Zardari, Lawyers & Journos: Who Is The Real Hypocrite? - by Ahmad Quraishi

Have you noticed how a small group of self-righteous lawyers and journalists are turning Asif Zardari and Rehman Malik into villains now? This group of lawyers and journos are bent on spoon feeding the Pakistanis how to tell right from wrong. For six months they have been celebrating Zardari and Malik when it suited their narrow objective. But suddenly today, they’re saying Zardari is corrupt and Malik is ‘NRO-laundered.’ So who is changing faces now?

By AHMED QURAISHI
Wednesday, 14 May 2008.
WWW.AHMEDQURAISHI.COM

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan—Some Pakistani lawyers and journalists have suddenly discovered that Asif Ali Zardari and Rehman Malik are bad, corrupt and ‘NRO-laundered.’ This last adjective is the original creative invention of Ansar Abbasi, my veteran colleague at The News International. It had a real sense of humor.

If Mr. Zardari and Mr. Malik were bad, corrupt and ‘NRO-laundered’ then this did not happen now. They were the same people –if the charges stick- on Oct. 18, 2007, the day Benazir Bhutto landed in Pakistan. Mr. Malik escorted her. Strangely, none of today’s self-righteous lawyers and journalists called Mr. Rehman Malik bad, corrupt and ‘NRO-laundered.’ Certainly no one dared tell the same to BB’s face or in their newspaper columns and television appearances. Why? Because of hate. The self-righteous group was and still is focused on hating Mr. Musharraf and taking revenge, not on telling the truth.

Then Mr. Zardari became party cochairman. He seized control of the main opposition party in the country. He sidelined veteran party leaders. He decided to set the tone of future Pakistani politics. He appeared from nowhere to take major decisions affecting every Pakistani citizen. In brief, Mr. Zardari took actions that warranted scrutiny and close examination of his role and background. You would have expected Mr. Abbasi to come forward at that time and throw a probing question or two at the ‘NRO-laundered’ Zardari. You would have expected some of the haughty lawyers, set on teaching the nation how to tell right from wrong, to have said something about Mr. Zardari at that time, all of course for the sake of the rule of the law, the constitution, the future generations, etc.

But nobody said anything. Why? Because of hate. The self-righteous group was and is focused on hating Mr. Musharraf and taking revenge, not on telling the truth.

Then came March 9, 2008. The historic summit meeting. A long press conference. A new beginning in Pakistani politics, we were told. A new beginning comes with a clean slate. So many of us ordinary Pakistanis thought we will see some self-critical straight talk from the assembled leaders. Certainly the media would ask those questions. But not a single reporter, senior journalist, anchorman, anchorwoman, analyst, or commentator from the self-righteous group dared stand up during the conference or write later in their columns or say in their television commentary that Mr. Nawaz Sharif should have atoned for ordering his paid activists to break into the building of the Supreme Court of Pakistan Mafia-style, an event that even Mr. Musharraf couldn’t match in his second coup of Nov. 3.

No single reporter, senior journalist, anchorman, anchorwoman, analyst, or commentator from the self-righteous group dared stand up during the conference or write later in their columns or say in their television commentary that Mr. Asif Ali Zardari should also come clean before the nation on NRO and the alleged corruption cases.

All of this could have been done in a spirit of a new beginning. But no one from the self-righteous group raised any of these legitimate and warranted questions that concern the rule of the law, the constitution, the future generations, etc.

And then Mr. Zardari surprised most skeptics. The immaculate change in his looks – the new haircut and moustache style, the wardrobe, the demeanor, the articulate speech – matched the immaculate change in his politics. He became the grand uniter, bringing a politically battered Pakistan together. His impressive reaching out to different political parties, his handling of the relationship with the presidency, his focus on the real problems facing Pakistan, all of this surprised even his hardened critics. Even those who couldn’t agree with Mr. Zardari’s background could find some common ground with him if it benefited the country.

With this welcome change in Mr. Zardari, this was the time to strengthen his hand and encourage him on this path for the sake of our homeland, all of us. The bitterness and questions about Mr. Zardari’s past notwithstanding, this was the time to show openheartedness. For the sake of Pakistan, not for the sake of anyone.

But surprise, surprise. The self-righteous group sprang up to condemn Asif Zardari and Rehman Malik. All of a sudden, lawyer groups on the Internet began circulating defamatory material against Mr. Malik. Some even went as far as accusing him of complicity in BB’s assassination. And Mr. Zardari became a target of ‘hate journalism’, which means fresh newspaper commentaries that suddenly turned Zardari from a good person to a bad person.

So, the question is: Was Zardari bad, corrupt and ‘NRO-laundered’ before March 9 or was not?

Was Rehman Malik bad corrupt and ‘NRO-laundered’ before March 9 or was not?

What is the criterion for being good or bad: corruption cases and a checkered past? Or hating Musharraf and taking revenge from him, from Naeem Bokhari, from PML, from Atiqa Odho, from Dr. Arbab, and from whomever this select self-righteous group of lawyers and journalists condemns to eternal hell?

Mr. Zardari and Mr. Malik have not changed. They are who they are. They never claimed anything else. The only difference is, maybe they are doing something good by bringing all our warring political parties together.

But the real change has come in this self-righteous group of a few journalists and lawyers. This group told us that Zardari and Malik were good. Now the group has had a change of mind. Zardari and Malik are bad.

So who is the real hypocrite?

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Comments

Dear Ahmed Qureshi: congratulations on writing sucha heart winning column. ayou have given a long arm in ansar abbasi a stupid table fiction writer like maulana salah uddin (jahannum raseed )of monthly takbeer this self apointed intellectual is nothing more then a pseudo intellectual whose thoughtws revolve around N league according to this moron and hurd of animals (elements of yellow journalism )like him (ata ul haque qasmi, khalid masood, tarique butt, saleh zafir, hamid meer, shahid masood etc etc) Nawaz shareef is everything they are the part of team of paid bastard of media and journalism whereas anawaz shareef havent any vision and approacch for the future of pakistani want to quote one of my pro musharraf sister again and like to give a message to ansar abbasi (a typical paindu of murree) and other likewise yellow journalist we hate you even we dont want to read your table stupid fictions. we hate you ansar abbasi we hate you we hate you. stop writing against reality donot malign truth , your every report reflect your animosity for pervez musharraf sb and your love towards baldy pate a most disgusting personality for three provinces who loudly and cleary reject this inept paindu of lahore, i appeal government to enbquire the illegal wealth these notorious journalists accumulate from nawaz shareef, ansar abbasi khu8da say daroa chand takoann kee khatir sach ko jhoot aur jhoot koa sach mat banaoa you have to appear before almighty Allah on doomsday. yeh chand takay jo tum nay nawaz shareef say liay hain yeh yaheen reh jaain gay. it is the responsiblity of a journalist to highlight truth but ansar abbasi and other paindu supporter journalist of nawaz league never saw any good thing from General sb instead busy in making a non issue an issue restoration of judiciary is a non issue but continiously given importance in media by such bastards like ansar abbasi, he knows very well that his dramna is over and people are not anymore interested in judicial issue they need solution of there basic problem they need electricity they need control over inflation these are real problems of the peolpe it is the duty of the journalist to highlight the basic needs and issues of comon man instead these bastadr yellow journalists like ansar abbasi tryiong to impose there stunted and childish likings and dislikings on the nation these stupida must be trialed and bring into justice circle and given severe punishment to spread wrong information and analysis to turn minds in baldies favour . ansar abbasi yoyuir favourite hero bald bastard nawaz shgareef was the right hand of the last dictator zia ul haque. breed of person can never be change he can neve be the champion of democracy . ansar abbasi what your democracy given us highest inflation last thirth five years ever seen, your pen is lull and mum on basic needs, basic problems of common people, i think you havent any approach for problem solving, even i think you upper empty chamber lingual supporter of baldy fascist nawaaz shareef any problem rectification approach. again i want to say paindus ansar abbasi and his hurd of animals ((ata ul haque qasmi, khalid masood, tarique butt, saleh zafir, hamid meer, shahid masood etc etc)) bastards we hate you we hate you we hate you as your analysis and reporting revolve around a hatred against a single person. laanat hoa tum logoan pay kay aik saal main bhi apna objective hasil naheen kar paay kia ganjay koa bilkul kangal kar kay choroa gay .

Posted By: kamran | May 13, 2008 09:41:29 PM

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Ahmed Quraishi your comments on the follwing: There is no shortage of Hypocrites in this country. This is our national asset. Your colleague Ansar Abbasi stands out in the field of journalism ably supported by Hamid Mir. As I understand that the basic theory of journalism is based on 5Ws. I have yet to read any text book which also says that journalists are the Opinion Makers? Anwar Abbasi appearing at Capital Talk says with pride that “We Journalists are supposed to be the Opinion Makers also”. Here is a question that those Moulvis who are using FM Radios are also Opinion Makers. Why they are being targeted? What will happen to this nation if such Moulvis get electronic media for their Opinion Making?. Hamid Mir, referring to his interview with Nawaz Sharif asking NS the questions suited him. Hamid Mir showing a clip of his interview with NS was supposed to take comments from his panel but only takes expert opinioin from his buddy Abbasi and did not take any comments from rest of the panel. He makes his opinion and takes a break and goes to Karachi for the incident with the dacoits in Ranchore Line, Karachi. The panel was of the view that the act in Karachi was desperation of people and defiance against the justice system, Abbasi believes Justice will only prevail if another dacoit is restored. I foresee that when people will become so desperate then people like Abbasi, Hamid Mir and Dr. Shahid Masood; God forbid will meet the same punishment like in Ranchore Line. Lastly, President Musharraf has a big heart; they have yet to see the real Asif Zardari.. Aitezaz Ahsan is not worth a comment because he has croosed all the limits.

Posted By: M.I. SIDDIQUI | May 16, 2008 03:53:45 AM


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one more thing ... apnay chaheetay ansar abbasi say appeal karoa kay kam az kam ek dafa "pakistan koa darpaish masail aur unkay mumkina hal" is topic per bhi apna kalam uthaay koi baat naheen agar is column kay liay isay apnay aqaoan say paisay naheen milain gay. sara doodh ka doodh pani ka pani hoa jaay ga key is murree kay pahariay main kitni qabliat hay aur capacity hay.

Posted By: kamran | May 14, 2008 12:11:49 PM