Pakistan: Cricket World Cup Pakistan didn`t win the 1992 world cup because of just two players. We won because we blended experience (Imran, Javed) with raw talent (Inzy, Wasim, Aqib, Mushy, Ramiz, Sohail). In 2003, Pakistan had too many seniors (Saeed, Inzy, Wasim, Waqar, Rashid) but few foot soldiers. There were 4 captains (or ex-captains) in this team looking over each other`s shoulders. And then there was internal politics and the shadow of match fixing.

In 2007, Pakistan has the right blend of experience and raw talent. Inzy commands respect and handles pressure exceptionally. Yousaf and Younis are excellent lieutenants. Asif, Umar Gul, Razzaq, Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal and (a fit) Shoaib Akhtar can provide enormous firepower.

A laid-back captain & a superbly talented team can still win the World Cup. But even an Imran Khan can`t lead a team to victory, when 3 of its star players are injured. The fate of Pakistan`s 2007 campaign hangs on the physical fitness of Shoaib Akhtar, Asif and Umar Gul.

J&K: The Hopes and Despairs of the Peace Process #10 by harish_hyd

The threats were anonymous meaning ``made by an unidentified person``, you idiot!! You can comment on this case when you have findings of the judicial probe, instead of speculation. Until then STFU.

J&K: The Hopes and Despairs of the Peace Process #7 by harish_hyd

Er..could it be because the Najam Sethis, Cowasjees, and Hamid Mirs are high-profile and very visible?

Well if you really think about it, they have a high-profile because of their courage and hard work. Journalists don`t get prominence just for their type-writing skills.

Hayatullah`s murder is already being probed by a judicial commission set up by the govt. All we know is that Hayatullah went missing in North Waziristan. Nobody (except ofcourse psychic Indians) know who abducted him or who threatened him or whether he received threats.

the countless not-so-well-known are at risk everytime they venture out to do their work

Hmmm...that`s applicable to journalists investigating any lead in any part of the world. That doesn`t tell us much about Hayatullah or Mr. NP.

What rabbit did Mr. NP pull out of his hat to earn a ``death threat`` ??
You don`t have to burden yourself with a reply if you don`t know the answer.

J&K: The Hopes and Despairs of the Peace Process re: NangaPir

After second assassination attempt on my life I decided to keep quiet.

Mr. NP, I kinda find that hard to believe i.e. the assassination attempt part. Anti-establishment journalists and political commentators have been criticizing the generals for over 7 years now, without being hounded. Why would anybody bother to whack you off? What have you written that`s more daring or critical than the Cowasjees, Hamid Mirs et al? I am just curious!!

Huntington\'s Clash of Civilizations Thesis Mr. Asadi, there are shades of George Orwell`s masterpiece 1984 in your characterization of ``Clash of Civilizations``.... i.e. endless war with an enemy who isn`t much different from you.

Both Islamic and Western civilizations adhere to the same capitalist model of political economy. So there is no clash of economic ideologies either.

Of the 50 Islamic states in the world, only a handful are monarchies and/or tyrannical dictatorships (which ironically are supported by the U.S.). Most of the Islamic states are either fully democratic or quasi-democratic. If there was a clash of political systems, the Americans could easily address this by withdrawing support for the Saudis... instead of mounting a war.

The clash of civilizations is really a bid to control the energy resources of the world, because the two civilizations don`t have too many disagreements to speak of.

What Ails the BPO Industry in Pakistan? re: Noman Faisal

There are several stars in the Pakistani BPO industry who have been experiencing double-digit growth in this industry. What sets these apart from rest of the crowd are things:

1. Low operating costs
2. Mature processes for adhering to service level agreements
3. Executive interface with their partners
4. Differentiation

As you have rightly pointed out, a lot of BPO entrepreneurs (and especially call center operators) enter the market with a 3-5 year horizon. Investing in ISO certifications, training and SLA-compliance procedures is not important to these entrepreneurs from a strategic point of view.

Successful BPO firms have selected business opportunities where projected growth is decent and entry barriers are significant. Medical transcriptions e.g. is an area where growth of business may be decent, but entry barriers are few. As a result, a lot of firms entered the market, driving profitability down.

Lack of business acumen, instead of technical skills is the primary reason why most BPO operators fail to take off.

Mohammad Yousuf: A tribute Ahmer,

A dose of orthodox Islam may have cured Yousaf, but it didn`t revive the careers of Saeed Anwar and Saqlain Mushtaq. Their confidence and technical flaws aggravated after their ``conversion``.

For every Mohamamd Yousaf, there is a John McEnroe or Imran Khan who plays best when he has worked up an anger... or been dating a trophy girlfriend.

The Great Wrong As a Punjabi, I have no problem with an administrative bifurcation of Punjab into two provinces. But I will not stand for this bifurcation if it is only meant to increase the power of politicians from NWFP, Sindh or Baluchistan.

Remember the land reforms of 1972?

The land reforms were implemented in full force in Punjab. But in Sindh and Baluchistan the jagirdari system continues unabated, 34 years later. Those reforms weakened the Punjabi feudals but didn`t weaken the Sindhi, Pashtun and Baluchi ones. Division of Punjab will strengthen the Altaf Hussains, Bhuttos, Asfandyar Walis and Ataullah Mengals.

But will it make any difference to common Sindhi, Baluchi or Pashtun? That case has not been made yet by anybody in a convincing manner.

Indian Muslims #416 by arjun2

[Muslims in America, for the most part, aren`t hung up on the islamist cr@p]

You probably didn`t hear about Sami al-Arian, Shoebomber, CAIR`s vociferous protests on Pennsylvania Ave, and the Buffalo sleeper cells. Unlike India, Americans don`t use extremism of the few as a pretext for collective punishment.

This principle is exclusive to Israelis and Hindus of Northern India, in the contemporary world.

Indian Muslims re: #422 harimau

[The latter has been Pakistan`s wet dream for 59 years and it ain`t going to happen. ]

Who wants to amputate a patient that`s dying from internal bleeding anyway??

Indian Muslims re: #422 by harimau

[That is what you have been saying about Kashmir too. Doesn`t look like it is the reality.]

Funny that you say that, especially when just 4 months ago just 12 guys brought India`s financial center to a standstill. Now that wasn`t happening 10 years ago was it??

Indian Muslims #412

You must be referring to Indian Hindus when you used the term ``Indians`` coz the Indian Muslims are indeed pondering the idea of Muslim majority districts (read post #409 again).

Since old ideas and policies have failed to solve the IM economic and human rights problem, Indian Hindus will either have to offer ``new ideas`` (judging by their stale stand on Kashmir, I find that unlikely)... or ultimately accept whatever solution the IMs propose.

Like I said in post #414, the status quo is not sustainable.

Indian Muslims re: ##411

Out of 545 parliamentary districts, just 11 have a Muslim majority. Communal harmony, village committees and employment are slightly better in these districts. Maybe because [Hindu] majority politics didn`t take root?

Unemployment and human rights abuses are a nation-wide problem for IMs, but not a ``national`` problem because it does not affect Hindus to the same extent.

Therefore a special nation-wide solution for IMs is necessary. Separate electorates, special budgetary allocations or muslim majority districts are one solution. Genocide and a second partition of India are another solution.

Either way, the status quo is not sustainable.

Indian Muslims re: #410 by arjun2

Muslims immigrants in U.S. are prosperous..maybe problem is with govts of UK & India?

Indian Muslims An India Muslim academic from MIT makes the case for Muslim-majority districts in India...

Indian minority empowerment through political representation

By M Ayub Khan
The Milli Gazette Online

[Complete Article]

Numerous studies of democracies around the world have shown that minority representation strengthens representational links, promotes positive attitudes toward government, and encourages political participation. One study of the United States and New Zealand showed that redistricting of electoral constituencies to maximize the number of black voters in the former and reserving of seats exclusively for voters of Maori descent in the latter has led to a marked increase in minority representation in their national legislatures (Minority Representation, Empowerment and Participation by Susan Banducci, Todd Donovan and Jeffret A. Karp). It is a known fact that minorities in India are not adequately represented in the nation’s political institutions. Correcting this flaw in our democracy demands the urgent attention of the decision makers before these communities get further marginalized.

Several innovative as well as not so innovative solutions to this problem have been suggested. Dr.Krishnasamy of Tamil Nadu’s Puthiya Thamizhagam for instance is calling for a separate electorate for schedule castes and tribes. This demand was first made by Ambedkar in 1931. Krishnasamy dismisses claims that separate electorates would further divide the society: ``It is a fact that Indian society is divided along caste lines. Even after 57 years of independence, nowhere in the country are inter-caste marriages a norm.`` In this regard, the Puthiya Thamizhagam and Piranthamann Trust of Tamil Nadu even organized a national seminar last December with several politicians, activists and academics of note in attendance. Surprisingly, there was no reaction to this seminar from the Sangh Parivar.

But when Dr.Omar Khalidi, the Hyderabad born MIT academic, suggested another way for improving Muslim representation, he was attacked for allegedly advocating the ``Islamization`` of India. Explaining his call for creating Muslim majority districts in an interview to the Radiance he said : ``We need Muslim-majority districts for three reasons. First, concentrated areas provide security. Second, they provide an environment that is conducive to our cultural independence. Third, they provide a political base through which our people can be elected. At present, constituencies have been created in a way that our numbers don`t add up to elect adequate legislators.... Hyderabad and Rangareddy in Andhra Pradesh and Gulbarga and certain talukas could be merged to create a Deccan province. Similarly in Bihar, the regions of Katihar, Kishanganj and Purniya can be made into an Urdu-speaking province or a Union Territory. There are regions in Bengal and UP where Muslims can be in majority. Though, a large number of Muslims would still be left out, having these strongholds is important for their future. This would ensure proper political representation in States and we would have our voice in Parliament.... A decade ago, it was not fashionable to talk about reservation for Muslims. Today, Muslims have reservation in Kerala and Karnataka. In Andhra, too, we are likely to get reservation. Don`t judge everything from what`s happening today. Huq liye jaten hain pesh nahin kiye jate.``

Dina Nath Mishra writing in The Pioneer (Feb.26, 2005) claimed that Khalidi’s suggestions are nothing but a call to ``Islamise the whole world.``

``Jehadis are fighting for it. In India, they, too, have an agenda. Dr Khalidi has just put it in words and has, in fact, given a clarion call. Jinnah propounded the `Two-Nation Theory` and carved out a nation of Dar-ul-Islam (land of believers). The rest of India is Dar-ul-Harb (land of non-believers) which needs to be conquered,`` Mishra wrote.

One is at pains to understand where in the interview has Khalidi given such a call. Examining his thesis in the light of current events reveals that there is some merit to it. Security is of utmost importance for all Indian Muslims after what happened in Gujarat in 2002. A community cannot pull itself from poverty and illiteracy if it lives in constant fear for its safety. Muslim concentrated areas if not an ideal solution seem to be the only alternative for the near future. As a matter of fact such ghettos are already a reality. After the indiscriminate Gujarat massacres even the educated elite has permanently moved to Muslim areas. Investigative reports by NDTV and others have shown that even if they want to, Muslims are unlikely to get accommodation in majority dominated neighborhoods in urban areas. Apart from safety such concentrated areas ensure that Muslims are able to maintain their cultural identity in the multi-cultural democracy of ours. These politico-cultural enclaves will, more importantly, send Muslim candidates in numbers that are proportional to their numbers to political office.

It is important to note here that Khalidis’ is but one possible solution to address the dismal figures of Muslim and other minority representation. Several other options like the open list proportional representation system where parties are given seats in proportion to votes that they get via their candidates can be explored.

Far from leading to another partition or ``Islamizing`` of India such an exercise would further strengthen the faith of Muslims in India’s democracy and remove the divisions and disparities of the society. Doubters are advised to read what experts have to say on this issue. ``It is increasingly being recognized that an electoral system can help to ``engineer`` co-operation and accommodation in a divided society. Electoral system design is now accepted as being of crucial importance to wider issues of governance, and as probably the most influential of all political institutions,`` says The International IDEA Handbook of Electoral System Design,`` published by International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, Stockholm, Sweden. It is high time for India’s electoral system to undergo an overhaul. «

Indian Muslims Dear Arjun

Unlike Pakistanis in UK, Indian Muslims are not immigrants to India. They made India. You didn`t eat paint chips as a kid, did you?