Small farmers’ miseries

Published in The News 
With the advent of the wheat-sowing season the miseries of the already marginalised poor growers have increased manifold. The lives of millions of poor farmers depend on the production of wheat which is a source of livelihood for them. But shockingly, the price of Diammonium Phosphate (DAP), one of the most necessary fertilisers for the crop, jumped by around Rs700 per bag from Rs2500 to Rs3200. Coupled with this burden is the steep rise of Rs5 per litre in diesel price. Diesel is needed both during ploughing and for irrigation. The increase in the prices of these two will affect the small farmers badly. On these two heads, the growers will have to bear a cumulative burden of Rs24 billion.
It is believed that the increase in the price of DAP is the outcome of the cartelisation of fertiliser importers. It is true that a hike has been observed in the price of the said fertiliser in the international market, yet this can’t serve as a pretext for the almost 20 per cent increase in its price in the domestic market. Firstly, the surge in its price in international market was minimal and secondly no fertiliser has been imported during this hike. Therefore the government should compel DAP importers to make possible its availability on a fair price.
The News.
Saturday, November 13, 2010.


http://www.thenews.com.pk/12-11-2010/newspost/15213.htm 

CJ doing Politics

Published in Pak Tribune
The recent remarks by the Chief Justice (CJ) of the Lahore High Court (LHC) advising the PPP to quit the Punjab government if it does not agree with the appointment of Rana Maqbool as secretary prosecution have left everyone stunned.

Judges should refrain from politicking and giving such statements. They should rather speak through their judgments. It is pertinent to mention here that the federal government had requested the Punjab government not to appoint Maqbool as he was an accused in the case of cutting President Zardari’s tongue in the mid-1990s.

This incident has raised a number of serious questions. First, is the CJ authorized to speak on behalf of a proclaimed offender, and can he advise a major political party to quit the government? Second, when the CJ has openly admitted that he has relations with the Sharif brothers, was this the reason for him to be retained in Lahore rather than being promoted to the Supreme Court (SC)?

Without any iota of doubt, this amounts to sheer misconduct on the part of CJ Khawaja Sharif. Ali Ahmad Kurd, Aitzaz Ahsan and Hamid Khan, all being staunch supporters of the present judiciary, were left startled. These remarks have not only put a question mark on the credibility of Justice Sharif, but have also given legitimacy to the criticism of those who call the current judicial set-up biased. Besides, when these assertions have been condemned by all, the silence of the PML-N is indeed regrettable. Justice Sharif has brought a bad name to the judiciary and has invited open criticism. The honorable CJ of the SC is expected to take sou motu action and send the case of Justice Sharif to the Supreme Judicial Council. This would not only silence the critics of the free judiciary but would also establish a precedent that no one is above the law.
Pak Tribune
July 4, 2010
 http://www.paktribune.com/news/print.php?id=229460

Politics and Judges

Published in Daily Express Tribune
This is with reference to the recent remarks made by the Honourable Chief Justice of Lahore High Court wherein he said that the PPP should quit the Punjab coalition government if it had any objections to Rana Maqbool’s appointment as chief prosecutor.

Clearly, this is a political statement made by someone who should not have made it. If anybody had to say this it should have been a spokesman of the PML-N or the Punjab government. The fact is that Mr Maqbool was declared a proclaimed offender in a case involving the president some years back and should a sitting chief justice of a high court be making such comments in the first place? With due respect, judges are supposed to be impartial and are assumed to steer clear of politics and making political statements. 
 Daily Express Tribune
July 04,2010.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/25661/politics-and-judges/ 

Kainat Soomro’s Case

Published in Daily Times
How can any sane and humane person stop his tears after seeing the victim of a brutal gang rape collecting the dead body of her younger brother who was killed in search of justice? Sabir Soomro was first arrested a couple of months ago by the local police on fabricated charges in order to silence his family, who had been clamouring for justice. This incident has completely shattered my confidence in the law and law enforcement agencies, especially the police. Kainat Soomro has not lost heart; rather she has remained steadfast in her quest for justice. Is there no one to wipe the tears of that sorrow-stricken girl? Has the home minister of Sindh spared a moment’s time from his fiery political statements to listen to her cries? If she is not provided with justice and those who have inflicted pain upon her are not prosecuted, the confidence of even those who are optimistic about the system would shatter.
Daily Times
Friday, July 02, 2010
Daily Dimes 

Going for coal?

Published in Dawn
THIS is apropos of Khurshid Anwer’s letter, ‘Coke the coal’ (Dec 23), in which he raised apprehensions on the use of coal for producing electricity.

I strongly agree with the writer’s ideas. Indeed, the menaces of global warning and pollution are getting uncontrollable and are slipping out of the hands of man.

In such fragile conditions, the thought of using coal, one of the chief contributors to the problems of pollution and global warning, would increase the vulnerability of the mighty challenge our planet is facing today.

But just because we are facing energy shortfall does not mean that we can endanger the stability of the planet as a whole. Why coal, when we have much better and safer alternatives available at home.

Fortunately, nature has bestowed us with mighty rivers capable of producing endless electricity, a vast coastline gifted with the treasure of wind power and an everlasting potential of solar energy. These, if utilised properly, can produce energy sufficient for both our present and future needs. Therefore, if we have to make this planet a happy place, we should opt for safe and environment-friendly energy resources.
DAWN Sunday, 27 Dec, 2009

When life is History

Published in Daily The Nation
Dr Allama Muhammad Iqbal is one of the most written about poets of Urdu. However, an authentic and reliable biography of Iqbal took a long time to appear. ‘Hayat-e-Iqbal’ was the first ever book on Iqbal, which appeared in 1938. After that, no year went by with out new books and articles on Iqbal being published. All these books provide the scholars with good source material but the need for a detailed and authentic biography of Iqbal was badly felt. Dr Javed Iqbal’s Zinda Rood, first published in 1984, filled this gap and is regarded as the most authentic biography of the poet-philosopher.

Recently, a fourth edition was published. Dr Javed Iqbal, being his son, was in a unique position to take advantage of all the original sources necessary to carry out an authentic research on Iqbal. This is the reason that Zinda Rood is by far the best biography of Iqbal to date.

According to the famous Iqbal scholar Professor Rafiuddin Hashmi, “Dr Javed Iqbal has very capably fulfilled his responsibilities as a biographer in Zinda Rood, which is a balanced and objective biography that describes all the aspects of Iqbal’s life in detail.

It makes you feel that Iqbal’s life was that of a great man”. If we want to take our country out of its present dire challenges, we would have to understand and follow the teachings of Iqbal. Zinda Rood is the best book to understand his teachings. One hopes that Dr Javed Iqbal would bring out a fifth revised edition with some more additions to this valuable book soon.

Daily The Nation
Published: November 12, 2009

http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Opinions/Letters/12-Dec-2009/When-life-is-history

Textile Policy

Published in Dawn
The first ever national textile policy announced by the Government to fix the ailing industry and lift dwindling exports is a stitch very much in time.

The most important thing about this policy is that it has been developed after taking all stake holders into confidence, which is why it has been applauded by all.

Textiles, the major export of Pakistan which contributes a lion’s share in our gross domestic product, has been declining for internal as well as external reasons.

Therefore, there was a dire need on the part of the Government to save this industry as it is considered as oxygen for our economy.

However, this policy will be instrumental only if it is implemented in letter and spirit with the same zeal and zest with which it has been formulated.
Dawn
Thursday, 20 Aug, 2009