Simply listening to someone over a mobile phone, without dialing and holding it, while driving may distract the brain enough to cause an accident.
Previous studies have suggested that drivers who use cell phones run a greater risk of accidents, and that hands-free phones do not appreciably lower the odds, report.
The new findings cast further doubt on the idea that hands- free cell phones are safe for drivers. Just the act of listening appears to divert much of the brain resources that would normally go toward navigating the road.
American researchers studied 29 volunteers who used a driving simulator while inside an MRI brain scanner. Participants steered along a winding virtual road, once with no distractions and once while listening to various sentences and trying to decide whether they were true or false.
It was found that in the second scenario, the drivers' brain activity changed including a 37 percent drop in activity in the parietal lobe, a brain area involved in spatial sense and navigation.
Moreover, this shift in brain activity was accompanied by an increase in driving errors; drivers tended to drift more in their simulated lanes and were more likely to hit the virtual guardrail. Drivers need to keep not only their hands on the wheel; they also have to keep their brains on the road.
According to the researchers conversing on a cell phone may well be more distracting than listening to music or to someone in the passenger seat.
Listening to music does not require the cognitive processing necessary for having a conversation and can be more readily tuned out.
Because driving and listening rely on different brain networks, some scientists had speculated that the brain could handle both tasks at the same time.
But the above findings suggest that there is only so much the brain can accomplish simultaneously.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
4 healthy choices to change your life
If people would just do four things -- engage in regular physical activity, eat a healthy diet, not smoke and avoid becoming obese -- they could slash their risk of diabetes, heart attack, stroke or cancer by 80%, a new report has found.
But less than 10% of the 23,153 people in the multiyear study -- published in Monday’s Archives of Internal Medicine -- actually lived their lives this way. "The study has such a simple straightforward focus on making the point that prevention works in preventing serious disease," said Dr. J. Leonard Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society.
"What really has been difficult is trying to figure out how to get people to take notice of the message and engage in healthy behaviors."
Healthy factors included never smoking; engaging in physical activity for at least 3 1/2 hours each week; eating a diet low in red meat and high in fruits and vegetables; and having a body mass index (BMI) lower than 30. (A person with a BMI of 30 or above is classed as obese.). Only about 9% of participants practiced all four healthy lifestyle choices, four percent practiced none and roughly 35% followed two of the healthy practices.
Researchers reviewed participants' medical records about eight years later, on average, looking for diabetes, heart attacks, strokes or cancer. People who followed all four healthy practices were at far lower risk compared with people who followed none: 93% lower risk for diabetes, 81% for a heart attack, 50% for a stroke and 36% for cancer.
The scientists also found that each healthy factor reduced chronic disease risk.
But less than 10% of the 23,153 people in the multiyear study -- published in Monday’s Archives of Internal Medicine -- actually lived their lives this way. "The study has such a simple straightforward focus on making the point that prevention works in preventing serious disease," said Dr. J. Leonard Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society.
"What really has been difficult is trying to figure out how to get people to take notice of the message and engage in healthy behaviors."
Healthy factors included never smoking; engaging in physical activity for at least 3 1/2 hours each week; eating a diet low in red meat and high in fruits and vegetables; and having a body mass index (BMI) lower than 30. (A person with a BMI of 30 or above is classed as obese.). Only about 9% of participants practiced all four healthy lifestyle choices, four percent practiced none and roughly 35% followed two of the healthy practices.
Researchers reviewed participants' medical records about eight years later, on average, looking for diabetes, heart attacks, strokes or cancer. People who followed all four healthy practices were at far lower risk compared with people who followed none: 93% lower risk for diabetes, 81% for a heart attack, 50% for a stroke and 36% for cancer.
The scientists also found that each healthy factor reduced chronic disease risk.
Average gamer is 35, often overweight and sad
Video games might be regarded as an obsession for youngsters, but in fact the average player is aged 35, often overweight, introverted and may be depressed, according to study.
The researchers found that the men who played video games weighed more and used the Internet more than other men, British TV reported. Women who played video games reported greater levels of depression and poorer overall health than non-gamers with researcher James Weaver and his colleagues suggesting video gaming for adults may be a form of "digital self-medication."
Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked at the behavior of 552 adults aged 19 to 90 from the Seattle-Tacoma area. They found 249 of these, or around 45 percent, were video-game players, with men accounting for 56 percent of these.They said women in particular might immerse themselves in brain-engaging digital environments as a means of self-distraction. "In short, they literally 'take their minds off' their worries, while playing a video game," the researchers said in a statement.
Adult video gamers also seemed less outgoing, or extroverted, and less social and assertive than non-gamers. This was consistent with prior research in adolescent video game enthusiasts that tied video game playing to sedentary habits, weight issues and mental health concerns. Adult video gamers of both sexes relied more on the Internet for social support than non-gamers, which supports prior research suggesting that adult video game players may "sacrifice real-world social activities to play video games." A higher body weight and a greater number of "poor mental health days" differentiated adult video gamers from non-gamers.
The researchers found that the men who played video games weighed more and used the Internet more than other men, British TV reported. Women who played video games reported greater levels of depression and poorer overall health than non-gamers with researcher James Weaver and his colleagues suggesting video gaming for adults may be a form of "digital self-medication."
Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked at the behavior of 552 adults aged 19 to 90 from the Seattle-Tacoma area. They found 249 of these, or around 45 percent, were video-game players, with men accounting for 56 percent of these.They said women in particular might immerse themselves in brain-engaging digital environments as a means of self-distraction. "In short, they literally 'take their minds off' their worries, while playing a video game," the researchers said in a statement.
Adult video gamers also seemed less outgoing, or extroverted, and less social and assertive than non-gamers. This was consistent with prior research in adolescent video game enthusiasts that tied video game playing to sedentary habits, weight issues and mental health concerns. Adult video gamers of both sexes relied more on the Internet for social support than non-gamers, which supports prior research suggesting that adult video game players may "sacrifice real-world social activities to play video games." A higher body weight and a greater number of "poor mental health days" differentiated adult video gamers from non-gamers.
Shop till you drop’ culture flayed
‘Buy Nothing Day’ is annually observed worldwide on November 27, to remind consumers of their habits of overbuying and over-consumption. It is an international day of protest against unbridled consumerism, which is defined as a social or economic order based on the systematic creation of desire to purchase goods and services in amounts not needed.
The Network for Consumer Protection believes ‘Buy Nothing Day’ has a special significance for Pakistan where knowledge of consumers’ rights and observance of these rights is abysmally low. This year, the observation comes at a time when Pakistan is severely hit by unprecedented increase in the prices of food items. The day reminds the consumers of Pakistan that they can exert consumer power by opting not to make unnecessary purchases.
“As a nation, we should develop the habit of saving as Pakistani. By curtailing excessive and unnecessary buying, we could add to the saving pool of the country. The culture of ‘shop till you drop’ sits ill with a country, which is finding herself difficult to meet the basic needs of its people. The notion of shopping as necessary social activity has taken such a hold on middle classes that doing shopping has become replaced with going shopping,” The Network for Consumer Protection executive coordinator Dr. Arif Azad said.
Dr. Arif said in a country like Pakistan, where the middle class is fast shrinking and the gap between the poor and the rich is widening, unnecessary buying has created several social and economic problems.
The first ‘Buy Nothing Day’ was organised in Vancouver in September 1992, as a day for society to examine the issue of over-consumption. In 1997, it was moved to the Friday after American Thanksgiving, also called ‘Black Friday’, which is one of the 10 busiest shopping days in the United States.
Various gatherings and forms of protest have been used on ‘Buy Nothing Day’ to draw attention towards problem of over-consumption. For example, participants wander around shopping malls or other consumer havens with a blank stare and marvel at the expressionless faces of the shoppers. When asked what they are doing, the participants describe ‘Buy Nothing Day’ and explain its foundational principles.
Participants silently steer their shopping carts around a shopping mall or store in a long queue without putting anything in the carts or actually making any purchases. A strategy called the ‘Wildcat General Strike’ was used for the 2009 Buy Nothing Day where participants not only do not buy anything for 24 hours, but also keep their lights, televisions, computers and other non-essential appliances turned off, their cars parked, and their phones turned off or unplugged from sunrise to sunset.
The Network for Consumer Protection believes ‘Buy Nothing Day’ has a special significance for Pakistan where knowledge of consumers’ rights and observance of these rights is abysmally low. This year, the observation comes at a time when Pakistan is severely hit by unprecedented increase in the prices of food items. The day reminds the consumers of Pakistan that they can exert consumer power by opting not to make unnecessary purchases.
“As a nation, we should develop the habit of saving as Pakistani. By curtailing excessive and unnecessary buying, we could add to the saving pool of the country. The culture of ‘shop till you drop’ sits ill with a country, which is finding herself difficult to meet the basic needs of its people. The notion of shopping as necessary social activity has taken such a hold on middle classes that doing shopping has become replaced with going shopping,” The Network for Consumer Protection executive coordinator Dr. Arif Azad said.
Dr. Arif said in a country like Pakistan, where the middle class is fast shrinking and the gap between the poor and the rich is widening, unnecessary buying has created several social and economic problems.
The first ‘Buy Nothing Day’ was organised in Vancouver in September 1992, as a day for society to examine the issue of over-consumption. In 1997, it was moved to the Friday after American Thanksgiving, also called ‘Black Friday’, which is one of the 10 busiest shopping days in the United States.
Various gatherings and forms of protest have been used on ‘Buy Nothing Day’ to draw attention towards problem of over-consumption. For example, participants wander around shopping malls or other consumer havens with a blank stare and marvel at the expressionless faces of the shoppers. When asked what they are doing, the participants describe ‘Buy Nothing Day’ and explain its foundational principles.
Participants silently steer their shopping carts around a shopping mall or store in a long queue without putting anything in the carts or actually making any purchases. A strategy called the ‘Wildcat General Strike’ was used for the 2009 Buy Nothing Day where participants not only do not buy anything for 24 hours, but also keep their lights, televisions, computers and other non-essential appliances turned off, their cars parked, and their phones turned off or unplugged from sunrise to sunset.
Black clouds on the film industry moving away
It seems that the black clouds on the film industry are moving away and we would soon be able to see some good quality Lollywood Entertainment in cinemas and our TV and computer screens with good quality. ‘Good Quality’ here means big budgets, hi-tech technical work, strong scripts, powerful casting and yeah most importantly ‘the language’ for entertainment should be in a universal language.
Bol : Cast: Atif Aslam, Mahira Khan, Iman Ali, Humaima Abbasi, Khayyam Sarhadi and Shafqat Cheema, Music: Atif Aslam, Hadiqa Kiyani, Producer: Shoaib Mansoor, Director: Shoaib Mansoor
Bol is the second project of renowned director Mr. Shoaib Mansoor as (Film Director & producer) in Film Industry after his 2007 blockbuster hit ‘Khuda Key Liye (KKL)’. It seems like he (Shoaib Mansoor) is really a very big risk taker and a music lover as he is now casting “Music Sensation of Pakistan” Atif Aslam, quite similar to his last project (KKL) in which he casted Fawad Khan of very famous Pakistani Band (EP).
Victim: Cast: Humayun Saeed and Meera, Music: (Unknown), Producer: Wajahat Abbas Kazmi, Umar Wahidi and Ehtisham Siddiqui( Co- producer), Director: Aamir Zafar, Movie would be based on the post 9/11 and political situation of the world.
Devdas: Cast: Nadeem Shah (Devdas) , Zara Sheikh(Paro) and Meera (Chadarmukhi),
Music: Music Director: (Wajahat Attre), Lyricist: (Saeed Gilani, Ahmed Faraz), Singers: (Asha Bhosle, Kavita Krishnamurthy, Shreya Ghoshal, Sonu Nigam, Alka Yagnik), Producer: Nadeem Shah, Director: Iqbal Kashmiri.
This is the overall 12th make of Devdas (novel) and 3rd Top Make. The interesting thing in the movie is that all songs are sung by the Indian singers, which includes some of the big names like ‘Asha Bhosley, Sonu Nigam, Alka Yagnik’. No doubt songs have got really excellent reviews and the music quality is also good. Songs are available on youtube.com, click on the movie title to listen the songs of the movie. Although the movie got great pre -release reviews, but viewers are questioning the casting, especially the casting of man in ‘Lead Role’ Nadeem Shah as Devdas. Overall, movie looks good, now time will tell us what is good and what is bad. So just hold your nerves now.
Bhai Log: Language: Urdu, Cast: Moammar Rana, Saima, Babar Ali, Noor, Meera, Nadeem Baig and Javed Sheikh, Music: M. Arshad and Naveed Wajid Ali, Producer: Ch. Ijaz Kamran, Director: Syed Faisal Bukhari,
Love Mein Gum (Lost In Love): Language: Urdu, Cast: Moammar Rana, Reema Khan, Nabeel Khan, Araida Kazikstan (Azerbaijan) and Johnny Lever (India), Music: Written by noted poets “Khawaja Pervaiz” and “Aqeel ruby”, Sung by Abrarul Haq, Ali Zafar and others, Producer: Reema Khan (Herself), Director: Reema Khan (Herself)
Love mein Gum, previously known as (Kitnee Haseen Hai Zindagi) is the second project of Reema Khan as (Film Director and Producer) after her 2005 block buster ‘ Koi tujh Sa Kahan’. The real name of the movie was revealed way after the completion of its production, according to Reema herself the real name of the movie was not revealed so that no one can copy the name of the movie, movie was previously known as ‘Kitnee Haseen hai Zindagi’. One of the most interesting things in this movie is its international casting, which includes Indian Comedian Johnny Lever and Debut of an Azerbaijani girl named (Araida Kazikstan). The song promos are out on the Youtube and the title song ‘Love mein gum’ of the movie is sung by Ali Zafar. According to Reema this movie is the highest paid movie in the history of Lollywood. The theme is based on Paula Coelho's novel Veronica Decies to Die.
Slackistan : Cast: Shahbaz Shigri, Aisha Akhtar, Ali Rehman Khan, Shahana Khalil, Osman Khalid Butt, Khalid Saeed and Rafey Alam, Music: Adil Omer, Uzair Jaswal, The Kominas, Mole and Zero Bridge, Producer: Hammad Khan, Director: Hammad Khan
Movie is based on the youth life of some Islamabad teens. The special thing about this short film is that it has also been screened in the Cannes Films Festival earlier this year. Movie has also got good remarks. Film was to be launched in the summer Vacation but it has been delayed due to some unknown reasons. You would be able see the entertainment in this movie for just 85 minutes which means it comes in the category of Short films. Quality wise movie looks good and the Artists in this film are either new or with less experience.
Bol : Cast: Atif Aslam, Mahira Khan, Iman Ali, Humaima Abbasi, Khayyam Sarhadi and Shafqat Cheema, Music: Atif Aslam, Hadiqa Kiyani, Producer: Shoaib Mansoor, Director: Shoaib Mansoor
Bol is the second project of renowned director Mr. Shoaib Mansoor as (Film Director & producer) in Film Industry after his 2007 blockbuster hit ‘Khuda Key Liye (KKL)’. It seems like he (Shoaib Mansoor) is really a very big risk taker and a music lover as he is now casting “Music Sensation of Pakistan” Atif Aslam, quite similar to his last project (KKL) in which he casted Fawad Khan of very famous Pakistani Band (EP).
Victim: Cast: Humayun Saeed and Meera, Music: (Unknown), Producer: Wajahat Abbas Kazmi, Umar Wahidi and Ehtisham Siddiqui( Co- producer), Director: Aamir Zafar, Movie would be based on the post 9/11 and political situation of the world.
Devdas: Cast: Nadeem Shah (Devdas) , Zara Sheikh(Paro) and Meera (Chadarmukhi),
Music: Music Director: (Wajahat Attre), Lyricist: (Saeed Gilani, Ahmed Faraz), Singers: (Asha Bhosle, Kavita Krishnamurthy, Shreya Ghoshal, Sonu Nigam, Alka Yagnik), Producer: Nadeem Shah, Director: Iqbal Kashmiri.
This is the overall 12th make of Devdas (novel) and 3rd Top Make. The interesting thing in the movie is that all songs are sung by the Indian singers, which includes some of the big names like ‘Asha Bhosley, Sonu Nigam, Alka Yagnik’. No doubt songs have got really excellent reviews and the music quality is also good. Songs are available on youtube.com, click on the movie title to listen the songs of the movie. Although the movie got great pre -release reviews, but viewers are questioning the casting, especially the casting of man in ‘Lead Role’ Nadeem Shah as Devdas. Overall, movie looks good, now time will tell us what is good and what is bad. So just hold your nerves now.
Bhai Log: Language: Urdu, Cast: Moammar Rana, Saima, Babar Ali, Noor, Meera, Nadeem Baig and Javed Sheikh, Music: M. Arshad and Naveed Wajid Ali, Producer: Ch. Ijaz Kamran, Director: Syed Faisal Bukhari,
Love Mein Gum (Lost In Love): Language: Urdu, Cast: Moammar Rana, Reema Khan, Nabeel Khan, Araida Kazikstan (Azerbaijan) and Johnny Lever (India), Music: Written by noted poets “Khawaja Pervaiz” and “Aqeel ruby”, Sung by Abrarul Haq, Ali Zafar and others, Producer: Reema Khan (Herself), Director: Reema Khan (Herself)
Love mein Gum, previously known as (Kitnee Haseen Hai Zindagi) is the second project of Reema Khan as (Film Director and Producer) after her 2005 block buster ‘ Koi tujh Sa Kahan’. The real name of the movie was revealed way after the completion of its production, according to Reema herself the real name of the movie was not revealed so that no one can copy the name of the movie, movie was previously known as ‘Kitnee Haseen hai Zindagi’. One of the most interesting things in this movie is its international casting, which includes Indian Comedian Johnny Lever and Debut of an Azerbaijani girl named (Araida Kazikstan). The song promos are out on the Youtube and the title song ‘Love mein gum’ of the movie is sung by Ali Zafar. According to Reema this movie is the highest paid movie in the history of Lollywood. The theme is based on Paula Coelho's novel Veronica Decies to Die.
Slackistan : Cast: Shahbaz Shigri, Aisha Akhtar, Ali Rehman Khan, Shahana Khalil, Osman Khalid Butt, Khalid Saeed and Rafey Alam, Music: Adil Omer, Uzair Jaswal, The Kominas, Mole and Zero Bridge, Producer: Hammad Khan, Director: Hammad Khan
Movie is based on the youth life of some Islamabad teens. The special thing about this short film is that it has also been screened in the Cannes Films Festival earlier this year. Movie has also got good remarks. Film was to be launched in the summer Vacation but it has been delayed due to some unknown reasons. You would be able see the entertainment in this movie for just 85 minutes which means it comes in the category of Short films. Quality wise movie looks good and the Artists in this film are either new or with less experience.
False hopes about the Chinese visit
Some would call it double dealing or hypocrisy, but let’s just call it pretending. That way it becomes less emotive and more palatable. Why do we pretend as much as we do when in the end we end up fooling no one but ourselves? Worse, the pretence of yesterday becomes the facts of the next day when those acting the charade are not around to confirm that what was being reported as genuine was merely posturing, and actually a hoax. It’s important because if the past never really happened, how can it form the basis of formulating present policy? After all, the past is not just a package that you can lay away, and, besides, if we do not really know the past, how can we understand the present?
Consider the very, very recent past and the hoax perpetrated by this government about the $35 billion worth of MOUs concluded during the visit of the Chinese prime minister last week. A businessman summoned from Karachi tells a hilarious story of how he and some other businessman were rushed to Islamabad and made to conclude an agreement, the subject of which he has only a faint idea, but enough to know that it was as doable as walking on water.
Half of the so-called $35-billion deals are about more than doubling our annual trade with China. That’s not only ambitious but absurdly unrealistic. Actually, it’s impossible in our present circumstances when factories are closing due to power shortages and the costs of production have soared. Nor do we have a sufficient selection of items of interest to China. There are just so many carpets, leather goods, surgical instruments and footballs that the Chinese require or can kick around; and their textile products are cheaper. In any case, two-thirds of our bilateral trade is made up of Chinese exports to Pakistan and there is nothing to suggest that this imbalance will change in our favour.
The other half of the $35 billion concerns Chinese investments in infrastructure, and given the instability in the country these are not likely to be invested soon, if at all. The Chinese know our internal situation better than other foreign investors having been exposed to its dangers more than others. In other words, it was a disservice to our profound friendship with China to knowingly set unrealistic targets, raise bogus hopes and make pious commitments.
I recall a similar situation in 1995. Benazir Bhutto had sent Mr Zardari to South Korea at the head of a business delegation and he had returned with a sheaf of MOUs amounting to several billion dollars. BB was pleased at her husband’s success and proud of what he had achieved. Our ambassador to South Korea had sent the inevitably glowing report on the “success” of the visit which was essentially an exercise in self-praise, as he was the one responsible for organising it. Sensing my silence as a sign that I did not share her enthusiasm at the outcome, BB asked, “Isn’t it great?”
“Well, let’s put it this way, Prime Minister,” I replied. “If even 1 per cent of the agreements concluded actually happen, that will be exactly 100 per cent more than what I expect.” She gave a wry smile and we heard no more of the MOUs, although later she remembered to give the ambassador an out of turn, and thoroughly undeserved, promotion.
It is a pity that we had to go through the charade last week merely to show that our relations with China are as warm as we pretend they are. Actually, they are not only warm, but hot and glowing, but for reasons that are rooted in the national interests of both. The fake MOUs were not necessary; as usual we overdid the pretence.
You don’t have to be an economic expert to know that one of the principal tasks of a government is to make it harder for the rich to get richer, while keeping the poor from getting poorer. Instead, this policy has been stood on its head in Pakistan and implemented with such gusto that in some car showrooms Land Cruisers are in greater demand than smaller cars. As the people sink into penury wedding receptions grow more lavish and suicides more common. A local vendor recalled the story of the father with his son in his arms threatening to jump off a roof. When told that suicide is illegal and forbidden, he cried out, “Then why does He not feed us?” and jumped.
Another show of pretence-in-the-making is the supposed satisfaction by all the players on the Pakistani domestic scene that democracy is working and that, left to find its way through the shoals, it will eventually reach its destination, battered and bruised but somehow intact. In fact, the opposite is true. Democracy is not working. From the corruption index, to crime, to bad governance, everything has gone up. What has gone down, actually plummeted, is the morale and hope of the people, faith in their leaders and, more recently and alarmingly, a belief in the continued existence of this country. Sadly, the present system is not working; it’s floundering, although no one is certain what will work.
Some disagree with such a pessimistic depiction of the state we are in and recall the adage that “hope springs eternal in the human breast.” But that’s hardly a good thing. “He who lives on hope will die fasting” is what many here have come to believe. In Pakistan today the tantalising properties of hope have no appeal. It’s not a case of viewing the glass being half empty or half full. We don’t even have a glass. Moreover, in the end hope must be satisfied to become worthwhile, and that’s doesn’t look like happening here, and few believe that it ever will.
The purpose is not to convey an “all is lost” message, but rather to shed the lies and shibboleths by which governments have operated thus far and which have proved so harmful and self-deluding. To bring about the change that is so needed, we have to confess what is wrong and bad in us, to ourselves, rather than hide them in the hope of earning cheap plaudits. When all is said and done, we owe our friends, and ourselves, the truth.
Consider the very, very recent past and the hoax perpetrated by this government about the $35 billion worth of MOUs concluded during the visit of the Chinese prime minister last week. A businessman summoned from Karachi tells a hilarious story of how he and some other businessman were rushed to Islamabad and made to conclude an agreement, the subject of which he has only a faint idea, but enough to know that it was as doable as walking on water.
Half of the so-called $35-billion deals are about more than doubling our annual trade with China. That’s not only ambitious but absurdly unrealistic. Actually, it’s impossible in our present circumstances when factories are closing due to power shortages and the costs of production have soared. Nor do we have a sufficient selection of items of interest to China. There are just so many carpets, leather goods, surgical instruments and footballs that the Chinese require or can kick around; and their textile products are cheaper. In any case, two-thirds of our bilateral trade is made up of Chinese exports to Pakistan and there is nothing to suggest that this imbalance will change in our favour.
The other half of the $35 billion concerns Chinese investments in infrastructure, and given the instability in the country these are not likely to be invested soon, if at all. The Chinese know our internal situation better than other foreign investors having been exposed to its dangers more than others. In other words, it was a disservice to our profound friendship with China to knowingly set unrealistic targets, raise bogus hopes and make pious commitments.
I recall a similar situation in 1995. Benazir Bhutto had sent Mr Zardari to South Korea at the head of a business delegation and he had returned with a sheaf of MOUs amounting to several billion dollars. BB was pleased at her husband’s success and proud of what he had achieved. Our ambassador to South Korea had sent the inevitably glowing report on the “success” of the visit which was essentially an exercise in self-praise, as he was the one responsible for organising it. Sensing my silence as a sign that I did not share her enthusiasm at the outcome, BB asked, “Isn’t it great?”
“Well, let’s put it this way, Prime Minister,” I replied. “If even 1 per cent of the agreements concluded actually happen, that will be exactly 100 per cent more than what I expect.” She gave a wry smile and we heard no more of the MOUs, although later she remembered to give the ambassador an out of turn, and thoroughly undeserved, promotion.
It is a pity that we had to go through the charade last week merely to show that our relations with China are as warm as we pretend they are. Actually, they are not only warm, but hot and glowing, but for reasons that are rooted in the national interests of both. The fake MOUs were not necessary; as usual we overdid the pretence.
You don’t have to be an economic expert to know that one of the principal tasks of a government is to make it harder for the rich to get richer, while keeping the poor from getting poorer. Instead, this policy has been stood on its head in Pakistan and implemented with such gusto that in some car showrooms Land Cruisers are in greater demand than smaller cars. As the people sink into penury wedding receptions grow more lavish and suicides more common. A local vendor recalled the story of the father with his son in his arms threatening to jump off a roof. When told that suicide is illegal and forbidden, he cried out, “Then why does He not feed us?” and jumped.
Another show of pretence-in-the-making is the supposed satisfaction by all the players on the Pakistani domestic scene that democracy is working and that, left to find its way through the shoals, it will eventually reach its destination, battered and bruised but somehow intact. In fact, the opposite is true. Democracy is not working. From the corruption index, to crime, to bad governance, everything has gone up. What has gone down, actually plummeted, is the morale and hope of the people, faith in their leaders and, more recently and alarmingly, a belief in the continued existence of this country. Sadly, the present system is not working; it’s floundering, although no one is certain what will work.
Some disagree with such a pessimistic depiction of the state we are in and recall the adage that “hope springs eternal in the human breast.” But that’s hardly a good thing. “He who lives on hope will die fasting” is what many here have come to believe. In Pakistan today the tantalising properties of hope have no appeal. It’s not a case of viewing the glass being half empty or half full. We don’t even have a glass. Moreover, in the end hope must be satisfied to become worthwhile, and that’s doesn’t look like happening here, and few believe that it ever will.
The purpose is not to convey an “all is lost” message, but rather to shed the lies and shibboleths by which governments have operated thus far and which have proved so harmful and self-deluding. To bring about the change that is so needed, we have to confess what is wrong and bad in us, to ourselves, rather than hide them in the hope of earning cheap plaudits. When all is said and done, we owe our friends, and ourselves, the truth.
A wider net
We have, in recent months, heard a great deal about corruption in the government and all the scandals that have hit it from time to time. Nepotism and other forms of grave wrongdoing have done a great deal to shake the trust of people in the government. But it is also important that we keep in mind the fact that, sadly, in our country corruption is not limited to any one group. It is widespread and exists in many places. The rich and influential are often the worst culprits. If the scourge is ever to be rooted out, we will need to act against all of them – whenever proof becomes available.
The raid by the FIA on the office in Lahore of MPA Moonis Ellahi in connection with a land scam involving the National Insurance Company Ltd goes a step in this direction. The action was approved by the interior ministry. The Supreme Court had already given orders to recover amounts misappropriated by the NICL by the middle of next month. The action against Moonis Ellahi who has also faced accusations of corruption – particularly with regard to land deals – in the past, apparently after some individuals involved in the NICL affair opted to speak out, has important implications. It may act as a warning to others that they cannot get away with wrongdoing, regardless of the power and position they hold. This is important in our society where the privileged have enjoyed immunity from action for too long and this in turn has allowed the evil seeds of corruption to grow into giant vines that wrap themselves around our state and its people.
The raid by the FIA on the office in Lahore of MPA Moonis Ellahi in connection with a land scam involving the National Insurance Company Ltd goes a step in this direction. The action was approved by the interior ministry. The Supreme Court had already given orders to recover amounts misappropriated by the NICL by the middle of next month. The action against Moonis Ellahi who has also faced accusations of corruption – particularly with regard to land deals – in the past, apparently after some individuals involved in the NICL affair opted to speak out, has important implications. It may act as a warning to others that they cannot get away with wrongdoing, regardless of the power and position they hold. This is important in our society where the privileged have enjoyed immunity from action for too long and this in turn has allowed the evil seeds of corruption to grow into giant vines that wrap themselves around our state and its people.
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