Twelfth Sustainable Development Conference (SDC) 2009

ISLAMABAD: (Tuesday, December 22, 2009) Academia and civil society from India, Pakistan and Kashmir Tuesday converged on a point that no political will exists from either side of the conflict to resolve the outstanding issue of Kashmir.

Speaking on the second day of the 12th Sustainable Development Conference, organized by Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), the panelists said there is a possibility and a need for a 'win-win' situation for all conflicting parties. It was noted that the potentials for trade in the region are enormous but due to grotesque restrictions imposed by either side, LoC trade failed to realize its real potential.
General Retired Talat Hussain chaired the session on “The prospects of normalization of Kashmir”. Shah Ghulam Qadir, Speaker of the AJK Assembly, on this occasion said that for the last 62 years, conflict management had failed to produce any tangible results. “The economic losses incurred due to the prolonged conflict are a burden that neither side of the parties can afford to incur,” claimed Zulfqar Abbasi, Former President of AJK Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Professor Amitabh Mattoo from Jawaharlal Nehru University, India, called for a change in focus from the very issue of the territory of Kashamir to the people of Kashmir to find lasting and sustainable peace in the conflict riddled valley. Efforts should be directed at fostering organic institutions across the LoC, warning that heavy militarization is severely undermining the political space needed for reconciliation. "We can convert Line of Control (LoC) into Line of Peace (LoP)," he added.

Speaking at a panel on “South Asian responses to the recent financial crisis”, experts highlighted trends towards backward labor migration from industrial urban areas to the rural sector that results in the concentration of greater poverty in rural areas.
Panelists linked effects of the financial crisis in the region with increases in domestic violence and divorce rates, and described the crisis as “drastically affecting food prices” and nutrition intake. Shakuntala Narasimhan, columnist and author from India, said a majority of export-oriented manufacturing units have either been closed down or have reduced wages and cut jobs, increasing pressure on workers.

Building a bridge between the locals, the army and the government for a streamlined way forward towards rehabilitation is necessary, claimed experts during the panel on "Pakistan’s Military Offensive, the IDP Crisis and Prospects for Taming Militancy". They were of the view that an integrated progressive plan that involves the locals of the area is inevitable to address the humanitarian crisis on sustainable basis.

During the session on "Women and ICTs in South Asia: Exclusion or Empowerment?", MNA Marvi Memon, Member National Assembly Standing Committee on IT, said that there is a dire need to empower women through ICTs especially by improving their livelihoods through the initiatives like e-marketing of handicrafts and embroidered products.

Dr Karin Astrid Siegmann of SDPI said that the cultural norms may also represent an obstacle in the Government’s efforts to provide affordable access to Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to the rural population through telecommunication centers. Nazima Shaheen, Project Coordinator SDPI and Dr Anupma Saxena from India also presented their papers on the topic.

The concurrent panel on "The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity" was headed by Pushpam Kumar of University of Liverpool, England. With relevance to South Asia, he emphasized that Policy makers do not have all the right tools and (economic) frameworks to validate the damage and reimbursements related to environmental degradation. John Gowdy, President of the International Society for Ecological Economics, Prof Madhu Verma of Indian Institute of Forest Management, India and Rehana Siddiqui from Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) also spoke on the occasion.

The State of brick Klins in Pakistan. December 23, Concurrent Panel C-3

Saba Gul Khattak, member of the Planning Commission of Pakistan in the panel “The state of brick kilns in Pakistan” said that the workers of brick kilns are living in miserable condition below the poverty line in Pakistan. They lack water and proper drainage in their homes, and have little access to health and education. Usually they do not have computerized national identity cards and due to this are unable to benefit from social safety nets.

Abrar Ahmad a freelance consultant from Energy Projects said that the lack of technical awareness has adversely affected the performance of the brick manufacturing sector in Pakistan. Various factors, like use of old technology, coupled with environmental issues, low productivity, lack of quality control measures and lack of regulatory measures at sectoral level have marred the performance of the brick manufacturing sector.

Miss Ayesha Rehman, a researcher from Fatima Jinnah University said that Pakistan, being an agricultural country, is facing many serious problems regarding the disposal of waster and increasing pollution. Making Non-Fired bricks could be an effective practice of saving land, energy, cost and diminishing pollution as well as protecting our environment.

Experts claim South Asia at a tipping point

Sustainable democracy only way to sustainable development, says Naveed Qamar

ISLAMABAD (Monday, December 21, 2009) Claiming that South Asia has reached a tipping point, eminent experts at an international moot on Monday warned governments of the region to invest in pro-people policies for sustainable democracy, peace and development.

Reiterating government’s commitment to democracy, the Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources, Naveed Qamar has said that sustainable development is not possible without sustainable democracy. He stressed the importance of synergies between different pro-democracy institutions.

The minister was addressing the inaugural session of the three-day 12th Sustainable Development Conference titled ‘Fostering Sustainable Development in South Asia: Responding to Challenges’ organized by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI).

“The constitution is the backbone of any sustained political movement in Pakistan”, he said. The minister noted that “We have seen the judiciary make gains” along with the media, while “Pakistan has made leaps of progress” but that “all these things get together when each institution gels together”.

The Minister noted a number of important steps in securing progress not only on the economic, but on the political front. The minister pointed towards the government’s commitment to “moving towards greater provincial autonomy”, noting progress in the NFC awards and in regards to Baluchistan. The minister described the province as “the most backward and most aggrieved”, noting that progress had been made both within and outside of the public eye, where some steps taken by the government in regards to Baluchistan are not and should not be publicly known.

On the economic front, the minister noted the seven million families taking advantage of the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) in the current budget alone and noted it as the democratic “secondary impact”. In areas “where people were reluctant to get ID cards for women, now they are pressing for NADRA to send their mobile vans”. As such, the minister explained, the BISP has the “secondary impact to help to bring out these women for elections, to get them into the electoral systems”. The minister also noted legislation relating to public companies stipulating the redistribution of shares to workers, along with worker representation on boards.

Earlier, in his opening remarks, Dr. Abid Suleri, Executive Director, SDPI warned against the dearth of funding for research on sustainable development, both within the international community and within Pakistan. “I demand that the government should allocate funds for independent research to solicit opinions on issues of public concerns”, he said.

Delivering her keynote address during the plenary, Dr. Saba Gul Khattak, member, Planning Commission, spoke about accountability and violence and deplored the dearth of accountability of states in relation to communal violence. Dr. Khattak was referring to the two partitions, Afghanistan and the present violence of militancy, military operations and drone attacks inside Pakistan. “In the Afghan context, there is hardly accountability”, she said, “Many of the people who were charged with crimes against humanity, now sit in the loya jirga".

Speaking during a concurrent panel on ‘South Asia in 2060’, panelists were of the view that the next five years will decide what will happen in the next fifty years in South Asia. Chairing the session, Adil Najam, the Frederick S. Pardee Professor for Global Public Policy from Boston University, emphasized the present fragmentation as “the blip and not the historical trend” in South Asia, whereby regional trade constitutes only 5.5 percent and the region has been declared by the Asian Development Bank as the least integrated region in the world.

The Panelists emphasized the youthfulness of South Asia’s population, with much lower dependency rates than China or Europe, allowing South Asia to become a “global workforce”. Ishrat Hussain, Former Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan, said that “investment in skill formation is more productive than investment in machinery and capital” and that “Research & Development expenditure is pathetic”, warning that these investments are crucial in securing the future of South Asia. Hussain added that “India has to give up its patronizing and condescending attitude and look at its neighbours with a different set of eyes” in order for the region to progress.

Amitabh Mattoo, Professor at the Centre for International Politics at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, India, warned that “We are at a tipping point. We could go in the direction of paradise or descend into hell."

Concurrent parallel sessions on “Household water treatment systems and safe water storage for sustainable access to safe drinking water in South Asia” and "The politics of the policy research in developing countries" was also held on the first day of the moot.

SDC calls for action to fight climate debacle, funds for social science research

ISLAMABAD: (Wednesday, December 23, 2009)

Renowned researchers and scholars from across South Asia Wednesday called for joint action to fight against climate disaster and for the allocation of funds to promote independent social science research.

More than 25 foreign delegates from ten countries and hundreds of delegates from all over Pakistan participated in the 12th three-day conference organized by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI).

Speaking at the concluding session, Fauzia Wahab, Information Secretary of the PPP said climate change should be on the priority list of the government. “We don’t really take an interest in climate change”, she said. “We are not aware of what the West is talking about. We are not aware of garbage control, we are not aware of what recycling is or how to economize on water resources. The West has climate change at number two on the priority list, but in Pakistan the environment isn’t even on the list”.

“Too much reliance on the government is not the solution. The solution lies in individuals, in bringing citizens on board” she said. “We need to a start public awareness campaign to show the people what their responsibility is.”

Farzana Raja, Chairperson of the Benazir Income Support Program, pledged to include literature on the environment and climate change in the quarterly newsletter that the government sends out to some 2.7 million families who receive support from the Program. “We are talking about 20 or 30 million people then. I think it will be a great start”, she said. Farzana supported the launching of an awareness campaign about climate change.

Dr Adil Najam, from the Boston University in his H U Beg memorial lecture said, “South Asia plus China will determine the world’s climate future” He said. “it’s not just because of demography, but because the region will see the most dramatic growth in emission and will have the greatest capacity for influencing those changes. The region could lead the world” he said.

Dr. Najam said that, unlike in the West, “in South Asia, climate change is not a problem of emissions; it is a problem of water stress”. He said that “water remains of the highest causes of civil violence in India and Pakistan” and that “in over 60 years of constant conflict between Pakistan and India, the total number of Indians killed by Pakistan is less than the number of children that die in one year because of dirty water in the city of Karachi alone”.

Dr. Najam added that “the US doesn’t want to solve climate change”, yet that “a new politics is beginning to emerge” with a greater role for developing countries.

Dr. Suleri, Executive Director of SDPI, closed the conference with the remarks that “those of us who are trying to spread voices of sanity in most insane circumstances will defeat the handful of extremists that are trying to highjack our society”.

Climate change toped the third day’s agenda of the conference during various technical session on different environmental aspects. Speaking in a session, Dr Pervaiz Amir, eminent economist, said that nature cannot afford any further delay in actions to counter climate debacle especially in South Asia facing multiple threats.

"Borders will soon disappear, when the catastrophic consequences of climate change hits commoners of the region", he warned. Shams-ul-Mulk, former Wapda Chairman, Sanjay Vasshist, Director Climate Action Network in South Asia, Shafqat Kakakhel of SDPI, Prof Avanish Kumar, Management Development Institute, India, Aneel Salman, Polytechnic Institute, USA emphasized the need for collective action and need for the countries in South Asia to come together. They also converged on the point that water issues were the main domain where South Asian countries must co-operate.

Chairing the panel on “Renewable Energy for Sustainable Development in South Asia”, Arif Alaudin, CEO, Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB) said that energy efficiency and utilization of renewable energy potential is the key to sustainable development. Zafar Iqbal Zaidi, DG, Pakistan Council for Renewable Energy Technologies (PCRET), Pervaiz Akhtar, Former DG PCRET, Irfan Mehmood from Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission shared research on energy consumption, efficiency, cost-benefit analysis, ongoing projects and policy development. The focus was to create widespread awareness regarding the depletion of non-renewable energy sources.

Speaking at the panel on "The State of brick kilns Pakistan", Saba Gul Khattak, member planning commission of Pakistan, said that the workers of brick kilns are living below the poverty line. "They even do not have the computerized national identity cards to benefit from social safety nets," she said. Abrar Ahmad a freelance consultant, Energy Projects opined that numerous factors, like use of old technology, coupled with environmental issues, low productivity, lack of quality control measures and lack of regulatory measures in this sector have marred with performance of brick manufacturing sector. Miss Ayesha Rehman, Researcher from Fatima Jinnah University suggested that making Non-Fired bricks could be an effective practice of saving land, energy, cost and diminishing pollution as well as can protect our environment.

Dr. Muhammad Ali, Director General (GE), Ministry of Women and Development chaired a conference panel on Women and ICTs in ‘South Asia: Exclusion or Empowerment?

Tuesday, December 22, 2009.

While presenting a research study on “The gender digital divide in rural Pakistan: How wide is it and how to bridge it?” Dr. Karin Astrid Siegmann, Visiting Fellow SDPI said that the hurdles women and girls face include negative perceptions of their technological skills. Cultural norms may also represent an obstacle in the Government’s efforts to provide affordable access to Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to the rural population through telecommunication centers.

Ms. Nazima Shaheen, Project Coordinator, SDPI, presented a paper and suggested that the political will and understanding of gender issues in the ICT arena is needed. She also recommended that the government support the replication of projects on women’s empowerment through ICTs.

Dr. Anupma Saxena, India, presented a research study on Exploring Gender Gaps in Rural E-Governance: A Case Study of e-gram suraj Scheme of Chhattisgarh State in India. According to her research study rural women are not able to participate in rural e-governance equally as their male counterparts. She concluded that there is threat of marginalization of rural women from rural e-governance and consequently of more marginalization from rural governance.

Ms. Marvi Memon, Member Standing Committee on IT, discussed that there is a dire need to empower women through ICTs especially improving their livelihoods through the initiatives like e-marketing of handicrafts and embroided products.

SDC in the Press

Lack of knowledge about ecosystems led to wrong decisions

The News
December 24, 2009
By Noor Aftab
Islamabad

The losses in the natural world have direct adverse consequences, but unfortunately they often go unnoticed at the international level, Prof. Madhu Verma from Indian Institute of Forest Management said here on Wednesday.

In her presentation on ‘The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity’, she said lack of knowledge about value of ecosystems and biodiversity led to wrong decisions, but accounting for such value might yield informal and comparatively better decisions. “Investing in natural capital can yield high return and sharing the benefits of these actions can deliver real benefits to those worst off in the society,” she said.

She emphasized the need to focus on inextricable links between poverty and loss of ecosystems and sources of ideas for a way forward to preserve natural ecological settings. Prof. Madhu Verma said that the real cost of natural resource loss felt at the micro level and it was a matter of high importance to think about how water was being extracted in the upstream regions.

She said that biodiversity and the services provided by ecosystems could contribute significantly and cost-effectively to efforts to adapt to unavoidable climate change. “Investment in restoring or conserving ecological infrastructure that delivers ecosystem services could significantly enhance agricultural sustainability, especially in the developing countries,” she said.

Prof. Madhu said Copenhagen negotiations could facilitate investment by making due provision in the funds for climate change adaptation, adding the concept of payments of ecosystem services has evolved to reward forest custodians for some of these values.

There was a question/answer session after the presentation in which most of the participants who expressed their views said gradual reduction in future greenhouse gas emissions might save people from dangerous climate change, but it would not stop eminent loss of coral reefs.

Pushpum Kumar from University of Liverpool (UK), who chaired the session said ecosystem was directly linked with health of the general public and thus it has its relevant importance with the national economy because if people were not healthy they would not be able to play their due role in progress of the country.

Ijaz Ahmad from WWF said that representatives of various institutions including planning commission and finance division should obtain input from the experts before formulation of policies at the national level. He said that it must be a matter of grave concern that Pakistan has the highest deforestation rate and there was a need to raise this issue at all forums before it would be too late.

Call for joint action to combat climate disaster

DAWN
24-12-09

ISLAMABAD, Dec 23: Researchers and scholars Wednesday called for joint action to fight climate disaster and allocation of funds for promotion of independent social science research.

Speaking at the concluding session on economics of ecosystems and biodiversity, they asked the governments to place climate change on their priority list.

More than 25 foreign delegates from 10 South Asian countries besides delegates from all over Pakistan participated in the three-day conference organised by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI).

“We don’t take interest in climate change; we are unaware of what the West is talking about; we are unaware of garbage control and we don’t know how to recycle to economise on water resources,” PPP Information Secretary Fauzia Wahab said.

Dr Adil Najam from the Boston University in his H.U. Beg memorial lecture said South Asia and China would determine the world’s climate future. “The region will see the most dramatic growth in emission and will have the greatest capacity for influencing those changes and lead the world,” he said.

Dr Najam said unlike the West, in South Asia emission is not the main problem; it is water stress that causes climate change, he said.

He said water remained of the highest cause of civil violence in India and Pakistan.

Economist Dr Pervaiz Amir said South Asia was facing multiple threats from climate change. “Borders will soon disappear when the cata strophic consequences of climate change hits commoners of the region,” he warned.

Chairing the panel on ‘Renewable energy for sustainable development in South Asia’, Arif Alaudin, CEO, Alternative Energy Development Board said energy efficiency and utilisation of renewable energy potential was key to sustainable development.

Abrar Ahmad, a freelance consultant, said numerous factors, like use of old technology, coupled with environmental issues, low productivity, lack of quality control measures and lack of regulatory measures in this sector had marred performance of brick manufacturing sector.

Ms Ayesha Rehman, researcher from Fatima Jinnah University suggested that making non-fired bricks could be an effective practice of saving land, energy, cost and diminishing pollution.

Former Wapda chairman Shamsul Mulk, Director, Climate Action Network in South Asia, Sanjay Vasshist; Shafqat Kakakhel of SDPI, Prof Avinash Kumar from Management Development Institute, India; and Aneel Salman from Polytechnic Institute, USA, emphasised on collective action and cooperation between South Asian nations on water issues.

Pakistan Council for Renewable Energy Technologies DirectorGeneral Zafar Iqbal Zaidi, the council’s former DG, Pervaiz Akhtar, and Irfan Mehmood from Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission shared research on energy consumption, efficiency, cost-benefit analysis, ongoing projects and policy development.

Climate change should be on govt’s priority list

Business Recorder
24-12-09

ISLAMABAD: The climate change should be on priority list as majority of people around the world want their governments to put action on climate change at the top of the political agenda.

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) information secretary stated this while addressing the concluding session of the 12th conference organized by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) hereon Wednesday.

The climate change should be on the priority list of the government, she said, adding, "We "don't really take interest in climate change. We are not aware of what the West is talking about climate change and we are not even aware of what recycling is or how to economies on water resources."

She said that the west has climate change at Number. 2 on the priority list, but in Pakistan the environment is not even on the list, "and we should pay attention to it". She said: "Too much reliance on the government is not the solution and we need to start a public awareness campaign to show the people what their responsibility is".

Dr Adil Najam of Boston University said that South Asia plus China would determine the world's climate future.

"It is not just because of demography, but because the region will see the most dramatic growth in emission and will have the greatest capacity for influencing those changes and the region could lead the world," he added.

Dr Najam said that, unlike in the West, in South Asia, climate change is not a problem of emissions. "Rather it is a problem of water stress". He said that water remains the highest cause of civil violence in India and Pakistan and 'Over 60 years 'Of Constant conflict between Pakistan and India, total number 'Of Indians killed by Pakistan is less than the number 'Of children who die in 'One year because 'Of dirty water in the city 'Of Karachi alone.

Dr Pervaiz Amir, eminent economist, said that nature couldn’t afford any further Delay in actins to Counter climate debacle, especially in South Asia, facing multiple threats. "Borders will soon disappear when the catastrophic consequences Of climate change hit Commoners Of the region", he warned.

Chairing the panel 'On 'Renewable Energy for Sustainable Development in South Asia' Arif Alaudin, CEO, Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB), said that energy efficiency and utilization 'of renewable energy Potential is the key to sustainable development.

Joint Steps needed to counter climate challenges

The Nation
24-12-09

ISLAMABAD - Information Secretary Pakistan People's Party Fauzia Wahab on Wednesday said that concerted efforts were needed for the solution of smoldering problems as “government alone could not accomplish this gigantic "task, therefore, every countryman should work for the progress and development of the country.

He stated this while addressing the 12th 3-day international conference organized by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPD on Wednesday.

She confessed the West has placed climate change at number two on priority list, but in Pakistan the environment isn't even on our list. "We are not aware of garbage control, we cur. not aware of what recyclable is or how to economize water resources," she said.

While Farzana Raja, Chairperson of Benazir Income Support Programme pledged to include literature on environment and climate change in the quarterly newsletter that the government will send out to some 2.7 million families.

Renowned researchers and scholars from across South Asia called for a joint action to fight against climate disaster and allocation of funds to promote independent social science research.

More than 25 foreign delegates from ten countries and hundreds of delegates from all over Pakistan participated in the 12th three-day conference of SDPI.

Fauzia Wahab, speaking at the concluding session, said climate change should be on priority list of government} "We don't really take an interest in climate change. We are not aware of what the West is talking about," she added.

Dr Adil Najam, from the Boston University in his H U Beg memorial lecture said; "South Asia plus China will determine the world's climate future."

"It's not just because of demography, but because the region will see the most dramatic growth in emission and will have the greatest capacity for influencing those changes. The region could lead the world," he added.

Dr Najam said that unlike in West, climate change is not a problem for South Asia.
He said that water remains of highest causes of civil violence in India and Pakistan and during 60 years, of consistent conflict between Pakistan and India, the total number of Indians killed by Pakistan is less than the numbers of children die in one year of waterborne diseases in the city of Karachi alone.

Dr Najam added that US, doesn't want to solve climate," change as new politics is beginning to emerge with a greater role for developing, countries. Dr Suleri, Executive Director of SDPI, closed the conference with the remarks that those who are trying to spread voices of sanity in most insane circumstances will defeat the handful of extremists that are trying to highjack our society.

Kashmir conflict ‘burden on Pakistan, India economies’

The News
23-12-2009
By Rasheed Khalid
Islamabad

Professor Amitabh Mattoo from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India, has called for a change in focus from the territory of Jammu and Kashmir to the people of Kashmir to find a lasting and sustainable peace in the conflict-riddled valley.

Prof Mattoo was speaking at a panel discussion in the 12th Sustainable Development Conference organised by Sustainable Development Policy Institute here Tuesday. General (r) Talat Masud was in the chair.

Professor Mattoo said that efforts should be directed at fostering organic institutions across the Line of Control (LoC), warning that heavy militarisation was severely undermining the political space needed for reconciliation. He said, “We can convert LoC into Line of Peace (LoP).”

Speaker of the AJK Assembly Shah Ghulam Qadir said that management of the conflict failed to produce any tangible results in the last 62 years.

Zulfiqar Abbasi, former President of AJK Chamber of Commerce and Industry said that the economic losses incurred due to the prolonged conflict are a burden that neither side can afford to incur.

Speaking at another panel on South Asian financial crisis, Shakuntala Narasimhan, columnist and author from India, said that a majority of export-oriented manufacturing units had either been closed down or reduced wages and cut jobs, increasing pressure on workers.

MNA Marvi Memon said that there is a dire need to empower women through ICTs especially by improving their livelihoods through the initiatives like e-marketing of handicrafts and embroidered products.

Dr Karin Astrid Siegmann of SDPI said that the cultural norms may also represent an obstacle in the government’s efforts to provide affordable access to Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to the rural population through telecommunication centres. Nazima Shaheen from SDPI and Dr Anupma Saxena from India also presented their papers on women empowerment.

In the panel on biodiversity, Pushpam Kumar of University of Liverpool, England, said that policy makers did not have all the right tools and (economic) framework to validate the damage and reimbursements related to environmental degradation.

John Gowdy, President International Society for Ecological Economics, Prof Madhu Verma of Indian Institute of Forest Management and Rehana Siddiqui from Pakistan Institute of Development Economics also spoke on the occasion.

Army SSG coordinating efforts for rehabilitation of IDP’s

Business Recorder
23-12-09
Raja Aqeel & Tahir Amin
Islamabad:

Special Support Group of Pakistan Army is coordinating national and n provincial efforts for rehabilitation of Internally Displaced Persons (lDPs) after clearing the Swat and Malakand areas of militants, but some top Taliban leadership has managed to escape.

These were the views of speakers at a seminar" Pakistan Military Offensive, lDPs crisis and Prospects for Taming Militancy," during Sustainable (Development Conference organized by Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) here on Tuesday.

Brig Umar Hayat head of Special Support Group said that exodus of people from Swat begin in May 2009 and then gradually people from Malakand, South Waziristan got involved in the lDPs operation adding that the group is supplementing national and provincial efforts in this regard.

Umar said that area for administrative reasons has been divided into two categories i.e; North and South elaborating that North covers Swat and Malakand where most of the people have returned to their homes and now rehabilitation and reconstruction of the devastated area is being planned. He added in South Waziristan, Bajaur, Khyber and Kurram agencies lDPs started returning for which Army has established field hospitals and make shift schools till reconstruction is completed.

He said 378,074 registered families verified by Nadra were also being given cash support in Swat and Malakand and similar is the case in South Waziristan.

A local representative of the Swat area was of the view that majority of people are back in the valley adding mass of lDPs isolated then from militants. He said Army’s role should be shrinked and civil administration be given proper space and a conscious effort be made to help civil society institutions take roots.

Chief of provincial Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority, Shakeel Qadir said that infrasucture like no roads have been restored along with educational institutions adding that detailed damage assessment is underway and work on the projects will be started in January 2010.

He said that utility bills will be subsidized and interest on agricultural and house building loans to be reduced along with tax exemption.

Earlier, the group on National Sustainable Development Strategy was of the opinion that NSDS envision to evolve a harmonious society that to promotes a vibrant and equitable in economic growth without unbridled exploitation of resources and with due cognizance of distribution of development dividends to all, in particular to the poor and vulnerable groups in the society.

They opined that the main challenges for NSDS in Pakistan is to put the country on such a development path, the progress of which should not be measured merely through statistics of economic growth but by the quality of life of its people, especially the III vulnerable and dispossessed, who must be placed at the center of national development. This people centered approach, whether for economic and social development or for environmental enhancement, demands enhanced participatory planning and management through involvement of stakeholders.

They were of the view that focus in NSDS is dominantly environmental - the social dimension and economic sustainability are heavily covered by environmental focus.

The strategy in its context has not paid any attention to pressing indicators, which is considered main cause of poverty such as rampant corruption, deficit of democracy poor governance and weak institutions, they added.

In the social arena, poverty alleviation, provision of equal opportunity to all and universal social security including security against natural and man-made disasters are the major issues, they maintained.

The initiation of strategy offers a unique window of opportunity to give coherent systematic and integrated response to different policy domains and short term and long-term perspectives, they observed.

In order to make NSDS effective, there should be peer review by external experts so that we could analyze our success and failure and best lesson learned from NSDS, they recommended.

The experts further opined that NSDS for its implementation and success is totally dependent on external resources such as donors and public at large. Social objectives' appears weak and vague, as no deadline has been set to
Achieve them, they added.

BISP to spread awareness about climate change: Farzana

The News
24-12-09
Islamabad

Farzana Raja, Chairperson Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) said the BISP would initiate efforts to make people aware about climate change so that they can protect the environment. She was addressing the concluding session of three-day 12th Sustainable Development Conference titled "Fostering Sustainable Development in South Asia: Responding to Challenges" arranged by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI).

The BISP will play its role for public awareness about climate change and send a climate awareness letter along with the BISP money orders to its 2.2 million registered beneficiaries.

Giving details about the BISP, she said that the programming ensures complete transparency in the disbursement of money to the deserving families.

Farzana said the Waseela-eHaq initiative of the BISP is a major step towards self-employment and welfare of deserving people and is fulfillment of the vision of PPP leaders Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Mohtrama Benazir Bhutto Shaheed.

She said the BISP is a key pillar in the government's policy of rehabilitating the poor masses and getting them out of the vicious poverty cycle.

Farzana Raja informed that the BISP is being appreciated all over the world for bringing women into the mainstream as it also envisages vocational training, health and accident insurance to the members of the deserving families.

Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Naveed Qamar, while addressing the inaugural session of the conference, said that seven million families are taking advantage of the BISP. Because of the Programme, in areas "where people were reluctant to Get ID cards for women, now they are pressing-for Nadra to send their mobile vans", he said. He said that after women will get ID cards it will be possible for them to cast votes in elections.

Earlier, in his opening remarks, Dr Abid Suleri, SDPI Executive Director, warned against the dearth of funding for research on sustainable development, both within the international community and Pakistan. "I demand that the government should allocate funds for independent research to solicit opinions on issues of public concerns," he said. Speaking during a concurrent panel on "South Asia in 2060", panelists were of the view that the next five years will decide what will happen in the next fifty years in South Asia.

Fouzia Wahab, PPP Central, Secretary Information, appreciated the efforts of Dr Adil Najam j for arranging conference on an, important issue. – APP

First LNG project’s summary to be sent to ECC by Jan 2010’

Daily Times
22-12-09
By Ijaz Kakakhel

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources, Naveed Qamar, on Monday said the government would send summary of Mashal LNG terminal to the Economic Coordination Committee in January 2010 for approval, which would help in meeting emerging supply shortages.

He said this after talking to reporters after inaugural session of the three-day 12th Sustainable Development Conference titled ‘Fostering Sustainable Development in South Asia: Responding to Challenges’ organised by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI). The minister expressed the hope that Mashal LNG terminal would be completed by 2011. The government tried its best to bring LNG at affordable prices.

The government is also pursuing Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project but also want to complete the first LNG project as early as possible, he maintained. “We will also increase exploration and production of gas in the country so as to meet the ever increasing gas demand”.

About Qadirpur gas compressor the minister said its first consignment has reached and the government would try to involve all concerned organizations in it. He said there was need that it might be replaced in June 2009 but delayed and now it would be completed by April 2010.

The Petroleum Ministry and the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) have initiated the ‘Mashal LNG’ project. The project comprises a floating terminal with the capacity of 3.5 million tons per annum for the de-gasification of LNG that amounts to around 500mmcfd gas.

Earlier, addressing the seminar, the Naveed Qamar said that sustainable development was not possible without sustainable democracy. He stressed the importance of synergies between different pro-democracy institutions. The minister noted a number of important steps in securing progress not only on the economic but also on the political front. The minister pointed towards the government’s commitment to “moving towards greater provincial autonomy”, noting progress in the NFC awards and in regards to Balochistan.

Other speakers claimed that South Asia has reached at a tipping point, eminent experts warned governments of the region to invest in pro-people policies for sustainable democracy, peace and development.

Executive Director, SDPI Dr Abid Suleri warned against the dearth of funding for research on sustainable development, both within the international community and within Pakistan. “I demand that the government should allocate funds for independent research to solicit opinions on issues of public concerns,” he said. Delivering her keynote address during the plenary, Dr Saba Gul Khattak, member, Planning Commission, spoke about accountability and violence and deplored the dearth of accountability of states in relation to communal violence. Former Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan, Ishrat Hussain, said “investment in skill formation is more productive than investment in machinery and capital,”, warning that these investments were crucial in-securing the future of South Asia.

Sustainable Democracy ‘must for sustainable development’

The News
22-12-09
By Rasheed Khalid
Islamabad

Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Syed Naveed Qamar has said that Pakistan was in a transitory phase and struggling to move from democracy to just democratic governance where our future generations could play their role to decide their future as sustainable development was logically aligned to the concept of sustainable democracy.

He was addressing as chief guest the inaugural address of 12th Sustainable Development Conference on ‘Fostering sustainable development in South Asia: responding to challenges’ here on Monday.

He said that as a worker of a pro-people political party, he would subscribe to assurance of peace, social justice and people’s participation for a judicious development of Pakistan, the very idea for which the PPP had been waging a long struggle. He said that the government believed that a real transition towards sustainable development and democracy could only be ensured through participatory governance.

Participants of the plenary session on the first day of the three-day conference warned governments of the region to invest in pro-people policies for sustainable democracy, peace and development as South Asia has reached at a tipping point.

Dr. Saba Gul Khattak, in her key-note address on ‘Accountability and violence,’ lamented the dearth of accountability of states in relation to communal violence. She said that in the context of Afghanistan, there is hardly any accountability and many charged with crimes against humanity now sit in the Loya Jirga.

Adil Najam, the Frederick S Pardee Professor for Global Public Policy from Boston University, said the present fragmentation was a blip and not the historical trend in the region whereby regional trade constituted only 5.5 per cent and the region was declared by Asian Development Bank as the least integrated region in the world.

Ishrat Hussain, former governor of the State Bank of Pakistan, said that investment in skill formation is more productive than investment in machinery and capital adding that research and development expenditure is pathetic, warning that these investments are crucial in securing the future of South Asia.

Amitabh Mattoo, Professor at the Centre for International Politics at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India, warned that we are at a tipping point. We could go in the direction of paradise or descend into hell, he declared.

Naveed stresses need for nexus among pro-democracy bodies

Business Recorder
22-12-09
Raja Aqeel
Islamabad

Sustainable socio-economic development goes hand in hand with sustainable democracy as in the absence of elected government continuity of policies seems an uphill task. . Therefore, nexus between different pro-democracy institutions is f of utmost importance.

This was stated by Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources, Naveed Qamar at a three-day seminar titled Fostering Sustainable Development in South Asia: Responding to Challenges' organized by Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDP!) here on Monday.

Sustainable democracy nurtures federalism with center having better coordination with the Federating units, he said, adding ~ that this is through sincere efforts ~ of the elected representatives that 1 for the first time National :I Finance Commission (NFC) I Award was announced taking all - stakeholders on board.

He said that the grievances of Balochistan were addressed to a great extent, and NWFP was s given share of the net hydel profit in the recently announced NFC e award.

Constitutional Reforms Committee is working with dedication to bring the Constitution in line with its 1973 format doing away with 17th Amendment and giving provincial autonomy to the federating units as soon as possible, he said elaborating that most of the provincial subjects and resources would be transferred to the federating units.

Naveed said that the judiciary has attained its due position in the society along with media, while the country is moving in the right direction but it will not be materialized until and unless the institutions developed harmony for sustainability.

He claimed that social safety net of zakat and ushr has lost its credibility and now millions of poor families are taking advantage of the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) in the current budget alone.

The minister said that the BISP has helped to bring out those women who were reluctant to get ID cards and brought them into the mainstream electoral process. The minister also noted legislation relating to public companies: stipulating the distribution of 12 t percent shares among workers, e along with worker representation: on boards.

In the second session of the seminar, Dr Saba Gul Khattak, member, Planning Commission, discussed the political realities with which the research environment has developed over the last three decades in Pakistan to understand the eroding research capacities in social science and public sector attempts at building or neglecting these.

She spoke about accountability and violence and deplored the dearth of accountability of states I in relation to communal violence. She stressed the need to invest in pro-people policies for sustainable democracy, peace and development.

The paper on politics of policy research in developing countries also shed light on different categories of research and current trends in government, donors and NGOs priorities for development policy.

The three stakeholders of I development research in Pakistan) face a variety of challenges. The governments are overwhelmed by constant crisis and violence; f and NGOs lack staff capacity, institutional support and often 3 forget their original mandate.

Donors need to show tangible, results to tax payers at home. Therefore, they fund projects that 5 can demonstrate a success story, - the paper added. Donors' constraints also extend to their relations with the host government, their ability to access difficult J areas hampers their effort for funding researchers and survey teams in high risk setting as monitoring is impossible.

The third session was on prospects of normalization of Kashmir issue. Amitabh Mattoo, Professor at the Center for International Politics at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, India, suggested "we should move forward on the issues where there is significant room that is trade, banking, exchange of prisoners etc".

He said that India is also committed to the resolution of Kashmir issue through dialogue but the Mumbai attacks had put the prime minister on defensive as he is also answerable to the public.

For Kashmir, Matto gave a 40 formula ie dialogue, within Indian occupied Kashmir, within Laddakh and Kashmiris, GilgitBaltistan and Kaslmliris and AJK with all the three parties to develop a consensus on how to resolve the problem. LoC should be considered as line of peace, Indus Water treaty has deprived the Kashmiris of two main rivers this should also be sorted out.

"We are at a tipping point and may go in the direction of paradise or descend into hell. It is up to the people of the South Asia region of which Pakistan and India are the main players", he added.

Earlier, in his opening remarks Dr Abid Suleri of SOPI pointed out the dearth of funding for research on sustainable development, both within the international community and Pakistan.

Democracy only way to sustainable development: Naveed

Pakistan Observer
22-12-09
Islamabad

Sustainable development is not possible without sustainable democracy, Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources stressed it in a three-day seminar on Monday. Naveed Qamar emphasized on the importance of NF synergies between different pro-democracy institutions.

The minister was addressing the inaugural session of the three-day 12th Sustainable Development Conference titled 'Fostering Sustainable Development in South Asia: Responding to Challenges'
Organized by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI). The constitution is the backbone of any sustained political movement in the “Pakistan", he said.

The minister noted that "We have seen the judiciary made gains” along. With the media, while "Pakistan has made leaps of progress" but that all these things get together when each institution gels together. The minister noted a number of important steps in securing progress not only on the economic, but also on the political front.

The minister pointed towards the government's commitment to moving towards greater provincial autonomy", noting progress in the NFC awards and in regards to Balochistan. On the economic front, the minister noted that the seven million families taking advantage of the Benazir Income Support program (BISP) in the current budget alone and noted it as the democratic “secondary impact".

In areas "where people were reluctant to get ID cards for women, now they are pressing for NADRA to send their mobile vans". As such, the minister explained, the BISP the "secondary impact to help to ring out these women for elections, to get them into the electoral Systems. The minister also noted legislation relating to public companies stipulating the redistribution of shares to workers along with worker representation on board.

Ishrat Hussain, former of the State Bank of Pakistan that "investment in skill is more productive than investment in. machinery and capital and that "Research & development expenditure is pathetic warning that these investments are crucial in securing the future of the South Asia.

Hussain added that' “ India has to give up its patronizing and descending attitude and at its neighbors with a different set of eyes" in order for the region to progress.

Earlier, in his opening remarks, Dr. Abid Suleri, Suleri, Executive Director, SDPI warned against the dearth of funding for research on sustainable development both within the international community and within Pakistan. "I demand the government should allocate funds for independent research to solicit opinions on issues of public concerns", he said.

Peace impossible without sustainable development

The Nation
22-12-09

ISLAMABAD - South Asia has reached a tipping point and there was dire need to invest in pro-people policies for sustainable democracy, peace and development, these views were expressed in the inaugural session of the three-day 12th Sustainable Development Conference II titled "Fostering Sustainable Development in South Asia: Responding to Challenges" organized by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI). Speaking during a concurrent panel on "South Asia in 2060," panelists were of the view that " the next five years will decide what will happen in the next 50 years in South Asia.

Reiterating the government's commitment to democracy, Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources, Naveed Qamar said that sustainable development was not possible without sustainable democracy. He stressed the importance of -synergies between different pro-democracy institutions. He continued that the constitution was the backbone of any Sustained political movement in Pakistan. The Minister noted a number of important steps in securing progress not only on the economic but also on the political front. He pointed towards the government's commitment for moving in the greater, provincial autonomy noting progress in: the NFC Awards with regard to Balochistan. He described the 'province as the most backward and most aggrieved. "Progress had been made both within and outside the public eye, where some steps taken by the government with regard to Balochistan are not and should not be publicly known, he added. On the economic front, the minister noted, 7 million families were benefited from the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) in the current budget alone, secondary impact."