In a recently published article, Dawn Newspaper reported, “America is a country obsessed with trying to see into the future. And there is no greater industry at the moment than trying to predict, through opinion polls, whether Democrat President Barack Hussein Obama will retain his job or whether he will be ousted by his Republican challenger Willard Mitt Romney. For an outsider — and one suspects for most Americans — the sheer number and diversity of polls, administered by a slew of competing media organisations and private think tanks, is bewildering. It doesn’t help that some of them seem to directly contradict each other.”

Are people forgetting the real significance of the face that comes along with the names, numbers, and opinions? Or is it not important to anyone what the face sees and hears, how it reacts to certain incidents or questions, how it responds through body language and reflexes, and what emotions it displays?

Television and the internet being the fastest of mediums nowadays for disseminating huge chunks of information for people to absorb in a variety of formats, it seems that the face that will decide the future of the world at least in the form of foreign policies for the next four years has gone astray amongst the circus of clamour, characters, confetti and crowd.

Has the media lost the plot? Or are they doing the right job by keeping people informed and well equipped with the correct set of ‘tools’ required by every man, woman and child to not only elect the next US president but also for non-voters to decide future stances?

In another article, Dawn Newspaper reported, “As the long and hugely expensive campaign builds to its climax, the rest of the world needs to thank the American people and system for the entertainment they provide us every four years. After spending around a billion dollars each, both parties are stretching every sinew in the home stretch. Even though Obama has continued to maintain a small lead in the polls, the tiny percentage that separates the two candidates remains statistically insignificant. Apart from the excitement of watching a closely run race, the result matters to the whole world in a way no other election does.”

Does the outcome (which includes the possibility of a tie) really matter to the whole world so much? If so, how will it be different if Obama still retains control of his seat?

“The overseas Pakistanis are 4 to 5 per cent of the total population. They contribute $12 to $13 billion precious foreign exchange to the national kitty every year. They should have the right to vote,” Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Dr. Farooq Sattar stated.

The news was appreciated by the overseas Pakistanis who have been hopeful that something in this regard would be done before the upcoming general elections so that they would be able to exercise their right to vote.

Earlier this week, Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry had also suggested that the Pakistanis living abroad should be given the right to vote. He had said that 24 to 25 countries had granted the right to their citizens living abroad through a system of postal ballots.

Although the Election Commission of Pakistan has been at all a loss to devise a system as yet, the Chief Justice expressed hope that modalities would soon be evolved to let the Pakistanis living abroad take part in the general election.

Do you think this will be possible in time for the upcoming elections? In your opinion, how should the Election Commission go about this? Earlier in January, the ECP had told the court that the task of granting voting right to overseas Pakistanis seemed tough because they numbered eight million and lived in different countries.

An official from the Election Commission had pointed out that there was a ban on political activity in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries where most of the eligible Overseas Pakistani voters reside. He said there were 1.7 million Pakistanis in Saudi Arabia and 1.2 million in the United Arab Emirates. It was also noted that the deployment of staff in the Pakistani missions abroad would be a problem here.

Another issue that came about was regarding the proposal for postal ballots. Officials claimed that the electoral process takes around 45 days to complete and only 15-20 days would remain after the publication of final list of candidates – a time too short for the process involving postal ballots. He said it was also not feasible to stretch the timeline to facilitate the overseas Pakistanis.

Given all these obstacles in the way of developing a system to accommodate the overseas Pakistani voters, what do you suggest the Election Commission should do? Should their be any hopes regarding MQM’s private member bill?

Looking at the experience of other countries, is there any relevant model Pakistan could follow in this regard?

Photo: White Star archives

It is sad to see how the very few cinemas of the country have over time become victim to neglect and vandalism. Recently, at least six cinemas were burnt to ashes in Karachi – cinemas where many of us can remember spending our weekends at with families and friends – relishing the bottle of soda and a bag of plain salted chips.

Where new multiplexes with state of the art technology are now emerging in the bigger cities of Pakistan, it is still troublesome that the government is not interested in providing any kind of assistance or security to those groups interested in restoring and renovating the old cinemas which had once seen very glorious days. These old cinemas still remain very affordable for the masses when compared to the new ones which charge a lot more.

So, where do we go from here?

Do you think we should forget about investing in the old burnt down cinemas and instead of restoring them, aim to create more advanced multiplexes? Or do you think that where new technology is a great feature, the simplicity and affordability of the old ones should not be forgotten just yet?

Do you have memories of visiting any of Pakistan’s old cinemas? Fouzia Nasir Ahmad in a feature for Dawn’s magazine writes:

New York, Kaminay and My Name Is Khan couldn’t be more enjoyable anywhere else than the huge gallery at Nishat with best friends, dunking Bohri Bazaar samosay and pakoray in bags of chutney that we smuggled in and laid out on the foot-wide balcony wall that served as a table top for us.

Do you agree? Or with the advent of new plush seating and flavoured popcorn, should we say goodbye to our dusty old cinemas and aim for bigger?

How can the government help interested investors in facilitating Pakistani cinemas? Is security the biggest concern or do you think there is more to the downfall of our cinema houses? Most of all, do you personally consider our old cinemas as a heritage of Pakistan?

And in one fatal blow, the curtains fell. The good times; the memories of friends and films desecrated, all gone to dust.

Where the political parties agree that action does need to be taken against militants, they can’t seem to decide on what the next step is.

The president also pointed out the possibility of a blowback once action was taken against militants. Do you agree with him here? Should more time be given to pondering over military action in North Waziristan with every risk and reactionary outcome analyzed, or should the military launch one anyway, considering the deteriorating security situation in Pakistan?

Why can’t the political parties come to a consensus when it comes to the war against terror – ensuring peace and security should be on each of their agendas, then why do we still see them stalling?

The president said both the people and governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan should join hands to eliminate the terrorists and their hideouts. Realistically though, can we see that happening? Should Pakistan keep waiting for Afghanistan to take some action, or pursue its operation anyway?

After Bangladesh cancelled their tour earlier this year, over security fears, this will be the second attempt to bring fans back to the stadiums to watch international cricketers. While all of the names making up the International World XI may not be stars of their era, they have done enough to become recognizable among cricket aficionados. The make up of the Pakistan Stars XI, in comparison, does include some big names, including captain Shahid Afridi, former captains Younis Khan and Shoaib Malik, as well as younger members of the national team Umar Akmal, Nasir Jamshed, Asad Shafiq, Fawad Alam, Shahzaib Hasan and bowlers Umar Gul and Wahab Riaz.

The format picked by the organizers for the event is a crowd favourite and ticket prices have been kept within an affordable range to ensure a capacity crowd. If things go according to plan, we could have two thrilling (albeit meaningless on official records) T20 matches and have the crowds roaring again.

However, having a team comprising players of yesteryear face off against local stars in a off-the-record series is not exactly the same as hosting an international ICC-recognised Test team for an official series. How, then, can the return of international cricket be turned into a reality?

Should the Pakistan Cricket Board organize similar matches and series?

Can the tours of women’s, ‘A’ and Under-19 teams help the cause?

How long will it take for Pakistani fans to be able to cheer on their side against a Test nation at home grounds?

Dawn.com invites its readers to share their opinions and views…

A very valid question when it comes to the developments taking place in Balochistan recently. Last month, Sardar Akhtar Mengal, the self-exiled Baloch leader, came up with his six-point demands for the state to start the process towards normality in Balochistan.

After Mengal’s demands were presented, Gen Ashfaq Kayani pledged the army’s support for any political process within the constitution for an end to the province’s woes, stating that the armed forces abided by the government’s directives.

Shortly after, both the National Assembly and the Supreme Court added their weight to the ‘campaign’ for a solution to Balochistan. On Friday, the National Assembly also asked the government to immediately set up an “all-parties commission” to bring the restive province’s estranged leadership to political mainstream.

Who is exactly in charge of seeking the solution then? Since the politicians happen to be the least trusted and the most easily blamed, would they be able to succeed if they are left in charge of this effort?

In your opinion, is Balochistan suffering from a law and order issue or should the unrest be seen as more of a political problem?

It wasn’t until late into the night on Tuesday that political parties issued statements condemning the attack. Even then, most leaders decided against issuing an all-out condemnation of the Taliban or calling for action against them. Barring the ANP, none of the party’s representatives said the Taliban should be dealt with forcefully in order to restore peace in the country.

The violence and terror unleashed by the Taliban and their various factions over the last half a decade is there for everyone to see. Countless innocent lives have been lost to bomb blasts, IED attacks, suicide attacks, targeted killings and other similar variants of violence. Why, then, has it been so difficult for the mainstream political parties to openly voice their opposition to the Taliban?

How many more lives will be lost before the decision makers and power brokers go all out against these men who have committed so many heinous crimes?

In the 24 hours, or more, that have transpired since the attack on the brave young girl there have been widespread peaceful protests across the country and abroad, against the act. People have also taken to social media to register and voice their disgust.

Has the time come for the political parties, the elected representatives, the military and other law-enforcement agencies to unite against the Taliban and launch an all-out operation against them?

How long will it take until the decision makers put their foot down and condemn the terrorists without mincing their words?

Dawn.com invites its readers to share their opinions and debate over this issue…

Illustration by Faraz Aamer Khan

During a meeting in Washington, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rehman Malik asked the United States for drone technology stating that it would be used responsibly.

“If we are given drones, we will use them responsibly as we used the F-16s,” said Malik, as the US media reported on Sunday that Pakistan appeared to be changing its position on the strikes.

Malik told reporters he had conveyed Pakistan’s concerns over the drones to senior US officials, although he did not say if he asked them to stop the strikes.

Like Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, the interior minister also said that although Pakistan had no objection to using drones against militants, it disagreed with the method.

Opinion varies on drone strikes conducted by the US – where several agree that this is the only way to get rid of militancy, critics argue that this is a violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and it should be the Pakistani military who should be conducting these operations instead.

In your opinion, should Pakistan be given drones to combat the terrorists in the tribal belt? Will the anger over foreign intervention cease if such attacks were conducted by our own military?

Would Pakistan be able to ensure no civilian deaths occur if it conducted these raids in those areas – and if so, how?

According to the Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira’s statement on Monday, the Pakistani government has opposed the drone attacks since day one – however, this claim itself is contradictory, given the fact that our government has done nothing to stop them.

Although various official voices and some unofficial ones have been raised against these attacks conducted by the United States, fact remains, that Pakistan has taken no concrete step to unwind the drone program. Should Pakistan continue to remain silent then and let these missiles accomplish their mission or have we reached a point where some transparent decision needs to be made to appease the beleaguered masses?

And if the US is to continue these attacks, isn’t it about time that the Pakistani government acknowledged their consent blatantly to the public?

While the march has been at the receiving end of criticism from government officials as well as other political parties, some arguments have also been made in its favour.

Anti-drone activists from the West have also joined Khan and prior to leaving for the tribal regions, they met with people affected by the drone strikes and mingled with crowds in the capital to create awareness about their anti-drone stance.

Drone strikes remain a crucial point of discussion whenever Pakistani and US officials meet and while it has been reported that Pakistani officials approve of the strikes, the government continues to reiterate its anti-drone stance in official statements.

Khan, who has been vocal against the unmanned-plane missile attacks from the onset of his recent political activities, has claimed that the march and the eventual address in the South Waziristan tribal region will help bring international attention to the issue and show that the people of tribal regions are supportive of his stance.

It has been said that Khan’s destination for the march is not so much closer to the issue of drone attacks as it is to militancy training, as opposed to North Waziristan, which has borne the brunt of majority of drone attacks in the last few years. However, Khan’s step to go ahead with the march, despite security threats from the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan and the government’s statement that it will not provide security beyond Tank, has been hailed as a brave move.

It remains to be seen whether the march and the address in Waziristan will only result in political point-scoring for Khan and his party or will it actually force a rethink on the drone war.

Will the presence of international media and anti-war activists bring international attention to drone strikes in Pakistan?

Will Imran Khan be able to gain support of tribal locals?

How will the government respond to the “peace march” once it concludes?

Will the march help bring about a change in drone policies?

Dawn.com invites its readers to share their views and voice their opinions…

While the points raised by Mengal have brought hope for some form of reconciliation on the Balochistan issue, the response, if any, from the security agencies and the establishment will be key to revealing if any real progress will be made.

Political parties and their leaders have come forward to support Mengal, especially the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf. However, the government has continued on its stance that there is no involvement of security agencies in the disappearances and target killings in Balochistan, with government officials condemning Mengal’s statements.

Interior Minister Rahman Malik has said that the government is ‘serious on the issue of recovering the missing persons and that all valid grievances of the former chief minister of Balochistan, Sardar Akhtar would be addressed” but no progress has been made.

Hearing on the Balochistan missing persons’ case resumes on October 8, and it remains to be seen what turn the case will take after Mengal’s appearance and statements.

How will Sardar Mengal’s appearance before the court and his six-point charter affect the situation in Balochistan?

Will the government take note of the grievances, now that its political opponents have also supported Mengal’s stance?

Is the support from the political parties being voiced in order to garner support before the elections?

Who are the true representatives of the Baloch people? How can the inhabitants’ voice be heard?

Dawn.com invites its readers to share their views and voice their suggestions…