Scams and frauds worth billions of rupees by our leaders have become extremely common now days. Whereever you go, which ever channel you turn to there is mention of one scam or another. From the hudaibiya paper mill to NICL to the Hajj scam to the ephedrine drug scam, we have a whole portfolio of scams that can dwarf any insider trading yields or Ponzi schemes of the west.

And this is why I’m beginning a series of blog posts about big scams of the recent past.

By the way let me make one thing very clear, I have a strong feeling that these people – acquitted or otherwise – are probably GUILTY!!!!

The NICL Scandal (aka Bollywood Masala ) from the 80’s

The first one that I have chosen to write about is the NICL scandal. I chose this specific incident because Mr. Monis Elahi – the main accused – is the son of Pervaiz Elahi, both of whom are members of the opposition. It takes guts to face a trial when you and your father are in the opposition and not the ruling party. Don’t you think?

This scam has all the ingredients of a typical Bollywood movie. The suspect is on the loose (abroad), the witnesses retract written statements, the officer in charge is removed and the bad guy goes freeeeeeeeeee…

Oh yes, back to the scam!

Well to summarize, Mr. Monis Elahi was accused of buying some land at an extremely cheap price and selling it to the NICL for billions, making an estimated PKR 320 million!

The scam was dug out by one Zafar Qureshi, former Additional DG FIA, who was suspended from duty due to political intervention and then reinstated by the Supreme Court after which he finally retired. Monis Elahi’s involvement was unearthed when a pay order of PKR 12 million (out of a total of 28 million), for the purchase of a 3,630 square yard plot, was found to belong to Muhammad Afzal a front man for Monis Elahi. This land was then sold to the NICL at Rs53 million per kanal.

In the beginning Mr. Monis Elahi refused to come back to Pakistan citing various reasons, but eventually he did return. More than likely he agreed to return because all the right strings had been pulled by his father by then. This is evident by the fact that Zafar Qureshi repeatedly voiced his concern about noncooperation of his seniors and the hurdles that were put in place during his investigation. He could not get the case concluded before he retired but warned the DG FIA and interior secretary that unless an independent special prosecutor was appointed the onus of accused’s acquittal would be on his seniors.

During the proceedings, a Mohammad Malik (based on whose statements Monis Elahi was taken into custody by the FIA) and others who had given statements to indict Monis Elahi retracted their statements and said that FIA officials pressurized them to get those statements. The FIA however, in their interim charge sheet declared that Monis Elahi was guilty of embezzlement.

But, as is the norm with all other high profile NRO cases being handled by NAB, after Mr. Qureshi’s retirement, “friendly” prosecutors took over and the case, without regards to the nature of evidence, was disposed and Monis Elahi was acquitted.

This acquittal from a lower court came at a time when the Supreme Court had set a hearing regarding the case just days later. *Sigh*! How power and money makes a mockery of our loophole riddled justice system.

The case has now been picked up by the Supreme Court and the matter is again sub-judice…so no comments on that!!! I just hope that the bad guy is put behind bars this time around. Chief Justice, BRO, hope you’re listening?!

(Image Courtesy of : BigStockPhoto)

Pakistan selection committees’ announcements and public criticism have always gone side by side. Perhaps, it is more fitting to say that the former hardly gives a chance to the latter to not wag the tongues. PCB selection committee, headed by Iqbal Qasim, recently [on Thursday] announced Pakistan’s squads for Test, ODI and Twenty20I series to be played against Sri Lanka in coming dog days of June and July. As it turns out, the selectors, once again, find themselves in hot water for doing nepotism - parchi could be more appropriate word if I would be forgiven for using desi slang – in team selections.

Albeit there aren’t sea changes in Pakistan squads but some inclusions and omissions in each squad are enough to wrinkle the brows. The questions are being raised on comebacks of Imran Farhat in ODIs, Mohammad Sami in all the three formats, Faisal Iqbal in Tests and for cold shouldering Hammad Azam from ODI squad.

Hell hath no fury like a selection of Imran Farhat back in team and this time it happened without any aid from his in-laws. (Photo Credit: AFP)

Mohammad Sami’s sequence of never-ending comebacks into national team continued after he was picked to face-off Sri Lankan team. It is astonishing to know that his selection came after he could grab only 1 wicket in five Twenty20s at bowling average of 134 he played in the recent Super Eight Faysal Bank T20 at Rawalpindi. Also the notion, that he is selected for his 39 wickets at bowling average of 19.82 in 11 matches of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2011-12, gets aborted with the fact Ali Imran (60 Wickets in 11 matches), Imran Khan (58 wickets in 10 matches), Fahad Masood (52 Wickets in 8 matches), Mohammad Khalil (45 wickets in 8 matches) performed with better bowling averages than of Sami’s in the same event, Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. In that order, if Sami can rejoin umpteenth time due to his QAE Trophy performance then what defect those fast bowlers hold who have been taking more wickets than him over the years.

If Bangladesh Premier League was the criteria for selectors to call him in the Test outfit then they have given him one more shot in the arm to further deteriorate his bowling average, which is already the worst in the history of Test Cricket with 50 wickets cut-off – even Shahadat Hossain sits proudly ahead of him. He might have done well in the BPL but as soon as he came back in Pakistan’s domestic Cricket, against better domestic batsmen than those in BPL, his reputation was cut down to size for he took only 4 wickets in last 10 limited-over matches(five Twenty20 and five List A games) he played in Pakistan.

Mohammad Khalil and Mohammad Talha were selected last winter ahead of Bangladesh and England Test series, respectively. Khalil couldn’t get a game while Talha injured himself prior to start of Tests against England. It happens only in Pakistan that a player gets selected, doesn’t get a game and gets dropped for not getting a game. They both were better suited for national recalls after having performed consistently, and better than Sami, in First Class arena of Pakistan.

Then there is curious case of 23-year-old left-arm pacer Rahat Ali from Multan, his selection in only ODI squad comes with rather surprise since it was longer version of the game where he has been more productive. Rahat has 107 wickets at average of under 20 in his career’s 27 First Class Matches, which includes three back-to-back 5-wicket hauls in recent Pentangular Cup where he played for Baluchistan, was up against relatively stronger corps of Punjab & Sindh. He got selected in Pakistan’s ODI Squad notwithstanding he has played only one limited-over domestic match in last 8 months and has taken mere 9 wickets in as many List A (Domestic One Day) matches of his career.

The selectors must and should have found a room for Rahat Ali’s selection in Test squad but then it was possible only if they had averted nepotism which brings Sami in Test corps.

Imran Farhat’s selection doesn’t come less shocking than Sami’s Test bowling average. Hell hath no fury like a selection of Farhat back in team. It was a sigh of relief once he was rebuffed from Asia Cup but the relief has short-lived as he is back in ODI squad. This time it happened without any aid from his in-laws, who now don’t hold a chair in the selection committee. Not sure if the in-laws still had some input to offer under the table. His inclusion and snub to Hammad Azam leave Pakistan ODI team with only one all-rounder [Shahid Afridi] who can bat in late down the order.

But Shahid Afridi’s own batting form is in decline lately, imagine a plight of this team when its late order fails to get along with runs compiled by top-order or forestall a batting collapse, which has been Pakistan’s wont over the years.

There is also a notorious nephew Faisal Iqbal, who last played for Pakistan in Sydney Test 2010, selected back. He might have attracted the selectors with his 750 runs in 12 matches of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2011-12 but it distracted his caretakers as they neatly ignore the likes of Usman Salahuddin, who piled up 975 runs with average of 81.25 in 8 matches of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy Division II, and riding on his QAE Trophy form amassed 426 runs (with 3 centuries) in 5 matches of Pentangular Cup where he played for Punjab.

Even a Fawad Alam or Haris Sohail, third and fourth leading run-hunters of QAE Trophy, could have been brought to the fore at the expense of Faisal Iqbal, who finds 10 run-hunters ahead of him. Alam scored a Test century on debut at an essential stage last time when Pakistan toured Sri Lanka, was dropped just 2 Tests later and wasted by ODI and T20 Cricket, which were never his traits. Haris Sohail, like Alam, could have also provided Pakistan utility of a left-hand batsman which they don’t have any in the current middle-order.

The meritorious players like Usman Salahuddin, Fawad Alam, Haris Sohail, Rahat Ali etc have to bear the brunt of nepotism given to Faisal Iqbal, Mohammad Sami and Imran Farhat. Only due to the gratuitous selections, the meritorious players have to live their lives on fringes of Pakistan squads and they get their chances only when the gratuitous selections have decayed them.

Nevertheless, selection of all new batsmen, including Afaq Raheem and Ayub Dogar – the both have been selected on merit, could only turn out to be a mere holiday trip of dog days in the Ceylon as none from the current top and middle order (Mohammad Hafeez, Taufeeq Umar, Younis Khan, Azhar Ali, Misbah-ul-Haq, Asad Shafiq) looks like losing his place unless there is an injury or a dramatic batting collapse in first two Tests of Sri Lanka tour.

Written by Mazher Arshad  [ Twitter:https://twitter.com/#!/cricket_U ]

“Failed state“, terrorism, corruption, killings and oppression are among the terms that define Pakistan around the globe.  Is this all Pakistan is about? I don’t think so.   So what is it about Pakistan that raises hopes, makes us optimistic, and tells us that we’re going to make it out of this temporary rough patch in the road?

Even before finishing the first paragraph of this post I can see the critics rushing to slap me to my senses.  Well, let me clarify! I’m not here to present infallible logical arguments or undeniable empirical proofs that Pakistan is a gem among the nations of the world.  I just want to talk about a few things that warm the hearts of many of us.  I know that there are countless examples of what’s wrong with Pakistan but why must we linger on just that?  There are many good things that can raise our spirits.  I, for one, would rather try and find things to ‘love’ or at least like, than to despair.

These are some of the beacons of hope that keep us Pakistanis going:

The Great People of Pakistan

Just like a house is defined by its occupants, a country is defined by its people.  There’s a lot about Pakistanis that goes against the popular judgment of doom.  We have survived many disasters, wars, exploitation and calamities and showed resilience.  Pakistanis have proven themselves across the globe in all walks of life.

The Bravest nation: Newsweek celebrates Pakistanis as the bravest nation in the wake of earthquake

Why I love Pakistan: Raza Rumi gives his reasons to love Pakistan

People of Pakistan: A beautiful video about the people of Pakistan.

Philanthropy of Pakistanis

Unfortunately, historically our governments have seldom made sincere efforts to improve the conditions of the downtrodden members of the nation.  However, there is no dearth of Pakistanis who are happy to share their wealth with others.  I’m not talking about big name NGOs or famous philanthropists; I can’t forget the piles of donated stuff – aside from cash donations – that lined the streets of our cities and towns after the earthquake a few years ago.  These were ordinary people like you and I who rose to the occasion.

South Asian investor review: Pakistan Ranks High on Philanthropy

Charitable Pakistan: What mainstream media stories about suicide bombings and natural disasters fail to capture is the strong charitable and philanthropic tradition of Pakistani society

Tribune: The amount contributed towards philanthropy in Pakistan has almost doubled over the past decade

Philanthropy in Pakistan: Philanthropy in Pakistan: Moving Beyond Conditional Generosity

Positive Pakistanis: In an age where most people depend on others for help, Major Muhammad Abbas only thought of helping the helpless

Charity Vault: A comprehensive list of charities operating in Pakistan

Pakistan’s Achievements in Sports

Fazal Mehmood, Islahuddin, Samiullah, Imran Khan, Jahangir Khan, Jansher Khan, Wasim Akram, Husain Shah (boxing-bronze medalist in 1988 Olympics), Muhammad Yousuf (Snooker), Sultan Golden (auto stunt professional).  These are only a few of the sports legends from Pakistan.  We have a rich history of making extraordinary feats in many sports.  Sports is one of the very few things that unite this nation like nothing else.

Sports in Pakistan: An informative and interesting blog post about various sports in Pakistan and our achievements

Cicistan: Pakistan’s Major Cricketing Achievements Up Till Now

Sports heroes: Remembering many sports heroes of Pakistan

Sports landmarks: The Financial Daily talks about various sports landmarks of Pakistan

Pakistan and sports: An in-depth Wikipedia article

Sports legends of Pakistan: This video is a humble tribute to all those sports personalities who have served the nation of Pakistan

Pakistan’s Scenic Beauty

“gar firdaus bar ru-e-zameen ast/hameen ast, hameen ast, hameen ast”

(If paradise is on the face of earth/ it’s here, it’s here, it’s here)

From majestic mountains to scenic lakes to serene valleys to awe-inspiring deserts filled with amazing wildlife, Pakistan has it all.  With snow-clad mountains, green valleys, slopes covered with colorful flowers, the northern areas of Pakistan are the crown jewel of the Pakistani landscape.  This beauty is in stark contrast to the popular image of Pakistan and once you walk through this beautiful land, the images of doom and gloom would certainly start fading away.

Pakistan pictures: A great collection of pictures about Pakistan

Pakistani Deserts: Deserts-the other natural beauty of Pakistan

This is Pakistan: Awesome collection of pictures showcasing the natural beauty of Pakistan

Best natural places: Description of the natural beauty of the northern areas of Pakistan

Pinnacle of natural beauty: A video about the breath taking natural beauty of Pakistan

Northern areas of Pakistan: The beauty of northern areas in words and pictures

By writing this article, I’m not trying to advocate blind patriotism, sticking head your in the sand or being oblivious to the undeniable facts about all that is wrong with us.  This was just about raising rational hope.  Let me know what you think!

(Image courtesy of BigStockPhoto)

Keeping the Faith

We, Pakistanis, are suckers for good, exciting and competitive cricket in any form, from tape-ball matches in alleys and local grounds to T20; we are there for it all. Fans among us are not only rooting for this idea, they are actually offering good advice on making it successful.

“Following the approach of leading Spanish football clubs and handing ownership to the fans would be a good idea. Barcelona and Real Madrid are co-operatively owned by 175,000 members where membership is sold to the general public. People get concessional tickets and merchandise and most importantly, the power to vote on matters of the club.

Instead of having just an emotional attachment to the club, this could provide an opportunity for fans to have a real sense of belonging and take part in the decision making process too. Every fan will enjoy deciding who should be the president of the club.” Source: Omair Mushtaq)

“I would rather wish that IPL becomes a subcontinental league with revenues shared. They can include 3 teams from PK 2 from SL and one from BD + 6 teams from India. Revenues should be shared with the same proportions. It will make IPL a long life product with a more intensity in fan following. It will help avoiding the kill which is expected with so many PL’s around.” Source: ahidsaltin (Cricinfo).

PCB, are you listening?

(Image courtesy of Peter Meade)

They were only four years old [in Test cricket] but they managed what no other cricket playing nation had ever done.  They beat the English in their first test series on their own soil.

Pakistan has witnessed several magical moments in its cricket history (who could forget the unbelievable six by Javed Miandad in Sharjah?), but the Oval test 1954 was where the magic first happened and Fazal Mahmood was the magician who cast a spell so strong that the English couldn’t do anything but fold.

“This was to be Fazal Mahmood’s match. His action was not prepossessing, but he was strong, immensely fit, built like the policeman he was and, in many ways, was the ideal fast-medium bowler. His length was consistently accurate, he took punishment well, his stamina and determination were such that he never flagged and, given the opportunity of a breakthrough, he would persist untiringly. His stock in trade, like his pace, was similar to that of Alec Bedser; although originally a wrist spinner, he developed sharp swing, but probably his keenest weapons were his cutters, which, particularly from leg, he bowled outstandingly and, in helpful circumstances, with deadly affect,” wrote John Arlott.

The Original Superstar

‘Superstar’ wasn’t a term yet used for Pakistani cricketers because it was being saved for Fazal Mahmood, the first Pakistani cricket superstar.  He had it all, a great personality – often termed as debonair – with blue eyes, dark wavy hair, a tall, sturdy physique and a sharp wit.  His deadly leg-cutter was enchanting.

“To have seen Fazal bowl on a wicket which still shimmered with early morning dew was to see a miracle in the air, six times in about as many minutes. He could make the ball do extremely odd things. Just when you thought you were stepping forward to one that you would play in the middle of your bat, you discovered to your utter surprise that though your left foot was still in the correct forward position, your bat straight and held at the right height above your left toe, your leg stump was lying in the vicinity of third slip. Fazal had struck again. How he did that, remains a mystery and although he explains in an epilogue how to bowl a leg cutter, no one has been able to ‘bend it like Fazal,” wrote Khalid Hasan (a senior Pakistani Journalist and writer).

Fazal Mahmood’s Career at a Glance

What Makes Fazal Mahmood Great?

The stats of Fazal’s cricket career are truly impressive but stats alone didn’t make him a legend.  Let’s see what some of the all-time great cricketers have to say about him.

“If cricket was played as much in those days as now, Mahmood would have taken a thousand wickets.” (Alec Bedser)

“On matting Mahmood was often unplayable; on grass he could be equally devastating. To the casual observer he might have appeared harmless and just another bowler putting his arm over. But what a guile and consummate skill went into every ball.” (Alex Bannister)

“Mahmood, it has been eight years since the Oval Test in 1954. I have been thinking about what you did with the ball and I have not yet been able to understand. Would you tell me how you bowled that particular ball which got me out twice in the Oval Test?” (Sir Len Hutton)

(Image courtesy of cricland)

The last time we showed some signs of life as a nation was during the lawyers’ movement for reinstatement of CJP.  Once again, the time seems to be ripe for a strong push to topple the status quo (girti deewar ko aik dhakka aur do).  There is no shortage of pied pipers begging to lead us to the Promised Land.  But, save a few, all are tried, tested and failed (ye bazu meray azmaye huayn hain).  So, who do we put on the helm?

Imran Khan is the number one contender for the post of the change agent.  Imran’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, has certainly made waves (I wouldn’t go with Tsunami yet) in the country politics in the recent past.  But making waves is one thing and riding the wave to the shore is another.  Imran Khan is not your run-of-the-mill politician; his illustrious career as a cricketer has endowed him with fundamental leadership qualities.

Can he be the Rainmaker?

While there is skepticism among the masses about Imran Khan’s ability to change the course of Pakistan to a better future, people are willing to give him a chance.  There is no dearth of fantastic agendas and enticing slogans, of which, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s agenda is one.  It all sounds great but so are the programs of all other parties.  All of them claim to rid Pakistan of its ailments but we know better than to believe in this song and dance.  Is there anything that makes Imran and PTI different?

Clean Image: Ask people to describe the character of Pakistani politicians and you are sure to learn many words and terms that will be too hot to handle.  This is not the case with Imran.  People may disagree with his approach, policies and arguments but one thing most people agree on is that his image is quite palatable as compared to the current lot of his peers.

Young blood: One of the most obvious things about PTI is its supporter base, which is dominated by youth.  Although in some quarters this particular aspect is viewed as a weakness for PTI, it may very well prove to be an asset for Imran’s party.  Notwithstanding the upcoming elections, support from the youth of Pakistan can be instrumental for the long term survival and success of PTI.  When these first time voters become more mature and experienced in the next five years, they will pay dividends.

Learning the ropes: Imran seems to be learning about the ground realities and is trying to strike a balance between idealism and pragmatism.  Regardless of how much support he garners from urban masses and the youth, it is an undeniable fact that to win elections, he will need to get help from the seasoned political figures.  While this may be less than ideal but without the inclusion of known heavy weights such as Shah Makhdoom Qureshi, Javed Hashmi and others, it would be very difficult to win seats.  These guys are the cheques to cash the vote banks; without votes you don’t win seats and without seats you can’t change the future.  Imran has learned this fact and is reaching out to hopefully the better ones of the lot.  This also may help transform his party from a one-man show to a multi focal point team.  Succession is an extremely important consideration for any leader and Imran must have it on his mind.

Imran wants to root out corruption, trim the fat of the government and bureaucracy, change the economic landscape of the country, restore its sovereignty, improve the overall condition of the masses and a lot more.  He is quite possibly one of the best choices we have compared to the leeches that are sucking us dry.

Do you think Imran stands a chance? Do you think he can really change our future for better?

(Image courtesy of pakistanblogzine)

General elections are just around the corner (hopefully) and most of the discussions in the media and among the masses are occupied by two themes: disenchantment with the way things are and skepticism about any change in the future.  However, there is a relatively new phenomenon that may prove to be a challenge for the political dinosaurs (or predators) in our country.  I’m referring to the use of social media for voter engagement.

“Communication technology in general and social media in particular would play a major role during next general elections. With well over 100 million cell users in the country and increasing availability of internet in far-flung areas of the country, it is bound to impact the elections,” predicts Professor Rasul Baksh Rais of LUMS.

This time around, about 60 percent of the country’s population comprises of voter between the ages of 18-25.  How significant this statistic is, has yet to be seen.

Why Should We Consider Social Media as a Force of Change? Two Words: Arab Spring

Between the end of 2010 and during 2011, we witnessed an unprecedented phenomenon shake the very foundations of the modern day Arab world.  People started demanding change; they demanded the dictators and the tyrants to step down and be held accountable.  How did this happen?  It all started with the traditional methods of planning, organizing and rallying the masses but they had a new weapon too: social media.  Facebook and Twitter proved to be the glue that brought the protestors together with amazing effectiveness.  The activists in Egypt were communicating through social platforms for quite some time and these discussions transpired into a mass movement, which turned into a domino effect.

Pakistani Political Parties and Social Media

Social media has finally caught the fancy of Pakistani politicians.  Imran Khan and PTI are the trend setters in this area.  Since Facebook (FB) is the De-facto leader of social media platforms, let’s take a look at how different parties stack-up on FB :

*MQM appears to have two relevant pages

The statistics above undoubtedly make Imran Khan the King of Social Media among Pakistani political figures, and PTI the leader of the pack among the parties.

Issues with the Use of Social Media in Pakistani Politics

As amazing a tool as it may be, there are some obvious issues with the use of social media in Pak politics:

Limited reach: So far, social platforms are only able to rally around the urban population.  With the majority of the vote banks situated in the rural areas, the influence of social media is questionable.  Illiteracy and the language barrier would seriously hamper its reach.

Inappropriate language and demeanor: Just like in the field, social platforms are often used to ridicule, slander and verbally abuse the very people who are running the respective sites.  Open discussion is definitely beneficial but the negative behavior only adds to the animosity among the political workers and adds nothing positive to the campaigns.

Wave of Change or just a Fad?

The social activity surrounding Imran Khan’s Lahore jalsa was an indicator of the power of social media.  We are definitely sick and tired of corrupt politicians and their unscrupulous behavior.  Anything that can challenge the current system and holds promise for a change is certainly welcome.  However, despite its potential, there are many question marks about the true influence of social media in Pak politics.

Do you think the social media phenomenon is likely to have any effect on the results of the upcoming elections? Let us know what you think…

(Image courtesy of Anne Helmond)

Wikipedia is a good source of getting superficial information on anything. Besides, whenever you Google a word or a phrase, be it related to anything, the first few links that it will show, will surely either have a Wikipedia page about it on the top or at number two or three in the links that will come up in the search results. One cannot say that Wikipedia is entirely reliable because after all, it hosts user-generated contents. Wikipedia pages are edited by users the world over. Though one has to be approved by the Wikipedia itself to do so. There is a certain level of authenticity of an editor that has to be maintained to keep the information as true as possible. There has been, despite it all, edits made from time and again, which were either false or of propagandist nature. Or even abusive at times.

But all of this does not diminish the importance of the wonderful first-hand online resource like Wikipedia. Especially, when the United States’ presidential elections are being run on it, of sorts. At least for the presidential candidates. They are on the run to the White House through their Wikipedia page edits. Here is how. Recently, according to Mashable, Mitt Romney has had done hundreds of edits done on his Wikipedia page since the Republic primaries. The edits have been mostly on the page “Bain”, which is the name of the company whose former CEO was none other than Mitt Romney. Then there are edits on “Massachusetts”, Romney’s governorship state, and on such pages as “business” which is something that Romney does other than “playing politics”.

For Mitt Romney, editing out Wikipedia pages seems like editing out unwanted life stories. If life were to be like a Wikipedia page, one can just simply edit out things to make it look truthful, informative and direct. But that is not how life is, thankfully actually. Life is more complicated and thus more truthful. Though often not to those who vote for a certain candidate when it comes to judging his or her abilities to lead a public office and not just any but the highest office in the U.S. government, the Oval Office. It seems a lot concerning for everyone in the world. Because the United States presidential elections results in a man (or a woman may be at some point in time in the future) in holding the office considered to be the most powerful in the world. Why? For the shear reason that America is a self-acclaimed superpower. Not that anyone has contested that notion, but nor has anyone declared or openly recognized it.

The entitlement of being a superpower can be viewed from many different aspects and that includes military power or military superiority, but not solely that. It includes economic strength, capitalistic potential to even employment rate and financial stability of citizens. Because human resource is essential in the world of geo-economics and intellectual capitalism today. You cannot have a strong state without a strengthened nation and no social security amongst people. A government must be able to provide foremostly a standard of living to its citizens with full opportunities to realize their potentials. The other factors include the high Human Development Index, besides other factors too numerous to mention here. There are states in the world that far exceeds in these aspects than the United States.

If there were to be a more moralistic view point of politics, and not just a realistic perspective which revolves around power and rational (or self-centered) behavior of states, a superpower should be an entitlement given to a nation most powerful and effective in charitable causes, to this planet and to its issues and people with no agenda, no vested interests and with no return or benefits. But the way the United States has declared itself to be a superpower, these facets of the definition does not apply to it.

However, Mitt Romney, the current republican presidential candidate, can go on having his Wikipedia pages edited out, but history and time itself are always the first and the last witnesses. The final evaluation of a life lived will be dealt with the annals of history and not Wikipedia’s pages. If this is what race means in terms of dealing with the technological side of winning the presidential run to the White House, then Mitt Romney and others like him have got it all wrong.

There was a time when we had sporting action all year round.  Teams and players from all nations loved to come to Pakistan for memorable contests and great hospitality.  Then, on March 3, 2009, this all changed.  The Sri Lankan cricket team was attacked in Lahore and this incident sent shock waves among sports fans and organizations around the world.  This unfortunate incident had far reaching consequences for sports in Pakistan.

Since the Sri Lankan team attack, we have been working really hard to convince the teams and players from all countries to visit Pakistan but the response has been less than lukewarm.  The most recent disappointment was the four-nation hockey tournament scheduled from April 9-13.  It was an important tournament for Pakistan in view of the preparation for the up coming Olympics.

A Rocky Start

This tournament seemed to be ill-fated right from the beginning.  South Africa was the first among the four nations to pull out.  Initially, they were very willing to participate so that they can get some much needed practice for the qualifying round of the Olympics.  But a change of heart quickly followed the initial acceptance.  Two days before the beginning of the tournament, Malaysia withdrew from the tournament.  Now, Pakistan’s hopes rested on India for a test series but alas, India too declined to participate hours before the beginning of the tournament.

What Did We Do Wrong?

Hockey fans as well as the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) are rightfully disappointed.  The PHF maintains that they wouldn’t have planned this tournament if there was any prior indication that participating nations would have second thoughts.

“Both teams said they would send their team. But we will not lose hope and try to keep on making efforts to organise international events in Pakistan. The tour by China in December last year showed that there were no security issues for international teams playing in Pakistan,” said Asif Bajwa, secretary PHF.  He further added,  “We are obviously disappointed with this development because Malaysia had also first confirmed they would take part in the event and then pulled out two days back.”

The PHF secretary highlighted that we have made considerable efforts to improve the relations with India by visiting them and inviting them to play in Pakistan but our gesture was not reciprocated.

“In the last two years, we have been to India several times and have invited them to come to Pakistan and assured them full hospitality and security. Unfortunately neither the federation nor their government has responded to us in the same way.”

The other side of the story

Since there is more than one party involved, there has got to be another side to the story.  In response to the statements from the PHF, the Indian Hockey bosses told their side of the story. They presented a reasonable argument that why would they go through the hassle of preparing for the tournament if they didn’t want to participate.

“We are surprised by such unilateral statements. We have not pulled out of the event. If that was our intention, why would we conduct selection trials, announce the team and book flight tickets to Lahore,” commented the sources from Hockey India.

The Indian side maintains that based on the telephone conversations between Qasim Zia, president of PHF, and the secretary general of HI, the participation of the Indian team was contingent upon high level assurances of security prior to the beginning of the tournament.  It was also decided that if security clearance did not come in time, future dates would be announced for the tournament.  However, the required assurances did not come through.  Hockey India explained that they had to cancel because of the directive from the Ministry of External Affairs.

“The ministry of external affairs has sent a communication dated April 3, conveying that in view of the security situation prevailing in Pakistan, the visit of the Indian hockey team would not be advisable unless backed by credible high-level assurances of security from Pakistan side,” said HI.

There still seems to be hope that another tour may materialize in the future as the Indians seem to be interested in playing Pakistan.  According to the chief coach of the Indian team, “It will be a good exposure for those who do not have enough international matches under their belt. There a few seniors in the team who can benefit by playing in this tournament.”

Pakistan is not dwelling on the disappointment from the four-nation tournament.  The Pakistan hockey team is scheduled to play two tournaments with European teams in June 2012.

(Image courtesy of Chris J Bartle)

Aircraft hijacking is also known as skyjacking or sky controlling. It is an unlawful takeover of an airplane by an individual or a group, usually for fulfilling their demand or demands. While in a hijacked state, passengers are under constant threat for their lives. Hijackers usually take the plane to a destination of their choice and from there often negotiate or begin their series of threat. There have been many hijacking incidents and every airline is under a possible threat of it. They need to be prepared in managing such untoward situation on flight with effective teams for air travel safety. Here is a list of airline hijacking incidents involving Pakistan with photos and summaries of each.

1. PIA Flight (1978)

PIA Flight was a plane that had 22 passengers onboard. The flight number details are not available. It was hijacked by a gunman on January 20, 1978, who demanded that the plane to be taken to India so that he can have his cancer treatment. Air Marshal (Retd.), Nur Khan, who the Managing Director of PIA at the time, himself went on the plane to negotiate with the hijacker. When Air Marshal Khan was trying to disarm the hijacker, he was fired upon by him and was hit by a bullet. Despite the injury, he was able to overpower the hijacker and made him surrender.

2. PIA Flight of a Jumbo Jet (1978)

The flight number details are not available, but the PIA Flight of a jumbo jet from Islamabad to Karachi on March 2, 1978 was attempted at by a man to be hijacked. But three passengers jumped at him during which a grenade went off. That resulted in the hijacker losing his arm and also wounding those three passengers. The hijacker was immediately overpowered and hanged in 1979.

3. PIA Flight 326 (1981)

PIA Flight 326 was a Boeing 720-030B carrying 132 passengers and 9 crewmembers from Karachi to Peshawar that was hijacked by three men while in air on March 2, 1981. The hijackers asked that the plane be taken to Kabul, Afghanistan along with a release of 92 political prisoners from different jails in Pakistan. The saga continued and on March 7, almost after five days, 29 hostages including women, children and sick men were released in Kabul.

The President of the time, Zia-ul-Haq was not willing to compromise at all, which is why they shot a Pakistani diplomat Tariq Rahim in front of other passengers and then threw his body onto the tarmac. Then after two days, on March 9, the hijackers asked the plane be flown to Damascus, Syria. The hijackers threatened to blast the whole plane. Then the hijackers agreed through negotiations that they would settle for just 55 prisoners, but along with this they conditioned that they would kill three Americans onboard the flight.

Then on March 14, the turmoil was finally over when this led Zia-ul-Haq to give in and he ordered the prisoners to be flown to a sanctuary in Libya. But then Libya later changed its decision about granting asylum to hijackers and their friends. Syria then finally agreed to do so.  These 13 days made it at the time the longest hijacking case in history. PIA is said to have discarded the plane on April 1981. It was put on a brief display at Karachi’s Jabees Funland Park in New Clifton, but then later it was removed from there and sold to scrap metal dealers.

4. Pan Am Flight 73 (1986)

Pan Am Flight 73 was a Pan American World Airways Boeing 747-121 and was hijacked by four armed men of the Abu Nidal Organisation on September 5, 1986 while having a stopover at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi. The four hijackers were dressed as Karachi airport security guards and were armed with assault rifles, pistols, grenades, and plastic explosive belts. They came in through a van that was made to look like an airport security vehicle.

The airplane had arrived from Sahar International Airport in Bombay. It was to have its last stopover at Frankfurt Airport in Frankfurt am Main, West Germany and from there its destination was to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, United States. Through an intercom the flight attendants were able to alert the cockpit crew of the hijacking taking place on the plane. The pilot, co-pilot and flight engineer escaped through an overhead hatch in the cockpit in order to ground the aircraft, which means that the hijackers would not be able to make the plane fly to the destination of they want to take it.

The U.S. Special Operation Forces’ Delta Force wanted to take matters into their own hands by launching an assault. But Pakistan negotiated with the United States and the SSG (Special Service Group) Division and Army Rangers were put on high-alert. The Shaheen Company of the 1^st Battalion of the Pakistan Army’s SSG were employed to take charge of the operation. Pakistani commandos headed by Brigadier-General T.M. Shah counter-attacked the hijackers when they opened fire out of desperation of having accomplished nothing but death at their hands. The rest of the passengers fled the aircraft through emergency exists.

5. Singapore Airlines Flight 117 (1991)

Singapore Airlines Flight 117 of Airbus A310-300 was hijacked on March 26, 1991 by four male passengers who claimed to be Pakistanis during its flight to Singapore. The flight took off from Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and did reach its destination at Singapore Changi Airport.

The hijackers asked that their demands be met or else they would start killing hostages onboard. The demands that the hijackers had was release of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s husband, Asif Ali Zardari, who is currently the President of Pakistan. The hijackers claimed to be members of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). They demanded that the plane be refueled so that it could be taken to Australia.

But the Singaporean commandos of the Singapore Special Operations forces stormed the plane and killed all the hijackers within 30 seconds. There were 114 passengers, none of whom were hurt, but there were 9 crew members, 2 of whom were injured.

6. PIA Flight PK-554 (1998)

PIA Flight PK-554 was a Fokker F27 that was hijacked by three armed men from Baloch Students Organisation (BSO) on May 25, 1998. The flight took off from Gwadar International Airport and had 33 passengers with 5 crewmembers. The flight had a last stopover at Turbat Airport and was destined to land at Hyderabad Airport. The hijackers wanted the plane to be taken to New Delhi, India. The pilot asked for permission from the Indian Government and this conversation was caught on by Pakistan Air Force (PAF). The pilot however refused on the pretext that the fuel is not sufficient for such a journey.

In the meantime, he pretended to be near Bhoj, India, and instead contacted Hyderabad Airport General Manager. The hijackers thought that they have crossed over to India listening to this conversation. PAF interceded and then asked the plane to be landed where it was supposed to, in Hyderabad. The Army’s Special Service Group’s Haideri Company, the 7^th Commando Zarrar Battalion along with the elite members of the Army Rangers stormed the aircraft and the Pakistan Police surrounded the plane. The operation was successful and the hijackers were captured and sentenced to death in Pakistan.

None of the passengers or crewmembers got hurt. The hijackers were identified to be Iranian-Balochs who were travelling under false names. The hijackers claimed to be armed with guns and high intensity explosives. The reason they hijacked the plane was because of their opposition to any nuclear test in Balochistan, which eventually were carried with success on May 28, 1998.

7. PIA Flight PK-586 (2012)

On April 27^th, 2012, PIA Flight PK-586 was a Boeing aircraft that had 50 passengers and 5 crewmembers on a flight from Karachi to Bahawalpur. On April 27^th, 2012, a passenger named Ahmed Javed Ansari got into an argument with an airhostess and then threatened to hijack the plane.

The airhostess informed the captain about the situation and he, taking international safety procedure under such circumstances, flew the plane back to Jinnah International Airport, Karachi.  The flight was into its 20-minute course that the drama happened. After the plane’s safe landing in Karachi, the Airport Security Force (ASF) checked the plane and cleared it. None of the passengers were hurt and the same plane was allowed to make its destination without Javed Ansari who was taken into custody by ASF.

He is a textile engineer who lives in Defence Phase II Karachi and made the claim to hijack the plane as a “joke”. No case was however registered against him by the police, but the investigation is underway.