Floral fiesta

UZMA ALEEM
Annual spring flowers show was not simply a congregation of flowers’ lovers rather it was a chance of entertainment and relaxation for Lahorites, reports UZMA ALEEM

Floral fiesta When trees start wearing new leaves, aura of Lahore begins to change. Spring arrives, the most romantic of times. So it brings happiness and adds hues to life as flowers blossom and birds sing and chirp happily. Lahore, the city of gardens covers itself with multicolour flowers and it is then that the festivities of Spring Festival, locally known as the ‘Jashan-e-Baharan’ get into their full swing. Likewise all over the country, the spring is welcomed with full bloom flowers, dance of men and trained animals and music. Some of the festivals and shows are worth observing like the annual floral exhibition.

Glued down to hell

UZMA ALEEM
Drug addiction is increasing among children. Child labourers and runaway kids in streets are becoming addict to glue in the urban sprawls of Pakistan, reports UZMA ALEEM

During the mid night hours in a run-down part of downtown Lahore, Muddassar and some boys squat in a dirty alley, getting high on glue. Breathing in fumes from glue-soaked rags and glue-filled plastic bags is a daily ritual for these boys who live rough on the streets of Pakistan’s second largest city.
‘The fumes burn the eyes and leave the body dry. It kills your appetite. But after being kicked and treated like a dog it gives you peace,’ said Muddassar, who is not an exceptional case as this story as in every major city of Pakistan many kids are seen living on roads and streets.

Enjoying serenity upcountry

By UZMA ALEEM

If you want to escape from noise of urban life during summer and want to spend some days with tranquilly in an area surrounded by lush green scenery and soothing sound of water falls and rivers then trip to Naran can be best choice for you.
Because travellers do have a fun filled vacation in this city of Pakistan. They go for sightseeing, shopping and also eat out at the restaurants in Naran. Local tourists come from all over the country and they do not feel bored at all in fact they enjoy their visit to Naran very much.
There are various regions that will compel you to appreciate the natural beauty and landscape of the whole Naran Valley. You can go to see the various lakes that are situated here. The most mentionable among them are Lake Saif-ul-Muluk, Lulu Sar Lake and Dudipatsar Lake.

Soul stirring photo journalism

By UZMA ALEEM



What makes a photographic masterpiece’ It might be a perfectly balanced still-life, bathed in natural light. It might be a stirring portrait or a captured moment of history or a sublime landscape. Great photographs can intrigue us, astound us, mystify us, move us.
The photographs in a recently held exhibition by Pakistan Association of Photo Journalists ‘ all drawn by photojournalists of Pakistan ‘ shared a special, intangible quality that set them apart from the billions of other camera images taken over the last 168 years after the invention of camera.
This was the one of the major exhibitions of photography ever to be held in Pakistan. It took a unique look at the journey of Pakistani news photography, which used new technology to make and display imagery of Pakistan.
This exhibition was organised by Pakistan Association of Photo Journalists (PAPJ). The first ever 3-day National Photo Exhibition was held in Lahore from June 21 to June 23, in which more than 700 best news photos related to Pakistan were displayed.
This exhibition of Pakistani photojournalists received a grand response from both the journalists’ community and the aesthetically refined strata of the society alike.
F.E chaudhry, renowned photographer, also visited the mega event showcasing more than 700 photographs of 350 photojournalists of the country, including, Zahid Bashir, Akhter Shah, Ijaz Lahory, Gull Nawaz, Majeed Goraya, Abid Zia, Hassan Mahmood, Ghulam Akber Baber, Muhammad Ramzan, Nadeem Ejaz, Akram Shahid, Danish Pirzada, Irshad Sheikh, Imran Jaffery, Khalid Tanveer, Ibrar Tanoli, Zahid Hussain, Rafiq Nasir, Muhammad Arshad among others, at Alhamra Arts Council.
The brilliant display of extra-ordinary talent and artistic vision of the photojournalists, who have been in the field for years, was nothing but a refreshing and mesmerizing experience for image-lovers.
Majeed Nizami, editor-in-chief of Nawa-i-Waqt Group, also visited this exhibition and appreciated the efforts of Pakistani photojournalists. Moreover a great number of people along eminent MPAs and MNAs and artists like Jimmy Engineer and Dr. Ejaz Anwar visited this exhibition and loved the photographs of photo journalists.
The images in this exhibition had come from the length and breadth of Pakistan, and included well-known oeuvres alongside mesmerising landscapes. As well as famous names ‘ Banezir Bhutto, Nawaz Shariff, and Yousaf Raza Gillani, among them ‘ the exhibition included news photographs, fashion shoots, photographs depicting flora and fauna of Pakistan, propaganda and social documents in the form of images. It included works by many famous photo journalists and photographers from different cultural backgrounds who are usually underplayed in the history of Pakistani photography.
Ultimately, this was a treasure trove for any one who loved photography, and presented the extraordinary variety, breadth and idiosyncratic nature of many years of image making in Pakistan.
Secretary General, Pakistan Association of Photo Journalists, Muhammad Ramzan while talking to SPlus, said that 350 photo journalists drawn from across the country participated in this mega event.
He said important and the best photos of previous photo exhibition depicting ‘Soft Image of Pakistan’ those were displayed in Tokyo on March 20 last and got great appreciation from Japanese were part of this exhibition too.
Some of the photographs depicted human’s curiosity in the simple village folks, while some of the photographs had close encounters with light and shade, many photographs portrayed panoramic vision and in-depth understanding of the social and political life of Pakistan. Several images displayed the extra-ordinarily keen interest in people’s lives of Pakistan and its many manifestations and some of the photographer’s love for nature and scenic beauty are but a few hallmarks of the grand display.
Talking to SPlus, Provincial Minister Raja Raiz said that photojournalists were introducing soft image of Pakistani nation throughout the world through their creative and artistic work, adding Lahore was a hub of cultural and inventive activities. Meanwhile, he visited the section of exhibition especially devoted on the life of slain PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto.
The photographic section depicted the life of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto; her historical moments with family including father Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, mother Nusrat Bhutto, sister Sanam Bhutto, brothers Shahnawaz and Murtaza Bhutto, husband President Asif Ali Zardari and children Bilawal, Bakhtawar and Asifa.
The photos of Benazir’s interactions with the world leaders including George Bush Sr., Margaret Thatcher, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Francois Mitterand, Yasser Arafat, Indira Gandhi and Hamid Karzai were also on display.
Besides photos depicting during the two time premiership , her untiring struggle for the restoration of democracy in Pakistan which culminated in her assassination in December, 2007 were also displayed in pictures
Lauding the artistic standard of the photographs presented in the exhibition, Dr. Ejaz Anwar said Pakistani photojournalists possessed tremendous artistic and creative potential along news sense. He said they had reflected their experiences and inner feelings in an artistic and skilful manner in the photographs.
Efforts of PAPJ are tremendous they are striving hard for the development and welfare of photojournalists like PAPJ sent a photojournalist to Japan for professional training. Around 200 photographs of the leading photojournalists had been put on display. The exhibition was being held in collaboration with online Urdu Netpodcast and Pakistan Association of Photojournalists.

Deprioritising science

UZMA ALEEM
National Museum of Science and Technology in Lahore faces cut in budget, decline in number of visitors, reports UZMA ALEEM

titleAs museums showcase the history and evolution of a country, all aspects of human living in that particular society, including its diversity, lineage and race, etc. Similarly science museums reflect the importance of science and technology to a particular country”s past while showcasing the creative achievements, technical development, innovation, application of a nation. Thus science museum is a statement of a country”s progress and progression.
However, little has been done to encourage science efforts out of school in Pakistan through science museums. Science and technology awareness through various means of non formal education “ science exhibitions and tech oriented models display in science and tech museums “ can help youth to understand the importance of nurturing the skills necessary for a scientifically literate society. Visitors of science museums become able to engage in intelligent discussions about science and technology, turn into more employable due to their knowledge of science and their ability to use technology, and can understand science for enjoyment and personal gain. But here in Pakistan no importance is given to develop science and technology museums. Though we have some educational science related museums and most important of them is National Museum of Science and Technology Lahore, which has never been the priority of government. As federal government has recently cut off the budget of National Museum of science and Technology. While talking to SPlus Sajid Anwar Malik, Director of Museum of Science and Technology, said that during the year 2009- 2010 budget of museum was Rs. 15.69 million whereas for the year 2010-2011 it had been reduced to Rs. 13 million so museum had a cut back of Rs. 3 million in its budget.
“National Museum of science and technology comes under the Federal Ministry of Education. Despite the demands for the raise in the annual budget of National museum of Science and technology federal government did not take any notice of these demands. Rather federal government has reduced the budget of National Museum of Science and Technology. Now this reduction in our annual budget would prove a great impediment for smooth running of museum”s affairs”, he explained.
“We have developed a new gallery (4th gallery) in National Science Museum with the development fund of Museum. This new gallery is indeed a new and wonderful addition in national museum of science as it has six wonderful sections “ animal world, agriculture, material sciences, Earth Sciences, Bio Technology and Space Sciences “ which explain different notions and phenomenon regarding science while connecting them to our daily life. But after the months of its completion, we could not start its operation as we are unable to open these exhibits for students and visitors because of lack of operational funds from federal government”.
Three galleries of National Museum of Science and technology, Lahore are operational while the opening of forth gallery depends on the release of funds by government and without these funds this new gallery can not be put on operations.
Such delays are not new in the field of science and technology in Pakistan and particularly for the innovative and unique projects of National Museum of Science and Technology, Lahore. Since its establishment delays in release of funds and insufficient grants for non formal science education through science museum has been a shameful tradition.
The National Museum of Science and Technology, Lahore was notified to be established by the Federal Ministry of Education in 1965 and it opened to public in 1976. Phase I, which spanned over a period of thirty years (1965-1995), could give only one gallery besides its building and basic infrastructure. Along the government negligence, lack of funds and lack of awareness were the major impediments for its development. During phase II (1996-2000) along the establishment of gallery II important equipment including computers and generators were installed. Then phase III (2000-2005) gave 3rd gallery to its visitors, though during phase IV (2006-2009) 4th gallery of science museum emerged but could not be opened for masses yet. Moreover the scheme for the development phase V, which was expected to be started in 2009, could not be initiated because of financial constraints and absence of development funds for science museum.
“ Financial constraints act not only as development impediment rather it diminishes the main purpose of the museum, which is to act as a centre for the promotion of science through non formal means, i.e. to promote the interest in knowledge of science and its contribution in people”s life and education. In view of this specific purpose the museum is not at all depository of scientific inventions; it rather develops, acquires and displays working educational models”, director of Museum was of the view.
While talking about the purpose of the educational and science models exhibited at Science museum, Saadia, admin officer of Museum, told the models depicted the basic principles of science and technology. “Moreover they are close to the requirements of students of science in particular and the rest in general, they are simple to comprehend and produce qualitative rather than quantitative results, they are visitors operated so as to attract the visitors” practical participation in understanding the principle behind each scientific display,” she explained.
Now it is pertinent to not that a meagre entry fee of Rs 3 and Rs. 5 is not enough to run the matters of science museum and lack of finances leads to lack of fun based education through museum exhibits which eventually reduces the number of visitors. No significant development in terms of opening of galleries was observed so number of visitors had shrunk to its half last year as during 2008, a total number of visitors who visited National Museum of Science and technology was 103093 whereas during 2009 it declined to 57613.

Number of visitors to National museum of Science and technology during 2000-2009.

year No. of Visitors
2000 115203
2001 133248
2002 141354
2003 121250
2004 109897
2005 89867
2006 89822
2007 103540
2008 103093
2009 57613



If national museum of science and technology”s visitors” ratio is compared it would be appeared that it is on decline and last year lowest amount number of visitors visited this museum during this decade.
Sajid Anwar Malik, director of the Museum, told the reason of decline in visitors” number was not lack of facilities rather the month of Ramazan was overlapping with their visitors” peak season. “Visitors take keen interest in Science and tech models” exhibits of three of the working galleries, like gallery 1 attracts with its following sections: behavioural psychology, electricity & magnetism, industrial, (animated flow charts), engines and machines, light, mathematics, fluid mechanics, meteorology and sound. Then gallery 2 attracts students and visitors with the interesting sections of biology, electronics & communications satellites & rocket section natural history section (eco-systems of Pakistan) computers, modes of transport, gems and precious stones. Moreover gallery 3 also asserts attention of museum”s visitors through the amazing sections health, molecular biology, energy, environment and transport technology,” he elucidated.
While explaining about the exhibits he told several exhibits were developed in museum”s workshops. Some of the others were developed as a result of feed back from the visitors. “In certain cases elementary exhibits have also been install to fill the gap and also to make the applied aspect of a principle more lucid and clear. Each exhibit has been provided with a descriptive label which contains all the essential information about that exhibit as well as provides extra information which otherwise cannot be shown through that exhibit. The descriptive labels and the exhibits thus supplement and complement each other in as many respects as possible. Whereas the exhibits were initially imported from abroad. Those which did not appear to conform to our requirements or were not suited to the level of comprehension of our visitors, were suitably modified,” he said.
Furkhanda Rashid, a teacher of Beaconhouse schools system, said that no doubt presence of science museum in provincial capital was significant but no notable addition in science museum proved dwindling feature for this museum which has shrunk number of visitors from more than 100,000 to almost 50,000 per annum. “This drastic decline in visitors is quite alarming as purpose of the science museums is to encourage understanding of science and technology among youth, while addressing a fun based non formal perspective. When youth would not be visiting this place they would lose their interest in science and tech,” she was of the view.
The 21st century can be reshaped by new and emerging technologies and by companies that invest in them. This means government must create the conditions for all Pakistanis to better understand the importance of science and technology in Pakistan”s heritage, and to be inspired and equipped to innovate in the future.
This is why it is vital to bring the stories of achievement and excellence in science and technology from all regions of our nation into science museum and into communities across Pakistan through non formal education of museums.

Honey farming dimensions

UZMA ALEEM
Despite the environmental, agricultural and industrial benefits of apiculture, the number of honey bees is on the decline. Academic and research efforts can give a lift to honeybee keeping if Pakistan Agriculture Research Council takes some developmental initiatives, reports UZMA ALEEM

Honey farming dimensions “What the heck is in that tree”“
“Where” .....Wow, that looks like a HUGE mass of bees!”
Sure enough, it was a honey bee swarm clustered together on the lower branch of a blue spruce tree. For whatever reason, the queen bee had taken the hive on a journey to find a new home, and this spruce branch was just one stop along the way.
This was among some of memories of my childhood regarding honeybees. When we could easily find honey bees hives on trees and their migration in swarms but now these scenes have become extinct. After working in the horticulture industry for several decades, I knew how beneficial honey bees were to agriculture. Years ago a beekeeper had told me that honey bees were on the decline in Pakistan due to mites and disease, so I further realized how important it was to preserve the colonies of bees though in the form of modern day apiculture farms,” Nawaz Malick, a horticulturist said.
These words of a horticulturist are not only memories rather it shed light on an important issue of honeybee keeping in Pakistan. Benefits of apiculture are numerous as it is beneficial for agriculture and industrial sector as well. The share of honeybees in crop pollination is 80 percent. It improves the quality of fruits, vegetable and yield of seed crops. Honey production from occidental bees is upto 24 kg per colony per annum. The sidder honey fetches maximum price. Bee hive value-added by-products are also useful royal jelly, pollen and propolis are used as health food and beeswax in cosmetics. Despite its all of benefits for agriculture and industrial sector, little has been done in Pakistan. Though Pakistan Agriculture Research Council PARC initiated research in apiculture at federal level in July 1976 under a coordinated programme of Honeybee Management yet it was terminated and this project was transferred to the non-development budget of PARC as its core activity in 1987. Afterward a German NGO GTZ collaborated for this project and a full-fledged Honeybee Research Institute was established with its own building, including laboratories in 1989. While being shuffled from last three decades, now it has merged into Institute of Plant & Environment Protection (IPEP). Perhaps the structural change of this department was one of the factors which proved discouraging for the apiculturists. Now academic and business promotion entities are also taking interest in this primitive and beneficial activity of apiculture as Punjab University has also established its apiculture research centre at its New Campus Lahore.
In this regard some training workshops were also conducted. The purpose of these workshops was to promote apiculture or honey bee keeping in Pakistan. Students, representatives of SMEs, women entrepreneurs and those who wanted to enhance their skills and capabilities in apiculture as their hobby or and business took keen interest in this research based workshop. Attiya Malik, a student of Zoology department of Punjab University Lahore, who also got training of honey bee farming in a workshop held in PU, told, “Collecting honey from wild bee colonies is one of the most ancient human activities and is still practiced by aboriginal societies in parts of Africa, Asia, Australia, and South America. Some of the earliest evidence of gathering honey from wild colonies is from cave paintings, dating to around 13,000 BC. So my hobby and training of honey bee keeping is an extension of activities of primitive humans”. She said she wanted to actualize her hobby into a productive activity that could be fruitful for agri habitat and country”s economy as well.
Punjab University has established a European bee “Apis mellifera” farm comprising 200 hives at its New Campus which help provide quality and tasteful honey to the people easily. Research is being carried out for improvement in management techniques, quality queen breeding and control of pests and disease to increase honey yield of colonies.
Punjab University Honeybee Research Project Chairman Dr Muhammad Akhtar said that to feed the honeybees continuously, many floral and other trees were being planted in the campus. He said that beekeeping training programmes and workshops for honeybee management at national and provincial level had been organised for dissemination of technical know-how among students, farmers, extension workers, officers of alien departments and hobbyists.
“Special emphasis is being given on generating awareness about the crucial factor of bee pollination required for increased productivity and PU efforts have brought maximum results. Moreover honey is a natural product of honeybee keeping rather it offers honey, royal jelly, wax, pollen, proplis and bee venom that have innumerable commercial uses,” he elucidated.
The European bee honeybee farm comprising 200 colonies has been established for research, training and teaching purpose. The colonies are presently foraging Citrus plants for honey and honeybee queen production. During a year, some 2424 kg honey was extracted. Pure natural honey produced as a research by-product and packed under hygienic conditions is being provided to the employees and general public by the University. Total sale proceeds of the honey sold so far is more than Rs. 45,25,905. Though this project of Punjab University is not a huge project yet it is big success. If more projects of such kind are started then these can be quite beneficial for agri and industrial sector. Certain training programs like integrated honeybee management for production of honey and other bee keeping products can be beneficial. Management Associate, Dairy and Livestock Sector-Punjab of SMEDA told the main objective of the training was to introduce honeybee farming as source of income and mean to alleviate poverty by creating employment opportunities especially in rural areas. Then, to identify major problems in promoting honeybee farming as profitable enterprise for generating such kind of employment. “Some people raise bees for a hobby, others do it for a business. As a business, it could raise enough to support a small family. If you have the interest or resources to start a honey farm, explore the possibility of getting into business with it. Our guide will help you by providing some basics of starting a honey farm. Honey farming could be a hobby, but it could also be a full-time job that could support a small family. Small bee farmers can produce average of 100 lbs. of honey per year. If you are into honey farming as a hobby, you can turn that interest into a business. If not, and you are outright interested in getting into business, try working as a beekeeper employee for a while, even just part time, to assess whether beekeeping is indeed for you,” she explained.
Beekeeping can be a profitable business in Pakistan. About 7,000 beekeepers are now rearing exotic species, Apis mellifera in the modern beehives. There are about 300,000 colonies producing 7,500 metric ton honey annually. Congenial climate conditions and bee flora in the country provide excellent opportunities for the expansion of beekeeping. Honeybee flora is present on vast areas in all the provinces including Northern areas, FATA and AJK and can support 1,000,000 honeybee colonies. Now there is an immediate need to get benefit from environmental and geographical conditions for better production of honey.

Punish fake degree holders

By UZMA ALEEM
None of the parliamentarians having fake degrees have been proceeded against according to law by the Election Commission of Pakistan or the government. The punishment for the act is seven years imprisonment. Why the FIRs were not registered against them, question UZMA ALEEM

On the evening of June 17, 1972, five people broke into the Democratic National Headquarters of US to bug their telephones. These men were members of the ‘Plumbers’, a group of anti-Castro Cuban refugees, former FBI agents and former CIA agents among others. The group was strongly Republican. The place they broke into was The Watergate Hotel for burglary and interception of telephone. Afterward U.S. President Richard Nixon was eventually removed from office because a minor political burglary at a Democratic Party office at the Watergate building led to a national conversation that unearthed far more disturbing trends in Nixon’s attitude towards governance, and his own respect for the law.
The issue of ‘fake degrees’ may be on its way to become Pakistan’s equivalent of a similar tendency: an offence than many Pakistanis would consider relatively ‘small’ in light of larger abuses of the law that they see everyday, is being used by society as a means to expose and punish a deep-rooted tendency amongst those who seek and claim power to lie to and cheat those who they are meant to serve.
For law everyone is considered equal, whether privileged Member of Parliament or a poor citizen. The eye of law places fake degree holder as a criminal who must be punished under forgery of documents and fraud case under article 62F of Pakistan Penal code.
So far the issue of fake degree holder parliamentarians is concerned, the MPs of both the PML and PPP have been exposed and disqualified but no legal action has been taken yet, which is the requirement of the hour to stop this practice in future.
The punishment for the act is seven years imprisonment and disqualification for five years for elections. Why the FIRs were not registered against them’
Ahmed Awais, renowned expert of constitutional law, said that he was shocked on the passivity of Election Commission of Pakistan on this issue. ECP was supposed to take immediate action on it but they did not file any FIR for this act of forgery against these MPs.
Hamid Khan, Former President Supreme Court Bar Association, said that parliamentarian who were the fake degree holders or any one had attained or purchased a fake degree of graduation to enter parliament as per graduation restriction for the parliamentarians, should be punished under forgery of document and electoral fraud case under Section 468, 470 and 471.
Advocate Abid Hassan Minto on the issue said there were number of such cases. ‘It varies from case to case and only degree holder is not guilty, probe must be held against the institution, which is issuing the degrees that prove fake in the end. May be in some case, degree holder is guilty and the institution or university may be guilty. So it varies from case to case, he elucidated.
Fake degrees scandal of Pakistani parliamentarians has thrilled the media and Pakistani nation. How shameless is this that fake degrees of parliamentarians have become a matter of embarrassment for the nation. Around 47 MPs’ degrees have been proved fake. But no action has been taken yet. Here are the names of some of the honourable politicians with fake degrees;
‘ Jamshed Dasti (Parliamentary sports committee head and PPP legislator).
‘ Nazir Jatt (PML -Q)
‘ Mohammad Ajmal (PML-N)
‘ Azam Chaila (PML-N)
‘ Bashir Ahmed Bhabban (PML-Functional)
‘ Mohammad Khan Jonejo (PML-Functional)
‘ Sheikh Amjad Aziz (PML-N)
‘ Haji Nasir Mehmood (PML-N)
‘ Haji Pervez Khan (PML-N)
‘ Haji Zulfiqar Ali.
‘ Farha Deeba (Members Punjab Assembly)
‘ Shumaila Rana (Members Punjab Assembly)
‘ Raheela Khadim Hussain (Members Punjab Assembly)
‘ Saima Mohauddin (Members Punjab Assembly)
‘ Mehmooda Sahi (Members Punjab Assembly)
‘ Shagufta Sheikh (Members Punjab Assembly)
‘ Samina Khanwar Hayat (Members Punjab Assembly)
‘ Seemal Kamran (Members Punjab Assembly)
‘ Amina Jehangir (Members Punjab Assembly)
The parliamentarians with fake degrees have set a very wrong example to the youth of this nation that they need not study nor work hard but fraudulently obtain fake degrees and become legislatures. Moreover, what is the standard of legislation that emanates from parliamentarians, who are not just illiterate but their basis of entry into the parliament is through a lie and fraud. The custodians of law in Pakistan need to take cognizance of the fact that a common criminal is taken to the sword for committing a petty crime but how a parliamentarian’s culpable and deliberate fraud is condoned. One may ask whether there are two standards of justice; one for ordinary plebeians and another for the privileged class of parliamentarians. The honourable judiciary must take precedence from the case of a former justice in Quetta, whose Matriculation degree was found fake. He not only had to resign his post but was convicted. They perhaps like to examine the precedence from the west, which we try to emulate constantly. Parliamentarians there do not have their qualifications or declaration of assets or tax returns examined since there is no trust deficit. However, if at any stage it is brought out that any of their declarations were fake or fraudulent, they are not only made to resign from their posts but face prosecution. Pakistani jurisprudence has ample provisions to punish those guilty of fraud or forgery. How and what are the constraints prohibiting our judges from sentencing those parliamentarians found guilty of forgery and fraud is anybody’s guess. Exemplary punishment must be awarded to those parliamentarians found guilty of the crime of forgery and submitting fake degrees; otherwise Pakistani parliamentarians will be the laughing stock for the world.

Losing price control

Recent wave of price hike have badly affected the middle class people. Prices of vegetables and fruits have registered increase from 35 to 70 percent before the advent of Ramazan, writes UZMA ALEEM


“We are trying to hire a rickshaw to go back home after spending half of my father’s salary for a handful of vegetables and fruits. The month of Ramzan would start after 8 or 9 days but the prices of commodities are already skyrocketing badly affecting common people like us. Oh, this shopping (while pointing towards her shopping bags) just frustrates me. Few years back the situation was far better. I don’t know what the government is doing? Why don’t they control the situation?” blurted Sidra when asked to comment on the situation while she was shopping at the sabzimandi of Singhpura, Lahore.
Sidra is not the only person expressing her despair over the price hike. Sunday Plus conducted a survey to assess the volume of price hike before Ramazan.
Though rising prices is not a new phenomenon, yet the common people tend to compare the current prices with those of the last few years. Prices have substantially increased since 1995, and have shown an upward trend, especially after the budget and hikes in administered prices. It is now very difficult for people to make both ends meet. We all feel that something should be done to control the prices.
There is a lot of anger, resentment, and discontentment over the rising prices, and most people seem to think that the government has been very ineffective in checking the prices. However, the controlling price rise is not an easy task, it require special product, by product and industry, by industry analysis. The price issue involves everybody at present. Though the government claims of doing whatever it can yet the price hike is still panicking the masses.
Prices of most food items have registered an increase in July 2010 in most parts of the country, warranting a prompt government action to enforce price control mechanisms or ensuring steady supplies of items that are most used during the holy month of Ramazan set to begin in mid-August.
According to FAFEN’s Retail Price Monitor, prices of fresh food items like tomatoes, potatoes, garlic and mangoes increased in July 2010 as compared to the preceding month in most parts of the country.
The prices of the two most commonly used vegetables - tomatoes and potatoes - registered high increases of 35 percent and 11 percent, respectively. Garlic price went up by 9 percent in July as compared to June 2010. Potato and garlic prices continued an upward trend for the second consecutive month. Mango prices, which were quite low in June, went up by 6 percent in July. Sugar prices also increased by 7 percent, perhaps as information of inadequate stocks of this commodity started reaching the market, with fears of yet another sugar crisis.
During the month of July 2010, FAFEN Governance Monitors collected prices of 69 commodities and services at retail outlets in 129 National Assembly constituencies in 82 districts in the four provinces, Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (FATA) and Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).
According to FAFEN’s Retail Price Monitor— part of FAFEN’s nationwide initiative to monitor governance processes under its Democratic Governance Program—meat prices also increased in July as compared to June, with beef increasing by 5 percent, chicken by 3 percent and mutton by 2 percent, indicating that prices of meats may further increase during Ramadan. Fresh milk and yogurt prices also registered an increase of 2 percent each. Basmati rice price was up slightly in July (1 percent as compared to June prices), while the price of Rice Irri was up by 3 percent nationally. The prices of mash, lobia, gram and moong pulses were up by 4 percent, 3 percent, 2 percent and 1 percent, respectively. Firewood prices registered an increase of 8 percent in the reporting month as compared to the preceding one.
While 35 consumer commodities and services registered increases in price, 28 consumer items were available at relatively cheaper prices in July as compared to June. In general-use consumer items, the price of washing powder and toothpaste decreased by 19 percent and 6 percent, respectively, in July as compared with June. Apples were available at 13 percent lower prices. Dry dates and bananas were also relatively cheaper in July as compared to June 2010 (7 percent and 4 percent decrease in price, respectively).
There was a wide regional variance in terms of changes in the prices of some essential commodities. For instance, the price of tomatoes, the food item with the most fluctuating price, registered an increase of 62 percent in Punjab and 61 percent in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as compared to just 8 percent in Sindh. In contrast, the price of the same commodity decreased by 14 percent in the province of Balochistan, which enjoyed the harvesting season of this commodity in reporting month. There was a nominal increase of 1 percent in the price of Basmati rice nationwide, but it increased by 28 percent in FATA.
These statistics of FAFEN also reflected that price hike has affected the buying pattern of a common man as it has reduced to the necessities while making modern living essentials a luxury for him. Socio-economic middle class of Pakistan is worst affected by the price hike. The industry and the trade are responsible to a good extent for not playing fair with the public. The government, businessmen and the public should collectively tackle the problem, back in theory and practice.