ANY SOP'S FOR AIR SAFETY OR DISASTER MANAGEMENT?

The tragic air crash that consumed 152 precious lives has not only exposed the incompetence of the management gurus of the federal capital, disaster management and civil defence, but also highlighted, yet another time, the lack of coordination amongst the federal cabinet members, which only helped increase the chaos and miseries of the families looking for information about their loved ones.

Sitting in a chamber of parliament, our seniors at the Senate were in a state of grief, but equally dismayed at the poor performance of the cabinet members, the Capital Development Authority administration as well as the National Disaster Management Authority. Those, even from the People’s Party, agreed at the government’s apathy and the non-existence of any standard operating procedure (SOP) to block any unwanted flying object, not only in the no-fly zone of Islamabad, but also over the Diplomatic Enclave, the Presidency, the Prime Minister’s House, the Parliament House and, of course, the Supreme Court building. Why this flight was not interrupted the moment it entered the highly-sensitive area and has anyone cared about this at all or not, asked one of the seasoned senators from Punjab.

Just as nobody would ever know the cause of this crash, nobody would be bothered to find out that a pilot in his mid-60s, reportedly fasting and up all night for the Shab-e-Baraat, was allowed by AirBlue to fly with 152 people onboard, said a senator from Karachi. A knowledgeable former pilot sitting amidst the senators informed them that rumours were flying around that the pilot panicked when he was informed about violation of the no-fly zone and he might have committed the deadly mistake that cost him his life. The senators, however, were more interested in talking about the gaffes of the federal cabinet members throughout the incident-day. If it was Interior Malik, who pushed everyone to break the barriers, both at the crash site and at PIMS after announcing on one of the TV networks that six survivors have been rescued, then it was our Info-Champ Kaira who announced that the black box had been found, they said.

Another said if Interior Malik was announcing to probe any possibility of terrorism or sabotage, then a look-busy-do-nothing sort of Defence Minister Ahmed Mukhtar refused to consider this as sabotage. This perhaps enraged a senator from Karachi, who said that Mukhtar should better focus on his sons’ adventures in the US, which include, but are not limited to, gateway tele-exchanges, instead of venturing into ministry affairs, which in anyway are run by someone else and not by him.

Ironically, the situation was not that different on the administrative front, where seven various rescues agencies were occupying the Margalla Hills without even any clue as to how to drop their ill-prepared, ill-trained and ill-equipped rescue staff to the crash site. Had it not been for PAF choppers and the aviation rescue units of the army, it would have taken them a day to reach the spot, confided a reliable mole within the CDA.

The Capital Development Authority, which is supposed to look after and ensure the smooth functioning and planning of the city, proved again that they can best be used to find out plots for bureaucrats, politicians, judges, journalists, DMG batch mates or exhaust their budget on buying cheap land at higher rates from middle-men of the Oceanic town-cons, but when asked to provide rescue services, were found lacking. As per CDA Chairman Imtiaz Elahi, he had deputed over 500 people for rescue operations, but in shalwar kameez, with no fire-fighting gear, climbing kits or even proper rain-boots, adding that they were only combing the bushes and looting the remains of the ill-fated victims.

How much each of them and many other civilian rescuers have plundered is anyone’s guess, confided one of the rescue workers, who managed to get hold of only a Rado watch from one of the limbs, 150 metres away from the crash site. Does Imtiaz Elahi know about this? One can only hope for a better answer from him, if he is free from administrative and financial juggling. Nevertheless, we heard just a few days back that the salary bill of the Capital Development Authority has jumped from Rs 7 billion to over Rs 9 billion, out of the total budget of Rs 28 billion. Yet, we continue to hear stories of undue promotions of officers and placements of junior officials at higher positions on the basis of their ‘exemplary work’. Instead of asking for training and fire-brigade stations/equipment, we continue to hear that the wife of an officer is using a newly-bought Prado of the CDA or official vehicles meant for staff usage are being used for pick and drop services to officers’ wives from beauty parlours or their children from the best private schools around.Then there was Gen Nadeem from the much-hyped-about National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), whose agency continued to flip-flop throughout the crash-day by giving misleading figures – and figures were all they remained restricted to. As one senator friend reminded us that how could we forget the ‘good work’ of the NDMA during Cyclone Phet, which was highlighted in the previous session of the Senate when a number of senators spoke on the plight of the people living in the coastal areas of Balochistan, which have been battered by the cyclone.

Records show that senators Kalsoom Parveen, Rehana Yahya, Hasil Bizenjo and Sabir Baloch raised their voices about the issue, as they claimed that more than 2500 Cyclone Phet-affected people were living under open skies in more than 40 coastal villages of Gwadar, Ormara, Sonmiani and Pasni and the NDMA had failed to reach them.

So it is better to leave them to deal with the donors, digitised presentations and building grand bungalows in posh localities of the city, added a Baloch senator. About the district administration of Islamabad and civil defence, it’s better to leave them for some other time.

Courtesy Saeed Minhas

Daily Times, July 30,2010

THE 'NOT SO' LESSER HALF

By Andleeb Abbas

A working woman carries a negative perception in society, especially if she is a businesswoman. Parents feel that her chances of attracting a good marital prospect go down because she is not perceived as good material for focusing on the house and family

The privilege, or peril, of being a woman depends not only on the culture in which you live, but also the beliefs that you have nurtured within. Women are equal to men in rights but unequal to men in approach and abilities. That does not mean there is a superiority contest but simply a difference of strengths, which is actually complementary rather than supplementary.

Any country, especially a developing country, needs contribution by both men and women to really emerge out of the status of the nations not really there. In this context Pakistan has a lot to make up for. The Economic Intelligence Unit, which publishes an annual report on the women’s economic opportunity index, has placed Pakistan at 108 out of a total of 113 countries. As usual, all other South Asian countries are better placed than Pakistan with India at 84 and Bangladesh at 104.

One of the basic reasons is access to education. Education improves a woman’s prospects of finding employment or initiating a business venture. Even in this category, i.e. of education and training, women in Pakistan stand at 23rd place compared to India at 11 and Sri Lanka at 18. Mere numbers are also not true representatives of the real story behind the non-contribution of this sector. The type of education and the attitude towards the purpose of education and training, both in the rural and urban areas, also strongly determines whether this facility will actually activate women in the country to become a productive part of the workforce or not.

However, having a more educated populace is not a guarantee of more female participation in the economy. Many studies have proved that poor people are unwilling to invest in female education because the return on this investment is not very fruitful. Poverty is a factor that does affect the decision of sending children to school but those who send their daughters to charity schools often complain about the discouraging environment of these schools and the unproductive learning in them. Most poor parents feel that sending their daughters to school actually has an unsettling effect on them not only financially but psychologically as well. They are sent to school instead of working at home or in the fields and, thus, there is an opportunity cost. The education they get rarely enhances their chances of earning better and instead creates frustration as they find themselves to be misfits in their homes and culture. Thus the unrest created by the awareness of a better world but the inability and lack of opportunity to get to that better world make parents feel that perhaps ignorance really is bliss.

Here it is important to distinguish between the formal and informal employment market. The females of the rural areas may not be doing a formally documented and structured job but many of them are taking care of the cattle at home or working in the fields to support their families. Even in the cities, the poor family female is employed in households carrying out mostly menial chores. Most of the time, you may find that the male members are unemployed while their female counterparts are constantly working. Another strange phenomenon is that, in cities, where the education levels are much higher, the corresponding levels of female employment and entrepreneurship are very low. The proportion of females going for higher education has been increasing. In professional fields like medicine and business, increasingly we see female enrolment going up, but does this registration enhancement actually translate into a practical productive workforce increase is a question that ends up with a negative answer. What are the reasons for this discrepancy amongst professional studies and practical economic participation? Many studies have pointed out that cultural factors are hindering female employment or entrepreneurship opportunities. A working woman carries a negative perception in society, especially if she is a businesswoman. Parents feel that her chances of attracting a good marital prospect go down because she is not perceived as good material for focusing on the house and family. This perception is also fuelled by the fact that a male chauvinistic culture still persists where an aware and independent woman is seen as a challenge to male superiority and is thus shunned in preference for the meek and demure damsel in distress who is totally dependent on the whims and fancies of the in-laws and husband.

Despite these cultural and economic constraints, one party responsible for the low economic participation is females themselves. The prevailing mindset of many of our educated and blessed females is still of waiting for things to happen rather than making them happen. It is astonishing how girls outshine boys in medicine, in business, and in media studies. But it is equally astonishing how few of them are ready to go through the rigour of the discipline or struggle required to make it in practical life. Most of them blame the environment but they are to be blamed themselves as well. They want to be given equal status with their male counterparts but, when it comes to workloads and timings, they want to be given preferential treatment. Many of those who are working do not have a serious career-oriented approach. Either work is a good pastime or just an economic necessity. The ability to look at work as an ingrained opportunity to learn, develop, earn and discover one’s passion is very rare, with the result that many of them end up conjuring excuses for their preference of not having the courage and conviction to balance life both at home and in the office.

In most emerging countries like India and China, women contribute substantially to the economy. We, as a country, must own up that we have not provided enough opportunities for our women to really educate themselves and become more productive. We, as a culture, must own up that we are not ready to accept women in the non-traditional role of an independent decision maker. We, as women, must own up that we have not broken free of our mental shackles and made an honest effort to really contribute meaningfully. By owning up and acting on these three imperatives we can definitely challenge the best in the world.

The writer is a consultant and can be reached at andleeb@franklincoveysouthasia.com

Courtesy DAILY TIMES July 25, 2010

OBSESSION FOR BIG CATS

Scientists find cheetahs and jaguars attracted to Calvin Klein fragrance

Big game cats like lions or tigers are attracted to Calvin Klein's Obsession for Men more than any other fragrance, scientists have found.

Researchers at the Wildlife Conservation Society's Bronz Zoo in New York experimented with a range of different fragrances and how two cheetahs reacted to them.

To their surprise, the cats spent more than 11 minutes sniffing and nuzzling up to a tree sprayed with Obsession for Men.

The perfume's effect on big cats is so potent that it is even used in the field by conservationists.

One program director in Guatemala has been using the perfume since 2007 to to try and determine the jaguar's population in the jungle.

Roan Balas McNab who works in a a protected tropical forest uses the perfume's unique properties to keep jaguars still enough so that he can take images of them using motion-sensitive cameras.

'But this technique is only effective if animals pass through the cameras' detection range and we get adequate photos,' Mr. McNab told the Wall Street Journal.

After hearing about its potency, his team tried spraying the perfume onto a rag tied to a stake in the ground.

To their amazement three times as many jaguars walked by and those that did lingered nearby making them far easier to identify.

The use of Obsession has even led to the researchers being able to capture footage of jaguar's mating rituals, something that had been rarely seen before the perfume was used.

'We're just starting to get an idea of how jaguars behave in their habitat,' Mr. McNab says. 'Before we used Obsession for Men we weren't able to get these images at all.'

Obsession for Men launched in 1986, just as the Calvin Klein brand was pushing the boundaries of sexuality in advertising. Early ads typically featured nude models and little else.

Ann Gottlieb, one of the creators of Obsession for Men's distinctive cat-friendly scent says the scent had synthetic 'animal' notes.

'It's a combination of this lickable vanilla heart married to this fresh green top note—it creates tension,' she told the paper. 'It sparks curiosity with humans and, apparently, animals.'

One of the main problems for scientists is being able to source enough of Obsession for Men as it is hard to find in shops near where much of the research is carried out.

COURTESY MAIL

SMILING INCREASES YOUR HAPPINESS: STUDY

If you have undergone a Botox treatment, you should smile more often to feel happier, suggests a new research.

Botox, used to fight facial wrinkles, is made of an extremely toxic protein called Botulinum toxin that temporarily paralyses the muscles that cause creases. So, your face looks frozen if you don’t have facial expressions at all.

Now the lack of facial expressions may influence emotional experiences as well, the research found. Which means, that being unable to smile when you are happy feeds back to the brain reducing the intensity of feeling.

"With Botox, a person can respond otherwise normally to an emotional event, [such as] a sad movie scene, but will have less movement in the facial muscles that have been injected, and therefore less feedback to the brain about such facial expressivity," The Telegraph quoted researcher Joshua Davis, a psychologist at Barnard College in New York, as saying.

In a before-and-after experiment, researchers noted the facial expressions and emotional experiences of some patients who were injected with Botox and found that they exhibited an overall significant decrease in the strength of emotional experience.

AGENCIES

YAWNING- 'A SIGN OF SEXUAL ATTRACTION'

The next time you yawn in front of others, be a bit careful, for a new study says that yawning is a sign of sexual attraction rather than a desire to sleep.

Scientists have claimed at the first International Conference on Yawning held in Paris that the act can actually demonstrate a range of emotions, including interest, stress and even wanting to have sex. However, they are not yet able to differentiate between a yawn that signifies erotic arousal and simply the need to catch some sleep, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Much about yawning remains a mystery, despite the fact that the average person yawns 240,000 times in a lifetime. Scientists still don't know exactly why we do it but - though it is certain that the favourite theory that it provides extra oxygen to the brain is completely wrong.

Wolter Seuntjens, a Dutch academic who is a pioneer in chasmology (the science of yawn studies) was quoted as saying, "We can send a man to the Moon but we cannot explain this most trivial of acts."

The concept of the erotic yawn was created after Seuntjens noted that many sexologists were consulted by people who yawned during sex or foreplay.

Courtesy PTI

Motorcyclists’ helmets just to avoid tickets, not for safety

Use of substandard helmets on the rise:
Motorcyclists’ helmets just to avoid tickets, not for safety

By Mahtab Bashir

ISLAMABAD: The use of substandard helmets by the motorcyclists is on the rise as a number of people could be witnessed on the city roads wearing such helmets and sprinting their bikes while risking their life.

Some time back, Islamabad traffic police (ICT) had made it mandatory for the motorcyclists to wear the helmet to save them from fatal head injuries in case of any accident. However a large number of motorcyclists are using helmets that are made of sub-standard material and put them in trouble instead of providing them safety in case of accidents.

A survey by Daily Times revealed that there are a number of poorly designed helmets being used by motorcyclists. Most of the motorcyclists said they were using helmets not for their safety but to avoid ticketing against traffic rules violation.

Interestingly, motorcyclists are using helmets made of cheap plastic material because of their cheap rates, thus putting their lives in danger. Some helmets are just the size of P-caps, while some are meant for use of cyclists.

Most of the people said ITP were using the helmet law since 2005 as a ‘rich and inexhaustible source’ of revenue. “This is their ‘lifesaving drug’ to which they turn to whenever they feel they are falling short of the monthly challans target,” said the people.

ITP issue tickets for violation of many other rules like registration documents, driving license, headlights, indicators, number plates, but the helmet remains on the top in term of number of challans, said a motorcyclist.

Motorcyclists talking to Daily Times demanded that the authorities delete Section 89-A of the Motor Vehicles Ordinance 1965, under which the government demanded people wear helmets. They said imposition of a restriction without specifying the consequential penalty for violation was illogical and absurd. They said the condition of roads, severity of the weather and other circumstances did not substantiate the government’s decision.

A motorcyclist suggested that the government did not bind the public wear helmets but the same should be made compulsory while driving two-wheelers on the highways. He also suggested that the government introduce a specifically designed helmet for motorcyclists.

Waseem Elahi, a banker who is driving motorbike for last 10 years, said there was no benefit of wearing helmet at all, as sub-standard safety helmets use was going unchecked. “Substandard helmets make riders still vulnerable to fatal head injuries, but authorities concerned are least bothered about it,” he said.

“We are left with no option but to sell industrial helmets as the imported ones are very costly,” said a trader at G-9 Markaz. He said all the helmets were made of plastic and fiber and the material was not of international standards and it is not sure whether wearing this helmet gives protection to riders or not. He said people were using these helmets to avoid ticketing.

ITP: Talking to Daily Times, ITP Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Dr Sultan Azam Temuri said the government has implemented section 69-A of the Motor Vehicle Ordinance 1965, and section 239-A of the Motor Vehicle Rules 1969, which make compulsory for a motorcyclist to wear a helmet. “ITP have implemented this law in Islamabad in 2005 purely for the safety of bike riders,” he said.

Temuri said ITP had not recommended any specifically designed helmet, rather helmets made of any material, shape, colour or standard was accepted. Since helmet’s use has been made mandatory for the safety of rider, it is recommended that helmet should meet the standard that could save him in case of an accident, he added.

Law: Ahmed Raza, an advocate, said Section 89-A had not been enforced for 25 years and its implementation now, did not make any sense. He said Section 89-A was a violation of Article 25 of the Constitution as it only made mandatory for the driver of motorbike to wear a helmet. He said the law required that the passenger too wear a helmet.

An official of ITP said in year 2009, they recorded 27,986 helmet violation cases and thus ITP earned Rs 27,98,600 revenue. “Around 100 cases daily are being registered for violation of this clause.

Replying to a question, the official said the person who could not wear helmet on medical grounds would have to appear before a medical board of the ITP hospital and get an exemption for a specified period.

published in Daily Times Thursday, August 27, 2009

LONG LIVE THE KING (of Ghazal)

By Muhammad Mahtab Bashir
Islamabad

Shunning the notion federal capital as culturally dormant city, a flood of Islooiites at Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) received 85 years old ailing Mehdi Hassan- a living legend in ghazal singing known as ‘King Of Ghazal’, and a former playback singer for Lollywood.

Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) arranged three day ‘Ghazal Festival’ and hosted a red carpet reception on Saturday night in honour of Mehdi Hassan, to pay tribute to his illustrious career in ghazal singing and to promote ghazal singing for generation to come.

Filled with euphoria, people from all walks of life majority of them included singers, actors, musicians, writers, poets, diplomats, government officials and students, received Shahanshah-e-Ghazal (the King of Ghazal) in a ‘Royal Reception’ who entered PNCA premises riding in a traditional Buggy.

Culture secretary, Moinul Islam Bokhari, PNCA chief Tauqir Nasir, Lok Virsa ED, Khalid Javed and CDA official Mustafain Kazmi were among the prominent persons on the occasion.

Scores of girls and boys dressed in a variety of regional costumes showered rose petals with a welcome tunes in a background ‘Ye Watan Tumhara Hay- Tum Ho Pasbaan Iskay”- a national song sung by Mehdi Hassan, who was on wheelchair. A number of flower bouquet were presented to Khan sahib from member of various organizations.

Addressing in a 412-seated packed auditorium, Secretary culture, Moinul Islam Bokhari in his inaugural address said that culture ministry has arranged this ‘Ghazal Festival’ to pay homage and tribute to Ghazal maestro Mehdi Hassan who is an asset for the country. “With the bad health, Mehdi Hassan managed to come here and it is indeed an ecstatic moment for all of us, and made this night a memorable,” Bokhari said adding Mehdi Hassan is the undisputed master of the Ghazal, who has left such an indelible mark in the field of Ghazal gayaki that almost all the ghazal singers of today are influenced by him.

PNCA Director General Tauqir Nasir said that it was a dream of PNCA to host a reception to pay tribute to the services of living legend Mehdi Hassan made in Ghazal singing. “It is a dream come true and Khan sahib are among us as he is the hero (groom of the night),” Nasir said.

He said today we would also celebrate the recovery of health of Mehdi Hassan as well. “He is an asset for the nation and we must acknowledge, respect and recognise the classical singing and expertise of Khan sahib. He is one in a millions,” PNCA DG said.

Paying rich tribute to the services of the music maestro, Nasir said that Mehdi Hassan has given a unique style to ghazal- singing in the sub-continent, and his rich voice has touched the hearts of all listeners through decades. “Khan sahib is like a stream and the flow of that stream makes way for itself. We have to let that stream flowing and make it sure our next generation would take benefit out of the water of this stream, Nasir concluded.

CDA member administration, Syed Mustafain Kazmi on the occasion said that CDA is proud to announce that Shakarparian Theatre is going to be dedicated by the name of Mehdi Hassan- a classical music prodigy.

Later, Sara Raza, Barar Niazi, Javed Niazi, Ali Raza, Muhammad Ali, Nadeem Abbas Loonewala, Asid Mehdi, Humaira Channa and Ghulam Abbas sung classical ghazals previously sung by Mehdi Hassan. Over 30 ghazal singers all over the country, performed ghazal recitation at National Art Gallery (NAG) during three day festival. ‘The Ghazal Festival’ concluded on March 24 (Monday).

It is pertinent to mention here that Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani in 2008, announced Rs 50,000 per month life-time assistance for the legendary singer Mehdi Hassan, who is still suffering from ill health caused by a paralytic stroke, terming him an asset to the country who had earned a great name for Pakistan and the people and the country.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010%5C05%5C24%5Cstory_24-5-2010_pg11_6

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010%5C05%5C25%5Cstory_25-5-2010_pg11_5

Courtesy DAILY TIMES