Will there be elections in Pakistan in 2007?

Adil just posed this question to the ATP audience. It is an important question, and it will be quite interesting to see what people think. ATP now gets thousands of visitors each day so the polls conducted there have at least some relevance to what the online Pakistani community is thinking, even if they are obviously conducted in non-scientific ways. So will there be elections in Pakistan in 2007, as were planned earlier?

As I read Adil’s post, I thought the following and posted it as a comment there. I think it merits posting here as well. It reflects my growing pessimism about the political situation in Pakistan.

 

Here’s a question, Adil, that has been bothering me for a while, and as you will see, making me quite pessimistic about the near future:

Why would any of the leading political parties in Pakistan want a fair, clean election anyways? Does PPP really want to take over this mess? or the Nawaz party for that matter? Do they really have a plan, or even a fig of an idea on how to change anything in Pakistan for the better? They are about as dumb on this issue (or most possibly dumber) than the General Sahib himself. The same educated elite/journalists who gave General Sahib research proposals on how to develop Pakistan will rehash their work and re-submit to any newly elected government. What changes? The same people will shuffle around the ministries and perhaps those who read the education reform proposals in this government would now end up reading police reform proposals, etc.

I think I agree with Jamshed that the ruling elite from all the mainstream political parties are quite happy with the deal they have right now (with the possible exception of Imran Khan). Their figureheads are all in some kind of powerful positions given the incestous relationships between the main political parties, they have plenty of people in ministries of some sort, there is plenty of money going around the table in various ways and some landing in their pockets, and each has someone to blame when things do not work out. Why would they want to change that? Pakistan’s situation reminds me of what is going on with failing auto-companies in the US. Each power broker has a role to play (and a little fiefdom to protect and call their own) but nobody wants to own the bigger problem really because then they might have to actually do something about it and take on their own friends and cronies.

Elections will be held, a figure head will be put in charge if Musharraf finds an island (or Dubai) to escape to , military will continue to impose its worry about national security/border goals above all else that might matter to the people of Pakistan, and the politicians will restart the game of pass the buck around. If it is not one Chaudhry in power, another will be, and if there isn’t Benazir in exile, someone else may be. The elite will spend a few years discussing if the opportunity has finally arrived for Pakistan to change for the better. They will pin their hopes on the few technocrats that might make it into the government but will give up again in 2-3 years time.

Only the majority of Pakistan has fully understood how this corrupt system works and that is why they stay off the streets and busy working away in the fields and in their offices. My humble proposal is to isolate the government, with their fake promises of a welfare state, to the margins so invested stakeholders, i.e. profit-making institutions, can take over. At the end of the day people still want Roti, Kapra and Makaan, and they can best earn it for themselves.

A beautiful saying by Rumi

I tried to find Him on the Christian Cross, but He was not there; I went to the Temple of the Hindus and to the pagodas, but I could not find a trace of Him anywhere. I searched on the mountains and in the valley and across the deserts, but neither in the heights nor in the depths was I able to find Him. I went to the Kaaba in Mecca, but He was not there either. I questioned the scholars and the philosophers but He was beyond their understanding. I then looked into my heart and it was there where He dwelled that I saw Him; He is no where else to be found, for words are useless (specially sentences) and life defies definition.

~ Jalal Uddin Rumi.

Diesels May Outpace Gasoline Hybrids in US

I have said this before, and here’s someone else saying the same thing. Hybrids are cool - but Diesels are hot! (see here, here, here, and here). Diesel cars already account for over 50% of all new car sales in Europe. In the US the medium and heavy duty engines have already started the move to diesel. Now I think the lighty duty sector will also start to see changes in that direction. Check it out:

Study: Diesel May Outpace Gasoline Hybrids in US
from Green Car Congress by Mike Millikin

Although hybrid gasoline technology currently appears to be the preferred route to increased fuel efficiency in the US, new investment research published by UBS and Ricardo predicts that sales of diesels will outpace those of hybrids by 2012.

The relative merits of gasoline hybrids and diesels. Click to enlarge. Source: Ricardo estimate, Schommers, DaimlerChrysler, GM, Aachen, October 2005

Diesels will constitute 56% (1.5 million units) of a forecasted combined diesel and hybrid gasoline sales of 2.7 million units in 2012, according to the study. At 2.7 million units, the two technologies would represent 15% of the US light duty vehicle market. UBS highlights that European automakers and a number of global suppliers look set to benefit from the diesel trend.

Prospects for both technologies are strong, according to the report, given the increasing regulatory focus on fuel economy and reduction of greenhouse gas reductions. However, it concludes, diesel’s cost burden is lower than that of hybrids for similar fuel economy, even with the advanced technologies needed to meet tough US emissions regulations (including California).

Diesel’s cost lead over hybrid is the most marked for larger vehicles (crossovers/SUVs).

Should the energy storage cost barrier be overcome, the report notes, plug-in hybrid vehicles have longer-term future opportunities.

Cost comparison of gasoline, diesel and hybrid for a 4-liter V8 powertrain in the US. Cost gap for smaller cars is closer, but still favours diesel. Click to enlarge. Source: Ricardo

Resources:
• Is Diesel Set to Boom in the US?

Lal Masjid Clerics Succeed in Blackmailing Pakistani Government!

This news makes me furious. And I thought I was just recovering from the depression caused by the disgusting behaviour of the government and the political parties on 5/12/2007 when my beloved city Karachi burned and people died on its streets.

It is hard to believe, but yes, fanatic, crazy, clerics from the Lal Masjid (a large mosque and seminary in Islamabad, Pakistan) have succesfully black-mailed the government and succeeded in getting their demands met. This mosque has already caused sufficient problems in the Pakistani capital city when its stick-bearing women students attacked a house and held hostages, its students attacked local video rental shops accusing them of spreading vulgarity, and its leader clerics threatened the government with suicide bombs. See more on this here and here.

But this time they took direct action against the federal government. They kidnapped 4 policemen from outside their mosque, refused to release them until their students who had been arrested for attacking the videoshops (and destroying private property) were released, amd actually succeeded in making the government bow down before their demands. Their black-mail worked and at least 4 students were released as a bargain for 2 policemen. The other 2 are still being held until the rest of the students are also released.

This brazenness is utterly revolting, and frightening. meanwhile, the society is just standing by and watching. What is it to learn from this episode? In Pakistan we say Jis kee laathi uss kee Bhains. i.e. whoever owns the stick, owns the cow. Is that why sticks (and guns) came out on the streets of Karachi on the 12th? Because they know this government will only bow down to that?
The Lal Masjid administration on Saturday night freed two of the four policemen who were abducted on Friday in return for four men it said had been detained by the police on false charges. The government agreed to release the four men on Monday.

Sources told Daily Times that a district administration team led by City Magistrate Farasit Ali Khan told the clerics that only four people – former ISI official Khalid Khawaja, Zainullah, Mehrab Hussain and Arif Mahmood – were in police custody, while the clerics claimed that Muhammad Idrees, Abdul Baseer, Amir, Iftikhar, Anwarul Haq, Israrul Haq and Naqeebullah were also in police detention.

The sources said that the government officials told the clerics that they did not know about the seven people and could not ensure their release. The sources said that Lal Masjid’s Ghazi Abdul Rashid told the officials that the other two policemen would remain in captivity until the release of the seven men also on the clerics’ list.

As an assurance to the Lal Masjid clerics that their men would be freed, Tariq Abbasi, judge of a Rawalpindi anti-terrorism court, accepted the bails of three madrassa students and Khalid Khawaja, who had been booked for burning CDs and video cassettes at Bhara Kahu.

Picture(s) of the Day: Roosters eating vegetables-for-sale

This picture from DAWN online edition is funny but sad at the same time. If you haven’t seen these vegetable carts before, here’s the gist of it. In most big cities in Pakistan, especially in the province of Sindh, men sell vegetables by going door to door with 4-wheeled carts like this. They are called “Sabzi waaley“, i.e. vegetable people. They get up early in the morning to go to the main vegetable markets to buy their stuff, and then walk around selling them at a slight premium. This is a great service for the Pakistani housewives/home-makers who find it culturally and otherwise difficult to go too far from their homes for grocery shopping.

In the hot summer days, the job of walking the streets with the cart can be gruelling. In this picture, it seems one such cart-owner has fallen asleep - but lo and behld a flock of roosters/chicken has descended upon his goods to have their taste. The sight itself is funny, but its sad because for most such vendors live on a daily earning and their vegetables destroyed in this manner can cause great financial harm. I do hope though that the man wouldn’t just proceed to sell this stuff any how…There are many stories around the unhygienic nature of vegetables sold in this manner but let’s save those for later.

Press Clipping(s): 2-stroke DI Rickshaw produced by Bajaj in India

I just read this in the Green Car Congress. This is excellent news for Bajaj who is now producing its own line of fuel efficient 2-stroke direct injection rickshaws in India that are more affordable and easy to service than the 4-stroke counterparts.

As a plug for GEO2’s product for emission control on 2-stroke engines, I must say that 2-stroke engines do run rather dirty, especially when the PM emissions are considered. A significant portion of the PM emissions is essentially condensed unburnt lubricant oil that is released into the atmosphere. These oil droplets contain metal oxides constituents that turn into ‘ash’ which is really harmful to human health when inhaled. GEO2-stroke ceramic honeycomb wall flow filters trap >98% of these particles and convert the trapped soot, oil, carbon monoxide and unburnt hydrocarbon gases into CO2 and water. This product was also recently featured in an article on Wired.com and Boston Business Journal.

Bajaj Auto Ltd, India has begun production of autorickshaws—the ubiquitous three-wheel commercial vehicles widely used in India, South East Asia and North Africa—equipped with 2-stroke engines with direct-injection technology from Orbital Corporation.The 2-stroke Direct Injection (DI) 3-wheeler offers a 30% improvement in fuel efficiency and superior performance.

The new model will initially be released into the local Pune market, with a staged release of the DI vehicles to other identified cities of India.

The positive feedback from our customers was a key part of the DI product confirmation testing. These first customers have enjoyed a 30% fuel economy improvement and experienced significantly improved driving characteristics.

—Rajiv Bajaj, Managing Director

Bajaj expanded its Orbital technology license in September 2006 to include CNG and LPG versions of this product. Orbital 2-stroke direct injection engines are also in production on 2-stroke scooters in Europe and Taiwan.

Karachi is Burning: A political and security crisis

NOTE: Some images are missing and I am working on retrieving them. 

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Please read Adil’s post at ATP for details on how and why this crisis came about. More here, and some backgrounder information is available here.

I am attaching below a few pictures I found at Yahoo/Reuters Photos (I am adding more photos as I find them). CAUTION (GRAPHIC IMAGES and VIDEO):

Suspended Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry is surrounded by lawyers as he arrives at Islamabad airport to depart for Karachi from Islamabad May 12, 2007. Many roads in the Pakistani city of Karachi were blocked on Saturday apparently aimed at disrupting plans by the country’s suspended chief justice to hold a rally with his supporters. REUTERS/Mian Khursheed (PAKISTAN)

Stranded passengers rest at Jinnah international airport in Karachi May 12, 2007. Eighteen people were killed in Karachi on Saturday in clashes between pro-government and opposition activists over the arrival of the country’s suspended top judge Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry to rally support for his cause. REUTERS/Athar Hussain (PAKISTAN)

Opposition supporters chant anti-government slogans during a rally in Karachi May 12, 2007. Eighteen people were killed in Karachi on Saturday in clashes between pro-government and opposition activists over the arrival of the country’s suspended top judge to rally support for his cause. REUTERS/Zahid Hussein (PAKISTAN)

A supporter of the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM), a coalition partner in President Pervez Musharraf’s government, chants slogans against suspended Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry during a rally in Karachi May 12, 2007. Fifteen people were killed in Karachi on Saturday in clashes between pro-government and opposition activists, the worst political violence in Pakistan in years, as the suspended top judge arrived to meet supporters. REUTERS/Akram Shahid (PAKISTAN)

An unidentified gunman in Karachi. Rival political workers fought intense gunbattles ahead of huge rallies by Pakistan’s suspended top judge and President Pervez Musharraf, leaving 15 people dead and scores more injured.(AFP/AAJ TV/HO)

Mother’s Day: Mothers of the World Unite for Peace

It is Mother’s Day this Sunday, at least in the US. Like most others around me, I am also thinking of my mother, Ammi as I call her. I wish her health, comfort, and happiness - which I know partly comes from her knowing that not only are her children safe and healthy, but that they are also successful and with characters that she can be proud of.

I have always been amazed by the inner strength and courage that my mother has always shown in some of the most difficult times. It sounds cliche, but she has really been the backbone of our little Pakistani family. Our father left to work in the Middle East soon after she had just given birth to their 4th child, and the first girl. She brought up 4 kids on her own for more than 8 years, in a city where crime rates were high and external hired help was expensive and hard to come by. She bravely fought back her tears when her kids left one by one to study abroad for she knew it would bring them far greater success than she could provide for them in Pakistan, and she single-handedly managed an entire family’s transformation from an orthodox, conservative existence to a more liberal, open-minded, inquisitive nature when her children themselves learnt to question and probe all things she had been brought up to take for granted.

But most of all, I have been amazed not just by her courage and fortitude, but also by her patience and calmness. Her calmness is like a cloud cover that I take shelter under when tides are rough and high. She reminds me that this life, and our struggles, are but a part of a marathon and not a sprint to some finish line. She tells me stories of how great people overcome the difficulties by finding inner strength and with their faith in God. She reminds me in difficult circumstances only the ones with determination, goodwill, and honesty succeed in finding support around them. Her lessons to me in finding inner tranquility and righteousness transcend beyond her own family. When 9-11 happened, I was a bit scared of what would follow. So I called her. I told her to pray for all who perished, and for those who may have to pay a high price because of their religion or the color of their skin. And her response: “Allah knows all, He watches everything. Never lose trust in Him. He is always there to support the innocent, even when it may not seem so obvious. Have faith in His judgment, in His mercy and your honesty. Be brave, but don’t be stupid, and remember that if all else fails, we will always be there for you. Let’s all hope peace will prevail and this madness will come to an end”.

As I write this, I realize how profound her thinking was (and is), despite not having any medical, juris, or philosophical high degrees. She was thinking from the pit of her womb, where life itself took shape. She was thinking like a life-giver, a mother. She knew what pain was, and she knew what it meant to endure the pain (of birth) because life itself got birth when mothers did that. She wants peace in this world, more than anyone else. Not only for the welfare of all the children of this world, but most importantly for her own children. No one else could be more genuine about that. No one.

I share below an essay from Queen Noor of Jordan that just appeared on CNN. She brings up the same thing. I could not agree with her more:

Let’s reclaim Mother’s Day for peace

By Queen Noor
Special to CNN

Editor’s note: Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan is an international humanitarian activist, a leading voice on issues of world peace and justice, and honorary chair of Rediscover Mother’s Day, which celebrates the role of women as peacemakers.

AMMAN, Jordan (CNN) — In 1982, during a period of dangerous stalemate in the Middle East peace process, I gave a speech at Georgetown University about the critical need for a more engaged and balanced role for the United States in the region.

The newspapers the next day covered my handbag, my rings, and my dress. When asked about the substance of my message, one U.S. Senator said, “It’s a great public relations weapon to have an attractive queen.”

Twenty-five years later, the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East still reflects some of the most pressing global challenges confronting the contemporary world — the stagnant Palestinian/Israeli peace process, the increasingly dangerous conflict in Iraq, the escalation of extremism, the debate over emerging democracies — all point to the need for visionary and transformative leadership. I firmly believe that peace will only come to the region when mothers find their voice and say of the violence, “Enough is enough!”

Mother’s Day — whether it is the U.S. tradition of celebrating mothers on the second Sunday in May, or on the first day of spring, when we observe the holiday in Jordan — is universally meant to be a tribute to motherhood and the blessings of peace. In fact, in America the holiday was originally called “Mother’s Day for Peace.” It was proposed over a century ago by Julia Ward Howe, the famous abolitionist and suffragist, after she witnessed first-hand the terrible bloodshed of the Civil War in America and the Franco-Prussian War in Europe. Howe hoped that the powerful maternal desire for security could shape world events, and she called on mothers of the world to unite against war.

Howe’s vision and her call to action could not be more relevant today. As a mother, stepmother and grandmother, nothing is more important to me than the safety of my family. I am not alone. Studies show that women’s priority, when given either money or opportunity, is the well-being of their families. They invest their time and devote whatever resources they have to reducing poverty and hunger, improving maternal, child and general health and promoting educational opportunity. That is why the position of women is the best marker of a country’s development and stability.

Mothers prove every day, all over the world, that peace and security require cooperation and compassion. Having traditionally occupied a paradoxical position at the heart of society but on the fringes of power, women often bring unique strengths, talents, and perspectives to the quest to resolve conflict and establish freedom. They are willing and able to cut across ethnic, religious and tribal barriers, and break through obstacles through peace in order to do what is best for their families.

It is no coincidence, then, that so many of today’s leading peacemakers are themselves mothers. All of us must do everything we can to support their efforts. People like Swanee Hunt, who served as the United States Ambassador to Austria and has spent her life advocating for peace and for the inclusion of women in the peace process through her work and by creating Women Waging Peace. Or Trish Malloch Brown, who travels the world advocating for people affected by war and conflict on behalf of Refugees International. Or Lisa Schirch, the director of the nonprofit 3D Security Initiative, who uses development projects like building schools and water wells to disarm conflicts from Lebanon to Ghana.

But the day has come for something more than individual efforts. Millions of mothers from Nablus to New York and from Baghdad to Beersheba must begin to find common cause in peace and work together to give their quiet power a louder voice. We need a movement of what Naila Bolus of Ploughshares Fund calls “global security moms,” who can work within their families and communities, and in national and international arenas to temper extremism and to hold their leaders accountable for decisions that escalate the cycle of violence rather than address underlying problems. Such a movement of mothers would be impossible for our leaders to ignore, and would be more powerful than all the tanks and suicide bombers combined.

So from one mother to many others, let us be silent no longer in the face of war and violence. May all mothers and families around the world be blessed with a happy Mother’s Day for Peace.

Palestinian Dabke: at Harvard

L started doing Dabke quite a few years ago in Boston. She and her friends in Boston formed a Dabke troupe called Zeitoun and they did several performances. Zeitoun has not performed together for a while, but one former Zeitoun member, Zaki, has done an awesome job teaching this traditional Palestinian (and Arab) dance to some new students at Harvard. Below is a video of his amateur troupe performing at Harvard last weekend. It is really nice to see Palestinian culture being celebrated and participated in by people in Boston.

Dabke is a beautiful dance! It is a folk line dance, performed by either just men, just women, both together. Its is als a communal dance, done at wedding, celebrations, and other occasions. It was the most popular dance at my wedding! It is a performance dance, as well as a participatory dance. While it is performed all over the Middle East (Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia), I have most experience watching the Palestinian version of this dance. Some of the most famous internationally famous dabke troupes today include Ibdaa, Sareyyet Ramallah, and El-Funoun (see a short video below - I have seen them perform and they rock), all based in Palestine.

Dabke music is so awesome, so rhythmic, so powerful - and then the stomping of the feet in rythm. I love it! It just so happens that Zaki also chose one of my favorite Dabke music to perform to…

The leader plays an important role in Dabke (which Zaki did for his troupe). According to a post in Wikipedia:

The Dabke leader is supposed to be like a tree, with arms in the air, a proud and upright trunk, and feet that stomp the ground in rhythm, emphasizing their connection to their land. The meaning of “dabke” in Arabic is “stomping of the feet,” and stomping, as well as jumping and kicking, are moves that characterize the dabke in a unique manner. The leader, called raas (meaning “head”) or “lawwih” (meaning “waver”), is allowed to improvise on the type of dabke being danced, and he or she would also be twirling a handkerchief or string of beads known as a masbha (similar to a rosary), while the rest of the dancers keep the rhythm. The dancers also use vocalizations to show energy and to punctuate the rhythm. Many learn dabke as children, while others perform it as part of professional dance troupes.

Picture(s) of the day: Wolfowitz

Enjoy this cartoon from Slate.com.