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The end of Pashtun Nationalism is becoming more and more visible.
AlhamdulilahOriginally posted by Firdousi -
lol the most corrupt ANP member will open the Pandora'x Box for other politicians?
And if ANP is a Pashtun nationalist party, then that would make me a Jamaati and Shalawar a Communist."If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be".
"Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives".Comment
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Originally posted by FirdousiComment
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ISLAMABAD: A mind-boggling Rs5 billion land scam has hit Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa after Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti secretly approved the allotment of 170 acres of olive orchards to an unknown construction and manufacturing firm.
The Rawalpindi-based M/s NI Associates, reportedly owned by a front man of a top Awami National Party (ANP) leader, purchased the land at a throwaway price. Hoti had cancelled a 12-year-old lease agreement with the federal government’s olive oil research station at Mardan, spelling the demise of the multi-billion rupee project to promote edible oil production in Pakistan.
The market price of 170 acres or 1,361 kanals of agricultural land, now given to the private party located on Mardan-Swabi road, has been estimated at Rs5 billion. The commercial value of 20,000 mature olive trees and other fruit orchards and machinery has yet to be ascertained in monetary terms. The olive trees were gifted by Turkey and Italy to help Pakistan attain self-sufficiency in edible oil in a bid to help it reduce its import bill, which has touched $2 billion per annum.
The whole drama of allotment unfolded when a 100-strong police contingent led by a DSP raided Pakistan Oil Development Board (PODB)’s research station on December 3 – the same day the land was officially allotted in favour of one Mr Javed Iqbal. The police broke the locks and kicked out its employees. It took control of the orchards at gun point and gave them in Mr Iqbal’s possession.
The lease agreement between the provincial Auqaf department which owned the land and PODB was to end in 2012 but the provincial government prematurely terminated the contract.
Mr Mushtaq, Provincial Director, PODB research farm, Mardan, wrote a strongly-worded letter in protest to Administrator Auqaf, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Mr Inaam Khan. The police raid was a breach of the law of the land, norms and official decorum and in detriment to the nation’s interests, the letter said.
The mother olive orchard and germplasm unit was to be used for obtaining bud wood for grafting onto wild olive trees. He warned that PODB would not vacate these olive oil orchards, considering the fact that the infrastructure was developed at huge financial cost and ten years’ research and experimentation.
Hundreds of official documents confirming the land scam, available with The Express Tribune, reveal that PODB was informed on December 6, 2010, by Inaam Khan in writing that Mr Javed Iqbal of M/s NI Associates was to take possession of the land.
“You are requested to kindly shift the equipments/machinery lying on the premises of the said Auqaf land within ten days time so that the site be cleared for the new lessee.”
The competent authority had approved the long lease of plot measuring 1,361 kanals at Machi Sangbhatti, Marddan to M/s NI Associates Construction Manufacturing Trading Consultancy of Modern farming of 155-A, Bank Road Saddar Rawalpindi at the rate of Rs1,200 per kanal for twenty years, read the original notification.
Twelve different varieties of olive trees were planted on 140 acres of land from 2001 to 2005. A germplasm unit was also established on 10 acres. Twelve olive cultivators of 288 plants were imported from different countries for evaluation. The performance of these cultivators was to be completed over three years. University students were to do research work in these orchards. PODB’s research farm had also installed six green houses for olive production. Presently, 10,000 of air layering were shifted and remaining nursery was in progress.
A metrological station used for recording temperature, humidity, chilling hours, wind speed data has also passed into the hands of the new lessee, along with three tube wells and a drip irrigation system.
This correspondent made telephone calls to Secretary, Auqaf department, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Mr Nauman Shah Jadoon and to Administrator Auqaf, Mr Inaam Khan, to get their point of view. They refused to attend their calls. Nor did the gentlemen reply to text messages sent on their mobile phones.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 15th, 2010.Originally posted by FirdousiComment
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Generally, governance in Pakistan is not a bed of roses, but it is no so when it comes to ruling the KPK that has a highly volatile atmosphere in the aftermath of 9/11 and the consequences of Afghan Jihad. However, after the 2008 general elections both the ANP and PPP managed to cobbled a coalition government that was almost dominated by the ANP, as its Chief Minister Amir Haider Khan Hoti remained at the helm throughout the provincial government’s constitutional tenure.
As a whole, it was not possible to contain all the goods and bads done by the coalition government, but there is a general opinion that its performance was not up to the mark with regard to certain issues particularly fight against terrorism, getting its due share in the NFC awards and dues against hydal power, corruption and so on.
The coalition government was unable to tackle the Taliban issue, particularly in the KPK's most peaceful settled district Swat where Maulvi Fazlullah ran a parallel government. Though initially an armistice known as Nizame Adl Regulation for the enforcement of Shariah in Malakand Division was reached with the TTP led by Fazlullah, it was soon revoked and a military action was initiated. This troubled the locals very badly and millions of Swat residents were forced to live in makeshift camps as internally displaced persons which bore a stigma on their faces as they had to go from door to door for their livelihood. Even the faithful spent the days of Ramadan away from their homes in a miserable state.
Apart from Swat, the remaining Malakand districts and the adjoining Mohmand, Bajawar,
Khyber, Orakzai, North & South Waziristan, Kurram and FR regions remained in the grip of terror and fear in the wake of military operations and terrorist activities of non-state actors. The provincial government though made high claims that it had bravely faced the militants and broken their backbone, in fact they were so free and capable of doing what they wanted. ANP MPAs and its top leader and senior minister Bashir Ahmed Bilour, IGP, FC, a number or religious scholars, political personalities and police officers were slaughtered or targeted by unknown militants. It is strange that throughout the 5-year tenure the PPP provincial
leadership almost remained safe and sound as none of its minister or the provincial office
bearer condemned the terrorists and their only target was ANP and its leadership.
Though there is apparently peace in Swat district and the KPK government claimed that it had succeeded to bring normalcy in the terrorism-ridden valley, in reality thanks
are due to the security forces that the militants were paralyzed to some extent but not totally
eradicated, as off and on they succeed to send a wave of terror by killing some political figures and traders.
The most harmful effect of the military operation in the tribal belt, which has been
certainly going on with the consent of the ex-ANP and PPP coalition government, is that millions of tribal tribesmen are still living in different settled areas particularly in Jalozai camp near Pabbi or elsewhere with their relatives and friends or in costly rented cell-like houses. Still there seems no ray of hope that their native areas will have a conducive atmosphere in the coming days.
The ANP-PPP coalition government attracted criticism from opposition members because they were complaining of the use of development funds only in the ANP and PPP constituencies; however, as a whole it succeeded in maintaining a good working relationship with the oppositions and one can easily see its fruit in the nomination of Justice (retired) Tariq Pervaiz as a consensus candidate for the caretaker CM slot through consultation between Amir Haider Khan Hoti and opposition leader Akram Khan Durrani.
The tales of corruption are so common that even a simple man knows that jobs were openly on sale during the ex-coalition government’s five-year rule and allegedly every minister, MPA and even the district and tehsil level office bearers of both the parties remained busy lining their pockets. Some influential persons, not part of government or members of parliament, became famous for their corruption.
Let’s not put all the bad things in the basket of the ANP-PPP coalition government, as there are also some pluses and minuses in its kitty which include the schemes to eradicate
unemployment in the province like Bacha Khan Khapal Rozgar Scheme, Hunarmand Qarza Scheme and Watan Card Scheme to compensate the people hit by deadly floods and other calamities.Originally posted by FirdousiComment
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The Awami National Party (ANP) began its campaign with the slogan ‘pur amn Pakistan’. However, in the aftermath of the attack on the Bilours of Peshawar, an unofficial slogan came to the fore and has since taken over – ‘watan ya kafan’ (country or shroud). This slogan sums up the ANP’s resolve.
One would assume that this would elicit praise from all quarters. But that is certainly not the case. Instead, there exists quite a strong sense of resentment. Polls indicate that, and my personal interactions corroborate it. By and large, the source of this resentment seems to be the ANP’s financial corruption.
This belief is mostly backed by anecdotes. And one particular line that is quoted as the ultimate proof is “Baba ta easy load ka”, alluding that during the ANP’s tenure bribing Haider Hoti’s father was necessary for getting things done.
Ironically, many of my friends who are utterly disgusted with the ANP’s corruption seem to have a different yardstick for their own financial integrity. One will claim a substantial inheritance from a father who was known for taking bribes. Another, a government servant, is infamous for not even pardoning relatives when it comes to ‘fees’. But then both are completely disgusted over Baba’s ‘easy loads’. And they have every right to be, because the hypocrisy of its critics should not absolve the ANP of its crimes.
It would be ridiculous to claim that the ANP government was not involved in any corruption, but by the same token it would also be naïve to rely just on anecdotes to associate it with corruption at unmatched levels. If the accusations are true and corruption that widespread in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, then some indicator somewhere should capture it – especially when compared with other provinces.
Transparency International Pakistan (TIP) is one such source. Its surveys for 2009 and 2010 provide estimates of the annual average provincial corruption expenditures. For both these years the sample from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had one of the ‘lowest’ corruption expenditures among the four provinces. For 2009, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa averaged at Rs3,454, while Punjab was Rs19,959. For 2010, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was the ‘lowest’ among all provinces at Rs3,528, while the highest ie Punjab was at Rs17,791.
The TIP didn’t consider these estimates in its provincial corruption ranking for 2010, as it was based on perceptions. It focused on just one question; for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the respondents were asked if the present government – of the ANP – was more corrupt than the previous government of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA). But here’s the twist; for some odd reason TIP chose Peshawar, Mansehra, Abbottabad and Haripur as representative districts for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
An anti-ANP verdict from the Hazara division was inevitable, and this was presented as the perception of the whole province. This result was then used extensively in the media to label the ANP’s government as the most corrupt. I had written a more detailed piece on TIP’s methodology for its 2010 survey on these pages on June 9, 2010.
While the jury is still out on the ANP, let’s focus a bit on this national obsession with corruption. Yes, corruption is a huge problem in Pakistan, but does it really overshadow terrorism? Last year, Pakistan had a total of 652 bombings leading to 1,007 deaths, that means an average of two bombings and three deaths per day! And this was one of our better years.
Yet survey after survey confirms that Pakistan considers corruption to be a bigger problem than terrorism. This is akin to a cancer patient citing a common cold as his biggest ailment. The difference between corruption and terrorism should be obvious from their respective units of measurement – rupees for corruption and deaths for terrorism. How big a bribe can outweigh the death of one human?
If the ANP had followed the MMA’s path, today some of its top workers and leaders would still be alive. Instead it took on the biggest monster of our times, and paid dearly. Ironically, those who are so eager to bestow the title of ‘Pakhtun resistance’ on the Taliban refuse to even acknowledge this non-violent defiance. Those claiming ferocity of felines and natural disasters feign complete oblivion to a danger that threatens the very existence of their proposed ‘roshan’ and ‘naya’ Pakistan.
Opportunism seems to be the only apparent reasons for their silence. A convenient excuse is to declare the war against the Taliban to be ‘someone else’s war’. But while Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan may have their own interpretations, Hakeemullah Mehsud has made it clear that his war is against Pakistan. Whether it is ‘roshan’ or ‘naya’ will not make a difference.
Today the ANP has been left to fight a war for the survival and continuation of Pakistan’s democracy. After every bombing its battered leaders reiterate their demand for a timely election, one that their party is very likely to lose. This principled stance remains unappreciated by most Pakistanis.
Supporting the ANP doesn’t necessarily mean that one votes for it. Regardless of party affiliations the need is to provide a united front against the forces bent upon destabilising democracy in Pakistan.
For those who still think the ANP’s corruption doesn’t make it worth the effort, I propose the following calculation.
Step 1: Put a price on the life of a loved one; Step 2: Multiply that price by 700; Step 3: From this total subtract the biggest possible estimate for the ANP’s corruption (make it Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s entire budget if you may).
Let’s see if the remainder is positive or negative.
The writer is a freelance writer. He blogs at iopyne.wordpress.com and tweets @iopyne. Email: iopyne@gmail.comOriginally posted by FirdousiComment
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The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) government has utilised extra resources from the enhanced share in National Finance Commission (NFC) Award; however this alone would not be sufficient to defend itself in the 2013 election against the corruption charges, poor performance and incumbency factors, an anecdotal survey carried out by this correspondent revealed.
The incumbent Awami National Party (ANP) and Pakistan People's Party (PPP) coalition government in KPK may not retain their previous positions in the upcoming general elections due to poor performance, rampant corruption and their stand against militancy.
Senior analyst Rahimullah Yusufzai told Business Recorder that the ANP-led government succeeded in renaming the province, preventing construction of Kalabagh Dam and attaining provincial autonomy. Moreover the government did a lot in education sector including establishment of 8 universities, irrigation sector, works and development.
Yusufzai further said that KPK government failed to resolve the electricity issue, while unemployment further increased in the province. Furthermore, the ANP chief Asfandiyar Wali Khan detached himself from the public for a long time after a suicide attack on him at his hometown which fuelled public criticism.
Yusufzai said that PPP situation would not be different from ANP as the former has lost its vote bank to a great extent in the province due to failure in delivering and resolving public problems. PPP is the major ally of the ANP government that failed to deliver to the expectations of the public. Though the new President of KPK Anwar Saifullah Khan is active and succeeded in reuniting some politicians, however it would be difficult for the party to retain its previous position in the province during the upcoming general election, Yusufzai maintained.
The ANP took a bold stand against militancy in the province, which accounts for attacks against their leadership at political rallies as well as their place of residence. "ANP will definitely face resistance from militants and their elections rallies may also be targeted by the militants", sources added.
The ANP narrowly retained its seat in the bye elections in Mardan in spite of government resources in hand. ANP leadership, cognisant of its waning popularity, is desperate to form a coalition with Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI). Together they maybe able to remain in power in the province, senior member of the ANP told this correspondent on condition of anonymity.
KPK Provincial Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain told Business Recorder that ANP would retain its previous position in the upcoming general election on the basis of its sacrifices, rendered for restoring peace in the province. "Even yesterday I received life threat from militants; however we are not ready to backtrack from our stance to curb militants unless they give up arms and become part of the mainstream", Iftikhar added.
It was KP government that succeeded in dislodging militants' parallel government in Malakand division after offering many sacrifices of Army, police, FC, party workers and leadership. After too many sacrifices, ANP led government succeeded in controlling terrorism in the province hence got the people's sympathies, he claimed, adding that the party would include restoration of peace in its election manifesto.
Replying to a question provincial minister said that electricity shortage was a central government issue and KPK government alone should not be blamed. The provincial government, he added, has undertaken 24 hydropower projects which would generate 2400MW electricity in the next 10 to 15 years. Responding to a question about rampant corruption in the province, he said that it is not something new and unless co-ordinated efforts are taken to root out the menace, it will continue to grow. "The ANP must not be singled out for corruption as the previous governments were also not exempted from it", he added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2012Originally posted by FirdousiComment
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ANP's Pandara's box to be opened by Azam Hoti
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