<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->KARACHI - Pakistanâs textile industry has estimated a shortfall of around one billion dollars in its exports in the current financial year because of three major factors - cotton crisis, energy crisis and political chaos in the country.
In FY08 the overall textile exports were projected around 11.40 billion dollars as against 10.40 billion dollars in FY07.
But due to severe energy crisis, shortage of cotton, political uncertainty and deteriorating law and order situation have badly undermined the textile sectorâs capability of increasing exports to over and above the last financial yearâs benchmark.
Sources in the textile sector told The Nation on Friday that in 2007-08 the industry even would not be able to reach the level of 10.40 billion dollars exports achieved in FY07.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-Mudy+Jan 19 2008, 03:50 AM-->QUOTE(Mudy @ Jan 19 2008, 03:50 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->Why inflation is different for poor and rich? or Army or non army janta?
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<b>Mudy Ji :</b>
This is the way of the Religion of Peace as Practiced in the Land of the Pure!
Nareshji, when did sectarian violence ever leave bakistan?
We all know that once these guys walked away with ~ 1/3 of Indian land mass, they found reasons to fight amongst themselves. First it was the race/language issue, now its the sunni/shia issue.
thayilv,
Till they fight within their own compound, I am happy to watch them sitting on my lazy chair with my popcorn box and apple cider, as I am saying for sometime, when things go really bad in Islam-a-bad, they create boom in India to distract attention and unite fundoos. I am expecting this is coming very very soon. Imbalance is too high and credibility and moral of Paki Army is very low, so they may try something very very foolish when we have Moron Singh as PM.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Union Minister of State for Commerce, Jairam Ramesh, today called for allowing Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from Pakistan by removing that country from the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) negative list, but cautioned that such step should be subject to security approval.
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Even with this security approval disclaimer, I'm sure they'll find some way around the restrictions to fund jihadi/maoist networks in India. This is a security nightmare that could complicate things quite fast.
01-19-2008, 12:07 PM (This post was last modified: 01-19-2008, 12:10 PM by Naresh.)
<!--QuoteBegin-thayilv+Jan 19 2008, 05:08 AM-->QUOTE(thayilv @ Jan 19 2008, 05:08 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->Nareshji, when did sectarian violence ever leave bakistan?
We all know that once these guys walked away with ~ 1/3 of Indian land mass, they found reasons to fight amongst themselves. First it was the race/language issue, now its the sunni/shia issue.
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<b>thayilv :</b>
Bhai Ji, I could not agree more with you.
There is a saying in English :
[center]<b><span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>WHEN THE DEVIL HAS NOTHING TO DO HE F*CKS HIS CHILDREN</span></b>[/center]
Every Muslim Practices the Islamic form of "Ritual Killing" of an animal.
Thus when the situation turns violent a Muslim will always perform "Halal" on his opponent(s) - Be they Muslim or Not!
In other words every Muslim is a Slaughterer at Heart!!
I am not using the term "Butcher" as that is the "Shop Owner". The Slaughterer works in the Abattoir "Slitting" the Animals' Throat!!!
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Allow FDI from Pakistan (Because their current method of funding jihadis in India is inefficient.)<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This policy is created by Indian Elite or I called true traitors of India. Jairam or Jaichand are looking for hafta from these Paki elite. These Jaichand are telling Paki, come loot my home, rape my woman, I am happy man because fool is writen all over our forhead.
When we retrace our steps in history perhaps we can learn some lessons from the unfortunate situation Pakistan is in today.
After partition Pakistan's population had 15 percent Hindus and 2 percent Christians. If Pakistan had promoted diversity then, the next generation would have grown up in a multi-cultural, multi-religious society and exercised more tolerance.
General Zia-ul-Haq during his tenure as President systematically erased this multi-cultural heritage replacing it by radical 'Islamicisation' of civil society and the army. The rich Hindu, Buddhist and Sikh legacy that was common between Pakistan and India was forgotten. Had they recognised that their ancestors were also part of these traditions, they would have imbibed and kept alive some of those values and that perhaps would have made them more tolerant and less violent. When people dispose of their own heritage it makes them intolerant and fanatical.
Pakistan, a land where many an ancient university existed and Ayurveda texts were written, where Hinduism and other religions flourished, has today seemingly forgotten its tradition with little respect for these religions. Unlike India, where the contribution of the Mughal empire is recognised and honoured, in Pakistan, honouring its diverse traditions and culture has been ignored. The result of this has been a mono-cultural, mono-religious education that has made them radical. Lack of exposure to her own heritage has cost Pakistan dearly.
When I visited Pakistan a few years ago, I met with several journalists and interacted with thousands of people. To my amazement they seemed to know very little about India's freedom movement or Mahatma Gandhi [Images] and his principles.
The young people that I met there had very little knowledge of either ayurveda, yoga or our rich Sanskrit and Vedic heritage that is common to both countries. Tolerance and appreciation of other cultures have to be developed from a very young age. Children in Pakistan know nothing about the Bhakti movement, the spiritual renaissance which the continent once witnessed.
Their knowledge of Mahatma Gandhi is limited to the fact that he was a Hindu saint and a freedom fighter and not much beyond that. And they lack knowledge of many other saints and Sikh gurus who have traveled to and lived in Pakistan; even of people like Chanakya who wrote the Artha Shastra, and lived most of his life in a university in Taxila.
By tampering with history books educationists have done great damage to the society. The soft power they appear to wield ultimately brings out a hardened attitude in the people.
Extremist groups, who, by and large, comprise people not educated in the broad spectrum of knowledge, tend to be very insular. Unfortunately today, even in India, seeds of these tendencies can be seen in protests about "Vande Materam" being sung in schools and colleges or a fatwa issued to an actor for visiting a Ganesh festival or objections about Valentine's Day celebrations.
This should be unequivocally condemned by society as a whole. A composite society will always promote harmony and peace and put a check on extremism. It is clear that people who espouse violence today such as Naxalites and religious extremists in India and across borders have little respect for Gandhi.
Since partition, the growth of the minority population in India has been manifold while Pakistan's minority population has dwindled from 15 percent to just 1 percent. The biggest mistake that Pakistan made was in not supporting its minority communities. Fifteen percent Hindus would have turned the country into a more democratic, liberal society. But when this 15 percent was annihilated, converted or sent out of Pakistan and were replaced by mono-religious zealots and it has weighed heavily on Pakistan, leading to total chaos and fundamentalism.
Though India also has seen communal tensions, by and large the society is tolerant. Extremism in one religion does not remain contained in one. Its shadow spills over to others as well which is evident in Buddhist monks taking to the streets in Thailand, Malaysia and Myanmar.
Honouring the Hindu minority would not have been a threat to its Islamic identity, particularly because in Hinduism there is nothing such as proselytizing or conversion.
The two countries born to freedom sixty years ago clearly took different paths.
Sri Sri Ravishankar is the founder of the Art of Living Foundation.
It is baffling how 400 Taliban fighters, indicating a battalion-sized force, had overrun and captured the Sararogha Fort. These forts, built by the British, were intended to serve as outposts. The purpose of such forward military bases is to observe insurgent activity, to patrol the area and to block the enemy from threatening the local population.
The Sararogha Fort sits on a ridge overlooking the Razmak-Jandola Road. Given that the insurgents were carrying heavy weaponry, mortars and rocket launchers, it is unlikely that they came on foot. To transport such a force with their munitions would require a convoy of minimum 40 vehicles.
The terrain is rugged â there are patches of pine forest, also some agricultural plots mostly terraced, but for the most part, are rocky. Mean elevation is 2,000m â peaks at 2,200m and valleys at 1,800m. In this time of rain, the area is well watered by torrential streams. As a result, the off-road terrain is âunjeepableâ given the rocky, terrace and water obstacles. In all probability, therefore, the Taliban convoy travelled on the main road on the Razmak to Sararogha segment.
As is usual in night operations, the convoy would have waited till sundown and then mobilised -- indicating 5.30pm local time. The attack itself commenced at 9pm, which means they must have arrived at a safe nearby spot around 8pm and begun to regroup and take positions for the assault. This indicates a two-and-a-half hours travel time.
If the 40-odd vehicles travelled in a single convoy from start, then it could well have come out of the pine forested Shawal Mountains that straddle the Afghan border. These mountains can be seen from Razmak and are less than 50 miles from the Sararogha Fort. Alternatively, several smaller convoys of four to five vehicles, hidden in the small residential settlements, could have converged on the main road from different directions. This mode would generate considerable wireless chatter that savvy intelligence can pick up. In either mode, the convoys would be travelling with headlights off except for the lead vehicle â a suspicious thing even for a casual onlooker.
It is baffling that a convoy of 40 vehicles carrying armed Taliban, travelling on the main road for several miles can elude intelligence, roadside checkposts and aerial surveillance.
The operation commenced around 9pm with the Taliban breaching a hole in the wall of the fort using explosives. Even then, the 38 FC personnel held off the invading battalion for six hours. When did the FC HQ receive the first distress signal? Was it communicated to their commander?
Did the commander request for reinforcements for his men in trouble? What is the standard operating procedure in an event of this nature?
As the FC men fought on, was a request sent to the Army Aviation squadrons under the Peshawar Corps to send in the Cobra AH1-F attack helicopters -- eight of which are night-capable (C-NITE equipped)? Did the Ludda Fort nearby receive a distress call requesting artillery fire on the Taliban position? What artillery equipment was available to it and who was going to make the decision? Was it in artillery range and were the Talibanâs coordinates known?
Apart from rescuing the lives of the 38 FC personnel and the morale of all other FC personnel, this was an opportunity to take out 400 Taliban fighters â thereby striking a major blow to their operations in the area.
The Taliban butchered and captured the FC personnel, and after removing ammunition and communications equipment, set the fort on fire and made their way back probably reaching their safe havens before sunrise. Again, nobody saw where the 40 vehicles carrying armed Taliban went, and so they live to fight another day.
This brings us to the question : Are we conducting our national fight against these elements to the best of our abilities? This is the real battle for Pakistan. I would urge Gen Kayani to hold an inquest into this case. I am concerned that in the not too distant future we may be facing a Taliban assault force of brigade strength.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->convoy of 40 vehicles <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
They came on donkey or vehicle provided by Sunni FC, because all dead were Shia's. Did Sunni FC killed Shia FC. Something is wrong, but I think we are seeing mini civil war in Land of Pure 'n' only Pure.
I'm amazed at how little has changed since 1947. The pakis are still using the fort system laid down by the Sikhs/Hindus and British to defend their "sovereign" territory.
The colonial army was simply replaced by the paki army.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->It is baffling that a convoy of 40 vehicles carrying armed Taliban, travelling on the main road for several miles can elude intelligence, roadside checkposts and aerial surveillance.
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Why is this baffling? This only proves that pakis dont control the countryside and paki writ ends at the gates of a fort.
Heck! even that is dubious now forts have begun to fall! LOL.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->KARACHI: The demand for âniaz' food orders compared to the previous years has drastically decreased due to a rise in prices of essential commodities like rice and wheat which are essentials in the preparation of biryani and haleem for niaz.
<b>Caterers preparing niaz in the city gave an estimated cost of Rs1200 per 10kg dheg (cauldron) of biryani compared to the previous year when it cost around Rs2000 and now costing Rs3200;</b> with most caterers stating that a minimum rise of Rs800 per 10kg dheg on both haleem and biryani was essential for them to cover their overhead expenses.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><i>80 per cent Pakistanis spending 50-60 per cent of their total income on food have been forced to curtail clothing, health education expenses to stave off starvation</i>
<b>LAHORE : Not everyone who is poor was born into poverty. New research shows that large numbers of poor people have fallen into poverty within their lifetimes as is happening in recent months in Pakistan where poverty is on rise due to food inflation and shortages.</b><!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<b>Director of Pak Intelligence Bureau shot dead</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Peshawar, Jan 20 (ANI): A director of the Pakistans Intelligence Bureau, Nisar Khan, was shot dead by an unidentified gunman in Seerikh village adjoining Mohmand tribal district in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP). <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
KARACHI : Indian exporters have terminated export contracts of 4,00,000 bales, which they had finalized earlier with Pakistan, in the wake of substantial increase in cotton price.
Importers told Geo news that the cotton production in the country was seen declining due to curl virus and milibug attacks, which has given rise to the trend of hike in cotton prices.
Pakistani traders had placed import orders of 10,00,000 cotton bales with the Indians at the rate of 68 cents per pound, but the cotton price over there has meanwhile shot up to 74 cents, which in turn has resulted in the Indian traders terminating the Pakistan import orders.
Note : Due Newspaper Holiday (Muharram) hope to post more Good News from Pakistan tomorrow.
<b>Militants attack Pakistani fort </b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Militants attacked the <b>Ladha fort </b>and an observation post at 0100 (2000 GMT Monday), military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas said.
At least seven soldiers have been wounded, he said.
Last Thursday, hundreds of pro-Taleban militants overran the <b>Sararogha fort </b>in the same district.
A day later, Pakistani troops abandoned a <b>fort at Sipla Toi </b>military post (a remote tribal area in South Waziristan) fearing an attack by the militants
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<b>Seven troops, 37 militants killed in Pakistan WANA, Pakistan, Jan 22 (AFP)</b> Seven Pakistani security personnel and at least 37 militants were killed Tuesday in clashes in the tribal belt, the army said, updating an earlier toll. Five of the soldiers and all of the rebels were killed after insurgents attacked a military fort at Ladha in South Waziristan before dawn, chief military spokesman Athar Abbas told AFP. âThrough air intercepts and our sources we have confirmation now that at least 37 militants were killed when forces retaliated the attack in Ladha,â Abbas said. He had earlier confirmed the five deaths and seven wounded soldiers but had said only that the insurgents suffered heavy casualties. In a separate incident in the neighbouring region of North Waziristan, two security personnel were killed and six others were injured when insurgents fired rockets at a military fort in Razmak, Abbas said. (FirstPosted @ 09:10 PST, Updated @ 18:56 PST)
Nareshji,
It is very difficult to figure out who is hitting who, whether sunnis are killing shia or other way round. For sure, Paki Army or FC are leaving post with pleasure.
I think it is just a news item to make European happy during Mushy grand visit.
<!--QuoteBegin-Mudy+Jan 23 2008, 12:46 AM-->QUOTE(Mudy @ Jan 23 2008, 12:46 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->Nareshji,
It is very difficult to figure out who is hitting who, whether sunnis are killing shia or other way round. For sure, Paki Army or FC are leaving post with pleasure.
I think it is just a news item to make European happy during Mushy grand visit.
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<b>Mudy Ji:</b>
As per Brigadier (Retd.) Shaukat Qadir, Baitullah Mehsudâs Militants captured Twenty FC Personnel and Six of those captured were executed by the militants, since they were Shia.
