Showing her charm and grace

Showing her charm and grace

Jassim Taqui

Don’t ask for the reason behind wearing the black,

The events took me by a storm, against all norms, setback,

For decades I dominated the scene, being beauty Queen,

Even today people remember their favorite,  Marline,

This is my faith, I want to please you all, by laying on the shore,

Full of life, a desire made of fire, what are the friends for?

I am the one you’re searching for, I am Queen White,

Blessed by heaven, divine writ, I am true and right,

I am the dreadful love, covered with the roses, care,

How would you handle me? Must be tender and fair,

Sensing the time is ripe, I took this trend  way,

In total dark, can you see me? Can you ever stay?

As you ask, I am painting the form of creation, nude,

All ready for you in black and white, is it understood?

O Lord how can I find words to explain her unique look,

Her super eyes when focused giving her the status of holy book,

Her aptness like a legend, music with tuned sound,

Shining love in a total mode, in a serene way, with love abound,

Look seriously at me ,I am the language of heaven in white,

Could you see me in Lords’ favored color, can you feel my delight,

I remind you of how I appear in black and white,

I turn you in a world of absolute delight,

I love your blend of charm and brain,

Your mixture is fatal, for weak hearts, slain,

What a happy morning to see you with a kiss and hope,

Like an angel deriving  from heaven , acting without stop,

When love is intense, you feel like you are mad,

How to hold you? How to go back to your mind,

The mystery story of the black makes you feel,

Her secret way and magic bare you,  steal,

Red is not a danger, it is the way to feel her and call,

It is the sound from the past that stops your free fall,

All white, all peace,  you forgot , couldn’t dare,

To embrace me; so as to feel myself, to be star , fair,

Caught me in a surprise move, showing an urge for me,

O the black again knocking my door inviting me to see,

When I recall my love to you, I feel eternal with you,

What has happened to make you fail to go through,

Time for pink to dominate you, make you rise, fly,

my look, eyes, would spread the note from high,

red again has come with a blond , lovely fairy,

keen to dance to me, showing me her story,

like an angel, she sits exposing her love’s ties,

declaring her intent by her body pose, her eyes,

O Lord, your majesty is illustrated by her fire,

Her inspiration, a new thinking , very, grim, dire,

She is very special, having no trouble or row,

The heart of all in her well thought, charming show,

She takes the initiative, her move is almost done,

Can’t resist her with her ever smooth, ready gun,

The miracle beach has given you courage, a rare chance,

To trap me in my seducing plan, putting me in a trance,

I want to be with you, sharing your good and bad hold,

I am all yours,  asking to take me quickly in your fold,

You confused me with your sustained charm and desire,

Holding you now, with intense feeling; being on fire,

There is no way you can ignore the group of five,

We know that your life is close to ours, with adventure rive,

Her hobby is fantasy, erotic poetry, sharp eyes, chase,

Smooth, serene in her romance,  showing her charm and grace,

WORLD HABITAT DAY

WORLD HABITAT DAY

3 October 2016

Later this month, Governments and their partners will meet in Quito, Ecuador, for the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III).  Held every 20 years, the Habitat conference is designed to reflect on the state of human settlements and on what we want the towns and cities of the future to look like.  

With the world embarking this year on implementing the historic 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Habitat III has particular resonance.  The 2030 Agenda is a comprehensive, integrated and inclusive blueprint for peace, prosperity, dignity and opportunity for all people on a healthy planet.  Achieving its 17 Sustainable Development Goals will depend, in large part, on whether we can make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.

Achieving that objective is the aim of the New Urban Agenda, which Governments will adopt in Quito.  The New Urban Agenda is an action-oriented document that will set global standards for sustainable urban development, and help us to rethink how we plan, manage and live in cities.  Its drafting has been the result of an inclusive and participatory process among Governments and all urban actors.

More than half the global population already lives in urban areas.  Approximately a quarter of these urban dwellers live in slums or informal settlements.  The unplanned rapid expansion of towns and cities means an increasing number of poor and vulnerable people are living in precarious conditions, without adequate living space or access to basic services, such as water, sanitation, electricity and health care.  They are often isolated from opportunities for decent work and vulnerable to forced evictions and homelessness.  Providing access to adequate housing for all is high among the priorities of the New Urban Agenda.

On this World Habitat Day, I urge national and local governments, city planners and communities everywhere to keep “Housing at the Centre”.  Guaranteeing dignity and opportunity for all depends on people having access to affordable and adequate housing.  I look forward to a successful Habitat III Conference that will help us advance our sustainable development agenda for the benefit of all humankind.

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF NON-VIOLENCE

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF NON-VIOLENCE

2 October 2016

  Ban Ki-moon

Every year on the International Day of Non-Violence, we re-commit ourselves to the cause of peace, as exemplified by the life of Mahatma Gandhi who was born on this day 147 years ago.

         We know that a culture of non-violence begins with respect for others, but it does not end there.  To nurture peace, we must respect nature.  I am pleased this year’s International Day of Non-Violence puts the focus on sustainability and the environment.

          In all he did, Gandhi honoured our obligation to all living things.  He reminded us that “Earth provides enough to satisfy everyone’s needs, but not everyone’s greed.”   Gandhi also challenged us to “be the change we wish to see in the world”. 

Today that commitment is reflected in a momentous way. India is depositing its instrument of ratification to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. What better way to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi and his legacy for people and planet.

I warmly congratulate India for its climate leadership, and for building on the strong momentum we see from all corners of the globe for the agreement to enter into force as quickly as possible this year.  India's ratification of the agreement moves the world an important step closer toward achieving that goal.

I urge all countries to complete their domestic processes for ratification and also strive in all activities to achieve progress through non-violence.  This is essential to building a safer, healthier and more peaceful world.

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF OLDER PERSONS

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF OLDER PERSONS

1 October 2016

Ban-ki moon

The International Day of Older Persons is our chance to take a stand against the destructive problem of ageism.

While older persons are often said to enjoy particular respect, the reality is that too many societies limit them, denying access to jobs, loans and basic services. The marginalization and devaluing of older persons takes a heavy toll. It undermines their productivity and experience in the workforce, in volunteerism and through civil engagement while constraining their capacity for caregiving as well as financial and other support to families and communities. Ageism frequently intersects with other forms of discrimination based on gender, race, disability and other grounds, compounding and intensifying its effects. 

Ending ageism and securing the human rights of older persons is an ethical and practical imperative. The stakes are high and growing. The global population of older persons is expected to rise from just over 900 million in 2015 to 1.4 billion by 2030 and 2.1 billion by 2050, when there will be roughly the same the number of older persons and children under 15.   

I condemn ageism in all its forms and call for measures to address this violation of human rights as we strive to improve societies for people of all ages. This demands changing the way older persons are portrayed and perceived, from being seen as a burden to being appreciated for the many positive contributions they make to our human family.

I also call for greater legal guarantees of equality for older persons to prevent ageism from resulting in discriminatory policies, laws and treatment. I urge policy makers to compile better data and statistics on older persons’ health, economic status and general wellbeing in order to better address their concerns. And I hope we will all reflect on our prejudicial attitudes and consider how, as individuals, we can counter ageism.

We have a clear roadmap to transformation: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This visionary plan and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) emphasize inclusion and equality, promising to leave no one behind. Older persons are both agents and beneficiaries of change. By advancing progress on the SDGs, we can mobilize the considerable talents, energy and experience of all older persons in carrying out this Agenda.

Let us mark the International Day of Older Persons by forcefully rejecting all forms of ageism and working to enable older persons to realize their potential as we honour our pledge to build a life of dignity and human rights for all.

David Hale Unveils New Contemporary Art Collection

American Ambassador David Hale Unveils New Contemporary Art Collection

Al-Bab Report

September 30, 2016, Islamabad – American Ambassador David Hale unveiled a new collection of contemporary art at his official residence during a reception last night.  Approximately 80 artists, students, teachers, and other friends of the arts gathered to view the works by artists such as Imran Qureshi, Murad Mumtaz, Javier Romero, Tom Bamberger, Sabah Husain, Adeela Suleman, and William O’Brien.

“Art reminds people to take a second look at the world around them, and look deeper than face values,” said Ambassador Hale.  “Art transcends national borders and connects peoples.  This collection highlights some of the best of American and Pakistani creativity.”

Renowned Lahore-based artist Imran Qureshi personally introduced his mixed-media art that is featured at Ambassador Hale’s residence.

“For me, this project was extremely exciting,” Qureshi said.  “Representation of Pakistani contemporary art in such an important place will definitely project a positive image of my country to the outer world.”

Renowned musical artist, Arieb Azhar, performed Sufi and Pakistani folk songs to the delight of the guests to complete the evening. 

Art gives form to our values and beliefs.  The American Embassy spends over 100 million rupees annually to fund arts programing in Pakistan, introducing Pakistanis and Americans to each other’s artistic traditions.  

Modi: the front man

Modi:  the front man

Dr. Jassim Taqui

The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in the news again. This time, Modi has been taken by surprise. When the Uri base operation took place on 18^thSeptember, Modi had no clue whatsoever as what was the Indian army doing. He was in New York, contacting heads of states of various countries to make new friends when he received a call from his Interior Minister Rajnath Singh, breaking the news of the suicide attack.

Subsequently, Modi was in a state of panic. He ordered Singh to immediately put all civil and military bases in a state of alert. Later, he ordered Singh to visit the LoC and file a report to him. A few hours later, Modi accused Pakistan of being behind the attack and declared that Pakistan was a “terrorist state.”

Modi was given more shocks by his generals and the Indian Intelligence agencies especially RAW. They informed him that the militants were camped near the LoC and were planning massive attacks on major Indian cities. Modi, promptly believed the Army Generals and RAW, who have now emerged as a state within a state. Thus, on 29^th September, Modi ordered a surgical attacks on the “ militant camps” close to the LoC, stating that a large number of militants were killed.

The ISPR reacted quickly denying “surgical attacks” but confirmed the  Indian army resorted to shelling the Pak Rangers’ camps resulting in the martyrdom of two soldiers.

The ISPR issued, however, a statement saying that if Indian carried a ”surgical operation”, Pakistan would respond in kind.

Al-Bab learnt from reliable military sources that the SSG forces killed 8 Indian soldiers. However the Nawaz Sharif Government opted not to declare the Indian losses since it still hopes to do business with New Delhi  despite the hostile attitude of Modi towards Islamabad and his cancellation of the MFN status to Pakistan. Ironically, Lahore continues to witness border trade with India. Shahbaz Sharif exempted  Indian businessmen from taxes, resulting in dumping  Indian commodities all over Lahore. Obviously, the local business community does not like this India-Shahbaz Sharif deal since it is putting them out of business. Ultimately, the anger of the Lahori businessmen would explode and a movement will start against the Sharif brothers.

India managed to convince Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan to boycott the November SAARC summit scheduled to be held in Islamabad but failed to use pressure on Sri Lanka.

Afghanistan has shown that its policy is influenced by the India Establishment and RAW. Thus, the government of Ashraf Ghani openly defied Islamabad despite the fact that QCC has asked Pakistan to convince various Taliban factions to participate in the Afghan reconciliation process to put an end to the civil war in Afghanistan. Ironically, Ashraf Ghani indicated that he was ready to deal with Islamic State-Khorasan but refused to end his hostile policy against Pakistan.

The Indian Force Posture

The Indian Force Posture 

Dr. Jassim Taqui

In a fascinating discussion on the above mentioned topic, the Strategic Vision Institute (SVI) organized an in house seminar today. The President/Executive Director Dr. Zafar Iqbal Cheema moderated the seminar and delivered the concluding remarks.

First speaker  Lt. Gen. Naeem Khalid Lodhi spoke on the Indian belief system and mindset. He noted that the Indian strategy had transformed from the notion of “ the enemy of my enemy is my friend,” to “ long transition state,” that focuses on economic development building and a posture of a global power to enhance its prestige rather than to assume the role of colonial power.

Speaking about the issue of occupied State of Jammu and Kashmir, Gen. Lodhi said that India was against giving the people of Kashmir the right to self-determination, fearing that  conceding any territorial concessions to the Kashmiri people could lead to the disintegration of the Indian state.

Ambassador Fauzia Nasreen maintained that there are two schools of thought in India that define the strategic culture. The first is what she termed,” Indian-ness” or the moralists. The second is the liberals who believe in the political culture of balance of powers on the British Raj Model.

Nasreen maintained that the current tension emanates from the Indian anger of Pakistan, which has frustrated its designs to expand in Afghanistan and Central Asia.

Dr. Hussain Shaheed Sohrwardi pointed out that India is witnessing a continued era of transition from neoliberal; to free-market reform, from socialism to capitalism and from politics to economic development. Thus, the Indian diplomacy has essentially entered the uncharted waters.

Sohrwardi was critical of the Pak Foreign Policy since the nation continues to be without a full-time foreign minister for the last three and half years. Consequently, the government is not functioning with an active policy but rather with a reactive policy, precipitating the current tension in bilateral relations especially when India is witnessing a “ sluggishness.”

While all the three above mentioned experts expected that the current tension would not result in a war between India and Pakistan, Al-Bab Institute For Strategic Studies submitted a “minority report.” 

According to Al-Bab, the think tanks and security specialists should take into account the worst possible scenario. Hence, one should not be dismissive of a possibility of a localized war or even a surprise war. The civil and military leaderships should take into account that India might be using deception with Pakistan to divert its attention from a bigger action somewhere else.

Al-Bab maintained that the Uri base incident was a False Flag Operation, which the Indian Intelligence executed to divert the attention of the international community from India’s massive human rights violations in occupied State of Jammu and Kashmir. Al-Bab reminded the participants of the seminar that False Flag Operations were practiced almost by all major intelligence agencies since the 17^th century and should not wrongly perceived as reflections of “conspiracy theory.”

Depicting a gloomy picture of the Indian designs, Al-Bab called upon strategists to enlighten the decision-makers on the modes of anticipating and foiling a possible Indian localized or surprised war. According to Al-Bab, such practice is paramount to preserving the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Pakistan.

Children in Aleppo trapped in “living nightmare

Children in Aleppo trapped in “living nightmare

ِ

Al-Bab Report

NEW YORK, 28 September 2016 – At least 96 children have been killed and 223 have been injured in Eastern Aleppo since Friday, UNICEF said.

“The children of Aleppo are trapped in a living nightmare,” said UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Justin Forsyth. “There are no words left to describe the suffering they are experiencing.”

The health system in Eastern Aleppo is crumbling with some 30 doctors left, hardly any equipment or emergency medicine to treat the injured, and an ever increasing number of trauma cases.

A doctor on the ground told UNICEF that children with low chances of survival are too often left to die due to limited capacity and supplies.             

“Nothing can justify such assaults on children and such total disregard for human life. The suffering – and the shock among children – is definitely the worst we have seen.”

UN Women:Tech-ing the Path to Women’s Safety

UN Women:Tech-ing the Path to Women’s Safety

Al-Bab Report

28 September 2016 - Lahore, Pakistan: Pakistani youth act to make public places safe, secure and welcoming for women by pitching street savvy ideas to remove restrictions that hinder women's public mobility and tackle street harassment.

Immobility and street harassment, a big problem for women and girls across Pakistan, calls for bold measures, both individually and socially for its eradication. According to a local study of more than 200 youth in Gujranwala, Pakistan, distressingly, 96% of the girls experienced street harassment.

In designing and planning safe cities and safe public spaces for women, the Government of Punjab’s Chief Minister’s Special Monitoring Unit (Law and Order Wing), the Punjab Commission on the Status of Women and Punjab’s Women Development Department in collaboration with UN Women (the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women) and ‘CIRCLE’ (a leading social enterprise working on women and youth entrepreneurship and leadership), initiated a youth competition where local Universities intensively collaborated to develop innovative solutions to enhance women and girls’ public safety and mobility.

With a call-out issued to Universities in the Province of Punjab, of the ten teams screened, five were selected and received support from mentors on building their ideas to women’s rights in relation to safe cities/public spaces for women and girls.

The finalists presented their solutions to a three-member jury - Fauzia Viqar (Chairperson, Punjab Commission on the Status of Women), Fiza Farhan (Member, UN High-Level Panel on Women’s Economic Empowerment) and Alexander Hablik (Advisor, GIZ Lahore) - at an event held on Wednesday 28 September 2016 in a local hotel in Lahore.

The pitches included: #ShootWithCamera by digitally empowering women using their mobile phones (Punjab University); “I Was Harassed Here” using digital means to share information on (un)safe streets (Lahore University of Management and Sciences); “Fempower” focusing on rape awareness raising and its prevention (University of Science and Technology); “Out and About” using safe routing and a buddy system with hazard control (Lahore School of Economics); and “Safe Campus” through digital and sustainable protective measures  (Lahore College for Women University).

Waheeda Hameed-ud-Din (Minister, Women Development Department, Punjab) presented the award to the winning team - Lahore College for Women University with their “Safe Campus” pitch – who took home a cash prize to support the launch of their idea. The two runners up were Punjab University and Lahore University of Management and Sciences for #ShootWithCamera and “I Was Harassed Here” respectively.

The event was carried out under UN Women in Pakistan’s ‘Ending Violence Against Women and Girls’ programme, with support from the Government of Australia to increase participation of women in society as leaders and change makers based upon: (i) access to safe public spaces; (ii) successful remedies against violence against women; and (iii) awareness about rights and services to promote empowerment of women.

UNESCO Islamabad launches the Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report 2016

UNESCO Islamabad launches the Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report 2016

Education for People and Planet: Creating Sustainable Future For all

Al-Bab Report

Islamabad: The first in a fifteen years' series, UNESCO’s Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report 2016 shows that education has a huge potential to facilitate progress towards all the global sustainable development goals, but needs a major rethink if it is to live up to those expectations.

UNESCO Islamabad unveiled the 2016 GEM Report in collaboration with UNICEF and other UN partners. This year’s Report is entitled “Education for People and Planet: Creating Sustainable Future For All “and is following the global launch on 6^th September 2016 at UNESCO HQ in Paris. After welcome remarks of Ms. Angela Kearney, UNICEF Representative to Pakistan, Ms. Vibeke Jensen, UNESCO Representative to Pakistan presented the 2016 GEM Report to Muhammad Baligh-ur-Rehman, Minister of State for Federal Education and Professional Training for its formal launch.

Officially mandated to monitor the new global education goal in the UN Sustainable Development Agenda until 2030, the GEM is an editorially independent, authoritative, and evidence-based annual report to assess progress towards the education targets in the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) framework. The Report is being launched at a time when UNESCO and other UN partners in collaboration with the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training are working with all provincial and area governments in preparing a national strategy for implementation of the SDG-4 agenda in Pakistan.

Pakistan is home to 9% (24 million) of the world's 263 million out of school children, adolescents and youth, which is a serious challenge to the country. The report stipulates that on current trends, universal primary education in Southern Asia will be achieved in 2051; universal lower secondary completion in 2062; and universal upper secondary completion in 2087. This means that the region would be more than half a century late for the 2030 SDG deadline. In Pakistan, by 2030, one in ten children will still not be completing primary school, whilst the country is expected to achieve universal primary education in 2060, universal lower secondary education in 2070 and universal upper secondary education not until 2095. While in the majority of countries, education is the best indicator of climate change awareness, half of countries’ curricula worldwide, including Pakistan’s, do not explicitly mention climate change in their content.

To address these issues, the GEM Report suggests to break with past trends to avoid the world being half a century late in achieving its global education commitments. The Education systems must provide people vital skills and knowledge that can find new solutions for environmental problems.  Education systems need to nurture higher level skills to fulfil the needs of growing economies where jobs are being fast automated. This calls for the national governments to focus on removing inequalities in education, which can cause frustration and increase the risk of conflict and violence.

Presenting the key findings of the GEM Report, Ms. Vibeke Jensen, UNESCO Representative to Pakistan highlighted that the GEM Report looks at the multiple links and synergies between education in relation to SDG-4 and other sectors, such as health, nutrition, poverty alleviation, women's empowerment, environment, climate change and peace and security etc. While stressing the centrality of SDG-4 in the overall 2030 Agenda, she said that all sectors must view education as a partner in their plans for change, and work together in global, regional and national partnership.

Ms. Angela Kearney, UNICEF Representative to Pakistan in her remarks expressed that this year’s GEM Report is very important which demonstrates about the progress in education which critical for all Sustainable Development Goals. The development sectors need to include education in their policies and plans. She pointed out that the GEM Report calls for much greater financiering to achieve the education goals. UNICEF will continue its work through a holistic and cross-sectoral method for the progress of all children. UNICEF’s work will promote early childhood programs which include nutrition, stimulation and protection; ensuring that children in places as far removed as FATA and remote Balochistan can thrive in safe and protective environments critical to their development needs.

Speaking at the occasion, Muhammad Baligh-ur-Rehman, Minister of State for Federal Education and Professional Training highlighted that the 2016 GEM Report has got a new directive to review the progress of education under the 2030 Agenda. The Report not only looks into the education sector but also focuses on the relationship of education and other sustainable developments goals.  And for that the Government of Pakistan has already adopted SDG-4 and has converted it into our national development goals, education has always been our first priority and we are fully committed towards it.

WFP Pakistan acting Country Director, Stephen Gluning said that “no single organization and no single government can act alone to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. By working together with commitment and determination, we can establish powerful partnerships that can change the global landscape, from one of hunger to hope, country-by-country, community-by-community, family-by-family and child-by-child, until no one is left behind”, he added that “securing high level leadership, ensuring context-specific and country-led partnerships, clarifying roles and responsibilities, and focusing on financing, results and accountability are the key factors for the development of effective partnerships. The World Food Programme (WFP) together with other UN agencies and partners is supporting the Government of Pakistan to achieve food security, nutrition, education gender equality and manage climate impact in Pakistan”.

Speaking in the panel, Mr. Indrika Ratwatte, UNHCR Representative to Pakistan said, “Provision of education to refugee children is directly linked to development and sustainability”.

Among others, Syed Abu Ahmed Akif, Federal Secretary, Ministry of Climate Change, UNICEF Representative to Pakistan, Dr. Allah Bakhsh Malik, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training also expressed their views on the importance of the GEM Report while emphasising the need for partnership and collaboration across sectors to achieve SDGs. A panel discussion was also held to deliberate upon the six thematic areas of the GEM report. A wide range of representatives from government, development partner agencies, civil society, academia, and media marked the launching ceremony of the 2016 GEM Report.