• Washington’s aid is politicized and arrogant; Riyadh’s aid is compassionate

By GULPARI NAZISH MEHSUD

Monday, 30 August 2010.

WWW.PAKNATIONALISTS.COM

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan—Saudi Arabia has quietly bypassed the United States as the single largest aid donor in real terms so far. Riyadh’s commitment to helping the victims of Pakistan’s devastating floods has crossed US$140 million.

The Saudis have also outdone themselves. The Saudi military and air force set up a back-to-back air bridge between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, sending thirty large cargo planes carrying hundreds of tons of relief goods. The air bridge continues to operate.

With more than $120 million sent in cash, the first 3-day international telethon to raise funds, and 30 major air relief shipments to land in Pakistan in what is the largest air bridge in support of flood victims, Saudi response was better than any other nation.

The only exceptions are UAE sending six helicopters when the United States initially provided only five, [later increased to 15]. After its initial reluctance, US surpassed any other donor by providing three large cargo planes in addition to ten more helicopters. Most of the pledged US aid money is, however, ‘recycled’ from earlier aid commitments to Pakistan and is not new. And, according to Ahmed Quraishi, Project Pakistan Senior Fellow at Project For Pakistan In 21^st Century, an independent Islamabad-based think tank, US help is politicized, meant to shore up a pro-US govt. in Islamabad in the face of better performances by the Pakistani military and Pakistani charities in responding to the humanitarian disaster.

Mr. Quraishi told PakNationalists.com: “Despite frosty relations with the Zardari-Gilani government, Riyadh’s aid was massive but received little media attention in Pakistan. Unlike the US embassy’s clamor for publicity and attention, the Saudis and others worked quietly. At one point, the Saudi ambassador is reported to have told Pakistani reporters that the Pakistani media failed to highlight the fact that Riyadh was the first country to respond to Pakistani help request after the floods.”

SAUDI REACTION

Within the first week of the flooding that started on 29 July, Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz ordered a massive kingdom-wide fundraising and aid collection campaign. Official aid collection camps were set up in all major Saudi cities. The Saudi royal family set an example when several princes donated $20 million on the first day, encouraging Saudi citizens to follow suit. More than $107 million were collected in the first three days.

Saudi Arabia established the largest air bridge to air lift relief supplies to Pakistan, sending more than 30 cargo planes so far to Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber-PK and Punjab. Saudi Arabia is the only country so far to have established such a large back-to-back air bridge to Pakistan.

Eight more planes have landed in Pakistan over the weekend carrying two field hospitals, complete with equipment and medical staff. The Saudi ambassador Abdul Aziz bin Ibrahim al-Ghadeer hardly visited his office in Islamabad in the past two weeks because of his constant field presence in Lahore, Multan, and Hyderabad, in addition to the Chaklala Air Force base in Rawalpindi, to receive Saudi cargo planes. On the recommendation of the Pakistani military, which suggested the hospitals focus on Sindh, one Saudi field hospital has already become operational in Thatta. The second field hospital will also probably be set up somewhere in Sindh considering the urgency there.

Two Saudi rescue teams, which Saudi Arabia has raised according to international levels of training and performance following repeated floods in some Saudi regions, have also arrived in Hyderabad where they are active in several parts of the Sindh province.

In neighboring Kuwait, the Kuwaiti government lifted a long standing ban on collecting donations in public. This exception was made on the orders of the Kuwaiti emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed in deference to the emerging humanitarian disaster in Pakistan. Donation camps sprung up in large and small mosques and shopping malls across the emirate. Interestingly, the wealthy Kuwaiti business community outshone the government in donating to flood victims in Pakistan. One Kuwaiti logistics company, Agility, mobilized 1,000 of its workers for flood relief effort in Pakistan.

Fundraising efforts outside of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are important but were modest in their outcomes. A German telethon attended by German Chancellor Angela Merkel raised $10 million. British donations came largely from the British Pakistani and British Muslim communities, with the British magazine The Economist showing skepticism at reports suggesting ordinary British citizens have shown any passion to donate to Pakistan. Turkey has donated $10 million, China a little more, while India came up with a symbolic $5 million, probably because smug Indian officials were sure Pakistan won’t accept the money anyway [Pakistan thanked India and accepted the money but asked New Delhi to send through UN]. Iran has sent relief supplies and most other countries have also gave preference to relief goods because of lack of trust in the Pakistani government and politicians’ credibility or ability to utilize aid money properly.

SAUDI ARABIA

One of the most endearing aspects of donations coming to Pakistan from the Gulf is individual donations from politicians and businessmen, which are enough to put the wealthy Pakistani politicians to shame.

On the first day of a nationwide Saudi campaign to raise funds for the victims of floods in Pakistan on Monday, 17 Aug. 2010:

-         King of Saudi Arabia, Abdullah bin Abdelaziz Al Saud, donated US$5.3 million from his private money to Pakistan flood victims

-         Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdelzziz Al Saud gave away US$2.7 million from his private money

-         Interior Minister Nayef bin Abdelaziz Al Saud gave away two million Saudi riyals

-         Governor of Tabouk donated one million Saudi Riyals

-         Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdelaziz Al Saud [left] gave ten million Saudi riyals

-         Businessman Eesa bin Mohammad al Eesa, president of the Samba Financial Group, donated two million Saudi riyals

Separately, and in addition to his $2.7 million in aid, the Saudi Crown Prince has also dispatched one hundred tons of dates from his private farmland to Pakistan.

The Saudi public’s response to the massive Saudi aid appeal has been amazing. Women were seen donating jewellery to makeshift fundraising camps in Jeddah and Riyadh.

A Saudi commentator left this comment on the website of the Arabic-language Saudi newspaper, Okaz: “What the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, may Allah protect him, has given to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is something that all the five permanent nations at UNSC and all the Arab countries could not have given. His Majesty’s stand with Pakistan will never be forgotten.”

Comments posted at the online editions of Saudi newspapers showed how deeply the Saudis are moved by the tragedy in Pakistan. “Pakistanis deserve our help,” wrote one Saudi. “They are our brothers.”

IRAN

Iran has committed over 400 tons of relief goods so far as of 14 August 2010 out of which 180 tons have already been delivered by the Iranian transport aircrafts. These goods include tents, floorings, clothes, canned food, bread and medical supplies. Iranian Red Crescent society has also been on the ground along with Pakistan Red Crescent society as part of its ongoing relief operation inside Pakistan reaching out to more than 100,000 flood victims. In addition to the Iranian government help Ayatollah Lotfollah Safi Golpaygani has announced that one third of collected Khums will be donated to Pakistan for humanitarian assistance. Iran’s chamber of commerce also donated US $1 million to the flood victims.

And on 17 August, senior Iranian cleric Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem-Shirazi [left] met the Pakistani ambassador in Tehran and announced donating $50,000 to the victims of flood-stricken Pakistan in response to Pakistan’s call for more relief aid.

‘KUWAIT IS WITH YOU’

On 21 August, Kuwaiti government launched a nationwide fundraiser called ‘Kuwait Is With You’, in a message to Pakistanis devastated by the floods.

Kuwait’s official and private donations have crossed $20 million, half of them coming from the government. But most of the aid won’t reach the Pakistani government. The noisy Kuwaiti media, while expressing solidarity with Pakistan, has also seen several write-ups questioning the credibility of the Pakistani government. Some criticized the Pakistani government for ‘collusion’ with Washington in hounding credible Pakistani charities in the name of fighting so-called terror.

The emirate launched a national fundraiser for Pakistan on 23 August, collecting so far close to $10 million from the public.

Kuwait had banned charity fundraisers for the most part of the decade. But on the 23^rd, the government lifted the ban to make way for a nationwide fundraiser for Pakistan, which began grandly at the Grand Mosque of the state, where close to 1,000 worshippers donated generously for Pakistan.

Equally impressive is the contribution from the Kuwaiti business community:

-         Mohammad Hmoud Al-Shaya Company, which owns a series of upscale designer clothing and jewellery outlets across the Gulf, donated $500,000 to Pakistan

-         Kuwait Finance House has dispatched $2 million to Pakistan

-         General Secretariat of Awqaf has donated $1.5 million

-         The Joint Kuwaiti Committee for Relief, a local charity, has donated $1.5 million

-         The sons of the late Abdullah al-Mutawa, a businessman, have donated $100,000 to Pakistan

-         E-Q8 Petrochemicals has donated $100,000

-         The employees of the Bank of Bubiyan started an internal fundraiser for Pakistan

-         Dalal al-Mudaf [left], a senior officer at the Kuwait Investment Company, with offices in the Gulf, London and New York, has kicked off an internal company fundraiser for Pakistan as of today, Monday 30 August. In a statement, she quoted a saying by the Prophet [PBUH], ‘A Muslim for a Muslim is like a wall, pulling one another’.

Agility, one of the largest logistics companies in the region with operations in Pakistan, has mobilized its 1,000 workers here to get involved in relief work.  According to Tariq al-Sultan [right], Chairman of Agility worldwide, the company has offered its entire commercial warehouses full of foodstuffs and the space along with cooling facilities in Multan for use by United Nations in Punjab. In Peshawar, the company has donated several air-conditioned containers to transport food items to flood victims. And in Sukkur, the company has put its entire fleet of trucks in the service of food and aid distribution effort across Sindh. The company has also distributed urgent food items and medicines to 5,000 families in Sindh, and the employees of Agility worldwide have donated their one-day salary to Pakistan.

In another step of indirect support to Pakistan, one of the young members of the Kuwaiti parliament, Mr. Mohammed Hayef al-Huwaila, held a press conference at the parliament building last week and drew the attention of the Arab public opinion to massive human rights violations in Indian occupied Kashmir. He called on the Kuwaiti government to condemn Indian atrocities.

Data compiled and analyzed by the research team at PakNationalists.com

• ‘Royal’ FM’s Fundraiser Costs National Kitty Heavily
• US$20,000 at NYC hotel to raise funds for flood victims!
• Options ignored: cheaper hotels, the residences of the Pakistani Consulate
• Why Amb. Haqqani failed to convince his boss this time to donate the expense to flood victims
• Upscale hotel because the minister is a ‘blue blooded Pakistani politician’ or because he’s a foreign minister?

By: Kaswar Klasra | Published: August 25, 2010

The Nation

WWW.PAKNATIONALISTS.COM

ISLAMABAD – While thousands perished and millions were forced to flee from the floods that swept Pakistan this month, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, who came to New York City with a begging bowl in hand for foreign aid, was spending thousands of dollars per night at cushy five-star hotels in the US.
‘Beggars cannot be choosers’ evidently is an adage never heard by our honorable leaders. Be it a visit to the flood victims’ camps or a trip abroad to collect aid for the badly devastated country of ours by the unprecedented flash floods. Their style and status never appears to change.
To the shock and surprise of the entire nation, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, the foreign minister of this unfortunate country spent as many as $20,000 from the national kitty during his stay in a luxury hotel in New York City.

[This hotel is normally the top choice for those interested in shopping and sightseeing. Here’s how one reviewer describes the hotel: “For those travelers who prefer luxurious accommodations in the heart of one of the most exciting cities in the world, the Inter-Continental The Barclay is ideal. The Barclay is just minutes from many of the attractions that make New York City such a vibrant and unique place to visit. Located in midtown Manhattan's East Side, the hotel boasts such famous and beloved neighbors as the exclusive shops of Fifth Avenue, Rockefeller Center, Broadway theaters and New York City's bustling business district.”]
The total expenditure of Qureshi’s visit including the spending on his six-member entourage may be much more.
Interestingly, when UK Prime Minister David Cameron came to NYC to attend a meeting (Qureshi went there to attend the same meeting) recently, he stayed at the British consulate residence. Qureshi proved to be more Royal than the Royal servants of her Majesty!
According to sources, Shah Mehmood Qureshi and his delegation of six assistants who were in NYC recently to beg the world for aid, stayed at Barclay Continental Hotel, one of the most expensive hotels of the city, which cost the national kitty thousands of dollars. It is pertinent to mention here that it is the same hotel where President Asif Zardari has been staying as president whenever he is in New York City.
In comparison, Pakistan Air Force  Chief Qamar Suleman forced Ambassador Hussain Haqqani to cancel a lavish dinner in his honor during his recent visit there. Ironically, following the rejection by the Air Chief, Haqqani is said to have spun the rebuff and released a story to the official APP news agency that he himself had cancelled the dinner and donated the expense to flood victims.

Interestingly, the Foreign Minister’s hotel reservation was also managed by the same ambassador, who avoided hurting his own personal relationship with his boss (Foreign Minister) by suggesting the minister save money and stay at the ambassador’s residence, or at least at a less expensive hotel.
When contacted, Spokesperson of Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the figures regarding expenditure incurred on Qureshi’s stay at the hotel were far less than those mentioned by this correspondent ($20,000).
Such stories are not new for the Pakistanis. The National Assembly was told on April 24, 2008 that President General Pervez Musharraf and his wife had spent Rs1.5 billion from the national kitty on their foreign trips during his five-year tenure.
It was Foreign Minister Qureshi who disclosed that the former president had taken at least 1,325 visitors along with him in 37 trips since February 2003-2008. Musharraf’s visit to the USA to attend the book launching ceremony of his autobiography “In the Line of Fire” turned out the most expensive trip, as it cost Rs227 million.

Likewise, President Asif Zardari and his associates were busy in spending huge money from the national kitty on their stay in luxury hotels abroad, while thousands of people here in Pakistan were facing shortage of food and safe drinking water.

This report was published by TheNation under title, ‘Royal’ FM’s fundraiser costs the national kitty heavily.

This is the most beautiful advice I have ever received.

An Angel says, ‘Never borrow from the future.  If you worry about what may happen tomorrow and it doesn’t happen, you have worried in vain.  Even if it does happen, you have to worry twice.’

1. Pray
2. Go to bed on time.
3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.
4. Say No to projects that won’t fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health.
5. Delegate tasks to capable others.
6. Simplify and unclutter your life.
7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)
8.. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.
9. Pace yourself.  Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don’t lump the hard things all together.
10. Take one day at a time.
11. Separate worries from concerns.  If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety.  If you can’t do anything about a situation, forget it.
12. Live within your budget; don’t use credit cards for ordinary purchases.
13.. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.
14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut).  This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.
15. Do something for the Kid in You everyday.
16. Carry a spiritually enlightening book with you to read while waiting in line.
17. Get enough rest.
18. Eat right.
19. Get organized so everything has its place.
20.. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life..
21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.
22. Every day, find time to be alone.
23. Having problems?  Talk to God on the spot.  Try to nip small problems in the bud.  Don’t wait until it’s time to go to bed to try and pray.
24. Make friends with Godly people.
25.. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand.
26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good ‘Thank you God .’
27. Laugh.
28. Laugh some more!
29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.
30.. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).
31.. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).
32. Sit on your ego.
33. Talk less; listen more.
34. Slow down.
35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.
36. Every night before bed, think of one thing you’re grateful for that you’ve never been grateful for before.  GOD HAS A WAY OF TURNING THINGS AROUND FOR YOU.

‘If God is for us, who can be against us?’

By: WE

I know that the number of females reading this article will outnumber males, specially the lovely Lebanese.
Yes why do Arab men like/ prefer Lebanese women, is it because Haifa, Nancy and Elissa are Lebanese, or is it because they always look SUPERB!, or maybe because they do consider surgeries than any other women in the world. http://www.fanoos.com/research/plastic_surgery_statistics.html
Warning: No offense to anyone, it`s just an article by the end of the day, I simply see that We like/prefer Lebanese women is because of the following reasons:

1.     We
love it when they say “ Hi, Keefak, ca va?” its very .. you know ..!
2.     They
always surprise you with what they are wearing
3.     They
are always well-prepared in everything.
4.     They
cook or order good food.
5.     They
love to go out and party 8 days a week.
6.     They
are always smiling even if they are @ a state of war.

Miss USA 2010: role model or pole model?
Also Read: Defining the perfect woman – part 3
Also Read: Golden Rules that Girls should read 3 times After Waking up
Also Read: LIAR LIAR, PANTS ON FIRE!

7.     They
accept plastic surgery or encourage and promote it as well.
8.     They
are always updated with world and local news.

9.     They
love politics (I see women who love politics to be very sexy).
I believe you have many others more strong points to say as well.
Well, if I put myself in any Lebanese girls shoes and read this article I would be really happy, but will feel a little offended. No.. don’t get offended.
First of all it`s just an article, secondly don’t worry you will never be single. Haahaa, check this song to even motivate you more.
In fact, if I put myself in any girls’ shoes (except Lebanese) I would be simply thrown by a shoe, an old one actually!.. No , every girl has something unique. It`s just a stereo type believe me.
So what’s the point of this article ? Simply if you’re not Lebanese then kill yourself.. heeheee.
Of course I am joking, Well, the point of this article for people to learn to live life to the fullest, learn, pray, read, dance, hang out, have fun. The best
thing I like in Lebanese women is that they do whatever it takes to have fun, to be well dressed, to read, to be aware of all the local and world issues without giving the feeling that they do, Of course there is nothing 100% perfect.
Simply women, learn how to enjoy, live and love life, don’t give too much attention to minor issues, if that’s hard call your local travel agency and take the first ticket to Beirut..TRUST ME , YOU WILL UNDERSTND ME!

From Priyanka Joshi
IMumbai—Here’s another case of a love story gone awry. Amol Javde (22) was found hanging from the branch of a tree around 12 pm near Anushakti Nagar in Trombay. However, his family alleges that his girlfriend’s family, who opposed the relationship because they belonged to different castes, murdered him.

The boy’s family told The Daily Mail that Amol who was a second-year commerce student at Ambedkar College, Matunga was in a relationship with Nikita Kale (17), (name changed) for more than a year.

Gautam Javde, Amol’s father, a BEST driver by occupation, said, “The girl stays in Suman Nagar area of Chembur, where my brother used to stay. My son used to visit his place often and that is when they started meeting one another and eventually fell in love. However, the girl’s family was opposed to the relationship because we are Buddhist Dalits and they belong to the Cobbler community.”

Gautam also added that his son and the girl were very much in love and had fled from their homes in December 2009. However, the girl’s family filed a kidnapping complaint against Amol at the Chembur police station. Later, he was let off on bail. “My son also faced threats from the girl’s uncle,” alleged Gautam.

According to Javde’s neighbours, the girl often visited Javde’s area dressed in a burqa. On July 19, they eloped again. Both the families filed missing complaints at respective police stations.

Amol’s mother Nanda said the girl called her father on Monday morning, while he was driving. She told him that they wanted to get married but wanted the blessings of her family. The girl’s father asked her to return home. According to investigating officials, Amol’s body was found when the police was out on their night patrol. They found the body and took him to Shatabdi Hospital at 2.30 am. During a check of the body, the police found a chit of paper in Amol’s pocket, which contained the phone number of his sister. The police called her up, who told them that she was in their village and to call up her father. Amol’s father reached the hospital in a state of shock and despair.

However, Amol’s father believes that his son did not commit suicide and foul play was at hand. He told The Daily Mail that when he saw the pictures taken at the scene of the crime, he noticed that Amol’s legs were touching the ground, which was suspicious.

“I noticed that his clothes were smeared with blood and that his nose also showed some dried blood.” He also added that his son was found hanging by means of a plastic rope.

Khandagle, said, “We are investigating the matter. If we find anything suspicious, we will register a murder case.” He also added that the girl who had eloped with Amol was found at her home and her statement would be recorded soon. The boy’s father has filed a complaint against the girl’s uncle, aunt and brother last night.

Though the police have lodged the complaint, they are yet to register a murder case. After repeated attempts the girl’s family was unavailable for comment.

Amol’s father was called to identify the body at 2.30 am at Shatabdi Hospital. Trombay police are awaiting the results of the postmortem.

These young Pakistanis [profiles below] from Sindh Province were traveling to Islamabad to join young Pakistanis gathered in the

of Pakistan and its people.

Adil Najam

I was going to write about the recent media interview of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by the stalwarts of the Pakistani electronic media. But I left that midway because she had nothing new or important to say. Nor did our media have anything new or important to ask. On the other hand, this rickshaw driver does have something important to say, even if it is not new.

Sad that Pakistan has become a place where living is too expensive, and death too cheap. Unfortunately, neither Hillary Clinton or our media pundits seem to understand that simple truth. This rickshaw driver does.

Yes, in case you are wondering, this is the same rickshaw (or rickshaw painter), whose wisdom we have featured on this blog before: here and here. But the refrain about the cost of living from rickshaw drivers as well as others (here, here, here, here) is not new.

Maybe, just maybe, thinking a little more about the ever rising cost of living is a useful way to begin grappling with the ever falling price of death.

While a minority, born with a silver spoon living in their palatial havelis, luxurious farm houses and bungalows, can talk about the problems being faced by the country such as fake degrees, terrorism, the presidency and target killings on their dinner tables, with generators on standby and water tankers at their disposal, there are millions in this ‘land of the pure’ who survive on one meal per day and it is nearly impossible for them to make both ends meet no matter how hard they try.

They are the deprived class, peasants or the masses that are being continuously exploited by the waderas, chaudrys and seths to work on their farms, factories or houses for ages, that too on meager or no salaries at all.

A recent study sponsored by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation titled ‘The state of food security in Pakistan’ and carried out by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) in collaboration with World Food Programme narrates that Pakistan is a country where 48 per cent of the population is under extreme food insecurity and these figures have doubled between 2003-2009 along with a 14 per cent drop in the food secure districts. Furthermore it hints that soon people belonging to the better off areas in terms of food security would also find it difficult to afford food, reason being the gradual decline in their purchasing power. According to the study Khyber Pakhtunkhwa tops the charts with the highest percentage of people in the poor food consumption category, followed by Balochistan and Fata.

Poverty is a fact. And with the lapse of each year, poverty figures continue to haunt further. But Pakistanis don’t deserve to live in hunger and staggering inequity.

The situation is so bad that parents have started to ponder on the lines of either educating or feeding their children. Some have even left their children at the disposal of madrassas so that they could at least have two meals a day without even caring that there are chances that their children might be brainwashed. All this would only lead to a generation which can’t synchronize with the society around it and recent cases of parents poisoning or selling their own children are alarming signs that something needs to be done. Can any sane person, after all this desperation, gauge where we are headed?

With millions being denied the right to food we can’t expect intellect or intellectuals to flourish but we can close our eyes and be sure of harvesting a crop of fanatics who will not only be attracted towards outlawed outfits whose aim is to destabilize Pakistan, but also be up in arms to lynch, arson and ransack whatever comes in their pursuit to eliminate the disparity and inequity around them.

by S.Salman Shah Jilani

Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto’s birthday was celebrated with full zeal and zest throughout the country. Pakistan People’s Party arranged processions country wide. Government held mass gatherings and seminars to mark the birthday of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. Promises were made once again to empower the AWAM with roti, kapra and makaan. Oh yes! roti, kapra and makaan. Every congregation resonated with the famous slogan enchanted by public “Bhutto Aj Bhe Zinda Hy”

Let us have a glance on two years’ rule of Pakistan People’s Party. Pakistan People’s Party claims itself to be the Awami Jama’at of Pakistan. Pakistan I san agriculture based economy. Flour is the staple food of people of Pakistan, grown at a large scale by harvesters and always produced as a BUMPER CROP yet always in shortage. Back in 2008 flour was sold for Rs.13/kg and now in 2010 it is Rs.34/kg and still they say Bhutto aj bhe zinda hy …

Pakistan has seen worst sugar crisis in 2009 with its price sky high. Out of approximately seventy five sugar mills roughly thirty are owned by people directly or indirectly in National assembly or Senate e.g. Humayun Akhtar owns three sugar mills, Jehangir Tareen owns three sugar mills, Nawaz Sharif owns three sugar mills, Abbass Sarfraz a former minister owns four sugar mills and so on. Despite the fact that the grand sugar daddies are either in opposition or government sugar crisis grew out of proportion. In 2008 sugar was sold for Rs.21/kg but now its Rs.67/kg and still they say Bhutto aj bhe zinda hy …

Milk is one of the basic necessities of life. The price of milk in last two years has increased astonishingly. For AWAM of Pakistan milk has become a luxury now rather a basic commodity. In 2008 milk was sold for Rs.32/kg but now its Rs.60/kg and still they say Bhutto aj bhe zinda hy …

Leaving aside food items let us have a fleeting look at hasty boost in the price of petrol. The petrol price/kg in 2008 was Rs.46 but now it has been raised to Rs.75.20/kg. This has resulted in increased rates of community convey. Transporters lift fares every other day; thus making life of poor people more despondent still Bhutto aj bhe zinda hy …

Not only this; but prices of electronic items have also augmented in past two years. For instance air conditioners in 2008 cost Rs.20,000 but now they are being sold for Rs.32,000 plus. Pakistan has extreme summers and winters. In last two years load shedding has made lives of people terrible. On one hand is load shedding and increased cost of generators, UPSs and air conditioners and on the other hand they say Bhutto aj bhe zinda hy …

Value added tax on every other thing, sky high cost of food items, increasing prices of electronic items, devaluing rupee, rich becoming richest and poor becoming poorest and yes money being gathered in few hands.

Alas! AWAM MAR GAY PAR … BHUTTO KAL BHE ZINDA THA, BHUTTO AJ BHE ZINDA HY!

After E mail and E commerce the next big E thing is probably the E cigarette. An electronic cigarette or “e-cigarette” is an alternative to smoked tobacco products, such as cigarettes, cigars, or pipes. It is a battery-powered device that provides inhaled doses of nicotine by delivering a vaporized propylene glycol/nicotine solution. In addition to nicotine delivery, this vapor also provides a flavor and physical sensation similar to that of inhaled tobacco smoke, while no tobacco, smoke, or combustion is actually involved in its operation.

In the growing number of public places worldwide where smoking has been banned, a new breed of smoker has appeared puffing on similar gadgets. The e-cigarette is not burning anything and so doesn’t produce any of the toxic products of combustion.

E-cigarettes may help smokers evade the ban, but do they also help them evade the health consequences of smoking or give the habit up altogether? In September 2008 the World Health Organization issued a statement warning smokers that there was no evidence to back up claims that e-cigarettes could help them quit. A Pakistani company E-LITE now guarantees it as they say,

We have a vision to create a smoke free environment around the world by offering clean smoking without tobacco, tar and the thousands of other chemicals found in traditional cigarettes. We want tobacco consumers and people around them to live a healthy life.

E-cigarettes were invented by Hon Lik of electronics company Ruyan in Beijing, China. Ruyan sold its first electronic cigarette in May 2004, and e-cigarettes have been growing in popularity ever since. Accurate figures are hard to come by, but Ruyan – the world’s biggest manufacturer – claims to have sold over 300,000 in 2008. Smart Smokers, one company which sells Ruyan’s cigarettes in the UK, says sales are rising exponentially. In the US, hit TV show “The Doctors” featured the e-cigarette in the top 10 health trends of 2008. In a world where smoking is increasingly socially unacceptable, the e-cigarette looks like a success story in the making.

by Hina Safdar