Saraikistan News

EU TRADE
MULTAN,Oct 16th:The business community of the Southern Punjab has welcomed the decision of European Union for granting market access and concessions to the textile products of Pakistan."We see the decision as a window for the export of quality textile products to the European markets, which have the ability to capture markets," said Shahid Naseem Khokhar President and Atta Shafi Tanvir Sheikh Vice president of Multan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) said Saturday.
Shahid Naseem Khokhar said that Pakistan was demanding from the European Union for market access of Pakistani textile products since long and the recent decision of the EU would help boost textile exports from the country and also contribute to the growth of the national economy.
He said that decision of the EU for granting market access with concessions to Pakistani textile products has opened a door of opportunity for the businessmen of our country to penetrate in the EU markets for their own benefit and socio economic prosperity of the country.He urged the government to facilitate and give more facilities to the textile sector businessmen in order to exploit rich potential of European markets for the Pakistani products.He also stressed the need for the provision of un-interrupted supply of gas and electricity to the sector for achieving this objective.
Shahid Naseem said that the textile industry has performed well during the current 3-month of the current financial year and can compete any sector if provided facilities.He said that instead of going for aid Pakistan should adopt the policy of "trade and not aid".They appreciated the government for its efforts in access to Pakistani products in the European markets.
They termed the trade concessions a historic breakthrough in trade diplomacy and an effort to boost textile products for the prosperity of Pakistan.

GAS LOAD SHEDDING
MULTAN,Oct 16th:All Pakistan Bedsheet & Upholstry Manufacturers Association (APBUMA) has strongly opposed the proposed two-day gas load shedding for industry, which is likely to multiply production cost when the European Union (EU) is considering market access for Pakistan.In a letter to Petroleum & Natural Resources Minister Syed Naved Qamar, Chairman of APBUMA Khawaja Muhammad Jalaluddin Roomi said gas curtailment to textile industry is unacceptable, as it would not only undermine textile production but would also result in massive layoffs. He said the government needs to show a ‘political will’ to keep textile industry wheel moving and protect thousands of textile workers from joblessness. Each textile unit is run by on an average 500 workers and a closure may end up on social disorder. He apprehended gas load shedding for textile industry under proposed Gas Load Management Programme 2010-11 would affect production and industrial workforce retrenchment leading to unemployment and unrest. Roomi said textile industry could get benefit from recent market access facility by the EU if it is provided with uninterrupted gas supply. The industry gas supply should be prioritised in a situation when the country is already passing through unprecedented energy crisis. He said textile and its ancilliary industry has rejected gas curtailment plan and demanded complete exemption from gas load shedding during winter season. He urged Federal Minister to defer implementation of proposed gas load management plan without hearing APBUMA in order to workout a feasible solution

WORLD FOOD DAY
MULTAN,Oct 16th:World Food day was obvserved in Multan like other parts of the country.A number of meetings were held by local NGOs on Saturday to highlight the plight of those who need food for survival.The speakers Nawabzada Mansoor Ahmed Khan Chief of Pakistan Jamhoori Party, Zul-Naurain Bhutto President of People's Seraki Party, Suhail Javed of Labour Party of Pakistan,Mansoor Karim Siyal of Pakistan Seraiki Party,Muhammad Ashraf Qureshi central joint secretary of PML-F and Rana Abdul Sattar said that 55 million people are still hungry in Pakistan and more than 40 percent people are living below the povery line.They said “For many people, today is not World Food Day. It is another No Food Day"Though number of hungry people had from last year's historic high of more than one billion yet number of hungry people had increased in Pakistan due to price hike, joblessness, unfair distribution of wealth.They said We are continually reminded that the world’s food systems are not working in ways that ensure food security for the most vulnerable members of our societies.The hunger target set out in the first Millennium Development Goal — to cut the proportion of hungry people by half by 2015 — is a pillar for achieving all the goals. When people are hungry, they cannot break the crippling chains of poverty, and are vulnerable to infectious diseases. When children are hungry, they cannot grow, learn and develop.This year alone, millions have been thrown into life-threatening hunger by the floods in different parts of Pakistan ,earthquake in Haiti, and drought in the Sahel. The food and financial crises continue to affect the world’s most vulnerable. They said that Food prices remain volatile and recently hit a two-year high.
This year’s theme for World Food Day, “United Against Hunger,” reflects a welcome development: a growing number of governments, inter governmental organizations, regional and sub-regional bodies, businesses and civil society groups are forming partnerships and implementing joint solutions. Increasingly, their approach is comprehensive - focusing on more stable supplies of food, better access to food and optimising nutrition at the household level.

PML-Q
MULTAN,Oct 16th:Riaz Hussain Pirzada a veteran politician and PML-Q member Parliament from Bahawalpur, had not only seconded the fears of party leaders hailing from Southern Punjab regarding their political share after the proposed alliance of Leagues takes a practical shape but also predicted that PML-F could make efforts for overstepping the influence of PML-Q in southern parts of the province. Pirzada was of the view that the issue of political share in Southern Punjab could become a serious issue between the PML-Q and PML-F after the efforts for forging an alliance among the factions of Muslim Leagues. Senior PML-Q leaders from southern Punjab are worried about their political share after the proposed alliance of various Muslim Leagues takes a final shape, It has learnt. Sources in PML-Q privy to the fears of senior party leaders hailing from southern Punjab regarding their political share in the stated part of the province when an alliance comprising various factions of Muslim Leagues takes a final shape told this scribe on Friday that the aforementioned PML-Q’s political elite from southern Punjab had sharp differences with PML (Functional) leaders in their areas, while Pir of Pagaro, PML (Functional) chief was the team leader for creating a larger alliance consisting of various Leagues and it was highly likely that Functional leaders would make efforts to grab sizeable political share in Southern Punjab. They also disclosed that high command of PML-Q had assured party leaders from Southern Punjab that they would not only get their due share in the stated parts of the province but the PML-Q leaders would be given important responsibilities in Southern Punjab after the formation of a larger alliance comprising various factions of Leagues. However, some leaders were not satisfied with the assurances of their top leadership in this regard and weighing their options, which could take a practical shape after the formation of the alliance of the Muslim Leagues. Some leaders of PML-Q seeking anonymity told this reporter that senior party leader, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi never liked PML (Functional) president Punjab, Makhdom Ahmed Mehmood and mentioned his dislike for Mehmood in several party meetings, however, the current development of Chaudhrys joining hands with Pagaro was managed by some powerful quarters of the establishment to whom ‘Chaudhrys could not say no’. They said that party leaders hailing from Southern Punjab were uneasy with alliance between the PML-Q and PML-F and wanted not only early assurances in restricting the role of PML-F in the backdrop of the recent development but also wanted their edge over the PML-F leaders in Southern Punjab without going into the details of future of the alliance in the making comprising various factions of Muslim Leagues.

FoDP
MULTAN,Oct 16th:The Friends of Democratic Pakistan (FoDP) meeting that took place in Brussels on October 14-15 failed to heel Pakistan's bruises caused by the devastating floods. According to reports Pakistan had asked for a cash aid of about $4 billion but the FoDP member countries refused to provide any hard cash and according to our sources in Brussels, the European countries will never provide any hard cash to Islamabad even in the coming days.
The Pakistani side had pinned too many hopes on this particular meet, which was convened to assess damages caused by floods and chalk out a strategy to cope with the post-flood situation accordingly. Reports say, the European foreign ministers came down heavily on Pakistan government for not taking adequate measures to deal with the devastation.
So much so, the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had to say it openly that the rich people do not pay taxes, which was a fundamental flaw in the governance system and without removing that flaw the governance system cannot be improved nor sufficient revenue can be generated to meet necessary requirements. It is not for the first time that the US has talked about tax evasion syndrome.
A few months ago the US ambassador in Pakistani Ms. Anne Patterson, while addressing a news conference, had categorically stated that rich people will have to pay taxes if the economic condition of the country were to be ameliorated.
Our sources in Brussels say, even before the start of the FoDP meeting there was a consensus among the EU foreign ministers that no hard cash will be pledged, rather the Pakistan delegation will be asked to first address governance issues; improve the taxation system and ensure transparent usage of funds. As a mater of fact, the FoDP countries take up these issues when they meet to discuss, what they believe, the economic plight of Pakistan, but to much of their disappointment, these issues still remain unresolved, and unattended as well.
Sajjad Karim, the only Muslim member of European Parliament who was also present on the occasion, informed from Brussels that perhaps government was not serious in its relations with the European Union and each time when such meetings are arranged, the government functionaries come up with incomplete and half-backed plans due to which task of pleading Pakistan's case becomes difficult.Sources say, even government high ups are not happy with the performance of the foreign minister, who according to them, has been on a world tour for last so many months but even then hasn't been able to secure even a small fraction of money for the flood-devastated people. The opposition leaders, when contacted, hinted at taking up the matter of foreign minister's trips abroad in the parliament session that how much money was spent on these trips and what objectives were achieved in return.EU sources are of the view, the Union had already extended special favour to Pakistan in the shape of relaxation in duties on certain items, which now can be exported to Europe at zero duty. However this arrangement is not a permanent one and would only generate a financial activity of $390 million per annum. Now, it is not clear that out of these $390 million how much would go to the national exchequer?Pakistan had been asking for some permanent trade favours in the shape of free trade agreement or grant of GSP Plus but its requests have not been entertained by the EU because of bad governance and faulty and lopsided taxation regime. Floods however provided the government with a chance of pleading its case, rather forcefully and this time it was able to get some concessions.
The FoDP Brussels meeting pledged to hold more such meetings in the coming days with a view to collecting more and more funds for Pakistan.
LAND REFORM
MULTAN,Oct 16th:The MQM have submitted its land reform bill in the National Assembly Secretariat which seeks to distribute large landholdings among the tenets and landless people. It is unlikely that MQM bill will be passed by the National Assembly and Senate, which are dominated by large landowners whose only pastime is politics. It is not for the first time that land reforms attempts have been made. The first land reforms were introduced by General Ayub Khan in 1959, in which the upper sealing of land was set at one thousand acres arid land and five hundred acres irrigated land. The feudal lords with the connivance of land Revenue Department Officials managed to manipulate their ownership of fertile lands. The second land reforms attempts was made by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1972 where the upper sealing of land holding was lowered to hundred acre irrigated land. Bhutto’s land reforms were never implemented, due to feudal lords joining the PPP. However, later the federal Shariat Courts declared forcible acquisition of land by the government as contrary to the teachings of Islam. At present times, the peasant, farmers, haris are starving and working like bonded slaves having no rights at all. Even wages allowed by the labor laws are not given to them. This is also a sad reflection on the state of democracy. The state structures and its power are fully in the hands of landowners. To implement land reforms, a grass roots movement is imperative, which presently appears to be out of the realm of possibility.