Wednesday, June 2, 2010

story continues


Army commanders have developed a consensus that COAS General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani should continue till the ongoing war on terror gets a decisive turn so that the achievements attained may be consolidated and not go waste.

The petroleum prices were slashed by the government on late Monday night with new petrol price fixed at Rs 69.04.
Still Petrol pumps were shut down and petrol was no where to be found. Obviously, stations had bought it on higher prices and had to sell it to the cheaper rates, but what was the use of holding on to that stock and not selling it to the public, when eventually they had to push their stock out in the public, next day. I tried asking several experts, but no one in my circle of journalists and reporters had to offer any satisfactory answer. Still i found the idea of government having to re-reimburse the cost difference to the gas stations, for which they kept there stock floating in their tanks. Many cars, specially motorcyclists, were left stranded next day. The good news of reduced petrol cost, could not have circulated to people without having any glitch of some kind.

A cyclone is heading toward Pakistani coastal areas. Its all over the news. The fear and panic including delayed and inappropriate response of government to transfer thousands of people residing in those coastal areas, is the main title of almost all Pakistani private television news channels. Not a single media is running public awareness campaign to inform
viewers of safety measures to be taken in case violent winds and cyclone hits their land. So far the agenda in one word could be expressed as "panic". Few of my friends made phone calls from outside the country, because what they saw on our local private channels, gave them the impression; that this call should be made before its too late. To "Say hello" one last time, since through their lenses Karachi is going to be wiped off the map of the world. I love rain.


Transparency international recently presented a thorough report on Pakistan. According to it, most corruption inside Pakistan, is done in our newly named province "Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa". Some friends here in Sindh, can not believe that the title is taken away from them, while others simply discredit the report. Nay! Its still us.


and Israeli commandos stormed freedom flotilla ships, which were trying to bring aid into Gaza. Gaza remains cut off from the world due to blockade imposed by Israeli authority.
Talat hussain is Pakistani TV host and journalist, whose blunt choice of words and a record of never smiling on camera, earned him a place in my memory cells. He was accompanying 500 other men and women from 80 different nationalities, sailing those ships. These people were taken from 100 kilometer out in the international waters by Israel and around 10 people died as a result of the clash which occurred to take control of the ship. Talat and 2 other pakistani media men are handed down to Jordanian embassy in Israel. He is due to arrive Pakistan in two days. I am sure he is coming with a fascinating story.

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