‘We help you find your strength…’

‘If success does not come to us, we will go looking for it’ – Hima Soni

‘We believe if you make a change in yourself, then a lot of changes take place around you automatically.’ – Shibani Somani

DIVYA KAELEY

Executive director at Just IDEAS, Shibani Somani is a post graduate in Business Management and a Certified Life Coach. Shibani has a comprehensive experience of more than 15 years in industries like aviation, advertising, insurance and finance. Hima Soni is the director at Just IDEAS and has a decade of experience in developing human capital across diverse industries extending from quality management, health care, shipping, engineering, retail and consultancy.

Shibani’s curiosity to answer some of life’s big questions like, ‘who am I’, ‘what is my role in this life, ignited her interest in the metaphysical world. She studied further to become an Integrated Clinical Hypnotherapist, NLP Practitioner, Theta Healing, Reiki and Pranic Healer. Every holistic modality she learnt helped to better understand how to take charge of one’s life. Through all this, Shibani has facilitated individual sessions and workshops to help clients realize the extent of their potential to achieve goals that really matter and guided their journey of inner self discovery. While Hima, a Masters in Organizational Psychology and a Certified Life Coach, has successfully designed developed and delivered over 200 sessions to 2000+ cross functional staff across countries.

The corporate mantra of Just Ideas is “wellness meets workplace”. As they design their workshops specifically for each client, Hima and Shibani have had the opportunity to work with many institutions. They have worked with children aged 6 to 15 at Asian Heritage Month, 2012, for Peel district school Board. The workshops were ‘Leadership in You’ and ‘Buzzing Bees’.

Their clients include Brampton Multicultural Community Centre; Canadian Mental Health Association (Toronto); Communication Advertising and Marketing Professionals (CAMP); CultureLink Toronto and Four Corners Health Centre Malton. Their Mind Detox and Balancing Act workshop are the most popular workshops. “These are very experiential and reflective. Says Shibani, “These workshops empower the participants to focus on goals and bring back the balance with implementable self-help techniques.” They have conducted these workshops with CMHA, The Bishop Strachan School, CultureLink Toronto and Mini-Skool.

Shibani came to Canada in July 2010. “I came with a lot of dreams and aspirations and with a mindset to succeed.” But as time went by she could not find a job even though she had a post graduate diploma in Business Management and was a Certified Life Coach. “Luckily my husband found a job with Mercedes Benz and was settled which financially kept us going stable and the kids were very well adjusted to the schools here and loved it,” she says.

During one of the HR connections workshops, Shibani met Hima who is also her business partner now. They put all their skills together and started their holistic solutions providing company called Just IDEAS.

Hima came to Canada in early May 2010 from Dubai. “My experience has been no different from any other new immigrant; I too came to Canada and then was made to realize that I did not have any “gold dust” (Canadian work experience). I just chose to react differently to what was served to me. I did not subscribe to the saying that I may or may not succeed but my children will. Or that it will take me 10 years to succeed just like it has taken some others. We at Just IDEAS want to break the myth. If success does not come to us, we will go looking for it,” she tells us. “We really haven’t achieved what we have set out for ourselves yet, however what we can say to others like us is don’t give up no matter how tough it gets.”

Hima and Shibani have also worked with newcomers with their ‘Whine Whine To Win Win’ workshop – they’ve delivered this at Communication Advertising and Marketing Professionals (CAMP), Newcomer Centre of Peel, Second Annual Career Education and Settlement Fair, 2012 . “This workshop is about motivational tools that help identify self worth, inspires people to move forward and helps them to view life with a new perspective. We have a whole plethora of workshops starting from meditations to personal development, networking and communication skills etc,” says Shibani.

Shibani and Hima are currently working with PCHS (Punjabi Community Health Services) with a Sahara women’s group – the women are facing challenges on many fronts including domestic, alcohol and physical abuse. “We are helping them find their strength and live each day positively.” They have done a team building workshop for Punjabi Community Health Services(PCHS) and Newcomer centre of Peel (NCP), and have also designed and delivered a Decision making Workshop for PCHS.

Hima and Shibani started their venture in March 2011, and were the first ones to do so from their course. They were amongst the selected 7 newcomer entrepreneurs across Ontario to meet Premier Dalton McGuinty and Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Dr. Eric Hoskins. “During the HR course we were told to use our transferable skills as well. So, during our workshops we also teach how to distress our minds through meditation. There’s nobody in the trade who uses meditation and getting in touch with yourself in the course of corporate training. Through our workshops, we also touch humanity,” says Shibani. “We believe if you make a change in yourself, then a lot of changes take place around you automatically.”

The duo is also involved in a lot of personal and one-on-one coaching pertaining to marital problems, child challenges and interview challenges. As Shibani points out, there are so many avenues available for immigrants. “Please don’t believe them who say that one can only work at Tim Hortons, Sears or clean up toilets initially for a living. Learn and explore things. Please don’t a grudge against what you don’t know; instead learn what is required of you to know. Culture, diction, food – everything is different. Be changed along the way and things will change. Don’t listen to negativity. We took a lot of feedback from people as an encouragement. Also, don’t just sit within your own community.” she adds. “Immigrants come with a lot of expectations, but they have to be realistic in their goals. Networking is extremely important. Get up and meet people. Finding a mentor in your field is again quite helpful.” Hima adds that a lot is being done at present by the government for newcomers and internationally-trained professionals. “However there is always room for improvement.”

Besides offering holistic training solutions to organizations, Just IDEAS also works with youth to empower them to deal with emotions like fear, anger, worry, anxiety, depression and frustration. It does so by making them realize that all have the ability to perform well.

 “We teach people what we have learnt and what has worked for us,” Shibani opines. “As an individual, Canada has taught me a lot. With my work I know I have touched lives of a number of people. I have brought a positive shift in their outlook and attitude, for some I have given them a reason to live and look forward to what live holds for them in the future. I pray each day that God gives me more opportunities to carry on this work. I never knew I will have my own business and work on this level before I came here but today I know there is nothing else I would want to do more ,” says Shibani as she signs off.

Sharif appealed to voters, particularly in his native Punjab, as a businessman who has experience of governance and who may be able to lift Pakistan’s economy out of its current misery. In a country shifting toward a more conservative direction, Sharif’s social conservatism and religiosity was a plus. In 1997, when he last won an election, Sharif told academic Vali Nasr, he wanted to be “both the [Turkish moderate Islamist leader Necmettin] Erbakan and the [economically minded former Malaysian Prime Minister] Mahathir [Mohamad] of Pakistan.”

Sharif will face three major challenges when he comes to power. He will have to restore electricity and boost the economy. He will have to deal with domestic terrorism. And he will have to work with the U.S., trying to strike a balance between managing relations with Washington while assuaging anti-American sentiment at home. Sharif’s aides say that he is best placed to boost the economy, thanks to his free-market approach. “The best way to deal with the electricity problem is to privatize the energy sector and give the business community a stake in it,” says Khawaja Muhammad Asif, a leading PMLN member.

When it comes to the Pakistani Taliban, Sharif is less clear. In recent years, he has preferred to remain mostly quiet on the threat, as he did during the election campaign. While secular anti-Taliban politicians braved bomb attacks, Sharif and Khan were able to campaign mostly in peace. Sharif has said that he would like to negotiate with the Pakistani Taliban, an approach that is popular among conflict-weary Pakistanis but controversial. Critics point out that all peace deals with the Pakistani Taliban have failed and yielded them more space.

In 2010, Sharif’s younger brother, Shahbaz Sharif, who was chief minister of Punjab, made a controversial appeal to the Pakistani Taliban to spare his province because, like them, his party is “anti-U.S.” During his rule of Punjab, the younger Sharif was also criticized for not doing enough for religious minorities.

Sharif will also try to establish a new relationship with Pakistan’s powerful generals. “I think the army will want to work with Nawaz Sharif,” says retired Lieut. General Talat Masood, an analyst. The relationship has been repaired over recent years with Sharif’s top aides often meeting army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani.

During his last stint in power, Sharif was capable of destructive confrontations with not just the army, but also rival politicians and critical journalists. Masood says that Sharif has matured over the years: “The time in exile has given him time to reflect and learn.” Surveying the election victory on Sunday, many Pakistanis hope that is true.

http://world.time.com/2013/05/12/nawaz-sharif-returns-to-power-as-pakistans-newly-elected-prime-minister/#ixzz2TJ9oGfUU

By Staff Reporter

Citizenship and Immigration Canada will re-open the Parent and Grandparent (PGP) program for new applications in January 2014, by which time the backlog and wait times in the program are expected to have been cut in half.

“The Action Plan for Faster Family Reunification is on track to meet the goals of cutting in half the backlog and wait times in the Parent and Grandparent program,” said Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney. “It is very important that we continue to make progress and not return to the old broken system with wait times as long as a decade that would be unfair to families.”

Only 5,000 new applications will be taken in PGP sponsorship program in 2014. The Ministry has assumed that there will be two people per application, so the intake of parents and grandparents will be 10,000.

In an interview with Generation Next Minister Kenney stated that almost 90 per cent of these applicants are given permanent resident cards.

In making this announcement, Minister Kenney presented the context in which the decision to pause sponsorship applications for parents and grandparents was made, and how it has helped the government to cut the backlog, so that the wait times for processing parental and grandparental sponsorship applications have been reduced to about 3.5 years to four years.

According to Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s website, currently CIC is working on parental and grandparental sponsorship applications received between September 11, 2007 to November 17, 2009, and is issuing acknowledgement letters for applications received on April 29, 2011. These processing times are global and may vary from country to country.

As of Jan 2014, new criteria will be set in place for sponsorship of parental and grandparental applications. The criteria is stringent and requires families to be financially strong to be able to take care of their elders. This includes:

First – the threshold for minimum income required to sponsor parents or grandparents for a family of two has been increased by 30 per cent, so the family of two (husband and wife) that wishes to sponsor two parents must have an income of about $55,000.

Second – the 10 year undertaking of sponsored parents or grandparents has been increased from 10 years to 20 years.

In response to the question won’t there be a backlash from the community on these financial measures that the Government is undertaking, Minister Kenney said “no, I don’t think so.”

Minister Kenney explains that almost 66 per cent of first and second generation Canadians are not in favour of any parental or grandparental sponsorship program. And almost quarter of sponsored parents and grandparents are seeking welfare and subsidized housing after 10 years of their arrival in Canada. In addition to this the healthcare costs of sponsored parents or grandparents is almost $200,000. Canadian taxpayers’ have to fund these costs, but they shouldn’t have to as sponsoring families should be able to take care of them.

Third – Sponsoring families will have to provide three years’ of notice of assessments issued by Canada Revenue Agency to sponsor parents or grandparents rather than one year’s.

Minister Kenney says that there have been situations where families come into money one year and “then go back to being poor.” The Government wants to ensure that sponsoring families have “sustainable levels of income” to care for their elders rather than “to dump the cost .. onto taxpayers.”

Fourth – the definition of dependent child has been changed in immigration law to mean kids of 18 years of age.

Minister Kenney said that Canada welcomes young economic migrants, however they should apply on their own to come to Canada.

Minister Kenney has repeatedly said that Canada has welcomed a record number of parents and grandparents in 2012 and is on track to admit record number of parents and grandparents in 2013. Each year almost 25,000 of parents and grandparents entered Canada as permanent residents.

The Government is making ‘Super Visa” a permanent feature for families to take advantage of. Minister Kenney clarified that parents and grandparents whose sponsorship applications are in cue can also apply for Super Visa and obtain Super Visa to come to Canada while they wait for a final decision on their sponsorship application.

By 2015, Citizenship and Immigration Canada expects to have “a working inventory” whereby intake of applications may correspond to number of parents and grandparents being welcomed to Canada told Minister Kenney to Generation Next’s readers.

Canada has one of the most generous family reunification programs in the world. The United States, United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand do not allow grandparents to be sponsored at all or only in very limited circumstances, and they have very restrictive criteria for the sponsorship of parents. Will Canada, at some point, consider doing the same given the enormous amount of resources that go into healthcare and other social services for elderly parents and grandparents?

” I actually considered doing that in these reforms,” says Citizenship and Immigration Minister. However, “only 1 per cent of the applicants in this category are grandparents .. and they are younger than what I thought .. so it was not worth the trouble at this point.”

Minister Kenney also reassures families whose applications are in cue with CIC that the new criteria will not impact the applications that are already in process. The new criteria will go in effect for applicants who will be applying as of Jan 2014.

Premier Kathleen Wynne highlighted the government’s strategy to help people lower their household expenses by reducing auto insurance premiums by an average of 15 per cent in Brampton. She was visiting NDP MPP Jagmeet Singh’s riding of Bramalea-Gore-Malton.

This strategy was outlined in the 2013 Budget. To achieve this reduction, the strategy would reward safe drivers and crack down on fraud.

If the Budget bill is passed and proclaimed, Ontario drivers could save on average up to $225 per insured vehicle each year. This, along with other elements of the government’s strategy, would benefit more than nine million drivers across Ontario.

This strategy is part of the government’s plan to create jobs and help people in their everyday lives. The government also wants to support small business, invest in roads and transit, and help build strong communities, where people receive the health care they need when they need it.

Samina Talat has a long and progressive career in the health and community sector. After completing her Bachelors and Masters in Psychology in Pakistan she started her career in health research across sub-urban parts of Pakistan. Upon arrival in Canada in 1998, Samina pursued work with a settlement agency working with children and families and then at a health agency to work with seniors with mental health issues.

With a quest to advance her career further, Samina then proceeded to do a Masters of Health Sciences in Health Administration at University of Toronto. Upon completion of her degree and securing the designation of a Certified Health Executive, Samina joined the Central West LHIN, a Crown Agency of the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care. During her tenure at the LHIN, Samina received a scholarship to do the Advanced Health Leadership Program at the prestigious Rotman School of Management at University of Toronto. Subsequently Samina worked at a Local Community Health Centre and also completed her certification as a Certified Clinical Service Management Specialist from Schluich School of Business at York University. Currently, she is the Lead for Primary Care at the Central West CCAC – a government funded community health organization.

With a distinct desire to serve the community Samina laid the foundation of Aurat Health Services, a not-for-profit charitable organization, over 4 years ago. Voluntarily, she works with service providers and the South Asian community to promote health literacy and education that is culturally and linguistically appropriate for the benefit of South Asian women across the GTA.

South Asian Heritage Day at the ROM on Saturday May 11^th filled the Royal Ontario Museum with vibrant colors from South Asia. The event branded as ‘RUNG’ – Colors of a Living Culture – was a huge success, attended by close to 3500 people including the following VIPs:

• Hon. Senator Salma Ataullahjan (Chief Guest)
• Hon. Senator Nicole C. Eaton
• Hon. Senator Asha Seth
• Hon. Minister Bal Gossal
• Hon. Minister Michael Chan
• Hon. MP Jim Karygiannis
• Hon. MP Chungsen Leung
• Consul Generals: Pakistan, Nepal, Turkey, Cuba and Afghanistan

Culture and heritage from all South Asian countries was well represented and showcased. The event’s highlight, however was the internationally recognized Truck Artist Haider Ali from Pakistan, who flew in specially for the event and painted before a live audience (courtesy: Govt. of Pakistan). Haider Ali’s work as an artist was recognized by Senator Salma Attaullajan and she presented him with a certificate of appreciation. Hon. Ministers Bal Gosal and Michael Chen, recognized the importance of such events and appreciated Ethnic Marketing for organizing this community event in collaboration with the ROM.

South Asian Heritage Day was packed with multiple exhibits, set up throughout the ROM. These included classical music and dance performances, Miniature paintings, Textile crafts, Rangoli display (floor art), Truck Art, Kites display, Digital Photography, Documentary and Film, Calligraphy, Islamic Art, Youth Dance etc. Live Storytelling for children and delicious South Asian food at the ROM Cafe continued all day long.

Former Liberal leadership candidate Harinder Takhar has resigned suddenly from Premier Kathleen Wynne’s cabinet due to “medical issues.”

Takhar, 61, one of the longest serving ministers at Queen’s Park, will continue on as MPP for Mississauga—Erindale.

Sources say the former government services minister fell ill Saturday and almost missed his mother’s funeral that day.

However, he was back at Queen’s Park earlier this week and met briefly with the premier in private on Tuesday.

“I wish Harinder a speedy recovery and thank him for the role he has played in my new government,” Wynne said in a statement Wednesday.

There was no reference in her terse news release about a possible return to cabinet once he is on the mend.

Government House leader John Milloy will now oversee Ministry of Government Services.

Finance Minister Charles Sousa is taking on Takhar’s role as chair of the Management Board of Cabinet.

The two ministers were quietly sworn in — away from media cameras — on Wednesday afternoon.

Takhar finished respectable fourth in the January Ontario Liberal leadership contest, ahead of Sousa.

First elected in 2003, the successful self-made businessman went straight into then premier Dalton McGuinty’s first cabinet.

In 2006, he violated the Members’ Integrity Act over conflict-of-interest rules related to a blind trust for his personal assets.

Lahore

  The election transmission by Pakistan’s private sector TV channels and the state television, PTV, provided a detailed insight into the elections, voting and all related issues. These were long and detailed transmissions with live telecast not only from studios but also from different places in the country. The Radio Pakistan also launched election transmission on the polling day which helped more people to stay updated on the polling process.

 There was much public enthusiasm in the elections and the whole process had educative value for the common people. The quick rise of Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf during the last 19 months posed a major challenge to the leading political parties, i.e., Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz Group (PMLN) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) that contested the elections as the Pakistan People Party Parliamentarians (PPPP).

 The elections showed the over-all commitment of the people to the electoral and democratic process. Elections do not mean that Pakistan’s problems have been resolved or these will be resolved in six months. The formation of government is going to be a challenging task and even then it is going to be an uphill task to address Pakistan’s problems.

 The promises made by the political parties in the course of the election campaign and in their manifestos were big and may not materialize. This could increase negative sentiments in the political system. However, it is important to note that the political leaders make wild promises because the ordinary people want to live in dream rather than face Pakistan’s grim political, social and economic realities.

 Whereas these elections were the biggest-ever media show and an electoral exercise in Pakistan’s history, it witnessed more violence than ever. More people were killed during the election-campaign period than ever in the past.

 It seems that the people with the negative approach have increased in Pakistan. They are still a minority but a section of people among those opposed to elections have used violence to disrupt the elections. Others engaged in propaganda campaign. Even in the course of the election-transmission some people were trashing the election process and the voting exercise. This was a narrow, one-sided and unrealistic perspective that did not comprehend the dynamics of democracy and elections.

 Most of those condemning the elections did not offer alternate methods of selecting the rulers. If democracy and elections are bad and not suitable for Pakistan, what is the suitable way of letting the people an opportunity to select their representatives?

 The criticism and condemnation of the election can be divided into five broad categories. First, the Pakistani Taliban based in the tribal areas and their affiliates based in mainland Pakistan have used the election period as an opportunity to demonstrate their capacity to challenge the primacy of the Pakistan state. They resorted to violence wherever they got the opportunity. Despite the security arrangements, they showed that they have the determination and capacity to strike in any part of Pakistan.

 Even after the use of large scale violence by Pakistani Taliban and their local affiliates, some people and groups in Pakistan including those in the official civilian and military circles, continue to view the efforts to control the militant groups as “not our struggle.” Pakistan’s security forces have lost more people in countering terrorism than the India-Pakistan wars. The question to be answered is what will make this war a Pakistani war if the human killings and sufferings, the Taliban challenge to primacy of the Pakistani state and the Taliban refusal to recognize Pakistani constitution and law do not make it Pakistan’s war for its survival?

 Second, Balochistan has experienced a lot of violence in the course of the election campaign. Here the primary responsibility for violence lies with a number of separatist Baloch groups whose leadership is based outside of Pakistan but they have their violent activists and some training camps in Balochistan.

 The third challenge to elections and democracy is by those who do not view it as Islamic. They view the elections as a western implant that does not suit our conditions. Some of them think that the system of governance that existed in the earliest period of Islam should be revived in terms of structure because without the original structure of governance the spirit of that period cannot be revived. They are literalists and pursue an orthodox approach which makes it difficult for them to accept the changed nature of the present day world.

  Fourth, there are people who could be described as anarchist because they want to disrupt the electoral process and democracy because it had, in their view, a lot of deficiencies. Dr. Tahir-ul-Qadri is an illustration of this type who used his Islamic following and Islamic historical references to build his political support. As this support was not big enough to ensure the success of his political party, Pakistan Awami Tehrik, he used his support to disrupt the electoral process.

 Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri shares the objective of the Pakistani Taliban of failing the elections. However, their methods are different. The Pakistani Taliban use violence but Dr. Qadri pursues his agenda peacefully through protest marches and negative propaganda.

 Fifth, there are idealists who think that anything short of perfection is not acceptable. They argue that the political system must be perfected in all respects and then introduce it. It is a textbook approach which gives the ideal features of any political and social system.

  These are overlapping categories because more than one argument is used by those opposed to democracy and elections. The experience of the countries with working democracy is that they improved gradually by learning from experience. Democracy cannot improve unless it is practiced. No democracy started as a perfect democracy. Further, democracy can succeed if the people and society adopt democratic culture. If an effort is made to combine the norms of democracy with the notion of a religious state, it will neither become democracy nor a religious state. It will be a confused state and people. Some of these signs are visible in Pakistan.

It was October 12, 1999 when Nawaz Sharif relinquished his government to a coup by General Pervez Musharraf, who swooped down in a PIA aircraft from Colombo to take over the reins of power. The people of Pakistan had, by and large, welcomed Sharif’s exit even if they did not approve of the manner of it.

May 12, 2013 and Sharif is the comeback kid of Pakistan. With a convincing electoral win in the first democratic transition in Pakistan’s history, Sharif is set to annihilate his political rival, PPP, outplay the new kid on the block, Imran Khan, and perhaps form a government all by himself. Musharraf, topping all ironies, was not only disallowed from contesting elections but has been under house arrest since he landed back from the UK in a ridiculous show of hubris.

Looking over at Islamabad from across the border, a few things stand out.

First, the elections have shown that Pakistan has turned decisively right. All leftist, or left-leaning parties like PPP or ANP fell by the wayside, even MQM performing poorly. Sharif has close ties with Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and Ahle Sunnat wal Jamaat which has been behind the attacks on Shias and other minorities. Imran Khan, essentially the new leader of opposition, has openly espoused support for Islamist forces. When the Tehreek-e-Taliban declared war on “secular” parties, Sharif’s PML(N) was not on their mind.

Rana Banerji, former special secretary, RAW, said, “For arch-hardliners within the die-hard establishment, who can never forgive India for the dismemberment of the state in 1971, this electoral mandate, with right of centre parties poised to share power at the centre and in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with the PPP almost decimated except in Sindh, is the best thing that could have happened.”

However, Sharif’s almost absolute victory is very significant and will make both legislation and governance much easier in Pakistan. A tricky coalition was the last thing Pakistan needed. In fact, given the showing by both PTI and PPP, Sharif even has a fractured opposition, which cannot gang up against him.

For India, a known leader like Sharif has its advantages. “Our best bet in Pakistan is a strong civilian government that can change the India narrative to something we can work with,” top level officials said. PM Manmohan Singh in his message to Sharif congratulated him on his “emphatic” victory and invited him to visit India.

In the run-up to the elections, Sharif touched all the India buttons he could find – from economy and trade to probing ISI’s role in 26/11, shutting up Hafiz Saeed, not letting Pakistani territory be used for terrorism against India. But a note of caution is in order.

In February 1999, when former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee bused it to Lahore, the atmosphere was similarly euphoric. Kargil happened in May. In 2008, India was celebrating a civilian government in Pakistan. On November 26, India suffered one of the biggest terror attacks planned and executed from Pakistan. And this after Musharraf himself promised to end terrorism from Pakistan into India in a statement in January 2004.

Sharif’s victory this time is also the resounding dominance of Punjab in Pakistani politics. Both LeT and LeJ are Punjab dominated, and both groups have long links with the Sharifs. Indian officials believe Sharif will stick to lip service about investigating ISI, he wants them on his side now, not working against him.

India’s best bet would be for the new Pakistan government to focus on opening up trade and the economy. Sharif is a businessman, and understands that his victory is also a thumbs up for governance and an improved economy. Pakistan has to return to the IMF soon for another tranche, it will need a strong government to negotiate the terms. An MFN status for India is also overdue. India can expect that to be one of the first deliverables. Most Pakistan analysts in theIndian government are willing to give Sharif time to settle down and feel the pulse of the government.

Is Sharif a different person? Many in Pakistan say that his years under arrest and in exile and then as a patient opposition leader have served him well, he is more mature, less impulsive, more thoughtful. It may make him a better leader for this new Pakistan. It might make him a more responsible interlocutor for India.

Sharif will want to be careful about pushing the foreign policy front, because that is traditionally held by the army/ISI complex. Banerji reckons that if he pushes too soon, there might be a pushback from the army that could be counter-productive. Sharif has a bittersweet relationship with the Pakistan army and India will be watching carefully to see who becomes the next army chief after Ashfaque Kayani retires for the final time in November. But all accounts suggest that Sharif will disturb that power centre too early in his tenure.

While Asif Zardari will swear Sharif in, its unlikely he will be staying in Pakistan beyond September. Sharif will want to bring in someone he is comfortable with as the next president. Already the name of Mehmood Khan Achakzai is doing the rounds. The third important appointment will be of the chief justice of Pakistan, when Iftikhar Chaudhry also hangs up his boots.

Pakistan’s biggest challenge is the looming transition of the US and NATO from Afghanistan. Working through that transition has been the job of the Pakistan army. This will continue. Neither of the political parties has gone close to this particular minefield. Therefore, the crux of relations with Afghanistan, America and India will remain on the army’s table. Sharif will be able to work at the fringes of this policy, it would be foolhardy to expect more.

According to Indian observers, Sharif will focus on the economy. This will be welcomed both in Pakistan and overseas. Sharif has not revealed how he plans to tackle endemic radicalization and terrorism inside Pakistan. As Banerji observed, “The elections may engender optimism that all the complex problems facing the country, on the economic and terrorism fronts, can now be wished away.”

 http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Return-of-stronger-Sharif-bodes-well-for-India/articleshow/20022276.cms

Water may be fun for children to play with — but it can also be deadly. Consider these water-safety tips for pools, natural bodies of water and household hazards.

Residential swimming pools and spas

Multiple layers of protection can help ensure water safety and prevent drowning in a home pool or spa. If you have a pool or hot tub, follow all local safety ordinances. Also consider these general water-safety tips:

• Fence it in. Surround your pool with a fence that’s at least 4 feet (1.2 meters) tall. Make sure slatted fences have no gaps wider than 4 inches (10.2 centimeters), so kids can’t squeeze through. Avoid chain-link fences, which can be easy for children to climb. Install self-closing and self-latching gates with latches that are beyond a child’s reach.
• Install alarms. If your house serves as part of your pool enclosure, protect any doors leading to the pool area with an alarm. Add an underwater pool alarm that sounds when something hits the water. Make sure you can hear the alarm inside the house.
• Block pool and hot tub access. Use a rigid, motorized safety cover to block access to the pool when it’s not in use. Secure a cover on hot tubs as well. Empty inflatable pools after each use. Don’t allow water to collect on top of the pool or hot tub cover. Remove aboveground pool steps or ladders or lock them behind a fence when the pool isn’t in use.
• Teach children to swim. Most children can learn to swim at about age 5 — but know that swimming lessons won’t necessarily prevent a child from drowning.
• Remove toys. Don’t leave pool toys in the water. A child may fall into the water while trying to retrieve a toy.
• Keep your eyes peeled. Never leave children unsupervised near a pool or hot tub. During social gatherings, adults who know how to swim can take turns being the “designated watcher.” Don’t rely on air-filled or foam toys, such as water wings, noodles or inner tubes, to keep children safe.
• Beware of drains. Don’t allow children to play near or sit on pool or hot tub drains. Body parts and hair may become entrapped by the strong suction. Use drain covers, and consider installing multiple drains to reduce the suction.
• Keep emergency equipment handy. Store a safety ring with a rope beside the pool. Make sure you always have a phone in the pool area.

Swimming conditions can be unpredictable in lakes, rivers and oceans. Water depth can change rapidly, as can water temperature, currents and the weather. Murky water may conceal hazards. Follow these water-safety tips:

• Don’t swim alone. Never allow children to swim alone or without adult supervision.
• Wear a life jacket. Children should wear personal flotation devices whenever riding in a boat or fishing. An air-filled swimming aid isn’t a substitute for a life jacket.
• Feet first. The first descent into any body of water should be a jump — feet first. Before the jump, check water depth and temperature and look for underwater hazards.
• Stay in designated areas. At public beaches, swim only in areas set aside for swimming. Don’t allow children to swim in drainage ditches or other water-filled areas not intended for swimming.
• Beware of thin ice. Drowning can occur in the winter, too. Avoid walking, skating or riding on weak or thawing ice.

Toilets, bathtubs and buckets

The water in common household items can be dangerous for young children. A baby can drown in just 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) of water. A curious toddler can fall into a toilet, bucket or fish tank. Taking these precautions can help:

• Keep the bathroom door closed. Install a safety latch or doorknob cover on the outside of the door.
• Supervise bath time. Never leave a child alone in the bathtub or in the care of another child. Drain water from the tub immediately after use.
• Shut toilet lids. Install childproof locks on toilet lids.
• Store buckets safely. Empty buckets and other containers immediately after use. Don’t leave them outside, where they may accumulate water.