Here is one post from Shahid Mehmood’s blog: http://shershahsuree.blogspot.com I was recently forwarded Asad Umar’s two part article on the subject of privatization (which appeared in the NEWS) of public sector enterprises (PSE’s). It is a continuation of the debate that has been generated in lieu of the government’s decision to privatize a specific percentage of these bleeders. Aside from a few positive suggestions over the methodology and how the intended sale should be carried out, the article was a reflection of the author’s poor understanding of factors that affect the economy and its working, especially in the context of Pakistan.

My new Urdu book, “پاکستانی کشاکش” (Pakistani Armageddon) published, and released today by the Alternate Solutions Institute. Copied below is the Media Release: New Urdu Book, “پاکستانی کشاکش” Published Lahore, February 22, 2014: Alternate Solutions Institute today released Dr. Khalil Ahmad’s latest Urdu book, Pakistani Kashakash: Tehlee-O-Taadeel aur Aagay Barhnay ka Raasta (Pakistani Armageddon: Analysis, Resolution and the Way Forward). پاکستانی کشاکش: تحلیل و تعدیل اور آگے بڑھنے کا راستہ The book attempts an analysis of the present predicament of the Pakistani state and society with reference to their response to the barbaric threat to the life and liberty of

You can bring the rich to the level of the poor overnight but it takes a lifetime to lift the poor to the level of the rich.  [Irish proverb] During the 1970s, Pakistan went in for wholesale nationalization of its private enterprises, taking even educational institutions into the state’s hands. This was a move laden with far-reaching and unforeseeable consequences. Some are still being unveiled today. It changed not only the economic and political, but also the social, intellectual and moral landscape of the country for generations to come. The story began in 1968, with a political movement basing itself

General Musharraf and the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology – a tweet: http://twitter.com/khalilkf Is General Musharraf Julian Assange and Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology Venezuelan Embassy located in London where has has taken refuge!

Flora – My Photography Blog: Capturing a painting WWW.Flora-MyPhotography.blogspot.com

See how a Pakistan views a Pakistan: [Dawn, December 24, 2013]

See this picture, and see the question mark on the face of Pakistan! [The News, December 25, 2013]

India-Pakistan-Bangladesh triangle – a revolving triangle! Today’s tweet on this triangle: http://twitter.com/khalilkf  India views Pakistan the way Pakistan views Bangladesh; and Bangladesh views Pakistan the way Pakistan views India!

One man can do wonders, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court proved that. His 8 years in the Supreme Court shook the foundations of the un-challengeable rule of Riyasati Ashrafiya in Pakistan. Starting from March 9, 2007 and till his second restoration, and even after that I wrote many an article on various aspects of political and constitutional crisis facing Pakistan, and as the Honorable Chief Jistice retires this December 12, I will be posting / sharing some of the writings I penned during this period. Here is one incomplete piece which I wrote on July 13,

“The military use of children takes three distinct forms: children can take direct part in hostilities (child soldiers), or they can be used in support roles such as porters, spies, messengers, look outs; or they can be used for political advantage either as human shields or in propaganda.”  [Wikipedia] Which category Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s or Aseefa Bhutto Zardari’s political use by Pakistan Peoples Party or Asif Ali Zardari falls in? The last temptation of Asif Ali Zardari When good government prevails men of little worth submit to men of great worth. When bad government prevails men of little power submit to men of great

November 29, 2013: Is Shah Mehmood Qureshi behind PTI, taking revenge from US for his ouster from the gov in Raymond Davis case: US diplomat met him yesterday! November 24, 2013: Re PTI blocks NATO supply: Imran Khan, instead of focusing on governance in K-P, is wasting his Party’s first ever stint in a province! November 22, 2013: In Pakistan, opposition is usually meaner than the government! See the present opposition . . . September 28, 2013: Is Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf playing the political wing of the Taliban? Or what is it up to! September 20, 2013: With Imran

Why to focus on social media that it incited sectarian violence; whereas sectarian outfits and their comfortable fund-raising and publishing ventures may be causing the sectarian violence, as the following cartoon shows: [The Express Tribune, November 22, 2013] 

On November 23, Imran Khan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) blocked the NATO supply route; the PTI was protesting against the Drone attacks on Taliban terrorists. What’s the issue? What is Imran Khan up to? Instead of focusing on governance in Khyber-Pakhtunkhawa province where his party is in power, Imran Khan is wasting his PTI’s first ever stint in power by indulging in non-sense politics. The following cartoon by Sabir Nazar explains well the politics of Drone cricketer: [The Express Tribune, November 24, 2013] 

One of the lawyers from government side while commenting on the Supreme Court’s judgment restoring the Chief Justice of Pakistan and quashing of the presidential reference against him in a talk-show first said: one side has to lose and the other to win. Then, in the same breath he said: it’s a win-win situation. He said: it’s a victory for justice, a victory for the rule of law, and a victory for General Musharraf also. He explained that it’s during the regime of a dictator that such a historic ruling was made. Probably, he meant that the judgment might have

See this cartoon and try to understand the stance of pro-negotiation lobby: [Dawn, November 20, 2013]

See some recent tweets: http://twitter.com/khalilkf  November 19: General Musharraf treason trial: government playing the dice to see he goes abroad first or finds himself landed in the special court first November 22: Sectarian clashes no conspiracy; the culprits are politicians and the government which feed the bigots and use them, . . . November 17: Every gathering, political, religious or otherwise, must be held inside the four walls, not on roads and public places; State must act . . . November 17: The last two days, almost whole Pakistan was closed, social and public life was at a standstill, telecom

A member of the national assembly is disqualified by the Supreme Court for holding a fake / forged degree. See the details and especially her reaction; she did not a bit feel ashamed of her misdeed: SC disqualifies Sumaira Malik in fake degree case ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) on Monday declared Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MNA Sumaira Malik as ineligible for holding a fake degree, Geo News reported.  The SC had reserved the ruling in a case pertaining to alleged bogus degree of PML-N leader and MNA Sumaira Malik. The court also declared 2008 notification as null

See the following news item. It’s nothing new in Pakistan. Democracy in Pakistan is just a ladder to become princes and the kings! Minister threatens cops over traffic citation MULTAN: Provincial Minister for Auqaf Haroon Sultan Bukhari on Saturday refused to pay a Rs750 fine when he was stopped by the Motorway Police for speeding on the National Highway near Mian Channu. According to the Motorway Police, Bukhari was on his way to Muzaffargarh when the car he was travelling on was clocked at 125km/hour. Police said when Inspector Nasrullah Baloch stopped him and told him that he had been speeding,

Guess who’s the driver? One who’s driving (Amir Jamaat-e-Islami, Munawwar Hassan) or the one who’s sitting behind (Taliban’s rep)? [The Express Tribune, November 18, 2013] 

Drowned,  sinking deeper in debt By Huzaima Bukhari And Dr Ikramul Haq    Pakistan, drowned deep in debt, is sinking deeper and deeper with each passing moment. The situation, if not remedied on a war footing, will eventually lead the country to an economic collapse. During the last three months, the debt burden has soared by Rs 980 billion – an unprecedented increase pushing the total domestic debt up to Rs 15 trillion. This does not include borrowing from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to avert a serious balance of payment crisis. The Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) was very critical

We are not a normal nation and live down inside the proverbial well made of our own presumptions. Thus we are a perfect subject matter for psychologists to study. In addition, we are never ready to admit that, instead declare others abnormal. That makes us own a stinted mindset in our heads. What’s wrong with this mindset is that it never allows us to live normally, to have introspection, to see ourselves in a critical mirror, to identify our mistakes, to understand our inconsistencies, to grant others the same rights and freedoms that only we rightfully claim to possess and

The wailers: Why Hakimullah Mehsud, Chief of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan was killed in a drone strike! That jeopardized the peace talks with the TTP, they cry! [The Express Tribune, November 3, 2013]

See this cartoon by Sabir Nazar, and try to find what’s the issue behind all the fuss over the Drone attacks inside the Pakistan’s territory! [The Express Tribune, October 27, 2013]

I completed this article on April 2, 2007, after about a month when on March 9, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, refused to budge before the mightiest generals of Pakistan. Like millions of other Pakistanis, I too was excited; yeah there was a way out of the quagmire Pakistanis have been put into by the Riyasati Asharafiya (State Aristocracy). However, I was trying to see this development on the political horizon of Pakistan from a very different angle: from the perspective of a theory of knowledge. The title I gave to this article was:

The following news story tells how Boots are replacing Books [Also compare the British Rule with the Pakistani Military Rule (including the Pakistani Civilian Rule)]: Military rule legacies: Enter the boots, exit books ISLAMABAD: Cycles of military dictatorship have left behind their fair share of legacies – amendments to the Constitution, controversial changes to school curriculum, the list can go on.  Some of these bequests have not only caused confusion, but also severely damaged national intellect and heritage. Against this backdrop, the demolishment of libraries and recreational areas established during the British era at railway stations, more often than not to

The Express Tribune of October 26, 2013 placed a tweet of Maryam Nawaz Sharif on top of its front page. Here it is: “Education could be your wisest investment” Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Twitter One may ask: did your investment in education prove wise? Or what else proved wise? Is it because of your education that this newspaper highlights your tweet on its front page? Or it is something else? Such as Riyasati Ashrafiya’s (State Aristocracy’s) clout? And, Pakistani Media’s complicity with the Riyasati Ashrafiya? Whatever it is, it is not your education, Ms. Maryam Nawaz Sharif, that the media

There are tribal citizens who favor Drone attacks! “. . . interviews by The Economist with twenty residents of the tribal areas confirmed that many see individual drone strikes as preferable to the artillery barrages of the Pakistani military. They also insisted that the drones do not kill many civilians—a view starkly at odds with mainstream Pakistani opinion. “No one dares tell the real picture,” says an elder from North Waziristan. “Drone attacks are killing the militants who are killing innocent people.” See the following news report by The Economist: Drones over Pakistan: Drop the pilot A surprising number of Pakistanis are in

The real Pakistan finds a mention only when it dies. It’s trash all the way that glitters in Pakistani media! See copied below some of the examples of this mention: Zubaida Khanum passes away LAHORE  – Renowned singer Zubaida Khanum passed away in Lahore on Saturday night. Her funeral will be held at Westwood Colony Raiwind Road on Sunday (today). Zubaida Khanum was introduced in film Billo by Baba Chishti in 1951 and got breakthrough from famous film Shehri Babu in 1953. She sung (sang) lot of super hit songs in films during her short but valuable stay in the

Without any comments:“Pakistan’s greatest politician headlined by Pakistan’s greatest newspaper” . . . ! [The Express Tribune, October 19, 2013]

Nadir Hassan stands apart from the courtiers in weighing up the achievements of General Kayani, ‘the political animal.’ See this article by him which The Newscarried on October 10, 2013. The grand player By Nadir Hassan The bar for a successful chief of army staff is very low in Pakistan. So long as you don’t show so much disdain for democracy that you do away with it altogether you have done better than most. This is why, in the six weeks left before he retires, there will be many odes to General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, the man who could have

Two pictures, one from Multan and one from Lahore, tell how the elders are still loved and taken care of in a society where moral and social values are in disarray. [The Express Tribune, October 2, 2013] [Daily Jang, October 12, 2013]

It’s sacrificial offering day today. See it through the eyes of Sabir Nazar: [The Express Tribune, October 16, 2013]

Here is the story of an island’s violent birth in an earthquake: Island’sviolent birth in an earthquake By Henry Fountain A small island that appeared in the Arabian Sea off Pakistan after an earthquake last week most likely formed when the shaking released methane gas and water trapped in undersea sediments. The gas and water forced part of the seabed to the surface, experts said. [The New York Times] “It looked as if a section of shallow seafloor had simply been pushed up,” said Game McGinsey, a volcanologist with the United States Geological Survey. Photographs of the island, which measures roughly 100

Isn’t the accomplice, and the culprit the federal government, which gave consent for this scheme? Isn’t it the ruling party, i.e. Pakistan Muslim League (N)? Aren’t they the politicians of Pakistan, who allow such usurpatory schemes? So, who is the main culprit? The answer is: the politicians of Pakistan. Farm land allotment scheme for army officers ISLAMABAD, Sept 14: General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, who is retiring in November after completing his six-year tenure as Chief of Army Staff, approved a few months ago a scheme for allotting agriculture land to serving and retired army officers. After the approval, the Welfare

The real strength of the hardcore Taliban lies in their softcore allies! [The Express Tribune, October 7, 2013]

See how one member of an elite family is being showered with praises for her real degree and distinction in the LL.B. examination by a senior journalist! Though his story tells about her family, but her belonging to an elite family is not highlighted. Also, the journalist writes: “Ayesha was elected member of the National Assembly on the reserved women’s seat on the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) ticket along with others after the May general elections.” It may be mentioned here that no elections are held for the reserved seats, only nominations are made. Poor Pakistani media! A lawmaker with

Sabir Nazar best explains what it means to defend Pakistan the Pakistan way! [The Express Tribune, September 29, 2013]

Some of the issues are not political. Maybe one party which is in power toady will be in opposition tomorrow. So better be considerate regarding one’s political trading! Also, they are all brothers in arms after all! See this news item regarding such an act of the Riyasati Ashrafiya’s (State Aristocracy’s) “insider trading”: Shahbaz grants 1,000 acres to Imran university in Mianwali ISLAMABAD: Deafening political rancour apart, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has approved “compulsory” acquisition of a huge piece of land, 1,000 acres (8,000 kanals), for the Namal College Mianwali of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan at a

That’s not uncommon in Pakistan; rather it’s sort of usual! See this report – how the guardians of the rule of law turn into phony guardians of the rule of law in Pakistan. One may follow up with this news item and see nothing happens at the end, though the Chief Minister of Punjab has taken notice of it. In solidarity: Traffic wardens protest colleague’s thrashing FAISALABAD: Scores of traffic wardens staged a protest demonstration here on Friday shortly after a traffic warden was beaten up allegedly by an MPA’s guards. The warden was taken to a hospital, from where he