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Re: The Pakistan Connection , by Michael Meacher

PostPosted: Tue Apr 12, 2016 5:59 am
by admin
Feeding the deals at Davos
Buzz up!
By Dateline D.C.
February 4, 2007

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WASHINGTON

For the readers of the financial pages it would seem that the world's movers and shakers moved from around the world to the small town of Davos, Switzerland. And for those who believe that our world is motivated by conspiracies -- starting with Yale's Skull & Bones Club, through the Bilderberg meetings, to the raucous gatherings at Bohemian Grove -- Davos, in January, has become the 21st century's conspiracy epicenter.

Davos is either famous or notorious for hosting the World Economic Forum, which has met every year since 1972. There, the self-styled elite and leadership of the world's politicians and the richest corporations that fund them meet, discuss and plan our future.

Davos was not always like that. It still is known as an exclusive winter sports area with a wonderful climate that for more than 100 years was a treatment center for the wealthy with lung diseases. The city reinvented itself in the 1990s to become the forum's near-permanent meeting place under the supervision of the Swiss government.

Prior meetings had taken place in London, New York and Washington. The cities were disrupted by demonstrations and it was very apparent to those attending that the sessions were controversial and unwelcome.

Inevitably, using the word "security" as the magic wand, Davos was shown to be ideal: a remote mountain town accessible only by one road and one railway line. During a forum, which makes an enormous profit for Switzerland, the meeting site is further isolated by the Swiss army, which for a few days ensures the safety of the world's elite.

Perhaps the respiratory cripples of the past have been replaced by the mental cripples of 2007 or maybe they are only wearing blinders to the real needs and problems of the people that they claim to represent.

On the second day of Davos, Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz told the group that the United States' very own Carlyle Group, which "manages $46.9 billion worldwide," is planning to invest several billion dollars in the Middle East.

Naturally, Aziz did not know where these investments would be, what their return would be to Carlyle and what benefits they might bring to Americans. After all, we don't need to be told again that trade with China brings wonderful profits: "CHINA: Communists High Investment in North America."

The Mercedes limousines trailed the private helicopters carrying a near 2,500 of the world's elite into Davos for more than 200 workshops on the "shifting power equation" -- by which they mean from the West to Asia, a quiet nudge to show China that the elite believe that they are ahead in the power struggle.

It was an amazing attendance list, at a mere $25,000 per person. The first man listed was Palestinian territory President Mahmoud Abbas, followed by the chairman of Deutsche Bank, Josef Ackerman. Then there was the president of Venezuela's oil companies, Enrique Garcia, and Bill Gates of Microsoft. And let's not forget Saudi Minister of State Abdullah Zainal and DaimlerChrysler Chairman Dieter Zetsche.

Eight hundred of the most powerful chairmen of the largest companies met privately to polish and change their images. They made and consolidated deals with two dozen heads of state and Cabinet members from Tony Blair and Angela Merkel, most of George Bush's Cabinet and their opposite numbers in China, Russia, India and Japan.

Because of complaints that everyone's democratic institutions were being overridden, this year the World Economic Forum became "transparent." Fifty percent of the meetings were open to journalists, who were allowed to take notes and watch videos.

The wheeling and dealing at Davos was remarkable; rules of ethics have to be revised and enforced to separate persuasion from corruption -- a near impossible task. So, it was a minor relief to read about our own Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff heading a panel on the possible use by terrorists of nuclear weapons.

Poor Chertoff was supported on his panel by David Cameron, a new head of Britain's conservatives, who admits to a "pre-political" drug use, and a Dutchman, Gijs de Vries, the European Union's anti-terrorism coordinator, who didn't appear to admit that terrorism even existed.

The fourth member was Pakistan's Aziz, who said his country was "wildly successful" in fighting terrorism.

Aziz did not mention the decade of deals negotiated by A.Q. Khan, head of the Pakistan nuclear agency, in selling -- for his personal bank accounts -- nuclear equipment and technology to Iran, Iraq, Libya and North Korea.

And no one asked why Pakistan was protecting Khan from the FBI and Western law enforcement.

Secretary Chertoff faced a battery of hostile questions about use of secret CIA prisons, relaxing the rules on torture and America degrading basic human rights. Unprepared for so much antagonism from a very select audience, Chertoff did not improve his position by saying, "We have to be precise about what truly is fundamental and what isn't fundamental."

But who will tell the secret organizers that the World Economic Forum is not fundamental to anyone's needs.

Dateline D.C. is written by a Washington-based British journalist and political observer.

Re: The Pakistan Connection , by Michael Meacher

PostPosted: Tue Apr 12, 2016 6:02 am
by admin
Moeenuddin Ahmad Qureshi
by Wikipedia
4/11/16

NOTICE: THIS WORK MAY BE PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT

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Moeenuddin Ahmad Qureshi, usually referred to as Moeen Qureshi, (born 26 June 1930) is a Pakistani economist and political figure. A former Vice President of the World Bank, he was the Interim Prime Minister of Pakistan from July 18, 1993 until 19 October 1993.

Education

Qureshi was born in Kot Radha Kishan tehsil of District Kasur. Dr. Qureshi holds a B.A. (Hons.) and M.A. (Economics) from the University of Punjab and a Ph.D. (Economics) from Indiana University. He received his initial education at Islamia College Lahore and Government College, Lahore.

Experience at the World Bank

From 1980 to 1991 he was at the World Bank, first as Senior Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial Officer of the Bank from 1980-1987, and then as Senior Vice President for Operations, in charge of all Bank operations during 1987-1991. Prior to that, Mr. Qureshi was at the International Finance Corporation as Vice President and second in command between 1974-1977, and as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer from 1977-1981. He served with the International Monetary Fund from 1958 to 1970 and served both at headquarters and in the field in a variety of senior economic and operations assignments before joining the IFC.[1]

As Interim Prime Minister of Pakistan

The continuing political crisis of 1993 in Pakistan came to an abrupt halt when the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and President Ghulam Ishaq Khan both resigned after two weeks of intense negotiations between the Nawaz Sharif government, Benazir Bhutto and the army. The resolution of the crisis was unique because for the first time in the nation's history, a government had voluntarily stepped down in order to avoid a possible military intervention. The negotiations were mediated by General Abdul Waheed Kakar, the Army Chief of Staff. The resultant agreement and its implementation followed strict constitutional procedure. Ghulam Ishaq Khan was replaced by the chairman of the Senate, Wasim Sajjad, who functioned as Acting President until the elections. More importantly, Moeen Qureshi, a former civil servant and senior World Bank official, agreed to serve as caretaker Prime Minister. During his brief tenure, Qureshi undertaook a series of economic and political reforms that were supported by an IMF standby arrangement and significant World Bank lending. He appointed several highly regarded technocrats and businessmen to his cabinet: Syed Babar Ali as Finance Minister, and Hafiz Pasha as Commerce Minister. He also appointed a number of experienced civil servants to senior positions on his staff including his younger brother Salman Qureshi (Inspector General of Punjab Police Retd), a well known and respected figure in the civil service and political community of Pakistan. Qureshi, a Pakistani national, had left the World Bank in 1992, obtaining permanent residence status in the United States where he founded Emerging Markets Partners, a private equity firm focusing on emerging markets investment. He is currently Chairman and Managing Partner. He is also known as Imported Prime Minister of Pakistan.

EMP Global

Following his return to the United States, Qureshi led EMP Global, an Asia-focused fund manager, establishing a series of funds.
Qureshi was involved in forging an affiliation with the international insurance company, American International Group ("AIG"), for a number of years. AIG held a minority stake in EMP and served as sponsor of, as well as a major investor in, a number of funds bearing its name for which EMP served as Principal Adviser. EMP bought out AIG's stake and became an independent company in 2005.[2]

References

Biography on EMP Global's webpage
History on EMP Global Website

Re: The Pakistan Connection , by Michael Meacher

PostPosted: Tue Apr 12, 2016 6:10 am
by admin
Turkmen-Afghan-Pakistani Gas Pipeline Accord Published
by Alexander's Gas & Oil Connections
August 6, 2002

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The leaders of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan signed an agreement in Islamabad on 30 May 2002 on a gas pipeline project to transport Turkmen natural gas to Pakistan through Afghanistan. The agreement says that such a pipeline is "vital" to the interests of the peoples of these countries.

It also says that work on a preliminary feasibility study of the project will be carried out and that it will be financed by international financial institutions. The parties to the agreement will choose an international consortium that has experience of carrying out such projects, and the pipeline will be built by, belong to and be used by that consortium.

The following is the text of the agreement as published on 31 May:

Agreement between the government of Turkmenistan, the government of Afghanistan and the government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan on Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan oil and gas pipeline projects

The government of Turkmenistan (referred to below as the Turkmen side), the government of Afghanistan (referred to below as the Afghan side) and the government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan (referred to below as the Pakistani side), which are hereinafter referred to as the Parties, acknowledging their cultural ties and common interests; genuinely desiring to strengthen fraternal relations and cooperation between the Parties on oil and gas pipeline projects; considering that the Parties are interested:

-- in the construction and use of a gas pipeline by a corporate body (hereinafter referred to as the Consortium) for the transportation of natural gas from Turkmenistan to Pakistan via the territory of Afghanistan, and

-- in carrying out a preliminary feasibility study (PFS) of the construction of the gas pipeline by a corporate body (hereinafter referred to as the Consultant), have agreed on the following:

Article 1

The Parties support the construction of a Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan gas pipeline, viewing it as vital to the interests of the peoples of the countries of the region, and will coordinate the joint activities necessary for carrying out the supply, transportation and use of Turkmen natural gas.

Article 2

At the initial stage, the PFS will determine the economic practicability of a Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan gas pipeline project and form a basis for it (phase 1). Then, the possibility of extending the gas pipeline to the third country or countries will be considered (phase 2).

In that case Pakistan will act as a link ensuring the uninterrupted transportation of gas to the third countries and will receive payment for the transportation of gas under an agreement between the Turkmen and Pakistan sides. Pakistan will have the right to purchase gas for domestic use or to pump its [local] gas into the pipeline if there is spare capacity.

The Afghan side is to ensure to the uninterrupted delivery of Turkmen natural gas from Turkmenistan to Pakistan and receive payment for gas transportation under an agreement between the Turkmen andAfghan sides or under other agreements concluded between the Parties.

Article 3

The sides have agreed to set up a supervisory committee to be headed by the minister of mines and industries from the Afghan side, by the minister of petroleum and natural resources of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan from the Pakistani side, and the minister of oil and gas and mineral resources of Turkmenistan from the Turkmen side.

The committee will consist of three representatives from each side to supervise the drawing up of PFS and consultations with each other about the first and second phases of the project. During the making of PFS, the members of the supervisory committee will hold consultations and meetings on a regular basis. The supervisory committee is to present a progress report on the pipeline project at a meeting of the heads of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Turkmenistan in [the Turkmen capital] city of Ashgabat in October 2002.

Article 4

The supervisory committee is to study the possibility of building a road and a railway line and also a power transmission line and fibre optic communication between the three countries.

Article 5

The Parties have agreed to choose a Consultant for the drawing up of PFS through an international tender. The work will be financed by international financial institutions.

Article 6

The Parties will help and present to the Consultant all available data and technical information necessary for PFS; The Turkmen side will play a leading role and inform the Parties about all stages of the [feasibility] study and to hold consultations with the Pakistani and Afghan sides until the Consultant finally defines the main terms of PFS.

Article 7

As part of this study, the Consultant may also study the possibility of implementing the oil pipeline project from Turkmenistan to Gwadar (Pakistan) via the territory of Afghanistan.

Article 8

The PFS will be a basis for a feasibility study and ensuing intergovernmental agreements such as: - an agreement on the saleand purchase of gas; - an agreement with the transit countries; - an agreement on the gas pipeline; and other relevant accords.

Article 9

The Parties declare their support for and will make joint efforts to attract an international Consortium that has experience of carrying out such projects. The gas pipeline will be built by, belong to and be used by the international Consortium.

Article 10

The Parties have agreed that Afghanistan enjoys a right of access to the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan gas pipeline to export its [local] natural gas as well as to take gas from this system for domestic use in Afghanistan. The amounts of gas to be exported and received by Afghanistan are to be agreed by the Parties in accordance with the results of PFS.

Article 11

The Parties guarantee the safety of the gas pipeline running through their territories. The Parties acknowledge the importance of the adoption of an international Convention and other relevant international legal documents under UN aegisto guarantee the security and development of pipeline systems.

The Afghan side is to make the necessary research on the basis of the results of PFS in those parts of the area on its territory where it is planned to carry out construction work on the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan gas pipeline -- to detect mines, unexploded rockets or other explosives, booby traps and other devices and to safely remove and (or) blow them up.
The Parties will take all the necessary measures to ensure the security of all foreign personnel who will be present in their territories to carry out work to implement the gas pipeline project.

Article 12

Any changes or addenda to this agreement on the gas pipeline will be made through separate tripartite protocols signed up by the Parties and these will be integral part of this agreement.

Article 13

Disagreements concerning the interpretation and use of this agreement are to be settled through talks and consultations between the Parties.

Article 14 This agreement comes into force after internal procedures are completed and it is approved by the Parties. This agreement is valid for three years and can be prolonged with the written consent of the Parties six months before the expiry of the agreement.

This agreement, done in Turkmen, Dari, English and Russian in the city of Islamabad on 30 May 2002 in three originals in each of these languages, with one for each side. In the event of any different interpretation, the text in English will prevail.

[Signed by] On behalf of the government of Turkmenistan, Saparmurat Niyazov, the president of Turkmenistan. On behalf of the government of Afghanistan, Hamed Karzai, the leader of the interim administration of Afghanistan. On behalf of the government of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf, the president of Pakistan.

Source: Neytralnyy Turkmenistan