The rice-wheat cropping system (RWCS) of Pakistan comprises 1.7 mha out of 13.5 mha of total RW area of Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP), South Asia. Its current productivity (5 Mg ha -1 ) is far below the combined potential yields of both improved rice and wheat cultivars. Findings from farm surveys suggest that production model for RW belt of Pakistan‟s Punjab province as “medium input-medium output” because of degradation of soil and water resources. The slowdown in cereal productivity growth is linked to the soils not functioning to their full capacity and decreasing efficiency due to mismanaged cultivation. The constraints like depletion of organic matter as well as poor 3D soil health parameters viz. physical, chemical and biological jeopardize the sustainable productivity and net farmer profits. From the surveyed soils in the surroundings of 11 major cities of the Punjab, Pakistan viz., Kala Shah Kaku, Muridke, Narang Mandi, Narowal, Pasroor, Sialkot, Wazirabad, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Sheikhupura and Lahore, more than 90% of the soils were severely deficient of the soil organic matter (SOM), soil organic carbon (SOC), potentially mineralizable nitrogen (PMN) and low soil microbial communities assessed on the basis of total soil DNA extraction. An extreme variation in soil pH 1:1 and EC 1:1 was observed throughout the surveyed area. The physical parameters of soil health were found to be poorer in most of the sampled soils such as soil bulk density, soil infiltration rate, aggregate stability based on soil slaking test and water holding capacity. Nevertheless, the physical and physico-chemical parameters showed strong regression with crop yield; however, the loss of SOM, SOC and PMN found to be playing the most predominant role in the most robust and parsimonious yield response of rice-wheat. The high and significant value of R 2 for soil health parameters and rice- wheat yields showed that the productivity of both of the crops is highly vulnerable to the soils‟ physical, chemical as well as biological health. Rice straw (RS), being the main crop residue from RW is mainly being burned in the field due to its least preference for animal feed, limited time for recycling before sowing of succeeding wheat crop, and less favor for residue management because of high organic C contents that could result in net N immobilization if left in field, as part of crop residue management. The on-field burning of RS has been environmentally unacceptable because of its unhealthy emissions including soot,ii smoke, GHGs, and loss of key plant nutrients. In such a situation, composting seems to be one of the possible high value uses of RS. The current study describes a quality rice straw compost (RSC) prepared in a short span of time by inoculating indigenous microorganisms (IMOs) collected from the local environment mainly comprising of fungi, bacteria and actinomycetes. The RSC proved to be mature to very mature in terms of its quality and its potential to incur significant improvement of physical, physico-chemical and biological parameters of soil health. The RSC was analyzed for its comparative efficacy against commercial fertilizer (CF). For this purpose, rice and wheat was cultivated on rotation basis in tetra plicate field plots of CF treatment, applied with recommended NPK respective to rice and wheat; C treatment, applied with RSC only at 12 t ha -1 ; C+CF treatment, applied with both RSC and CF at half of the rate of C and CF treatments; and Ctrl treatment, control amended with neither of the of the soil amendments. The C+CF treatment provided yield of both rice and wheat at least equal to the CF treatment during the very first year of study; which indicated that application of RSC does not cause yield stagnation at the early stage of soil management practice, contrary to retaining or incorporating RS in soil. There was a gradual but continuous increase in the yield of both of the crops and during the conclusive year of this study, it was observed to be 6.415 and 4.545 t ha -1 , for rice and wheat respectively being almost double than yield in Ctrl. It was the maximum in C+CF treatments followed by CF while being the least in Ctrl. Overall, the maximum productivity of both of the crops was yielded by applying as low as 40-50% less CF than the recommended dose of NPK, as ≥ 50 % of the applied fertilizer is lost from the soil-plant system due to several factors. The hypothesis that rice-wheat productivity being vulnerable to the physical, chemical and biological parameters of soil derived for survey part of this study was reinforced from the outcome of field trials at one of the city of the selected study zone of RWCS of Punjab, Pakistan. The proposed technology is economical as well as sustainable for small scale experiment; however, expansion of the proposed technology to the end users i.e. small and medium farmers of Punjab, Pakistan would be one of the key future perspectives of this study.
سرفروشی کے انداز بدلے گئے تو دعوت قتل پر مقتل شہر میں
ڈال کر کوئی گردن میں طوق آ گیا لاد کر کوئی کاندھے پہ دار آ گیا
مارشل لاء کے دور میں پھانسی پانے والے پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی کے جیالے ۔مرزا ادریس بیگ شہید،ادریس طوطی شہید،عثمان غنی شہید،عبدلرزاق جھرنا شہید ،ایاز سموں شہید ،ناصر بلوچ شہید
The main objective of this research paper is the study of possible Sharīʻaĥ non-compliance risks (SNCRs) of Ijāraĥ along with their risk management mechanism. As the activity of Sharīʻaĥ non-compliance is negligence or failure to comply with the Sharīʻaĥ rules and regulations as well as for some extent, the breach of the law of the land. Hence, Identification, Monitoring, Control and Mitigation of SNCRs need to be undertaken sensitively otherwise the spirit and objective of Islamic banks (IBIs) will be no more than different from Conventional banking system i.e. Interest based banking. Consequently, this new practice of Islamic banking will also be considered Sharīʻaĥ non-compliant. Because, failure in control and mitigation of Sharīʻaĥ non-compliance risks (SNCRs) may render the transaction into Null and Void (Bāṭil) or Voidable (Fāsid) as well as the return/rental would be considered impermissible (Ḥarām). Additionally, it may expose the status of IBIs at high risk regarding their reputation, profitability and confidence of their stakeholders which may lead the system towards collapse and downfall. Keeping in mind the need of the identification of SNCR along with estimated risk management/mitigation tools, this paper is developed to help the industry to develop their own Sharīʻaĥ non-compliance risk management system and to achieve the targeted outcomes i.e. Sound reputation of Islamic banking on the basis of Sharīʻaĥ principles, permissible proceeds/profits through genuine Sharīʻaĥ compliant activities and comprehensive knowledgeable material to understand distinctive and accurate Islamic banking system from Conventional. Targeting the abovementioned goals and aims, the answers of following questions are explored: What is SNCR? Is there any approved and authentic mechanism or SNCR management system in market to manage and mitigate them? Is the SNCR destructive for the profit and goodwill of IBIs? Principally, this research paper is an effort to uncover the SNCRs of Ijāraĥ Product along with the risk management mechanism keeping in sight the modern practices of Ijāraĥ Product.
Climate change poses profound risks to the livelihoods of vulnerable rural mountainous communities due to their higher dependence on natural resources which causing higher degradation. The current study had assessed the vulnerability due to climate change and livelihood practices of the Tehsil Balakot of Khyber Phuktoon Khawa (KPK), Pakistan and how these practices help to elate their adaptive capacity. Moreover, vulnerability of mountain forest in provision of forest services and land use changes were also determined.Based on mixed method approach including ten focus group discussions, survey of two hundred households and in-depth interviews with the locals; different hazards and their associated livelihood effects were explored. Wellbeing status of the community and resulting adaptation strategies were also analyzed. Temperature and rainfall data of last 30 years (1988 to 2017) was collected from the Pakistan Meteorological Department to validate people‟s perception of climate. Later the mapping of three integral ecosystem services as provisionary, regulatory, and cultural (recreation) through the local community‟s perception had been done. Carbon stock assessment as a climate regulatory service of the forest was carried out from the trees and the soil of Tehsil Balakot whereas livelihood vulnerability was evaluated through a composite indicator as Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI) and Livelihood Vulnerability Index of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Lastly land use change was analyzed using geographical information system (GIS). It was clearly depicted that the changing climate has significantly influenced the livelihoods of the local community through resource degradation, insufficient basic services, low agricultural productivity and social inequity. The poor people were facing additional burden due to their low adaptive capacity towards climate change. Furthermore, the analysis has shown that these forests provide myriad of services to their surrounding communities in form of the timber, fuelwood, climate regulation and recreation. The total carbon stock assessment for the Tehsil Balakot was determined as 243.79 t/ha. The average tree biomass as 207.41 t/ha and soil carbon was found as 36.38 t/ha. In the climatic trends, there was an overall decrease in mean minimum annual temperature by a factor of 0.0024 for each year whereas there had been an overall increase in mean maximum annual temperature by a factor of 0.0412 for each year. The mean annual rainfall of thirty years was 1471.27 mm. The comparative analysis within Tehsil Balakot showed that Union Council Balakot was more vulnerable with a LVI score of 0.41 than Kawai with an aggregate score of 0.35. The results of in-depth analysis of differential vulnerability showed that households in Balakot had the low adaptive capacity and higher exposure to natural disasters. The study has concluded that these forests are playing a vital role for the livelihood of the surrounding community as well contributes in climate change impacts mitigation. After working with communities, it is suggested that government policy should focus on those emergent issues which were identified relevant by communities and are most critical for their livelihoods. Developmental and community planners should also use such studies to assess the root causes of vulnerability to specify indigenous needs in policy making.