“Iron wills never bend”

by Mir Mohammad Ali Talpur

On February 4th, a day before Pakistan closes down ostentatiously for the rights of Kashmiris, Pakistani intelligence agencies’ personnel harassed the Voice of Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) Long Marchers with intimidation and questions. They didn’t stop at that they even harassed a Baloch family which stopped to greet the Marchers by asking them for their National Identity Cards (NIC) numbers, telephone numbers address and the purpose of greeting the Marchers. They also harassed their host at 7 Chak Raowan Wala for that night with questions and threats. They took their NIC numbers, telephone numbers and asked how they knew these Baloch. This place was arranged by Comrade Irfan Ali of Communist Mazdoor Kissan Party (CMKP), who has now joined the march. This nuclear power is so scared out of its wits at these handful but brave and defiant Baloch that it is harassing not only them but even who come into their proximity.

Read more » http://www.nakedpunch.com/articles/202

The ‘iron hand’ mentality – Mir Mohammad Ali Talpur

The iron hand mentality has been the bane of the establishment and rulers and it is not something inadvertent, spontaneous or random; it is the natural consequence of the deeply etched religious and racist bias

The Balochistan Cabinet, reports say, in order to maintain the writ of the government, has decided to clamp down on anti-Pakistan elements “with an iron hand”. This ‘earthshaking’ decision implies that previously the Baloch people were being dealt with with velvety hands and utmost compassion. The art of dissembling and deceit should be learnt from this ‘establishment’; they should open another university similar to their ‘strategic depth university’, which teaches the finer points of terrorism in its ‘strategic assets’ department.

Pakistani politicians start shivering at what ASMA JAHANGIR, the Iron Lady, can say about sacred cows

Beyond the mandate

ASMA Jahangir, legal counsel of Husain Haqqani in the memo hearings in the Supreme Court, may have had in mind a robust defence of her client while making strong statements about the political role of the ISI but her remarks in Courtroom No 1 on Tuesday are worth reflecting on in a wider context. Also, while ‘memogate’ may have pitched the elected government against the powerful army, the hearings in the Supreme Court could become a way of addressing hitherto taboo subjects, such as the responsibilities of the ISI, official and otherwise. The rub of the present matter is that the ISI appears to have ‘investigated’ its own political leadership and determined that the political leadership has grave charges to answer. In fact, from the statements of ISI chief Lt Gen Pasha filed in the Supreme Court, it would appear that the army prima facie believes the allegations of Mansoor Ijaz regarding the role of Husain Haqqani, and someone more senior to him on the civilian side, in the drafting of the now-infamous memo.

Did the ISI itself transgress official boundaries in the present instance? Also, what is the ISI’s legal mandate: is it a counter-intelligence and external-oriented organisation or does it have a more expansive domestic role? Part of the problem is historical. While there is some irony that the PPP’s founder, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, is believed to have given the ISI a larger role and ingress into domestic politics, the real boost for the organisation proved to be the Afghan war in the 1980s. Organising and equipping the Afghan jihadis while serving the domestic needs of dictator Ziaul Haq, the ISI was an infinitely more fearsome institution at the end of the ’80s than it was at the start. By the time the so-called decade of democracy rolled around, the ISI was confident and capable enough to aggressively intervene in the democratic process. As the self-appointed custodians of the national interest, the army and the ISI established their own rules that only as a matter of convenience appeared to fit into the scheme of a constitutional democracy. For the civilians to assert their control over the country’s armed forces and its intelligence apparatus, many years, much sophistication in approach and honesty of purpose will be required. Sadly, none of that has been evident to date on the civilian side.

Inevitably, perhaps, the courts also must shoulder some of the blame. Had the verdict in the Asghar Khan case, which looked into the manipulation of elections by the ISI in the 1990s, been handed down, the hearings into the memo affair may not have become necessary. Having said that, the present hearing could be used to try and establish the mandate and parameters of the ISI.

Courtesy: DAWN.COM

http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/29/beyond-the-mandate.html

Who can check them? Unfortunately no body !

Who can check them? — Mir Mohammad Ali Talpur

Excerpt:

…. The ‘establishment’ with its ‘solution by force policy’ has created irresolvable resentment among a majority of Baloch. ‘Balochistan: Waiting for justice’ editorial in Daily Times on February 28 has put the matter in proper perspective, “Pakistan’s security establishment has dealt with Balochistan in a very heavy-handed manner. The largest province of Pakistan has seen little development over the last six decades. Lack of education, infrastructure and political power has alienated the Baloch from the rest of the country, particularly Punjab, which they see as their ‘enemy’. The recent policy of eliminating moderate nationalists, who are in open national politics, is a dangerous trend. Thousands of Baloch have disappeared under mysterious circumstances or have been picked up by unknown elements. They are not only tortured but many of them are killed brutally and their bodies are later found from different parts of Balochistan. This policy adopted by our security establishment is leading to an increase in separatist sentiment among the Baloch.

“It is no secret that neither the federal government nor the provincial government has any real say when it comes to Balochistan. The real power lies with our security establishment, which has a narrow and non-political repressive policy. It is time that they understand that force, repression and killing cannot resolve this issue. A political solution is needed and for that the democratic government needs to run the show. The Baloch have been waiting for justice for decades now. It is time to address their grievances.”

Significantly even Balochistan’s Advocate General (AG) Salahuddin Mengal stated in Supreme Court that, “We are recovering dead bodies day in and day out as the Frontier Corps (FC) and police are lifting people in broad daylight at will, but we are helpless. Who can check the FC?” Who would know better than him about perpetrators of brutal killings of which my old student Faiz Mohammad Marri is the latest victim. Only the iron-will and determination of the people can check the oppressors because history moves relentlessly however brutal the repression. …

Read more : Daily Times

Unrest Spreads, Some Violently, in Middle East

By NEIL MacFARQUHAR

……. The protests are a fire alarm that the promises are not going to work anymore, said Sawsan al-Shaer, a Bahraini columnist. But governments that have stuck around for 20 to 40 years are slow to realize that, she said.

“Now the sons are coming, the new generation, and they are saying, ‘I don’t care that my father agreed with you — I am asking for more, and I am asking for something else,’” Ms. Shaer said.

Most rulers have surrounded themselves with a tight coterie of advisers and security officers for so long that they believe the advice that just a few young people are knocking around outside and will tire in good time, she said, even after the fall of the presidents in Tunisia and Egypt.

“The rulers don’t realize there is a new generation who want a better job, who want to ask what is happening, where did you spend the money?” Ms. Shaer said. “My father did not ask. I want to ask.”

The growing population throughout the 3,175-mile zone from Tehran to Tangier, Morocco, has changed too much, analysts believe, for the old systems to work.

“There is a contradiction between educating a lot of your population and creating a white-collar middle class and then ruling with an iron hand,” said Juan R. Cole, a professor of Middle East studies at the University of Michigan.

To read full article : The New York Times

 

Egyptian uprising. Democracy & Freedom for All!

We are with our brothers and sisters in Egypt. We Salute you and want you to know that we are by your side in this struggle against Tyranny. Be strong, we are with you. The whole world is watching you and it is by your side. Dictators of the Arab world listen the voice of the people. People will Prevail, and Tyrants in the Arab world will Fall. We are with you People of Egypt.

– You Tube Link

Egypt is bruised, but not broken

By SALIM MANSUR, QMI Agency

History lessons are useful, and when events are in flux it is the past that can shed light on what the future might hold.

Autocracies, as I have indicated in recent columns, have shelf life. But there are caveats in any generalization, and the shelf life of any particular autocracy could get extended beyond its expiry date.

The current crisis in Egypt erupted with surprising speed for President Hosni Mubarak. The public demonstrations demanding an end to his 30-year rule has undermined him and very likely, as he has himself indicated, will end his presidency. …

Read more : TORONTO SUN

Iron is a two edged sword

Iron is absolutely essential for life. We should have it to build re blood cells to carry oxygen in the blood; to make new proteins to repair wear and tear of our tissues. But although it is necessary, it’s also quite dangerous. Iron behaves as an oxidant that can damage us. For instance, the most severe damage from a heart attack comes not from the blockage preventing blood flow but from the explosive reaction that occurs between stored iron released during the attack and the oxygen-rich blood returning to the heart muscle after the obstruction has been relieved. Usually women get deficiency of Iron. Live, meat, eggs and dark green vegetables are the good source of Iron.

Women’s health- may be iron deficient!

Do you often feel weak or irritable? Tired of being tired most of the time? Are you pale, tired and lack  appetite? Do you have difficulty concentrating? Do you easily catch colds? Cracked skin around your mouth? Do you have dark circles under the eyes? Then you may be iron deficient and you need boost your iron levels. This may help- Consume washed fresh dark green vegetables, eat fresh fruits and the foods that are rich in Iron or multi-vitamins with iron supplements.

Iron deficiency: Who needs more iron?

Symptoms of iron deficiency– Dark circles under the eyes, fatigue and muscle weakness, increased infections, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, poor concentration, Low, listless mood, dizziness, cold hands and feet, chest pain during exercise, restless legs, feeling grumpy, Headaches and Problems concentrating or thinking. As the iron deficiency gets worse, symptoms may include: Blue color to the whites of the eyes, Brittle nails, Light-headedness when you stand up, Pale skin color, Shortness of breath, Sore tongue. Iron deficiency occurs more frequently in women than in men. Menstruating women lose iron every month, and pregnant women need to supply extra iron to their babies.

Iron deficiency and anemia- It is estimated that 400 million women in the world are anemic, and more than a billion are low in iron. Unfortunately, the billion low in iron are often unaware they are iron deficient. Iron stores (checked with a test called serum ferritin) need to be almost completely depleted before a lower red blood cell count (anemia) will develop.

One of iron’s main functions is to carry oxygen in the red blood cells to tissues throughout the body. Why do exhaustion and other deficiency symptoms set in before anemia is diagnosed? Iron is also needed to make adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the fuel for each cell. If the body is low on fuel, it won’t run optimally. Iron is also needed for variety of enzymes involved in proper brain, liver, and thyroid function; synthesis of hormones such as estrogen and progesterone; and heart health.

Who needs more iron? It isn’t jut women who need iron, however. There are increased needs during growth (children, adolescents, pregnant women); due to the menstrual cycle or increased athletic activity; when there is decreased absorption of iron ( in seniors or those with digestive problems); and in those with inadequate intake (calorie restricted diets, vegetarians, those not eating balanced meals). Iron deficiency in men is primarily found in athletes, growing boys, and seniors. More iron isn’t always better Neither iron deficiency nor iron overload is beneficial to the body. Too much iron also cause problems.

This may help in iron deficiency – Taking supplements and eating iron-rich foods are important parts of treating iron deficiency. Iron supplements (most often ferrous sulfate) are needed to build up the iron stores in your body.

Pregnant and breastfeeding women will need to take extra iron because their normal diet usually will not provide the amount they need. Iron-rich foods include: Dried lentils, peas, beans, Eggs (yolk), Fish, Meats (liver is the highest source), Soybeans, Whole-grain bread, Raisins, prunes, and apricots, Spinach, kale, and other greens.