| 18 February 2005 | Friday | 08 Muharram 1426 |
EU leaders looking forward to Bush visit
The Bahawalpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry recently demanded the government to declare those Cholistan areas a tax-free zone which have been included in the greenbelt, for the promotion of dairy projects and livestock.
Currently, due to the shortage of goats, sheep and cows, mutton and beef prices are high across the country. It is due to the poor planning that the breeding of animals has slowed down.
Cholistan is rich in cattle wealth which can be developed to meet the shortage of livestock and dairy products. Recently, the Punjab chief minister announced a self-employment scheme in the livestock and dairy development sector.
Under this plan, he announced loans up to Rs5 million for any such project. The Cholistanis own herds of animals. They should be provided maximum incentives for cattle breeding to help reduce unemployment and overcome the non-availability of animals for slaughter, besides bringing down livestock prices. Pakistan can also earn foreign exchange by exporting animals.
The wool of Cholistani sheep is of superior quality. After its grading, blankets can be manufactured, but this will only be possible if the government extends full help to the people of Cholistan. The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority can be asked to coordinate efforts with the department of livestock and dairy development in this regard.
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TMA officials have failed to meet citizens' demand for standardized sanitation in the city. Roads and streets are littered with garbage, and the recent rains have added to the people's miseries, especially the dwellers of low-lying areas.
Sewage flowing in the streets of many mohallas has exposed the claims of TMA officials. The sanitation staff could not be seen on duty during the rainy days. Gutters were overflowing in Fauji Basti and other places, which created hardships for the pedestrians as well as for the motorists.
The under-construction Sadiq Avenue also caused problems for vehicular traffic. Neither the district Nazim nor the tehsil Nazim bothered to take a round of the affected localities so as to help improve waste water disposal and ease people's suffering.
Earlier, the district Nazim announced the launching of a mega sewerage project in the city, but it has not so far matured with the result that residents of both the Walled City and new colonies around Satellite Town are continuously suffering.
The sewerage central disposal work at Lal Bagh is also not functioning properly with the result that sullage is not drained quickly causing the gutters to overflow and inundate the roads.
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UCH Sharif is a historic city frequented by hundreds of 'devotees' and tourists both from within the country and abroad. But it lacks basic amenities due to which the visitors face difficulties.
Some time ago, a rest house for devotees was constructed, but despite the passage of one year neither has it been furnished nor brought into use. The sewerage system has collapsed due to which sullage is flowing on the roads, and there is a likelihood of an epidemic breaking out here. The residents have demanded that a mega sewerage project should be launched for meeting the needs of the increasing population.
EU leaders looking forward to Bush visit
European leaders are hoping to use key meetings with US President George Bush in Brussels on Feb 22 to repair transatlantic relations following two years of bitter acrimony over the Iraq invasion.
European and US officials have been going out of their way in the run-up to the presidential visit to highlight their eagerness to start a new chapter in relations and put past differences behind them. But while the mood is clearly mellower than in recent years, abiding disagreements between the two sides on a range of foreign policy, human rights, trade and environmental issues make it unlikely that the fractures in transatlantic ties can heal overnight.
The EU's plans to lift a 15-year old arms embargo against China as well as European efforts to find a diplomatic solution to end the current nuclear stand off with Iran have emerged as the two strongest points of divergence.
Europeans are also unhappy with America's refusal to sign up to the Kyoto protocol on climate change and Washington's still hesitant role in reshaping the United Nations.
Crucially, while EU policymakers voice a strong desire to forge more forceful ties with Washington, they also insist that the 25-nation bloc will no longer accept a mere walk-on role as junior partner in the transatlantic alliance.
With European public opinion still largely suspicious of the US - huge protests are expected to greet President Bush in Brussels - EU leaders have to be careful about just how close they want to get to Washington. This is especially the case for French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder - the two EU leaders most opposed to the Iraq invasion.
Also, while clearly buoyed by America's new interest in the EU and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's repeated assurances during a recent European tour that Washington wanted to see a "strong and united EU", officials in Brussels have few illusions about America's ambivalence at having to deal with a more confident and self-assured Europe.
The US administration has in fact been sending mixed signals to Europe. In contrast to Condoleezza Rice's gentle courting of the EU, US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld showed his indifference to the emerging global ambitions of the bloc at a recent international security conference in Munich.
Nato, and not the EU, was the most appropriate channel for promoting transatlantic ties, Mr Rumsfeld insisted at the meeting, contradicting Ms Rice's insistence that the alliance was based on two equally important pillars - Nato and the EU.
Washington's change of heart over Europe is clearly prompted by a belated realization it needs European help to deal with post-conflict Iraq. In fact, despite their past rancour over the war, now that Iraq has held elections, this is one area where Europeans and Americans now see - almost - eye to eye.
European governments have said they will undertake a first-ever collective police training mission for Iraq. The programme to train around 800 senior Iraqi judges, police and other officials is, however, expected to take place outside the country due to security concerns.
The EU has also said it wants to play a role in helping Iraq draft a new constitution. Agreement is also expected next week on joint transatlantic efforts to secure elusive Middle East peace.
CHINA EMBARGO: But areas of dissent remain. Ms Rice has cautioned the EU against lifting a 15-year-old arms embargo against China, saying such a move could destabilize the military balance in Asia.
Some EU leaders, however, insist that the ban will be replaced by a more effective code of conduct which will ensure that there is no transfer of sensitive technology to Beijing.
Seeking to defuse transatlantic tensions over the issue, the EU's foreign and security policy chief Javier Solana has called for Washington and Brussels to establish a strategic dialogue on China's emerging power.
European officials are not expecting any major changes in US policy as a result of Mr Bush's visit. But they are hoping the talks will help restore trust between the two sides and convince the US leader of Europe's growing clout on the global stage.
Mr Bush has made clear that he is looking for a fresh start with European allies. America's new pro-EU rhetoric sounds impressive but it's the nuts and bolts of US policy in the coming months that will determine whether transatlantic ties are really back on track.