The Daily PakistanPolitics June 01-15, 2013

• Jun14-2013--Peopel have lost complete faith in any honesty tobe expected from teh nawaz sharif regime after he agreed to an increase in electricity fare for high domestic consumers who already pay teh highest prices in pakistan...many feel that the countries billionaires, industrialists, agriculturists and big bussiness should be charged higher rates...he also seems tobe needlessly increasing taxes and many say teh budget was prepared by a bunch of beaurocrats and ishaq dar just signed on teh dotted line...and worse he wants to again be dealt the IMF blow
  
• Jun14-2013--In a major policy shift the PTI joined teh terrorists and looters in parliament and agreed to a joint opposition with teh PPP and mqm...
  
• Jun13-2013--army colonel killed by an IED blast while walking around maidan...
  
• Jun13-2013--two mqm men killed amongst seven in karachi
  
• Jun13-2013--In what many see as the continuation of teh rudderless PPP economy...teh budget 2013 seemed tobe a document not reflecting the need to elect the PMLn...Nawaz Sharif doles out taxes to teh poor and teh middle class with addition of complicating numerous withholding taxes...he also threatens to increase electricity prices by Rs 6 even though subsidies are only enjoyed by a small minority of users and that also at teh expense of high end users...he says he will end circular debt but there seems no allocations for that and that too will probably be taken from teh gullible people...The PPP could barely protest teh name change from BISP to ISP...however they probably expect that their workers will not be struck from teh lists of ISP and be replaced by poor PMLn wala's...I suggest that it be named Pakistan Income Support Or PIS...!!the increase in allocations to 75 billion will probably be for teh PMLn poor...no reductions in the huge advertisement allocation for ISP was mentioned suggesting that teh PMLn might soon start propagating Nawaz Sharifs generosity in continuing ISP...!The budget sees nothing new..no mention even of metro bus systems...The army as usual gets the biggest allocation of Rs627 billion...continuation of the enrichment of brigadiers, colonels and generals since they are hardly able to fight even a small nuisense armed group...
  
• Jun12-2013--Mqm collapses again and agrees to join sindh government...it has not made much of a difference given past experience especially with problems in karachi
  
• Jun12-2013--Economic survey released which does not paint too harsh a picture and only points to PPP mismanagement of problem areas of the economy...in the power sector the high finances involved makes it almost imposiible for the people to live with the government-private sector combine...heavy useless imports major cause of problems
  
• Jun12-2013--power riots begin as load shedding at it speak during heat wave in punjab
  
• Jun12-2013--reelection ordered on Hafizabad NA 103 on PMLn complaint against an indepenedent...?
  
• Jun11-2013--mohd khan achakzai a former chief economist of teh planning commission tobe new balochistan governor
  
• Jun11-2013--As is usual after teh many seperatist outbursts of altaf hussain karachi again went into war mode specifically in teh PPP enclave of lyari...seven people have been killed in teh last seven days in grenade and gun attacks in lyari and kharadar and residents are fleeing teh area...three municipal officials were also gunned down in sectarian violence in karachi while three others including an ASI were shot dead as well
  
• Jun11-2013--The NEC alocates Rs1.155 trillion for development at teh federal and provincial levels...major allocations are 115 billion for new PMLn schemes...52 billion for nuclear power..25 billion for for neelum jhelum... 25 billion for bhasha initial works...14 billion for tarbela...63 billion for highways... 31 billion for railways..43 billion for GB, AJK and FATA...25 billion for health and 25 billion for education...18 billion for HEC...the only new projects mentioned are karachi and islamabad metro projects...wapda and federal government to share funding of 225 billion power sector funding...many feel that the uncaring industrialists will try again to tax teh ordinary peopel and protect teh losses to the rich industrialist classes...the pakistani economic model is based on protecting teh state sector and industrialist classes while taxing the middle income people
  
• Jun11-2013--CJ SC says that the countries electrical supply managers say there is a 30% shortfall but the load shedding amounts to nearly 50%...many feel that teh country needs to utilize teh big dams to teh fullest capacity in such situations
  
• Jun11-2013--four nato container drivers were burnt alive alongwith three vehicles after militants rockeded them near jamrud...
  
• Jun11-2013--Imran Khan says the PMLn rigged teh elections...he cant understand how they got 10.4 million votes as compared to 6.4 million in 1997...nawaz sharif is probably more popular now unfortunately and teh defragmentation of teh PPP and PMLq in teh punjab helped their cause...he says an attempt was made on his life on teh GT road and that they would protest against rigging after eid...
  
• Jun11-2013--zardari speech to parliament again showed the lack of direction and any interest in teh countries main problems...while a military coup is a threat to politicians governance the lack of ability to solve teh countries problems has been amply demonstrated over the last five years...with each prime minister having a very narrow view of teh countries problems...BISP's failure was demonstrated and teh PMln is to attempt turning it into a vehicle for helping the countries needy rather than just women and make it social security oriented rather than an ordinary small provision bank
  
• Jun10-2013--three policemen amongst eight killed in ethnic violence ridden karachi
  
• Jun10-2013--Javed Hashmi retracts his statement about nawaz sharif being his leader after party protests...PTI wants to take back teh allocation of teh education ministry in Kp from JI and give them another important ministry
  
• Jun10-2013--The governmnt strategy of handling teh power sector does not augur well for the load shedding ridden populace...their allocations for the power sector are barely above those of teh previous regime and incentives they offer teh private sector will only make electricity more expensive...load shedding has been teh heaviest this summer and no change is visible due to a change in government...
  
• Jun10-2013--five bullet riddled bodies found in different areas of kalat and khuzdar...security forces regained control of some strategic heights in teh tirah valley killing 35 militants where a small group of taleban has them boxed in for quite some time...they now expect to regain ground level areas in maidan and kukikhel...three security men killed in two blasts in north waziristan..KP to seek withdrawal of teh army from relatively peaceful swat
  
• Jun08-2013--The KP chief minister backs out of supporting teh kalabagh dam...while dams are now very costly many think that government should go for Bunji just for electricity in place of Bhasha whose remote location is troublesome many say...!
  
• Jun08-2013--Nawaz Sharif gets a cabinet...brings in sartaj aziz as national security and foreign affairs advisor making him teh defacto head of teh ISI and foreign ministry and will possibly also handle teh defence ministry...!no surprises many say..cabinet many say discusses a medal for fakhruddin ibrahim and considering him for teh presidency apart from allowing a few drone attacks as well!...cabinet many say inhibited and avoids open expressions of their viewpoints...army chief says he will be around for august 14 although many say a successor is being selected...nawaz sharif does not think that the kayani policy will be successful with Karzai going begging for longrange guns
  
• Jun08-2013--Drone attack kills seven in north waziristan...while nawaz sharif said drones attacks were an attack on pakistans sovreignity he backed out from unilateraly attacking drones...Asif Zardari said they accepted drone attacks but had no agreement...The cabinet apparently has already discussed drone attacks and the interior minister apparently supported the attacks calling teh anti terrorism policy..."hamari anti terrorism policy"..
  
• Jun07-2013--PTI says Fauzia Kasuri had started to play with teh PMln even as she asked to stand on Na48...!
  
• Jun07-2013--in peshawar two policemen killed by a roadside blast
  
• Jun07-2013--Nawaz sharif declares the pm secretariat as the primeministers office and orders clearing out everyone but his personal staff at present headed by nasir Mahmood khosa...he appoints Aftab Sultan as the DG IB...
  
• Jun07-2013--In quetta during an operation attacking a house militants blew themselves up killing five
  
• Jun07-2013--with the new east punjabi regime in power...teh accusations by india that pakistan was trying to get teh docile sikhs to act up again look quite silly...india really has nothing left to blame pakistan and even in kashmir it is its own anti kashmiri/muslim attitude/regime that causes all teh trouble...Pakistan government wise has been literally letting kashmir drift since teh musharaf era...while afghanistan and india given their basic anti pakistan nature are really not much use to pakistan...iran could be economically beneficial if we bought electricity in bulk immediately which would prove cheaper than teh iranian gas and could solve teh power problem in a years time rather than ten years...however teh iranian gas pipeline should be completed quickly just so that teh people can be warmer in winter...The saudis could be asked to invest in teh power production arena apart from just asking for deferred payments on oil...and on drones teh foreign minister should immediately fly to washington with teh message that the war is over and we want no more drone attacks ...many also think that shahbaz sharif might be more useful in teh federal cabinet and teh balochis should be awarded teh interior ministry given teh hardships they have suffered...!!
  
• Jun06-2013--Fauzia Kasuri quits the PTI saying imran khan has inducted mafiosi into teh party and did not give old supporters even reserved seats..?
  
• Jun06-2013--the mqm seems bent upon creating trouble in karachi and went into trouble mode when gunmen shot dead three factory workers...the mqm said they were their sympathizers(a new reason) and carried their coffins to the chief ministers house and declared a day of mourning...
  
• Jun06-2013--nawaz sharif takes oath as an appeasement oriented primeminister...delays naming cabinet...wants army, PPP and PMLn tobe on teh same page which many think is a generalized impossibility and wants to down drones...wants to build a gwader to kashger train and road infrastructure which many think is just another name for a chinese nato type container traffic which failed miserably on existing routes...teh routes to kashghar are far more complicated and doing that for a few containers a month seems a bit extravagant...he also supports teh handover to teh chinese of teh gwader port operations which many see as a continuation of teh we cant handle even a small port attitude which will turn pakistan into a nation of slaves waiting for someone to come and do their work...!he however seems opposed to the expensive iranian gas pipeline which will cost 4-5 times teh current gas prices in pakistan
  
• Jun05-2013--In karachi a man in a car is gunned down by rangers after he hits a motorcyclist and refuses to stop...
  
• Jun05-2013--Fauzia Kasuri a US national type tries to jump ship from teh PTI complaining that she is not consulted on women seats and that some get more preferential treatment than her...maybe teh PTI needs to setup a seat allocation board of senior leaders...having only won in KP many in teh PTI are getting irritated without the calming influence of imran khan...teh seniors many say should take responsibility for losing even though it might be due to teh mullahs insisting on giving Nawaz Sharif another chance...
  
• Jun05-2013--The SC suspended all transfers and postings by teh caretaker regime which seemed tobe on a PPP witchhunt designed as a balochi rights redressal...!...however teh primeministers principal secretary Khawaja Siddiq Akber suddenly went on leave at this critical juncture...as khoso approved gun licences for himself and his ministers..?
  
• Jun05-2013--As power woes increase in the heat of summer people are getting irritated at teh increasing disparities in load shedding...in islamabad and military areas it is six hours a day...in neighboring rawalpindi it is ten to twelve hours a day with only 30-40% shortfall in supply...?
  
• Jun05-2013--Violence erupts in Hangu after killing of a PTI mpa as 11 of an opposing group are killed and number of houses, petrol pump, shops set on fire
  
• Jun05-2013--Amin Fahim one of teh remaining PPP pir's says that teh PPP does politics of principle...this after swiss case zardari's...NICL scam Fahim's...ephedrine Gilani's...and raja rental...and the oft discussed PPP involvement in eliminating their own leader...!
  
• Jun04-2013--Mir Jan Jamali a famous two term senate deputy chairman, former balochistan chief minister 1998-99 and two time provincial minister becomes balochistan assembly speaker as Saleh Bhootani is named senior minister
  
• Jun04-2013--The caretaker premier has started to behave as if he could have been a better PPP premier than teh reviled gilani and raja ashraf...he approves another ill timed decision/ move only a few days before being sent home and inducts 100 balochi oficers into teh federal beaurocracy...many feel that hazar khan khoso had started to behave as a third time PPP primeminister and was firing people left and right for refusing to obey his orders
  
  
• Jun04-2013--taleban terrorism maybe on teh rise as they feel the lack of power of teh PTI and teh PMLn...a PTI mpa from hangu was shot dead causing riots and handing over of hangu to teh army and declaration of a curfew...a suicide bomber rammed an explosives ridden car into razmak checpost...in mastung liberation terrorists bombed an FC vehicle in killing two soldiers
  
• Jun04-2013--many feel that how teh government and judiciary handles the article six issue in connection with the former general musharaf could be of import to how democracy is considered...The PPP and teh army has caused considerable damage by allowing teh general to flee and many feel that the PPP's anti people attitudes which saw teh counries downslide into terrorism, load shedding and peoples apathy towards teh PPP in three provinces ...The PMLn too should realize that a lahore only mentality could cause them problems contrasting with teh PPP's sindh only concerns...many feel that with the problems of how to handle or imnitiate an article 6 trial the SC should order teh formation of a treason tribunal to handle musharaf's sentencing under article 6...since teh courts have already determined most of the ex generals guilt...
  
• Jun04-2013--the new speaker ayaz sadiq from kasur is in his chair because he is an aitchisonian says the dawn and knew several balochis who studied their...akhter mengal, zulfikar magsi as well as imran khan, aitezaz ahsan, pervaiz khattak, chaudhry nisar etc...he is a railways contractor, served on various committees and his rise to fame is due to defeating imran khan in a lahore constituency twice 2002, 2013...he also won in 2008...he was also formerly in teh PTI in teh 1990's...a son in law of former judge and federal ombudsman sardar iqbal and is also related to some corrupt people..runs a charity eye hospital and could be considered a future PMLn primeminister...!
  
• Jun03-2013--three ST men and one from the JI killed in karachi while two pukhtun bodies found from the superhighway
  
• Jun03-2013--PPP wins close encounters in repolling on two NA and four PS seats in sindh
  
• Jun03-2013--two militants killed in turbat area operation
  
• Jun03-2013--In a major change in direction teh PMLn brought in NP's Dr abdul malik baloch a rural eye doctor as teh next chief minister of balochistan...a relatively milder nationalist teh NP alongwith teh PMLn were attacked during teh elections presumably by the liberation groups or other nationalists...Dr malik originated in teh relatively radical BSO went on to the BNM..became a minister in a couple of baloch governments...served as a senator and formed the NP with Hasil Bizenjo in 2004...the balochistan governor also resigned as teh PMLn gave teh governors position to teh PKmap...the PMLn leaders will lead the balochistan assembly as speaker and deputy speaker...bringing in someone from Kech near the iranian border could help alleviate the angst of teh liberation organizations and subdue teh fighting sardars...Dr malik could therefore smoothen the low level insurgency in balochistan and control the handling by the FC and quetta corp commander of a politically or potentially volatile situation...solving some tribal conflicts and even start some sort of development orientation...at teh moment the federal government could cede control of the gwadar port an iconic development but of little use and allow teh baloch to control gas and develop mineral resources who could in turn reduce attacks on power pylons, gas pipelines, hit and run attacks and allow teh iranian gas pipeline
  
• Jun02-2013--35 militants killed in Kurram fighting
  
• Jun02-2013--Imran Khan and Maulana Fazlur Rehman absent as nawaz sharif takes oath...did teh maulana push imran off the lifter...?Imran keeps NA56 surprisingly and gives up mianwali and peshawar...by-elections should be interesting too...? Ayaz Sadiq slotted in as NA speaker...
  
• Jun01-2013--process of government formation inches forward with nine women tobe elected on special seats from punjab to teh NA who wont be able to vote as teh PMln only nominated 22...Only thorny issues at this stage for Nawaz Sharif seem tobe who to slot in as interior minister or balochistan chief minister...after that will come the issues of governors and other ministers...the present issue who will be teh speaker NA ...will it be achakzai or a punjabi
  
• Jun01-2013-- two soldiers and 23 militants killed in Kurram
  
• Jun01-2013--The SC studies how to distribute electricity loadshedding equitably between teh bahria towns, Dha's, ordinary people, remote areas and teh commercial and industrial sectors...at teh moment rawalpindi sometimes see's five hours of continuous load shedding and sometimes one and rural areas in peshawar 18 hours...The load despatch center in islamabad has no clue as Discos have a mind of their own...apparently bahria towns have no load shedding at all...!