Rumors are abuzz that Pakistan may be angling to put up Maleeha Lodhi, its former ambassador to the USA and the current High Commissioner to the UK, as a candidate for the position of the Secretary General of the United Nations. Indian media seems to be suggesting that this is in response to the Indian nomination of Shashi Tharoor. Ofcourse, Pakistan denies it, and with some hesitation I tend to believe the Pakistani government. Maleeha has proven herself to be an accomplished person and this would not be the first time a Pakistani would step up to such an exalted position at the international level. For example, our fomer ambassador in Washington DC, Mr. Ashraf J. Qazi, is now in Iraq as the Special UN representative - filling in the position of the UN diplomat who was killed in a bloody attack there. The big news here, however, is the fact that Maleeha is a women! if she indeed gets nominated by Pakistan, and more importantly endorsed by the US, then she would be the first woman to hold that post - a fine reason to celebrate Pakistani women. It is hard to not think of Benazir Bhutto at this time, who despite all the faults, at least left us with the legacy of being the first muslim state with a woman leader.
This has been a continuation of a string of good news for women in Pakistan. Newspapers reported yesterday that the Council on Islamic Ideology had agreed to amend the perverse Hudood Ordinanceand incorporate it in the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and Criminal Procedures Code (CrPC). And today, 4 pakistani men, who were accused of kidnapping and raping a teenage Christian girl (in 1999), were punished by hanging to death. We need more good news like this.
And now for fun, here’s a video on Pakistani (esp. Pushto) women, who can certainly fight the fight:
I have been asked a few times about the investments in alternative energy sector and where I think things headed. While I think there is a genuine new-found interest in this sector due to the improved technologies and reduced cost of implementation, a lot of it is also due to the hype built into some prospects - such as corn-based ethanol. Solar, wind, bio-diesel, cellulosic ethanol, and thermoelectric power generation are, otherwise, great technology areas to be investing in. At the end of the day, a lot of pawns will fall before a king will make it to the throne - but that is what venture ivestments are all about. The combination of tightening environmental regulations, high oil prices, improved alternative energy technologies, scalability in implementation, and available capital will certainly continue to drive this sector closer to success. Several companies have already had phenomenal exits (IPOs and M&A), and full-stream commecialization is under way (e.g. wind farms in Germany and solar power in California. One sign of success is that large companies like GM, Ford, GE are full-steam moving forward on making their mark seen in thecleantech industry. If the government sprinkles a few subsidies here and there it will be nice, despite the undesirable side-effect of sometimes promoting some technologies over better ones.
Here’s a great article I just read on the investments in clean-tech:
Clean Tech Goes Mainstream
by Ken Silverstein, EnergyBiz Insider
Editor-in-Chief
“Clean technology is in vogue. Solar panels and wind turbines are hotter now than ever before. Green energy investments throughout North America climbed to $1.6 billion in 2005, 43 percent more than the year before.
Such venture capital is on the rise because of high energy prices, the concern for air quality and technological advancements. But the major catalyst that will ignite future development will be the Energy Policy Act of 2005 enacted last fall. Seed money has been holed up since the 2001 recession. But, now with a good economic prognosis and some lucrative tax incentives, capital is flowing into the green arena.” read more…
(a) Establishing a Buffet Children Savings Account –> WRONG
(b) Establishing a Buffet Private Equity or Hedge Fund –> WRONG
(c) Establishing a philanthropic Buffet Foundation –> WRONG
(d) Donating it to someone else’s foundation –> CORRECT
Yes, the second richest man on earth has decided to donate most of his wealth, currently estimated donation at $37 billion, to a foundation that will not even carry his name. It just so happens that the foundation does, however, carry the name of his close friend and the richest man on earth - William H. Gates. With their philosophies on philanthropy aligned, and their financial hoo-haa put together, a tremendous lot can be done to improve the lives of people around the world. While reading through a news clipping, I noticed that 1.7 million children’s lives were saved directly due to the Gates’ Foundations’ vaccination programs. How many of us can claim to have had that impact on humanity? Long live the Gates legacy (of the philanthropic sort, that is).
These businesses geniuses could have done so many things together to disrupt any sphere where they chose to exert influence. Imagine what havoc they could wreak if they entered venture capital community, private equity community, or simply decided to exert influence on money losers like Ford and GM. But no, they chose a higher ground and demonstrated a philosophy that my dear friend Nikolay (who I hope one day would also hold billions in his bank accounts) espouses all the time. They chose not to leave their kids as multi-billionaires and forever advantaged over the others who would have to compete with them, but plowed their wealth back into the world that provided them with such great opportunities so others with different last names could have some hope as well. I was always a fan of the business genuis of these two, now I am a personal fan as well.
Now I question what would some of the rich people from developing parts of the world do to follow this lead? Not to name people and put them on spot (like they care what I have to say!), but let’s not forget India has its own Steel giant Lakshmi Mittal who showed up on the top 10 richest people list last year with a personal wealth of over $25 billion. What would he do to improve the lot of struggling 1 billion plus Indians? And would he extend his philanthropy across the borders to his neighbors in South Asia? I really hope so. I pray so.
Just saw the above cartoon at Metroblogging-Karachi. It is hilarious! If you have lived in Karachi, it is also so true. Summers are all about the heat waves (we call them ‘loo’ for some reason), the water tankers, and the KESC’s electricity load-sheddings. I read somewhere that a new law is in effect these days that forces all shops to close by 8 PM. Supposedly our power is consumed at a high pace by all the commercial activity at night. Well, time will tell if such a proposal would make any difference at all. I have a feeling KESC/WAPDA may be better off spending their time looking into all the industries that are illegally tapping into the electricity grid.
Translation for non-Urdu readers: the wife is sending her husband off on a trip to karachi with portable electricity and water!
CNN reports that Karachi, Pakistan is among the cheapest cities in the world.
The cheapest cities in the world are Paraguay’s Asuncion, Zimbabwe’s Harare, Buenos Aires, Manila, Pakistan’s Karachi, India’s Bangalore and Uruguay’s Montevideo.
To give a sense of just what life costs in various cities, Mercer priced out the cost of a two-bedroom unfurnished apartment, a cup of coffee served, a fast food meal and an international paper.
I can’t say I understand economics very much, but some economist somewhere is certanly smoking dope if they think Karachi is a cheap city. When was the last time they tried to fill a car in that city with petrol? And yes, have they tried to buy coffee at Espresso in Clifton? I couldn’t believe that on my last trip to Karachi I was paying more for coffee in Clifton than I would in Manhattan or downtown Boston.
Anyways….from the data its clear that the cost of a 2-bedroom apartment would trump over all other factors - and yes, my 1-bedroom condo in Boston would easily trade for a 3-5 bedroom house in a decent neighborhood in Karachi (at least it could a few years back).
Top 10 most expensive cities
1. Moscow
2. Seoul
3. Tokyo
4. Hong Kong
5. London
6. Osaka
7. Geneva
8. Copenhagen
9. Zurich
10. Oslo, New York (tied) Source: Mercer Consulting
“Is it possible we prepare for other threats besides terrorists?”
This movie, An Inconvienent Truth, now playing across the country, is really meant to be a wake up call for all inhabitants of this world to discover how our climate, and the fragile eco-systems that depend on the state of our climate, has been affected by anthropogenic actions. From the consumer waste and oil addiction of the USA, to the dirty coal power plants of China and the polluting rickshaws of South Asia, our global carbon burden on this planet is simply too much for the Earth to bear. The melting ice sheets and fast disappearing polar bears, the rapid rise of earth temperatures and the increase in magnitude and frequency of natural disasters - the science on global warming and its effects is pretty clear about where all this is headed. The message has already been delivered to us in the form of rather concrete scientific evidence - what we do next depends on our conscience, and our concern for the lives of our future generations.
As Al Gore, former future Pesident of the US, says in this movie: “Our ability to live is what is at stake”!
Watch below a trailor of this fascinating movie that teaches as much about earth’s vulnerability as about the science behind the studies of climate change phenomenon:
Nerve (India) has reported that Pres. Musharraf is encouraging the use of alternative energy sources in Pakistan. If true, this would be a much needed leadership stance to at least explore what alternative energy sources can become available for Pakistan in the future. Researchers in Pakistani universities should jump on this opportunity to take lead in unleashing energy stored in solar, wind, water/tidal, bio-fuels, hydrogen, coal, gas, nuclear and other alternative fuels. Oil prices are so high that considerable expense on energy research can be justified for a country such as Pakistan that is quite dependent on imported oil. Energy derived from alternative sources can not only be renewable, but also cheap, clean and locally accessible. The opportunities are immense, but dedication to the cause is necessary for making meaningful progress. For example, Vinod Khosla, former partner of the Kleiner Perkins VC fund, has already become a champion of corn and sugarcane derived (cellulosic) ethanol fuel in US and India, and efforts in the private and public sectors have led to some stellar IPOs by solar energy companies in the US stock market. Last year, nearly $1.6 billion of VC investments in the US were made in the clean-tech industry, and they have exceeded the total investments in the semi-conductor industry. How and where is Pakistan positioning itself in this next tech-boom? I believe there is a huge potential for an agriculture based economy like Pakistan to trade up in value derived from its crops.
I have already reported in the past that Pakistan is going to make a move from diesel to CNG (starting 2007). In the past, chairman of the Alternative Energy Development Board of Pakistan, Air Marshal (retd) Shahid Hamid has also announced that Pakistan will derive 650MW of energy from wind sources, and upto 9700 MW (5% of total installed capacity) by 2030. Is the alternative energy/renewable fuel/environmental movement finally catching interest the government circles? How can we help strengthen their resolve (if its real and not just hot air) and bring other necessary resources to the table?
http://www.nerve.in/news:2535005832 Islamabad, June 22 (Xinhua) Pakistan would encourage investment in utilisation of alternative resources to fuel economic growth through cost-effective energy and reduce dependence on expensive thermal power, President Pervez Musharraf said Thursday.
Speaking in a presentation on alternate energy resources, President Musharraf directed earliest implementation of projects, envisioned for making use of wind and solar energy, Pakistani news agency APP reported.
'We must make the best use of untapped energy potential in the form of wind and solar energy to meet the growing requirements in the long-term. This has become all the more important in the face of soaring oil prices,' [Musharraf] said.
Musharraf noted that in recent years, Pakistan has been able to reduce its reliance on imported oil but added that mounting energy requirements on the back of robust industrial growth demand that the country exploits its hydropower capacity as well as benefit from abundant alternate energy means.
Not many self-respecting people would acknowledge knowing much about Paris Hilton, besides what they caught on TV while they were just 'flipping through the TV channels'….anyways, last week I was caught red-handed by some friends watching Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie's TV reality show "Simple Life".
So how could I have ever redeemed myself from that travesty? Well, The Ghauri family came to the rescue! It so happens that as I was 'flipping through the TV channels' I caught sight of the extremely blonde Hilton heiress doing a sajda on a muslim prayer rug, with Allah O Akbar (azaan) playing in the background. Needless to say, I was extremely surprised at the sight and curiosity kept me awake to watch the re-run of the show later that night. The Ghauris, a well-to-do Pakistani family from LA, somehow found themsleves hosting Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie at their home, and in the process were expected to teach the two socialites a thing or to about being good wives. The last I had heard about this TV show had something to do with these girls milking cows in a farm - how they landed in a Pakistani family - and on their prayer rug with their heads bowed before Allah, is still a mystery to me. Good for them, though.
The two women certainly left an impression on The Ghauris - Mr. Ghauri shuttered his eyes when the go-go-girls started grinding with him at the night club, and the young Ghauri boy kissed a girl and learnt the art of don't-kiss-and-tell. Mrs. Ghauri definitely tried her best to teach these women a thing or two about being a good wife, passionately claiming her son would never do such a thing! Never in a million years.
And the heiress: well, she was her usual stupid self (though I must say she looked kinda cute in the Pakistani shalwar kameez!). When the host asked them what the religion of Pakistan was, they gave blank stares. When given the hint that "its the religion most talked about since 9/11". Paris replies flirtatiously,"kabbalah?". Could it get better! Oh yeah, and she found the call to prayer 'sexy'.
And Paris' parting words? "Pakistani women treat their women as princesses". I kinda agree. However, even though it is not a wrong statement, we must not forget that we do have plenty of Mukhtaran Mai's to prove that this is not true for all Pakistani men.
Just uploaded this picture of my sister and parents to my flickr account. Something so cool about the melding of all the earthy colors! (Photo was taken at my sister's Mehndi ceremony - a celebration before marriage where she gets to put henna on her hands).
I always tell a dear friend of mine that she reminds me of Pakistani film actress Anjuman. Even though my friend seems to take offense to this likeness in public, I think secretly she knows I am giving her a compliment by comparing her to one of the most popular film actresses of an era that is now mostly over. Many actors and actresses of that time are now either dead, or married into oblivion!
Anjuman belonged to the cast of stars that simply dominated Pakistani film industry for quite a while, esp. in the late 80's and early 90's. During that time, if you were a reader of Urdu newspapers, like I was, you would notice that most Pakistani films seemed to have the same actors again and again. The cast of Sultan Rahi, Mustafa Qureshi, Anjuman, Babra Sharif and Nadeem were mainstay. The era of this voluptuous 'dhee'from Multan started to decline only when actresses like Neeli and Reema entered the playing field.
During the late 80's and early 90's, it was not the educated middle and upper-middle class that frequented the cinemas in Pakistan. I believe I only saw a few Pakistani movies during that time, and even those only at special screenings for students from our privileged high school. However, Anjuman was a darling of the relatively less educated class, which went to the cinema frequently. She could dance, jump all over the rice and cotton fields, and shake that ass like nobody's business. When needed, she could also act and provide drama to a certain extent, but one has to understand that movies of that time demanded the 'matkas' of this 'Punjabi Mutyar' and the 'gundaasa'of Sultan Rahi. Nothing else mattered much.
Anyways - this note is also to tell my dear friend that I love her much. And think of her as a beautiful woman. She has just the personality to do the 'dhamakas' that I would expect from someone who reminds me of Anjuman!
Rumors are abuzz that Pakistan may be angling to put up Maleeha Lodhi, its former ambassador to the USA and the current High Commissioner to the UK, as a candidate for the position of the Secretary General of the United Nations. Indian media seems to be suggesting that this is in response to the Indian nomination of Shashi Tharoor. Ofcourse, Pakistan denies it, and with some hesitation I tend to believe the Pakistani government. Maleeha has proven herself to be an accomplished person and this would not be the first time a Pakistani would step up to such an exalted position at the international level. For example, our fomer ambassador in Washington DC, Mr. Ashraf J. Qazi, is now in Iraq as the Special UN representative - filling in the position of the UN diplomat who was killed in a bloody attack there. The big news here, however, is the fact that Maleeha is a women! if she indeed gets nominated by Pakistan, and more importantly endorsed by the US, then she would be the first woman to hold that post - a fine reason to celebrate Pakistani women. It is hard to not think of Benazir Bhutto at this time, who despite all the faults, at least left us with the legacy of being the first muslim state with a woman leader.
This has been a continuation of a string of good news for women in Pakistan. Newspapers reported yesterday that the Council on Islamic Ideology had agreed to amend the perverse Hudood Ordinance and incorporate it in the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and Criminal Procedures Code (CrPC). And today, 4 pakistani men, who were accused of kidnapping and raping a teenage Christian girl (in 1999), were punished by hanging to death. We need more good news like this.
1 Comment | 
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Posted by Bilal Zuberi
foundation that will not even carry his name. It just so happens that the foundation does, however, carry the name of his close friend and the richest man on earth - 
“Is it possible we prepare for other threats besides terrorists?”
Energy derived from alternative sources can not only be renewable, but also cheap, clean and locally accessible. The opportunities are immense, but dedication to the cause is necessary for making meaningful progress. For example, 
Not many self-respecting people would acknowledge knowing much about 
thing or to about being good wives. The last I had heard about this TV show had something to do with these girls milking cows in a farm - how they landed in a Pakistani family - and on their prayer rug with their heads bowed before Allah, is still a mystery to me. Good for them, though.
dominated Pakistani film industry for quite a while, esp. in the late 80's and early 90's. During that time, if you were a reader of Urdu newspapers, like I was, you would notice that most Pakistani films seemed to have the same actors again and again. The cast of Sultan Rahi, Mustafa Qureshi, Anjuman, Babra Sharif and Nadeem were mainstay. The era of this voluptuous 'dhee'from Multan started to decline only when actresses like Neeli and Reema entered the playing field. 
