
At a briefing in Washington, the department’s Deputy Spokesman Robert A. Wood also expressed the US desire to help stabilise Pakistan. ‘Well, look, that is an internal Pakistani matter. ‘And we respect the decision of the Supreme Court,’ said Mr Wood when asked to comment on Wednesday’s judgment. ‘But, look, regardless of the fallout from the decision, we expect Pakistan’s leaders will act in accordance with their Constitution.’ Mr Wood, who has worked in Islamabad as a diplomat, also emphasised the need to focus on the war against extremists. ‘My assessment of the situation in Pakistan right now is Pakistan has some major challenges that it’s confronting,’ he said. ‘I don’t want to get into a discussion about internal Pakistani matters. But we, our Pakistani partners, and others in the international community are trying to do what we can.’ Based on President Barack Obama’s strategy, the United States was trying to help Pakistan move forward in dealing with issues such as development, fighting terrorism and bringing some economic stability and prosperity to the country. ‘It’s a major, major effort, and it’s going to take time,’ he added. Mr Wood pointed out that the Pakistanis would also admit that they faced a serious situation and that the US and other friendly countries only wanted to help Pakistan, because a stable Pakistan was in the interest of everyone, particularly its neighbour Afghanistan. ‘So, that’s about the best assessment I can give you,’ he concluded. While Mr Wood did not say how the current political situation in Pakistan would affect the war against extremists, the US media did.While noting that the judgment was likely to further weaken Mr Zardari’s ‘shaky hold on power’, The Washington Post noted that the decision came ‘as the United States pushes for an expanded strategic partnership with Pakistan’ to help combat the growing threat from the extremists, including the Taliban and Al Qaeda.’Mr Zardari’s ability to make decisions about the level of Pakistani cooperation with the United States has been compromised by his struggle to simply hold on to his job --- a task likely to be made more difficult by the court ruling,’ the Post noted.‘The ruling could open the door to additional legal challenges against Mr Zardari’ as his opponents planned to challenge his eligibility for the presidency, the report said. The newspaper claimed that Mr Zardari was ‘deeply unpopular in Pakistan, in large part because of persistent rumours of corruption’. ‘In addition to facing judicial challenges, Mr Zardari’s weak civilian government has had an uneasy relationship with the military, … (although) on a visit to Pakistan this week, Gen David H. Petraeus, chief of US Central Command, told Pakistani journalists that he saw no reason to think that the military intended to seize power,’ the Post observed. The New York Times reported that the judicial decision would ‘reverberate across Pakistan’s rocky political landscape and (would) further weaken the standing of Mr Zardari, whom the United States has tried to support as a partner in the fight against the Taliban
and Al Qaeda’. The NYT also noted that ‘petitions challenging Mr Zardari’s eligibility as a presidential candidate are expected to follow from the ruling, and about a dozen senior members of Mr Zardari’s coterie of advisers will most likely face renewed corruption cases’. The NYT recalled that the NRO was devised in 2007 during the presidency of Pervez Musharraf ‘with the help of the United States and Britain as a way to engineer the return of Ms Bhutto after years in exile’.The newspaper observed that ‘whether or not the Supreme Court ruling sets off such a chain of events, Mr Zardari’s political fortunes have sunk perilously low just 15 months into his five-year term. American officials, who consider Mr Zardari the rightfully elected democratic leader, described the president as desperately trying to find ways to hang on’. Dawn News




NAB orders reopening of accountability cases
VoH Monitor
ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has ordered reopening of accountability cases after Supreme Court declared National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) null and void. According to spokesman of NRO, regional offices and FIA directed to take legal action. The arrest will be made after issuance of warrants.He said as all the cases registered under NRO has been reinstated at October 5, 2007 position, banks accounts and assets of those whose warrants had already been issued have been frozen. The names of people included in Exit Control List (ECL) will be added in again in ECL. Dawn

1 Responses to National News updates: December 18 to 24[Please click here to read detailed news of the week]

  1. Anonymous Says:
  2. Dr Mehvish Salim Baig is lying about her harassment. She actually kidnapped two children from USA and is wanted by the local State Court and even interpol. There was astanding court order that after the divorce she can't take children to Pakistan. She allegedly ignored the court orders and took the children to punish her ex husband. Although she followed all the Georgia, USA court orders from 2005 till kidnapping to splitt millions from her ex husband. I appreciate that.

    http://www.interpol.int/public/data/wanted/notices/data/2009/06/2009_36106.asp




    http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PubCaseSearchServlet?act=viewCsawDetail&caseNum=1129375&orgPrefix=NCMC&seqNum=1&caseLang=en_US&searchLang=en_US

     

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Discerning social Change in Gilgit-Baltistan

Discerning social Change in Gilgit-Baltistan
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Mission Statement & Weekly VoH Publishing team


VoH
Voice of Voiceless

The blog aims to disseminate the accurate regional information without consideration of race, color, ethnicity, religion and ideology to the valuable readers across the globe. We promise to abide with the moral and professional ethics of citizen journalism through this medium of communication. The voiceless masses of this one of the most beautiful places on earth, situated in Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan experience hard times due to continuous natural and man made disasters which have left them at surviving stage. Shortly speaking, in a short span of time, Hunza valley has embraces a steady socio-economic and ecological development making it self an authentic book to read about or take a model for rest of far flung valleys bordering Chines Sinkiang province in the extreme north of the country. The haphazard material development in this comparatively small area has also served to create various socio-economic and ethical problems which ultimately served to shake the fabrics of very roots and foundations of culture and civility among dwellers. On geo-political front, analysts find a very little say of a common man in the major decisions related to regional socio-economic development, violation of meritocracy by mafias in political parties, pressure groups which safe guard their own interests, a unbridled bureaucracy, corrupt regimes that patronizing nepotism or favoritism and who wield powers in Gilgit, the main hub and capital of Gilgit-Baltistan. Rapid increase in expenditures ranging from general commodity price hikes to transportation has left no option or time for people to think on other issues.
The so called Economic-Recession, unequal distribution of wealth, concentration of opportunities towards certain beings, lack of social responsiveness and transparency in government sector and no check and balance on private sector has brought its ugly implication in terms of high unemployment, depression among the youngsters, anxiety and hatred towards system of governance.
We vow to bring fore the issues of common man at grass root level, strive to highlight irregularities in government sector and flaws in public policy and finance in a democratic way. We shall continue to give our opinion on issues of importance and determine to prove a viable platform to have a positive role for public welfare, inter-communal harmony, integrity and social justice.
Amid such a situation when even the survival of country is on stake and is defamed due to continual terrorist incidents throughout the our county, we may pray for a peaceful and prosperous future of the nation. May Lord save the peaceful Gilgit-Baltistan region from the evil designs of devils in human form.

The blog has been developed and upgrading by the efforts of the following dedicated volunteers.


Board of Editors
Editor: Shamsuddin Muhammad
Email:jaashams@gmail.com


Co-editor: Inam Karim
Email: inamkarim02@gmail.com


Reporting Team
Karachi: Sartaj Karim
Email: sartaj_compaq@hotmail.com



Hunza: Naeem Hamoon
Email: naeemhmn@hotmail.com


Gilgit: Aslam Shah

Email: hunzaishah@gmail.com


Islamabad: Ikramullah Baig
Email: hunza_havenonearth@yahoo.com

Voice of the voiceless!

The blog is a venture with exclusive news updates, unbiased analysis and opinion on historical, cultural, ecological, socio-economic, geopolitical and administrative issues and events occurring in country in general and the region particular. It would serve as a portfolio of credible information retained first hand from own and secondary reliable electronic and print media sources and aspire to become a powerful voice for a common man. We are committed to adhere with the professional ethics of citizen journalism, a new trend to shackle the chains of excessive curb over dissemination of reality either for any cause in the name of so-called sensor, with maximum possible accuracy and least deviation while delivering information to show the real side of picture of events so that our valuable readers will have an alternative portal to know what developments are going on various levels, particularly backward areas like that of Gilgit-Baltistan, Balochistan, Azad Jamu and Kahsmir, Tribal areas etc., across the country. One can easily discern a great social change in terms of attitudes, perceptions both in individual and society; values and reaction to the variables in daily life patterns among the dwellers of the comparatively backwards areas like Gilgit-Baltistan, a deprived region of its fundamental rights for more than six decades of its liberation from colonial yolk. In a quest to voice over issues of vital importance, keeping closer to circle of concern, Hunza, a name famous for its beauty and rich cultural heritage has been selected to represent as a case to further the cause and issues of the rest of the region. Virtually, the region especially Hunza-Nagar retained a rapid development with a short span of time after remaining isolated for centuries to out side world. The blog also aims focus largely to identify core areas from on bottom or grass root level to the top. Keeping due consideration of inter-religious harmony, tolerance, respecting pluralism, diversity, mutual respect, democracy, equal opportunity and other aspects of human rights and professional values of journalism, the blog will serve as a binding force and medium of voice of the voiceless people of the area with reference to Gilgit-Baltistan region.

The idea of creation of this blog came into my mind during a visit after spending few years of career at Karachi, capital of Southern province to the region. While traveling from south pole of the country to north, I experienced many new changes nearly in all aspects of life explicit in urban areas and implicit in rural belts: people have opted to modern technology, availed faster means of communication; task centered behavior, selfishness, following short-cuts, chase of wealth and more opportunities in their career and many more that made their lives much more easier but crazier than before. Nevertheless, the scene suddenly turned bit dim when I entered the region of Gilgit-Baltistan. I could not believe my eyes that this was the Gilgit I saw four years ago. Many things, except the faces were utterly unchanged formats primitive outlook. The Chinese bridge that linked Danyore and Gilgit and a main source of transportation was no more. Few people told me that few journalists have lost their lives in lethal road accident due to lack of arrangements on part of concerned authority to avoid the incident. Karakorum High Way (KKH), one of the highest truck able route and so-called eighth wonder in the world is under construction and many places portray nothing but a passage through a rough stony pasture. It took nearly twenty four hours from Rawalpindi to reach after an exhaustive journey to Hunza, my home town, compared to nineteen hours in past. The scenario seemed worse in Hunza, my home town which remained unchanged for last four years except a drastic decline in standard of living of more than fifty percent of the population. One may think that people have replaced muddy homes with cement ones but that are not the real yardstick of measurement of both mental and material development. Infrastructure, fixtures, telecommunication systems were largely depreciated to their estimated life coupled with inappropriate number of personnel required in educational, administrative and health institutions. The so-called economic meltdown that started from American giant Leman soon took the world into its tyrant claws, shaking many stable economies of the world including the rural areas of developing states- a big example of negligence and subjugation by the rulers of respective countries where people live not above the level of animals. Apart from the allegations on policy makers of industrialized nations having economic interest only, the poor, irrational, incompetent, self-centered and corrupt leadership in Pakistan like other third world countries where immature economies spends it larger portion of budget expenditure on defense could not resist the negative consequences of economic crisis in terms of high rate of unemployment, recession, right or down sizing, price hikes, violation of consumer rights and so on. Hunza-Nagar, like other parts of Gilgit-Baltistan was no exception. The smiling faces that greeted us once warmly few years ago turned unhappy for the crisis brought its ugly implication on the daily life pattern of an individual thus sucking down the unique attributes of population: courtesy, generosity and hospitality. Having a so-called high rate of literacy in the country unfortunately, the region is facing many problems ranging from health to drinking water and energy sector. To many, it was because of lack of geo-political awareness and excessive tendency towards NGO culture where people little bother to beg their rights from the states besides emphasis on duties. Historical chronicles vindicate that the region remained in isolation for many centuries due to a specific location and lack of access to out side world. Many dynasties ruled the area that hardly accepted change in a traditionally sophisticated feudal based society. The wheel of transition continued to move and finally the area got librated through a mutiny with the help of indigenous population from the clutches of Dogra subjugation. Later, the area was affiliated with Pakistan vide a secret treaty called Karachi Treatise as defacto part, unconditionally. Gilgit-Baltistan region got on real terms an impetus to grow from zero level with the visit of three icons of development: Aga Khan, President Ayub Khan and Z.A.Bhutto- a historic event of its nature with long standing implications on live of the people of the region.The area could hardly observed any impulse for more than half dozen years of affiliation with Pakistan when Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah, Aga Khan (3rd) first time introduced Diamond Jubilee Schools network during mid fifties in the region. A real phase of development gain impetus when Shah Karim Alhusaini, Aga Khan (fourth) stepped in the region, a population with miserable conditions in 1960. He initiated many new projects in different aspect of life, strengthening the existing educational network under the umbrella of Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) for the betterment and uplift standard of living of masses lived under poverty line. Aga Khan Development Network in collaboration with donor agencies, with a view to bring social change from grass roots level, initiated rural support programme and other services for less-privileged societies in the region. In simple words, initial projects were stretched to new areas under AKDN umbrella ranging from self-entrepreneurship to planning and building services. These development programmes served a catalyst for a common man who, earlier was confine to a certain limit where facilities and perks were confined to a specific creed, definitely a big change in society led to process of decline of so-called nobility. By, 1974, Z.A.Bhutto, chief of Pakistan Peoples Party and his cabinet undertook a disintegrated country following the fall of Dhaka, albeit eliminating princely status of numerous states gave them democratic structures, initiated socio-economic, political and administrative reforms in civil services cadres under 1973 constitution of Pakistan. These reforms opened a path for further reforms in tribal and affiliated princely states, mostly in mountain regions. Elders assert, by 1976, when Bhutto abolished the princely status of the units and replaced the princely flag with that of the country declared region formally its de-fecto part. The new development allowed for the first time a limited right of franchise and representation in a parallel council governed from capital. He in collaboration with international donor agencies like UNICEF and World Food Programme helped ensure provision of basic necessities like food to indigenous population still in poor conditions. He gave word to poor and enables to build his destiny. The facility fell a prey of Zia-ul-Haq who abolished the programme to benefit his favorite breed. He altered such programmes to facilitate Mujahideen busy fighting Afghan war against Soviet invasion on behalf of American assistance. By, 1988, before the withdrawal of USSR, Zia regime played a dirty game: as an integral strategy to get parallel success, he supported a breed of militants to eliminate all those against his faith in Gilgit-Baltistan. Unfortunately, the indigenous people could not understand his nefarious designs under the veil of religion that had to sustain his regime using divide and rule tactic and nothing to do with public welfare fell a prey of communal discord. Thousands of innocent people were brutally killed without a reason from both sides and this in turn sowed the seeds of sectarianism thus introducing a Kalashnikov culture in this region. On country’s political front, frequent interventions of military in politics in the wake of undemocratic moves of leadership, double standard attitude of bureaucracy and excessive influence of establishment forces harmed political evolution during last sixty two years of country's history. A finest dictatorship is considered worse than a worse democracy for it largely overlook the opinion of masses. The undemocratic regimes since 1952 onwards in general and during dictators’ regimes left people with no option but to support immature, corrupt and unable leadership confined to their self interests coupled with narrow vision. On global front, with the withdrawal of USSR from Afghanistan, American administration started to shift its strategy of dependency and support for Pakistan especially that to check movement and expansion of communist philosophy, an anxiety among the then US policy planners. Political front once again passed through a new change in 1999 when military took over in October 1999. Numerous Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), both national and international rapport delivered remarkable work since 1990s to 2004 in many sectors like education, health, cultural preservation, design and building.

History repeated itself, but in a new form under different circumstances after cold war, when terrorists attacked twin towers of World Trade Centre, an icon of prestige and glory of America killing thousands of innocent people as a response to US policies inviting a fresh hostility between US and Islamist groups or in other words initiated an open conflict between two countering forces. To some, hidden forces worked behind the incident: Muslims thought it was a Judaist elements while to Europe and US a strike of Islamist elements; even the then Bush administration alleged Islamist groups behind this nefarious act to initiate an open armed struggle to defy its policies and interests. The September 11 incident served a cause to create sufferings for the Muslim communities residing in America and Europe. Being a sponsoring source of Jihadist elements, Pakistan was in real trouble as it was asked either ally the US or ready to go into stone age. Consequently, Pervez Musharraf took U-turn in state policy against billions of dollars as assistance. Once again, US dependency on Pakistan after Afghan war, in an endless war against an invisible enemy in terms of Osama started, leading farmer to think to gain control over natural resources in Afghanistan and Central Asian states. As a state, Pakistan endured many hardships, mostly from inside elements, Majority of our political leadership, for instance is largely nurtured under the aegis of military establishments and always ready to achieve their own interest lest it comes to compromise on national matters, evident from the successive overthrowing of representative regimes. They could not deliver any remarkable to uplift the standard of living of a common man except false promises. It was the Musharraf regime which can be given credit for many reasons: allowed a national government to complete its five year tenure, introduced local government systems for dicentralization of power though a move to by pass the then political and administrative forces like his predecessors military dictators to bolster one man show. Apart from few of blunders in terms of killing of Akbar Bugti, subjugation of judiciary, appointment of army on service and retired personnel in institutions offering higher education, other key positions in major public organiztions and using force as a decisive force instead of dialogue his regime can be recalled for many things during last eight years. He was the first who put hand on non-state actors, brought changes in status of deprived regions like Gilgit-Baltistan bringing reforms and took initiatives to improve education and health facilities. He gave us an International University, increased woman representation, empowered Northern Light Infantry, established N.A scouts and notified Hunza-Nagar district and many more. Yet, at the same time on mass level, despite many accomplishments, it failed to address the real issues of poor. Giant fishes got most and poor further got depressed as the regime greatly revolved around the interests of Chaurdhries and lords. December 2007, shall be remembered a black day when Benazir Bhutto, a female leader of international repute was assassinated at the same place where one of the most famous Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan as killed. Country fell into chaos and observed an extreme internal and internal threat to her existence second time after 1971. Good heaven, the situation soon normalized. With the dawn of democracy, based on Benazir Bhutto's sacrifice has brought a hope of change of image of the country in global economy. PPP led contemporary government has given a new Self Governance Reforms Package 2009 ahead of poles to empower the assembly to legislate on various subjects not allowed in past and choose their own Chief Minister unanimously with the consent of Prime Minister, the head of set up-a good initiative after Z.A Bhutto's compassions for the region. The package has opened a door for more autonomy resembles to that of Azad Kashmir. Though, there are many flaws in the package yet, it will serve to reduce feeling of deprivation among the masses.

There is another side of the picture that the poor performance in many of the departments in government sector during last two years has raised many questions in our mind regarding its capability to cope the challenges that the country faces internally and externally. Public welfare, security from internal and external aggressions and provision of basic necessities to the citizens is the fundamental responsibilities of modern states. Yet, more focus on external threats under security syndrome has left the country nothing but to expend on defense-thus neglecting other sectors like education, strategic personnel planning, health, trade and industry and exploitation of natural resources to strengthen our economy. As for as the private sector especially the NGOs are concerned, the are now confine to reporting to get funds, roam and measure the length of roads in their luxury vehicles. Now it depends on flow of events that will decide the future course of history.





Shamsuddin Muhammad,

Author and Editor,

VoH



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About Me

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Hyderabad,, IslamicRepublic of Pakistan, Pakistan
I am social person with a tendency towards learning knowledge that will balance the material world and the hereafter, a legacy obtained from the family. I earned my MA (General History with specialization in Modern History) and M.A.S (Master of Administrative siences with speciliazation in HRM) both from University of Karachi in 2005 and 2007 respectively, am fond of social work and public welfare. The blog focuses on social change caused by socio- economic and geo-political impulse in the country in general and the region particular.

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