I won’t back down, says Musharraf

24th March 2013

IN THE face of mounting adversity from the Taleban which has threatened to ‘send him to hell’, an emotional but happy former president Pervez Musharraf landed at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport shortly after 1pm local time. His happiness, however, was shortlived as he was asked to remain at the airport lounge for four hours before he was taken to an undisclosed location by security agencies.

A large crowd of supporters numbering 1,000 patiently waited outside, chanting slogans and throwing rose petals to celebrate his return after four years. The wait was worth it for many when he emerged from the building, albeit for a ten minutes to address them before he was whisked away by security personnel only to return to the lounge where he opened up to Khaleej Times reporter. “Yes, I feel emotional and nostalgic. I’m happy to be back in Pakistan,” he said. The eyes looked weary and the stress appeared to be taking its toll on the once proud general. His confidence seemed to ebb and he didn’t fancy his chances when speaking of polls in May. “Chances are 50:50,” he said sans emotion. The delay was making him restless and he didn’t seem prepared for this stalemate inside the airport.
Supporters outside chanted “Long Live Musharraf” and “Pakistan First”. Many boys scurried about wearing ‘Pakistan First’ T-shirts emblazoned with his picture.
Musharraf may have been low in confidence but the combative side resurfaced when he said: “Where are those who used to say I would never come back? I am not scared by anyone except Allah the Almighty.”
“I have been asked to come back and save our Pakistan, even at the risk of my life. I want to tell all those who are making such threats that I have been blessed by Allah the Almighty,” he said.
The former president had been granted bail in advance to avoid being arrested upon his return, but he could be detained at a later date.
During the flight which took one hour and 30 minutes, Musharraf walked the length of the plane’s aisle talking to his 200 supporters from Dubai and the 100-strong media contingent.
The mood of party workers who travelled with the general was upbeat. Many had flown from Europe and the US to accompany their leader. They chanted slogans for the All Pakistan Muslim League and taunted those who dismissed his legitimacy to return home, leave alone contest elections.
‘Who is Nawaz Sharif?’
Earlier in the day, Musharraf had said at Dubai airport that he was ‘tense’ because he taking at ‘plunge into the unknown’.
 “One-third majority is a leap in the dark. Anyone who expects more than this lacks leadership,” he said. “It’s a plunge into the unknown.” He said he had support from all over the country. “People are coming even from Balochistan to support me,” he said, adding that their support had given him the strength to carry on.
When asked about his political opponents, Musharraf dismissed it in his trademark style and said: “Who is Nawaz Sharif?”
A senior party worker said they hoped to see a throng as strong as that of the rally held in Lahore on March 23 by chief of Pakistan Tehreek Insaaf Imran Khan.
The former president said that his mother was old (94) and though she understood that he was returning to Pakistan, she did not understand the reasons for his visit.
His wife Sehba did not accompany him to Dubai airport. “I do not want her to come with me. She can join me later,” he said.
The campaign team
Party sources said the Pakistan government had not confirmed his security posse yet and they were making their own arrangements. “We are concerned about his safety and we are taking no chances,” said a party official who preferred to remain anonymous.
“We expect massive gatherings wherever Musharraf decides to hold rallies,” said Mohammad Altaf Shahid, APML president for UK and Europe.
“As a former president of Pakistan, he should be provided security,” he said.
Sources said Musharraf was expected to remain for a few days in Karachi to resolve his legal issues and would then go to Islamabad. Concerns about a dispersed base of party followers and supporters were brushed aside by the former president’s team.
“That is just an impression that has been given to weaken the party ranks,” they said.
Naeem Tahir, senior vice-president of the party and a media adviser said the former president has mass backing. “He has a lot of support...people are praying for him.” He said that the youth were also a major source of support for the former president.
asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com

India Ranks Lower Than Pakistan on Gender Equality

Pakistan better than India on UNDP gender inequality index

Pakist­an's overal­l rank a low 146 out of 185 countr­ies on the Human Develo­pment Index.

By Manahyl Khan

Published: March 15, 2013

Pakistan and neighbouring countries on the Gender Inequality Index from UNDP's Human Development Report 2013.

Pakistan ranked 123 on the gender inequality index of the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) 2013 Human Development Report. Pakistan finished better on the gender front than stronger economies such as India (132) and Egypt (126), even though it ranks lower in the overall Human Development Index (HDI).

According to the report, the gender inequality index is a composite measure reflecting inequality in achievements between women and men in three dimensions: reproductive health, empowerment and the labour market.

India ranks 132 out of 187 countries on the gender inequality index – lower than Pakistan (123), according to the United Nations Development Program’s Human Development Report 2013.

The report said all  countries in South Asia, with the exception of Afghanistan, were a better place for women than India, with Sri Lanka (75) topping them all. Nepal ranked 102^nd and Bangladesh 111^th.

The annual U.N. report assesses how well countries world-wide are performing on human development indicators like health, education and income.

The gender inequality index measures the loss in a country’s progress and human development because of gender inequality in three sectors: reproductive health, women empowerment and labor market participation.

The report notes that “gender inequality is especially tragic not only because it excludes women from basic social opportunities, but also because it gravely imperils the life prospects of future generations.”

India ranks low partly because of its skewed sex ratio, with only 914 females every 100 males, according to Indian government data. Indian families often prefer boys to girls, and female feticide is tragically common.

The UNDP study says that only 29% of Indian women above the age of 15 in 2011 were a part of the country’s labor force, compared to 80.7% men. In Parliament, only 10.9% of lawmakers are women, while in Pakistan 21.1% are women.

In United States which ranks 42^nd on the list, 57.5% women and 70.1% men are a part of the labor force. China fared even better, landing 35^th.

India also fares badly on education and health for women.

Only 26.6% women above 25 years received a secondary education in 2010, compared to 50.4% of men. Pakistan scored even lower, with 18.3% of women having received secondary education compared to 43.1% of men.

In the U.S., 94.7% women have received a secondary education – a figure slightly higher than for men (94.3%). In China, this figure was 54.8% for women and 70.4% for men.

In India, 200 women died every 100,000 childbirths, says the report. In China, the number was considerably lower (37 deaths) and in the U.S. even lower than that (21.)

Women’s issues in India have been in the limelight since the December gang rape and death of a young woman.

After the incident, widespread protests asking for stronger laws and protection for women took place around the country. Women activists point to the bias against women in India, and say that the patriarchal mindset in India needs to change

After the incident, a committee set up to look into the issue of women safety suggested massive overhauls to existing laws for crime against women. The proposed laws need Parliament’s approval.

Overall, the report hails India’s economic progress, but points at slow improvements on the human development front. On the human development index, India ranks 136 out of 187 countries mentioned in the study.

India has made strides in reducing poverty by cash transfer and employment guaranteed programs for the poor, the report says. The report praises measures like the Right to Education Act, which reserves seats for the underprivileged in all schools in the country.
But the report mentions that huge income inequalities, gender inequality and the caste divide remain major issues.

Value index
The value index provides an indicator of the depth of participation in global markets. More than four-fifths of these developing countries increased their trade to output ratio between 1990 and 2012.
In the HDI value index, Pakistan has been recognised to have shown “substantial improvement”.
The report states, “among the exceptions in the subgroup that also made substantial improvement in HDI value are Indonesia, Pakistan and Venezuela, three large countries that are considered global players in world markets, exporting or importing from at least 80 economies”.

Multidimensional Poverty
The report reveals that in South Asia, the highest Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) value is in Bangladesh (0.292 with data for 2007), followed by Pakistan (0.264 with data for 2007) and Nepal (0.217 with data for 2011).
The proportion of the population living in multidimensional poverty is 58% in Bangladesh, 49% in Pakistan and 44% in Nepal, and the intensity of deprivation is 50% in Bangladesh, 53% in Pakistan and 49% in Nepal.
When compared to Pakistan a larger proportion of the population lives in multidimensional poverty in Bangladesh. However the intensity of deprivation is higher in Pakistan.
Overall rank
Overall, Pakistan ranked a low 146 out of the 185 countries on the HDI.
Norway ranked highest on the HDI at number one, while Niger ranked lowest.

Comments

We shouldn’t benchmark against India .

India is an outlier which still has a huge problem with selective abortion .
For God’s sake , they have 112 boys vs 100 girl sex ratio in the world – this is like the
worst in the world .

Saying that Pakistan fares better or worse than India in some index is ridiculous. Is India the benchmark we need to meet? If you want to compare yourself to anyone then compare with the best.

lol they are talking about sex ratio not women freedom index .pakistan women are way behind than indian women in litteracy rate ,women freedom index ,jobs and mortality rate
Pakistan has 105 vs 100, which is the same as UK.

Please compare Pakistan to some country better than us, otherwise the standard of nothing will never improve. India is not the benchmark for anything.

India has a long way to go in gender equality.
However, the definition of gender equality is different in India than in the west. This means, we need to change the mindset to change the very definition of gender equality in India.

Completing its tenure, National Assembly makes history

lawmak­ing sideli­ned, member­s pose for group photos, give farewe­ll speech­es

By Qamar Zaman / AFP

Published: March 15, 2013

Group photo of the National Assembly of Pakistan upon completion of their five year term. PHOTO: APP/FILE

ISLAMABAD: Thursday 14th March 2103 saw a new page being written in the country’s history. The 50^th National Assembly conducted its last session — becoming the first in the country’s history to complete a full term in office, dissolving in a low-key session that paves the way for elections.

The first sitting was held on March 17, 2008 when the members took oath.

Pakistan Parliament Becomes the 1st Assembly to Complete Tenure

Pakistan's parliament made history Thursday by becoming the first national assembly in the country's history to complete a full term in office, dissolving in a low-key session that paves the way for elections.

"The session that started on February 18, 2013 has prorogued on completion of its business," said Yasmeen Rehman, lawmaker for the main ruling Pakistan People's Party, reading out a letter from President Asif Ali Zardari.

She wished those present the best of luck before adding: "I pray that Allah gives us success and that democracy should continue and the next parliament should also complete its term."

Rehman stood in for the national assembly speaker, who was not present. Very few lawmakers attended what was the last session of Pakistan's 13th national assembly, consisting mostly of farewell speeches. Later, PPP lawmaker Yasmeen Rehman, reading out a letter from President Asif Ali Zardari, said, “I pray that Allah gives us success and that democracy should continue and the next Parliament should also complete its term.”

Moreover, the incumbent National Assembly was addressed twice by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and once by Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao. The sitting National Assembly also witnessed two prime ministers, Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and RajaPervaiz Ashraf.

Pakistan is due to go to the polls to elect a new parliament by the middle of May, but a date has yet to be set. Ruling and opposition politicians are still negotiating the make-up of a caretaker administration which is set to replace the government within days.