Monday, May 31, 2004

LIST OF MY WRITINGS

I write on a wide variety of subjects. My writings mostly reflect analysis, creative thinking and solutions to problems.
The titles in bold italics indicate comprehensive studies while the titles in regular italics indicate papers. Below is a list of my writings:
For more information, please write to me on mahameed40@gmail.com


PLANS
Zameen Allah ki hai (Land belongs to Allah) (Urdu) PDF
The plan can truly bring about a revolution. How, with a change of the ownership of land, every family can get a 1500 sq. ft, 3-bedroom flat for only Rs 1500 per month, every farmer can get 12.5 acres and every industrialist can get free land for factory. Feudalism will fade away.

Towards an ideal society
A plan for the reconstruction of the society through a new national organization
Contents: Objectives; Objectives of the Units; Formation of Units; Organization in the Districts; Relationship with NGOs; Apex Organization; Projection of Performance; Head Office; Action Plan

Rural development through interest-free banking
Contents: The basis of interest-free banking; Need for credit; Basis for loans; Structure of the bank; Capital for the bank; Infrastructure of the bank; Procedure for loans; Marketing and purchases; Business and industry

Transforming the rural society through Panchayats, 1998 (41 pages)
A proposal for the restructure of the panchayat system, including a draft for a new comprehensive Panchayat Act
Contents: Problems of Justice; Pattern of Crime; Formation of Panchayats; Munsifs and Courts; Procedure of Panchayats; Benefits; Next Step; Panchayats in the Punjab in 1952,
Draft of a new Panchayat Act

A plan for celebration of 50 years of Independence, 1997
Suggestions for every section of the society to participate in it


NATIONAL AFFAIRS
An inquiry into a sensational crime in Rawalpindi city
The report on an interesting police investigation into a sensational crime in Rawalpindi city

Papers
Is imprisonment as a punishment against Islam? (Urdu)
The Holy Qur'an does not provide imprisonment as a punishment for any crime, nor were there jails for ordinary criminals in our part of the world before the British colonized it
How to solve some of the basic problems
Suggestions for solving major constitutional, political, judicial and financial problems of the country
A way out on Kashmir
What should be the first step towards solving the Kashmir issue
A plan for universal literacy
How universal literacy can be achieved within a very short period and with practical no expenditure
The repatriation of stranded Pakistanis
The Pakistanis stranded in Bangladesh since 1971 have an irrefutable constitutional and legal case for their repatriation

Declaration for public servants and politicians
Comprehensive form to get information about background, assets and liabilities for public accountability

Leasing of equipment and machinery for Government offices
Government can save huge funds by allowing its offices to lease equipment and machinery

Celebrating the Republic Day on March 23
March 23 was celebrated as Republic Day after the first Constitution was adopted in 1956. After Ayub Khan took over in 1958, it was changed to Pakistan Day. The change should be abolished.

Saving working days by adjusting gazetted holidays
How we can save several working days by combining some non-religious holidays with the nearest weekly holidays

Proposal for a think tank on national affairs

A dictionary of what we really mean by some terms
The meanings of many common terms in plain words

MEDIA
Media – news agencies
A plan for the creation of a new national news agency

How a new national news agency can be set up
A plan for the modernization of Associated Press of Pakistan
How the national news agency should be modernized
A plan for the modernization of Pakistan Press Association
How the biggest private news agency should be modernized

Media - paper
The killing of a newspaper
Personal reminiscences of how 93-year old Civil and Military Gazette, Lahore, was killed

A plan for the publication of a daily newspaper
How to bring out a model daily newspaper, making best use of modern technologies for maximum efficiency and economy

Media – electronic
Analysis of radio broadcasts on BBC World Service
The assignment was given by BBC Radio

Some suggestions for improvement of Radio Pakistan and Pakistan Television
A proposal for a provincial radio-TV network

Media – press laws
Comments on Registration of Printing Presses and Publications Ord. 1990
Analysis of the previous law for the press
Registration of Publications Ordinance – Draft of a new


GOVERNANCE
Constitution
Constitution – Article-by-article critical comments on the, (137 pages)
So many errors, ambiguities, inconsistencies and redundancies have accumulated in the Constitution of Pakistan over the years and so many disparate amendments have been made in most of the Articles that it had better be rewritten or perhaps written anew.

Provinces
Creation of new provinces in the country
Creation of new provinces in the Punjab
Dividing Punjab into more provinces
Creation of new provinces in NWFP

A new capital for the Punjab
A new capital for Balochistan
A new capital for NWFP
A new capital for Sindh

Papers on governance
A plan for creating a National Truth Commission
How all available facts about major events since Independence in 1947 can be gathered and preserved for research and analysis

An outline of a plan for electronic government
How electronic government should be brought about

Prevention of corruption through good governance
How corruption can be attacked at its roots by making some changes in procedures and methods

Acceleration of development
How the process of development can be speeded up.


LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
Local Government system 2003 (Urdu) (171 pages)
Comprehensive coverage of all aspects of the system

Local Government system. Q&A on, (Urdu) (99 pages)
Questions frequently asked by ordinary citizens about the main features of the Local Governments and their answers. Published in a Lahore monthly magazine, “Sputnik,” Nov 2001

Web sites and email system for Local Governments,
including Action Plan for implementation (56 pages)
Contents: Local Government information on web site; Contents of the Districts web site; Sample pages for Zila, Tehsil and Union; Standard format for email addresses; Computers for all Local Government employees; Action plan for web site, email and computers; Email addresses for all Zila, Tehsil and Union Nazims

Coordination between media and the Local Governments (36 pages)
Contents: Why Local Governments need coverage by the media; The problems faced in getting the media coverage; How the media may cover the Local Governments; Office-bearers of the local Press Clubs; Working journalists and editors of publications; Representatives of media – National; Representatives of media – International; Opinion makers in the District; Nazims and Naib Nazims in District and in its Tehsils, DCO, EDOs in the District and TMOs in its Tehsils;
Possible problems

Transparency in Local Governments (109 pages)
ADMINISTRATIVE Public display of information; Free access to information; Right to get a reply; Monitoring Local Government institutions; Verifying background of Local Government staff
ELECTORAL Checking background of election candidates; Taking money out of Local Government elections
FINANCIAL Budget – draft and final; Information on current expenditure; Information on contracts and projects

Implementation plan for Transparency in Local Governments (47 pages)
ADMINISTRATIVE How to display information; Procedure for replying to inquiries; Essentials for making access easy, with order form; Declaration by LG public servants, with form
ELECTORAL Reducing the number of election candidates; Background data on election candidates, with form; State aid for election campaign
FINANCIAL Transparency in preparing budgets; Keeping track of budget revenue and expenditure; Monitoring contracts and projects; Email weekly newsletter on finance

A Monitoring System for Local Governments (219 pages)
Contents: A system for monitoring; The law on monitoring; What is not monitoring; How to monitor; How not to monitor; The need for wider monitoring

An analysis of NARIMS indicators (169 pages)
Applications of NARIMS (National Reconstruction Information Management System) Indicators
Contents: Demographics; Natural features; Services and facilities; Animals and crops; Local Governments; Business and industry; Government organizations; Proposed changes in headings of Broad Indicators


CITY DISTRICTS
City District (36 pages)
How it may come about under the new Local Government system. It will be the ultimate objective of every common district. At present, only four provincial capitals are City Districts out of 100.

City District of Lahore (55 pages)
Contents: Basic considerations; The optimum size of a Town; Delimiting new Towns; Creating new Town centers; Decentralization and adjustments; New capital for the province; What about “Lahore” itself?

City District of Peshawar (29 pages)
Contents: The rural-urban integration; The delimitation of Towns; The creation of new Town centers; The new seat of government

City District of Quetta (30 pages)
Contents: The limits to growth; The challenges of isolation; The delimitation of new Towns; The creation of new Town centers; The new seat of government

CONSUMER PROTECTION
A study on Local Governments and consumer protection (120 pages)
How the Local Governments can help in protecting the interests of the consumers
ROLE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS Overview; Union; Village/Neighborhood; Tehsil; District; Citizen Community Boards; Musalihat Anjuman; Monitoring Committees; Zila Muhtasib
CONSUMER PROTECTION Anjuman Sarifeen; Working with the system; Monitoring federal and provincial services; Daily newspaper; Radio stations; Action plan

Papers on Local Governments
On restructuring Union, Tehsil and District
How the three basic units of the Local Governments should be restructured for more efficient governance and economy

The construction of self-financing office complexes in all districts
How office complexes can be constructed in districts on the basis of self-financing.


PUBLIC INFORMATION
An outline of a Public Information System for a transparent and
accountable government
(170 pages)
INFORMATION FOR TRANSPARENCY
Government information on Internet; A PC and Internet in every home; A radio station for every district20; Television stations for districts; Watchful eyes in every home; A daily newspaper for every district; Commission on media in the district
INFORMATION FOR ACCOUNTABILITY
Display of information for the public; Free access to official information; Right to get a reply from the government; Right to inspect official institutions; Access to secret government records; Verifying biodata of public servants; Checking the past of representatives; Leveling playing field for candidates; National commission for finding truth
APPENDICES
Text of Freedom of Information Ordinance, 1997; Draft of Freedom of Information Ordinance, 2000; Draft Rules under Freedom of Information Ordinance 2000; Text of National Archives Act, 1993; Proposed amendments in National Archives Act, 1993; Draft Rules under National Archives Act, 1993; Form for information on background of candidates

Papers on public information
Freedom of Information Ordinance 2002, Comments on the draft of
Why the new law on freedom of information does not meet most of the needs of the citizens

Present structures of public information in Pakistan and their proposed restructuring
How the present state-controlled structures of public information should be restructured to meet the needs of present times

Comments on Official Secrets Act

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
How the wrong choice of a script hindered personal computing
How the failure to switch over to the character-based form of the Arabic script (Naskh) left Urdu far behind in the use of computers

Comments on draft IT policy of Pakistan Government, 2000 (14 pages)
Suggestions on various aspects of the proposed IT policy

Internet
The Internet in Pakistan
Interview with an Indian publication i4donline March 2004 issue

How the internet will impact the media
Future of Internet and the role of PTA, PTC and Government

Telecommunications
Privatization of Pakistan Telecommunication Co.
How PTC can make best use of its idle telecommunications circuits


ECONOMY
Land utilization in a Punjab village, 1961
The thesis was submitted for M.A. Economics degree
GENERAL Location; Origin and History; Population; Health; Education; Transport and Communications; Marketing; Credit; Tenancy
LAND Physical Features; Soil; Rainfall and Climate; Sources of Irrigation; Classification of Area; Trees; Intensity of Cultivation; Classification of area according to Source of Irrigation; Fallowness
CROPS Cropping Pattern; Major Crops; Variation in the Acreage of Major Crops; Variation in the Acreage of other Crops; Rotation of Crops; Crop Failures; Average Yield
TECHNIQUES Ploughing; Manure; Seed; Watering; Weeding; Implements
CONCLUSIONS AND RECENT TRENDS General; Land; Crops; Techniques


INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Police mutiny in Uttar Pradesh of India, 1973
How the police in the Uttar Pradesh state of India mutinied in 1973, how it was suppressed and what were the causes behind it
THE MUTINY The Gathering Storm; Students and PAC join hands; Clash in the Biggest City; "Mutiny" in C. M.'s Home Town; Oath to Fight until Death;
THE AFTERMATH At the End of the Day; Reorganization and Changes;
THE CAUSES Indecisive Government; Collusion of the Intelligence; Were Politicians Involved? Appalling Service Conditions; Premium on Violence; Moral of the Story
APPENDICES What Ails U.P. Police; Mounting Police Grievances; Case for Abolition of Armed Police Forces; Officers or Glorified Orderlies? Welfare of the Policemen in Andhra Pradesh

Papers
Afghanistan
What the Taliban did wrong
Where did Usama bin Laden go after U.S. invasion of Afghanistan?
An analysis of Usama’s famous videotape that emerged after the invasion


Iran
The game plan against Iran

Palestine
A way out in Palestine

Sikhs
Yatra Special for Sikhs in India
Export processing zone for Sikh investors in Nankana Sahib


Sri Lanka
How to restore peace in Sri Lanka

U.S.
The alternative plan for re-election of President Bush


SPECIAL PRESENTATION
"Tricks, Not Truth: What I saw and heard in the chambers and corridors of power"
By Sardar Muhammad, former chief of Police and Intelligence of the Punjab
Edited by Muhammad Abd al-Hameed