A WONDERFUL STORY

A woman came out of her house and saw 3 old men with long white beards sitting in her front yard. She did not recognize them. She said “I don’t think I know you, but you must be hungry. Please come in and have something to eat.”

“Is the man of the house home?”, they asked. “No”, she replied. “He’s out.” “Then we cannot come in”, they replied.

In the evening when her husband came home, she told him what had happened. “Go tell them I am home and invite them in!” The woman went out and invited the men in” “We do not go into a House together,” they replied. “Why is that?” she asked.

One of the old men explained:

CBC Report – The other Bhutto

Blood Bath in Karachi, Sindh

According to reports, more than 34 has been killed in riots in Karachi & several scores of vehicles burnt.

April 30, 2009

” Sindh is a colony!” – News Comments by G.N.Mughul

Karachi, Apr. 27: “Pakistan is a colonial country and Sindh its colony”. There was consensus to this effect at a gathering of the political leaders and activists affiliated with more than five nationalist organizations of Sindh as well as its intellectuals, writers and academicians, held the other day on the invitation of Dr. Qadir Mangsi, Chairman, Sindh Tarakipasand Party (STPP), at Hyderabad.
The nationalist organizations, whose representatives attended this gathering under the title: ” National Dialogue”, included: Sindh National Front (SNF), headed by Mumtaz Bhutto, Awami Tahrik, headed by Rasul Bux Palijo, Jey Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (affiliated with the political philosophy of GM Syed), Jey Sindh Mahaz (JSM), headed by Abdul Khaliq Junejo. Besides, ex-parliamentarian Mujib Pirzada also attended this meeting.

Alphabet of Happiness…

A–Accept
Accept others for who they are and for the choices they’ve made even if you have difficulty understanding their beliefs, motives, or actions.

Fire in the Pie Forest

by Rafique Ahmed Sidiki, Karachi
Courtesy: Daily Dawn, 30.4.2009
The writer can be reached at sidiki50@hotmail.com
The province of Sindh is almost deprived of all its forest cover, as centuries old forests available on both sides of the river Indus have been eliminated and converted into agriculture lands and at the present are occupied by the influential of the area on long term leases.

Pakistan must be saved from collapse

by KEVIN Rudd
April 29th, 2009
– Wichaar.com
KEVIN Rudd rightly linked Australia’s increased troop commitment to Afghanistan with a desire to ensure the viability of the Pakistani state. He identified this as a vital interest for Australia. Like US President Barack Obama, Rudd has appointed a special envoy — in this case former Defence Department head Ric Smith — for Afghanistan and Pakistan.

That Rudd questions the viability of the Pakistani state should alert Australians to the perfect storm of trouble in Pakistan today. It is the worst and most dangerous security situation in the world, albeit with strong competition from Iran and with North Korea putting in a serious effort. Don’t think I’m being alarmist. Last week, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told Congress that the security situation in Pakistan “poses a mortal threat to the security and safety of our country and the world”. She added: “The Pakistani Government is basically abdicating to the Taliban and the extremists … we cannot underscore the seriousness of the existential threat posed to the state of Pakistan.”

The Roots of Extremism

by: Isa

The common belief in Pakistan is that Islamic radicalism is a problem only in FATA, and that madrassas are the only jihad factories around. This is seriously wrong. Extremism is breeding at a ferocious rate in religious schools within towns and cities. Left unchallenged, this education will produce a generation incapable of living together with any except strictly their own kind. The mindset it produces may eventually lead to Pakistan’s demise as a nation state.

Courtesy: Sindhi e-lists/ e-groups.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

We are proud on Jami Chandio

by Sarfraz Memon, Gaithersburg, MD, USA
We in Washington are fortunate to have SaeeN Jami Chandio in our area as he periodically has Kachahries with us. We all Sindhis should be proud of his work and contributions he has made in the cause of Sindh, and he has rightfully achieved prestigious and high status on the international arena. Someone to be followed as role model.
———-
Mr. Jami Chandio is executive director of the Center for Peace and Civil Society (CPCS), a think tank based in Pakistan’s Sindh province. He edits CPCS’ quarterly journal Freedom and oversees seminars on democracy that target civil society, especially young journalists. One of Pakistan’s most celebrated columnists, Mr. Chandio is the former editor of Ibrat, Pakistan’s largest Sindhi-language daily newspaper, a former anchor on Sindh TV and KTN, and former chair of the Liberal Forum of Pakistan. The only two-time winner of the All Pakistan Newspapers Society Award (in 2000 and 2001), he has authored more than a dozen books in Sindhi, Urdu, and English, including Beyond Headlines and Sound-bites: A Handbook for Reporting on Democracy and Good Governance (published by the Centre for Civic Education Pakistan). He has worked with the National Democratic Institute (NDI) in Pakistan as a political expert since 2004. During his fellowship, Mr. Chandio is studying the problems of federalism and prospects for provincial autonomy, including constitutional mechanisms that can be used to prevent, manage, and resolve intra-state conflict in Pakistan.

A thought provoking article on Pakistan politics

by Omar Ali

This is from an army officer who wishes to remain anonymous… ..I would say this represents a version of theory number one (“things fall apart”)…

—

a. In my view there are various over-lapping layers of motivation that are fueling the insurgency, or vouchsafing, if not active sympathy for its cause, then at least, certainly much benign indifference. In ascending order these are :

1. Religious motivation. 2.Revenge. 3.Military occupation.

4.Anti-Americanism. This sentiment is very strong among all sections of the population, and has grown with each new attack against a Muslim country, whether this was done by the US; or by Israel. After the last attack on Gaza, if there were any doubts about where the US stood vis a vis Muslims, these were flooded over.

5. But the essential glue that unites all of the above together is the feeling of deprivation and injustice among the ‘have nots’ which has been built up over the last 60 years of one more atrocious government succeeding the other. So if the average Pakistani is not sympathetic towards the militants, he is certainly not in favour of the establishment. But in among an amazingly high proportion of people who share this sentiment, it does not seem to be there at the conscious level–one can only reach it and dredge it up by questioning people. But this will not long be the case. It is only a matter of time before one of the militant leaders will openly espouse the cause of the have-not, and give it words. When that happens, it will spread like wild fire.

b.The army is more infected by this have-not sentiment than any other. And the jawan, who must translate the generals’ plans into action, has no enthusiasm for it. When this is combined with poor leadership, and the natural aversion to killing their own people, you have perfected the recipe for inaction. All too often, in case of the army, one mistakes pure incompetence for conspiracy.

The thinking within the army reflects completely the thinking that pervades that of the general population. The few in the army who would like to take on the militants, have their commitment doused by their suspicioin of the real motives of the US. The ISI and MI briefings to the high command, as long ago as 4 years, were quite specific in that, that the insurgency in Baluchistan was being fueled directly by the US, UK, and India. When such is the belief of those who are to fight

the Taliban, it is very difficult for them to invest their effort against the militants with any great degree of commitment and enthusiasm.

c. The army is too bloody incompetent to even think about the slow burn strategy, much less, put it into practice.

d.There is something not quite generally known about the militancy. We know that the roughest and toughest part of our population comes from FATA. Among these the most unreconstructed are the Wazirs and Mahsuds of Waziristan. It may come as news to you that these two latter tribes were terrified of the Uzbeks. And the Uzbeks, in turn were absolutley

terrified of the “Kala” Taliban i.e the Taliban coming from Karachi, and southern and central Punjab. In my view therefore, it is not a question of whether Punjab will eventually fall to religious conglomerations [not necessarily Taliban], but the question is that of

‘when’.

d.Militancy is not the disease. It is the symptom of the disease, which is malignant governance. And of this the ugliest manifestation is corruption in high places. I thought I had already seen the worst face of corruption, till this government took power. They are so bad, I have not the words to do their knavery, justice. Quite literally, the NRO has legalised corruption. I have asked some journalists if they are mindful of how thoroughly corruption rules the roost, and if so, why are so quiet on the issue. In two cases the answer I received was absolutely chilling i.e ‘ in earlier goverments, exposure of corruption could lead to false cases, or roughing up by police goons in civies–but today we are being ruled by a gangsters, and our punishment will be assassination!!”

Unless we get good and dedicated governance in Pakistan, and get it soon, not all the drone attacks are going to save us.

Courtesy: – CRDP, Apr 28, 2009

History – a trail of blood and betrayals

Agriculture: a backbone of the economy

By Dr Ali Akbar Dhakan, Karachi, Sindh
I am suggesting that Paksitan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) and other institutions should be well equipped and goal oriented. The relocation of important research institute like Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCCC) also requires immediate action.

Riverdance-climax

The Pakistan Problem

The Pakistan Problem – II
April 25, 2009

By Badri Raina
Badri Raina’s ZSpace Page
The writer can be reached at badri.raina@gmail.com
“Without religion, you would have good people doing good things, and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, it takes religion.” – Steven Weinberg
I
Nowhere is the truth of Weinberg’s insight more commonly and more globally apparent than during times of inter-community violence in one part of the world or another.

‘Stop the Taliban now – or we will’

by Christina Lamb in Washington and Daud Khattak in Buner
– Wichaar.com
AMERICA made clear last week that it would attack Taliban forces in their Swat valley stronghold unless the Pakistan government stopped the militants’ advance towards Islamabad.

“NGO sector and Political parties”

by Jamil Junejo, Hyderabad- Sindh
NGOs emerge and flourish where state institutions become inefficient, and dysfunctional, where political parties are banned by government or degenerates because of their ideological and structural issues. Besides, due to inefficient performance of political parties and resultant generation of distrust people are compelled to eagerly look for substitute platforms to express their feelings, demands and aspiration. Emergence of NGOs in Zia era amply supports this view point. For political parties were banned .Political activities were suppressed. Resultantly people opted for substitute platforms in the form of NGOs to opine and to act collectively.

BHRC (Canada) held a protest rally

Toronto, April 17, 2009 – Baloch Human Rights Council (Canada) held a protest rally in Toronto to express their shock and concern over the abduction, torture, and extra judicial killings of the three Baloch leaders, Ghulam Mohammad Baloch, Lala Munir, and Sher Mohammad Baloch. The rally was attended by Baloch community of Toronto, World Sindhi Institute, Canadian Kashmiri Association, and Pakhtunkhwa Peace Forum.

The rally was addressed by Humaira Rahman of WSI, Javed Khan of Pakhtunkhwa Peace Forum, Mumtaz Khan of Canadian Kashmiri Association, and Zaffar Baloch of Baloch Human Rights Council ( Canada ).

The speakers expressed their concern over the worsening human rights situation in Balochistan and appealed to the international community to take notice of the deepening political crisis in Balochistan.

They demanded an immediate halt to the ongoing operation in Balochistan and the withdrawal of the 80,000 troops from the province. The rally asked for immediate release of the disappeared persons, political detainees, including the 141 Baloch women kidnapped by the intelligence agencies.

The speakers demanded that the Baloch peoples’ right and sovereignty over their lands and natural resources should be unconditionally accepted by the government in accordance to UN charter of rights of nations, including the political and economic freedoms and the right to self determination.

Calgary Sindhis Gather to Celebrate their Culture & Values of Peace & Tolerance

By Ali Memon

CALGARY: Several dozen Sindhis from Alberta gathered in a local community hall in Calgary this Saturday, April 18th, 2009 to celebrate their culture and heritage and to highlight the issues of Sindhi people in Sindh , Pakistan.

The first ever World Sindhi Congress (WSC) gathering in Calgary was a celebration of Sindhi culture and its values of tolerance and peace, and included an activism and human-rights education workshop.

Siraj Makhdoom, Organizer of the WSC Canada Chapter emphasized the importance of this gathering: “..we Sindhis must come together to emphasize tolerance, human rights and peace. These are Sindhi values that we must remember at this juncture of time.”

Ms. Janet Keeping, President of Sheldon Chumir Foundation for Ethics in Leadership of Calgary Chapter whose seminar titled “Mutual Understanding in a Highly Diverse Society” described her foundation’s work in promoting ethics in leadership in private and government sector. Ms. Keeping recognized that Canadian foreign policy is not always based on moral and ethical values, and she emphasized the need for Canadian Sindhis to reach out to government and civil society and highlight the situations in Pakistan.

Desmond Kary, a Human Rights Officer from the Alberta Human Rights and Citizenship Commission gave a detailed workshop on “Understanding Human Rights and Citizens Rights in Alberta”, in which he explained the procedures for filing and investigating citizens’ complaints on such issues as discrimination and denial of civil rights. Kerry distributed informative material among the audience regarding the Commissions’ scope and procedures.

In his opening speech, Dr. Saghir Shaikh, organizer of WSC USA Chapter and chief guest of the event, explained the importance of tolerance: “By understanding others we understand ourselves and by understanding ourselves we understand others.” He further added that “we must celebrate the hopeful aspects of our Nation by reaching out and getting involved in local community related activism.”

Asif Panhwar of WSC, highlighted the importance of seminars and activism in the WSC.

Other speakers include Zahid Makhdoom, a Judge in the Provincial Court of British Columbia, Fayaz Shaikh of Atlanta, Georgia, whose Sindhi-language presentation titled “Reflecting on the Essence of Sindhiyat,” included references to Sindhi Sufi poetry and underlined the value of Sindhi identity and its incorporation into day to day life.

Ms. Diane Diazen, Program Coordinator of Project Ploughshares Calgary spoke about the “Value of Peace and Non-Violence.”

All the speakers were presented appreciation certificates and Sindhi traditional scarfs (Ajraks) by the WSC.

Asim Kaghzi, a prominent Calgarian Sindhi welcomed the WSC efforts and acknowledged the individuals who helped organize the meet-up. Certificates of appreciation were also presented to Maqsood Memon, Zulfiqar Khuwaja, Nadeem Memon, Sanjay Panjwani, Asim Kaghzi and Samad Shaikh for their efforts in organizing this event.

Other Sindhis who attended the meeting included Mazhar Memon, Zarina Memon, Farida Memon, Sanam Sahito, Nawaz Panhwar, Ghulam Hussain Jamro, of Sindhi Association of North America.

Speakers condemned the increasing Talibanization in Pakistan and atrocities in Balochistan, and highlighted the importance of political outreach and regional activism by Canadian Sindhis in stopping the increasing violence and persecution of Sindhi Hindus. A dinner concluded the meeting.

Courtesy: Sindhi e-lists/ e-groups, 21st April 2009

Coincidence

Teacher: “Can anybody give an example of COINCIDENCE?

One student: “Sir, my mother and father got married on the same day and at the same time.”

IS IT FAIR PLAY? SINDH CHIEF MINISTER SHOULD RESIGN TO BECOME HERO

Entirely a Karachi Show- News Comment by G.N. Mughul

Courtesy: The Frontier Post

A high level meeting, held here in urgency on Monday under the chairmanship of President Asif Zardari to consider and approve development projects of Sindh, is being called by circles attached with Sindh Government as an “entirely a Karachi show” arranged to appease MQM – a coalition partner of PPP at Centre as well as Sindh Government. On interviewing some important “characters” attached with the said episode” some very interesting aspects have come to light, like: (a) even Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah had no prior knowledge as to what issues were to be discussed at the said meeting, (b) a trio comprising Salman Farooqui, Secretary General to President, Chief Secretary Sindh and Karachi City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal, was the real motivating force behind the said meeting and was silently making necessary preparations for the said meeting, and

(c) the holding of the said meeting and decisions taken at the said meeting are being called by legal and technical experts as in gross violation of the rules of the business of Sindh as well as Pakistan. It has been learnt that a day before i.e. on Sunday Syed Qaim Ali Shah had no information about the issues to be discussed at the said meeting to be presided over by the President on Monday. In the evening on Sunday somehow information was leaked to Sindh Chief Minister that a high level meeting was scheduled to be held in Karachi on Monday under the chairmanship of President and in this regard some preparations were going on in the office of Sindh Chief Secretary. On getting this information, Sindh Chief Minister is reported to have called Chief Secretary and asked him about the meeting and the issues likely to be discussed. In response, the Chief Secretary reportedly informed him that presentation to President was to be given on the issues of Sindh, including Karachi. Afterwards, the Sindh Chief Minister issued directives to high officials of Sindh Government of concerned departments to prepare a presentation on the issues of Sindh including those of Karachi. As the follow up of these directives the offices of the departments concerned were opened by midnight and presentation was prepared and presented to Sindh Chief Minister before the dawn of the next day. However, some other reports indicated that a separate presentation was being prepared in the office of City Nazim, Karachi. While, according to these reports Salman Farooqui, Secretary General to President was also presiding a meeting at State Guest House the same night and making preparations for the next day high level meeting. According to the experts, the approval of the projects at the said meting was in violation of the rules of business of Sindh as well as Pakistan. According to this opinion, all these projects were required to be processed and mooted out by Sindh Government. Besides, for the approval, these projects were also required to have been examined by Planning Commission and discussed at the relevant forums. As against that from Sindh only City Nazim and Chief Secretary were on board and as for Federal Government/ Planning Commission, only Secretary General to the President and Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, Sardar Asef Ahmad Ali were said to be on board as the latter was called from Islamabad for this purpose and he was also present in Monday meeting. The experts are of the view that the meetings of the forums like ECNEC or Cabinet needed to be presided over by Prime Minister but nor the President. These circles have drawn attention that actually a precedent to this effect was set by former military dictator Gen. Pervez Musharraf who used to preside special meetings to approve development projects as was done particularly in water sector. According to details of the proceedings of the high level meeting, it continued for three hours out of which 2 hours and 45 minutes were consumed on discussing the issues of Karachi and on taking decisions about the said issues while the issues of rest of Sindh were discussed and disposed off during the rest about 15 minutes. During post meeting press conference, Sindh Information Minister Mrs. Shazia Marri giving details about the decisions taken at the said meeting, announced that as many as six new huge development projects of Karachi requiring billions of rupees, were approved by the meeting. The details of these projects are: (i) Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Transit CNG Bus project for Karachi under which 500 environment-friendly CNG buses would be introduced. The scheme would be launched by City Nazim who would oversee the implementation, (ii) Karachi Mass Transit: GOP will provide sovereign guarantee for this project which would be built as a BOO scheme and international competitive bids would be invited soon, (iii) Karachi Circular Railway: This project is being revived with a cost of Rs. 1.6 billion with international assistance, (iv) Lyari Express Way: This project was approved and it was decided that the Planning Commission would finance this project, (v) Bus Rapid Transit System: This project was also approved and it was decided that this project would be implemented by City Nazim Karachi. And (vi) Karachi Sewerage Scheme was also approved. As for other projects particularly concerning interior Sindh, President directed that construction of Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway be in conformity with international standard. It was decided that work on Larkana-Khairpur bridge be accelerated, instructions were issued to NHA to complete work on priority basis on Sukkur-Shikarpur-Jacobabad express way and Rato Dero-Sehwan additional carriageway, instructions about LBOD and RBOD faulty projects were also issued. As for vital Thar Coal project, President desired to expedite the work on this project. The vital Ketty Bunder project was not discussed at all. According to reports leaked out from the meeting, it is said that on about two occasions when Sindh Chief Minister objected on making City Nazim responsible for the project on the ground that there was Provincial Government it has its Transport and other departments, but he over ruled when Salman Farooqui intervened and gave new direction to the discussion and decisions were taken without considering the stand taken by Provincial Chief Executive.

APRIL 22, 2009

Taliban- The fast-moving destructive force

by Khalid Hashmani, McLean, Virginia, USA
A segment with students, teachers, and recruiters of a Madraso in Karachi conveys the seriousness of the situation. ..Should we be doing anything to stop this fast-moving destructive force or simply lie low in the hope that this is a temporary phenomenon which will pass away in due course? ..
To watch the video, please click here

Taliban arranging love marriages (Is it TRUE?!)

Taliban in Pak’s Swat arranging ‘love marriages’

Press Trust Of India – Islamabad, April 19, 2009 -Taliban militants in Pakistan’s northwestern Swat valley have set up a special bureau for arranging “love marriages” for couples barred by their families from tying the knot with partners of their choice.

The bureau named ‘Shuba-e-Aroosat´, which is headed by Taliban commander Abu Ammad, has arranged 11 “love marriages” in the past nine days, militant spokesman Muslim Khan was quoted as saying by BBC Urdu service.

Another 300 men and women are waiting for their turn to marry. “The love marriage aspirants contact the bureau on a fixed telephone number. The Taliban collect their particulars and then contact their families to arrange these marriages,” Khan said.

Islam allows every adult to marry according to his own choice, he said. “Most of the girls or their families who contacted us wished to marry militant Taliban,” Khan claimed.

Some analysts said the Taliban were paving the way for militants to marry women of their choice. Some people have also questioned how the militants could allow the flogging of men and women for being seen together in public while at the same time facilitating the youth to marry according to their own choice.

Courtesy: Hindustan Times

Source- Link –
http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=RSSFeed-World&id=6ff62656-dfe1-42eb-bb45-1245744172a0&Headline=Taliban+%20in+Swat+arrangin%20g+%27love+marriage%20s%E2%80%99

We are proud of our ancient history, civilization and cultural heritage

By Humaira Rahman

By chance I saw Irfan Husain’s latest offering in daily dawn and was amazed at Irfan’s lack of understanding of the young population that inhabits the Pakistani states current territorial boundaries (in spite of being a resident of Sindh for 60+ yrs?):

Irfan Husain writes, and I quote:

In order to justify the partition of the subcontinent, rulers have resorted to bewildering mental contortions. Many have tried to move our roots to the Middle East from our true origins in South Asia. This confusion is reflected in school textbooks and the media. Thus, we have young people unsure of their past, and unable or unwilling to claim their rich cultural patrimony.

Please note that perhaps what Irfan says is true of the youth that hails from the sliver of the population that you come from/represent: immigrants from north India (7% of total population of Pakistan, max??)

However I can say with certitude that no Sindhi or Baloch young or old person (the two nations within which my own roots lie and that I have intimate knowledge of) is at all confused about their past, origin or history.

We, the Sindhi and Baloch indigenous nations that live within the state of Pakistan are, on the contrary, extremely rooted —— in spite of all the attempts by civil -military bureaucracy to “cleanse” us through education, militarization, extra judicial practices and other policies where we were/are deprived of opportunities to speak and study in our own languages or practice our culture in a way that free nations practice their cultures.

Please note that we are proud of our ancient history, civilization and cultural heritage and as well our robust abilities to carry on creating and reproducing our language, literature, music, journalism, dance and as well practice of our civilized culture under the direst conditions (mostly imposed by Urdu hegemony practioners)

Please note that we are neither unsure of our past nor unable/unwilling to claim our rich cultural matrimony/patrimony;

It is true that the vast military civilian bureaucracy (of which you remained an erstwhile part for decades) have attempted to “cleanse” us over the decades, but they have failed.

Kargil Was Musharraf’s Baby

Islamabad: Had Gen. Pervez Musharraf not been appointed Pakistan’s  army chief, the 1999 Kargil conflict wouldn’t have happened, former foreign minister Gohar Ayub Khan says in a new book. “There is no doubt that had there been some other army chief appointed, there would have been no Kargil and Nawaz Sharif would have continued to be the PM,” Khan writes in “Testing Times as Foreign Minister”.

“We Will Never Surrender” – LTTE

Sri Lanka War Reaching Critical Stage

Colombo: The Tamil Tiger rebels will never surrender, the head of the separatists’ peace secretariat  said, dspite their being outgunned in an apparent final offensive by the Sri Lankan military.

What is the difference between a suicide bomber and a suicidal government?

April 24th, 2009
By B. R. Gowani
Courtesy: Globeistan
A suicide bomber is a person who thinks, or has been indoctrinated to think, that he (mostly it is men) has a higher goal to accomplish and so he does not care for his own life and, of course, for other lives. And when he embarks on a mission he destroys a particular target (place, people, or thing) and in the process gets killed.

On the other hand, a suicidal government is a body of people corrupted by the system who think only of embellishing their and their near ones’ lives and riches. And when it embarks on this mission it destroys the whole country. Unlike the suicide bombers, the leaders do not get killed-they flee to other countries.

Pakistani leaders are on one such fatal mission. Those from the elite class (the politicians, bureaucrats, defense personnel, business people, and others) who haven’t yet been influenced by the Taleban-Islam must have a plan to head off to England, the US, and the UAE.

What is happening in Pakistan?

By: Omar Ali
I recently went on a road trip across the North-Eastern United States and at every stop, the Pakistanis I met were talking about the situation in Pakistan. As is usually the case, everyone seemed to have their own pet theory, but for a change ALL theories shared at least two characteristics: they were all pessimistic in the short term and none of them believed the “official version” of events. Since there seems to be no consensus about the matter, a friend suggested that I should summarize the main theories I heard and circulate that document, asking for comments.. So here, in no particular order, are the different theories.

Reflections on life and works of M.H. Panhwar

(On his second anniversary being observed in Hyderabad)
(M.H.Panwhar 1925-2009)
Mohammad Hussain Panwhar (known as M.H. Panwhar) was born in 1925 in small village of Dadu district. He died two years ago in April 2007. By profession he was a Mechanical engineer but beside his job he had a deep interest in history of Sindh, its people, climate, archeology, agriculture, irrigation, water and anthropology. He is remembered for his outstanding and unmatching contribution in areas which were hardly explored prior to him.

Late Panhwar saheb was a very hard working men, despite retiring at age of 60, he did not stop working, he established small office in his residence in Clifton, hired staff and continued to research work. His innovative work in agriculture remains unmatched, the works that he and his wife jointly produced I doubt even a agricultural university produced.

A man who loved and lived with books, in his personal library he had 63,000 thousand books, which he during his life had donated to ‘M.H. Panhwar Trust’ that he along with his Scientist wife Farzana Panhwar established. Both donated their libraries, assets and agricultural form to the Trust. It is heartening to see his family now furthering his life’s dreams and planning to establish a ‘M.H. Panhwar Research Chair’ at University of Sindh, at Jamshoro, to be inaugurated soon.

Though government of Pakistan awarded him SITARA- E-IMTIAZ by the PRESIDENT OF PAKISTAN, in 1992 for outstanding work in ENGINEERING and AGRICULTURE but we as people are indebted, the right way to pay tribute him is to further the uncompleted works that he left. To promote research in agriculture, history and archeology, I recall his address at Seminar on ‘Exploring Fort of Rani Kot’ where he complained that technological tools could be hire and used to establish the origin of this fort, which has not been done yet, thus research papers and material regarding fort of Rani Kot heavily relies on speculation. Arbab Rahim’s previous government probably did that a good work by organizing a seminar on Rani Kot at the spot, but since then what has been done in follow up, hardly anyone knows. Cultural department can take up the research and realize the dream of late M.H. Panwhar.

Late Panwhar’s autobiography, which is to be inaugurated on his second anniversary, is a beautiful addition in Sindhi literature and greatly contributes in analyzing social history of Sindh during British period from a progressive and scientific perspective. He was interested in everything which was concerned with human beings. In his writings he has rejected religious bigotry, promoted reason based understanding of complex human relationships. He writes in his autobiography that “he hated those people who treated women with meanness” he was against all forms of exploitation.

In modern history of Sindh when reawakening movement started in pre-partition period M.H. Panhwar sahb searched for historical identify of Sindh, after receiving a degree in Anthropology in 1950s he collected source material on history of Sindh, and later in 1970s published a book in two volumes. He emerged as a Sindhologist and played active role in strengthening scope and role of Institute of Sindhology, established in Jamshoro.

Panhwar saheb, no doubt, continues to be source of knowledge and inspiration to new generation, we believe establishing a Research Chair, dedicated to his work, would prove to be an unusual seat of learning and research.

Taliban Advance: Is Pakistan Nearing Collapse?

Wichaa.com
by ARYN BAKER
April 23rd, 2009
The move by Taliban-backed militants into the Buner district of northwestern Pakistan, closer than ever to Pakistan’s capital of Islamabad, have prompted concerns both within the country and abroad that the nuclear-armed nation of 165 million is on the verge of inexorable collapse.

Columnist’s opinion

By Selig S. Harrison
Courtesy: USATODAY
Unless the Obama administration can get Pakistan’s army to stop supporting the Taliban with weapons and logistical support, the insurgency will continue to threaten the U.S.-supported Kabul government – no matter how many more troops the U.S. sends to Afghanistan.