A to Z: Prision to Presidency

Zardari Elected Pakistan President as Economy Falters
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Zardari Wins Pakistan's Presidency

Asif Ali Zardari won the presidency of Pakistan Saturday, in a vote that continued the country's shift from military rule and completed a political resurrection for the controversial spouse of slain Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

Asif Ali Zardari, widower of Benazir Bhutto, was elected president of Pakistan, solidifying his grip on power in the nuclear-armed nation that's grappling with rising extremism and a crumbling economy.

``My victory is the peoples' victory and the victory of democracy,'' Zardari, co-head of the governing Pakistan Peoples Party, told state-run Pakistan Television, which announced the result. Zardari secured 479 out of 702 electoral votes from lawmakers in both houses of parliament and the four state assemblies, state-run PTV said.

Zardari, 52, replaces Pervez Musharraf with a mandate to tackle soaring inflation and provide food for the two-thirds of the population who live on less than $2 a day. A gun attack on the motorcade of PPP Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani this week underscored the need to improve security in a nation that saw 2,000 people killed in terrorist attacks last year.
``The issue is not whether Zardari may or may not deliver on the economy, the issue is what are his priorities,'' said Asif Ali Qureshi, head of research, at Invisor Securities Ltd. in Karachi. ``Complacency is not an option.''

US looking for ways to improve arrangement with Pakistan
Pakistan cuts supply lines to Nato forces

In a major development, the federal government on Friday announced disconnection of supply lines to the allied forces stationed in Afghanistan through Pakistan in an apparent reaction to a ground attack on a border village in South Waziristan agency by the Nato forces.

Political authorities of the Khyber Agency claimed to have received verbal directives to immediately halt transportation of all kinds of goods meant for the US-led Nato forces in Afghanistan for an indefinite period.

Authorities claimed the decision was taken in the wake of the growing unrest in the Khyber Agency that provides for the only ground link of the country to the war-torn Afghanistan. "Until now, drivers of the vehicles carrying goods meant for the foreign forces in Afghanistan were directed to reach the tribal agency between 7am to 10am, which were then escorted to the border town of Torkhum by the Khassadar force."

Pakistanis Furious Over U.S.-Led Border Raid
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The raid was a shameful violation of rules of engagement agreed with U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan.
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Pakistan is determined to defend its territorial integrity, the country's foreign minister said on Thursday, as anger mounted over a raid by U.S.-led troops on a remote border village.
The pre-dawn helicopter-borne ground assault on the village of Angor Adda on the Afghan border on Wednesday was the first known incursion into Pakistan by U.S.-led troops since the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.

Twenty people, including women and children were killed, officials said, and a new civilian government, more sensitive to public anger than the previous government, summoned the U.S. ambassador to lodge an angry protest.
Foreign Minister Shah Memood Qureshi said the raid was a shameful violation of rules of engagement agreed with U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan.
"We will not compromise on any violation of our sovereignty," Qureshi told the National Assembly.
"We will defend and ... we have a resolve and we have national consensus in Pakistan to defend our territorial integrity," he said. Both houses of parliament later adopted resolutions condemning the attack.

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U.S. special forces carried out Pakistan raid

Islamabad Furious, Claims Attack Will Destabilize Already Volatile Nation

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U.S. Special Operations Forces conducted a bold and unprecedented raid inside Pakistan early Wednesday morning on a suspected terrorist compound near the border with Afghanistan.

U.S.commandos entered Pakistan this week to attack an al Qaeda target near the Afghan border in a move that could signal more intense U.S. efforts to thwart cross-border militant violence, U.S. officials said on Thursday.
The Bush administration has not officially acknowledged any involvement in the Wednesday attack on the village of Angor Adda that killed up to 20 people, including women and children, according to Pakistani officials.

The raid was conducted at 3 a.m. local time by a Special Operations unit of about 40 troops operating on the ground and in the air, U.S. officials told ABC News. The officials described it as a successful operation but would not say specifically who was targeted.

The Pakistan government called it "a gross violation of Pakistan's territory."

U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Anne Patterson was called into the Foreign Ministry office in Islamabad for what Pakistani officials called "a strong diplomatic protest."

The attack came just days after Pakistan announced that during the holy month of Ramadan it would have a moratorium on military actions against militants in another tribal region, Bajour, which is north of South Waziristan.

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Pakistan: Religion: Insight

Interfaith Dialogue a Moral Duty to Finding Common Ground

Extreme voices in the three religions that claim the monotheist heritage of Prophet Abraham--Judaism, Christianity, and Islam--are busy sowing the seeds of confrontation and hate. They have recently taken the advantage of the politically rooted tensions between western and Middle Eastern countries to develop misunderstanding and mistrust among the followers of these religions.

Quoting selectively from Islamic sources, they have painted Islam as an intolerant religion that urges its followers to hate people of other faiths. This depiction belies both the historical record of Muslims dealing with the followers of other faiths, and, most importantly, the Qur'anic message itself. Although historical Muslim societies were imperfect, there are plenty of examples to show that Islamic values inspired Muslims to develop multi-religious societies in which people of diverse religious backgrounds lived in considerable harmony. The tolerance of Medieval Muslim Spain and the invitation extended to Jews expelled from Jerusalem to return to the city upon the defeat of the Crusaders are two shining examples.

The Qur'an reiterates a fundamental truth taught by all the prophets who were sent by God to guide human endeavors. It asserts that true and honest living is the assured way for spiritual and social harmony, and for protecting the long term self interests of every human being.The Qur'an further asserts that humans are fallible and can never be free of error in understanding and judgment. Human knowledge is imperfect, and subject to bias and error. Knowledge of intentions and inner thoughts are beyond human capacity, and so is the knowledge of the final destiny of individuals. People of faith must show humility and put their trust in divine wisdom and the absolute justice of God, and must focus on doing what is right and just, instead of sitting in judgment on the eternal salvation of others. The Qur'an is clear that only God knows who is true and sincere in worship and service, and who has gone astray.

"Your lord knows best who strays from his way: He knows best who they are that receive His guidance." (6:117)

The duty of the faithful is, therefore, not to judge others and look down on those who have different understanding and faith, but respect their choices and try his or her best to live an upright life and manifest the values of his and her faith through good work and good deeds.

Some commentators have stressed the down side of that story by focusing on the Qur'anic critique of the People of the Book. The Qur'an has pointed out several excesses and mistakes committed by the followers of the Biblical prophets, and warned the followers of Prophet Muhammad against committing similar excesses. Yet the Qur'an is also full of stories of great struggles and shining examples of the followers of early prophets whose commitment and devotion were crucial for establishing the Monotheistic traditions and translating divine guidance into social practices: The strong faith of Saul (Talout) and those who stood firmly with him (2:249); the devotion of the people of the Trench who remained true to their faith in the face of a horrifying aggression committed by ruthless enemies (85:1-11); and the unwavering commitment of the followers of Christ to the ethical code and compassionate spirit he brought to humanity (61:14).

Prophet Muhammad repeatedly emphasized that his mission confirmed those of early prophets. He directed early Muslims to seek refuge in Abyssinia, pointing out that the country was ruled by a just Christian King. This was the beginning of an excellent relationship and strong alliance between Muslims and Christians in Abyssinia that lasted for a thousand years.Therefore, Muslim attitude toward the followers of other religions, particularly the People of the Book, should not be one of self-righteousness and pride, but one of compassion, mutual respect, and concern for the wellbeing and welfare of other communities. The Qur'an encourages Muslims to cooperate for the common good and to search from a common ground, based on mutual respect and help.

It is this open, free, and dignified dialogue that allows the followers of various religious traditions to affirm their diversity and discuss their similarities and differences, and it is what Islam requires from its followers. Muslims have a moral and religious obligation to engage in interfaith dialogue with other communities of faith, and they must do that by maintaining ethical standards required by the Qur'an, including the directive to "argue with [the follower of the revealed books] in ways that are best and most gracious."

Economy’s freefall to a default
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Of the 192 members of the United Nations, Pakistan’s sovereign debt is now the riskiest. For the week ending Aug 29, Government of Pakistan bonds overtook Argentina’s to be the most unsafe for investment.

In London, where Credit Default Swaps (CDS) are traded, the price for insuring $10 million worth of Argentina’s debt stood at $788,000 while the price to insure the Government of Pakistan-guaranteed debt skyrocketed to $950,000 — something that has never happened before — Pakistan’s debt is now the priciest to insure (read: the London market is contemplating a default-like scenario).
Pakistan’s total foreign debt and liabilities have now crossed the $45 billion mark. ‘Pakistan: Could the Political Chaos Lead to Sovereign Default?’ a report by Citibank, asserts “if Pakistan opted to default, it would have to reschedule all of its debts, which amounts to $2.6 billion in self-issued bonds and $13.9 billion in bilateral debt”. The report expects the “Pakistani rupee’s fall to continue in light of government inaction and the break-up of the government coalition”.
Pakistan is teetering on the brink of default. The rupee has lost some 20 per cent of its value over the past quarter and the KSE-100 Index is down a whopping 45 per cent. Pakistan cannot do without the IMF, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Islamic Development Bank and another Saudi oil facility.

Saudis Hold off on Pakistani Oil Discount until after Elections

Saudi Arabia has decided to wait until after the elections for a new Pakistani president, which are scheduled for September 4, before deciding on whether or not to extend its oil credit to Islamabad, the Pakistani newspaper the Daily Times reported.

Under the current agreement Pakistan is allowed to purchase oil from Saudi Arabia for a subsidized price and on deferred payments.

Pakistan is currently in political turmoil as the country faces a three-horse race for the presidency after the resignation last month of previous president and ruler of the country for the last nine years, Pervez Musharraf.

In addition, in recent months there has been a surge in attacks on government forces in the Northern Eastern region’s so-called tribal areas by local fighters loyal to the Taliban.

According to the paper, the Pakistani government is under considerable economic pressure due to the record price of oil and increased oil consumption at home, and is seeking similar deals with other oil-rich countries in the Gulf such as Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

It is estimated that the country’s oil bill is $14.5 billion. Pakistan imports around 110,000 barrels of oil per day.

If the two countries agree on the extension to the oil credit facility, Pakistan will receive around 40 million barrels of oil in one year from Saudi Arabia, providing a foreign exchange cushion of $6 billion.

Shoemaker Thomas Bata dies at age 93

Thomas Bata, owner of global shoe corporation that bears his name, has died in Toronto at age 93.

Leslie Tenenbaum, the company's general counsel, said Bata died early Monday in Sunnybrook Hospital only weeks before his 94th birthday.
Tenenbaum did not give Bata's cause of death. He said a company statement will be issued later. Funeral arrangements were not immediately known.
Bata is survived by his wife, Sonja, a son and three daughters.
Bata's father, Tomas, a ninth generation cobbler, founded the shoe empire in Zlin in 1894, and it would later swell into the giant Bata Shoe Organization.
Thomas Bata ran the shoe company from the 1940s into the 1980s.
"One of the greatest personalities of our time has left," Czech President Vaclav Klaus said in a statement.
"Despite ill fortune in his homeland, he managed to succeed in the world and became for us a symbol of business success. We will all miss him," Klaus said.
Born Sept. 17, 1914, in Czechoslovakia, Thomas Bata's life was buffeted by the worst horrors of the 20th century.
He exiled himself in Canada in 1938 when the rise of Nazism forced him to flee his homeland. Seven years later, having served with the Canadian army on the battlefields, he returned to his freshly liberated birthplace, but not for long.
When the communists took over the country after the Second World War, they seized his factory and declared Bata a capitalist evil.
"I found it very sad," Bata told The Associated Press in a 2005 interview, "because what we thought was liberation really became a dictatorship of the communists."
The regime gave the company a new name and it went on making shoes, but it was Bata, headquartered in Toronto, that remained a byword for shoes.
Bata broadcast support to the dissident movement on Radio Free Europe and offered his business as a vision of what could be – "so that people would see that the democratic system, based on democratic economy, would be the most advantageous for them."
It took 40 years, but vindication finally came in 1989. As Eastern European communist dictatorships collapsed one by one, Vaclav Havel, the Czech dissident leader and playwright turned president, asked Bata to come back.
"Vaclav Havel sent me a message through my wife and said, 'Tom should come as soon as he can'," Bata recalled.
Cheering crowds greeted him at the airport in Prague on his arrival.
Havel awarded him the country's top decoration, the Tomas Garrigue Masaryk Order, in 1991, and he also received high Slovak and Canadian decorations. He last visited the Czech Republic in June.
Besides his business activities, Bata also served as chairman of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development's business and advisory committee on non-members.
His son Thomas George Bata took over the shoe company from him in 2001.

Musharraf victim of liberal policy
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Pervez Musharraf is the victim of the success of his own liberal policies, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) Secretary General Mushahid Hussain wrote in an article for Tehelka Magazine’s September 6 issue.Mushahid said in the article that Musharraf was a military ruler with a difference.

He had a liberal outlook and his economic policies led to the emergence of an assertive and articulate middle class. In fact, he was the victim of his own success, he said.Musharraf will be remembered for three major pluses, Mushahid said.He was the first military ruler to engage India in an institutional peace process. The main security threat to Pakistan was redefined, away from India, to the internally generated spectre of extremism.He presided over one of the fastest media revolutions in any third world country.

Within five years, Pakistan moved from one state-owned television channel to over 50 privately owned news and entertainment channels. The media revolution gave the urban middle class the confidence to challenge state authority, the PML-Q leader wrote.

The role and representation of women in Pakistan’s public life received a boost through Musharraf’s policies, ranging from reversing the wrongs of the Zia era, to promoting one-third representation for women in Pakistan’s electoral system.

Ramadan Fever!
The heat is on! Once a year a dramatic change occurs in the Muslim community. Once a year Icky baby and the Sams becomes Iqbal and Sameera. Off come the baggy jeans, the Nike 180's and the Raiders cap. On come the yellow Shalwar Kameez (clothes most Pakistanis wear), the brylcreamed hairstyle which glues on that terribly uncool Towpee(cap) and in comes the miswak in the top pocket, making you look like something like "Karachi cops".
It's during this HOLY month of Ramadan that we ditch the daytime raves and the frequent visit to the library (and we don't mean for the reference section) and begin to act it out. Icky baby becomes temporarily religious.It's a sort of spooky feeling. The Mosques are full and you feel good. Good cos' you've done your bit for the year. One by one you scratch the days from your Ramadan timetable that your dad brought back from the Mosque-and then-thank crunchie it's Eid.