The Musharraf Formula (Back Channel Formula) and the Resolution of the Kashmir Conflict

The Musharraf formula refers to the resolution formula of the Kashmir conflict which was reportedly agreed upon during the one-to-one backchannel dialogue between Mr. Tariq Aziz, the former civil servant and close aide of the then President of Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf and Mr. Satinder Lambah, a special envoy of the Prime Minister of India. We now know some of the details of this formula from the article of the American journalist, Steve Coll which he had published in New Yorker in March 2009 and the book of Mr. Khursheed Mahmud Kasuri, Neither a Hawk, Now a Dove which was published in 2015. Prior to this Mr. Musharraf and Mr. Kasuri had already claimed in their TV interviews and press talks that by March 2007 India and Pakistan were very close to resolving the Kashmir conflict. This paper takes the details of that non-paper agreement and tries to study what exactly that agreement holds for the future resolution of the Kashmir conflict. The basic understanding is whenever the Pakistani and the Indian governments will take up the negotiations on the Kashmir conflict in future, this agreement is bound to come up in the talks as a starting reference point. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully look at this agreement and discuss what it entails for the resolution of the Kashmir conflict.

Assessment of Pollution Parameters in Water and Their Impact on Meat Quality of Rohu Labeo Rohita Inhabiting River Indus at Dg Khan, South Punjab, Pakistan

Heavy metals are natural components of geological structures with their productive role in agriculture, cement and plastic industry. This industrial progress is playing role in the emission of various pollutants in biological systems; hence their levels have been increased from minor to major in terms of pollution. This pollution has influence on the physicochemical features of water along with biological component by deterring the meat quality of fish. Fish is a readily available source of protein for the consumption of human beings. Heavy metals e.g. Nickle, cadmium, chromium, Manganese, lead, iron and zinc are fatal pollutants due to their bio accumulative nature in body tissues. This bioaccumulation of heavy metals leads to health illness of fish and its consumers. These pollutants can influence the normal hematological and serological parameters along with the induction of pathological changes in muscles. Hence, Fish can be used as a bio-indictor in the monitoring of metals pollution as they engaged various trophic levels in a food chain. This research was designed to investigate the heavy metal concentration in River Indus at Dera Ghazi Khan along with their histopathological impact on proximate quality of meat and blood profile of Labeo rohita. Sampling was performed from three different sites of River Indusduring the period from July 2017 to February 2018. These heavy metals in water and fish meat were determined e.g. Cr, Pb, Cu, Zinc, Mn, Iron, Pb, Ni and Cd by using Polarized Zeeman (Z-8230) atomic absorption spectrophotometer at Environmental Science Lab, UVAS Lahore. In water samples, macro minerals concentration as Ca, Mg, Na and K were also analyzed by using spectrophotometer along with various physico-chemical parameters of water like BOD, COD, TDS, TSS, DO, EC, Ph and temperature. In Rohu meat, mean metal concentration (mg/l), was found to be high at Manka Drain site (2) due to dumping of municipal, agricultural and brick kilns untreated waste, as following, Pb (4.6275?9.305), Cd (0.105?0.105), Mn (26.4325?1.357), Ni (0.87375?0.129), Cu (9.86875?1.255), Cr (6.3525?3.068), Zn (12.67625?1.995) and Fe (73.315?2.766). This study confirms that bio-accumulation of metals took place over time. The purpose of conductedresearch was to investigate the impact of heavy metal content of water on proximate composition ofLabeo rohitaand its blood profile from consumer?s health point of view. The research results predict alterations in muscle quality in terms of its intact structure via histopathological observations and protein content via proximate estimation. These results strongly recommend that the permanent evaluation of this aquatic ecosystem should be implemented at study area because; population is on increasing tendency due to which consumption of water with establishment of industries is flourishing at a rapid rate resulting in more effluent production. Furthermore, Installation of effluent treatment plants must be planned to properly dispose-off industrial and sewerage waste to avoid contamination of fresh water reservoir.