Pakistan’s forex reserves exceed $16 billion

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
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Re: Pakistan’s forex reserves exceed $16 billion

Seems that this psot was a misfire :) ... I noticed it just now, so please delete this post :) Thanks.

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Re: Pakistan’s forex reserves exceed $16 billion

OK.

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Re: Pakistan’s forex reserves exceed $16 billion

unfortunately, what the doodh walla thinks holds more weight than what the "global experts" on what not think. Otherwise, I suspect Mush would be quite content in obtaining votes from the same experts.

'nuff said.

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Re: Pakistan’s forex reserves exceed $16 billion

Most what came to help earth quake victims was loans and little as grants. So, you cannot say that anything is paid by anyone or any donors.

That is different matter that it seems many Pakistanis (becuase of impressions given by corrupts) think that loan means free money. In reality it is not like that. What one take as loan, one have to pay that back.

Well, since 1999 Pakistan is paying more money than borrowing and that is why Pakistan debt is not increasing that much. You should know that if Pakistan had stopped paying anything towards debt taken before 1999 and did not borrowed a single penny, Pakistan debt would have increased by over 2 billion dollars a year or today it would have been over 16 billion dollars more than 1999 (rather 20 billion dollars) as that would have been just interest on debt Pakistan had in 1999 (that was around 38 billion dollars). Today even after including all the earthquake related debt, debt is around 40 billion dollars.

[If Pakistan did not borrowed a single penny nor paid any interest on pre-1999 debts than today, because of interest and interest on interest, Pakistan external debts would have been around $60 billion]

So, do not say that Pakistan got a lot of soft loans ... rather Pakistan received much less than what Pakistan paid back past dollar debts.

[and that is also true about local rupee debts ... In 1999 Pakistan local debt was 1700 billion rupees and interest on that local debt Pakistan was to pay every year was around 300 billion rupees a year. So, you can imagine that after 8 years, debt plus interest plus interest on already taken debts, how much that could have been (Note Pakistan was paying around 16 to 18 percent a year on those debts). What I believe it would have been around Rs 5000 billion rupees at least. Today local debt is Rs 2400 billion rupees.]

Who said that President is not taking credit for that. That is different matter that President did not stole so much money that he can start a party with his own money and contest elections.

As for roti jumping from 2.5 to 4, I have heard that many time and it seems that every year since 1999 roti is jumping from 2.5 to 4. :) Could not say what the reality is. Please first tell me what was the price of roti in 1999? :)

And yea, if you mean to say that roti went up from 2.5 in 1999 to 4 today in 2007, than also tell what happened to wages? Its because what I know that minimum wages in 1999 was around Rs 1200 a month and now it is Rs 4600 a month ... that is more than 300 percent increase in wages, but roti gone up from 2.5 to 4 ... it makes around 55 percent. How is that?

Just imagine that Chief Justice whose salary use to be Rs 20000 a month in 1998 today gets Rs 134000 a month plus generous allowances and pension (that is on top of what these people earn from corrupton :)).

One should see that if they are getting more money today, more than roti going up from 2.5 to 4, or not? If Chief justice could get 6.7 times rise in salary from 1998 to today (2007) plus many other generous allowances, why he should not pay Rs 4 instead of Rs 2.5 for roti?

You know what 6.7 times rise means? It means that for every Rs 2.5 Chief Justice was getting in 1998, today he is getting Rs16.75. So if Chief Justice could have bought one roti at Rs 2.5 in 1998, today he can buy 4 rotis at Rs 4 with some change left.

Same way a person on minimum wage, if he use to earn Rs 2.5 in 1999, today he is earning Rs 8 plus (minimum wage increased from around Rs 1200 in 1999 to today Rs 4600). That means a person on minimum wage, if he could have bought one roti in 1999 at Rs 2.5, today he could buy 2 roti at Rs 4 each.

Array bhai, if Wheat would become expensive than only kissan would get more money and if that would happen than roti would go from 2.5 to 4. People who make roti also needs a bit of more earning so do others involved in roti trade. When Chief Justice can have a pay rise of 6.7 times, why talk about roti going up from 2.5 to 4?

Brother, we should think of Kisaan too. Kissan ko bhie tou kuch khannay dou. Uss ka bhie tou kuch khiyaal karo. Kisaan also eat, need cloths and shelter. Kisaan also needs money. Kisaan also needs motorcycle and TV and how can Kissan could get motorcycle and TV if roti would be 2.5 and not 4?

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Re: Pakistan’s forex reserves exceed $16 billion

Isn't it a shame that the beloved dictator is making deals with the same chor/dacoos to stay in power? The duo chor/dacoos were looting the "bank" while the current regime is looting the assets... bottomline i.e. sab chor uchakkay hayn. NS/BB were increasing wealth within their own family circle while current regime is increasing wealth on a bit wider scale i.e. army top people, govt cabinet etc.

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Re: Pakistan’s forex reserves exceed $16 billion

not to mention the big chor dacoos we love to hate jumped ship and joined Mush early. I just got to know today that Sherpao was an "Ishtihari Mujrim" before he decided to join Mush league. Less said about chaudharies and Makhdoom saleh hayat's, the better.

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Re: Pakistan’s forex reserves exceed $16 billion

Captain sahib … can you please tell me that if present regime are looting and plundering as past regimes than how come Pakistan reserves increased to 16 billion dollars? How Pakistan debt today is 55 percent of GDP when in 1999 it was 105 percent of GDP? How come dollar is stable? How come tax collection has increased from Rs 300 billion to today over Rs 1000 billion? How today government borrows at around 7 percent when they use to borrow at around 18 percent in era before 1999? How come KSE index gone up from less than 1200 to today 12500. How come KSE capitalization gone up from around 4 billion dollars to today over 50 billion dollars? How come Pakistan GNP is increasing at healthy pace of around 7 to 8 percent … … … (I can write many things that you or anyone can confirm easily).

*

Now tell me that what corruption present government is doing that is also not hindering all these increase in growth rate plus huge increase in consumptions too?

If that is regime that is corrupt and also producing such impressive records, than may be they are doing some corruptions that is good for the country :)

As for negotiating with NS and BB (actually even today parliament is full of corrupts, though not as big as these two goons):

What I know, NS was let to go because Saudi government was blackmailing Pakistan with threat that they would stop 500 million dollars differed payment facility and would even kick out Pakistani workers from Saudia if Pakistan does not release NS. In situation where Pakistan was near to bankruptcy, it was difficult decision. So, if Musharraf did let NS go, it was for the sake of the country, else it would have been selfishness not to and bring harm to the country.

As for BB: Well let see what negotiation would bring her? Actually what Musharraf is offering her today she was offered more than that in 2002 (after last election), but she did not accepted that because she wanted all cases on her to get dropped and Musharraf did not agreed to that (what I believe he is not agreeing this time too). In 2002, there was no restriction on her to become prime minister 3 times, but it was corruption charges that stopped her to come back to Pakistan and contest election.

Nevertheless, look at some of the Pakistani retards that love corrupt people (like NS and BB) and there is two options with President. Impose Martial law or take all along including corrupts. One had to see what is good for the country (I mean to adopt best option amongst the options available other than martial law). There is no doubt that BB has a lot of support in the country regardless of her being the second biggest corrupt Pakistan has ever produced (her husband Zardair being the first).

You should realise that Musharraf wanted to get Kalabagh Dam started (as it is good for the country) but because of political oppositions he did not (as yet). That shows that regardless of people corrupt or not, for the sake of country it is best to keep them along because that is what many in Pakistan like.

[But I am sure that if these corrupt people would try to come back without any control over them (would like to see back of Musharraf so that they can again do their looting and plundering what they did before) and there would be no option because these people have already bribed judges and maybe Courts would create problem for Musharraf, then we will see martial law. [/COLOR]

As long as these past corrupts would like to rule under supervision and not want unrestrained rule where they can do all sort of corruptions, its OK. If not then they would stay out.

On the other hand most likely after next election we may not even see these corrupts and their party getting seats in assembly in big numbers (there is big possibility for that too)].*

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Re: Pakistan’s forex reserves exceed $16 billion

no way..not in pakistan. U lie.

If’s and But’s. I refuse to be drawn into that. If u r going to keep all else equal, then u must also remove the deferment of loans and the 10 billions dollars in aid and the expat money from the equation. Also, add some sanctions to the mix. Useless debate.

tee hee. Obviously he is innocent in the making of the Q League. He did not need money to form parties. He had the danda.

The price wasn’t even Rs. 2.5 back then, if u must know. oh no. did I just ruin the govt’s case? :slight_smile:

Obviously, in land of the pure, everyone gets the minimum wage. Absolutely. I know of no case where people r being paid less than that. Forget that, I did not actually just see a documentary on a family living off Rs. 4600 just yesterday. They were coping marvelously well. Small little family. In a small little room..ok wait..the roof of the said room was leaking cuz of rains but still it made for a nice adventure. I am not in denial. I only live on official statistics.

wow..just imagine. also imagine the presidency expenditure. I am sure there has been no change in that. just imagine the frugality of our rulers. just imagine.

Let’s have some other example, shall we? Not saying that cuz I am pro-judiciary. It’s just that u’ll find much better examples if u look at the general’s wage increases and “generous allowances” since 99. I just want to make ur case strong.

Of course not. Not having seen such heft increases in my fortunes, what would I know. Please indulge.

boo yaa to all those clamoring for price stability :clap: :clap:

:naak:

oyee hoyee. Govt. should take back the 6.7 times increase in CJ’s pay. I figure he eats about 3 roti’s a day. Add up the same no. for all his family members. 1 son. 2 daughters. 1 wife.

3+3+3+3+3= 15430= 1800

So in my estimation his wage should have only been increased by 1800. Whats the deal with increasing it by 6.7 times. But with so much money flowing in the obviously strong economy, the govt. can be pardoned for being a little generous, especially after it loss a court battle. I understand.

TV, motorcycle. Cool. Right after he can manage some education and food. Otherwise, we keep hearing taunts of how the nation doesn’t deserve democracy and we r all collective jack asses for having a dictatorship

Rock on :biggthumb

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Re: Pakistan’s forex reserves exceed $16 billion

itna bara lecture denay se pehlay post to ghor se parh lete bhai jaan, mai ne kaha “assets” loot rahay hayn, “dollars” nahi :wave:

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Re: Pakistan’s forex reserves exceed $16 billion

:rotfl: aap kaheen Moin.ul.Atiq ke rishtay daar to nahi. aap ki “credibility” naam ki cheez Musharraf ki “credibility” ki tarah bari tezi se “fade” ho rahi hay, kuchh kijiye Saleem bhai.

The Random Thread
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Re: Pakistan’s forex reserves exceed $16 billion

Sa1eem - I think you're wrong about one assertion and missing another.

A LARGE part of the earthquake pledges were outright aid, not loans.

And I think there were at least two major loan tranche discounts during musharaf regime (and many minor ones) - these involved a mixture of loan forgivings, interest waivers and repayment rescheduling (Paris club).

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Re: Pakistan’s forex reserves exceed $16 billion

Tariq do you know what is aid? Mostly it is loan not grant. It is called aid because it is between countries and that looks nice, that’s all. Please find out what aid in earthquake pledges were loans and what were grants. What I know, most of those pledges were loans and very little if any were grants. Some aids were at very high interest rate and Pakistan declined to take it. Though some were at low interest rates and Pakistan took them. Some aids were pledged but did not materialize.

Nevertheless most aids were loans. As for grants (money that was given to Pakistan that Pakistan do not have to return), Pakistan got very little. Nevertheless, most time grants are not given to Pakistan government but donor countries monitors that grant (many of their people come to Pakistan at very high wages (given from that grant money) and work on spending those grants). Sometime this happens with aid money too (that comes with low interest rate) that donor country monitors how they are spent.

[That is why NS and BB use to take loans not from countries but at very high interest rate from financial institutions, as that loan is not monitored and it is easy for government officials to loot and plunder that loan]

As for loan been forgiven during Musharraf regime, you are right that few loans were forgiven, biggest being by USA. USA has 2.8 billion dollars loan on Pakistan and 1 billion dollar was forgiven (actually most of these 2.8 billion dollars were interest ... so if you are talking about interest waivers, part of that is included in loan forgiving).

Well, others also sort of forgave some loans and total forgiving of loan is not more than few hundred million dollars (that includes interest waivers). Actually what I know, other than USA forgiving 1 billion dollars loan, none forgave loan outright. What they did was that they told Pakistan government that instead of paying them the loan back, Pakistan spends that money on certain projects in Pakistan that they approve (and it was claimed as loan forgiveness, though on paper they are still loan).

As for rescheduling of loans (from Paris club), that means nothing other than current relief for servicing of loan (extending of loan payment period). Rescheduling does not reduce loans nor forgives loans. (I think that Paris club loan to Pakistan is around 14 (or 17) billion dollars and with interest Pakistan has to pay much more).

Rescheduling (there is lot of misunderstanding about debt rescheduling, so let me explain that a bit): It is like, you have 10 thousand dollars loan and you have to pay back in 5 years at the rate of 200 dollars a month (that includes interest X percent as well as capital, so that after 5 years all loan is paid). You cannot pay so you go to Bank to ask for reschedule. Bank agree and increases your payment period so that you now pay 110 dollars for 10 years (worked out in such a way that now your loan with interest would be completely paid in 10 years). Normally it costs to get loan rescheduled (and there was cost to Pakistan too) and quite often new and higher interest rate is fixed. So, rescheduling does not reduce loan but it gives relief in a sense that servicing cost of that loan is reduced.

Though I am not sure about exact figures, today (what I believe) Pakistan is spending around 3 billion dollars in debt servicing every year (that includes loan and interest payment). At one time it was costing Pakistan around 5 billion dollars a year in debt servicing. Reason is debt rescheduling and paying back high interest loans (taken by NS and BB), reducing overall interest costs of loans to Pakistan.

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Re: Pakistan’s forex reserves exceed $16 billion

Thanks for the explanations. In spite of a number of little inaccuracies, you certainly have proven that you know the difference between loan and grant.

I'd urge you to look at how much of the e.q pledges were loans vs grants. US and Saudi between just themselves gave almost a billion usd.

I am kind of surprised though that Mr.Frauda saying some of the pledges did not come through. Weren't these public promises? what kind of shameless country will do that?

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Re: Pakistan’s forex reserves exceed $16 billion

[quote]
Weren't these public promises? what kind of shameless country will do that?
[/quote]

I guess you haven't "learned" about world politics.. :p

Btw, who will hold them accountable? You?

Girls u decide and Boys lets C what girls decided
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From news below:
**

**

Nevertheless, most of those pledged dollars did not materialise, that include soft loans and grants that did not materialised. As for most pledged soft loans Pakistan has not used them all yet as Pakistan is taking them from those that pledged as need arises (some loans have high interest rates and Pakistan do not intend to take them).

World Bank pledged $1000 million dollars (lona)

Asian development bank pledged $1000 million dollars (loan)

International Monetary Fund (IMF) pledged $375 million dollars (loan)

Islamic Development Bank pledged $501 million dollars (loan)

[Hence 4 above institutions pledged aid of 2.876 billion dollars loan (out of 3.9 billion loan pledges)]

Saudia Arabia pledged $573 million dollars. What I know, Saudi Arabia pledge consisted of loan and grants (grants in the form of Tents, other goods, cost of labour and sending goods to Pakistan (together making $573 million dollars).

USA** pledged $510 million dollars.** $300 million dollars of that $510 million dollars was loan whereas rest ($210 million dollars) were in the form of good and services [that includes military helicopter (including cost of one helicopter that got destroyed), medical units, medicines, and cost of personals (wages that USA paid to their workers while giving their earthquake related services).

China** gave $316 million dollars.** That includes loans, goods (grants) and services (grants: that is cost of personals that worked in earth quake relief).

Iran** gave $200 million dollars.** That was grants in the form of medical units and other service costs (what I know, this grant came during earlier days of earth quake in the form of medical units, medicine and relief work).

Turkey** gave $150 million dollars.** That was grants in the form of medical units and other service costs (what I know, this grant came during earlier days of earth quake in the form of medical units, medicine and relief work).

[What I know, in above figures, apart of Iran and Turkey whose contribution were grants (in the form of goods and services … like medical units and rescue teams) most others contributed mixture of loans and grants]

Rest of the world contributed smaller amounts (mostly in the form of goods and services, especially foods, clothing, medical units, and medicines).

[India I believe contributed $25 million dollars in the form of goods (as grants)]

Note: Situation of aid at one point was such that United Nation and International aid agencies were worried that if aid did not come they would have to stop relief operations (using helicopters to survive aid to survivors in mountainous regions) because there would be no money to do so.

From news 1
*
The United Nations and international aid agencies have said their relief operations, which mainly involve using helicopters to supply aid to survivors in mountainous regions, may be halted unless more aid is received.
[/quote]
**

Please read: both News and article given below:

News 1:
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000080&sid=amvXfhjWGms0&refer=asia](http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000080&sid=amvXfhjWGms0&refer=asia)

Pakistan’s Earthquake Aid Pledges Reach $5.8 Billion, Aziz Says:

Nov. 21 (Bloomberg) – International donors pledged $5.8 billion to help the country rebuild after last month’s earthquake that devastated the northern region killing more than 73,000 people and leaving 3.3 million homeless.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz announced the figure after the government said earlier it received pledges totaling $5.4 billion at an international donors’ conference in the capital, Islamabad, held on Nov. 19.

Aziz said $3.9 billion is in loans with low interest rates and the remaining funds are in donations. Pakistan needs $3.5 for reconstruction and $1.7 billion for relief and rehabilitation, he said.

The United Nations and international aid agencies have said their relief operations, which mainly involve using helicopters to supply aid to survivors in mountainous regions, may be halted unless more aid is received. The United Nations said last week less than 30 percent of the $550 million it requested in emergency aid has been provided.

The magnitude 7.6 quake struck the northern Himalayan territory of Kashmir on Oct. 8, leaving 73,380 people dead in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir and the North West Frontier province, according to the government. As many as 1,300 people in the Indian-run part of the region.

Pakistan’s President Pervez Musharraf sought $5.2 billion from international donors at the Islamabad conference.

**The Washington-based World Bank and Manila-based Asian Development Bank each promised $1 billion in loans. The International Monetary Fund pledged $375 million. **

Donor Countries **
Saudi Arabia was among biggest donor countries with a pledge of $573 million. The U.S. pledged $510 million, Saudi Arabia- based Islamic Development Bank $501 million, China $316 million and Iran $200 million, according to Aziz. **

Difficulties in reaching survivors in the world’s most mountainous region prompted India and Pakistan to open five crossing points along the Kashmir border this month, allowing the movement of aid and helping divided families meet.

Kashmir, divided between India and Pakistan, has been the cause of three wars between the two countries since independence in 1947. The two nuclear-armed neighbors have been seeking to ease tensions since April 2003 after coming close to a fourth war the previous year.

Musharraf, 62, used the conference to ask India to help resolve the conflict over Kashmir.
``I urge the Indian government, the people of India and media of both countries to help resolve this dispute once and for all,‘’ Musharraf said.
Debris, Waste

The reconstruction operation will have to clear large quantities of debris and waste, Shafqat Kakakhel, a member of the UN Environment Program, said yesterday in Pakistan, according to the British Broadcasting Corp.

``Otherwise, a lot of waste can turn toxic, can degenerate into toxic material, thereby posing serious challenges to health,‘’ Kakakhel said. Leakages from pesticide and petrol stores may contaminate water sources, he said.

Pakistan’s government intends to increase supplies of liquefied petroleum gas to reduce dependence on wood for energy among communities in the region, the BBC cited Pakistan’s Environment Minister Tahir Iqbal as saying yesterday.

Areas where forests were cut down were the worst-hit by the quake, Iqbal said.
It was the landslides which wiped villages off the face of the earth,'' Iqbal said, according to the BBC. Areas where there were forests, landslides did not occur. Where the forests were depleted, whole mountains have just vanished.‘’

To contact the reporters on this story: Khalid Qayum in Islamabad, Pakistan at [email protected] ; Paul Tighe in Sydney at [email protected]
Last Updated: November 20, 2005 19:15 EST

News 2:
http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2005/11/20/quake_aid_pledges_rise_to_58_billion/](http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2005/11/20/quake_aid_pledges_rise_to_58_billion/)

Quake aid pledges rise to $5.8 billion

Pakistan welcomes nations’ help as harsh winter nears****

By Zeeshan Haider, Reuters | November 20, 2005
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – The world boosted aid pledges for quake-devastated Pakistan to $5.8 billion yesterday after the United Nations warned there could be a second disaster as survivors face the bitter Himalayan winter.

The sum exceeds Pakistan’s target of $5.2 billion for recovery and reconstruction after the earthquake, which killed more than 73,000 and left hundreds of thousands homeless.

''The results were better than expected . . . We have received pledges worth $5.827 billion," Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said at a news conference after an international donors meeting in Islamabad.

Pakistan had been about $3 billion short of what it needs to rebuild houses, schools, hospitals, water and energy supplies, roads, and civic administration.

Aziz said $3.9 billion of the aid pledged was in soft loans, and $1.9 billion was in grants.

The new pledges were made after UN Secretary General Kofi Annan warned that survivors would die unless relief funds came soon.

''The pitiless Himalayan winter is almost upon us and growing more and more severe every week," Annan said at the conference on Friday, which opened with harrowing videos of quake damage and survivors.

''We must sustain our efforts to keep people as healthy and as strong as possible until we can rebuild," he told representatives from about 50 donor countries.

General Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan’s president, praised old rival India for its help and appealed to it to seize the opportunity the quake had given the two countries to resolve their dispute over Kashmir, the region hit hardest by the quake.

''Let us together solve the Kashmir dispute once and for all," Musharraf said.

The Oct. 8 quake left 500,000 homeless and affected 3.3 million in Pakistani Kashmir and North West Frontier Province. About 1,300 people were killed on the Indian side of Kashmir.

Rich nations and multilateral lenders pledged the lion’s share of the extra aid, and even impoverished countries such as Afghanistan and Bangladesh made contributions.

Thanking donors, Musharraf said it was now the turn of Pakistanis, at home and abroad, to ensure aid needs were fulfilled.

''I know that we are going to spend about $6 billion," he said. ''Now that is a shortfall which we will make through government efforts, and this is where I feel the people of Pakistan . . . need to come forward."

Musharraf told the conference of a ''lost generation," referring to how the quake destroyed schools, entombing classrooms. The quake killed an estimated 35,000 children.

Also, 400,000 homes and more than 10,000 schools need to be rebuilt, he said.

Article: On Aid to Pakistan related to earthquake:

http://www.politicalaffairs.net/article/articleview/2259/1/132/

Recycling Human Misery: Aid & the Pakistan Earthquake

Muhammed Asadi
11-25-05,9:18am

At the International Donors Conference held on Saturday 11/19/’05 in Islamabad, Pakistan (Dawn 11/20/’05), international donors pledged $5.8 billion for earthquake victims. Raw figures become easy propaganda tools, used for deceiving the masses, well manipulated by those in command of the apparatus of public relations, even though the reality of this feigned “sincerity” is much different. Historical and comparative analysis can reveal a clearer picture: Saudi Arabia, Iran and Turkey together have pledged $ 923 million while USA, UK and Japan (the wealthy trio) together have pledged $ 750 million (as a percentage of GDP, the U.S. amount comes to a minuscule figure compared to that pledged by a much poorer country like Iran). With history as a guide, particularly the on-going Iraq war and what the U.S. is “pledging” over there, we can be sure that most of these promises of funds, made by the U.S., will never materialize. Out of the $5.8 billion pledged by the world to Pakistan, only $1.9 billion are grants, the rest are loans that will plunge the country into further debt and impoverish the people, even as finance charges, that become profits of banks in the developed world, take a larger chunk out of the poor country’s budget (which as is allocates very little for social services).*

The Random Thread
The Random Thread
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Re: Pakistan’s forex reserves exceed $16 billion

Saleem Bhai ..Galey lagh jao.. Pathey chuk ditey .. I don't know why people hate government so much. Maybe their own faliures in life let them do this .. God Knows Better.

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Re: Pakistan’s forex reserves exceed $16 billion

Bhai aab kiya kiya jayea. When good works are done, shaitan feels bad and with Shaitan many corrupts and thugs also start feeling bad :). No one remembers what bad is done by people who are bad but if good works are done by good people, bad people try to malign that with absurd news and their propaganda. Corrupts are paying billions to buy today’s free media and doing all sort of propaganda. People like me who gained because of country became prosperous are not paid to do propaganda but our incentive is fear of what would happen if those corrupts come back.

[For instance, because of the corrupt system of the past I had to move abroad because I got no chance in the country (unless I use safarish or bribe … that I prefer not to). If corrupts would be back, I might have to move a lot of my own investments from Pakistan before corrupts would eat them up.

My friends tell me that dont worry about corruption as that is way of life in Pakistan. Throw the haddi (rushwat) and make these dogs quite else they would bite].

Just today I heard NS on TV Bullshi**ing that Pakistan media and judiciary are not free under Musharraf, Judges are getting beaten up, no one can say anything and are scared of the dictator, Pakistanis are dying hungry and country is going bankrupt. There are no jobs or opportunities in the country. Blah Blah and Blah. Pakistanis are crying for NS return so how can he ignore the voice of people as he would die for them rather ignore them … so he is going back to save Pakistan. Aab iss jhootay choor ko kiya kahayin? NS and BB (and many of their paid goons) try to Bullshi* Pakistanis thinking that all Pakistanis are idiots so they can fool them and try to show that they are innocent … Maasuums :wink:

[A poster in Jang tells a lot about what is happening in Pakistan today: Here, read it:

http://www.jang.net/vf/default.asp?PageNo=8

I don’t see any revolution coming. If returning of Nawaz Sharif is considered a revolution, then we are better off without such revolutions. I am a common civilian and I come from a single parent middle class family. I did my masters when Musharraf took over, I got the job and so did my three siblings without any sifarish and now I am doing PhD from the Netherlands, thanks to the government of Pakistan. My mother who is a government servant in 16 grade got a huge pay raise by the Musharraf government, my father-in-law who is a retired government servant got a good amount of raise in his pension and now he can support himself and his wife in a better and independent way. My husband got the job without sifarish and all of us are doing well and our standards of living are getting better day after day and I see the increasing standards of living of the people like me around me. What else does a common man want? I request the media not to add fuel to the fire. The media should not abuse its freedom. I don’t expect this at least from The News.

Hina Khan]

Just think that a major earthquake also came during Bhutto time (1974) and people forgotten that, rather don’t even know about that, because most news regarding that earth quake were suppressed. Most of the donations were stolen and many people in Government became rich (because there was no transparency at that time). It was just after OPEC world became rich. In today’s dollars OPEC world were richer than today and their commitment were lower as pouring of dollars just started because oil price shot up after 1973 Arab-Israel war.

Lot of aid, rather grants from OPEC world came to Pakistan, but went into black hole of those in power. Today even Saudi Arabia has 100s of billions in loan and Arab world comparatively are poor, thus aid or grants could not come that much).

Thus, one should also remember that there was another such major earthquake in Northern areas (28-12-1974) during Z A Bhutto time that killed thousands and destroyed many houses. Unfortunately Bhutto government suppressed the news and now very few know of that earthquake. This is difference between people’s government (present government) and Vedera government (Bhutto government :)).

[As there was no transparency in 1974 (as what we see now, and thus no one knows what aid came and where it gone during Bhutto time), it is claimed that lot of money that came as grant during that time related to earthquake went into Bhutto Swiss bank account].

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/world/events/1974_12_28.php](http://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/world/events/1974_12_28.php)

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Re: Pakistan’s forex reserves exceed $16 billion

Fraudia is absolutely correct.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10082481/

Before the conference, aid pledges totaled $2.4 billion but Pakistan had only received about 10 percent of that. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said the new pledges brought the total to $5.8 billion — $3.9 billion in loans and $1.9 billion in grants. He said $1.7 billion was needed for relief and recovery and restoration of livelihoods, and $3.5 billion for rebuilding infrastructure and restoring the economy.

The Earthquake caused Pakistan upto $6 billion in damage - yet only a small fraction of that has been received from foreign donors in aid, loans or grants. In the end it is the Pakistan govt which footed the bill in billions of dollars for the Earthquake.

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Re: Pakistan’s forex reserves exceed $16 billion

^ the 10% realization was before the november 2005 conference. have the pledgees paid up since then, the $1.9B part in grants? I'd assume the $3.8B in soft loans will require action on govt's part to draw against.

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Re: Pakistan’s forex reserves exceed $16 billion

I didn't know about the 1974 earthquake.

What was the scale of it compared to the recent one?