Our Tolerance of Comical Illusions

Is Pak in such a short supply of land to have allowed these Shaikhs to butcher these precious islands? To avoid confrontation with NGOs and WWW people the government should have sent these foreign builders to some picturesque place in Waziristan or to some nice valley near Quetta and let them a free hand to build whatever they want to build there. That`s the problem with Musharraf, really.

Samar

Dear Raw_Dust, this is Faris.

I use the alias ``Farigh-man`` and wanted my articles posted with the same nickname but i guess the editors weren`t willing....

I`ve read every fiction i could get my hands on by J.L.Borges. A few recommendations are his stories: `The Immortal`, `The Aleph`, `The Writing of God`, `Tlon, Uqbar and Orbis Tertius` and his many non-fiction works are worth reading as well.

And please excuse `judazpriest`s` comments, he needs a girlfriend and a few days in an army barrack.

T.C.

Mr. President Sir General Perwez Musharraf says`` Ghabraana Nai hai, Target mein hoon`` ...... & `` Pakistan ko Dunia ke liye aik Namoona Banana hai``.

i`d just like to Quote: Mr. President , We stand by with you SIR..!

Great work My Good Old Friend Faris. but id just like to say that, ``Bakwaaaas na kar``. Im planing to buy an apartment in those Islands. You wanna bring down my apartment.
I would have killed you , but im now ``Enlightendly Moderated``.....n i believe in wat Mr. PRESIDENT GENERAL has said`` We`ve to spread Enlightened Moderation in the World``.........
so therefore i FORGIVE You..............!!!

Faris bhai: You had an excellent opening. I really liked the whole Borgesian tinged spiel. I`m reading Ficciones at the moment and having a whale of a time. from your bio:

``In an attempt to understand the condition of the world, this fool is working at the grassroots level in Sindh, Pakistan. Maybe the answers are closer and clearer than they appear.``

this is powerful stuff.! cheers.

Here are a few comments about development in Pakistan. A vast number of civil society organizations and individuals are mounting campaigns against ``mega-projects`` like Gwadar deep sea port, Lyari expressway, and the ridiculous Diamond Bar Island City (DBIC). The problem about such protest is two-fold.

One is that (like vanguard pointed out) that the media and general population is fooled into believing by those in power that any opposition to development is wrong. That to speak against the rampant destruction of mangroves on the Karachi coast by the DBIC is to speak against a modern, developing Karachi. Same goes for the other projects and the current building of overheads and underpasses all over the city. Obviously, sensibly, no one can oppose real progress. The overheads and underpasses are benefiting everyone living in karachi. The DBIC might as well benefit Karachiites, Gwadar deep-sea port might be fruitful for Balochis. But a simple scrutiny of these projects reveal the tremendous cost that the poor and marginalized communities have to pay because of them. Add to this are the environmental disasters surely to occur by such `development`. Furthermore, the massive loans the Pakistani govt. is bagging for these megaprojects is a whole other story. Who`s going to repay them? How are they going to repay them? This perspective is not mentioned in the news or circulated amongst the general populace. A grave problem!

The second issue is that civil society organizations and activists are mounting a challenge against DBIC and other megaprojects to the govt. and letters have been written to Emaar properties as well but just like in the past, but the army leaders and corrupts politicians carry too much weight in decision-making directly effecting the masses, that no common NGO or activist`s protest shall ever become effective. The Pakistan Fishermen Folk, http://www.pff.org.pk/, have been carrying out regular protests since the Islands sale and have contacted Emaar properties as well. Who knows how much importance an international monolith like Emaar (making the tallest building in the world, Burj Dubai, and its net profits for 2006 are US$ 1.735 billion) will hear the voice of poor Fishermen folk of Karachi?

Recently, a seminar was held in Karachi on March 28th, 2006 called, ``Peoples perspective on Megaprojects in Pakistan`` where many civil society organizations, journalists, ex-govt. officials and local NGOs from all over Pakistan participated. Participatory Development Initiative (PDI), http://www.pdi.org.pk/, was responsible for the event. 100 - 200 people from Khuzdar, Gawadar, Quetta, cities and towns of Interior Sindh and Karachi-based organizations participated. The speakers, one of who was the esteemed Kaiser Bengali, made some very insightful presentations and remarks about mega-projects, dams, the nature of development in Pakistan, etc. For reasons unknown to me, the event was not publicized in any major newspaper or website. Even PDI’s own website fails to mention it. What’s the use if the public is not sensitized with ‘people’s perspective’ on mega-projects?

Anyhow, efforts are still underway, people are mobilizing under threats from the state and its law-enforcing agencies. All of the above do not diminish the constant struggles of civil society organizations and activists to protect themselves from the state’s and corporations blatant attack on public property and life. And, truly, to bring any sort of opposition I think it is necessary to first at least start TALKING about the issues in need of opposing.

Saima,

These projects show that foreign investment is coming into Pakistan. These and the privatization proceeds are the only claims of FDI in the country.

I would suggest you visit the blogs such as metrobog Karachi or Pakistaniat.com. There you will see that anyone raising a voice against such projects is considered a fool and against the development of the country or against army or MQM.

Its a good thing that elevated expressway of sharae faisal is being opposed. If you see the government documents they have justified it with no adverse impact on the environment despite the fact that thousand of trees will be cut, pollution levels will increase 100 fold, they will have to enroach upon various properties.

But if the army and MQM has its will in Pakistan, nothing can stop us from doing anything in the greater good of the nation.

Welcome to Chowk. Is there any hope of mounting a media campaign against this pseudo development? Are there any activists protesting to the Govt and to Emar properties?

Thanks

Saima