THE 3G & 4G AUCTION

Since Finance Minister Ishaq Dar’s declared intention to raise Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves, expected revenue from a 3G and 4G telecom licence auction was part of the government’s calculations. Initially the government expected as much as $ 1.5 billion from the auctio

n. However, recently that amount inflated to $ 2 billion and numbers as high as $ 5 billion were quoted. Simple arithmetic shows that these numbers do not add up; if three licences worth (at base) $ 295 million and three worth $ 210 million were auctioned, the total amount raised would still be $ 1.5 billion. 

Moreover, even achieving that lower figure required auctioning all 3G and 4G spectrums as well as an available 2G spectrum bandwidth in the first round of bidding. Anyone could have told the finance minister that selling six spectrum blocks to five telecom operators favoured the buyers. While spectrum bandwidth is a limited resource, each company also has to take into account its subscriber base and the rate of conversion to 3G it expects, since Pakistan’s smart-phone penetration is still only 15 percent of total cellular use. One company’s withdrawal from the bidding did not surprise industry professionals, since it reportedly faces financial difficulties and was even being considered for sale earlier this year. 

Hence, effectively four operators were in the running. Hopes of foreign players driving up the bidding were always speculative given their non-participation in the market so far. Reports say that two foreign companies that were interested do not maintain existing 2G networks and also wanted monopoly rights to 3G access that would have undermined existing operators. Realistically then, the government should have expected around $ 1.2 billion from the initial auction; still a respectable number. It has now ended up with dashed hopes because of an overly optimistic Ministry of Information Technology (IT) assessment. 
The importance of 3G and 4G technology to the economy should not be underrated. Telecommunications infrastructure is today a vital part of any nation’s development needs. Pakistan has had 3G-capable networks since 2008 and it was only licensing concerns that left operators unable to provide the technology to consumers. Both 3G and 4G technology rely on fibre optic cables that improve data transfer and connectivity between users, which is essential for research institutions, hospitals, and universities looking to share information. Converting copper lines to fibre optic cable is a priority for the Universal Services Fund (USF) to improve internet access, particularly in remote parts of the country. 

The internet itself is a vital educational and informational tool, whose full power has not yet been realised in Pakistan because of data transfer constraints and limited accessibility. As the basis for a knowledge economy, cutting edge data transfer mechanisms are vital if Pakistan is to realise its potential as a financial and information hub. Moving to modern fibre networks will only be possible once telecom operators feel there is enough demand for their services to make it feasible for them to undertake the expenditure. Hence growth in 3G demand will drive data development. Pakistan is also developing indigenous smart-phone technology and a thriving sub-market for refurbished smart-phones that drive small businesses and entrepreneurship.
The initial auction itself should not be viewed as a failure but a slight embarrassment for the government, which should have known better than to make its recent claims. The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the final auction go ahead on April 23, and it may yet prove to be more profitable once bidding ends. One cannot fault the finance minister, who relied on assessments from the IT Ministry that apparently painted a rosier picture than was true. 

What the ministry had to gain from this rather than presenting realistic expectations is anyone’s guess. This episode shows that in certain administrative fields, responsibility must be borne by industry professionals with technical experience and in depth industry knowledge, who can accurately assess market sentiments. In the meantime, Pakistan’s 132 million cell-phone subscribers can look forward to improved data services on their phones and broader internet access.

Courtesy: Daily Times

A PAGE OF MY DIARY

MUHAMMAD MAHTAB BASHIR

Islamabad

+92 333 53 63 248

mahtabbashir@gmail.com

"When April winds / Grew soft, the maple burst into a flush / Of scarlet flowers. / The tulip tree, high up, / Opened in airs of June her multiple / OF golden chalices to humming birds / And silken-wing'd insects of the sky."

- William Cullen Bryant, "The Fountain"

Started with the April 1^st- a day supposedly attributed a Fool’s Day; the month of April has put on a significant influence on my life. According to official documents (CNIC card & Matriculation DMS) I was born on 19^th day of this month, I tied the knot with Lalarukh Farooq (on April 28), while my Nikkah (the wedlock) ceremony followed by Walima reception fall in the same month (30^th April, 2012). In this very month, I’ve started my two weeks (April 23, 2011) maiden foreign excursion (to Indonesia & Bangkok) and last but surely not the least, Allah Almighty gifted me a little angel (April 12, 2014) in the shape of a baby boy (Muhammad Ibrahim).

Fast forwarding, this auspicious month of April brings a lot good to me as I pray it will continue to shower blessings upon me and my family as the going gets on!!! Having born on 19^th and 12^th of April, I along my little angel join the ‘Arian Club’ (March 21- April 19).  

According to tarot (horoscope), Aries is the first sign of the zodiac, and that's pretty much how those born under this sign see themselves: first. Aries are the leaders of the pack, first in line to get things going. Whether or not everything gets done is another question altogether, for an Aries prefers to initiate rather than to complete. The leadership displayed by Aries is most impressive, so don't be surprised if they (we) can rally the troops against seemingly insurmountable odds -- they (we) have that kind of personal magnetism. An Aries won't shy away from new ground, either. Those born under this sign are often called the pioneers of the zodiac, and it's their fearless trek into the unknown that often wins the day. Aries is a bundle of energy and dynamism, kind of like a Pied Piper, leading people along with its charm and charisma. The dawning of a new day -- and all of its possibilities -- is pure bliss to an Aries. :-) 

DODGE PRANKSTERS OR THEY WILL DODGE YOU!

 "April 1. This is the day upon which we are reminded of what we are on the other three hundred and sixty-four." - Mark Twain

MAHTAB BASHIR, 

ISLAMABAD

mahtabbashir@gmail.com

Beware folks today is April Fool's Day. So be on your toes and mentally alert for unforeseen pranks, practical jokes and other forms of mischief. Some people love to spend days thinking up gags to pull on their friends and family, while others love a little impromptu prank here and there. On the day, most people, especially youngsters, make fun of others by telling fake stories and hitting them with practical jokes.

The day has assumed the shape of the 'funniest day' of the year in some countries, as people send greetings, jokes and exchange funny SMSs to their. Unlike most of the other non-foolish holidays, the history of April Fool's Day, sometimes called All Fool's Day, is not totally clear.

The closest point in time that can be identified as the beginning of this tradition was in 1582, in France. Prior to that year, the New Year was celebrated for eight days, beginning on March 25.

However, communications being what they were in the days when news traveled by foot, many people did not receive the news for several years.

Others, the more obstinate crowd, refused to accept the new calendar and continued to celebrate the New Year on April 1.

The general populace labeled these backward folk as "fools". They were subject to some ridicule, and were often sent on "fools errands" or were made the butt of other practical jokes.

This harassment evolved, over time, into a tradition of prank playing on the first day of April. The tradition eventually spread to England and Scotland in the eighteenth century.

April Fool's Day thus developed into an international fun-festival, so to speak, with different nationalities specializing in their own brand of humor at the expense of their friends and families.

In Scotland, for example, April Fool's Day is actually celebrated for two days. The second day is devoted to pranks involving the posterior region of the body. It is called Taily Day. Practical jokes are a common practice on April Fool's Day. Sometimes, elaborate practical jokes are played on friends or relatives that last the entire day.

The news media even gets involved. For instance, a British short film once shown on April Fool's Day was a fairly detailed documentary about "spaghetti farmers" and how they harvest their crop from the spaghetti trees.

April Fool's Day is a "for-fun-only" observance. Nobody is expected to buy gifts or to take their "significant other" out to eat in a fancy restaurant.

Nobody gets off work or school. It's simply a fun little holiday in most part of the world, but a holiday on which one must remain forever vigilant, for he may be the next April Fool. Beware!

Published in Daily Times http://archives.dailytimes.com.pk/islamabad/01-Apr-2010/april-fool-s-day-dodge-pranksters-or-they-will-dodge-you

TERRORISTS STRIKE AGAIN ON MEDIA PERSON

Despite fearful rhetoric to the contrary, terrorism is not a transcendent threat. A terrorist attack cannot possibly destroy our country's way of life; it's only our reaction to that attack that can do that kind of damage.

The horrific incident of an attack on Express TV’s anchor Raza Rumi in Lahore on Friday night underlines the precarious condition of security for the media in Pakistan. Two motorcyclists, who Rumi thinks were waiting to ambush his car, opened fire with submachine guns while he was on his way home from work. The hail of bullets killed his driver and wounded his police guard. Fortunately Rumi received only minor cuts and abrasions. Reports say the killers had obviously been carrying out reconnaissance on Rumi’s routine. The media group he works for has had more than its share of unwanted attention from violent elements of late. 

This attack in Lahore is the fifth on the group since last August. Two attacks on the group’s offices in Karachi last year wounded five people, three of its employees were murdered in cold blood when their TV van was ambushed in Karachi, a bomb planted outside the group’s Peshawar bureau chief’s residence was fortunately disabled, and now this first of its kind attack in Lahore has yielded one death and injuries. The question arises why the group has been targeted in this manner. One explanation on offer is that the media group’s policies have annoyed extremist elements that are now seeking to silence it. Certainly this can be claimed in the case of Raza Rumi without fear of contradiction since he is well known for his outspoken views against the Taliban. 

Rumi himself did not speculate about the identity of the attackers when speaking to media after the incident, but did point to the reports of a hit list prepared by the Taliban to target media they considered ‘hostile’. Given this background, the cast of usual suspects is headed by the Taliban, specifically the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which ironically is engaged these days in ‘peace’ negotiations with the government. The TTP, as we have repeatedly argued in this space, is playing a tactical game of ostensibly engaging in peace negotiations while ‘sorting out’ some of its perceived enemies, particularly in the media. These actions are not only not claimed by the TTP, they are denied and ascribed to ‘rogue’ or ‘splinter’ groups such as the Ahrarul Hind (claimed to have been responsible for the Islamabad courts complex attack but which some reports say was ordered by the TTP). While the Lahore attack has been roundly condemned by everyone from top to bottom of the government, political parties, traders, lawyers, doctors and other citizens, the journalists’ bodies had resolved to carry out protests on Saturday. Unfortunately, these bodies too have ‘woken up’ late to the threat posed to the media in Pakistan. 

A number of journalists have been killed over the years, earning Pakistan the dubious title of the most dangerous country in the world. According to Reporters Without Borders, seven journalists were killed in Pakistan over the last year alone. Alarmingly, neither the media industry itself nor the authorities seem to have any plan in mind to protect and secure journalists. Pakistan’s other dubious distinction, despite its lively media, is that it occupies 158th position out of 180 countries in press freedom rankings. This status is owed to pressures from powerful state and non-state actors, both of whom often use muscle when ‘persuasion’ fails to get their way.
It must be admitted though that the terrorist threat is not confined to the media alone. PPP patron-in-chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has revealed that he has received a threat from the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), and said if anything happened to him, the Punjab government would be held responsible for its alleged soft attitude towards groups like the LeJ, widely believed to be based in Punjab and enjoying relative freedom of movement and action from there. It is good that Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has responded to the report by ordering an investigation into the matter. 

The Punjab government has faced criticism over the last six years for allegedly allowing sectarian groups like the LeJ safe havens and operational freedom in Punjab, which arguably has fed into their sectarian horrors against the Hazara Shia in Quetta and Shias generally. The greatest illusion regarding groups like the TTP and LeJ is that they would be ‘grateful’ for such concessions, if any, and repay the ‘generosity’ by keeping their ‘base’ peaceful. Any attempt to keep one province an oasis of peace while the rest of the country burns is not something likely to enjoy a long shelf life, thanks to the predilections of the terrorists.

Courtesy Daily Times 

END OF AN ERA: KHUSHWANT SINGH

The death of any human being is always cause for sadness, but today our sadness is also a celebration of a keen mind and a prodigious wit. Khushwant Singh (1915-2014), who died at the age of 99 in his beloved city of Delhi, has left our world poorer for his passing but richer for the hundreds of irreverently insightful works he left behind in articles, books, poems and essays. 

According to his son he died peacefully and with his mind as alert as ever. The author of more than 100 published works, Khushwant Singh was a towering figure in the culture and literature of the subcontinent, whose name remained a byword for honesty and laconic wit, a touchstone for generations of future writers wanting to explore the life of India. Born in Khushab, in what was then united India, to a prominent Sikh family, he attended Government College Lahore, before reading for the bar at Temple's Inn, London. A colourful career led him into legal practice, then the Indian Foreign Service soon after partition.

It was in the early 1950s that his career as an editor and writer began, working for the Hindustan Times and other newspapers, and penning his first story collection, The Mark of Vishnu and other Stories, which revelled in the irony and criticism of religious superstition and communalism that he was to become famous for. As he himself said, “Writing is where I succeeded. I was a flop in everything else.”
A strong proponent throughout his life of friendship and close relations between India and Pakistan, perhaps his most famous work, Train to Pakistan, explores the traumatic events surrounding partition and the communal violence that followed in its wake. Train to Pakistan reveals not only the heartbreak and upheaval of that time, the destruction of age-old communities and friendships, but is also scathingly critical of government and the manipulation of the poor and ignorant by the wealthy and powerful, a theme that remained constant throughout his career. 

Another constant, which earned him a degree of notoriety, was his explicit and graphic exploration of sex and the sexual life of India, through which he lampooned numerous figures from Mughal emperors to modern politicians. No one, especially no one in power, was safe from his jibes. When asked how he was such a prolific writer he quipped, “They haven't invented a condom for the pen yet.” This naturally earned him a reputation for a roving eye, but he remained a committed husband to his wife until her death thirteen years ago.
Khushwant Singh's passing is a moment of great sorrow, but his rich legacy remains to guide us, best summed up in his own words: “Your principle should be to see everything and say nothing. The world changes so rapidly that if you want to get on you cannot afford to align yourself with any person or point of view.” RIP Khushwant Singh, you will be missed.

Courtesy: Daily Times 

POLLUTION, RESOURCE & OUR IGNORANCE

Pollution is nothing but the resources we are not harvesting. We allow them to disperse because we've been ignorant of their value. -R. Buckminster Fuller

The environment has never been high on the list of government priorities in Pakistan, at either a federal or provincial level. Successive governments have either had more immediate problems

like terrorism, or never thought the issue important enough. 

However, with Pakistan’s international ‘image’ a prime concern for the present political leadership, it is possible that a recent report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that lists three Pakistani cities — Lahore, Peshawar, and Quetta — among the top 10 most polluted cities in the world may spark some government interest in the environment and sustainability. The report used measurements of particulate matter in the atmosphere; the sources of particles include dust from construction and building materials, burning wood, coal or animal dung, industrial emissions, and most importantly burning fossil fuels for power generation and transport. 

The Pakistani cities combine these factors, though the lion’s share is attributable to industrial emissions and petrol and diesel fumes churned out by inefficient car and truck engines. Anyone driving in Lahore knows what it is like to get a mouthful of diesel when one of these smoke-machines drives by. There are no emissions ratings or other safeguards.
The environment, however, is not a single-policy problem. Environmental changes through human activity can substantially alter the quality of life in societies, which is why aware governments go to great lengths to preserve natural ecosystems and habitats. The necessity for sustainable sources of energy production is increasingly clear, with governments investing heavily in solar, wind, or other forms of environmentally sustainable energy generation. Pakistan’s pervasive requirement for power won’t allow such solutions in the short term as the government plans more coal-fired power plants. However, more research must be funded and projects developed to shift the burden of power generation away from fossil fuels. 

Habitat and forest preservation are another key aspect of environmental policy, which have been left hostage to various timber and poaching ‘mafias’. Pakistan has about 4.2 million hectares covered by forests, which is equivalent to 4.8 percent of the total land area, down from around 14 percent in 1947. Compare this to Japan, which, despite having a higher population density, still has 70 percent forest cover because of far sighted environmental policies. Forest, marsh, and river communities are among the poorest segments of society, being heavily dependent on the environment for their livelihoods. Forest degradation affects rural livelihoods, especially for those at the bottom of the socio-economic scale. 

Sustainable energy development, preservation of natural habitats and forests, curbing timber and land mafias, and emission controls and penalties for industry and vehicles must be prioritized in order for Pakistan to remain an environmentally sustainable state. The efforts of many countries show that development and environmental preservation aren't mutually exclusive; in fact they are deeply intertwined.  

Courtesy: Daily Times

HAI O RABBA NAHIO LAGDA DIL MERA- RESHMA SINGS SWANSONG

Obituary

HAI O RABBA NAHIO LAGDA DIL MERA

RESHMA SINGS SWANSONG

MAHTAB BASHIR

mahtabbashir@gmail.com

+92 333 5363248

ISLAMABAD: For many the legendary folksinger Reshma was ‘A Voice of Cuckoo’ or ‘A Queen of a Desert’ but for me she was one rare breed of artists par excellence who refused to leave her identity and patriotism despite having fame and money.

Always clad in a trade mark Rajhasthani gharara and colourful Chunri, Reshma became an instant hit in a realm of folk singing at the age of around 10 after she was spotted singing Sufiana kalam at the shrine of Hazrat Shahbaz Qalandar where a Radio producer Saleem Gillani (also close friend of my father) arranged her for make a recording of ‘Laal Meri’ at Radio Pakistan.

Born in Rajhasthan in a family of a Bajnara (Gypsy) in around 1947, she was migrated to Pakistani region after the partition took place- first in Sindh and later settled in Punjab province.   

Her fame, later, had crossed the border as she was able to perform live in India during the 1980s when India and Pakistan allowed exchange of artists. Subhash Ghai used her voice to great effect in the film ‘Hero’- which featured one of her most famous songs, ‘Lambi Judai’. At that point, Indian premiere Indira Gandhi being an avid fan of Reshman wished to meet this folksinger who had mesmerizing voice.  

In October 2002, Reshma performed at the Brunei Gallery in London to a packed hall of Pakistani expatriates. In 2004, she recorded ‘Ashkan Di Gali Vich Mukaam De Gaya’ which was used in the Bollywood film ‘Woh Tera Naam Tha’ and was also a hit record in India. In January 2006, she was one of the passengers on the inaugural Lahore-Amritsar bus- the first such service linking both parts of the Punjab since 1947. The bus had 26 passengers in total of which 15 were Pakistani officials.

Reshma was diagnosed with throat cancer in the 1980s. Later her health deteriorated. President Pervez Musharraf to come to her aid, giving her one million Rupees to help pay off a bank loan, as well as putting her on a secured assistance of 10,000 rupees per month. He also helped her secure a plot of land for herself, but that did not go through due to the change in government.

The vegetarian legend singer was hospitalized in Lahore in Doctors Hospital on 6th April 2013. The caretaker government elected to pay all her medical expenses. Reshma fell into a coma in October 2013 and died on 3rd November 2013.

Having earned various accolades including ‘Sitara-e-Imtiaz’ by the government of Pakistan, Reshma sung a number of hit songs that later on hum by public at large. Few of her famous hit tracks include ‘Lambi Judai’, ‘Hai O Rabba nahion lagda dil mera’, ‘Akhian nu rehn de akhian de kol kol’, ‘Wei mein chori chori tere nal’, ‘Dama Dam Mastt Qalandar’, ‘Sun charkhe de’, etc.

This scribe has met the folk singing diva twice, first on July 28, 2009 and lastly on February 8, 2012 and found Reshma is deteriorating health. She was frail and exhausted but spoke highly about the love people gave her over the years and about the prosperity of Pakistan- who gave her the identity.

While having a dinner with Reshma at Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) where the administration of PNCA invited her to give red carpet reception for her illustrious career in music, I asked her couple of quick questions but she was unable to answer because of her dwindling health. While dining, taking autographs and snaps, one of Reshma’s close relative asked me to pray for her health she might not be along you in future. I told him the whole nation and all over the world wherever Reshma’s voice is being heard - are praying for ‘Queen of Desert’ to recover soon.

Though illiterate academically, Reshma gave me autographs on the night writing her name in Urdu. I wanted to talk to her more but she was unable to … and asked me for a glass of water. The mild-spoken Reshma with the impression ‘Hai O Rabba Nahio Lagda Dil Mera’ sang her swansong on November 3, 2013. RIP Reshma!

Here are the links of two meetings with Reshman

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\07\29\story_29-7-2009_pg11_10

Daily Times (July 28, 2009)

http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2012/02/09/city/islamabad/frail-reshma-still-has-young-voice/

Pakistan Today (February8, 2012)

Mahtab Bashir is a journalist based in Islamabad. He can be accessed at mahtabbashir@gmail.com