2018: The Year of Balochistan by Sajjad Shaukat (JR121SS17)

2018: The Year of Balochistan by Sajjad Shaukat (JR121SS17)

It is in response to the article “2018: Not Yet Balochistan’s Year”, written by Adnan Aamir, published in “The Friday Times” on December 28, 2018, which clearly seems part of the foreign propaganda campaign to create sense of deprivation among the Baloch People. Salient of the article are as under:- 

The political drama was not yet to end in Balochistan. The rebel members of PML-N formed Balochistan Awami Party (BAP). The primary manifesto point of BAP was that decisions of Balochistan will be made in Balochistan, as opposed to Raiwand or Larkana. Detractors, however, alleged that BAP was created by the establishment to take full control of the affairs of Balochistan.

BAP leaders in Balochistan’s government openly blamed the PML-N for preventing Balochistan from reaping the benefits of CPEC [China-Pakistan Economic Corridor]. Balochistan government made a strong case for the province in 8^th Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) of CPEC. The provincial government demanded $500 million in socio-economic uplift projects and 10,000 scholarships for Balochistan, along-with several other infrastructure projects.

The year 2018 also witnessed the rise of Balochistan Liberation Army [BLA]–Aslam group. This Baloch insurgent group carried out a suicide blast targeting Chinese engineers in Dalbandin in August.

Under the sub-title, Same Old Balochistan, Adnan wrote, nothing changed in Balochistan—Most problems of the province, such as security situation, power shortages, share in mineral resources and the CPEC, are under the ambit of the federal government.

In fact, the main aim of the above article is to spread disinformation regarding the CPEC in a controversial and hidden style and to misguide the Baloch people against the federal government of Pakistan, while some foreign anti-Pakistan entities are already misguiding the general masses of the province. In this regard, by ignoring facts and ground realities, in one way or the other, Adnan Aami has became part of these external forces.

However, from the very beginning, terrorism-related terror attacks in Pakistan’s largest province of Balochistan have coincided with a continuous propaganda campaign against Pakistan’s federation and its security forces as part of the conspiracy—whose aim is also to incite the feelings of the Baloch people against the key institutes of the country.

When during the Musharraf regime, with the Chinese assistance, Pakistan initiated the construction of Gwadar deep-seaport in the Balochistan province in March 2002; sirens went off in the capitals of foreign countries, especially of the US, India and Israel who took it as a threat to their global and regional plans. After the shift of the Great Game from Central Asia to Pakistan’s Balochistan, in the past, intelligence agencies of these countries, including British MI6 supported target killings, suicide attacks, hostage-takings, sectarian and ethnic violence, particularly kidnappings of the Chinese and Iranian nationals through the Baloch separatist elements.

Taking cognizance of the deteriorating situation of the Balochistan province, Pakistan’s political and military leaders started focusing their attention on the rapid development of Balochistan to redress the grievances of the people in order to castigate the conspiracy of the external enemies. In this regard, the then Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had declared 2012 the ‘Year of Balochistan.’ While in his address to a rally, leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan (Now Prime Minister) had apologized to the Baloch people for the national misgivings which were being manipulated by the foreign enemies of Pakistan. 

In the recent years, Pakistan’s civil and military leadership has made strenuous efforts to develop the infrastructure in Balochistan, providing the people employment opportunities to bring the Balochis in the mainstream of the country. In this regard, Pak Army has not only established schools and colleges in Balochistan, but also set up technical and industrial institutes in the province, besides giving military training to the youth.

While addressing, the passing-out parade in Quetta on October 11, 2011, Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani pointed out various efforts of the Pak Army in alleviating the people of Balochistan. He appreciated the then Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani Kayani for ensuring best possible training to bring the youth into the national mainstream. Gilani highlighted development projects in Balochistan, aimed at the socio-economic uplift of its people. He said that the federal government would also provide 30 percent of its shares from the Saindak Project to the Balochistan government, adding that under the NFC award, fund transferring had been increased from 5.1 to 9.09 percent.  

In 2011, I visited Balochistan along with other journalists. I saw a number of institutes, set up by army, and these were providing especially technical training to thousands of the Balochis. I had also a trip to far-flung areas of the province and witnessed various mega projects and mineral sites, protected by the army. I was greatly surprised that no military operation was going on in Balochistan, as propagated by the external elements. People told me that some subversive events are taking place by the minority separatist elements so as to create instability in the province.

It is notable that armed forces of Pakistan have successfully broken the backbone of the foreign-backed terrorists by the successful military operations Zarb-e-Azb and Radd-ul-Fasaad which have also been extended to other parts of the country, including Balochistan. And Pakistan’s primarily intelligence agency, ISI has broken the network of these terrorist groups by capturing several militants, while thwarting a number of terror attempts. But, in the recent past and during the election-campaign of 2019, blasts in Balochistan and other regions of the country showed that the US-led India, Afghanistan and Israel have again started acts of sabotage especially to weaken Pakistan and to damage the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which is part of China’s One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative or BRI. Washington and New Delhi has already opposed this project.

It is mentionable that foiled terror attack on the Chinese consulate in Karachi on November 23, last year was part of the same scheme. In another terror-related incident, on the same day, at least 35 people were killed and 50 wounded in a blast in Kalaya area of lower Orakzai district in Hangu (Pakistan).

It is noteworthy that the separatist group of the Balochistan, BLA claimed responsibility of the failed terror attempt on the Chinese consulate in Karachi through a tweet. 

Pakistan’s media and reliable sources revealed that in a major development pertaining to attack on Chinese consulate in Karachi, Pakistan’s Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) on November 24, 2018 learned that attack was funded by India’s notorious RAW and Afghanistan’s intelligence agency National Directorate of Security (NDS). Earlier, LEAs arrested three alleged facilitators in connection with assault on Chinese Consulate in Karachi. Sources privy to LEAs disclosed that local facilitators had assisted the BLA’s terrorists in carrying out the appalling attack. The attack was “planned by banned BLA commander Aslam alias Achhu who was under treatment at Max Hospital in New Delhi, after being injured in an operation by Pakistani security forces near Sibi…Achhu had several times travelled to India from Afghanistan on fake passport”.  Recently, he died in India.

Undoubtedly, it shows the connections of the Indian RAW with NDS in relation to the foiled attempt at the Chinese consulate of Karachi.

Notably, with tactical support of CIA and Mossad, India is also using Afghan soil to destabilize Balochistan to slow down the growth of the CPEC and pulling Afghanistan away from joining the CPEC.

In this respect, propaganda of external entities, followed by meetings and arranging protests in the US and some European countries such as UK and Geneva by the Baloch Sub-Nationalists against the integrity of Pakistan is also part of the same campaign to destabilize the country, especially Balochistan by criticizing Beijing and Islamabad in connection with the CPEC project.

In this connection, RAW and CIA arrange a meeting of Baloch Sub-Nationalists, SSNs (Sindhi-Sub- Nationalists) and the USNs (Uyghur Sub-Nationalists of China) on the termination of 35th Session of Human Rights Counsel in Geneva from 12-14 June 2017. The agenda was; planning against the CPEC/Pak-China’s interests in the region. Mehran Marri attended the conference and delivered a speech (reportedly prepared by RAW) alleging CPEC as exploitation projects and Baloch cultural genocide by Pakistan and China. Represents of World Sindh Congress (WSC) attended the said forum as well. Uyghur human rights activists, Rebiya Kadeer and Dolikun Aeysa were also present in the said conference.

Similarly, Ahmar Masti Khan’s ‘American Friends of Balochistan’ organized an event at National Press Club in Washington, DC August 2017. The speakers included, Hussain Haqqani, Former Ambassador of Pakistan, Nawab Brahumdagh Bugti, President of Baloch Liberation Army (via skpye from Switzerland), Nawab Mehran Marri, Chief of Marri Tribe & President of the Balochistan House, Hammal Haider, International spokesperson for the Balochistan National Movement, Banuk Kareema Baluch, President Baloch Students Organization (Azad). They promoted the self-created theory that Pak Army and China had ill-intentions towards CPEC, Gwadar and Balochistan’s natural resources.

Likewise, on the eve of Chinese National Day on 30 Sep 2017, Free Balochistan Movement (FBM) headed by Harbyar, organized a protest rally in Gottingen, Germany. This has been done on the Indian sponsored false propaganda about China’s new colonialism and human rights violations in Balochistan. It was said in their statements that China and Pakistan nexus is aimed to turn Baloch demography into a minority.

Nevertheless, unlike the past, protest/rallies by Baloch insurgent groups abroad have increased in order to project Balochistan issue on international forums. Baloch Student Organization-Azad (BSO) also organized a demonstration outside British Prime Minister’s residence in London on Oct 1, 2017 against alleged Pakistan war crimes in Balochistan.

Although foreign intelligence agencies such as CIA, RAW and Mossad have continued supporting various types of intrigues against Pakistan and China, yet Balochistan has become their special target and these secret agencies have accelerated their aggressive campaign, particularly to harm the CPEC project.

In this regard, with the help of Baloch nationalist leaders who have taken refuge in western countries; these hostile elements have launched a false propaganda campaign by spreading disinformation about natural resources, progressive works and the CPEC. Thus, they are misguiding the Baloch people.

The agents of CIA, RAW and Mossad are well-penetrated in various NGOs and human rights organizations which are being used for a malicious propaganda against Pakistan’s security forces. In this respect, on July 31, 2011, with the help of external elements, a rally was organised by Baloch Human Rights Council in UK, in front of the US Embassy in London, which raised false accusations such as inhuman torture and extrajudicial murder of the Baloch intellectuals by the inhuman actions of the Pakistani army.

On August 3, 2011, the then ISPR spokesman, Maj-Gen Athar Abbas, while rejecting human rights groups’ reports about Balochistan as a conspiracy against Pakistan, called for probing the funding of these organizations, as “this could be traced back to those forces which want to destabilize Pakistan.”

It is noteworthy that on September 6, 2017, in a letter to Ambassador Valentin Zellweger-the permanent representative of the Swiss government at the United Nations (UN), Ambassador Farukh Amil-the permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN has taken up the matter of posters, raised in the area around Rio de Ferney in Grand Sacconex, Geneva—mentioned the name of Balochistan House (BH) as a sponsor—terming the incident as a belligerent attack on the “sovereignty and territorial integrity of Pakistan” by giving calls for ‘free Balochistan’.

According to the ambassador, a car “remained parked near [the digital poster] and seemed to be guarding [it]…the BH, the apparent sponsor of these posters is an affiliate of the BLA, which is a “listed terrorist organisation under the laws of Pakistan and other countries, including the United Kingdom.”

It is also of particular attention that patriot Baloch people have come to know the foreign plot against the integration of Pakistan. They know that Pak Army has not only been successful in uprooting the anti-state elements, but also contributed a lot in socio-economic development of Balochistan.  Army’s positive steps are increasing income of the Baloch youth and reducing their dependence on the feudal lords (Sardars), while external-backed insurgency has been hampering the growth and development of the province. Besides, the Baloch are very well-aware of the fact that instead of Sardars, royalty of the mineral resources go to the provincial government of Balochistan. 

Baloch persons know that the Sardars who have been fighting for their own so-called status, prestige and influence, do not want to give up the old system of feudalism. Therefore, with the assistance of the US-led India and Israel, these anti-Pakistan entities are inciting them against Pak Army, Punjabis and the federation.

Loyalist Baloch people are well-aware of the reality that they would be the real beneficiary of the CPEC. Completion of the CPEC-deep Gwadar seaport of Balochistan with an international airport at Gwadar and the roads infrastructure in Gwadar would link the communication networks of rest of the country to facilitate transportation of goods. When Gwadar seaport becomes fully operational, it would connect the landlocked Central Asian states with rest of the world. Gwadar project which is backbone of the CPEC will uplift the impoverished people of Balochistan by providing thousands of employment opportunities, especially to the less developed areas by redressing their grievances. The resulting prosperity in Balochistan would damp the separatist sentiments of the people, which the hostile elements, supported by Washington, New Delhi and Tel Aviv do not want.

It is worth-mentioning that since the government of the Balochistan province announced general pardon and protection to the Baloch militants as part of reconciliation process, many insurgents and their leaders have surrendered their arms and decided to work for the development of Pakistan and the province by including themselves in the mainstream of the country, and peace has been restored in the province.

But, it is misfortune that some internal entities like Adnan Aamir are still misleading the Baloch people in accordance with the hidden agenda of some foreign powers who have been trying to destabilize Balochistan.

The people residing in Balochistan must remain loyal to Pakistan so as to thwart nefarious designs against the integrity of the country.

Nonetheless, facts and ground realities endorse that ‘2018 was the year of Balochistan’.

Innovation in informal sector: Lost opportunity to industrialise ingenuously (JR120)

Innovation in informal sector: Lost opportunity to industrialize indigenously (JR120)

Introduction

Pakistan since its inception in 1947 has been focused upon nation building and security issues. This mostly because a large powerful aggressive neighbor presented real or imagined threats ( real I would say as the bad boy of South Asia , India, did plan , mastermind and actively participate in the separation and creation of Bangladesh, Indians have  not given up their quest to destabilize Pakistan and have interfered in Baluchistan and elsewhere)  This attention upon survival has meant that other aspects have been ignored, development issues and economic process has received less than deserved attention. This has resulted in an lost opportunity. There was and still is considerable ability and talents in the country and had these been recognized, nurtured and assisted Pakistan may well have been able to industrialize by means of locally developed technology. This opportunity still exists and can be harnessed to indigenously industrialize and modernize.

Early history

Pakistan did not process much industry, Pakistani agriculture produce was processed by industries located in Bombay and Ahmadabad or was exported to England for processing. There was however the famous Mughalpura Railway works (MRW) which were at that point in time state of art. This facility was manned by Pakistani talent and had ability to manufacture machinery and structures. By 1940 MRW had over 4000 machine tools, some were more advanced than any other available, in the sub continent. there were about 1500 machine tools in workshops in Sukkar, Karachi and Rawalpindi  Bridge making and fabrication facility was developed at Jhelum, which provided structures for many bridges in the sub continent railway system..Even more importantly these works were manned by Muslim technicians and workers and were subsequently joined by Muslims who migrated to Pakistan after 1947 this ironically was the result of the strict caste system followed by the Indian society. The lohars or blacksmith was almost exclusively Muslim. This is why Muslims had an -edge over Hindus in the engineering profession. . At partition about 14000 skilled workers were available in the Railway engineering system in Pakistan.

BECO

The company was named Batala Engineering Company after the name of C.M. Latif's home town. During the year 1932 the idea of what is now known as BECO or PECO first flourished in Latif's mind (he was 25 years old).

When it was certain that Batala was going to the Indian side Muslims started mass exodus from the town. Though Latif had no difficulty crossing over to Lahore, long lines of people on the small road from Batala to Kalanor could be seen. Some were also trying to cross river Ravi at that point. There was a horrifying blood-bath through which the Muslims of the Indian Punjab had to go. Batala and its surroundings were struck with a greater fury as it was a Muslim majority area which was treacherously handed over to India under the Radcliff Award. The hearts and homes of innumerable innocent Muslims were destroyed ruthlessly. They were attacked again and again as their refugee caravans trekked towards Pakistan for security and safety. The distinction was only between the frenzied killers and the helpless victims. BECO engineers, workers, Muslim citizens and villagers around Batala became BECO's evacuation concern. This is how the BECO family came to Pakistan leaving all their machines, plants and financial assets behind.

BECO begins from scratch.

From here began the second phase of BECO's development. It was a beginning from scratch all over again. When the family arrived in Lahore, Latif fell sick. He was bed ridden with fever for ten days. As soon as he was well, he went to the Mall road branch of Bharat Bank. He had an account with their branch at Batala. At the very moment of his visit, the bank staff was loading their registers, etc, into a lorry to take them to Delhi. The manager could only offer Mr. Latif a cheque for Rs 20,000, which could be encashed at Grindlay's Bank in Karachi. He sent it promptly to brother Siddiq for encashment. That is how they started again. After a few months they were allotted a house and also the Mukand Iron Works at Badami Bagh. This was located almost in a bed of water as the Ravi had over-flowed and the flood waters had reached up to the General Post office. At that time there were no bunds around the city of Lahore.

The business of the company was commenced by purchasing scrap. The first wagon arrived with cast iron and old railway sleepers. It was bought from a scrap dealer Mr. Maquand Lal. The rate at which the 20 tons of caste iron was between Rs 20-22 per ton (in September, 2005 the rate of this commodity in Lahore, was being quoted as Rs 20,000/- per ton, giving an inflationary ratio of almost 1:1000).After much hard work the company's works at Badami Bagh became a beehive of manufacturing activity.

BECO capability at time of nationalization

By the time BECO was nationalized in 1972 BECO had developed capability to manufacture: bicycles, pumps, diesel engines, cement mixers, lathes and other equipment and machine tools. BECO also was able to export some of their products to the developing and developed world. At that point in time BECO had a team of trained engineers including foreign engineers and about 6000 trained workers. BECO was  manufacturing a variety of metal engineering goods including various types of machine tools, engines, pumps, structural’s, textile looms, agricultural implements, etc. in  Badami Bagh  Works. BECO was manufacturing bicycles, electric motors and heavy structurals at new works at Kot Lakhpat 

Ittefaq Group 

Sharif was born in 1919.^[Sharif was born in a small village in Punjab province near Amritsar (now in the Indian part of Punjab) . In 1936, the family relocated to Lahore, the then capital of Punjab, for business reasons. With his 6 brothers, Mian Sharif founded a foundry in 1939 , which was gradually developed into a large corporate empire. His operations became the nucleus of the steel company Ittefaq and Sharif became the largest industrial tycoon in the country. Unlike Mr. Latidf Sharif was not educated as an engineer but He acquired the services of a German engineer at a very high salary, who managed the establishment of the steel works the family owned.

Industrial activity in Punjab

The earliest known production of machine tools in India was in 1890, workshops in Punjab had started to manufacture machine tools. The diesel engine manufacturing industry made a beginning in 1900. Other products manufactured were : machine tools; electric fans(Muhammed Din) ; surgical instruments ; cinema projectors (Shafi) ; flour grinding machines ;Other notable products were : cane crushers(Ramzan and Subhan). Fly presses (Ilam Din of Lahore) ; oil expellers (K.B>Chisty and Sons)Diesel engines ( in 1920 Abdul Majid); carding engines; ginning machines rice hullers . When Pakistan came into being there were : thirteen machine tool manufacturing units ; sixty diesel manufacturing units ; four fan manufacturing units ; one cinema projector manufacturing unit; ten surgical instrument manufacturing units ; and about twelve units manufacturing a number of products

Surgical Instruments

Scottish surgeon broke his instrument in 1908, this was repaired by a lohar from Kotli Loharan, near Sialkot, The lohar was commissioned to repair and manufacture these instruments. The industry started and slowly shifted to Sialkot.

Capability at Partition

Pakistan inherited a significant number of manufacturing units manufacturing equipment and products that were competitive and more importantly a large number of engineers, technicians and workers who was skilled and trained. This was a very significant legacy.

Opportunity squandered

The Pakistani leadership was clueless as far as economic development was concerned and the possibility of utilizing the manufacturing industry and skilled professional never entered into the political plans for Pakistan. PIDC (Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation) under Ghualm Faruque did manage to partially industrialize the industry but after he left PIDC went into stagnation and eventually became totally ineffective. President Ayubs government also made efforts, which were successful, in developing the industrial base (most was the result of the green revolution which gave a surplus to the farmer who diversified into small implement manufacture) . The Bhutto government with their nationalization killed most industries, BECO (now PECO) never returned to its former glory, and other industries that were taken over discouraged their owners who refused to invest in Pakistan anymore.

 Government Failures

The Government could have helped by setting up training institutes and by establishing research facilities. Technology appropriate to the country could have helped .Few, largely ineffective steps were taken, but by and large the small industry was left to its own, even foreign exchange   earning industries such as cutlery, surgical instruments and sports good was provided with little assistance. These and other industries progressed almost entirely on their  own. 

The diesel industry could not survive, diesel engines demand was for high speed engines, the conversion required investments which the small manufacturers could not afford .The last nail was driven by the labor reforms of 1972 that completely discouraged the struggling small diesel manufacture owners, who eventually closed down and this aspect of our manufacturing niche went into terminal decline.

The electric fan industry did not devolve into a large export oriented section of our industrial

assets. With a little investment and training Pakistan could have developed into a fan export hub. Investment and training could have assisted this farm industry to evolve into a significant electric motor manufacturing player.

The surgical instrument industry performed brilliantly, but this was not due to any government assistance, they had no assess to bang sector funds and were able to survive and grow on their own. Germen and Dutch help was made available though, but this resulted in reverse technology transfer as the technology was passed on to surgical manufacturing industry in Ludhiana in East Punjab India.

The Darra Adam Khel arms industry was self developed with no assistance, help in form of testing facilities, metallurgical knowledge, testing facilities would have enabled this sterling effort to blossom into a export oriented industry

Bicycle industry blossomed and Pakistan was able to produce a large number of bicycles in small manufacturing plants around Lahore and elsewhere. Pakistan could have emerged as a bicycle exporting country but this opportunity was squandered. Instead the technology -was stolen by Indians who managed to establish Hero Industries in Ludhiana, India.

 Proficient pickup was developed during the mid-1980s, by a local engineer Mr. Khalil ur Rahman (late) and was Pakistan’s very first locally assembled 1,000cc pickup. Proficient trucks were as good as most of the foreign brands and were cheaper as well. It competed in the small pickup and medium truck market, primarily against the Suzuki. However, the Proficient project suffered badly due bureaucratic hurdles and lack of support from the government, which then introduced an untimely policy of concessionary rate on CBU imports of Suzuki pickups (then known as ‘Ravi’  ), same capacity as the locally conceived Proficient  The problems faced by the manufacturers of the Proficient, the country’s first locally produced automobile, are typical of those faced by other entrepreneurs in Pakistan — proving yet again that a bureaucracy committed to red tape-ism and inefficiency is the biggest deterrent to industrial growth and self sufficiency  From a distance the pickup looks like any one of the many Suzukis that ply the roads of Karachi. A closer inspection indicates that the headlights and front grill are slightly different. It is only after the proud manufacturer lifts up the front seat to reveal the engine hidden beneath, that disbelief turns to awe at the boldly lettered ‘Proficient’ that proclaims the vehicle’s name. Despite a number of advertisements in the press, very few people actually realize that this vehicle has been manufactured entirely in Pakistan. “Speaking from his Winmark Industries office in PECHS, however, the manufacturer of this vehicle, Mr KhaliIur Rehman, sounds a little unenthusiastic about showing visitors around his factory in the remote North Karachi industrial area. He keeps saying that most people are quite taken aback when they see the primitive setup in which the automobile is manufactured. Indeed, after a grueling journey through city traffic and the narrow lanes of the katchi abadis, the factory is still a quarter of a mile away, without even a dirt track leading up to its entrance.”  Mr Rehman is no longer alive but his sons carry on with his work.The factory is a two thousand yard plot with a boundary wall and a three storeyed, unpainted brick structure in the middle. The front courtyard could easily be any one of a thousand denting and painting shops that litter the city. A chassis is cut and welded in one corner, while the shape of the driver’s cabin is hammered out in another. All the moving and lifting is done manually, and the rest of the work is also accomplished without the use of any tools that are more sophisticated than a blow-torch. The makers of Proficient pickup van also developed a small car, 800cc, but they were not given permission to manufacture this at all.

Pakistan was the the First Islamic Country in the world which made a 4 Wheel Drive Jeep of its own in late 60's called NAYA DAUR in collaboration with WILLIS jeep. Pakistan was the First Islamic Country in the world which was about to manufacture its own Motorcycles in early 70's with the collaboration of JAVA motorcycle but the process was soon abandoned. Pakistan was the First Islamic Country in the world which had made its own prototype Diesel Engines by the Lahore based company called BECO (Battala Engineering Company. Pakistan really was the First Islamic Country in the world which actually made a Motor Car of its own in early 70's with the collaboration of SKODA Motors. It was named SKOPAK. The prototypes had been made, the production was about to be started soon, but alas. This was not to be.

 During the 195 war the Army realized the need for locally manufactured vehicles. An EME Officer took up the challenge. A Karachi based importer of “Jeep” had started assembling these vehicles, he was invited to undertake assembly of these vehicles from locally manufactured parts, he agreed .and was given the order to manufacture four vehicles, called NISSAN. IN about three years some if these vehicles were assembled , these were tested and finally 115 prototypes were manufactured .All expenses were borne by the contractor, each vehicle cost Rs. 27,500 whereas the imported Jeep had a cost attached of Rs., 44000.J.A Rahim the then Minister unfortunately put a stop to this and the project was wound up.

Ice making plant were manufactured in Pakistan these were used by  cold storages and ice making plants, now defunct MAS were manufacturing these in Lahore . Air conditioning plant manufacture was started in 1980s in Rawalpindi, these were even exported.  Haji Shafi was able to manufacture a automatic loam, this was tested and found to be as good as imported loams.
 

Present Status

Rising demand for mist fans on the international market has helped Pakistan earn at least 18 per cent more foreign exchange from exports during 2016-17 as compared to a year ago. the number of electric fans exports from Pakistan has decreased by 4pc, but in terms of market value the share has increased by some 17.96pc in 2016-17 as compared to 2015-16. According to the data issued by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, as many as 1.273 million fans were exported during 2016-17, highlighting a 4pc decrease as compared to 1.326 million fans in 2015-16. However in terms of value of these exported fans, the country earned foreign exchange worth $30.168 million (Rs3.15 billion) as compared to previous year’s value of $25.681m (Rs2.678bn). United Arab Emirates has imposed restrictions on Pakistani fans to meet European standards and this could be a reason for decline in quantity, he added. Pedestal fan exports have increased, particularly mist fans that spray water in the air leading to a cooling effect. Pakistani mist fans are sold of $90 per piece as compared to normal pedestal fans which are priced at around 20 dollars in the global market, he said. Price of Pakistani fan is higher than the Chinese ones but these are also more durable and heavy duty in terms of quality, he explained. . The turmoil in Yemen and Iraq for the last few years has also been a cause of decline in the export of Pakistani fans. These countries have always been a good market for Made-in-Pakistan fans

Surgical goods and medical instruments worth US$ 221.298 million were exported from the country in first seven months of the current financial year as compared the corresponding period of last year. During the period from July-January, 2017-18, the exports of medical goods and surgical instruments grew by 15.27 percent as above mentioned commodities worth $221.298 million exported as compared the exports of $191.979 million of the same period last year. Meanwhile, cutlery goods valuing $52.200 million exported in last seven months as compared the exports of $46.224 million, showing an increase of 12.93 percent during the period under review, said data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

In 2010, a record 1.8 million motorcycles were manufactured in the country. Its production is still on the rise. For instance, Honda’s Sheikhupura plant plans to produce 900,000 units by April 2017 under the first phase of its expansion project. The company’s two manufacturing facilities have the capacity to manufacture 1.35 million units a year in Pakistan against the current production level of 750,000. The company is currently exporting up to 5,000 units to Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Afghanistan, Bangladesh and African countries are the markets for Pakistan’s low cost bikes. The illegal exports of two wheelers to Bangladesh and Afghanistan are reportedly thriving due to hurdles in legal exports and problems in getting export rebate. The low cost Chinese bike makers have been facing suspension in bike exports to regional countries due to bureaucratic hurdles and influence of a power lobby of Japanese-based automotive association. The government should remove all hurdles and announce incentives to encourage exporters. Pakistan lacks a comprehensive automobile policy covering two-wheelers. The present automobile policy only covers four-wheelers, hence making it ‘not feasible’ for any foreign company to manufacture bikes in the country. The country is likely to lose a proposed investment of $150 million by Japanese giant Yamaha Motors because of its unclear automobile policy. Yamaha had reportedly submitted the proposal with Board of Investment three years ago, but it was facing delays due to confusion about Islamabad’s automobile policy. Japanese company not only wanted to assemble and manufacture motorbikes and engines in Pakistan, but also planned to export these to the Middle East, Africa, Afghanistan and other countries. In the wake of the investment, 25,000 Pakistani engineers and technicians could get jobs in the automobile industry. Besides, many small industries could get a chance to produce auto parts.

The exports of sports goods from the Country witnessed an increase of 7.83 percent during the fiscal year 2017-18 as against the corresponding period of last year, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported. The Country exported sports goods worth $332.516 million during July-June (2017-18) against the trade of $308.361 million during July-June (2016-17), showing growth of 7.83 percent, the PBS data revealed. Among the sports products, the exports of footballs increased by 9.38 percent by going up from $152.565 million last year to $166.881 million during the fiscal year under review. The exports of gloves increased from $107.918 million to $111.740 million, showing growth of 3.54 percent while the exports of all other sports products went up from $47.878 million to $53.895 million, witnessing increase of 12.57 percent. Meanwhile, on year-on-year basis, the exports of sports products during June 2018 increased by 3.89 percent to $29.275 million when compare to the exports of $28.180 million during June 2017.On year-on-year basis, the exports of footballs decreased by 2.59 percent while the exports of gloves and other sports products increased by 11.44 percent and 8.78 percent respectively.  

EXPORT RECEIPTS BY SPORTS GOODS (Thousand US $)
Details	Jul-Jun	Jul-Jan
Sports Goods	539,115	313,362
A)     Footballs	221,569	112,966
B) Gloves	120,944	68,50

Conclusions

There was and still is considerable talent, innovation and ability in the Pakistani masses. There was and still is almost illiterate workers who have the ability to manufacture complex machines, products and systems. This ability has not been recognized by Pakistani leadership. Economic planning has side stepped this extraordinary ability  . The possibility to industrialize using indigenous technology still exists but this talent needs to be nurtured and assistance provided. Such assistance need to be provided very carefully so as to avoid dampening of the innovative talents that the country possesses. Intervention needs to be soft and carefully crafted.

Turning Point: Has India Lost Kashmir By Sajjad Shaukat (JR119SS16)

Turning Point: Has India Lost Kashmir By Sajjad Shaukat (JR119SS16)

Despite continuous employment of brutal tactics by the Indian security forces on the innocent Kashmiris in the Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK), war of liberation has accelerated. The Kashmiri struggle has entered the turning point, putting the question mark, has India lost Kashmir?

With the intensity of war of liberation and Indian state terrorism in the IOK, pressure on the Indian government led by BJP has been mounting both domestically and internationally.

The intensity of anti-India protests in IOK has escalated to such levels that an article in BBC questioned, “Is India losing Kashmir?” Washington Post also pointed that “Teen girls with stones are the new threat in India’s Kashmir conflict”. New York Times editorial “Cruelty and Cowardice in Kashmir” also has the same shade commenting on an incident on the current situation in the valley. The Atlantic observed that a new cycle of protests and violent crackdowns had begun in Kashmir, as have responses to those crackdowns–leaving dozens dead and more injured.

Former chief of Indian intelligence agency RAW A. S. Dulat felt that unarmed uprising has worsened under the current government in terms of atmospherics as due to alienation and the anger of youth, young Kashmiri minds have gone out of control. “There is a sense of hopelessness. They aren’t afraid to die. Villagers, students and even girls are coming out on the streets. This has never happened in the past, “he said. An Indian journalist Santosh Bhartiya in an open letter to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi published on ‘Rising Kashmir’ claimed that although “the land of Kashmir is with us, the people of Kashmir are not with us.” He had pointed out that on every tree, on every mobile tower, Pakistani flag swirls in Kashmir.

Calling New Delhi’s policy towards Kashmir a ‘bundle of confusion’, former BJP senior leader Yashwant Sinha insisted that “India has lost people of the valley emotionally. “We have lost the people emotionally. You just have to visit the valley to realize that they have lost faith in us,” Sinha acknowledged. He also candidly admitted that Modi and India believe in “doctrine of State” or brutality to suppress Kashmiri people. He added that Kashmiri people and Pakistanis observe January 5 as United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan (UNCIP) Kashmir Resolution Day to project the occasion for reminding the United Nations of its resolve made in 1949 to grant Kashmiris the right to self-determination through plebiscite.

On the other side, by ignoring the ground realities, New Delhi still wants to keep her illegitimate control in the Indian Held Kashmir through state terrorism. Failed in suppressing the Kashmir movement, Indian central government imposed President’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir which started from December 20, 2018. The main purpose is to accelerate atrocities on the Kashmiris who are demanding their genuine right of self-determination. And by creating war-hysteria against Pakistan in wake of perennial violations of the Line of Control (LoC), Modi-led government wants to divert attention of international community from the new phase of Intifada of Kashmiris.

As regards Indian state terrorism in the Indian control Kashmir, Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader namely Pravin Togadia demanded that the government should carry out “carpet bombing” in Kashmir Valley to stop the attacks on security forces. Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh said that those pelting stones “will have to face the consequences.” Indian Army chief Bipin Rawat had warned youth in Kashmir saying “those who obstruct our operations during encounters and are not supportive will be treated as over ground workers of terrorists.” He added, “They may survive today but we will get them tomorrow. Our relentless operations will continue.”

Again, it mentionable that A. S. Dulat, former chief of RAW in his statement, published in the magazine, ‘The Wire’ on August 27, 2016 said “Pakistan’s role is not the only catalyst for the crisis, talks about the need for the Indian government to start talking to separatist leaders in the Hurriyat Conference, Pakistan, and other important political players.” His condemnation of the Modi government for its high handedness in IOK is spot on. He rightly concludes that the Kashmiri uprising is 100% indigenous.

Meanwhile, in response to the letter of Pakistan’s Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, on August 19, 2016, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had deplored the killings of the Kashmiris in Indian-Held Kashmir, and urged India and Pakistan to settle Kashmir and other issues through dialogue by offering his “good offices”.

During his visit to Pakistan, in the joint press conference with the then Prime Minister Sharif on November 17, 2016, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged for an immediate resolution of the Kashmir dispute and stated that “the escalating tensions on the Pakistan-India border and the atrocities in Kashmir cannot be ignored. He elaborated, “The Turkish government and the Turkish nation stand in solidarity with the Kashmiri people.”

Earlier, the visiting Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) Ayad Ameen Madani in Islamabad expressed grave concern over extra-judicial killings of people in the Indian Occupied Kashmir and added, “OIC will support Pakistan on Kashmir issue”.

Undoubtedly, Western politicians and media have also taken serious notice of the deteriorating situation of Kashmir. For instance, the Italian Minister for Defence, Mrs. Roberta Pinotti who visited Pakistan said on September 19, 2016 that her country “opposes use of force and lethal weapons against peaceful protestors in Kashmir…it cannot be allowed to go on.” She further said that Italy will apprise the international community about what is going on in Indian held Kashmir.

It is notable that in his address at the 73rd United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 29, 2018, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said, “The neighbouring country [India] rejected the Pakistani offer of resuming peace talks on ‘flimsy grounds…We are ready to talk to India on all issues but with respect…Kashmir issue is the biggest obstacle to regional peace…the Indian forces subjecting Kashmiris to atrocities for seven decades. India should not test Pakistan’s patience…we will respond to Indian aggression…The latest UN report on the occupied Kashmir has exposed Indian atrocities on innocent civilians…the meeting between the Pakistani and Indian foreign ministers would’ve been a great opportunity for dialogue. But, the Modi government chose politics over dialogue…India would have to bear the brunt of Pakistan’s retaliation if it makes the mistake of any misadventure on the Line of Control (LoC)”.

It is mentionable that report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) released on June 14, 2018-“Situation in Kashmir” pointed out Indian atrocities in the Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK). It said: “From July 2016, the High Commissioner for Human Rights has on numerous occasions requested the governments of India and Pakistan that his Office be given unconditional access to Kashmir to assess the human rights situation. India rejected this request; while Pakistan offered access…The refusal to allow unhindered access to United Nations team into Indian-Administered-Kashmir gave rise to an idea of “Remote Monitoring”. The report was then compiled by doing “remote monitoring” on the situation of Human Rights in Kashmir. The report by the independent authority is an eye-opener for many. The focus of the report is on the situation of human rights in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir from July 2016 to April 2018. During this period ‘OHCHR’ received reports of allegations of widespread and serious human rights violations by Indian security forces that led to numerous civilian casualties.

Instead of redressing the grievances of the people and wars of liberation in various regions, including Kashmir, Indian government is depending upon ruthless force to crush these extremist and separatist movements. Therefore, India’s unrealistic counterinsurgency strategy has badly failed.

It is of particular attention that Indian Minister of External affairs Jaswant Singh who served the BJP for 30 years was expelled from the party for praising Mohammad Ali Jinnah (Founder of Pakistan) and echoing the pain of the Indian Muslims in his book, “Jinnah: India, Partition,

Pointing out the BJP’s attitude towards the minorities, Singh wrote: “Every Muslim that lives in India is a loyal Indian…look into the eyes of Indian Muslims and see the pain.” He warned in his book, if such a policy continued, “India could have third partition.”

As a matter fact, taking cognizance of the separatist movements in India and New Delhi’s use of brutal force through military in suppressing them, in one way or the other, Jaswant Singh has shown realistic approach in his book.

Nevertheless, we, can, undoubtedly, conclude that war of liberation has accelerated; reaching the turning point and India will fail in suppressing the struggle of Kashmiris through brutal force.

Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations

Email: sajjad_logic@yahoo.com