School Days Re: # 25
akcheema,

Please elaborate it.

Musharraf\'s Resignation and Beyond This man has caused most damage to political stability.

Musharraf\'s Resignation and Beyond arif,
Three factors are to be blamed.
First, The flawed policy of taxing all types of imports which is about 40% (including speed money)on the basic cost and freight cost of materials.
Two, Most instruements etc were made in Sialkot-Gujranwala zone. However due to heavey taxation including GST, most small scale manufacturing plants have closed down and shifted to imports from China. Even if they continue, they are no more competetive with the same items from China.
Thirdly, the ratio of speed money is increasing by the day.

To meet the challenges, th only option is to play around with quality.

Now, the plummeting dollar and high fuel cost adds to the production cost.

Musharraf\'s Resignation and Beyond rf,
The overheads are so high and the atmosphere very soffocating for those who want to work honestly. Back in 1998, we had shifted our manufacturing from USA to Pakistan, beacuse the family felt, it was time to pay back. Pay we did through massive losses and corruption. Serve, we could not because there is no space for honesty.

Why we shifted to China. Simply because the cost was about 40% of what it is in Pakistan, besides no taxes. Pakistan is the only country in the world that heavily taxes import of water treatment equipment. World over it is tax free commodity.

The journey was not by choice but under duress.

Musharraf\'s Resignation and Beyond Masadi,
I could not agree more. Musharraf mentioned NS for this very reason in his speech. I have a feeling that the game began very long ago through a slanderous campaign to malign BB for Zardari's doings.

Musharraf\'s Resignation and Beyond Bubba,
You have a very valid point about defang.

Musharraf\'s Resignation and Beyond Zeemax,
My views have been consistent and can be verified from my essays, interacts, ilogs and UP. In my essay on the army, which came under flak from HP and some called me an apologist, I laid out the conclusions. It was not my job to tell you what to do as a Pakistani. Now read that essay once again and it will make sense. In the meanwhile,let me enjoy my ganderis before they become cost prohibitive.

Hamid,
Sad to know about your Rs.$ Parity. It happened to me too.
I exchanged a few thousand dollars and put them in Bank, but the Rs lost its value. My company won a tender that I cannot execute because the Rs has plummetted and the facilitation fees tripelled. So its better, I loose 2% earnest money. Its just three months that I shifted the manufacturing from Gujranwala to China. Thanx God I made one right decision.

We are into the most interesting times.

School Days so we have another one from St. Pats

Musharraf\'s Resignation and Beyond Zeemax,
when I kept reminding you all never paid any attention.
Hun 100 rupay kilo ganderi choopo!

School Days did she shout at you?

School Days but do you really feel she was snotty?

Afterall she had to live and fight in a man's world.

School Days Rabia,
She studied at Presentation Convent Rawalpindi and not J&M.
Tahie,
I was Zubair's Colleague, but he did Matric.

School Days Re: # 7
The Prinipal now is Noel Cyprian.
Cecil Chaudry is the Principal of St Mary's Lalazar, Rawalpindi.
Yes Nawaz Sharif, Salman Taseer, Mushahid Hussain, Majid Khan, at some stage Imran Khan, Javed Burki, Kamran Lashari, Ishaq Dar, Ramiz Raja,Shabbir Sharif Shaheed,Khwaja Harris and his brother Waqas all studied there.

Is this Amnesia or Dementia? Saturday, August 23, 2008 By Absar Alam

ISLAMABAD: “Bring in the Holy Qura’an,” Asif Ali Zardari ordered one of his aides at the Zardari House on the evening of August 5, 2008 when he realised that once-bitten Nawaz Sharif was this time reluctant to believe in his word of mouth.

A copy of the Holy Qura’an, lying in the bedroom of Asif Ali Zardari was brought and given to Nawaz Sharif. “Let’s take an oath on the Qura’an this time that I will fulfil all my promises,” Zardari offered to convince Sharif.

A taken-aback but hesitant Sharif told Zardari, “I don’t want to swear on the Qura’an for political objectives but I would expect that all promises would be fulfilled.” Despite what Sharif said the Holy Qura’an was placed on the centre table lying between the two leaders, as guarantor, and an agreement was penned. Each leaf of the seven-page, hand-written agreement was signed separately both by Asif Zardari and Nawaz Sharif.

It was agreed in that written pledge that Musharraf would be impeached, and the judges would be restored according to the Murree Accord immediately after Musharraf’s ouster, and the decision for the next presidential candidate would jointly be taken by Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif. This joint presidential candidate would be a non-controversial, non-political candidate from a smaller province.

This first agreement, made in the presence of the Holy Book, formed the basis of the second, two-page neatly typed agreement which was again signed by the two leaders on August 7, 2008.

The changes between the first accord, guaranteed by the Holy Qura’an, and the second typed version were that the words “or if he resigns” were added after the word “impeached”, and instead of “immediately” words “within 24 hours” were added and instead of “Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif” the words “coalition partners” were added.

The quick nomination of Zardari for the president by the PPP CEC and the fixing of Sept 6 as presidential election date confirmed the hunch that the PPP is no mood to restore the judges before the oath-taking of the new president who, most probably, would be Zardari although the CEC has left it to the sweet will of the co-chairman to accept or reject it.

Zardari’s nomination has generated a stir among the political, social, bureaucratic, and security circles of the capital. It would be for the first time that a single person would run the state, the government and all its organs, as well as the country’s biggest political party.

If elected, president Asif Ali Zardari will also be Chairman National Security Council, who will be armed with the authority to appoint the Chairman Joint Chief of Staff Committee, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Air Staff, Chief of Naval Staff, provincial governors, Chief Election Commissioner, Attorney General, and the powers to dissolve the National Assembly and Provincial Assemblies under Article 58-2(b).

Compared to Musharraf, Zardari as president will be much more powerful as he will also control Pakistan’s biggest political party bequeathed to him by Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto along with all her political and monetary assets.

After having a hand-picked, “yes” prime minister, compliant judiciary, presidential powers under 17th Amendment and the biggest political party which would wait for his nod for any action, Zardari is set to become more powerful than Musharraf or any politician in Pakistan would ever have dreamt of.

School Days Thre was one just as good in Lahore. 'St Anthony's High School' on Lawrence Road. Iit was run by Patrician Brothers from Ireland.

What an institution. It produced international level sportsmen, soldiers, politicians, civil servants and businessmen. Even today, most of the top brass in Pakistan belongs to this institution.

But what was so special about it?
Character building, self motivation, confidence building and a spirit of adventure. Most it was like St. Patricks, an inclusive institution.

Right now, Bishop Lobo who had been the Principal of St Pats and myself strive to raise the first university college of similar stature in Pakistan.

Is this Amnesia or Dementia? Tahir,Masadi, HP & Rabia
Your last line is open ended. Do we cling to Hope and wait for something to happened, or do we ferment into a pressure group that patrols the system and farms opinions for the next elections.

The deal is already done. Its a bridge game in which all hands are visible. Zardari holds the 58(2)b, NRO, deletion of graduation clause, a dagger in the only potential opposition in Punjab through a governor and sleeper partners like PMLQ, MQM, JUI, ANP and FATA wallas. NS as I always maintained has been effectively foxed. But Nawaz hold the biggest Ace ie the PUlSE of the people with some odd dukkies in a free for all No Trump Game.

I had a long talk with two of his stalwarts yesterday. They maintained that though they had serius doubts about Zardari, they extended a cooperative hand for the cause of Pakistani People as also to play a role from within to nuetralise what Rabia Wasti calls, 'Parental Guidance' from outside and what masadi would term as Neo Imperialism. There game plan is simple. Wait and let everything precipitate. Sitting in opposition, they will render cooperation to the Government to overcome socio-economic crises. They said, they will not have a destabilising influence.

On HP's Linear graph, I reckon we fall from 55% to 45%.
Now is not that what you mean?