The Ten Commandments

 

The Ten Commandments of God as stated in most of the latest versions of the Old Testament of the holy Bible are really the bedrock of the morality associated with the three major religions that spread out of the Middle East to all corners of the world. They are stated with great emphasis and in various contexts in the holy Qur’an also. The New Living Version is quoted below with my notes in italics.

 Exodus 20

New Living Translation

Then God gave the people all these instructions: I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery.

1.    You must not have any other god but me. (Basic concept of monotheism, common with Islam)

2.    You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands. (Prohibition of idolatry, common with Islam. However in the period between Moses and Muhammad, God seems to have decided that nobody should bear the burden of another’s guilt and the curse was removed. )

3.    You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name. (A false oath in the name of God is also sinful in Islam)

4.    Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy. (Sabbath literally means seventh. In Islam Friday is the day of congregation (juma) and according to the Qur’an each of the days in which God created the world was as long as our thousand years.)

5.    Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you. (This is a basic value of civilization and can be found in all religions practiced in any part of the world)

6.    You must not murder. (This is a universal prohibition of killing human beings under any circumstances. In the holy Qur’an the statement has been qualified in various contexts. An extremist Jew, Christian, Muslim or Hindu thinks that the prohibition of murder applies only to other adherents of his own faith and it is virtuous to kill the adherents of other faiths. They need to be told otherwise, especially Israelis that they should not kill Palestinians.)

7.    You must not commit adultery. (This is the basic difference between Middle Eastern Divine religions and the Greek and Hindu mythologies in which the gods themselves were promiscuous.)

8.    You must not steal. (Here is another blanket injunction: stealing is prohibited from anyone and under all circumstances including infidels and enemies.)

9.    You must not testify falsely against your neighbor. (It seems that God in His infinite wisdom had anticipated the present day conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians and warned against calumnies and false propaganda.)

10.  You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor. (This seems to be another forewarning for the Israelis not to takeaway Palestinian lands or build housing schemes on their usurped lands.   For more comparisons with Islamic injunctions go to one of the links below: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/53723169/islam-today.pdf https://dl.dropbox.com/u/53723169/THE%20BASIC%20PRINCIPLES%20OF%20ISLAM%20SHOW.ppsx

 

Resolutions - 2013

I have stopped believing in prayers and wishes. Let us work together and ensure that in the coming years:

Nobody sleeps hungry.
No bullets are fired or rockets aimed at or bombs dropped on human beings
No one suffers a loss due to the dishonesty of another person.
No truth worth knowing by people remains concealed.
No call for help goes unnoticed.

Children of Israel

"For this reason did We prescribe to the children of Israel that whoever slays a soul, unless it be for manslaughter or for mischief in the land, it is as though he slew all men; and whoever keeps it alive, it is as though he kept alive all men; and certainly Our apostles came to them with clear arguments, but  even after that many of them certainly act extravagantly in the land."

 ---The Holy Quran Chapter 5, Verse 32.

Martyrdom

“Do not say about those who are killed in the way of Allah, “They are killed.” Rather, they are alive, but you perceive not”. (The Holy Qur’an 2:154)

In other words it can be said that those who die in the process of defending the faith of Allah or executing a noble deed are evidence of the basic goodness of man. They become immortal though invisible and dear to Allah. Over the centuries, the concept of martyrdom (shahdat) has been exploited to worship graves and talk to the dead hoping that they would intercede with Allah and fulfill requests made to them. Quite often Muslims in a state of denial about someone’s death declare that person as a “shaheed” (martyr). In general if a large number of people are prepared to die or suffer for a definite cause, one can’t help wondering if that cause has some sense and legitimacy.

 

For more, please click on link below:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/145605

Nasim’s Maxims

 

1.       What has never happened can happen. Watch Nature.

2.       What no one has succeeded in doing can be done by someone. Find and encourage him.

3.       What has always been believed may or may not be right. Think about everything.

4.       The most fundamental rights are the rights to ask questions and get answers. Be answerable.

5.       A child has the right to live but it can't unless someone has the duty to care for it. Take responsibility.

For more visit: naseemmahnavi.blogspot.com
 

My CV

 

CURRICULUM VITAE 

PERSONAL DATA:

NAME                         :           MUHAMMAD NASIM

FATHER'S NAME       :           A.M. Fakhruzzaman Mahnavi
DATE OF BIRTH        :           December 15, 1946
NATIONALITY          :           Pakistani
P.E.C. Reg. No.                        :           Mech. -1007
HEALTH                     :           Excellent
PHYSIQUE                  :           175 cm tall, 82 kg weight, swarthy, glasses
ADDRESS                   :           D-1, Doulat Square, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Block13/B, Karachi, 75300.
 
TELEPHONE No.        :           (92 21) 34992612, 34974075, 03008272567
E-MAIL ADDRESS     :           mnasim_99@yahoo.com

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS:

Matriculation               : Saidpur Muslim High School, 1961, First Div.   20th Position in East Pak S.E Board.
H.S.C.                          : Chittagong College, 1963, First Div.
B.Sc. (Mech Eng)         : EP Univ of Engg & Tech, Dacca, 1967, 1st Class
Scholarship                  : Burmah Eastern UK Postgraduate Scholarship at UMIST
M.Sc. (Mech Eng)        : University of Manchester, 1971.

 PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS:

American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Am. Soc. of Heating, Refrig. & A/c. Engineers
Institution of Engineers, Pakistan (Life Fellow)
Pakistan Engineering Council (Life)
Society of American Military Engineers.
Pakistan HVACR Society (Life Fellow)

 COMPUTER SKILLS:

Frequent use of commercial packages such as Word, Excel, Carrier E20 II, MC -2 package of Mechanical, Piping, Electrical, Project Management, Life Cycle Analysis etc, Autocad, Mathcad, FEA, Advanced Basic and Fortran Programming, Windows etc. Developed an Urdu Word Processor.

CODES & STANDARDS:
Thoroughly conversant with the scope and application of specific Standards and Codes of practice by ANSI, ISO, ASME, ASHRAE, ASTM, NFPA, UL, AWWS, AWWA, BS, DIN, JIS, GOST, API, SMACNA, AFNOR, US Fed. & Mil. Specs.  

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: Total 40 years.

 1. CONSULTANCY:  Total 21 years.

 a)      International Complex Projects Private Ltd, August, 2010 to date

Dolmen City, Marine Drive, HC-3 Block-4 Clifton, Karachi.

Tel: 021-35296062-64,

General Manager Engineering.

 

b)      MN & Associates, Karachi,  December 2006 to July, 2010

             D-1 Doulat Square,  Gulshan-e-Iqbal 13/B, Karachi,

Phones: 4992612, 03008272567;  Fax: 4809144.

Chief Executive – Consulting Engineering for HVAC, Mechanical and Plumbing works of Commercial, Industrial and Residential Buildings.

c)      A. SAADAT & COMPANY, KARACHI. 1994-1999 & Nov 2001 to Sep 2006

4^th Floor, Hamid Chambers, Zebunnisa Street, Saddar, Karachi,

Phones: 5670439, 5670444; Fax: 5670448

GENERAL MANAGER DESIGN / MANAGER ENGINEERING PROJECTS / SENIOR ENGINEER - Responsible for design, documentation, supervision, maintenance and retrofitting of Central Airconditioning systems of numerous hospitals, pharmaceutical and other industrial  factories, commercial and institutional buildings, Industrial process chilling, heating, filtration, ventilation, humidification, pumping and process control systems. Scope of work includes concept development, design calculations, preparation of drawings and tender documents, tender scrutiny, negotiating contracts, technical supervision and contract management.

 

Clients: National Bank of Pakistan, Pakistan Cables, Agha Khan Hospital Karachi, SIUT Dewan Farooq Medical Complex, Shell Pak Ltd, Siemens, GlaxoSmithkline, Aventis Pharma, Radio Pakistan, Lucky Textile Mills, Karachi Marriott Hotel, Lahore Pearl Continental, Allied Engineering Services  etc.

 O&M consultancy of completed projects includes annual repairs and spare-parts planning, trouble shooting and manpower assessment. Equipment handled include air/water-cooled compression cycle and absorption Chillers upto 650 TR, Boilers upto 500 hp, Gas Engines upto 1000 hp, Pumping sets upto 3000 gpm and 200 psi, Cooling towers with up to 50 hp fans, RO plants upto7500 gpd, Piping up to 12 inch dia. Heat exchangers, valves and Automat­ic control systems.

Clients: National Bank of Pakistan, Shell Pakistan Ltd,

      b)  INTERNATIONAL CONSULTANTS / FREELANCE, KARACHI. 1990-93

SENIOR ASSOCIATE / PROJECT DIRECTOR - Business development, planning, design and feasibility study of Power Generation, Fertilizer plant and other Industrial Projects.

Clients: BRR/KEMIRA, State Life, Phillips, etc.

 

     c)  SVERDRUP - ABALKHAIL JV / BEEAH GROUP CONSULTANTS,

          RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA. 

          i) PEACE SHIELD / LRR PROJECT:  1988-90

      

SENIOR MECHANICAL ENGINEER - Assigned to Engineering During Construction Team for the Peace Shield project (under the Ministry of Defense, and the US Air Force). In charge of 3 Engineers with VSMF information re­trieval & Autocad systems. Responsibilities included the following functions related to numerous Under-ground Command Centers and  Long Range RADAR Sites:

1.  Checking the design and performing quality assurance review of Mechanical shop drawings, for underground and above ground facilities, such as water and fuel storage and pumping systems, ventilation and smoke control systems, ducting, blowers, automatic control systems etc.                   

             2.                  Vibration Isolation analysis, acoustical engineering studies and supervision of specialized custom designed equipment development, such as water chillers, air handling units, computer room units etc. using state of the art technology.

            ii) GOSI MAIN OFFICE / MISCELLANEOUS:  1985-87

   

SENIOR MECHANICAL ENGINEER - In charge of 3 Engineers and 3 Draftsmen. Major assignments completed were:

 1. Computer aided redesign of GOSI Main Office Building airconditioning system using dual conduit system as per ASHRAE standards, total installed cooling capacity 880TR, Water supply & Fire protec­tion systems, including Sprinkler and Halon. Compu­ter based Buildings Management system (Honeywell). Contract administration (Korean contractor).

2. Computer aided life cycle analysis and design of airconditioning and sprinkler systems for the 20 storied SAPICO Building in Islamabad, Pakistan.

3. Review and approval of all Mechanical materials and shop drawings for the Saudi Embassy in San'a, Yemen, with deep well and sewage treatment plant.

2. CONTRACTING: Total 9 Years.

 

  EL-SEIF ENGINEERING AND CONTRACTING EST, RIYADH

          SENIOR MECHANICAL ENGINEER – Stationed at Riyadh Head Office

            From June 1999 to October 2001.

 In charge of design, planning and construction of all Mechanical works, including HVAC, Plumbing, Fire Sprinkler & FM 200 systems, Mechanical Utilities and Compressed Air systems of numerous design and build projects.

i) KING KHALID AIR BASE, KHAMIS MUSHAYT PROJECT:
Responsibilities included design, preparation of shop drawings, preparation of purchase orders, subcontract negotiations, solving site problems and preparation of Commissioning Procedures and O&M manuals. Facilities included, Command and Control Center, Missile Buildup and Checkout, Aircraft Washrack, Lantirn, Armament, Computer Centre, Special Service Vehicle maintenance and ordnance storage facilities.
ii) Al- JAMMAZ RESIDENCE PROJECT, RIYADH
Responsibilities included design, preparation of shop drawings, sub-contract administration and solving site problems for HVAC, Plumbing and all Mechanical works.

     AL-HUSEINI ADA / OBAID AND ALMULLA CONST. CO. S.A.

 

i) ENGINEERING SCHOOL PROJECT:  1983-85.
SENIOR PROJECT ENGINEER - Assigned to S.A. Army Engineer Center and School Project at King Khalid Military City (KKMC) under U.S. Army COE supervision. In charge of 3 Engineers and 4 Inspectors. Functions included:
 1.  Administration of subcontracts for Utilities, Bldg electrical and mechanical works and equipment and furnishings (total value approximately U.S. Dollars Thirty million). US & Cypriot Contractors.
2.  Costing and negotiation of contract modifications with client and subcontractors. Scheduling of E/M works using computerized CPM and coordination with civil works.
 3.  Quality Control review of Subcontractor Shop-drawings and material submittals for Aircondition­ing, Pumping, Pneumatic, Irrigation and Training equipment.
4.          Tracking of material procurement, solution of field problems, progress reporting and preparation of O & M manuals.

ii) HOUSING PROJECT :  1980-83.
SENIOR ENGINEER 1 (TECHNICAL MANAGER) E/M Planning and Quality Control - Assigned to KKMC Housing Area 1 & 3 Project under the supervision of US COE. In charge of 4 Engineers, 4 Draftsmen and 4 Inspectors. Accomplishments included the following:
1.  Preparation and revision of bills of quantities and selection of equipment & materials for E/M works (total value nearly US$ 30 millions).
2.  Preparation of nearly 600 shop drawings for E/M works including nearly 200 km of utility piping such as Water, Sewer, Chilled water, Under-drainage and Irrigation; Plumbing and Central Airconditioning of 1750 houses and 2 mosques with district cooling; electrical duct-banks, substations and internal electrical works, development of Inventory Control System.
3.  Preparation of quality control procedures, forms, checklists etc., solution of field problems and costing and negotiation of contract modification proposals, and preparation of O & M manuals.
4.  Coordination of Labor subcontract for E/M works (worth US$ 9 millions), scrutiny and approval of bills (Korean Subcontractor).

          iii) AL-KAIM FERTILIZER PROJECT, IRAQ: 1979-80.

               SHORT ASSIGNMENT WITH F.L. SMIDT OF DENMARK

 MECHANICAL ENGINEER - Provided engineering support during construction of fertilizer complex, such as weld design, Kiln roller support calculations etc., and quality control of fuel storage tanks and piping system welding to API standards.

3. TEACHING AND RESEARCH: Total 6 Years.

 a) NED UNIVERSITY OF ENGG. & TECH., KARACHI: 1979.

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR - Taught Solid Mechanics and Vibration in degree courses. Served for many years as External Examiner of NED university for Solid Mechanics and Stress Analysis.

   b)   UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER, U.K.: 1970-75.

 
RESEARCH STUDENT AND RESEARCH FELLOW - Research and development work on various industrial projects and classroom teaching related to dynamic strength of materials. Obtained Master's degree in July, 1971. Research work included Stress wave propagation in and fracture of triangular plates, curved and non-collinear bars and chains simulated by a series of rings. Took advanced courses in Plasticity, Automatic control, Vector Mechanics, Impact Mechanics etc.

4. MANUFACTURING:  Total 3 Years.

PAKISTAN MACHINE TOOLS FACTORY, KARACHI: 1976-78

DEPUTY MANAGER - Independent charge of Production Shop having about 100 heavy production machines and sheet metal and welding shops, employing nearly 300 skilled workers, 4 engineers and 8 foremen. Activities included component manufacturing and assembly of high precision machines and defense equipment. Established record standards of productivity and machinery utiliza­tion and maintenance. 

 5.. MISCELLANEOUS: Total 1 Year.

PAKISTAN IND. CREDIT AND INVESTMENT CORP: 1968-69
MECHANICAL ENGINEER - Worked on feasibility study, progress reporting and credit-worthiness analysis for cold storage, electric fan plant, motorcycle factory and textile mills etc.

PUBLICATIONS:

Papers:

1. "Fracture Due to Stress Waves" - M. Sc. Thesis University of Manchester UK, 1971.
2. "Stress Wave Propagation and Fracture in thin Curved Bars" - Int. J. Mech. Sc., June, 1971.
3. "Fracture of Brittle Triangular Plates etc." J. Mech. Sc., I. Mech. E, UK, July, 1972.
4. "Fractures in Non-collinear Bars due to Stress Waves" - 9th National Fracture Mechanics Conference, IEP, Karachi, 1993.
5.          "Noise Control in Airconditioning", NED University Seminar, Karachi, 1994.
6.          “Commissioning of HVAC systems”, ASHRAE Pakistan Seminar, Karachi, March, 2008.
7.          “How to Run an Engineering Business”, ASHRAE Seminar, Karachi, March, 2010.
8.          “Power Optimization in HVAC Design”, ASHRAE Seminar Karachi, June, 2011.

Books:

1. Alternatives, e-book,  Smashwords, 2012,  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/143460
2. Islam Today, e-book, , Smashwords, 2012, https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/145605
3. Angel’s Whisper, e-book, Smashwords, 2012, https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/155390

LANGUAGES SPOKEN AND WRITTEN:

English, Urdu, Persian, Bengali and Arabic (not fluent)

 SOCIAL ACTIVITIES & HOBBIES:

Held various positions in college and university student unions, including Manchester Pakistan Society. Represented EPUET in Gymnastics and Debating. Ex-GS PMTF Officer's Society. Active in various institutional alumni associations. Edited numerous magazines. Interest in poetry and Religion. Performed Haj thrice and Umra seven times.

 Links: Face Book, Linkedin,

 

New Definitions 1210

Darwinian Evolution = Blundering into perfection

Delicious = Anyone who tastes it wants to have more of it.
Idiot = One who doesn't hear what he is saying. (Suggest name for one who doesn't reads what he writes)
Lovely = Anyone who sees it wants to possess it
NATO = Non-legalized American Territory Overseas.

Innocence of Muslims

 

The ghastly conspiracy in the making of the film by above name and the universal anguished response of unsuspecting Muslims to its advertisements on internet raises a number of very significant questions.

1.       How do you classify it? The modern anti-Islamic campaign by bigoted Christians seems to have started around the 15^th century in Europe with the publication of Dante’s Inferno containing extremely objectionable material about Prophet Muhammad and Ali bin Abu Talib followed by a stream of paintings depicting scenesof Christian religious wars against Arab Muslims. They demonstrate elements of both sadism and masochism. In present day jargon it could be called artistic terrorism.

2.       Who is responsible? As far as the latest episode in this twisted crusade is concerned the heinous acts were performed by US citizens on US soil with the aid of US communication companies; and therefore the government of the USA should be held responsible. The lukewarm reaction of the US leadership rejecting the film is neither here nor there. They need to decide whether they are “with us” or “against us.” They need to do something (and more of it) about stopping this menace which occurs every now and then in the NATO territories and France.

3.       What drives the Christian Extremist? The extremist Christian is, in his own way, dedicated to the glory of Christianity and has some distorted knowledge of its basic values. But he is also confused by the vulgar manner in which the venerable personality of Jesus (I’sa) son of Mary (peace be upon them) is often treated in the West. When he studies Islam he realizes that this is where true Christianity lies. It seems logical that he should join Islam. But he cannot rise above the centuries old prejudices nor can he give up his vices and addictions. The result is that he develops an irrational attitude.

4.       Why target Muhammad? If you take out the two basic differences then there is nothing between Christianity and Islam: Muslims do not accept Trinity and Christians do not accept Muhammad’s prophethood and there can be no compromise on that. So the only way the extremist Christian can win in his contorted imagination is by vilifying, abusing and slandering Prophet Muhammad because if it wasn’t for him, Christianity would have dominated the entire world. It does no harm to Muhammad (peace be upon him), but it hurts the Muslims all over the world.

5.        What to do? If you are one of the Christian or Muslim war mongers who believe that a war between Christians and Muslims is inevitable, let the hatred grow. The sooner we get over with it the better. But if, like me, you believe that people of various nationalities, cultures, faiths, skin color and languages can live together in peace and harmony then try to talk sense into the bigots and the extremists wherever they are. If you do it consistently, it has to work.

Terror in Diplomacy

 

The arrest of a Christian girl for possessing partly burnt Islamic literature in Pakistan on charges of blasphemy has created an international uproar. The US state department has expressed concern and the Pope has tried to defend her. It is all just natural. Christians sympathize with Christians in all places under all conditions. American Jews sympathize with Israeli Jews no matter what the latter do to the Palestinians. Muslims sympathize with Muslims even if they are persecuted for violent acts due to misguided belief. So, it should be logical if the feelings of Iranian Shias get inflamed by massacres of Shias in Pakistan.

Ever since Pakistan has reached agreement with Iran for the laying of a pipeline for the supply of much needed Iranian natural gas to Pakistan there has been vehement American opposition to this project. There have been all sorts of diplomatic pressures and threats to drop the project, but since it is the only ray of hope for overcoming the crippling energy crisis, Pakistan has to go ahead with it no matter what.

 

It is a strange coincidence that ever since the signing of the gas pipeline agreement there have been three horrible incidents of large scale massacres of Pakistani Shia pilgrims to Iran in which bus passengers near the Pak-Iran borders were shot ruthlessly after being identified with the help of their documents by terrorist assailants. The manner in which the terrorist operations were carried out makes it plain that an attempt was being made to give the Iranians the impression that Shias were being persecuted in Pakistan.

What can be the outcome of these terrible incidents? There may be a public outcry in Iran and diplomatic and economic relations between Pakistan and Iran may suffer to such an extent that Iran may decide to terminate the gas pipeline project.

If you connect the terrorist actions against the Shias and the American opposition to the gas pipeline project, it gives an ominous picture. Are the Americans supplementing their diplomatic activities with terrorist action? Were the Shia massacres watched live in Washington like the assassination of Osama Bin Laden?

Someone has to come up with very strong arguments to annul that impression.

The Ultimate Solution

Perhaps the greatest impediments in the progress and prosperity of the people of Pakistan can be classified as political illegitimacies. The political, judicial and constitutional crises that have plagued this nation are simply due to the intransigence of someone or the other.

The PPP has been screaming about the supremacy of the parliament which is quite a catchy slogan.  I would have supported the idea had it not been for clause 22 of the 18^th amendment to the constitution approved unanimously by the parliament which reads as follows:

22.

Substitution of Article 63A of the Constitution: In the Constitution, for Article 63A, the following shall be substituted, namely:- "63A. Disqualification on grounds of defection, etc. (1) If a member of a Parliamentary Party composed of a single political party in a House- (a) resigns from membership of his political party or joins another Parliamentary Party; or (b) votes or abstains from voting in the House contrary to any direction issued by the Parliamentary Party to which he belongs, in relations to- (i) election of the Prime Minister or the Chief Minister; or (ii) a vote of confidence or a vote of no-confidence; or (iii) a Money Bill or a Constitution (Amendment) Bill; he may be declared in writing by the Party Head to have defected from the political party, and the Head of the Parliamentary Party may forward a copy of the declaration to the Presiding Officer, and shall similarly forward a copy thereof to the member concerned: …………..

It turns the members of parliament into mere serfs of the party leaders. How can a parliament be supreme if its members do not have the right to exercise free will and their loyalties are to the party heads and not the people they represent?

The utter helplessness of the parliamentarians became manifest when the Contempt of Court Act – 2012 was introduced and approved within hours without any debate by a voice vote in which the nays were much louder than the ayes.  The same happened in both houses of parliament (national assembly and senate) by suspending the rules. What good is a parliament whose rules can be suspended and activated at will by the speaker on someone’s behest and any garbage can be enacted as law against everyone’s will? Even a pack of wild dogs would be more disciplined.

The current crisis really revolves around one issue ---- the reopening of cases against the incumbent president according to a supreme court verdict. A few dozen criminal cases including graft and money laundering done jointly with his ex-prime minister spouse (the late shaheed Benazir) were withdrawn under a defunct ordinance issued by ex-general Musharraf but not legitimized by the parliament.

 The supreme court has repeatedly asked the prime minister to write a letter to the Swiss courts to reopen the withdrawn $60 million case of graft and money laundering. The government is refusing to do so claiming that the president has constitutional immunity from legal proceedings.

In the circumstances there only two options:

1.       If the president is a decent person (not yet proven) he should voluntarily resign and end the crisis in national interest. These cases have been lingering for two decades already and he has the money and resources to drag them for another two decades at least.

2.       The parliament should impeach the president and remove his immunity so that the law may prevail and legal proceedings may be started. Failing this, the entire parliament will be guilty of obstructing the course of justice and may face disqualification by the supreme court on a citizens’ petition. The German precedent would come handy.