Saturday, 21 February 2015
Monday, 16 February 2015
Tuesday, 10 February 2015
Freelancers, bloggers and entrepreneurs — who work from home — are denied by Pakistani banks
the provision of credit cards because they don’t have offices.
All these freelancers, bloggers and entrepreneurs, that help the national economy by bringing
millions of dollars of foreign currency into Pakistan each month, are denied by Pakistani banks
the provision of credit cards.
Not to mention, we bloggers, freelancers badly need these credit cards for buying things
(hosting/services) online that help us doing our businesses. Or let me put this in other words,
freelancers and bloggers can’t do their businesses without these services that they buy online
with credit cards.
Banks argue that one must have an office address and a home address to be able to comply with
credit card issuance policy. They tell us that State Bank of Pakistan asks them to do so.
If government wants the freelancers to get them the top dollar without payment gateway, without
credit cards then its a pity.
Who ever the responsible is or who ever is just overlooking this very serious issue, ultimately
its the freelancers and bloggers who suffer. Not to mention, not every freelancer is resourceful
(especially in the start) to have payment solutions in place without having the credit cards.
I have personally shared my credit card with countless fellow bloggers to get them hosting
accounts or domain renewals.
Now if Pakistan — I am talking about the government — wants us to help the economy then
we should be provided with the tools that help us achieve our targets. If they want the
freelancers to get them the top dollar without payment gateway, without credit cards then
its a pity, its a shame for the government, or the banks or our financial system.
I just don’t know who will end this current policy, but it has to end and there should be a
revision in policy for issuing credit cards.
Please note: Yes we know that Standard Chartered debit cards work online, but they fail to get
the reimbursed funds, in case of refund. Moreover, there are certain services that accept just
credit cards and not the debit cards just because of this very problem.
the provision of credit cards because they don’t have offices.
All these freelancers, bloggers and entrepreneurs, that help the national economy by bringing
millions of dollars of foreign currency into Pakistan each month, are denied by Pakistani banks
the provision of credit cards.
Not to mention, we bloggers, freelancers badly need these credit cards for buying things
(hosting/services) online that help us doing our businesses. Or let me put this in other words,
freelancers and bloggers can’t do their businesses without these services that they buy online
with credit cards.
Banks argue that one must have an office address and a home address to be able to comply with
credit card issuance policy. They tell us that State Bank of Pakistan asks them to do so.
If government wants the freelancers to get them the top dollar without payment gateway, without
credit cards then its a pity.
Who ever the responsible is or who ever is just overlooking this very serious issue, ultimately
its the freelancers and bloggers who suffer. Not to mention, not every freelancer is resourceful
(especially in the start) to have payment solutions in place without having the credit cards.
I have personally shared my credit card with countless fellow bloggers to get them hosting
accounts or domain renewals.
Now if Pakistan — I am talking about the government — wants us to help the economy then
we should be provided with the tools that help us achieve our targets. If they want the
freelancers to get them the top dollar without payment gateway, without credit cards then
its a pity, its a shame for the government, or the banks or our financial system.
I just don’t know who will end this current policy, but it has to end and there should be a
revision in policy for issuing credit cards.
Please note: Yes we know that Standard Chartered debit cards work online, but they fail to get
the reimbursed funds, in case of refund. Moreover, there are certain services that accept just
credit cards and not the debit cards just because of this very problem.
Freelancers, bloggers and entrepreneurs — who work from home — are denied by Pakistani banks
the provision of credit cards because they don’t have offices.
All these freelancers, bloggers and entrepreneurs, that help the national economy by bringing
millions of dollars of foreign currency into Pakistan each month, are denied by Pakistani banks
the provision of credit cards.
Not to mention, we bloggers, freelancers badly need these credit cards for buying things
(hosting/services) online that help us doing our businesses. Or let me put this in other words,
freelancers and bloggers can’t do their businesses without these services that they buy online
with credit cards.
Banks argue that one must have an office address and a home address to be able to comply with
credit card issuance policy. They tell us that State Bank of Pakistan asks them to do so.
If government wants the freelancers to get them the top dollar without payment gateway, without
credit cards then its a pity.
Who ever the responsible is or who ever is just overlooking this very serious issue, ultimately
its the freelancers and bloggers who suffer. Not to mention, not every freelancer is resourceful
(especially in the start) to have payment solutions in place without having the credit cards.
I have personally shared my credit card with countless fellow bloggers to get them hosting
accounts or domain renewals.
Now if Pakistan — I am talking about the government — wants us to help the economy then
we should be provided with the tools that help us achieve our targets. If they want the
freelancers to get them the top dollar without payment gateway, without credit cards then
its a pity, its a shame for the government, or the banks or our financial system.
I just don’t know who will end this current policy, but it has to end and there should be a
revision in policy for issuing credit cards.
Please note: Yes we know that Standard Chartered debit cards work online, but they fail to get
the reimbursed funds, in case of refund. Moreover, there are certain services that accept just
credit cards and not the debit cards just because of this very problem.
the provision of credit cards because they don’t have offices.
All these freelancers, bloggers and entrepreneurs, that help the national economy by bringing
millions of dollars of foreign currency into Pakistan each month, are denied by Pakistani banks
the provision of credit cards.
Not to mention, we bloggers, freelancers badly need these credit cards for buying things
(hosting/services) online that help us doing our businesses. Or let me put this in other words,
freelancers and bloggers can’t do their businesses without these services that they buy online
with credit cards.
Banks argue that one must have an office address and a home address to be able to comply with
credit card issuance policy. They tell us that State Bank of Pakistan asks them to do so.
If government wants the freelancers to get them the top dollar without payment gateway, without
credit cards then its a pity.
Who ever the responsible is or who ever is just overlooking this very serious issue, ultimately
its the freelancers and bloggers who suffer. Not to mention, not every freelancer is resourceful
(especially in the start) to have payment solutions in place without having the credit cards.
I have personally shared my credit card with countless fellow bloggers to get them hosting
accounts or domain renewals.
Now if Pakistan — I am talking about the government — wants us to help the economy then
we should be provided with the tools that help us achieve our targets. If they want the
freelancers to get them the top dollar without payment gateway, without credit cards then
its a pity, its a shame for the government, or the banks or our financial system.
I just don’t know who will end this current policy, but it has to end and there should be a
revision in policy for issuing credit cards.
Please note: Yes we know that Standard Chartered debit cards work online, but they fail to get
the reimbursed funds, in case of refund. Moreover, there are certain services that accept just
credit cards and not the debit cards just because of this very problem.
Early investigation reveals that SCB Pakistan ATMs were hacked from England.
In desperate attempts, some of the customers who mainly maintained salary accounts,
made phone calls to customers care support and few of them rushed to related branches
to report the incident.
The bank initially responded positively to all affected customers and informed them
that a hack on the bank’s online system was responsible for the inconvenience.
These customers were assured that their stolen money would be reimbursed as soon as
possible but it would take time to get the details of the affected customers and reimburse
the money.
Things weren’t straight forward for everyone though. “When I contacted branch manager,
he said that your account got trouble due to criminal activity”, an affected customer
told ProPakistani. “I was advised to meet bankers working in the fraud department in order
to get my money back.”, he added.
Despite the promise of quick action, there are many customers who have not been reimbursed
their money yet, which is simply poor quality of customer service.
The inconvenience didn’t stop at stolen money. Customers were also deprived of debit card
services as the hackers accessed data records of customers debit cards to transfer
money from Pakistan to England. So in addition, customers’ debit cards were blocked
by bank and such customers were asked to get their debit cards re-issued by SCB again.
Saturday, 7 February 2015
SERIOUS ALLEGATION.
THERE is no doubt that the truth behind the Baldia fire tragedy of 2012 — in which 258 workers perished — needs to emerge. While it is bad enough that the inferno was billed as one of the nation’s worst industrial disasters, the fact that the fire may have been caused deliberately is particularly disturbing. In this regard, the startling revelations about the incident made in court on Friday need to be thoroughly verified and cross-checked. According to a report, compiled by the joint investigation team probing the tragedy, filed with the Sindh High Court, a statement from the Rangers claims that individuals associated with the MQM deliberately set the factory on fire. As per information gleaned from a suspect — allegedly a Muttahida worker — by the paramilitary force, the factory was set on fire as its owners refused to pay extortion money. The report says a “party high official”, through a front man, had demanded Rs200m in extortion money; when the owners did not pay the building was set on fire using chemical substances. These are very serious allegations and cannot be taken lightly. But before jumping to any conclusions we must realise that this claim is based on the ‘confession’ of just one individual who was picked up by the Rangers. A more detailed investigation is needed to reach the facts in this case. It is hoped scientific investigation methods are used to uncover the truth behind the inferno.
The onus now lies on the MQM to disprove the allegation and clear its name as the party or its activists have been accused of strong-arm tactics in the past. In fact, Muttahida chief Altaf Hussain himself has publicly lashed out at “corrupt and unwanted” elements within the party. In 2013 he had said there was a ban on party workers collecting ‘donations’, and that there was no room for land grabbers within the Muttahida’s ranks. The Coordination and Karachi Tanzeemi committees have also been shaken up in the recent past; the latter outfit was believed to have become too powerful even by some party members. Despite the MQM’s efforts at internal cleansing, the stigma caused by the activities of ‘unwanted elements’ remains, and the party will have to make a greater effort — especially in light of the latest allegations — to root out such forces. The fact is the Muttahida is a major player in Sindh’s politics, as well as nationally, and cannot afford to have black sheep within its fold.
Published in Dawn, February 8th, 2015
MQM disowns 'worker' who blamed it for factory fire.
KARACHI: Declaring that the man alleged to have set a Baldia Town factory on fire was not associated with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, the party’s coordination committee has demanded that the government should hang the person at the local roundabout in accordance with the law and Constitution.
A report submitted by a Rangers official in the Sindh High Court said that MQM was behind the fire incident that claimed the lives of at least 258 factory workers. The report was based on the information collected from an alleged MQM worker, Rizwan Qureshi.
The MQM committee said in a statement that the suspect, Rizwan Qureshi, was not its worker and the party had nothing to do with him. “The MQM has zero tolerance for terrorists, extortionists and criminal elements,” it said.
The committee said that after this clear denial the suspect should not be called an MQM worker.
‘Test case for govt’
Jamaat-i-Islami chief Sirajul Haq said on Saturday that the factory fire report was a test case for the government if it was sincere in taking action against those behind the brutal incident.
Speaking at a press conference here, he questioned the delay of more than a year in presenting the report before the court.
PTI Information Secretary Shireen Mazari said the revelations were “not surprising”. In a statement released in Islamabad on Saturday, she termed the factory fire “the deadliest incident of extortion by this political party in the urban centres of Sindh”.
Published in Dawn February 8th , 2015
Thursday, 5 February 2015
ISLAMABAD: With gas shortages rising, the government has decided to tighten the noose around delinquent petroleum exploration and production companies for failing to meet their targets for oil and gas discoveries.
A senior petroleum ministry official told Dawn that companies which failed to complete formalities and start exploration activities within the committed timeframe were now being served notices to remedy their breach of agreement at the earliest or face the possible revocation of their licences.
The official said the ministry was also looking into how some companies were able to hoodwink the government in securing exploration licences without any past experience or expertise with oil and gas exploration.
Take a look: 12 petroleum exploration accords signed
A senior official said the Directorate General of Petroleum Concessions has issued notices to two companies — Al-Haj Enterprises and Tallahassee Resources of Canada — which had obtained exploration licences early last year but failed to start exploration or complete arrangements for doing so.
In a notice served on Al-Haj Enterprises, the petroleum ministry said the company had executed Exploration Licence for Potwar South (Block 3271-6) and Baska North Block in KPK in February of last year with a work commitment of 701 and 759 work units, respectively, but had committed three major breaches of the agreement.
The notice said the company did not submit the detailed credentials of its technical team for scrutiny. The company also did not hold technical and operating committee meetings (TCM/OCM) for the block “which is a sheer violation of article 4.1 of Joint Operating Agreement”.
The notice said the company also failed to offer a 2.5 per cent working interest to the government immediately after signing the petroleum concession agreement and obtaining exploration licences as required under the Pakistan Onshore Petroleum Rules 2013. “Therefore, the company has been found in material breach of the terms of agreement,” the notice said.
The Al-Haj group has a fleet of thousands of tankers, transporting oil products for leading oil firms in the country and in Afghanistan, but has no experience in oil and gas exploration.
The notice to Tallahassee Resources also found the Canadian firm in material breach of the terms of agreement for not opening a registered branch office in Pakistan within 90 days, as required under law. The company was also given a licence in August 2014, with work commitments of 307 work units for the Karak North Block in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The crash happened after a mother-of-three stopped her car on a level crossing north of the city.
She was killed in the subsequent inferno along with five train passengers.
Accident investigators also said there were no problems with the signals or barrier at the site of the collision.
But they remain unaware why the driver, 49-year-old Ellen Brody, became stranded on the crossing at Valhalla, about 20 miles (32km) north of New York City.
An official from the National Transportation Safety Board, the federal agency leading the probe, said on Thursday that a witness in a nearby car had seen Ms Brody stop on the crossing in the moments before the train approached.
Investigator Robert Sumwalt said that the barrier was seen to come down on the rear of the car, a Jeep Cherokee, at which point Ms Brody got out and appeared to inspect the damage.
He said that, according to both the witness and the train driver, after returning to the car she suddenly drove forward slightly - straight into the path of the oncoming train.
The electrified third rail pierced the train after the collision
Data retrieved from the train's recording device suggested it was travelling at 58mph (92km/h) an hour, added Mr Sumwalt - just below the 60mph speed limit for that section of track.
In addition to the six death
there were 15 injuries, seven of them serious.
The electrified third rail of the track came through the front carriage of the train after the crash, setting it on fire.
Passengers had to escape from the rear carriages.
The line on which the accident happened, Metro-North, is the second-busiest rail system in the US, serving about 280,000 passengers a day in New York and Connecticut.
Last year, the National Transportation Safety Board issued rulings on five accidents that occurred on the network in 2013 and 2014, criticising Metro-North while also finding conditions had improved.
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