Blog Posts Across PakAlumni Worldwide: The Global Social Network - PakAlumni Worldwide: The Global Social Network

2008 International Multitopic Conference (INMIC) at Bahria University (Karachi Campus)

Deer NEDians, 12th IEEE International Multitopic Conference (IEEE INMIC 2008) will be held at Bahria University Karachi, Pakistan on 23-24 December 2008. This conference will be jointly organized by Bahria University, Karachi Campus and IEEE Karachi Section. INMIC is being held regularly on yearly basis and has become one of the leading conferences in Pakistan for professionals and researchers in the field of Science & Technology in general and Engineering in particular. It is envisaged tha… Continue

Posted by Asif Abdullah Shaikh on July 23, 2008 at 9:28pm — No Comments

Is Democracy Overrated?

"Normally they (Six members of India's Parliament) are in jail, serving time for crimes ranging from extortion and kidnapping to murder. The Indian constitution allows them out on bail to attend important parliamentary votes. But the sight of convicted murderers entering the parliamentary chamber won't be the most edifying of spectacles." So says a BBC report this morning. In the wake of the Communist Party's pull-out from the Indi… Continue

Posted by Riaz Haq on July 20, 2008 at 11:30am — No Comments

What Do the Taliban Want?

News headlines from Pakistan's tribal belt proclaim a new "Peace Deal" with "militants" along with an appeal for the Shia victims of the Kurram agency blockade imposed by the Taliban. On the surface, these two developments seem disconnected. The News Headlines: The "Peace Deal" involves a leading militant in Pakistan's Khyber region, Mangal Bagh, and the local administration to end nearly two weeks of fighting, according to the BBC. Another BBC report indicates that doctors in Pakistan's north… Continue

Posted by Riaz Haq on July 10, 2008 at 3:04pm — 2 Comments

The Smoking Gun in Pakistan Nuke Transfers

In his first public assertions since Pakistan's disgraced hero Dr. A.Q. Khan was put under house, the nuclear scientist has said, "It was a North Korean plane, and the army had complete knowledge about it and the equipment (centrifuges). It must have gone with [Musharraf's] consent." This marks the first time that Mr. Khan has directly implicated President Musharraf and Pakistan Army in proliferation of Pakistan's nuclear technology. Mr. Khan's latest statements contradict his 2004 confession… Continue

Posted by Riaz Haq on July 5, 2008 at 9:33pm — No Comments

Peshawar, Kandahar under Threat of Resurgent Taliban

As the US-led NATO coalition in Afghanistan and the new government in Pakistan find themselves in policy disagreements and total disarray, with Hamid Karzai playing the spoiler, the resurgent Taliban appear to be preparing for the takeover of major cities on both sides of the border: Kandahar in Afghanistan and Peshawar in Pakistan. This is something that would have been considered unthinkable just a few months ago. The concern until recently was focused on the tribal areas of Pakistan. Now the… Continue

Posted by Riaz Haq on July 1, 2008 at 7:19am — 1 Comment

Manekshaw: Indian War Hero Passes On

Sam Hormusji Framji "Sam Bahadur" Jamshedji Manekshaw MC (April 3, 1914 – June 27, 2008) Passed away today in Tamil Nadu, India. He was an Indian Army officer, with his distinct handlebar mustache, and only one of two generals to reach the rank of the Field Marshal in the Indian Army. He was the last of the top commanders involved in Bangladesh war of 1971. In his long career spanning nearly four decades, Manekshaw rose to be the 8th Chief of Staff of the Indian Army in 1969 and under his comma… Continue

Posted by Riaz Haq on June 28, 2008 at 9:09am — No Comments

Bunge Coming to Pakistan

By Riaz Haq Bunge, the third biggest US agribusiness company after Archer-Daniel-Midland and Cargill, is buying Chicago-based Corn Products International Inc. for $4.2 billion in stock to add corn-based sweeteners as demand increases for soft drinks and processed foods in China, India and Pakistan, according to US media reports. This acquisition enlarges Bunge's international footprint in emerging economies to drive its growth. Corn Products is the fourth-largest maker of high-fructose corn sy… Continue

Posted by Riaz Haq on June 24, 2008 at 5:04pm — No Comments

OPEN Forum 2008: Pakistani Entrepreneurs Conference

On June 14, the SAP campus in Palo Alto was the venue for OPEN Forum 2008, probably the world's largest gathering of Pakistani entrepreneurs outside of Pakistan with over 500 attendees. Organization of Pakistani Entrepreneurs (OPEN) describes itself as "a voluntary, not-for profit organization dedicated to the promotion of entrepreneurship and leadership in the Pakistani-American business community". Only a stone-throw away from Sandhill Road, the home of the big Silicon Valley venture capitalis… Continue

Posted by Riaz Haq on June 21, 2008 at 10:54am — No Comments

Venture Capital Investing in Pakistan

As the US venture capital investment activity in India and China races ahead, the VC investments in Pakistan are just beginning to show signs of life with two young Pakistani companies receiving funding in late 2006 and middle of 2007. Venture capital investment in China was up to $719m across 39 deals during the first quarter of 2008 from $492m in the first quarter of 2007, with media and advertising companies accounting for the bulk of deal activity and investment, according to the China Quar… Continue

Posted by Riaz Haq on June 15, 2008 at 7:19pm — No Comments

The Long March or the Big Farce?

As the "Long March" by the Pakistani lawyers gets headlines in Pakistan and around the world, it is natural to ask what is all the fuss about? Ostensibly, it is to restore Pakistani judiciary as an independent and powerful institution and strengthen democracy. But is this a realistic expectation that an independent, powerful judiciary supported by lawyers and the media in Pakistan would be good for democracy and the rights of the average citizen? Let's look at the following facts to answer this… Continue

Posted by Riaz Haq on June 10, 2008 at 9:30am — No Comments

A missive for Sir. Riaz Haq

Respected Sir Riaz, Your prompt response reflected your ruly, kempt and neat disposition. It indeed gives me an alloyed emotion of pride and mirth to have earned the honour of interviewing a man of your stature. Certainly, it would add a new moon to our magazine. Thank you for granting us the access. Afterwards, I would like to brief to you a little about the magazine I have been working for, for the last four years. Sir, in my mail prior to this, I mentioned that the name of the magazine is… Continue

Posted by Haad-Bin-Tariq on June 6, 2008 at 2:15am — No Comments

Karachi: The Urban Frontier

National Public Radio(NPR), an American radio network, is doing a series on a massive wave of urbanization underway in the world's emerging economies such as Brazil, China, India and Pakistan. It has chosen to start with Karachi, which it describes as Pakistan's "economic lifeline" and financial "powerhouse" that produces 25% of Pakistan's GDP, and calls it "one of the largest and most crowded cities of the world". It has a segment on Shehri, the activist group fighting big-money developers.… Continue

Posted by Riaz Haq on June 5, 2008 at 1:00pm — No Comments

A message for SIr. Riaz Haq

Respected Sir, I hope to make my acquaintanceship with you won't be a breach of manner. Sir, I am a Final year student at NED University, graduating under the discipline of Electrical Enfgineering, which, I gather, is the same faculty that has engendered an emerald like you. Sir, I have heard a lot about you and all in good words, that I assure you. I had been intending to join this Alumnus for sometime, but alas! levity and lethargy kept me from doing so. I would now come to my purpose for w… Continue

Posted by Haad-Bin-Tariq on June 4, 2008 at 9:20am — No Comments

Real Estate Blog

I write daily Real Estate Blog entry at Real Estate Blog Continue

Posted by Siddique on June 3, 2008 at 8:31am — No Comments

OPEN Forum 2008 in Silicon Valley

Along with Howard Dean, Steve Westley and Mike Moritz, several prominent Silicon Valley NEDians are speakers and/or panelists at the OPEN Forum 2008, the annual conference organized by Organization of Pakistani Entrepreneurs (http://www.opensiliconvalley.org). It is scheduled for Saturday, June 14, 2008 in Palo Alto, CA. Mike Moritz, the Iconic Venture Capitalist who saw YouTube and Google coming, will tell you what the next major trends are in high tech and the broader economy.… Continue

Posted by Riaz Haq on June 2, 2008 at 10:30pm — No Comments

Should Pakistanis be Proud of Their Country?

On the day of our departure for Jeddah, with our bags packed and goodbyes dispensed with, our group found itself together at the coffee shop of the hotel. There each one of us talked about whether this trip had changed our opinions of Pakistan and its people. This is a country of about 160 million people scattered about four provinces and Azad Kashmir. As the world's fifth largest democracy, Pakistan has had its share of questionable leadership, but there is enough evidence that the country's p… Continue

Posted by Riaz Haq on May 26, 2008 at 6:45am — No Comments

Sharia in Swat: Is This Appeasement?

Under a peace deal signed by the NWFP provincial government, the authorities say they will withdraw security forces and allow the pro-Taliban militants to impose Sharia law in Swat in return for promises to close training camps and end attacks. This is particularly astonishing as it involves secular nationalists of the Awami National Party that trounced the right wing JUI party in the last elections. This announcement by Senior Minister of NWFP Bashir Ahmad Bilour followed a ceasefire announced… Continue

Posted by Riaz Haq on May 21, 2008 at 4:00pm — No Comments

Sixty Years of Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Yawm al-nakba (The Catastrophe) and Yom Ha'atzmaut (The Independence Day) occur on May 14 each year. But this year is the 60th anniversary of the events of May 14, 1948 that the Israelis celebrate as their independence day and the Palestinians recall the horrors of massacres of Palestinians and expulsions from their homes in what is now the state of Israel. For a long time, the Israeli textbooks have either not mentioned or completely denied any violence and forced expulsions of Palestinians by… Continue

Posted by Riaz Haq on May 17, 2008 at 8:38am — No Comments

Food Crisis: Opportunity For Entrepreneurs

As the world food crisis becomes acute, entrepreneurs see opportunities to tackle it and make big money. Such efforts could give a much-needed boost to feed the growing population of the world. For years, big agribusiness companies have used new seed and fertilizer varieties to push yields higher. But as technology gains have slowed, the search for additional arable land has intensified. That's created an opening for entrepreneurs with visions of re-collectivizing the land in former communist co… Continue

Posted by Riaz Haq on May 14, 2008 at 11:30am — No Comments

Mobile Internet in Pakistan

When Intel puts its weight behind an initiative, it automatically gets a boost. But when Google and Intel together join forces, no one in their right mind can bet against such a combined force. Mobile Internet with broadband access has achieved that inevitability with Google backing a Wimax joint venture between wireless veteran Craig McCaw's Clearwire and Sprint-Nextel. In addition to Intel and Google, this venture is also supported by Comcast and Time-Warner. As the world goes mobile, Intel's… Continue

Posted by Riaz Haq on May 8, 2008 at 10:03pm — No Comments

India Racing Ahead in Space

"The mission was perfect," said G Madhavan Nair, chairman of the state-run Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). Mr. Nair was celebrating the latest successful launch by India of a mission with 10 satellites from the Sriharikota space center off India's east coast. This latest success by ISRO makes India a serious contender in the fast growing $2.5B commercial satellite launch business expected to grow rapidly over the next several years. The BBC is reporting that the rocket carried an Ind… Continue

Posted by Riaz Haq on April 28, 2008 at 8:00am — No Comments

Food Price Inflation Hits Silicon Valley

Food Price Hikes Hit Silicon Valley By Riaz Haq www.riazhaq.com The prices of rice, chappati, besan, daals, spices and almost all staples consumed by silicon valley South Asians have experienced triple digit price inflation during the last year. After reading about food price inflation and shortages of staple foods in their home countries, Pakistanis and Indians are now feeling the pinch in Silicon Valley as Basmati rice is in very short supply even with a 300% price jump. Jamsine rice, preferr… Continue

Posted by Riaz Haq on April 26, 2008 at 10:03pm — No Comments

AuthenTec acquires Software Assets of EzValidation

Prior to co-founding Precept (www.preceptglobalaccess.com), I founded and ran a software company named EzValidation (as CEO) for about 5 1/2 years. With my development team in Karachi, Pakistan, we developed state-of-the-art software for the cutting-edge fingerprint security applications. We worked with top-notch companies such as, AuthenTec, Fujitsu, Atrua, Validity Sensors and Computer Associates. Most recently, AuthenTec, a Florida-based publicly traded company on NASDAQ, has acquired all sof… Continue

Posted by Shoieb Yunus on April 20, 2008 at 9:45pm — No Comments

Pakistan's New Era of Unchecked Corruption?

As Mr. Asif Ali Zardari and Mr. Nawaz Sharif together consolidate their power in Pakistan, there are renewed fears that a new era of of unchecked corruption is about to hit Pakistan. Let's hope that these fears are unfounded. Unfortunately, the history tells us otherwise. In the past, Pakistanis have had to withstand plunder from only one of them at a time. The question now is: Can Pakistan survive a combined assault by both of these "gentlemen" and their cabinet ministers in Islamabad, Lahore… Continue

Posted by Riaz Haq on April 18, 2008 at 10:30pm — No Comments

Precept Productions' Shoieb Yunus Directs 1st Film, "Streets of Karachi"

Drama Tells the Story of a Pakistani Who, After Success in the United States, Returns Home SAN FRANCISCO, CA and KARACHI, PAKISTAN--(MARKET WIRE)--Mar 24, 2008 -- Precept Productions, an entertainment and media production firm focused on developing entertainment content for television and film, announced today that Shoieb Yunus, Managing Director, will make his debut as the director of its first feature film, "Streets of Karachi," a contemporary drama illustrating the culture and contrasts on… Continue

Posted by Shoieb Yunus on April 17, 2008 at 10:28pm — 1 Comment

Lawyers Movement Gone Awry!

"If they demand that the Afghan refugees be returned to Afghanistan, we demand that they (the Urdu-speaking Karachi-ites) be sent back to India" so says Mr. Latif Afridi, the President of Peshawar Bar Association. This outrage from Peshawar followed the clashes between the lawyers in Karachi which were triggered by the violence of the lawless lawyers of Lahore earlier. The lawyers movement started well and helped bring about a positive change in Pakistan as a manifestation of the rise of the mi… Continue

Posted by Riaz Haq on April 14, 2008 at 6:20pm — No Comments

Indian Sports Flush With Money

Indian Sports Attract Big Money, Stars By Riaz Haq http://southasiainvestor.blogspot.com As India's economy, business and industry experience rapid growth, large amounts of sponsorship dollars are flowing into the various sports including cricket, football and golf. At first, most of the attention was on the big cricket stars such as Sachin Tedulkar grossing million of dollars a year. Then came the Indian Cricket League(ICL) and Indian Premier League(IPL) drawing the biggest names in cricket su… Continue

Posted by Riaz Haq on April 13, 2008 at 8:32am — No Comments

Lawless Lawyers of Lahore

The criminal behavior of the lawyers in Lahore has shocked the nation and the world. They not only kidnapped and injured former federal minister Dr. Sher Afghan Niazi but they threw rocks and flattened the tires of the ambulance that was taking him to the hospital for treatment. Mr. Aitezaz Ahsan, the leader of the lawyers movement, has resigned from his position as the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association. While some may be tempted to call it an isolated incident, the facts indicate… Continue

Posted by Riaz Haq on April 8, 2008 at 10:42am — 2 Comments

Benazir Bhutto's Life on Silver Screen

A Pakistani film company is rushing into the production of a movie based on the life of slain former premier Benazir Bhutto in collaboration with noted Indian filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, according to a news report in Pakistan Link. Given the multi-dimensional significance of Benzair Bhutto to Pakistan and the world, it is not surprising that Lollywood and Bollywood together see her as an interesting subject to put on the big screen. What is surprising is the following statement by producer Aneela K… Continue

Posted by Riaz Haq on April 7, 2008 at 9:32am — No Comments

US Poll: 81% Americans Unhappy

Eighty-one percent of Americans believe the US is headed in the wrong direction, says the latest NY Times/CBS poll conducted recently. This is the worst ever reading of dissatisfaction since this particular poll began in the 1990s. Although the public unhappiness has been rising since the early days of the Iraq war, it has taken a new turn for the worse in the last few months, as the economy has seemed to slip into recession. There is now nearly a national consensus that the country faces signif… Continue

Posted by Riaz Haq on April 4, 2008 at 3:32pm — No Comments

A New Deal For Pakistan

The province of Sindh in southern Pakistan is a rural region of dusty mudbrick villages, of white-domed blue-tiled Sufi shrines, and of salty desert scrublands broken, quite suddenly, by floodplains of wonderful fecundity. These thin, fertile belts of green—cotton fields, rice paddies, cane breaks, and miles of checkerboard mango orchards—snake along the banks of the Indus River as it meanders its sluggish, silted, café-au-lait way through the plains of Pakistan down to the shores of the Arabian… Continue

Posted by Riaz Haq on April 2, 2008 at 7:37am — No Comments

Gillani Addressing Wheat, Energy Crises

With global commodity prices and inflation hitting new highs, Pakistan and other emerging economies are faced with serious challenges. The rising inflation of staples such as wheat has already claimed Pakistan's former ruling coalition as a victim. Many other developing countries' governments are likely to fall as well unless these challenges are addressed effectively. Knowing the importance of wheat for Pakistanis, the government of Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani has begun to take ste… Continue

Posted by Riaz Haq on March 31, 2008 at 11:10am — No Comments

Iftikhar Chaudhry Is No Angel!

"Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry was not and is not an angel" said Mr. Muneer A. Malik, the President of the Pakistan Supreme Court Bar Association, during an interview with Philip Reeves of NPR radio broadcast in the United States last year. This interview took place in 2007 after President Musharraf sacked Mr. Chaudhry and Malik launched a campaign to restore Mr. Chaudhry. While I strongly disagree with Mr. Musharraf's decision to fire Mr. Chaudhry, I am curious to find out what Mr. Malik really th… Continue

Posted by Riaz Haq on March 30, 2008 at 6:25pm — No Comments

Hijabs at Harvard Gym

by Ruth Marcus of The Washington Post It's a measure of America's multicultural journey over the past half-century that we've gone from "God and Man at Yale" to Allah and Woman at Harvard. In a contretemps scarcely imaginable in William F. Buckley's day, Harvard has closed one of its gyms to men for six hours a week so that Muslim women can exercise comfortably. "Sharia at Harvard," warned blogger Andrew Sullivan. A Harvard Crimson columnist blasted "Harvard's misguided accommodationist policy."… Continue

Posted by Riaz Haq on March 27, 2008 at 4:00pm — No Comments

The New Prime Minister: Khadim or Makhdoom?

Makhdoom Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani has been elected and sworn in as the new prime minister of Pakistan. He won by a margin of 264 to 42.

The new prime minister belongs to an influential and spiritual shia family of Multan, born on June 9, 1952 in Karachi, Pakistan. His father was a des… Continue

Posted by Riaz Haq on March 25, 2008 at 4:00pm — No Comments

Presidential Address by Muhammad Ali Jinnah to Muslim League Lahore 1940

Ladies and Gentlemen: [[1]] We are meeting today in our session after fifteen months. The last session of the All-India Muslim League took place at Patna in December 1938. Since then many developments have taken place. I shall first shortly tell you what the All-India Muslim Le… Continue

Posted by Ameer Alam on March 22, 2008 at 4:30pm — No Comments

The Prophet I Know

As the Muslim world celebrates the birthday of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) today, it's important to remember his teachings and the life he lived to learn how to deal with the serious crises Muslims face today. Here is how I remember the Prophet I know from my reading about his life: Secular Education: The Prophet I know instructed Muslims to "go as far as China to seek knowledge". It was clear at the time that China was not a Muslim nation. It is therefore safe to conclude that the Pro… Continue

Posted by Riaz Haq on March 21, 2008 at 9:44pm — No Comments

Concerted Campaign Against China

Concerted Campaign Against China By Riaz Haq www.riazhaq.com With China's resurgence on the world stage and its hour of well-deserved glory approaching at Beijing Olympics this summer, those opposed to China are out in force to spoil it for the Chinese people. The efforts to recruit athletes to stage protests in front of the news media during the Olympics and the recent troubles in Tibet and Western China do not appear to be spontaneous. The West-based Free Tibet and Team Darfur movements and t… Continue

Posted by Riaz Haq on March 20, 2008 at 10:27am — No Comments

Dr Mohammad Iqbal's 1930 Presidential Address at Allahbad

Sir Muhammad Iqbal’s 1930 Presidential Address to the 25th Session of the All-India Muslim League Allahabad, 29 December 1930 *[[1]]* Islam and Nationalism *[[2]]* The Unity of an Indian Nation *[[3]]* Muslim India Within India *[[4]]* Federal States… Continue

Posted by Ameer Alam on March 18, 2008 at 1:30pm — 1 Comment

Fighting the Twin Crises of Inflation & Power Cuts

As Pakistanis suffer greatly from the twin crises of hyper inflation and prolonged, daily power cuts, the life for them is getting more and more difficult every day. The traditional approaches to solve these problems such as increasing governmental subsidies for food and fuel and building more conventional fossil-fuel based generating capacity are not likely to work cost-effectively and sustain ably in the long run. It is time for Pakistanis to explore creative options to find workable, long-las… Continue

Posted by Riaz Haq on March 18, 2008 at 7:00am — No Comments

Obama Under Fire For Pastor's Views

"We bombed Hiroshima, we bombed Nagasaki, and we nuked far more than the thousands in New York and the Pentagon, and we never batted an eye," Rev. Jeremiah Wright said in a sermon on Sept. 16, 2001. This is not all. Sen Barack Obama's pastor Rev Wright went on to touch the third rail of the American politics: He criticized the US support for Israel against the Palestinians. "We have supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and black South Africans, and now we are indignant because the… Continue

Posted by Riaz Haq on March 15, 2008 at 12:10pm — No Comments

Insights into a Suicide Bombing in Pakistan

While Pakistani authorities have had little success in catching perpetrators in most of the bombings, there have been several arrests in a November suicide attack on a Pakistan Air Force bus near an air base in Sargodha, 120 miles west of Lahore. According to Associated Press, the probe by police and intelligence agencies into the attack provides insight into how the NWFP-based militant groups function and shows they are attracting recruits in other regions and ethnic groups. Interrogation of… Continue

Posted by Riaz Haq on March 13, 2008 at 9:56am — No Comments

ist step of 25 engineering university's in Pakistan

Aa 1 step at a time we are getting there,All the people who feel happy pl make dua with 1000 acres and $150 million the dream is coming into a reality salim mastan LOS ANGELES: The Friends Of Pakistan (FOP) has announced its support for the efforts of a group of expatriate Pakistanis to establish a new research oriented technical university of international standards with an accompanying technology park in Pakistan. This institution will be known as Petaro Engineering and Technical Univers… Continue

Posted by salim mastan on March 11, 2008 at 12:39pm — No Comments

Malaysia's Ruling Coalition Suffers Setback

Malaysia's opposition made significant gains in Saturday's elections. The alliance of three opposition parties won 82 of 222 seats in the national Parliament, up from only 19 seats. By controlling one-third of Parliament, opposition parties will be able to block government efforts to amend the constitution. They also took control of five out of 13 states, up from one state previously. They included Penang, home to much of Malaysia's industrial base and to billions of dollars in U.S. and other fo… Continue

Posted by Riaz Haq on March 10, 2008 at 10:12am — No Comments

A Tale of Two Indias: Forty Billiaires In A Poor Country

The booming Bombay stock market in 2007 and the benefits of globalization have seen India's billionaires list swell to 40 on the Forbes Billionaires List. The Indian billionaires combined wealth has more than doubled from $170 billion to $351 billion in 2007. While Bill Gates has slipped to number three spot from number one, the number 4, 5, 6 and 8 spots in the top 10 are now occupied by Lakshmi Mittal, Mukesh Ambani, Anil Ambani and KP Singh from India. The news of the newly-minted Indian bil… Continue

Posted by Riaz Haq on March 8, 2008 at 1:41pm — No Comments

Tribal Turmoil in Pakistan

Fundamental Change in Tribal Order The latest of a series of suicide bombings in Pakistan's north west frontier tribal belt targeted a meeting of the elders in Dara Adam Khel town. There were reports of 40 dead and scores injured. Traditionally, tribal leaders were held in high respect and their decisions were generally accepted by the tribal population in all matters. This attack further reinforces the belief that there is a fundamental change taking place… Continue

Posted by Riaz Haq on March 2, 2008 at 8:00am — No Comments

Wheat Price Up 400 Percent

Wheat Price Touches $900 Per Ton Triggered by wheat export curbs by Kazakhstan and the lowest world inventory in 26 years, wheat price hit a new record at $25 per bushel or about $900 per ton. This translates into Pakistan Rs. 55 per kilo for raw wheat in bulk excluding transportation, milling and bagging. It represents a 400% increase in less than a year. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service, Kazakhstan is the sixth-largest exporter of wheat, behind the… Continue

Posted by Riaz Haq on February 29, 2008 at 10:08am — No Comments

Obama's Web Success

Obama Success With Social Networks By Riaz Haq Haq's Musings Election Campaigns Transformation: President John F. Kennedy's campaign in the early 1960s transformed the way the US presidential campaigns use Television as a medium to reach the American electorate. This year, Barack Husain Obama's campaign is re-writing the rules as it embraces Web 2.0 technologies to reach out to the young voters across the nation. The dramatic success of th… Continue

Posted by Riaz Haq on February 24, 2008 at 4:08pm — No Comments

ISI General's Mea Culpa: I Rigged 2002 Polls

ISI General: I Rigged 2002 Polls By Riaz Haq Haq's Musings General Ehtisham Zamir, the former head of ISI's political cell, has admitted playing a key role in rigging the 2002 polls to favor PML(Q), the pro-Musharraf faction of the Pakistan Muslim League. This was a joint effort of the ISI's political cell and the National Accountability Bureau. While it has been considered an open secret by many, this is the first time the ISI's role in 2002 election r… Continue

Posted by Riaz Haq on February 24, 2008 at 8:55am — No Comments

Pakistan People's Party's National Character

In addition to winning the largest number of seats in Pakistan's National Assembly, Pakistan People's Party has demonstrated its national appeal by winning seats in all four provincial legislatures. In spite of its losses and third place finish, PML(Q) is the only other party with this distinction. All of the other parties, including the PML(N) with the second place finish, have won seats in only one or two Pakistani provinces.… Continue

Posted by Riaz Haq on February 23, 2008 at 7:17am — No Comments

What are we going to do with the outdated tapes and Storage....

In ancient times knowledge was transfered from heart to heart or from hard copy to hard copy....Ever thought about your old 5.25 or 3.5 floppies? What about videos of your wedding on that 8mm VHS tape? Blue-Ray is already there to replace dvd..so what are you going to do even if you are a gig from the digital era? Is silicon becoming a thing of past like those tubes? I would like to hear from those who actually work in storage technology. Continue

Posted by Shamshad Shaukat on February 21, 2008 at 11:17pm — No Comments

Zardari Pursued By Swiss Prosecutors

Months after the amnesty signed by President Musharraf, Switzerland is continuing to pursue corruption charges against Mr. Zardari. Asif Zardari, the widower of former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto, is accused of depositing $55 million worth of bribes in Swiss bank accounts. Swiss judicial authorities have been investigating Zardari and Bhutto for the past 10 years over allegations that they took bribes from Swiss cargo inspection firms and transfered them into their accounts, accordin… Continue

Posted by Riaz Haq on February 21, 2008 at 9:30pm — No Comments

Pakistan Vote: Hierarchy of Needs in Action

Many commentators in Pakistan and the World are in overdrive talking about mandates and profound meanings of the February 18 vote in Pakistan. Some are claiming it is a mandate to restore an independent judiciary, media and democracy while others are talking about it as rejection Musharraf's pro-US policies, "extremism" and "war on terror" etc. In my humble opinion, there is a far simpler explanation for it: People voted in a predictable way based on the issues that affect them directly on a dai… Continue

Posted by Riaz Haq on February 20, 2008 at 3:52pm — No Comments

Illegal Immigration From India Jumps 125 Percent

Illegal Immigration From India Jumps 125 Percent By Riaz Haq http://riazhaq.blogspot.com There are an estimated 270,0000 illegal Indian immigrants in the United States, according to 2006 figures from the US Department of Homeland Security. With 125% percent increase from 2000 to 2006, India represents the fastest growing source of illegal immigrants to the United States, reports San Jose Mercury News, a major Silicon Valley newspaper. In absolute numbers, Central and South American natio… Continue

Posted by Riaz Haq on February 19, 2008 at 6:37am — No Comments

Kosovo: A New Muslim State Is Born In Europe

Kosovo: A New Muslim State Is Born In Europe By Riaz Haq Haq's Musings As Kosovo-a small, pro-West, secular and mostly Muslim state of 2 million people dominated by ethnic Albanians- declared its independence on February 18, the moment was pregnant with history. It reminded the world, in particular the Serbs and the Turks, of the Battle of Kosovo fought here in 1389, which pitted Prince Lazar of Serbia against Sultan Murad I of the Ottoman Empire both o… Continue

Posted by Riaz Haq on February 18, 2008 at 11:59am — No Comments

All Hell Will Break Loose

All Hell Will Break Loose By Riaz Haq http://riazhaq.blogspot.com On the eve of the voting in Pakistan, someone responded on Facebook to my post Pakistan Election Rigging 101 as follows: "All Hell Will Break Loose" tomorrow. As much as I would like to disagree with this comment, the history of elections in Pakistan makes me pause and ponder on it. Regardless of whether the elections are free and fair, there is usually trouble in the aftermath. The general elections of 1970, held under the milit… Continue

Posted by Riaz Haq on February 17, 2008 at 9:34am — No Comments

Pakistan Questions Safety of US Nukes

Pakistani nuclear weapons safety has been in the news lately. There are widespread concerns being expressed in the Western media about the possibility of Pakistani nukes falling in to the hands of Al-Qaeda or the Taliban or their alleged sympathizers. Even Mohamed El-Baradie of IAEA has chimed in on this issue. However, the Pakistani nukes are not the only ones making the news recently. The US nuclear weapons safety and handling procedures have also raised concerns, especially since the news of… Continue

Posted by Riaz Haq on February 15, 2008 at 5:00pm — 1 Comment

Pakistan Elections Dominated By Feudals

As Pakistanis go to the polls on Feb 18, 2008, the role of the feudal class in Pakistan as power brokers is getting scrutiny from the world media. Some Pakistani feudals and politicians, including Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi of PPP, Syed Fakhr Imam of PPP, Imran Khan (Tehreek Insaf), and others argue that the feudal influence is overrated. They say the feudal power is declining and represents more of a mindset than reality. However, the media men traveling through rural Sind and rural Punjab a… Continue

Posted by Riaz Haq on February 14, 2008 at 6:53am — No Comments

ISI Election Cell De-activated?

Is Military Brass Cooling To Musharraf? By Riaz Haq Haq's Musings General Kayani's Orders Pakistan's Army Chief Gen. Kayani has initiated a number of changes that establish a divide between the uniformed army and Mr. Musharraf, say senior Pakistani officers. Last month, Gen. Kayani, 55 years old, issued an order barring officers from any unauthorized meetings with Pakistani politicians, including the president. The army commander also said… Continue

Posted by Riaz Haq on February 13, 2008 at 6:30am — No Comments

RAND Report: US Strategy Counterproductive

RAND Report: US Policy in Muslim World Counterproductive
By Riaz Haq
http://riazhaq.blogspot.com

The RAND Corporation, a highly respected non-profit policy research
institute in the United States, says in its latest report on the
ongoing War on Terror: "Large-scale U.S. military intervention and
occupation in the Muslim world is at best inadequate, at worst
counter-productive, and, on the whole, infeasibl… Continue

Posted by Riaz Haq on February 11, 2008 at 8:59pm — No Comments

Poll: Musharraf Hits New Low

Poll: Musharraf Hits New Low
By Riaz Haq
http://riazhaq.blogspot.com

A new poll in Pakistan conducted by the US-based International
Republican Institute shows President Musharraf's opposition receiving
support from 72% of respondents. Only 15% of the poll participants
approve of Mr. Musharraf, lowest ever positive rating registered for
him to date. The sympathy wave for PPP in the wake of Benazir Bhutto's… Continue