NUSTians make a 7.5 MW Power House

I just read the story in The News. It is something that we should be proud of!

I'm guessing the students who did this ought to be from EME college. I don't know where they got the teachers from... :D

One thing I think is deplorable is the coverage this FREE Media has given to this achievement. And I'm not letting the Government off the hook either.

Some "Engineer" from CDA was the chief guest at the inauguration. Giving the benefit of the doubt to the government, one would think that they were too busy helping the IDPs to attend functions of magnanimous importance.

Nevertheless, this is an achievement that needs to be held up with pride. It has to be remembered, not forgotten. Students should be encouraged to take up huge projects such as these!

Dreams in the scale of Islam

The previous semester saw some interest in dreams like the communication skill presentation by Rabia and the dream of Raheel. I found this translated friday sermon from sheikh Saud bin Ibrahim al-Shuraim (Imaam at masjid al-Haram) about dreams and decided to share it with you all. He has dedicated both the khutbahs of jumma to dreams its importance to people, what our attitude should be towards dreams, the types of dreams, etiquettes and issues of dream interpretation. I am copy pasting the translation of the khutba taken from this source

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First Khutbah

O people! The son of Aadam has a great desire and an enflamed interest regarding the unseen, whether it is related to the past or the future, and refusing to accept that such a phenomenon exists, is ignoring a fact of life. People’s obsession with such phenomena is related to how close they are to the Sunnah of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam and Qur’aan which firmly addressed this subject and clarified it, as Allaah says, which means, “(He is) Knower of the unseen, and He does not disclose His (knowledge of the) unseen, Except whom He has approved of as messengers, and indeed, He sends before him (i.e. each messenger) and behind him observers” (Al-Jinn: 26-27).

It is no wonder that the further people are from the time of prophet hood, the more confused they become and mix facts regarding the issue of the unseen, and the more eager people with weak souls become to know the unseen. Some believe in illusions as facts, others accept what fortune-tellers say, and others guess and speak about the unseen during all times while the verses from the Qur’aan are recited before them day and night, like the saying of Allaah, which means, “Say, ' None in the heavens and earth knows the unseen except Allah and they do not perceive when they will be resurrected.'” (An-Naml: 65) as well as the sayings of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, like the Hadeeth where he said, “Five things only Allaah knows, and he recited the verse (the meaning of which is) “Indeed, Allaah (alone) has knowledge of the hour and sends down the rain and knows what is in the wombs. And no soul perceives what it will earn tomorrow and no soul perceives in what land it will die. Indeed, Allaah is Knowing and Acquainted” (Luqmaan: 34)”

Thus, it is not possible to know the unseen or address it, except through what Allaah has told us, or what He revealed to His Messenger sallaalhu ‘alaihi wa sallam. Anything other than this would be guesses and illusions, or a mixture of words conveyed to people by some Jinn.

Islam removes confusion and illusions from the mind and guides those who stray from the straight path. Believing in the unseen cannot be equated with believing in fantasies.

Those who survive this phenomenon, get trapped by their eagerness to know the future, which they think is a major factor in deciding the stability and instability of their lives, so they try to reach that through dreams. You might meet a brother (in faith) or a friend and be greeted with a gloomy or cheerful face, but you would be surprised to discover that this disposition is due to a dream which they have seen in their sleep.

Slaves of Allaah! This issue is not only the concern of individuals or common people, but many eminent figures join them in this concern. Dreams have disturbed many great people, and other dreams came as glad tidings to many others. Some dreams became the concern of nations, like the dream of the king of Egypt, which the Qur’aan told of in the story of Prophet Yoosuf, peace be upon him. His dream included both glad tidings and warnings at the same time; it gave glad tidings of the increase in provisions for seven consecutive years, then warned against famine for the following seven years.

Slaves of Allaah! Dreams have had great importance in people’s lives before and after Islam. Educated people and intellectuals might differ in the way they view dreams and judge their issue. Philosophers have rejected that dreams have any meaning at all and claimed that dreams result from the reactions which take place in the body and reflect the state of mind. Some psychiatrists have a negative stance towards dreams, which is actually very close to that of the philosophers. They refer it to the mood of people and certain parts of their memory which become hyper during sleep, making dreams purely biological.

On the other hand, Islam and its scholars have followed the prophetic path in dealing with dreams, and have judged dreams according to the Qur’aan and the Sunnah. They have ruled that true dreams are from Allaah, some warn and others bring glad tidings. Ibn Mas’ood, may Allaah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said, “Prophecy is finished but tidings remain” people asked, ‘What are these tidings?’ he sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam replied, “A true dream which a man sees, or others see for him” (Bukhaari & Maalik). These tidings could be good or bad as Allaah says, which means, “So give them tidings of a painful doom” (Al-Inshiqaaq: 24).

Slaves of Allaah! These dreams are the ones which the truthful and trustworthy sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said about them that, “At the end of time, the believer’s dream will rarely be incorrect; the more truthful a person is, the truer his dreams are; and the dream of a faithful believer is a part of the forty six parts of Prophecy” (Bukhaari & Muslim).

In this era, many people’s hearts have little attachment to Allaah. Belief in divine decree, pre-destiny and that whatever Allaah wants happens and whatever He does not will not happen, and that everything happens with His command…all these aspects of belief have become weak in people’s hearts. Due to this, their hearts have become more attached to the issue of dreams, and in this way, they have differed from the righteous generations of our Salaf. They have started talking about this issue more and relying on it, until it has reached a level where it has overwhelmed people’s discussions in their gatherings, on satellite channels and religious inquiries, so much so that people ask more about dreams than they ask about matters of religion, and what should and should not be done by a Muslim.

These practices take place while people are heedless of what they should do regarding dreams, and how they should deal with them based on the prophetic instructions, which one should not transgress nor ignore. The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam left us with a clear religion, and he sufficed us regarding the issue of dreams, talking about it, getting attached to it, seeking to find out its interpretation or relying on it. People’s increased inquiries about dreams is a form of transgressing the limits set in the Sunnah and an imbalanced approach to the issue.

When some people see a dream, their lives become disturbed, and they become terrified and unable to relax until they find someone to interpret it for them so as to discover whether it brings glad tidings or evil news to him. If we stop at the limits which are set for us in the prophetic guidance, then such anxiety would not be felt, and people would not occupy themselves with this subject, which has become a way to attract audiences to the internet and satellite channels.

In order to discern the best way of dealing with this widespread phenomenon in our communities, let us listen to some of the etiquettes relating to this issue. Abu Salamah, may Allaah be pleased with him said, ‘I used to see dreams and become sick because of it, until I saw Abu Qutaadah and told him about this. So he said to me, I heard the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam saying, “Good dreams are from Allaah, and bad dreams are from Satan, so if of you see in your dream something which you dislike, then spit three times to your left and seek refuge in Allaah from its evil, then it will not harm you” (Muslim). In another narration Abu Salamah, may Allaah be pleased with him said, ‘I used to see dreams and they would feel heavier on me than a mountain, until I heard this saying of the Prophet, then it never bothered me after that’ (Muslim).

Slaves of Allaah! We see that not everything one sees in his sleep is a good dream that needs an interpretation, because what people see in their sleep is one of the three types, as narrated by ‘Awf Ibn Maalik, may Allaah be pleased with him, that the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said, “Dreams are of three types, some are from Satan to sadden the son of Aadam, some are the result of what a person thinks about while he is awake so he sees it in his sleep, and some are one of the forty six parts of prophecy” (Ibn Maajah). Imaam Al-Baghawi said, ‘This Hadeeth proves that not everything which a person sees in his sleep in true and should be interpreted. The correct understanding is that some of it is from Allaah, and the rest are mixed up false dreams which have no interpretation’.

An example for these mixed up false dreams is the story of the Bedouin who came to the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam and said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah! I saw in my dream that someone beheaded me, and my head rolled and I started going after it " So the messenger sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “Do not inform anyone nor talk to people about whispers that come to you in your dreams from Satan” (Muslim).

As we were instructed through the Sunnah, the way a believer should deal with this type of dream is to seek refuge in Allaah from its evil and the evil of Satan; to spit three times to the left; not to inform anyone about it; to stand up and pray as much as he is capable of; and then switch to the other side when he lies down. Some scholars added that he should recite the verse of Al-Kursee (the throne) because the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam informed us that Satan will not be able to harm the one who recites it.

Imaam An-Nawawi said regarding the way to deal with evil dreams, ‘One who sees an evil dream should follow all the etiquettes which were mentioned in the different narrations from the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, and even if he does only some of them, it will protect him from the evil of Satan with the will of Allaah’.

The second type of dreams is that which results from a person’s whims and what he thinks about during the day and that which occupies his mind. For example, if he has been thinking about traveling or a trade, then he would see in his dream similar to what he was thinking while he was awake. These mixed up dreams are also ones that cannot be interpreted.

The only type left is the true, good dream from Allaah that brings good or bad tidings. It may be clear and not in need of an interpretation, as the dream of prophet Ibraaheem when he saw that he is slaughtering his son. Some may be ambiguous and need someone to interpret them, like the dreams that the mates of prophet Yoosuf saw in prison. This is the type which the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam forbade us from telling except to scholars or wise people seeking their advice, the messenger sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “Don't tell your dream except to a scholar or a wise person seeking his advice” (Tirmithi).

All other dreams which one might see and it includes legislating things to be lawful or unlawful; performing certain acts of worship; deciding the night of Al-Qadr which the Prophet was informed with then later was made to forget it; or dreams which result in judging people, giving or depriving them of their rights, and whether they are truthful and honest people or not...all such dreams are mixed up dreams and doubts, which we should not rely on, according to the sayings of the majority of scholars, like Imaam Ibn Al-Qayyim, Ibn Taymiyyah, An-Nawawi, Ash-Shaatibi and others. Ash-Shaatibi mentioned the story of the Caliph Al-Mahdi who wanted to kill the judge Shurayk Ibn ‘Abdullaah. Shurayk asked him, ‘Why do you want to kill me, while it is unlawful for you to spill my blood?’ He replied, ‘I saw in my dream that I was talking to you and you were talking to me with your back to me, so I asked an interpreter, and he told me that this man (Shurayk) is one who visits you often and opposes you behind your back’ Shurayk said, ‘O leader of the believers! Your dream is not like the dream of (prophet) Yoosuf the son of (prophet) Ya’qoob, and Muslim’s blood cannot be shed based on dreams’ so Al-Mahdi bowed his head down and signaled him with his hand to leave, so he left.

Ibn ‘Asaaker mentioned in the history of Damascus that some people saw Imaam Ash-Shaafi’ in their dream saying to them, ‘Yoonus Ibn ‘Abdul A’laa lied on my behalf in narrating such and such Hadeeth, I did not narrate it’ Imaam Ibn Katheer commented on this saying, ‘‘Yoonus Ibn ‘Abdul A’laa is a trustworthy scholar, and cannot be doubted simply because of a dream’.

Imaam Ath-Thahabi narrated that Al-Maroozi said, ‘I took Ibraaheem Ibn Al-Husari (a righteous man) to Imaam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, and he said to Imaam Ahmad, my mother saw such and such a dream for you, and she mentioned you in Paradise. So Imaam Ahmad said, dear brother, Sahl Ibn Salaamah was told the same by people, then he started killing Muslims. A dream should not deceive a believer’.

Second Khutbah

O people! If we want to be just, fair and sincere in our advice, then we should not put all the blame on the people who see the dreams, but we must also address those who interpret them, because they have a great responsibility towards people who see these dreams.

An interpreter should be a scholar in this great field of knowledge, and should be able to weigh the harms and benefits resulting from the interpretation. He should not take the lead in interpreting dreams, specially those who do it through satellite channels, and in big gatherings, because it is just like passing a fatwaa. The king said in the story of Yoosuf, as Allaah says, which means, “And (subsequently) the King said, ' Indeed, I have seen (in a dream) seven fat cows being eaten by seven (that were) lean, and seven green spikes (of grain) and others (that were) dry. Oh eminent ones, explain to me my vision, if you should interpret visions.'” (Yoosuf: 43).

Ibn Al-Qayyim said, ‘A person passing Fatwaa, an interpreter and a doctor are exposed to the private hidden affairs of people, so they should conceal these things’.

Interpreters should not rush to interpret dreams, nor should they make people feel that their interpretations are facts. They should know the danger of this and the arrogance it could lead to. Ibn ‘Abdul Barr narrated that Imaam Maalik was asked, ‘Can anyone interpret dreams?’ he said, ‘How can people play around with matters related to prophecy’. Ibn ‘Abdul Barr also narrated that Imaam Hishaam Ibn Sassaan said, ‘Ibn Sereen used to be asked about one hundred dreams but he would not answer, but he would tell people, fear Allaah while you are awake, then what you see in your dream would not harm you’ and he would also say, ‘I only say what I think to be the interpretation, and I could be wrong’.

If this was the saying of the leader of interpreters through the ages, how should people in our time act? We see a person asked about one thousand dreams, and not once would he say, I do not know, or say that they are mixed up false dreams.

Interpreters should also realize the danger of interpreting dreams through TV channels that millions of people watch or in big gatherings, for the following reasons:

First: It is dangerous because he is talking about the unseen, specially that no one can say for sure that what he is interpreting is going to take place or not.

Second: It is difficult to know the situation of the one who saw the dream through TV channels, and whether they are righteous people or not, which has a strong connection to how a dream is interpreted. Two men came to Imaam Ibn Sereen both saw that they were calling the Athaan (the call for prayer), so he interpreted it for the righteous man as performing pilgrimage according to the verse which means “And proclaim to the people the Hajj (pilgrimage); they will come to you on foot and on every lean camel; they w ill come from every distant pass” (Al-Hajj: 27), while he interpreted it to the other man that he will steal and his hand will be cut according to the verse which means “So when he had furnished them with their supplies, he put the (gold measuring) bowl into the bag of his brother. Then an announcer called out, 'Oh caravan, indeed you are thieves.'” (Yoosuf: 70).

Third: Some people would not comprehend the way the interpretation was done through the screens, and ignorant people would think that it is a type of fortune telling which is prohibited, and the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “Say to people that which they are acquainted with, or do you want that people reject what Allaah and His Messenger say” (Bukhaari).

Ibn Mas’ood, may Allaah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “If you talk to people with words which they cannot comprehend, then it will be a trial for them” (Muslim).

Fourth: Preventing evil precedes accomplishing benefits, and the evil of interpreting through TV channels is greater than the benefits for many obvious reasons. One reason being the fact that it is talking about the unseen and interpreting is like passing Fatwaa and our Salaf used to avoid that. And then the evil resulting from the interpretation of some dreams is also great. For example a girl will not succeed in her marriage or another case whose husband will marry a second wife in secret. What do you think the situation of these women would be? One is awaiting failure in life and will remain depressed, and the other will always doubt her husband? Some people take these interpretations without referring to trustworthy scholars to confirm them, which results in the expected problems.

Some people give the excuse that the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam used to ask: “Who saw a dream?” (Muslim) so that he can interpret it for them. We would answer saying,

· This was the Prophet sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam, and his interpretations were undoubtedly true.

· His interpretations were in a mosque that was attended by a small number of people, not millions like the case of TV channels.

· The audience with the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam were the companions whose wisdom cannot be compared.

· No one from the four rightly guided caliphs or those who came after them did that, and especially Abu Bakr for whom the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam testified that he is knowledgeable in the field of interpretation.

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In an interview given to al-watan (arabic) newspaper of qatar Sheikh Shuraim told about one of his dreams. When the interviewer asked him about his feelings on being appointed imam at masjid al-haram. This was his reply:

"My acceptance as an imam of haram was not something that was surprise and happened at once rather it was a long process, it took much time... and before being appointed as imam, i used to dream of being so and indeed it is a great blessing of Allah(SWT) to be an imam of haram. i ask Him to guide me on the path of gratefulness"

A partial translation and full arabic of this interview is available on this link.

For any one who is more interested in the islamic etiquettes and principles of dreams and their interpretations i will recommend the three series lecture on dreams and dream interpretation by Anwar al-Awlaki available at http://www.hoor-al-ayn.com/lectures/anwar-al-awlaki/

MOU signed by EME and Nokia Siemens Networks

Taking learning beyond class rooms

The College of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering (C of E&ME), the largest constituent college of National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST) in Pakistan has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Nokia Siemens Networks to provide its students with industry exposure and insights into the latest in telecom technologies. The association is in line with Nokia Siemens Networks’ commitment to contribute to development of higher technical education in the country and sets a precedent for many such similar tie-ups.

Commenting on the partnership, Commandant of College of E&ME, Major General Shahid, said, “Against the back drop of a rapidly growing telecom sector, it is important to supplement our curriculum with sessions conducted by experts in the field - this is the best way to bring our students up to speed with the industry they will enter in the next few years.” He also impressed upon the students to participate ardently and make best out of this partnership by coming up with innovative solutions. He briefly introduced the college and informed the audience that it is due to the committed faculty students of college that multinationals get talented engineers form the college.

Under the scope of the new partnership, senior managers from Nokia Siemens Networks will conduct lectures for the Electrical and Computer Engineering students of E&ME College. In addition to offering a scholarship program to two selected students, Nokia Siemens Networks will also provide internship opportunities to two students per semester, imparting to them valuable hands-on experience.

Adds Saad M. Waraich, Country Director for Pakistan and Afghanistan, Nokia Siemens Networks, “As a corporate that has had a presence in the country for the past 50 years, we are in a position to leverage. “

A total of five in-class modules, of which four will be in mobile networks and one in fixed networks will be provided as part of the program. The four Mobile Network modules will include Mobile Networks Today, Evolution towards 3G, Future of Mobile Networks, Implementation, Project Management & Network Care. The Fixed Networks module will include topics like Evolution from PSTN to Next Generation Networks and Broadband Access, Transmission & IP Core. An additional module will be based on a visit to the Nokia Siemens Networks’ Telecoms Expertise facility at Islamabad.

All these module sets will be delivered within the span of one semester. E&ME students will also benefit from the three Web Based Training modules that Nokia Siemens Networks will install on the university’s platform. These modules will be accessible via the internet and will shed insight into Mobile Networks like GSM, UMTS and HSDPA.



OH yes 27 Electrical will have the lectures at the very start.

The Consequent is as bad as the Antecedent

There is a lot of talk about the Long March and restoration of the "essence" of democracy these days. Though this may not be the most "politically correct" time to say all this, I present below my point of view over all this crap.



Quoting Iqbal, (from "Iblees ki majlis-e-shura"). The first advisor to Satan is quoted as saying:

A good point well, my seeing eye hails,
No danger too there from a kingship’s veil.

We gave to kingship the masses rule’s dress,
Self conscious now is man with self’s ingress.

The kingship science has a different sense,
It needs not a garb of a monarch hence.

May be Nation’s Council or Kaiser’s court,
A king’s eye craves a foreign land or port.

Didn’t you see western democratic track,
Whose face is shining but inner is black.

Now, we are fighting for such a system of government. Whereas, we should (being the 'learned' elite) fight for the just system - Islam.

Democracy and dictatorship have failed to deliver in our country. Democracy is an object of the elite while dictatorship is destined towards an end. Whenever a dictator takes over, the democrats want to see his back. While, a democracy has never survived its intended tenure.

It is not hidden from anyone how Iqbal has criticized nationalism. Of the greatest idols present in Ka'aba, at the time of ignorance, Hubal was the greatest. Today's Hubal is nationalism. It is a cancer for this Ummah and Muslims. We shouldn't be fighting, then, for democracy should we? We'd rather be fighting for the restoration of a single Islamic government. "Islamic" would have caused some goosebumps to rise up. Now, by the "Islamic Government" I mean the following (at least):-

1. Freedom of movement (no passports, no borders).
2. Single Economy (based on the Islamic standards of Gold and Silver plus no to Interest in all its forms. The earth's resources are Muslim property).
3. Single Military (Pakistan's military supremacy should be useful to the Palestinians, Chechans, Somalians etc. etc. The Nuclear Bomb is surely, an "Islamic Bomb").
4. Single Foreign Policy (never repeat - NEVER - what we did to the Palestinians living in Gaza in Dec. 2008).

These four points (I think) are readily implementable. There should be no doubt that such a solution will ultimately get the Ummah back to its long lost glory!

So, am I discouraging anyone from going to the Long March? No. Join the March for some Rule of Law.

But our struggle shouldn't end here. We shouldn't fall prey to nationalism and democracy. It is our belief that Muslims should live as a Jama'a. If a wealthy country such as Saudi Arabia does nothing to relieve the poor masses in another country, then we will perhaps, be replaced by better people (for the record, I believe that before this year's over, the Sheikhs would become poor; I would pray for this not to happen, though). And in Pakistan's case, we are responsible for the sufferings of all oppressed Muslim nations in the world today because this following Ayah seems to have been sent down specifically for us:-

“And what is the matter with you that you fight not in the cause of Allah and for the oppressed among men, women, and children who say, “O Lord, take us out of this city of oppressive people and appoint for us from Yourself a protector and appoint for us from Yourself a helper”?” [al-Nisa 75]

We Pakistanis - proud and arrogant of our nuclear and missile technology - are responsible for the protection then, of Chechens, Afghans, Iraqis, Gujaratis, Palestinians, and all others because we are the only ones today who have the strength. Do we really want Allah to take this blessing away from us?

Drones parked in our own backyard, to Bomb our own People

http://teeth.com.pk/blog/2009/02/18/drones-parked-in-pakistan

In a shocking discovery reports have emerged from simply Google Earth images evidence of three drones parked on an airfield in some remote destination within Baluchistan, the images were captured by orbiting satellites and archived within Google Earth data warehouse to suddenly be discovered recently. Though there is no denying that during the Musharraf regime bases were rented out to the American army costing them a massive deficit to the tune of $10 Billion. But what probably irks the nation is that the Pakistani government have categorically denied that the Pakistani bases are being used to launch drones-
Omar Qureshi who writes for The News broke this discovery locally in Pakistan

The picture of the drones on the Pakistani soil, taken in 2006, has three drones, all Global Hawks. The picture has coordinates and they can be vaguely read as 27 degrees, 51 minutes North; 65 degrees, 10 minutes East. These coordinates place the strip not far from the nearby Jacobabad airbase which is around 28 degrees north, 68 degrees east.
One can easily verify the authenticity of the picture taken in 2006 with the 2009 image found online on Google Maps by merely inserting the above coordinates [or follow this LINK] in satellite mode

The Times Online also carried the report

The CIA is secretly using an airbase in southern Pakistan to launch the Predator drones that observe and attack al-Qaeda and Taleban militants on the Pakistani side of the border with Afghanistan, a Times investigation has found. The Pakistani and US governments have repeatedly denied that Washington is running military operations, covert or otherwise, on Pakistani territory — a hugely sensitive issue in the predominantly Muslim country.
The Pakistani Government has also repeatedly demanded that the US halt drone attacks on northern tribal areas that it says have caused hundreds of civilian casualties and fuelled anti-American sentiment. But The Times has discovered that the CIA has been using the Shamsi airfield — originally built by Arab sheikhs for falconry expeditions in the southwestern province of Baluchistan — for at least a year. The strip, which is about 30 miles from the Afghan border, allows US forces to launch a Drone within minutes of receiving actionable intelligence as well as allowing them to attack targets further afield

But it all started a few days earlier when Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee commented on 13th of February that unmanned CIA Predator aircraft operating in Pakistan are flown from an air base in Pakistan. The disclosure also marked the first time a U.S. official had publicly commented on where the Predator aircraft patrolling Pakistan take off and land.

The CIA declined to comment, but former U.S. intelligence officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information, confirmed that Feinstein’s account was accurate.

While Bruce Hoffman, a terrorism expert at Georgetown University, said Feinstein’s comments put Pakistan’s government on the spot.

If accurate, what this says is that Pakistani involvement, or at least acquiescence, has been much more extensive than has previously been known,” he said. “It puts the Pakistani government in a far more difficult position [in terms of] its credibility with its own people. Unfortunately it also has the potential to threaten Pakistani-American relations.

Chowrangi very rightly sums up the dilemma facing the people of Pakistan

But now the cat is out of the bag. So that is once more proved that how much regard American and our own government has for the people who reside in Pakistan. Their lives are of no value and our own government is involved in the killings. What a shame and what a sorry state of affairs. Another lie of our president has been caught and nobody knows how many more are on the way

For now the Government of Pakistan has a lot of explaining to do and just mere diversion tactics towards Musharraf might alone not help their case

CV:: Dos and Donts

From: Muzammil Butt <muzammil.butt@yahoo.com>
To: eme_alumni@yahoogroups.com
Date: Friday, August 22, 2008, 8:51 AM

hey all.     I just came across this article, it may be useful for many of us (though this topic has been discussed many times here, but I have seen many of our juniors making the same mistakes). BTW these instructions are quite comprehensive. The ultimate job hunting tool. In today extremely competitive job market, a perfect CV is more crucial then ever. Your CV has got the potential to make or break your career. The first purpose of your CV is to get you an interview. If you are not getting interview calls then it is the time to look at your CV. The second purpose of your CV is supply selected, factual and useful data about you. Please remember with CV "less is more". 2 pages is recommended length for professional and 1 page for students unless you have got a good enough reason to go beyond 1 and 2 pages respectively. Essential elements: Your contact details Your abilities, skills & competence and what are offering Your achievements Your educational background Some relevant personal information Once you have created a winning CV then should be proud of that document as it is the most important document of your life. Some Dos and Don'ts of CVs Dos Do add max three lines punch line under your name which should tell who you are and what skills you have got and your objective. Do leave enough white background space in your CV i.e. it should not look much cluttered. Do add career highlight section in your CV just below your punch line. Do make CV well organized, relevant and concise. Do highlight (with bigger font) your name in your CV. Do check spelling before sending out the CV. Do check grammar before sending out your CV. Do take the print out of your CV to see how it looks on paper. Do use right sign post; headings. Do read it out loudly twice in order to capture any errors. Do show it to couple of your well wishers for any useful advice and error spotting. Do quantize your accomplishments, e.g. reduced drop call rate to 1.5% . Do use action words e.g. drafted, created, organized, managed etc. Do keep it simple. Avoid complex and lengthy statements . Do make your CV visibly attractive. Do use bullet points. Do concentrate on your achievement not on your responsibilities. Do remember Honesty is the ONLY policy when writing your CV. Do list your strongest attributes on top of your CV. Do add professional membership. Do add any industry seminar/workshop attended. Do add all internal and external technical and soft skills trainings. Do include only your last obtained degree unless you have a good enough reason to add any old degree. Do remove any duplication. Do make sure you have put down your cell number and email id under your contact details at the top. Do highlight all the key words in your CV. Do use a high quality white paper if you are posting out your CV. Do think about the potential reader while creating your CV. Don'ts Do not Include references. Do not include your picture. Do not include your id card number. Do not include your nationality. Do not include your father name. Do not include your gender. Do not include your marital status. Do not include your current salary. Do not include your religion. Do not use font size below 11. Do not use fonts other then Aerial, Time Roman, Century Gothic, Tahoma. Do not write "CV" or "Resume" on the top it is obvious. Do not use abbreviations which is not common in the industry. Do not write every single job you have done unless they are all relevant. Do not add any negative points. Do not put any irrelevant hobbies. Do not include your windows /MS office skills as it is obvious in our industry. Do not include your health information. Do not include any information which is humorous. Do not use graphics, shading, fancy border etc. Do not use I or We as it already implied. Do not put reason for leaving the jobs.

Top 10 Interview Tips

Top 10 Interview Tips
Posted by: "Muzammil Butt"
Sat Feb 14, 2009 12:58 pm (PST)

Great interviews arise from careful groundwork. You can ace your next interview if you:

Enter into a state of relaxed concentration.
This is the state from which great basketball players orOlympic skaters operate. You'll need to quiet the negative self chatterin your head through meditation or visualization prior to sitting downin the meeting. You'll focus on the present moment and will be less apt to experience lapses in concentration, nervousness, self-doubt andself-condemnation.

Act spontaneous, but be well prepared.
Be your authentic self, professional yet real. Engage in trueconversation with your interviewer, resting on the preparation you did prior to coming to the meeting. Conduct several trial runs with anotherperson simulating the interview before it actually occurs. It's thesame as anticipating the questions you'll be asked on a final exam.

Set goals for the interview.
It is your job to leave the meeting feeling secure that the interviewerknows as much as he or she possibly can about your skills, abilities,experience and achievements. If you sense there are misconceptions,clear them up before leaving. If the interviewer doesn't get around toa sking you important questions, pose them yourself (diplomatically) and answer them. Don't leave the meeting without getting your own questions answered so that you have a clear idea of what you would be getting yourself into. If possible, try to get further interviews, especially with other key players.

Know the question behind the question.
Ultimately, every question boils down to, "Why should we hireyou?" Be sure you answer that completely. If there is a question about your meeting deadlines, consider whether the interviewer is probing delicately about your personal life, careful not to ask you whether your family responsibilities will interfere with your work. Find away to address fears if you sense they are present.

Follow up with an effective"thank you" letter.
Don't write this letter lightly. It is anothe ropportunity to market yourself. Find some areas discussed in the meeting and expand upon them in your letter. Writing a letter after ameeting is a very minimum. Standing out among the other candidates will occur if you thoughtfully consider this follow up letter as an additional interview in which you get to do all the talking. Propose useful ideas that demonstrate your added value to the team.

Consider the interviewer' s agenda.
Much is on the shoulders of the interviewer. He or she has theresponsibility of hiring the right candidate. Your ability to do the job will need to be justified. "Are there additional pluses here?" "Will this person fit the culture of this organization? " These as well as other questions will be heavily on the interviewer' s mind. Findways to demonstrate your qualities above and beyond just doing the job.

Expect to answer the question,"Tell me about yourself."
This is a pet question of prepared and evenunprepared interviewers. Everything you include should answer thequestion, "Why should we hire you?" Carefully prepare your answer to include examples of achievements from your work life that closely matchthe elements of the job before you. Obviously, you'll want to know as much about the job description as you can before you respond to thequestion.

Watch those nonverbal clues.
Experts estimate that words express only 30% to 35% of what people actually communicate; facial expressions and body movements and actionsconvey the rest. Make and keep eye contact. Walk and sit with aconfident air. Lean toward an interviewer to show interest andenthusiasm. Speak with a well-modulated voice that supports appropriateexcitement for the opportunity before you.

Be smart about money questions.
Don't fall into the trap of telling the interviewer your financial expectations. You may be asking for too little or too much money and ineach case ruin your chances of being offered the job. Instead, ask what salary range the job falls in. Attempt to postpone a money discussion until you have a better understanding of the scope of responsibilitiesof the job.

Don't hang out your dirty laundry.
Be careful not to bare your soul and tell tales that are inappropriate or beyond the scope of the interview. State your previous experience in the most positive terms. Even if you disagreed with a former employer, express your enthusiasm for earlier situations as muchas you can. Whenever you speak negatively about another person orsituation in which you were directly involved, you run the risk (earlyin the relationship) of appearing like a troubled person who may havedifficulty working with others.