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Posted by ali rehan munir in Pak Army Kargil Victory, PAKISTAN BRIGHT FUTURE, Pakistan Security, Pakistan Security and Defence: Enemy & Threats (Internal & External) on August 12th, 2013
Posted by Shahroz Bashir in UNEMPLOYMENT-SCOURGE OF NAWAZ SHARIF POLICY on August 11th, 2013
The country’s disgruntled and jobless youth – and possibly other people kept out of the workforce – were hoping for fair play from the new government this year, after having lived through the bizarre hiring policy of the previous regime. Over the past five years, there was total disregard for merit in hiring — nepotism was all pervasive.
But the hopes of the unemployed were dashed when the federal cabinet dropped a bombshell in June by freezing recruitment in government departments.
This move has caused consternation amongst those who, despite being qualified enough, were thrown from pillar to post in the past for having had no sifarish to be inducted into government services. The ban may have less of an impact on urban dwellers, given the several employment avenues that exist in cities, but the decision is bound to have serious consequences for those in rural areas. Rural folk, for the most part, depend on government jobs, as the private sector — including industries and NGOs — has little or no presence.
The lack of employment opportunities in rural areas may be a potential cause of the mass movement of labour to urban areas, adding further pressure on the already saturated market. So far, the government has failed to hammer out a policy to arrest the bulging issue of unemployment and its resultant implosion both in rural and urban areas.
Under the present formula, around 7.5 per cent of federal government department appointments are made on merit, 50 per cent for Islamabad and Punjab, 19 per cent for Sindh, 11.5 per cent for Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, six per cent for Balochistan, four per cent for Fata and Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B), and two per cent for Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Article 27 of the Constitution says: “No citizen otherwise qualified for appointment in the service of Pakistan shall be discriminated against in respect of any such appointment on the grounds only of race, religion, caste, sex, residence and place of birth.”
Unfortunately, the stark reality is the antithesis of what is laid down in the Constitution. Even with the help of the best detecting devices, one can hardly find people, especially from Balochistan, Fata, G-B and Sindh, working in federal government departments in the capital. The provinces’ quota has time and again been trampled on by successive governments who have made appointments based on sifarish, rather than on merit. As of now, the trend is nowhere close to dying out.
One out of every 10 people of the country’s population has been added to the pool of the unemployed, as the unemployment rate further increased to 6.5%, showing signs of a crisis-plagued and slowing economy.
The unemployment rate increased from 6% to 6.5% during the October-December period of 2012 – an increase of 8.4% over the same period of 2011, according to the latest Labour Force Survey for the second quarter of 2012-13. The survey was released on Monday by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
In urban areas, the unemployment rate only increased by 2% to 10.1%.
However, unemployment in rural areas increased to 5% from 4.3%, showing an increase of 16.3%. This indicates that there had been an alarming increase in the jobless rate, in contrast to the claims of the previous Pakistan Peoples Party-led coalition government that it had pumped in an additional Rs800 billion in the rural economy to create more jobs.
Another figure showed there was no real improvement in the living standards in rural areas. All persons aged above 10 who work at least one hour per week were defined as employed persons regardless of whether they were paid employees or self-employed.
The agriculture sector employed 45.5% of the working force, which is lower than the 46.3% ratio of the corresponding period of 2010-11. Yet it remains the single largest sector in terms of job creation.
The PPP-led coalition government in its five-year tenure tried to support the rural economy by increasing support prices of various commodities. In particular, the rates for wheat were increased from Rs425 per 40 kilogramme in 2008 to Rs 1,200 per 40kg in 2013. The government did not, however, focus on increasing per acre yield, which remained stagnant.
The survey showed that roughly 400,000 people become jobless, which experts term an alarming figure.
Moreover, the 6.5% figure does not depict the true picture of unemployment and poverty in the country as 27.1% of the employed force has been shown as “contributing family workers”, who are neither paid in cash nor in kind, according to the government’s own definitions. A person who works without payment in cash or in kind on an enterprise operated by a member of his household or other related persons is termed as a contributing family worker.
By adding contributing workers’ number, the unemployment rate comes close to 15%, said Dr Rashid Amjad, a labour economist and former vice chancellor of the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics. He, however, added that in a developing country, people will have to work, irrespective of whether they are being paid or not.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 9th, 2013.
The higher growth rate of population is the major cause of unemployment in Pakistan .the resources of the country are limited. Karachi is the biggest industrial base of Pakistan, but the investors are reluctant to invest there because of unrest and violence. Our educational system is also responsible for increasing unemployment rate among the educated youth. The attitude of our youth towards the choice of the career is unrealistic and unproductive .Rapid mechanization andcomputer technology is also causing unemployment. Millions of the people in Pakistan are poor and due to poverty people are over burdened with expenditures and their savings are low. Current international financial crisis is one of the biggest reason of unemployment in Pakistan and in the whole world .
This crisis originated from the banking sector of USA,UK and some European countries and is now a global phenomena. Political instability, bad law and order situation, army’s interference, bomb blasts, terrorism, inconsistent economic policies etc are the factors which are disturbing domestic and foreign investment. Pakistan investors are taking away their money to Dubai and other countries of the world. Baseless allegations of terrorism has tarnished the image at international level .so in the current scenario Pakistan has limited job opportunities in other countries of the world. Concluding, I would like to suggest that with proper economic planning, consistent policies of government, better law and order situation, overcoming energy crisis, sincerity with Pakistan and by adopting the Islamic economic system .we can not only tackle the issue of unemployment but every economic problem of our country as well.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 7th, 2013.
The higher growth rate of population is the major cause of unemployment in Pakistan .the resources of the country are limited. Karachi is the biggest industrial base of Pakistan, but the investors are reluctant to invest there because of unrest and violence. Our educational system is also responsible for increasing unemployment rate among the educated youth. The attitude of our youth towards the choice of the career is unrealistic and unproductive .Rapid mechanization andcomputer technology is also causing unemployment. Millions of the people in Pakistan are poor and due to poverty people are over burdened with expenditures and their savings are low. Current international financial crisis is one of the biggest reason of unemployment in Pakistan and in the whole world .
This crisis originated from the banking sector of USA,UK and some European countries and is now a global phenomena. Political instability, bad law and order situation, army’s interference, bomb blasts, terrorism, inconsistent economic policies etc are the factors which are disturbing domestic and foreign investment. Pakistan investors are taking away their money to Dubai and other countries of the world. Baseless allegations of terrorism has tarnished the image at international level .so in the current scenario Pakistan has limited job opportunities in other countries of the world. Concluding, I would like to suggest that with proper economic planning, consistent policies of government, better law and order situation, overcoming energy crisis, sincerity with Pakistan and by adopting the Islamic economic system .we can not only tackle the issue of unemployment but every economic problem
of our country as well.
Reference
Posted by mansoor.syed in INDOPHILE NAWAZ SHARIF, INEPT, Nawaz Sharif US Agent, Nawaz Sharif-The Prime Minister from Hell on August 11th, 2013
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Pervez Khattak. PHOTO: FILE
IF PERVEZ KHATTAK, THE INEPT CM OF KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA CONTINUES PAKISTAN TEHREEK-I-INSAF & IMRAN KHAN WILL BE DEALT A BAD BLOW.
IMRAN KHAN WILL APPEAR AS A POOR LEADER AND NATIONAL MANAGER
PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak attributed the Dera Ismail Khan jail break to a failure of intelligence agencies, and ordered an inquiry into the attack on Tuesday.
As many as 248 prisoners escaped as militants carrying heavy weapons stormed Dera Ismail Khan’s Central Jail.
The chief minister said that he would be travel to Dera Ismail Khan and inspect the prison. He has also directed authorities to increase security at prisons across the province.
Khattak said he was told that prison security had been increased, but despite the measures, the jail break took place. The attack on the hundred year old facility was blamed on weak security arrangements where inmates belonging to various banned organisations were held.
Earlier today, PTI Chairman Imran Khan said that the PTI needed some time to combat terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P). He said that K-P had no independent intelligence on terrorist attacks, but had to refer to the federal government for intelligence reports.
Nine people including six policemen were killed and 14 others injured in the audacious attack while four prisoners were also killed by security forces.
See how the TTP in collusion with jail authorities for sure broke open the Bannu Jail. Regards
Posted by Jennab in BIGGEST ENERGY FRAUD IN PAKISTAN on August 11th, 2013
A letter about the energy policy, blaming a gang of four for what is described as a con operation, had the parliamentary corridors on fire.
The thrust of the letter was that the IPPs are being paid in the name of clearing circular debt as part of a larger conspiracy. It questions the credentials of the people who are involved in the energy policy and alleges this to be a clear case of conflict of interest. The quartet is named as Mian Mohammad Mansha, his nephew Shahzad Saleem, Nadeem Babar and Saqib Shirazi of the Atlas Group.
The key players, according to the anonymous letter, are IPP power plant owners—mainly Sapphire Power, Liberty Power (Mukati Group of Karachi) and, among others, Said Power. The hired henchmen for them are Abdullah Yousaf (Chairman of IPPs Association—IPPAC),
US Citizen and Pharmacist Mussadaq Malik (Minister of State for Water and Power) and Shahid Sattar (Planning Commission official).
It gives profiles of all of them, which raises a number of questions about them but Sheeshnag keeps it for the moment and only mentions the profile of one—Mussadaq Malik.
He is described as somebody who gets in every government from Musharraf to the Interim government and is now part of the PML (N). He is a pharmacist who first emerged as the expert of development in Nasim Ashraf’s National Commission of the Human Development. Now he comes as the biggest energy expert that this country ever saw. Most people remember him as the Jamiat’s goon from FC College in Lahore. He was recommended by Syed Babar Ali to Nawaz Sharif to which Mian Sahb readily agreed—such being the mutual back-scratching arrangement among the tycoons. It is yet to be seen what Syed Babar Ali, otherwise a rare respected tycoon, saw in this pharmacist-turned-developer-
The letter explains in detail the energy policy of 1994 and 2002 and concludes that “the project costs, operational expenses, debt repayments and return on equity is covered under the Capacity Purchase Price (CPP) invoice and the fuel cost is covered under the Energy Purchase Price (EPP). Both investors are forwarded separately by companies to NTDC/WAPDA.”
The letter gives a long detail of what it alleges to be a scam. In short, it says, “the 1994 Power Policy IPPs (total 14) continue to skim and make illegal profits on the fuel (both liquid and gas fired plants) by lying about their heat rebates (plant efficiency). Such profits are conservatively estimated to be four to five per cent. Due to delays and tariff deals, they lost the remaining cushion/padding, yet have made fabulous returns.”
“The 2002 Power Policy IPPs (total 13) over invoiced the initial project setting up cost and continue to skim and make illegal profits on operational expenses and heat rate (fuel consumption). They skim money at three levels (excluding the original project cost)—operational expense, over invoiced fuel and kickbacks from OMCs.”
The letter alleges that annual returns are in the range of 35 percent to 40 percent. “Inclusive of original project cost—a payback period of two years. Not bad.”
The letter asks some questions:
Why did the PM-designate visit Mansha’s Raiwind farm for a briefing on circular debts and energy issues? Considering that Mansha is the leader of the nine IUPPs who have invoked Government of Pakistan guarantee and is in the Supreme Court, to say the least, was it not embarrassing?
Mansha and Nadeem Babar are in the energy task force. Guess what—their key recommendation—pay IPPs. Isn’t this a conflict of interest?
Munir Malik was the lawyer of IPPs. How will he defend the case of the State as Attorney General against them?
Why did PPIB and NEPRA approve without background the checking the efficiency of diesel gensets installed at the Mansha and Atlas plants and indeed the efficiency/heat rate of all power plants set up under 2002 power policy?
Is it true that the government is giving Muzaffargarh power plant to Mansha? If so, why not bid it first?
Why doesn’t the government adjust the “stolen amounts” and then the tariff formula?
It suggests that the government should ask the IPPs to share the burden with the masses. “The full adjustment should be made in six to eight quarterly payments. This will save the government Rs 200 billion as equity for starting the mid-term programme of setting up coal fired projects. Assuming a 70/30 debt equity ratio, as used by the IPPs, the government can set up thousand MWs of power generation in next three years.”
Now, all of this seems to come from another lobby, which definitely has an interest. But they do have a point that needs to be studied. Otherwise, they have sent it to the SC for taking it up. God save us.
Posted by Nayyer Naqvi in Islam: The Universal Message of Peace, PAKISTAN AIR FORCE'S BIGGEST ENEMY NAWAZ SHARIF, Pakistan Army's Biggest Enemy Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan Security and Defence: Enemy & Threats (Internal & External), Pakistan Strategic Nuclear & Missile Forces, Pakistan's Hope, Pakistan's Immortal Sons & Daughters: Shaheed, Pakistan's Strategic & Security Focus on August 11th, 2013
The international media then local media, a few politicians and now unfortunately government officials have joined the chorus. Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan while talking to a private channel said, Gen. Ashfaque Pervez Kayani has kept himself away from politics but people like Gen. Pasha still exist in the army which need to be purged.
Army knows that it draws moral sustenance from civil society and other pillars. Despite all this army keeps receiving a wave of criticism even from local players which remains far from truth but it dares to remain silent.
According to Dr Farrukh, more than fifty countries are spending greater Coalition Support Fund, while the fact is that Army has received less than two billion Dollars out of ten billion Dollars released by US Government.
Few know that Army’s indulgence in commercial activities is motivated by the urge of providing welfare to retired-personnel who retire at an early age of 40-45 years. It does not affect preparedness for war. Officers and men on active duty are not posted to these concerns.Our media must realize that independence of media does not mean a license to tell lies or become a tool in the hands of our enemies… mhFauj sub Khaa Gayee – The Fact is that We collect only 10% of the actual revenue that Pakistan can generate. This forms the backbone of our budget of which in 2012, 16 % went to Defence. If we collected 20% of Revenue, Defence would consume 8% and if we collected 40% this figure would reduce to 4%, and if we collected 80% like Western countries we would be spendind only 2% on Defence. So where is the problem? Defence spending or Tax collection? With Non Tax Payers flooding Parliament do we expect them to focus on Tax Collection while they have a “whipping boy” who does not even whimper…Waheed HameedWaheed has pointed out the current state of Army Bashing so popular and in vogue with our politicians and the Parliament these days but has not included the effects of this bashing on the morale and psychological state of mind of all soldiers. Include in this the current glee our Anchors and politicians are having at Musharraf,s trial. It is not just for the hatred of Musharraf but it is also for humiliation of an Army Chief. What then is the remedy.? The Army leadership has to think hard and ensure that this great institution of which we are all rightly so proud and which has come to the rescue of the Nation in all calamities and against all dangers is not destroyed. Not by our known enemies but at the hands of those it has helped in coming to power through providing a favorable environment for democracy. Is this the revenge of democracy which the politicians talked about. Despair in the face of continuous attacks and unjustified blame game is a dangerous state.
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