Highlights of Economic Survey
VoH Monitoring Report
* Unemployment rate increased to 5.5% from 5.2%
* Food inflation accelerated to 14.5%, non-food 12.2%, core inflation at 10.6%
* Trade deficit improved to $12.238 billion
* Exports grew by 8%, imports 0.8%
* Forex reserves increased to $15 billion
* Agriculture grew by 2% against target of 3.8%
* Total public debt increased to Rs 8.160 trillion
* Crude oil production decreased to 65,245.7 barrels
* Natural gas production stood at 4048.8m cubic feet
* Services and manufacturing grew by 4.6% and 4.4%
* Current account deficit declined to 2.8%
* Services sector expanded by 4.6 %
* Unemployment rate increased to 5.5%
* Estimate per capita income is Rs 87,810
* Inflation declined from 25% to 8.9%
* Power generation increased to 20,190MW
* Life expectancy estimated at 64.1 years
Source: Dailytimes.com.pk




Cyclone 400km away from Karachi, emergency imposed in Gwadar
VoH Monitor
GAWADAR, June 5: At least ten villages have been inundated owing to the torrential rains as the cyclone Phet is about to enter Pakistan soon. Emergency has been imposed in the area to minimize the damage. The thunderstorm wreaking havoc in Gawadar rendered scores of people homeless where 309 millimeter rain has been recorded. Meanwhile, the Radio Pakistan building also collapsed due to the weather condition which resulted into the suspension of the broadcast.
Cyclone Phet is just 400km away from Karachi while heavy rains hit Balochistan inundating the coastal areas. Karachi administration prohibited people from going to beaches to avert any untoward incident. As the tropical Cyclone Phet now roars towards Pakistani coastline after hitting Oman's coast. The Met department recorder 133 millimeter rain in Jevani, 92 in Pasni and 45 in Gawadar. Heavy downpour resulted into suspension of communication of Gawadar coast from country’s other areas.
Courtesy:
The Nation





Cyclone Phet approaching Pakistan’s coastal areas
VoH Monitor
KARACHI, June 2: The tropical cyclone, named “Phet”, in the Arabian Sea was likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm during the next 24 hours, met office reports said. The cyclone had moved in a northwestern direction during the past 12 hours and was now cantered at 17 degree North and 61 degree East, about 900 kilometers southwest of Karachi.

The Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre associated with the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) issued a warning that the fishermen of Sindh and Balochistan who are in the open sea should return to the coast immediately. All fishermen were advised not to venture in the open sea till Saturday. Initially, the storm is likely to move in a northwestern direction close to the Oman coast and then expected to re-curve in a northeastern direction toward Pakistan’s coastal areas.The official source at the met office told APP that the waves caused as a result of the storm can be a dozen feet high in the sea.Under the influence of this cyclone, heavy rains accompanied with dust and thunderstorms are expected in coastal areas of Sindh and Balochistan. Dawn News





Dr Basit withdraws his papers as federation's lawyer
VoH Watch
ISLAMABAD, June 1: The federation's counsel in 18th constitutional amendment case Dr Abdul Basit has taken back his papers as pleader of the case. According to sources, Dr Basit requested to the Ministry of Law that he could not represent the federation further in the case and later withdrawn his papers as the counsel of the federal government in the case.







Israel Holds Hundreds Seized During Raid on Flotilla
VoH Monitoring desk
JERUSALEM, June 01: A day after Israeli commandos raided an aid flotilla seeking to breach the blockade of Gaza, Israel held more than 600 activists seized aboard the convoy on Tuesday as news reports said activists may be planning a fresh attempt to ferry supplies to the Hamas-run enclave. As international pressure mounted for Israel to end its blockade, Egypt’s president ordered a temporary reopening of its border with Gaza to allow humanitarian and medical aid to reach the 1.5 million people there. Hours earlier, the Israeli military said troops clashed with two militants who infiltrated from Gaza, killing them both. While such occurrences are almost routine along the volatile border between Israel and Gaza, the clash underscored the tensions seizing the region after Monday’s confrontation at sea, which strained relations between Israel and the United States just as American-sponsored proximity talks involving Palestinians and Israelis were getting under way.

There was little sign Tuesday that international criticism of Israel was easing.In the early hours of the morning, after protracted wrangling, the United Nations Security Council condemned “acts” leading to the loss of life in Israel’s operation in international waters on Monday, which had claimed the lives of nine civilians, many of them Turks aboard a Turkish vessel.
The Security
Council also urged an impartial inquiry —a call echoed in a separate forum by Russia and the European Union on Tuesday at a meeting of senior officials in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don. For its part, Turkey, once seen as Israel’s most important friend in the Muslim world, recalled its ambassador on Monday and canceled planned military exercises with Israel as the countries’ already tense relations soured even further. On Tuesday, Israel announced that four of the nine killed in the military operation were Turkish citizens, the Anatolian News Agency reported.Turkish animosity seemed to deepen. “This irresponsible, heedless, unlawful attitude that defies any human virtue should definitely, but definitely, be punished,” Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in his regular weekly address to his party in the capital, Ankara.“No one should dare to challenge Turkey or test her patience for that the strength of Turkey’s animosity is as strong as the value of its friendship.” In a speech often interrupted by loud applause, Mr. Erdogan called on Israel to end the embargo on Gaza and asked the Israeli people to rise against the violent policies of their government. And Egypt’s official Middle East News Service said that President Hosni Mubarak was moving to temporarily reopen the Rafah border crossing — the only crossing not controlled by Israel — to “alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people in the besieged Gaza Strip.” Egypt has kept its border with Gaza largely sealed since Hamas seized power there in 2007.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, meanwhile, was flying home after canceling a Tuesday meeting with President Obama. Mr. Netanyahu has defended the Israeli military’s actions, saying the commandos, enforcing what Israel says is a legal blockade, were set upon by passengers on the Turkish ship they boarded and fired only in self-defense. The military released a video of the early moments of the raid to support that claim.Israel said the violence was instigated by pro-Palestinian activists who presented themselves as humanitarians but had come ready for a fight. Organizers of the flotilla accused the Israeli forces of opening fire as soon as they landed on the deck, and released videos to support their case. On Tuesday, activists promised more confrontation. Greta Berlin of the Free Gaza Movement, which organized the flotilla, said that another cargo boat was heading to Gaza from the coast of Italy while a second boat carrying some 35 passengers was expected to join it, The A.P. reported. “This initiative is not going to stop,” Ms. Berlin said from the group’s base in Cyprus. “We think eventually Israel will get some kind of common sense. They’re going to have to stop the blockade of Gaza, and one of the ways to do this is for us to continue to send the boats.” An Israeli police spokesman, Micky Rosenfeld, said 634 activists, mostly from the Turkish passenger ship, who had refused to identify themselves were being detained at a prison in southern Israel, where they were awaiting deportation procedures. Forty-five others had agreed to identify themselves and were being deported. Immigration officials said the people to be deported included Henning Mankell, a best-selling Swedish author. While the Israeli public seemed largely to support the navy, policy experts questioned preparations for the military Operation, whether there had been an intelligence failure and whether the Israeli insistence on stopping the flotilla had been counterproductive. Some commentators were calling for the resignation of Ehud Barak, the defense minister. “The government failed the test of results; blaming the organizers of the flotilla for causing the deaths by ignoring Israel’s orders to turn back is inadequate,” wrote Aluf Benn, a columnist for Haaretz, on the newspaper’s Web site on Monday, calling for a national committee of inquiry. “Decisions taken by the responsible authorities must be probed.” The flotilla of six cargo ships and passenger boats was carrying 10,000 tons of aid for Gaza. But the raid and its deadly consequences have thrown Israel’s policy of blockading Gaza into the international limelight. The statement by the United Nations Security Council early on Tuesday stressed “the need for sustained and regular flow of goods and people to Gaza.” Israel had vowed not to let the flotilla reach the shores of Gaza, held by Hamas, an organization sworn to Israel’s destruction. Named the Freedom Flotilla, and led by the pro-Palestinian Free Gaza Movement and a Turkish organization, Insani Yardim Vakfi, the convoy had converged at sea near Cyprus and set out on the final leg of its journey on Sunday afternoon. Israel warned the vessels to abort their mission, describing it as a provocation. New York Times






Israel storms Gaza aid fleet, 19 killed
VoH Monitoring desk
ASHDOD, June 01: Israeli navy commandos stormed a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in international waters on Monday, killing up to 19 pro-Palestinian activists in a raid that sparked global outrage. The bloody ending to the high-profile mission to deliver supplies to the besieged Gaza Strip plunged Israel into a serious diplomatic crisis on the eve of talks in Washington between US President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Injured: Dozens of activists and six Israeli soldiers were wounded in the bloody predawn confrontation in international waters. The activists were headed to Gaza to draw attention to the blockade, which Israel and Egypt imposed after the militant Hamas group seized the territory of 1.5 million Palestinians in 2007. As Israel pointed the finger of blame at passengers for initiating the violence, accusing them of using deadly force, activists from the ships countered with their own descriptions of how events unfolded in the raid, which took place at around 5am (0200 GMT). Live footage from the Turkish passenger boat, which was posted all over the Internet, showed black-clad Israeli commandos rappelling down from helicopters and clashing with activists, as well as several wounded people lying on the deck of the ship. Claim: Israel claims the troops returned fire after they were attacked with live rounds, knives and clubs, but flotilla organizers insist the soldiers started shooting the moment they hit the deck. Only limited footage of the incident has been broadcast as communications with the six ships participating in the flotilla appeared to have been scrambled during the operation.

The Israeli army insisted its troops opened fire only after they were attacked with knives, clubs and even live fire. “As a result of this life-threatening and violent activity, naval forces employed riot dispersal means, including live fire,” an army statement said, adding that it appeared as if the passengers “were planning to lynch the forces.” Israel pinned the blame squarely on the activists, saying, “They initiated the violence. We made every possible effort to avoid this incident,” Netanyahu’s spokesman Mark Regev told AFP. “Unfortunately they were attacked with deadly force by the people on the boats.” According to Channel 10 television, 19 passengers were killed and 36 wounded in the confrontation, although the Israeli army gave a toll of 10.The IHH, a Turkish NGO involved with the flotilla, put the toll at least 15, saying most of them were Turkish nationals. Israel’s military top brass said the violence had been limited to the Turkish passenger boat, the Mavi Marmara, with Navy chief Admiral Eliezer Marom saying his troops “had acted with extreme restraint” in a very dangerous situation. “The result of 10 deaths could have been far worse had the soldiers acted differently,” Marom told reporters at the defence ministry in Tel Aviv, saying that troops had only been pushed to use live fire on board the Mavi Marmara. “On none of the other five ships was live fire required in order to stop the flotilla.” During the operation, “10 people who attacked our soldiers were killed and dozens more were wounded,” Maron said, noting that all the injured were taken to hospitals in Israel by air force helicopters. Ten naval commandos were also wounded in the clashes, two of whom were said to be severely injured, while another three were in moderate condition.Despite the admiral’s remarks, organisers say the Greek passenger ship, Sfendoni, also came under fire from Israel troops. Hours after the confrontation, the Sfendoni and another ship were seen being towed by the navy into the southern port of Ashdod, an AFP correspondent said.Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas slammed the navy raid as “a massacre” and announced a three-day mourning period. His Palestinian Authority also called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council. Agencies






Different organization under Tehrik-e-Taliban working to destabilize the country: Rehman Malik

VOH Monitoring desk
ISLAMABAD, May 30:Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik said that different organizations have a part in terrorists activities inside the country to destabilize Pakistan adding that Tehrik-e-Taliban has arrived in Punjab after defeat in FATA.

Talking to media after visiting the targeted worship Place of Ahmedis in Model Town on Sunday, he pointed out that terrorists from South Punjab have been coming out of their hiding places adding that 29-banned organizations have been supporting terrorists inside the country and aimed to destabilize the country. The Nation





Ahmadis claim 95 killed in Lahore attack
VoH Watch
LAHORE, May 30: The death toll from the terror attacks on two places of worship of the Ahmadiya community in Lahore rose to 79 on Saturday. The figure was 74 on Friday. However, a spokesman for the Jamaat-i-Ahmadiya Pakistan told Dawn that 95 people of the community had lost their lives in the strikes at Model Town and Garhi Shahu. Punjab police spokesman DIG Akram Naeem Bharoka told reporters that 79 people had died and 107 injured in the bloody carnage.Police obtained a 20-day physical remand of 17-year-old Abdullah alias Mohammad from an anti-terrorism court. The bomber was caught by worshippers and is in the custody of the Crimes Investigation Agency.The other bomber, 20-year-old Mooaz from southern Punjab, who was earlier identified as Ameer Moavia, is being treated at Jinnah Hospital. He has been unconscious since Friday and underwent a CT scan.

LAHORE: Officials visit the Garhi Shahu mosque which was stormed by militants on Friday, in Lahore, on Saturday, May 29, 2010. - Photo by AP

Police arrested three suspects on information provided by Abdullah, of Rahim Yar Khan. Abdullah identified the two other men who blew themselves up in Garhi Shahu as Darwaish of Swat and Mansoor of Waziristan. He told investigators that he and three others were sent for the two missions by Badar Mansoor, the head of the Punjabi Taliban group in Waziristan. A police official said that Abdullah had provided valuable information to the investigators about other members of the network. Dawn News




Fifteen killed in bombardment at Orakzai agency

VoH Monitor

KALAYA, May 30: Fifteen suspected militants have reportedly been killed as military’s fighter jets pounded their hideouts in Orakzai agency. Jet fighters targeted militants’ sanctuaries in Ghalju, Ghozgarh and Talirabia areas of Orazkai, and destroyed three of their suspected hideouts. Fifteen suspected militants also reportedly killed in air strikes, the channel added. Jahanzeb Khan, a local administrator, says the attacks Sunday targeted militants in the Orakzai tribal region who had fled from an army offensive last year in nearby South Waziristan. Khan says two soldiers were killed in Orakzai on Saturday night when their vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb.

Nasim Shah, an administrator in the neighboring Kurram tribal area, says militants also opened fire on a passenger vehicle Sunday, killing two women and wounding four other people. Shah says the militants carried out the attack because they were frustrated by their inability to muster support in Tabertan village, where the shooting occurred. Breaking News


Posted by Shamsuddin Muhammad on Sunday

1 Responses to National News Updates: Please click here to read all posts of the Week

  1. Pakistani state and society is Pakistan’s own worst enemy.... Read on us. Here one is conspiring against another. Ponder why. Your work deserts appreciation

     

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Monitoring every regional historical development

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Discerning social Change in Gilgit-Baltistan

Discerning social Change in Gilgit-Baltistan
Reflecting socio-economic, administrative and cultural impulses in regional periphery

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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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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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