Sunflower is a major oil seed crop in which genetic variance could be exploited considerably for higher seed yield, oil contents and protein percentage by evolving superior F1 hybrids.The best F1 hybrids however can be obtained by crossing inbred parents with good general and specific combining ability due to higher additive, dominance and complementary epistatic genes. Foremost improvement in sunflower breeding requires the urgency in developing the heterotic hybrids which may achieved by exploiting combining ability and hybrid vigour in F1 hybrids developed from crossing genetically diverse female lines with male restorers. The sunflower F1 hybrids are considered more stable, uniform in plant stand, highly self-fertile, extremely productive in terms of seed yields, oil content, earlier in maturity, resistant to lodging, diseases and insect-pests. The present studies were carried-out at experimental field of Oil Seeds Section Agriculture Research Institute, Tandojam from 2009 to 2011. Six cytoplasmic male sterile female lines viz. ARG-0306,64-A-93, PSF-025, SF-187, ARG-0405 and ARG-0505 and three testers RHP-46, RHP-64 and ARG-0106were crossed in a line x tester mating design, thus 18 cross combinations were developed for evaluation and genetic analysis. The characters studied were; days to 50% flowering, days to 90% maturity, plant height, stem girth, head diameter, number of achenes plant-1, 1000-achene weight, seed yield plant-1, seed yield in kg ha-1, oil content and protein percentage. The analysis of variance revealed significant differences among the parents, F1 hybrids and parents vs. hybrids for phenological, seed yield traits, oil content and protein percentage in F1 and F2 hybrids. The significance of mean squares due to parents vs. hybrids recorded for all the traits studied suggested the scope of heterosis breeding in sunflower, whilst the significant differences for lines x tester interactions indicated the importance of specific combining ability (SCA) of hybrids which suggested the involvement of dominant genes in the expression of studied traits. The significant mean squares due to lines and testers both determine the general combining ability (GCA) revealed the predominance effect of additive genes advocating the traits. Significant genetic variability among the plant traits is particularly valuable because variations in plant traits would allow further improvement in sunflower seed yield and quality traits. The major role of dominant genes was very apparent because the ratio of σ2SCA:σ2GCA was significantly higher and degree of dominance (σ2D/ σ2A)1/2 was also greater than unity. These results indicated the preponderance of dominant gene action suggesting the feasibility of hybrid crop development. General combining ability estimates indicated that CMS lines SF-187, 64-A-93 and ARG-0405 whereasfrom testers RHP-46 were found as the best general combiners for early maturity, seed yield, oil and protein traits, hence these parents may be chosen for hybridization programmes to evolve profitable hybrids or synthetic varieties. Specific combining ability and heterotic effects are very important estimates for determining the suitability of F1 hybrid crop development. The hybrids such as SF-187 x RHP-46, 64-A-93 x RHP-46, PAC-ARG-0405 x PAC-ARG-0106, 64-A-93 x RHP-46 and PSF-025 x RHP-64 which involved parents with high x high and high x low GCA effects, exhibited higher positive SCA and heterotic effects for seed yield, oil content and protein percentage while they expressed negative yet desirable SCA effects for phenological traits and plant height. These results suggested that such hybrids are advantageous for the exploitation of hybrid crop development or selection of transgressive segregants in earlier filial generations. The narrow sense heritability estimates were generally low suggesting greater portion of dominant variances against the additive. Heritability results thus suggested that selection for studied traits may be exercised in later segregating generations while giving the opportunity of recombination to occur between desirable genes. Correlation results generally suggested that head diameter and 1000-achene weight have shown significant positive associations withall seed, oiland protein traits, henceboth the traits may be used as most reliable selection criteria to improve yield, oil andprotein traits in sunflower breeding programmes.
Islam caters to people’s need for peace and serenity and therefore takes every legal measure to safeguard the society against disruptive elements. A criminal who spoils the tranquility of a peaceful society deserves to be awarded severe punishment but Islam does not deem it logical to execute punishments before eliminating the major causes for commission of crimes. The following research article describes the attitudes of Western critics of Islam--such as Robert Spencer-- towards Islamic penalties namely amputation and stoning to death. It describes Islamic concept of crime and punishment in comparison with Western concepts and attempts to prove that Islam never loses sight of moderation and inflicts no barbarities. The last part of the research article, through crime statistics of United States of America, proves that the they have disastrously failed to curb violent crimes in their society. Hence it is high time that the world recognized the effective role and deterrent value of Islamic punishments for peace and stability.
This study addresses the limitations of the previous studies and contributes to the literature through developing theoretical knowledge and examining the empirical framework on the consequences of the oil price uncertainty for the investment in financial and real assets. The study uses structural VAR to identify the oil supply, aggregate demand and oil specific demand shocks and to estimates, the impact of these identified shocks on the performance of stock market in Pakistan is analyzed. The results of impulse response functions and variance decomposition analysis confirm the significant role of oil supply shocks and aggregate demand shocks on the stock market whereas, oil specific demand shocks exert little influence on the changes in the stock market prices. Findings suggest that the impact of oil prices shocks is not the same; it differs and depends upon the underlying oil price shock. This study further investigates using System GMM model how the corporate in vestment decisions in Pakistans developing and in a regulated oil price environment respond to international oil price uncertainty. The findings of this study reveal that international oil price uncertainty significantly affects the corporate invest ment decisions and also finds evidence in favour of compound options theory appli cation in Pakistan. However, contrary to the existing studies, our findings imply that although the impacts of oil prices uncertainty in normal course are positive, corporate investment significantly decreases when the uncertainty increases at the exponential rate. These findings are in contrast with those found in US by (Hen rique & Sadorsky, 2011). This difference is due to different economic conditions and structures of Pakistani and US economy. In the decomposed oil price shocks and corporate investment phase, investigates the impacts of uncertainty of identified underlying oil price shocks on the corporate investment decisions by using GMM. Results show the positive effects of world oil supply uncertainty, whereas world oil demand and oil specific demand measures have significant negative effects on the corporate investment. These findings sug gest that the impact of oil prices shocks on the corporate investment decisions is x also not the same; it differs and depends upon the underlying oil price shock. Fur ther findings from the analysis confirm the presence of both waiting options and the growth options in line with the empirical findings by (Henrique & Sadorsky, 2011). Finally finding from the oil intensity analysis suggest that in Pakistan volatility of different underlying oil price shocks affect significantly the corporate investment decisions in Pakistan for both the oil intensive and less oil intensive industries and there is not much difference between them. Results regarding the factor of size suggest that small firms are better in coping with the world oil supply side shock of oil price uncertainty, whereas the large size firms are better able to handle with the oil specific demand side shock of oil prices. Therefore effects of oil price shocks on investment is not the same for the large and small size firms and differ depending upon the underlying shock of oil price uncertainty also. Findings imply that, the policy-making authorities, investors and managers must take care of the source of oil shocks, the difference, nature and intensity of effects according to their country environment before making the policies and decision about the investment plans.