Watching Poverty Grow

Re: # 24
The suggestion of population expansion without offering any child and family support and with disregard to the financial and emotional well-being of individuals could be an ill-concieved propaganda for business profits.

Re: # 23
I think larger population can be a strength for any nation if it can be taken care of and developed with proper nutrition, education and healthcare. The US became a natural leader of the West based on the strength of its large, healthy and well-educated population. Germany is a leader in Europe because of its large human resources as well.

And the reason many western companies are interested in India and China is because of the potential for their large populations.

Pakistan's main failure lies in its inability to take good care of its human resources.
Riaz Haq, PakAlumni Worldwide

Re: # 21
You could say that a muslim section that advocates regression does project population expansion as political strength but this view can hardly find any support by individuals who are destined to toil in order to provide for their family.

Re: # 13
All my real personal role models died in obscurity. I do not desire popularity but disregards for the sentiments of others could breed tension. Promotion of truth demands that reason must follow acceptance and accomodation of the views of others by moulding your own into discarding all falsehood from your expression.
Respect. Peace.

#18

It is a well known strategy adopted by muslim leaders to increase the population of muslims. No thought is given to family planning or education of the new children. The Palestinians have adopted this strategy as have the muslims in India and other places where they are in minority.

I suspect that there is a possibility that the islamists have adopted this strategy to increase their populations vis-a-vis "secular", educated muslims too.

Is this what you are refering to?

Re: # 14

Riaz:

Good to know that you are always cool. I always felt that you must be. Life is too short, and journey can be more enjoyable.

Rashid Malik,

Not to be presumptuous, but please take PuffedUp's so called "Knowledge" that he freely dumps on unsuspecting folks with a huge fist of salt.

You may have a very serious, reasoned discourse with a lot wider participation if you can keep the snake-oil salesmen out of your board. If the PuffedUp Madrassa Alumnus Worldwide is offering to leave your board, I urge you to consider his offer and seriously ask him to leave. Try it please, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

You have already heard the sum total of his so called "knowledge" ad nauseum. He spouts it in his every single interact. It has sickened even Khyber & (~!@#$%^)32

I am willing to bet he won't get lost :-)

Re: # 17
That was perhaps an unwarranted assumption because I cannot back it up with concrete evidence but the abandonment of population planning is a fact.

Re: # 16

MalikRashid Said - "Since Zia came to power in 1977 the outlook changed and population explosion perhaps suited the strategy of Islamabad"

Which strategy?

Re: # 12
There was some noticeable effort by the government in the early 70s. There were ads on TV, bill-boards and news papers. Free contraception was distributed. Since Zia came to power in 1977 the outlook changed and population explosion perhaps suited the strategy of Islamabad. I have not seen much done since then.

Riaz, I really appreciate your participation and learn from your articles and posts. I envy your strength of persuasion. We have differences of opinion on the role of Pakistan army/ISI but unlike others you do not support the obscurantist outlook projected from the top in Islamabad. I did not mean to offend you but difference in our opinion should not end a healthy discourse.
Thanks.

Re: # 4
Anil,
Thank, but I am always cool!

I think you need to redo your math.

I am sure you have heard of benchmarking in your work as a consultant. The lines that mention India also mention Pakistan and other nations for comparison purposes.
Riaz Haq, PakAlumni Worldwide

Re: # 10
malikrashid, When I read your articles and contribute my thoughts by dissecting, critiquing and putting them data/facts regional perspective, my assumption is that you want it to constructive.

So I am more than a little annoyed when you paint it as "ummah superiority" and agree with a bigot like CoolAl. I know you want to be popular with some of your Indian readers like CoolAl and Bubba, but please don't be blind to the facts/data and criticism I bring to Chowk that they dislike, even abhor because it hurts their inflated image of themselves.
Riaz Haq, PakAlumni Worldwide

Re: # 11

Malik Rashid ji,

Out of curiosity, what are the measures Pakistan has adopted for population control. How do they do the PR?

The reason I ask is - In India in 1980's when I was growing up the Nirodh advertisement (Nirodh was a govt. sponsored free condom) used to be on play every day at 9 pm on national television. And at that time, India had only 2 channels - satellite TV was not yet in. I think most importantly what the Nirodh campaign made sure that Condoms is no longer a taboo word. And their slogan was "Hum do Hamare do".

Re: # 9
TehsinA,
You have identified population growth/poverty, pollution, education and energy. Pakistan government did focus on population planning at some point and I am not sure what the results were. China has tackled this in some ways hence they have rectified their situation. I wonder if this could change without a concerted effort from the top. I agree that poverty, population planning are linked but only individual and community response might not be enough.
Pollution is one good point. Pakistan government has replaced a tax on petroleum by calling it carbon tax. It is funny that a government that has almost zero focus on pollution chooses to levy a carbon tax which many industrialised countries are still debating on.
I think you have pointed at the right problems but I am not sure that a non-governmental approach could make much of a difference. Thanks.

Re: # 6
Thanks. Pakistan collected a mere 9% in tax and the government says it will go up to 9.6% for 2009-10, compared to 17% in India. This looks like a huge difference. Almost doubling revenues in Pakistan could take the country towards eeconomic independence and prosperity. If we could get a comparison in education and health-care between the two and measure them against countries like UK or Canada!
Re#3.
Thanks Shankar
How did India achieve these rates in Infant mortality and literacy? Illiteracy in Pakistan is very high and there is hardly any focus on this issue.
Re#8
Delirium, you raise a very important issue. The government is not sure that the aid promised would be delivered on time and Pakistanis feel helpless for their situation which demands international charity and generosity year after year.
#7. Yes, but more than madressah there are those who have similar ummah superiority dreams within higher echelons of power and society at large. That present a greater danger
according to reports published in US newspapers last week.
Anil and Bubba, thanks.