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Do we really need a government?

The way things are going on in the country, one is forced to wonder about the relevance of the government. What has it done for the country and the people - absolutely nothing. The economy is perpetually at rock bottom. After the last time when people had foreign currency accounts, the government ended them. Now no businessman in his right mind ever keeps his income from exported items in any Pakistani bank, because now no one trusts the government and there is no reason to. No one wants to make the same mistake. Once was more than enough. A top priority is banking secrecy. The government should never question why someone is depositing a a large sum of money in any bank or withdrawing. No one should know. The government should interfere in bank deposits and withdrawals. But government wants to make its business. It strange when someone wants to buy a new car, unless there is proper documentation on the money which is being paid for its purchase. Why does the government want such r

I cannot 'live' in Pakistan

I cannot afford to live in Pakistan unless I am equally rich as Zardari is. I can longer afford to pay for my food, I can no longer afford to buy petrol for my motorcycle, I cannot afford to pay for heating my food. I cannot afford to light up the single light bulb in my house. I keep it off any way. I am told there is no electricity but I no longer know about that I have kept my light bulb off. I am told the light bulb I occasionally switch just to see where I am going for finding something is going cost twice as much to switch on, whenever I do. Once or twice people from the KESC came warned I should stop stealing electricity. I told them I do not what they are talking about. They told my meter reading is too low and I am possibly stealing electricity. They said will come to keep an eye on me. I have forgotten what electricity is. When my friends and neighbours tell it will cost me twice as much I am surprised. How it that something I am not using cost me twice as much? I do not wha

Rising prices and the war in Afghanistan

In Karachi the norm was that electricity load shedding never took place during winter months, because people had stopped using air conditioners. But strangely enough load shedding started in late 2001 when US forces arrived to invade to Afghanistan. Then food and fuel prices started rising as the war has raged on for almost 10 years. The cost of electricity has risen but the load shedding has not stopped. The cost of food prices, fuel prices have gone up. There can be only one logical explanation for this, the US forces need to be fed and they should be comfortable in the bases provided in Pakistan and in Afghanistan. This war is costing the USA a great deal of money. Special weapons and equipment require to be kept at specific temperature. The US has increased the number of its soldiers in Afghanistan - hence more demand for food, electricity and fuel. The people in Pakistan are suffering this outrageous price increase. Meat used to be Rs 80 per kilogramme now it has become Rs

Again an oil and gas price hike

The present government is again increasing the price of oil products and of gas. It seems that the government does not have any source of income other than this. Why should this be the case? There are so many sources of income, but the government does not want to impose taxes on them or is not allowed to. Why impose income tax on the feudal lords (Zamindars, Waderas), impose land tax on them also. Impose income tax on the owners of brick kiln owners? The government does not want to touch those people because they are the people who run the government. Impose income tax tribal chiefs. This government all others before it impose tax on oil, gas and imported vehicles nothing else. There is complete of understanding. There are so many sectors where taxes can be imposed. One of the primary reason why tax is increased, is not because the government has run out of money, it is increased because all the greedy pigs in Islamabad take all that money away, so there is no money left for the go

Electricity crisis another total breakdown

The total electricity breakdown in Karachi is not a new thing, it has been happening regularly. Electricity appears to be benefit of the privileged few. These largely are government officials, civil servants of every rank and file. They receive electricity free of charge. The myriad government departments consume the most electricity and electricity has to be supplied to them even if they never pay anything. In any case electricity should not be a Federal matter it should be a provincial issue. Provincial governments should be responsible for the supply and tariff of electricity. The Federal government has no business taking the money of different electricity supply organisation. There should be no authorities and organisations run because all of them are run by most asinine and absolutely corrupt people. At least when provincial governments are solely responsible they will much better than the Federal government. Federal government offices in different provinces will not be su

Foreign media in Pakistan

It is very curious that international newspapers, magazines and other publications are not allowed in Pakistan. If Pakistan international banks, multinational companies in most businesses are allowed , why is foreign investment not welcome in the media business? When foreign investment sought - that such investment would increase employment opportunities and bring in much needed foreign exchange. But when it comes to the media the government does not say anything. Compared to Pakistan, India has allowed international investment in the media which. Foreign advertising agencies are not allowed to operate. There is no clear explanation as why this is the case. Just as foreign investment in other fields improves the income of different professionals in other fields as compared to local companies which prefer not to pay anything at all or no rules of management or anything resembling a modern business; foreign investments bring some order where there is absolute chaos. Journalists wou

Electricity shortage, food shortage in Pakistan

There has been a 200% increase in electricity shortage in Pakistan. At first people thought it was because of sheer incompetence of  the government. The real reason is that the US military bases in Pakistan and those which are in Afghanistan require electricity and they are stealing it from Pakistan. Food prices have risen 400% and so have fuel prices. Since Afghanistan does not generate electricity, does not grow food - so Pakistan is required to supply them. All the food which is being transported from the USA to the USA's military in Afghanistan is destroyed by the Taliban.  All food, water is cut off. The USA cannot afford air drops of food and water because such planes are likely to be destroyed besides it would be very expensive to do so. Already the war has cost too much. Bankrupted the USA, but the policy makers in the USA do not care. It is war at all costs, whereas its purpose is not known. For practical purposes, Pakistan has to supply everything to the US military. Even

The last straw

The government's electricity policy has collapsed. Now the shopkeepers, mills and different businesses are striking against the contnued absence of electricity. The price of food items have skyrocketed. The government's absolute corruption is responsible for the prevailing state of affairs. Time will tell when this government quits. People fed up with the current state of affairs. Overcharging on electricity will make no difference, when it is not supplied.

Sugar crisis

In the 1990s there was the wheat crisis and now there is the sugar crisis. Sugar has mysteriously disappeared from every city in Pakistan. People are condemning the government and rightly so. The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) slogan 'roti, kapra aur makaan' meaning food, clothing and shelter . The existing government is of the PPP and is doing exactly the opposite of its promise. Pakistan has never experienced such a scale of scarcity of food items as it has since the PPP started running the country. Some people claim that Zardari is grabbing businesses presently he owns all the sugar mills. All he wants to do is steal as much as he can. He does not care if the people of Pakistan starve or not. He does not care about popularity - he only cares about satisfying his personal greed. This has got to stop and an investigation has to be conducted as to who is responsible for this overall food crisis. Who these people are should be taken too task. In any case if President Zardar

Zardari's quest for absolute power

The National Reconciliation Ordinance (N.R.O) is intended give more power to President Zaradari. He will use his executive powers at whim, and will not need the approval of the parliament for any decision be it right or wrong. There would be no debate in the parliament, the president's decision would be final. In short he wants to become a dictator. The elections which were conducted were sham. No one elected anyone, the results were announced, no one knows if they were genuine or not. Zardari made himself president and Gilani is prime minister because Zardari wanted him to be. Much of the parliament is filled with religious clerics (Mullahs) who have no concept of democracy. They can only preach not make a sensible speech. Had there been honest elections, the Mullahs would not be seen in the parliament. No one cares about religion. People want jobs, they want incomes which can match the ever increasing prices of virtually everything. The country is run by charlatans, completely

Sex ban

Instead of calling it porn ban - I've decided to call it sex ban. People performing a whole range sexual activities which for some odd reason many find objectionable and appalling. Social networking sites make sure that people post sex pictures. Gay blogs have been closed down. Why is it that sex evokes so much anger, intolerance and absolutely stupid reactions? We were born naked and when we die our clothes might survive but our skeleton would turn to dust - what will a skeleton do with clothes in any case?. I recently discovered why porn is so popular I conducted a poll and discovered 99% that real women detest oral sex. For them it is the unthinkable, it is disgusting and it is absolutely filthy. So pornographers I would rename as specialist in sexual needs, provide a service. None of the women polled refused to comment on their sexual fantasies which of course ruled out finding out whether they fantasised about oral sex. Real women are nothing like the porn-stars, for

Electing Karazai, what?!

Everyone knows that Hamid Karazai was an US citizen set up by the USA to act as 'President of Afghanistan'. He was never elected that position, his job was just sit around and pretend to run a country which is not at all in his control. Now for some absurd reason the USA thinks it would be a clever thing to do is to have elections in Afghanistan and to elect Karazai. With the country in chaos, the coalition forces unable to make any headway in their war against the Taliban - there are to be elections. Who is counting the votes? Where the polls taking place? The Americans did the same thing Iraq - placing a puppet regime, a puppet parliament the same rubbish being repeated in Afghanistan. Karazai will remain the puppet president the US needs and the election will be a stupid excercise and it will not change the fact that coaliton forces are still fighting with no end in sight. How many soldiers are the invaders prepared to lose? How much are they willing to spend on new weap

Green Lantern of Krypton

The  Guardians of the Galaxy gave sentient beings on different planets the famous Green Lantern ring and the Green Lantern to charge it up.  The Kryptonians were a very technologically advanced race. The person who was given the ring travelled far from red sun and discovered in addition to the powers given to him by the Ring he wore.  General Zod wanted to rule Krypton and tried many times and failed till he came across Sinestro the evil Green Lantern. General Zod planned to use Sinestro for his own ends while Sinestro wanted destroy Krypton's Green Lantern.  It resulted in a stalemate. Krypton's Green Lantern told Jor-el that banishing criminals in distant space only would make them stronger and pose a great danger. Green Lantern asked Jor-el to make way to a dimension which would render criminals powerless and would not make them powerful.  General Zod and his gang ended up in the Phantom Zone. While Sinestro escaped Green Lantern fought him in space many times more powerful

Miss Pakistan

Uptil June 1977 Pakistan was a free thinking - extremely moderate Islamic country. Mullahs kept their noses out of everything. In fact if a mullah were to create scene he would be taken away by the police for disturbing the peace. Liquor shops, bars were open, massage parlors, there were discos and night-clubs. The main advertisements of the newspapers were about the latest foreign stripper in town. When protests against the ZA Bhutto the late prime minister, he thought by banning the sale of alcohol would end the demonstrations - he was mistaken, he was removed by most terrible military dictators. His agenda 'Islamise' Pakistani society. Evertything that existed till June 1977 disappeared. Even then time no party was without liquor being served in secret. It was normal pattern of life. Everything was there but remain hidden. General Zia may have been preparing Pakistan for something far worse. A communist government had overthrown the King Zahir Shah in Afghanistan, dur

Terms of use madness

Perhaps what I say gets lost in translation - a site says it is the best sex chat site only to discover there are terms of use and everyone who is chatting extremely politely or it could be code. 'be polite but means something else'. I am the sort of of person who does not like hypocrisy in any form, particulary website pretending to let people exactly what they want and later find one has been booted out for being offensive, these some of the terms of service I have gathered from such website. You will not post on the Service, or transmit to other Members or employees, any defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, obscene, profane, offensive sexually oriented, threatening, harassing, racially offensive, or illegal material, or any material that infringes or violates another party's rights (including, but not limited to, intellectual property rights, and rights of privacy and publicity). We will remove any offending communication from the site or service and terminating the membersh

The straw that broke the camel's back

  The Karachi Electricity Supply Company (KESC) finally did it:Not supplying electricity for 18 hours at a stretch.Sending bills which only some mulimillionaire can afford to pay, sometimes not even them.When the shop-keepers received the bills they got together and put all the bills in a huge pile and set them on fire. Defied the KESC who threatened to remove the meters. The people began to warn them against doing that - saying what they will do if the KESC does that.Strangely enough none of the members of the Sindh Provincial Assembly was there to resolve the mattter. It is as if the problems of the people of Karachi is not theirs. For some reason the Federal Government wants to interfere in an entirely provincial matter. The KESC has failed and will continue to do so, if it insists on doing this. The misery caused by KESC's incompetence and unreliable behaviour intolerable. Why should there one electricity supply company why not many more? The people in Karachi are absolute

Online banking stinks

Now that all the banks have come online, in the haste to get the latest technology is that a few things were left behind, had they remained, they would be a great help.  I use the ATM much of the time, but a few days back, there was on the screen 'transaction cannot be completed'.  I tried once or twice then went to bank to next bank and received the same message. Later I returned to the bank to the ATM tried again and failed. This was the bank where I have saved my money. I went in and told some officer over there that the ATM machine is not working. He said he will do something about it - but he ran off somewhere else. I had my cheque book with me and decided to use it, instead of the ATM and the teller told me that his bank branch link with the head office of the bank ( in this case MCB) was down which is why neither the ATM cannot  conduct transactions and nothing could be done about my cheque unless the branch was back online with the head office. Nothing can be done unles

Enough is enough back off USA

'Gates said that in his view the UN charter allows the United States to act in self-defence against international extremists in Pakistan if the government is unable or unwilling to deal with them' This is the US idea of friendly relations with Pakistan, I forgot - the USA is not a friend of Pakistan, it is only using Pakistan to attack the Taliban.  The USA does not regret killing Pakistanis. Like it has never regretted killing countless Vietnamese, Cambodians and Laotians.   Only the USA has the right to kill people and no one should dare defend themselves. Despite their insane war in Vietnam the USA was badly beaten and ran with its tail between its legs.  In order to fight in Vietnam there was an undeclared war against Cambodia and Laos.   The problem, many now say is that the bombers and fighter bombers flew so fast that the pilots did not know where they were, they had the coordinates wrong. The same thing happened in the Balkans.  US planes flew right across Serbia and bo

Kill the bastards

60 Pakistanis  have been killed by US forces. US aircraft and drones just bomb for the sake of bombing and allege they are killing 'insurgents' and 'terrorists'.  What they ared doing is killing innocent Pakistanis.  The USA is slowly but surely become a terrorist state - in fighting this phoney war on terrorism has itself become a terrorist.  It thinks that it can kill Pakistanis and get away with, they should think again. Because this 'Special Relationship' is going to take a new turn. If our military is not going to defend Pakistanis, the Pakistanis will do it themselves. But then the government will realise enough is enough and any straying aircraft or drone into Pakistan will be destroyed before it can even enter Pakistan. Too  many Pakistanis civilians have died because the USA.  The USA has become so arrogant that it considers  Pakistan incompetent and weak. When US planes are captured and drone destroyed, the USA will be screaming and cursing Pakistan. I

Star Trek and Stargate

Both great series unfortunately cancelled. The funny thing about these shows is that do not grow up with their fans their audience - why not have an R or X rating, comic book style the rating never changes. How is it all the aliens look like humans in both shows - it does not matter if there foreheads are large or their colour is blue. Aliens should look like aliens. The imagination of the people who make these shows seem stunted when it comes to conceiving aliens.. Star Trek never lived out on its premise and promise to seek out new life and new civilisations. The air was sucked out of Stargate after defeating Goul'd and the Ori. Only really good science fiction/fantasy writers can breathe life into these shows. So many people have written Star Trek novels, but no one really cares to take ideas from them. Slowly and gradually Stargate moved from gate travel to star ship travel - what is known as hyper drive in Stargate is warp drive in Star Trek. Does it really matter wha