Overburdened national exchequer

Ms. Sabiha Imtiaz,
Lahore.
24-07-10

After reading a letter by Meekal Ahmed titled "Large entourage for IMF meeting", published recently, I examined a few local newspapers and must confirm that it was not a misprint at all as the said news item has been widely reported by the national press.. FULLSTORY

Large entourage for IMF meeting

Meekal Ahmed,
Chantilly, VA.
14-07-10

I hope it was a misprint, but a Pakistani paper reported yesterday that a sixteen-member delegation is going to Washington DC for discussions with the IMF.
This is outrageous. At best, the delegation need not, and never has comprised more than four or five people from the Ministry of Finance and the SBP.. FULLSTORY

Misuse of IMF funds

Meekal Ahmed,
Chantilly, VA.
13-07-10

There is a disturbing news item in the Pakistani papers on the report of the Special Committee of the PAC of the National Assembly. The report points to misuse of IMF funds intended for poverty alleviation being spent on building airports in Balochistan, oil tankers, concrete bunkers and fuel storage facilities, etc. Basically the money went to the Army.. FULLSTORY

Sugar - White Poison

Col. Riaz Jafri (Retd.),
Rawalpindi.
10-07-10

Sugar is selling at Rs70 a kilo and expected to rise up to Rs100 during the ensuing Ramadan, thanks to the Sugar Mills cartel and its manipulative import from Brazil. But, do we know that by consuming sugar we subject ourselves to slow poisoning and pay for it too? Of all the foods consumed today, refined sugar is considered to be one of the most harmful.. FULLSTORY

Knowledgeable versus Ignorant

Col. Riaz Jafri (Retd.),
Rawalpindi.
09-07-10

The way the issue of fake degrees is being defended by Raisani and his likes speaks volumes about the intellectual bankruptcy of our so-called leaders. Little do they realise that a degree is not a mere piece of paper which they can easily forge, but is a sacred parchment conferred by an academia certifying possession of a specific measure of knowledge by the degree holder. I think it is for such people that the Holy Qura'n says in Sura Az Zumar (39:9), "Are those who know equal to those who do not know?" It is our misfortune as a nation that our leaders are not alive to it. To them knowledge seems to be a low priority commodity.. FULLSTORY

Air safety rules

Nazia Riffat, Shoiaba & Noreen,
Students,
Karachi.
08-07-10

We read in your esteemed paper the letter of Meekal Ahmed about 'Air safety rules'. We totally agree with him and the fact that none of the crashes, which took place in the country, have ever been revealed. PIA continues today to operate as a personal airline of a chosen few, of this government. Almost everyday some complain about the attitude, safety measures, irresponsible flight crew behaviour appears in every newspaper. All such issues relate directly to air safety measures. We recently travelled to Islamabad with our college, and the disgusting display of smoking and drinking on an internal route was being openly tolerated by the crew. The captain of the aircraft was as usual confined to the cockpit and at no time did he bother to come out to see what the commotion on the flight was about.. FULLSTORY

Air safety

Meekal Ahmed,
Virginia, USA.
07-07-10

I write in regards to a report in the Press regarding an Air Safety Seminar to be held on July 12, 2010.
Despite the recent spate of airline crashes (Turkish, Afriquah, Ethiopian, Air India Express, and the Polish Presidential flight), flying is still the safest form of travel. One reason for this record is that the airline industry has a strong tradition of learning from past mishaps.. FULLSTORY

Who will be the next saviour

Meekal Ahmed,
Chantilly, VA.
06-07-10

I used the word "saviour" in a cynical sense. NS is no saviour. He is the next disaster waiting to befall Pakistan. I agree that every so-called leader that has come along anointed themselves as saviours. Zia was arguably the worst because of his exploitation of Islam and the legacy of violence and extremism he bequeathed that still stalk us. Some good was done, here and there, but not nearly enough. That is plain to see.. FULLSTORY

Pakistan's next saviour

Walter Fernandez,
Karachi.
03-07-10

I write with reference to the article published in your esteemed newspaper "Coming soon: Pakistan's next saviour", by Dr. Meekal Ahmed. The word "saviour" has become a word, which is being used frequently since time immemorial by our leaders. Every person who occupies a seat at the helm of affairs is the God-sent saviour of this country.. FULLSTORY

Fake degrees

Col. Riaz Jafri (Retd.),
Rawalpindi.
02-07-10

The Parliamentary Committee on Education and the HEC have literally opened the proverbial Pandora's Box, as there are now demands from various quarters for not only verifying the degrees but also scrutinising the attendance records, fees paid with duration of study at the college/institution and even if the person concerned has passed his/her FA and Matriculation examinations?. FULLSTORY

Women a forgotten entity

Sabiha Imtiaz,
Lahore.
01-07-10

In reference to your editorial 'Women a Forgotten Entity' I would like to totally agree what your esteemed column says. A woman could not be in a more pathetic situation than she is in today. It is a total façade that women, just because they have reached the Parliament, have changed the fate of their downtrodden and violated sisters.. FULLSTORY

There is no saviour

Saadullah,
Lahore.
01-07-10

I write with reference to Dr. Meekal Aziz Ahmed's viewpoint "Coming soon Pakistan's next saviour," in your esteemed newspaper a day ago. I agree that Mr. Nawaz Sharif is not what he or his political party claims to be. But then that is the unfortunate reality with all our Leaders, Politicians, Bureaucrats and the Military.. FULLSTORY

'Fiscal servitude'

Dr Meekal Aziz Ahmed
Virginia, USA .
28-06-10

I cannot agree with the dour prediction that an IMF program would commit us to a long period of "fiscal servitude". We have seven roving ambassadors, a 57 member cabinet with everyone, it seems, a minister of state, and several new ministries that have been created to accommodate them. There are bullet-proof BMW's that even western government's cannot afford to provide to their ministers, a fleet of VVIP executive jets, scores of pilgrimages and other junkets at state expense, 200-member delegations, and other criminally wasteful current spending, especially for a poor country. We also spend on defense what we cannot afford, and earn a low-return on the so-called "development" program because it is stuffed with bogus projects. These need to be cut. Given this picture, a bit of "fiscal servitude" might be just what we need to set the economy straight. . FULLSTORY

Provincial budgets

Javed Waheed,
Karachi.
26-06-10

I write in response to Dr. Meekal Ahmed's letter on the provincial budgets.. FULLSTORY

Mr. Tareen's lacklustre interview

Meekal Ahmed,
Virginia, USA.
26-06-10

While he is a good man with his heart in the right place, Mr. Tareen's interview on a leading Pakistani TV show was under-whelming and lacklustre. He repeated a number of homilies and went over well-trod ground. Poverty, unemployment, inflation, staggering PSE losses, circular debt, the low tax-to-GDP ratio, no tax on agriculture, power shortages, neglect of agriculture and manufacturing, poor export performance and so on. None of this is stirring news. We know the problems Pakistan faces and simply repeating them is not very fruitful.. FULLSTORY

Provincial budget

Meekal Ahmed,
Virginia, USA.
24-06-10

It is worrying to see just about all the provinces coming out with deficit budgets. The NFC Award is leading to damaging fiscal profligacy in a race to spend amongst the provinces. Huge spending increases, without regard to technical and administrative absorptive capacity and no revenue measures are being churned out. . FULLSTORY

Reply to Col. Johar

Col. Riaz Jafri (Retd.),
Rawalpindi.
24-06-10

Assuming your good name to be Ranbir Singh Johar, allow me to greet you with Sat Sri Akal.. FULLSTORY

A Letter from India

Col. R. S. Johar (Retd.),
India.
24-06-10

Col. R. S. Johar (Retd) of Indian army sent me the following e-mail after reading my article 'Ideology of Pakistan' on the Net. My reply to him is also appended below.. FULLSTORY

Handsome salary of MNAs

Saadullah,
Lahore.
23-06-10

I write in response to a letter published in your paper regarding "Highly-paid MNAs". Whether the figures are completely accurate is not the question. The point I would like to make is that the present government and its coalition partners in all the provinces have totally lost their sense of proportion - if they had any to start with. They have gone beyond all norms of government expenditures. Their lifestyle, their trips with family members, PAs, and drivers also are all forms of corruption. The rulers seem to be so thick in the dirt engulfing them that they cannot look beyond their desire to amass wealth, from any and everywhere.. FULLSTORY

Rise in suicide cases

Dr Meekal A Ahmed,
Virginia, USA.
23-06-10

While every story of suicide is heart-breaking, this is not something new. It has been happening for some time now. If you look back, it started when inflation had hit a peak of 26% p.a., economic growth had slowed sharply and unemployment rose. Poverty must have risen sharply too.. FULLSTORY

Privatization Receipts

Dr Meekal A Ahmed,
Virginia, USA.
21-06-10

I read in the Pakistani papers today that the government was urging the buyers of PTCL to quickly transfer $500 million which is due so that the budget can be financed. I am astonished to read that is what privatization receipts are being used for.. FULLSTORY

Poverty and suicide

Sabiha Imtiaz
Lahore .
19-06-10

I along with many other Pakistani's agree totally with the editorial "sorrow and poverty". It is indeed shameful how we have completely lost all track of our conscience levels. We should actually hang our heads in shame. And we call ourselves Muslims.. FULLSTORY

The Water Issue

Walter Fernandez
Karachi.
19-06-10

I would like to comment on the issue of dams, which seems to be the raging debate within and outside the parliament and senate these days. I agree with Col (retd) Jafri whose letter appeared in your columns yesterday that there should be proper debates and discussions about the issue. Our parliamentarians can manage nothing, besides constantly bad-mouthing each other, and creating confusion. They always manage to side-track the main issue and just create a lot of noise.. FULLSTORY

Kalabagh Dam

Col. Riaz Jafri (Retd)
30, Westridge-1,
Rawalpindi.
18-06-10

The controversy regarding the construction of Kalabagh dam has been raging on since Zia ul Haq's period and all successive governments have failed to resolve the issue. ANP fears that the reservoir lake will submerge most of the land in the KP province including the city of Nowshera, and the Sindh is apprehend that as lower riparian they will be deprived of their due share of water from the river Indus. Both provinces think that only Punjab will stand to gain from it.. FULLSTORY

DHA Left Out Drainage System

Mrs Shakila Mahmood
Karachi .
17-06-10

The history of Karachi reveals that the city normally had scarce rainfall after every 4-5 years. It rarely rained more than 20 minutes of heavy shower at a stretch. Most of the residential societies of the metropolis including Defence Housing Authority (DHA) during the yester years never felt the need of developing a proper water drainage system.. FULLSTORY

Hooligans on the streets

Walter Fernandez
Karachi.
17-06-10

I write with reference to your editorial "Hooligans on the streets". I, along with scores of others totally agree to what your esteemed newspaper has published. The streets of Karachi are no longer safe to people like you and me. We while leaving our homes every morning do not know as to whether we shall return home alive or bruised and bashed, not due to any carelessness on our part, but because some arrogant, wealthy, pompous person or teenager has decided that he wants to 'fix up' some innocent prey on the roads.. FULLSTORY

Arrogance and Ignorance

Javed Waheed
Karachi.
17-06-10

I would like to thank Dr. Meekal Aziz Ahmed for his response to my letter. I would first want to pen down my thoughts briefly, that not only have we been suffering from the phase of arrogance and ignorance, since perhaps our inception, as Dr Meekal puts it, but we are also severely handicapped by corruption, nepotism, dishonesty and lack of any commitment and ownership, by the successive governments.. FULLSTORY

Fake Degrees

Col. Riaz Jafri (Retd),
Rawalpindi .
16-06-10

The issue of a plethora of fake degrees is being given a Machiavellian twist by the politicians who take the naïve voters for a ride by saying that a usurper had introduced this clause with the malafides intention of keeping the seasoned politician out of the assemblies. Some of them even justify such forging by the affected MNAs and MPAs on one pretext or the other. This is strange to say the least. The question is not of the qualification (graduation) but of the character of the persons involved, who acquired such fake degrees by illegal means, by deceitfully forging the documents! Does it behove a law maker to be a cheat, a forger, a fraud, a swindler or an imposter? It strikes at the very roots of his personal conduct and character. There is an old saying, "If wealth is lost, nothing is lost. If health is lost, something is lost. But if character is lost, everything is lost".. FULLSTORY

Response to Mr Javed Waheed

Dr. Meekal Aziz Ahmed,
Virginia, USA.
16-06-10

The concerns of the Senator on the aid bill are entirely believable. One newspaper printed the entire letter.. FULLSTORY

Brain-Drain of the intelligentsia

Saadullah,
Lahore.
16-06-10

Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper, I would like to thank Dr Meekal Aziz Ahmed for his reply to my rejoinder. I appreciate the fact that he has taken the time always to answer. I can understand his reservations, when it comes to taking names of people who made their exist from the country, and left without fulfilling their commitments to the government of Pakistan, for the much greener pastures of the international donors.. FULLSTORY

Mr Saadullah: A reply to a rejoinder

Dr. Meekal Aziz Ahmed,
Virginia, USA.
15-06-10

I am well aware of the brain-drain from Pakistan and its economic costs. In the old days if we were studying abroad, our parents would say firmly "come back and serve". Now parents say to their children, "Go and never come back".. FULLSTORY

'Pakistan is not Greece'

Javed Waheed
Karachi
14-06-10

I would like to agree with Dr. Meekal Ahmed's article, which appeared in your paper on Saturday last. The title of the article was 'Pakistan is not Greece'.. FULLSTORY

Slaps and Lollipops

Mian Abdullah Nisar
Karachi
14-06-10

My eyes are brimmed with tears and my heart weeps as I sit down to write this article. Maybe, just maybe, bringing my thoughts to words would ease the pain somewhat. We the Muslim world have been shamed, yet again. By whom? Our own and in Pakistan's case our beloved 'democratically elected' rulers. Israel has once again spit on our faces, trampled our integrity and honour. But alas! Once again we have gone into America's lap, lodging feeble complaints to our surrogate father, who doesn't even treat us as its illegitimate child.. FULLSTORY

Rejoinder to Dr. Meekal

Saadullah,
Lahore.
12-06-10

I write with reference to Dr. Meekal Aziz Ahmed's rejoinder to my letter of 09th June in the Letter to the Editor column published in your esteemed newspaper yesterday. First of all I would like to thank him for the trouble he went through to explain his background. I am aware of the fact that he is the son of (Late) Mr. Aziz Ahmed, the financial wizard during the time of Ayub Khan. Dr. Meekal does have a long and credible background. However, what I had earlier written stands true, as to how our intelligent honest professionals have left the country due to lack of either recognition, which does not seem to be Dr. Meekal's case or for better paid packages.. FULLSTORY

The IMF's budget?

Dr. Meekal Aziz Ahmed,
Virginia, USA.
12-06-10

It is fairly routine to hear, especially when we have an on-going IMF programme, that the IMF makes the budget for us. When I said this to an IMF Mission Chief many years ago, he laughed and said "I wish that was the case"!. FULLSTORY

Housing affordability: A new model

A. Bashir Khan,
Karachi.
12-06-10

Like all Third World countries Pakistan is also facing shortage of housing stock. The shortage is on the increase due to receding affordability of people. Ever-increasing land price and costs of construction materials is making housing solutions beyond the reach of the lower to middle class. . FULLSTORY

Response to Mr. Saadullah (Budget blues)

Dr. Meekal Aziz Ahmed,
Virginia, USA.
11-06-10

I thank you for your kind words, but may I take liberties with this esteemed paper and introduce myself.

Unlike the other gentlemen you mention, I spent two-and-a-half decades in government service after I graduated from Georgetown University in 1964, earning about $20-$30 a month (depending on the exchange rate you use). I gave the best years of my life to Pakistan and I never fled like all the rest to greener pastures in the World Bank, the IMF and the Asian Bank, from the Planning Commission, the PIDE and the State Bank around 1971. Today they have their multi-million-dollar homes and enjoy pensions of around $20,000 per month, but still want to be in MP-1 with a cash salary of Rs. 400,000 per month and endless perks as a condition to return to Pakistan. They should be taking one rupee.. FULLSTORY

Budget blues

Saadullah
Lahore
09-06-10

I write with reference to Dr Meekal Ahmed's article "A sliver of hope" in your esteemed newspaper yesterday, Dr Meekal Ahmed's well-written article is indeed a pleasure to read.. FULLSTORY

Will the budget be implemented?

Walter Fernandez
Karachi
09-06-10

This is with reference to Dr Meekal Ahmed's article published yesterday in your paper, on the budget. It is an accepted fact by now that the presentation of the budget was indeed applaudable, however the short-falls in the budget itself are quite obvious. I agree with Dr Ahmed that strict implementation of the budget is the only way that the economic wheels of the country will start moving. I also must agree that the FBR and the tax collection system have hit the rock-bottom. Amongst the rich and the super rich feudal classes of Pakistani society, the word tax does not exist, they will offer any amount and pay such exorbitant amounts as bribes to income tax officers to evade paying their due share; so as Dr Ahmed writes, it is going to be an unachievable target. The corruption at the grass root levels today is next to impossible, to control and to collect taxes is one of the most difficult tasks in the country.. FULLSTORY

The Lahore massacre

Ali Ashraf Khan,
Lahore
05-06-10

The gruesome attacks at the places of worship of the Ahmadiyya community in Lahore became possible only because of the total negligence of the Punjab government and their so-called security forces. It is yet another example of the sad state of affairs in Pakistan.. FULLSTORY

Inflation in 2010-11

Meekal Ahmed,
Virginia, US
31-05-10

The Deputy Chairman Planning Commission breezily announcing that next year's inflation target is 9.5% should hang his head in shame if he is half the economist he claims to be. First of all, it is not for him to say this but the Governor of the State Bank. However, rumours have it that he has submitted his resignation so perhaps that is why he is staying quiet.. FULLSTORY

VAT and IMF programme

Meekal Ahmed,
Virginia, US
25-05-10

There was this fantastic news item in a leading paper that if Pakistan did not implement the VAT our exports and imports would be "blocked" and we would have to pay back all the IMF money that has been drawn on so far. Where do reporters get this sort of information from and does no one run a check of the veracity of such claims before it is printed?. FULLSTORY

Upcoming budget

Meekal Ahmed,
Virginia, US
20-05-10

I write with regard to your report on what Pakistan's 'renowned' economists and former finance ministers said at a pre-budget seminar (May 16). Not surprisingly those with business interests like Ishaq Dar are against the VAT and cling to their tiresome conspiracy stories about the IMF giving Pakistan money only because of a 'nod' from the US. Obviously Mr Dar forgets that in Nawaz Sharif's two mercifully-truncated regimes, the authorities turned to the IMF for bailouts too. At that time a 'nod' from the US must have been very pleasing to see!. FULLSTORY

Why speak now?

Walter Fernandez,
Karachi
01-05-10

Former Foreign Minister Mr. Khurshid Kasuri seems to be missing his lack of media attention and has tried to stay in the news with his theories of resolving the Kashmir issue. Rather late in the day, one would imagine as to why he kept quiet on one of the most important issues and 'bone of contention' between Pakistan and India.. FULLSTORY

Lack of response system

Mohammad Rizwan,
01-05-10

Murders, killings and broad daylight robberies all over the country are sure sign of the lack of any emotions and laid-back attitude of the populace in this country. The response mechanism of the government, military, civil society all translates into a 'couldn't care less attitude'.. FULLSTORY

On the Day of Judgment

Bushra Azim,
Student, KU.
30-04-10

Our ruling elite and upper class are living an extravagant and comfortable life. They enjoy their unhindered luxurious ceremonies and continue their dirty intrigues in royal courts.. FULLSTORY

Brain drain

Bushra Azim,
Student, KU.
29-04-10

Pakistan is a developing country. Undoubtedly, there is no shortage of creative brains. But unfortunately the super-creative minds in Pakistan always decide to leave the country and go to serve other countries. The most common reason behind it is corruption. The devil of corruption is demolishing every field of national activity. We cannot expect any action in any of the government departments without spending illegal money. A person having degrees cannot get the deserving job until he has money to pay as bribe both in government, as well as private sectors. This unfair practice is so rampant that the common man feels frustrated. Not only has this affected the political and social atmosphere of our country, but it has also created many serious problems for the honest and talented persons. . FULLSTORY

IMF as political shield

Dr. Meekal A. Ahmed,
Virginia, USA
29-04-10

There is much angst in the public mind about whether or not the government will pass through another 6 per cent rise in power tariffs to the end-user. Using the IMF as a political shield to do something unpopular is a time-tested tradition and governments around the world have become very good at it, including our own. Just shuffle off the responsibility and say you are doing it under IMF duress. . FULLSTORY

5-day working week

Saadullah,
Lahore,
28-04-10

Your editorial published on 26th April regarding the five-day working week holds some truth about the quality and input of workers. But the office culture in our workplaces, factories and specifically in our government ministries and organisations cannot produce quality work, not because of a six-day working week, but because of incompetence, laziness and a general environment to shut off files and leave after 4pm.. FULLSTORY

Is Pakistan's destiny linked to IMF?

Saadullah,
Lahore,
23-04-10

The article published in your newspaper 'budget for all' (21st April) by Dr. Meekal Ahmed was an interesting read. However, I would like to point out that Dr. Ahmed's reliance on IMF funds continuously pouring into the country is stretching it a bit too far. He writes that his biggest concern is that when the IMF program ends, "the important external disciplining force on our economic decision making" will end. Does Dr. Meekal actually believe that Pakistani's cannot do without IMF funding for all times to come. It is like saying that we in Pakistan cannot fish, and have to depend on the supply of fish in the market from foreign shores to be able to eat fish!.. FULLSTORY

A pro-growth budget

Dr. Meekal A. Ahmed,
Virginia, USA
20-04-10

The Prime Minister has apparently directed his economic team to produce a 'pro-growth' budget with 'relief' measures. He must have asked for an "acha sa budget" as one Finance Minister put it some years ago. For those who don't read Urdu, that translates into a "nice" budget. Well folks the bad news is that there is no such thing.. FULLSTORY

Spreading power riots

Dr. Meekal A. Ahmed,
Virginia, USA
19-04-10

The spread of power riots is an ominous sign of people losing patience with the incompetence of government and their vacuous promises. It makes you wonder what will come next. It is my fear that we will soon see riots against rising prices. One may well ask why we have not seen this phenomenon in Pakistan sooner. That is because prolonged and very high inflation has never been in problem in Pakistan. As I mentioned somewhere, if we were to take a long-term average of inflation in Pakistan over, say, the previous five decades, the average inflation rate would come out to about 6 per cent per annum, a remarkable record for a developing country. It is only recently, in the past two years or so, that inflation has accelerated to astonishing levels and at one time seemed unstoppable. It was brought down by almost a half thanks to adjustment in the economy and help from lower international prices but at high cost in terms of falling output, lost jobs, a return to poverty for millions of households and heart-breaking stories of children being sold and people committing suicide because they could not cope.. FULLSTORY

Deeply flawed analysis

Dr. Meekal A. Ahmed,
Virginia, USA
15-04-10

This is in regards to Mansur Ahmad's analysis of the rupee exchange rate and exports (April 13, 2010). The analysis is deeply flawed. You don't just take a bunch of numbers and run them together to see if there is a visual correlation. The exchange rate has to be measured properly and so have exports. You can run a regression analysis, but you will need other variables in addition to a properly measured real effective exchange rate (REER), such as global income/market growth, dummy variables for outliers or any structural shifts in the pattern of exports that you cannot otherwise quantify and so forth. Most importantly, you must specify the lag structure which could be auto-regressive or distributed. It is complicated but it has been done by economists in Pakistan and elsewhere.. FULLSTORY

Benazir Employment Stock Option

Walter Fernandez,
Karachi
15-04-10

I would like to agree with the letter published in yesterday's Financial Post of Dr. Meekal A. Ahmed. Indeed, any free handouts do not materialise, especially the stock-option scheme in the Benazir Employment Stock Option. When we pay even nominal rates to purchase, the ability to have that sense of purchasing power is indeed a sign of self-esteem.. FULLSTORY

Benazir Employment Stock Option Scheme

Dr. Meekal A. Ahmed,
Virginia, USA
14-04-10

The Benazir Employment Stock Option Scheme (BESOS) seems to be a good idea and I commend those who have thought of it. However, I was disappointed to hear that workers were being given stock options for free. We need to get away from the idea that there is anything free in this world and especially in Pakistan. Free medical, free education, free cars, free petrol, and free servants and so on. The employees, while deserving, should have been made to pay even if it was a token amount.. FULLSTORY

Saluting the Pakistani media

Dr. Meekal A. Ahmed,
Virginia, USA
13-04-10

If it is true that the Board of PSO has cancelled a flawed contract recently awarded to a Singapore company for the sale of LPG, I am delighted and proud of our vibrant and fearless media which has brought attention of this matter to the public and forced the PSP Board to reverse their earlier decision. The Singapore company will, no doubt, sue the government, but we need to take that on the chin and move forward with a truly open and transparent re-bidding process.. FULLSTORY

The failed and corrupt organisations

Raja Sagheer,
Karachi
07-04-10

Almost all the corporations and organisations in the present government set-up are submerged in corruption, nepotism, and committing blatant violations of rules and procedures. The sectors involved come in a wide array of both public & private sector companies. From banks to financial institutions to funded projects of sugar mills, belonging to the VVIP's at the helm of affairs in Islamabad.. FULLSTORY

Consumer rights

Dr. Meekal A. Ahmed,
Virginia, USA
06-04-10

I commend Malick Tariq Ali's comment on the imminent demise of the CCP. If this institution is allowed to die, it will be a huge blow to the hapless Pakistani consumer who has been and continues to be exploited by widespread anti-competitive abuse in manufacturing, services and trade. Pakistan will join the undistinguished ranks of the few countries that do not have an institution that protects consumer's interests.. FULLSTORY

Boom, bubbles and bust

Dr. Meekal A. Ahmed,
Virginia, USA
01-04-10

Since Dr. Ashfaq says I am verbose (March 30), I will try to be brief.. FULLSTORY

KESC fails to deliver

Javed Waheed
30-03-10

Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper I would like to join the ranks of being an agitated, disturbed, and thoroughly disgusted resident of Karachi. The reason for my complete change of mind happens to be the totally disturbing, complete breakdown of power supply in the city. I have recently made the mistake of returning to my country, after living over twenty-five years in Europe and decided to make Karachi my home. Never before have I experienced the nightmarish experience of power outages and breakdowns for almost ten hours of the day. Everyday is the beginning of an unproductive, non-constructive day. And all due to a mismanaged and corrupt organisation called KESC.. FULLSTORY

Consumption-led growth

Dr. Meekal A. Ahmed
27-03-10

The indefatigable Dr. Ashfaq Hasan Khan in a recent article berates some of Pakistan's accomplished economists for criticising his favourite government's accomplishments, the one led by the now-absconding duo of General Musharraf and his chief side-kick, the incomparable Shaukat ('Short-Cut') Aziz. Dr. Ashfaq's basic thesis is that there is nothing wrong with a consumption-driven growth strategy since consumption is the biggest component in the national accounts in any country, including Pakistan . Arithmetically speaking he is right. But that is not the point. The flaw in such a strategy as the world has learnt (but obviously not Dr Ashfaq) after the worst global financial implosion since the Great Depression is that distorting the instruments of macro-economic policy, and specifically interest rate policy, courts disaster. It is bad economics. It is unsustainable and it will end in a calamity.. FULLSTORY

Fixing and the World Cup

Fakir S Ayazuddin
22-03-10

The PCB has once again proved that it is determined to show it is not prepared to mend its ways, and insists upon blundering on, regardless of the damage to the game or the disappointment to the millions of followers. The President himself seems unaware of the havoc being wreaked upon possibly the only happiness that can come the people's way amongst the misery already being borne as their daily lot. FULLSTORY

The Lahore carnage

Walter Fernandez
16-03-10

The recent spat of terror killings in Lahore have left the people of the country traumatised. The ongoing debate of what the Chief Minister-Punjab Mian Shahbaz Sharif came up with in his statements and the media hype is drawing away from the actual happenings in the Lahore successive bomb blasts. The role of the law enforcing agencies and the police is what needs to be taken up with full force and to reach the masterminds behind this carnage is the need of the hour. FULLSTORY

Delhi-JFK non-stop flight

Dr. Meekal A. Ahmed
09-03-10

I came across an advertisement of a daily, non-stop flight from Delhi-JFK (the return route is not contentious) by Air India using their new Boeing 777-LR's. The advertisement has saddened and irked me. PIA purchased the LR some years ago for the specific purpose of conducting non-stop long-haul flights to the US and Canada. We have been serving Canada for some time now with obviously no security issues. What specifically troubles the US to cause them to refuse us the right to fly non-stop to points in the US? Having travelled internally in the USA as well as from Pakistan via PIA and other airlines. FULLSTORY

Another free lunch?

Dr. Meekal A. Ahmed
04-03-10

I write in regards to Ms. Najma Sadeque's near-hysterical diatribe against the World Bank and IMF, and her unbounded glee at the announcement of a South Bank where everything will be milk and honey and we will get to enjoy another free lunch. I find all this rather amusing. FULLSTORY

Another free lunch?

Dr. Meekal A. Ahmed
04-03-10

I write in regards to Ms. Najma Sadeque's near-hysterical diatribe against the World Bank and IMF, and her unbounded glee at the announcement of a South Bank where everything will be milk and honey and we will get to enjoy another free lunch. I find all this rather amusing. FULLSTORY

Common economic woes

Zeeba Karim
04-03-10

I was indeed happy to read in your esteemed newspaper two very interesting articles. One was your editorial of March 3rd, "SME Potential" and the other was your article a day earlier of March 2nd by Najma Sadeque. FULLSTORY