ABSTRACT Potato ranks fourth in production among food crops after wheat, rice and and maize in Pakistan. Although Potato production in Pakistan has increased many folds but it’s per hectare yield is low as compared to main potato growing countries. The use of fast food is increasing day by day, which will enhance the utilization of potato as processed product. New processing industries are being developed in Pakistan during recent years. The non-availability of quality raw material for processing is a major impediment for the growth of potato industry. In Pakistan more number of most desired varieties for processing with good yield and shelf life will decrease over dependence on a single or two potato varieties for this speedy growing industry, and thus maintain accessibility and quality of raw materials. At present no local variety has been developed with desirable characteristics for commercial cultivation to fulfill the needs of processing units in the country. Improvement and encouragement of cultivars with good storability and processing potential could supply a safe guard to additional realized during glutted assembly seasons, thereby falling post-harvest losses and enhancing the stakeholders’ income. Keeping these in view, the present work was carried out to select new potato varieties with desirable characters for sustainable good yield, nutritional quality, storability, fresh marketing, and chipping, frying, boiling and baking. Thirty two genotypes including standard varieties grown in Pakistan (Desiree, Cardinal and Diamond) were evaluated for the obvious aspects at National Agricultural Research Centre, Islamabad. The results of the present research endeavors showed significant differences with respect to various characteristics among genotypes. Yield was comparatively higher in the genotype 394021-120. The processing/quality assessments indicated that the starch and dry matter was maximum and the reducing sugar was minimum in NARC 1-2006/1, though the highest protein content was in NARC 1-2006/2. The correlation study illustrated that dry matter had negative correlation with reducing sugar. The longest dormancy period was shown by 393574-61 in ambient storage and least total weight loss was observed in 393574-72. In cold storage the genotype 393574-61 was superior to other genotypes, showing minimum total weight loss. As far as sensory characteristics are concern, panelists scores shows that genotype 394055-40 in boiled & baked potato and VR 90-217 in chips, VR 90-217 and NARC 1-2006/1 in French fry were found better. In the present trial, on the basis of their overall better performance in all aspects varieties 394021-120, NARC 1-2006/1, 393574-61, VR 90-217, NARC 2002-1 and 9625 are considered suitable for good yield, fresh marketing, storability and processing, to enhance farmer’s income and cope with demands of the industry.
In the status and degrees of spirituality, the highest ranking position is prophecy and apostleship in which a person gets free feeds and knowledge from the creator of the universe and then with this light and illumination brightens the hearts of other mankind. Indeed, it is an unusual claim that a prophet or a messenger does and in fact it requires strong evidences to prove. That’s why all prophets are awarded some qualities, discriminations, signs and evidences from Allah Almighty through which people clearly get awareness and acknowledgement. Such things are “Signs and Evidences of Prophecy” in which the greatest sign is “miracle”. The basic question of this article is that what are signs, evidences and arguments of prophecy in Sharaf-ul-Muṣṭafa and Al-Shifā? And what are their present implementation and importance? These books are famous for the dignity and rights of Prophet (S.A.W) and researched by scholars as a whole on their writers, contents, and methodology but not yet studied in this perspective. In this article few most important of them are selected and analyzed. Innocence and pure race, miraculous appearance, personality, debonairness, eloquence, stamp of prophet-hood, miracles and being illiterate etc. All are symptoms of prophecy of Muhammad (S.A.W). In contemporary situation the best way to prove truthfulness and greatness of Prophet (S.A.W) is to focus on better scientific, rational, logical and practical aspects of Muhammad’s (S.A.W) life and we have to apply it.
North Waziristan had historically been acting as a catalyst for geostrategic changes occurred in Afghanistan especially during the ‗Great Games‘. Following the period of relative calmness after Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan; the fateful incident of 11th September 2001 again pushed the agency into regional geostrategic wrangling. United States led military campaign in Afghanistan during 2002, triggered an unending chain of actions leading to a fresh cultural war and process of social disintegration in the area. The terrorists‘ infiltration in hideouts across North Waziristan; established during Afghan jihad (1979-1991), further complicated the sociopolitical matrix of the agency. The succeeding years witnessed an unprecedented wave of terrorism which destroyed the sociopolitical institutions and physical infrastructures in the area. The decade long miseries of locals ended when triumphant military operation ‗Zarb-e-Azb‘ obliterated the terrorists‘ hideouts from North Waziristan and set the stage for non-kinetic initiatives to revive and restore socioeconomic and politico-administrative institutions in the agency. Undertaking the research project in North Waziristan has never been a soft seafaring. Extremely conservative cultural values and inadequate accessibility make the task of amassing requisite data, contacting authentic stakeholders and recording of actual feelings exceedingly difficult. The research has been carried out while considering the said sociocultural ground realities and data collection limitations. The researcher‘s field experience of government service, operating knowledge and personal observations of the local environments have provided the needed expertise to accomplish this difficult task. The research used non-probability sampling design to collect relevant information needed to explore the causes of conflict and to suggest post conflict rehabilitation strategy. For this purpose, 503 respondents from various segments of Waziristan community living inside or outside the agency were approached by using close ended questionnaire through survey method. Using multiple regression analysis, the study found that there is a positive and significant relationship between the hypothesized relationships. This empirically evidence based on the conflict and rehabilitation theories verify the applicability of social engineering theory and system‘s thinking approach in the North Waziristan region. To sum-up the study concluded that rehabilitation framework based on perceptive planning and dynamic execution mechanism can optimally assist to revolutionize the socioeconomic fortune of the conflict ridden North Waziristan for a better and peaceful region with focus on human development. The research has also offered certain important policy recommendations for social, economic, political and institutional restoration in the post conflict environments of the North Waziristan.