April 3, 2006	Monday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 4, 1427

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Mixed messages in poverty numbers THE recent release of provisional poverty estimates showing a reduction in the incidence of nation- wide poverty from 32.1 per cent in 2001 to 25.4 per cent in 2005 has evoked mixed reactions....		Thar’s ghost schools, decrepit health centres FROM outside, the health centre looks promising. A large, white building with vast grounds around it and probably plenty of space for everyone to wait comfortably inside....
Dilemmas faced by rice growers in Sindh THE growers of rice, especially of IRRI-6, were hit by financial crises of the worst degree in Sindh this year. The sale of paddy fetched a price not only lower than...		Potential of camels in livestock IN Pakistan camels, donkeys, horses and mules are raised for draught and game. There are areas with extremely arid pastures where only camels can produce milk, meat, wool and skin....
Keeping avian influenza out THE governments and livestock producers around the world are planning to respond to the potentially devastating outbreak of the H5N1 strain of Avian Influenza. Such outbreaks can impact human, animal and crop health....		Making sugar cane more profitable THE increase in per acre sugarcane yield is not sufficient to bridge the production gap because of irrigation water shortage, cultivation of unapproved varieties, high input prices and its unavailability at the required stage, and poor crop management practices....
Thar Express leaves Tharis out in the cold IN the still heat of the afternoon, a few scraggly-looking local boys joke with each other at the sole bench on the deserted railway platform. They swing their bare feet, fight over a biscuit and pick on the smallest among them....		Lights in the desert AMID the despair and desperation in the desert of Thar, there are stories of individual courage, inspiration and promise. Here are just three of them:...
Building a tourism economy WHEN Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz was elected from the district of Tharparkar in 2004, he must have had the south eastern Taluka of Nagarparkar in mind when he promised to convert Thar into a second Paris....		The miracle of water IN the desert of Thar, the sight of sweet water is reason enough for ecstasy. The sight of sweet water gushing out of a pipe is cause for major celebration....
A spot of brightness Throughout the district of Tharparkar, it’s hard to find any evidence that a government exists. Ghost schools are littered all through the desert while thousands of children remain unable to name a single letter of the Sindhi alphabet....		World economic report THE UAE economy has rapidly evolved from a youthful economy to one that is now showing signs of maturity. At present, oil production is running close to full capacity,...
Major hurdle cleared for aviation industry INDIA’S aviation sector, which has been flying high in recent years thanks to the opening up of the sector by the government, is likely to witness significant churning over the coming months....		Who should be Gwadar Port’s operators? THE opposition to the proposal for appointment of a UAE-owned Dubai Ports World (DPW) as operators of Gwadar port has come from some local experts on ports and shipping....
KPF: old candy, new wrapper ON March 17, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz launched of Khushal Pakistan Fund (KPF) with a hefty overlay of Rs5 billion for remaining three months of the current fiscal year....		Paucity of capable human resource THE chairman, PAEC, has said at the first national conference on ‘Engineering Education’ that Pakistan’s industries were “facing paucity of capable human resource due to which they were behind their regional competitors.”...
How globalization could fall apart HARVARD historian Niall Ferguson has, in a recent column, made an unusual observation. Globalization, he says, currently faces two kinds of threats: the natural and the man-made....		Foreign investment and presidential intervention CAN foreign investor’s initial problems be solved quick if President Musharraf presides over all foreign investment conferences? The President announced he would preside over investment conferences in future to resolve the problems faced by foreign investors are resolved then and there....
Ownership dispute of telemetry system MORE then an year after the formal inaugural of the much publicized telemetry system, installed to monitor water discharge at dams and barrages, with a view to removing inter-provincial mistrust over...		Renewable energy for remote villages WITH the United States declining to help meet Pakistan’s future requirement of 8,800 MW of power by extending nuclear cooperation, the government is finalizing a plan to develop renewable energy resources...
KSE-100 index passes through volatile trading week THE stocks passed through an awfully violent week as investors were not inclined to take positions on any sector due to the fears associated with rollover positions on the forward counter....		Rupee gains against dollar THE week in review observed dull trading throughout the week in the local currency market, where the rupee/dollar parity was seen trading in a narrow range....
SBP receives Rs45.5bn from auction of T-Bills IN the auction on March 29, the State Bank of Pakistan sold Rs40.515 billion worth of Treasury Bills of three, six and 12 months maturity. The SBP had set a target of Rs14 billion, but it received bids worth Rs45.5...		Heavy demand and slow arrivals push prices up THE prices of essential commodities on the Karachi wholesale markets generally increased last week as the demand outweighed the ready supplies on reports of slow arrivals from the stockists and importers....